The Silhouette - April 3, 2014 by The Silhouette

GE B7

Silhouette

The

Marauders from every field strike a pose

McMASTER UNIVERSITY’S STUDENT NEWSPAPER

Thursday, April 3, 2014 VOL. 84 NO. 28 STUDENT MONEY

Student project funding allocated

GA is a place to be heard - but wasn’t this time around PAGE A9

SLEF, in the final stages of the approval process, outlines where funding is going to be directed Tyler Welch News Editor With the approval process still underway, several projects have been allocated financing under the Student Life Enhancement Fund. Approved projects range from a $10,000 improvement to the audio equipment at Bridges Café to the installation of a public skating rink—a project with a cost of $95,000. SLEF was developed to provide capital for infrastructure or service projects that would positively improve student life. Student-run and McMaster-based programs alike may apply for funds to support projects that don’t necessarily fit into their operating budget. The money is collected via undergraduate student services fees and administered by the Student Services Committee, made up of employees from the MSU and the University. Until March 7, 2014, groups and individuals had the opportunity to submit proposals for a request of funds. Project proposals had to fall into specific criteria. Projects should seek to enhance student life through a new program, activity or one-time event. It must also align with Forward with Integrity principles and represent something new that isn’t currently offered to students. Ideas then go through a process of “weeding out” in which projects that are redundant or not feasible are rejected. Below is a list of approved projects. Approvals are not limited to this list. These proposals have been allocated funds, but the costs have not yet been expended.

Who has the best poutine in Hamilton? Find out! PAGE B1

STEPPING OUT OF BOUNDS

Meet this McMaster carpenterturned reality TV endurance athlete

PAGE A6 ELIZA POPE / ASSISTANT PHOTO EDITOR

MSU teaching awards honour profs

Your guide to this summer’s music festival + Mac Battle of the Bands winner! PAGE C4

Rachel Faber Assistant News Editor @rachfaber

@TylerWelch4 3D printer to be publically available, $5,000 Will allow students to experiment with new technologies and spur innovative thinking. Outdoor community ice rink, $95,000 To be built in between Edwards Hall and McKay Hall. Aims to enhance campus atmosphere and encourage an active lifestyle. Student Entrepreneurship program, $100,000 The program will seek to foster the development of a student entrepreneur culture. It will provide students with the opportunity to network and engage with the community. Enhanced audio equipment for Bridges, $10,000

Volunteer engagement expansion program, $10,000

@benbf

This will expand the current program and add events like keynote speakers, info sessions and a larger, improved, Volunteer Crawl. The program also aims to retain students within the Hamilton community.

BEN BARRETT-FORREST / MULTIMEDIA EDITOR

The goal is to offer student groups free access to A/V equipment when they use Bridges as a hosting venue.

the S ’ T N E D I S E PR E G PA Board of Directors 2013-2014: Final Thoughts The MSU Board of Directors sat down with a video camera to share their reflections on the successes and challenges of the year. This is an excerpt from the video that is available at msumcmaster.ca/retrospect. Special thanks to Alumni House for providing a filming location.

“What was your greatest accomplishment this year?”

David Campbell

Anna D’Angela

Spencer Graham

Jeff Doucet

President

VP (Administration)

VP (Education)

VP (Finance)

president@msu.mcmaster.ca

vpadmin@msu.mcmaster.ca

vpfinance@msu.mcmaster.ca

ext. 23885

ext. 23250

vped@msu.mcmaster.ca ext. 24017

“ David Campbell

One of the challenges this year was summer fees - which was a huge part of my platform; trying to save students having to pay the MAPS and Athletics and Recreation summer fee. The MAPS fee we managed to eliminate, but that was a huge focus of the first six to eight months of us being in office. I had my platform points glued to the wall beside my desk to make sure I stayed on track and remembered those things. For the most part it was successful - we mentioned the bus pass, bigger homecoming, managed to eliminate the MAPS fee that undergraduate students had to pay. That was a big project for me - I felt that that was redundant and unfair and we managed to get rid of that fee.

“ Anna D’Angela

I’m proud of a lot of hard work our Services did this year; we’ve taken some great steps to improve our service delivery. We worked on better communicating what all our services do and how students can access them. I’m also most proud of part time manager training - I know that’s cheesy to say, but I love training people to do their jobs well. It’s important that they’re set up for success and hopefully that’s a legacy I left. A lot of our job is some of these big wins like MAPS fees, bus pass, and government policy, but then there are day-to-day pieces that are equally as important because it helps the organization run.

ext. 24109

“

The bus pass. David and I were lucky to work on something that has a three year impact for students. Maybe not a legacy project, but it’s something that we’ll get to leave students with for three years at a minimum. We set goals we weren’t sure we would be able to achieve, we set goals that people told us we wouldn’t be able to achieve [too ambitious] and we were able to execute them. We did that by being proactive and telling a story of what better transit means to students and how it will impact them.

Jeff Doucet

“

One thing I’m particularly proud of is how quickly I jumped into the government relations aspect of this job, considering I haven’t had a huge amount of experience with government relations. As examples; building in a government submission right from the MSU I thought was a really cool thing that I hope to see continue for next year. Also the amount of work I put into [the Ontario Undergraduate Student Alliance] - writing policies, attending roundtables, writing pieces for the media, etc. Going in, I didn’t think these were the most important parts of my job but its super important that students have a voice in government because that is the source of a lot of issues that trickle down to Universities. I’m happy I got to be a part of that change.

Spencer Graham

Watch the full video online at:

msumcmaster.ca/retrospect 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 fb.com/MSUMcMaster @MSU_McMaster

theSil.ca

Thursday, April 3, 2014

LIVE STREAM: Watch the election of the new Board of Directors at the SRA meeting, Sunday, April 6 at 12:00 p.m. THESIL.CA

Editors Tyler Welch & Rachel Faber & Tomi Milos Email news@thesil.ca @theSilhouette Phone 905.525.9140 x27117

Women and Gender Nominations in Equity Network for MSU approved Vice-Presidents Elise Milani was at the forefront of the charge to establish the Women and Gender Equity Network. Here she is pictured at the 2013 General Assembly discussing the issue.

SILHOUETTE FILE PHOTO

Tomi Milos Features Editor This Sunday, McMaster finally gave the green light to formally establish a Women and Gender Equity Network on campus. The SRA vote conducted on Mar. 30 made the news official — McMaster would play host to a women’s centre for the first time since 1985. The pilot project is set to launch this coming September and will be funded by the MSU. The approval of the WGEN was set in motion in October of 2012 when the SRA struck an AdHoc committee to further scrutinize the need for such a centre. Elise Milani, Chair of The Ad-Hoc Committee and SRA Humanities until last November, initiated a survey in which 78 percent of the 237 student respondents indicated that they would make use of WGEN by seeking counseling or to refer information to a friend. Research unearthed by the committee indicated the rift in services that the University is currently capable of providing in relation to sexual assault counseling or gender issues. The results of the survey and additional findings led to a motion being passed at an SRA meeting of March 24, 2013 that formally recognized the need as pointed out by the Ad-Hoc

Committee. In retrospect, Milani says that a lot of work needed to be invested in order for the need for the centre to be seen as real. “There was a strong need for statistics. Everyone needed to know the number of women that get assaulted on campus, or face misogyny, or sexism.” Milani says that she found it hard to justify not voting for the centre, as she maintained the opinion that, “If one person gets assaulted on campus, that’s one too many.” Emotions ran high following the approval. Milani admitted to shedding a tear or two. “It was really exciting, because we weren’t sure what to expect. I didn’t walk in there expecting for the best but I was hoping for it. There was a nice sigh of relief when we got it, but there is still so much work to be done.” Members of the committee are continuing to explore how they will go about obtaining office space, full-time staff, and counsellors to create a professional atmosphere. “Once we elect the new VP Admin and the new executive board, then we can hire a WGEN liason [position] which was created to be a direct contact between the Centre and the University,” said Milani.

Tyler Welch News Editor Three people will join MSU President-elect Teddy Saull on the MSU’s Board of Directors on May 1. Vice-Presidents will be elected by the Student Representative Assembly at the meeting on Sunday, April 6; one for finance, education and administration. While any full-time student may attend the meeting and run for a position on the Board of Directors, the members of the SRA also have to power to nominate individuals to run for the positions.

Top McMaster salaries Tyler Welch News Editor

Traditionally, these nominees are seen as favoured to win the jobs but a student from outside of the Assembly, technically, stand an equal chance. Elected Vice-Presidents work full-time for the MSU on a 12-month contract and, therefore, must be graduating students or be willing to take a year off from school. Below are the nominees fron the SRA meeting on March 30:

Each year the Government of Ontario releases its list of public sector employees who earned more than $100,000. This “Sunshine List” for 2013 was released on March 28. Here are McMaster’s biggest earners for 2012:

1 $ 448,504 John Kelton Dean and Vice-President (Health Sciences)

@tylerwelch4

Vice-President (Finance) Daniel D’Angela: SRA Social Sciences, MSU Finance Commissioner

2 $ 387,287 Patrick Deane President and ViceChancellor

Inemesit Etokudo: Maroons Coordinator

3 $ 366,602 Vice-President (Education)

Akbar Panju Professor, Health Sciences

Jacob Klugsberg: SRA Humanities Rodrigo Narro Perez: SRA Science, University Affairs Commissioner

4 $ 363,760 Gary Andrew Chaimowitz Associate Professor, Psychology, Neuroscience and Behavior

Vice-President (Administration) Jacob Brodka: SRA Science. MSU Services Commissioner, Maroons Public Relations Coordinator Aaron Morrow: SRA Science, Executive Board member

5 $ 341,362 Leonard Waverman Professor, Dean of Business

Afrofest celebrates African culture at Mac

“

“Sometimes people just see the bad side of Africa. We try to educated them about both the good and the bad.” Ehima Osazuwa, Special Advisor for MacAfricans

Members of the MacAfricans Assiciation take part in this year’s Afrofest production The Revolution Tomi Milos Features Editor With MSU-funded student organizations always on the prowl for new recruits, the vast array of choices to choose from can be dizzying. But for the wider African population at McMaster, the choice is made easy by the prevalent campus presence of the McMaster African Students Association (MacAfricans). The association was founded in 2005 and has since grown from its humble roots to boast a nine-person executive committee, as well as a membership of over 150 students who gain access to special perks and events through the payment of an annual fee. In addition to the executive board, MacAfricans also main-

tains a two-person committee for Afrofest, their most popular event of the year. Afrofest is an annual celebration of the diversity of African culture that culminates in a production put on by MacAfricans. While entertaining, the execs also aspire for the event to educate others on the ethnic, economic, and political tensions that grip the continent to this day. Prior to this year’s event which took place on Mar. 29, Ehima Osazuwa (Special Advisor) and Akinjisola Akinkugbe (Promotion) said they expected a record-breaking crowd. Following last year’s Afrofest, Osazuma said planning for the 2014 edition began the very next day. Osazuma served as the association’s president last year and returned this year to advise

the current president, Philip Omorogbe. Osazuma said that the strong showing of 650 at last year’s event saw MacAfricans decide to tackle a much bigger stage this year and move the production to Mohawk’s Mcintrye Performing Arts Centre. The Centre seats just over 1000 and Osazuma said that approximately 800 of those were filled at the time of this interview on Mar. 27 and even harboured hopes that they would be able to sell out the venue. At $40 a ticket, drawing such a large crowd was no easy feat especially with cash-strapped students reluctant to part with their hard-earned money. Bearing that in mind, Osazuma was optimistic and cited the growth in attendance he has been witness to in his years spent as a part of the

C/O VICTOR CHENG

association. Other motivation for doling out on a ticket to the event was the fact that the proceeds would be put towards creating a $25,000 scholarship fund for African students at McMaster. Touching upon what kind of students MacAfricans would be looking to allocate the money too, Osazuma suggested that they would favour well-rounded individuals over those who only concerned themselves with their studies at the expense of other activities. “We don’t want to focus just on academics…we want to also focus on those who are interested in Africa and have contributed significantly to anything African-related within their communities.” Akinkugbe added that

details regarding the application process would become available after a committee was struck once the funds were officially reached. The teaser video released by the group prior to the event revealed that the production would be entitled The Revolution. Both Osazuma and Akingube laughed when asked how many hours had been invested by the group to put on The Revolution. While likening the experience to holding down a rigorous parttime job, they both added that it was a project driven by the passion of everyone involved and therefore made the time worthwhile. @tomimilos

theSil.ca

Thursday, April 3, 2014

A4 Executive Editor Jemma Wolfe Email thesil@thesil.ca @theSilhouette Phone 905.525.9140 x22052

Goodbye, broadsheet ‘Cause the times, they are a changin’ to volumes 81, 82, 83 and especially 84. to banana bread. to the card from everyone. thanks for the love. to virgil caine. to rye and gingers. to motown. to g.e. for encouraging first-year me to write for andy.

to real estate. to kesha hour, sans $. to my mother, father, sister, partner and grandparents, for their love and readership. to the people who read the thumbs, occasionally understand them, and otherwise imagine the stories behind the text and the names behind the initials. i was you, four years ago. keep reading.

to p.g. for offering me a job. you couldn’t know i’d never leave.

to my uncertain future. i’ll make my peace with you soon, i promise.

to b.d. for letting me run wild with andy.

to the inhabitants of les prince hall, 4th floor, 2009-10.

to j.f. for convincing me to do managing.

to the msu family, for making me feel welcome.

to s.c. for preparing, trusting and supporting me in this role, and more importantly, for being my friend.

to um and ven mach runs, for old time’s sake.

to the globalized sil family and the various bureau chiefs associated.

to r.p., one last time.

to nash 74, 75 and 76. victoria wasn’t so good to me, but toronto and edmonton were just fine.

to the sil’s feminist agenda.

to a flexible interpretation of volunteer incentive.

to volume 85, in all its glory, soon to come.

to top three.

to the printing press.

to this little basement office i called home.

The Silhouette McMaster University’s Student Newspaper

EDITORIAL BOARD Jemma “Momma Jem” Wolfe Executive Editor | thesil@thesil.ca Sam “Cheetah” Godfrey Managing Editor | managing@thesil.ca Andrew “T-Fenks” Terefenko Production Editor | production@thesil.ca Anqi “Yeezus” Shen Online Editor | news@thesil.ca Tyler “General/Private/Major” Welch Senior News Editor | news@thesil.ca Rachel “Belle” Faber Assistant News Editor | news@thesil.ca Tomi “Another Point For” Milos Features Editor | news@thesil.ca Kacper “Vonnegut” Niburski Opinions Editor | opinions@thesil.ca Laura “Sports Happened” Sinclair Senior Sports Editor | sports@thesil.ca Alexandra “Marauder” Reilly Assistant Sports Editor | sports@thesil.ca Amanda “Raggedy Tan” Watkins Senior LifeStyle Editor | lifestyle@thesil.ca Miranda “LifeStylin’” Babbitt Assistant LifeStyle Editor | lifestyle@thesil.ca Bahar “Bahardly” Orang Senior ANDY Editor | andy@thesil.ca Cooper “Coop-a-loop” Long Assistant ANDY Editor | andy@thesil.ca Yoseif “Haddaddy’s Girls” Haddad Senior Photo Editor | photo@thesil.ca Eliza “Jazzy” Pope Assistant Photo Editor | photo@thesil.ca Colin “Mini Wheats” Haskin Video Editor | photo@thesil.ca Karen “Foodie” Wang Graphics Editor | production@thesil.ca Ben “from the Yukon” Barrett-Forrest Multimedia Editor | photo@thesil.ca Olivia “Bannock” Dorio Distribution Coordinator | thesil@thesil.ca Sandro “Cheese on Bread” Giordano Ad Manager | sgiordan@msu.mcmaster.ca

About Us

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MUSC, Room B110, McMaster University 1280 Main Street West Hamilton, ON L8S 4S4

The Silhouette welcomes letters to the editor in person at MUSC B110, or by email at thesil@thesil.ca. Please include name, address and telephone number for verification only. We reserve the right to edit, condense or reject letters and opinion articles. Opinions expressed in The Silhouette are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of the editorial board, the publishers or the University. The Silhouette is an editorially autonomous newspaper published by the McMaster Students Union. The Silhouette Board of Publications acts as an intermediary between the editorial board, the McMaster community and the McMaster Students Union. Grievances regarding The Silhouette may be forwarded in writing to: McMaster Students Union, McMaster University Student Centre, Room 201, L8S 4S4, Attn: The Silhouette Board of Publications. The Board will consider all submissions and make recommendations accordingly.

E–Mail: thesil@thesil.ca Facebook.com/ TheMcMasterSilhouette Twitter.com/theSilhouette Production Office: (905) 525-9140, ext. 27117 Advertising: (905) 525-9140, ext.27557 10,000 circulation Published by the McMaster Students Union

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Opinions: Up to 600 words Letters: 100 to 300 words Submit via email by 12:00 p.m. the Tuesday before publication.

Jemma Wolfe Executive Editor So, I guess this is goodbye. For me, it’s goodbye to the Sil. For the Sil, it’s goodbye to broadsheet. And, if you’ll indulge me in this final editorial, I’ll argue that both are rather momentuous. In many ways, this last issue feels like the end of an era. After 84 loose-leaf, multi-section, foldin-half broadsheet years, volume 85 will usher in the era of a downsized print product in exchange for a stronger digital focus. That’s where our readership overwhelmingly engages, and to meet the changing needs of the people we serve – the students – something’s gotta give. It’s okay. It’s time. I’ve thought it over and made my

peace with it, and reconciled the need to move on. And the funny thing is, I feel the same way about broadsheet as I do about myself. In Sil years, I’ve been around a long time. Long enough to care about things like rye and gingers and late nights at the Snooty Fox. Long enough, too, to know that change, while not always easy, is what’s right for this publication as much as it’s right for me. I did a lot of growing up in between these walls. I’m not alone in that. But that’s the beauty of the student press – as soon as the writers grow up, they’re gone. Student papers are the Neverland of the publishing world. And yet I’ve met past editors from as far back as the 1950s whose anecdotes about reminiscing, staying in touch, and con-

A.T. I guess this is it. This baby is yours now, and while that terrifies me as much as it excites me, I know that no one loves the Sil like you do. Make this god-awful basement your home and enjoy the coming months. You have free, unchallenged reign (…at least until September). And I’ll still have the Phoenix to cheers you at. S.G. Gurl. I’ve never met anyone like you before, and I’d bet a lot of money that I never will. Thank you for bringing your energy, humour and sensitivity to the Sil. Oh, and Kesha hour. A.S. Thank you for bringing your convictions, talents and taste of music to this office. While I could have done with a little less Sean Paul over the years, I couldn’t have done this year without you. T.W. You were the one person whose interview I wasn’t present for, and thus, the one person I was anxious about when the year was just beginning. Little did I know how much I’d rely on you, enjoy your company and be so grateful that 12 months or so ago, you hit “apply”. I’m so pumped for you to finally bring HUGE TALK to CFMU. R.F. You may have only been part of the team since January, but your happiness and presence have made it feel like you’ve been here the whole time. Thank you for expanding my vocabulary and jolting me out of many an office reverie with your exuberance. Carleton is lucky to have you. T.M. While I may never know if you’re being sneaky or sincere with your compliments, I can rest easy knowing how genuine your dedication is to the Sil (or, in the very least, ANDY). Thanks for sticking it out as Features Editor. Now take your cab voucher and go already. K.N. You somehow manage to strike the perfect balance between egotism and self-deprecation with consistent hilarity, and that was fun to have around. You’re also sharp. Don’t settle for anything that will dull your mind or your pen; I expect to be reading you in bound form one day soon (and I don’t mean a Sil bound volume). A.W. I can’t wait to see what you’ll do with the Sil’s new design next year. If it even scratches the surface of all you’ve done with LifeStyle, then I’ll be proud and satisfied. M.B. Thank you for your gentle sensibility and quirky sense of humour. You’re a pleasure to read, and an even greater pleasure to know. And if you ever need a date to Boo’s, count me in.

tinuing to write assure me that the Silhouette’s friendships, lessons and memories will linger with me wherever my uncertain future takes me. What is certain, is that the cycle of replacement and renewal must continue in order to breathe life into this publication. This year, that means both a new Executive Editor and a new tabloid format. It’s okay. It’s time. So, Sil, say goodbye to broadsheet. And in turn, I’ll say goodbye to the Sil. I only hope that when I too am 85 years old that I’ll be just as ready for a reinvention. @jemma_wolfe

B.O. I know I’ve said it before, but I’ll say it again: you really are something special. Your thoughtfulness, depth of character and delicate prose have left me nothing but grateful that you chose the Sil as a place to spend your time this past year. There is no one more fitting to be the last editor of ANDY as we know it. C.L. Thank you for articulating everything I wish I knew I wanted to say about movies with eloquence and the occasional dash of sass. ANDY was so much better because you were a part of it. L.S. I don’t know what I was more impressed by when I first got to know you: your sports knowledge, or your music knowledge. I’m grateful for how patient, relaxed and dedicated you’ve been this year. And girl, can you ever plank. A.R. Your boundless enthusiasm and easygoing personality brightened up this newsroom from day one. Thank you for always being happy to be here, and for making that known. I appreciated it. Y.H. Thank you for always saying ‘yes’ to every crazy, last minute photo request. You’re reliable, talented, and a funny guy. I promise I’ll say good things if U.S. Customs calls... L.P. So let me get this straight: you’re a Health Sci, a jazz vocalist, a crazy dancer and a talented photographer – and a happy, humble person all at the same time? You make the impossible possible while taking beautiful portraits to boot, and I’m so glad you did it all while at the Sil. K.W. You’re so stylish and sweet, and always eager to design. I hope this summer brings you lots of sleep (on a bed, not a couch) and tons of yummy food. #foodiesforlife B.B-F. I was so excited when we hired you last year. I was convinced that you’d be incredibly talented, charming and fun to be around, and be an asset to the Sil’s design. Turns out I was right. Good luck at the Globe and with all your upcoming projects. (I demand priority shipping of my design decks.) C.H. You may have jumped on board mid-year, but your committment to researching solutions and making video happen – from balloons popping to livestreaming SRA – has never failed to impress. Thanks, kid. Ya did good. O.D. I’m really excited for you that this summer will involve less bannock than last year. Thanks for caring about distro, and all the best in Jasper.

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR University has offered workers ‘living wage’ contracts In reply to “Cleaning up the living wage” by Ana Qarri, published March 27, 2014 on A6 Thank you for your article last week about McMaster’s negotiations with the Building Union of Canada which represents just under 300 custodians, cleaners and skilled trade workers on campus. The article makes the case that these University employees should be paid a ‘living wage’ as defined by the Social Planning and Research Council. McMaster University whole-heartedly agrees.

Over several months of negotiations, the University has consistently offered contracts that guarantee a ‘living wage’ for all members of the bargaining unit. Each time, the union has rejected these offers that would ensure all its members earn a ‘living wage’. The University and the union have been bargaining since early fall 2013. Currently more than half of the collective agreement

has been agreed to. It is not productive for these negotiations to play out in the media and we would expect that the union will return to continue discussions “at the table” working with the University to reach our mutual goal of a new collective agreement. Sincerely, •

Roger Couldrey, Vice-President (Administration)

BDS propaganda pieces don’t belong in the Silhouette In reply to “Debating the ethics of BDS” by Edward Lovoquintanilla, and Alon Coret & Sarah Silverberg, published March 20, 2014 on A10 On reading the “debate” on BDS that the Silhouette hosted on its page, one can only wonder how such bald-faced propaganda pieces made their way to our university’s student newspaper. Perhaps it cannot be helped that both sides presented their arguments the way they did given how politically and emotionally charged the issue is (the question of Israel and Palestine is not an idle matter), but it is precisely because of what is at stake that one must not degenerate the issue with duplicity. Rhetorically the anti-BDS piece is stronger for the pro-BDS piece has no substantiality beyond its purely moralistic arguments. One must not belittle the activism of students but when a first-world

university student claims that the student unions’ support of Mandela was instrumental in the struggle for the black liberation of South Africa, one can only wonder what incredible conceit underlies a statement like this. The fact that the pro-BDS piece has no argument aside from a moral one betrays a glaring intellectual laziness on the part of the author. However, regardless of the faults of the pro-BDS piece it is the anti-BDS piece that is far more duplicitous precisely because it is such a wonderful piece of propaganda (it is clear who the better rhetoricians are). (...) I lend my support to the BDS campaign unequivocally. But I also stand unequivocally against any violence towards the Israelis

and the greater Jewish communities, whether this violence manifests physically or ideologically. The anti-BDS authors do not note campus hate crimes for purely rhetorical purposes – antiSemitism is still a reality today, not simply in idea but in our student body in this very day. (...) If we become unjust in the midst of fighting injustice everything is lost – in hypocrisy even the highest rhetoric becomes twisted violence. (...) With dearest regards for the McMaster student body, be you friend or enemy; with love •

Yi Bang Hwa

theSil.ca

Thursday, April 3, 2014

A4 Executive Editor Jemma Wolfe Email thesil@thesil.ca @theSilhouette Phone 905.525.9140 x22052

Goodbye, broadsheet ‘Cause the times, they are a changin’ to volumes 81, 82, 83 and especially 84. to banana bread. to the card from everyone. thanks for the love. to virgil cane. to rye and gingers. to motown. to g.e. for encouraging first-year me to write for andy.

to p.g. for offering me a job. you couldn’t know i’d never leave.

to my uncertain future. i’ll make my peace with you soon, i promise.

to b.d. for letting me run wild with andy.

to the inhabitants of les prince hall, 4th floor, 2009-10.

to j.f. for convincing me to do managing.

to the msu family, for making me feel welcome.

to s.c. for preparing, trusting and supporting me in this role, and more importantly, for being my friend.

to um and ven mach runs, for old time’s sake.

to the globalized sil family and the various bureau chiefs associated.

to r.p., one last time.

to nash 74, 75 and 76. victoria wasn’t so good to me, but toronto and edmonton were just fine.

to the sil’s feminist agenda.

to a flexible interpretation of volunteer incentive.

to volume 85, in all its glory, soon to come.

to top three.

to the printing press.

to this little basement office i called home.

The Silhouette McMaster University’s Student Newspaper

About Us

Legal

MUSC, Room B110, McMaster University 1280 Main Street West Hamilton, ON L8S 4S4

Write Us

Opinions: Up to 600 words Letters: 100 to 300 words Submit via email by 12:00 p.m. the Tuesday before publication.

Roger Couldrey, Vice-President (Administration)

Yi Bang Hwa

Abhi Mukherjee The Silhouette GO Transit will add more GO bus trips serving McMaster, starting this spring. The Ministry of Transportation said it will add 18 new weekday round trips on its 47 route starting April 15th. These trips are to run between McMaster and in Mississauga. There are also 15 new eastbound trips and 16 more westbound trips that are to be added to the route for weekend travel. The above mentions are part of the GO transit’s bigger plan in terms of increasing the service provided by them to the people of Ontario. The GO Transit has increased their fares starting Feb. 1, to help fund the changes that they have introduced. As of Feb. 1, GO Transit introduced the following changes in their fares:

• 35-cent increase on current fares between $4.85 and $6.15 • 45-cent increase on current fares between $6.16 and $7.80 • 55-cent increase on current fares greater than $7.80 Students have mixed views on the changes made by the GO transit. For several students who commute daily, the increase in the frequency of the GO bus is an advantage, but the fare hike has taken people by surprise. Lfe Adesola, a McMaster student, stated that it was the

‘absolute best thing’. The GO Transit though, in a possible attempt to pacify customers, will increase the loyalty discount per ride. They will be increasing the student discount from 16.25 percent to 17.25 percent for 1-30 rides. As well, they will be increasing the regular discount from 8.75 percent to 10 percent for 1-35 rides. The discount rate beyond the given number of rides will stay the same. “It is a great option for people all around. By improving GO service this spring, we are providing people with more travel options and making it more convenient for them to get to work, school or wherever they need to be,” stated Ted McMeekin, MPP for Ancaster-Dundas-Flamborough-Westdale. McMeekin also said that since 2003, Ontario has invested approximately $9.1 billion in the GO Transit and that money has been put to build 10 new GO stations, rebuild two existing GO stations, improve service and expand routes. With the 15-minute GO Train guarantee, riders may get a credit for their ride if the arrival of their train is delayed by more than 15 minutes. “Our improvements to GO Transit support our commitment to bring two-way, all-day GO train service to commuters in the Greater Toronto Area. Our unprecedented public transit investments are making transit a better choice for commuters, reducing congestion on our roads and contributing to a better quality of life for Ontario families,” said Glen R. Murray, Minister of Transportation and Minister of Infrastructure.

CHECK OUT WWW.MSUMcMASTER.CA/TWELVEIGHTY FOR MORE!

GO Transit to increase service and fares

NEWS

CHEAPDRINKS, AMAZINGFOOD, PRICELESSMEMORIES.

Thursday, April 3, 2014

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theSil.ca

Thursday, April 3, 2014

theSil.ca

NEWS

WITHOUT BOUNDS Paul “Turbo” Trebilcock spilts his time between work as a McMaster carpenter with Facility Services and competing in endurance races all around the world on reality TV show Boundless

Jemma Wolfe Executive Editor Paul Trebilcock has been a carpenter with McMaster Facility Services for the better part of a decade. At 48, he’s a fairly typical family man who heads to the movies on a near-weekly basis and likes working on updates to his Westdale home. Oh – and in his spare time, he competes in ultra marathons and endurance races on a reality TV show. Now at the start of season two, Travel and Escape network’s Boundless chronicles the extreme adventures of competitive best friends Simon Donato and Paul “Turbo” Trebilcock as they race in ultra-marathons, endurance races and intense physical challenges all around the world. A blend of reality TV and documentary film, Boundless captures the intensity of the two athletes pushing their bodies as far as they can go while exploring the globe’s most beautiful but punishing landscapes (think the Sahara desert, the highlands of Iceland, and a Cambodian jungle). WHERE IT BEGAN Over lunch at the Phoenix, Turbo filled me in on how the show came to be, what to expect from season two, and how he keeps on keeping on. “Boundless started with a movie called Go Death Racer from 2012,” Trebilcock explained. The documentary, by Simon Donato,

followed a group of Canadian endurance athletes as they trained and competed in the Canadian Death Race through Alberta’s Rocky Mountains. Josh Eady, a friend of Simon Donato, was impressed when cutting the final edit of his friend’s film. Eady suggested they pitch a reality show based on the Go Death Racer concept, “and this became Boundless,” Trebilcock said. “Here we are two years later and it’s a hit.” Donato, who got his PhD in geology from McMaster in 2008, knew he wanted Turbo on the team in the early stages of the show’s conception. “Simon contacted me and said, ‘listen, I’ve got this idea. We’re pitching this show and you’re on it… Could you swing it with work?’” Remarkably, he was able to swing it, and Trebilcock and the show’s creators worked within a six month time frame to figure out what races around the world would be both feasible and exciting for a TV audience. “It was the first season so it was tougher – we didn’t know what we were doing,” he said. They then spent 126 days abroad in 2012 filming season one. “After the very first episode I remember thinking, ‘I can’t believe I’ve got myself into this.’ It was just so much work,” Turbo said. For a week-long race, the crew will stay on location for 10 to 14 days total to set up, film and then film a review of the race so that the editors can cut in

“

“Everything is up in your head. Your body doesn’t test you, it’s your mind.” Paul Trebilcock, Carpenter for McMaster Facility Services and Boundless Competitor

reflective comments. Despite the amount of time spent in far-flung destinations, there’s little reserved for tourism. “People think this is a dream job but… you have the time in front of the camera; you have your races – we had three stage races last year that were a week long, so you’re beating yourself up for a week; when we get there we have set up for the race which always takes a couple days of filming; you’re away from your family; and then we’re lucky if we get a few hours off at the end.” GOING THE DISTANCE Over the course of season one, Turbo and Simon ran just over 1000 km of races. During season two, however, they hit nearly 3000 km of terrain. “We’ve upped the ante, entered bigger races and we’ve challenged ourselves a lot more, pushing the envelope,” Trebilcock said. One of the toughest races they competed in for season two was a week-long adventure race in Costa Rica.

“We basically spent about seven days where we slept about an hour a day and we biked, trekked and kayaked the entire time. We had a map and compass and orienteered though it in a team of four. It’s one of the toughest Adventure Races ever put on. The course designer just made it tough. In one section, we carried our bicycles over muddy trail for two hours. We kayaked at one point for 36 hours straight with an hour’s sleep that whole time.” While such a race sounds extreme to the point of impossible, Turbo says that his body just keeps going. “From these races, I’ve found that the body just responds. It doesn’t matter what you throw at it, the body just does it,” he explained. “Everything is up in your head. Your body doesn’t test you, it’s your mind. If you want to give up, you’ll give up. If you tell yourself you can do it, you’ll get through it.” TAKING HIS PULSE Of course, getting one’s body to a fit-enough state where it truly is mind over matter comes first. My lunch with Trebilcock was a departure from his usual routine: his lunch breaks are usually spent training at the Pulse in David Braley Athletic Centre. Spin classes are a favourite. At peak training time, he exercises for 20 hours a week, mostly running and biking Hamilton trails. Trebilcock credits his motivation to keep going to an insatiable

Season 1 - Cambodia

desire to test his own physical limits. “A race we did in the Yukon was a 100 mile race on fat-tire mountain bikes. When I got back after I finished it I read about this other race called the Iditabike which is 1000 miles and I think, ‘oh jeeze, the one I did isn’t that big. I guess I have to do one ever bigger.’ I just want to see what I can do,” he said. MOVING FORWARD Even more rewarding than a sense of personal accomplishment is knowing that he’s inspiring others to lead active lifestyles, too. “I get emails all the time – ‘I’m doing my first 5 km and you’re such an inspiration.’ To see people get off the couch and do something because they’ve seen the show, that’s what makes me keep going.” For this extreme athlete, installing outlets in Mills Library (which he was heading off to do after our lunch), comes just as naturally as running though the Sahara desert. Mac students looking to watch their carpenter compete from Austria to Mongolia, the Yukon to Costa Rica, can tune in to the Travel and Escape network on Mondays at 10 p.m. or watch online at travelandescape.ca/boundless. @jemma_wolfe

Season 2 - Austria

Season 2 - Holland

Season 1 - Hawaii

Season 2 - Scotland

Season 1 - Egypt

PROFILE BY ELIZA POPE / ASSISTANT PHOTO EDITOR

Paul Trebilcock’s unquenchable thirst for adventure keeps him pursuing newer and more difficult challenges on the reality program Boundless. BOUNDLESS PHOTOS C/O TRAVEL AND ESCAPE

Thursday, April 3, 2014

theSil.ca

A7 Rape culture one song at a time. A11

Editor Kacper Niburski Email opinions@thesil.ca @theSilhouette Phone 905.525.9140 x27117

S A SEND-OFF

Goodbye, you farts

Editorial Cartoon Karen Wang / Graphics Editor Kacper Niburski / Opinions Editor

Kacper Niburski Opinions Editor I am afraid of waking up on April 9. On that date, four years will have come to a close, and I’m scared of losing all of it. After some 20 years of education, I don’t have to go to school anymore. I’m afraid that with the absence of a routine that throbbed on with a steady, relaxing consistency each day, I’ll never get back these moments back; that in two years, I’ll never remember them anyways. I fear that while sitting in a basement with a tea in my hand, looking at a blank page as people chat around me – some smiling, some working, some pretending to do both – I won’t have much to say when trying to sandwich four greasy, messy years into an article. And I’m afraid that if I try, I’ll end up with a jumble of everything above and below – the borderline signs of an incoherent, rambling old fool. For four years, I’ve had these fears. Though it seems like an eternity ago, first year found me stumbling and fumbling with the words of what this place means to me. Back then I had the confident air of a blimp. I thought I understood the world and everyone in it, including myself. That’s why I had come to Mac after all – because I could, because I was able, and because I was more than competent. But one night I found myself on the roof of the student center with friends. We had clambered up there and we were watching people scurry off home from their exams. They looked so small. A friend said like ants. Another added we should try squishing them. So we stuck out our fingers, pinched them together with the fury of a toddler, and imagined. Our laughter shot out into the infinity of the night around us. Up there gazing upon the cloud-riddled sky and the embarrassed stars, I fell upon a definition of what McMaster meant to me. It has stuck with me over the years, even during second year when I slipped into mediocrity and third year where I fell even harder. It is this: open your eyes, idiot, and pinch. Aphorisms often have the tendency of oversimplifying realities, and mine was no different. But it was nonetheless true: if I was to do anything here at McMaster, I figured I’d have to experience it fully. I’d have to be awake. And I’d have to feel, hold, and come in contact with as much as I could in as little time as possible. I tried. I did this and that, that and this. Sometimes, like us all, I did too much. Other times, I did nothing at all. But in each little thing, whatever it was, whether this article or research in a lab or drinking with friends until security chased us away, I ensured that I was alive. I don’t mean this in the general, clichéd sense. Shit, hopefully after four years I’m better than some hackeneyed truth. And besides, it’s a senseless platitude by and of itself. We’re all living. That’s just about the only thing we know how to do. And there are times when we even forget how to do that, especially when things get bad. But I mean that in doing what I did and feeling what I felt I ensured that I was there remembering, recording, and laughing. All and all, I made sure I was there - an awkward boy doing awkward things for awkward reasons. I think that’s why I’m afraid of losing the most – that sensation of feeling as though every little thing is important. In the coming years, the throes of adulthood will give me a knuckle sandwich. Day in and day out will mean something more than an avalanche of texts. I’ll cook. I’ll clean. I’ll shave. I’ll drive. I’ll shop. I’ll buy. I’ll sell. I’ll drink. I’ll be tired. I’ll file taxes. I’ll get paid. I’ll be promoted. I’ll tweedle my thumbs. I’ll live, and then sometime later - maybe 30 years, maybe tomorrow - I’ll wake up and wonder where the heck my life has gone. At least at McMaster, I know. There is that night where I got kicked out of a club twice and I hadn’t even drinken alcohol. That time I handed in an assignment two weeks late. When I read the wall of graffiti in BSB and laughed until I farted. The moment I fell in love the second time. When 5 a.m came and not one person went to bed. When we painted rooms and moved furniture. When we first tried coffee and puked it out. When we watch plays and tried to direct them too. When we burnt our first pizza. Our second, too. Even our third. There is everything we did, we saw, we felt. There is that time we wore stupid Christmas sweaters. This is what I am going to leave behind - the moments that only I know and the places only I have seen. Not because they are mine, but because they belong to others as well. And though I haven’t met you and though you haven’t met me either, I’m going to miss you too. I am not saying that nothing will be better in the coming years. That’s false. We will be the same people we are now, just different, just older, and everything we’ve learned here, though we’ll have forgot the majority of it like ozonolysis or Lao Tzu’s particular stratagem or what the difference between affect and effect are, will be with us in some way or some form. So know that these are not the days. They are one of many. To those leaving with me, I wish that you have developed friendships that bring out the best in you and who you bring out the best in all the same. I wish that you feel happy that you’re moving because it’s better than stagnation. And I wish that you have laughed more than cried because it’s a whole lot cleaner. Hell. I’ll go so far to wish that you laughed until you farted. It’s good for the digestive track anyways. Or, at the least, I’ve learned as much in my classes. So goodbye, you farts. I must be going now.

A different narrative The General Assembly showed differences that need not be Daniel Elbirt The Silhouette I’d like to, as a Jewish student, address some of the narratives that have emerged on this campus in the past few weeks. I hope that the following can serve to provide a healthier context for future discussion. I’ve been a student at McMaster University for nearly six years. In that time, I have been the beneficiary of a genuinely loving and compassionate campus culture. I feel safe here. And not just because of this tone that’s marked so many of my interactions and the movements I’ve witnessed, but because there is a growing culture here of responsibility owed one to the other. I know, for instance, that I have space to speak here. But I also know that I will be held to account for my actions and opinions. I know that critical engagement with my own beliefs and the beliefs of others will be demanded of me, in the pursuit of more just and healthy relationships and policy. But in these past few weeks, something has changed. I don’t feel safe right now. I don’t feel safe because I see that the infrastructure supporting this culture and its rules can be flaunted so very easily. It was deeply unsettling: sitting in the General Assembly and witnessing the speed with which ideas, allegedly sacrosanct, can be discarded as soon as it becomes clear that they aren’t going to get you what you want.

I saw a group of students go, in the span of five minutes, from praising democracy as the highest of ideals to walking out and, in so doing, directly disenfranchising over 500 of their fellow students. I saw a man, an absolute mensch – explaining with beautifully-reasoned appeals to history, to social justice, to international jurisprudence, and to the deeply personal hurt he endures as he’s forced into everyday complicity with his own family’s oppression – callously interrupted, over and over and over. Frankly, any of us can go out and buy Israeli goods if we choose to do so. But McMaster’s purchasing policy is not giving anyone a choice. It is forcing students to accept complicity in an economic structure with which they may take legitimate moral issue. Now, if we truly want this campus to be accessible to all people, then that is a truth with which we must engage. My experience of Jewishness is an increasingly frustrating one. It is a profoundly lonely feeling: the idea that it is some singular, coherent identity that must be preserved in opposition to a hostile world, when I see so much love and humanity trying desperately to touch us. It is as though, sometimes, the joy and the pain of my family’s history are barred to me because I disagree with that premise. We can’t do that to each other. We can’t hold each other’s histories hostage. We cannot turn issues of human rights into theo-

logical or racial ones, or conflate criticism of governmental policy with anti-Semitism – as though all Jews are of one voice in this matter. Because we ought to know what it’s like to lose a history. Because the answer to that trauma has to be to act as faithful stewards of history – not to make myths and monsters of our brothers and sisters. And I will not accept an exchange of my own culture’s embrace for hateful or racist words put into my mouth. And they are. I’ve heard them. I was raised to believe ours was a religion of freedom. That it is not enough to be content in our own freedom, but that we must remember our own degradation and must toil until all people are free from bondage. That begins with listening to the oppressed, and holding ourselves to account.

“

“We can’t do that to each other. We can’t hold each other’s histories hostage.”

FEEDBACK Compiled by Kacper Niburski & Eliza Pope

What do you want to do before graduation?

“Learn how to swim.”

Fauzia Khanum, Engineering II

“Teacher her [Fauzia] how to swim.”

Dakota Bausingh, Humanities I

“Go to a party with my best friends.”

Wei Wu, Commerce I

“Volunteering - doesn’t matter where.” Tshiela Muembi, Social Science I

“Make an impact on incoming first years.” Karis Graham, Humanities I

Thursday, April 3, 2014

theSil.ca

OPINIONS

An assembly of differences

JEMMA WOLFE / EXECUTIVE EDITOR

Alisha Sunderji The Silhouette I went to an international school with 200 students from over 100 different countries. We were all on full scholarship, and came from a wide range of socio-economic backgrounds. My classmates came from different cultures and religions, each bringing rich experiences and diverse perspectives to the classroom. One of my friends, Ali was from Palestine. Another friend, Jacob, was from Israel. One night in the library, as I struggled to print out a last minute assignment, Ali and I spoke about his childhood. He told me about how his father had been imprisoned for the majority of Ali’s childhood because of his political views. He described the nuances and challenges of being Palestinian and of growing up in the West Bank. He told me that when we first started school, he avoided the Israeli students. He couldn’t talk to them. He couldn’t interact with them. Later in the year I saw Ali

warmly put his arm around Jacob’s neck. They were talking and laughing. Jacob had plans to visit Ali over the summer. There was dialogue, friendship and respect. Jacob now serves in the Israeli Army, fulfilling his responsibilities of conscription. Ali is in his final year of his undergraduate degree in the United States. I haven’t spoke to either of them since we graduated high school four years ago. Sitting in the backbenches of the Burridge Gym during the GA, I wondered how Ali and Jacob could talk about and acknowledge their differences. In the crowd I recognized people who were directly involved in the Israel-Palestine conflict. I also saw people who like me were not directly implicated in the issue, but who identified with a particular message and wanted to learn more. Both of my friends had lived through and experienced the conflict firsthand, with visceral memories of loss, fear and anger. Ali and Jacob could have a respectful conversation. They lis-

tened to each other. Yet at the GA we did the exact opposite. There was no dialogue and no desire to acknowledge and validate another person’s lived experience. Instead, one speaker named Salah was continually interrupted

“

“I write this article not with the intention to vilify a particular stance or de-legitimize a perspective, but to instead show that respectful, informative and powerful dialogue on this issue can take place in an educational setting.’

due to “Points of Information” and “Points of Order” raised by No-to-BDS campaigners. Salah

was telling his story of how he and his family had fled Palestine as refugees. The deliberate interruptions, the “I feel uncomfortable”s and the complaints of “emotionally charged language” stung me. Clearly there was no place for Salah’s story. There was no desire, respect or humility for someone else’s experience. Instead, every attempt was made to stifle him from speaking and prevent an understanding of his perspective. I understand that leaving the GA to break quorum was a politically strategic move. I understand the continuous proposals were meant to shift around agenda items so that there would be no time to talk about BDS. However, I can rationalize that these moves undermined the legitimacy of the General Assembly. I struggle to understand the unwavering approach to prevent someone from sharing their own personal narrative. If anything, what I learned from the GA was that no genuine dialogue was going to happen on campus. Stories

were going to continually be marginalized because they were unpopular, or raised questions that people shouldn’t be asking. Last week the front cover of the Silhouette covered the story of Providence, a Rwandan student at McMaster. Her experiences were acknowledged and the adversity that she and her family had faced was brought to the attention of the larger community. Yet, there is little space and desire to hear Salah’s story. I think back to Ali and Jacob and the maturity and compassion that they showed each other. I look to my friends at McMaster who have received manipulative messages on Facebook, who have alienated people with opposing views, who have deliberately shut their ears, minds and hearts to any message that challenges their world view. And I am profoundly disappointed, because if Ali and Jacob can do it, then why can’t we?

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theSil.ca

Thursday, April 3, 2014

OPINIONS

A10

#Nomakeup #Soselfish

Sarah O’Connor The Silhouette In recent weeks my Facebook Newsfeed has been flooded with #nocamerafilter #naturalbeauty #nomakeup selfies. Hundreds of bare-faced people smiling, and tagging he, she, and so and so they haven’t spoken to since kindergarten. I don’t care for Facebook trends. I’m rarely nominated and would ignore the nomination if it happened. Still, if people wanted to go out of their comfort zone and display their naked face to the world, go ahead. Make-up, no make-up, I really don’t care. Whatever makes a person happy. It wasn’t until one of my Facebook friends took a picture of her chest that I had any idea that this craze was for cancer. I’ll ask the obvious question: How is this helping cancer? I don’t blame the participants for thinking they are doing something good. It’s like liking that page for Kony 2012 to save the Invisible Children. People hear about something bad or sad and feel obligated to help. It’s too bad

that help seems to be a simple click; a simple bare-faced smile that they think makes all the difference. The world will be a better place and cancer will be known (because there obviously is no awareness) and cured because of your naked smiling face. I understand why the participants think they are helping. Cancer patients often feel embarrassed and self-conscious over their appearance because of the exhausting effects that chemo and radiation. The no make-up selfie then inspires people to feel like a cancer patient, to show their unpampered face and feel the same embarrassment without their make-up to protect them. In theory it’s a good idea, but in reality it’s selfish. When the no make-up selfie craze began in the U.K. people were hashtagging and smiling their tired face-off, but most people were also donating. In 48 hours the #NoMakeupSelfie campaign earned more than $5 million Canadian in donations to Cancer Research U.K. Of my 245 friends on Facebook only two have done anything with the selfie that promotes

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cancer awareness. My mentioned friend above also took a picture of her throat, highlighting the different types of cancers there are to bring awareness. My other friend actually donated to the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation. Instead of posting no makeup selfies people can do so much more to help spread cancer awareness. People can donate to the various cancer charities that exist, people can volunteer at Jurivinski, people can even knit squares for

blankets for cancer patients! There are so many productive things people can do to actually make a difference. My mom was recently diagnosed with breast cancer for the third time, and that might allow you to read this article as a personal complaint on a fad. But you don’t need a mother who has fought cancer multiple times to consciously know that there are better ways to advocate for cancer awareness and donations then

posting a selfie. In the meantime I will be helping my mother cook and clean around the house. I will be going with her to appointments and in my spare time I’ll knit some squares for blankets for Jurivinski. I want to actively help, and I hope you’ll join me. @notsarahconnor

Thursday, April 3, 2014

theSil.ca

Rape culture at Mac

OPINIONS

A11

Lack of accessibility at General Assembly Support for the issue was only a democratic tool for some

SILHOUETTE FILE PHOTO SILHOUETTE FILE PHOTO

The Redsuit songbook highlights the need for a campus wide debate

Shanthiya Baheerathan The Silhouette This year has been filled with some drastic examples of rape culture on campuses across Canada, McMaster not withstanding. But while the large-scale media concern around the topic is somewhat comforting, I find its coverage allows bureaucrats and image managers to polarize the issue by acting drastically, and without long-term goals in mind. When I first heard about the engineers’ songbook, I couldn’t say that I was surprised. I knew it was just a matter of time before something like it occurred, whether it was the Redsuits, the Maroons, or a group of as-of-yet unknown students. I was more curious about how the University would respond – would they try to understand the issues surrounding rape culture on campus and help dismantle it in the longterm, or would they strike quickly, to arbitrarily reprimand the students who overstepped the line far enough to garner media attention? Again, I was not surprised. The engineering students are being treated like children who ought to have known better, when neither the University, nor student societies have made the effort to point out this type of worrisome behaviour in the past. In fact, I will go as far as to say that both the University and the students have inadvertently endorsed it. The question that needs to be asked about the drastic examples of the songbook is: how did the University let it get this far in the first place? Shouldn’t there have been safeguards or education mechanisms in place to help students and staff understand how these actions can create a normalized culture of exclusion and prejudice on campus? And I am not removing myself from this jumble of blame. In fact, I have also unintentionally endorsed the engineers’ behaviour in the past. The example that stands out the most occurred during my welcome week. But my discomfort around the memory doesn’t really come from being in that situation, rather, it comes from what I did: in that moment, I went along with the “silly antics” of those “hilarious” welcome week representatives. I reinforced something that I didn’t even know I could be a part of: rape culture. In first year, the words “rape culture” projected an image of viewable physical violence – rape, domestic abuse, overt exclusion.

At that time, I could not believe “Oh, she is one of those people”. that drunken college sex, which You know a prude, a killjoy, a has often been presented as a complainer. Her culture probably staple of the “college experience”, prevents her from doing it – they would be labeled something so would whisper behind cupped drastic. But the definition is more hands. complex than just a series of None of the reasons for not unmitigated action or inaction by speaking up, and expressing my a bunch of fumbling undergraddiscomfort, but I think there uates, it’s much more than the should just exist more places on engineers’ songbook and it’s much campus where students can go more than the University’s ignoto with these thoughts, that don’t rance. Don’t get me wrong, all of serve to punish students or ignore those act as the nuts and bolts, but the issue, but instead listen and I think we fail to see how these try to help both sides understand individual actors function in rehow their actions could be perlation to perpetuate and maintain ceived as hurtful. The sanctions rape culture on campus. against the engineers have only Loosely linked, events like served to pit students against one this could onto subliminally mesanother, and made the dialogue sage the individuals of the culture. about political correctness instead Our experiences surrounding of gender inequality. The students these cultural experiences range have not acted any better. It has in a spectrum, given how engaged become a blame game, which with the issue we are. There are shifts the lens from the issue of also various degrees of influence gender inequity to student politics that this cultural subliminal mesand office bureaucracy. saging goes on to do. As university students, we’re It ranges from taking the never taught that we have a presentation as a joke, a caricature responsibility for one another. We so far removed from our realities operate under the delusion that that we cannot help but uncomour successes and failures result fortably giggle. “Who would be so from individual action. But that’s stupid to try something like taknot true; we’re constantly strading someone home drunk?” The dling the divide between selfhood horror of what that could mean is and culture. Culture is sieved into too ludicrous to process, and so our brain through the systems we disengage and laugh. that we’re in (education, governOthers are enraged at what ment, media) and as individuals this simple and comedic presentaand organizations with various tion of rape could possibly mean. lenses; we filter through this They can map out the social netinformation to come to gradual work and influences that will go conclusions. Then these organion to perpetuate zations and indithis kind of thinkviduals go on to ing. They imagine influence culture. the first year, who “We fail to see how The process is comes from a cyclical and one these individual actors from which we community that doesn’t talk about function in relation cannot remove consent or rape, ourselves. to perpetuate and or who comes We have maintain rape culture from a mindset a tendency to that cannot imag- on campus.” quickly cry out ine the anxious, “but that was not helplessness that my fault” but we floods a person’s mind after inneed to start thinking about these stances of gendered violence. culture-forming and culture-inEven others, who unconformed events in a different sciously adhere to the culture way, not in a way that framed in that assumes that the university politically correct dialogue, but experience is one of aggressive in a way digs deeper to point out sexuality, are internally affirmed where this culture festers in the that their experiences or assumpfirst place, and in a way that rections are valid. They go on to conognizes that the culture outside of sciously commit these instances the university is one that permits of violence without awareness of gender-based violence in casual the horror they are perpetuating. interaction. When I was in first year, I Instead of arbitrarily imstraddled the line between exposing sanctions, which act to treme offence and uncomfortable fuel the feeling of injustice in the giggles. But I have been wonminds of engineers, the student dering about why I didn’t voice lens needs to shift to show the my discomfort in my first year. I potential implications of such imagine how the scenario would a songbook, and steps need to play out: I was a first year student, be taken to better educate all who had no idea what the protostudents on campus about sexual col to report such an incident was. and gender-based violence before If voiced out loud, I could imagthey happen. ine comprehension dawn on the faces of my friends of 24 hours.

“

Sarah Jama The Silhouette Accessibility is clearly not a priority when it comes to issues that exist on campus. At least, that’s the impression I left with after the General Assembly had adjourned. The majority of the General Assembly was spent arguing over which motions deserved to be debated first. Specifically, both the BDS motion supporters, as well as the Anti-BDS motion supporters in room were adamant on having their motions debated first, as they opposed each other. Personally, I submitted four motions to the General Assembly that called for: better accessibility at the Athletic and Recreation Centre, prioritizing ramp clearing during the winter, having a new ramp installed in front of the Burke Science Building, and having a survey administered to Student Accessibility Services users, focused on accessibility issues that are not directly related to academics (i.e. Welcome Week, and barriers of entry into campus buildings). Wanting to get through to all of the items on the agenda, I suggested that the motions be discussed in the order they were received by the speaker, so that we could get to each motion fairly without further discussion about logistics. This would place the BDS motion first on the agenda, the accessibility motions second, the motion about Kosher and Halal food at Bridges third, and the Anti BDS motion last. The majority of the room agreed with this amendment, and this is where things started to take a turn for the worst. Those who were against having the BDS motion discussed first, made another amendment, this time using my accessibility motions in order to politically manipulate the situation. A massive amount of people started to argue that my accessibility motions were more important than the other student issues on the agenda, using these statements to solely aid the argument that the BDS motions should be discussed after the Anti BDS motion, as long as the accessibility motions were discussed first. Though I agreed that accessibility should be made a priority, I felt used. I was disappointed and disagreed with the concept of using accessibility issues at McMaster University as a way to get one political issue spoken about before the other at the Assembly. On top of that, those using my motions in their argument undermined and ignored the fact that I already voiced, twice, that I wanted the motions to be discussed in the order they were received by the speaker. When this amendment failed, a significant amount of people

on the Anti BDS side refuted this, making yet another amendment. This time, the majority of people who originally claimed they wanted accessibility to be priority, scratched this argument. They demanded that both the political motions be completely taken off the agenda. When this amendment also failed to pass, they left the room. This back-andforth wasted so much time that no other issues on the agenda was discussed. I felt like my accessibility motions weren’t taken seriously by the people feigning so much support for them. The walk out killed time, disrupted quorum, and showed little respect for the other motions on the agenda. I was not expecting the lack of accessibility on campus to be used at the General Assembly solely to cause advantages or disadvantages to other motions. I was not expecting to be denied speaking time because of agenda ordering. As an incoming Social Science SRA representative, I do plan to bring these accessibility issues up at future Student Representative Assembly meetings, but the fact that a lot of students at the General Assembly either placed these issues on the back burner, or used them to achieve their own political goals, has caused me to question whether accessibility on campus really is important to students at McMaster University.

“

“I was disappointed and disagreed with the concept of using accessibility issues at McMaster as a way to get one political issue spoken before the other at the Assembly.”

OLIVIA NOW! New documentar y shows the dangerous side of Toronto's safe choice C1

THURSDAY

THE

HAMILTON SPECULATOR DILLHOLING SINCE 1934

LOCAL

Stoney Creek dries up; Stoney Shithole tourism revenues take a dive A2

INSIDE Gallery of pictures cropped in such a way that you can't really tell what is going on

CANADA

NOTSPEC.COM

APRIL 3, 2014

Border dispute leads to U.S. gaining control of 2/3 of Saskatchewan and returning it A3

CRIME

Hamilton becomes second-most likely city to end up on a list B2

Government mincing words The Federal Government is set to enact the cost-saving measure of firing anyone with a name longer than 10 total letters, to save on the ink needed to print longer names on forms and bills

Steve Harps hopes that this cost-saving initiative will curb the government's unruly yearly expenditures on ink and metal nameplate engraving.

OSKAR OLSEN & STRETCH POT Top Ten

The Canadian Government will no longer hire employees with longer names. In light of criticism directed towards the government's rampant misspending of tax dollars, an institutional order was given to terminate any contracts with employees named at 11 letters or longer. "We're really proud to announce the noticeable decrease in spending that will translate to tax cuts for people, maybe," said John Clemen, policy officer for the office of institutional budgeting. Clemen wanted to remind workers that anyone with a disqualified name can appeal their termination under the condition that they legally changed their

name to fit the new guidelines. ed tours of Parliament. Today I am "Some people have already the Minister of National Defence," gone the extra mile to keep worksaid Ng Po, Minister of National ing for the government, like the Defence. Prime Minister formerly known as Though some have opted to Stephen Harpbite the buler, who goes let and legally by Steve now," change their said Clemen. names, oth"Anyone can appeal their An uniners have stuck termination under the contended conseto their guns dition they legally change quence of this and let pride initative has drive their detheir name." been the popcisions. ularization of "I refused p ar t i c u l ar i ly to change my John Clemen short names. name just so Formerly Johnathan Clementine G ov e r n m e nt I could keep workers with working for exceptional moniker brevity have such a penny-pinching pack of found themselves flooded with pills," said Johannes Klugzenbërgpromotions and bonuses, where er, former MP. they might have been a mere mail A list of major name changes clerk before. can be found to the right, with the "Yesterday I was giving guidnew names in bold.

Steven Harper Steve Harps Kathleen Wynne Kathy Wynne David Christophersen Dave Cristo Justin Trudeau JT Peter Mckay Pete Mack Jason Kenny Jay-Ken Olivia Chow Mayor Chow Alexandrine Latendresse Jane Smith Raymond Côté Ray Ray

Printer has racist undertoner A school printer is refusing to print using black ink, showing a consistent intolerant message when print orders come TIBERIUS SLICK CMY-OK with this

Just when we thought it was safe to print documents in an inclusive setting, one curmudgeon challenges the status quo in the name of "old world values." An old accounting firm's 1987 dot matrix printer is refusing to use black ink after decades of "just going along with it so as to not make a scene." "Every time someone tries to print a document that uses the black ink cartridge, it displays the message "WATCH YOUR TONE[R]," and prints the page blank. It's really disconcerting,"

WEATHER HIGH: HO LOW: OFF TO WORK WE GO Of all the Disney Princesses, I think Snow White is the best analogy for Canadian spring. Only awake for a short bit and dwarfed by the other seasons.

said Paul Ruiz, Manager at the accounting firm. The firm considered replacing the printer, but many of the older staffers are not "with it" and as such rely on older technology to ensure they can do their day-today jobs. "It's honestly just easier dealing with the shadows of our past than it is to teach our older employees how to use laser printers and our office computers," said Ruiz. "It's really spiced up some of our inter-office memos though. Now every report is a rainbow, and that ain't half bad."

THE LAST SHIT Shit Hastings chases down that one

SPECU

last, elusive lead only to get lead poisoning, because homonyms. SEE ONLINE

This old hunk of junk is stuck in the stone ages of tolerance.

CRIMEA RIVER A2

FILLER TEXT B10

TIMMY'S JIMMIES GOT

DON'T FORGET TO CHANGE

RUSTLED A5

THIS, IDIOT -ED C2

BOWS BOW TO THE BOW ON

WOULDN'T IT BE HILARIOUS

THE BOW B0W

IF WE FORGOT TO CHANGE

FIRST

ART B4

PER ISSUE: My life back

INCL. HST, PST where applicable.

THIS FOR THE LAST ONE? D7

What did you learn this week, Timmy?

DISCLAIMER: Psyche.

“I learned,

Some jokes are better off not being brought back from the dead, even if it seems like a good idea at the time."

Don't think even for a second this little shit is making a comeback in the new semester. Not even once.

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.

Thursday, April 3, 2014

theSil.ca

B1 Editors Amanda Watkins & Miranda Babbitt Email lifestyle@thesil.ca silhappens.tumblr.com

Phone 905.525.9140 x27117

HAMILTON’S GRAVY TRAIN

Which Hamilton pub has mastered the fine balance of curd, gravy and fry? We bring you 11 poutines worth taste-testing.

TwelvEighty

For the record, we did not give TwelvEighty the best review because it is also operated by the MSU. To be completely honest, we unanimously agree that most of the food served there is pretty shitty (especially the shawarma, don’t ever order the shawarma). But somehow, beneath all that pseudo ethnic food and genetically modified chicken, they produce a stellar poutine that doesn’t even use cheese curds! I don’t know how they do it.

Snooty Fox

The Phoenix

Really generous with the curd and the gravy, this poutine hosts a nice balance of the dish’s three main elements. It is also HUGE (both a good and bad thing).

Their recent change to less burnt potatoes really made a difference. Their pulled pork poutine still resembles excrements, but their gravy is bountiful and tasty.

Emerson Pub

Emerson Pub needs to follow in the footsteps of The Phoenix and ditch the weirdly burnt, day-old fry style they’ve got going on. Grimy fries is not helping to improve your cold and damp atmosphere.

Basilique

Overall, not a bad choice. Not really what you would expect to order when walking into a Mediterranean restaurant, but their fries are fresh, their gravy homemade, and their portions generous.

on thesil.ca

Smoke’s

The West Town

You have to be drunkenly stumbling through Hess to crave this poutine, especially seeing as their gravy is super salty and overloaded with peppercorns. Not everyone likes peppercorns, Smoke’s.

A really well-sized portion, West Town’s poutine is served with near wedge-like fries and a hearty dose of gravy and curd. An all-around favoruite.

YOSEIF HADDAD / PHOTO EDITOR

Cocktails to accompany your favourite Sil section (or some poutine) While you spend this week basking in our final broadsheet issue (ever), pour one of these in honour of each section NEWS

SPECULATOR

OPINIONS

LIFESTYLE

SPORTS

ANDY

OLD FASHIONED

MOUNTAIN DEW ME

HORSE’S NECK

PINK GRAPEFUIT MIMOSA

MILE HIGH MANHATTAN

CAMPARI & IPA SPRITZER

It’s sweet, it’s sour, and something about it makes you feel a little bit uncomfortable. But even with all of this in mind, it’s still the choice you whip out to impress your friends and give them all a laugh.

Its cringe-worthy name may have you wary to admit it’s your first choice, and you often worry how it will affect your mind post-consumption. But its diverse flavours and lingering aftertaste always leaves you asking for more.

You aren’t totally sure if you take this seriously or simply just like it because its pretty, neat and easy to swallow. Either way, you still know that this is the most refreshing and delicious option, hands down.

A classic choice that’s been around for years, it’s sure to leave you with a lingering thirst for more. It tends to bring in more of a niche audience, but it’s of a crowd who certainly knows what it wants.

It’s effortlessly cool and makes you wish you thought of it first. It doesn’t use the most accessible of terminology, but it’s still sleek and fun and guarantees a good time.

2 oz. melon liqueur 1 oz. triple sec 4 oz. pineapple juice 1 splash 7Up/Sprite

1 ½ oz. brandy 3 oz. ginger ale 1 dash of Angostura Bitters

3 oz. champagne 3 oz. pink grapefruit juice 1 sliced strawberry

2 oz. bourbon ½ oz. vanilla liqueur ½ oz. grand marnier A drop of anise-liqueur

It may come across boring at first glance, but this classic choice garners respect and entices a distinguished taste. 2 oz. bourbon 2 dashes Angostura Bitters 1 splash water 1 tsp. sugar Maraschino cherry to jazz it up

About half a bottle of your favourite India Pale Ale 2 oz. Campari

theSil.ca

Thursday, April 3, 2014

LIFESTYLE RANT

Dear smart people, (and people who complain about them) Jason Woo The Silhouette With the final wave of midterms over and finals looming over us, it’s the time of year when grades are returned and people inevitably talk about how they are all doing oh so poorly. How is that possible? Is everyone at McMaster stupid? Are all the professors out to ensure none of us succeed? Oh wait, you got an 11 and you are worried about it dragging your 12s? Let me play you a sad song on the world’s smallest violin. Some of these people who complain about their near perfect grades seem so oblivious. To be fair, I understand that if you worked your tail off all year and just miss the all 12 mark, it is pretty frustrating. You have every right to be upset, but why don’t you think of the other student with an eight average who just passed you? How does he feel? Obviously you have no moral obligation to make this lower achieving student feel good about his mark, but it’d be nice. And we’re all nice deep down right? On the flip side, this does not mean this 8.0 individual can then go complain about it on Spotted @ Mac and make some obscene comment about snobby Health Science students. One, they’re probably not snobby. That’s just rude and you’re making a very hasty generalization. Two, why don’t you use that person’s success

to motivate yourself to try harder? Instead of trying to shift the blame to high achieving students, you should reflect on why you are not one of them. At the end of the day, if you put forth your absolute best effort, and you end up with an eight average, there’s no shame in that. And then there’s you, average Joe who spends 20 hours studying for a midterm and gets a mediocre grade. I cannot even begin to imagine how that feels, but I can imagine how annoying it is when your friend tells you he studied for an hour and got a 12. It probably does not help that he spends the entire week before explaining to you how screwed he was for the test and how he had not started studying yet. I would not blame you if you slapped him in the face. Am I being hypocritical? Maybe a little. I think the difference though is that in my first example, the high achieving student earned the grade, whereas this other student just seems blessed with an impeccable brain. It comes down to the general belief that you get what you put into something. Tl;dr: keep your head up, and keep it to yourself too. Sincerely, Oh-My-God-Finals-Are-NextWeek

12 11 10 9 Can’t complain past this point...

8 7 6 5 4

SEEING DOUBLE SUDOKU

PUZZLING WORDS OF WISDOM “Women are like puzzles because prior to 1920 neither had the right to vote. Puzzles still don’t.” - Bo Burnham

Thursday, April 3, 2014

theSil.ca

LIFESTYLE

Behind the scenes with LifeStyle

AMANDA WATKINS

MIRANDA BABBITT

LifeStyle Editor, 3rd-year Multimedia & Communication Studies

Assistant LifeStyle Editor, 2nd-year Arts & Science

Jacket: J Crew Romper: Dakota Mae in Westdale Shoes: Capezio

Sweater: H&M Dress: Urban Outfitters Tights: Gift from Mom Shoes: Aldo

Favourite article for the year? “Stressed for success”

Favourite article for the year? “Home sweet Hamilton”

Favourite Production Night snack? Mini peanut butter cups.

Favourite Production Night snack? Pistachios.

Girl crush? Rashida Jones.

Girl crush? Marion Cotillard.

Guy crush? Jon Hamm.

Guy crush? Robert Pattinson.

YOSEIF HADDAD / PHOTO EDITOR

You keep studying, and we’ll do your taxes. For free. Time is running out. We know how hard it is to achieve a professional degree. So if you’re enrolled in a full-time medical or dental program, we’ll be happy to prepare your Canadian personal income tax return for free. To get started, visit GrantThornton.ca/freetaxreturn and complete the application form. One of our professionals will contact you shortly after and guide you through the process. But hurry—the offer ends April 15, 2014. Conditions apply. See website for details.

FIRST NOTICE GENERAL REFERENDUM A referendum of the Association’s membership will be held on May 13-16 to seek members’ input on matters of the Association.

Call for Nominations to the Board Nominations are being accepted from MAPS members who would like to serve as a director of the Association. In order to qualify, you must be a part-time undergraduate student (taking less than 18 units), a student at the Centre for Continuing Education or enrolled in the Clinical Behavioural Sciences Program. Nomination forms are available in our office at MUSC 234, or online at: www.McMaster.ca/MAPS. Nominations close at 2:30pm on Friday April 11th, 2014.

Call for Referendum Questions Members may submit proposed referendum questions to the Board of Directors for consideration by the Membership. The Board reserves the right to include or defer proposed questions based on the best interests of the Association. For more information, please see By-Law 1 (Section 14). Proposed questions must be received by the Association no later than 2:30pm on Friday April 11th, 2014. Questions may be delivered in person or sent via email to MAPS@McMaster.ca

Annual Report & Financial Statements The Board of Directors is pleased to announce that the 2013 Audited Financial Statements have been approved. The statements are available on our website at www.McMaster.ca/MAPS. A hard copy will also be available for review in our offices at MUSC 234. For more information, please visit or contact our offices at MUSC 234, call (905) 525-9140 x22021 or email MAPS@McMaster.ca

GrantThornton.ca Audit • Tax • Advisory © Grant Thornton LLP. A Canadian Member of Grant Thornton International Ltd

GOOD LUCK ON YOUR EXAMS!

Thursday, April 3, 2014

theSil.ca

When is it really time to take a break? No matter how long you’ve been studying, treating yo’ self doesn’t listen to the stopwatch. Miranda Babbitt Assistant LifeStyle Editor 1. Your brain was once a superhero sitting inside your head, taking all the reading notes from the last however many months and hurling them into your long-term memory no problem. Now that brain of yours is like a drunken uncle telling you stories you never wanted to hear so you obviously dismiss him, maybe with a roll of the eyes. PLOT TWIST: Those stories are full of necessary information, aka they are the facts you gotta know. Your brain is playing stupid tricks on you. It’s time to treat yo’ self. 2. Your friends just walked into your room because they were questioning whether or not you were alive. They open the door to see you in slouched in your seat, two empty coffee cups by your side, and a half-eaten bag of pistachios. Oh, and a textbook somewhere, probably. You’ve just zoned out for a good hour, and can’t even pretend you’re getting work done. It’s not worth your time to fake it anymore. It’s time to treat yo’ self. 3. There’s a checklist beside your notebook that is fully, head-totoe dressed up in completion. You’ve knocked everything off that list, you champion, and yet you can’t tear your eyes away from the screen of PowerPoint slides

in front of you. There comes a certain point when you need to trust in yourself that you’ve studied enough to do well, at the very least, and that you’ve given this test your all. It feels good! Take a break to veg out and laugh with some buddies and, most importantly, treatin’ yo self before heading back to it (if you want). 4. Your test is tomorrow at 3 p.m. As the beast you are, you studied for about six hours straight after you got home and it’s now 4 a.m. Not that you feel like you’ll ace the test, but you feel pretty sure you won’t fail. Sadly, this is sometimes what cramming amounts to, and your week was crazy! Stop thinking of sleep as an unworthy surrender. Sleep helps you retain that information. So snuggle into bed for a short, but sweet sleep and wake up with a steamy coffee for the last long haul.

LIFESTYLE

Study break tips

IT’S TIME TO TREAT YO’ SELF

5. You haven’t necessarily been studying for hours on end, but your eyes are giving in on you. It’s like you suddenly need glasses, and not the cool, hip glasses but the 85 times prescription glasses that will make your eyes all bug-like. Focus on something far away for a couple minutes if you’re in dire need of studying more, or… treat yo’ self!

You want it? We can do it! Check us out year round for: Colour copies Black & White copies Business cards Office supplies Large format printing Faxing Binding

Treating yo’ self involves doing something awesome that is totally tailored to your every desire and no one else’s. You deserve that pair of cashmere socks that somehow have enough demand to never go on sale. You also deserve a whole day at the spa after killing it during the exam period. But how do we condense these little treats of personal joy into fifteen-thirty minute study breaks? Here are some ideas that could spark your interest. 1. Stock up on your favourite variety of chips and sprinkle them over a big bowl of popcorn. Then proceed to knock on your roomie’s door and ask if she would like to get in on a miniature,

super-speed girls’ night where you divulge any and all plans for the summer,

even if that’s being whisked away to Rome by some guy you lock eyes with at the bar. Studying can make us delirious. Just go with it. 2. At the risk of sounding thirteen, sometimes a dance

party in your pajamas works some serious magic on low spirits. The worn out university

student can almost forget how to dance after slumping in a desk chair for hours on end. And that’s just unacceptable. Dance parties can be solo, with or without headphones depending on the time of day, and with or without a dear friend who doesn’t need a hint of dancing coordination either. Dance parties are just so flexible. 3. Try massaging the creative side of your brain on a treat yo’ self break. First, brew

a massive cup of tea or blend a massive milkshake (ice +

milk + cocoa powder + bananas + honey = nutritious delight), because we need some creative juices. Then, take a piece of paper and every

INGREDIENTS: 1 1/2 cups black beans (1 15-oz can, drained and rinsed very well) 2 tbsp regular cocoa powder- feel no qualms in adding more 1/2 cup quick oats 1/4 tsp salt 1/3 cup pure maple syrup or honey or even agave nectar (if you fancy) 2 tbsp sugar (or just increase maple syrup to 1/2 cup) 1/4 cup coconut or vegetable oil 2 tsp pure vanilla extract 1/2 tsp baking powder 1/2 cup to 2/3 cup chocolate chips optional: more chips, and some variety of berry because spring is here, folks! HOW TO: Preheat oven to 350 F. Combine all the ingredients (but the chocolate chips) in a food processor, and blend until completely smooth. A smoothie blender has worked for me, but I’ve heard they’re not quite as smooth or tasty (they’re still crazy yummy to me, so these may be some intense bakers’ opinions). Stir in the chips to the mixture, then pour into a greased 8×8 pan. Now sprinkle extra chocolate chips over the top. Cook the black bean brownies 1518 minutes, then let cool at least 10 minutes before trying to cut. Makes 9 - 10 brownies! @mirandababbitt

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4. RECIPE ALERT. Try making these super-quick, healthy brownies that will satisfy a sweet tooth and keep your brain fueled on its nutritious delights.

Accelerate your studies

Laminating T-Shirt Transfers

single one of your coloured pens/ pencils. Try making a visual list of what you hope to do this summer and, even more abstract, how you hope to feel. You don’t have to be Vincent Van Gogh to be pleased with the product. For example, you could plan a me, myself & I day with all of your favourite activities.

For further information, contact Mickey Smart at: 519-824-4120 x56050 Email: msmart@uoguelph.ca

(Almanac, Wall Caldendar, Silhouette)

& more!

Underground Media + Design McMaster University MUSC Room B117 Student Centre Basement 905.525.9140 x27557 www.OpenEd.uoguelph.ca

theSil.ca

Thursday, April 3, 2014

LIFESTYLE

THE HAMILTON

BUCKETLIST

Whether you’re a Hamilton native looking to reignite your love for the city, staying in your student house for the first time over the summer, or just passing through and happened to pick up a copy of this, follow this map for guaranteed summer fun. Amanda Watkins LifeStyle Editor

@whatthekins

GO TO THE FARMER’S MARKET Spend a day picking out fresh fruits and vegetables and chatting with elderly farmers at the Dundas Farmer’s Market, which reopens June 12. Side note: All I’m saying is the last time I went to the Dundas Farmer’s Market I met Justin Trudeau. So you should probably hang out there more often.

t et Eas

Aside from housing lecture halls and libraries, McMaster is also home to Hamilton’s only planetarium. Located in the basement of BSB, the planetarium hosts shows throughout the year. Check their website for their upcoming showtimes.

Stre Main

VISIT THE PLANETARIUM

STALK DEER IN COOTES Go for a casual stroll or a treacherous trek through one of the many paths connected to Cootes Paradise. Known for its flora and fauna, devote an afternoon to basking in the glory of mother nature and taking time to appreciate the bountiful deer population of Hamilton. Don’t forget to bring snacks and a camera!

READ... FOR FUN Visit the independent bookseller Bryan Prince (1060 King Street West), the second hand bookstore, The Bookworm (852 King Street West), or get a library card from the Westdale Library (955 King Street West) and sign out a whole bunch of books. No post-it notes or highlighters required.

PLAY THE “NAME THAT BIRD” GAME Walk on over to the Aviary (85 Oak Knoll Drive) where you can lounge in the gardens, visit the splash pad (if that’s your thing), or take a tour of the bird facilities and try guessing their species. What is that thing that looks like both a dove and a chicken? Is “grey” a breed of parrot? And on your walk over, admire how beautiful the non-student housing is, and comment on how confusing Hamilton is for having three streets named Dalewood, all within Westdale.

GET YOUR TEA LEAVES READ Head to the Vintage Garden Tea Room on Locke for a warm beverage, pastries, and a foreboding glimpse into your future. For the low price of $12, get your tealeaves read and have a ponder or two about your future. Make sure you make a reservation beforehand to guarantee a spot!

YOU GOTTA EAT HERE You gotta eat here: John Catucci of Food Network fame proclaimed this Locke Street favourite, Bread Bar (258 Locke St. South), as one of Canada’s best restaurants on his popular show You Gotta Eat Here. Along with BB, The Black Forest Inn (255 King Street East) has also made the prestigious list.

STAY OUT AT ARTCRAWL ALL NIGHT GO TO A CLUB ON A TUESDAY Main Stre et East

This Steel City tradition that turns the second Friday of every month into an open street art festival along James North and its surrounding areas, also encourages late night bar and restaurant hours for you to enjoy through the wee hours of the morning. Challenge yourselves to stay out all night and end your night/start your morning with breakfast at the John Street Diner (29 John Street North) or Wimpy’s (771 Queenston Road). Don’t forget a flask and a toothbrush!

Go to a club on a Tuesday: While calm summer days are not always conducive to late club nights, try running through Hess on a Tuesday or Wednesday evening. Most venues are open offering live music and an overall very chill scene for patio drinks and relaxation. While you’re there, make your first sober trip to Smoke’s and discover how unpleasant their food is when you haven’t already had six shots of gin.

BE A FOOD BLOGGER Take a stroll downtown and have a seat at a restaurant you’ve never tried before. James, John, King and King William offer loads of unique Hamilton restaurants serving up Thai, Mexican and Indian cuisine among others. Snap a few pictures of your meal and pretend to be a foodie of Instagram. Or write a Yelp review and feel your inner Guy Fiyerri come out. Check out some of our restaurant reviews for recommendations!

TAKE A TRIP TO THE WATERFRONT

If the most you know about Hamilton Harbour is that it’s next to the 407, then it’s high time you headed to the waterfront. Go for a picnic at Bayfront Park, take a stroll or go bike riding along the water’s edge trail, go roller skating at the outdoor derby rink, or sip a coffee at the Williams overlooking the harbour. You can even take a ride along the trail on a trolley ($5) or go on a guided boat tour ($11.50). It’s the perfect place for warm days and romantic evenings.

SWIM IN A WATERFALL Hamilton is the waterfall capital of the world. THE WORLD. Visit one of the 120 nearby shoots on a hot summer day, and be sure to pack a bathing suit as swimming is permitted (in some cases). The Darnley Cascade and Chedoke Falls are popular destinations, just be sure to plan your route well in advance, as they are not the easiest places for commuting. But after you’ve set your sights on the cascading beauties, the experience will definitely be worth the extra effort.

Open Circle Creativity Circle When April 03 from 01:30PM until 02:20PM Where MUSC 215e

sible areas of expression include visual arts, writing, drama, music, living life, activism, meditation, etc. No artistic experience needed. You are welcome to try out the group anytime with no expectation to join or attend weekly. •Weekly Meeting Time: Thursdays from 1:30 2:20pm in MUSC 215e

Open Circle is a diverse and consensus-based community of McMaster students where we value, respect and learn from each other

www.opencircle.mcmaster.ca

Creativity Circle is a supportive space for sparking the flame of your creative fire. Join us to...

•Contact: Marybeth: Leismb@mcmaster.ca Open Circle’s Reflection Circle Guidelines:

•Discuss our thoughts on and experiences of creativity

•Creating an atmosphere of freedom, safety, and respect

•Challenge each other to stretch ourselves in listening to and following our inner voice

•Respecting each others' ideas, opinions, feelings, & questions

•Connect into our center, here gaining strength that flows out into authentic being and acting •Reflect on life and meaning as we seek to integrate creativity and spirituality Whether you are already an accomplished and engaged creative artist, or are beginning to explore your creative journey for the first time, this group has something for you. Learn from each other to live all of life creatively, whether through an artistic medium or through how you raise questions and engage society and your inner life. Pos-

•For more info:

•Working to see that everyone feels the freedom to participate or pass •Respecting confidentiality

Social Science Grad Pub When April 05, 2014 at 08:00PM Location of event: The Phoenix Hosted by: McMaster Social Science Society Tickets available at Compass

General ticket: $5.00 Please note: - Ticket holders must be 19+ - You must bring a valid government age of majority card - This event is open to everyone 19+, you do not need to be in Social Sciences. - For more information please contact the organizer: society@themsss.com

Summer Volunteering Opportunities When April 09, 2014

--Dr. Davey Breakfast Program – Thursdays (7:459:45am) Engage children in positive conversation during breakfast, teaching respect, playing games, helping with cooking and clean up. Find out more about spring term groups or apply for a group at: www.opencircle.mcmaster.c a/volunteer Be sure to tell your friends, who are around this summer, about these opportunities!

Community Volunteer Action (CVA)is sponsored Where by MSU Open Circle and is a Hamilton, ON working group of OPIRG, McMaster. We are a network Volunteer with CVA in May- of volunteering groups June! (sign ups now open) where you volunteer weekly with other McMaster stuGet out of the bubble and dents at placements across volunteer to help out in the Hamilton. Your group faciliHamilton community! This is tator helps you find your a chance to volunteer with a way to the placement and group of Mac students in facilitates discussion for 15 downtown Hamilton and min. after each volunteer reflect together on your session to help you reflect experiences – choose from on your experiences and the following: how these relate to larger societal issues. --LAF (Learning and Fun) afterschool program – choose 1 of Mondays – Fridays (3:00pm-5:30pm). Tutor and mentor at-risk kids from Grades 1-8 in small groups and one-onone using fun and creative tools to teach academics

GOOD LUCK ON YOUR EXAMS!!

Sports Sillustrated theSil.ca

Thursday, April 3, 2014

Editors Laura Sinclair & Alexandra Reilly

Email sports@thesil.ca @SilSports

Phone 905.525.9140 x27117

THE

Socc e Ykem râ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Soph ia keep a is a rea er l

MEN WOMEN OF

MCMASTER McMaster sports are over for the season, but Marauders never quit. Check out our galleries on B8 and B10

Sports Editor Laura Sinclair (left) and Assistant Sports Editor Alexandra Reilly (right) take you on a tour of many faces of the Marauders.

Jori Mantha shows off the steely glare that took him & the volleyball team to the CIS.

theSil.ca

Sports Sillustrated

Thursday, April 3, 2014

SPORTS

The gallery kicks off with five athletes from five different sports, with one thing in common: that prize-winning stare. PHOTOS BY YOSEIF HADDAD / PHOTO EDITOR

DANIELLE BOIAGO

CINDY NELLES

STATS

Guard 5’7” Honours Kinesiology #3

15.7 points per game 4.4 rebounds per game

Women’s Rugby 6’0” Civil Engineering #8

8 total tries 44 total points

MARSHALL FERGUSON

Quarterback 6’2” Political Science #2

STATS

2,410 total yards 21 touchdowns

BLAIR MORGAN

Track & Cross Country 6’0” Chemical Engineering

STATS

PB: 8:29- 3000m 6th at OUA Cross country

JORI MANTHA

Outside hitter 6’3” Sociology #13

STATS

257 total points

theSil.ca

SPORTS

Thursday, April 3, 2014

Mac scores big with new recruits It seems that McMaster basketball will continue to be a Championship contender for the 2014/2015 season Alexandra Reilly Assistant Sports Editor

C/O NORTH POLE HOOPS

With men’s basketball coming off one of their best seasons in years and women’s basketball holding some major award winners on their roster, it is safe to say that Marauder basketball’s luck will continue into 2014/2015. It has been confirmed that both the men’s and women’s teams have landed some top recruits for their upcoming seasons. Barrie Royals Basketball club player Ally Schweitzer has just committed to the Maroon and Grey for the 2014- 2015 season. Standing at 6’1” Schweitzer will hopefully be a force the Marauders could use as they lose fifth year guard Hailey Milligan. As a nine-year member with the Barrie Royals Basketball Club, Schweitzer is known for her rebounds and was named JUEL League all star this past season. Schweitzer will bring an impressive record with her to McMaster having won numerous championships and capturing OFSAA medals for both Rugby and Basketball during her high school career. She will be studying Kinesiology aside from playing basketball at McMaster. Schweitzer now becomes the third Marauder recruit commitment following Hamilton native Erin Burns and Newmarket resident Linnaea Harper. The good news for Marauder basketball isn’t reserved to the women’s team. The men’s team had another great year for recruits as Hamilton native David McCulloch has committed to join the McMaster clan for his University career. McCulloch is one of the most highly sought-after recruits in the Hamilton area as he helped power

his team at Cardinal Newman to go onto win three consecutive Hamilton Separate School Senior Championships and two OFSAA Quad-A tournament wins, making his high school team the provincial bronze medal champions in 2013. Men’s Head Coach Amos Connelly raved about McCulloch’s decision to wear the Maroon and Grey this season, as he will be a key piece in the equation to help McMaster men’s basketball clinch a national championship. McCulloch is ranked among the top 30 graduating players in Canada and remained an interest on both sides of the border as he was also on the radar of some top CIS team’s. This now makes McCulloch the second recruit to commit to McMaster for this season joining another Hamilton standout, Brian Hyrski, who will graduate from Sir Allan MacNab in June. @Miss_AReilly

MATT IS DIFFERENT. ARE YOU?

Matt Rendall, CEO Clearpath Robotics, MBET 2009

Are you the next Young Entrepreneur of the Year? Matt, MBET ’09, has been named the Young Entrepreneur of the Year, 2013, by Ernst and Young. Matt has a Master’s in Business, Entrepreneurship and Technology (MBET), an experiential program that provides you with the knowledge-base, real world experience, and access to networks you will need to launch your business career in the start-up sector and beyond.

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DISCOVER THE MBET TODAY: UWATERLOO.CA/ CONRAD

theSil.ca

Sports Sillustrated

Thursday, April 3, 2014

SPORTS

B10

The gallery continues with five more faces, and these ones found it hard to sit still. PHOTOS BY YOSEIF HADDAD / PHOTO EDITOR

TAYLOR BLACK

PATERSON FARRELL

STATS

Centre 6’7” Honours Kinesiology #10

Forward 5’10” Honours Commerce #11

4 goals 15 games played

13.9 points per game 306 total points

TAYLOR BRISEBOIS Middle 6’2” Sociology #1

STATS

23 points 2.14 points per game

SOPHIA YKEMA

Defense 5’7” Arts & Science and Linguistics #6

STATS

9 games played

CHELSEA MACKINNON Track & Cross Country 5’7” Health Sciences

STATS

PB’s: 2:51- 1000m

SPORTS

Thursday, April 3, 2014

theSil.ca

B11

Maroon and Grey and right to play Right to Play is an organization with a good cause that is near and dear to the hearts of Marauders Laura Sinclair Sports Editor Right to Play is a charity that bases its mission on using sport and play to empower children to overcome poverty, conflict and disease in underprivileged communities. The organization has expanded its reach from Europe, after Norway’s four-time Olympic speed-skating gold medallist Johann Olav Koss pioneered the group. There is now an active Right to Play community situated within McMaster University that has seen significant and rapid success. The McMaster University Right to Play club spreads the word through soccer tournaments, ball hockey tournaments, and other events that get people on campus involved in the great cause. The club has also partnered with GoodLife, and plays an active role in renowned races across Canada - such as the Scotiabank Half Marathon. “It’s called ‘Race for the Change,’ and it takes place all over Canada,” said McMaster Right to Play research coordinator, Steph Merino. The mission of right to play in this movement is to get the marathoners that are unsure of what charity to donate to, to put their money towards a good cause that is also sport-oriented. “We talk to people that actually run all of these races and try to get them to fundraise for a reason,” said Merino, “So we go to running clubs and try to advertise for it.” In terms of some of the other events that Right to Play hosts around McMaster, Merino mentions the outstanding amount of involvement that takes place amongst McMaster’s student-athlete community. “Last year we had our 24 hours of sport, and the women’s volleyball team and the men’s basketball team, all came out in support of the cause,” said Merino. “We also had a couple booths at homecoming, and we had a couple people on the football team wear Right to Play bracelets.” This year, with the help

from the executive team, the Right to Play organization has gained popularity, as there has been an special effort to get more athletes representing each sport to become ambassadors for the organization. One of the big events that the Marauders varsity athletes took part in included the “Go Shoeless” event which required the coaches and athletes to participate barefoot in a competition to raise money for Right to Play. “Basically the men’s rugby team, women’s soccer team, fast-pitch, a bunch of the varsity athletes, the coaches and athletes went shoeless for a game in order to support right to play, so all of their proceeds went towards Right to Play,” said Merino. Some of the athletes that have a very active involvement within Right to Play include women’s rugby player Yukino Fukoshimi, and women’s soccer player Jocelyn Wilkins. These Marauders athletes have had a huge role within the organization and have done a lot for the movement. “As a part of the Right To Play club, I help promote events and tournaments run throughout the year,” said Fukoshimi. “I’ve been helping educate my teammates about Right To Play as well; it’s nice to have a way to be globally aware and involved,” added Fukoshimi. Although Fukoshimi is involved in the organization for the fun of it, she also credits her love for sport, and her desire for everyone to experience her passion for it to her involvement in Right to Play. “Often, we don’t realize how lucky we are that we get to play sports - we grow up playing dodgeball, soccer, and all kinds of fun games throughout school and club sports. I can’t imagine having a life without sports and I don’t want anyone else to have to either - that’s why I support Right To Play,” said Fukoshimi. As for Wilkins, she is heavily involved within the organization, and has visited the Right to Play Headquarters of Canada in Toronto a couple of times. Her favourite part about

being involved in Right to Play is being able to spread the word to others. “I really like telling people about Right to Play, spreading the word about what they do and getting as many people involved in this organization as possible,” said Wilkins. Wilkins main attraction to the organization is the fact that it allows people everywhere to participate in “play”- not sport. For her, there is a big difference between the two. “This organization allows you to connect with others through play; notice how I didn’t say sport. I think a lot of people sometimes assume Right to Play has to do solely with sports, and don’t get me wrong, there can be a huge sport aspect, but the focus is on the word “play” - something that is universal around the world,” said Wilkins. The world-renowned charity organization that is centered around sport and play has a large impact on athletes everywhere, and has been near and dear to the hearts of student-athletes at McMaster University. “That’s why varsity athletes are coming out to our events, volunteering, donating, giving money for bracelets. They’ll give us five bucks, and we’ll tell them it’s only two bucks, and they tell us to keep the change,” said Merino. “They truly enjoy the sport they love, so for them to be able to donate that to other children and athletes around the world, the way that sport has effected their lives and others lives, they identify with that and they love it.” Right to Play has seen outstanding success at McMaster within the last year, mostly due to the awareness that has been brought to it. For such a popular organization, with such talented student representatives, its popularity will only go uphill in years to come.

CO/LAURA MORRISON

#raceforthechange

“

“Often, we don’t realize how lucky we are that we get to play sports- we grow up playing dodgeball, soccer, and all kinds of fun games throughout school and club sports. I can’t imagine having a life without sports and I don’t want anyone else to have to either.” Yukino Fukoshimi,Marauders women’s rugby player

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theSil.ca

Thursday, April 3, 2014

ANDY

theSil.ca

ANDY

Thursday, April 3, 2014

10.

Bahar Orang & Cooper Long ANDY Editors (but not for long)

Our best covers

Our best moments

Our best headlines

1. All the little ostriches hiding inside no. 8. 2. The zine, with all its gorgeous stories and lovely moments. 3. The napkin editorial (handwritten top ten lists for 2013, made at the Pheonix). 4. Our review of La Ronde (most commented-on story!). 5. All of the bountiful bookbags. 6. The light and fluffy short stories. 7. When we got lost in translation. 8. The little dicks on C2. 9. When Outkast finally fit in (onto our spread). 10. When we scored 20/24 on our Oscar’s predictions.

1. Day Drunk’s Slam Dunk 2. Palika Comes of (P)age 3. 4. Pop Culture: We’re In the Thicke of It 5. Not a Single Complaint (singles roundup) 6. The Bandicoots Crash Local Music Scene 7. Some things ANDY Saw this Break 8. Put Your Hands up for Tokyo Police Club! 9. Coming to Grips (Death Grips primer) 10. WTF!

EDITORIAL

ANDY’s favourite things of volume 84

the

big

tickle what’s more satisfying - the last page of a book or the first? LIZ POPE /PHOTO EDITOR

Kim W. “First. When you open a book its’s like seeing the writer build a new world from nothing.”

Lily P. “Last. I hardly get to one, so it’s really exciting when I do.”

Rachel K. “Last. It’s something that you’re waiting for throughout the book.”

Petr Z. “First. Because I don’t know what’s gonna happen.”

Ryan D. “Depends on the type of book. Last for novels. First for school books.“

theSil.ca

Thursday, April 3, 2014

Guide to Music Festivals Tobi Abdul

Despite the frigid temperatures that tell us otherwise, (real) spring is coming up, which means the end of school and the start of our break. With the warm weather comes festival season. Food trucks, port-a-potties, overpriced beer, belly button piercings and hours on hours of mindblowing music. By the end of any festival you’re usually dehydrated, sleep-deprived, riddled with blisters and aching feet, but ready to do it all over again. Unless you’re made of money, you’re probably trying to decide which festival to make an appearance at this season. There are many things to consider when spending upwards of $200 on a weekend pass: do you want to sleep in a tent or in a hotel? Do you have access to a car or will you be taking public transportation? Which bands are touring separately from the festival and which aren’t? (You aren’t going to get to see all of your favourite bands at one festival, it’s better to accept this now than stand in the middle of an unmoving crowd on the other side of the park faintly hearing Two Door Cinema Club while a single tear rolls down your cheek, like me.) How broke or not broke are you? For some, the answer to which festival to go is clear cut, for others, the following breakdown might be helpful.

summer 2014

ANDY

to drop big bucks

an affordable adventure:

SASQUATCH (WEEKEND 1)

The Gorge, Quincy, WA 5 May 23-25 $ 325 It seems like the angels themselves descended down and hand-picked the artists playing at Sasquatch. If Arctic Monkeys and/or Vampire Weekend were playing, it would be a no-brainer for me. But getting to Washington State is bound to be a pain and definitely not cheap. Camping in the mountains listening to amazing music is definitely worth the money for a lineup like this. The views will make you believe in a Higher Power and, as a smaller festival, you can get closer to the stage. The Memorial Day Weekend lineup beats the Independence Day lineup by far and if you have money to blow on transportation and can catch Arctic Monkeys and/or Vampire Weekend another time, I definitely think Sasquatch is the best choice.

Notable Artists: Outkast, M.I.A., Queens of the Stone Age, The National, Kid Cudi, Foals, Cold War Kids.

C4 & C5

GOVERNORS BALL 5

Randall’s Island, NYC June 6-8 230 Notable artists: Outkast, Vampire Weekend, Arctic Monkeys, The Strokes, Foster The People. Governor’s Ball packs a big punch in a small(er) package. The festival is relatively smaller than the others on this list, but the line-up features amazing alternative bands in a mix that’s bound to be awe-worthy. Travelling to the Big Apple can be affordable depending on the means, but is also far enough away that going to the music festival feels like a trip within a trip. The infamous New York nightlife promises to extend your stories beyond the last note of the headliner. In addition to music, the festival has a slew of games and activities including ping-pong and photo booths. If you search early enough and are up for somewhat of a commute, staying in New York City doesn’t have to break the bank.

a crazy story to tell: BONNAROO

Manchester, TN 5 Date: June 12-15 $ 285 Notable artists: Kanye West, Elton John, Lionel Richie, Phoenix, Vampire Weekend, Neutral Milk Hotel, Arctic Monkeys. Bonarroo is infamous for being an all night party stop complete with stoners of all types. This four day festival is longer than the others and ticket prices include a GA camping ticket. Getting to Manchester, TN is a bit of a pain if you don’t have access to a car, but you’re bound to return home with stories of new friends, new experiences and all the illegal activities you witnessed (or partook in). With legends like Elton John and Lionel Richie and the Yeezy, the self-proclaimed king of hiphop, the festival is sure to draw in people of all different tastes. The lineup is killer and Bonarroo’s lineup also includes comedians like Taran Killam and others. Don’t let the oddly named stages like What Stage, Which Stage, This Tent, That Tent confuse you; if random interactions, music until 4 a.m. and psychedelics are your idea of a good time, then Bonarroo is definitely where you want to be.

something practical: OSHEAGA

Parc Jean-Drapeau, Montreal, QC 5 August 1-3 $ 250 Food trucks, cool art, affordable beer, and enough flower crowns to start a garden. Picture the best concert you’ve ever been to and multiply that by three days, many pints and 135,000 people. Alternating main stages ensures that the bands always start on time, and even if not, they always end on time. Although there is no camping at the festival, the subway exits right at Parc Jean Drapeau and the foot traffic isn’t bad considering how many people are on the island. If timed right, you can travel to Montreal for anywhere between $20 and $70 by bus. Usually Megabus has cheap deals to the city. The festival atmosphere doesn’t stop at the end of the night; the city is electric and everywhere you go, you can see people with Osheaga wristbands on ready to have a good time. This year’s lineup made me weep tears of joy when first released, and if there’s anywhere to meet someone, it’s front row listening to your favourite band, artist, or DJ.

Notable artists: Outkast, Arctic Monkeys, Lorde, Modest Mouse, Awolnation, Childish Gambino.

theSil.ca

Thursday, April 3, 2014

“What made HIMYM so great is that it was, for the most part, just a funnier version of real life”

b d o o How I g id

a s I w

o t ye

ANDY

Met Your Mother Michael Gallagher The Silhouette By the time you read this, Ted Mosby will have finally met “the mother,” meaning television fans everywhere will have finally said goodbye to the nine year long run of the CBS sitcom, How I Met Your Mother. Which raises the question: so what? Unlike many other shows that have debuted since 2005 – the year HIMYM premiered – HIMYM has stuck with a style that is seemingly less evolved. Single-camera shows parodying reality TV tropes like The Office, or Modern Family changed the way an audience interacted with the characters and created new styles of storytelling, while 30 Rock and Parks and Recreation brought a new kind of wit and satire to network TV comedy. In comparison, the canned laughter, small variety in setting, and premise of HIMYM make it all seem a little dated – a little too simple. But to me, and likely many fans, the show was so, so much more than that. What made HIMYM so great is that it was for the most part, just a funnier version of real life; something that you could learn from. I learned to laugh at my awkward moments, and as ri-

diculous as he is, Barney taught me to try and make every night out as awesome as I possibly could. Filled with theories about dating and friendship, (the hot/ crazy scale, relationships are like a freeway), the show profiled experiences most 20-somethings inevitably run into. Accidentally breaking up with someone on their birthday, chasing pests in your house (be they mice, cockroach, or a mix of the two) or keeping someone who likes you on a theoretical “hook” are hard to avoid in life. This made watching the characters go through more serious issues all the more moving for the very same reason. Marshall dealing with the death of his father, Robin realizing she’s infertile and Barney meeting his real father all represented deeply human moments that we watched the characters grow and evolve from. It seems to me, that by seeing these events play out from the perspective of a dad looking nostalgically back on his memories, it only made me appreciate the moments I might have otherwise missed in my own life, and the funny stories that have gone along with them. So maybe I’ve just got “graduation goggles”, but it’s hard not to look back on the last nine seasons and think they were pretty legendary.

theSil.ca

ANDY

Thursday, April 3, 2014

He Flew the Coop takes off ANDY talks to the winners of McMaster’s Last Band Standing

C/O VÉRONIQUE GIGUÈRE

Nicole Vasarevic The Silhouette Four bands, one winner. On March 26, McMaster’s newly born folk band He Flew The Coop rocked Last Band Standing and took the prize, a full recording package from Threshold Recording Studio in downown Hamilton. The story of He Flew The Coop started in Hedden Hall, where Ben Rafuse (vocals/ guitar) and Michael Podlovics (violin/guitar) first shared their love of music and started jamming. With Podlovics being

from a more electronic side of music, and Rafuse coming from the folk genre, the pair had lots of potential for interesting collaborations. Not too long after they started taking music more seriously, Podlovics’ fellow engineer friend Francesca Altobeli (backup/vocals) joined the pair with her crystal clear vocals. The band then found 16-year-old jazz playing Ben Duff (standup bass) through a friend. He Flew the Coop was then ready to leave the nest. Their first stop was McMaster’s Last Band Standing. “The first thing I thought

was, lets take a chance,” Rafuse said, as he remembered seeing the Last Band Standing posters start to go up around campus. The newly put together band took a leap into the McMaster and Hamilton music scene by signing up to compete. “It was really a step out of our comfort zone,” the group said. “We don’t have a lot of experience under our belt.” It helped, however, that Rafuse was songwriter, Podlovics and Duff had a classical background, and Altobeli was a member of the Hamilton Opera. “We whipped it up pretty

quickly,” said Podlovics. After making it through the first round, He Flew The Coop prepared for the finals at TwelvEighty. Given that this was the first time all four members would perform together live, they didn’t know exactly what to expect. They shared the stage with well known Hamilton bands The Bandicoots, Billy Moon, and Day Drunk. “The other bands were really great. They were also very welcoming,” said Podlovics and Rafuse. He Flew The Coop were the last to take the stage. Their set

was full of spot-on harmonies, and the violinist even added some different levels by jumping on a chair. “Standing on chairs,” said Podlovics, “I don’t know where that came from.” Then it was time for the judges to make their decision. “We ended up winning it,” said Podlovics, with some disbelief. The band is stoked to be recording at Threshold Recording Studio downtown in the near future. So keep an eye out. He Flew The Coop is taking flight.

theSil.ca

ANDY

Thursday, April 3, 2014

MTC presents a new adaptation of Anton Chekov’s classic play - see it and go to bed happy.

Three Cheers for MTC’S Three Sisters Kacper Niburski Opinions Editor All people are unhappy, even those who convince themselves they have found happiness. For in those brief moments where jubilation is achieved, one realizes they will never be as joyful as they are now, and each moment from that point on will be spent trying – slowly, carefully, and destructively – to reclaim that feeling. The Three Sisters by Anton Chekov, the most recent McMaster Thespian Company production by director Bahar Orang, captures this internal, gnawing complexity. It is a smorgasbord of raw emotion and artistic splendor. At its best, the production is like sitting in a tub of gasoline, putting one’s toaster in yellow liquid, and then dropping a match while trying to lather. It is intense, it is proactive, and it will make you feel like shit, pull you back with hope, then drag you through the shit again. The entire play is touched by subtlety, where each word, action, and movement is intentionally pointing toward the hopelessness felt by the characters. Even the physical objects – a key,

a gun, a simple notebook – take on a poetic significance. Orang’s creative vision highlights this metaphorical work in motion; it points towards the timelessness of the piece with an elaborate set design and a modern wardrobe, and the constant signing of popular songs, like Gary Jules’ version of “Mad World,” reminds the audience of the inevitability of all beautiful things being lost to, and defined in, complete sadness. Yet remove the intricacies, boil off the artistic nuance, and what remains as the distillate is a play about nothing at all. Any movement is stifled; any action is drowned in hesitance and disappointment. The dialogue is selfish and egotistical. No one character actually speaks to the other. Instead, all live in their own self-absorbed universe, and everyone else is just planetary trash that circle and block out the sunlight of their world. This vanity goes on and on and on until the maximum point where lives are ruined, put back together, and then ruined by the same problems and desires that tormented them in the first place. While powerful in its

creative mission, the characters themselves, no fault of the actors, are archetypal. As cookie-cutter psychological and emotional moulds, their responses to action becomes predictable. But this is a necessary evil. With so much happening, with so many layers falling atop of one another at once, from the irony of the cyclic cynicism that defines the town to the inevitability of complete selfdestruction, the various characters do not have the chance to become fully realized. They instead are half-baked, half-captured, and consequently miserable for the rest of their lives. The cast, though, shines in light of these necessarily selfimposed, Chekovean caricatures. Jordan Hallin stumbles, mumbles, and bumbles around as Chebutykin, a drunken fool, with poise that suggests the worn practice of the bottle. Zac Williams’ Solyony cuts the dark undertone of the play with apt humour and trenchent goofiness. Sage Hyden’s depiction of Vershinin expertly captures the inner binaries of being a soldier, a father, and a lover, and the inconsistency when wanting none of the responsibilities. Tuzenbach, played by Evan

Hookong-Taylor, bubbles around as a bat who is both blind to his own misgivings and the unhappiness he causes through forced peppiness. Daniella Rodriquez’s Anfisa underscores the moral decrepitude of each individual, and serves as a constant reminder of the sorrow, hardships, and disappointment that life brings if left unchecked. Only one character manages to see beyond his blunders and his misery: Mitchell Logue’s Andrey. As the sole brother to the three sisters, he fills the void of their emptiness, and thus, feels empty as a result. This is even true in his marriage to Natasha, acted by Tegan O’Brien. It takes a true performer to make one hate a fictional person, and Tegan’s interpretation of Natasha as a being of mood swings, bitchiness, and forcefulness is so good one can’t help but hate it. The three sisters, to which the play is named, encapsulate thematic elements of organized chaos. They are all different, and yet their problems are shared and experienced together. Olga, performed by Jessica Teicher, is the eldest but arguably the most broken. All responsibilities are pushed on her, and as a result,

she – demonstrated in Jessica’s poignant monologues – manages none of them. Erin Dyskstra, who plays Masha, is the most volatile powderkeg of a character. Contradictions riddle each action, and Erin brings these out in their raw, sometimes unsettling forms. The youngest sister, Irina, is caught in these two extreme models. Jamie Gallagher’s portrayal of Irina is soft and touching, and each movement and dialogue points to Irina’s innocence and eventual loss of self. No one character is any vital than the rest. What results is a clusterfuck of unadulterated passion, splendid acting, and a vivid display of deadbeat lives in a deadbeat town doing deadbeat things. But once placed under Orang’s dramatic microscope, when highlighted by an expert ensemble, and when combined with the stage direction of Nazaneen Hosseinpour and the production of Hannah Fuaco, the lives, once dull and boring, become anything but. They take on significance, if only for a little while. The play opens Friday, April 4 at 8 p.m., and performances follow on April 5 and 6 at 2 p.m. and 8 p.m.