Bring on the Dinos The Marauders have their eyes on a second straight Vanier Cup, but first, they’ll face their toughest test yet in the Nov. 17 Mitchell Bowl game
See B1
The Silhouette
MCMASTER UNIVERSITY’S STUDENT NEWSPAPER
www.thesil.ca
Thursday, November 15, 2012
EST. 1930
Always looking on the bright side of death.
Vol. 83, No. 15
MUGSI to be revamped by 2014 Anqi Shen
components of ERP include research administration, finance, human resources and business intelligence. “It’s very important that the student experience be improved,” said Smart. “We’ve heard in surveys and student feedback that our registration process isn’t where it should be and we’re working to fix that. Huzaifa Saeed, VP (Education) of the MSU, noted that revamping MUGSI is a much larger project than most other upgrades. “A lot of students don’t know that MUGSI isn’t a separate module. It’s linked to other things like the registrar, student records and financial aid, so it’s very difficult to replace it,” said Saeed, who sits on the Systems Renewal Steering Committee. Smart said there is a good chance that the renovated student administration processes will be renamed.
By the end of January 2013, the University will have a more complete picture of what changes are needed and how they will be implemented. In order to have all systems streamlined by the end of the multi-year process, student administration and accounting must undergo changes first to lay the groundwork. McMaster’s business process currently includes over 20 distinct systems that need to be streamlined for smoother delivery. The University wants to move toward an electronic workflow, which means student records and transcript processing will be going digital. According to the Systems Renewal Steering Committee, McMaster is currently the only major Canadian university that has yet to adopt an ERP system.
Accessing our education
MSU seeks feedback on fall break
Online News Editor
At McMaster, picking courses means long waits, late nights and a whole lot of frustrated students. Two years from now, that could all be different. Sheldon Smart, public relations manager with University Advancement, said McMaster has set June 2014 as the goal for the relaunch of its student registration process. “MUGSI and SOLAR will be dramatically changed,” he said. McMaster’s registration system is based on 1980s mainframe technologies, and the student population has exceeded the system’s intended capacity. Smart said student registration has been prioritized in the enterprise resource planning (ERP) process. Other
FEATURE STORY
Anqi Shen
Online News Editor
McMaster complies with provincial regulations regarding campus accessibility, but can the institution address the diverse needs of its students and foster a culture of accessibility across the University? NINA CHOPRA THE SILHOUETTE
Senior News Editor
Ramps, braille design and test accommodation are just some of the ways campuses strive to be more accessible to students with disabilities. But is the University doing enough to understand the many facets of accessibility and the issues that come along with aiming for a completely accessible campus? The McMaster Accessibility Forum, which will be held on Nov. 15, aims to address issues concerning accessibility on campus. This will be the second such forum held, where organizers hope to compile a list of student concerns to bring to different bodies across the University.
INSIDEOUT
Removing barriers of all kinds Mainstream definitions of accessibility typically conjure images of physical barriers or buildings with highly accessible design features such as ramps or wheelchair lifts. Removing physical barriers and creating a more physically accessible environment has been an institutional priority for many years. Tim Nolan, Manager of Disability Services, mentioned that McMaster overall has been steadily improving physical accessibility and conducting building wide accessibility audits. Nolan noted that new technology can be extremely helpful in diminishing physical barriers. He gave the example of Urban Braille Design, which uses texture contrast in paving sidewalks to give visual orientation to those who are blind and visually impaired. This technology has been installed in sidewalks in front of the McMaster Museum of Art. However, Nolan also noted that when
some technologies are developed, “accessibility is not always a forefront.” And while new buildings should comply with Built Environmental Standards according to the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disability Act (AODA), navigating campus is not always the easiest task. Meghan Hines, a fourth year Commerce student and one of the organizers of the forum, remarked how for a first-year student with a physical disability it can be cumbersome to initially get around campus. Hines, a student with a physical disability herself, noted that the wheelchair lift in MUSC requires a special pass to use, which discourages more students from using it and therefore negates its main purpose. However, students with physical disabilities are just one group who require special attention, according to Ann Fudge Schormans, Assistant Professor in the School of Social Work and member of the Disability Action Group. Fudge Schormans highlighted how issues surrounding students with learning disabilities or disabilities related to mental health issues often go unnoticed. She emphasized how this can be especially significant because of the high degree of stigma attributed to both types of disability. While mental health awareness has been a major focus point of both University Administration and MSU strategy, it does not necessarily address mental health issues from a disability framework. Alisa, a student and psychiatric survivor, emphasized how the current framework tends to promote an overtly medicalized view of mental health issues. She believes this leads to accommodations primarily being made for
What’s your reality?
physical disabilities and then the same accommodations being uniformly applied to mental health cases. “The issue stems from how we think about mental health in terms of thinking of it as solely a medical idea … The way Mac talks about mental health awareness obscures the fact that these people belong to an equity group which can be connected to others with different disabilities.” Raihanna Hirji-Khalfan, an Accessibility Specialist with the Human Rights and Equity Services Office, also argued that equity for students with disabilities is a major issue, especially in regards to attitudinal biases. “Attitudinal barriers are a huge issue. So trying to create a culture of accessibility is extremely important. You can’t necessarily eliminate all barriers but if there is a culture of accessibility it can limit or negate the effects of exclusion or barriers on campus.” Slow change Since AODA came into force in 2005, post-secondary institutions and other organizations have had to comply with various regulations, especially with regards to customer service. The goal is to ensure a fully-accessible Ontario by 2025. Tim Nolan asserted how important this timeline is in order to provide an end-date for institutions to make themselves fully accessible. According to the McMaster Accessibility Plan, the University has smaller milestones to comply with prior to the 2025 end goal. Online AODA training modules were some of the first measures that were undertaken by the University.
TYLER HAYWARD THE SILHOUETTE
SEE POLICY, A4 Stewart spoke at a focus group on Nov. 13.
ANDY
Aissa Boodhoo-Leegsma
The MSU has released a survey to get feedback from undergraduates on a possible fall break at McMaster. As of Nov. 14, more than 2,625 responses had been received since the survey opened on Nov. 4. The purpose of the survey is to gauge the student appetite for a break and help determine the most effective length and type of break. At a focus group discussion on Nov. 13, Stewart said the timing of the survey was in part to allow first-year students a few months to adjust to university life. “They can comment as students who have had at least one midterm,” said Stewart. Stewart said she was aware of the accreditation needs of various faculties such as Engineering, Social Work, Nursing and Commerce. Students in some faculties are required to complete more credit hours than those in other faculties. “I know there are accreditation standards, but I think it’s possible for faculties to find a creative way around it,” she said. Stewart said there has been discussion on the University administration’s side about possible pilot projects, including talk of a pilot for first-year students only, though no concrete plans have been made. “I’m confident we can do something in the interim, if that’s what students want,” she said. “If students indicate they want a larger project, the University needs time to put the resources together.” An online chat about fall break will be hosted on the MSU’s website on Thursday, Nov. 15 at 3:30 p.m. The survey will be available online until Nov. 18.
Conservative by design
Are you getting sucked into reality television? Take a closer look at what gets us so hooked on someone else’s life.
Right-wing lunacy is disseminating into the public sphere at an alarming rate. Can it be stopped?
See B7
See A7
the
PRESIDENT’S PAGE Jeff Wyngaarden VP (Finance)
Huzaifa Saeed VP (Education)
Siobhan Stewart President
David Campbell VP (Administration)
REPORTS AND PAPERS AND EXAMS - OH MY! MSU Advocacy, SHEC and TwelvEighty are all ready to help alleviate the inevitable stress of the upcoming academic crush
David Campbell VP (Administration) vpadmin@msu.mcmaster.ca ext. 23250
It’s that time of year again. The time to heed the advice of my first year calculus professor: eat well, sleep and don’t forget to go to the gym! Drink coffee, if it helps. But not too much. A glass of water and some crunchy vegetables can be almost as good. But all advice aside, the MSU knows just how tough this time of year can be for students. Therefore all over the organization, people are working hard to give you ways to relax and hopefully destress a little, as you burn the midnight oil. Stress Week From November 19th to 23rd, the MSU Advocacy department will
be hosting Stress Week. Each day will feature events or support programs, enabling you to get away from the grind, even if just for a few minutes. The week will include: R )( 3 – A pancake breakfast served hot and delicious, found in the TwelvEighty window down the first flight of stairs in the Student Centre. R / - 3 – Advocacy will be providing stress balls and other helpful swag from tables set up in MUSC. R ( - 3 – Breathe deep during a yoga class upstairs in MUSC. Room and time TBA. Rĝ/,- 3 – Advocacy will be bringing puppies to campus! The dogs will be looking for some love in Clubspace, second floor of the Student Centre, so keep an eye out! Volunteers will also be at the TwelvEighty club night to give out more stressbusting swag. R ,# 3 – To finish off the week, MSU Advocacy will be running games and info sessions from the Lyons New Media Centre in Mills Library, to help
you beat exam stress. Keep an eye on the MSU website and the Advocacy page ('-/' ' -. ,8 I 0) 3) for updates and more information! SHEC Stressbusters Month When exams really get started, the Student Health Education Centre (SHEC) will be running stressbusters of their own all throughout the month of December. Volunteers will be maintaining regular peer support throughout the first full week of exams, every day from 11-3PM. As well, SHEC will be partnering with the McMaster Chaplaincy Centre (MUSC 230) to hold evening coffee socials Sunday through Friday for the duration of the exam period. SHEC is also on the puppy train, bringing animals to campus via the SPCA. The animals will be available for visiting in the MUSC atrium on December 7th from 1-2PM, and will be returning on Dec 12th and 17th, this time to Mills Library L113 and MUSC 203, respectively. Yoga classes will also
be offered, hosted by Moksha Yoga Hamilton , on December 7th. TwelvEighty This semester, the MSU will once again be offering a free food event in TwelvEighty at some point during exams. With the dates and times yet to be announced, we will be reaching out online to get your feedback on what would be best for you. Do you need a hot meal in the morning? A break in the afternoon? A late-night snack after the other eateries have closed? Keep a close eye on our website and social media, since not only will we be gathering feedback for these questions, but we will be announcing the date and time of this event online. So follow our Twitter, Facebook and website, because this free food will be first come, first served‌ As you can tell, the MSU has lots planned to help you relieve some stress this exam period. I hope you don’t get too caught up in your work to take advantage of the fun. And as always, don’t hesitate to contact us if you have any questions or suggestions.
HUIZAIFA PREVIEWS CASA LOBBYING CONVENTION
Huzaifa Saeed VP (Education) vped@msu.mcmaster.ca ext. 24017
Next week, myself, Siobhan and External Affairs Commissioner Justin Neves will be heading off to Ottawa for the Canadian Alliance of Student Associations (CASA) annual Lobbying Convention in Ottawa. The Canadian Alliance of Student Associations is a non-partisan, not-forprofit organization with 25 member associations, representing 300,000 students across Canada. CASA advocates for a Canadian post-secondary education system with a long term vision that is accessible, affordable and of the highest quality. As such, CASA – much like OUSA at the provincial level- crafts policy and lobbying principles around those tenants. While both OUSA and CASA have full-time home office staff who lobby on our behalf with elected representatives and other government officials, politicians are often most interested in hearing directly from student representatives. Over the week to come, the MSU delegation will initially go through comprehensive policy and lobbying training and then
will be paired up with other delegates to meet with hundreds of MP’s all over Parliament Hill. The first of two major themes CASA hopes to communicate to politicians is how the opportunity to attend post-secondary education is unequal and the associated costs are increasingly high. Students and youth across Canada believe that no barrier should stand between any willing and qualified person and a high quality postsecondary education. Secondly, CASA would like to discuss accelerating technological advancements that will guarantee change will happen at a faster rate and on a larger scale than in the past. In this environment, Canadians will find that the most useful tool for achieving success is knowledge. It will be vital to improve not only the quality and impact of research outcomes in Canada, but also the distribution and communication of these outcomes to a global community. CASA delegates will be asking the federal government to revitalize the Canada Student Loans Program in several ways. Specifically, we would like to see an increase in grants for low and middle income students by 25%, exempting any in-study income, and the possibility of vehicle exemption for the increasing number of commuters. I am looking forward to representing student interests to the federal government next week.
JOIN THE McMASTER McMOSTERS FOR MOVEMBER AS THEY RAISE AWARENESS AND FUNDS FOR PROSTATE CANCER BOYS - GROW THE STASH! LADIES - MAKE IT NO-SHAVE NOVEMBER! CHECK OUT FACEBOOK.COM/McMOSTERS FOR MORE INFORMATION ON THE TEAM 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
EWS
Thursday, November 15, 2012 News Editors: Aissa Boodhoo-Leegsma, Julia Redmond and Anqi Shen Meeting: Thursdays @ 4:30 p.m. Contact: news@thesil.ca
Green roof on track to open summer 2013 Stewart pursues sustainability initiative based on student feedback Julia Redmond Assistant News Editor
For most students, November brings the thought of the semester finishing, exams starting and the winter break setting in. But MSU President Siobhan Stewart has her sights set on the spring. Stewart’s green roof initiative, a project designed to convert the third-floor balcony of the McMaster University Student Centre into an eco-friendly sitting area and garden, is on track to be completed for next summer. The project was a key platform point of her 2012 presidential campaign. Green roofs have been growing in popularity at universities and other institutions across Canada. Stewart explained that the inspiration for the green roof at Mac came from two students who were involved with OPIRG, who proposed the project three years ago. The idea of converting an already existing space into a more workable and sustainable place was an appealing choice for McMaster for a number of reasons, among them the concern of an overpopulated campus with too little public space. “Students are always talking about the need for space on campus,” said Stewart. “And as many can imagine, new buildings don’t sprout up every day.”
She noted that part of McMaster’s unique situation is that campus is “landlocked,” bordered by residential neighbourhoods on three sides and Cootes Paradise on the other. Mac student Melanie FoxChen is also passionate about the green roof project. The fourth-year biology student was an intern at McMaster’s Office of Sustainability this summer, and spent her term investigating the best practices of green roofs. The advantages of such a project are numerous, she found. “It maximizes the usable amount of space on campus, which is really good,” Fox-Chen explained. “It just provides a green space where students can seek to relax and unwind from a stressful day.” Her research, which looked into a range of issues, including food production, plant life, rainwater collection, and community involvement, was used to create a survey that was given to students this summer. The feedback from the survey, which drew 600 responses, was used in drawing up further plans for the project. The responses showed that the majority of people would appreciate a “calm, soothing environment,” while they also indicated support for edible plants to be grown, as well as species native to Southern Ontario. Stewart stressed this element of student feedback as a means of making decisions.
News in Brief
OF THE APPRX. 600 RESPONDENTS ASKED ABOUT HOW TO USE THE GREEN ROOFS SPACE:
77.8% REQUESTED THE USE OF EDIBLE PLANTS
66.9% WANTED 55.6% RELAXATION ASKED FOR 50.9% ARE SEEKING 46.9% 7.8% SPACE A STUDY/ AN AREA TO SEEK A PLACE HAVE OTHER READING AREA
SOCIALIZE
TO EAT MEALS PREFERENCES ANDREW TEREFENKO PRODUCTION EDITOR
“I’ve been trying to consult a lot with students. From an efficiency standpoint [it’s not ideal]… I could have just put everything together, but that’s not my style.” Only so much progress can be made on the roof at this point, however. The organizers may have a sense of what people want, but before any construction happens, the MSU must wait while the project is out to tender.
“It’s not like the MSU can just get a shovel and go to town. It doesn’t work like that,” Stewart said in explaining the process of getting university approval. The next phase is choosing a plan for the space. The MSU, in partnership with Facility Services, invited eight architects to submit proposals for their services in October. The team chose a firm to contract out for the work, and will
now see three more specific sets of plans drawn up. Before a final design is chosen, Stewart will seek further student feedback. It is not clear whether or not the roof will be completed by the end of the academic year, Stewart said. “My goal is at least for it have been started before the end of my term, or for all of the logistics to be done…so all it would take would be a green light.”
Compiled by Aissa Boodhoo-Leegsma and Julia Redmond
Provincial mental health report released McMaster holds annual Remembrance Day ceremony on campus A new mental health report was released this week, dealing specifically with post-secondary students and institutions in Ontario. The report, based on the Focus of Mental Health Conference that was held in Toronto in May 2012, highlighted the insights into the subject areas including student experience, healthy workplaces, and stigma elimination that were addressed at the event. The conference welcomed over 270 delegates, and was organized by Colleges Ontario, Council of Ontario Universities, the College Student Alliance, and the Ontario Undergraduate Alliance. Mental health remains an area of focus at McMaster. In particular, services on campus are wary of the time of year; students are under additional pressure with the weight of end-of-term work and exams. The Student Health Education Center (SHEC) is one of many organizations that offer support to students. Meagan McEwen, SHEC Outreach Coordinator, feels that there is a “need to address Mental Health during our most stressful time of the year – exams.” Collaborating with different groups on and off campus, SHEC will host a number of “stress-buster” events, including providing dogs for stressed students to interact with, and serving hot chocolate and coffee with the support of OPIRG McMaster. McEwen believes that, “there seem to be [fewer] opportunities for students to take a break and relax during these exam periods, while making them aware of all the different support networks students have on campus.”
Hamilton hosts an Anti-Poverty Caucus
YOSEIF HADDAD SENIOR PHOTO EDITOR
University officials look on as a piper plays at the Nov. 11 ceremony.
On Nov. 11 students, staff and alumni filed into Convocation Hall to participate in a service to remember the fallen and current veterans. President Patrick Deane read roll-call and Chancellor Wilson delivered a comYOSEIF HADDAD SENIOR PHOTO EDITOR memorative speech. The service had musical accompaniment by organist Three of the panelists listen attentively during the first portion of the event, which featured speakers from Mac. Rev. Philip Gardner, bugler George A. Murga-Martinez and piper David On Nov. 9 the Hamilton Roundtable for Poverty Reduction sponsored an All-Party Anti-Poverty Caucus at the Waterhouse. As part of a McMaster tradition, President Deane read the Honour Hamilton Convention Centre. Approximately 80 members of the community attended the event. Four McMaster students first spoke about the impact of poverty on women and the intersection with class- Roll which bears the names of the 35 McMaster graduates and undergradbased issues. Another McMaster speaker, Dr. Tim O’Shea, who is well-known as the doctor who disrupted Federal uates who died in World War II. Chancellor Wilson’s speech noted how soldiers in the Royal Hamilton Light Infantry suffered inordinate losses at Health Minister Leona Aglukkaq’s funding announcement at McMaster, spoke second. The event advertised four panelists MP Chris Charlton, Conservative MP Michael Chong, Liberal Senator Dieppe, but how the failures of WWII contributed largely to later Canadian Art Eggleton and Conservative Senator Don Meredith, who were meant to contribute to a broad discussion of successes in Holland and Vimy Ridge. He concluded on a note of gratitude and honour towards all veterans and service men and women. poverty in Canada.
A4 • News
The Silhouette • Thursday, November 15, 2012
Teach-in prompts discussion on torture Policy Spencer Nestico-Semianiw The Silhouette
McMaster’s Muslims for Peace and Justice held a teach-in on Nov. 8 about how the Canadian government has neglected the rights of its Muslim citizens. The overall focus of the evening was on the “extraordinary rendition” policy and the use of torture on Canadian citizens accused of involvement in terrorism. Extraordinary rendition is the policy of transferring people from one country to another without the approval of any legal authority. The event featured Abdullah Almalki and Ahmed El maati, two Canadian citizens who, in the early 2000s, were wrongly connected with terrorist activity by the RCMP after the 9/11 attacks. During the discussion, Almalki and his legal representative Phil Tunley spoke about the various struggles that Almalki had to face during and immediately after his arrest. Tunley first discussed the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms and other various legal documents in the context of how they related to the rights of Mr. Almalki
under his circumstances. Upon Almalki’s arrival to Syria in 2002, he was detained and arrested by Syrian officials based on information sent directly from the Canadian government. Following the incident, Almalki remained in a Syrian jail for nearly two years. When Almalki was brought up to speak, he presented a detailed account of his mistreatment at the hands of the Syrians, perpetuated by the Canadian government. Almalki emphasized his abuse at the hands of the Canadian government by presenting a quote from the RCMP and the Canadian Security and Intelligence service (CSIS), which stated that, “it was not the responsibility of intelligence or law enforcement officials to be concerned about the human rights of a Canadian detainee.” Almalki explained how, at one point, he was abruptly slapped in the face by one of his interrogators. He explained, “the physical pain has by now gone away, but the humiliation I felt at that moment is still with me.” During the question-andanswer period, students actively voiced their opinions on the issue.
changes necessary FROM A1
JESSIE LU ASSISTANT PHOTO EDITOR
Phil Tunley, Almaki’s lawyer, spoke about his client’s experiences in Syria.
Many deeply sympathized with the hardships that Almalki was forced to endure and others stated how inspired they were to engage in their community through social activism. The focus was particularly on the role that the Canadian government had to play in this issue. In need of sufficient grounds to jail Almalki in Canada, the government believed that torture in Syria would be an appropriate way to extract the necessary information. As a result, the ensuing discussion also focused on how it is the responsibility of Canadian citizens to recognize
these injustices and mobilize against them. One of the notable attendees to the teach-in was Ken Stone, the treasurer of the Hamilton Coalition to Stop the War and also a McMaster alumnus. “If we want to stop these abuses like torture, the killing of prisoners and rapes of women, we really need to put pressure on our Canadian government not to get involved in these wars,” said Stone. By the end of the night, it was clear the speakers had hit a nerve in those who had attended as they displayed gratitude for the speakers.
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For more info, go to dx.org/connect Submit by May 1, 2013
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Some education-based regulations must be complied with by Jan. 1, 2013 and are extremely relevant to students and staff. One specific regulation requires institutions to provide accessible educational materials, such as textbooks, in a variety of formats. Another regulation mandates that educators receive adequate training in accessibility awareness. But McMaster does not have standard training for instructors across faculties on disability awareness, beyond the limited AODA online modules. Fudge Schormans explained that “more could be done in terms of AODA compliance training, more than just the modules.” She suggested that a broader range of tools should be made available for instructors to increase the accessibility of the curriculum and lectures. According to Nolan, the University will soon be rolling out a tool from the Council of Ontario Universities that should help improve instructional design. Part of $700,000 in funding from TD Bank was allocated to make textbook and resource accessibility a more attainable goal and allowed a new staff position in Library Services. The TD Coordinator for Library Accessibility Services is responsible for working with students with disabilities and adaptive technologies. However, students with disabilities and accessibility awareness are still not at the forefront of McMaster’s administrative strategy. As outlined in recent OUSA documents, it remains difficult for institutions to address the diverse array of needs of different disabilities, given the complex process and documentation required to receive government funding. Students like Meghan often pay out of their own pocket for special documentation or services.
Leaders in accessibility While McMaster has long recognized the value of an accessible campus, even prior to AODA, some Ontario universities have excelled in addressing equity for students with disabilities. York, Ryerson and Toronto all have programs in disability or equity studies, which create a higher degree of student awareness of accessibility issues. Guelph is recognized as a leader in the field as the host of an annual Accessibility Conference. Some campuses, such as Brock, provide a higher degree of direct student support to students with disabilities, offering students with physical disabilities attendant care to help with their daily living. Other campuses offer students with dis11:20 AM abilities their own spaces for peer support and student campaigns. UOIT has an entire virtual unit dedicated to universal instructional design. McMaster’s School of Social Work has recently begun inviting students with intellectual disabilities to audit courses in order to open up otherwise unavailable opportunities for these students. Fudge Schormans explained that faculty have remarked upon how all students have benefitted from this experience and introducing new teaching methods has created greater dialogue and diversity in the classroom. The Accessibility Forum creates an open and inclusive atmosphere for students with disabilities to voice their concerns about how McMaster approaches the issue of accessibility. Katie, a student with a hearing disability, is planning on attending the forum but isn’t sure what will come out of it. “I think it’s hard to be fully accessible because everyone has such different issues,” she said. McMaster has set out to create an inclusive environment for students of all abilities, as mandated in the President’s Advisory Committee on Building an Inclusive Community (PACBIC). But in trying to create a culture of accessibility, students have argued that the institution must both address the group as whole while also avoiding the amalgamation of diverse accessibility needs into a homogenous category. Students with disabilities are a group that strives to be more recognized, and fostering an accessible environment is just the first step towards recognizing this group’s needs.
Thursday, November 15, 2012 • The Silhouette
News • A5
Mac conference gets on the virtual grid
YOSEIF HADDAD SENIOR PHOTO EDITOR
David Harris-Smith, conference organizer and professor, speaks about virtual realities.
Amanda Watkins Assistant InsideOut Editor
Guests from Ontario universities, local artistic practitioners and professionals in the multimedia industry came together on Nov. 7 and 8 for the inaugural “macGRID” conference and workshop. Spearheaded by David Harris-Smith, Assistant Professor in Communication Studies and Multimedia, the conference was centered on the growth and development of the macGRID community: a simulation research network formed around high-performance virtual world software. The software, OpenSim, uses mixed reality and avatar technology to develop virtual connections between the university and practicing artists and professionals in the multimedia and motion graphics industry. “The macGRID community has been designed to be redesigned,” explained HarrisSmith as he welcomed numerous representatives from the design industry to the first day of the conference. “Our goal is to bring together researchers and practitioners through education, simulation, training and artistic expression to facilitate networking and collaborative research.” The macGRID community was developed to link together the physical and virtual world in a mixed reality that would involve computational manipulation to create any desired output. The intended purpose of the system is to allow researchers and artists to continue their work in the virtual world when the physical world is unable to provide the desired resources. The grid would be able to bridge
long-distance connections and overcome limitations of the physical body by providing virtual means for movement and action. Key note speaker Alan Sondheim – author, teacher, cyberspace theorist, tornado chaser and self-professed “independent scholar” – braved Hurricane Sandy to leave his New York home and open the conference with a discussion on the object of “real.” He explained that although physical bodies can be binding, virtual reality systems allow for a branching away from physical limitations. “Virtual worlds were God’s gift – that is, if there were a God, but there isn’t – to humanity,” he said in his talk. “You can have someone log in from China, Denmark, Africa ... and have them join in, help us, work with us,” he explained as he discussed the endless possibilities of working through virtual realities. Sondheim not only discussed the practical applications of the technology, but also the artistic. He showcased a series of videos he developed through the manipulation of motion graphic technology that was then electronically transferred and showcased through avatar characters and creations. The conference continued on through the Thursday, featuring a series of guest research presenters discussing their plans and intentions for the macGRID community. Professor Harris-Smith hopes to continue developing university-industry bonds through this endeavour and use virtual worlds and mixed reality as a platform for social and scientific experiment. The grid is growing and physical boundaries are gradually being lifted to include broader research options.
DITORIAL
Thursday, November 15, 2012 Executive Editor: Sam Colbert Contact: thesil@thesil.ca Phone: (905) 525-9140, extension 22052
Remembering 1939 like it was yesterday to vegetarian curry at the house of games. we’re hooked. to johnson, buehrle, reyes and, most importantly, anthopoulos.
to shutting down the south side of campus. to the miami marlins. you poor fans. thank god there are so few of you.
to the real housewives of chester new hall.
to huzaifa being away next week. who will give us news?
to bad thad.
to forgetting.
to rocking the casbah.
to rocking the vending machine when it holds my skittles hostage. i will not negotiate with candy.
to ptaszek and the boys. to ‘50s at 5. to free concerts.
to scalpers. show some class.
A few weeks after Canada jumped to the aid of its allies in the Second World War, The Silhouette published issue number one in its tenth volume. On the front page of the Oct. 6, 1939 edition, there was a story about the opening of McMaster’s branch of the Canadian Officers Training Corps. Students were invited to register in the for-credit course. Passing the exams qualified them for the rank of lieutenant in the infantry. Some things have changed since then. But other things are quite similar. On the second yellowed page of Volume 10, I found an editorial, written by someone holding the job that I’m holding now. I’ve authored pieces about Halloween costumes, Woody Allen and bacon. This guy wrote about a month-old global war. It wasn’t the article I expected. It could have been written last week. Wars don’t fix societies, or their economies, it said. Wars don’t create freedom. And while the winners of wars might intend to pacify and rebuild the losers, it usually doesn’t work out so nicely. The Silhouette called on the United States to keep out of WWII. “Democracy might well fail to survive a completely worldwide war such as the last one,” it said, and America would be needed to pick up the pieces at the war’s end, restoring
democratic values across the world. Canadians of the 1930s weren’t ignorant as they headed into the fray against Germany. They weren’t brainwashed. Canada’s independence from Britain was too recent for it to hold back from supporting from its ally, but its citizens had doubts. But the doubts didn’t win after the war. For good or bad, America and its supporters are still overseas, pushing democracy on their adversaries. Remembrance Day was last weekend. Veterans of the twentieth century’s great wars are becoming fewer and fewer. Some of us students might have stopped to reflect. Our grandparents or great grandparents went through hardships we won’t have to endure. We’re meant to be thankful, knowing full well that we’ll never understand what it was like to be young in 1939. But remembrance isn’t always about acknowledging how our time is different than theirs. Sometimes, it’s about realizing how it’s the same. So be thankful, but not dismissive. The deaths didn’t stop in 1945. We’re not here at McMaster to register in Training Corps courses, but we’ve got a lot to learn about the world. •
Sam Colbert
to free hockey games. to kale and sweet potatoes. to pre-game sushi.
to the 2012 pasta salad shortage. to forgetting eminem lyrics.
The Silhouette McMaster University’s Student Newspaper
Editorial Board Sam Colbert | Executive Editor thesil@thesil.ca Jemma Wolfe | Managing Editor managing@thesil.ca Andrew Terefenko | Production Editor production@thesil.ca Aissa Boodhoo-Leegsma | Senior News Editor news@thesil.ca Julia Redmond | Assistant News Editor news@thesil.ca Anqi Shen | Online News Editor news@thesil.ca
About the War Canada is at war. Probably you have heard about it. Now, no one in Canada can reasonably believe that war can solve the ills of the economic and social world. Nor can democracy really be saved by war. For the purposes of prosecuting the campaign the very principles of democracy for which it is fighting have to be scrapped, with an inevitable setback as a consequence. But the British Empire has seen fit to register its active disapproval of Germany’s international tactics. Canada has thrown in her lot with the Empire, and no matter what our attitude may be toward the idea of war, it behooves us as citizens of the Dominion to lend our entire and unreserved support to Canada in her time of need. For the immediate present the need for university students as active fighting men is not great, but enthusiastic participation in the Officers’ Training Corps and earnest study in our academic courses, especially in the sciences, constitute our most effective contribution to the cause. Determined preparation should be the keynote of our immediate program. This with the hope and the prayer that the victors (as it appears most likely the Allies shall be) will deal with the conquered nation so humanely and so rationally as to obviate the very causes of this militaristic socialism against which we are fighting. But that is only a hope, and it may be dispersed at any time. An enemy blunder may at any moment arouse a blind hate that will seek to crush to extinction all that opposes it. May we express our sincere hope, then, that the United States shall keep out of the war. England and the Empire obligated herself to preserve the sanctity of Poland. We are fighting this war for honourable as well as for selfish reasons, and it is, therefore, our struggle. Much as the active support of the United States would help in our immediate crisis, the larger opportunity for it to help will come after the war is over. Democracy might well fail to survive a completely worldwide war such as the last one. It would be after the war is over that a great and democratic neutral power could aid the other great powers to re-establish soundly the principles of democracy throughout the world. We feel that the preservation of an enormous area of calm sanity and democratic stability is necessary in the cause of freedom.
An editorial entitled “About the War” was published on page two of the Oct. 6, 1939 issue of The Silhouette, less than a month after Canada declared their participation in the Second World War.
Mel Napeloni | Opinions Editor opinions@thesil.ca Brandon Meawasige | Senior Sports Editor sports@thesil.ca Scott Hastie | Assistant Sports Editor sports@thesil.ca Sam Godfrey | Senior InsideOut Editor insideout@thesil.ca Amanda Watkins | Assistant InsideOut Editor insideout@thesil.ca Nolan Matthews | Senior ANDY Editor andy@thesil.ca Bahar Orang | Assistant ANDY Editor andy@thesil.ca Yoseif Haddad | Senior Photo Editor photo@thesil.ca Jessie Lu | Assistant Photo Editor photo@thesil.ca Thaddeus Awotunde | Video Editor photo@thesil.ca Javier Caicedo | Multimedia Editor photo@thesil.ca Karen Wang | Graphics Editor production@thesil.ca Ammar Hanif | Distribution Coordinator thesil@thesil.ca Sandro Giordano | Ad Manager sgiordan@msu.mcmaster.ca
C/O RICHARD ZAZULAK
A win for the Marauders football team on Nov. 17 would ensure its second straight trip to the Vanier Cup, but with the national championship to be held in Toronto, Senior Sports Editor Brandon Meawasige argues that the high ticket prices are unfair to the squad’s most important fan base: McMaster students. See B3
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Opinions Wednesdays @ 2:30 p.m. Sports Thursdays @ 1:30 p.m. InsideOut Thursdays @ 4:30 p.m. ANDY Tuesdays @ 2 p.m. Photos/Illustrations Fridays @ 2:30 p.m.
Why are Canadians so love-struck with American politics? Page A10
PINIONS
Thursday, November 15, 2012 Opinions Editor: Mel Napeloni Meeting: Wednesdays @ 2:30 p.m. Contact: opinions@thesil.ca
Repentance for credence
News in the
Mel Napeloni
Journalism is now rendered pointless
The Conservative scripture is a fatalist nightmare
Opinions Editor
Conservatism is still a thing. Talk about fucking mayhem. In the 21st century, there are actual people out there who are actually Conservative. They do Conservative stuff and espouse Conservative things. If knowing that doesn’t hurt you somewhere deep, please stop reading. Make yourself a salad and watch some daily Fox, the epitome of good journalism. The British and the French are warming up to fascism, some of the Middle East is still unsure if secularism is really their ‘thang’ and the America’s are pretty much convinced ultra capitalism is the single holiest thing to emerge since the invention of the Louisville slugger. Goddamn, we’re living in some fucked up times. The National Front in France, a radical Conservative party, is pretty popular. It was literally this year that the leader Marine Le Pen received 17.9 per cent of the national vote during the nation’s recent presidential election. This is a party that is openly antiimmigration, anti-women’s rights, antihomosexual, and nationalist to the point that I’m convinced if nationalism was something they could touch they’d fondle it and squeal in joy like the pigs they are. They’re even well known for their historical revisionism, discounting major genocides and historical facts. This is France, people. A country considered developed. Developed. As for Britain, during the 2010 general election, the Conservatives won the highest number of votes. Fortunately for f irst-pastthe-post (which is a pretty unfortunate electoral system by the way) they fell twenty seats short. This resulted in a hung parliament with no majority party, and we all know what that means for any societal change whatsoever. That’s some shit. This is a party that says an influx in immigration is a threat to the nation’s white majority. Say hello to egocentric, bigoted scripture. This might as well be the early ‘50s. We should shove the entire party into a day-care center and give them a lesson on the golden rule. And if soft anti-woman legislation isn’t somehow an issue to you, consider that it wasn’t until 2008 that Iran scrapped their state-run ‘stoning-women-to-death-for-
adultery’ law. That’s five years ago. That’s social conservatism. That happened in our century - not by street thugs or civilians, not by sociopaths, but by civil authority. Leaders of the free fucking world. People with power. This is the shit they get away with in a world where people here say ‘we’ve progressed.’
KAREN WANG GRAPHICS EDITOR
For the sake of word-count, let’s skip Western apartheid, i mp e r i a l is m , and hegemony in Africa and the Middle East under Conservative ideals and stick to what America does best back at home – disliking socially disadvantaged people. We apparently dislike them so much we form entire public policies and social norms around our discontent. And say hello to Obama, an apparent opponent to our neo-crazy-mofo-determinist Republicans. If you call drones to Libya
and Yemen, approving bills that cut federal taxes, shoveling millions to bankers and auto industries, and consistently referring to America as the biggest cock in a room of tictac’s as democratic, by all means be cheery. Might I ask however, where was Liberal dissent when Obama urged a bill to pass in 2011 that would raise the debt ceiling and cut federal taxes by 2.5 trillion dollars? For ‘progressives’ who claim Obama is just the victim of a bad legislative system, have some humility – actively urging and approving terrible bills should be enough for you to quiet down. Is a president who says corporate taxes in a highly privatized country are too high on your side? And when I say on your side, I mean us scraps, also known as everyone who doesn’t make over $250,000 a year. And speaking of social conservatism, do none of us remember when Obama was only for civil unions in the first few years of his presidency until he suddenly changed his mind, coincidentally after tensions increased on the issue? This happened. Look up any video or quote from Obama on the subject of gay marriage before 2010. It won’t be pretty. We live in a fucked up world. There are leaders with a lot of economic power who do fucked up shit. They’re doing this shit right now as you read this. They’re waging wars for the wrong reasons, they don’t think you deserve affordable tuition or healthcare, and some of them can’t wait to take Medicare away from old people or put people in jail to meet prison quotas and revenues. They’re called Conservative people. They’re your friends, your family members, and your neighbours. There’s nothing that bothers them more than your social and economic rights. Nothing. They’re enemies to societal progress and they want you leftie fucks out of their way. Let this be a warning to people who still think like this, people who are spewing this vile crap undeserving of any serious attention – back off. Because repentance for your sins isn’t as old and outdated as it sounds. You won’t be around to destroy the lives of your peers and neighbours forever. You’re already among history’s parasites. And believe me when I say you’ll maintain that title for as long as humanity manages to limp through to the next millennia.
Filmmakers are losing their touch
How much longer until filmmakers lose their audience entirely? Keely Brown The Silhouette
I wouldn’t claim to be a literal connoisseur of film. I’ve always been more inclined to just casually watch a torrented movie or go out to the movies whenever a group of friends invite me. I don’t know the specific details or finer points of what makes a film high quality, I just happen to know what I like when it comes to film. And more importantly, I also know what I dislike. I’m sure by now most people have heard that the Walt Disney Company has purchased the Star Wars franchise. I’ve been an avid Star Wars fan since I was very little. I watched the new movies as they came out and I literally obsessed over them. I, like many Star Wars fans, entertained the idea of taking part in imaginary lightsaber battles with invisible foes. I had (and still have) a ridiculous collection of Star Wars lego and played a lot of different Star Wars video games. Naturally, you’d expect such a big fan of Star
KAREN WANG GRAPHICS EDITOR
Wars and film in general to be excited by the concept of a new Star Wars trilogy, right? Well, not quite. See, things have changed and I’m no longer the kid who loved everything under the banner of ‘Star Wars’. I’ve grown fonder of movies with depth and characters that you can actually believe and sympathize with. Which is why I now find the original trilogy to be more enjoyable than the most recent trilogy. Sure there’s some good stuff to be found in the newer trilogy, but I can’t help but wonder, if I were to see the new trilogy for the first time today, would I still enjoy them? Probably not to the same degree in the very least. Part of the problem in my eyes that made the so-called ‘newer trilogies’ unsatisfactory is the fact that they were made on the premise of being made as a trilogy. In the original series, George Lucas and his team didn’t have any really huge successes under their belts. They really had no guarantee that they were going to be successful enough to even consider the possibility of a sequel. So they made each and every movie count where it needed to: making the characters and story memorable and enjoyable. The visuals were amazing, but that wasn’t what it was about. A younger George Lucas put it best: “Special Effects are just a tool, a means of telling a story. People have a tendency to confuse them as an ends themselves. A special effect without a story is a pretty boring thing.” So, where did the concept of a new trilogy begin to fall apart? In my eyes at least, it was when they decided to commit to creating an entire trilogy before gauging how well made the first episode was. They’re already jumping to the conclusion that even if the first movie is completely terrible, they’re going
to go ahead with the next two movies. And that’s precisely what bothers me about Disney already committing to a trilogy rather than just one episode. Sure, it might end up being as amazing and good as the original trilogy or perhaps even better, but what happens if it ends up being terrible? They’re literally going to plop out another two as long as it’s financially feasible. So why commit to making three of the movies before even knowing whether it’s going to be good? Well, it seems to be a common problem in Hollywood lately. Even if movies are critically torn apart and their audiences are disappointed, their franchise will continue as long as they make money at the box office. And that’s precisely where my frustration lies with modern filmmakers, especially when they just take old ideas and rehash them. How many sequels to original movies are going to be as amazing as the original? How many sequels are going to blow the minds of movie watchers the way that the original film did? A well made standalone movie will, for me, almost always be more satisfying than a series of sequels that just rehash old ideas.
R OU 3 Y M ”X A I “ HER T FA
spotlight Spencer Nestico The Silhouette
The role of journalism has always been primarily to connect developing stories with the public. Journalists will type away incessantly at their old typewriters, all the while priding themselves in their role to deliver a product that was not only factual and interesting, but something that yielded a deeply vital outcome: a well-informed population. You see, communication and knowledge are the reasons that nations become successful in their endeavors because people understand the issues. Conversely, this is currently the reason for why nations have difficulty advancing their policies - bad journalism. It’s hard to pinpoint where exactly in the last 20 years did journalism begin to get less and less objective and more and more fatally sensationalist. Regardless of the history, it’s undeniably apparent that things have changed. The role of the journalist is no longer to present a balanced view on events, it’s to present such a balanced view that there’s no longer any point in writing about it. The great emphasis given to reporters and writers in news team is to refrain from bias at all costs, and this is probably one of the worst things to happen to the art. This is because there’s no differentiation being made between natural bias and acceptable scrutiny. A great example can be seen from the recent Presidential election. News teams have been so focused on presenting an impartial judgment of the two candidates that the public gets a mistaken impression that both candidates are equal in their ability to run the White House. This is wrong. It seems that one of the greatest felonies that the journalist world has made is that they assume stories can no longer be interesting or acceptable unless they are just that: interesting and acceptable. News media is a great example of this. Fox News is one of the most humorously entertaining excuses for a news show, one that replaces actual analysis with gross exaggeration and even total fabrication. These types of media no longer have faith in their own stories, or their own viewers. They have lost the modest personality that was so attractive about reporters back in the day, the ones that made the likes of Walter Cronkite and Harry Reasoner household and national heroes. It is lamentable to see the turn journalism has taken in the last decade. It’s sad to see lies told solely for the purpose of evening the odds and balancing stories, all in the name of fairness. The respect that the field once had has all but seemed to diminish. It’s notable however to understand that not all reporters and members of the news media are corrupted, but just the big ones. Corporate media outlets like CNN and ABC News are the ones who are consistently producing the inaccurate material, spreading news that is so blatantly bare of opinion in order to please every possible reader that it really says nothing at all. On the other hand, small independent writers, or popular talk show hosts like Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert still seem to retain a decently analytical mind, one that can actually question and argue the views held by Conservatives, whose only reply is always just an appeal to traditionalism. These are the men and women who should really be heard by America and are the ones who actually want to make a point, and welleducated ones at that. Journalists have a right to take a stand on issues. They have a right to make judgments. Journalists have the factual knowledge and in-person experience on the issues that they investigate that citizens never get a chance to acquire, and this is why journalists have a responsibility to convey their actual findings to their audience, and not some heavily edited drivel that attempts to pander to both sides. These are the journalists we need right now, the ones who aren’t afraid and will come back from their reporting with news that they excitingly realize must be told. During the 20th century reporting was done out of a responsibility and service to a people, and although I am assured that statements made by current members of this occupation would say the exact same thing, its just different. Journalism has never been used more aggressively to evoke sentiments of discontent and prejudice, and to foster a mentality that is unable to become open-minded or questioning. To go back to those days of honest broadcasting requires not only a massive restructuring of the news media, but also an increase in the level of acceptance that people have for each other in daily society. Either way, I’m just a corrupt journalist, so how would I know?
A8 • Opinions
The Silhouette • Thursday, November 15, 2012
Andrea Tang
Karthicka
Suthanandan
MacDebate Exec Member
MacDebate Exec Member
Should McMaster’s MSAF be removed?
HEADTOHEAD Andrea: Unlike at many other universities, at McMaster you do not need a doctor’s note to use your one get-out-of-jail-free card per semester, otherwise known as the MSAF. I think the university should get rid of the MSAF because the majority of students who use it do it out of laziness. They aren’t legitimately throwing up next to the toilet, and neither are they legitimately in bed with strep throat, and the fact that they aren’t makes it a lazy excuse to slack once per semester. When you enter university, you expect the loads of work that come with it. Everyone warns you about the importance of time management and being efficient when you leave high school so it’s not as if you aren’t prepared for the workload I think to encourage students to be more diligent toward schoolwork; we need to get rid of the MSAF. If you are legitimately sick, then you should be able to produce a doctor’s note and e-mail your professor or TA directly, in which case you can get an extension on that assignment you cannot complete.
MSAF needs to be analyzed a bit more, and also the context of student lives and ‘laziness’ before we rule out these extensions entirely. Firstly, there is no statistical evidence to prove whether there is a highly disproportional ratio of MSAF users that are not actually ill, so I’ll just play ball with the idea that many students do in fact use it
I think the university should get rid of the MSAF because the majority of students who use it do it out of laziness. Andrea
purely as an extension. Sometimes school gets overwhelming and as much as students try to catch up it is very human to fall behind once in a while. I think MSAF forms help the students who refuse to throw in the towel until the very last minute Kari: I think the functionality of an when the fact becomes unavoidable
that eight pages simply cannot be written in five hours. Furthermore, I think it helps the students that perhaps don’t deal with stress very well, because can we really say medical barriers are the only ones that exist in keeping someone from doing their work? This is where I think the functionality of an MSAF comes in when we look at the extent to which a medical issue is one that a doctor will even deem as sufficient cause to be given an extension. Is the limit really vomiting and strep throat? What about emotional breakdowns and panic attacks? Maybe it doesn’t happen to everyone, but should we disregard the few this does seriously impact? Andrea: I think in the event of a psychological breakdown, that is a very valid reason to be given an extension on an assignment or midterm. I think psychological illness can also be given a doctor’s note and addressed in such a way that it is taken seriously and not mixed in with all the other MSAF’s that are a result of laziness. My friend a while ago submitted an MSAF because she was legitimately sick with a fever in bed
and she was only given a one-day extension on her assignment that was due. I think this is a result of professors being weary of false MSAFs’s and thus not taking them as seriously as some of them should be. This is extremely unfair to those who do use it for real reasons. Stress is something we all have
I think the functionality of an MSAF needs to be analyzed a bit more and the context of student lives and ‘laziness.’ Karthicka
to learn to deal with and allowing students a cop-out for their work isn’t going to help them manage their time more wisely and deal with stress more efficiently in the future. As students, we’ve all pulled those all-nighters to finish work and once in a while it is necessary.
The work given in any program in university is manageable as long as you plan your time well and work efficiently. If a student cannot do this, then they know they have something to work on. Kari: I think that there is a level of simplification in saying that all individuals who suffer more with stress or experience breakdowns would actually be given any leeway. I think there are also technical issues about the lengthy procedure that would be involved in actually diagnosing a psychological circumstance to grant someone an MSAF on the day an assignment is due. I think there is still a level of seriousness in say the experience of stress and how this affect individuals and their academic career. Furthermore, I think this idea of teaching individuals how to time manage is flawed, because are we really teaching them workplace etiquette by pushing to complete proportions of work that beyond the capabilities of an average student living a balanced lifestyle. The mechanism should not be blamed for the way people react to it.
Opinions • A9
Thursday, November 15, 2012 • The Silhouette
Feedback Is it fair for students to use MSAF for reasons other than medical illnesses?
Homophobia in Nigeria Be aware of hidden atrocities in other countries
Compiled by Mel Napeloni and Jessie Lu “If there is a legitimate reason and you aren’t taking advantage of the system, it’s fair. Being emotionally unhealthy or receiving word of a death in the family is reason enough. “ Olivia Mouriopoulos Social Sciences I Many schools in Nigeria have dire punishments for being openly gay. This is wrong.
Udoka Okafor The Silhouette
“It doesn’t hurt anyone else but myself, so why should anyone care why I use it? “ Joey Mlezcko Communications IV
“You’re paying for your courses, you deserve a break. The question of why is not only irrelevant, but sometimes arbitrary. Feeling awful can be considered a medical condition itself.” Colin Murphy Engineering VI
“Unless it’s a dire circumstance, you should use MSAF for medical illnesses.” Taylor Squires Nursing IV
“No, I don’t think it’s fair to students. The mandate is clear.” Allison Cruse Sociology III
There is this joyous celebration of queer pride in Canada - pride that in my country was a cause for banishment and shame. Before I came to Canada, I was surrounded and immersed in homophobia. Homophobia was the norm, an unspoken ideal, and one that never needed an explanation. I watched people get suspended and expelled from my very strict catholic high school simply for being gay. People shriek and become nauseated at the very idea of the possibility that being gay was okay. Though not legalized, ‘don’t ask, don’t tell’, is the regime that we are expected to live by. The hate surrounding gay people in Nigeria is ridiculous. It can warrant bullying, extreme hate and abuse, expulsions from school, correctional rape arranged by family members, and death. Being gay in Nigeria is difficult. And death, I promise, is not the worst of fates. I was surrounded by so much infectious hate and I never understood why I was expected to hate them. Some people that got expelled for being gay were my friends, but they didn’t seem different from me in any respect, and so I wondered why someone’s sexuality had so much power. People gave moral, religious, ethical, social, and so many other forms of justification for their
homophobia. What developed within me was an inherent tendency to look at all homosexuals differently. But the worst part of it all is that I never looked at them with hate, no, I looked at them with pity. Coming to Canada was very radical because I was suddenly immersed in this culture of equality with actual reasons for equality, not baseless justifications taken completely out of context. It was different and different was good. I began researching on all things homosexual, their history, the plights they
There is nothing wrong with being gay. I had to say that to my self repeatedly in order to flush out the garbage that I was taught. Udoka Okafor McMaster student
have been through, their fights for equality and the progress they have made and how much farther they needed to go. The moment I discovered equality trumps homophobia was the moment I began to resent my country for teaching me ideals of hate. There is nothing wrong with being gay. I had to say that to my self repeatedly in order to flush out the garbage that I was taught. It was a whole new experience for me and it was liberating. All of this is why the import-
ance of pride events cannot be overstated. No matter how pro equality we are, sometimes we have to remind ourselves that there is no vice in being homosexual. I have met a lot of homosexuals and their sexuality did not make them evil. In fact, their sexuality had no defining basis on their character. But sometimes, when we throw ourselves into pride week, we forget about homosexuals everywhere. As you are reading this article, in this moment, a gay person is being raped to correct their sexuality, or beaten to the point of stupor. And even when they are killed, the depravity and immorality of the circumstances that they are killed in are torturous. Some are burnt, others are stoned, and much worse. So no, in a sense the concept of pride events is still somewhat overwhelming to me. I understand why Canadian homosexuals would want to celebrate their pride because the progress that they have achieved is amazing. But I have seen the best and worst of both worlds and homosexuals are still treated terribly in my country. At one point, I was actually thinking about becoming an activist and speaking out for homosexuals in my country, but that is simply a death wish for me. So yes, it is good to be thankful that Canada has come so far in terms of acceptance and equality but what about Nigeria? Or is their progress towards the acceptance of homosexuals irrelevant?
A10 • Opinions
The Silhouette • Thursday, November 15, 2012
The good ol’ American way Why are Canadians more interested in U.S. politics than their own? Abdullahi Sheikh The Silhouettew
With the United States’ election day come and gone, it’s no small wonder that we pay so much attention to their politics. We may have players as interesting as Justin Trudeau and as vile as Stephen Harper, but we’re almost a high school play compared to the Broadway musical that is American politics. Regardless of how you feel about the candidates, you’ve probably got your own opinion on who should have won and why. And I’d bet your neighbour’s got one too. Now, I’m not trying to say that we should focus solely on our own politics and ignore the rest of the world. That’s probably exactly the opposite of what any newspaper should be advocating. But instead we should take a minute to assess why we are so fond of turning on the television to watch what new debacle whichever presidential candidate has caused. I think that, ultimately, we’re just more interested by what’s happening just past the border. And it’s not just because they’ve got an African-American president, Silicon Valley and an IHOP in every city (although that last one certainly helps.) It really is more than that. Our infatuation with our southern cousins must have
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KAREN WANG GRAPHICS EDITOR
some basis in reality, right? There’s got to be a reason that American politics gets our hearts racing while Canadian politics make us check for a pulse. Well, as someone whose been on both sides of the fence, I think it really just arises from a discontent we, the Canadian people, have regarding our own government and its inner workings. Whether it’s our style of government
(first-past-the-post tends to leave us annoyed the most) or the actions of our officials, we’ve become a bit bored with our government as a whole. American politics serve as an interesting diversion from the regular tedium of Canadian politics. In a way, Canadian politics can be seen as a Big Top while American Politics represent Cirque du Soliel.
Although going to a circus can be fun, can it really compare to seeing horses trot to the musical styling’s of Michael Jackson? Now, you don’t have to agree with me on this one, but next time you turn on the television, I want you to see which news channel you’d rather watch when they start to talk shop about politic And, more importantly, I want you to think about why.
Opinions • A11
Thursday, November 15, 2012 • The Silhouette
Obama and the grand empire We’re doomed if the next four years is a repeat of our dreary political past
Ryan Sparrow The Silhouette
Leading an empire is a lot of work. President Obama won a second term as President over a slightly nastier person, Mitt Romney. In their course for the White House, the main headquarters to direct the empire, billions upon billions of dollars were spent. Billions were spent saying the right-wing Democratic Party is better than the right-wing Republican Party and vice versa. The US is a massive empire; it’s hegemonic over the entirety of the world. The US has 50 percent of the world’s defense budget, not because it is defending itself or freedom, but to maintain an empire. Liberal commenters will have us believe that the empire building is simply mistakes, simply invasions based on wrong information or stupid ideas. It is not by mistake or stupid decisions that Iraq, Afghanistan, Vietnam or many others were invaded. It’s not by mistake that Yemen, Pakistan, and many other countries are drone-struck on a regular basis. It’s not by mistake that democratically elected governments were overthrown like Haiti, Honduras and Paraguay. It is, however, big business. Millions die across the globe in order for profits to be made. There is a lot of money involved in attacking these states via defense contracts, a lot of money involved in stealing their resources,
and a lot of money in rebuilding contracts afterwards. Empire is not about military conquest; empire is imperialism which is resource extraction and profits. For example in 2008 when the government of Honduras was overthrown, they overthrew the government without any initial bloodshed, though death squads do round up and routinely kill supporters of many of the democratic organizations, peasant associations and trade unions. The new dictatorship in Honduras has now opened themselves to the dictates of mining corporations, many of which are based in Canada. It is not necessary to have a country be a vassal/colony by use of military invasion, the threat of force when a country engages in economic nationalism. Economic nationalism refers to economic policies that are directed towards the betterment of the colonial people at the expense of the interest of the imperial country’s interests. As President, Obama has overseen the expansion of the US Empire to include more colonies, like Libya. Libya’s crime to the empire was not abuses towards the population which no doubt existed, nor that Gaddafi was undemocratic, it was that Libya implemented policies that were in the economic interests of the Libyan people. Policies like a public oil corporation whose profits went to fund healthcare, infrastructure and education. The crime to the empire was the lack of markets
for foreign multinationals to profit where profits could be made. Obama’s new colony is very unstable, the life expectancy and purchasing power of Libya has plummeted since the NATO bombardment and overthrow. But this is not a concern of the US empire. Libya, once the richest country in Africa now has a lot of the country’s major infrastructure in ruins. Soon after the overthrow had its oilfields privatized and are now in the hands of big oil multinationals. The empire however is not free; someone has to pay for the costs involved in maintaining an empire. When the United States government goes to wars, maintains military bases or attacks other countries it uses its defense budget and public treasury to pay for it. The spoils of war are not going back into the government’s coffers, the revenues brought in from imperialism are privatized, and the profits of war are provided to corporations and their boards of directors. The CEO of banks and hedge funds, oil companies, construction firms, defense firms, and so on all benefit from imperialism. Imperialism allows that the coffers of defense contractors overflow, with their “unexpected” cost overruns much like the F35 Fighter Jets that Canada is planning on purchasing, where the costs more than doubled. So much profit is made, but the people have to pay for this empire, they do this through taxes, which are increasingly flat
taxation. Working people are paying a larger share of it, while the rich and the corporations pay less or sometimes nothing. Debt is used to finance the imperial ambitions, which in term provide massive returns to those issuing the debts. Cuts to the social wages are made, cuts to social security, public sector wages, and so on in order so these vultures can profit ever more for war. In order to maintain an empire, there is a need to suppress alternative political voices that are opposed to it, most notably in this most recent election was the arrest of the Green party candidates and their exclusion from the debates. Most notably under Obama was the repression of the Occupy Movements, this perpetuates policies that the attack on organized and peaceful protests and the routine arrests of the poor and racialized people. The monopoly media cartel and the public education system also help reinforce the dominant imperial ideology by not just promoting and framing the discourse but also limiting the realm of acceptable opinions. For example, discussions on reducing the U.S. defense budget or even municipal policing budgets are deemed subversive and outside the realm of acceptable opinion. In the debates, there was no mention of tackling climate change or curbing military spending. Obama is not in opposition to the empire - he is engaged in it. If he was opposed to it, he could not be president.
THURSDAY
THE
NOVEMBER 15, 2042
FEATURE UNIT L012 Speculator Programming
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ROBOT PHOTO EDITOR
John T. McDonrex, Canada’s 29th Prime Minister, seen here baring his convictions against his opponents.
takes the position after a brutal campaign against opposition leader Stephen Harper, The Reunified Dominion-Cor- who had to relinquish his seat poration of Canada broke new after a record thirty-ix years as ground last night as her citi- Prime Minister, and Canada’s zens elected the world’s first longest-serving cyborg public bispecies head of state. servant. The newly elected Prime The new Minister ran on a Minister, John T. McDonrex, is platform of honesty, conservaa genetically-spliced hybrid of tive budgeting and equal carnihuman and cretaceous period vore rights. tyrannosaurus rex, a combiMcDonrex found it diffination normally banned from cult to battle a scandal he was holding office. involved in earlier this year, McDonrex, representative in which this very publication of the Neo Democratic Party, accused the NDP leader of eatREPORTING UNIT Y036
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INSIDE TODAY PER ISSUE: Two ounces of fresh water INCL. HST, PST .
JAPANDIA ATTACKS A8
NEO ENGLISH LESSON B8
WEATHER
SOMBER COMICS C2
THE FUN STOPS HERE B1
HIGH: GEIGER COUNTER SALES
RETURN OF THE MAN H8
COME BACK BONO A9-A17
FREE PUSSY RIOT C8
THE 78TH VANIER CUP, THE
THE VOID OF SOUND A4
ONLY TWO TEAMS LEFT ON
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IRRADIATED GROUND O5
LOW: BIRTH RATES We could really use a man like Joe Biden right around now. BIDEN OUR TIME B3
What did you learn this week, Timothy? “I learned,
ing the Liberal party chairman, a known vegetarian and antihybridization advocate. His Majesty the King himself will be present at the official inaugration ceremony later this month, hot off the heels of her conquest of the Pan-Soviet Union colonies in the former continent of Asia. The Minister will announce his cabinet selections once the final selection process is completed. The investigation into the Liberal leader’s disappearance continues.
The quietest wildflower can silence the greatest of empires.”
History was made last night as a perfectly-preserved artifact of human history was found in a time capsule. The capsule was dug up in the smoldering ruins of the former site of McMaster University. The University was famous for having been absolutely obliterated by a nuclear meltdown in October of 2031, caused by engineering students attempting a misguided prank. The resulting fallout warped the waterfront area and led to present-day Radiation Pit Gamma - formerly Lake Ontario. The artifact, believed to be a totem of religious devotion, was sandwiched in a capsule along with several other items of sentimental value, including a fun size bag of Skittles and a 2014 issue of The Speculator. 2031 was a notable year for McMaster, aside from the catastrophic disaster. It was the first year in several decades that the student body elected a caucasian, male student union president, a feat which mirrors present day events. The event becomes blurry in recollection as the caucasian race has all but vanished in the series of exodus’ that fled the planet’s growing climate concerns to an untrackable location outside our solar system. The climate got better after they left, so we’re good.
Better Late Shit Hastings sits in on the LRT proposal meetings, which the mayor ensures people is “coming.” LR3
T.J.’S DOWN UNDERWEAR
EMPORIUM
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10 MINUTES OFF TOWN CRATER | MON-FRI 9-9
Disclaimer: Stories printed in The Hamilton Speculator are fact. Any resemblance to persons real or dead is likely intentional and done out of spite. Opinions expressed are those of The Speculator and if you disagree with them you are wrong. And stupid. Possibly ugly as well.
PORTS
Thursday, November 15, 2012 Sports Editors: Brandon Meawasige and Scott Hastie Meeting: Thursdays @ 1:30 p.m. Contact: sports@thesil.ca
Back to back for Mac
C/O RICHARD ZAZULAK
With a 30-13 win over the visiting Guelph Gryphons, the Marauders repeated as OUA champions and punched their ticket to the Mitchell Bowl.
Brandon Meawasige Senior Sports Editor
The McMaster Marauders are a game away from their second straight trip to the Vanier Cup after a record-breaking season that culminated in a 30-13 Yates Cup victory over the Guelph Gryphons on Nov. 10. Mac set a new CIS record for consecutive wins with 20, surpassing the mark of 19 held formerly by the 2004-05 Laval Rouge et Or. Several Marauders received individual OUA honors. Kyle Quinlan took home the conference’s MVP award for his play at quarterback, linebacker Aram Eisho captured the Presidents Trophy, awarded yearly to the OUA’s outstanding defensive player, and Ben D’Aguilar was the J.P. Metras recipient for lineman of the year. Additionally, Stefan Ptaszek was given honors as the Dave “Tuffy” Knight coach of the year. The numerous accolades for both the team and its players, ten of which were
named first team OUA all stars, could be a distraction, but Ptaszek doesn’t let his team get distracted. “Championship football teams, awards, all stars – and we have a few – are byproducts of a great season. We will continue to focus on the on field product and reaching our full potential on the field. These side things, we don’t let them distract us from the task at hand, which is to get back to our second straight Vanier Cup,” said the seventhyear head coach. “It is about getting these young men to their full potential, and their potential is very high,” he added. For this year’s team, there have been many challenges. Injuries have been an issue since before the season’s first snap. During training camp, Michael DiCroce and Chris Pezzetta both went down with ailments that saw both miss the entire 2012 regular season. Ptaszek admires his team’s perseverance. “We saw our receivers all grow and de-
velop. In the absence of Michael DiCroce, Robert Babic and Bradley Fochesato had career seasons.” In the backfield, though, Pezzetta was not the only casualty. “We saw in the absence of Chris Pezzetta that Jimmy Hill can step up. In the absence of Hill, we saw Tanner Forsyth step up, and in the absence of Forsyth, Kasean Davis can step up and so forth,” said Ptaszek. Despite all of the uphill battles, the Maroon and Grey have found their way back to playing for a chance at the national title. Over the past two seasons, Mac has a record of 21-1. But if you ask Ptaszek, it is the last game that matters the most. “If you are going to look at the most dominating teams in the history of the CIS, I think that you will find the second Vanier to be much more relevant than 20, 21 or 22 wins in a row,” he said. “It’s a neat thing. It signifies some great things going on in the program, but in order to be considered to be one of the best teams to
ever play in the CIS, we have to get a couple more things done.” In short, there is plenty of football left to be played. Standing between the Marauders and a trip to the Rogers Centre in Toronto on Nov. 23 is the Calgary Dinos. On the field, the Mitchell Bowl will be the season’s toughest test. However, home field advantage is invaluable to the team’s success, according to Ptaszek. “It is a real and tangible contribution that those six thousand fans are making, then afterwards, when you celebrate, to look and see a sea of maroon and Ron Joyce in the background. These are memories for these young men that they will never forget.” Although Saturday’s game is only a semifinal matchup, the Marauders (10-0) and Dinos (9-1) are ranked one and three, respectively, in the CIS top ten ranking. The second ranked team is the Dunsmore Cup champion Laval Rouge et Or, who Mac defeated to win the 2011 Vanier Cup trophy.
No. 1 McMaster Marauders (10-0) For the last three seasons, the Marauders have had the best secondary in the CIS. No team has had more regular season interceptions (53) than the Marauders in that time period. It seems that the “dirty birds” are even more vicious in the playoffs. “When it comes to interceptions, they seem to get more in the playoffs than they do in the regular season. It seems that the bigger the game, the bigger the contribution is from those kids,”said Ptaszek of his defensive backfield. The Marauder defense has been among the most solid units in the CIS as a whole this season, with a front seven including the likes of Aram Eisho and Ben D’Aguilar, who each took home some hardware this year for their play. There can be no mistake, though, that the Kyle Quinlan-led offense is the heart of this
No. 3 Calgary Dinos (9-1) Head coach Blake Nill has put together a powerhouse team at the University of Calgary. This season, the Dinos were the most prolific scoring team in the country. No team in any conference scored more points (380) and no team had a better point differential (183). The Dinos allowed only 117 points all season. According to Ptaszek, the Hardy Cup champions are a force to be reckoned with. “Once you watch the film, Coach Nill of the Dinosaurs has put together a team with one purpose in mind, and that is to win a Vanier Cup.” “They are the most talented group we have seen so far. They are wired to be a national champion. It will take our best game to survive the day.” Calgary has some extremely talented playmakers on both sides of the ball. Offensively, quarterback Eric Dzwilewski had an outstanding season and has been nominated
for the Hec Creighton trophy (competing against Mac’s Quinlan for the honors). Runningback Steve Lumbala is also a constant threat to break a big play, averaging 8.1 yards per carry, the best average in the CIS for backs with 70 or more rushes. On the defensive side of the ball, linebacker Mike Edem is a production machine, recording 55 tackles, four sacks and one interception in 2012. For Calgary’s playmakers, it all starts on the line. “At the line of scrimmage, between the defensive and offensive lines, they have about six or seven future CFL’ers. In the trenches, this will be as solid a team as we will ever see,” said Ptaszek. The Dinos are certainly a difficult team to stop, leading the nation with 75 per cent success on third down conversions. The McMaster passing game will also face the stingiest secondary in the nation; the Dinos allow only 167.8 pass yards per game.
team. According to Ptaszek, Quinlan is the leader of this team. “He is the guy we all look to to make a play. The chips are down, coaches, players, offense, defence, they look at 12 to right the ship. Most guys in that role would feel the pressure and wouldn’t be as calm, as collected and as patient with everyone around them. Kyle manages that role better than anyone I have ever seen, and he is a unique leader.” Recently returning from injury, Michael DiCroce has contributed heavily in the first two playoff games. The Marauders air attack led the nation with 22 passing touchdowns in 2012. If the game is close, kicker Tyler Crapigna can make a large contribution. No CIS team has been more successful in field goal attempts this year.
B2 • Sports
The Silhouette • Thursday, November 15, 2012
Former team captain walks away Scott Hastie
Assistant Sports Editor
Victor Raso was the men’s 2011-12 team captain. He won the team’s Most Valuable Player award. He also captured an OUA All-Star nod for his play last year. But this year, Raso won’t be representing McMaster, or any university for that matter, on a basketball court. In the summer, Raso suffered his second concussion in four months, which caused him to sit out from playing basketball. With such a dangerous and sensitive injury, it was important for Raso to take time to ensure he was back to full health. McMaster head coach Amos Connolly wanted his player to feel free of stress to get back on the court, but giving Raso this space led to a breakdown in communication. “There was a period we did not talk. I thought what he needed most was space and not having the pressure of thinking about the team or having to answer to me,” said Connolly. But this was interpreted in another way by the former All-Star. To Raso, their relationship was evaporating, and this caused him to rethink about his role on the roster. “When our relationship deteriorated, a million things ran through my mind,” said Raso. Victor is the son of a former Marauder bench boss, Joe Raso. The coach’s dismissal from the program followed his son’s first season in the Maroon and Grey, and Victor admits that what happened with his father is something that still bothers him. “At Mac, it’s always a lot for me to play basketball. With my dad being there, it was always a lot. It was a constant struggle; I had to be completely bought.” Connolly sympathizes with his ex-captain’s situation, but he doesn’t necessarily agree with how things were dealt with. “When your dad is a legendary coach, you are in a tough spot,” said Connolly. “You either want to be playing for your dad, or any other kid on the team. But the problem is when you start to lose confidence, and you’re in that weird middle place.” Things turned sour between the two parties. Without communication, Victor Raso no longer felt a part of the program.
“Once the relationship with Coach Connolly stopped, I felt like that was it for me,” Raso said. But if you ask Connolly about the communication breakdown, it’s a different story. “The lack of communication was not weeks at a time. I have text messages and emails to meet with him. But communication is clearly a two-way street,” said Connolly. After much deliberation and talks with friends, Raso came to the final decision to walk away from McMaster on Sept. 11, two days before a team meeting at the start of the semester. The combination of what transpired between his father and the administration, with the fallout with Coach Connolly, and his own step away from buying into the program were the motives in his decision, and Raso felt like this was the best thing for him. “At the end of the day, you have to make personal decision. This decision happened to be at the expense of a group of guys that I love and a program that I love. But if it’s tough on me and stressful on me, it’s something I had to do,” said Raso. But with summer workouts coming to a close and the school semester gearing up, the timing of the decision had an opportunity to hurt the young team’s development. “It really put the team in a bad spot,” said Connolly. “The timing could not have been worse. There’s really no reason that Victor could have told me that I wouldn’t have agreed with if he had only been straightforward with me.” Mac dodged a bullet, with the leadership void being filled on the team shortly after by veteran players Nathan Pelech and Scott Laws. But the timing wasn’t the most damaging part for Connolly; it was losing someone who he had gone through so much with. “I felt like Victor and I were in this together, because of the situation here. Him playing with his dad not being here and trying to follow his dad is tough on the kid. He’s someone I really cared about. Basketball or not, there’s a relationship that’s been lost that went through some pretty hard times together,” said Connolly. But to say there is a grudge between the two parties would be a farce. Both sides have moved on from the situation and are looking forward in their respective careers. Raso is moving on from McMaster and
YOSEIF HADDAD SENIOR PHOTO EDITOR
Coach Amos Connolly has retooled and new leadership has emerged in his younger players.
looking to play at another school in the OUA. “I still love Mac. I love those guys. The last thing I want to do is have something that makes this look like I’m throwing the team under the bus,” said the former captain of his Marauder experience. Although their relationship came to an abrupt end, Connolly wishes the best for his former player. He shares the blame and wants to mend
the relationship eventually with Raso, but for now he hopes that the player finds happiness in his new home. “I think he’s a really, really good kid and at his core. He is a very good person and has strong character,” said Connolly. With the beginning of a new season and a fresh young roster, this marks the changing of the guard as the men’s basketball program moves on from the Raso era.
Marauders split Mac falls in fourth quarter opening weekend Men’s basketball looking ahead after stunning one-point loss Scott Hastie
Assistant Sports Editor
One win, one loss, and one point. In the opening weekend of Marauders’ basketball, the men’s team split their matches against the York Lions and Laurentian Voyageurs. The one-point loss to Laurentian was the most memorable moment of the weekend, after firstyear guard Rohan Boney’s alley-oop off the inbound fell just short of falling in. Picking up a win in the first game over York can breed confidence in a young team, but the onepoint loss to Laurentian is not one the squad will soon forget. “This loss will haunt us for the whole season,” Head Coach Amos Connolly commented on the severity of the loss. With Laurentian’s top guard, Manny Pasquale, sidelined by a concussion, the odds were in Mac’s favour. But instead, the young team could not string together four strong quarters. The game was decided with the inconsistent effort on the defensive end of the court, with two Laurentian players scoring 44 of their 65 points. McMaster also held the visitors to two 10-point quarters, yet gave up a 27-point second quarter. Voyageur Georges Serresse was lights-out, knocking down six threes. “We didn’t play with passion on the defensive end for one quarter of the game,” commented Connolly. After smothering defense on the inbounds pass, Mac failed on the final defensive possession of the game. A missed defensive assignment left a Voyageur wide-open for a baseline jumper to give Laurentian a one-point lead. The play summarizes the game for McMaster: hard work undone by the defense falling asleep. Aaron Redpath and Adam Presutti did not play, but Connolly does not want to focus on that. “It’s not about who is not here. It’s about who is here and did they
make plays, or not?” said Connolly. One player who made plays was Rohan Boney. His play put the CIS on notice, emerging as an early candidate for Rookie of the Year. Boney put up an encouraging statline on Saturday night against the Voyageurs. After playing 40 minutes, the first-year put up 19 points on 6-8 shooting with five rebounds and seven assists. A strong OUA debut is just what the team needed from the young wing player. With the weekend in the rearview mirror, the team is looking ahead to what could be the toughest weekend in their schedule. On Nov. 17, the reigning CIS champion Carleton Ravens host McMaster followed by a game against the Ottawa Gee-Gees. The Ravens dropped their first regular season game since February of 2010 over the weekend. Carleton’s loss does not show weakness, as they are still the No.1 team in the country and their star Phil Scrubb can put up points in a hurry. Connolly stressed the players need clear heads against the formidable opponent. “I need the players to focus less on winning,” said Connolly, “They need to worry more on the process and the steps to win.” The bench boss confirmed that Redpath and Presutti would return over the weekend, granted there are no new obstacles that appear in the Friday morning walk-through. But the play of the guards will not be the key to victory. “We need our big guys to have a huge weekend,” Connolly said. “Rebounding is the key to winning both games. We need some sort of scoring from them.” Coming out of the weekend with two victories is unlikely. It’ll take the best performance of the early season to defeat the Ravens, and a strong effort to take down the Gee-Gees. Silhouette Sports will be providing live-tweets from the game; follow @SilSports for updates.
Guard Danielle Boiago put together strong performances in her OUA debut.
Scott Hastie
Assistant Sports Editor
Marauder fans saw two different teams don the Maroon and Grey for the women’s basketball team this week. The young team walked away from opening weekend with a 1-1 record. McMaster took on the York Lions on Nov. 9 for the first game of the season and defeated the undersized Lions 59-47, in what Head Coach Theresa Burns called a team effort. The first quarter would be an offensive struggle for both teams with free throws generating majority of the offense. Despite a noticeable height advantage in favour of Mac, the team used rookie Danielle Boiago to step in for an injured Vanessa Bonomo. “We needed [Boiago] to handle the ball for us and I thought she gave us really solid minutes,” Burns said. “She directed traffic really well, especially for a rookie point guard.” Her play gave McMaster the lead after the first, 13-12. Physical play would be the story of the second quarter. Fights for loose balls often ended with a slew of players hitting the hardwood and emotions ran high for the two teams. McMaster looked to the fourthyear forward Hailey Milligan and used her play in the post to carry the offensive load through the quarter. Rookie Danielle Boiago filled in for an injured Vanessa Bonomo and helped the team find an offensive rhythm.
Defensively, the Marauders used a full-court press and strong rotations to force poor shots. The home team allowed only six points in the second quarter, while scoring 19 themselves. McMaster headed into the locker room with a 32-18 lead. In the third quarter, McMaster’s mistake handed the Lions easy points. Turnovers and poor defensive rebounding allowed York to get shots in close, but struggles in the half-court offense kept the visitors at bay. Going into the fourth, McMaster held a 43-31 lead and used the advantage to give younger players playing time. Mac’s youth performed well on the offensive end, but their work defensively needed improvement. Three point shooting and transition buckets gave York a chance to make this a competitive game, but Coach Theresa Burns put all the starters back in to secure the victory. But the team had little time to celebrate, with their second game of the season the following night. Hailing from Sudbury, Ont the Laurentian Lady Voyageurs took the court at Burridge Gym and gave McMaster more than they could handle. On offense, McMaster failed to react to a zone defense from Laurentian and was caught over-passing the ball. What seemed liked unselfish play was actually damaging the offense and the Marauders hit a dry spell in the middle of the second quarter.
C/O RICHARD ZAZULAK
With three mediocre quarters of basketball behind them, the Maroon and Grey held a 43-41 lead, with their opponents looking gassed. But when Laurentian stepped up the physicality, McMaster showed their age and collapsed. “It was a mental breakdown and a lack of focus,” said Burns. “We got caught in transition. For a team that prides itself on fitness and our transition game, our transition game was terrible.” But the youth cannot take all of the blame. McMaster needed their veterans to step up and lead their team, but instead the veterans caved under pressure. Milligan and Liz Burns, two of the oldest players on the squad, had five and four turnovers respectively, giving the Lady Voyageurs easy chances. It was a frustrating result, but one to be expected when a team is built around a core of first- and second-year players. McMaster has a chance to get back in the win column with a trip to Ottawa this weekend. The Ottawa Gee-Gees host the Marauders on Nov. 16. They suffered two losses to open their season. On Nov. 17, the No. 4 Carleton Ravens will host the Marauders.To succeed, Mac will have to make up for a lack of depth with a strong defensive effort, as points will be hard to come by. Strong play from the veterans is a must for the Marauders. Without standout performances from the upper-years, it could be a disappointing road trip.
Sports • B3
Thursday, November 15, 2012 • The Silhouette
KEEPING SCORE Vanier Cup ticket prices are too damn high Brandon Meawasige Senior Sports Editor
To attend the 2012 Vanier Cup, students, fans and alumni of the schools competing - even the unaffiliated public who just want to watch the game - will be paying $60 a seat. Well, $51 plus applicable taxes. I understand that someone needs to make money off of everything these days. But I find it unsettling that those who support their teams all season, who care for their teams so deeply, will have to pay more than ten times the normal student price by Ron Joyce standards. The CIS is growing in popularity. However, without the students, the fan base is almost non-existent outside of alumni, media and mild community interest. This is the national championship, and last year’s Vanier Cup is widely considered to be one of the greatest games ever played at the university level. The draw is huge and the spectacle is arguably bigger than ever before for CIS football. That being said, Canadian schools and the Canadian university game are far too small for professional ticket prices.
The Vanier Cup, Rogers Centre, the CIS - whoever priced this game at $60 - made a poor business decision and in doing so, priced themselves out of the only market that matters: the students. It can be expected, of course, that there will be some price increase for the final and most important game. Yet how can you expect a demographic that finds sustenance in 59-cent instant noodles and Kraft Dinner to spend two weeks worth of grocery money on one football game? For me to take three friends, I could practically cover one month’s rent or buy a round-trip flight to New York City. No matter how you look at it, the price is unreasonable. I am sure there is someone out there, in some PR department, that could justify it. I would like to appeal for someone to take another stand. In the past, Mac has sent students to big games for cheaper prices. If and when our Maroon and Grey make it to their second straight Vanier Cup, I believe strongly that one of Canada’s wealthiest institutions can find it somewhere in the budget to make sure our voices are heard - most importantly by our players that need our support the most.
PHOTO OF THE WEEK
ONLINE THIS WEEK The McMaster Marauders will face off against the Calgary Dinos in Saturday’s Mitchell Bowl. The game will kick off at 4 p.m. and will be held at Ron Joyce Stadium. Broadcast nationally on TSN, you can also keep up with the action by following @silsports on Twitter. Stay tuned for post game coverage. The Silhouette’s Scott Hastie is travelling to the nation’s capital this weekend to cover Mac’s basketball action. The Marauders will face off against two powerhouse teams from Ottawa and Carleton. The season’s first roadtrip will be exciting and can be followed on Twitter @silsports. Game stories will be available at thesil.ca. Read more at www.thesil.ca.
THREE DOWNS Scott Hastie
Assistant Sports Editor
1 The Guelph Gryphons’ cross country program is the most dominant in the CIS. The victory gives eight straight titles for the school but was also the most dominant performance in CIS history. These records are unheard of, but with the women winning with 21 points and the men with 38 points, the manner in which they’re beating teams is absurd. When will this team’s streak end? With one more victory, the team will take the all-time record for CIS wins, currently held by the University of Victoria.
2 Jazz Lindsey pulled a suspect move in the Yates Cup game. After scoring a one-yard touchdown run, the quarterback pulled out the Superman celebration. The score brought them within 11 points of McMaster, so why was Lindsey so happy? To that point of the game, the team’s offensive play was awful. Instead of celebrating, the second-year Guelph QB should have been back on the sidelines trying to get his team back into the game. Plus, that move is reserved for Cam Newton. A football player should know that.
3 Dear Tim Micallef, JESSIE LU ASSISTANT PHOTO EDITOR
Taylor Black stepped up and knocked down two clutch free throws to give McMaster the lead with 3.5 seconds left in the game. The men’s basketball team will need more moments like this from Black in order to succeed.
ST GEORGE’S CHURCH • Reformed Episcopal • Anglican Church In North America 134 Emerson Street at Royal Avenue 4 blocks South of McMaster Medical Centre www.stgeorgehamilton.ca Prayer Book worship. Reformation theology.
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Sunday 18 Novmber MORNING PRAYER - 10:30 a.m. Light Lunch Following EVENING PRAYER – 7:00 p.m. "Money Changers, Fig Trees, and Moving Moutains” Coffee and Discussion Following Tuesday Evenings – 6:00 to 7:30p.m. ESL FRIENDSHIP GROUP Conversation and Canadian Culture
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Bring your faith. Bring your reason. In God’s universe they belong together.
We Miss You. Signed, OUA Fans.
Sports • B5
Thursday, November 15, 2012 • The Silhouette MEN’S VOLLEYBALL
WOMEN’S VOLLEYBALL
McMaster stays perfect Early season slump continues John Bauer The Silhouette
After another perfect weekend, the only thing that has slowed the men’s volleyball team’s ascent farther ahead of the pack in the OUA standings is their bye week. They started the weekend off Saturday in downtown Toronto against the Ryerson Rams. The Rams managed to take them to 28 points in the second set, but still fell in three, 25-15, 28-26, 25-22. As usual, examination of the score sheet shows several strong performances by the Marauders and many zeroes for the opposition. Stephen Maar and Dany Demyanenko led the McMaster attack, with eight and seven kills, respectively. Kevin Stevens and co. patrolled the back court, digging the ball 21 times throughout the game. Jayson McCarthy provided a solid mix of attack and defense, picking up nine points, behind only Jimenez’s ten. On Sunday, McMaster’s tallest traveled just up Yonge Street to take on the University of Toronto Varsity
Blues. Though the venue was different, the result was much the same, as McMaster once again won in straight sets, 25-20, 25-18, 25-23. Stephen Maar and Kevin Stevens would lead the offense this time, with nineteen kills between them, while Stevens and Daniel Groenveld led the team in digs. Tyson Alexander joined in with 11 points, two off of Maar’s team high. The week ahead has the Maroon facing off with the 1-4 Guelph squad on Friday night, in a game originally scheduled for Saturday afternoon. Sunday brings a clash of the OUA titans, as McMaster plays the only other undefeated team, the Waterloo Warriors, in a potential championship preview. The Warriors are the strongest team in the OUA outside of McMaster. After making their way into the CIS topten last week, Waterloo’s confidence will be at it’s peak and the Marauders will need a strong effort to win. Fans will want to make their way to Burridge gym well before the 3 p.m. start time to get the best possible seats for what promises to be a memorable game.
Two weekend losses puts McMaster at a 2-5 record
YOSEIF HADDAD SENIOR PHOTO EDITOR
The women’s volleyball team is facing an uphill climb after falling three games below .500.
Alexandra Reilly The Silhouette
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It was a very busy weekend for the McMaster Women’s Volleyball as they saw some double-header game action both at home and on the road in Toronto. The Marauders’ whirlwind weekend began with a visit to Toronto to face the Ryerson Rams at their brand new Mattamy Athletic Centre. The start of the first set was slow for both teams and very out of the ordinary for the Rams, as they are known for their powerful starts to take control of the game early. The Rams held on and remained in the set as the Marauders made many attack errors and handed Ryerson 15 extra points during the set. Despite many mistakes during the first step, McMaster picked up the pace thanks to some key blocks from Shannon McRobert, which allowed the Marauders to take the first set with a close score of 25-23. The second set proved dramatically different for both teams as they closely matched each other throughout the majority of play. The Rams soon took control, turning their 10-8 deficit into a 14-10 lead over the Marauders. The lead continued to increase for the Rams as they took a 9-point lead over the Marauder contingent. McMaster showed true determination as they worked to decrease
their opponents lead, soon bringing the score to just 24-21. Despite Mac’s best efforts, Chelsea Briscoe of the Ryerson Rams finished things off in a big way with her third block of the game to allow the Rams to take the second set 25-21, bringing the game to a 1-1 tie. The third set proved to be one of the best for the Rams as they racked up a total of 16 kills throughout. The Rams took the third set 25-20, changing the pace of the game for the Marauders. The fourth set started off rough for the Marauders, as the Rams were able to take advantage early on and hold a 12-7 lead. McMaster railed back, overtaking the Rams to put themselves in the lead with a 13-12 comeback. Lauren Skelly proved to be the driving force behind the comeback as she had back-to-back kills in the set, forcing Ryerson to go to a timeout. After the time out, the Rams returned with full force to take an impactful 19-14 lead over the Marauders with a powerful six-point run. After some major serving power for the Rams, they were able to overtake the ladies in Maroon with a 25-17 victory to end the fourth and final set, and to take the game 3-1 over the Marauders. Despite the loss, the Marauders own Shannon McRobert had an amazing game with a team-high ten total kills and four blocks during the
game. After the loss to the Rams it was on to the next one for the Marauders as they headed back home to Hamilton to face the Varsity Blues on Sunday afternoon. The Marauders would struggle early on, taking a 25-20 loss in the first set to the Blues, but would get their revenge dominating Toronto in the second set 25-18. It would take the Blues extra points in the third set to regain their lead over the Marauders, but those points would prove deadly, helping them to take the third set 27-25 despite lots of hard work from McMaster. The game would continue to a fourth set, in which McMaster would put up another great fight but fall short as the Varsity Blues closed out the game 3-1 with their 25-23 win in the final set. Toronto’s Charlotte Sider was the difference maker in the game with 20 kills and 24 digs. Jennifer Neilson also played a large role in the Blues’ win with 13 kills and an additional two aces for 15 points. McMaster’s Kailee Stock racked up 13 kills in the game and added 3 aces. The Marauders must now look forward to their next game, which was rescheduled to Nov. 16 at 6 p.m. in Burridge Gym. McMaster will take on the Guelph Gryphons and look for a crucial win on home turf.
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B6 • Sports
The Silhouette • Thursday, November 15, 2012
MEN’S SOCCER
Marauders take fifth place at CIS championship Scott Hastie
Assistant Sports Editor
When heading into a tournament as a high seed, there’s immense pressure to succeed. You’re told you’re better and that you’re expected to win. What happens if you lose? How do you respond? You can give up because of a missed opportunity, or you can do what the McMaster Marauders men’s soccer team did at the CIS championship this week. After losing to the host, Laval Rouge et Or, in the opening game, McMaster was stuck in the consolation round. A team with national championship aspirations had their dreams dashed after a hard fought game that ended in a 1-0 defeat. The team looked to medal at the tournament after winning their second straight OUA title, but the CIS Player of the Year, Samuel Georget found a teammate for a header in the box for a game-winning score. Despite dominating Laval in the second half, the 1-0 lead would stand and instead of playing for a medal, McMaster was now fighting for a fifth-place finish.
Mac responded well to the loss, coming out to stun the University of New Brunswick Varsity Reds in the last 15 minutes of the game. Down one goal and tournament hopes fading, the Marauders rallied to tie the game at the 75th minute. Eleven minutes later, the Maroon and Grey would find twine again and the goal was enough to secure a victory. With a win over the Varsity Reds, McMaster found themselves fighting an old foe: the Carleton Ravens. Mac ousted the Ravens in the OUA Championship match with an embarrassing rout, 5-0. Carleton came out with physicality, looking for revenge. Their play earned them three yellow cards. But McMaster responded with toughness as well, fighting for the ball in the middle of the field and earning the only shot of the half. Mac would score the lone goal of the match in the 57th minute of the game. With the end of Carleton’s season only minutes away, their intensity hit another level as they tried to comeback. Their efforts would not be rewarded as the Marauder defense stood tall, just as they
had all season. With the 1-0 victory, McMaster ended their season on a positive note. Tournament wins and experience is invaluable with the roster Coach Dino Perri is fielding. With Garret McConville the lone fifthyear player on the team, the Marauders have a shot at CIS Championship glory in the coming season.
Mark Reilly and Paterson Farrell were integral to McMaster’s success and will be back next year to lead the team. Reilly led the team in scoring and Farrell was recognized as a second-team All-Canadian CIS player. The men’s squad will look forward to next season as they set their eyes on their third straight OUA title and a medal at the CIS Championship tournament.
C/O CIS
McMaster is looking forward to next season with the majority of their line-up set to return.
CROSS COUNTRY
Mac battles through injuries on route to CIS silver Laura Sinclair The Silhouette
The McMaster cross country team finished strong with an impressive result from the CIS Cross Country Championships held in London, Ontario on Nov. 10. The women’s team finished 2nd overall, and the men’s team finished 6th overall to cap off the end of yet another successful season for the Marauders cross country team. Both of the teams were coming into CIS with high expectations and goals, especially after the OUA Championships, where the women’s team finished 2nd, and the men’s team finished 4th. “We talked about not leaving CIS with a bad taste in our mouth,” said Head Coach Rory Sneyd. “We don’t have to say much to the athletes; they know that this is as big as it gets for Canadian university cross country
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and they were exceedingly motivated to do well.” The Marauders women’s team was hoping to finish closer to the powerhouse CIS Champions the Guelph Gryphons, but there would be a serious extraneous factor that would work against the Marauders in the final race of the season. “We hoped that Lindsay [Carson] would vie for a medal, but she was running with two broken ribs,” Rory Sneyd said. This unfortunate news was confirmed hours after the race on Saturday, and was believed to be due to a bike mishap from a couple of weeks ago. Even with two broken ribs, Lindsay Carson, the 3000 m CIS Champion, still managed to pull off an individual top ten finish overall. Coach Sneyd is pleased with the women’s team’s performance, and he gives credit to some of the top finishers on the team.
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“Victoria Coates out-leaned the defending CIS cross country champion to take the bronze medal, Steph MacNeill ran her best race of the year, and the talented rookie Madeleine McDonald had another tremendous race.” Leading the way for the women’s team was Victoria Coates in 3rd, Lindsay Carson in 7th, Madeleine McDonald in 13th, Steph MacNeill in 19th, Courtney Patterson in 25th and Chelsea Mackinnon in 40th. On the men’s side, their biggest goal was to be the 3rd OUA team at the CIS cross country championships. The men’s team almost accomplished this; finishing 11 points behind Queens to be the fourth OUA team overall. Coach Sneyd is very optimistic about the men’s team in the years to come. “The guys came close, but we return our top six from this year and Jordan Bierema [out
with a stress fracture] will help us a bunch,” commented Sneyd. The coach was pleased with the men’s performance, and gave credit to some of the stand-out performers. “It was an incredible race for Lionel, he ran so tough; and Blair Morgan had a big break-through to be the fourth man, and narrowly miss Queen’s fourth man.” Leading the way for the men was Lionel Sanders in 11th, Connor Darlington in 34th, Taylor Reid in 35th, Blair Morgan in 46th, Austen Forbes in 53rd, Taylor Forbes in 57th and Ryan Tice in 100th. Mac finished second to the Guelph Gryphons, who captured their eighth straight title. Next up for the Marauders cross country team is some down time before picking up the intensity again for the upcoming track season that gets underway in January.
OUT
Thursday, November 15, 2012 InsideOut Editors: Sam Godfrey and Amanda Watkins Meeting: Thursdays @ 4:30 p.m. Contact: insideout@thesil.ca
Is reality TV your reality?
After spending hours in front of the television set, what keeps on bringing us back to reality?
Amanda Watkins
“The reason for watching different shows is something different for everyone,” Assistant InsideOut Editor explained Christine Quail, professor in the Classy. Creative. Underrated. department of Communications Studies These are the things reality TV is and Multimedia, whose recent studies on not. reality television involved the decoding of It’s harsh, I know, and even though audience behaviour in relation to the show it’s the truth, I admit to spending a decent So You Think You Can Dance Canada. number of hours a week parked in front of “Some people watch because they the TV yelling at the stars of TLC with my enjoy dance... or to pull for a certain housemates. person... but some audience members Endless public service announcements and were more interested in seeing the ‘joke’ perparental chats have warned us not to believe everyformers,” she continued. thing we see on TV, but for some reason, this deAlthough some viewers tune in for the genuine piction of “real life” is still deemed to be believable. reason of enjoying the exhibition of a personal hobby What tunes us into reality television and what makes or interest, one aspect of reality TV that reels in the us stick around for more? masses is the open invitation to judge and critique Maybe it’s because life is more exciting when performers in the comfort of your own home. It’s nice it’s injected with sparks of adventure and humour at to feel like an expert and be able to comment on truly ideal moments, perfectly scripted to balance a perquality performances as well as the less than noteson’s needs and wants. Reality television: it’s real life, worthy but still humorous to witness. KAREN WANG GRAPHICS EDITOR complete with real writers, a real landscape, and a The William Hungs of the world provide entermostly real cast- minus a few cosmetic surgeries here tainment as well as an outlet for viewers to release and there. And knowing all of this, what still leads us to believe that reality TV can be their need to be at the top of the food chain. By having someone to comment on, specour reality? tators are able to take part in gossipy activities that do not result in negative whiplash Nobody wants to be a loser...unless it’s The Biggest in their personal lives. They are able to freely comment on the goings on of the show It sucks to lose. Be it a coin toss or the lottery, it can be difficult to accept the fact without directly hurting or affecting the person. that often, everyday life features various scenarios that involve a dissatisfaction with the The Amazing Escape outcome. This being said, one of the most enticing characteristics of reality shows is the “What a lot of people do not realize is that these are actual people- you can’t really win/lose aspect: there is always someone you can root for after winning and someone ‘escape’ by watching something real,” explained Quail when approaching the topic of you can berate and belittle after losing. Most people do not want to see themselves as escapism and reality TV. losers, making it liberating to see another person place last- especially when they’re on Instead of calling reality TV an ‘escape’ from daily life, it can be better defined as a television show being broadcast to millions of other people. It’s a relief to know that a fantasy world. It is non-committal, requires little thought processing, and fulfills our somebody is suffering more than you. desires to feel like winners and freely express our opinions and power without judgeWhen our candidate of choice wins on American Idol, or the single lady we love to ment. We can live vicariously through the adventurously dramatic lives of the Karhate on The Bachelor gets voted off, the satisfaction of being right leads to a rewarding dashians and be distracted by the shenanigans of Amish settlers breaking free in New feeling and a temporary boost in our serotonin levels, similar to when we do surpris- York City. It’s a warm and cozy distraction that allows us to mindlessly indulge in the ingly well on an assignment or exam. mistakes of others and fantasize about a lifestyle that is so carefree, scripted and easy to So You Think You Can Be Judgemental? follow as those of the reality stars being broadcast into our homes. The stars of reality The power to be opinionated is what developed the social structure of our society, TV appear to living the dream. And what better fantasy is there to dream of than that and it is this same force that drives people to tune in to scripted real life television. of life itself?
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Turn to B11 for our new segment LET’S GET QUIZZICAL This week’s quiz: What’s your reality TV genre?
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Guilty pleasures
InsideOut dishes the dirt on their favourite reality programs
Miranda Babbit The Silhouette
Yara Farran The Silhouette
When getting to know a new friend and you’re unsure of what to say, a sure fire way to start up a conversation is, “hey, what’s your favourite TV show?” When you get more comfortable with said person you start to confess things about your Thursday night viewing schedules that happen to include an hour of Vampire Diaries. But it’s once you’ve really developed a trusting relationship, where you feel comfortable enough to bare your soul, you admit that when your parents aren’t home, and the neighbours have gone to sleep, you flip on the telly and tune into your favourite reality television program. “Oh the horror”, you scream at the thought of reality TV! Sorry. Your cries are currently being drowned out by The Hills theme song. Since I’m a believer in the “long hair, don’t care” philosophical ideology, I’m not afraid to tell you about the reality show that not only changed my life, but influenced civilization as we know it. The
show is none other than America’s Next Top Model (please hold your applause). First, let’s agree that Tyra Banks is a genius. Not only did she bring ‘smizing’ into our homes, but she introduced us to some of the best TV personalities and moments. A Noted Fashion Photographer (who seems to be only noted on ANTM)? Check! A barrage of ridiculous modelling shoots and challenges, including or excluding the presence of Fabio? Check! Unnecessary drama revolving around a makeover gone awry? You’ve got it! And, let’s not forget Tyra’s Oscar worthy acting chops that could rival the greats: Meryl Streep, Denzel Washington and that one guy who had that one line in that movie (yep, Shark Night). If you aren’t fully convinced, acquaint yourself with some of the many memorable YouTube videos and .gifs floating around the internet. If that doesn’t make you embrace ANTM with arms wide open, then all I can say is I’m disappointed in you. AMERICA WAS ROOTING FOR YOU. I WAS ROOTING FOR YOU. WE ALL WERE ROOTING FOR YOU.
The strangely unbreakable addiction to reality TV has swarmed television sets across the country since as early as the 1950s. These shows had stemmed from the seeds of innocent intrigue into the lives of policeman on the tails of petty thieves, and middle aged couples competing to redecorate their suburban homes (that’s a nail biter, I know). Viewers of reality television in the 21st century, however, are offered shows with just so much more substance, like the critically acclaimed Real Housewives of Atlanta (critics may or may not be myself and my mother on particularly rowdy Sunday nights). Now these women, I sadly assure you, are in fact real housewives. Dwelling in the swankier streets of Atlanta resides a collection of the sassiest ladies you will likely ever encounter, if you are somehow given the chance to end up in their presence. Although I do warn you, if you are in the presence of these women, keep any and or all opinions to yourself because the definition of a personal opinion is greatly altered in this world of perms and manicures. An opinion is no longer at your own liberty. Oh, no. An opinion has been reformatted to entail the beginning of a cat fight, table flipping, finger snapping, and/or throwing wine in one’s face.
After watching an hour of the screaming, the eye rolling, and, of course, the dirty gossip that goes down in those confession rooms, you may find yourself feeling as if your pores have been filled with grease, and that any word more than three syllables will be difficult to register. During the show though? Whole other experience. Suddenly you are one of the sassiest, wealthiest ladies in Atlanta. Sitting in front of the television in a Canadian city, where yes, we enjoy the pleasure of hearing please and thank you on a regular basis, your fingers may start joining in on the snapping and incessant hand waving in the midst of a cat fight. You may find yourself saying, “Oh, girl, no” a lot more often when discussing the drama that has ensued, and you may feel the urge to pick up your phone and throw an enormous party while strategically excluding the one person who has snubbed you most recently. Real Housewives of Atlanta instills a sense of irresistible sass in everyone, and it can be hard to turn off. You can step away into a world where the laws of high school cat fights still govern all the ladies’ happiness, and that is just too wondrous to look away from. Essentially, it’s akin to a familysize bag of potato chips. Total junk, addictive, but nearly impossible to draw yourself away from. The boost of sassiness doesn’t hurt either.
B8 • InsideOut
The Silhouette • Thursday, November 15, 2012
G AMES
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InsideOut • B9
Thursday, November 15, 2012 • The Silhouette
C OLUMNS
RANT OF THE WEEK
Dear Unshaven Faces... R
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I know what you’re thinking: they just don’t seem to understand. You’re walking to the Health Science Library, to DeGroote School of Business or to the Student Centre, and can’t help but notices clean shaven faces gazing at you as they walk by. Their eyes peeled at the scruff sprouting about your face as you walk a little further. How easy it must be to rock a moustache, they probably think. Overhyped, right? Wrong. The challenges that come up with the no-shave “Movember” are easy to play down when you’re not growing the peach fuzz all over your visage. But have no fear, comrades: if you’re in quite the tangle dealing with your mid-November crisis, you’re not alone. Consider the following. The average stu-
endorsers aren’t typically heavy money for prosmoustache-growers, but bushy tate cancer awarehair-growth doesn’t make eating ness, male mental very easy- now we have to deal health initiatives with both the high prices and the or another cause, trouble of ensuring we aren’t feedor coerce them ing our moustaches while we’re at into buying you it. What’s more, some would argue a free meal to help the contrary: what could possibly you through that be a better storage place for those mid-November crisis. late-night emergencies when hunger And third: take the next pangs really kick in? Yes, I went there. stare you get as an opporSo, what should you keep in mind tunity to twitch your mousthis month? A few things. First: You’ve emtache and let the clean shaved barked on a challenging journey, so be proud faces know they’re being watched from of it. Moustaches and facial fuzz are not easy behind those curtains of hair too. feats, and don’t let cleanshaven faces convince you otherwise. Second: the Movember experiYours Truly, ence isn’t easy, but it’s definitely rewarding. Bearded and Proud Convince them into donating if you’re raising RE
The Silhouette
dent shaves twice a week or so. November covers more than four entire weeks. Tell the next clean shaven face to multiply the amount of facial hair that starts getting on their nerves every three to four days by at least eight. If you’re feeling scruffy, you’re certainly on the right track to celebrating the festivities of the month. Throw in the moans and groans as a thickening moustache starts getting prickly on the inexperienced, and you’re definitely encountering the typical Movember-stricken experience. Most students can attest to the fact that the highlight of their day is taking a break from their textbooks for a little social time or to grab a meal. Universities have been smart on catching on as well: they’ve packed themselves with pleasure foods to quench the hunger pangs while bringing in stacks upon stacks in revenue. The majority of Movember
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Arnav Agarwal
Turning the page Write letters. If you feel like you have so many things to say to your ex and you never got the chance to, write and rant and explain to him/her in your journal, and simply don’t send the letter in real life.
Yashoda Valliere
Student Health Education Centre
A quick Google search of “how to get over a breakup” will yield thousands of articles written in a wellmeaning but slightly condescending tone, by authors who may not have been through a breakup themselves recently and thus have a bit of an “outsider’s” perspective. I do not want to contribute to this collection. Currently spinning off the tail end of a two and a half year relationship, I’ve been giving close attention to my mental gymnastics of the past week, as well as the coping strategies that I have found work well for me. I figure I might as well share some of these insights, in the hopes that they can help at least one Sil reader through a difficult time.
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Keep things in perspective. Re-evaluate your personal philosophy on how to ride the ups and downs of life (it’s easy to preach when you’re not currently in one of the downs!). At the end of the day, no one else but you is in charge of how you feel, so you need to take responsibility and be in control. Check out the podcasts at zencast.org for a perspective on living in the present and accepting things as they really are, rather than pining for how you wish they were. I personally recommend “The Wisdom of Impermanence,” “Patience” or “Exploring Forgiveness and Loving Kindness” from zencast.org.
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Don’t bottle up your emotions. You are justified in feeling them. Like me, you might feel a wide range of emotions such as grief, anger, disappointment, resentment, guilt and even gratitude for the weight of an unhealthy relationship being taken off your shoulders. These are all a natural part of loss. Get to the bottom of each emotion by asking “why?”
Take time for self-care. If, some days, you just don’t feel like you can do it – it’s okay. Breakups are extremely taxing on both your mental and physical health, and you shouldn’t put pressure on yourself to perform at the top of your game. Nobody is expecting you to right now. Go to bed early; read books just for fun; listen to music; treat yourself to a delicious dinner. Don’t be afraid to say no to external obligations, just like you would if you had the flu.
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Get your thoughts outside your head. They are much easier to examine if you make them tangible in the real world. As you notice thoughts and feelings arising in your mind, scribble them down on a scrap of paper or even an online journal. For example, if you feel disappointment, don’t allow it to just simmer in your subconscious. Ask yourself, “Am I disappointed in my ex? Am I disappointed in myself?” and write down whatever comes to mind. If writing just doesn’t work for you, try talking it out – you can easily book a free appointment with a counsellor at the Student Wellness Centre, or drop into the Student Health Education Centre (SHEC) for peer counselling with someone your own age.
Enjoy your newfound free time. Trying to save a sinking relationship takes up a surprising amount of energy, which is now free for new use! Focus on school with renewed determination. Call up old friends, try your hand at a new cooking recipe, or play soccer on the BSB lawn. Personally, I’ve been spending a lot of time in the pool at DBAC – I never had time or energy to go before, but these days I’m swimming at least three times a week! Being in the water can help a lot when you’re feeling cranky.
Let go of the pain, but don’t let go of the valuable lessons that can be learned. If you treat this like a growth opportunity, it will be one.
Do everything in Hamilton Nashwa Khan SCSN
Community is a word that should never be disregarded, although it often appears that only a handful of people take the time to explore the broader community of where we study. Sure its great that we have a campus that resembles Hogwarts and that we don’t have to access public transit to cross campus (although you could take a bus from your class in HSL over to the student center). Going to school at McMaster without trying to see beyond the Westdale, Boston Pizza or Hess Village excursions is truly a loss. If you’ve seen those laundry bags hustled around by first year students headed home this year with the tagline “You Can Do Anything in Hamilton”, it’s because there is a growing number of people from various backgrounds believing just that: you can indeed do anything in Hamilton. Before another “voluntourism” trip to provide your time in a different community or a developing country, please consider keeping local- but still thinking global. The student and permanent resident balance is truly remarkable in Hamilton, with events like Open Streets McMaster highlighting this balance. Events and other initiatives like this continue throughout the year. Venturing a bit from campus located at 1140
King St. East on the last Saturday of the month you can find Red Door events, put on as a joint initiative by various community partners. If you enjoy making music and meeting fellow community members, this is a supportive environment where you can share your creativity with others. The night features many things, changing every month, with an open mic night being a key component in setting the event’s ambience with all levels of experience welcome, even if you’ve never performed before! This sets the tone for a very accepting environment where students and permanent residents can mingle. Fairtrade coffee and free WI-FI is offered at these events making it a great study spot if you’re looking for a low-key environment. Venturing further out into the community, an eclectic mix of storefronts and restaurants are at your disposal. Locke Street alone is enough to keep you occupied for a night, with small local restaurants providing fun and affordable meals. More over, restaurants like Earth to Table (Bread Bar) have a seasonal menu using predominantly local ingredients. Businesses such as this support us and our community, the economy and the environment. Keeping local and thinking global can be seen throughout Hamilton’s small and upcoming businesses like White Elephant on James Street which carries locally made and upcycled goods. Make Hamilton your “Homeilton”, don’t just live as a temporary tenant.
SILHOUETTE FILE PHOTO
InsideOut • B11
Thursday, November 15, 2012 • The Silhouette
FASHION & FOOD VICTOR CHENG Third Year Multimedia and Communication Studies STYLE - Club Monaco FAVOURITE BLOG - themidwestyle.com
Knitted cardigan: Club Monaco Striped sweater: Top Man Jacket: H&M Oxford blue shirt: Cluyb Monaco Black jeans: Levi’s 510 Boots: Aldo Belt: Club Monaco Watch: Timex Weekender
TYLER HAYWARD THE SILHOUETTE
Ingredients
Directions
(Makes 12) -
24 Wonton wrappers ½- 1 lb. ground beef Taco seasoning 2-3 cups shredded cheddar cheese Toppings of your choice (e.g. sour cream, salsa, shredded lettuce, canned corn, etc.)
1) Pre-heat your oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit 2) Spray 12 cupcake holders with cooking grease and line the bottom of each holder with two stacked wonton wrappers 3) In a pan, fry the ground beef until thoroughly cooked (let’s try and avoid food poisoning) while gradually adding your desired amount of taco seasoning 4) Once your meat is browned, place 1-2 tablespoons of ground beef into each wonton cup
The quick and easy, walletfriendly cupcake taco
5) If you’re feeling adventurous, add additional toppings such as canned corn, beans, or jalapeño peppers 6) Top your cupcake tacos with a generous helping of cheddar cheese (go wild with the cheese, it makes it all the more comforting) and place in the oven for 15 minutes, or until wonton wrappers are crisp and brown
Amanda Watkins Assistant InsideOut Editor
Whenever I’m feeling blue or panicking about the declining state of my academics, two of my ultimate comfort foods are tacos and cupcakes. With the deliciousness of meat stacked on cheese stacked on meat, followed by the decadence of a preciously iced miniature baked confection, the pairing makes for a rewarding meal. So why not combine them into a masterpiece of culinary excitement?
7) Carefully remove your cupcakes from the oven and let cool for 2 minutes. Top with salsa and sour cream 8) Enjoy the good life AMANDA WATKINS ASSISTANT INSIDEOUT EDITOR
If you scored: LET’S GET QUIZZICAL
What’s your reality TV genre?
1) On an average Friday 2) Your drink of choice is: night, you can be found: a. Occupying the kitchen making a happening dessert for your chums (2) b. Watching reality television Say Yes to the Dress beckons (3) c. Planning your Christmas break adventure - Spelunking, here you come! (4) d. You usually don’t remember your Friday nights... (5)
a. Aztec hot chocolate complete with gourmet marshmallows (2) b. Vodka cranberry complete with a matching manicure (3) c. Rye and ginger complete with an enigmatic eye gaze (4) d. Tequila shots complete with lime and validation (5)
3) Your favourite literature 4) You describe your ideal 5) Your next vacation will includes: mate as: probably be: a. An emotional short story compilation (2) b. Fifty Shades of Grey - but don’t tell anyone... (3) c. HP and the Deathly Hallows (4) d. Do magazines count as literature? (5)
a. Quirky, creative and maybe a little hipster (2) b. Understanding, respectful and a tall glass of water (3) c. An adventurous and talkative intellectual (4) d. Ready to have a fun time and open to new ideas (5)
a. A charming three-week getaway to Paris, London and Rome (2) b. New York City: feel the life pulse through your Hamiltonian veins (3) c. Hostel hopping through Istanbul and Eastern Europe (4) d. An all-inclusive relaxing beach trip to Cuba (5)
12 or less: Hey there Paula Dean, how’s it going? Need another stick of butter for that... fruit salad? Based on your score, you would most likely be featured on a Food Network frenzy involving active baking and cooperation. Your gentile nature and calm approach to life would make you an ideal candidate for a homey and relaxing daytime reality show that could potentially involve both recipe making and real estate. 13-17: Your friendly nature and passion for all things fruity and festive would make you an ideal candidate for a TLC favourite. You future holds the possibility of cable broadcasted Bridezilla shenanigans, the chronicling of your polygamist family’s life on a farm or an exciting and revealing makeover. Get excited honey boo boo child, your reality TV reality involves a fun mix of familial drama and cathartic endings. 18- 22: You work to promote a classy image of yourself and take time to enjoy the greater pleasures in life. Your adventurous nature and occasional arrogance make you a fantastic candidate for a spot on a primetime competitive reality show such as The Amazing Race or Survivor. Don’t get too competitive though, remember to take time to sightsee and enjoy the fact that you’re a part of the most socially acceptable form of reality TV. #blessed 23 plus: Put on your Ed Hardy t-shirt and re-touch your spray tan because we’re going to Jersey Shore bitches! Your fun-loving nature and willingness to be filmed 24/7 - even when you’re not at your best - makes you an ideal candidate for an E! or TMZ friendly show. Start keeping up with the Kardashians and figure out exactly why “Ice Loves Coco” because these are your late night competitors. A fun future of tabloid covers and useless autobiographies await...
1:3 Canadian women and 1:6 Canadian men will experience sexual assault in their lifetime.
45% percent of female college and university students say they’ve been sexually assaulted since leaving high school.
The victim and the accused are known to each other in 82% of cases – as friends, acquaintances or family
But… I am not alone! SACHA (Sexual Assault Centre, Hamilton& Area) is there with 24-hour confidential support, information or accompaniment @
905-525-4162
www.sacha.ca
the “nostalgia” issue the tragically hip • lomography hammer city records • unity (1918)
andex
c2 • the silhouette’s art & culture magazine
thursday, november 15, 2012
Senior Editor: Nolan Matthews Assistant Editor: Bahar Orang
Contributors: Theresa Tingey, Brody Weld, Tomi Milos, Jemma Wolfe, Simon Marsello, Karen Wang
Design: Karen Wang Cover: Bahar Orang
blasts from the past
the hammer BAHAR ORANG/ASSISTANT ANDY AND KAREN WANG/GRAPHICS
opening
art
Lowlife Homegrown Hamilton 8:00 p.m.
until dec. 9
Alexisonfire Copps Coliseum 7:30 p.m.
Skyfall Westdale Cinema 9:45 p.m.
Midnight’s Children Jackson Square Cinemas 7:00 p.m.
until jan. 12
Diamond Rings This Ain’t Hollywood 9:00 p.m.
nov. 16
Hiawatha This Ain’t Hollywood 9:00 p.m.
Twilight: Breaking Dawn Part 2 Silver Linings Playbook Anna Karenina
nov. 18
Cadence Weapon This Ain’t Hollywood 9:00 p.m.
movies
nov. 21
dec. 30
nov. 30
nov. 21
nov. 15
music
With Hollywood constantly re-booting and remaking television shows, it seems like almost nothing in the world of entertainment is truly obsolete anymore. After ending in 1991, the soap Dallas was rebooted this past June. Boy Meets World is getting the re-vamp treatment, as Disney announced that they’re making a show about the teenage daughter of Corey and Topanga. Personally, I’m most excited about the upcoming Clueless musical that’ll get me rollin’ with the homies again. Speaking of music and the ‘90s, The Backstreet Boys celebrated their latest reunion by releasing an original Christmas song last week. Even stars that try to escape the spotlight just can’t seem to be forgotten. After Amanda Bynes recently retired from acting, she caused a media frenzy over her DUI charges and bizarre behavior, which included locking herself into a change room for two hours. Reports about Macaulay Culkin’s health continue to surface, though he hasn’t starred in a blockbuster since 1994. It appears that the concept of 15 minutes of fame may be the only thing that is really becoming obsolete. •
Theresa Tingey
Not As Big As I Remembered Brian Kelly You Me Gallery Mapping Iroquoia: Cold City Frieze Jeff Thomas McMaster Museum of Art
editorial
thursday, november 15, 2012
the silhouette’s art & culture magazine • c3
books, paris and nostalgia After spending five weeks in Europe this past summer, I compiled an impressive collection of secondhand books. There was the entire Harry Potter series in French, the Kurt Vonnegut novel with a love note scrawled on the inside cover, a look-book of Yves St. Laurent’s designs, a funny little picture book about two very ugly monsters falling in love in Paris, a vintage Spiderman comic – and the list goes on. My luggage was already slightly overweight when I flew into Lyon, and the situation became much, much worse on my flight home. I went back and forth between weighing my suitcase and rearranging my things for about three hours in the middle of the airport. I threw out towels, clothing, shoes – but I refused to part with my beloved books. The result was that I wore several layers of clothing (dresses, socks, men’s jackets) with books stuffed in the waistbands of my many pants. I was asked more than once if I was traveling up North, which really doesn’t even make sense…why would I have already started layering up? When I recounted this story back home, everybody asked me, why on earth did you buy so many books? All these books could have been purchased here or found online, why was it necessary to fly them over from another continent? I was indignant. Where would I find the entire Harry Potter series in French that could document my journey in St. Etienne so beautifully? There was a little second-hand book and record store just outside of the university that I was studying at and I stumbled into it on my lunch break one day and discovered the third Harry Potter. It became like a mini-adventure, each day hoping that I would find another book in the series. Where would I find a Kurt Vonnegut with a “Chère Marie, tu me manques!” written in barely legible handwriting on the inside? When else would I visit Shakespeare & Co. – the place that famous writers from all over the world would sleep and write and live – and find the St. Laurent look-book? When else would I stroll along the River Seine, looking at all the vintage booths and learning the owners’ strange and lovely stories? There were classic record shores at every turn, hundred-year-old books being sold at every street corner, and colourful thrift stores for people of all styles. I felt nostalgic about these items, being drawn into my own Midnight in Paris, reminiscing a past that I found far more poetic. I felt nostalgic about my own two-decade-long past, reflecting on the decisions I had made and feeling reassured that I had made the right ones because here I was, walking down the streets of Paris with my best friends. And I felt an overwhelming nostalgia hovering above me, fully aware that in a few short weeks it would envelope me whole once I returned home. It was a nostalgia for this adventure where I had found new dreams, new identities, new friends, and new love. And so, we present to you ANDY’S “nostalgia” issue – as we look back on all those things that have brought us to where we are now. • Bahar Orang, Assistant ANDY editor
the big tickle
melrose p lace - jina kim
oo scooby d a m lile - aassaan
BAHAR ORANG/ASSISTANT ANDY
what is your favourite thing from the ‘90s?
compiled by nolan matthews and bahar orang
spice girls - michelle span o
coke - cheng zhou
nirvana denisov - evgeny
music
c4 & c5 • the silhouette’s art & culture maga-
venturing down to hammer city records You’d have to be a little crazy to open a record store in 2010. And to open that store on Friday the 13th? That’s like saying, “I hate this stuff called money.” The store in question is Hammer City Records, which opened two years ago on (Friday) August 13th at 228 James Street North. The place is a dream for anyone who likes their record stores independent, small and punk. Craig Caron is an owner of Hammer City Records and was involved in its opening. He said that he missed the kind of record stores that he used to spend all his time in when he was a kid, and so he decided to open his own. “I remember going upstairs to Star Records, on King and James,” said Caron. “You’d open that door and just smell pot. And I thought, ‘What the hell is up there?’ This is the early ‘80s, and I thought, ‘Punks - they’re mean, they’re crazy, they’re going to kill us. We have to go up there.’” I’ll admit that I felt the same way when I first walked up to Hammer City Records. Standing out in front was a classic punk: black leather, chains and a Mohawk. The thought that he’d kill me didn’t cross my mind, but the thought that he might be crazy did. He turned out to be funny and nice. My first experience with Hammer City Records was definitely less intense than Caron’s first time facing the killer punks of Star Records, but I could relate. It’s
like Hammer City Records is the modern reincarnation of Star Records, bringing back the feeling of old record stores. “I’d be in Star Records, and the guy from Teenage Head would walk in,” said Caron. Teenage Head are legendary local heroes, and in the 1980s they were among the most popular punk bands from Canada. “It was the greatest thing ever. We wanted a place like that, where young bands could come and hang out.” I had my own mini version of the freakout that Caron described when he saw Teenage Head as the singer of TV Freaks walked in to Hammer City Records. I’m only a recent fan of the band, but I think their shit-hot punk rock is just about the coolest thing ever. It might seem like Hammer City Records is built on pure nostalgia, an isolated little basement where rockers can escape the changing outside world, but Caren said that he hopes the store can be part of something new – part of changing the music scene to be more like how it was in the past. “Once some of the old record stores closed, pieces of the community closed,” said Caren. “I know after Reigning Sound closed, a lot of bands just stopped playing. Or if they were playing, you never heard that they were doing shows.” For those us who grew up going to HMV, this might be hard to imagine, but record stores used to be a places that did
so much more than sell music. They were places where people formed bands, artists and musicians collaborated, and concerts were promoted. The decline of the music industry is often blamed on us, the people who download music, but maybe it has more to do with independent record stores being replaced by big commercial chains that people would never think about hanging out in. When people say something is “community-based,” it seems like it’s mostly bullshit. “Community” is so overused that it’s really just a word that people use to describe something that might impact someone somewhere when they are too lazy to consider who those people are specifically. Hammer City Records has given an actual meaning to community. “One of the biggest highlights for me since we had the store is that we released a local music compilation LP,” said Caren. “It’s all Hamilton bands. A girl that hangs out in the shop painted the front and back covers. For me, that’s the dream come true. It’s this community that creates this amazing product.” That’s what a community is – real people coming together and interacting in a significant way. •
Nolan Matthews, Senior ANDY Editor
andy reviews a classic Artist: Tragically Hip Album: Fully Completely (1992) It’s easy to overlook the Tragically Hip. Quintessential Canadiana since stepping onto the scene with 1989’s Up to Here, the Hip have sold out arenas and charmed city-dwellers and smalltown folk alike. Kingstonbred and fronted by Michael Stipe soundalike Gord Downie, their signature brand of mid-tempo riff-rock punctured with folk-tinged balladry has slotted them nicely into any outsider’s conception of the Canadian identity. Remembered primarily for late-period classic rock staples like their breakout “New Orleans is Sinking” and meaningless beauty “Ahead by a Century,” the Hip formerly existed in my mind as an overrated bunch, relegated to fulfilling CRTC Can-con obligations and obstinately pushing out LPs well beyond their prime. I enjoyed the odd single here and there, but shelved them mentally alongside heaps of overrated ‘90s jockrock. Boy, was I wrong. It took a summer of landscaping, rattling around in a beat-up Dodge Ram pickup between jobs for me to realize their worth. Every variant of rock station blasted their tunes: classic, hard,
alt, new. Commercial success being far from the best determinant of musical value, I decided it was probably worth something and bit the bullet. To start, I tracked down the records whose singles I was most familiar with, which appeared to be the Hip’s first three: Up to Here, 1991’s Road Apples (apparently a euphemism for iced-over horse manure, given the record label’s pass on the band-proposed Saskadelphia, which allegedly sounded “too Canadian”) and 1992’s Fully Completely. After two months and easily twenty listens apiece, each has found itself in my heavy rotation. Each has its gems and merits, but perhaps the most well-balanced is Fully Completely. Luring in listeners with airwave smashes like “Courage (for Hugh MacLennan)” and “Fifty-Mission Cap,” Fully Completely reveals a standard of songwriting depth and instrumental layering the surface-level fan may easily pass over, and exemplifies the paragon of an LP without a single wasted track. The existence of lead axeman Rob Baker creates two distinct guitar tracks per song, making the album rife with memorable riffs while creating a guitarist’s play-along dream. The record is well paced, eschewing the typical front-end load in favour of spacing out key tracks.
Near the record’s close, victors: the plaintive titl “Wheat Kings.” “Fully C into a played-out minor it expertly underneath m while leaving room for Downie’s tortured voca the story of David Milga convicted of murder, an ensued. Capitalizing on gression and intermitten “Wheat Kings” paints a life as much as it explo clichés aside (the song n ters” and “the CBC”), “ in from reckless bar ch grooves and drops it dow Fully Completely is f out record, but it will t of an FLQ car to the hu Quebec frontier with su maintaining one foot in
thursday, november 15, 2012
just for the record
YOSEIF HADDAD/SENIOR PHOTO
, two tracks emerge as shining le track and the prairie ballad Completely” breathes new life r pentatonic bassline by laying minor seventh chords, all the Baker’s overlaid soloing and als. “Wheat Kings” recounts aard, a Saskatoon man wrongly nd the national spectacle that the simplicity of a G-C-D pront acoustic and slide soloing, an expressive picture of prairie ores Milgaard’s story. National name-drops both “prime minis“Wheat Kings” reins the band hord abandon and kick-snare wn a level or two. far from the Hip’s only standtransport you from the trunk undredth meridian to Cartier’s urprising fluidity, all the while n the realm of modern rock. •
Most people reading this article were probably introduced to music at a young age by their parents. For me, a cassette would be played as everyone went about their household business. Skipping tracks wasn’t allowed. My mom had a beat-up cassette of Paul Simon’s classic Graceland. I wasn’t old enough to understand the shady South African politics that governed the production of the album, and I happily spent many hours humming along to catchy songs like “Gumboots” and “You Can Call Me Al.” My love affair with the album came to a tragic end when I heard the dreaded screech come from my boom box and opened it to reveal the tape unspooled beyond repair. Looking back, I realize that listening to an album was once an immersive experience. It was important to sit close by so you could flip sides when the time came. There was also something very moving about the general cohesiveness of the albums of yore. Artists relied on a strong record to sell and then tour behind, so they made sure to create a thematic release that could lend itself to drawn-out listens. Perhaps the best example is Radiohead’s Kid A. Full of ambient washes and mesmerizing loops, it deviated from the group’s prior material, but above all it played like a story — and a great one at that. Today, the music industry has become so commercialized that many people are wondering, what happened to the music coming first – coming above all else? Musicians aren’t solely responsible for the blame. To keep their shifty “fans” attention, artists are forced to churn out single after single. The thought of creating a concept album might seem ludicrous to the financially struggling musician who more often than not has to retain a day-job in order to make ends meet. Even concerted efforts to please fans can bite them in the foot in this digital era where album leaks are the norm. Most artists aren’t even able to make the music they want to if they want to make a living. That said, things aren’t quite as bleak as I’ve suggested. Frank Ocean, a singer who only recently caught the attention of the mainstream media, just released a stunning epic with Channel Orange. But it wouldn’t hurt to go crate-digging for records when you visit your parents for the holidays. You might find something surprisingly enjoyable. •
Tomi Milos
Simon Marsello BAHAR ORANG ASSISTANT ANDY
c6 • the silhouette’s art & culture magazine thursday, november 15, 2012
the new vintage
describing the appeal of lomography I’ve been carrying this camera around for the last twelve hours. It’s brown, made of plastic (with a rubber inlay) and has a built-in, non-removable fisheye lens. It prints onto 35mm film. To be perfectly honest it looks and feels and like a toy. This is the charm of Lomography. Put simply, Lomography is a company that specializes in creating quirky, compact, affordable and uniquely inspired analogue cameras. I’d like to emphasize “unique” because I’m fairly confident that there is no other way to acquire a film camera with four (or eight, or nine) lenses in a grid pattern, all capable of taking sequential action shots and leaving your friends asking which editing program you had to use to get those effects. The multi-lens camera line, while arguably the most popular, doesn’t even scratch the surface in the grand scope (get it?) of Lomography’s products. Other notable mentions include pinhole cameras, panoramic cameras, and even a handcranked video camera to produce retro silent films. For the analogue photography aficionados (I’m sure you’re out there somewhere), there is a wide selection of nicer cameras with minimal but effective aperture and shutter-speed selection settings, as well as a line of varied films for different print styles. The history of the Lomography company is almost as cool as the products they sell, so bear with me for a century. In 1914, LOMO was founded in Russia to produce cameras, lenses, and weapon sights during the First World War. They later underwent a few corporate name changes and began to focus on high-end lens development, but not before leaving behind the Lomo Kompakt Automat or LOMO LC-A. Jump ahead to 1991, when a pair of Viennese students picks up the LOMO LC-A in an old-school camera shop and fall in love with the highly lit and unpredictable nature of the analogue gem. The boys start up a company to recreate the camera, and spend the next two decades rapidly expanding as their retro empire grows into a sprawling cultural phenomenon. Now, with a substantial online folBAHAR ORANG ASSISTANT ANDY EDITOR
lowing and stores all over the world, they have succeeded in keeping film photography around and appealing (for the time being). Lomography seems to be a hit or miss topic with most people I’ve spoken to over the last few weeks. The common responses to my condensed summary are “you can still buy film?” or “why wouldn’t you just get a digital camera?” The first question is actually not as laughable as it might seem. The last few years have been a whirlwind of sharper, more user-friendly, and more affordable digital cameras. 2012 was the year of dumbed down and highly accessible “vintage photo effect” apps, with Instagram eventually emerging as the crown jewel. In light of all this, it’s almost surprising that a market for analogue photography still exists. This brings us to the next question: why? It’s the same reason you can still find a record player and vinyl records with relative ease: something about it was worth hanging on to. There is often an argument made for the quality of film prints, but it’s becoming impossible to compete with the digital camera, so what is it? I chalk it up to nostalgia and the surprising, unpredictable nature of film. It’s the sunspots and slightly excessive exposure that make memorable photos, and analogue photography preserves the element of surprise that digital photography has spent years eliminating. Nostalgia speaks for itself - unless of course you think your grandkids will appreciate the wistful magic of clicking through thousands of your ancient Facebook albums. Is Lomography flawless? No. It doesn’t offer digital clarity and you have to buy film pretty often. These are the things that have turned a generation away from analogue photography, but they are also the endearing qualities of a unique art form that isn’t ready to be laid to rest just yet. Pick up one of their cheaper cameras in the Toronto store location or via the website if you feel like giving it a shot, and spread the word: newer is not always better. •
Brody Weld
thursday, november 15, 2012
the silhouette’s art & culture magazine • c7
, be it a classic, a mystery, a sci-fi, or a romance, the world falls away. Everything goes quiet and there’s nothing but the pages before me. I no longer notice the room or the chair - hell, for a while I forget to breathe. All I have is the black print against the yellow page, and the touch of those pages under my fingertips. The black print lifts off the page and becomes the characters laughing and arguing and growing. I can hear the strike of the clock on the night of the Partition of India and taste the butterbeer at The Three Broomsticks, feel the wrath of Heathcliff, the agony of Anna Karenina and the intensity of a lover’s spat between Elizabeth and Darcy. As I read on, the physical condition of the books morphs with my habits and routines. I see traces of the coffee stain from when I was reading at My Dog Joe, and smell the scent that the pages readily absorbed from my perfume. In these small ways, books have become an integral part of my identity. They take on characteristics of my life as I weave my own life into the stories. Of course, time passes, technology advances, and life is perpetually made easier. Progress shall never stay stagnant. So, our cozy books get an upgrade and are replaced overnight by a rigid little device with a battery life. I received my Kobo Ebook as a gift from a family friend. I was frustrated: I can’t bend its corners or spill things on it. And let’s face it – it is never going to smell like me. I was also a little angry that this little black ‘book’ is supposed to replace the intimacy of print and paper. Like a stubborn centenarian, I refused to accept this change. As with most technology, the reading device has its flaws, which, combined with my unwillingness to cooperate, made it easier to hate it – at least initially. Reading is not the same with digitized words, on an artificial white screen that my eyes can never fully adjust to. I will forever be annoyed when it refuses to highlight the last lines of every page, or when it malfunctions and become instead a book of illegible codes. What it all comes down to, though, is convenience. And being one of the laziest people I know, I have - in time - despite its technical quirks, the “please charge me” notices, and its stubborn reluctance to open certain documents, grown unwillingly attached to this piece of technology. A simple tap of the fingers replaces the flip of the page. When I leave the house, I no longer have to debate painfully what I’d like to read on the subway that day. With just one little black ‘book’ I am equipped with a few hundred selections ranging from poetry to historical fictions. I can choose a book from the library without having to get out of my chair. No one can deny that ebook-readers are convenient. But I can’t help reminisce about the moments we’re missing out on for convenience’s sake. Some of the best, most heartfelt moments of the entire reading experience are the times spent browsing through the BMV bookstore, when the allotted one hour accidentally turns into five. The truth though, is that the books will always be there – the popularity of ebook-readers will never make bookstores obsolete. At the end of a long day, I can still go back to my easy chair under my comforters, snuggle with the yellowing pages and watch the black print come to life, fulfilling that book-shaped hole that a little black Kobo can never replace. •
KAREN WANG GRAPHICS EDITOR
c8 • the silhouette’s art & culture magazine
thursday, november 15, 2012
life during wartime Welcome to Unity, Saskatchewan, where kissing, spitting, going to school and even opening the mail are banned. The year is 1918, and the small prairie town is in lockdown as WWI, the Spanish Influenza and the prophesy of an impending apocalypse wreak havoc on the terrified civilians. This year’s Theatre & Film Studies Fall Major is an intense staging of Canadian playwright Kevin Kerr’s 2002 play, Unity (1918). This morbidly funny show revolves around the experiences of Beatrice Wilde and her two sisters, Mary and Sissy, as they come of age in such a complicated and perilous time. While they mourn the absence and loss of their young men – and love interests – to a violent war overseas, their lives are irrevocably interrupted by the contagious and lethal Spanish flu. One by one they receive notice of men being killed in Europe; one by one the people of their town fall in an equally devastating slaughter. This frightening moment for Unity and greater Canada was a significant – albeit overlooked – moment in Canadian history. “In McMaster’s anniversary year, I wanted to find a play about Canadian history. Kerr’s play was attractive because it takes such an interesting perspective on a key period of Canada’s development as a nation,”
said Theatre & Film professor and program director Peter Cockett. Indeed, one in six people are believed to have fallen ill with the Spanish flu during the fall and winter of 1918-19 in Canada, and over 50,000 of them died. This made the period a devastating one in Canadian history – a topic tackled by the many classes involved with putting this show together. The production process involved substantial research on the period, an extensive rehearsal process and the collaboration of summer class T&F 3PR3 Research and Planning, as well as fall classes T&F 3S03 Major Production Workshop and T&F 3PC3 Community Outreach, along with volunteers. “The level of engagement from the students this year has been exemplary. They have come to the work with a passion to learn and a desire to understand the play, the characters and how it connects to our country’s history and our current historical moment,” Cockett commented. This history, as the audience will quickly realize, is much more heart-wrenching and violent than perhaps assumed. Such dire circumstances leads some town youth, spearheaded by Sissy Wilde (played with distinction by the edgy Zoe Blenkinsop), to become convinced that the end of the world is coming – and soon. Her excitement about an impending apocalypse parallels the fuss surrounding contemporary predictions about December 2012, and creates a thematic thread that links oldfashioned characters with a modern audience. “I think these perennial apocalypses
are always a good excuse to look at ourselves and our world and reflect on what we have achieved and what we would like to achieve,” Cockett observed. With a two-and-a-half-hour running time, this black comedy is a tad wearing on audiences and not for the casual, commercial theatre-goer. However, strong performances by an emotionally dedicated cast keep the heavy material engaging. Special praise should be directed to Hannah Wayne for portraying the lead role of Beatrice Wilde with grace, sympathy and passion, and to Devin France for embodying the blind soldier Hart with respect, humour and emotional flexibility. The consistent presence of choreographed ghosts throughout the show also adds interest to a minimalist set. Continuing the tradition of recent years, the Fall Major features a talkback sequence immediately following all performances. While most nights are student-directed talks with the audience about responses to questions the show raises, some nights this year are themed and feature input from specialized members of the McMaster community. Wednesday, Nov. 14 asked the question “Who Makes History?” Thursday, Nov. 15 focuses on healthcare issues, and Friday, Nov. 16 considers the “View from Anthropology.” These sessions provide a forum for unpacking the complicated material explored in the play and then making connections to our present-day lives. “As always with our work in Theatre and Film Studies, we want our production to be the beginning of a dialogue rather than the end of a story,” Cockett said. After a successful opening weekend, Unity (1918) continues this week at 7:30 p.m. until Saturday, Nov. 17. Tickets are $12 for students, $20 for regular admission and are available at the School of the Arts office (TSH 414 or by calling 905-5259140 x24246) or at the door. • Jemma Wolfe, Managing Editor
YOSEIF HADDAD, SENIOR PHOTO EDITOR