The Silhouette www.thesil.ca
MCMASTER UNIVERSITY’S STUDENT NEWSPAPER
Thursday, October 11, 2012
Inciting panic since 1930.
Vol. 83, No. 10
Education ministry’s vision criticized Anqi Shen
Online News Editor
INSIDE OUT
SEE ORGANIZATIONS, A4
Can Trudeau “be the change”? Aissa Boodhoo-Leegsma Senior News Editor
The cheering tittered through the crowd, cutting off the introductory speaker, and throngs of people pushed to the aisle to just to get a glance at the man entering the room. He’s the other famous Canadian Justin. And he’s the newest candidate running for leadership of the Liberal Party of Canada. Justin Trudeau’s visit to Hamilton on Oct. 10 was one in a series of meet and greets the leadership candidate has been doing since he officially announced his candidacy on Oct. 2. Approximately 600 people came out for the event. It was held at the Sheraton
Hotel and was organized my recent McMaster graduate Elyse Banham, a former member of the McMaster Young Liberal Association. The meet and greet appeared to be comprised mainly of baby boomers, and the majority of the youth in attendance appeared to be affiliated with the Young Liberal Association. Well known Hamilton Liberal MPs, Beth Phinney and Judy Marsales, also attended. The event was intended to be a rally for current Liberal party supporters, but also aimed to familiarize Hamiltonians with Trudeau’s campaign platforms. Trudeau was introduced by former Liberal MPP Marie Bountrogianni (Hamilton Mountain). Bountrogianni
described Trudeau as “a breath of fresh air to the political scene in Canada.” She also commented on how his youth and experience better readied him to understand the crisis in youth unemployment, stating that Canada places second only to Spain in youth unemployment rates. Although youthful energy and passion have been championed as core values of the Trudeau campaign from the beginning, his speech, while charismatically delivered, fell short of addressing youth concerns. Instead, it focused on the general agenda Trudeau has been presenting so far. SEE TRUDEAU, A4
CBC Canada reaffirms priorities Andrew Terefenko Production Editor
After over seventy-five years of invading our eyes, ears and minds with national and international news and information, the CBC is ready to open its own mind to a larger dialogue. Friends of Canadian Broadcasting (FRIENDS) hosted a public forum dubbed “The CBC We Want” Tuesday afternoon in Innovation Park. The goal of the event was to
foster an open discussion between key Hamilton media personalities and any Hamiltonians who had a bone to pick with the national media organization. This dialogue was spurred on by the upcoming CBC license renewal, an event that is the first of its kind, as the CRTC reviews the funding allocated to the nonprofit media provider. This event promised the direction of major concerns and suggestions towards the CRTC in time for the review
ANDY
Is more public funding the answer to a faltering education system? Student and faculty groups in Ontario don’t like what the government has in store for the future of post-secondary education. In response to a recent discussion paper by the Ontario Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities (MTCU), several groups say they do not agree with Minister Glen Murray’s proposed reforms. Key issues raised by student leaders include government intrusion in post-secondary education, tuition hikes, a rapid shift toward technology-based education and incentivization of entrepreneurial learning. The Canadian Federation of Students - Ontario (CFS Ontario) and the Ontario Confederation of University Faculty Associations (OCUFA) are among those concerned about a perceived ‘unprecedented intrusion’ of government in the post-secondary sector. “People who are in the best position to determine what’s best for students are students themselves, faculty members and university administrators,” said Graeme Stewart, communications manager at OCUFA. “We want to keep decisionmaking power with [those parties].” The MTCU’s discussion paper, entitled “Strengthening Ontario’s Centres of Creativity, Innovation and Knowledge” was drafted this past summer. To the dismay of student leaders, the paper was written without student consultation and publicized in late August during the back-to-school rush. The paper comes on the heels of a controversial leaked policy paper in February, tentatively entitled “3 Cubed.” The leaked document suggested that universities should increase efficiency by offering more three-year degrees and allowing students to get more than half their credits online.
Archaic Artifacts See the lowdown on out-of-date technology as we discuss their relevance in te modern day.
process, the deadline for which is this Friday, and facilitated the procedure through the use of an individual video booth where attendees could film one-minute proposals to the review board. “For many years, the CBC has been an integral player in promoting discussion,” said McMaster President Patrick Deane, as he commenced the event and welcomed to the stage the moderator and former prima ballerina Veronica Tennant. “Many of us are disappointed
in the continued budget cuts to the CBC,” said Tennant as she introduced the six panelists responsible for responding to questions raised by the audience later in the event, each an expert in the field in their own right. The event marks the penultimate stop in the eight-city tour that has already hit Victoria to Halifax and most of central Canada, ending in Kingston on Oct. 11. SEE BUDGET, A3
Art of Intelligence A look at an art exhibit that tackles the dumbed-down idea of intelligent art.
See B1
See C1-C8
State of the Academy tries to promote dialogue Julia Redmond
ably in armchairs at the front of the room. Assistant News Editor In elaborating on talking points The annual State of the Academy offered by moderator Gord Arbeau, address is meant to be an opportu- Director of Public and Community nity for the Provost’s office to share Relations, the two administrators information with the rest of the made it clear that their impression university on the school’s progress of McMaster’s current situation was over the year. But this time, it was positive. “When you look at the [Mcsupposed to be different. The 2012 State of the Academy Master University Factbook], what was promoted for its “new format,” it would show you is that…as an a conversation between university institution we’re doing very well administrain difficult times,” said tors and the “We need to build on what has Wilkinson. greater cambeen strong historically...that “There pus commuvery close connection between are lots of nity, rather teaching and research, which great things than a speech. going on, lots According to is part of...Mac culture and has of challenges, current Probeen since the beginning.” vost David but the future Patrick Deane really looks Wi l k i ns on , McMaster University President rosy at Mcit was meant to “engage Master.” Although a variety of topics [McMaster] in a cross-campus diawere offered for discussion, the logue.” Convocation Hall, equipped speeches from both Deane and with two audience microphones, Wilkinson circled back to “Forward reflected this change. Wilkinson with Integrity,” the president’s 2011 and university president Patrick letter that offered a set of guiding Deane, who joined him for the principles for McMaster as it moves presentation, were seated comfort- forward.
SARAH JANES THE SILHOUETTE
Deane and Wilkinson tried to promote a casual, conversational atmosphere at the 2012 State of the Academy.
The emphasis of the presentation, in conjunction with “Forward with Integrity,” was to “rephrase” the goals of McMaster, and to reemphasize the “research-focused, student-centred” nature of Mac. “We’re at a phase in laying out our sense of the institution’s future in which we need to build on what
has been strong historically here and that very close connection between teaching and research, which is part of the Mac culture [and] has been since the beginning,” Deane explained. The president was intent on underlining McMaster’s reputation, reaffirming that “we are an institution devoted to learning
through inquiry and discovery.” He encouraged students and faculty to “bring...[the] power of the critical and inquiring mind.” It was broader ideas like these that made up the bulk of the presentation. SEE FOCUS, A4
the
PRESIDENT’S PAGE Jeff Wyngaarden VP (Finance)
Huzaifa Saeed VP (Education)
Siobhan Stewart President
David Campbell VP (Administration)
BACK IN THE BLACK: MSU AUDITED STATEMENTS RELEASED In fiscal year 2011/2012 the MSU recorded a surplus and has balanced its books
vpfinance@msu.mcmaster.ca ext. 24109
In September, the McMaster Students Union (MSU) received its audited financial statements for the 2011/2012 fiscal year. Performed by KPMG LLP, the audited statements of the MSU were presented to the Student Representative Assembly (SRA) and subsequently made public. They can be found in their entirety at msumcmaster.ca. By performing an annual independent and impartial audit, the MSU is able to maintain a high level of accountability for our financial actions during the fiscal year, as well as present an accurate, transparent document for public release. I am pleased to report on several positive trends that were indentified in the MSU’s audited statements. But first, I’d like to present some historical context. For several years the MSU saw expenditures increase more
of student fees ($120.92 per full-time student), as well as the profit generated by the business units. Therefore, it must be noted that nearly half of the total
Night Market, organized under the Diversity Services portfolio, is another welcome enhancement to student life. Moreover, campus has recently seen an
Revenue vs Expenditure $15,000,000.00 $14,000,000.00 $13,000,000.00 $12,000,000.00 Dollars
Jeff Wyngaarden VP (Finance)
rapidly than revenues. That trend led to a deficit of $958,190 in the fiscal year of 2009/2010. That deficit was a result of several things, but the largest single contributing factor was the $678,192 deficit accumulated by the MSUoperated insurance plans. Thankfully, due to deliberate expense reductions and the approval of a new dental plan fee by referendum, the MSU put itself on a positive financial trajectory. Two years later the MSU is in a much healthier financial state. We’ve realized modest surpluses in all fund categories, including a surplus of over $500,000 in our operating fund, with a net surplus of $937,102 in 2011/2012. It is important to note the distinction between the operating fund and the total net surplus. The total net surplus takes into account all aspects of the MSU, including specific and independent fees that outline the monies collected from students as premiums for the health and dental plans, as well as CFMU 93.3FM the MSU-operated campus radio station - and the Marmor yearbook to name a few. Conversely, the operating fund is the pool of monies from which the MSU operates the majority of our 30+ student services and is derived from the collection
$11,000,000.00 Revenue
$10,000,000.00
Expenditure
$9,000,000.00 $8,000,000.00 $7,000,000.00 $6,000,000.00 2004/05 2005/06 2006/07 2007/08 2008/09 2009/10 2010/11 2011/12 2012/13 projected
net surplus realized in 2011/2012 is accounted for by a fee protocol tied to a specific service (mainly the health and dental plans), and is therefore not ‘profit’ in the traditional sense of the word. Rather, each of the relevant funds grew slightly. That being said, the operating fund surplus of 2011/2012 totalling $538,523 can be viewed as the real ‘profit’ generated by the MSU. As a notfor-profit organization, this is a rarity for the MSU and certainly not typical, nor a year-to-year goal. Having recently incurred large deficits, the 2011/2012 surplus will balance the books and likely remain an anomaly. How and why did the MSU run a surplus? Expenses have been carefully monitored and continue to fall thanks to the diligence of staff across the board. In addition, revenues from our business units (TwelvEighty, Union Market and Underground Media + Design) are on the rise. We made changes to the health insurance plan that have resulted in increased coverage at a reduced cost, which saved money and created the potential for savings in future years as well. Our businesses are continuing to expand and several of our long-term financial commitments retire this year. Therefore, we are cautiously optimistic about the 2012/2013 fiscal year, in which we are currently operating. At the same time as we recognize these successes, it is important to make note of opportunities for improvement. We must continually evaluate the level of service that the MSU provides and always strive to make improvements. Our primary concern is - and always will be - providing services to students. To that end, the MSU has improved upon several of its service offerings recently, including the expansion of the Mac Farmstand by two whole months. Additionally, the MSU
The President’s Page is sponsored by the McMaster Students Union. It is a space used to communicate with the student body about the projects, goals and agenda of the MSU Board of Directors.
www.msumcmaster.ca
increase in the hours of operation of the Student Walk Home Attendant Team (SWHAT), as well as increased funding directly to MSU Clubs by more than $10,000. The MSU Clubs Department currently has more than 300 status clubs, inside one of the best funded systems in the province. During the auditing process, our accounting practices are examined and issues and/or deficiencies are identified in order to make sure we have the opportunity to respond before they turn into serious problems. This year I’m proud to report that no significant internal control deficiencies were reported. KPMG identified a few small issues that we should correct in order to be more effective. One such issue is the lack of an investment policy. Currently, the MSU reviews its investment parameters annually with the organization’s investment advisors to ensure appropriate risk tolerance and investment objectives. I will be working on formulating this approach into an organizational policy and further detailing the proper treatment of reserve funds. Addressing this lack of policy is something that will be undertaken this year and I expect to bring it to the SRA in the next few months. I look forward to continuing in the positive direction with the help and support of every member of the organization. After a successful year like 2011/2012, we are making plans to implement financial policies that will prevent multi-year losses and mitigate the impacts of future deficits. Additionally, we are looking at systems to more closely monitor spending and we are constantly striving to improve sales and service delivery to students. Expect great service, continued improvements to operations and a strong financial year from your MSU in 2012/2013!
EWS
Thursday, October 11, 2012 News Editors: Aissa Boodhoo-Leegsma, Julia Redmond and Anqi Shen Meeting: Thursdays @ 4:30 p.m. Contact: news@thesil.ca
Trudeau campaign loses youth focus at event FROM 1 He discussed the implications of partisanship, criticizing both the Conservative party and the NDP for polarizing regions against each other, and for promoting ideologies which “micro-categorize” electoral issues. Trudeau emphasized his determination to not engage in regionalism, pitting one region’s interest above others. This issue proved to be a lynch pin for Pierre Elliot Trudeau, who has often been accused of polarizing Alberta and the West from the rest of Canada. The content of the speech appeared to mimic the previous speeches delivered in early stops in Burlington and Mississauga. Despite the similarity of the speech to the many others Trudeau has delivered in the past few weeks, the trademark Trudeau charisma shone through, as evidenced by the shouts, cheers and applause which erupted and overpowered his speech at times. Trudeau took time to personally appeal to Hamiltonians and addressed issues unique to Hamilton. “Hamilton is a city with a tremendous heart. It’s been through some tough times and some great times. It’s transformed itself from a manufacturing hub to being a research and knowledge economy hub.” Matt Ing, a fifth-year Arts and Science student and member of the McMaster Young Liberals volunteered at the event. He explained that meet and greet was purposely not a fundraiser. “A fundraiser brings certain groups of people...those who can afford to attend. To have as many people there and overcome regional divides, [the campaign] aimed to reach out to all Hamiltonians and make it an accessible event.” In addition to being the MP for the Papineau riding in Montreal, Trudeau is the Liberal party’s critic for youth, post-secondary education, and amateur sport. Ing explained that Trudeau has actively sought out youth input and consultation in his campaign. “The current government has no policy for tackling the [high] youth unemployment rate...you can rest assured that youth will be at the forefront of any issue Justin addresses.”
Trudeau concluded his speech by lamenting the recent decline of the Liberal party, which won only 35 seats in the last federal election and lost its title of Official Opposition Party. The campaign has focused on branding Trudeau as the product of a new post-partisan generation of politicians. He has strongly distanced himself from the superior and entitled attitudes that he implied have been historically present in the Liberal party. Instead, he advocated for a new party, which viewed Canadian interests as a whole, and aimed to speak for and listen to all Canadians. “Hard work and heart, of the type that has always characterized Hamilton, for example, is the only thing that is going to get the Liberal Party to move forward once again, it’s the only thing that is going to get Canada to move forward once again.”
FROM 1 After a brief recess to meet the panelists, the event resumed and the floor was open to questions from the audience. An audience member asked the panel if the CBC would become irrelevant in the future due to subsequent budget cuts. Philip Savage, McMaster Associate Professor of Communication Studies answered, “Canada
YOSEIF HADDAD SENIOR PHOTO EDITOR
Trudeau spoke to an enthused Liberal crowd.
C/O MCMASTER POVERTY INITIATIVE
For many students, the biggest daily dilemma is deciding what food to order for lunch. With a variety of meal-time options available in university campuses it is harder to educate students on the lack of food options available to the general public. But for one week, a group of McMaster students will be eating and surviving in the same way as thousands of Hamiltonians, scraping by on the meager amount of food provided by a food bank. From Oct. 12-19, five students from each faculty will be participating in the “Do the Math” challenge hosted by the McMaster Poverty Initiative (MPI). MPI’s main focus is to link the McMaster community with poverty issues and promote long-term advocacy. The Do the Math Challenge seeks to raise student awareness about the issues of hunger and food security in Hamilton. Do the Math requires each student to eat only the contents of a single food bank bag for an entire week, attend a tour of a local food bank, and complete a daily reflection blog on the challenge. According to Hamilton Food Share, an average of 18,600 individuals each month rely on food from their local food bank in order to sustain their dietary needs. While food security and hunger are core community issues, they often remain concealed from high-income groups and students who are unlikely to personally experience or know of those who may experience chronic hunger issues. The student participants are also re-
SILHOUETTE FILE PHOTOS
KARA WEILER PAUL BERTON MARK STEWART RYAN MCGREAL PHILIP SAVAGE
McMaster students receive the equivalent amount of food given to those on social assistance. The Silhouette
and the CBC is the most efficient by far [in their funding model], the problem is when you get to that point when CBC can no longer work from a [non-profit] basis.” The CRTC review process will begin after the deadline for submission closes this Friday, Oct. 12. For the first time in 76 years citizens of Canada have a chance to either redefine or maintain the mandate of the CBC to educate, enlighten and inform.
The Panelists
A home cooked meal: necessity or luxury?
Melia Sufi
Budget requires new path
quired to choose one way of publicizing the issue of low social assistance rates. This can be done through acts such as writing a letter to an MPP or volunteering in a community agency. Jeff Wingard, MPI Coordinator and organizer for the Do the Math challenge, shared his thoughts on what the event hopes to achieve. “One of our main goals is to show people how inadequate the food supply really is and bring awareness to social assistance traits,” he said. “Welfare rates keep up with the cost of living. Everybody should be given the right to go to the grocery store and afford to live.” Wingard also discussed how difficult it is to mimic the effects of poverty. However the Do the Math challenge is the most realistic and hands-on way for students to sink their teeth into issues surrounding food security. He recognized that McMaster students who participated in the challenge in previous years enjoyed it as a whole, demonstrated a greater respect towards those who utilize food banks, and that they each gained a new perspective on social assistance in Ontario. While food banks and food security may seem removed from the average student’s thoughts, Do the Math strives to counter notions of widespread prosperity and an abundance of food in Hamilton. The event is part of the province-wide Do the Math Campaign which seeks to mobilize Ontarians to protest the gaps in the current social assistance system. Figures such as activist Naomi Klein, Toronto Medical Officer of Health, Dr. David McKeown, and singer Damian Abraham have become involved in the movement.
“Hamiltonians have accurate expectations of CBC Hamilton so it’s just a matter of time to meet them.”
“I think it con“For-profit busi- “The CBC needs to understand nects Canness models who our fellow adians, in terms have a lot to of opening a dis- teach the CBC.” citizens are and why they need to cussion across care about each the country.” other.”
“The CBC does a really good job of engaging their audience.,it is not about a commercial imperative”
MAGGIE CARR “I think CBC needs to expand upon its radio presence.“
A4 • News
The Silhouette • Thursday, October 11, 2012
Student organizations respond to report FROM 1 MTCU’s recent summer discussion paper acknowledges a rapidly changing post-secondary education sector and the need for Ontario institutions to respond. Though the proposal outwardly rejects efficiency-focused strategies to curb costs, it also aligns itself with the trend of “high quality outcomebased credentials” becoming the norm. The report says “cost reductions and the elimination of redundancies are essential parts of our government’s fiscal plan,” but these are not enough to meet the fiscal challenges. In the long term, the Ministry sees “adopting innovation in the sector to drive productivity” as the other half of the equation. One proposed reform, a simpler credit transfer system, has already been implemented in a recent partnership between seven universities and has generally been well received. “Credit transfer, online learning, different experiential options - these are all good things. Our concern is that the government seems to be saying: we’re going to tell you what to do, when to use online learning, when to use learning technologies, when to do co-op,” said Stewart. There are several shared concerns put forward by CFS Ontario and OCUFA, showing overlap between student and faculty reactions to the Ministry’s proposal. Underfunded Ontario PSE sector Respondents pointed to the fact that Ontario’s post-secondary sector is the least funded in the nation. Perstudent funding currently stands at $8,349, which is 34 per cent below the national average, according to a 2011 Statistics Canada report.
“The underfunding problem is decades old in Ontario,” said Stewart, who cited Ontario’s lowest in the nation per-student funding as the primary reason for a higher student-faculty ratio. By 2009, Ontario’s ratio of students to full-time faculty was nearly seven per cent higher than the national average, according to a separate report by Stats Canada. Today, there are roughly 27 students for every professor in Ontario. “This means students can’t have the same face-to-face interaction, professors aren’t as available, students find themselves in larger classes and they have fewer course choices. It also means universities don’t have the money to restore their older buildings,” said Stewart. Higher rate of tuition increase “When the government allows SILHOUETTE FILE PHOTO per-student funding to decrease, Institutions must battle to compensate for recent reductions in government per-student funding. that puts pressure on institutions to increase tuition fees because they have to replace that revenue,” said freeze them and be happy with that, “promoting the creation of business when we know that to actually proincubators or incentivizing entre- duce a high-quality online educasaid King. Stewart. CFS Ontario has drafted two preneurial education in the prov- tion is quite expensive,” said King. This year, tuition fees across the There have been no concrete nation have risen at more than three tuition fee proposals for the most ince’s public colleges and universirecent provincial budget that would ties does not facilitate knowledge, proposals put forward yet mandattimes the rate of inflation. ing that three out of five courses be Student and faculty representa- have tuition fees reduced immedi- innovation or creativity.” OCUFA similarly criticized online, said King, referring to the tives argue that this would create a ately by 25 per cent. the provincial government’s ‘per- contents of the leaked ‘3 Cubed’ more elite system and diminish acEmphasis on performance-based formance funding’ model, saying ministry document earlier this year. cessibility to higher education. However, she said there is conit “makes quality improvement im“I don’t think we can say that funding and incentivization CFS Ontario criticized the pro- possible” and unfairly punishes stu- tinued concern among students that right now, or even a couple of years the education sector is headed in posal’s em- dents. ago, tuition “I don’t think the minister has this direction. phasis on ‘enfees were at “When the government allows The ministry asked that formal trepreneurial a totally clear idea of what he wants the right place per-student funding to decrease, learning’ and yet, but our concern is that the rec- responses to the discussion paper be and we should that puts pressure on instituthe practice ommendations in the paper tend sent in by Sept. 30. Respondents inincrease rates tions to increase tuition fees of subsidizing to push the [post-secondary edu- clude CFS (national), COPE, COU with inflaprivate sector cation] system toward this kind of and OPSEU. tion,” said Sarbecause they have to replace King and Stewart said they don’t research via labour market focus,” said Stewart. ah Jayne King, that revenue.” know of any definitive timeline for a the post-secchairperson of Graeme Stewart response from the Ministry. ondary educa- Using technology to save costs CFS Ontario. OCUFA Communications Manager Representatives continue to be “Students are concerned that tion system. “ Tu it i on In their online courses are going to be im- open to discussions with the govfees are beyond the point where we can simply response, CFS Ontario asserts that plemented as a cost-saving measure, ernment while awaiting a follow-up.
McMaster student claims to be victim of police brutality Aissa Boodhoo-Leegsma Senior News Editor
A McMaster student alleges that she was assaulted by two Niagara Regional Police officers at a protest held on Oct. 7 at the Marineland Animal Park in Niagara Falls. Third year social sciences sudent Chantal Godin was part of a large group of protesters, mostly affiliated with Marineland Animal Defense movement, who jumped over the fence on the property to flood the park’s dolphin show. Godin alleges that she was assaulted by police officers, and released a statement in which she described being pulled off the fence by
an officer who specifically targeted her, ignoring the hundreds of protesters already inside the area. A video taken by another protester shows a part of the incident. Godin was the only protester arrested and was fined under the Trespass to Property Act. The Media Relations Department of the Niagara Regional Police declined to comment, stating they were unaware of the situation.
VISIT US AT THESIL.CA FOR VIDEO >>
Focus on moving forward FROM 1 In addition to the University’s culture, Deane and Wilkinson also touched on such initiatives as the “learning portfolio,” a new emphasis on experiential education that was encouraged by “Forward with Integrity.” “[We want] students [to] actually have a portfolio of experiences that extends beyond what shows up on their transcripts,” said Wilkinson. The most controversial topic of discussion was the internationalization of McMaster, something the president has admitted to not always being comfortable with. “I am very much averse to what I regard as an exploitative model of higher internationalized higher education,” Deane said, elaborating further to say that he is “not persuaded, either in terms of the long-term benefits or the ethical compulsions of this model which
basically sees the world as a market to be drawn on to subsidize our current operations.” International students now make up roughly five per cent of McMaster’s student body. The recruitment of these students is seen by many universities to be an economic benefit because of the hefty additional fees they pay. Deane emphasized that true internationalization would involve “being changed by the students who are invited to come here.” It seemed that the audience, made up primarily of faculty and staff, with only a small representation of students, was not moved by this, or any other topics. When the floor was opened to questions, no one in the audience stepped up. Despite the insistence on dialogue, the new townhall format did not result in the high amount of audience participation that was initially envisioned.
Thursday, October 11, 2012 • The Silhouette
News • A5
Hamilton rallies for peace Mac students among participants in anti-war demonstration Ryan Sparrow
with many demonstrators shouting that Stephen Harper is a “war monger.” The Silhouette McMaster labour studies student Dave Despite the government of Canada being Bush was among those in attendance. historically recognized as a peaceful protecBush said, “Students should be contor of human rights, Canadians are becom- cerned because all the money and rhetoric ing increasingly worried about the threat of being spent on war is a political choice and war. could be better spent on things that matter Around 60 Hamiltonians responded to students and working people.” to the call for demonstrations made by the Canada is currently is engaged in the Canadian Peace Alliance against the possi- occupation of Afghanistan which is now in bility of war on Syria and Iran. Among those its eleventh year. present at the rally on Saturday Oct. 6 were Over the last year, the Canadian MiliMcMaster students and alumni, members tary engaged in bombing campaigns of Libof Hamilton’s Turkish community, labour ya and imposed sanctions on both Syria and unions, anti-poverty activists and many oth- Iran. UN Chief Ban Ki-Moon has criticized ers. the sanctions on Iran, arguing that such The downtown Hamilton demonstra- sanctions have caused significant harm to tion was organized by the Hamilton Coali- the civilian population, citing medical and tion to Stop the War (HCSW) and occurred food shortages as concerns. in front of the Federal Building on Bay Many parallels were brought up at the Street. HCSW organized rally to the similarity of the demonstration to voice the dialogue given for jus“[We ] should be concerned Hamilton’s opposition to tification for the invasion because all the money... the possibility of war and of Iraq. being spent on war...could called on the Harper GovKevin McKay, a probe better spent on things ernment to be a “partner in fessor at Mohawk College, that matter to students and spoke to the demonstrapeace” and to “re-establish diplomatic ties with Iran tors. He recalled that when working people.” and end the sanctions.” he “spoke to students Dave Bush The demonstrations about how the war in Iraq McMaster student come after the Conservawas a cheap resource grab tive government severed in 2003. At the time, many all diplomatic ties with Iran in early Sep- responded, ‘you must be supporting Saddam tember and is taking a more aggressive tone Hussein.’ It is evident now that it was [a retowards Syria. Demonstrations also took source grab].” places across the country, with sizable conHe added, “Syrian problems need to be tingents in Toronto, Halifax, Vancouver, Ed- solved by Syrians, not foreign intervention.” monton and Winnipeg. Others, such as McMaster alumnus Across the world there have been dem- Brendan Stone, stated that the conflicts are onstrations against further foreign inter- about “control and economic dominance, vention, including tens of thousands who otherwise known as imperialism.” marched in Istanbul, Turkey, where the govProminent members of the Hamilton ernment has been sabre-rattling for war. labour movement spoke, including Rolf In Hamilton, the weather at the rally Gerstenberger, President of Steelworkers was somewhat cold and windy, but it did not local 1005, who said his union would join stop the demonstration from being lively. the struggle “to build in an anti-war govPlacards against war and the Harper govern- ernment.” Bill Mahoney, known for being ment were plentiful. Hamilton’s “working-class poet,” was also in The demonstrators chanted and walked attendance and recited two of his poems. a picket line in front of a banner which Reverend Diane Blanchard spoke on said “No War” in both Turkish and Eng- behalf of the United Church of Canada and lish. Someone even chalked the sidewalk in called for dialogue in Syria. She stated that front of the Federal building with the words the United Church and its partner in the re“Harper is a Murderer” and drew droplets of gion, the Middle-East Council of Churches, blood next to the words. are staunchly against military intervention. The past several years have seen the The Saturday afternoon rally was enConservative government adopt a more ag- dorsed by McMaster Muslims for Peace and gressive stance in handling its foreign affairs. Justice, the Political Action Committee of This sentiment was reflected at the protests, CUPE 3906 and Independent Jewish Voices.
C/O BRENDAN STONE
Despite the cold, members of the Hamilton community gathered on Oct. 6 to rally for peace.
ST GEORGE’S CHURCH • Reformed Episcopal • Anglican Church In North America 134 Emerson Street at Royal Avenue 4 blocks South of McMaster Medical Centre www.stgeorgehamilton.ca where the Liturgy and Theology of the English Reformation are alive and well ___________________________________________________
Sunday 14 October – 10:30 a.m. Morning Prayer light lunch following Tuesday Evenings – 6:00 to 7:30p.m. ESL Friendship Group Conversation and Canadian Culture
___________________________________________________
Bring your faith. Bring your reason. In God’s universe they belong together.
DITORIAL
Thursday, October 11, 2012 Executive Editor: Sam Colbert Contact: thesil@thesil.ca Phone: (905) 525-9140, extension 22052
LIBERAL PARTY OF CANADA
Trudeau leadership: Justin time? to romney style. hey, wealthy ladies.
to “hipster” not being a real job.
to “ho-co,” again (in hopes that it will catch on).
to turkey dumps.
to s.g. happy birthday, old gal. to sparrow’s chirps. to trudeau photo bombs (attempted). to s.h., for cleaning the kitchen. sorry for the years it has taken off of your sweet life. to the chris arnett super rad award. to stefan ‘p-tass’ ptaszek.
to the bitter sweetness of the monday holiday. to football-concert combo tickets. i just want to go to the game. to being a sucker for apple products. to dirty lysol wipes. to peeling watermelon seeds. why bother? to the pepsi-whiskeycoffee -copyediting drowsies.
to biggie and tupac.
to the new york yankees. at least a-rod still stinks in the playoffs.
to thumbs down.
to thumbs up.
to where’s olaf.
The Silhouette McMaster University’s Student Newspaper
Editorial Board Sam Colbert | Executive Editor thesil@thesil.ca Jemma Wolfe | Managing Editor managing@thesil.ca Andrew Terefenko | Production Editor production@thesil.ca
Should the son of our parents’ prime minister be the prime minister of our parents’ kids? On the trail of his run for leadership of the Liberal Party of Canada, Justin Trudeau stopped at the Sheraton Hotel in Hamilton on Oct. 10. The crowd gathered in the ballroom and pushed toward his runway to the podium, marked with duct tape. Eventually, he entered the room. Boasting brown locks of hair and the face of his late father Pierre (and, thankfully, no goatee), he greeted supporters as music played over the speakers. His speech was fairly predictable. He said that he wanted to create a better Canada for his kids, like his father did for him. He said that a strong Canadian economy means a strong middle class. And he asserted that, between the opposing and uncompromising ideologies of the Conservatives on the right and the NDP on the left, there’s a necessary place for a Liberal Party – one that’s for and by Canadians – in the middle. After Trudeau’s speech, he moved through the mob to shake hands. One man stretched out a picture for him to sign. Trudeau stopped. He looked up at the man and laughed. The man explained said that he’d had what appeared to be a baby picture of Justin Trudeau for years. To anyone in attendance born before the early 1960s, the up-and-coming MP for Papineau, Quebec represented a revival
of the heyday of the Liberal Party. He was the baby – the son. To the students who were there, Trudeau was a break in Canadian politics from the leadership of old white guys (well, at least from the “old” part). They had seen the Liberal Party of Canada posters on campus with cannabis leaves on them – there for the Liberals’ new commitment to marijuana legalization. They were part of the small mass of young people positioned behind Trudeau during the Sheraton event to fill out the camera shot. They can identify with the 40-year-old Trudeau, who looks years below his age. The Liberals have declined under two men, Stéphane Dion and Michael Ignatieff, who were intelligent politicians but ultimately unsuccessful political leaders. The general need for the Liberals in the minds of voters is also dwindling. As they watch a more thrilling political landscape take shape in the US, voters wonder, why not a two-party system, Conservatives versus NDP, here in Canada? The Liberal brand isn’t going to do it anymore. A charismatic leader – one that is able to mobilize young people, who are typically underrepresented at the polls, while at the same time reminding older voters of the great Liberal parties of the 1970s – might do the trick. •
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Students can do better than Titles Re: “Why doesn’t the bookstore have my Titles” by Julia Redmond [Published Oct. 4 in News] Just how out of touch can you be with this “whole new world” of books Titles director Donna Shapiro speaks of? Well, for one, you can blame your bookstore’s troubles on professors and students, as Ms. Shapiro does. In reality, though, she has nothing to blame but the very swindle Titles chooses to participate in. Sure, there are always going to be students who don’t know any better and wilfully pay full price for their textbooks, such as $87.40 for History of the Canadian Peoples Vol. 1 (Fifth Edition), but students today are catching on to the wide variety of better options that are out for acquiring textbooks. Why, exactly, would someone choose to pay Titles’ exorbitant prices when there are just so many other options for textbooks out there? The most obvious alternate route for buying textbooks is Amazon, where you can buy that very same new $87.40 history textbook for $38.85. And if the professor says it doesn’t matter, you can even buy the previous edition for a little under $8.00. And Amazon is just the tip of the iceberg. For only $5, Scribd.com lets you download as many .pdf files as you want in a 24-hour period. As long as you’re willing to take the time to search through the website, $5 can net you a whole course’s worth of books. If physical textbooks are more your thing, you can always buy the much cheaper international edition. Finally, if you really don’t want to spend any money or actual effort in acquiring your textbooks, you can always just easily pirate it. So yes, Ms. Shapiro is correct in stating there’s a “whole new world out there,” but it’s not because of peer-to-peer selling and those deadline-resistant professors, as she says. It’s because Titles is sticking to swindling students out of their money through exorbitant textbook prices, cut-rate buyback prices, and new editions of textbooks while students are recognizing just how ridiculous Titles is and how much money they can save by going elsewhere for their textbooks. For good reason, then, Titles is no longer a “students’ source on campus for all things textbook related.” I know it’s not mine. • Ryan Laser
Aissa Boodhoo-Leegsma | Senior News Editor news@thesil.ca
‘God vs. Gay’ will not move us forward
Julia Redmond | Assistant News Editor news@thesil.ca
Re: “What if my daughter were gay” by Edward Lovo [Published Oct. 4 in Opinions]
Anqi Shen | Online News Editor news@thesil.ca Mel Napeloni | Opinions Editor opinions@thesil.ca Brandon Meawasige | Senior Sports Editor sports@thesil.ca Scott Hastie | Assistant Sports Editor sports@thesil.ca Sam Godfrey | Senior InsideOut Editor insideout@thesil.ca Amanda Watkins | Assistant InsideOut Editor insideout@thesil.ca Nolan Matthews | Senior ANDY Editor andy@thesil.ca Bahar Orang | Assistant ANDY Editor andy@thesil.ca Yoseif Haddad | Senior Photo Editor photo@thesil.ca Jessie Lu | Assistant Photo Editor photo@thesil.ca Javier Caicedo | Multimedia Editor photo@thesil.ca Karen Wang | Graphics Editor production@thesil.ca Ammar Hanif | Distribution Coordinator thesil@thesil.ca Sandro Giordano | Ad Manager sgiordan@msu.mcmaster.ca
Sam Colbert
Your article caught me – on one hand I’m excited that we’re sharing a message of equality and human rights. So important. But you also moved us backward on that front. You moved us backward when you casually condemned faith and religion (“Whew! And I thought you were going to tell me you’re religious!”), perpetuating the damaging notion of ‘God vs. Gay.’ Issues of human rights are not God vs. Gay. Power, privilege and some ‘smart’ people have caught, misconstrued and created that message, paraphrasing and preaching hate and discrimination while forgetting the central tenet of love for all. Yes, some religious groups, leaders and individuals have used their power for their own purposes, hurting others and maligning their faith and religion in the process. Many others have not. Casually condemning all religious practice doesn’t move us forward. It only pits one group against another and asks individuals to divide themselves into neat little boxes, or give up part of themselves altogether. You can identify as an LGBTQ person of faith. You can be a person of faith who respects and accepts LGBTQ-identified people. Life isn’t neat boxes, and human rights for one can’t be moved forward at the expense of another. Diversity is within and between us. Our message needs to be consistent: Human rights are for everyone. Love and respect most important. So great on you to push a message of equality, and please keep the conversation going – just please be careful that your message of inclusion is respectfully inclusive. • Andrew Pettit
Corrections In “Addressing the elephant” [Oct. 4], COPE was said to stand for Community Parent Education Services. COPE, though, is now the organization’s full name, and is not an acronym.
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Thursday, October 11, 2012 Opinions Editor: Mel Napeloni Meeting: Wednesdays @ 2:30 p.m. Contact: opinions@thesil.ca
Your highbrow marxist ways All the best Marxist analyses are analyses’ of a failure Mel Napeloni
Zizek expands and reiterates this disposition in an interview with Democracy Now. “Why did Paris Commune Opinions Editor go wrong? Trotskyites. Why did the October Revolution go Post-Marxist foolery might be thin ice for the Opinions editor wrong? And so on. You know, this deep satisfaction – okay, to tread, but damn it, I demand a little abstraction. I, the new- we screwed it up, but we can give the best theory why it had to age Marxian youth, want the reader to take from this treatise happen. This comfortable position of resistance.” Has it never occurred to anyone that Eden may not be in what they will - a nice, homemade, post-modern diatribe on leftist youth. And truly, as much as I love hurting the good ol’ our grasp quite yet? Has it never occurred to anyone the straconservative name or slashing a few tires off the rusty, roman- tegic nature of reform and revolution might be more than just ticized ethics of our esteemed liberals, it’s important to take a card-carrying or protesting? Is there more to us than pitchforks and torches? step back and stroke a few whiskers. And before the wrong crowd cheers me on, let me be clear Slavoj Zizek, a Slovenian critical-thinker, said it perfectly that “all the best Marxist analyses are awlways analyses of a without a single scruple, dialectical conflict in the form of polfailure.” And he was right. You often hear it from the political itical strife is virtually inarguable. Since the earliest stages of human reason, class struggle has paved the way to nearly all of left, “if only the Soviet Union didn’t intrude on Czechohumanity’s societal crutches. slovakia’s 1968-revolt…” and “if only westFrom violent, “divine”, misogynistic leaders ern, colonial sanctions didn’t intrude on to our current global, private market. We have the East…” It’s a common position faced the evils of social class since its conamong today’s left that the only ception - the degradation of our cultural thing stopping us from Arcadia facets, our notions of success and power, is other people. our intellectual pursuits, our existenOn this premise tial faculties, and our right to live free though partly true - a culfrom poverty. tural acceptance often And if you don’t believe that, let develops. Namely, that it sit that it was really the 90s when the fight for decentralwestern, civil authority sought to ization is always tarshift the decentralized mindset of nished by dialectical the previous forty years, leaving circumstances, that flickers of a Communist shadow our failures to employ behind it. Nearly every progressive direct-democratizathinker after that was seen as dust tion are in the hands of under the rug. intrusive powers with Shaohua Chen and Martin invested interests. It’s Ravallion, two developmental rea withdrawn position searchers at DECRG, expose 2012 to blame every failure poverty rates that’ll sting even the as ‘the other guy’s fault’ most scrupulous critic. Chen and Rainstead of delving deeper vallion even go as far as to suggest a into the nature of the new emergence within the last twenty revolt itself, the intellectual/ years of a class coined as the mini-bourcultural sphere of the nation geois - never quite debtless, never quite or time, and what solution comfortable. really garners the best possible It’s a matter of respect that I bring attenoutcome. tion to this. I want leftist youth to remember or Clinging to a thesis that sugJAVIER CAICEDO MULTIMEDIA EDITOR learn Marxist theorists, to join debate clubs and write gests a Marxian/Socialistic future is only for newspapers, to instil the progressive word everywhere as strong as its ability to withstand whatever they can, to make people uncomfortable, to seek and fight for treacherous foe gets in its way is doing away with serious, cultural analyses, away with crucial self-reflection, and their rights, and to be educated, critical, and assertive. Join a party, assemble protests. away with nuance. Do these things with the same passion and drive and pasThis theory has paved the way to an oppositional force sion you always do. Just remember to be a thinker first. that seems only to see change as protests and parties.
Healthier students are happier MSU insurance plan needs glasses and oral contraceptives Simon Granat The Silhouette
Healthier students are happier, more successful students. Unfortunately this simple truth doesn’t garner the attention that it should here in our students union. Now let me start off by saying that I respect a lot of the focus on Mental Health that the University and the student union has collaborated on lately. This includes the Peer Support Help Line, a project that is all but complete, and what I think to be President Stewart’s finest reform. However, here in the student union we have historically overlooked the importance of providing adequate health insurance. The most recent decisions have been to either raise the fee, a function of keeping with rising insurance costs, or changing providers. The problem is that these decisions speak volumes about the student union’s attitude toward health care, namely that it should be cheap and minimal. I think we can do better. In Canada the OECD reports that 65 per cent of people are covered by private health insurance. Think of it this way: for every first year that enjoyed Welcome Week this year, one in three did not have any private health insurance. What’s even more alarming is that of the students covered (mainly by their parents) some will grow to no longer be covered by their parents’ insurance - either by becoming too old, or living close to campus. And many other students come to campus with private insurance plans that really don’t cover that much at all. The proof is in the pudding: many more students keep their MSU health and dental insurance than those who optout. In order to opt out you need to provide proof of equal or
better health coverage. So, while students can’t prove equal or better health care, what’s frightening is that our health insurance still doesn’t cover some of the essential needs of students. There are two areas that the MSU health insurance plan needs to cover - glasses (and contact lenses), and oral contraceptives. Think of the student who attends class and needs to work extra hours, taking away from their studying time to afford a new pair of glasses, or even worse imagine the student who needs a pair of glasses but cannot afford them so they go without. Whether you’re sitting in lecture or doing readings, proper sight is essential for academic success. Or imagine the student who needs to choose to work to afford oral contraceptives. The student union should afford her some form of coverage so that she can have the freedom and opportunity to work for something beyond her basic needs. Sure, there would be a cost to these increases, but if we pool our money the cost would be substantially less than the out-of-pocket cost that individual students face each year. The McMaster Students Union is in a unique position. By making the choice to give better health insurance we can tear down some of the barriers students face each and every day. We can help build a healthier, more prosperous community here at McMaster and noticeably improve the lives of students. We can make a difference with improved health insurance coverage. This month I will be circulating a petition. If I get enough signatures the petition will go to referendum and students can have a choice - a chance to choose better healthcare.
YOSEIF HADDAD SENIOR PHOTO EDITOR
YOSEIF HADDAD SENIOR PHOTO EDITOR
Aelya Solman The Silhouette
So, you want to be a writer. If you express that sentiment through ink and paper or by typing it out, you’re already six words into the whole ordeal. I want to be a writer. Maybe you’re sitting in a coffee shop or at home in front of a window or in a cubicle at work. The coffee shop is important because remember that no one ever wrote anything before the advent of complicated caffeinated drinks. Does it matter where you are? You’re writing. Okay, this is getting boring. The coffee shop quip was clever though. You need to say something. But what? Maybe you say something that is a result of your imagination. You write of people and animals that do not actually exist. Or maybe they do - maybe these people and animals are fragments of your own self, pieced together to create something new that allows you to talk about yourself without giving it away. This is good. This is exciting. Look at those characters. Look at their trials and tribulations. You read everything over with a sense of ownership, pride, love, and criticism, not unlike those of parents. How many words now? More than a hundred, two hundred, four or five hundred. It’s happening. You are writing. But, what of the other writing? Can writing, and in turn writers, be constricted to one definition? You think of the other writing. The caption contests you enter and sometimes (but not often) win. Advertisements on the insides of bus shelters, filmy from cobwebs. The jobs you lined up as a result of your Technical Writing minor. There it is again. Writing. But what’s so technical about this writing that isn’t as meticulous and painstaking as any other writing? You wonder what Hemingway would have done had he worked for a pharmaceutical company writing medical labels. He would have still risen with the sun and worked for a set number of hours without interruption. He still would have raised a bottle or a glass to his lips - actually, no, just a bottle - and drank with terrifying ease and speed. The son of a bitch would have found a way to be cocky about his medical labels too. Wait a second. Seriously? Hemingway? You couldn’t have found someone else? He’s not the only one. You think of advice given to struggling writers by authors. Think of the Russians. Who was that guy that wrote The Overcoat? Gogol. Listen to Gogol. Men and women who wake up before the rest of the world, pick at their brains, and spit out words that because of how they have been arranged, make sense and are often beautiful. Joan Didion Margaret Atwood. But their words are not always beautiful, sometimes they merely tell us things we should know. F. Scott Fitzgerald, John Cheever. Necessities for us becoming well-rounded, informed individuals. Miriam Toews, Jhumpa Lahiri. Write about the war, the First, the Second, the undocumented ones in hot countries, the one you fought in your heart for someone whose name you’ll forget before you’re 40. Write about the codeine content of this medication. Write about the woes of gas prices in a caption no longer than five words. Shit, how many words is this? You feel it’s getting boring. You should engage the reader. They want variety? Give it to them. Create conflict. Kill that character off in a way that is so heartbreakingly graceful your reader will love you and hate you in between taking sharp, deep breaths of air. Create fear, write about side effects and the possibility of death. Keep this away from your children. Only do this once a day. Whatever it is you do, keep them in your grasp. Tighten your grip in a firm, but gentle way. Make them feel as though they are ultimately in control when they actually aren’t. I can put this down at any time, they say. But they don’t. They stay ‘til the character is buried. They stay, and will often come back to refresh their memory, and that is what you want. Several hundred words now. This writing thing is easier than you remember. Is it though? How do you end it? Even if it’s “technical” writing or fiction or a haiku scribbled on a napkin while you wait for your train, it has to come to an end. But how? The struggle to finish something properly, to do it justice in its resolution, is eternal and not limited to writing at all. When they leave your writing, they should remember the lessons you have taught them. But you worry about just that- the lessons. Who will listen, and to what? The glassy crunch of sand weighs in your mouth; you hoped to spit out diamonds instead. They should remember most of what you have said to them because they will not remember it all the first time. They are just like you, remember, except now you are the one speaking and finally someone is listening. Yes, despite everything, they are listening. Maybe they will come back, maybe not. Whatever it is though, they should remember it in your voice. Be it the voice of a cold unidentifiable tongue reciting pharmaceutical fact, of ivory salesmen in the heart of the jungle, or of love. Whatever it is, it has to be yours.
A8 • Opinions
The Silhouette • Thursday, October 11, 2012
ANMOL LAMBA
VIOLETTA NIKOLSKAYA
VP- Internal Affairs MacDebate
Co-President MacDebate
Are universities justified in trying to access your Facebook page?
V: Let me first start off by saying that I like privacy. I keep my Facebook under lock and key unless you know me. When I started working in a professional capacity for the University, I was taught very well how to keep my Facebook private. I was told this by the very same individuals who may ‘Facebook me’ if I ever applied again or in another capacity. With Facebook’s new policies, including how your display photo album is by default (and changeably so) public, it is even more important than ever to know what the public can see of your personal page. I think that having the incentive of ‘youremployer-may-stalk-your-page’ is a good way to motivate students to be cognizant of what can be searched about them online. Although we grew up in a technological savvy age, we sometimes forget how much can be searched on you with a few simple clicks on Google.
HEADTOHEAD
book’s convoluted privacy policy and changing settings. Essentially, any person who knows how to properly use their privacy settings can prevent avid Googlers from accessing most of their data. Conversely, someone who is either a little less concerned or a little less capable in using their privacy set-
I keep my Facebook under lock and key unless you know me. I was taught very well how to keep my Facebook private. Violetta
consider those that forgo the use of Facebook entirely. How are they evaluated? Does an employer consider them to be anti-social and technologically obsolete or is it considered a sign of individuality that one hasn’t bought into the Facebook hype? Introducing Facebook into one’s decision making results in too many variables that affect people. There is a reason that résumés don’t mention every intricate detail of your life, as they aim to highlight a particular set of relevant skills that might be useful for a job. Facebook acts as an unintentional résumé, highlighting things which are entirely irrelevant to the situation at hand. These irrelevant details are then used as a method of evaluation. LinkedIn, and other social networking websites aimed at professionals, might serve as a much better indicator of how one will act professionally than Facebook would. “Does this person have a lot of business contacts, including those who are willing to recommend him?” might be a much better question to ask than “Why is he a frequent visitor to nightclubs?”.
tings might have all of their updates set to “public”. When comparing these two examples, as an employer or school, you have additional information on the latter applicant, A: Then, doesn’t checking one’s Fa- but not the former. This additional cebook create an unintentional ad- information, depending on whethvantage for people with different er it’s favourable or not, can either levels of “Facebook proficiency”? serve as a serious detriment, or posThis is arguably something that sibly even an advantage. The selecevery applicant struggles with to tion criteria no longer remains the some degree, mainly due to Face- same. Additionally, we can also V: I think those questions are im-
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portant, especially since those behaviours impact your ability to work and represent the organization. Wherever I have worked, I have been under the constant presumption that I am also to act professionally outside of work because my conduct will represent my workplace. I used to work for
Does an employer consider them to be anti-social and technologically obsolete or is it considered a sign of individuality? Anmol
the community (in many cases, this is not carried out and has led to a troublesome reputation in the Westdale community) and show some professionalism because university is a transitional step into that world. A: Acting responsibly in the community and acting responsibly on Facebook can often be two different things, however. They usually only begin to overlap when potentially embarrassing photos are posted on Facebook, which is often out of an applicant’s own control. Although, I can agree that “untagging” themselves from such photos, even when not worried about schools or employers, is likely a wise course of action to take. When considering non-photo updates, another faulty assumption that might exist is that the way you interact on Facebook is a good indicator of how you might interact in real life. The way you act often changes based on situational context. Similar to how you might attend an interview with your hair styled, it won’t be far-fetched to believe that with your friends you might slouching with bed-head.
a City department that specifically had me sign a contract that stated that the way I act in public may be grounds for discipline; I think that this is fair when you have consented to such oversight. But I will also go in so far as to say that if you are attending a University, your primary occupation here is as a full-time or part-time student and this comes with specific responsibilities. We, as students, should act respectfully in Go online to see the conclusion >>
Opinions • A9
Thursday, October 11, 2012 • The Silhouette
Feedback
Do we need a women’s centre on campus? “It further perpetuates tension. It doesn’t solve the root of the problem.” Samira SayedRahman, Political Science III
“There needs to be an open, friendly environment for women. It has my approval.” Olivia Mouriopoulos, Social Sciences I
“A women’s centre would be great as long as a men’s centre is also implemented.” Kaialise Mattiozzi, Linguistics and Cultural Studies IV
“Yes, a support group accessible on campus will educate students about women’s rights issues and campaigns.” Alvand Mohtashami, Commerce IV
“We should improve our current facilities and not exclude any gender or race from participating.” Kinjani Jain, Kinesiology III
YOSEIF HADDAD SENIOR PHOTO EDITOR
More than just turkey Giving your loved ones the respect they deserve Abdullahi Sheikh The Silhouette
Just to clarify, I’m not talking about that great turkey that got you full this long weekend. No, here I’m dealing with the idea behind the holiday. Behind all of its dressings, what does the day really stand for, and why should we care? I know Christmas has come to mean free presents for the whole family, Easter an excuse to hunt for painted eggs and Victoria Day is a day to get off from school. It’s Thanksgiving, however, that I want to discuss because I think it could have a real impact on our lives if we let it. The history surrounding our Thanksgiving is a bit more obscure than that of our Southern brethren, but it sums up the concept pretty nicely. An English settler wished to create, well, a settlement in Nunavut. Unfortunately for him, one of his ships pulled a Titanic and was lost. This was, of course, relatively distressing,w and the settler, Martin Frobisher, thought that his aspirations of a homely little colony were dashed to the sea, much like his ship. However, the appointed preacher of the now unlikely settlement gathered the settlers ‘round and urged all present to perform communion in thanks for being able to visit a place so far removed from home. Now, history probably isn’t the subject of choice for most of you - although you picked up a newspaper, so go figure - so let me try to keep this on track. Although you may not be a practising Christian or a Christian at all, the story still has quite a bit of worth. The idea of being thankful for what you have, whether it is God-given or not, is still relevant in today’s society. And to be honest, it’s a notion that’s pretty foreign to most people today. In today’s world of fast cars, hasty essays and speedy Internet (curse you MacConnect!) it’s surprising to come across someone who can take the time out of their day to just show thanks, be it to another person or a deity of their choice. And herein lies the rub. “Of course it’s difficult for us to stop our days,” you say, “you just told us exactly why.” Though that may be true, doesn’t it only increase the importance of doing so? Passing your exams is hard, but if they were easy nobody would congratulate you for doing well, would they? Challenging oneself is the only way to grow in this world and to stop your day, even for a few moments, to remember exactly what you’re grateful for can be a wonderful reminder of what’s truly important. That’s what Thanksgiving is all about, isn’t it?
THANK YOU!
JAVIER CALCEDO MULTIMEDIA EDITOR
A recent Internet campaign only serves to underscore the importance of keeping in touch with what you’re thankful for, and what truly matters. As you may know, a common meme on Twitter known as #FirstWorldProblems revolves around poking fun at what bothers people living in countries such as Canada or the United States by highlighting the inconsequential events of daily life. This joke has come under fire recently for only serving to further desensitize people to the plight of others living in more squalid environments and countries. Although these people may be missing the irony of the meme, the criticism still has merit. Merely highlighting the little things in your life aren’t enough. To truly be happy, you need to understand what matters to you and why, and for that you’ve got to be a little gracious.
Opinions • A11
Thursday, October 11, 2012 • The Silhouette
Walking in the sun with abandon Student life is hard; take your time to care about health and stress Rob Hardy The Silhouette
It’s October, and by now we are all knee-deep in yet another semester at university. Some of us have been around the block a few times and have developed strategies of coping with the oppressive workloads we acceptingly swallow while others have yet to learn these kinds of critical life skills. The problem seems to be - if you are anything like me – that with all these safeguards in place, time seems to constantly elude us. One of the default answers of this age when asked “how are you?” can often go something along the lines of “oh my God, I’m so busy.” This is followed by further conversation, which quickly, if not immediately, drifts to something else. Apparently, that we are bone-tired merits little attention, at least as something that we would attempt to discuss at length. The underlying meaning in all this is that our fatigue gets reduced to an anecdote, a commiserating joke, something we begrudgingly accept but never really question beyond its annoyance or even pain. Chronic fatigue, however, is very serious and not something to make light of; it can even become dangerous. Although some people report feeling fine with only a few hours of sleep, many of us need at least seven, if not eight, to feel a sufficient level of vibrant alertness. Our society, though, doesn’t really take this into account, as fuzzy math tends to think that some things can be overlapped or reduced without consequence. In reality, a lack of sleep is one of the biggest health indicators over time. Restful sleep also requires a gradual winding down. Finishing an essay and then racing to bed right away isn’t a positive segue to optimal sleep. But few of us have the luxury of enough downtime to enjoy the ritual of preparing for bedtime, even on weekends. So, if we are not sleeping for most of the 24 hours a day provides us, then what are we doing? Going full-force into templates of fulltime course loads, part-time jobs, and a mix of volunteering, interning, clubs/sports and a myriad of other social activities. Not all of us are doing all of these things, but even a portion brings us into 16-hour days. We come to see that no matter how quickly we check things off on our to-do list, the problem becomes not time-management itself but simply having way too much to manage in the first
YOSEIF HADDAD SENIOR PHOTO EDITOR
We’re now in the middle of October. Assignments/essay are quickly piling up. We should take the time to care about our stress.
place. All of these endeavours, superimposed also onto a perennial process of new applications and constant upgrading, just so that we can prove to others that we can handle it, and in turn be rewarded with future positions that leave us even more haggard. That’s fine for those who are truly this ambitious, but not all of us can juggle 17 plates while balancing on a ball on ice with one foot. And even for people that can, sooner or later they burn out from the level of severe demands we have grown to accept. A common regret for many as they grow old is that they got into the rat race and before they knew it they were middle-aged, seeing their best years pass them by. Not knowing how to shift into a transition, many continued down this path until it was too late and burning regrets took over the remainder of their
life. What has evidently become the burning issue of the Gen-Y’s is that all this work and sacrifice may return dubious dividends in an economy that is not able to sustain the entire work force, and in return is burdening us to support the widespread scarcity. Maybe I am idealistic, on top of being hyper-exhausted, but we should really be aware of these things and be sure to make time in our lives to walk in the sun with abandon. This doesn’t mean you are being frivolous or hedonistic, but that you take your health seriously and understand how different components can work together to either strengthen you or undermine your end goals. “Personal days,” as they have come to be known, are crucial to health and rejuvenation and actually staying off sickness, thereby increasing productivity. Princeton grad Timothy Ferriss, wrote
Free
a best seller a few years back called. The 4-Hour Workweek in which he outlines principles of productivity and return on investment. Though most of us cannot become successful entrepreneurs, it is food-for-thought on ratios of time, money and energy expenditure. We have forgotten to be really aware that our lives are our own, and that when we put so much effort into spending those lives in efforts to influence what others think or whether they will hire you, we may be in for a very rude awakening. Cultivating confidence, which often stems from doing what makes you happy, is a very powerful factor in achieving the gains we so often seek anyway. In order to do this, we have to create new realities for ourselves, as well as reclaim our lives. If this is too great a task right now, we can start by at least reclaiming our nights.
Weekly Shuttle Bus Starting Sept. 26th
Wednesdays 6pm | 6:30pm | 7pm Last pick-up from Fortinos at 8:00pm Pick-up From Mary Keyes Residence At The Cootes Dr. Entrance
Look For The Big Yellow School Bus
RACE RIOTS CONTINUE Marathon runners’ union prolongs strife with sprinters. D4
THURSDAY
NOTSPEC.COM
HAMILTON SPECULATOR OC TOBER 11, 2012
THE
KEEPING OUR COMMUNIT Y SCARED SINCE 1934
MacNab’s possibly final book is set to hit store shelves as soon as dogs are able to operate low-end computers.
KAPOW BUBBLE KILLS SEVEN
Comic book staples murder innocents in street ASIA TEQUILA-DASH Assistant Speculator
Onlookers were stunned this morning as the impossible was made somberly possible. A man exclaimed “kapow” in a crowded street, generating a fourth-wall violating spiky speech bubble containing the phrase, at which point gravity took over and impaled an Indonesian family of seven. Talang Mustafa Nibrahim, father of the deceased seven family members, recently awoke from his stint in intensive care at Hamilton General Hospital. “Damn the English language, it has taken too many family members from me already,” said Nibrahim. This was in reference to a previous incident in which Nibrahim’s previous family was brutally smothered by a stranger’s eclectic thought bubble, burying his wife and three kids under under the rubble of a “Hmm” cloud. CAPOON, the Commitee Against Poor Obstruction of Narratives, led by chairman and CEO Maus Stallin-Putineenashay, spoke out about the event. “Too many people in the world carelessly use hyperbolic exclamations, not thinking about the tens of people a year that are killed by rogue speech bubbles,” said Putineenashay. Officials are denying any instances of the event, clamining that “it is too ludicrous to consider the idea of the fourth wall breaking in reverse, having comic book tropes making their way into our corporeal dimension.” Neoliberals Opting for Perforated Extracurriculars (NOPE,) is a counter-organization attempting to raise awareness for the phenomena itself, warning citizens against the danger of avoiding exclamations. Kabang bubbles are rumored to be the next evolution of Kapow bubbles, but it is pure speculation at this point.
Hamilton’s Hairy Hero is back TIBERIUS SLICK Senior Speculator
Just when the city of Hamilton thought it was time to commit crimes on the city’s dime, the local symbol of justice and loyalty stepped forward and saved our tails once again. MacNab, the crime-fighting dog we all know and love, provided integral evidence towards the incarceration of infamous local bandit and homicidal dog-hater, the Hess Stabber. The stabber, legal name Felonius Katz, somberly staggered into his court hearing Tuesday night, with an entourage of furocious lawyers. The case proceeded much in his favour for the first half of the hearing, with most witnesses either failing to present themselves or preoccupied with stab wounds in Hamilton General Hospital’s intensive care unit. “It seemed like the scumbag was going to get away with it. His trust-funded lawyers were barking at the judge all night, claiming everything from unwarranted searches to improper police conduct. It was really turning into a shit show,” said commissioner Jacob Bismuth of Hamilton Police Services. When the hearing resumed after a brief recess, a tinge of hope filled the air as a new witness voluntarily approached the stand, one Mr. MacNab CFD (Crime-Fighting Dog). What followed was a series of incomprehensible violent yelps and snarls, coupled with an impromptu second recess to clean the feces out of the stands after an unfortunate accident, which MacNab lowered his head and whimpered for in apology. “The damn dog just came in and made my
INSIDE TODAY
day. When he wasn’t staring down the defendant with his dead, hungry eyes he was nudging DNA test results to the judge with his nose and even pointing out illicit substances in audiences’ pockets,” said Bismuth. MacNab’s testimony gave the jury the push they needed for a unanimous guilty verdict, and Mr. Katz was sentenced to a consecutive life sentence for every person he stabbed, a total of 23.6 life sentences. When inquiring about the odd decimal, it was determined that some of the lives were worth less than others in an empirical sense, “douchey,” as he put it, so the judge gave the defendant some leeway in the sentencing. In honour of his efforts, the City of Hamilton is awarding MacNab with the highest honour a crime-fighting dog can attain, a scratch behind the ears administered by an actor dressed as Dick Tracy, the 1930s anti-crime icon. In commemoration of this occasion, MacNab approached his publisher with a finished manuscript for what many are calling his penultimate or perhaps final iteration in his best-selling book series, MacNab’s Stab-Ridden Swan Song. The Speculator approached MacNab’s owner and official ball-thrower Jason Trent, for a comment. “I’m not sure how this keeps happening. I mean, I keep a pretty close eye on him, but sometimes he just disappears for days at a time and drags home animal corpses. Did those animals commit any crime? We might never know,” said Trent. Despite the controversy surrounding MacNab and his abuse of power surrounding critters that did not receive due process, the city is still proud to house such a beacon of light that makes those who hide in the shadows that much easier to catch.
HOCO DANCE BBW2
SLUTTY CROSSWORD B3
WEATHER
PER ISSUE:
G-RATED COMICS! C3
DTF CROSSWORD B4
HIGH: CHOLESTOROL LOW: SELF-ESTEEM McDonalds coupons don’t save you money in the long run. FAT CHANCE C4
$1 and Bottle
POOR DRAWINGS! C7
SEE BEE SEE A9-A11
of Flintstones
WHAT DOES IT ALL MEAN C8
I ONCE MET A MAN IN VEGAS
Vitamins INCL.
GOINGS-ON A5
WHO OFFERED ME TEN BUCKS
MURDERS AND STUFF A8
TO LICK HIS ELBOW A1
HST, PST .
2012
Page R7
WET WET WATER
SPECU
Shit Hastings takes a dip and finds out just how wet water really is.
T.J.’S DOWN UNDERWEAR
What did you learn this week, Timmy?
“Afrikaans? If I wanted to listen to gutteral nonsense I’d tune in to CBC”
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Disclaimer: Stories printed in The Hamilton Speculator are fact. Any resemblance to persons real or dead is likely intentional and done out of spite. Opinions expressed are those of The Speculator and if you disagree with them you are wrong. And stupid. Possibly ugly as well.
PORTS Home sweet home Thursday, October 11, 2012
Sports Editors: Brandon Meawasige and Scott Hastie Meeting: Thursdays @ 1:30 p.m. Contact: sports@thesil.ca
The Marauders have rolled their way to a 6-0 record with only two games remaining and only one victory needed to clich home advantage in the playoffs.
Brandon Meawasige Senior Sports Editor
After a convincing victory against the York Lions by a score of 54-14, the McMaster Marauders inched one step closer to a perfect season. Last year, winning the national championship, Mac finished 7-1 in the regular season and this year’s perfect result so far is, in fact, an improvement, Approaching this weekend’s homecoming game, Mac has a chance to improve on their result from last year. The injury trouble experienced by this team has been notable; regardless, the Marauders have responded with spectacular play, making the injuries simply a bump in the road. “Regardless of our injuries issues, we try to push and get better
every week. The quest for the Yates cup is not one you can succeed at every week if you don’t try and get better. Instead of focusing on who isn’t there, we try to focus on developing on who is there,” said Head Coach Stefan Ptaszek of his team’s resilience so far this season. Mac’s injuries have been less notable this season due to the sizeable contribution from players like running back Kaesean Davis. “The big thing with the injuries to Chris Pezzetta and Jimmy hill has been he development of Kasean Davis. Everyone sees the great open field funning, but its pass protection and the things that are harder to spot which make this kid special. He can pick up a linebacker blitzing full speed, even with his limited experience. He has been a joy to watch,” said Ptaszek.
MEN’S BASKETBALL
Back to Burridge
It is not just the offence that needs help either. The defence has experienced its fair share of challenges as the usually dominant secondary has had some bumps and bruises. According to Ptaszek, “Our secondary is a little dinged up and you are seeing the emergence of our younger players filling in the roles. Some of these young kids can play. We are getting great play from a very good rookie class.” It may be the veterans, it may be the rookies, but something about this team is different and unique, even from last years history-making squad. Obviously, a 6-0 team is one with a plethora of solid players. But only 12 men can be put on the field at once. Maybe McMaster has something else in its arsenal. “At the end of the process, to earn first place and have home ad-
vantage during the playoffs. We are definitely aware of this and we need to win one of the next two games to guarantee that. Hopefully a sold out crowd at Ron Joyce will help us do that,” said Ptaszek of his upcoming weekend. “We want to continue to grow that culture, loyalty and develop that fan base not only now but throughout the playoffs. Having home field advantage, including a possible national semi-final on campus is important. That 13th man is going to be a big help as the competition gets tighter and the margins for error get smaller,” he continued. The support of Mac fans has been electric this year. Something about defending a national championship has translated into a campus wide appreciation for foot-
JEFF TAM THE SILHOUETTE-
ball that didn’t even exist a year ago. Ptaszek is thankful for this, and commented, “Playing our tougher opponents at home has been amazing. Getting to play our tougher opponents at home was great, and the fans were a big part of that.” This weekend, McMaster will look to live up to the expectations of the team and the coach: a sold out stadium of cheering and passionate fans. At the same time, those crazed fans are excited for what they have come to expect - a sizeable win at Ron Joyce. The game itself will kick-off at Ron Joyce on Saturday, Oct. 13 at 1 p.m. and with a victory, the Marauders will clinch home advantage in the playoffs, a luxury they did not have last season, and we all know how that one ended.
HOMECOMING
Mac shows off new recruits in pre-season game Scott Hastie
Assistant Sports Editor
Fear not, McMaster hoop heads. Basketball is back at Mac, with the men’s team seeing their first action on Tuesday night. The Maroon and Grey took on the A Game Hoops team, a squad featuring players from the NBL, NCAA, CIS and overseas. The Marauders defeated the team from Guelph, Ont. with a score of 89-62. The first quarter was a feeling out process, as the Marauders could not penetrate the A Game defense. Mac was forced into many tough jump shots early but they returned the favour by playing tough defense on the other end. A full-court press prevented the A Game Hoops offense from setting up, resulting in many shots thrown up to avoid a shot clock violation. The first quarter would end 19-13 for the Marauders. In the second quarter, the lead swelled to 27-14. Mac was in the driving seat, with their fast break offense doing major damage to A Game. But the Marauders would take their foot off the gas and some excellent three point shooting from their opponents made the score 33-32 at the end of the first half. This would be as close as the A Game team would get however, as the Marauders poured on the pressure in the second half. Aaron Redpath showed his ability to take over a game, threading the needle on fast breaks to set up teammates numerous times. The second-year guard also put together a series of midrange jump shots to help Mac separate in the third quarter. First-year guard Rohan Boney drew a lot of attention from the crowd for his performance with a first-half dunk and an incredible reverse later in the game. Boney was also active on defense, using his length and quickness to bother his opponents every trip down the floor. Outside of the first quarter, there was a palpable feeling of comfort from the men’s team. The offense was fluid for most of the game and the team looked very confident for it’s first game of the season. Next week, the Marauders will take on the Mohawk Mountaineers in Burridge Gym at 8 p.m. The Mountaineers are the defending Canadian college champions and Mac fans can expect a closer result for the second exhibition game of the preseason.
Reflections from the Editor Sam Colbert Executive Editor
Years before I came to McMaster as a student, my dad took me to a few Marauders football games. There was no Roy Joyce Stadium then. My sister and I used to climb around in the metal frames that supported the bleachers, popping out under my dad’s feet to catch a few plays. I remember watching the likes of guys like Adam Archibald, Jon Behie, Kyle Pyear and Jesse Lumsden play for the Maroon and Grey, led by head coach Greg Marshall. I was young – 12 years old, maybe –and I didn’t know much about football. But I knew that McMaster had one of the best teams around. I now know that I was watching the tail end of a string of Ontario championship teams. The Marauders won the Yates Cup in all three seasons from 2000 to 2002. Now, I’m as old or older than most of our varsity athletes. In other words, I’m not a kid anymore. But watching Marauders athletics teams, I feel like it sometimes. Because as good as those Yates Cup
years seemed, the best time to be a Marauders fan is now. For the first time in its history, our football team won the national championship last year. We beat the powerhouse Laval Rouge et Or to win the Vanier Cup last November. I watched the game in TwelvEighty. The bar was packed, and fans decked out in maroon were shoulder-to-shoulder.When kicker Tyler Crapigna finally sealed the narrow victory for the Marauders, the place erupted. Everyone looked for someone next to them to hug. It didn’t matter whether they were close friends, acquaintances or hadn’t spoken years. For those minutes, hours and days after that kick, we were little other than McMaster students and, by association, Marauder fans.We lingered in the bar to congratulate one another. We spilled onto Sterling Street, loud and elated. We partied into the night. We wore maroon sweaters all the next week. We still talk about that game, that night. On the Wednesday that followed the game, we Silhouette editors sat down to make the front page of our newspaper. Of the 82 years of Sil staffers, we
were the ones that got to write about our school’s national champion football team. We ran a full-page photo of players embracing in celebration. We wrote “Champions” in big letters across the page. In my own way, I got to be a part of the Vanier Cup win. And this year, with the Marauders r a n k e d number one in the country and boasting an undefeated record, I might get to do it again. I might get to share in that same passion with the people I’ve known throughout my years at Mac. You don’t have to know, or even like, football. But this homecoming weekend, know that the Marauders. whether they play football or rugby or volleyball or anything else – work hard at their sport every week for our school, and for us. So don’t be cynical. Don’t be too hip for homecoming. Spend the weekend with friends. Enjoy it; talk about it. Wear something maroon. And despite the alcohol or the guilt over neglected homework, let this weekend make you feel like a kid again.
B2 • Sports
The Silhouette • Thursday, October 11, 2012
MEN’S VOLLEYBALL
Marauders remain undefeated in preseason action Scott Hastie
Assistant Sports Editor
YOSEIF HADDAD SENIOR PHOTO EDITOR
Dany Demyaneko was a major cog in the Marauder attack this week.
The McMaster Marauders men’s volleyball team is back for the 2012 season, with this past week seeing exhibition matches against Western University and the University of Waterloo. The team opened their preseason with two impressive results, setting expectations very high for a volleyball squad with a mix of veteran leadership and young prospects. On Thursday, Oct. 4, the Marauders played their first game of the 2012-2013 season in Burridge Gym against the Western Mustangs, a team that is consistently among the OUA elite for men’s volleyball. The Marauders put forth a convincing effort against last year’s finalist, controlling nearly every aspect of the game over Western. McMaster defeated their OUA rivals in convincing fashion with
a 3-0 victory. Mac looked to be in mid-season form well before the tip-off of their 2012 OUA season, working well as unit in every set. Their opponents, however, did not fare so well. The Mustangs especially struggled with the length of the Marauders front line. Mac continuously smothered any kill attempts from Western, sending numerous triple blocks at their opponents. The triple blocks would pay off for the Marauders, especially in the second set, where McMaster would take the wind out of Western’s sail by putting up points through phenomenal defensive work. One of the standout performances was from middle Dany Demyaneko, a first-year kinesiology student. Demyaneko produced both offensively and defensively throughout the entire match for McMaster and was often finishing off plays for
the Maroon and Grey. Throughout the game, the standout rookie produced highlight kills while fitting in perfectly with Coach Dave Preston’s game plan. On Friday Oct. 5, the men’s squad hosted the Waterloo Warriors, a team who reached the final four in the OUA playoffs last year. The preseason game would bring another victory for the Marauders, again with a dominating performance. Mac would beat the Warriors 3-0, taking the sets 25-20, 25-19 and 25-13. The Marauders have yet to lose a set through four matches of their pre-season, a great sign for a team with OUA Championship dreams. The men’s squad will have another exhibition game against the Brandon University Bobcats, a strong team hailing from the Canada West athletic conference. The teams face off on Thursday Oct. 11 at Burridge Gym, with tip-off set at 8 p.m.
WOMEN’S VOLLEYBALL
Thanksgiving tournament brings positive results Alexandra Reilly The Silhouette
The Mizuno Thanksgiving Tournament Classic brought seven OUA teams to the McMaster campus this past long weekend to face off against the McMaster women’s volleyball team along with many other OUA teams from across the province. The Mizuno Classic is the first home action the Marauders have seen this year after opening their 2012-13 season with tournaments in Ottawa and Montreal. Some of the teams who made their way to McMaster this past weekend for the tournament included Brock, Guelph, Lakehead, Royal Military College, Ryerson, Western and York. Marauder fans definitely had a lot to be excited about following the women’s performance this weekend. The McMaster Women’s Volleyball team began the 2012 Mizuno Classic with a hardfought battle against Royal Military College’s Volleyball squad. The Marauders looked as though they
were off to a great start coming off of their silver medal victory in Ottawa to start the new season. The Marauders played a solid five-set game in front of an eager home crowd on Thursday, Oct. 4 in Burridge Gym. The game started out slow as the Marauders lost two sets in a row before powering back to win the crucial third set 25-21. The game continued in McMaster’s favor as the team won their second set in a row 25-19 forcing a fifth set to be the deciding factor of the game. The Marauder contingent put forth an amazing effort in hopes of warding off a victory in favor of Royal Military College but unfortunately fell just short in the fifth and final set, losing 15-11, which would cost them their first tournament victory. The game proved to be a strong opener for the Mizuno Tournament this year, showcasing the outstanding talents of the Marauder players. The women would bounce back against the Lakehead Thunderwolves on Saturday.
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Mac won the match against the team hailing from Thunder Bay, Ont. with a 3-0 decision but each set was highly contested. The defeat of Lakehead would give the Marauders a spot in the fifth-place match against the Western Mustangs. The Mustangs were a banged-up squad, dealing with multiple injuries to their line-up early in their 2012 season. Despite being hit by the injury bug, Western put up an incredible fight for fifth with McMaster but ultimately Mac would walk out of Burridge Gym with the victory. The fifth place match went to a fifth set, with McMaster narrowly edging out their opponents 15-13 in the decisive set. On Saturday, the Marauders will head to Toronto to face-off against the University of Toronto Varsity Blues for their final game of pre-season action, before starting their season against the York Lions on Oct. 20. Look for the Marauders to continue to build off of early success in the 2012 season in their attempt to capture the OUA Championship.
YOSEIF HADDAD SENIOR PHOTO EDITOR
The women finished fifth at the tournament.
Sports • B3
Thursday, October 11, 2012 • The Silhouette
Fatal error on the side of caution? Sport, especially in North America, has lost touch with its roots Brandon Meawasige Senior Sports Editor
In the world of professional sports, 2012 has been year like no other. As usual, there have been the compelling stories and beautiful demonstrations of human capability. Records have been broken. The summer Olympics in London were the most inclusive games of the modern era. Women were allowed to compete for nations that had previously prohibited their participation, and in the 200-metre, Oscar Pistorius of South Africa ran his heat, though he lost, with two prosthetic legs. In soccer, 2012 brought with it the Euro Cup tournament, which generated buzz globally for the captivating action on the field; truly the world’s game. From afar, it has been a rare exhibition of the best sports can be. However, under the microscope, a harsh reality has also reared its head. More specifically in North America, a continent in which each day it becomes more apparent that sport is in dire need of getting back to its roots. Right now, as the crisp October air finds its way onto McMaster’s campus, students should be looking forward to the next battle of the Toronto Maple Leafs and Montreal Canadiens. Instead, they are bombarded daily with media coverage of the “temporarily” locked out National Hockey League. I seem to remember something about a 50/50 revenue split, but it is difficult for me as a sports journalist to admit that even I have lost interest. Collective bargaining agreements are just not something I remember reading about in the “Hockey Sweater.” Being on student budget, I would also gladly trade places with someone who plays hockey for even a few thousand dollars a year. I apologize that the difference between
$1.2 million and $1.6 million is lost on me. In the past, sports that receive the most media attention have enjoyed athletes and coaches with similarly high profiles. This has been beneficial in many ways, but in 2012, it has also caused many shocking and sad stories. Lance Armstrong, one of the most important figures in cancer research advocacy worldwide, was stripped of his seven Tour de France titles for allegedly using a banned substance. Maybe perfection is impossible. Not to be forgotten are the numerous stars who have been sidelined at points this year with concussion systems. Despite doing nothing wrong, these athletes have been turned into the lab rats for the crusade against violence in violent sports. Make no mistake Sidney Crosby was only sidelined for so long, not as a result of his headaches, but because he is worth $112 million to the Pittsburgh Penguins. I do not mean to paint such a grim picture, but everybody needs to wake up. We are but months removed from one of the biggest scandals in North American Football history. As a result we lost one of the best educators of the last 50 years. Joe Paterno of Penn State in the NCAA coached for over four decades and sent scores of players to the National football league and helped hundreds (no exaggeration) of young men get a university degree. He lost his job, and eventually succumbed to his old age after the off-field actions of one assistant coach came to light in the media. The underlying theme this year is the sport itself being lost in translation. It has become about everything else and that is very difficult to stomach. Sports will surely be more lucrative, as well as Lance Armstrong- and violence-free once today’s commissioners are finished. I don’t know how else to say it; this sucks. JAVIER CAICEDO MULTIMEDIA EDITOR
THREE DOWNS Scott Hastie
Assistant Sports Editor
1
The sun is setting on the Western Mustangs 2012 season. With a loss over the weekend to the University of Guelph Gryphons in a wild game that came down to the last few minutes of play, the Mustangs are now 3-3 in the OUA. The Mustangs are tied for fourth in the OUA, with Laurier and Windsor. Will they be able to salvage their season? Likely not. Blake Huggins and Will Finch failed to produce for head coach Greg Marshall and without a serviceable quarterback, the Mustangs will not hold up against Queen’s or McMaster in the playoffs.
There’s a competitiveness issue in OUA men’s rugby. A quick glance at the results from the 2012 OUA season shows some appalling scores, with some final tallies as high as 104-0. Seriously? Let’s get some real scores here. If the teams aren’t going to compete, let’s figure out a solution. Either get competitive, or get out. That’s a harsh stance, but there’s no point in such lack of effort.
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Where’s the (ice) hockey, McMaster? As it stands, McMaster is currently only competing at a club level for both women’s and men’s hockey. The Marauders are one of the few schools in the OUA without a men’s hockey team. With nearly 25,000 undergraduate students, Mac should conceivably be able to find players to field a team. Sure, there are some logistics to be worked out but it’s time for McMaster to get with the times and put a hockey program on the ice. #MacPuck2013, how’s that sound?
Photo of the week
YOSEIF HADDAD SENIOR PHOTO EDITOR
McMaster teams will be flying high all season in Burrdige Gymnasium.
Sports • B5
Thursday, October 11, 2012 • The Silhouette BASEBALL
Strong second-half of season for Mac Marauders show they can keep up with the best in the OUA John Bauer The Silhouette
McMaster’s up and down baseball season drew to a close last week with a full slate of games. On Tuesday, Oct. 2, the Maroon and Grey split a doubleheader at Queen’s, winning the first game 3-2 and continuing to win the second game, 10-5. The first game was a hitting clinic by Mac, with 12 hits including two-baggers by Travis Flint, Jake Chiaravalle, Colin Campbell and Travis Gibson. The Marauder offense was backed up by the solid pitching performance of Carlos Cabrero, who held the Golden Gaels to five hits and two runs, until Tomas Rincon came in to put the finishing touches on the “W”. On Wednesday Oct.3, the Marauders would out hit the Guelph Gryphons, but still fall short 12-6. On Friday, Oct. 5 night brought two games against the Western Mustangs. McMaster would again get doubled up in the first game, despite Jake Chiaravalle’s third triple of the season. Carlos Cabrero brought the heat in the loss, striking out five. In the second game, the Maroon would break loose for a satisfying 10-6 thumping, which included 14 hits. Paul Saville lead the way with four hits including a triple and a stolen base to boot, followed by Travis Gibson with three hits, a stolen base and two RBI. McMaster closed the season out on Saturday with a 9-3 loss against the league champion Brock Badgers. Paul Saville would pick up a triple to make it back-to-back games with a three-base hit. When the dust settled on the season, McMaster amassed a record of 7-14, slotting them seventh out of eight teams in the league. Brock and Guelph finished at the top of the standings, while Queen’s came in at the bottom. The highlights of the season for the Marauders were a memorable defeat of last year’s champions the University of Toronto at the start of the season, their pioneering of the baseball program for childhood cancer research, and their dramatic, come from behind, extra-inning win over Waterloo. The team proved talented enough to play with the best in the league, and looks forward to contending for the playoffs next year.
McMaster can only hope to build upon the lessons learned through the tough 2012 OUA season.
YOSEIF HADDAD SENIOR PHOTO EDITOR
WOMEN’S SOCCER
Gobbling up the competition Scott Hastie
Assistant Sports Editor
It was an incredible weekend for McMaster’s women’s soccer team. The Thanksgiving weekend is always a difficult one, with personal distractions running rampant for sports teams as the campus empties while students travel home to see their families for the holiday weekend. But for the ladies soccer team, there was an even greater challenge: the Laurier Golden Hawks. The Golden Hawks are the No.3 ranked team in the CIS and are a perennial powerhouse in Canadian women’s soccer. They were undefeated in the 2012 season until their journey
to Hamilton where the McMaster Marauders would hand the Golden Hawks their first loss of the season. The match was highly contested, with emotions running high on either side. Throughout the first half, the game would stay incredibly close with teams matching each other’s attacks with strong defence. McMaster put together a great piece off of a corner kick, but the Marauders were unable to put a foot on the ball and the opportunity would be missed. At the half, the score would remain 0-0, but it would not take long for that to change. In the 48th minute, McMaster’s leading scorer Tara Dawdy would break the tie with a strike from out-
side the 18-yard box. The ball would soar past the Laurier keeper, giving the Marauders the 1-0 edge, a lead they would maintain until the final whistle. It would not be a perfect game for the Marauders, as shortly after the goal, Julia Maiolino received her second yellow card of the match and was sent off. With Mac a player down, and Laurier leading the OUA West in goal differential, the lead did not look like it would stand for very long. But goalkeeper Brittany Duffey and her defensive unit would not waver and an outstanding collective effort would maintain the clean sheet for Duffey. The Laurier defeat is the Ma-
rauders most important win of the season, as the Marauders narrowed the gap between the Golden Hawks at the top of the OUA West standings. On Sunday, the Marauders built off their momentum from the Laurier defeat and took the pitch against the Waterloo Warriors. The Warriors are a struggling squad, floundering in the bottom of the OUA West table. Their struggles would continue against the Marauders, starting in the 19th minute with Maureen Mai beating the defender and placing a perfect shot to give Mac a 1-0 lead. The lead would quickly double, with Cristina Leonardelli scoring the eventual game-winning goal in the 35th minute and McMaster would end the first half with a 2-0
lead. The Warriors would attempt a comeback in the second half, after a counter-attack goal brought the score to 2-1 in favour of the Marauders. Waterloo would continue to apply pressure to the Mac defense but the ladies in the back would hold strong to maintain the lead. The women’s squad heads to the University of Guelph on Saturday. The Guelph Gryphons held Mac to a scoreless draw in their last match. McMaster hosts UOIT on Sunday, a team looking to solidify its spot in the 2012 playoffs. The Marauders defeated the Ridgebacks in their previous match, dominating the game 3-0.
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B6 • Sports
The Silhouette • Thursday, October 11, 2012
MEN’S SOCCER
McMaster maintains undefeated streak With the OUA playoffs looming, Mac sits three points behind conference leader Scott Hastie
Assistant Sports Editor
Thanksgiving weekend was an important weekend in the McMaster Marauders men’s soccer schedule. Mac sits only three points behind the OUA West leaders, the York Lions and could have narrowed the gap with two wins over the weekend. Instead, the Marauders walked away from the weekend unsatisfied. Although they are still holding an undefeated streak of seven games, Mac left valuable points on the table in their game against the Laurier Golden Hawks. McMaster had an opportunity to increase the gap between the third-place Golden Hawks and themselves on Saturday, as McMaster hosted Laurier at Ron Joyce Stadium. The Marauders controlled much of the game against the Golden Hawks but could not break the Laurier defense and the game would end with a disappointing 0-0 result. Despite the tie, the Marauders clearly dominated their opponent throughout the entire game. Mac came close to scoring in the second half after Andrew Pastoric would strike the ball past the Laurier goalkeeper on a play started with a McMaster corner kick. But the goal would not stand as the assistant referee had signalled for an offside on Pastoric, keeping the score level. The Marauders would have another great opportunity to break the tie, with a two-on-one opportunity
between two of Mac’s most lethal weapons, Gersi Xhuti and Mark Reilly. But the Laurier keeper would not be beat and made an incredible save on a Xhuti strike to prevent McMaster from scoring their first goal of the game. The boys in Maroon would continue to play with intensity but the scoreless draw would stand. The Marauders earned their first tie of the season and maintained a large lead over the Golden Hawks in the OUA West table. It would not take long for Mac to return to its winning ways however, as the Waterloo Warriors would visit Ron Joyce Stadium to begin their climb from the OUA West basement. The Warriors sit in second-last place, with only one win to their name and an appalling 8-20 goals for to goals against ratio before the start of the match against Mac. That statistic would only get worse after taking on McMaster, who would wallop the Warriors to the score of 6-0, the highest scoring game of Mac’s 2012 season. Reilly, who scored a hat trick to lead Mac to victory over a struggling Waterloo squad, led the Maroon and Grey effort. The scoring frenzy began in the 11th minute, with the man of the match - Reilly - finishing off a beautiful Marauder attack. Paterson Farrell would pick up the assist, perfectly guiding the ball to Mac’s leading scorer. The Marauder offense would break the Waterloo defense again in the 35th, with Reilly striking one
C/O MCMASTER ATHLETICS & RECREATION
Team captain Patterson Farrell has led the squad to a 9-1-1 record so far this season.
past the Waterloo keeper for his second of the game. Five minutes later, Reilly would complete the hat trick by finishing off a great pass to make the score 3-0 before the half. In the second half, Farrell would get in on the scoring action, blasting home his eighth of the 2012 campaign. Goals late in the game would
come from Muntazir Fadhel and Nathaniel Morris as the game would finish with a large scoring margin in favour of the men’s squad. Reilly now sits third in the OUA scoring race with 10 goals on the season. The chase of the York Lions continues this weekend, starting on Saturday, as the men’s squad travels to the University of Guelph to take
on the Gryphons. The Marauders will also faceoff against the University of Ontario Institute of Technology Ridgebacks at Ron Joyce Stadium. Both teams were defeated by the Marauders earlier in the season and McMaster fans should expect similar results from their boys in Maroon.
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OUT
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Walkmans, Furbys, Tamagotchis, oh my! Ronald Leung The Silhouette
The fifth-grader with a smartphone is actually quite a common sight nowadays. While the merits of exposing a child to regular doses of radiation is debatable, the function of the device is usually more for entertainment and gaming rather than social networking. It’s easy to download free games right onto a smartphones so it’s obvious why kids are so drawn to them. But really, do the ‘90s kids have anything to be jealous of? We were the era of glorious black-and-white pixelated egg-shaped Tamagotchis with hundreds of different varieties to buy and play. The most extreme friend usually had twenty or thirty Tamagotchis all strung up on a keychain and would pull them all out on a regular basis during recess to feed/play/take care of each and every virtual critter for a good thirty minutes. It’s not surprising that even marriage and family was introduced, and owners were allowed to “link up” with each other to pair their Tamagotchis and even raise children. A great small stepping stone into the complex jungle of social hierarchy, don’t you think? With over 76 million units sold, Tamagotchis are still going strong! Don’t be surprised if you see your younger cousins sporting one with flashy lights, 3-D graphics and 8-bit colour. Times change quickly my friend. On that note, is it a surprise to hear that the original Sony Walkman actually used audio cassettes? Yes, you know what I’m talking about – the little plastic rectangles filled with swirls of black tape. It certainly seems like an eternity ago that anyone actually used those things. Perhaps you can find some in the children’s section at your local library. Quick to adapt to the times, Sony released a CD
Walkman which, believe it or not, was the most fetch thing in the ‘90s. My, my! Not only could the rings of thin plastic be stored easier than chunky black boxes of tape, they also were much easier on the eyes. Instead of boring print on the cassettes, you could be dazzled by a shimmering ring of colour on the back, and whatever interesting image was on the front. Don’t laugh now – Sony Walkman actually fundamentally changed the way people listened to music by allowing
them to carry music everywhere and use lightweight headphones. You could call the Walkman the ancestor of your trendy Apple product. While Sony created a must-have product for
KAREN WANG GRAPHICS EDITOR
many years, individual toys come and go every holiday season taking the crown for the “Must-Have” gift for the year (I’m looking at you Tickle-meElmo). The Furbies took to the throne in the winter of 1998. In fact, demand soared so ridiculously high that resale prices went over $100 and often over $300 in auctions. On that note, what animal is a Furby supposed to be, exactly? It’s like a square shaped bird with very big ears and no wings. The closest suggestion I’ve heard is a hamster/owl splice which explains the over-large eyes, furry hide, and bulky body. One of the reasons why these strange creatures were so popular was because they had robotic “intelligence” – they were able to “communicate” with other Furbies in a fictitious language called “Furbish” that slowly involved more and more English words as they grew. I suppose children do really enjoy toys that talk back and hold some sort of interaction. Really, our childhood wasn’t so bad. Don’t even get me started on Beyblades, Pokemon, and Spongebob Squarepants. Kids these days, they don’t know what’s good. If you ever have time, try visiting the toy section in a giant department store – you’ll likely spend a great deal of time repeating the phrase “Oh yeah, I remember this!” Well, at least hopefully you will. It’s doubtful you’ll find an audio cassette Sony Walkman but at least there’ll be some modern version that will jog your memory. Hold your head high, child of the ‘90s. As short as our childhood was, it was glorious.
RANT OF THE WEEK
Dear Over-hyped Tech...
Miranda Babbitt The Silhouette
I’m speaking on behalf of all of those who don’t live under a rock and are held subject to the absurdly frantic hype over what is called the iPhone 5. Apple fanboys have been lighting up cyberspace with mock trailers for months, spurring intensified critique of the current iPhone 4S, and spending 98.7 per cent of their time dreaming about their new life, so radically changed with this new phone. The new design has been deemed “revolutionary,” a complete “breakthrough” and “lighter and skinnier than ever before.” But am I the only one feeling that nagging sense of déjà vu: haven’t they called every redesign thus far revolutionary? Each one poised to simply knock your socks off ? Sorry to inform you, Apple, but I can confidently say that my socks are snugly on my feet. I have never awoken to a newspaper article featuring the newest design of the iPhone and consequently fallen from my chair in sheer sock and awe. And to anyone who has, you may want have your inner ear checked, because you’re clearly imbalanced. How am I so stonehearted, you ask? How are my nerves made of such steel, nay, titanium, in the face of such ground-breaking design? Well, fellow consumers, it stems from the irrepressible irritation created by the incessantly repeated “updates” to an identical phone! In a sense, it seems as though the inner snob in all of us is elucidated when we can feel the newest iPhone in our pockets, as if it was the ring from Lord of the Rings, power pulsing through you, seeking envy in the eyes of those you speak to. Conversations ensue, and it becomes a challenge to drop the fact that you have the “game-changing” phone by your side, acting as though the phone from three generations ago is almost the same thing as an infamous Nokia brick. The iPhone 4S will now be met with an “oh, cool,” escaping from their subtly condescending lips, as if you just told them you prefer mailing letters via pigeon carrier. In actual fact, that would be far cooler than any phone on the market. Who wants to bring back pigeon mail? Nokia, this is your chance to shine! Now I hate to sound so brash. Admittedly, I have tapped into some of the beauty of Apple on my own. I’m the proud owner of an iPhone, a MacBook, and some family member down the line has an iPad, I’m sure. I know others who have virtually every prod-
uct released by them, and others who stick to simply one. Regardless, it is undeniable that Apple has made a permanent mark on the consumer world, and it has come out of repeated innovations that have literally changed the dynamic of technological products. No longer are these advancements confined to the awe of the nerdier elite of society, but it has stretched over the world to an unfathomable degree. It is something to be feared though, when people will sacrifice all logic for an obsessive frenzy over the release of a product that really doesn’t seem to be that innovative on its own anyhow. How much is marketing and how much is true innovation? How desperate are we to be a part of this advancing technological world that we will buy the newest products every time, not questioning their value but simply praising their name? I know we love to pick on our old fogeys of parents, pointing out the flaw in their story of the trek to school being two hills up, chuckling at their confused faces as they attempt to send emails, feeling all high and mighty when they ask you how to add a friend on Facebook, but what were they waiting in line for, camping out for in the prime of their earlier years? Legendary rock festivals, like Woodstock, which gathered 400,000 people, or tickets to Jimi Hendrix or Led Zeppelin. The phenomenon of being the die-hards for a certain niche of the entertainment world came from genuinely sick things you could go to. Not for some game that you’ll hide in your basement and play, or for a phone that you paid someone to stand in line for (oh, the things that could go wrong there). And it’s not like after we get the iPhone, we rush home and do crazily innovative things with it, like solving world hunger with an app, checking out some x-rays as though we were McDreamy from Grey’s Anatomy, being Picasso for an afternoon whilst using your finger to draw a stick man – let’s be real. We Instagram, we tweet, we Facebook, we game alone on the bus. Essentially, phone companies of the world, you’re making us less cool than our parents, with their hipster records and vintage photos of their afros gleaming in the sun. And as impossible as that sounds, it’s becoming a tragic reality. Stop the hype. Let us be cool again. Sincerely, @FedUpWithPhoneHype #whenwillitend #hashtag
YOSEIF HADDAD SENIOR PHOTO EDITOR
YAY or NAY?
Would you consider waiting in a long line for a new tech device? Students of MUSC weigh in on line waits
Y: N:
38% 62%
B8 • InsideOut
The Silhouette • Thursday, October 11, 2012
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InsideOut • B9
Thursday, October 11, 2012 • The Silhouette
Threadwork brings the thrift store to you
The weekend alcoholic
Paulina Prazmo The Silhouette
Who doesn’t like the idea of cheap clothes? How about the idea of trading in your used clothes and getting more clothes in return. That is exactly what Threadwork McMaster believes in. Using and reusing clothes in a sustainable matter is the motto that this group lives by. They focus on reducing waste and support the use of materials that are earth-friendly. This OPIRG working group was founded in 2010 by a group of Mac students. Threadwork encourages other Mac students to “think critically about clothing and its implications on the environment, social justice, and the community.” Their latest project is the fifth annual clothing swap that will be taking place on Thursday, Oct. 25 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the MUSC atrium. They will be collecting your used clothes on Oct. 18, 19, 22, 23 and 24 between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m.
Clothing Swap happens on Thursday, Oct. 25 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the MUSC atrium. Used clothes collection is on Oct. 18, 19, 22, 23 and 24 between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. A member from the group, Christina Vietinghoff said, “The main purpose of the swap is to give the McMaster community a chance to refresh their wardrobe for free without creating waste. A lot of second hand stores in Hamilton are not very accessible to McMaster students - so we’re bringing the thrift store here!” So how does this process really work? How do you get those free clothes you want? Bring in your old used clothes on the collecting days and in turn you will accumulate points that you will be able to spend on the actual clothing swap day. Threadwork will be accepting only clean, un-torn clothes, no undergarments or socks will be accepted. They are asking to wash your clothes before you drop them off, and are also accepting jewellery, accessories, shoes, bags and coats. Changerooms will be provided on the day of the swap to try on those newfound-free-treasures. Vietinghoff said, “Our Threadwork clothing swaps promote reusing clothing and reducing waste. Our clothing swaps engage students and the McMaster community in changing the perception of second hand clothing and celebrating re-using and finding value in it. We plan to have an ‘Alteration Station’ to promote renewing clothing rather than contributing to waste at the upcoming swap.” Shopping for second-hand clothes might not necessarily be your style, but if you think of the money you could be saving for a Friday night instead of that must-have bag, it suddenly starts making sense! Alice Cavanagh, another member of Threadwork added, “Despite the recent ‘trendiness’ of shopping second-hand, I’ve noticed that buying used clothing has a real stigma for a lot of people. At our swaps, we get participants who don’t usually shop vintage or at Value Village. I really like the idea that our events make people feel more comfortable with the idea of wearing used clothing.” In addition to Vietinghoff and Cavanagh, Clothing Swap’s organizers include Isabelle Dobronyi, Sophie Roher, Alexandra Epp and Ariel BaderShamai. So if you have some old clothes just sitting around in your closet, and want to be a part of something unique, mark your calendars and don’t forget: B.Y.O.C. (Bring Your Old Clothes).
Decode your drinking range Alon Coret
Student Health Education Centre
Drunk. Tipsy. Inebriated. Intoxicated. Hammered. Trashed. Sloshed. Shit-faced. Slizzered. Fucked up. Our extensive vocabulary says it all: alcohol consumption is very common in our society, especially on university campuses. For many first-year students, getting drunk has almost become a rite of passage. Alcohol is a substance that allows people to relax, feel less inhibited and be livelier, making it an integral part of any social occasion. Problems arise when alcohol consumption becomes excessive, leading to higher risk of negative physical and/or sexual behaviors, violence, vomiting, and in extreme cases even death. It is easy to establish a dichotomy when it comes to drinking patterns by labeling people either as ‘alcoholics’ and ‘non-alcoholics.’ This oversimplification is not only wrong, but also gives many regular (and sometimes heavy) drinkers the chance to avoid the classification of alcoholism. Instead, we should be thinking of alcohol consumption as a continuum, ranging from normal, socially acceptable, and healthy drinking to detrimental, long-term drinking. The McMaster Student Wellness Center (SWC) outlines four main ‘types’ of drinkers that we should be aware of: Low to moderate drinkers: people who do not drink more than two drinks (drink = one standard beer, or one ounce of alcohol) during one sitting. This often includes middle-aged or elderly people who like to have a drink with their meals, and in such quantities, alcohol may even be beneficial for one’s health. Episodic drinkers: commonly known as “social drinkers” or “binge drinkers,” these are usually teenagers and young adults who do not drink daily, but when they do, they consume more than five standard drinks (men) or three standard drinks (women). Dependent drinkers: these are drinkers whose alcohol tolerance is much higher than when they first started drinking; they need much more booze to get the same buzz. Often characterized by withdrawal symptoms (headaches, nausea, etc), and feelings of anxiety or panic when alcohol is not readily available. Long-term drinkers: people whose life surrounds alcohol to the point where they are so addicted they cannot live without it. Long-term drinkers often lose their jobs or destroy relationships due to alcohol, and may run into debt from the high cost of their addiction. While most university students fall into the first
two categories, gradually developing a more serious dependence on alcohol is not as big of a jump as one might think. The SWC also identified possible risk factors for becoming an alcoholic. These include: beginning to drink early (before age 16), drinking more than one to two drinks per day, being under a lot of stress, having an underlying psychiatric condition or being a smoker. One or more of these risk factors likely applies to many university students. It’s not just long-term or dependent drinkers that experience negative effects on their health. Episodic, or binge drinking, can have serious health ramifications as well. A study conducted at the Complutense University of Madrid showed that binge drinking causes general brain deterioration similar to that caused by old age, such as dementia. Binge drinking has also been shown to damage the hippocampus region of the brain, affecting cognitive performance and long-term memory. Binge drinking is defined as five drinks or more in one sitting for men, and three or more drinks for women – this is not an uncommon amount to drink at a party. While the responsibility of living a healthy and safe lifestyle lies in great part with the individual, their environment also plays a crucial role. On the McMaster campus, there are two venues serving alcohol to students – TwelvEighty and the Phoenix (you could also try the Faculty Club, but that’s a different story). There are numerous alcohol-infused parties and events taking place every year on school grounds, not to mention the countless off-campus alternatives. There is nothing illegal about having these options for students of drinking age, and there is nothing wrong with having a great time. It’s just important to recognize the environmental pressure on students - from venues as well as peers - that may encourage drinking. The bottom line: most of us are aware that alcohol negatively impacts our health, but we should realize that it can do so even at quantities which we consider normal, or quantities that would ‘only make a lightweight drunk.’ The line separating healthy, typical drinking and alcoholism is often a fine one. Lastly, nobody should feel pressured to drink when coming to university. While it might seem as though everyone enjoys Thursday night clubbing, many surveys show that the majority of students do not see alcohol as being important at a party. If you want to drink, that’s cool – just be smart about it.
Earn While You Learn
JAVIER CAICEDO MULTIMEDIA EDITOR
University of Ottawa
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Earn your MBA while gaining valuable work experience with the DeGroote School of Business Co-op MBA program – Canada’s Premier Co-op MBA. To learn more, come visit us at your Graduate School Fair on October 16 and 17, 2012.
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InsideOut • B11
Thursday, October 11, 2012 • The Silhouette
ALEXANDER SHEPHARD Second year Integrated Science
Jacket: Hudson North (The Bay) Plaid Shirt: Salt Valley (Urban Outfiters) Pants: Skinny Chinos from Topman Shoes: Uncle Florian (The Bay) Assorted Praise “You’re really channeling Brit-pop” - Photographer “Nice Jacket” - Chad, iSci professor “Those look like shoes Harry Potter would wear” - Alexander’s housemate Matt
JESSIE LU ASSISTANT PHOTO EDITOR
Running: downhill
Mac researchers explore the decline in physical activity in young adults Johnny-Wei Bai The Meducator
For years, people have recognized that physical exercise improves cardiovascular and mental health, controls weight gain, and enhances academic performance. In fact, some even estimate that 20 per cent of premature deaths could be prevented by regular physical activity. Despite the benefits of physical activity, recent studies show that 85 per cent of Canadian adults do not fulfill the recommended 150 weekly minutes of moderate-to-vigorous exercise. Looking at the bustling activeness in young children, one may wonder at what stage of development this drop in exercise level comes about. Well, it is known that decline in physical activity
occurs most drastically in adolescents transitioning into early adulthood, especially from high school into college/university. To further explore this phenomenon, a recent research study was headed by Matthew Kwan, a post-doctoral fellow at McMaster University’s Department of Family Medicine. Participants for this prospective cohort study were recruited from the Canadian National Population Health Survey; in total, 683 adolescents of ages 12-15 were followed until they turned 25-27 years old. During this period, scientists looked at factors such as physical activity, education status, binge drinking, and smoking levels in both males and females. Comparing such a wide-range of factors allowed researchers to evaluate whether decline in physical activity is truly as big of an issue as other, more publicized health-risk factors. Results showed that the average physical activity level across all participants decreased by a drastic 24 per cent, with a steeper decline in college/university males than in females. This difference across genders, however, may be because females in this study generally exercised less than males did, even in high school. Other health-risk behaviours, such as smoking and binge drinking, predictably increased during the high school-university transition, likely because of reduced parental influence and greater social pressures in post-secondary settings. Although levels of drinking and smoking began to plateau in later years, physical exercise levels continued to decline in adulthood. Kwan’s findings suggest that an increase in unhealthy behaviours in early adulthood puts university and college students at greater risk of future health complications. It is commonly known that excessive smoking and drinking can cause various cancers, lung conditions, and cardiovascular diseases. McMaster researchers claim that in addition to the usual focus on preventing negative behaviour, health promotion strategies should emphasize the benefits of positive health activities such as physical exercise. Kwan called for greater efforts in targeting the decline in physical activity levels in adolescents to encourage healthy life-long habits.
The Silhouette
The turkey has been carved, the stuffing unstuffed, and your parents have given you the gift of Thanksgiving leftovers. Your fridge is filled with Tupperware with no end in sight, and all you can think to yourself is “What to do with all this poultry and canned cranberry jelly?” Well, lucky for you here are a few ideas that will give new life to your leftovers.
Thanksgiving Day Panini This recipe is pretty straightforward but tastes delicious. You will need a Panini bun and all of your leftovers. 1. Cut open your Panini bun down the middle 2. Layer your leftovers; mashed potatoes, turkey, gravy, stuffing and cranberry sauce. 3. Squish and press the filled Panini on a Panini press (alternatively you can toast your sandwich or grill on a BBQ but a press yields the best results)
4. Once the top is toasted and definite toast lines are present, the sandwich is ready.
Thanksgiving Leftover Soup This recipe takes a bit more effort and requires a few more ingredients than the last, but is worth it. Depending on how many vegetables you would like in the soup, you may add them all or only a few. 1 Large onion, chopped 2 peeled carrots, chopped 2 stalks celery, chopped 2 garlic cloves, chopped 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil 2 large eggs 6 tablespoons all-purpose flour 2 cups leftover stuffing 2 cups shredded leftover turkey meat Turkey broth (you can also use chicken or vegetable) In a small bowl, whisk the eggs and flour together until smooth. Add the stuffing and mix until well combined; cover and reserve.
A UK exchange student takes on the turkey Erin Rooney The Silhouette
As an international exchange student at Mac, I didn’t really know what to expect from my first Canadian Thanksgiving. I knew there would be turkey, and I knew pumpkin pie would be involved at some point (a pie I was highly suspicious of, despite normally welcoming all desserts, equally and indiscriminately), but that was the extent of my knowledge. By Monday night I felt more than a little jealous of all of you who get to have this event every year… and not just because it means you get two Christmas dinners. At both the Thanksgiving meals I went to (I took full advantage of all turkey offers), I was struck by how welcoming and generous-spirited the people I met were. The ‘more the merrier’ logic really did seem to apply. It seems like Thanksgiving is another great chance, like Christmas, to bring the family together but without all the stress and commercialism that so often overtakes December. Plus, as a student at this time of the year when supplies are running low and pasta becomes a repeat offender, getting to have This will be your dumpling mixture. a huge home-cooked meal is a serious blessIn a pot heat the oil over medium heat ing. and add the chopped onion and garlic. Cook So what did I learn over the long weekuntil soft and translucent, about 6 minutes. end to make me a Thanksgiving pro? Well, Add the sliced carrots, celery and broth. number one, going out on the Friday of Bring to a simmer until vegetables are soft, Thanksgiving probably wasn’t the best idea. about 10 minutes. “A lot of people must to go home for the Roll tablespoons of the dumpling mix- weekend” was the first thought that crossed ture into balls with wet hands. Make sure my mind as we entered an empty club. I’m that the dumplings can hold their shape (if almost certain there was some tumbleweed the dumpling dough is too soft to roll, add rolling in front of the DJ booth. But hey, at flour a teaspoon at a time until it is firm) and least our group got discounted entry because drop into the simmering soup; cook until the bouncer felt sorry for us dancing in the dumplings float, 3-4 minutes. Gently stir in ghost-town. Lesson number two: fullness is the turkey meat and simmer until heated just a state of mind. There is always, always through. Serve immediately. room for more turkey if you are determined enough. And finally number three: despite Both of these recipes will keep for a few reservations, I discovered pumpkin pie is days but are best enjoyed fresh. The soup can delicious. I take back every doubt I once be frozen immediately then reheated when had, and replace them with second and needed. I hope these new takes on leftovers third helpings. will help to keep your love of turkey alive. Having now experienced my first weekAnd keep in mind, there’s only 75 days until end of Thanksgiving fun, it’s safe to say that Christmas! I’ve been converted into a die-hard fan!
Leftovers: The gift that keeps on giving Jennifer Bacher
First Thanksgiving
looper • the master in defence of ďŹ fty shades
andex
c2 • the silhouette’s art & culture magazine
thursday, october 11, 2012
Senior Editor: Nolan Matthews
Assistant Editor: Bahar Orang Contributors: Cooper Long, Marco Filice, Jason Scherer, Michael Skinnider, Sarah O’Connor, Justin Baird, Brody Weld, Andrew Lucibello, Tina Cody
Design: Karen Wang Cover: Yoseif Haddad
Men Without Hats The Cwasbah 8:00 p.m.
opening
Ladyhawk, The Dirty Nil The Casbah 8:00 p.m.
Oct. 12
Oct. 19
Joel Plaskett Emergency Hamilton Convention Centre 8:00 p.m.
To Rome with Love Westdale Cinema 8:55 p.m.
oct. 12
Oct. 19
The Good Hunters Baltimore House 9:30 p.m.
Argo Sinister Seven Psychopaths
Beasts of the Southern Wild Westdale Cinema 7:00 p.m.
Oct. 24
Oct. 14
Ringo Deathstarr This Ain’t Hollywood 9:00 p.m.
film
Stories We Tell Jackson Square Cinemas 7:00 p.m.
art until Nov. 4
Oct. 11 Oct. 13
Blues Brothers Revue Hamilton Convention Centre 8:00 p.m.
Oct. 24
“My role in society, or any artist’s or poet’s role, is to try and express what we all feel. Not to tell people how to feel. Not as a pracher, not as a leader, but as a reflection of us all.”
Haolin Munk Homegrown Hamilton 8:00 p.m.
Nov. 12
music John!
artcrawl
Happy Birthday,
Like a Rolling Stone: Paul Lattanzi, David Lattanzi, David McEachern Hamilton Artists Inc. Jamais Vu Paintings by Gord Bond Hamilton Audio-Visual Node
thursday, october 11, 2012
editorial
the silhouette’s art & culture magazine • c3
Critical Thinking: Like most music nerds, I spend a lot of time reading album reviews. I started really reading them around the time I got Broken Social Scene’s You Forgot it in People. I bought the album thinking it would sound like Coldplay, but it didn’t sound anything like Coldplay. It sounded weird, but I liked it, and I read as many reviews as I could so that I had a way of explaining to my parents and friends that this album made of strange sounds was actually really great. I looked to music critics then, as I do now, as an example of how to talk and think about music. I think there’s some kind of magic in a really good review. A critic can make you feel an even deeper connection with a work you love or they can make you laugh along with them as they scathingly cut something down to size. I love great reviews, but I was never really able to identify the mysterious ingredients that make a good critic. Then I came across a New Yorker article entitled “A Critic’s Manifesto: The Intersection of Expertise and Taste.” In the article, Daniel Mendelsohn explains why critics are important and what it takes to be a good one. He brilliantly condenses his argument into one equation: “Knowledge + Taste = Meaningful Judgment.”
Mendelsohn writes that the role of the critic is to explain the narrative of how they arrive at a judgment, and this is where knowledge comes in. Knowledge comes from being immersed in an artist’s work and being able to explain how a work fits into a larger context. Critics should aim to use their knowledge to explain to the reader how they arrived at a judgment and how a work can be approached and understood in the same way they do. The next part is taste, which is a little trickier. Taste is a personal and subjective feeling, and the critic should fully understand their taste so that they can most honestly and clearly explain their reaction to a work. Mendelsohn writes that knowledge and taste come together to give a review significance, allowing the critic to explain why art means something or nothing. In honour of the review, this week we present an ANDY that’s full of them. We hope you think it’s good, but that’s for you to judge. • Nolan Matthews, Senior ANDY Editor
BAHAR ORANG ASSISTANT ANDY EDITOR
thursday, october 11, 2012
the big tickle
amai der-sh a b l e -ari
what type of critic would you be? compiled by nolan matthews and karen wang
ANDY’S REVIEWS
C4&5 • the silhouette’s art & culture magazine Album: Shields Artist: Grizzly Bear Author: Michael Skinnider Rating: 4.5/5
Album: Moms Artist: Menomena Author: Michael Skinnider Rating: 3/5
Grizzly Bear has always had a tendency to get stuck: on a particular instrument, as with “Two Weeks”’ piano or on a lyrical motif, as in “Colorado”’s eponymous refrain. Shields, in this context, feels propulsive: even its poppiest songs make a concerted effort to avoid embracing a particular atmosphere. “Yet Again,” the album’s lushest song, closes with a minute of strident guitar squalls, and choruses have a tendency to drop out into nothingness midway through. The band itself has emphasized the influence of democracy in the recording process, and indeed, Shields explores subtleties of tone and texture, combinations of each member’s musical vocabulary that stand in contrast to Veckatimest’s vocal-centric baroque pop. Perhaps this is why Shields is also the most grandiose record in Grizzly Bear’s canon. Nothing in their discography comes close to the aggressive, orchestral tension of “Half-Gate,” whose strings are sheer, Sun Ra-esque blasts of sound. Shields doesn’t really have an obvious entry point, and as a result, is a more challenging record than anything they’ve put out since Ed Droste’s debut, quasi-solo album Horn of Plenty, but its intimacy and intricacy are just as rewarding.
Moms is Menomena’s first a band, and as such finds rem Moms, as the title indic raised by his mother, so it’s Seim’s blunt lyrics, like hanging from my fucked-up Rusting,” or the terse haiku Moms is also easily the looping software developed far less compositionally intr Moms it’s blandly propulsiv One can’t help but fee
Album: The 2nd Law Artist: Muse Author: Brody Weld Rating: 2/5
Shortly after they hit the studio in September of 2011 to begin working on The 2nd Law (the sixth Muse album to date), they warned us that it would be “radically different.” That’s a hell of an understatement. Don’t get me wrong; this is a solid album, but if you’ve been onboard the Muse train from the moment it left the station, you’re going to be baffled by the eclectic collage of styles. They’ve easily covered three decades of genres with this release. The first track, “Supremacy,” is one huge crescendo of gorgeous distorted falsettos and orchestra strikes. Don’t get comfortable with the thickly textured atmosphere though, it isn’t consistent throughout the album. Tracks like “Explorers,” “Animals,” and “Madness” are more traditionally minimalistic, while the groovy funk sound of “Panic Station” (slightly reminiscent of “Undisclosed Desires” from the last album) will have you wondering if you’re listening to the same band.
SILHOUETTE
Album: Will Happiness Find Me? Artist: Maria Minerva Author: Justin Baird Rating: 3.5/5
Maria Minerva’s sophomore LP Will Happiness Find Me? is not the most usual listen, although not particularly abstrac Songs sometimes break up to change pace or overall sound and direction. Vocals are often processed with dela reverb, creating a dizzying vocal track. Looping samples create the entire beat for one track, which is perhaps the best LP. However, the album has a structure that supports this sort of dissociative style without being too conceptual. Not easily described as the most exciting music, the overall tone is quite pleasant. Although not exactly a notable c in style from her first album (which is a good thing), she’s certainly developed, as she incorporates bits of various t to construct more of an eclectic sound. If you don’t like one song, that doesn’t necessarily mean you wont like the n there’s rarely a similar theme in two songs, without straying too far from her own style. Overall, it’s truly a creative album deserves a listen for it’s strange lack of press coverage and it’s ability to cover a lot of musical bases without being a no
thursday, october 11, 2012
r
album since the departure of co-founder Brent Knopf after over a decade with the maining members Danny Seim and Justin Harris in unfamiliar territory. cates, is a record about families. Seim lost his mother as a teenager, while Harris was s unsurprising that this album is much more personal than the band’s past work. e his ham-fisted bellowing on “Heavy Is As Heavy Does” (“Heavy are the branches p family tree”), stand in stark contrast to Knopf’s delicate wit on cuts like “Wet and u of “Sleeping Beauty.” most aggressive record Menomena has ever released. In the absence of DLR, the d by Knopf at Dartmouth and used to write the band’s previous albums, Moms is ricate. Seim’s drumming played an almost orchestral role on 2010’s Mines, but on ve. el Knopf will be sorely missed.
change themes next, as m that ovelty.
Following up a hit album can be difficult. Just ask Mumford and Sons, whose album Sigh No More was both commercially successful and critically acclaimed. Perhaps wisely then, they chose not to fix what wasn’t broken. Babel features many of the same qualities that made Sigh No More so successful. Folky song structures, lovely harmonies, lively banjo, and of course Marcus Mumford’s distinctive growl, are all alive and well on the album. There is a familiar balance between jaunty, up tempo blasts, and more intimate moments. The album does come up short in a few areas however. Fans looking for serious stylistic progression will come away disappointed. That being said, there is a lot to like about Babel. It may not break the mould, but there is no doubt that the sound is distinctly, and uniquely, their own. It proves that their first album was no fluke, and it affirms that Mumford and Sons will continue to be serious players in today’s folk rock scene for a very long time to come.
Album: Mirage Rock Artist: Band of Horses Author: Tina Cody Rating: 2/5
Mirage Rock marks Band of Horses’ fourth studio album, and sadly continues the decline that began with their previous record, Infinite Arms. With Mirage Rock, Band of Horses tries to forage into the realm of pop music. Unfortunately, their distinct twang does not seem to fit this genre as the group attempts to create catchy tunes, which infuse a medley of musical styles. Band of Horses find themselves unsuccessfully straddling the borders of rock, country, and pop. In many instances it appears as if they are floundering, attempting to assert their musical style while also confused about their exact stance. Their songs no longer seem to ebb and flow, instead they remain still and monotonous, lacking a certain degree of intimacy. By the end of the album, Birdwell’s honeyed vocals and meticulous strumming grow tiring, and the record’s tunes seem to follow some generic formula. “Electric Music” and “Everything’s Gonna Be Undone” offer some respite, proving to be unique songs among the mess of sameness. In no way can Mirage Rock hold a candle to the group’s previous work. In my opinion, Band of Horses fans should treat this album as a mirage, a mere figment of their imagination.
E STOCK PHOTOS
ct. ay and of the
Album: Babel Artist: Mumford and Sons Author: Michael Skinnider Rating: 3/5
Game: World of Warcraft: Mists of Pandaria Author: Jason Scherer Rating: 4.5/5 Countless hours - bloodshot eyes - one more red bull - must reach max level! This expansion has put the breath of life back into World of Warcraft. Here are some new features that make Pandaria truly epic. Cross realm servers solve low population server issues as well as shine a new light on PVP for those ready to get back to the roots of faction warfare. Now you can group up with friends from any server. However, there will be fewer enemies to kill for quests, more crowded areas, and less resources to ore. This is compensated for with fast re-spawn times. Keeping true to the new eastern theme of Mists of Pandaria, a new playable race of characters has been made available to players. In MoP you will be able to crush enemies on either faction with the neutral Pandarens. For the first time, World of Warcraft has introduced a race which can be played as alliance or horde. After countless hours of playing the new expansion, I can confidently say that gamers are in for a sick experience. It feels good to explore new areas and participate in the annihilation of the alliance. See you all in Pandaria!
KAREN WANG GRAPHICS EDITOR
c6 • the silhouette’s art & culture magazine
film
thursday, october 11, 2012
masterful cinema The Master Starring: Philip Seymour Hoffman, Joaquin Phoenix, Amy Adams Director: Paul Thomas Anderson
PHIL BRAY, © 2012 THE WEINSTEIN COMPANY. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
The fact that The Master was written and directed by the same person, Paul Thomas Anderson, shows that he has something important to say. The film is set in the ‘40s, and the disillusioned attitude of living in the West during tumultuous years of world war play as a background influence in the movie, but the quirky, dry humour avoids WWII’s melancholy. The film’s opening scenes are idiosyncratic, strange, and without much dialogue. It’s well suited to the eccentric characers, as is the music. The soundtrack is so free of seriousness that the audience might think they’re watching a comedy. But there is a serious question at hand: the question of faith. How seriously do you take yours, and do you believe in religion, science, or politics? These questions become confused as even trying to figure out the film’s genre is difficult. But the acting is what stands out the most. Philip Seymour Hoffman, playing the Master himself, successfully portrays a powerful yet disturbed individual. Hannah Arendt, a political theorist known for her insights on totalitarianism, once warned that we ought to be cautious of those gaining power having a conflicted personal history. Hoffman demonstrates this in intricate detail. Throughout the film, he is charismatic, charming, and, above all, believably sympathetic. And yet there lurks something mysterious underneath the façade, and as the story unfolds, we learn that “the Cause,” Anderson’s metaphor for Ron L. Hubbard’s Scientology, is a delusional attempt for a very basic human need. After his shameless tirades as an aspiring rapper, Joaquin Phoenix truly does shine as the foolish Freddie Quell. A drifter who is
totally ignorant to his own buffoonery, Freddie uses his service in the Navy to travel. He looks for work wherever he goes, picks fights in absurdly hilarious ways, and has the audacity to explicitly ask women to have sex with him. But there is something lovable about the childishness of his character. Phoenix plays the drifter, the jaded American, a product of warring exhaustion without value or ambition in pursuit of the very same need as the Master. Throughout the film, I was reminded of lectures by Dr. David Penner from the course “Cults in North America.” In short, every human being needs love. There is a cultish instinct inside all of us to band together and belong to a group, and don’t all groups, be they religious, political, and so on, function in cultish ways? In the end, the way to live a fulfilling life is as simple as saying “I love you.” But either our pride or fear of appearing vulnerable get in the way, and become cause— the Cause— for straying from reality. The Master and Freddie connect like brothers because they are both lost in their own ways, looking to the wrong things for spiritual fulfillment. But they do love each other, and fight like siblings reminiscent of Biblical archetypes Cain and Abel and Jacob and Esau. They are opposite extremes of the same bonding force. Freddie, as the fool, and the Master, as the intellectual, are both looking for the same thing yet neither have the courage to say it. I highly recommend watching The Master. It’s expressive, profound and a stimulating feast of insight.
• Marco Filice
thursday, october 11, 2012
The name of the book instantly sparks conversation, people are eager to discuss whether or not they’ve read it, what they know about it, and what they think about it. And because it’s so enormously popular, it’s inevitable that there will be those who won’t like it. But whether you adore the book or you despise it, I’ll argue that there are some positives to the story. I’m certain that some people will be mildly revolted, throwing down and crumpling their papers. But if you’re even slightly curious about what these positives might be, then read on. Here’s a brief summary for those of you who have been living under a rock for the last six months: Grad-student Ana Steele meets billionaire Christian Grey when she goes to interview him for her school paper. Both characters are immediately attracted to one another and begin a relationship. In order for the relationship to work, Ana will have to conform to Christian’s erotic tastes. My friend and I decided to read the book, both of us curious to see if a book with so strange a plot that inspired so much hatred was any good at all. It was my friend who opened my eyes to the more positive sides to the story. 1) Ana learns to step outside of her comfort zone and become assertive. Ana is an extremely quiet girl and spends most of her time studying and seems to have little to no interest in boys. When she meets Christian Grey, she steps way out of her comfort zone, allowing herself to relax about her studies and explore this relationship (though it’s very different from the usual “first love”). She also learns to be assertive, telling Christian that she is not comfortable with certain things he wants to do.
the silhouette’s art & culture magazine • c7
2) Ana learns the importance of taking risks. The risk I’m talking about is falling in love. You may scoff and roll your eyes at this, but love is one of the greatest risks. Because even if you love someone there will always doubt: doubt that you aren’t good enough or that your partner will find someone better. Allowing yourself to fall in love will always imply the risk of being hurt. For Ana, this is a huge risk as she had never been in a relationship before and doesn’t have examples of steady love in her life (her mother was married three times). 3) Ana becomes more comfortable with her physical appearance. Every moment of every day we are told to look a certain way. We are constantly obsessing over our hair, our makeup, our weight and our skin. It’s extremely difficult to be comfortable with our body image, especially with the forever-present fear of being rejected. Ana learns to be comfortable with her appearance and accept that she isn’t going to change for anyone. She comes to love herself, which is something few people can say.
“
Perhaps we all need to open up our eyes a little more and stop seeing everything as either black or white - perhaps we should focus on the grey.
”
It’s important that readers remember is that there are positives and negatives in every novel. When we love a book we see it as perfect and flawless, we sometimes place it on an altar to be worshiped. When we hate a book we want to throw it into the fiery pits of hell and watch it burn with delight. Perhaps we all need to open up our eyes a little more and stop seeing everything as either black or white - perhaps we should focus on the grey. •
Sarah O’Connor
In Defence of
Fifty Shades of Grey SILHOUETTE STOCKPHOTO
c8 • the silhouette’s art & culture magazine
film
thursday, october 11, 2012
Looper Starring: Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Bruce Willis, Emily Blunt Director: Rian Johnson The pairing of writer-director Rian Johnson and leading man Joseph GordonLevitt seemingly delights in revitalizing old genres. Their first collaboration, 2005’s Brick, transplanted film-noir from the asphalt jungle to a southern California high school. The film’s teenage characters bargained both with the principle and for their lives, all using hardboiled 1940s slang. Now the duo has reunited for Looper, which begins as an old-fashioned gangster movie. With time travel. Indeed, the screenplay imagines that once time travel is invented in 2074 it is immediately outlawed and falls under the domination of shadowy criminal organizations. The mob harnesses the new technology for one spectacularly uncreative purpose: body disposal. Crime bosses circumvent advanced human tracking systems by zapping their enemies back thirty years, where specialized assassins known as “loopers” wait. The thought of simply transporting victims back to the ice age evidently never occurred to the mafia of the future. Gordon-Levitt plays Joe, one such looper. He is forced to reevaluate this ingenious, if unnecessarily convoluted, system when his older self (Willis) suddenly materializes in the sights of his futuristic shotgun. Future Joe escapes and his predecessor must race to complete the contract before the mob catches up to him. The backstory necessary to set-up this pursuit is delivered by GordonLevitt in a somewhat clunky voiceover. His matter-of-fact explanations seem more appropriate to a trailer and given Johnson’s impressive ear for dialogue, this exposition could almost certainly have been handled with greater subtlety. The spoon-feeding feels like a concession to filmgoers more accustomed to sequels than original and intelligent science fiction. Indeed, Johnson presents a distinctive, yet realistic, vision of the near future. In keeping with the film’s time-jumping plot, the production design jumbles past, present, and future. Mob “gat men” fire revolvers from hovering motorcycles, while the time travel apparatus looks like it could be worn by Jacques Cousteau as a diving helmet. Less successful are the special effects applied to bolster Gordon-Levitt’s resemblance to Willis. Although only intermittently distracting, surely both actors portraying the same character requires no more suspension of disbelief than time travel itself. Look-alikes or not, Gordon Levitt and Willis crackle in their preciously short screen time together. Just as the chase between them is intensifying, they separate and the film settles into a quieter second half. At this point, Johnson shifts his focus from gangsters to another well-worn genre, that of the western. Predicting Willis’ next move, Gordon-Levitt hides out on a farm belonging to a strong-willed woman (Blunt) and her unusual son. The scenario evokes any number of classic westerns, but none more so than 1953’s Hondo, in which John Wayne defends a similarly fatherless farmstead from rampaging Apaches and cavalrymen alike. It is perhaps only fitting that a time travel adventure should so vividly recall other moments from the cinematic past. Yet Johnson has unquestionably crafted a film that has its own unique appeal. With its genre-bending storytelling, original sci-fi hook, and retro-modern-mash-up aesthetic, Looper is certain to stand the test of time. C/O MIKE SAPIENZA
•
Cooper Long
Cooper on LOOPER