Although internships are not quite as aggressively humiliating as hazing, they do serve a similar purpose. They are a way to teach employees the ropes of the company without treating them exactly like an employee. Not being paid to do work is actually a bit humiliating, not to mention unfair. You are showing up day after day to work the same long hours as everyone else, but are not being paid for your efforts. The message sent is that you’re inferior. Interns don’t enjoy essential benefits either. They aren’t, for example, granted the same legal protections against sexual harassment as full-time employees. Not only do you have to do the work for free, but you have no voice and must stay quiet about any mistreatment you experience or risk losing your internship altogether. You have no safety net, and this can result in being taken advantage of.

In the past, internships took on a very different nature, and the concept of unpaid work was a bit more acceptable. Internships were much more like an apprenticeship, where the individual would only work for free for a brief period of time, and would then eventually be offered a job. However, with the recent economic decline, and an influx of university students and graduates into the job market, an internship no longer guarantees you a paid position. With more and more students willing to work for free, companies and non-profit organizations are labelling jobs that used to be salaried as “internships” in order to save a buck.

With more and more students willing to work for free, companies and non-profit organizations are labelling jobs that used to be salaried as “internships” in order to save a buck.

While some internships are better than others, and employees are treated with more respect, most don’t really serve much of a purpose in teaching you job-specific skills. Instead, you take on a role similar to a personal assistant for the older staff. Going on coffee runs and doing the menial work that those above you in the hierarchy cannot be bothered with, instead of actually learning, does not prepare you for the future demands of a job. This is probably because the company was never actually planning to hire you full-time, and is instead exploiting young adults looking for job opportunities as free labour. The worst part is that these companies get away with this behaviour because each year there is a fresh batch of graduates waiting to fill these positions so they can add something of ‘substance’ to their resume.

These days the job market is getting increasingly competitive and the standard for college students is getting absurdly high. Students are expected to have had at least one, if not several, internships by the time they graduate. This may not be an issue for students that are lucky enough to come from a privileged background, with parents who can finance their children through various unpaid work ventures, but it’s not a luxury everyone can afford. Eventually, well-off students will intern long enough to make the necessary connections to break into the white-collar world.

However, not having income of any sort is not an option for most young people from less privileged backgrounds. Especially after already having to pay for a university degree, taking even more time off to invest in your future is simply an impossible reality. While studying, university students have the option to have a part-time job on the side. In a full-time internship, however, students are working a taxing nine-to-five day and picking up another job is unlikely. Having to move to another city for intern work is also increasingly likely, and this adds to the financial burden of not having a steady source of income. Many students already have heavy student loans by the time they graduate, and falling even deeper down the rabbit hole of debt without the promise of a job is a frightening prospect. This, of course, perpetuates the unfair advantages for people from wealthy backgrounds to secure the best white-collar jobs.

[Internships have] become yet another source of embedded class division, favouring the privileged and keeping the less fortunate in the dark.

Despite having a college degree, which used to be enough, this internship culture is systematically excluding a large population of students simply because of their familial assets. Internships have largely destroyed the possibility of breaking into the white-collar world through an entry-level salaried position. It has become yet another source of embedded class division, favouring the privileged and keeping the less fortunate in the dark. It is a sad fate that an adolescent, no matter how intelligent or hardworking they may be, is less able to reach high levels of success simply because they cannot take the time off to undertake an internship, or five.

There has been a lot of talk in the media lately of the supposed ban on unpaid internships in Canada. However, there are exceptions to this law, and it varies from province to province. It is considered illegal in the province of Quebec for an internship to be unpaid unless it falls under one of three categories: the internship is part of a program provided by an approved educational institution, the intern is a student working for a not-for-profit organization with social or community purposes, or the internship is part of a program of vocational training. Despite this law, unpaid internships are still very much alive. Just a week ago, a close friend of mine was lucky enough to secure an internship in her field of choice after graduation. Her position does not fall under one of the three exceptions listed above, but sure enough, even though her internship is promising and exciting, it does not include a wage.

It will probably be a long while before the “internship culture” dies, if it ever does, as it is part of an ongoing trend to offset costs onto people. It’s incredibly demoralizing to realize that no amount of effort will ever be enough to succeed if you simply don’t have the financial means to get there. I also find it infuriating that employers these days can be ignorant enough to think an internship is a prerequisite to a job when instead they should be focused on a person’s merit and potential. Employers are missing out on a large crop of intelligent young adults that could be future leaders in the world because they weren’t lucky enough to be born into a wealthy family. This is more than ritual school ground hazing, or humiliation. It’s a systemic injustice.

Charlotte O’Neill is a U3 Sociology student. To contact her, please email to charlotte.oneill@mail.mcgill.ca.

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The most extravagant and eye-catching piece is a wall entirely covered by a monster’s face with an open mouth, which leads into a dark and mysterious room. Cautious yet intrigued, many of the exhibit attendees tentatively venture into the mouth of the beast. Inside, the room glows and dark marks adorn the walls, while at the back of the room is a closet-like space where drinks are being served. Botkin is clearly very attuned to detail in his use of space. Looking out of the entranceway from inside the dark room, a completely different monster stares back with illuminated eyes. This one glows in the dark, an even more ominous and menacing creature.

Botkin’s talents, however, are not strictly limited to these overwhelming, larger-than-life compositions. Closer to the DJ booth are 24 smaller pieces, each shaped like a portrait of a different mask-like face. With their eccentric mixture of colours and patterns, these pieces are immediately visually pleasing.  But viewed through the provided 3D glasses, each mask morphs into a completely different face as colours, or layers, from the complex 15-colour silk-screening process are taken away. I learn from Botkin that this unique 3D illusion was discovered serendipitously, and that even now he does not always know in advance what the final effect will be.

Botkin’s work may mimic some aspects of street art, yet it often exceeds all but the very best examples of the genre. His values, too, are similar: Botkin holds dear the notion of being free to produce what you want with no bounds. It’s about communication through art and exceeding the limits of the traditional gallery experience. Botkin said that the main purpose of All Kin, like much of his work, was to question identities and masks. Using Facebook as an example, Botkin elaborates his belief that today, so much of what he sees is a mask, or a chosen identity, that people decide to show to the world. His work is intended to look through those masks and portray the spiritual being within. On a metaphysical level, his work explores the reincarnation of the soul.

In addition to creating his own marvelous works of art, Botkin founded EN MASSE,  a project that he developed to give local talent in Montreal a chance to work in a gallery space and exhibit their art in a more sophisticated environment. His goal is to expose artists from a more underground perspective to the indoor art experience. With Montreal’s struggling art market, not many are given the chance to be supported financially in making their art. EN MASSE addresses this issue through a collective vision and has helped give attention to many non-traditional artists.

Botkin is also associated with LNDMRK, a company whose primary mandate is to bring international artists to Canada in order to collaborate with them and expose them to the scene in Montreal. Likewise, LNDMRK exposes local artists to the international art world. The company is unique in that it does not simply depend on a gallery space, but instead works within the Montreal community in an extroverted manner to secure jobs for individual artists. Its goal is to successfully build up attention for street artisits in  Montreal and establish a market for it.

From experiencing All Kin first hand, I realize that Botkin’s work is difficult to classify. It sits on the increasingly blurry border between art and entertainment. Each piece is so clearly directed to thrill and excite its viewers and to test the limits of space and design. Even the way the exhibit is constructed plays into the idea of an experience, instead of the simple commodification of framed art. To my horror, I am told that eventually this wonderful and magical world will disappear. The monster entranceway will have to be deconstructed and dissolve into meaningless pieces of wood. As Botkin tells me, with no remorse, everything but the smaller portraits will be taken apart and thrown away, never to be given life again. As Botkin sees it, his work is meant to be seen and to be experienced, not to be stored forever. The pieces are so carefully moulded to the space where they are exhibited, that it is impossible to preserve them. They are simply meant to inspire and amuse, then be put to rest. Drawing inspiration for his art from old renaissance paintings, Mexican muralists, metaphysical paintings and even Egyptian hieroglyphics, Botkin’s art is a psychedelic compound of diverse influences. While he isn’t interested in storing his art, or selling it on a broad scale, he supports himself through the sale of smaller, less personally important pieces. Instead his goal is much larger: he wants to leave an unforgettable impression on the viewer that will make his message linger in their minds long after the exhibition is destroyed.

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The instant you enter Grumpy’s, it’s clear that everything you’re about to see is going to be a little quirky. The evening had a somewhat sleazy tinge to it: my companion and I were offered cocaine not fifteen minutes after we sat down, which seemed an incongruous choice for an evening of folk music. Otherwise, the eclectic crowd had the relaxed attitude of bar regulars. Red lights adorn the walls, making the room feel instantly warmer, and giving it a woozy glow. The low ceilings and dim lighting do nothing to hide the fact that this is a bar located underground. However, small touches such as a fireplace make it cozy nonetheless. The walls are covered in nostalgia, including license plates from various states, and other collected souvenirs strewn haphazardly throughout the bar. The small, low stage is located directly beside the bar and in front of an array of small tables.

Atkinson, a tall brunette with cropped hair, casually sipped a few drinks at the bar with her friends, before making her way onto the stage. She began her show with a duet with Tamara Sandor, a friend of hers who seemed giddy with excitement about the gig. While Atkinson played the violin, Sandor sang a song she wrote herself. It was a slow number named “Birds” with an eerie melody sung in a deep, monotone voice. It’s a strange pairing, the plucky violin with a sorrowful voice, yet overall it seemed pleasing to the audience. At the close of  “Birds,” Sandor exited the stage.

The next song Atkinson performed is titled “Old Man Song.” She gave no explanation for the title and replaced her violin with an accordion. It was upbeat, with a touch of folk thrown in. Atkinson’s strong voice was slightly too loud for the space she is in, and the audience noticed.  The chirpiness of her voice, accompanied with the insistent rhythm of her accordion, gave the impression that she is a carnival performer. The lyrics of the song were bizarre and seemed meaningless, especially with no introduction explaining the peculiar subject matter.

Following “Old Man Song” was “Nobody Knows You Like I Do.” Again, the song’s tune was repetitive and choppy. The lyrics are cyclic and sound quite silly and shallow, despite the emotional title. If Atkinson is looking to sound eccentric then she has definitely achieved that goal, but to an almost cheesy degree. Her next few songs don’t diverge from this sound much, which quite disappoints the audience. “So Hard Living Without You” and “Only A Fiddle” are both accompanied with only an accordion and once again mimic a carnival performance that’s slightly folk-inspired.

At the close of her performance Atkinson adopted a different sound. The song was called “Mooniture,” the most well-known cut from her album of the same name. She spoke detail about the source of the song, which she wrote after being dumped by her boyfriend. She comically told us that she immediately drank ten cups of green tea under stress and then peered into her backyard, only to see what she thought was glowing furniture. Delirious from the copious amounts of tea, she began to imagine what it would be like if furniture could be constructed from pieces of the moon, and how enchanting that would be. “Mooniture” is much more sad than her other pieces; however, it works to her advantage. Her strong voice encapsulates the sorrowful lyrics startlingly, and evokes a melancholy feeling for the entire audience who seemed very receptive to the catchy song.

It is clear that Atkinson is far from ordinary, with an abundant amount of musical talent, yet her more experimental compositions stray toward the limited and meaningless. “Mooniture” captured the best of her talents, and despite having a different vibe than the rest of her album, it’s clear that her more conventional pop tunes are where her voice can really shine.

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