theconcordian

theconcordian.com Volume 28 Issue 15

Tuesday, December 7, 2010

Battling the stigma surrounding the date rape drugP. 5

Stingers basketball teams head into thebreak with a pair of wins P. 15

arts

One stop Christmas shopping at Puces Pop P. 9

life

Canadian rappers battle it out at King of the Dot Montreal’s first birthday bashP. 10

music

editorial

sports

Thousands protest education consultations in Quebec City Student groups, unions walk out of ‘education partners’ meeting

QUEBEC CITY (CUP) — Thousands of students protested in downtown Quebec City on Dec. 6, as government officials, including Quebec’s minis-ters of education and finance, met with student leaders, university administrators and professors.

Student groups have criticized the government for coming into the meeting with the intention of raising tuition in the province, currently the lowest in Canada.

While both of Quebec’s main student lobby groups were invited to participate in the meet-

Jacob Serebrin CUP Quebec Bureau Chief

See “‘CSU says series...” on p.3

ing of “education partners,” representatives of the Fédération étudiante universitaire du Québec, the largest student group in Quebec, walked out of the meeting early in the afternoon, saying that they saw no reason to stay, since the government seemed to have already made a decision.

The sentiment was echoed by several union groups, who also walked out of the meeting.

The Association pour une solidarité syndicale étudiante, Quebec’s second-largest student group, announced they would be boycotting the meeting in October.

Both groups organized large protests, with several hundred attending a protest organized by FEUQ and well over 1,000 attending ASSE’s pro-test. Both groups bussed in large numbers of stu-dents from across the province to attend.

At least one student was arrested early in the day.

Open to Question, a series that saw various pre-sentations offered by key members of Concordia’s administration, has ended for the semester amid calls from the CSU for more publicity directed at the student population.

The series’ five conferences, which included one by president Judith Woodsworth and a pre-sentation by provost David Graham touching on the role of universities, seemed more successful

See “‘Protests peace...” on p.2

Open to Question plagued by low student attendanceJacques Gallant Assistant news editor

Wikileaks’ Julian Assange is an information heroP.17

Students’ last stand for low tuition

Photos by Jacob Serebrin and Katie Brioux

2 Tuesday, December 7, 2010newsGot a news tip? news@theconcordian.com

ConU grabs $2 million for research chairs

At a regional conference marking the 10-year anniversary of the Canada Research Chairs program, Industry Minister Tony Clement announced that the government would be setting aside $275.6 million for the program this year. Research chairs were re-newed or created for 310 researchers from 53 universities across the coun-try. Concordia had four researchers in the group, each of whom received $500,000 in funding. Dr. Roch Glitho from the Concordia institute for In-formation Systems Engineering was the only new recipient in the bunch. The $2 million awarded to Concor-dia researchers is the least received by any Montreal university, and is far-dwarfed by leaders UdeM ($16.7 million) and McGill ($15.4 million).

If you play with !re...Things got a little too hot for an ar-sonist in Montreal last week. After setting fire to a pharmacy in the Plateau, the suspect’s coat caught the flames as he tried to flee, police say. Witnesses say they saw the man throw some form of liquid acceler-ant through a broken window of the independently-owned pharmacy at around 4 a.m. on Thursday. As he attempted to set fire to it, he also set fire to himself and proceeded to run down Park Avenue in flames. The store’s sprinklers put out the fire even before firefighters arrived, so this ar-son was a pretty big fail all around. Police are still investigating, but it’s safe to say this guy isn’t a suspect for all the cafe firebombings lately.

Safe injection site com-ing to Montreal

A local addiction support group an-nounced last week that they would be opening safe injection sites in Montreal and Quebec city come June 2011, regardless of whether the provincial government agrees to it. The announcement, made on World AIDS Day, came from Cactus Mon-treal, a group who has already been running a needle exchange program for the past two decades, CBC news reported. The Supreme Court of Can-ada will rule on the legality of a Van-couver-based safe injection site next spring, a decision the Quebec health minister is waiting for before taking a stance on the issue. Approximately 15,000 Montrealers use intravenous drugs.

Student strike shuts down Nez Rouge

For the first time in its history, Opération Nez Rouge was forced to shut down operations for a few days as a result of the student strike at CE-GEP Vieux-Montréal. Administrators at the school decided to close the en-tire building Monday and Sunday in order to avoid any problems during the student strike. The Nez Rouge service, which offers a free ride home to people who have been a drinking during the holiday season, rents an office inside the Ontario St. CEGEP, meaning volunteers couldn’t enter the building to work. More than 7,000 people were reported to have used the service last Friday and Sat-urday during its opening weekend.

City in briefEvan LePage

ATHLETICS

The Canadian government an-nounced last week that it is pledg-ing up to $402,900 to the Canadian Interuniversity Sport Federation for university athletics this year. The catch is that universities will only receive the funding from CIS if a team makes it to Nationals.

“We only get it specifically if we go to Nationals,” said Kerry Laughlin, Concordia’s intercollegiate manager. “The only time CIS would

ever send us a cheque would be if we were getting reimbursed for money we have spent to travel to the Nationals. It’s not a grant.”

Last year, only three Stinger teams qualified for Nationals: wom-en’s rugby, men’s and women’s wrestling and men’s and women’s cross-country. So far this year, both the cross-country and women’s rugby teams have repeated those performances.

The CIS foots the bill for travel, but accommodations and any other expenses must be paid for by other means.

“So as soon as these programs have taken place we get a call from CIS saying submit your request for travel funding and we supply it right away,” Laughlin said. “It’s called the travel pool, so just the cost of transportation.”

Since the venue for champion-ships changes every year, the cost to

Kelly Greig Staff writer

Funding the field... of winnersConU will only receive government cash if teams makes Nationals

send a team can get expensive. Last year, the women’s rugby squad flew to Vancouver for their competition at the University of British Colum-bia.

Despite giving themselves a pat on the back for being the largest financial contributor to university sport, the CIS’s funding has dropped significantly compared to five years ago.

The organization is funded through the Government of Canada in conjunction with Sport Canada. In 2003-2004, the CIS was allot-ted $655,325. Two years later, in 2005-2006, the money was up to $735,000 out of Sport Canada’s $133.4 million budget.

This money is meant to support the 600 coaches, 10,000 athletes and 51 universities across Canada. The government says the money goes to fund “travel costs for student-ath-letes, coaches, event management

personnel, and officials” participat-ing in national championships. In the current system where winning is rewarded, Concordia isn’t getting a fair share, according to Laughlin.

“It doesn’t mean we are getting 1/51 of the money,” he said.

The CIS’s role in everyday operations is to enforce and modify the rulebooks and maintain the infrastructure of the leagues across the country.

Concordia’s department of recre-ation and athletics is a $4.9 million operation this year, and that fund-ing is not coming from a national organization.

“It doesn’t change the day-to-day,” said Laughlin. “Our money is coming from entrance fees, it comes from registration, it could be spon-sorship, it could be facility rental, it could be membership. I mean, there is a whole range of things.”

Hundreds marched in support of the 253 locked-out workers from Le Journal de Montréal on Satur-day amidst icy wind and cold temperatures.Carrying red balloons en masse, they marched from Parc Lafontaine along Mont-Royal Avenue before stopping in front of the newspaper’s headquarters on Frontenac Street. The protesters were calling for a settlement of the 22-month-old dispute between the paper and locked-out work-ers, and a modernization of provisions in Quebec’s labour code banning the use of strikebreakers in labour-management disputes.The event was launched by the CSN, la Confé-dération des Syndicats Nationaux, as part of a larger boycotting campaign that started last Oct. 19. Since then, the campaign has gathered almost 30,000 signatures and the support of 57 other syn-dicates and organizations. Photo by David Vilder

At one point a number of protest-ers gained access to the hotel where the meeting was taking place, before being met by riot police. There did not appear to be any violence or ar-

Continued from cover...

Protests peaceful, with a few exceptionsrests in the incident, however the Montreal Gazette reported that pro-testers clashed with riot police inside the building. It is unclear whether this was the same incident.

While the mood of the protest remained festive, tensions began to rise as evening approached, with protesters throwing snowballs at the large number of riot police outside

the building and police aiming less-lethal weapons at protesters, though none were fired.

Concordia students filled two buses to go join the protests. Except for a few protestors who entered a hotel, there were no major clashes with police.

Tuesday, December 7, 2010 3Follow us on Twitter at twitter.com/theconcordian

Queen’s student falls to his death

Two students at Queen’s University fell through a skylight on the roof of the school library last week, leaving one of them dead. Nineteen-year-old Habib Khan was killed in the 12-me-tre, three- storey fall to the floor of the library. It is unclear why he and student Stephen Nagy, 18, were on the roof. Nagy was listed as injured but in stable condition at a local hos-pital. This marks the second death from a fall at Queen’s this semes-ter, after first-year student Cameron Bruce fell seven storeys to his death from a residence window in Septem-ber.

Maple leaf absent from Quebec

Timmy Ho’s mugFor the holiday season this year, Tim Hortons put out two editions of its special holiday mug. There’s the one you’ll find in nine of Canada’s 10 provinces, which features the Rocky Mountains, the CN Tower and maple leaves flowing through the air; and then there’s the one you’ll find here in Montreal and the rest of Quebec. It displays the Big O, a church, and even snowflakes instead of the leaf that adorns our country’s flag. Ac-cording to CTV news, a press release from the chain said that “Sometimes, direct translations may not make sense.” So, apparently francophones see a picture of a maple leaf and don’t understand what it means? Don’t you hate those poor photo translations?

UBC student union okays Gaza donation

After a controversial decision to freeze a student group donation to a Gaza flotilla in mid-November, the University of British Columbia’s student union has decided to allow it, the Ubyssey reported. Following the decision, which came about after three hours of debate at a meeting last week, the university’s Solidarity for Palestinian Human Rights will be permitted to make a $700 dona-tion to a humanitarian aid flotilla heading to the war-torn area next spring. About 200 students were in attendance at the meeting, where two petitions were presented to the council. One had nearly 550 signa-tures in favour of the donation, and a second had just over 900 signatures against it.

The federal government wants to be friends

Ottawa is looking into granting civil servants greater access to social me-dia sites in order to allow them to interact with the general public and to recruit young talent looking for a more “cyber-tastic” job experience. Bureaucrats are also thinking of cre-ating an open data portal where raw government information that is not personal or confidential could eas-ily be made public. The UN recently ranked Canada third in “e-govern-ment” capacity, behind only South Korea and the United States. But op-ponents of this latest idea are cring-ing at the thought of unleashing civil servants, the “public face of govern-ment,” onto the world wide web, where the possibility of creating an embarrassing online scandal is al-ways very real. There are also great inconsistencies between government departments regarding social media. For example, Health Canada has long had access to Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube, while Citizenship and Immigration is still stuck in the Stone Age and can only use Google.

Nation in brief

Evan LePage

EDUCATION

(CUP) — The heads of Quebec’s universities are calling for tuition to increase by just over $1,500 starting in 2012.

According to the Conference of Rectors and Principals of Quebec Universities, tuition increases — along with increased funding from the provincial government and the private sector — are necessary to raise the level of university fund-ing in the province to the national average.

In a report released on Dec. 2, the group says that Quebec universi-ties are under-financed by $620 mil-lion when compared to the national average.

The report comes less than a week before a major consultation between the provincial government, students, faculty and universities. In last spring’s provincial budget the government called for tuition to

increase further in 2012. The tuition increase will be one of the main topics of discussion at the Dec. 6 meeting.

Under funding has made Que-bec’s universities less competitive said Denis Brière, chair of the CRE-PUQ Board of Directors and rector of Université Laval.

“We don’t have the capacity to attract top notch professors and researchers,” he said. “There is an urgency because we have less and less access to research funds from the granting agencies.”

CREPUQ is calling for a tuition increase to be phased in over three years; it would bring fees in the prov-ince to $3,680.

While Brière acknowledged that the increase was a “little bit sharp,” he said that he thinks students can afford it.

Tuition fees in Quebec were frozen at $1,668 between 1994 and 2007. Since then, they have risen by $50 a semester. Quebec’s tuition fees are currently the lowest in Canada.

The proposed hike would still leave tuition fees in the province below the national average, $5,138 a year for undergraduates, according to Statistics Canada.

Because of the long periods of frozen tuition, fees haven’t kept up

Jacob Serebrin CUP Quebec Bureau Chief

University leaders want an increase of $1,500 over three years

with the pace of inflation, accord-ing to CREPUQ. Brière said students are now paying less than they were in 1968, when the province first regulated fees.

“We don’t understand why students can’t pay the amount that I paid when I went to school,” said Brière.

But student groups disagree.“The impact the proposal of

the CREPUQ will have is to take Quebec back 45 years. At that time, only the children of rich families could hope to go to university,” said Louis-Philippe Savoie, president of the Fédération étudiante universitaire du Québec, in a press release issued in French on Dec. 2. “We have made great strides in terms of accessibility to studies and the CREPUQ, through its proposal, wants to completely erase what has made Quebec univer-sities successful.”

Earlier this month, FÉUQ, Que-bec’s largest student lobby group, released a survey showing that over 50 per cent of full-time students live on less than $12,200 a year.

CREPUQ is calling for 25 per cent of the funds from any tuition increase to be used for needs-based financial aid and want the government to look at “the possibility of establishing an income-based mechanism for the

repayment of student loans.”Student groups have also ques-

tioned comparisons of Quebec uni-versities to schools in other provinces and the United States.

“We have to stop comparing our-selves blindly with our neighbours,” said Savoie.

Brière acknowledged that “it’s dif-ficult to compare ourselves,” adding that, “we were careful to compare apples to apples.”

According to Brière, increased funding is necessary for Quebec uni-versities to “attract the best students and have a high quality curriculum.” He said it was especially important for attracting international students, one of CREPUQ’s priorities.

“If the value of a [Quebec] di-ploma is perceived as being less than in the rest of Canada … then we will have a very hard time.”

Major protests took place in Quebec City coinciding with the Dec. 6 meeting, which have been widely criticized as window dressing by stu-dent and labour groups. While FÉUQ organized protests against the meet-ing, they still participated. Quebec’s second-largest student lobby group, the Association pour une solidarité syndicale étudiante, said the would boycott the event.

University heads call for Quebec tuition to rise

in drawing out faculty and employ-ees than students. CSU president Heather Lucas would like this to change by the time Open to Ques-tion returns next semester.

“The administration could do more to attract students, first of all by letting students know that this series exists,” she said. “I think if students were more aware that this was happening, then there would be more of a desire for students to engage with this series.”

Lucas had already spoken out against the lack of student partici-pation following president Wood-sworth’s conference in September, when the majority of those who filled J.A. de Sève Cinema were not Concordia students. The CSU presi-dent had also found that president

Continued from cover...

CSU says series needs more publicity; administration claims it has done enough

Woodsworth focused mostly on the university’s achievements and skirted around more controversial topics, such as rising tuition fees, during her presentation.

At Graham’s conference on Sept. 27, only about two of the 45 people in attendance were students. One potential reason for this notable absence was offered at the time by Alex Oster, interim coordinator of student life relations at the dean of students office, who pointed out that the Loyola presentation was held at lunchtime and its subject may have been a bit “esoteric.”

According to a press release is-sued by the administration, Open to Question made it easier to know more about different areas “outside one’s usual realm at the univer-

sity.” But most students clearly missed this opportunity, something Concordia spokeswoman Chris Mota qualified as unfortunate.

“We would certainly like to get more students in those seats,” she said. “But in terms of publicity, information on the upcoming Open to Question conference was always included in the NOW newsletter sent out every month to students. One of the articles was also headlined with ‘Calling all students,’ so they were definitely targeted.”

Mota chalked up low student attendance to their busy schedules and the fact that Open to Question is a relatively new initiative. However, Lucas still feels that more awareness is needed among students.

“There is a potential for this to

be a great forum for the Concordia community to hold its administra-tion accountable, if everyone just knew about it,” she said. “I know on the CSU’s end, we will do our best to promote this through our mailer and encourage more students to participate in this forum.”

As for next semester, the ad-ministration will begin rolling out the topics of the Open to Question presentations in January.

“We do have some subjects confirmed, but we will be announc-ing them once we have our speakers lined up,” said Mota. “All of our speakers occupy various important positions within the university and it really is advantageous to the stu-dents to attend and hear what they have to say.”

CAMPUS

Concordia Student Union president Heather Lucas stepped down from her role as director and vice-presi-dent of CUSACorp Management Ltd late last month after she was noti-fied that the regulations of the Régie des alcools, des courses et des jeux prevented her from holding those positions. The Régie stipulates that

all the directors of a company hold-ing a liquor permit in Quebec must be Canadian citizens or permanent residents, and Lucas is neither.

Lucas was late to realize that an infraction has been committed. “This was brought to our attention by our lawyer when we were filing a notice of the appointment of new directors,” she said.

Lucas resigned from her position at the corporation, a profit-gener-ating subsidiary of the CSU, via presidential decree on Nov. 24. In that same decree, Lucas appointed Marlow Wilson, a manager at Reggies, to fill the director position until the next meeting of the sole shareholder, the CSU. Both of these actions are pending the ratification of a motion by the CSU councillors, which will be presented at a council meeting this Wednesday, Dec. 8.

The change in directors has al-

Evan LePage News editor

Regie rules prevent Heather Lucas from sitting on board of CSU company with liquor permit

ready been authorized by the board of CUSACorp, Lucas said. However, since the company only had two directors remaining out of a possible five, she explained that Wilson’s appointment needed the approval of the CSU.

Despite holding the director po-sition during the majority of the fall semester in violation of the Régie rules, Lucas said this will have no effect, legal or otherwise, on any ac-tions taken by the corporation while she held the post. “There were no significant decisions taken during that period and there was therefore no harm done,” she said.

Lucas pointed out that she is not the first CSU president to be an in-ternational student, and not all past presidents have sat on CUSACorp’s board of directors. With the board’s permission, Lucas added that she would stay on as an observer.

On the agenda for this week’s CSU council meeting, an item called “Resignation” was listed under New Business, separate from the presi-dential decree on CUSACorp. Lucas would not comment on whether this referred to her resignation from the company, or an unrelated matter.

Wilson could not be reached for comment by print time.

CSU president resigns from CUSACorp

4 Tuesday, December 7, 2010

Columbia tells students no WikiLeaks

Students at Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs were told by the school to avoid any comments or posts about the recently-released WikiLeaks cables, at least if they plan to ever get a diplomatic job. The Ivy League school’s office of career services sent an email to the program’s students, saying that any discussion of the re-leased documents would “call into question your ability to deal with confidential information.” This in-cludes posts on Twitter, Facebook or any other site that might show up in a simple background check dur-ing applications for government po-sitions. The email reportedly came after an alumnus working in the U.S. State Department notified the school that the cables were still considered classified, and that workers within the department had been told not to access them.

Cheney to be charged in Nigeria

Former American vice-president Dick Cheney may have to cancel any future vacation plans to Nigeria. The African nation’s anti-corruption agency, the Economic and Financial Crimes Com-mission, has announced that it will be charging Cheney for his alleged role in a bribery scandal related to energy giant Halliburton. Cheney is being ac-cused of issuing $180 million in bribes to Nigerian officials over a 10-year pe-riod to secure contracts for the com-pany’s subsidiary KBR, which he was the CEO of between 1995 and 2000. Both KBR and Halliburton pled guilty to related charges last year, costing them $579 million in fines. The arrest warrant will go to Interpol, though it is extremely unlikely that the U.S. De-partment of Justice will follow through and arrest the politician.

UK plots free tuition for the poor

In their latest efforts to calm the tuition storm, the British Government an-nounced on Sunday that students from poor backgrounds could have their tu-ition fees paid by the government for up to two years. Up to 18,000 students will be eligible for the funds, to be taken from the £150m National Scholarship Programme. The government has yet to announce how they will determine who is eligible, or what level of poverty qualifies someone for the program, but the proposal will likely go to parliament for a vote Thursday. The UK has been ravaged with student protests over the last month following announcements that the government would attempt to increase the cap on tuition from £3,375 to £9,000. The Conservative party’s coalition government will come under serious test Thursday as many Lib-eral Democrat MP’s are likely to vote against the rise, which could help op-posing Labour party defeat the motion. Despite the announcement of the free tuition proposal, unimpressed student leaders say they will continue to pro-test.

14-year-old Mexican hitman arrested

You wouldn’t want to steal this kid’s lunch money. A 14-year-old boy has been arrested by the Mexican army for being a hitman for a drug cartel, the BBC reported. Edgar Jimenez, nick-named El Ponchis or the Cloak, was picked up by officials as he tried to flee the country on a plane to the U.S. The teen reportedly admitted to committing at least four murders, some of which he claimed were beheadings, though he said he was drugged and threatened with death if he did not kill them.

World in brief

Evan LePage

theconcordian

Last Dec. 2 was the United Nations’ International Day of Persons with Disabilities, and to commemorate, the secretary-general of the UN encour-aged officials and the general popula-tion to do more in raising awareness of the daily struggles disabled people face. This initiative was welcomed by councillors and students alike at Con-cordia, but some think that the qual-ity of services to disabled students could be better at the university.

Leo Bissonnette, the manager of the Access Centre for Students with Disabilities, said he is quite proud of the level of accessibility in the univer-

sity’s facilities.“All of our buildings have been

built with accessibility in mind,” explained Bissonnette. “There are elevators, washrooms, mechanical doors and ramps designed with ac-cessibility for all individuals in mind. If you travel on our shuttle buses, you will notice they are all wheelchair ac-cessible. In terms of the accessibility of our facilities, I think we reflect not only a medium standard, but a great standard of accessibility for all of our students.”

Bissonnette explained that the architecture of older buildings, such as those located on Bishop and Mackay Streets, cannot be changed. However, employees at the Access Centre are able to relocate students with physical disabilities to one of the newer build-ings.

Sharie Clarke is a second-year, visually impaired student studying human relations at Concordia. She believes that although most facilities are accommodating, a lot more could be done to facilitate the academic

Despina Doukas Contributor

Old buildings, services at Loyola still problems for students with disabilities

life of students with disabilities on campus.

“Although getting around campus is not difficult, and the advisors at the Centre for students with disabilities are quite accommodating, [things] are not as accessible as people think they are,” said Clarke. “For example, they closed most of the services at the Loy-ola campus and that is where most of my courses are. This means that even though they still have the facilities for me to do an exam, they do not have qualified personnel working there and that makes it difficult to accomplish my work,” explained Clarke.

Bissonnette added that an-other growing problem is that many students are faced with ‘invisible dis-abilities,’ such as learning disabilities, and that people sometimes forget that those students need as much support as those with physical disabilities.

“We need to raise more aware-ness for them,” explained Bissonnette. “Faculty and others do not always understand many students with learning disabilities and invisible dis-

abilities because their disabilities do not always show. One of the biggest challenges now and in the future is to encourage students with disabilities both visible and invisible to maintain their self-confidence and become part of the solution by approaching their teachers and saying ‘this is my disability, this is how I’m dealing with it and here is how you can help,’” Bis-sonnette said.

Many students are proud of the progress made at Concordia, and emphasize that little gestures go a long way in making the university an easy and safe learning environment for all students.

‘’I believe that every human has the right to be respected and valued despite of his or her race, gender or disability,” said George Kousioulas, a first-year student doing a specializa-tion in études Françaises. “The truth is, if every person would hold the door, give a seat on the bus, help in any way possible a disabled person, the university would be a much better place.’’

ConU described as “accessible campus”

CAMPUS

As exam time begins on Concordia’s two campuses, students are flocking in droves to the school’s libraries in order to get that last-minute cram-ming in.

In preparation for the barrage of students, Vanier Library on the Loyola campus has extended its hours, and will now be open 24 hours a day until Dec. 22. The Web-ster library downtown was already open around the clock, but has opened up additional classrooms for studying and has brought in 24-hour security patrols.

Despite these measures, the sheer volume of students can test the library’s resources and ability to ac-commodate students. Susan Poulin,

a security officer at the downtown Webster library, checks student IDs during the night. She said that during the beginning and middle of the semester, she checks in about 15 students every two hours. This past weekend, she was already checking in 100 to 200 students during the same two-hour period, “and there will probably be more during the week,” she said.

Morgan LowrieCopy editor

Libraries prepare for exam-time rushStudents struggle to find study room in inadequate library accommodations

Guylaine Beaudry, director of Webster library, said that there is a lack of space in Concordia’s libraries.

“We are confident that if we compare ourselves to other Quebec universities, we will find that we have a lot less library space than they do,” she said.

At 10 p.m last Saturday night – a time most students are normally hitting the bars, not the books – the

library was close to full. A few work desks and computer stations were open, but the majority of the tables were taken up by students, spread-ing their books and papers over every open space in preparation for a long night of studying.

“There’s often times when there just isn’t enough room,” said Con-cordia arts undergraduate student Adrian Saldanha. “And it just isn’t quiet enough – even on the floors where you aren’t supposed to be speaking.”

He said that as an undergradu-ate, he often had to search for 15 minutes or more to find a table for group study work. “It tends to die down a bit at night,” he said, “but during the daytime you’re screwed.”

Beaudry said that the university is working on an expansion plan, at least for the downtown campus. They are working on space planning projects and looking to add more square footage to a library that she says desperately needs it. “We need to work on this problem,” she said. “It is so obvious during a walkabout that there is not enough space, not enough seats.”

Packed library tables are a common sight during exams. Photo by Faiz Imam

ACCESSIBILITY

TRANSPORT

The Societe de transport de Montreal will raise the

cost of tickets and monthly passes across the board in

the new year. Students will be amongst the hardest

hit. Reduced-fare monthly bus passes will rise from

$38.75 to $41, an increase of 5.8 per cent. The cost of

a reduced fare ticket will be $2, up $0.25, an increase

of 14.3 per cent. Regular passes, meanwhile, will go

up $2.75 to $72.75. Critics derided the increases as

an attack on the poor. Transit lobby group Transport

2000 pointed out that the fare increases have gone

up three times the rate of inflation in about the past

decade. The STM justified the increases, saying that

the funds raised will be going to improvements of the

system. The reduced fares will be increased to 60 per

cent of the regular fares. A few days after releasing

the new fares, the STM announced that it is planning

to increase transit use by 40 per cent over the next 10

years. Photo by Matias Garabedian

5lifeWrite to the editor: life@theconcordian.com

our heads down and try to forget it ever hap-pened.

That same night, at least two other attendees reported having been drugged after I posted an inquisitive message on the event page. And as we crouched on the sidewalk for nearly an hour waiting for our ride, both security and party-go-ers attested to having seen quite a few girls leave in a similar state at the beginning of the evening.

Dissecting the drug What is the biggest challenge in fighting the dangers of what has come to be commonly known as the “rape drug,” “date rape,” or “roof-ies?” Pharmaceutical intern Christian Bordeleau said it is the complete lack of a standard recipe or ingredient combination.

“The other thing people really need to know is that there is really no antidote or way to get it out of your system, if not naturally with time,” he explained.

If bought on the streets or from an unknown dealer, a rape drug is usually a mishmash of in-gredients. It can contain gamma-hydroxybutyric acid (GHB), methylenedioxymethamphetamines (MDMA), speed and other miscellaneous fillers that reduce purity and concentration while increasing profit - including the common house-hold cleaner Comet.

As a member of the amphetamines family, MDMA has a stimulating effect on the central nervous system. This results in arousal of the senses, possible hallucinations and a substan-tial lowering of inhibitions, along with feelings of empathy and well-being. As for ecstasy, it combines the reactions listed for MDMA with the wakefulness, energy, loss of appetite and intense focus of speed. But in most cases of drugging or recreational misuse, GHB shows up as the main perpetrator.

GHB is actually produced naturally by the body in tiny doses, although its biological utility has yet to be determined. Through the years it has been used for many purposes including as a general anesthetic and as a way to augment muscular mass.

The physical effects of the synthetic GHB now seen on the streets are highly dependent on the doses given and the user’s metabolism. Taking between one to two grams can lead to reduced anxiety, lowered inhibitions, a feeling of drowsi-ness, trouble co-ordinating movements and slight sedation resulting in a muted sense of pain and body awareness.

When a strong dose of two to four grams is consumed, you can enter a hypnotic state that creates a disconnect between your physical understanding of your environment and your capacity to consciously process that information. It is at this point that you could, for example, physically understand being led to another loca-tion without being able to process the fact that the location is unknown and the person at your side is a complete stranger.

Ultimately, if you take over four grams you face the possibility of general anesthesia similar to a coma state. Add alcohol to the mix and it is

There’s something about the primal quality of the sound made by someone in real, raw pain. It’s a bit like that of a child who has no way of understanding the source or time constraints of the pain it feels, and whose cry resonates with undertones of confusion and frustration. It was that cry that kept me frantic and glued to my friend’s side as she crouched on the sidewalk with her head resting on the bumper of a stranger’s car. About an hour beforehand, she had come barging into the bathroom to let me know that things were not okay. Something was wrong. We had been at this party hosted by UQAM for less than an hour and had had a drink each. Something wasn’t matching up.

Symptoms escalated. She wasn’t coherent, couldn’t walk, stand or even sit up and was refusing to pull her head out of the plastic bag we had given her in case she felt sick. Fear was setting in. Hours later, as I stood in her living room with the first rays of sun making their way across the apartment walls and listened to her whimper in the adjoining room, I reflected on my own experience. This was not the first time I had been in this situation, but last time it was me who had been unconscious and waking up with no memory of the night before.

My father had been the one to pick me up three years before, drugged by a stranger and un-conscious on the bathroom floor of an isolated restaurant in downtown Ottawa. He was also the first to hear the panic in my voice as my friend’s condition escalated. Well-trained by the call he had received from my friends when they had found me, my father calmly tried to soothe me and make sense of the situation.

Were her reactions the same as mine? I had no way of knowing, as I have no recollection of the evening I was drugged. I can picture the friends I had been dancing with that night and vividly recall the sound of Madonna blaring from the bar’s mediocre speakers. But then the screen goes blank.

My own experience was of no use as I grappled with feelings of helplessness and my own inability to stop my friend’s pain. Should I be calling for help? Was she going to be okay? How could I have let this happen to her? We should have been more responsible.

Thankfully, we had been responsible. She was safe, just as I had been.

Months later, I realize that this is one of the reasons why there has not been enough dialogue on this topic. Many of those who have been drugged were smart and responsible enough to develop strategies that prevented the extreme from happening. Therefore, we quickly dismiss the abuse “that could have been worse,” keep

A look at the drug, its ingredients and the misconceptions concerning its useSarah McMahon-Sperber Contributor

the equivalent of doubling or tripling every drink you consume. The body starts eliminating the drug from its system after four to six hours, but alcohol consumption significantly stretches out the process. The average dose sold on the streets is about 2.5 grams and costs approximately $15.

Blaming the victimSo who can we point the finger at? The chances of identifying the person who gave the drugs are slim to none given the speed at which it can be slipped in a drink and the fact that it is impossi-ble to taste once combined with juice or alcohol.

So we go looking for the dealers. According to C.J (name withheld due to privacy), a drug dealer familiar with the various components and effects of the rape drug, there is no real way to gauge the reason why a person might be buying the drug.

“Your general knowledge of the person is a good indication,” he said. He admits, though, that there is no way of being certain that they are purchasing for consenting, recreational use.

So why then is the dialogue on this issue so limited, given how extensive its use has become? Whether it is confusion about the drug’s effects, shame, mixed reactions from friends or social stigmas that lead us to believe that the victim was somehow irresponsible, there seem to be many reasons to stay silent.

Gabrielle Turner, 23, was drugged at a small party consisting of only friends and acquain-tances. The reaction she got when trying to talk to the friend who had hosted the evening had been flippant, to say the least. “She kind of giggled at my supposed attempts to cover up my low alcohol tolerance,” she said. “And then she asked me who I realistically thought would have done such a thing.” Turner, who was studying interior design at the time, has hardly spoken of that incident in the three years since it happened. After the initial reaction she received, Turner was wary about discussing it.

For Anne-Charlotte Demarle, the reactions she received were quite different. The 22-year-old French student was visiting friends she had made while studying in Montreal when her evening at the UQAM party event went off track. Self-described as a moderate drinker, she had had a single glass of wine before heading out for the celebrations and the equivalent of less then a drink during the five to six hours she apparently spent at the party. The bulk of this information, she said, was related to her by friends, seeing as most of the evening has escaped her mind com-pletely. “I kind of, but hardly, remember looking at my watch around 1 a.m., but according to my friends we left between 3 a.m. and 4 a.m.” she said. “I have no recollection whatsoever of the taxi ride home and the next day, when I woke up, I was in the worst pain I have been in in my life.”

Demarle described being extremely ill until well past 6 p.m. the next day. She remembered connecting the dots when she was told that another friend who had attended the party had been in the same state. When she recounted

her ordeal to family and friends, her story was met with anger, fear and disgust towards the person who had drugged her. But as Turner’s case shows, not all victims are so lucky to find a sympathetic ear.

In a culture so deeply engrained in exces-sive consumption, many drugging stories are met with intense skepticism and doubt. With drugging often seen, though rarely used, as the perfect excuse for someone who refuses to accept the fact that they drank irresponsibly, it takes only a few dismissive reactions for a victim to fall into silence.

As I related the events of that evening to people around me, I was astonished to see how many were quick to tell me I was exaggerating, that it was no big deal. My friend was safe, that was all that mattered - let it rest. Another com-mon response was a bombardment of questions about just how much she had had to drink and what kind of crowd we had chosen to spend the evening with. Call me naïve, but this seemed beside the point.

Preventing the abuseBeing drugged is a serious allegation to make, as are claims related to the more extreme results of drugging, such as assault. “To be fair, I get where a lot of people were coming from when they, at first, weren’t sure whether I was being dramatic or telling the truth,” said Turner. “But once someone you know, and whose judgement you trust tells you they are being serious, no more questions should be asked. Friends and family then need to listen and be supportive.”

Fear of judgement should no longer be a key player in this discussion. Education along with communication, it seems to me, are some of the greatest tools in teaching individuals to distin-guish the symptoms of alcohol abuse from those of rape drug toxicity.

“I could never thank my friends enough for staying with and by me throughout the whole evening,” said Demarle. Though she acknowl-edged that it has been said a million times, the recurring and slightly predictable moral of the story is one she said really does apply. “Keep an eye on your drink, the other on your friends and make sure you always leave with every member of the group you arrived with.”

According to C.J, whose male friend slept with a stranger after being drugged, one of the biggest lessons he learnt is to always have someone to call. “Make sure you always have the number of someone who has your back,” he said. “No mat-ter how bad of a situation you are in, or whether it is your fault or not, everyone needs to have that one person that will show up and take care of the situation without asking too many ques-tions right away.” He also advised making sure other people around know who that person is. “My backer has saved me from a lot of danger-ous situations.”

For my friend, that person was her boyfriend. For myself, my father. And someday, we might become the person a loved one chooses to turn to. So let us make sure we are up to the task and ready to talk, shall we?

Breaking the silence of the date rape drug

Tuesday, December 7, 2010

7artsWrite to the editor: arts@theconcordian.comTHEATRE

further and further into chaos. Their relentless religious exploitation gets the attention of a recent widow and a gay couple. And who else could narrate the tale better than God itself?

Jesus Jell-O was unexpectedly popular at the Fringe Festival, quickly selling out of tickets nearly every night the show was performed at the tiny Freestanding Room. “We were quite shocked, in the most positive way possible,” said Sarazen. Now, the larger MainLine Theatre has given the cast more space to play around with the storytelling.

The atmosphere of the MainLine Theatre before the preview of Jesus Jell-O: The Miraculous Confection was positively fes-tive. MainLine staff, volunteers and friends decorated the lobby as Jesus Jell-O directors and co-founders of the Sheep In Fog theatre company Joanne Sarazen and Lindsay Wilson ran around, helping out and preparing their actors for their first show since the Montreal Fringe Festival this summer.

Actually, the show they staged over the summer was also Jesus Jell-O. At the Fringe Awards, or Frankies, Wilson and Sarazen won the “Next Stage” award, which allowed them to remount the show at the MainLine theatre for a second run in December. Since then, a lot has changed. According to Concordia the-atre program alumni Sarazen, it’s a new show, even though the themes and writing have not changed much. “Hopefully people will come out and see our new show,” she shared.

No matter how much Jesus Jell-O has changed, the story has stayed the same. The Wilson family is shaken up when 17-year-old Miles sees Jesus in a bowl of hospital Jell-O after fainting at Christmas Mass. His mother aggressively promotes the “miracle,” and the already dysfunctional family is driven

Good theatre a dish best served gelatinous

Valerie Cardinal Arts editor

Jesus Jell-O comes back to MainLine Theatre for second helpings

Visual artist Alana Riley wins Pierre-Ayot awardVISUAL ART

They say a picture is worth a thousand words, and some photographs really do speak for themselves. In Alana Riley’s case, her work reflects her passion and dedication, recently winning the 2010 Pierre-Ayot award for her piece “Who’s Afraid of Red, Yellow and Grey,” a single-channel, single-shot video loop of a bird’s eye view.

Montreal’s art scene has seen its ups and downs, but it is still home to a diverse range of artists; video artist and photographer Riley is one of them. The Pierre-Ayot award, cre-ated in 1996, recognizes and supports young Montreal-based visual artists. It is a joint collaboration between the Ville de Montréal and the Association des galeries d’art con-temporain.

Riley’s focus is portraiture. She says she finds most of her inspiration while on long monotonous road trips and, surprisingly, in donut shops. That being said, there seems to always be a common theme - people. “I most enjoy photographing people in their home or work environment,” said Riley. “I like to see the small details and traces of their every-day.” Having graduated from Concordia in 2003 with a BFA in studio arts and photogra-

Concordia grad is recognized for excellence in visual artAmanda Dafniotis Staff writer

“We’d always wanted to experiment with projection and stuff like that, so to be able to have the tools to do that is quite thrilling,” stated Sarazen.

Although the process of remounting the show was fun, Sarazen admitted that it was a lot of work. “When we won, Lindsay Wilson, my co-founder of this company and my co-director, was jumping up and down, and I was a little terrified,” she confided. The long process of rethinking, rewriting and recast-ing started through meetings with MainLine

Theatre artistic director Jeremy Hechtman. “Once you see a show up on its feet, you have a good idea of what works and what doesn’t,” said Sarazen.

The second run of the show features some different cast members. “We sat down and we made a list of the people that we wanted to ask,” explained Sarazen. “We actually got all the people we asked first, which was tremen-dous.” Notable additions to the cast include Scott Humphrey, who is convincing as Miles, the confused teenager. Lucinda Davis gets the job of filling Tristan D. Lalla’s large shoes in the role of God, the narrator (and creator and everything else). While her presence isn’t as commanding as Lalla’s, she presents a softer God, although one who gets more and more frustrated with the human race as the play goes on.

The play has also been lengthened since its time at the Fringe Festival. An entire scene has been added and others have been rewritten to further develop its characters. “We were able in the rehearsal process to create deeper rela-tionships with the characters and do exercises as opposed to just very practically blocking things out and give the actors a chance to ex-periment and do new things,” stated Sarazen.

Sarazen said she feels the play is worth a look from both fans from the summer and those totally new to it. “In the process, things that were at first very funny got sort of dark, and then funny again. So it’s a darker show, but it’s still quirky and fun and Christmassy.”

Jesus Jell-O will be playing at the Main-line Theatre until Dec. 18. Tickets are $23. For exact times and more information, check out www.mainlinetheatre.ca.

Emily Quaile, Patrick Charron, Catherine Lemieux and Scott Humphrey as Jesus Jell-O’s quirky family. Photo by Andrei Kalamkarov

phy, Riley credits the deparment for influenc-ing “my productive process by directing me towards a more conceptual approach to the creation of images.”

Riley has photographed countless individu-als, including some well-known Canadians. Jeanne Beker, one of Canada’s best known

Riley’s “Fortunate, a mountain-top view” shows her approach to portraiture. Photo by Tiffany Blaise

TV personalities, as well as Debbie Travis, another television personality and interior design guru, can both be seen on Riley’s online portfolio. The members of Arcade Fire are also amongst Riley’s subjects.

Riley’s work has not only gotten attention from Montrealers, but from across the globe.

Her work has been exhibited in solo and group shows in Canada, Shanghai, Ireland, and the United States. She has been featured in Macleans and the New York Times. She was also chosen as a finalist of the Emerg-ing Photographers of Canada 2010, awarded by the Magenta Foundation. Despite these achievements, she shows no sign of slowing down. “I’m working on some new projects for a solo show in the spring, and hopefully a residency in Germany next year,” she said.

In addition to focusing on her art, Riley also worked on the November Amnesty International Exhibit. Riley and 12 other artists contributed their work in order to sup-port Montreal’s art scene, while also raising awareness. “I was glad that I could contribute to it and hopefully help raise some funds for such a good cause,” said Riley. All funds raised that evening were split equally be-tween the artists and Amnesty International. This was the second time that this type of collaboration took place in Montreal.

Riley believes that “Montreal has a strong community of artists,” and feels fortunate to have worked with all of those that she has met here. The professional photographer still loves film, but she also uses more contempo-rary equipment, often opting for the Canon 5D digital camera. Even though she has seen her fair share of success, the seasoned pho-tographer continues to live by a rather simple motto: challenge yourself. Once it gets too easy, move on.

You can check out more of Alana’s work at www.alanariley.com.

Tuesday, December 7, 2010

theconcordian8 Tuesday, December 7, 2010

CRAFTS

Sustainable creativity for Christmas at Montreal Biosphere ecofairTrevor Smith Copy editor

Used tires, broken vinyl, old clothes and discarded utensils were reborn as necklaces, trendy wares, bracelets, purses, rings and more at the fifth annual Recycling Artist

Eco Fair last week. The event that allowed 43 artists to showcase their recycled art-work was held at the Biosphère Musée de l’environnement from Dec. 3-5.

Earrings made from the ends of stainless-steel utensils by Maude Lapierre.

Sophie Guillemette from SOAP taking down sales for their refurbished clothing line.

Maude Lapierre using a blowtorch to blacken cut fork prongs for earrings at her workshop.Inner tubes of bicycle tires made into ties and tractor tire tubes transformed into handbags by Jocelyne Jodoin.

Maude Lapierre at her workshop drilling off fork prongs and polishing up finished rings.

Old 45 records turned into bracelets, bowls and earrings by Lucie Bélanger.

Mélanie Fortin uses melted vinyl records to make rings and broken CDs as earrings.

Photos by writer

9Tuesday, December 7, 2010Follow us on Twitter at twitter.com/concordianarts

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IN THEATRES DECEMBER 10TH

Ke$ha’s newly released video for “We R Who We R”

SPOILER ALERT

drunk). And another thing that’s white and blue: the banner for Plentyoffish.com, the site that the two DJs keep clicking back to between fist pumps. The second best product placements are the ones that enable contact with Internet predators once you’re happy and drunk.

The climax of this video occurs when the music pauses and she’s slow-motion falling backwards into the crowd from the top of an office building – it’s really dramatic for about five seconds and then the party continues back in the tunnel, with more sporadic waves of blue lights. But no matter how high she climbs, literally and figuratively, she makes it clear by her lyrics that she’s still the same endearingly drunk mess she’s always been: “I’m tellin’ you about the shit we do/We’re sellin’ our clothes, sleepin’ in cars, dressin’ it down, hittin’ on dudes (hard).” Although, given that there are no males in the video and her peeps are all up on the Internet dating sites, they’ve clearly expanded their hittin’-on-dudes tactics.

Respect, Ke$ha. Not only are you a standup, down-to-earth citizen, you’ve show us that with enough cheap makeup, glitter, and a lot of alcohol, there’s a Ke$ha in every one of us.

I love glitter, tequila, Jesus and America - in that order. And when all four are featured in one harmonious music video, y’all know what’s up: Ke$ha’s in town. The professional party girl is back with a new EP, Cannibal, and as a music appreciator, enthusiast of the English language, frequenter of Peel Pub and independent woman, I couldn’t be happier. Nobody - and I mean nobody - embodies that lifestyle better than she who has made hits out of lyrics like, “Wanna dance with no pants on (Holla)/Meet me in the back with the Jack and the jukebox...”

Okay, so she’s not exactly Virginia Woolf, but then again, if the V. Woolf had hit da clubs more, maybe she wouldn’t have been compelled to take that dip in a lake with pockets full of rocks. So grab a 40, smear a glittery crayon around your eyes and enjoy this week’s Spoiler Alert: I watched “We R Who R Are” so you don’t have to (but you’ll probably want to anyway).

If there’s one thing you can respect the girl for, it’s sticking to her guns. I don’t know if this stemmed from her childhood or if it was a decision she made before sending out demos, but Ke$ha has somehow fueled her platinum record-selling career by singing about nothing other than gettin’ drunk, goin’ out and meetin’ dudes.

So it’s really no surprise that “We R Who We R” is a continuation of that legacy - this video takes place entirely in a tunnel-turned-glitter dance party. She’s ready to get crunk: she’s teased and sprayed the shit out of her hair, her eyelids are smudged with sparkly blue eyeshadow and she’s got her cut up, soiled American flag dress on (one of two costume changes – the other is a dress made of mirrors). But boys, beware: “No, you don’t want to mess with us/Got Jesus on my necklace.” Not really true - no necklace - but rosaries show up in nearly every frame in the second half of the video. Odd? Nawww, man, Jesus turned water into booze, so he’s invited to the party, obvi.

This video is all red, white and blue: strobe lights, explosions of fire in the background and strategically-coloured bottles of Revolu-cion Tequila (the best product placements are the ones that keep everyone happy and

More glitter and tequila from pop’s favourite messJe$$ica Wei Staff writer

Puces Pop expands to accommodate growing interestARTS & CRAFTS

For the past eight years, Pop Montreal has been digging its claws into the city’s artistic under-world outside of its music festival; Puces Pop, which began as a subsidiary of the annual music festival, has become a thrice-yearly fair.

It has also literally grown out of space. For the holiday edition, directors Amy Johnson and Marilis Cardinal decided to relocate the fair from St-Michael’s Church to Saint-Enfant-Jesus du Mile End. It’s still in the heart of Mile End, both literally and figuratively, but the move reflects both its success and a shift towards a more inclusive standpoint.

“We want to be true to what we represent but then also thinking about the people who live in the different communities,” said Johnson. Even the core of the “young, sort of artistic commu-nity” that they have traditionally represented is changing. “It’s a baby fest in there,” Johnson said lightly.

Johnson attributed a large part of Puces’ enduring success to its careful selection of exhibi-

Move to bigger venue highlights success of arts and crafts fairJacqueline Di Bartolomeo Assistant arts editor

tors, a feature that distinguishes it from other arts and crafts events. They receive hundreds of applications for every edition, and usually select around 70. “We pick the ones that we think are not only the most attractive to us but that we think will sell well,” Johnson explained.

There are two paths to good sales at Puces Pop. One is to have a good price point; the other is to sell cupcakes. Jack Dylan, an illustrator and poster artist, is a skilled hand when it comes to the former. Dylan has been a Puces Pop staple since 2005. “[Puces Pop] was the first way I was able to get myself out there, actually,” he said. He channels Henry Ford when making decisions about pricing. “I only felt my product should be able to be purchased by the person who made it. In this case, that was me,” he said. “I didn’t have very much money. I always put it in a price range that I could afford.”

In many respects, the fair operates like a small business. Johnson is a former business owner, having run a store in the Mile End called Wooden Apples, where she also taught DIY workshops.

She brought that ethos to Puces Pop, using it to create what she described as her “pet project,” a free conference for the vendors called “Lil’ Biz.” The annual workshop, which ran last September, addresses financial and commercial issues that are particular to the artistic profession.

Johnson and Cardinal organized several activities for the public in conjunction with the upcoming edition of the fair. Their ever-popular

Bingo Night will be held the night before the fair officially opens its doors, while the Taco Truck, of Pop Montreal fame, will be in the area all weekend long.

Puces Pop’s goal is to become “the biggest [fair] in Canada,” according to Johnson. “The renegade craft fair in Brooklyn [has expanded to] Chicago and San Francisco. People come from all over the States to participate in those fairs because they have such a good reputation,” she said. “That’s what we’re aiming for, essentially.”

The bigger they get, the more they can expand. “We are a non-profit so everything

goes right back into the festival,” Johnson said. They’re also looking to host a Valentine’s Day edition.

For the upcoming fair, Puces Pop will include vendors whose work is more gift-friendly, in time for Christmas. A charity gift-wrapping table will also be available, with all proceeds going to Heads & Hands.

The biggest Puces Pop yet will be held at St-Enfant-Jésus Church, at 5037 St-Dominique St. (corner Laurier Blvd.) on Dec. 18 and 19, from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. For more information, visit www.popmontreal.com/en/puces/events.

For the holiday edition, Johnson and Cardinal included artists whose work makes good Christmas gifts, like jewelry, candles and knits. Photo by LP Maurice

Graphic by Phil Waheed

10 Tuesday, December 7, 2010

Write to the editor: music@theconcordian.com

musicRAP BATTLE

Although not afraid to play the bad guy, Pesci was definitely a crowd favourite this time around; in fact, every battler was a crowd favourite.

For Iron Solomon, this is what was the most impressive. “More than anything I was impressed and excited by the level of energy in the room,” he said. “They [Pesci and KOTD] were able to make everybody in the room feel like they were a part of it, which is difficult because everybody isn’t in there rapping.”

Solomon definitely helped bring the energy inside Koi. His fierce performance got the crowd very excited as they awaited the main event battle. The veteran displayed a wide array of styles as he breezed through his 15-minute set. With an album coming out during the winter, Iron Solomon is looking to hit Montreal hard the next time he visits. “We’re definitely trying to be up in Canada heavy, and really just show appreciation for the support that [Canadians have] shown me,” he said.

Pesci also has big music plans. He has a group called OG Hindu Kush with his partner in rhyme, Osa, and they are currently work-ing hard on their album. For years, Pesci has been a staple of the Montreal underground hip-hop scene, collaborating with The Nar-cicyst, Rugged Intellect, Lord Pako, D-Shade and many others.

For King of The Dot, the future is looking very good. Their next big event is going down in Toronto on Jan. 22. Blackout will bring rappers from around the world to battle in “T.Dot,” with the main event opposing Hali-fax’s Pat Stay to New Jersey’s Arsonal.

The next event in Montreal will take place in March and will be the first leg of KOTD’s nationwide two-on-two Grand Prix tourna-ment to crown the best battle rap team.

As far as the battles go, the results cannot be disclosed as KOTD will not release the bat-tles until Christmas when Pesci and Bender against PoRich and Kid Twist will take place. However, the main event was a promo battle, which means that it was not judged; it will be up to each person to decide the winners and

“King of The Dot, put your money where your mouth is!” These are the words that usually open a King of The Dot rap battle. Hosted by its iconic co-founder Organik, KOTD’s battles have seen their popularity grow exponentially over the last two years.

What started as a small group of people meeting near Toronto’s Younge and Dundas intersection to battle in a back alley is now a national rap battle league with divisions in Toronto, Vancouver, Calgary and Montreal. With its American counterpart Grind Time, KOTD is at the forefront of a movement that is rising quickly.

To celebrate the Montreal division’s first-year anniversary, its president Loe Pesci organized an event that took place at Koi Bar, located on St-Laurent Boulevard above Sher-brooke Street, last Saturday night. It featured a main event of epic proportions, with Pesci and Ottawa’s Bender facing Toronto’s Kid Twist and Whitby’s PoRich in a two-on-two battle. It reunited four of the best battlers in Canada.

With this match came a great undercard featuring Montreal rappers facing other Canadians. Spook One faced Shane Stone; Scynikal took on Tycoon Tax; Chuggo went against Mista Conspiracy; CL battled Q and BK faced Lokust. As well, the event boasted a performance from legendary battle rapper Iron Solomon, up from New York.

This event – the fourth organized in Mon-treal by King of The Dot – marked the return to the two-on-two format for PoRich and Kid Twist; they represented Canada in the 2007 World Rap Championships. This event was the precursor of the battle rap leagues, bring-ing teams from around the world to battle it out for the title of World Rap Champions.

The Montreal division’s first anniversary was a huge success. Tightly packed in the cozy bar, the crowd showed up in great num-bers and proved that Montreal knows how to cheer for out-of-towners outside of the Bell Centere. In a city – and province – that is mostly French, it spoke volumes of the move-ment’s impact to see such an event go down.

Avi Rex, the marketing director for King of The Dot, echoed that feeling. “Montreal - every time I come here, it’s getting bigger and bigger,” he said. “Last time I came there was about 150 people, tonight there’s 220. We’re growing with the city and people are coming to understand that rap battles are the future.”

It definitely seems that way. While record sales are experiencing a steep decline, battle rapping has been blowing up. Active since mid-August 2008, King of The Dot’s YouTube channel has received over six million views. Add that to Grind Time’s 43 million views, the Ultimate Rap League’s 13.5 million views and you’ll get a good understanding of how powerful and strong the battle rapping move-ment is becoming.

For Pesci, it all came together Saturday night. It was hard work for the Montreal rap-per, who participated in the main battle but also organized the whole event.

“I’m extremely happy with the way the night went,” he said. “For the first time, I was battling in my hometown. I had never battled in Montreal as far as written battles go [and] I had never battled at my own event.”

King Of The Dot’s Montreal division celebrates its first-year anniversary with a bang

Simon Tousignant Staff writer

Put your money where your mouth is

PoRich (front) and Kid Twist (back) took on Bender and Loe Pesci in a rap battle. Photos by Thomas Bonamy Cossard

losers of that bout.However, rest assured that the Montreal di-

vision will be given all the respect it deserves after being established for a year. After all, the battlers followed King of The Dot’s motto perfectly: they put their money where their mouth is.

Check out King of The Dot’s battles on their YouTube channel at www.youtube.com/user/KingofTheDot as well as their website, www.kingofthedot.com.

Battle rap legend Iron Solomon rocked the crowd.

Loe Pesci (front) looks at the crowd during his battle.

Follow us on Twitter at twitter.com/concordianmusic 11

“The Times They Are A-Changing” will be a-changing

handsThe original handwritten lyrics for Bob Dy-lan’s iconic ‘60s folk song “The Times They Are A-Changin’” will be heading to the auc-tion block soon. Art auction company Sothe-by’s will be placing the first written copy of the renowned lyrics under the hammer this Friday in New York City. The lyrics are pro-jected to bring in anywhere from $200,000 to $300,000. The paper itself is a creased sheet of unruled, three-hole notebook paper marked with some small rips and tears as well as the famous lines written in pencil.

Original Jesus of suburbia hopes to resurrect American

IdiotThe Green Day-inspired punk rock musical American Idiot has added the band’s frontman Billie Joe Armstrong to its cast in an attempt to boost flagging ticket sales. Armstrong, who replaced Tony Vincent in the role of “St. Jim-my” for a week in September, reportedly drew scores of dedicated fans during his Broadway debut, resulting in box-office sales of over $1 million that week. Last week’s take amount-ed to a mere $600,000. The low number is a problem that the producers hope the punk rocker will be able to remedy. Armstrong is set to take to the stage again in a string of 50 shows starting on Jan. 1.

As if waiting 15 years for Chi-nese Democracy wasn’t enoughInfamously raucous rockers Guns N’ Roses have angered another town by making their fans wait for more than an hour before start-ing their set and blaring loud music well past the noise curfew. Last Wednesday’s show in Townsville, Australia drew complaints from locals who were incensed by the loudness of the concert and its late finish. Townsville mayor Les Tyrell responded to the complaints by stating that “Guns N’ Roses came on late and the concert ran late which is a concern to us and something we will talk to promoters about, as it is not fair for residents on a mid-week event.” This is far from the first time the “November Rain” hit-makers have shown up late for a show: both their shows at the Read-ing and Leeds music festivals last August be-gan more than a half-hour late, and a similar delay at a subsequent show in Dublin caused riled fans to pelt the band with bottles once they hit the stage.

When Muse buys the farm, Bellamy will retire to his own

Muse frontman Matt Bellamy has his retire-ment plans well in order. The 32-year-oldsinger has announced his intention to grow hemp on his farm in Devon once he retires from music. Bellamy said that he currently does not live on his southwestern England acreage, as “it’s just land with a couple of jaded barns that need to be renovated. It’s a nice place to camp but my long-term plan is to grow industrial hemp for making paper and material.” He will also be spending his time shearing his flock of 50 sheep, which he uses primarily to keep the grass on his estate trimmed. Muse, who has been nominated for three Grammys this year, including best rock album and best rock song, are currently on the final lap of their Australian tour.

FEATURE

A few dozen teenagers are getting the chance to pick the brains of one of Montreal’s most established rappers, as they strive to master their art and translate their struggles to rhyme. Along with fellow artists J-Kyll and Imposs, DRAMATIK is best known as part of the Montreal hip-hop phenomenon MUZION. The group was called upon by Wyclef Jean to collaborate on Jean’s project 24 heures à vivre, a venture which propelled them to the front of the city’s stage and transformed them into role models for the youth of Montreal’s Haitian community.

Having grown up in a Montreal North house-hold tainted by domestic abuse and strained finances, DRAMATIK, whose real name is Jocelyn Bruno, navigated the city’s foster homes and youth centres until finally landing back on his feet. Having achieved his path to stability, Bruno had something to say. He wanted to say it right, and so he set out to hone his art.

“Music really changes our societies, and societies, in turn, change music. It’s like a form of resistance,” he explained. “Hip hop has always been, and still is, the voice of minorities. And [performing for teenagers] makes us grow as artists, and remember what it felt like to be at that age, in that state of mind.”

Though the rest is well-documented history, Bruno never forgot the power that words had had

on his life, nor his resolution to offer other kids the same opportunity to fall in love with their beauty and strength.

So when he was approached by RAPJeunesse to participate in the organization’s first edition of the Festival Ton Quartier, Ton Art…! , he jumped at the opportunity.

RAPJeunesse, an organization based in the boroughs of Ahuntic, Cartierville-Bordeaux and St-Laurent, is mandated to connect and assist with youth and vulnerable demographics within their communities through alternative interven-tions within the boroughs’ public spaces.

For the festival, Bruno was asked to coach young aspiring rappers from various rougher neighbourhoods in writing, beats, flow and, of course, delivery. The kids then prepared to perform at the final gala two weeks later, in order to have a shot at winning the studio time neces-sary to record a track of their own, set to one of Bruno’s original beats.

After the two weeks worth of contests, tutori-als and training which ended with the Oct. 28 closing events, it had become clear to Bruno that efforts to include and reintegrate some of Montreal’s most isolated youth were going to have to extend beyond the exciting events of the festival. But for now, let’s go back the event that got the ball rolling.

Walking into Le National. a venue at the cor-ner of Saint-Catherine St. and Beaudry St., a few hours before the gala, the buzz of excitement and anticipation was almost palpable. Teenagers, parents, technicians, artists and organizers all blended into a frenzy of activity as last-minute preparations were made and the teens practiced their songs and routines one last time.

“We have a few buses arriving any minute now with dozens of kids; it’s all rather excit-ing for our first year,” said RAPJeunesse event coordinator Maude Martin-Gagnon. “I’ve even had to hold some people at the door. Basically, we’re all just hoping to give the kids a platform to be creative, meet artists they admire, mingle with teens from other neighbourhoods and have a great time.”

In the name of creativity, rap and hip hop were not the only mediums teenagers could explore in the course of the festival. Tutorials and prizes were also offered in photography, dance, film, slam poetry, vocals and graffiti art.

Teens hit the stage to spin stories featuring their neighbourhoods, family troubles, complex

Leader of Montreal hip-hop scene committing his time to changing the lives of youngsters through rhyme, reason and rapSarah McMahon-Sperber Contributor

Montreal youth initiative is helping rap get rid of its bad rep

relationships and the struggles plaguing Haiti, the country most of them consider home.

The teens were brought together seam-lessly by METAZONE’s brilliant performance, followed by Bruno in his DRAMATIK persona. As he stood rapping in the crowd with his arms wrapped around the teens, who in turn linked arms and let go of any physical, geographic or ra-cial divides, DRAMATIK’s bond with the young artists and fans was obvious.

ABC’Z was announced as the winner of the studio time, and as participants, families and friends all started streaming out of the venue, there was a sense of something great ending. But it was only the beginning for Bruno, who had just gotten confirmation of his hiring by the Cartierville -Bordeaux youth centre.

The youth composition and recording pro-gram had already been set up by previous youth centre worker Christophe Lareau-Desjardins when Bruno arrived to the centre’s recording stu-dio. Whereas the previous projects had focused mostly on music production, Bruno has been try-ing to bring it back to basics and make sure the teenagers are writing and working on solid texts.

“Things are marvellous here,” he said a month after his debut as a hip-hop mentor. “My biggest focus has been to get the kids to understand that it’s hard work. That texts need to be written and rewritten before they can be sure that words are all at the right place and that it flows properly.”

Bruno is not the only one to see the potential for rap as a learning tool for young students. High school teacher Natasha Sarter tends to teeter between optimism and prudence as a lover of all things hip-hop herself.

“It’s great stuff if what our teenagers are listen-ing to and writing is eloquent and meaningful rap with a message,” she said. “But my concern is that hip hop isn’t quite what it used to be, and it seems to have lost a lot of its messages and lyrical sophistication. That being said, if they’re learning to use it in a context that values storytelling and communication, then I think it can do wonders in keeping the students engaged and interested.”

As he walks through the centre’s door every week, Bruno is greeted by a lineup of teenag-ers waiting for his input and ready to apply the rigour and discipline needed to polish their pieces.

“I also want them to understand that the fact that we’re producing in the centre doesn’t mean it should be minimalistic or subpar,” said Bruno. “Right now, we’re actually working on the release of an album in early spring and I’ve tried to make sure that my one-on-one time with all

of them is helping them write good texts that are ready for production.”

And the biggest element of surprise in his new position? It’s nothing to worry about. “I’m really stunned at the amount of potential and talent that’s already out there compared to when I started off,” said Bruno. “I guess with the Internet and YouTube and stuff, they’ve had the chance to be much more exposed to what’s happening in the hip hop community and more access to the tools needed to try and do stuff on your own.”

A month into his position, Bruno is already looking forward to exciting new projects with great enthusiasm from the kids and workers at the Cartierville-Bordeaux youth centre.

“We’re working on getting some video equip-ment in now,” announced Bruno. “Then, once the kids have worked hard and long on their beats and songs, they can look forward to shoot-ing clips and videos to go along with them.”

With a project that promises to include a whole new array of exploratory training op-portunities including video production, it seems that creative social initiatives like these can do nothing but grow from here. And as teenagers start to follow their own paths toward a future full of curiosity and opportunities, it’s fair to say that Bruno has officially rested his case.

These Montreal teens performed their material to a crowd at Le National. Photos by Clovis Desvarieux

Guest performances included METAZONE and DRAMATIK.

Andrew GuilbertStaff wrtier

Tuesday, December 7, 2010

theconcordian12 Tuesday, December 7, 2010

The first thing that’s obvious about Poland’s Calm Hatchery is that they’re heavily influ-enced by New York death metallers Immola-tion and by the hybrid genre of death/grind. The jackhammer drums and snaking leads recall Immo’s most memorable moments, but Calm Hatchery’s material is of such high qual-ity that they rival their forebears.

The tempo never drops, and while such a lack of variety would normally be points against, the effect here is that the album never loses its focus. Clocking in at 40 minutes, the album is by no means short, but Sacrilege of Humanity seems to speed past, sowing destruction in its wake. There are no weak tracks, and there are no weak links within the band. Death metal isn’t a genre with much crossover appeal, and Sacrilege of Humanity is no exception, but if you’ve already been converted and can accept that the genre has evolved since 1995 then this record comes highly recommended.

Trial track: “We Are the Universe”

-Alexandre Perrault

Tom Waits - Nighthawks at the Diner(Asylum Records; 1975)

Solvents are a trio from Port Townsend, Wash., a fact that is betrayed in their latest full-length release Forgive Yr. Blood. The album encapsulates all of the powerful emo-tions with which one contends while living in a small town. The frustration and longing you feel after seeing that special ex-somebody is captured in the track “Soft Reminders,” while the angsty restlessness that is born out of feeling stifled is conveyed in the song “Yr. Ghost Writer.”

While some tracks use chipper piano jingles reminiscent of a dusty saloon in the Wild West, others are pushed along by fuzzy guitar riffs and hazy vocals, giving the album an experimental folk sound. The songs are diverse, mirroring the plethora of emotions which define human existence. A defining characteristic is the ever-present violin that will hum gently into your ears like a seaport breeze.

Trial Track: “Empty Vessel Blues”

- Katelyn Spidle

Solvents - Forgive Yr. Blood(Bee Resin Records; 2010)

Montreal locals No Joy have made some seri-ous headway over a relatively short amount of time. And on their debut LP Ghost Blonde, the four-piece manages to live up to the hype. Composed primarily of fuzzy, bludgeoning guitar gut-rock, No Joy effectively cascades endless sheets of white noise over their audience, rather than going the route of massive solos and hot licks. However, the end results will satisfy any worshipper of vintage fuzz pedals and psyche-delic noodling.

Although they aren’t the most engaging band to watch on stage (an understatement and an unfortunate side effect of the ‘shoegaze’ genre), the group more than makes up for the lack of presence with some serious wearing-our-ovaries-on-the-outside guitar blasts. Halfway through the album, Ghost Blonde plateaus with the track “Hawaii,” where lead singer Laura Lloyd suc-cessfully channels equal amounts of Kim Gordon and J Mascis without sounding, or looking, as dated. Trial track: “Hawaii”

- Chris Morin

No Joy - Ghost Blonde(Mexican Summer; 2010)

Quick Spins

In 1975, Tom Waits was still fairly unknown. A plan to record the beatnik stage man’s live personality was executed in the best way possible – a concert recorded in a New York studio. A large room in the back of Record Plant Studios was set up with a stage and tables, with drinks on the house. The best of four performances were combined here on Nighthawks at the Diner, an album that evokes a world of 24-hour greasy spoons on foggy nights.

The band is spot-on, playing tight, dynamic and smooth jazz. Tenor sax, piano, upright bass and a kit create a combo well equipped for the job. The atmosphere created here that is witty, dark and a little absurd – really the best qualities of Tom Waits. At around 70 min-utes it’s a lengthy listen, but this record gives an intimate picture of the live personality of one of the most unique American songwriters of the century.

Trial Track: “Eggs and Sausage”

- Colin Harris

Calm Hatchery - Sacrilege of Humanity(Selfmadegod Records; 2010)

Retro review

7.5/107.5/108.0/10

MIXTAPE

motivational background noise for that late-night cramming. The music on Side A will keep you focused as you begin concentrating. Side B has more upbeat tunes, but the songs still contain minimal lyrics for those who are easily distracted. Now, get to work!

Classes are over, but for most of us it is only the beginning of the end of the workload. During this time, students are demanded to stretch the limits of their knowledge, creativ-ity and energy. Sleep is a commodity as students pay the price for a semester of pro-crastination. This mixtape is designed to be

Hannah Jung Staff writer

The All-nighter

SIDE A:

1. “The Young Machines” – Her Space Holiday – The Young Ma-chines - 2003

2. “Mike Mills” – Air – Talkie Walkie - 2004

3. “Leave House” – Caribou – Swim - 2010

4. “Mount Wroclai (Idle Days)” – Beirut – Gulag Orkestar - 2006

5. “2 + 2 = 5 (The Luke-warm)” – Radiohead – Hail To The Thief - 2003

6. “What Do You Go Home To?” – Explosions in the Sky – All Of A Sudden I Miss Everyone - 2007

7. “Chan Chan” – Buena Vista Social Club – Buena Vista Social Club - 1997

8. “La Valse d’Amélie (Ver-sion Piano)” – Yann Tiersen – Le Fabuleux Destin d’Amélie Poulain - 2001

9. “Soul and Onward” – Do Make Say Think - &Yet &Yet - 2002

10. “Freddie Freeloader” – Miles Davis – Kind Of Blue - 1959

SIDE B:

11. “The Freezer Is Broken, My Soul Is Destroyed – Versa – Versa - 2008

12. “My Girls” – Animal Collec-tive – Merriweather Post Pavillion - 2009

13. “Fire Eye’d Boy” – Broken Social Scene – Broken Social Scene - 2005

14. “Odessa” – Caribou – Swim - 2010

15. “Crimewave” – Crystal Castles – Crystal Castles - 2008

16. “Whirrs” – Miracle Fortress – Five Roses - 2007

17. “Myxomatosis (Judge, Jury & Executioner)” – Radiohead- Hail To The Thief - 2003

18. “No Heaven” – DJ Cham-pion – Chill’em All - 2005

19. “Mauja Hi Mauja” - Mika Singh – Jab We Met Soundtrack – 2007

20. “Les Jours Tristes (Instru-mental)” – Yann Tiersen – Le Fabuleux Destin d’Amélie Poulain- 2001

13Tuesday, December 7, 2010Follow us on Twitter at twitter.com/concordianmusicFILM

HAMILTON, Ont. (CUP) — Canadian song-stress Leslie Feist has spent the better part of the last decade under the luminescence of the world’s spotlight, earning multiple Juno awards and Grammy nominations.

But if the name doesn’t ring a bell, most people simply know her as “that girl from the Apple commercial.”

After cutting her teeth with Toronto indie giants Broken Social Scene, Feist found success through showcasing her prowess as a solo act, with the single “1234” propelling her 2008 record The Reminder into international levels of acclaim, with over 1.5 million copies sold to date.

Yet in the shadow of that ubiquitous girl-with-a-guitar image lays a group of contribu-tors that have been just as important to her radiance. The substance of Feist’s own stature is very much concealed in a veil of colours be-hind her and puppeteers, musicians and visual artists are all part of the production.

Fittingly then, her most recent endeavour with film director Anthony Seck pulls back the curtain on what she describes as her “amplifi-ers” in a documentary-meets-poetic piece titled Look at What the Light Did Now. Culled from hundreds of hours of footage taken during the writing, recording and cross-continental tour-ing of The Reminder, Seck sheds light on the helping hands behind Feist’s creative process.

Intimate portrait into the life of Feist

Dan Hawie The Silhouette (McMaster University)

Documentary explores life and music of the ‘girl from the Apple commercial’

The film was shown at a sold-out screening in Toronto on Nov. 21 that brought out home-town fans and artists alike, including members of Sloan, The Barenaked Ladies and Howie Beck, to celebrate the Canadian indie darling.

Seck takes us on a visual journey of the 2007 tour, while circling back to cover the album’s recording process in a decrepit French mansion, then forward to the creative assemblage of her very image. And in this collaborative frame of motif, we learn that the songstress is very much reliant on the support and comfort of those around her.

When performing in a packed arena, she

shies away from the glare of the spotlight over top, as one interviewee notes her fear of being “exposed” and insistence of being dimly lit. In-stead, a canvas-like backdrop of kaleidoscopic shadows and clay fingerpaintings are projected behind her, as puppeteer Clea Minaker and her helpers craft a visual masterpiece from the back of the stage.

Swift montages of the creative processes behind choosing the album’s artwork reveals a whole new perspective on each helper’s ab-sorption in the finished product, too. We learn that the iconic shot of Feist’s silhouette was pushed more by the photographer behind it,

and that the multi-coloured streamlines in the artwork are artist Simone Rubi’s conceptual idea of human connection.

Ultimately, the film unveils a vibrant world behind the shadows of one artist, whose path to stardom is just as colourful as it is brim-ming with like-minded personalities. The film itself is not so much biographical, then, as it is impressionistic to the viewer in revealing that sweet spot where art meets music, which certainly resonated through the warm Toronto reception.

In a brief chat after the screening, the leading lady couldn’t help but gush about the importance of bringing the film back to where the bulk of her career took off. She explained, “The film’s been screening all over the place, and this one’s smack dab in the middle. But it’s certainly the most special because it’s where everything started.

“The stakes are higher because everything’s a little harder at home. But everyone’s been so enthusiastic tonight, and I can only hope for the same wonderful reception with the rest of the tour,” she added.

Leslie Feist (above) during a recording session for her 2007 release The Reminder. Photo from CUP

Leslie Feist. Photo from Camvas Media

Write to the editor: sports@theconcordian.com

sports14

This is going to be my chance to do what I love: John Makdessi

UFC

kickboxing, posting a 22-0 record and win-ning two national championships and an illustrious United States Kickboxing Associa-tion world title.

But in 2006, as the dwindling popularity of kickboxing made it increasingly difficult to eke out a living at the limited number of professional events in the area, Makdessi was forced to make a career-altering shift.

The burgeoning world of mixed martial arts beckoned to him with open arms. MMA had established itself as the next big combat sport, presenting Makdessi with an opportu-nity to showcase his abilities to the world.

“At the end of the day, mixed martial arts is the ultimate goal,” said Makdessi. “You’re doing like five or six disciplines. It’s not like you’re doing one discipline at a time. It’s like you’re a doctor and lawyer and accountant.”

With the blessing of his coach, who felt he had passed on all he could, Makdessi moved his training to the Tristar gym and its head coach, Firas Zahabi. With a stable of elite fighters in its fold, including UFC welter-weight champion Georges St-Pierre, the gym has established a reputation as one of the best in the world.

“If you train with great fighters, you need to get to that level,” said Makdessi. “I’m always pushing to beat them and to get as good as them or even better.”

Nicknamed “The Bull” by his sister for his relentless approach inside the ring, Makdes-si’s considerable skills have transferred over to MMA. While a self-admitted beginner to

John Makdessi stands in the middle of the practice ring at Montreal’s Tristar gym, sweat pouring off his nose as he unleashes another barrage of leg kicks with hair-raising power that belies his humble and soft-spoken demeanour.

If the 25-year-old mixed martial artist is feeling the pressure of his upcoming debut in the Ultimate Fighting Championship taking place this Saturday at the Bell Centre, it’s well hidden behind the look of steely deter-mination in his eyes.

Carrying a perfect 7-0 record into Sat-urday’s fight against Pat Audinwood, the matchup will mark the defining moment in Makdessi’s meteoric rise up the MMA ladder.

Only 27 months removed from this first professional fight, the up-and-comer is relatively new to MMA, which combines an essentially endless array of fighting styles into a single melting pot. But Makdessi is no stranger to success in combat sports. After earning a blue belt and Junior Olympic gold medal in taekwondo, he made the move to

Accomplished fighter will make his UFC debut this SaturdayMichael Moore Contributor

the intricacies of wrestling and the ground game, Makdessi is a powerhouse on his feet, combining a non-stop work ethic with explo-sive power from his 5’8, 155-pound frame.

“John’s a warrior. He doesn’t think about this and that. He thinks about fighting,” said Peter Sisomphou, Makdessi’s Muay Thai trainer. “He wants to prove to people that he’s a warrior, a killer.”

“The Bull” rampaged his through the first six fighters he faced in his young MMA career, dispatching all of them via techni-cal knockout. But it was his last fight, a three-round unanimous decision over Bendy Casimir, a veteran of over 30 fights in some of the largest promotions in the world, that finally caught the eye of the UFC and earned him a call-up to the biggest brand in the sport.

“John called me and told me ‘I’m going to the UFC,’” said Sisomphou. “I freaked out. I didn’t expect him to get to the UFC so early. I thought maybe next year or in two years.”

While most fighters’ salaries are hardly lucrative, even in the UFC, competing on the biggest stage in the sport makes them more attractive to sponsors, helping to pay the bills.

“This is going to be my chance to do what I love,” said Makdessi quietly. “I won’t have to worry about financial purposes. I can take care of my family. I can provide for my family.”

Contracts with the UFC aren’t guaranteed, meaning the promotion can cut fighters

from their roster at any time, but the secret to a long career in the company is simple: win and you’re still in. Sisomphou has little doubt that Saturday’s fight will mark the beginning of a long stay in the UFC for Makdessi.

“Absolutely, 100 per cent,” said Si-somphou, smiling. “He’s going to win.”

HOCKEY

glove save on the second McGill power play with three minutes left, keeping Concordia from falling behind. As the buzzer rang the end of the first, the two teams headed off the ice with the game still scoreless.

The Stingers came out strong in the second. After successfully killing the remainder of the McGill power play, Concordia went on to score their first and only goal just under seven minutes in when Emilie Bocchia buried the puck behind the Martlets goaltender Charline Labonte. Erin Lally netted herself an assist on the play.

Just over two minutes later, McGill responded with a 2-on-1 cross-crease pass from Logan Murray to Gillian Ferrari, which tied the game up at 1-1.

From then on, it was McGill’s game. The Stingers were unable to get another one past McGill’s goalie and the defence unable to shut down the Martlets powerful offence.

McGill’s first penalty of the game came when Alessandra Lind-Kenny was booked for tripping. However, Concordia was unable to capitalize on this chance.

After a shot by Monahan was gloved by the Martlets’ goalie, McGill once again came on hard offensively. McGill forward Kim Ton-That back-handed the puck past Doyon-Lessard after a pass from Jasmine Sheehan, making it 2-1 for McGill.

With under a minute left in the second, Martlet Logan Murray received McGill’s second penalty of the game for body-checking.

The third period began with Concordia unable to make anything out of their second power play of the game and McGill returning to full strength. After the Concordia keeper covered up a shot, a faceoff in the Stingers zone led to a bad take-away by Martlet Ann-Sophie Bettez who scored an unassisted goal, and increased McGill’s lead to 3-1.

Things started to look grim as Concordia took

Saturday saw the Concordia Stingers women’s hockey team face off against the McGill Martlets in a heated game. The Stingers, however, were unable to best their cross-town opponents, and went down 4-1.

“What you have to do with McGill is you have to shut them down so you have to make sure you play well defensively,” said Stingers coach Les Lawton on his team’s performance. “And I think we did a relatively good job on that.”

Unfortunately, Concordia was unable to shut McGill down enough to keep themselves in the game.

In the first period, Concordia was plagued by penalties. Stinger number four Maggie Mac-Neil took a roughing penalty just over halfway through the period in Concordia’s zone. Less than three minutes later, another Concordia player, Catherine Rancourt, took a penalty for hooking. And then again, with less than 30 seconds left in the first, Holli Monahan took a penalty for hooking that would carry into the second.

The Stingers defence did a great job of killing all three penalties, shutting down many scoring opportunities for the Martlets. Audrey Doyon-Lessard, who got the start in nets for the Sting-ers, kept them alive when she made a clutch

Women’s hockey heads into Christmas break with best record in five yearsMichael Lemieux Staff writer

Goalie Lessard makes 25 saves in loss their fourth and final penalty of the game when Alynn Doiron went to the box for tripping. The Stingers managed to keep the Martlets from scoring with a little help from the crossbar after McGill captain Cathy Chartrand sent a slapshot ringing off the top. With 23 seconds left in the power play, the Martlets appeared to score. The goal was disallowed, however, when the referees agreed that one of the McGill players had knocked it in with her hand.

Chartrand gave the Stingers some hope with under a minute and a half left in the game when she took a penalty for body-checking that would leave the Martlets short-handed for the remain-der of the game.

After taking a timeout, the Stingers decided to go all-out and pulled their goalie, hoping that

they could get themselves closer to a tie with a two-man advantage.

Their plan backfired, however, when with 46 seconds left in the third, Martlet Jordanna Peroff scored a short-handed empty-net goal and widened McGill’s lead to 4-1, dashing any hopes the Stingers had of recovering.

Heading into the Christmas break with eight points, the women’s hockey team is having its best season since 2005, when they had 11 points at the same point in the year after posting a 5-2-1 record.

The Stingers return to action Jan. 8 in a re-match against the Martlets at the Ed Meagher Arena. Game time is 2:30 p.m.

McGill goalie Charline Labonté shuts the door while Stinger Moira Frier looks on. Photo by Cindy Lopez

John Makdessi training. Photo by Cindy Lopez

Follow us on Twitter at twitter.com/concordiansports Tuesday, December 7, 2010 15BASKETBALL

bench to put up two consecutive baskets to give the team a sizable lead.

With three minutes left on the clock, the Stingers were leading by 10 points at 39-29. A

Following a 92-86 win against Laval on Saturday night, the Stingers are now tied with the Rouge et Or for first place in the Quebec conference.

The game started out with the tip-off win and a lay up from Stinger Decee Krah. Laval’s Etienne Labrecque quickly tied it up at 2-2. James Clark, with the ball under the net, laid it up from behind for a two-point lead again. Two more baskets and a three pointer by Laval’s Jean-François Beaulieu-Maheux gave Laval the lead. The Stingers were having a difficult time penetrating Laval’s defence until Kyle Desmarais and Clark teamed up for two more baskets.

But it barely proved to be enough, and when they failed to sink baskets from outside the key, the only option seemed to be forcing fouls and go for the free throws. With two minutes left in the first, Desmarais knocked down another basket, bringing the score to a close 15-13. The Stingers started to pressure the Laval offence the same way they had been pressured the whole game and gave Laval no choice but to go for three-pointers.

After one free throw by Desmarais that left Concordia trailing by only one point, Laval’s Hugh Ryan sank a three-pointer. Desmarais threw one right back and got three more points with back and forth cuts from his teammates. Clark passed from behind his back to teammate Kafil Eyitayo, who was fouled and made his two free throws. With one minute left the Stingers now led by one point at 19-18. Laval’s Beaulieu-Maheux got another basket, and the Stingers started to get frustrated and sloppy, giving Laval the chance to rack up free throw points. By the end of the first quarter, the Stingers were behind 21-19.

Desmarais ran the length of the court and saw Jean-Andre Moussignac open, who made two points to tie the game.

Laval’s Kevin Crevant got two points and Evens Laroche matched them. A fast-paced, back-and-forth lead between the two teams took over most of the game until Laval got desperate and started to lose their cool, while the Stingers remained tactical and found a way to break the Rouge et Or. Taylor Garner came fresh off the

Stingers break their down-to-the-wire pattern and lead for most of the game

Kalli Ringelberg Staff writer

Four wins in a row for men’s basketball

With 103 points, Kyle Desmarais is the leading scorer in the Quebec conference. Photo by Faiz Imam

glimpse of panic came over them when Laval got two quick three-pointers, but Desmarais and Moussignac matched them, evoking an eruption of shouts from the crowd. Morgan

Tajfel finished the first half of the game with a breakaway and two more points, and the score was 51-40.

Laval started the second half with some fight, adding seven points to the scoreboard. Krah saw Clark open in a good position and they made their first basket of the half. Clark faked to one side then sunk the lay up for another basket. With Laval on their heels, Desmarais tried to keep the energy up. Moussignac made a three-pointer, and a foul on Clark gave them a four-point lead at 60-56 with three minutes left. Desmarais, Laroche and Krah finished the quar-ter with a basket each and Concordia extended their lead to 66-58.

Stinger Zach Brisebois, after a good contribu-tion defensively throughout the whole game, delivered a basket to start off the final quarter. Desmarais rebounded and got the ball to Krah at the three-pointer line. After the time out, Krah saw the perfect opportunity to pass to an open Laroche and an alley-oop allowed him to slam dunk adding two more points to the scoreboard. Clark got an opportunity for more free throws, Krah made another exciting three-pointer, and Laroche grabbed as many chances as he could to steal the ball from the Rouge et Or.

With three minutes left in the game, the Sting-ers had a strong lead at 86-71. When the referees started to whistle more frequently, Laval got a few more opportunities to rack up points on free throws. Rouge et Or’s Jean-Philippe Renaud closed out the game’s scoring, but the Stingers walked away with a 92-86 win.

Stinger head coach John Dore said that his team “closed well, but they held the lead most of the game” and that he was very happy about the end result. His players played with “poise” and had very “good defence.” They came in the second part with a lot more confidence. Dore said he was very proud of his team even though they are a relatively “new and young” team, they were up against “a team who has been playing together for three to four years.”

Forward James Clark said that he is “not wor-ried at all. We’ve established good team chemis-try on and off the court, and all our young guys are very skilled and contribute whenever they get the chance to do so.”

Both Clark and Dore are very confident in their chances to win the conference this year, and beating one of the top teams should send out that message.

The Stingers will spend their New Year’s Eve playing in the Rod Shoveller Tournament at Dalhousie University in Halifax, N.S. Their next league game will be in Quebec City, against Laval, Jan. 7.

BASKETBALL

hard to Mpondani who made the basket.Elyse Jobin sank a three-pointer for Laval,

and after securing an offensive rebound, Stinger Kaylah Barrett added two more points to the scoreboard to close the gap at 33-28. Mpon-dani got yet another basket, and a pass from Grégoire-Boudreau gave Mpondani a chance for her third basket in the second quarter. Jobin didn’t seem happy with how quickly the Sting-ers were catching up and scored a basket with three minutes left in the half. Carrie stepped up and delivered a beautiful three-pointer that was matched by Laval’s Marjorie Ferland. Carrie

On Dec. 3, after the men’s victory, the Sting-ers women’s basketball team also confronted the Laval Rouge et Or. And like the men, they delivered an impressive win at 72-62.

The women had an extremely slow start with Laval leading 13-0 before Anne-Marie Prophete stepped up and scored the Stingers’ first basket two-and-a-half minutes into the game. Stinger Magalie Beaulieu made a basket and teammate Yasmin Jean-Philippe added a three pointer to the score. Luckily, Laval couldn’t make all of their free throws and Jean-Philippe and Kendra Carrie stepped up for another basket each.

But Laval didn’t show any mercy and still Concordia still trailed behind at 23-14. With less than two minutes left in the first quarter, Carrie got fouled and made two more points. Laval’s Catherine Groleau and Stingers Tina Mpondani both got one more basket and Jean-Philippe sank two more making it 27-22 for the Rouge et Or before the buzzer.

The second quarter started with fouls from both teams, but neither could sink all their free throws. Stinger Andreanne Grégoire-Boudreau got a basket and during next play, she passed

Overcome first half deficit to beat struggling Rouge et OrKalli Ringelberg Staff writer

Weekend win has Stingers tied in second place

The Stingers have beaten the Rouge et Or twice this season. Photo by Faiz Imam

fought back for another two points and when the buzzer sounded, the score was close, 38-37.

The third started out with some hard hits. Jean-Philippe took one and sunk both of her shots, giving them a one-point lead. After two points from Laval’s Groleau and another three-pointer from Jobin, the Rouge et Or regained the lead at 39-43.

Beaulieu challenged Laval with another two points and the Stingers started to get fouled against, allowing them to rack up single points. Mpondani tapped the ball out of a Laval player’s hand and got the ball to Beaulieu for two more

points and handed the Stingers the lead, 47-45. With less than three minutes left in the third period Stinger’s Boudreau got a three-pointer. Concordia’s Nekeita Lee forced a foul under the basket and made both free throws.

Right before the buzzer sounded, Carrie made her 12th and 13th points of the night, securing Concordia’s three-point lead at 54-51.

Almost two minutes had passed in the final quarter with no basket from either team, until Carrie broke the pattern and put up two points. Barrett netted a beautiful three-pointer and inspired Jean-Philippe to do the same.

With the score at 66-56, Barrett made an incredible grab for the ball in order to main-tain possession and after a time out, Prophete got another basket. Laval’s Sandrine Ducruc matched it and Barrett fought back keeping the 10-point advantage. Another time out was called and after back and forth baskets by Barrett and Genois finished the game but the Stingers came out on top with 72-62.

Barrett finished the game with 10 points and 10 rebounds, her second double-double of the season. Carrie netted 15 points for the Stingers.

Head coach Keith Pruden commented on the fact that the team wasn’t happy about how they started the game, but he was extremely proud of the girls for not coming in with “their tails between their legs, but instead fighting for the win.”

The Stingers will be back in action during the break at the Concordia-Reebok Tourna-ment Dec. 29, 30, and 31. All games will be played at the Concordia Gymnasium.

editorial16

LETTERS

dards REQUIRE farmers to use all methods to restore the health of an animal, including antibiotics if necessary. The difference is that an animal treated with antibiotics cannot be sold for organic meat. And while Mr. Graham obviously has not invested the time to educate himself, there are a number of highly effective natural alternatives to antibiotics.

And the fact is that the CFIA oversees the entire organic certification system, including accrediting organic certification bodies (who certify the farms), and negotiating equivalency agreements with other countries. ALL organic food entering Canada must meet the Cana-dian Organic Standard (or a standard deemed by the CFIA to be equivalent). In order to avoid the potential for conflict of interest and to increase the level of oversight, certification bodies rotate organic inspectors every year. Sometimes mistakes and communication er-rors occur; no one is perfect.

The bottom line is that thanks to the certi-fication system consumers can place a high degree of trust in organic food. While farmers are definitely entitled to their own opinions, no one is entitled to their own facts. Journal-ists who decide to present opinion as facts should check them first.

Rob Wallbridge, via www.theconcordian.com

Re: The other side of organic farmingWow, it’s hard to know where to start, given the number of false statements in this article.

Firstly, since when do two producers’ prob-lems with the certification process call into question whether or not organic food is better for people or the planet?

Secondly, the certification process is designed to give consumers the assurance that organic food is produced according to a comprehensive set of standards, partly so that they do not have to understand all the “tech-nical jargon” or educate themselves to the extent of being able to ask all the right ques-tions when and if they invest the considerable time and effort to visit a farm.

And it’s nice that Mr. Rossy, having made his fortune, has the time to tour customers around his farm - when he’s not wintering in the tropics - but please don’t expect every farmer to have the time to personally tour every customer.

The basics of that certification system are pretty simple, actually, and they draw some pretty clear lines between organic and non-organic (chemical fertilizers, pesticides, and GMOs to name but a few). They have nothing to do with scale.

Speaking of animal welfare, organic stan-

What did you think of this paper?The Concordian welcomes your letters to the editor, and any other feedback.Letters to the editor must be received by Friday at 4 p.m.The Concordian reserves the right to edit your letters for length, clarity and style.Send your letters to opinions@theconcordian.com

Your friends at theconcordian

Mother Nature, like a few other forces, seemed to be colluding with the Quebec government yesterday. The stormy, wintry weather blew a cold, blustery wind across the faces of the 2,000 or so student protesters who came in from across the province to protest tuition hikes. The two Concordia Student Union buses took five hours just to trek from the capital back to Montreal, more than double the usual duration of the trip. Students railed against the man while their teeth chattered.

In addition to the terrible weather, the govern-ment also appeared to be working against the academic calendar. The provincial powers-that-be scheduled a meeting with the heads of the post-secondary educational institutions and student lobby groups for Dec. 6, right before the start of the stress-heavy exam period for students.

Despite one protester getting arrested and charged for assaulting a police officer and a vio-lent confrontation with riot squads, it was mostly a peaceful protest. This pales in comparison to the huge, destructive protests that have occurred in the United Kingdom as officials plan on tripling post-secondary education costs. For that, we are proud to see that the protests wrapped without vandalism or a lot of aggression.

The end result is that Finance Minister Raymond Bachand and Education Minister Line Beauchamp told reporters at a summary news conference that the government has made its decision about raising tuition, and that it’s going to stick with it, no matter what students say.

People partaking in the meeting, including Concordia’s president Judith Woodsworth, reported that there was no consensus on the tuition hike.

As organizers told Concordia students at the early-morning bus roundup to Quebec City in the Hall building, the government is not deciding whether or not to increase tuition, they’re going to talk about how to go about doing it.

It is clear that the government made their decision about the tuition fees a while ago, and

Remember the government set this tuition powwow at the start of exam period season

Liberals show that they just don’t care

that these meetings were largely orchestrated to paint the government as willing to listen to the concerns of the other parties involved.

Sure, it’s a great idea to have a powwow where representatives can talk out all their plans and cocnerns about tuition increases - except that

the timing of the event is the worst, intentionally set at the most stressful time of the academic year, so students and potentially even administra-tors are strained to attend. How can we believe that the government wanted to sit down and have an honest chat when they cannot even pick a date that works for everyone?

In the past, student protests in Quebec have had a big hand in successfully keeping tuition fees at the lowest rates in this country. It seems that now the era of big, effective protests are waning. If schlepping thousands of students

from across the province on a cold winter’s day does not sway the government’s plans, maybe it’s time to find alternative modes of lobbying.

Some elements could have been different: maybe some of the student representatives should not have walked out of the meeting, calling it a sham, maybe more students should have sacrificed their study plans to come out in the cold. Picking over what happened Monday in Quebec City, however, it is clear that Quebec is going to go full-steam ahead on a matter that students have decidedly opposed.

The fact of the matter is, whether you think student fees are a sensible, logical idea or the worst thing the provincial government has brought up in the last few years, it’s clear that yesterday’s meeting was a travesty in terms of or-ganization and timing. It shows a lack of respect towards the other participants in this discussion, and in the midst of rumours of corruption and collusion in party financing and the construction industry associated with the Liberal party, this latest news throws the honesty and integrity of the Liberal government into further disarray. Jean Charest has just announced he plans to run for a fourth term. Remember his government’s actions two years down the line when you head to the polls.

Graphic by Sean Kershaw

... it’s clear that yes-terday’s meeting was a travesty in terms of organization and tim-ing It shows a lack of respect towards the other participants in this discussion... “

opinionsWrite to the editor: opinions@theconcordian.com

17

WIKILEAKS

QUEBEC

HOLIDAYS

electronics. Nothing says “I love you” like an iPad, right?

The holiday season also seems to be the one time of the year that all the family members you haven’t seen since last Christmas ask you about your love life. Traditions, like kissing under the mistletoe or at midnight on New Year’s Eve, can also be a source of pressure and anxiety for single people during the holidays.

Why is society so infatuated with the “rela-tionship status?” In our digital age, Facebook’s relationship status has become a popular way for people to flaunt their relationships. People use Facebook to validate their connections and gain approval from peers. Statuses do not define people and certainly do not dictate whether they are happier than others.

But there are negative connotations associated with being single, especially around the holidays. If you say you are partnerless, a common reac-tion is for people to think that you should be coupled right away so that you can be disassoci-ated from your supposedly undesirable status.

It’s that time of the year again when people start thinking, or worrying, about holiday shop-ping and family dinners. Whether they’re in a relationship or flying solo, there is just something about the holidays that makes people more aware of their relationship status.

Maybe it’s because the marketing during the holidays seems to be geared towards couples: from jewellery to clothing and, crazily enough,

People’s need to be in a relationship over the holidays is disheartening

Eva Kratochvil Staff writer

Being in a relationship can contribute to your well-being, but only if it is a healthy one. Some get into relationships that don’t make them happy just so that they don’t have to be single.

“The worst thing a person could possibly do is to get in a relationship that’s not right for them,” says Dr. William Bukowski, a professor at Concordia’s faculty of psychology. “It’s not going to be satisfying, it’s going to be a drain on their resources, it’s going to preclude opportunities to meet someone else who is better for them, so it’s unfortunate that this partnered status has become an index of someone’s well-being.”

This is especially true during the holidays, when stores use romance for marketing strate-gies. For those who are with someone, the pressure lies in finding the perfect gift. For those who aren’t, it may be having to contend with that dreaded moment when your aunt asks you about your love life as she passes the gravy boat.

Our natural tendency is to want to be part of a group or partnership and this may be a force that pushes people to want a relationship. The holi-

You don’t have to have a blue Christmas if you’re single

Unfortunately, the problem of corruption in Quebec politics is nothing new.

Although there have been efforts to curb corruption in the provincial government, for the most part they have failed. The sort of corruption that has become synonymous with governance in Quebec demonstrates a clear lack of respect among many in the political class for Quebec taxpayers, and this must be met by a clear message from Quebec taxpay-ers that their money and their government belong to them, and both must be handled in a more serious and democratic manner.

From the abuses of government power that characterized the Duplessis regime, to the Quebec government’s cozy relationship with labour unions in the 1970s and to the spon-sorship scandal, the element of corruption seems to have played a major role in Quebec politics for some time. This long-term trend suggests that the problem is firmly entrenched

Recent months have seen an increasing amount of media attention to the corruption in Quebec, from the scandal surrounding the appointment of provincial judges, to the issue of Jean Charest’s $75,000 stipend from Que-bec’s Liberal party, to corruption in Quebec’s construction industry.

Enough is enough: corruption in the province shows politicians’ lack of respect towards taxpayers Alex WoznicaStaff writer

in the psychology of governance in Quebec.In more recent years, two Quebec-born

politicians who came to power on a plat-form that included fighting corruption, Brian Mulroney and Jean Chretien, have seen their political careers tarnished by allegations of corruption in the Schreiber and Shawinigate affairs, respectively. Although there have been numerous commissions and other govern-ment-sponsored efforts to curb the level of government corruption in the province, they have, as recent events have demonstrated, failed.

Any solution to this problem is unlikely to come from the political class; they benefit far too much from the current situation. Instead, it must come from the people; the taxpayers.

Simply put, governmental corruption is about money and the individuals in govern-ment or their parties trying to get more of it. As such, it would seem that money would be

Quebecois need to reclaim their government an effective tool with which to fight the gov-ernment corruption. The sort of government corruption that has occurred of late demon-strates profound disrespect for taxpayers in Quebec, and a firm message needs to be sent that they will not stand for it.

A refusal by a significant proportion of Quebec’s population to pay all or part of their taxes would send that message in the most effective manner. Taxes generate the money that fuels corruption, and a message needs to be sent that taxpayers’ money and their gov-ernment need to be handled in a more serious and democratic manner.

Taxpayer revolts have led to serious politi-cal progress in the past and one in Quebec could be just what the province’s political system needs to finally end the century-old prevalence of systematic corruption in govern-ment.

Wikileaks’ latest release of sensitive diplomatic cables has exposed the true feelings of the United States towards other countries. As one Twitter user put it on Nov. 28, the “US Govern-ment is just about to find out what it feels like to go through a nudie-scanner.”

Moreover, Canada is not on the sidelines this time.

Earlier this week, there were revelations of Prime Minister Harper’s motivation to attend a D-Day commemoration in France. Accord-ing to a cable leaked by a French diplomat, President Sarkozy had originally been plan-ning to invite the Chancellor of Germany, among others. Instead, he invited both Harper and and then-Prime Minister Brown of the U.K. because of political troubles back in their home countries.

Harper, who was facing the possibility of a coalition government that would have ended his reign as Prime Minister, attended the cer-emony to distance himself from the situation in Ottawa.

It is bad enough that we as a nation have had our parliament prorogued twice, but to hijack a memorial as a way of avoiding politi-cal problems in your country is appalling and downright cowardly.

One of the documents, dated from 2008, even listed resources belonging to countries like Canada that the U.S. would rely on in case of an emergency.

Latest WikiLeaks release highlights nations’ need to communicate more Andre-Joseph Cordeiro Staff writer

What is even more shocking is the flippant comments being made by pundits in the US and Canada.

Regretfully, Thomas Flanagan, a renowned Harper political pundit and professor at the University of Calgary, called for the assassina-tion of Assange. When asked to clarify his comment, he stated, “I wouldn’t feel unhappy if Assange disappeared.” Flanagan has since apologized for his statement.

Have we lost sight of the Canadian ideals that led this country forward as a progressive nation that one of our political science scholars now openly calls for the murder of a working journalist? Yes, Julian Assange’s position as editor-in-chief at media organization Wikileaks designates him as a journalist, and a good one at that.

Mainstream media organizations have repeatedly failed to break key stories, choosing instead to rewrite press releases. Laziness, not low readership, is the mitigating factor in the decline of quality journalism.

It is also disconcerting to see how the spotlight has shifted from the issues at hand to a public prosecution of Assange. The unnec-essary probing into his personal life is a sad attempt at undermining Assange’s credibility, leading right now to an arrest warrant being issued by Interpol for alleged rape charges.

Amazon, which in addition to their book service also provides server infrastructure

to many websites including WikiLeaks, has bowed under the pressure, and stopped hosting the site’s pages. Wikileaks has had to scramble for hosting at several different sites over the last few days. PayPal froze Wikileaks’ account, a source of income, saying the group is violating policy by engaging in illegal activ-ity.

Canada is known as a progressive nation, but with remarks like Flanagan’s, we must continue to question the leadership of our country.

It is refreshing to see a leader like Assange open up our governments for better account-ability.

Our age is one of infinite information, but also one of infinite misrepresentations. With the spin machine of press relations working 24-7, it is great to see a journalist who finally delivers what all journalists strive for: an accurate portrayal of the facts.

The importance of this leak will reverberate throughout many countries’ international poli-cies. The cattiness of countries insulting each other is downright childish.

Countries can and will disagree with each other, but they should do so openly, debating with each other and engaging in conversation.

WikiLeaks is no place for these things to be made public, and the public prosecution of Assange is a “kill the messenger” scenario if there ever was one.

days reinforce this way of thinking because it’s the time of the year that makes you feel lonely if you don’t have someone to spend it with.

“People like to belong to something rather than not belong to something,” says Bukowski. “Human beings like to be partnered and be part of a group, so for most people the condition of being alone is aversive.”

A person’s relationship status has become an indicator of their worth. The general assumption is that if someone wants to be with you, you must be a desirable person. If you are single, it must mean there is something undesirable about you.

“It becomes a score card by which we evalu-ate people’s goodness,” Bukowski believes. “It’s unfortunate.”

Stop keeping track of the score, and whether you’re single or in a relationship this holiday season, take the time to be with the people you care about, and enjoy the time off school. You deserve it.

Leave Julian Assange alone!

Graphic by Katie Brioux

Concordia’s weekly, independent student newspaper. Tuesday, Dec. 7, 2010Volume 28 Issue 15.

STAFF WRITERS

AND CONTRIBUTORS:

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theconcordianFILM

of the classic story for being too dark, calling it “wretched,” “misguided” and “a nightmare.”

The second film, the R-rated Rare Exports: A Christmas Tale, is an anti-Christmas film if ever there was one. On Christmas Eve, a team of archaeologists dig up the real Santa Claus and children in the Finnish town begin to disappear. A father and son capture Santa and try to sell him back to the company that dug him up, but Santa’s elves are trying to free their leader.

While it does sound like it could raise eyebrows and deliver laughs, Rare Ex-ports does not have a release date for the city, according to Cinema-Montreal.com.

Theatres across Mon-treal have caught on to this year’s grinchy trend and a few are showing the great Frank Capra’s 1946 classic It’s a Wonderful Life. (Seriously, if you don’t get misty-eyed when George reads Clarence’s note that says “No man is a failure who has friends,” you must be a robot.)

If you’re looking for show times for a Christ-mas movie this season, you will need a time machine or a new address.

It may be just a strange coincidence, but movie theatres in Montreal this year are almost completely devoid of Christmas movies. By this time last year, moviegoers were lining up to see Jim Carrey in the animated and 3D version of A Christmas Carol. The Disney-backed film made over $30 million in its first weekend of release beginning Nov. 6. Note to Hollywood: Christ-mas is good for business.

The year before, Four Christmases, starring Vince Vaughn and Reese Witherspoon, opened in November. Fred Claus and This Christmas came out in 2007, and 2006 boasted a very jolly lineup of films for moviegoers to choose from, including Deck the Halls, The Holiday, The Nativity Story, The Santa Clause 3 and Unac-companied Minors.

OK, so most of these movies are awful, cringe-worthy and definitely not worth the $12-or-so price of admission, but their mid- to end of November releases signaled the official start of the holiday season.

This year, only two Christmas movies are be-ing released in theatres, and the likelihood that they reach your local cineplex is low. The first, Nutcracker in 3D, has been playing at the AMC Forum theatre in Montreal since its Nov. 24 release. It has also been panned by critics and is currently sitting at 4 per cent on Rottentomatoes.com’s Tomato Meter, with just one positive re-view. Critics have mainly criticized this remake

Jolly holiday releases are scarce in 2010; head to video stores instead

Chris Hanna Opinions editor

Where are this year’s Christmas movies?

Graphic by Frankie Descoteaux

WISHLIST

It’s too bad, because the only way children growing up today can experience Christmas and the holidays in the same great way kids from the ‘90s did is by - gasp! - taking a trip to the video store. Regardless of the holiday you observe, it’s undeniable that that decade’s The Santa Clause, The Miracle on 34th Street and the (first two)

Home Alone films are perennial holiday classics that warm your soul and the cockles of your heart and stand the test of time.

This year, forget the cineplex and catch up on Christmas movie classics. Most have already been re-re-leased on Blu-Ray or DVD, so you are probably getting your hands on a much crisper

and much more visually beautiful version of the films. And with re-releases White Christmas, It’s A Wonderful Life and the animated version of Dr. Seuss’ How The Grinch Stole Christmas, substance is never forfeited for style.

The Etcetera Page 19

“I get a monthly pass, but I don’t think it’s that much more. Maybe for other people it’s not so great, but I don’t think it’s going to affect me that much.”

Word on campus Q: The STM is increasing its fares by four per cent this January. How is this going to affect you?

Curtis Deschambault

fourth-year construction engineering“It’s not really going to affect me that much ‘cause I take the metro anyway and regardless, I’m going to pay for it. It will take a little more of the money I have for the month, but I don’t think it’s going to have a huge impact on me.”

Nian Wang

second-year finance

“Because I live downtown, it will not affect me that much. The prob-lem is that every year there is an increase, but this year it’s going to be a lot more. I don’t really think this will affect me though.”

Compiled by Eva Kratochvil

James Butlin

fourth-year theatre

Aries - March 21 to April 20

It’s the last week of school and you’re feel-ing the crunch. You may feel like giving in and going out with some friends, but keep your priorities in order, and by Thursday, you’ll get into a good school groove.

Taurus - April 21 to May 21

Sometimes, it’s frustrating to be disciplined and stay focused. Keep in mind that you’re not actually a raging bull, and this week, remember to stay calm and not throw your books against the wall.

Gemini - May 22 to June 21

You may find it hard to stay focused on only

one thing. That’s your inner twin trying to play tricks on you. Don’t pay attention to the other half that is trying to hoax you into playing instead of getting your work done.

Cancer - June 22 to July 23

You can be very tenacious when you need to be. In these coming weeks, it will be more important than ever to keep your mind on

Horoscopesthe tasks at hand. Remember that hard work will pay off in the end.

Leo - July 24 to August 23

You’re strong as a lion this week, which is a good thing because you’ll need this inner strength to get you through your exams. You’re on the right track, just don’t lose your focus and you’ll be pleased with the results.

Virgo - August 24 to September 23

This time of year isn’t that new to you. You’ve gotten used to locking yourself in the basement to finish all those essays. Keep

it up, it will all be over in a few weeks, and you’ll come through feeling great.

Libra - September 24 to October 23

You can be wishy-washy sometimes, Libra. Your scale can tip to either side depend-ing on the decisions you make. Don’t be tempted to abandon your duties and the scale will tip in your favour.

Scorpio - October 24 to November 23

When you set your mind to something, you’re quite good at getting the job done. You may be intimidated by the amount of work ahead, but you’ll realize it wasn’t so bad in the end. Stock up on snacks.

Sagittarius - November 24 to December

21

You’re a smart person, Sagittarius. You’re aware of what needs to be done in the com-ing weeks, and you’re prepared for it. No task is too great, just keep your eye on the ball. But of course, you knew that already.

Capricorn - December 22 to January 20

Don’t be afraid to ask questions this week. We can all feel a bit overwhelmed, but a teacher can be a great resource to help you understand those few little things you’ve been having trouble with.

Aquarius - January 21 to February 19

You like to go with the flow of things. You

know how to prioritize, but you need to stick to your plans. You’ll have a good idea of

things by Friday, so make yourself a sched-ule and follow it to the letter.

Pisces - February 20 to March 20

You’d love to just drop everything and hang out with your friends. A little bit of this is alright in order to preserve your sanity, but this is crunch time. Get your homework done first, and have fun later.

You share a birthday with...

Dec. 7: Aaron Carter, Larry Bird, Tom WaitsDec. 8: Sinead O’Connor, Teri Hatcher, Kim BasingerDec. 9: John Malkovich, Felicity Huffman, Donny OsmondDec. 10: Raven-Symoné, Michael Clarke Duncan, Summer PhoenixDec. 11: Mo’nique, Jermaine Jackson, John KerryDec. 12: Bob Barker, Dionne Warwick, Jen-nifer ConnellyDec. 13: Taylor Swift, Jamie Foxx, Steve BuscemiDec. 16: Sarah Deshaies, Beethoven

Graphic by Phil Waheed

Students protesting at Monday’s tuition meeting in Quebec City. Photo by Jacob Serebrin

TUES07

WED08

THURS09

FRI10

SAT11

SUN12

MON13

DECE

MBER

MONTHOF

+MUSIC Casa Del PopoloLe Divan Orange+MUSIC Katie Moore + Serena Jean

+THEATRE

MainLine TheatreThéâtre du Nouveau Monde

Théâtre du Rideau Vert+THEATRE

+THEATRELa Robe de Gulnara

+THEATRE Le Dieu du Carnage

Bad Uncle

Out of Grace exhibit ends Leonard & Bina Ellen Art Gallery (LB-165)La Sala Rossa

20h0020h00

ongoing until Dec. 11

Projet versus: imaginaires des cartographies dans l'espace urbain

+MUSIC

+THEATRE

2010 revue et corrigée ongoing

Théâtre Espace GoThéâtre Denise-Pelletier

ongoing until Dec. 11

Vas Vega + The WildernessTheatre du Nouveau Monde ongoing until Dec. 11

Le Divan Orange 20h00+MUSIC

+MUSIC

Le Dieu du CarnageOscar Peterson Concert Hall (7141 Sherbrooke St. W.)

Theatre du Nouveau Monde7th Floor Dance studios, MB Building 20h00 (ongoing until Dec 15)Department of Contemporary Dance presents Dance 2010

Jazz Orchestra in contemplationLe Divan Orange

20h00

+MUSIC Concordia University Chorus & Chamber Choir Oscar Peterson Concert Hall (7141 Sherbrooke St. W.)

Tennis + Family Portrait

Les Contes Urbains ongoing until Dec. 18

+THEATRE Jesus Jell-O: The Miraculous Confection 20h30 (ongoing until Dec. 18)19h30

Le Dieu du Carnage

+DANCE+VISUAL ART PERFORMANCE

+MUSIC

+THEATRE

The Kids + Brutal Night + Dekoder +MUSIC

+THEATRE

Phantogram + Bad Tits + Solar Years

Articule (262 Fairmount O.) 19h00

+THEATRE Ed Meagher Arena (7200 Sherbrooke St. W.)

Studio 303 (372 Sainte-Catherine West)+THEATRE Involved 2

Pipeline, Infinithéâtre's annual series of public readings

Dominique Quesnel reads Marie-Claire Blais' Soifs

14h30

19h00 and 21h00

Pipeline, Infinithéâtre's annual series of public readingsTheatre du Nouveau Monde ongoing until Dec. 11

ongoing until Dec. 12

+MOVIES Le Dieu du Carnage

The Kids + Brutal Night + Dekoder

Stingers Holiday Skating Party

Le Dieu du Carnage

Out of Grace exhibit ends Leonard & Bina Ellen Art Gallery (LB-165)La Sala Rossa 20h00

+LITERARY EVENT

+THEATRE

+THEATRE

+THEATRE

+FUN!+DANCE

+MUSIC+DANCE/VISUAL ART

ongoing until Dec. 12

Studio-Théâtre de la Place des Arts 19h30

20h00

ongoing until Dec. 11

20h00

MB 7.265

Undergraduate Chamber Ensembles

Minuit Chrétien

12h00-18h00

Les Angles Morts

Oscar Peterson Concert Hall (7141 Sherbrooke St. W.) 19h00

Big Band 20h00

Segal Centre 20h00The Silicone Diaries Théâtre La Chapelle ongoing until Dec. 20

Naissance Théâtre Espace Go ongoing until Dec. 14

Concordia's Contemporary Dance Department performances

15 - THEATRE

15 - DANCE15 - MUSIC

14 - THEATRE

+THEATRE

9-15 - DANCE

+THEATREThéâtre d'Aujourd'hui ongoing until Dec. 30Glouglou

ongoing until Feb. 5

16 - MUSIC16 - FUNDRAISER St George's Anglican Church (1101 Stanley)

Oscar Peterson Concert Hall (7141 Sherbrooke St. W.)

MetropolisBroken Social Scene 20h0018 - MUSIC17 - MUSIC

"An Evening of Opera and Song" to benefit the RECAA

Le Divan OrangeThéatre Jean-Duceppe

19h30

Sunny Duval + Caloon Saloon 20h0015 - MUSIC

Stingers Holiday Skating Party Ed Meagher Arena (7200 Sherbrooke St. W.) 14h30Studio 303 (372 Sainte-Catherine West)Involved 2 19h00 and 21h00

Barfly (4062 Saint-Laurent)Omaha + Loose Pistons + Young Ghosts 21h00

Il Motore 20h00

Carnavalesque, a Cirque du Boudoir presentationNew Years Eve, Happy New Years from the Concordian team!

La SCENA

Omaha + City Streets + Reversing Falls

31 - NEW YEAR'S EVE CELEBRATION+ FUN!

20 - MUSIC

18-19 - CRAFTS Saint-Enfant Jésus Church (5037 St-Dominique)Puces Pop crafts fairLe Divan Orange

11h00 - 18h00Fred Fortin 20h0018 - MUSIC

Casa Del Popolo (4873 Saint-Laurent) 21h0021h00-5h00

EVENTS AT A GLANCE* HELP PROMOTE CONCORDIA EVENTS!

ALL EVENT LISTINGS ARE ADVERTISED FOR FREESEND YOUR IDEAS TO EVENTS@THECONCORDIAN.COM

PLEASE LIST NAME OF EVENT, LOCATION, AND TIME