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McMASTER UNIVERSITY'S STUDENT NEWSPAPER / THURSDAY, JUNE 2, 2011
The Silhouette YOUR VOICE ON CAMPUS
Est. 1930
VOLUME 82, NO. 1
Phoenix headed for Refectory MDL ready to head up projects BRIAN DECKER EXECUTIVE EDITOR
PHOTO C/O PETER SELF
This space on the second floor of the Refectory is set to host the Phoenix after its move from Wentworth House. SAM COLBERT
2009. Finances for the move were approved at the May 5 Board of Governors meeting. With demolition plans finally on Rumours that Wentworth the way to Wentworth, the GraduHouse’s days were numbered have ate Students Association (GSA) is been circulating since the ‘80s. moving its popular campus bar to Over the years, it has housed the a new home. Downstairs John student pub, stu The Phoenix will reopen dent services and clubs offices, a in the upper level of the Refectory daycare, a physiotherapy clinic building in the winter of 2012. and the MacCycle Co-Op. Its oldBridges Café, which will remain est tenant, residing on the upper floor since 1969, has been The Phoenix Bar and Grill. TIMELINE: Mac’s campus bars For the most part, the GSA is hoping that the move is 2001: ‘The Rat’ closes The Rathskeller smooth so as not to mess with a good thing. The Association’s The Phoenix business plan explains that “the uniqueness of the of the Phoenix’s The Downstairs John atmosphere and ambiance [is] something that should be retained Quarters/ TwelvEighty in its new location.” It goes on to point out 1971: The MSU’s Downstairs John opens 1969: The that “undergraduate students make in the basement of GSA opens up the bulk of the Phoenix’s paWentworth House, the The Phoenix tronage, and should continue to be current location of the in Wentworth catered to in the new facility. The Daycare centre House 2009: In response Phoenix’s current customer base is to operating losses, Quarters is re-named an extremely loyal one.” The University recently TwelvEighty 1968: The named a new Wilson Building for MSU-owned Rathskeller Studies in Humanities and Social 2002: Quarters opens in the opens in the new Sciences as its top capital spendRefectory MUSC, replacing the ing priority. Self was unable to building MANAGING EDITOR
in the building’s lower level, has been closed since May 1, so construction can begin this summer. “There’s some need in the long-term to get it to a location that will be more permanent,” said Peter Self, Graduate Studies’ assistant dean for graduate student life and research training. He said that plans have advanced quickly since the GSA starting talking with the University about the matter in
1970 19801990 2000 2010 Downstairs John
comment on whether the Wilson building was going on the Wentworth House site, but explained that there were other reasons for moving The Phoenix, particularly building accessibility. “To be honest, in the last year and a half or more, the bigger push has come from the GSA itself, from the graduate students, wanting to get into a location that’s accessible,” he said. In addition to a larger patio, more kitchen space and a stage, the new location offers the potential for alternative uses. The new Phoenix may include meeting space, a coffee bar and a lounge area, as well as more varied menu selection. The business plan explains that a “Fresh, Fun, and Friendly” strategic approach would allow the bar to build on its strengths without alienating current patrons.
One month into his term, MSU President Matt Dillon-Leitch says he’s ready to start making an impact on the MSU. After a month of transitioning into his new role, DillonLeitch and his administration are wrapping up their period of transition and preparing to put their own initiatives into place. “We started back in April, and really, I’ve been transitioning since I was elected in February,” said Dillon-Leitch this week. “We’ve been meeting with [outgoing MSU President Mary Koziol and her executive board] and looking at what we wanted to continue from what they were working on. “I wouldn’t say we’re used to it, but we’re as close to being comfortable as we have been yet,” said Dillon-Leitch his team putting some of their long-term projects into practice. Perhaps the biggest project the new President and his staff will undertake will be addressing some of the more ambitious campaign promises Dillon-Leitch offered up last winter: funding student ideas and the increased availability of required courses in the summer. Dillon-Leitch proposed during his campaign that the Sponsorship and Donations Committee, an MSU fund that provides funding for travel and conferences for clubs, be more openly extended for student projects and initiatives.” “This hasn’t really been promoted to the average student. A lot of what will make this successful is if students know about it,” said Dillon-Leitch, who insisted that students can take advantage • PLEASE SEE ADVOCACY, 3
Inside the Sil this week... Lip Dub Coming to Mac............................................... pg. 3 Waiting’s got us bored.................................................. pg. 5 Sex & the steel city....................................................... pg. 7 Mac QB goes to CFL camp .......................................... pg. 9 Alternative Summer Movies..........................................pg. 11
THE SILHOUETTE • 3
THURSDAY, JUNE 2, 2011
Advocacy on mind of MSU Pres. News Dillon-Leitch hoping to gather student voices
BRIAN DECKER / EXECUTIVE EDITOR
MSU President Matt Dillon-Leitch began • CONT’D FROM 1 of the existing fund if they simply become aware of it. “It’s one thing to develop a really great plan, but it’s something else for students to know about it.” While Dillon-Leitch’s administration will have control over the extension of that funding, the plan to increase the avail-
his term in office on May 1. ability of required courses in the summer will require more of an advocacy from the MSU Executive Board. The Executive Board’s plan is to provide McMaster’s faculty societies with surveys and other resources detailing student demand for various courses. According to Dillon-Leitch, this would provide the
most efficient path to course changes. The President also said he wants to push the envelope so that students taking summer courses will have more options, but realizes his hand is limited in influencing faculties’ decisions “[This initiative] might not turn out that successful. There are going to be courses that the university will be able to offer and there are going to be ones that they won’t, but the point is we need to give students the ability to say what they want and that hasn’t bee done.” The first month on the job hasn’t been all transition work, as Dillon-Leitch has already helped ensure 400 more study spaces are included in Library renovations. “The classroom has changed over the last few years, and libraries are changing too; they’re changing from this warehouse of books to a place where you work and study,” he said, adding that student study space on campus is more of a priority than in years past. Dillon-Leitch says advocating on students’ behalf is the most important role he needs to play in heading the MSU, especially when it comes to projects under the control of the university or other outside parties. “The MSU runs whether or not there is a president... advocacy is something where we can play a big role and somewhere leadership is really needed,” said DillonLeitch, emphasizing that his main role is to take the collective will of the students and use it to achieve goals. “If you want to get students behind you and make then believe what you do is relevant, you have to get out and talk.”
Lip Dub headed for Mac campus FARZEEN FODA
SENIOR NEWS EDITOR
The Lip Dub revolution is coming to McMaster University. The popular viral videos known as Lip Dubs, which have been taking place at dozens of universities around the world, will take place on Sept. 23, 2011 at McMaster. The idea originated at the Hochschule University of Furtwangen in Germany in 2008 when a group of Digital Media students created the video over one semester. The video quickly went viral on YouTube, and has since inspired universities around the world to create similar videos. Other Canadian universities such as Brock University, McGill University and University of Victoria have created similar videos in past years, and now McMaster is joining the challenge, hoping to show school spirit in a way never thought possible. “The McMaster Lip Dub strives to be an event that unifies the community under the banner of McMaster spirit,” said Sid Gandhi, President of McMaster Lip Dub. Inspired by Lip Dub videos of universities around the world, approximately
50 McMaster students have dedicated their summer to planning the McMaster Lip Dub. Plans are well underway and students have been divided into six committees responsible for Promotions, Media and Public Outreach, Sponsorship and Fundraising, Logistics, University Relations, and Creative. “Within just three days of its conception, McMaster Lip Dub had over 4,000 supporting it,” said Gandhi. The number of supporters has since grown considerably, aiming to reach at least ten thousand students. “We are also in the process of acquiring a celebrity for the video. But I don’t want to reveal too much so I’m going to stop myself there,” added Gandhi, unable to disclose more information on the matter. The tentative date of Sept. 23 was selected for many reasons although many suggested a date during Welcome Week. It was felt that it would not be in the best interest of students if Welcome Week events were compromised because of the Lip Dub, and secondly it is during this time of the year that students are still enthusiastic about the start of a new year and are not overwhelmed with school work. Finally, this later date gives planning committees more time to or-
ganize the event. The date remains tentative and may change in coming months. Meanwhile, students are highly encouraged to join the Facebook group (McMaster Lip Dub) to keep up to date with the progress and to learn more about how to contribute or get involved. “A lip dub is essentially an expression of community spirit. It is usually a video that goes viral on Youtube and consists of lip-synching and audio dubbing,” said Gandhi. A notable feature of lip dubs is that there are no cuts in the sequence, meaning that the entire video is one continuous shot. This is certainly a challenge, and is among the many guidelines put forth by University Lip Dub. According to the University Lip Dub guidelines, among other things, the entire video must be taken on the campus, there must be at least one professor in the video and above all, the goal is to have fun. The most recent Canadian University Lip Dub, done by the University of British Columbia, gained immense popularity, drawing on talent and spirit within the university. The video features popular rock band Marianas Trench.
Bites
compiled by Jasmine Keillor Man Jumps From Window of Burning Building on Barton Street A man jumped from the 2nd floor window of a burning building on the 100th block of Barton Street in Hamilton last Sunday, but was safely caught by three citizens and an off-duty paramedic. The jumping man reached the ground safely only moments before the window from which he jumped was engulfed in flames. The first EMS responder arrived on the scene of the structure fire at approximately 3 AM and all other occupants were safely evacuated. The man was transported to St. Joseph’s Hospital, where he was treated for minor burns and injuries from his jump. Razavi named Chair in Heavy Construction at McMaster University Professor Saiedeh Razavi was appointed the position of inaugural Chair in Heavy Construction at McMaster University on May 30. The professor of Civil Engineering and Civil engineering technology, who has considerable experience in large-scale industrial construction projects, will begin her position on July 1st. Her duties as chair holder will include the assumption of leadership responsibilities in regards to advancing innovation in the heavy-construction sector, as well as making significant contributions in the advancement of modern, durable and sustainable infrastructure in Ontario. Big Names to receive honorary degrees at Spring Convocation Former Prime Minister of Canada Paul Martin and comedian Steve Smith lead a list of high-profile recipients of honorary degrees at McMaster’s upcoming spring convocation. Martin, who served as Prime Minister from 2003-2006 and Minister of Finance from 1993-2002, will receive his degree on June 16 along with former Canadian Auto Workers Trade Union President Buzz Hargrove. Smith, known as a national comedic hero for his role as Red Green on the Red Green Show, will receive his degree on June 13. Mac Prof helps unlock history of Wooly Mammoth A McMaster professor has helped unlock some of the mysterious tendencies behind the Wooly Mammoth. Hendrik Poinar, Director of Mac’s Ancient DNA Centre, contributed to a study that suggests the Mammoth, one of the largest creatures ever to walk the planet, mated with South American counterparts during its Ice Age journey south, contributing to the complex evolutionary history of the Mammoth.
4 • THE SILHOUETTE
EDITORIAL The Silhouette
McMaster University’s Student Newspaper
TheSil.ca
Editorial Board Brian Decker Executive Editor
Sam Colbert Managing Editor Jonathon Fairclough Copy Manager Farzeen Foda Senior News Editor Dina Fanara News Editor Andrew Terefenko Opinions Editor Fraser Caldwell Senior Sports Editor Brandon Meawasige Sports Editor Natalie Timperio InsideOut Editor Cassanda Jeffery InsideOut Editor Jemma Wolfe Senior andy Editor Josh Parsons andy Music Editor Myles Herod andy Entertain. Editor Tyler Hayward Senior Photo Editor Ricardo Padilla Photo Editor Joy Santiago Multimedia Editor Sonya Khanna Senior Business Editor
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Contact Us McMaster University Student Centre, Room B110 McMaster University 1280 Main Street West Hamilton, ON L8S 4S4 Fax: (905) 529–3208 E–Mail: thesil@thesil.ca facebook.com/TheMcMasterSilhouette twitter.com/theSilhouette Production Office (905) 525-9140, extension 27117 Advertising (905) 525-9140, extension 27557 10,000 circulation Published by the McMaster Students Union
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THURSDAY, JUNE 2, 2011
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This time, Canucks’ battle is a Canadian one, too I hate the Ottawa Senators. Growing up watching hockey in a time when the Leafs played at a passable level, the NHL’s Battle of Ontario was my holy grail of sports. So when Ottawa made it to the Stanley Cup Finals in the spring of 2007, facing off against the Anaheim Ducks, a team with a Disney movie name in a stupid hockey market, I was confused. Would I cheer for the team I hated, or watch another mediocre hockey market take possession of our country’s most coveted piece of hardware? In the end, I couldn’t bring myself to cheer for Ottawa. Anaheim had more Canadians on their team anyway, a solemn fact that helped me sleep at night. Meanwhile, for the third time in three seasons, a Canadian team had been denied the Stanley Cup. Now, four years later, the question comes up again: while my lovable loser Leafs are once again a distant memory, do I support Vancouver in its quest to bring Lord Stanley’s mug back home? Maybe it’s the summer heat causing me déjà vu. Maybe I’m seeing the same storyline in different events. But this year, there’s no doubt in my mind I’ll be rooting for the Canucks to bring the cup home. This isn’t about defaulting to the last Canadian team to cheer for. This isn’t even about cheering against the Boston Bruins and their spoiled fans, who have a championship to boast in each of the other major three sports over the last six years. It’s about putting the final nail in the coffin of the argument that hockey is a game that belongs to anyone but Canada. For years, the game has been slipping away from our grasp. Gary Bettman’s NHL has made its best effort to expand the game to Florida, Arizona, Georgia and other places where hockey ranks somewhere between lingerie football and pig racing on the sports pecking order. Even worse is that those teams have been successful, with Tampa Bay, Carolina and Anaheim each winning the championship, and in the process making sure the Cup went a place where nobody would care about it. The league TV schedule is run by NBC, an American network that once cut away from the third period of an NHL playoff game for two hours of pregame coverage of a horse race. God, that is stupid. Chest-thumping, patriotic rhetoric aside, hockey is Canada’s game. Crosby and co. made sure everyone knew that fact last February when the gold medal went to Canada in Vancouver. (It should be pointed out that the last two Canadian cities to host the Olympics, Montreal in ’76 and Calgary in ’88, won the Stanley Cup the following year.) This week, the city of Winnipeg and its forsaken fans won no small victory in snatching a team back from a horrible hockey town. It’s a rather large ‘F-you’ to the NHL’s dream of expanding TV ratings to big American markets, and a huge ‘Hell yeah!’ to the fans who have been waiting for their team to come home since the poor Canadian dollar and Bettman’s southern dream yanked it away in 1995. Who knows how many more teams may follow north of the border? There’s no shortage of prospective businessmen looking to build arenas in hockey-hungry markets like Quebec City or even Toronto, and there’s certainly no shortage of failed experiments in the southern states with owners looking to follow Atlanta and get out of Dodge. But regardless of whether more teams come, this is a time for Canadian pride to flow over like a frothy beer after a hard-fought playoff win. It’s time to cheer for the Canucks and follow the lessons we taught everyone in Winnipeg this week and in Vancouver two Februarys ago. This is Vancouver’s battle, but it should have every Canadian behind it. This month, count me among those hoping they win it. • Brian Decker Executive Editor
Legal The Silhouette welcomes letters to the editor in person at MUSC B110, or by email at thesil@thesil.ca. Please include name, address, and telephone number for verification only. We reserve the right to edit, condense, or reject letters and opinion articles. Opinions expressed in The Silhouette are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of the editorial board, the publishers, or university officials. The Silhouette is an editorially autonomous newspaper published by the McMaster Students Union. The Silhouette board of publications acts as an intermediary between the editorial board, the McMaster community, and the McMaster Students Union. Grievances regarding The Silhouette may be forwarded in writing to: McMaster Students Union, McMaster University Student Centre, Room 201, L8S 4S4, Attn: The Silhouette Board of Publications. The board will consider all submissions and make recommendations accordingly.
Hey you. The Silhouette is a service provided by the MSU. That stands for McMaster Students Union. Are you a student? Do you want to get involved in journalism? Do you like taking pretty pictures? Do you want to get your message heard loud and clear? What’s that? You are? That’s really funny, because we do all of those things for students. You should totally come by our office. We could just chill. And hang out. Bro.
to jg, bd, pg and dk: hot damn! to winnipeg, for generally striking back. to actually making a newspaper. to doing a sportsthemed editorial. obviously.
to the basement. BO and shame don’t come out easy. to accidents on the qew. you are the worst. to ants. to no cell reception in the basement. dang.
to friends in europe. your stories, postcards and debauchery bring me joy. to buffalo chicken anything. to dr. sevigny’s and savage’s parliament report. big time. to zen gardens. to throwing a frisbee around on campus, bro. to hot summer days. to expensive and disgusting chips. to river monsters and deadliest catch. cheesy tv shows are awesome.
to being jealous of friends in europe. damn you all. to raccoon attacks. to beers at jays games. no, i don’t have a zillion dollars. to all that f@#$ing rain earlier this year. wtf nature. to the haters. to when they run out of bagels at union market. so sad. to summer classes when it’s nice out. what a megabummer. to budgets. unless you’re into that stuff.
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THE SILHOUETTE • 5
THURSDAY, JUNE 2, 2011
OPINIONS
production office extension: 27117 opinions@thesil.ca
Waiting in line to die of boredom
ANDREW TEREFENKO SENIOR OPINIONS EDITOR
I am bored. Not bored with life or bored with the state of things, I am just really bored of waiting. Waiting for the bus, waiting for the red light to turn green, waiting for my morning coffee at the back end of a line twenty people strong, is all getting very tiresome. Somehow I feel that this is a phenomenon not entirely isolated to me, as I often see people just as bored as me in similar locations. All of which are quickly characterized by that unmistakable facial expression of ‘silent agony’ as I like to call it. I wait so much in my daily life that I rarely stop to wonder why it is that I engage in it in such ludicrous amounts. I think that the culture of today, coupled with ‘advances’ in technology is breeding society into people who are not only going to have to wait more and more, but are content with it or completely unaware. Millions of cars are put on the road each year, so you can imagine rush hour is slowly going to develop into a full-blown rush day, and even buses by our school often end up full after taking half of the stop’s passengers, forcing them to wait even longer for another half-full bus. What is truly disturbing to me is that in conjunction with this ‘waiting society’, technology is teaching us to get what we want instantaneously. With internet access we can pull up any information we want in the blink of a kilobyte, or connect with a friend in
eastern Europe before he even has a chance to say Guten Tag. These same people immediately get in their cars and stay at the same spot on the highway for upwards of a half hour, quickly building up the sort of anger that we are constantly told is unhealthy for us. If we are being taught to live two directly contradictory lifestyles, are we to blame when the result of the clash is a rage-fuelled outburst at people who don’t deserve it? German social psychologist and expert on being bored to death Erich Fromm blames boredom as, “perhaps the most important source of aggression and destructiveness today,” adding that it is because our consumer culture distracts us from boredom rather than curing it, leaving it in the backs of our minds to haunt us later. Haunt us it does, as we find more reasons to be bored as our patience dwindles and we curse our internet service providers for making us wait ‘five whole seconds’ for Facebook to load. I think it is no coincidence that fast food took off as amazingly as it did, giving us a full meal in mere minutes instead of slow roasting our own potatoes for an unbearable few hours. Now that I have identified this as a problem, one I am definitely not immune to, I should propose a solution. It is simple, I think. Remove myself from waiting in all the forms it arrives in, when possible. Use the internet sparingly, lest the loading bars drive me mad. Drive less frequently and avoid the bus when some-
JOY SANTIAGO / MULTIMEDIA EDITOR
Boredom can quickly manifest as rage if left unchecked. Don’t be the next victim of idle time! thing is in biking/running/walking/spitting distance (the weather is great for it anyways). Buy coffee from a less populated location that doesn’t rhyme with kim mortons to circumvent that dreaded line, or make it myself, though I am confounded as to how one does that. There are many ways I
Voters don’t feel like it JASON MOTZ THE MARTLET
VICTORIA (CUP) — I know all about voter apathy. I’m 35 years old and I did not vote until I was 30. I won’t attempt to justify those years of cynical and snide disregard for the democratic process. In fact, if there is one thing I regret in my life, it’s putting off voting for as long as I did. Apathy is just an empty buzzword for not giving a fuck. Apathy begets a stagnant and poisonous political climate where nothing changes. Opting out of the voting process is not a choice, nor is it a noble act of surrender. Not voting gives more power to the current political system than an actual vote does. By deciding to refrain from
voting, you are granting a license to the system to keep on with the status quo. And if the status quo is something you are content with then your name must be Stephen Harper. Apathy allows pseudo-leaders like Harper to run roughshod over the other parties by assuming that his minority is truly representative of people’s wishes. Does it not stand to reason that anyone truly unhappy with how things are going in this country would get out and vote? It is far too easy for politicians to look at low voter turnout and assume victory in that degree of complacency. Complacency — now there is an ugly word. Doesn’t sound nearly as valorous as apathy, does it? • PLEASE SEE APATHY, 6
can take the ‘waiting’ out of my life though I suppose many are unavoidable, as we still have to wait through classes that we both dislike and do not understand, and we all of course have to wait for the doomsday to arrive next year, no way to make that come any sooner. My only hope that some third de-
structive force does not enter our lives to disturb the already tenuous balance of impatience we have in our lives, such as politics and his hideous stepchild, construction. Nothing brings a person closer to considering murder than the colour orange and a congested detour.
People can’t take the heat; police suspect frying pan ANDREW TEREFENKO SENIOR OPINIONS EDITOR
We just can’t have nice things. Given the miracle and splendour that is the sun providing us with life itself, the most we can bring ourselves to do is bitch and moan that we are sweating too much. Do you remember our ancestors who had to walk uphill both ways in a blizzard to get to their destinations? I’d bet that they cared less about having to wear four layers of clothing and more about just barely living to the next day, making some kind of ends meet. I’m fully convinced that as a
modern society we make it our mission to complain about absolutely everything, even if we are perfectly content and all our needs are being met in stride. This is of course not indicative of absolutely everyone, as there are plenty of people who find ways to appreciate the weather and make the most of it, whether that means jogging in their underwear or building igloos in the winter. I’m talking about the person we all know, who starts his first conversation of the day with you with a resounding “what a shitty day.” If he was having a “shitty day” a century ago he would have been thanking the stars he only lost one • PLEASE SEE HEAT, 6
THURSDAY, JUNE 2, 2011
Apathy is not a reason to abstain from voting Now it’s a reason to get involved • CONT’D FROM 5 Complacency is a cancerous attribute and not something any person should strive for. Google complacency. What names, icons and Messiahs pop up? Gandhi? Churchill? Rick Hansen? Not bloody likely. There are no game-changers who made their name by being complacent, apathetic, disinterested and unplugged. On May 2, should you choose not to vote, your laziness will discredit this country. What does it cost you to mark an X
on a ballot? Who ever said that you had to vote with faith and unshakable confidence in your choice? It’s your participation that matters more than anything. Revolutions have been fought over the right to scratch an X. These wars have been waged not only in the oh-so-distant past, but recently. This year. Today, even. Whether you vote Conservative, Liberal, NDP or Green, your participation is essential to the future of the country. It’s as simple as that. Simple as inking an X.
Heat is wasted on humans • CONT’D FROM 5 arm while building a railway cross-country. This person is the representative of our entire race, because the loudest people are the ones who are heard first. Thus we look like spoiled, self-satisfied ingrates who groan once the first raindrop falls. If I was an alien coming down to Earth for the first time to extend a boon of friendship and technological wealth to my new neighbours, I would sooner turn tail and never look back, marking the planet as ‘inhospitable to intelligent life’. I can’t really expect much more out of us though, given the type of lives we lead. When all basic life needs are met, such as food and shelter it seems only natural to want more, and when you end up getting less than you expected, we revert to our childish tactics of kicking and screaming in the grocery store until we get the cereal with the marshmallows. The weather tries so hard to keep our planet running like a finelytuned clock that we crap all over on a daily basis, so the least we can do is appreciate the one natural factor that is actually keeping the earth green without our help. Weather is actually working against our artificial landMost peoples’ personal pillaging, so we barometers only have should be thankful it two gauges: Too Cold allows us to be lazy and Too Hot. Lukewarm is and does our work a thing of legend around for no pay and these parts. equally little pats on the back. All I ask is the next time you see a storm cloud rolling in, give a slight gracious nod in its direction and consider that you live far away from the equator, where the weather is far less forgiving of ungrateful earthlings. ANDREW TEREFENKO / SENIOR OPINIONS EDITOR
Mad at Parliament? Frustrated that your morning cereal got soggy? Did you have a life-changing revelation on the toilet today? If you have any opinions talk to us at opinions@thesil.ca and let everyone know about your impressive mental collection of anti-establishment propaganda.
THE SILHOUETTE • 7
THURSDAY, JUNE 2, 2011
INSIDEOUT
production office extension: 27117 insideout@thesil.ca
Wine, bread and fun in Paris
SEX and the STEEL CITY For travelling students, the City of Lights can be the city of adventures Find your own way to spice up your sex life NATALIE TIMPERIO INSIDEOUT EDITOR
JONATHON FAIRCLOUGH / COPY MANAGER
The Eiffel Tower is just one of the many attractions that leads travellers to the fun and adventure of Paris. Silhouette Copy Manager Jonathon Fairclough is spending his summer working in Europe. Each month, he’ll share an account of his adventures, capturing the essence of travel abroad and what it means to be a student with a long leash on a long adventure. JONATHON FAIRCLOUGH COPY MANAGER
I had woken up that morning to the bustle of the streetcars and the mad-hurry of students back from the weekend. The futon I was crashing on was wooing me with the promise of more hours of sober dreaming. “No,” I thought. I had Paris to do. A friend dropped me off at the terminal, only to see my bus rolling away without me. I waved it down in a busy street, camera and pack around my arms. It was a sight that amused the passengers; the driver wasn’t so pleased. Roll into Paris just past lunchtime, catch the Metro and transfer twice, and there I was in Montparnasse. My rendezvous with brothers Dan and Dave was a sketchy one: “meet upstairs in a cafe called Columbus, from there we’ll call the hostel company and get shown our apartment.” There they were: skinny and beaten by the sun. They’d been hightailing around Europe for a month now,
living the dream that so many stu- come and go, we stay, fat in the dents count on but never pursue. sunshine with good bread and They’d made it, and the smiles on cheap wine in our stomachs. their face were only a hint of the Finish another bottle. I happiness that a summer abroad begin to get courageous, ask tourdelivers. ists if they’d like me to take their Trek it to the hostel, led picture. “I’m a photographer, by Frenchie in a Canadian tuxedo. you know. Do you have a flash Small talk. He’d spent several on this thing?” Watch the comers months in Toronto without really and goers, the backpackers and doing or seeing anything. We were the Americans with fat ankles, strangely forgivthe gypsy kids and ing, perhaps betheir cons, the Arcause he was ‘the gentinean women eye,’ the man who Here we were, drunk with their golden could (and would) hair. We share stoas sailors under sternly chastise us the Eiffel Tower. It’s ries of our advenfor our misadventures, the people my fifth time in the we have met and tures, if you’d like to call them that. this city and it still the sights we have “Bakastounds me. The seen with our own ery’s there, deli’s eyes. size, the daring.” Brother Dan there”.. Boom! we’re eating and and I share a sigh getting ready to of relief. We’d descend into madbeen talking about ness. First stop: all things Europe Eiffel tower. Why not, right? Buy for months, and here we were, several bottles of cheap wine from drunk as sailors under the Eiffel the grocery store, drink, repeat. tower. We get up and walk underEnd up on the grass in front it, talk neath. It’s my fifth time in this city to the bootleggers and the street- and it still astounds me. The size, vendors, who go in depth about the daring. Walk to the other side, their story, their job, and the con- hear the Beatles’ ‘Let it be’ being sequences. Drunkenly we see their played from a carousel ride, sing lookout system, their eye contact to it and make all those around with one another, their warnings, us cringe. Metro ride back to the and their hiding spots for bottled hostel where we speak to some water and cold beer. Our friends Texans and surrender to their silly
ways: “Y’all live in Canada? What y’all do up there?” Never did it feel so good to be so open-minded. Lay down, fall asleep, wake up to another bustling day – this time no streetcars – but microcars and mopeds, all whizzing by on the street below. Grocery store, bread and cold cuts. Do a favour for the hostel owners and pick up a new traveler from the train station. Spend 5 minutes trying to convince her I’m not going to abduct her, especially funny (in hindsight) when I crack a joke about the movie “Taken” on an empty elevator ride. She’s relieved when I show her the room and prove once and for all I’m not a creep. She wants to come out with us, we oblige. She’s Scandinavian in her looks but American by speech. A West-Virginia girl with 10-days in Europe, scurrying around and about before she returns to day-job back home. Go to the Notre Dame, realize that my camera lens is partially broken from drunk-stupidity. Curse myself and move on, with no point getting mad now. Meet with another friend from days past – Medina, it’s her birthday – as if we needed another reason to return to madness. And so would begin one of the wildest days of my life. It was just another adventure in the City of Lights.
The ins-and-outs of the dating world are such that there are often arbitrary definitions of what constitutes sexual experience. In fact, defining the word experience is virtually a no-brainer. What’s troubling, however, is gaining experience—in anything we do; whether this is acquired knowledge of, say, a certain subject in school or a hobby of some sort. Yet, it seems that gaining experience in terms of sex and sexual activity presents a little more difficult than when it comes to other matters in life. Although not for all, it seems that many people are left with that lingering cloud of despair from time to time about how to perform in the bedroom. For example, you may be interested in trying some new sex fad you read in a monthly magazine; perhaps some twisted sex position that requires the flexibility of a Yoga Master. But, of course, not all of us are physically able to conquer the passion propeller (it’s just as wild as it sounds), and chances are that exuding confidence upon trying anything remotely new in the bedroom is far from the case. Rather, a considerable degree of concern may surface from such brave new undertakings. The pressure to be sexually experienced can at times be insurmountable. In its most conventional sense sexual experience is often denoted by the number of sex partners one has had throughout their lifetime. The number of people you’ve boogied with beneath the sheets is generally a plus for one’s ‘experience scale.’ So, this conventional understanding of what is meant by sexual experience presents one simple solution: become promiscuous as never before. But why not challenge this thinking? Unless being promiscuous suits you just fine – in which case all the power to you – there are other ways in which to gain that sexual experience that you so eagerly yearn for. If you’re attached then take light in the fact that you have a sex partner who • PLEASE SEE DEFINE, 8
8 • THE SILHOUETTE
Define your own sexual creativity
THURSDAY, JUNE 2, 2011
A beginner’s guide to Sushi
• CONT’D FROM 7 you are at least somewhat familiar. Take advantage of this situation, with your partner’s consent of course, and use it as an opportunity in which not only to up your own experience but also as a way to add some flare to your relationship. If you lead the single life and enjoy random sexual ventures then also use this as an opportunity to try something new as chances are you will never come into contact with this person again—depending on your intentions, of course. But do not feel that pressure to sleep around to gain experience if you are single. If you would rather wait for that perfect lady or gent to be in a relationship, then this too remains a perfectly respectable decision. The truth is that no matter how popular a sex position may be, or any other sort of sexual activity, sex is truly something that is subjective to each and every individual. Perhaps missionary position is all you are interested in, so why then would you choose to explore any other avenue? To hell with the pressure to be “fun”—a.k.a. sex fiend, nympho, and horn dog— in the bedroom. No glossy paged magazine or mainstream R-rated movie can attest to your personal interests when it comes to sex, and if everyone followed a one-sided rulebook on the measures of sexual experience then creativity would have no meaning—however you define creativity.
WIKIMEDIA COMMONS
Sushi, while often terrifying to the untrailed palate, can be a delicious treat - if you know how you like it. BRIAN DECKER EXECUTIVE EDITOR
I grew up a picky eater. When it comes to the cuisine world, I’ve usually been one to take the menu strategy of tried-and-true over tastefully adventurous. Trying something new is not usually on my to-do list. As I’ve gotten older, the wonders of hot Indian curries and the godly pleasures of Mexican enchiladas have somehow etched their spoils into my palate’s favour, and my bitter standoff with ethnic and gourmet dishes has thawed into a peaceful truce, at least one of mild respect. But there’s one culinary foe I’ve never reconciled with; that is, until I tried sushi for the first time last week August 8 on the corner of James and York in the heart of downtown Hamilton. This was an attempt to reach a truce that would make Bill Clinton proud. Like most people who are averse to the sushi world, the term itself often conjured up images of raw fish and wet seaweed for me, masquerading around as a treat for the same weirdos who drink bubble tea and own pet rocks. I swore to myself I’d be ready for full combat with this encounter, but to my surprise, it was a largely pleasant one, with a few squeamish bites but mostly enjoyable pieces. The amazing thing about sushi is that despite looking like neatly wrapped pieces of sea garbage, it can be remarkably amenable to even the pickiest palate. Most sushi places will have a large variety of things to order, so there’s room for anyone to find something they like. Here are four ways a picky eater can safely negotiate the dangerous waters of any sushi menu.
1) Know your options: while sushi is a convenient umbrella term, there’s a huge variety of food to be had at any given restaurant. The traditional image of sushi – a piece of raw seafood and rice wrapped in dark green, which is actually called a maki roll – is common but not exclusive in the sushi world. Options like teriyaki salmon or chicken, dim sum or tempura-fried shrimp are a safe way to get underway. 2) Ditch your fear: you’ll never get used to sushi – let alone enjoy it – if you are afraid to eat it. Just remember that despite its unpleasant-seeming look, it’s one of the most commonly eaten foods in the world for good reason. Grab a maki roll, just giv’er and take a big bite. 3) All You Can Eat: If you’ve never had sushi before, you’ll want to make sure you get to try a variety of things. Firstly, you don’t want to order something only to find out you don’t like it, and secondly, you want to make sure you end up getting your money’s worth for your courageous foray. Find a place that offers an All You Can Eat menu and order little bits of everything; once you find something you like, you’ll be able to build your own delicious sushi wish list. 4) Find your safety food: The last thing you want is to have the taste of something you hate stuck in your mouth. In case you do bite into a nasty piece of something you don’t like, it’s good to have a backup piece of something you do like to cut the taste away from your mouth. The important thing to remember here is that sushi, much as it seems like a strange mush from a foreign land, is a food that billions of people eat with regularity. It can’t do anything to harm you; give it a try and see if it’s something you like.
THE SILHOUETTE • 9
THURSDAY, JUNE 2, 2011
SPORTS
production office extension: 27117 sports@thesil.ca
Oskee-Wee-Wee: Mac QB Kyle Quinlan will attend the Hamilton Tiger-Cats’ training camp this summer, following in the footsteps of Ottawa’s Brad Sinopoli, who won the Hec Crighton Trophy last year as the best university football player in Canada. Quinlan also recently threw at the CFL Draft combine.
Former Mac golfer takes first pro win BRIAN DECKER EXECUTIVE EDITOR
Marauder recruit wins U-18 title FRASER CALDWELL SENIOR SPORTS EDITOR
The McMaster women’s volleyball squad’s most high profile recruit for this coming season is bringing more than talent to the Marauders this fall. Because, as highly skilled as she is, Lauren Mastroluisi has the added value of winning experience on the national stage to her name. The high school senior from Ancaster will make her transition to maroon and grey in September, but has already proved her volleyball credentials at the highest level of club competition this spring. Playing out of the local Defensa Volleyball Club, Mastroluisi and her teammates claimed the top spot at the Canadian Under-18 National Championships held in Abbotsford, British Columbia. With such a talented team surrounding her, it is hardly surprising that the future Marauder Mastroluisi is far from the only Defensa player moving on to play at the varsity level. Fellow outside hitters Nico Serratore and Andrea Fisher will be competing in the
NCAA’s Division I at Syracuse, while starting setter and national championships MVP Emily Ruetter will be plying her trade at Division I rival Akron. Two of Mastroluisi’s teammates, Melanie Walsh and Chelsea Briscoe were committed to the volleyball program at Laurier before the program’s demise at the end of this past competitive season. For her part, Mastroluisi’s experience with Defensa bodes well as she prepares to join the maroon and grey this fall. The Ancaster native may find adapting to the varsity game relatively simple, as it appears that the coaching style that she grew used to at Defensa is very similar to that espoused by Marauder bench boss Tim Louks. Speaking with the mastermind of Defensa’s recent success, Rob Fernley, he is quick to acknowledge the overwhelming focus on a ‘team-first’ attitude at his club. “I don’t know exactly how you want to term it,” said Fernley, “but all of the girls have bought into the concept. If one of
the players gets subbed off, they don’t take it personally. They understand that those decisions are made for the good of the team and aren’t meant to reflect on them.” “It’s better for the team to do well than for one person to struggle and for us to have to play through their struggles.” Such words would be music to the ears of Tim Louks, who admitted in the wake of his team’s playoff exit that he planned to build a group for next year’s campaign that would be built on concepts of team play and fierce intra-squad competition. Mastroluisi appears to be the perfect candidate to step into such an environment, as both she and her former coach emphasize her determination as her greatest personal strength. “If you’re looking for one word to encapsulate Lauren, it would be ‘determination’,” said Fernley. He explains that it was that very characteristic which allowed Mastroluisi to advance from the ranks of the highly talented but untrained prospect, to those of the • PLEASE SEE MASTRO., 10
One year ago, Jason Wellings was a member of McMaster’s varsity golf team, playing in the national university championships. Now, just one year later, he’s a budding professional – with a victory freshly placed under his belt. Wellings shot a blistering five-under 67 to nab his first professional victory last week in London, taking home the Great Lakes Tour’s FireRock event. “It’s certainly a surprise to have won this quickly, but I’ve been putting in work and playing well,” said Wellings, 25. “Sometimes you put your head down, work hard and good results come along.” A former OUA and Canadian University champion with the Marauders, Wellings began his professional career last fall by qualifying at the Canadian Tour’s Qualifying School, firing a final round 71 to earn full playing privileges this year. 2011 had been unkind to the Flamborough native before the win, with poor weather hampering his practice schedule and cancelling his fundraising tournament on April 28. A missed cut at the Mexican PGA Championship in May had been his only start on the Canadian Tour, with mixed results on the smaller Great Lakes Tour tossed in between. “Anytime you win a tournament, it’s special. I’m just looking to build off the win and continue playing well this season,”
said the Multimedia graduate. Wellings earned $2,000 for the win. Wellings is one of only two former OUA players to earn full playing privileges on the Canadian Tour. Numerous players have gone from the tour to achieve fame on the PGA Tour, including Mike Weir, Stephen Ames, Steve Stricker and Stuart Appleby. “I know I can compete [on the Canadian Tour]. It’s certainly tough out here, but I’m looking forward to testing my game and getting better,” said Wellings. While at McMaster, the native of Wolverhampton, England became known for his prodigious drives, sharp iron shots and buttery putting stroke. Now that he’s playing for a living, Wellings said he’s looking to become more consistent. “A lot of the time in amateur tournaments, I could get away with a few mistakes. It’s harder [playing professionally] – the courses are tougher and mistakes cost you more.” As part of his quest to become more consistent, Wellings switched to a longer bellyanchored putter earlier this month, a move that has already paid dividends. “It’s helped me a lot. I didn’t miss any short putts [in the victory at FireRock], and feel really comfortable with it.” Wellings is playing on the Canadian Tour this week in Victoria, BC for the Times Colonist Islands Savings Open, one of the tour’s flagship events with a $200,000 purse.
BRIAN DECKER / EXECUTIVE EDITOR
Jason Wellings won his first pro tournament last week.
10 • THE SILHOUETTE
THURSDAY, JUNE 2, 2011
Mastroluisi gains big game experience
Sports
REEL
compiled by Fraser Caldwell
Volleyball Standouts Earn Spots on National Rosters
PHOTO C/O ROB FERNLEY
Lauren Mastroluisi (no.2, top-right) and her Defensa teammates won the Canadian Under-18 Championships in BC. said Fernley. “I could see that she had a However, if the Marauders’ left • CONT’D FROM 9 tremendous upside to her athleticism. She side to be was once a green rookie, she veteran club competitor. had great speed, a huge amount of power, is certainly such no longer. Mastroluisi “Originally, when I chose Lauren and excellent coordination. But what she believes that the team’s national title will to the team, I was choosing her as a lacked was the skill-set. She was a really fundamentally change Defensa’s athletes project, and I say that in a respectful way,” raw talent at that point.” for the better. “Even working up to Nationals was an unbelievable experience on its own,” said Mastroluisi. “ Rob really emphasized that we needed to push ourselves to the limit because it was our last year together, our last opportunity. The experience taught me to work really hard for everything because it’s so rewarding when you finally succeed.” Not only was the title itself a learning experience, but the manner in which Defensa earned its title, coming as it did through a series of tight, gritty victories, was a great lesson to the team. In the final weekend of the club’s divisional play, known as the “power league,” Defensa played seven matches, six of which required a third and deciding set. Of those, five matches were won by the minimum margin of two points. Tellingly, Defensa won each of these clutch matchups. That reality underpinned the club’s mental toughness, a trait that Mastroluisi indicates was not always one enjoyed by her team. “In past years, we would make matches close and manage to lose in the end,” said the outside hitter. “This year we reversed that trend, and refused to stop playing our game in the late going.” Such mental fortitude will be invaluable when Mastroluisi competes for a national title of a different kind at McMaster. With the Marauders hosting this year’s CIS Championships at the Burridge Gym, big game experience will be in relatively short supply. For her part, the Ancaster native indicates that she relishes the thought of another championship run. “It was a pretty big factor in my decision because it’s such a great opportunity,” said Mastroluisi. “Not many teams ever get the chance to compete for a CIS title. To be able to do it as a rookie is going to be really special.”
Two members of the OUA Champion Marauders men’s volleyball team were named to Canadian national squads this month. Graduating middle hitter and McMaster Athlete of the Year Tyler Santoni earned a berth on the National ‘B’ Team which will compete in the FISU Games in Singapore in August. Setter T.J. Sanders meanwhile, was named to the National Junior Team bound for the World Junior Championship in Brazil at the end of July.
Bald to Compete at Challenge Cup McMaster’s rookie swimmer Konrad Bald has been selected as a member of the Canadian National Team due to compete at the North American Challenge Cup in Mexico from August 1-8. The selection comes on the back of an impressive season which saw Bald make major inroads in his signature breaststroke races.
Mosen Chosen to Lead Women’s Soccer Team Following the departure of the Marauders incumbent coach Richard Barnett at the conclusion of the team’s CIS tournament run, Brett Mosen has been named as the new Head Coach of the McMaster women’s soccer team. Mosen brings over two decades of coaching experience to the position and is currently the Head Coach and Technical Director of Hamilton FC.
Kozina Readies for Cross-Country Trek Former standout running back for the McMaster football squad, Jordan Kozina is preparing to embark on a 9,000 kilometer bike trip across Canada to raise money for the Multiple Sclerosis Society of Canada. The journey will see Kozina travel from Tofino, British Columbia to Cape Spear, Newfoundland. His ride gets underway on June 12.
THURSDAY, JUNE 2, 2011
Forget the blockbusters… ANDY’s picks an alternative summer at the movies
While summer is officially here and our entertainment intake tends to get bigger and badder, ANDY is excited to present some theatrical choices that are superhero & robot free. Avoiding the glut and despair of over bloated, heavy hitters, this selection is here for you to think outside the box.
by Myles Herod The Tree of Life (June 10) With his long awaited fifth feature soon to arrive, Terrance Malick’s The Tree of Life is purportedly a brilliant hallucinogenic trip, splitting its time between a Texas family in the 1950s and the creation of the universe. Awarded the prestigious Palme d’or at this year’s Cannes Film Festival, the legendary, and reclusive, Malick will no doubt deliver breathtaking visuals, having meticulously done so on his last four pictures (his first dating back to 1973). Thematically, the loss of innocence plays a vital role, with Brad Pitt starring as father to three sons. Besides that, little else is known plot-wise, with rumours suggesting depictions of heaven and a segment involving dinosaurs. Douglas Turmball, the visual effects specialist for 2001: A Space Odyssey, contributes. Stoners take note.
Larry Crowne (July 1) After losing his job at Wal-Mart, Tom Hanks goes back to college? I’m sold. Larry Crowne, directed, starring, and co-written by Hanks takes up Hollywood’s recent interest in America’s economic struggles, and mixes it up with an old formulaic standby: the midlife crisis. Sure, one could bemoan Julia Roberts as the predictable love interest from a mile away, but judging from the trailer, Hanks looks absolutely delightful as an everyman; driving a moped, hanging out with college kids, and vying for the affection of his college professor. What’s not to love? Given the vanity projects taken up by so many actors, Hanks, with his undeniable charm and Jimmy Stewart-like aura amongst Hollywood’s aristocracy, remains the only actor worth $20 million in my books.
Cave of Forgotten Dreams (Aug. 5) Are you ready for the best 3D film of the summer?! Werner Herzog, the German born, mad genius behind such eclectic work as Fitzcarraldo and Grizzly Man unveils his latest documentary: an archaeological expedition into Southern France’s Chauvet Cave. Sounds boring, right? Hardly. Receiving special permission from the French Government to film the oldest known cave paintings of mankind, Herzog cleverly employs 3D technology, capturing the artists ‘true intentions’ as the wall’s subtle bulges and contours pop before our very eyes. Crafted with the touch of a master, Herzog comes renowned for his off beat storytelling and unique narration. Given that this is a place very few get to experience, Cave of Forgotten Dreams sounds like a first class ticket to an inspiring world.
Surfing through tunes of the past Josh Parsons takes a look at the lost art of Surf Rock Frankly, my summer vacation has been a bit of a letdown so far. Until recently, I’d felt stunned by the obligations of a full-time job, summer school and my inability to enjoy the outdoors due to the stunted spring. Then, just the other day I stumbled across some buried surf rock MP3s and soon felt my summertime blues melting away. Who knew something spawn of early 60s suburban culture could have such healing power? Although I still tend to cringe at the idea of the hot rod driving, all American, cruising-forburgers-type culture that surf rock flourished in, there is something about the music that makes me long for days of innocence and naiveté.
The legendary roots of surf stretched all the way back to Dick Dale, the self-proclaimed King of Surf Guitar. Dale was raised by a father of Lebanese decent who exposed him to the various scales of Middle Eastern music. His creative adaptation of these scales to the electric guitar is evident in his legendary hit ‘Miserlou,’ a song now celebrated as the badass theme to cult classic Pulp Fiction. Soon enough, the raw power of instrumental surf guitar merged with the blossoming American pop music scene and made a crossover into the mainstream. The result was a sound that came to be known as hot rod rock, a vocally driven style of surf that was epitomized by the
newly formed soon-to-be-giant Beach Boys. During the early 60s the Beach Boys managed to top the American pop charts with hit after surf-rock hit and became the pied pipers of a new American teenage culture. As the Beach Boys captured the attention of the first bulge of baby boomers, the influence of surf rock began to spread internationally. In an attempt to adapt to the exploding American pop scene, The Beatles tapped into teen culture by mimicking elements of surf rock and subsequently overtook the Beach Boys in popularity. Meanwhile, instrumental surf spawned British imitators such as the Shadows and even influenced the bizarre Swedish
space-surf outfit, The Spotnicks. But by the mid 60s, the popularity of surf rock was collapsing faster than the sanity of Brian Wilson. The fall in popularity of the Beach Boys following this quintessential Pets Sounds represented a dwindling appeal in the genre itself. Despite the sudden rise and decline of surf rock, its influence was revived in the Southern California puck rock scene. Legendary pioneers such as the Dead Kennedys mixed the surf guitar style with the sonic assault of punk rock while its influence was also being absorbed by the growing skateboarding culture. Current trends in popular music are indicative of the lasting mark that surf rock has had on
the North American culture. There has been a notable spike in album sales by the Beach Boys that is in part owing to their constant praise by music media giants such as Pitchfork. Even contemporary favourites such as Wavves have hijacked the youthful appeal of surf rock and repackaged it for a new generation. So next time you’re feeling down on your luck, don’t hesitate to try the ancient AM setting on your radio. Soon enough the weather will turn around and we will no longer need to feel the summer vibes vicariously through old pop tunes
• Josh Parsons
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