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McMASTER UNIVERSITY'S STUDENT NEWSPAPER / THURSDAY, OCTOBER 13, 2011
The Silhouette
YOUR VOICE ON CAMPUS
Est. 1930
VOLUME 82, NO. 9
CHALLENGING THE STATUS QUO PERHAPS MOST FAMOUS FOR HIS SURNAME, LIBERAL MP JUSTIN TRUDEAU IS ONE OF THE YOUNGEST, YET WELL-KNOWN FIGURES IN CANADIAN POLITICS. WITH A STRONG ENVIRONMENTAL MESSAGE, TRUDEAU VISITED MCMASTER TO CONNECT WITH STUDENTS ON POLITICAL ENGAGEMENT.
SEE A4 FOR MORE
TYLER HAYWARD / SENIOR PHOTO EDITOR
Liberals triumph in Westdale Kacper Niburski
Assistant News Editor
The ‘red sea’ has combed over the province again, though this time, it’s only a minor flooding. Dalton McGunity and the Liberals scored a minority parliamentary caucus on Oct. 7, just one seat shy of a majority. While that may come as a disappointment to some, the Ancaster-Dundas-FlamboroughWestdale (ADFW) riding stands as a Liberal stronghold yet again this year. With 21,646 votes, compared to the next best 17,120 for Donna Skelly, the Progressive Conservative candidate, Ted McMeekin cruised into victory as the Liberal MPP. Neither new to the political scene nor lacking experience, McMeekin’s prominence as a politician is well recognized and merited. As a member of Ontario legislature since 2000, a cabinet Minister of Government and Customer Services in 2007, and an ADFW Liberal MPP since 2007, McMeekin has gleaned a variety of political titles. “My political success is not
McMeekin, is “most certainly the very best for ADFW.” McMeekin highlighted that the Liberal Party’s interests coincide with those of the ADFW. His previous track record, some may argue, stands as a testimony of that. From the years, 20072011, McMeekin, along with the Liberal Party, was involved in overseeing $12.5 million in funding for textbooks and school supplies, protection of the Pleasantview Lands, $30 million in funding to If you’re a local, clean up Randle Reef, creation relational sort of of the new Westdale Urgent Care person with a record Centre, a $4.4-million investment to expand Ronald McDonald House of accomplishment, and, most pertinent to McMaster people tend to students, managing the grant and embrace that.” operational details of the Wilson Building for Humanities and Social Sciences. According to the polls, the “After the last election, I voters did just that. made a list of 20 specific things I As to what the voters may wanted to get done, and I’m pleased have embraced, some ambiguity to say that 19 of those things today surfaces. McMeekin did not are a reality.” elaborate his platform at length, “These next four years however, he reminded that, “It is will be no different,” McMeekin whatever Dalton wants.” This, according to • PLEASE SEE MPP, A4
SPORTS
because I have the best constituency team in Ontario. It’s because I have the best constituency team in the country,” he stated in an interview with the Silhouette. He added, “I believe all politics are local. It’s relational. It’s collaborative. If you’re a local, collaborative, relational sort of person with a record of accomplishment, people tend to embrace that.”
Ted McMeekin - ADFW Liberal MPP MCMEEKIN’S RESULTS
ONTARIO GENERAL ELECTION YEAR
VOTES
PERCENT
2011
21,646
43.7%
2007
20,525
41.5%
2003
23,045
47.5%
BY-ELECTION JONATHON FAIRCLOUGH / PRODUCTION EDITOR
INSIDE THE SIL
2000
19,000
59.6%
Eng. Olympics continues at McMaster Farzeen Foda
Senior News Editor
MEN’S SOCCER MAKES A NATIONAL SPLASH, KNOCKS OFF NO. 1 YORK , SEE S3
OPINIONS
POST-THANKSGIVING BLUES GOT YOU DOWN? YOU’RE NOT ALONE SEE A7
ANDY
ANDY LOOKS AT THE LATEST IN NEW CD RELEASES SEE D7
High school students across Ontario are awaiting a pivotal moment in their lives, as university applications will be due soon. To make the choice a little easier for prospective science and engineering students, McMaster held the 22nd annual Engineering and Science Olympics on Oct. 7 outside the John Hodgins Engineering Building. 1,450 grade 11 and 12 students from across Ontario took to the McMaster campus, competing in a range of activities hosted by the Faculty of Engineering and the Faculty of Science. Over 150 McMaster faculty and students were involved in the planning and implementation of the 2011 Engineering Olympics. Eight of the high schools in a attendeance were Hamilton high schools. Events and activities were held throughout the McMaster campus, featuring 16 competitions, as well as lectures, presentations and open house events to give students a taste of science and engineering in action and a sense of the university experience. The games involved a variety of science-based challenges, including a game of “Engineering Jeopardy.” The “Teachers Challenge” gave students a chance to see their teachers compete. Students were encouraged to assist vocally and cheer for their teachers. “The teachers are competing against each other, building marshmallow towers with pasta and marshmallows. “They are winning scholarship money for their students,” said Deborah McIvor, Olympics Coordinator, McMaster Engineering Outreach. The money won will be given to a chosen student intending to pursue undergraduate studies in Science or Engineering at McMaster upon graduation from high school.
the
PRESIDENT’S PAGE Duncan Thompson VP (Finance)
Katie Ferguson VP (Administration)
Matthew Dillon-Leitch President
Alicia Ali VP (Education)
SRA BY-ELECTION OCTOBER 20TH Matthew discusses the qualities that make for a good candidate
Matthew Dillon-Leitch President president@msu.mcmaster.ca ext. 23885
Nearly two years ago, I decided to do something different. I decided to ‘get involved’ and run in a by-election for the Humanities seat within the Student Representative Assembly (SRA). Up until that point I hadn’t done anything on this campus outside of going to class, but I knew that I wanted to talk to students and do everything I could to somehow make our time here at McMaster University better. Being a member of the SRA was one of the best experiences I have ever had at McMaster. It was my starting point that eventually led me to my current position as MSU President. On Thursday, October 20th, 2011 candidates in Science, Engineering, Commerce, Nursing (still accepting nominations) and Social Science will be seeking your vote in an SRA byelection. The elected students will
be representing your interests in the decisions made by the SRA for the rest of this year. Having served on the SRA since October 2009, I wanted to let you know what qualities I feel students should look for in their candidates. It’s important that your representative listens to your opinions and ideas. The obvious reason being that this is your MSU. You should feel comfortable bringing your thoughts to your SRA representatives when you have them. Another helpful quality would be the ability work well with others. SRA meetings have a tendency to last many hours and run much longer than expected. At times, arguments will take hold. Only when members are working together on issues can we ensure that we are doing our very best for students. A healthy debate is good and frankly a necessary element in any democratic process. Debate ensures that all sides of an issue are being inspected, but teamwork on the SRA is essential. The last quality you should look for is dedication. Try to find a candidate who will give everything they have to their position. I hope that this little bit of insight will help you in your decision, and remember to vote in the SRA byelection on October 20th.
MAC BREAD BIN BITES INTO CAMPUS HUNGER With such programs as the Good Food Box and Trick or Eat, Mac Bread Bin provides support to students who need it most When you type ‘Hamilton food’ into Google, at least half of the options suggested are for local food banks. Other obvious search topics include restaurants, local farmers’ markets, and recipe ideas. Why is it that search results relating to food in Hamilton are split equally between ways to get food if you can afford it and ways to get food if you can’t? It seems that the issue of hunger in our community hasn’t yet been satisfied. MAC Bread Bin is the MSU service that encompasses the student food bank and a volunteer team that is responsible for health and hunger awareness initiatives on campus. Keep a lookout for our upcoming Trick or Eat event, where we’ll be collecting donations and raising awareness on Halloween afternoon. Through this and more, we hope to offer you a fresh perspective, one that doesn’t require a search engine. Today’s students face uncertainty when it comes to job opportunities, career direction, and financial plans. With rising costs of living and tuition, sometimes it can be difficult to make ends meet. Many students find themselves racking up debt and without a clear plan on how to repay it. It can cause someone who has paid thousands of dollars to a post-secondary institute to be unable to afford groceries. This may be difficult to digest, but it’s a reality and the
The President’s Page is sponsored by the McMaster Students Union. It is a space used to communicate with the student body about the projects, goals and agenda of the MSU Board of Directors.
www.msu.mcmaster.ca
reason why food banks exist. At MAC Bread Bin, our main goal is to provide healthy and affordable options for you. We sell Good Food Boxes every month through the MSU Accounting Office (MUSC 201). This program offers $20$30 of fresh produce from local farmers at a subsidized price ($12 for regular orders, $10 for Bread Bin users). We welcome new clients! We also offer an emergency food voucher system that can be found online on our website, www.msumcmaster.ca/ breadbin. Requests are filled within 72 hours and can then be picked up anonymously from a locker on-campus. To compensate for any additional aid required, Hamilton Food Share is a great local resource that will provide food supplies to individuals in need. Finally something you can really sink your teeth into, MAC Bread Bin is truly an example of students helping students. If you have any inquiries or would like to get involved feel, free to contact macbreadbin@ msu.mcmaster.ca or visit our website. Gillian England-Mason Director, MAC Bread Bin macbreadbin@msu.mcmaster.ca www.msumcmaster.ca/breadbin
THE SILHOUETTE • A3
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 13, 2011
Post-Secondary Education
University world rankings released McMaster is one of just two Ontario universities to reach the top 100 Farzeen Foda
Senior News Editor
This year, McMaster jumped 28 spots to 65 from 93 in the Times Higher Education World University Rankings. Universities are evaluated based on five broad categories: teaching, research, citations, industry income and international outlook, with greater emphasis on teaching, research and citations. The citations criterion refers to the number of publications produced by the institution as a measure of research influence, an area in which McMaster has a long standing history of expertise. McMaster’s highest score was in industry income, followed by citations, with teaching as its lowest score. In the previous year, McMaster had received a higher teaching score, despite its overall lower rating. Nevertheless, McMaster is one of only
two Ontario universities to be ranked in the top 100. University rankings, although prone to fluctuation, serve as a useful tool for students as they choose the course of their studies after high school. They also inform research teams as they identify potential partners, and they help university administrators establish the groundwork for future directions of the institution, according to the World University Rankings Analysis. McMaster also saw a jump in its QS World University Rankings standing. Between 2010 and 2011, McMaster jumped 3 spots to 159 from 162. The Rankings credited McMaster’s innovative teaching style, saying that “Problem-based-learning (PBL), pioneered at McMaster, now has spread across North America as a preferred method of instructing undergraduate students.”
McMaster’s international standing over the years
108
117
2007 2008
143
93
65
2009
2010
2011
Healthcare Ethics
Medicine not as simple as Grey’s Anatomy Hébert outlined in an interview that these are necessary for “doing right,” a phrase which serves as the title of his book. The What happens when one goes to a doctor, book, Doing Right: A Practical Guide to expecting expertise, advice, and most of all Ethics for Medical Trainees and Physicians honesty, but instead returns with a placebo of is aimed at educating second- and third-year truth, the illusion of care and nothing more? students in medical schools, health sciences Dr. Philip C. Hébert, Chair of Research departments and nursing programs. Ethics Board at Sunnybrook Health Science One of the issues, autonomy, is the freeCentre and Professor of Family Medicine at dom of a patient to have the authority to make University of Toronto, suggested to an audi- decisions with respect to their treatment. Acence of 100 McMaster medical hopefuls on cording to Hébert, the patient has the ability Oct. 11 that this may be more of a reality than to choose, and so the physician must foster many would like to believe. an environment where choice is encouraged “Doctors don’t intentionally lie – or at rather than stifled. least I don’t,” he explained to the students, “A doctor is not a tyrant. They are not an “but it has been said that at least half of what authoritarian. Instead, they are a quasi-paa doctor does is wrong. The problem is that ternalistic figure, suggesting and stimulating we don’t know which half is treatment,” said Hébert in an right.” interview. Such a dichotomous di While it is true that the lemma has wrought a negaA doctor is not a freedom of choice is certive characterization regarding encouraged, different tyrant. They are not tainly much of the medical field, levels of respect for choice an authoritarian. do exist. For example, in and more pertinent to the lecture, to the ethics surrounding Instead, they are life-threatening issues where medicine. the patient is catatonic, the While it is true that the a quasi-paternalistic choice to perform an opermedical field has served as a figure, suggesting ation or not lies solely with source of innovation and optithe doctor. and stimulating mism to many who are sick, it There are, however, a vartreatment.” is far from perfect. iety of cases where society Hébert stressed, “The contends against such ethical problems in medicine are due wisdom. to the science in medicine. But there also lies Hébert noted a case where a doctor was the solution.” He further added, quoting the fined for performing a life-saving blood transmedical historian Roy Porter, “Medicine’s fusion because the patient was a member of finest hour is the dawn of its greatest dilem- the religious group, Jehovah’s Witnesses. ma.” Even though there are times when ethical Accordingly then, Hébert discussed the reasoning conflicts with societal norms, many problems and potential solutions regarding of the students in the room remained medical ethics in medicine in the talk, which was hopefuls. To those who were not dismayed sponsored by the McMaster Medicine and from the field, Hébert reminded, “A doctor Health Society. He outlined that ethical treat- would never do what they do on television ment, which is neither utilitarian nor relativ- shows.” istic in nature, is meant to be egalitarian at Although medicine may not easy as the its core. “A doctor is one who wishes to treat primetime television show Grey’s Anatomy the patient. Like Kant said, ‘one should treat makes it out to be, and hunky, but troubled people only as ends in themselves, not as doctors may be the stuff of fiction, Hébert means to an end.’” highlighted the reality of the career. “You To do this, doctors must essentially enter have to do what you have to do to survive,” the profession altruistically, where treatment and with a room of prospective medical prois done for the patient’s benefit alone. If this fessionals, there was an ironic laughter of occurs, three basic ethical principles are met: agreement, for not only does the patient have autonomy, beneficence and justice. to survive, so does the doctor. Kacper Niburski
Assistant News Editor
13
A4 • THE SILHOUETTE
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 13, 2011
National Figures
Justin Trudeau comes to Mac
TYLER HAYWARD / SENIOR PHOTO EDITOR
Q and A session with Trudeau addresses concerns of university students Kacper Niburksi
Assistant News Editor
While disco fever may have died with the 80’s, it seems that Trudeaumania is still very much alive. Justin Trudeau, son of the late Prime Minster Pierre Trudeau, MP of Papineau in Quebec since 2008, and current Liberal Critic for youth, post-secondary education, and amateur sport, came to McMaster on Oct. 12 to participate in an open microphone question and answer session sponsored by the Young Liberals Association of McMaster. “This is an extension of something I was trying to do, which is getting out and talking to people who are more or less engaged in politics,” said Trudeau to an audience of roughly 300 McMaster students and faculty. While many of attendees may indeed have been “engaged in politics,” Trudeau was quick to highlight the voter apathy that characterizes much of the political system. “Politics are more polarized than it’s ever been. It’s a source of cynicism more than it’s ever been.
It’s more about strategic divisions than it’s ever been.” Despite such a pessimistic political portrayal, realistic as it may have been, Trudeau’s presence seemed almost as a contradictory reflection of the current political system and as a hint of what the future could hold. Arguably following in his father’s footsteps, Justin Trudeau began his stretch in politics throughout the 2000s after four years of working as a high-school teacher in British Columbia. Beginning his political career with open support for outgoing Prime Minster Jean Chretien at a 2003 Liberal leadership convention, Trudeau is currently the Member of Parliament for the Montreal electoral division of Papineau, a status he has held since 2008. Despite his youth, many believe that unlike many MPs, Trudeau is scrutinized through the lens of legacy: to one day take office as prime minster. Trudeau did not comment on this directly. Instead, he stressed that there is a dire need to change
the current mechanisms of politics, calling this, “the need to change space and time.” “In the past, civilizations either adapted or perished. We don’t have that luxury. We are not a cluster of local civilizations. We are global. Everyone is connected.” He added, “If our system collapses, it collapses everywhere. We cannot let the issues of poverty and economic instability to hit full force before we shift our behaviours.” Such issues, most of which have described the current dialogue surrounding politics, are only as important as people make them. Trudeau acknowledged this, admitting that while politics is meant to stress the importance of social issues, there has been a systematic dissatisfaction at all level of governance. “Partisan politics turns people off of politics,” he noted, “but it’s never been more important to connect people with politics because the stakes have never been higher. We have to rethink very basic assumptions of where we are in this world and what we want to do.” Only through commonalities
between individuals, rather than division between them, can this be achieved. This, however, is not a task necessary for the future leaders of tomorrow. Instead, Trudeau stressed it was an absolute necessity for the present. In fact, he refused to use the term leaders of tomorrow. “I hate when people say to the young, ‘You will be leaders of tomorrow,’ because it’s conditional,” he said. “If you do your homework, get good grades, meet the right people, then yeah, you’ll be leaders of tomorrow. If. We don’t need that. We need to give you the tools to be a good leader.” One of these tools implicitly stated was questioning the status quo, and those who represent it. In this light, an open question period followed Trudeau’s brief speech. Students, faculty, and members of different organizations queried on variety of topics. While each response was different, whether it was the social conditions that need to be recognized to allow equal access to postsecondary education or the political
Email Service Provider
Transition to Gmail still in the works Contract negotiations underway and anticipating completion soon
Dina Fanara
Assistant News Editor
Last year, the prospect of a new email system fuelled immense support among Mac students. Students voted on the email service they would prefer, choosing between Microsoft and Google as the provider that would replace MUSS (McMaster Undergraduate Student Server). With an outstanding voter turnout last October, McMaster students voted overwhelmingly in favour of the Google’s Gmail over Microsoft’s Live@Edu. Now, almost one year later, McMaster students are still at the mercy of MUSS, and the question remains – when will this new email system come into effect? “The main obstacle has been contract negotiations . . . McMaster wants one similar to that of the University of Alberta,” said Matthew Dillon-Leitch, MSU president, in light of the delay in the transformation in email communication for students. The University of Alberta has recently switched to the Gmail system, which McMaster is in the process of adopting. “McMaster’s can become the model contract [with Google] for all of Ontario,” s a i d Dillon-
Leitch. In an effort to use this contract as a standard across the province, tremendous pressure has been placed on the project, contributing to its delay, leaving the University community still awaiting the final product. Currently, contract negotiations are still underway, thoroughness being a key objective. As legal details continue to be cleared up on the part of the University and Google, the contract is anticipating completion soon, explained DillonLeitch. Following the vote in October 2010, numerous meetings and constant communication between the University and Google have been underway in an effort to bring the project to its current status. John Kearney, the Chief Information Officer for McMaster University, as well as the University’s legal personnel have only recently been in contact with Google’s legal team. Google has, until now, been heavily involved with other legal obligations. The University of Toronto recently adopted the Microsoft product for their new email system. Dillon-Leitch noted that the current suspicion is t h a t Google, the
immediate competitor of Microsoft in the area, likely took this decision on the part of University of Toronto as motivation to push their product further, to show how it can serve university students just as well if not better than Microsoft. M c M a s t e r ’s University Te c h n o l o g y Services (UTS) has been dedicated to the transition to the Google email system, completing all back end work in order to prepare for the launch of the system. At this time, UTS is preparing for an immediate start after the signing of the contract between McMaster and Google, according to Dillon-Leitch. Meanwhile, the MSUaims to keep students informed of the status of the email system, promising to provide constant updates, and to release the launch date for the new system as soon as the contract is signed and finalized.
differences that must be mitigated in order to ensure the nation’s best interest, Trudeau seemed to centralize on the common theme of choice, and ultimately, passion for that choice. “I don’t care if you get involved in active politics or not,” he said, “I care whether you get passionate about something in your community or not. Politics are not for everyone ... but if more individuals find what they are passionate about, change will come.” He stressed, “As soon as individuals realize the power to shape the world; when they choose this to do, not to do, to support, not to support, then the ability to change the world goes from a nice idea to being flat out inevitable.” And maybe - just maybe changing the world, or at least the political system, begins with inspirational words. Justin Trudeau will be visiting two other Universities throughout this week, delivering similar nonpartisan talks to students and faculty, after which he will return to Papineau.
MPP plans for the future • CONT’D FROM A1 stressed. “This year, there is going to be a new list. I have 11 things that I have identified that I want to work on so far.” With a new list of projects comes new obstacles. While not explaining the particular details regarding the 11 issues currently on the table, McMeekin briefly mentioned a few he would like to address as MPP. “There’s a St. Mary’s quarry that is looking to be opened in Waterdown, but it will have detrimental effects for the residents there, so I intend to make sure that quarry never opens.” He added, “I intend to make sure that peninsula highway is never built. I intend to work on the 20th item I was both working and partially successful on the last four years, which is to have the area from the Royal Botanical Gardens to the Escarpment declared Ontario’s first urban provincial biosphere park.” Such initiatives directly contend the oppositional political drive in provincial parliament. Without a majority, the question surfaces of whether or not McMeekin’s, and by extension the Liberal’s, clear impetus of continual respect for the land and rural living that characterizes much of the ADFW riding will be maintained. McMeekin plans to help “obtain more resources both provincially and federally to be better stewards of the land.” Despite his plan, however, there is no such guarantee. McMeekin acknowledged this and warned, “This political situation will take a certain form of maturity from other parties to do what is best for ADFW, for Ontario and, ultimately, for Canada.” As for what this “form of maturity” is, McMeekin simply said humorously, “not politics.” McMeekin’s official post-election role at Queen’s Park will formally begin later this month.
THE SILHOUETTE • A5
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 13, 2011
Israel-Palestine Conflict
Controversial writer visits McMaster Gaza among the topics discussed
TYLER HAYWARD / SENIOR PHOTO EDITOR
Jewish-Israeli journalist Amira Hass discusses her experiences in Palestine. Kacper Niburski
Assistant News Editor
If the future is to be feared, then Amira Hass wants to tell the world. In fact, she already has. “Gaza is a big prison, and it has been so for the last 20 years,” began her Oct. 6 lecture to a group of 150 McMaster students and professors. “And it may always be,” she added. As a world-renowned and critically acclaimed journalist, Amira Hass came to Mac to discuss the contentious issues surrounding the Israeli-Palenstine conflict. The event, which is a series of lectures sponsored by Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East, has travelled across Canada. It began in Victoria, British Columbia on Sept. 27 and ended in Montreal, Quebec on Oct. 8. Beginning as a journalist in the shellshocked area of Tel Aviv, Israel in 1989, Hass’s career has not been without conflict and controversy. Obstacles such as her gender, ethnicity and nationality – hindrances that would have certainly burdened anyone else – have only enhanced the authority in her message regarding the current state of the Israeli society and the future of Palestinian politics. As one of the only Jewish-Israeli journalists to live among Palestinians for an extended period of time in Gaza, Hass’s articles have largely taken a critical stand against the Israeli government. Recently, however, criticism has been sparked regarding the Palestine Fatah party of Yasser Arafat, a Palestine leader and Nobel laureate. With reportage contrary to both Israeli and Palestinian positions, Hass has been threatened, detained and harassed. Controversy began in 2001, when it was ruled that Hass pay 250,000 shekels for defaming Beit Hadassah, a Jewish settler community, due to Hass’s article that described an eyewitness account of Israeli settlers defiling the body of a Palestinian militant. Contention was only worsened in 2008 when Hass was arrested by Israeli police for being in Gaza without a permit, and for residing in an enemy state. On both accounts, she was re-
leased under restriction. While Hass has received vast criticism and malicious treatment, she has also received numerous awards. Among the many, Hass has been presented with the Gold Dove of Peace Prize awarded by Archivo Disarmo, a Rome-base peace organization, as well as the Lifetime Achievement Award from the International Woman’s Media Foundation in 2009. With a tumultuous past central to her lecture, Hass catalogued the future of Israel and Palestine. She highlighted that current policies are “simply not working” in Gaza, attributing it to the finding that “people live in a permanent fear of existence, a very basic fear of existence.” She added, and restated in an interview with the Palenstine Chronicle that, “Palestinians want to express their rights for self determination in a state. It doesn’t mean that all Palestinians want to live in a state or not with Jews. Jews in Israel have historical reasons to cling to this ‘Jewish state’, but they have to understand that this is becoming more and more contradictory to democracy. The thing is how we work a solution with the reality, to fix the concerns of both peoples in a just way.” Hass’s lecture comes at a pivotal point in the global community. As Palestine seeks UN recognition, Hass reminds, “it is impossible to reach a one-state solution if we can’t agree on a two-state solution … the two-state solution would not be just, it won’t undo history and the damage done to Palestinians, but if we look at the future, no solution is eternal and permanent.” “No phase in history is final; they all lead to another phase. The question is what we do now to facilitate and advance ourselves to a better phase,” she added. Such comments are unique to Hass. Her journalism, although contentious at times, seeks truth rather than political affiliation, a philosophy she stressed to the audience. She explained that you’re a good journalist “if you write fairly, if you measure all the information you have in order to convey a picture, if you don’t lie, if you check your quotes. But objectivity, there’s nothing like that.”
Art History Book
Mac prof turns author Bushra Habib The Silhouette
Alison McQueen, associate professor of art history at McMaster, held the Canadian book launch of Empress Eugénie and the Arts: Politics and Visual Culture in the Nineteenth Century at the Gallery on Bay in Hamilton on Oct 5. Published by Ashgate Press in England this past August, the book examines Eugénie, wife of Napoleon III, and her importance to the development of France’s institutions and international relations. “Empress Eugénie will inspire many today as a significant patron of the visual arts and as a leading female public figure of the modern period,” said McQueen, whose research on the Empress led her to France, England and six other countries in Europe and North America. This past February, she presented a paper, “Empress Eugénie and representations of Fashion in Second Empire France”, at the College Art Association conference in New York City. In an age of greater gender equality, with prominent female leaders such as Queen Elizabeth II and First Lady Michelle Obama, studying the obstacles faced by powerful women of the past is crucial to building a
different, more accepting world. Examining the artistic transformation of Eugénie, a Hispanic woman who became a leading figure in French politics, McQueen examines a component of the Empress’ life that many often overlook. Works such as McQueen’s help draw much needed focus to the importance of art at McMaster by emphasizing the present day relevance of research into the past. The lessons transcend time, bridging cultural barriers and showcasing the significance of further development of art and humanities programs. With additions like the coming liberal arts building, both present and potential students have more opportunities to pursue similar lines of research, ultimately contributing to a more comprehensive understanding of the world. “Arts students at McMaster develop the skills that are important and necessary for success in a world full of possibilities,” said McQueen. “Learning how to do in-depth research and developing analytic skills are crucial. Strong writing skills and an ability to speak publicly with confidence are also integral to one’s success. These are skills that we foster in our study of the arts at McMaster and they are life skills.”
A6 • THE SILHOUETTE
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 13, 2011
EDITORIAL
editor’s extension: 22052 letters: thesil@thesil.ca
Tough questions for the 49.2 per cent
The Silhouette McMaster University’s Student Newspaper
TheSil.ca
Where do the faithful 49.2 per cent go from here? Apparently, there may have never been a more irrelevant election than the one across Ontario last week. After a lackluster campaign from all parties with few issues to catch the interest of passing eyes, it showed with the record-low voter turnout of 49.2 per cent. It was so irrelevant, in fact, that the normally conservative Ottawa Sun (yes, the one that ran a front page headline of ‘WELCOME TO HELL’ in the wake of the Liberals’ minority victory) didn’t even bother to endorse a party. Perhaps never has an electorate cared less about who they would award the mandate to govern. Cue the violins. We’ve all head the sob story enough. You know, the one about how voting is a civic duty and that members of a free society owe it to their patriotic fellow citizens to cast their ballot and what not. Is that a good message? Rhetoric aside, absolutely. But even as it’s been shouted out (especially since the May 2 federal election), it’s abundantly clear that the message doesn’t get across. Anyone can shake their head and say “isn’t this voter turnout awful,” and lament the state of our democracy. And it seems like many do, shortly before spotting a shiny object in the corner of the room and getting distracted. People who voted last Thursday have a question to answer. Our numbers are dwindling, and our ongoing campaigns to galvanize our friends to the polls are looking more and more like a series of losing battles in a lost war. We have a question to answer: what are we going to do about it? Maybe changing the first-past-the-post system is the answer. Maybe we just need campaigns that don’t include politicians reciting old talking points. Whatever we do, though, it has to be something. We’re slipping into a voter coma where apathy is the majority. We’re on the road to electoral irrelevance. The 49.2 per cent of us better get it together soon. •
Editorial Board Executive Editor... Brian Decker Managing Editor... Sam Colbert Production Editor... Jonathon Fairclough Senior News Editor... Farzeen Foda Asst. News Editor... Dina Fanara Asst. News Editor... Kacper Niburski Opinions Editor... Andrew Terefenko Sports Editor... Fraser Caldwell Asst. Sports Editor... Brandon Meawasige InsideOut Editor... Natalie Timperio Asst. InsideOut Editor... Cassandra Jeffery Business Editor... Sonya Khanna Senior ANDY Editor... Jemma Wolfe
Brian Decker, Executive Editor
ANDY Music Editor... Josh Parsons ANDY Ent. Editor... Myles Herod Senior Photo Editor... Tyler Hayward
Worth Repeating:
Multimedia Editor... Joy Santiago
Sil,
Asst. Photo Editor... Ricardo Padilla
If you consider that Toronto’s top trends on Twitter for election night were Matt Lombardi, Dion Phaneuf, Don Cherry, iSad and Bill Gates, we have no right to be disappointed with voter turnout. Ontarians seemingly care more about the Leafs-Habs game than the election. Only the battling “Trinity-Spadina” got a top trend mention in the latter half of the election race.
Silhouette Staff
Or maybe we just go to the polls ‘too often’. I mean the federal election was just a few months ago. Really, though? Let’s be sure to never overexert our wonderful democracy-given-right-to-vote by complaining that a few minutes out of our night to (re-)elect a government is too much to ask.
Ben Orr, Sports Maggie Cogger-Orr, Sports Sandro Giordano, Ad Manager
“Step it up, Canada,” is what I say. -James P.
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to kacperisms.
to fraserisms.
to trick or treat, bitch.
to institutional racism.
to the mystery that compells us.
to rat bastards.
to peace pipes. to buffalo chicken, again. to sprots. to quebecois engineers. to christobel.
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to huge boxes of cookies.
to tiger woods. to blackberry. really? to other smartphones not being prepared for this inevitable failure by having a suitable bbm replacement. to loonies. not the money, the wackos. to early morning classes.
to obscene amounts of halloween candy.
to timmy’s lost lesson learned.
to jon’s surgery.
to alliteration.
to ms. tyler’s birthday.
to eight putters.
to new websites!
to laurier this weekend. boo.
to leftovers. to bringing tupperware for leftovers. be prepared, kids. to quinlan’s epic return. to the pumpkin. hope you’re well, friend.
to western any weekend. to pages going missing. to origami. because, that’s why. to the serious lack of festive thanksgiving tunes.
THE SILHOUETTE • A7
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 13, 2011
OPINIONS
production office extension: 27117 opinions@thesil.ca
The skinny on obesity
Last stand of English
Andrew Terefenko
Our sacred language is at a crucial point of evolution
Opinions Editor
The world is now on the precipice of the new Black Death, but it comes in a form so innocent that we may not yet understand how dire it really is. Obesity has crept up on modern civilization ever so steadily, and without realizing our efforts, we have perpetuated its growth. We do this in many ways, but it comes down to two main offensive fronts that have defended this epidemic in a method most secure. First, society has quickly shifted from a “looking good” mentality to “positive self-image,” where one is encouraged to be at ease with their own bodies in any shape or size, rather than strive to change it at all, whether for good or bad. While there is merit in that concept, it becomes problematic when you are satisfied with an unhealthy body, exceptionally prone to health risks and exhaustion. Being proud of your body is a great idea, but one should always strive to stay healthy in order to fully enjoy a long and panting-free life. Second, and this facet of obesity-extension is not new in any sense, we are entering a third decade of popular fast food culture. Unhealthy food options are becoming cheaper than the vitamin-rich alternatives, and quicker to get from your wallet to your stomachs. This has never before been as big a problem as now; with the recession slimming down everyone’s budget for food, waistlines expand instead. This twofold defense has made great leaps in creating and maintaining a world where being overweight is the only way to be, for the large majority of people with no time and even less money. I imagine the mother of five has little choice of nourishment for her litter when she is faced with the options of a two to three-hour chef session, crafting the perfect blend of nutrients for her young, or a ten-minute trip to the burger joint, where she can even get them toys and sides. There is so much incentive to eat unhealthy, and thus very little drive for people to take the steps needed not just to stay slim, but to stay healthy. If you want a laundry list of the reasons to work toward a healthier lifestyle, here are just a few of the things you and your kids are at risk for, at a glance: heart disease, blood clots, type two diabetes, infertility, dementia, gout, cancers of many varieties, sleep apnea, erectile dysfunction and so much more. There is more at stake than body image, high cholesterol and high blood pressure. An individual is considered obese when their body mass index, or BMI, is greater than 30 kilograms per metre squared, and you would be hard-pressed to find a doctor who doesn’t warn you of the myriad of health risks involved with We should begin fearing the possibility that the very ground beneath us obesity, not to mention the statistically proven reduced life will soon cease to carry the burden of our massive collective asses. expectancies. It sounds kind of like the disease that only one in one hundred people I feel that this is only going to get worse, and as the United States might have, but in reality it is so much worse. nears having half of its population classified as unhealthily obese, we We sleep soundly knowing that the United States has one of the high- follow close behind, as we are oft to do in the wake of American trends. est obesity rates in the world, 33.8 per cent in 2009, but most Canadians There are many kinds of people who are obese, and many reasons don’t realize just how close we are to that figure. An astonishing 22.7 per behind it. Some people are stuck with bad genes that have hammered cent of Canadians are obese, and that figure is already seven years old, so their metabolism with brute force, and others who are stricken with a even quarter of us must be in that undesirable piece of the pie chart by psychological impulses that they can’t control. For every person that is now. obese without good reason, there may be a person that is stuck in the state The steps to ‘recovery’ are themselves inaccessible, where gym with little to no hope. memberships are so financially obtrusive to people who only have time Before long, the officials involved with determining obesity rates may to visit once or twice a week, but still have to pay for the same year-plan feel the need to lower the requirements of obesity, as I think it may beas everyone else. We have to work earlier and longer hours at work to coming bizarre for less than half the population to be considered healthy. compensate for a weakened economy, so a quick jog in the morning is Rather than Black Death of the 1300s, we face the spread of the Fat also becoming a daydream of the past. Death, and unfortunately we can’t kill rats to end this epidemic.
JAMES MARVIN PHELPS / WIKIMEDIA COMMONS
Kacper Niburski
Assistant News Editor
Few people truly enjoy language. Instead of smashing words together for the sheer sound-sex of it or attempting to trip the tip of their tongue with impossible sentences, most people gripe on about how the English language has evolved into a wasteland of verbal smut. In their limited perspectives, neologisms are deplorable, forgotten apostrophes are a crime comparable to murder, and a failure to follow syntax is like dying of the Black Plague. Haunting as these mistakes may be, it is simply a shame that this behaviour has characterized much of the conversation about English. Such mistakes do not taint the English language. On the contrary, they enhance it. Rather than shaking a fist at misspellings, muttering on about past participles and wincing at a verb replacing a noun, one should embrace such mistakes. They are the verbal delight that is language and the yoke of progression in its truest form. Let me explain. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to see the intricacies of the English language. Each piece we write is a composition of rules and regulations that have evolved into their current state from thousands of years of development. Without these regulations, the language would fail to take on any distinct form and communication among vast human networks would be impossible. While this evolutionary selection may be true, it is all too conveniently reductionist. Language is not as simple as a rapid progression and then a steady state leveling. It is not punctuated. It is not inert. It evolves as we do. Consider the English language. It magnificently evolved from a • PLEASE SEE GRAMMAR, A8
Thanksgiving, a time for giving up This year, when the religious celebration of your December begins to suffocate you with ‘holiday cheer,’ you are gong to be brave, Whether you are a recent victim of the optimistic and truly embrace the spirit of ‘turkey dump’ or you are just feeling down in celebrations. the dumps because of the amount of food you Now I know that this sounds very idealconsumed this past weekistic, and, to be completely end, post-Thanksgiving is a honest, I don’t even know if tough time for the university A combination of I buy into it. But why can’t student. A combination of we accomplish this? The holiday dread and midterm holiday dread and winter holidays are infamous midterm stress can for being the peak time for stress can leave even the most optimistic people feel- leave even the most suicide rates. What is it that ing vulnerable and gloomy. makes celebrations so dreadoptimistic people ful? We just celebrated a holiday that is intended to feeling vulnerable. Of course, there is family. remind us how fortunate we A lot of people will probably are, yet for some reason the focus seems to shudder at reading the word. Now, I am not lean towards regrets and depression. Well it here to make assessments of your family. is time to flip that frown upside-down, be- Perhaps your drunken uncle singing Katy cause life is really good. Soon that delicious Perry songs while your mother criticizes turkey dinner will become all but a delicious your posture and your cousins pull your hair memory and the prospect of winter festivities will begin to quickly approach. • PLEASE SEE HOLIDAYS, A9 Erin Chesney Silhouette Staff
LTSHEARS / WIKIMEDIA COMMONS
Our lack of positive energy around the holidays is shared with these guys.
This Week in Opinions New English Our language is evolving, are we going to adapt or stick to what we know and love?
Pg. A8
The Head to Head debate column is here! Pg. A11
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A8 • THE SILHOUETTE
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 13, 2011
“It is causing a lot of problems, it is a health risk and part of an addictive consumer nature.”
Do you feel that obesity is a serious problem?
Grammar barbarism on our shores at last
-Kyle Fisher, Multimedia III
Feedback
SILHOUETTE FILE PHOTO
With so much dread surrounding the holiday season, one should maintain a positive attitude to improve their lives.
“Yes, because of all the transfats people are consuming. Our ancestors didn’t have fast food.”
• CONT’D FROM A7
-Carine Nemr, Chem Bio II
“Yes, because it is getting out of control.” -Chris Buttenham, Sociology III
“Yes, because it is unhealthy for you, and makes people feel bad about themselves.” -Isabelle Dobronyi, Art Sci III
Compiled by Andrew Terefenko and Ricardo Padilla
“No, because of genetics, it is out of peoples’ hands.” -Nolan Matthews, Art Sci III
smattering of gurgles into gags, gags into grunts, grunts into gargles and, finally, gargles into grammar. From there, it crossed continents, absorbed with other existent languages, and spread across the globe. At no point in its evolution did adjustment cease. To some, certain English dialects were considered bubbling with linguistic mistakes, as seem in early Welsh compared to later AngloSaxon patois. However, only through the mistakes, common to evolutionary theory, did the language evolve and become as it is today. To say it simply, orthography and syntax change as the time rolls on. It can be said then that we define our language, not the other way around. We are not chained to the dictionary. Instead we are the dictionary creators. The common conventions administered today are nothing more than a series of recognizable, evolved and agreed-upon grunts. Who is to say then that the grammatical incorrectness of modern day is not a form of this evolution? The pedantic literary lackeys will claim that it goes against the evolution that was built up to this Most people current state. Modern English, if it is indeed an evolution, has only evolved as it has be- gripe on about cause it was able to progress beyond such how the English common mistakes of language. language gas Whether this is true or not remains to be seen. Being a grammar-flub myself, I feel evolved into a that the pedants fail to realize that evolu- wasteland of tion, by its very nature, transcends the curverbal smut. rent state of things. It is akin to revolutions, almost all revolutionaries were originally frowned upon. The Dutch Jews excommunicated Baruch Spinoza. Pablo Picasso was considered a madman with a paintbrush. So it goes when one grinds against the grain. And yet while the great minds may think alike, it is the genius who thinks differently. Mistakes are necessary in order to recognize that which is not a mistake. So perhaps then grammatical incorrectness is a form of literary genius waiting to be recognized, a revolution waiting to happen. The pedants will scoff at such a claim. They will harrumph that grammatical incorrectness will lead to conventions of language that are purely and utterly nonsense. Language will lose its form. Start with one mistake, and soon the whole language will turn into a shitstorm. A messy, ungrammatical, made-up kind of shitstorm, that is. Besides harping on a slippery slope fallacy, if the pedants truly feel as if made-up words are something to be shunned, then they should avoid Shakespeare, James Joyce and Lewis Carroll. Shakespeare made a living of changing nouns into verbs, adding prefixes to suffixes, and devising words wholly original. Carroll created words such as ‘Frumious Bandersnatch’ in Jabberwocky and James Joyce invented a word in Finnegan’s Wake that consisted of 101 letters which seems to spell out nothing but nonsense: ‘Bababadalgharaghtakamminarronnkonnbronntonnerronntuonnthunntrovarrhounawnskawntoohoohoordenenthurnuk’. That last word alone should give us encouragement that linguistic originality is not something to be disparaged. Though by listing the nonsensical wording of these great authors, there is no direct comparison between them and common literary mistakes. Instead there is a demonstration that the lords of literary language created words to fit their purposed meanings. Despite the originality of these great authors’ words, many of them have become common terms; for example “eyeball” used by Shakespeare in A Midsummer’s Night Dream. Before Shakespeare’s literary inventiveness, the circular ball located above the cheek was just that: a circular ball. In this way, madeup words are not inherently bad; they may one-day become recognized in the English It can be said language. So why not the common blunders of Engthen that we lish? The critics will bark that among the myriad define our of English words, people invent words to fit language, their sentences out of ignorance and laziness. not the other “The same is true of grammatical incorrectway around. ness,” they most surely harp. While some errors in syntax may be the We are not product of laziness, and others may just be chained to the of ignorance, there is no doubt as to what common errors such as ‘three items or less’ dictionary. means. The same could be said of ‘whom’ Instead we and ‘who’ or ‘a lot’ or ‘alot’ and many of are dictionary the other mishaps of language. What pedants claim as vague, incorrect and downright creators. hideous are in fact failures to see the clarity in the unclear. The English language is nowhere near perfect, but it is wholly understood, even when riddled with mistakes. As such, the fight of literary lackeys isn’t for clarity; it is for their inability to fill up the void where language can be enjoyed. They can never see the mystifying majesty of sentences that froth and cream and bubble with literary originality or that make one’s mouth fumble foolishly like a football player flailing furiously or even those that exhaustingly run on as an attempt to challenge the reader. No. Instead they grumble on and on and on. But there is a hope that this may change. If English is truly an evolution, then unlike the pedants, it will not become a fossil when they do. Rather, it will use the fossilized remains of our literary past – mistakes and all – like a coal turning into a diamond. Years from now, words like ‘alot’, although seemingly awful to some, may be considered the rule. Until then, the English language must bear the assault of the grammarian-barbarians.
THE SILHOUETTE • A9
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 13, 2011
Holidays a time to look forward
DONAR REISKOFFER / WIKIMEDIA COMMONS
With so much dread surrounding the holiday season, one should maintain a positive attitude to improve their lives. • CONT’D FROM A7 does epitomize the worst family ever. However, the truth is they are your family and there is nothing you can do to change that. Instead of fighting them, perhaps it is instead time to embrace them? They might be truly embarrassing, this I do not deny, but the next time you are surrounded by these supposed ‘loved ones’, it wouldn’t kill you to be a little cooperative. Maybe singing along to “Teenage Dream” won’t be all that unbearable. Another holiday problem applies to those who, after all the guests have left, somehow end up immersed in a pile of chocolate crying to Titanic. I am talking about those who are currently single. Individuals who are not in a committed relationship are forced to endure all the holiday stress on their own. They do not have another to comfort them, and thus rely on Ben and Jerry to relieve their emotional build up. This modern concept of de-
pendence on another astounds me. I do not understand why our generation is one of the first to feel this intense need for companionship. Although I can’t explain it, I do believe anyone can challenge it. There are so many productive activities you can be doing instead of loathing in a pit of self-pity. I say, volunteer with the less fortunate, run a holiday marathon or just do something that will give you a sense of accomplishment. Maybe the warmth your heart will feel will melt away your need for ice cream and Leonardo DiCaprio. It is true that these, in addition to many other aspects, can sometimes make the holiday season comparable to the joy of exams. However, at the end of the day, you do have the air in your lungs and you should be thankful for that. You do have the opportunity and devices to change the course of your life, from the typical discontent to one more enjoyable. So let’s get to it. Let’s make this holiday season a positive one.
Subsidizing the vote Taking away the financial aid of vote subsidy is wrong message rather than fundraising. While the Conservative Party currently holds a large lead in The new Conservative government party finances due to an excephas been remarkably effective in its tionally well organized system of first months in power. To date it has grassroots donors, the other parties eliminated the national gun regis- are not so far behind. The Liberal try, tabled their omnibus crime bill Party, believed by many to be the and introduced legislation crack- target of the subsidy cuts, will not ing down on both disappear due to human smugglers lack of funding – and refugees. Now are as many Political parties are there the Harper govon the left willing public entities that to donate as there ernment has set its sights on per-vote strive to govern all are on the right. subsidies. It says However, Canthat cutting the Canadians, not just ada’s right is united their paying subsidies will save under Stephen $30 million annumembers, and as Harper and the Conally. servative flag, Cansuch should be The move, ada’s left is divided however, should funded on an equal between the Liberal not be seen as for Party and the New basis. the benefit of tax Democrats, splitpayers but as an ting the donor base. attack on Canada’s democracy. The subsidy cuts could very likely In 2003, the Chretien-led Lib- be the final push towards a Liberaleral government passed legislation NDP merger, which will cause the creating a per-vote subsidy — $2 a de facto death of the Liberal Party year for every vote a federal party of Canada, a goal of Harper’s since received in the most recent elec- he entered politics. tion. The move, which also capped More pressing than what the corporate donations, was intended cuts will do to the landscape of to take concern over party money Canada’s political parties is what out of Canada’s political process • PLEASE SEE VOTER, A11 and have parties focus on their Ryan Mallough Silhouette Staff
A10 • THE SILHOUETTE
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 13, 2011
The pumpkin phenomenon Andrew Terefenko Opinions Editor
I think pumpkins are kind of weird. I don’t mean in that somethingisn’t-quite-right way one might feel about dragonfruit or gooseberries. I mean in that fundamentally disturbing feeling I get from looking at them, touching them and eating things made from them. Right off the bat, I have trouble believing in any animal, vegetable or mineral that I can’t just eat raw. Why are we so hung up on devoting a whole month to this orange phenomenon? I feel there are so many other vegetables and fruits that deserve a month rather than these monstrous squashes. Why do we not devote all of April to apples? We can just as easily carve them, display them and smash them in the streets. As a vegetable, it tries so hard to not be eaten, with its thick, hard shell and prickly stem. Then there is the weight of it all, with the average Pumpkins are everything that is wrong with the world today. pumpkin clocking in just over ten That or they just don’t taste that all that good. pounds. That is an absurd amount of obstacles in the way of eating something we give so common orange wrath and havoc. This would be far less of a problem if they were throwing something much attention to. I understand that they are extremely plentiful small, solid and delicious. in North America, and we didn’t have the squashes I am only pointing this all out because I am an and gourds our European neighbours used for their advocate of vegetable and fruit fairness, in that we carving traditions, but why did they inexplicably take should give equal treatment to some of the lesserprized veggies that equally deserve our thirty-day over a holiday tradition? On some level, I get it. They are pretty useful for worship. Like rhubarbs, maybe, which are a vegecarving scary faces into, but without fail, their lack of table equally resistant to being eaten without special edibility leaves them to rot well into November, and care, and yet are just as questionably useless in a in the case of particularly lazy seniors, compost into larger scheme of food. So, I ask you, either cease pushing pumpkins on the ground by mid-February. Of course, there is also the all-too-powerful temp- me all month long, or prepare everyone for a funtation for rowdy youth to thrash them onto private filled November, heretofore known as Rhubarb Approperty and cause their own brand of uncommonly preciation Month. RICARDO PADILLA / ASSISTANT PHOTO EDITOR
Election ads tuning us out of elections Record-low voters can be from poor ad campaigns are just too lazy and don’t care about politics. I think the problem, though, is not that people are bored If there’s one thing I remember and uninterested, but rather why about the provincial election more they are bored and uninterested. than anything else, it’s the adver- A democracy should be based on tisements. Not the attack ads fired a population of citizens who are back and forth between the Liber- informed and engaged with issues als and the Progressive Conserva- relevant to them, but over the years tives, irritating though they were; we have gradually stopped being I’m talking about the ads urging citizens and become consumers. everyone simply to vote, period. We are no longer engaged in For a month or more before our communities; we focus much the election, it seemed they were more on the things we consume in everywhere. They appeared on our lives than what is going on in buses, at the sides of websites, the world around us. When we stop even in the coveted ad spaces connecting with issues in society, above urinals. voting loses its meaning as a polit It was clear from the sleek, ical decision and becomes another Web 2.0 design of the ads that Elec- chore with little significance in our tions Ontario was targeting young lives. voters in the campaign; they even To increase interest in voting set up countless and get more people related websites out to the polls, we like wheredoivote. We are no longer will need to address ca to try to tap into this problem. We engaged in our the viral market. will need to find communities; we They seemed inways of engaging escapable, making focus much more with the things in sure we knew society that matter on the things we exactly when, to us and to address where and how to consume in our lives them, rather than cast a ballot. than what is going marking an X on Yet, on Oct. a ballot and thinkon in the world 6, we set a record ing that we’ve done for the lowest-ever everything we can around us. voter turnout in for our communOntario. The new ities. parliament was chosen by just 49.2 Members of parliament are per cent of the eligible population. elected to represent the people’s What happened? Were people so interests, but how can they do this bombarded with these ads that if the people have no interest in enthey eventually tuned out? Was it gaging with them? Democracy rejust another case of voter apathy? quires involvement. When people Many people (myself included, feel engaged with democracy and I confess) grumbled in the weeks what their representatives stand before election day that they were for, they will feel that their vote getting tired of constantly having means something. elections, but I never expected so In short, engagement is what many people to be fed up enough draws people to the polls. That’s that they would refuse to have their why next election’s ad campaign say in this one. shouldn’t tell people where and A lot of people have com- how to cast a ballot; it should tell plained over the years that people them how to get involved. Roy Campbell The Silhouette
“After a particularly fruitless week of carving meaningless designs into Old Man Hayfeather’s wheat field, I find it calming to read his paranoid, conspiratory ramblings on the pages of The Silhouette. You too can ease my weekly tensions by grumbling about crop circles to opinions@thesil. ca. I may even get a hearty guffaw!”
-Not-an-alien Goblin
THE SILHOUETTE • A11
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 13, 2011
Voter subsidy to get axed Gov’t wants to cut party vote funding for campaigns • CONT’D FROM A9 they will do to Canada’s democracy. While the subsidies did not completely eliminate money from the electoral playing field, they helped create a balance that fostered greater competition between party messages. Canada’s democracy should function on the principle that the party whose message best resonates with Canadians wins the race — not the party with the largest bank account. Political parties are public entities that strive to govern all Canadians, not just their paying members, and as such should be funded on an equal basis. Democracies should be a function of Canada’s the people, not the democracy dollar. should function Ironically, it on the principle was the Bloc Quebecois, the that the party champions of sepwhose message aratism and the best resonates breakup of the that benewith Canadians nation fited the most wins the race from the subsidies, - not the party which accounted for as high as 90 with the largest per cent of their bank account. party budget. While many will be pleased to see the separatists forced out, democracy recognizes their right to function as a party and serve their voters. It is undeniable that, until the last election, the BQ was the voice of Quebec despite its comparative lack of funding. It is a fundamental function of democracy that those with enough support garner representation. Because one party cannot raise the same amount of money as another, such a disadvantage should not detract from that party’s worth— nor should the erosion of representation via financial attrition sit well with any proponent of democracy.
HEADTOHEAD Compiled in cooperation with McMaster Debating Society Ilustration by Joy Santiago
SUMEET KHANNA Co-President, Mcmaster Debating Society
AND ANDREW TEREFENKO
Opinions Editor, The Silhouette
DEBATE: Which system of voting is best, FPTP or PR?
SUMEET: First-past-the-post (FPTP) is a system of democratic voting that has recently come under a lot of scrutiny in Canada. Operating as the primary voting system at the provincial and national level, critics allege that FPTP is an unfair method of electing representatives to their respective legislative bodies, because it is not proportional to the numbers of votes cast for each party. Although this criticism is fair, it fails to take into account the ways in which FPTP balances pragmatic and democratic ideals in order to produce – more or less consistently – majority governments that are more stable and effective at passing legislation. ANDREW: Proportional Representation (PR) is another method of determining the make-up of a representative body, and one that I feel better encompasses the collective needs of the voters. With a FPTP system, we may have a greater representation of the exact government that the voters elected in a literal sense, but the votes that did not go towards the elections’ victors go completely unheard. SUMEET: There are many variations of PR as an alternative system to FPTP, but they all share the same fundamental flaws. The first myth surrounding PR is that it is more representative of voter choices in terms of actual seatdistribution in Parliament. Indeed, PR does allow for smaller parties to secure seats in Parliament, and if there are not enough seats won by a single party, a minority government must be formed. Several parties may need to form a post-election coalition in order to exert majority voting power in the legislature. Independently, these parties may represent their electors, but as a coalition, they do not enjoy any type of definitive support, in that voters did not initially vote for a coalition government. Contrast this with FPTP, where governments like the current Conservative federal government enjoy a clear majority via winning a majority of regional seats. On the topic of constituencies, with most types of PR, citizens vote for parties on the ballot, and the parties then proportionally distribute seats based on a pre-determined list of representatives. This system eliminates the traditional MP-constituency relationship; without this relationship, there is no MP accountability, and further, constituencies lose MPs as advocates on the national stage. ANDREW: The greater flaw present in FPTP is the idea that voters are forced into choosing between the two most popular political parties, because they know full well their vote will be wasted otherwise. It encourages them to vote against the party they dislike, even if they do not fully want the leading opposition in power either. In this sense, the incumbent party would greatly benefit from people voting for minority parties in a FPTP system, as any vote cast to a “throwaway” tertiary party is a vote not cast for their main opposition. The MP distribution under a theoretical PR system may be flawed to a degree, but if a region casts a vote for a party, for the principles they stand for, then the representative can be counted on, to an extent, to work towards fulfilling
the party promises in his or her region as best as they can, just as much as a representative that the voters knew beforehand. SUMEET: Minority governments, which are often the product of PR systems, pose their own inherent problems. Without a majority party, smaller parties can stymie the ruling party and effectively bring the house to a state of non-confidence in order to trigger an election. This state of constant flux can lead to an unnecessary amount of elections held within a short period of time, even when public opinion has not necessarily changed. The slew of elections since the Martin minority in 2003 highlights this fact. Moreover, smaller parties that hold swing votes can effectively hijack legislative debates with extremist points of view. Take for example the general trend in Israel’s PR system, where the center-right Likud party has traditionally been forced to turn to right-wing and religious parties in order to obtain coalition governments. These coalitions are dominated by extremist politics because of the influence of these smaller parties, leading to more ideologically charged, gridlocked legislative assemblies. Proponents of PR hail these coalitions as a “triumph” for democracy and pluralistic representation, when in fact they foster gross inefficiencies. ANDREW: While proven to be flawed in practice, the same can be said of any theoretically beneficial idea. Communism, at the ideals, is a system that everyone can agree is beneficial to each person equally, yet is negatively portrayed because of its poor execution elsewhere and in the past. While PR is prone to extremism at the minority levels, FPTP is just as easily a victim of problems that the theory could not anticipate. A FPTP system inevitably leads to a two-party struggle, where one is constantly working to undermine the other, with no third or further parties to break ties and help quash the petty bipartisan antics that plague an otherwise civilized nation. SUMEET: PR may be more ideal than FPTP in a purely democratic sense, but it certainly increases the likelihood of producing ineffective governments that are drowned-out and watered-down by smaller parties that may not hold more than a tiny fraction of the popular vote. FPTP is by no means a perfect system. However, it does manage to infuse the democratic principle of majority voting with a sense of pragmatism, in that it tends to produce more stable, actionoriented majority governments. ANDREW: While I agree with the need for stability in the representative bodies of a nation, I also feel that each and every voter should have a voice in parliament. If every vote literally counted, and your wishes would be somewhat effectively represented, the youth and other non-voters would likely feel more compelled to show up to elections and we might escape the measly 49 per cent voter turnout of this recent provincial election. Both systems have merits and flaws, but I feel that PR is the best fit for any nation that grows as fast as ours does in both population and cultural diversity.
VERDICT While both have inherent benefits and flaws, it comes down to what one wants out of government: stability or diversity.
A12 • THE SILHOUETTE
SpeculatoR The Hamilton
Thursday, October 13th, 2011
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 13, 2011
INSIDE THE SPECULATOR
A3 - Bill Gates gets scurvy C11 - Anal-bleaching tips D1 - Occupy Wonka Land F6 - Vegan tyrade appears fruitless
Touching our inner child since 1969
F
We celebrate our ten-thousandth dick joke A look back on eighty-one years of joking around about our journalistic junk. Tiberius Slick Speculator
We are pleased to welcome all Speculator readers, both old and new, to the milestone we are about to reach together; our ten-thousandth dick joke. While ten thousand is just another number, and this publication is just at the tip (#9,982) of the iceberg of dick jokes to come, we feel it proper to celebrate the many years of elongated (#9,983) metaphors and unnecessary euphemisms. Ranging all the way back to its roots in 1931, the Speculator can trace back to its very first dick joke when Executive Editor Harry Johnson wrote in his debut editorial how “fired up” his intern “Willy” was at the prospect of “penetrating the female work barrier.” While it may seem all fun and games, we take our work very seriously and rarely dick around (#9,984) without justifiable cause. This was most evident when we gave the shaft (#9,985) to critics who launched the 1947 campaign, “Newspaper or Newspecker? Down with dick jokes!” They found very unfavourable reviews in our editorial the next morning, and questionably hairy raccoon testicles (#9,986) stapled to their children’s lunchboxes. Further proving our commitment to always going the whole nine inches (#9,987), who can forget the 2010 incident when Buck Horowitz decided that the illustrated dildo was Every member of our staff was treated to a mandatory celebratory dessert, the Salty Chocolate Balls sundae. just not large enough? “I may compromise on many crucial aspects of my character, put forth these thoughts, “I swell with excitement (#9,994) when I think of all the time I but I will never allow a tiny dildo to make it to press. That is not how I was raised!” His spent at the Speculator. It’s a hard life (#9,995) and you can’t get too cocky (#9,996), but dedication was explosively manifested (#9,988) in the glorious illustration of the twelveI’m sure the Speculator will always be coursing through my veins (#9,997).” inch dildo we all remember to this day. As we rise to this occasion (#9,998) firmly in hand (#9,999), we do not forget all That’s not to say there was not a period of turmoil and depression, where we felt the droves of readers who gave us the inspiration and visual references that helped us work that we just could not perform anymore (#9,989), also known as the Great Dick Draught of 1984. We were forced to scrape the scraggly base (#9,990) of the barrel for the most juvenile towards this ten-thousandth junk joke. So to all the passing dick jokes, we say, it has been testy, hairy, and sometimes and dishonourable of penis innuendo. It was a tough two years but we came to a satisfying came to us sooner than we expected, but we never left the office feeling unsatisfied and conclusion (#9,991) at the end and emerged as stronger and more virile writers. always stood true to our motto to give credit to her, because after all, that’s what she said It was a long, hard road (#9,992) but here we are now, about to reach the climax (#10,000). (#9,993) of a journey that both tested and challenged us. Speculator elder Buggs Vindaloo
SAL “MEATBALL“ MARINARA
Misogynistic shampoo Male chauvinists want to feel pretty too Kingsley Morris Speculator
You may have read in the news last week that the feminists are at it again: outraged by a certain Dr. Pepper advertisement in which its new line of diet drinks is labeled distinctly “not for women”. What you probably didn’t hear is that there is a brand new movement in town, led by the ‘new-left’ Misogynist movement, aimed at shedding light on the misrepresentation and neglect of males in the media. What men are angry about is broad-reaching; touching on everything from Swiffer commercials, Febreeze ads, lipstick and hair-dye plugs on national cable to shampoo commercials which, according to Les Proleman (a binge-drinking machismo from the East End of Hamilton), “is the clearest bastardization of femalejustice in the Western hemisphere.” “We’re just mad that the feminists are complaining about
a Dr. Pepper ad while us men are clearly being ostracized and left out whenever we watch the commercial breaks during Oprah or Grey’s Anatomy.” Proleman, a member of Hands Off Our Rods, an NGO and major-contributor to the unsuccessful bukake-tyrade of the late ‘80s, is outraged with the content that men are forced to endure on the television, while “the females have it pretty good.” “Whether it’s the new Garnier Fructis commercial that promises volume and true blonde colour, or the Bounty kitchentowel commercials that promise a fast and easy cleanup, these commercials are misleading and only applicable to women,” Proleman pointed out, “the Fructis gave me absolutely no volume.” The feminists argue otherwise, stating that soft-drink campaigns are their last major obstacle before gaining complete effeminate control and dominance
over the media. “We don’t really care that the Dr. Pepper ad is geared towards men only,” said Stacy Bumpkiss, of the Hong Kong Women’s Alliance, “we just want a drink of our own. Perhaps a Dr. Pepper-Anne, or something along those lines… as long as it doesn’t make us fat.” It’s unclear where either side will go from here. The misogynists want hair product, mascara, and lip-balm commerials to be directed towards a more metro-sexual culture, while the women are looking for a more ‘manly’ representative means – especially in the ‘Dapper-Dan’ hair gel and cod-piece markets which, at this point, are ‘men-only’ grounds for advertising companies. So what’s next? Only time will tell. But it’s about damn time that men had a voice in this world. I, for one, would appreciate a feminine hygene product commercial that didn’t appeal to women only. These nosebleeds won’t stop by themselves.
SAL “MEATBALL“ MARINARA
The feminist lobby is at it again, corrupting our babies.
“What Did You Learn This Week, Timmy?”
“The turkey dump is something
completely different in my household” 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.
S1 • THE SILHOUETTE
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 13, 2011
The Silhouette
SPORTS
YOUR SOURCE FOR MCMASTER MARAUDERS SCORES, STORIES, UPDATES AND ANALYSIS
WOMEN’S RUGBY
Mac demolishes Trent to complete a perfect 5-0 season and clinch the top spot in the Russell Division. Details on S2.
The women’s volleyball team looks to adapt to an unfamiliar lineup and a brand new playing style. See S4.
QUINLAN TORCHES TORONTO
MEN’S SOCCER
The Marauders deal top-ranked York their first loss of the season to take over first place in the OUA West. See S3
Quarterback Kyle Quinlan returns from suspension to lead the Marauders to a dominating 50-14 win over the Toronto Varsity Blues. Details on S3.
S2 • THE SILHOUETTE
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 13, 2011
Women’s Rugby
Men’s Rugby
Mac clinches perfect record Marauders on attack Ben Orr
Silhouette Staff
With an emphatic weekend win the Maroon and Grey have clinched the OUA’s Russell Division crown. By beating the Trent Excalibur 48-12 on Oct. 7, the Mc-
Master women’s rugby team earned a 5-0 record. With 24 regular season points, the Marauders have won home field advantage for next week’s playoff game against the Toronto Varsity Blues. Rookie Cindy Nelles con-
tinued to impress, leading her team with 16 points in the form of two tries and three converts. Adding two tries each were Claire Lockhart and Hannah Braithwaite. Victoria Sawatsky and • PLEASE SEE TORONTO, S6
After a slow start, team’s offence explodes during Toronto road trip Maggie Cogger-Orr Silhouette Staff
JEFF TAM / SILHOUETTE STAFF
Maggie Cogger-Orr has captained the Marauders to a perfect 5-0 record this season.
After a few tough weeks in a row with games against perennial powerhouses Queen’s and Brock, the men’s rugby team was in fine form on Oct. 7, thumping the University of Toronto Varsity Blues 78-5. The beautiful weather would play into the Marauders’ favour as throughout the day they used their superior skills and ball handling to punish Toronto. Andrew Ferguson opened up the scoring with a near 70-metre run that included some very shifty footwork and dummy passes. As McMaster continued to build their attack, swift ball movement would put veteran winger Grant Schneider into space where he would break two tackles to score with ease. The tries kept on coming on a day where it seemed that the Marauders had finally found their offensive groove for the first time this season. A lineout drive at the Toronto 22m would open space for powerful prop Ryan Fried to cross the line and the ensuing kickoff would see fleet-footed Chris Gordon squeeze through a gap down the sideline to take it back 60 metres for a try. The Marauders were relentless in pressuring the Blues and some quick thinking by rookie Taylor Wilenski would result in him scooping the ball up and trucking past several blue jerseys to score his second try of the season. Also of note on the day was the return, although brief, of team captain Tyler Ardron. The powerful eight man would put up his own five points
from a scrum when he manhandled three would-be defenders before touching down the try. Unfortunately he would leave the game at half from what appeared to be a slight tweak to his previously injured ankle. The second half would see much of the same from the Marauders in terms of offensive execution, with Schneider touching down his second try on the day in the opening minutes. As the half progressed rookie standout Mac Chown, centre-turned-flyhalf Craig Leveridge and winger Davor Stojanov all add tries of their own. The only area of concern in what was otherwise a shining performance was the McMaster penalty count. The Maroon and Grey were penalized often throughout the second half and were eventually given a yellow card for repeated infringements. One of the top performers in the game as well as this season for McMaster has been rookie centre Mac Chown, who arrived from the high school rugby haven of Barrie Central Collegiate. Chown, who has represented both Canada and Ontario at the U-17 level, was recruited not only by the Marauders but by Queen’s and Western as well. In making his decision he listed both academic and athletic reasons for choosing to don the Maroon and Grey. “I came to Mac because of the really good kinesiology program, which is the program that I was really interested in studying,” said Chown. “Also knowing how • PLEASE SEE CHOWN, S6
THE SILHOUETTE • S3
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 13, 2011
Men’s Soccer
Football
Mac goes tops in OUA West
QB returns to guide Mac in dominant win over Blues Brandon Meawasige Assistant Sports Editor
Under the lights of Ron Joyce Stadium, with his arms crossed in pride, Kyle Quinlan turned to pose triumphantly for the crowd after a powerful 12-yard run. Seeing the playing field for the first time in three games after a suspension, Quinlan received a warm welcome from the Marauder faithful. Although it was not his first game, his last or a contest featuring a top-ranked opponent, Oct. 6 presented the fourth year star a unique opportunity to remind the CIS why he is widely considered to be one of the best quarterbacks in the country. By the time Quinlan was taken out of the game, with almost an entire quarter remaining, he had lit up the scoreboard for five touchdowns and 455 yards passing. The yardage was spread out with seven different receivers getting at least one catch. “Kyle did not look even a little bit rusty, it was as good a football game as you can play, he stretched the field vertically, horizontally and that’s as good as our offense has worked in a while,” said coach Stefan Ptaszek. Garret McConville and the Mac defense played their stongest game of the season shutting out the York Lions 2-0. Perhaps the Toronto Varsity Blues were the victims of being in the wrong place ting out their heavyweight opponent 2-0. team in the country,” said Grant. Brandon Meawasige “It was a great result, we worked The Marauders have gained a tre- at the wrong time. Quinlan’s return seemed Assistant Sports Editor hard preparing for the game, it was good to mendous confidence from the York victory, to add tremendous electricity not only to the Stepping onto the practice field Tuesday go out there and beat the best team in the and they tried to take that swagger to the passing game, but to the entire team as well. night, members of the McMaster men’s soc- country, we worked hard and it was good to field against the Guelph Gryphons on Satur- Rallying around the all-star performance of their quarterback, McMaster won the game cer team could be heard exclaiming “We’re show everyone in the OUA that we can com- day at home. ranked! We’re ranked!” among various other pete at this level, it is good for us,” fourth- Unfortunately, the game did not handily by a score of 50-14. Once again the defence chipped in expletives and confident words. year goalkeeper Matt Grant said this week at yield a result that would continue the jubi- The men are jubilant for good rea- practice. lance. After 90 minutes of good soccer and a with a dominating performance, intercepting son as well; the Marauders are the newest The Marauders not only physically beautiful Guelph strike, the game ended in a Toronto’s quarterback Andrew Gillis three times. members of the 2011 CIS top ten national outmatched the Lions, but mentally as well. disappointing 1-1 draw. “The defense has come back from men’s soccer rankings, coming in at no. 7. “We got a red card early, and it ended up be- “Guelph was a missed opportunity McMaster earned the honor after ing a scrappy game. They were getting frus- for us to jump ahead in the standings, which getting their nose bloody in the second week becoming the first team to defeat the de- trated; we out played them the whole game. are very close. First and third place are sepa- to playing four solid games, they’ve really helped carry our team through this win fending national champion York Lions this I don’t think they were expecting a close rated by four points,” said Grant. season. The two teams faced off last Friday game from us, because they usually go out at Ron Joyce with the maroon and grey shut- there with the confidence of being the best • PLEASE SEE MAC, S8 • PLEASE SEE MARAUDERS, S8 RENEE VIEIRA / SILHOUETTE STAFF
THE SILHOUETTE • S4
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 13, 2011
Women’s Volleyball
New players, new system for Mac ronment. Most recently, this trend manifested itself at McMaster’s annual Thanksgiving tournament, in which the hosts managed a bronze-medal finish. After an easy straight-sets victory in their opening quarterfinal against the Royal Military College, the Marauders were convincingly beaten in the subsequent round by the Brock Badgers before bouncing back to claim the tournament’s bronze medal with a four-set win over the Ryerson Rams on Oct. 8. Speaking in the wake of that result, coach Tim Louks acknowledged that his squad is experiencing the sort of growing pains one would expect from a team chalked full of rookie players and experimenting with new systemic options. However, while much of the Marauders’ weekend efforts left something to be desired, Louks did take the time to praise the play of setter Amanda Weldon, who demonstrated her offensive flair as McMaster debuted a two-setter formation. “We’re seeing more different than not, and we’re seeing a better Amanda Weldon,” commented the coach. “We’re not quite ready to be flipping back and forth between systems, but we’ll keep working on it to allow it to have some influence. “Because Amanda is too good an attacker not to be doing that. She gets off the floor very well and she’s pretty violent.” For Louks, the growth and adaptation process will be a much easier one when his roster becomes healthier, as several players have been absent from the Marauder setup throughout the preseason. Fortunately, a few such performers are closing in on reentry to the lineup as the new campaign apShannon McRobert (8) is one of only two fourth years on the Mac roster. proaches. Fraser Caldwell Maroon and Grey for this campaign, five “It’ll be nice to get a few of these Sports Editor are rookies and only two have reached their kids off the shelf,” said Louks of his redfourth year of varsity competition. shirted players. “[Patricia] Raso was cleared Very little looks familiar when one watches But beyond the names on the depth today [Oct. 11] with her tonsil issue, and this year’s edition of the Marauders com- chart, the McMaster squad has undergone [Meghan] Jamieson is probably a week pete, and that newness extends from the massive change on the volleyball court, as away from ready after her hip problem. team sheet to the style of play on offer. coach Tim Louks has made radical altera- “Emily Dennis is also close. We After the 2010-11 season saw sev- tions to the formations and tactics employed may have two of them back by the match on eral influential members of the McMaster by his charges. the weekend [Oct. 15].” squad complete their eligibility and con- The result thus far in the Maraud- Veteran hitter Lauren Skelly, meanclude their varsity careers, this season’s ers’ exhibition schedule has been a Jekyll while, remains on the bench as she rehateam is flush with new faces. and Hyde experience, as the team works to bilitates an abdominal tear. She is expected In a field of 15 players donning the institute a new system in a competitive envi- to return to the lineup within the next two JEFF TAM / SILHOUETTE STAFF
weeks. While the team works to acclimatize themselves to the demands of the new season, the Marauders’ prized off-season recruit Lauren Mastroluisi appears ready to meet the test of OUA volleyball. The Ancaster native performed well as a consistent starter over the Thanksgiving weekend, and Louks indicates that she has adapted quickly to her new varsity surroundings. “She fits very well already,” the coach said of his rookie’s role in the lineup. “She’s definitely going to be a great addition, and she’s already a multiple-match starter. We’ll have to work through the reps that we need to get her to settle her in a little better. “Because there are some technical things that she’s doing that just won’t work with the pace of the game at this level.” One area in which Mastroluisi and her teammates will need to adjust is in their defensive game, where the effects of a recent systemic overhaul were painfully obvious at times throughout McMaster’s home tournament. However, Louks indicated his belief that results on the defensive end would improve as his players become more comfortable with their tactical expectations. “We’ve shaped the defence differently and only introduced it a week ago, and played in that system for the first time over the weekend,” said the Marauder bench boss. “So there were a few acclimatization issues that were pretty shocking. Those are just system challenges. “But what I did like was that in certain circumstances, when we were making touches, we were doing a very good job with them. I think the system was the issue more so than the personnel. “So if we can get used to the system and run it at a higher speed, which we will, then I think it’s a better style of play for us.” Louks hopes that his squad’s final pre-season tilt on Oct. 15 will showcase further improvement on their part, and a greater grasp of the overhauled tactics that he looks to feature this season. That contest comes against the Toronto Varsity Blues, and will get underway at 1 p.m. at the Burridge Gym.
THE SILHOUETTE • S5
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 13, 2011
Feature
Whitlock fights on the biggest stage Fraser Caldwell Sports Editor
By now, fighting on home soil seems like second nature to Lyndon Whitlock. After all, he’s done it twice before. But if the site of the Stoney Creek native’s Oct. 14 tussle isn’t exactly momentous, the stage on which he will be fighting certainly is. That’s because Whitlock, who enjoys a 5-1 record as a professional mixed martial artist, will be appearing on national television for the first time as part of a primetime fight card. His recent fistic successes have landed him a place with one of Canada’s leading fight promotions, the Score Fighting Series, which enjoys extensive media coverage as a corporate offshoot of the Score television network. For a man who has spent his short career plying his trade on minor promotions with little to no exposure, the Oct. 14 card represents an unprecedented opportunity. Whitlock’s rise to such a prominent position in the sport is especially impressive given the fact that he only re-entered the sport two years ago. After an initial taste of training as a teenage student at Stoney Creek’s Saltfleet District Secondary School, the fighter went westward in search of work and abandoned mixed martial arts in the process. But the aspiring athlete within him was not to be denied, as Whitlock returned to his Stoney Creek home two years ago two years ago and made the fateful decision to pursue his training at the local Iron Tiger gym. Then a training centre focused almost exclusively on the sport of Muay Thai, Iron Tiger has since reoriented its training toward mixed martial arts and has enjoyed great success in doing so. In addition to Whitlock, the gym boasts two other fighters making appearances in the Score Fighting Series event, including Bellator Fighting Championships Season Two competitor William Romero. For his part, Whitlock indicates that the quality of fighters on offer at Iron Tiger ensures the best possible preparation for his entries into the cage. “I think it makes a world of difference,” the featherweight competitor says of
PHOTO C/O SCORE MEDIA
Lyndon Whitlock finds himself on the most high-profile fight card of his career. his team’s skill level. “You can be one of the looking forward to fighting him, but I don’t best fighters in the world, but if you don’t really focus on the pressure of the fight. train with the best, you won’t be sharp or fit “I just have to stick to my game when it’s time to fight.” plan and do what I have to do to win, wheth That preparation becomes ever er I’m fighting in my back yard or on the more important as Whitlock edges up the biggest stage in Canada.” competitive ladder, and finds himself on The featherweight is a strong belarger stages. liever that a venue itself loses all importance He acknowledges that the Oct. 14 once a fight becomes a reality, and the cage fight is his toughest yet, but argues that his door closes behind you. approach remains the same regardless of the “I love fighting at home, and this task at hand. will be my third event in Hamilton,” said “It’s a huge opportunity,” Whitlock Whitlock. “But it doesn’t make a difference remarked about the Oct. 14 card. “It’s go- once you step into the cage. It just means ing to be a great fight and [opponent] Tristan that I’ll be able to sleep in my own bed and Johnson is one of the best in the country. I’m hang out with my friends before and after
the fight.” The man staring across the local product when that cage door does indeed close is an accomplished fighter in his own right, and a stiff challenge for the ascending Whitlock. The fighter in question is Tristan Johnson, a Nova Scotia product and renowned striker whose 6-2 record underlines his formidability. Intriguingly, Johnson’s last victory came against a teammate of Whitlock’s, as he rode a strong standup performance to a unanimous decision win over Iron Tiger poster-boy William Romero in June at the Score Fighting Series’ inaugural event. However, Whitlock insists that revenge is not on his mind as he prepares to face Johnson on Oct. 14. “I’ve been asked about this a lot,” the featherweight said of his teammate’s loss. “But you know, this fight is really not about that. It’s the nature of the sport, and I hold no grudges against Tristan for that fight. If he came over here and beat up my mom, then it would be a different story. “But Will is a teammate, and he’s just participating in a sport.” What Romero’s loss to Johnson undoubtedly does mean for Whitlock is that he is well aware of his opponent’s stylistic approach as he nears fight night. The Stoney Creek native argues that while Johnson is easy to read, that in no way makes him a simple task to combat. “If you watch Tristan fight, then you know what to expect every time,” remarked Whitlock. “He’ll be looking to come out and strike. That’s his game plan and it’s never really changed. We’re going to try to make him uncomfortable and put him in spots he’s not used to being in. “Tristan’s pretty predictable, and he’ll keep going to what’s been working for him.” For his part, Whitlock hopes to thwart that orthodox approach and clinch a potentially career-making win. If he can overcome Johnson, the featherweight knows that even greater opportunities await him. But for any mixed martial artist, looking too far into the future is a dangerous game. So for the time being, Whitlock’s sights are firmly set on Tristan Johnson and the challenge of Oct. 14.
S6 • THE SILHOUETTE
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 13, 2011
Men’s Rugby
Women’s Rugby
Chown excels in Maroon and Grey
Toronto poses quarterfinal test
• CONT’D FROM S2 good the rugby program was helped make my decision.” Although young in experience, the large amount of playing time means Chown has been thrown right into the intense environment that is OUA rugby. For his part, the rookie praised the quality of the conference he finds himself in. “It’s definitely a huge set up from high school rugby,” Chown commented. “It’s a lot more physical with more skilled players. Every player on every team is good, there are really no weak links.” When asked about his impression of the team’s performance so far this year, Chown was blunt in his assessment of his own and the team’s sluggish start. “I think we’ve been underperforming the past month, the first few games were slow to get started and even though we won they weren’t solid wins. “And of course, the loss to Queen’s was a slap in the face, but I think we’ve been going forward bit by bit and started to improve our focus.” Focus is just what the Marauders will need this weekend as they take on the undefeated Western Mustangs on Oct. 15, in a rematch of last year’s OUA Final. “In order to win everyone needs to make their tackles and smash them [Western]. We can’t make stupid errors. Our philosophy this week has been to execute our skills, do the simple things right and be physical.” If Chown and the rest of the Maroon and Grey can execute this simple but effective game plan as well as they did last year it will be a very entertaining match to watch. Kickoff is at 2 p.m. in London.
• CONT’D FROM S2 Sarah Berry also scored, with Maggie Cogger-Orr adding a convert on a day that saw a very balanced scoring attack on the part of the Marauders. Despite the undefeated record, coach Cam Mitchell made it clear that this was not his team’s ultimate goal. “We’re happy with it, going undefeated in the regular season, but we just have to think that we haven’t won anything yet and keep reminding ourselves of that, because there’s no trophy or medal for winning the regular season.” When asked if the impressive record relieved the stress any rookie coach inevitably feels, Mitchell stayed on point, praising his team and reiterating their goal. “I think that we had to go 5-0 as a team. I’m very happy with it, but we haven’t won anything yet.” It was an impressive regular season nonetheless, one that saw the Marauders outscore their opponents 232 to 54. That offensive output was tops in McMaster’s division, and second only to OUA powerhouse Guelph. McMaster now takes on a Toronto team which they trashed 69-7 on Sept. 24 in Scarborough. Coach Mitchell outlined his approach to playing a playoff game against a team that was handled so easily by his squad just three weeks ago. “We’re going in with the thought that it’s a completely different team we’re playing. They beat Waterloo who we thought would be one of our biggest competitors and they put up over 20 points against Queen’s, who we were very close with, so we think that they’re peaking at the exactly right time and they’re going to give us a very good game.” Despite a grueling regular season of rugby coming to an end, Mitchell has no plans to change his
JEFF TAM / SILHOUETTE STAFF
After trampling the competition team’s habits this week as they prepare to take on the Varsity Blues. The coach plans to run his team as hard as ever. “I think we got here by working hard in practice, playing a lot of games, doing contact, so the hard work we do in practice carries over to the games. So I don’t want to scale back the intensity too much because I think that might scale back our intensity in the game.” Trent will take on the second-place Queen’s Gaels in the other Russell Division quarterfinal,
in the OUA, Mac hosts the Toronto Varsity Blues. with Brock squaring off against for Guelph in one word. Waterloo and Guelph taking on the “Pressure. Basically their Western Mustangs in the Shiels Di- games so far have been semivision quarterfinal games. contested training runs. No one’s Guelph also ran the table put them under pressure. They’ve this year in the OUA, with an as- scored at will, so I think if we can tonishing plus-445 point differen- work hard against them, work hard tial through five games. They are and put them under pressure, they ranked second in the nation and won’t have experienced that before have faced virtually no real oppo- and we can probably give them a sition this season. game.” Many are looking towards The Marauders will start a potential match up between the their journey through the OUA Marauders and the Gryphons in the playoffs on Oct. 15 at Back Ten OUA Championship game. Coach Field. Game time for the quarterfiMitchell explained his game plan nal matchup is 12 p.m.
THE SILHOUETTE • S7
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 13, 2011
Women’s Soccer
Balanced approach brings success After struggling for consistency, Mac has found a winning formula Fraser Caldwell Sports Editor
The Marauders could not possibly ask to round into form at a better time. With their conference season quickly nearing its conclusion, McMaster finds itself in third position in the OUA West following two key home wins over Thanksgiving weekend. The Marauders had endured an up and down campaign for much of the season, unable to maintain momentum and build up the sort of winning streak necessary to lock up a top playoff position. But in consecutive shutout victories over the York Lions and Guelph Gryphons on Oct. 7 and 9 respectively, McMaster may have found the winning formula they’ve been searching for. The Maroon and Grey began their long weekend on Oct. 7 against the Lions and clinched a 1-0 win thanks to a 78th minute strike from veteran forward Tara Dawdy and a well-ordered defensive effort in front of goalkeeper Brittany Duffey. McMaster would continue to exhibit similar play two days later, clinching yet another clean sheet against the Guelph Gryphons at Ron Joyce Stadium. Defender Alyssa Fenuta provided an early tally for the Marauders before Tara Dawdy added her second goal of the weekend on a well-taken half volley in the second half. Once again, the hosts would be stingy in defence, and secured Duffey’s second consecutive clean sheet upon the final whistle. The sophomore keeper’s achievement earned her recognition as this week’s McMaster Female Athlete of the Week. With only three games remaining on their conference schedule and a record of 6-4-1, the Marauders find themselves in a dogfight for second place in the OUA West Division. That situation has only been made possible by the team’s newfound form, and team captain Melanie van der Hoop explains that her team’s success is a result of their improved individual performances.
“It’s not only the familiarity with the system, but the consistency of the players as well,” the veteran midfielder said in attributing the Marauders’ winning ways. “It’s a matter of finding a set lineup and once we found the right mix, sticking with it. “We have a bench where we can actually sub people in and it won’t affect things on the field badly. Being able to bring people in and move them around without losing any of our flow is a huge advantage. “If we want to change our formation at the half, we can do that because we have the flexibility on and off the bench.” Instrumental to the Marauders’ recent wins has been the team’s ability to find scoring from multiple sources. For her part, van der Hoop argues that such balance in attack makes McMaster more difficult to play, as opponents can’t key on one player. “It’s a huge advantage when we don’t have one star player on the team,” said the captain. “That gives us more flexibility and that shows on the scoreboard. We have midfielders and forwards all capable of posing a threat. Nat [Natalie Brace] and Emma [Mangialardi] both play up front but their role is to stay wide. “So the fact that they’re still getting the shots on goal and finishing the way they are is huge.” The captain believes that the reason so many of her teammates are making headway has much to do with the coaching style employed by the Marauders’ bench boss Brett Mosen. “Brett does a really good job in practice of putting people in and letting them experience what he wants the team to do,” argued van der Hoop. “He makes sure that everyone knows what their role is, so that when they get the opportunity they know what to do.” The next such opportunity on Oct. 14, as McMaster hosts the Brock Badgers in another pivotal late season clash. The importance of gaining maximum points is apparent to van der Hoop but she remarks that despite their record, the Badgers will not be easily subdued. “They’ve always given us a tough game,” said the captain of her team’s next
RENEE VIEIRA / SILHOUETTE STAFF
Cristina Leonardelli and the Marauders opponent. “They’re not particularly skillful but they just fight really hard for every ball. That sort of gritty team can get to you, and it’s hard to push past them sometimes because it takes a lot of character to put that aside and play better.”
have jumped to third in the OUA. McMaster faithful will be hoping that van der Hoop and her teammates can do just that on Oct. 14 and lock up three vital points en route to the OUA playoffs. The Friday night clash kicks off at 6 p.m. at Ron Joyce Stadium.
S8 • THE SILHOUETTE
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 13, 2011
Men’s Soccer
Football
Mac deals York first loss of the season
Marauders win fourth in a row
• CONT’D FROM S3 The Marauders may even be further ahead in the standings if not for a mid- season draw with the University of Ontario Institute of Technology Ridgebacks. However during that game McMaster was missing some key players including team Captain Anthony Costa, who scored against York, surely contributing to the 0 - 0 draw. After that game, Costa offered a prediction for the upcoming trip to Oshawa to play an away game at UOIT. Surely looking to send a message, Costa shared his feelings on the upcoming rematch. “I’ll say this, when we go over there, it is going to be a completely different story,” Costa warned. With only four games remaining on the schedule against traditionally softer opponents, Costa and the rest of the team have a chance to solidify themselves atop the OUA West and possibly even climb the National rankings. “It’s great to be nationally ranked through the middle of the season. It’s a great feeling. We’ll be looking to continue to climb the rankings and prove to the country that were not a one-trick pony,” said Grant. Although the triumph marks large step in the right direction, beating the defending national champions during the season is different from a national championship. The fact of a win like that however, is now the team carries with it the expectations that come with entering the picture as a national powerhouse. Whether the team can live up to the bar they have set for themselves is a completely different story. One that will continue to write itself as the regular season concludes and the daring road to the championship begins. Playing each of the remaining teams once earlier in the season, the Marauders have scored 13 goals allowing only one in those four games. Up next for McMaster are the Brock Badgers whom they will host this Friday, Oct. 14 at Ron Joyce Stadium. Last time the two teams faced off in St. Catharines, the Marauders looked like a championship contender, winning 4-1.
PHOTO C/O RICHARD ZAZULAK
Quarterback Kyle Quinlan returned to the field with a vengance last week, leading Mac to a 50-14 victory at home • CONT’D FROM S3 and hopefully it continues not only for the next two games but after that as well” said Ptaszek. The victory brings the Marauders winning streak to four games after beginning the season 1-1. Not that the good news ends there, but up next on the schedule are two of the more formidable opponents in the OUA. The Laurier Golden Hawks, whom the Marauders play on Oct. 15 in Waterloo, possess one of the strongest passing attacks in the conference. Shamawd Chambers and Dillon Heap are both having tremendous seasons receiving the ball. Each player has also had personal success against the Marauders as well. In the two games the teams have played against each other in since 2009, Chambers has recorded 10 catches for 200 yards and a touchdown. Heap has had even more success also making 10 receptions for 226 yards
while torching Mac on kick and punt returns. The Marauders have not had good luck visiting the Tri-City area, something that pre-dates Ptaszek as head coach of the team. “[Laurier] have athletes from top to bottom, we haven’t won there since 2001, that’s a decade ago” says the coach currently in his sixth year with the team. Ptaszek has weapons of his own to use. This week marks the return of allstar running back Joey Nemet from injury opening the possibility for the Marauders to have a triple-pronged attack in the backfield. Running backs Jimmy Hill and rookie Chris Pezetta shared the load effectively while Nemet was out. Now the coaching staff is charged with the task of getting them the ball on Saturday. “We’re a better football team with all three of those kids getting their fair share of touches, Joey is probably the best pass protector on the team and he’ll keep Kyle
(Quinlan) off his back, while the burst and change of pace that we get from Jimmy and Chris means they will still have to touch the ball,” said Ptaszek of his running game plan for the weekend. With such consistent play coming from both sides of the line of scrimmage, Ptaszek expects that a pair of regular players will have big games. “[Kick returner Gary] Spero is due for a big return, he’s been playing wonderful at receiver, he’s going to have a breakout game and Joey Cupido has been resting, and he’ll have an All-Canadian receiver [in Heap] across from him.” After a shaky start and numerous injuries to key players, the Marauders look better than ever. The return of Kyle Quinlan adds veteran leadership and championship caliber play at pivot, while the defense looks ready to take on any challenge. The matchup with the Hawks can be seen on the Score’s University Rush. Game time for the Oct. 15 clash is 1 p.m.
THE SILHOUETTE • C1
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 13, 2011
INSIDEOUT
production office extension: 27117 insideout@thesil.ca
JONATHON FAIRCLOUGH / PRODUCTION EDITOR
Cassandra Jeffery
Assistant Insideout Editor
As adults in our university careers, our relationships with a significant other evolve into a more delicate and emotionally fragile debacle. We mature from innocent children who bond over love notes, Pokemon and recess, into adults who search for true companionship. As we move into adulthood, our intimate relationships involve the incorporation of multiple facets of two individuals – often including core values of religion and culture. For many couples, the questions of how to deal with the
complexities of religion, culture and race in the context of a relationship is daunting. Is it possible for ideologies grounded in culture and religion to interconnect? Canada is diverse as any place in the world. Still, the stigma of interracial and interfaith relationships is hard to avoid even in our diverse, open society. Derek and Mary Handley have been married for over 50 years. They originally met in Mexico, when Mary, a school teacher of Chinese and Mexican descent, provided Derek with directions while he was on vacation from Germany. They were married in
1961, and despite the conservative time period, skin colour was never an issue for the couple and their families. “For a relationship to endure it means working the difficulties out if you have any. It has nothing to do with race... it’s like any other two human beings that get married,” says Mary. “People go by personality so they don’t look so much at [the fact] that they’re of a different race...it has to click, there has to be something there, and so you look beyond race, and even religion,” says Derek, suggesting that he and his wife “were extremely open-
Boots: Winners $60 Blazer RW&Co. $27 Watch: Ebay $3 Necklace: Winners $20
minded for the time period and have created a lasting marriage based on common interests and personalities, not on skin colour.” Although interfaith and interracial dating is less taboo than it was during the Handley marriage, the notion still sparks controversy and attention. Ankita Dubey, a fourth-year McMaster psychology student, and Joti Dhillon, a Mohawk business graduate, have been in an interfaith relationship for over a year. Dubey is Hindu and Joti is Sikh, both have similar Indian cultural traditions yet follow two vastly different religions. From the
beginning, the couple explains that there were a lot of barriers and as the relationship grew to a more serious level, the problems only worsened. One of the biggest hindrances to their relationship was the secrecy of the relationship between Dhillon and his family. With an underlying pressure to date a woman from within the Sikh religion, Dhillon felt as though his family would not accept Dubey; however, as recently discovered, it seems Dhillon’s family wants only for him to be happy, even if it’s with someone of • PLEASE SEE GET C3
ThreadCount
Jenna Shamoon Second Year Art History and English Favourite quote: “All the effort in the world won’t matter if you’re not inspired.” Chuck P. Favourite band: The Doors Describe your style: Whatever works What do you look for in a significant other: someone who’s inspiring to me
Photos by Tyler Hayward
National Coming Out Day
PDA? Please, no
The McMaster community challenges oppression with NCOD.
Avoid a snug-sesh mid-movie.
Pg. C4
Pg. C6
C2 • THE SILHOUETTE
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 13, 2011
Escape the midterm madness without alcohol abuse or the use of hallucinogenic drugs. Write for InsideOut! Volunteer meetings Thursdays @ 1:30 p.m. or email insideout@thesil.ca
THE SILHOUETTE • C3
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 13, 2011
Get down with difference • CONT’D FROM THE DEAL C3 of a different faith. “We wouldn’t be able to go to that next step,” Dhillon says about overcoming the would-be barrier of family acceptance. Both insist that with this barrier overcome, they are much more emotionally and mentally present in this relationship “I don’t think it’s important to identify with one label of a religion, it’s more important to get the values out of the religion,” says Dubey, noting that for an interfaith relationship to work at its best, open-mindedness and incorporating elements of each others’ faiths is essential. “we’ll always be dealing with interfaith issues, but it gives us something to explore.” For Health Science students Emma Mauti and Paul Cheon, religious and cultural barriers are not an issue. Mauti is of Italian and German descent, though she comes from a typically Canadian family without any Italian or German traditions, while Cheon spent the first 10 years of his life in South Korea before coming to Canada with his family. Both Mauti and Cheon say, however, that cultural barriers were never an issue. “It really enriches you and it’s always nice to learn about something new that I otherwise wouldn’t have known,” says Mauti. “I want to see things from another perspective,” says Choi. Among those things is the way Mauti and Cheon have been able to explore issues of racism through their experiences. “People don’t physically have to show it, but we know that we get some sort
of attention when we go out in the streets and hold hands,” says Cheon. For Mauti and Cheon, accepting each other’s culture isn’t nearly as big an issue as society’s acceptance of them as a couple. Mauti recalls a friend asking to see a picture of her boyfriend, and showing immediate surprise when seeing he wasn’t white. Mauti and Cheon have come to accept the fact that they might always have to fight barriers in terms of racial prejudices, however, they wish to instil a notion of genuine acceptance in which a relationship similar to theirs will be represented in society the same way as a standardized same-race relationship. In our society, we’re often thrown off when couples deviate from the traditions and show off a public interfaith or interracial relationship. Even in Canada’s diverse cultural landscape, second glances are still cast toward non-traditional couples. Nicole Duquette, Interfaith Coordinator for Diversity Services at McMaster, says the success of interfaith relationships depend on communication and open-mindedness. “People need to know that they don’t have to sacrifice their own beliefs in order to appreciate their partners.” We must acknowledge that diversity within culture and religion truly enriches our society as it creates awareness and acceptance. Even if we are not in an interfaith or interracial relationship, we cultivate relationships with diverse individuals everyday— from co-workers to friends we are immersing ourselves in culture in the hopes that one day we’ll all become colour blind.
Eye Oh Tidbits Marrytimes?
For every 100 Canadian men there are 102 Canadian women in the 15 to 64 age group. The provinces where the imbalance is greatest are Newfoundland/Labrador, Prince Edward Island, and Nova Scotia; all have more than 105 women for every 100 men.
Mead me at the moon
4000 years ago it was accepted practice in Babylon that the bride’s father would supply his son-in-law with all the mead he could drink for a month after the wedding. Mead is a honey beer and because the calendar was lunar based, this period was called the honey month, which we know today as the honeymoon.
Role reversal
The male seahorse is the only husband in the world that carries the babies until they are ready to be born. The female deposits her eggs into the male’s body and then retires from the family scene. After giving birth, a male is ready to start all over again the very same day.
Living on the edge
It is possible for a human being to survive after the removal of the spleen, the stomach, one kidney, one lung, 75 per cent of the liver, 80 per cent of the intestines, and almost every organ from the pelvic and groin region.
Shakespeare be his name
It is believed that Shakespeare was 46 around the time that the King James Version of the Bible was written. In Pslams 46, the 46th word from the first word is shake and the 46th word from the last word is spear.
C4 • THE SILHOUETTE
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 13, 2011
Mac celebrates NCOD The MSU challenges homophobia and trans-phobia to promote a more inclusive community Natalie Timperio
Senior InsideOut Editor
“We’re here, we’re queer, and we’re fabulous!” Perhaps these words, claimed by Vilma Rossi, Program Coordinator for the Office of Human Rights and Equity Services, best encapsulate National Coming Out Day (NCOD), celebrated this past Tuesday in the Student Centre atrium. Tuesday represented McMaster’s very first celebration of NCOD and was primarily focused on breaking down homophobia and trans-phobia. “NCOD ... started with a gay rights march in Washington, D.C., that has now spread around the world,” said Chris Erl, SRAHumanities and MSU Executive Board member. The event was organized by the MSU in partnership with Human Rights and Equity Services, Diversity Services, the SRA, the Feminist Alliance McMaster (FAM) and numerous other allies like gay rights organizations in the community such as The Well—Hamilton’s LGBTQ community wellness centre. The event marks a milestone in the MSU’s anti-oppression campaign, stemming from an antioppression policy created by the MSU this past September. Erl said that the anti-oppression policy “shows that there is a new direction for students; it shows that their representatives aren’t just there to discuss where the vending machines go in the Student Centre or what kind of coffee we have in the Union Market. It shows that we are taking a stand on social issues that actually matter; that affect all students on this campus.” Raven Tam, Queer Students Community Center (QSCC) Coordinator, also said that NCOD “ties into the larger MSU anti-oppression campaign. I think the antioppression campaigns that will be going on in the coming years are going to be really helpful in making it obvious to newcomers to Mac,
and potential people who may be thinking about applying to Mac, that Mac is a safe place [for those who are queer].” Though in previous years the MSU has not put a lot of focus or effort into such matters, Erl noted it is something that they are now beginning to take a stand on and will continue to. “It’s [the MSU’s] responsibility to represent everybody and that’s why [we are] tackling homophobia, trans-phobia, and religious discrimination, which includes Islam-phobia and anti-Semitism [and] ableism.” Rossi said that NCOD and the MSU’s anti-oppression campaign extend beyond the McMaster student experience as well. “Our take on the event [was] Coming Out at Work day because there really is a very strong recognition that people do not leave parts of themselves at the front door,” said Rossi of the Human Rights and Equity Services’ goal. “We want to encourage people and employers to create a safe space where everybody could be all of who they are in the workplace ... [to be] a much more engaged and productive employee. So it’s a win-win situation; the employer gets recognized for building an inclusive community and in return employees are much more satisfied.” Emphasizing the connectedness within the McMaster community as a whole was one of the central focuses of NCOD and still is for the MSU’s anti-oppression campaign. “There is a large community of people [oppression] affects, and it affects everybody if there’s discrimination on campus; it affects the structure of our Union, it affects our ability to represent all people and so I think it’s our responsibility to take on social activism roles,” said Erl. Whether straight, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgendered, transsexual, queer or questioning, the participants of NCOD produced one salient message: closets are for clothes. Students and staff alike congregrated in the MUSC Atrium for NOCD.
RICARDO PADILLA/ ASSISTANT PHOTO EDITOR
MSU’s Night Market madness Katherine George Silhouette Staff
TYLER HAYWARD / SENIOR PHOTO EDITOR
Delicious treats and eats alongside live performaces at the MSU Night Market.
An assembly of students gathered in the McMaster University Student Center (MUSC) on Tuesday Oct. 11 for the McMaster Students Union (MSU) Night Market event. Beginning at 6 p.m. and running throughout the evening until 10:30 p.m., this event was organized by the MSU Diversity Services in collaboration with MacBEAT, McMaster Breakdancing club and the Canadian Asian Student Society (CASS). Inspiration for the MSU Market Night was derived from East and South-East Asia, where a similar type of a street market takes place. The objective is an interactive shopping environment where individuals are able to purchase a variety of items from different vendors within the surrounding Hamilton area and to experience what McMaster has to offer. Items that were available from the various vendors included eco-friendly clothing made organically with bamboo, jewellery, decorative household items such as colourful magnets, bright pillows, and pictures. In addition to some leisurely shopping, MSU services and student clubs hosted a variety of games where students had the chance to win prizes. In addition, psychics, henna tattoo artists, and caricaturists were just a few of the many special activities available on this night. Although entrance to the
event was free, attendees who purchased a Night Market Pass in advance were given free access to all of these special activities. Not only were there special activities, but the MSU Night Market also gave individuals a chance to indulge in food, which was provided by Paradise Catering. Sticking to the theme of cultural diversity, the food was traditional Asian cuisine which included dishes such as spanakopita, samosas, bubble tea in addition to delicious deserts including fruit kabobs and tiramisu. In between the shopping, games, activities and food, there were multiple performances that ran continuously throughout the night that helped to keep the energy alive. Performers included the McMaster Breakdancing Club and McMaster Marching Band, Chris the Magician, McMaster Poetry & Writing Society, Mac Beatboxing, School of Bhangra and many more. Elora Bibby, a fourth year McMaster nursing student, said that “events like these are great because they encourage students to get involved, interact with new people and enjoy a chance to have fun while learning about cultural diversity.” Numerous students who did not purchase a Night Market Pass were found curiously wandering into the event in order to catch a glimpse of the commotion. Attendees who did purchase a pass were present most of the night enjoying the diverse array of food and live performances.
THE SILHOUETTE • C5
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 13, 2011
Word of the Week DFID (Dissociative Facebook Identity Disorder)
Definition A common disorder where a person displays multiple personalities: one in person and one on Facebook.
Used in a sentence Oh my god, Beth! Rhonda is so twofaced; she’s an absolute sweetheart on Facebook, but a complete biotch in person. She so has DFID, I can’t deal.
Got a word of the week? We’re always looking for good ideas, so send it along our way, Just don’t get all DFID on us, we cant stand that stuff. insideout@thesil.ca
C6 • THE SILHOUETTE
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 13, 2011
SEXandthe STEELCITY
Keeping the PDA PG Leave displays of affection behind closed doors Amanda Teseo The Silhouette
“Um…excuse me, can you take your tongue out of his mouth so I can watch this movie and not your extended foreplay?” How many of us have been stuck in a situation where public displays of affection have put us in an awkward position? Although not many of us would shout the above statement in the middle of the movie theatre, I’m sure we have thought of doing much more – anything to prevent the acoustics of the room from echoing snogging sounds into our ears. Okay, I get it. You’re turned on by something and God forbid you wet your pants with anticipation. Whether you’re tasting the appetizer before the entrée or you’re showing your special someone just how happy you are to be with them, there are definitely guidelines and boundaries for the type of affection the public should be exposed to. Definitely steer clear of anything that might trigger nausea. Keep it classy, young lovers. Speaking of young lovers, those of you who tuned in for the Royal Wedding have witnessed the quickest kiss in the history of the world. Let me break it down for those of you who didn’t catch the international broadcasting or who blinked at the wrong time and missed it. Royal couple Kate Middleton and Prince William touched lips for a total of 1.2 milliseconds. ”Kiss her again,” was what rang through the crowd immediately after the kiss. The media’s response was a combination of over-analysis and disappointment. An English brewery company even created a beer named after the peck of the century called “Kiss Me, Kate” beer, and magazine covers all over the world featured headlines like “When it comes to kisses, it doesn’t get any more Grated than this.” The truth is, the royal couple rehearsed this formality countless times. There was probably a Royal Commission involved with the eloquent delivery – angling, lighting, setting, etc. Can you imagine how people would respond if William and Kate had an intense make-out session on the balcony of Buckingham Palace? With a peck (or two), the kiss is kept elegant and scandalfree. This display of affection be-
JOY SANTIAGO/ MULTIMEDIA EDITOR
PDA can be irksome for those around you, so keep it confined to private spaces. comes categorized as classy and tasteful instead of over-the-top. Although people would have been more satisfied if the kiss lasted longer than 1.2 milliseconds, the Royal family would have frowned upon any hint of tongue.
There’s definitely a happy medium when it comes to PDA. So, this brings us back to the ultimate question of what public displays of affection are acceptable. AskMen.com, one of my favourite tell-it-like-it-is websites, has named
the “3 pillars of public displays of affection”: 1) hand-holding, 2) a kiss goodbye and 3) affectionate invasions of space. These pillars, within moderation, are expected to occur between couples. Around the three pillars
come a multitude of affectionate displays that either make the list of acceptable public activities or should be tucked away until you are in private. For example, handholding is completely acceptable; it shows your status as a couple without making people squeamish. Kissing, on the other hand, should be done within limits. To be safe, keep it brief and tongue-free. Next, we have declarations of love, the iconic part of any chick flick. The fact is that this is an intimate moment for both of you and, if the love isn’t reciprocated, an audience could make things worse. For those bitter and outof-love people out there, hearing the couple beside you whispering “I love you” back and forth may make you want to slap someone. Finally, those cutesy things some couples do, like call each other pet names, can get annoying for the people around them and possibly offend someone. Choose the wrong pet name, boys, and her friends may transform into vigilante feminists before your eyes. Overall, the three pillars of PDA are safe grounds, but anything that shouldn’t be done on the balcony of Buckingham Palace should be kept private, or at least in seclusion. Most importantly, PDA should be something both you and your significant other are comfortable with. For example, slapping his ass in public could be something he would rather steer clear of. If you use PDA to spice up your relationship, all the power to you. We are all familiar with the dreaded loss of the “honeymoon phase” spark and excitement in a relationship. This is a free country and, ultimately, what you choose to display to the public is your choice. Adam and Eve probably got down and dirty in the middle of the jungle, but we live among a much larger population. Don’t be surprised if the mother sitting across from you on the bus gives you a dirty look and covers her daughter’s eyes at the sight of your tongues intertwining. Don’t be angry when the old man beside you mumbles in disgust about “kids these days.” Young love is blissful and is also between the two of you. Keep it G rated to avoid upsetting the people around you and possibly making your partner uncomfortable. The next time you couples out there are at the movie theatre, remember that people around you paid for the movie, not the live action.
The ABCs of catcthing the zzz’s Sleep is a necessity, particularly for post-secondary students Alex Migdal The Gateway
EDMONTON (CUP) — While most students denounce sleep as the least important of their priorities, a University of Alberta professor thinks that widespread attitude should be put to rest. Cary Brown, an associate professor in the faculty of rehabilitation medicine, recently held a seminar on sleep hygiene at the U of A, where she said small changes can be taken to improve sleep for post-secondary students. Brown defined sleep hygiene as “knowing what things contribute to bad sleep, and figuring out ‘How can I adjust my lifestyle and my schedule so that I can still do what I want to do, but without [those] negative consequences?’”
She listed busy schedules and technology use as key reasons for sleep deprivation in many postsecondary students. Backlit screens used before bed activate adenosine, a neurotransmitter that signals the body to stay awake. This effect, in combination with a lack of sun and dim lighting in campus buildings, confuses the body’s circadian rhythms. Brown believes that a distorted societal perception of sleep, highlighted by the rampant advertisement of energy drinks in the media, also contributes to increased sleep deprivation rates. “We have developed this badge of honour where, if you don’t need any sleep, people think, ‘Wow, that’s really cool, and that’s great, and they’re really tough because they don’t need sleep,’” she said.
“But what happens is you start to gain, decreased libido, and a higher lack insight after you’re sleep de- risk of depression — consequences that Brown emphasized when warning students about not getting enough sleep. Sleep depriva Still, students shouldn’t be expected to sleep nine hours every tion correlates night, according to Brown. Rather, it’s the smaller, incremental chanto lower grades, ges that can have the biggest effects. weight gain, “I look at sleep like a system, so decreased libido, there’s a whole bunch of things going on, and you can’t fix everyand a higher risk thing, but maybe there’s one thing,” she said. of depression.” These changes include wearing earplugs, running a fan in the background, and wearing a sleep prived for a while. You don’t actual- mask. Longer-term changes include ly realize how poor you are manag- establishing a regular sleep scheding.” ule and finding the right amount of Sleep deprivation correl- sleep that makes you feel restored in ates directly to lower grades, weight the morning.
Despite campaigns like National Sleep Awareness Week, which ran March 7-13, Brown said she felt that a local sleep awareness campaign would be more beneficial for U of A students. “If you don’t have any sleep, how can you learn, how can you make the best of your time here?” she said. “[In the residences,] people aren’t just being jerks when they ask you to be quiet; there’s really a need for it. I know they’re starting to look more at quiet floors and I think that’ll help.” And although most people would expect that an expert in sleep would have more than enough restful nights of their own, Brown’s reasoning for her sleep research boils down to one thing. “I guess it’s because I’m sleep deprived, too.”
THE SILHOUETTE • C7
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 13, 2011
Holiday faux-pas sparks reflection Randal DeSouza SHEC Media
With Thanksgiving gone, numerous other holidays lay around the corner. While the holidays seem like a nice break from school, they also provide unnecessary cause for binging on food and alcohol alike, while family tensions run high. Additionally, there is also a higher likelihood of engaging in risky behaviour, such as drinking and driving. Let’s shed some light on our maladaptive behavioural origins and look at the steps we can take towards keeping them in check. If you’re tired, don’t blame the turkey. The common urban myth of sleepiness caused by the amino acid l-tryptophan in turkey meat has often been blamed for our tendency to want to curl up and snore shortly after the big holiday feast. While l-tryptophan is a precursor to serotonin, a brain neurotransmitter, it causes sleepiness only after ingestion by an empty stomach and in the absence
of protein, both highly unlikely at a turkey-dinner. Instead, the large quantities of food and drink are most likely the culprit, being harder to digest. This draws blood away from other functions of the digestive system, causing you to feel sleepy after such a meal, even more so if it is high in fat. With the holiday meal being traditionally high in carbs, from potatoes to bread and pie, it will produce more of the sleeppromoting chemical serotonin in the brain. l-tryptophan is also found in eggs, milk, bananas and yogurt and you certainly don’t see people eating healthy breakfasts passing out on the sofa. Remember, the more you talk, the less you eat, so engage in some dinnertime conversation! Eat something before you decide to engage in an alcoholchugging contest. As any experienced university student can tell you, drinking alcohol on an empty stomach can get you drunk faster.
Eating something will slow down alcohol absorption into the bloodstream, and help counteract the lowering of inhibitions, which may lead to shooting your mouth off at Aunt Grace, eating way more than you should and engaging in other inappropriate behavior.
While the holidays seem like a nice break from school, they also provide unnecessary cause for binging on food and alcohol alike, while family tensions run high.” A little healthy eating goes a long way. Holiday meals are notoriously fat-laden. That crispy turkey skin you’ve always loved crunching on? Well that’s pretty fatty. Also, self-basting turkeys
are high in sodium so you can easily baste a turkey yourself using an online recipe. It won’t hurt to keep some leafy or legume options like a bean salad around the table to encourage healthy eating. And most importantly, do not overeat if you can help it. Even if Aunt Sue makes the most amazing pumpkin pies… Families: the bane and beauty of the holidays. Sitting around the table passing bowls of squash and slices of turkey amidst gravy boats seems like a far-off notion all you want to do is wring a particularly smug relative’s neck, and it’s well within reach. Holiday gatherings provide a great way for family to gather together, but tensions may run high due to simmering grievances ignited by a Molotov cocktail of way too much alcohol. It is important to maintain a sense of moderation, where you don’t consume too much food or alcohol and if necessary, developing a strategy for personal space during
such a gathering. Family gatherings are intended to be positive affairs and ruining the moment of the occasion does not make for happy memories. It may be better to take the mature approach by taking the offending family member aside and discuss your issues, assuming they are not under the influence, or save it for another occasion. Accidents both big and small. Holidays are when people are more prone to accidents, it goes without saying. In particular, alcoholrelated traffic fatalities increase around the holidays, particularly Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s Eve. When in doubt about your ability to drive after a night of drinking, play the safe option and arrange for a designated driver, a taxi ride home or just bunking down at your relative’s place for the night. Alcohol’s effect on motor coordination and decision-making skills cannot be underestimated. Don’t let anyone leave your house either under the influence.
IntheKitchen
Mini zucchini quiche Taste: Scrumptious Convenience: Very convienent but half a star was deducted because it takes time to prepare, even in advance Cost: Cheap for most ingredients but half a star was deducted because of electrical energy costs and some ingredients might be expensive converge effortlessly. If you’ve never had a quiche before the texture is similar to a firm pumpkin pie, Most university students have pretty this one in particular has crumbled similar, swiftly-developing morning bits of vegetables, which breaks up routines. Perhaps if their parents the smoothness. These quiches are had their way, those routines would perfect for breakfast, lunch or even include a bite of breakfast and some brinner (breakfast for dinner). proper hygiene. Unfortunately, I would suggest pairing for most lethargic students, fluffy them with a beverage that waffles with maple syrup are only compliments the type of quiche available in their dreams. and time of day. I wouldn’t usually The reality, after consulting the burnt crust forming on their wallets, is students need If you’ve never had something quick and cheap so they a quiche before the can save for more important things texture is similar to a like re-filled ink cartridges and sixpacks. Here is one solution to our firm pumpkin pie, this morning breakfast dilemma that one in particular has hones in our time management crumbled bits of skills learned at university, not to Vegetables, which mention is delicious. Make-ahead mini quiches breaks up the can be made on the weekend with smoothness.” friends or in the company of Walter White and frozen and reheated during the week. Though you will need to seize your parents’ mini advice drinking in the morning but muffin pan or purchase your own if you have extra for the weekend at the dollar store to begin. I have pairing a few mini quiches with a included one version of this recipe mimosa or chardonnay is a lovely but like all quiche you can add just way to add a bit sunshine to a about any left over vegetables or cloudy Sunday! meat if you choose. This meal is based on eggs Ingredients: bringing up the causality dilemma: (Yields 48) which came first, the chicken, or the 1/4 cups cornstarch egg? Metaphorically many seem 1 1/4 cups whole milk to have the answer including none 2 large eggs is first which may make your head 2 large egg yolks spin however, when it comes to 1 cups heavy cream cooking this amateur chef believes 3/4 tablespoon sea salt it should be the chicken. It is 1/8 tsp nutmeg understandable that students will Oil for the pan choose the cheaper option for now 1 Tablespoon olive oil but at least be conscience of your 4 cloves garlic, minced choice and the alternatives. 2 shallots, minced Now on to taste: these light 2 zucchini, grated and fluffy quiches will float in your plop of goat cheese mouth as the mix of savory flavours 1/4 cup gruyere or parmesan, Aaren Fitzgerald The Silhouette
grated fresh basil, finely chopped How it’s made: Heat oven to 450 degrees.
Preparing Batter: Put the cornstarch in a medium bowl. Whisking steadily, slowly pour in 1/2 cup of the milk, mixing until quite smooth. Whisk in the whole eggs and egg yolks, mixing again until smooth. Gradually whisk in the rest of the milk, the cream, salt, and nutmeg. If using the next day, be sure to rewhisk, cover and refrigerate batter.
Preparing Zucchini Mixture: In a nonstick pan, heat oil over medium heat. Add garlic and shallots and stir until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add grated zucchini, and stir until just softened for 3-4 minutes. Add a small amount of goat firm goat cheese. Remove from heat. Oil mini muffin tins well. Put a pinch of grated cheese into each muffin cup (you can put it in the oven for a few seconds to crust up) a teaspoon of zucchini mixture, and pinch of chopped fresh basil. Pour 1 tablespoon of the batter into each muffin cup. If you want you can use a larger muffin tin and buy shells from the grocery store (which you should put in the oven prior to filling to avoid soggy bottoms) but this is more costly and Parmesan cheese works just as well. Bake for about 15 minutes until the quiches rise and start to turn golden. Remove the tin from the oven and let cool for 10 minutes and then carefully run a thin knife around the rim of each muffin cup and cautiously lift each quiche out of its cup. Freeze in a single layered covered container and reheat on a cookie sheet for 5-10 minutes in oven set at 400 degrees.
THE SILHOUETTE • C9
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 13, 2011
BUSINESS
production office extension: 27117 business@thesil.ca
The treacherous tragedy of tipping Assessing the dos and don’ts of tipping etiquette
What’s the Biz in the World Market? Air Canada The Air Canada strike scheduled for Thursday has been cancelled following federal intervention, spawning criticism of the use of political intervention to diminish workers’ rights. The strike was put to a halt when Federal Labour Minister Lisa Raitt prompted the Canada Industrial Relations Board to review the stalled contract talks at the airline. Any strike enacted by Air Canada flight attendants will be rendered illegal, with the threat of a $10,000 fine on each Air Canada CUPE labour leader as well as the potential threat of criminal contempt of court Talk of the strike was initiated due to the increased desire for improving work rules for flight attendants. including a new system for calculating paid time for hours during stopovers. Sony Sony Corp has recalled 1.6 million Bravia flat-panel TVs due to the risk of them catching fire or melting because of a faulty component. The recall comes after a customer noticed a small fire and smoke emitting from the television in September. According to a company statement, eleven incidents have been reported in Japan since 2008, with no injuries reported. According to Bloomberg, the recalled sets will be repaired in the incident that a damaged component was found; Sony will not provided customers with a refund or replacement TV. United Kingdom
Tipping etiquette varies globally Sonya Khanna Business Editor
Tipping etiquette: yes there’s such a thing. Although it might not be popular terminology in a student atmosphere, it is a widely accepted practice. Students may scoff at the notion of tipping, understandably due to the general lack of funds associated with student life. I’m certain many can empathize with this dilemma, but at that feared moment when the bill is anxiously placed in front of you, your conscience clouds you as you weigh the variable pros and cons of tipping etiquette. How much to tip? How little to tip at the expense of being given the evil eye by your server on your way out.
According to the Office for National Statistics, the jobless rate in London hiked to 8.1 per cent from 7.9 per cent three months prior. The unemployment rate peaked to the highest since 1994, at 2.57 million, prompting pressure on the government to loosen its fiscal hold on but is considered customary in North America. the economy as United Kingdom Having previously worked service or potentially a higher bill as well as accepted gestures and attempts to avoid recession. Youth in a restaurant with a predomin- and 10 per cent by your own per- body language to ensure you don’t employment increased to 991,000, antly student customer base, I can sonal preference if the service was find yourself in an awkward finger the highest since 1992. understand the worker woes associ- not to your liking. pointing induced predicament in a ated with weak student tipping and When contemplating how foreign country. hatred towards the plastic devil in much to tip, or whether to tip at all, For individuals who are China disguise – your student card. take into consideration factors such stumped, online calculators are Thirteen Wal-Mart stores in Chong “I used to work as a server as whether the server is required to available to determine the optimal qing, China have been shut down so I understand how much it sucks ‘tip out’ a percentage of his or her amount to tip. for 15 days by local authorities due working so hard and getting no total sales to bartenders or other ser- Onlineconversion.com to the accusation of mislabelling tips,” states fourth year econom- vice staff. does precisely what their site boasts more than 63.5 tonnes of pork as ics student Shehzin Hossain. “Now If you are travelling and –converting “just about anything organic and selling it with inflated when I go out to eat I try and make are uncertain of the unspoken ser- to anything else,” taking into ac- prices over two years. According sure I tip at least 15 per cent of the vices fees typically accepted in an- count factors such as the number to a report by Xinhua news agency, total bill.” other country, consult your travel of patrons as well as the total bill the company has been fined 6.65 Although tipping etiquette agent or take note of important in- amount. million yuan ($575,000 CAD). A varies globally and is even non- formation noted on sites such as tri- Tipping is not mandatory, media release from Wal-Mart China existent in some countries, in North padvisor.com. but it is customary in North Amer- states that the closure is temporary America it is typically accepted to Information noted on these ica. If you deem the service efficient and that several employees of the provide a service payment of ap- sites includes far more than merely enough to your taste, you might company have been detained by proximately 15 to 20 per cent of the tipping suggestions, conveying want to consider moving the deci- the local Public Security Bureau. bill provided. Generally, tipping 20 information on the differences in mal place one notch to the right on The pork posed no threat to human per cent is accepted for exceptional social etiquette between countries your bill. health. RICARDO PADILLA / THE SILHOUETTE
What’s the sitch with the future of Apple? The unveiling of the new iPhone 4S was met with disappointing reactions Rachael Ramos Silhouette Writer
With the recent press conference of Apple’s newly developed products, the long-awaited iPhone 5 was supposed to be the show stealer. Instead, new CEO Tim Cook introduced the iPhone 4S …Really? It seems all the rumors, the past year and a half of the iPhone 5 were just that - rumours. This disappointed a huge portion of Apple fans. But with the disappointingly similar iPhone being released, with hardly more than a change being an S at the end of its name, Apple provided its audience with the introduction of its new super apps to be released with the new iPhone. The newly introduced apps include iMessenger, which is like a BBM for iPhones, iCloud, a cloud service that stores your files, music
and photos and Siri, which allows verbal commands to your phone to help you send messages, makes calls and set reminders. With the reaction to the disappointment of the introduction of the iPhone 4S, do the new apps make up for the lack of the less advanced iPhone? According to The Associated Press 1 Million iPhones have been pre-ordered. Apparently Apple’s new 4S breaks records set by its previous model. However it’s hard to determine whether consumer demand is stronger for the new device than it was for previous versions as these numbers were also a production of preorder sales on the first day of release, which was not a worldwide offer. There is an abundance of mixed feelings from the consumers about the new iPhone. “I already have the iPhone 4, and there isn’t much differ-
ence. So I won’t be purchasing the 4S,” says McMaster student Sarah Mann. “I can just purchase the apps separately.” This questions Apple’s integrity of being the most revolutionary in technology. Have they run out of creative ideas on the design of the iPhone? Is this it? Obviously all they have at the moment is the 4S; the world is just going to have to wait, in suspense, to see what Apple has to offer in the future years to come. Although there seems to be interest for the 4S around the world, the iPhone 5 was supposed to be the next big announcement from Apple. Consumers were less than impressed when the unveiling of the new iPhone was simply the reconstruction of the iPhone 4; critics and fans were expecting an “earth-shattering” event much as the previous Apple unveilings. All they really wanted
was the revolutionary new design, which would have been the iPhone 5. “Apple’s new smartphone is called iPhone 4S, and it looks exactly like an iPhone 4,” noted technology site Techcrunch. Is Apple behind in their technology? It seems androids are already way ahead of the game while Apple is taking a slower pace. According to The Huffington Post the Android smartphone has gobbled up market share and overtook the iPhone as the most popular smartphone operating system in the U.S, boosting 42 percent of the market to Apple’s 27 percent. Regardless of the disappointing unveiling Apple still rose above it with remarkable success. Will able be able to maintain its success in the years to come? Will it fall behind in technology and market success?
SILHOUETTE FILE PHOTO
C10 • THE SILHOUETTE
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 13, 2011
Further woes for the Crackberry addict The recent BlackBerry outage has left users in disarray...again A media release by RIM conveys “sincere apologies” to users affected by the current BlackCue the violins and sit back and Berry service issues. watch as angry BlackBerry users Service issues initially surflood social media outlets with faced in Europe, Middle East and bitter rants of hatred for Research African regions, impacting customIn Motion. ers and prompting swift action by It seems BlackBerry users the company. just can’t catch a break given the According to a statement recent outage, ousting millions of released by Research In Motion, the users from BBM, email and texting technical difficulties were caused by services and hindering their basic a core switch failure within RIM’s means of digital communication. infrastructure. Wednesday marked the “Although the system is third day of the smartphone outage, designed to failover to a back-up leaving BlackBerry users in a switch, the failover did not function dismal rut – yet again. as previously tested. As a result, a “Times like this make me large backlog of data was generated reconsider whether I should toss my and we are now working to clear phone in for something better and that backlog and restore normal sermore reliable,” says McMaster grad vice as quickly as possible.” and BlackBerry user Alia Durbarry. Frustration amid Black “I keep thinking things Berry users has resurrected the like this won’t happen again. It’s never-ending “beef” between just really frustrating when you iPhone and Blackberry users, can’t even do something so simple prompting one BlackBerry user as text.” to half jokingly state the desire to Sonya Khanna Business Editor
“join the dark side” and purchase an iPhone. “BlackBerry subscribers in the Americas may be experiencing intermittent service delays this morning. We are working to resolve the situation as quickly as possible and we apologize to our customers for any inconvenience. We will provide a further update as soon as more information is available,” the company said. “We know that many of you are still experiencing service problems. The resolution of this service issue is our Number One priority right now and we are working night and day to restore all BlackBerry services to normal levels. We will continue to keep this page updated.” RIM has taken hit after disheartening hit it seems. The recent service issues follow a continuing shaky outlook for RIM due to plummeting shares spawning from low sales of its PlayBook tablet as well as plummeting shares.
JOY SANTIAGO / THE SILHOUETTE
Recent blunders have left RIM hanging by a thread
Jobbook: a godsend to students
Job-hunting made easy and convenient for the disgruntled student Jonathon Fairclough Production Editor
Many students would agree that finding a job can be more than just a daunting task. With student unemployment at a pretty unfavourable mark, students and web-developers are looking for news ways to deliver employment to today’s student population. Meet Jobbook: your one-
stop shop for student-only employment. Released in late September, Jobbook helps university students and recent graduates connect with jobs, internships, and career resources with the promise of connecting and networking students with otherwise inaccessible job opportunities. The best thing is it’s free. No membership fees, no tedious paperwork to fill out; Jobbook only
requires you to fill out your basic information, your education, and job experience. Launched at over 50 university campuses across North America, Jobbook is rapidly gaining popularity among students and recent grads alike. “By joining Jobbook you are saying that you have had enough of that which is already out there,” states Vice-President of University Relations at McGill University,
Zach Newburgh. “We, the students, should have a voice and take a leading role at tackling unemployment.” Jobbook anonymously matches individuals with jobs according to preference and reveals member identity only after individuals have chosen to pursue an opportunity. The anonymity of Jobbook creates a unique feature appealing to a mass demographic. In a time where it is so dif-
ficult for students to find jobs in and out of university, it’s a relief to see proactive students and developers come up with a website that directly supports young workers. Jobbook provides students with a convenient avenue for job finding, eliminating the added fluff of intrusive advertising methods. Thank you Jobbook. Please visit Jobbook.com for more details.
C12 • THE SILHOUETTE
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 13, 2011
GOTTA CATCH EM’ ALL! ...ALL THE POTENTIAL SIL BUSINESS WRITERS, THAT IS.
Breathe a temporary sigh of relief September employment figures promt mixed feelings
WANNA WRITE FOR THE BUSINESS SECTION? COME OUT TO OUR WEEKLY THURSDAY MEETINGS AT 1:30 IN MUSC B110 OR EMAIL US AT BUSINESS@THESIL.CA FOR MORE INFORMATION
Who would have thought? Yahoo was originally called ‘Jerry’s guide to the world wide web’. There is no tipping in restaurants in Japan.
23
Recent job growth in Canada has been met with varied views. Sonya Khanna Business Editor
Despite a continuing pessimistic attitude about world markets and the impact of the European debt crisis on the global financial system, encouraging employment figures for September have prompted a rejuvenated attitude. Canada pumped out 61,000 net new full-time jobs in September, nudging the unemployment rate down to an optimistic 7.1 per cent. The wave of growth in public sector employment as well as an increase in self-employment has attributed to the recent unemployment figures. According to a recently published report of Canada’s national Labour Force Survey, nearly two-thirds of all full-time employment was due to growth in self-employment. According to Statistics Canada, employers in Canada have churned 294,000 jobs in the first nine months of the year, citing the encouraging figures to a surge in full-time employment. Although recent job growth in Canada may indicate a positive economic outlook for the
future, fluctuating data portrays a dismal subtext amidst weakening confidence and growing caution in many companies. Despite the hopeful outlook for Canadian unemployment, CAW President Ken Lewenza noted that the quality of jobs are imperative to health of an economy and outweigh the quantity of jobs in significance. Private sector unemployment plummeted for the secondconsecutive month while labour market gains were prevalent in the services sector. “If I could I’d put every new job created through a quality assurance test to make sure it’s a decent job – with good wages, benefits and that provides some stability – not simply a last-choice survival job,” said Lewenza. Work positions associated with the services sector such as retail and hospitality tend to include lower wage positions and often precarious working conditions. Lewenza has conveyed the importance of implementing initiatives aimed at ensuring all Canadians are offered access to quality jobs in the 21st century, stating the need for the Harper government to pull back from austerity measures
VICTORIA MCCLURE / THE SILHOUETTE
and view the public services as an important jobs creator. The World Day for Decent Work is an initiative that aims to provide trade unions in the world with a venue to stand up for decent work, expressing the need for decent work to be a key government concern to stimulate economic growth and restructure the global economy to “put people first.” The World Day for Decent Works places importance on addressing “typically precarious employment”, including non-permanent, temporary and contingent forms of work. Of the 61,000 jobs created in September, over half were in the public sector, while finance, insurance, real-estate and leasing sector employment tumbled, shedding 35,000 jobs in the previous month. The youth unemployment rate remained steady at 14 per cent. Regardless of Canada’s performance in the labour market, Canadian employment figures overshadow the United States, where the jobless rate is at a bleak 9.1 per cent. Economists have predicted a positive outlook for the jobs market, although a waning pace of hiring is expected for the rest of the year.
dubstep • ides of march occupy wall street • fall prime time
andex
thursday, october 13, 2011
Senior Editor: Jemma Wolfe Entertainment Editor: Myles Herod Music Editor: Josh Parsons Contributors: Nolan Matthews, Paul Fowler, Sean Hardy, Alison Greco, Imran Motala
Cover: Tyler Hayward
coming up
oct. 13
Library Voices The Casbah 8:00 p.m.
oct.14
EMA The Casbah Lounge 9:00 p.m.
oct.17
Skullcrusher This Ain’t Hollywood 9:00 p.m.
oct.21
music
Blackout Party The Casbah 8:00 p.m.
oct. 22
photo of the week...
in the hammer
Matt Good Hamilton Place 9:00 p.m.
oct. 27
cruddy whiteboard eraser, movember coming up, dont worry, be happy, tick, doug, dear journal: today was a good day, george clooney: future president?, philosoraptor, hey bobbit, some male bonding, communal tiger carrot, great pie buddy, 3 is the magic number, cassandra broke the microwave, krautrock, neu!, pizza
Male Bonding The Casbah 8:00 p.m.
oct.29
now
andy’s ticks
John Mellencamp Hamilton Place 9:00 p.m.
nov.9- nov. 26
theatre Queen Milli of Galt Theatre Aquarius
opening
film
wanna get ahead in life? write for andy!
meetings are held on tuesdays at 2:30pm in musc b110 e-mail your submissions to andy@thesil.ca
The Thing Footloose The Big Year
my motto is, ‘what’s the hurry?’ i’m trying to get it across to the modern world that we need to sit around and think a little bit more
TYLERICARDO PADILLA/-ASSISTANT PHOTO EDITOR
musc b110
editorial
thursday, october 13, 2011
the silhouette’s art & culture magazine • D3
thanksgiving feels like something’s missing In my hierarchy of holidays, Thanksgiving finds itself in the lower echelon. It’s not that I don’t look forward to seeing family, don’t embrace the break from school or don’t crave the sumptuous spread my Grandma produces year after year (hello turkey coma), it’s just that unfailingly, Thanksgiving always seems to be lacking a certain something that until this past weekend, I was unable to put my finger on. Now, finally, I realize what I’ve been missing all these years: the entertainment and media culture intrinsic to every other holiday. Where are the songs about Thanksgiving to get one in the spirit? Where are the classic films about the holiday to curl up with and watch? What traditional Thanksgiving storybooks are there to read as the long weekend approaches? The answer, of course, is that none of these really exist. A quick Google search of Thanksgiving movies revealed an erratic mix of contemporary comedies that were plotted around Thanksgiving – not about
it. Planes, Trains and Automobiles was a recurring film on many lists, and although it is a classic, it’s not something I can imagine watching every year when Thanksgiving rolls around. A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving was the only quintessential film I could find. Doubtlessly, it is the monolithic entertainment culture associated with holidays like Christmas that have influenced my expectations of Thanksgiving. Christmas has it all – the movies, the music, the books. I can’t imagine a Christmas without watching Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer, Miracle on 34th Street or Frosty the Snowman. Reading A Christmas Carol and ‘Twas The Night Before Christmas are prerequisites to the winter holidays. Caroling ‘Jingle Bells’ and the like are done without question. Needless to say, Thanksgiving music is nonexistent. Whether the entertainment component is required for the legitimacy of a holiday, however, is questionable territory.
Perhaps Thanksgiving is the pure, no-frills, non-commercial sister of Christmas that I should appreciate more for its lack of entertainment-obsessed consumerism. Maybe that’s the beauty of Thanksgiving – the chance to simply reflect on being thankful without the shroud of media and materialism ingrained in Christmas, Halloween and Valentine’s Day. Despite viewing Thanksgiving with such idealism, I can’t help but still feel a void every October, and maybe that’s okay. Music, film and literature are part of our culture and cannot be ignored. They are the means through which we communicate and thus are central components of the way we experience the good, the bad and, in particular, the holidays. Come Thanksgiving, it wouldn’t hurt to have a song to sing.
• Jemma Wolfe, Senior ANDY
JOY SANTIAGO / MULTIMEDIA EDITOR
the big tickle
what is your favourite george clooney movie?
compiled by ricardo padilla & jemma wolfe
“ocean’s 11” alexsi sherazadishvili
“good night, and good luck” johne finkle
“o brother where art thou” lauren guthro
“ocean’s 11” diana dumitrescu
“up in the air” nicole rodger
the silhouette’s art & culture magazine • D4
music
thursday, october 13, 2011
dubsteppin’ up
DREW RESSLER/CREATIVE COMMONS
andy outlines dubstep’s journey to the mainstream This month’s Spin magazine, appropriately
titled “The Dance Issue,” has proclaimed that we are in the middle of an electronic music revolution. They‘re right. Dance music has reached a critical point of commercial success in North America, with Skrillex and Deadmau5 leading the movement. Much of the popular electronic music is dubstep, or is at least influenced by dubstep, a genre that has changed much since its beginning in London in the early 2000s. The story of dubstep begins, rather unsurprisingly, with the dub music of the early 1970s. Pioneered by artists such as King Tubby, dub music isolated parts of reggae songs, the bass and drums in particular, and then layered parts of the original song back on, usually adding lots of reverb. The resulting music was very sparse and almost hypnotic, which, along with the emphasis on
bass and echoing drum patterns, made it a strong influence on dubstep. But before there was dubstep, dub led to the development of a new type of electronic music in the beginning of the 1990s. Jungle and drum and bass, two closely related genres, were the result of increasing the speed of dub and adding elements of dance music. Soon after Jungle, a type of music called UK Garage developed. It took the beat of drum and bass music and added a greater focus on melody. UK Garage later incorporated a two-step beat, making the music feel half the speed it actually was, along with low, oscillating bass tones that characterize the wobble effect that would become emphasized in dubstep. In the early 2000s, UK Garage began to slow down and the melodies became
darker and more edgy, giving rise to dubstep. Artists like El-b and Horsepower Productions pioneered the sound, while others like Skream and Digital Mystikz perfected it. Skream’s song “Midnight Request Line” stands as one of the purest examples of the London dubstep sound. To get from Skream to Skrillex, dubstep underwent perhaps its most drastic change; it became pop music. Though it didn’t exactly sound like pop, it shared an approach, in that it developed more direct structures and melodies. The aggressive tone that North American dubstep has developed is really just a movement towards a sound that is more immediately striking, a characteristic of pop music. The haunting feel of early dubstep has made way for a more party-hard sound. The peak of dubstep may be in
sight, as it is hard to imagine the genre becoming any more direct than Skrillex. Like punk before it, the genre may be in its final stage of evolution and ready to fade out of the mainstream. But along with the movement of dubstep towards pop, there has also been a change in the opposite direction. Artists like James Blake and Mount Kimbie have taken some of the elements of dubstep and distilled them, making minimalistic music that is full of emotion, echoing back to Jamaican dub. These new developments in dubstep could signify the end of the genre, or its reincarnation into something new, but either way there is plenty of exciting music being made. Viva la revolution. •
Nolan Matthews
thursday, october 13, 2011
activism
the silhouette’s art & culture magazine • D5
wild in the streets a look into the marriage of music and protest After four weeks of non-stop protesting, the ary American folk musician Woodie Guthrie Occupy Wall Street demonstrations have was barking at the establishment well before shown no sign of letting up. In fact, the Elvis had even hit the scene, famously slapprotests seem to be spreading like surface ping an iconic sticker on his guitar, which mold, already establishing presence in over read, “This machine kills fascists”. 50 American cities, gaining international By the ‘60s, the relationship beinterest. The movement is rumoured to hit tween protest and music had become obviToronto within days, and there’s even buzz ous to everyone, through both the popularity around Hamilton about a demonstration of of protest-oriented music festivals and, conits own. versely, through the government’s attempt Like any typical take-it-to-the-streets to regulate and restrain known protest musiprotest, Occupy Wall Street has also attract- cians. ed an impressive and diverse cast of musi- One of the most famous examples cians looking to show support for the vari- was the 1968 Democratic National Convenous causes that are represented. Musicians tion in Chicago. Promoted and supported seemed to take notice of the protests after by the counter-cultural group The Yippies, a rumour that Radiohead Detroit’s MC5 played for would undertake a perforover eight hours in promance exploded across metest of the Democratic dia outlets two weeks ago. presidential candidates. They didn’t. The show was stopped The But thankfully, when a riot was incited, reciprocating a slew of performers took allegedly by police proup the chance to fill that relationship between vocateurs. The result was void. Jeff Mangum of Neuthe infamous arrest of the tral Milk Hotel riled up the protest and music Chicago Seven. crowd with an impromptu is entrenched in the R a g e performance, and at the end Against the Machine of his set, proclaimed, “You western cannon of echoed this effort in guys have done a beautiful 2008, and again rallied popular music” fucking thing.” support by performing Since then, many at the Democratic conartists have taken the opporvention in Denver. Foltunity show their support, including Talib lowing its set, Rage led a massive march of Kewli, who performed, and many other ce- over 8000 supporters, lead by the Veterans lebrities who made appearances. Against the Iraq War. The rally culminated Perhaps the most puzzling celebrity in a police standoff that was relaxed when cameo yet has been the much-talked-about Obama agreed to enter talks regarding their appearance of Kanye West. I’m left to won- demands. der why such a notoriously arrogant and self- When combined, music and procentered capitalist would decide to lend his test have the power to incite social change. face (and only his face – he didn’t say any- But what has also been demonstrated by the thing) to a seemingly anti-capitalist cause. Occupy Wall Street protests is the increasing It’s sad that the music industry tol- tendency for celebrities to exploit such a traerates stars such as Kanye who are willing to dition and revert to publicity to serve their do anything for a bit of publicity, risking the own ends. integrity that many have invested into the Whether or not you agree with the event. This is especially disrespectful consid- method undertaken in attempting to cataering that the music industry has thrived for lyze a social revolution, at least no one can decades on artists who see much common deny that a free show is any music-lover’s wet ground between music and protest. dream. The reciprocating relationship between protest and music is entrenched in the • Josh Parsons, Music Editor Western cannon of popular music. Legend-
WIKIMEDIA COMMONS
D6 • the silhouette’s art & culture magazine
television
thursday, october 13, 2011
taking over prime time
new fall tv shows worth keeping an eye on At the end of a hard day’s work, all you want to do is come home, flip on the television, sit back and relax. You either want something that will make you laugh, cry or fulfill your need for drama. Nonetheless, the escape you seek is television, and with the new fall season underway, you will certainly have the opportunity to pick some favourites. Along with the many popular returning shows this season, there are new ones that are worth keeping an eye on. While not all are anticipated for their originality, big names are returning to the small screen. Notably, Kelsey Grammer will be making his big comeback in a new piercing drama called Boss. The series focuses on a ruthless Chicago mayor (Grammer) who sustains a serious mental condition. The story explores Grammer’s character’s struggle between maintaining authority of a lively city while struggling for his own sanity. The show will be Grammer’s first starring role in a TV series since Frasier, which is still considered to be one of the most successful spin-offs in television history. Debuting on Oct. 21 on the Starz channel,
Boss presents a completely different challenge for Grammer – one that will hopefully arouse interest independent of his past work. Another star that has returned to TV is Buffy the Vampire Slayer’s Sarah Michelle Gellar. She appears in a new thriller called Ringer, which centers on a woman named Bridget who, after witnessing a mob killing, is forced into hiding. After her twin sister, Siobhan, mysteriously disappears, Bridget takes her identity and luxurious lifestyle, using it as a disguise to fool the mob and find the whereabouts of her beloved sibling. The show debuted on Sept. 13 on CW and can be viewed every Tuesday at 9 p.m. The most exciting new shows of the fall, though, are Prime Suspect, Person of Interest, Hells on Wheels and Terra Nova. Prime Suspect, starring Mario Bello and Aiden Quinn, first aired on Sept. 22 and can be seen every Thursday on NBC. The classic police drama follows the career of a tough female cop in New York City. America is known for stealing shows from the U.K. and remaking them on their soil; there is no doubt that Prime Suspect
garnered the interest of American producers after the mega success it achieved in Europe. Because the show in the U.K. starred Helen Mirren, many critics think Bello cannot live up to her caliber in the U.S. version. However, the same was said about Steve Carell when he took over Ricky Gervais’ character in The Office, which is currently on its eighth season. Person of Interest and Terra Nova are nearly guaranteed success this season due to the multi-talented people involved. Person of Interest, which premiered on Sept. 22 on CBS, not only stars the fabulous character actor, Jim Caviezel, but the was also cocreated by Jonathan Nolan, co-writer of Memento and The Dark Knight fame. Michael Emerson, best known as Benjamin Linus on Lost, also stars. The show is an action thriller about Caviezel’s character, a CIA agent that is hired by a billionaire (Emerson) to prevent crimes before they actually occur. It can be watched on Thursdays at 9 p.m. Terra Nova comes as the longawaited series of 2011 after two years in
the making. Produced by the one and only Steven Spielberg, it revolves around a group of people who travel back through time to when dinosaurs ruled the earth, left to give human civilization a fresh start. The series began on Sept. 26 and can be viewed on the Fox Channel on Mondays at 8 p.m. Do not miss it. Sadly, there are only two lighthearted dramas debuting this season that are worth mentioning. They are Up All Night, starring Christina Applegate and Will Arnett as new, struggling parents, and Pam Am, which casts Christina Ricci as a sassy Pam Am flight attendant during the 1960s. Up All Night begins on Wednesday, Oct. 12 at 8 p.m. on NBC, whereas Pan Am began on Sept. 25 and can be viewed every Sunday at 10 p.m. on ABC. With so many programs to choose from this season, what ones will have you glued to the tube? • Alison Greco
music & art
thursday, october 13, 2011
the silhouette’s art & culture magazine • D7
cd reviews Wilco The Whole Love
Lady Antebellum Own the Night
Feist Metals
Blink-182 Neighborhoods
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Is Jeff Tweedy popping pills again? The Whole Love, Wilco’s eighth studio album, begins with ‘Art of Almost,’ arguably the best Wilco song since singer and principal songwriter Tweedy was deep in the throes of addiction over a decade ago. It’s a jaw-dropping track beginning with a bizarre combination of thumping drums, swelling strings and electronic chirps before exploding into a blistering two-minute guitar freak out. Unfortunately, nothing else reaches the height of ‘Art of Almost’ and its strength emphasizes the inconsistency of the remaining tracks. ‘Born Alone’ is among the catchiest Wilco songs ever recorded, but the bouncy country shuffle of ‘Capitol City’ feels awkwardly out of place, and the twelve minute closer, ‘One Sunday Morning,’ seems to drag on forever. Although The Whole Love is frustratingly uneven, the strongest tracks confirm that at their best, Wilco are among the most creative bands in the world. Perhaps just a few more pills next time, Tweedy.
Staying true to loveenforced lyrics, Lady Antebellum begins their new album, Own the Night, with a song dedicated to two lovers “making the night stand still.” The country element of this song fades and comes back full force throughout the album. A song like ‘Friday Night’ does not hold back on the country energy. Other songs, such as ‘Just a Kiss’ or ‘Cold As Stone,’ are helpful for when going through a particularly upsetting time. The album has a great score, with a melodic piano and symphonic violin accompaniment. The guitar remains folky and the bass adds a smooth and comforting backdrop behind lyrics about love and company. The overall theme is nostalgic, as if trying to remind the listener of a heart-warming day from a long-ago past. Own the Night is a warm embrace for when you’re feeling down that also has songs to bob your head to when simply relaxing.
In a recent interview about her new record Metals, Canadian singer/songwriter Leslie Feist proclaimed, “I just made something for myself.” Amen to that! In a pop world dominated by disgusting auto-tune and trite lyrics, Feist is a breath of fresh air. On Metals, Feist’s breathtaking voice tells of a series of vignettes soaked in sadness. While the consistently mid-tempo songs are tastefully decorated with horns and strings help give the album a thematic feel, at times Metals begs for an uptempo track. It ends with the simply gorgeous ‘Get It Wrong, Get It Right,’ featuring little more than Feist, her guitar and a splash of piano. Feist certainly got it right this time. If you’re after more of the instantly infectious toe-tapping pop that cemented Feist’s stardom, look elsewhere. However, if you’re into delicate, nuanced pop music perfect for both morning coffee and late night depression, it doesn’t get much better than Metals.
Let’s skip the bullshit and get right to the question currently being asked by every single person everywhere: eight years later, have the boys still got it? Since you’ve already seen the stars by now, you’re probably aware that the answer to this question is “mostly.” What Blink-182 has put forth with their desperately awaited new album stops short of being more than the sum of its parts. Truth be told, it is exactly the sum of its parts, and while this may mean that no new ground has been broken with Neighborhoods, it’s certain to be a worthwhile experience for Blink purists and newcomers alike. Given that hints of the band members’ various side projects were fated to make an appearance, fans would do well to just accept the facts; Neighborhoods is a well-constructed and catchy twist on the Blink we all know and (usually) love.
• Paul Fowler
• Imran Motala
• Paul Fowler
• Sean Hardy
lonliness by Aaron Joo and Will Ahn
D8 • the silhouette’s art & culture magazine
film
thursday, october 13, 2011
leftist melodrama for increasingly cynical times The Ides of March Starring: Ryan Gosling, George Clooney Directed by: George Clooney
HHHH If you already know the ideas behind George Clooney’s The Ides Of March, then there is a certain dramatic pleasure at watching its idealism descend into an austere game of betrayal and frothy melodrama. It is not an unfamiliar story, mind you. Clooney, along with fellow writers Grant Heslov and Beau Willimson, has told a modern tale that speaks on many modes – honor, integrity, justice and manipulation — all of which ring true in today’s volatile social climate. The Ides of March isn’t so much interested in the specifics of the political machine as it is with the people who breathe it. Much attention is centered on Stephen Myers (Ryan Gosling), a brilliant aid to the team of Governor Mike Morris (Clooney), the charismatic Democrat running for president. Myers’ ambition runs deep, always looking for information to advance his and Morris’ ascent to the top. Residing as trusted confidante to the campaign manager, jaded cynic Paul Zara (Philip Seymour Hoffman), Myers also finds time to seduce the heart of a working intern, Molly, played by Evan Rachel Wood. Inevitably, dirty politics rears its ugly head when Myers attracts the attention of Tom Duffy (Paul Giamatti), the rival campaign manager of the opposing bid, who offers him a chance to “go across the street” and join his “winning team.” This all makes for competent drama, which Clooney, to his credit, knows comes with good casting. Gosling has, for all intents and purposes, arrived as a movie star, one who deserves attention, channeling the authority of a young Sean Penn. Clooney, content with a
supporting part (following Good Night, and Good Luck and Confessions of a Dangerous Mind), does well as a far-leaning liberal with dark and damaging undercurrents. The film’s “ying and yang” of Hoffman and Giamatti are the real surprise, however. True actors such as these rarely latch on to roles in the same film, allowing their supporting parts to transcend secondary billing, igniting the screen with their in-depth, staggering monologues. Come Oscar time, these are the performances to remember. Unfortunately, The Ides of March is not perfect. Clooney’s constant drumbeat announcing the corrupt nature of politics can get heavyhanded, if not simplistic at times. More concerning, though, is the role of women throughout, chronicled as mere afterthoughts. Marisa Tomei’s disheveled reporter is there mostly to push the story with her confirm-or-deny questioning, while Wood’s Molly is reduced from seductive sexpot into campaign causality. Although her and Gosling’s subplot prove compelling, it also veers into the realm of overwrought turmoil, enabling Clooney’s direction to attain a sense of predictable irony by exploiting her tragic character as its catalyst. As a political thriller, Ides functions well, even if it does leave holes. While dissecting the crooked acts exhibited by every party in politics, revealing the nonexistence of integrity, and highlighting the inner workings of corruption, the film is genuine, delivering exciting characters in juicy roles. Clooney has often expressed admiration for Sidney Lumet’s Network, a film, for whatever its flaws, still possess potent and aggressively frightening notions of power and corporatism. By contrast, Ides of March falls short, but not by a landslide. •
Myles Herod, Entertainment Editor