28-page special issue inside www.thesil.ca
McMASTER UNIVERSITY'S STUDENT NEWSPAPER / THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 2010
VOLUME 80, NO. 21
Est. 1930
WOLFGANG RATTAY / REUTERS
Canada’s Lueders and Lumsdem race down the track on Sunday Feb. 20 during the first heat of the two-man bobsleigh event at the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Games. They were ranked seventh after the first heat, but climbed up to fifth after the fourth and final heat.
Mac’s golden boy competes LILY PANAMSKY
ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR
McMaster’s very own former golden boy Jesse Lumsden made an appearance at the Vancouver Olympics on Feb. 20 and 21 as part of Pierre Lueders’ two-man bobsleigh team. With a combined total time of 3 minutes and 27.87 seconds and a time difference of only 1.22 seconds, Lueders and Lumsden managed to climb up the ranks from an initial seventh place to finish in fifth place. “I carry my emotions on my sleeve in this sport,” Lumsden reported to CTV News. “I didn’t come for the jacket. I wanted to be on the podium. I am disappointed but at the same time honoured to be in the position I am.”
Despite failing to reach the podium, Lumsden is getting back into the game over the weekend to compete in the four-man bobsleigh races on Friday and Saturday. Racing with him will be Lueders, Justin Kripps, and Neville Wright. Lumsden, born August 3, 1982 in Edmonton, Ontario, is a former geography student at McMaster University, a former Hamilton Tiger-Cats member and a current running back for the Edmonton Eskimos in the Canadian Football League. In 2005, Lumsden was selected as the 2004-2005 Canadian Interuniversity Sport male Athlete of the Year. Racing with a McMaster undershirt, Lumsden makes sure to keep his McMaster roots close to heart.
Vancouver 2010 Olympics most heavily-watched Games According to Canwest News Service:
36 TV and radio outlets airing Olympic coverage 22 Languages in which CTV’s consortium will broadcast some Olympic coverage 2,800 Athletes competing, approximately 96 Countries with athletes entered at these Olympics 15,300 Police, military and private staff providing security for the Games 576 Maximum weight, in grams, of the Vancouver Olympic medals LILY PANAMSKY
ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR
For the past week and half, Canadians have been glued to their TV following the Olympics, and the numbers to prove it are confounding. Situated in the heart of Western Canada, the Vancouver 2010
Olympics have drawn in a crowd of approximately 2.3 million attendees and 14,000 volunteers. According to a senior official within the International Olympic Committee, the Vancouver Olympics will be the most heavily watched Winter Games in history. By the end of the Olympics, it is expected that 3.5 billion people—
INSIDE NEWS
ANDY
Stats Can report reveals that student debt is on the rise.
Scorsese is back with his latest cinematic outing.
See A5
See D12
SPORTS Former No. 3 ranked men’s team see their dreams deflate. See B1
over half of the world’s population—will have watched at least a part of the Games. Despite the bitter Canadian loss, CBC news reported that the Canada-U.S. hockey game on Sunday Feb. 21 was the mostwatched sports program in Canad• PLEASE SEE OLYMPICS, A5
A2 • THE SILHOUETTE
THURSDAY, JANUARY 14, 2010
PA I D A D V E RT I S E M E N T
Vishal Tiwari President
Andrew Richardson VP Administration
Andrew Caterine VP Finance
Chris Martin VP Education
President’s Page ANOTHER CHAPTER IN THE ART HISTORY SAGA On behalf of the McMaster Students Union, I would like to register a complaint with the process that the proposed elimination of Art History has taken. We understand that there has been no breach of regulation, and as such, this complaint is not based on those grounds. The complaint is regarding the way this decision has been communicated to students. In my time at McMaster, a number of smaller programs in the Humanities have been phased out. I think it is fair to say that, due to the short amount of time we spend at this school and the complex nature of the issues facing the faculty, students do not always immediately understand why their program is being cancelled. Students have every right to be concerned by cancellations. If a student completes a degree program that is phased out soon after they graduate, it doesn’t send prospective employers and graduate schools a strong message about the quality of the degree. It also gives students a negative impression of the value the institution places on their education. At the very least, students in this situation deserve a proper explanation of why a program is being cancelled. The Faculty of Humanities has taken some measures to communicate with students in the program, such as making class visits, attending the SRA open forum for the arts, as well as responding to student emails. However, thus far the student body remains relatively uninformed of
the rationale behind the change. Art History students have been unsuccessful in their attempts to have a sit-down meeting with the Deans about this issue since it became public. They have been informed that financial resources are the primary concern. However, at Undergraduate Council on Tuesday this week, Associate Dean Wright said that financial resources and enrolment were only a few of the reasons. I’m following this issue closely, but I have to admit that even with the privilege of context and access to resources, I’m a little confused. How are
students expected to be on board with such a bold decision if they are not being informed? Students deserve to know the reasons in their entirety, communicated with honesty and candour. This is not to say that anyone has been dishonest in the process so far, but the process hasn’t been transparent to even the student leaders trying to engage with this issue. If the Faculty of Humanities wishes to release the complete list of reasons in a clear and concise format, the MSU will help make sure that students can access it, to ensure that we’re all on
the same page. Ideally, that’s the direction we’d like to go. In the future, students should be informed of these decisions before the process starts, so that we have time to properly engage. I’ve seen three program cancellations at McMaster over the years, and all of them have (to varying degrees) caught students by surprise. Giving the student body a heads-up is always appreciated. Chris Martin VP (Education) vped@msu.mcmaster.ca ext. 24017
Welcoming applications Faculties and Maroons (and Vish!) want you to join the Welcome Week community Coming back from Reading Week can be a bit of a drag. Especially if you went on vacation or procrastinated at home and didn’t do much work. Balancing academics, searching for a place to live, looking for a summer job, and having time for yourself can be a challenge. On top all this chaos are applications for various Welcome Week positions for the upcoming academic year, and when prioritizing your time, extracurricular activities tend to take a back seat. My advice - take a half hour out of your day and apply for the position you want. My most memorable moments in university did not occur in the classroom. The moments I most fondly look back on are the ones where I was in the heart of Welcome Week jumping, screaming and being an absolute nutcase. I think about my first year in residence, and how by the end of the week, some of the most timid students around me were now willing to give up their lives in the name of their residence! I’m sure many of you had similar experiences at some point during Welcome Week, and there is still time to take a leadership role and provide the same experience for incoming first years. PA I D A D V E RT I S E M E N T
If you have missed the deadlines or didn’t apply to become a Residence Rep, SOCS Rep, or take up an IRC Position - fear not. As some of you already know, there are a lot of different opportunities still waiting to be filled. Most Faculty societies have run through the election process and will be posting Welcome Week opportunities in the near future. Keep an eye out on the MSU website for the Maroon Welcome Week Rep applications to be posted. I became a Maroon in my first year at Mac and as a result the Maroons became near and dear to my heart. I still reminisce about being a part of the army of Maroons with war paint on our faces leading cheers at events and getting first years involved. Needless to say, I still wear my suit proudly as my involvement in the Maroons became a hallmark of my time here at McMaster. Although some deadlines have already passed, there are still a multitude of opportunities to get involved in the upcoming Welcome Week. I encourage you to take a small part of your day to apply for a position - be a part of an experience you won’t forget! Vishal Tiwari President msupres@msu.mcmaster.ca ext. 23885
THE SILHOUETTE • A3
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 2010
Newsbites First All Abilities Awareness week at Mac Compiled by Nicole Siena
Pay to have your worst nightmares enacted In Eastern France, Georges Cexus, 28, set up a company earlier this year that allows clients to set up their worst nightmares and have them come true. For 900 euros, clients can purchase the basic kidnap package, which involves them being bundled, bound and gaged, and kept incarcerated for four hours. Clients of Ultime Realite (Ultimate Reality) have almost anything possible. “I identify what the customer wants and then put it into action,” said Cexus. Maximum incarceration time is 11 hours, because after that, clients might find the novelty of the event wear off. Just after a few weeks of business, the business s already experiencing up to two requests a day. A spokesperson for the French police said they had no legal objections to the service, but the company would need to warn local authorities beforehand so they were prepared for any emergency calls. Cleveland ranked most miserable city in United States Cleveland, Ohio, being dubbed as the “Mistake by the Lake” also has the highest unemployment rate, most miserable weather, highest taxes, corruption and mediocre sports teams, all of which have contributed to its number one position in the Forbes.com ranking for the most miserable city in the United States. The city, located on the Cuyahoga River, has unfortunately been hit by the economic downturn, which contributed to its placement. The list of 20 cities includes, Miami, which placed sixth place due to its slow commuting time, corruption, and violent crime, and New York, which due to the lengthy commutes and high income taxes ranked 16th place. Superman comic sold for $1 million A rare copy of the first comic book featuring Superman was purchased on Monday for $1 million (U.S.) by a private buyer on ComicConnect.com. Although this copy of the 1938 edition of Action Comics No.1 was sold, there have been other private sales ranging from $300,00 to $450,000. The most recent copy that was sold hit a much higher price because it’s rated on an 8.0 grade out of a 10. Only about 100 copies of the comic are known to exist, and are all very rare to be made available for sale. The comic book originally was sold to the seller for $150,000. World’s Shortest Man Khagendra Thapa Magar, a 22 inch (56 cm) tall man is leaving Katmandu, Nepal for Italy to see if he can get the Guinness World Record title for the world’s shortest man. Doctors in Nepal do not have any explanation for Magar’s height. The current record is held by He Pingping of China, who is 29 inches (73 cm) tall. Love those Love handles A 35 year old woman from Florida claims that her love handles saved her life when she was shot entering a bar in Atlantic City. The women said that she heard two pops when she felt a pain and saw blood on her side. Police said that she was just a bystander as the gunman was aiming for a man who escaped with only a bullet hole in his jacket. Samantha Lynn Frazier said that she “could have been dead,” and that her love handles saved her life. Frazier told press that she was wanting to lose weight, but now, “I want to be as big as I can if it’s going to stop a bullet.”
LILY PANAMSKY
camp program in the Pulse,” elaborated Hiemstra. There will be a Music, Speakers, Monday Mar. 1 marks the first and Sport Challenge on Friday. “We day of the All Abilities Awareness have a speaker from MacWheelWeek at McMaster University. The ers that is from SCI Action (Spinal All Abilities Awareness week is a Cord Injury) Canada,” Hiemstra five-day long initiative that pro- stated, “and she will talk about the motes healthy and active lifestyles connection to physical activity and for people with special needs both sports regarding SCI. Our final inside and outside of the McMaster speaker will talk about wheelchair community and to raise awareness sport and follow up with demos.” about special needs issues. In addition, there will be trivia The daily events, most of all week at the Pulse desk, and inwhich take place in or around the formation displays in the Pulse David Braley Athletic Centre, all foyer. feature guest speakers. Coordin- Hiemstra explained, “This is ator Julie Hiemstra explained that our first event and we hope to build there would be a Paralympic Day on it from here to make it a yearly on Monday, where, “The first pre- event. We hope that other groups senter, Jim Primavera, will explain will contact us and choose to parwhat “All Abilities Welcome” is. ticipate and present in the future.” The Paralympic Panel will give a The 2010 Winter Paralympic history about themselves and how Games will occur in Vancouver they became active in their sport. Mar. 12-21. The Paralympics are A question and answer session will always held the same year as the follow.” Olympics. This is the first year that A Special Olympics Day will the Paralympics will be televised. occur on Tuesday, said Hiemstra. Beginning at the 2012 bid pro“Our speaker from Lawson Minis- cess, the host city for the Olympic tries will explain the connection of Games will be obliged to also host services for persons with Special the Paralympics. needs and their job training and The idea of a Paralympics orihow that connects with McMaster ginated in 1948, when German-born and in particular our workers in the neurologist Sir Ludwig Guttmann Pulse…We will [also] have a speak- organized a sporting competition in er that will explain our Superhero England that involved World War ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR
SILHOUETTE FILE PHOTO
The All Abilities Awareness week will feature several presentations regarding Paralympic sports, such as the wheelchair sport, pictured above. II veterans with spinal cord injuries. Then, in 1976, the first official Paralympic Winter Games occurred in Örnsköldsvik, Sweden. In terms of student turnout, Hiemstra stated, “We have tried to advertise as much as possible but we can’t really guestimate the number that will turnout.”
“Participation is encouraged in our Goal Ball game, Climbing Wall and Alpine accessible workshops and wheelchair demonstrations. We encourage people to drop in and enjoy the rhythmic gym demo and to hear the band “Train Wreck” which consists of a group of special needs players.”
Hamilton collaboration to further MS research SELMA AL-SAMARRAI SENIOR NEWS EDITOR
As of February of this year, St. Joseph’s hospital, Hamilton Health Services and McMaster University have collaborated to further recent findings on Multiple Sclerosis. Previously, Paolo Zamboni, an Italian doctor, former vascular surgeon and current professor at the Italian university of Ferrara, released his findings on Multiple Sclerosis in November of 2009, which revealed that MS is caused by blocked jugular veins in the neck, along with an accumulation of iron in the brain. This recent Hamilton collaboration aims to verify the accuracy of Zamboni’s research. The initiative for this collaboration began in December of 2009, where all interested parties forwarded a request for research support to the Multiple Sclerosis Society of Canada. Once permission was granted, a full application for funding to MS Society of Canada went in on Feb. 9. Dr. Ian Rodger, the principle in-
AYAN DEY/ SILHOUETTE STAFF
McMaster University, Hamilton Health Services and St. Joe’s hospital, pictured above, have collaborated to validate recent MS findings. vestigator of this initiative and the Vice President of Research at St. Joseph’s hospital explained how their interest in furthering Zamboni’s research came about: “When [Zamboni] did the study, he didn’t do it in a clinically controlled section. He did it as an observational [one] with some intervention, but what
he cannot tell us and no one can tell us today is whether all MS patients have these blockages or just some or whether normal healthy people have these blockages or not.” The research initiative involves gathering four groups of Multiple Sclerosis patients. Each group has 25 patients, and the groups range
in the severity of their disease. The four groups will be matched with groups of controlled, healthy patients of the same age and gender. The aim of this study is “to see if there’s an increased prevalence in these blockages of the neck in MS patients compared to healthy people,” explained Rodger. Rodger further added that the aim of this current study is not to surgically treat the jugular blockages in the neck, but to validate Zamboni’s surgery. “If he’s correct then subsequent trials will go on until we develop surgical interventions.” “It’s terrific that we’ve got city-wide participation. We’ve got people who are radiologists, Multiple Sclerosis doctors, pharmacologists, immunologists; we’ve got a cross section of people who bring different expertise to this study… We would love to be amongst the first to validate or invalidate what the Zamboni hypothesis is. We’ve got no particular bias; were simply doing this to see if he’s right or if he’s wrong.”
College strike averted through narrow win DANIELLE WEBB
CUP ONTARIO BUREAU CHIEF
TORONTO (CUP) — Ontario college students breathed a collective sigh of relief this week as the Ontario Labour Relations Board finally announced the official results of the Feb. 10 college faculty strike vote. They are now able to finish their semesters free from the distraction of a looming strike. But it was a slim victory. Only 51.45 per cent of the province’s 9,000 college faculty voted in favour of accepting management’s final contract offer, according to the official announcement on Feb. 24. The contract vote, held Feb. 10, was initially declared too close to call, with the accepting majority decided by only 210 votes and over 300 mail-in ballots still to be counted. But those votes have now been counted, and the colleges are happy with the result. “We are pleased that faculty saw this offer as fair and reasonable and one that they could accept,” Rachael Donovan, chair of the colleges’ bargaining team, said in a
statement after the results were released. “We will now have a collective agreement in place and we have avoided a strike. This result is good news for our students, our faculty and our communities,” she said. But the Ontario Public Service Employees Union, who represented the faculty, is not happy with the result, claiming that fear of a strike was what pushed the vote slightly into the majority. “We did not want a labour disruption, and had a plan to avoid one, but the employer took the stance with our members that it was either accept the offer or be forced out on strike,” Ted Montgomery, OPSEU negotiating team chair, said in an union press release. Union president Warren (Smokey) Thomas added his concerns that the voting process was mismanaged, saying that they have filed formal complaints. “There was no advance poll, causing the high number of mail-in ballots,” said Thomas. “Many voted after already knowing the original results, and some members never received bal-
lots at all,” he continued. The Ontario Labour Relations Board began counting ballots on the afternoon of Feb. 24 and students spent their afternoons refreshing the “Ontario College Students Against a Strike” Facebook page. Comments flooded the page until results were announced. “I’m so sick of waiting! It has been too long, I just wish they’d hurry up and tell us,” wrote one student. “I wish they would just put us out of our misery so we can stop staring at this site,” wrote another. Some students are frustrated that they had to worry about a strike in the first place. Renee Belanger, a student Georgian College in Barrie, Ont., welcomed the news that there would be no strike, but she fears her semester has already been affected too negatively. “Since this strike business has come up, I feel like I haven’t put in as much effort into my course as I had last semester. I think my marks will be less due to (the threat of a strike),” she said. At Toronto’s Centennial College, Brittany Fish shares senti-
ments with Belanger. “Through out the last couple of weeks at school, we have been going through midterms. It was really hard to focus 100 per cent on these midterms when the whole time (I was) wondering, ‘Is it all going to be for nothing?’” she said. “I don’t think it was fair . . . to keep voting and keep moving dates. It made me, and probably a lot of other students, on edge just wanting to know what the final results were,” said Belanger. The colleges and faculty have been negotiating a new contract for the last nine months, and voted in favour of a strike on Jan. 13. In a statement following the results, Justin Fox, president of the College Student Alliance, urged both the colleges and faculty to put any remaining issues behind them and focus on providing students with the education they need to succeed. The new contract will be in place for the next three years and will see a 5.9 per cent increase in salary over those years. Faculty were also given more control over their workloads.
A4 • THE SILHOUETTE
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 2010
THE SILHOUETTE • A5
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 2010
Student debt stacks up across country Anti-aging LILY PANAMSKY
ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR
Accumulated student debt has significantly increased in the past decade, according to a Statistics Canada survey. Average student debt upon graduation increased from $15,200 to $18,800 in the last ten years. The Stats Canada survey revealed that students who borrowed money did not experience lower employment rates or personal income, but they were less likely to have savings and investments. At McMaster, more students are applying for the Ontario Student Assistance Program (OSAP) every year. The Office of Student Financial
Aid and Scholarships reported that 58 per cent of registered full-time undergraduate students applied for OSAP in 2009, up four per cent from 2008 and six per cent from 2007. 46 per cent of McMaster students actually picked up OSAP in 2009, compared to the 43 per cent in 2008 and the 42 per cent in 2007. Undergraduate bursary application rates have increased by 35 per cent since 2007, and summer work applications have increased to 49 per cent since 2007. Stats Canada suggested that postsecondary graduates with student loans had, on average, lower assets and lower net worth, compared to students who did not borrow money.
compound discovered ROY CAMPBELL THE SILHOUETTE
CHRISTOPHER CHANG / SILHOUETTE STAFF
With their increasing debt, students find themselves strapped for cash.
Olympic Advances in lung cancer research pride in Conjoined efforts to test screening techniques Canada FARZEEN FODA
• CONT’D FROM A1 ian history. Canada’s Olympic Broadcast Media Consortium stated that there was an average of 10.6 million viewers and that, in total, 21.5 million people—almost two in three Canadians—watched at least part of the game. A survey, commissioned by the Historica-Dominion Institute and conducted by Ipsos Reid, found that 51 per cent of Canadians think the 2010 Vancouver Olympics are more of a milestone than the 1976 Montreal Olympics and the 1988 Calgary Olympics. 74 per cent of Canadians believe that the Olympics are Canada’s games, not Vancouver’s or British Columbia’s. Even residents of British Columbia share this view, with the survey showing that 61 per cent believe the Olympics belong to the country and not the province. As of Thursday morning, Canada has 15 medals: seven gold, six silver, and two bronze. Canada is tied for the highest number of gold medals and is fourth in medalcount after the U.S. with 28, Germany with 24, and Norway with 18.
THE SILHOUETTE
The number of lives lost to lung cancer continues to exceed that of most other forms of cancer. The root of the problem lies in the first step toward the treatment of any disease: detection. McMaster University has joined a study sponsored by the Terry Fox Research Institute and the Canadian Partnership Against Cancer to test four different screening methods for lung cancer. Currently, there is no proven method for lung cancer screening and present techniques have not proven to be particularly useful, especially in detecting the early stages of tumour development. For lung cancer, early detection is crucial, as the progression of the cancer from its early to its late stages is relatively rapid. Chest X-Rays have not been very successful, and while Computerized Axial Demography (CAT) scans are promising, much remains to be uncovered before they can be used. “This study is really designed to look at CAT scans plus other tests to try to optimize the screening. We’re trying to figure out who are the people at greatest risk of developing
lung cancer and therefore should be part of the screening protocol,” said
The study will include CAT scans, blood tests, breathing tests, questionnaires and Bronchscopy, a technique used to view patients’ airways. Dr. John Goffin, Assistant Professor in the Department of Oncology at McMaster University. The study will include CAT scans, blood tests, breathing tests, questionnaires and Bronchoscopy, a technique used to view patients’ airways. Participants in the study are volunteers from various parts of Southern Ontario between the ages of 50 and 75 who have been smoking for approximately 30 years, and who have smoked within the last 15 years. Various factors for risk assessment are used, including family his-
tory, age, duration of smoking, and age. Those eligible for the study have a risk of at least two per cent of developing lung cancer within the next three years. Not only are there several scientific barriers to overcome in improving lung cancer screening, but there are a number of other factors that make this process fairly difficult. Finding an effective screening technique is a challenge on its own, but a separate obstacle is that people potentially developing lung cancer do not experience any pain initially, and so do not feel that they need to act. It is for this reason that lung cancer is most often detected when it is too late and thus more sensitive screening methods will allow earlier detection of tumour development for more people. Goffin emphasized that this initiative is vital to supporting the fight against cancer. Furthermore he assured that “It helps for people to know that they are helping not only themselves but they are helping the Terry Fox Foundation and the investigators to make a useful Canadian contribution.”
A combination of dietary supplements shown to significantly delay the effects of aging has been found by a team of researchers co-operating at McMaster University and Xi’an Jiaotong University in China. Research, led by Dr. C. David Rollo of McMaster’s Department of Biology, showed that mice who were fed the supplement lived longer than mice who were not fed the supplement and they did not experience the same effects of old age. In general, mice that received the supplement showed much fewer signs of aging than usual. The team’s research showed that the supplement caused mice’s cells to work and regenerate more efficiently, producing 50 per cent fewer free radicals, which are thought to be a key cause of aging. Mice avoided both physical and mental signs of aging; as supplemented mice aged, they showed the same levels of movement as they had when they were young along with increased mental abilities, whereas untreated mice showed reduced movement and mental capacity as they aged. The team, which included researchers in the fields of biology, psychiatry and neuroscience, developed the supplement using funds from the Natural Science and Engineering Research Council of Canada. The supplement’s 30 ingredients included vitamins B1, B3, B6, B12, C, D and E, beta-carotene, ginger root extract, ginseng, green tea extract and flax seed oil. “The supplement was designed to offset five mechanisms of aging,” said Rollo. “Theoretically it could have impacts on most major human conditions associated with free radicals…” This includes aging, cancers, diabetes, autoimmune disorders, atherosclerosis and strokes. However, it is uncertain how these findings will be applied to humans. “Humans already live long lives for their body size and are actually quite resistant to cancer,” he said. “Any recommendations [for people] would require human trials and sanction by medical authority.” In addition to slowing the aging process, the supplement has also been shown to reduce the damage to DNA and cells caused by radiation, which could be useful in reducing damage caused by medical imaging and space missions. Research into the effects of this supplement is continuing. The supplement has now been shown to effectively delay aging in crickets; in some cases it more than doubled their expected life span. Rollo is optimistic about the effects of the research, “We hope that our work will provide general insight to the aging process that afflicts most life on earth,” he said. “If interventions could maintain youthful function of humans into later years and perhaps delay or prevent age-related [afflictions], that would be a wonderful thing.”
A6 • THE SILHOUETTE
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 2010
EDITORIAL McMaster University’s Student Newspaper
The Silhouette TheSil.ca Editorial Board Executive Editor Jeff Green Managing Editor Bahram Dideban Senior News Editor Selma Al-Samarrai Assistant News Editor Lily Panamsky Features Editor Paige Faber Opinions Editor Peter Goffin Sports Editor Brian Decker Assistant Sports Editor David Koots Insideout Editor Lindsay Jolivet Assistant Insideout Phyllis Tsang Photo Editor Will van Engen Staff Photographer Terry Shan Multimedia Editor Ava Dideban Production Editor Katherine Marsden Web Editor Jason Lamb Health Editor Sarah Levitt Distribution Coordinator Jonathon Fairclough Business Editor Simon Granat Business Editor Santino Marinucci Ad Manager Sandro Giordano
Senior Andy Editor Grace Evans Music Editor Corrigan Hammond Entertainment Editor Myles Herod
A nation-defining moment It’s only 11 p.m., yet here we are, in the campus pub, belting out the second round of “O Canada.” It’s a Gold-Silver finish for our Canadian women’s two-man bobsleigh, and most of the bar is a few pitchers in. Fucken’ eh. After watching the Canadian Men’s Hockey beat up on the Russians, the place erupted into a singing of the national anthem. Something so far from Canadian as I knew it two months ago. So what’s the difference? We bring the biggest party into our own backyard and all of a sudden we become the biggest patriots, how does that work? And more importantly, should we? Well why not? Isn’t this country far overdue for a little bravado? A little hoo-rah, we’re red and white, take it or leave it. Why not? We’ve been apologetically pathetic when it comes to patriotism for far too long.Take, for example, every world cup. Every four years, second-generation Italians, Brits, Portuguese, Spanish, and the rest adorn their car in their parents’ parents’ flag, pretending to be apart of the celebration. They couldn’t tell you what city Ronaldo was from, but they’d be more than happy to paint the town if Portugal won. So this is a long overdue celebration.What is a Canadian? Who cares? Right now, a Canadian is a white/brown/black/green kid with a Sidney Crosby jersey on their back, cheering on Ice Dancers and Lugers. We’ve stopped asking who we are and started cheering for what we are. Enter, the “Own the Podium” debate. Much has been said about the supposedly “un-Canadian” campaign; that to state that we should “Own the Podium” is too “American,” too arrogant, conceited and bigheaded. Think of it this way: this nation, the second largest nation in the world, has yet to have a nation-defining moment. No civil war, no great history (arguably), no traditions and no unanimous celebration. The last thing we had was in World War I, where Canadians defined ourselves as the ultimate shock troopers when the took Vimy Ridge. We woke to the British up to that we were a nation, and not just a commonwealth. Filled with adrenaline and fear, our great grandfathers jumped over the trench to define a nation, only to be a footnote in Canadian history. We, as a nation, rarely rally around a moment that could have defined us. It was too singular, too non-inclusive for our multi-cultural nation. Yet here we are – standing between pride and prejudice – with half the nation ready to define themselves as Canadians, and the other half thinking our stating our goal as “best in the world” too narrowminded, too intolerant, too American. I’ll gladly stand up for round three and four of “O Canada” just to know that some people in this large country were brought together by this single event.To know that we, as a nation, can move forward with an identity.Yes, we are polite, but we are the best in the world. We’re proud, we’re red and white, and we’re Canadian. I think I’ll order one more pitcher, and one more round of “O Canada.” •Jeff Green
Silhouette Staff
Fraser Caldwell, Ben Orr, Sam Colbert, Joey Coleman, Kevin Elliott, Noah Nemoy, Julie Compton, Jenifer Bacher, Michael Hewak, Christopher Chang, Lauren Jewett, Jacqueline Flaggiello, Natasha Pirani, Amanda Fracz, Aaron Joo, Katherine Snider-McNair, Farhang Ghajar, Ben Small, Jemma Wolfe, Michael Hewak, Dan Hawie, Josh Parsons, Roxanne Hathway Baxter, Catherine Brasch, Trevor Roach, Remek Debski
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thesil@thesil.ca
executive editor: extension 22052
General Assembly, for who? If you were the MSU, you probably wouldn’t want to go to General Assembly. Listen to the students? Fuck that! Why, you sold a service (the Short Stop) without asking them. You run a bar (1280) into the ground ($800,000 in losses in two years).You run a day-care (yes, your MSU dollars run a day-care) that loses money (only $460,000 over 10 years). So why the hell would you want to listen to students? They only pay hundreds of dollars in “supplementary” fees a year to you. They’re only the people you claim to represent. So take the only forum where direct student input would be taken seriously – the General Assembly – and put it on a day that NO student will ever go: St. Patrick’s Day. Just put it on Christmas and save yourself the trouble. General Assembly is March 17, 2010 this year in the Burridge Gym. When every student is at a pancake kegger, drinking green beer until their face turns green, the MSU is attempting to hold a General Assembly – the once-a-year time that students have a chance to say what their student union should do. Why not just tell them not to come. Just tell them to fuck off, let them pay exorbitant amounts. Screw them out of money. Oh yeah, I forgot to mention that you’d get 15 per cent of 1280. Why doesn’t the MSU just tell students right to their faces that they don’t give a shit. At least then we’d have some sense of accountability. Maybe then they would wear the guilt and shame they so rightly deserve. •Jeff Green
Worth Repeating:
Obscene gestures, spontaneous songs in N.B legislature Maggie Lee — The Argosy
Burke said that Alward had been “very clearly caught by CBC SACKVILLE, N.B. (CUP) — New with his pants on the ground. Brunswick politicians are standing “Pants on the ground, pants on out on the international stage this the ground, looking like a fool with year — but not for the work they’ve his pants on the ground,” he sang. been doing in the legislature. “Thank you, Mr. Speaker.” Two of the province’s Liberal He used the song to demonlegislative members, Abel LeBlanc strate how he believed the Opposand T.J. Burke, brought significant ition had been caught unprepared media attention to themselves to discuss their plan for the public while speaking out against Oppos- utility. ition Progressive Conservatives in The two incidents mark difthe legislature. ferent reactions to the increased Leblanc was ordered out of tension within the New Brunswick the legislature on Feb. 11 by house legislature over the governing LibSpeaker Roy Boudreau after ex- erals’ plan to sell Crown power tending his middle figure toward assets to Quebec. Don Desserud, the Opposition benches. His ges- a political scientist at the Univerture was particularly directed at P.C. sity of New Brunswick’s Saint John MLA Margaret-Ann Blaney, who, ac- campus, told the Moncton Times cording to the Opposition house and Transcript that he believes that leader Paul Robichaud, had been the power deal, added an upcoming the victim of Leblanc’s insults and election in September, has resulted “bullying” in other circumstances, in a high-pressure environment in the Telegraph-Journal reported. the provincial capital. When asked to apologize, “The internal morale of the Leblanc refused and proceeded party is obviously starting to fracto continue his attacks, until the ture, if not crumble,” he told the Speaker instructed him to leave the Times and Transcript. chamber. He was allowed back in the legislature the following week Premier Shawn Graham maintained following a three-day suspension. that LeBlanc’s action was not ac At the end of January, Liberal ceptable, insisting that business in MLA Burke stood up to criticize the legislature cannot be distracted Opposition leader David Alward on by such exchanges. the Liberal plan to sell NB Power Since Burke’s performance, the assets to Hydro-Québec, when he video of his rendition of “Pants on suddenly broke into song. the Ground” has circulated on the And not just any song, but the video-sharing and entertainment then-newfound Internet meme websites YouTube and TMZ, as well “Pants on the Ground,” made as U.S. television networks such as famous by American Idol contestant CNN and Fox News. “General” Larry Platt.
Calgary gets largest-possible tuition hike Alexandria Eldridge — CUP Alberta Bureau Chief EDMONTON (CUP) - The University of Calgary’s board of governors has approved a tuition increase for next year of 1.5 per cent, the largest possible hike allowed by provincial regulations. The release of the provincial budget on Feb. 9 saw a freeze to the base operating grants for postsecondary institutions in Alberta, which left the University of Calgary facing a revenue gap of $17.5 million for the next academic year. The school’s provost, Alan Harrison, said that the upcoming tuition increase is fairly typical. “This year the government indicated that the maximum that would be accommodated within the tuition fee policy was 1.5 per cent. We see cost increases every year in excess of 1.5 per cent and so the recommendation to the board was to increase tuition by the full 1.5,”
to mama.
to insomnia.
to triple bday week.
to horse heads in my bed.
to king karaoke.
to apolo anton ohno.
to every canadian in the olympics. we’ve all been glued to the tv, and you guys rock my socks off.
to midterms and people above you that run laps at 3 am.
to molly & mindy.
Corrections The Silhouette makes every effort to be accurate. If you discover a mistake, please notify us via e-mail at thesil@thesil.ca with the subject “corrections.” We will include the correction in the following issue of the Silhouette.
he said. He said that the effects on students would be minimal, but that it wouldn’t come close to compensating for the budget shortfall. “A student in an arts and science program will see an increase of less than $80 per year. The revenue that we generate from this will be a little under $2 million.” “In terms of the effects on the budget, it’s not that great.” This month, the University of Calgary submitted a proposal to Alberta’s Ministry of Advanced Education and Technology that would allow them to add “market modifier” fees to some programs — which, for affected students, could mean cost increases of up to 47 per cent. A response from the government on those proposals is not expected for several weeks. The board of governors approved the 1.5 per cent tuition increase on Feb. 22.
to kay starr. to when all you can do is just feel the music. you don’t even hear it, its just bass. man. woah. yes. to murder-mystery!
to the person that is murdered at a murdermystery... damn, that sucks. you just signed up for left bench. to the usa. straight up, you guys suck. deal with it. to party in the usa. what a terrible song.
THE SILHOUETTE • A7
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 2010
OPINIONS
production office: extension 27117
opinions@thesil.ca
Right or wrong, opinions are vital Peter Goffin
OPINIONS EDITOR
In recent days, this publication and I have come under some criticism for ideas presented in an article which I wrote and published in the Opinions section of the Silhouette. It has been suggested through this criticism that the Sil does not have the right to publish such material because of the views presented within it. Now, my views may seem wrong to some, they may seem inappropriate to some, they may seem offensive to some, but that is the nature of opinions. They are subjective, they are highly personal, and they are never unanimous. And you, the reader, consumer of ideas, are free to accept or dismiss whatever notions you come across, not
just in this publication, not just in print, but everywhere, in every facet of your life. You are free to ignore and free to look away. You need not feel compelled to agree or even to read on. It is not my place, nor anyone’s, to enforce any single belief as gospel truth. It is not my place, nor anyone’s, to carve any words in stone. But it is, and has been for two years, my job to introduce ideas, ones which I hope will hold some relevance to the readership. I cannot do anything more. I cannot tell you what to believe, what to think, what to value, what to despise.You can do that for yourselves. But I do strive for my articles to spark critical thought. And with that as the goal, it does not matter whether I am right or wrong, or whether you
or anyone agrees with me. In fact, for the same reason. We are all uniI would rather you disagree with versity students. And a university is an article if it means that you are an institution built not only on ideas, but the communication of those ideas. Nowhere is the free expresIt is not my place, sion of thought and opinion more vital. Without the liberal exchange nor anyone’s to of ideas we are wasting our time, enforce any single particularly as students, but also as human beings who should be selfbelief as gospel aware and curious and tolerant and truth... But it is my interested in learning. job to introduce And the true beauty of free thought is that disagreement and ideas, ones which I opposition are permissible too. hope will hold some It is your right, and even your rerelevance to the sponsibility, to observe and judge all the information around you and to readership.” come to your own conclusions.You can even write your own article thinking and evaluating and forming explaining your views on the topic. your own opinions. It’s free expression: It’s valuable, it’s Listen: We are all gathered here powerful, it’s beautiful, it’s vital.
And if I ever stopped promoting and conducting the spread of opinions, or kept articles out of the Silhouette based on their content, I would deserve to lose my job. Because I would be condoning the stagnancy of thought and learning. I would be condoning ignorance and apathy. And I would be a fraud as an opinions writer and as a student. So by all means, hate the ideas presented in this publication. Disagree with them, call them incorrect. Those opinions still deserve to be expressed, regardless of their popularity. We as students, and as thoughtful, independent-minded people, depend on ideas. We depend on opinions. We depend on the freedom for them to be heard. Without that, what is the point in being here at all?
Why is everyone nailin’ Palin? Sporting determination and a unique set of views, Sarah Palin does not deserve the ire and ridicule of the political world John Galt OPINION
she may be gaffe-prone, her admirers love her ability to “tell it like it is”.And if the pundits, politicians and It’s been quite easy for politicos the others who dislike her don’t begin world over to dismiss Sarah Palin to understand that, 2012 could very as a backwoods joke hellbent on well usher in President Palin. embarrassing the nation each time “Was that a joke?” you’re asking? she opens her mouth: her inability It depends. Are hundreds of thouto name a newspaper she reads, her sands of people gathering together claim that she can see Russia from for anti-tax-hikes “tea party” proher door, her folksy way of speak- tests a joke? Are the more than ing. But are the experts making a 58 million Americans who voted big mistake in writing Palin off as a for the McCain-Palin ticket despite joke? You betcha. the many claims as to the latter’s Political observers, rightly or danger to the country’s reputation wrongly, tend to just a joke? Or how laud those who perabout the fact that form best in front Palin... is much Palin already leads of the camera – the in the polls amongst more than a Barack Obamas and potential Republican Pierre Trudeaus of presidential candipolitical figure. the world. The slick in the next Her persona, her dates types who have election? mastered the art of stances on public Palin has gone rhetoric and speak policy issues, even from being an unfor hours without Northern the way she speaks known actually saying anypolitician to the thing are often held [evoke] the need for symbol of an entire up as the gold stanway of thinking in change.” dard against which little more than a all others are measyear, and for good ured. reason: she, unlike But Palin, the inexperienced, most politicians, seems to have the sometimes inarticulate former courage to convey the ideas of the governor of a state I suspect many movement she represents in the Americans often forget exists, is face of enormous pressure from much more than a political figure. those who oppose those ideas, Her persona, her stances on public namely Democrats and the mainpolicy issues, even the way she stream media. speaks point to a symbolism far Responsible, constitutionallygreater than, say, a purely political limited, less intrusive government, three-word catch phrase evoking lower taxes and personal selfthe need for change yet never fully reliance – the ideals that Palin has making the case for it. come to embody – are topics that Though she may sport the red will, sooner or later, have to be elephant of the Republican party debated in the public arena, espeand have served as running mate to cially if President Obama’s current the party’s last presidential candi- spending habits don’t subside. It’s date, Palin is more than a high pro- time to put away the petty comfile member of the GOP – she is plaints about where Palin writes her the current representative of a set speaking notes or when she drops of beliefs and values held deeply by her G’s and start taking her, and the a great number of Americans (and movement behind her, much more even some Canadians) and though seriously. AVA DIDEBAN / MULTIMEDIA EDITOR
A8 • THE SILHOUETTE
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 2010
The plight of Home Children Who wants to go British PM apologizes for past transgression to a show? Concert was better than V-day alternatives Cassandra Jeffery SILHOUETTE STAFF
JONATHON FAIRCLOUGH / SILHOUETTE STAFF
A photograph of a boatload of Home Children arriving in Canada. Corrigan Hammond MUSIC EDITOR
Gordon Brown apologized yesterday to the descendents of the Home Children. For those of you who don’t know what this is, the Home Children were poor orphans, who during the nineteenth century were deported to Britain’s colonies to work, against their will, on farms. Some of my ancestors found their way to Canada like this. And, although the British government marketed it as being a wonderful opportunity for these children, it was a deplorable program. I have the same question for Gordon Brown as the First Nations people of Canada had for Stephen Harper after he apologized for the Residential School program last year: now that you’ve said you’re sorry, what are you going to do to show it? Now, don’t get me wrong, I’m
not comparing the situation of Canadians like me, the descendents of the Home Children, to that of our First Nations people. For the most part, in the century since we got the boot from England, our families have done pretty well for ourselves (to say the least). But that does not excuse the British government from their sins of the past. For the Home Children, some of whom were as young as three years old, when the British government ripped them away from their communities, permanently separating them from their friends, homes and what little family they had, this program was atrocious. The boat rides over for many of them could be compared to life in concentration camps. Many children didn’t survive. And when they arrived, each and every farm that they worked on had the potential to be its own mini-Residential School. Most of these chil-
dren were beaten. Many were raped. Few ever received any compensation for their hard, physical labour. Mr. Brown, how are you going to show that your government truly is sorry for this? Are you going to build museums and monuments in the Bowery District of London or port towns like Liverpool? What about building a monument or two in the former colonies, in places like Halifax or Montreal where these children passed through? Personally, I would be happy to see something as simple as a plaque in some of the towns across Canada where the Home Children arrived – places like Tillsonberg (where my ancestors lived and laboured). Hopefully the British government will follow up their state apology with some sort of action. After all, as our First Nations know, these statements tend to end up being mere empty words.
Incredible, unbelievable, awesome; these words do not serve justice for the energetic performance by 32-year old guitarist John Mayer. The talented blues artist entertained a sold-out crowd in Toronto’s Air Canada Center on February 14th, 2010. Love and romance was heightened on that particular night with the infamous heartthrob serenading his fans with songs from his new album Battle Studies, while also performing some of his older hits from albums Where the Light Is and Continuum. Along side Mayer, a group of unbelievably talented musicians put together a tight and plausible performance. David Ryan Harris, guitarist and vocalist, as been touring with Mayer since 2003 and on his Valentine’s Day performance blew the audience away with his guitar solos and stage energy. The remaining members: Robbie McIntosh, guitarist and vocalist; Sean Hurley, bass and vocalist; Steve Jordan, drums and percussion; Charlie Wilson, keyboards; and Julie Delgado and Melanie Taylor, who are both back up vocalists, kept the crowd on their feet with their impressive and well collaborated sound. In appreciation of the performance overall, a round of applause should also go to the stage crew for the awesome set up of special effects, lights, and sound. Everything from the music to the lights the; show was outstanding. About an hour into his performance, Mayer took a little time for some free styling. It comes into questioning as to if his smooth lines and mad skills at beat boxin’ were in fact rehearsed or if he’s just that talented to come up with a five minute
bit while rolling with the show. His act involved tossing dozens of roses into the eager crowd in the spirit of Valentine’s Day and busting out some hilarious one-liners. For all of those who attended the show, you’ll know what I’m talking about when I say; apparently he can only last 4-10 minutes. And for those who were not as fortunate to attend, well I’ll leave that up to your imagination. Mayer entertained with a variety of tunes ranging from slow jams such as Friends, Lovers or Nothing to Something’s Missing and of course his incredible guitar solos won the audience over. From his newest album, Battle Studies, he opened with Heart Break Warfare and jammed out to Half of My Heart. Also, the audience reminisced with favourites such as Why Georgia, Waiting on the World to Change, Bigger than My Body, and my personal favourite, Vultures. If that wasn’t enough he preformed two of his covers: Free Fallin’ by Tom Petty and Crossroads by Eric Clapton. Eric Clapton has to be one of my favourite artists, but John Mayer’s cover was exceptionally well preformed on the night of his Valentine’s Day concert. Two hours later, Mayer left the stage, but re-emerged sporting is relaxed apparel of a white shirt and jeans. “It’s been a long night in Toronto!” says Mayer before his encore sold the show with Who Says and his electrifying guitar riffs made Gravity that much better. A long night it may have been, but a solid three hours of one of my favourite musicians was most certainty worth the $100 ticket.Valentine’s Day or not, Mayer did not fail to impress; I’m sure all the lovers who attended the show would have to say the same.
THE SILHOUETTE • A9
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 2010
Feedback
It sure was one hell of a week
?
Tales of reading week adventures
“How do you feel about the Olympics?”
SILHOUETTE FILE PHOTO
It’s homeward bound and back again over reading week. Cassandra Jefferey SILHOUETTE STAFF
“They’re awesome.” Adrian Werkowski
“Canada better win gold in hockey!” Amaan Khan
“They’re entertaining.” Rikin Patel
“Huge waste of money that can be going to relief funds.” Bill Bailey
Throughout the stress and fatiguedriven first few months of school, most students rejoice at the thought of reading week. Although, let’s be serious, reading is rarely the focus of the long awaited break from constant note taking and studying. After the daunting tasks of midterms have finally come to an end, we look forward to a week of track pants, endless movies, late nights, reunions with old friends, and of course delightful, home-cooked meals. Unless you’re extremely unfortunate and every one of your midterms and assignments tediously await your anticipated return from the lovely nothingness of reading week, school is usually on the back burner. I myself was one of the more fortunate students with only one 550-word assignment due for the Monday upon my return. I am proud to say the paper was completed, research and all, on the five hour bus ride Sunday night from Sudbury to Hamilton. My gratitude to the Greyhound employee who was an exceptionally precise driver. If only my trip from Hamilton to Sudbury was as relaxing. Although I was lucky enough to have little work over the break, I was burdened with the dreadful midnight express Greyhound. I knew my
sleep would not be as invigorating as it would have been if I was fast asleep at home (my bed is a little bigger than a bus seat) but I definitely did not fathom the idea of my trip being as weird and straining as it had turned out to be. First off, the bus was packed, I’m talking every seat and of course, silly me, I was prepared with pillow and blanket in hand. I suppose my lack of “Greyhound-taking skills” led to my naive belief that I would have a seat all to myself and possibly get some sleep before 6 a.m. Seriously, who takes the midnight bus? Despite my disastrous circumstance, I remained positive and sat beside what I thought was a relatively nice young man. Oh how I was wrong! From this particular bus trip, I have realized there are many strange individuals who have decided they also anticipate the thought of next to no sleep and enjoy listening to the soothing sounds of the old man in front of you snore for five hours straight. The trip home was horrendous, the guy beside me was extremely weird, I feel asleep for maybe an hour, and on top of everything else, I woke up to Family Day; which means I would have to be energetic and cheerful as to not ruin my mother’s planned events for the ridiculous holiday. Besides having some weirdo
sitting beside me on the bus, who felt the need to constantly “make a move”, even after my protruding, dirty glares in his general direction, my reading week was enjoyable. After erasing the terrible memories of that night on the Greyhound and once the nightmares finally subsided I decided to make the best of my vacation in the Nickel Capital of Canada (Sudbury) before school, once again, became a daunting priority. There’s a true feeling of appreciation when returning home from university. My family does not seem as intrusive as previously remembered, for some reason the food tastes ten times better, and the house feels that much cosier. Life is once again in perfect bliss. However, I have to admit, there is literally nothing to do in Sudbury besides the movies (thank god for a Cineplex) drinking, or shopping at our sorry excuse of a mall. My reading week did not involve lying in the sun and sipping on margaritas in Cuba. No, it involved enduring a nauseating bus ride and lounging around with friends and family. Take away the creepy guy from the bus and it was a perfect break from the strenuous expectations of school. Hopefully in April the Greyhound will not be involved with my return home and if it is, I’m crossing my fingers for a seat to myself.
write for opinions
please.
opinions@thesil.ca
thanks.
A10 • THE SILHOUETTE
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 2010
In defense of military recruiting methods
Personnel deserve a more well-rounded look Dave Pridham OPINION
Different faiths can co-exist Leanna Katz OPINION Every Friday evening as the sun sets, Jews welcome the Sabbath by sitting down for a family meal, but Friday Feb. 5 was a bit different at McMaster. Over 75 McMaster students and staff sat together under the warm, colourful lights of Celebration Banquet Hall and enjoyed a traditional Jewish meal. Among these 75 staff and students, only a handful were Jewish because that Friday was an Interfaith Sabbath Dinner. Guests came from diverse backgrounds, and most were on the executive of a religious or cultural campus club, including the African Caribbean Association, Baha’i Faith Group, Campus for Christ, Compass, Chinese Students Association, Muslim Students Association, McMaster Muslims for Peace and Justice, Ahmadiyya Muslim Students Association, Open Circle and several other groups. Also present were McMaster staff, including professors from the Department of Religious Studies Dr. Louis Greenspan, Dr. Eileen Schuller and Dr. Anne Pearson, Carol Wood from the Chaplaincy Centre, Fr. Joe Selvanayagam, the Roman Catholic Priest, Dr. Elisabeth Gedge, a member of the McMaster Campus Ministries Council Executive, Mile
Komlen, director of Human Rights and Equity Services, Madelaine and Monty Levy from Campus Services and MSU President Vishal Tiwari. Earlier on in the evening, as the sun went down, candles were lit to welcome in the Sabbath. As the guests arrived, they were greeted with the warm, sweet smell of fresh traditional Jewish cooking. Guests arrived, mingling with one another and schmoozing before sitting down to the table. Before dinner, the blessing over the wine was said – Kiddish – to sanctify the Sabbath, one of the commandments in the Torah (the Hebrew Bible). Next, the blessing over the bread was said - HaMotzi- to thank God for the bread we were about to eat. The particular type of bread that is eaten on the Sabbath is a braided white egg bread called Challah. After the blessing, the bread is gently pulled apart into pieces, dipped in salt and everyone receives a piece. Finally, the guests helped themselves to generous portions of chicken, vegetables, potatoes, matzo ball soup, Israeli salad, kugle (a noodle “pudding”), brownies and cookies. Students were encouraged to eat more and more by Judy Schwartz, acting as a typical Jewish mother and director of the Jewish Students Association. As the guests enjoyed the meal, Avrum Rosensweig, founder of
Ve’ehavta, a Jewish humanitarian and relief organization, stood at the front of the room. Avrum shared his personal experiences as the son of an Orthodox Jewish rabbi. He also spoke of living on the streets with the homeless of Toronto.Yet he was most interested in having the guests share their backgrounds, stories and experiences. Despite the large number of guests in attendance, the conversation felt intimate. Guests reflected on the newly-discovered similarities between their faiths, the differences in their religious practices, and asked questions that they had long wondered about. The atmosphere was comfortable and open, demonstrated when one girl asked Father Joe, “So, how is celibacy?” Guests stayed long after the event ended - chatting, laughing and making plans to stay in touch, and even for their religious or cultural group to collaborate in the future. While many McMaster students are heavily involved in their religious or cultural group, most are keenly interested in learning about other faiths. Whatever racism, xenophobia, or hate we might see in the world, McMaster students can feel proud knowing that the leaders of their religious and cultural communities are open-minded, eager to learn and share with other faiths.
In the Feb. 11 edition of The Silhouette, Peter Goffin argued that recent military recruitment commercials encourage criminals [sic] to join the Canadian Forces (CF). He also suggested that CF members are “stunted” or “deficient” in some way. As a former soldier, I would like to respond to these claims. Mr. Goffin pointed out three separate cases of CF members who were charged with or convicted of violent crimes in 2005, 2008, and the recent case of Colonel Williams. He then argued that violent imagery in current CF recruiting campaigns is partially to blame for attracting such violent personalities to the military. But the new recruitment ads only began in late 2006, and the soldiers involved in these crimes would have enrolled in the military years earlier. For example, Colonel Williams joined the CF in the late 1980s. It therefore seems fair to say that the three-year-old recruitment campaign did not draw these people to the armed forces. According to Goffin, though, “we’ve had too many incidents not to question what the deal is with military personnel committing heinously violent crimes.” Despite his disclaimer that it would be unfair to call everyone in the military a “weirdo,” he clearly believes that soldiers are unbalanced. He implied that they were immature (“most of us gave up playing war a long time ago”) and that they did not enjoy sports, books, learning or “getting along with people.” He even bluntly stated that they were “stunted” or “deficient somehow” because they were not pacifists. This suggests a very exclusionary view of who is “normal,” implying that anyone who does not
totally reject violence is abnormal and inferior. Certainly this demeans anyone who is not a pacifist, but more seriously, it is dehumanizing. As a pacifist, Goffin should be concerned about dehumanization, because it is much easier to commit violent acts when the target is seen as inferior or subhuman. In reality, soldiers are not a brainwashed, bloodthirsty “other” with sociopathic tendencies. They are all individuals with different genders, sexual orientations, interests, and educational backgrounds. Yes, they work as one team, and their willingness to follow orders and risk their lives may seem rare, but they are still individuals who can think for themselves. Many choose to do these things because they believe it is worthwhile. Indeed, it is the military’s discipline and organization that helps it function so well in a disaster situation like Haiti. To claim that soldiers are deficient human beings strikes me as unreasonable and offensive. There are many different people in the military, and although some are criminally violent, many are not. Perhaps, in his personal experience, Peter Goffin has met a number of soldiers who were clearly sociopathic, in which case he has my sympathies. In my case, I was fortunate to serve with some outstanding, intelligent professionals who were prepared to risk their lives for whatever mission the government sent them on – from disaster relief in Sri Lanka or Pakistan to combat in Afghanistan. We should all be critical of war and the use of violence, but when we fear and dehumanize certain groups it becomes harder to create change. Instead of employing stereotypes, try to see the humanity and complexity in every situation.
THE SILHOUETTE • A11
THURSDAY,FEBRUARY 25, 2010
An open letter about Art History Words from a professor in the doomed program to Mac’s President The following is an excerpt of a letter from Professor Hayden Maginnis of the Department of Art History to President Peter George.To read the full letter, visit the Silhouette’s website at thesil@thesil.ca. - Ed. Dear Peter: It is with regret that I turn to the matter of the closure of the Art History program at McMaster, the Canadian university at which the discipline has been longest taught. I thought this issue had been settled after the troubles of four years ago and the repeated denials that closure was ever contemplated. (But we both know the then-dean and thenprovost proved somewhat short on veracity. The present Dean was then Associate Dean). I ought to have known better. The program has been systematically starved, or deprived, of resources until, it is now argued, we are not viable. But that has been a matter of choice on the part of the administration, specifically the Dean of Humanities, not necessity. The Dean claims she has no resources to sustain Art History, but appointments are being made elsewhere, even within the School of the Arts, and as part of the current plan she proposes vast new expenditures. All this is very puzzling. Over many years the program has received good external reviews. Two art historians are better published than most of the faculty in the School of the Arts and are internationally known. We regularly send a significant proportion of our students to graduate school; many have won international awards. I know for a fact that several graduate programs give our students first consideration. The suggestion that the closure of Art History is linked to a dramatic strengthening of Studio Art
is simply not credible. Four or five studio artists of limited and local reputation, already lacking space, equipment, and other resources cannot compete with the facilities and faculty at, for example, the University of Guelph. If rumours are true, that both OCAD and NSCAD have been looking for space for a potential Hamilton campus, then the superior competition will be on the doorstep. How five artists can run a B.F.A. and M.F.A program, when it requires four to deliver the present Honours B.A. is far from clear. And, as anyone in the field could tell you, either degree, without a reputable Art History component, is barely respectable. (Why does Ontario need another M.F.A. program?) Hamilton has two major art galleries, one, at the university, endowed to assist the teaching of Art History. Indeed, I would wager that the majority of visits to the McMaster Museum are those of students doing Art History assignments. In my experience, the place is otherwise nearly empty. The University’s commitment to Dr. Levy seems all but forgotten, and I would also wager that the closure of Art History will make potential donors to the Museum think again. Are we to have these two splendid institutions in the city and no instruction in the discipline? For well over a half-century in smaller institutions (over a century at universities like Harvard and Princeton) Art History has been acknowledged as central to cultural history and thus to the humanistic enterprise. It has been acknowledged that it is a discipline, quite distinct from the presently fashionable “visual culture.” It has been accepted that works of visual art are doors to the past, perhaps more readily opened than others. In a situation like that of the moment, for a university to choose art prac-
SILHOUETTE FILE PHOTO
President Peter George is being called on to respond to the issues surrounding Art History. tice over art history is to lock students in the present, to deprive them of perspective, and diminish their understanding - and their education. For what can be said need not be painted, or sculpted, or built. And yet those silent things speak to us. Knowledge of them is part of having a culture - and knowing humanity. Forgive me for being blunt, but it is perfectly clear that Dean Crosta’s plans lack the most basic rationality, and must be a screen for the eventual elimination of all study of the visual arts at McMaster. (Will the McMaster Museum then follow?) The Faculty cannot both have and not have resources. It cannot strengthen Studio Art by hiring an artist to teach Art History. (Whoever made this situation understands little of either discipline.) The Studio program cannot
be expanded to encompass an M.F.A. when it has not been allocated space in the new Liberal Arts Building and is already cramped. From the relevant documents, it would seem the fifth appointment in Studio Art depends on my salary, and I have not announced my retirement. If there are funds for the comparatively vast expenditures connected with Studio expansion, there is money for Art History. Perhaps confusion comes from haste. Art History (though not myself) was notified of its demise in early December (the very first indication the project was resurrected), at a meeting called for another purpose, and the proposal rushed through Dean’s Advisory before the end of January. Contrary to a recent article in McMaster’s Daily News there has been no long and careful consideration of this matter, that anyone but
the Dean knows of. It seems yet another knee-jerk development in the Faculty, this one particularly hurried and ill-conceived. (With the resources squandered over the last decades on quick-fix, “innovative” programs and initiatives that have eventually had to be closed we could have done much. May I remind you that the dysfunctional School of the Arts was one of those knee-jerk reactions, as were Canadian Studies, the Japan Institute, Women’s Studies, etc. It has become perfectly clear whose ambitions such hasty moves serve.) *** Sincerely, Hayden B.J. Maginnis Professor of the History of Art
You still have time to volunteer for the Sil. thesil@thesil.ca
or come to the office MUSC B110
A12 • THE SILHOUETTE
SpeculatoR The Hamilton
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 2009
INSIDE THE SPECULATOR A9:
Field and Stream Clippings, discarded posted notes, interesting oil stains
Q6:
Moral fiber. Does it keep you ethically regular?
Thursday, February 25, 2009 F I’m so pretty.
I AM SORRY
AND THIS TIME I MEAN IT
BUCK HOROWITZ SPECULATOR Hello, and thank you all for being here today. I know that the bulk of the press corps is still at the Tiger Woods apology extravaganza, so it’s nice to know that some of you members of the fourth estate were able to get away for awhile and come to another apology. (Believe me, if he hasn’t seen his shadow yet, it’s not going to happen. There are very few shadows in the back seat of an Escalade at night.) I called this press conference because everyone around me seems to be apologizing for something. There’s Tiger, of course, apologizing for playing too many holes. And the organizers of the Olympics apologizing for a fatally dangerous luge track, and for the weather. I’m not sure which one they are more at fault for. And like the phantom heart-beat of a body buried under the floorboards, all this apologizing has brought out in me an unparalleled level of guilt for several things I have done for which I have never apologized. I know I cannot expect forgiveness from everyone I have wronged, but hope that my words here today, at least 90 per cent of them sincere, will go a long way to rectifying my mistakes. To Father Larry Doohan, I am sorry that I haven’t been to
Sunday service in approximately 400 weeks. I was stuck in traffic. Additionally, I have done several things over the course of my life which, had you known about them, would have offended you. I am sorry that I used Holy Water to rinse my canker sores. I am sorry that I used a bible to conceal pornography during masses throughout the summer of 2001. It was a confusing and fertile time. Additionally, I have been friendly with myself and others, and for that I - actually for that I am grateful. Please thank your employer for each of those opportunities afforded to me. To Shelley Camden, I am sorry I never called you back. It wasn’t you, it was your program. I just can’t date a Health Sci. The Latin names of my organs just aren’t sexy dirty talk and the latex gloves were weird. So was that thing you did with the cadaver. No, that’s not what I meant by” threesome.” To the hip girl at the Union Market checkout, I’m sorry about that look I gave you. I know you probably didn’t notice anything, and I didn’t meant to make that face, but I feel like you might have thought I was giving you the cut eye but I thought you had given me a weird look so I gave like, “But now she thinks that did.” slipped out the back door. Many of one back but then I decided that To my friends, I am sorry you I have known since residence maybe you didn’t, and then I was that when the cops showed up I (woo Brandon Hall. Fuck yeah)
and I hope that you know me well enough to realize that normally I would be proud to stand beside you. Or sit beside you in the back seat of a cruiser. I did what I did because the sirens frightened me and I thought it was an air raid. I would also, at this time, like to apologize for not saving any of the incapacitated attendees of the party from what I perceived to be an air raid. And for drawing Hitler moustaches on at least three of them. To my parents, I am sorry about the photographs. I don’t know how they got online. But in my defence, I didn’t know Mom even had Facebook. I wish someone had told me. Oh and sorry about the Crusades thing, the smallpox blanket thing, the colonial thing, the slavery thing, the “No Irish” thing, the “Whites Only” thing, Chinese railroad worker thing, the Japanese internment camp thing, the Atomic thing, the McCarthy thing, the Vietnam thing, the Iraq thing and the torture thing. I wasn’t directly involved but someone might as well apologize. I will now be taking questions from the press gallery, but I do ask that we refrain from all mention of the flesheating incident, which I already explained in a previous statement.
The adventures of Art History
We’re through the looking glass here people. CAROLE LOUIS SPECULATOR Many people appreciate art. But some university administrators don’t. In Canada there’s a university in Hamilton, Ontario, near a place called Wonderland. (Yes, really!) A debate has begun there about the value of the subject known as the History of Art. You know, the one where you study the greatest and most important visual creations in the history of humanity. “That’s not correct,” stated a university administrator, Dr. Ruse-Anne Costly. “Humanity has nothing to do with art. I should know. I Am The Dean Of H u m a n i t i e s . ” Dr. Costly decided she would close the university’s longstanding program in Art History. Then she refused to see students who wanted to speak with her about her decision. Finally, like a certain white rabbit, she escaped through large loopholes in sense and went into hiding.
To quell the chaos she’d caused, Dr. Costly sent out her bodyguard, the Associate Dean, Dr. Always Right. “You won’t even find her,” he chortled at the students, pointing to the Bite Me sign on Dr. Costly’s door. “She’s terribly busy putting the kibosh to your program. She told me to give you false information about it. I’ll be delighted to, because I’m well versed in that sort of thing. “By the way, she’s really eager to talk to you and has made an appointment for Dec. 25, 2011.” Nonetheless, the students decided to gather on their own to formulate questions for Dr. Right. Feeling immense empathy with them, he ran over to the Student Centre and barged into their meeting to explain. “We’re not killing your program!” he shouted, out of breath. “We’re simply putting a knife in it, twisting it, and walking away! And yes, we have reasons. Your program stinks and there’s no one in it.”
The students objected. A recent outside review of the Art History program had pointed out healthy enrolments and the high quality of both professors and students. “Like I said,” continued the Ass. Dean more quietly, as if imparting a secret, “you have one prof we deliberately overwork, a second we’ve made busy at other things, and a third we’ve pushed into sick leave.” The students then asked about the obvious connections of their program with the university’s internationally renowned Museum of Art. “Where’s that? Besides, it’s irrelevant,” Dr. Right harrumphed. “An art museum has nothing to do with art history. If you really want to help, as our esteemed Ambassadors for the Humanities, you’ll just give us money, go away, and not point out how we mismanage everything.” Clearly the discussion was coming to an end. “And now,” he
grinned, adjusting his sizable headgear, “I must go. It’s almost March and I have a tea party to organize.” A few weeks earlier, Dr. Costly had explained it all to her faculty minions. “I tell people I have to make the tough decisions. That just means I make cuts where I can get aw ay with them Art History . So is out. Artsies are so dim, they’ll never even notice.” She knew , however, that she had to give out a few facts. “What we save by cutting Art History is about $99.95, plu s or minu s money only I know ab out. I know the price of ev er ything and the v alue of n othing.” did know But Dr. Costly say that spin. “We’ll the value of istory from Art H the savings rams g ro p two new ew will create ‘N it ll . We’ll ca the in Studio Art in ts s for Studen beOpportunitie , in la p e will com Arts.’ No on
cause I’ll kill the program of anyone who does. “Never mind that they’ll never get those new programs, because, you know, I have to make the tough decisions. And I always
get the last laugh.” Her cronies really liked her attitude. “You’re such an understanding person,” they chorused. “You really are the Queen of Hearts.”
“What Did You Learn This Week, Timmy?”
“I learned that I am only slightly smaller than Jesus.” Disclaimer: Stories printed in The Hamilton Speculator are fact. Any resemblance to persons real or dead is likely intentional and done out of spite. Opinions expressed are those of The Speculator and if you disagree with them you are wrong. And stupid. Possibly ugly as well.
THE SILHOUETTE • B1
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 2010
SPORTS
production office: extension 27117
sports@thesil.ca
MARAUDERS FALL TO WARRIORS AT HOME IN OUA QUARTERFINAL UPSET
SEASON
OVER
PHOTO C/O RICHARD ZAZULAK
Marauders fall to Warriors in first-round playoff upset SCOREBOARD Wednesday, February 24th
WATERLOO 66 McMaster 63 BRIAN DECKER SPORTS EDITOR
For the Waterloo Warriors, the third time was the charm. And for the McMaster Marauders, it will be a long spring and summer after their season ended with a 66-63 loss on Wednesday night. The Warriors came into Hamilton having lost badly to the Marauders in their two regular season meeting, but simply brought a
better overall effort in the OUA West quarter-final win. A team loaded with veterans in their final season together, Waterloo endured whatever McMaster had to throw at it and found a way to win in what could have been their final game together. “In the playoffs, failure is fatal,” said Marauder Head Coach Joe Raso. “Waterloo has a pile of fourth and fifth year guys who looked at tonight as being their last game.” Raso said McMaster took the first round match up too lightly against the Warriors, who were just 9-13 coming in and in the division’s final playoff seed. “You have to practice with intensity if you’re going to play with intensity. Diving for a loose ball isn’t something you do in a game if you’ve never done it before.” The Marauders trailed by as
many as 10 points in the first half, before making a second half charge behind Tyrell Vernon and Victor Raso, who combined for 36 points. It was veteran Warrior guards Cam McIntyre and David Burnett who took the game into their own hands, however, knocking down a pair of back-to-back clutch triples to cut a five-point deficit down to one. Centre Matt Hayes then converted a hookshot to give Waterloo a lead they would never relinquish. “It feels great. Everyone came together and we got it done. It was golden,” said McIntyre, who was mostly lost for words in the euphoric moment of the win. “It feels good to win for [my team]… I don’t even know, I’m just overwhelmed right now,” said the third year guard, who was second in the OUA in three point field goals this season and chipped in 11 points
in the game. The game came on a night when the Burridge Gym was nearly devoid of Marauder-friendly fans, a strange sight for a home playoff game. Most of the maroon and grey faithful were likely off watching Canada’s 7-3 thumping of Russia in the men’s Olympic hockey quarter final. The Warriors, on the other hand, brought a small contingent of very loud student fans, and combined with the Waterloo bench, the visitors boasted a small but undeniable advantage in crowd support. That support was key for the Warriors, who overcame their nightmares against previous losses to the Marauders. In Waterloo on Jan. 30, the Marauders won 87-57 in an allout blowout, while the Warriors suffered a second half collapse in the Burridge Gym in a 69-54 McMaster
win one week ago. McIntyre said that loss didn’t fail to escape the minds of the Waterloo team. “I’m not gonna lie, I had that ‘oh here we go again’ mentality, but we just remembered that it’s the playoffs and if we lose, we’re done.” The win also represents the first time the Warriors have won in Marauder territory in some 20 years, before some of the Waterloo players were even born. “This win is for coach [Tom Kieswetter], he hasn’t won here in 20 years,” said McIntrye. The Warriors will now move on to play Lakehead on Saturday in Thunder Bay. McMaster went just 12-22 from the free throw line in the game, a fitting downfall for a team that has struggled mightily from the charity • PLEASE SEE MAC, B6
THE SILHOUETTE • B3
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 2010
WOMEN’S VOLLEYBALL
MEN’S VOLLEYBALL
Warriors fall to Marauders Mac secures top in postseason action spot, right to
host Final Four FRASER CALDWELL SILHOUETTE STAFF
PHOTO C/O LARRY SKELLY
Lauren Skelly and the McMaster women’s volleyball team will host the OUA Final Four this weekend. FRASER CALDWELL SILHOUETTE STAFF
The McMaster Marauders women’s volleyball team kicked off their postseason in fine style on Saturday, easily handling the Waterloo Warriors in a quarterfinal showdown (25-17, 20-25, 25-19, 25-9). With the exception of a second set letdown, the hosts completely controlled the encounter, and should take great confidence from the display. The win ensures that the OUA Final Four will be played at Burridge Gym, guaranteeing the Marauders home court for as long as their championship drive should last. Saturday’s contest suffered from an understandably nervy opening, but quickly developed into an absorbing affair. For much of the first set, play was tight but lacking in quality, as the two teams tried to find their feet. McMaster finally grabbed a lead at the second technical timeout, taking a three point advantage into the break after the Warriors botched a set up. The lead built rapidly from there, with Larissa Puhach outmuscling her opponents up front before Waterloo dumped an attack at net to stretch the gap to seven. Two signature pieces of flair from Puhach brought the set to the brink, and Margot Randall sealed it with an effort which careened off Waterloo fingertips.
The second period saw the Marauders squander a hefty early lead, and drop the frame in lacklustre fashion. After winning eight of the first ten points of the set, the hosts fell horribly off form following the break. Much of this likely had something to do with a true anomaly: a group of Waterloo hecklers. In sharp contrast to the subdued Burridge crowd, the visiting fans were vocal in their attacks on the McMaster women, and it seemed to rattle the players. Whatever the cause, the Marauders largely imploded to lose the set, falling behind fatally after the second technical timeout. After Kaila Janssen mishandled an attack, the surging Warriors blew a smash down the center to take the second and level the match. However, McMaster was an entirely different squad in the third set, a testament to their resiliency as a group. Benefiting from a surprisingly short memory, the Marauders blazed out of the gates, winning six of the first seven points. The power game of Kaila Janssen and Puhach was in full swing, fuelled by the stoic play of talismanic setter Jennifer Holt. The rout was on, and McMaster would take a whopping nine point lead into the second technical timeout after a Warrior serve wobbled into the netting. The Marauder advantage would reach a high of ten points when Holt produced one of her typically deft tricks at net to confound the Warriors. The end was in sight after Shannon McRobert killed down the middle to make the score 23-14, but Waterloo still had some life in them. The Warriors managed to scrape together five of the next six points, and suddenly the set was no longer a walkover. Luckily, the gap proved too wide for the stubborn visitors to close, and Kailee Stock would end
the set by killing strongly off of an attempted Waterloo dig. The failure of their comeback seemed to break the visitors’ spirit, as they put up little resistance in the fourth and final frame. By comparison, the Marauders were in top gear with Holt producing a rare ace to kick things off. Suddenly, the set was spiralling out of control, and Janssen rolled a well placed kill cross court to give her team an early seven point advantage. The worst was yet to come for the Warriors, who ostensibly fell into a collective coma as the set wore on, falling behind 15-5 after a horribly mishit attack landed pathetically long. Tellingly, Waterloo would only win four more points in the set. Holt and McRobert produced a sterling combination block to extend the lead to thirteen, before kills from McRobert and Randall walked the Warriors to the precipice. With a woeful total of nine points, Waterloo put a merciful end to the match by firing wide, and propelling the Marauders into the OUA semifinals. Creative genius Jennifer Holt was awarded McMaster’s player of the game honours for her heroism on the night, which included 38 assists, 11 digs, and an uncharacteristically high tally of six points. Kaila Janssen led the squad with a total of 15 points in the victory, while second year stalwart Shannon McRobert chipped in 14 of her own. Having weathered their first playoff test, the Marauders now host the Queen’s Gaels in a semifinal on Friday night (Burridge Gym, 6 p.m.). Should they come out on top, McMaster would then face the winner of the match between Toronto and Western in the OUA final on Saturday. Strap yourselves in sports fans. It’s going to be a wild weekend.
With first place and the right to host the OUA Final Four on the line, the McMaster Marauders men’s volleyball team produced two clutch victories this past weekend over the Windsor Lancers (20-25, 25-19, 25-18, 25-15) and the Western Mustangs (20-25, 25-17, 25-20, 25-21). The wins clinched the Marauders’ third straight conference crown, and guaranteed that the squad’s provincial playoffs will be conducted on home court. Finishing the season with a 17-3 record, McMaster claws into eighth place in the CIS national rankings. Friday’s contest with the Windsor Lancers saw McMaster overcome an alarming start to claim victory in four sets. In an erratic first frame, the Marauders trailed throughout and looked completely disorganized for long stretches. Windsor would take a three point advantage into the first technical timeout when Tyler Santoni dumped his serve at net, before McMaster entirely failed to play a ball a few points later. Errors were rampant on both sides of the net, and after Josh Nederveen botched a dig attempt, Ryan Hudson would surrender the first set by fittingly floating a serve long. However, McMaster regrouped admirably in the second, jumping out to a commanding early lead from which they would not be caught. Paul Podstawka put an exclamation point on the dominance with a crushing put-back down the middle at 13-9, firing up the squad and the sparsely populated gym in the process. As the set wore on, it was Jeremy Groenveld who caused fits for the Windsor blockers, killing with authority to give the Marauders a six point lead in the late stages. A few short points later, Windsor gifted the set to the hosts on a net violation, levelling the game at a set apiece. The loss of the second set seemed to rattle the Lancers, and the game would become increasingly lop-sided as it wore on. In the third frame, McMaster built a nine point lead into the second technical timeout, only flagging when coach Preston elected to bring on a number of substitutes. The return of the regulars in the final points proved decisive, as Santoni provided the fatal block at 24-18. With the Marauders firing on all cylinders, the result never appeared in doubt in the fourth set. McMaster’s hitters were clinical, particularly the imposing veteran trio of Groenveld, Santoni, and Shawn Bench. The lightly contested frame would come to an end when Paul Podstawka deftly tipped off of the Lancer block, sealing an important result for his squad. With a final total of 21 points, Jeremy Groenveld was deservedly awarded McMaster’s player of the game honours. Thankfully though, Groenveld would save his best performance of the weekend for Saturday, in what was a vital, season-ending clash with the Western Mustangs. With Burridge Gym enjoying an unusually electric atmosphere, the match
began with volleyball of the highest and most competitive level. After a series of long, hardfought rallies punctuated by several violent bits of net play from the hulking Shawn Bench, Western managed to grab a four point advantage at the second technical timeout. Despite battling back to within two points at 19-21 through a gigantic block from the sure-fire Santoni, McMaster would drop the first set when Groenveld suffered a rare block. Perhaps it was that very point which galvanized him, because for the next three sets, the Marauders’ silent assassin would put on a show. With the second set deadlocked, Groenveld produced a pair of blazing efforts down the right wing to keep his squad out front. Meanwhile, Bench and Santoni were busy pasting the Mustangs’ front line with a downright nasty display of power. The boys in black were surging, and they evened the match when Santoni obliterated a free ball at net. In the third, the Marauders dominated for much of the set, until the Mustangs made the score respectable with a late charge. Groenveld continued to terrorize the Western defenders, particularly on the right side where he appeared to be able to score at will. Carrying a six point lead into the second technical timeout, McMaster was cruising until a let up in the dying stages nearly cost them the set. The combination of a bevy of Marauder errors, and a resurgent Western attack saw the hosts’ lead evaporate to within three points at 23-20. However, after the Mustangs served long to bring up set point, the omnipresent Groenveld killed off the block to save the set, following a miraculous dig from expert excavator Josh Nederveen. Despite trailing, the Mustangs had no intention of folding, setting up a titanic fourth set. After a fiercely competitive opening, it was Groenveld who once again provided the advantage for McMaster. With the score level at nine, the mercurial hitter provided consecutive kills to open a decisive lead. Play would remain tight throughout the set, but the Marauders quietly maintained their slender advantage. Two cross-court kills from Josh Lichty moved the hosts within a few points of victory, before three Mustang errors brought proceedings to a close. Jeremy Groenveld tallied an astounding 22 points in one of the finest individual performances of the season. Surprisingly though, this was not enough to garner him the player of the game award, which Shawn Bench earned with several highlight reel smashes. Now, having locked up divisional supremacy, the Marauders will host the OUA Final Four tournament, earning a bye to the semifinals in the process. They will have a week to fine tune their game, before meeting the winner of the upcoming quarterfinal between Windsor and Guelph. The Marauders will confront their unlucky adversary on Friday, Mar. 5th (Burridge Gym, 6 p.m.). Be there, McMaster, it should be a weekend for the ages.
B4 • THE SILHOUETTE
THURSDAY, JANUARY 28, 2010
THE SILHOUETTE • B5
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 2010
TRACK AND FIELD
SWIMMING
Promising results ahead of OUA’s Taylor captures CIS
BEN ORR
SILHOUETTE STAFF
The McMaster track and field team enjoyed a busy and successful month of February, competing in four different meets. Marauder athletes were hoping to use the events to clock CIS qualifying times for the Championships in March. The month began with the team being split and entered into two meets on the same weekend. Most of the team headed to Toronto for the York Classic, while a select few competed at the Meyo Invitational, held at the University of Notre Dame in South Bend, Indiana. The York Classic hosted 33 schools and clubs and was highlighted for McMaster by Stephanie McNeill, who won the 3000m in a time of 10:27. Across the border, the men’s 4x400m relay team of Jimmy Tat, James Harrington, Andrew Douglas and Noah Fleming clocked a time of 3:22.76. Because Notre Dame’s track is oversized, a conversion is applied to the time, meaning the
men enter a CIS qualifying time of 3:24.21, good for eleventh in the CIS Standings. The team is looking to break the 38 year-old McMaster record of 3:22.70 by the end of the season. Jillian Wyman ran a season best with a converted time of 2:52.80 to earn an eighth place finish out of 41 women in the 1000m. In the same race, Katie Anderson ran a season best time of 2:56.22 to finish 15th. At McMaster’s last full meet before the OUA Championships, the Windsor Team Challenge, Wyman and Anderson would build on their success. Running the 1000m and 1500m respectively, the pair would both capture first place. More impressive still for the Marauder team was that in both races McMaster women earned silver. Sara Giovannetti, ranked in the top 15 in the country, finished just behind Anderson. Not to be outdone, Sarah Haliburton finished second in the 1000m with a time of 3:00.33. Lisa Giles finished just 0.22 behind Windsor’s Carly Gill for
fourth. Coach Rory Sneyd spoke to the difficulty and stress of qualifying for the CIS Championships. “We were hoping that some of the athletes would lock up positions at the CIS Championship in March but it looks like we will have to play the waiting game and see if their performances hold up,” said Sneyd. Indeed, a small group of athletes returned to run at the Hal Brown Invitational in Toronto, hoping to secure a coveted CIS qualifying time. Veteran runner Noah Fleming ran a 1:23.37 in the 600m to take first place, surviving an eventful race. “There was some contact after the first lap and two strong runners, Gooch from UWO and Charlton from York, went down,” explained Sneyd. “This slowed Noah down considerably as he navigated through the bodies and went on to a convincing win.” The Marauders will now head to Toronto to compete at the OUA Championship, to be held at York University on Feb. 26th and 27th before the CIS Championships.
silver medal
First podium finish at Nationals since 2002 BEN ORR
After strong performances at the OUA Championships in St. Catherines, 21 members of the McMaster swim team earned the right to compete at the national championships in Toronto this past weekend. Held at the University of Toronto’s Varsity Pool for the first time since 2004, the meet was held over three days and featured a number of strong swims from Marauder athletes, while the UBC Thunderbirds and Calgary Dinos were looking to defend their men’s and women’s team titles, respectively. Day one of competition saw a top ten finish from Frank Despond in the 200m freestyle, with a time of 1:50.31 to claim second place in the B final. In the women’s 50m backstroke, McMaster was represented well with a 13th place finish from Brooke Buckland, with a time of 30.04. Day two was highlighted by a silver medal performance by Sarah Taylor, who earned the Marauders best result at the CIS Championships since Janet Cook’s double silver medal performance in 2000/2001. With a time of 27.47,
Taylor earned a second place finish in the 50m fly. The medal was also McMaster’s first since Cook’s bronze in 2001/2002. Taylor also competed in the B final of the 50m freestyle, swimming to a 12th place finish with a time of 26.46. Building on his success from day one, Despond won the 400m free B final with a time of 3:53.19 to place ninth overall. After two days, the Marauder men sat in 13th overall and the women in 12th, positions they would not improve on after day three. Despond again swam well on day three, advancing to the A final of the 1500m free. Swimming to a time of 15:42.51, the first year engineering student placed seventh. Also on the last day, Meg Sloan swam her way into the B final and earned a 14th place finish overall in the 100m free. Not to be outdone, the relay team of Buckland, Sloan, Sara Thompson and Alexandra Vanommen swam to a first place finish in the B final of the 400m medley relay with a collective time of 4:19.48. Calgary captured both the men’s and women’s overall titles. Toronto was second for the men, while UBC played bridesmaid for the women.
Squash
Wrestling
DAVID KOOTS
DAVID KOOTS
McMaster’s men’s squash team travelled to the OUA Championship before Reading Week and claimed the bronze medal. Mac defeated Queen’s to win the bronze after dropping their initial match to a strong Western squad. The team also received accolades when second year business and accounting student Hassan Muhammad was named a first team All-Star and the OUA’s player of the year. Muhammad played much of the season with a nagging injury, but still remained the premier player in Ontario. Ahmed Shohayeb, a three time All-Star, was also named a first team All-Star.
The wrestling team struck gold this past week as Ryan Blake claimed top prize at the 2010 OUA Championships. In addition to Blake’s success, Mac claimed three silvers and a bronze. Dusan Milakara, Sean House and Kevin MacLellan each earned second place finishes in their specific weight categories. Milakara is a former CIS medallist who has been fighting injuries all year long. The Marauders’ final medal was won by Adam Benish in the heavyweight consolation final after losing to Lakehead’s Preston Mikulasik. The team will now travel to the CIS Championship Mar. 5th and 6th at the University of Calgary.
SILHOUETTE STAFF
Bronze, MVP Blake golden award earned at OUA chamby Mac pionship
ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR
ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR
B6 • THE SILHOUETTE
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 2010
Women’s BASKETBALL
men’s BASKETBALL
No OUA glory for Smith, McMaster Mac falls in
playoff upset at home • CONT’D FROM B1
PHOTO C/O RICHARD ZAZULAK
Hailey Milligan (centre) scored 19 points, but it was not enough to get past the Brock Badgers in OUA quarterfinal action.
SCOREBOARD Wednesday, February 24th
BROCK
72
McMaster 66 BRIAN DECKER SPORTS EDITOR
For most of their quarterfinal game against the Brock Badgers on Wednesday night, it looked like the Marauders would shed their road woes and slay the Badgers. Then, like a bad nightmare, it was déjà vu all over again as Brock rallied in the game’s final minutes to pull away from McMaster and eliminate them from the OUA playoffs. Brock got a number of key defensive stops and converted from outside on the other end, earning a 72-66 victory over the visit-
ing Marauders. It was a similar outcome to McMaster’s previous visit to the Bob Davis Gymnasium, in which the Badgers prevailed 74-61 on the heels of some red hot shooting. This time, however, the Marauders led for nearly the entire second half, including 39-31 two minutes into the third quarter. Centre Hailey Milligan led the charge, scoring 19 points and overwhelming the smaller Badger lineup. Still, the Badgers found a way to not only stay close, but pull away in the game’s late stages. McMaster dominated the glass and paint, yet Brock used its considerable passing skills to find open shots and make them count. Brock’s Hillary Woodside led all scorers with 21 points, knocking down three trey balls. Whitney Gorges, who torched the Marauders in their last meeting, added 17 for the Badgers. Taylor Smith, playing in what amounted to be her final OUA game, flirted with a triple double to the surprise of nobody. Smith posted 13 points, nine rebounds and eight assists, continuing what has been one of the
most impressive individual seasons in McMaster history. The loss ends McMaster’s chance to win a third OUA title for Smith and Head Coach Theresa Burns. Still, Smith and her team will get one last shot at glory on Mar. 12, when McMaster hosts the CIS Championship. The Marauders receive an automatic bye into the tournament’s first round as the host team. While the home town team will be severe underdogs, no one will take the maroon and grey lightly. The squad has been as good as any on their come court, having won every game in the Burridge Gym since December. That win streak includes a season-defining 66-50 win over the CIS no. 2 Windsor Lancers, who are virtually assured to be making another appearance at the national tournament. Regardless of the outcome, the tournament represents the end of the line for Smith, as well as guard Lisa-Marie Iavarone. But as the rest of the CIS is likely aware, with Smith leading the way, the Marauders will not be a pushover on the way to a national title.
stripe all season. “We’ve talked about free throws all year long. I can’t blame anybody but ourselves for that,” said Raso, calling the poor foul shooting the team’s Achilles’ heel. For the Marauders, it is the end of the line for a number of key players. The loss represents the final career contest for guard Jermaine DeCosta, centre Geoff McLaughin, and most importantly star forward Keenan Jeppesen. The 6’7” Hamilton native averaged 20 points and nine rebounds this season and is a strong candidate to make the CIS All-Canadian team. Unfortunately for Jeppesen, his final game was spent on the bench in street clothes, having suffered what turns out to be a CIS-career ending knee injury on Feb. 10 at Western. “He’s the most versatile player I’ve ever coached,” said Raso. Jeppesen came to McMaster for his final season of eligibility, and his arrival sparked hopes and speculation of a run to the CIS tournament. The Marauders were ranked as high as no. 3 nationally in the new year before dropping four straight games and dropping out of contention for an OUA title. While the hopes for basketball supremacy are dashed for another season for the Marauders, a number of bright spots appeared down the stretch for the Marauders. Vernon proved his worth as a scorer, while rookie Victor Raso only got better as the season went on. The coach’s son is a three point sharpshooter and an excellent ball handler, and a rarely plays like a rookie. Also coming into his own this season was forward Cam Michaud, who topped 20 points with some regularity in 2010 and will be one of the focal points of the McMaster offence moving forward. Nobody would have predicted Jeppesen going down for the season, and few would have expected McMaster to take a rare early exit from the playoffs this season. But in the stacked OUA, anything can happen on any night, something the Warriors proved on Wednesday. And for another season, Raso and the Marauders will have to forget the what-ifs and look to next season for another year.
THE SILHOUETTE • B7
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 2010
INSIDEOUT
G A M E S
production office: extension 27117
B 1 1
e-mail: insideout@thesil.ca
More than $1.50 in a cup of coffee Detour Coffee Roasters explains the art and science of a bean PHYLLIS TSANG
ASSISTANT INSIDEOUT EDITOR
PHYLLIS TSANG / ASSISTANT INSIDEOUT EDITOR
Roaster Kaelin McCowan explains the steps of cupping.
How-to-do-it
Selling coffee for Detour Coffee Roasters is not about volume, but about quality and servicing. “I want the name Detour to associate with quality,” said Kaelin McCowan, the owner of Detour Coffee Roasters and a Torontonian who fell in love with Dundas and relocated his family there two years ago to open a roaster in downtown Dundas last April. The coffee culture has grown exponentially in recent years. Independent coffee shops and roasters like Detour strive to serve better coffee than bigger corporation like Starbucks and Second Cup. Trish Rothgeb of Wrecking Ball Coffee Roasters was the first to describe this contemporary coffee trend as “the third wave of coffee.” “The first wave of American coffee culture was probably the 19th-century surge that put Folgers on every table, and the second was the proliferation, starting in the 1960s at Peet’s and moving smartly through the Starbucks grande decaf latte, of espresso drinks and regionally labeled coffee. We are now in the third wave of coffee connoisseurship, where beans are sourced from farms instead of countries, roasting is about bringing out rather than incinerating the unique characteristics of each bean, and the flavour is clean and hard and pure,” food critic at LA Weekly Jonathan Gold wrote in an article on the next generation of coffee cuisine. According to McCowan, coffee is a luxury at one point in time, but it becomes so readily available at $1.50 that consumers often forget about the work, art, and science that go into a cup of coffee. “We buy coffee from Premium lots,
sometimes from individuals’ farms, sometimes from smaller groups of farmers, and sometimes just from a region, generic lot,” McCowan explained the first step of obtaining coffee beans as a roaster. Access to quality coffee has been an increasing challenge, McCowan pointed out. Information like origins of the beans, growing conditions, and the practices of farmers help roasters to ensure the quality of the coffee. However, only a general region is made known to the roasters at times due to governmental commodity and trade restrictions. Many customers gravitate towards Fair Trade coffee for ethical reasons. McCowan thinks “it is a good start,” but not the “be all and end all.” “Some people come in and the first question they ask is, “are you fair trade?” And I say we are not,” said McCowan. “The explanation of why we are not is a really long one.” The short answer to that question is quality. To be certified as fair trade, farms have to be part of a cooperative. “The requirement that farms [need to] belong to a cooperative to be labelled Fair Trade goes against what quality focused roasters are trying to do,” McCowan stated. Alternatively, farmers producing high quality coffee beans could deal with roasters directly and get paid above Fair Trade prices, benefiting both worlds. Even some Fair Trade producers “sell their best coffee on the free market when it commands a higher speciality price than Fair Trade,” stated by the Institute of Public Affairs, an Australian leading free market think tank, in a report exposing Fair Trade myths. • PLEASE SEE COFFEE, B9
Coffee Cupping
PHYLLIS TSANG
ASSISTANT INSIDEOUT EDITOR
Cupping is a tasting technique used to evaluate the quality of a coffee by roasters, as well as buyers at coffee origins. Use a very light roast in cupping in order to taste the nuances in coffee which would otherwise be burned off in a dark roast. Place two-tablespoonful of freshly roasted and freshly
ground coffee in small cups. Shake each cup and smell the fragrance of the coffee. Make observations of this first hint of how the coffee will taste. Fill up the cups with water. Coffee grounds will quickly float to the top, creating a crest. Use a spoon to break the crust. Stir it slowly while putting your nose right next to the cup to smell the robust burst of aroma of the coffee. After evaluating the aroma of the samples, scoop out the
grounds to prepare for flavour tasting. Wait for the coffee to cool down to around room temperature. Differences in coffee are most evidential as it cools. Take a spoonful of coffee and slurp it strongly to spread it over the entire tongue. Compare and contrast different kinds of coffee, take notice of their flavour, body, acidity, and aroma. Enjoy the experience and appreciate the various elements that make distinctive cups of coffee.
Cutting it off for a good cause GRACE EVANS
SENIOR ANDY EDITOR
“Wow, I gotta tell you, for a while I really wasn’t sure for how this was going to work out when I was doing the back,” my hairdresser said as he snipped long locks of hair from either side of my head. “I’m a little relieved to be honest!” While I was laughing on the outside, I was crying a little on the inside. I’ve had long hair for a few years now, and freakishly long hair for the past few months as I prepared to donate it to an organization that makes wigs for cancer patients. I knew that this day would come, I’d been preparing for it for a long time, but it is another thing all together to sit still in a chair, smock-covered and sweating, while my bubbly longtime hairdresser chats up my mom and snips at me with scissors. The past few months my hair had become increasingly frustrating. Long hair tangles so easily, and brushing through it caused my eyes to water on more than one occasion. So while a little apprehensive, I was ready to shed the long hair for something a little lower maintenance. I spoke to a few friends who had donated recently to find out about their experiences, and what • PLEASE SEE HAIRCUT, B8
Mental Health Fair presents Shave the Shrink B8
B8 • THE SILHOUETTE
A haircut you’ll remember Hair donation gives cuts a new meaning • CONT’D FROM B7 chose this particular organization because it provides wigs to chilorganizations they donated to. Ashley Devenny, a fourth year dren in Ontario, and is a reputable Social Work student at McMaster organization that is associated with University donated ten inches this the Canadian Cancer Society.” I managed to wait until I had year to Locks of Love. The organization makes hairpieces for chil- eleven inches to donate, and it’s dren and youth who live in Canada weird to sit there and see an emancipated part of yourself, a long and the United States. Devenny says “I wanted to tangle of red hair bound together donate it here because the hair with a rubber band. My reasons pieces go to children and youth for planning to donate are similar who are suffering medical hair to Devenny’s, who said “As a stuloss and are in financial need. I dent, I do not have a lot of money thought the fact that they provide or time for that matter, so I thought these hairpieces for free or on this was such an easy way to give something to an sliding scale was organization that really great because I know the hair These two organi- does a lot of good. I can only imagine pieces can be extremely expensive zations, Angel Hair the difficulties a and I’m sure many for Kids and Locks child with such medical needs exof the children and of Love, are both periences; hair loss youth could not afford it otherwise.” reputable organiza- if only one small Erin Fothtions that cater to piece of a complisituation.” eringham, a fourth children, but there cated Locks of Love year Criminology are many other states their misstudent at the University of Guelph, groups out there. sion as to “return a sense of self, conrecently donated fidence and noran impressive thirteen inches of hair. She gave her malcy to children suffering from reasons for donating as “When I hair loss by utilizing donated ponywas fourteen, my uncle was diag- tails to provide the highest quality nosed with cancer…I saw what hair prosthetics to financially disit was like for him to go through advantaged children.” According treatments, and the ups and downs to locksoflove.org, it takes six to of going in and out of remission. ten ponytails to manufacture a When I was seventeen he passed prosthetic hairpiece. Children and youth apply for away, and…I wanted to do something to help individuals dealing the hairpieces and once accepted with cancer. At seventeen, my hair into the program, are sent a packwas pretty short, so I decided that I age with instructions detailing how would grow out my hair and donate parents can make a plaster mold to an organization that works with of the child’s head. The child can choose the skin tone colour of the cancer patients.” Fotheringham chose to donate silicone base, and the colour and her hair to the Angel Hair for Kids length of hair that they want. As program, a division of A Child’s children and youth grow, they can Voice Foundation. She said, “I reapply every eighteen months for
a new prosthetic hairpiece. These two organizations, Angel Hair for Kids and Locks of Love, are both reputable organizations that cater to children, but there are many other groups out there. Every organization has different requirements, but they are similar. Your hair must be clean before it is cut, and free from chemical treatments or processing. The minimum donation length is generally ten inches, and must be cut while in a ponytail or braid. To send the donation in, ensure that your hair is completely dry and wrap it in tissue paper before mailing it in an envelope to the organization of your choice. In all honestly, my reaction was very similar to Fotheringham’s. Having gone to high school together as close friends that both have long red hair, we have a lot in common. Because redheads are somewhat of a rarity it becomes a big part of your identity. Fotheringham explained it well when she said, “After it was all said and done and the thirteen inch ponytail was in my hand, I was in a bit of a funk I guess you could say. I pretended to love my new short hair, but when I got to my car, I felt less pretty, and less like a girl in a way. My hair was my comfort zone. People always made comments about how pretty or beautiful my long red hair was. After a while, it got to the point where I could essentially hide behind it. After a week or so I was fine with my hair and had got used to it, but the initial cut was definitely a shock to my system.” It’s been two weeks for me now, and I find myself mentally measuring the ponytails of random girls to estimate the inches they could donate.
SEX&THE STEEL CITY
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 2010
A gay guy’s best bud
RYAN JANSSEN / SILHOUETTE STAFF
Lesbian friends provide no conflict relationships for free. DAVEY TAIGEN HAMADA THE SILHOUETTE
The majority of my best friends are gay women. I find it a shame that this symbiotic relationship is rarely explored. In popular media (and to a great extent in real life) the gay man is almost always portrayed as having a big gay posse consisting of his closest gay male companions or commonly seen with his “fag hag”–the straight female best friend. My queer friends poke fun at me for my affinity towards befriending gay women, but I can’t help it—gay women are just an awesome group of people to hang around. Firstly, there is absolutely no sexual tension. None! The friendship between a gay male and gay female guarantees that there will absolutely be no chance of falling madly and deeply in love with each other, even when alcohol is involved. This makes for a solid structural foundation to prevent fallout of the nastiest kind, which eliminates jealousy and facilitates matchmaking. Similarly, when they get into relationships, they can use each other to judge their mates. It’s perfect because it’s really of no interest to the other person except for a genuine desire for their friend to be happy. But wait, there’s more! Here are some other benefits:
Many of them make awesome bike buddies! You can work out with them and not feel too down about your lacklustre physical appearance. As a gay man, you get a VIP pass to listen to gay girl gossip because their drama doesn’t involve you. You can dance with them solely for the fun of it. Platonic spooning. You get to watch lesbianthemed movies together. With some of them, you get to talk about having babies later in life and gay parenthood issues and other things that most younger gay men are too afraid to talk about. You can share clothes (sometimes). Unlike straight women, gay women understand what it’s like to be stigmatized based on sexual orientation. It’s easy to talk to gay women about “gay” problems because they know what it’s like everyday–they live it. So the next time you encounter a butch or a femme, a sport dyke or a bike dyke, just remember you might find that you have more in common than you thought. Or maybe you’ll even find out that you’re secretly part lesbian inside. Or maybe, just maybe (if you find a real good one), they’ll help you write an article at 3 a.m. the day that it’s due – foolproof!
THE SILHOUETTE • B9
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 2010
Coffee culture 101 • CONT’D FROM B7 “Certification doesn’t guarantee quality,” McCowan concluded. McCowan believes that direct trade, which cuts out both the traditional middleman buyers and sellers, is the preferred method in buying coffee beans from farmers. Trading directly also rids the operation cost, which organizations like Fair Trade need to take out from the payment to the farmers. “There are dialogues going on between farmers and roasters...it’s a really great thing that comes out of that direct trade model,” McCowan observed. “[Roasters] can talk to the farmers and say, ‘Hey, we want you to pick the coffee at this ripeness, we want you to process them in this time frame, [and] ferment the coffee this amount.” In essence, working with farmers is the important aspect of the trade. A recent article on AlterNet. org that questions whether “the Fair Trade price is high enough to give consumers what they pay for.” Author Jill Richardson wonders if “Fair Trade coffee is simply a market in which the price is set just high enough to give consumers a warm fuzzy feeling for helping subsistence farmers but low enough so that consumers (and roasters) still buy the coffee.” Large companies like Starbucks, though selling coffees with the Fair Trade logo, fail to establish long-term relationships with grower cooperatives. Aside from the origin of coffee beans, processing is also a determining factor of its taste. There are two main ways of processing coffees after they are harvested, and some in-between methods. Washed coffee or wet processed takes coffee cherries and immerses them into water. Bad and unripe cherries will float to the top while the ripe ones sink. After skimming out the unwanted cherries, they will be taken through the wet mill and be de-pulped. This process takes the skin and the fruit off the bean, while the parchment layer stays on. The wet process is common in countries with access
to a substantial amount of water required, such as Central America, Costa Rica, Guatemala. Wet-processed coffee tends to have more acidity, but less body compared to dry-processed beans. Dry method or unwashed coffee takes cherries off the tree and dries them by laying them under the sun. The fruit dries on the bean and coffee tends to taste fruitier for this reason. Too much fermentation is a running risk for farmers employing this method when moisture content is high. Unripe fruits get mixed into the beans, which is another downside of this method. Despite these short falls, this natural method is favourable in countries that have limited access to water and equipment. “You’ll see [the unripe beans] when you roast them – they stay lighter in colour,” explained McCowan. Detour sells both washed and unwashed beans from Ethiopia Yirgacheffe, a south-western town on a high plateau. According to McCowan, “they are like night and day” in taste. Coffee at Detour is lighter in roast than other roasters to allow the coffee “to speak for itself.” “The coffee, when you roast it past certain point, you start introducing roast flavours, [and] you start carbonizing the bean,” explained McCowan. One thing that he likes to encourage his customers to do is taste a black coffee to get a true taste without coffee compliments. “There’s a sweetness that comes with it,” said McCowan, if the beans are roasted just enough before the carbonated taste kicks in. From beans, to roasting, to brewing, there are a lot of steps that go into a cup of coffee. The temperature of brewing water and even the grinding of beans might be nuances to many but certainly not to McCowan and the third wave coffee enthusiasts. With improved technology and accumulated knowledge of roasting, McCowan believes that there are still a lot of potentials in coffee yet to be explored.
Mental Health Fair 2009/2010 Collaborators
Be Aware Fair 2010
Internal: Mental Health and Wellness Team, CSD, Peer Helper Program Cope, MSU Club Health Education and Active Living (HEAL) McMaster Psychology Society Peer Health Educators, Campus Health Centre Personal Outreach Team, CSD Peer Helper Program Student Health Education Centre (SHEC) McMaster Breakdancing Club McMaster Centre for Dance McMaster Department of Psychiatry & Behavioural Neurosciences McMaster Department of Psychology, Neuroscience & Behaviour External: Dr. David Golbloom, MD, FRCPC Shawn Byfield, Choreographer Eva Redpath, Certified Group Fitness and Personal Trainer Crazy Daisy, Floral Business De La Sole, Yoga Studio Haartek Salon, Hair Salon Hamilton Niagara Haldimand Brant Local Health Integration Network (LHIN) Homestead Christian Care Nikon Pals, Photography Group associated with the Canadian Mental Health Association
INFORMATION C / O MARIA DEANNA IERULLO
Be Aware Fair a success Despite a small turnout, organizers are happy LINDSAY JOLIVET INSIDEOUT EDITOR
As the Mental Health & Wellness Fair graced campus this week, the organizers had an opportunity to assess the success of their initiatives in relation to their goals. Maria Ierullo, spokesperson for the Mental Health & Wellness Team, outlined two goals the group hoped to achieve. Firstly, the fair was created to increase awareness of mental illness and secondly to reduce the stigma associated with it. Explained Ierullo, “What I definitely think we achieved was increasing some awareness, especially with our trivia games.” Many participants were surprised upon hearing that much of what they believed to be true about mental illness was myth. The ability of this event to educate even a few individuals on campus made it a success in Ierullo’s eyes. “And I think with education,” she added, “The stigma will reduce as a result of that. So inadvertently I guess we’ve achieved both, but [we’ve] definitely [achieved] increased awareness on campus.” While the success of outreach and awareness is difficult to assess, the event’s fundraising goal was certainly reached. Yesterday’s “Shave the Shrink,” event raised approximately $1300 in support of Homestead Christian Care before Wednesday, which is $300 over the minimum set by Dr. Nathan Cooper. Ierullo estimated an additional $200 raised during the event, but the total was not yet calculated. An anonymous individual donor will match each dollar raised. As promised, Dr. Cooper shaved off his vibrant beard and long hair for the entertainment
of those in the MUSC Atrium on Wednesday, Feb. 24. The shave was courtesy of Olivia Ierullo and Laura Brazanti of Haartek Salon in Yorkville. The muffled giggles and occasional bursts of laughter in the audience lightened the mood of a rather serious topic and suggested that for those who know Dr. Cooper, this was a big change for him. In fact, Ierullo noted, Dr. Cooper had not cut his hair in two years and has had a beard for 25 years. After much prodding to lose his “eccentric therapist look” this clinical psychologist suggested “Shave the Shrink” as the fundraiser for the fair. The Centre for Student Development psychologist is also on the board of directors for Homestead Christian Care, an organization that houses homeless individuals with mental illnesses. The non-profit was looking for funds for their most recent project, a rehabilitation home for those who are independent enough to live alone but not yet ready to fully integrate into society. Dr. Cooper approached the Mental Health & Wellness Team about including an event to raise funds for the organization and finally appease those who wanted him to shave off those locks. The Be Aware Fair began Tuesday Feb. 23 with a showcase of McMaster’s various clubs and groups, music, games, food, SWAG, and the beginnings of a community mural. Unfortunately the turnout on Tuesday was minimal. Ierullo stated that Wednesday’s crowd was much larger. Nonetheless, she received great feedback on the trivia game and graffiti t-shirt activity. “Although we didn’t have huge numbers turn out, the ones that did were really enjoying it,” Maria held. In terms of organization,
Ierullo reported minor glitches regarding scheduling and equipment malfunctions, but maintained that the members of Ierullo’s team kept a positive attitude and took the small problems “with a grain of salt and some ease,” as she described it. Among Tuesday’s showcase was the McMaster half of the event’s collaborators, with Hamilton area vendors and organizations appearing Wednesday to provide information and advertise. Two of the businesses that appeared on Day 2, “Community Day,” shared stories that made their presence inspiring and relevant to mental health issues. Crazy Daisy Florist’s President and Founder Sarah Moir is herself a mental illness survivor, and dedicates her business to promoting mental wellness while selling flowers. Ierullo also highlighted the importance of Nikon Pals, a photography group comprised of people with mental illness that use photography as part of their treatment. The final day of the festival, today, features a number of workshops and lectures. Specifically, Ierullo highly recommended Dr. David Goldbloom’s Anti-Stigma Lecture, both because of the importance of the subject and this prominent lecturer’s engaging and entertaining speaking style. For those looking to get active—another important aspect of maintaining mental health—Yoga, Fitness, and Beginner Hip Hop classes will be available during the afternoon. So far, Ierullo stated, the preparation of McMaster’s first Mental Health & Awareness Fair has been a great experience for her. “Ten months of planning have been challenging but they have been inspirational…it was definitely a success.”
Write for
InsideOut Meetings Mondays 1:00 p.m. in MUSC B110 InsideOut@thesil.ca
B10 • THE SILHOUETTE
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 2010
Aviator knockoffs $15
Personal Style: “Gucci motherfucker... actually it’s mostly H&M.”
Le Chateau jeans $40
What do you look for in a significant other? “Gotta be funny, creative, artistic and talented. Also not take life too seriously. Love you Kristi.”
Fashion trends from the runway Spring and Summer NICOLE PAJAK THE SILHOUETTE
Winners shoes $70
Banana Republic belt $30
Favourite bands: “Gotta go with The Beatles and Bob Dylan.” Favourite quote: “I had a mad impulse to throw you down on the lunar surface and commit interstellar perversion.” -Woody Allen in Manhattan
H&M dress shirt $40
H&M black string tie $19
H&M suit jacket $80
Farhang Ghajar Multimedia
ThreadCount
WILL VAN ENGEN / PHOTO EDITOR
We are all back from a well-deserved break and we can feel it—so close—yes, the coming of spring. As with every coming season, a whole new set of trends have emerged from the runways. However, there is no need to fret, all the style tips you need to get you through the next couple of months fashionably are here. Colonel Chic The military trend was seen everywhere during the spring 2010 shows. From Marc Jacobs to John Galliano, the runways were seeing green, as well as khaki and cargo neutrals. The flak jacket was transformed from an item used solely for protection to a stylish outerwear piece. Worn with jeans, black tights, or a flirty dress, this military inspired jacket is not only versatile but a great alternative to the trusty leather bomber. Soft & Sweet This trend is a great breath of fresh air when compared to the past season’s dark and dreary color scheme and heavy layers. Pastel greens, pinks and yellows combined with flirty ruffles were seen on the runways of Burberry and Versace. Ruffles are a great way to attain that girly glamour look. However, when wearing this trend, the key to pulling it off involves placing the volume on top and keeping the bottom clean and sleek. Sporting Goods Perhaps Olympic fever was on the minds of such designers like Balenciaga and Alexander Wang, because sports utility pieces were donning many runways. From scuba inspired jackets to an entire collection influenced by American football, athletic gear is a dominant trend for spring 2010. This does not mean that sweat pants now constitutes shabby chic. Instead, opt for drawstring details, stripe embellishments and a great pair of shorts. I See London, I See France A huge cautionary comes along with this trend, because using underwear as outerwear and not looking like a hot mess is a hard thing to pull off. Bras and corsets donned the models of the spring 2010 runway shows, not as supporting roles but as the lead. Jean Paul Gaultier is known for his love of lingerie inspired pieces, however, even those that usually aren’t apt to the bedroom boudoir look hopped on board. This season it seems that a wardrobe malfunction is the surefire way to stay on trend. Pattern-Palooza Sure, pretty florals come to mind when thinking about spring, and yes this pattern was present on some of the runways. However, other designers like Moschino and Givenchy decided to really play with patterns. Everything from cherries, tribal prints and digital motifs were used to create pants, dresses and blazers. With all the patterns, more is considered more this season, but mix and match with care.
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 2010
Interactive
Crossword Across 1- Did the butterfly 5- Church recess 9- Consumers 14- Mata ___ 15- Geezer 16- Water wheel 17- Resistance units 18- 8th letter of the Hebrew alphabet 19- Category 20- Tiny plant part 22- Misplaces 23- Trunk 24- Totaled 28- Cipher 34- Ice cream topped with syrup 38- Quaker cereal 39- Unattractive 40- Prima ballerina 41- Subordinate ruler 43- Bamboo stem 44- Corp. bigwig 47- Flammable gas 48- Inconsiderate 51- Thorny flowers 52- Bridge positions 57- Addis ___ 61- Bivalve mollusk 63- Mineral used as a gem 64- Zeno’s home 66- Grasp 67- Old-womanish 68- Completed 69- To ___ (perfectly) 70- Trades 71- Farm team 72- Tear Down 1- Curt 2- “Hooray!” 3- Defense covering 4- Thin fogs 5- Dull pain
Sudoku
By Sandy Chase / CUP Graphics Bureau Chief
Crossword puzzles provided by BestCrosswords.com (http://www.bestcrosswords.com). Used with permission.
6- Frost’s field 7- Drunkard 8- Biblical verb ending 9- Free of an obstruction 10- Han ___ was a “Star Wars” character 11- Ages 12- Ascend 13- Back talk 21- Nearby 25- Mil. address 26- Advanced degree? 27- Throws 29- Sound again, again 30- Batting Babe 31- Pearl Mosque city 32- Blueprint 33- Excitement 34- Denomination 35- D-Day beach
36- Taboo 37- Mon ___! 42- Baffled 45- Aliens, for short 46- Cheer for Manolete 49- Eats grass 50- Ancient Palestinian 53- Communion table 54- Roofing stone 55- Memento 56- Swiftness 57- Not much 58- Endoskeletal component 59- Capital city of Western Samoa 60- Sphere 62- Capital of Calvados, in NW France 64- Conductor de Waart 65- Bagel topper
Solutions
The solution to last week’s sudoku and crossword
THE SILHOUETTE • B11
B12 • THE SILHOUETTE
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 2010
HEALTH
production office: extension 27117
in partnership with SHEC
Sexual dysfunction refers to a problem experienced during any phase of the sexual response cycle that prevents an individual or couple from experiencing sexual satisfaction. Sexual dysfunction can result from physical and/or psychological problems and can affect women and men of all ages. LINDSAY FLEMING SILHOUETTE STAFF
T
hree sexual dysfunctions common among men are decreased sexual desire, erectile dysfunction and ejaculatory disorders. Approximately one in seven men will admit to feeling decreased sexual desire, which is a dysfunction that increases with age. Inhibited desire refers to a decrease in desire for, or interest in sexual activity. Reduced libido can result from physical or psychological factors. The condition correlates with daily alcohol intake, poor general health, emotional stresses, fatigue, and insufficient sleep. A decreased sexual appetite may also result from experience with a partner who had an abortion. Different types of medications such as antidepressants and antihypertensives can also result in lower sexual desire.
After the age of 40, decreasing testosterone levels is also a common cause of a low sex drive. For some men, this decrease in testosterone becomes clinically significant and is referred to as Andropause or Androgen Deficiency of the Aging Male (ADAM). Treatment for this condition includes testosterone supplementation through pills, injections and patches. Also known as impotence, erectile dysfunction is defined as the inability to attain and/or maintain an erection suitable for intercourse. Causes of erectile dysfunction include diseases affecting blood flow, nerve disorders, psychological factors, nervousness about the ability to perform, and injury to the penis. Chronic illness, certain medications, and a condition called Peyronie’s disease (scar tissue in the penis) also can cause erectile dysfunction. Research has shown that ap-
proximately seven per cent of men in their twenties have complained of difficulties in getting or maintaining an erection, while nearly 52 per cent of men between the ages of 40 and 70 have had some degree of erectile dysfunction. Fortunately, this type of sexual disorder can be easily treated through the use of oral sildenafil, such as Viagra. These drugs have been proven to be effective in 72 per cent of men if taken approximately one to two hours before sexual activity. Premature ejaculation is the most common sexual dysfunction and is often caused by nervousness surrounding sexual performance. Certain drugs, including some anti-depressants, may affect ejaculation, as can nerve damage to the spinal cord or back. The traditional treatment for premature ejaculation is known as the “stop-start” method. Graduated masturbation exercises are used
to help men recognize their stage of ejaculatory inevitability. As men reach orgasm, the treatment reduces the amount of stimulation in order to maintain the erection. The “stop-start” method is 90 per cent effective in the short-term, but for long-term results it is recommended that couples attend therapy sessions together to gain a better understanding of the causes of premature ejaculation. In counseling, couples are encouraged to work together to gain trust and reduce sexual anxiety. Conversely, inhibited ejaculation often has greater impact on the self-esteem of the men’s partners since they may begin to feel as though they are not attractive or adept enough lovers to cause their partner to ejaculate. Retrograde ejaculation refers to when the ejaculate is forced back into the bladder rather than through the urethra and out the end of the penis. It is common in
males with diabetes who suffer from diabetic neuropathy (nerve damage). Problems with nerves in the bladder and bladder neck allow the ejaculate to flow backward and into the bladder. In other men, retrograde ejaculation occurs after operations on the bladder neck or prostate or after certain abdominal operations. Retrograde ejaculation causes infertility problems, as the sperm cannot reach the woman’s eggs. Interestingly, some forms of alternative medicine recommend retrograde ejaculation as a way to conserve the body’s energies. Many conditions are easily manageable with simple treatment. If you are reluctant to discuss these issues with your physician, try talking to your partner. Often, sexual dysfunction has psychological roots, and building a strong, honest relationship with your partner can help alleviate these causes.
All about sexual dysfunction
LINDSAY FLEMING SILHOUETTE STAFF
D
espite the recent increase of research in this field, there are still many unknowns concerning female sexual disorders, which include lack of sexual desire, difficulties becoming sexually aroused or achieving orgasm, and pain during intercourse. Relationship and emotional problems, insufficient stimulation and multiple pelvic disorders that can cause painful intercourse are all known causes for female sexual dysfunction. Vaginal dryness is mostly found in younger women as the result of a lack of stimulation. However once a woman has entered menopause vaginal dryness
can also be linked to hormonal imbalances. Vaginal dryness can cause a decrease in women’s sexual desire since it makes sexual intercourse incredibly painful. Itching, burning, and frequent urination may accompany the condition. Treat vaginal dryness by using synthetic lubricants, increasing your water intake (aim for eight glasses daily), and having sex regularly to encourage more lubrication. Also, try to eat an isoflavone-rich diet. Isoflavones are plant-based substances that mimic the action of estrogen, and are commonly founding soy products. Vaginismus, a spasm of the muscles surrounding the vaginal opening, also makes intercourse painful for women. Such spasms can be caused by infection or irritation from spermicides and con-
doms or from fear and anxiety. This condition often has a cyclic effect: women believe that intercourse will be incredibly painful, which causes them to spasm and make sex incredibly painful. The rate of women affected by vaginismus is widely divergent across cultures, suggesting that it has a largely psychological cause. Therapy is often helpful in treating this condition, although physical therapies like vaginal dilators and Botox have been found to be successful. The most common reasons for low libido in women are tensionfatigue states and relationship difficulties. Women differ from men in that men use sex to relax, while most women need to be relaxed in order to have sex. For example, men can have an argument with
their partner and still feel like having sex afterwards, but many women need time before they want to be close again. It is also important to establish whether a woman truly has a low sexual drive, or simply has a lower sexual appetite than that of her partner. In some cases women can have sexual desire disorders that cause them to feel little or no pleasure from sexual activity. The greatest cause of this disorder may be depression or antidepressant medication. If a woman is experiencing a sexual arousal disorder, then she is unable to become sufficiently lubricated. As mentioned above, this may be caused due to lack of stimulation or hormonal imbalances. In orgasmic disorders, women are able to enjoy sexual activity, however, they are unable to
reach an orgasm. Physical causes for this are often rare, unless there is some kind of nerve damage. Psychological factors such as unrealistic expectations, or feelings of guilt may induce such behavior. Overall, sex is something that is meant to be enjoyed and therefore it is important to take into account all of the physical and psychological factors that can affect sexual performance and experiences. Many sexual dysfunctions can be brought on by feelings of anxiety or stress, which is why it is important for women to be open and relaxed with their sexual partners. If problems continue to persist, especially if intercourse is extremely painful, it is recommended that advice be sought from a medical professional. AVA DIDEBAN / MULTIMEDIA EDITOR
THE SILHOUETTE • C1
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 2010
BUSINESS
production office: extension 27117
Tuition’s rising toll
SIMON GRANAT BUSINESS EDITOR
The price of tuition is one of the most terrifying downsides of post-secondary education for some students. What’s even more terrifying is the thought of the cost of tuition rising year after year. Tuition increased last year and many predict that it will increase next year too. As proponents of keeping tuition affordable, students should be asking why tuition should increase if the quality of the education remains the same. For many, the kneejerk reaction is to blame inflation. The logic is that each year, on average, the price of everything raises by so much. Accordingly, the cost of tuition for the following school year will increase by an amount that will equal the previous year’s increase in the price of goods. This would ensure that schools would not lose any buying power in relation to the rest of the economy. However, the rising cost of tuition often outstrips inflation. According to the Statistics Canada tuition report, the price that students paid for this current aca-
demic year’s tuition rose saw a nominal increase 3.6 per cent nationally, of $79 in Ontario, after If tuition were whereas the economy inflation. pegged to the saw a 0.8 per cent deflaIn 2006, the Ontario tion between Aug. 2008 Liberal Government inConsumer Price and 2009. stituted a tuition cap, Index, the price of halting the potential inIf tuition increases were the result of inflation tuition should have crease of tuition to 5 per and pegged to the Condecreased by 0.8 cent. The cap ensures sumer Price Index (CPI), that after inflation, under per cent for this the Canadian index used pre-recession circumto measure inflation, then stances tuition will not school year” the price of tuition should substantially increase in have decreased by 0.8 per one year. For instance, cent for this school year. universities can only inInstead, this year, the cost of tuition for crease tuition above inflation so long as it post-secondary institutions increased 4.4 does not exceed 5 per cent. per cent above inflation. Unfortunately, with the recession According to Beyond the Sticker dragging the CPI down between 2008 Price, a report published by the Edu- and 2009, students saw what would be a cational Policy Institute, the Statistics moderate increase in tuition grow larger. Canada tuition report has only the “most According to President of McMaster passing resemblance to what students University Dr. Peter George, the Ontario and their families actually pay in ‘net’ tu- Government’s treatment of post-secondition.” ary funding for tuition is unsustainable. The increase in tuition this year may “If they are not prepared to increase grants simply be an anomaly. According to the and if they are not prepared to allow more report, between 2000 and 2005 tuition flexibility in the tuition regime and if they
business@thesil.ca
PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY JEFF GREEN / EXECUTIVE EDITOR
still insist on accessibility being more important than quality, they are just going to continue to grind down the quality of the experience for our students. I think that something will have to give.” According to the President, the province’s funding in the past three decades has been inadequate. “We’re not even inflation proof, as you know. For the last thirty years; years in which we have had more than inflationary funding you can count on one hand,” Dr. George said. The 2009 Ontario Provincial Budget proposed a $780 million pledge to enhance infrastructure of postsecondary institutions. In the 2008 provincial budget the government pledged to provide $385 million over three years for the Textbook and Technology Grant, equating to approximately $300 per student annually at the end of the three years. As the battle for decreased fees in tuition may rage in on future years, it is difficult to point the finger at who really is responsible, or to even put the same finger on how much tuition has increased in previous years.
SOFT SKILLS
BANKING ON BAILOUTS
FEDERAL MONEY
Presenting like a pro
In defence of bankers
Successes of the stimulus package
How to pull off a presentation that could impress even the toughest crowd SANTINO MARINUCCI
BUSINESS EDITOR
According to The Phobia Clinic in the United States, public speaking is the number one fear in America, trumping death. As Jerry Seinfeld famously said on public speaking, “at a funeral, the average person would rather be in the casket than giving the eulogy.” Presenting in front of crowds or your coworkers does not have to be a frightening task, and certainly not one worse than death. As long as you are organized and have a game plan for what you are talking about, your presentation will be effective and enjoyable. Ever since you’ve walked the halls of high school, the daunting task of presenting your ideas has been an integral part of your education and life skills. This continues to university where many students, instead of overcoming their fears, have to face them again. It does not stop after univer• PLEASE SEE DROWN, C4
Should bankers take the hit for failed federal policy? OMAR MASUD THE SILHOUETTE
Crawling our way out of what has been called the worst economic slump since the great depression, most of us are now trying to figure out what started it all. Many are quick to blame the recklessness and greed portrayed by bankers over the last decade. There has been immense public outcry when firms that have received billions of dollars in government aid such as American International Group (AIG), Goldman Sachs, and the Royal Bank
of Scotland continue to pay record bonuses to their employees, while still owing the government money. The public outcry has justified U.S. President Barack Obama’s instruction to treasury secretary, Timothy Geithner, “to pursue every legal avenue” in order to block payment of such bonuses. However, despite such immense public and political pressure, when financial firms continue to pay handsome bonuses one cannot help but wonder about the bigger forces that are at play here. • PLEASE SEE MIND, C3
ANDREW VRANA
GOULD TRADING FLOOR
What’s the damage? Toyota has a lot to work on with their recent recall scares. Simon Granat explains that it could have been worse; it could have been a pinto.
The GTF explores why Canada will have to defend themselves on home turf at the upcoming G20 summit in Toronto.
Hummer CEO Jim Taylor reflects on his time at McMaster, the sale of Hummer, and his time at GM. The engineering alumni stresses social skills as key to success in business world.
To the indiscriminate observer, there would appear to be a rash of hastily erected temporary signs on the side of every other Canadian roadway. Closer inspection reveals that these signs advertise funding for local projects provided by Canada’s Economic Action Plan, the largest spending bill in Canadian history, and a stimulus package about which very little has been said about. With the Canadian economy returning to growth after what can be best described as a shallow recession- by global standards at least- it is sometimes easy to forget that little over a year ago things looked very different. An economic slowdown beginning in 2007 with the freezing of global financial markets, after the bursting of a massive bubble in the American housing market appeared to threaten not only the entire global financial system but also the economy at large. In the face of this threat, the Canadian government, like its counterpart south of the border, passed a stimulus package meant to rescue the domestic economy. Valued at $52 billion, or 3.2 per-
• PLEASE SEE RAGING, C2
• PLEASE SEE G20, C4
• PLEASE SEE IN, C3
• PLEASE SEE WHAT, C4
Should former Goldman Sachs CEO Hank Paulson be to blame?
INSIDE
C2 • THE SILHOUETTE
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 2010
around the globe United Kingdom The famous Abbey Road recording studio in London England owned by recording giant EMI Group Ltd. (LSE:EMI) will not be put up for sale, according to a statement released by the struggling record company. The company has plans on saving the location as a, “world-famous music heritage site” according to EMI. The National Trust, which is a charity that protects historical properties within the country is said to be involved, and may include the Abbey Road studio under its name.
United States If you spend most of your waking hours playing Mafia Wars or FarmVille chances are you have run into payment plans for fictitious coins or items to get ahead of your “neighbour.” Now Facebook has created a new way to waste your money, it is called Facebook credits. Essentially this will be a service that extends primarily to the online game components of Facebook; this will lead to a shift from the social network utilities main focus of advertising for revenue, to other streams of income like the gaming division.
Romania Romania has recently proposed controversial legislation, which places a “fat tax” on unhealthy foods. The tax is aimed at battling obesity among Romanians. Attila Cseke the Romanian Health Minister said that they planned on raising over 860 million Euros with the implementation of this new tax on fast food which will provide an extra revenue stream for the country. According to the Romanian Society of Nutrition and Meta-
Raging bull bolic diseases reports that one in four of its citizens are overweight another. Giving you another reason to lay off the McD’s.
Germany German airliner Lufthansa (LSE: LHA.DE) has grounded 67 per cent of its services due to labour disputes within the company. Pilots within the company voted 94 per cent in favour of a strike against Lufthansa using crews and planes from newly acquired carriers for main flights. This labour dispute has not met equally on both sides of the fence yet in terms of working conditions. Negotiations are still taking place.
Mexico In an offer to lower Mexico’s debt the Mexican government sold off 25 billion Pesos or (1.9 billion US) in 10 year bonds. This was through a series of major banks done to bring more foreign investment to the country. Up until this point, Mexico has only offered smaller amounts of long-term bonds for sale. Analysts predict that Mexico may be included in Citi’s World Government Index (WGBI), this has resulted in their yields to be pushed to their lowest points since May.
Netherlands Heineken breweries (LSE:HEIN. AS) has acquired Mexico’s FEMSA (NYSE:FMSAUBD.MX) in a $7.8 billion deal. This includes $2.7 billion in debt that the Mexican company was carrying. In case you didn’t know who FEMSA is, they are the makers of Sol, Dos Equis, and Tecate. This acquisition will secure a 43 per cent share in the Mexican beer market for Heineken.
The Sil Business Section
Wants You!
Writers and Warren Buffetts, if you are interested in writing, analyzing, or predicting the future of the business world, e-mail business@thesil.ca • Weekly meetings held Mondays at 1:30 p.m. in the Sil office, MUSC b110
Simon Granat Business Editor
A sense of imperialistic nostalgia seems to haunt our society. It is as if Pearl Harbour and the events of 59 years ago are still fresh in our minds. Nowhere is this racially driven divide more evident than the rivalry between Japanese and American auto manufacturers. Recently, the North American press has beleaguered Toyota for what has seemed to be an endless list of vehicle recalls. The first was for a sticky accelerator pedal that saw eight different Toyota models recalled. In total some 270,000 vehicles in North America needed to be fixed. The second recall was issued for the Prius and Lexus HS 250H models due to a reportedly faulty Anti-Locking Brake System. There has also been speculation that Toyota may recall the bestselling car in the world. The Corolla may be recalled for problems related to the power steering system. The racial divide seems to have permeated to the highest court in the land. The American government is currently investigating the recalls. They are demanding Toyota’s documents pertaining to the recall in an attempt to determine if the automaker took swift enough action. Dare I say that the reasons for the investigation are deeper than that? Maybe the American government is embarrassed that they put their faith (and wallets) in a Japanese Auto Maker. They didn’t buy American, and now they’re paying the price. I don’t think many Senators will be buying a Toyota or Lexus anytime soon. Or maybe the investigation is part of a plot by the United States government to embellish Toyota and try to spur GM sales, the lemon of auto manufacturers. Toyota’s stock almost escaped the nightmare unscathed. After the announce-
ment of the recall for sticky accelerator pedals Toyota’s stock hit a 1 year high of $91.78 per share on Jan. 19, 2010. Their stock dipped down approximately ten dollars a share two weeks after the high. The share price has since been hovering between $72 and $73 per share. The investigation by the American Government is probably responsible for holding share prices down. While Toyota’s recalls may be big, the car industry has seen worse. One of the most infamous recalls that comes to mind was from Ford, now the world’s second largest auto manufacturer. In 1978 Ford recalled the Pinto. The problem was that the car could explode if rear ended. Other Ford recalls include one for faulty fuel line connectors in 1987. The problem meant that the interior compartment of vehicles could spontaneously catch fire. More recently, for a decade between 1999 and 2009 Ford has progressively recalled 10.4 million vehicles worldwide for one reason. The problem was that cruise control switches may spontaneously catch fire, even after the vehicle had been parked and left unattended for some time. The National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration has reported receiving 1,472 complaints, including 65 reports of fire. The most recent recall for this problem by Ford was in October 2009. Ford’s sales didn’t suffer. They were the only one of the big three American auto manufacturers to weather the recession unscathed. Toyota will be fine; their cars aren’t exploding. The auto industry has witnessed worse recalls. Some consumers may lose confidence, but by in large car buyers are quick to forgive and forget their makers’ mistakes. Barring any unforeseen future incident, Toyota will remain the king of the hill for now.
Executive scapegoats Should the executives lose their bonus for the systematic risk and a lack of oversight? • CONT’D FROM C1 To begin with, there is a difference of opinion among experts regarding if bankers are really to be blamed for the current crisis. Several world renowned economists, including former U.S. Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan, blame the crisis on a relaxed monetary policy and almost nonexistent regulation of financial products like consolidated debt obligations, hedge funds and credit default swaps. Terence Corcoran, a columnist for National Post argues that the attack on executive compensation is an attempt by policy makers to, “overshadow the real causes of the global financial crisis.” Hence, the payment of bonuses is justified since bankers cannot be punished or blamed because the systemic risk that started the recession was created by government regulators. This lack of government oversight has resulted in the collapse of markets for credit default swaps. It has left firms like AIG with no option except to pay its employees their promised levels of compensation, which includes bonuses, to ensure they stay with the company and safely unwind all such instruments. Kimberly Amadeo, author of Guide to US Economy explains that, “these derivatives are so complicated [and time sensitive], it will take the same level of sophistication to get out of this mess safely that it took to get into it.” Hence till credit default agreements are not reduced to manageable levels these bonuses will have to be paid.
Furthermore, the dynamics of a free market economy are such that an increasing concern for banks is the ability to attract new talent. AIG CEO Edward Liddy who was brought in by the U.S. government to clear the chaos left by his predecessor expressed his “grave concerns” in a letter to the U.S. government “about the long-term consequences of the actions” that are being taken to reduce contractual payments to AIG employees. He also warned that AIG will be unable to attract prospective employees if, “their compensation is subject to continued arbitrary adjustment by the U.S. Treasury.” Similar fears were echoed by the top executives of Bank of America and UBS who have recently increased the pay of managing directors within their securities unit. Across the Atlantic, the percentage of “high achievers” leaving has doubled in 2009 since Royal Bank of Scotland Group has handed over its bonus pool to Treasury, stated its CEO Stephen Hester. Many banks fear losing their employees to competitors who will pay them more. Also, not being able to fully recover from the recession has added pressure on banks to offer attractive packages to its employees. Government policy makers may look to accept their fair share of responsibility by re-regulating the industry, to ensure a crisis of similar nature is not repeated. Taxpayers and the public should be patient, understand the complexities facing decision makers and look at the flip side before condemning bankers.
Stock Challenge Top-10 $500 in Prizes! • Free to Join! Join at any time!
To join, go to: http://thesil.ca/blog/business/silhouettestock-challenge-500-in-prizes/
Stock Challenge Top-10 Rank Survivor
Date Entered Cash Balance Market Value Starting Value Current Value % Return
1
300zxturbo1995
02-01-2010
$22,597.56
$91,938.22
$100,000.00
$109,594.99 9.59%
2
jhow
01-26-2010
$28,744.67
$78,318.51
$99,677.05
$107,158.36 7.51%
3
BobbyFisher
01-23-2010
$37,774.05
$69,036.92
$95,538.00
$106,862.39 11.85%
4
Lucass
01-26-2010
$34,515.37
$145,460.72 $98,872.09
$104,541.01 5.73%
5
CA$$H
01-27-2010
$43,184.08
$60,287.34
$103,525.13 7.53%
6
wmtufts
01-28-2010
($106,197.18) $210,057.00 $97,828.62
$103,509.04 5.81%
7
il_signore
01-27-2010
$13,796.80
$101,959.36 1.92%
8
KingsleyZissou
01-26-2010
$28,404.18
$73,349.35
$98,970.84
$101,840.32 2.90%
9
JeffGreen
01-27-2010
$55,053.17
$46,459.34
$99,581.29
$101,642.77 2.07%
10
scalisec
01-28-2010
$36,234.83
$65,163.30
$100,026.64
$101,531.01 1.50%
$88,009.16
$96,273.62 $100,041.10
Note: The players in bold are staff of the Sil, and not eligible to win the prizes. Nonetheless, they are doing very well...
THE SILHOUETTE • C3
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 2010
executive silhouettes
In the face of adversity
the water cooler
Compiled by Santino Marinucci
Playboy stimulates its growth Playboy Enterprises Inc. (NYSE:PLA) has announced that they will be expanding their clubs into emerging markets such as Latin America, China, and India. This move is to be done to increase their market share and profits in 2011. Another move the adult entertainment company made to increase its profits was its licensing of their apparel and accessories in Asia which should help the brand increase in growth. Oil giant buys another for 11 billion The world’s largest oilfield services company, Schlumberger Ltd. (NYSE:SLB) has bought Smith International Inc. (NYSE:SII) through acquisition of its stocks. This deal is expected to increase Schlumberger’s research and development in the area of drilling while increasing oil production. Smith International is the biggest provider of drill bits. There is speculation that the size of the comapnies that this will be the largest merger this year. Tiger freezes Wall Street
Hummer CEO Jim Taylor reflects on his time at McMaster and the auto crisis Simon Granat: What is your position with General Motors? Jim Taylor: I’ve been with GM 30 years. I went to Oshawa after I graduated for Mac. I spent a few years there then headed to the United States to work at Saturn, and forgot to come home. I’m currently the CEO of Hummer I have spent the last ten years at Hummer. Before this, my prior job to this was running Cadillac. SG: Where are you going after Hummer is sold? JT: General Motors elected a year ago to sell Hummer. We have found a buyer and negotiated an arrangement deal and our next step would be to sell Hummer from the legal ownership of General Motors, to this other company, and as part of that offer and as part of that deal and as part of being with GM for 30 years, I said, “look I’ll go with it, I’ll go run Hummer at the new owner on behalf of GM.” So when the sale concludes I’ll move out of GM and continue to be the CEO of Hummer. Santino Marinucci: What was your degree from McMaster? JT: Mechanical Engineering and Management. SG: So flying cars aside, where do you see the future of transportation technology going in the next twenty years? JT: Well, the pressure’s on the fuel issues. Whether you come at it from an emissions standpoint, a fuel economy, foreign oil, or just plain consumption, really that single influence is going to drive the kinds of vehicles that we’re going to be housed in, and be able to drive. So, I think if you’re a real true car aficionado, I think that there’s going to be less and less opportunity to do that going forward because the vehicles themselves are going to have to accommodate much smaller engines and much higher efficiency, the physical size of the cars
are going to have to shrink. There’s going to be a lot more very small than there is going to be very large.
positive thinking, they’re motivated, and they really want to get onboard with my team and get something done.
SG: What would you consider the most defining moment in your career?
SM: Do you have any personal advice that you’d like to give to students?
JT: We’ve had a, this is certainly a matter of record, but GM has unfortunately had essentially what I would say is a 30 year decline into what is now well known, bankruptcy. I’ve been associated with many of the divisions that have had to be closed, plants that have been closed, many, many people have been put out of work. Those tend to hearten you and make you understand the realities of business when you aren’t competitive, and you aren’t providing a competitive product for your customers then the market slaps you in the face and eventually you suffer. I’ve had a long trail of defining moments that have unfortunately been a product of that rough ride.
JT: I think that’s a bit of a carry on. Don’t get too obsessed with the books. I mean, obviously with the competitive standards being higher I don’t want to discount it. The books are only part of life, you need to do well to take the learning seriously, but make sure you are also developing the necessary coexistence skills to be a team player in the places that you’re working and realize that you’re there’s going to be very few jobs that you’ll get to do alone. You’ll get to do jobs with people, with others and I think a passion for solutions, the world’s out there hungry for solutions and challenges. So if you come out of school with the capability to analyse, and solve problems then you know, there’s going to be lots of work, and get along with people.
SG: How do you deal with the decline of GM personally? JT: You know, you have to fight for your existence every day. That’s the sort of attitude you have to have. Work in a non-stop survivor mode. You have to get up each day and say that you’ll go at it and survive. Be flexible and adjust and do whatever you need to do. SM: What characteristics do you think are important or do you look for in a student who is just coming out of school and looking for a job? JT: I look for a lot of self confidence and a lot of personal skill. If somebody’s made it to me for an interview there is low likelihood that their credentials aren’t good, because they wouldn’t have made it there. So, I’m looking for some excellent social skills, some excellent sort of personal confidence. That they’re up for the task, they’re looking forward to it. They’re
Bear:
WestJet (TSE: WJA) WestJet’s stock may seem to be taking off after solid Q4 earnings of $20.2 million were released last week. While Investors reacted well to the news, no one really knows why. As high a number as $20.2 million might seem to be, this year’s earnings were 51.9 per cent down from $42 million for Q4 2008. Analysts also predict numbers to be down in the future. In the past week WestJet’s stock has increased about $0.50 per share to close at $14.09. Buying a stock after a substantial loss in earnings makes about as much sense as swimming during a lightning storm. Be wary of WestJet.
SG: What do you drive? JT: I have an H2. Those aren’t too popular in Canada, first for the fuel economy prices, second for the physical size. When I drive up and down Young Street, I get a lot of looks. SM: Is there anything you’d like to say to McMaster Students? JT: A lot of kids look at college like, “gee, oh I have to go to college.” No, you have the privilege to go to college and the privilege to go to McMaster, you better appreciate what you have. It has really come a long way since I’ve been there. It is very gratifying to look back and see how much better it is today than when I was there. How much better the facilities are, the opportunities are, and everybody there better be taking advantage of it.
Bull:
Loblaw (TSE: L) Gaylen Weston, CEO of Loblaw Companies Limited has stood strong and adapted in the face of reports of increasing competition. Loblaw’s has been in the news this past week more for their business strategy than for frozen turkeys. The owner of countless grocery store chains including your friendly neighbourhood Metro will revamp its No Frills decor. In addition they have hired Joseph Mimran, the man behind Joe Fresh, Loblaw’s surprisingly successful discount clothing line, to kick-start sales for other non-grocery merchandise. Watch out Wally World, Gaylen’s coming for you.
For a brief time Volume on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) fell to 1 million shares on the Feb. 19, 2010 due to a minor interruption among trading. According to Bloomberg activity data this interruption happened at the same time Tiger Woods made his apology speech. After the speech was over, trading shot up by 6 million shares, indicating that the lack of activity was in fact influenced by Mr. Woods. Credit laws to hurt U.S Banks JPMorgan Chase (NYSE:JPM) the largest credit card issuer in the United States has expressed concern over the new credit legislation to take place in the country. The new policy, the CARD Act will essentially prevent lenders from raising the rates on an individual’s existing balance. JPMorgan has announced that this will take a large toll on its earnings for 2010 costing the company up to $750 million in lost earnings. Consequently they also projected a loss of $5.5 billion throughout the industry for the year GM CEO gets 9 million Ed Whitaker Jr., the current Chief Executive Officer of General Motors is set to receive a package of over $9 million including salary and stock options. This was approved by President Barack Obama as part of the continuing effort to control the spending that has been taking place within the bankrupt company. Whitaker expects to pay back all of the outstanding loans put forth by the U.S government by June of this year. GlaxoSmithKline gives investors a heart attack A 2007 study conducted by the New England Journal of Medicine has linked GlaxoSmithKline’s (NYSE:GSK) diabetes drug Avandia to a 43 per cent increased risk of heart attacks for those who take the drug. A senate committee report held on Feb. 20, 2010 suggests that GSK did not take measures to remove the profitable drug from the market.
C4 • THE SILHOUETTE FROM THE GOULD TRADING FLOOR
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 2010
What happens when the money runs out?
G20 summit plans to table global bank tax may have led the authorities to uncover criminals like Bernie Madoff much earlier. Nevertheless, Brown, who has As Canada prepares to host the upcoming G20 summit in Toronto this led the charge against excessive June, the country’s government has risk-taking by financial institutions, one thing at the front of its mind: has been working tirelessly to build derailing British Prime Minister consensus among foreign leaders Gordon Brown’s plan for a global for his proposal. With announcebank tax. Canada, the only member ments from the French and American Presidents, of the G8 group of Nicolas Sarkozy countries not forced Canada’s strong and Barack Obama to bail out its banks, opposition to a respectively, supstrongly favours inport similar levies creasing regulatory bank tax would on their countries’ oversight for institucreate a huge financial institutions. The Canadian divide among G20 tions. Canada’s work seems cut out for it. government, curleaders.” Canada’s strong rently led by Stephen opposition to a bank Harper, a fiscal conservative, is strongly averse to high tax would create a huge divide taxes, and believes its approach- among G20 leaders that would which maintained stability in the complicate attempts to coordinate country’s financial system through new financial regulation that would the depths of the credit crisis- to be necessary to promote stability be not only more effective but also in a world of globalized financial less expensive. Gordon Brown’s markets. For this bank tax to work, alternative, accused by critics of every major country would need being populist and merely a polit- to comply, creating a level playing ically expedient proposal, would in field. A Canadian approach to preessence become a giant insurance venting future crisis would involve fund for the financial system. Furthermore critics argue that steps towards self-examining govthe tax fails to address any of the ernments own roles in inflating a structural causes at the root of the bubble which nearly led to financial financial crisis and global reces- collapse, and is therefore unlikely sion. This includes banks’ use of to be adopted by many countries. opaque exotic financial products Meanwhile, with Canada unwillsuch as credit default swaps, or ex- ing to make concessions and adopt a bank tax this June, it appears the cessive leverage. What governments need, they world will miss another chance to argue, is to address the chronic move forward together, and a once lack of regulatory oversight, which in a lifetime opportunity will go led once venerable institutions like wasted. Many observers have called Bear Stearns, Lehman Brothers, and American International Group the credit crisis of 2008/2009 the (AIG) to collapse. Better regula- first test of a globalizing world. If tion would also have prevented indeed it was a test, we failed- misother atrocities, including a spate erably. Better luck next time? of widespread financial fraud, and ANDREW VRANA
GOULD TRADING FLOOR
Gould Trading Floor Market Outlook THE RELEASE of housing data in the United States with the S&P CaseShiller House Price Index on Tuesday Feb. 23 is expected to confirm economists’ suspicion of further stabilization in the country’s residential real estate market. Friday’s release of American quarterly GDP data is expected to show a second consecutive quarter of 5.7 per cent annualized growth.
TYLER HAYWARD / SILHOUETTE STAFF
Economic Action Plan was a success in the real estate market, but what happens next? • CONT’D FROM C1 cent of Canada’s economic output, this spending package hoped to underpin growth by stimulating household and business spending, supporting employment through infrastructure construction, and improving businesses’ access to crucial financing. Evidence of the Action Plan’s economic effects (besides a proliferation of signage), while not as widely publicized as those in America, is all around us. A cursory inspection of income tax receipts reveals evidence of $20 billion in additional tax cuts over five years that the government hopes will help Canadian consumers return to stores. Businesses large and small are also benefiting from similar measures. Homeowners have also been able to take advantage of approximately $7.8 billion in home renova-
tion and energy efficiency upgrade tax credits, meant to “green” the country’s housing stock. This last measure will also help the country reduce costly energy consumption, and help the construction industry which is in critical condition after the implosion of the mammoth real estate market in the United States. In fact, government support for the construction industry has been so successful that in contrast to much of the United States, Canada has seen demand for housing boom. According to the Canadian Real Estate Association, real estate prices rose by nearly 20 per cent in 2009, prompting Finance Minister Jim Flaherty to impose new rules aimed at limiting speculation by raising the financial bar mortgage borrowers must meet. The Economic Action Plan has also provided support to communities reliant on troubled sectors of the economy. In Hamilton, a city
once known for steels mills and heavy industry, a $2 million stimulus package has helped Canada Breads, the country’s largest baked goods company, locate its new state-of-the-art production facility in the city. The company plans to spend approximately $100 million on its new premises, providing a valuable economic boost to a battered local economy, along with over 300 full-time jobs. As for those infrastructure projects roadside signs so loudly advertise, while nearly 100 per cent of the stimulus money has already been committed, the bulk of the projects break ground 2010. Like any government initiative, even immediate action is delayed by bureaucracy. So, even as Canada exits the recession, our economy set to receive another boost. But the real question is, what happens when all that money runs out?
Drowning the presentation butterflies
EARNINGS HIGHLIGHTS for the upcoming week include releases from prominent American retailers such as retailers Lowes, and Home Depot Inc., Sears Holdings, and Target Corp. Also look out for results from Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce (CIBC), and global information powerhouse Thomson Reuters Corp. Other names of interest announcing Q4 2009 earnings include global condiment giant HJ Heinz Co., soup maker Campbells Soup Co., Uranium producer Cameco Corp., and American hedge fund manager Fortress Investment Group. TYLER HAYWARD / SILHOUETTE STAFF
• CONT’D FROM C1 sity, and if you ever want that corner office, here are some tips that will send you on your way to being that high powered executive you always wanted to be. First off, always ensure that you are 100 per cent prepared for any presentation that you will be doing. Completing a project last minute will leave you disorganized and leave you no time to practice. Almost all of the presentation depends on how well you plan it beforehand. Being disorganized will hurt your presentation as a whole because you will know less about what you are talking about. This will help improve your confidence. This leads me to the next step, practice! Always practice your presentation before you execute it, because this will allow you to tinker with
your speech and improve on things that you previously had not caught, like flow and emphasis on certain arguments or points. This is best done with another person in the room while you practice because they can point out what the weaknesses and strong points within the presentation are and you can aid them. It also gives you a feel for presenting to someone. So you have planned it out, practiced all night, and you are ready to knock them all dead; but you just can’t fight those butterflies in your stomach. Nervousness can be the number one killer of your presentation if you do not neutralize it quickly. It will add tension to your speech and body language which will lead to the inevitable page reading that plagues most nervous presenters. To get rid of this nervousness
before the presentation, try and take some deep breaths to lower your anxiety. Remember, you will never get rid of your anxiety 100 per cent so use it to your advantage and play off the adrenaline you get from presenting. Lastly, during your presentation always make sure that your voice is clear and your content is structured so the audience can easily follow along. You will also need to be enthusiastic and believe in what you are talking about. The power of persuasion is great and if you believe in what you are talking about your audience will as well. Public speaking and presenting is an essential skill that is necessary in many positions today in the business world that hold importance and if you brush up on your skills in the mirror you may just be on your way to a promotion.
zooey and adam • kinnie starr • the buried life fierce • shutter island • an education • little shop of horrors
index
D2 • the silhouette’s art + culture magazine
thursday, february 25, 2010
Senior Editor: Grace Evans Entertainment Editor: Myles Herod Music Editor: Corrigan Hammond Contributors: Ashley Robbins, Peter Goffin, Ben Small, Catherine Brasch, Dillon Li, Chris Hoy, Roxanne Hathway-Baxter
Cover: Michelle Ng
this week
mar. 9
mar. 9
Kae Sun 1280 9:00 p.m.
your parents invited me to their murder mystery party... write for andy. musc b110.
Valentine’s Day Fri - Sat: 4:45, 7:30
Dear John Fri - Sat: 5:15, 7:20 From Paris With Love Fri - Sat: 5:30, 8:00 Festivals Ancaster 2010 Film Fest The Last Station (Apr. 12) Mon: 7:15
jan.16-may.9
opening ancaster
Crazy Heart Fri - Sat: 6:30, 9:15
dec.5-april.11
Brasstronaut The Casbah 9:00 p.m
Jackson Square Cinema
jan.16-may.9
Dragonette Hamilton Place Studio 8:00 p.m
The Crazies Fri - Sat: 7:00, 10:00
Liquid of Rain and Rivers Art Gallery of Hamilton 123 King St., Hamilton 905-577-6610 info@artgalleryofhamilton. com Ritual Evidence Art Gallery of Hamilton 123 King St., Hamilton 905-577-6610 info@artgalleryofhamilton. com
theatre feb.19- feb.27
Ghost Keeper The Casbah 8:00 p.m
The Wolfman Fri - Sat: 7:50, 10:40
jackson
mar.10 mar.10 mar.10 mar.11
Boats The Casbah 8:00 p.m
Cop Out Fri - Sat: 6:50, 9:40
Posing Beauty Art Gallery of Hamilton 123 King St., Hamilton 905-577-6610 info@artgalleryofhamilton. com
Little Shop of Horrors By Riane Leonard McMaster Musical Theatre 1280 Main Street West mcmastermusicaltheatre. com
mar.10-mar.28
Timbre Timbre The Casbah 9:00 p.m.
Jeff Martin Hamilton Place Studio 8:00 p.m
Silvercity Ancaster
Doubt: A Parable By Marcia Kash Theatre Aquarius 190 King William St. 1-800-465-7529 boxoffice@theatreaquarius Impromptu Splendor Theatre Aquarius 190 King William St. 1-800-465-7529 boxoffice@theatreaquarius
andy’s pick now
mar. 6
Woodhands This Aint Hollywoood 8:00 p.m.
Marianas Trench 1280 9:00 p.m.
Cop Out The Crazies Un prophete
Shutter Island Fri - Sat: 9:50, 10:30
festivals
Eagle Fight Absinthe 9:00 p.m.
mar.12
This Aint Hollywood 8:00 p.m.
Blue Rodeo Hamilton Place Theatre 7:30 p.m.
mar.12
mar. 5
United Steel Workers of Montreal
Hippymafia The Casbah 9:00 p.m.
mar.12
feb. 27
Yacht The Casbah 9:00 p.m.
mar. 4
The Diableros Absinthe 9:00 p.m.
mar. 3
The Casbah 8:00 p.m.
mar.13
feb. 27
Straight Reads The Line
Wax Mannequin This Aint Hollywood 9:00 p.m.
mar.16
feb. 27
Owen Pallett Lincoln Alexander Center 8:00 p.m
Jay Malinowski The Casbah 9:00 p.m.
mar.26
feb. 27
Quest For Fire The Casbah 8:00 p.m
Kinnie Star The Casbah 9:00 p.m.
mar.27
feb. 26
I Am Committing A Sin The Casbah 5:00 p.m.
art
film
music
mar.16-mar.27
in the hammer
ernest, and ernest borgnine. joanna newsom. key lime pie. making truffles. thirty rock. playing the scrubs drinking game. appletinis. more chocolate milk. eating cereal in bed.
“my vagina is furious and it needs to talk.” go see the vagina monologues march 17, 18, 19, 7:30 pm @ robinson memorial theatre
column
thursday, february 25, 2010
f.u.b.a.r.
outlets. Now that’s not to say that death hoaxes haven’t been around for years—Paul McCartney after all editorial column has spent the majority corrigan hammond of his professional career cracking jokes Last week someone on Twitter to interviewers about a pesky little reported that Gordon Lightfoot rumour that he died in 1967. But was dead—which meant, as these mainstream media always veered things often do, that suddenly away from that sort of story—if dozens of media outlets around the Walter Cronkite was going to world, worried about being caught announce that Paul McCartney off guard, quickly picked up the died, someone at CBS damn well story and ran with it. It turns out had better have checked his pulse! though that (despite the Canadian Even at outlets like CP24 News, folk legend’s striking physical misreporting something like that resemblance to the Crypt Keeper) used to be considered career-ending the story was a little premature. grounds for dismissal. It’s a shame And it was Lightfoot himself who that that’s no longer the case. In the week following broke that story. Lightfoot (or an undead spirit purporting to be Michael Jackson’s death, various him), in the ultimate example of news outlets reported that Miley citizen journalism, fired off a quick Cyrus, Ellen DeGeneres, Jeff phone call to Toronto’s CP24 news Goldblum, Harrison Ford and network and announced that, Britney Spears had died. All that it contrary to popular consensus, he takes for a celebrity to be considered dead these days is a fourteen-yearwas in fact alive. Ever since TMZ practically old kid with a laptop, a Twitter beat doctors to pronouncing account and too much time on Michael Jackson dead last summer, their hands to say that someone such reporting has become croaked. And there’s something standard fare for mainstream news very scary about that. We live in
an age where we have the greatest access to the greatest amount of information in the fastest amount of time in all of human history, and our most trusted news outlets can’t even be bothered to fact check a story before going to press. A generation ago we expected that our news outlets wouldn’t report a story until they had verified that it was in fact a story. Maybe we wouldn’t know that some b-list actor was dead until the evening news came on or the paper boy threw a copy of the Toronto Star onto our front porch— but damn it, when someone said that Gordon Lightfoot was dead, Gordon Lightfoot was dead. Now, in a world of 24-hour news networks, where everyone’s a ‘citizen journalist,’ this old business model is too slow for our go, go, go lifestyles. We expect our news to be instant and we don’t give a flying fuck if that instant news turns out to not be news at all. Remember the balloon boy last summer? Now, we can probably all agree that that particular story was in fact nonnews. Imagine what would have happened if CNN hadn’t gone live to it though—it would have been
the big tickle compiled by michelle ng
“bill o’reilly.” andrew meyer
emma hargrave
a ratings nightmare for the ‘most trusted name in news.’ I would love to have seen Walter Cronkite’s response if someone in the CBS news room had pitched that to him in his hay-day: ‘so here’s the story boss, some weirdo in Colorado made up a story about his kid being stuck on weather balloon.’ That guy would be dropping a résumé off with The Dick Cavett Show the very next day. Fast forward thirty years or so, and make that same pitch to Wolfe Blitzer… One of the most memorable scenes of the Emmy winning series Madmen is when the entire office gathers around a
tiny TV set to watch news coverage of a plane crash. That was set in 1962—and not many passenger jets had crashed at the time. Back then people expected their news to be news worthy. Nowadays, not so much. That scene plays out on a daily basis in our contemporary world every time anything trivial happens anywhere. And every single time that a major news outlet carries trivial news, we, as a society, grow collectively dumber. The next time that Gordon Lightfoot doesn’t die, I don’t want to hear about it. Oh, and this just in, according to my Twitter, Robert Zimmerman’s dead.
q: what celebrity do you hate the most?
& christopher chang
“paris hilton.”
the silhouette’s art + culture magazine • D3
“miley cyrus.” jessica nichol
“perez hilton.” mike mcdonald
“paris hilton.” deepika jeyakumaran
D4 • the silhouette’s art + culture magazine
McMaster Musical Theatre’s Little Shop of Horrors Directed by: Ashley McAskill Starring: Alex Doyle, Haley Midgette, Josh Dayboll, Tom Costie McMaster Musical Theatre is putting on Little Shop of Horrors, a well-known play with a many quirks. Ashley McAskill directs a cast of McMaster students in a rollicking, garish production. First produced as a B-level tongue-in-cheek monster movie in 1960, Little Shop of Horrors became a favourite of horror genre lovers before being turned into an off-Broadway musical in 1982. It was in this incarnation that it became a cult classic, eventually being made back into a movie, this time a musical, starring Rick Moranis and Steve Martin. Today, the musical sees several stock revivals each year, such as this one. Flower shop flunky Seymour Krelborn can never seem to get ahead. He’s abused by his boss, Mr. Mushnik, and unable to win the attention of his co-worker Audrey until he discovers a mysterious fly-trap plant. He names the strange little bud Audrey II and nurtures it as best he can. But all the water and sunlight in the world won’t make Audrey II grow; all it wants is human flesh. Seymour gives in to the plant’s demands, feeding “Twoey” his own blood. As Audrey II grows bigger and bigger, Seymour and the flower shop get more and more attention and the suddenly successful florist’s assistant finds himself going to ever-increasing lengths to feed
theatre
his prized plant. McMaster’s Little Shop of Horrors is a clever play, built on word play and social satire, and this production let the script play out its strengths to the fullest. The performers hit all the punchlines but are never so self-aware as to linger on them, waiting for the expected laugh. Of particular note is the play’s star Alex Doyle, who plays Seymour, taking his cues from Jason Schwartzman and Woody Allen, stumbling and stuttering and quaking his way to lovability. Able to do pathetic as well as sheepishly winning, Doyle draws all the intended sympathy as the lead. Josh Dayboll plays Seymour’s leather-clad romantic rival, Orin Scrivello, D.D.S. As the world’s slickest, sickest dentist, Dayboll provides the requisite combination of sadistic grime and back-alley charm, sneering at Seymour and bullying Audrey. His performance is especially impressive given that it is his first outing in a musical production. But the real prize is the very talented Haley Midgette, playing Audrey not only convincingly but effortlessly, with an accent straight out of Flatbush Avenue, Brooklyn, that transitions perfectly from spoken dialogue to song. She plays Seymour’s crush with such sweetness and vulnerability as to stop anyone wondering why he would go to such lengths to impress her. Tom Costie is solid as Mr. Mushnik the shop owner, but at times his zealous Jackie Mason impersonation seems better suited to a pantomime show compared to the relatively more reserved performances of the show.
thursday, february 25, 2010
The chorus of neighbourhood girls played by Melissa Morlacchetti, Alex Leahy and Sarah O’Sullivan, impressed in their respective solo pieces, but were not always cohesive when singing together. The orchestra, placed in a balcony above the stage and in full view of the audience, is flawless. At times, however, they nearly drown out the performers, particularly the softspoken Seymour, because of what seemed to be fluctuating audio. It comes to be a distraction, especially during some of the earlier musical numbers. There is also some attempt to make the play interactive, with actors wandering through the theatre prior to the curtain opening, sitting down next to audience members and talking to them in character. What must have seemed like a cute and creative idea merely made several members of the audience uncomfortable. Overall, though, it was a good production and recommended for fans of the films and those who are unfamiliar with the story. You can catch MMT’s Little Shop of Horrors at the Westside Concert Theatre, 434 King Street West. Tickets are $12 for students and seniors, and $20 for general admission and can be purchased at the theatre or in advance at COMPASS. The remaining performances are on Thursday, Feb. 25 at 8 p.m., Friday Feb. 26 at 8 p.m., and Saturday, Feb. 27 at 2 p.m. and 8 p.m. •Peter Goffin
thursday, february 25, 2010
film
the silhouette’s art + culture magazine • D5
film featuring rape silenced
winnipeg filmmaker sean garrity’s zooey and adam banned from film festivals for controversial content WINNIPEG (CUP) – When asked if he anticipated the controversy surrounding his new film Zooey and Adam, filmmaker Sean Garrity’s answer was fairly clear: “I had no idea.” Zooey and Adam is the Winnipeg filmmaker’s third feature, which some festivals have actually refused to screen because of its controversial nature. The film focuses on the titular couple, who have been trying to have a baby for several months. After Zooey ends up pregnant following a shocking rape, they decide to have the child, even though they are unsure of paternity. But next to the numerous sexual assaults and murders shown daily on primetime television, what makes Garrity’s film particularly controversial? “The sexual assaults on television are, in my opinion, for entertainment value — they’re quick and done in a highly dramatic way and I have ethical issues with that,” Garrity says. “The rape in Zooey and Adam is filmed in such a way that there is nothing even remotely entertaining about it; it’s harsh and difficult to endure, and I feel that’s the only responsible way to portray something like that.” Fundamentally, Garrity believes that the film is about people dealing with smaller traumas. “My main character (Adam) has trauma that seems secondary to the trauma that his wife goes through,” he says. “So it never gets looked at or addressed, and he’s expected to just swallow it. So it festers and eventually eats at him.” And because much of the rape’s emotional debris belongs to a third-party male character, even more debates have been prompted. Garrity explains, “The film has now spurred divisive gender political debates — the kind of controversy a lot of people don’t like — because we focus on how Adam deals with his wife being assaulted and the fact that he was forced to watch.” Looking at the film a year and a half after he wrote it, Garrity realizes that the idea stems from the trauma he dealt with surrounding the difficult birth of his child — though thankfully, both Garrity’s wife and daughter are fine. “With child birth, especially when things go wrong, as the husband, you’re forced to watch. My wife was cut open with
blood everywhere,” he says. “I wanted to protect her, but my job was to sit there and watch, totally emasculated and helpless.” When he came up with the initial concept, Garrity didn’t plan to make it into a film. “I came up with a basic outline and asked the Manitoba Arts Council if they’d give me money to develop it into a screenplay,” he says. “I told them I was going to get actors, shoot improvised scenes and use the videotapes to write the screenplay.” Tom Keenan and Daria Puttaert were cast as the main characters and did a fair amount of brainstorming, working under the premise that they would develop ideas for what would later become a screenplay. Since the actors knew nothing about the story beforehand, Garrity had the opportunity to manipulate character creation. “I was designing these characters so that, given a certain situation, they would be forced to make choices that I had already written in my story,” he explains. Because the actors didn’t know what to expect while shooting, they were constantly surprised with on-camera events. The rape scene, in particular, was challenging. “It was a difficult scene for the actors, but because of the approach we took, we used that sense of enormity of an event like that to push them.” Garrity shot Zooey and Adam chronologically — with some scenes filmed immediately after one another — which allowed the actors to work off the emotion of the previous day’s scenes while it was still fresh in their mind. “There were a lot of authentic, emotional performances that I look at and say ‘I could have never written that,’” he said. When compared to his first two features, Inertia and Lucid, Garrity feels much more confident this time around in his filmmaking skills. “For my first movie, I storyboarded every shot and wrote tons of ideas — I had about 1000 pages of notes on my 90-page script,” he explains. “With Zooey and Adam, I had the emotional through-line in terms of the rise and fall of the story, and I trusted the collaboration with the actors — plus I didn’t think it was a movie, so the pressure was off. Garrity also took on a lot of responsibility this time around — writing,
shooting, producing and editing the film. “I won’t do that again,” he says. “I wanted to explore the single-artist art form, but I ended up spending too much time with sound, renting gear, organizing shoots, getting locations set up, that sort of thing.” For his next feature, which he’s already
preparing, Garrity plans on keeping the same idea, but hopes to change the methodology slightly by bringing on a small crew. “I’ll gladly do all the writing, directing and editing, but the co-ordinating was stressful; my brain doesn’t work like that.” •Sabrina Carnevale — The Manitoban
D6 • the silhouette’s art + culture magazine
music
thursday, february 25, 2010
no more games
kinnie starr talks about native rights and the olympics As much of the world’s media descends upon Vancouver for the Olympic Games, dozens of Canadian musicians have been brought in to showcase our country’s tremendous musical talent. Indeed, Alberta based music industry veteran Kinnie Starr is one of these performers. Since the release of her début album, Learning To Cook in 1994, Starr has worked with industry heavyweights like Nelly Furtado, Tegan and Sara, and provided music for hit films and television programs like The L Word and Thirteen. Last week she played two sets at the Vancouver Olympics’ wildly popular Aboriginal Pavilion. “They were the best shows that I’ve played in about five years,” Starr explained. “The Olympics are very much like groupthink,” she continued. “It’s massive groups of people doing the same things, wearing the same clothes and that sort of stuff. At the same time they were very joyful crowds. So it was really, really fun. I got to play with the Borealis String Quartet. That was mind-boggling. All the hair on my body was standing on end when I was playing with those guys. It was fucking amazing,” she laughed. Although Starr was thrilled about the opportunity to perform at the games, she has some reservations about the way in which VANOC (Vancouver Olympics Organising Committee) has presented First Nations persons during the Olympics. “There’s always going to be tokenism as soon as you section off part of the public,” she explained. “It’s a dangerous area – like the whole opening ceremonies, [where they had] everyone dressing up regalia and dancing around. I personally think that’s like dressing the Indians up like dollies,” she points out. “Same thing [with the Russian figure skaters,] it’s like, fuck!” “I guess I have mixed opinions,” Starr told me, “because I know a lot of the people that were involved in the opening ceremony. And a lot of those people [are] really proud. Within the Native community there’s a strong contingent of people that are like, ‘wow, it’s a proud time to be Native,’ but I don’t think that’s true because, if you have a bunch of … people coming in from all over the world [who have never encountered First
Nations people before], they’re going to still think that Natives dress like they did in the eighteen hundreds,” she continued. Despite the international media attention currently devoted to First Nations stories, another one of Starr’s primary concerns is that after the games Canadians will once again ignore Aboriginal concerns. “It’s going to be like Stephen Harper’s apology to residential school survivors,” Starr stated, “it’s a blip. None of the underlying issues of like the massive number of students that are not graduating from high school, housing, water quality on reservations are being addressed.” As she continued, “[the condition of Natives reservations is] deplorable. And the IOC [International Olympic Community] or whatever governing bodies made the decision to present Native peoples to the world like that, like a beacon, should be ashamed.” Starr advocated that “a certain portion of revenues from the Olympics should be going out into long term out reach and the betterment of reservation communities.” Over the course of her career, Starr has not only publicly spoken out about these sort of issues, but has actively utilised music has a tool for self-empowerment. She explained to me that music is the “ultimate activism tool.” “If you think about a song that people get excited about,” she continued, “like Rage Against The Machine [singing] ‘fuck you, I won’t do what you want me to,’ that is very powerful.” And indeed, recently she has been working with the Artstarts In School program to bring this message of self-empowerment through music to British Columbia’s remote communities. “I teach literacy through hip-hop,” she told me. “So I teach kids really basic beat box, although I suck at beat boxing, and really basic free styling, although I suck at free styling and self-determination basically, which I’m good at!” Starr will be playing at the Casbah in Hamilton on Mar. 10. For more information of the Artstarts In School program, you can got to their website, artstarts.com. •Corrigan Hammond
thursday, february 25, 2010
film
the silhouette’s art + culture magazine • D7
higher learning carey mulligan learns her lesson in an education
An Education Directed by: Lone Sherfig Starring: Carey Mulligan, Peter Sarsgaard
HHHH Jenny is sixteen, mature for her age and longing for life outside of suburban London in the 1960’s. David is older, gentle, and approachable, and can show her possibilities that sixteen-year-old boys cannot. The older man-young girl dynamic may seem like a tired cliché, but its treatment in An Education is refreshingly poignant, looking at the details behind this relationship. In essence, the viewer is a part of Jenny’s negotiations with her friends, teachers, parents, David’s older friends and her own conscience as a result of her older suitor, and the ultimate lessons that come out of the experience. Carey Mulligan’s performance as Jenny is magnificent. The whole time it seems that she is in control of her performance, and this control translates into Jenny’s character. Even though David is delightful and entertaining, and she makes mistakes because of this, she is easily able to regain her sense of self and composure. Roger Ebert says it best when he writes: “She makes the role luminous when it could have been sad or awkward.” I think this what makes watching the film a genuinely enjoyable experience, when it could be a painful, anxiety-inducing film. Even during the questionable moments that inevitably pop up with in a May-December romance, the viewer feels protective of Jenny, but senses a confidence that her character is strong and will take care of herself. She portrays the vulnerability
of being sixteen in a way that points to her judgment being temporarily questionable, but resilient in the area of a strong self-awareness. Watching the courtship of a sixteen-year-old and a thirty-something, it should feel dirty and wrong, but it doesn’t. While the relationship is questionable, the possibilities that Jenny is introduced to are romantic. And while you worry for her throughout the film, it is a pleasurable, sickening experience; the way Jenny must feel about it, since she knows that certain things that come up are wrong, but she keeps going because it’s so much fun. She wants to go to expensive restaurants and plays and concerts, she wants this life of sophistication and fun, and David can give it to her. But love never enters into the equation, and sex doesn’t seem to be the biggest issue, surprisingly. Peter Sarsgaard’s David is restrained and kept at a respectful distance. He courts Jenny with a genuine pleasure in showing her the possibilities, academic and artistic disciplines that she might find interesting. An excellent soundtrack imbues the atmosphere with the music of intellectuals and bohemian academics, featuring some French artists and mid-twentieth century music. The clothing and setting of the sixties is beautifully done, and the transformation from schoolgirl to the girlfriend of a cultured intellectual. She trades in her wool school uniform for mascara eyes and up dos, pretty dresses and jewelry. Jenny’s parent’s, played by Alfred Molina and Cara Seymour, blend into her traditional, middle-class, suburban home, wishing the very best for their daughter, yet somewhat aloof in their parental forethought, allowing their teenager daughter to see such an older man.
The film is based on British journalist Lynn Barber’s memoir, which was adapted for the screen by Nick Hornby. Barber eloquently gives reason for the title of both her memoir and the film when she writes: “What did I get from Simon? An education – the thing my parents always wanted me to have... I learned about expensive restaurants and luxury hotels and foreign travel, I learned about antiques and Bergman films and classical music. But actually there was a much bigger bonus than that. My experience with Simon entirely cured my craving for sophistication. By the time I got to Oxford, I wanted nothing more than to meet kind, decent, straightforward boys my own age, no matter if they were gauche or virgins. I would marry one eventually and stay married all my life and for that, I suppose, I have Simon to thank.” In The Los Angeles Times, Nick Hornby points out the timelessness of the basic story that is being told through Jenny’s narrative: She’s a suburban girl who’s frightened that she’s going to get cut out of everything good that happens in the city. That, to me, is a big story in popular culture. It’s the story of pretty much every rock ‘n’ roll band.” An Education premiered at the 2009 Sundance Film Festival, and screened at the Toronto Film Festival in September. The film has been nominated for three Academy Award nominations for Best Picture, Best Actress and Best Adapted Screenplay. This film is colourful, funny and sweet, while tackling some tough subject matter in a coming-of-age story. The film just screened at the Ancaster Film Festival, but is playing in select theatres in Toronto. It’s worth the trip! •Grace Evans
D8 • the silhouette’s art + culture magazine
art
thursday, february 25, 2010
fierce:
Currently making its home at the McMaster Museum of Art is Fierce: Women’s Hot Blooded Film/Video, a collection of audio/visual installations by Canadian women artists. Guest curator Janice Hladki, former member of The Clichettes – an all female performance art group that reinterpreted the meanings of popular music through lip synching and dance – and professor of Theatre and Film Studies at McMaster, has assembled a variety of experimental film and video works that examine a range of social and political issues. Hladki notes that the artists that comprise Fierce provide an “interrogation and theorization of social and cultural relations of power, territories of land and body, and spectator responsibility, [and that] these works may be understood as hotheaded: intellectually tempestuous and thoughtfully simmering.” Spectatorship is a particularly intriguing concept when considering the exhibit. These works demand engagement and participation – passive spectatorship or gallery strolling will not do. Whether through the simple act of picking up the head phones to listen to the audio, or the more active crawl into the “Menstrual Hut,” these works offer points of entry that invite the viewer/participant to question and meditate on the issues that are presented. Upon entering the exhibition space, gallery goers are immediately confronted with “Buffalo Bone China,” or rather a herd of buffalo running, often head on, towards the viewer. Directly in front of these moving images is a neatly arranged pile of broken bone china. While the broken cups and saucers get the velvet rope treatment, there are four points of entry, again inviting the viewer, perhaps not physically, but intellectually to participate and enter the conversation that the artist Dana Claxton presents. Equally intriguing is Menstrual Hut Sweet Menstrual Hut, a literal hut created out of crotched and knitted fabrics. It rather reminds me of my grandmother’s basement, shag-like carpet and all. And yes, you can go inside – temporarily forget gallery decorum, and get down on your hands and knees and crawl. Once again, traditional spectatorship is challenged,
canadian women exhibit video art
requiring the viewer to physically engage with the work in order to reap the rewards. Inside the hut you can view two video works by Allyson Mitchell, My Life in 5 Minutes and Afghanimation, the former of which eerily documents the life of a woman through distorted family photos and drawings. The theme of memory and sentimentality is similarly found in Maureen Bradley’s work What I Remember, a video installation that combines a female narrator intimately, yet casually recalling her first girl friend paired with home-movie style footage, and Etta James’s “At Last.” As easily and comfortably as this work moves you to reminisce and think about your own life and loves, Bradley’s piece Stranded, which follows, jolts you to attention. Compared to the friendly and personable voice of the previous work, here the narration is cold and detached, presenting the unnerving story of a young woman with obsessivecompulsive disorder focused on dust and hair, and paired with close up footage of sea life, static, and carpet. b.h Yael offers two video poems, a hot sandfilled wind and (of)fences, pairing audio, video, and text, these works interrogate spheres of power between citizens and governments, from Canada, to Israel and Palestine. Maureen Bradley, Dana Claxton, and Allyson Mitchell all contribute to a collection of film pieces that run consecutively on one screen. Potentially irritating in this presentation is the inability to access specific work, however patience is a virtue, and this presentation invites connections through each work. Overall, the fifteen works presented range in production from 1994 to 2008, and illustrate the diversity and talent of Canadian women artists in their exploration of “indigenous culture, peace and social justice, species and environmental health, the global and local, history and memory, and multiple embodiments.” Engaging and diverse, Fierce will run through Mar. 27th at the McMaster Museum and is definitely worth checking out. •Ashley Robbins
thursday, february 25, 2010
zine beat
The Best of Intentions: The Avow Anthology by Keith Rosson, 288 pages, $10, Microcosm Writing a zine that is 85 per cent autobiographical can go terribly awry. It can appear self-indulgent and narcissistic as the writer gets engaged in oneself. Yet, Keith Rosson’s highly personal zine collection, The Avow Anthology, manages to achieve this with utmost humility as he accounts some of the funniest, poignant and downright outrageous escapades in his life. At times Rosson comes across as a very tortured man, reaching Bukowski levels of selfloathing and alcoholism in his adulthood, brawling his way from bar to bar. Yet, it is the stories from his formative years that shine through. From the ridiculous tales of impromptu bird euthanasia and getting caught masturbating to a show on MTV, to the sincere laments of being an outsider at school and dealing with loss of life during his youth, each story is captivating in its own way. He also includes poetry and various examples of his artwork that is used by many punk bands throughout the U.S. to
under the radar supplement his stories. His artistic capabilities come through very well in the presentation of the zines, from the front covers to the distinct layout of his pages. However, they particularly shine in his themed zines such as Avow #13, the alphabet issue. In this he goes through each letter in the alphabet using them to convey an opinion or sentiment towards something in the world, each well worded with uniquely hand drawn illustrations. He is clearly an opinionated person but communicates this without becoming preachy or as someone with all the answers; the views are just part of who he is. By the end of the 288-page book you truly feel like you know and understand Rosson as a human being, and this ultimately makes it a highly recommended read. •Ben Small
the silhouette’s art + culture magazine • D9 texts from last night textsfromlastnight.com
off the web
cool hunting coolhunting.com It used to be that things got to be cool for a good fifteen minutes. Unfortunately, ever since my old man got a subscription to GQ that ceased to be the case. But thanks to coolhunting.com that’s no longer an issue. From $4000 Scotch to tee-shirts of Ghandi boxing, this is the most up to date collection of all things cool on the world wide web (do they still call it that?). •Corrigan Hammond tonematrix lab.andre-michelle.com/tonematrix Humour me. Log onto this site, and move the little dots around the tonematrix. Then chill to the soothing ambient noise that you’ve just made. A little disclaimer though, when my friend Katherine uses this website it doesn’t sound as cool as when I do. I guess it just takes a certain touch to be a bonafide ambient groove master. •Corrigan Hammond
Don’t drink and dial. That has become one of the essential rules of modern etiquette. But, just in case you’ve got a cell phone in your hand and that third, fourth or fifth Jägerbomb has just gone to your head, you’d be well advised to extend that little rule to text messages. Otherwise, that pesky little text that you barely remember sending might end up on textsfromlastnight. com. And that’s no LOLing matter! •Corrigan Hammond knuckle tattoos knuckletattoos.com With eight letters, what would you say? Knuckle tattoos are a big fuck you to a normal life and a wage-driven job in a modern society, a choice of utter permanence. This blog is a project to collect photos of knuckle tattoos and the story behind them, to find out why people make this huge decision in their lives. Ranging from messages to the world, to an emotional anchor all the way to a juvenile joke, each knuckle tattoo has a unique tale waiting to be told. •Ben Small
D10 • the silhouette’s art + culture magazine
television
the buried life
thursday, february 25, 2010
MTV show has canadian boys check off their bucket lists while helping others do the same
But often, in the world’s most crowded streets, But often, in the din of strife, There rises an unspeakable desire After the knowledge of our buried life; A thirst to spend our fire and restless force In tracking out our true, original course; A longing to inquire Into the mystery of this heart which beats So wild, so deep in us--to know Whence our lives come and where they go. from Matthew Arnold’s “The Buried Life”
“What do you want to do before you die?” This is a question that we may have been asked once, or a question that we may never think of, but for a group of four friends this is their mantra. Jonnie, Dave, Ben, and Duncan are four friends from Canada who compiled a list of a hundred things they want to do before they die. Their show The Buried Life is on MTV Mondays at 10 p.m. Every week they try to cross something off their list, and when they accomplish something from their list they also try to help a stranger accomplish something that the stranger wants to accomplish. These four guys decided to take a break from the regular track of life, as all of them were attending university in British Columbia or Montreal. They felt as if their lives were going by too fast, so they decided to get an RV and travel across America and try to cross off everything on their list. The guys of The Buried Life have a very extensive list of things that you would think would be utterly impossible to accomplish. However they feel as though nothing is impossible and anything can be achieved. Their list ranges from hilarious stunts that they have achieved like sneaking into a Playboy party, to this week’s attempt at trying to play basketball with President Barack Obama. One of the more serious and heart warming tasks that they had on their list was to help deliver a baby, which in fact they did achieve with some squeamishness from Dave. They may be four comedic friends but their hearts are really dedicated to this project and the show at times is tear jerking when they help out strangers that they meet on the street. On one episode they raised money for a girl to get a plane ticket to go visit her mother’s grave who passed away in Hurricane Katrina. This show is a refreshing change from all the self-absorbed reality shows that have been airing since the beginning of Survivor. The Buried Life is trying to bring back the idea of simple human compassion, while also the motto to live your life to the fullest. This show makes you stop and think and reflect about your life. Everyday, everyone is rushing through their lives. And whether it is rush hour traffic or slow walkers in the halls that frustrate us, we have to stop and think about the bigger picture in life. We have to enjoy the time we have here because we never know when it could end.
The name “The Buried Life” comes from a poem that Jonnie came across in an English class. Written by Matthew Arnold in 1852, the idea is that day-to-day stuff can bury you and distract you from what you really care about in life. The group adopted this idea for their project. Some of the things that they’ve crossed off of their list of one hundred things include: number eighty-six, “teach and elementary school class,” number forty-five, “sleep in a haunted house” and number one, “open the six o’clock news.” Things that they have yet to accomplish include number fifteen, “get on the cover of rolling stone,” and number seventy-nine “dance with Ellen Degeneres.” The range in their goals is diverse, from the touching to the immature and cliché. Jonnie, Duncan, Dave, and Ben’s positive thinking has become contagious as these four friends have created a huge following, and they have encouraged many people to create their own list. This show has come as an awakening for people to realize how short life really is, especially from the point of view of a university student. Just contemplate this for a minute, since you have started university how many hobbies or dreams have you given up? There seems to be no time for anything anymore. I remember when I was in high school I would play guitar everyday and when I started university I felt like I didn’t have time to do anything I enjoyed anymore. The point here being to just start with the simple everyday things. Your list doesn’t have to contain enormous goals like running a marathon, but to simply start day to day by taking the time to do something that you enjoy like playing guitar with friends or painting for a change. This project really perpetuates the idea of positive thinking which seems to be a very rare virtue in our society today. So next time you feel that your life is moving too fast and when you feel overwhelmed just take a step back and think what is life really about. It isn’t about getting the highest marks in school (even though this seems to be a reality) it’s about creating dreams that you want to reach, and along the way being a good human being to everyone. So take a minute now and think: What do you want to do before you die? Check out their project at theburiedlife.com. •Catherine Brasch
in stereo
thursday, february 25, 2010
the silhouette’s art + culture magazine • D11
featured review Brasstronaut Mt.Chimaera
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Brasstronaut have undergone a significant transformation since the release of their début EP, 2008’s Old World Lies. Indeed, the addition of four permanent members to the Vancouver indie-poppers’ line up has prompted a significant evolution in the quality of the group’s music. While Old World Lies was a gloomier, more subdued release that often drew Bright Eyes comparisons, Mt. Chimaera presents the band in a more upbeat fashion. Thanks to the group’s innovative use of drums, trumpet and clarinet, Mt. Chimaera is essentially an r&b-soul album. Brennan Saul, the group’s drummer, is Brasstronaut’s secret weapon. His drumming is more textured than is often expected from indie-rock drummers—at times giving the songs a timeless, jazz quality that is perfectly accented by the group’s use of clarinet and trumpet lines in place of lead guitar riffs. Indeed, Brasstronaut sound like Spoon if they were actually an old school soul group. •Corrigan Hammond
Barn Burner Bangers
Hot Chip One Life Stand
MIMS Guilt
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While Sabbath inspired, throwback metal is certainly becoming a tired trick, one can’t deny that Montreal’s Barn Burner rock — and they rock hard. Barn Burner proudly put their influences on display, and wield the mighty riff with a swagger. Take all your favourite seventies whiskeysoaked riffs and make it double, as Barn Burner are the sons of sex and drugs, and rock ‘n roll. The aptly named Bangers sounds like the bastard child of Iron Maiden’s one night stand with Black Flag, as between blistering leads are infused with a punk rock fury topped with frantic drumming and a groovy rhythm section. Bangers isn’t anything you haven’t heard before, but it’s just fun, grimy metal record and provides the perfect soundtrack to chugging beer with your dirt bag friends or breaking the bottle over one of their heads. •Chris Hoy
The fourth studio album by the British electronic band Hot Chip is slightly more laid back than their previous works, but nevertheless contains tracks that are catchy and easy to dance to. The disc is driven by poppy and bouncy synthesizers fronted by exceptional lyrics and brilliantly executed harmonies. A strong beat persists throughout the ten tracks, succeeding in making the album both memorable and enjoyable. The opening song, “Thieves in the Night” acts as a dynamic start, which will be stuck in your head for days while the offbeat sweetness of “Alley Cats,” is as cute as a kitten. Some of the tracks are a perfect match for the strobe lights of a club. Others are simply relaxing. Whatever your taste, there is certainly something on the diverse One Life Stand that you will thoroughly enjoy. •Roxanne Hathway-Baxter
MIMS at first glance may seem to be another one of those rappers that get used like a tissue and left in the trash, but with his latest work it is apparent that all is not what it seems. MIMS steps up his lyrical game and surprises with clever rhymes and punch lines in the vein of Ludacris or Kanye West. The beats are very clean – reminiscent of Keri Hilson’s “Knock U Down.” While the lack of dirty bass lines is a little disappointing, there is enough variation to bind attention. The whole album is 14 tracks long, and song length is appropriate and never drags on too long. Each track (discounting a self crowning skit) is a solid addition to the album. MIMS is making a respectable name for himself with this contribution. An enjoyable hour graced with nice beats and lyrics. •Dillon Li
D12 • the silhouette’s art + culture magazine
film
thursday, february 25, 2010
shudder in terror
marking their fourth collaboration together, scorsese and dicaprio prove to be an invaluable duo
Shutter Island Directed by: Martin Scorsese Starring: Leonardo DiCaprio, Mark Ruffalo, Ben Kingsley
HHHH Martin Scorsese’s Shutter Island caught me off guard. Seeing promotions months in advance, Leonardo DiCaprio’s exaggerated Boston accent had me groaning involuntarily. Strange that it seems conspicuously similar to the one used in The Departed. Well, needless to say, I wrote this off as a misguided effort by America’s veteran auteur. I guess it goes to show, never judge a film by its poorly executed marketing campaign. This is a creepy picture, working so effectively because of its detail given to character. Populated with preexisting pasts and secrets, its narrative cautiously inundates us with clues and red herrings, leaving a second viewing a must, if only to analyze everything you missed the first time around. Building a lugubrious atmosphere right from the opening title card, the film begins in 1954 as two Federal Marshalls, Teddy Daniels (DiCaprio) and his newly appointed partner, Chuck Aule (Mark Ruffalo) converse on a weather worn tug boat. They’re on assignment to investigate a patient (Emily Mortimer) who has disappeared from an isolated mental hospital on Shutter Island. Situated off of Boston, the destination’s lush vegetation evokes that of an emerald forest. Yet this terrain lays waste to abandoned buildings, where rich red brick contrasts the misty greens so vividly, that you can feel the condensation between your fingers. Things are weird upon arrival. Met by a brigade of
anxious policemen, the two are brought onto the facility’s grounds where shackled patients tend to the lawns, quickly observant with lifeless eyes. The hospital director, Dr. Cawley (Ben Kingsley) welcomes the two gentlemen, seemingly cooperative with the investigation, allowing interviews to commence with staff and residents. Something seems off though as evidence begins to appear randomly. When Kingsley and the hospitals predominant physician, Dr. Naehring, played by the legendary Max von Sydow, remain hush on the Marshalls’ further inquiries, Teddy and Chuck take matters into their own hands, delving into the islands subterranean woods and caves, exposing what looks like a mass conspiracy, but in fact is something much more. Scorsese’s signature genre of crime and violence is welcomingly replaced here by suspense of the mad and macabre. He has us enter a world slowly descending into insanity; throwing subtle nuances that have us ask, “am I the one going crazy?” Take for instance a scene when a character holds up a glass of water, only to have it abruptly untouched in the next shot. Was it a glaring error of continuity or a mind trip? Scorsese, known as a master storyteller, is often underrated as an artist of the surreal. One only has to look at his 1985 film After Hours to see his eccentricities shine in regards to what I’m alluding to. In Shutter Island he provokes us to fear as opposed to laugh, creating characters who cannot escape and neither can we. Throughout the picture Teddy is affected by flashbacks where he proceeds to hallucinate, reliving time spent in World War II or as a loving husband. Neither memories are happy though, settling into an apprehension of disturbing action and consequence. Some of DiCaprio’s rawest work is on display as Scorsese’s camera tests unflinching imagery of a Nazi execution and the disquiet silence that bestows Teddy’s
horrific discovery within the depths of his residing lake house. This is a film that works on an emotional level, channeling the hypotonic tone of David Lynch, while referencing the film’s on-going hurricane motif to the rain soaked world of David Fincher’s Seven. Yet while Scorsese’s reverence for cinema, particularly the noir genre, is Shutter Island’s most obvious influence, the heart of the film belongs to the surrounding cast. In a brilliant set piece, DiCaprio emerges from the forest, wet and exhausted, only to be picked up by the hospital’s Warden, played by the always-unnerving Ted Levine. Relegated to a minute or so, the scene’s unsettling tension climaxes with the authoritative figure matter-of-factly asking, “How quickly would you react if I leaned over and took a bit of your eyeball?” Other notable appearances include that of Jackie Earle Halley playing a psychotic prisoner, Patricia Clarkson as a cavern dwelling escapee, and Michelle Williams portraying DiCaprio’s deceased wife, a woman of haunting grace and mental instability. With all its good though, Shutter Island is a tad long in parts. It also isn’t wholly original either. I happened to predict its shocking conclusion, but hey, those are minor quibbles. What Scorsese should be praised for is his ability to take tired clichés and reinvigorate them. This is a picture that should be seen; a well crafted exercise of fright, mystery, and all-pervading paranoia, even if pieces don’t always fit accordingly. He is one of our wisest filmmakers, playing as we comply with his manipulative world of dream and reality, sometimes undistinguishable as either or. Tell me, have detective suits and fedoras ever looked less convincing, or is just my imagination? •Myles Herod