The Silhouette - Nov. 28, 2013 by The Silhouette

INTERNET BL@CKOUT CRIPPLES CAMPUS

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Silhouette McMASTER UNIVERSITY’S STUDENT NEWSPAPER

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 28, 2013 VOL. 84 NO. 16

HSR UPGRADES

COMING TO MAC?

MSU negotiations result in potential summer service, extended hours for Mac students

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Tyler Welch Assistant News Editor After months of negotiation with the HSR, the McMaster Students Union has reached an agreement with the transit organization to offer two options for service improvements to McMaster students. With student electoral support, McMaster’s student bus pass could include extended service for Route 51-University, a 12-month bus pass, or both. MSU President David Campbell and VP (Finance) Jeffrey Doucet represented students in the meetings. Doucet wrote a memo to the Student Representative Assembly detailing the options. “Our goal has been to negotiate fair options for service increased and then present them to students through referendum,” he said. Current McMaster bus passes are included in student fees and cost each student $126.50—equivalent to 145 per cent of the price of a monthly adult pass.

ELIZA POPE / ASSISTANT PHOTO EDITOR

Campbell said that discussions kept in mind the current bargain. “Here at Mac we do get a pretty good deal on the bus pass, when you think about the cost,” he said. “We were just looking for add-ons and improvements.” Two options will be voted on by students, which would include additional costs voted into effect. A motion will be brought before the SRA to add the issue as a referendum during the MSU presidential election in January. Whatever changes are voted in by students will be implemented in Sept. 2014. One option is enhanced service on Route 51-University. For an extra cost of $6.50 per student, the 51 will increase its frequency between 9 a.m. and 2 p.m. to every 10 minutes, rather than the current 15. Also included in this option is increased service between 10 p.m. and 3 a.m. Presently, the last 51-University of the night runs through campus around 11p.m. Route 51-University would be the first bus in Hamilton to run

until 3 a.m. “If a student takes the bus once during their school year as opposed to taking a cab, they will have earned their money back on their investment,” said Doucet. The other option is a 12-month bus pass. For an additional $6.00 per student the student bus pass would be extended from an 8-month to a full-year pass. Regarding the summer extension, Doucet said, “We believe we have delivered incredible value for students as this represents just over two bus rides paying by cash.” The per student cost of the service enhancements will be made possible because the HSR will contribute funds to the improvements as well. Increased service of the 51-University will cost approximately $240,000. McMaster student fees will pay for $140,000 and the HSR will cover the other $100,000. Once the issue comes to referendum, McMaster students will vote for one of several options

moving forward. Students can vote to keep the current eight-month pass at 145 per cent of the adult monthly rate, pay $6.50 more, per student for enhanced 51-University service, pay $6.00 more for a 12-month pass, or vote to adopt both changes and incur an extra cost of $12.50 per student. They may also vote to reject all agreements and have no bus pass in Sept. 2014. Negotiations have been ongoing since before the start of the school year. “We met almost once a month from August until now,” said Doucet. He continued, “I think the reaction will be pretty positive… we’re going to be trying to educate students about the options, that we think are a really good value, and let them decide.” Campbell agreed, saying “We tried to get the best to put in front of people, ultimately it’s up to the students, but I think the deals are really good.” @TylerWelch4

Tuition tax credits ineffective, study finds Anqi Shen Online Editor Every year, Canadian postsecondary students are eligible for tuition, education and textbook credits that cost billions of dollars in funding. But, as it turns out, students from low-income households are least likely to benefit from the credits during school despite needing the money the most. A recent study, conducted through the C.D. Howe Institute, found that tax credits “disproportionately” benefit students from well-off families in a given tax year. Most students from lowerincome households can claim the non-refundable credits only after they finish school and start earning a taxable income. Christine Neill, an associate professor of economics at Wilfrid Laurier University in Waterloo, Ont., authored the study. She found that the tax credit savings amount to about $2,000 per year for the average Canadian undergraduate student. “For youth from relatively

high income families, a couple thousand dollars per year may not change their decision to go to university or college, but it might change those from low-income families. The problem is, they tend to get the money later,” Neill said. In 2012, households with incomes below $30,000 used only 7 per cent of education credits transferred to parents in 2012, but made up about half of tax filers. Households with an income above $80,000 used about 42 per cent of education credits transferred to parents but made up just 10 per cent of tax filers. Neill recommended that simply making the credits refundable would vastly improve the program. Students not earning a taxable income would then get a cheque in the mail for what they couldn’t claim on their taxes, instead of having to carry the credits forward. The same recommendation has been made in the past by the Canadian Alliance of Student Associations (CASA) and the Ontario Undergraduate Student

Alliance (OUSA). According to Neill’s study, undergraduate students in British Columbia save the least from the tax credits, followed by students in Ontario and Newfoundland. Students in Alberta save the most out of all the provinces, but by a small margin. A 2010 study found that college students save a larger proportion of their tuition from the credits than university students. However, college students end up with a smaller dollar value from the credits because their tuition is, on average, lower. Last year, the federal government spent $1.6 billion on tuition, education and textbook tax credits — more than the $0.7 billion it spent on the Canada Student Loan Program. Tuition and education credits were first introduced in 1961, and the option to “carry forward” unclaimed amounts was introduced in 1997. “Before the carry-forward was introduced, kids from low income families may never have been able to claim the credits —

after 1997, the program became more expensive but it became better,” Neill said. In 2006, a textbook credit was added, raising questions from the academic community on the efficacy of the program. Whether to stimulate enrolment in postsecondary education or to distribute wealth to students from lower-income families, the purpose of the tax credits hasn’t been clearly articulated. Neill argues that the credits currently fail on both efficiency and equity principles. She also made a point that the credits aren’t well-advertised on university and college web pages that display tuition fee information. “One major issue is that many people don’t know about [the credits], and they don’t know before going through postsecondary education,” Neill said. “If you don’t know something exists, how would it affect your behaviour?” @anqi_shen

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R.I.P. Religion

Your go-to guide to giving great gifts PAGE B9

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Men move into top 10

REVIEW: Hunger Games PAGE C7

Bill comes to Mac Jemma Wolfe Executive Editor On the surface, it seems unlikely that the announcement of an educational scientist with a penchant for bowties coming to McMaster to speak could cause the kind of hype that has consumed campus for the past several weeks. But when that scientist is Bill Nye, the beloved Science Guy of 1990’s TV programming, any student will tell you that such excitement is warranted. Speaking to us from his California home on his 58th birthday, Nye was as enthusiastic about science as he was on screen 20 years ago. Since filming wrapped on Bill Nye the Science Guy in 1998, Nye has kept busy with new shows for the Discovery Channel, working with NASA on their Mars mission, and being involved with several scientific societies. “Right now, one of the troubling things is that I don’t really have an average day,” Nye said. “I travel a lot to visit places like McMaster… The last three months have been busy with this Dancing with the Stars thing…” While his present activities are fascinating in their own right, most of Bill Nye’s fame stems from the 100 episodes of the Science Guy that play in elementary schools across North America. Its origins, however, are far more humble. The road to creating the show “took years,” according to Nye. He explained, “I was in a writers’ meeting for this comedy show in Seattle, and we needed to fill six minutes. The host, who is still a dear friend of mine, said, ‘why don’t you do that stuff you’re always talking about… You could be like, I don’t know, Bill Nye the Science Guy or something.’ So I came up with this bit on the household uses of liquid nitrogen – since we all have liquid nitrogen around – and it was funny.” Those offhand ideas led to the full show eventually airing, fulfilling Nye’s childhood fascination for learning about the world and sharing his enthusiasm with others. He cites his brother as one person who got him into science. “My older brother was very influential,” Nye said. “He had a chemistry set. And I remember he made ammonia in the palm of my hand, which was quite impressive. And I used to sit … and watch bees. I remember being absolutely fascinated with them. And then one day, I got stung by a bumblebee and my mother put ammonia on the wound. And it was the same smell that my brother had created in the palm of my hand. And I realized there was some… not magic, but mystery to be learned.” Nye’s appearance at McMaster marks one of the largest and most expensive speaker events that McMaster has seen in recent memory. Al Legault, director of Campus Events, said, “I’ve never planned anything this large in Burridge for a speaker. We’re used to doing concerts and hypnotists – things like that. Nothing of this [scale]. In this last 10 years at least this is [financially] the largest speaker we’ve had.” He’s also probably the only speaker they’ve had who would answer birthday greetings with, “Another orbit of the sun! Check me out!” To hear the full interview with Bill Nye, tune in to 93.3 CFMU on Friday, Nov. 29 at 9:30 a.m. Bill Nye will speak at Burridge Gym this Sunday, Dec. 1 at 5 p.m. Tickets are available at Compass. @jemma_wolfe

the S ’ T N E D I S E PR E G A P DAVID CAMPBELL MSU President

president@msu.mcmaster.ca ext. 23885

Mid-Year Report

Pinned to the wall of my office is a list of seven items. It is the list of promises I made to students during my MSU Presidential election campaign. With December upon us and grades starting to pour in, I think it’s only fair that I provide a report of my efforts thus far. Below is an update on the seven platform points I put forward while running for MSU President. Keep in mind this is far from all of the work that the MSU has been up to this year (some of which can be found in past President’s Pages). Instead, this is an update on those promises I made to you eight months ago.

SAVING STUDENTS’ SUMMER FEES LONGER LIBRARY HOURS BETTER TEACHING QUALITY

BIGGER HOMECOMING

IMPROVING THE STUDENT CENTRE

BETTER BUS SERVICE ON CAMPUS

SUSTAINABILITY IN TWELVEIGHTY

Spencer Graham VP (Education)

FIR SE ST ME ST ER SE C SE ON ME D ST ER

PL PO ATF IN OR T M

I am proud to have completed or be near completing all of the promises I made to students. My platform is not the only aspect of my job, but it is still an important reflection of my values and the standards I set for myself. With MSU Presidential elections taking place in January, hopefully we will see Presidential candidates with well-researched and ambitious platforms, so that come next November they can have an even better report card than mine.

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David Campbell President

This September, the SRA voted unanimously to rescind the agreement with the McMaster Association of Part-Time Students (MAPS) that forced full-time students to be charged part-time fees for summer courses. While the fee schedule for the upcoming year has not yet been decided upon by the University, we fully expect that the decision of students will be respected and that students will no longer be charged these redundant fees. In July, McMaster Libraries announced new improvements to hours of operation for the school year. Mills, Mills Learning Commons, Innis and Thode all have been operating with increased service hours (particularly on Fridays and at key midterm times during the semester). These increases were a great start, but there is still some work to be done. The MSU will be continuing to lobby for more access to essential study space on campus. The University has established the McMaster Institute for Innovation and Excellence in Teaching and Learning (MIIETL), formerly the Centre for Leadership in Learning. We are working closely with the Institute to establish greater training for Teaching Assistants. Establishing teachingfocused faculty is a longer-term priority. The MSU is currently developing policy and working with University Administration about the importance of these positions to students. For the first time ever, the MSU organized the Homecoming Expo, which included games, giveaways, live performances by McMaster bands, and food trucks. The event was very successful, with thousands of students attending throughout the day. The MSU also hosted a concert (Dean Brody) and worked closely with Alumni and Ath & Rec to promote the weekend. I hope these efforts will continue to expand to make Homecoming an even bigger and better celebration. Surprisingly, this has been the most difficult platform point to complete. The process for making improvements to the building is unfortunately very slow-moving. However, some progress has been made - a new set of outlets will be installed soon in the cafeteria along the Gilmour Hall wall. Also, microwaves will be permanently installed behind Tim Hortons in early 2014. Where possible, unused space will be transformed into casual study space during exams. Despite these accomplishments, changes to the Student Centre remain my biggest challenge. I will continue to foster improvements throughout second semester. Hopefully you’ve heard by now about the negotiations between the MSU and the HSR. The options to expand service will be put to students via a referendum in January, which will coincide with the Presidential election. I think we’ve reached some amazing potential deals for students, and now it’s up to all of us to decide which deal suits us best! Shortly after my election, TwelvEighty made the switch to compostable takeout containers. Cups on bar nights are being recycled at far greater rates than previous years. The TwelvEighty menu is increasing its use of locally-sourced ingredients. Moving forward, one more area of improvement will be finding a sustainable method of composting in the TwelvEighty kitchen.

Anna D’Angela VP (Administration)

Jeff Doucet VP (Finance)

The President’s Page is sponsored by the McMaster Students Union. It is a space used to communicate with the student body about the projects, goals and agenda of the MSU Board of Directors.

www.msumcmaster.ca

theSil.ca

EWS

Thursday, Nov. 28 2013

Editors Julia Redmond & Tyler Welch & Tomi Milos Email news@thesil.ca

@theSilhouette

Phone 905.525.9140 x27117

VIDEO: HOLIDAY TRADITIONS THESIL.CA

Study tackles female aggression Krista Schwab The Silhouette A McMaster study published in the journal of Aggressive Behaviour suggests that women are more likely to behave aggressively and engage in bullying behaviour when they are interacting with a more provocatively dressed woman. Researchers Tracy Vaillancourt and Anachal Sharma from McMaster University and the University of Ottawa brought 86 women into a lab to find out how they reacted when another woman interrupted the experiment. “This research may help explain why popular media, which often portrays females vying for the attention of males, has such a strong female audience base,” explained Aanchal Sharma to The Daily News. Pairs of women were placed in a room and were interrupted by either a provocatively dressed woman in a mini-skirt and a

low cut blouse, or by the same women, but this time she was dressed very conservatively. The participants were given a “Bitchy Rating” from zero to ten to gauge how negatively they reacted to the woman’s interruption. This scale is based on factors such as how they looked at the woman, their negative verbal comments, and the amount of eye rolling and ridicule. In a recent interview with The Atlantic, Vaillancourt explained that they chose the word “bitchy” to use as a measurement on their scale because “bitchiness is the term that people use.” This term is commonly used among the age group of the participants, which ranges from 20 to 25. The same woman interrupted the two groups, but the way she dressed completely changed how the participants reacted. When presented with the conservatively dressed woman, subjects made no comments, and hardly seemed to notice her. In contrast, when the sexy woman entered the room,

the participants reacted in a hostile way, but only after the provocative woman left the room. When the sexy woman interrupted, the participants made more negative comments, laughed at the woman, examined her more closely, and made more negative facial expressions in comparison to those who were interrupted by the conservative woman. For example, one woman remarked that the sexy woman was “dressed to have sex with one of her professors.” Participants exposed to the provocative woman were rated as being bitchier than the women who met the conservative woman. The researchers called it a display of indirect aggression, where women are more covertly “bitchy” to other women when they find their sexy appearance threatening. Vaillancourt and Sharman found that the provocative woman was seen as a sexual rival, so the participants shunned her. In general, the women in the study stated they did not want to be friends with the provocative

woman. “Women are indeed very capable of aggressing against others, especially women they perceive as rivals,” said Dr. Vaillancourt, now a psychologist at the University of Ottawa told the New York Times. “The research also shows that suppression of female sexuality is by women, not necessarily by men.” This research is especially relevant now, with the launch of Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s anti-bullying program this year. “Our work provides support for the innate roots of female conflict,” Sharman says, and is “a starting point for recognizing the origins of the behaviours and informing what factors should be considered in the resolution process.” Understanding research such as Vaillancourt and Sharman’s can assist with planning strategies to reduce bullying among women.

J.J. Bardoel Silhouette Intern Last Thursday, a new sculpture, the Mirage Bird, debuted outside the McMaster Museum of Art. The two-metre high aluminum construct was created by British artist Elisabeth Frink in 1967 and has been part of McMaster’s permanent collection since 1992 as part of the Levy Bequest Purchase. However, the statue has spent years inside in storage at the museum. Prior to the installation of the statue, a concrete pad was poured after Faculty Services disposed of the overgrown bush next to the building.

Bird lands near museum J.J. BARDOEL / SILHOUETTE INTERN

Email security could be at risk Rachel Faber The Silhouette The recent popularity of cloud email systems has some Canadian universities concerned about the level of security of their email servers. Discourse suggests that with these U.S. based companies, the U.S. government or NSA may be able to gain access to secure information and intellectual property through American cloud services such as those offered by Google and Microsoft. Richard Godsmark, the senior manager of Security, Technology and Risk at McMaster University pointed out that this is a security concern, however it is a difficult issue to address due to a lack of information on the subject.

To improve customer service, Google is attempting to sue the U.S. government, to ensure that they will have to go through actual court proceedings before accessing information. However, in order to really address Internet security, Godsmark believes that it will require a global policy on the matter. “[Information] crosses borders without any kind of passport, and so traffic is always going to end up in other countries,” said Godsmark. Therefore, unauthorized monitoring is always going to be a concern because information. However, there are a lot of policies in place to ensure that people are not violating privacy for unnecessary reasons. It is highly unlikely that the NSA would look into a person

unless they were considered a real threat, such as suspicion of terrorism. In this instance, it would not matter if you were a U.S. citizen or not. The U.S, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and Britain are all members of the “Five Eyes.” This is an intelligence agreement meaning that each state has agreed to release information that is considered dangerous. There are, of course, benefits for universities being on larger cloud email systems. This allows people from different universities to collaborate with one another. If each school had a different system, this would become more difficult to do. In terms of McMaster’s email system, it is just as secure as any email system. Godsmark suggests that if you have really confidential information or academic

property, not to be sending it in email format, but instead have it password protected. “Email in general shouldn’t be considered a really secure medium, because as soon as you send out that email you lose control of the information in that email, “ he said. Godsmark is more concerned with Internet criminals than the government. This is because Internet criminals impact a larger number of people at a personal level, stealing identities or credit card information. At McMaster, University Technology Services is focusing more on these types of Internet crimes as they are more prevalent and present a higher risk.

Students look to profit from TD Pump It Up tickets Andrew Terefenko Production Editor Shrewd students are padding their pockets this week as they capitalize on the free concert coming to Mac at the end of the month. The TD Pump It Up event has, through the combined effort of student votes, resulted in Diplo, Classified and Keys N Krates playing a free show at the Hamilton Convention Centre this Saturday exclusively for Mac students. Students waited in line on Nov. 20 for their tickets, which they were eligible for if they voted in the promotion, with preference given to TD members, and some students are turning around and making a tidy profit on their opportunity. “Selling one ticket with VIP. Message me with offers. Ticket goes to highest bidder,” posted one Mac student on the promotion’s offical Facebook page. It was just one among many similar postings, as the page’s comments were riddled with more than a hundred such offers, with prices ranging from as low as $25 to heights of $90—which would be all profitable. “By the provincial law, you are technically not allowed to sell a ticket above its price. On the ticket it says zero dollars, so anybody selling a ticket at any price over a dollar or a cent is technically illegal,” said Al Legault, director of campus events. Ticketholders will be required to present their Mac ID card to gain entry into the event, so ticket scalping will be limited to other McMaster students, but that has not stopped the less than scrupulous entrepreneurial spirit of the student body. “I think you’re always going to have a black market with tickets. If it’s a ten-dollar event, or a Rolling Stones concert, people are always going to find a way to make money off of it, because of the need. The second that someone needs a ticket, they’re going to want to pay for it,” said Legault. The sales were not limited to the events page, as likewise offers were being billed on classifieds websites such as Kijiji, where the sellers were not explaining that non-Mac students would be barred from entered the event, creating the possibility of Hamilton citizens being duped of their time and money. Despite this, the MSU is committed to stem this practice wherever they can. “[The MSU] has been on our social networks. People posting it in ours, we’d remove it right away, so you can’t be selling that. It’s a free event for students,” said Legault. The act of ticket scalping does not end at Mac, as the universities of Acadia and Moncton, the two other winners of the TD promotion, had comparable amounts of ticket offers on their official event pages. @andrewterefenko

CANADIAN CAMPUS NEWS Sophia Topper Staff Reporter School nurse vows to no longer write sick notes

UWindsor professor mandates Twitter activity for class

McGill reacts to incidents of sexual assault

First annual appathon to take place for programmers

International student tuition rising at University of Alberta

At Saint Mary’s, students can be exempted from exams with a doctor’s note. Collins has signed “hundreds” of notes in her 19 years at Saint Mary’s, she says, but after long lineups in her clinic for fall midterms, she has decided to stop. “It’s so out of control now,” she reported. She had to dedicate an hour every day to writing sick notes. Collins was exasperated with faking students, and said, “It shouldn’t be on me to absolve these guys from their exams.” Collins hopes to do away with the notes all together and put the onus on professors to tell if their students are ill.

Twitter is now mandatory for students in professor Ryan Snelgrove’s sports ethics class at the University of Windsor. Students will be graded on the quality and quantity of tweets they contribute to online discussions using specific hashtags. Snelgrove explained, “The idea is to tweet something that adds to the conversation in some way,” and elaborated he used the platform to facilitate discussions in his 220 student class. Tweets will account for five percent of students’ final course marks.

“McGill will take concrete steps to improve its support for survivors of sexual assault and its response to incidents of sexual assault and other forms of harm,” wrote Ollivier Dyens, deputy provost at McGill University. This announcement comes less than a month after the university came under heavy criticism for its handling of sexual assault allegations involving three members of the McGill Redmen, the varsity football team. The University has decided to implement three new measures to strengthen its sexual assault policies. with student-led initiatives. This is the first time the university will employ a staff member dedicated to the issue.

Attention programmers! Canada’s first national appathon has been announced. The Canadian Open data Experience (CODE), taking place next February, will challenge students and experts alike to use the 200,000 datasets in the Government of Canada’s Open Data Portal to create apps that will serve Canadians—in just 48 hours. The Honourable Tony Clement, president of the Treasury Board, announced the competition at the University of Waterloo and described the impact of the competition, saying, “Innovations like the apps created at CODE will ensure Canada remains at the forefront of the global Open Data movement.”

International students at the University of Alberta may see a five per cent tuition increase next year. International students already pay significantly more than Canadian students: a six-credit course costs $1,871 rather than the $527 each domestic student pays. Students in certain programs, including business, pharmacy and engineering may see greater increases. Student Union President Petros Kusmu said, “we are hearing from international students [that] they feel like they are being treated as cash cows.” Domestic tuition is only planned to rise one per cent.

theSil.ca

Thursday, Nov. 28, 2013

DITORIAL

Executive Editor Jemma Wolfe Email thesil@thesil.ca Phone 905.525.9140 x22052

EDITOR’S NOTE: This will be our last print issue for Term I. The Sil will return to campus newsstands on Jan. 8, 2014. In the meantime, be sure to stay up-to-date on campus news by checking out thesil.ca where coverage will continue throughout December. STUDENT MENTAL HEALTH

Dropping out to pick myself up

to december.

to november.

to everything coming up sil-house.

to broken boots.

to s,h,, j.r. and e.s. for one hell of a term. you’ll all be missed. to bill nye, the science guy. bill! bill! bill! bill! bill! to the last issue of 2013.

Scott Hastie Managing Editor Well, it has been quite a ride. After nearly a year of trying to cope with depression and generalized anxiety disorder, I have chosen to withdraw from McMaster in order to get my bearings. This probably does not mean much to you, as I am just a guy with a face in a newspaper. But maybe I

with thanks

should mean something to you. I – along with some other editors at The Sil – am a real person and have faced real struggles. We have discussed it here in a handful of articles. You may have struggled, too, or you could be struggling right now. And that is okay. Trying to grind through this for a year is my biggest regret – the only part of my whole story that I am ashamed about. Saying I was okay and

that it would blow over only made it worse, and I should have been honest with myself. That is the takeaway I want anyone to have from my experience. If you are feeling depressed or anything close to that, it is not going to change unless you do. People will support you, you just have to let them. @Scott1Hastie

‘Tis the season to be grateful, so here’s to the people who make The Sil happen who often go without thanks... Our high school co-op students J.J. and Aurora, our staff reporters Tobi, Ana, Sophia and Sarah, and our many volunteer writers and photographers who aren’t paid but show up anyway and produce fantastic content. You’re the best. To our readers for their supportive feedback all term. Your emails, phone calls and letters-to-the-editor are always appreciated. Kevin at the Guelph Mercury pre-press department, for taking my 2 a.m. calls with patience and humour.

Good riddance, November

Saying goodbye to this difficult month with a sigh of relief

to alex’s christmas bark. to couples-parallels. weird, but cool.

to ticket confusion. to cutting conversations short. to time zones. to replacing the milk cartons. to missing deadlines. to running out of ideas, of energy, of steam. to more late nights.

to miracles of modern science - the band, and the thing.

to a quiet week in ford nation. i’m bored.

to found hula hoops.

to the grey cup saskatche-win.

to eggnog, but not the drink. to the office decor. to free food. to the grand slam.

to bus deliberations. to breaking out the winter coat. to board of pub not being (at) a pub.

The Silhouette

McMaster University’s Student Newspaper

EDITORIAL BOARD Jemma Wolfe | Executive Editor thesil@thesil.ca Jemma Wolfe Executive Editor I’ve never much liked November. There’s a dreariness to this month that somehow seems unmatched by any other. It’s a sour cocktail of circumstances that has lead me to dread this penultimate month. It’s the awkward period between Halloween and Christmas when you’re still just getting over the sugar rush but are expected to get into the premature groove of Christmas. And of course, there’s the weather. The vibrancy of October’s colours gives way to the wet darkness of November gloom, and the inevitability of winter can no longer be ignored.

November is also the only month in Ontario without a statuatory holiday - proof that even one long weekend a month can be a mood-booster. Why Remembrance Day isn’t a federally designated holiday when there are arbitrary vacation days throughout the rest of the year (August’s Civic long weekend?) remains a mystery to me. As a student, November - much like March - is also crunch time. I remember leaving every November of my undergraduate degree feeling exhausted and unaccomplished. November was the month when readings were impossible to keep up with, essays and assignments bogged me down, and scrambling to meet deadlines became a down-to-the-verylast-minute task.

November, I think, is when things unravel. The stress becomes too much, and our brains and our bodies break down. And while acknowleding this may sound defeatist, sometimes allowing ourselves to come to terms with the really bad helps us better appreciate the really good times to come. Take a moment to slow down and take stock of what November has thrown at you, how you’re doing at the end of it, and what self-care you need as you move into exams. Of course, funny Movember moustaches help. As do tea, visits home, movies, and lots of sleep. And until Dec. 1 hits, they’ll keep me going. @jemma_wolfe

Come again? They may have been published in previous weeks, but these online pieces deserve a second look

Most commented

Most underrated

NEWS: “Beloved Mac food service employee reflects on 37 years of work” by Julia Redmond. First published on Thursday, Nov. 21.

NEWS: “Student unions in Ontario join campaign for $14 minimum wage” by Anqi Shen. First published on Thursday, Nov. 21.

LIFESTYLE: “Stress for Success: Reacting to the signs of mental illness” by Amanda Watkins. First published on Thursday, Nov. 21.

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Scott Hastie | Managing Editor managing@thesil.ca Andrew Terefenko | Production Editor production@thesil.ca Anqi Shen | Online Editor news@thesil.ca Julia Redmond | News Editor news@thesil.ca Tyler Welch | Assistant News Editor news@thesil.ca Tomi Milos | Features Editor news@thesil.ca Sam Godfrey | Opinions Editor opinions@thesil.ca Laura Sinclair | Sports Editor sports@thesil.ca Alexandra Reilly | Assistant Sports Editor sports@thesil.ca Amanda Watkins | LifeStyle Editor lifestyle@thesil.ca Miranda Babbitt | Assistant LifeStyle Editor lifestyle@thesil.ca Bahar Orang | ANDY Editor andy@thesil.ca Cooper Long | Assistant ANDY Editor andy@thesil.ca Yoseif Haddad | Photo Editor photo@thesil.ca Eliza Pope | Assistant Photo Editor photo@thesil.ca Ben Barrett-Forrest | Multimedia Editor photo@thesil.ca Karen Wang | Graphics Editor production@thesil.ca Emily Scott | Video Editor photo@thesil.ca

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Internet outage draws criticism Julia Redmond News Editor On Nov. 25 and 26, McMaster experienced an unprecedented disruption in its Internet service. Beginning at approximately 11 p.m. on Nov. 25, students off-campus were unable to access any form of McMaster’s online services, which included Avenue to Learn, @mcmaster.ca email addresses, and all domains of the Mac website itself. Internet access on campus was also compromised, as network connections, including wireless Internet, were unavailable. The blackout was caused by a single cable being cut by a work crew, kilometres away from the Westdale campus. Upon being made aware of the situation, the university’s Internet provider worked through the day to remedy the problem, finally restoring service by 7 p.m. on Nov. 26. Though beginning at night, university officials did not address the situation until Tuesday morning, meaning students looking to access library resources or submit assignments for a midnight deadline were left in the dark for nearly 10 hours. The University acknowledged the blackout and announced that all classes and tests would proceed as scheduled through the day. This, as well as other updates, were largely circulated via the McMaster Daily News website, much to the ire of students who couldn’t access the site off campus. In response to widespread concern from students with assignments due the same day, Provost David Wilkinson initially issued a mass extension 24 hours on all work. While considered a blessing by some students, others took to the university’s Facebook page and Twitter to express their discontent with what was called a “Band-Aid solution.”

“Why are you only extending this for assignments due today? Being unable to access resources for classes impacts all students. Not just the ones with their assignments due today,” wrote Social Sciences student Eric Gillis. “This is especially unacceptable with some faculties, such as Social Sciences, adopting a paper-free policy. Having received no hard copy of my syllabus, you are placing the responsibility upon students to then use your service to access it online.” Fellow McMaster student Ashleigh Patterson echoed this sentiment. “You still don’t seem to understand or at least aren’t acknowledging that off campus students can not access any subdomain of mcmaster.ca…we can not do research, submit assignments, or communicate with our faculty and classmates.” Students also criticized the university’s lack of a contingency plan for the situation, and their set-up not being based on an external service provider. Frustration was especially high considering the time of year, as students faced not only tests, but also final projects and essays that relied heavily on library resources, for example. By mid-afternoon, more than 12 hours after the blackout had begun, officials responded to students’ comments by offering extensions for all work due Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. However, the response did not address the cases of tests, presentations, and labs, all of which remained unclear. The end of semester test ban, a required part of every semester, was eventually dissolved so as to allow professors to push back any assessments as needed into the last few days of classes. @juliaeredmond

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NEWS

CHEAPDRINKS, AMAZINGFOOD, PRICELESSMEMORIES.

Thursday, Nov. 28, 2013

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theSil.ca

Thursday, Nov. 28, 2013

NEWS

McMaster putting its best two wheels forward Tomi Milos Features Editor Although cycling has long been hailed as a formidable mode of transportation for city-dwellers, most Hamiltonians can be reluctant to hop on a bicycle for fear of their safety. But the threat of grievous injury does not seem to be deterring McMaster students from gravitating towards such an affordable means of transportation, as a 2010 poll of faculty, staff, and students conducted by University Sustainability discovered. Results showed that 34% of respondents biked to campus everyday. Maclean’s recently recognized this cycling quassi-renaissance and dubbed McMaster one of Canada’s top-five cycling schools in its annual university rankings issue. In its summation of why the school deserved the recognition, the national weekly news magazine rather vaguely said, “The school’s Sustainability Office monitors and improves biking infrastructure, bolstered by Hamilton’s increasing municipal efforts on alternative transportation.” Seeking to understand just how McMaster has garnered such acclaim, I spoke to Kate Whalen, senior manager of University Sustainability. The Strathacona resident undertook the role in 2009 and practices what she preaches; she does not own a car and cycling is her main mode of transportation. Whalen praised the work that the city has done saying, “McMaster is surrounded by incredible cycling infrastructure; [Hamilton was] one of, if not the very first city to have our buses outfitted with bike racks.” She also acknowledged that certain areas of the city aren’t incredibly bike-friendly: “There are many areas of the lower city that have substantial opportunity for improvement in both road infrastructure and bicycle parking space. With its high population density and variety of land uses, the downtown area also presents some of the biggest opportunity within the city to increase walking and cycling through these improvements.” But it remains to be said that some improvements could also be made within McMaster itself, where the bike parking options fail to meet increasing student demand. One only has to take a stroll by Gilmour Hall at noon to notice how many students have been forced to lock their bikes to the steel banisters on the stairs for lack of a free spot on a nearby rack. Whalen maintained that University Sustainability is aware of and working to rectify the problem, indicating that the 2009 installation of a secure bike storage facility opposite Chester New Hall with the financial assistance of Metrolinx Bikelinx program as well as Cyclesafe lockers display McMaster’s “committment to providing many and various types of bicycle parking and storage.” She highlighted the fact that University Sustainability runs an annual poll of students, faculty, and staff to determine which areas need bike racks and then pass along the information to Security and Parking Services who invest into expanding bike infrastructure. “Through the feedback obtained through community consultation, we have been able to place new racks in all requested locations each year since 2009.” Whalen has high hopes for the future and pointed to exciting developments for cyclists, “Most recently, investment into campus bike racks was also included in the McMaster Climate Action Plan including the addition of 600 new bike parking spaces over the next three years.” The document indicates that 20 bike racks will be added across campus this year, with a special focus on the intramural sports facilities by the David Braley Athletic Centre. Even with the addition of more racks, one issue that Ma-

BEN BARRETT-FORREST/ MULTIMEDIA EDITOR

cleans skated around is theft. 84 bikes were stolen from McMaster in the last calendar year, and 36 have already been pilfered this school year. Ian Holley says Security Services is working on cutting down that number. The special constable investigator is a staunch promoter of cycling culture, having served as the auctioneer for MACycle’s annual bike auction. If Security Services can pinpoint a pattern occurring at a location — or better yet — a specific culprit, Holley says they’ll set up one of their own bikes to be stolen and monitor the area. Holley asserted that the thieves might not always be students, noting that many would-be perpetrators can be drawn to the campus because, “McMaster has the biggest collection of bikes in Hamilton, and they’re generally nice ones.” What irks Holley is that many owners of these high-end bikes are using shoddy cable-locks that are all too easy to cut. “We see almost no theft involving good U-locks, even at our regular racks. We’ve made a big push towards educating people and saying, ‘Please use U-locks or make use of our secure storage facility.’” The secure storage facility Holley is referring to is situated beside Chester New Hall, which he admits is not the best location for everyone. But $5 per term to lock your bike within a fencedoff structure that’s monitored by camera doesn’t seem like a hefty price to pay. When asked why there aren’t more of these facilities around campus, Holley said it’s hard to justify building more in better locations when they’re not seeing use in the one they do have.

While the cycling infrastructure at McMaster and in its immediate area seems to be on the right track, things don’t happen to be as rosy in the city’s core where cyclists aren’t afforded the same privileges. The new bus-only lane on King Street that stretches from Mary to Dundurn Street may ensure a speedy commute for the approximately 1,500 HSR riders who traverse the corridor each hour, but the poorly planned initiative has thrown bike safety under the rug. The lane poses a problem to cyclists who risk a $65 fine for entering it, which leaves them with the choice of taking an inconvenient route, or facing the danger of becoming a part of a car-bus sandwich. Christine Lee-Morrison, media contact for the pilot project, said, “Certainly a reserved vehicle lane is typically a safer place for a bicycle to operate; however, bicycles typically travel slower than a bus. A mixed usage situation would not allow the City fully test the acceptance and impacts of a future rapid transit scenario.” Rather than encouraging bike riders to take parallel routes, Hamilton City Council could take a cue from London, England where the bus lanes are made available for use by both cyclists and motorcycle riders. The decision was brought about by a 2008 study conducted by Transport for London which segregated powered two-wheelers and bikes from the main traffic flow and found that bike usage actually increased. The further trouble with the parallel bike routes is that many of them end abruptly. Although the city has spent approximately $1 million a year since 2010 on adding 35 km of bike routes as part of their master cycling plan — Shifting Gears —building a

safe continuous route across the top of the North end has been neglected. Some web-savvy Hamiltonians recognized this error and organized an online petition called Yes We Cannon whose aim it was to establish a bidirectional bike lane on Cannon Street in time for the impending 2015 Pan Am games when many would be commuting from the James North Go Station to Tim Hortons Field. The petition has amassed 2172 online signatures and was a determining factor in city councillors dedicating $600,000 in September to the instalment of a two-way bike lane between Sherman Avenue and Bay Street. Cannon Street was the best setting for the venture since it doesn’t experience high traffic volumes, moving only 23002600 vehicles per lane, per day as opposed to Mohawk and Garth Streets carrying 6600-9850 vehicles per lane, per day. Daryl Bender, project manager of Alternative Transportation for the City of Hamilton, is optimistic about the city’s efforts to revitalize the bike scene. Citing a Portland, Oregon study that suggested that better cycling infrastructure and an increase in cyclists reduces the collision rate rather than collisions themselves, Bender said,“We are not certain if the same will be the experience here in Hamilton as our cycling infrastructure increases, but it would be ideal to see the number of collisions also be reduced.” Despite poor downtown framework and a campus plagued by bike theft, cycling culture in Hamilton and at McMaster seems to be surging forward with the persistence of a Tour de France peloton.

Cycling Safety Tips Wear a helmet Install front and rear lights if riding at night The rules of the road don’t just apply to cars — stop at stop signs and traffic lights Stay on the road — sidewalks are for pedestrians Leave the iPod at home Wear reflective apparel Make eye-contact with drivers

@tomimilos

BEN BARRETT-FORREST/ MULTIMEDIA EDITOR

Thursday, Nov. 28, 2013

theSil.ca

PINIONS

Searching for answers, and figuring out how to fill space

Editor Sam Godfrey Email opinions@thesil.ca Phone 905.525.9140 x27117

Both contain examples of divine intervention, especially with women, who give birth to children. A popular motif in many mythology stories, the best known is probably Greek mythology with Zeus and his many interactions with mortal women. Some of the children produced from these relationships were Hercules and Helen of Troy. In the Christian religion this is shown through Mary’s Immaculate Conception with Jesus Christ. Both contain stories have significant animals: Celtic mythology have a number of symbolic animals that portray both good and bad such as the hound, deer/stag, boar and many other animals. Similarly the Bible has, to name a few, the dove, serpent, fish and lamb. These three examples are only some of many comparisons that can be found between the two which leads to the question: how long can a religion survive? And what is it that kills a god? Is it lack of follows or is it peer pressure? Or perhaps is it a combination of the two? Christianity has been around for thousands of years and in the past and present has attempted to convert people away from their religion. My father has told me that growing up in the 60’s his teachers would tell students that if they did not convert one person to Christianity they would not get into Heaven. If someone were to say they were followers of Zeus or Odin nowadays society would mock and shun them. But just because Greek, Norse and other religions have been term “mythologies” today does that make them any less valid than Christianity? So what is the life span of a religion? Looking at the pictures of the many “dead” gods, I can’t help but wonder if one day soon the figures of Christianity will one day lay among Athena and Freya, a myth that we foolish people of the past believed in.

Sarah O’Connor Staff Reporter I have always been a lover of mythology; it is a small hobby that began when I was little, collecting and reading books about Greek and Roman mythology. Since then my interest has grown, and along with Greek and Roman I have begun reading more on Celtic, Norse and Native American mythologies. A few years ago I purchased a book that contained Greek, Norse, Celtic, as well as Egypt and West Asian mythology. Skimming through the section I recognized familiar names: Adam, Eve, Abraham. At that time I foolishly thought that perhaps in the past these Biblical characters would simply be stories to some people. But then I learned about the God Graveyard. The God Graveyard was set up first by students of the University of North Georgia Skeptics Society and then by the group Atheists, Humanists, and Agnostics at the University of Wisconsin. The second featured over 200 graves dedicated to once believed in gods who have since “died” and been forgotten. Such gods mentioned are Pluto, Anubis, Zhurong, Loki, as well as a number of others. I wasn’t horrified by the God Graveyard like many people were. I was interested and I began to think about what linked mythology and Catholicism. I began to find many comparisons between the two in the stories they tell. Both have creation stories: in Norse mythology the story is of when Odin and his brothers killed the first giant Ymir and constructed the world from his corpse. In the Bible there is the book of Genesis that explains how God created the world in seven days.

R.I.P.

Religion

Rob Ford is not a bad mayor Randall Andrejciw The Silhouette By now, you’ve heard more than enough about Toronto mayor Rob Ford’s various struggles. If not, chances are you live on campus, without easy access to decent Wi-fi. The media would have you believe that Rob Ford is the worst thing to happen to Toronto since Maple Leaf Gardens was desecrated by partially becoming a Loblaws store. According to many, the apocalypse is upon Toronto and, by extension, all of Canada because one mayor of one city has a drinking problem for which he is seeking help, which once (as far as we know) led to smoking

crack. But when I look past the drinking, drug use, and generally boorish behaviour of Rob Ford, I see that he is not a bad politician. He has done most of the things he promised, whether you like those things or not. He built his name on personally responding to his constituents, going so far as to give out his personal cell phone number. So why, then, are the media demanding Rob Ford’s head on a platter? Is it because Ford has lied about certain incidents in his personal life? Maybe, but since when has honesty been a required trait of a politician? Many a politician has been caught in a lie about certain dark episodes outside of their political life. Bill Clinton comes to mind – he enjoys high popularity

ratings even after he was caught in a lie about cheating on his wife with an intern. So clearly, the media doesn’t always make an issue of a politician’s honesty or lack thereof. Yet they do this to Ford. Is it because of his substance use issues? Hardly. After all, the media gave a free pass to Justin Trudeau when he admitted to using illegal drugs while in office. Trudeau’s response that marijuana should be legalized ensured that the mainstream media glossed over the fact that an elected official used illegal drugs while in office. George Smitherman, Ford’s main rival in the 2010 election, hardly caused a stir when he admitted a past drug addiction, and won the endorsement of the

Toronto Star. So clearly, breaking Canada’s drug laws while in office hasn’t been sufficient grounds for the media to persecute a politician – unless it’s Rob Ford. Could the media possibly dislike Rob Ford because of his tax–cutting, infrastructure–building platform? Maybe they do not like that his power base is largely in the middle–class suburbs? This seems like a better possibility. Simply put, the mainstream media simply cannot tolerate the fact that Rob Ford is a regular guy, not a downtown liberal elite. To be fair, Ford is a very polarizing individual; not many Torontonians feel neutral about him. However, their absolute dislike of the man and their blatant disregard for his privacy, fed by

the left–wing faction of Toronto City Council, inflames the masses with the same anti–Fordism. Never mind that Ford was democratically elected and that his approval rating is higher than Barack Obama’s; to read a Toronto newspaper these days is to hear that all of Toronto wants the mayor out of office. This fact is not true, and with good reason. Rob Ford is not a bad mayor. Perhaps if the media were to get off his back, the man’s message would reach the public, unfiltered and honest. Maybe Ford would have an easier time restructuring his life if media were not hounding him constantly. But allowing Rob Ford some normalcy will not make very good news, will it?

FEEDBACK Why did you choose McMaster?

Emily Buddo discusses the limitations of university specialization. SPECIAL, A9 “Because of the program.”

Kathryn Morrison, Arts & Science and Philosophy IV

“McMaster has one of the best nursing programs, and a beautiful campus.”

Emily Cotter, Nursing II

“I like the diversity of students.”

Matt Muirhead, Engineering III

“I’m here for Life-Sci.”

Arnold Kofia, Life Sciences and Biology

YOSEIF HADDAD / PHOTO EDITOR

theSil.ca

Thursday, Nov. 28, 2013

OPINIONS

Dear Anonymous, The easy

Emily Scott Video Editor

It is easier to be anonymous than it is to be a highly involved student on campus. Sure, there are hundreds of clubs shaking flyers at you as you walk with your head down through the hallway of MUSC (and if you are in residence the sometimes painfully awkward floor gatherings). If you are lucky enough to be in a small program that you enjoy, you might look forward to seeing recognizable faces in your regular sized lecture rooms, and feel accountable for attendance because you know that your professor actually knows your name. But for others, after the business of frosh week dies down, after you discover you do not and never will possess the skills to be a varsity athlete, after you don’t need to ask anyone how to get to TSH 120, it is a lot easier to become anonymous. A typical day consists of snagging a bagel and a coffee from home, or maybe a readymade Centro breakfast for you residence folk, showing up to an 8:30 a.m. lecture with 300 other people, and sitting in the back so you don’t bother anyone with the sounds of your snacking. An hour in between class means find a spot in the busy student

centre (try the third floor) to check each social feed a couple of times before glancing at the essay outline and taking a quick nap. Another coffee sometimes helps too. After the day of class is done, you could go check out whatever is happening in the atrium, but nah, your bed and an episode of New Girl seems a lot more appetizing. Come Friday, and the

world is a better place. Gather the others, drink, go out, come home (or at least to a house), sleep it off, and repeat until Monday. It’s not a surprise to me that university is where people find themselves in crisis mode for the first time. Not because you haven’t had to study before, because the culture of university, while busy and exciting to the outside observer, easily fosters a lifestyle of anonymity. If that doesn’t bother you, props to you my friend. But being anonymous makes it easier to struggle, and not think you need to reach out. It makes it easier to drown in your schoolwork and never bother to ask for help. It is an easy life to get used to, but it is in no way the most appealing. Let’s not hide in our achievement of being a stranger, or forget that we’re surrounded by thousands of others like us. If you are feeling alone, chances are other people are too. Think about what you loved back in high school, and find the university equivalent. Or find something new to love. Go out to an event, a club, a meeting. Tell someone if you hate the idea of being alone. If you are an introvert like me, the idea of it can be quite exasperating. It’s a big place, but being anonymous is no way to fill your spot.

answers

Stephen Clare The Silhouette I am told that that there are no easy answers. I inquire, I research, I compare and contrast. I “examine all sides of an issue.” I weigh pros and cons and call for further analysis. I approach opposing arguments with a receptive mind and carefully consider each point, concurring and countering as needed. I try to be critical and open-minded and eventually settle on either a tentative conclusion or, with a regretful sigh, an acknowledgement that there are no easy answers. But I long for the easy answers. I am caught between opposing viewpoints, paralyzed by an overload of information. Each solution seems differently flawed, this argument as problematic as the next. Ideology is rejected as blind and static, but without this anchor I drift aimlessly. Beyond the easy answers I find no answers at all. They may have led me into failure but at least they led me somewhere. So I long for the easy answers. Each thought that tumbles through my head is followed by a barking counter-point. Sentences with conviction collapse under their own weight. God, I long for the easy an-

swers. Oh, I have principles. Sustainability. Respect. Justice. Guiding lights that I can look for in ideas and policies, or checkboxes to be ticked. But for every principle an argument holds it violates another. Maybe it bolsters sustainability but sacrifices individual freedom. Trade-offs. Weights on a scale with no unit of measurement. How can I function in this paralysis? How can I vote, how can I support initiatives, how can I engage in debate as a participant rather than a bystander? How can I act? It is you all that did this to me. It is the articles that appear in this very paper, it is the discussions that take place in these very classrooms, it is the people I have met on this very campus. You have infected me with this eye-opening, maddening, headache. I can see all sides of the square but it’s made me crosseyed. And is it not ironic that by questioning the disease I reveal its very symptoms? The easy answer is to start accepting the easy answers, but to accept that is unconscionable. Because an easy answer is not an answer at all. I know that. I get it. Still, though. I long for the easy answers.

MUSC ROOM 210 x24151 OMBUDS@McMASTER.CA

theSil.ca

Thursday, Nov. 28, 2013

OPINIONS

What makes a school special University specialization doesn’t account for all the factors that make a school worthwhile to its prospective students

Emily Buddo The Silhouette The Ontario government has announced that they want universities to narrow their focus in the future by specializing in certain programs. This specialization is to help the government save money, an ever-present issue due to their ever-growing deficit. All universities must make difficult decisions about what programs to focus on and what programs to scrap before the end of this year (to be implemented in later years) or they risk losing funding. What to specialize in is up to the universities, however, the government has the final say on all decisions. The government knows that money is power. And with this knowledge the government is abusing their power by using universities’ need for money to control them, as well as limit the even more desperate-for-money university students who attend the now at-risk institutions. Brad Duguid, the Minister of Training, Colleges and Universities, made the argument that two institutions may not be needed if both are offering the same course in the same region. But what Duguid and his ministry are neglect-

ing to recognize is that there is so much more to universities than the programs they provide. Choosing the right university has forever been a stressful decision for graduating high school and mature students, however with this new legislation would that decision soon cease to exist? Would students not be able to choose a university based on how close it was to home? How far away it was from home? Because their grandmother and mother went there? Because they liked the size and the campus atmosphere? Following through with this legislation would take away a student’s right to choose a university based on what is the perfect fit for them – a choice that is crucial to a student’s success and happiness for the subsequent years after making their decisions. This new legislation would put even more pressure on students because if a student chose a program and found they didn’t like it they would either be: stuck in it, forced to change into another one of their university’s limited specializations, drop-out or switch to another university. What kind of implications would this have on students? No one really knows because students have always had options. With

this legislation the government is taking those options, students’ right to choose a university based on more than academics, and a university’s right to provide their students with a variety of programs to major, minor, or just take electives in. Making universities more specialized would get rid of out-of-faculty electives that help to expand science students brains past the chemical formulas, and arts students’ brains past the philosophy and sociology courses. What Duguid is failing to realize is that there is so much more that needs to be added into the equation on universities specialization than just dollars and cents. Would scrapping certain faculties on a certain campus limit the creation of clubs and groups that help to create community around the campus? Would it lead to narrow mindedness of students because nothing would challenge them? Would their growth in university become purely educational and lack the important intellectual growth? There are too many unexplored potential consequences if universities and their students are forced to specialize.

SILHOUETTE FILE PHOTO

theSil.ca

Thursday, Nov. 28, 2013

OPINIONS

A10

Silhouette Inquiry

The relation between the disciplines of science and the humanities—their different languages, their mutual indebtedness—has been in the news of late. Students in Humanities Inquiry this term took up the challenge in their independent research projects of addressing, interpreting, and problematizing these relations. Here are some of their findings. The students’task was not to describe those relations directly, but rather, in conducting research that married the two disciplines in some way, to demonstrate the interdependency of these complementary knowledges. They were further challenged to reduce their eight-page reports to 100 word synopses. How have they fared?

Historical accounts show women have long been subjected to medical experimentation and cruelty. In the 1840s, the “father of gynaecology,” Dr. J. Marion Sims, surgically experimented on black slaves in Alabama who had traumatic birth injuries. As slaves, consent wasn’t required for these painful experiments. Modern medical ethics are concerned with consent and patient autonomy but some researchers suggest there are vestiges of this same historical treatment of women in modern birth practices and attitudes. They implicate physician-patient power dynamics and ritual birth language as contributors to lasting psychological trauma. What is the relationship between Dr. Sims’ experiments on slaves and modern childbirth?

Music Therapy has been used as a treatment for people with disabilities for centuries. Autism Spectrum Disorder is one of the more recent applications. What are the grounds and evidence for the relationship between music used as therapy and children with ASD? From further research we see there is a strong correlation. It has been made evident that this relationship has a positive impact on an autistic child’s physical and psychological development along with his or her ability to communicate in social interactions.

Amy Caswell

I seek to understand the philosophical and biochemical views of dreaming and how they would, if ever, be able to shape a better and more profound understanding of reality. Many individuals attempt to explain the reason we create images in our minds while we sleep, whether by asking why it occurs or whether believing it is just a part of life. These are the type of questions researchers have attempted to answer for many years now. Fortunately, owing to the rapid increase in advanced technology such as MRI’s and electroencephalographies, philosophers and neuroscientists, two sister disciplines, have increased our understanding of the hidden secrets of dreaming.

My inquiry takes the scientific discoveries and analyzes what advancements they have resulted in. I then use texts by philosopher Plato and writer Cormac McCarthy to present contrasting epistemological views on what knowledge and new information is accomplishing for humanity. I end with a conflict between happiness with naivety and depression with knowledge. Are their aspects about life we are not yet ready to discover? Should we be pushing our young to crave information?

Jacob Pucar

Rayan Harmouche

Emily Moeller

Angela Anderson Music possesses an extensive range of uses, one of which is its application towards those with Tourette syndrome. Music’s fascinating physical and mental effects on Tourettes patients prove to be efficacious. Those with the syndrome live with “tics”: involuntary compulsions causing physical and vocal outbursts. Music has been proven therapeutic to Tourettes patients by virtually eradicating their “tics.” This is owing to interactions between the two hemispheres of the brain, under the influence of music, which causes the hindrance of tics. However, similar to medication, music can also potentially cause contrasting effects, intensifying the tics. The question lies unanswered: why is there this contradiction?

The scientific discoveries of World War II, involving synthetic chemicals such as chlorine, DDT, PCB, etc. have hit the market for everyday consumers to use and abuse. The many benefits of chemicals are the reason for the billion dollar industry boom. If viewed under a microscope, chlorine can be found at the route of thousands of man-made chemicals. An inquiry on “how chlorine has greatly impacted our society throughout the 20th century” can help us understand the carcinogenic consequences that go hand-in-hand with the various types of chlorinated chemicals, on all forms of nature, throughout history.

The year 1692 saw a travesty of injustice in the town of Salem, Massachusetts when twenty people were sentenced to death on accusations of witchcraft. Linda R. Caporael suggests that convulsive ergotism may have been a physiological basis for these events. Can ergotism be blamed for the Salem witch trials? Although some symptoms indicate ergotism, there are flaws in the logic, counter arguments, and alternative theories which should be considered.

Nikayla-Lee Barton

Tyler D’Costa

Aphasia is a neurological disorder caused by a stroke or brain injury that prevents people from speaking; my inquiry looks at the interaction between aphasia and music and speech therapy. How can music therapy and speech pathology assist in the rehabilitation of those suffering with aphasia? Speech pathologists direct aphasia patients to the type of therapy needed and they help patients learn to communicate in ways other than speaking, they also teach the patients’ family and friends in order for them to communicate with the aphasia patient. Music therapy puts phrases to familiar songs helping aphasia patients with their speaking, and over time the patients are able to speak without music.

The question for my inquiry was: What possible evidence is there of sexism in the initial portrayals of Rosalind Franklin in the book The Double Helix: A Personal Account of the Discovery of the Shape of DNA written by James Watson? My inquiry focuses on the possible sexist interpretations of the text that documents James Watson’s discovery of the double helix shape of DNA. I took excerpts of the first interactions between Watson and Franklin and interpreted them through a feminist lens in order to identify any gender biases on the part of Watson. I found a lot of them.

How did the earth begin: this is a question that has stumped mankind throughout the ages. I compared scientific views with religious views to look for an answer. I compared two different religions, Buddhism and Catholicism, to science. Science explains the universe starting from the big bang. Buddhism states that people have always existed, and always will. Catholicism believes in the Genesis creation story of the seven days from the bible. The question I have presented does not have any finite answer, but instead multiple conclusions offered by different views.

Abi McNamara

Justin Wylie

Ryan Torrens

Albert Einstein, Gandhi, Steve Jobs, Nikola Tesla: these men are considered some of the most creative geniuses the world has ever seen. Wouldn’t you want your child to grow up to be a genius who is able to change the world for the better? The Mozart Effect gained so much popularity so quickly because it told parents there is an easy way to make children more intelligent. Studies show that rats that were subject to classical music in utero and two months following birth were able to complete mazes quicker and with less error than rats that were not. Similarly, children who were given music lessons had better results on spatial reasoning tests compared to children that did not receive musical training. Is the Mozart Effect a myth or does listening to classical music really increase intelligence?

Wendell Beintema

The horrific medical experiments performed by Nazi physicians are often forgotten in the chaos of the Holocaust. During the Nuremburg trials following the war, many Nazi doctors who were responsible for many cruel and unjust medical experiments were never convicted and never faced the consequences of their actions. As a result the research conducted by these physicians can still be found cited in medical texts to this day. This poses the question, what are the ethical implications of citing unethical research collected by Nazi physicians before and during the Holocaust?

Jamie Day

How do humanities and science relate? I researched Schizophrenia as viewed through the lens of history. By comparing the time period of Ancient Greece with the nineteen hundreds I asked the following question: how did the treatment of those suffering from schizophrenia change as people became more aware of mental illnesses? Through my research I found that there was a better understanding of Schizophrenia in the nineteen hundreds. The causes and treatments had developed from a diagnosis madness—based on symptoms and the restriction of diet and lifestyle in Ancient Greece—to an in depth understanding of the causes of Schizophrenic symptoms, healing, and preventative treatment.

Leanne Winkels

The indiscriminate use of DDTs has been criticized for many years for the unintended consequences it has inflicted on the global community. My inquiry aims to marry the science of chemical use and the humanistic study of its history. Through an exploration of militaristic systems, social values, and corporate influence, I inquired into whether and how the aforementioned factors played a role in the prolonged use of this chemical. Society stands to bear the effects of excessive chemical use. Who decides what kinds of chemical risks are acceptable and at what cost to society?

Adeola Ojo

My inquiry revolved around the issue of the humanitarian Hippocratic Oath in the medical field and its decline owing to its being fundamentally out of sync with more current medical legislation. My inquiry became: What effect would there be on doctor’s views of the Oath if they were to have a vote on legislation dealing with issues in the medical field? A proposal from Dr. Eric Rose suggests a “center for Healthcare System Performance and Legislature” in which doctors would have this deciding vote on new medically intensive laws. But my following question soon became: Is it dangerous to have a group of publically unrepresentative professionals creating their own legislature for themselves?

Ryan Dorsman

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GIGANTISM

The

Hamilton

Speculator THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 28, 2013

THIS SICKNESS IS LARGE AND IN CHARGE Small Talk No Longer Possible? Why Don’t Socks Come in XXXXXL Sizes?

Salmonella typhimurium

THE

SEXIEST DISEASE

TOOTH DECAY It’s not as fancy but it’s a disease too!

ALIVE! GROSS! IT’S ONLY FOUND IN LAB MICE, AND ONLY WHEN WE INJECT THEM WITH IT!

78 OTHERES DISEAOSVE TO WE’d LTRACT! CON

ASSHOLERY SCIENTISTS ARGUE ITS CLASSIFICATION BUT IT IS ALSO A DISEASE!

crassifieds DIAR-REBA YOU LEFT BEHIND YOUR SEASON TWO DVD of the Reba show and it is starting to attract the wrong kind of attention. Please come retrieve before a country star diverts his tour schedule here 02-13-13

HAPPY BIRTH YOU HAVE A NEW BABY BOY though I don’t think we should commit the kid to any one gender role just yet. We’ll let the little tyke decide which side better fits. Glass ceiling or gross feelings. It’s a roll of the dice. 02-03-13

JESUS SAVES LOOKING FOR GOALKEEPER OF MIDDLE EASTERN DESCENT If you aren’t at least 80 per cent body hair we won’t even consider you. 02-17-13

CELLS FOR SALE THEY TOLD ME I SHED A LOT OF DEAD SKIN CELLS WHILE I SLEEP so I figure I’ll sell them off instead of letting them go to waste. I’ve collected them in 34 individually-sealed ziploc bags and am charging a fair 15 cents per ounce. 623-354-1034 ask for Barry. 02-28-13

JUNGLE GYM: SELLING FOR JIM MY FRIEND JIM IS A PRETTY CRAPPY SALESMAN so I am putting myself out there to sell his piece of shit stolen playground equipment before his St. Jeremiah’s School of Latter-Day Taints finds out he’s been peeling off the side, after his 3rd period English class. 02-28-13

HULU HOOPS I GUESSED the password to a Hulu account. Will sell to first person to guess my weight. 11-21-12

WEATHER HIGH: JULY LOW: MARSHLANDS I don’t really mind if the land I want to develop on is a little less frog-infested. We’re not the French, let ‘em roast.

BONEY M&M’s I’VE GOT YOUR ONE WAY TICKET to a night on the town, one you’ll never forget. We’ll go on a holi-holiday to my timeshare in Houston where I will Ras-put it in you. Will follow coitus with continental candy breakfast. 02-08-13

SILLY WILLY JENNY, IF YOU WANTED TO GET BACK AT ME there are more effective ways than forging my signature on census forms. It’s bad enough the government thinks I am gender undecided.

Posting Shit Shit Hastings finds out his life story

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SOUL MATES I PROMISE IT WON’T GET WEIRD while I show you the oddities I’ve collected in my attic over the years. I can’t guarantee you won’t fall in love with me but I am open to the possibility. Do not make eye contact with the puppets. 02-08-13

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Farm-raised ugly snakes from any PETFART® location for the nominal cost of your precious time Disclaimer: The Hamilton Speculator is a work of satire and fiction and should not under any circumstances be taken seriously. Unless you’re into that sort of thing. Then do what you want. I’m not your dad.

PER ISSUE: Luke’s left testicle

INCL. HST, PST where applicable.

DISCLAIMER: Snakes are pretty cool, let’s get that out of the way before I chew you out for wanting a pet that you clearly do not understand the responsibility behind. That being said, you are just not fit to take care of such a complex creature, that you will have to feed OTHER LIVING THINGS TO. Are you prepared to have that on your conscience? Yeah I didn’t think so. Go and buy a hamster or something you pleb. Don’t even think of chameleons either.

theSil.ca

Thursday, Nov. 28, 2013

PORTS

Editors Laura Sinclair & Alexandra Reilly Email sports@thesil.ca

@silsports

Phone 905.525.9140 x27117

Women’s Volleyball

Men’s Basketball

Men’s volleyball remains undefeated

YOSEIF HADDAD / PHOTO EDITOR

Laura Sinclair Senior Sports Editor Coach Dave Preston is very aware that his team is ranked first overall in the country. Although the ranking speaks measures of the sheer talent and hard work that the team has put in, Preston knows how the rankings can change so easily, and he knows that he and his team will not let the promising ranking effect their overall performance. “For us, the ranking is an external validation of the work we are putting in,” said Preston. “It doesn’t create any more pressure on us because we always wanted to be number one anyway. That’s our internal validation, so now, it just means that our internal validation and our external

validation might be a little more in-line. But that could change this week, the coaches could change their mind and say that we didn’t beat York by enough so we’re going to drop to number 2. It doesn’t change our mind, we still want to be the best team in the country,” he added. And right now, that’s exactly where the Marauders stand. They have the best record in the country, and they are getting recognized for it. “You pay attention to what other people are saying, you recognize it, but it doesn’t change anything we’ve done. Just because other people think that we’re number one, we’ve thought that all along,” said Preston. But the team did not just get there based on their talent. The

Marauders are where they are now from hard work and determination, and they have been required to work especially hard within the last week, where they were either in practices, in matches, or traveling for long hours – so they had little time to recover. “We are definitely working harder, last week was probably the hardest we’ve worked all season long,” said Preston. “This week they have Sunday off, last week we went from Monday to Sunday with no break in between and Saturday off but we didn’t get home until four in the morning, so that’s not really a recovery day,” added Preston. The team will have other weeks like this in the schedule, so this past week has prepared them for the meat of their season, where the challenges will be more difficult, and the team will reach their peak performance. In the past couple of weeks, it seems as though the challenges have not been too big for the Marauders, as they have been able to pull out a total of seven straightset wins so far this season. Although this is positive for the no. 1 team, Coach Preston thinks that the start and finish are the best parts of the game for the Marauders, and what they need to improve on and capitalize on the most in their game is the middle, where they tend to let off a little bit. “The start of our match was awesome. We are very, very focused and attentive. And the finish of our sets was awesome. We are trying to deal with the middle part right now, and maintain that for a longer period of time,” added Preston. The Marauders will attempt to work on maintaining their

overall power and determination in the start, middle and finish of their matches this weekend, where they will take on a notable rival, the Waterloo Warriors. The Warriors have had a break in their season, with their last match played on Nov. 15, so their upcoming match against the Marauders in the Burridge Gym is sure to be a challenging one. “They are very good, and they’re very well-rested. They have had a big break in their match schedule to get ready for us, so they’re going to be fresh and excited and motivated,” said Preston. After the two games this weekend against the Waterloo Warriors and Guelph Gryphons, the Marauders will be taking a well-deserved break in the exam period, where each team member will have to sign up for a mandatory five, out of a potential nine, practice slots. “We lift three times a week and really focus on active recovery of the physical training part of it, and we have these nine training sessions and they sign for five of them,” said Preston. The major thing that Preston stresses they will be concentrating on in the exam period is active recovery. “They’ve got to stay active and keep their body focused on the physical development of things, and not necessarily the technical or tactical stuff that is volleyball specific, so they could get up and get a work out in and then they could go to the library and study for seven or eight hours or whatever they’re going to do, but we’ve got to maintain that physical component.” After exams, the team will be looking forward to a trip

to Florida where they will face some talented Canadian teams, while getting the privilege to also practice with and scrimmage with some NCAA teams. “We leave on the 28th and we play Calgary, Montreal and Waterloo, and then there are three other teams down there, but there’s four other college teams down there that we’re going to be scrimmaging with and training with,” said Preston. Although the Marauders are heading into a big break before they get back to regular season action, head coach Preston knows that they will not need motivation in their time off, and will be back on track and ready to take down the Western Mustangs on Jan. 10. “I think we’re going to be fine, I’m very, very trusting in where this team wants to go. This isn’t something that is mandated for them, this isn’t something that has been imposed on them, this has come from them, so I don’t think that they’re going to let it go, because they don’t want to let it go.” @Lsinkky

Women’s basketball split weekend games William Lou The Silhouette The McMaster women’s basketball team narrowly avoided a winless weekend by snatching a comefrom-behind victory from the York Lions on Nov. 23. After having their five-game winning streak snapped by the Ottawa Ravens, the Marauders were looking to get back on-track when they travelled to Kingston, Ont. on Nov. 22 to take on the Queen’s Gaels. Coming into the contest, the Gaels sported a record of 3-3, but their hot shooting carried them to a 79-72 victory over the Marauders. The two teams played to a standstill in the first half. The Gaels and the Marauders exchanged leads, but McMaster’s Danielle Boiago hit a buzzer-beating runner to give McMaster the 39-36 advantage going into halftime. As usual, opposing defenses struggled to contain McMaster’s leading scorer Hailey Milligan who chipped in with 13 points and 10 rebounds in the first half. McMaster stretched their lead to nine points halfway through the third before Queen’s hit two three-pointers to end the quarter. The Gaels maintained their momentum in the fourth and used a 9-4 run to tie the game at 58 apiece. In an effort to stem the tide, the Marauders fed the ball into the post to Milligan, which allowed McMaster to retake the lead at 65-60 with four minutes left in the contest. However, McMaster’s offense fell apart down the stretch. The Marauders committed five straight turnovers that allowed the Gaels to outscore the Marauders by a 19-7 margin over the final four minutes of the game. The Gaels won by a final score of 79-72 and they were led in scoring by Liz Boag, who had 18 points. Danielle Boiago scored 24 points in the game and Hailey YOSEIF HADDAD / PHOTO EDITOR

Milligan put up 25 points and 17 rebounds in the loss. The team travelled to Toronto the following night to take on the York Lions. On the surface, the Lions also appeared to be an easy opponent as they ranked near the bottom of the OUA with a record of 1-6, but the Marauders barely escaped with a 55-53 victory. McMaster came out flat and York jumped out to an early 8-0 lead. The Lions had a 15-11 lead after the first quarter. McMaster’s offensive struggles stretched into the second quarter as they failed to score a single point until the 4:48 mark, at which point the Lions were doubling the Marauders by a score of 24-12. After increasing the pace of the offense, McMaster ended the half on a 12-2 run and were only trailing by a score of 26-24 at halftime. However, the third started much like the first. York scored the first seven points in a row before McMaster picked up its play and trimmed the lead to 40-37 at the end of three quarters. After Vanessa Bonomo tied the game with a three-pointer, the Lions and Marauders exchanged leads right until the dying seconds of the game. With less than a minute left and York up 53-50, the Marauders ran a play for Milligan in the post, and she promptly scored to pull Mac within one. After stopping the Lions on their ensuing possession, McMaster went to their bread-and-butter play - the high screen-and-roll with Milligan. York’s defenders over-committed and doubled Milligan which left Boiago wide open from 12-feet to sink the go-ahead basket with a mere 37 seconds left on the clock. York failed to score on their final two possessions of the game and Boiago sunk a free throw to give McMaster the 55-53 point victory over the Lions. As usual, the Marauders were led in scoring by Milligan and

Boiago, who scored a combined 34 points. The lack of scoring beyond Boiago and Milligan is definitely a growing concern for the Marauders. Last week, head coach Theresa Burns stated, “we need to get more offensive contributions from more players - we can’t just focus on Milligan and Boiago because there will be nights where they can’t get it all done, so we need to find some other players who can chip in.” After the weekend split, the McMaster Women’s basketball team now sits in fourth place in the OUA West division with a record of 6-2.

“

“We need to get more offensive contributions from more players, we can’t just focus on Milligan and Boiago because there will be nights where they can’t get it all done...” Theresa Burns, coach of the women’s basketball team

Thursday, Nov. 28, 2013

theSil.ca

SPORTS

Men’s basketball sits in the top ten

C/O RICHARD ZAZULAK

Scott Hastie Managing Editor With the interlock period over, McMaster’s men’s basketball team sits with five wins, three losses and a No. 10 ranking in the CIS top-ten. Their record also puts them in a tie with Windsor for first place of the OUA West standings. The East is undoubtedly the stronger conference.

At the end of cross-conference play, the East was a combined 49-19 against the West. Carleton and Ottawa are both 8-0, with Ryerson right behind them at 7-1. McMaster owns the lone victory over Ryerson, and was tied with Carleton and Ottawa in the fourth quarter of each game. Head coach Amos Connolly said he wanted to have six wins – pointing to the 87-84 loss to Lau-

rentian as the game that should have been a sixth victory – but was satisfied with the team’s play. “We’ve lost three games to teams whose combined record is 20-2. Should we have lost to Laurentian? Ottawa and Carleton? We took ourselves out of those games. There’s glimmers that we might be an okay team,” said Connolly. After a two-and-oh weekend, Mac put their fourth quarter woes

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from the previous double-header in the rear-view mirror. Despite a five-point fourth quarter against the Queen’s Gaels, McMaster found a way to get the win. They forced turnovers throughout the quarter and pressured the Gaels into a bad shot at the end of the game. The next day while taking on York, Mac surrendered a tenpoint lead but still came through with a W. It was Taylor Black and Presutti – the two Marauders Black said needed to step up in the fourth quarter – that led the Maroon and Grey through. Black hit a three off a great Lazar Kojovic pass and rebounded a missed shot and threw down a right-handed dunk. Presutti sealed the game by making two free throws. “I think that we got that performance from Taylor and Adam, and that the guys played off them, was good,” said Connolly. The head coach also praised Aaron Redpath for his defensive work in both games, forcing turnovers and irritating the team’s scorers. The third-year combo guard has long been regarded in coaching circles as the “X-factor” for this team, but his defensive play has grown and Redpath has disrupted some of the best scorers he’s faced. McMaster turns now to inter-conference play before the winter athletic break. They ran Guelph out of the gym in the second half, winning 89-64. The game was fast-paced and physical, but the Marauders were clearly the better team. The squad shot 35 of 66 from the field. On Dec. 2, Mac will head to London, Ont. to take on the Western Mustangs (2-6). The ‘Stangs have been a tough team to figure out. They grabbed an 11-point victory over

the then-ranked Laurentian Voyageurs on Nov. 22 but also lost to Carleton 117-42. Mac throttled the Mustangs last year at Alumni Hall and have the potential to do the same this year. Mac will need to run rampant over the West in order to grab the No. 1 spot in the conference over Windsor, as the Lancers are capable of using a stifling defence to go undefeated in the West. But with the up-and-down play McMaster has shown in games this season, time can only tell where the Marauders will finish. @Scott1Hastie

“

“Should we have lost to Laurentian? Ottawa and Carelton? We took ourselves out of those games. There’s glimmers that we might be an okay team... ” Amos Connolly, head coach of Marauders men’s basketball team

theSil.ca

SPORTS

Thursday, Nov. 28, 2013

Eric Anderson looks for new beginning The Marauder rookie looks to leave his mark on the McMaster squad in the next two years Alexandra Reilly Assistant Sports Editor It looks like McMaster swimming will get the push they need to finish off their season at the top of the ranks thanks to new 2013 men’s team recruit – Eric Anderson. With 15 years of competitive swimming under his belt (starting his career at age six) Anderson is prepared to make an impression on McMaster swimming during his time here at the school. “Swimming for McMaster means an opportunity to build something truly great, and be a part of something truly meaningful,” said Anderson. “I have two seasons here where I’d really like to make an impact not only in the pool individually, but for the program as a whole.” Anderson knows that his time here at McMaster is valuable and he has a lot to prove being that he has not been a Marauder for very long. “I represented the Dinos for the 2010-2011 season and won a CIS championship with that team,” said Anderson. “For me, Calgary had been home for a number of years, but the dream had always been to go to a Division 1 NCAA school. After that first season, I transferred to the University of Denver, in Colorado. After two seasons of struggling with injuries, health issues, and a relatively poor coach-athlete relationship, I was ready to pack it in and be done with swimming.” It was under the suggestion of his father and past swimming coach to contact Andrew Cole, head coach of men and women’s swimming at McMaster University.

C/O MCMASTER ATHLETICS AND RECREATION

Coach Cole would prove to be the deciding factor, which would lead to Anderson’s switch to the Maroon and Grey. “Andrew made it sound like he could make swimming fun for me again,” said Anderson of his head coach. “He talked of a Marauder family and an environment that could support whatever goals I had.” “Three months into the year I can honestly say my experience has been nothing short of incredible. The team spirit is outstanding, the support staff is great, I love showing up to workout every day, and I’m swimming better than ever before.”

After experiencing many high’s during his career such as winning the 2010 Junior Nationals in the 200 freestyle and getting the opportunity to represent Canada internationally at the Pan Pacific Games, McMaster University would prove to only further nurture Anderson’s budding talents. “On three months of training I’m swimming faster than I ever did back then, and it’s been really exciting,” said Anderson. “This season is all about putting the pieces back together after the last couple of years in Denver.” “Coach Cole has been amazing to work with, and the team has been really supportive.” With lots of responsibility

mounting for this young swimming Anderson hopes to lend a hand in helping his program get recognition in the McMaster sports community as well as helping the Marauders achieve a top title in the OUA and CIS. “I don’t think the program gets the recognition it deserves from the swimming community sometimes, and I’d like to change that,” said Anderson. “Ideally, by winning some gold medals at the OUA and CIS championships in February. I think I’m really just scratching the surface of what’s possible this season, and I’m excited to see where the team can go over the course of this year.”

Anderson’s passion for the sport is what drives him to be the best he can be. Every day is a new opportunity for him to achieve a new feat and surpass new boundaries. His attitude and love for the sport will certainly drive this young athlete as well as his teammates to a potential OUA title and we can expect amazing things from the young squad this season. @Miss_AReilly

RECAP WOMEN’S VOLLEYBALL OUA EAST

OUA WEST W | L | PTS

YORK OTTAWA TORONTO RYERSON QUEEN’S RMC NIPISSING

9 9 8 6 5 2 0

1 1 2 4 3 6 10

18 18 16 12 10 4 0

W | L | PTS WINDSOR GUELPH MCMASTER WATERLOO BROCK LAKEHEAD WESTERN

6 6 5 3 3 2 1

4 4 5 6 6 6 7

12 12 10 6 6 4 2

YOSEIF HADDAD / PHOTO EDITOR

NEXT UP IN MARAUDER-LAND..... WOMEN’S VOLLEYBALL vs. WATERLOO WARRIORS MEN’S VOLLEYBALL vs. WATERLOO WARRIORS MEN’S VOLLEYBALL at GUELPH

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL at WESTERN

NOV 29 | 6 p.m.

MEN’S BASKETBALL OUA EAST

OUA WEST W | L | PTS

NOV 29 | 8 p.m.

NOV 30 | 8 p.m.

CARLETON OTTAWA RYERSON LAURENTIAN YORK QUEEN’S ALGOMA TORONTO

8 8 7 6 5 5 3 2

0 0 1 2 3 3 5 5

16 16 14 12 10 10 6 4

W | L | PTS MCMASTER WINDSOR LAURIER WESTERN GUELPH LAKEHEAD BROCK WATERLOO

6 5 4 2 2 2 1 0

3 3 5 7 7 6 8 8

12 10 8 4 4 4 2 0

NOV 30 | 1 p.m.

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL MEN’S BASKETBALL at WESTERN

WRESTLING at YORK

C/O RICHARD ZAZULAK

OUA EAST NOV 30 | 3 p.m.

NOV 30 | 1 p.m.

OUA WEST W | L | PTS

OTTAWA QUEEN’S CARLETON RYERSON LAURENTIAN TORONTO YORK ALGOMA

6 5 5 3 1 1 1 0

2 3 3 5 7 6 7 8

12 10 10 6 2 2 2 0

W | L | PTS LAURIER WESTERN MCMASTER WINDSOR BROCK LAKEHEAD GUELPH WATERLOO

8 8 7 7 5 4 3 2

1 1 2 1 4 4 6 6

16 16 14 14 10 8 6 4

theSil.ca

SPORTS

Thursday, Nov. 28, 2013

Wrestling starts off strong

C/O BASIA KARPINSKI

Gabriel Gadala-Maria The Silhouette The 2013 season is underway and the McMaster Marauders wrestling team has hit the ground running, but not without some challenges. Coming off a successful season where the men’s and women’s team placed sixth and 11th respectively at the CIS Championships, the stakes are high for the Marauder team this year. When asked about what the

team aspires to this season, head coach Chris Fraser said, “Last year with the guys we were one or two points out of first, so obviously we would like to win the OUA’s this year. The CIS is what we’re really looking at; it’s more of a measuring stick. With the girls we placed eleventh and as a women’s coach I would like to see us climb that ladder.” The season started with two tournaments on the weekend of Nov. 2, with some team members wrestling at home at the McMas-

ter Invitational tournament, while others headed to Surrey, B.C. for the Simon Fraser Invitational. It was a rough start, however, at Simon Fraser, as the team experienced some major setbacks at the tournament. “Some of the athletes were at SFU to get some tougher competition and face different opponents. That tournament is a tough one though; when some of our guys came back they were injured,” said the head coach. Following those two invita-

tional events, the team headed to London, Ont. the weekend of Nov. 16, to wrestle at the Western duals. Results were much better this time around, as two members of the men’s team took first place. One of them was the 2011 CIS Rookie of the Year, Jason Buckle. Buckle is a member of Team Canada and is the Mac’s top contender for a gold medal at the CIS Championships. He has high hopes for the season and has confidence that the team’s future is bright. As for his goals for the season, Buckle said: “Hopefully we do well as a team; we have some younger guys since a lot of our older guys graduated the last two years. We want to do as well as we can at the national level.” Fraser echoed Buckle’s sentiment when looking at the team’s performance. “We want to get more of our athletes at the next level so that they get the opportunity to compete internationally,” Fraser said. A successful season will only help the chances of being noticed by Team Canada. The season continued the weekend of Nov. 23 with the Provincial Senior Championships in Sudbury, Ont. where Jason Buckle and Nicole Roach both won their respective categories. Next up on the calendar is the last event of 2013, which will be held at York University on Nov 30. Competitions then restart in 2014 and end with the OUA Championships being held in February, followed by the CIS Championship in March. As the season progresses, the team is relying on a successful conclusion to the year in order to gather momentum heading into

the OUA and CIS Championships. With a roster that combines experienced wrestlers with promising prospects, the season is sure to be an exciting one for the Marauders. @gabriel_gadala

“

“...We want to get more of our athletes at the next level so that they get the opportunity to compete internationally.” Chris Fraser, coach of Marauders wrestling team

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theSil.ca

SPORTS

Thursday, Nov. 28, 2013

Marauders hit road block

YOSEIF HADDAD / PHOTO EDITOR

Tobi Abdul Staff Reporter The McMaster women’s volleyball team has seen a very inconsistent season so far and have had difficulty maintaining a winning streak. This pattern continued this past weekend as the Marauders added both a win and a loss to their record. Despite only winning one

of two games, McMaster played some of their cleanest volleyball thus far in the season. McMaster travelled to North Bay to take on the Nipissing Lakers Nov. 22, winning the match 3-1. After the win on Friday, McMaster saw a jump in their record, temporarily however, as they succumbed 3-0 to the number one York Lions in a match they knew would be tough. “To be among the best, you

must behave like the best,” said head coach Tim Louks. Marauders proved that they could behave like the best in the match against Nipissing. They played a strong game and achieved cohesiveness on the court that McMaster had been working on all season. The team started extremely strong in the first set, overpowering the Lakers offensively and playing very precise volleyball.

The Marauders dominated all 18 points, and 14 kills and middle set with a set total of two errors Taylor Brisebois with 12 points, and 11 kills while Nipissing had nine hits, and a kill percentage of ten errors and nine kills. This ac37.5 per cent. curacy led to a win margin of 10 The team’s success largely points as McMaster taking the set came from their ability to work 25-15. as a team and make good use of McMaster continued to play their setter, Kayla Ng, to make the strong offense, but were a little connection from accurate pass to weaker than they had been in the the perfect kill. first set and Nipissing was trailing “To ensure cohesiveness, close behind. everyone needs The Lakers to know what’s managed to going on in the slide ahead at game. I try to the technical stay level-head“To keep momentum timeout leading ed and calm afthrough the match, 16-14. ter every point, I think we need to McMaster regardless of came out of the the outcome, to continue finding ways timeout lookkeep the team to keep each other ing like a new focused in the team and outright direction,” engaged as well as scoring Nipisssaid Ng. recognize opportunities ing 11-2 and Ng had where we can gain a winning the set a total of 23 25-18. string of points and stop assists in the McMaster game, after our opponents from on a being inserttook the early lead of the ed halfway scoring run.” third set but through the was unable to second set. Kayla Ng, setter for McMaster hold on to it As a grad women’s volleyball team as Nipissing student, Ng has slid ahead to had experience a 16-14 at the playing with technical timeout. different teams and this experiPlaying their best set of the ence is an asset on the court. match, Nipissing continued to “I’ve had the opportunity take the lead and McMaster was to play with a wide variety of unable to catch up. players, adjust to various playing Long point streaks would styles and fulfill different roles on allow Nipissing to increase their the team as needed,” said Ng. margin to 21-15 and despite the “We as a team need a shared Marauders outscoring Nipissing vision and common goals an5-4, the Lakers eventually took chored by a continuous, consisthe set 25-20. tent, and authentic communicaA lack of momentum has tion of information,” said Louks. been a constant issue facing the The vision is making the Marauders all season. playoffs, a goal that McMaster is “To keep momentum working towards through daily through the match, I think we practice and learning from each need to continue finding ways to game and fixing their mistakes. keep each other engaged as well “We’re focusing on performas recognize opportunities where ing well in each game and with we can gain a string of points and each good performance, we’ll be stop our opponents from getting one step closer to finishing first in on a scoring run,” said setter Kaythe west,” said Ng. la Ng. Finishing first may be the The Marauders gained their ultimate goal but it is not the end momentum back in the fourth all according to Coach Louks. set and it was McMaster’s best “Standings don’t make all the performance as they managed a difference but they must factor kill percentage of 33 per cent with into the equation. You must take three errors and 12 kills. care of the elements to success McMaster played an impresand the wins will come. Playing sive eight-point streak bringing with a sense of urgency regardless them to 16-9 at the technical of opposition is a learned trait,” timeout. said Louks. The Lakers would only get 4 McMaster will attempt to enmore points in the match as Mcter the holiday season with a win Master took the set 25-13 and the as they take on the Waterloo Warmatch 3-1. riors at Burridge Gym Nov. 29 in The Marauders were playing the last game of 2013. extremely well as a team and each player was playing a great offen@toe_bee sive game. Six players had a kill percentage of over 30 per cent but the two standouts were outside hitter Lauren Mastroluisi with 16 digs,

“

TOBI ABDUL

theSil.ca

Thursday, Nov. 28, 2013

IFESTYLE

Threadcount

Editors Amanda Watkins & Miranda Babbitt

B11

Email lifestyle@thesil.ca Phone 905.525.9140 x27117

Ladies’ holiday fashion

B10

RT / STAFF REPO

t Hamilton and Toronto’s “s An inside look a lam poe try” sc ene slam teams that will travel have and to different competitions and performers that are how perform. Performing in front of Tobi Abdul pretty well known. TPS has had how people can be a scary experience, Staff Reporter you Shane Koyczan, Denice Frohman, many but it’s easy to get into slamming and other well-known poets times I perform, c I used to think that the only people who wrote poetry were old, dead, white guys and overly emotional females. But then in high school, I was feeling particularly angst ridden one day and decided to write my feelings on paper. It was from that moment that I realized just how cathartic poetry can be. It doesn’t have to rhyme, have stanzas, or be written in iambic pentameter. All poetry has to do is contain feeling. I became immersed in the poetry culture, often spending my nights late watching old clips from ‘Def Jam Poetry’ on YouTube. After doing several open mics, I decided that I wanted to get into the competition aspect of spoken word known as “slam poetry”. A poetry slam is when poets perform on stage, one after the other, and get scored in an attempt to win cash and be crowned first place. The top performers proceed until the winner is crowned and handed their cash prize. Usually, random judges are selected from people in the audience and they pick a score to one decimal place between zero and ten. A lot of cities, Toronto and Hamilton included, have poetry

if you want to try. Slams usually have a time limit of three minutes, with or without a small grace period, and then the judges will score you. The scores are based on both performance and content. And in the slam world, how you say something matters just as much as what you say. If you’re looking to get involved with slam in your community, here are a few tips to get you started:

1. Try open mic

It’s always nice to perform your pieces and get feedback from the audience without having the pressure of being scored in front of everyone. To me, there is nothing better than looking into the audience and seeing everyone engaging with your poems.

2. Watch poetry slams

Before performing for the first time, make sure you go and watch one so you know the format, how long it should be, what the content of people’s poems are, etc. You will also get to watch some talented people slam, and both Hamilton Youth Poetry Slams and Toronto Poetry Slams

perform.

3. Practice!

The key to perfecting your poem is to practice. I perform in front of the mirror constantly, my friends and family can all probably recite my poems by heart, and I often get weird looks from people because I recite when I’m walking alone. Playing around with the actual performance aspect of your poem will allow you to figure out exactly how you want to say it. Spacing, inflections, stressing the right word and pauses are all very important.

4. Attend workshops

Everyone could use a chance to learn how to write better. Workshops are hosted by professionals and usually feature a chance to get to look over your latest work and a series of writing prompts that could be anywhere from ‘write about your favourite childhood memory’ to ‘pretend dinosaurs still roamed the Earth, what would you say to them?’

5. Go for it!

It may be scary, but it’s never going to be not scary. No matter

my knees still shake when I stand on stage and I still get the most intense butterflies in my stomach before I hit the stage, but the feeling after you perform is unparalleled.

Attend local slams:

Toronto Poetry Slam hosts slams every two weeks at The Drake Hotel on Queen Street. Doors open at 7 p.m., sign up is 7:30 sharp, and the show starts at 8 p.m. starting with open mic, then the first round of the competition, a performance by the featured poet, then the rest of the competition. The slams for December are on Friday the 6th and Sunday the 22nd. Also in December, TPS is hosting an all women slam on Wednesday Dec. 17 at Supermarket on Augusta Street where the winner will represent Toronto at the acclaimed Women of the World slam competition in March in Austin, TX. Hamilton Youth Poetry Slam hosts a slam on the third Tuesday of every month at The Lyric Theatre on King Street West, featuring a workshop at 6pm and open mic/slam starting at 7pm.

ge t in vo lve McMaster d

also has a Creative Writing and Poetry club if you want feedback on some of your work. Like they say in the slam world, the points aren’t the point, the poetry is the point. You may not get the scores you want in your first slam, but putting yourself out there among friendly competition is the best way to improve your writing and get more comfortable performing in front of people. Good luck and write on. @toe_bee

TOBI A B

DUL

/S TA FF

EP T OR

Julia Busatto

Same Difference

Scribe (L) & Creyo (R)

Josh Gladstone

Tobi Abdul

“It’s the only form of communication where I feel like my thoughts and feelings are most clearly expressed and I feel compelled to write and if I don’t, I leave a lot of things unsaid.”

“[Slamming] is an opportunity to say your piece and it’s nice when people respond to it, but ultimately, to get the opportunity to put it out there is rewarding. It feels good.”

“I slam because I love poetry but I also love being able to have friendly competition with people who love writing and who love the art and you get to appreciate other people’s work intimately and closely.” - Scribe

“I slam because the only way to express myself is through spoken word and it’s a beautiful way to.”

“I slam to express those feelings that are too strong to express otherwise. I feel like I can say anything and not have to worry about feeling judged and I can show my first love to many people who appreciate the passion I have for the art.”

“It’s a nice safe spot where you can be yourself and you know it’s going to be all love after so it’s a nice space to show those thoughts you have, unjudged.” - Creyo

Thursday, Nov. 28, 2013

theSil.ca

LIFESTYLE

confessions of a

Tightrope Walker

Rick Kanary The Silhouette The title of this column, confessions of a tightrope walker, is an homage to the attention to minutiae required of us all – not just while in school, but as an ongoing philosophy of life. While I once may have hesitated to share my age, out of some ridiculous sense of self-criticism or shame while among such young, bright students, I have no qualms about doing so now. A sheet to the wind, I am 37 years old, have three children, and what I believe is a unique perspective on this blink-of-an-eye experience we call life. Dissecting the silly emotional

reaction to sharing my age with others, I have come to a realisation; we live in a culture over-saturated with a celebration of youth, a perspective vehemently imposed upon us by consumerist and individualist driven ideologies. While I write this, I pray that none of my fellow students take offense, as youth is definitely a time to be celebrated. However, I believe that this ‘spirit of celebration’ has reached a point of critical mass that has become an intensive and, to be frank, dangerous commodification. By commodification I am referring to the proprietary nature of personal and shared values, which seem to be dictated, albeit subconsciously, by the ‘ma-

chine-gun-messages’ of modern multi-media. We are shown how to live, what we desire in order to live, and who, what, where, when, and why we will do what we do. And always, how. This subconscious cultural code is ever more concerned with the transient ‘how’. Perhaps this is the secret weapon. There have been many great minds that have provided indepth critiques of the explosion of media and information technology, providing scholarly insight and social buffering, but there really is no denying that mankind has reached an age of globalization. In this era, we must remain diligent as the power elite aim to shape our attitudes, world-view,

self-image, and interpersonal dynamic in congruence with their hierarchy. We must remain diligent as not to allow our every-day interactions to be reduced to signified results with little to no significance. I implore you instead to consider your roles as signifiers, catalysts and sources of questions. I am not attempting to provoke a revolution, but perhaps a reform of thought congruent with the fluid, postmodern climate of our country. Allow your conscience to be collective, to be a vessel for a communal sense of pride embracing people of all types. Question authority, question the rules, question the messages and even the medium through

which you receive them. Question your professors, question the material, question technology and the need for it. Keep asking. You are unique, particularly in your capacity for critical thought and analytical process. As westernized styles of living are funneled through the pipeline, don’t just be a hungry mouth on the other end. Plug the hole, look up the pipe, and take a good look at the other end. If you can’t see the whites of their eyes, can’t determine the human qualities that motivate the delivery of the fodder to which we are exposed, perhaps it is time to begin shortening the pipe. Or reversing it.

Traditional English Christmas pudding INGREDIENTS Amy Taylor The Silhouette Being here at McMaster on exchange from the UK, I thought I’d write a recipe for a traditional festive dessert in England, the Christmas pudding. This plum pudding only formed connections with Christmas when it was introduced to the Victorians by Prince Albert. An important English tradition is to bury a silver coin in the mixture and whoever finds it

in their portion is said to have good fortune for the rest of the year. The pudding should be made on the Sunday before advent, also known as “Stir Up Sunday” as the flavours develop over a few weeks (though two-three weeks before is also fine!).

• • • • • • • • • • •

50g plain flour 2 large eggs ½ teaspoon of ground mixed spice ½ teaspoon of grated nutmeg ½ teaspoon of ground cinnamon 50g of shredded beef suet 50g fresh breadcrumbs 50g of soft light brown sugar 175g of raisins 175g of sultanas 1 apple, grated

• • • • • • • •

1 carrot, peeled and grated 25g of blanched almonds, chopped 25g of mixed candied peel, finely chopped The grated rind and juice of ½ a lemon The grated rind of ½ an orange 2 teaspoons of treacle 65ml of barley wine 2 tablespoon of rum

RECIPE 1. Start the day before you want to steam the pudding. Mix together the suet, sifted flour, breadcrumbs, spices and sugar very well. Gradually mix in all of the dried fruit, mixed peel and nuts, followed by the apple and the grated orange and lemon zest. 2. In a smaller bowl measure out the rum and barley wine, adding the eggs and beating these thoroughly together. Pour this mixture over all of the other ingredients and mix well. This is when you would add the silver coin and make a wish! Cover the bowl and leave overnight. 3. On the next day, spoon the mixture into a lightly greased pudding basin, cover it with pleated greaseproof paper and foil, and then secure it with string. Place the basin in a large saucepan of simmering water and steam the pudding for eight hours. 4. When the pudding is steamed let it cool before removing the steam papers and foil, replace them with fresh ones. The pudding should be kept cool until Christmas day. 5. To cook, re-steam the pudding on a gentle simmer for two hours. 6. To serve, remove the pudding from the steamer and take off the wrapping. Turn it out on to a plate and to further enhance the taste, heat a ladle of brandy, set it alight and then gently pour over the Christmas pudding. Watch it flame and once this had died down, dust with icing sugar and a holly berry. Serve with brandy butter, fresh cream or custard.

Thursday, Nov. 28, 2013

theSil.ca

LIFESTYLE

GIFT GUIDE They know they want it. So should you.

RELATED BY BLOOD

RELATED BY ASSOCIATION

Mom

Your stylish who takes you for tea in the middle of the week and regularly enjoys Oprah’s Book Club Because it’ll remind her of your dog/ Vase, Antrhopologie $78

A book about family and change/ Where’d You Go Bernadette, Indigo $11

Your Best Friend (female) who loves/hates all the same people as you and appreciates a good Missy Elliot throwback Prints of her favourite Instagrams/ Printstagram.com, $24 for 12

Friendship cl assic/ Indigo, $12

It’s warm and cozy/ Anthropologie, $48

Dad

Your cool who’ll drive you anywhere anytime and still buys you McDonald’s after dentist appointments

Because she loves your flask/ Urban Outfitters, $12

Your Best Friend (male) who laughs at your fantasy leagues and accompanies you to Pita Pit on Friday nights

Because only Season One is on Netfl Amazon ix/ , $35

h you/ drink wit n a c e h d Co., $24 e’s gla Because h ent Supply G , it K g plin Beer Sam

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Your amazing Boyfriend who appreciates your crass humour and secretly prefers being little spoon Because who wouldn’t want a modern mix tape?/ Milktape.com, $15

A sto r Shelt y of sister er, In s digo / $14

Your wonderful Older Sister who takes you out for dinner and still laughs when you trip over things

e’s funky/ 2 knows sh e sh se phora, $2 u a B ec nn set, Se a m p ip L It’s funny because it’s true/ Deborah

Mug, Some eCards $12

Your wonderful Younger Sister who hates her high school uniform and has memorized the Pitch Perfect soundtrack

Preorde r

Because Louis C.K. and Zach Galafinakis/ Care to Make Love in that Gross Little Space Between Cars?, Indigo $14

Wat ch D o

Your Girlfriend who’ll hang out with you at the library and doesn’t force you to watch Meg Ryan movies with her ts she wan Because and she e a surpris pend s to wants you/ h it w e tim dinner, t li Candle y ar Prices v

se John Becau ill w Green r e h h c tea / The things Our Fault in digo n Stars, I $12

Because she will love you forever/ Cheeseburger, Prices Vary An iTunes gift card with some suggestions/ Prices will vary

Your wonderful Younger Brother who seems to have grown a foot overnight and spends his weekends glued to FIFA

Because she needs a reason to relax/ Day at the spa, Prices Vary

Your student house Neighbours who post memes on your door and help kick strangers out of your party

“LEND ME SOME SUGAR, I AM YOUR NEIGHBOUR”

Model planes never get old/ Toys “R” Us, $40 Because everyone likes shooting things/ Toys “R” Us, $30

Your wonderful Older Brother who has a collection of leather briefcases and enjoys a novelty sandwich Older brothers require mature games. Supermario doesn’t suffice/ Future Shop, $60

- OUTKAST

Because they’ll laugh/ Homemade cookies with the above tag

For that Person who seems to have everything but likes nothing A bath caddy makes a bath downright luxurious/ Chapters, $25

Real men do wear gloves, but they wear leather gloves/ The Bay, $50

Your amazing Aunt who’s basically your second mom and always used to let you have champagne on Christmas Eve

Because catch w il fun/ Sp ort Che l always be k, $20

Your cool Uncle who cracks the same jokes every time you see him and never seems to know your age

Personalized m&m’s really show you know their name/ mymms.com, $17

For your charming Co-Worker who gets coffee with you and you feel obligated to buy a gift for

What could be a cozier afternoon than tea, biscuits, and a teapot in a sweater?/ Chapters, $30 Because coffee isn’t complete without biscotti/ Biscotti, Hotti Biscotti, Prices Vary “He likes black coffee” seems to sum up the ideals of most coffee-drinking men/ Chapters, $10

Because now they can carry their coffee AND tea/ Thermos, shopthermos.com $22

Because th ey n schedule/ M eed to stay on oleskine, In digo $20

theSil.ca

OH LA

Thursday, Nov. 28, 2013

LIFESTYLE

B10

‘tis the season for... d A pair of earrings provides the instant injecton of class needed for a Christmas sweater.

Dangling jewels

a ll g ttin

ed o ll u

Ke e

a s ua c t -c i ’ n hi pi

Yeah, you’ll really light up the room with this accessory. Warning: reactions of friends will vary from, “Oh my god, you amazing thing,” to “Just leave.”

No need to sneak a look at your phone for the time when you have this classic number adorning your wrist.

The must-have Christmas sweater ts No

A classy drink A hostess gift that spreads the joy - wine! A bottle of wine ensures both a classy evening and a convenient photo accessory.

Dancing heels A pair of nude heels can make the transition from casual to casual-chic effortless. And we can’t forget the satisfaction in hearing the click of your heels on the dance floor. @mirandababbitt

let it

snow 5%−25% ALL SALES OVER $10 ALL DECEMBER LONG! Self serve, standard paper only. Limit one per person. One-time use. Exp. Dec. 25, 2014.

...but really any hue of red will do. If you don’t go red in the holidays, when will you?

A shawl of stringed lights

Classic watch

Knit sweaters don’t have to stay at home gl on the couch with you ya ny (and your holiday movies). mo They can look just as ready re! to party as you do!

Candy-cane red lips

Edge it up with a leather skirt

Flared leather skirts are literally everywhere, and for a reason! They’re edgy mixed with cute.

Bowed belt A holiday party is bound to be resplendent in bows, so why not add your very own bow to the theme of the room? Plus, you can think of yourself as a little present this way! YOSEIF HADDAD / SENIOR PHOTO EDITOR

Thursday, Nov. 28, 2013

theSil.ca

LIFESTYLE

B11

Tomi Milos Second-Year English Student Coat: Club Monaco Tie: Brooks Brother Shirt: Gand Rugger Pants: Unis Belt: J. Crew Watch: Fossil Glasses: Moscot Sunglasses: Oliver Peoples Who are your celebrity crushes? Annie Clark & Elizabeth Olsen. Who are your style icons? Justin Doss. Takahari Kinoshita. Ezra Koenig. If you could be anyone, who would it be? Bill Murray.

YOSEIF HADDAD / SENIOR PHOTO EDITOR

Dear holiday romance, Brianna Buziak The Silhouette Especially around the holidays, even though “‘tis the season to be jolly” being single has unfortunately led me to have a great feeling of sadness about love and relationships. A season meant to bring people together makes people feel so lonely and long for that “special someone” more so than any other. The holiday season brings upon us two holidays that often make singles feel even more like singles: Christmas and New Year’s Eve. When every other commercial or advertisement you see around this time of year is about getting the aforementioned “special someone” the “perfect gift,” it tends to get to you a little bit. The gift itself is not what is at

peer-based

health education & resources

Sonya Elongo SHEC I have a weird case of cognitive dissonance. On the one hand, I am the poster child of senioritis. All I want is to finish up my undergraduate degree and get on with the rest of my life. On the other hand, I am wholly unready to leave McMaster. While they seem diametrically opposed to one another, these feelings stem from a common source: my impending graduation. One thing that helped me to make sense of these feelings was to allow myself to feel and be scared by them. This was the first step I needed to take in order to parse my thoughts and feelings. While this constant reflection helped me to figure out some things, I also felt suffocated by my thoughts. After this, the natural step was to talk through my feelings with other people. This allowed me to gain a new perspective on everything I was feeling. What we experience is so narrow and specific that you can truly learn so much from just exploring your frame-of-mind with other people. In your final year, there is huge pressure to have already figured out what you want to do with your life. For those who

the root of the problem but who gave it and how. Remember that commercial where the couple is skating on a pond and he leaves a diamond necklace on a tree branch for her to find? Or the one circulating this season is where a guy travels by foot and subway with a multitude of balloons to stand outside his girlfriend’s window in John Cusack Say Anything-fashion in an attempt of a romantic proposal. I have almost cried watching two-minute jewelry commercials. And if I end up crying at a short YouTube ad, you had better believe that I am a wreck for feature-length romantic Christmas movies. One in particular that pulls at the heartstrings every

time is Love, Actually. Seeing all the relationships work out in the end or become resolved makes you wonder- if all these people can get it together, why can’t I? I’m well aware that this is fictitious and a Hollywood representation, but when even the twelveyear old boy professes his love to his dream girl on Christmas Eve, cute factor aside, I feel like I may as well quit trying. And New Year’s Eve. I absolutely love New Year’s Eve, the possibility of something new or a fresh start is always exciting, but one part is extremely daunting. The New Year’s kiss. I wish I could say that it doesn’t mean anything, but it does. When the clock quickly approaches midnight

and there is no one around, that feeling of loneliness seeps its way into your psyche. Healthy relationships are wonderful any time of the year, but around New Year’s Eve, it is comforting to know who that person will be at midnight and hopefully it will be someone you want by your side for 2014. Because if what “they” say is true, how you spend New Year’s Eve is how you spend the rest of the year, and no wants to spend 12 months feeling lonely. So to all those who are shaking their heads, this is just an in-

terpretation of singledom during the holiday season. Not everyone who is single and in their twenties will feel this way, this is just one girl’s take on it. So bring on the mistletoe-adorned doorways and fireworks to ring in the New Year, but in the mean time, I’ll be spending my days with a box of Kleenex and a queue of jewelry commercials.

Graduating with your mental health still intact aren’t quite there yet, it can be incredibly scary and overwhelming. There also exist the ever looming “what ifs.” What if you don’t get in? What if what you thought you wanted to do is not actually for you? What if you won’t make enough to have a stable future? This then leads into the conflict between doing something practical and secure while also fulfilling your passions. While the two aren’t necessarily mutually exclusive, it can be a fine line to toe. When you have a case of the Novembers, have thesis work piling up, and have applications up to your ears, worrying about what happens after graduation can be overwhelming. Taking care of your mental health is key and can help you sort out your feelings.

There are several venues available where you can talk through your feelings, varying from peer-based to more professional services. SHEC provides a variety of resources including confidential peer support. This service is available every Monday to Friday during daytime hours in MUSC 202. If you are seeking help after hours or on the weekend, the MSU Peer Support Line is a great resource. This phone line is staffed by McMaster students and is confidential. The volunteers at SHEC and PSL are trained to be knowledgeable about a wide variety of issues and will provide emotional support, information and referrals. If peer support is not up your alley, professional coun-

selling may be better suited to help explore your problems. The Student Wellness Centre (SWC) at McMaster offers a professional counselling service. Unfortunately wait times for an appointment with a counsellor at the SWC can be very long, especially during stress-intense times of the school year. One easily accessible alternative to the SWC is Good2Talk. Aiming to provide “free, professional and anonymous support for students in Ontario”, Good2Talk is a bilingual phone line run by the provincial government specifically for post-secondary students. This service is available 365/24/7 and provides local referrals in addition to counselling. One way of taking care of your mental health that doesn’t

necessarily include talking out your feelings with someone, is practicing self-care. While this is easier said than done, eating properly, sleeping a sufficient amount, and exercise can make a huge difference in how you feel. Self-reflection through writing in a journal, practicing meditation and creating art can all contribute to a better understanding of what is going on in your life. Remember that this is a scary and tumultuous period of time and that taking the time to be gentle with yourself is worth it.

Student Wellness

Peer Support

SHEC

Good2 Talk

Both located in the basement of MUSC, the wellness centre and lounge offer safe spaces to talk. The wellness centre offers counselling and medical services, open to all Mac students.

The MSU Peer Support Line is a confidential support line open 7 days a week from 7 p.m. to 1 a.m. You can call the support line at: 905-525-9140 x. 28888

The Student Health Education Centre, located on the second floor of MUSC (202), provides confidential peer support.

It’s free, professional, anonymous, and bilingual (English and French). If you need to talk, and can’t wait, call them at 1-866-925-5454 They’re available 24/7/365.

Celebration

Save the date

International Day of

Persons with Disabilities TUESDAY, DECEMBER 3 3:30-6:30PM

CIBC HALL (3rd floor of McMaster’s Student Centre)

Art, crafts, music, entertainment, meet and greet Light Refreshments will be provided

Further info to follow. All welcome. Launch of the Accessibility Community of Practice accessibility at McMaster website.

To let us know how best to accommodate you so that you can participate fully, contact amusleh@mcmaster.ca. This event is wheelchair accessible For religious, dietary or disability-related accommodations, or assistance registering, please contact Ayshia Musleh, amusleh@mcmaster.ca or 905-525-9140, ext. 24644. Please register for this event at Eventbrite by following this link:

https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/celebration-to-mark-the-international-day-of-persons-with-disabilities-tickets-9425502933

2013 McMaster United Way Campaign Help McMaster reach its goal of raising $300,000! The campaign ends on December 6th and we are at 75% of the goal with $223,000 raised. A big thank you to those who have already contributed! There is still time to make a pledge!

How you can contribute: • Pledge to the campaign on our site: www.workingatmcmaster.ca/uway

• Drop your change in the donation boxes by cash registers at hospitality locations around campus.

• Spread the word and stay up to date on campaign events by following us: Facebook

Twitter

@MacUnitedWay The Power of an

Would you like to be featured in Community Connections? Send your request to Leeann Corbeil, Director of Marketing and Community Relations. E: leeann@findlaylaw.ca

PH: 905.522.9799 ext. 248

Findlay Attorneys. 20 Hughson St. S., Suite 510, Hamilton, Ontario, L8N 2A1 Findlay Attorneys will determine which agency or group will be included based on a first come, first serve basis and at the discretion of Findlay Attorneys. Findlay Attorneys cannot guarantee inclusion of any materials submitted and therefore accepts no responsibility for any ad or information exclusion. Materials should be submitted at least two weeks prior to date of publishing.

theSil.ca

Thursday, Nov. 28, 2013

ANDY E-mail: andy@thesil.ca

ndex •nov 29 •nov 30 •dec 5 •dec 6

the great machine jollycuts july talk the sadies

Senior Editor: Bahar Orang

Meeting Time: Tuesdays @ 5:30 p.m.

Assistant Editor: Cooper Long

Phone: (905)•525•9140 ext 27117

Contributors: Lene Trunjer Petersen, Michael Gallaghar, Kacper Niburski, Shane Madill, Nimra Khan, Allison Piercy

coming up in the hammer the casbah

Cover: Bahar Orang

club absinthe •nov 29 •dec 1 •dec 17 •dec 14

crow bar show sonny del trio & friends protest the hero the reason

editors reflect C4 C5

homegrown hamilton

bay city music hall

writers reflect

•nov 29 daydrunk •dec 2 jon the bassist •dec 5 kim koren

•nov 29 hip hop 4 hunger •dec 1 safe and sound •dec 22 monster truck

this ain't hollywood

baltimore house

C7 catching

•dec 5 the jolly cuts •dec 7 live how you live

•dec 6 jokers of the scene •dec 13 invasions

westdale theatre

the lyric theatre

•until nov 29 blue jasmine •from dec 5 the butler

•nov 30 dance...the final frontier •dec 1 mac dance company

art gallery of hamilton

hamilton artists inc.

•current alex colville •current the spectacle of play

•ends dec 21 annual member's exhibition •ends feb 22 tour china

THE COVER STORY It was the middle of the night. I awoke with a start and a strange sensation in my chest. I went to splash water on my face. When the pain had subsided, I groggily stumbled back to my room. On the walk over, I felt a kind of rhythm in my body. Was it an earthquake? I picked up the pace. Then, I began to hear voices. Feeling thoroughly alarmed, I swung open my bedroom door and saw the little bedroom transformed into a nightclub. For stuffed animals. There were teddy bears everywhere, swaying from side to side, bumping and grinding. There was one raggedy old beanie baby who was swinging from the ceiling fan in a drunken stupor. A thunderous rhythm came from beneath the covers, I threw them back and discovered my beloved stuffed pig - Mr. Porky. Or should I say DJ Porky. I turned on the night vision mode of my camera and snapped a pic.

a murderous bookbag fire

hadfield's new book

theSil.ca

ANDY

Thursday, Nov. 28, 2013

EDITORIAL

andy looks back: the art of the matter Bahar Orang Senior ANDY Editor A few nights ago, I watched Pan’s Labyrinth for the first time. It’s a Spanish film about a young girl who escapes her broken family and war-torn environment by indulging in fantasies that come from her many fictional books. The story inspired in me a kind of emotional turmoil that can only be matched by my frustrated hate-love affair with the likes of other extremely sad films (e.g. Life Is Beautiful). The movie was shocking and made me cry, but I was also left feeling sorely confused. The young female protagonist triumphs in

the face of imaginary evils and emerges as the princess of a fictional realm, but in “real life,” she is not so lucky. In fact, her desperate desire to engage in her fantasies ultimately leads to the film’s tragic ending. I was left, heartbroken and distraught, wondering – what was the purpose of it all? Her beloved books gave her moments of happiness, but – they were ineffective as a means of contending with her reality. For the first time ever, I was convinced – maybe she should have read less. The film is far more intricate and gorgeous than this brief description of my own personal struggle with the story. It is likely that I have missed the point. Please watch

Cooper Long Assistant ANDY Editor Not many movies play at Westdale Theatre, but the select few that do are almost always high calibre. Unfortunately, The Way Way Back was an exception. I saw the film this summer and was unimpressed by its clichéd coming-of-age story about a teenager vacationing with his family in a sleepy seaside town. I was surprised, then, when David Sedaris used a similar premise to craft the most affecting thing I read this semester. In his autobiographical essay “Now We Are Five,” which appeared in The New Yorker on

it, come find me in the Silhouette office, and convince me that I am wrong. I can be very easily convinced that reading is what saved her, and not what killed her. This is a work of art that has deeply affected me. In this semester’s final issue of ANDY, we have included works of art that have moved our writers in some way. Send us yours? @baharoh

Oct. 28, Sedaris chronicles a recent family trip to a beach house off the coast of North Carolina. Sadly, Sedaris’ family is incomplete. His estranged adult sister Tiffany committed suicide shortly before the vacation began, and her absence lurks underneath Sedaris’ characteristically wry anecdotes about beaches and BarcaLoungers. Even though summer vacation is far from mind in first semester, Sedaris’ piece struck a chord. I am happy to be back in school and reconnecting with the people that I have gotten to know over the past four years. Yet, I am also always mindful that at this time next year most of these same people will have

graduated and scattered in different, far-flung directions. I do not want to liken anything that I have experienced this semester to the loss of a family member to suicide. Nevertheless, Sedaris’ delicate balance of humour and pensiveness absolutely captured my current state of mind. When I look back on the first three months of my fourth year, I think about “Now We Are Five.” @coop_long

the

big

tickle what song reminds you of this semester? YOSEIF HADDAD / PHOTO EDITOR JJ BARODEL / SILHOUETTE INTERN

Marta H.

Brittany G.

Geoffrey B.

Sam K.

Cale C.

“Hurricane” by MS MR

“Wrecking Ball” by Miley Cyrus

“Tunnel of Love” by Dire Straits

“23” by Mike WiLL Made-It

“Drunk on You” by Luke Bryan

theSil.ca

Thursday, Nov. 28, 2013

ANDY

Michael Gallaghar Shane Madill

While this may be a bit cliché, music will always be one of the most important artworks in my life. I cannot imagine going through a semester without it. Almost everything I know would just feel so empty. How would I pump myself up at the gym if I didn’t have an awesome collection of songs to get me going? Would I even go to my classes if the long walk to school wasn’t made better by shuffling through my iPod? I can’t even try and imagine a semester without music that would me through it. And for me, it is most beneficial to listen to music while I’m studying. Despite being a music lover, I always had trouble listening to music during a study session, because it was often too distracting. Thankfully, I soon realized that instrumental music – or music without lyrics – was the answer. Soon, some of the most played songs on my iPod were old Jazz albums, hip-hop producer beats, and artists like Ratatat, or BadBadNotGood. They helped get me in the zone I needed to boost my grades. While I’m sure there are other reasons for the improvement in my grades over the years, I can’t help but decide that music helped me focus, and this was a huge part of it.

My state of mind regularly conflicts with my thoughts of everyday life, and my desire to be grounded while also achieving success. I often think about the paradoxical idea of zoning out into “Mittyesque” fantasies. I feel bittersweet nostalgia for the past as I remember both good times and bad times. I look back with 20/20 hindsight, and consider how my experiences have molded me into the person I am today and how they have influenced my future. Recently, I’ve find myself constantly going back to Converge’s discography. I discovered Converge at an especially dark point in my life, and I always go back to them in as a constant reminder of who I was, who I am, and who I want to be. Singer Jacob Bannon once stated, “People will identify with the darkness you’re feeling,” and sometimes we just need a reminder that we are all connected, even by the basic humanity of the darker emotions we struggle all must struggle through.

This past semester I read a countless number of books. All of them were for class. None of them felt very artistic. All of them were non-fiction and World War II related. Most of my time off has been spent looking at graduate school or continuing education programs. Whenever I go out with friends, or family, or colleagues, everyone wants to know what I plan to do next year. In retrospect, I probably should have expected this, given that I’m in my fourth and final year at McMaster. Sadly, the arts haven’t been able to affect me very much this semester because I’ve had no time for them. And life feels empty. And maybe that’s their affect. Here’s hoping for a new year filled with the arts. And less WWII.

Alison Piercy KAREN WANG / GRAPHICS EDITOR

Lene Trunjer Peterson

As my first term ever at McMaster comes to an end, it’s time to turn a little nostalgic and reminisce about all that’s happened. I’ve recently had the flashback of the craziness and flurry of activities during frosh week. It was during that time that I took part in Airbands! Yes, Airbands, an event that took hours of preparations for our team at Eddy’s. It involved long nights and sore arms and legs. I got to work with such fun people from Edwards Hall – and when you spend time dancing with and pretending to be superman while lying on the backs of four people who are practically strangers, you tend to get acquainted very quickly. Airbands made me love McMaster even more, along with Eddy’s; we might be one of the smallest and oldest residences, but that means we all got the chance to meet (and occasionally, dance) with everyone. So this past semester, an “artwork” that affected me was the little dance we put together for frosh week, and the friends and the good times it inspired.

C4 & C5

Nimra Khan

I am a film nerd with a growing taste for controversial, independent films. The very different languages in many of these films is what amazes me. One film in particular that I saw this past term made my reconsider my knowledge of the environment – The Easy, starring Swedish actor Alexander Skarsgård. Skarsgård portrays an eco-terrorist fighting for the world against big corporations. When I walked out from the warmth of the cinema, I stared up in the darkness questioning whether he was committing acts of terrorism or if he was actually saving our world. The film had a grave impact on my own way of thinking and made me strongly consider how I personally can work to save our planet hopefully before it is to late.

reflects on the arts

ANDY asked its writers about the art or entertainment that affected them most this semester. Here’s what they said.

theSil.ca

ANDY

Thursday, Nov. 28, 2013

THE CASE OF THE MURDER MYSTERY BOOKBAG BAHAR ORANG/ANDY EDITOR

Alison Piercy The Silhouette

And here’s a list of some fabulous ones.

When the days grow colder and darker, my mother seems to accumulate stockpiles of books. There are old ones from our collection that are battered and torn, others that came from the library and are dusty and laminated, and there are even brand new ones, which are pleasantly crisp and eager to have their spines cracked. Each year they are always the same genre. They are always murder mysteries. “Nothing like a cup of tea and a good murder around Christmas,” my mother would say. To an eight-year-old it was devastating. Now, 14 years later, I can’t think of any other type of book I’d rather read around the holidays.

1. Still Life by Louise Penny Written by Canadian author Louise Penny, Still Life may not be the most intricate of mysteries, but Penny has the uncanny ability to write believable and relatable characters. The story takes place in the mythical Three Pines, a fictional small village south of Montreal. When one of the beloved locals is found shot with an arrow in the woods, Chief Inspector Gamache of the Sûreté du Québec and his team disrupt quiet life in the village in search of the murderer. What really set this novel apart from others are the descriptions of characters and locations. There is a little café filled with mismatched furniture, beautiful art and delicious delica-

cies that will have you running over to My Dog Joe to compare atmospheres. 2. And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie Penned by the legend herself, Dame Agatha Christie, And Then There Were None is an instant classic in any collection. Ten seemingly unrelated strangers are invited to a remote island and are slowly killed, one by one, in accordance to an old nursery rhyme. The novel is short and sweet, but also chilling and calculated and could be considered equal parts horror and mystery. Almost 80 years later, Agatha Christie is still the best in the business. 3. The Cuckoo’s Calling by Roger Galbraith (J.K. Rowling) The Cuckoo’s Calling is a

modern mystery novel written by Robert Galbraith. Haha. Just kidding. This murder mystery novel is actually written by J. K. Rowling of Harry Potter fame in probably what is the worst kept secret in modern literature. Seriously, her name is printed on the inside cover. The Cuckoo’s Calling follows a bitter private investigator named Cormoran Strike, who, in the last year, has returned to London from a tour in Afghanistan minus one leg, been dumped by his girlfriend and accumulated a massive amount of debt. The adoptive brother of a recently deceased supermodel acquires Strike’s services, and wants Strike to investigate the nature of her death. If you are a fan of intriguing mysteries, Harry Potter, and a dash of House M.D., this is the

novel for you. 4. An Unsuitable Job for a Woman by P. D. James When I asked my mom what who her favorite mystery writer was (sans Agatha Christie, of course), she instantly pointed me in the direction of P.D. James and her Cordelia Grey series. An Unsuitable Job for a Woman is the first novel in the series and follows Private Investigator Cordelia Grey, a 22-yearold sleuth in 1972 London. Using only her intellect Ms. Grey attempts to solve the death of her former partner by outsmarting not just the murderer, but also the entirety of Scotland Yard.

theSil.ca

Thursday, Nov. 28, 2013

ANDY

the Hunger Games saga heats up Lene Trunjer Petersen The Silhouette

The Hunger Games: Catching Fire Director: Francis Lawrence The highly anticipated sequel The Hunger Games: Catching Fire is an impressive film that demonstrates what all the new teenseries productions should do – produce stories with substance and excellent actors. Admittedly, I haven’t read Suzanne Collins’s Hunger Games trilogy. Even so, the fist film’s dystopian setting impressed me and the sequel is even darker. I love how the films toy with our growing need for reality TV, making me question whether or not I myself participate in this pop-culture phenomenon, just by watching The Hunger Games. Inside the arena, combatants kill each other in a vicious manner, but I still watch. Catching Fire picks up where The Hunger Games ended. Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence) and Peeta Mellark (Josh Hutcherson) are back in District 12 awaiting their Victors Tour. Haunted by nightmares from being in the arena, Katniss must face the consequences of her and Peeta’s supposed love story. Before going on their tour, however, Katniss has a surpris-

ing meeting with President Snow (Donald Sutherland). He warns her that her actions in the arena have inspired revolutionary ideas, which he, of course, is not interested in. The whole idea of the Hunger Games is to keep the masses under control. If Katniss does not play her part as ‘lovesick’ tribute, President Snow will eradicate District 12. Naturally, the Victor’s Tour is not a success and the new game master suggests a different approach to the 75th Annual Hunger Games, referred to as The Quarter Quell. Instead of finding new tributes, President Snow summons previous winners in the hope that Katniss will die in the arena. Back in the Capital, Haymitch Abernathy (Woody Harrelson) tells Katniss and Peeta that the arena is not a “kids game” anymore, and the previous winners are definitely stronger and more ambitious than the opponents they faced before. At the official presentation of the tributes, they demonstrate their aversion to the games, just as Peeta attempts to get Katniss out by telling everyone that she is pregnant. Nevertheless, the next day they all find themselves in a new arena, a stunning setting shot in Hawaii. It is hard not to be impressed by 23-year-old Jennifer Lawrence, who acts with an intensity that jumps right out of

the screen and lingers in your thoughts for days. Lawrence portrays Katniss with a wide range of emotions that makes her character authentic and convincing. Everybody wants to use Katniss, whether it is as a face for or against the revolution, but all she really wants is to protect her family. It must be difficult for Peeta (Josh Hutcherson), who in the first film seemed to be nothing more than a supporting character. But I must admit that Peeta has found his own voice in Catching Fire. He is not a confused kid anymore, but has figured out what his strengths are, and he seems to be the one who keeps Katniss focused in the game. Hutcherson is definitely playing up to Lawrence and the two of them make an excellent tribute couple, with lots of problems to work out. Catching Fire exceeds The Hunger Games and it is not a typical teen film. It debates such themes as revolution, government control, torture and oppression, which are all mingled with a realty show, and it shows how hope can light up even a dark, apocalyptic world like Panem.

Jennifer Lawrence is so hot right now.

theSil.ca

Thursday, Nov. 28, 2013

ANDY

Chris Hadfield enters literary universe

ANDY reviews An Astronaut’s Guide to Life on Earth Kacper Niburski The Silhouette When I was eight, I was asked what I wanted to be when I grew up. As a boy with a flawless mushroom cut, a wideset grin, and teeth that could make a jigsaw puzzle look straight, I was insatiably interested in the world. I wanted to learn and learn and learn in that order, and on one particular day, a new word I had just discovered tickled the tip of my tongue. “I don’t want to be mediocre.” Admittedly I didn’t understand the implications of that sentence because I fumbled around for the next eight years of my life as children are poised to do. Yet part of me still believes that I don’t fully comprehend the importance of my answer to this day. More often than not, one can find me collapsed in my bed mindlessly squawking at videos online or tearing through another bag of chips for an inexplicable all-nighter. After four years of an undergraduate career that has bordered on eclecticism, this indolence may very well be the cost of pursuing multiple interests. We get burdened with everything we have to do, and we slowly start conforming to the idea that maybe normal would be alright for a change because at least we wouldn’t stick out and we’d be like everyone else, and hey, that way we’d belong after all. Then we’d get a career, have a family, and we’d work, and work, and work. Then boom, just like that some forty or fifty years later as the world keeps spinning and people keep doing, feeling, and wearing funny hats, we’d die, and that would be that. In life, in death, and in between, we’d be mediocre and that’d unperturbed streamline would make us happy. But as I recently read Chris Hadfield’s An Astro-

naut’s Guide to Life On Earth, I found myself caught in an avalanche of harsh reality checks and constantly being reminded of my childhood ambitions. Because while much of the book is rife with tales of space exploration, the nittygritty details of otherworldly experiences, and the tedium of being an astronaut, it is more about not letting, as Chris said, “life randomly kicks you into the adult you don’t want to become.” Written almost entirely in the spirit of an average Canadian voter – one who would drink Tim Hortons coffee and wear a Leafs jersey (both done in the International Space Station) – Hadfield recounts how his entire life was built upon the possibility of being an astronaut, rather than on the idle expectation of it. As a boy watching the Moon landing on a grainy television set, Hadfield understood that despite dreams that soared into the night sky his chances of selection to rocket into space were slim to none. So rather than see success above all else, he visualized failure, and as a result could steer away from it. Much of the book continues on this 180-degree shift from conventional wisdom. Hadfield sweats the small stuff to the point of obsession. He embraces negative thinking, constantly thinking about what could go wrong and how he would react to it. And he thinks about defeat rather than the end goal of triumph as a way to develop confidence. While almost counterintuitive, this astronaut-think led him to be one of the most seasoned and accomplished pilots in the world. He was the top graduate of the U.S Air Force Test Pilot School in 1988, U.S Navy test Pilot of the year in 1991, Director of NASA Operations, Chief of Robotics for NASA, and Commander of ISS just to name a few accomplishments. As Chris says, “A funny thing hap-

pened on the way to space: I learned how to live better and more happily here on Earth.” Humbly told and filled with hilarious anecdotes from the dangers of crying in space to trying to be a better father here on Earth, Hadfield reminds us that while Earth and space may seem different, they are part of the same whole and both relate to each other almost symbiotically. As species knee-deep in the cosmos, we can affect both by trying to live ensure that “success is feeling good about the work you do throughout the long, unheralded journey that may or may not wind up at the launch pad.” We do not need rewards. We need to feel good and competent about ourselves, what we’re doing, and how both relates to others. Hadfield’s perspective, nuanced by his experiences in space, reminds us – or me at least – that to live idly to not live at all. Gravity may feel like it weighs a ton sometimes. It may be overbearing. You may want to just crumble in your bed and open up another bag of chips. But to acquiesce it is not the answer for there are places in the universe where humans can float free. To get there you’ll have to face an army of hardships. People will pull you down. Work will suffocate you. Success will always seem to be amiss. And it will go on like that for a long time because it’ll be the hardest thing in your life. In fact, it’ll make your life. But this, Hadfield highlights throughout his book, is what makes it worth it because the very thing that makes it hard, that brings you to the edge and almost makes you topple over, gives you a view few have seen before, and boy does it look beautiful.