Tag: The Concordian

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News

Dropouts from Co-op internships speak out

Concordia students share their experiences with the Co-op program

When Emma Amar was accepted into Concordia University’s software engineering program in April 2020, she was invited to apply to the Co-op program during an orientation session. She hoped to get experience in the field before graduating, alongside an accreditation to her diploma. 

But in January 2022, she called it quits.

“I decided to leave Co-op because I couldn’t stay and take a leave of absence,” she said. In 2020, the Co-op institute required software engineering students to take five classes for their fall, winter and summer semesters. Currently, their sequence requires fewer courses over an academic year.

“If you step out of sequence, then your Co-op gets messed up. So it’s very rigorous every semester. So most of my peers take five [classes] every semester.”

In order to complete the Co-op program, students must dedicate two semesters to learn about the Co-op program and to secure an internship via their institute. Then, they must successfully complete three internships, spread over three semesters.

“I was very excited to work because I’m not a person that enjoys [studying],” she said. “I have anxiety and have a lot of things that make it very difficult for me to be a student and a participant in a class setting.”

Amar’s internship workload felt like she was taking an extra class. “I have to attend all these workshops. I have to be a member of the Co-op institute, but I’m busy juggling five classes,” she said.

Juggling between being a full-time student one semester and working full-time the next, all while dealing with mental health issues made Amar realize she needed a break.

Despite the added stress she encountered with the process, she says she improved her technical skills through the experience. “Two years past that internship, I’m still using all the skills that I got from my job in my classes, in my group projects,” she said. “I’m able to sit down and actually be able to interact with my peers and actually be able to contribute.”

Alex*, who wished to remain anonymous, is another student whose Co-op experience was similar to Amar’s. They decided to apply for Co-op in March 2021; as a journalism student, they were eager to find internship opportunities in their field, but quickly realized that the program only offered opportunities to work in public relations and communications. 

“Sometimes I would have to go to a press conference. Well, I guess you do that in journalism, but this was not me asking questions. This was me networking for the company,” they said.

Alex thought their internship would teach them journalism skills, like following tight schedules, writing and publishing content. Yet they felt like their days were coordinated by random tasks their manager gave them.

Alex expressed feeling burnt out after that summer, having worked 50 hours every week,  including their summer job. 

“The university could do so much more to set us up for success with internships, and yet they don’t,” they said. “I sincerely hope that Concordia, the journalism department and the Co-op department figure out a way to have paid journalism jobs. Right now, it’s all communications, marketing or PR. And to me, that’s completely useless and irrelevant to my field of study,” Alex added.

“I still feel like I’ve never really recovered from that. It made me realize I want to do journalism,” they said. “The thing about Co-op is that you can’t quit halfway through because it looks like you failed on your transcript,” Alex said. “[I] was realizing that the Co-op program in journalism is kind of a scam.” 

After completing their first internship in summer 2022, Alex told their program coordinator they were no longer interested in being part of the Co-op program. 

Amar and Alex will not graduate as Co-op students, but as C.Edge students. 

C.Edge is another internship institute at Concordia for students who are transitioning to the workfield. Only one internship is required to complete the C.Edge program.

“It’s not going to show that I’m a Co-op student, but because I did successfully complete one internship, I’m a C.Edge student,” Amar said. “I have no idea what that entails.”

*a fictive name

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HERstory Lesson Opinions

HERstory Lesson: Billie Jean King

Carleen Loney/THE CONCORDIAN @shloneys

How she humbled a male athlete’s ego in a post-second-wave feminist climate

Billie Jean King is a former American tennis player and six-time Wimbledon champion. Active from the 1970s to the 1990s, she also won seven Federation Cups, the international team competition for women’s tennis, now named after her. She is considered one of the greatest tennis players of all time.

Despite all of this, King is mostly remembered for a match she played against a 55-year-old man when she was 29.

Dubbed the ‘Battle of the Sexes,’ the match was initiated by top men’s tennis player Bobby Riggs, who claimed “there’s no way a woman can play tennis with a good man tennis player.”

Riggs, who played in the 1930s and 1940s, said he could beat any woman in tennis and challenged King to play for $100,000 on Sept. 20, 1973.

King, who campaigned for gender equality in women’s sports, first rejected the challenge. However, after Riggs challenged and beat Margaret Court, she accepted.

Coming out of the second-wave feminist movement, one that focused on equality and discrimination, this match held important cultural significance on the gender politics that reflected the social climate at the time.

Riggs said it best himself in a Tonight Show interview, where he said that he planned to “set back [the] women’s lib movement about another 20 years.”

When asked by host Johnny Carson if he liked women, Riggs replied “I like them real good in the bedroom, the kitchen and when they bring you the slippers and the pipe.” Interrupted by a mix of cheers and boos, he continued and said: “I really think the best way to handle women is to keep them pregnant and this way, they don’t worry about getting out in the men’s world and competing for jobs and trying to get equal money and all that baloney.”

Although some might say that Riggs was just playing into a character to bring hype to the game, we cannot deny that comments like these would not pass on any of today’s prime-time television talk shows, jokes or not.

Whether an intimidation tactic or not, it worked as King said “I thought it would set us back 50 years if I didn’t win that match. It would ruin the women’s tour and affect all women’s self-esteem.”

90 million viewers tuned in from 37 countries to watch the Battle of the Sexes go down in Houston Astrodome. To put it into perspective, the Super Bowl that year received 53 million viewers on average.

It was in front of this large audience that King beat Riggs 6-4, 6-3, 6-3, which makes this statement by Riggs even more delightful: “Would you believe that she said she could take the pressure and play for the money as well as I can?” Yes, Bobby, yes, she can.

This was more than just a tennis match — it was a significant cultural event that helped garner greater respect and recognition of female athletes.

Although King recognized the importance of this match, she said that “to beat a 55-year-old guy was no thrill for me. The thrill was exposing a lot of new people to tennis.”

Indeed, it is important not to forget that King did so much more than just win against an old misogynist at tennis. She was at the forefront of the Women’s Tennis Association, convincing her colleagues to form a players’ union. She founded the WomenSports magazine and Women’s Sports Foundation, an organization promoting the advancement of women and young girls in sports.

As King said it best, “In the ’70s, we had to make it acceptable for people to accept girls and women as athletes. We had to make it OK for them to be active. Those were much scarier times for females in sports.”

​

There were scarier times indeed, as even King’s sexual orientation became a subject of headlines in the 1980s. After a palimony suit was brought forth by one of her lovers, King had to come out publicly as bisexual, which made her lose $2 million in commercial endorsements.

At the end of the day, I think her story, despite being heroic and bad-ass, goes to show just how much women need to prove themselves outside of their sport in order to make an impact outside of it.

In a 1984 interview with Parade Magazine, King said, “My only regret is that I had to do too much off the court. Deep down, I wonder how good I really could have been if I [had] concentrated just on tennis.”

This only opens the door to one question: what are we waiting for to recognize women athletes as athletes and stop expecting them to also be advocates and publicists for their own sports?

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Music

Remembering Bobby Caldwell

 “What You Won’t Do For Love” singer dies at 71

The R&B music scene has lost one of its stars. American singer-songwriter Bobby Caldwell passed away on March 14, 2023 at the age of 71.

Caldwell, who’s known best for his hit “What You Won’t Do For Love,” died in his sleep at his home in New Jersey, according to one of his representatives.

While no cause of death was provided, his wife Mary Caldwell announced on Twitter that the cause of death was due to long-term complications related to antibiotics.

“Bobby passed away here at home. I held him tight in my arms as he left us. I am forever heartbroken. Thanks to all of you for your many prayers over the years,” she wrote.

Over his four-decade-long career, Caldwell experimented with various genres ranging from R&B, soul, soft rock and jazz. He dropped his signature song “What You Won’t Do For Love” in 1978 which propelled his career and landed as number 9 on Billboard’s Top 100. The hit song was covered by numerous artists, such as Boyz II Men, Snoh Aalegra and Michael Bolton.

Caldwell’s label at the time, TK records, tried to hide the fact that he was a white singer in order for the hit to succeed on the R&B radio stations. To further hide his race, they decided to silhouette him on the cover of his self-titled album. Nevertheless, once Caldwell began making public appearances, his adoration from his Black audience only grew.

Not only did Caldwell compose his own music, he also wrote for many other artists, such as Roy Ayers, Chicago, Natalie Cole and even Neil Diamond. He also wrote the classic “The Next Time I Fall” for Amy Grant and Peter Cetera which became a Billboard number one hit in 1986.

Surprisingly, Caldwell received most of his recent success from hip-hop artists, like Tupac Shakur, Kendrick Lamar and Notorious B.I.G. who sampled his songs. 

Caldwell was a major contributor to the world of R&B and will be greatly missed and remembered for his contribution to the music industry.

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Community Student Life

End of semester blues

Amelia Hart/THE CONCORDIAN @ameliaohart

Don’t forget to take care of yourself during this stressful time

End of semester is upon us, and it’s pretty much dreadful for anyone you talk to. Things are piling up and it seems like there is no light at the end of the tunnel.

According to the organization Mental Health Partners, there are nine decompressing techniques that could help anyone get through tough times. 

While some enjoy going on a hike outdoors, others would rather decompress through meditation and deep breathing. Or even just simply talking it out with family and friends could make the world of difference.

In my personal opinion, the best techniques that work for me are exercising, taking a day off, and reading.

I am not the most active person out there, but with the weather getting nicer I have been finding walks really help channel my stress. I feel that while I’m walking I am not thinking about what schoolwork I need to do next. Instead, I am just focused on my surroundings. My boyfriend and I like to name out all the different models of cars that we spot while out walking.

Even though some decompressing techniques might work for me, I was curious as to which different decompressing techniques work for other Concordia students. 

For those I spoke to, it seems like there is a wide variety of preferred decompressing coping mechanisms.

Adriana Gentile, a third-year journalism student, explains, “I often like to go outside and take a walk and do some breathing techniques. Also, listening to music helps me a lot.”

Jessica Laturnus, a third-year Irish studies student, says, “Sometimes it’s a movie, sometimes it’s a rain app. I find my rain app so useful when I have so many things to do. I have a hard time sleeping.”

This high-intensity time could result in a lack of sleep for some students, (okay a LOT of students). I personally could attest to that one.

Laturnus also explained that aside from her rain app, she finds ambient noise or white noise helpful for sleep.

During these last few weeks of crunch time, I would like to remind all my fellow peers out there that it’s okay to take things a little slower and not so rushed. One thing at a time and things will all work out.

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Opinions

Let’s talk about Justin Bieber, not Selena and Hailey

Carleen Loney/THE CONCORDIAN @shloneys

How about we don’t pit women against each other over a man yet again?

In the aftermath of popular media’s latest example of pitting women against each other, let’s talk about Selena Gomez and Hailey Bieber. In case you’re lucky enough to have not had this media firestorm cross your feed, let me catch you up. 

Selena Gomez and Justin Bieber were an on-and-off again pop culture power couple from 2010 to 2018. Commonly referred to as “Jelena,” the couple was beloved by their separate (though mostly intersecting) young fanbases.

Both very successful young artists, they had a very public, difficult romance as they grew up together in the spotlight. However, six months after their final split, Justin announced his engagement to Hailey Baldwin. 

Since then, Hailey has been labelled a mean, petty, obsessive, and crazed fangirl, while Selena has been picked apart all the same. Both women have had every social media post over-analyzed and have been accused of being shady towards the other.

Why, though? Why has the media hurled insult after insult at these women?

It all stems from two Instagram stories. Selena Gomez poked fun at herself over an Instagram story for accidentally over-laminating her eyebrows. Then, Kylie Jenner posted a close-up selfie captioned: “This was an accident??” followed by a screenshot of her and Hailey Bieber on FaceTime, showing only their eyebrows. This sparked outrage online and people quickly began to throw both Hailey and Selena in the ring. 

Now, while there might be some validity to claims of Hailey Bieber being mean or petty towards her husband’s ex, it does not justify the onslaught of hate she’s received. Don’t get me wrong, when this drama initially surfaced, I was team Selena (who took a brief break from social media following this fiasco) all the way… that is until I saw just how awful people were treating Hailey, who took the brunt of it. 

I myself got caught up in the TikTok edits and story after story, the rehashing of old posts that could’ve potentially been shade. But why is it that both Selena and Hailey were the ones being picked apart in the media? Aren’t we all forgetting the common denominator? Justin Bieber himself. 

Now, Justin went through a notorious “bad boy” stage, collecting a fascinating range of crimes for his record. From drunk driving, resisting arrest and egging a neighbour’s house, to losing custody of an illegal pet monkey, it’s clear that he’s not the most mature partner to have. Obviously this is blatant immaturity, but easy to overlook in the grand scheme of things. What shouldn’t be overlooked though is Selena’s claim of emotional abuse. Selena admitted in an NPR interview that she was emotionally abused in her past relationship. “I think that it’s something that — I had to find a way to understand it as an adult,” she said. 

Selena has spoken openly about her struggles with mental health since cutting her Revival tour short due to both medical and psychological reasons in 2016. She now runs a highly successful company, Rare Beauty, as well as being both an executive producer and lead actress in the hit show Only Murders In The Building.  So, clearly she came out the other side for the better.

Hailey is also a success in her own right. Previous to her marriage, she had a booked and busy modelling career, working on campaigns for major labels like Tommy Hilfiger, Ralph Lauren and more. She now owns her own skincare company Rhode and has recently premiered her new cooking show What’s In My Kitchen? So again, she is an independently successful woman being dragged down by her husband. 

Also, a quick question: when was the last time Justin did anything noteworthy?

Hailey, however, is now the next victim to the “Peaches” singer’s immaturity, with video after video surfacing of Justin either being annoyed by or completely indifferent to his wife’s presence. For example, there’s a video of him closing a car door in her face as they both try to get out on the same side of the car.  He may have matured, just not that much. When being asked by a fan what he does on a regular day he answered: “When I’m with my wife, we like to… You guys can guess what we do. It gets pretty crazy… that’s pretty much all we do,” revealing details of their intimate life. 

Neither woman has openly attacked the other; still, we pit them against each other because of the one thing they have in common: a man.

Selena recently stepped in, posting to her Instagram story saying “Hailey Bieber reached out to me and let me know that she has been receiving death threats and such hateful negativity. This isn’t what I stand for. Nobody should have to experience hate of bullying.” 

So, here we are, right after Women’s History Month, continuing to judge women because of their association with a man, instead of judging the man himself. So, if you ask me, I’d say I’m not team Selena or team Hailey, but rather team not absolving men of responsibility.

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Interview Music

Shonk plays Across The Room 

Gabrielle Shonk just released her sophomore album Across The Room

Artist Gabrielle Shonk wearing her heart on her sleeve 

It has been three weeks since Quebec City native Gabrielle Shonk released her sophomore album Across The Room, and six years since she debuted her self-titled album. 

 Across The Room features 11 tracks, spanning a total of 40 minutes, and oh what a wonderful 40 minutes they are. Every song on the LP starts with an emotion, each one different from the other.

She started off playing the piano at a young age but quickly switched to guitar as the keys didn’t stick. Since then she released her 10-track debut which gained her a lot of traction with CBC and Stingray. Shonk has grown into her songwriting style after her last album and it shows in her R&B tinges and her ability to emit feelings of hiraeth through songs like “How We Used To Be” and “5AM.” 

Shonk had the opportunity to play her new album while opening for the Barr Brothers at Théâtre Gilles Vigneault last month.

The Concordian spoke with Gabrielle Shonk about her album.

TC: What’s the meaning of the album’s title, Across The Room?

GS: Finding the title came pretty late in the album process, it was probably at the end of the summer of 2022 when I had all of the songs recorded. I actually had a talk with my manager and he said to go through some of the lyrics and pull out some of your favourites, something might pop out. It is the first lyric of the first track  “How We Used To Be.” I basically finished writing all of these songs during the pandemic, being confined in my home office, so it was the image of me sitting in an enclosed space with all these songs and emotions. That’s kind of what had me choose that title.    

TC: Take me through your songwriting process, what comes first?

GS: For me it will be either melody or chord progression. So, like melody and chords underneath it almost simultaneously. Sometimes lyrics will come quickly to back it up as well. I am more of a musician than a writer so the lyrics take more time to come up with.  

TC: What was your favourite song to write, and what was the hardest? 

GS: I think my favourite changed every day. I love all the songs equally. Each of the songs has its own universe, its own thing. I couldn’t really pick one in particular. But the lyrics I am most proud of are the ones from “Let’s Shine Into The Night.” In terms of challenging, for the music it would have to be “Out Of The Blue” and for the lyrics it was “People Pleaser.”

TC: You said in your promo for the album that you had written the last song of the album “Quand le calme reviendra” while on a retreat to Gaspésie. What was it like and did you write other songs during your stay?

GS: Not ones that are on this album, so yeah I co-wrote a lot of stuff with my artist friends that were there with me. Everyone had songs and at the end of the day, we would each show each other what we had worked on in the group sessions. I have started songs that are a work-in-progress that I haven’t gotten back to that might be on the next album! Maybe?

TC: Have you ever thought of collaborating with anyone? I was thinking you and rapper “Noname” would make a cool track together.

GS: Yes I love her, I remember seeing her live at Field Trip a few years ago. I’d be super open. I’ve done it before too. My first hip hop track collaboration was with an artist from Montreal called Naya Ali. We did a SOCAN writing camp a few years back and basically, you get paired with a bunch of different artists from different genres. It puts you out of your comfort zone and it was extremely fulfilling. I worked with her on a song of hers that she released called “Time.”

TC: What was your favourite moment of your show with The Barr BrothersGS: I really liked going to the merch table at the end. It was really memorable because I got to meet new faces and interact with people who saw the show, especially from the fans of The Barr Brothers who discovered me through my opening act. That was really nice.

TC: What’s next for Gabrielle Shonk?

GS: Playing this album live for as many people and as many places as possible, that’s what I’m aiming for this next year, alongside writing new songs! I’m opening for an artist called Charlie Winston in Canada and the U.S. during April and May, and I will announce my fall tour soon.

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Concert Reviews Music

Concert Review: MIKE at Bar Le Ritz PDB

MIKE delivers an emotionally powerful performance. The Ipari Park Tour is his first major tour boasting over 30 shows in a little over a month. Photo by Max Moller

Underground hip hop champion MIKE played for his first Montreal audience at Bar Le Ritz on March 10, accompanied by Florida-based rappers 454 and Niontay

The crowd was small but dedicated outside of Parc Extension’s Bar Le Ritz PDB, where MIKE made his Montreal debut. Illuminated by the chandelier store opposite from the bar, the line slowly trickled through the door where they were met with a relatively small venue. 

With no DJ, Niontay was the first to play on stage. Hailing from Orlando, Florida, he’s been putting out singles for a few years and his first project, Dontay’s Inferno, releases April 7. His set sounded like The Black Eyed Peas mixed with 

Even though the crowd didn’t know him, that hardly stopped them from enjoying his performance. They quickly took his cues for when to shout and by the end there was enough energy to make him say his Montreal performance was more fun that his most recent show in Boston. 

454 was up next, and since he was born in Florida but lives in New York he acted as a sort of bridge between Niontay and MIKE. He’s been putting out projects since 2021 and it was clear that most of the people there had already heard of him, which makes sense considering his presence on Denzel Curry’s latest album. 

His music had some similarities to Niontay’s, but with more of a trap/drill influence, including gliding 808s and plug-esque video game sounds. His set was more energetic than the first, prompting even a few short mosh pits during the most well-known songs. He did a good job getting the audience warmed up and for a decent amount of MIKE’s set, he was dancing in the audience.

The venue had been crowded from the jump, but at this point it was fully packed and the sweat was pouring. Thankfully MIKE took the stage after a short wait, and after giving some daps to the front row he jumped into a set that was energetic, intimate, and memorable. The highlight was definitely when someone tossed a bag of weed on stage and he stopped the show. “Y’all are gonna see my first ever live zaza review,” he said, before performing his song “Aww (ZaZa).” This prompted a large portion of the crowd to light joints, adding a thick layer of smoke to the room. After trying a few spliffs from the audience, he announced a winner. 

Another highlight was when he acknowledged his mother as the source of his creativity, and a resounding applause was dedicated to her. Near the end of his set, his backing track started skipping, but because of the chopped up samples he typically uses and how rhythmic the skips were, it just sounded like alternate or remixed versions of the songs. 

Unsurprisingly, most of the set was dedicated to his newest album, Beware of the Monkey. This is his 10th studio album in just six years, and it strays more melodic and poppy than his previous efforts. That’s not to say it’s a completely new sound; the reverb-laden sample loops are still there, but now they feel more grounded, even simplified a bit. The result is an album that’s more accessible to a general audience, but also doesn’t alienate the people he already won over. 

Overall, he put on a great show which was only boosted by the small size of the venue. His energy was potent but concentrated, influencing a smaller number of people more deeply. If it had been a larger space, it might have felt more watered down, like it was favouring the quantity of people over the quality of the experience.

Categories
Music

SNDCHECK – summer starts early with euphoric techno party

photo courtesy of SNDCHECK

Montreal-based event planners’ first event of the year was a massive success

After months of waiting, Montreal techno fans were out and about for SNDCHECK Montreal’s 11th event and their first of the year at speakeasy Newspeak. SND0011 was a huge success with people pouring in through the nightclub doors late until the evening. 

SNDCHECK is a Montreal-based events company that hosts get-togethers and parties with various DJs and artists from around town. Their slogan, “aventures musicales nomades,” resonates with fans who often buy tickets before they even know where or when the next event will be. 

They cultivate a space where partygoers can feel safe and unjudged. Nobody cares what you look like or what you’re wearing. Nobody can randomly take photos of you. Everyone is just there to dance and have a good time. 

Cédric Comte is a 21-year-old student at HEC Montreal and a co-founder of the company. He’s in charge of the group’s marketing. 

“At SNDCHECK we organize musical adventures that are nomadic, which is to say every event takes place at a new spot. We want to change the events scene in Montreal,” he said. 

During the pandemic, Comte and a few of his friends went two years without going out. During that period, they felt that the world was changing. Comte said the bars and clubs in the city just didn’t do it for them.

“I can’t even remember the amount of times we were being stopped at lines for clubs and being forced to buy bottles. The whole vibe was off. We wanted to create a space catered to client experience and a world where people really get to experience the full party scene.” 

Since 2021, SNDCHECK has held 11 events. Some take place outdoors at places like Mount Royal while others happen inside, like the time they hosted an event at Théâtre Paradoxe, an old church building. What started off as a group of twenty-ish friends quickly became two hundred, and by the end of last summer, SNDCHECK had over a thousand people dancing at Parc Jean-Drapeau. 

One unique quality to SNDCHECK is their “disconnect to reconnect policy.” When walking into the event, every person is required to put a sticker on their phone cameras, and only a small number of staff are allowed to take photos. This, according to Comte, is essential to the SNDCHECK identity and goals as a group. 

“We want people there just for the music. Not to take photos to flex on Instagram or other media. We want people to be there for the energy and joy.” 

When I was at SND0011, it did feel weird to not have my camera available. My first instinct was to reach for my phone and take a few photos. I noticed a lot of people also had the same thought. One girl opened her snapchat to take a picture of the crowd swaying to the DJ only to realize she couldn’t. 

That night’s DJs were the pair Mvngo/Seb Todd, Ludo Lacoste, and Ghetto Birds. SNDCHECK doesn’t reveal who will be performing until you actually arrive at the event, but usually focuses on house and techno. 

According to Comte, that night they had around 350 available spots but it felt like 500. It was amazing to see everybody dancing and chatting. There were no phones to distract anyone but I still couldn’t see more than 2 metres in front of me.

The venue was decorated beautifully. Comte and his team usually arrive a few hours before each show to prepare. This time, they set up old 2000’s TVs and installed projectors behind the artists and in the lounge area. For a place that does not allow photos, it was remarkably beautiful.

The next event will be held April 6, somewhere in the Montreal area. Follow their Instagram to get the full details when they’re revealed. 

Categories
Sports

The double life of Tommy Morrisson

Tommy Morrisson (left) vs. Edwin Daniel Martinez Correa on March 11. Photo courtesy of Daniel Evgrafov/ @daniel.evgrafov

Concordia student and undefeated flyweight Tommy “Rambo” Morrisson hopes to arrive in the UFC sooner rather than later, all while pursuing his education

Born and raised in Montreal, Tommy “Rambo” Morrisson is slowly becoming a household name within Quebec’s MMA world.

He started off his career as a 9-1 amateur fighter before graduating to Samourai MMA, a Quebec-based promotion, and now holds a 3-0 professional record after his decisive win over Edwin Daniel Martinez Correa on March 11. With another notch on his belt, he’s now looking at returning for Samourai MMA 6 at the end of May in Sherbrooke.

The most interesting aspect of the 23-year-old’s life isn’t only the fact that he’s a highly touted prospect, but he’s also a part-time student at Concordia University, pursuing a degree in computer engineering.

Balancing two completely different career paths can be difficult, but not for Morrisson.

“I think the key is to balance everything well and be disciplined,” he said. “You have [to] cut time in other areas. For example, I don’t really go out. I see my friends sometimes, but when I’m in camp I don’t see them all that much. I train two, three times a day, six to seven days a week so I only take three classes per semester which makes it all possible for me.”

Even with the ultimate goal of fighting in the UFC, Morrisson will continue his studies until he gets his degree.

Photo courtesy of Daniel Evgrafov

“I don’t want to stop doing both, even if a big opportunity comes up I still want to get my degree,” he said. “I want to finish my bachelor’s degree, but my goal is to be a professional fighter in the UFC or any of the big leagues.”

Juggling the hectic life of a student along with being a professional athlete is difficult, but Morrisson knew this was his path long before his first amateur fight in 2017.

“I started approximately 10 years ago by doing judo, then jiu jitsu, wrestling, boxing and then I put it all together and started doing MMA at Tristar,” he said. “I really like working out of Tristar because the guys have a lot of experience, but I tend to train at other gyms as well to gain even more knowledge all around Montreal. I also train with kickboxing strawweight world champion Jonathan Di Bella.”

Morrisson’s dedication to his craft has led him to be one of the highest-ranked flyweights in all of Canada. His experience with every martial art has turned him into a very well-rounded fighter and “a specialist in everything,” as he put it.

“I always train multiple disciplines, I’m comfortable fighting in any style and I know I can get the fight wherever I want.”

Even though being an undergraduate student has its disadvantages, Morrisson hasn’t let them stop him from remaining undefeated with another dominant win versus Martinez Correa at Samourai MMA 5. Morrisson’s relentless pressure, technical kickboxing, and perfectly executed takedowns led him to his third straight professional victory, but it wasn’t without a bit of adversity.

“I was surprised by how tough he was,” said Morrisson. “He got out of two submissions. I thought he would try to wrestle me a little bit more.”

By getting his hand raised again, Morrisson proved that it’s all credited to his hard work, vigorous training, and commitment. He’s always looking to further the pursuit of his goals.

“I’d love to fight [UFC flyweight champion] Brandon Moreno one day,” Morrisson said boldly. “I look up to him and if he’s still there when I get to the UFC, I’d love to get a chance to fight him. I look up to Khabib Nurmagomedov as well for his hard work, discipline, and humbleness. I think in my everyday life I try my best to recreate everything he’s done.”

Those are definitely some big shoes to fill, but Morrisson only has one goal in mind:

“I want to be remembered as the best.”

Categories
News

Protesters gather against injustice

The International Day Against Police Brutality protest highlighted concerns about police accountability and mistreatment of detainees

On March 10, the Center for Research-Action on Race Relations hosted an event in Montreal’s Little Burgundy neighbourhood to gather victims of crime, city officials, and community groups to discuss crime prevention. The event began with organizers acknowledging the pain and suffering felt by attendees in the room and hoping that they could start a conversation on how to overcome violence in the area. 

On March 15, the International Day Against Police Brutality, over 100 demonstrators marched through the streets of NDG to protest police brutality. The protest aimed to highlight brutality throughout the justice system, not just among police officers. Demonstrators demanded accountability for the individuals responsible for upholding systemic racism.

The demonstration was organized by the Collectif opposé à la brutalité policière (COBP), who founded International Day Against Police Brutality in 1997.

The protest also highlighted the case of Nicous D’Andre Spring, a 21-year-old Black man who died during an altercation with police while illegally detained at Bordeaux prison. Quebec’s chief coroner has ordered a public inquiry into Spring’s death, and provincial police opened a criminal investigation into the incident, which resulted in the suspension of a correctional officer and a supervisor.  

Alain Babineau, director of The Red Coalition, a group in Montreal that advocates for social justice issues, shared his perspective on the progress made in addressing racial profiling and police brutality. “Protests are good, but there has to be some type of objective behind it. They raise awareness, but it has to be sustained. Otherwise, the powers that be, the politicians, go along with the popular [sentiment]. If they see there is merit in supporting your claim or what it is that you’re pushing forward, then they’ll go along with it.” 

Babineau stressed the importance of treating people with respect and dignity, rather than just focusing on reconciliation efforts. 

Earlier this year, the Quebec Police Ethics Committee ruled that two Montreal police officers, Dominique Gagné and Mathieu Paré, knowingly omitted key information about David Tshiteya Kalubi’s medical condition before his death in their custody in 2017. The officers failed to document Kalubi’s sickle cell anemia on the inmate control sheet, a condition he took medication for. The committee found the officers’ omission amounted to negligent and careless behaviour. 

However, the Quebec Crown Prosecutor’s Office decided not to charge anyone in connection with Kalubi’s death. The case has raised questions about police accountability and the treatment of Black individuals in police custody. 

Quebec’s Crown Prosecutor’s Office has announced that the police officers who shot and killed Jean René Junior Olivier in Repentigny in August 2021 will not face criminal charges. The Crown’s decision was based on an analysis of evidence, including video footage from one of the paramedics at the scene. The incident sparked outrage in Repentigny’s Black community against racial profiling by law enforcement. 

The march served as a reminder that the fight against police brutality is ongoing and that it is the responsibility of everyone to demand justice and accountability from “les brutes en uniformes,” as one masked organizer called police. The COBP and other organizations have been fighting for decades to end racial profiling and violence by law enforcement, and they vow to continue until significant changes are made. 

Babineau highlighted the need for sustained activism to bring about real change.

“Apologies are apologies are apologies,” he said. “If it sort of atoned for evil that you did, great. It’s not a licence for the things you’re about to do.”

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Music Quickspins

QUICKSPINS: Endless Summer Vacation – Miley Cyrus

 Miley Cyrus has gifted her fans with a pop-themed album

Some artists are afraid to try something new, but that doesn’t seem to faze singer and performer Miley Cyrus. After her last album Plastic Hearts in 2020, which was a commercial success, Cyrus unveiled Endless Summer Vacation on March 10.

Her lead single, “Flowers,” attracted old and new fans worldwide due to its catchiness and inescapable tunes. After its release, everyone anticipated her new album that was set to follow two months later. 

The third track, “Rose Colored Lenses”, is full of fun lyrics with an easy-going instrumental in the background. With verses like “We can stay like this forever, lost in wonderland with our heads above the clouds, falling stupid like we’re kids,” it’s easy to drift to memories of being carefree. With this song, Miley alludes to enjoying the moment while ignoring any red flags, which anyone listening can relate to. 

According to Rolling Stone, Miley Cyrus has said that she organized the songs in an order with an AM and PM vibe, and you can’t help but embrace how different the songs are. The AM side represents the morning of a new day and the potential for any opportunities, like the second track on the album, “Jaded.” In this song, Cyrus reflects on a previous failed relationship and how it’s impacted both of them. The song is filled with harmonies and a quicker tempo that gives it a nostalgic feel for the listeners. 

The PM side is influenced by rest, recovery and partying, like the song “River,” which has a retro beat similar to pop icons Britany Spears or Whitney Houston. This song makes you want to dance all night long.  

The next song is a memorable pop track called “Violet Chemistry,” and it sounds like it could’ve been a bonus track on her 2014 album Bangerz. With a beat change halfway through the song, it could be another party anthem like “We Can’t Stop.”

The album fits well within the pop stratosphere, but there are a few slower songs that change the tempo and overall listening experience. The fourth and fifth tracks “Thousand Miles” and“You” both have mellow beats that make you relax and reminisce about friendships and relationships. 

Cyrus concludes the album with a ballad called “Wonder Woman,” where she sings over the piano about the resilience of the women in her family. Although memorable, it doesn’t fit with the PM party tracks on the album. I would’ve liked to see her end the album with the previous track called “Island,” where she contemplates feeling stranded while also in paradise. It felt like the perfect send-off to her fans. 

This is a fun album for Miley with many enjoyable songs, and her ever-changing sound keeps her fans guessing what comes next. The most unique aspect of this album is that it feels like it’s narrating a collection of memories from the past few years. 

If you look back on Plastic Hearts, the music was rock-filled and edgy as opposed to Endless Summer Vacations, where it’s fun-filled and pop-themed. She’s a versatile artist who never likes to repeat the same thing, and everyone can agree that her range is unmatched. 

Trial Track: “Rose Colored Lenses’”

Score: 7/10

Categories
Features Sports

Réjean Houle and his hockey legacy

Rejan Houle on the ice with the Montreal Canadiens. Archive Image courtesy of the club de hockey Montreal

Former Montreal Canadiens player Réjean Houle remembers his playing time and what the future holds

The Montreal Canadiens professional hockey team brought fame to some of the greatest names in hockey history and has been around since 1909. Réjean Houle saw his time shine in the 1970s and as a general manager in 1995 until 2000.

Houle is a former right wing of the Montreal Canadiens from 1969 to 1983. He was born in Rouyn-Noranda, located in the Abitibi-Témiscamingue region of Quebec. He started his hockey career playing with the Thetford Mines Junior team from 1966 to 1967, before moving to the Montreal Junior Canadiens the following year. He was the first overall draft pick in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the Montreal Canadiens in 1969. During his active career, he helped bring five of the ten Stanley Cups home to Montreal. After his retirement, he returned to the team as General Manager and later as the President of the Canadiens Alumni Association. 

Houle remembers growing up watching hockey with his father, dreaming of one day becoming what he was seeing on the television screen. 

“I always dreamed of playing for the Canadiens. I was able to achieve my goal several years later by putting in the necessary effort, I made it,” said Houle.

Archive Image courtesy of the club de hockey Montreal

While he admits he was not one of the big names of the team at the time, he is proud to have been surrounded by some of the greats such as Jean Béliveau, Guy Lafleur, and Bob Gainey. 

“I was on the third line. I was working to help the team win, but I had a specific role. I didn’t score ‘Guy Lafleur’ goals,” said Houle.

Playing as a right wing, he contributed to the lineup by making the necessary passes to earn a victory, which makes his role just as important as center. 

“There is an expression, ‘you have to know which chair is yours,’ so a player must know what he can give to the team. That doesn’t mean he’s not as recognized as Guy Lafleur, but inside the team, he plays an important role,” said Houle. 

Photo by Charlotte Megelas

As a former General Manager, he saw how the game changed on the ice. In hockey changes are minimal since coaches have kept similar strategies on managing the game, according to Houle. He says the players now have more range on the ice. 

“Before, you couldn’t get too far to the side of the red line because it was offside, whereas now you can get from the red line to the opponent’s other blue line, so the play is much faster, the puck circulates much more now than before,” said Houle.

Houle not only made passes to help the team win, he also scored 161 goals himself. In recent years, he noticed that the new style of hockey sticks give more feel and power to the puck.

“The ‘one timers’ at the time, didn’t exist. The sticks are different, they are lighter, they have a kind of spring in the stick so it speeds up the game. The puck comes at 100 miles an hour,” said Houle.

He remembers his time with the team as an honour. No matter how much time has passed in his career, he and his former teammates still stay in touch and remain connected as one big family. 

“We keep this link there always. For us it’s very important because the years go by, but you have to remember the good times. Then in the most difficult moments, we stick together and we get through it,” said Houle.

He commemorated his teammate and friend Guy Lafleur, who passed away in 2022. To the fans, Lafleur was “Le Démon Blond,” but for Houle, “He was a star.”

After building that strong connection with the sport, Houle did not see himself leaving hockey overall. Houle played hockey for 14 years, and when the time came for him to retire, he knew his life would change once he left the team. 

“The most important change is when you retire because you didn’t feel like it, I didn’t feel like retiring,” said Houle. 

Since Houle was in the same era as Guy Lafleur, Serge Savard, Yvan Cournoyer, Ken Dryden, and Jean Béliveau, he had the honor of winning five Stanley Cups. He remembers the feeling of winning those cups as a privilege in his career.

“When you’ve tasted it once, you always want to win it, then when you play with good players, your chances are always there of winning it, so that’s kind of the period that I lived in. I was lucky. Timing is everything sometimes in life,” said Houle.

To Houle, hockey is more than just a sport. He has grown to appreciate it more as a spectator after he retired and seeing how many people come together and watch it. 

“There is great satisfaction because the Canadiens is a team that is very involved in the community. People don’t realize that, but it’s very important because it unites a community,” said Houle.

When the Montreal Canadiens arrive, whether you’re French, English, Asian, Lebanese or Canadian, the team will always be a symbol to Montreal, according to Houle.

Houle had a huge support system of his teammates, who became his friends as the seasons went by. He continues to love their support and thanks them for helping him become the player he always knew he could be. 

“To have the opportunity to play with members of the hall of fame, great players in the organization, it helps you when you’re younger to become better yourself because you are well surrounded,” said Houle.

“The most you can do is improve yourself when you have people around and helping you out, that’s what it was in my case. I was lucky that way.” 

Houle owes everything to hockey, from helping raise his own family to focusing on his life after his professional career. He is still active with the Canadiens as the President of the Alumni Association, and he attends every home game surrounded by other former players and their families. Houle remembers hockey as a big part of his life, from when he was watching it on television with his father, to building a legacy with the team. Truly a full circle moment for a Rouyn-Noranda kid with a dream.

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