S
NEWS EMERGENCY BURSARY The MSU is offering students financial support with a new bursary program Page 4
LIFESTYLE INTROVERT ON CAMPUS Moving past the gregarious themes of Welcome Week as an introvert Page 11
SPORTS WE ARE THE CHAMPIONS Mac football starts the season strong with a win in Toronto Page 15
The Silhouette Thursday, Sept. 10, 2015
P O ST D E T S E U Q E R pass s u b t n stude w e n e ement h c T a l p e r a $100 s e m last r i o r u f q 5 re 7 se of $ a e r c n i rds are a c e s e fee – an like th s k o o l t us. t s year. I n i a g a stacked Page 3
S
LOOKING BACK
WELCOME WEEK
THROUGH THE AGES
The Silhouette
Volume 86, Issue 4
Frosh and orientation highlights from our past issues OCT. 5, 1945
Thursday, Sept. 10, 2015
Initiations
McMaster University’s Student Newspaper
EDITORIAL BOARD
Initiations and hazing used to be a large part of McMaster’s culture.
editor-in-chief | thesil@thesil.ca
Amanda Watkins @whatthekins managing editor | managing@thesil.ca
In 1945, students would engage in a La Tomatila-esque tomato fight across campus as a way to initiate new frosh into life on campus.
Ana Qarri @anaqarri production editor | production@thesil.ca Michael Gallagher @michaelradar online editor | online@thesil.ca Shane Madill @shanemadill sections
Rachel Katz Patrick Kim news reporter Alex Florescu features reporter Daniel Arauz opinions editor Talia Kollek sports editor Sofia Mohamed sports reporter Jaycee Cruz lifestyle editor Jason Woo lifestyle reporter Michelle Yeung andy editor Tomi Milos andy reporter Vannessa Barnier news editor
news reporter
[originally published in The Silhouette as Tomato fight ends initiation as uprising quelled by sophs]
SEPT. 17, 1971
media
The line-up
Jonathan White photo reporter Jason Lau video editor Philip Kim social media coordinator Esther Adjekum photo editor
sales ad manager | sgiordan@msu.mcmaster.ca
Sandro Giordano
CONTACT
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MUSC, Room B110 McMaster University 1280 Main Street West, Hamilton, ON L8S 4S4
The Silhouette welcomes letters to the editor in person at MUSC B110, or by email at thesil@thesil.ca. Please include name, address and telephone number for verification only. We reserve the right to edit, condense or reject letters and opinion articles. Opinions and editorials expressed in The Silhouette are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of the editorial board, the publishers, the McMaster Students Union or the University. The Silhouette is an editorially autonomous newspaper published by the McMaster Students Union. The Silhouette Board of Publications acts as an intermediary between the editorial board, the McMaster community and the McMaster Students Union. Grievances regarding The Silhouette may be forwarded in writing to: McMaster Students Union, McMaster University Student Centre, Room 201, L8S 4S4, Attn: The Silhouette Board of Publications. The Board will consider all submissions and make recommendations accordingly.
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If waiting in line at the Campus Store for textbooks is a nightmare, imagine being a student back in 1971 when registration had to be done by hand, on campus. Prior to the magic of the Internet and Mosaic, students had to come to campus a week early and register for their courses – first come, first served. [originally published in The Silhouette without a headline]
CORRECTIONS
aster /TheMcMette Silhou
ouette @thesilh
er /McMast te t Silhoue
ter @mcmas te t silhoue
In our August 2015 issue in the article “Taking Inquiry Elsewhere,” we printed that the Arts & Science program was formed after 2000, it was actually formed in 1981.
The Silhouette
www.thesil.ca | Thursday, Sept. 10, 2015
In this
issue:
News
MSU offers an emergency bursary of up to $500 to students in need Page 4
Following its hiatus, IRC returns to residence duties Page 5
The end of the small bright sticker The university transitions to a two-card bus pass as the replacement fee increases substantially
After Sept. 21, students will be required to carry the secondary bus pass in order to freely use the HSR. PATRICK KIM/ NEWS REPORTER
Patrick Kim News Reporter
Students who are familiar with the old bus pass sticker will have to adjust to a two-card system for the 2015-16 academic year. In the past, the bus pass was designated a section of the validation sticker on the front of every student ID card. This year, in order to take advantage of their $138.65 Hamilton Street Railway bus pass fee, students will be required to have a secondary card with the last three digits of their student number. Students will have a grace period extending until 11:59 p.m. on Sept. 21 where both the
old sticker and the new bus pass will be accepted. Afterwards, students will be required to pick up the secondary bus card from one of the campus bookstores in order to freely board any HSR transit. “Over time, we’ve looked to becoming more efficient around our processes,” said University Registrar Melissa Pool on the change to a second, physical card. “I think everyone thought that the sticker equates the bus pass, but it was really a part of broader processes that we’ve moved away from.” Where the validation sticker once served multiple purposes, the HSR bus pass remains the last vestige of a sticker that was originally intended for
other reasons. The majority of those services have since gone electronic, and so the university has been looking for alternatives for several years. According to MSU VP (Finance) Daniel D’Angela, while the new system is not specifically based on any one system, schools like the University of Western Ontario were examined to understand how the distribution and implementation process would work. John McGowan, Business Manager with the McMaster Students Union, explained that the change was also an indication of future goals between the MSU, HSR, and various other partners. “Longer term, there’s been discussions with Presto and the
| 3
University invests in new Learning Portfolio system Page 9
HSR […] about having a solution that’s based on the Presto card,” said McGowan. “I think that’s the ideal solution.” But some of the changes behind implementing the new bus pass remain unclear. For example, the secondary card does not appear to be more secure than the previous sticker method, since the final three digits on the bus card are simply written in Sharpie. The largest point of contention is the drastic increase in the replacement cost of lost or stolen bus passes. In the past, a replacement would cost students $30. Now an initial replacement fee will cost $100, with each subsequent replacement running students $150. Nancy Purser, HSR’s Manager of Transit Support Services, explained how the replacement fee emphasizes the value of the card to each student. “It’s basically a highly reduced transit pass that’s good for 12 months, and it represents over a thousand dollars in transit fares,” she said. “We should have done this a long time ago; however, the replacement fee represents that this card has a lot of value.” Yet D’Angela explained that the MSU recognizes that the cost of replacement is uncomfortable for many students, and remains a point of discussion for the future. “We’re still looking at ways to bring the price down [...] because I think $100 is very, very cost-prohibitive for students, and I don’t think it’s fair for students to have to pay that $100 if they lose something,” said D’Angela. “Steps should be taken to prevent fraud, but I think when it’s not fair to students, that’s when it’s a problem.” The replacement fee increase in particular has angered several students, and a group identifying themselves as the Student Mobilization Syndicate has initiated an online petition entitled “Stop the Replacement Fee Hike for Bus Passes.” Kathleen Quinn, a third year Political Science student and one of the organizers of
“
Steps should be taken to prevent fraud, but I think when it’s not fair to students, that’s when it’s a problem. Daniel D’Angela MSU VP Finance
the petition, explained that the replacement fee increase is not a fair cost to expect students to cover. “Our position is pretty reasonable: we’re asking that the fee be reduced to either last year’s $30, like when you had your sticker with the student card, or something in line with the cost of making and administering the card,” she explained. As of Wednesday, Sept. 9, the online petition has reached 853 supporters. Although McGowan explained that the HSR is endeavoring to look at each issue for replacement on a caseby-case basis, Quinn stated that she was against any kind of an exemption-based system. “When you have an exemption system, it’s two-tiered, and that’s not right, because everyone pays the same amount. And I also think it’s an invasion of privacy if these sorts of guidelines make you prove financial need, make you prove these things,” she said. Those involved have echoed that the current implementation of the bus passes this year is a pilot project. Both McGowan and D’Angela reiterated that the MSU’s goal is to minimize the replacement cost to students, in a fair and equitable manner. @patrickmkim
4 |
NEWS
Thursday, Sept. 10, 2015 | www.thesil.ca
MSU offers emergency bursary program unrelated to OSAP Full-time students now have the option of applying for an emergency bursary through the MSU. Students can request up to $500 to relieve short-term financial problems. Amanda Watkins Editor-in-Chief
This school year, the MSU will be launching their inaugural Emergency Bursary program. Spearheaded by current VP Finance, Daniel D’Angela, and a group of representatives,
the SRA Finance Committee worked to develop a feasible and flexible program that would provide emergency dollars to students with short-term cashflow issues. “A lot of schools have some sort of resource dedicated specifically to short-term financial assistance — whether that’s loans, or grants — that was one
of the things that we realized isn’t really offered at McMaster,” said D’Angela. The bursary program was initially suggested during a 2013-14 SRA meeting. The 2014-15 Finance Committee, an Executive Board sub-committee, worked towards completing the program. At the Feb. 22, 2015 meeting, D’Angela
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announced that the plan would be taken to the Executive Board for approval. The new program allows students to request up to $500 in financial assistance. There is no limit as to how many students can apply, but the overall budget for the program allots $8,000 from the MSU’s Executive Budget. Students may not receive their full request, but can continue to submit applications until they have reached a cap of $500. “This isn’t going to solve student financial assistance and accessibility on campus, but I think it’s good that the MSU is offering one tool to help,” said D’Angela. Created independently of The Financial Aid Office, the program will be fully mandated by the MSU, with one SRA member, one MSU employee and the MSU comptroller, Maggie Gallagher, assessing all of the submitted applications. The Finance Committee chose to exclude any information about applicants’ OSAP statuses on the application form, as many of them know from personal experience that the OSAP process often has gaps. “The classic example is that your parents can make enough money that you don’t qualify [for OSAP], but you won’t receive funding even if they aren’t supporting you,” said D’Angela. “Putting an OSAP requirement could be a barrier.” The new program was not modelled directly after any financial assistance programs, but the committee looked at both Brock University’s Emergency Bursary Program, and the University of Alberta’s student union-run Supplementary Bursary Program for inspiration. The committee attempted to reach out to community partners who may have been interested in contributing to the bursary budget, but unfortunately did not get much of a response. This year will be the first run of the program, and hopefully not the last. The Emergency Bursary program is a step in the right direction for financial assistance, and comes at a time when the provincial government has also recently released
“
A lot of schools have some sort of resource dedicated specifically to short-term financial assistance — whether that’s loans, or grants — that was one of the things that we realized isn’t really offered at McMaster Daniel D’Angela VP Finance
modifications to the OSAP application process. Students now have the ability to withdraw OSAP funds at different times instead of all at once, are not required to claim their vehicle as an asset, and can exempt the first $3000 of their assets from their financial assessment. Students can access the Emergency Bursary application through the MSU website, and are required to fill out their general information as well as details about their living and commuting expenses. While the application does not ask any income-related questions to assess a person’s financial need, they instead focus on living and commuting expenses — things that can be considered day-to-day costs. The program chose this criteria as they think it is a better determinate of short-term cash-flow needs such as money for rent, groceries, or transportation, among other necessities. @whatthekins
NEWS
www.thesil.ca | Thursday, Sept. 10, 2015
| 5
Back in business Following a year-long hiatus to accomodate internal restructuring, McMaster’s Inter-Residence Council is back in full force.
Alexandra Florescu News Reporter
September is a month of novelty—new faces around campus, new courses, new clubs. Among these changes is the return of the Inter-Residence Council (IRC), the organization that represents students living in residence. The IRC is now functioning fully after a hiatus of event activities from October 2014 to the end of the 2014-15 academic year due to internal restructuring. Nisha Depa, the newly elected IRC President and a fourth year Life Sciences student, is excited to see the changes implemented. Among these changes is the addition of four vice presidential positions for every residence: advocacy, promotions, administration and yearbook. This system is similar to that implemented at Guelph, where an upper year fills a mentor position for a council made up of residence students. The goal is to encourage incoming student participation as well as grant students the opportunity to volunteer in positions that do not require the same time commitment as some larger roles. Changes to IRC bylaws state that two of these positions are filled through an election process while the other two are hired. In the past, the IRC has operated based on the two main themes of advocacy and programming. A survey distributed to students in residence last year highlighted a demand for greater advocacy. Results showed that only 56 percent of students claimed that they felt they had adequate opportunity to voice their opinions. This gave rise to a new position for Vice President Advocacy and Leadership Development. When asked about what responsibilities the roles will comprise, Depa explained that the Vice Presidents are working
closely with the Director of Housing to create a consultation framework to process requests for issues like more study rooms. “We have added guidelines into training for event planners to encourage bigger events […] that students can’t plan on their own,” said Gurteg Singh, a fourth year Life Science student and the VP Communications for IRC. “First year event planner positions allow students to contribute to their own experience in contrast to an upper year planning events for them,” added Depa. This year there will also be a greater focus on leadership. Changes in this direction are taking place with the addition of new VP, volunteer positions, and the creation of the Students in Residence Fund (SIRF). “SIRF is a new initiative where students can choose where to [allocate] the money coming out of their residence fees. […] Students can apply for initiatives they are interested in, that then go through the finance committee in order to get passed.” Along with changes in structure come changes in funding allocation: residences will receive a budget proportional to the size of their student body. Additionally, the IRC has decreased its sub-committees as some delegations have been absorbed into larger groups. The IRC has come a long way from last October. Events were better organized during this year’s Welcome Week, though not without kinks, like the delay in the Tug of War event. Despite these few hiccups, the IRC seems to be well-prepared to welcome new students to McMaster and encourage them to get involved with the community in which they live. @alexxflorescu
IRC reps lead numerous activities during McMaster’s Welcome Week. C/O MICHAEL BEATTIE
6 |
AROUND CAMPUS
Thursday, Sept. 10, 2015 | www.thesil.ca
“How are you feeling about being in your last year?” “I stepped onto campus on the first day, and I was here all summer and it was so quiet, and then suddenly there was this sensory overload because all the people, and the noise and it was very overwhelming. I’m actually fairly nervous to be honest because I’m part of a few clubs. Some of them are new— like the BioPsych Society and COPE and we’re doing a lot of new initiatives so I’m excited but I’m also doing a thesis and neuroimmunology and also a project course in internet-based cognitive behavioural therapy.” “You just had your last first day of school. Are you going to do grad school?” “I’m applying to both med school and grad school. I’m fairly excited, fairly nervous. Grad school applications are always interesting and always nerve-wracking.” “What advice would you have for new students?”
Douglas Chung Biology and Psychology IV
“Number one: join as many extra-curricular activities that you can and that you’re interested in. Because you never know what kind of friends you’ll meet. All my friends are within these little families—like my fencing family. They’re all within these little groups. So that’s really important. And second, my theory is that it’s not all about marks. Take classes that you enjoy and take classes that challenge you and always expand your curiosity by looking up new scientific stuff you’re interested in.”
“How did you meet?” Maha: “Let’s talk about the first time we actually met each other. I think it was last week, when we were walking home from a Welcome Week event, and … a cop car stopped us at McMaster late at night and they asked us about Mitchell’s shoes. And then my makeup bag blew open.” Mitchell: “Her makeup exploded in her bag and we were in the middle of the road trying to clean it out.” Maha: “And Mitchell helped me, and that is a great example of the community at McMaster. Because even if you feel like a fool, and even if you feel embarrassed, there’s always a Marauder there to support you and someone who will have your back, and that was Mitchell Wong. You can’t go wrong with Mitchell Wong.” Mitchell: “I’d just like to thank my girl Maha for being so awesome, and for being so open and energetic with me. [She’s] always putting a smile on my face.”
Maha Moin and Mitchell Wong PNB III, and Engineering III
“What were you doing here just now? “I was waiting to buy a Psychology textbook.” “Did you meet this person online?” “Yeah, on the Facebook group. That’s been helpful except for with iClickers.” “Do you prefer buying new or used books?” “Used because it’s cheaper—significantly cheaper. And for some of the older textbooks it doesn’t really matter.” “As a first year, how was Welcome Week for you, and how were your first classes?” “Really good. I love the community on campus and all the professors seem really friendly and approachable. It’s been breaking a lot of the stereotypes that universities have. All the upper year students are really friendly and stuff.” “What are you looking forward to this year?” JASON LAU/ PHOTO REPORTER
Kaitlyn Lammers Life Sciences I
“Learning a lot.”
AROUND CAMPUS
www.thesil.ca | Thursday, Sept. 10, 2015
| 7
“What’s one thing about you that most people don’t know?” “I guess I’m very handcrafty. I made my backpack, I’ve made my wallet, I made my clothes. I would say it’s thrifty. I’m not cheap, but if I have the know-how of how to do something, I’ll do it. I’m also a really good cook. I call myself the ‘Master Broke Chef ’ because I can turn a can of soup and a few other things into this delicious meal. And people are like, ‘oh, did you make that from scratch?’ I’m like, ‘yeah, it didn’t come out of a can—and all this stuff, no, it’s fresh.’”
Brian Quinney Social Sciences I
“How did you meet each other?” Arunima: “It was just first year. We had frosh week and we were on a hike—” Bina: “—No it wasn’t a hike. I met her in the math hall. We were waiting to go into this room to do our last little cheer for Wallingford. And I was just sitting there kind of awkwardly because I’m shy, right? And then she just started talking to me... It wasn’t the hike, Arunima.” Arunima: “I could have sworn it was the hike!” Bina: “—Or maybe it was the hike. I don’t know.” “Describe your friendship to me in a couple of sentences.” Bina: “I think it’s a good balance of optimism and negativity.”
Bina Patel and Arunima Deb Peace Studies & Philosophy III and Nursing III
Arunima: “It’s like yin and yang. Like sometimes we’re negative with both of our lives, and sometimes we’re positive. Then another time one of us can be positive, and another one of us can be negative. The thing about Bina that I love is that she’s so helpful. She’s always got an ear to listen, and it’s the thing that keeps me going.”
8 |
NEWS
Thursday, Sept. 10, 2015 | www.thesil.ca
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www.thesil.ca | Thursday, Sept. 10, 2015
| 9
Canadian Changes coming to Learning Portfolio campus University moves to new online platform as school year commences news Rachel Katz & Patrick Kim News Editor & Reporter
Safety app for Dalhousie students A new app is being offered by Dalhousie University in order to improve safety on campus for its students. DalSAFE, which is free and available for Apple, Android and Blackberry devices, allows students to instantly access Dal’s security team with a simple tap. The app combines the capability of emergency telephones around campus with various emergency services, as well as a GPS-enabled map of Dal’s campuses. The PebblePad platform improves the Learning Portfolio system wih more descriptive help features and a cleaner design.
Canadian education system still failing indigenous students While Canada is known for its high-caliber post-secondary education system, a recent Academica Forum report found an increasingly large gap between indigenous and non-indigenous students. The report showed that educational accomplishments for both groups have steadily risen since 1996, but that the gap between the groups has also grown. In 1996, 12 percent more nonindigenous Canadians held university degrees. In 2011, that difference had risen to 17 percent. This failure once more raises the issue of the lack of funding available for on-reserve schools.
$17 million nuclear research facility opens at Queen’s On Sept. 1, the Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science at Queen’s University formally opened its Reactor Materials Testing Laboratory. The new $17 million facility is a new effort from the Queen’s Nuclear Materials Group that will support the use and development of safe and efficient nuclear power in Canada. A few of the partners for the project include McMaster University, University of Western Ontario and the University of Toronto.
C/O PEBBLEPAD
Rachel Katz News Editor
With the start of the new school year, McMaster has begun the process of phasing out the old Learning Portfolio platform. Just before the start of the classes, the university completed the purchase of licenses for a new system run by PebblePad, a company based in the United Kingdom. The Learning Portfolio is designed to be a virtual scrapbook for students to collect achievements, reflections, and goals and share them with friends, professors, and employers. Historically, the Learning Portfolio has had a negative reputation, with students complaining about the tool’s clunky interface. However, with the purchase of the PebblePad platform, the university is hoping to change that. “Over the last couple of years we’ve been collecting information, [by] asking faculty what they like and don’t like about the portfolio,” said Catherine Swanson, Learning Portfolio Program Manager at the McMaster Institute for Innovation and Excellence in Teaching and Learning. Swanson explained that
over the course of several months, students and staff from all of McMaster’s faculties tested different portfolio tools and eventually agreed on PebblePad. “It has so much more flexibility and it’s much easier [to use] and the students who tested it for us absolutely loved it,” she said. Unlike the old portfolio system, which was run by Desire2Learn (D2L), the company that also runs Avenue to Learn, PebblePad’s specialty is its e-learning portfolio system. Swanson is eager to see how the change affects both students and faculty. Once the system is fully up and running, students will be able to access PebblePad directly through Avenue to Learn just like the D2L platform. She emphasized the fact that unlike D2L, PebblePad is constantly releasing new versions so the system remains up to date with developments in web design. The PebblePad platform certainly looks more polished than D2L’s design. It features built-in help videos and popups to guide students through an online reflection. Its design is intuitive and streamlined. In the past, many students struggled with sharing their portfolios with professors who were using the system for assignments, but the new platform has clearer sharing instructions to ensure
“
If someone like me who is involved with the project isn’t really jumping up and down to do it, I don’t know how other students will feel aout it. Patricia Kousoulas Third year Life Sciences only those marking the Learning Portfolio can access it. Despite the change in platform, the number of students who will be engaged by the Learning Portfolio is still uncertain. Patricia Kousoulas, a third year Life Sciences student and President of the McMaster Science Society, has conflicting thoughts on the tool. She has used the Learning Portfolio in her studies at McMaster to explore specific skills such as leadership and communication in tutorials.
“The tool was a good way to capture my thoughts, however because it was for marks, people didn’t appreciate it […] the academic factor honestly scares people away—it scared me away too,” she said. Kousoulas said that in addition to the PebblePad help videos, she would love to see a student testimonial to promote extra-curricular uses for the portfolio. “The problem is that the first time students hear about [the portfolio] is during class time, and then it doesn’t excite them.” She thinks that it will likely take a long time to find students who genuinely want to use the platform. “If someone like me who is involved with the project [...] isn’t really jumping up and down to do it, I don’t know how other students will feel about it,” she said. PebblePad will be gradually implemented over the course of the year, and while the system’s features look modern, it may still have a long way to develop.
@RachAlbertaKatz
www.thesil.ca | Thursday, Sept. 10, 2015
The Silhouette | 11
Editorial The consent conversation Welcome Week’s discussion of consent was a refreshing addition to an often intimidating and uncensored tradition.
Amanda Watkins Editor-in-Chief
This past Welcome Week, McMaster introduced a new series of lectures for incoming first years, centered on consent and rape culture. The consent discussions came in many different forms: a workshop entitled “Cookies and Consent,” a supporting role in the annual IRIS production, and graphically displayed across buttons and posters on campus. It was a clearly important part of the week. As a first year coming to Mac in 2011, some of the lessons shouted at me during Welcome Week were close to the opposite of those greeting this year’s freshmen. While I knew better than to disregard consent as an important and necessary part of
my life, hearing reps from my own faculty insultingly scream “virgin” at other students, along with representatives of another faculty chanting “no means yes,” I was startled by what was considered a normal part of Welcome Week at McMaster. After the controversial Red Suit Songbook was unearthed during the 2013-14 school year and a series of similar incidents occurred on campuses across the country, I am happy to see that our university is making an effort to give students a proper education on what consent means, and why it is a necessary part of our actions and decisions. During my time as a student, I was lucky to be part of the SACHA Welcome Week training provided for faculty and residence representatives. I was excited to see that SACHA was also involved in this year’s programming for first years. While educating
an already keen group of student leaders is important, cementing McMaster’s zero-tolerance policy for rape culture and language into the minds of incoming students can be a much more important asset. I am proud of our university for taking this step, but while it is easy to look at this situation and think that McMaster is years ahead of other universities, it is important to remember that assault is not something our campus, or any other, is immune to. And whether you were part of this year’s Welcome Week or not, there is still a lot that needs to be said and done before the consent conversation becomes something that we all already agree to. @whatthekins
to air matresses. to clean fridges. to animal crackers.
to basementdwelling spiders. to proposed psychic ability.
to “naughty little pun boys.”
to a Doodle poll lost in cyberspace.
to no need for round three.
to random thunderstorms.
to house meetings, for the most part.
to unreasonable replacement fees.
to colouring books for grown-ups.
to Clubsfest on production day.
to Oracle cards.
to overheated night classes.
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The Silhouette | 13
Opinion
Donald Tr
ump VS.
t s e W Ka nye
Yeezy for President
Why I would rather vote for Kanye West than Donald Trump Talia Kollek Opinions Editor
On Aug. 30, 2015, Kanye West received an MTV Video Music Award and added a surprise announcement to his acceptance speech. In 2020, he will be running for president of the United States. It may sound absurd for a man with no political background, a track record of publicity gaffs, and a history as a meme to be considering the role of president, but if Donald Trump can do it, why not Yeezy? Trump, a billionaire real estate mogul and television host, has been the popular front-runner for the Republican Party’s nomination. His popularity stems from his lack of previous involvement in politics, his forthrightness, and his business success—attributes which can also be attributed to
West. He has no political experience to date, and his public candid outbursts are passionate and frank. As for business, if the accumulation of wealth makes for effective leadership—as Trump would have us believe— West has the same advantage. At the age of 38, Kanye is worth an estimated 130 million, and his wife, Kim Kardashian, an additional 85. At the age of 44, Trump’s ex-wife claimed that he was worth a paltry 400 million, a far cry from the billions he supposedly owned at the time. Additionally, he inherited a portion of it, giving him a sizeable head start. Trump’s inheritance also included all of the benefits of being born to a millionaire, with financial direction from his father and a private school education. Even with these advantages, Trump’s financial history is not spotless: his company required a bailout in 1990, only 10 years after he took charge. West, on the other
hand, came from a middle-class family, building his wealth from scratch. His effective personal branding and acclaimed musical career have rapidly developed his personal wealth. Trump is not the only aspiring president in possession of a fortune; however, the difference between the two is that West has actual experience amassing one. An argument against West might be that he is not formal, refined or “presidential” enough, but let us take a moment to consider what that objection might actually mean. Let’s pretend for a second that expectations of presidential decorum are not inherently tied to white privilege. What exactly about Trump carries more of the essence of the “presidential” than Kanye West? Trump’s hairstyle has been a longstanding joke and his sexism and racism are rampant and ubiquitous. Trump’s behaviour is far from decorous, and leagues from
what I would desire in a political leader. Let us instead agree that the quality that defines someone as presidential is the process of being elected in a presidential race. Another advantage that West has over Trump is that he understands systemic racism. West has made multiple public comments about issues regarding race in America, whether it be about the alarmingly underwhelming government aid for Hurricane Katrina’s largely Black victims, or his comments on the persistence of racism despite some steps forward for people of colour. In the midst of the Black Lives Matter movement, with police brutality against Black Americans and people of colour being rife, I care more about a leader’s desire to fight racism than fulfilling Trump’s crackpot plan to build a wall along the Mexican border. Instead of recognizing racism to be a large scale, systematic
and nuanced challenge for the next president, Trump has been known to blame immigrants and people of colour for crime rates and sexual assault statistics. Trump announced his candidacy alongside a comment that Mexican immigrants are largely drug dealers, rapists and criminals. This shows a complete lack of comprehension about the state of contemporary America. West understands that racism bars young Black men from positions of leadership or power in America, and we can be certain that as president he would want to change that. Trump may not care about Black people, but West sure does. So, yes, if I could vote in the 2020 presidential elections, I would choose Kanye West over Donald Trump. @TaliaKollek
14 |
OPINION
Thursday, Sept. 10, 2015 | www.thesil.ca
Trigger warnings in academia Should professors be obligated to disclose lecture content? Sophie Geffros Contributor
The use of trigger warnings in the classroom is not just an accessibility issue; it is also good pedagogical practice. Both of these statements may shock you. Indeed, given the recent spate of hand-wringing articles by academics regarding their use, one would be forgiven for thinking that “trigger warnings” involved
warning a professor before pulling a trigger. Of course, they’re nothing of the sort. A trigger is a stimulus that produces a disproportionately negative reaction in people with mental health concerns. They are most commonly associated with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and other anxiety disorders, and may describe a stimulus that evokes an individual’s trauma so strongly that they “flash back”
and relive the traumatic event in their mind. Although every person has different triggers and a different reaction to exposure, there are some that are more frequent than others. Descriptions of abuse, sexual violence and traumatic injury are all common triggers in people with PTSD. Alerting students to the contents of the next day’s lecture is already common practice in most classrooms. In my four
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years at McMaster, I cannot recall ever having been assigned a reading without the professor reminding us to pay particular attention to certain themes or phrasings. Including a warning about the graphic descriptions of rape will not prevent professors from also directing students to pay particular attention to the use of birds in Tess of the d’Ubervilles. A trigger warning is an academic accommodation that instructors are legally obligated to provide, but the onus should not be on the student to reach out. To begin with, there are many individuals with PTSD symptoms who have not been formally diagnosed. PTSD is very common in individuals who have been sexually or physically abused, and these individuals often do not feel comfortable disclosing their symptoms to a physician, as to do so is also to admit to the abuse. Even individuals with a formal diagnosis may not be comfortable approaching Student Accessibility Services about this, and even fewer will be comfortable speaking with an instructor. Even if you do choose disclosure, instructors are often unsure of how to react. In my first year, I tentatively approached a philosophy professor who seemed sympathetic. I told him that I had heard from other students that some of the case studies on the syllabus dealt with some distressing issues, and that as a person with PTSD, I would appreciate it if he would give us a warning about the content when he assigned the cases. He frowned thoughtfully, and asked “So PTSD, huh? What happened to you?” I didn’t know what to say. I still don’t. If anyone has come up with a way to disclose years of sexual abuse and two very serious motor vehicle accidents to a professor without feeling as though you should melt through the floor, I would love to hear it. That night, I experienced nightmares and flashbacks that were the worst I had experienced since seeking treatment for my PTSD. Psychiatrists call this phenomenon “retraumatization,” and it is relatively common in people with a trauma history. It can leave a person jittery and
“
Including a warning about the graphic descriptions of rape will not prevent professors from also directing students to pay particular attention to the use of birds in Tess of the d’Ubervilles.”
anxious for weeks, and may result in significant relapse. Instructors should consider that warnings for content does nothing to diminish the experiences of the group, and allows many students to learn and engage with the material who would be otherwise unable to. Most students with triggers don’t wish to avoid the material entirely—although if they do, it would be within their rights to ask for an alternate assignment—but instead wish to be given sufficient time to prepare themselves. They may discuss the content with a friend or counselor, or they simply may make sure that they are in a safe place and positive state of mind when they choose to engage with it. Regardless of their choices, the provision of a warning will drastically improve their academic experience. A university should provide an environment that is safe and accessible for all students, regardless of their disability status or life experience. If providing a trigger warning can make the difference between a student engaging with the material or being unable to, I fail to see how an educator can refuse to provide the necessary accommodation.
www.thesil.ca | Thursday, Sept. 10, 2015
The Silhouette | 15
Lifestyle
C/O BRIAN ZHENG
Surviving university as an
Introvert
Jason Woo Lifestyle Editor
Three years ago, I left Welcome Week feeling like I didn’t belong in the McMaster community. All the screaming and spontaneous Gangman Style mobs just weren’t my thing. The whole week seemed to cater only to extroverts and seemingly extroverted introverts. My only recluses were the friends I made in my small faculty and the few friends I knew coming to McMaster. For this year’s crop of frosh who are concerned or disillusioned, there are two things you should know. First, your
university career is probably not going to be like Welcome Week. You’ll find your little niche, and do the things you like with a small clique of friends. There will be no yelling “HYPE HYPE HYPE” or “nae nae”-ing on the street. That said, by design an extrovert can more easily succeed in university socially than an introvert. Residence life for an introvert is like living in a minefield of social opportunities and situations. Luckily, that doesn’t mean an introvert is doomed. To survive, you have to get to know your preferences. You may like to spend time by yourself or take time to observe and think before you act. Focus on your interests and make as
many—or likely in this case, as few—connections as you desire. Once you figure out what you like, you can easily find people and extracurricular activities that are compatible to you. Clubs are great because you get to talk about what you’re interested in with a small group of people. Jillian Perkins-Marsh, an Alumni Career Counsellor at the Student Success Centre, says it is also important to take the risk of experiencing new things through experiential programming like MacServe and job shadowing. “At the end of the day you are gaining skills for your own personal development. The experiences always teach you something about
yourself even if it doesn’t work out. Personality is not static.” As an introvert, it’s very important to find the right balance between socializing and taking time for yourself. You should know how to get away when you need to. Your family is a phone call away and they definitely want to hear from you. Find places where you can be quiet and alone on campus if you need to (ETB is a great place that not many people frequent). Jillian also suggests being open about what you need with those around you. While on this journey of self-discovery it is important to realize that you’re not alone. CONTINUED ON PG.18 >
“
Reading up on yourself can be a really enlightening process. Jillian Perkins-Marsh Alumni Career Counsellor
16 |
LIFESTYLE
Thursday, Sept. 10, 2015 | www.thesil.ca
What’s in your
Backpack?
The start of the school year is a time to resolve the previous year’s setbacks, realign our priorities, and reorganize our lives. Your backpack is your most loyal companion throughout the school year: fill it with the necessities for success. Portable battery Michelle Yeung Lifestyle Reporter
Not sure about you, but I always find myself frantically looking for an outlet. I use my phone quite a lot, and the battery life often struggles to keep up with my social media life. A great way to prevent unnecessary frenzy and stress is to carry around a portable charger. This way, whether you’re in lecture or in between classes, your phone will always be fully charged and happy.
Good book Although school days are often filled with meetings and classes, it’s important to find some down time to unwind and chill out. Whether you’re a Kindle fan or a paperback fiend like myself, having some leisure reading material in your backpack is always a great idea. Read it during lunch, read it in between classes, read it on the bus ride home—you’re always learning, but in the best, self-directed way possible.
Snacks You’re filling your backpack with quality goods, so why not fill yourself with some as well? You never know when you’re going to get a little hungry between classes. Instead of the usual sugary granola bars or greasy bag of snack-sized chips (is the bag half full, or half empty?), it may be a good idea to have a CLIF bars or kale chips as replacements. Not only are these tasty alternatives, they’re also considerably healthier. Your body is a temple—if you want to have a great year, treat it with great stuff!
MUJI Stationary We often stray towards places like Staples and Walmart for back to school supplies when, in fact, there are options for both higher quality and better value. One of my favourite stores right now for all things lifestyle is the Japanese retailer “MUJI.” MUJI is a leading power in minimalist goods, with their notebooks and stationary as prime exemplar of their unparalleled skill.
Headphones
Moleskine Agenda My agenda is the most important item in my backpack. While the convenience of devices nowadays has downgraded traditional agendas from necessity to novelty, I continue to enjoy the physical comfort of writing down my schedule with a pen. Available in various sizes, textures, and shades, the Moleskine agenda is my personal favourite with its supreme quality and no-fuss design.
Laptop For those who are fortunate enough to have a laptop, you may find yourself unable to leave the house without it. While many people prefer writing in notebooks (it’s scientifically proven as the best method to retain information due to muscle memory), laptops are great for efficiency and containing all of your information in one, organized place. Laptops are also great for down time, as you can virtually do anything with them (from watching Netflix to getting ahead on assignments).
Sometimes, people can be overwhelming and we just need to tune the world out for a little bit. Some students also prefer working in the library while listening to their own music. Whatever your reason, having a pair of headphones in tow is never a bad idea. If you’re looking to invest in a pair of quality headphones, check out Bose.
18 |
LIFESTYLE
Thursday, Sept. 10, 2015 | www.thesil.ca
CONTINUED FROM PG.15 >
How to succeed as an introvert In Susan Cain’s TED talk, “The Power of Introverts”, Cain reveals the shocking fact that approximately one third to half of the population identify as introverts. Jillian also suggests completing a Myers-Brig test.
“Reading up on yourself can be a really enlightening process.” Frankly, there’s no shame in cozying up in your bed by your lonesome with your boyfriend pillow and Netflix (or as I like to call it, Netflix and no chill).
The second thing you should know is that Welcome Week as a whole actually isn’t so bad. Sure events like MacConnector and PJ Parade are intended for extroverts, but there are plenty of opportunities for introverts as well. If reps did their jobs properly, hopefully at some point in the week you had a nice quiet conversation with a rep or painted a rock or made a bracelet at the chill tent. Full disclosure, as a Welcome Week faculty planner this year, I have my biases. On the other hand, I’m not the archetypal rep because I’m a quiet introvert. This past week my screaming was kept to a minimum and I was mostly silent in planner meetings. In the past I was worried about what people thought about me given how quiet I was, but the truth is the people who matter don’t think any less of you. They understand where you’re coming from and they know that you are engaged. While as
an introvert, it is worthwhile to try to branch out and practice speaking to groups, it’s important to remember that you are simply wired to prefer one way of acting. Forcing yourself to change is as silly as trying to convince yourself that you like boiled eggplant. On the distinction between branching out and trying too hard to change who you are, Jillian says that it “depends on your own motivations. You should know whether you are doing what you want versus what you think people want you to do.” Just know that, as an introvert, you can still be a part of the McMaster community if you want to.
Myth or Fact? All introverts are shy. MYTH Introverts prefer time to observe things first in new situations FACT Social situations tend to drain the introvert’s energy, even if they have good social skills. FACT C/O Student Success Centre
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LIFESTYLE
www.thesil.ca | Thursday, Sept. 10, 2015
CROSSWORD
ACROSS 1. Invites 5. Back of the neck 9. Sudden fright 14. Spot of ink 15. Till bills 16. Ring 17. Time past 18. Small pest 19. Mortgages 20. Sharply inclined 22. Practice a play 24. Will 25. Icy precipitation 26. Informal assent 28. Artist Henri ____ 33. Cheerleader’s shout 36. Prayer word 38. Fill again 39. Expended 41. Metal fasteners 43. Folk knowledge 44. Tranquil 46. Perjurer 48. Foil metal 49. Serious 51. Observed 53. Bushed 55. Wear down 59. Hairstyle 63. Coat part 64. Basketball’s Shaquille ____
65. Dryer outlet 68. List of choices 69. Tally 70. Freezes 71. Dry 72. Cares for 73. Upon 74. Identical
DOWN 1. Chasm 2. Laziness 3. “M*A*S*H” locale 4. Rock band ____ Dan 5. Yuletide drink 6. Columnist ____ Landers
7. Oyster’s treasure 8. Admiration 9. Artist’s board 10. Diva’s forte 11. Not ever, in verse 12. Taverns 13. Box 21. Entreaty 23. Rumor 25. Citi Field predecessor 27. Memory loss 29. Not well 30. Chimney dirt 31. Calcutta dress 32. Eve’s garden 33. Trick 34. On a cruise 35. Frau’s spouse 37. Zero 40. TV room 42. Spoke falsely 45. Stinging plants 47. Rod’s partner 50. Insignificant matters 52. Serious plays 54. Vote into office 56. “Carmen,” e.g. 57. Jeans material 58. Avoid capture 59. Mail 60. Single time 61. Broadway sign 62. 36 inches 66. New (prefix) 67. 1/3 TBSP
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The Silhouette | 21
Sports Mac beats Toronto 55-33
LEAGUE AT LARGE Football
The Marauders open the season with a dominating win against the Varsity Blues, with a quarterback debut and player achievements.
OUA
CIS Top Ten W L
WESTERN GUELPH McMASTER OTTAWA LAURIER QUEEN’S CARLETON TORONTO YORK WATERLOO WINDSOR
2 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 0 0 0
0 0 0 0 1 1 1 1 2 2 2
LAVAL CALGARY WESTERN MONTREAL GUELPH MANITOBA McMASTER MOUNT ALLISON SASKATCHEWAN UBC
Men’s Soccer OUA West
OUA East W L
W L
McMASTER YORK GUELPH WESTERN WINDSOR LAURIER BROCK
3 2 2 2 2 1 1
1 1 1 1 1 1 3
RYERSON UOIT TORONTO CARLETON LAURENTIAN NIPISSING QUEEN’S
2 2 2 1 1 1 0
1 1 1 1 1 1 2
Women’s Soccer OUA West
OUA East
W L
WESTERN LAURIER YORK GUELPH McMASTER
4 3 3 3 2
0 0 0 1 1
LAURENTIAN OTTAWA TORONTO CARLETON RYERSON
W L
3 2 2 1 1
1 1 1 1 1
Notable Mention
C/O RICK ZAZULAK
Jaycee Cruz Sports Reporter
After trailing 26-24 at halftime, the McMaster football team responded with a strong second half outscoring the Toronto Varsity Blues 31-7 to a 55-33 win at Varsity Stadium. Starting off with a weaker display of performance in the first half with turnovers and penalties hurting the Marauders, the improvement from the first half to the second half led the team to their first season win. Mac quarterback Asher Hastings put together a stellar CIS debut, completing 26 of 34 throws for 384 yards and five touchdown passes. With first and second year players taking up more than half of the roster, the youthful team has had to make necessary adjustments. A new season means new players and the team modifying their playing
style. “On any given year, we adjust our offense based on our personnel. It’d be silly of us to stick with the same stuff every year,” said Jon Behie, assistant coach and offensive coordi-
“
We’ve got a great recieving core with a lot of capable guys. Jon Behie Assistant Coach and Offensive Coordinator
nator. “We’re always adapting and changing based on our strengths and weaknesses.” Second year wideout Dan Petermann caught nine balls for 100 yards and a touchdown. Third year standout wide re-
ceiver, Danny Vandervoort was the recipient of four of Hastings’ five touchdown passes. Vandervoort tallied 10 receptions for 168 yards including an 89-yard touchdown reception—a firm defense of his OUA First Team All-Star selection from last season. Vandervoort’s performance against Toronto also earned him an OUA Player of the Week mention. Although the numbers may tempt you to think that Vandervoort is Mac’s only vertical threat, Behie insists otherwise. “Those four touchdowns could have gone to anybody else. We’ve got a great receiving core with a lot of capable guys. We’ve got Dan Petermann, Max Cameron, Declan Cross, Josh Vanderweerd. These are all guys that are capable of big games like that,” said Behie. “It just happened to be Danny’s number last week but that could change week to week.” Up next for the Marauders is their home opener against the Ottawa Gee-Gees this weekend.
Mac will use their bye this week to fine-tune certain aspects of their game. “In training camp you don’t always have time to perfect the little details. There are little intricacies in our offensive and defensive schemes that our guys just need time to figure out. A bye week allows us to focus on those little things,” said Behie. The season opener win has landed the Marauders in fifth place in the CIS football rankings. Look for McMaster to display a more polished game all around as they host Ottawa on Sept. 12. Kickoff is scheduled for 1 p.m.
@_jayceecruz
Graham Brown named CIS CEO After years of being CEO of Rugby Canada, Graham Brown has joined the Canadian Interuniversity Sport. Brown is familiar with the CIS as he is a founding member of Windsor’s Rugby program.
On the lookout: Athletes to watch this week Danny Vandervoort Football › OUA Offensive Player of the Week › Four touchdowns Third year reciever Danny Vandervoort was named the conference’s Offensive Player of the Week after an exceptional performance against the University of Toronto. Vandervoort is one touchdown away from his record of five last season.
22 |
SPORTS
Thursday, Sept. 10, 2015 | www.thesil.ca
WOMEN’S SOCCER
STARTS SEASON ON GOOD FOOT JON WHITE/ PHOTO EDITOR
The women’s soccer team is 2-1-1. Here is a short recap of their games so far. Sofia Mohamed Sports Editor
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With injuries hindering the success of the women’s soccer team for seasons in the past, the youth and health of the team shows a promising future for the Marauders. 17 first year players and more than half of the roster has been added, and a fresh group of athletes have been injected into a team that had playoff dreams cut short at the hands of injuries. Three regular games into the season and a current record of 2-1-1 shows that these Marauders are willing to compete and will have the chance to to do just that. Co-captains Taylor Davis and Sophia Ymeka are playing in their last year of eligibility and add years of experience to the defensive back line. Aug. 29 McMaster vs. Waterloo TIE 2-2
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With the first season game, the McMaster women’s team looked promising. McMaster led 2-0 with points on the board from Jessie Faber and Maila Carboni. Carboni, a rookie striker, got her first OUA goal in her debut in maroon and grey. The Marauders regulated most of the 90 minutes of play before the Warriors answered back with two goals of their own in the 85th and 87th minute. Both teams split the points,
and neither came out with a victory. Aug. 30 McMaster vs York LOSS 0-1 Though McMaster’s defence remained steady throughout, a goal in the 49th minute of play saw the Lions get back on the bus with a win. Sept. 5 McMaster vs Windsor WIN 1-0 The Marauders’ first win this season came at home as they competed against the Lancers. The goal was made by the firstyear striker Maila Carboni. Sept. 6 McMaster vs Brock WIN 1-0 It was a flawless winning weekend for the McMaster soccer team as they beat the visiting Badgers. The only goal of the day came from first year Alexandra Riganelli in the 26th minute of the game. With games scheduled almost every week for the next few weeks, the team will have to keep their health a priority for a shot at making it to playoffs. It is still early in the season and the team’s performance will decide their own fate. The team will hope to continue their winning streak as they travel to Toronto to face York on Thursday, Sept. 10. Kick-off starts at 5 p.m. @itssofiaAM
The Silhouette | 23
www.thesil.ca | Thursday, Sept. 10, 2015
andy Album Review Rodeo Travis Scott
Tomi Milos Andy Editor
Rodeo is Travis Scott’s major label debut and boasts the studio-refined polish that is befitting of an artist who counts Kanye West as his mentor. Despite being laden with all the right features, Scott’s album reeks like the output of someone who would drown without the help of those whose influence he’s leeching off of. It’s funny that Kanye went from ostracizing Kid Cudi, who he described as his favourite artist in 2010, to singing praises of Scott, who seems intent on trying to become a current day version of the Cleveland rapper. Everything from Scott’s faux rags to riches tale, his penchant for breezy sing-song melodies, to his adoption of Cudi’s first name (Scott Mescudi) is a poorly veiled attempt at fashioning himself into Kid Cudi 2.0. After his 30-minute set at this past OVO Fest, Kanye grinned as he introduced Scott as the torchbearer of the new generation before the latter pranced upon stage to begin an energetic performance. Despite the excitement he inspires in crowds, the University of Texas dropout could do with less slack from his G.O.O.D. Music cohorts, as his penchant for disrespecting innocent cameramen and yelling homophobic slurs on stage will begin to grate on even the more buzzy PR companies that desire to propel
Kanye West’s protege’s debut album reveals him to be nothing more than a dull imitator of his peers
The Verdict
him to the top of the charts. People were quick to throw Troy Ave, a talentless New York rapper billed as 50 Cent’s heir, to the curb for his shitty views, so why can’t the same be done with Scott? While Scott doesn’t struggle to produce conventional bangers like Rodeo standouts “Antidote” and “90210,” something tells me that’s more due to his talented peers than the meagre breadth of his artistic vision. My qualm isn’t with $cott’s induction to the mainstream, but rather with his insistence that he is pushing anything more than an amalgamation of his inspirations. Billy Haisley best summed up my gripe with Scott in his Deadspin piece, “Travis Scott is Worse Than Iggy Azelea,” when he said: “While he talks a big game about artistry and honesty, almost all of his songs are basic party anthems; he bigups Drake’s honesty but gets on a track with him (“Company”), waits while Drake drops a verse with concrete images demonstrating his selfish approach to relationships, then kicks a bland verse about doing drugs and hooking up with a completely amorphous girl.” Kanye plugged millennials heavily during his acceptance speech at the recent VMA’s, but the term when used by West is a general one that only seems to encompass wealthy, apathetic, fake-deep scene kids like Scott, Jaden Smith, Ian Connor and Luka Sabbat. If the youth that Kanye so trusts with revolution-
“
At its best, which isn’t saying a lot, Rodeo reeks of the vapid soma-induced escapism that makes Aldous Huxley’s Brave New World so incredibly frightening.
izing the world are simply being weaned on Scott’s bourgeois turn-up plagiarizing then we all have reason to fear the future. At its best, which isn’t saying a lot, Rodeo reeks of the vapid soma-induced escapism that made Aldous Huxley’s Brave New World so incredibly frightening. In a world where the Yeezy-clad privileged middle-class is so eager to get through the week just so that they pop pills at a club, there remains little hope that anyone will actually do something to change the condition of anything in the world other than their Fear of God-inspired wardrobe. @tomimilos
the
big tickle What musician would you want as Canadian Prime Minister?
Rachel
Pete Wentz
Sean
Drake
Ehima
J. Cole
Jomana
John Legend
Susan
Marc Anthony
24 |
ANDY
Thursday, Sept. 10, 2015 | www.thesil.ca
The Andy approval matrix
COMING UP IN HAMILTON
The best and worst in arts and culture. This is a concept borrowed from New York Magazine. We hope they don’t mind.
SUPERCRAWL EDITION
HIGHBROW
MUSIC
BALTIMORE HOSE SEPT 11 > Hand Drawn Dracula SEPT 12 > Z O N E S & friends
Documentary A Ballerina’s Life traces the journey of black dancer Misty Copeland, and will be released in theatres.
Apple disregards some of Steve Jobs’ last words of wisdom and releases a stylus pen.
SEPT 13 > Lee Paradise & friends VISUAL ART
Elena Ferrante releases the final volume in her series.
SUPERCRAWL ZONE
SEPT 11 > Art Crawl Market SEPT 11-13 > CORRIDORS @ HAVN
Ontarians continue to not understand what the new sex-ed curriculum involves. Protests continue.
CULTURE
Toronto is set to open a new Harry Potter-themed bar called “The Lockhart.”
LOCKE STREET
SEPT 12 > Locke Street Festival FASHION
This week’s quick pick
A Conservative candidate from Scarborough is fired after being caught on camera peeing in a coffee cup in someone else’s house.
IndigenousCanadian Miss Universe 2015 calls out Harper only days after her win.
Miley Cyrus continues to make a fool of herself after claiming Nicki Minaj’s complaints about the VMA’s were more for her own gain instead of challenging systemic racism.
Nicki Minaj calls out Miley Cyrus for wrongfully accusing her of arrogance in the press. Minaj proves that Cyrus does not know what systemic racism is.
Miley Cyrus
And Her Dead Petz This is a 23-track album released by Miley — independent of her album — on Aug. 30th. Tracks on this album take heavy influence from other artists.”Karen Don’t Be Sad” can easily be thought to be recorded by The Flaming Lips, while the vocals on “Fweaky” are very pseudo-Lana Del Rey. With the influence and help of Ariel Pink and Big Sean, this album is actually all right, and even, dare I say, enjoyable. The inspiration behind the theme of this album is the long grocery list of dead “petz” Miley has procured over the span of her very colourful life. Her odes to these animals include sobbing and strained vocals, meant to display Miley’s distress over the loss of her friends and to immortalize them in musical format.
Rebel Wilson attempts to be funny and relevant again and makes an offensive police brutality joke.
Stepher Colbert makes a fantastic Late Show debut.
TSwift beats out Kim K. for most Instagram followers.
Caitlin Jenner admits to not fully supporting gay marriage on The Ellen Show...
Disney releases the concept footage for their new film, Moana, about a Polynesian princess.
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www.thesil.ca | Thursday, Sept. 10, 2015
| 19
Smart Consumption Outside of his music, Boyd Rice is known for being racist, sexist and nihilist, among other things. His behaviour begs the question, can an artist ever be separated from their art? Vannessa Barnier ANDY Reporter
I found myself ending off this past summer vacation seeking out new niches in the music world. One genre that really caught my ear was something that is known as “industrial.” Industrial music—if I had to try to define it—is an experimental genre that is a chaotic cluster of lo-fi, harsh noise. The key ingredient to the industrial sound is distortion—not only of instruments, but also of voices and voice clips. Most notably, Throbbing Gristle, Cabaret Voltaire, SPK, Genesis P-Orridge, and Boyd Rice are prominent contributors to the industrial music genre. When looking for recommendations, I had a song called “Turn Me On Dead Man” suggested to me, which was performed by the latter-most on that list. After the first 30 seconds of that three-minute video, I excitedly began to look up other songs by this artist— also known as Non—because he had the exact vibe I was looking for. After a quick Google search, I was overwhelmed by the results that popped up about this artist. Rice is best known for being a racist, misanthropist, sexist, nihilist, and last—but not least—for playing a large role in Anton LaVey’s Church of Satan. I paused the song I had been listening to so that I could focus on reading an essay he had written, titled “Revolt Against Penis Envy.” By the end of it, I was hoping to find out that what I had read was a satirical piece, but I was wrong. The ideas about rape, maintaining superior status to women, and general ideas of oppressing less privileged groups were so outlandish that I could hardly believe that someone genuinely had these ideas and published them on public forums. Unfortunately, the aforementioned essay was written in earnest; every problematic statement featured in this piece really was a recurring ideal that appeared in Rice’s interviews. I was in
a nervous sweat by the time I got to the end, which Rice punctuated with reiterations of his philosophies: “Long live oppression! Long live love! Long live rape!” The unfortunate thing with this sort of situation is that it’s very common in all facets of media and art. Many, many artists are problematic. The spectrum of problems is wide and far; there are perpetuators of archaic ideas, and further enactors of despicable actions. Whether it’s Woody Allen with his adopted daughter, Sean Penn with Madonna, Chris Brown with Rihanna, or Lena Dunham with just about everything, us consumers are faced with making a moral decision: do we value the consumption of art more than we do our own moral standing? Such a question is difficult to grapple with, since the idea of the artist is intrinsically linked to the piece of art itself, which we more often than not happen to take for granted. Really, this question is not one that is answered consciously, but through the act of being ignorant and passive about what is being consumed. It isn’t always necessarily the case where an individual is decisively consuming a problematic piece of media—often, when the problematic history of an artist is brought to the attention of this consumer, they become open to learning about who this artist is as a person and what that means for the art they produce. The problems come in when an individual is educated about the producer of art, yet chooses to ignore the situation. There is a revisiting of this question posed earlier: is the consumption of art valued above an individual’s moral standing? And if so, why? The argument that art can be separated from the artist and subsequently appreciated by an audience relies heavily upon the idea that a work of art is not an extension of an artist. To assume that an artistic piece is not a reflection of the artist’s ideals and interpretations of his
experiences is absolutely unreasonable. I argue, absolutely, that any piece of art is a direct reflection of the artist himself. In conversations along these lines, I can’t help but bring Roland Barthes into the equation. His essay titled “The Death of the Author” touches on this very issue. Essentially, Barthes argues that the image we get of an author is through his writing. According to Barthes, an author—Barthes is referring to writing, specifically, in his piece, but it is easily applied to all media—is born through his writing: we cannot conceive of the writer without first reading his work. The writing only exists through the interpretation of the reader. In Barthes’ opinion, interpretations of the piece of art as a whole are the basis of our understanding of the author. The author’s role in producing a body of text is a misconception of productivity. The author does not produce the text – he is influenced by many factors. Through a metaphor posed by Barthes, the author is traditionally thought to “nourish” his writing, much like a “father to his child.” However, Barthes argues that the author is born “simultaneously” with his work. The main idea I am pulling from Barthes’ essay is that the author is a product of his writing, which is then interpreted by the readers. The entire work hangs on being read, and this reading colours the reader’s perception of the artist who has produced the work. Needless to say, in lieu of all of this, I had to drop Boyd Rice from my slow-growing collection of industrial artists. The good news, though, is that there are many other talented artists in the same vein for me to explore. And fortunately, that can also be said about every other art form. @vjbarnier
“
The unfortunate thing with this sort of situation is that it’s very common in all facets of media and art. Many, many artists are problematic. The spectrum of problems is wide and far; there are perpetuators of archaic ideas, and further enactors of despicable actions.
TRAP QUEEN Local woman nails the design for a new raccoon-snatching device C1
THURSDAY
THE
HAMILTON SPECULATOR Club going up since 1934
SEPT. 10, 2015
NOTSPEC.COM
Supercrawl bingo!
Hamilton’s biggest festival is usually crawling with the best people-watching sights in town. Try and get a “super” by marking off every square you spot.
S U P E R Drunk person in a Mac sweater
Person vaping inside a coffee shop
Person vaping outside a coffee shop
“We came all the way from [city name] for this!”
“We came all the way from [city name], for this?!”
Promotions for the Green Party
Middle class girl dressed like a homeless person
Capitalism
EMPTY GALLERY TRAPPED BEHIND A FOOD TRUCK
“Save the CBC!” he says, crying
Max from the Arkells
Group of displaced homeless people from street closure
White person with dreads
Unidentified sounds accompanied by a slideshow of black and white photos
Recycled Osheaga flower crown
Lost first year
No recycling bins
Person selling erotic fiction
FREE* SPACE! *But if lost, please pay $100 for replacement.
“Ok so wait, the Arkells aren’t performing?”
A trail of kale chips leading to a unicorn
Person selling drugs
Someone fist pumping to Terra Lightfoot
“Sold out” sign on a food truck
Person selling souls
INSIDE ROCKY REPORTING A3 WATER, NIPPLE, HAIR, AND OTHER IMPORTANT GATES IN HISTORY A4 #HAMNOT B4 10 TIPS TO TELL IF YOU’RE A RACIST B4 LISTS B8 SEX ED: SITTING DOWN WITH ED, EVERYONE’S FAVOURITE PROSTITUTE C2 SHINERAM-NAH D2
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