Peter Goffin writes of his traveling and volunteering experience in Nicaragua. Inside Out, B1
Andy reviews the good, the bad and the ugly of the Hamilton restaurants. Andy, C6
McMASTER UNIVERSITY'S STUDENT NEWSPAPER / THURSDAY, OCTOBER 15, 2009
www.thesil.ca
The Silhouette Est. 1930
Committee meeting discusses McMaster finances
VOLUME 80, NO. 9
Welcoming Mac’s next president
SELMA AL-SAMARRAI SENIOR NEWS EDITOR
McMaster President Peter George established the President’s Advisory Committee on the Impact of the Current Economic Situation in Jan. 2009. The reason for the creation of the committee is to develop strategies that will create and maintain long-term sustainability for the University. The committee members include individuals from the Board of Governors, the McMaster University Faculty Association, the Faculty of Health Sciences, the Faculty of Humanities, DeGroote School of Business, CUPE 3906, the McMaster Student Union, the Faculty of Social Sciences, McMaster Association of Parttime students, the Faculty of Science, Graduate Students Association, CAW Local 555 and the Management group. The PACICES committee created an interim report on June 12, 2009 and the report was released on Oct. 2, 2009. Following the release of the interim report, a town hall meeting was held at the Michael G. DeGroote Centre for Learning and Discovery on Oct. 13, which was open to the general public. The meeting was arranged for the purpose of presenting the interim report and gathering feedback. The expectation is that the committee would then finalize the report and present its best recommendations on strategic options for the university. Scheduled from 2.30 p.m. to 4 p.m. the meeting began with George introducing the PACICES and speaking of the recent economic turbulence and the immediate impact it has had on pension plans. He then introduced David Lazzarato, the chair of PACICES and the presenter for the event. George explained that none of the Vice-Presidents were invited, in order to create the appropriate environment for discussion, and then proceeded to leave.
ROBIN KISBEE / QUEEN’S JOURNAL
Queen’s University’s vice-principal (academic) Patrick Deane is expected to be announced as McMaster’s next president.
Queen’s V.P. expected to be McMaster’s next president JEFF GREEN
EXECUTIVE EDITOR
The Silhouette has learned that Patrick Deane, the vice-principal (academic) of Queen’s University is expected to become McMaster University’s next president. The McMaster Senate nominated Deane to the position in a closed session meeting Wednesday afternoon. The Board of Governors will now vote on Deane’s nomination during their schedule meeting today. It is expected that the Board will approve the recommendation and Deane will take office July 1, 2010. Deane will be replacing the • PLEASE SEE PACICES, A5 current president Peter George. As
president since 1995, Peter George is the longest serving president in McMaster’s history. The search for a president has been underway for nearly a year and the committee has met numerous times since January to consider the candidates. Deane has served as Queen’s vice-principal (academic) since July 2005. Born in South Africa, Deane began his graduate studies after moving to Canada in 1978. He completed both his MA (1980) and PhD (1985) in English Language and Literature at the University of Western Ontario. He taught English
Next president of McMaster inherits a host of problems
LILY PANAMSKY
ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR
The new president and vice chancellor of McMaster University, replacing the incumbent president Peter George, is expected to be announced today following the Board of Governors meeting. The year-long search has suggested Dr. Patrick Deane, current viceprincipal (academic) to the post. Peter George is concluding his third five-year term this year. He joined the McMaster faculty in 1965. He served as the Associate Dean of Graduate Studies between 1974 and 1979, and as the Dean • PLEASE SEE DEANE, A5 of the Faculty of Social Sciences
from 1980 to 1989. His first year of presidency was in 1995. Regardles of who is appointed as the next McMaster president, the seveth president will face difficult economic challenges for the future. According to the President’s Advisory Committee on the Impact of the Current Economic Situation (PACICES) interim report, the university has projected annual deficits of anywhere between $42 and $86 million for the 2011, 2012, and 2013 fiscal years. For the 2009/2010 year, there is an estimated $36.5 million deficit. Expenses will increase by 5 per cent • PLEASE SEE MAC, A5
RBC donates money for water-initiative plan
Hamilton’s 80 year old Melrose Church goes green. InsideOut, B3
The RBC Water and Health Hamilton. Dean of Science Dr. John Capone remarked, “These will be Initiative will support the foundation important opportunities for learning of the Urban Rural Biomonitoring and meaningful contributions of our Assessment Network (URBAN). citizens to the research of some of Dr. Pat Chow-Fraser, professor of ecology and evolution and chair of our most respected investigators.” He explained the the department of biology, stated importance of community that “[URBAN] will bring together researcher, students involvement in and members of the environmental community to help issues. “People like These will be you and me need important opportu- monitor the Hamilton harbour and Cootes to start making better decisions nities for learning Paradise watershed.” Cootes Paradise and engaging in and meaningful is an 840-hectar activities that protect contributions of wildlife sanctuary our water. The way directly we will inspire our citizens to the found McMaster people to make research of some of beside University. It those decisions and engage in activities our most respected supports both rare threatened is through education investigators.” and species of plants and and involvement. animals and contains Education and involvement are hallmarks of the a coastal wetland at the west end of Hamilton Harbour. RBC Foundation Gift.”
Inside the Sil this week
Fashion body image. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .A7 Pumping Iron . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . B2 Online Etiquette . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . B3 Community events . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . B5
LILY PANAMSKY
ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR
McMaster University received a 1.5 million dollar donation from the
RBC Foundation on Tues. Oct 13 for the establishment of the RBC Water and Health Initiative. The initiative will focus on water-related issues at and around
Campus Capacity plan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .A3 New diabetes study . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .A3 Editorial . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .A6 Gitmo releasees . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .A7
President and Vice Chancellor Peter George contended that “Cootes Paradise is a jewel, a jewel made all the more remarkable for its proximity to heavy-urban development, to active industry and to the footprint of a region that contains more than eight million. Cootes paradise is also a wonderful illustration of a wonderful power of partnership. In many ecosystems, especially in one that’s contained and well defined as Cootes Paradise, everything depends on everything else.” Capone concluded his acceptance speech with a promise to put the money to good use. “The central theme of the RBC gift— water—is and will be increasingly important…I can assure you that we will do everything in our power to put your gift to work in ways that will have the greatest possible impact here on the McMaster Campus, in our community, and beyond.”
Thursday night lights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . B7 Rugby women to playoffs . . . . . . . . . . . . . B8 The invention of lying . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .C10 Ohbijou . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .C12
PA I D
A D V E R T I S E M E N T
PA I D
A D V E R T I S E M E N T
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 15, 2009
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THE SILHOUETTE • A3
t-5th
McMaster makes the grade globally
The Times Higher Education-QS World University Rankings released
O
n Oct. 8, 2009 the Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) and Times Higher Education released the sixth edition of their ranking of the top universities in the world. Times Higher Education was founded in 1971, and is a weekly publication of universities around the world. They also release a guide to the top universities. The results of the Times Higher Education-QS World University Rankings had representation from 32 nations in their list of the top 200 schools. The rankings are based on six criteria: academic peer review, employer review, international faculty ratio, international student ratio, student faculty ratio, and citations per faculty. In the top 200 universities, McMaster is placed one hundred and forty sixth.
PAIGE FABER / FEATURES EDITOR This year, the Times Higher Education-QS World University Rankings had an increase in the responses that they received from both employers and the academic community. This year there were 9 386 academics and 3 281 employers, a 47 per cent and 40 per cent increase respectively from the 2008 results. In addition to ranking the top 200 schools, they rank the top five countries for overall higher education system strength, the USA, UK, Germany, Australia and Canada remain in the top spaces. In the top 200 schools, the United States and the United Kingdom still dominate the top 10 spots. The top university is still Harvard University, as it was last year as well. Next, a school that has moved up from third to second place is University of Cambridge. Yale switched places with Cambridge from 2008, and is now in third place. The University College London moved from seventh into fourth place, and the Imperial College of London and University of Oxford are tied for fifth place this year. The top schools were the ones that ranked the highest in the six categories listed above. The next bracket of schools was the University of Chicago at seventh place, Princeton University at eight, Massachusetts Institute of Technology in ninth, and California Institute of Technology in tenth. There were eleven Canadian schools that made the top 200 list. The first is McGill in 18th, which moved up from 20th since 2008. Next, was University of Toronto at 29th position, moving up from 41st in 2008. Following, was University of British Columbia in 40th place, dropping slightly from 34th in 2008. Next is University of Alberta at 59th place, jumping up from their 74th place the year before. Following is Université de Montréal in 107th place, dropping from 91st. After these schools is University of Waterloo in 113th, climbing from 129th. Close behind is Queen’s University at 118th, remaining fairly constant from their 117th position the year before where they were tied with McMaster. Following Queen’s this year is McMaster at 146th position, taking a sharp drop from last year’s tie with Queen’s at 117th. Following is University of Calgary at 149th tied with Eberhard Karls University of Tübingen in Germany, Calgary’s rank increased since last year where they sat at 170th. Close behind is University of Western Ontario which tied in position 151 with Yonsei University in South Korea - Western was in position 159 last year. The last Canadian university in the top 200 is Simon Fraser University in position 196, moving down since 2008 where they sat at 164th. Don Pether, the Chair of the Board of Governors commented on McMaster’s standings in the Times Higher Education-QS World University Rankings. Pether spoke of McMaster’s fall in the ranking since last year, and said that,
“it is important to remember that these rankings are only a snapshot at any given time and can vary from year to year.” Especially at this time of year, Pether commented, that there are many different rankings from all around the world that are released, and they all use different methodologies for their rankings. “So, even though we dropped in the rankings, it is still a very impressive result,” said Pether about McMaster’s standings. Pether is not surprised about McMaster’s rankings because he said that, “we have a world class medical school... this points to the quality of education that we offer at McMaster and it is completely expected... McMaster is a competitor on a global scale.” M o Elbestawi, the Vice President of Research and International Affairs commented about McMaster’s place in the Times Higher Education-QS World University Rankings that, “ M c M a s t e r continues to compete admirably among Canada’s and the world’s universities -particularly, research intensive universities. Our focus on research begins at the undergraduate level and, as such, makes us the place of choice for many. These types of rankings, and our place on the charts, enhance our reputation globally and help us to attract first-class international researchers and students, both undergraduate and graduate, alike.” Ken Cruikshank is the Associate Professor and Chair of the Department of History, and also is on the Committee to Recommend a President. Cruikshank had much to say about McMaster’s reputation and what he thinks of the Times Higher Education-QS World University Rankings. Cruikshank noted that, “we have fallen even further if we start in 2007, from 108. Or is it that we have risen from 155 in 2006, or from 184
in 2005.” Because things do not change that drastically year to year at a university, the drastic rise or decline of any one institution does not seem to link up, explained Cruikshank. Cruikshank also noted that, “university administrations are likely to take credit for any improvement they enjoy in the rankings, however fleeting that improvement may be. They are just as likely to ignore the bad news, although it may be no more or less reliable than the good news.” Cruikshank, in general, commented that although scores like this can be reliable, they are not to be taken too seriously. Some things that did not surprise Cruikshank about the results were that McMaster scored high in the citation section. This year McMaster had a score of 98 (of 100), for citations per faculty member. Another criterion that was not surprising to Cruikshank was that McMaster did not score high in the category for international students. “McMaster has never had a high percentage of international students... government policy in recent years has rewarded us for making room for Canadian, not international, undergraduate and graduate students,” commented Cruikshank. As a member of the Committee to Recommend a President, Cruikshank noted that he, “has no interest in seeing a President devote much time to increasing our rank, except insofar as fostering excellence in our research and educational enterprise may inadvertently affect our rank.” Cruikshank also said that, “if we make progress on these [faculty: student ratio, or fostering research and deepening education] and other issues, and our ranking
Canadian Schools in Times Higher EducationQS World University Rankings 2009 #18 - McGill University #29 - University of Toronto #40 - University of British Columbia #59 - University of Alberta #107 - Universite de Montreal #113 - University of Waterloo #118 - Queen’s University #143 - McMaster University #149 - University of Calgary #151 - University of Western Ontario #196 - Simon Fraser University
does not change or even slips, I am not sure I would care.” Cruikshank knows that, “academic progress does not come from one or even 200 universities being better than the rest; it comes from making sure that research and university education is facilitated in as many institutions and nations as possible around the world.” Of the three, Pether, Elbestawi, and Cruikshank, the common opinion is that it is wonderful and admirable that McMaster is on the list of the top 200 schools in the world. But they also comment that these scores are to be taken with a grain of salt, as although the Times Higher Education-QS World University Ranking is a prestigious ranking, it remains one of many.
JONATHON FAIRCLOUGH / SILHOUETTE STAFF
McMaster is ranked number 146 on the Times Higher Education-QS World University Rankings. Above are the crests of the top six universities on the World University Rankings list.
A4 • THE SILHOUETTE
Newsbites
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 15, 2009
New Study examines campus planning
News Bites – Compiled By Jennifer Bacher Making exercise easier by drinking coffee Drinking an espresso before going to the gym could make your workout feel less painful. Researchers found that people who consumed caffeine equivalent to three cups of coffee prior to exercise experienced less pain in their muscles. Coffee addicts see dead people A new study has proven that those who drink more than seven cups of coffee per day are three times more likely to hear voices and see things that are not there. Anything that contributes to your caffeine intake - such as tea, coffee, energy drinks and even chocolate - can have an impact. Students who were used in the study reported hearing voices, seeing things and having a strong sense that they were in the presence of the dead. Tetris could help trauma victims Researchers found that playing the popular game Tetris can help victims forget bad memories and reduces the occurrence of distressing flashbacks. Psychologists from Oxford University made the discovery by getting a group of people to watch a traumatic film consisting of scenes of real injury and death before getting half to play Tetris for 20 minutes. Over the next week the researchers monitored the group and found that those who had played the falling block game experienced significantly fewer flashbacks. Nintendo Wii causes 10 injuries per week The popular game console is said to be causing a raft of knee, elbow and back injuries to gamers. In extreme cases doctors say they have seen people who have dislocated their kneecaps or popped them out completely. And the number of injuries rocketed over the holiday period as older family members try to take on the kids at tennis, skiing and boxing.
JONATHON FAIRCLOUGH / DISTRIBUTION COORDINATOR
The Campus Capacity plan will examine aspects of campus planning such as classroom size and enrolment numbers. SANTINO MARINUCCI SILHOUETTE STAFF
A new comprehensive study at McMaster University seeks to determine physical space capacity on campus while simultaneously gaining a clearer understanding of how the space is being used. The purpose of this new study is to assess where exactly resources need to be placed in order to make the university more efficient overall. When asked why a capacity study was being conducted at McMaster, Provost and Vice President Ilene Busch-Vishniac answered, “For longer than I’ve been here, [totalling] a little over ten years, we have been basing everything we do on very flimsy evidence and data, and we’ve just gotten into a position where we are trying to figure out how to assign priorities.” Busch-Vishniac also explained the several facets that need to be explored within this study, “What are the areas with the greatest pressure? Do we have so many students on campus where we
would set the student improvement service as the number one priority? Or do we need more classrooms? Or is the library inadequate? But we cannot really figure any of that out without doing a study that says how big McMaster is. What can the infrastructure we have support?” This type of study is the first of its kind at McMaster; it will encompass all facilities, physical and academic throughout the school. It will help gauge and assess which areas of the school are being used the most and how to focus in and measure that. When asked about the benefits of such a study, Busch-Vishniac explained, “It will help us figure out, in a time of scant resources how to prioritize and where we should be trying to improve things first.” Regarding the initial stages of this study, Busch-Vishniac explained, “The idea is to hire urban strategists, who come in and will be working with a steering team, but this steering team isn’t the team that has the input, they are to make sure they have identified what the
key issues are and what the key consistencies are.” This capacity study provides a new way to talk to the government with respect to enrolment numbers “when [the government] say we want you to grow, and we want you to address this problem, we [McMaster] cannot do it without help, so this helps”. The Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities would benefit the most from a study like this based on the raw data that the study could provide relating to enrolment levels of undergraduate and graduate students. This data can also be used for helping coordinate provincial educational goals, like increasing enrolment “The MCTU is concerned that they want to see the number of people participating in colleges and universities to go up as a proportion, to 70 per cent and the demographics are such that there is growth predicted among college and university age people in the GTA... the [MCTU] are predicting a large number of students that need
to be accommodated.” Ultimately the study will effectively use data and research to increase enrolment without putting stresses on faculty or facilities. The Campus Capacity Committee, which overlooks the McMaster project, is headed by Karen Menard, Assistant Vice President of Institutional Research/ Analysis. This committee has only recently been created. When asked when the study will be completed Menard added “The timeline is very tight, we’re hoping to have a final report by March 2010.” Furthermore, when asked what the duties of the committee entailed, Menard responded, “part of the committee’s job is to make sure that we are hitting the milestones and that we are working towards that final date.” Menard explained that people that committee would include “the registrar, our AVP academic, AVP of graduate studies, so meeting with all the core people to discuss where the pressure points are and where there is room for growth.”
Study reveals linkage of obesity and muscle health SANTINO MARINUCCI SILHOUETTE STAFF
Thomas Hawke, associate professor of pathology and medicine at the Michael DeGroote School of Medicine and PhD student Karen Shortreed teamed up together to investigate how obesity caused by a high-fat diet affects the health of muscle in adolescents who are pre-diabetic. The research found that the health of young adult muscle declines during the pre-diabetic state, which is when blood sugar levels are higher than normal but lower than during Type 2 diabetes. It was discovered that there were substantial impairments to the muscle, even though it appeared to be working normally. Hawke explained, “There is a growing epidemic of obesity and type-two diabetes in the young population that had never been there before.” When asked about why this study was conducted on adolescents and teenagers instead of older adults, he replied “In an adult muscle it may atrophy or shrink but it can actually grow back and obtain its pre-stress level. But in a young growing muscle this does not happen, and so we were interested in looking at adolescent and teenage type muscle because we think that obesity and type-two diabetes will be a significant stress [on the body] and ultimately impair that growth of the muscle.” This specific research is one of the first of its kind, so it provided an opportunity to explore the ideas of muscle generation, growth, and function in the sphere of type-two diabetes. Hawke and Shortreed led a team of researchers at McMaster and York University in using mice to examine how a high-fat diet,
leading to obesity, affected the form and function of skeletal muscle. The researchers found the high-fat diet resulted in insulin resistance, large increases in fat mass and weight gain. But it also led to initial adaptations in the muscle. Shortreed, who is first author on the article published in the scientific journal PLoS One, helped spearhead and lead this project. Shortreed explained what interested her when it came to undertaking this research with Hawke, “I looked at muscle regeneration... and began doing a lot of typeone diabetes muscle research. We already had that covered by other graduate students so we started looking into type 2 diabetes and there was not much out there as far as giving us a baseline on what type two diabetes is. So we decided to do the study to look at that baseline level.” “What we hope that our study will do is just assessing muscle function itself, this may not be the best avenue in which to do that, but by the time we see the impairments in function and growth, significant changes have already happened inside the muscle,” said Hawke. He explained that in order to see significant changes in the muscle during the pre-diabetic process one would have to exercise the muscle rigorously for a significant period of time to be able to gauge the muscle strength. In Canada, 2.4 million people are living with diabetes and up to six million more have pre-diabetes, according to the Canadian Diabetes Association. If left untreated, approximately 25 per cent of people with pre-diabetes will progress to diabetes within three to five years.
THE SILHOUETTE • A5
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 15, 2009
Infrastructure Mac initiative seeks financial transparency Mac population voices concerns plan developed for next president for LRT • CONT’D FROM A1
SELMA AL-SAMARRAI SENIOR NEWS EDITOR
Hamilton’s planning and economic development committee has been looking further into the effect that Light Rail Transit system will have on the city. On Oct. 13, the committee discussed a secondary plan review, which examines the infrastructure of the city and how it can accommodate the upcoming rapid transit project. On the Hamilton Economic Development website, the Downtown Hamilton Secondary plan review is defined as carrying the initiative of using, “public realm improvements as the catalyst for revitalization,” and to “build on existing strengths,” in addition to pursuing “a limited number of carefully designed and executed major projects.” Maria Pearson, Ward 10 councilor and the chair of the Economic Development and Planning Standing Committee, explained the following: “The secondary plan looks at what we want our future growth and development in the city of Hamilton to be for the next 10, 15, 20 years and by gathering information and looking, we look at projects longterm and say where we want our key nodes, our corridors, where we want development, be it residential, commercial or industrial.” Pearson explained that the positioning of the Light Rail Transit system rail line is a very important factor and must be considered according to Hamilton’s main roads. “Its like laying over at a map… here’s where we want the rail line, so from that spin off we put our main LRT rail. You don’t want it 5 blocks from that you want it right on that the arterials of that line… We need more intensification on our arterial roads and main roads.... How do we want development to progress?” The LRT is proposed to run from the East Gate Square to McMaster University and is expected to be fully constructed and ready for use by 2015.
ROBIN KRISBEE / QUEENS JOURNAL
David Lazzarato, the chair of PACICES, presented the interim report to the attendants on Oct. 13. that are yet to be raised for capital projects that the school has already The items in the interim approved, and the consistently report, some of which were depleting Available Expendable discussed at the meeting, include Resources of the University. McMaster’s current financial A few of the recent initiatives condition and some of the steps the and recommendations from the university has taken to improve it. University are establishing an annual This includes the government and external relations McMaster Units being asked strategy to be approved by the Board of to manage inflationary costs, Governors, informing the provincial provincial government funding, and federal governments of any problems with government research actions carried out by the University, grants, the University’s estimated increasing communication with potential deficits for the 2010-2013 major stakeholders, creating greater period, the existing pension plans transparency of the University’s and benefits, the 29 million dollars finances, eliminating the estimated • CONT’D FROM A1
deficits of the three upcoming years, redesigning the current pension benefit and implementing a process that ensures hiring is for the sole purpose of fulfilling explicit institutional priorities, among several others. The presentation was followed by a discussion period for all those present where several questions, criticisms and opinions were delivered to Lazzarato regarding some of the University’s initiatives in the interim report. The full PACICES interim report is available on the Daily News.
Deane awaits confirmation • CONT’D FROM A1 (academic) position at Queen’s is the same as McMaster’s provost and vice-president (academic), currently held by Ilene BuschVishniac. While the majority of McMaster’s current vice-presidents and associate vice-presidents come from engineering backgrounds, Deane may represent a shift in power and a possible resurgence of the liberal arts at McMaster with his
background in Humanities. Deane has successfully navigated Queen’s University academics while the operations of the university suffered the loss of principal Karen Hitchcock. Hitchcock had applied for a second term as principal, which was met by severe obstruction from alumni and students, to which she replied with a resignation a year before her term was completed. During that time, Queen’s maintained a high level of academics, including the most
“A+” grades from Globe and Mail’s annual university report in 2008. Deane has overseen Queen’s hold steady in the Times Higher Education-QS World University Rankings, which rank the top 200 universities in the world, dropping only one point from 2008 to 2009 from 117 to 118. Queen’s University’s VP is expected to be officially announced as McMaster’s president the morning of Thursday, Oct. 15, ending the nine-month search.
Expenses will increase by five per cent during the next four years. McMaster Students Union President Vishal Tiwari explained the MSU’s concerns for the coming years. “Our talks this year are going towards student success and the quality of education, and the new-reaching hire-to plan, OSAP assessment, and a fair tuition framework… We want to make sure that we look at an alternative causerecovery model, and find out ways that we can really find money…so that students are not paying so much money for university, [and so] that we have more ways of looking at budget lines and be able to pay for things without putting the stress on undergraduate students.” “In an ideal situation, he’ll really hear us out on those issues, and those are really the things that are affecting the MSU,” continued Tiwari. “Can we find better ways to make sure that it’s not all undergraduate-student backed?” Vice President of CAW Rosemary Viola stated the CAW’s expectations for the new president: “[We want the new president to] be sensitive to labour issues not only on campus but in our community, and that they would work hard to build a community that recognizes and values not just faculty and students, but also the staff component.” Dr. John Berlinsky, President of McMaster University Faculty Association (MUFA), spoke about certain issues MUFA would like to see addressed by the new president. “We’re looking for someone who is a scholar, who will lead by example and who will deal with the difficult problems that the university faces in a collegial way that is McMaster’s tradition.” Students are also expecting the new president to invoke changes in the university. Third year Biology student Luxme Mahendira stated, “Smaller class sizes in general would be great. I think it would just be a lot more effective to just have smaller group sizes where the professor could interact with us more.”
A6 • THE SILHOUETTE
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 15, 2009
EDITORIAL
Letters:
McMaster University’s Student Newspaper
The Silhouette
Re: President’s Page: ‘Bylaw Beef’
TheSil.ca Editorial Board Executive Editor Jeff Green Managing Editor Bahram Dideban Senior News Editor Selma Al-Samarrai Assistant News Editor Lily Panamsky Features Editor Paige Faber Opinions Editor Peter Goffin Sports Editor Brian Decker Assistant Sports Editor David Koots Insideout Editor Lindsay Jolivet Assistant Insideout Phyllis Tsang Photo Editor Will van Engen Staff Photographer Terry Shan Multimedia Editor Ava Dideban Production Editor Katherine Marsden Web Editor Jason Lamb Health Editor Sarah Levitt Distribution Coordinator Jonathon Fairclough Ad Manager Sandro Giordano
Senior Andy Editor Grace Evans Music Editor Corrigan Hammond Entertainment Editor Myles Herod
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Sam Colbert, Joey Coleman, Kevin Elliott, Noah Nemoy, Julie Compton, Jenifer Bacher, Michael Hewak, Christopher Chang, Lauren Jewett, Jacqueline Flaggiello, Natasha Pirani, Amanda Fracz
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Faith and hope
Many of the past MSU Presidents we have enjoyed knowing, have built bridges to the community. Four years ago, there was talk of cancelling the parade because of the problems it caused in the community. The MSU invited community members to sit on a committee to help solve the problems. Volunteer AWWCA members on the PJ Parade Committee have spent numerous hours over the years, helping to improve the PJ Parade, in an effort to continue the long-standing tradition of the parade. The parade organizers identified through past experience that having the parade along streets which were densely populated with rental houses led to increased problems. One of the many changes the committee brought about was to change the route, and the result was fewer problems. A community representative suggested adding a musical element, to make it more of a parade. ‘Welcome Mac Students’ signs made by community members greeted the new students and were acknowledged by the appreciative students. The Police and Bylaw have done exemplary work to ensure problems were minimized this year; while the students and sometimes the community, had fun. Their work has made a dramatic improvement in the residents’ (both permanent residents and students) ability to enjoy their homes and properties this year. Students have told me that they sometimes have to call police or bylaw because of problems. Every year we start afresh with the need to educate. Students are generally ‘parachuted’ into the community; few have lived in this area prior to their enrollment at McMaster. They do not know the troubled history which has precipitated the measures that are in place to protect and preserve. Hopefully in their life experiences, they will learn to investigate the reasons for the measures being in place, rather than attacking. Councillor Brian McHattie has been concerned about the
When Dr. Patrick Deane crosses the street does he look both ways? Childish, yes, but Deane must know the ticking time-bomb that is McMaster’s budget, faculty discontent, and labour problems. Yet, following the expected rubber stamp from the University’s Board of Governors this morning, Deane should be announced as Peter George’s successor and a sense of hope, faith and uncertainty is in the air. The focus won’t be on the first 100 days that Deane takes office but much is expected of Queen’s renaissance man. Deane successfully steered the ship through a PR nightmare when suspicion arose about their then-president Hitchcock, and ultimately keep the quality of academics at the university on the rise.The South African native is well liked at Queen’s, despite having a major role in shutting down the homecoming ‘festivities.’ What he can do with the current 35 million dollar deficit can only fall under the category of hope, and possibly stretch into faith. There is a strong sense of hope for the Humanities program at Mac. While McMaster’s senior administration and donors have been kind to the doctors and engineers on campus, a president with the background of Deane could bring the liberal arts back to life – perhaps even a new liberal arts building which has been waiting patiently for funding for quite some time. There is also some hope because it appears that the expected president travels light – with no obvious baggage at McMaster. This means new – and hopefully positive – relationships with the City of Hamilton, Westdale, faculty, and the student body can be formed. This hope all comes with a side of faith that the problems can even be solved themselves. It is surprising that the university didn’t choose a president who would carry a Rolodex of major donors to right the ship – they have placed their faith in a competent administrator who has proven himself at both Winnipeg and Queen’s. Choosing someone who is expected to fix rather than patch is hopefully a new chapter in McMaster’s history. While it is obvious that the welcome mat is out here, it is still a Re: Misleading chart leap. Deane has checked both ways, but it is one foggy night. •Jeff Green To the Editor, The two charts, middle right page 3, of the Oct. 8 SIL comparing TA salaries at eight Ontario institutions are a classic example of information that, while accurate, is presented in a misleading fashion. This leads to the perception, for instance, that the largest undergraduate full TA salary If you haven’t heard by some means of social media, McMaster has re(U of T) is nine times the lowest leased their tentative exam schedule. If it ruins your day, I’m sorry. If it’s any conciliation, you can write a letter?
Exams?
many stressful problems in the Ainslie Wood-Westdale areas. Ainslie Wood North has been hard hit by rentals with 56% of the 307 homes being rentals. When I moved here in 1976, there were no rental homes. These homes are zoned as ‘single dwelling homes’ or ‘Urban Protected Residential’ - in other words ‘family homes.’ As a pilot project, Councillor McHattie initiated the Ainslie Wood North Collaborative group in an effort to foster beneficial relations between resident homeowners and students. It is hoped that this will be a starting point for similar projects in other areas. The Ainslie Wood and Westdale community is composed of people who are actively involved with students: relatives, professors, physicians, McMaster graduates, nurses, teachers, friends, McMaster staff, those participating in functions on campus including committees, those who are students themselves - the list goes on. Some contribute awards to the graduating class. Others donate their time and talents at the university. Many enjoy friendships with students, including those students who offer help to their neighbours. Homeowners also help students in many ways, sometimes when students are experiencing difficulties. Some invite students for meals. Since 1998, those of us in the AWWCA have worked countless volunteer days/weeks/ months/years with students, McMaster, City Councillors, City Hall, Police, Bylaw, other communities, and resident homeowners, to make this a community which both students and resident homeowners can enjoy. Thank you to those many people who have contributed to the community’s well-being. Welcome to Hamilton! Let all of us work together to make this area an outstanding, vibrant and friendly place to live, work, study, play, and to enjoy each other. Betty Bechtel AWWCA
salary (McMaster). To be an honest rendition of the data, the scale should have started at $0. I note that credit for the photo is given to CUPE 3906. Fred M. Hoppe Professor of Mathematics and Statistics
http://registrar.mcmaster.ca/INTERNAL/examtest/index.php
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Volunteer Want to get involved? Come attend one of our sectional meetings in the basement of the student center, room b110 News: Wednesdays @ 12:30 pm InsideOut: Mondays @ 1:30 pm Sports: Thursdays @ 1:30 pm Andy: Mondays @ 1:30 pm Photo: Fridays @ 3:30 pm Opinions: Tuesdays @ 1:30 (all opinions can be mailed to opinions@thesil.ca, keep them 500-700 words)
to the poopreport.com. i’m so confused but still laughing.
to all forms of the flu, including the one that s.a-s gave us.
to being cup’d and web’d.
to piledrivers.
to sources.
to dry balls.
to ‘picking up both balls’.
to this being my reference to grad school. ugh.
to getting your sushi face on. to c.c. - big ups on the good job this week.
to flunking your first midterm of the season.
to the band the whiskey shits.
to my genes are not selfish, but i am.
to having excessive amounts of m&m’s to get over the turkey dump.
to farmville. you’re still stupid. i don’t care that you have a blue cow. whatever.
THE SILHOUETTE • A7
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 15, 2009
OPINIONS
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Detainees are in U.S’.s hands Canada not responsible for Gitmo inmates’ fate
Peter Goffin
OPINIONS EDITOR
Barack Obama has won a prize for peace. And he’s done other things as well. He has, for instance, assembled a task force to disperse the innocent detainees of Guantanamo Bay detention centre, to set them free and close the facility. An action worthy of a Nobel laureate. But there’s a hitch to his plan. Unable, for safety reasons, to repatriate the detainees to their countries of origin, Washington is calling on its allies to take them in. And while several governments around the world have agreed to accept the newly freed men and women, Canada wants no part of it. The task force is not pleased. They say that they can’t do this job without Canada’s help. And the non-governmental activist groups aren’t happy about it, either. Quite dissatisfied with it, in fact. Tom Malinowski, the Washington director of Human Rights Watch, has said that it is “pathetic that Canada now won’t lift a finger to help, especially since so many other NATO allies are doing their part.” Well, it’s good to see that Human Rights Watch is still watching out for human rights with such passion. Theirs is a noble and upstanding organization. But I think they may be overstepping their bounds here. Because whether Canada is involved in the process or not, these detainees will be released from the clutches of Guantanamo Bay and the American military. Canada’s participation, or lack-thereof, has nothing to do with human rights. The released detainees will not be sent back to Gitmo if we do not take them, the American government will just have to find another place to put them.
AVA DIDEBAN / MULTIMEDIA EDITOR
Canada has refused American requests to house ex-prisoners released from Guantanamo. They might even have to give is the fact that the United them homes in the United States, so prepared in the States, regardless of finan- past to press on with their cial cost or public opinion. own agenda, without the aid An inquisitive on- or consent of the rest of the looker might be inclined world, is now unwilling or to ask Malinowski exactly unable to deal with the rewhere Human Rights Watch percussions of their cowboy was for eight actions. That years while should be Truly pathetic is the subject of these detainthe fact that the outrage: not ees, whose rights are so United States, so that the Canimportant to prepared in the past adian governto press on with ment is unhim, were being secreted their own agenda, willing to acout of the without the aid or c o m m o d a t e Middle East consent of the rest detainees reunder dubious of the world, is now leased by the unwilling... to circumstances, United States, deal with the locked away but that anyrepercussions in a semi-legal one thinks it of their prison, and is Canada’s subsequently cowboy actions.” responsibilabused and ity to do so. tortured. It would be But that would be petty. nice, indeed a great gesture of Instead, I would benevolence, if Canada took counter that truly pathetic these ex-prisoners in. But in
no way is it necessary, and it is certainly not a dereliction of any kind of duty if we don’t. In all honesty, I have never been a strong supporter of the current Canadian administration. In fact, I have taken issue with the majority of their actions and beliefs. But what has often disillusioned me most about Stephen Harper and his cabinet has been their perpetual desire to submit to American will and whims. So I, for one, am very satisfied to see that once in a while our leadership can push back against or, at the very least, decline Washington. This does not mean that the detainees shouldn’t be given safe new homes. They deserve those safe new homes. And more. They deserve a fair break. They deserve freedom. Any and all of them who suffered abuse • PLEASE SEE GITMO, A11
Does A.A. have a skinny bias? Clothier’s sizes promote an unrealistic ideal
Marisa Coggin OPINION
They openly embrace gays, immigrants, and all things organic. Just don’t ask them about “larger” sizes. Let me preface this by saying that I love American Apparel. I own multiple A.A. outfits and I do not plan on boycotting their clothing. They are incredibly influential, and have successfully made a global impact with their vertically integrated business model
and super hot retro fashion. But I was shopping at one of their stores in Toronto over the holiday weekend when I overheard the following conversation: Customer (holding a pleated skirt): “I think I’ll probably need this in a small.” Sales Associate: “Or even a medium, our sizes tend to fit differently because American Apparel doesn’t really cater to larger sizes.” Aside from revamping the t-shirt, American Apparel is well known for
spandex, thigh-high socks, and bodysuits. Not entirely suitable for the inhibited. And I suppose I could safely delineate their logic as being that larger people tend to dress more conservatively, therefore they are not part of the corporation’s target market. That would be all well and good if it were true. I’m usually anywhere from a size zero to two in bottoms and an extra-small to small in tops. Simply put, my sizing is usually below average. This weekend, I almost
“Nights out at the bar.” Matt Balenko
Compiled by Terry Shan and Peter Goffin
WILL VAN ENGEN / PHOTO EDITOR
Finding your size is hard, especially when the manufacturer’s standards are unreasonable.
considered buying an American Apparel bodysuit in large, but settled for a medium. I asked the sales associate about the discrepancy and she said that body suit fit is based on “torso length”. Oh okay. So now you don’t cater to tall people either? I’m not making a point of this to trash their reputation as a brand. My issue with this predicament stems from a larger problem: the stigma towards weight that is so inherent in North American society. High-end designers are notorious for tiny sizing. It seems like an effective way of dictating who gets to wear that type of clothing; perhaps to reinforce a particular brand image off the runway. Maybe people who require larger sizes really wouldn’t purchase A.A. clothing if they could find their size, but by refusing to even produce these sizes, they are eliminating that possibility. I don’t think I’m being unrealistic here: I’m not talking about plus sizes; I’m talking about average or slightly above. How can people, women in particular, learn to accept themselves if they can’t even buy an outfit they see in a catalogue? How are attitudes surrounding weight and body image going to change if we continue to hammer out this preferred body type?
A8 • THE SILHOUETTE
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 15, 2009
An audit of Women’s Studies Have you met the Male student immerses himself in the class
SILHOUETTE FILE PHOTO
The author sits in on a lecture he wouldn’t normally attend. Alex Steiner OPINION
Last week, at the suggestion of an acquaintance, I sat in on a Women’s Studies lecture. Over the last few years I have had the opportunity to sit in on both first and second-year lectures in that subject. Some time ago I got the chance to sit on a tutorial as well. I took up the offer hoping to once again expand my horizons. The professor, a middleaged woman, seemed charming and sharp as she set up the class. Of course it would be a woman teaching. I doubt the students would accept the class being taught by a man. The students poured in and filled up the basement room. The chatter settled and the lecture began, as a TA took the stage and talked about her travels overseas in Africa. I looked around the room and noticed something startling. Aside from myself, there were two other men in the entire room that I could see. Both were sitting near the back and looked thoroughly bored, a feeling I could relate to. As the TA continued her talk, it struck me as odd that for this entire class, there
is such a small ratio of males to females. Perhaps I find it odd that the people desiring to learn more about women are not the people who aren’t women, but the women themselves. If anyone should want to learn more about women I would think it would be men, but alas, my guess seemed far off the mark. About this time the slides were flickering past and I thought back a few years to the tutorial I had the good fortune to sit in on. It had started off well enough. The questions simple, the discussion innocuous, and yet within a few short minutes there was a young lady at the edge of her tiny desk chair telling off another girl who was playing devil’s advocate and supporting a masculine view of an issue. It seemed perverse to me that such closed-minded girl might not even consider the possibility that men were anything but tyrannical bastards who continually schemed and ruled with iron fists to achieve their desires at the expense of her and the rest of the world’s female population. It was shocking, and yet it was a welcome relief from the placid agreements and semantic arguments that others
bantered about. Her ideas were blunt, poignant, and though I feel they may have been misinformed, they should still be heard. It seemed curious that the most memorable thing about her diatribe wasn’t her formal argument or her position, but that she stereotypically accented most sentences with “like”. Truth in television always scares me. I snapped back to the lecture as the room was lit up by a map of the region in Africa that the TA had spent most of her time in. I looked around again and realized something else. It wasn’t constant, but I’m getting looks tossed at me by those around me. Looks of curiosity but also a few of indignation; looks that took me aback for an instant. A pair of girls diagonally right of me, seated in the middle aisle, kept shooting looks up at me until they realized I was looking back. Once more I was lost as to the source of the outrage. Isn’t learning a good thing? Why was I getting thrown dirty looks for sitting in on a course that more guys should think about taking? No matter. The class ended soon after and the room emptied to be filled up with another set of students, another class following. Like far too many issues in this world, I find myself sitting in the comfortable grey area between the sexes. My problems with feminism are usually related to the extreme measures that are displayed, not in balance but in the over-balance through vindictive actions veiled as righteousness. Equality is good but it entails more than pronoun changes. Education of the history of both sexes is important and I find it interesting that McMaster has a Women’s Studies path and no Men’s Studies path. It’s not that it doesn’t exist; it’s just that the backlash from the balance shifting hasn’t hit us yet. There’s no demand here. All in all I’m left with a very bland taste in my mouth when I think of the few times I’ve sat in on these classes. By no means is a sample a purely accurate representation of the whole. I sit on my own piece of fence on the issue and I have yet to find someone who can sway me onto either side. Both have their valid points and their bullshit as propaganda. Me, I have this memory of a girl in a tutorial classroom saying “Don’t you get it? Guys just, like, suck.”
Board of Governors? It’s the unknown institution
Simon Gooding-Townsend OPINION
I believe that students should be engaged in the Board of Governors election. What is that, you say? You have never heard of McMaster’s Board of Governors? While long meetings are not usually of particular interest to students, tuition increases are. The Board of Governors happens to be the body that approves these increases, along with the rest of the budget. While that is a reason of sufficient importance for students to be concerned, the Board of Governors also has numerous other responsibilities. It is responsible for directing most university-wide policy, from the finance committee to the committee on university advancement. For example, at its meeting this Thursday, the Board of Governors discussed various topics including approving an Indigenous Studies chair, ratifying the agreement with CAW 555, unit 1 (non-academic staff), establishing a centre for climate change, approving the annual financial report and approving $22 million for the nuclear reactor building among other agenda items. With such a wide range of activities, some of the Board’s activities will directly affect you, especially, tuition increases. Surely it would be beneficial to have an individual on the Board representing your interests on these critical issues. It is worth considering exactly what an Undergraduate Representative would do. Whoever is elected will have full voting rights, the same as any other Board member. The term ends June 30, 2011. Although there is only one undergraduate student (and one graduate student) on the Board, both McMaster Association of Part-Time Students and McMaster Students Union have an observer. There are also undergraduate students on the various committees, such as the Committee to Recommend a President. It is important that your candidate work successfully with these people to present a strong student voice to the university. I have already mentioned that I believe one of the important qualities in a candidate is the ability to work successfully with the other students involved in the Board of
Governors. Equally important, however, is a commitment to improving McMaster for other students. Each of you will also have specific concerns. I encourage you to talk to the candidates – either in person or on their Facebook groups – and to ask them specific questions. Now that you are interested in this position, you will be curious about how to vote. This election uses preferential ballots counted using a single transferable vote, meaning that you have the opportunity to rank all the candidates according to your preference. Your vote will be credited to your first rank candidate. Each round, the candidate with the fewest votes is removed from the race and their votes are allocated to the next candidate indicated on the ballot. Voting will take place online from 8:30 AM to midnight Tuesday, Oct. 20, and 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM on Oct. 21. Ballots will be available during these times under the University Secretariat’s website. The resumes of all ten candidates are also available on this site. I strongly encourage you to take this opportunity to express your opinion and ensure that you are satisfied with who is representing you on the Board of Governors.
THE SILHOUETTE • A9
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 15, 2009
Experience the power of negativity Lowering your expectations helps you achieve your humble goals
“No” and “can’t” are the key words in my philosophy. Be negative. Ah you probably can’t. Peter Goffin OPINIONS EDITOR
I’ve been hearing a lot of noise about the power of positive thinking and how telling yourself that you can and will succeed increases your chances of actually succeeding. But when you get things wrong most or all of the time the way I do, constantly building yourself up can lead to some pretty steep falls. And that’s what nobody ever tells us; that there is a very clear upside to negativity and pessimism. For one thing, it excuses mediocrity, if not complete failure. It softens the blow of never getting what you want and losing out to other people. And you never get let down. I’ve been expecting the worst for some time now, and my life has never been better. Take my last mid-term for example. I knew there was no way that I was going to do well on it.
No way in hell. And, sure, if I was one of those victims of positivity brainwashing I could have studied for a week and tried really hard to understand the material. But I knew that I would end up bombing it anyway so while all those sucker classmates of mine were breaking a sweat cramming for this test, I was waking up late, making myself a cup of coffee and frying up a good hearty breakfast to start the day off right.Then I caught up on the scores from last night’s hockey games. I rolled into class with only enough time to answer three questions, but I wouldn’t have done any better with three hours at my disposal. And wouldn’t you know it, I did really poorly, just as I had suspected. Like almost zero per cent. The professor said it was the most incredible thing he’s ever seen. This power of negativity philosophy works outside the class-
AVA DIDEBAN / MULTIMEDIA EDITOR
room, too. I had a job interview in the summer with this really prestigious firm downtown. And I just knew that there would be a barrelfull of more qualified applicants. So when the day of the interview rolled around, I hauled on jeans and a t-shirt, strapped up my Chucks, and made it down to my prospective employers’ more-orless on time. Just like I’d guessed, the waiting room was full of occupants with suits and ties and combed hair and shaved faces. Way out of my league. I could see that I had no chance. And then I got called in to the interview room and there’s a panel of executives who are looking over my resume. And they told me that I was perfectly qualified for the job. But I knew that I’m not good enough to get hired in a great office like that one. I knew that something was going to go wrong and stop me from getting the job. And I wasn’t going to give these office suits the
satisfaction of turning me down. “Alright that’s enough,” I said.“I know “Screw you,” I said. “And all you’re really thinking about is all your pathetic job opportun- the things that are wrong with me.” ity. I don’t need a job and even if And she says to me, “I I did, I still wouldn’t take your job. don’t think there’s anything wrong I’m out of here.” And they were with you,” like I don’t know I’m a dumbfounded. Of failure. So I say, “I course they were. can’t take this anyThey were probmore. If you’re go[Negativity] ably astounded ing to break up excuses medioc- with me just do it at the cunning I just had shown rity, if not complete now. Stop dragging failure. It softens it out like this. I’m in saving myself the blow of never sure you’ve already the considergetting what you able humiliation found someone want and losing of being turned better than me.” down for the job. out to other people. That’s when W h i c h And you never get she punched me reminds me of let down. I’ve been in the mouth. But, possibly the best expecting the worst sure enough, she example of a nega- for some time now, hasn’t called me and my life has tive expectations since. So I was right success story. I never been better.” about that, too. had been going I hope that out with my girlthese examples are friend for about enough to convince four months and things were going people that they can feel a lot betreally well. But I knew it couldn’t ter about themselves if they just last. I knew she would eventually dash their own hopes and expectastart cheating on me, or decide tions and lower their self-esteem. that I wasn’t good enough for her Because you know what? I feel or that I was too irresponsible, and great. Yes, I’m jobless and alone then she’d dump me. It was only a and on academic probation, but at matter of time. How cold she not? least I know that I was right about If I can’t do well in school or get a everything. And I was never let job, what are the odds that I could down. Everything that I expected be attractive to another person? would happen did happen. I wasn’t So the next time we went out, kidding myself with a bunch of false and she started telling me how hopes. I sure showed everybody. much she liked me, I cut her off.
S’il vous plait, ecrivez pour Opinions. Please write for Opinions. opinions@thesil.ca
A10 • THE SILHOUETTE
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2009
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THE SILHOUETTE • A11
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 15, 2009
Thoughts on Mac’s brand new prez
Joey Coleman OPINION
After an extensive and exhaustive search, the Board of Governors will vote on the University Senate’s recommendation of Dr. Patrick Deane as the next president of McMaster University today. Deane is more than qualified for the position and offers McMaster the opportunity for renewal. The choice of an external candidate from a Canadian university is an inspired choice by the presidential search committee. McMaster faces many challenges in the next five years and we need the fresh perspective, and lack of baggage, that arrives with new blood. The committee could have recommended an American academic for the presidential position, but was wise to not do so. Recent appointments of American academics to lead Canadian universities have been seen mixed result. In 2008, two imported presidents resigned, Karen Hitchcock at Queen’s and Don Cozzetto at the University of North British Columbia. The fact is that managing a Canadian university is vastly different than running an American one. The choice of an Ontario university administrator will assist in minimizing transition, especially when September 2010 will be the first year in a new provincial tuition framework. There will likely be a freeze in provincial funding next year, depend-
ing how badly government revenues continued to get hit by the slow economy, there may even be funding cuts. Having a president who is already familiar with the provincial situation is critical; McMaster cannot afford a president who needs time for the learning curve. The choice of Deane adds Executive Head and crisis management to new president’s qualifications. As noted in the news article by Jeff Green, Deane has managed to protect Queen’s academic reputation and record of excellence despite the absurd internal political fiascos that have marked the last five years at Queen’s. Many well-placed contacts at Queen’s have stated Deane was the steady hand at the helm that prevented the upper-management upheaval from spreading into the day-today academic operations of the university. He remained cool under pressure and defused the uproar following the decision of Queen’s acting principal Thomas Williams to cancel fall homecoming. He’s successfully managed the shutdown of this Queen’s tradition, which was spinning out of control, before there was a fatality related to out of control drinking and street parties. Despite implementing a wildly upcoming policy, Deane continues to hold the respect of both current students and faculty. It’s one thing to respect a man you agree with, it’s an entirely different matter when the person you respect is someone you disagree with.
SILHOUETTE FILE PHOTO
Break out the welcome mat, McMaster has got a solid choice for their new president. Within months of taking the presidency, he will make decisions that are sure to upset one stakeholder group or another. The question is, will he build the positive relationships at McMaster in the first few weeks that he’ll need to succeed in his first five years? You’ve read the challenges fac-
ing this institution, you’ve read his biography, and now you’ve read how he’s leaving Queen’s with his head held high. The only thing left to know is, how’s he going to perform as the president of this university? My bets are that he’ll do an amazing job. Only time will tell if I’m right.
Go reach out to your fellow students Alex Steiner OPINION
One of the crucial elements that touch most, if not all, students that pass through our grounds is that of relationships. Whether you are a veteran player from high school or one of those people who’s finally free of parents and loving the privacy residence or off-campus living provides, relationships are something that most of us deal with on a regular basis. If you’re not involved with someone currently, it’s hard to say that you don’t know someone who is. ‘Tis the season I guess. Or at least, tis the age. I was recently asked, again, for the thousandth time, why I’m against monogamous relationships. It’s just that they don’t suit my desires as much as they once did. I’ve found something better for me. Some of you love the exclusivity that being with your
partner of choice provides. Others no doubt enjoy the revels of being independent and free for the first time in their lives and pushing that to the limits. Others still are like me, who enjoy the company of many for different reasons and purposes. Regardless of your choice, be it monogamy, polyamory, narcissism, or other, I am speaking to all of you. Thanksgiving is over. We all have another slog before our next break. If your midterms haven’t started already, they will soon. After that we have a short slow period and then it’s finals. Already. But there’ll be enough opportunity to beat the already pulverized dead horse of quick-flying- time later. In between academic work there’s extra-curricular stuff. Clubs, sports, organizations, resume-buffing, all that whole lot. After that – or before, depending on your level of activity and priorities
– is your social world. Too many people lose themselves to the books and academia while ignoring the massive hive of people swarming around campus each day. We all have our lives and our schedules, but make time to do things with people. Don’t be limited by your boundaries. Push them or get other people to push them for you if you can’t bring yourself to. Have that coffee with the cute boy you saw earlier. Ask out five different girls a week, regardless of what they say. Greet the people at the cash registers and the people making your food. Thank the people opening the doors for you and apologize when you fuck someone over accidently. Show some humanity. Do you have a girlfriend? A boyfriend? Someone to hold? Yes? No? I don’t care. Find them. Now’s the time to hold onto someone, before we all forget our friends
and neighbours even exist while studying for tests. So go out and meet people. Keep a list. Make new friends. Don’t be afraid of the ones you wouldn’t usually associate with. If you have someone, grab another. Grab three or four. Hold your friends close. Don’t lose sight of the people you left back home either. As you all dive into your specialties and separate even further from each other, try to keep common ties. The world abounds around you, even in our cozy little bubble of a campus. Each of us has a life you’ve never lived, a world you’ve never known. Yours may be close, but then again, it may not be. What do you have to stop you from finding out? Does your packed life not allow for a breath of something new? Someone new? Come see what our worlds have to offer. You’ll be amazed at what you might find. Want to go for a drink later?
closure is Stacking up to family examples Gitmo not our problem
How to justify your choices at family gatherings Kaitlin Peters SILHOUETTE STAFF
Family get-togethers can be typified by good food, inevitable family drama, and the always enjoyable, cross-cousin comparison that seems to be an ever-popular passtime of our parents. It doesn’t even matter if you have no relative even near your age, you could be the baby of the family or destined to be the baby-sitter, there will always be some kind of comparison. When I was younger it didn’t seem to matter what I did because we were all in the same boat, travelling down the same metaphorical river of youth. The most probing question I ever got was, “How’s school?” which usually ended with an abrupt one word answer and me making a quick dash to the safety of the rec room. But everything changes after high school, because we’re not all in the same boat anymore. There were literally hundreds of paths I could have decided to traverse, university being only one option among many. I could have gone to college or, god-forbid, actually worked. This is the problem with going to university: it’s really hard to see the benefits of it when you’re actually there. You’re learning something completely theoretical, and you have only the vaguest notion of how it could actually apply in the “real world”, never mind the fact that you have no idea what job this degree is actually going to lead to. And by the time you’re in third year you’re sitting on $16, 000 worth of student debt, you don’t even own your own car, and you’re living with your parents. I’ve heard attending university is generally looked upon as a good idea, but it’s hard to keep gritting your teeth into something that resembles a smile when everyone else seems to be moving along “the path of life”. I have a bounty of cousins, so I get to see how my life could have been if I had decided to negate this whole higher education experience to pursue something different. A lot of them have careers (not
AVA DIDEBAN / MULTIMEDIA EDITOR
Relatives have a habit of rating and comparing you to other family members. jobs, actual careers); they own their own vehicles, and possibly their own houses. Some of them are even getting engaged and planning their future happiness in the Bahamas, meanwhile I’m still sitting at the kid’s table and ruminating over my mashed potatoes. One of my older cousins casually mentioned to me this weekend that, “it feels like you’ve been in school forever. How many years do you have left?” If my schooling feels like eternity to her, I hope she can imagine how it feels to me. And the only problem with my particular degree is that no one can
ever really get a clear idea of what I’m working towards. “Psychology and Anthropology eh? So what does that exactly get you?” I don’t even know where that gets me, exactly, so this question usually involves some skillful avoidance while turning the conversation to safer territory. The only light I can see at the end of this dark tunnel is being able to come to one of these family soirées and waving my diploma around going “See! Look at this piece of paper here! It’s supposedly worth something in the real world.” Though how much it’s worth, I’ve yet to find out.
• CONT’D FROM A7 or torture while incarcerated deserve reparations in the extreme. And the international community should ensure that they receive all of those things. But the supplier needs to be the United States. The American government assumed responsibility for the fates, good or bad, of these people the moment that it forcibly removed them from their native countries and bent international law to hold them and interrogate them. They did all of that without the knowledge or consent of Canada or any other country and now they must make it right without our help. The fact that Guantanamo even existed is a blight to human rights and the dignity not only of those imprisoned there, but the ones guarding them, abusing them, and those who let it happen. It is a blight to humanity that we still detain without cause and torture and hide behind terms like “interrogate with extreme force”. But those blights were the fault of the United States of America. They were the result of actions taken by that country despite the chastisement and warnings and prohibitions of the rest of the world. So why should Canada bear the burden of helping to clean up this mess? Standing alone in trying to find homes for each and every person whose life they disrupted should be America’s consequence for its actions. Making concessions for these detainees should be the first instalment of reparation payments. It should not be palmed off on allies. This issue isn’t really about Canada. It isn’t about task forces or Tom Malinowski or Barack Obama. It is about accountability to the rights and dignity of human beings. A government committed wrongdoing. People suffered as a result. And if we are to expect situations like that to stop occurring, countries like the United States need to made aware that they alone bear responsibility for their actions. They alone will wear the hair shirt in penance for what they do, not their neighbours, not their friends. The rest of us must leave them to stand alone. It’s the only way they will learn.
A12 • THE SILHOUETTE
SpeculatoR The Hamilton
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 15, 2009
INSIDE THE SPECULATOR
FEATURE: Are babies being sold at Commons? And how expensive are these babies? Because my sister goes to Waterloo and she said they’re selling babies there for like 20 bucks so maybe our officials should rethink school finances, baby-wise. Come on, Mac!
Thursday, October 15, 2009 F Popcorn! Peanuts! Red Hots!
Mac gets new prez, life goes on Who did what now? A new wha...? Oh. That’s, uh... nifty, I guess? BUCK HOROWITZ SPECULATOR
This morning, at approximately 10:45, officials from McMaster University announced the name of their new president. And in the immediate aftermath, reports suggest, the rest of the world continued on, totally unaffected. 1.3 billion children continued to attend school. 2.4 billion adults continued to attend a job which they did not enjoy but kept anyway because no one’s really hiring right now. 60 million people of varying ages stayed home from work or school because work and school are fool’s errands and life’s too short to waste on those sorts of things. 3 billion people, on the other side of the world, where it was dark at the time, continued to sleep. Two of those people, coincidentally both within the same Indonesian fishing village, awoke, coughed, went to the bathroom, scratched their respective left groins, and went back to bed. 1.9 million people continued to fight each other in wars and skirmishes and tiffs and tantrums and turf battles and rumbles and bar fights and domestic disputes and inter-territorial land claims and police actions and boxing matches and roller derbies and out-of-hand beauty pageants and liberations and schoolyard beat-downs around the world. Half a million people continued to take showers, another half million, baths. 22, 000 people rubbed dirt in their hair and dragged a twig across their teeth in the absence of running water.Gertrude Domasco of Mobile, Alabama continued to lick herself like a cat. 15 million people were stuck in traffic. 3 million people were waiting for a bus. Three hundred thousand
As McMaster named its new president today, the rest of the world kept on doing its own thing. Like whatever these guys are up to. people drank coffee while 200, 000 drank tea and 90, 000 people said “No thanks, it keeps me up.” Twenty-one members of a cult, living in the woods somewhere in Northern Quebec, drank Kool-Aid. Early reports from locales nearest the incident have told us that Mr. Herbert Melstrom of
Stoney Creek, Ontario continued working at his tool and die and irregular panty factory, while his wife continued to engage in sexual intercourse with Mr. and Mrs. Tobolski, and their domesticated parrot, from down the road. Mr. David Jones, of 52 McCaul Street, Toronto, Ontario, continued to
engage in sexual intercourse with a woman who had once been his wife but is now just a conveniently aroused stranger from the subway. In fact, though we are waiting for the exact numbers to come in yet, conservative estimates suggest that all in all, approximately 1 billion continued top copulate, unabated,
through the events of this morning. Statisticians do stress that those numbers will be difficult to verify, however, as many of the people who were engaged in sexual intercourse were also part of the “at work”, “at school”, “showering”, “stuck in traffic”, or “sleeping” demographics.
The following is a paid advertisement for Studeprohilazapanaraxisol. Brought to you by the McMaster Department of Health Sciences.
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“What Did You Learn This Week, Timmy?”
“I learned that It’s not dating if she doesn’t know who you are.” 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.
THE SILHOUETTE • B1
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 15, 2009
INSIDEOUT
Mac improves to 4-2 see B7
production office: extension 27117
insideout@thesil.ca
Falling in love with Nicaragua
For all the volunteering my group and I did, there is still poverty and there is still hunger and there is still injustice. No, I didn’t save the world. But I did get to know and understand a whole new part of it.” PETER GOFFIN OPINIONS EDITOR
The four-by-four was going just fast enough to kick up red dust on the hard dirt road, just fast enough for us to feel every incline and irregularity in the ground beneath the tires, enough for me to get tossed roughly around the front seat. A man off to the right held back on tossing out a bucket of dirty water just long enough for us to pass, as his semi-clothed children ran out to play in the gritty haze we were leaving behind us. We were loping past an eternity of corrugated metal roofs and cloth blanket walls, following a road outlined by discarded garbage. This was the Barillo St. Ignacio, outside city limits, Granada, Nicaragua. Six months earlier I had signed up to do volunteer work with an organization called Global Youth Network. They send teams of students from universities around Canada to developing countries around the world. I had never put a lot of thought into volunteering at home or abroad, but I had, at some point, caught the wander-bug. I wanted to pick up and go somewhere, get out of suburban Southern Ontario, and this seemed like my best chance. And it was never too late to try being a selfless human being. In all honesty, I had known very little about Nicaragua prior to going. I knew it was in Central America, that there had been a costly civil war there 20 years ago, and that there was poverty. A lot of poverty. And, because everyone I had
Our stroll through the town market in Granada. told about the trip had told me so, that I would do worlds of good by going down there. I don’t know that I was so sure. But after all those months of anticipation and shopping and planning and orientation, we had arrived. My group of nine McMaster and Mohawk students had touched down in the Nicaraguan capital, Managua, in the middle of the night and been driven the hour and a half North to Granada. I had never seen a palm tree before, and now here were thousands of them, in front of the airport, in people’s yards, on the highway’s median. There were day-glow painted houses and the sweet hot air of the equator and motels with saints’ Spanish names. I was on sensory overload. Thirty hours later I would be reeling down the passenger window of the four-by-four, trying to explain to an elderly woman why a car-load of gringos had ventured so far off the tourist path into the slums. I would be sifting through a phrase book. Our faithful driver and guide was an American, he spoke no Spanish. “We’re here to paint the new school. Escuela? Pintura?” Then the answer comes back: “Por que?” Why? My nose goes back to the page, but I’m not looking for a translation so much as an answer, which I won’t find in any book. Because Jesus, man, they already have a school. They have the bricks and the cement, and a fence and bars for the windows. What do these people, who have never had a school in their barillo–municipal zone–before, care if it’s
ALL PHOTOS C/O PETER GOFFIN / OPINION EDITOR
The view from our hostel in Granada.
A roadside home on the Island of Omatepe.
• PLEASE SEE FINDING, B2
How-to-do-it
Hand carve your own wood paddle Jean Jacket: Forever 21 $30
KRISTINE GERMAINE / THE SILHOUETTE
Hand carved paddle from a block of wood. QUINN KLASSEN
Michelle Ng
3rd year honours bio
ThreadCount
Skirt: Forever 21 $20 Boots: DWS $90
How would you describe your personal style? “Two parts girly, one part tough. Mix for Awesomeness.” Favourite Quote: How happy is the blameless vestal’s lot! The world forgetting, by the world forgot. Eternal sunshine of the spotless mind! Each pray’r accepted, and each wish resign’d. -Alexander Pope. Favourite Band: Sigur Ros What do you look for in a significant other: “Creativity.”
SILHOUETTE STAFF
You’re on a canoe trip, and your paddles fall in to the water (with bricks tied to them). They sink immediately, but you manage to make it to shore. Time to build some paddles. Okay, so in the previous situation you might be screwed, unless you happen to have carving tools, linseed oil, and a can of varnish. However, Carlisle Canoe Co. provides clients with the materials, equipment and instruction needed to make hand made wooden canoes and paddles. Roger Foster runs the company from Freelton ON, and offers paddle-making workshops in Burlington and Dundas.
Sunglasses: Forever 21 $30
KRISTINE GERMAINE / THE SILHOUETTE
Spoke shape is an effective tool for shaving the paddle to desired shape.
WILL VAN ENGEN / PHOTO EDITOR & TERRY SHAN / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
Snood: Joe Fresh $15 Ring: American Eagle $20
A paddle making session costs $150 and takes about six hours. Hand carving a paddle is a lot of work, but watching your own hands turn a block of wood into a beautiful paddle is a memorable experience that is well worth the effort. Before clients arrive, Foster cuts boards of air-dried black cherry into a rough paddle shape. The length of the paddle depends on your height. The grip (also called
the butt) of a properly fitted paddle should fall somewhere between your chin and nose when the tip of the blade is rested on the ground. All of the carving is done using a tool called a spoke shape, which is a little bit like a vegetable peeler with two handles opposite each other. You hold the spoke shape with both hands and slide it up and down the wood, removing thin shavings with each pass. First, you need to shape and thin the blade. When thinning the blade, count each stroke made with the spoke shape carefully to ensure that the blade is thinned equally on each side. Foster’s system involves doing 10 strokes down the middle of the blade, 10 on the left, 10 on the right, and then marking that down as one set with a pencil. Next, clamp down the paddle so that
KRISTINE GERMAINE / THE SILHOUETTE
The last step of carving the paddle is to treat it with linseed oil for protection.
the grip of it is extended over the edge of the table. Pair down the grip to a comfortable size and shave the edges until they are smooth. Carving the shaft (the paddle’s long handle) comes last. Form it into a circle by cutting off the square corners at 45-degree angles, and then round the edges off into a curve. After the carving is finished, Foster power sands the entire paddle to remove any nicks or mistakes, and you do the finishing touches by hand. Once the paddle has had the sanding dust blown off of it, treat it with linseed oil for protection. Then the paddle is yours to take home. Varnish should be applied to the paddle a week later to allow the oil time to dry. You’ll need at least three coats of varnish to make the paddle completely waterproof and give it a beautiful shine. When the varnish is dry, all that is left to do is hop into a canoe and head out to a lake to enjoy the beautiful, yet functional, piece of art, bought into being by your own two hands!
B2 • THE SILHOUETTE
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 15, 2009
Finding answers in unlikely places
A journey to Nicaragua leads to new and unsuspected insights
PETER GOFFIN / OPINIONS EDITOR
The houses of the Barillo St. Ignacio, across the road from the school we painted, exemplify the ghettos of Nicaragua. • CONT’D FROM B1 painted? But by the time I look up, she’s gone. Fifty yards down the road, which just goes and goes and goes along the flat dry earth. She’s going from house to house making albatross strokes with one arm, signing “They’re painting the school up there, those strange gringos.” And that was my introduction to Nicaragua: my own uncertainty, brought to me by a curious old woman putting my ten words of Spanish through their paces in the poorest slums–the only actual slums, really–that I had ever seen. But over the course of the following month, I think I was able to come up with an answer for that woman. Yes, my teammates and I painted a school. But we did so much more. Our second week in country, we went up into the mountains, up North, by Jinotega, to a coffee and banana and sugar-farming village called Los Robles. Six days there and you feel entrenched in the society. We pulled weeds out of the coffee fields on a fair-trade farm, and built woodburning stoves from mud and iron rebar for people who had previously cooked over an open fire inside the house, with no chimney. Only Los Robles has no hacksaws, so I cut rebar with
a hatchet and hammer until the hammerhead slid off. That’s how I learned about construction in the Third World. We dug vegetable gardens for the local school while simultaneously ruining the lesson for the day, as the uniformed kids pressed up against the windows and snuck out of class to stare at us us, talk to us, draw us into schoolyard games. The night before we left, the farm hands and their families came up to the farmhouse to see us off and their kids put on a show. It was then off to Leon, a vibrant city on the dry, 45-degree Celsius, volcano dotted plains of the mid-country. We were there under the guise of teaching English to a community centre full of seven to twelve-year-olds. In that capacity we failed spectacularly. But the amount of just pure fun I had while trying was off the charts. By the third day, 12-year-old Junieth had appropriated my phrasebook and was teaching me Spanish. Sevenyear-old Juan had decided he would rather I throw him in the air than help him pronounce “Hello my name is…,” though little Keven and Emely were still happy to draw dogs and cats on a sheet of paper where I had written “dog–perro” in crayon, while telling me, I think, about their pets.
By the end of the week the group and I were haggard, each about 10 pounds lighter, but still reluctant to leave the community centre behind. But there were schedules to keep and more work to be done and it was off to the South, San Juan del Sur on the Pacific coast. Once an old fishing village, it had been glitzed up, a little too much I thought, in an attempt to draw sun-worshipping tourists and surfers. But there was still the same communal spirit of bienvenida we had seen up in the mountains. Dona Sara, who ran our hostel, was somewhat San Juan’s matriarch and fed half the town out of her six foot by six foot kitchen. All any of us had to do was say that we were staying with Sara and shopkeepers would give us bottles of pop without charging us the deposit fee for the glass, or hand us take-out food in proper dishes. We were Sara’s chicos, after all. And in between sessions of her mothering, we distributed books on a mobile library, made crafts with students at a school for the handicapped, and played basketball with kids from the neighbourhood. And there was more. I did so much more, saw so much more, felt so much more. I saw massive, incredible beauty up North, lush and untouched. I saw and climbed
volcanoes, both active (with steam billowing out of the sandy-rockyground) and dormant (covered in rainforest and monkeys). I saw nauseating wealth inequality and the touching resolve of people who push on with scraps. But most of all, and the reason I would go back today on no notice, I met some amazing people. Like Jose, the contractor who helped us paint the school at St. Ignacio, who shared with us the food his wife had made for his daughter’s birthday, then gave what was left, along with some much prized water buckets, to local children. Or the villagers up in Los Robles who ride horses and drive ox-carts but worship a god called baseball. To them, I am “the Curly One” (because of my hair, I assure you). And there were the children we pseudo-taught in Leon, and Dona Sara in San Juan and so many other who guided us up volcanoes or welcomed us into their homes or just wanted to talk, about anything. And, of course there were the eight other students I traveled with, most of whom I barely knew before the trip, all of whom are now extended family. I have never been so close to anyone, anywhere, and through it all they tolerated me and enriched every experience we shared. To the cynical, volunteer
trips like ours must seem a little airy-fairy. After all, it was just a lot of little projects, some painting, some hardware assembly, some teaching-cum-babysitting. For all the volunteering my group and I did, there is still poverty and there is still hunger and there is still injustice. No, I didn’t save the world. But I did get to know and understand a whole new part of it. That’s what I wish I could tell that woman in St. Ignacio. That a painted school is nice, but the real reason I’m here is to get to know her and the way she lives. I went down there on what was basically an adolescent whim, trying to find an answer to my restlessness and boredom. But what I found there blew all of that clear away. I found other cultures and other attitudes about life and other ways to live it. I fell in love with Nicaragua and the people who showed it to me. Every new place we went to was more incredible than the last, and the people, wherever we went, were kind and proud and welcoming and generous. It could be sad at times, difficult at times; it wasn’t a resort trip. But the spirit and physical beauty of that country was enough to hook me. And I will be back. I don’t know when or in what capacity, but I have to go again. That’s the effect of Nicaragua’s.
PumpingIron
When cracking joints is a problem BAHRAM DIDEBAN
the reason why you can’t crack your knuckles again right after cracking them once—it takes time for the fluCracking or popping joints is pret- id to build back up again. ty common occurrence. Whether inAnother common reatentional or accidental, there are a son for the cracking and popping number of reasons why your joints sounds in the movement of tendons might make these sounds, and some and ligaments as they change poof them aren’t good. sitions. Your ligaments connect to Joints are pretty compli- your bones and your tendons attach cated structures. They are com- your bones to the muscles that move posed of bones meeting at junc- them. As your joints move, your tions, a variety of connective tissues tendons sometimes move slightly such as ligaments and tendons, and out of place and as they snap back different modes of lubrication in- to their original position they make cluding fluids and the cracking and cartilage. Because of popping sounds. The this and the variety Increased workload common cracking of work that they do, sounds that you hear is not the only way in your knees and anthere are many reasons why your joints your joints can be kle are the result of may sound off. stressed...if you’ve tightening and loosOne of the ening of these tenchanged your main reasons for the dons and ligaments. sounds is the sud- routine for longer One last reason den escape of gas- intervals you could why your joins may es that build up in make noises is due the synovial fluid also be putting your to wear-and-tear on that lubricates your the cartilage pads, joints at risk. joints. Synovial fluid which cushion your is a highly viscous, joint ends. Some disstringy liquid with the consistency eases such as arthritis can cause the of egg whites and it contains oxy- breakdown of these pads and the gen gas, nitrogen gas, and carbon roughness of these surfaces leads to dioxide. cracking sounds. When your body bends in So are these sounds indicacertain ways either during a sud- tive of problem joints? Doctors say den movement or a heavy load, the that if your joints don’t hurt when fluid filled cavity in your joints al- they make noises there is usually so changes shape. This sudden nothing to worry about. Having said shape change causes the gases that that, you should never crack your are built up in your cavity to re- joints on purpose and you should lease very quickly and form bub- not ignore them when you hear bles. When these bubbles pop and them. release the gas we hear the popWhen it comes to musiping and cracking sounds. This is cal joints, it’s more about when MANAGING EDITOR
you hear them than why that should sound the alarm bells. If you’ve recently increased the weight on a joint the sounds may be indicative of increased stress on your joint. For example, if you’ve recently increased the weight in your workout, or you did some heavy lifting the day before, the sounds in your joints may mean that they are not adapting to your increase workload fast enough. This could easily lead to chronic joint pain. If this is your case, take a step back and slow down. Review the proper motion of the exercise to make sure that you’re not putting unnecessary pressure on your joints by accident. Doing a simple leg squat the wrong way can increase the pressure on your hip about one thousand fold. Increased workload is not the only way your joints can be stressed. In addition to lifting more, if you’ve changed your routine for longer intervals you could also be putting your joints at risk. For example, if you usually run for 30 minutes but have recently increased your time to 45 minutes and now you’re hearing sounds in your knees, even without knee pain you could be putting your joints in danger. Whenever you’re unsure about a certain joint sound check with a health professional, especially if that sound comes with a jolt of pain. Painful joints can easily turn chronic and never get better, and that can keep you from enjoying your favourite activities, like running and playing sports or simply walking and shopping.
Not just another way to read the paper. Have you been to thesil.ca today? Our website is getting more exciting every day. Check us out for extra photos, blogs, and opportunities to speak your mind virtually. Interested in writing a blog? Contact thesil@thesil.ca.
TERRY SHAN / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
Cracking your knuckels can lead to chronic pain in the future.
THE SILHOUETTE • B3
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 15, 2009
Green behaviour using technology
Building eco-friendly architecture, starting with sacred spaces
Building design should make use of free sources of energy like the sun. PHYLLIS TSANG
ASSISTANT INSIDEOUT EDITOR
A server water shortage led a city in Mexico to employ school children to take charge in support of water preservation. These students are changing attitudes and behaviours of their peers and adults. Matamoros, a northeastern city in Mexico minutes away from Texas, is the last largest city that uses water from Rio Grande, the “Big River” that originates in Colorado. When the river dried up in July 2000, the city’s water department resorted to enlisting thousands of schoolchildren as “water detectives”—or “los detectives del agua” in Spanish, to be educated about water preservation, to search and report water leakages and wasteful behaviours around the city, and to educate others about the importance of proper water usage. In 2004, Matamoros consumed 18 per cent less water than in 2003, a
result attributed to the tireless water detectives. “If a ‘green culture’ is not there,” said executive director of Green venture Pete Wobschall after giving the Matamoros’ success story as an example during a presentation of an energy audit on Oct. 10, “You are really limiting what technology can do for you.” Greening Sacred Spaces, an initiative to educate faith communities about ecological issues and to help them create sustainable worship spaces, brought on Green Venture, a community-based nonprofit organization committed to sustainability. Green Venture was implemented to perform an energy audit on Melrose United Church, an 80-years-old church in downtown Hamilton. While most people do not have the luxury of a historical church that needs an energy audit, most people do live in homes that could benefit from energy audits.
PHYLLIS TSANG / ASSISTANT INSIDEOUT EDITOR
“We’ve done an energy audit on a house that is less than two years old.” Wobschall thinks that most Canadians do not build with the environment in mind. “We design houses really poorly,” Wobschall pointed out. In his opinion, taking advantage of free and readily available energy sources like the sun helps to keep tabs on energy bills. For instance, a small window, if any, should be put on the northwest side of a house because “the sun is not there.” Meanwhile, bigger windows should be placed on the southeast to take advantage of the free source of light and heat. Moreover, simple things like adding an awning could prevent the summer sun from overheating the space while allowing the winter sun to warm it up. In Canada, the most common type of space heating system is a forced-air system. It delivers heated air through ductworks and exchanges fresh air by drawing new
air through vents. The constant exchange of air means the system does extra work to heat the outdoors. “Some countries don’t even use that technology anymore—it’s so expensive to blow air around and it’s so inefficient,” said Wobschall. European countries, particularly United Kingdom have turned to alternatives like under-floor heating where warm water pipes are installed within the floor to radiate heat. Wobschall also thinks we should care more about our “future generations than dollars.” “What we do in subdivisions is we build beautiful houses but don’t care about anything else,” said Wobschall. “We just want to plot as many houses as we can to make as much money as we can.” He suggested that people need to have a holistic view of buildings. The best eco-friendly approach is not retrofitting or replacing equipment, but “building homes correctly.” Dave Braden, Hamilton’s former city councillor and a home builder, built an off-the-grid house which does not rely on municipal sources of energy, and claims that it “can be heated with a hair dryer [that] comes with its own electricity supply.” “[Braden] built the house, wrapped it, and built another house around it,” Wobschall gave insight into the autonomous house; “it sounds like a lot, but it only cost $10,000 to build the other house, and it reduces the energy consumption by 98 per cent.” For existing buildings that are not performing efficiently energy-wise, Wobschall suggested that air sealing usually gets “the biggest bang for the buck.” He once advised a client who was planning to spend $13,000 on new windows and doors to invest $3000 in air sealing instead. According to Green Venture’s website, a poorly insulated and/or poorly air-sealed home
could lose up to 30% of the heat. The temperature difference between indoor and outdoor causes the air to leak through punctures in floors, walls, and ceilings. Windows and doors are the obvious ones, small openings like recessed lights, vents, attic access, and switches also contribute to heat and energy loss. The good news is air sealing is easy to do. Weather-stripping and caulking are perfect home doit-yourself projects with tangible results. Tightening up leakages could save up to 15% of a heating bill, according to Union Gas. In Melrose Church’s case, it requires a more costly solution. Green Venture made an estimate cost of $162,000 to improve its energy performance, including an upgraded broiler, better ventilation control, overall air sealing and more. All of these will save the Church close to $17,000 a year, which equals to a 9.6 years payback. Dollar figures like these scares people away, Wobschall pointed out. Energy audits which cost hundreds for houses and thousands for buildings like Melrose stop people from greening the built environment. For faith groups, initiatives like Greening Sacred Space brings subsidies to make it more affordable. For home owners, there is a variety of resources available from Federal and provincial government, as well as private sectors. Each level of government offers a wide range of incentives to those who upgrade or retrofit their houses to using eco-friendly systems. As a starter, home owners could take a look into The Home Energy Saving Program (HESP), provided by Ontario Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure, which offers rebates for energy audits and retrofits. Greening technology is only part of the solution to sustainability. Leaving an energy-efficient light on 24/7 is not going to help the environment, or your energy bill.
When sharing goes too far
One user’s etiquette rules for social networks
MANORI RAVINDRAN
tweets are going to eclipse anything coming out of Ashton Kutcher’s Blackberry. It’s that time of year again. You’ve Navigating social mebeen in school for just over a month dia has become a militant art form. and the death knell–otherwise What used to be a laidback and freeknown as midterm season–is a-ring- flowing environment is now a digital ing. At this point, you’re wondering booby trap where the wrong picture whether your getting into universi- gets you banned and an outspoken ty was a sordid clerical error: eco- status gets you deleted. Everybody nomics is consuming your soul and you know has a Facebook account organic chemistry and your iPhone-totsounds like a foreign ing friends are likeTruthfully, it’s language. You’ve ly tweeting under started drinking cofthe dinner table. So, weird if somefee and listening to not brush up on one pokes you in why your roommate’s inyour etiquette while 2009. Actually, it you’re busy not dodustrial music to escape the humdrum was pretty freaky ing your homework? of studying. But out Truthfully, it’s when they did it weird if someone of all the distractions around you, there is five years ago, too. pokes you in 2009. truly none quite like Some things never Actually, it was pretthe Internet. ty freaky when they change. Talk about did it five years ago, a fatal distraction. too. Some things One minute you’re never change. If you brainstorming topics for your so- are attracted to someone you have ciology paper, and the next minute recently ‘friended’, the best way of you’re trying to figure out whether going about it is doing anything but Megan Fox has a Facebook account. poking him/her. It’s not fun in real Suddenly, it occurs to you that your life, so why would it be fun on the witty status updates should be tak- Internet? en to the next level and you sign Secondly, despite many up for Twitter. Let’s face it; your of those annoying applications like SILHOUETTE STAFF
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Grow-An-Animal or SuperPoke! slowly getting phased out on Facebook, a select group of single college males still persist with Mafia Wars. Now, people rarely hurl abuse at one another publicly on the site, but that certainly won’t stop them from sending you a private message saying that they will end you if you invite them to play Mafia Wars one more time. Another major “don’t” concerns status updates. Did you go anywhere fantastically exotic this past summer? If so, don’t mention it. No, really, do not mention it. Because chances are that most of your Facebook friends–who were penniless and idle for four months– want to reach through their monitors and punch you when you post giddy and excited statuses telling the world you just hiked the Inca Trail. Facebook operates under a tacit social code. Most users don’t discuss the aforementioned “dos” and “don’ts” with one another, and, like anything else, there is no handbook. Thankfully, since we’re all friends, you can get away with little slips from time to time without making it on to anybody’s Block list. Twitter, however, is a different story.
SILHOUETTE FILE PHOTO
Not all behaviours are welcomed by your friends in cyberspace. According to Wang Yip, a UBC alumnus currently working as an Emerging Technologies Specialist for the Government of Alberta, “Some of the most popular Twitter users are ones that are interesting.” Yip claims that you have to invest a lot more time into Twitter in order to reap the benefits and gain a readership. Most users do this by providing interesting links, tweeting interesting things, and engaging followers. So, for those of you who think you can tweet about having a sandwich for lunch–forget it, because you will likely lose more than a few followers. Yip advises, “Most people probably don’t care
what you had for lunch… but they may be interested in how you made your lunch.” To be a smash-hit Twit, you’ve got to stand out and occupy a niche. For today’s denizens of the WWW, the social networking opportunities are vast and their codes even more complex. While Facebook lets you fool around and assign fun superlatives for your best friends, Twitter will promptly spit you out if you don’t contribute anything worthwhile. But, on the bright side, even if you fail organic chemistry, the Internet will always be there for you. Providing you don’t invite any more people to Mafia Wars.
B4 • THE SILHOUETTE
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 15, 2009
S E X Love peaks when economy dives STEEL Online dating increases during tough economic times CITY AND THE
ATIFA HAMIR
THE SILHOUETTE
Have you been feeling the love? Have you found yourself looking even harder than normal for that ‘special someone’ or even just ‘someone’ at all? Have you found yourself paying more and more attention to those repetitive eHarmony commercials, and considering registration (with a flattering photo)? Well, be it as it may, this may not be the result of a hormonal time of the year, biological clock, or even a lack of sexual activity. Rather, this may be due to the, wait for it—Recession. Now before you decide that this is about as valid as a fake ID, I ask you to stop. This may just be the biggest surprise (or realization) of your day. Recent studies by dating websites such as eHarmony and OkCupid.com have found that the lack of economic stability that many of us have seen and experienced for the last year has resulted in a drastic increase in searches for companionship. Memberships to such online dating websites have increased, despite the fact that many
of these websites have monthly or annual fees. As well, such sites have seen an increase in viewing of potential profiles and sending messages to possible matches. The reasons for this sudden jump to giving attention to one’s love life are many. For some it’s a simple case of misery loving company. While dealing with something difficult such as facing personal financial issues or dealing with stress of not knowing whether a job or paycheque will be there next month, it’s sometimes easier to be with someone in the same boat rather than someone with a pitying attitude. For others, it’s a case of simple distraction. Finding a mate can result in positive time pass, relieving one’s mind of stress and self-doubt. However one of the most shockingly realistic reasons seems to be a case of saving money. For example, you can go to a bar or club with the intention of meeting someone new. After spending a total of $50 on cover, coat check, and drinks on potential candidates, there is no security of whether those candidates will respond with the desired replies - in which case you have just spent $50 on a night of absolutely nothing. Asking others out on first dates can lead to hard earned cash spent
CHRISTOPHER CHANG / SILHOUETTE STAFF
Watch the stocks, because your sudden desire for love might stem from a downturn in financial stability. on impressing dates with a fancy restaurant and snacks at a movie without even knowing if you’ll ever see that person again. However steady relationships are much more financially friendly. A night in with a rented movie and home cooked meal can rack up to a bill of perhaps $15 for the movie and few groceries. After all, there really isn’t a need to continuously impress a boyfriend/ girlfriend when in a secure relationship, not to mention the fact that the ‘benefits’ within a relationship can at times be a lot more continuous than random dates. So why not look for a special someone for
the year rather than the week? As well, taking into consideration that quite a large group of those registering for online dating sites are probably not married (or at least let’s hope not) thus living on their own or with family/ friends, they can look at finding a partner as well as a roommate. With costs of living so high and money already tight, it never hurts to be able to split rent or a mortgage with someone you’re comfortable living with and trust. Giving those an opportunity to leave the nest or forget the stress of finding potential roommates who they probably don’t even
know can be an appealing enough idea for people to rush to find a companion. So, if you find yourself thinking of companionship and relationships during what, unfortunately, has been for many a time of stress and sorrow, you now know why. There is no need to look within your heart, or question your body, as to why these thoughts are running through your mind! Simply turn on the news, or open a newspaper and the answer will just pop out. Who knows, maybe the search might bring you something worthwhile.
Blind Swim makes splash at Mac QUINN KLASSEN THE SILHOUETTE
Many children enjoy swimming lessons because it gives them the chance to play in the water, and feel a sense of pride from learning a new skill. However, there are many children that have few opportunities to participate in swimming lessons due to visual impairments. Making Waves is a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing swimming lessons to children with visual impairments. The organization began providing affordable one-on-one swimming lessons to children with visual limitation in Montreal in 2005. This fall, McMaster is home to a Making Waves program. The first lesson was held on Saturday Sept. 26 in the pool at the David Braley Athletic Center. Elizabeth Lee, president of McMaster’s Making Waves Program, said that the program “aims to turn athletics into a positive experience for all and to use sports as a means of improving the lives of [children living with visual impairments].” The Making Waves program is similar to the swimming programs available to children without visual impairments. One session includes eight lessons held once a week and the progress of participants is evaluated using Red Cross standards. The participants work one-on-one with their instructors, but at $40 for an eight week session, the cost of the Making Waves program is much more affordable than private lessons. At this point there are six children enrolled in the program, and each is paired with a volunteer instructor. Most of the children are beginners, but despite their inexperience in water they are excited and eager to learn. Lee described one memorable moment from the first lesson in which a freezing cold child “insisted that she did not want to leave the pool and continued on with the lesson.” Making Waves relies on volunteers in order to run its programs. Currently, about 30 McMaster students are volunteering for the program in executive positions and as instructors and lifeguards. Volunteer instructors must have all the necessary qualifications to teach swimming lessons. Lee expressed her gratitude for the volunteers saying that during the first lesson each one “came up with [creative methods] to compensate for [each child’s] impairment.” While the program is still in its beginning stages Lee has reason to believe that it has a bright future. She stated “the overwhelmingly positive response we received from both the Hamilton Community and McMaster campus gives us confidence for the expansion of our program in the years to come.”
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 15, 2009
Crossword
THE SILHOUETTE • B5
Interactive
Sudoku
Across 1- Divest 6- Little devils 10- Cries of discovery 14- Singer Cleo 15- One with a glazed look, perhaps 16- ___ accompli 17- Maker of Photoshop 18- Ancient Athens's Temple of ___ 19- Floating ice 20- Daphnia 22- Roman general 23- Sandwich shop 24- Bulb cover 26- Small cask 29- Scorch 31- Agnus ___ 32- 401(k) alternative 33- All there By Sandy Chase / CUP Graphics Bureau Chief 34- Handsome young man 38- Children's author Blyton Crossword puzzles provided by BestCrosswords.com 40- Hot tub (http://www.bestcrosswords.com). Used with permission. 42- Unclothed 43- Thin layer of wood 46- Acknowledge Down 28- Profit 49- Novelist Deighton 1- Deli side 30- Settle a loan 50- ___-mo 2- I did it! 35- Invalid 51- Meditator 3- Civil disturbance 36- Brain wave 52- Boy 4- Sacked out 37- E-mail command 53- Birthplace of Napoleon 5- Noblewoman 39- Sweets 57- Ailments of body or 6- Sicilians, e.g. 41- Evading society 7- Bog 44- Some Ivy Leaguers 59- ___ Irish Rose 8- Fold 45- Fabled bird 60- Small shell-shaped cake 9- Paris possessive 47- Eyeball 65- Endure 10- Pouring on of water 48- Jitters 66- Polynesian carved im11- Shout of exultation; 53- Small house age 54- Corpulent 12- Garlic sauce 67- Bury 55- Cheerful 13- Pilfer 68- "___ She Lovely?" 56- Buddy 21- Bloodsucking insect 69- Not "fer" 58- Have a feeling about 22- Raced 70- Ruhr city 61- Analogous 25- Harem room 71- Devices for fishing 62- ___ boy! 26- Capital of the 72- Chime 63- Depilatory brand Ukraine 73- Chairs 64- Sea eagles; 66- Graffiti 27- Sea eagle
Can you spot the dif?
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Communityevents Oct. 16, 2009 from 2:15 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. What Makes a Sexy Voice? Psychology Building - Room 155 McMaster Alumni Association presents speaker David Feinberg speaking for the Discover Psychology: Science You Can Use Lecture Series. Admission is free, but tickets are required and can be obtained from the Alumni Association. Oct. 16, 2009 @ 8 p.m. Anagnoson & Kinton (Piano Duo) Convocation Hall - University Hall, Room 213 School of the Arts presents world renowned piano duo James Anagnoson & Leslie Kinton, playing as part of the Celebrity Concert Series. Selected works include Brahms’ Variations on a Theme by Haydn, and Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue. Oct.17, 2009 from 8 p.m. to 9 p.m. Making a Canadian River Health Sciences Centre - Room 1A1 (Ewart Angus Centre) Dr. H.V. Nelles speaks on Alberta’s engineered river and its environmental design. His lecture is based on a book he collaborated on entitled The River Returns. Presented by the Hamilton Association for the Advancement of Literature, Science and Art. Oct. 20, 2009 from 12 p.m. to 1 p.m. Getting In All Your Zzz’s Michael G. DeGroote Centre for Learning & Discovery - Room 3022 It’s Healthy Workplace Month, and this workship will teach you why you need six to eight hours of sleep a night, and help you better strategize to get those zzz’s. Admission is free but tickets are required. Contact Healthy Workplace. Oct. 20 & 21 2009 Continuing Education Fair 2009 McMaster University Student Centre (MUSC) Marketplace Come out and meet representatives from various programs available for continuing education. Find information on admission and application procedures. Oct. 21, 2009 from 12:30 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. Faith Matters McMaster University Student Centre - Room 230
find 7 differences!
A faith-based vision of hope and world peace presented by speaker Paul Dekar. This event is in anticipation of the 64th anniversity of the United Nations. Admission is free, email chaplain@mcmaster.ca Oct. 21, 2009 @ 8 p.m. Galileo, Shakespeare, and van Gogh: Creative Reactions to the End of the World Chester New Hall - Room 104 Speaker William Harris discusses the work of Galileo and how various writers, artists, and thinkers have reacted to his universe-changing findings about the universe. Presented by the Origins Institute.
Answers: nostrils; nails; toe; olive; horn; eyes; belly button
BreadBin
I often tell my students how much I love preparing, and of course, eating food! Here is one of my favourite recipes. This delicious and healthy dip is easy and quick to prepare. It goes well with vegetables, pita bread, tortilla chips, or crackers. Try this recipe and feel free to experiment with the ingredients or add new ones to customize the recipe to your personal taste. EASY TO PREPARE HUMMUS INGREDIENTS 1 can (14 oz) chickpeas (garbanzos) 3 tablespoons of oil (canola or vegetable) 3 tablespoons lemon juice 2 cloves of garlic (crushed) 1 teaspoon cumin (ground) Salt & pepper to taste 2 tablespoons of toasted sesame seeds (ground)
SILHOUETTE FILE PHOTO
OPTIONAL Add 1 tablespoon of Tahini sauce. Tahini sauce is available in bottles at most grocery stores in the International Foods section. If the Tahini is the paste form, you will need to add a bit of water to it. GARNISH WITH A pinch of parsley (chopped or dried) or a pinch of dill (chopped or dried). Open the can of chickpeas, reserve the liquid and pour it into a separate container. Place the chickpeas, oil, lemon juice, garlic, and cumin, in a blender or food processor. Blend until smooth. Add 2 to 3 tablespoons of the reserved chickpea liquid if the blended mixture is too thick. Add the toasted sesame seeds and blend into the mixture. Add salt and pepper to suit your taste. Place mixture into a bowl and chill. When ready to eat, sprinkle parsley or dill as a garnish on top of the dip. Serve with your choice of vegetables, pita bread, tortilla chips, or crackers. Enjoy . • Lovaye Kajiura / Department of Biology Last week’s Crossword solution:
Come write for InsideOut! Contact us at: insideout@thesil.ca
THE SILHOUETTE • B7
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 15, 2009
SPORTS
production office: extension 27117
email: sports@thesil.ca
Mac improves to 4-2 with win Marauders strike out Marauders beat Toronto 21-3 in Thursday night game
in playoffs DAVID KOOTS
ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR
PHOTOS C/O RICHARD ZAZULAK
The McMaster Marauders moved to 4-2 on the season after taking care of business with a 21-3 victory over the Toronto Varsity Blues. DAVID KOOTS lead in time of possession. ON) had the lone receiving on Thursday. Blues quarterback ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR “I think they put together touchdown of the day in the fourth Jansen Shrubb (Toronto, ON) had a very good game plan on a short quarter when Quinlan found him 250 yards passing, but was unable In a rare Thursday night game, the week and they disrupted our core wide open in the end zone from 21 to find the end zone. His favourite McMaster Marauders played under run game. They were very patient yards out. target on the night was Drew the lights and came out on top of the offensively, and were patient just Jordan Kozina (Brantford, Meerveld (Guelph, ON), who had University of Toronto Varsity Blues to go five yards at a time in their ON) continued his strong play 11 catches and 153 yards. Meerveld by a score of 21-3. The Marauders pass game up the field, and hung and picked up 63 yards on the is the league leader in receptions looked nothing like the team that in on specials. They had a few trick ground, more rushing yards than with 39 catches on the year. upset the Western Mustangs a week plays, some worked some didn’t, so the entire Blues team. Joey Nemet Linebacker Ryan earlier and had a difficult time in all three aspects they put together (Burlington, ON) added 38 yards Chmielewski (St. Catharines, handling the 1-5 Blues. Toronto a decent plan and they hung with us and had a ten yard score on the ON) once again led the defence, held a 3-0 lead after the first quarter for four quarters,” said head coach ground. Quinlan showed he has the finishing the game with seven and was only down by a field goal at Ptaszek after the game. ability to use his feet as well as his solo tackles and breaking up two half before the Marauders stepped Starting quarterback Kyle arm as he finished with 51 yards on passes. Chmielewski came close to up their game and took charge. Quinlan (South Woodslee, ON) led only four carries. His best rush of recording his second interception of The game was a tale of two the charge on offence and finished the night was a 22 yard scamper the season in the fourth quarter but halves, as Toronto came out ready the day with 275 yards passing that set up the second field goal of was unable to hang on to the ball. to play while the Marauders seemed and one touchdown. Quinlan did the night for kicker Andy Waugh “I’m going to tape some Velcro content to rest on last week’s victory an effective job spreading the ball (Perth, ON) near the end of the first to the outside of his uniform and over Western. The Blues had the around, as seven receivers had half. gloves so he can hold on to some ball for almost twice as long in the multiple catch games but none of The Varsity Blues offence of those interceptions,” said coach first half and the game marks the the seven had more than 50 yards has been pass-first this season Ptaszek about his star linebacker. first time all year that Mac did not receiving. Matt Peressini (Hannon, and this was the case once again • PLEASE SEE MARAUDERS, B8
There will be no OUA repeat for the McMaster Marauders baseball team, as they suffered a pair of losses on the weekend and were knocked out of the playoffs by the Wilfrid Laurier Golden Hawks. The Hawks seemed to have Mac’s number this year, wining all five meetings in 2009. Because of a Friday rain delay, the Marauders lost home field advantage and needed to travel to Laurier for game one on Saturday in which they lost 4-2. Andrew Morales (Toronto, ON) took to the mound for the Marauders and looked strong pitching the complete game and giving up two earned runs on only six hits. While the offence came out swinging early on, they failed to deliver the necessary runs to win the game. First baseman John McGregor (Ottawa, ON) continued his strong offensive play, knocking in Chris Piccini (Mississauga, ON) in the first to give the Marauders a 1-0 lead. In the fourth inning, Sean Lemon hit (Mississauga, ON) a double before scoring on a Matt Cino (Ancaster, ON) single to increase the Mac’s advantage to two. But the Marauders could not hold on to the lead as Laurier came back to win the game with two runs in both the eighth and ninth innings, helped in part by a pair of defensive errors. Back home at Bernie Arbour Stadium, McMaster did not fare any better, losing the season ending game in the ninth inning by a score of 3-2. Matt Piccini (Mississauga, ON) pitched eight and a third innings in the loss before brother Chris came in to the game in the ninth to retire the last two outs. Mac once again took an early first inning lead on a McGregor single that drove in Devlin Connelly (Toronto, ON), while pinch hitter Adam Jaczenko (Ancaster, ON) had the other RBI for the Marauders. The Golden Hawks made use of another round of last minute heroics by scoring a pair of runs in the seventh and the game winning run in the ninth to complete the sweep of the best of three series. The loss ends the 2009 campaign for the Marauders, a season which began with plenty of promise and hopes of repeating the magical run the team had in 2008. It was, however, the 2009 Golden Hawks that were reminiscent of the 2008 Marauder team that won the OUA championship. Down late in both games, Laurier had just enough to win, relying on consistent pitching and timely bats. Laurier will now move on to face the first seeded Western Mustangs for the OUA title starting this weekend.
Men’s hoops 2-0 in preseason contests BRIAN DECKER SPORTS EDITOR
The McMaster men’s basketball team kicked off their nonconference season in style this past weekend, picking up two wins over strong teams. The Marauders took down the Ryerson Rams 80-72 on Saturday, and followed that up Sunday with an 83-69 victory over the Alberta Golden Bears. Friday’s game saw Mac play stingy defense and take advantage of a sloppy Ryerson offence, scoring 25 points off 25 turnovers. Marauder rookie Ryan Christie (Hamilton, ON) led the way for Mac, dominating the paint and playing like a veteran in his CIS debut. The 6’6” recruit recorded three blocks and grabbed eight rebounds to go with his team-high 19 points. The Marauders were on the verge of blowing the game wide open in the third quarter, taking a 24 point lead on the strength of guards Scott Laws (Gormley, ON) and Tyrell Vernon (Hamilton, ON), who combined for 24 points in the game. Ryerson stormed back to cut the deficit to 75-72 behind
CIS All-Canadian Boris Bakovic’s (Toronto, ON) 23 points, but Laws was able to put the game away with free throws and preserve the win. In his McMaster debut, Keenan Jeppesen (Stoney Creek, ON) did not disappoint. The 6’7” forward was an OUA All-Star with the Western Mustangs last season, and has come to Mac to study in the MBA program. The 2006 NCAA Division I All-Star with the Brown University Bears scored 17 points and corralled nine rebounds. Jeppesen brings star power to the Marauders this season, and significantly boosting the team’s title hopes for 2009-2010. The maroon and grey followed their Friday win with another high-intensity effort, forcing the Golden Bears into making a whopping 27 turnovers while grabbing 19 offensive rebounds. Jeppesen took control of the game in the second half, pouring in 21 points and pulling down nine rebounds. The forward calmly led the team in transition and half court sets, scoring 15 second-half points and helping the Marauders pull away in the fourth quarter.
Christie was a force in the paint again, but the Bears were able to successfully play a hack-a-Shaq strategy, with the first year forward converting just five of 16 free throws. Fourth year guard Jermaine DeCosta (Hamilton, ON) used his impressive speed and strength to run circles around the Golden Bear defense, scoring 18 points while dishing out seven assists. Vernon steadied the offense, chipping in 12 points and adding three helpers. With Jeppesen able to command double teams, and veterans Laws and Vernon able to control the offence, Mac stands to improve greatly on their ball control and offensive efficiency, two areas which plagued the team in 20082009. All-Star centre Mouctar Diaby (Hamilton, ON) will miss at least a significant portion of the season with a shoulder injury, and big men Christie and Geoff McLaughlin (Oakville, ON) will be looked upon to replace him. Mac will head to McGill to play a tournament this weekend, and the regular season begins Nov. 6 against RMC. Look for a full season preview upcoming in the Silhouette.
SiILHOUETTE FILE PHOTO
Point guard Tyrell Vernon will be depended on to steady the offence.
B8 • THE SILHOUETTE
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 15, 2009
Marauders tackle Women’s rugby off to playoffs Bui, Turner prepare to lead Marauders on stumbling Blues quest for team’s first OUA championship • CONT’D FROM B7 “They didn’t even try to run the ball at us. He was putting himself in great positions, he’s an All-Star linebacker and he makes plays, run, [or] pass and he’s just having an outstanding year.” The game was taken in by 2679 Marauder faithful, who stuck through the game despite wet conditions and dry football action. Both teams had trouble finding the big play, with the first half being especially slow developing. The highlight of the first half may have been a 40 yard field goal by Toronto kicker Andrew Lomasney (Toronto, ON), the longest of his season. The action picked up in the second but paled in comparison to earlier home games against Waterloo and Laurier. The Marauders will now go
on the road Saturday for a matchup against the 2-4 Windsor Lancers. Windsor needs a win to keep any hope alive of catching the Guelph Gryphons for the last playoff spot in the OUA and could come out firing against Mac. The Marauders cannot afford to come out slow against a desperate Lancers squad, and despite their sub .500 record, coach Ptaszek knows Windsor still presents a serious challenge. “They handled this U of T team 30-3, so they can play. They handled them actually a little more crisply than we did. So we’re going to have our hands full. We get the extra three four days to prep, they [didn’t] play till Saturday so we gotta leverage that.” Kickoff is at 7 p.m. on Saturday and will be the last regular season road game for the Marauders.
CHRISTOPHER CHANG / SILHOUETTE STAFF
PHOTOS C/O RICHARD ZAZULAK
Receiver Matt Peressini caught a 21 yard TD pass in the fourth quarter.
The women’s rugby team will take on the 1-4 Toronto Varsity Blues in the first round of the OUA playoffs. Co-MVPs: Nina Bui Guelph, clearly the class of the BRIAN DECKER SPORTS EDITOR (North York, ON) and Natasha OUA, showed the Marauders what Turner (Ottawa, ON). The level they will need to play at if The McMaster women’s rugby team Marauders’ dynamic duo combined they wish to win the OUA title this wrapped up its 2009 regular season to score 11 tries for the season, with season. with a 19-8 victory over the Trent Bui placing sixth in league scoring “When you’re talking Excalibur on Oct. 9, closing out a and Turner in eighth. Both players about Guelph, you’re talking about successful campaign and heading set the tone for the season early, a different approach to Rugby. into the playoffs with momentum. scoring three tries apiece in a 43-0 They’ve got the Gretzky, Coffey, The team finished atop the Russell romp over York on Sept. 12. Messier and Anderson of Rugby,” Division with a 4-1 record, and Rookie of the Year: said Head Coach Sandro Fiorno poses as a serious title contender Delaney. The 5’9” flyhalf was the about the Gryphons. for the incoming playoffs. Here is third Marauder to place in the top Playoff Outlook: Friday’s a review of the season that passed, 20 in league scoring, posting 18 win over Trent secured Mac the and a preview of what to look for in points in just 3 games. Her standout Russell Division title, and set up an the postseason performance against Queen’s Oct. 17 matchup with the Toronto Game of the Year: 39-6 brought her into the fold as another Varsity Blues, who managed just a Victory over Queen’s on Sept. Marauder weapon to be reckoned 1-4 record this season. A rematch 26. The Marauders entered the with on offense. with Queen’s likely awaits in the game as the No. 6 team in the Season Recap: The team second round, and the Gaels will be country, with the Queen’s ranked began the year on a tear, conceding hungry to avenge their loss earlier no. 9 and nipping at their heels for just three points in their first three in the season. If McMaster is to win national ranking points. Mac put games. Sandwiched between the those games and take another shot any question to rest over who was 43-0 crushing of York and the at Guelph, Bui, Turner and Delaney the better team, behind a breakout triumphant 39-6 win over Queen’s will need to be on top of their game from rookie Rebecca Delaney was a 27-0 blowout of Toronto. games. If the parts come together, (Caledon, ON). The 5’9” flyhalf The no. 3 nationally McMaster’s first women’s OUA scorched the Gaels, tallying 14 ranked Guelph Gryphons handed rugby title could be hanging in the points on one try, three conversions the Marauders their only loss of David Braley Athletic Centre by the and a penalty kick. the season, a 34-0 win on Oct. 3. end of the month.
THE SILHOUETTE • B9
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 15, 2009
Rugby All-Stars set to return Lacrosse teams get well BRIAN DECKER
deserved accolades
Richard Andrews (Mississauga, ON) and Kevin Noble (Dundas, ON) score tries, using a big first half to build a 17-0 lead. 6’5” rookie Tyler Ardron (Lakefield, ON) used his big frame to push his way up the field, and flyhalf Jeff McDiarmid (Oshawa, ON) used a number of creative kicks to keep the Laurier defense guessing and put the team into position to score. Andrews, a 2007 recruit, has made his way through numerous injuries to finally suit up for McMaster, and has made an immediate impact. Head Coach Dr. Phil White called the 6’3” back row “Mac’s best forward” on the day. Undisciplined play from the maroon and grey kept them from putting the game away in the second half, a theme which has appeared in a number of games this season. “The penalty count in this game was unacceptable and reflected a failure of the Mac boys to work with the referee on the day” said Dr. White, underlining that the team must play more patiently. That patience was tested against RMC, who played a very rough game, taking every chance to combat McMaster’s offensive skill with a belligerent approach to the match. The Marauders struggled in the first half, but found their rhythm in the second stanza, scoring five tries on the way to an impressive 38-0 win. A flurry of brilliant offensive moves from Noble, McDiarmid and Tyler Wright (Hamilton, ON) helped Mac take a 7-0 halftime lead and create an insurmountable gap between them and the Paladins. McDiarmid tallied eight points on four conversions,
while the six tries came from six different Marauders, including Noble, Wright, Williams, Ardron, After the darkest hour of their 2009 Spencer Morgan (Mississauga, ON) season, the McMaster men’s rugby and Taylor Tuff (Carlisle, ON). team needed to turn around their The return of Windsor and season in a big way. Two wins in Selby cannot be understated for five days over the Wilfrid Laurier the Marauders, who have required Golden Hawks and Royal Military a number of gutsy efforts from College Paladins gave them very veteran players just to achieve their big step in the right direction, and 4-2 record thus far. two giant steps more are on the way Said Dr. White of the this weekend. team’s performance through the OUA All-Stars Keegan injuries, “All you can do is keep Selby (Lindsay, ON) and Shawn playing through it, and fortunately Windsor (Stoney Creek, ON) will we do have depth and the guys have make their 2009 debuts on Saturday come in and done a great job the last against Western, both returning two games… Those guys have been from duty with the Ontario Blues the backbone, especially today and squad in the Americas Cup. Their Wednesday against Laurier.” return comes not a moment too Windsor brings intangibles soon, with Mac looking to regain as the team’s field general, and Selby some momentum heading into is a two-time OUA MVP. Both the playoffs to defend their OUA players were integral in McMaster’s Championship. 2008 title run, and their absences After suffering crushing have worn heavy on the team in defeats against rival squads big matchups this season. Mac was Queen’s and Brock, the team was in destroyed 59-5 by Queen’s on Sept. a bad place, having lost both their 26, and followed that the next week confident aura and a huge portion of with a 34-13 defeat the hands of the their roster to injuries. Injuries have Brock Badgers. taken claim to 16 of 45 men on the The team will need an roster, including recent injuries to excellent effort from the entire Chris Dickenson (Oakville, ON), squad to bring Windsor and Selby Lawson Mann (Stouffville, ON) back into the fold seamlessly. and Andrew Housely (Burlington, “What you’ve got to guard against ON). is [the Marauders] watching those McMaster rebounded with guys play. We’ve got to make sure a hard-earned 17-5 win over Laurier the elite guys come in and meld into and a 38-0 trouncing of RMC to the framework,” said Dr. White, move back to 4-2 on the season, emphasizing that those two cannot fighting through tough weather, lead the team to victory on their fierce opponents and more injuries own. to show what the team is really McMaster travels to made of. London this weekend to take on the The men’s lacrosse team stands at 5-1 on the 2009 campaign. team’s eight goals. The Laurier win saw John 5-1 Western Mustangs at 1 p.m. at DAVID KOOTS ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR The women’s squad has Williams (Stoney Creek, ON), St. George’s field. had a tougher time this year and The McMaster lacrosse teams have currently have a 1-6 record, but had seasons of opposite fortunes, they will look to build upon their with the men being among the top 12-7 victory against the Guelph of the league with a 5-1 record Gryphons. With four games left while the women finally won their on the schedule, the women will first game of the season this past need strong play in order to pick Sunday. The teams’ success in this up as many wins as possible. past week led to some individual The opponents in their remaining recognition for a pair of McMaster matches have outscored them this lacrosse players, as lacrosse took season so far by a tally of 54-29. both Marauder Athletes of the week While lacrosse often is awards. pushed aside in the fall by football, The men have gone rugby and soccer, McMaster’s undefeated since an opening Department of Athletics and season loss to the league leading Recreation recognized both teams Brock Badgers. They played the through their selection of the 6-0 Badgers at home last night but Athletes of the week. Williams results were not available at press got the nod for the men after time. Their success has been in his three-goal performance and part thanks to the strong play of consistent high level of play. The first year Business student Carter women’s award went to Jackie Williams (Scottsdale, AZ), who is Heaton (Peterborough, ON) after an currently leading the league with 17 impressive 10 goals over this past goals. In their latest 8-7 win against weekend’s three games and four Western, Williams had three of his crucial goals in Mac’s lone victory. Two-time OUA MVP Keegan Selby (above) and All-Star Shawn Windsor return to McMaster this weekend. SPORTS EDITOR
JONATHON FAIRCLOUGH / DISTRIBUTION COORDINATOR
SiILHOUETTE FILE PHOTO
B10 • THE SILHOUETTE
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 15, 2009
Maple Leafs report
SILHOUETTE FILE PHOTO
Brian Burke made a complete overhaul of the Buds in the off season. ALEX TRAN
THE SILHOUETTE
The Toronto Maple Leafs enter the 2009-2010 season with a number of questions still up in the air. With no captain, a new physical style, and young guns getting their feet wet, there are a number of stories to keep an eye on this year. Here are five things to watch out for as the Leafs try to make it out of the cellar and back to the playoffs. Stopping the Puck: Goaltending has been a question mark for the Maple Leafs ever since Ed Belfour left as a free agent after the 2006 season, highlighted by last year’s finish as the worst defensive team in the NHL. GM Brian Burke sought to address the situation by signing young phenom Jonas “The Monster” Gustavsson out of the Swedish Elite League, widely dubbed as the best goaltender not in the NHL. Although it has been stated that the starting job is still Toskala’s to lose, the Leafs are not afraid of thrusting their rookie netminder into the spotlight if Vesa once again struggles out of the gate. With a full summer to rehab from groin surgery, it is their hope that Toskala can regain the form he displayed in San Jose and provide the Leafs with the strong goaltending necessary to make a run in the playoffs. Fallout from the Kessel Trade: It is not unusual for Toronto GMs of recent years to peddle away first round picks for immediate help, but this time around, the incoming player is just beginning to blossom into an NHL star as opposed to a veteran skater entering the twilight years of his career. In a high profile summer blockbuster, the Leafs brought in 21 year old winger Phil Kessel, who lit the lamp 36 times with Boston last season. The first issue is to figure out which centreman to pair him with, as Phil had the benefit of flanking perennially underrated all-star Marc Savard last season. Once Kessel is fully recovered from shoulder surgery sometime in November, look for him to play alongside playmaker Matt Stajan, who recorded 40 assists last year, on the team’s first line. The absolute worst nightmare of Leafs Nation would be to watch Boston GM Peter Chiarelli walk up to the podium at next year’s draft with Toronto’s 1st overall selection to grab Canadian junior star Taylor Hall.
after the 2007-2008 season left the club with a vacant hole both on the first line and in the locker room. Rather than bestow an unworthy player with the tremendous honour and responsibility that comes with wearing the “C” for one of the most storied franchises in professional sports, Leafs’ management has gone captainless since the Sundin era. This season, veteran blueliners Tomas Kaberle, Francois Beauchemin, and Mike Komisarek were named assistant captains with the possibility that one of them will be appointed captain come November. That player would likely then serve as placeholder until fan favourite Luke Schenn is eventually ready to adorn the “C”. Bringing the Tough Stuff: Since taking over as Maple Leaf GM, Burke has vowed to build a team that would play with the same high intensity, physical style of game that enabled his Anaheim Ducks squad to bring home the Cup in 2007. The plan was to forecheck more aggressively, drop the gloves to stick up for their teammates, and make opposing forwards keep their heads up when entering the Leaf zone. During the summer makeover, the Leafs added the likes of Cup winner Francois Beauchemin, AllStar Mike Komisarek and Rangers’ tough guy Colton Orr to increase the team’s levels of “pugnacity, testosterone, truculence, and belligerence.” Orr ranked 3rd in the NHL with 193 penalty minutes and chipped in 18 fighting majors last season, while Komisarek is regarded among the league’s elite stay-at-home blueliners, amassing huge shot blocking and hit totals.
Progression of the Young Guns: Key to the club’s success both this season and moving forward will be the development of the organization’s young building blocks. Luke Schenn and Nikolai Kulemin will have to avoid the dreaded sophomore curse and build off strong rookie campaigns, while newcomers Viktor “The Swedish Rocket” Stalberg and perhaps even Tyler Bozak will be counted on for some much needed offense up front after lighting up the NCAA college ranks. The Maple Leafs’ top pick from this past June, Nazem Kadri, is returning to junior to play for the London Knights of the Ontario Hockey League. The goal for him is to get another year of experience under his belt, get stronger Who will get the C?: Mats Sundin’s physically and have the opportunity much publicized and controversial to lace ‘em up for Team Canada’s departure from the Maple Leafs World Junior team in December.
Soccer teams triumph against Badgers DAVID KOOTS
ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR
The Marauders’ men’s and women’s soccer teams used Friday afternoon victories over the Brock Badgers to climb up the OUA West standings and better their playoff positions. With four games left in the season, the women have clinched a playoff spot while the men are a point away from following suit. In the women’s match, Mac improved upon a Wednesday tie against Brock to win outright 1-0. First year player Samantha McLaren (Oakville, ON) continued her strong play and scored her third goal of the season. Keeper Michelle Spadafora (Dundas, ON) picked up the shutout, the third of her year. The victory is promising for the Marauders as Brock is five points ahead in the division and could be a possible first round playoff opponent. For the men, the 3-1 victory was the third consecutive win and second straight over the lowly Badgers. Brock is currently in last place in the division and barring a shocking turnaround they are likely to finish dead last in the West. Mark Reilly (Hamilton, ON) had two goals for Mac and Omar
Nakeeb (Mississauga, ON) added the teams other tally. Matthew Grant (Brampton, ON) had another solid day in net despite letting in a goal. The goal was the first to get passed him in three matches. Both Marauder teams will play at home again this weekend with the Windsor Lancers visiting on Saturday and the Western Mustangs on Sunday. The men, now .500 on the season, look to prove they are for real against a tough Windsor team who is currently second in the division. In their first meeting, the Lancers got the better of the Marauders 1-0. The marquee matchup for the women will be Sunday’s game against Western. Western is three points ahead of Mac and if the women hope to host a home playoff game they will need to pass the Mustangs. The last time these two teams met Western embarrassed McMaster by a score of 5-0, something the Marauder players have surely not forgotten. Both women’s games kickoff at 1 p.m. at Ron Joyce Stadium with the men to follow at 3:15 p.m. This weekend marks the last home series for both squads and barring a home playoff game it could be your last chance to catch the teams live in 2009.
THE SILHOUETTE • B11
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 15, 2009
Men’s volleyball looking Women’s volleyball claims 2nd silver strong in preseason Both veterans and rookies lead Marauders to wins over Gaels and Rouge et Or
JONATHON FAIRCLOUGH / DISTRIBUTION COORDINATOR
JONATHON FAIRCLOUGH / SILHOUETTE STAFF
Wins over Queen’s and Laval this week showed the men’s volleyball team is ready for the upcoming season. MB) also had strong contributions, in Edmonton. While they graduated DAVID KOOTS ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR chipping in 17 and 13 points several key players from last year’s respectively. team, the Rouge et Or remain one The Marauders’ men’s volleyball This year’s recruiting of the best volleyball teams in all of team traveled to Kingston this past class is highly touted, with each Canada. Thanksgiving weekend to play a new player sporting an impressive Last year in Edmonton, pair of non-conference matches resume. “I’m very excited about Laval took three straight sets to against some stiffer competition working with all of these young pick up the win. But this year’s than they faced the previous week men over the next 4-5 years,” said Marauders came ready to win and in Hamilton. Prior to playing, the Head Coach Dave Preston when the in four fantastically played sets, Marauders paid a visit to a Kingston recruiting class was announced. Mac came out on top (23-25, 25Boys and Girls Club to lead about Before their next match, 23, 25-23 and 28-26). Groenveld 20 youth in a fun filled clinic. the Marauders scrimmaged against and Santoni once again led the way In their first match, Mac the Gaels in order to give some for McMaster with both players needed five sets to close out the of the younger players valuable tallying 24 points. Queen’s Gaels (21-25, 25-19, playing time. Mac also won the The Marauders now return 25-21, 23-25, 15-11). Jeremy scrimmage in five sets (18-25, 15- home to play a three game series Groenveld (Welland, ON), a 2009 25, 26-24, 25-22 and 15-12). against the University of Montreal CIS second team All-Canadian, had In Saturday’s match, with games tonight, Friday night 22 points in the match while Tyler McMaster was up against the tough and Saturday afternoon. All matches Santoni (Kingston, ON) added 21 Laval Rouge et Or. Last season, will be played in Burridge Gym points of his own. New Marauders Laval was the CIS silver medalists with the night games beginning at Paul Podstawka (Ancaster, ON) and knocked the Marauders out of 7:30 p.m. and Saturday’s at 2:30 and Kevin Stevens (Winnipeg, contention at the CIS championship p.m.
The women’s volleyball team claimed its second silver medal of ‘09. BRIAN DECKER claim as one of the top contenders SPORTS EDITOR for the 2009-2010 OUA season. The Warriors finished last season with a After picking up a silver medal 12-7 conference record, while the last week at the University of Marauders played their way to a Ottawa Invitational, the McMaster 15-4 mark. Janssen scored 18 points women’s volleyball team offered up and Holt posted 34 assists when the a repeat performance at the Mizuno- two teams met in the playoffs last McMaster Thanksgiving Classic, season, with Mac coming out on top claiming a silver medal in their with a 3-1 victory. second tournament of the season. Mac boasts three returning In a rematch of last year’s All-Stars from last season, OUA quarterfinals, Mac fell to including Jen Holt (Hamilton, ON), the Waterloo Warriors in the final, Sarah Kiernan (Hamilton, ON) and who won each set of the final Kaila Janssen (Oshawa, ON). Last match. After a tight 25-23 loss in season, Holt was named Mac’s first the opening set, the Marauders fell ever CIS All-Canadian. The fifth 25-21 and 26-24 in the final sets to year setter was a key component concede the gold medal. of the silver medal winning team, The first two rounds averaging 7.44 assists per game and saw Mac take down the Ryerson totaling 476 on the season, good for Rams 3-1, and then sneak by the fifth in the OUA. Holt was named Brock Badgers by a 3-2 final. The OUA rookie of the year in 2006, and Marauders went undefeated in has been an All-Star in each season all sets in the 2008 tournament, with Mac. defeating Toronto 3-0 in the final. The Marauders’ first Waterloo defeated Western regular season action takes place and Guelph on the way to the title, Oct. 24 against Brock in the taking the chance to make an early Burridge Gym.
DAVID WROTE FIVE ARTICLES THIS WEEK HATE HIS WRITING? WRITE FOR SPORTS! sports@thesil.ca MAC HOME GAMES THIS WEEK: THURSDAY Men’s Volleyball vs. Montreal
7:30 p.m. Burridge
FRIDAY Men’s Volleyball vs. Montreal
7:30 p.m. Burridge
SATURDAY Men’s Badminton vs. Ryerson Women’s Rugby vs.Toronto Women’s Soccer vs. Windsor Men’s Volleyball vs. Montreal Men’s Soccer vs. Windsor
10:00 a.m. Sport Hall 1:00 p.m. Back 10 Field 1:00 p.m. Ron Joyce 2:30 p.m. Burridge 3:15 p.m. Ron Joyce
SUNDAY Women’s Water Polo vs. Queen’s 12:00 p.m. IWC Pool Men’s Water Polo vs. Queen’s 1:15 p.m. IWC Pool Women’s Water Polo vs. Carleton 3:00 p.m. IWC Pool Men’s Water Polo vs. Carleton 4:15 p.m. IWC Pool Women’s Soccer vs. Western 1:00 p.m. Ron Joyce Men’s Soccer vs. Western 3:15 p.m. Ron Joyce WEDNESDAY Men’s Water Polo vs. Western italics = playoff game
8:00 p..m. IWC Pool
B12 • THE SILHOUETTE
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 15, 2009
HEALTH
production office: extension 27117
in partnership with SHEC
Feasting results in sluggish feelings MEGHA BHAVSAR THE SILHOUETTE
It might be hard during the middle of midterm season to remember how serene and relaxed you felt last weekend after a big meal or two but let me help you jog your memory. Picture those plates full of salad, mashed potatoes drenched in mom’s homemade gravy, the sweet pumpkin pie for dessert and, of course, the unforgettable slab of roasted turkey. Turkey:
generally known as the culprit of your Thanksgiving sluggishness. But, is the delicious stuffed bird of Thanksgiving fame really to blame for our lethargic, post-feasting feelings? Canada’s Food Guide to Healthy Eating lists turkey as a valuable source of protein, providing essential amino acids required for maintenance of our body tissues. Our bodies cannot synthesize essential amino acids and so we must obtain them from our
diets. One of those essential amino acids is tryptophan. Tryptophan has two main functions: to increase serotonin levels and to fight against niacin deficiency. Tryptophan is a precursor for serotonin, a chemical that relays messages from one part of the brain to the other. Many of our millions of brain cells are influenced by serotonin. These cells include those related to mood, sexual desire, appetite, memory, learning, and sleep, just to name a
PHYLLIS TSANG / ASSISTANT EDITOR INSIDEOUT
Turkey, a source of Tryptophan, is commonly accused of inducing sleepiness and inertia.
few. Tryptophan’s ability to raise serotonin levels has been recognized in treatment for depression, anxiety, and insomnia. Tryptophan also plays a key role in ensuring adequate levels of niacin, or more commonly vitamin B3. When we absorb tryptophan from our diet, part of it is converted to vitamin B3 in the liver. In turn, vitamin B3 allows our bodies to convert carbohydrates into energy. If our diet is lacking in vitamin B3, the tryptophan conversion process allows our bodies to protect against a potential niacin deficiency. Since it is an essential amino acid, a deficiency of tryptophan can cause weight loss and impaired growth in infants and children. If a tryptophan deficiency is accompanied by a dietary niacin deficiency, this may lead to pellagra, which results in diarrhea, dementia, dermatitis, and even death. It is important to note however that a deficiency of tryptophan alone will not lead to pellagra and in general, this condition is very rare in Canada. A dietary deficiency of tryptophan can also lead to a lowered serotonin level, which is associated with depression, impulsiveness, anxiety, weight gain, insomnia, and lack of concentration. Nutritionists at the University of Illinois agree that consuming an average, three ounce serving of Thanksgiving turkey, though rich in tryptophan, will not trigger our bodies to produce a significantly greater amount of serotonin because the amino acid works best on an empty stomach. Thanksgiving tryptophan has to compete with the many other amino acids that our body is trying to
use and so only some tryptophan actually makes it to the brain to help produce serotonin. Moreover, turkey contains similar levels of tryptophan as most other meats. So where do the postThanksgiving lethargic feelings really come from? Experts say that the most likely culprits are all the carbohydrates (read: mashed potatoes, bread, stuffing and pie) and alcohol we indulge in to mark a traditional Thanksgiving feast. An average Thanksgiving meal is about 3000 calories and 229 grams of fat, not including alcohol. 3000 calories is more than most of us need in a day. The overeating associated with any large meals requires that our body use a lot of energy in order to digest all of it, which results in feelings of listlessness. And, if you are looking for a way to make use of those Thanksgiving leftovers, some nutritionists say that for those who are having some trouble falling asleep, last weekend’s leftover turkey may contain the right amount of tryptophan that, if taken on an empty stomach, can help produce enough serotonin for a decent night’s sleep. Tryptophan is an essential amino acid that our bodies require. By maintaining proper eating habits, we ensure our bodies receive the proteins they need. Sources of tryptophan include red meat, dairy products, nuts, bananas, soybeans and soy products, corn, potatoes, tofu, rice, tuna, shellfish, and of course, turkey. As for our Thanksgiving sluggishness, well, the blame definitely does not lie solely with the bird!
Another annual tradition: the Pap smear LAURA MCGHIE THE SILHOUETTE
University students have a lot to stress about. Between assignments and midterms it’s often difficult to finish a load of laundry. But, as we scratch one more Thanksgiving off of the calendar, it is important to make room in those busy schedules for another, not-so-beloved annual tradition: the Pap test. Though many female students may cringe upon reading these words, understanding the procedure, results, and requirements of the test can make this yearly visit to your doctor a little more bearable. The Papanicolaou smear test, commonly known as the “Pap test” or “Pap,” detects changes in the cells of the cervix. Seen as an important preventative health measure, physicians use this test to detect cervical infection and abnormal or unhealthy cervical cells, or cervical cancer. Although some women find it uncomfortable, the Pap is a quick, generally painless and effective diagnostic tool that women should embrace, not avoid. The Pap smear procedure is simple, and normally administered during a woman’s annual health examination. Physicians begin by inserting a speculum into the vagina, which exposes the cervix for inspection. They then use a sanitized tool that resembles a Q-tip or brush to scrape cells from inside and around the opening of the cervix. The collected cells are placed in a slide and sent away for
examination at the lab. Most Pap smear results return within three weeks of the exam. Physicians generally notify patients only if they require further tests due to abnormalities on their slide. As mentioned above, abnormalities may result from infection, unhealthy cervical cells, or cervical cancer. Some physicians will additionally test for sexually transmitted infections such as Gonorrhea or Chlamydia during a Pap smear. Patients will similarly be notified only of positive results. Various factors can influence the results of your Pap test by disguising or getting rid of surface level abnormal cervical cells. The American Department of Health and Human Services recommends that two days prior to a smear, women should avoid tampon use; vaginal creams, suppositories, deodorants, medicines, douching, and sexual intercourse. Additionally, it is best to schedule your Pap test around your menstrual cycle to avoid cancellations. The Canadian Government recommends that all women above the age of 18, or those who are sexually active, receive Pap smears as part of their routine health examinations. Although various government sources disagree on how often follow-up exams should occur, generally women will be tested once a year until they reach the age of 69. Women who have had a hysterectomy or who are not sexually active do not require annual follow-up Pap smears, provided
BAHRAM DIDEBAN / MANAGING EDITOR
The papanicolaou test detects for irregular cervical cells, which is important for early diagnosis of disease. their previous tests showed no 20 and 49, as it kills approximately than a difficult academic exam. If abnormalities. Conversely, women 400 Canadian women every year. you still have questions or concerns who are HIV positive or have Since its introduction in the 1980s, regarding the Pap, do not be weakened immune systems due to the Pap smear has cut this annual afraid to ask your physician at the steroid use, chemotherapy, or organ death rate by nearly 50 per cent. beginning of your appointment to transplant are at a greater risk of Other ways to minimize the risk of explain the procedure to you. Your cervical abnormalities and should cervical cancer are limiting your doctor can also help with relaxation be annually tested. number of sexual partners and techniques to make the Pap smear Out of the possible using protection during vaginal less uncomfortable. Remember diagnoses associated with Pap intercourse. It is also helpful to that it is an important part of your tests, cervical cancer is among the know your partners’ sexual history, yearly check-up and should not be most serious. According to Health as HPV, a STI, can cause cervical avoided. The Pap test takes less Canada, cervical cancer is the cancer. While the Pap test may be a than ten minutes, which isn’t so third most common form of cancer relatively quick, painless procedure, bad considering it helps ensure your among women between the ages of many women still dread it more health.
beer • cakes on tv • hamilton restaurants julia childs • cooking with rockstars • invention of lying • ohbijou
index
C2 • the silhouette’s art + culture magazine
thursday, october 15, 2009
Senior Editor: Grace Evans Entertainment Editor: Myles Herod Music Editor: Corrigan Hammond Contributors: Catherine Brasch, Katherine Snider McNair, Harrison Cruikshank, Anna Hissain, Sarah Bolduc, Zarena Cassar, Julie Compton, Simon Granat, Noah Nemoy, Chris Hoy, Phil Wood, Trevor Roach, Robert Evans, Kevin Elliott, Alex Bissley, Aaron Joo Cover: Will van Engen
this week
what’s inside
in the hammer
Sound Bites: “Despite all the opportunity, glitz and glamour of being in Franz Ferdinand, Alex Kapranos writes in an honest and relatable way that makes the reader feel as though they are sitting in each restaurant with him.”
p.8
music Ohbijou: “Born out of Toronto’s ballooning indie, community-driven music scene, they fit the bill perfectly for the Supercrawl, an art and music celebration.”
40 Sons Casbah 9:00 p.m. Three Inces of Blood Casbah 9:00 p.m. Metric Convention Centre 8:00 p.m. Leslie Pike 1280 8:00 p.m.
don’t go to laurier brantford (come to mac)...
p.12
write for andy. musc b110.
oct. 31 nov. 4
Attack in Black Casbah 8:00 p.m.
nov. 5
Malajube Casbah 8:00 p.m.
speaking Mantracker 1280 8:00 p.m. tickets @ compass
oct.21
oct 15 oct. 15 oct. 15
Marble Index Absinthe 8:00 p.m.
Lemonwide Absinthe 8:00 p.m.
theatre oct 20.-nov.7
books
Inlet Sound Freeway Coffee House 9:00 p.m.
oct 17
p.5
Kae Sun Casbah 9:00 p.m.
oct. 19
p.10
Cuff The Duke Casbah 8:00 p.m.
oct. 17
music
television Reality Cakes: “Recently, there has been a surge in popularity of reality shows that feature cakes. There is something about watching vast amounts of sugar being crafted into outrageously beautiful and ridiculous cakes.”
Westdale Theatre Couples Retreat Fri-Sun 7:00, 9:20 Tue 7:30
oct. 24
The Invention of Lying: “Following up on his success with Extras and The Office, Gervias try’s to take his observational British humour to the big screen.”
Where the Wild Things Are The Stepfather Law Abiding Citizen Black Dynamite
Half Life Director: Anthony Black Theatre Aquarius 190 King William St. 1-800-465-7529 boxoffice@theatreaquarius.org
andy’s pick now
film
film
opening
p.6
oct. 27
Restaurant Reviews: “The Village Green Bistro in Westdale is a great place for any student who is vegetarian or who just enjoys good food.
playng
feature
turkey left overs. turkish parliamentarians. dudes named turks. hedo turkoglu. big turks (just kidding).
andy says go see mantracker at 1280. it will be awesome, i promise oct. 21 @ 8 p.m.
column
thursday, october 15, 2009
f.u.b.a.r.
remotely resemble what cooking and eating used to be. While sharing editorial column this will make me look grace evans hopelessly girl scoutlike, I have been visiting Two weekends ago I went apple a former neighbour picking with my friends. We went to of mine since I was eleven, and a local farm, picked cold, rosy apples her name is Mrs. Goodale. Mrs. off of a tree and filled gigantic plastic Goodale is halfway through her bags with forty pounds of apples one hundred and second year, and before returning home. We washed the way her and her boarder Barum dust, watermarks and unidentified organize their meals and food is sticky substances off of our apples simultaneously old fashioned and in the sink – after all, they had been forward thinking. outside, growing on trees, just hours In the spring, Mrs. previous. Then we looked up an Goodale plants seeds in old yogurt apple pie recipe, the first attempt cups in her kitchen, and fosters any of us had made at making a pie, them into little, tender green and we baked five apple pies. Eating plants, before handing them over a warm baked apple pie later that to Barum who then plants them night, I wondered if I’d ever eaten a in their garden and cares for them pie that fresh before. over the summer. Throughout How strange it is that we the summer and early fall, Barum are so alienated from our food. collects their produce, and brings When you attempt to make dinner it to Mrs. Goodale who preserves, and unwrap cellophane-packaged dries and bakes all of their fruits meat, pop a can of soup open or and vegetables. The other day dump a frozen bag of veggies into when I was there she had a sink full the microwave, this doesn’t even of parsley that she was preparing.
Then the two of them have a freezer and pantry full of frozen pies and preserved foods for the winter. Quite simply, they plan ahead and they eat locally. Mrs. Goodale and Barum’s process of meal making is laborious, but it’s becoming more and more a valid option for those who wish to be socially responsible and foodconscious. It is almost impossible to be ignorant to the growing anxieties and obsession society has with food. Companies are promoting their organic or fair trade goods, wrapped in green packaging, but at this point the green movement is so trendy it’s difficult to navigate your way through an industry that hides so many secrets in food. It seems impossible to eat well in a fast-paced society, when there is such a divide between food culture. Everybody eats, yet they eat so differently. And it’s a big divide: on the one hand there’s the fast food culture of America with rampant obesity, while simultaneously there’s a revolution brewing spewing all things organic, gluten free, fair trade or vegan. Why are we so drastically
the big tickle compiled by myes herod
“samosa” bikram abbi
the silhouette’s art + culture magazine • C3 divided? It’s obvious that a change is in order. The Slow Food movement summarizes a lot of this ideology. Slow Food preaches an approach called ecogastronomy that entails a sense of social responsibility to enjoy food and to ensure that others do so. According to slowfood.ca, ecogastronomy “is an attitude that combines a respect and interest in ecogastronomic culture with support for those battling to defend food and agricultural biodiversity around the world. Slow Food stresses the need for taste education as the best defense against poor quality and food adulteration. It is the main way to combat the incursion of fast food into our diets. It helps to safeguard local cuisines, traditional products, vegetable and animal species at risk of extinction. It supports a new model of agriculture, which is less intensive and healthier, founded on the knowledge and know-how of local communities. This is the only type of agriculture able to offer prospects for development to the poorest regions on our planet.”
Fortunately Hamilton has a lot to offer in way of the food revolution. There are dozens of farmer’s markets popping up everywhere; the Hamilton Farmer’s Market, the Maker’s Market, My Dog Joes in Westdale, as well as all of the local farms in Ancaster and Copetown. New this fall term, Mohawk College offers a course called “Eat Locally – The 100 K Menu” with Chef Chris Venhuis of Denninger’s. There is the Hamilton Eat Local Blog with tons of resources and the promotional literature that they have made so much effort to make available to the public, the Hamilton Fruit Tree Project which is a program set up to harvest the fruit from trees in Hamilton backyards and donate the fruit to social service providers. This weekend my friends and I are going to attempt to make pumpkin pie from real, recently grown pumpkins. We didn’t pick the pumpkins, but we got them from the field of a farm, and one of mine is covered in dirt. I’ll wash it off. It’s a small inconvenience in the search of fresh, real food.
q: what’s your favourite food?
& will van engen
“pasta” lindsay blackman
“pizza” zach hammel
“anything vegetarian”
chris mackie
“pasta” sarah beck
C4 • the silhouette’s art + culture magazine
mmm, beer
feature
andy’s adventures in brew Beer. Love it or hate it, by this point in your life you have probably realized that beer culture is everywhere. From our T.V. sets to our social gatherings, beer is a part of Canadiana. In fact, beer is the third most consumed drink in our home and native land. Heck, even doctors have been known to prescribe beer on occasion. But what happens when your good ol’ domestic, or even your usual import just feels a little boring? Well, have no fear Chester’s Beers of the World on 60 King east is here. A distinction should be made: this is not Beers of the World formerly on the corner of Bay and King. Instead, Chester’s Beers of the World is located on King east, South of Gore Park. This bar has been in town for twenty-seven years, and the decor looks it. Of course, that’s because the wooden stools and the backlit glass are as old as the business itself. Chester’s is reminiscent of an English pub. It is clean and well kept. The wooden entrance doors open to reveal a long and narrow bar. The walls are wood, the bar stools are wood, and the bar itself is solid oak. Chester’s lives up to their namesake. Their selection is expansive, housing 200 different types of beers from all over the world. Some from places you would expect (like Belgium and Germany), while others are a little more unique (from places like Croatia, China and Republika Srpska). Their selection is not only the biggest in Hamilton, but beers like Monty Python and the Holy Grail Ale, and Ozujsko make it the most eclectic too. At Chester’s, all beers are poured with proper technique, into a glass specifically designed for that particular type of brew. Beer pouring has become a lost art in our road house ridden world. Have you ever ordered a Guinness from Kelsey’s only to find it comes in a Coor’s Light Glass with no head? I have. Beers are served by the bottle and on average range in price from $4.13 to around $17. The most expensive beer on hand is Deus Brut des Flanders which sells for $52.13 per bottle. Do not be scared, there are plenty of great imported beers with unpronounceable names weighing in below the ten dollar mark.
Not feeling up for beer? They also keep two dozen brands of scotch in stock. Chester’s does lack in one regard – there are no Canadian craft beers, only a disappointingly ordinary selection of domestics. Maybe because ours will pale in comparison to Germany’s finest. Maybe because craft beers are new and Chester’s is slow to change. Chester’s Beers of the World is not a bar for the McMaster undergrad who wants a cheap night out. It is for those students who want to slow down, relax and revel in a great beer. A definite must for anyone who takes their beer seriously. In the past couple years the LCBO has expanded their beer selection to include some less known imports and craft beers. While they still sell illustrious imports like Guinness and Heineken; they have dared to venture fourth into new waters. And while you will not find a selection of imports as expansive as Chester’s, you will find less known beers like Faxe and Holstein on the shelf. Craft or micro-breweries are another market that the LCBO has recently tapped into. These are small local brewers who pride themselves on their care, craftsmanship and devotion to beer making. Your friendly neighbourhood liquor dispensary’s choice in craft brews depends on two factors, demand and seasonality. If customers ask for a beer, often a store will give it a ‘trial run’ on the shelf. If it sells well, it stays. If not, it will not be ordered again. Seasonal beers are also bought and shelved according to season. Pumpkin spiced beer for the fall or zombie beer for Halloween (please note: this beer is not flavoured of, or made from real zombies). What does beer matter? Sure, it gets you drunk. Sure it might cause social unrest, crime and all sorts of improper behaviour. But, when consumed in moderation beer is a beautiful thing. It is synonymous with the ivory tower experience, a social lubricant, and for some, an aphrodisiac. Beer can make friendships flourish, romances blossom, or commemorate celebration. From Mill Street to China and back again there is a whole wide world of beer out there, so get out there, raise a glass and enjoy. •Simon Granat
thursday, october 15, 2009
thursday, october 15, 2009
television
the silhouette’s art + culture magazine • C5
you can’t have your cake, and eat it too new surge in cake-making reality television shows leaves our mouths watering Recently, there has been a surge in popularity of reality shows that feature cakes. There is something about watching vast amounts of sugar being crafted into outrageously beautiful and ridiculous cakes that entrances people, not to mention the agony and aggravation that the bakers and cake builders experience when something goes wrong. Ah yes, the melt down – I’ve watched many chefs, their elbows covered in sugar, desperately trying to support some leaning tower of cake and icing and marzipan before it slides down into a messy puddle, gaudy with smooshed, multicoloured icing. I mean, take Iron Chef and Hell’s Kitchen, a big selling point for those shows was the drama, the sweaty desperation on wannabe chef’s brows while they attempt culinary perfection in sixty minutes or less. So not only does the North American viewing audience want to see cake, they want to see extreme cake, with tempers running high and proportions that exceed conventional cake dimensions. TLC’s latest addition to the world of cake TV is the reality cook-off show, The Ultimate Cake Off. Each week three impressive cake artists and their teams compete to make the ultimate themed cake for a special event, some of which have included an aquarium opening, an annual pirate fair and the National Square Dancing Convention. The winner both has their cake featured at the event, and wins a $10,000 prize. The cakes they build can only be considered epic, weighing in at hundreds of pounds and reaching a minimum height of five feet. As you’ve probably guessed by now, these are no ordinary cakes – they’re a mix of cake, platforms, dowel rods, electric wiring, intricate fondant structures and more, all finished off with airbrushed icing and dusted tints. Best of all, contestants have only nine hours to make cakes that would usually take weeks to carefully plan and build. A panel of skilled judges and the event coordinator choose the ultimate winner based on client satisfaction, technical ability and aesthetic appeal. There is also a skills test and a taste test throughout the competition – wherein the winner of each can choose another competitor to sit out of the competition for thirty minutes. By the end of the show, some of these cakes are unbelievably fantastic, while others are complete wrecks. You can
find out for yourself which cakes survive and which don’t, Mondays at 10 p.m. on TLC. Cake Boss features Carlo’s Bake Shop in Hoboken, New Jersey and the large, Italian family that makes up most of the staff. Buddy Valastro directs the proceedings at the bakery, and his arrogance and asinine behaviour make the show aggravatingly entertaining, as well as the family squabbles and clashes that provide funny conflicts. In one episode, some bridesmaids approach Buddy about making an erotic cake for their friend’s bachelorette party, and Buddy agrees, but they have to keep it from his mother (the bakery used to be run by his father after all). After covertly crafting fondant male dancers, the staff of bakers and icing artists compromise by designing little stripper costumes for the sugary strippers, which they take off after the cake has left the premises. But what will get you hooked on the show is the cake, obviously. The bakers use massive buckets of royal icing and enormous sheets of chilled pound cake for their more extreme creations. Some of the projects they’ve taken on include a disinterested yet angry bride who shows up to trash her own cake; a children’s Easter party three dimensional “Easter Bunny cake;” and a fire-fighters association cake that was in fact a 3-d house and fire truck in the midst of a rescue, that lit up. Cake Boss is over the top, in all aspects, from the cake designs to the sheer size of the cakes, to the family arguments to the enormous size of Buddy’s ego. You can watch Cake Boss on TLC. Forget sugar, spice and everything nice. Ace of Cakes is made of last-minute determination and the bravery to build just about anything in the medium of butter cream, fondant, and slabs of cake – using power tools, paintbrushes, and piping bags. Think Millennium Falcon in cake format (they have done that). Designed and baked for everything from expensive weddings to the birthdays and bar mitzvahs of spoiled brats, these cakes would undoubtedly come at a price, especially given the inordinate amount of time that goes into their creation. Star baker and food artist Duff Goldman was even commissioned to create a Harry Potter themed cake for one of the series’ movie premieres. Upon viewing the edible model of Hogwarts, Daniel Radcliffe compared it to the small-scale replica used for filming wide shots
in the movie, suggesting that they might use the cake as a replacement next time. Despite whatever obstacles might occur in any given episode, the most obvious would be the final challenge: how to go about cutting into the labour of love! You can watch Ace of Cakes on Thursdays at 10 p.m. on Food Network.
It’s not hard to see why people love cake-making reality shows so much. Cake is delicious, and who doesn’t love watching people craft the perfect cake, even if we don’t get to eat it. • Grace Evans, Zarena Cassar and Julie Compton
food
C6 • the silhouette’s art + culture magazine
thursday, october 15, 2009
the edible hammer andy offers up a dash of the best menus in town... The Village Green Bistro 925 King Street West (905) 296-6300
Mex-I-Can 107 James Street North (905) 527-1554
The Black Forest Inn 255 King Street East (905) 528-3538
Affinity Vegetarian Restaurant 87 John Street South (905) 529-2598
August 8 1 Wilson Street, Unit 12 (905) 524-3838
The Village Green Bistro in Westdale is a great place for any student who is vegetarian or who just enjoys good food. The bistro is relatively small but is a good intimate space for couples or small groups of friends. The service is very friendly and fast, it only took fifteen minutes for my Grilled Vegetable Wrap with a salad to arrive and it was delicious. The menu is very diverse and the prices are pretty reasonable as the portions of food are sizably large. The menu includes a wide variety of choices including an all day breakfast, a Panini station, an entrée menu, and a gourmet pizza section. The Bistro only seats about fifteen people but the table settings and decor are truly charming. The Village Green Bistro also offers take out and catering options if one is looking for a healthy vegetarian event that needs to be catered, or simply fast take-out. This bistro is a fresh idea for Westdale and is a good alternative to the other restaurants that are offered in the area.
Before last year, Mex-i-can was simply a place that I passed by when going to the Farmer’s market. Now, it’s a restaurant that I get a burrito from almost weekly. With authentic Mexican cuisine and the friendliest staff I’ve ever met, Mex-i-can offers options for everyone – meat eaters (including halal), vegetarian, and vegan. I’ve tried most of the items on their menu – enchiladas, tacos, fajitas, nachos, quesadillas, chimichangas, and burritos. Their spicy “superburrito” is my favourite so far, and it has become my regular order at Mexi-can; the soft corn wrap is filled to the max with veggies, rice, and salsa. The prices are more than reasonable and so are the portions – a typical meal for one-person costs approximately $10-$15. I’m vegetarian, so all the dishes I’ve tried were meatless, but since the place is always busy, I’m more than sure their meat dishes are just as good, or better. The place serves not only as a restaurant but a mini Mexican mart and a local art gallery as well.
The Black Forest Inn is located in downtown Hamilton. It is unbelievably delicious, unbelievably decorated, and unbelievably German. When I attended this restaurant, the service was superb. For dinner I had the chef’s tip of the day, ribs with sauerkraut, potatoes and a side. I upgraded to the Bavarian Onion Soup. This was a wise choice. Deliciously savory with the perfect portions of German sausage in the broth, this soup was bursting with flavour without being too salty. The ribs were a bit fatty for my own preference, but for the price I can’t complain. For dessert I had a slice of Hazelnut Torte, which was rich and delectable. My friends each had a schnitzel, there were fourteen to choose from, but the Jager Schnitzel was deemed winner in terms of main courses. Black forest cake and apple strudel also grace the desert menu and both were more than appetizing. If you’re looking for hearty German cuisine at an affordable price, try the Black Forest Inn downtown.
• Anna Hussain
•Harrison Cruikshank
Affinity Vegetarian Restaurant is a wonderful restaurant located in downtown Hamilton that serves a vast selection of authentic Asian, vegetarian, and vegan dishes. The atmosphere is calm and the staff is courteous, encouraging diners to take their time and enjoy their meal. All the food is healthy, delicious, and unique. Vegans and vegetarians will be thrilled and their non-vegetarian friends can come along without fears of alienation. Some of their dishes are familiar, such as spring rolls or chow mein, while others are more adventurous, such as the Enoki mushroom balls or white jade on vegetables. To complement your meal they have a wide selection of different teas to try out. Affinity also serves delicious soups and healthy smoothies. Fancy, but not too fancy, Affinity would be a great place to bring a date or a group of friends. The meals are well priced with fair portions. Lunches are just as good and are a bit easier on the wallet. For around ten dollars you can check out their lunch buffet or bring your student ID and get a 10% discount on the combo.
This restaurant has everything a restaurant should for a McMaster student. The price is reasonable, it is a short (and easy) bus ride away, it provides a menu which complements both sushi and nonsushi lovers, and it is, of course, allyou-can eat. As a non-sushi lover I made sure to bring a sushi-loving friend who definitely steered me in the right direction, with salmon and red dragon rolls. If you are on the opposite end of the spectrum, an experienced eater, I know that my five housemates get overly excited when they all decide to go to August 8. I would definitely recommend the dim sum, the miso soup, and the sticky rice wrapped in a leaf. Also, the crab roll that you can only order at dinnertime is fantastic. Go in a group of six, since the sushi rolls are served in sixes, that way you get to taste a little of everything with minimal food wasted. While lunch and dinner are all-you-caneat for about $16-22, whatever you don’t eat on your plate you will be charged for. While the food was great, I did find the restaurant slightly overcrowded and the service lacking.
•Catherine Brasch
•Katharine Snider McNair
•Sarah Bolduc
thursday, october 15, 2009
feature
emotional eating
the silhouette’s art + culture magazine • C7
alex bissley shares her disillusionment with the julia child phenomenon In 2002 Julie Powell, a thirty-something government administrator from Queens, decided to cook her way through the 524 recipes in Julia Child’s home-cooking masterpiece Mastering the Art of French Cooking in a year and blog about it. And we all know what happened next: her blog got a lot of attention resulting in a book deal and subsequent movie, and now Julia Child is the coolest thing since sliced bread. This bothers me; I don’t take myself too seriously but I sure do take my food seriously, and maybe that’s why this recent Julia Child phenomena has left a sour taste in my mouth. Don’t get me wrong, Julie Child was one cool lady who was also keen on food, treating the enjoyment of good food, real food (none of this dehydrated gravy and margarine crap), with utmost respect. While living in Paris in the 1950s Child discovered France’s famously decadent cuisine, realized she loved cooking almost as much as she loved eating and decided to share this appreciation of food with the American masses in Mastering the Art of French Cooking. So what’s my beef with this newfound Julia Child craze? Where Julia Child was attempting to normalize “servant-less Americans” cooking for themselves, Julie Powell has turned it into a farce. Attempting to cook 564 recipes, and not simples ones at that, in a year is indeed an impressive feat to accomplish, but is simply an unrealistic portrayal of what it means to cook for oneself, and one dangerous to our already disillusioned relationship with food. The North American relationship with food is an abusive one. We obsess over what to eat, what not to eat, how to eat, and how much. We overeat, we starve ourselves. We eat when we are bored and when we are sad; we forget to eat when we are stressed and then we eat too fast. Food is in constant negotiation between what we want and what we think. What Child was so passionate about, and what our generation seems to be missing, is the notion that food can be fun! Despite anecdotal depictions of her attempts on recipes, Powell’s experience comes across as overlyemotional and obsessive: her and her husband get into fights when her cooking starts taking up too much time; she calls in sick to work so that she has time to perfect a dish for a dinner
guest; when a series of particularly challenging dishes take a toll on her, she surrenders and declares “yogurt for dinner.” Granted, Powell never planned for her little personal challenge to get quite as much attention as it has, and she has stated that the project was more about finding herself than becoming a better cook; regardless, what kind of effect does this have on aspiring home cooks? For a culture that obsesses about food as much as we do, we don’t seem to want much to do with it and this recent Julia Child phenomena won’t change that. Sure, there may be a temporary ascend in book sales and French-themed potlucks, but as for an increased desire and inspiration to head to the kitchen and cook yourself dinner at the end of the day? I don’t think so. Cooking for oneself has become a novelty more than a necessity – in our over-busy lives it’s much easier to watch someone cook than to do it ourselves, a point that is only exaggerated in the movie. We see a jovial Julia Child living romantically in Paris, learning to cook at the Cordon Bleu and then setting of determinately to write a cookbook juxtaposed with a manic Julie Powell living in dingy Queens and constantly fretting that all this food was making her fat; while Child openly laughs at her poor omelet-flipping skills on live-air television, Powell collapses into tears on the kitchen floor over poorly-poached eggs. There is a point in the movie where Powell’s character receives news that Child isn’t a fan of her blog; that Child perceives the whole project as a disgrace to what she herself was working for. I too had trouble swallowing what was unfolding in front of me but had a hard time putting my finger on why – all she had wanted to do was pay an homage to the incredible Julia Child, right? What frustrates me (I don’t know about Child’s exact reasoning) is that Powell (and, accordingly, all her blog followers and movie-goers) have idolized her to such an extreme that we are forgetting about the food. Want to really pay homage to the French Chef? Wipe those tears from your face, roll up your sleeves and head to the kitchen to cook yourself dinner, without being afraid of breaking a few eggs in the process. •Alex Bissley
C8 • the silhouette’s art + culture magazine
literature
thursday, october 15, 2009
eating with indie rock stars
indie rock stars serve up some bizarre and delicious recipes Sound Bites: Eating On Tour with Franz Ferdinand by Alex Kapranos
Alex Kapranos’ love affair with food began in the summer of 1973 after he sneakily pillaged his mother’s house-warming party buffet only to learn that he was allergic to peanuts. For most people that might put them off food experimentation for a while, but for Kapranos this was only the beginning. From that moment on “food was an adventure.” Today, as the lead singer and guitarist for the Scottish rock group Franz Ferdinand, Kapranos has had the opportunity to travel all over the world. His book Sound Bites documents the gastronomical side of touring with a band for a year and a half. Before Franz Ferdinand, Kapranos had many jobs within the food industry including chef, winewaiter, kitchen porter and delivery driver. These jobs gave him a unique appreciation for restaurant dining and prepared food. Sound Bites acts as a window into a
world that many don’t usually experience. It’s a book that can make readers amused, jealous, hungry and disgusted. Kapranos’ experiences range from the bizarre to the painfully familiar as he describes every detail and taste in a way that only a songwriter can. He has the ability to describe food, atmosphere, and people with poetic honesty while picking up on subtle experiences that most people overlook. As The Scotsman perfectly puts it, “thoughtful prose seems to flow out of him as effortlessly as deepfried grasshoppers flow in.” Despite all the opportunity, glitz and glamour of being in Franz Ferdinand, Kapranos writes in an honest and relatable way that makes the reader feel as though they are sitting in each restaurant with him. This book isn’t about the band, songs, or backstage antics; it is a complete, thoughtful dedication to food.
Full of charming and funny anecdotes, his book is a testament to the power food has to make one jump between places, people, and time as each bite brings back old memories while creating new ones. As an added bonus, whether to be used by budding food connoisseurs or obsessive F.F. fans, Kapranos provides readers with the addresses and opening hours of all the restaurants mentioned in his book. And if you can’t make it to “Big Mouth” in Australia or “The Buttery” in Glasgow there are a couple of Kapranos-approved Toronto suggestions to try as well. A refreshing change from the typical rock star biography/ tour diary, Sound Bites is an inspiring and undeniably fun read. •Katharine Snider McNair
I like food, food tastes good: in the kitchen with your favorite bands by Kara Zuaro I Like Food, Food Tastes Good is a collection of recipes by various indie musicians from bands such as Belle and Sebastian, Ben Kweller, The Mountain Goats, They Might Be Giants, My Morning Jacket and Ted Leo and the Pharmacists. Published in 2007 by Kara Zuaro, the collection includes chapters on breakfast, soups, sides and starters, sandwiches, main courses for carnivores, main courses for vegetarians, drinks and desserts. While I’ve only attempted a handful of the recipes in the book, the best one I’ve tried is tommygun’s recipe for Sweet Potato-Mango-Chicken quesadillas. They are amazing. Basically you make a salsa out of lime juice and pieces of tomato and mango, and a blend of goat’s cheese and sour cream, then you spoon both toppings onto a warm quesadilla with Monterey jack cheese, fried sweet potato chucks and pieces of chicken. Oh trust me, it’s really good; I hate cooking and I’ve made it multiple times. The other recipes range from bizarre, ridiculously cheap, carefully thought out tour food to delicious and fulfilling. Some of the main course-type recipes include M. Ward’s vegan Greek sandwiches, Mates of State’s pear and goat cheese Panini, Death Cab for Cutie’s interesting sounding veggie sausage and peanut butter sandwich and The Violent Femmes’ wild boar ragu. Sweeter dishes include: Franz Ferdinand’s
lemon ginger flapjacks, Okkervil River’s buttermilk pie and Grizzly Bear’s pecan pie. The chapter on sandwiches looks particularly interesting: “Hayden takes the club sandwich to a new level by adding a layer of frozen lettuce, and Hudson Bell perfects a simple ham-and-cheese number with an unlikely homemade condiment.” Some of the recipes suffer because of their musician authors, who sometimes feel it is appropriate to write a recipe as if it were a slacker free verse poem (Aaron Burtch from Grandaddy’s recipe for BBQ steak) but there are some great anecdotes and contributions in there. El Hefe from NOFX shares his “specialties” consist of a “recipe” that entails mixing one package of Nissen Top Raman and one small can of corn, as well as a meal that mixes one box of macaroni and one can of chili. Devandra Banhart’s Fricanitas Rocas is an enthusiastic exclamation-littered page that would never get published in any other kind of cookbook, yet is endearingly eager. The book would appeal to music-loving chefs and armchair cookbook readers alike, because it is full of interesting bands as much as it is designed for actual cooking. •Grace Evans
thursday, october 15, 2009
off the web The Post Punk Kitchen www.theppk.com Are you vegan/vegetarian/interested in becoming/wooing a vegan/vegetarian? Are you tired of garden salads and scrambled tofu? Do you want to learn how to cook interesting food, while being entertained? If you answered yes (and even if you answered no), then the Post Punk Kitchen is the online recipe database cooking show for you! The food is not boring, the hosts are tattooed, and the musical guests provide an excellent backdrop for all your cooking adventures. So next time you find yourself musing over what to eat for dinner, be sure to check out the PPK. •Danielle Brown Slow Food www.slowfood.com Slowfood.com is your quick source for all things slow food. This site offers links, news and recipes relevant to the movement. Enhance your palette, take a slow browse and then enjoy your food. •Corrigan Hammond
under the radar Cake Wrecks cakewrecks.blogspot.com Devoted to all the hilarious mishaps that arise in the making of so-called “professional” cakes. In some cases, scripture has been lost in translation, in others, the customers definitely did not get what they had requested. Particularly tragic are the comparisons between the intended cake design, and the lopsided, unappetizing outcome. Lesson learned? Cake Decorating 101 is usually insufficient to call yourself a professional. •Julie Compton Michael Laiskonis’ ‘Notes From The Kitchen’ michaellaiskonis.typepad.com Undoubtedly one of the most creative food bloggers on the web, Michael Laiskonis has been recognized and awarded by Bon Appétit and the New York Times – and with good reason. He manages to transform flavours into new forms, making his food into artistic masterpieces. He supplies recipes too, although the amount of expertise and equipment required deem his dishes rather scientific, using sodium alginate and calcium chloride to create raspberry “caviar” pearls, for example. Oh, and if that wasn’t enough wow factor, he also takes excellent photos of his finished work. •Julie Compton
the silhouette’s art + culture magazine • C9
off the rack
Chocolat Directed by: Lasse Hallström Starring: Juliette Binoche, Judi Dench, Alfred Molina, Johnny Depp In 2000, Lasse Hallström, director of the heartwarming What’s Eating Gilbert Grape, brought a more simple film full of colour and warmth. Chocolat takes place in an unpretentious French village in 1959. It is on a gusty Sunday that an enchanting nomadic chocolatier by the name of Vianne (Juliette Binoche) and her young daughter Anouk slip into the tight-knit community to start a business. Rumors spread among the villagers but Vianne soon gains a handful of devoted customers whose lives change drastically after sampling her magical treats. Here, some great performances bubble up: Judi Dench is a callous landlord with a soft heart and Lena Olin is Josephine, an oppressed woman who is taken under Vianne’s wing. Alfred Molina, who always plays the most despicable characters, is Comte de Reynaud, the prejudiced and hypocritical town mayor. Oh, and lets not forget Johnny
Depp, playing what else, a pirate. Well technically he’s a river rat named Roux but it’s all the same. Although his character is classic Depp, his role is rather superficial and almost depreciates the authenticity of relationships in a way: while Josephine struggles to start a wholesome and independent life apart from the abusive marriage that she left behind, Vianne and Roux just happen to come together nicely in the end, through the fixing of a broken door. The movie also creates some painfully obvious parallels especially between cocoa and passion. The whole sensual aspect of chocolate is such a trite and overworked theme but I have to admit the movie is just good to look at. The accurate culinary depictions of creating such delectable confections, what with the velvety textures, the rich colors — it definitely makes you crave some good quuality chocolate. An excellent movie to watch on a windy day, just make sure you indulge along with some proper hot cocoa. None of that powdered Carnation’s instant junk. Although it lost to the Russel Crowe epic Gladiator, in 2001 Chocolat was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Picture. Even if it was winless for the night, it was nominated for five Oscars, including Best Screenplay, Actress, Supporting Actress and Original Score. - •Aaron Joo
C10 • the silhouette’s art + culture magazine
film
thursday, october 15, 2009
truth or lie?
ricky gervais’ directorial efforts lacks an honest insight The Invention of Lying Director: Ricky Gervais Starring: Ricky Gervais, Jennifer Garner
HHH
The indie comedy The Invention of Lying is the latest creation of Ricky Gervais. Following up on his success with Extras and The Office, Gervias trys to take his observational British humour to the big screen, with a comedy set in a world where only one person can lie while everyone else bluntly tells the truth. The concept is brilliant, and many of the lines are great, but unfortunately it falls short of its comic potential by being too PG and devolving into a romantic comedy during the second half. Rickey Gervais stars as Mark Bellison, an unattractive and poorly paid lecture-film writer (since there are no lies there is no fiction). To make things worse, since no one can lie, everyone bluntly tells Mark how much of a loser he is – especially his more handsome and successful co-worker Brad (Rob Lowe) and secretary Shelly (Tina
Fey). Mark soon finds himself rejected by the girl of his dreams Anna (Jennifer Garner), fired from his job, and about to get evicted, when he discovers the ability to lie. With his newfound ability he’s able to become rich by lying to the banks, and famous through his ability to write fictional stories which become blockbuster hits. He helps his loser friends Frank (Jonah Hill) and Greg (Louis C.K.) feel better about themselves through flattery and become closer with Anna. But soon problems arise. Mark makes a lie about heaven to give peace to his dying mother and ends up creating an organized religion, while at the same time Anna, who still finds him unattractive, starts dating his rival Brad. Gervais did a good job directing the film, and it flows rather nicely. Similar to his role on Extras, Gervais plays a loser who is the only sane person in an insane world. While the acting was good overall, most of the actors were typecast. Jennifer Garner plays the same hot love interest from Ghosts of Girlfriends Past. Jonah Hill is the same loser from Superbad. Even Rob Lowe,
who hasn’t had a significant movie role since the eighties, is still the same handsome bad boy from St. Elmo’s Fire. Although Tina Fey was extremely funny, she basically only had a cameo role. Her name was probably only given star billing to capitalize on her recent fame from her Saturday Night Live Sarah Palin routine. Louis C.K is an extremely talented stand up comic and a writer from The Chris Rock Show, but in his first sizeable film role he plays a depressed sulk who’s far more pitiful than funny. There are also many cameo roles of big stars like Philip Seymour-Hoffman and Ed Norton. The Invention of Lying is another example of a brilliant idea which fell short of its potential. The concept is ingenious, and has provided Gervais a platform to show both his comedic mind and take shots at concepts of love and religion. He created a believable world of what it would be like if everyone told the truth with lecture films replacing fiction and love reduced to a quest for an attractive and successful mate. However the film had several shortcomings.
The movie was fairly PG, limiting it to being just another cute comedy. While the film does parody religion the subplot did not get enough screen time. When Mark discovers the ability to lie and does do some immoral things, they are fairly tame and he remains a good person, instead of trying to gain sex and power which most people would do in his situation. While some might say that if Mark went for the sex and power route then the film would be cliché, but as is, it’s clichéd anyways. While the first half was a cute, funny, and unique comedy, the second half is your typical romance schmaltz where Mark desperately tries to woo Anna through genuine feelings instead of using lies. But despite these problems The Invention of Lying is one of the most unique comedies of the year. It’s no Funny People, and runs out of steam during the second half, but it deserves credit for the concept and has some pretty good lines. It would make a good date movie and also a good DVD rental if you’re bored and want something to watch. •Noah Nemoy
thursday, october 15, 2009
classic review
in stereo
the silhouette’s art + culture magazine • C11
featured review
In 1968, no one anticipated the artistic transformation that the Rolling Stones – then, merely perceived as the “anti-Beatles,” a gang of longhaired, dope-smoking rock and roll bad boys, were about to undergo. Although they had emerged out of the mid-sixties in a unique position, both as serving heroes of the famed British Invasion and as the ambassadors of the burgeoning British Blues Revival, they had had a tough 1967. First there were the drug busts – and despite a certain heir to the British throne getting them off the hook the year before, in
February 1967, British police launched the first of two major raids against the band. In May, the second raid resulted in charges being laid against guitarist Brian Jones that nearly crippled the band’s commercial prospects in the United States. And then there was the music. Caught off guard by the commercial success of the Beatle’s recent foray into pyschedelia, the Rolling Stones, then chiefly an R&B outfit quickly recorded one of the decade’s great artistic blunders, Their Satanic Majesties Request. The album was an ill-conceived, poorly executed, fragmented mess. However, following the release of the Band’s first self-titled album in summer of 1968, the Rolling Stones became inspired to return to their blues and R&B roots. With Side A kicking
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August Burns Red Constellations
Corb Lund Losin’ Lately Gambler
Nine Mile Country Porno Electric Fireplace
Rain Machine Rain Machine
In the saturated, overexposed genre of metalcore, the difference between good and generic bands can sound inches away yet be miles apart. Nowhere is this more evident than here in Constellations. August Burns Red still sound like generic, derivative metalcore, but they do a hell of a job playing it. Constellations is chock full of what makes this genre fun: jackhammer breakdowns and fret board acrobatics. The song structures never sound fragmented or forced as dueling guitars tastefully weave in and out of vicious mosh sequences to create a savage yet beautiful tapestry. While never venturing into clean singing, the vocals have quite the dynamic range and avoid the trap of lazy, monotonous death grunts. With Constellations, ABR offer a solid metalcore release to help salvage the genre from merely being the shameful bastard child of metal and hardcore. •Chris Hoy
Following 2007’s foray with the cavalry, Horse Soldier! Horse Soldier, the “Hurtin’ Albertan” is back with the a new disc of the sort of alt-country that made him the most acclaimed Canadian country singer of the past decade. On Losin’ Lately Gambler, Lund sticks to what he does best – up-beat stompers about whisky, rodeos and ranching, ballads about poker players, and a quick ditty poking fun at his second favourite province, Saskatchewan. The result is that Lund does something remarkable on this new disc, he both grows as an artist while safely sticking to the musical territory that he is most comfortable with. •Corrigan Hammond
Following the path of great Canadian groups like The Band and Blue Rodeo, the music defies classification but has a strong roots flavour. There has been a definite move towards country (with some tasty pedal steel licks) as well as a fine reggae groove on “Generation Gap.” Local neo soul singer Matt York offers some fine vocals on “Rise and Stand.” In fact I have played two songs from the CD on my CFMU soul music program “Soul in the Hole” – “Church” and “West Coast.” As always Dave Tolley is laying down the percussion with vocals added by D’Ari’s partner Mel Larkin. These guys are really tight. Check them out. I have been a Nine Mile fan since the group’s 2003 EP “Glance.” Along the way I picked up their full length CD “Close To Touch.” But this CD is something entirely different for the group. • Phil Wood
The self-titled album Rain Machine shows a very interesting side of Kyp Malone, the guitarist of the fairly popular band, TV On The Radio. Echoing the bizarre vocal stylings of David Bowie, Malone takes you on a musically diverse trip with his fast-paced songs awkwardly trying to imitate the TV On The Radio vibe. The slower songs, however, have a more appealing raw emotion that is nicely complimented by precise percussion, effective harmonies, and some beautiful melodic sitar/ banjo playing. With atypical timing and raw emotion, Rain Machine offers a unique mix of tuneful styles in a musically intriguing way. •Trevor Roach
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The Rolling Stones Beggar’s Banquet
off with Rocky Dijon’s legendary bongo beat from “Sympathy For The Devil,” and with Brian Jones’s jangly guitar launching Side B into “Street Fighting Man,” Beggar’s Banquet became not only a reminder of the strength the group had shown on their earlier releases, but also a promise of the soulful blues that would turn the group into the biggest band of the 1970’s. Yet, Beggar’s Banquet is a unique disc for the group, since it would be Brian Jones’s final appearance before his sudden death. As a result, The Rolling Stones, despite the brilliance of their work over the next decade, would never be able to recapture the same spirit that made Beggar’s Banquet into the commercial and artistic success that it was. •Corrigan Hammond
Brand New Daisy
Brand New reinvent their sound with each new album, and Daisy is no exception. On first listen I was quite particular about which tracks I liked and disliked, but after listening the album many more times I found all the tracks have grown on me. The songs are mostly progressive and short with powerful climaxes drifting into the next track flawlessly. The title track turns suddenly from soft delicate guitar picking into a crashing, sloppy and inconsistent flow of chords and cymbals. Another quality taken from their previous album is the strange elements they incorporate, such as opening and closing the album with sampling of “On Life’s Highway,” a gospel hymn written by Bertrand Brown, or the track “Be Gone” which has a form blues guitar accompanied with vocals distorted enough that they aren’t even comprehendible. Daisy focuses on changing between very aggressive melodies and mellow soft ones, while Jesse Lacey’s vocals are either full frontal yelling or calm, reserved, and gentle. All these elements work together to create a great listening experience, from start to finish. While Daisy might not be appreciated by fans of their earlier work, it is definitely a great new step in the band’s evolution and a testament to their continuously original sound. Definitely worth the buy. •Robert Evans
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C12 • the silhouette’s art + culture magazine
music
thursday, october 15, 2009
singing in the rain
andy has a scrumptious chat with indie darlings ohbijou
Perhaps one of the best parts about getting to spend a few moments with the Toronto indie septet Ohbijou at Hamilton’s recent first annual James St. N. Supercrawl was that it was under a roof. “It’s raining you guys,” was all vocalist/guitarist Casey Mecija, barraged by a sea of umbrellas from the crowd, and with the most charming and innocent disposition possible, could muster between songs during her band’s set. “Oh my goodness, I’m sorry I can’t stop talking about the rain,” she laughed a few moments later, “but it’s so awesome you guys are sticking it out for this great event.” Melancholic weather notwithstanding, it’s no surprise that Ohbijou was there to stick it out too. Born out of Toronto’s ballooning indie, community-driven music scene, they fit the bill perfectly for the Supercrawl, an art and music celebration which had part of James. St. N. closed. Ohbijou of course is used to being labelled as the “epicentre”—to use NOW magazine’s term—of an emerging DYI-style scene. In 2007 the band orchestrated the Friends in Bellwoods compilation album, named after the band mates’ former Bellwoods Ave. home in Toronto, where many of the songs were actually recorded. The band is naturally humble about all of the praise. “The thing is, ‘community’ is such a loaded term,” Mecija explained. “The house served as a hub for us and all of our friends, a place for us to play music and get together. We’ve met a lot of awesome people and it was mostly just our friends coming over to our house to jam and play music.” In August, Friends in Bellwoods II was released,
further solidifying Ohbijou as a rising force in Toronto’s indie community. “[The album] is definitely an extension of the first one,” said Mecija. “It all originated from the house and it was a great experience to just get together and make music with our friends. And all of the proceeds go to the Toronto Food Bank, which is a great cause.” Beacons, the band’s second full-length album, was also released over the summer, and the album shows a much more nuanced maturity over the eclectic indie/pop mix found on their debut, 2006’s Swift Feet for Troubling Times. “The recording sessions for this album were different because we’ve learned a lot since the last one,” bassist Heather Kirby told me. “We took a couple of trips outside of the city and really separated ourselves from everyday life for a while.” Kirby, along with Mecija, cellist Anissa Hart, and mandolinist Andrew Kinoshita, were all quick to credit the Indie Band Residency they experienced at the Banff Centre for the Arts—where they were one of three bands chosen by the Alberta-based Centre to spend two weeks developing as a band and work with top producers and engineers. “It made a huge difference and it was definitely a very involved process that impacted our last album,” said Kirby. “We also didn’t need to worry about impressing anyone there or playing any shows or anything like that,” added Kinoshita. “It was great to work with so many professionals and they had such an amazing setup there. It was a great experience.” Ohbijou, who is rounded out by Mecija’s sister Jenny on violin, James Bunton on drums, and Ryan Carley
on piano, certainly have been making a lot of headway over the past several months. In partnership with CBC Radio 3 and Exclaim! magazine, Aux.tv chose them as the X3 artist of the month for August, and their new music video for the song “New Years” is now getting regular airplay on MuchMusic. Hart credited the Exploding Motor Car company for producing the aesthetically innovative music video: “I’m more excited for the people that made that video, because they worked so hard on it, and I’m just really glad how it came out and how people are having the opportunity to see it.” The band acknowledges the difficulties that come along with more mainstream attention but are excited about the opportunities. “The more people that are listening to our music and appreciating it is a great thing,” said Kirby. “I think anytime you have more people listening to music and appreciating music is a good thing.” “Can you guys see yourselves becoming the next Tegan and Sara, or the next Feist, or the next Lights, and if so, is that intimidating at all?” I asked. At this question the band seemed to reveal some vulnerability, but Mecija’s humble, easy-going answer prevailed and showed why Ohbijou is making such a dent in the indie scene. “We have a lot of things we need to do. For one, we need to work on making a really good next album. All of the musicians you just named are very successful artists, so it would be amazing to be at their calibre. I just look forward to whatever comes next for us.” •Kevin Elliott