The Silhouette — October 19, 2017

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NEWS: Hamilton makes strides towards trans health equity // PAGE 4 ARTS & CULTURE: Five things to do on Halloween // PAGE 16 FEATURE: McMaster Discovery Program provides unique possibilities for adults in the Hamilton community // PAGE 6-7

The Silhouette Thursday, Oct. 19, 2017

A JOINT DISCUSSION ON

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Medical marijuana discussion lights up on campus PAGE 3

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The Silhouette

Volume 88, Issue 9 Thursday, Oct. 19, 2017 McMaster University’s Student Newspaper

EDITORIAL BOARD editor-in-chief | thesil@thesil.ca

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PAGE FOUR

Verdict Yours

ities” during initiations.

Council has passed their rather technical and com­ plicated problem to the Maroon Key Society, who will review the orientation and initiation programs of all Canadian Universities. In co-operation with a commit­ tee of the presidents and vice-presidents of the four years they will propose a more adequate program to the Stu­ dents’ Council.

Council should then decide as to the exact nature of the program. They are the student government. It is their decision, first. Then, if a student vote is demanded by petition and there is little doubt that this will not be the case. The decision o f Council should be presented to the members o f the student Union as the stand of the student government o f McMaster University.

This is not a time for tradition for the sake of tradi­ tion. Neither is it a time when personal prejudice should be allowed to colour our views. It is the responsibility of every member of the Student Union to ask intelligent questions and give reasoned answers. Our own personal likes and dislikes are of little significance.

Much more than just the activities directly involved can be affected by your decision. The verdict will be yours.

Letters To The Editor To Haze Or No Dear sir, With apologies to my husband William Shakespeare I should like to offer this to your Students’ Council: T o haze or not to haze, that is the question Whether ’tis nobler in the fight to suffer The slings and tomatoes o f outrageous sophomores O r to shake hands in orientation, A nd by conversing know them? T o fight; to hate N o more, and by a ban to say we end The heartache and the thousand natural shocks That frosh are heir to.

Sincerely yours, Anne Hathaway.

Eliminate Exams Dear Sir I am extremely fearful for the future o f our uni­ versities in the face of tightening standards. I see the cult o f marks spreading from the high schools and dead­ ening the vigor of our universities. Its greatest danger is the feeling of false achievement that accompanies it.

W e mistake high marks for a sign of knowledge when they are just the sign o f a good memory or a lot of labour, no worthier than digging a ditch.

Detailed examinations are forcing our professors to give just as detailed courses. They spend countless manhours paraphrasing detailed text-books and marking ex­ aminations that prove nothing. It is not only an insult to students, but a shameful waste o f talent and education.

W e need a relaxation o f these false standards. Let anybody come to university. Ensure that only those with intellectual honesty, initiative, and curiosity get a degree.

T o accomplish this give comprehensive examinations at the end on the European model. A bolish the intricate, spoon feeding, course system. Let students attend any lectures they wish. Examinations should be written when the student thinks he is ready.

In such a system a student would be on his own.

N ot completely on his own because he would be gently guided by the final examinations he would have to write.

Professors, freed from the drudgery of the present system could give courses in subjects that interest them.

This would make lectures much more stimulating for stu­ dents and professor alike. Routine basic courses are amply covered in text books and do not require lectures.

Such measures would restore a vigor to our students and professors and make university a stimulating experi­ ence rather than the drudgery o f a cram course. Its graduates would be individuals with a clear concept of the intellectual life and well equipped to tackle the prob­ lems o f the world.

Rick Dermont.

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SI L H 0 U E T T E

In this world, such as it is, there is always a great temptation to escape from reality. Last Tuesday evening a maturing Students’ Council faced their first major issue squarely. They proposed a reasoned solution to the problem created when they previously adopted a motion banning all forms of hazing and “ other degrading activ­

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Editor-in-chief T ed Johnston N ew s Editor Managing Editor Sports Editor M ik e W alton W alter M . Sobczyk Ed Pennington C U P Editor Copy Editor Layout Editor Brian M cCutcheon Pat Lockhart Ron Fotheringham Assistant News Editor: Carolyn M anzer; News: A nne Gilm our, Ethel Murray.

Daphne Sinclair, G race Potter; Sports: Jim Nuttal, M arg Little, Jim Ziegler, R on A llen , Ernie N eu ddoerffer; Typists: D on Spearin, M arian T aylor; Features: Leon Price, Sylvia Stipsits, N ew m an W allis; Assistant Layout Editor: Joaane K ottm eier; Mortician: El G riffin ; Photography: Joe Billo, Fred T aylor, Paul Robberecht.

Pro Hazing View Dear sir, I wish to make a few comments on the current controversy about initiations or “ hazing” and to express my views on various aspects o f the subject. I should first make my own position clear: I am in favour of con­ tinuing initiations in their present form, substantially and am violently opposed to the Student’s Council motion in this matter.

(1) Hazing as on “Outlet”— W e as students o f a university, by necessity, have a somewhat subdued and restrained existence most of the time. The fact that this is so does not mean that everything which is not is wrong or does not belong in a university’s life. Hazing activities cannot be ruled out on this basis anymore than can football games, float parades, or for that matter, jazz concerts. There must be some sort of compensation and outlet for the natural exuberance most o f us have.

(2) Hazing vs. an ‘'Orientation” Program— It seems to me that all the orientation, in a formal sense, that can be crammed into one week has already been amply pro­ vided by the present administration program. Students hear lectures on how university life is different from high school; how to behave in a university community; how to study; and how to use the library. They receive (quite adequate) tours around the campus; are subjected to meetings at which student organizations are explained; have the merits of various clubs freely extolled to them at registration; and have the faculty members introduced at faculty teas. It is almost more than a bewildered freshman can take in all at once in any case: any attempt to “ supplement” this with further orientation in the form o f additional lectures or meetings etc., would simply be carrying all this to the point o f nausea.

Consciously or unconsciously, I think freshmen (and everybody, as far as that is concerned) welcome a diversion from the barrage o f propaganda and orientation which is being hurled at them during the first few days.

(3) Hazing: Injury— It is perhaps the case that in­ juries could result from the tomato fight, but certainly not from tomatoes. Establishment o f stricter supervision o f conditions and rules should eliminate the tomato fight would be to kill a fine tradition at McMaster. A s to other initiation activities resulting in injury the possibility of this is almost nil, certainly much less than the risk of injury from ordinary athletic activities, for instance. The excuse that students might be injured by traffic in the pyjama parade is particularly lame one, and if carried to a logical conclusion, would result in the establishment o f safety patrols to assist McMaster students crossing streets on their way to and from classes.

(4) Hazing: The Wearing Of Special Costumes— Perhaps it is thought that by making the freshman sus­ ceptible to ridicule, the student’s “ dignity” or his “ per­ sonality” might be injured. This is a fallacious position based on the idea that the “ child” must be “ protected” from “ disturbing experiences” , an idea recently repudiat­ ed by a prominent Canadian educator.

The wearing of special costumes does three things: (a) it helps to deflate the (sometimes) overinflated ego of the freshman student. This is probably good for any­ one at any time. (b) it builds in the freshman students a unity and class spirit arising from the mock “ oppression” . (c) it provides a topic for conversation, identifies the freshman for the benefit of fellow classmen and upper classmen, and thus enables freshmen to become known to others in the university as well as among themselves.

For these reasons I would like to urge the retention of initiations in substantially their present form.

Yours sincerely, » y

John C. Duff.

_______________ Friday, October 3 1 , j

jHciHaster i)ansarb

1) Minutes: the meeting was called at 6:55 p . m ., ; * were present except sccretar) Jean Sutherland. B a r b a t i Davidson took over secretarial duties for the meetijJB Minutes o f the last meeting were read, additions m a 9 and were adopted. Ryan informed council that thariM had been no answer from Dr. Thode and Dr. A rm strtffl regarding the moving o f the bulletin board-to-be. ■ 1 2) Invitation: an invitation fo r the president and exeeu-l tive to attend a dance at O A C tonight was declined b e l l cause of M cM aster’s home coming weekend. | 3) Float Parade: North house w ill again be giving a l cup for the best float in tom orrow ’s parade. Council I will give prizes for the most original, the funniest anil the one with the most school spirit. Judges are to bejl picked by council. M oved by Clark, seconded by Brown; !

4) Sunday sports: A brief is to be prepared by a com-J mittee o f council to be presented to Dr. G. P. Gilmourl stating council’s feelings regarding non-organized Sunday! sport on campus. M oved by Fisher, seconded by Clark. | 5) Alumni Building: Ridge recommends that an alumruj house council and alumni house committee be set upll SR CC head Ridge, was appointed to chair alumni house ! committee.

6) McGill Conference: the annual conference on world affairs; Davidson reported that the selection committee—J including Dr. Trueman and Dr. Salmon — had chosen J M arv Dabol and Bill Evans as the delegates to the con-!; ference held N ov. 12 - 15 in Montreal. They were grant- ] ed $70 for transportation, registration and expense^ money to be taken from student union funds subject to '* approval o f the finance committee. M oved by Davidson ] and seconded by Hanna.

7) O A C Conference: Begg reported that seven Mc­ Master students attended. Discussions included: organiz­ ing for efficiency, student apathy, awards system, regula-; tory policy, student discipline, sports, publications, music and drama, religious groups.

Dr. H . S. A rm strong addressed the closing banquet speaking on the role o f the student council with adminis­ tration. H e suggested councils accept more authority. It was suggested that in the future N F C U S administer this conference.

8) Graduate Relations: Ryan reported that the commit­ tee on graduate relations had investigated this problem.

H e suggested that a committee be set up to investigate representation by faculty.

10) Council Study: a motion to study the whole struc­ ture o f the council in comparison with others with an eyeto the future.

M oved by Clark, seconded by Begg, 11) Soph-Frosh Dance: Clark read a report o f the dance monies. H e said that the final figures were not in his hands.

R E C E IP T S : Ticket Sales . . . . ____ $825.00 E X P E N D IT U R E S : Soph-Frosh Banquet ......................... $ 525.00 Soph-Frosh Dance O rch estra ....................... $170.00 Printing and Publicity . .

61.00 D e c o ra tio n s ................... 100.00 10.00 Dance M a n a g e r .............

Stamps and Envelopes . . 25.00 "• 20.00 C offee Party .................

Flowers .........................

40.00 Buildings and Grounds .

60.00 $ 486.00 Total ....................................

T O T A L E X P E N D IT U R E S . $1,011.00 12) P .A . Monitor: A lbert Croxall was chosen as P.A . monitor to assist Bob Spencer speil information in the buttery at lunch. Council moved that in the future all applicants for the position be present at the meeting to speak on their own behalf.

13) Jazz Club: Constitution changes in the Jazz Club were passed as follows: A ct I V offices: 1. b the president may be in either his junior or senior year. c office of vice-president be omitted (secretarytreasurer to be acting president in the absence o f the president), f additional officers o f executive to be as follows: i advertising manager — any student other than one in freshman year. ii social convener — a student in any year other than freshman year. iii musical director — a student in any year; this office to be elected at the beginning o f each new year with freshman reps rather^ than in the spring.

2. Jf the president is male the social convener must be female, if the president is female the social convener must be male.

14) Coffee Parties: The Maroon K ey Society asked council for $25 to hold informal coffee parties in the common rooms in the alumni building. M oved by Barnum, seconded by Clark subject to approval of the finance committee.

15) A rt Display: the A rt Club requested $50 to pay for the annual C U S A C art exhibit of Canadian Univer­ sity students. M oved by Parker, seconded by Brown, aP.Proval of the finance committee. inic f ICatlf° n: ,A leUer from the Board o f Publicag ratification o f Daniel Robinson as advertising manager o f the B O P, and Joe B illo and Fred 1aylor as co-operative managers of the photography de' E rT ' VaS a5,cePted by council. The letted explained that there would be two photo managers this year to T a v ln ff

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like hioii i S uUr Cal1' Rid§e felt it w as too much Turned down ° f °/hers felt last Jine was faulty. . turned down, for lack of research.

lu ° Pct‘t'ons were received by council o S L T 8 ban' 0ne fo r’ one against. Ryan promotion l S re Were thre€ alternatives: rescind the set un orif>ntSIr er onen! ation; do not rescind the motion, Council rr res£ ind motion and forget orientation. secon d s ^ possibility. M oved by Barnum and C onnrii*" on to consider the second possibility, initiation^ aifnTif ♦ 00n Key’s offer to investigatemittee tn W " ?ear reps on counci! form a com­ mittee to review results of the research. Passed. £

To haze or not to haze? Should we eliminate exams?

Important questions.

WE WANT YOU TO CONTRIBUTE The paper will revert back to 28 pages next week.

As always, we will continue to accept volunteer submissions, feedback and inquiries. Feel free to visit our office in MUSC B110 or send an email to the section you would like to contribute to.

www.thesil.ca | Thursday, Oct. 19, 2017

The Silhouette

News Protest for pot Following a recent protest, a reflection on McMaster’s relationship with marijuana

Sasha Dhesi News Editor

Anyone who was on campus around 4 p.m. on Oct. 6 likely remembers the pro medical marijuana protest, which occurred in front of Mills Plaza, where one man protested McMaster’s looming smoking ban, arguing that its policy against medical marijuana ignored its health benefits.

The man in question was Christopher Lawson, a local activist known within the community for his work promoting medical marijuana. He does not have any official affiliation with the university. The protest centered on McMaster’s proposed smoke-free campus initiative set to begin on Jan. 1, 2018, at which time smoking of any kind will be banned from campus grounds.

Marijuana remains a point of interest for McMaster, from the administration to the student union to researchers all taking a unique stance.

In its current state, McMaster’s smoking ban will also include a ban on the use of medical marijuana on campus.

This ban is a part of a larger effort to improve public health on university campuses, highlighted through Okanagan Charter.

In addition, McMaster administration also received a human rights complaint earlier this year after excluding a grad-

GRANT HOLT / PRODUCTION COORDINATOR

uate student from attending an overseas trip due to her use of medical marijuana.

Halima Hatimy was meant to take an overseas trip to Ghana as a part of her ongoing research on global health in Feb., but was stopped by the university a day before she was meant to leave.

The university felt she did not fully understand the risk associated with taking medical marijuana to Ghana. Hatimy has since filed a human rights complaint against the university.

While the administration takes hard line with marijuana use, the McMaster Students Union has a softer approach toward the subject.

During the Sept. 24 MSU Student Representative Assembly meeting, the MSU SRA voted to adopt a motion cautioning the university’s smoking ban, arguing that it currently does not recognize that marginalized groups are disproportionately affected by addiction and substance abuse.

The SRA motion argued that the university ought to prioritize student safety and accessibility before considering implementation of the ban.

With this in mind, the SRA has not taken an official stance on marijuana itself, but rather a more general stance concerning smoking.

Meanwhile, research on campus is very much in favor

of decriminalization and use of the substance. Prof. Michael DeVillaer, under the Peter Boris Centre for Addictions Research, recently argued for the decriminalization of minor cannabis-related offenses and focusing the legalization discussion around public health.

“The Canadian government should continue to work slowly and methodically towards the legalization of cannabis for recreational purposes, with a priority on the protection of public health and safety over revenue,” read a part of the policy analysis available on the PBCAR’s website.

The policy analysis also calls for the establishment of a not-for-profit marijuana authority for all recreational use meant only to address the current demand without actively promoting the substance. For example, the policy analysis would ban product innovation such as edible forms of marijuana.

Overall, the policy analysis is in favor of the decriminalization and use of marijuana, so long as it is regulated through a public health lenses.

While the protest on Oct. 6 remains a foggy memory overridden by the reading week break, McMaster’s multiple sectors continue to have contrasting opinions over marijuana use and its role in our lives. @SashaDhesi

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NEWS

Thursday, Oct. 19, 2017 | www.thesil.ca

Trans health in Hamilton

Following a vote to draft a letter of recommendation, what trans health equity means exactly and Hamilton’s future re: trans rights

THE SILHOUETTE PHOTO ARCHIVES Sasha Dhesi News Editor

Trans Hamiltonians may soon see an increase in healthcare quality, as city council drafts a letter of recommendations for Local Health Integration Network, the board of Hamilton

Health Sciences and St. Joesph’s Healthcare to improve regional healthcare for trans and gender non-conforming folk in the area.

The LHIN is in charge of fund allocation for the area, and the latter boards are in charge of daily aspects of healthcare in

STUDENT ELECTIONS TO McMASTER GOVERNING BODIES VOTE ONLINE @ MACVOTE Tuesday, October 24, 2017 – 8:30 a.m. until midnight Wednesday, October 25, 2017 – 8:30 a.m. until midnight Thursday, October 26, 2017 – 8:00 a.m. until 4:30 p.m.

Vote online at https://elections.mcmaster.ca/voter/index.cfm Voters will need their MAC ID and password to cast a ballot.

University Planning Committee - Undergraduate Representative Shaarujaa Nadarajah – Honours Life Sciences IV Sergio Raez Villanueva – Honours Biology III Tasneem Warwani – Honours Arts & Science and Psychology, Neuroscience & Behaviour II

For the results of the other Senate elections and all candidate résumés: www.mcmaster.ca/univsec/elections/index Questions? Contact the University Secretariat, 905.525.9140 ext. 24337, or unielec@mcmaster.ca

Hamilton.

The initial motion, put forward by ward 1 and 3 councillors Aidan Johnson and Matthew Green, calls for the mayor to send an initial letter to the LHIN for advice, and to consult with other groups such as the Hamilton Trans Health Coalition for advice on the contents of the letter.

Cole Gately, co-chair of the HTHC, has high hopes for the letter, considering its institutional support.

“When the mayor of an entire municipality is asking the LHIN asking for support and advice about increasing the capacity of healthcare for trans people in Hamilton, it’s pretty significant,” Gately said.

The letter is set to be sent out on Nov. 20, 2017, the Transgender Day of Remembrance, a date which commemorates the trans and gender non-conforming folk who have died as a result of transphobia.

In addition to higher murder rates, trans and gender non-conforming people are at a higher risk of suicide, with one study finding 43 per cent of participants with a history of attempted suicide due to the constant discrimination many faced.

The same study also found that many trans and gender

non-conforming people actively avoid healthcare due to being trans or gender non-conforming, with 21 per cent of participants forgoing emergency healthcare due to their previous experiences with the healthcare system.

Currently, the local community has done its part to unofficially fill the gaps in the current healthcare system. The HTHC, Gately’s organization, is one of the main organizations within the city which aims to connect trans and gender non-conforming individuals in the city to healthcare workers able to sufficiently give care and offer information and resources to those in healthcare who wish to improve their care.

Some of the main challenges within trans healthcare equity include, but are not limited to, long wait times, lack of information and refusal of care by healthcare professionals.

Gately argues that trans health equity is as simple as educating physicians on basic aspects of transitioning and basic cultural competency.

Gately stressed the importance of all physicians being knowledgeable on trans healthcare, thus allowing individuals to access healthcare without outing themselves as trans or gender non-conforming in the

way going to a specifically trans healthcare centre would.

“It’s not so much opening a clinic or a centre, it’s more like providing education and support to physicians all across Hamilton to learn how to give good healthcare [to trans and gender non-conforming patients],” Gately said.

Hamilton has, in recent months, has made strides in supporting trans and gender non-conforming folk in the city. In March 2017, city council voted to implement a citywide protocol aiming to protect trans people in Hamilton.

Some aspects of the protocol include protecting the rights of trans folk employed by the city and recommendations on creating an inclusive environment.

“We are the only municipality that has a policy and protocol around trans clients using services and trans employees of the city, and so we’re pretty on the leading edge of this,” said Gately. “It’s not something [the LHIN] can ignore.” @SashaDhesi

NEWS

www.thesil.ca | Thursday, Oct. 19, 2017

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A union between business and humanities A month in, professors and students reflect on their experiences with Mac’s newest interdisciplinary program Cassidy Bereskin News Reporter

McMaster undergraduate programs have been making waves all over, so much so that the Atlantic, an American political magazine, recently featured the new integrated business and humanities program.

The program was spearheaded by McMaster professors Emad Mohammad and Anna Moro and enables students to both pursue a business major and receive a robust humanities education.

“The humanities aspect is what makes it, in part, more than a typical business degree,” said Moro. “A foundation in the humanities is what makes some of the most progressive thinkers and business leaders.”

In his article in the Atlantic, however, Jon Marcus paints a grim picture, highlighting that, while business programs continue to be sought after, the

popularity of the humanities has languished.

In particular, the number of students pursuing a humanities degree in both Canada and the United States has fallen. Marcus notes that, though McMaster’s integrated business and humanities program sought to fill 80 seats this year, only 51 students enrolled.

According to Mohammad and Moro, Marcus omitted key data from the article. Although only 51 students enrolled in integrated business and humanities this year, the program received 452 applications, and only 315 applicants made it to the supplementary application phase.

In addition, the program generated a yield, which includes the percent of students who accept their offer, of about 30 per cent, which is three per cent higher than McMaster’s annual yield for Ontario high school students in 2014, the

most recent data point publicly available from the university’s Office of Institutional Research and Analysis.

According to Mohammad, the integrated business and humanities program’s yield was also comparatively higher than that of McMaster’s commerce program.

“We don’t think future enrolment is a problem,” said Moro. “I think we got more than expected applications for the first year.”

While the article published in the Atlantic exaggerated the lack of demand for integrated business and humanities, the program’s future popularity will, in part, depend on the first cohort’s experience.

“It’s very interesting to be linking information learned in one class to the other classes. We already have four group projects, such all seem to be very interesting and engaging topics,” said Yael Morris, an integrated busi-

ness and humanities student.

“All of our classes are interactive and encourage group work, which allows us to work on communication and teamwork skills,” said Chloe Benalcazar, another student in the program.

William Stephenson, another integrated business and humanities student, appreciates that the program has created a tight-knit community for him.

Morris and Benalcazar, however, highlight concerns with their peace studies course.

“I would like to see a change in our peace studies course by having more structure, direction and organization. It seems to be very slow and that we’re not learning as much as we could,” said Morris. “I find that my classmates and I are continuously lost during the lectures and that we aren’t learning to the highest potential.”

Benalcazar questions the relevance of the course, not

being able to see the intersection between peace studies and commerce.

Moreover, Stephenson wishes he could take a humanities course, rather than the required commerce one, as an elective in third and fourth year.

“As we currently do not have room for electives until third year, I believe that the interests of the class should be taken into account when designing the curriculum for the courses,” said Benalcazar. “For example, if the class is interested in international business or wants to learn more about the environment and sustainability, that interest should be taken into account and implemented in the following years.”

To improve the program’s reputation and increase enrolment in the future, integrated business and humanities students’ feedback will need to be acknowledged. @cassidybereskin

STUDENT ACCESSIBILITY SERVICES NOTIFICATION TO STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES FOR DECEMBER 2017 EXAM ACCOMMODATIONS All requests for accommodations must be activated by November 10, 2017.

Returning students (previously accommodated) can self-activate via sas.mcmaster.ca. Newly accommodated students must make an in-person appointment with SAS. For more information, please contact:

STUDENT ACCESSIBILITY SERVICES (SAS)

by phone: 905-525-9140 ext. 20302; or in person at MUSC (Student Centre) B107; or by email at: sas@mcmaster.ca

KYLE WEST / PHOTO REPORTER

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FEATURE FEATURE

Thursday, Oct. 19, 2017 | www.thesil.ca

McMaster University

DISCOVERY 1A03 COURSE OUTLINE

How McMaster is providing once in a lifetime opportunities through learning and discovery Program Coordinator: Marina Bredin Location: Hamilton Public Library Central Campus

Course Description Emily O’Rourke Features Reporter

Society often considers post-secondary education to be an essential element to today’s knowledge economy. However, while Canada holds one of the highest rates of post-secondary attainment rates across other commonwealth countries at upwards of 66 per cent, some students who have the potential to succeed are subject to barriers within their participation.

The McMaster Discovery Program offers university-level, non-credit courses to adults within the Hamilton community who have faced various barri-

“

ers to accessing higher levels of education within their lives. The program aims to create opportunities for residents within the community to participate in the process of learning within the arts, inspire passion for life-long learning and foster community engagement within McMaster and the broader City of Hamilton.

Currently in its seventh year, the program was initially developed for McMaster when Prof. Jean Wilson, the Director of McMaster’s Arts & Science Program, discovered similar experiential programs happening in other cities throughout Canada. Early discussions of the program began with members

of the McMaster Community Poverty Initiative and a variety of Hamilton community members.

With support from the Office of the President and several community partners, McMaster launched the initial phases of the Discovery Program in 2011, offering the course at the Hamilton Public Library’s central campus to approximately 20 participants every Saturday for two months.

The course serves as an opportunity for individuals who have may not had previous experience within academia to learn in an experiential way, while providing the McMaster community an opportunity to

learn from the local community.

Each course is supplemented with a professor, a Program Coordinator, and a student support team, often compromised of undergraduate Arts & Science students, to ensure students needs are met throughout the course.

This year’s program coordinator, Marina Bredin, who is responsible for recruiting students and creating a program that accommodates students needs while considering the logistics of running a course, notes that this program is a crucial step towards learning for personal growth.

“We focus on learning for learning’s sake, and creat-

ing an atmosphere free from assessments that are common in a University classroom,” said Bredin. “Instead, we encourage our students to study and learn for the purpose of personal growth. It is very important to the program that there is no one goal for students leaving the program.”

We encourage our students to study and learn for the purpose of personal growth. It is very important to the program that there is no one goal for students leaving the program.”

Marina Bredin McMaster Discovery Program, Program coordinator

FEATURE

www.thesil.ca | Thursday, Oct. 19, 2017

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Themes throughout the years The McMaster Discovery Program has explored a variety of topics since its inception. These topics, while enabling students to explore their own abilities within learning and discovery, are deeply rooted in Hamilton’s history.

The pilot course, titled Voicing Hamilton, looked at historic works of Hamilton’s literature and art in order to engage students to develop their own creativity. Focusing on various stories people have told about the city of Hamilton, students enrolled in the Discovery Program were able to develop their own projects that shared their personal stories of the city.

In 2013, Prof. Ann Herring

from the Department of Anthropology introduced a new course titled “Plagues and the People of Hamilton,” which was offered for three years. The course surrounded the topics of pandemics and plagues throughout history in Hamilton specifically, including field trips to the Hamilton Museum of Steam and Technology and the Hamilton municipal cemetery on York Boulevard, where victims of the 1918 influenza pandemic are buried, and the nearby memorial to cholera victims who died in 1854-55.

In 2016, Prof. Anju Joshi, Department of Health, Aging and Society, was introduced as a new Discovery Program instructor. Joshi’s course, titled

Diversity and resiliency: Human Differences and our Ability to Overcome Challenges, examines human differences, how these differences can create challenges for people in their daily lives and how people overcome these challenges.

Although students within the course do not earn credits or degrees, the focus of the course is on the learning experience itself and how learning can be applied to community needs.

Mary Buzzell, a former McMaster professor within the School of Nursing, has sat in on courses offered within the McMaster Discovery Program for the past two years as an observer and contributor.

Her role within the course is to examine both teaching and learning styles while offering feedback or insight if the occasion arises. Buzzell notes that while she acts as an observer within the course, she takes away a significant amount of information within her time there.

“I think often we don’t think of the word resilience in our everyday life, and when I watch [the professor] bring up the many aspects of resilience and I watch the students reaction it’s often, for some, a brand new word with brand new meaning,” said Buzzell. “I think it’s a very rich experience.

It helps me grow, and for me, it’s like enlightenment.”

Courses offered Voicing Hamilton

2011

Plagues and the People of Hamilton

2013

Diversity and resiliency: Human Differences and our Ability to Overcome Challenges

2016

“

When I watch [the professor] bring up the many aspects of resilience and I watch the students reaction it’s often, for some, a brand new word with brand new meaning,” Mary Buzzell Former professor at the School of Nursing

Empowerment Barriers to immediate post-secondary education can differ for many people. These barriers could revolve around financial struggles, cultural factors, family environment or being a first generation student, or accessibility needs.

McMaster’s Discovery Program is just one of many hands-on learning programs offered across Canada. Several universities across the country offer similar free, non-credit programs to residents within their respective communities.

Titled, for the most part, as Humanities 101, these liberal

arts focused courses offer a chance for community members with a passion for learning to explore their own options and local resources. These programs typically differ within their curriculum, with each program varying widely in how they achieve their overall goal of promoting learning and discovery.

“To me the Discovery Program is first and foremost opportunity,” said Buzzell. “Opportunity for several students in the class who have not had a learning opportunity except in their basic schooling, so opportunity to learn and not be afraid

to ask and inquire.”

Many individuals who participate within Humanities 101 programs would not have had the opportunity to access higher education otherwise.

Throughout these programs across Canada, there is a unifying understanding of the importance of learning and how it can empower students in their everyday lives.

“

To me the Discovery Program is first and foremost opportunity” Mary Buzzell Retired professor, Faculty of Nursing

@emily_oro

KYLE WEST / PHOTO REPORTER TIMOTHY LAW / PRODUCTION COORDINATOR

PRESIDENT’S PAGE

October 19, 2017 | thesil.ca

student leaders across campus gear As you prepare for this seaup to change the face of the MSU. son you must hold this truth in For students who would con- your gut - your identity, your resider taking on such a task, first lationships, and your experiences of all, I applaud you. Second, I are valid. Whatever community respectively suggest that there you come from, whatever your are two fundamental questions background, these are wells from to ask yourself. Are you interest- which you can pull, to claim your ed in serving McMaster students strength, and build resilience as through the presidency of the you take on this arduous task. student union? Are you quali- Campaigns are a public perforfied to do so? If you answer ‘yes’ mance of self, while the role of the to the former, than your answer politician is public service. The CHUKKY to the latter is inconsequential. point is not how well you can fake Dedication is the qualification for being a politician during a camIBE this role. Unfortunately, responses paign, or fake being a happy, perPresident to the question of qualification fect person with all the right anrange on a noticeably gendered swers. It really is a question of how president@msu.mcmaster.ca spectrum. Men and individuals comfortable you are being yourself 905.525.9140 x23885 who have lived most of their lives when more people are watching. with unacknowledged advantage It is less about putting on a show, As midterm season slowly fades are much quicker to respond and more of a demonstration of away like a bad dream, students affirmatively to this question. how prepared you are to be the knowingly or unknowingly enter into an unspoken season on campus. Though, that seasonal This is the season of the electoral cycle beginning change has nothing to do with to renew itself. Change is an obvious and inevitable the colour of leaves, nor the tem- song on the lips of several hundred Marauders. perature outside. No announcements are made and papers aren’t due. To those aware of the Frankly, I doubt any of us know best version of yourself. Which, I process, this season is known as a young twenty-something quali- believe, should include all of your presidentials. ’Tis the season of fied to oversee the affairs of a $16 awkwardness and your charm. coffee dates in MUSC and pri- million operation, boasting three Campaigns do not test your vate hikes in Cootes. It is the sea- dozen distinct service offerings, popularity, but they will test your son of unsolicited Facebook likes alongside and simultaneous to a relationships. They ask everyone and reconnecting with old ac- robust advocacy wing. For this, you have ever spoken to or interquaintances. The news will prob- there are thirty-seven seasoned acted with to give an account of ably drop about half way through full-time staff capable of running their experience with you. Peothe latté your friend bought you. such an operation. The questions ple remember how you treated This is the season of the elec- that deserve more exploring by them, how you make them feel, toral cycle beginning to renew potential candidates are: Why do and if they felt a genuine connecitself. Change is an obvious and you care about your communities? tion with you. When you ask for inevitable song on the lips of sev- What are you willing to do about help, how many of your friends eral hundred Marauders. Presi- it? How much are you willing to will leave their priorities to come dential aspirants begin to organize sacrifice to ensure the people you support you? What do the peostudents under their banners, as care about are supported? ple in your class think about the

way you ask and answer questions? These are fair indicators of whether or not people who do not yet know you, would put their trust in you. How strong

Consider engaging with the McMaster Students Union and contesting for the presidency. are your relationships, and will these people vouch for you in the public sphere?

In any jurisdiction, resources are finite and priorities compete. Democracy is the political mechanism by which a populous engages in the process of decision making. Consider engaging with the McMaster Students Union and contesting for the presidency. Take on this responsibility, or support someone who will. In the same vein, be fully aware of the burden you choose for yourself. Campaigning and the subsequent leadership responsibility will prove arduous. But know this - you are qualified. The nomination period for MSU President typically begins in December. Campaigning and voting will take place in mid-to-late January.

For those looking to engage in other aspects of the MSU’s democratic structure, there is a by-election currently underway for seats on the Student Representative Assembly for Social Science and Kinesiology students.

Visit msumcmaster.ca for more information about this by-election and other opportunities.

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TEXT ‘MSU’ TO 71441

The President’s Page is a space sponsored and used by the McMaster Students Union (MSU) Board of Directors (BoD) to communicate with the student body. It functions to highlight the Board’s projects, goals, and agenda for the year, as well as the general happenings of the MSU.

www.thesil.ca | Thursday, Oct. 19, 2017

EDITORIAL

| 9

Editorial Shouting into the political void Having knowledge about the city means little with low student voter turnout and engagement

You deserve to know what is affecting you as a student when it comes to decisions the city is making. When it comes to informed decisions, we have generally kept you covered about topics like the LRT, the HSR, the additional bylaw officers in Westdale and trans health equity.

In the future, we will continue to cover these topics and more such as the city council’s decision to change the ward boundaries and the appeals filed with the Ontario Municipal Board, which includes the potential for student neighbourhoods to move into other wards and split the student vote.

The purpose is to help you make an informed decision.

That comes with the assumption that you will make a decision in the first place.

In the 2014 Hamilton municipal election, ward 1, encompassing the west end of

Hamilton where a significant portion of McMaster students lived, had 21,770 registered voters. Only 8,870 votes were cast.

The current councillor, Aidan Johnson, won by 640 votes.

The mayoral election had a total of 122,756 votes with Fred Eisenberger winning by 10,314.

Students at McMaster have the capability to rock the vote and radically alter the results for the wards they are in and the city as a whole off of numbers alone. A motivated student base would be able to demand any changes the city could provide and continuously put pressure on city council to fix any number of things about Hamilton that negatively affects McMaster.

As time goes on, I become more and more pessimistic that this will not happen. The assumption that McMaster students will not vote, likely an accurate one, has resulted in decisions that do not cater to McMaster students. I fully expect that we will be spending the next four years reporting on

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issues that could easily be solved if students bothered to care about the city they will be in for part or all of their post-secondary education.

The closer we get to next year’s elections, the more promises and policies you will see out of the city and other hopefuls to cater to demographics that they want voting for them. If you have been paying attention, you should have noticed this starting to increase long ago.

While the student union has become increasingly engaged in Hamilton advocacy over the course of the last year, it will take far more than that to get councillors to make promises to you and follow through with them.

There is plenty of time before the next election, but not a lot of time before candidates finalize their campaign strategies and policies. Act now, vote later or risk waiting and complaining about it when no one in city hall is listening anymore.

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10 |

HUMANS

Kyle West Photo Reporter

How do you think the arts are represented at McMaster?

It’s alright, but they could do a better job to be honest. Get more people out there, get the art programs to be better represented in the public sphere.

There is a lot of importance placed on the science and math programs when there should also be representation of the arts. You see so many other universities offering so much more and putting a greater emphasis on the arts.

Whereas here there are options, but there just aren’t as much. You kind of just have to deal with whatever they have and that can be quite limiting.

They could add a lot more, especially with the art history program. Sure, it is important to learn about Greek and Roman art, but thats not all there is in the realm of art history. There is too much of a focus on the classics. It would be really interesting to have a greater offering in more contemporary fields.

Thursday, Oct. 19, 2017 | www.thesil.ca

There is a lot to explore out there and to be pigeon-holed into the classics leaves many fields unexplored. It would be amazing to have courses about performance art and other more modern sections of art.

Do you feel neglected as an arts student since McMaster is more of a science oriented school?

Not necessarily, I mean, being an art student anywhere this is kind of the case. Not a lot of schools put it as a priority and I knew that coming into it. A lot of people don’t think you will be too successful, I mean, it’s definitely not what my parents had envisioned for me, but at least I like what I’m doing.

What are you thinking of doing after this degree?

I’m thinking of going to school to study the visual arts. I have wanted to for awhile now.

Getting back into the process of creating again has been amazing and I really want to continue working on my art. I think the next step for that would be to go to art school so I can continue

working towards perfecting my craft.

Why didn’t you do a degree in the visual arts right out of high school?

I didn’t go with a visual arts degree because my parents didn’t want me to. They always thought that I had talent and thought I was pretty good artist but you know artists don’t make money. They have that notion and because of that didn’t want me to go to school for it. I listened to them when I guess I probably shouldn’t have and then give it a couple years and I want to do it again. I just feel it again.

Can you describe this feeling?

It’s like a need. It just feels right and sits right with me when I think about it. Compared to when I think about other possibilities that I could do or should be doing it never has a feeling that resonates so I’m going to go with that and I’ll see where it takes me. I think it will take Hannah Strike me some pretty cool places and Art History IV thats exciting.

What mediums do you like to work with when you are creating?

I’ve been using a lot of paint.

You can do a lot with paint — it’s very flexible. You can throw it at a canvas, paint nice things if you want. It goes pretty much anywhere which is great.

I would like to start working more with sculpture. I think that would be very interesting.

How do you think your art history degree will be affecting your creating from now on?

It is definitely giving me a lot of inspiration for the future. There is a lot of things that I can now bring up in my work about art history and connecting with that on multiple levels. Education is always good to have and learning about movements and practices which I find very interesting has lead me to different ways of creating.

facebook.com/HumansOfMcMaster

www.thesil.ca | Thursday, Oct. 19, 2017

The Silhouette

| 11

Opinion Summer school vs. travel

Education needs to broaden its horizons and branch out into the real world MADELINE NEUMANN / PHOTO EDITOR

Reem Sheet Opinion Editor

I open the doors of Burke Science Building and go into room 147 for my first class. The first question I get asked is “What did you do over the summer?”

Of course, I ask them as well. Small talk. This goes on throughout the day and then it suddenly hit me.

Things are different now.

When I ask another what they did this summer, it’s no longer just out of social etiquette and curiosity but also as a means of validating whether my summer was ‘worth something’ this time.

This time, I didn’t just squander my summer away. I actually had a “valid” story to tell.

When the curriculum regurgitates the same content to 600 students at a time and career counsellors advise the same summer pathways as most of the alumni have chosen, I felt little short of becoming generic. That’s why I decided to go backpacking. Destination? New Zealand.

From my experience, I firmly believe that experiential learning abroad fills the holes of a traditional post-secondary education.

It gives an insight into what a big picture really is; life isn’t only governed by facts you learn from the curriculum or textbooks, there are also nuanced socio-cultural aspects that are unique to every community: building blocks that connect the world.

Travel didn’t just give me an experience I can share. It also came with a pinch of headaches, a dash of invigorating patriotism and a plate full of skills with global applications.

I packed my life in a backpack, bought a plane ticket, booked the first four nights at a hotel and nothing else. Now looking back, it was the best decision I have ever made.

Contrary to what I thought, the things I remember the most and learned from aren’t gut-wrenchingly enjoyable activities like skydiving or rafting. It

was struggling to find a place to stay or food to eat. It was asking questions like, should I starve a meal so I can go out tonight?

It was witnessing first-hand the financial, educational and healthcare disparity that indigenous Māori people experience and how relatable it was to Canada.

Interacting with people from all over the world and listening to their life experiences are one of the most profound facets of travel.

It completely changed my way of thinking when listening to how they’re planning on climbing Everest next year as they already summited the rest of the seven summits or casually listening to how they gave up their six-figure salary at a top firm in Vancouver to travel while we’re surfing.

The world is larger than just the campus and every student should experience ‘this’. Whatever ‘this’ can be for you.

I encourage McMaster students to take advantage of

Travel didn’t just give me an experience I can share.

It also came with a pinch of headaches, a dash of invigorating patriotism and a plate full of skills with global applications. these exchange programs like MacAbroad and travel aids such as scholarships and clubs like the McMaster Exchange Club available to you.

Through travel, I encountered situations I’d never have imagined and had a lot of struggles I’ll never want to have again but the values I gained were precious. I came back to school

and I could confidently and proudly say no, I didn’t do four months of research at a prestigious centre nor publish papers.

I didn’t ace summer school or build houses.

So what did I do? I failed to get a job. I slept overnight on airport couches. I ate pasta with half a can of tuna and peanut butter for most of my meals.

I had to leave two weeks early because I ran out of money. And I am so glad that I did for I learned how to successfully fail and redefine what is valuable.

Venture the unknown, explore the impossible and learn how to push further, love deeper, soar higher and repeat steps one through three.

@ReemSheet

12 |

OPINION

Thursday, Oct. 19, 2017 | www.thesil.ca

Muslim stereotyping and media Social media subjects Muslims to inaccurate stereotypes, requiring students to be mindful Humza Khan Contributor

Stephan Paddock’s actions of firing into a crowd of 22,000 concertgoers from the 32nd floor of the Mandalay Bay Hotel, carrying out the most devastating shooting in US history has traumatized the world.

In addition, the media’s refusal to dub Paddock as a terrorist has ignited an important debate regarding the definition of terrorism.

My goal in writing this

is to shed light on the debate surrounding the definition of terrorism and to suggest that there is a major problem of inconsistency in the labeling of individuals as terrorists.

Additionally, I aim to show the importance of debate in formulating a clear definition of what constitutes an act of terrorism and a terrorist.

If you Google the names Dylan Roof, Adam Lanza and now Stephan Paddock, and compare these with names with names like Omar Siddiqui Ma-

teen, Dzhokhar and Tamerlan Tsarnaev and Rizwan Farook, you will quickly realize that all of these men committed similar atrocious crimes intended at targeting and terrorizing the civilian population.

Where you will see an apparent difference, however, is how the media insisted on referring to Roof, Lanza and Paddock, and many others like them, as “lone wolves” or “shooters” while referring to the latter group of Muslims as “terrorists” and “jihadists”. This

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discrepancy has led me to question the definition of terrorism and to show the importance of labeling both groups of people the same.

Referring to the actions of Muslim men as “terroristic”, while simultaneously referring to same actions of westerners as “acts of pure evil” (as quoted by Donald Trump in the immediate aftermath of the Las Vegas Attack) is highly problematic.

The statements largely made by the media and by governmental officials directly and wrongfully reinforce the “us versus them” dichotomy by wrongfully reserving only the actions of Muslims as terroristic.

I distinctively remember going to McDonald’s the day after the Las Vegas attack and looking at the front page of the Toronto Sun with the heading “Act of pure evil”.

The same evening, I came across the heading “Terrorist attack in Edmonton”, referring to the stabbing of a police constable by Somalian refugee, Abdulahi Hasan.

The statements largely made by the media and by governmental officials directly and wrongfully reinforce the “us versus them” dichotomy by wrongfully reserving only the actions of Muslims as terroristic.

My goal is not to suggest that Omar Siddiqui Mateen and others alike are not terrorists, but rather to suggest that the similar actions of Paddock should also have earned him the title of a terrorist because failing to do so strengthens the “us versus them” dichotomy and clouds the definition of terrorism.

What I find rather interesting about the Las Vegas case is that the State of Nevada under the sections 202.4415 and 202.4439 of the Nevada Revised Statutes explicitly define

terrorism as and terrorist as the following: Terrorism: “any act that involves the use or attempted use of sabotage, coercion or violence which is intended to: (a) Cause great bodily harm or death to the general population; or (b) Cause substantial destruction, contamination or impairment of…”

Terrorist: “A person who intentionally commits, causes, aids, furthers or conceals an act of terrorism or attempts to commit, cause, aid, further or conceal an act of terrorism”.

From a legal standpoint, it is quite evident that Paddock’s actions of firing 281 rounds in 30 seconds in a crowd of 22,000 civilians earn him the title of a terrorist.

More importantly, however, is that even if we chose to call Paddock a lone wolf it is imperative that we also label Omar Siddiqui and others alike with the same label to ensure legitimacy and consistency.

As a graduate from the Justice, Political Philosophy and Law program at McMaster, one of the more valuable things I learned in my program was to critically evaluate information and arguments instead of taking them at face value.

It is this message that I leave you in reading this, to evaluate and analyze complex information and arguments that you see before blindly accepting them.

As informed McMaster students, and the leaders of tomorrow, it is our duty and responsibility to ask hard questions and debate complex issues and only then come to conclusions.

I urge you to critique and evaluate my opinions above, to debate openly with other students, because it is only through such discourse we can come to understand the complexity of these problems and become more informed in our opinions.

@ReemSheet

The Silhouette | 13

www.thesil.ca | Thursday, Oct. 19, 2017

Arts & Culture An indie powerhouse in bloom Calgary band debuts new album in collaboration with famed Canadian sound engineers

C/O UNFOLDING CREATIVE Anisha Rajkumar Contributor

In late June, a cover of Frank Ocean’s “Ivy” by Raleigh made its way onto Indie88’s list of the best new indie tracks. Raleigh found themselves in the good company of the National, Arcade Fire and St. Vincent.

This was not the last time they would find themselves amongst indie heavyweights.

Raleigh’s latest album Powerhouse Bloom was produced after attending at art residency curated by members of Broken Social Scene, and the sound engineers behind Stars, Alabama Shakes and the Tragically Hip. Brock Geiger, Clea Anaïs, Will Maclellan and Matt Doherty have truly created a genre-defying album. Each song from the new album contains various elements of jazz, folk, pop and psychedelic rock.

The band began almost a decade ago with Geiger (singer/ songwriter/guitarist), and Anaïs,

(singer/songwriter/cellist) as a duo playing at an experimental art festival in Calgary called the High Performance Rodeo.

They performed under the pseudo-name, Raleigh, as the name was open and gave the project room to experiment and grow.

“We a really liked the way [Raleigh] sounded, and that it didn’t pigeon-hole us or have anything to do with our sound” said Geiger.

The group’s drummer Doherty, joined shortly after.

He was intrigued by the way Geiger and Anaïs were playing in unusual time signatures and how they were very open to experimenting musically. As a jazz trained artist, he was able to add even more strange rhythmic elements.

Geiger and Maclellan are old friends who have been playing in bands together since high school. Maclellan (bass/ engineering) recently started re-working with Geiger after

attending university.

Raleigh had the opportunity to attend an artist residency at the Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity in Alberta, where they were able to develop their latest project.

“The residency was a couple weeks. [We were] fully open to the process of reworking and reimagining… and taking these influences and opportunities to work with all these people… to rediscover what we wanted to get out of a new record,” said Geiger.

“It was a long process of evolving but once we got those two weeks, we had a really clear picture of the songs and… sonic direction things were taking. It all really made sense from there, there wasn’t a lot of second guessing.”

Broken Social Scene members Brendan Canning, Charles Spearin and Kevin Drew curated this residency. Raleigh was also able to work with engineering experts: Nyles Spencer (the

Tragically Hip), Graham Lessard (Stars) and Shawn Everett (Alabama Shakes).

“We all know their music so well, you know? It was some of the first cool indie rock stuff that some of us were listening to… we looked up to them but I think they also didn’t look down on us.”

While creating the album, Brock recalls being floored by Unknown Mortal Orchestra’s new record at the time, MultiLove.

“The willingness to use strange sounds and present them in a palatable, catchy… inviting way. That was really intriguing to me,” explained Brock.

A lot of of hip-hop and minimalist underground dance music also influenced the project.

“A song like ‘Just Kids’, the first one on this record, is pretty much a straight-up hip-hop track if you remove all the… swirly ambience, the cello and

the guitars.”

The group’s dynamic also illustrates a collaborative core.

“Clea actually wrote that bass line [on ‘Just Kids’], we all kind of jump around and when someone’s got an idea on another instrument, people are willing to get out of the way and let someone come up with what’s good,” said Brock.

One of Geiger’s favourite songs from the album is “We Met in Alcatraz”.

“That song was recorded in one day… I just like the energy that tune has and… I think that tune also kind of encapsulates what we were hoping the mood of the record would be, and ‘powerhouse bloom’ is actually a lyric from one of the verses in that song as well.”

Raleigh is a band on the rise. Even in the midst of their Canadian tour and latest release, the band promises new music in the near future. @theSilhouette

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www.thesil.ca | Thursday, Oct. 19, 2017

| 15

A fusion of food cultures Home chef and food blogger Henry Luan shares his passion for food Razan Samara A&C Reporter

Food undoubtedly brings people together, and Henry Luan started his blog Henry’s Culture to do just that. He is sharing his food cultures, starting conversations around food and picking up inspiration from others along the way.

Luan spends the daylight hours by a pristine counter as a financial service representative at a bank, but his nights consist of working over a kitchen table dusted with flour by the comforting heat of the oven.

Luan cooks, bakes, photographs and writes stories for Henry’s Culture to share his experiences with food culture from Vietnam and his experiences as a Hamiltonian for the past four years.

His love for food dates back to his early childhood. He has fond memories of visiting the farmer’s market with his

mother in Vietnam, bringing back home just enough goods to cook for the day, and doing the trip all over again the next morning.

This is in stark contrast to his life in Hamilton, where he finds himself cooking meals to sustain himself for the whole week. Despite the challenges of adapting to a busier lifestyle, moving to Hamilton came with positive experiences too.

“I thought Hamilton was so boring, but I couldn’t be more wrong. We have so many wonderful and talented people…

We also have such a rich culture here when it comes to [combining entertainment with] dining,” said Luan.

Henry’s Culture breaks down trending foods in Vietnam, like salted egg muffins, and how they’ve made their way to Canada, and recipes for dinner dishes like spicy Tteok-bokki, sweet and sour chow mein and fresh spring rolls to savoury

desserts like grass jelly.

Even at the bank, Luan thinks about food. He is often swapping recipes with coworkers and learning about new food cultures, like a recently acquired pumpkin pie recipe. He’s also known at work for beautiful birthday cakes coated in buttercream flowers that showcase his decorating skills.

“I love to make birthday cakes. Right before I moved to Canada, I worked in one of the most famous Vietnamese bakeries for three months completely for free, so I could get into their kitchen and learned how to do cake decorations,” explained Luan.

Unfortunately, his love for cakes comes with drawbacks, including copious amounts of leftover buttercream. As a home chef, he struggles with big projects, because unlike restaurants and bakeries, he doesn’t have the capacity to use up all his ingredients. It’s also a challenge

balancing his career in finance and managing Henry’s Culture.

“I usually come up with new idea and recipe when I’m on my bus to work or at night after work… It would be easier if I just throw on the blog the final picture and the recipe.

But I want my food to have a story behind it, and my photos to show everything from the making to the end when I enjoy it,” explained Luan.

Despite the challenges, Luan strives to have a positive relationship with food. He also encourages others to make food social through sharing with others and creating memories.

Henry’s Culture is creating a community of people that share their experiences around food, while also impacting others’ cooking

and bringing new food cultures in different kitchens. For Luan, it’s all about the love for food.

Henry Luan shared his recipe for Honey Cinnamon Almond Hugging Bears in an exclusive video on thesil.ca and blog post on henrysculture.com. @theSilhouette

C/O Henry’s Culture

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Thursday, Oct. 19, 2017 | www.thesil.ca

Hunt for ghosts and walk with the zombies An “unboolievable” list of things to do this spooky season

Razan Samara A&C Reporter

1

Cannon Knitting Mills Haunted Tour & Investigation When: Oct. 28 at 8:00 to 10:00 p.m.

Where: 134 Mary Street (30-minute bus ride)

Local paranormal enthusiasts claim that the Cannon Knitting

Mills building is as active as ever this Halloween. The massive space, rumoured to be built in the 1850s, has been boarded up and inaccessible to the public for years. ‘Spooky Steph’, a paranormal investigator from Haunted Hamilton will be leading a search for ghosts through the run down building. Bringing EMF meters and pendulums is encouraged. Tickets are $20.

2

Bizarro’s Factory of Fear

When: Oct. 27 – 29 at 7:00 p.m.

Where: 367 Highway 5 West (15-minute drive) There’s a thrill that comes with finding yourself lost amongst projections, animal cages and a pig-man hybrid waiting for you

in a dark corner. Bizarro’s Factory of Fear delivers this nightmare in two 53-foot tractor trailers on a 64-acre property in the middle of nowhere: Dundas.

There’s live entertainment and campfires during the night, and curious explorers can also walk amongst Egyptian mummies and life-size wax figures of serial killers in the Museum of Oddities. General Admission tickets are $15, and you can add a VR experience for an additional fee.

3

“The Shining” Movie Screening When: October 20 at 8:00 p.m.

Where: The Zoetic Theatre (45-minute bus ride)

Psychological thrillers complete Halloween, but completely ruin the chances of getting any sleep afterwards. The Shining is one of the world’s scariest movies and a Halloween classic. The unforgettable Grady Daughters will be making an appearance on the big screen at the Zoetic Theatre, followed by a short horror film courtesy of the Hamilton Film Festival. Tickets are $11.50.

4

Zombie Walk

When: Oct.28 at 12 p.m.

Where: Gore Park (20-minute bus ride) Is your local cemetery missing a few zombies? Chances are they’re gathering at Gore Park and living bodies are invited too, but only if they can blend in. Take Ezekiel’s advice from

The Walking Dead, and fake it until you make it. Dress in your worst attire and head to the Zombification Station for a make-over of a lifetime. The walk will start at 1 p.m. and end at the Brew Café and Bar for the afterparty. Non-perishable food donations are encouraged.

5

Pumpkin Night Hike

When: Oct.27 at 6:30 to 8:30 pm Where: 85 Oak Knoll Drive (12-minute walk) If midterms got you scared enough and you need to wind down this Halloween, head out with your friends for a relaxing hike and games hosted by Smiles for Sickness. The one-kilometre trail will be lined with festive jack-o-lanterns to guide you through Westdale Woods.

Donations are encouraged and proceeds will go towards the Cootes Paradise Home & School and the Royal Botanical Gardens.

@theSilhouette

Across 1. Highly ranked competitor in sporting events 5. Brando’s birthplace 10. Soft drink choice 14. London art gallery 15. Capital on the Atlantic 16. Enthusiastic liveliness 17. When Hamlet dies 18. Mennonite sect 19. Equestrian’s control 20. Adjustable resistor 22. Deceives 24. ____ kwon do 25. Greek cheese 26. Fondle 29. Some sausage 33. Put up with 34. Cab 36. Society-page word

37. Large, brown-capped mushroom 38. Dig find 39. Off-road wheels, for short 40. Greek cross 41. Part of MIT 42. Heavy metric weight 44. Make better 47. Become visible 48. Skeptic’s scoff 49. Reggae relative 50. Cream cake 53. Person who betrays 58. Singer Sedaka 59. Tied 61. Romance lang.

62. Waste allowance 63. Wear down, physically or emotionally 64. TV’s “Nick at ____” 65. Indifferent

66. Bygone birds 67. “____ quam videri” (North Carolina’s motto)

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31. State Farm rival 32. Not once 34. Dogma 35. Capp and Capone 38. Channel 42. Toll rds.

43. Like a milky gem 45. Theater district 46. Kimono accessory 47. Parenthetical comments 50. Tolkien tree creatures 51. King mackerel 52. Untruths, tells falsehoods 52. Jail 54. Reverse 55. How sweet ____!

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Thursday, Oct. 19, 2017 | www.thesil.ca

The Silhouette

Sports Building and progressing Amidst big changes to the program, Mac’s golf team fell short at the provincial championships, but are focused on the future Jessica Carmichael Sports Reporter

The McMaster University golf team was in Ottawa last weekend for the Ontario University Athletics Golf Championships at Loch March Golf & Country Club.

The two-day event is the only tournament that is officially recognized by the OUA, but universities hosted invitationals thought the year determine if teams meet the qualifying standards in order to be eligible to play in the OUA championships.

“Typically over a fourweek snapshot the players are playing 14 tournament rounds,” explained McMaster head coach John Najev. “It’s fairly condensed, and it varies from us traveling to Ottawa with Carleton, down through Kingston with Queen’s, University of Ontario Institute of Technology in Oshawa and the London area for Western.”

Their last tournaments before the championships included Mac’s very own invitational on Sept. 28 and the University of Toronto’s Invitational on Oct. 6.

The 2017 season is Najev’s first as head coach. Last year, he was brought in to co-coach the team fairly late, so the team missed several events and was unable to truly get things organized. His main goal for this year was to bring the team up to standard.

“This year we finally have it structured to where I think a true team needs to be,” said Najev. “We have the proper apparel and we are playing a full schedule, which all helps our representation out there.”

Throughout the season, events hosted by different universities allow individual players to come, but not necessarily every player on the team.

So when coach Najev has the

opportunity to send everybody to an event he does.

“We have a great young squad and the team has bonded really well,” Najev said. “So although nine players are only eligible to play in the OUA championships, we’re taking the entire team because I look at it as being an entire team event.”

Though the competition in the OUA is tough, Najev believes the team will use this year as well as the next few years to grow to hopefully become a top calibre team.

“We’re not quite there yet, but I can see us being there in the next year or two,” said Najev. “We’ve had a thirdplace finish so far this year on the men’s side as well as the women’s side. And the women have had a couple fourth-place finishes, so we have been very competitive this season.”

It was not too long ago that McMaster’s women’s team was a one-woman team when Katie Schmidt was the women’s team first member. During her time at Mac, she was able make an immediate impact on the province, winning the OUA women’s individual golf title in 2002 as well as in 2003. Fast forward 14 years later and the Marauders women’s team currently has five women on it.

“Last year we only had two ladies and they had to compete as individuals,” said Najev. “The way the ladies’ competition works is that you send four players and the best three count.

So now they are able to compete as a team.”

As for the men’s team, there are five returnees and six new players this year. Some notable returnees are Ethan Hurst, a third-year player and team captain, John McPherson, who is also in his third year, and Andrew Pearson who individually finished in sixth place in last year’s OUA Championship.

“It’s been a transition and learning experiences for a lot

C/O RICK ZAZULAK

of the guys,” said Najev. “We’ve gone through some coaching and some fundamentals changes within their mechanics of their golf game, as well as their golf swings, to try to build and progress as we move forward for spring and the following years.”

This year, the Toronto Varsity Blues and the Western Mustangs dominated the OUA championships. Toronto’s Laura Upenieks won the women’s individual title while Charles Fitz-

simmons of Western took home the men’s individual title. As for the team events, Western’s men brought home the team title, while U of T’s women won the women’s title.

Although the Marauders were not able to take home any trophies this year, they hope to take the team down south to get in some more playing time in the offseason.

“We’re looking to do some things in the springtime, like possibly going away somewhere

in the sunny south during reading week,” said Najev.

Hopefully, with the lessons learned from this year’s championships, and experience from the invitationals in the U.S, they will be more than equipped to take on the OUA championships next year.

@jaaycarmichael

SPORTS

www.thesil.ca | Thursday, Oct. 19, 2017

| 19

To the playoffs and beyond Under new coach Joe Valvasori, the women’s soccer team bears down for a final playoff drive Ryan Tse Contributor

The McMaster women’s soccer team has not had the smoothest season. This year’s squad has fought their way to a 2-6-5 record to put them in eighth place in the West conference through 13 games. Three pivotal games remain in the 2017 regular season.

Their record tells the story of an up-and-down season filled with adversity. However, new coach Joe Valvasori sees growth and potential in this team. Valvasori believes that the difficulties are largely due to a learning curve for the players as they adjust to new systems.

“I don’t think our record necessarily reflects the quality of the team or the quality of our play of the squad,” Valvasori said. “It’s funny, you know — new coach, new team, new season. We’re putting in a new system and a new style of play so there’s always growing pains that go along with that.”

The team’s victories over fourth-place Waterloo and second-place Guelph perhaps suggest a stronger team than their record shows. They certainly hint at the squad’s talent and their ability to square off with any team. Coach Valvasori sees a lot of strengths in the group that can form the foundation of a successful team.

“We have a very technical midfield who are very much able to play and are still learning how to play through the midfield.

We got great speed out on the flanks, and they are trying to learn how to capitalize.”

McMaster currently sits eighth in the West conference of Ontario University Athletics.

Coming off an 8-6-2 season and a fifth-place finish last year, this team has struggled more in comparison, scoring just 14 goals through 13 games while allowing 21.

Yet in terms of qualifying for the playoffs, the team holds their destiny in their own hands.

If the players can pull togeth-

er three wins in the last three games, they will very likely leapfrog both Brock and York to finish in the sixth spot.

The schedule may do them a favour in this respect, as they play last-place Algoma University twice to close out the season.

Algoma has gone winless thus far this season, allowing 58 goals while scoring three themselves.

Valvasori is confident about the team’s playoff prospects, and once they are in he believes they can do some damage.

“We need three wins in the next three matches,” said Valvasori. “We’re very capable of doing so, and I think if we do what we’re capable of, and if we can get all cylinders firing at the same time, we can compete with any team in our conference heading into the playoffs.”

Despite the tough losses throughout the season, Valvasori is encouraged by the overall improvements of the team.

According to him, the team has become much more organized, both on the offensive and defen-

sive sides of the pitch.

The coach has also been impressed by the general positivity of the team. “They’re all positive, they’re all buying in, and they’re all putting in the work, so I have great confidence in their future success,” said Valvasori. “They’re a very cohesive group — no locker room issues, no cliques.

They’re all very friendly with each other and they all want to see each other do well.”

As coach Valvasori has implemented new systems and become familiar with the players, he has seen how the key veterans each play different roles in leading the squad and pushing the team forward.

“They’ve all brought different things,” coach Valvasori said.

“Mary [Craig] and Ally [Riganelli] are two of our most consistent players. Faye [Stavropolous] and Jessie [Faber] are really good at creating. Cass [Davis] and Steph [Roberts] are good at keeping the squad organized, so everybody is contributing in their own way.”

Valvasori sees a lot to be excited about with this team, both now and in the future. Many older players are expected to return next year, so more growth from the upper end of the team can be expected. Add that to six freshman rookies, and the team’s outlook is quite promising for the rest of this this season and the seasons ahead. As the team continues to develop and learns to maximize on their talent in a well-defined system, the wins will start to come.

“A lot of the older players are only third years, so they still have a couple seasons left,” Valvasori said. “On top of having some good pieces that have come in and I’m sure lots more recruits will come in next year, it’s a pretty solid core to take to the next few seasons.”

For now, the team looks to stay positive and close out the season strong. Based on their progress so far, they appear more than capable to do just that. @theSilhouette

EVENTS CALENDAR SRA By-Elections When: October 16-26 Where: msumcmaster.ca/sra Nominations take place between October 16-20 closing at 5pm. Online voting starts October 25 and ends at 5pm on the 26th.

Dirty Sexxxy Bingo with Spenny When: October 24, 2017 from 08:00PM until 10:00PM Where: TwelvEighty Bar and Grill Join us at Twelveighty for your chance to win great prizes while playing Dirty Sexxxy Bingo, hosted by Spenny.

Doors open at 8PM, show starts at 8:30PM. A valid McMaster Student card required for entry. (1) guest per student allowed. Guests must have a ticket and a valid government ID for sign in at the door.

Limited tickets available. If any tickets remain, they can be purchased at the door the night of. Be sure to get your spot ahead of time before they’re sold out.

Bridges - iSci Society Coffeehouse When: October 24, 2017 from 08:00PM until 11:00PM Where: Bridges Café Coffeehouse is an annual iSci event that celebrates a variety of arts and performances including musical performances, dance, improv, visual arts and literature.

OPIRG McMaster’s Fair Trade Fest When: November 01, 2017 from 10:00AM until 05:00PM Where: MUSC Marketplace Featuring fair trade vendors and local

artisans. Products made with respect to people and the plantet. A great place to do your holiday gift buying. Sponsored by OPIRG McMaster opirgmcmaster.org

MSU Fall Policy Conference When: November 5, 2017 from 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM Where: TwelvEighty Bar and Grill This event is an opportunity for students to provide their input and help formulate the final draft of policies that the MSU will use to advocate for institutional change.

This year, there are three policies being review at the fall Policy Conference: Academic Success, Health & Wellness, and Experiential Learning.

GERALD CLAY Get some h*ck in’ great potter y with these emo inspired ceramics C12

THURSDAY

THE

HAMILTON SPECULATOR Mumen Rider fans since 1934

Oc tober 19, 2017

NOTSPEC.COM

Local zoning laws shift students’ votes to universe six Voter turnout still expected to be less than one per cent

This is our universe. It makes up one of 13. Tag yourself — I’m on the left.

SAINT PETER VEGAS I prefer monarchies

One of the major problems that has plagued the city for decades is the existence of students.

They work too hard and make everyone look bad. They volunteer in their communities.

They like to spend their money in the downtown core during nights out on the town. They even sometimes have moderately sized parties and try to clean up afterwards to help relax.

Enough is enough.

While it is impossible to physically to shoot the school

and its students out of a cannon out of frustration, a new law has passed to metaphorically do so.

Bylaw 01101110-0110010101110010-01100100 shifts the student vote between universes in an effort to finally get rid of the student menace. The best part is they are still allowed to vote on issues that affect students.

Our reality exists in universe seven. Universe six represents a mirror image of ours where the Leafs continuously win Stanley Cups, Western is actually a good school and students go out to vote to

POLL: What universe is your favourite?

The one with you in it!

The one with infinite dogs!

The one where no one’s ready and Ross gets upset

The one with emo music continuously playing in the background

The one with as many of these dumb polls as possible

The one with the really big office

The one where I can achieve the highest power level

All of the above

dominate political affairs in the city. As such, universe six is also relatively unaffected by this as the student vote is substantial enough for a few more to not mean much.

This shift has proven to be more effective than conventional gerrymandering when it comes to manipulating the student vote.

“Sure, it affects students on a different plane of existence than us, but that’s just how it is,” said mayor Werner Heisenberg.

“It is more precise in allowing students to be heard, but less precise in what the effects are.”

We considered interviewing students for their reactions, but were unable to find any that cared about municipal politics enough to give anything more than a shrug.

Moving forward, the city will choose to prioritize an interdimensional travel plan, estimated to take a millennium to research and develop, over the LRT. After all, the Amazon bid for 3017 is right around the corner, and the ability to shift students out of this universe is more important than making sure they can be transported around in this one.

INSIDE SALT LICKS ARE KIND OF WEIRD WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT IT A4 THE BEAVERTON CAME TO HAMILTON AND DIDN’T VISIT US SO WE’RE ROASTING THEM B4 BAH GAWD SHANE IS BROKEN IN HALF! C1 THE OFFICE IS LITERALLY OVERFLOWING WITH DOGS C3 HOW TO CONSUME A GIANT BOTTLE OF SRIRACHA IN 20 MINUTES OR LESS D2 THE EXTENDED LORE D5 PER ISSUE: Meetings to set up other meetings.

Tweets to the Editor Wow, all of these students are doing a great job!

dude weed lmao

- Universe six Jason, 34, local student supporter

- The Silhouette, really old, fake news

Disclaimer: The Hamilton Speculator is a work of satire and fiction and should not under any circumstances be taken seriously. I went back to Peterborough to see the family over the break and it was really nice. I just thought you should know. It was wholesome.