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INSIDE >>
NEWS // BEDBUGS IN RESIDENCE?! // PAGE 3 >> LIFESTYLE // DEALING WITH ASSAULT ON CAMPUS // PAGE 18 >> SPORTS // MEN’S VOLLEYBALL TAKES HOME CIS SILVER // PAGE 26
The Silhouette Thursday, March 17, 2016
‘We want people to be aware of the truth.’ - Hannah Martin, McMaster Indigenous Student Community Alliance member
A petition is circulating for mandatory courses on Indigenous studies for all McMaster students. What would this mean for your program? And what would this mean for the University? Page 6
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Thursday, March 17, 2016 McMaster University’s Student Newspaper
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MARCH 22, 1989
No to tuition hikes In the spring of 1989, McMaster students took to the streets to protest the raising of tuition. At the time, the government of Ontario was threatening to raise the cost of a university education by $225. The fight against rising tuition fees is comparable to the same struggle we’ve seen this year on campus. Whether it’s been through MSU President Ehima Osazuwa’s fight to make it a priority, or the recent vote in favour of advocating for a tution freeze and this week’s MSU General Assembly, students want to see a change in higher education.
Did you know you could still pick up copies of
SEX AND THE STEEL CITY on newsstands across campus? Because you totally can.
www.thesil.ca | Thursday, March 17, 2016
How should Ward 1 spend its $3 million surplus? Page 4
The Silhouette
News
| 3
Sad turnout at the 2015-16 MSU General Assembly Page 5
Bed-buggin’ They’ve been found on buses, in hotels and now on McMaster’s campus. Bedbugs have been discovered in at least one McMaster residence, but the University is remaining calm.
Canadian campus news Emma Mulholland Contributor
New quantum institute at UBC An $11 million gift to UBC will help launch the new Stewart Blusson Quantum Matter Institute at the University. The institute will move into its new building in the fall of 2016.
New sexual violence policy at Queen’s
Numerous isolated cases of bedbugs have been found and treated in Whidden Hall this school year.
Rachel Katz News Editor
Two thirds of the way through the school year, the last thing on many students’ minds is their living situation. Between midterms, final exams and group meetings, students, especially those in residence, begin to see their rooms as a place to get a few hours of sleep before racing through another day. Unfortunately, some residence rooms are dealing with new, unwanted roommates. For the past few months, Whidden Hall, a residence in the North Quad of campus, has been contending with an outbreak of bedbugs. Once associated with squalor, bedbugs have become a common pest in recent years, with discoveries of their presence in hotels, movie theatres and on public transit. For this reason, Kevin Beatty, McMaster’s Director of Housing and Conference Services, is reluctant to call the
recent outbreak a problem. “We typically see bedbugs over the course of the year. It's not uncommon to see them. But what is uncommon in this situation is that there seems to be a bit of a flare-up,” he said. He added that while the current bout has been present in Whidden for a few months, the treatment plan was put in place fairly soon after. “We have a comprehensive bedbug response plan in residence,” he said. According to Beatty, all Community Advisors in residence are trained in how to deal with the reporting of bedbugs. Within 24 hours of a report being issued, pest control is brought in. “If the pest control company has something called proof of pests, so an actual bedbug or some trace that it exists, then they would take the next steps which would be working with the students to execute the treatment plan.” This treatment plan involves students washing their bed sheets, clothing and other
JON WHITE/ PHOTO EDITOR
personal effects in biodegradable plastic bags, which help heat the objects in the washing machine, a process that kills the bedbugs. Pest control also treats the room in question, and comes in 14 days later to re-treat it. While the initial reaction to the discovery of bugs may be to move to a different location, Beatty explained that this is not an ideal procedure. He said that if students are not present in their environment, the bugs will remain inactive. “The other reason is that you don't want people to move because one of the challenging aspects of bedbugs is that they're distributed in social networks ... that's why we advise students not to go home and why we don't move them.” At the time that The Silhouette spoke with Beatty, the flareup was isolated in Whidden. Since then, reports suggest the issue has spread to Bates Residence in the university’s West Quad, but Beatty could not be
“We typically see bedbugs over the course of the year ... But what is uncommon in this situation is that there seems to be a bit of a flare-up.” Kevin Beatty Director, Housing and Conference Services reached for further comment. For his part, Beatty remains optimistic about the “flare-up” being taken care of quickly and without fanfare. “We're lucky that residence students are quick to identify which allows us to be quick to respond,” he said.
@RachAlbertaKatz
Queen’s University has developed a new sexual violence policy that covers topics ranging from awareness to support for survivors of sexual violence. Queen’s Provost and Vice Principal Academic, Alan Harrison, says, “The new policy and process will help the university better support students.”
U of T startups receive deferal funding Nearly $6 million of federal funding has been split between three start-up groups at the University of Toronto. The three groups, Nanoleaf, QD Solar, and ARDA Power Inc., all work in the area of sustainable development.
Brock deals with sexual assault allegations After news hit last week of a history professor being accused of sexual assault, the University temporarily removed the faculty member from his position.
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NEWS
Thursday, March 17, 2016 | www.thesil.ca
“ForWard One” Improving Ward One, $1.5 million at a time
Alexandra Florescu News Reporter
$1.5 million is dedicated to various Ward One projects each year through a participatory budget established in 2011. C/O JON WHITE/ PHOTO EDITOR
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Every year, Ward One residents have the opportunity to voice their input on how the Ward Councillor should spend $1.5 million dedicated to infrastructure projects through participatory budgeting. Twenty community members, including a representative from the MSU, are appointed to a Participatory Budgeting Advisory Committee that oversees the process. Starting in April of 2011, the Ward One Area Rating Funding was put in place as a means of aiding in infrastructure investments. Ward One was the first Hamilton region to adopt the method of participatory budgeting to engage community members in government decisions that directly impacts their quality of life. Anyone can submit suggestions for projects they would like to see supported by the ForWard One fund. Submissions can be completed online or in person at Westdale Library, Locke St. Library and other brick and mortar locations throughout Hamilton. Submissions are due March 25, after which Ward One residents are able to vote on the options from May 16 to June 3. A public discussion is held between the submission period and the voting period in order to facilitate conversation about the options put forth. The votes are then processed by the PBAC and submitted to the Councillor as suggestions, which are taken to Council for final approval. “There are sometimes modifications [to projects] because there is higher citizen involvement in some neighbourhoods of Ward One than others, a process meant to correct for any unequal partitioning of projects,” said Ward One’s Dale Brown. Hamilton residents may recognize some previous ForWard One projects around the neighbourhood. Those who
have hiked the stairs going up the mountain near the golf course may have stopped to drink from the newest water fountain, and those walking by Cootes Paradise Elementary may have seen their new natural playground. While $1.5 million may seem like a lot, when put towards ambitious projects, it can be stretched pretty thin. A suggestion that has gained a lot of support in the past is the construction of a Pedestrian Bridge to Bayfront from Locke Street North. To the disappointment of those that voted for the Pedestrian Bridge, it is not likely to be something that is ever realized. Instead, smaller but much needed projects have been supported by a fraction of the Ward One Reinvestment Fund. Community members have welcomed the recent addition of bike lanes on Longwood Road North and pedestrian activated crosswalks at Locke and Hunter. The changes can be so small that those without knowledge of their history might never notice; yet they are much needed improvements to the ward’s infrastructure. This year the initiative will allow for the use of $3 million, as the project was put on hold last year and the money transferred over. The initiative is novel in its use of community input to make decisions, and this system of participatory budgeting was adopted by the MSU more recently. Brown recognizes that despite its benefits, the system is not perfect. “It is always a challenge because of the timeline, because [students] end school in April and [the initiative] operates until June, making it challenging for students who have headed off for the summer to vote. We are cognizant of that but have not yet figured out how to fix it, because we also have deadlines that we have to meet for the city.” @alexxflorescu
www.thesil.ca | Thursday, March 17, 2016
NEWS
| 5
Shame on (MS)U On the heels of a laudable presidential election voter turnout, the MSU hosted a poorly attended General Assembly for a small, unattentive crowd “I don’t believe that turnout has traditionally been high because I don’t think the union sees itself as a democratic vehicle for change . . . I don’t think we educate students about the importance of this.“
Rachel Katz News Editor
Only a month ago, McMaster celebrated its highest MSU Presidential election voter turnout in recent history. Nearly 50 percent of MSU members cast a ballot in a highly contentious election. The MSU administration, the candidates and their teams prided themselves on their ability to engage the student body at such a high level. For the two weeks of campaigning, campus came alive with political allegiances and discussion of important student concerns. None of that momentum was felt at the MSU General Assembly on March 15. Attendance at the annual event peaked at around 50 students, a pitiful number, especially considering the gravity of the issues at hand. These included tuition advocacy, MSU vice presidential elections at-large and the termination of Glen DeCaire as Head of Campus Security. In order for quorum to be met and any decisions to be considered valid, three percent of the MSU’s voting members must be present at the General Assembly, around 660.
“We need to think about balancing [the voices] of the students who do come out, and making sure it’s an accurate representation of the student body.“ Inna Berditchevskaia MSU Speaker Inna Berditchevskaia, MSU Speaker, knows the General Assembly can highlight an issue of great importance to students. “It has the potential to be very effective if we can actually get a representative sample of students in the room … At last year's GA we reached quorum because there was one issue that
Paltry attendance at this year’s General Assembly was dishearteneing. C/O MIKE BEATTIE
students cared a lot about, and I don't think it was the GA, I don't think it was the opportunity to speak to something on the MSU level that appealed to students,” she said, citing the example of the passing of BDS at last year’s General Assembly. “I wish more people had come out. I was the one to organize this and I put a lot of planning into it, so it was unfortunate to see so few people come out,” Berditchevskaia said, adding that the MSU used all of its own avenues for advertising the event, plus the creation of a widely-shared Facebook event. For Kathleen Quinn, an incoming SRA Social Sciences caucus member who put forth several motions at the General Assembly, the low turnout is an indication of a greater problem within the MSU. “I think that at McMaster, it's a cultural problem, first and foremost. When we look at the GA and the emphasis that's put on it as a democratic vehicle, as something that can help students, but I just don't see those conversations happening,” she explained. “I don't believe that turnout has traditionally been high because I don't think that the union sees itself as a democratic vehicle for change. It does have democratic principles at its core, but I don't think we educate students about the importance of this.” Having experienced the student activism movement in Montreal, Quinn said universities in Quebec tend to approach their General Assemblies in a
different way than McMaster. “It was really interesting to see how many people, when I said we only have one GA a year, were shocked. They were used to participating more often and on different levels,” said Quinn. Despite the low turnout, both Berditchevskaia and Quinn were adamant that the three percent quorum not be changed, a decision that would require a constitutional referendum. “I don't think that lowering that threshold means that we get that plethora of voices. If we lowered quorum or didn't have quorum, a tiny group of us would be able to push through things. And we need to make sure we have those big conversations,” Quinn said. Berditchevskaia agrees. “We need to think about balancing [the voices] of the students who do come out, and making sure it's an accurate representation of the student body, because we do need to keep in mind that the student body is 22,000 people.” As the event did not come close to having the required minimum of 660 members present, the motions put forth will now be discussed by the SRA at their meeting on March 20 — a shift in the discussion that seems dubious, as very few SRA members were present at General Assembly. Many of the members who were there spent the two hours laughing and chatting amongst each other, appearing unengaged by the debates and
motions they will now have to discuss and vote on with no more formal expertise than the constituents they represent. For the future, Berditchevskaia wants to see the attitude of the MSU shift. “I think we need to go about it from a perspective of not advertising for the GA but creating a culture in which students want to be engaged with the democratic process regardless of how contentious the issue that's being brought up is,” she said. Quinn sees the transient nature of the student body as a reason there is so little commitment to improving campus for
Kathleen Quinn SRA Social Sciences others. “You have a sense of, I guess, responsibility over your own future. Maybe that's why participation isn't happening. People don't feel like they are responsible for what happens next.” Going forward, the issues — including a motion asking that the MSU advocate for a provincial tuition freeze — will be discussed at the March 20 SRA meeting. Any of the motions put forth could pass, be amended at the will of the assembly, or face all-out rejection. @RachAlbertaKatz
C/O MIKE BEATTIE
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FEATURE
Thursday, March 17, 2016 | www.thesil.ca
Enhancing Indigenous Studies
Following Lakehead University’s and the University of Winnipeg’s curriculum changes, the McMaster Indigenous Student Community Alliance is petitioning for a mandatory Indigenous education for all students
MISCA members convene for a weekly meeting. C/O THE SILHOUETTE
Daniel Arauz Features Reporter
Before we concluded our interview, Hannah Martin shared a poem from the late Mik’maq poet and songwriter Rita Joe. “I am the Indian/And the burden/Lies yet with me.” Martin, too, is Mik’maq. As a First Nations person, and a member of the McMaster Indigenous Student Community Alliance, she personally identified that burden as a distinct responsibility to educate, and to make real the long history of the overlooked injustices of indigenous people across Canada. The federal government’s work in addressing the issues faced by Indigenous communities across Canada has largely been seen as inadequate. The 2015 Truth and Reconciliation commission pointed out the failure to meet proper Indigenous curriculum standards throughout the country. Education on Indigenous culture, as well as the historical atrocities committed against Indigenous peoples, is only recommend-
ed and not mandatory in the public education system, even in a time where residential school survivors and victims of the Sixties Scoop — the practice of taking Indigenous children from their families and putting them in the foster care system — are still facing the repercussions of these tragedies. Martin and her colleagues are frustrated, but also deeply driven to promote dialogue around MISCA’s latest initiative: mandatory Indigenous courses at McMaster University.
The petition The Change.org petition was drafted by the student community association as a means of addressing the gaps in Indigenous awareness and education. Similar student movements have been successful at implementing an undergraduate Indigenous studies credit requirement at both Lakehead University and the University of Winnipeg. Preliminary discussions among the faculty of Indigenous studies have already begun taking place.
“I think a lot of what is wrong with Indigenous relations in this country is that it has been simplified for people.” Dr. Rick Monture Director of McMaster Indigenous Studies MISCA’s petition is calling for the implementation of mandatory Indigenous courses in recognition of the University’s location on historical Haudenosaunee land. The association also considers it an integral part of the reconciliation process recommended by the Truth and Reconciliation Council’s Calls to Action.
Educational structure The logistics of implementing a required Indigenous studies credit have yet to be worked out
by the University, the Faculty of Indigenous studies and MISCA’s members. While the latter two are looking to the University of Winnipeg and Lakehead University for guidance, the requirement will only begin for students enrolling in the 2016 fall school year, so the results remain to be seen. In Winnipeg, students will be able to choose from a list of three-credit courses spanning across departments that will fulfill the requirement. Lakehead has offered a similarly flexible approach, as there is a significant number of pre-existing courses that have a minimum of 18 hours of content related to Indigenous issues ranging across different departments. Lakehead has explicitly committed to adding no additional costs for the students that need to fulfill this requirement. Both universities have pushed themselves away from the implementation of a mass, one-size-fits-all course, and similar attitudes have been shared by members of MISCA and the Faculty of Indigenous studies.
McMaster’s Indigenous Studies’ Academic Director Dr. Rick Monture identified several concerns with the implementation of mandatory Indigenous courses. Monture said that the discussions have only begun to take place, and it is too early to tell where the additional resources needed to provide a greater range of Indigenous courses for different faculties could come from. Furthermore, the faculty is weary of potential tensions that could arise by making Indigenous studies a mandatory academic components, and wants to avoid creating potentially detrimental learning environments. While Monture and his colleagues are happy to be discussing the possibilities of this initiative with the University, he personally recognizes the difficulty of working with professors’ academic freedom and the limited scope of their own expertise. “I think that sort of points to a big issue of people thinking that teaching Indigenous stuff is simple and that it’s kind of an easy fix to a big, big problem that’s been festering or has been
FEATURE
www.thesil.ca | Thursday, March 17, 2016
in process for several decades now. How do you untangle all of that complex history, Canadian history and political history and social history, again, into a three unit course? Yeah, any little bit would help but I don’t want people who would be leaving that course to think that they understand these things now because I think a lot of what is wrong with Indigenous relations in this country is that it has been simplified for people,” stated Monture. “The media has simplified things, elementary and secondary and post-secondary curriculum pays very little attention to Indigenous stuff so people don’t think that there is anything they really need to know … When you present them with something more complex, it confuses people, so we need to be very thoughtful of how we move forward with this.” Despite the pragmatic difficulties, members of MISCA are still confident that Indigenous applications have the potential to be valuable for a wide range of disciplines under a more faculty-oriented model. Last week, the Global Engineering Conference included a presentation from MISCA with a guest speaker that addressed the need for developers to speak with Indigenous peoples across the world about matters of land. Earlier this year, an Indigenous Health Conference united Health Sciences students and professionals to discuss some
“It’s my responsibility to carry that knowledge on to make sure no one forgets that it’s happened. That’s like the greatest fear of our people … we’re not mad, we just want people to be aware of what happened, we want people to be aware of the truth.” Hannah Martin MISCA member of the unique health challenges that face Indigenous communities. The petition has been received with mixed receptions from the student body, but as current MISCA Secretary Treasurer Gail Jamieson explained, the lack of knowledge that has come up time and time again in conversation has only led to the group believing more needs to be done to educate more people about these issues. “Every city has people with
addictions, but it’s funny how non-Natives will point at you, and point out everything wrong in the community, and not ask … why has this happened. I think education is a really big part of that. You can’t help anybody or support anybody unless you know why, and I think Canada really has to look at that,” explained Gail. Three-year-long MISCA member Evan Jamieson-Eckel explained that individuals would often object to the notion of increased Indigenous education, largely pointing at a variety of real and stereotypical associations with Indigenous culture and contemporary issues. He said that the importance of this history is for all Treaty peoples, which explicitly includes non-Indigenous individuals. “Even when treaties are being brought up, it’s not like we want these things for ourselves. The treaties are between native nations and Canada. That’s everyone, everyone is a treaty person that’s one thing you’ll hear a lot too. That’s what people need to realise too. We’re all in this together right? And that’s what we’re trying to push. We can’t get to the point of reconciliation without looking at the past and learning from it and how to best move forward with that information.”
The grade school gap Still, the necessity of mandatory
Indigenous education at the post-secondary level ultimately stems from a lack of mandatory curriculum at the grade school level. MISCA has officially supported and began to circulate a petition started by KAIROS, a human rights advocacy group, that demands more vigorous implementation of age appropriate K-12 Indigenous education in accordance to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s Call to Action 63. The curriculum would include studies of residential schools, Treaties, and contemporary and historical Indigenous contributions to the country. “Maybe eventually it wouldn’t have to be mandatory once all these ones that have been taught in public school catch up to your university grade and maybe more people would love that subject and want to learn more and want to take it when they are in university as an elective. But for now, I think it has to be mandatory because there has been a lack that the government has done, and they’ve lied about the true history of Canada,” explained Jamieson.
Encouraging dialogue While it is highly unlikely that a single, three unit course could be a satisfactory means of implementing this mandate, advocates will need to carefully look to Lakehead University
The change.org protest currently needs signatures before being presented to President Deane. C/O CHANGE.ORG
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and the University of Winnipeg more integrated model in the coming school years to evaluate the pre-existing models. Nonetheless, the logistical complications should not prevent serious consideration about the state of Indigenous education in post-secondary institutions and especially grade schools where this part of Canadian culture and history is actively overlooked. Despite the frustration, and despite the determination to promote this initiative, time and time again, the members of MISCA showed that above all else, they want to be heard. They were ready for both constructive input, criticisms and concerns, but they are also bracing themselves for outrage, confusion and outright rejection. Hannah Martin left with a final anecdote about the personal responsibility she feels to her people and culture, and Canadian society as a whole. “It’s my responsibility to carry that knowledge on to make sure no one forgets that it’s happened. That’s like the greatest fear of our people … we’re not mad, we just want people to be aware of what happened, we want people to be aware of the truth. It’s a huge responsibility for us to try to educate people every single day, and that’s a responsibility I carry with me every day and I will until I die.” @DanielArauzz
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NEWS
Thursday, March 17, 2016 | www.thesil.ca
WGEN’s International Women’s Week a success Crystal Lobo Contributor
During the week of March 7, the MSU’s Women and Gender Equity Network hosted International Women’s Week on campus. The week consisted of panels, workshops and showcases among other activities. Topics discussed included feminism, intersectionality, trans and gender politics, and the harsh truths about sexual violence and physical assault. WGEN wanted to account for different sentiments and accurately represent feminism in planning the week. “We worked with our passions to get people
to plan things we felt would be useful, and then plan them in a way that was useful, allowing for the flexibility of different styles in facilitation,” said Hayley Regis, WGEN Coordinator. WGEN used the week to reach out to largely unheard voices on campus. “One of my goals was to reach out to populations that are hardly accessed by the MSU. We had people come out that I never met or my executive team never met. I think we’ve been having that in our space, as well as having the space being something people are comfortable accessing whether they are heavily involved in services or looking
for a place to be and to exist,” said Regis. International Women’s Week ran as a pilot project last year. This year marked a special milestone for the event since it was the first time that the newly formed WGEN hosted it. Though a new addition to the MSU, WGEN still received support from community partners, professors, speakers and other allies in order to deliver the week’s events to the McMaster audience. The WGEN team faced hurdles in achieving their objectives but their efforts resulted in success. “I think that the community has been really receptive to having this, which I think has been really awesome,” said Regis. Noteworthy events of the
The first official Women’s Week hosted by the MSU Women and Gender Equity Network was a treat on campus
week included an event for transfolk and non-binary folk to connect over discussion of art, Women in Academia Panel, Club Night, and Yoga conducted by the Brown Girl’s Yoga Collective. Moreover, workshops such as Faith in Feminism, Feminism 1A03 and Feminism 4QQ3 proved to be important platforms in the discussion of the complexities and nuances behind feminism. “I wouldn’t say there was one event I would rank over the other ones,” said Regis. Regis and WGEN are open to feedback from the McMaster student body regarding the event, as well as the service at large. Regis said, “If there’s criticism, I welcome it because I think it will make the service better and stronger in
“I think that the community has been really receptive to having this, which I think has been really awesome.” Hayley Regis WGEN Coordinator
future years. Talk to me about anything. Support the service, because I think even if it’s not a service that caters to you, people need to recognize it as one that’s necessary.”
McMASTER SEMINAR ON HIGHER EDUCATION:
THE ENGAGED UNIVERSITY
The Engaged University and the Responsibility of its Educators Thursday, March 31 at 2:30pm | Location: Convocation Hall, University Hall In September of 2008 students and faculty at The Kings University, Edmonton were introduced to the Omar Khadr case, and in the seven years that have followed both parties have engaged with the issue and with the young man in the centre of it. This engagement raises challenging questions about the role of the university in cultivating thoughtful members of civil society. This is the story of one university’s experience in blending theory with praxis, of seeking to know, and of putting that knowledge into responsible service in the community.
Arlette ty,ZEdinmocntokn Presenteultdy ofbArtys atDThr.e Kin g’s Universi
Free Admission all are welcome!
Dean of the Fac
Members of WGEN getting ready for a spot on CFMU, featuring their custom Snapchat filter that was available on campus for the duration of the week. C/O @MSU_WGEN ON TWITTER
mcmaster.ca/presidentsoffice/lectures.html Free parking available – please email saulles@mcmaster.ca to make arrangements
HUMANS
www.thesil.ca | Thursday, March 17, 2016
What are you up to?
be open to criticism, be willing to learn, and be expecting of people who are looking to drag you down. Unfortunately, there will always be haters, which is why I think this campaign is a rich learning experience, and I feel like if I have the mindset to always learn, listen to others, and leave room for myself to grow, it will be a success. Even if we only raise $10, and it only helps one person, I think it is still a success.
Nich Wan Commerce (Marketing) III
This week, I am participating in the 5 Days for the Homeless campaign in hopes to raise awareness, money, non-perishable food items, and hygiene products for youth in homeless situations around Hamilton. What motivated you to participate in this? I thought, “Why not challenge myself, get myself out of my comfort zone, and try something new?” But most importantly, this campaign provided me with so many new perspectives. Sometimes, as students, it’s really easy to get stuck in the studying mode and not be aware about current social situations. The whole process of planning and experiencing it
really opened my eyes to Hamilton’s realities and motivated me to make the community aware of this current issue. What do you think you will get out of this experience? I’ve mentally and physically prepared myself for this challenge. I saw the weather reports and talked to past participants about this. But, you know, I didn’t sign up to be comfortable for five days – it’ll definitely be a huge challenge. I feel like as long as
YUNG LEE/ PHOTO REPORTER How would you define your identity?
us ‘sleepers’ have a good mindset about this, it will be fun. For example, if you use your imagination, and block out your peripheral vision, it feels like you are at a cottage! How do you think this experience has shaped you so far?
facebook.com/ HumansOfMcMaster
Being involved in this campaign reminded me to always
Rachita Singh Life Scienecs II
To define my identity, I don’t think I can just talk about one thing. My identity is a culmination of my beliefs that I have about the world – whether it is politics, religion, family, or my passion to open a rural clinic to help people. How do you think your program has shaped you as a person so far? School has played a big part in shaping my identity. Especially, my program over the past two years helped me a lot with managing everyday stress levels. So far, university’s been a lot of work. But as time passed, it just kind of made me get used to it. I guess it shaped me to become a more tolerable person. Also, this year, I’ve been trying to get myself more involved. Right after high school, I went on a volunteer trip to Haiti. There, I got a chance to talk to many non-profit organization
leaders about rural health, public education, housing and more. From this, I am still trying to find things that I am very
passionate about and things that have potential for me to work on for years and beyond. I won’t simply be doing something to
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compare myself to others nor to get a leg up over others – I’m just trying to enjoy everything and anything I do.
Yung Lee Photo Reporter
Thursday, Mar. 17, 2015 | www.thesil.ca
The McMaster Students Union
PRESIDENT’S PAGE
As the 2015-2016 academic year winds down, I’d like to share with you the work the MSU has done on financial accessibility this
year and the successes that have been achieved. Just over a year ago, Ehima Osazuwa was elected MSU President, setting an external agenda that focused heavily on tuition and post-secondary affordability. Over a year later, it is clear that the President’s vision, combined with effective lobbying, has brought about real change for McMaster students. The MSU’s largest success in 2015-2016 was its contribution to the changes around financial aid in Ontario, reflected in the provincial budget. Through the Ontario Undergraduate Student Alliance (OUSA), the student advocacy organization of which the MSU is a member, the MSU was able to work with the Premier’s Office, the Ministry of Training, Colleges, and Universities, and the Ministry of Finance. The MSU
The President’s Page is a space sponsored and used by the McMaster Students Union (MSU) Board of Directors (BoD) to communicate with the student body. It functions to highlight the Board’s projects, goals, and agenda for the year, as well as the general happenings of the MSU.
also collaborated with five other dents who take time off between student unions on a letter-writing high school and university or campaign, asking for a fully-fund- within the course of a degree. All ed tuition freeze. The campaign of these recommendations were received wide provincial coverage adopted from OUSA’s Student Fiand furthered student advocacy nancial Assistance policy paper. The MSU’s leadership in OUSA’s on university affordability. lobbying efThe MSU’s forts proved work with gov... the President’s ernment led to crucial in the eliminaa c h i e v i n g vision, combined with tion of tuition these hiseffective lobbying, has and education toric budget tax credits in changes. brought about real favour of a Signifinew Ontario cant headway change for McMaster Student Grant, has also been students. which would made withsee more upin the MSU front financial aid for low-income through the Tuition Task Force. and middle-income students. The A promise made during last year’s budget also introduced lower pa- Presidential campaign, the Tuition rental and spousal contributions, Task Force has served as a vehicle and extended eligibility to stu- for the MSU’s focus on tuition and financial aid. As a result of the Task Force’s work, the MSU and McMaster’s Mac Money Centre updated their online resources concerning student financial assistance, particularly for vulnerable groups. Specific MSU recommendations to McMaster University’s Board of Governors included the elimination of interest on tuition deferral payments and fees that unnecessarily target lower-income students. These recommendations were included in the MSU’s University budget submission, which can be accessed, along with updates from the Tuition Task Force, via msumcmaster.ca. The MSU also recommended that the University transition its merit-based scholarship funding into needs-based aid, in order to support low-income and middle-income students and make a degree at McMaster financially accessible to all.
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www.thesil.ca | Thursday, March 17, 2016
The Silhouette | 11
Editorial “Welcome Week Rep Fatigue Syndrome” It’s an illness sweeping our campus, but we don’t seem to care
Amanda Watkins Editor-in-Chief
When I was in first year, I hated Welcome Week. I’m a naturally small and quiet person who gets easily lost in crowds, so the tradition of thousands of students swarming small fields and screaming at each other is a surefire way to erase me from any and all social activities going on at the same time. I didn’t get along with the reps in my faculty, was generally neglected by the off-campus reps that were supposed to show me around, and after the week was finished, I could safely say that I made no new friends. My Welcome Week story is not an uncommon one, and I’ve finally pinpointed why: Welcome Week Rep Fatigue Syndrome. WWRFS is a problem that has hounded our student body for years now, and it’s time we did something to stop it. Contrary to my horrible Welcome Week experience, come the spring of first year,
I still decided to apply, and consequently become, a faculty representative for the next two years of my undergrad. And it was during that fall of 2013 that I experienced WWRFS for the first time. Representing the faculty of Humanities, I was a “Hummer” (a name my dear former faculty should look into changing for solely innuendo reasons) and I was ready to have a great Welcome Week this time around. But shortly into it, I grew tired. At the time, Welcome Week occurred during regular class schedules, my part-time job at The Sil had just started, and our faculty planners and reps were in the middle of a melodramatic and unnecessary power trip. I was sick and tired, but I put on a smile for first years and tried my best to have a great time. A few of my housemates were also repping that year for residences and the Society of Off-Campus Students. They had it worse. Even though they enjoyed helping first years, waking up and going to sleep at ungodly hours all while trying to keep up with schoolwork and
work-work, their bodies were only allowing them to do so much to get the people going. Over the course of the week, there were reps around me coughing up a tasty mélange of bodily fluids from the amount of screaming and yelling, and those who weren’t hit with this plague were starting to snap at each other and first years from a lack of sleep and exhaustion. By closing ceremonies, everyone seemed to have come down with a combination of strep throat and possibly SARS, and we were all excited to hibernate over the weekend before our next round of classes started. I know way too many people who had comparably bad first-year Welcome Week experiences, and it’s because you can’t expect a group of exhausted over-worked students to put on a week-long spectacle without a few people suffering from the side effects — and more often than not, those people are first years. With applications for Welcome Week representatives
to lost no more courtesty cards.
to poverty porn.
to getting out early.
to J.C.’s “thumb” revelation.
to three features, one week.
to losses on home turf.
to Somali food.
to broken laptops.
to the return of Sean Paul.
to “missing” boom stands.
to EIC hiring. Big ups to S.H.
to stolen scoops. I know what pain is now.
to Late Night with Amanda and Shane.
currently circulating across social media, the emphasis seems to be on “first years first,” but we can’t forget to also throw the needs of reps somewhere in there. Welcome Week representatives are not paid to work 12+ hour days, so the least they should get is a relatively healthy experience. Whether this means bringing on board more students to lighten the
to the sad G.A. turnout.
loads of each rep, or reassessing the number of events that take place during the week, our university and students union should strive to make this an event that all parties can enjoy. First years should be first. But if reps are neglecting their health, no one is going to feel like they’re coming in first. @whatthekins
The Silhouette presents...
SILVISION SILVISION
WHAT’S YOUR VISION FOR YOUR CAMPUS PAPER? This coming March, The Silhouette is launching a reader feedback survey and hosting a public forum to find out what you would like to see happen with your campus paper. Do you wish there were more racks in the library? Do you wish certain sections were longer or had more of a certain type of content? Have you been a dedicated Snapchat follower but want to see more? Now is the chance to let us know!
The survey is currently available via our Twitter account. Our public forum is on March 21.
@thesilhouette
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When: March 17, 2016 from 04:30PM until
When: March 21, 2016 from
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The Legend of Hercules When: March 17, 2016 at 08:00PM until
difficult to integrate into the Canadian society. So, Humanity First McMaster is proud to host an event where we can learn about the experi-
March 19, 2016 at 08:00PM
ences of some of these refugees first-hand to
Where: Sir John A. McDonald Secondary
gain awareness of their current lives and allow
School
us to provide them with the best care. Please come out to Bridges Cafe on March 21st from
McMaster Engineering Musical: The Legend of
8-11 pm to learn more about these people!
Hercules.
Contact saeedkf@mcmaster.ca for more
4:30 pm until 6:00 pm (on the day of Tuesday, March 22, 2016). The Annual General Meeting will take place in MUSC 313 from 4:30 pm until 7:00 pm. Join us for good company and good food. All
CNIB@Mac: Dinning in the Dark When: March 22, 2016 from 06:00PM until 06:00PM Where: Rapscallion Rogue Eatery $35.00 Student Admission ticket (tax included) for a three course meal! A rare unique culinary experience that will take guests on a sensory adventure through an entire meal while blindfolded, bringing the senses to life.
information! Thursday, March 17 2016 at 8PM Friday March 18 2016 at 8PM Saturday March 19 2016 at 8PM Price: $10.00 (tax included)
OPIRG’s Election Date and Annual General Meeting When: March 22, 2016 from 04:30PM until
St. Paddy’s Day Bash! When: March 17, 2016 from 11:00am until 06:00PM Where: TwelvEighty Bar and Grill Featuring live entertainment and event menu!
07:00PM Where: MUSC 313 Balloting for the OPIRG Board of Directors election will take place at the OPIRG office, MUSC 229 from 10am until 4:30 pm and at the Annual General Meeting, MUSC 313 from
Visit msumcmaster.ca for a full calendar of events!
www.thesil.ca | Thursday, March 17, 2016
Take an active role in your mental health Page 15
The Silhouette | 13
Opinion
Page 14
Single parenting Sophie Geffros Contributor
I tend to view having a relationship with your biological father as being somewhat akin to owning a dishwasher. It’s nice, sure. It takes some of the work and pressure off of your primary caregiver, and a lot of people have them. But fundamentally, plenty of us grow up without them and do just fine. That said, nobody assumes you will be a criminal if you grow up without a dishwasher. In July, Republican presidential hopeful Rick Santorum said, “We are seeing the fabric of this country fall apart, and it’s falling apart because of single moms … What we have is moms raising children in single-parent households simply breeding more criminals.” I wish I could say that I was surprised. As one of four children raised by a single mother, I have spent my life being alternately outraged and depressed by these statements. I also wish I could pretend that this sentiment is simply a disease of the far right, and that good
Watch your PC-ness!
liberals are immune. However, I have heard the same poisonous sentiments from the left — they simply phrase it more gently. Liberals will praise the strength of single mothers while still implying heavily that being the wrong kind of single parent is a tragedy. That is, it’s very impressive if you are a white middle class woman in her thirties who chooses to have a baby by herself; but if you are poor or a teenager or a person of colour, it is the result of systemic failures. Often, single mothers and their children are thrown into debates on abortion in a way that feels distinctly eugenicist. I often describe myself, semi-jokingly, as “not anti-dad, but certainly dad-critical.” As a society, we place minimal demands on fathers, and we applaud them when they satisfy the most basic of expectations. Married fathers refer to watching their own children as “babysitting”.
Single fathers are treated with the kinds of accolades usually reserved for returning war heroes. Every couple weeks a story goes viral which could be summarized as “single father does bare minimum.” When men do their daughter’s hair, or play pretend, or tend to their children’s emotional well-being, we treat them as though they have done something amazing. A single mother is a whore, a single father is a hero. Attitudes towards single parenthood are not benign. Aside from the damage it causes to children to hear the way society speaks about them and their mothers, it also forces women to stay in unhealthy relationships. My mother divorced my step-father when I was 12 after enduring years of domestic abuse. She has told me that she stayed so long because she wanted my little brother to grow up with a dad. She is not an isolated case. In the view of society, it is often better to grow up with an abusive or neglectful father than an absent one. It feels distinctly radical to say that
It is time to give single mothers their due praise growing up with a single mother made me a better person. There is no better role model on earth than a loving single mother. She was determined that all of her children know that despite what we might hear, there was nothing wrong with any of us. She loved us enough for three parents, and she nearly killed herself with work to try and give us a better life. When she was my age, my mother was the sole caregiver of two small children. As of this writing, I have killed two ferns. She somehow found the time to teach us to read and ride our bikes while working two jobs and putting herself through school. I can barely manage to wake up in time for my 8:30 class on Wednesday morning. Correlation is not causation. Rates of addiction and poverty are not higher in children of single parent households because there is something intrinsically damaging about it. The attitudes of
When she was my age, my mother was the sole caregiver of two small children. As of this writing, I have killed two ferns. Mr. Santorum and his ilk would be far better directed to the systems, which conspire to keep single mothers in poverty and abuse, which condemn their families to bad neighbourhoods and bad schools, and which demean families like mine as “trash”. Until they change targets, they can take a hike. That’s the other thing being raised by a single mother taught me; nobody talks shit about my family and gets away with it.
C/O BLUMEN.COM
14 |
OPINION
Thursday, March 17, 2016 | www.thesil.ca
WGEN Column Rachel Goodland & Megan Goodland Contributors
We often hear that our society is becoming too “politically correct”, or “PC.” It is true, that it is not uncommon to see trigger warnings on potentially upsetting content, and in many communities we see the elimination of oppressive language from everyday conversation. This has inspired a confusing amount of rage from people that feel that we are becoming too “sensitive” or “weak” as a culture — especially us young folk. As two people who are trying to uphold this “PC-ness,” we would like to apologize to all of those reading who feel bothered by this new social standard of caring. Actually, we’re not sorry at all. Take a second to bear in mind that changing our language to be inclusive is not, in reality, difficult. Why is it that the second we ask people to check themselves when saying “gay” or “whore” in a negative context, they look at us as if we have asked them to aspire to sainthood? If we can exchange one degrading word we use to make people around us feel more comfortable, then why wouldn’t we? And to be honest, if you don’t care about making the people around you feel at ease, then may we suggest you consider speaking less in general. We know what you are
Your “politically correct,” is our “giving a sh*t”
thinking: “I have the right to free speech so I can say whatever.” Very good, that is a valid argument, and to that we will respond that free speech does not protect you from facing the consequences of the things you say. Freedom of speech does not mean you can bypass the critical backlash you may encounter if your words are hateful. So if you say, “I have a right be offensive,” then we could respond in turn, “I have a right to be offended and make it known that I am offended.” You see the interesting cyclical pattern here? We do admit that considering your words more carefully may be slightly
inconvenient, it may even involve reflective critical thought (a horrendous task). No one can change their language in a day — it involves making many mistakes along the way. But we promise you that it’s worth it. We would like to present an example of one phrase in particular that is popular in Western vernacular. Have you ever heard someone refer to a woman as a “crazy bitch”? The answer is almost definitely a resounding yes. There are a few major issues with this phrase. When a woman is called a crazy bitch she is left to question the relevance or
If you don’t care about making the people around you feel at ease, then may we suggest you consider speaking less in general. importance of her own words and feelings. In many cases, a man will call a woman crazy because he does not want to acknowledge that she is
upset for a legitimate reason. Another issue with calling someone crazy? It involves the use of a word that calls into question mental stability, therefore making one feel that their opinions are less important as a result. There are words, such as “mad” or “crazy”, that are problematic. They are open for reclaiming by many communities — as delightfully demonstrated by the Hamilton Mad Students Collective — but using them in an insulting context to bring someone down perpetuates stereotypes about the mentally ill and is not a way to get a point across. We argue that this is nothing more than a thoughtless way to shut someone up and make them question the validity of their feelings, in lieu of taking the time to consider and address their concerns. So here we are, in this new standard of “checking ourselves” before we speak. Does it involve effort? Just a bit. Are we being sensitive? Sure. But does it make a difference? More than you know. If your right to casually use oppressive words and phrases is something that is very important to you, perhaps the small shift in language is not the real problem here.
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OPINION | 15
www.thesil.ca | Thursday, March 17, 2016
An apple a day Depending on your situtation, you may be able to take your mental health into your own hands
Sunanna Bhasin Opinions Columnist
C/O WIKIMEDIA COMMONS
I will admit that I am a hypochondriac. The slightest suspicion has me out the door and in line at the walk-in clinic. Unfortunately, this often leaves me feeling frustrated because seeing your family doctor or visiting a walk-in clinic doesn’t always give you the answers you’re looking for. If something doesn’t feel right, it is worth getting it checked out by a medical professional, but depending on what your problem is, doctors might not always have solutions. If you are suffering from a disorder with no physical manifestations — such as mental health concerns — a clinic or family doctor may send you away without resolving the problem. While many sufferers of mental illness benefit greatly from medication prescribed by their doctors, it is not always necessary or as helpful as one might imagine. Two cases that come to mind in which non-medicinal alternatives can help are situational anxiety and seasonal affective disorder, both very common ailments. Both can vary in symptoms from person to person. Since doctors diagnose based on evidence presented to them, it’s going to be difficult in cases like these for them to be entirely sure of their analyses. Only you have a complete picture of how you are feeling,
I am by no means saying that doctors should be avoided. They should be consulted, however, it’s important to not rely completely on the medical system when you don’t have to. and while medication may be necessary in some cases, you might find that you simply need a bit of mediation, exercise, and a healthy diet. These are a few options that could help lift your spirits, if not addressing the root cause of your problem. Non-medical treatments also don’t have the side effects that medication can. One option is counselling or cognitive behavioural therapy. CBT works by examining negative thinking in order to change your outlook and responses. The purpose of this type of psychotherapy is to minimize overall distress levels and self-defeating behaviour. Considering the amount of stress we students face daily, therapy is one solution to a wide range of mental health problems that is more sustainable than taking unnecessary prescription drugs.
I am by no means saying that doctors should be avoided. They should definitely be consulted. However, it’s important to not rely completely on the medical system when you don’t have to. We all know how difficult it can be to get an early appointment let alone a same-day one. Wait times can be long, especially when you need to follow up with a specialist. Therefore, one of the best things you can do for yourself if you are struggling is closely examine your own situation. Write everything down. Document your moods during the day, what you’re eating, when you’re going to bed, and anything about your health that seems out of the ordinary. Start looking for trends so that when you do see your doctor you can deliver as full a picture as possible. Sometimes you might feel like things are hopeless and that you have no control over the way you feel, but in many cases, you do have at least some agency. Sure, these tips and tricks may not completely solve the problem, but they can’t hurt. Ultimately, doctors are here to help, but they aren’t all-knowing deities. They want patients to feel better, but they are only human. If there is a problem that we may be able to help fix, we should explore all other avenues available to us. @SunannaB
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16 |
OPINION
Thursday, March 17, 2016 | www.thesil.ca
This is an edited version of a Letter to the Editor sent in response to the March 3 “Poverty Porn” article
Letter to the Editor: 5 Days — Yes we care! Imran Dhalla & Rachel Connell 5 Days Participants
Homelessness: it is not an uncommon phrase or an unrealistic life, as one in five youth in Ontario identify with this phrase. How about hopelessness? I’m sure you can relate to that one. Somebody you know has been homeless at some point in their life, and someone you know feels hopeless every day as they struggle to find food, a safe space to sleep, and
sit lost in a town full of people passing by. The DeGroote School of Business’ “5 Days For The Homeless” is taking on one of the biggest struggles faced by our community as well as communities all around the world. This initiative is working to make a small but crucial difference by advocating the voices of those who feel hopeless and without a safe space to turn. Recently criticized for giving a false idea of what street homelessness looks
like, it should be noted that the “5 Days For The Homeless” campaign hosts sleepers who are not pretending to be homeless in any attempt to force sympathy from passers-by. The world doesn’t need to give their sympathy, we’ve all passed by and sympathized with these issues for years now. The world needs action, and that’s what we’ve sparked here at McMaster. One in 11 Canadians have been homeless in their lifetime, and these middle class campaign sleepers are pledging much
NOW on
facebook and twitter!
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more than “poverty porn.” You’re most definitely not donating your dollars or chicken noodle soup cans to suit their needs, but on the contrary, “5 Days for the Homeless” has been working directly with The Good Shepherd house in Hamilton. The Good Shepherd house is a centre dedicated to helping distressed youth in Hamilton. The space is not just for the homeless, and not just troubled youth, but it also addresses physical and mental health concerns and needs. In the past few years, the “5 Days for the Homeless” has worked with the Good Shepherd house to help distressed youths in a number of ways. This includes: helping replace beds and mattresses, supporting to their homework program, and giving financial assistance to the 716 admissions they’ve seen this year alone. 260 of those were able to remain in the youth shelter, and 301 through Ontario Work were able to pay rent, afford meals and do their laundry independently. It might seem like a nuisance or a contradiction for some to see middle class students sleep outside the Student Centre collecting money and other items for their campaign, but the reality is, they aren’t the focus. The focus of the campaign is not to glamorize the lifestyle, or suggest that we could ever have a clue what these people face in their day to days, but the focus will always remain embedded in the desire to help the youth in our own backyards who remain on the streets. To act out on the terrible hardships they’ve been handed, and to do something with the resources we have on campus to
The world doesn’t need to give their sympathy, we’ve all passed by and sympathized with these issues for years now. The world needs action, and that’s what we’ve sparked here at McMaster. better our community. It is vital for these impressionable kids to tangibly see that we care and give them hope that what we’re doing has more value in society than an acting skit or sympathy scheme. The money 5 Days raises annually, and the advocacy this club brings are proof of a program that works. The sleepers not only pledge to commit a huge chunk of their time towards participating, but proudly stand alongside these youth with the opportunity to become mentors, provide in-house assistance, and create friendships that continue to have positive impacts long after the time of the campaign. Is it a false idea of what homelessness is? Or is it false to assume that good people bringing good change must have some sort of loophole? It is justified to be skeptical about any campaign that claims to make a difference, but we can’t expect to change anything if we believe the change is too big for us. 5 Days for the Homeless tries and succeeds with a strong impact on the community and city.
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Students camp out front of MUSC for 5 Days for the Homeless in 2012. C/O HAMILTON SPECTATOR
www.thesil.ca | Thursday, March 17, 2016
Detoxing the truth behind celebrity diets
The Silhouette | 17
Lifestyle
Page 20
Turning the
What does your March mayhem horscope tell you? Page 21
colour back on
C/O CICANEVELDE.HU
Talia Kollek Opinions Editor
Recovering from an eating disorder has taught me some important lessons about my health and body
Hating your body is NOT normal
Food is everywhere
Everyone is beautiful
Life is too short for diets
Relearn everything about your health
You do not have to hate yourself. It is not normal, even if it is common. Often, our negative thoughts about ourselves become habits and we don’t even notice how much they have taken over our lives. It is perfectly OK to love your body as it is, or even just to come to terms with it. Disordered eating is pervasive, and bodily self-hate is everywhere, but it doesn’t have to be. The mantra of “every body is beautiful, including my own” is one that I repeat to myself constantly, and that I also tell those I love when they are struggling. Find your own mantra and use it wisely. You and your body are on the same team; cultivate a good relationship and you will be astonished what you can accomplish together.
And I don’t just mean physically, I mean socially. You don’t realize just how many events — religious, family, or friendly — revolve around food until you try to give it up. Swearing off food is nothing short of social death. In hindsight, the saddest moments in my life were those when I sat and ate my pitiful meals alone, picking at celery sticks and egg whites alone in the quiet confines of my room. Food was never meant to be a solitary activity, yet we spend too much time eating independently or in the company of Netflix. Treasure your communal meals, because the nourishment of company is just as important as what you are eating together.
A funny thing happened when I started being open about my body dysmorphia. The people I thought would be the happiest with their bodies – the slim and conventionally appealing – were no more satisfied with their appearance than the ordinary looking. What I discovered is that how you feel about your body has very little to do with your body itself. When I was a full 70 pounds heavier than my sickest weight, I was also happier with my body than I’d ever been (and the healthiest I’d ever been too). The best way I’ve found to begin healing your relationship with your body is to stop judging other people for their appearance. If you can learn to accept other people, it becomes a hell of a lot easier to coexist with your own “faults.”
Remember what I said about food and social death? I was not kidding. A diet takes away your focus on the important things in life and replaces it with a cycle of guilt, self-hatred, and smug superiority. While not all diets are eating disorders, they have one important thing in common; they narrow your focus down to one thing and one thing only – the food you cannot eat. They also don’t work. Five years after a diet your chances of keeping the weight off is only five percent likely, and many people actually gain back more weight than they’ve lost. My – admittedly extreme – diet has even had permanent or semi-permanent negative effects on my body and mind. You are torturing yourself for nothing. Seriously, life is too short.
Thinness is not health. We all have that one skinny friend that eats terribly and does not exercise – and as an autonomous human being, that is their right – but why on earth would we assume that they are healthier than the fat person who exercises daily and enjoys wholesome food? More and more studies are showing that lifestyle has a much larger impact on health than size, and the two are not necessarily correlated. We accept the fact that some people can be naturally skinny, but we can’t accept that some people may be naturally larger, and that there is nothing wrong with that. Some people are naturally fat and they are not any less healthy, beautiful, or worthy of respect. @TaliaKollek
18 |
LIFESTYLE
Thursday, March 17, 2016 | www.thesil.ca
‘I was sexually assaulted on campus.’ Assault is something that can happen on campus even between friends and peers. One student shares their story about how the University dealt with it. WARNING: This article contains graphic descriptions of rape and mention of suicide. I was a Welcome Week representative in 2012, and I met John Doe*, a fellow rep, through some friends. We didn’t work directly together, but he hung out with us often. I thought he was funny, we had the same taste in music, but I never thought of him as anything more. My friends were close to him, and I liked my friends, so it all seemed great. It was after our fourth encounter with each other that he raped me. It was the day of the Yates Cup. I had gone to a friend’s before the match for some drinks. I was happily drunk but felt the cold November wind hitting my cheeks as the game crept closer to half time. My friends texted me that they were at TwelvEighty and there was an extra seat for me. As I entered TwelvEighty, I saw John and my friends. I had run out of money and waved my debit card around, asking for a drink. The bartender said
that if I had no cash, I had to buy a pitcher in order to use my card. I did so and ended up drinking most of it. John got up and stretched, and announced that he was going to go for a walk. I was beginning to feel nauseous and figured that joining him would be a good way to sober up. We walked until we found a stairwell. He sat on the stairwell while I fell on them. I remember his face getting closer to mine slowly. He kissed me and I could hear footsteps approaching. People passed by, the match was still going on. I felt exposed and uncomfortable. I suggested to him that we should go into a private room. I wanted to talk and I wanted for us to be alone. I wasn’t thinking about kissing him more. To be honest, I genuinely wasn’t thinking about anything in particular, I was just drunk. I know I didn’t encourage him, but I clearly didn’t express myself as properly as I wished.
We went into a room in the arts quad basement. He turned off the light and I sat on the ground as standing had become too tricky. He pulled his pants down and tried to shove himself into my mouth. I was frozen. Somewhere in the back of my mind the phrase “freeze, fight or flight” popped up, and I cursed myself for having the worst reaction. “Get on that bench.” he said. At that point in time I was so dumbfounded that any short instruction seemed sensible. He pulled off my jeans. I realized what his intentions were, and mustered up the strength to cover myself with both of my hands and said loudly, “No. Stop. I don’t want to. No. Stop.” I remember him pulling my hands away. He pressed his lips against mine, hard. I remember hearing him grunt, and the occasional loud cheer from TwelvEighty came through the walls. My insides were screaming for my body to get up, to punch, to do anything, but I was incapable of Somewhere in the back of my mind the moving. I was scared phrase “freeze, fight or flight” popped up, of his strength. Not physical, as he was and I cursed myself for having the worst short and smaller than reaction. me, but his mental strength – the fact that he ignored my pleas
frightened me. Something began to buzz in the room: my friends whom I left outside at the game were attempting to find me. They kept calling. Eventually, he stopped. I had sobered up enough by then to hop off the piano bench, pull up my pants, pick up my phone. We left the room and he headed back to TwelvEighty while I made a beeline for MUSC. As I left he called out, “See you around, eh?” I went to the Student Centre and ran into my friends. The shock settled in minutes after and I told my friends what had happened. They took me to Shoppers to buy a Plan B. The next few days blurred together. I showered for 45 minutes washing every inch of my skin, hoping that the harder I scrubbed, the less dirty I’d feel. I couldn’t sleep. School didn’t matter. I lived off-campus and I would leave the house earlier because I didn’t want to face my parents. I told my friends later on that day. It was confusing to them because they knew him for years. They said they believed me, but within that week they also told me that he made a mistake and they would remain friends with him. John Doe called me the very next day and told me he knew I told our mutual
RESOURCES ON AND OFF
CAMPUS
ON CAMPUS Human Rights and Equity Services Provides confidential complaint resolution according to the University’s Sexual Harassment Policies. (905) 525-9140 x. 27581 hres@mcmaster.ca Meaghan Ross, Sexual Violence Response Coordinator (905) 525-9140 x. 20909 rossm4@mcmaster.ca Student Wellness Centre Provides a wide range of counselling options and medical services and testing. (905) 525-9140 x. 27700 wellness@mcmaster.ca SHEC Provides confidential peer support, referrals on and off campus, anonymous and confidential pregnancy testing. (905) 525-9140 x. 22041 shec@msu.mcmaster.ca
OFF CAMPUS SACHA Provides a 24-hour support line, counselling services and public education. (905) 525-4573 (905) 525-4162 (24-hour Support Line) Hamilton General Hospital, Sexual Assault and Domestic Violence Care Centre Provides a 24-hour support line, counselling services and public education. (905) 521-2100 x. 73557 sadvcarecentre@hhsc.ca Hamilton Police Services Takes crime reports from city constituents. (905) 546-4925
LIFESTYLE
www.thesil.ca | Thursday, March 17, 2016
to heal. We had to figure out how long John When telling the police, I had to replay every Doe and I were single thing in my mind. It felt like picking at in the private room, and the scabs of a wound that was trying to heal. calculated that We had to figure out how long John Doe and I was raped for 45 minutes. I were in the private room, and calculated I ended that I was raped for 45 minutes. up going to the police station about a week afterwards and had an interfriends, and that I was wrong. me at university one day and view with the police. He said he He declared he did have consent handed me a brochure explainmet with John Doe and spoke because I took him to the private ing rape and that was when with him. He asked if I wanted room. A few days after this, it finally clicked for me. I was to take this to court, and added I was with a friend, who was raped. Some of my other close also a good friend of John Doe, friends encouraged me to attend that it would take one year. I turned it down. I didn’t want but was supporting me during counselling, but it wasn’t until I this to drag on. Because I said this time. John Doe called me, saw the brochure that I did. no, it only says on John Doe’s and I put it on speaker so she Two weeks after the inciprofile that he was questioned could hear what he was saying. dent, I went to see a counsellor for rape, but that’s it. The police He warned me again not to tell in the Student Wellness Centre. officer patted me on the shoulanyone, and claimed I was being My counsellor was nice enough der as I was leaving and said, ridiculous. “Am I always supbut I felt rushed having to exposed to ask a girl if she wants plain what had happened within “Take care of yourself. Next time, try not to get yourself into to have sex with me?” he said in my 30-minute time slot. It took this sort of situation, like the a sarcastic tone. I was stunned. me 10 minutes to stop crying. drinking...” His friend looked at me with She referred me to the hospital The following summer, I an unfathomable expression. I and I headed there after my found out that John Doe was hung up. appointment. going to be a Welcome Week Because I didn’t go there rep again. I contacted friends straightaway and had showered involved with Welcome Week My close friends were trying after being raped, they could and was referred to the Office of to convince me to report him, not get his semen off my body. Student Conduct. I went to their but even I was confused as to Instead, I underwent a physical office and told them everything. whether this was rape or not. exam and a mini counselling They informed me that had I I even went to my old high session. They took my urine approached them right after it school and confronted two of sample and I had to take a had happened, they could have my closest teachers about what pregnancy test. Afterwards, they had happened. It hurt me to tell gave me a handful of crushed up done more. John Doe could have faced more serious consequencmy friends and teachers. I’d see pills and water, telling me that es. I had no idea that I could their faces register shock, worry, these would wipe out any sort have approached the Student sadness, frustration, but I didn’t of STDs I could have contracted Conduct Office. I wish I had know what else to do. It felt as from him. known, and hope that more inthough I had such a big weight Within a month after it formation is given to first years on my shoulders, and it had behappened, I attempted suicide. about it now. come too much for me to carry To summarize it all into one The office asked me if I it by myself. I had to tell people sentence: I felt like a failure, like could provide a witness. I imwho knew who I really was, who a used up rag that needed to be mediately thought of his close knew me before this happened, disposed. I am grateful that it friend that overheard our phone so I could cling onto my sense was a botched attempt, and that call after it happened. I mesof self. I had friends around me who let saged her and explained the sitHowever, I also told people me talk to them openly about it uation. She sent back a lengthy I regret telling. I shared what and made me realize it was not response, acknowledging that had happened with friends I the way out. she heard what John Doe said, wasn’t really close with. At the One month after being but that she wouldn’t be able to time, I thought that telling peoraped, I contacted the city’s be a witness for me. She added ple would help bring some sense Sexual Assault unit and talked that I seemed to be holding a into this situation. However, the to a police officer on the phone. grudge and keeping in some thoughts some shared with me We arranged for them to meet pent-up anger. She then closed confused me even more: me at a friend’s house, where “Well, you did tell him to go they would interview me and fill the message saying that her and other friends were also upset into that room with you…” out a report. At the time, that “You were really drunk…” was the hardest thing I had to go about what happened, but they “You are a super friendly through. When I told my friends found ways to move on. Her closing sentence was wishing me person, so he just mistook that or teachers what had happened, all the best. I was disgusted, and as flirting…” I was able to skip some parts. I still am as I type this. “I’m not sure if this is was able to provide a summary. I showed the office the considered rape because you When telling the police, I had to message, and since she acknowlprobably enjoyed yourself once replay every single thing in my edged what John Doe had said, you started having sex, right?” mind. It felt like picking at the that was all he needed. He told Another friend approached scabs of a wound that was trying
me that he would meet with John Doe and that he would be monitored at all times during Welcome Week. He also said that John Doe wasn’t allowed to approach me on campus, and that I could call security if he did. While that was comforting, that wasn’t the point of my actions. I didn’t want him to harm anyone ever again, especially first year students. The conduct officer advised me to go to the Human Rights and Equity office, which I did. I met with someone who was extremely nice and warm. It was comforting to open up to such a wonderful person. She informed me of an upcoming event SACHA, the Sexual Assault Center for the Hamilton Area, was hosting at Mac, which was aimed towards friends of sexual assault victims. I attended the session with one of my great friends. After being raped by someone who I thought was my friend, the most difficult part was letting go of my friends who still supported him. It genuinely crushed me to have my friends tell me they still considered John Doe a friend. One friend messaged me an apology this spring, saying that she finally sees how horrible John Doe is, and that she will always regret not supporting me. Her message was what I had wanted for so long, but when she finally sent it to me, it had lost its value. I had to go through the rest of my undergrad avoiding my Welcome Week friends and certain parts of MUSC where they hung out. I would think about it at least once every single day for the first year. I would find myself taking the car and driving to a random parking lot to break down and cry without any interruptions. I’d cringe every time I heard a rape joke, pretend I wasn’t affected while inwardly accepting the fact that the joke would stay in my mind for the rest of the day. I began to join numerous clubs and kept busy. I picked up more shifts at work to avoid being home. Some days, I would have such a good time with friends that it wouldn’t be until I went to bed that I finally realized I hadn’t thought about it all day. I learned to congratulate myself with every little step towards improvement. I dread November a little less now. I didn’t have sex again until a year and a half later. When I did, and I realized it is still pleasurable, I was elated. John Doe may have become the
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focus of my life and taken things away from me, but this was not one of them. Sometimes there are setbacks, though. I recently went home with someone and was triggered by the sexual position he wanted us to be in. I ended up crying in his arms. I was lucky because he was kind and understanding. I am now seeking counselling. Less than two weeks ago, a good friend of mine approached me and told me she had been raped. She brought a guy home who asked her if she wanted to have sex. When she said no, he proceeded regardless. As she was telling me what had happened, I was trying to control my emotions, to be her rock. But how could this have happened? How could someone assault such a kind-hearted human being? What had she done to deserve this? I felt heartbroken all over again. While I will never be able to fully understand what she’s going through, it’s safe to say that I have a general idea. The pain from being in the position of a victim’s friend was different, but still prominent. These situations made me realize how often people question what rape really is. I now know that, put simply, it is any form of sexual activity with another person without their consent is sexual assault. The statistics are disgusting: one in four women in North America will be raped. While the media normally reports rapists as being strangers in parking lots (which does happen often, unfortunately), that is not true for the majority of rapists. 80 percent of the time, your rapist is someone you know. It’s a close friend, or acquaintance, or family member. I hope people can learn from the experience I’ve had dealing with this crime on campus. There are resources on campus to approach and consult if you have had a similar experience, but it still isn’t enough. If you have been in a similar situation, please contact the Human Rights and Equity Services department at the university.
*Name has been changed. The author of this article chose to remain anonymous for reasons related to her safety. If you have questions, please email thesil@thesil.ca.
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LIFESTYLE
Thursday, March 17, 2016 | www.thesil.ca
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behind celebrity diets Sohana Farhin SHEC
Celebrities such as Gwyneth Paltrow, Oprah, Salma Hayek, Megan Fox, the clan of Kardashians, Jared Leto and Beyonce, have claimed to use detox diets to lose weight. The most popular celebrity detox diet is known as the Master Cleanse. The Master Cleanse was created by Stanley Bourroughs, a man arrested for practicing medicine without a proper license. The detox diet promises to “cleanse the body of toxins and obliterate cravings for juices, alcohol, tobacco and junk food.” The diet plan consists of drinking a glass of salt water in the morning, 6-10 glasses of a concoction consisting of water, lemon juice, maple syrup and cayenne pepper throughout the day and drinking a laxative tea at night for 10 days. For these 10 days, you do not consume any solid foods. First and foremost, what does it mean to detox your body? “De-tox” literally means eliminating toxins — harmful agents that are found in the environment, including mercury and bisphenol A. Detoxification is a natural process that occurs in your body in which organs such as your liver, your kidneys, your lungs, or your skin excrete toxins to eliminate them from your body. Despite being “based on a natural bodily process,” there is no scientific evidence that proves that
certain detox diets actually help the organs in our body in the process of detoxification. Detox is becoming a buzzword widely used by celebrities, and it is essentially a sales pitch with no evidence-based research to back it up. At the end of the day, losing weight can be attributed to creating a calorie deficit, which means burning more calories in a day than you are eating. Celebrities have used the Master Cleanse to lose weight, but the reason they are losing weight is not because the concoctions they drink throughout the day have magical detoxifying properties, but rather because of the large calorie deficit that these diets promote. Although you will consume very few calories while on a “detox” diet, you will be deprived of macro and micronutrients, vitamins and minerals that your body needs to function optimally. This will stress your body, with particularly intense effects on the digestive tract, and may have negative long-term health effects. Additionally, it can lead to a cycle of dieting followed by binging. This process, popularly referred to as “yo-yo dieting,” can lead to weight gain as well as physical and mental health complications. Ultimately, it is advisable to always consult a healthcare professional to make dietary restrictions that will work for you and your health long-term.
LIFESTYLE
www.thesil.ca | Thursday, March 17, 2016
Horoscopes: March mayhem edition
AQUARIUS (Jan. 21 - Feb. 19):
PISCES (Feb. 20 - Mar. 20):
ARIES (March 21 - April 20):
TAURUS (Apr. 21 - May 21):
If you had a dollar for every MSU/faculty event you were invited to on Facebook, you’d have nothing, because you have no friends and you deactivated Facebook.
For St. Patrick’s Day, be sure to dress up as a drunk Irish fish. You are more connected to this day of the year than 99% of the people at the party.
As Drake sang, “It’s [your] birthday, [you’ll] get high if you want to.” You’ll write the shit out of your paper – that is to say, it will be shit.
Stop telling people you like the rain. Who do you think you are? The Weather Girls? It’s gross and damp and moist.
GEMINI (May 22 - Jun. 21):
CANCER (Jun. 22 - Jul. 23):
LEO (July 24 - Aug. 23):
VIRGO (Aug. 24 - Sept. 23):
People asking about your thesis? Be sure to lie and say you’re screwed, because the conversation succumbs to an awkward death if you say you’re prepared.
You were a victim of cuffing season and you’re about to get dropped like it’s hot. Better dig out that copy of Bridget Jones’ Diary.
So you think wearing a sweatsuit to your test shows you’re funny and don’t give a crap? You know what they say – dress for the grade you want.
Work work work work work work. You see me doing work work work work work. Something tells me Rihanna would make a great fortune teller.
LIBRA (Sept. 24 - Oct. 23):
SCORPIO (Oct. 24 - Nov. 22):
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 23 - Dec. 21):
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22 - Jan. 20):
For Battle of the Bands, be sure to bring a pan to the fight – they play it pretty loose with what counts as a percussion instrument.
Turns out you weren’t ready for the consequences of Super Tuesday, but you should have known that eating 20 pieces of KFC on Toonie Tuesday would make you sharf.
Got a midterm coming up? Break a leg. Literally. It works even if you used your MSAF earlier this semester.
You’re quite similar to Steph Curry actually, in that you will consistently score threes… out of 12 on your courses.
Jason Woo All seeing seer
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LIFESTYLE
Thursday, March 17, 2016 | www.thesil.ca
Which “meme” are you?
Michelle Yeung Lifestyle Reporter
When midterms hit you hard, the fool-proof way of relieving stress (temporarily) is to procrastinate If you had a million dollars, what brand would you splurge on?
What is your favourite form of social media?
Any sneaker brand (#Jordans)
What is your catchphrase?
You know when that hotline bling
Stussy
Which location would you prefer being in?
White Wine Spritzer
What’s your go-to beverage?
Vans or Jordans?
Apple Ciroc
Pop
Vans
Congratulations, you played yourself
Where would you rather have a key to?
Jordans
Toronto Another one? What would you wear while showing off your dance moves?
Turtlenecksweater
Miami
White t-shirt HOTLINE BLING DANCING DRAKE
You are a *six* god/goddess. Like Hotline Bling dancing Drake, you are confident and unafraid to show off your moves (even if it inspires millions of GIFs). You’re effortlessly cool and people look up to you.
Bless up! Success
Back at it again!
DANIEL (FROM “DAMN, DANIEL”)
Damn, you! Like Daniel, you exude style, charm and youthful exuberance. You’re super chill to be around and all your friends adore your laid-back vibe. Rock those white vans!
A city
SNAPCHAT GOD DJ KHALED
You are equal parts modern-day philosopher and motivational speaker (#wethebest). You also have a taste for adventure, french toast and alcohol. You’re the friend everyone hits up when they want to hang. They don’t want you to win, but you winning!
By Levin C. Handy (per http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.pnp/cwpbh.04326) [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons
You don’t have to sit in school to stand among greatness. › Thomas Edison: Relentless Inventiveness Failure is no biggie. Just ask Edison. If he stopped at failure, he would never have moved on to invent a little thing called the light bulb. So if you’ve failed a class somewhere else, or have a scheduling conflict, come on over. You can catch up with our world-recognized online courses, then move on to bigger successes. Talk about a light bulb moment.
open. online. everywhere. go.athabascau.ca/online-courses
LIFESTYLE
www.thesil.ca | Thursday, March 17, 2016
CROSSWORD
ACROSS 1. First, second, or third 5. Academy Award 10. Poetic lament 14. Customer 15. Roadside warning 16. Stolen goods 17. Salty drop 18. Worn out 19. Farm unit 20. Fortuneteller’s card 22. School friend 24. Juliet’s beloved 26. Of the sun 27. Nap 30. Spoke falsely 32. Nursery item 33. Light bulb inventor 36. Recedes 40. Be indebted 41. Artist Henri ____ 43. Water (Fr.) 44. Flat cushions 46. Untidy conditions 47. Broadcast 48. Be abundant 50. Perceptive 52. Penny pincher 55. More docile 57. Aardvarks 60. Peaceful protest (hyph.) 64. Stair part 65. Burst forth
67. Urn 68. Exam type 69. More congenial 70. Afflictions 71. Alaskan port 72. Very small 73. Top pilots
Win a Pizza Pizza gift card! Tweet us a photo at @thesilhouette. The first ten people* to answer all correctly will win a $15 gift card!
Which residence is rumoured, not confirmed, to have bedbugs? _____________________________________________ Who is the Director of McMaster Indigenous Studies? _____________________________________________ How did the Men’s Volleyball Team place at the recent CIS championship game? _____________________________________________ How many stars did Andy give 10 Cloverfield Lane? _____________________________________________ * You cannot be a Silhouette staff member, member of the Board of Publications, full-time MSU employee or a previous winner to enter.
DOWN 1. Cigar stub 2. Cruising 3. Scorch 4. Baseball blunders 5. Frequently, to Keats
6. Cut bread 7. Monte ____ 8. Realm 9. Cincinnati team 10. With ice cream (3 wds.) 11. Regional 12. Major artery 13. Navigate 21. ____ pole 23. Compass dir. 25. French title 27. Intersection sign 28. Midwest state 29. Gazed upon 30. Defeat 31. Trouser length 34. Ledger entry 35. Brother’s sib 37. Sweetheart 38. Lure 39. Free of doubt 42. Road bends 45. Church spire 49. Period in history 51. Insignificant matters 52. Stone worker 53. Preface 54. Iron setting 55. Cease-fire 56. Type of poplar 58. Camper’s home 59. Buffalo’s waterfront 61. Bath powder 62. Man or Wight 63. Scottish loch 66. Make an attempt
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Enjoy a refreshing and relaxing dip in the pool! Recreational swims are offered daily. Check rec.mcmaster.ca or the Get Rec'd App for times.
Swimming lessons are offered to McMaster students on Sundays. All levels offered from"Absolutely Terrified" to “Life Saving Leadership”. Check the website for more details. Spring classes start in April.
rec.mcmaster.ca
www.thesil.ca | Thursday, March 17, 2016
The Silhouette | 25
Sports Half a decade
Guard Aaron Redpath ends his five years with McMaster Men’s Basketball
LEAGUE AT LARGE Men’s Basketball CIS Final 8 Seeding 1 RYERSON 2. CARLETON 3. OTTAWA 4. CALGARY
5. McGILL 6. DALHOUSIE 7. THOMPSON RIVERS 8. UBC
Women’s Basketball CIS Final 8 Seeding 1 McGILL 2. SASKATCHEWAN 3. SAINT MARY’S 4. REGINA
5. RYERSON 6. ALBERTA 7. OTTAWA 8. UNB
END OF SEASON Men’s Basketball The OUA Final Four took place in the Mattamy Athletic Centre, home to the Ryerson Rams. Ryerson, Ottawa, Carleton and Windsor all competed for an OUA title. After defeating Windsor in the semi-finals, Ryerson took the win over Carleton and were able to claim their first ever OUA banner in program history.
Women’s Basketball JON WHITE/ PHOTO EDITOR
Sofia Mohamed Sports Editor
Five years goes by faster than one would expect. Basketball is a sport McMaster guard Aaron Redpath grew up on. Playing street ball from the tender age of six and competitively two short years later, something about the game of basketball kept Redpath wanting more. Something about the sport made him yearn to play for the rest of his life. “It always kept me humble, it was my stress relief,” said Redpath. Surrounded by basketball players in both his family and circle of friends, Redpath played basketball through the years, and was an integral part of his high school basketball team. When it came time for the Ajax native to decide where he would spend the next five years playing university basketball, McMaster was ultimately the choice. Despite looking at Division 1 schools in the United States, the academics and
athletic facilities kept Redpath choosing close to home. In the summer of 2011, Redpath was one of five players officially recruited to commit to Maroon. In his first year playing for the Marauders, Redpath pushed to be stronger and bigger. “The physicality was different. It was a step up from high school,” Redpath admits. Fast forward four years and the same student-athlete witnessed years ago has grown in leadership, maturity and confidence. Five years playing in Maroon has allowed Redpath to be a more vocal leader. Anyone who has the chance to watch any games this season would think that was Redpath’s personality, as he was big on the court and always played with emotion. That self-assurance came from time, experience and being comfortable on the court. While some players in Redpath’s recruiting class chose to leave McMaster Basketball for different reasons, it was important for Redpath to show loyalty
to a program that has done so much for him. Being part of a sports program for five years can be really testing. With incoming and outgoing players, the dynamic of a team changes. But how a player handles that change is telling of their character. “I have never been the type of person to quit on things when it gets tough. I don’t see tough times as an opportunity to quit, but as an opportunity to get better,” said Redpath. With those tough times and changes in the program, there has been a few aspects that have always been constant for Redpath. One of those is Head Coach Amos Connolly. “He has been pushing me all along. He has always talked to me about my potential. He has believed in me from the start,” said Redpath. Redpath’s last game on Burridge hardwood will be one he will never forget, for more sour reasons than sweet. It was an OUA quarter-final game against Windsor Lancers that ended in
a 78-79 loss. It was a game that hurt so much. While that result was unfortunate, the focus moving forward is on the positive and the great moments they all shared together. “The beauty of our team is that it is built like a family. We are able to pick each other up,” said Redpath. Redpath has collected several accolades throughout his career in Maroon. He was named OUA all-star and all-rookie, made a CIS Final 8 appearance and recieved several Athlete of the Week nominations. Redpath is grateful for the experience being a Marauder has given him. Now that he has hung up his #23 jersey, Redpath will look to take his talents professionally. Having basketball inspirations like Vince Carter and Lebron James, Redpath hopes to play the sport he loves for as long as he can on a bigger stage and in front of a bigger crowd. @itssofiaAM
Four Ontario women’s basketball teams fought for the Critelli Cup last weekend. McMaster, Ottawa, Ryerson and Windsor competed for a banner. After defeating Windsor in the semi-finals, Ryerson advanced to the final game and were able to bring a trophy and gold medals back home to Toronto.
Men’s Volleyball No. 1 McMaster fell to the No. 2 Trinity Western Spartans last weekend in the CIS gold medal match in Burridge. This was McMaster’s fourth CIS medal in as many years. They won silver, bronze, bronze and silver in that order from 2013-2016. The Marauders are only graduating one player from this year’s team: middle Alex Elliott.
Women’s Volleyball The No. 2 Toronto Varsity Blues won their first CIS national title in program history after upsetting the No. 1 Trinity Western Spartans in straight sets. McMaster lost to Toronto 3-1 in an OUA semifinal two weeks ago. The Varsity Blues finished their season with an immaculate 25-0 record and both an OUA and CIS banner.
Track & Field McMaster’s men’s team travelled to York University for this year’s CIS Championship meet. Jeff Tweedle, Connor Darlington, Nick Kondrat and Matt Napier all represented the Marauders. Tweedle tripped and was forced to settle for seventh in the 1000m event. Darlington finished eighth in the 3000m event. McMaster’s 4x800m relay placed 11th.
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SPORTS
Thursday, March 17, 2016 | www.thesil.ca
West remains best CIS No. 2 Trinity Western Spartans upset No. 1 McMaster Marauders to capture their third CIS gold title in six years
CIS SILVER MEDALISTS
Team photo of the McMaster Men’s Volleyball Team and their silver medals. C/O YOUSIF HADDAD
Jaycee Cruz Sports Reporter
It felt like a 10 year-old wound was reopened. The blue and white celebrated a gold medal-clinching victory amongst a sea of maroon and grey for the second time in a decade. The first time the Spartans captured CIS gold was back in 2006 when McMaster was the host. That’s not the sort of deja-vu you want to have, especially with the way the stars seemed to have aligned for McMaster this year. Trinity Western’s journey is somewhat of a Cinderella story — a concept almost exclusively married to the month of March. In January they were 9-9 and on the outside looking in for the Canada West playoff. Then
they decided to go on a 7-1 run to end their season, winning the Canada West banner, dethroning the reigning national champs twice in two weeks, and upsetting the No. 1 team in the nation to win CIS gold. “Getting hot down the stretch is all that really matters,” said Spartans Head Coach Ben Josephson. The Spartans’ rise to national prominence happened so fast, but Josephson thinks it was just a matter of time. “We were doing all of the right things and we were learning the things that we needed to learn, it just wasn’t producing results yet,” Josephson said. “We just kept saying to trust that we’re doing the right thing and to stay together.” “This group never quits and the way we come together is so special. I’ve never been
part of any group or team like this,” said Spartans setter Adam Schreimer. McMaster started the match ablaze, looking like a team ready to run away with gold on their home floor. They got out to a quick 9-3 lead before the Spartans were forced to call a timeout to gather themselves. Burridge’s sellout crowd was rowdy. “We came out hot. I think that was one of the best starts our team has had all year,” said McMaster middle Alex Elliott. “There was a lot of energy and excitement.” McMaster’s momentum was soon mellowed in the subsequent sets after Trinity Western started playing their trademark serve/block game. “They try to serve really tough and keep you off the net
“You can outplay better teams if you have everything going in the right direction. I don’t think we were the better team here, but we played better that night.” Alex Elliott McMaster Men’s Volleyball, Middle and then when they’re attacking you, they try to keep the ball in play,” said Elliott. “They rely on their blocking to shut you
down. They sort of try and let you make the errors.” Assistant Coach Nathan Janzen acknowledges Elliott’s schematic observation. “They play a very smart attacking game. They’re not always hitting hard. They’re very willing to keep balls in play, put it at the setter, and let their block take over a match,” said Janzen. “They did a fantastic job serving and blocking. I give them a ton of credit.” McMaster showed flashes of their first set brilliance, but were never able to put it all together the rest of the match. Trinity Western took the wheel from the second set to the end. “The only time we had everything humming was in the first set and we won that one. Every time we had something figured out, we’d fall back in something else,” Janzen said.
SPORTS
www.thesil.ca | Thursday, March 17, 2016
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CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: Danny Demyanenko goes for a block as Trinity Western’s Adam Schriemer sets a ball; Danny Demyanenko and Andrew Kocur go up to block Trinity Westerm’s Blake Scheerhoorn; Brandon Koppers passes a ball; Brandon Koppers prepares for an attack attempt. C/O YOUSIF HADDAD
“We missed a bunch of serves and let them get confident in what they were doing. From there we were behind the eight ball for the rest of the match.” McMaster followed Trinity Western into the 20s in the second and third sets before losing, and they ultimately fell short of gold by dropping the fourth set. “When sets get into the 20s that’s usually when we turn it up a notch and finish the job. We didn’t do that against them. It was uncharacteristic of us,”
Elliott said. The Spartans had a commanding lead throughout the fourth set and the Marauders never came back. “We tried to focus on each individual point as its own minigame rather than thinking about the entire match,” Elliott said. “That’s what we tried to do, but when you face a big deficit and give the opponent such a big lead, it’s hard to claw all the way back.” Spartans star outside hitter
Blake Scheerhorn scored a sideout off of Jayson McCarthy to officially end the Marauders title hopes. The twin-tower duo of Scheerhoorn and fellow outside hitter Ryan Sclater hurt McMaster as the two scored 20 and 24 points, respectively. “Losing in the final here was pretty tough. It’s still pretty tough to accept it now a few days after it happened,” Elliott said. “I couldn’t believe it was over. It’s especially tough because it was my last match ever
for Mac.” Trinity Western, on the other hand, captured their third CIS title in six seasons making the Spartans look like a national dynasty. “You can outplay better teams if you have everything going in the right direction. I don’t think we were the better team here, but we played better that night,” Josephson said. It wasn’t meant to be for McMaster. The perfect ending of winning the program’s first
national title at home didn’t come true. “I think for all of us it’s obviously disappointing that we didn’t win gold at home. It was a great opportunity to win in front of our home fans,” Janzen said. “I think the guys are disappointed, but a CIS silver medal is still an incredible accomplishment. It’s hard, but we’re still very proud of what we’ve accomplished.” @_jayceecruz
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SPORTS
Thursday, March 17, 2016 | www.thesil.ca
Player profile: Alex Elliott
C/O MONISH AHLUWALIA
Jaycee Cruz Sports Reporter
Humber College gym was (kind of) where it all started. A tall, lanky 16-year-old was playing club volleyball for the Durham Attack and coaches were out in the gym to watch him play. He was on the recruiting radar for a number of universities in the OUA. The tall kid walked up to a coach and said, “Hello, Sir. I’m Alex Elliott.” McMaster Head Coach Dave Preston chuckled. “Alex, I’m very aware of who you are,” said Preston. Elliott was shocked that the Head Coach of one of Canada’s best volleyball programs knew him by name. It meant so much to him. “I love your program. I think a lot of Mac,” Elliott said. Right when Elliott was offered the opportunity to play for his dream school, the Cobourg, ON native knew where he
would spend the next five years of his life. “I told myself that I was going to Mac. I didn’t say it right away because I didn’t want to be impulsive. I got offers from everywhere in Ontario, but I knew I wanted to be there. My heart was set,” said Elliott. His strong ties to the school with the coaching staff, friends, and teammates influenced his decision. There was no other place for him. “I applied to three different programs. That’s how badly I wanted to come here,” said Elliott. Fast-forward half a decade and the 6’5” graduating middle leaves McMaster with a decorated career and many lifelong memories. But the one that stands out the most comes from this year’s CIS championship weekend. “The highlight of my whole career was to end it here at home. To play in the CIS championships in front of all the Mac fans is something I’ll remember
for the rest of my life. Walking onto the floor with 2000 people cheering for us is a crazy feeling,” said Elliott. “If you told me five years ago that I would be a part of four OUA title teams and four CIS medaling teams, I would’ve called you crazy,” Elliott said. “We would’ve loved to capture the championship at home, but I wouldn’t give this up for anything or any other school in Canada. I have no regrets. I love Mac.” Elliott started at Mac as a Social Sciences student before transferring into Environmental Sciences. He is scheduled to graduate this spring. Following his graduation, Elliott plans to head to teacher’s college to pursue his passion for teaching and coaching. “I want to teach high school environmental science and geography. I want to coach too. I love sports. It doesn’t even have to be volleyball,” Elliott said. His time at Mac has given
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him valuable insight into maximizing one’s university experience. “Take advantage of every opportunity you’re given right off the bat. Don’t be shy. Get involved with everything you can. Sit near the front of your classes. Don’t be the guy near the back. Just be more engaged with everything.” Elliott sees sport as bigger than a stage to showcase talent. “It’s a platform you can use to develop life. That’s why I want to teach people that sport isn’t only about being physically active or being the best. Sports can teach you life lessons that you can hold onto forever,” Elliott said. Away from the court, Elliott spent significant time doing community service during his time at Mac with Mac Athletes Care. “I’ve always loved serving the community. Back home in Cobourg I was involved in the community up until grade 12 and then in my first year at Mac,
I wasn’t involved in anything,” said Elliott. “There was a significant part of me I wasn’t showing so getting involved with Mac Athletes Care brought that part of me back out.” Elliott would take time out of his week to just spend time with Hamilton youth and elderly citizens. Nothing complicated. He enjoyed learning to see the world through their eyes and wanted to be there for others if they needed anything. It’s very unique to see an athlete that legitimately wants to be around others, and to care for and support them in his own personal free time. It just goes to show that Elliott practices what he preaches about sport being more than a platform for talent, but a platform to impact the lives of others. “He has been one of the greatest leaders that I have ever coached,” said Coach Dave Preston. “Alex is a great human being.” @_jayceecruz
SPORTS | 29
www.thesil.ca | Thursday, March 17, 2016
Tough ending
McMaster Women’s Basketball ends their season in Ottawa after losses in the OUA Final Four
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It all ended on March 12 in the Nation’s Capital. After an emotional and long two days of play at the University of Ottawa’s Montpetit Hall for the OUA Final Four, the Marauders got back on the bus headed to Hamilton empty handed. No gold, no silver, no bronze. The hard work the entire season seemed to depend on the team’s ability to hold it together for two 40-minute games and that didn’t happen. The losses in both games not only ended the chance for an OUA medal, but ruined a CIS Final 8 berth. Each regular season win was working towards something bigger than just them. Each win was preparing them to get closer to what they wanted to claim this season: an OUA banner. And the McMaster Women’s Basketball team was given that opportunity. During the OUA quarter-final game vs. Queen’s at Burridge a few weeks prior, the Marauders punched their ticket to the OUA Final Four alongside Ottawa, Ryerson and Windsor. During Friday’s semi-final game, the game deciding which team would make it to the OUA gold medal game, McMaster dropped a 42-56 game to the hosts for the weekend, the Ottawa Gee-Gees. With both teams looking to advance to the championship game the following day, Ottawa was defending homecourt while McMaster was looking to avenge the loss suffered in Burridge during Think Pink. It was a low scoring game for both teams. McMaster was
led by Danielle Boiago’s 19 points. The rest of the 23 points came from five players on the team despite a total of 11 touching the hardwood. The numbers did not look too good for McMaster and as the 40 minute game elapsed, the game fell in favour of the Ottawa Gee-Gees. The team had to shake off the losing feeling rather quickly as they were set to play the Windsor Lancers the following day for bronze. There was much more production from the Marauders this game with Boiago leading the scoreboard with 19 points for the night. Clare Kenney also added 17 points for the team. Unfortunately, the team was not able to end the game with a win and lost to the Lancers 58-68. Windsor claimed bronze. As the team lined up to shake the hands of the bronze medalists, you could see the emotion on their faces and through their body language. Whether it was players thinking about what they could have done differently or the reality of the season ending was starting to hit them, the emotion was felt. While the team travelled back home with results they did not intend for, the season was still an impressive one. The Marauders finished 16-7 this season. With two graduating players leaving, Rachael Holmes and Siobhan Manning, the Marauders will use the offseason to improve and prepare for the following season of play. The team improved to play in the OUA Final Four this year and if they continue to push, a spot at nationals next year does not seem so out of reach. @itssofiaAM
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www.thesil.ca | Thursday, March 17, 2016
Review: 10 Cloverfield Lane Page 33
The Silhouette | 31
andy
Looking back at Scalped Page 34
Firewatch will set your world alight
Firewatch boasts sumptuous graphics and believable dialogue along with riveting gameplay. C/O TELLTALE GAMES
Trisha Gregorio Andy Writer
Firewatch is hands-down one of the most beautiful games I’ve ever encountered. I’d checked it out with zero idea what it would be about and what to expect, but the graphics of the start menu alone was all the convincing I needed to continue on. Firewatch is categorized under “first person adventure,” and it follows a fire lookout named Henry on his first few days on the job. The story is jump-started by the disappearance of two teenage girls in the forest, and it’s up to the player to deal with the puzzle this leaves to be solved. This is the first game from Campo Santo, a developer founded by the two leads from Telltale Games’ The Walking Dead game series. That alone already says its fair share about the game. The dialogue in the game operates almost the same way as Walking Dead — a character says something, and you, as player, get to choose what to do or say next in response.
Except Firewatch takes it a step farther, making for an adventure game that’s startlingly immersive in its take on a first-person perspective. The first-person perspective was chosen primarily to save on the costs that come with having to sync voice actors with their character counterparts, but the decision seems to have ultimately worked out in Firewatch’s favour. Playing as Henry, the game operates in a way that makes it look like you’re seeing through his eyes. When you look down, you see Henry’s hands and feet as if they were your own. The player only catches glimpses of what Henry is supposed to look like, and otherwise, for all intents and purposes, you are Henry, and his character is completely yours to experience the game through. As Henry, the player interacts with fellow lookout Delilah only via walkie-talkies, and while this sounds dull, it’s Henry and Delilah’s interactions that really make the game stand out. It’s one thing for it to look great, but with some of the best dialogue I’ve heard in a game and perfectly cast voice
actors, Firewatch sounds great, too. It’s simultaneously funny and poignant, and at times even relatable. The absence of a mental image to match Henry and Delilah’s voice behind the witty banter is a huge plus. This, coupled with the realistic graphics and being able to pick between response choices that range from emotional to dryly hilarious, it’s a game that feels very, very real in all aspects. Importantly so, since Firewatch doesn’t hold back on the tragic backstories, either. The first ten minutes of the game alone loads up on Henry’s own emotional background. And it’s worth noting that while this is quickly established and explored throughout the game, it does so without being overdramatic. Firewatch maintains its realism through and through, handling its story and its few characters without being too much nor being too little. It comfortably juggles the drama, the clever banter, the unraveling mystery and the action behind the main storyline, and in my book, any game that can pull that off while sticking to its own
personal charm is worth playing. That said, Firewatch’s one flaw, as noted by many players and critics, is its ending. The game builds itself up to be something dark and gritty, and while in some ways, it does reach that point, it only scratches the surface before descending back to what is a criminally anti-climactic ending. It’s not terrible, per se, but it’s the kind of ending that really makes you go: Wait, what? Is that it? Really? And that’s quite unfortunate for a game that never prompts those questions anywhere else. Firewatch makes for a great experience largely thanks to the environment it immerses the player in — the woods look shockingly realistic no matter which route you take, and the dialogue is brilliant and satisfying to the very last syllable. While the ending leaves much to be desired, it’s a quick little game that’s relaxing and escapist in its own charming right, and for that, it deserves a play. @tngregorio
Firewatch maintains its realism through and through, handling its story and its few characters without being overdramatic.
Release date: February 9 Genre: Adventure game Developer: Campo Santo Writer: Sean Vanaman Platforms: PS4, Windows, Linux, OS X Designers: Nels Anderson,
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ANDY
COMING UP IN HAMILTON
Thursday, March 17, 2016 | www.thesil.ca
Hamilton Youth Poets Hamilton’s own slam poetry scene has much to boast about, including soon hosting the largest youth poetry festival in Canada
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MARCH 19 > The Fat Cats MARCH 24 > CFMU Fundraiser
FILM
Hamilton Youth Poets is an organization that regularly gathers at Spice Factory to ply their trade.
WESTDALE THEATRE
MAR 18-24
C/O YARA FARRAN
Yara Farran Contributor
> Spotlight
> Brooklyn This week’s quick pick
Kanye West “Wolves” Ye finally fixed the track on Tidal as promised and it’s back to how we expected it to be. It now features Vic Mensa and Sia, just as it initially heard at the Yeezy Season 1 show during New York Fashion Week.
I’m currently sitting in a near-empty classroom. Some students are participating in an impromptu calculus study session. I can hear the anxiety in their voices as they discuss inverse functions. But I can tell that they’re curious, too — maybe even a little excited. Calculus is a world of its own. Learning about functions and derivatives unlocks some of life’s mysteries. Calculus is a special language, and these students are speaking their truths through numbers and algebraic formulas. But, this is not a piece about calculus. Not really, anyway. This is a piece about poetry. Slam poetry, more specifically. And in this moment — me in this near-empty classroom with a group of first-year students fumbling their way through unfamiliar math — I am reminded of the sheer strength and beauty of slam. I now want to write a poem about my broken ties with calculus, and tell an audience just how good it feels to be understood amongst the clutter of numbers, letters and decimals. Slam is a language too. If you have yet to be introduced to slam poetry, let me be the first to introduce you. I used to be in your position, but then I was warmly welcomed by
Hamilton Youth Poets (HYP). HYP is a community-focused organization that supports emerging young writers, poets and emcees by providing them with leadership opportunities to develop their literary and public speaking skills. Like calculus, slam poetry makes magic from moments; it’s a delicate balance between literary and performance art. Slam is rhythmic, having an intimate relationship with hip-hop and rap. It’s narrative-based, using the art of storytelling to intervene in the world. Most importantly, it gives a voice to its speaker and creates a space in which the poet and their audience can contribute to critical conversations that lead to tangible change in their communities. In short, slam poetry is a tool — it’s a methodology. There’s also a competitive undertone to slam poetry. A poetry slam gathers performers under one roof where they present their best pieces of work during multiple rounds. Judges will typically give each performance a score from one to ten, and the audience will make it known whether or not they agree with the scores dished out. They’ll protest to give the poet the love they deserve with extra snaps, claps or comments. Slams are fully immersive and communal experiences. Everyone gets a say. Ultimately, though, the
competition is a means and not an end. We applaud the poet, not the points. We use this forum to celebrate and debate one another, in a respectful and safe environment. Anyone and everyone can slam. Poetry is a universal language through which people can speak about their unique experiences and contexts. There’s no right way to write, and every poet has their own performance style. Find your voice. Hell, develop your voice and then own your voice. It’s okay if you don’t know where to start. There’s a community of people excited to support you in HYP. If you’re not from Hamilton or the surrounding area, be sure to research local groups dedicated to the literary and performance arts. Slam culture is thriving, so there’s likely a group near you. If not, who’s to say you can’t be the person to start one? Now, as I finish writing this, the calculus study session is wrapping up. While scribbling on the chalk board, the instructor looks at his students and makes an unexpected comment: “Always allow for serendipity in your life.” I heard about HYP for the first time during a chance encounter. Four years later I took the plunge and got involved. But, this is not a piece about serendipity. Not really anyway. HYP is active all-year round. Every third week of the
month, we host a poetry slam at the Spice Factory — and the energy is contagious. Around 100 people attend with a mix of familiar and fresh faces. During the upcoming slam, on March 20, HYP will be featuring Winona Linn, a tour-de-force of a spoken word artist that you don’t want to miss. Alongside the competition, there’s also an open mic providing slam-goers with another avenue for poetic expression. As the spring roars to a start, HYP will host the largest youth poetry festival in Canada, the annual Louder Than A Bomb Canada Poetry Festival (LTABC) from May 5-14. During the 10-day festival, LTABC offers different workshops and competitive events with the goal of fostering creativity and community, by bringing young people together across racial and socio-economic lines. The festival promises to be a massive occasion for all parties involved. Two special events that take place during LTABC are the University Slam, which is specifically geared towards engaging post-secondary-aged artists, and the Emcee Olympics, where 16 rappers battle in four rounds of competition. With both events, there are great prizes to be won (like money and an opportunity to record on HYP’s mixtape) and great friends to be made.
ANDY | 33
www.thesil.ca | Thursday, March 17, 2016
Review: 10 Cloverfield Lane Joe Jodoin Contributor
Eight years after the original Cloverfield was released in 2008, a new iteration of the movie has hit the big screen, but surprisingly, not as a sequel. Just by watching the trailer, there seems to be no connection to the original whatsoever. Producer J.J. Abrams has said that 10 Cloverfield Lane is “a blood-relative” to the original. I was very interested to see the movie and figure out how these two seemingly unrelated movies are connected. A lot about this movie has made me very excited. First of all, nobody even knew this movie existed until the first trailer dropped in January. The trailer was also fantastic, and left a lot of mystery surrounding what the film was really about. Abrams has even described this film as his “mystery box”, which worked very well in generating excitement and buzz around it. I felt terribly conflicted walking out of this movie, since overall I really enjoyed it. However, calling it a Cloverfield movie was completely unnecessary. It pretty much contains no
The J.J. Abrams-produced flick is not your average thriller
connection to its 2008 predecessor, and it seems to have just gotten the title 10 Cloverfield Lane to generate more buzz and make more money. You’re not supposed to know too much about the plot going in to this movie, as the mystery and surprise are the movies biggest strengths. A girl gets into a car accident. She wakes up in a bunker with two men who say there was a chemical attack and the outside world is uninhabitable. But one of the men seems to be more than meets the eye, and our protagonist begins to wonder if staying with her captor is even more dangerous than life outside the bunker. About 90 percent of this movie is filled with tension, scares, and nail-biting scenes, mainly driven by John Goodman’s performance as the unhinged man who built the bunker. His performance stands out, but is complemented by great directing from first-time director Dan Trachtenberg. Mary Elizabeth Winstead is excellent as the female protagonist, and her character provides the lens through which the
audience experiences the movie. John Gallagher Jr. is the third person in the bunker, and plays one of the construction workers who built it. These three actors are the only lead actors in the movie, and all three of them do excellent jobs keeping viewers entertained. While a majority of this movie is incredibly well made and enjoyable, the ending is where things fall apart. Without giving away spoilers, there is a silly twist that makes what’s left feel pretty much pointless. The twist forces a completely different tone on the rest of the movie and takes away all the tension without an amazing payoff. Not everyone will hate the ending as much as I did, but I’m sure everyone will love the bulk of the movie. I won’t say anything else, because the less you know about this movie, the better. I don’t think it will by as re-watchable as some other movies this year, because a lot of the fun comes from not knowing what will happen next, but I definitely think this movie is worth seeing.
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ANDY
Thursday, March 17, 2016 | www.thesil.ca
Scalped is poised to make waves on the small screen
With plenty of controversial topics in its makeup, the upcoming TV adaptation of the comic book series has us drooling in anticipation
The comic book series that ended in 2012 is about to get a new life as a TV show. C/O DC COMICS Hess Sahlollbey Contributor
Over the past week, the upcoming slate of adaptations based on DC Comics properties has been turbulent, to say the least. For instance, Sandman, based on Neil Gaiman’s comic-book series lost Joseph Gordon-Levitt, one of the driving forces behind it, further curtailing the project. On the opposite end of the spectrum is Preacher, which is slated to debut this May with Seth Rogen as an executive producer and starring Dominic Cooper. Hidden in all of this news was the fact that Scalped, also from DC, has been picked up for a pilot by WGN. While it’s not certain that it’ll become a series, I couldn’t help but revisit the comic-book series in anticipation. Written by Jason Aaron and illustrated by R. M. Guéra, Scalped is a crime comic book series published by Vertigo Comics. Originally published in 2007, the series ended after 60
issues in 2012. Along the way, guest artists jumped on to elevate the ongoing quality of the series. Scalped has been collected into ten trade paperbacks and is also currently being collected as five deluxe hardcovers. So far, three of these books have been released with numbers four and five planned for April and August respectively. The series, while fictional, is set in the present and is inspired by elements of Native American history. Specifically, story elements are derived from the American Indian movement and the Red Power movement of the 1970’s. Set in South Dakota, Scalped focuses on the Oglala Lakota inhabitants of the fictional Prairie Rose Indian Reservation. Our main protagonist, Dashiell “Dash” Bad Horse ran away from the “Rez” 15 years ago in search of something better. Now he’s returned home to find that nothing much has changed save for a new casino and a once-proud people overcome by drugs and organized
crime. While his motivation for returning to the reservation is unknown at first, he soon finds himself working for Chief Lincoln Red Crow as a member of the Tribal Police. Unfortunately for Dash, neither his mother nor his old friends are happy to see him return. Little does anyone know that Dash’s real reason for returning is that he is actually an undercover FBI agent, tasked with taking down the corrupted officials. With a premise as unique as that, it’s easy to see why a television network would want to adapt the comic. This is a series that wasn’t afraid to explore some pretty dark themes. Some of those explored themes include rampant poverty, organized crime, drug addiction and alcoholism, local politics and the preservation of their cultural identity. This series was never afraid to shine a light on a neglected part of society that is rarely depicted in the mass media. Adding a neo-western
setting, the series breaks certain cultural molds and could easily be seen as a contemporary western à la Breaking Bad due to its overall aesthetic. Much like western films, the idea of progress always hangs on the horizon. In the case of Scalped however, it’s the delicate lack of progress and stagnation on the “Rez” that makes the characters so interesting. The characterization is thus the strongest force behind this story. It’s fascinating to see the evolution that these characters go through over the span of the story. All of the characters feel organic and their problems and turmoil’s are captivating and depressing. While Dash Bad Horse may have a dark and questionable moral compass, Scalped showed us just how far a hero can fall from grace and still have the reader rooting for them. The level of realism in the series, combined with the depiction of Native American society easily makes Jason Aaron comparable to Honoré de Balz-
ac. Adding to that, R.M. Guéra complements the series perfectly with his gritty, dirty art. While I didn’t enjoy it at first, it quickly grew on me as an acquired taste and was greatly elevated by the change of colorist from Lee Loughride to Giulia Brusco. Casting for this series will be key, as Scalped will hopefully be a chance for Native American actors to get some prime time roles. Neither of Scalped’s creators are Indigenous and there has been some controversy in the past over how Indigenous people and their issues were depicted and treated over the course of the series. We can only aspire however that this project won’t turn out like Adam Sandler’s recent film The Ridiculous 6 where Native actors, actresses and a cultural advisor left the set in protest of the depiction of their culture. Here’s hoping that the TV adaptation will do this critically acclaimed comicbook series justice.
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MARCH 17, 2016
NOTSPEC.COM
University contacts U.S. schools to ensure its institutionalized racism is on same playing field
Oh, your schools only let in five percent of all Asian applicants? Well, just wait and see who we start carding
Why travel to the States when you can enjoy systemic racism right at home?
CASSIE NOVA-MOORE Racially Ambiguous
In light of recent events that have encouraged U.S. students to protest across their campuses, our local University has decided to take matters into its own hands to get the same reactions out of its students. The University has promoted diversity for years, but unfortunately, this noble cause has pushed the school back in terms of its institutionalized racism – a hot button and exciting topic that American Universities have been able to actively keep up with. “Now that we have Trudeau, we know that we’re on par with handsome federal leaders. But
systemic racism? They are way ahead of us,” said Donna Mitski, the Public Relations Associate at the University. The University feels that its lack of appearances on national news outlets is making students consider other options for grad school, and in turn, head for more exciting institutions in the Midwest and Deep South. “There’s something exciting about protests that we think really ropes in more prospective students. Or atleast, make us feel like we have our students on a rope,” said Mistski. “The sound of chanting, the feel of the floors shaking, the hint of tear gas in the air – that’s the university environment that makes students feel alive. Or better
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yet, like they might not make it out alive.” In an effort to create this desired atmosphere, the University chose to hire someone that would rile up the student population. “We recently chose to assign a known local racist to an authoritative position,” said Mitski. “I’d like to see students getting their Masters in the States now.” “We think this will inject just the right amount of oppression on campus. We want to see our University hashtag consistently alongside #BlackLivesMatter as our students grow to resent us,” said Mitski. “And don’t worry, our Black employee said this was OK.”
“I feel like a little oppression is the perfect thing to bring students together.” Donna Mitski, Might not understand the point of equality
INSIDE FESTIVE FEATURES A3 IS SHIA LABEOUF GOING TO BE IN THE NEW INDIANA JONES? A5 SHIA LAWOOF A6 SHIA LAHOOF B2 SHIA LAGOOF B4 SHIA ENOUGH B6
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