Next up: the Yates Cup
Coming out proud McMaster’s Queer Students Community Centre led the fourth annual pride parade on campus earlier this week See B7
With last weekend’s win over the Western Mustangs, the Marauders are looking ahead to Saturday’s Ontario championship game against the Guelph Gryphons See B1
Queer side of art ANDY digs up the sexual revolution of the ‘60s, gay role models in the arts and television’s stereotypes in its pride-themed edition See C1-C8
The Silhouette
MCMASTER UNIVERSITY’S STUDENT NEWSPAPER
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Ever prepared to step in as President if the Electoral College, House of Representatives and Senate produce a tie.
Westdale armed robbery sparks investigation
Thursday, November 8, 2012
Vol. 83, No. 14
FEATURE STORY: INDIGENOUS STUDIES PROGRAM
New path, old obstacles
Jemma Wolfe Managing Editor
Just before midnight on Thursday, Nov. 1, Sterling Street near Haddon Avenue was awash with the flashing blue and red of police cruisers, which were responding to an armed robbery incident at a Westdale student house. In the home, four males and one female, ages 20-22, were taken by surprise when suspects described to Hamilton police as all male, black and in their early twenties entered the premises. One suspect armed with a knife and another, allegedly, with a firearm demanded that the students empty their pockets and turn over all their belongings. “The targeted items that were taken were electronic items and cash,” said Sergeant Terri Lynn Collings of Hamilton Police Services. The people in the home complied with the intruders’ demands, and then the suspects fled from the home. Although the burglars were carrying weapons, the students were not injured and did not require medical attention when emergency services arrived. Lydia Vanderkooy, an upper-year McMaster student who resides near the house, tweeted about the incident in the early morning of Nov. 2, and commented that there “must have been about 20 cops cars lining the street on Sterling from Haddon to Cline area.” The normally safe area of Westdale has been the target of several alarming incidents of late, most notably the sexual predator who was reported in the area in July and the petty thief who mugged several Hamiltonians in August. As of Nov. 7, no suspects had been apprehended for the armed robbery, and police were still piecing together the details. “We’re continuing to find out exactly what happened there, and why,” said Collings.
THIS WEEK IN
OPINIONS
An in-depth deconstruction of what it means to be a feminist in this and the coming year See A7
It’s time to bring some order into the discussion of the all-too-taboo topic of eating disorders. See A7
How would Rhett Butler use dating sites to court Scarlett O’Hara? See A11
Dawn Martin-Hill, one of the founders of the Indigenous Studies Program, has watched over the program for over 20 years. As she assumes the role of the new Paul R. MacPherson Chair in Indigenous Studies, she looks back on the early years of getting the program started and where it may be headed. See A4
Mac feels the pain of funding cuts Faculty of Health Sciences loses significant research money Jaslyn English The Silhouette
McMaster Health Sciences has lost more than 15 per cent of its research dollars in the past year, totaling up to a $100 million loss of funding within the city of Hamilton. The research in the Faculty of Health Sciences relies on pharmaceutical companies for the majority of its funding and in recent years, the companies’ interest in the University’s research has plummeted. Since the pharmaceutical industry provides approximately 90 per cent of research funding for this sector of the University, this is a huge setback for McMaster’s research capabilities. YOSEIF HADDAD SENIOR PHOTO EDITOR Joel Lexchin, a professor Mac Health Sciences, as part of Hamilton Health Sciences, has lost research funding. of Health Policy and Management at York University, was quoted in Though McMaster still maintains its “If this were to be a longer term the Hamilton Spectator saying that phar- rank as sixth nationally on Re$earch In- trend over two to four years, then yes, it maceutical companies have halved the fosource Inc, a reporting site that tracks would have an impact,” said Marvin Rydollars going to research and develop- research and development dollars in uni- der, an assistant professor of marketing ment in Canada. versities across Canada, it was also the at McMaster. The Spectator also quoted Dr. Salim only university in the top six to lose any A potential loss of student research Yusuf, a professor in the Department of funding. jobs and a diminished interest in the reMedicine at McMaster as saying, “We’ve Similarly, four of the five top hospi- search done by the Health Sciences fachad one of our worst years financially.” tals lost money, but Hamilton Health Sci- ulty can mean lack of funding which has The main reason for the drop in ences was hit the hardest. further repercussions for students and funds, besides a steadily decreasing inIn Jan. 2012, the provincial Liberal faculty. vestment from pharmaceutical compa- government scrapped $42 million in Dr. Yusuf stated with confidence nies in general, is that three multi-mil- university research grants, which halted that it is “a temporary blip” and that the lion dollar Hamilton-led drug studies research progress across Ontario even university will “bounce back.” have been shut down for safety concerns. before the lack of pharmaceutical comDespite the optimistic climate, it is It would appear that McMaster and panies’ interest was realized this year. clear that next year’s research, coupled the Health Sciences Faculty have been Although the cuts to research grants with results of the impending provincial adversely affected by the funding cuts, may be significant, it takes constant long- election, will have a significant impact considering it was the only university in term depreciation before a loss in fund- on Health Sciences research capabilities the top six national research earners to ing is felt by research institutions such as and the overall research intensity of the lose funding. those housed in Health Sciences. institution.
the
PRESIDENT’S PAGE Jeff Wyngaarden VP (Finance)
Huzaifa Saeed VP (Education)
Siobhan Stewart President
David Campbell VP (Administration)
#MAKEaBREAK Comprehending the gravity of a fall break: Siobhan discusses how student input is needed to move forward
Siobhan Stewart President president@msu.mcmaster.ca ext. 23885
Throughout my time at McMaster, I have constantly heard students talk about the intensity of the fall semester regarding both the work load and the lack of time to reflect or catch up on work. When I ran for MSU President, one of my major goals was to elevate the conversation of this issue to one of the highest priorities of the MSU. I have done just that, spending considerable time on this since taking office. A fall break of some kind is now an issue that is on the radar of University administration, with people interested in exploring this topic more thoroughly with students. This is why we need you to fill out the #MAKEaBREAK survey, located at www.msumcmaster.ca/fallbreak. This is the first time that we have formally reached out to students to ask what they would like to see and we want
all of the feedback that we can get in order to ensure that we are getting the most holistic perspective possible. Have your voice heard and help us bring your opinion to the appropriate decision making tables. Challenges and Barriers Some of the challenges related to achieving a break in the Autumn term that differ from the Spring term is that the fall term happens to take place between two major holidays; Labour Day and the Holiday break in December. That only leaves the days in between to fit in months of teaching, followed by examinations. In addition, physical space for examinations and a large number of exams put additional pressure on trying to find more time in the fall term. There are also a number of accredited programs (Engineering, Commerce, etc.) that each has unique needs that must be addressed. Moreover, there must be further exploration of first year students’ needs and details on their transition to university. As you can understand, these are some big challenges and barriers to achieving a break in the fall term. However, we have begun a dialogue with the University and at
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this stage we are assessing our options. Reality Check There are some questions surrounding what the fall break will look like, or could entail. Realistically, we can achieve something small (a day or two) for next year, but we will need to engage in a more detailed, campuswide conversation before defining a long-term objective. In order to define a long term goal, it must be the right design for the entire student body and cognizant of the unique concerns based in different sectors on campus. Forward with Integrity: Our Chance to Think BIG About Change This is also an opportunity to examine what is going to create the greatest amount of student success. McMaster President Dr. Patrick Deane has started an interesting dialogue on campus with his letter Forward with Integrity that aims to improve the undergraduate experience. My interpretation is that we need to not only look at what we do well, but also what we need to do differently. In the paper written by the Forward with Integrity: Student Experience Taskforce, there was a large amount of discussion surrounding the concept of a reflective week, where there would be optional programming available for students to attend. Some of this programming would include volunteerism and experiential opportunities in the community. A reflective week such as the one described herein could be what becomes a fall break at McMaster. So, even though there are challenges associated with trying to implement a break in the fall term, I think it is possible with creative solutions. However, student feedback in this matter is essential. One of the larger questions that we should discuss is the possibility of offering different modes of evaluating learning, which would reduce the duration of the traditional exam schedule. A central tenet of Forward with Integrity is to explore academic flexibility and creativity in the classroom as a means of developing educational quality. The MSU has always stood by the principle that students at McMaster should receive the very highest quality education. By encouraging instructors to opt for alternative ways of testing academic progress, a new educational paradigm could be established that could be
more conducive to a fall break. This would be a long term but sustainable solution to establishing a week-long break in the fall semester. Another option is increasing the amount of physical space in which to write exams, and/or perhaps administering exams on Sundays. Both options could shorten the exam period and increase the time to add a fall break. Students with religious requirements could be granted alternative accommodations for a Sunday exam, no different from what currently takes places during our exam cycles when a religious or cultural obligation and an exam overlap. Or perhaps an option could include developing a more secure system to enable writing examinations in classrooms, creating more flexibility in the schedule. Other institutions such as Ryerson University and the University of Ottawa currently have longer breaks in the fall term and these were the types of changes that took place. They also took years to establish. I think we can establish something short for next year and continue to have further dialogue on a longer break. The MSU and You The MSU is committed to ensuring that appropriate conversations will happen with the groups that need particular attention with regards to establishing a fall break. We are looking at all of the options. But for the MSU to move forward we need to understand what students want a fall break to look like. For immediate gratification, we can have one to two days without much impact, but if students want a full week in the fall we need to have a serious talk and likely make some sacrifices. You need to let us know what is acceptable to you. I need to understand what people are looking for in order to be able to present the perspectives of students with regards to establishing a break in the fall term. So while you can fill out the survey at msumcmaster.ca/ fallbreak, you can also join us for an online chat on Thursday, November 15 from 3:30-5:00pm via the MSU website. In addition, we will be holding a focus group discussion on Tuesday, November 13 in MUSC 220 from 2:30-3:30pm. Please attend and have your opinion heard. Finally, feel free to email me personally with your thoughts at president@msu. mcmaster.ca. Let’s #MakeaBreak!
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Thursday, November 8, 2012 News Editors: Aissa Boodhoo-Leegsma, Julia Redmond and Anqi Shen Meeting: Thursdays @ 4:30 p.m. Contact: news@thesil.ca
OUSA discusses funding implications Northern students, students with disabilities, and finance on the agenda Aissa Boodhoo-Leegsma Senior News Editor
From Nov. 2-4 the Ontario Undergraduate Student Alliance (OUSA) held their biannual General Assembly in Waterloo, Ont. McMaster sent eight delegates, including MSU VP Education Huzaifa Saeed and MSU President Siobhan Stewart. OUSA, McMaster’s educational lobbying body, of which the MSU is a paying member, has been in the spotlight of late for endorsing a province-wide tuition freeze. They argue that continued tuition increases will not fix province-wide funding issues; rather, it will exacerbate the problem, causing students to use higher amounts of provincial loans and grants. Beyond the direct financial implications, OUSA has argued that continued tuition increases will make PSE less accessible to low and middle-income groups and will threaten youth employability. The General Assembly aimed to develop OUSA’s priorities for the next year. The focus areas at the Waterloo conference were Northern and Rural Students, Students with Disabilities and Student Financial Aid. All three focus areas were concerned with how to strengthen infrastructure and remove financial barriers for students by lobbying the provincial government. Affordability and financial assistance for students were recurring themes throughout the conference papers.
ANDREW TEREFENKO PRODUCTION EDITOR
The plenary policy paper on Rural and Northern Students makes recommendations on how the provincial government can improve accessibility and participation of rural and northern students in post-secondary education (PSE). The paper specifically defines a student as a Northern or Rural Student if they live in Thunder Bay, Cochrane, Algoma, Sudbury, Timiskaming, Nipissing, Manitoulin or Parry Sound. The report discusses how these young people struggle to attend post-secondary institutions. If these students are able to access PSE, they often go on to incur sizeable travel and commuting costs. Currently, the provincial government provides $500 per term to students commuting to a campus
80 kilometers or more from their home. For students who are living away from home, they offer $300 per term, provided that the student’s permanent home address is 80 kilometers or more from a campus. Northern students also typically borrow at higher rates, using on average $7,496 in government loans, compared to the provincial average of $6,601. Students with disabilities represent another group that disproportionately shoulders the burden of high costs associated with PSE. The Students with Disabilities policy paper emphasized how financial assistance is difficult for students with disabilities to access. It specifically noted how students with disabilities are often unable to meet OSAP requirements and
funding is occasionally off-limits for students who are only part-time students or who have temporary disabilities. The Financial Assistance policy paper re-affirms OUSA’s position on tuition increases in Ontario. More specifically, it advocates for widesweeping changes to OSAP including removing ineligibilities and updating the loan structure. OSAP is currently capped at $12,240 (for a two-term academic year). OUSA has argued that this limit does not adequately help students and forces students to take out private loans, seek additional employment or, in the worst-case, drop out of school. The organization has recommended that if tuition increases it
should be by no more than the inflation rate (calculated by the Ontario Consumer Price Index). Shivani Persad, one of the McMaster delegates and the McMaster Advocacy Street Team Coordinator, hopes to plan events back on campus that promote current policies being advocated by OUSA. Persad explained that the team will be promoting part of the larger OUSA-run mental health campaign, which will encompass some discussion on students with disabilities. OUSA, and other student organizations such as the Canadian Federation of Students, continue to advocate for reductions or freezes to tuition. In the next semester, OUSA will discuss issues regarding PublicPrivate Partnerships and Online Learning.
Committee starts to explore women’s centre New group to assess need for service Julia Redmond
feel that a women and trans* centre would fill a need not currently adAssistant News Editor dressed by other health- related serThe newly established Ad-Hoc vices on campus. In order to assess the need, the Committee for the Women and Trans* Centre met for the first time committee will seek input and inon Nov. 6. The committee, which formation from a variety of groups. was created through a motion at the Affiliates of both the YWCA and Oct. 14 SRA meeting, is focused on SACHA will be compiling inforestablishing whether or not there is mation about violence on campus, a need for such a centre on campus. while student groups, including I Elise Milani, SRA Services am Woman and Feminist Alliance Commissioner and the committee McMaster, will be invited to provide different perspecchair, was pleased tives. with the first “You don’t know what meeting. “We’ll basipeople’s different stories are “It was a cally just find out and what they hear in if there’s anyone great turnout,” diff erent environments.” that has anyshe said of the thing to say to twenty-plus peoit, because we ple who attended. Elise Milani shouldn’t just tarThe attendees SRA Services Commissioner get certain groups came from a number of differbecause we think ent areas of the university, includ- they’d be interested,” Milani exing the MSU and the Graduate Stu- plained. “You don’t know what dents’ Association, as well external people’s different stories are and organizations, such as the YWCA what they hear in different environand SACHA, a women’s centre lo- ments.” The committee hopes to work cated in downtown Hamilton. There is currently no service of with the Office of Human Rights this kind that exists on or near the and Equity Services in order to get McMaster campus. Mac did have a further information from advocates women’s centre from 1979 to 1985, of trans issues on campus as well. “It’s not just focused on wombut it was closed because it had allegedly ceased to be an open and en,” Milani noted. “We need to get inclusive space. that part of the story as well.” The plan is to complete the asAt their inaugural meeting, the committee established an action sessment by the end of January, at plan to follow in the coming weeks which point the committee will reand months. In the midst of in- port back to the SRA. “And if we establish a need,” creasing reports of sexual assault on university campuses, including Ry- she said, “we’ll move forward from erson and York, Milani and others there.”
A4 • News
The Silhouette • Thursday, November 8, 2012
Former director discusses past, future of Indigenous Studies at Mac Anqi Shen
Online News Editor
Dawn Martin-Hill began lobbying for a Native studies program during the final year of her undergraduate degree at McMaster 23 years ago. Her departure as director from the Indigenous Studies Program (ISP) in July was bittersweet; she leaves her post just as the program turns 20, and now takes on the new role of the Paul R. MacPherson Chair in Indigenous Studies. But the future is uncertain for the program she once headed. The position of director has been vacant for four months, with McMaster’s Associate Vice-President (Academic) Peter Smith stepping in as acting director. In October, the McMaster First Nations Student Association hosted a send-off for retired elder-in-residence Bertha Skye, as well as professor Hayden King, who has accepted a position at Ryerson. Martin-Hill’s role as Chair in Indigenous Studies is an exciting development for her, but it means her new office is in the Department of Anthropology in Social Sciences. The ISP does not reside under any faculty, nor does it offer a degree to its students – only a combined honours option. “There are many discussions underway on how the Indigenous Studies Program could evolve, including the possibility of a four-year degree,” said Smith. The program is expected to get some new space in the Wilson Building, to open in 2014. Its current department office is in the basement of Hamilton Hall. The early years Since its infancy, the Indigenous Studies Program has stood on shaky legs. Martin-Hill began the paperwork to set up a Native studies program shortly after former McMaster president Peter George set up a committee on Native issues. “The program didn’t go anywhere for three years,” said Martin-Hill, who said she wanted to start a program, not simply a wellness or student services centre for Native stuSILHOUETTE FILE PHOTO
dents. Things were also difficult for MartinHill at the time on a personal level. When she was writing her dissertation, Martin-Hill was homeless and lived in a friend’s basement. After getting her PhD in anthropology, Martin-Hill was teaching 18 units, developing the program and raising two daughters. Upon returning from maternity leave, Martin-Hill found that her contractually limited appointment no longer existed, and the position of ‘academic director’ was widely posted. “I didn’t know if I was going to have a job,” she said. “I look back on [that time] and I was struggling with poverty. I don’t know how I did it,” she said. Martin-Hill applied and ended up getting the job, but the hardships didn’t stop there.
over the years,” she said. “But we pretty much lost control over where the funding was going at that time.” “The funding is for student services – not exactly what we wanted, which was someone to promote indigenous studies. You see it all the time; no one knows we’re here,” said Martin-Hill. “The President’s Committee wanted us to open the doors to health sciences because there were no Native doctors [at McMaster],” she said. Martin-Hill wrote a proposal to start the Aboriginal Student Health Sciences (ASHS) office, and ISP received funds to pay a salary for someone to have an Aboriginal office in the Faculty of Health Sciences. “It was a lot of work and it didn’t benefit ISP financially. But it was something the community [component of the President’s Committee] wanted,” said Martin-Hill. The ASHS team works to help promote the success of current and incoming Aboriginal students in the health sciences.
“We really need faculty. We’ve been asking for a very long time and it’s been a dream of ours for 20 years.”
What will the future hold? In her new position, Martin-Hill no longer has the same administrative responsibilities. “As senior faculty, I’m still here to assist in key decisions,” said Martin-Hill, who has been doing work on a stand-alone degree for the program. “Research shows that the students want to complete a degree, and the President’s Committee has agreed. We have the application pretty much ready to go, but it needs to go through budget approval,” she said. “We really need faculty. We’ve been asking for a very long time and it’s been a dream of ours for 20 years,” she said. She expressed concern and hesitation about where things will go with provincial funding geared toward student services. Still, Martin-Hill says she has faith in the Program and the views McMaster’s president Patrick Deane has expressed. “There’s also discussion going on for a graduate program, which would be thrilling. I do think we have an excellent program and I hope we can build on that. That’s my goal.”
Dawn Martin-Hill MacPherson Chair in Indigenous Studies
Funding troubles It’s an elaborate process to apply to the provincial government for Aboriginal funding. There’s more paperwork than other faculties are required to complete, said MartinHill. And although ISP has been successful in receiving funding, she says it has been a bittersweet triumph. ISP currently runs on Aboriginal PostSecondary Education and Training (PSET) funding. “PSET tripled our budget, and it was so exciting because we were going to be able to have our own recruitment officer, elders-inresidence and everything we’d dreamed of
Thursday, November 8, 2012 • The Silhouette
News • A5
An Olympian’s leap of faith Catriona Le May Doan speaks at Mac
YOSEIF HADDAD SENIOR PHOTO EDITOR
Two-time gold medallist Catriona Le May Doan spoke to McMaster students on Nov. 1.
and the triumphs of being an athlete of her calibre. She spoke very truthfully, it was Senior Sports Editor very encouraging and very inspiring,” he Speed skater Catriona Le May Doan is one continued. of the most recognizable figures in Canadian The purpose of Le May Doan’s appearance sports. was to speak about the intersection of faith She is the only Canadian athlete, male and sports. or female, winter or summer, to defend a “No one is perfect and my faith helped me gold medal in two straight Olympic games, figure that out. I spent so much time trying to a feat that she accomplished between 1998 in have the perfect race, and that isn’t possible,” Nagano and Salt Lake City in 2002. said the three-time Olympic medalist. Le May Doan has also One of the things that enjoyed a career after sports made Le May Doan’s speech “No one is perfect and my as a broadcaster for the so inspiring is how she faith helped me figure that CBC during their coverage spoke about imperfection. out. I spent so much time to of the Olympics. “She’s not perfect, none trying to have the perfect She has been honored of us are. She spoke about race, and that isn’t as a national icon, receiving her failures. What she did, the Order of Canada for her whether she won a gold possible.” numerous contributions. medal or no medal at all, Catriona Le May Doan On Thursday, Nov. was the same in the eyes of Canadian Olympian 1, Catriona visited the her faith and that is a large McMaster campus as part part of the message,” said of an annual speakers series entitled “Love Fallon. Every Square Inch,” hosted by the McMaster The evening’s event was held in CIBC Christian Reformed Campus Ministry. Hall and afterwards, Le May Doan gave a “She is a very real person, she has general address to McMaster students in worked very hard at her profession and we Gilmour Hall. are excited to learn about it,” said organizer While she spoke about her atletic feats, Michael Fallon, a Christian Reform minister her overall underlying message of “I can do at McMaster Chaplaincy Office. all things,” which also served as her opening “We wanted to hear about the challenges, remark, tied together the idea of how faith can and we also wanted to hear about the joys help athletes in their careers.
Brandon Meawasige
Glen Murray resigns to seek Liberal leadership Joseph Ho The Ryersonian
TORONTO (CUP) — After resigning from his cabinet post on Nov. 3, Glen Murray, MPP for Toronto Centre, dropped by Ryerson the next day to announce his candidacy for the Ontario Liberal party leadership. Murray, 55, was formerly the Minister of Training, Colleges and Universities. “I’m running for leader because we really need to renew our province,” he said. “I’m running for leader along with other colleagues who are my friends, who I respect immensely and who I wish great luck, but not too much, in this race.” The former cabinet minister briefly outlined five key objectives, one of which included a change in how post-secondary education is financed. Murray proposed tax benefits and making student loans “subject to income levels.” Other proposals included tax cuts for families and the middle-class, handing power projects over to municipalities, transportation, providing northern Ontarians a stronger voice in provincial affairs and engaging citi-
zens in policy-making online. He also touted the Liberal government’s record in education, health care, the environment and the economy, where the province is “holding our own in one of the most difficult economic periods.” Murray said the leadership contest was unique because the winner becomes premier of a minority government, with an opposition “set to force an election.” The victor needs a clear agenda and must be prepared to win another Liberal mandate, he added. Murray, a former mayor of Winnipeg and who was the first openly-gay mayor of a major North American city and was elected as an MPP in 2010, joins the race with Kathleen Wynne, who served both as the former Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing and Aboriginal Affairs. She resigned on Nov. 2 to run. Outgoing Premier Dalton McGuinty had previously ordered potential leadership candidates to resign from cabinet before entering the fray. The new leader, and thus premier, will be crowned at the party convention, held the weekend of Jan. 25, 2013 at the Mattamy Athletic Centre in downtown Toronto.
MSUMCMASTER.CA/1280
DITORIAL to giving someone the power to destroy you. like in lord of the rings.
to mythical creatures, especially as school mascots.
to dying in your arms tonight.
to veggie subs. they’re almost as bad as salads.
to fox airing jerry springer’s show “baggage” during election night.
to november. you’re kind of a bummer.
to graceful defeats. to wolf blitzer’s masterful handling of touchscreen technology. it was almost as smooth as james carville’s head. to hiring our 19th wheel. to ralph. keep on wreckin’. to office turtles.
to anderson cooper being a touchscreen hog. just go home, put on a black t-shirt and save some puppies. to coffee cup mountains. to the absence of a “boss appreciation” line in my budget. to bald men watching pixar movies alone in the back of the theatre. is that you, james carville?
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 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
Thursday, November 8, 2012 Executive Editor: Sam Colbert Contact: thesil@thesil.ca Phone: (905) 525-9140, extension 22052
Keep calm and re-elect Obama None of us were really going to be happy Tuesday night. We were only going to be somewhere between horrified and relieved. What I mean is, most young Canadians I spoke to about the U.S. election expressed the same thing. A win for Mitt Romney would be a win for ignorance and evil. A win for Barack Obama, on the other hand, could save us, and the world, from the doom cooking down south. It wasn’t a terribly nuanced outlook, but it gave us something to talk about. But now that our man in Washington has earned another four years, there’s something we need to bear in mind. Obama’s re-election does not absolve us of responsibility for being good global citizens. We’ve fallen prey to this kind of thinking in the past. We’ve been very eager to lend our support to another country’s president. But an article published early Tuesday in the National Post argued that a win for Obama would likely mean increased need for Canadian military spending, a migration of our good doctors to the U.S. and more ‘Buy American’ protectionist measures that could hurt the Canadian economy. We might tell ourselves that we’re thinking more globally, more altruistically. Although they may prove to be problems for the Canadian government, those same Obama policies could mean less foreign occupation by U.S. forces, as well as better access to healthcare and better jobs for Americans. That’s all well and good. But it’s still remarkable that Can-
ada’s honeymoon phase with the charismatic president has lasted so long. I don’t mean to discount the global influence of a U.S. president, the good work Obama has done or the fact that, whether you’re a fan of the Democrats or Republicans, your preferred U.S. presidential candidate stands at least a few steps to the right of any major Canadian political party. But over the next four years, some of us will need to check our unconditional support for Barack Obama. As of Wednesday evening, all indications were that it was a U.S. drone strike targeting al-Qaeda militants that occurred in Yemen earlier in the day. More reports of Obama’s foreign policy activities – favourable or otherwise – will define Obama’s presidency as it moves toward and through its second term. Be it with Afghanistan, Iran, Israel, China or someone else, there will be controversy. We like to feel that someone’s doing the world’s good work for us. We like trusting someone as powerful and inspiring as Obama. We like to feel free of the futility in our Canadian parliament, which includes multiple major parties but a level of party discipline that’s unseen anywhere else in the developed world. But if Mitt Romney was able to prove anything in his campaign, it was that we need to mix hope with realism as we look to U.S. leadership. We can do that without vilifying our favourite leader of the free world. • Sam Colbert
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
U.S. is not innocent in war on drugs Re: “The drug lord to rule them all” by M.M. Rajabali [Published Nov. 1 in Opinions] This article, needed and interesting, looks at a huge problem but with a biased point of view. And one alone: blaming the victim, a frequent error (or trick, when it comes to writers with vested interests). The criminal designated is pre-established (Mexico and Mexicans) and the “innocent victim” is, once more, the immaculate U.S. society. And that is far from the truth. Mexico’s major problem has always been its proximity to the U.S., the most voracious and aggressive place on earth. Bad news for all U.S. neighbors. Mexico had about half of its territory (and more) taken by the U.S. in its always pacific and democratic attitude. If we think of the indigenous people living there in the pre-colonial period, it’s even worse. With a powerful, rogue, fundamentalist and aggressive northern “trader,” Mexico faced a situation of permanent economical assault. As corruption has always been used to have the “other country” to accept the unacceptable, Mexico was then modeled to the U.S. interests. The “Manifest Destiny” - the U.S. justification for those acts of war against Mexico (and others too) - implied that Divine Providence had designated the U.S. as the place on Earth to expand, develop and “bless the world” by its own presence. And we keep on being sold that idea. The Maquila Concept in Ciudad Juarez (i.e., the use by the U.S. big companies with cheap labor, paid with abusive wages and making huge profits) was an important way to establish the grounds for extreme poverty and exclusion. They were then “ready to accept anything”: a well-known imperialistic approach. The massive gunboat attacks against China in the late years of the 19th century by the combined U.K. and U.S. had (declining and raising empires), precisely, to do with drugs. Cocaine was then imposed on the Chinese people by the imperial powers. But, when it comes to the drug drama of this article, too many players and determinant factors are missing: Where is this consumed? Who are responsible for that? Who and where are established those making the largest profit from these operations? In the “war” itself, who provides weapons and make fortunes? The political illusion created about who are the victims and who are the criminals, where was it created? And, again, where go the largest benefits in this unjustifiable situation? When you look at money laundering, where are the banks and groups that have made their practice speculating with drugs? Has the U.S. not been responsible for the assault of societies criminalizing them and, as usual, playing themselves the role of victim, leading then to massive military assaults with population losses that are not even considered for they are just “collateral damage”? I am not trying here to wash Mexico of its own responsibilities, but remember, the boat does not sink because of the ant when she is going along with a loaded elephant. There is this and lots more. But, as I think M.M. Rajabali’s article is an early, yet important, attempt to discuss a serious matter, I would rather stop here and encourage her/him to do a serious self-directed learning effort. Finding the roots should not be hard. And then put the War on Drugs in the right perspective and possible solutions, which, certainly are not in the “them and us” criminalization historical imperial approach. Beware of the U.S. establishment on how we look at it: big business hides and justifies anything when it wants to impose its benefit on any relationship with other peoples on this earth. All these practices are, unfortunately, contagious and misleading. I would be pleased to see a new chapter in The Silhouette on this matter. The author did a good job with a complex scenario and she/he should go further on the subject, for her/him and for the readers. • Dr. José Venturelli, Professor Emeritus of Pediatrics, McMaster University
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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.
Would Justin Trudeau make a good leader? Page A8
PINIONS
Thursday, November 8, 2012 Opinions Editor: Mel Napeloni Meeting: Wednesdays @ 2:30 p.m. Contact: opinions@thesil.ca
Why I am a feminist Julieta Rodriguez The Silhouette
What’s my biggest pet peeve? Women who claim they’re not feminists. Once I had a friend ask me, “Do you identify as a feminist?” And without hesitating I replied, “Of course.” To me, that question seemed so strange—how can one be a woman and not be a feminist? Is there really a woman on this planet who doesn’t care about her own rights, freedoms, and about being considered an equal? I doubt it. So what does it mean, then, when we hear women say they’re not feminists? I think the answer is simple: women don’t want to be seen as militant man-haters. People tend to think of feminism as a radical movement and decide it is best not to be associated with it. In thinking only about the possible extremes of feminism, though, we ignore the fact that the majority of feminists are not at all extremists or fanatics. They are, in fact, people like you and me. According to dictionary.com feminism is nothing more than “the doctrine
advocating social, political, and all other rights of women equal to those of men.” This seems like an innocent enough definition; one that doesn’t risk offending, and is not radical. In fact, it simply appeals to an inherent desire to be treated equally and with respect—and there is nothing extreme about that desire. Here is what worries me, though: the best way to cripple the feminist movement is to evade it by being too scared to associate ourselves with the word. We shouldn’t be so afraid of the assigned meanings of ‘feminism’. We should instead focus on what it is supposed to stand for—the equality, not only of women, but also, of anyone who is undervalued. The only way to truly have equality is to put aside our anxieties about this big bad word and decide, instead, to take it back; to make it ours again. Of course, it is also necessary for men to embrace this word and realize the importance of women’s equality, but I think it’s even more important for women to come to this conclusion. If we are the ones to tear down the very movement that is
concerned with our rights and freedoms, how can we reasonably expect men not to? How can we ever, as women, expect to be seen as equals, if we are constantly and consistently dissociating ourselves from feminism? And another question: why are we so afraid of a word, anyway? In the end, it’s just a word—nothing more. We assign arbitrary meanings to all words, so why should we be so frightened by one possible meaning of ‘feminism’? I think the fear is completely unwarranted. We must not fear a simple word. We must own it. If we do so, we will no longer hear people scoff and ask, “You’re not one of those feminists, are you?” as if it were such a terrible thing. It can never be a bad thing to fight for the rights of marginalized groups. I am a woman and I am a feminist. That word does not intimidate me. I am not afraid of the meanings people assign to it, because I know what it is supposed to stand for. I believe in the equality of all women, and all marginalized individuals. If that makes me radical, so be it—but I think it simply makes me human.
KAREN WANG GRAPHICS EDITOR
What you are now A poetic take on eating disorders Aelya Slm The Silhouette
You are a mathematician. You are God, you are Freud, prayers offered at the age of seven, you are every parental interaction that should have been measured twice cut once. You are a cartographer, you are valleys and ditches and hollows where the mud sticks to your shoes. You are the untended grass on the hillsides of your thighs. You are vultures circling flooded graveyards, pulling at bones and teeth. You are centuries of rich food, centuries of the brown and the hungry, the brown and well-fed, the frugal and the pious, the foodsavers, your mother reminding you that wasting food is a sin. You are bile, you are corrosive, volcanic eruptions, skeletal hands dipped in acidic liquid, the country’s hazard communication standard, your nails are short for every reason except “I like them that way”, the knuckles of your right hand
have teeth marks. You are animals or maybe just one of them, you are hunter and hunted, you are carcasses on the Savannah, gazelles with broken legs giving birth to fawns, the cry of beautiful birds as the day breaks, lions on their haunches, men with rifles and cameras, the flash of teeth before the lights go out and the ground is stained with blood. You are writers that never publish, those with thoughts and no words, the temperament of the artistic but none of the talent, journals locked away in attics with old dresses, no one to ask you what you thought of love or the war where boys no older than 18 fought for the things they didn’t understand. You are no one’s muse, no one’s Degas dancer, no one’s art history, no one’s art, no one’s history. You are every ordinary experience, every economic privilege, you are ungrateful, but God you are so hurt and you’re so sorry you’re like this and you’re apologizing but you never need to, do you. You never need to, do you.
A8 • Opinions
The Silhouette • Thursday, November 8, 2012
Andrea Tan
Erik Brown
MacDebate Exec Member
MacDebate Exec Member
Trudeaumania 2.0 - Would Trudeau be a good or bad leader for the Liberal party?
HEADTOHEAD Andrea: In light of the Liberal leadership election coming up in April 2013, I’d like to discuss the possibility of a Trudeau-mania 2.0. Justin Trudeau is the eldest son of former Prime Minister Pierre Elliot Trudeau and is currently running for Liberal leadership in hopes of bringing light back to the Liberal party. I think this is exactly what the Liberal party needs: a young and eager new leader to give them a fresh start after their declining popularity in the last couple elections. Not only was his father a former Prime Minister, but his maternal grandfather, James Sinclair, was also a former federal cabinet minister. Growing up in a highly politically involved family, politics practically runs in his blood. How could he possibly go wrong?
“Trudeau” will conjure up images of a suave, charismatic and colourful Prime Minister whose legacy remains strikingly unforgettable. Remember though that political competence and strong leadership are not necessarily genetic traits. Rather, acknowledge that Justin is not his father and that PierreElliot’s Canada was very different
notoriety, Justin and his party will struggle to remain relevant; much as there are right now. The son will need a more unique personal identity if he is ever, like his father, to lead the government.
Andrea: I disagree with this simply because I think if Justin Trudeau can uphold the Trudeau name and carry on his father’s charismatic legacy, then that is exactly what the Growing up in a federal Liberal party needs. Even if the Liberal party is highly politically fraught with nostalgia, so be it if involved family, polthat can lead the Liberal party to success once more. itics runs in [TruJustin Trudeau, with his father’s deau’s] blood. How name and charisma, is still a different person and if anything, a more could he go wrong? modern image for the party than Andrea Tan any other candidate. He has youth on his side, and Erik: Let us immediately come to this youth is the unique personal terms with what might be a discouridentity the Liberal party is searchaging, however incontrovertible from today’s nation. ing for. Not only does youth bring In its attempt to forge a new fresh ideas for policy and social fact. Regardless of the policies he identity, the federal Liberals seem to values, but it also attracts the real may advocate or the social values he be clinging to a stale and outdated youth of Canada to become more upholds, Justin Trudeau’s immense dynasty. Instead of craving fresh interested in politics. popularity is due, at least in part, to faces and a modern image, the party We are always trying to get Canadian youth involved in politics and the familiarity of his surname. For remains fraught with nostalgia. As time passes, however, and voting, and a charismatic, younger voters on either end of the spectrum, any mention of the word the Trudeau name loses some of its face is exactly what we need to ac-
complish that goal. Pierre-Elliot Trudeau also began gaining popularity in the late 1960’s through a “mania” of sorts, and look what he has done for our country. Just because Justin Trudeau has started off popular through his name, doesn’t mean he doesn’t have substance to him as well. I think we should give him a chance. He will
Public affections will mean little to party success if Trudeau “the younger” cannot deliver tangible results. Erik Brown
want to develop good policies in order to keep up with his name. Erik: Maybe your intense adoration has blinded you from the historical truth. Not all of Trudeau “the elder’s” policies were smashing successes. Yes, he did oversee the repatriation of the B.N.A. Act,
and indeed his support for the Charter was essential in its creation. Yet Pierre Trudeau’s faulty economic strategy left much to be desired. That 1960s brand of politics is not what Canada currently needs. The country requires a firm hand that can balance concerns of equity with the realities of financial strain. A continuation of “Trudeauism” is not necessarily in national interests. Nor does it seem to be the best option for the Liberals either. It is true that Justin’s age has allowed him to connect with youth more than either Harper or Mulcair. The problem with such campaign fanfare though is its short lifespan. Public affections will mean little to party success if Trudeau “the younger” cannot deliver tangible results; the sort of achievements that can thrust the Liberals back into a dominant political position. In reality, the mature vote seems a more immediate priority and Justin may find it difficult to attract adult sympathy beyond his party’s now dwindling bedrock support.
Check thesil.ca for the conclusion
Opinions • A9
Thursday, November 8, 2012 • The Silhouette PHILOSOPHY
Feedback A universal call to action How relevant is feminism in current society?
Choose how to live and exercise your freedom to act
Compiled by Mel Napeloni and Jessie Lu “Very relevant. The intersectionality of it in our lives is crucial. If you believe in gender equality, you’re a feminist.” Ana Kozak English II
“The current image of feminism is that we’re a bunch of radicals. That’s ridiculous. Gender equality is a right.”
JAVIER CAICEDO MULTIMEDIA EDITOR
Sherry Jacoay Arts & Science II
C.C. Alaimo The Silhouette
“Feminists are always there to address current political nuances. They are the one group of people ready to defend and fight for marginalized people. That’s needed.” Omar El-Ziftawi Philosophy III
“People say it’s all just theory - but look around you. We still consider the ideal leader as male and white. This needs to change.”
What is the purpose of my life? This is a question that only angst-ridden, middle class, hipsters of suburbia who listen to obscure bands ask— or so the story goes. I think a little critical self-evaluation reveals that this is a question that plagues us regardless of our class, race, age, and musical preference. Our lives are groundless; our lives have no intrinsic purpose. There is no reason why things should be this way rather than that way. The path your life will and ought to take is not predetermined. Your existence is a matter of historical happenstance, and your future is inextricably bound to your past. What becomes of you, what your life amounts to, is contingent on the choices you make now. Your life is quite literally in your hands. This is the simultaneously terrifying and joyous revelation that one must accept. One may react to this revela-
tion myopically, as one often does, by “going with the flow,” surrendering one’s life to the averageness and everydayness of the tranquilizing public sphere, by unreflectively conforming to society’s ways of doing things. Taking the path of least resistance is certainly a legitimate option. Unfortunately, it does not address the nagging existential question and it certainly does not change the fact of one’s freedom: it conceals both by permitting the (feigned) surrender of personal responsibility to an anonymous public. When we give up responsibility, we give up freedom. This is too high a price to pay. Alternatively, one may respond by embracing this revelation wholeheartedly. In so doing, one acknowledges that what one’s life amounts to depends on what one does. One must forge a path for one’s own life, by authentically taking up one’s possibilities. This does not mean that one cannot engage in average, everyday projects, rather, the authentic person throws oneself into all one’s
activities and does not engage in any activity one is not willing to throw oneself into. Resoluteness—an attitude of resoluteness—is the key to creatively discovering meaning. There is an upshot to having public, social ways of doing things and being historically contingent beings: by the time we come to question the meaning of our lives we are already embedded in a social, cultural, and political context that provides the ground for meaningful action. One need not look very far to discover projects to take up; in fact, one need not look at all, for we are already engaged in them. It may be that everything I have said is trivial. These may be mere platitudes. If they are trivial platitudes, then they are trivial platitudes that one often fails to act in accordance with and blatantly ignores. It is important in such trying times to remember that we must choose how to live, and only when we exercise our freedom to act, can we live a meaningful life. This is a universal call to action.
Erring on the side of caution More skeptical of opinions on U.S. politics
Elaf Quadri Religion/Linguistics II
Ariel Garlow The Silhouette
“Unfortunately, some men who claim to believe in gender equality continue, tacitly, to disregard things they do or say that perpetuate patriarchy.” Lana Abdulrahman Sociology III
My sister turns on a talk show with Anderson Cooper. He and his co-host chat with a woman about some sensational story to do with the judicial system and wrongful incarceration. I don’t watch TV often. I see friends making commentary on Facebook, “Come on, Obama, you can do it!” or “Maine just approved same sex marriage! Awesome!” or another re-post of the political spoof of Gangnam style (“Mitt Romney Style”). I scroll over to another website and find out that a number of American states have legalized medicinal and recreational marijuana, look at people talk about the first openly gay senator, Asian-American senator, and so on. All of this while a recently openly gay man and his African American co-host talk about community initiatives. Are we thinking of the same United States here, the one found right below Canada? Earlier that night, my sister flicked over to coverage of the United States presidential election on CNN. We see the early voter count amassing to a startling lead for Governor Romney. We see rallies of thousands of people, upper-middle class suits, gathered together to protect the “sanctity” of marriage, to ban the mere thought of drug legalization and taxing. A massive mesh of white, aging faces, all silently praying, thinking one word: “Romney”. The outcome of the recent 2012 presidential election in the United States of America will undoubtedly have an effect on our own society, especially through the economic partnership that we have formed over many years. Sometimes it may feel like the entire world is at the whim of the States, other times I think the countries of the world are able to forge their own path without fearing crippling repercussions from the most densely populated, highly capital super-power. Often I look at my more politically adamant peers who seem to only want to argue about US politics, and I wonder, why? In an election you have no vote in, by a country you do not live in, why do you root so hard for one candidate or the other? Furthermore, as a Canadian, why do you assume you have so much knowledge on the US? Do we really have the right to debate about politics we are not directly immersed in? Or do we require that responsibility, to be aware of what our crazy neighbours from the south are cooking up? Why do even non-political students throw their opinion so forcefully into the ring when it comes to these events? No matter what our responsibility or our right
is when it comes to the politics of other countries, the least we may be able to do is congratulate the US president on securing a second term in office, and wish him the best of luck for the future. A lot of decisions that came out of the voting process seem to say “America’s lookin’ up, baby!” with same-sex marriage on the rise, the war on drugs being moderated a little more, and bright new faces in the American senate. But I’m still holding onto cautious skepticism. KAREN WANG GRAPHICS EDITOR
A10 • Opinions
The Silhouette • Thursday, November 8, 2012
CONSUMER CULTURE
We’re more materialistic than ever Graciela Analiz The Silhouette
Things are looking dismal out there. We’re more materialistic than ever; we can’t tell the difference between needs and wants and we equate happiness with material goods. And despite the rather pessimistic view of what has become of us, I’ve noticed something over the past few years— I’ve become a little less attached to stuff. I wasn’t the only one with this inkling. The Journal of Consumer Research noticed it back in 2007, when Lan Nguyen Chaplin and Deborah Roedder John conducted a study looking at materialism in children and adolescents. It so happens that between ages 8 and 13 our lust for possessions reaches all-time
highs, but by late adolescence this lust begins to decline. This brought me back to the good ol’ tween years, the age I thought (rather naïvely) that I could make myself twenty times better than I actually was. I was hopeful, maybe too hopeful, and definitely too idealistic. This is exactly what advertising takes advantage of - presenting us with an ideal self. They don’t want us to be content with who we currently are and what we own. It’s not surprising then why they flock to this age group. But getting older has this thing of thwarting these sorts of hopes. So you get more realistic and realize that this is about as good as it’s going to get. Sure, you and I, and a whole lot of other people are still figuring it out, but with time we
grow more comfortable with ourselves and plant our feet a little firmer to the ground. It’s not that advertising stops working altogether, consumerism is enough evidence against that, but it loses a bit of its edge. The surer we are about ourselves the less effective advertising is, and advertising is, after all, what fuels materialism. Mind you, becoming a little less attached to worldly possessions doesn’t suddenly make me an ascetic. The passage of time won’t ever completely heal us of our materialistic ways. But in this age and generation characterized by the incessant need to have, getting older and a little less materialistic is a victory, a small one, but a victory nonetheless.
JAVIER CAICEDO MULTIMEDIA EDITOR
Focus on structural reform for our city A casino in Toronto is absurd while reforms are needed back home Rob Hardy The Silhouette
This past week it has been announced that there are preliminary plans for a casino to be built in the heart of downtown Toronto, and according to the Toronto Sun, the city is asking for public opinion on the go-ahead. Well, although I am not currently a Torontonian (though I was some time ago), these plans are negative in every possible way. First of all, the urbanity of downtown Toronto has already changed drastically in just the last ten years, and it’s one of the few city centres outside of Eastern Asia that has experienced such dramatic growth in recent times. This is not itself a bad thing, but why is all of it being focused
specifically on Toronto, while the surrounding GTA and beyond, as well as most of the rest of the country are radically underdeveloped in comparison? Living in downtown Toronto has become an incredibly concentrated experience, where navigating the streets on even normal days can be quite arduous. Once major events happen, the thoroughfares are packed with little mind to the fact that some people actually live there and shouldn’t have to concede that this area by default must now be a party at all hours of the night. Though life in central Toronto is a major drawing card, an excess of attractions can reach a point of detriment. And when you are signing up for a 20-year mortgage on a small
half-million dollar condo, you expect to be able to sleep without booming noises emanating within the urban echo. You might also like your ficus plant to actually get a little sunshine as light meanders throughout the day in between a towering forest of tall buildings. Meanwhile across the lake, Hamilton continues to be Toronto’s poorer distant cousin. We are for major want of virtually any significant development. Though a few buildings have gone up recently, or are about to, by and large we are still left in the dust in comparison, and really why is such a comparison not apt? Far from being a fan of this city, it nevertheless does have potential and could literally be saved if we too were to enter a massive period
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of gentrification and renewal. I am not one of those charmed by what some call the uniqueness of this city. Though poverty is a social problem, I certainly don’t want to continue seeing it worsen year in and year out. People visiting Hamilton during a recent golf tournament several months back called a letter writer to the Spectator to task on comments he made. The fact is that our city gave a very poor impression and it’s easy to see why. To name a couple of examples, they were likely turned off by a boarded Connaught hotel in Gore Park which stands eerily dark at night, or the rows of pawn shops, bingo parlours and general decay in what is Hamilton’s version of Times Square.
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It’s great that the Lister Block was renovated, but let’s be honest here: how many other buildings are in poor condition just in the immediate downtown alone? Even when we commit to building something new, plans are slow to fruition or indefinitely stalled, such as what has become an eyesore at Main and John - a boarded up construction site which has for years now stood vacant waiting to house a multi-use building. About the only thing that has generated some lukewarm enthusiasm is that we, too, have been in discussions for a possible casino (though hopefully spared any major exhibitions by Celine Dion). It goes back to the argument for generating money, which is at least honest. But forgetting that only a couple of decades earlier, Ontarians found casinos not only to be morally questionable but also generally distasteful, the new generation of politicians seem easily resigned to throwing those doubts to the wind. With public money drying up quickly, another avenue to fleece the public of its remaining cash, thereby directly contributing to further poverty and the disease of addiction, is what is more easily green-lighted in even smaller urban centers. Ultimately, casinos fuel pie-in-the-sky fantasies for those who should instead be given concrete hope and aid from our leaders, so as to implement practical plans for their future and society as a whole. A few weeks back, the Silhouette’s cover featured news that plans for LRT in Hamilton may take as long as 15 years. What can we deduce about our country when we are admittedly so cash-strapped that this much-needed transportation upgrade won’t be realized until we are all entering middle age? Even Toronto keeps shelving plans for any major overhaul of their own systems, whilst commodification of public space and taxed debauchery in the form of casinos is discussed as something that’ll somehow improve the quality of life. Issues of development need to take into account the real costs and gains, and more importantly, who are the real winners and losers in this equation. A new era is calling for pragmatic examinations about some level of sustainability, all the while needing to keep up on more important infrastructural projects, so that our standard of living can now catch up to those nations we used to outshine.
Opinions • A11
Thursday, November 8, 2012 • The Silhouette
A love affair with the Internet v
im leaving u
Rhett, Rhett... Rhett, if u go, where shall i go? What shall i do?
frankly dear, i dont care... after all, tmr is another day. Bahar Orang
Assistant ANDY Editor
If Rhett Butler and Scarlett O’Hara had been matched up by an online dating service, their love story would have been gone with the wind. The hypnotic power of Scarlett’s dangerously green eyes would have been replaced by smiley-faced emoticons. Rhett’s powerful exclamations about love would have been replaced by instant messages written in incomplete, acronymic phrases. The fiery passion that so defines their relationship would have been extinguished by a few clicks of the mouse. The love between Scarlett and Rhett was the unpredictable, consuming, and cannot-live-withouteach-other type of love that thrived off all the things that online dating services could never offer. Can display pictures ever capture the glitter in one’s eyes or the soothing sound of one’s voice? Can chatting all night really be as intimate as walking under the stars together in silence? Can the electronic matchmaking of compatible profiles hold as much promise as the fateful crossing of paths because she was reading his favourite book in a cafe? The very nature of online dating eliminates the essential aspects of human relationships and disregards the subtleties of love. Online dating completely ignores physical chemistry, which is a biological human need and its absence will almost guarantee a failed relationship. The level of attractiveness seen in someone’s profile picture is definitely not a measure of physical chemistry. “Cyber sex” surely does not account for the softness of one’s lips or the sweetness of one’s caress. Furthermore, physical compatibility does not imply sexual chemistry. Facial expressions, the sound of the voice, every touch, every movement, can impact a relationship. The warmth of a real human body is incomparable to the cold and detached world of online dating. Internet dating can become a prolific breeding ground for fantasies that may have little to do with reality. Dating services distort the idea of a perfect match and turn dating into a shopping exercise. Buyers search for a partner who is compatible down to the last hobby and favourite quotation.However, the “perfect” part-
ner requires a certain kind of balance that cannot be achieved through the comparison of profiles, regardless of how in-depth the profiles may be. Relationships need one person to make the jokes and another person to laugh at them or one person to make the jokes and another person to make the jokes funnier. This equilibrium between two people is a complex and irregular piece of the relationship puzzle. It is essentially out of one’s control, certainly out of the control of some dating service. The amount of perversion and deception that exists online is shocking. Users can draw profiles of themselves that range from being exaggerative to totally false. Pictures can be angled or edited to completely misrepresent one’s physical appearance or can even be Google-searched images of unknown models. Anyone can be a famous surgeon, a rich lawyer or the back-up guitarist for U2. A workaholic can pose as a hopeless romantic, an abusive ex-husband can claim to be the president of WWF and even worse, a pedophile can be a friendly conversationalist who “luvs kids.” The Internet is often a place for the facilitated exploitation of women and children by sexual predators. In Canada alone, more than 80 per cent of sexual predators are unregistered. There is a certain kind of desperation involved with online dating – as though it signifies a loss of faith in reality. However, that is exactly what online dating is: a departure from reality. The need for human relationships has driven people to take extreme measures. Love is too strange and too absurd to be found so rationally on an online dating service. Going online can be like entering an exotic world filled with possibilities, but should it not be obvious that love cannot be bought? So here is a warning to all those who have turned to the Internet in search of love. Dating has become the new commodity, with price tags, exchanges and trial periods – but no refunds. Buyer beware! KAREN WANG GRAPHICS EDITOR
THURSDAY
NOTSPEC.COM
OBAMA WINS Begins to suspec t his aides are letting him win at Connec t Four A8
HAMILTON SPECULATOR NOVEMBER 8, 2012
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DOING YOUR PARENTING FOR YOU SINCE 1939
CRUISING THROUGH COOTES Experience the hills without the thrills! Random drug test! Skip a turn.
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SPECIAL SPACES
- If you land on Timmy’s face (shame on you) then you must tell the other players something new you have learned that day. If you fail to produce such an insight, then the player to your right rolls and you move back that many spaces. -If you step on MacNab the crime-fighting dog, then the player to your left asks you a trivia question and then you roll to move again if you are correct. Woof!
INSIDE TODAY PER ISSUE: 1d20 flakes of human skin INCL. HST, PST .
RAINY DAY GAYS A8
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EMPORIUM
HIGH-BEAM BRAZIER
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10 MINUTES OFF MAIN & JAMES | 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 8, 2012 Sports Editors: Brandon Meawasige and Scott Hastie Meeting: Thursdays @ 1:30 p.m. Contact: sports@thesil.ca
Off to the Yates Cup Michael DiCroce and the McMaster Marauders will get a chance to defend their Yates Cup title against Guelph after a 42-28 victory over the Western Mustangs
C/O RICHARD ZAZULAK
attack to a field goal in overtime- setting up a game-winning Lindsey touchdown pass. Senior Sports Editor By the time that game had concluded, the The 105th Yates Cup will be played on Nov. second semi-final between McMaster and the 10, 2012 at Ron Joyce Stadium between the Western Mustangs was already underway. defending champion McMaster Marauders The first half was a struggle for the Maroon and the Cinderella story Guelph Gryphons, a and Grey, who were down by a score of 18-17 matchup that was decided by an exciting day as the clock ticked down in the third quarter. of semi final action in the OUA. For the first time this season Mac was In the first of two games on Saturday Nov. down in the second half and with their backs 3, the Gryphons sent the visiting Queen’s to the goal line. Gaels packing in a nail-biting 42-39 overtime Kyle Quinlan took control of the game, victory. hitting a familiar target for the biggest play of Freshman quarterback Jazz Lindsey con- the season. tinued to impress, marching his team up the It was almost as if time had stopped for a field with his team down two scores in the moment when McMaster’s Michael DiCroce fourth quarter. ran into the endzone, completing a 103 yard Guelph’s defense, which has been impres- reception from a Quinlan pass. sive all season, was able to hold the Gael’s Last year, an eerily similar play yielded
Brandon Meawasige
an eerily similar result for Mac. During the 104th Yates Cup, with nine minutes remaining in the third quarter, Quinlan threw one of the most memorable passes in program history: a 102 yard touchdown connection with none other than Michael DiCroce. Mac won that game. And it was that connection once again that would propel the Marauders to victory. From that point, there would be no stopping the Marauders who won the game by a score of 42-28. DiCroce, in his first game of the season after suffering a broken foot during training camp, earned player of the game honors for his four receptions, 139 yards and two touchdowns. Quinlan contributed a usually strong performance despite the slow start and running
back Tanner Forsyth added two scores on the ground. Ron Joyce was electric and even the fireworks from atop Heddon Hall could not drown out the noisy demonstration of just how much football means to this school. Winning has become a custom at McMaster, as this team has not lost a single football game since Sept. 10, 2011. With their semi final win on Saturday the Marauders tied a CIS record for the most consecutive victories with 19, previously set by the Laval Rouge et Or in 2004-05. The only thing standing between McMaster, that record and a second straight Yates Cup is the Guelph Gryphons. The last time these two teams played was the first game of the 2012 regular season. McMaster won 50-9.
MEN’S SOCCER
Mac defends provincial title Matthew Jordan The Silhouette
They’ve done it again: for the second straight year, the McMaster Marauders have been crowned OUA men’s soccer champions. After an incredible regular season during which the team lost only game, the Marauders looked as good as ever this past weekend at McNaughton Park in Vaughan. They defeated the Queen’s Gaels 5-2 on Saturday to advance to the OUA finals against the Carleton Ravens, whom they swiftly crushed 5-0 to win gold. The wins give the Marauders a ticket to the CIS national championship in Quebec City, taking place Nov. 8–11 at Laval University. The team hopes to use their sixth-place CIS finish last season as motivation to propel them even further at this year’s competition, which features the top talent in Canadian varsity soccer. The route to the OUA championship didn’t come without its struggles. The semifinal game against Queen’s was a hotly contested battle that required extra time for either team to pull ahead. The Gaels struck first at the 20th minute, with midfielder Nathan Klemencic scoring with a long ball that sailed just over McMaster goalie Angelo Cavalluzzo. The Marauders responded before the halftime buzzer sounded, with midfielder Paterson Farrell capitalizing at the 42nd minute. His goal came after the Guelph goalie stopped a shot by Marauder Ryan Garnett, leaving a huge rebound that Farrell fired right to the back of the net. The second half opened much like the first, with Guelph taking a lead in the 67th minute off a penalty kick by Joe Zuppo. Fighting from behind for the second time in the game, the Marauders soon delivered when 2011 OUA West Rookie Gersi Xhuti netted the tying goal in the 78th minute. Xhuti celebrated his clutch goal with an impressive front flip that energized the entire team. The back-and-forth affair was tied up 2-2 at the end of regular time, so extra time would be required to see who would advance to play in the OUA finals. Overtime is when
The Marauders captured their second straight OUA title, shifitng focus to the national tournament.
the Maroon and Grey truly shined. They came out ready to fight, and quickly took advantage of the shaky Queen’s defence in the 95th minute with a goal by Daniel Niksic. But it didn’t stop there: Muntazir Fadhel connected in the 110th minute for Mac’s insurance goal and McMaster’s leading scorer Mark Reilly scored his 12th goal of the season three minutes later to seal the deal for the Marauders. The following day, McMaster really came out to play, and completely dominated the Carleton Ravens from start to finish. Their first goal came in the 10th minute and their last goal in the 89th, with the Marauders putting on an offensive clinic for the hapless Ravens the entire game. Like in the game against Queen’s, Pater-
son Farrell scored first for Mac, in what would end up being the game-winning goal. It came off a perfectly placed cross that Farrell was able to easily one-time into a wide open net. Ten minutes later, Marauders Athlete of the Week Mark Reilly scored on a beautiful shot that came off a headed pass from midfielder David Serafini to put the Marauder up 2-0. The Ravens began to put serious pressure on Mac toward the end of the first half, but Marauders goalie Angelo Cavalluzzo made some acrobatic saves to maintain the shutout. The championship banner might as well have been awarded before the second half, because there was no doubt that the Maroon and Grey would be coming out on top. Goals
C/O MICHAEL P. HALL
by Muntazir Fadhel and Karl Bicamumpaka in the 58th and 61st minute, respectively, set the stage for the rest of the game, which saw Mac retaining almost constant possession. In the final minute of the game, David Serafini scored on a breakaway, beating Carleton goalie Mark Krocko and bringing the score to a whopping 5-0. The Ravens will be joining the Marauders in Quebec City this weekend, having earned a spot in the CIS championship by upsetting the previously undefended York Lions in their semi-final matchup. The Marauders play their first game Thursday Nov. 8 against host team Laval at 6:30 p.m. The games can be viewed live at CIS-SIC.tv.
B2 • Sports
The Silhouette • Thursday, November 8, 2012
2012-13 BASKETBALL PREVIEW
Marauders look to take the next step
Taylor Black will be relied upon heavily in the upcoming season. His rebounding and interior defense will be put under a microscope every game and his play will be integral to the success of McMaster.
C/O RICHARD ZAZULAK
A new season of basketball will be hitting Burridge Gym on Nov. 9, and with a fresh start comes fresh expectations. Last year’s success from the McMaster Marauders men’s basketball program was unexpected. Impressive rookie campaigns and reliable veteran leadership fuelled their trip to the Final Four, where the Maroon and Grey fell to the eventual CIS champion Carleton Ravens. But that was last season. Sure, there will be familiar faces donning the McMaster jerseys this season, but make no mistake; this is a different team. The young core of Adam Presutti, Aaron Redpath, Joe Rocca and Nathan McCarthy are the most important factors going forward. Head Coach Amos Connolly has made the goal of the 2012-13 campaign clear to his team: a CIS Championship. “We want to win a national championship. We’d be selling ourselves short if our expectations were less than that,” said Connolly about the goals for this season. But the trip to this year’s championship tournament will not be an easy one. The OUA is littered with contenders and home to three of the top-ten CIS ranked teams; No.9 Windsor, No.5 Lakehead and No.1 Carleton. Connolly’s focus isn’t on their opponents, though. “When you have a young team like ours, there’s no opponent in Canada who can be looked at as big or little. We can’t take days off or look at any other teams,” said the coach about the day-to-day focus of his team. While there’s a focus on youth this year, there are two veterans on this team whose leadership cannot be ignored. Forward Nathan Pelech and guard Scott Laws need to bring consistency and intensity for every game to set the standard for their teammates. Laws will be a defensive rock for the Maroon and Grey, running through screens and playing with grit night in and night out. The fourth-year Pelech should be a calming presence on the court, with his level-headed play as an asset for the Mac coaching staff to use if play gets out of control. Veteran play will not be enough for McMaster and they’ll need contributions from across the roster. One of the most important components of the Maroon and Grey will be point guard Adam Presutti. The CIS Rookie of the Year will be the engine of McMaster’s offense, leading an attack that will use speed to kill their opponents. But this year, Presutti has to look to get more buckets in order to fill a scoring void from the departure of last year’s players. “Adam’s weakness as a point guard is not looking for his own shot,” commented Connolly of his standout floor general. The need for scoring from No.25 was crystal clear in the preseason game against the Mohawk Mountaineers, when Presutti started the second half scoring eight points the kick-off a run for McMaster to separate the two teams. The play of Taylor Black, a third-year forward, will be integral to how Mac performs. Mac will need his rebounding and toughness in the paint to succeed this year, as Cam Michaud’s graduation leaves the team with a hole on the defensive glass. Without solid rebounding, McMaster’s transition game will suffer and could lead to a disappointing season for the Maroon and Grey. Connolly is looking for the team to hang their hat on the defensive end and his message has gotten through to his players. “The guys commitment to defense is better than it’s ever been,” said the head coach. This roster is filled with offensive talent, highlighted by multiple leading scorers throughout the exhibition games. Joe Rocca, Rohan Boney, and Aaron Redpath can all put points on the board in a hurry, but the ability to defend well and protect the rim will be key factors to success. The Marauders have high aspirations for this season, but those on the outside looking in do not feel the same. McMaster has been left off the first two top-ten CIS rankings. With their fair share of doubters, the team starts their journey to the CIS Championship tournament this weekend with a doubleheader. On Friday, Nov. 9 the York Lions visit Burridge Gym followed by a game against the Laurentian Voyageurs on Saturday Nov. 10. Both games tip-off at 8 p.m. following the women’s basketball game.
Point guard Adam Presutti is coming off a first year season which saw him earn CIS Rookie of the Year. No.25 will need to take his game a step further this year for the Marauders to reach their goal of a CIS Championship.
C/O RICHARD ZAZULAK
The future is bright with young talent
Isabel Ormond finished the preseason as the second leading scorer for McMaster’s offense. Consistent play from the second-year player will pay dividends for the Maroon and Grey.
ELIZA POPE THE SILHOUETTE
New season, new goals and new faces. The 2012-13 McMaster Marauders women’s basketball campaign is set to be a minor restart for the program but that doesn’t mean that this season will be a write-off. The team says goodbye to Taylor Chiarot, one of the finest players to don the Maroon and Grey for the Marauders. Filling her position won’t happen overnight, but that isn’t discouraging the team. “All the players on this team will comment on it: there is something special about this team,” said Coach Theresa Burns on the locker room chemistry of this team. With only three players in their fourth year and the rest being a mix of first, second and third years, the word “young” is being thrown around to describe the McMaster squad. But age may not be the detractor some think, as Mac isn’t using age for any kind of measurement of skill. Look at their preseason play: the leading scorer was rookie Danielle Boiago, a home-grown point guard with a knack for getting to the free throw line and finding her shooting touch early in games. Next on the scoring list is a second year guard, Isabel Ormond. To cope with the struggles a young team can have, Coach Burns is taking small steps to build towards a larger goal. “We get our players to focus everyday on small goals. We give goals every day and every practice. We’re very internally focussed,” said Burns. These goals started after the 2012 spring exam schedule. The team was back in the gym with the strength and conditioning staff, bringing their fitness levels to new heights in order to prepare for the upcoming season. The time spent in the David Braley Athletic Centre has paid off, and the team looks to be in midseason form to tip-off the season. Although the team has had a strong preseason showing with their young players, the importance of the upper year players cannot be ignored. Heather Milligan will be relied upon for both her post presence and her leadership. One of the three fourth years, Milligan has emerged as the veteran voice for the team and has been active on both ends of the court throughout the exhibition games. Vanessa Bonomo, another fourth year will be relied on heavily for consistent play. Her decision-making in the backcourt will be an x-factor early in the season as young guards get used to the pace of the university competition. Speaking of pace, look for the Marauders to push the ball up the court every opportunity they can. The team’s formula for getting out in transition will be defence and forcing turnovers, which is a huge reason for the fitness focus of the offseason. Getting easy fast break points will be key to breeding confidence in a young team, and Burns has tailored the system to accomplish that. The story of the 2012-2013 campaign will be how fast the Marauders can put all the pieces together. The team cannot afford a slow start to the season based on the competitiveness of this year’s OUA season. “It’s a total dogfight. Every game will have such an effect on the standings,” said Coach Burns. To start the season, the OUA contains three of the top-ten ranked CIS teams: No.1 Windsor Lancers, No.4 Carleton Ravens and No.9 Laurier Golden Hawks. Fortunately for McMaster, they’ll only have to take on the Ravens before the winter exam break. Coach Burns’ objective for the year is simple: “The goal is always to win a championship. That can be a cliché, a lot of people talk about that. But I feel like this year, as much as any year we’ve had here, we’re building towards that.” The age of the roster speaks to this too, with a young roster with a high ceiling. The upcoming season is difficult to predict. Mac’s preseason gives fans hope, especially after a narrow loss to the University of Victoria. But exhibition results are not a sure bet and with an impending learning curve for the first year players, where McMaster will be in March is unpredictable. Basketball action tips off Friday against the York Lions at 6 p.m., followed by a Saturday match against the Laurentian Lady Voyageurs at 6 p.m.
Danielle Boiago is a Hamilton native who is looking to bring her university back to the top of the CIS. The path back to the national championships runs through the rookie point guard and her level of play.
ELIZA POPE THE SILHOUETTE
Sports • B3
Thursday, November 8, 2012 • The Silhouette
KEEPING SCORE Brandon Meawasige Senior Sports Editor
The McMaster Marauders attract a lot of attention for their achievements on the football field. But with the kind of season the team is having, criticisms are few and far between. The defending national champions once again lead the OUA (and CIS, for that matter) in many statistical categories. Ten Mac starters were named to the all OUA firstteam this year for their part in the undefeated season. But for all the good, there is one thing I would change about McMaster’s favorite team. Around the country, numerous teams have taken drastic measures to modernize and improve their appearance.
Laval, Montreal and Laurier, to name a few, have all taken after American schools with form-fitting, colorful and modern-looking football uniforms. The most notable change has been for the Guelph Gryphons, who Mac will host this weekend for the Yates Cup. The addition of a matte black helmet and three jerseys, each placing an emphasis on different team colors, has revamped the team’s appearance. That said, our uniforms are recognizable and capture the Maroon blood of this school. The on-field product does all the talking necessary – I would take our guys in pin- changes that other teams have made nies and leather helmets against any could only add to the image of Marauder football. squad in the country. I am simply saying making the In the meantime, though, a
THREE DOWNS Scott Hastie
Assistant Sports Editor
1 When I picked up a copy of the Toronto Star last week, I was shocked JAVIER CAICEDO MULTIMEDIA EDITOR to find a page nearly dedicated to second straight national champion- CIS sports. McMaster’s football ship is the focus, and one thing is for team was featured on S6 of the Star’s certain: the Marauders will be back sports section, with a write-up on to defend it. You heard it here first. Kyle Quinlan’s potential in the CFL and an interview with Head Coach Stefan Ptaszek. But the coverage of CIS football didn’t stop there; the Globe and Mail also had an article on the rise of the Guelph Gryphons. Nice to see these sports getting coverage they deserve.
PHOTO OF THE WEEK
2 Last week, the Carleton Ravens travelled to Villanova University for an exhibition game. Villanova is a perennial NCAA powerhouse and NBA player factory, but that didn’t stop Raven Phil Scrubb from putting up an incredible performance. The guard had 32 points in the 65-59 loss and drew high praise from the Villanova coach Jay Wright: “He’s definitely someone who could be effective in the Big East conference.” With that showing, do you think Scrubb is prepared to defend the CIS championship?
3 YOSEIF HADDAD SENIOR PHOTO EDITOR
Safety Michael Daly makes an interception for the Marauders. His sprawling athletic effort was a turning point for the Maroon and Grey during their 42-28 Yates Cup semi-final victory over the visiting Western Mustangs.
This weekend features the women’s and men’s CIS soccer championships, streamed on CIS-SIC.tv. There’s a good chance the OUA could be home to both CIS trophies when the weekend is over, with the Mac men heading to the tournament after scorching the competition in their Final Four tournament. The Carleton Ravens are another strong OUA squad looking to capture their first CIS title. Meanwhile on the women’s side, the Queen’s Gaels could be the first team to win the CIS championship three straight times. Laurier and Ottawa round out the OUA representation on the women’s side, both teams who have been battling for the No.1 CIS ranking all season.
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 11 November REMEMBRANCE DAY MORNING PRAYER - 9:00 a.m. - coffee following SERVICE OF REMEMBRANCE – 10:30 a.m. at the West Hamilton Cenotaph (Emerson St and Royal Ave) HMCS STAR on Vigil - light lunch following STUDY AND DISCUSSION – 7:00 p.m. "Glory Veiled and Unveiled” a guided study in the parables hosted by paul and tina luth Tuesday Evenings – 6:00 to 7:30p.m. ESL FRIENDSHIP GROUP Conversation and Canadian Culture ___________________________________________________
Bring your faith. Bring your reason. In God’s universe they belong together.
Sports • B5
Thursday, November 8, 2012 • The Silhouette
Marauders sweep weekend doubleheader Women’s volleyball sits at 2-3 after defeating the Lakehead Thunderwolves Scott Hastie
Assistant Sports Editor
McMaster is back in the victory column after a sweep of the Lakehead Thunderwolves. The ladies took a trip to Thunder Bay, Ont. to take on the winless Wolves hoping to turn around a disappointing 0-3 start to their season. The first set saw improvement in all areas of the Maroon and Grey’s play, with noticeably better service and passing to give McMaster an early lead. Lakehead would rebound to lead 16-12 at the technical in the first set, but the break would allow Mac to refocus. In a crucial rally, the Marauders dug up a ball off a double block and were able to tie the game at 18. Errors in both receiving and serving the ball from the Wolves handed McMaster the first set victory. The second set would be another tight match to begin. Both sides would flex their muscles, most notably with Mac’s Kailee Stock unleashing on a ball to freeze the Thunderwolf defense. Stock’s kill tied the game at 9, but Lakehead would regroup and gain a 16-12 advantage at the technical. Mac would be forced to take another timeout shortly after when the second set seemed to be getting away after Lakehead took a 20-16 lead. But the decision from Coach Tim Louks failed to help the situation and McMaster dropped the second set 25-20. In the important tiebreaking set, the Marauders seemed to have a fire lit underneath them and forced the Thunderwolves into an early 6-4 deficit. With Lakehead continuing their struggle to find a rhythm in third, and Maroon and Grey took a 9-5 lead. Blocking would be the story of the third, with McMaster putting together a strong effort at the net to give the team some quick and easy points. This time, McMaster would lead 16-12 at the technical and would maintain the lead until the end of the set. Staring at a five-point deficit, the Lakehead coaching staff called a timeout in an effort to rally the troops. Louks was able to keep his team on track and they polished off the third with a 25-20 victory and all the momentum heading into a fourth set.
YOSEIF HADDAD SENIOR PHOTO EDITOR
A defensive presence at the net was the key to victory in both of the Marauder’s wins this weekend.
Lakehead found themselves on the ropes, down 2-1 and staring into the face of another loss to start their season. This reality was evident in their play, starting the fourth with intensity to cause a back-and-forth opening to the set. After an early 5-3, the Thunderwolves could no longer fend off the Marauders, who began to distance themselves through defense at the net. With another lead at the technical, McMaster took their foot off the gas pedal and allowed the
Wolves to narrow the margin, 1817. A timeout from Louks would be enough to revitalize the squad and closeout the Thunderwolves. The victory was the first of the year for the Marauders and the team would follow up the win with another the night after. The following night, McMaster would have a rematch against Lakehead. This game would see a much more Mac-friendly result, with a Maroon victory in a 3-0 set sweep.
The Thunderwolves came out flat in their defense of homecourt, giving up their fifth loss of the season. Shannon McRobert was a major cog in the victory for McMaster. Her defense at the net gave the Lakehead offense fits throughout the night, as they were unable to beat her length. She finished the game with four solo blocks and three block assists to lead Mac to victory. The women’s volleyball team will try to extend their two game winning streak this weekend. They’ll
hit the road on Saturday to take on the 4-0 Ryerson Rams. The Rams have put together a strong 2012 debut, losing only one set in their four matches. On Sunday, McMaster will again head into Ontario’s capital city to face the University of Toronto Varsity Blues. The Varsity Blues sit at 2-2 on the season. The team should get through the weekend with one win, but two wins is something the team can accomplish. Both matches will be streamed on SSN Canada.
ONLINE THIS WEEK McMaster’s basketball season starts this weekend, but a familiar face won’t be in attendance. Sil Sports catches you up on the latest about Victor Raso’s status on the team. With the Marauders men’s soccer team headed to the CIS national tournament, the Sil’s Scott Hastie will be recapping all of the action. Look out for live coverage of this weekend’s 105th Yates Cup between Guelph and McMaster. The Sil will be live tweeting the action and check out our website for post game coverage Read more at www.thesil.ca.
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B6 • Sports
The Silhouette • Thursday, November 8, 2012
WOMEN’S SOCCER
Disappointing result at Final Four Scott Hastie
Assistant Sports Editor
In a weekend that saw success across Marauder athletics, one team walked away empty-handed. McMaster’s women’s soccer team finished fourth in the OUA Final Four this weekend after being ousted in penalty kicks by the Queen’s Gaels. The Maroon and Grey squeaked their way into the Final Four after a penalty kick victory over the Western Mustangs, giving them fourth seed in the championship tournament. Their first opponent was the Ottawa Gee-Gees, the number-one ranked team in the nation. Ottawa, who hosted the tournament, came out of the gate flat and unable to muster any real offense. Mac suffered from the same problem as both squads felt each other out for the duration of the first half. The winner of the half would be the Gee-Gees, who headed to the locker room with three shots on goal in comparison to zero attempts on target from Mac. Ottawa would storm out in the second half, looking to separate from the Marauders. Mac’s defensive line held their own until the 68th minute, when a Gee-Gee striker put away the game’s lone goal off a cross. The Ottawa team maintained pressure in Mac’s defensive third. Defensive work and another topnotch performance from Brittany Duffey was key to keeping the Maroon and Grey deficit at one. With the game coming to a close, McMaster found another gear and mounted an offensive attack to try to tie the game. But Mac’s first and final shot of the game would be turned aside by the Gee-Gee keeper and the Marauders found themselves on the wrong end of a 1-0 result. The loss in the semi-final meant a place in the OUA Bronze medal match, a game all too familiar to the Maroon women. In 2011, the team
lost 4-0 to the Gee-Gees. The year before, Mac lost 2-1 to the same. This year’s match would be a second chance for the team, where they met the Queen’s Gaels for bronze and a berth in the CIS tournament. However, the Gaels found themselves in a new position. After two straight OUA Finals and CIS Championship victories, the Gaels were now battling with an unranked team just to make it back to the tournament. The third-place match would turn into a dogfight early. Both teams were out to prove themselves and started the game with high energy and intensity. McMaster’s efforts would be vindicated first, with a goal in the 37th minute. A shot from Stephanie Davis found the back of the Gaels’ net and the Marauders took an early lead. Mac would again rely on its defense to carry them, and Duffey would put together a strong performance to maintain the lead through the 45th-minute whistle. Following the half, Queen’s attempts to manufacture offense proved futile with Cristina Leonardelli and company standing tall against the Gaels. As the game reached the final minutes, the Gaels pushed nearly their entire team into the offensive third of the field. Their last-ditch effort at tying the game ended successfully, as a ball would manage to bounce off a number of players and find Mac’s mesh. For the second time in three games, McMaster was headed to overtime. With the extra 30 minutes settling nothing, Mac again settled for penalty kicks. Queen’s also had experience in penalty shootouts after losing to Laurier in their OUA semi-final. Both keepers put in an outstanding effort, with each side saving two shots. The eighth Gael shooter would beat Duffey and put the pressure on McMaster to prolong the shootout. A save from the Gael keeper sealed the victory for
C/O RICHARD ZAZULAK -
Captain Melanie Van Der Hoop is one of major contributers graduating this year, leaving room for new talent.
Queen’s and gave Mac their third straight loss in OUA bronze medal matches. Queen’s, Laurier and Ottawa are headed to the CIS Championships to compete for the Gladys Bean Memorial Trophy. While McMaster’s season ended with a disappointing result, this year had its fair share of highlights. A defeat of the Laurier Golden Hawks gave the team confidence in the middle of the regular season, and the squad would maintain a high level of play until the final minute of the bronze medal
match. The Maroon and Grey will lose two major pieces to graduation this year. Team captain Melanie Van Der Hoop finishes her career with McMaster with 64 games played and three OUA All-Star nominations. Van Der Hoop will be remembered as a leader for this year’s team, providing a calm and strong presence in midfield. Her consistent level of play will be missed greatly as the program moves forward. Cristina Leonardelli was a defensive rock for McMaster and
could be relied on to bring energy to Mac’s back four. In her time at Mac, she played 59 games. The defender walks away from the program with two OUA All-Star nominations. Coach Brett Mosin has a major hole to fill defensively with Leonardelli’s graduation. McMaster’s roster is filled with players in the middle of their undergraduate careers, and the playoff experience will pay dividends in the coming years. The youthful squad’s climb to the top of the OUA has already started and will continue in 2013.
OUT
Thursday, November 8, 2012 InsideOut Editors: Sam Godfrey and Amanda Watkins Meeting: Thursdays @ 4:30 p.m. Contact: insideout@thesil.ca
PROUD
Let’s call
Mac Pride celebrates their fourth annual pride parade
“BS”
The mental health movement and where it’s headed Paulina Prazmo The Silhouette
NINA CHOPRA THE SILHOUETTE
Ana-Mari Qarri The Silhouette
With everyone having a blast during MacPride Week, as a queer student I am among many who realize how lucky we are to attend a university where a service like the QSCC exists. The QSCC co-ordinator Jyssika Russell and its many execs work hard year-round to make the voice of the Queer students on campus heard. What most people don’t realize is that “The Centre” is more than just the centre, a room and small library on the second floor of MUSC. From Intramural teams to simply hanging out in the social space, it aims to provide accessibility to everyone who wants it. As I sit on one of the signature brown couches of the social space, I begin to wonder: Was the centre always this welcoming, this popular amongst students? “The QSCC has definitely grown over the last few years. Diversity has increased, and there is much better representation of gender and sexual minorities,” Russell told me.
In the last few years, the number of volunteers the center trained has doubled – this year alone it trained 50 volunteers. In a successful effort to provide a safer space for LGBTQ+ students, the volunteer training changed this year, covering more topics and possible scenarios, making volunteers better equipped to serve the Mac community. On average the centre is accessed by 50-60 people on a regular basis, and 500 people throughout the year. But perhaps the most obvious rise in popularity is the QSCC’s presence in social media; @MSU_QSCC on twitter and McMaster QSCC on Facebook are both active outlets that provide information on activities being hosted by the QSCC along with fun facts and ideas that promote their initiative for a safe space on campus. One of the QSCC’s most popular sideprojects is its weekly “NEWCOMERS” gathering. “When I first became an exec, there were maybe four or five people at these meetings,” Hillary Jones, a NEWCOMERS facilitator, told me. “Last year it was 10 or so, and this year it’s averaging around 20.”
Overall, the execs are pleased with the centre’s size and the representation it gets at McMaster. Russell sits on various committees to make sure the Queer voice is heard. She said of the QSCC: “We want to break down the barriers that make people feel like they cannot access the space.” In support of their beliefs and quest for an accepting and open space on campus, on Tuesday, November 6, the QSCC led the McMaster community in their fourth annual Mac Pride parade. Hundreds of students came out to support the event and the QSCC’s mission. The parade began at 2:00 and involved a walk around campus complete with elated cheering, supportive banners and a respectful and accepting attitude oozing from the crowd. The parade was, once again, wellreceived by the Mac community and successfully helped promote the mission of the QSCC. With hundreds of feet walking towards a collective goal, the QSCC is one step closer to developing a safe space on campus.
SEXandtheSTEELCITY
Two’s a party, three’s a crowd The unmastered art of being a third wheel
TH
IR
D
KAREN WANG GRAPHICS EDITOR
Rita Ieshu The Silhouette
Everyone’s had that incredibly awkward moment in a restaurant, where you’re just trying to enjoy your magnificently delicious entree at your own leisure, when you regrettably break your loving gaze with your food, only to find another couple passionately playing the traditional sport of saliva-swapping tonsil hockey. Hastily averting your embarrassed gaze, you turn your attention back to your plate, only to miserably realize that the only thing your lips have come in contact with is that mouthwatering steak or those fabulously greasy fries. The awkward part here, though, is not even that you witnessed such an open display of affection, but the fact that the couple in the embarrassingly passionate embrace are your friends. It’s a universal fact, a common right of passage, if you will. Every one has, at some point in their lives, played the humorous, humiliating, or hazardous role of a third wheel. Whether it was intentional or not, we’ve all had outings where we have been stuck with the role of the the misfit or the aptly named awkward turtle. Ultimately, the world renowned “Urban Dictionary” defines the art of being a third wheel as “one who deters the socialization of a couple, perhaps when being invited
out of pity or through a feeling of duty.” Surprisingly, the universally acknowledged, world renowned, highly respected Urban Dictionary is dead wrong. As the Queen of Third Wheeling, a master of awkward turtle-ness, a Sansei in tricycle-kung fu, I can confidently say that the role of the third wheel is to be taken with pride, dignity, massive responsibility, and most importantly - humour. Therefore, I am pleased to pass on this ancient art form as well as inform you of the duties that must be fulfilled in order to fully enjoy this role, and ultimately avoid embarrassing yourself. As a third party individual, the first thing to remember is the importance of boundaries. Never invite yourself as a third wheel, wait for an invitation to come to you. If you’re already a naturally awkward person, your friend who has just entered into a relationship will be eagerly calling you within a day. Do not fret. Your time to shine is near. Forcing yourself upon a couple, however, may risk the possibility of intruding on their “quality time.” Doing so may result in embarrassingly awkward instances that will surely scar you for life. When invited to tag along with a couple, remember your essential role. You are the entertainment. They are nobility, you are the jester. You were invited for the sole purpose of being laughed at, made fun of, and felt sorry for. Therefore, embrace
this role with your entire being. In other words, let the banter rein! They don’t care about your upcoming midterm or your dog’s new range of showtricks, despite the fact that these are your favourite topics to talk about. Try your best to show this couple a good time. Make jokes, laugh until you can’t breathe, and unleash your innate gift for sarcasm. Here come’s the worst part: as a third wheel, it is your duty to witness some instances of “couple cuteness,” otherwise known as public displays of affection. Therefore, be sure to offer an “awww” or an adoring gaze each time they kiss or hold hands. This won’t be creepy unless you attempt to join in. And I know how hard it is to swallow back the vomit that threatens to escape, but it is your duty to witness those hideously cute moments. At the same time, don’t be afraid to speak up when your friends go over board and things get too awkward for you. If you have these simple rules down, then you should be good to go! The third wheel life is not an easy one, but it’s a rewarding one. You make your friends happy. You get to witness those unpleasant aspects of relationships that make you grateful to be a free individual. And hey, being a third wheel doesn’t have to be a permanent role. Tell your accompnying couple to bring another friend; you know what they say - two’s a party, three’s a crowd, but four’s a fiesta!
How many times did you want to call BS on something completely absurd? Would the excuses you heard about mental health, mental illness and the stigma surrounding them be one? That is exactly what Let’s Call BS, a Canada-Wide campaign, is trying to achieve. Let’s Call BS prefers to be called more of a “movement” rather than a campaign. The attitude and approach that mental health is given nowadays can be more than questionable and deserves to be criticized by everyone, including young people. They are focused on reforming the way we talk about mental health, act towards it and support it. One in five young people require help with their mental health, but only 25 per cent actually receive it. The lack of resources and funding are to blame when trying to provide help to those who need it. The way people and society treat mental health and people suffering through mental illnesses leads to tragic outcomes. A local grade twelve Hamiltonian Vanessa Furtado, who is involved in the campaign, has her own story of how the approach to mental health affected her. “My best friend suffered from depression and no one knew about it…[she] took her own life. No one would have guessed that she was suffering, so you can imagine how many people similar to her are out there” said Furtado. You don’t have to be suffering from a mental illness to feel the effects of it. A family member or a close friend such as Furtado’s could be something that is burdening you with attempting to seek the help for them. The shame and excuses surrounding mental health such as “Your problems aren’t nearly as bad as others, so stop being sad” or “Oh you’re young, it’ll work out. You don’t have real problems yet” are a few posted on the website of Let’s Call BS. Partners for Mental Health cofounded this campaign alongside participating youth, and the president Jeff Moat said, “the campaign is really about engaging young people to take action.” The facts surrounding mental health - like suicide being the second leading cause of death amongst young Canadians - make it no wonder that this campaign wants to call BS on how people and society approach this pressing issue. “Many young people suffer in silence from shame, stigma and lack of resources and this is frankly unacceptable. This isn’t an issue that should just be talked about. It’s an issue that needs full and immediate attention and we hope the name of the campaign delivers on that urgency.” The sad truth about young people opening up to another person and sharing their mental health problem is the BS answers they’re given with such as “shake it off,” “go for a run” or “it’s a phase that will pass,” Moat said. He believes that generating awareness on such an issue isn’t enough and that young people hold the power to change. But creating that change is something that needs to first be shown within our communities. “The only way we are going to be seeing transformative change is engaging the youth to do something tangible. Taking action in a community, people want to see change where they live and work,” Moat stated. The first and most important thing to do to get involved is signing the declaration form on the website. Declare on the way that society fails to support mental health, share with others some of the BS you’ve encountered with mental health and educate yourself more. “We feel that it’s important to talk about mental health as loud and authentic as possible. Young people need to raise their voices on calling BS” explained Moat. We’ve all heard about “stomp out the stigma” and “let’s talk about mental health,” but have you come across such a campaign as this one that encourages young people to stand alongside one another and say, enough is enough? Young people should not be given the halting excuses that society is endorsing, but rather be the powerful and brilliant population that can say “why don’t you pull up your pants and start providing help instead of excuses. Because till then, I’m calling bullshit on everything.”
ONLINE THIS WEEK More on the history of the QSCC and its roots in Mac’s history Read more at www.thesil.ca.
B8 • InsideOut
The Silhouette • Thursday, November 8, 2012
G AMES
SEE ANSWERS ONLINE AT WWW.THESIL.CA GAMES COURTESY OF CANADIAN UNIVERSITY PRESS WIRE PUZZLES PROVIDED BY BESTCROSSWORDS.COM. USED WITH PERMISSION.
SOMEWHATSUDOKU
CROSSROADS
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SERIOUSLYSUDOKU
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ACROSS 1 Flying start? 5 Orchestra string 10 Riga resident 14 Gator’s cousin 15 Long Island town 16 Gumbo ingredient 17 Apple product 18 One who sells religious books 20 Block 22 Fleur-de-___ 23 City on the Ruhr 24 Self-respect 26 ___-Magnon man 27 Illicit drug 30 Casual shoes 34 Citrus fruit 35 Hammer head 36 Used car locale 37 Aromatic herb 38 Brand name for a copying machine
40 A shivering fit - often a precursor to malaria 41 Bon ___ 42 Farm structure 43 Treat salt 45 Irregularity 47 Conducted 48 Consumed 49 Pending 50 Old finnish money 53 May ___ excused? 54 Paddled 58 Seaplane 61 Must’ve been something ___ 62 Believe 63 Buy alternative 64 Double 65 Cheerio! 66 Aquatic mammal 67 “Born Free” lion
DOWN 1 Not base 2 Humorist Bombeck 3 Wander 4 Resident 5 Singer Damone 6 Tristan’s love 7 Stan’s pal 8 Kissers 9 Mil. address 10 Many 11 Just manages, with “out” 12 Faithful 13 Mountain lake 19 Aired again 21 Bluenose 25 Banished 26 Get along peacefully 27 Punctuation mark 28 Rigel’s constellation 29 Division of a long poem 30 Composer Delibes 31 “Pomp and Circumstance”
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HOW TO SUDOKU: FILL EACH 3x3 BOX, COLUMN AND ROW WITH THE NUMBERS 19 WITHOUT REPEATING IN ANY OF THE THREE IN STANCES. SO FOR EXAMPLE, IF YOU HAVE A 7 IN A BOX, YOU MAY NOT HAVE ANOTHER 7 IN THE EIGHT REMAININING SQUARES OR THE ROW/COLUMN THE 7 IS CONTAINED IN.
InsideOut • B9
Thursday, November 8, 2012 • The Silhouette
C OLUMNS
RANT OF THE WEEK
Dear Youtube tutorials . . . Yara Farran The Silhouette
I’ve figured you out. It didn’t take much effort, just a few sleepless nights and a half empty lasagna tray. I discovered your inner workings and the construction of your soul (that is, if you even have one). You may market yourselves as something for all people to enjoy, what with your deceiving screen caps and alluring blurbs. However, dear YouTube tutorials, you are not beneficial to my growth as an individual. You do not truly nourish the side of my spirit that likes to indulge in back to school fashion or experimental hairstyles. Instead, you force me to sit at my computer, dedicate time that I do not have, give out love that I cannot spare, just so that I can watch you explain bobby-pin tricks. Well guess what? I’ve had enough of you and your fickle nature (don’t whisper sweet nothings into my ear—you have 15 thousand other subscribers to woo). Remember that time when I had an assignment and you told me it would be okay if we spent 15 minutes together? I complied, popped some popcorn and intently listened as you explained the differences between a kabuki brush and a powder brush. You took advantage of my naïveté. Maybe it was your smoldering HD gaze and that moving, sharp sound that made me forget that I don’t even own such brushes. Do you recall that winter evening when the snow fell violently outside? The house smelled like freshly baked goods (thanks Costco!) and was warmed by the crackling fire. I was about to do some leisurely reading, but you de-
cided to interrupt with your know-it-all attitude. As you beckoned me, a sense of excitement coursed through my veins. I rationalized that watching one video would be nice before I delved into my novel. I was wrong again. We spent the entire night sharing skincare tips and Christmas makeup advice. The fire soon died out and my novel lay untouched on the table. If that wasn’t enough, you’ve impeded on my social life as well. Instead of discussing our lives, or divulging in the latest personal discoveries, my friends and I talk about you. “You can make a vest out of a scarf!” A friend once said. “You can put mayo/flour/the tears of virgins in your hair.” Another friend revealed over the phone. “You can repurpose your hair elastics into small scale weaponry,” another whispered excitedly, “really cute weaponry.” You know what the worst part about this whole thing is? It’s the fact that you don’t even care. I may hand over my precious time and dispel my inner secrets and insecurities to you, but that doesn’t change the fact that I’m a number—just another subscriber and believer to your quick-fix gospel. And so, while you gain more fame and fortune (did you just get a MAC Cosmetics contract?), I will learn to rid myself of your materialistic clutches. I will free myself from home remedies and chunky cable-knit sweater ensembles. Yours no longer, Kabuki Brush-Less Viewer
THE S.T.I. TALK Matthew Greenacre The Silhouette
So you finally went to the clinic after weeks of peeing what feels like boiling water, or maybe you are just seeing someone new and want to get yourself checked, or maybe it was just part of your yearly check-up. But regardless, as you leave the clinic with that piece of paper and your positive test results, you can at least console yourself with the knowledge that you were responsible or, alternately, found out before you passed the STI on to others, caused lasting damage such as infertility, or made your genitals look like a rare tropical fungus. And now, depending on the STI you have contracted, the biggest worry that is running through your head is that you must notify your future, current and previous sexual partners. Since you only need to worry about taking a couple of antibiotic pills to clear bacterial STI’s, such as the very common and contagious Chlamydia and Gonorrhea, shame or the fear of losing your partner are likely bigger concerns than the actual disease - especially if the STI brings infidelity to light. On the other hand, viral infections such as hepatitis, herpes, HPV (genital warts), or HIV/AIDS will either be destroyed by your immune system just like the ‘flu, or are permanent and can only be suppressed, but not cured. The knowledge that you must not only live with the disease itself, but that it can
be a barrier to future developing relationships can be crushing. Once you are tested either the Health Department will anonymously inform your previous partners for you, or your doctor may assist you in the process. Having a public health professional tell them is a valid option, since the health professionals can provide your ex with all the information he or she needs about the STI and how to get checked. However, if you have a permanent viral infection such as HPV or herpes, it is your responsibility to tell your next partner before your relationship becomes physical. This daunting task can be made quite manageable if you keep the following in mind: • It is worthwhile to first be informed about your STI for your own sake, but also to be able to answer any questions your partner might have. While I am not saying that you have to hand them a pamphlet on genital warts when you tell them that you have HPV, this does show people that you take responsibility for your and their health. Credible, up-to-date information is available in the SHEC office, Student Wellness Centre, at clinics, and your doctor’s office. • Timing is hugely important, but fairly common sense. This conversation should happen as soon as sex is on the table, so to speak. Not only is this respectful, but it may help minimize your loss if your partner decides not to continue the relationship. Waiting until after sex is called “exposure
without disclosure” and though controversial, doing just this led a Toronto man with herpes to be charged with aggravated assault. • Do not use e-cards, memes, or texts. Do your best to do it face-to-face, and if not on the phone, while they are at home. It is best to tell them in their home so they feel comfortable, can digest what you’re telling them and you can leave them to think it over once you have told them. • Be straightforward, blunt, businesslike, but relaxed. This takes time and practice to be able to do. It is crucial to present the information objectively because this allows the person to think reasonably about what they are being told. This helps dissociate their feelings about you from their concerns about the STI. • Give them time to think and respond. Remember that a permanent STI is not a death sentence for your sex life. There are many ways to lower the risk of transmission, with the most obvious being to wear a condom. Finding out that you have contracted an STI is almost always traumatic and because it can be stigmatizing, many students do not know whom they can talk about it with. Simply discussing their infection can defuse your stress and help you think about how to move forward. SHEC’s peer counsellors would love to talk with you about your challenges, and can provide resources so you can make informed, healthy decisions.
KAREN WANG GRAPHICS EDITOR
Have your cake and eat it too Common belief that insulin puts diabetics at risk of heart disease may not be true Bernard Ho Meducator
In patients experiencing diabetes mellitus, the body is either unable to produce insulin or is resistant to the body’s own insulin. The usual treatment for this ailment is exercise and dietary modifications, but when the disease becomes more severe, exogenous insulin injections must be given on a consistent basis in order to regulate blood sugar levels. However, past observational studies have shown that higher insulin levels are associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease. Thus, insulin injections to treat diabetes may lead to problems elsewhere in the body. Recently, researchers at McMaster University put this belief to the test. Dr. Hertzel
Gerstein, a professor at McMaster’s DeGroote School of Medicine and deputy director of the Population Health Research Institute, conducted a randomized control trial along with several other researchers to determine whether exogenous insulin increases the risk of cardiovascular disease. In the study, over 12,500 people from 40 countries, who were at high risk for or were in the early stages of Type II diabetes, were randomized to either one daily injection of insulin or no insulin for an average of six years. After analyzing the data, researchers found no difference amongst the two groups in cardiovascular outcomes. “People have been debating the question of whether there are adverse consequences to long-term insulin use for years,” said Gerstein. “This study provides the clearest
answer yet to that question: no, there are not.” Indeed, the hazard ratio for heart disease between the treatment groups was 1.02, meaning that those who were given insulin experienced cardiovascular outcomes at almost the same rate as those who were not. Moreover, the participants of the study given insulin maintained normal fasting blood sugar levels, below 6 mmol/L. A second key finding discovered by the researchers was that those who do not yet have diabetes, but are at a high risk of developing the illness and who receive daily insulin injections, have a 28 per cent lower chance of developing the disease, even after the injections are stopped. This suggests that some people who start insulin injections won’t necessarily be looking at treatment
for the rest of their lives. The study also confirmed the presence of two previously known side effects of exogenous insulin – hypoglycemia (low blood sugar) and modest weight gain. Both were considered to be minor from a medical perspective, with participants experiencing a small risk of hypoglycemia and gaining an average of 3.5 pounds during the study. This study was part of a larger study known as the ORIGIN (Outcome Reduction with Initial Glargine Intervention) Trial, led by Dr. Gerstein and Dr. Salim Yusuf, that also looked at the effects of omega-3 fatty acids on cardiovascular diseases. The ORIGIN Trial has since been completed and the results have been published in the New England Journal of Medicine.
InsideOut • B11
Thursday, November 8, 2012 • The Silhouette
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3 out of 4 beans
Address: 1020 King Street West (in Westdale), 905-777-8100 Hours: Monday – Friday 7 a.m. to 11 p.m.; Saturday 8 a.m. to 11 p.m.; Sunday 8 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Coffee in Westdale often means one place: My Dog Joe. On any given day, this locally and independently-owned coffee house is packed with students huddled over laptops and friends catching up over a cup of joe (pun intended). Food produced locally or on premises, accompanied with an eclectic collection of used furnishings and paintings by local artists, accounts for MDJ’s appeal to hip university students – and the free WiFi doesn’t hurt either. Due to its popularity among students and members of the community, it can be difficult to find a seat on weekday evenings, and so a placard at each table gently reminds customers to limit their stay to 45 minutes during peak hours. Owners Alice, Bruce and Roger proudly proclaim on their website that they “sell only fair trade, organic, shade grown coffee” and use “as many local, natural and organic products” as possible. Although this pushes most drinks and baked goods onto the more expensive side of the scale, there are still affordable options available. A variety of teas ($1.75) complements pricier drink options such as flavoured mochas ($4.15). A stylized blackboard menu bills the food as “hearty and healthy,” ranging from decadent treats, like the vegan macaroons ($1.50), to full meals, like the four-cheese and spinach quiche ($7.75). Their three-cheese Panini ($3.95) is what keeps me coming back on a regular basis. Like all of their Panini options – which include Turkey and Brie ($7.95), free-range chicken ($7.95), and vegetarian ($5.95) – it is grilled on a 9-grain bun with garlic mayo. Served with ketchup on the side, it has all the comfort of homemade grilled cheese, but with a gourmet flare. House specialty muffins are available in sweet ($2.50) or savoury ($2.75). Moist and dense, the cranberry-blueberry muffin is bursting with juicy berries and yet subtle in its sweetness. For those seeking an alternative to standard coffee (large $2.09) Caramel-vanilla ($4.15) balances the flavour without overpowering it. Along with most of their other specialty drinks, it is available either hot or iced. The only variable factor at My Dog Joe is the service. While many servers are knowledgeable and attentive, some give me second thoughts about staying. Upon asking for less ice in my drink, I was given an abrupt “No,” followed by a condescending, “that’s what the recipe calls for.” My receipt was then crumpled and discarded before I could ask for a copy. Despite occurrences like this, though, polite service is just as common. Many servers are willing to accommodate customers’ needs, and in compensation for this incident, I was given a voucher for a free coffee on my next visit. It is the consideration of servers like this, coupled with consistently high quality food and drinks, that ensures I remain a regular customer.
Free
Weekly Shuttle Bus Starting Sept. 26th
Wednesdays 6pm | 6:30pm | 7pm Last pick-up from Fortinos at 8:00pm Pick-up From Mary Keyes Residence At The Cootes Dr. Entrance
Look For The Big Yellow School Bus JESSIE LU ASSISTANT PHOTO EDITOR
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 pride issue sugar man• david bowie modern family
andex
c2 • the silhouette’s art & culture magazine
thursday, november 8, 2012
Senior Editor: Nolan Matthews Assistant Editor: Bahar Orang
Contributors: Tina Cody, Brody Weld, Cooper Long, Phil Wood, Harrison Cruikshank, Kieran Healey, Matt Morehouse, Spencer Semianiw
Design: Karen Wang Cover: Bahar Orang
coming up in
the hammer nov. 8 nov. 10 nov. 12
Sloan The Molson Canadian Studio 8:00 p.m.
nov. 14
Rah Rah This Ain’t Hollywood 9:00 p.m.
nov. 15
Lately there has been a lot of speculation about Joe Simpson’s sexuality. Since announcing his divorce to his wife of 34 years, it has been rumored that Mr. Simpson, the father of Jessica Simpson, has been dating a 21-year-old male model. The family’s rep has denied these accusations, and yet they persist. This fixation with one individual’s sexual orientation shouldn’t overshadow the efforts of celebrities who are advocates for LGBTQ rights. Brad Pitt, for instance, recently donated $100,000 to the Human Rights Campaign, which supports marriage equality. This past October, Ellen DeGeneres thanked Madonna for her words of encouragement as she contemplated coming out of the closet in 1997. Artists like Frank Ocean, who announced in July that his first love was a man, and the musical duo Macklemore and Ryan Lewis have urged the hip-hop community to reevaluate their ideas about equality. Although homophobic slurs keep dropping from the mouths of the Chris Browns of the world, these few examples are representative of the role celebrities can have in creating a more supportive and accepting society. • Theresa Tingey
L Con The Brain 10:30 p.m.
Cadence Weapon This Ain’t Hollywood 9:00 p.m.
nov. 24
Mac’s PRIDE
Haolin Munk Homegrown Hamilton 9:00 p.m.
Cowlick This Ain’t Hollywood 9:00 p.m.
nov. 30
music
Diamond Rings This Ain’t Hollywood 9:00 p.m.
editorial
thursday, november 8, 2012
representing gay artist and mac prof Liss Platt on queer art
C/O LISS PLATT
the big tickle
ch - connor in strap bennett
s eyebrow law - desiree
the silhouette’s art & culture magazine • c3
If you grew up in the 1980s and were gay, there weren’t really any TV shows you could relate to. All in the Family featured the first gay character on a sitcom in 1971, but it took awhile before gay characters had major roles or storylines. Liss Platt wanted to do something about that. “When I was in school, you didn’t have Will and Grace, you didn’t have the L Word,” said Platt, an artist and a professor in the multimedia program here at Mac. “Not that these representations do us any favours, but there was just so little - especially representations of lesbians. I really wanted to make work that provided something else to identify with.” One of Platt’s films, You Can’t Get There From Here, was recently featured in an exhibit at Brock University and describes what it was like for her to be 16, gay, and trying to figure out what that meant. “We see a lot of coming-of-age stories and I love them, but they’re tidy, and I don’t think coming of age is very tidy,” said Platt. Her story is anything but tidy – her sister was dying, the girl she loved liked guys, and everything just felt so intense. What describes being 16 better than the feeling of not knowing what’s important but still thinking everything is. “A lot of my work is about trying to engage with the everyday and assumptions that we make that we don’t think about,” said Platt. Consider the purse, for example, which is the focus of a surreal film by Platt. At one point in the piece a tuft of hair appears in a purse that a lady is car-
rying, only to be franticly shoved into the bag’s depths. Purses appear totally harmless, but it’s kind of weird how much we associate them with being feminine without thinking about it. “Purses can emasculate butches; they’re like a threat to female masculinity,” said Platt, half joking and half serious. Another one of her films, Long Time Coming, subverts the everyday (although, given the strike, it’s not really anymore) pillar of masculinity that hockey appears to be. One of the scenes replays a guy wiping down the Stanley cup, over and over. “That’s just rude, on purpose,” laughed Platt. “I love hockey, but it is so physical, and the men are on top of each other, writhing around. It was ripe for the picking, as they say.” Sure, mocking hockey is funny, but there is a point – to ask why we think it’s okay for straight guys to be all over each other on ice, but in real life, not so much. “We have gendered notions of appropriate behaviour, and they’re limiting for everyone,” said Platt. “Queer culture has always been about not trying to just bring queer people into what’s normal, but to loosen up what normal means.” In honour of Mac’s pride week, we present an ANDY that’s (mostly) full of articles about gender and sexuality. Hopefully we’ve managed to loosen up normal at least a little. • Nolan Matthews, Senior ANDY Editor
what is your favourite kind of facial hair? compiled by nolan matthews and jessie lu
moustache an d goatee - david campbel l
james franco’s beard - nav randhawa
s eyebrow h ing - harjot s
c4 • the silhouette’s art & culture magazine
“Sexual revolution” is a term that’s been used since the early 20th century; generally it refers to a period of sexual liberation that occurred in Western Culture from the early 1960s to late 1980s. David Bowie first started cutting records in 1964, with his first notable single being 1969’s “Space Oddity.” It’s worth noting that this song was inspired not by America’s mission to the moon, as is the common misconception, but from David’s experience watching the 1968 Kubrick film 2001: A Space Odyssey. “Space Oddity” marked the beginning of David’s success, though he would not get to where things are hollow (fame) until the Ziggy Stardust tour of 1972. Arguably, it was also during this tour that Bowie’s contributions to the sexual revolution peaked. By the beginning of 1970, Space Oddity had sold 138,656 copies in the UK, and David Bowie was finally beginning to enter the public eye in a meaningful way. This lined up well with his union to Angela Barnett (Angie Bowie) on March 19 of that same year. At its outset their marriage was quite blissful, but hardly conventional. Both Bowies claimed to be bisexual, and the couple were very vocal about this fact along with the open nature of their marriage. David is quoted by Bob Grace as being particularly evangelical about their lifestyle, explaining to him, “This is my wife, she gets boys for me, and I get girls for her – and we’re all very happy!” Bowie’s bold claim to bisexuality is partly characterized through his 1970 album The Man Who Sold the World, the cover of which features David in a Mr. Fish Dress lounging languidly on
a velvet-covered sofa, and even more so by his masterpiece from 1971: Hunky Dory. On this album, we hear David speak of the “Homo superior” in “Oh! You Pretty Things.” This is very much how he views his generation; not Homo sapiens bound by the conventions of gender or sexuality, but a group that transcends these confines in an explosion of glam and glitter. For a time Bowie was transfixed by this concept, often philosophising with friends about “the pretty things,” discussing quite seriously the ch-ch-ch-changes that would result from the actions of the coming generation. Whether David experienced a genuine awakening during this period or simply desired more publicity, the expression of his next revelation in an interview with Melody Maker would become incredibly important. “I’m gay – and always have been.” This was David’s proclamation, made just five years after homosexuality was decriminalized in Great Britain in 1967 (incidentally, the arrests for “gross indecency” tripled from 1967-1970. Funny that in a few short years, David sheepishly distanced himself from this assertion. Sincerity aside, at a time when so many of his contemporaries still felt as though they had to remain closeted, Bowie’s act was courageous. With this interview, Bowie said to frightened and confused inhabitants of a nation unfriendly to homosexuality and devoid of sex education, “you aren’t alone, others feel this way too.” This monumental message was emphasized on January 29, 1972 when David premiered his most famous persona, Ziggy
Stardust. Playing to one of his largest audiences to date, notabl present in the crowd were Freddie Mercury and Roger Taylor David became the living personification of the “homo superior that he had prophesized in Hunky Dory. On June 6, 1972, The Ris and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars was released and with it the song that would make Bowie a superstar. Entering the UK charts at #49 on June 24, “Starman slowly ascended to #41 by July 5. On July 6, however, David and the Spiders performed “Starman” on Top of the Pops, and a guitarist Mick Ronson approached David’s microphone to sin the chorus David draped his arm across Mick’s shoulders. A simple action, but coupled with David’s come-hither eyes gazin seductively into the camera, the message was loud and clear. Thi was David’s Melody Maker interview brought to life and then some. The next day, Starman jumped to #10. On September 22 David played his first American show as Ziggy Stardust. On Jul 3, 1973, Bowie killed Ziggy and David moved on. His influenc on the perceptions of sexuality, however, remained. Bowie’s was not a message of free love like that of the ‘60s but one of being free to be “really you and really me,” to lov whoever you wanted however you wanted, and know that it’ okay. Bowie’s famous Top of the Pops performance is perhaps hi most powerful conveyance of this message, and arguably the pea of his contribution to the sexual revolution.
• Harrison Cruikshank
thursday, november 8, 2012
David Bowie
and the Sexual
ly r, r” se d
Revolution
n” d as ng A ng is n 2 ly ce
s, ve ’s is k
k
my gay high school At the age of 13 I left my cookie-cutter suburb west of the GTA in hopes of finding a high school that would support my passion for the performing arts. I ended up at the Etobicoke School of the Arts in Toronto. I’d like to say that I left the suburbs to pursue my passion for the performing arts, but that’s only half of the truth. It sucks to grow up in a place where you’re expected to pick up a pair of skates and put down your ballet shoes. It also sucks to pretend to like playing spin the bottle with a circle that isn’t all boys. Going to a performing arts school in a distant land called Toronto was a way for me to say, “Screw you, narrow-minded kids of the playground. I’m going to make something out of myself and you’re all going to work at Harvey’s down the street.” When I got accepted to the school as a drama major, I was in Glee. No, I don’t mean I was “gleeful” or happy; I figuratively entered the high school of the television show Glee. Walking down the hall, I’d pass people carrying tubas, dance majors all fitted in Lululemon and art majors reeking of pot. I was in homo heaven. I went from pretending to be something I’m not to being hit on by 12th-graders. I was pleased, to say the least. But this newfound diversity went beyond the hallways – I was also surrounded by a diverse group of teachers. Once you accept that you’re gay, the next step is figuring out the rest of your life. Sounds easy, eh? Well, for me, the biggest question was to decide whether I should follow the example of my straight peers and start coupling up. I initially rejected this monogamistic ideal, identifying it as a symbol of heterosexual repression. But after thinking about it, I realized that hey, maybe having a long-term relationship would be nice for me too. This is where my artsy-fartsy high school comes in. I feel that having several openly gay high school teachers helped me figure out where I fit into this topsy-turvy world. People in the media and pop culture always allude to the idea that having a role model can magically give you something concrete to work towards. I used to think that the concept of having a gay role model was hogwash. Now, I’m not so sure. By having my gay high school teachers refer to their partners, their kids, their families, I was able to create this tangible concept of a monogamous relationship. If you’re different, in any way shape or form, it’s not silly to look to a role model for guidance. There is power in seeing others live the life that you want to live, and I think that everyone should draw on that. • Kieran Healey
c6 • the silhouette’s art & culture magazine
thursday, november 8, 2012
“modern” family? understanding stereotypical gender roles in the hit sitcom JAVIER CAICEDO GRAPHICS EDITOR
ABC’s Modern Family reinforces societal gender roles and cements dominant beliefs about homosexual relationships. The show, which is consistently ranked as an extremely popular and highly critically acclaimed show, has the unique and powerful ability to both create and reinforce gender beliefs because of its large audience. Modern Family strengthens societal needs to label homosexual relationships with the inclusion of hetero-normativity through their portrayal of the show’s couple, Mitchell and Cameron. The popular show felt the need to include gender specific characteristics with the couple, portraying Mitchell as the male role, while having Cameron exhibit feminine qualities. Cameron takes on the role of a female through child care and work life. He is a man who is seen as overly emotional and self-conscious about his weight. Likewise, he is referred to as the “woman” of the relationship by his father-in-law, Jay Pritchett. Furthermore, we are constantly reminded that the couple is not necessarily “traditional” in terms of a “modern” family. In one of the early episodes, Mitchell and Cameron, while discussing how
they would like to raise their adopted child, make note that she cannot have a normal life: “that gay cruise ship has sailed.” As the show has progressed, it has become increasingly evident that gender roles in relation to homosexuality are based stereotypically, and do not challenge these often irrelevant beliefs. As well, the female characters and the “female” role that Cameron assumes, are the caretakers of the family. Cameron, Gloria and Claire are all stay-at-home parents. All three characters are responsible for the kids, and while the men are heavily involved in their children’s lives, the women are shown as the more involved parent. The show has developed a massive following, and attempts to reach out to several key demographic areas, all of which can be attributed to the unprecedented success achieved by the Dunphy clan. However, through the show’s compliance to society’s gender roles and the way homosexual relationships can be manipulated to fit societal expectations, Modern Family ultimately supports the status quo and does not effectively challenge it. • Matt Morehouse
thursday, november 8, 2012
the silhouette’s art & culture magazine • c7
one sweet film Searching for Sugar Man Director: Malik Bendjelloul
Searching for Sugar Man is about a man who was forgotten by an entire generation. Hell, it’s about a man that was never even known by an entire generation, yet wrote some of the most influential songs of his time. In the sensational documentary by Malik Bendjelloul, the story of this man is told, a man who’s dignified nature has allowed for history’s selective lens to pass over him. Sixto Rodriguez was born to Mexican immigrants in Detroit in 1942. Despite two critically praised albums released under Sussex Records in the early ‘70s, Rodriguez failed to achieve any sort of fan base in the nation, with label founder Clarence Avant cynically guessing he sold about 6 records in total. Due to this lack of success, Rodriguez was dropped soon after the release of his second album Coming from Reality. The documentary goes on to tell one of the most brilliantly but unlikely stories I’ve ever heard, and one that equally succeeds in summoning the emotions of an audience that has no initial investment in the story at all. After assuming that his opportunities as a music man had dissipated, Rodriguez humbly acted upon the virtues that his parents had instilled in him as a child and went back to the manual construction labor he had been doing for numerous years. But Rodriguez didn’t complain about it - he didn’t even realize there was something to complain about. Whether he made it as an artist or not he always knew he’d still find those long workdays the most fulfilling days of his life because he could thus support his three daughters. vHowever, unbeknownst to Rodriguez or any of his affiliates, a much different scenario was being played out in one of the most inconceivable of countries: South Africa.
As the story goes, Cold Fact, Rodriguez’s first record, arrived in South Africa soon after its release and immediately struck a chord with the disheartened and disenfranchised generation of the nation’s Apartheid victims. Rodriguez’s music gained a strong following, with eventual sales of his albums going to over 500,000. His music inspired a generation and became an influential work of art that spurred on the tour de force of triumphing over segregation in South Africa. It is, truthfully, one of the most heart-wrenching displays of historic footage I have ever seen put to film. This documentary expertly transitions back and forth between events within America and events in South Africa. It shows emotionally charged interviews filled with analogies from a diverse assortment of people close to Rodriguez, and whose accounts show the effect on his music and principles. This movie knows exactly what it wants to show but has the integrity to not flaunt it in our faces. Searching for Sugar Man doesn’t just tell a story, it creates one. The great strength of this film is that it takes facts and anecdotes that would be meaningless apart and brings them together in a way that tells a story of true humility and perseverance. This film is about people, it’s about their stories, and it’s about their thirst for knowledge, for finding answers. It’s not about Rodriguez so much as it’s about what he inspired, what he did, and what he refrained from doing. This film displays the importance of giving credit where it is due, and even if Rodriguez doesn’t mind being forgotten, it’s important for the rest of us to know he’ll be remembered as a hero.
•
Spencer Semianw
c8 • the silhouette’s art & culture magazine
thursday, november 8, 2012
Album: Halycon Artist: Ellie Goulding
Album: Daughter of Cloud Artist: Of Montreal
Album: Local Business Artist: Titus Adronicus
Album: The Soul Station of Sam Cooke Artist: Jarvis Church
In 2010, Ellie Goulding burst onto the indie pop scene with her debut album Lights. Garnering both critical and commercial success, she was heralded as one of Britain’s greatest exports. Attempting to surpass a successful first album can be difficult, but Ellie Goulding has met this challenge with expert skill. Halcyon improves on where Lights left off and further cements Goulding’s distinct style. Halcyon is carefully produced, utilizing orchestral instruments and a bevy of back-up singers. These new elements add tremendous depth and subtlety to the record’s tracks. In just two years it seems that Goulding has matured both technically and emotionally as an artist. With a perfect jumble of electro and techno beats, Halcyon is bursting with catchy tunes. “Figure 8” will prove to be a massive club hit while “Explosions” will have you reaching for a box of tissues. And with the help of Calvin Harris, “I Need Your Love” is one of the record’s most successful songs. Although Halcyon is distinctly pop, it will be sure to gain approval in both the mainstream and alternative music worlds - a feat that few records have been able to achieve.
Of Montreal is one of those strange new wave bands, showcasing an amalgam of musical styles that sometimes doesn’t even make sense. Generally speaking, their albums sound like something David Bowie and Prince might come up with if they dropped acid together in the middle of a carnival. Daughter of Cloud, a compilation of rare recordings from 200912, is no exception. I’m going to be honest, I don’t even know what I think of the band, and this is the third album of theirs I’ve listened to. The elements of funk are well placed, and the dreampop feel of the production is nice, but the frequent mid-song genre changes always throw me off. Highlights include the Sgt Pepper-esque “Tender Fax,” the falsettopowered “Georgie’s Laments,” and the lyrically gorgeous “Psychotic Feeling.” The rest of the songs all have these tiny, 8-bar gems of super tight production and dynamic melody, but the illusion is shattered when – seemingly without cue – the song recedes into atmospheric background music while frontman Kevin Barnes rants about erections (not joking, listen to the hilariously titled “Jan Doesn’t Like It”). Too bad I can’t rate this album “question mark” out of five.
Jarvis Church is a soul singer! The former frontman for the Philosopher Kings (as Gerald Eaton) has done some outstanding work as a producer for Nellie Furtado but his passion is behind the mic, not the board. Unlike his 2009 release The Long Way Home where he explores his personal musical roots, here he’s channeling Sam Cooke – right down to the tight suit and look. The music was recorded “live and off the floor,” which means that all the musicians played the songs as though they were performing them live – no overdubs or studio tricks. Church has surrounded himself with some fantastic musicians, notably Michael Kaeshammer (who’s worth the price of admission in concert himself). All-in-all a cool CD, the first in a series that commemorates the soul greats (Otis Redding next?). It’s mainly covers, but the three new songs fit in well, especially “She Keeps Me Up All Night.” If you want to learn more about Sam Cooke, check out the book “Dream Boogie” by Peter Guralnick. I’ll loan you my copy. Meanwhile, check out The Soul Station.
• Tina Cody
• Brody Weld
The most obvious point of comparison for Local Business is undoubtedly The Monitor, Titus Andronicus’ Civil-War themed 2010 LP that somehow found the punk-rock ethos in the writings of Abraham Lincoln. Local Business sees the New Jersey rockers reining in this ambitiousness somewhat, as they forsake both an overarching concept and bagpipe breakdowns. An even more fitting counterpart for Local Business, however, might be Japandroids’ Celebration Rock from earlier this summer. This album caused a blogosphere sensation with its blitzkrieg riffage and post-adolescent rebelliousness, making it a lock for upcoming best-of-the-year lists. Hopefully Local Business is also so recognized, however, because it surpasses the thematically and sonically similar Celebration Rock in several regards. While Japandroids’ only dynamics are faster and louder, Titus Andronicus craft epics like “Still Life with Hot Deuce on Silver Platter,” with three-guitars and even more choruses. Moreover, while Japandroids repeat the same fist-pumping slogans, Titus Andronicus lead vocalist Patrick Stickles channels a similar youthful swagger with rapbattle-level wit and wordplay. Celebration Rock gets the blood pumping, but when the best rock albums of 2012 are chosen don’t forget to support your Local Business.
• Phil Wood
• Cooper Long
andy’s album reviews