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McMASTER UNIVERSITY'S STUDENT NEWSPAPER / THURSDAY, OCTOBER 22, 2009

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No-board mandate sets possible TA strike

VOLUME 80, NO. 10

Cutting the ribbon for a greener Mac

SELMA AL-SAMARRAI SENIOR NEWS EDITOR

The University and the CUPE 3906 union met on Oct. 14, 15 and 16 for three days of negotiations with the attendance of a provincial conciliating officer. The university proposed a package on Oct. 14, the first day of negotiations, that included a few changes to the contract, including making the contract two years long as opposed to three, increasing hourly wages of graduate teaching assistants from 38 dollars to 39.30 dollars by the end of the two year contract and increasing hourly wages for undergraduate TA’s from $20.75 to $22.05. The CUPE 3906 members then presented a package on Oct. 15 regarding changing some language issues in the contract. This was followed by further changes to the language in the contract, which was presented Oct. 16. Some language changes include providing the union with departmental handbooks to the classes they teach, as opposed to having the TA’s buy them, and that the employer will pay 12,000 dollars to the union on Sep. 1 of each contract year as opposed to providing the amount at an annually increased plan. Bargaining team member of CUPE 3906 Derek Sahota explained that at midnight on Friday Oct. 16, their most updated monetary proposal was handed to the University representatives, “We slimmed down a lot of things, we figured out what was the bare minimum to figure out everything, and this was done separately by the union. So on midnight on Friday we presented the monetary package.” • PLEASE SEE CUPE, A5

CHRISTOPHER CHANG / SILHOUETTE STAFF

The new Engineering and Technology building features environmentally-friendly innovations and is scheduled to be categorized as LEED gold. LILY PANAMSKY

ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR

The opening ceremony for the new Engineering and Technology building at McMaster will take place from Oct. 22-25. Dr. David Wilkinson, dean of Engineering, describes the building as functioning “roughly half for teaching and half for research.” The building consists of

five floors and a basement. The lower three floors are primarily for level one engineering undergraduate students and the Bachelor of Technology program. The upper three floors, some of which are not yet complete, are for research and graduate activity. The top floor is the School of Engineering Practice. The ceremony will consist of several activities. A symposium on the future of engineering and a lecture by Dr. Gilles G. Patry,

former faculty member at McMaster and former President of the University of Ottawa, will be given on Thursday. The ofﬁcial cutting of the ribbon will take place on Friday. Wilkinson explained, “One of the things that’s cool about the ribbon cutting is that we’re not just going to have someone standing with a pair of scissors. One of the research areas involved in the new building will be medical robotics, and so we’ll be cutting the ribbon with a

scalpel that’s operated robotically.” The Saturday ceremonies consist of the unveiling of both a speciﬁc type of clock called a “chronos clock” built by mechanical engineering students in collaboration with ﬁne arts students and holographic art pieces that are installed in the building. There will also be an alumni event on Saturday, for which alumni will be invited to take a tour • PLEASE SEE NEW, A4

Ontario highest tuition fees in Canada Tuition fees increased by an average of 3.6 per cent in 2009/2010

SELMA AL-SAMARRAI

SENIOR NEWS EDITOR

The Daily announcements from Statistics Canada released a summary on Canadian University tuition fees on Oct. 20, 2009. The release issued provincial comparisons of tuition fees and discussed the costs of education for graduate students,

dentistry students and international students within Canada. Canadian full-time, undergraduate students experienced the same 3.6 per cent increase in tuition for the 2009/2010 academic year that they did in the 2008/2009 academic year. Only three provinces were exempt from tuition increases this academic year. They were:

Five Silhouette editors tour Toronto’s Steam Whistle brewery and learn the basics of brew. InsideOut, B7

Inside the Sil this week

Online medical ﬁling system . . . . . . . . . . .A3 Physical disability seminar . . . . . . . . . . . . .A3 Blood donation shortage . . . . . . . . . . . . .A5 Obama’s Nobel Prize . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .A7

Newfoundland and Labrador and graduate students went up in eight the province of New Brunswick, provinces. where tuition was unchanged, and In both the academic year the province of Nova Scotia, which of 2008/2009 and the academic experienced a 3.2 per cent decrease year of 2009/2010, undergraduate in tuition. students in dentistry paid the highest Manitoba experienced a tuition fees, at an average of 13,988 4.3 per cent increase in tuition fees, dollars. This amount is three times Saskatchewan experienced a 3.4 the average of most undergraduate per cent increase, British Columbia disciplines. The second highest experienced a 2 per undergraduate cent increase and discipline was Ontario experienced It was reported that medicine, at an a 5 per cent increase. of 10,216 undergraduate average It was dollars. students in reported that Ve t e r i n a r y undergraduate m e d i c i n e Ontario paid students in Ontario undergraduate the highest paid the highest students experienced tuition fees in the largest tuition tuition fees Canada at an average fee increase of 15.6 in Canada of 5,951 dollars. per cent, followed at an average Quebec by a 6.5 per cent undergraduates paid of 5,951 dollars...” tuition fee increase the lowest tuition in architecture. fees this year, at an Law experienced average of 2,272 dollars. a 5.9 per cent increase, and Estimated nationally, business, management and public graduate students experienced a administration experienced a 1.9 higher raise in tuition fees, at 4.7 per per cent increase. cent, than undergraduate students The average increase who experienced an increase of 3.6 in tuition fees for international per cent. students in undergraduate programs In addition, fees for was 7.1 per cent at an average of

Left out of hip culture . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .A7 Balloon boy copy cat. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .A12 Women’s Rugby . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . B1 Men’s Basketball . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . B4

15,674 dollars. Tuition fee increases for international undergraduate students was implemented in all provinces but Newfoundland and Labrador. The international undergraduate tuition fee increase ranged from 0.4 per cent in Nova Scotia to 18.9 per cent in Alberta. International graduate student tuition fees experience an average 5.1 per cent increase from the previous academic year in most provinces, except in Manitoba where they decreased by one per cent and in Prince Edward Island which experienced a 9 per cent increase. Quebec experienced an 8.2 per cent increase. The international graduate student tuition fees remain unchanged in the province of Newfoundland and Labrador and New Brunswick. Compulsory fees increased 6.8 per cent nationally, compared with last year. Alberta, at 31.1 per cent had the highest increase in compulsory fees for undergraduate students. Prince Edward Island had the highest increase in compulsory fees for graduate students at 8.9 per cent.

Hamilton Opera . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . B8 Workplace wellness . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . B9 Where the Wild Things Are . . . . . . . . . . .C6 Spiral Beach . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .C7

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A D V E R T I S E M E N T

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THE SILHOUETTE • A3

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 22, 2009

Newsbites Medical filing system now available online Compiled By Jennifer Bacher Heart attack in two bites or your money back A new cheeseburger has been created, the recipe for the burger is said to have come from a bar owner in Georgia who ran out of burger buns and started using doughnuts instead. The bacon cheeseburger with glazed Krispy Kreme “buns” has already proved a huge hit at the Big E fair in Massachusetts where 17,000 of them were eaten. The best part, Krispy Kreme’s burger packs a massive 1,500-calories.

SANTINO MARINUCCI SILHOUETTE STAFF

A new web-based medical filing system known as OSCAR has been developed by Dr. Chan, family physician and IT Director along with his team of nine programmers. The idea was to have an open source web based program that allows physicians from across Canada and, eventually, internationally, to easily access their patient’s medical files from any location on the computer. The term “open source” refers to when the program is subject to change; in other words, Hot chocolate could help brain other programmers are welcome to activity contribute to the script of OSCAR. Harvard research has found that Chan explained, “If I own the drinking hot chocolate could software I can do anything I want, stimulate increased brain activity. but what I want is to be able to give Harvard medical scientists, this away freely. Not only that, I studying people aged 59 to 83, want to make sure that it would found that those who regularly protect those who receive this [for] drank a cocoa flavanol-rich had free, so that at no point of time in an eight percent increase in the future when I change my mind, brain blood flow after just one would they be stuck.” Chan further week. Scientists speculate that explained that, in developing the maintaining an increased blood software, he wanted it to be open flow to the brain could slow the for people to contribute and produce cognitive decline of dementia when scripts that could potentially the flow of blood to the brain slows improve the software. over time. OSCAR was developed and released in November of 2002, Musical road out of tune with but has started to gain notarity locals recently because of the adaptability A road in England had a series of of the web-based. Chan suggested grooves cut into it so that as a car that this program would be very passed over at 55mph the sound beneficial towards medical practices would resonate and drivers would and clinics because it would have hear the Lone Ranger theme song. low costs and require little training The experts behind the road said for doctors and technicians. “We the high-tech sounds would be like to think that all the practices limited to those inside the car and would seriously look at OSCAR, it anyone else would just hear the provides a very private and modern normal sounds of traffic. Locals say medical record for the healthcare they are now subjected to an offpractices for very low costs, the key and oddly paced version of the costs would come in the way of famous tune that keeps them awake maintenance and support and at night. You can’t give money away in London To test the financial savvy of Brits, a money website sent people dressed in sandwich boards offering free money to the streets of London and Manchester. The boards clearly said anyone who asked would be given a £5 note. Despite this, only 28 people took them up on the offer, although 1772 walked by. Even as some were given the cash it did not start a stampede. The people behind the stunt say it was designed to illustrate that Brits are unwilling to take even the simplest steps to improve their financial situation and as the reason why the UK could be heading into a recession. 10-year-old fans suing over Beckham shirt Two young David Beckham fans are suing each other over who owns a shirt the player threw to them at an LA Galaxy game. While one boy caught the famous number 23 shirt, his best friend claimed it was intended for him and a fight broke out between them. Now their parents have got involved and are even hiring lawyers to take the battle to court. M16 recruits spies on Facebook The British Secret Intelligence Service (SIS) has started advertising on Facebook to find potential MI6 agents. The ‘Spy Wanted’ ads are part of a drive to reach a large and wide variety of people says the Foreign Office. One of the ads reads “Time for a career change? MI6 can use your skills. Join us as an operational officer collecting and analyzing global intelligence to protect the UK.” Would-be James Bonds are directed to the SIS website, where candidates can fill out application forms online. New fake pregnancy test A new fake pregnancy test has been invented that always ends up positive, no matter how many times you pee on it. First date gone wrong Terrance McCoy of Detroit was out at a restaurant on a first date. When it came time to pay the bill, he told the woman he was with that he had forgotten his wallet in her car. When she gave him the keys so that he could go back and get it, McCoy drove away, stealing the car. He was later arrested and sentenced to at least two years of prison for stealing a woman’s car. Police stop nude jogger A man has been given an official warning after being found jogging with only running shoes, sunglasses, a pouch around his waste, and a baseball cap. He claimed his skin could absorb more oxygen this way.

FARHANG GHAJAR / THE SILHOUETTE

Online medical filing system after more easily accessible and effective than traditional filing systems. training.” When asked about the difficulty of learning the program, Chan replied, “I would say if you can use Google you can use OSCAR, you can use any browser, you would log onto the OSCAR server and the server would contain everything that the old paper chart would have”. The program will incorporate new elements not seen before in healthcare. Chan said OSCAR will provide a feature that notifies patients of important information, which is then sent to their file. The information would be about things such as newly infectious diseases that are spreading, or if a patient has missed their shots “because of the nature of the intelligence that will be built into the program there will be things that the chart did not have before, such as reminders, it might say

that ‘hey you need a tetanus shot’ or the latest thing about treating H1NI is this and does this patient have these symptoms?” He also that OSCAR can highlight results and summarize tests for a patient, the program will even graph it and give a visual representation. “When you are ordering a medication it will check to see if you are allergic to it and that you may be taking another medication that may be giving you an adverse effect if you put the two together,” continued Chan. He included that this would be a weight off of doctors shoulders and in the long term improve and develop the medical community. This new software has the potential to not only improve the medical record system in clinics and doctors’ ofﬁces; it also has the likelihood of speeding up the research process at universities

and hospitals. Chan explained that programs like OSCAR have existed at McMaster for years, but that they serve an important purpose—to limit the time it takes to manually search through medical files of various patients while conducting research. He explained that “A residence would initiate a research question, how we doing in managing a serious illness, let’s say for example Congestive Heart Failure. So they would go to the electronic medical record and find patients who have had this condition and they would review the charts”. He also said that this process would generally take longer without such a program because researchers would have to manually look through the files “It [OSCAR] is very beneficial to use if you have to look through hundreds of files manually and do a manusearch which is very cumbersome.”

Physical disabilities seminar held at Mac New energy Seminar examines activities for people with physical disabilities MELANIE FERRIER SILHOUETTE STAFF

On Oct. 16, a collage of professors, scientists, students, community members and service providers gathered at the David Bradley Athletic Center (DBAC) to promote the inclusion of people with disabilities in community recreational programs. All Abilities in Action was hosted by SCI Action Canada and the Active Living Alliance for Canadians with a Disability. It was sponsored by the Morris Law Group. SCI Action Canada is a McMaster-grown alliance of researchers and community partners dedicated to promoting physical activity among Canadians living with spinal cord injuries. The Active Living Alliance for Canadians with a Disability is a non-governmental organization that encourages physical activity among all people with disabilities. The day began at 9:00 a.m., with a number of individuals speaking on behalf of the disabled community as a whole. Among these were Mark Mindorff, director of DARTS Transport, and Graeme Murray, a Paralympics athlete and gold medalist. Each speaker outlined the many obstacles, which prevent people with disabilities from participating in physical activities, but also encouraged the audience by Dr. Kathleen Martin Ginis discussed the importance of providing highlighting new opportunities and services for people with disabilities. the prospect for further change. For the past eight years, was both excited about the day’s The afternoon was divided between Focus Group Discussions, Ginis, a professor with the activities and optimistic about the an opportunity for the participants Department of Kinesiology at event’s impact: “The whole purpose to share their experiences related McMaster, has been studying the of the event is to showcase physical physical activity of activity opportunities for people to physical activity people with spinal with disabilities… so the whole day access, and The whole cord injuries. She was geared towards people who are adapted sports. The has also been deeply on the front-lines providing services involvement of purpose of the involved with the to individuals [with disabilities]… ‘Bridging the Gap,’ event is to Mac Wheelers students [who are] the next a division of the showcase exercise program, generation of service providers… Ontario Wheelchair and also the community at large.” which ultimately Sports Association, physical activity According to Jason encouraged her equipped each opportunities to establish SCI Dunkerly of the Active Living participant with a specialized for people with dis- Action Canada and Alliance, McMaster students can begin promoting promote physical activity among wheelchair in order to abilities...” the physical activity people with disabilities through, participate in sports of people with “a lot of it just comes down to such as wheelchair communication… to say, ‘Hey, disabilities. b a s k e t b a l l , “For eight years, come out and we’ll make this work. wheelchair rugby, we’ve had this great centre for We’re open to being inclusive.’” and Gold Ball. Ginis echoes this sentiment To close off the afternoon, people with spinal cord injuries,” participants were given a tour of Ginis explained, “but a few years by adding, “a lot of people [with the Mac Wheelers exercise facility, ago I started realizing that we disabilities] are shy about going to could be reaching a lot more people the gym… We need to do a better located in the Ivor Wynne Center. It was a busy day for all than we [were]. It’s not enough job of promoting these things involved, but especially for Dr. to just wait for people to come so that activities for people with Kathleen Martin Ginis, founder to us to exercise; we need to take disabilities becomes commonplace. of SCI Action Canada and one of information about this activity out When it becomes commonplace, people with disabilities will feel the main energies behind the day’s to the community.” With this in mind, Ginis more comfortable.” events. JONATHON FAIRCLOUGH / SILHOUETTE STAFF

audit program helps city of Hamilton LILY PANAMSKY

ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR

The faculties of Civil and Mechanical Engineering have partnered up with Union Gas to create a new Energy Audit program. The program goes into public and catholic schools and various industries in the HamiltonWentworth area and creates energy audits for them. They then provide recommendations to help reduce their energy bills, thereby aiding the environment. Civil Engineering Professors Samir Chidiac and Michael Tait, and Mechanical Engineering Professors James Cotton and Mohamed Hamed are overseeing the program. Cotton explained, “We’re looking more and more not just how to generate energy, but how to save it…. We need as much data as we can possibly acquire, and this data is not readily available. We’re [examining] about 150-160 schools. We’re going to have very accurate data of 40 of them, but we’ll have data for all 160 of them so we can do some archetyping and see what works and what doesn’t work, what works a little bit better, how things have changed over the years.” The audits will be examining aspects such as heating and cooling systems, and heat losses in buildings, as well as average annual savings, and payback periods. Union Gas has donated $500,000 to the initiative. Although there is no target reduction percentage that the Energy Audit program plans to achieve, Cotton remained enthusiastic about the amount of energy the schools and industries will be able to reduce. “Union Gas”, he explained, “has demonstrated considerable savings but they have other audit programs and their Enersmart program. [One of their reports reveals] 139,000 tons of C02 [reduction]. “ The program is an opportunity for students at McMaster University to get involved in the energy and engineering ﬁeld. It hired four engineering students in June 2009 to perform the audits as part of a 16 month co-op term; after the end of the 16 month term, four other students will be hired. McMaster is the second university to undergo an energy audit program of this kind, after Windsor University in Windsor, Ontario. However, Cotton stated, “We’re doing it a little bit more

A4 • THE SILHOUETTE

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 22, 2009

New Engineering building opening ceremonies set to start today

Ribbon-cutting robot, holographic art, time capsule all part of festivities

LEED gold building.” LEED stands for of the Engineering and Technology Leadership in Energy and building. Environment Design. The building is a leading There are different levels example of environmentally- of LEED, and LEED gold is one friendly design. Wilkinson stated, of the highest levels. It would “The building is scheduled to be a be the first LEED gold building • CONT’D FROM A1

at McMaster University. Some innovative aspects of the building include a system that captures rainwater on the roof and transfers it to the basement, where it is converted to portable water for use outside and inside, including toilet water. Light sensors are able

to monitor the amount of lighting in rooms based on activity and movement, and air-to-air heat exchanges replace escaped heat with captured heat from fresh air outside. Wilkin explained that funding for the building came from a variety of sources,

including provincial support for the Bachelor of Technology program and for provincial initiatives for graduate student growth, private donations with industrial partners and individuals, and funding from the Canadian Foundation for Innovation.

CUPE negotiations bleed into final week of October • CONT’D FROM A1 Some of the issues that the CUPE 3906 membership hope will be addressed in the upcoming negotiations days on Oct. 29 and Oct. 30 include limiting the amount of students in tutorials through requesting that the departments pay the TA’s for every additional student. “What we decided was an incentive model, you put a cap or a number in, but then you can add more students, it just costs the department who has to pay extra for every student that goes in which recognizes the extra TA work and works as well as a disincentive to overstaff the tutorial and create a big inequity between tutorials,” elaborated Sahota. Another fact is that even though the number of TA’s in the union is consistently increasing, the standard 100,000 dollar benefit fund contribution from the university is not changing. Bargaining team member Rebecca Strung argued that the issue of benefits was not addressed at all. The issue of the decrease in take-home pay as a result of tuition increase remains a problem due to the fact that the wages and benefits are not increasing at a comparable rate. “The graduate TA’s increase isn’t anywhere near the cost to offset the rise of tuition so people still take less take-home pay… It is therefore very reasonable for us to ask to review amount of compensation,” explained Sahota.

Strung explained what her expectations are for the next few days of negotiations, following the very recent submission of the Union’s monetary proposal. “We expect to hit the ground running on Oct. 29… They now have two weeks to figure out the decisions.” The no-board mandate which was granted to the union allows them to legally strike starting Oct. 31. “What will happen really depends on where we’re at in negotiations. If we’re at the table and we’re making a great effort to make a collective agreement and there’s an agreement in sight then there’s no way we’re going to stop negotiation and go on strike because the deadline is met,” explained Strung. Andrea Farquhar, Director of Public Relations at McMaster, explained the plans for the next two days of negotiations, “The two days scheduled for [Oct.] 29th and 30th are going to be important ones, the focus on those days will be far more on the monetary issues, we’re looking at providing wage increases to TA’s at both graduate and undergraduate levels. Now we look at whether we’re putting money into benefits or wages. Our belief here is that TA’s, getting the money upfront as a part of their pay would certainly be beneficial.” Farquhar assures that if a strike occurs, classes will continue and the university will remain open.

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 22, 2009

THE SILHOUETTE • A5

Science and Engineering olympics

TERRY SHAN / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

High school students tested out their inventions and competed with each other at the annual Sciene and Engineering olympics. SIMON GRANAT

SILHOUETTE STAFF

On Thursday Oct. 15, 2009 McMaster welcomed 1000 students from 50 different high schools to the 20th annual Science and Engineering Olympics. It was a day-long competition spread throughout the campus between high schools from across Ontario. This year the event was inaugurated by Melanie Kok a Canadian Olympic medalist in rowing at the 2008 Beijing Games and current McMaster student. The event offered competitions for both students and teachers. As an incentive McMaster offered a total of $20,000 in scholarships to be spread amongst the winning teams. Each student on the gold winning team received $500, silver $300, and bronze $100. There were 13 events available for students to enter, such as Chemical Forensics, Egg High Jump and Engineering Jeopardy. Teachers were eligible to compete in only one event, in which they constructed and launched water bottle rockets. All teachers competing in the

event were awarded $100 in entrance scholarships to be given to any student. Those who could launch their rocket the greatest distance were awarded further tuition prizes of $1500 for ﬁrst, second $900, third $500, fourth $300, and creative design $200. Winners of the competition have not yet been released. In addition to competitions six information sessions were provided. These were presentations relevant to new and interesting developments in science and engineering. Some lectures offered were, Angels and Demons: Science and Cinema, and Engineering and the Brain, a bioscience workshop that looks at biomedical technologies such as hearing aids and biotic arms function. Jennifer Stoneburgh, promotions captain for the Olympics, said, “I think that it’s a great opportunity for Mac to get their names and their programs out there and for upper year students to interact with incoming students and see the interests in where to focus for university and where to go on.”

Kok welcomed students to the daylong event. Kok is a ﬁrst year graduate student of neuroscience here at McMaster. She attended the opening event with her bronze medal around her neck, which she won in women’s lightweight double sculls rowing. “I’m not that protective of it or anything,” Kok admitted. She spoke of parallels between the three worlds that she and the students shared; science, engineering, and athletics. “I’m sure they’ll tell you that teamwork is a pretty integral part of the experience [at McMaster]…I think that you’ll ﬁnd that the ideas that you generate together are better than the ones that you could have come up with on your own.” Speaking of her experience at the Olympics, Kok encouraged students to push themselves. “These kinds of achievements are only possible because those who are doing it refuse to have limits placed on them. They refuse to put a limit on human potential and I think that’s really one very important thing we can take away.”

Future of blood donation McMaster research reveals blood donation problems SAM COLBERT

constraint and accessibility. While young people are more ﬂexible in their schedules, the older population Canada’s healthcare system is more commonly has commitments facing a shortage in donated blood like full-time jobs and families. supply, according to a recent study For these reasons, potential donors published by a McMaster research in the workforce are less willing team. This problem threatens the to donate, he suspects. Also, future of many life-saving and life- blood drives at high schools and prolonging medical procedures. universities make donating more The potential shortage in convenient for youth. blood donations is largely a result of Research also showed that Canada’s aging population. The age wealthy people are less likely to group most likely to give blood, 17- give blood, while highly-educated 24, is becoming a smaller portion of people, those in health-related the population, while the number of occupations and those living in blood recipients is increasing. small cities or towns, do so more “It will be a critical problem frequently. Immigrants, whether due if we continue to see to language, culture the same overall or other reasons, Of the eligible donation rates by tend to donate population groups, proportionally less, Canadian donor because there will further tilting the be fewer donors base, currently less balance between and more users,” than four percent donors and users of said Antonio Páez, give blood. This blood. lead researcher and Another contribassistant professor number would have uting factor named in the McMaster’s to increase in order in the research is the Department of shrinking of to meet projected general Geography and family sizes. Over needs.” Earth Sciences. “At the last number of this time we don’t decades, parents have any substitutes have been bearing for blood, so there is no synthetic fewer children due to possible blood that would be used, and there concerns about the quality of livdoes not appear to be anything on ing, social norms and, especially the horizon that would become a more recently, economic reasons. good substitute for blood, so it still In conducting research, needs to be coming from human Páez and his group found that the donors.” shifting demographics in Canada Some potential donors are similar to those of Germany. are denied because of age, weight, Like in Canada, projections show medical conditions and places they that Germany will experience have been to in the world. But of shortfalls of blood over the next the eligible Canadian donor base, decade, and the problem will only currently less than four percent get worse. give blood. This number would “In Germany, I was have to increase in order to meet surprised by the speed with which projected needs, and a large part the process was happening,” of that undertaking would involve said Páez. “So, going from a encouraging the least donating system operating at capacity to demographic, the 25-54 age bracket, a system that is facing shortfalls to increase its blood contribution. could happen in a period of just Professor Páez believes a few years’ time.” Although the that it is not so much a matter of problem Canada is facing is not attitude that prevents this “workforce immediate, it could become very demographic”, as it is referred to, serious over the next ﬁve to ten from donating, but a matter of time years.” SILHOUETTE STAFF

A6 • THE SILHOUETTE

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 22, 2009

EDITORIAL

executive editor: extension 22052

Worth Repeating:

McMaster University’s Student Newspaper

The Silhouette

Controversial story has Dawson paper worried about censorship

TheSil.ca

Jacob Serebrin CUP Quebec Bureau Chief

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

Silhouette Staff

Sam Colbert, Joey Coleman, Kevin Elliott, Noah Nemoy, Julie Compton, Jenifer Bacher, Michael Hewak, Christopher Chang, Lauren Jewett, Jacqueline Flaggiello, Natasha Pirani, Amanda Fracz, Kaitlin Peters, Simon Granat, Santino Marrinucci

Volume 80 2009-10 • McMaster University Student Centre, Room B110 McMaster University 1280 Main Street West Hamilton, ON L8S 4S4 • Fax: (905) 529–3208 • E–Mail: thesil@thesil.ca • Production Office: (905) 525-9140, extension 27117 • Advertising: (905) 525-9140, extension 27557 • 10,000 circulation • Published by the McMaster Students Union

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The General’s last bullet Retired chief of defence staff Rick Hillier has dusted off his rifle and fired his last bullet towards the Canadian government and the current “mission” with his new book, A Soldier First: Bullets, Bureaucrats and the Politics of War. Canada’s former top soldier has never been a quiet one, causing the Prime Minister’s Office a headache throughout his tenure, but it appears he could do more damage retired than he ever did when in power. In some of the first reactions to his new book, most were shocked by the candor of Hillier’s memoir, with the Globe and Mail describing it as “blunt, hard-hitting and often cheeky.” While commanding the troops, Hillier defended the Afgan mission, no surprise considering his position. His frustration stems from a continued bureaucratic loop that Ottawa has been in, suggesting that the war was not being fought in Kandahar, but rather in Ottawa. Hillier described Canada’s potential role when he wrote, “Canada could have a real impact on the international stage, throwing the kind of diplomatic, military and development weight that befits our nation, but for the small-mindedness of some of our most senior civil servants, who only care about power in Ottawa.” With a media blitz planned, Hillier seemed poised to question what Ottawa is doing for its soldiers, whom he described as abandoned. In an ultimate sense of irony, this story may be abandoned by small-minded politics which, to take from the General himself, “only care[s] about power in Ottawa.” Lost in the media sandstorm that so often shrouds real issues (think swine flu vaccine controversy and conservative cheques), Hillier’s book was to be a refreshing voice in a normally muted conversation. Traditionally, Canada’s top soldier is quiet when following the relief of his duties, but Hillier took the opportunity to call out the PMO, despite falling short on naming specific names. Meanwhile, Ottawa seems to be more concerned about what name and logo is on a government cheque. The supreme oversight of the representatives of a nation should be at the forefront of the conversation, but instead the topic is the shattered state that the Liberal party is in. To be fair, this brand of corruption and partisan use of federal funds is not something Canada is unaccustomed to.The use of government money to benefit the regions that voted them in is as old as Parliament Hill itself. Former PM Jean Chrétien consistently defended millions directed to his, and other Quebec ridings that received an unreasonable amount of funds in 1997. Only stupidity and a lack of leadership could describe the Liberal’s fumbled opportunity concerning the Conservative cheques. Just a few short years ago, this was the exact same situation that saw the Conservatives take power in the form of the Liberal “sponsorship scandal.” Not only has Ignatieff missed the ball, he’s given it away – just take a look at the latest polls. Perhaps a subject with such merit would garner some attention if it were attached to votes. Should Hillier have run for office, his campaign could have been based on fixing the problems in Ottawa that have handicapped the Canadian Forces abroad with a unique perspective on the subject. Maybe Hillier is going about it all the wrong way – perhaps he should ask some of the conservative back benchers on how to get things done. Obviously they know how to raise awareness for a subject, or at least get to the front page. A nice fat Liberal logo on the cover of Hillier’s new book could go a long way to putting him in the spotlight. Is this the sad state that Canadian politics has been left in? This sort of scandal and scramble is more reserved for Fox News, not the CBC’s national At Issue panel. Nobody wants to hear that Ottawa abandoned their troops, tried to suppress the images of 131 pine boxes returning to Canada, and possibly mistreated detainees; they want to hear a Prime Minister singing the Beatles to a community of people from whom he stripped funding a year earlier. General Hillier’s last bullet was, as always, a bull’s-eye. It is sad and unfortunate that Canadians won’t find out nor even seem to care about it. I’m sure the Conservative backbenchers are congratulating the PMO on another mission completed. • Jeff Green

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)

MONTREAL (CUP) – Student newspaper editors at Dawson College say they’re worried about censorship after they published a critical article about a student union staff member. The article, which ran in the Oct. 1 issue of the Plant, the college’s student newspaper, accused the executive director of the Dawson Student Union (DSU), Margo Dunnet, of overstepping her authority and refusing to pass on information to student union executives. According to editors, Gregory Sheppard, DSU’s vicepresident communications and media has asked since them to send a copy of the paper to the student union before it goes to print. “They would gain the ability to edit anything they wanted, and they would get the final say,” said Denise Audette, managing editor. Gage Michael Wheatley, news editor at the Plant and writer of the article at hand, said they support the student union, but need the ability to be critical. “We want them to know what they’re doing . . . and be liable for what they’re doing,” he said. The Plant is currently funded by the student union, and is considered a “special club.” The paper’s constitution, part of the student union’s regulations, is currently under review; a new constitution has been drafted and still requires approval from both newspaper editors and student union executives. Wheatley said he is worried that amendments being proposed to this new constitution by the student union will further strip the newspaper of its independence. He said the Plant may be required to adhere to the union’s “solidarity” policy, which prohibits DSU executives and staff members from expressing opinions publicly that contradict the opinions of the majority of executives. Wheatley said he believes

these changes are related to the article about Dunnet. Dunnet, who is not a student at the college, stepped down around the same time as the article was published. At a meeting Oct. 14, DSU executive secretary Christopher Monette said the article had “forced her to resign.” However other executives quickly contradicted him, saying her resignation was unrelated to the article, and had come before it was published. According to Wheatley, DSU president Carl Perks also told him the resignation came Oct. 6. At the same meeting DSU executives defended Dunnet’s work, with Monette calling it a “smear campaign.” “She’s a good friend to many of us,” said Sheppard. He took issue with the Plant’s claim that Dunnet had withheld access to email accounts from DSU executives. “We always take her opinions into account because she has good opinions, she’s been working in student politics for a very long time.” When contacted by the Canadian University Press, Dunnet confirmed that she had resigned but refused to speak further on the matter. Dunnet was previously an executive with the Simon Fraser Student Society in Burnaby, B.C. In 2006 she was impeached with several other executives at a special general meeting after concerns were raised, including over the way a staff member had been fired. The dismissed executives took legal action in an attempt to have the impeachment overturned, but the British Columbia Supreme Court rejected their request. While Sheppard was reached for comment about Dunnet’s resignation, later calls and emails asking for comment on questions surrounding censorship of the Plant were not returned by press time.

to m.n. - first sports shoot was a dime, you must be a natural.

to misunderstandings, and dumb editors.

to the moose joke. you know the solomans.

to the swine and no k.m.

to chicken soup and everything that cures colds. my mommy gave me a good recipe but k.m. won’t use it. i wonder why she’s still sick.

to the day the music died. la la la la bummer, indeed.

to the rally towel. you’re getting a lot of use this weekend. woo homecoming. to team building exercises. wanna fight about it? to the staff at sizzles for loading me up with a crazy amount of crazy fries. ya’ll are crazy. to shopping with your mom. it’s from the website. to doo wop. getting me through the night since ‘86. to the bier markt, steam whistle, and p.g. destroying the crepe place. to l.p. records. not l.p., but i hear her housemates are really nice.

to the strep and g.e.

to my landlord’s ridiculous energy bill he’s pawning off on me. to mean bosses. to grammar. long overdue. to nickelback. that never gets old. to the creed show coming to town. there’s a reason you’re the only band to get sued for sucking. although, i hear nickelback is well on it’s way. to being born in ‘86. man am i old. you know, a 6 year difference doesn’t look bad between a 30 year old and their mate, why does it look so bad now? to frying up a mess ‘o catfish. i wish that was my life.

THE SILHOUETTE • A7

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 22, 2009

OPINIONS

Who do you think should get the Nobel Prize?

Feedback Compiled by Terry Shan and Peter Goffin

“Me.” Ashley Savage

“Anybody but Obama.” Ahmed Jamil

“Lebron.” Jibran Waqar

opinions@thesil.ca

production office: extension 27117

Does Obama deserve the Nobel? President must earn his award moving forward Cassandra Jeffery

Last year’s award recipient, Martti Ahtisaari, has been involved with countless On Oct. 9, 2009 the 44th peace endeavours from President of the United 1965 to the present day. States, Barrack Obama While President won the Nobel Peace Prize. Considering Obama’s reign of presidential office has existed for less than nine months, should he have won the Peace Prize over other well-qualified laureates? It seems questionable that Obama has received the honourable prize with only promises made since his election last November. What set him apart from the Colombian activist Piedad Cordoba or Afghan women’s rights activist Simi Samar? There’s no doubt that President Obama has Obama claims to have been the potential to implement working towards a solution Peace Prize expectations for the war in the Middle East but the decision to and states he is searching award him the 2009 prize for a peaceful end to the based on his successes in conflict in the Gaza Strip office thus far was hasty. he has still not successfully The Nobel Peace succeeded in such promises. Prize is one of the five “Let me be clear,” Nobel prizes awarded said Obama in his Nobel Prize annually for an individuals or acceptance speech, “I do not organizations contribution of view it as a recognition of peaceful acts on a global scale. my own accomplishments, It would make logical but rather as an affirmation sense to nominate those of American leadership on individuals or organizations behalf of aspirations held that have not only discussed by people in all nations.” peaceful reforms but have Well Obama, I don’t care followed through with them. about your intentions of OPINION

American leadership, the fact remains that you have yet to fulfill the typical Nobel Peace Prize requirements. Instead of accepting the Peace prize as a reflection

Albert Arnold Gore Jr., more familiarly known as Al Gore. Beyond his accomplishments towards global environmental concern, Gore was also the Vice-President of the United States for eight years and the Democratic party nominee for the 2000 presidential election. Does this close-related tie between Gore and Obama have anything to do with the outcome of this years award process? Was Obama an adequate recipient of the Nobel Peace prize or have former Peace Prize recipients carried weighted ascendancies over the decision to pick the 2009 winner? It is my belief that P r e s i d e n t Barack Obama will commit to beneficial change for not only America, but on a global level as well. His promises and expectations of future peace fulfilment are of noble consideration. However, it does not seem fair that Obama was awarded a prize of such esteem this early in his drive to peace. It is not only unfair to the other qualified nominees but to Obama himself. He must now ensure that his promises of peace are achieved and, if by chance he cannot live up to such standards, then his reputation as a Nobel Peace Prize recipient should be forgotten.

AVA DIDEBAN / MULTIMEDIA EDITOR

of what he accomplishment. Obama should view the award as an ideal which he must now live up to. Obama can’t be all to blame; he simply won the prize. Maybe I should voice concern with the very people who nominated him. Nominators for the prize include former laureates, members of national governments and legislatures, leaders of peace research and foreign affairs, and members of international courts of law. The winner of the 2007 Nobel Peace prize was

Hip culture is not my scene Deciders of what’s “in” represent their own interests Peter Goffin

OPINIONS EDITOR

Hipsterdom doesn’t cater to me quite yet and it makes me feel like an outsider who wants in; like hip culture’s little brother stretching, “Kobe.” clamouring to be let into the club. But I’m too short, Kamran Akran culturally you see, too young, too uncouth. Every part of modern culture, the aucourant, is dictated by those just that much older than I am. People my age and younger follow it, we finance it, we are the bulk of its consumership, but it isn’t really meant for us, and it certainly isn’t based on our desires. I submit for your consideration Where the Wild Things Are, film of the moment, so subversive and bloated that the studio “Us. And our tried to shut it down, so housemate Lily.” hip that Urban Outfitters, mass-producers of synthetic Jackie McNamara and hipness are making the movie Jenny Crisp t-shirts. But it’s not my scene.

I don’t remember that book. I may have some faint memory of it, or the pictures in it, the title may ring some faraway bell, but it wasn’t a facet of my childhood. And if I don’t remember it, the 18-yearolds lining up at theatres certainly don’t. I could fake it like them, pretend, the way they do, to be legitimately interested, to have some real personal investment in the film. But that would be decidedly unhip. Just hipster. But maybe that’s all that matters these days. Because no subscriber to hip culture with whom I am acquainted had any hand in creating the trends, in shaping the culture. They follow, as we all do, the tastes of someone else. Some invisible person or persons in their mid-to-late twenties applying their own mid-tolate twenties viewpoint to the world. All is well for them, who get to see parts Hipster culture is based on the tastes of people completely • PLEASE SEE TOO, A11 unlike us, and we are left to consume passively.

SILHOUETTE FILE PHOTO

Please Enjoy homecoming responsibly.

A8 • THE SILHOUETTE

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 22, 2009

THE SILHOUETTE • A9

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 22, 2009

Retired sports heroes It’s your body, it’s your business should stay at home Do not let designers dictate your self-image Over-the-hill skaters are just prolonging inevitable

SILHOUETTE FILE PHOTO

Once their careers are over, athletes should hang up the skates. Jennifer Bacher

back and make the Olympic team after having taken years off. The most recent example Doesn’t it seem like athletes in the news would be Sasha Cohen are ruining the sports they once who, after three full skating seasons strived to endorse? The one in retirement, has decided that sport I actually enjoy watching second place at the Olympics on TV has now been ruined by just isn’t good enough. She has to the worst idea for reality TV. take away a chance for a younger Retired up-and-coming figure skaters meet skater, who has washed up hockey Seriously, there is never been to the players and train to a reason why you Olympics, for her win a figure skating own selfish reasons. competition. Winter retired. If you think First off, Sasha has athletes, who in most you can still do not competed in the arenas are complete marking system what you did on a new enemies within and second off, their own sports, national level when there are younger come together in you were 20, then and better skaters! hopes of keeping Yes, Sasha was why are you not exceptionally good their long forgotten still there?” names alive in the in her prime, and public consciousness. was the most My advice unique with her to retired athletes who can’t move flexibility, but now there are new on would be “Get over it, you are skaters who are just as good as retired! You had your time and Sasha was. Most are even better. glory.” But no, they must attempt Sasha is now 25, most to show fans that they can still of the girls competing in Senior compete. I understand that you Women’s, who are finishing in the love the sport, and you love what top four, are 17 to 20 years old. We you do, but seriously, there is a have already seen enough of you reason why you retired. If you think Sasha! Were the guest appearances you can still do what you did on a on CSI, and Stars on Ice not enough? national level when you were 20, Why can’t retired figure then why are you not still there? skaters move on? They have already Battle of the Blades wasn’t competed at the Olympics, or the first TV show to ruin figure Nations, and they’re still not satisfied, skating. There was the sad attempt to the point that they need to keep at a Dancing with the Stars look-alike. competing and see themselves onTV. Which only went for one season. You don’t see hockey What ever happened having absurd TV shows which to self-respect and dignity? disgrace the sport. Oh right, that’s Even worse is when called any game against the Leafs. ex-figure skaters try to come But that’s another rant all together. SILHOUETTE INTERN

Cassandra Jeffery OPINION

Being a girl, it always seems as though one underlying, consistent value, which overlaps any other seemingly more important situations or priorities, dominates our life: you can never be skinny enough. It’s an obsession of many and a New Year’s resolution of thousands. Let’s be serious, no one, with the exception of those dedicated athletes, spends two hours or more daily grunting away in the gym for the sole purpose of being healthy. If you’re a girl, aiming to lose ten pounds of Christmas weight is at the top of your priorities and if you’re a guy, well, abs can only benefit your chances in scoring with a hot, thin woman, right? It’s a vicious cycle. We work out until our muscles ache and exhaust ourselves with soup diets and the no-carb solutions but for what? We lose the ten pounds and those jeans are tight all over again the next time Thanksgiving rolls around. So why do we put our bodies through the torture of getting up at 6 in the morning to run for an hour when we could really use the beauty rest? Well who needs sleep when you have abs of steel? I’d like to believe that the media is to blame for our redundant obsession with weight, but is it our faults for letting Ralph Lauren tell us we’re fat? Apparently it is okay for Mr. Lauren, leading fashionista of his time, to fire women who have, let’s say, put on a little weight. Twentythree year old Filippa Hamilton did not have her modeling contract renewed because her five foot ten, 120 lb. body would no longer do the trick. Now tell me how curvy and voluptuous women are supposed to feel knowing the petit frame of a size four figure is not even within skinny weight standards? Don’t get me wrong, we’ve all seen Super-Size Me, the effects of daily Big Mac meals can have a toll on a person’s body and unless you’re one of the fortunate

SILHOUETTE FILE PHOTO

Just because Ralph Lauren says thin is in doesn’t mean you need to change the way that you look. few, you’re going to pack on the to a body’s overall health. But pounds. But I shouldn’t feel guilty when dropping fifteen pounds for grabbing a slice of pizza instead is your top priority over your of a salad or having real ice-cream ten page philosophy essay or instead of wanna-be frozen yogurt. biology lab, well then you’re Our culture is way too doing exactly what Prada wants. concerned with the amount of Weight is such a mundane calorie intake,rather than the overall, topic. People in Third World general happiness of our lives. countries starve because of poverty When 100 calorie Oreo Thinsations as privileged people in developed start becoming more important countries starve to stay skinny. than foods with actual nutritional Ironic or just a tad bit selfish? It’s value, then we’ve got a situation. absurd that our culture is so fixated Exercise doesn’t have to on weight that we seem to put more be a daunting task, taking a jog or important issues on the back burner. doing a few laps in the pool can So what if Dolce and be just as invigorating and healthy Gabbana say thin is in? Being sexy as 45 minutes on the elliptical. is about having presence and Our lives as students are confidence and in your own body busy, we have exams, essays, readings, type and if your body has an ass, not to mention the antagonizing curves, and boobs then who cares. effort of simply going to class with So go out and eat an hour of sleep to account for. a cheeseburger and if you’re We’re hectic individuals feeling real crazy get some and finding two hours a day onion rings with a scoop of ice during which to head to the gym cream to finish off. We’re college is sometimes hard to squeeze in. students, we can’t afford to eat Physical exercise and out and only have two bites. healthy eating are beneficial

The Catholic Church has gone absolutely mad...

Last year the pope forgave John Lennon for saying that the Beatles were bigger than Jesus, just 42 years after the fact, and now the word from on high at the Vatican is that it will welcome into the fold all Anglicans who are disillusioned with how liberal their church has become. And that sounds really tolerant until you realize what they’re saying is that they will accept all people who don’t want their original religion to be so accepting. And as someone with a non-practicing, apathetic, partially Anglican heritage I rush to point out that Catholic to Anglican is not so great a leap. Anglicanism is Catholicism for people who want all the righteousness with none of the guilt. Like Diet Coke. So, lest we forget, I present to you a list of people that the Catholic Church will still not accept: Muslims Jews Lutherans Baptists Female clergy Homosexuals Bisexuals People who wear condoms Masturbators Social Liberals Stem Cell Researchers People who advocate for sexual freedom and racial equality • Peter Gofﬁn

War and Famine and Disease and Pestilence and Hatred and Violence and Bigotry and Disgust and Perversion and Regret and Shame and Guilt and Rainbows and Puppies and Ribbons and Glitter and Unicorns and Whimsy and Really Well-Fried Bacon. It’s a funny old world. Something in it must inspire you crazies.

Write for Opinions. opinions@thesil.ca Section Meetings on Tuesdays at 1:30 in MUSC B110

A10 • THE SILHOUETTE

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 22, 2009

Responding to a critique of Women’s Studies Let students of the class speak for themselves Other courses already show world from male perspective

Grace Evans

SENIOR ANDY EDITOR

Last week’s article, “An audit of Women’s Studies,” by Alex Steiner exemplifies one of my biggest problems with people’s reactions to feminism and women’s studies. I think the whole misconception of feminists as angry radicals who don’t shave their legs should be dismissed by now. And those guys who attempt to position themselves as open-minded, progressive intellectuals yet still refer to these ideologies are no better. Steiner notes that a woman teaches the class, and that he doubts “the students would accept the class being taught by a man.” I’ve taken a Women’s Studies class taught by a man, and it was a well-designed course. I dislike the way Steiner speaks for female students without consulting anyone for an opinion. And Steiner’s “startling” look around the lecture hall: “aside from myself, there were two other men in the entire room that I could see,” is somewhat questionable since he wasn’t enrolled in the class, but merely had sat in on a few sessions. I find it strange that Steiner criticizes the class for only consisting of two male students and emphasizes the importance of Women’s Studies, yet he himself isn’t enrolled in any Women’s Studies classes. Steiner also points out, “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.”

Women’s Studies isn’t Keys to the VIP; it’s not as simple as learning about women, but rather the study of women in society. If I could direct Steiner to the McMaster Department of Women’s Studies website, there is an excellent description of what the program entails: “Women’s Studies at McMaster centers around the discovery, communication, preservation, and interpretation of knowledge about women and gender, especially as this knowledge relates to important issues such as global and local social justice. We are committed to understanding how women are politically positioned in their various social contexts, and to examining the intersections of gender with race, ethnicity, class, ability/disability, age, sexual identity, and other categories of social difference.” As for the anecdote about the tutorial Steiner sat in on, while he says that one girl told another girl off for supporting a masculine view on an issue, he decides to speak for the girl himself. “It seemed perverse to me that such a 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.” Whoa. While I was not in attendance for that day’s tutorial, I think this harkens back to the stereotypical angry f-word feminist. Did this girl actually imply that she wouldn’t consider anything but the idea that men

were

plotting against her? Even if she did, it is unfair to take the words of one silly girl and apply them to the attitude of an entire program. The looks Steiner claimed he was getting in the class? If he didn’t belong in the class and he spent much of the time he was there, from his description, looking around at the other students, and he is a male in an almost allfemale class, he’d certainly attract attention in a small program. People were probably just wondering who he was and why he was there. I’m sorry Mr. Steiner, but the reason that there is a Women’s Studies and no Men’s Studies, is because everything is Men’s Studies. History? Men have had opportunities that women haven’t had, and therefore have had greater participation in ﬁelds of science, medicine and law to name but a few. Women’s Studies was created in order to provide a space where there is focus on women’s achievements and creating ways for women to inhabit new positions. I’m not saying that I think the Women’s Studies program at McMaster is perfect. But I don’t think that the program and those enrolled in it deserve the misdirected criticism Steiner applies to them, relying on stereotypes and speaking on behalf of many female students. And seriously, he’s going to quote some girl that says “Don’t you get it? Guys just, like suck,” as proof of anything? So one girl says one stupid thing; don’t associate all women with that.

Kaitlin Peters SILHOUETTE STAFF

Now, I might not be a Women’s Studies major, but I don’t think you have to take the class to see the purpose in it. I’m writing this in response to an opinion article I saw last week that detailed one male’s experience sitting in on a Women’s Studies lecture (“Auditing Women’s Studies”, Oct 15). As I was skimming through the article I found myself becoming slightly offended by the opinion the author was expressing, and the impression I was getting followed along the lines that he judged the class as a cute novelty that served no definable purpose. He briefly wondered why there is no Men’s Studies path, and concluded it was because there was no demand at the moment. I’m now going to reveal a little secret about why there is no “Men’s Studies path”: attend any other history class and you have now officially immersed yourself in studying history from a man’s point of view. Congratulations. Have you ever heard of the expression “history is written by the winners”? Through most of recorded time, those who hold power have written history, and those in power have been predominantly men. Men of European descent seemed to have a special knack for wandering around in search of more of it. In past societies, who were the special class of people who had access to education (to be able to read and record) and the power to express

what they’ve seen? There was only a very small group of women who were literate, and an inﬁnitesimally smaller number who actually had the power to express their opinions and possibly sway others. A Women’s Studies class is meant to shed light on a previously unseen and ignored part of society, an area that was previously ignored because the participants lacked power in being able to express their experiences. You can liken the lack of a male studies path to why we do not have a “white history month”. If you want to learn about history from the viewpoint of invading Caucasian conquerors, you can easily learn about it in almost any other history class for the remaining eleven months of the year. The author also said he felt unwelcome in the class, he pondered over the dirty looks he was receiving and was “lost over the source of the outrage”. There is the distinct possibility that his motives weren’t as invisible as he thought, which was to attend a Women’s Studies class in halfmocking jest with the main purpose of openly criticizing it later. Was he truly unbiased when he went to sit in on this lecture, or just looking for potential sources to conﬁrm his already established viewpoint? All in all, I believe the purpose of an education in Women’s Studies isn’t veiled propaganda for extremist feminism, but is meant to shed light on an underrepresented subset of people who have gone through much of history in silence.

Atheists want a voice, forget offensiveness Matthew Dugdale OPINION If we read Phyllis Tsang’s article from October 8 (“Atheist activist going too far”), at best it is nothing more than a lack of understanding at the new atheism spreading around the world.At worst it’s a childish attempt to throw a temper tantrum because she read something she didn’t like. As the founder and ﬁrst President of McMaster’s ﬁrst and only Atheist Club (The McMaster Association of Secular Humanists) I believe I am the perfect person to write a rebuttal. Do Richard Dawkins’ writings come off as controversial? Sure. Are they insulting? Of course. Do they make you rage? If you answered yes to the last one then Richard Dawkins is doing what he set out to do. Which is to make human kind question ourselves, question our faith and lastly to question how we got here. Phyllis Tsang spends the

better part of five paragraphs in order to change the status of that he has become a fundamental letting us know how Dawkins women in this country forever. atheist or, better yet, an evangelical has gained a reputation as being a One of the reasons of science. This is a great talking vehement Darwinist before letting Dawkins (or Chris Hitchens, Sam point among Christians; however us know why she is offended by him. Harris or Ayaan Hirsi Ali) cause it fails to stand up to any sort of Of course it is not because so much anger is because they criticism. How could someone be evolution shows that no God are upset about the continued an evangelical of science? Science created human-kind in its current discrimination against people who is the method of taking hypotheses, state. It proves that life evolves advocate or speak out against faith. submitting them to vigorous tests over millions of years, and recording growing and changing conclusions. Atheists are here, in Canada, around the the ever so slightly until You are always world and at McMaster. We have a voice questioning your we get to the point and an opinion and will not be silenced where we are today. conclusions, always No! Tsang is offended and tucked away simply because we might challenging your because Dawkins beliefs until you are cause offence.” has the nerve to use left with just the naughty language, and truth. Whereas in dares offend those of religious faith. In the United States there are six religion you hold onto a holy book Yet when has someone states which exclude an atheist from or doctrine that never changes, caused significant change without holding public office or to sit on a never adapts and never becomes causing offence? Rosa Parks jury. Here at home the Canadian updated. How can that be the same? needed to offend in order to Criminal Code lists blasphemy Is Dawkins a person impact the civil rights movement. as a criminal offence. So I may be who believes in the exclusion of Likewise, Emily Murphy, prosecuted for speaking out against religious persons? Quite frankly, no. Louise McKinney, Nellie McClung, the existence of God! Oh, Canada! Dawkins has stated several Henrietta Muir Edwards and Furthermore Tsang says times that he does not wish to Irene Parlby all needed to offend that Dawkins is so against religion take away religion from people,

he simply wants to see it taken out of public policy and out of law making so that Government and society can be fully inclusive. Pz Myers said it best when he commented that religion should be like knitting, done on your own time and by yourself. I have no doubt thatTsang is sincere in her beliefs and convictions. Furthermore I am sure that the offence she feels is real, which lead her to put her thoughts on paper. However simply being “offended” by something is not quite enough to say that Dawkins is going too far. If that is the case may I suggest reading “God is not Great” by Christopher Hitchens? Atheists are here, in Canada, around the world and at McMaster. We have a voice and an opinion and will not be silenced and tucked away simply because we might cause offence. Get over it, and if you don’t like what you’re reading, put the book down.

THE SILHOUETTE • A11

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 22, 2009

Too young to set the “in” standard • CONT’D FROM A7 of their cherished childhood enjoy a resurgence, seeing their favourite music, their television, their interests vaulted to the forefront of popular culture’s here and now. But that leaves a few dozen million 16 to 25 year-olds to passively follow, which we all do, myself included. We don’t get to dictate what’s “in.” We can only look in from the outside while an older someone’s

favourite things are played out for us to consume and adore. My childhood is too recent to have any impact on popular culture. The people who experienced it with me aren’t old enough to call the cultural shots yet, and to those who are, the historical period of my youth is too recent to be looked at with any kind of nostalgia or irony. There’s your hipster

dichotomy: it has to be either brand new, unreleased and underground or else, ancient and all-but-forgotten. And at 21 years old, I am neither of those two extremes. Not yet out in the real world, still under the wing of stodgy old university, not yet earned my starving artist cred in the trenches of hip, I can’t be trusted to know the cutting edge. Nor am I old enough to remember what is now passé enough to

retro or ironically cool. And so I ﬁnd myself powerlessly waiting for the day, a few years from now, when people my age call the shots, and Spike Jonze is tapped to direct a hip independent ﬁlm version of Thomas the Tank Engine. But then again, maybe I oughtn’t be so eager for that time. Because it will mean that I am the oldest of all the youths. At the top of the heap, yes, but almost

falling down the other side of it too. Those shot callers live brief lives. Like a butterﬂy, they have but a short time in which to revel in their fortune. The deciders of culture have two, maybe three years before they get too close to 30 to be trusted. Then it’s over. Chew on that. I may not be old enough to run popular culture but I at least have plenty of time to enjoy it yet. I’m still young.

Bring me Stephen Hawking! Facing our global Mac should try to coax the physicist over challenges is hard

of Time, no matter how brief it was. We could show him the bats that get kept in the basement of the psychology building. They don’t really have anything to do with physics, but they’re cool, in a kooky, creepy kind of way. And it would be a fun way for him to celebrate Halloween. Although he’s English and they don’t really observe Halloween. Hmph. Well how about Einstein’s brain? Have you heard about this at the knitting circle? We have the biggest existing segment of Albert Einstein’s brain kicking around in a jar somewhere. And it might be our most appealing credential, not to mention the most prestigious guest we have ever welcomed into the friendly confines of our campus. Until we land Hawking, of course. But then again, maybe it would be too ghoulish to make Hawking stare at the bisected cerebellum of his most eminent predecessor. He might start to question our motives for bringing him here. We would have to make clear that we don’t actually collect the brains of brilliant physicists, we just happen to have one lying around in the attic. Or part of one anyway. I mean, the only other option is to find out what Waterloo hotel he’s staying in (how many could there be, am I right?) and go call up to his window like Stanley Kowalski in Streetcar Named Desire. “Stephen! Stepheeeeeen!” Why can’t Mac get guests as prestigious as Stephen Hawking? Or would that look desperate? Look, I understand Peter Goffin beyond even the caché of minor Stephen Hawking wants to go OPINIONS EDITOR Canadian television personalities. to Waterloo because he has a And that is why I propose research chair there, and friends Dig this. Absorb it. Stephen that we steal Stephen Hawking away who work at RIM, and that’s great. Hawking is going to from Waterloo. Not I also know that he’s a busy man visit the University by abduction but with things to do. But the subI propose that of Waterloo. Soonby simply showing atomic particles of the universe will ish. And McMaster we steal Stephen him what we have still be there a day later. He could is going to get offer. Because at least stop by Mac while he’s in Hawking away from to Mantracker. And Sue there must be the neighbourhood. As a courtesy. And if he can’t come Johanson. Probably Waterloo. Not by something around Video on Trial’s Trevor abduction but by here that would he could at least send a physicist Boris at some point appeal to a man of lesser value in his place. But later this year. And simply showing him of his formidable it won’t happen. All we get are they’re neat, don’t what we have to intellectual stature. people who are TV-famous. Hey maybe we could get me wrong, Like our very offer.” but there’s just small nuclear compromise and get the Hawk to something about the reactor, for example. pull some strings and see if the guys credibility that Stephen Hawking Although it might be too small for from The Big Bang Theory would carries with him that elevates him the man who wrote A Brief History visit. They play physicists on TV. SILHOUETTE FILE PHOTO

Lawlerbone by Zach Ellis and Peter Hindrichs

SILHOUETTE FILE PHOTO

The world is full of problems and all too often we turn a blind eye. Francine Phillips-Sheldon OPINION

Now, I am not usually a negative person, but thinking about the state of the world just gets me down.And it got me thinking.Where do I stand in the face of all the adversities and issues? Well, I am an avoider. I am ashamed to admit it, but I turn my eyes away, cover my ears, and look away from what I read. I read about Israel, about Cambodia, about Iran, but I do not have the solution. I don’t know what to think, what I believe is right. I read about Darfur, Somalia, Nigeria, and close my eyes. Walking down the street I ignore the hands of the homeless, try to close my eyes to the issues on Native reserves in Canada. This is not to say that I am not aware. Oh, I know too well. Every day I read or hear about a new issue in the world, a new catastrophe that we need to solve. The Arctic will lose all of its ice in 20 years, but what am I to do? How do I act? There are organizations that address these issues, and petitions to sign, and I do sign them but I still want to avoid it. I want to avoid because I do not know what the proper answer is, what I can do. I am bombarded by so many issues, so many different problems that our generation needs to solve NOW.We have to do something now, or we

will live in a nuclear world, a world where we can’t breathe. There will be more genocides. The pressure sometimes is just too much. We are the generation that needs to change things – take charge, stand up. Yet, I want to look away. How can I, one person, make a difference? What am I to do? Who do I help ﬁrst? Are my donations and petitions even making a difference? These problems are not mine alone to face – it is supposed to be up to us to be the change we want to be. It is up to us to set the world right, it is our future, our destiny. But we live in a world bombarded by issues, issues that never go away. We are the generation of the Internet, texting, Twitter – we are always up-to-date, and we live in a globalized world. Yet, we are also the generation where the “Balloon Boy” hoax makes the cover page. Where is the balance between the constant troubles of the world and the stupidity of the tabloids? Where are the stories of the goodness of strangers? It doesn’t matter, even if I wanted to avoid the stupidity and horridness in the world, I can’t. The technology will not let me, and even more importantly, my consciousness will not let me.But,although I sympathize, sign petitions, and give money, I still try to avert my gaze. Because sometimes it is just too much.

Become a volunteer for the Silhouette Because it looks good on grad applications and it’s easier than the army. Sort of. volunteer@thesil.ca

A12 • THE SILHOUETTE

SpeculatoR The Hamilton

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 22, 2009

INSIDE THE SPECULATOR

A10: When the good people at Benylin said “One teaspoon every 8 hours, they meant it. C5: Seriously. Don’t take any more. L19: I can see a badger riding into a day-glo sunset on a whale wearing a mirrored cowboy hat of many dimensions. And I feeeeeel alright. Thursday, October 22, 2009 F Jesus and Mantracker. But not in that order.

Student copies Balloon Boy unwell

Crashes headlong onto pit of despair and used alcohol containers

BUCK HOROWITZ SPECULATOR

In what was apparently an homage to the recently infamous Balloon Boy, a McMaster student was badly injured last night while attempting to float across Westdale at the end of an inflated prophylactic. Despite his obvious good faith, he made it only two and a half metres off the third floor balcony of his girlfriend’s student house before plunging the considerable distance onto the grass below. Fortunately a pile of discarded Colt .45 cans was there to break his fall. The daring student, as yet unidentified, spoke to the Speculator from his bed in intensive care ward at the McMaster Hospital for the Sexually Depraved and Chronically Ballsy. “It started as a way to avoid a brutal walk of shame,” said the 19 year-old male who has come to be known in the press as Kondom Kid. “Because at the bar the night before her housemates were giving me like this weird cut-eye like they

had some kind of beef and I was like ‘Fuck that shit’ because I don’t need it I just had to get home and get some food aw dude I totally wanted some eggs for some reason like scrambled eggs but I shouldn’t have to put up with shit from her housemates like so what if I kicked one of them in the leg to make enough room for me to grind up on my girl so I thought to myself ‘If that little dude in Colorado could float around for all those days in a balloon I could totally make it from Emerson to Arkell with a blown up ‘dome.” When informed that Balloon Boy had not, in fact, been in a balloon at all but had merely been exploited as part of a toothless inbred redneck hoax, Kondom Kid called the nurse for more morphine and asked the Spec to direct all further questions to his attorney who is currently defending his client from a copyright infringement suit lodged by the parents of Balloon Boy. There is also a planned class lubricating products. action suit against the producers of and “If you can’t just blow Durex Extra Thicks for not printing proper safety warnings on the into a condom and expect it to packaging of their contraceptive help you levitate then maybe

democratic capitalism isn’t all it’s on a completely unrelated but cracked up to be. Fight the power!” also contraceptive-centric trial said the attorney whose name is originating from an earlier date. still subject to a publication ban

Facebook study ordered

Churches faceoff in tourney

Hamilton: A recent study headed by the renowned social scientist Timothy Wilkinson has made a startling new discovery. Wilkinson’s team interviewed around 200 university students who had recently undergone dramatic relationship fallouts. Most of those interviewed had just ended a long serious relationship with a loved one. Shockingly, the study found one common culprit that was to blame for all of these break-ups: Facebook. Yes, ladies and gentlemen, it’s Facebook! The social networking site that we are all addicted to, the site on which we naively stalk strangers for hours, the site without which our lives would cease to exist is finally taking a toll on us. Confused? Some of the excerpts from this shocking study should explain. Mario C., who is still recovering from a nervous breakdown, explains why his girl friend of five years dumped him: “It was too much for her….she just couldn’t take it anymore. The fact that I didn’t have a picture of the two of us as my display pic just killed her. Hatred and resentment was just building up in her heart for months. She just lashed out at me one night. We had already gone through a huge fight when she forced me to change my relationship status. Why does the whole world need to know who I am dating? “Ahhh…” he added, “how I wish I could go back to 2006.” Similarly, Vanessa H. just ended a relationship with her best friend of 18 years. She explained, “Ayesha and I had been friends since the first grade. I never thought that a superficial social networking site could come between us. I

HENRY KING

BLOOMING PEACHES SPECIAL CONTRIBUTOR

mean why does it matter that my boyfriend is number one on my top five friends list? I just bumped Ayesha down to the second spot just ‘cause he bumped me up to first on his page. So I figure I’d reorder the list out of courtesy... I didn’t know it mattered so much to her…why does some fuckin’ virtual friends list matter to people...” Andres S.’s story is yet another heart breaker. He wiped the stream of tears that flowed down his cheeks as he explained to us why his parents disowned him. “So…hmm…mmyy… Sorry it’s really hard for me talk right now. Just give me a few moments... So my parents recently got Facebook. My mother sent me a friend request shortly after. I hesitantly accepted. Next thing you know, they disown me after finding out I had changed my religious views from scientology to vegetarianism. I mean Lord Xenu is great but… I just didn’t feel at home there.” Dr. Wilkinson gave us his insights into this relationship pandemic, “I have successfully identified a new psychological condition, I call it the ‘Facebook Syndrome’. We see more and more people being victimized by it everyday. The condition is rooted in man’s egotistic desire for attention. People update their feelings on their statuses right as they change; pictures are posted not to share but to show-off. Society expects that from you now, and if you don’t live up to that expectation you’ve committed a social sin. If your relationship isn’t Facebook official, it’s not a relationship at all. I’ve started a new group on Facebook to mitigate the effects of this epidemic. Its called ‘Let’s Ban Facebook!’, please join the group and help combat the Facebook Syndrome.”

Playing for keeps, the Catholics vs. Anglicans SPECULATOR

An ultra-holy alliance was formed Tuesday as the Catholic Church and the Anglican Communion (which the Speculator has learned is merely fancy talk for “The Anglican Church”) put aside five hundred years of differences and announced plans to begin reuniting. “I don’t think I would necessarily call it reuniting” stated a confused Vatican secretary over the telephone. “Stop phoning,” the secretary continued. Indeed, through CHCH News, The Speculator has learned that much of the talk of an über-holy AnglicanCatholic alliance officially involves Anglican’s who feel disenfranchised about their church’s soft stance on women’s rights and gay marriage. However, we at The Speculator have uncovered evidence that real intentions of the inter-faith merger may in fact be to attain total and absolute domination of the Hamilton-Halton-Niagra Regional Church Hockey League. For years the highly competitive Church Hockey League has been dominated by the Ancaster United Church, with various Anglican and Catholic diocese tending to finish second or third overall. “They’ve been so smug ever since 1925 when they managed to merge the Presbyterians with the Methodists — I mean, before that it was Catholic, Catholic, Catholic, Anglican, Catholic, draw, Anglican baby, but then… BAM!” stated Father Moe Pius T. Howe to the Speculator on Wednesday. “We used to have the advantage, you

know, the whole French Canadian thing and that, uhh, yeah you might call it, the one true faith thing, but they managed to beat us through sheer numbers. It was a brilliant strategy really. But just wait, Ancaster United Church — its on like Donkey Kong!” Although no one at Ancaster United Church was available for comment on the matter, The Speculator speculates that they would probably have responded if they were in fact available for comment by stating that they were “quaking with fear… the fear of God!” Indeed, the new AnglicanCatholic alliance is quite excited about their prospects this season. As Father Moe Pius T. Howe explained, “Last year we had Frank and Joe on defence and then Mike in net, he’s a great goalie. And Mike’s cousin Ted on left-wing — heck, Ted used to play in college so I don’t want to brag or anything. But this year, oh man! The Anglicans are bringing with them Steve [right wing] and Earl [water bottles] and Omar [centre].” The Speculator has ascertained that while Steve and Earl are great for morale (especially Earl since he cheers really, really loud), Omar will most likely be the teams secret weapon. Not only did he carry the Anglicans all the way the to regional inter-faith slow pitch league this summer (only to be tooled by Ancaster United Church in the final game), but was also their star Cuban jai alai player in a recent Church League Cuban jai alai tournament held in Burlington. However, despite the promise that the new AnglicanCatholic alliance holds, The

Speculator has learned of a growing rift between the two dominions. Indeed, we have recently speculated that a sheet of paper may have been passed out to members of the hockey team suggesting sensitive churchrelated topics to avoid discussing with one another. Included in our hypothetical sheet of paper include such subjects as: Henry XIII, divorce, priests getting married, and any and all political, social and economic developments made in the past five hundred years (even in a ‘boy, was that crazy’ sense). Also, the Anglicans claim that when they receive communion that they are under no obligation to believe that it is really the body and blood of the risen Christ. They also wanted assurances that the Catholics would refrain from speaking Latin during team practices, because, as The Speculator, us again speculating, that would be really confusing. Again, no one from the Ancaster United Church was available for comment. Although Phil from the Ancaster McDonalds told this reporter that these developments sound “interesting,” and that if I’m not going to buy anything, that I should probably leave.

COLOUR THE

SAKE

COLOUR

FOR

(so pretty)

“What Did You Learn This Week, Timmy?”

“I learned that They do know where your hands have been.” 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 22, 2009

SPORTS

production office: extension 27117

e-mail: sports@thesil.ca

Rugby team on to next round Marauders squeak Women beat University of Toronto 43-5

by Windsor in OT

WILL VAN ENGEN / PHOTO EDITOR

Rebecca Delaney advances the ball in the Marauders’ 43-5 win. The rookie converted four tries on the day. BRIAN DECKER Their charges gave Mac a 19-5 Marauders, turning the intensity up SPORTS EDITOR halftime lead, with rookie Rebecca a notch and helping Mac separate Delaney (Caledon, ON) kicking themselves from Toronto. “We need In the opening half of their first- through conversions on two of the to bring leadership and show [our round playoff matchup, the Toronto tries. team] how high of a work rate we Varsity Blues women’s rugby team The second half was have to have, and to make sure no gave the nationally-ranked no. 6 all Mac, with the Marauders one’s walking at any point in the McMaster Marauders as much as dominating the ball and preventing game. You get tired, but you’ve got they could handle. Then, Sarah Van Toronto from ever getting back in to be going 100 per cent the whole Hoof and Nina Bui decided enough the game. Four different Marauders time” said Van Hoof of her role was enough. scored second-half tries, including as a leader of the team. Van Hoof Van Hoof (Lindsay, ON) Van Hoof, Bui, Maggie Cogger- finished with three tries on the day, and Bui (North York, ON), both Orr (Thornhill, ON) and Kirsten while Bui reached the end zone fifth-year veterans, took over the Shedden (Barrie, ON). Delaney twice, giving McMaster more than game late in the first half, with Van converted two more tries to tally enough offence to win the game. Hoof scoring two straight tries and eight total points on the day. The veterans’ leadership Bui putting one in right after on the While Van Hoof and Bui came at a perfect time, with the way to a 43-5 win. Both players got had impressive days on the score team missing one of its best players loose from the pack and broke a sheet, it was their leadership and in Natasha Turner (Ottawa, ON), number of tackles on the way to the vocal presence on the field that who sustained a concussion in end zone, making the Varsity Blues kick started the team’s first half last week’s win over Trent. Turner defense look completely helpless. run. The two veterans fired up the • PLEASE SEE DATE, B3

Men perfect in preseason

FRASER CALDWELL THE SILHOUETTE

with both teams raising their games considerably. What resulted was an impressive and close-fought three set victory for the Marauders (25-12, 27-25, 25-23). Initially, the game looked set for a rout, as McMaster streaked to a hefty lead after an inspired block by promising rookie Kevin Stevens (Winnipeg, MB). The Manitoban would be the hero again with the score at 115, powering down a blistering kill to reafﬁrm the Marauders’ dominance. Despite an attempted Carabins comeback mid-way through the set, the Marauders all-court defence and precision spiking was not to be denied, and they would close out the ﬁrst in commanding fashion. The next two sets would prove to be much tighter, with Mac relying on

key contributions from some new faces in order to squeak out the win. With the Marauders trailing 17-20 in the second stanza, newcomer and Westdale alumni Sean Lowe (Hamilton, ON) produced a brilliant tip to bring his team back within two. Lowe would strike again only a few points later to tie the game at 21 with a crucial block. It was another Marauder rookie who sealed the set and swung the momentum back in the home team’s favour, when Tyson Alexander (Shanty Bay, ON) blocked the Carabins’ effort at 2625. In the third set, Shayne Petrusma (Bowmanville, ON) would be the hero, engineering three crucial points to lock up the game. First, he levelled the set at 22 with a block, and killed heavily only a few points • PLEASE SEE REGULAR, B2

The McMaster men’s volleyball team closed out a successful preseason with a clean sweep of a three game series against the University of Montreal this past weekend, and were rewarded by being ranked second in the nation in the year’s first CIS rankings. The Marauders were the only team in the OUA to be ranked in the top 10, and last week’s opponent, the Laval Rouge et Or were ranked right behind Mac in third place. The boisterous Quebecois entered Burridge Gym in the best of spirits on Thursday night, but would leave the city in a considerably more solemn mood on Saturday afternoon. Losing only two sets in three days, McMaster dominated their opposition for long spells, and showcased the talents of both proven stars and promising new acquisitions in the process. Thursday’s opener saw the Marauders defeat Montreal in four sets (25-17, 25-20, 14-25, 25-19), with the only real blemish being an unfocused third frame. The game began in sloppy fashion, with both teams struggling to establish a presence at net. However, the Marauders would soon assert themselves, taking the first set on the back of seven points from veteran standout Tyler Santoni (Kingston, ON) and another five from newcomer Paul Podstawka (Ancaster, ON). Their momentum would carry over to the second set, where the continuing dominance of Santoni and Podstawka gave Mac a commanding two set lead. However, the third set would prove to be an entirely different proposition, as erratic Marauder play continually gifted points to Montreal. This trend culminated in three consecutive service errors, pushing the set to 13-20 and effectively sealing it for the Carabins. Mac would bounce back emphatically in the fourth set, jumping out to an early 13-6 lead, from which Montreal would not manage to recover. The Marauder workhorses, Santoni and Podstawka would finish the game with teamleading totals of 19 and 16 points respectively. The second tilt of the series would be its most fascinating, Rookie Ian Cooper lines up for a spike in this past weekend’s games.

CHRISTOPHER CHANG / SILHOUETTE STAFF

ANDREW HO / WESTERN GAZETTE

Quarterback Kyle Quinlan led Mac to a 15-14 win over Windsor. McMaster did not look DAVID KOOTS like the crisp team that beat Western ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR two weeks ago and seemed to lose The McMaster Marauders, ranked focus at times. Coming into the tenth in the country, travelled to game the Marauders were one of Windsor on the weekend to face the the OUA’s least penalized teams Lancers in their final regular season but on Saturday they committed road game of the year. In one of 21 penalties for 170 yards. Another the OUA’s strangest regular season problem for the Marauders on games, Mac outlasted Windsor 15- Saturday night was the six turnovers 14 in overtime Saturday night in a given up by the team, more than any chilly affair. The Marauders will other game this year. Aside from now close out the season at home Quinlan’s three interceptions, Mac against the 3-4 Guelph Gryphons put the ball on the turf four times on Saturday as part of Homecoming with three of them being recovered by Windsor. In the end, McMaster week. After four full quarters, did just enough to beat a weaker the game stood tied 14-14 and so Windsor team, but they did not look overtime was required to settle the impressive in the victory. With the win, the score. CIS football employs an overtime shootout format in which Marauders are now 5-2 on the both teams get the ball at their season with one game remaining, as opponents 35 yard line and have are the Western Mustangs, Ottawa one possession to score the most Gee-Gees and Wilfrid Laurier points they can with the second Golden Hawks. As a result, the team attempting to match or better final weekend in the season will the point total put up during the first determine the order of teams two to teams possession. Windsor had first five. Regardless of the weekend’s shot but on the very first overtime outcomes, the Queens Gaels will play, defensive back Michael Daly finish first and will have home field (Kitchener, ON) intercepted the ball advantage throughout the playoffs and ended Windsor’s possession. while Guelph will likely finish in the The Marauders then drove the ball sixth and final playoff spot unless a deep into Windsor territory before remarkable series of events occur. electing to kick a field goal, rather However, 17 scenarios are possible than the traditional punt through that can see the middle four teams sorted out. Of the the end zone for the 17 scenarios, three rouge. In the game’s Of the 17 sceexist that would find final play, Andy Waugh (Perth, ON) narios, three exist the Marauders in second and having had his 14-yard field goal attempt blocked that would find the a first round playoff by the Lancers. The Marauders in sec- bye before hosting a ball carried into the ond and having a home playoff game. end zone, before being The simplest is if picked up by a Lancer first round playoff Mac wins and the player and returned bye before host- other three lose then all the way for a the Marauders take Windsor touchdown ing a home playoff second outright. But game. that would have won with the Mustangs the game. But the play playing Toronto (1-6) and Ottawa was called back as an illegal block had been made before playing Windsor (2-5), it seems the ball was carried out of the end unlikely both teams will suffer late zone, so by rule McMaster was season upsets. But if even one of awarded a single point, enough to the two loses Mac should still get second place, barring a blowout win the game. The Marauders put up by Ottawa. Of the remaining 14 plenty of yards on offence but scenarios, four see Mac finishing in because of numerous turnovers fifth place and losing out on hosting and penalties the yards did not a home playoff game. The advantages of a home translate into points. Quarterback Kyle Quinlan (South Woodslee, playoff game are enormous, which ON) went 11 for 23 with 154 yards puts added incentive for Mac to win passing, one touchdown and three against Guelph on Saturday and all interceptions, but it was the running but guaranteeing a home postseason game that was responsible for the tilt. The Gryphons have had an upmajority of Mac’s yards. Joey Nemet and-down season, nearly beating (Burlington, ON) had his best game both Western and first placed of the season, rushing for 164 yards Queens. Guelph will be looking to on 23 carries while Jordan Kozina play spoiler and despite their losing (Brantford, ON) added another 116 record on the season, they are yards and a rushing touchdown. among the very best in the OUA. Matt Peressini (Hannon, ON) led The game is at 1 p.m. and should the receiving corps and had 61 be the highlight of Homecoming yards on five catches, including the weekend so get your tickets early and show your McMaster spirit. Marauders’ other touchdown.

B2 • THE SILHOUETTE

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 22, 2009

Strong preseason overshadows loss FRASER CALDWELL THE SILHOUETTE

The McMaster women’s volleyball team concluded their preseason on a losing note Friday, dropping a five set decision to the University of Toronto (25-20, 17-25, 26-28, 2624, 8-15). The result was the team’s second consecutive loss, dropping their preseason record to a stillimpressive 7-3 mark. Fortunately, the slide comes during a series of tune-up matches, allowing the Marauders time to regroup before their regular season begins this Saturday. In a back-and-forth encounter which featured numerous momentum swings, the Varsity Blues did just enough to seal the game, despite solid numbers from several Marauder players. Second year returnee Shannon McRobert (Whitby, ON) had 12 points on the night, tied for the team lead, including seven kills and five blocks. The other 12 point performance came from impressive rookie Kailee Stock (Newmarket, ON), who dominated from the service stripe with six aces to

complement four kills and two blocks. Also performing well were veterans Margot Randall (Oakville, ON) and Sarah Kiernan (Hamilton, ON), who posted 10 and nine points respectively. While she finished the game without a point, All-Star setter Jennifer Holt (Hamilton, ON) filled her role as the Marauders’ creative spark, contributing 28 assists in the loss. However, Mac couldn’t overcome the outstanding offensive performances put on by the Blues’ leading lights. Kristina Valjas (Toronto, ON) led Toronto with 17 points, while Heather Bansely (Waterdown, ON) added 15, and Kathleen Mahannah (North Vancouver, BC) racked up a whopping 47 assists. Now, with the regular season only days away, the Marauders must work to regain the form that saw them claim seven of their first eight preseason contests. The job of reinvigorating the team falls to coach Tim Louks, who maintains that his group is fully capable of making a splash on the national scene this year. When asked to assess his team’s efforts in the preseason, Louks seemed

upbeat, remarking that the squad’s “performance pieces have been good outcomes.” He added that the team’s efforts had been dampened by a number of injuries, but that they “are closing in on getting back to full strength.” However, coach Louks maintained that his players would need to improve in order to succeed. “We need to be better, particularly in the serve receive portion of our game. We are not delivering a very good start to our offence yet,” said Louks. When asked what his expectations for this year’s team are, Louks was adamant that the objective was nothing less than a national championship, adding that it would be “no easy task, but we are up to the challenge.” For him, this goal is simply a reflection of the talent of his team, for whom anything less than overwhelming success will be disappointing. The McMaster women’s volleyball team will begin their quest to fulfill these dreams on Saturday, when they play host to the Brock Badgers in Burridge Gym at 6 p.m. in their first regular season game of the 2009-2010 season.

SILHOUETTE FILE PHOTO

All-Star setter Jennifer Holt will be counted on to lead Mac this year.

Regular season opens this weekend

CHRISTOPHER CHANG / SILHOUETTE STAFF

Setter Ryan Hudson goes up for the block in preseason play against Montreal on the weekend.

• CONT’D FROM B1 later. Then, with victory a point away, Petrusma fired down an ace to end the night. Saturday’s series-closing match proved to be another four set affair, and saw McMaster’s top players playing together for long spells. A tight first set swung in the Marauders’ favour when key contributor Jeremy Groenveld (Welland, ON) produced a scintillating kill to give his squad a 21-19 lead, from which they never looked back. The second set starred rookie sensation Stevens, who ran roughshod over the Carabins while seemingly killing from every possible angle. His efforts culminated in a critical point at 2019 which set off a set-ending streak for the Marauders. After Montreal enjoyed a brilliant third set, the Marauders would take the fourth, and the series, with a display of

power from the veterans Groenveld and Santoni. Now, with a perfect preseason in the books (7-0), McMaster looks to translate this success into further glory. When asked whether he was satisfied with the team’s start, Coach Dave Preston responded positively, saying, “We had a defined goal in the preseason to make sure that a lot of our freshmen and our new guys to the program got to the level we needed to, to take off in the second half of the season... and I think we accomplished that.” However, he was quick to caution that the regular season is a “whole new ball game,” and that there was much left to teach his players. The Marauders will open their season at home in Burridge Gym with back-to-back games against York on Saturday at 8 p.m. and Ryerson on Sunday at 2 p.m.

THE SILHOUETTE • B3

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 22, 2009

Returning all-stars fail to help men’s rugby

ANDREW HO / WESTERN GAZETTE

Andrew Lobard tries to break a tackle with help from Keegan Selby, Kevin Noble and Tyler Ardron.

Big hits have been a constant in the Marauders’ games this season.

BRIAN DECKER

Errors have been a major factor in each of McMaster’s losses this season, with the Marauders hurting themselves as much as the opponents they play. “The talent pool is pretty much the same as last year but we seem to have developed a talent for shooting ourselves in the foot -- that is, our errors result in most tries against rather than the expertise of the other team” explained head Coach Dr. Phil White after the game. White and his squad will have work to do to prepare for the postseason and defence of their OUA championship. At 4-3 on the

SPORTS EDITOR

A game that started with so much promise ended in sadly familiar disappointment for the McMaster men’s rugby team after a 36-0 loss to the Western Mustangs on Sunday. The shutout loss is the first for McMaster in the Phil White coaching era, a telling sign of the team’s misfortune with injuries and slow regular season. The game began with much promise, with OUA All-Stars Keegan Selby (Lindsay, ON) and Shawn Windsor (Stoney Creek,

ON) returning to the team for their first games of the 2009 season. Selby and Windsor were supposed to help awaken a sleeping giant in McMaster, adding significantly to the offensive firepower and depth of the squad. As much as their returns helped the Marauders’ offensive execution and overall intensity, it was not enough to break through the Western defense for even a single point. The first half of the game began according to plan, with the ball moving back and forth across the field. The Marauders made a number of drives to just outside

the goal line, but could not breach the wall of Mustangs around it and failed to score. This proved to be a turning point in the game, with the momentum clearly swinging to Western and crushing Mac psychologically. The second half turned out to be all Western; with McMaster unable to both protect its own goal line and break through the Mustangs’. Costly errors proved to be the downfall of the Marauders in the game, with Western capitalizing on a number of poor passes and dropped balls and turning mistakes into tries.

season, neither an easy first-round match up nor home field advantage await the Marauders this fall. Strong playoff performances, however, have been the benchmark of the team in recent years, and the team will be busy preparing this week to exact revenge on the teams that have beaten them this season. Said White of the team’s postseason chances, “The Turner Trophy will not be relinquished without a fight and our rivals at Brock, Western and Queens are all very conscious that the slumbering giant is beginning to stir.”

Date with Western set for this Saturday

MICHELLE NG / THE SILHOUETTE

JESSIE CHAU / SILHOUETTE STAFF

Anna Parulski of McMaster takes down Gwen Kern of Toronto.

Sarah Van Hoof breaks through the Toronto defence for one of her three tries on the day.

• CONT’D FROM B1 scored five tries in the regular season, good for ninth best in the league. The third year Arts &

largely expected over the hapless Varsity Blues, who sported a 1-4 regular season record coming into the game. The women will have

Science student is likely to return for this weekend’s semifinal match against the Western Mustangs. The blowout win was

a tougher time in their semi-final match on Saturday against the Western Mustangs, who went 3-2 in the regular season. “[We will need to play] hard defense, to make sure no one gets past out defensive line, and on offense, we just need to execute,” commented Van Hoof of what the team will need to do to beat the Mustangs and reach the OUA Championship final. Should the Marauders win, they will take on the winner of the other semi-final match up between the no. 9 Queen’s Gaels and the no. 3 Guelph Gryphons. McMaster defeated Queen’s

soundly 39-6 on Sep. 26, but lost to Guelph the following week 34-0. Guelph has been the class of the league this season, going undefeated in the regular season following their 2008 OUA Championship victory. The Gryphons defeated McMaster 20-8 in last year’s playoffs. Though the Marauders went on to claim the bronze medal last season, they will be looking to go even further in 2009. Saturday’s game represents a chance for them to do just that, and move on to the final and claim their first ever OUA Championship.

B4 • THE SILHOUETTE

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 22, 2009

Marauders win Redbird Classic Mac women tip off season at Ryerson

BRIAN DECKER SPORTS EDITOR

If anyone doubted the McMaster men’s basketball team’s intent to contend in the CIS this season, this past weekend’s tournament at McGill University will have proved them wrong. The team won the Redbird Classic after a massive second half comeback in the final game against the Ottawa Gee-Gees, going undefeated in the tournament and pushing their preseason record to 5-0. Forward Keenan Jeppesen (Stoney Creek, ON) was named tournament MVP, averaging 19.7 points and 10.7 rebounds over the three contests. Third year guard Jermaine DeCosta (Hamilton, ON) was named to the All-Tournament team, averaging 11.7 points and playing lockdown defense on the perimeter. Mac’s defense was its strength in the tournament, forcing turnovers and shutting down opposing offences. In the final game, Mac allowed Ottawa to score just 17 points in the second half, turning a 10-point halftime deficit into a 23-point victory. “Our young guys had an eye-opener today against a top team that can lock down the dribble... apart from our two fifth-year guys we could not score when it counted against their strong, aggressive defence” said Gee-Gees Head Coach Dave DeAveiro, praising McMaster’s defensive intensity.

Third year guard Tyrell Vernon (Hamilton, ON) lit up the scoreboard in the final game, knocking down four threes and leading Mac’s second half charge on the way to a 24 point performance. Ottawa guard Josh Gibson-Bascombe was on fire to start the game, scoring 25 points in the first half alone, but was kept in check in the second stanza by Marauder wingmen Matt Wilusz (Stoney Creek, ON) and Scott Laws (Gormley, ON). “They came out and did exactly what we talked about at halftime and there’s nothing that pleases a coach more… Matt Wilusz stepped up and became a real CIS player this afternoon” said McMaster Head Coach Joe Raso, praising his veteran players for performing their best when it mattered most. While the veteran players set the tone for the tournament win, rookie Ryan Christie (Hamilton, ON) proved he is ready to be a dominant force in the paint for the upcoming Marauder season. The 6’6”, 230 pound forward averaged 13.7 points and 6.7 rebounds in the tournament, and anchored the Marauder post on offence and defence. Before defeating Ottawa in the tournament’s final, the team also picked up wins over McGill and UQAM. Defense and balanced scoring were the keys to success in those games as well for McMaster, leading to an 82-65 thrashing of McGill and a 94-59 blowout over

UQAM. The McGill game saw Jeppesen dominate the glass, grabbing six offensive rebounds and 18 overall to go with 19 points and two blocks. DeCosta, Christie and second year wingman Cam Michaud (Grimsby, ON) each recorded 12 points in the win, which saw Mac hold the Redmen to just 17 per cent shooting from downtown and 35 per cent shooting overall. The crushing blowout of UQAM saw the Marauders control the rebounds once again, with another balanced attack led by Jeppesen, DeCosta and Christie. McMaster built a lead right from the get go, leading by 10 after one quarter and by 26 at the half. The maroon and grey shot 55 per cent from the field, punishing the Citadins with a relentless offensive attack from each side of the floor. The team’s tournament win serves notice to other OUA teams that McMaster is ready to contend after a couple of sub-par seasons by coach Raso’s standards. Mac has won four OUA titles under Raso, and has consistently been a force in conference play and in the CIS tournament. The team exited the OUA Playoffs last season in the quarterfinals against the Windsor Lancers after a first-round victory over the Laurier Golden Hawks. With Jeppesen leading the charge and a solid starting cast behind him, the Marauders are poised to return to the upper echelon of CIS basketball.

SILHOUETTE FILE PHOTO

Jermaine DeCosta was named to the Redbird Classic All-Tournament Team for his lockdown defense.

Taylor Smith helped lead the Marauders to a win over UBC. BRIAN DECKER SPORTS EDITOR

The McMaster women’s basketball team kicked off their 2009-2010 season at the Darcel Wright Memorial Classic, going 1-2 over the weekend tournament against tough teams. The women kicked off the tournament with a close 62-60 win over the UBC Thunderbirds, but fell in back-to-back losses against the Calgary Dinos and the Laval Rouge-et-Or. Rookie Nicole Rosenkranz (Niagara Falls, ON) nailed a pair of free throws at the end of the fourth quarter to seal the win, fending off a furious comeback by UBC. The Thunderbirds took their first lead at 59-58 with four minutes left in the game, but McMaster held off the charge to pull out the victory. Rosenkranz scored 12 points in her first game with Mac, going 8 of 10 from the free throw line and recording two steals. Third year forward Taylor Chiarot (Hamilton, ON) paced the maroon and grey with 16 points and seven rebounds. Veteran guard and floor general Taylor Smith (Hamilton, ON) struggled from the field, but recorded five steals to go with five rebounds, five assist and nine

SILHOUETTE FILE PHOTO

points. The Marauders could not keep their opponents from completing a second half charge in their second game, however, falling 70-66 in another tight battle against the Calgary Dinos. Smith found her form in the second game, scoring 18 points to go with five assists and seven rebounds, but it was not enough to overcome the Dinos’ attack. Chiarot tallied 12 points, while veterans Rebecca Rewi (Ancaster, ON) and Alyska Lukan (Barrie ON) chipped in 10 points apiece. The third and final game of the tournament proved to be the Marauders’ least successful effort of the game, with the team dropping the contest 68-51 to Laval. The team managed just six first quarter points, falling into a deficit they could not recover from. Chiarot was the only Marauder to reach double figures in scoring with 10, with McMaster shooting just 37 per cent from the field and reaching the free throw line just six times. McMaster plays one more preseason contest on Friday, taking on Calgary for a rematch of the second tournament game. The Marauders kick off their regular season against Royal Military College on Nov. 6 in Kingston.

THE SILHOUETTE • B5

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 22, 2009

Soccer teams lock up playoff spots

MICHELLE NG / THE SILHOUETTE

JESSIE CHAU / SILHOUETTE STAFF

Left: Keeper Michelle Spadafora was close on Windsor’s lone goal. Top: Samantha McLaren approaches the Lancer goal. Bottom: Mac could not beat Windsor’s keeper in a 2-0 loss. DAVID KOOTS

ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR

With one weekend left to play in the 2009 regular season, McMaster’s soccer teams are gearing up for the playoffs. Both teams lost to the Windsor Lancers on Saturday before coming back on Sunday and beating the Western Mustangs. In the men’s games, Mac

lost 2-0 to a tough Windsor team that has only lost once on the season. In Sunday’s match, the Marauders got a second half goal from Garret McConville (Ottawa, ON) to beat a struggling Western squad. Keeper Matthew Grant had the shutout in the win, his fourth of the year. With the weekend split the men maintain their .500 season with a 6-6 record, good enough for fourth place in the

OUA west division. The women dropped a tough 1-0 loss to the Lancers in the weekend’s match before coming out on Sunday and beating Western 3-2. Earlier in the year the women lost 5-0 to the Mustangs and so Sunday’s match was an especially sweet victory for the squad. Mac built up an early three goal lead thanks to a pair of goals by Tara

Dawdy (Burlington, ON) and one from Maria Cusimano (North York, ON) and were able to hold off a late charge by Western. The win gives the Marauders a 4-5-3 record, which finds Mac in the sixth and final playoff spot in the OUA west division. With a pair of games remaining, both McMaster teams have locked up a place in the

postseason, but plenty can change in the final standings. The men end against the sixth-place Wilfrid Laurier Golden Hawks and the fifthplace Waterloo Warriors, the two teams the men are most likely to meet in the first round of playoffs. Also up for grabs is a home playoff game and a pair of victories will guarantee a final home game at Ron Joyce Stadium in 2009. The women are within three points of hosting their own home playoff game but in order to get the necessary points they will need to beat a very tough Laurier team which is currently tied for first in the OUA west. In the season’s first match between the two teams, Laurier came out on top 4-2, but Mac played the Hawks strong throughout the game and are capable of winning against one of Canada’s top teams.

B6 • THE SILHOUETTE

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 22, 2009

Please Visit...

THE SILHOUETTE • B7

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 22, 2009

INSIDEOUT

production office: extension 27117

LINDSAY JOLIVET INSIDEOUT EDITOR

Every day at five o’clock, the choot choot of a steam whistle fills the Toronto air, reminding all those hard working souls to shut down their computers, because it’s beer o’clock. This whistle is perched atop the Steam Whistle brewery on Front Street, a brewery that prides itself on Canadian quaintness and simplicity. On Saturday, five Silhouette editors started beer o’clock a little bit early—12 Noon to be exact—as we set out toward Toronto to tour the little brewery. Our Toronto adventure began as any would, until we stepped inside Steam Whistle. Crowds of people stood around drinking beer in the middle of the afternoon, fountains of beer overflowed, and giant beer bottle pyramids stood as high as the CN Tower. Just kidding. But we did find a rather active tap pouring free samples, and enough groups waiting that we were told we would have to wait an hour until the 4:30 tour. We spent our wait

casually observing the preparations for a wedding reception in the brewery’s recreation hall Saturday evening. After some speculation about how a “let’s celebrate our marriage in a brewery” conversation might go, and an extra sample or two procured sneakily, our tour guide yelled for us all to meet in the corner to start the tour. For $10, the tour consisted of a detailed explanation of the process of making beer, the aforementioned free sample, and a glass or bottle opener. One editor upgraded to the 6-pack tour for $15, which included the tour, sample, and a six pack of Steam Whistle beer. Our friendly tour guide introduced herself as a Newmarket native and aspiring artist, and dove right into the touching history of the brewery. Formerly a train repair station, the building was abandoned for many years after it was no longer needed, until the story of this rustic factory collided with the story of three beer-makers. • PLEASE SEE LOCAL, B9

e-mail: insideout@thesil.ca

Good brews, good times

Touring Toronto’s Steam Whistle brewery

JONATHON FAIRCLOUGH / DISTRIBUTION COORDINATOR

CommunityEvents

How-to-do-it

Escape a terrible date

Oct. 23, 2009 2:30 p.m. - 3:15 p.m. Discover Psychology: The F-bomb and lessons on language Psychology Building (PC-155) A lecture on the psychological motivations for cursing, based on Steven Pinker’s book “The Stuff of Thought,” which references Bono’s exclamation, “This is really, really, F-ing brilliant” made at the 2003 Golden Globe Awards. Listener discretion is advised. Oct 26, 2009 9:00AM to Oct 27, 2009 5:00PM Safe Body Art MUSC Table The Student Health Education Centre presents an opportunity to learn about safe body art and get a free henna tattoo. Oct 27, 2009 12:30PM to 1:30PM Meditation Circle CNH 607 An introduction to meditation, with an exploration of various practices such as sitting meditation, labyrinth walking, guided meditation, and artistic expression. Participants are welcome to contribute their own topics and ideas. Oct 28 7:00PM to 10:00PM Sex with Sue Johanson 1280 She’s a legend, and she’s here to answer your questions. No topics are off limits for this saucy nurse and former host of the Sunday Night Sex Show.

JENNIFER BACHER

Oct 29 9:00AM to 5:00PM Relationship Addictions MUSC Table

Oct. 26 2:30 pm to 3:30 pm University of Sydney’s Faculty of Health Science Information Session MUSC 318 A representative from the University of Sydney’s Faculty of Health Science will attend an event providing information on graduate and professional degrees in health sciences. Oct. 29 12:00 am to 4:00 pm. Global Day of Action on Climate Change Gore Park The local edition of a worldwide event to help bring greenhouse gas levels down.

How would you describe your personal style? “Whatever captures me in the best light.”

jacket: $150

JESSIE CHAU AND ZHYNE THAJEEN / SILHOUETTE STAFF

SILHOUETTE INTERN

Did you ever think you could be addicted to your relationship with someone? SHEC will be discussing this issue with students at their table during this event.

Canon Rebel XS & Canon EF 70-200mm: $2000

You always promised yourself you would never let your friends set you up with that “perfect date” but here you are, bored to death. Somewhere between your date’s explanation of their life story and the horrible restaurant they brought you to you’ve decided you need to escape—now! Thank god you read this weeks how-to-do-it. There are two ways to make your escape. Fake An Emergency This one is quick, easy and somewhat realistic. Tell your date your going to the washroom to “wash up.” Remember to take your cell phone with you. Call a friend to call you back with a pretend emergency. A believable emergency you could use is: a personal crisis (“My roommates boyfriend just broke-up with

scarf: From the student centre $7

her and she’s having a breakdown. I have to go”) or a health crisis (“My brother just called, and mom fell down the stairs, I think I should be with her”). To execute this escape effectively you must leave quickly after you receive the phone call, before your date can protest. Apologize, but refuse any desperate attempt your date makes to accompany you. Leave swiftly and without hesitation so your date won’t have time to fully process what’s happening. Slip Away Unnoticed If you don’t have a cell phone or the fake emergency isn’t going to work, you can always try to just slip away unnoticed. Observe your surroundings and take note of any exits. Back doors are golden for this escape. Now, plan to alter your appearance. Your mind-numbing date will see a figure walk past them as you attempt your escape so disguise your most distinct feature. If your first impression is different, you will not get a second look. Now, excuse yourself to the washroom and begin your transformation. Your date will probably wait two or three minutes before expecting you to return and begin looking for you. So act quickly! You will only have one chance to make this successful. To change your appearance, layer or take off layers to change your body shape, add or remove glasses, and add or take-off make-up. Once your disguise is ready, head for the nearest exit. As you walk past your lackluster date do not look at them, because this could make them notice you. Congrats, you have escaped. Now head to the nearest bar and celebrate with your friends. Maybe you will find someone who isn’t boring. Just make sure you don’t bump into your earlier date. Now that would be awkward!

What do you look for in a signiﬁcant other? “A sense of humour” Favourite artist: John Legend Favourite quote: “If you don’t go after what you want you’ll never have it. If you don’t ask the answer is always no. If you don’t move forward you’re always in the same place.” • Nora Roberts

Jessie Chau ThreadCount

Fourth year Genetics

TERRY SHAN / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

B8 • THE SILHOUETTE

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 22, 2009

A triumphant 30th anniversary Opera Hamilton celebratory season opens Thursday

Wellness programs at work STEPHANIE HAUCK SILHOUETTE STAFF

Opera Hamilton opens its celebratory 30th season with a lively operatte Die Fledermaus (The Bat). PHYLLIS TSANG deficit.” In this 2009/10 season, the Casting, play selection, staging, ASSISTANT INSIDEOUT EDITOR non-profit opera company is staging lighting, transportation, and more three operas after eliminating over are all constituent parts of planning Opera Hamilton’s 30th anniversary $1.5 million of debt and announcing an Opera. this year is a moment of triumph. new grants totaling $265,000. For stage sets and cos Play performances in The company has chosen tumes, Opera Hamilton rents from Hamilton began as early as 1820s, Die Fledermaus (The Bat), a play in theatrical suppliers. a period in which Theatrical His- which its characters are entangled “When you have 30 - 40 torian Murray D. Edward thought in mistaken identities, flirtation, cast members and each of them there was “no artistic triumphs” for practical jokes and revelry, to open needs three to four costumes,” Canadian theatre. Almost two cen- the celebratory season. This oper- Speers, the former Artistic Director turies later, David Speers, General etta composed by Johann Strauss of Calgary Opera and Arizona OpDirector of Opera Hamilton, be- II was first premiered in Vienna in era, explained, “The price is outralieves that Canadian theatre is “no 1874 and will open here, in Hamil- geous.” longer taking the back seat.” ton, on Oct. 22 and 24. Suppliers like Malabar’s During the first century of Next in line is POPERA Limited, the largest costume supplier Canadian theatre, Edward attribut- PLUS! on January 28 and 30. Four in North America, provide both proed the lack of growth to Canadians world-renowned singers along with duction list and photos on the web. “sitting back and applauding Amer- a mass chorus of more than 80 voic- Some sets are even available in deican and English stars,” rather than es will perform selections from the signs from different eras. According encouraging our own playwrights, best and most beautiful operas of all to Malabar’s website, Die Flederactors and directors. time. maus only comes in Late 19th Cen Today, Canadian theatre The season will end with tury, while La Boheme has an option boasts such talents as Adrianne Puccini’s La Boheme on April 22 of 1850s France. Pieczonka, who has performed in and 24, a passionate story set in In terms of stage sets, Speers major opera productions in both Paris about a group of young bohe- observed that consortion between opNorth America and Europe. In mians. era companies is becoming the trend. 2007, she was named an Austrian “You can expect a mix “Die Fledermaus is a set produced for Kammersangerin, an award given of productions every year,” said Virginia Opera, we are the next comby the Austrian government to rec- Speers. Classy 17th century German pany to use it,” Speers explained. ognize a singer’s achievement in Die Fledermaus, modern POPERA That being said, producthat country. PLUS!, and the Italian repertoire La tions at this scale have limited op In 2007, Speers wrote a Boheme mark the effort to maintain tions with respect to venues. letter to accompany a subscription a variety of style, language, and A 50-foot wide stage openrenewal package informing its sub- time periods. ing is required to accommodate scribers that the main stage produc- A production generally staging as well as an orchestra. Not tion would be suspended for a sea- takes 3 years to plan and budget, to mention, a venue must be able to son due to “debilitating accumulated Speers spoke from experience. house more than 2000 people in or-

PHYLLIS TSANG / ASSISTANT INSIDEOUT EDITOR

der to make a show, generally cost around $400,000 to produce, viable. In May 2010, Opera Hamilton’s musician and production staff will tour as many as 60 schools to perform a small-scale version of opera. School children will get a chance to learn about Thayendanegea - Joseph Brant’s Mohawk name – and his “interesting personal life” through theatre and music this year. “It’ll be both entertaining and educational,” Speers said, “It has Canadian history to it.” Opera Hamilton also offers discounted tickets to students in addition to school tours. A similar offer is underway for young professionals. “Kids are introduced to video games, movies, and television in early age. They are used to the idea of telling stories with music and images,” Speers pointed out. “We just have to get them into the theatre once…” On Oct. 20, more than a hundred children, high school students, and parents walked through Hamilton’s Place Grant Hall’s door to see a dress rehearsal of Die Fledermaus. “Renaissance of theatre and opera is coming,” Speers said hopefully. An even greater triumph is expected of Canadian theatre in the future.

As the economic crisis rolls to a close there is no better opportunity for your boss to implement wellness programs in the workplace. After working all day, the last thing on your mind might be a workout, but there are many benefits to healthy workplace involvement. Since October is “Healthy Workplace Month,” many employers are starting to consider the importance and benefits of workplace wellness. According to Healthy U, a health education website run by the provincial government of Alberta, “these programs are designed to assist workers and employees to choose healthier behaviours, like being more physically active or quitting smoking.” These opportunities help employees to learn new skills and increase workplace involvement. Third year commerce student at McMaster, Samantha Pollotta, felt workplaces with wellness programs developed happier employees all around. “I think it gives people something to look forward to at the end of the day,” she stated, “people… [get] to know more people at their workplaces and this builds stronger relationships.” Employers are slowly recognizing that the workplace itself has a powerful affect on people’s health. Anne Maher, a consultant at Maher & Associates stated, “It is true that happy workers are productive workers and that workplace surveys reveal a direct correlation between workplace wellness and productivity.” Workplace wellness not only benefits workers but it also provides positive feedback for management. As a university student, the reality and benefits of workplace wellness are often unexplored, mainly because most students • PLEASE SEE STAYING, B9

THE SILHOUETTE • B9

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 22, 2009

Local beer with a green outlook

Staying healthy at work

• CONT’D FROM B8 are employed in part-time positions. However, when asked, most students agreed that once they enter the full-time workforce things like workplace wellness will be a very important factor. Third year linguistics student Melissa Morlacchetti believes wellness is not necessarily the only way to keep employees happy, adding, “any sort of incentive is good whether it be …a raise or some sort of outing with your staff members, regardless if it be something healthy for you.” The Department of Kinesiology at McMaster University runs wellness programs every year. Mac Senior Exercise and Wellness Program is one of the most popular. It gives seniors a chance to participate in activities that promote healthy living. Moreover, McMaster has a variety of programs including Summer Job Survival Programs, an eight week program that provides campus events and promotes employment education. From yoga classes to midday stretches, workplace wellness covers a broad range of initiatives. Attitudes toward the workplace are changing and employers are feeling the pressure to accommodate their employees. The result brings a new component to job searches as new graduates consider which workplace will keep them healthiest and happiest.

WILL VAN ENGEN / PHOTO EDITOR

These basic products are essential for on-the-go beauty needs.

Top 10 student beauty products

Get glammed up quickly LEANNE MARK

SILHOUETTE STAFF

Aside from your toothbrush, soap and shampoo, here are a few things no campus girl should be without. This list of beauty musthaves is about products that are affordable, easy to use, and go well together. So here are some beauty legends, fads that are actually fabulous and favourites that never fade. Straightener Even if you already have straight hair, a great straightener can help you achieve wavy, curly and, obviously, straight styles. Wet-or-Dry straighteners can also work with damp hair, which allows you to skip the blow-dryer. Signature Scent Looking great but smelling stank is a definite faux pas. A signature scent can really compliment your appearance and uplift your mood. Feel pretty and sweet or sexy and seductive with the right scent. Concealer The perfect concealer can fight against redness, dark circles, blemishes, and breakouts. If you cannot find a perfect shade, going slightly lighter will cover redness better than a shade that is darker. When applying concealer use your fingertip, the creaminess in the concealer will blend better under the warmth of your fingers. Tweezers Your brows are a distinctive feature on your face, they can define your eyes and bone structure and really impact your appearance. Keeping them well kept and full but defined gives you a clean and polished look. Don’t over tweeze, simply follow the natural arch you’ve already got. Dry Shampoo Hairstylists have favoured this revolutionary product for years. Perfect for when there just isn’t enough

time to shower, shampoo and blow dry, or when your hair needs a quick fix before you go out. It uses tiny particles of powder that absorb the oil in your hair that leaves it flat, adding volume. Bronzer and Blush Duo A genius pairing, both products are great for bringing warmth to your skin tone. The ultimate bronze/ blush product is “The Multiple” by NARS, is a multipurpose cream-topowder make up stick that you can use for lips, eyes, cheeks and body. Mascara Nothing feels more femme and pretty than a luxurious set of full lashes. A worthwhile splurge is the Dior Show mascara, with easy to build volume and length, and a soft smudge-proof finish. However a definite legend and cult fave is Maybelline’s Great Lash, which comes in a very dependable waterproof. Moisturizing Gloss Over lipsticks or stains or even worn alone, dewy lips are an easy way to finish your look and they’re ultra seductive. For a matte look, apply the gloss sparingly with your fingertips or blot after application. Beware of petroleum based lip moisturizers that can actually dry out your lips. Eye-Liner Gorgeous worn alone or with shadow, liner is a definite must have. A good liner should be creamy for the smoothest and easiest of applications but should set after a few seconds to ensure a smear-proof look after application. Moisturizer Gorgeous soft skin is fundamental for a truly healthy glow. While many soaps and body washes now come with moisturizing properties, nothing replaces a nourishing lotion or body butter. A quality moisturizer with organic ingredients can protect your skin from premature aging.

• CONT’D FROM B7 Three employees of a Canadian microbrewery, Greg Taylor, Cam Heaps, and Greg Cromwell were fired after the brewery was bought by a national company and closed. After a few years, the three men realized that they missed making beer, and in true Canadian myth fashion, decided around a campfire that they would start their own brewery. Initially, they wanted to call the brewery “Three Fired Guys,” to commemorate the name they had playfully given themselves. Once they sobered up, however, they realized they would need a more marketable name, and began to Steam Whistle’s signature bottles. plan for their future as the creators of a new Pilsner. Nonetheless, adds natural carbonation and makes every bottle of Steam Whistle still the beer alcoholic. Once brewed, has “3FG” etched on the bottle in the beer ferments for 28 days in memory of the company’s origins. total, which is about three times After a heartfelt retelling of longer than other beers. This is the this tale, our tour guide brought us only beer Steam Whistle brews, through the stages of brewing within thus the motto “Do one thing really, the factory, starting really well.” with the mixing of After the water ingredients. This After our tour each has absorbed the German-style pilsner person was allowed flavour of the grains, contains only four they are filtered out natural ingredients: to pull the handle and given to farmers water, hops, malted on the steam whis- to feed their cattle, barley, and yeast. makes sense tle and notify the which She passed around after you’ve tasted town that it was them—at least for a jar of hops pellets and encouraged time to leave the the hops. This is everyone to try one, part of a number of adding—a little too office and grab a initiatives that make late for some—that Steam Whistle the pint. it wouldn’t be a greenest brewery pleasant experience. in the country, The next few minutes were filled and they are very proud of their with various noises of disgust, and environmentally friendly ways. occasionally muffled gags. When Once the beer is filtered the tour guide asked what we (not pasteurized, another source of thought, the Executive Editor said pride for the company) it is bottled sourly, “It tastes like dirt.” in their signature green bottles or We were feeling a little kegged. The bottles are modeled disconcerted that the contents of after the 1950s 7up bottle and the such a wonderful beverage could label is baked on enamel, which contain something so closely reduces paper and glue waste. resembling goat feed, but our guide Because these bottles contain 30 quickly saved our taste buds with per cent more glass than regular the sweeter and milder barley. The beer bottles they can be reused up to starches in barley convert to sugar 35 times. A machine overflows the in our mouths, making the taste a bottles on purpose, and then caps little more bearable, although still them before any oxygen can get in. like wheat. During the beer-making After our tour each person process the barley is boiled in water. was allowed to pull the handle on Once the temperature reaches 98 the steam whistle and notify the degrees Celsius the hops are added. town that it was time to leave the Our guide described this ingredient office and grab a pint. On that note, as “the spice” in beer. The brewers we strolled out of the brewery and then lower the temperature to 5-8 headed down to Bier Markt for a degrees Celsius and add a bottom- worldwide selection of brews. After fermenting yeast from Hungary that all, it was beer o’clock.

JONATHON FAIRCLOUGH / DISTRIBUTION COORDINATOR

B10 • THE SILHOUETTE

S E X AND THE STEEL CITY

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 22, 2009

Unhelpful sex advice, revealed LINDSAY JOLIVET INSIDEOUT EDITOR

While searching the Internet for sex topics (everyone does that—right?), I noticed that almost every hit was a step-by-step guide to success in some aspect of sexual life. There were countless pieces that claimed to have decoded sexual offers, sexual relationships, and of course, sexual acts. Somewhere between “Five signs that your boss is hitting on you,” and “conversation topics that lead to sex,” I had an epiphany. Maybe, just maybe, all those cut and dry solutions to getting laid and convincing your partner to hang around afterward are not actually helpful. Maybe all those hours I spent as a 13 year old reading Cosmopolitan and the millions of dollars the company spent producing the magazine were all for naught. Sure, Ask Men’s “Player’s Guide” seems great with its promise to teach you “the easy method to overcome your fear of rejection, so that you have the confidence to approach, seduce and satisfy any woman,” but is it really that simple? I’m probably not qualified to say. But just for fun, let’s look at some of the latest advice pop culture experts have to offer for increasing your sexual prowess. In the aforementioned example from Ask Men, “Conversation topics that lead to sex,” topics are listed as headings with descriptions underneath. First, the article suggested that men discuss their target woman’s favourite foods. Lame? Hold on readers, because Ask Men has solid evidence. “It may sound like a ho-hum topic, but like most other seemingly innocuous pieces of advice the Player has at his disposal, it’s an effective means to an end.” Well if “the Player” says it, it must be true.

Secondly, the article told men to flaunt their passions. Don’t jabber too much, but “get that sparkle in your eye.” The rest of the article is blocked to those without a subscription, so I’m afraid you’ll have to deal with the suspense of not knowing. Similarly, Cosmopolitan is always ready to supply its female readers with scaled maps to their men. Just paste on top of desired man and follow the arrows. For example, according to the magazine’s “body language decoder” if your boyfriend sleeps on his stomach, this means he is passionate and energetic. He is probably also punctual and successful, but watch out—he might be controlling. In another article entitled “Sexy things to do with your underwear,” Cosmo suggested, “Take off your underwear while out at a restaurant or bar and slip it [them] into his hand.” Maybe wait until after the main course. In a neat cross-over, Ask Men supplied Cosmo readers with advice on things not to say in bed. Cosmo’s writers added a version of this piece directed at men. The advice? Girls, don’t say things like “Is it in yet?” or “I want to watch you sleep.” Also try to avoid stating that you’re a virgin, especially if it isn’t true. Oh, and don’t snore. Men should probably not say, “Who’s your daddy?” or suggest that their roommate join the fun. Not only do these advice tidbits target only heterosexuals, they don’t seem all that helpful. But since I can’t speculate as to what others may find relevant, I’ll leave you to decide the value of sexual advice from popular magazines and online publications. In the meantime, consult the online archives of Cosmo for “30 Things to do with a naked man.” No imagination required.

Crossword

Interactive

By Sandy Chase / CUP Graphics Bureau Chief

Crossword puzzles provided by BestCrosswords.com (http://www.bestcrosswords.com). Used with permission. Down

Across 1- Dollop; 5- Packs tightly; 10- Some Ivy Leaguers; 14- Yorkshire river; 15- Lofty nest; 16- Lawless character; 17- Writing desk; 19- Single entity; 20- Sacred song; 21- Admire servilely; 23- AOL, e.g.; 25- Exodus origin; 26- Mideast gulf; 29- Arch type; 31- Throws; 35- Song syllable; 36- The doctor ___; 37- Construction framing a fireplace 38- Medieval steel helmet;

40- Having a valid will; 41- Recompense; 42- Push with the head; 43- Anger; 44- Flavor; 45- Clinton’s birthplace; 46- Pitfall; 47- Plant anew; 49- Sun. talk; 51- Having two methods; 54- France’s longest river; 58- Muslim elder and prayerleader; 59- Utilizing ultrasound; 63- Cab; 64- Trades; 65- Egyptian deity; 66- Agitated state; 67- Whiskey type; 68- Indifferent;

1- Breathe convulsively; 2- Falsehoods; 3- Killer whale; 4- Capital of Germany; 5- Cmdr Data’s was named Spot; 6- Actor Stephen; 7- Jackie’s second; 8- Optical phenomenon; 9- Disreputable; 10- Jubilant; 11- Actress Olin; 12- Monogram ltr.; 13- Fill to surfeit; 18- Dash lengths; 22- Directed skyward; 24- Assumed attitudes; 25- Dusk, to Donne; 26- Up; 27- Stage play; 28- Alleviates; 30- Obtain, slangily; 32- Flight of steps; 33- Aquarium fish; 34- Bed down; 36- Truly; 37- Doles (out); 39- Introduce; 40- Male sheep; 42- Fiddle stick; 45- Shout; 46- Soldiers; 48- Riyadh resident; 50- Golfer Ernie; 51- Fragments; 52- One-named supermodel; 53- Long skirt; 55- A big fan of; 56- Narrow inlets; 57- Mimic; 60- Skater Babilonia; 61- “Treasure Island” monogram; 62- Baseball bat wood;

THE SILHOUETTE • B11

Breadbin Autumn is a beautiful season as the trees start changing colours and the ground becomes carpeted in yellow and orange leaves. It’s also the season of harvest, meaning we get a fresh crop of produce at its peak ripeness. The quality of this week’s vegetarian recipe can be enhanced using freshly harvested vegetables or the contents of a Good Food Box. Good Food Box orders are taken this week (Oct. 19-23) in the MSU Office. The Good Food Box is exactly as its name suggests; a bin of fresh produced delivered straight from the Ontario Food Terminal. At the price of $12, you can get about $20-25 worth of food. For more information, contact Mac Bread Bin. SILHOUETTE FILE PHOTO

Stuffed Peppers Ingredients • ¼ cup of cooked lentils • 3 large peppers • ½ can of tomato sauce or one large tomato (diced) • 1cup of rice, cooked • seasoning of your choice • shredded cheese (if you’re not vegetarian) Recipe 1. Cook ground meat with spices and add the tomato/tomato sauce 2. Add the rice into the mixture 3. Hollow out the peppers and steam them until soft (about 10-15 minutes) 4. Fill the peppers with the mixture (and top with cheese) 5. Cook in a 350°C oven for 10 minutes Tips: Take advantage of the freshly harvested crop and serve with a side dish of mashed yams, garden salad, and/or butternut squash soup. •

Sudoku 6 5

Last Week’s crossword solution:

2 4 3

9 4 8

Write for InsideOut

3 1

insideout @theSil.ca

By Angel Lai, Mac Bread Bin Co-Director

8 1

4 2

8 9 6

5 3

3 8 1

9 6 1

8 4

4 3 5

2 9

6 1 5

Last Week’s Sudoku solution: 2 3 1

5 9 7

6 8 4

1 6 5

3 7 9

4 2 8

7 5 2

8 4 3

9 1 6

4 5 8

6 3 7

9 2 1

2 1 5

3 7 4

8 9 6

1 4 9

5 8 3

7 6 2

8 7 9

4 3 6

5 2 1

3 4 7

2 1 8

6 9 5

1 6 4

9 5 2

7 8 3

9 7 6

1 4 2

5 8 3

4 6 9

8 2 1

7 3 5

6 5 8

2 1 7

3 9 4

6 5 4

1 8 2

9 7 3

2 9 8

5 4 6

3 1 7

8 3 9

7 6 1

4 2 5

2 3 1

8 5 9

4 7 6

7 8 3

6 9 5

1 4 2

3 2 7

9 6 4

5 1 8

Spot-the-diff Find all 7 differences!

Answers: Moon; 2 people; bow on braid; horn; chin; voice lines; ring

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 22, 2009

B12 • THE SILHOUETTE

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 22, 2009

HEALTH

production office: extension 27117

in partnership with SHEC

Napping boosts attentiveness and mood SARAH LEVITT HEALTH EDITOR

Peter Pan had it right when he said he wanted to stay a kid forever. There are many advantages to being a child, one of the best being scheduled naptime. Adults require seven to eight hours of sleep a day. But, with tests, assignments, and a healthy social life, university students tend to get much less sleep than they need. This phenomenon is particularly evident in lateafternoon classes, where students’ eyelids droop and the professors’ voices sound more like lullabies than lectures. Since there is an unfortunate absence of Napping 1A06 in the course calendar, it is up to students to solve this problem on their own. One possible solution is to embrace the power nap and make it part of our daily routines. Most mammals sleep in short spurts throughout a 24-hour period. Humans have consolidated sleep into one, eight-hour chunk, but our biological programming still remembers that it is supposed to sleep between 2AM-4AM and 1PM-3PM. It is for this reason that many adults experience afternoon drowsiness, even if they were not pulling all-nighters the previous evening. Power naps have many proven benefits. It has been shown that 20 minutes of sleep in the afternoon is more restful than an additional 20 minutes of sleep in the morning. Napping results in increased patience and learning, decreased stress, and better reaction time. One study showed that pilots who took 26-minute naps increased their performance by 35% and their alertness by 54%. Other research has shown that a nap of 60 minutes improves alertness for up to ten hours. Napping has many physical health benefits as well. This extra (and needed) sleep lowers

your risk of heart attack, stroke, and diabetes and even decreases weight gain. Napping gives the body added energy to regenerate skin cells so you stay looking young for longer. Furthermore, while you are sleeping, your brain is bathed in the neurotransmitter serotonin that helps lift your mood, meaning you wake up feeling good all over. Power naps also help increase your sex drive. There is a lot of debate about for how long and at what time of day people should take their naps. Most researchers agree that determining what time is right for napping is largely an individualistic decision. It is helpful to determine your chronotype, the time you would sleep and wake up naturally. If you are an early-riser, napping around 1PM-1:30PM is the right choice. However, if you are nightowl, napping later in the afternoon (2:30PM-3PM) will prove more restful. Other sources suggest that the best time of day for napping is approximately 8 hours after you wake up in the morning and 8 hours before you go back to sleep. Similarly, when taking a nap, you should decide on what kind of nap you want to take. Most sources recommend a power nap of between 20 to 45 minutes in length. A nap of this duration is known as a “catnap” and induces stage 2 sleep. With stage 2 sleep comes increased alertness, concentration and motor skills as well as an improved mood. To make your catnap even more effective at increasing alertness, you can try drinking coffee immediately before you lie down. Caffeine takes 20 to 30 minutes to affect your system, meaning you wake up just as the coffee is kicking in. At the 45-minute mark, your body enters rapid eye movement (REM) sleep, which increases creative thinking and sensory processing. You should not sleep for more than 45 minutes

FARHANG GHAJAR / SILHOUETTE STAFF

Taking a nap in the afternoon not only helps you get through the day, but also has proven health benefits. because waking up after this point means becoming conscious in the middle of a sleep cycle, resulting in feelings of grogginess rather than refreshment. However, if you do want to take a longer nap, you should sleep for 90 to 120 minutes. Long naps clear the mind, increase memory recall, and recoup lost sleep. A long nap in the morning will mean you get more REM sleep, while afternoon long naps consist largely of slow-wave sleep, the deepest stage of slumber. One must be wary of long naps because, while they are beneficial, they can make it difficult to fall asleep at night.

Finding a comfortable place to take your nap will help ensure you can fall asleep quickly and rest without disruptions. Sleep lying down rather than sitting up and make sure that the temperature is good for sleeping. Taking a few restful breaths before closing your eyes will also help you fall asleep more quickly. If you make a ritual of napping, your body will become used to sleeping during the day and it will be easier to drift off at naptime. When you awake from your nap, take a few moments to reorient yourself; breathing deeply while stretching will help shake off

any feelings of grogginess. Even if you only have five minutes, closing your eyes and giving your body a brief rest has the benefit of reducing stress and helping you relax, which can increase your energy to complete the rest of the day’s activities. Meditation can also give your body rest, produces slower brain waves similar to sleep and is a viable option for those who do not feel comfortable sleeping during the day. Napping, though, is still one of the best ways to give us a little boost in the middle of the day. So relive your childhood, and lie down for a rest in the afternoon.

Balance your diet along with your budget JESSICA LYDIATE THE SILHOUETTE

Instant macaroni and cheese is great once in a while, but it does not contain all the vitamins and minerals necessary for a healthy and balanced diet. Fresh produce, like fruits and vegetables, proteins, dairy products and grains are the key components of a healthy diet. Eliminating junk food as much as possible and eating unprocessed

food from the four categories on the Canada food-guide is a good way to start eating more healthily. The high cost of tuition and living, combined with a busy schedule and limited cooking space or skills, makes eating a balanced diet difficult for many university students. But, fear not, for there are many easy ways to stretch a budget, and cooking from scratch with fresh foods is often cheaper than buying pre-made meals. There are two very

easy ways to get produce for an affordable price in Hamilton: 1. Check out the MSU Good Food Box program. This program is run in partnership between MAC BreadBin and the Grace Lutheran Church. A good food box is just $12 and contains many pounds of fresh produce. If you are MAC BreadBin user, the cost of the box is only $9. You can make an order every month at the front desk of the MSU office

KEVEN ELLIOTT / SILHOUETTE STAFF

By shopping strategically, it is possible to both save money and have a delicious and nutritious diet.

on the 2nd floor of MUSC. The next order comes in on Nov. 9. Consider sharing the food box with a housemate, as there is lots of food and you do not want it to spoil. 2. The Hamilton Farmer’s Market is another affordable source of healthy foods. The market is located downtown in Jackson Square. As a Westdale-centered student, this may seem impossibly far way, but it is actually just a 10 minute bus ride from campus. The market is open on Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday until 6 p.m. The Farmer’s Market is a wonderful environment and has lots of well-priced food products, often from local producers. The vendors are friendly and can tell give you helpful information about their products. You will definitely save some money shopping here and also will not be tempted to buy ready-made or processed foods. There are ways to save money at the grocery store as well. Make a list and know what you need. With this method, you will not buy things you do not need. Buy seasonal fruits and vegetables, or frozen produce as these options tend to be cheaper. Drinking juice from concentrate and not from a bottle will also save you a couple of dollars. Buy frozen meat in bulk and share with a roommate, splitting the cost. You could even try some recipes with chickpeas or lentils as they are high in protein and fiber, and cheaper that meat. Do not shop when you are hungry. Hungry people buy more food than others, and often

more than they need. Only buy as much fresh food as you can eat before it goes bad to avoid waste. Try out the generic brand products, but pay attention to their nutrition information to ensure you are only cutting costs and not compromising your health. Compare prices and use the store flyer to make the most of sales, but do not buy unnecessary items just because they are on sale. Buying in excess will not save you money and will lead you to eat more than you need, an unhealthy practice. If you are already a healthy eater and good at managing a budget, challenge yourself to learn about how your food if produced and where it comes from. Consider how many kilometers your food traveled to get to your plate and challenge yourself to pick more local options. Learn about the conditions your food was grown or raised in and learn about ethical concerns in food production. With this information you will be able apply your environmental and ethical standards to your kitchen cupboards. You do not need a huge budget to eat well. With careful planning and strategic grocery purchases a few dollars can go a long way towards filling your stomach and providing your body with the nutrients it needs. Challenge yourself to learn some healthy, cost-effective recipes or do some experimental cooking with affordable ingredients. A balanced diet and a balance bankbook help make a healthy student.

1969 cinema • modernist photography • where the wild things are spiral beach • law abiding citizen • hamilton 365 • said the whale

index

C2 • the silhouette’s art + culture magazine

thursday, october 22, 2009

Senior Editor: Grace Evans Entertainment Editor: Myles Herod Music Editor: Corrigan Hammond Contributors: Josh Parsons, Simon Granat, Catherine Brasch, Ryan Acker, Phil Wood, Chris Hoy, Derek Hung, Tara Burke, John Hill

Cover: Will van Engen

this week

what’s inside

in the hammer

feature

music Spiral Beach: “Allowing themselves such an open attitude towards writing has proved fruitful for the band as they boast a varying roster of songs which drawn influence from a gigantic array of material.”

Grady Casbah 8:00 p.m. UME Casbah 8:00 p.m. Lemonwilde Absinthe 8:00 p.m. Immaculate Machines Casbah 8:00 p.m.

nov. 4 nov. 5 nov. 7

Meligrove Band Casbah 8:00 p.m

art

theatre

write for andy. musc b110.

Half Life By Stuart Ross Theatre Aquarius 190 King William St. 1-800-465-7529 boxoffice@theatreaquarius.org

write for andy please meetings are mondays @ 1:30 MUSC b110

andy’s pick

if the conservatives gave you a giant novelty cheque...

p.7

Modernist Photographs Art Gallery of Hamilton 123 King St., Hamilton 905-577-6610 info@artgalleryofhamilton. com

oct.10 -jan.3

oct. 24

p.6

oct 27

Where The Wild Things Are: “Director Spike Jonze is one the great modern visualists in filmmaking, and this picture is no exception. Going as far back to his music video days, he’s always seemed to entice artistic nuance to his slacker upbringings.”

p.8

Leslie Pike 1280 8:00 p.m.

oct. 28

Law Abiding Citizen: “Even for an action movie it’s a little too clichéd at times. This is especially troublesome because the movie takes itself seriously.”

Metric Hamilton Convention Centre 8:00 p.m.

oct. 29

film

The Rah-Rah’s This Aint Hollywood 9:00 p.m.

oct. 31

oct. 23

p.10

Malajube Casbah 8:00 p.m.

oct.20 -nov.7

music

nov. 3

Hamilton 365: “The show is the brainchild of photographer Larry Strung, who during 2008, took 365 portraits, one on every day of the year, each displaying a different member of the Hamilton community.”

Westdale Theatre Couples Retreat Fri-Sun 7:00, 9:20 Tue 7:30

Attack in Black Casbah 8:00 p.m.

now

culture

opening

p.4

Saw VI Amelia Ong Bak 2 Anti-Christ

playng

film

1960’s Cinema: “The sexual revolution was in full swing, west and east coasts were producing timeless music and the Vietnam War divided the nation. The Age of Aquarius was in its peak and the films were just as far out.”

wayne coyne. terry grant. waylon jennings. dr. yo mamma. stephen hawkins.

andy@ thesil.ca

column

thursday, october 22, 2009

f.u.b.a.r.

lucky,

The Simpsons. When I think of Global, I think of their Sunday editorial column night cartoon linemyles herod up. With CTV it’s typically American Idol When’s the last time you actually and some other dreary excuse for stopped to think about Canadian entertainment. CityTV, doesn’t television? I’m thinking that maybe even count. Hey, wait a minute, some Communications or Cultural aren’t all these by products of the Studies student is probably writing good ol’ USA? To be fair, CBC does a paper on it right now, but for the show hockey still, right? Honestly, most part…, well, you get the drift. I’d be hard pressed to name a This ain’t no Marshall McLuhan quality Canadian program. For “the medium is the message” every Dragon’s Den there’s a Battle of piece though, it’s about our the Blades, or, dare I say, Canadian country and what we’re producing. Idol? Damn you Ben Mulroney! Can My question to you: is someone tell me how this man is Canadian content worthy enough relevant, and why he has two shows? to pay for? Well, the big three Why do these (Global, CBC, and CTV) think so, broadcasters insist on alienating demanding that cable subscribers themselves with an already essential such as Rogers pay them for the service that produces such dribble? free programming they provide, They should know better. Adding thus taxing us in the process. Does insult to injury, this supposed that make any sense? Correct me TV tax with their “save local TV” if I’m wrong, but haven’t these ad campaign is pathetic in its stations been like, readily available attempt to produce sympathy. I’ve for decades? I’m sure everyone has seen bad, but this is beyond bad. witnessed the snowy static of a cable- Expanding by a whole two minutes less television, where the default on the usually allotted time for a lies in watching hockey, or, if you’re commercial, we are subjected to

an earnest country boy, guitar in hand, singing his case to save our stations. I haven’t got to the worst of it yet. The commercial is overmixed, the initial lyrics of the song are drowned out by an overbearing piano score, leaving most dialogue inaudible. What we’re left with is an under-lit production, striving for comedic intentions but coming up desperate. References to cows, lemonade stands and a Ron Burgundy knock off is simply sad. How ironic, a Canadian TV ad that fails due to its creative and technical shortcomings. Why, in an economic recovery, would three organizations of such clout propose such outrageous intentions? What’s really at stake here? Little Mosque on the Prairie? Frankly, I could do without it. Believe me, I love my country and believe in diversity, I just wish Canadian funding would translate into something that produced dynamic results, a product worthy to say the least. What are we so afraid of? Offending the conservative mindset? Yet, we produce a show so amateur in its authenticity of depicting the Muslim culture, we risk having our

the big tickle compiled by terry shan &

“Being Erica.” laura mercer

myles herod

“Corner Gas.” dusan zivkovic

the silhouette’s art + culture magazine • C3 entertainment industry become the laughing stock to the rest of North America. Oh wait, too late. Thank god for TIFF (The Toronto International Film Festival), the Quebec film industry, and David Cronenberg to name a few of only a handful. If not for them, we’d lack any international credibility. Since we’re on the subject of films, let me just tie it in for a moment. Showcase, Canadian run station and division of CanWest Media Inc. presented at one time, a diverse collection of world films that were shown every Friday night. What happened? American content began to creep in. Goodbye Ingmar Bergman, hello CSI: Miami! What was once a vital chance to view hip art house fair, has now been gutted to incorporate mainstream blandness. I’ll give Showcase a little cred – fulfilling their Can-Con quota, they brim their schedule with endless episodes of Kenny vs. Spenny and Trailer Park Boys. Good or bad, at least it’s Canadian. As for films, TVO has picked up where Showcase left off in its efforts to present unique cinema every Saturday

night. How do they do it? TVO is a publicly funded station. Broadcasters claim cable companies are reaping all the benefits, reportedly taking in revenue of 10 billion dollars for 2008. Broadcasters, wanting in on this action, are taking their efforts to the CRTC. What will this mean if they get their way? Roughly ten extra dollars a month added on to our cable statements. Ok, I tell you what, I’ll part with 10 dollars a month, as long as they bring back that delightful Jonathan Torrens and his much beloved Jonovision to the Canadian conscience. Damn, that was a good show.

q: what’s your favourite canadian television program?

“So You Think You Can Dance Canada.”

tony chung

“Degrassi.” mayzelle parawan

“Hockey Night In Canada.”

steve howson-jan

C4 • the silhouette’s art + culture magazine

film

thursday, october 22, 2009

revolution on the backlot

myles herod discusses how the 60’s counter-culture saved hollywood Youth is responsible for what has become the revolution and ultimately de-evolution of motion picture. The lucrative market and extraction of mainstream integrity began its infamy within marketing exploits geared towards the teenage demographic. This is something that can be traced back to George Lucas and his Star Wars toy line of 1977. When realizing the viability of his pet project, Lucas struck gold with the masses, not only giving birth to the first termed “blockbuster” but also something else, money through merchandizing. Yet before the rise of power through profit there was a time when Hollywood was on the cusp of a transitional taking of the throne itself. The 1960’s marked a divide from a weary and over bloated business of tired musicals and wretched excess (see Camelot from 1967 to see what I’m talking about) to a rebirth of a leaner, more personal output given strength by a rising counterculture. 1969 was the peak year of the newly coined “New Hollywood” aesthetic, where money didn’t matter – only the camera, the art form, and ideas. Lets briefly go back its influence for a moment: Marlon Brando and the school of method acting. Coming from stage to film, Brando set the acting world aflame with the method approach. By drawing experiences from within, instead of broad theatrics outward, method became the new cool. Soon Europe was adopting this form, not just acting but through their psychology of filmmaking, immediately rejecting old traditions in turn for new. European cinema, more specifically

Italian and French, broke all convention. From sporadic editing to the emergence of the anti-hero, a generally lone figure who’s actions seemed immoral yet evoked sympathy due to their reckless charm; this new style officially killed what up to that point had been classical cinema. Legendary French filmmakers Jean-Luc Godard and Francois Truffaut perfected this new approach dubbed “The French New Wave” with their pictures Breathless and 400 Blows, influencing young talents as Martin Scorsese, Francis Ford Coppola and Steven Spielberg. Now 1966, flourishes began to trickle westward, first with Michelangelo Antonioni’s sexy British film Blowup. Apart from swinging London and Austin Powers similarities, it marks a departure from formal narrative, emulating psychedelic tendencies and leaning toward a more youthful audience, speaking a language all new and very provocative. One of the first tastes in America came with the release of Bonnie and Clyde. Criticized for its brutality, it can be seen as confronting sexuality and violence at face value while also abiding to the European code of the likeable outlaws. Not only did it make stars out of Warren Beatty and Faye Dunaway, it set in motion a gritty realism that gave way to the Post Classical Movement, “New Hollywood.” Times were changing drastically by then in the US. The sexual revolution was in full swing, west and east coasts were producing timeless music and the Vietnam War divided the nation. The Age of Aquarius was in its peak and the films were just as far out. Easy Rider, released in 1969 told

the story of two outsiders looking for America, motorcycles and drugs in toe. Sounds wild? Shot on a minimal budget, actor/director Dennis Hooper’s drug soaked story is infused with a rock soundtrack and avant-garde sensibility. Employing an almost random editing motif that develops a primitive rhythmic pattern, watching this film is just as awe inspiring as it is difficult. Containing the most hypotonic drug freak out ever filmed, Rider challenged the older system of Hollywood who simply did not see the films appeal. It didn’t matter. Becoming a cultural phenomenon, the film drew college youth, prizes from the Cannes film festival and the betterment of highly personal filmmaking. Lets not forget it marked Jack Nicolson’s breakthrough role, his first of many Oscar nominations. Following Easy Riders’ radical coattails was Alice’s Restaurant and the truly original Medium Cool, a film by Haskell Wexler. Centering on a Chicago based cameraman subjected to urban decay and political upheaval, Medium Cool spontaneously captured the historic riots of the ’68 democratic convention. Wexler without second thought uses the event as his background to the narrative of two individuals lost in the sea of chaos. The results are eerily breathtaking. It’s a film that is sadly not talked about enough. The best Picture Oscar of 1969 was Midnight Cowboy, the first and only x-rated film to win. Tame by today’s standards, its frank sexuality, both heterosexual and homosexual, shocked audiences while providing a hallucinogenic mood of New

York’s underbelly, climaxing at an Andy Warhol/Factory’esque inspired party scene. It wasn’t all about the drugs though. Two excellent films that oddly star Robert Redford are Downhill Racer and Butch Cassidy and the Sun Dance Kid. Downhill Racer is without question one of the best sports movies ever made. Involving the US ski teams Winter Olympics qualifications, its stark, first person view of the vertical embankments are contrasted to the egotistical character of Redford’s athletic demeanor. On the other side, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid embodies the 1960’s carefree spirit more than any other. The buddy film to end all buddy films, sarcastic repertoire between Paul Newman and Redford translated into the films massive success, quotable one-liners and even fashion. American Cinema is generally acknowledged as the predominant entity of pop culture. Forty years ago was no exception. Blossoming well into the mid 70’s, the rise brought about William Freidkin’s The French Connection, Coppola’s Godfather films, Martin Scorsese’s Taxi Driver as well as Robert De Niro and Al Pacino amongst the acting rank. Stars Wars changed business though, profit or nothing. Sadly things haven’t changed; look no further than Transformers 2. Thankfully, through a small window of opportunity, Easy Rider’s ambitions live on. And for every Michael Bay there’s a P.T. Anderson, a Sean Penn, and most of all, Robert Redford’s Sundance Film Festival. •Myles Herod

thursday, october 22, 2009

culture

the silhouette’s art + culture magazine • C5

flashes of genius

andy gets a photography lesson from the art gallery of hamilton From the camera obscura, darkroom development of film, to digital cameras, photography has come a long way. It may even be appropriate to say that it is something that we now take for granted. Some people may not see the difficulty in clicking a button and creating a photograph, but to curator Ann Thomas, photography is much more than that. On Oct. 20th at the Art Gallery of Hamilton, Ann Thomas, the curator of the exhibit Modernist Photographs from the National Gallery of Canada gave a lecture about the history of Modernist photography and tried to decipher what “modernism” really means with relation to photography. Despite the in-depth lecture, it was barely enough time to discuss the impact that modernist photography had on society and art history. For those of you who are as much mystified by the term “modernism” with respect to photography as I was, it was a movement that began in the first decades of the twentieth century. The goal was to try and redefine the role of art in the modern world. Modernist photography was the reaction

to a changing world of technology, politics and many other factors. Although the term modernism is has a very broad meaning and encompasses an extensive realm of different possibilities, in her lecture Thomas made a brilliant point by asking “what is art without change?” In her lecture, Thomas raised some very important points about the history of photography. Particularly, as she explained that when modernist photography emerged, many people were confused as to whether it was art or science. While some people were only perplexed about how to categorize photography, others thought of it as a “mechanistic medium” (meaning you just needed to press a button), when, as Thomas explained, a lot of creative processes must take place in order to create a wonderful picture. For modernist photography, and photography in general, to be viewed as a true art form instead of just a “mechanistic medium,” she told us, photographers began to produce composite photographs. These pieces were executed in the way that many

paintings were: with compositional factors taken into consideration. Composite photography required the photographer to control certain elements in the photograph such as lighting and the subject matter. Due to the fact that colour was still a pretty new invention during the period of this debate (and in other words, still technically unstable) all the photographs in the exhibit are black and white. This gives a certain depth and starkness to their subject matter. In the photographs on display in this exhibit, there is a visible effort by the artists to experiment with different ways of producing their photographs. Different effects were done to certain photographs in order to make them have a more painterly style. This was achieved by making the lines in the photographs more blurred instead of displaying the crispness we would usually see. This collection of Modernist photographs is truly amazing, as it covers a broad range of different mediums such as gelatin silver prints, photomontages, collages, and x-ray. The artists that

are showcased also vary by country of residence and there is a diverse amount of photographers from all over the world. Some of these photographers come from Canada, America, Mexico, and Russia, just to name a few. Also the subject matter of the photographs in the exhibit ranges from landscapes, to portraits of people, and even to abstract photographs dealing with household items such as bowls. Some of really bizarre ones include x-rays of flowers and the segmented flesh of chickens. Although this exhibit showcases the vast history and evolution of photography, it still strives to remain contemporary and relevant. If one has not already visit the Art Gallery of Hamilton I strongly suggest that you do. The building is beautiful and this exhibit is showcased wonderfully. It features over a hundred influential images that record the history and progression of modern photography. The exhibition runs from October 10, 2009 until January 3, 2010. •Catherine Brasch

C6 • the silhouette’s art + culture magazine

film

thursday, october 22, 2009

childhood fantasies

while visually stunning, spike jonze’s new film lacks focus

Directed by: Spike Jonze Starring: Max Records, James Gandolfini (voice)

HHHH The majestic quality of Where the Wild Things Are seems to have put me at a loss for words in describing how I actually feel about the rest of picture. Strange, I know. The film’s tone is darker than usual for a kids’ movie, but then again, I don’t think this film was necessarily intended for a pre-teen audience. Critical response has been polarized. Some have declared it the film of the year, while others have found it rather lackluster; both of which I can agree on. It’s a film I watched wide-eyed, anticipating a rush of wonderment, yet as I sat, I couldn’t help but feel oddly apathetic. What was its intention? The movie stars newcomer Max Record, in a wonderful debut as non other than a boy named Max -- a lonely child, invisible to his sister and an enigma to his mother. He seeks attention through erratic behavior. Manifesting into fits of repressed animosity, Max’s thoughts and actions also coincide with his strange clothing choices (a white, faded jumpsuit resembling a cat). At night he recites impromptu stories of vampires and skyscrapers to his work worn

mother, tugging at her socks as he lies on the floor. This is a portrait of a fully realized adolescent -- confused, unpredictable, and highly imaginative. One evening as Max’s mother, played by the always-great Catherine Keener, spends time with her boyfriend, Max reacts defiantly, first growling atop the kitchen table and then proceeding to bite his mother on the shoulder. He runs away into the night after the uncomfortable skirmish, finding himself in what first seems to be a creek, but soon is over grown with vegetation, leading to an unoccupied sail boat ready for Max’s disposal. Set on his journey, he braves the ocean, landing upon an island that could have been taken right out of Lord of Flies. Curious to the noises that seem to resonate from cliffs above, Max treks the terrain, scaling the rock face and venturing through dark forest. Coming across the sight of fire and strange beasts, he observes these wild things that stand on two legs and have adopted the English dialect. Forcefully making an entrance, Max is accepted with resounding spontaneity, proclaimed king of the beasts, strangely without much forethought. Given a crown that is creepily obtained from a pile of human bones, it leads one to interpret the creature’s underlining intentions with Max.

If anything, it adds an uneasiness to film that never fully leaves. It doesn’t bother him though; for once he’s appreciated. The beasts embrace their king. When asked for his first order of business, Max replies with a thunderous, “Let the wild rumpus start!” What ensues is a metaphorical spinning of the wheels in terms of storytelling. Conflict seems to arise, its gets resolved and is then followed by the groups raucous playtime, accompanied by Karen O’s unmistakable purr of rebellious intent as background music. This cause and effect set-up is used at least three times in the film, becoming more predictable with each go around. Director Spike Jonze is one the great modern visualists in filmmaking, and this picture is no exception. Going as far back as his music video days, he’s always seemed to entice artistic nuance to his slacker upbringings. Be it Weezer’s “Buddy Holly” with its seamless intercutting of old Happy Days episodes and geek chic of Rivers Cumo to his famous Daft Punk “Da Funk” video with its hero a half man -- half dog reject. Jonze always embeds his material with rich storytelling, making this film a rare exception of his diverse work. This is a good film, I want to get that straight; it just seems, at least to me, that the visuals overpower its thin plotting. We are brought into a world

of forests, deserts, and valleys only to have us observe the creatures and Max as well, kids. Each monster for the most part is fully realized, in particular Carol, voiced with slurred pronunciations and heavy breathing from James Gandolfini (forever Tony Soprano in my books). The creatures fascinated me; from how they interacted and walked, and to the way the actors’ voices connected to their characters’ distinctive appearances. They sometimes distracted from the actual movie. The film becomes darker as it gets deeper. Some relationships remain unresolved, leading to inner tensions within the group. Try as he might, Max can’t quite amend such conflict with the ease of a king. Gandolfini’s Carol strikes such high intensities at times; it left me perturbed in instances, channeling a nightmare where you just can’t seem to control the uncontrollable. Where the Wild Are is an achievement in artistry, a beautiful working of cinematography, CGI, and puppetry. And, while I promote its consistency from real world surroundings to fantasy, I wish there was an overriding intent to it all. Then again, it’s all from the child’s perspective, isn’t it? •Myles Herod

thursday, october 22, 2009

music

surfs up

andy grabs a coffee with toronto dance rockers spiral beach before their oct. 14 show at the casbah One of the most exciting parts of growing up in the twenty-first century is the way in which we are offered the opportunity to watch popular music splinter itself into countless new sounds with an increasing multiplicity of new acts breaking out each year. While this may enthrall rabid music enthusiasts across the board, it poses an increasing problem for new bands, who, in the midst of this copious musical overflow, are forced to uniquely define themselves in a search for a means of breaking into the public eye. Toronto’s Spiral Beach are one of the bands currently pushing into new frontiers unexplored by many indie bands, playing music that can only be described as kaleidoscopic Bollywood pop-rock. With a novel approach to live sets including pylons, light fixtures and an undeniably danceable vibe Spiral Beach are continually stunning critics all across North America. I had the opportunity of talking with brothers Airick and Daniel Woodhead of Spiral Beach, whose youthful glow served as a refreshing contrast to the slew of interesting characters observable around the Tim Horton’s on downtown King Street. “It kind of loosely came that because me and Airick were just writing songs before and playing them with various arrangements, mostly just together,” Daniel recalled about the formation of the band. Brothers Airick and Daniel had been jamming together for years but it was with the addition of members Maddy Wilde and Dorian Wolf the band formally came together. Spiral Beach has been playing together for nearly seven years. “As writers we’ve all grown in our own directions and it’s easy to fall into a formula. We’ve always tried to break out of whatever ruts we get into so right now were almost touring circles through writing styles,” Airick explains about the writing process for the band. Allowing themselves such an open attitude towards writing has proved fruitful for the band as they boast a varying roster of songs that draw influence from a gigantic array of material. But the two brothers try not to limit their output specifically to Spiral Beach. Having written together for many years now, the two let me in on some of their projects that occupy time not dedicated to Spiral Beach.

“Me and Airick have a way of writing that’s the essence of the band when you break it down, I guess. We’ve tried to do ads and stuff. Usually they turn us down because our songs are automatically really weird,” Daniel admitted. But I found them all too humble as they soon told me that their music had been used in all sorts of media, including notable projects such as Degrassi: The Next Generation, a vampire movie featuring cameos by Iggy Pop and Henry Rollins called Suck and even wrote the jingle for a Polly Pocket commercial. “The Polly Pocket thing was hilarious,” Daniel laughed. This year saw the release of their second fulllength album, The Only Really Thing. “I’m sure most people won’t see it as this, but we basically released a comic book, a book of lyrics and a book of photos. Our way of thinking, as people who don’t really buy CD’s, is to release a comic book and as a bonus it comes with the album; that’s the bonus!” Daniel reveals. He continued to say, “[the] music is essentially free. I’m sure our album is on a torrent somewhere by now.” This seemed not to bother them at all as they continually reminded me that sharing their music with as many accepting fans as possible is one aspect of music that influenced them deepest. Airick told me that “last weekend we came home from a three week tour and there was a party at our friends place with all their bands playing. I just felt so welcome in this community of artists working together. I find that sort of stuff inspiring and its what made me want to do music in the first place.” He continued, “When you grow up a lot of kids get inspired by reading about people. You know, John Lennon’s biography or whatever, but when you start to become inspired by your friends it becomes way more real, way more tangible.” Daniel added by saying, “I don’t know if we’ve ever had a specific goal, like playing the biggest place ever, that’s not really our style. As long as you make people feel involved and they’re excited about it. That’s what we want.” Spiral Beach’s latest album is in record stores across Canada and they will be playing at the Albion Hotel in Guelph on Oct. 30. •Josh Parsons

the silhouette’s art + culture magazine • C7

C8 • the silhouette’s art + culture magazine

film

taking the law into his own hands

thursday, october 22, 2009

an action picture that earns the guilty pleasure status Directed by: F. Gary Gray Starring: Gerard Butler, Jamie Foxx

HHH I remember seeing the trailer for Law Abiding Citizen. It looked like just another over acted Hollywood action movie about revenge. After seeing it I can proudly say I was right, kind of. Law Abiding Citizen stars Gerald Butler (300, Beowulf) who plays Clyde Shelton, a man who designs assassination tools for the CIA for a living. One night Shelton’s wife and daughter are murdered in front of him, for no apparent reason. Jamie Foxx (Dreamgirls, Ray) plays Nick Rice a Philadelphia District Attorney with a 97 per cent conviction rate. Despite Shelton’s strong will to have both men tried, Rice makes a deal with one of the killers of Shelton’s family in order to convict the other.The latter is sentenced to death, but the former is out in five years. Shelton is unhappy with Rice’s decision to not pursue both cases fully, so he decides to cruise around on a murderous rampage in order to enact revenge. I’m not sure I would make that choice, but it makes for some good explosions. Anyway, Rice throws Shelton in jail, but it’s no use — he keeps killing people, from inside the jail. Law Abiding Citizen’s plot is ridiculous. It is definitely what you would expect from a Hollywood action flick. There are plenty of plot holes, gadgets, and unreal characters. The

film requires some willing suspension of disbelief on the viewer’s behalf to be enjoyed. But really? Did you expect something more plausible? No. Of course not, Law Abiding Citizen isn’t meant to make sense, talk about lost puppies or have a character make some profound life altering discovery. The movie is about action, suspense and rocking your socks off. We need these movies. Why? Imagine if every movie you watched made you think, or was about some sappy romance where Jimmy Fallon hooks up with Drew Barrymore at a baseball game. My life would suck, just that much more. Plus, there would be no explosions, or scenes like when Shelton kills a woman with a gun hidden in her cell phone (did I mention he does this from jail?). Simple pleasures, Law Abiding Citizen has lots of ‘em. Even for a senseless Hollywood action movie, Law Abiding Citizen had some particularly low moments. The first half hour of the movie is excessively and unnecessarily graphic. So much so that would jar anyone watching it out of the moment, the theatre and consequently down the street to Blockbuster where they could rent Rambo II. For an action movie Law Abiding Citizen is a little too clichéd at times. This is especially troublesome because the movie takes itself seriously. The lead characters are too omnipotent to forgive. Shelton is incredibly intelligent, well versed in law, can outwit the entire Philadelphia Police Department and can kill people from jail. He has no discernable fault, and that makes the whole movie just a little too hard to swallow.

Foxx’s character isn’t much better. He is two-dimensional and has nothing to hide. There is no in depth analysis needed here. In the first few minutes of screen time Rice’s character is fully developed, and predictable throughout the feature. Colm Meaney plays a respectable role as police detective Dunnigan. He has disproportionately more screen time than lines. Character shortcomings are to be attributed to a superficial screenplay. With this in mind, both Shelton and Foxx perform as well as could be expected. The film also tries to throw some morality your way. Shelton is obsessed with making Rice realize how the justice system has gone astray, he wants the DA to repent and question what justice is. Leave it to Plato, guys. The film doesn’t spend enough time developing this theme to do it any justice and the whole concept ends up feeling like something thrown in last minute to augment time in between explosions. Any other lofty theme the movie tries to play feels much the same. The technical and production aspects of the film were well executed. In particular, the pyrotechnic and action sequences were well constructed. What it all boils down to is that Law Abiding Citizen won’t win the Oscar for Best Picture, or screenplay. As far as action movies go, it isn’t bad. If you’re looking for a decent Hollywood action movie, with little thought required, then Law Abiding Citizen will manage to keep you in suspense for the entire 108 minute runtime. •Simon Granat

thursday, october 22, 2009

off the web The Onion theonion.com Behind every headline, regardless of how serious or silly, lies an alternate universe that oozes of warped twisted humour. Whether declaring that President Obama has entered into diplomatic talks with “raging wildfire,” to breaking the ‘story’ of US Supreme Court justice ‘missing work’ after ironically failing to “get out of jury duty,” has made a business of taking readers into an alternate news universe where fact ceases to be relevant, speculation rules supreme and reality is no longer applicable. Unlike other satirical websites, The Onion got its start twenty years ago as a traditional news rag – in a long ago innocent age when Ronald Reagan was president and the only people wacked out enough to imagine the United States declaring war on an adjective were it’s writers. But alas, that era is over and the Onion has been forced to adapt to the times. Last May, in an economic climate when even real newspapers are folding

under the radar

faster than an amateur on the world tour of poker circuit, the Onion was forced to suspend the free weeklies that it distributed to a handful of US cities. Most Onion readers it seemed preferred to read the paper in the privacy of their own home, or, probably more accurately, in the safe confines of their workplace. There are three types of stories in the Onion. The first, absolutely devoid of reality – occurring in a fictitious Onion universe where cat generals declare war on string. The second are stories that parody the absurdity and extremism of mainstream news media, like government officials unveiling add campaigns proclaiming that “smoking is for homos.” And finally, the website also showcases stories that, although realistic and plausible, are so mundane that they would only ever appear in family or work newsletters . Although back in 1988, The Onion’s readership may have doubted, or bemusedly chuckled at the paper’s long-time slogan, “America’s Finest News Source,” in an age of thirty second sound bits, Wolf Blitzer misquotes and citizen journalism, the only publication bold enough to pose the question of “should we be doing more to reduce the graphic violence in our dreams?” may in fact realised the promise of its moniker. •Corrigan Hammond

the silhouette’s art + culture magazine • C9

off the rack

DVD: The Work Of Director Spike Jonze Starring: Weezer, The Beastie Boys, Bjork and others With the release of Spike Jonze’s insanely anticipated adaptation of Maurice Sendak’s Where The Wild Things Are comes a flurry of hype that is practically inescapable, only adding to Jonze’s impressive resume. One of the most fascinating aspects of Jonze though, is his seemingly amazing leap from music video to film – besides David Finch, Chris Cunningham, Michael Gondry and a few others, not many directors of music videos manage to direct films of critical or financial success. Jonze’s latest feature is a stepping stone towards establishing himself as a formidable force in film, after Being John Malkovich and Adaptation, and it is during this period of time in his career where it might be most important to take a critical look towards his early career. The Work Of Director Spike Jonze, released in 2003 is a basic collection of Jonze’s work, with documentary and interview material. As a collection of

behind-the-scenes material, the DVD could be considered adequate. However, as a collection of Jonze’s work, it is sorely lacking, with only 16 music videos out of the estimated 40 that he has done actually contained on the disc. For fans of Jonze’s work, this collection is less than impressive. However, the music videos that are included are among his most noteworthy. Jonze’s videos could be called gimmicky – there is certainly that tendency to find a creative concept and run with it, from a dancing Christopher Walken (“Weapon Of Choice”), a blue-screened Weezer integrated into Happy Days footage (“Buddy Holly”), to a parody of 70’s cop dramas (“Sabotage”). However, the material is perfect for the format – 3-4 minutes is about how long it takes most of these videos to leave a lasting impact; any longer and they would be overlong and repetitive. The innovation that Jonze shows in his early career is impressive to say the least. The switch from the compact format of the music video to the expansive potential of film is a challenge that could daunt any filmmaker. Whether or not Jonze is a certified household name for movies remains to be seen, but his music videos remain proof that he is an undeniably gifted artist. •Derek Hung

C10 • the silhouette’s art + culture magazine

feature

art comes full circle

thursday, october 22, 2009

hamilton’s 365 photography exhibit features portraits of locals, one day at a time

For those McMaster students looking to get to know the city of Hamilton, there may be no more better way to become acquainted than by checking out Hamilton 365, a provocative photography exhibit currently being held in the Jean & Ross Fischer Gallery of the Art Gallery of Hamilton, the city’s premier gallery, located downtown on King St., just east of Bay St. The show is the brainchild of photographer Larry Strung, who during 2008, took 365 portraits, one on every day of the year, each displaying a different member of the Hamilton community. Larry, a relative new comer to the city, had taken the time upon settling into his house near Gage Park to discover Hamilton for himself, not by car or bus, but rather with his bicycle. After finding quite a few likeable things about Hamilton, he decided to undergo the project to share his enthusiasm regarding the city and its people. Beginning January 1st 2008, Larry commenced uploading a picture a day to his project’s website, Hamilton365.com. He received overwhelming support from the community, eventually receiving over 10,000 hits a day, as residents-turned-fans eagerly awaited the unveiling of the day’s ‘local celebrity’, because, with the notable exception of nationally recognized comedian Kenny Hotz (Kenny from the hit comedy Kenny vs Spenny), the subjects are just everyday people, many being placed in the spotlight for the first time. The subjects couldn’t be more different from one another. From a newborn baby to a senior citizen, a Tim Horton’s employee to a cartoonist, a pumped up Tigercats fan to a composed chess player. There’s a little bit of everything, bearing testament to the city’s diverse population. In the background of many of the photos resides the city itself, in its many forms. From the stereotypical industrial core to one of the city’s numerous but often overlooked waterfalls and from the commercial core of Bay Street to the John Hodgins Engineering Building here at McMaster. Though such backgrounds are understandably the secondary focus, the project also succeeds in capturing the many architectural shades and

tones of the city itself. The pictures are still available on Hamilton365.com and thus can be accessed from home; however there is something about the exhibit that cannot be replicated by viewing the pictures one at a time. Ringing true to the time honoured proclamation that the sum is greater than its individual parts, a new level of meaning is inspired out of the collaboration of the 365 photos. The exhibit, housed in a wing to its own is overwhelmingly powerful due to its sheer size and simple, yet highly effective organization. At first glance, the photos scaling the walls under monthly categorization entrap the viewer into overpowering unfamiliarity; 365 strangers gaze from all directions, unnerving the spectator who is left to decide where in this massive display he or she should begin. Fortunately, Strung has managed to capture the essence of each of his subjects through his lens and therefore with a bit of individual examination a sense of rapport is quickly established between model and observer. Once the onlooker has completed the journey through the 365 portraits, they leave the room with a strange sense of fulfillment as though they were parting ways with new friends and more importantly, with a greater comprehension of the Hamilton community. Through the profiling of 365 residents, encompassing a reliable sample of Hamilton’s population, Larry has clearly demonstrated that there’s much more to the city and its people than the shallow stereotypes which are too often applied. Not only by outsiders but also by some locals who chose not to venture from familiar waters. Through his work, Larry has prompted citizens and visitors to probe deeper beneath the surface in order to discover what really makes this city so unique. Therefore, anyone looking to get to know the city better would be well advised to start here. The exhibit is set to run until November 8th and with free admission, the price is certainly right. For more information on Larry and his work, one can visit his website, strungfoto.com. •Ryan Acker

in stereo

thursday, october 22, 2009

classic review

Before she became the darling of Vancouver’s alt-country scene, or the soulful songstress granting depth behind the distinctive twang Carl Newman’s nasally-pop stylings as the New Pornographers front man, or indeed, before being granted an honorary Canadian citizenship because of her many contributions to this nation’s art and music communities, Neko Case recorded the first in a series of altcountry masterpiece albums, 1997’s The Virginian. Her debut album, which merged Nashville sixties popsentiment with a yearning western drawl reminiscent of the classic

sound of Albertan country music, brought a strong, independent female voice to the then budding alt-country genre. Although much of the material on The Virginian were borrowed classic Grand Ole’ Opry fare (covers of tunes by the likes of Ernest Tubb and Loretta Lynn), it was the soul that Case imbued each track with that made the most influential discs of the late nineties. At a time when the general public demanded women in music either be manufactured pop-acts or else singer-songwriters too poetic to borrow another performers words or music, through The Virginian defied expectations and set Case apart from her peers. Indeed, a decade later, despite the albums initially slow sales, the strong female roots sound that Case crafted on the disc has become standard fare

for independent minded women in music – influencing everyone from Feist to Jenny Lewis and Zoe Deschanel. For Case, a singer noted as much for her music as her relentless wandering, the Vancouver sound, and indeed musicians who worked with her on the disc, grounded her legacy firmly as a strong part of the cities musical heritage. Even if her next disc, 2000’s Furnace Room Lullaby, was a product of the Chicago folk-scene, the memories and music associated with The Virginian would again and again return the singer to the rockyshores and fertile inlets of British Columbia. •Corrigan Hammond

Mayer Hawthorne A Strange Arrangement

Strike Anywhere Iron Front

Mayer Hawthorne? Turns is a hiphop producer, DJ, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist based in L.A named Andrew Cohen. However he grew up in Ann Arbor Michigan and it turns out that he is a closet soul man which he attributes to his Detroit area up-bringing. A Strange Arrangement is his debut effort not only as a soul singer, but as a singer period. The CD sounds like it could have been made 40 years ago and reeks of Curtis Mayfield, Smokey Robinson and Marvin Gaye (although his singing is not nearly as strong as those artists). Hawthorne joins the blue-eyed, neo soul ranks of artists like Jamie Lidell and Eli “Paperboy” Reed but his sound is even more authentic. The songs are very well written and performed. Up-tempo songs like “The Ills,” “Love is Alright” and “Let Me Know” are strong but the slower “Just Ain’t Gonna Work Out” could be the best. •Phil Wood

Iron Front is a fitting title to this record because, during their almost decade long career, Strike Anywhere have been steadfast and unwavering in their outspoken political views and in their willingness to express it through loud, abrasive punk rock. Although not a departure or significant progression from previous work, Strike Anywhere stomps through thirteen tracks in thirty minutes of pissed off, melodic hardcore anthems dealing with topics such as government and corporate oppression and the resistance, equality and solidarity of all peoples. On the surface this music may seem idealistic, angsty and adolescent, but perhaps our youth of today is in need of a band whose political views are more intelligent and meaningful than American Idiot. •Chris Hoy

Where The Wild Things Are Soundtrack Karen O. and the Kids

Neko Case The Virginian (1997)

HHHH

the silhouette’s art + culture magazine • C11

featured review Islands Vapours

HHHHH

Far removed from the furious sound of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, the sound found on Where The Wild Things Are has been instilled with a sort of softness and openness. The songs are sometimes shimmering and full of joy, with a lightness to their feet (the single “All Is Love”), sometimes slow and drawn out with compelling melodies, always gorgeous. Karen O. and the title track “kids,” as well as her collaborators – from Aaron Hemphill of Liars, to Jack Lawrence of The Raconteurs – utilize clapping, a children’s choir, deep and almost basic drumming (accompanied by ocean-like cymbals), and jangly electric and acoustic guitars to transport the listener to a world they’ve captured in the album. Composer Carter Burtwell also contributes one track (“Lost Fur”). •Derek Hung

HHHH

Thousand Foot Krutch Welcome to the Masquerade Canadian rockers Thousand Foot Krutch make a big splash with their latest album, Welcome to the Masquerade. Many of the songs contain that crunchy hard rock sound, but their ballads strike a chord by reflecting their softer side. For someone who is not really into rock music, the intense guitar riffs or even the album artwork could turn them off, but given the chance, TFK delivers an album that delves deeper through their lyrical content. Band member Trevor McNevan comments on the masquerade concept, “We all wear masks. We hide what we don’t want people to know we’re thinking or feeling [...] we have no idea what’s really going on in the life of the person right beside us.” TFK’s new album is ambitious to take on such subject matter, but backed up by solid music and lyrics, Masquerade is a refreshing addition to their repertoire. •Tara Burke

HHHH

Mellow, psychedelic, indie synth rock. What else could be said of Montreal based group Islands? Formed in 2005, following the break up of The Unicorns, Islands have worked hard to create a unique indie/art rock sound. Their musical repertoire continues to expand beautifully on their third disc Vapours. While previous efforts from the band showcased a more traditional alternative sound that was even somewhat anthem-orientated on Arm’s Way, the new CD delivers a completely new musical experience for their fans. It is packed with drum machines, beautifully sequenced programming, traditional guitar and bass, as well as the everimportant synthesizer. The album presents a much more scaled-back version of the band’s style. This can be attributed to their desire to create a more natural and un-complicated sound. Highlights from the disc are the title track “Vapours,” and the picturesque “Devout.” The song “Vapours” provides a unique brass section, making for an overall interesting and strong tune. “Devout” highlights the band’s desire to return to a simpler formula not only in the music, but as well as the lyrics. On the surface, the song is about a bank robbery gone badly. On a slightly deeper level the song is about the age-old rock song topic of relationships gone wrong. •John Hill

HHHH

C12 • the silhouette’s art + culture magazine

music

songs about the ocean, mountains and sea

thursday, october 22, 2009

vancouver based said the whale chat about geography and perez hilton Vancouver’s Said the Whale are a band that have been musically defined by their geography. “You could never mistake Said the Whale as a band from any other part of the world because the landscape of the West Coast finds its way into the songs” wrote the Georgia Strait following the release of the group’s first EP (actually two EP’s combined together) a year and a half ago. With the release of their new full-length album, Islands Disappear, fans might find that the geography that influenced the band has shifted significantly since then. “Well, we toured a lot in the last couple years,” laughed guitarist and vocalist Tyler Bancroft — “I think in the last two and a half years we’ve been across Canada six times or so. And so, just kind of, Ben [Worcester, guitarist and vocalist] and I write about what we know and we try and stick to that rule and what we’ve known in the last two years has been driving across Canada, so it’s hard to ignore.” “You know, everyone says ‘oh, you write a lot about Vancouver’” Worcester piped up before chuckling “well that’s because we live there and that’s where our lives revolve around and then you’ve got to write songs about girls just because that’s the other part of life, and then— travelling across Canada is just what we’re doing so” he paused, “I mean we live [in] the city by the sea.” “[And] definately the first record was lots of that,” intervened Bancroft. “Then this one is a bite of that and then, you know, I think its probably the songs about the ocean are well divided up between the songs that are influenced by being on the road.” “I think as much as about the ocean, they’re about the mountains and the trees and everything. So its about all the natural beauty” Worcester pointed out. Indeed, the Vancouver Sun has described Said the Whale as being a “blatantly British Columbian band” -- both a mark of pride and humour for the group. “If blatantly BC means laid back and just enjoying life as it comes, then yeah we’re pretty BC” laughed Worcester. “That just comes back to like, we just write what we know. We’re both from BC and we’re both into outdoorsy type stuff and living— it’s a great city to live in because you’ve got all this awesome stuff nearby. So yeah. You just write what you know, and that shines through for sure,” explained Bancroft. The relaxed attitude that the group brings to their music and personal lives has

also contributed to the successful manner in which they have managed the business side of being in a band. “There’s a bazillion bands out there, and [you’ve got to] stand out. But you also want to [maintain your integrity]” explained Bancroft. That sort of attitude helped the band keep cool heads and capitalize on the sudden opportunity that was presented to them after Perez Hilton name dropped Said the Whale on his blog. “That was cool for like that week when we got like a billion zillion views on our MySpace and what not… and he [really promoted] our band. Which was great. And we got calls from our cousins across the country who were like, ‘oh my god— you’re on Perez Hilton!’ And it was like: ‘what’s that?’ What is that?” joked Worcester. The following day, Said the Whale’s MySpace received 11,000 hits. “That actually helped us land our manager,” Bancroft stated. “So it was a huge help— stuff like that. He’s got a bazillion readers, and I think we gained a few fans and that was good for a week, but”— he paused, “then you get pushed down the blog roll and its next week’s thing.” Next week’s thing turned out to be a stint opening for Can-rock legends Blue Rodeo. “That was fantastic,” laughed Worcester. “They’re a band that I’ve never really listened to,” he continued, but I know lots of people who have been raised on Blue Rodeo, but it’s still kind of like when I heard them play I knew every song that they played— it was like ‘I know this song,’ ‘I know this song!’ They’ve got some serious practice under their belt, they’ve been around for a while. It was cool to have Jim Cuddy and Greg Keeler say ‘hey, we like your songs.’ That means something.” “And also at that point, …that was the largest crowd we’d ever played to. So it was pretty exciting,” Bancroft stated. “We got the show because Luke Doucette had to bail out, he couldn’t make that night. And we recently played on Canada Day on Parliament Hill on Ottawa and I got to say thanks to Luke Doucette for bailing out on that one!” Worcester explained. “That [was] pretty funny.” With the release of Islands Disappear earlier this month, Said the Whale is looking forward to more success, bigger shows and at least a few more back-and-forths across the country. •Corrigan Hammond