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BEHIND THE STAND
The Silhouette Friday, June 5, 2015
McMaster’s favourite hot dog vendor, Jim Bontaine of Willy Dog, announces the expansion of his franchise into a Westdale restaurant Page 6
NEWS ELECTORAL REFORM The MSU is in dicussion about future VP electoral options Page 4
LIFESTYLE SOUPS ‘R’ US James North’s The Burnt Tongue is your one-stopshop for the best soups this summer Page 11
SPORTS NEW COLOURS Linebacker Nick Shortill is hanging up the maroon and grey to join the Montreal Alouettes Page 15
LOOKING BACK
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JUNE 9, 1983
The Silhouette
Mac grads unite
Volume 86, Issue 1
In 1983, McMaster’s 2,070 graduates came together in the David Braley Athletic Centre for convocation.
Friday, June 5, 2015 McMaster University’s Student Newspaper
EDITORIAL BOARD executive editor | thesil@thesil.ca
Amanda Watkins @whatthekins managing editor | managing@thesil.ca
At present day, the university has almost three times the number of graduating students with close to 6,000 students receiving their degrees in spring 2015.
Ana Qarri @anaqarri production editor | production@thesil.ca Michael Gallagher @mikeygalgz online editor | online@thesil.ca Shane Madill @shanemadill sections
Rachel Katz Patrick Kim news reporter Alex Florescu features reporter Daniel Arauz opinions editor Kathleen Quinn 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 Mac grads... unite!]
media
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
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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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In this
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| www.thesil.ca
Friday, June 5, 2015 | 3
News MSU VP electoral reform Page 4
What does it mean now that our VP (Education) is OUSA’s new President? Page 5
Willy Dog takes a bite out of the restaurant business Page 6
Professor Keyna Bracken was researching in Nepal when disaster hit Page 8
ICYMI
Hamilton’s first 100in1Day will be host to community yoga, art installations, city planning initiatives and more
A roundup of some of the top stories on campus this summer NN
JAM
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100 reasons to celebrate
LRT IS COMING
JOH
Evergreen Hamilton hosted brainstorming events to plan the day’s activities.
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C/O HAMILTON.100IN1DAY.COM
May 26 Ontario premier Kathleen Wynne visited campus to announce the construction of an up to $1 billion light rail tranist system in Hamilton. The proposed LRT line will begin at McMaster and end at Eastgate Square. Construction is expected to begin in 2019. Wynne also announced an expansion of current GO rail routes in the city.
NEW STUDENT? May 15
Rachel Katz News Editor
Hamilton has been known for its community engagement, and on June 6, that engagement will be celebrated by the city’s inaugural 100in1Day event sponsored by the urban environmental group, Evergreen. 100in1Day is an international event aimed at civic engagement that unites community groups during one day to participate in small initiatives to spark change. It began in Bogota, Colombia in 2012, when a group of students worked together to bring a handful of events to celebrate their city’s community. They received over 200 event proposals in their first year, and since then 100in1Day has gone international. Hamiltonians are clearly intrigued by the arrival of 100in1Day, with 80 local “interventions,” or discussions, activities, and initiatives taking place from early in the morning until late into the night. Most excited is
Evergreen Hamilton’s projects coordinator, Jay Carter. “I was asked if it was something I’d be interested in taking on, and I couldn’t have wanted it more. It was just so incredible seeing what was being done in cities around the world,” he said. “This is a way to bring everyone together in a day of unified action.” Carter described the wide range of activities that will run throughout the day, from art installations and chalk walks, dance parties and yoga in city parks, to a puppy kissing booth. “The Hamilton Community Land Trust is creating a whole bunch of stickers called ‘I wish this was’ with a blank [underneath] and they’re inviting people to post their own on vacant lots or derelict buildings to get people thinking about what things could be,” Carter said. No matter how small, “the goal of 100in1Day is to inspire lasting change through one-day, temporary acts or installations,” he explained.
Launching the project has come with its fair share of difficulties. While there were 100in1Day events in Toronto, Montreal, Halifax, and Vancouver last year, this will be the first time the project is being undertaken in Hamilton, and in comparison to other cities, the project did not get the green light until much later. Carter explained, “it takes a while to show people that it’s for anyone and everyone in as much capacity as they would like, anywhere in the city…once people get that, it’s like a whole new light switch goes off. They start thinking about all these things they can do.” In preparation for 100in1Day, Evergreen has run community workshops to help Hamiltonians generate ideas for their own interventions based on changes they would like to see in their city or neighbourhood. “The feedback we get from the workshops has just been so inspiring. One woman said she felt like a 17-year-old
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The goal of 100in1Day is to inspire lasting change through oneday, temporary acts or installations. Jay Carter Projects Coordinator, Evergreen Hamilton
again, with more energy and inspiration than she’s felt in many years,” Carter said proudly. “It’s been so empowering to see this many people get so excited and feel so empowered themselves.” @RachAlbertaKatz
English and Cultural Studies professor David Clark recently wrote to the university asking to save a spot for Omar Khadr this fall. He has been in chats with President Deane and university staff over the last few weeks. Clark said, “The war against Mr. Khadr must end and all of us who call Canada home, including those of us at McMaster University, are responsible for ensuring that that next step takes place.”
TITAN ARUM June 1 A rare plant, know as the “corpse flower” or titan arum, has started to bloom at the McMaster Biology Greenhouse. The rare species takes around seven to ten years to grow, and McMaster’s flower is one of only a handful in the world to bloom this year. When fully opened, the plant is known to give off a scent likened to rotting meat or flesh, hence the name.
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NEWS
Friday, June 5, 2015 | www.thesil.ca
Who should elect our MSU VPs? A committee has formed to discuss whether or not students should be able to vote for their MSU VPs. Members weigh in on how they think next year’s election should go down. Christina Vietinghoff Staff Writer
It took 22 hours for the Student Representative Assembly to elect this year’s MSU vice-presidents– a meeting that might not happen next year if some students have their way. Though there is almost unanimous consensus that the VP electoral system is flawed, exactly how the system should be reformed is a divisive topic that led to the creation of a VP Electoral Reform Ad Hoc committee. “The way VPs are elected at the moment needs to change,” said Ehima Osazuwa, MSU President. But whether that change should be determined by a small committee of student leaders or go directly to referendum will be decided by the ad hoc committee. A surprise motion was brought forward by SRA Social Science Representative Eric Gillis at the General Assembly on March 23, 2015 to hold a referendum for students to decide whether or not they want to elect the Vice Presidents, or want the SRA to continue to elect them. Although this motion passed, there were not enough people for quorum to be reached, meaning the SRA has the discretion to vote on it. 26 days after General Assembly, and a day before the vote on whether or not to have a referendum was held, the Speaker of the SRA ruled this motion out of order in a
last minute email sent to SRA members. A Facebook event aiming to engage students at this meeting hosted public outcry and claims of a deliberate attempt to prevent the vote from happening. Instead, the SRA passed a motion to create an ad hoc VP reform committee which will recommend what the SRA will vote on in Fall 2015. “Talking to a lot of SRA members they were either not comfortable performing the vote or they did not want the vote to happen at all.” said Shaarujaa Nadarajah, SRA member and member of the committee. She explained that SRA members were uncomfortable with voting on a referendum without the nuances of how the referendum would be framed. The official document states “the recommendations shall include a formal proposal for a referendum, with an official breakdown of ballot options.” The first meeting will be on June 7 at 2 p.m. in the MSU Boardroom and anyone interested is welcome to attend, although the Speaker and Chair of the committee, Inna Berditchevskaia, asks interested students to arrive five minutes early. Osazuwa describes the purpose of the committee to elaborate on what options a potential referendum should include. “[The purpose is] to give students choices, because the current motion put forward
Committee breakdown The Silhouette surveyed 13 committee members to find out how involved they are in the MSU and the SRA, and what their thoughts are on reform
didn’t have any choices,” said Osazuwa. Although, Osazuwa admitted that whether or not this referendum will happen is still unclear. “The job of the committee is to decide whether it should go to referendum or not,” said Osazuwa. “If students want it to go to referendum then it should go to referendum.” When asked if he anticipates students will want a referendum, he said yes. However, critics of the committee wonder whether it is representative of the student body or simply of the “MSU bubble”. “The committee is open to every single person so anyone can come” said Osazuwa. He says it’s important to represent the 22,000+ members of McMaster. Others question whether the students at GA and those involved in the public outcry were representative of the student body. “I joined [the committee] because I was frustrated throughout this entire movement that people were making these sweeping generalizations about what students wanted,” said Connor McGee, MSU member on the committee. The committee was selected during exam time and the MSU members on the committee were all acclaimed. It has been brought up that maybe because it fell during the exam period, it was difficult for students to come out to SRA meetings.
Have you been involved with the SRA before joining the VP electoral reform committee?
“People could have made themselves available and been nominated beforehand or have their speech read,” said McGee. “I wouldn’t necessarily say this is the MSU bubble representing itself,” said McGee. He also says there might be a self-selection bias in who joins the committee. “In a lot of cases it makes sense that an SRA member, or former SRA member or someone like that, would have an interest and more thorough understanding of what the position entails.” A separate criticism is that this committee is redundant with work that has been done before. “The committee itself, I understand why it was struck, but honestly, the democratic reform committee has existed in 2012 and 2013 from my understanding and did similar research to this committee, so I don’t think it will come up with anything new” said Sara Jama, SRA member on the committee. The committee and its research will certainly contribute to the discussion on electoral reform and how students perceive the MSU. “Beyond VPs this is also a great opportunity to talk to students about the MSU,” said McGee. However, it remains to be seen whether this committee will serve to perpetuate the status quo or create meaningful change. Given the divisive nature of the topic, it is also unclear whether it will be productive.
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I joined [the committee] because I was frustrated throughout this entire movement that people were making these sweeping generalizations about what students wanted Connor McGee MSU committee member
“If someone’s personal bias does start to get in the way, I think that would obviously jeopardize the findings and entire point and integrity of having this ad-hoc committee. So in that case, I think it’s safe to say some kind of action would be taken,” said McGee. “There’s no point in having a committee if you’re purposely going to skew the results.” “I see it as a stalling mechanism, but hopefully good discussion will come out of the committee itself,” said Jama. @CVietinghoff
How much reform do you think the electoral system needs?
Yes, I have served on the SRA (5) Yes, I have been on a committee (5)
Some reform (6)
No (3)
Major reform (2)
I don’t know (4)
| www.thesil.ca
NEWS
Friday, June 5, 2015 | 5
MSU VP (Education) elected President of Ontario Undergraduate Student Alliance Spencer Nestico-Semianiw talks about his new role and the next steps in tackling rising tuition fees Ana Qarri Managing Editor
On May 16, 2015, Spencer Nestico-Semianiw, the MSU’s Vice-President (Education), was elected President of the Ontario Undergraduate Student Alliance at the organization’s Transition Conference. The Ontario Undergraduate Student Alliance (OUSA) represents students from seven universities in Ontario, including all full-
time undergraduate students at McMaster. Nestico-Semianiw previously served as OUSA’s research intern in the summer of 2014, and the MSU’s External Affairs commissioner before being elected as VP (Education) in April. His duties as OUSA President will involve acting as the chief spokesperson of the organization, chairing the steering committee meetings composed
of VP (Education) equivalents from all member schools, and representing the organization to media, the government, and other stakeholders. Nestico-Semianiw says that increased internal advocacy support within the MSU will help balance the increased commitment to external advocacy as OUSA President. “With some of the past VP (Education) there’s always that discussion of internally and
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externally-confused. This year we’re fortunate to have much more internal support with new research assistants that will be hired and an increase in [Advocacy Street Team] hours… I’ll be going to Toronto several times a month for meetings and working with [OUSA] home office. The time commitment is essentially more for travel and attending meetings.” In his new role, he wants to continue the work of Jen Carter, his predecessor, by building consensus within OUSA’s member schools on issues pertinent to Ontario undergraduate students. “It’s something that Jen did last year that gained a lot of positive reception. You’re the President, but the fact is that this is OUSA, and it’s not Western’s lobby group or Mac’s lobby group. The spirit that she took and I think I’ll be taking as well is making sure that all schools feel that they are satisfying what their students want.” Tuition is one of the most topical advocacy points for undergraduate students across the province and at McMaster. Ehima Osazuwa, the MSU’s current President, was elected on a platform that included the creation of a task force that examines tuition advocacy options. According to OUSA’s Tuition Brief, tuition in Ontario has increased by $2,658 in the past decade, whereas an increase consistent with inflation would have only amounted to $766. Ontario has the highest tuition fees in Canada, and they continue to rise at three percent every year for undergraduate students. Nestico-Semianiw believes that the goals of the MSU’s Tuition Task Force are in line with OUSA’s advocacy. “In the tuition policy that OUSA releasted this year, the principles and recommendations are essentially for a tuition freeze for the 2016-2017 year. This is what Ehima will be advocating and what our stance will be this year as well. “Tuition assistance is very topical, even the funding formula is another big thing the province is engaging with this year. My goal is to talk to other VPs (Education) and see what their goals are,” said Nestico-Semianiw.
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In his new role, he wants to continue the work of Jen Carter, his predecessor, by building consensus within OUSA’s member schools on issues pertinent to Ontario undergraduate students. Although discussions about a tuition freeze will also be carried out internally with the university, Nestico-Semianiw believes that the bigger goal is provincial funding. “We could always have this discussion between student unions and the university, but I truly do believe that when it comes to the university… if we’re asking for a tuition freeze, the money is just not there. We need to ensure we’re not high-fiving and student services are being cut because there’s now this lack of revenue. The main goal is to be able to use OUSA as a vehicle to advocate for increased funding from the province for more affordable education,” he said As for next steps, Nestico-Semianiw will start by reaching out to other schools. “The approach very much has to depend on what our schools want to see because, as I said, I ran for president because I did believe that this is something that our students wanted and that this was the time for us to do that, but it’s not just the MSU’s OUSA.” “I did get the sense at TransCon that [tuition] is a priority for many of our schools, and figuring out how we want to advocate to the province.” @anaqarri
FEATURE
Friday, June 5, 2015 | www.thesil.ca
NEW DIGS
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WILLY DOG’S GLE
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PA R A D
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After 12 years on campus, Jim Bontaine is opening a brick and mortar location in Westdale with the help of new partner Scott Bennett Willy Dog all decked out. INSET: Great Tastes Only’s new Westdale location
Amanda Watkins Editor-in-Chief
“It became more than just a hot dog stand on campus,” said Jim Bontaine, owner of the McMaster Willy Dog stand and several other locations around Hamilton. “To this day I still find it surreal to have become, well, an institution within an institution.” This fall marks 12 years of the Willy Dog stand on campus, and with this milestone comes exciting news that Bontaine will be expanding his services into a fixed restaurant location in Westdale. Every student and staff member at McMaster knows the iconic red and yellow cart located outside the Student Centre. The Willy Dog stand has always been open to provide delicious hot dogs and sausages to the McMaster community, whether it’s during a crazy and chaotic Welcome Week, after a brutally long night class, or simply during your lunch break when you need a mid-day pick me up. The Willy Dog stand first opened in November of 2003 after a former McMaster hot
dog vendor closed up shop. “Right away we had a lot of business, but what I found out was [the vendors] that had been here before, everybody loved them… I knew right away that I had some big shoes to fill,” said Bontaine. Bontaine has since filled those shoes, and has become a staple in the McMaster community. In the 12 years he’s been here, he has gone on to win the Best Hot Dog Vendor in North America in 2014, and came in second place in 2015. He has spent time taking part in charity events on campus, donating annually to bursary programs and Charity Ball fundraisers. He initially got started after an old friend introduced him to the vendor business. “Willy Dog was started by a friend of mine who I grew up with. He had been involved with a few business ventures, and at one point he decided to start a hot dog cart. His name was Will, so he came up with Willy Dog,” said Bontaine. “I was working elsewhere and helped him whenever I could as far as dealing with his business, setting up new franchises, going to franchise shows… He had been bugging
me to get into it. I tried it a few times, I knew about the business… my boss at the time wouldn’t give me time off to try [vending], so I quit a sales job I had for five years and started this.” Bontaine’s initial set-up involved a primary cart on Dundurn as well as working the bars late at night. “When I started, business was great in the summer, but by the time October rolled around, I wasn’t earning enough to make a living.” In an effort to expand his business, Bontaine used his sales background to setup more shops and daytime locations throughout Hamilton. After doing this for 8 years, he opened his spot on campus. Bontaine has always been involved in the food industry. As a teenager, he spent time working at his parents’ trailer park in Cayuga running the snack bar. “Growing up with my parents owning a trailer park and running the snack bar, it was a sort of natural direction,” he said. When Bontaine first setup shop on campus, it crossed his mind to open a storefront, but time constrictions already as-
sociated with running multiple stands made him put this on hold. Twelve years later and Bontaine is now opening up that shop close to the intersection of King West and Paradise North in Westdale. The store will be called Great Tastes Only and will offer takeout and delivery items including fresh ground beef burgers, fresh cut fries, a variety of poutines, specialty sandwiches, salads and of course, willy dogs and sausages. The restaurant is predicted to open by the end of this coming July, and will also be setup to accept meal plans and student cards as a form of payment. The new location will have a different moniker, but the name Willy Dog won’t be lost. The stand on campus will still be fully operating as well as a few other locations around the city. Bontaine’s friend who initially coined the name is no longer in touch with the new franchises, and Bontaine is ready to develop a style of his own. “I’ve always loved the Pontiac GTO cars… since I was on the drag strip in Cayuga in my youth. I decided to try to see what I could come up with
FEATURE
www.thesil.ca | Friday, June 5, 2015
JASON LAU/ PHOTO REPORTER
name-wise to use the GTO acronym, and that’s when I came up with ‘Great Tastes Only’.” Bontaine is one of a few street vendors looking to setup a permanent home, with both Hamilton’s Gorilla Cheese and Southern Smoke looking at locations on Ottawa North. The food truck and stand industry can be a lucrative one, but with it comes a lot of red tape surrounding health and safety issues as well as challenges with cooking space and storage. Brick and mortar shops allow vendors to create a more diverse menu with more freedom. Bontaine has run a catering business out of Hamilton for the last few years, and has a loyal following not just from there, but from his many stands as well. He is currently in the process of hiring a chef to help make his dreams a reality, and would also like to develop a food truck that he has already purchased. It’s been a busy 20 years running the Willy Dog stands, and Bontaine hopes that the new restaurant as well as some new staff members will help lighten the load and change his style of work. “I have Scott coming on
board who is going to look after the Mac location. It needs more than I’m going to be able to give anymore because of the expansion, and I don’t want to lose that personal touch,” he said. Scott Bennett will be overseeing the cart. He has always had a passion for street vending and a daughter who recently graduated from Mac has made him well acquainted with our campus community. “Almost every occasion I’ve been working—Canada day, Victoria day, you name it, I’ve been working, and it’s taken me away from my family. Especially now that I have grandchildren it’s all about trying to oversee it now and spend more time with my family,” said Bontaine. Playing more of a management role, Bontaine is ready to take on a different approach to vending. Westdale will be his new main location, but McMaster will always be part of his business. “I owe the success on campus to the support I’ve had over the years. I enjoy the interaction with students and faculty, it’s something that I think is a great privilege.” @whatthekins
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To this day I still find it surreal to have become, well, an institution within an institution. Jim Bontaine Owner, Willy Dog
Top to Bottom: Willy Dog condiments; Jim and Scott; The dog; The “passing of of the tongs” JASON LAU/ PHOTO REPORTER
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NEWS
Friday, June 5, 2015 | www.thesil.ca
Making it through the earthquake Family Medicine professor Keyna Bracken was scoping out research locations in Nepal when disaster struck
The devastation that hit Nepal.
Alex Florescu News Reporter
On April 25, Keyna Bracken, associate professor in the Department of Family Medicine at McMaster University, was mere hours away from watching the town of Patan shrink into a dot from her airplane window when a 7.8 magnitude earthquake rocked Nepal. Keyna recalls the airport lounge moments before the ground started to move. “I heard a penetrating silence. You know that there is something wrong because it’s just too still.” The quiet of the airport waiting room was broken up by what Keyna likens to the sound of a train. Having travelled to Haiti post-earthquake with St. Joseph’s relief group and experiencing a number of aftershocks, Keyna recognized the sound for what it was–the oncoming earthquake. “The ground began to move, and not a gentle rocking either, but a really nasty movement–it’s more of a high impact wave. You can’t really go anywhere… because you get tossed around.”
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Keyna took shelter under a table and waited it out before she was able to run past a now deserted security gate. She had made it onto the runway with the others, but there was no direction amongst the crowd and she was unable to speak Nepalese, forcing her to do nothing but wait. “You could see the dust in the air from Kapmandu, and knowing what those buildings were like, I figured that most of them had probably collapsed. When you walk along [the Nepalese streets], only for a couple of hours, you realize why–many of the buildings are not concrete and don’t have foundations.” With the help of an expatriate Canadian who spoke both English and Nepalese, Keyna made it to the guesthouse in which he had been staying. “That night was probably the most terrifying night that I had ever been through. I felt very alone even though there were [many] stranded people [in] this guesthouse that a Nepalese gentleman had opened up for everybody. Several times there were pretty significant aftershocks… You’re on a perpetual
adrenaline hit for 36 hours.” When light finally broke in the sky and airplane engines roared to life, Keyna knew that she had to get on a plane and get out that day. The airport was a different kind of terror; she had to push her way through the frantic crowd all coveting a seat on a plane out of the rumbling country. “I was just so fortunate. I could have been in one of those temples. It could have been the day before when I was visiting tourist sites. I was the one that had a flight, and [others had] no way of getting a ticket unless you had outside help.” After three hours, Keyna was able to break through the crowd and make it onto an airplane heading to Bangkok. “When the plane finally started to lift off you couldn’t actually see any of the collapse because of the dust. Usually Kapmandu is dusty because it gets trapped in the valley, but the dust after was just incredible. You couldn’t see anything.” Keyna, who is planning her imminent sabbatical year, had been in Kapmandu to scope out possibilities for collaboration
with the Patan Academy of Health Sciences. The Academy is a Medical School and Hospital in the old part of Patan. It is partially founded by the Nick Simon Institute, an organization aimed at training all-encompassing physicians for remote areas. Her next destination was Banda Aceh, an area hit by the 2004 tsunami that ravaged the Indonesian landscape. “I carried on with my plans… I think that was a good thing, because the resiliency of the Indonesian people after such a horrible event highlights what you can hope to aspire. It was interesting going from an area that had a fresh tragedy to an area that had a ten year old tragedy.” Keyna has now been reunited with her family in Canada, but her time in Nepal remains fresh. She still wakes up at night thinking that the ground is shaking. During the day, she counts her luck in sturdy buildings, in foundation, in roads and in a still ground. @AlexxFlorescu
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That night was probably the most terrifying night that I had ever been through Keyna Bracken Professor, witness to the Nepal earthquake
The Silhouette
| www.thesil.ca
Friday, June 5, 2015 | 9
Editorial
Not my kind of graduation Amanda Watkins Editor-in-Chief
At long last, it’s time for my convocation. Don’t get me wrong, my time here at McMaster has been amazing. I have met people I’ll never forget, taken courses that have changed my perspective, and been exposed to a number of opportunities that many students may not have the chance to see for themselves. But after four years of late nights studying, stressful assignment planning, and working to develop a healthy relationship with caffeine, my time as a student has come to an end, and I couldn’t be more ready. I’ve been anticipating my graduation for a long time, so when I finally got notice of the date, time, and location of the event, I was thrilled to mark it on my calendar and share the details with my friends and family. But this excitement was weighed down with anxiety and disappointment
when I found out the details of the ceremony and realized this convocation would not necessarily be the most enjoyable experience for my guests or myself. As a student of the arts, I have become well acquainted with disappointment. During the four years of my undergraduate studies I eventually grew accustomed to unfortunate situations like helpful and competent professors being let go due to insufficient funds, workspaces lacking in updated equipment and programs, and sessional professors leaving before getting the chance to get to know them, ask them questions, or even consider them for future references. It was one last blow to my Bachelor of Arts to find out that 500 hundred students would be crammed into one ceremony lasting around four hours, a number of students would not be allotted their requested number of tickets, and at the end of the day, my fellow B.A. recipients and I would not be given the ceremony we worked towards and deserved.
This past week I had the pleasure of attending a graduation ceremony in the States. I had my own bias about what it would be like before arriving, imagining an uppity and almost inaccessible ceremony. Much to my surprise, it was close to the opposite. The ceremony was short and concise, the groups of students had been separated into their programs to allow them to acknowledge their major and area of expertise, and the ceremony was divided into multiple days, so as not to drag on for too many hours. I was excited to be present, but I couldn’t help but feel a twinge of jealousy, wishing myself and my classmates could experience something similar. While we’re lucky to even have the opportunity for a graduation ceremony, convocation is meant to be something students look forward to and not dread. Just because students come from a larger faculty, it does not mean their efforts should be treated as less important and granted the unfortunate experience of a haphazard ceremony.
to The Shadow Edamame. to the soft cookies at Baltimore House. to chicken fries. to wonderful staff members who willingly visit this damp, windowless basement. to gambling among friends. to that one line in Captain Philips.
to the mess of four staffs passed. to unpaid bills. to Mexican’s closure. Mojito pitchers, you will be missed. to the “Goin’ Up on a Workday” KitKat ads on Songza. Please don’t. to Songza. I really need to get a Spotify account. to summertime melodrama.
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Friday, June 5, 2015 | www.thesil.ca
The Silhouette
Opinion Don’t speak
The dangers of muzzling activism at its roots
JON WHITE/ PHOTO EDITOR Ana Qarri Managing Editor
The pictures, names, and detailed resumes of students involved in the contentious Boycott, Divestments and Sanctions campaign in North America are now easily compiled for your convenience in a website called Canary Mission. The purpose of Canary Mission is to identity individuals who engage in activities that are “anti-Freedom, anti-American, and anti-Semitic,” so that these “radicals” don’t become the “employees of tomorrow.” In a response to the backlash it has received, Canary Mission says that its real end goal is to act as a deterrent for students who spend their undergrads campaigning in favour of boycotting the state of Israel. It’s not the public nature of the website that’s predominantly worrying. All of the people featured on the website have likely already made their opinion public through Facebook posts, tweets, videos, and rallies. Any employer can easily do a background check and uncover the same information. Public shaming is a tactic that takes place everywhere along the entire political spectrum. The social justice left has ended careers of those who have recklessly tweeted out offensive statements, and similar things
have happened on our campus as well. So while the public shaming aspect of it is concerning, it’s not what I find most frightening about the website. If the information they have compiled about each activist is false, they will most likely face legal action, and if it is not false, then all they have done is compile already available information. However, the website is part of a disturbing pattern of deterring public speech in the West, that lies beyond the BDS movement and its critics. It warns anyone who criticizes Israeli policies and occupations to think twice or find themselves featured on a website that will forever associate them with anti-semitism. In doing so, it silences those who question these ideas, by threatening to destroy their public image. Another instance of this sort of public speech being deterred through scare tactics happened recently in Canada. When the email exchange between a CBC reporter and a public relations staff for the Minister of Public Safety that suggested campaigning for BDS could be seen as a hate crime under Canadian law became public, the MSU quickly released a statement dismissing the claims as “egregious.” Radical acts are vilified as
being anti-Canadian and anti-American. A valued cultural identity is used to make the radical act appear as a foreign act that someone who is Western, in support of freedom, in support of these two countries, would never do. Whether this fits into the American or Canadian identity is decided by a select few people with a lot of power and a large audience to legitimize their words. McMaster is no stranger to the complexity of the Israel-Palestine and BDS debate. People from both sides have complained about the animosity they have felt on campus throughout the discussion. These feelings are even more impactful in a university the size of McMaster, where you’ve probably met someone who strongly stands with either side. However, while we should be cautious that only non-violent, peaceful, and non-hateful activism takes place on our campus, knee-jerk reactions to activism as being hateful only further reinforces its initial goal to change the way we talk about an issue in the first place. Deterring activism through a negative platform such as Canary Mission is a way of maintaining a specific political stance as the only correct stance, and erasing the other sides of the discourse from the public sphere. It cuts activism at
its root by threatening the livelihood of potential activists. The activism that BDS campaigners partake in is not criminal. This logic of deterring an act by threatening someone’s livelihood applies to crimes, not non-violent activism. That’s why it is left in the hands of the judicial system, not to the whims of the public and individuals that can possibly benefit from silencing certain viewpoints. Given the lack of consensus among experts and world leaders on the Israel-Palestine conflict—I’m not suggesting that they are the epitome of moral and ethical guidance but rather a good sample of the complex nature of the conflict— it is illogical to deter activism and debate as if the right answer has already been found, and it is illogical to claim that anyone who disagrees needs to be punished publicly. The website, along with the recent Canadian story, is an incredibly concerning method of control and silencing. As long as an activist group isn’t encouraging hatred and violence towards a group of people, why is their activism harmful, and who’s to say it is? The ability of groups to silence with subtle threats of losing one’s place in the world, of having fewer career options and a bleak future ahead, is detrimental to the open nature
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The website is part of a disturbing pattern of deterring public speech in the West, that lies beyond the BDS movement and its critics.
of our academic environment. If we can’t have these discussions in the Western world, where we pride ourselves of being champions of freedom and human rights, then when can they happen? The discussion isn’t about choosing one side over the other. I hope that even after the vote in favour of BDS at this year’s General Assembly, respectful discussion can continue at McMaster about international issues that, in one way or another, affect us all. @anaqarri
www.thesil.ca | Friday, June 5, 2015
The Silhouette | 11
Lifestyle ES
Lifestyle sits down with owners of The Burnt Tongue, Leo Tsangarakis and Dan Robinson
JAM
Burnt baby burnt
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Daniel Arauz Features Reporter
Despite being a relative newcomer to Hamilton’s restaurant scene, The Burnt Tongue has already had remarkable success. Located between Cannon and James, owners Leo Tsangarakis and Dan Robinson hit the ground running when their doors opened in the midst of a 2013 Super Crawl. Since then, their restaurant has been featured on The Huffington Post, the Food CAN NON E Network, and topped a number of Hamilton “must eat here” lists. Every stop at the Burnt Tongue has yet to disappoint. From butternut squash, spicy chipotle, dhal, or Finnish split pea and apple, the list of soups offered goes on. Better still, each of the soups can be paired off beautifully with daily sandwiches and salads during the summer, or with classic burgers, fries, and grilled cheese. They even provide Rudy’s Pallettas and ice cream if you’re in the need of a refreshing dessert. While some of these sides are certainly good enough to stand on their own, the soups at The Burnt Tongue always take centre stage through an ever-changing daily menu. In its first year of business alone, the Burnt Tongue has offered more than 600 soups, each posted on their signature chalkboard menu, displayed across their Instagram, Facebook and Twitter, everyday at 11:30. After talking soup, small business, and social media with co-owner Leo Tsangarakis, it’s easy to see why The Burnt Tongue is such a success. By mixing culinary talent with smart business and design decisions, Tsangarakis has made The Burnt Tongue Hamilton’s latest foodie staple. Leo stresses that his restaurant was created to be accessible to everyone, in terms of both the food and the aesthetic. CONTINUED ON PAGE 12
AMANDA WATKINS/ EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
12 |
LIFESTYLE
Friday, June 5, 2015 | www.thesil.ca
AMANDA WATKINS/ EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 11
“People relate us to a kind of ‘barn-like’ [atmosphere]...to me that just ends up meaning comfortable, organic and rustic. I had a very clear vision of how I wanted to do that. The massive community board was a must down here. I wanted a whole wall dedicated to corkboard and just nothing but people putting their business cards or whatever because that’s just how James Street came to be, just from the community.” Leo personally created the interior design some friends who helped to craft the industrial design-inspired touches, such as the hanging Mason jar light fixtures (a clever play off of the soup theme), concrete sinks in the bathroom, and the dedicated cork board wall. The nostalgic décor combined with friendly counter-service has
allowed many diners to take ownership of the space and further spread the word. “Every other day we have people bringing their friends and they’re showing them their place and that’s more then alright with us… you don’t really get that from dine-in restaurants. You could, but you’re left more alone at The Burnt Tongue. Yeah, we will check up on how your food is doing and we hope everything is alright, but the casual nature creates a bit more ownership for the consumer for sure.” The daily menu updates on social media was conceptualized from the beginning, and Leo believes it contributed greatly to the restaurants early success. “I would definitely use the exact same format if I opened another restaurant.” The restaurateur has hinted to the possibility of opening a second location.
Clearly, people are paying attention, as “@theburnttongue” currently boasts 3,000 followers on Instagram and nearly 4,000 likes on Facebook. While the Burnt Tongue’s dynamic daily menu and comfortable atmosphere no doubt contributed to the early success of the restaurant, it couldn’t have been pulled off if it wasn’t for the work of the stellar chefs behind every bowl. Head chef and co-owner Dan, (or “the Tongue” as Leo put it), has a knack for consistently creating a large variety of flavours, each of which can satisfy even the most adamant “not-a-soup-guy” guys. Dan and the kitchen team head to Westdale’s Fiddes Wholesale Produce early in the morning, take into account the weather forecast and other elements that influence customers’ cravings, and formulate the day’s menu. Certain fan favour-
ites are always subject to make a reappearance based on request or simply how fast they sell. While vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free options are almost always a mainstay on the menu, the kitchen staff first and foremost commits to using fresh ingredients every single day. While soup isn’t exactly synonymous with the summertime, The Burnt Tongue’s vast menu offerings and the quality of each and every bowl makes this place a must visit this season. The positive reception is well deserved, and though he wouldn’t confirm or deny the whereabouts of the pending second location, Leo again and again expressed their excitement and gratitude for the continued interest and love that the city has given them as they approach the two year mark. @DanielArauzz
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While soup isn’t exactly synonymous with the summertime, The Burnt Tongue’s vast menu offerings and the quality of each and every bowl makes this place a must visit this season.
LIFESTYLE | 13
www.thesil.ca | Friday, June 5, 2015
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Friday, June 5, 2015 | 15
Sports
Former Marauder Lisa Thomaidis is set to coach for the Pan Am games Page 16
C/O YOUSEIF HADDAD
Shortill joins the Alouettes Sofia Mohamed Sports Editor
After playing for the McMaster Marauders for four years, McMaster linebacker Nick Shortill has hung up his maroon and grey jersey. The football doors will not be shut immediately, as he will be sporting another colour for another league this summer. Ranked amongst the Canadian Football League’s top prospects all year, Shortill was selected in the second round by the Montreal Alouettes with the 13th pick in this year’s CFL Draft. He was the first linebacker to be chosen for the night. “It was a relief hearing
my name called more than anything. I was excited I knew where I was going to live after waiting so long,” said Shortill. Though there were some injuries and setbacks along his journey, the linebacker hailing from Nobleton, Ont., brought a noticeable spark to the McMaster defense. After missing half of the 2013 season due to injury, Shortill came back stronger than ever and proved to be a player of professional calibre. In his final season playing for the Marauders, Shortill performed exceptionally well. He led his team with 29 solo tackles in seven regular season games, and added an interception and 2.5 sacks. Shortill was award-
ed with the OUA’s President’s Trophy as Stand-Up Defensive Player of the Year. He was also named an OUA First-Team AllStar for the 2014 season. A new chapter will start with Shortill, but he will always remember playing for the McMaster Marauders and the lessons it brought. “I have learned a lot while being a Marauder that’s going to help me in the CFL including film study, caring for your body and how to be a man,” said Shortill. Over his time, the Marauders played in three Vanier Cup appearances in a period of four years. Not many people can say that they had an opportunity to hoist a championship trophy in
both their rookie and fourthyear veteran years. “My favourite moment playing in maroon was winning the Vanier Cup in my rookie year,” said Shortill of the 41-38 double overtime victory against Laval. As training has already begun for Shortill and the Montreal Alouettes, he will focus on taking the necessary steps to be ready to compete on a higher level. “I look forward to the increased level of competition and the atmosphere of being a professional,” said Shortill. “I’d like to thank all of my teammates, coaches and support staff that have helped,” he said.
“
I have learned a lot while being a Marauder that’s going to help me in the CFL. Nick Shortill Former Marauders linebacker
With the games at Ron Joyce Stadium behind him, Nick Shortill will now have a chance to show himself on a bigger field, and on a bigger screen. @itssofiaAM
16 |
SPORTS
Friday, June 5, 2015 | www.thesil.ca
Former Marauder Women’s Basketball player to coach Team Canada Lisa Thomaidis is set to take on the role of head coach of Canada Basketball’s Women’s National Team. The former Marauder was a three-time OUA All-Star when she played for McMaster between 1990 and 1995. Thomadis, who was coached by current Women’s Basketball coach Theresa Burns will be leading the team during the Pan Am games this summer. The Women’s National Team will play in the Pan Am Games in Toronto and the FIBA Americas tournament in Edmonton, where the team will look to qualify for the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics. C/O ROB HISLOP
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www.thesil.ca | Friday, June 5, 2015
The Silhouette | 17
ANDY
| www.thesil.ca
Friday, June 5, 2015 | 18
ALBUM REVIEWS The Tallest Man On Earth - Dark Bird Is Home Tomi Milos ANDY Editor
The Verdict
Jokes about Kristian Matsson’s height are well past their expiry date. Yes, the odd class clown who never grew up may be tempted to make a jab at the Swedish singer-songwriter’s decided lack of stature given that he goes by performing name of The Tallest Man On Earth, but he more than makes up for it with his natural musical talent. Oft subject to lazy comparisons to Bob Dylan just because of his gravelly voice, a three year period between his last release sees Matsson seeking to distance himself from the folk legend with a fiercely individualistic new record. Entitled Dark Bird Is Home, Matsson’s fourth full-length record is largely concerned with the dissolution of two marriages; the first being Matsson’s recent divorce from his wife, and the second between his voice and his guitar. Normally one for vague lyrics, Matsson explores his personal challenges with a newfound directness. Having plied his
trade as a one-man show for three albums, Matsson opted to pick up a slew of instruments during the recording process and will be backed by a full band on upcoming tour. The results, if anything else could be expected from Matsson at this point, are terrific. Certain albums could be found guilty of stewing in misery solely for the sake of it, but Matsson’s albums have never been lacking in intent. Dark Bird is Home shares this characteristic and always seems to be trying to uncover a new leaf and move on with life all while taking one’s losses on the chin. Album-opener, “Fields of Our Home”, finds Matsson resorting to his usual pastoral references, but the way he cavorts through them has changed. Gone is the almost panicked strumming of days past in favour of a more lackadaisical approach. With his older records so full of youthful urgency, the more considered and decidedly slower sound is a stark departure for Matsson who now seems focused on
slowly building up in order to achieve a massive moment of catharsis. “Little Nowhere Towns” is another standout for how Matsson takes the piano, which has featured prominently in his old songs like “Kids on The Run”, and produces the same nostalgic tone. Joyous at some points, mournful at others, the track serves as a worthy one capable of serving as midpoint in the album and tying things together with aplomb. “Seventeen” is perhaps the best indication of what Matsson is capable of when he combines lush instrumentation, with his voice and guitar. While not the greatest vocalist you’ve ever heard, Matsson’s charm lies in how he inflects his voice with subtle intonations that pull at your heartstrings, which grow more and more vulnerable with each verse. Dark Bird Is Home serves as an impressive shift in style from the Swedish artist that fans old and new can latch onto for a comforting listen.
The Weather Station - Loyalty Ben Johnson Contributor
The Verdict
When North Carolina based record label Paradise of Bachelors announced they would be handling the American release of Tamara Lindeman’s new record Loyalty with her band The Weather Station, they teased fans with beautiful album artwork as well as the back sleeve of the LP which included the lyrics in their entirety. This may have been the shrewdest marketing decision I’ve seen from any label in a long time. Having Lindeman’s lyrics precede the record itself shows the label knows exactly what they gained in signing her: a lyricist with few equals. To refer to her as just a musician seems limiting in that it misses the power her words have even when rendered plainly in size twelve font on the back of an LP. Her songs feature an interplay between poetry and music rare even in the world of ever self-conscious singer-songwriters. With just a handful of lines Tamara addresses weighty existential dilemmas that other
artists would struggle to cover even across an entire album. Knowing her careful attention to details, it comes as a bit of a surprise that an album entitled Loyalty would feature songs like “Personal Eclipse” that express such a deep sense of disconnect like “Lately I find myself lonely - I wouldn’t have called it that before. I always took it as a comfort - what all the distance was for.” In fact many of the songs deal with themes of distance and nothingness, a lack of touch and silence. The idea of loyalty demands some kind of relationship, something for the devotee, to be devoted to. It’s strange that these songs find Lindeman on the road far from friends or listening to the bedroom recordings of a lover who has passed away. There is distance both geographically and physically between the singer and anything she could be loyal to. However, this absence is what clarifies where her loyalties ought to lie. Having removed herself to distant places like Montmagny and Nebraska it becomes easier to assess what is
worth her loyalty. The ability to hold polar opposites in tension without having them break her has always been one of Lindeman’s greatest strengths as a songwriter. “Floodplain” friends simultaneously advise her “don’t move too fast” and “don’t let it pass you by” and Lindeman seems fully capable of doing both. By the end of Loyalty, Lindeman has come to terms with the idea that distance and intimacy are often not very far apart. The closing track, “At Full Height,” embodies this as it finds Lindeman proclaiming her loyalty to a lover and finding peace with the paradox that “I don’t even know him- but he’s mine.” The brilliance of Loyalty lies in its ability to bring the listener close, to provide a glimpse of Lindeman’s world while maintaining enough distance to give the captured moments an intriguing sense of intimacy. Like she sings in “Floodplain,” the newest release from The Weather Station is an experiment in “seeing double.”
The Silhouette
| www.thesil.ca
Friday, June 5, 2015 | 19
Review: Dior & I ANDY takes a look at the new fashion documentary that focuses its lens on Raf Simons, a designer with a cult following who took over the helm of Dior in 2012
The Verdict
Dior & I chronicles Raf Simons’ first two months as Creative Director of famed French fashion house, Dior. C/O VOGUE
Tomi Milos ANDY Editor
When Dior looked to fill a vacancy in 2012, few expected Raf Simons to be tapped for the creative director role. Even fewer expected Simons to have the sheer panache to pull off a couture collection for the French house famed for its opulent, feminine designs. But Simons was hired, and he accomplished the latter with aplomb, in a mere two months. Dior & I provides an unrivalled account of Simons’ inauguration as Dior creative director, stretching from when he is first introduced as John Galliano’s successor in 2012 to his widely-acclaimed first haute couture collection. For those unfamiliar,
couture collections are entirely made by the hands of fashion houses’ ateliers. They are the ones who convert designers’ ideas from concept to reality, and are toiled over for months. Couture collections may be incredibly difficult to make, but houses like Dior are rewarded for their efforts with lucrative orders for pieces from the collection from their rich clientele. With Simons coming in as a former industrial designer, and minimalist fashion devotee at Jil Sander, the job looked to be a tough one from the start with Simons only afforded two months to complete the collection. The documentary’s title may give some the idea that the film is some sort of vanity project on the part of
Simons, but it was only with reluctance that the notoriously private Belgian native allowed cameras to roll behind closed doors. Simons is decidedly uncomfortable in front of the camera at times, with the pressure of maintaining Dior’s legacy while designing something he has never done before simmering over occasionally. The film is as much about the eccentric workers who ply their trade in the ateliers as it is about Simons. For all the cerebral scenes discussing Simons’ influences for the collection as he walks through art galleries and coastal villas, there is an insightful one to match that focuses on one of the workers’ relationship with the house. Some have been at Dior for over 40 years, while
others have only been employed for a few, but they all get Simons’ unwavering respect. The latter portion of the film is full of nervous energy as the atelier crew rushes to have things ready by the show, while Simons arranges for what was a grimy Parisian flat to resemble Versailles when flowers are in bloom. If you pay any attention to fashion you will know that the collection received rave reviews upon its debut. Don’t watch it to arrive at a known result, watch to marvel at what humble origins sartorial opulence often arises from and to observe Simons and the atelier in their natural habitat. @tomimilos
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The film is as much about the eccentric workers who ply their trade in the ateliers as it is about Simons.”
FREE BJ! Booster Juice celebrates anniversar y with complimentar y juices. Satisfac tion not guaranteed. C1
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THE
HAMILTON SPECULATOR WE IN HERE SINCE 1934
JUNE 5, 2015
NOTSPEC.COM
Skyrail™ comes to Hamilton Zip-lining technology is the first form of public transit to join smog in the skies of our city
A proud father sends his daughter off on her first day of summer camp. INSET: early Skyrail™ technology was used to parade unmarried women above the streets
CASSIE NOVA-MOORE Playground Enthusiast
After years of debate, zip-lining transit will finally be coming to Hamilton. The innovative form of public transportation is sustainable, inexpensive and, most importantly, fun. Provided by the transit corporation, Skyrail™, who already offers services in a number of more reputable cities, the zip-lining transit line is predicted to be completed within the next two years. “You get used to the dangling feeling,” says Hamilton Transit Minister, Bobby Wheelington. The system will have one line setup from the local university to the downtown core to encourage students to get in on the fun and discover their city. Skyrail™ is considered one of
the fastest and most cost-efficient systems available on the market. It can support up to 100 passengers on the rail, and only requires a $50 deposit and signed liability waiver for a monthly pass. It will allow passengers to board at five different stops along the line, and they can jump off at any time onto one of the soft, cushiony, grass landing pads. The structure of the system has some people wondering if it will integrate well into the city’s already congested, meandering and poorly planned streets. “Some say it will disrupt traffic and construction. But I say, what’s so bad about a system that’s fast, efficient, and has people independently dropping from the sky every 10-15 minutes?” The system has already received some backlash from the elderly, disabled, cyclists, rollerbladers and
generally sane humans who find it challenging to both board and leave the zipline right in the middle of traffic. But it’s really fast. The entire system will be built on an incline to increase the speed of the rail, with all passengers moving consistently headfirst. Aside from its speed, Skyrail™ will help to encourage physical fitness among the city’s population. “I think the fear of falling to one’s death will really encourage people to work on their core strength,” explained Wheelington. City dwellers and planners alike are interested and intrigued to see how this system works out. Wheelington elaborated, “it’s been tested in at least one to two cities already, so we know that it should work. But it’s the lightest of rail transits, so what could possibly go wrong?”
INSIDE “It’s fast, efficient, and will probably only lead to a handful of deaths and injuries.” Bob Wheelington General Transit Authority
QUESTIONABLE COMMENTARY A3 STORIES CBC HAMILTON COVERED BEFORE US A4 FARMVILLE IRL B4 ANNA KENDRICK LAMAR B4 ONE FLEW OVER THE CUCKOOS NEST AND SAW IT WAS USING PUBLICALLY FUNDED BROCHURES TO BUILD ITS HABITAT B8 DOES PANAMA AUTOMATICALLY WIN THE PAN AM GAMES? C2 WEDDING SEASONING D2
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