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McMASTER UNIVERSITY'S STUDENT NEWSPAPER / THURSDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2009

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CUPE talks stall at table

VOLUME 80, NO. 8

“Out Coached”: McMaster Marauders spoiled the Western Homecoming, beating the Mustangs in a 42-35 shoot out in front of 9,266 Western faithful.

SELMA AL-SAMARRAI SENIOR NEWS EDITOR

The CUPE 3906 membership at McMaster University, which represents just over 2700 graduate and undergraduate teaching assistants, has been negotiating its contract with the University since July 2009. The most recent CUPE 3906 contract expired Aug. 31 and negotiations began with the University around May 2009. CUPE 3906’s proposal was presented to the university on June 30. After 11 negotiation sessions, the key negotiation items between the university and members of the CUPE 3906 union remained unresolved.

This was followed by a joint decision from both sides of the negotiation to meet with a provincial conciliation office, which occurred on Sept. 30.

Members of CUPE 3906 and the University met individually with the conciliator to provide him with an understanding of the positions and key standing issues between the two. Gord Arbeau, the director of Public Relations at McMaster University explained that meeting a conciliator throughout such negotiations is a regular process and is very helpful in reaching

ANDREW HO / THE GAZETTE

• PLEASE SEE CUPE, A3 Running back Jordan Kozina swats off a Mustang defender.The Marauders were led by quarterback Kyle Quinlan who had a hand in all 6 Mac touchdowns.

Cell phone ban takes effect Oct. 26 LILY PANAMSKY

ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR

points. Drivers calling 911 will be exempt from any fines.

A three-year phase out period will be implemented to remove two-way radios among commercial and public-service vehicle drivers, like taxi drivers, bus drivers, and highway maintenance.

Hands-free devices will be developed in this time period.

Emergency response workers, including police officers, fire fighters, and paramedics are still permitted to use hand-held devices.

Drivers who use handheld devices while driving are four times more likely to get into a car crash, and people under 35 are found to be most guilty of using cell phones and smart phones while driving. Ontario will become the fourth province to enforce such legislation, after Newfoundland and Labrador, Quebec, and Nova Scotia.

On Oct. 26, a new Ontario law banning the use of handheld devices—including cell phones and music players—while driving will come into effect.

Talking, texting, and emailing on a cell phone or BlackBerry will become illegal, as well as holding MP3 players, iPods, portable video games, and portable DVDs in one’s hands. Hands-free devices, electronic devices plugged into a vehicle’s sound system and GPS systems mounted on a dashboard will be permissible.

A three-month education period will be implemented, during which police officers are asked to express some leniency regarding violations. Tickets for violations will begin to be issued on Feb. 1, 2010. Drivers caught using an electronic device will be fined up to With files from The Toronto Star $500, but there will be no demerit and CTV News

Mac profs receive OCUFA teaching awards

JONATHON FAIRCLOUGH / DISTRIBUTION COORDINATOR

PAIGE FABER

FEATURES EDITOR

Dr. Neville Hoad discuss the “Miss HIV Stigma Free” pageant in Botswana.

InsideOut, B7

Inside the Sil this week

Archive Website at McMaster. . . . . . . . . .A3 Will Power Study . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .A6 Editorial . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .A6 How clean is clean enough? . . . . . . . . . . .A7

JONATHON FAIRCLOUGH / DISTRIBUTION COORDINATOR

Sheila Sammon and Nick Bontis, pictured above, are the two OCUFA award winners to honour outstanding contribution to university teaching and academic librarianship.

On Oct. 3, at the Royal York Hotel in Toronto, the 36th Annual Ontario Confederation of University Faculty Associations (OCUFA) for 20082009 presented teaching awards to two McMaster professors who won two of the six awards. The two professors are Nick Bontis of the DeGroote School of Business and Sheila Sammon from the School of Social Work.

The other winners include, Clare Hasenkampf from University of Toronto Scarborough’s Department of Biological Sciences, Lorne Sosin from University of Toronto’s Faculty of Law, Gordon Stubley from Unsiversity of Waterloo’s Mechanical and Mechatronics

Engineering Department, and Cameron Tsujita from University of Western Ontario’s Department of Earth Sciences.

The OCUFA Awards were first presented in 1972, these awards, “honour faculty members who have made significant contributions in the area of instruction, teaching and course development.”

Sammon started her career at McMaster in 1985 as a part time instructor and in 1990 became a full time professor. Before her life at McMaster, Sammon studied Social Work and received her undergraduate degree in Sociology with a minor in Psychology.

Sammon also had the opportunity to work in a hospital, with the Children’s Aid Society, Family Services Agency and a children’s mental health centre.

Women’s Rugby . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . B1 Men’s Soccer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . B4 Beauty Corner . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . B7 Ride for refugee . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . B10

In addition to this, Sammon also worked for twenty years at her own part-time practice as an individual, couple and family counselor and as a workshop provider and organizational consultant.

Once Sammon started at McMaster she began in the School of Social Work, which is the only professional program in the Faculty of Social Sciences here. Sammon has many roles within the School, including assuming the role of Chair of the undergraduate program.

She teaches courses at both the undergraduate and master’s level like, “Social Work with Families,” “Social Work Practice and Social Justice,” and she supervises thesis students as well. Sammon also • PLEASE SEE OCUFA, A3

Crossword . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . B11 Capitalism: A Love Story . . . . . . . . . . . . . .C4 Nuit Blanche . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .C6 Lion on a Leash . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .C8

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

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

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2009

THE SILHOUETTE • A3

Three Mac professors join Royal Society of Canada

Alumni Minister of Youth Services

SIMON GRANAT

FEATURES EDITOR

THE SILHOUETTE

Three members of the McMaster faculty will be inducted into the Royal Society of Canada this coming Nov. 28 at the Museum of Civilization. David Wilkinson, Deborah Cook and Bennet Galef are the latest three to be added to the 55 McMaster professors already in the Royal Society, who recognize individuals who have demonstrated excellence in their field.

Cook is currently a professor of medicine at McMaster.

Cook is also the director of the Clinical Effectiveness Outcomes Unit at St. Joseph’s Hospital, the Academic Chair of Critical Care Medicine at McMaster and recently a member of the Royal Society of Canada. “My clinical work and clinical research has been focused on improving the care and outcomes of the sickest patients in hospital,” Cook said.

Cook has had an expansive career, “Twenty years ago, clinical practice was mostly guided by animal studies; we had very little human research to help guide us in making patients better. I knew we needed to change that so I became the first intensive care

physician also formally trained in research methods for improving patient-centered care.” Despite her personal successes Cook believes that community is essential to a rewarding career. “The McMaster community and St Joseph’s Hospital have been both inspiring and nurturing for my professional development.”

Bennet Galef is known as the “father” of the study of animal behaviour. He is the executive editor of the Journal Animal Behaviour, elected president of the Animal Behaviour Society and is a fellow in many academic institutions.

Galef explained, “It’s never been work to me. You know people say you’re a workaholic and I just say I don’t work at all. A lot of the time I couldn’t tell if I was working or having fun.”

Galef is currently retired, but for the past 35 years has studied the transmission of information between animals. “The kind of question is how information gets transmitted from one animal to another either within generations and or between generations.”

Gaelf’s career has not limited his study of animals to the laboratory.

This specific study has taken him all over the world, with Botswana

being his favourite.

David Wilkinson is currently the Dean of Engineering, with a personal focus on the field of material engineering. “I’m interested in the development of new and materials for different applications. One of the things that I’ve done a lot of work on in the past seven or eight years is the working on materials to help reduce the weight of a vehicle, for example,” explained Wilkinson.

Wilkinson will be continuing his work by travelling to Japan later this year. There he will use a high intensity light source to study how fractures develop in materials. There are about a dozen engineers inducted into the Royal Society. “It’s a real honour,” Wilkinson said. “It’s a fairly small, elite group. I’m really happy I’ve been chosen.”

As for McMaster students Wilkinson, believes that they should let their interests guide them.

“You’re going to have to figure out what you’re passionate about and follow that. Because you’ll be better at it and if you’re good at something, you’ll find a way to turn it into an interesting career and that’s more important than anything else.”

PAIGE FABER

This October, Laurel Broten, a McMaster graduate, has been appointed the Minister of Children and Youth Services in the Ontario legislature. In this position Broten’s role is to improve the lives of children and youth by aiming to reduce child poverty and attempting to get children off to the best start possible in life.

Broten graduated in the class of 1989 from the Faculty of Science in Biology, and also got her BA in Psychology in 1990. She graduated in 1993 from University of Western Ontario’s Law School, initially she practiced commercial and human rights law.

During her undergraduate degree, Broten was a Science Representative on the Student Representative Assembly (SRA).

Broten also was a chair of the McMaster Student Union’s (MSU) Alcohol Awareness Committee.

Then, Broten started her career in Ontario government. In 2003 Broten was elected to the Ontario legislature and then reelected in 2007.

Her most recent move was to the position on Minister of Children and Youth Services,

which she was appointed to just this month.

In the past Broten has served as the Minister of the Environment for the McGuinty Cabinet from 2005-2007. Also Broten has served as the Parliamentary Assistant to the Minister of Energy and Infrastructure, the Minister of Health and Long-Term Care and to the Premier.

Broten’s focus is on advocacy for healthy communities, and is on the board of the Gatehouse, which is a group for survivors of child abuse. She has also worked on the LAMP Community Health Centre’s community relations committee, and she also is a spokesperson for GASP (Good Air Safe Power).

In addition to this, Broten is on the Lakeshore Community Safety Audit, she is committed to the community and to the environment.

She used this commitment to help toughen Ontario’s air standards and develop targets to support Ontario’s Climate Change Plan.

Broten has introduced a new legislation to ensure safer water from our taps, with the Clean Water Act. This led to the safeguard on diverting the water from the Great Lakes in passing the Safeguarding and Sustaining Ontario’s Water Act.

CUPE and University bargaining continues • CONT’D FROM A1 an agreement. The university, the union and the conciliator will meet for three consecutive days starting on Oct. 14.

Bargaining team members of CUPE 3906 Derek Sahota and Rebecca Strung and CUPE 3906 staff representative Jesse Payne explained that their expectations for an updated proposal from the university on Sept. 30 were not met. “The University promised a package… there was no package, they wanted us to wait till Oct. 14.

This has been a pattern of stalling the package. Their official reason was that they started consulting people in the last few weeks… the proposal that they were consulting about we originally gave them June 30th,” explained Strung.

The key standing issues of the negotiations process include chronic unpaid overwork, the demand for reasonable class sizes, access to meaningful benefits and ongoing erosion of take home pay.

Regarding the issue of chronic unpaid overwork, graduate teaching assistants and undergraduate teaching assistants are requesting that they get paid for 280 contracted hours a year as opposed to the current 260 contracted hours a year, since they believe graduate teaching assistants are always working significantly more than their contracted hours, without compensated pay. Strung explained, “We proposed to raise the number of hours that teachers’ assistants are compensated. 260 hours a year is one of the lowest in the country.” The University

refused the demand to increase contracted hours of pay for TA’s to 280 hours.

The demand for reasonable class sizes relates to the issue of chronic unpaid overwork, explained Strung. “If we can limit the sizes of tutorials or labs then the TA is less likely to work over the number of contracted hours they have. This also improves the quality of education at McMaster. We’re defeating the purpose of having a tutorial if we get gigantic tutorials where there isn’t one on one contact with a TA,” she elaborated. The maximum capacity for students is 25 students for every tutorial, 15 students for every lab and 60 students for marking. The University rejected these capacities.

Wage increase demands for graduate class “A” wages are for them to remain at 36.54 dollars an hour. The university’s response was to increase class “A” wages from 36.92 dollars an hour in year one to 37.40 dollars an hour in year two to 37.98 dollars an hour in year three. Wage increase demands for Undergraduate class “B” wages are to be raised to 28.85 dollars an hour.

The university’s response was for the wages to be 20.53 in year one to 21.11 in year two to 21.83 in year three.

Regarding the issue of access to meaningful benefits, the university contributes a standard 100,000 dollars into the benefits fund, along with approximately 30,000 to 70,000 dollars a year from the union members. The major problem among CUPE members is that every year, more and more union members are added, and yet

the University’s 100,000-dollar benefit-fund remains the same.

“As the union grows and more members access benefits, this amount of money that’s needed is increasing and they won’t provide and something has to give. We don’t have more money to put into it were tight as it is,” explained Sahota. In addition, the union has requested increased university contribution to major benefits such as dental benefits, vision benefits, and health benefits among others, which the university has rejected.

CUPE 3906’s argues that there is an erosion of take-home pay for graduate teaching assistants.

Their total pay is consistently decreasing as tuition fees rise, because the rates that wage and benefit increase do not increase at the comparable rate.

“The employer has taken the view that putting money into wages works best for our members, and we’ve told them that actually what we need is protection against tuition increases rather than modest and inadequate increases in wages.

Also when wages go up, the employee pays more to government in taxes and fees. We’re looking for more money in TA’s pocket, enough at least to cover off the tuition increases,” explained Payne.

Regarding the University’s initial proposal, Arbeau explained, “The monetary offer the university made to CUPE, the university thinks is a responsible offer which reflects high value of work and contribution of TA’s of the university. Also at the time is responsible and reflective of the significant challenges that

OCUFA Award ceremony recognizes teachers contribution • CONT’D FROM 1 chairs the Field Education Program for undergraduates. Sammon’s role in this program is to be the liaison for over one hundred community social, health and educational settings.

Sammon is also on the Experimental Educational Governing Council and is one of McMaster’s first Teaching Professors.

Regarding her OCUFA award win, Sammon said, “I love teaching and I often say that I have the best job in the world.”Bontis studied business administration at the Ivey Business School at the University of Western Ontario.

Prior to finishing his PhD, Bontis

worked as an auditor at the KPMG audit tax and advisory services firm, and as a financial analyst in CIBC.

Bontis is a professor at the DeGroote School of Business and has been teaching here since 1998.

Bontis teaches, “Business Policy and Strategy” at the undergraduate level and “Knowledge Management” at the Master’s of Business Administration (MBA) level. In addition to this, Bontis is the director of the undergraduate program at McMaster’s DeGroote School of Business program.

“I’m very thrilled to win the award because I love teaching and to be recognized for something

that you love is a wonderful thing,” Bontis said Bontis added, “McMaster is a wonderful place, as a professor where we get to integrate our research into the classroom, and where we can extend that message out into the larger community.”

The idea that McMaster is a student centered institution, “strikes me right in my soul,” said Bontis.

Bontis’ goal after each class is to have each and every student leave the room saying, “this is the best class I have ever taken, and I learned a lot!”

With files from Selma Al-Samarrai

PHOTO C/O CUPE 3906

The graphs above demonstrate wage comparisons for undergraduate and graduate TAs within eight universities in Ontario. university faces with its budget and financial situation.”

The most recent update to the on-going negotiations between the University and CUPE 3906 is that CUPE 3906 requested a no-board report from the conciliator. A conciliator issues a no-board report when he/she decides that the University and the Union are not ready to agree on a collective agreement, and therefore recommends that no Conciliation

Board should be appointed to help the parties reach an agreement.

Seventeen days after the no-board report has been released, the parties are legally allowed to strike.

Members of CUPE 3906 expect this day to fall on Oct. 30. “One of the reasons that we issued the noboard is that so we can force the University to come back to the table and to bargain with us. If we hadn’t done that they could continue their stalling indefinitely,” said Strung.

A4 • THE SILHOUETTE

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2009

New antibacterial compound discovered LILY PANAMSKY

ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR

A milestone in microbial biology research has been reached by the joint effort of members of the McMaster Biochemistry and Biomedical Sciences and members of the Chemistry Department.

Led by Biochemistry and Biomedical Sciences Eric Brown, the research team has discovered a new chemical compound known as MAC13243 that is able to target bacteria resistant to established antibiotics. “The object of our research was really to address the growing problem of multi-drug resistance in the clinic for the many drug-resistant infections that come up,” said Brown. Most antibiotics that are currently available were discovered approximately 50 years ago. Although incremental changes to groups of compounds have occurred since then, drug resistances in bacteria develop almost as quickly as the changes are made to the chemical compounds.

Brown explained that “most of the old products are a mechanism of action that includes disrupting bacteria cell wall synthesis, DNA synthesis or protein synthesis. And there’s a real push to find new chemical compounds that kill bacteria in completely new ways—that’s really what we’ve discovered in this latest paper.”

The research team conducted a series of screening tests for tens of thousands of chemical compounds in a procedure known as the Chemical Genomics Approach to find a compound that killed the model bacterium E.coli. Once such a compound was discovered, the team did further screens to discover new and different ways in which the compounds killed the 4500 genes in E.coli. They then attempted to match the chemical compound with the specific gene whose growth it halted. It was discovered that MAC13243 could block a particular step in the development of the E.coli’s cell surface, which had not previously been known to be a target for antibiotics.

The project, which is funded by the Canadian Institute for Health Research for the past three

History archives launch today

CHRISTOPHER CHANG / SILHOUETTE STAFF

MASSIMO BORTOLAMIOL / THE SILHOUETTE

Dr. Brown led the biomedical study in search of antibacterial compounds. years, was entirely McMaster based is applicable to gram-negative and featured a collaboration of the infections. Brown stated, “[It’s] Departments of Biochemistry and interesting because, increasingly, Biomedical Sciences and Chemistry. the gram negative infections are The two faculties focused on an ones that we are focusing on in emerging area of the clinic and [the] research called And there’s a real ones that we are chemical biology. increasingly finding B a c t e r i a push to find new have the fewest come in two main treatment options.” chemical comforms: gram-positive work pounds that kill up Although and gram-negative. to now has bacteria in com- been They are divided performed into these categories pletely new ways— in a laboratory in based on the colour Petri dishes and they take on after that’s really what no testing has yet a process known we’ve discovered been conducted on as Gram-Staining. in this latest paper.” patients, Brown Gram-positive maintained that bacteria take on a “[MAC13243] blue colour, while makes a interesting Gram-negative bacteria take on a lead, for maybe further development red colour. The difference in colour as an antibiotic.” is thought to be due to a difference in cell wall structure.

The MAC13243 compound With files from Selma Al-Samarrai

History archives will be available online at a McMaster-based website beginning Oct. 8.

KARA MCGOWEN They believe the documents have THE SILHOUETTE always been available offline to any interested party but the ability On Oct. 8, the Historical Perspectives to find the documents online via on Canadian Publishing Website the McMaster University Library will be launched at an event at hosted website is making access to McMaster University. Renowned those documents a lot easier.

Canadian publisher Douglas Spadoni added, “The old Gibson will speak at the event, and fashioned forms of scholarship are the “coat of many authors’ of the still relevant, but students often feel late publisher Jack McClelland will that if you can’t Google it then it’s be on display. Hosted by McMaster not relevant.” Spadoni felt that the University Library, the website website will allow a new generation is an online digital scholarship of scholars to access these archival cooperative project in partnership publishing documents. “The web with the Thomas Fisher Rare Book has transformed scholarship, Library at University of Toronto the academia has been slow to and Queen’s University Archives. understand that the traditional It features primary documents, case forms of print are important forms studies, audio and video clips, and of scholarship; but the web has and a communication tool that allows will become even more relevant as users to tag and write comments. time goes on,” explained Spadoni.

The website is funded by the Spadoni deemed the Canadian Culture Online Program importance of the website for of the Department of Canadian McMaster to be the fact that by Heritage. publishing these documents online, It took approximately a the school “draws attention to the year to complete the Historical materials in a digital way and a Perspectives on Canadian scholarly way.” He also felt that Publishing website. Two people due to McMaster being home of involved in the creation of the the largest Canadian Publishing website are Carl Spadoni, Director archives in the world, there was Mills memorial library, and Judy a “responsibly to promote digital Donnelly, the Project Director scholarship.” and co-editor of the website. Both The Historical Perspectives Donnelly and Spadoni felt that on Canadian Publishing website the major achievement of the was lead by William Ready Historical Perspectives on Canadian Division of Archives and Research Publishing website is that it provides at McMaster, which contains the individuals with the ability to access largest academic collection of primary publishing documents Canadian publishing artifacts in and to promote digital scholarship. Canada.

THE SILHOUETTE • A5

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2009

Newsbites Compiled by Jennifer Bacher Not my fault Alexander Kabelis, 31, was arrested for slashing tires on almost 50 vehicles in Colorado. The reasons he offered for his actions include being overwhelmed by radiation from the nearby Rocky Flats nuclear facility and having been forced by his mother to wear braces on his teeth as a child.

Foolish criminals Two home invaders in Illinois held 11 people hostage inside a house as police surrounded the place. They were eventually tricked outside by the captives and arrested. The hostages, borrowing an idea from several movie scripts, convinced the invaders that their only chance at freedom was to change clothes to look less conspicuous and then to release everyone. The two would then appear to be part of the hostage group, and the hostages promised to tell police that the home invaders had already escaped earlier.

However, as everyone walked out, the captives merely pointed out the two invaders to the police.

Goldfish revenge A woman in Houston who was angry with her former commonlaw husband fried their seven pet goldfishes and ate some of them.

Police say it is a civil matter and no charges will be filed. A police spokesman said that the two argued earlier about some jewelry the man had given her but then taken back.

She wanted the jewelry returned.

On Saturday the man reported that the woman had taken the goldfish from his apartment. Officers were dispatched to the woman’s home and arrived to find four fried goldfish on a plate. The woman said she had already eaten the other three.

Nude hiking trip An 11-mile hiking trail, specially designed for naked ramblers, is set to open in Germany next year.

The isolated route, which runs through the Harz Mountains, will be Germany’s first official naked ramblers’ footpath. While naked walking will be encouraged, normally attired walkers will be equally welcomed. Signs have also be posted warning more conservative walkers of the initiative, to possibly encourage preferable alternative routes.

Say no to B.O.!

Theme park officials at Thorpe Park, located in Surrey, England have recently banned roller-coaster riders from throwing their arms in the air. During hot weather the park has received many complaints about certain visitors and their body odor. As a result they have installed “Say no to BO” signs next to rides along with an image telling them not to raise their hands.

Look out for flying thongs Dozens of houses in Lincolnshire, England were left in the dark when a thong –carried by a helium balloon – got caught in the wires. Central Network Energy officials think that the skimpy underwear led to a short circuit because it had been raining.

It is not known who launched the underwear into the air or why.

Terrorist attack? No, just too much perfume Emergency services were dispatched after two workers at a Bank of America in Texas reported feeling nauseous and dizzy. A warning was broadcast to other staff that a carbon monoxide, or another chemical leak was suspected. As a result 34 people were taken to hospital complaining of chest pain, headaches and dizziness. But after HAZMAT crews and the fire department inspected the building they found no leak and traced the original complaints to a female coworker spraying perfume.

Working your willpower muscle

Activities that involve self control use willpower reserve JACKIE MCNAMARA THE SILHOUETTE

A recent study done by McMaster Kinesiology professors Kathleen Martin Ginis and Steven Bray showed that performing a task that requires willpower or self-control depletes the amount of willpower left to complete other tasks that require it, even if the two tasks are completely unrelated.

The experiment involved having a group of participants exercise for 15 minutes, and then having each group a plan to exercise later. The participants were able to choose from a list of different workouts of varying intensities.

The group was then split in two, with one group having their selfcontrol depleted by forcing them to complete what is known as a Stroop test—having to identify the colour a word is printed in, when the word itself is a colour. The group was then put back together to do another 15 minutes on the exercise bike, and to make another workout plan. The results found that the group who had their willpower depleted by the Stroop test, expended significantly less energy on the exercise bike than the group whose willpower had not been depleted.

In addition, the group that did not perform the Stroop test tended to not change their exercise plan at all; whereas the depleted group decreased the amount they planned to work.

According to Ginis, this implies that there is basically a

pool of willpower that a person can draw on to force him or herself to do things they may not want to do. Whether the task is mental, emotional or physical, the ability to make oneself do an uninteresting task all comes from the same place, and the pool can get drained. Ginis stated, “Willpower is overriding your urge to do one thing, like what you really want to do, and replacing that urge with a totally different behavior”

Ginis argued, however, that studying rigorously for tests and exams does not necessarily translate into an inability to perform an exercise workout. Knowing what the problem is can help one address it. She suggested a few ways to regenerate your supply of willpower: in general, being wellrested or in a good mood both tend to increase willpower; thus taking a break, listening to some music or watching a movie can help restore some of the lost self-control.

Also, consistently doing activities that require willpower can actually increase the total amount of self-control. “Studies have shown that [if students are put] on a regiment of studying regularly, their studying improved, but also the students reported they were more likely to do other behaviors that required self control like doing the dishes, brushing their teeth, sleeping properly, eating better.”

Ginis concluded, “[Willpower] is a bit like a muscle; The latest McMaster research reveals that undertaking activities that the more you work it, the bigger you one doesn’t not want to do can deplete one’s willpower. can build it.”

CHRISTOPHER CHANG / SILHOUETTE STAFF

A6 • THE SILHOUETTE

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2009

EDITORIAL

Worth Repeating:

McMaster University’s Student Newspaper

The Silhouette

Ryerson bleeds six figures over Coke deal

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Carys Mills and Vanessa Greco The Eyeopener (Ryerson University)

Editorial Board Executive Editor Jeff Green Managing Editor Bahram Dideban Senior News Editor Selma Al-Samarrai Assistant News Editor Lily Panamsky Features Editor Paige Faber Opinions Editor Peter Goffin Sports Editor Brian Decker Assistant Sports Editor David Koots Insideout Editor Lindsay Jolivet Assistant Insideout Phyllis Tsang Photo Editor Will van Engen Staff Photographer Terry Shan Multimedia Editor Ava Dideban Production Editor Katherine Marsden Web Editor Jason Lamb Health Editor Sarah Levitt Distribution Coordinator Jonathon Fairclough Ad Manager Sandro Giordano

Senior Andy Editor Grace Evans Music Editor Corrigan Hammond Entertainment Editor Myles Herod

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

Contact Us 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

TORONTO (CUP) – Ryerson will lose over $130,000 in funding this year because students didn’t drink enough Coke.

An exclusive deal with Coca-Cola required Ryerson to sell a certain number of their products within a five-year term.

Because Ryerson didn’t sell enough, the university is bound to Coke for another year without any guaranteed payoffs.

Coke paid Ryerson $765,000 to keep their brand exclusively on campus. Each year scholarships, bursaries and athletics received the bulk of the cash.

John Corallo, director of ancillary services, negotiated the contract and is now left to make up the lost funding.

“A contract is a contract and we have to deal with it,” he said.

The agreement stated that if Ryerson didn’t meet the quota, Coca-Cola could extend the The great minds of The View have taken human morality to an all time contract and withhold further low. The supreme intellect that is Whoopi Goldberg has tormented your financial rewards. The extension higher educated mind with her description of a 44 year old man drugging will last a year, unless Ryerson can and raping a 13 year old girl that it “might have been rape, but it wasn’t sell the remaining products in less time. rape-rape.”

“We don’t want to

She should be dumbfounded, astonished and utterly embarrassed lose anything that services our to say such a fallacious statement, and the plug should be pulled on a show students,” said Ivan Joseph, athletic that would air such senseless statements. director.

“I consider Coca-Cola the

It’s a shame that one would even have to reference The View in university’s big partner.

Anytime we such a serious subject; it would be better to scrape the dark corners of lose any sponsor, that’s a concern.” the most immoral people in the country to find such misguided morality.

On Oct. 5 at 8:30 a.m., The fact is, with the line drawn in the sand, Hollywood and its intellectually Corallo said the university could superior ‘artists’ are on the side of reality and that the rest of us ‘regulars’ lose all funding from Coca-Cola.

He are crazy for supporting a system that would see a rapist go to jail for had requested that the corporation said crime. The idea that “Hollywood has the best moral compass,” as described by Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein, is fallacious at its maintain $15,000 in athletic funding, very root. Or, perhaps, in terms that the majority of Hollywood could which had previously been used for athletics awards and brochure better understand, it’s stupid-stupid.

The same brain that is fueling the argument that an artist is separate and somehow above or exempt from the law is probably the same one that continues to keep The View on television.

Maybe we have to look inside Hollywood to find a way to make sense of it for the people who support such an act. Perhaps they could learn something from someone of their own kind, someone who could bring that back down to earth from whatever high horse they seem to find themselves on now. On Jay Leno’s new show, Chris rock seems to be one of the few ‘stars’ who asks the question of why people are defending a rapist “because he made a few good movies.” In a way only Chris Rock can say, “Even Johnny Cochran don’t have the nerve to go, ‘Well did you see O.J. play against New England?’”

But Polanski is no jock. He’s an artist. A genius so above the rest of reality, someone who committed no crime, but was merely the product to brooklyn accents and the of the times. The fact that he evaded for so long, and somehow found girlies who love em. my sanctuary in the glam and glitz of film festivals should be reminiscent of the cousin lenny isn’t real. i’m sorry. logic of fairy tales and the Easter Bunny.

We can’t take that away from an artist. Surely the public would to bars that you’ll never go to commit a travesty to deprive the world of someone who created The again.

Pianist. Nothing that beautiful could be created by someone who did something so wrong. If so, whatever he did must be overlooked, and cast to octoberfest, and off as a ‘diversion.’ Morality is mistaken, or wrong-wrong for the Whoopies octoberfest sausage. das is good, ja? in the crowd.

A group who appeared to have their heads in the clouds are not to the union market so they just slightly off in their moral judgment. They’ve gone off the wall to stand will order popsicles. and behind someone who has evaded the basic rights of another human being, because i like their coffee. and by doing so, have ostracized themselves from forming any reasonable to cupcake baking coworkers. thought as a collective. damn girl.

At least it wasn’t rape-rape? Yes, I must be wrong.

• Jeff Green to snoop dawg still being cool. fuck you concordia.

Out of touch

to gin an juice, in equal proportions. obvi.

Write to us Opinions: Up to 600 words Letters: 100 to 300 words Submit via email by 5:00 p.m. the Monday before publication.

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to big chicks in lederhosen. to good advice - don’t use that bus bathroom. to ‘such good times’. thank god you don’t write. to j.f for being just fantastic. to motown. to sweethaaarts. to the new halo. w00t. to light in 1280. it’s nice, almost natural. now, let’s see what we can do to get some vitamin d in b110.

printing. At that time he expected to hear from Coke within a few weeks.

Eight hours later, after the Eyeopener questioned CocaCola about Corallo’s request, the corporation confirmed that the athletic funding will remain in place.

Even with the promise of athletic funding, Ryerson is still missing out on thousands of dollars.

Corallo attributes a decline in Coke products purchased on campus to the popularity of healthier beverages.

But Richard Girard thinks health conscious consumers shouldn’t be blamed for the unfulfilled contract. Girard is the research coordinator at Polaris Institute, which has profiled CocaCola and its exclusivity deals.

“To say that’s the main reason they’re not meeting the contract is speculation,” he said.

“Ever since these contracts have existed, universities have been missing their quotas,” claimed Girard.

The first Canadian campus to sign an exclusivity deal was the University of British Columbia (UBC) according to Nancy Toogood, UBC’s Alma Mater Society’s food and beverage manager.

Like Ryerson, UBC didn’t meet their quota so they were stuck with Coke for another two years without financial reward.

“Never again would we enter into an exclusivity deal, no matter how sweet it seems,” said Toogood.

Once Ryerson’s contract extension is over the university can either stick with Coke, choose a rival brand or opt for a local vendor.

to the wicked hangover i’ve had all day. to my nose hurting. wha happen? to 3 am house calls. to bad skyping. to anti-pork lobbyists. to the union market if they don’t order popsicles. to pop music. to colds, and general sickness. where’s my bubble? i haven’t used this much purel since i first got the internet. to dill. it’s not nearly as good as garlic and makes you smell like a goom-ba. to midterms and the realization that you’re actually in school. that came fast. to the turkey dump. this weekend is going to suck for you, high school sweethearts. to missing the potluck. i hear the bird was good cindy. i’ll make it up at christmas? to making headlines. who wants to be a headline intern? to no letters this week. who do you have to piss off to get a letter around here?

THE SILHOUETTE • A7

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2009

OPINIONS

?

Atheist activist going too far Phyllis Tsang

ASSISTANT INSIDEOUT EDITOR

Feedback

“1280.”

Chloe Lenarduzzi

Rob Bozzo

“In front of the student centre, because of all the traffic.”

Joseph Hezkial

I am a narrow-minded, irrational, non-thinking Christian who believes in “a misogynistic, homophobic, racist, infanticidal, genocidal, filicidal, pestilential, megalomaniacal, sado-masochistic, capriciously malevolent bully.” But that’s only according to Richard Dawkins. If you asked me, I’d tell you I am an open-minded, rational Christian who believes in an omnipotent, omniscient, omnipresent, unchanging, and benevolent God. However, I can see why you’d rather believe Dawkins – a biologist, a University of California and Oxford professor, author of many best-sellers, receiver of many prestigious awards, and founder of a non-profit, reason-and-science foundation, rather than me – a nobody who believes in an invisible God. Dawkins doesn’t believe in God and despises religion. Everyone knows that. His writing career began with writing popular science books about evolution, but progressively turned his focus to (ir)religion. In between talking about Darwin and genes, he bashes god(s) and faith.

Dawkins depicts the God of Abraham as a monster, suggests that religion is a virus of the mind, dismisses God as a source of morality, and accuses parents and churches of “child abuse” for infant indoctrination.

I find his writing offensive not because he supports evolution, or believes that natural selection eliminates the otherwise imperfect God. Rather, it is

Mike Macedo

“The gym. ” Setareh Rahimian

“Upstairs at the student centre. ” Steph Novelli

doctrination was not too insidious, or for other reasons didn’t “take,” or whose native intelligence is strong enough to overcome it.” I wonder if it was his book that didn’t work or me that is defected.

Despite his opposition to religion, Dawkins, ironically, is very evangelical about his own atheistic view. He called what he is doing as “consciousnessraising,” a term traditionally used to describe a form activism, which helps people to become politically conscious.

Beyond his books, articles, and lectures, Dawkins founded the “OUT” campaign to ask all atheists to come out, reach out, speak out, keep out, and stand out. The atheist bus campaign, which Dawkins endorses, proclaims, “There’s probably no God. Now stop worrying and enjoy your life.”

He also advocates for inclusiveness, but only Are atheists just worshipping at their own altar? excluding religious people. If because of his name-calling it will be atheists when they Dawkins despises religions and stereotyping of any form put it down.” Those who for indoctrinating people of religion and anyone that is aren’t “converted;” They are with their beliefs, converting religious. It is but “dyed- people while excluding those an attack, not i n - t h e - w o o l that are different from them, an argument. f a i t h - h e a d s and making truth claims that At most, his Atheism is a belief [who] are im- are only true to some, then or doctrine that mune to argu- he is either turning a blind case for Godbelieves in no god ment, their re- eye to his double-standardextinction and deity...What suffers from sistance built ness, or he is ignorantly bea r g u m e n t u m Dawkins presents up over years coming what he hates.

After all, Atheism ad hominem, a is a new religion, a of childhood logical fallacy new lifestyle, a new indoctrination is a belief or doctrine that that translates worldview, and a using methods believes in no god and deity. literally in Lat- new “god,” what- that took cen- And Dawkins is a person of ever or whoever turies to ma- faith, in science. in, “argument What Dawkins to the person” that might be. ” ture (whether or “argument by evolu- presents is a new religion, a against the tion or de- new lifestyle, a new worldperson.” sign).” He then view, and a new “god,” whatIn the preface of moves on to say, “I believe ever or whoever that might The God Delusion, he says, “If there are plenty of open- be. Bob Dylan gets it when he this book works as I intend, minded people out there: sings, “But you’re gonna have religious readers who open people whose childhood in- to serve somebody.”

SILHOUETTE FILE PHOTO

How clean is clean enough?

Why do we all go to such lengths for hygiene?

Peter Goffin

OPINIONS EDITOR

Sam, Sam, the dirty old man, washed his face in a frying pan, combed his hair with a wagon wheel, and died with a toothache in his heel.

-Children’s nursery rhyme

“The Health Sciences building.”

Compiled by Terry Shan and Peter Goffin

opinions@thesil.ca

What is your favourite Dawkins is showing a self-righteous attitude part of campus?

“Cootes behind the faculty club.”

?

production office: extension 27117

measures of hygienics but instead practiced, say, preventative measures, we could still be clean, could we not? It’s like the old joke where two guys walk out of a bathroom, one of them without washing his hands. And the other guy says to him, “You know where I’m from, they taught us to wash our hands after we go to the bathroom,” and the first guy says, “Well where I’m from, they taught us not to piss on our hands.”

All of us, myself more than anyone, have bought into the idea that not having anointed yourself with soaps and shampoos and other hygienic concoctions on any particular day would be ludicrous. But, in a way, the idea that we stand under a rush of hot water for ten minutes every morning is more ludicrous by miles when taken out of context.

The fact is that the hot rushing water and the soaps and the creams and all the other hygienics that we indulge in are probably more for our psychological benefit than any physical advantage.

We might be a little bit dirtier after a day out but in the end, we wash because we “feel dirty,” not because we necessarily are caked in actual physical dirt. “Clean” has become a socially fabricated state of mind. And hygiene is the way to achieve it.

Is it shame, is it guilt? Are we trying to wash off our sins? If we practice honest living and don’t drink or gamble or congregate in houses of ill-repute would we still have to wash? I don’t know. That all sounds a little too... Freudian. If not, downright Catholic. But I can believe the reverse – that a clean mind depends a clean body. Or at least, I can

believe that we believe that. I for one feel like a sleaze after a few days without a shower, even without a speck on me.

I’m not saying we should stop hygiene altogether. I’ve been on camping trips, I took gym class, I take public transportation, I know what the human body is capable of producing or accumulating when left to its own devices.

But maybe we’re going a little overboard. We’re not going to die from overexposure to common dirt. And in the course of a day, how much dirt and grime do any of us really encounter, anyhow?

Of course I say this with every intention of washing my hands when I get home tonight. And then showering before I go to bed. Possibly again tomorrow morning. It’s in my head. I can’t quit.

I am clean but I’m not neat.

Actually I’m a mess. But I’m a clean mess. It’s my redeeming quality. I’m sure if you investigated me under a magnifying glass or turned on an infrared crime scene investigation light I would come out looking pretty good. Basically, I put a high premium on cleanliness. And it’s a learned behaviour. I didn’t pick this idea up from the wind or anything so groovy. I know to be clean because I was told to be so, by parents and teachers and soap ads, and instructions on bottles of disinfectant and labels on deodorant and even nursery rhymes. “Clean is important,” the message comes through, practically in pulsing neon, “Stay clean.”

And what I want to know is where this came from. Who instructed the people who instructed you and I? And who instructed them? The notion of being perpetually clean only goes back so far. A few hundred years ago, people, if they were really lucky, bathed three or four times in their entire lives. That’s why all those powdered wigs and perfumes. And until not so long ago, soap was made from reconstituted horse fat. Zestfully clean indeed.

And are we really that much more enlightened of the dangers of dirt than our ancestors? Are we even that much better off cleanlinesswise? Hygiene-wise, yes, we are far superior to our dirty old predecessors. But there’s hygiene and there’s cleanliness. Hygiene is a practice. Cleanliness is a state of being. And I think the truth might be that it’s possible to have one without the other.

If we didn’t employ I like hygiene as much as the next neurotic, but are all of our washing habits necessary? the socially accepted

TERRY SHAN / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

A8 • THE SILHOUETTE

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2009

THE SILHOUETTE • A9

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2009

And now, a disjointed word on time management Peter Goffin

OPINIONS EDITOR

Alright now, right there. Everyone stay where you are. Don’t move, don’t move, don’t move. Sun, stop traveling across the sky. Stop setting. Moon, quit rising. Calendar pages stop turning. I like you where you are. Where do you keep on going you bastids? Get back here.

It occurs to me that I’m getting rushed through everything around here and can’t ever find the time to do any of it properly, if at all. I’m talking life-wise.

And I thought about it,

man. I thought, thought, thought, and around ‘round ‘round ’round. time.And one day soon it’ll make me And ho-lee shee-it! Time graduate and be a real-no-foolin’thought, thought and this is the best I could come up with: It’s your fault, is just flying past. And it’s making person.And I’m not doing that without putting up one goddamnyou ways of the universe. You angry-caged-animal fight. and your always-moving-along It occurs to me that I’m getSo I’ve called you all in habits, you and your pushing ting rushed through everything of progression, you and your around here and can’t ever find here today because I think insistence on never sitting still. the time to do any of it properly, we can stop this assing around before it comes Don’t you realize that if at all. I’m talking life-wise.” to violence. I think we can you’re killing me? Don’t you come to an agreement of even take into consideration sorts. If you’ll be reasonthat every time you, Earth, do one of your pirouetting revolu- me do things that I don’t want to able, if you can just be reasonable tions, you force me to go along with do. Like hand in papers. And write and understanding of my needs you? No, you don’t consider that. exams. And go to yet another class. for once I think we can carve ourYou don’t consider anything, just It’s making me wake up just a little selves out a neat little compromise.

This is all you’ve gotta do: keep on going around and around too early for the seven thousandth

Take it easy. Relax. Pace yourself.

Slow down. Have a seat from time to time. Let me dwell on a thing or two. Jesus, let me have one or several interludes without anyone coming at me with the deadlines, with the drop-dead-dates, with the hurry up and go, with the no loitering, with the “you’re wasting time.”

Let me go at my own pace. And when I’m good and ready to move on, I’ll let you know and we can all get back to our regularly scheduled program of fast-forward hustle.

Make the deal.You owe me you bastids.You owe a lot of people.

Polanski totally undefendable Why do we love Legendary director deserves to face the law those messy celebs?

Jessica Lenora Whitehead

Disasters get most attention

OPINION

There is no doubt that Roman Polanski is a great artist who has made some great movies; however, this does not erase the fact he raped a 13-year-old girl, and has evaded justice for over thirty years.

As Chris Rock, apparently the only sane man left in Hollywood, stated last week on Jay Leno “So what, he made some good movies 30 years ago. She was 13… Rape is number two. There is murder then rape”.

Michael Jackson’s career was pretty much ruined after child molestation charges, and he was never even convicted.

Roman Polanski, on the other hand, has been continuously defended and has even won an Oscar since committing his crime.

I have been dismayed over the past week that some of the greatest artists of our time have signed petitions asking for Roman Polanki’s release. The list of signatories includes two of my favourite directors: David Lynch and Wes Anderson. These petitioners make claims that the case is one of morals and should be thrown out.

There are also other defenders of Polanski, like Whoopi Goldberg who claimed on The View that the case wasn’t “rape-rape,” as he is a European artist after all.

Either defenders of Polanski are unaware of the details of the case or, more troubling, they don’t care.

The facts of the case are that Roman Polanski, 45-years-old at the time, is alleged to have drugged, raped and sodomized a 13-year-old girl, who testified to this in 1977 in

Kaitlin Peters SILHOUETTE STAFF

Have you heard about the latest swine flu outbreak at Columbia College? You know, that school right down the street, practically minutes away from Mac, walking time. No? But I bet you’ve heard that Jon Gosselin took hundreds of thousands of dollars from his and Kate’s joint bank account.

And who hasn’t heard about Letterman’s late-night sexscapades?

I’ll admit it, until I actually contract swine flu I’m going to have trouble mustering up any interest in what’s happening on the Hamilton front. But why are these celebrities, these complete strangers, so interesting to me? I have nothing in common with them at all; I’m not an aging late-night talk show host with a questionable sense of humor, nor do I have multiple children who I sometimes care for while clubbing with my much younger girlfriend.

But out of all the celebrities we’re dedicated to following, our favouRoman Polanski has been arrested after 30 years on the lam. rites are always the “hot messes.”

Outwardly we’re disgusted front of a grand jury in California. time they are 18. By diminish- with them, animatedly going over Because of the media circus, the ing the seriousness of Polanski’s every juicy detail with our friends, victim agreed that Polanski could crime, his supporters are ignoring rehashing every time that person plead guilty to a lesser charge of a very pervasive problem in our has screwed up in the past decade. unlawful sex with a minor, which society. The defenders never men- It’s addictive. We love to compare is basically statutory rape. He later tion that Roman Polanski raped a them, picking the one’s we’d most fled the country when it was clear 13-year-old girl and make it seem like to be friends with and the one’s he would do jail time, and has been like some misdemeanor. This was a we’d most like to run over with our evading justice for thirty years. terrible crime that is all too com- car. But when we log on to Perez it’s Rape is a plague on our monly felt by women. There are not really the humanitarian we want culture. It is estimated that one no ifs, ands or buts. The defend- to hear about, it’s the hot mess who in four girls are molested by the ers of Polanski are defending rape. just got caught with cocaine for the SILHOUETTE FILE PHOTO

Explore what Hamilton has to offer Alex Steiner OPINION

Hello my airbrushed snowflakes.

Today I’m going to take you on a trip.

Like most of you, I was told sometime in the last month that there is more to McMaster then meets the eye. That there is, in fact, a City outside of the campus boundaries, outside of Westdale and across the bridges, outside of the student residential areas. So today I’m going to push you out through that cozy little bubble you’ve been living in here at university and into the City that houses you.

This begins by going through the comfortable areas.

Your common streets around campus, Sterling, Sanders, Leland, Emerson, along Main and either South to Ancaster or West to Dundas. For others it’s across the highway past Dundurn and on into

the downtown core. That’s where I’m heading first. I ride the packed buses. The light hours fill them with quiet people and the nights fill them with a mix of drinkers, commuters and Hamilton’s finest. The bus drivers are some of the nicest people I’ve met in their jobs and so few of you even thank them for their service to you.

The downtown core holds many corners, bright and dark alike. The bus terminals surround a great fountain and the steps outside Jackson Square hold a collection of street punks and other characters of urban life, from young to old. A wide variety of people from every walk of life stand waiting here to take this trip, waiting for transportation. I take a bus up the Mountain and look down on the City. The landscape is filled with houses, industrial buildings and the pointy spires of churches,

some older then others. At the top of the mountain, past the plaza strips and before Lime Ridge mall is another suburb, sprouting and filling the peak with maze like roads and manicured laws. Not the richest of suburbs but numbing all the same.

Back on the streets of the City people push past me. The Main and King are littered with grungy stores, all home to people making a living and pushing through in their own worlds. I head south and the buildings change. Back alleys and crumbling walls materialize, mixed in with old buildings and modern apartments. People are older here, even those younger then us. I see a group of veterans sitting on a step smoking. Their laughter seems strained, but it’s laughter none the less. The grime on these streets is more noticeable. The shops close far earlier than we sleep and there are few windows that don’t have metal grates behind the glass.

I decide to climb to the top of the parking lot connecting to Jackson Square and Copps Coliseum. From up here the city looks gentler, not as harsh as what the streets present. The church peaks are more numerous looking north towards the lake. Silhouetting against the mountain outline are our few high rises, made up of several business buildings and hotels. The wind picks up and I can smell the chill of fall settling down on the City.

As I’m walking south

through a stretch of residential areas I happen upon a bakery and convenience store that sells me a zaatar for a dollar. I wasn’t sure what it was but it provided a fair lunch none the less. Several blocks away is a Chinese supermarket, the first of its kin that I’ve found in the City. Food stuffs I haven’t had since Toronto’s Chinatown were purchased. All shall be good after I experiment with taro and cuttlefish.

On my way back to the core I make note of all the small quiet restaurants that look intriguing. They’re there, pushed in between buildings and shops, sheltered under stoops and above storefronts, looking down on the streets.

Do you remember food outside of instant noodles or campus food, the ever so convenient Commons, Bistro, Bridges, Phoenix and Wokery?

I notice more and more graffiti on my travels. The City, I’m told, has been having a crisis with its rise of graffiti. I’m not sure where to stand, as some heaven spots were truly impressive, intricate murals halfway up sheer brick walls far from any discernable ledge or support. There are high reaching scrawls and rooftops full of tags, both amateur and professional.

There’s a set a buildings that are completely covered with stunning wild style throwups, the colour shockingly brilliant against the drab stucco and aged, crumbling brick.

It gets to the point where I’m noticing the plethora of artistry down alleys and up on hard to reach ledges. Even if you are against graffiti out of principle or example, our City holds some impressive works. Because that’s what this is: our City. We live here now, even if it is in a partly secluded bubble. We deprive ourselves of the people and places that it offers us.

Hamilton is one of ten most populated cities in Canada and as such it is filled with stories that few of us even take time to consider as we spend our short years here.

The walls of the buildings have tales and the people filling buses and streets all have their own lives to lead. They live and die here and too many of us ignore them in exchange for the safety, comfort and convenience of McMaster’s bubble. We may only be here for a few years, but even if that’s the case, we shouldn’t be afraid of the City that we sleep in.

After all, we’re all here together.

second time in a month, or the distressed singer who went out in public without underwear . . . again.

This obsession has led us to check on their lives multiple times a day, and even if you didn’t care, you couldn’t escape them if you tried. They’re on the Internet, the radio, the television, even in the newspapers with all of the “serious” news. Charity work and donating millions of dollars is nice, but it’s boring. But the people who are even more interesting than the perpetual screw-ups are the ones that fall from grace.To see someone that seemed so perfect majorly mess up will usually last the tabloids a whole week at least. Why though? Why do we glorify in these people’s lives? Is it just nice to see people who are a worse example of humanity than ourselves, do we just want someone we could morally parade over?

Or is it just nice to see that the universe is set up where one person cannot have too much? These people have money, fame, and beauty (well, some do), but look at the price they had to pay! Can’t you see what happens when you have too much and unbalance the forces of the universe? A seriously screwed up life is what happens! Then we can all sit back in our chairs, sipping our coffees and silently thanking the heavens that we don’t have all that wealth and fame, no sir-ee you couldn’t pay me to be a celebrity.

Do we really need these people to justify our own lives, and be content with them? For our sakes, I hope not.

HOW TO WRITE FOR OPINIONS AND INFLUENCE PEOPLE 1. Come to the Opinions section volunteer meetings, Tuesdays at 1:30 in MUSC B110.

2. Get inspired at the Opinions section meeting.

3. Run home and write the mother of all opinion articles.

4. Send your article to opinions@thesil.ca.

5. Show your published article to family and friends.

6. Bask in their admiration.

In summary: Write for Opinions Tuesdays at 1:30 in MUSC B110 opinions@thesil.ca

Have you taken a look around campus lately?

A10 • THE SILHOUETTE

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2009

JONATHON FAIRCLOUGH / DISTRIBUTION COORDINATOR

You might see something you like.

“All ivy vines and red brick, it makes you feel like you really are a university student of an Oxfordian persuasion, and not just a kid playing dress-up in someone else’s clothes.”

MEGAN ANDERSON / THE SILHOUETTE

JONATHON FAIRCLOUGH / DISTRIBUTION COORDINATOR

“Shelves and shelves and shelves of books enough to spend months with. And I gladly would. They’re absolute magic. And while it shouldn’t seem so miraculous to find books at a university, these are not your run-of-the-mill textbooks or academic records or teaching guides or reference works.”

ABOVE: JONATHON FAIRCLOUGH / DISTRIBUTION COORDINATOR BELOW: JONATHON FAIRCLOUGH / DISTRIBUTION COORDINATOR

“Even just walking past and peering in through the foggy windows [of the greenhouse] provides a bracing shot of life and energy during bleak mid-semester Februaries.”

THE SILHOUETTE • A11

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2009

MEGAN ANDERSON / THE SILHOUETTE

TOP: JESSIE CHAU / THE SILHOUETTE MIDDLE: CHRISTOPHER CHANG / SILHOUETTE STAFF BOTTOM: CHRISTOPHER CHANG / SILHOUETTE STAFF

Mac is full of weird, enthralling, unknown spaces and artefacts Peter Goffin OPINIONS EDITOR

I’ve been at McMaster for more than two years now. And I generally like it here. But I also generally try hard not to linger in any particular place around campus. When I’m in the stairwells and throughways between classes, I flit around out of self-preservation, lest I be trampled. When I’m in a place like the student centre atrium, I hustle out of a desire to feel less suffocated by cinderblock and tile flooring. But in my skittishness I have also managed to stumble upon, almost always through fortunate accident, some honestly kind and compelling spaces on campus. Places that I could spend hours, even days, in; places that for their uniqueness or strangeness or incongruousness have fascinated me and made me – who would have thought? – fond of campus. What makes each of these comforting little corners that much more amazing is that they are completely avoidable.

We could put in our four years here and never set foot in, nor eye on, any one of them. But I am glad each one of these places

Like the greenhouse beside Bridges.

Even just walking past and peering in through the foggy windows provides a bracing shot of life and energy during bleak mid-semester Februaries. I don’t know who exactly has the authorization to go in, but whoever they are, I hope they are aware of their incredible fortune.

Simpler and more accessible a

pleasure can be found when walking out the back door of University Hall onto the grass between it and the faculty club. All ivy vines and red brick, it makes you feel like you really are a university student of an Oxfordian persuasion, and not just a kid playing dress-up in someone else’s clothes.

More childish than that is the joy I derive from the fact that there are pool tables in the basement of the student centre. Not in a bar, but in a room designated for things like pool tables. The Games Room. Given the choice, most of us would probably choose a bar over a games room, but the sheer unexpectedness of a room dedicated mainly to eight ball is too amiable not to celebrate. And it’s one of the few parts of the hyper-functional student centre that invites hanging out.

Then there is the second floor of Hamilton Hall. Never mind that from the outside Hamilton Hall is arguably the most attractive building on campus, and that on the inside it is definitely one of the coolest, most forward, intelligent, mature spaces anywhere. Never mind the architectural wow factor. The marvel of Hamilton Hall is that if you stand on the Hall’s second floor you will find yourself face-to-face with a paper maché sculpture of a ghoulishly lanky man that is all at once disturbing and bizarre and wonderful. Suspended from the ceiling by wire, it’s art to be viewed by the mostly math-oriented students who file past it every day. It is an incongruous and all-too-rare

spot of creativity and whimsy to break up many a drab school day. And as though that weren’t enough, there’s a book set out for passersby to write their comments. What I like most about the sculpture is that it serves no ulterior purpose. It isn’t there to impose or educate or perform any official duties. It exists only because it is visually appealing.

My favourite feature of campus, though, narrowly beating out the hanging paper maché man, is the fourth floor of Mills library. Part of the fourth floor, anyway, well back of the elevators and clear away from the study rooms. It is the stacks of books up there that have me mesmerized. Shelves and shelves and shelves of books enough to spend months with. And I gladly would. They’re absolute magic. And while it shouldn’t seem so miraculous to find books at a university, these are not your run-of-the-mill textbooks or academic records or teaching guides or reference works. The fourth floor is where thoughtful armies of librarians have stuck over a century’s worth of oddities and artifacts, all things absurd and adored in literature. Like a collection of what is quite likely every work of fiction ever published in the English language, organized chronologically so that Chaucer comes before Shakespeare who comes before Marlowe who comes before George Eliot. And for a wordophile like me, that alone is enough to break hearts. But better than that is the fact that it is McMaster’s original collection of English literature.

Chacuer’s Works was printed in 1896. The Works of Chacuer was published in 1933 and this particular volume was donated, I am told by an ink stamp on the inside cover, to McMaster in April, 1953 by Mr. S.G.Whitelock.

On other shelves there are the novelties. Like the two feet tall volumes of photocopied manuscripts written in Saxon and Norse. And the bizarre crown jewel of the entire floor, as far as I am concerned, is a book called 52 Stories of Pluck and Peril for Boys, a children’s book printed in 1896. The cover, blue with red and gold embossed letters, features a swashbuckler throttling a wolf with his bare hands. A stamp on the inside cover confirms that A.F. Austin, Head Master of Gladstone Street Board School, approved this book for use during the 1903-1904 school year.

There are more charms and absurdities around campus, I’m sure.

And according to your own personal fascinations you may be more inclined to like, say, the descent into Cootes than the hanging paper maché man. But the point is that these places, and others like them, are out there. Here. They exist. Tucked away in unknown nooks or stuck behind or inside buildings and rooms that you never go to, but they do exist. And my humble advice is that sometime before you leave here, you seek them out, take them in, linger.

And seek out more such places. Find your own sanctuaries and marvels. With a bit of looking, I’m sure each of us will find our share.

JONATHON FAIRCLOUGH / DISTRIBUTION COORDINATOR

A12 • THE SILHOUETTE

SpeculatoR The Hamilton

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2009

INSIDE THE SPECULATOR

A2: Anotomy of the Nicaraguan tree hen.

C44: Anatomy of a hipster (their special on the inside).

Q10: Anatomy of ya muddah. Yeah, dat’s right, ya muddah.

Thursday, October 8, 2009 F It’s my party and I’ll cannibalize if I want to.

Adventures in academia

And other ways to fill space when writing failing humour pages at 3 in the morning. I’m not getting into grad school.

3ZZ99: HISTORY OF HYGIENE

PROFESSOR: DR. BUCKMINSTER R. HOROWITZ, PHD. TA: AEIEL SANDSTORM Course Description and Objectives: This course will examine the historical development of personal and group hygiene in the context of post-Exfoliation Euro-America. Students will review the historical and theoretical development of human hygiene, while also critically assessing the practical implications (and limitations) of hygiene in the contemporary setting. This course seeks to provide students with the ability to discern patterns of personal hygiene and deviant hygienic behavior, and ultimately intends to provide students with the practical skills necessary to achieve hygienic success in their future forays into the public (and private) sphere.

Evaluation Criteria: • Practical hygiene exam – 99%. At the end of term, students will be expected to perform a complete self-hygiene routine, ensuring complete adherence to the practices explained and developed in class; to be graded explicitly on outwardly appearance on exam day.

• Attendance – 1%. Students are expected to attend all lectures; lenience will be provided, however, for those students who, despite all due diligence, are unable to attend class in generally hygienic manner.

Academic Dishonesty Policy Any student caught cheating on the final practical exam, namely by having been cleaned by another student, will suffer a 50% reduction in their mark, and suspension of loufah privileges for a period of one month, unless the other student was not sufficiently thorough in their cleaning, in which case we just feel sorry for you.

Course Materials Deodorant: A History Douching Under Napoleon: A Coming of Age Tale Hangnails in the Post-War Period: 1945-2009 Other Materials: - Bar of University-approved soap - Loufah - Shower cap, with safety strap - Running water, or body of stagnant water - Hair-trimmers, for nose, ears and other appendages (get your mind out of the gutter) - One cat with extra-long tongue (claws optional) Featured Lessons: Semester One - Theory Week 1: An Introduction to Hygiene – We’re looking at you, first years.

Week 2: Hygiene in the Cro-Magnon man’s culture – how to clean your loincloth Week 3: Hygiene in the time of Jesus: The Ten Commandments of Earwax Removal

Week 4: Hygienic Deviants in the Dark Ages – Face-washing with rats 101 Week 5 – Week 9: Class Recess – Go Home, Stay Clean Week 10: Renaissance Hygiene: DiVinci’s Invention of the Automatic Nose-picker Week 11: The French Revolution: égalité, liberté, roto-rooter-é Semester Two - Practical Application Week 1: An Introduction to Hygiene – We’re looking at you, first years.

Week 2: Field research - sponge bathing at the Sally-An. Pack gloves.

And hand sanitizer. And more gloves. And tequila.

Week 3: Hygiene in the time of Jesus: The Ten Commandments of Earwax Removal Week 4: Hygienic Deviants in the Dark Ages – Face-washing with rats 101 Weeks 5 through 11: Rinse, lather, and repeat. Everything.

Things not to expect: A caring TA An attractive Professor An instructor who is above petty blackmail and bribery Answers Sympathy Empathy Encouragement Solutions Help Rights Non-violence Things to expect: Shame Guilt trips Electroshock response conditioning

“What Did You Learn This Week, Timmy?”

“I learned that Das polka is eine underrated genre of musik.”

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 8, 2009

SPORTS

production office: extension 27117

e-mail: sports@thesil.ca

Mac ruins Western’s homecoming Quinlan leads Marauders to epic victory over Mustangs

LAUREN JEWETT / SILHOUETTE STAFF

Marauder quarterback Kyle Quinlan (left) picked apart the Mustang defence, orchestrating six touchdowns and leading McMaster to a 42-35 win at Western’s homecoming game.

DAVID KOOTS

ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR

This past Saturday was supposed to be the perfect homecoming for the undefeated Western Mustangs football team. According to the script, it should have been all fun and games for the 9,266 fans gathered to watch the country’s second best team beat up on the unranked McMaster Marauders.

But the Marauders would play no part in this idealized homecoming, shocking the hometown fans by beating the Mustangs 42-35.

A week after taking away the starting quarterback position from Ryan Fantham (London, ON), second year Kyle Quinlan (South Woodslee, ON) showed exactly why Head Coach Stefan Ptaszek has handed him the reigns to the Marauder’s offence.

Quinlan had a direct role in all six Marauder touchdowns, scoring three on running plays while connecting through the air for the remaining scores.

Quinlan finished the day with 17 completions on 22 attempts for 272 yards passing with no interceptions.

He was also Mac’s leading rusher, adding 72 yards on the ground. His performance was good enough to garner CIS Offensive Player of the

Week honours. In the Marauders’ previous two games against the OUA’s elite, the defence played well but the offence failed to put up points. This week both sides of the ball clicked, and the team proved it is capable of beating the country’s best.

McMaster came out flying, scoring on their first drive and never looking back. By the end of the first quarter the Marauders were up 14-0. “It was so important for us with this crowd to build an early lead and we had to silence them,” said Quinlan after the game.

“We had nothing to lose, we knew we were coming in here and the crowd was going to be crazy, so when you have nothing to lose you play a lot more relaxed.”

The Marauders continued their strong play into the second quarter, scoring on their first possession. Before the Mustangs knew what hit them, the defending Yates Cup winners were going into the dressing room at half down 28-0 to a previously unheralded McMaster team.

The Mustangs came out of the locker room fired up and began to play like the goliath everyone thought they were. The defence held the Marauders to three straight two and outs, while the offence

scored on three consecutive drives.

Ten minutes into the third and the score was suddenly 28-21 with Western kicking off. But Mac quickly responded to the Mustangs pressure and showed why they must be counted among the country’s best. The offence took the ball 89 yards on a seven play game changing drive that was capped off when Quinlan ran untouched into the end zone for his third rushing touchdown of the day.

Mac was then able to close out the game by controlling the clock in the fourth quarter and adding a final score. The Mustangs made it tense by reaching the end zone twice in the fourth but a last minute drive was stopped by the defence, ensuring the McMaster upset and sending the pro-Western crowd home in disbelief.

While the offence deserves plenty of credit for the win, the defence did its fair share as well.

The Mustangs came into the game with one of the best offences in the country, averaging over 40 points a week. While the Marauders did not shut them down entirely, they did not let them control the game, especially in the first half when Western was held scoreless for the first time in any half of football this year.

The defence had a number of standout performers, with defensive backs Stephen Dennis (Burlington, ON) and Cody Lynch (Stoney Creek, ON) and linebacker Ryan Chmielewski (St. Catherines, ON) leading the way. Dennis finished the day with seven solo tackles and four assists while Lynch had four solo tackles and a first quarter interception that led to the Marauders third score.

Chmielewski also had four solo tackles and added two sacks on Mustangs quarterback Michael Faulds (Eden Mills, ON).

Faulds had an excellent game in the loss, throwing for 491 yards on 30 completions, but the Marauders’ young secondary did a good job in slowing him down.

He was unable to get the offence moving early in the game and had three straight incompletions to end Western’s final drive. Faulds will likely become the OUA’s all-time passing leader this week against York, as he is just 372 yards short of 10,000 in his career.

In total, the Mustangs’ offence had 606 yards on the day, but the Mac defence played as well as it needed to in order to get the win. It was an all-round team victory, with the offence, defence and special teams all making

Despite loss, rugby women improving

crucial plays. Quinlan’s success was possible thanks in large part to the play of the offensive line. “We knew their defence would not give us easy yards, but our offensive line really made the difference today.

They were great,” said Quinlan when asked about the play of his offensive front.

Special teams also contributed, blocking a field goal on Western’s first drive of the game to keep the Mustangs shut out in the half. Byron Metcalfe (Pickering, ON) had the first block while Michael Daly (Kitchener, ON) blocked another kick early in the fourth quarter. The cover teams limited Western returners all day and made sure that they were unable to change the momentum of the game by making a big return.

Former McMaster Head Coach Greg Marshall, now calling the shots for Western, pointed to his counterparts on the other side of the field as being an important factor in the game. “Not a lot went well, to their credit, they are a very well coached football team. They outcoached us today and I don’t like to say it but it’s the truth,” said Marshall after the defeat.

McMaster’s upset victory over Western was only one of two • PLEASE SEE MARAUDERS, B3

Campbell wins Guelph golf invitational JEFF GREEN

EXECUTIVE EDITOR

CHRISTOPHER CHANG / SILHOUETTE STAFF

Guelph centre Brittany Benn menaced the Marauder defence, adding to her league-leading 73 points with one try and two conversions got to prepare better. When you’re keeping McMaster’s dynamic duo playoff spot, and can secure home BRIAN DECKER SPORTS EDITOR talking about Guelph, you’re of Nina Bui (North York, ON) and field advantage through the playoffs taking about a different approach Natasha Turner (Ottawa, ON) out to the final with a win over Trent Putting their considerably improved to Rugby. They’ve got the Gretzky, of the end zone. Bui and Turner in their final game of the season on squad to the test, the McMaster Coffey, Messier and Anderson of remain tied for sixth in points in the Friday. women’s rugby team hosted the Rugby,” said Head Coach Sandro OUA, having both scored five tries Bui and Turner are Guelph Gryphons on Saturday in Fiorno, commenting on what Mac for 25 points on the season. joined by veteran Sarah Van Hoof a match between the two highest needs to do should they meet up The loss, McMaster’s (Lindsay, ON) and outstanding ranked teams in Ontario. Though with Guelph again in the playoffs. first of the season, should rookie Rebecca Delaney (Caledon, the third-ranked Gryphons Guelph’s Gretzky is second year not overshadow the team’s ON), giving the Marauders a soundly defeated the sixth-ranked centre Brittany Benn (Napanee, improvement this season, which balanced attack of their own. Should Marauders 34-0, the maroon and ON), who leads the OUA in has seen Mac rise to become one of McMaster encounter Guelph this grey are clearly on the rise, and scoring. Benn leads the league in the best teams in the country. The season, it will likely be in the will be looking forward to the OUA tries with 10, and has added 12 maroon and grey defeated Queen’s Championship game, and Mac will playoffs and potential rematch with conversions to push her point total last week by a definitive 39-6 need to play a flawless game and Guelph. of the season to 74, 31 more than final last week, showing that only force the Gryphons into making

Brittany Sammut (Port the next highest scorer. The win Guelph stands between them and errors. No doubt exists, however, Colborne, ON) led Guelph with pushed the Gryphons to 4-0 on the OUA glory. The Gryphons were the that the team looks forward to such three tries on the day, showing the campaign. team that ended Mac’s 2008 season, an opportunity to prove their worth Gryphons’ prowess on offence and Guelph’s impressive winning the semi-final match 20-8. and win McMaster’s first women’s depth on their front line. “We’ve defense was also on display, The team has already locked up a rugby title.

In a breakout performance that is sure to turn some heads, Candi Campbell (Corunna, ON) bounced back from a triple-bogey on the 13th to shoot a 79 and take the Guelph Gryphon’s Invitational this past Monday, the first women’s golf individual medal since 2004.

“I’ve been working really hard on my short game and my mental approach this year, and I’m now better at letting go of mistakes and just moving on to the next shot,” said Campbell. “I triple bogeyed the 13th hole, but bounced back to make par on 14 and birdie on 15, so I was pleased with that.

My teammates have also helped me as we are all trying to improve and get better each time out as we work towards the OUA Championship.”

Campbell has had a successful 2009 campaign with a string of top 10s, leading her Marauder teammates to some of the best finishes in recent memory.

On the men’s side, Waterloo’s Garrett Rank (Elmira, ON) shot a 68 en route to his medal, with McMaster’s four-time OUA All-Star and former OUA MVP, Jason Wellings (West Flambrough, ON) finishing second after a 73, five • PLEASE SEE CAMPBELL, B5

B2 • THE SILHOUETTE

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2009

McMaster baseball playoff bound

JEFF GREEN / EXECUTIVE EDITOR

Mac closed out the season with three consecutive wins and now begin their playoff run.

DAVID KOOTS

ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR

The Marauders’ men’s baseball team closed out their season on a successful note, winning their last three games and locking up home field advantage in the first round of the playoffs. With the wins, Mac finished second in the OUA and will have home field advantage in a three game playoff series against the Wilfrid Laurier Golden Hawks.

McMaster took both games in a doubleheader against the Waterloo Warriors, winning 1-0 in the first game and 5-4 in the second. Andrew Morales (Toronto, ON) pitched eight scoreless innings to pick up the first victory of the day. Matthew Piccini (Mississauga, ON) scored the winning run in the bottom of the eighth thanks to a John McGregor (Ottawa, ON) hit.

In the second half of the doubleheader, Matthew Cino (Ancaster, ON) picked up the win while Chris Piccini (Mississauga, ON) had the save. McGregor and Andrew Cochran (Hamilton, ON) led the way on offence with two hits and an RBI each. Waterloo finished the year in sixth spot with a 6-12 record.

On Sunday, the Marauders took to the road to play Brock, who was in dire need

of a win in order to clinch a playoff spot. But Mac would not give them the opportunity they needed and won the game 9-6. Matthew Piccini went seven strong innings and picked up the victory while brother Chris earned the save. McGregor added to his league leading RBI total by bringing in one more runner to close out the season with 15.

With only one game between Brock and Western remaining, and the closest competitor at 12 RBI’s, McGregor has a good shot at finishing the season on top of the category. The Marauders do not have a single player in the top 20 in terms of batting average, but have six in the top 12 in walks, a sign that Mac batters are being more patient at the plate.

The Marauders will now host Laurier on Friday night to begin their series.

In a short three game series, pitching plays an important role and McMaster’s rotation is among the very best in the OUA. Ending on a three game win streak is a promising sign that Mac may have found some of the same magic they had last year on their way to becoming OUA champions. Friday’s game is at 7 p.m. at Bernie Arbour Stadium with game two being played at Laurier on Saturday. If needed, the final game of the series will be back home on Sunday.

THE SILHOUETTE • B3

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2009

Rugby drops 2nd game in a row Volleyball teams resume BRIAN DECKER SPORTS EDITOR

With two straight losses after a much-hyped beginning to the 2009 season, the wheels have officially come off the season for the McMaster men’s rugby team.

Just two weeks removed from being the class of the OUA, the Marauders have suffered huge losses to two of their biggest rivals, and now sit 2-2 on a season, which has gone from high hopes to confusion and disappointment.

Mac dropped a 34-13 decision to the Brock Badgers at Back 10 field on Saturday, unable to cope with a number of injuries and absences from their starting crew.

Kevin Noble (Dundas, ON) scored the lone try for McMaster, while rookie Matt Raguseo (Stouffville, ON) kicked home one conversion and two penalty kicks, providing a small bright spot in a sobering game.

A number of injuries and absences have been the catalyst in the Marauders’ downward spiral.

The team started the season with

an 80-0 win against Toronto, and much hype surrounded a team that retained its major core after winning the 2008 OUA Championship. However, with OUA All-Star Shawn Windsor (Stoney Creek, ON) and two-time OUA MVP Keegan Selby (Lindsay, ON) serving duty with the Ontario Blues in the Americas Cup, that core had been diminished and the depth of the team compromised.

That depth took a devastating blow in the past week, with injuries to Andrew Housley (Burlington, ON), Joel Waldock (Tottenham, ON) and Chris Dickenson (Oakville, ON).

Mac took a 13-3 lead into the half on the strength of Noble’s try, looking nothing like the team that was trounced 59-5 at the hands of the Queen’s Gaels last Saturday in Kingston. That lead quickly disappeared in the second half, with Brock standout Rory McDonnell (Brantford, ON) leading the Badgers into a tired and uncoordinated Marauder defence.

McDonnell punished the maroon and grey with four conversions and two penalty kicks, and helped

Brock sneak through a McMaster defence which saw too many players adjusting to roles they were not used to. The loss marked the first Marauder loss to the Badgers since 2000.

The Marauders must now take a hard look in the mirror at themselves, and re-evaluate their goals for the season. A season that started with hopes of an undefeated record and expectations of dominant play must be looked at differently from here on out if it is to be considered a success. Winning the OUA Championship is not impossible, as Mac lost to Queen’s and Western in 2002 but soundly defeated them in the playoffs on the way to winning the Turner Trophy.

“Competition for spots will be intense this week in practice as we look to turn things around with a statement game on Friday. Expect to see some ornery Marauders take the field in the fifth game of the season,” said Head Coach Dr. Phil White after the game, noting that Friday’s match against Laurier at back-10 field is effectively a mustwin game.

CHRISTOPHER CHANG / SILHOUETTE STAFF

Kevin Noble (pictured) scored the Marauders’ lone try in the 34-13 loss to the Brock Badgers.

play at Burridge Gym BRIAN DECKER SPORTS EDITOR

The McMaster volleyball teams kicked off the 2009-2010 season in style over the past week, playing in preseason tournaments to prepare for follow ups to what were impressive 2008-2009 campaigns.

The women claimed silver at the Ottawa Invitational, while the men feasted on lighter competition, winning the exhibition Hamilton Cup.

The women’s team, coming off a season in which they claimed OUA Silver, traveled to the nation’s capital from Oct. 1 to 4, going undefeated until the tournament final, which saw the McGill Martlets defeat the Marauders three games to one in a marathon two hour, six minute game. Mac dropped the first two sets of that game, but clawed back to a 25-22 win in the third set. The efforts of Larissa Puhach (Burlington, ON) and Jen Holt (Hamilton, ON), who were both named to the tournament All-Star team, were not enough however, with the maroon and grey dropping the final set of the tournament 2520.

Holt is used to accolades at this point in her career, having been a three-time OUA West All-Star and the 2006 Rookie of the Year.

Mac boasts three returning AllStars from last season, including Holt, Sarah Kiernan (Hamilton, ON) and Kaila Janssen (Oshawa, ON). The team kicks off the regular Season Oct. 24 against the Brock Badgers in the Burridge Gym. The team will also host their annual Mizuno-McMaster Thanksgiving Classic this weekend, hosting Brock, Guelph, Ryerson, Waterloo, Laurier, Western and York. Mac’s first game takes place today at 6 PM against Ryerson.

The men’s team returns to action after an even more impressive season, which saw the Marauders claim their second consecutive OUA Championship.

The maroon and grey took home the Forsyth Memorial Trophy after defeating the Queen’s Gaels on the strength of a total team effort.

Right side Jeremy Groenveld (Welland, ON) was named to the CIS All-Canadian Second Team, and Nathan Groenveld (Welland, ON) and Peter Hrkal (Caledon, ON) joined Jeremy on the OUA West First Team AllStar squad.

The team began their season last week with a win at the Hamilton Cup, a tournament that pits McMaster against Mohawk College and Redeemer University College. Mac took their game against Mohawk 3-1, and then defeated Redeemer 3-0 to take honours as Hamilton’s top collegiate team. The tournament is no lock for Mac to win, with Mohawk taking the title twice in the event’s five-year history.

McMaster boasts a very strong recruiting class.

Joining the team will be Tyson Alexander (Barrie, ON), Ian Cooper (Edmonton, AB), Brendan Dennis (Barrie, ON), Sean Lowe (Hamilton, ON), Kevin Stevens (Winnipeg, MB) and Russell Wilson (Calgary, AB).

Stevens arrives with the most padded resume, having been named the top high school player in Manitoba by the Winnipeg Sun and served time on the Manitoba Provincial team. Cooper and Wilson have also played at the provincial level, while Lowe will be playing close to home as a graduate of Westdale Secondary School.

Mac will need the rookies and returning players to step up, with Hrkal and Nathan Groenveld graduating after the 2008/2009 season. The team will also depend on returning veterans Josh Nederveen (Dundas, ON), Ryan Hudson (Winnipeg, MB) and Shawn Bench (Hamilton, ON) to carry the load.

The regular season begins Oct. 24 against the York Lions at the Burridge Gym.

Marauders climb national rankings

Quarterback Kyle Quinlan scores one of his three rushing touchdowns in the 42-35 victory.

• CONT’D FROM B1 shocking twists this past weekend in CIS football. On Sunday, the top ranked and defending Vanier Cup champions Laval Rouge et Or, were defeated by the fifth ranked University of Montreal, 28-7.

The loss marks the first time in 16 games that Laval has lost and their first regular season loss since 2006. Laval has seemed invincible all season long, regularly

beating opponents before the end of the first quarter. With their weekend losses, the apparent best in Canada now seem vulnerable, and suddenly the Vanier Cup is up for grabs.

With the win, the Marauders moved closer to a playoff appearance with three games left in the season. The victory also moved the Marauders into the tenth spot on the National Rankings, which saw a complete

ANDREW HO / THE GAZETTE

overhaul after Western and Laval’s losses. Mac next plays tonight at Ron Joyce Stadium against the 1-4 University of Toronto Varsity Blues. Toronto picked up their first win of the year last week against the winless York Lions and should not be taken lightly by the Marauders.

Tickets can be purchased at the gate for the 7 p.m. kickoff and are on sale for the special Thanksgiving price of one dollar.

Linebacker Denver Brown had a fumble recovery in the Marauder win.

ANDREW HO / THE GAZETTE

B4 • THE SILHOUETTE

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2009

Men’s soccer team on the rebound MUDASSER ALI

SILHOUETTE STAFF

The McMaster men’s Soccer team split a pair of games this past weekend at Ron Joyce Stadium before heading on the road Wednesday and returning home victorious. After falling 2-0 on Saturday to the York Lions (4-2-2), the Marauders (4-5) shut out the division leading Guelph Gryphons (5-2-1) in a 1-0 victory that showed the Marauders can compete with the division’s best.

Saturday’s match was not kind to McMaster as York controlled play for most of the game in the loss. Lion Andrea Lombardo (Toronto, ON) carried the offensive load for York as he was one goal short of a hat trick, scoring both Lions’ goals. It was a poor showing for McMaster, one they knew they had to forget quickly if they wanted to maintain momentum going into Sunday.

McMaster did not disappoint as they finished off the

weekend by powering themselves to a 1-0 victory over the seventh ranked team in Canada, the Guelph Gryphons.

Marauder Rookie Chinomnso Nwamadi (Brampton, ON.) was the hero on Sunday as he put the game away with a goal on just his second shot of the season.

Keeper Matthew Grant (Brampton, ON) recorded his second shutout of the season after a ten-save game.

On Wednesday night, the Marauders travelled to St. Catharines to play the 1-7-1 Brock Badgers. The Marauders came out on top 1-0 thanks to a goal in the 81st by Kyle Grootenboer (Brantford, ON). Grant was perfect in net and recorded his second shutout of the week. The victory bumps the Marauders to fifth spot in their division and increases the Marauders’ shot at a post-season berth.

The Marauders have a rematch against Brock on Friday at home at Ron Joyce Stadium.

Kickoff is at 3:15 p.m. and follows the match between the women.

KNOW VOLLEYBALL? WRITE FOR THE SIL! sports@thesil.ca

CHRISTOPHER CHANG / SILHOUETTE STAFF

The men’s soccer team won two of three games this week, nearing the .500 mark for the 2009 season.

Mac women’s soccer in on playoff contention MUDASSER ALI

SILHOUETTE STAFF

The McMaster women’s soccer team kept it interesting this past weekend by splitting a pair of games against York and Guelph, and earning a draw against Brock. The Marauders (2-4-3) started off the weekend by taking on the visiting York Lions (5-2-1) on Saturday. Showing off why they are second in the division, the Lions took control of the game by blanking the Marauders 2-0 with goals by Samantha Gauthier (Laval, QC) and sensation Ami Otaki (Kanagawa, Japan). McMaster would strike back on Sunday by taking on the lowly Guelph Gryphons (0-5-3) and finishing the weekend off by giving the crowd at Ron Joyce Stadium a thrilling, come-from-behind victory.

On Saturday, the Marauders were unable to take charge of the game against the Lions. York didn’t allow a single goal thanks to the goalkeeping of Sarah Fiorini (Newmarket, ON) and a robust offensive attack that saw OUA scoring leader Ami Otaki and midflielder Samantha Gauthier each net a goal. This was McMaster’s second loss to the Lions this season as they also lost 1-0 to York on opening weekend.

Otaki was the story of the game scoring her sixth of the season.

Looking for a better outcome, the Marauder squad faced the struggling Guelph Gryphons on Sunday. Before giving the home crowd a huge scare by allowing the Gryphons to take a 2-0 lead, McMaster finally turned it on in the second half by responding with

three goals in a row by Tara Dawdy (Burlington, ON), Hayley Marler (Ancaster, ON), and Melanie Van Der Hoop (Oakville, ON) There was yet another scare late in the game when Gryphon star Natalie Ackerman (Guelph, ON) broke loose for an attempt at goal but was stone-walled magnificently

by McMaster goalkeeper Michelle Spadafora (Dundas, ON). Rookie midfielder Tara Dawdy’s goal was the game winner for the Marauders as she received the ball from Maria Cusimano (North York, ON) and aimed the ball away from the charging Gryphon goalkeeper Joelle Chartrain (Calgary, AB).

An attempt to make it a two-game winning streak came up short against the Brock Badgers (5-2-2) on Wednesday, with Mac unable to convert an early 2-0 lead into a victory. Goals from Samantha McLaren (Oakville, ON) and Chantal Malysa (Calgary, AB) put Mac in the lead, but a Brock goal from Jordanna Phillips (Markham, ON) in the 85th minute tied the contest.

This will be an exciting week for the McMaster Women’s squad as it will allow the team to use the positive momentum from Sunday’s huge victory during the week. The Marauders are now in a crucial stretch of the season. A strong showing over the next two weeks will help cement this team’s personality and could have the potential to get the Marauders into favourable playoff position.

McMaster takes on Brock again at 1 PM on Friday at Ron Joyce Stadium.

CHRISTOPHER CHANG / SILHOUETTE STAFF

The women’s soccer team capped a 1-1-1 week with a tie vs. Brock.

THE SILHOUETTE • B5

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2009

Marauder tennis teams nearing end of ‘09 seasons MIKE CHONG

THE SILHOUETTE

Having missed the OUA playoffs for more than five years in a row, the McMaster women’s tennis team yet again failed to crack the top four OUA teams. Little progress was made from a record standpoint, as their 2008 season was nearly identical to their present one, both yielding dismal 1-6 records. The Marauders’ only win of the season proved to be an impressive 7-0

sweep against UOIT, but it proved to be too little too late, as the Marauders were already kicked out of playoff contention two games earlier.

By no means was this a pretty season for McMaster having been swept 0-7 in points by Western, York, and the Montreal Carabins, the defending champions. Despite their 1-6 record, the women’s tennis team had their share of close matches, which included a 2-5 loss against Toronto and a tight

Campbell, Wellings leading Mac golf Veterans pacing teams with strong outings • CONT’D FROM B1 shots behind Rank. As a team, the Marauders finished one shot out of the bronze, with a combined score of 310.

Wellings currently leads the coaches’ All-Star points standings, having posted two second-places and a fifth-place finish in his tournaments this season.

Over the weekend, Marauders saw action at the Waterloo-Laurier Invitational, where the men’s team finished in 8th place, with Matt Gay (Mississauga, ON) shooting a 2-day total of 153, just outside of a topten finish. McMaster caught the bad side of the draw, having to finish their first round on Sunday morning after a series of wind, rain, hail and lightning delays. Waterloo’s Simon McInnis (Etobicoke, ON) took top honors with a 1-under 143.

The women fared a bit better in the Waterloo-Laurier event, taking fifth place. Campbell again

led the maroon and grey, shooting 124 over 27 holes, tying for fifth place. The event was shortened due to the same inclement weather which caused the men’s delays, a decision which may have cost Campbell an even higher finish. The women’s round one back nine was cut out after most teams could not finish due the weather. Unfortunately for Campbell, that nine was her best of the tournament, with the third year Life Sciences major going even par with one hole remaining.

Both teams will tee it up next week at the Marauder Invitational in Burlington, and then conclude their seasons with the OUA Championships at Angus Glen Golf Club in Toronto. The men have been knocking on victory’s door in recent years, finishing 2nd and 3rd in 2007 and 2008 respectively.

With Campbell and Wellings starring this season, both teams will be looking to peak at the right time and take home OUA Championship hardware.

Scoreboard Football CIS TOP 10

OUA Standings

As of October 6, 2009 Team Queen’s Western Guelph McMaster Laurier Ottawa Windsor Waterloo Toronto York

1. Montreal 2. Laval 3. Calgary 4. Queen’s 5. Western Ontario 6. StFX 7. Saskatchewan 8. Saint Mary’s 9. Guelph 10. McMaster

GP W L T OTL PTS 5 5 0 0 0 10 5 4 1 0 0 8 5 3 2 0 0 6 5 3 2 0 0 6 5 3 2 0 0 6 5 3 2 0 0 6 5 2 3 0 0 4 5 1 4 0 0 2 5 1 4 0 0 2 5 0 5 0 0 0

Soccer CIS TOP 10

CIS TOP 10

As of September 29, 2009

As of September 29, 2009

1. Trinity Western 2. Montreal 3. Alberta 4. Dalhousie 5. York 6. Victoria 7. Guelph 8. UNB 9. Toronto 10. UPEI

1. Trinity Western 2. Montreal 3. Ottawa 4. Wilfrid Laurier 5. Victoria 6. StFX 7. Brock T8. Laval T8. Toronto T8. Manitoba

Baseball

Rugby

Team Western McMaster Laurier Brock Toronto Waterloo Guelph

GP 17 18 18 17 18 18 18

W 12 12 10 9 9 6 4

L PTS 5 24 6 24 8 20 8 18 9 18 12 12 14 8

CIS TOP 10 (Women) 1. Lethbridge 2. StFX 3. Guelph 4. Laval 5. Alberta 6. McMaster 7. Concordia

3-4 game against Waterloo, where Reene Viera (Georgetown, ON), Laura Faulds (Markham, ON), and Dunja Sumanc (Ancaster, ON) all won their singles matches.

With a single game left in the 2009 season, the McMaster’s men’s tennis team looks to clinch a playoff berth with an absolutely necessary win. On a rare occasion, York postponed their match against the Marauders and the game time is yet to be determined. Although the men’s team has won only two of its

total five games so far, the record is not entirely indicative of how close the Marauders really are to the likes of Waterloo and the other top competitors of OUA tennis.

“Basically, we were searching for the right line ups and match ups all year and we never won the doubles point, the critical point that ended up being the difference in all our matches but one,” said Keon Maleki (North York, ON), a third year veteran, when asked to look back on the season thus far.

Against Waterloo, the McMaster team lost 3-4, a game that was narrowly decided by its doubles point. Look to Keenan O’Young (Toronto, ON), a third year veteran who made last year’s OUA All-Star team to lead the Marauders push for the playoffs for a second consecutive year.

Mac will need a lot of luck on their side as three teams are two points ahead of McMaster and York is currently sitting in second place in the OUA’s.

Get involved with the Sil. Email us at: volunteer@thesil.ca

THE SILHOUETTE • B7

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2009

INSIDEOUT

Riding Miles That Matter, B10 e-mail: insideout@thesil.ca

production office: extension 27117

SEX STEEL CITY The faces of HIV AND THE

Dr. Neville Hoad lectures on Botswana’s Miss HIV pageant and representations of AIDS sufferers worldwide

LINDSAY JOLIVET INSIDEOUT EDITOR

T

he South African country Botswana is the only country on the continent with a free program that provides readily available HIV testing and treatment, but in 2001 when this program was put into effect, almost no one turned out at the clinics.

The reason? Stigma. Shame prevents many infected individuals, women especially, from revealing their HIV positive status. For this reason, the country created its Miss HIV Stigma Free beauty pageant, and crowned its sixth winner, Tshebetso Thobolo, in 2008. Thobolo is HIV positive, and now serves as the antistigma, pro-treatment model for the country.

Dr. Neville Hoad, associate professor of English and Women’s and Gender Studies at the University of Texas at Austin, discussed his research on the figure of “Miss HIV” both in the pageant and in popular cultural representations in Sub-Saharan Africa and North America.

• PLEASE SEE HIV, B10

An image of a young boy from the 2008 film Miss HIV fits the compelling but stereotypical image of the “suffering child.”

Right: A passionate group of men advocate prevention and treatment.

Above right: Images from the pageant in the film Miss HIV.

BeautyCorner

Review

Stila’s Lip Enamel Luxe meets new trend

vibrating flop

JACQUELINE FLAGGIELLO

STEPHANIE HAUCK

Throw it all away for lipstick New mascara a SILHOUETTE STAFF

It’s all about the lips.

Forget about the strong cheekbones, thick brows or overrated eyes and instead pucker up. This season it’s all about those kissable luscious lips. Sound seductive? Perfect, because this Fall that’s their only intention.

Big, bright, and beautiful lips. They brighten up any face and turn heads. It’s that simple way to give your post mid-term smile the pop it rightfully needs. Yet, with so many products on the market promising the same unrealistic results, how does one possibly choose?

Brand new on the market this Fall is Stila’s Lip Enamel Luxe Gloss, sold exclusively at Sephora.

The gloss made its debut on fashion runways this season and now, has

quickly become an obsession for many. Supposedly, one application of this product and it creates lacquered, boldly conditioned, luxurious lips.

The best part of this magical lipstick? Apparently, the manufactures of this gloss have figured out how to liquefy and bottle the chemical ingredients for happiness. The formula contains rhodiola rosea, a botanical extract that improves mood by optimizing serotonin and dopamine levels in the brain. Liquid happiness, for only $22!

What’s next excitement or melancholy? Each of the six customary shades have even more delightful names such as ecstasy, euphoria, and joy.

Furthermore, this product has received five stars from many industry professionals because

of its blend of oils and antioxidants.

This keeps lips conditioned all day, which is perfect for those nippy, dry winter days.

Colour is key. And remember, everyone’s skin tone is different. Not everyone can pull off the trendy chili pepper red or hot electric pink, but there are options. A fool-proof way to test out which shade goes for you is by first rubbing a small amount across open skin, because your lips can be deceiving. For that extra definition, lip liner is always helpful. As for the rest of the face, the trend this fall is to keep it nearly naked, natural and fresh. Only a subtle touch of blush and a couple of wisps from the mascara wand are truly necessary. The lips are the center point of the face this season and they love every minute of it.

component provides no better results than the same mascara Mobile phones are not the only without the vibration. things vibrating these days thanks to On the other hand, the Maybelline’s New Pulse Perfection mascara itself is quite efMascara. fective, and the brush is

With a click of a button great too! As a result, the your mascara is transformed inproduct is not a complete to an innovative personal eye viwaste of money if you’ve albrator that stimulates your eye ready purchased it – because and lengthens your eyelashes. despite the innovative short Sound familiar? Or just plain comings you’re still getting useless? I mean, you can’t longer, darker looking eyelashes. help but laugh (vibrating

So, is this a product one mascara) sounds a little peryou should line up at the store for? verted doesn’t it?

From one girl to another: save your

The purpose of money... because there are some the vibrating feature is to other vibrating products that are provide clump free defworth every cent! inition that adds volume and length to your lashes. However, during /5 for the Mascara experimentation with this new prod/5 for the Vibrating Feature uct it was revealed that the vibrating THE SILHOUETTE

What do you look for in a significant other?

“Music and style.”

shoes: Toronto $50

ThreadCount

How would you describe you personal style? “I usually wear black and white.”

bag: Urban Outfitters $80

jacket: Urban Outfitters $100

Favourite artist: Daft Punk

Phil Lee

Engineering IV

I love New York T-Shirt: New York, 7 for $10

WILL VAN ENGEN / PHOTO EDITOR

B8 • THE SILHOUETTE

Learning outside of the lecture hall

AVA DIDEBAN / MULTIMEDIA EDITOR

From leadership skills to Korean sword fighting, McMaster has a class for you.

David Braley Athletic Centre At the DBAC, you can take classes in just about everything you could possibly be Are you craving an educational experience interested in, as well as obtain some pretty that doesn’t involve labs, tutorials, or sweet certifications for your trouble. If you’re Problem-Based Learning? Looking for an looking for a new hobby, or even if you’re extra-curricular activity that actually teaches an old pro, you can partake in instructional you something? Look no further! Through classes in everything from yoga and pilates to various clubs and organizations at Mac, dance (belly dance, latin, modern, afro-latino, ballet, hip-hop, jazz, lyrical, you can learn anything from tap, flamenco, Bollywood, leadership skills to Korean With the Dr. Mary and ballroom) to martial arts sword-fighting.

First Aid and CPR courses E. Keyes Leader- (Haidong Gumdo, karate, EFRT (Emergency First ship Programme, Muay Thai), and everything in between. The fall session Response Team) offers a variety of first aid courses you can learn all has already started, but make throughout the year. This year, you need to know sure to register early for sessions if you are they are offering courses on to be a great leader, winter interested, because classes fill the weekends of Oct. 24-25, as well as skills up quickly. If you’re looking Nov. 14-15, and Nov. 2829. For prices ranging from to help with job for a great job, you can also obtain your personal trainer $55-$90, you can obtain your searching. or spin instructor certification.

CPR/AED, Emergency First Registration is in the David Aid, or Standard First Aid Braley Athletic Centre. certifications.

They also offer certification in Leadership First Responder, for a cost of $375. A basic With the Dr. Mary E. Keyes Leadership knowledge of CPR is always a good thing to Programme, you can learn all you need to have, and many employers are now asking know to be a great leader, as well as skills to that their employees be certified. Register in help with job searching. After taking eight different workshops (four required and four the MSU office (MUSC 201). elective), completing 40 hours of community MACycle MACycle provides more than bicycle service, and writing a personal reflection (all repairs. They also offer a variety of seminars of which can take the duration of your stay at and workshops to help you service your Mac), you successfully complete the program bike yourself. By getting a membership to and obtain a certificate. For those of you MACycle, you can get updates about when familiar with the Duke of Edinburgh award, these classes are offered. Topics include basic this is similar. The seminars cover topics and advanced bicycle repair, wheel truing, including effective communication, time fixing a flat, drive train and brake servicing, management, networking, and marketing yourself, all essential skills for the workplace. and bottom bracket and hub servicing.

NEILA BAZARACAI SILHOUETTE STAFF

THE SILHOUETTE • B9

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2009

Miss HIV puts a face to the disease

University of Texas prof guest lectured at Mac about HIV stigma • CONT’D FROM B7 Hoad was the second lecturer in the English and Cultural Studies’ lecture series, entitled Critical Intimacies.

To start off, Dr. Hoad emphasized the predominance of factual inaccuracies and assumptions that in turn lend themselves to misrepresentations of HIV and AIDS, a pandemic that is now in its third decade. “There have been many attempts to give the pandemic a face,” Dr. Hoad stated.

He cited the common image of the innocent suffering child, and the “dying and emaciated bodies of first the Gay and then the African AIDS patient” that were, and still are to a degree, circled widely in popular media. He mentioned also the image of celebrity HIV sufferers, such as Magic Jonson and Rock Hudson that provide an individual embodiment of the pandemic.

The many stereotypes and stigmas that arose from these images developed a desire to contest damaging representations of HIV patients, like the Miss HIV pageant in Botswana. Dr. Hoad’s lecture was concerned with these attempts, as he put it, to “bring the sufferers of the pandemic into representation, while contesting hegemonic representations of the AIDS sufferer.”

Botswana’s Miss HIV pageant requires contestants to be HIV positive or have a close relative that is, and most contestants are already AIDS counselors. To make us better understand the astounding rate of infection in Botswana, Dr. Hoad estimated that all of the individuals in the room, about 30, would be possible contestants, and one in three would actually be HIV positive. The winner is chosen not based on her beauty, but by

her ability to represent a positive and educational image for HIV. In the questions section, contestants are asked questions about the transmission and treatment of the disease, rather than the personal questions in traditional pageants, such as Miss World.

Dr. Hoad titled one section of his discussion on the miss HIV pageant “Miss HIV as the girl next door.” He argued that the pageant serves not only to bring a face to the disease, but promotes an image of HIV positive women as normal.

Empowerment is key for these beauty queen contestants as they present smiling faces and healthy bodies to the world. They are a testament to the pageant’s argument that treatment does work, and all HIV positive women should receive it. In Dr. Hoad’s words, “Miss HIV works to humanize and normalize the person living with HIV.”

Somewhat ironically, the pageant is sponsored by a local NGO entitled The Centre of Youth and Hope, Merck, a multinational pharmaceutical company, The Bill and Melinda Gates foundation, and DeBeers, the South African diamond monopoly.

However, Dr. Hoad discussed Miss HIV not only as a literal figure, but as a cultural phenomenon that existed in many forms, including two films he used as case studies. The first was John Greyson’s 1993 musical film Zero Patience, a flamboyant musical that attempts to redeem the memory of the man who supposedly brought AIDS to North America, Gaetan Dugas. This claim is of course absurd, as cases of HIV were traced to North America long before Dugas. The film seeks to eliminate this and other myths about the disease through a plotline involving

an affair between the ghost of Dugas, known culturally as “Patient Zero,” and a Victorian explorer, Greyson revived for the film’s purpose, Richard Burton.

The true “Miss HIV” moment in this film, which Dr. Hoad played during his talk, is a scene in which Zero looked at his blood through a microscope. Looking back at him is a blonde, crowned parody of the beauty queen in drag, a physical representation of the character’s HIV.

This Miss HIV beats off the other pathogens in zero’s body while asserting her sole influence on destroying his body, and then she breaks into song. While the scene is undoubtedly funny, Dr. Hoad revealed that the microscopic miss HIV had a specific message in her song. “She asks us to tell two kinds of tales,” Dr. Hoad said, and quoted from the song. “Tell a story of a virus, of greed, ambition, and fraud. A case of science gone bad…

Tell a tale of friends we miss, a tale that’s cruel and sad.”

Dr. Hoad analyzed this scene for the benefit of the audience, “The first story is the one of political and sociological critique,” he stated, “The ongoing story of the boldness, callousness, and failures of the attempts both to address and to ignore the AIDS crisis. The second is the tale of friends we miss and points to the mourning and memorializing work that miss HIV believes is necessary.” Well-known AIDS activist Michael Callan, who died three months after the film’s release, played the miss HIV character in Zero Patience.

The point, that this film was trying to make, Dr. Hoad stressed, was that sex does not have to represent death. “The genres and tonalities of sex, sexuality and

SILHOUETTE FILE PHOTO

The musical Zero Tolerance contests against AIDS stereotypes. gender don’t need to be tragic,” said he.

The final case study in the talk was a 2008 film entitled Miss HIV, in which the Botswana pageant is presented as an impediment to the Ugandan “Abstain, Be Faithful, and Use a Condom” program, known as ABC. Dr. Hoad found this film fairly disingenuous. He was reluctant to agree with the film’s pro ABC program sentiment because successful social programs, he felt, are rarely “as simple as learning the alphabet.”

The film sexualized HIV with images of youth dancing in clubs, and in the section Dr. Hoad sampled, scenes of contestants

preparing for the pageant were cut with scenes of an open grave.

These three examples of the miss HIV figure show the various ways in which HIV has been imagined and interpreted.

One goal we can take from these complex theories came from Dr. Hoad’s question at the beginning of his talk, which resonated until the end.

“How can we train an imagination that actually can think about intervention in a slightly more responsible way?” Essentially, how can North Americans help in South Africa while avoiding judgment and imposition—can we believe in stigma free?

How-to-do-it-special-edition

Avoiding H1N1 on Turkey Day KAITLIN PETERS

this holiday, it’s hard to tell exactly what’s in this stuff. A large amount of nasal drippage could accidentally fall from your uncle’s nose into the dish and you would be none the wiser.

SILHOUETTE STAFF

What perfect timing! This weekend is the all-hallowed turkeyfest, and it just so happens to be when half of us are coughing up large wads of phlegm and puking our guts into the toilet. If you’re not sick already you’re bound to be after spending a weekend with your extended family. But by following these smart tips, you can safely enjoy your turkey and cranberry sauce without having to re-experience it a second time.

4. Avoid your Aunt’s finger food-sized turkey cheese bites: because the one you put into your mouth is the one your grandma picked up, hacked on, and then placed back on the tray.

5. Have a giant slice of pumpkin pie: or if you can stomach it, as much raw pumpkin as you can handle. High in vitamin A and dietary fiber (it’s great to be regular!) you’ll be giving your immune system another well-deserved boost.

1. Load up on the cranberry sauce: packed with vitamin C, dietary fiber, and antioxidants you’ll be giving a major boost to your immune system to fight off that pesky bug. I would recommend consuming no less than 3 ½ cups of this delightful dish to reap the full benefits.

6.

Conveniently take a washroom break when bobbing for apples begins: I can think of no better way of swapping germs with every member of your family than eating an apple that already has eight different sets of bite marks in it.

2. Avoid all hugging and other forms of physical contact with the younger members of your family: Those little rugrats are the ones most likely to pick their nose, not wash their hands after going to the washroom, and swap gum with their runny-nosed buddies at school. You would probably come into contact with fewer germs by licking a toilet seat.

3. Avoid the stuffing: unlike the other delicious dishes being served

Have you gone to http://thesil.ca today?

Check out the MACgreen blog at

http://thesil.ca/macgreen Coming soon:

Fashion/Anarchy blog Also look online for polls, extra photos, and opportunities to speak your mind

7. Avoid the spiked cider: you’ll need your wits about you when navigating around your germ-infested relatives.

8. And always wear gloves and a mask when making the annual human sacrifice to the harvest gods: keep the fun going by avoiding any diseases that are transmitted through excessive blood and gore.

AVA DIDEBAN / MULTIMEDIA EDITOR

B10 • THE SILHOUETTE

Riding miles that matter

Hamilton riders touching lives of refugees

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2009

CommunityEvents

October 8 from 2:30pm to 4pm Resume Writing Lab @ Gilmour Hall 110 Not confident about your resume? Join the Resume Writing Lab to critique your own resume and receive feedback. This hands-on workshop will guide you step-by-step through the resume writing process. Space is limited, so log into OSCAR to register. Remember to bring a copy of your current resume!

October 8 from 11:45 a.m. to 1:15 p.m.

Nature Hike (meet up @ David Braley Athletic Centre Lobby) Take a hike with the Outdoor Recreation Team to discover the natural beauty that surrounds McMaster University. Please preregister for this event.

Hamilton riders raised over $40, 000 for refugees locally and globally.

PHYLLIS TSANG

ASSISTANT INSIDEOUT EDITOR

The Ride for Refugees is about Francis.

The Teso rebels killed Francis’ parents in the 1990s.

When Francis was 14, the Lord’s Resistance Army, a sectarian guerrilla army based in northern Uganda, abducted him. He was then trained to kill and became a commander. Soon enough, Francis became one of his abductors—he captured other children and beat them, pillaged villages, and killed at least 35 people. In 2005, he was shot in the back, leg, and neck.

His injuries provided a window of opportunity to escape. And he did.

However, dreams and a desire to go back to kill continued to haunt him until he attended a Freedom Camp, which provides spiritual counseling for those in Children Associated with Armed Forces (CAAF) program, supported by the funds raised in the Ride For Refugees (R4R).

The inaugural Ride for Refugees happened six years ago in Waterloo with only one rider— Neil Ostrander—the Director of Development of International Teams, an organization dedicated to meeting physical and spiritual needs of the poor and oppressed.

In 2008, the event attracted 1,638 riders and raised $604,080.

215 riders joined Ride for Refugees Hamilton on Oct. 3, along

with 16 other cities in Canada and United States which hosted the ride on the same day. As of today, R4R has gathered 3200+ riders and 1000+ volunteers, and has raised $670,000 so far, with two more locations to go.

First time organizer, David Witt kept himself busy overseeing the event while riders were on the road.

“Some youths who rode were facing a lot of challenges themselves. They rode here [the meeting location], did the ride, and rode back home. It was quite inspiring,” Witt shared.

One of those to whom Witt was referring was a high school student who raised $275 for refugees, but had to spend his nights under a bridge.

The $275, plus another $40,000 raised by Hamilton riders will be divided between local and global refugees ministries.

“Northern Uganda is facing a lot of issues with Resistance Army and ongoing warfare. International Teams in Uganda works with former child soldiers, widows and orphans, and people that are displaced by the war,” Witt said.

Alison Witt, also an organizer of Ride for Refugees and wife of David, shared about another ministry she came to know while spending time in Uganda.

“There’s a woman who came from Kenya - now based in Kampala - who gathers a group of

PHYLLIS TSANG / ASSISTANT INSIDEOUT EDITOR

women that live in squatter areas.

Their families have been killed, many of them have been raped, and they are separated from their children,” Alison said. “She [the woman from Kenya] not only gathered them, she also found resources to provide them with basic medical care, teach them to run micro business, and provide skills training for them.”

“It’s a brutal story,” Alison added.

Stories like this are not incidental. “There are an estimated 68 million displaced people in the world,” roughly double the population of Canada, according to the R4R website.

In Canada, 10,400 refugees were resettled in 2005. We are the third largest country resettling refugees, behind only the USA and Australia.

Local ministries, like Micah House in Hamilton, provide shelter and assistance for newly arrived refugees who would otherwise be homeless upon their arrival.

“The important thing is to be aware of the issues of refugees and issues around the world,” David stated. “We need to be aware of that and think of ways to care well for them.”

Markham is hosting its Ride for Refugees on Oct. 17.

Check Ride for Refugees website for more details. Join the ride because “every mile matters!”

October 9 from 2:15 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.

Risk-taking, Inequality and Homicide @ Psychology Building Room 155 Hear Martin Daly to speak in the Discover Psychology: Science You Can Use series. See the alumni website for description.

October 13 from 1:15 p.m. to 2 p.m.

Lower My Pressure @ Gilmour Hall Room 111 Join Dr. Rosenfeld will share how lifestyle choices can help you take control of your blood pressure.

October 13 at 7 p.m The Vital Importance of Context @ McMaster Innovation Park Mr. Malone will talk about issues of agricultural productivity, water management, and also cases relevant to peace and security in Africa, the Middle East and Asia. Contact McMaster Institute of Environment & Health for details.

October 13 from 9am to 3pm “You Are What You Buy” at MUSC Atrium Be informed about responsible consumerism through a Colombian case study. Join Amnesty McMaster to learn about the implications on human rights of a Canadian Colombian Free Trade Agreement. In collaboration with Campus Choice and Engineers Without Borders (EWB).

October 14 from 10:30am to 12pm Mock Interview Roundtable @ Gilmour Hall 110 Career Services provides an opportunity for you to practice your interview skills.Join them for an interactive mock interview group session where you will gain feedback on your presentation and style. Space is limited - log into OSCAR to register.

October 15 Oktoberfest Trip to Kitchener Join the Maroons to “the biggest beer event in North America!”

Tickets are on sale in the Maroons Office (MUSC B111). Bus will be leaving at 7pm outside of Student Center, and be back at McMaster by 1:30am.

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2009

Interactive

BreadBin

Horoscopes

Basic British Scones Craving those Popeye’s biscuits or feel like having a fancy tea party? From my cache of favourites is this fail-proof recipe that’s quick and easy. It only takes about 30 minutes to whip up, and they’re mouth-watering fresh out of the oven. Enjoy with some butter and jam!

You can also tweak the recipe by adding some raisins, chocolate chips, or cheese.

Ingredients: (makes ~8 servings) • • • • • • • 1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

Hagerman’s (still) happy horoscopes by Dan Hagerman Originally posted on The Brunswickan (CUP) (University of New Brunswick) Be who you want to be, dear reader, unless the stars say otherwise.

Aries (March 20-April 20)

You may feel that you’ve missed out on Talk Like a Pirate Day this year, dear Aries, but you’re wrong! Use your favourite pirate-y voice the next time you go to a bank to deposit a cheque to explain you’re tired of lugging around your chest of booty. Try to convince yourself that they’re laughing with you and not at you!

2 cups flour 3 teaspoons vinegar/lemon juice ½ teaspoon baking soda 1 pinch salt ¼ cup margarine 2 tablespoons sugar ½ cup milk

Preheat oven to 425˚F. Mix flour, salt, and baking soda.

Rub in butter until the mixture looks like bread crumbs and then stir in sugar.

Stir in the vinegar or lemon juice.

Stir in milk and knead lightly.

Roll dough to ¾ inch thick and cut into pieces (e.g. 8 pie slices).

Bake for 10 min or until the tops are golden brown.

ANGEL LAI / BREADBIN CO-DIRECTOR

•

THE SILHOUETTE • B11

Taurus (April 20-May 21)

You may be feeling more musical this week, dear Taurus. You will write the best song ever written; however, it will only be audible to dogs. On the plus side, the most prestigious of dog critics will give you howlingly good reviews and wag their tails. Your lucky documentaries usually involve penguins.

Gemini (May 21-June 21)

Rebecca Ang, Mac Bread Bin Co-Director

Resist the urge to be two-faced to your enemies this week, dear Gemini.

Crossword Crossword puzzles provided

by BestCrosswords.com (http://www.bestcrosswords. com). Used with permission.

Across 1- Some nest eggs 5- Japanese honorific 8- Hammett hound 12- Small particle 13- Pilfer 15- Nae sayer?

16- Env. notation 17- Poker Flat chronicler 18- Asian prince 19- City in SE Tennessee 22- DDE’s command 23- CD-___ 24- Antiquing agent 26- Like the Everglades 29- Vulgarity 31- Spring mo.

32- Brag 34- Hackneyed 36- Crux 38- Musical drama 40- Formicary residents 41- Ribbons 43- Mountain spinach 45- ER VIP 46- Village in E Egypt 48- Instrument used in combat 50- Reformer Jacob 51- Paving material 52- ___ Paulo, Brazil 54- Involved with theology 61- In addition to 63- Roof overhangs 64- Director Ephron 65- Hog sound 66- Fend (off) 67- Suffragist Carrie 68- I did it!

69- Artful 70- Additional

Cancer (June 21-July 22)

You will be feeling especially protective of your friends this week, dear Cancer. You should carry around excessive amounts of bubble wrap and foam so that you always have enough to protect your friends from any threats, real or imagined. Your lucky sprinkles are anything other than rainbow sprinkles.

Leo (July 22-August 23)

You will have an uncontrollable urge to be overly theatrical this week, dear Leo. When you receive a midterm and discover that you performed below your expectations, launch into a tearful soliloquy about the sorrows of life. You will receive bonus marks if you can do it in iambic pentameter.

By Sandy Chase / CUP Graphics Bureau Chief

Down 1- Apple product 2- Portnoy’s creator 3- ___ boy!

4- Nissan model 5- Ollie’s partner 6- Dynamic beginning 7- Defense grp. since 1949 8- Charge 9- Sportive 10- Exactly 11- ___ extra cost 13- Cleansing preparation 14- Juridical 20- Grave 21- A long time 25- I could ___ horse!

26- Talk 27- Comprehensive 28- Aquatic opossum 29- Dry stalks

30- Singer John 31- Invoice abbr.

33- Sun. talk 35- Computer key 37- Actress Hatcher 39- Vinegary 42- Agitated state 44- Dutch name of The Hague 47- Barbecue leftovers?

49- Son of the sovereign 52- Small blemish 53- Inter ___ 55- Chow 56- Egg-shaped 57- Tax 58- Carbonized fuel 59- Collective word for intellectual pursuits 60- After the bell 62- Jamaican popular music

Virgo (August 23-September 23)

You will feel more oriented towards serving people this week, dear Virgo. Holding open doors for people will come naturally to you. It may become too natural, as you will now be stuck holding open doors for eternity. Bring a book with you everywhere. A big one.

Libra (September 23-October 23)

You may feel your argumentative impulses on the rise this week, dear Libra.

You will argue with things that even you had previously believed in. You will even start arguing with yourself, though you will usually end up losing.

You will be unable to decide if this is a win-win situation or a lose-lose situation.

Scorpio (October 23-November 22)

You will seem increasingly complex this week, dear Scorpio.

Not only will your friends have a more difficult time understanding you, but you will also develop an increasingly large infatuation with trying to take the square root of negative one. Don’t worry; your efforts to seem like a deep person are purely imaginary.

Last week’s solutions UNTIMELY; DIFFICULT; UNSEXY; PREPOSTEROUS; ALL-NIGHTERS; UNNECESSARY; MEMORIZING AND The ultimate reason we hate midterms is because we’d rather be at the ... PHOENIX

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Sagittarius (November 22-December 21)

You will be feeling especially philosophical this week, dear Sagittarius.

You will begin to question not only reality, but also the lack of reality in Super Mario games. What if punching bricks actually destroyed them and gave you money? Or holding a feather could make you fly? The mind boggles.

Capricorn (December 21-January 20)

Everything you do will make people highly suspicious of you this week, dear Capricorn. Whether it be walking to class, eating at a fancy restaurant, or wearing a William Shatner mask to work, people will find something off about you. Ignore them and keep Shatnering it up.

Aquarius (January 20-February 18)

Your friends will find you to be overly democratic this week, dear Aquarius. Whether it be deciding on lunch or choosing what to wear, you must have more than 50 per cent of everybody around you telling you what to do. If your other friends disagree with your choices, they can veto it with a two-thirds majority.

Pisces (February-18 March 20)

You will be especially frugal this week, dear Pisces. You will discover that you don’t need light or heat in your room, as long as you have a really warm computer. Facebook will give you all the warmth you need, and Twitter will keep those around you warm.

Have you flipped through the rest of the paper?

More importantly, would you look through it if your name was in it?

Write for InsideOut

insideout@thesil.ca meetings Monday at 1:30 in MUSC B110

B12 • THE SILHOUETTE

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2009

HEALTH

production office: extension 27117

in partnership with SHEC

Spiritual practice can affect our health Engaging in prayer and ritual may provide health benefits

NICK MCLEAN

SILHOUETTE STAFF

As university students facing the many challenges associated with academic performance, we welcome practices that alleviate our stress. For example, some students pray to the MAC gods before a big exam, others have been known to include prayer in elaborate time management rituals that makes last minute cramming possible. Those who are both scholarly and devout may even fast to prolong their sessions of meditative study. Simply put, many students appear to appeal to their spirituality in an attempt to achieve greater academic success.

Although the sanctity of academic spiritual practices remains dubious, there are confirmed health benefits associated with spiritual practice.

Modern Western medicine is actually coming to recognize— albeit gradually—the role of spirituality in maintaining one’s health. A great deal of evidence has been provided by studies in the field of psychoneurimmunology, a discipline that investigates the mind’s ability to influence bodily health. In treatment, rather than or alongside administering synthetic drugs, patients are instructed to visualize the reparation of their own tissues or to envision the dissolution of other ailments.

These therapies may seem questionable, but in The Holistic Therapy File: The Complete Guide to Alternative Health Treatments, Jane Alexander reports studies of people with broken bones

significantly hastening the healing process through the power of visualization. Other patients have allegedly destroyed cancerous tumors through consistent practice of a similar technique.

There are several spiritual domains from which one can derive techniques to improve their own health outside of the hospital setting. Some of the most obvious techniques are inspired by religious practice: prayer and rituals.

Arguably the most beneficial aspect of prayer is that it affords people the chance to release their anxiety (maybe there is even benefit to those pre-exam prayers!). In her book, Alexander mentioned that in a Florida study “[AIDS patients unknowingly] receiving prayer… reported a decrease in emotional distress” and also that they “spent an average of 10 days in hospital compared to 68 days for [those who did not receive prayer].”

With consideration to rituals, Dr. Mary Ann McColl, author of Spirituality and Occupational Therapy, emphasizes the potential fulfillment and healing that comes from infusing one’s life experiences with special meaning. One way that McColl suggests patients find this meaning, and thereby become empowered, is through the act of practicing rituals.

McColl’s advice also takes into account the profound effects of nature on one’s spiritual well being; specifically, acknowledging our place within nature in order to diffuse egoistic tension. Historically, many different civilizations have

expressed a great deal of reverence for nature, including flora, fauna and the weather. It is suspected that this respect for nature afforded our ancestors a great deal of flexibility in times of stress, and ultimately their ability to thrive—despite the lack modern technologies.

By contrast, Alexander mentions that inconvenient remnants of historical nature and unexpected weather patterns often induce a great deal of frustration in the modern human population.

It seems that if we could otherwise appreciate nature for what it is— and not what we need it to be—we could save ourselves the grief over losing control. Although we can derive spiritual practices from our appreciation of nature or a higher power, these activities should not try to control those entities themselves; rather, the practice of being spiritual provides us with the means to take care of ourselves.

So, what does it mean to take care of ourselves? Spirituality allows us to attend to the parts of ourselves that desire healing, and union. It provides us with a role, or a purpose, and gives us answers to questions that have not been encountered in any other area of our lives. In other words, spirituality nourishes our body, our mind, and also our spirit. It is by concentrating on the final aspect of this triad that we no longer preoccupy ourselves with the need to heal or question; rather, we engage in spiritual practice simply because of the pleasure we experience from doing so.

WILL VAN ENGEN / PHOTO EDITOR

Embracing nature and visualizing healing improves our health.

Languages can help prevent dementia MOHINI BHAVSAR

SILHOUETTE STAFF

It may be too soon for New Year’s Resolutions but paying a visit to the gym is likely on your mind, if it isn’t already part of your regime.

Many do not realize that it is just as important to exercise your mind, as it is to workout your body. Of course, as students, we always have our brains on and sometimes we are desperate to find ways to shut down it down and unplug.

But, there is no harm in giving our brains a little extracurricular brain boost from time to time. Some stimulating activities for the brain include Sudoku, crossword puzzles, chess games or even playing cards.

Learning a second (or third, or fourth) language is another way of keeping your brain healthy.

There is growing evidence that environmental factors such as physical activity, stimulating leisure involvement and social engagement play a role in postponing dementia and maintaining cognitive functioning.

In 2007, Canadian scientists at York University’s Bay Centre of Health published a study about language acquisition and benefits on the brain. Dr. Bialystok, Professor of Psychology at York University and Associate Scientist at the Rotman Research Institute at Baycrest with her colleagues found that speaking two languages could help delay dementia for up

to four years.

With regards to language, bilinguals who use constantly use two languages over many years have shown an advantage in various tasks involving “attentional control”. A study showed that the use of two languages requires a mechanism to control attention to the relevant language and ignore or inhibit interference from the competing language.

The report published by Dr. Bialystok and colleagues observed that the delay of dementia as a result of bilingualism translated to about a reduction of 47% prevalence.

Other authors have reported about 46% reduction in the incidence of dementia when engaging in stimulating mental activities. It

JESSIE CHAU/ SILHOUETTE STAFF

Becoming multilingual has multiple benefits like increasing brain fitness and international opportunity.

is astonishing that language can suggest such a profound effect on the health of one our hardest working organs, especially in lieu of any pharmacological intervention.

Nevertheless, learning languages is a lifestyle choice, and dementia can be affected by several other factors, including genetic and neurobiological ones.

The underlying mechanisms are not quite clear to explain the protective effect of learning a language, but hypotheses include increased generation of neurons, synapses and dendrites, and functional reorganization of brain networks.

Some of us were lucky in high school and had amazing Core French teachers or took advantage of studying in an immersion program.

Many, unfortunately, recall horror stories starting way back in grade school when it came to learning Canada’s second official language.

It may have been a drag then, but learning languages appears to be a critical protective factor for later life and is definitely worth considering trying one more time.

In fact, the more sophisticated a language, the better it is for your brain. There’s no better time to erase those bad memories or conquer old language fears than now, while you are in university!

The benefits will pay off later.

Oh mein Gott! McMaster has a lot to offer its students. Take advantage of the diverse second language courses taught here.

The Department of Linguistics and Languages offers courses for Spanish, German, Japanese, Chinese, Polish, Italian and even Russian, while French is offered by the Department of French. The Religious Studies Department has courses in Hebrew and Sanskrit, the languages of many influential theological texts. The Classics Department teaches the languages

of yesterday: Greek and Latin. You can also study the Ojibwe language through Indigenous Studies.

Another cool opportunity is the J’explore program offered through the Council of Ministers of Education, Canada. Explore is a five week intensive language-learning course, where you live in a student residence or with a homestay family who speaks only French while you engage in a French course during the day.

In Europe, it is common for students to learn a second language and sometimes even a third. In India, students learn three languages: Hindi, English and the language spoken in their state. Having a grasp on several languages fosters economic, scientific and cultural progress noted the Goethe Institute, a non-profit world famous German language and culture education institute. Knowing at least one extra language will definitely come handy during for travels all over the world!

Learning another language, then, has multiple benefits. Language and travel are both known to be good for mental health and brain health. Travel, like learning a second language, is proposed to reduce the risk of dementia. When you travel away from home you are leaving a familiar surrounding and exposing your brain to a novel and complex environment, and your brain loves that!

In order to keep our brains this young forever, we must exercise them as we do our bodies.

Learning another language is a fun way of keeping our brains fit, while providing us with opportunities for travel and multicultural experiences. Being able to speak in a foreign tongue is a highly valued skill, and one that will last you a lifetime, especially because it helps your brain from forgetting.

capitalism: a love story • zombieland • japandroids kae sun • douglas coupland • nuit blanche • james street north super crawl

index

C2 • the silhouette’s art + culture magazine

thursday, october 8, 2009

Senior Editor: Grace Evans Entertainment Editor: Myles Herod Music Editor: Corrigan Hammond Contributors: Julie Compton, Chris Hoy, Josh Parsons, Ryan Gainford, Jacob McLean, Michael Hewak, Simon Granat.

Cover: Will van Engen

this week

what’s inside

in the hammer

feature

oct 9

Bocce Harvest Moon Restaurant 11:00 p.m.

music Japandroids: Spreading enthusiasm throughout the music world is helping to make them not only a heavyweight Canadian act but also a promising indie rock band on the global scale.

p.12

oct.17 oct. 24

Hamilton 365 Art Gallery of Hamilton 123 King St., Hamilton 905-577-6610 info@artgalleryofhamilton. com

theatre

Said The Whale Casbah 8:00 p.m.

Two Hours Traffic Casbah 8:00 p.m.

Cuff The Duke Casbah 8:00 p.m.

andy’s pick

Kae Sun Casbah 9:00 p.m.

now

p.5

art

oct 12

p.10

books Douglas Coupland: “The term ‘Generation A’ originates from a lecture that Kurt Vonnegut gave at the Syracuse University commencement address. Vonnegut shared his own unique opinion of the current generation, who he believed were “at the beginning of a series of astonishing triumphs and failures.”

Hidden Cameras Sonic Unyon 11:00 p.m.

oct. 31

p.4

sept.12-nov.8

Ohbijou James St. North 8:00 p.m.

Lemonwilde Absinthe 8:00 p.m

oct. 14

Zombieland: “For Ghomeshi who spoke extensively about the importance of “being your own brand,” it’s clear that the international attention that the Billy Bob Thorton interview has inadvertently brought the program has only been good press for the show.”

music

Metric Convention Centre 8:00 p.m.

oct. 15

Capitalism: A Love Story: “The movie is filled with all the Michael Moore documentary trademarks that you’d expect: heart wrenching personal stories of loss, outrageous antics and some good ol’ fashioned Bush-bashing.”

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

Marble Index Absinthe 8:00 p.m.

be a card carrying columnist... write for andy. musc b110.

sept. 5-oct.10

film

opening

p.6

Couples Retreat Good Hair An Education St. Trinian’s

playng

film

oct. 15

James North Super Crawl: “It is a welcome ritual in a city that is dumped on by so many; the James North Art Crawl is something for Hamilton to be proud of, and truly fosters a caring community built on enthusiasm.”

The Diary of Ann Frank

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

zarena cassar. pumpkin pie. twelvEighty’s washroom. dick nixon. the fifth beatle...steve h.

james street north super crawl friday, october 9 7 - 11 p.m. james st. north and cannon st. east

be there or be square.

thursday, october 8, 2009

f.u.b.a.r.

civil court and ‘regulated’ through hard won and quickly forgotten legal precedents and common laws. But ever since editorial column French president Nicolas corrigan hammond Sarkozy married his third wife, pop songstress Carla Nearly unnoticed this summer, amid Brundi, it seems that he’s felt hot celebrity gossip ala The King of enormous sympathy and kinship Pop croaking and Jon and Kate + towards the music industry and its Eight becoming Kate + Eight, and big-wig record label bosses and their overshadowed by serious pressing own pop star wives. So, following world events – this was after all his 2007 election to the French the summer that Michael Ignatieff presidency, he spent two years proclaimed to the world that not creating the piece of legislation only had he been thinking, but most often affectionately referred indeed, that he had been thinking to as ‘France’s Three Strike Law.’ The new law proposed thoughts, a quiet saga that promised to forever alter the way that people that should an individual or behave online was unfolding. It organisation be caught illegally seems the French – those same folks downloading copyrighted content behind such modern amenities as three times, their internet privileges democracy, the guillotine, and the would be suspended by the state for metric system, decided to reinvent up to a year and they could be held the copyright law, and by default, accountable for up to €300,000 shut down the world wide wild in civil damages. Very quickly it west that the Internet, in its short looked like copyright was going fifteen year life, had become. to become very, very enforceable It was a bold move. — as individuals in violation of Previously states had done their the new French law were soon darnedest to stay out of sticky issues due to begin receiving their letters like copyright, preferring to allow of warning, and employers and these matters to be fought over in public institutions prepared to

column

secure their wireless networks from their own employees, whose bad habits threatened to, within days, jeopardise a year’s worth of business.

However, while the music industry sighed their first collective sigh of relief since Napster first went online a decade ago, France’s Constitutional Council struck down the law. They asserted that, because access to the Internet is a fundamental human right, only a judge has the power to suspend it. Sarkozy, it appeared, in his haste to protect the private property of the music industry, had circumvented French law and, contrary to the nation’s many constitutions, illegally created an agency independent of the judiciary that was capable of handing down criminal punishments.

Before the controversial law could become legally binding, Sarkozy would have to amend it in order to allow for the appeal process.

Nonetheless, the world had taken interest. British legislators took a break from bandying over who had built a moat with tax payer money verses who had merely pilfered the public coffers to buy their husband’s porn, and decided that a similar law would be good for

the big tickle compiled by terry shan &

“lastFM.com” allison brown

the silhouette’s art + culture magazine • C3 their country. The British however decided that the French had gotten things a little backwards— how could a government possibly expect the public to both respect, and be privy to, all the nuances of something as complex as copyright law? After all, if they couldn’t keep straight what belonged to them, and what belonged to the taxpayer, how could the electorate possibly anticipate when they might be stealing digital content online? It should be policed accordingly they concluded. What they decided is that the public shouldn’t be accountable for their behaviour online, but rather Internet service providers should be responsible for facilitating all that piracy.

At the same time as the Europeans were debating over who was responsible for policing copyright online, a totally unrelated series of events was unfolding in the United States. On the morning of July 17, Amazon.com, under legal pressure from Penguin Books, ‘remotely recalled’ dozens of pirated texts that they had illegally allowed users of their Kindle Reader to download – including, just to prove that sometimes real-life can be ridiculously ironic, George

Orwell’s 1984. Obligingly, the Internet exploded with chatter.

Even though they apologized and vowed to never recall books again, Amazon.com had suddenly become Big Brother – reaching into peoples homes at night and stealing books, words, and by extension, thoughts.

Quickly it came out that ‘remote recall’ wasn’t a feature unique to the Kindle Reader, literally dozens of companies around the world trading in digital movies, music, and books, including the iTunes store, possessed similar powers.

Forget governments shutting off your Internet, should they suspect you of downloading an illegal copy of the new season of Entourage or the latest Black Eyed Peas single – private copyright holders could simply remotely access your computer and delete the offending content. Back in France though, Sarkozy wasn’t taking any chances, and a newly amended version, and constitutionally legal version of the three strikes law was passed at the end of September – the first of many such laws that are sure to come during the next year.

q: how do you get your music?

corrigan hammond

“torrents” marta montero

“torrents” luke jeffries

“illegally... just kidding”

mario orellana

“download it” yaw yawson

C4 • the silhouette’s art + culture magazine

film

thursday, october 8, 2009

an polanski has its share of haters and supporters

hooray for the income gap

michael moore’s new doc chronicles the decline of america

Capitalism: A Love Story Directed by: Michael Moore

HHHH In Capitalism: A Love Story, director Michael Moore takes his boldest stand yet. Taking on capitalism may seem like a daunting task.

Many have tried (CCF), many have failed (Stalin, we’re looking at you) and for some, the jury is still out (China, what’s really going on over there?). In Capitalism, Moore takes on capitalism in the only way he knows how: by creating a biased documentary that dukes it out mano-a-mano with the American government. In the end, Moore successfully punches holes in the American dream.

Capitalism: A Love Story tackles the economic recession.

Arguing that unadulterated greed and the pursuit of profit caused the collapse of the US housing market. The movie is filled with all

the Michael Moore documentary trademarks that you’d expect: heart wrenching personal stories of loss, outrageous antics and some good ol’ fashioned Bush-bashing.

Moore is at his best when he is either ridiculous or hard hitting. If you like his other films, you will like Capitalism. If not, you might find it a conglomerate of human interest stories wedged in between the occasional gag. In either case it is not anything new.

In fact, at times the movie feels just a little too formulaic. At least he’s trying to say something — which is more than can be said for most releases these days.

The cinematography is clean and the film is well shot.

Technically, the movie is what you would expect from a seasoned director.

The plot flows well, showcasing various stories of loss, interviews from politicians, actors, and others. Capitalism provides

a brief, but accurate historical account of the rise of neo-liberalism and bank deregulation in the United States. Documentaries with abstract subject matter have to be careful not to lose the audience in the plot. This is not the case for Capitalism: A Love Story; the plot is easy to follow.

In possibly the best scene, Moore tries to citizen’s arrest the board of directors of Wall Street’s biggest banks. Security throws him out, each time. Contrary to what the trailers would make us think, this movie is not a comedy. In fact, comedic moments are fewer and farther between than you would like.

If Moore makes any point it is that corporations only care about their pocketbooks. In one of the hardest hitting sequences Moore reveals that corporate giants like Wal-Mart will secretly takeout million dollar life insurance policies on their workers. This practice is

known by the corporations as “dead peasant insurance.” In cases where the workers do die, the families are not compensated. Just remember, you may be worth more to your next summer job dead than alive.

He does not try to promote communism, socialism, or even feudalism. Instead Moore provides us with a motivation, to rise up, voice our opinion, and fight the man. How? I have no idea and neither does Moore.

Capitalism drags at times. Partly because we have come to expect a more energetic performance from Moore. This might be because he is getting older.

In the movie, he walks slower, and as a whole the movie seems much calmer than some of his previous work.

He could just be ‘maturing’ as a director, but for me the more poignant Moore seems the better. Capitalism’s good, only more explanative than energetic.

Before the movie I overheard a man outside talking about Michael Moore outside the theatre. He expressed how Moore is “just making a movie about what he thinks.” This is especially true with Capitalism. The movie lacks the inyour-face attitude that would make the flick great, instead it is simply good.

In the end, Capitalism: A Love Story leaves us asking, “what then?” Even though Moore is inspirational, the rousing cause for protest he gives the audience is no alternative for what we should instead become if we are not capitalists.

Michael Moore has made smarter, more enjoyable movies, but this one is still good. Capitalism: A Love Story is not a casual watch, nor is it a manifesto, but a critical analysis of what happens when the American dream becomes a nightmare.

•Simon Granat

literature

generation a thursday, october 8, 2009

the silhouette’s art + culture magazine • C5

set in a dystopic future without bees, aaron joo discusses douglas coupland’s new novel Eighteen years ago, Douglas Coupland sparked his career as a novelist with Generation X: Tales for an Accelerated Culture. Generation X was met with gradual success and eventually paved the way for a new period of fiction that embraced defiant attitudes with sarcastic voices. Such amusing mannerisms in his writing, along with bold references to pop-culture, made Coupland the unofficially authorized spokesperson for the modern generation. The book’s plot was mainly centered on storytelling, as the main characters shared their personal and fictional stories with each other through a framed narrative.

On Sept. 1, 2009, a parallel novel, Generation A, was published. The term ‘Generation A’ originates from a lecture that Kurt Vonnegut gave at the Syracuse University commencement address. Vonnegut shared his own unique opinion of the current generation, who he believed were “at the beginning of a series of astonishing triumphs and failures.” Coupland adopts this expression to bring us a different outlook on down-to-earth human connections in a society so excruciatingly accustomed to technology.

The futuristic novel is focused on a familiar sci-fi theme coined by Albert Einstein: the disappearance of bees leading to the demise of all human life. However, in Generation A, although all agricultural produce is either non-existent or pollinated by hand, humanity still thrives.

Transportation is now only available to the rich and the entire world appears to run on a mysterious drug called Solon that claims to cure anxiety by suppressing thoughts about the future.

Within this setting the story progresses, immediately striking the readers with classic Coupland wit as he develops the five protagonists: Harj, an Abercrombie & Fitch call center employee from Sri Lanka; Zack, from Iowa, who believes corn is the epitome of evil; Samantha who hails from New Zealand, spending the majority of her time with inane activities such as making “Earth sandwiches”; Julien, from Paris, who has abandoned his classes to live his life digitally in World of Warcraft; and Diana, a Christian dental hygienist with a mild case of Tourette’s syndrome.

The impossible occurs when these characters are stung by bees, causing worldwide panic.

Within moments, unknown authorities, some with biohazard uniforms and others with rifles, helicopter in and seize the “Wonka children” as they are nicknamed. Each character is then individually isolated in a room with unbranded furniture, possessing no method of influence from any form of media, the purpose of which the story discloses in due time.

After spending a month in these quarantine chambers, eating only peculiar Jell-O-like cubes and having to donate liters of blood for testing and experimentation, the characters are simply dropped off at airports to return to society. At this point the “Wonka children” have strange celebrity-like statuses and deal with them in their own individual ways. Harj decides to take on the infamous name, “Apu” from the Simpsons, and visits the headquarters of Abercrombie & Fitch where he is given a makeover. Here, he cozily assimilates among “Craigs” and “she-Craigs,” that is, typical American youth with lives consisting of “a heady blender of beer, casual American style and questionable morality.” Zack, on the other hand, takes advantage of his fame by acquiring groupies and selling his DNA at outrageous prices. Samantha tries avoiding the public sphere even more than before as she takes refuge in a friend’s hospitality. Julien grudgingly returns home to Switzerland and Diana is hospitalized due to an allergic reaction when she stumbled across some Solon. During their own time, the characters grew interested with one another through recounts of the bee sting events on the Internet, and after finding no solace among their previous places in society, they begin to crave meeting face-to-face. Their appetites are satisfied when once again they are whisked away but this time to a remote island near Alaska. As the “Wonka children” are put through an exercise of inventing their own stories, Coupland’s own opinion is voiced: “our modern fame-driven culture, with its real-time 24-7 marinade of electronic information, … poses great obstacles to narrative.” During this time of intimacy, the characters slowly discover the connection between the bees, Solon, and themselves.

The resolution was, however, lacking; a more coherently surprising finish was expected. Nevertheless, Generation A was a most entertaining read, a light satire of today’s unpredictable culture, that unabashedly attacked pervasive mainstreams. Douglas Coupland certainly does not stray from his signature style as expected from all his works. Highly recommended to all sci-fi and Coupland fans and those who have been looking for a manageable book to unwind with on a slow weekend.

•Aaron Joo

feature

C6 • the silhouette’s art + culture magazine

thursday, october 8, 2009 • C7

hamilton vs. toronto: battle of the art crawls nuit blanche leaves more to be desired

james north art crawl turns super

I first attended the James North Art Crawl when I was seventeen. I now realize that at that time, the art crawl was a relatively new event. I’ve attended fairly faithfully since then, and have witnessed the blossoming evolution of the crawl. For those who have never crawled, the James North Art Crawl works as so: from seven to eleven on the second Friday of every month, the galleries and businesses on James Street North and surrounding area stay open.

This is generally when new shows open at each gallery, and there is usually some sort of entertainment, whether it be planned bands, impromptu street performers or performance art. The artists mingle with the crowds, and galleries usually lay out some sort of delicious spread.

The art community on James Street has always been extremely enthusiastic and welcoming. Before I knew it, I grew to have many reasons to attend art crawl – every second Friday of the month someone I know is going or showing.

It is a welcome ritual in a city that is dumped on by so many; the James North Art Crawl is something for Hamilton to be proud of, and truly fosters a caring community built on enthusiasm. Dane Pederson of the Loose Canon Gallery expressed this sentiment: “With each incarnation, Super Crawl will broaden its scope and serve as a mechanism to combine all of the arts in Hamilton. By fusing together an eclectic and historic neighbourhood with a burgeoning arts scene, James North can become a cherished amalgamation of the past present and future…The beauty in Hamilton is that its ours to shape, there’s so much opportunity here. Hamilton

is not a city for passive participants; it thrives on the direct action of its residents. This is drastically different from cities like Toronto and Montreal where, in my opinion, it’s more about being the audience rather than the performer.”

I think that it is this collective enthusiasm and active participation that has made the art crawl so fantastic. A friend of mine moved to Toronto from Saskatoon and has said that since moving to Ontario she’d stopped going to see bands play, even though there were so many more opportunities for her that in Saskatoon. She said that in Toronto, she always knew that a band would be coming back, while in Saskatoon, the only way a music scene could survive was through consistent enthusiasm and support.

In Toronto there are masses of people coming and leaving, and shows aren’t as exciting as a result. This is how I view the art crawl in Hamilton, as it compares with Toronto’s Nuit Blanche. Nuit Blanche is a massive event, and it feels like a massive event in which crawlers just roam around directionless.

On James North, there is a collective energy and level of organization that holds your attention.

The move from art crawl to Super Crawl was a long time in consideration, but quickly developed. Dane Pederson says: “The Art Crawl has always been leading to something in the shape of Super Crawl from its inception. The Art Crawl at its essence is a way of Hamiltonians reclaiming their downtown.” Even the City of Hamilton met the proposal for the first Super Crawl with support. Sonic Unyon’s Tim Potocic said: “An application to close the street was proposed to the city and a few weeks later we had approval for the event. Then the

weekly planning meeting began and within eight weeks we had a great event planned…Bob Bratina is a huge supporter of the downtown and he and his office staff (Donna Reid in particular) were a huge help get the application approved.

Couldn’t have done it without the support of the councilor and staff.”

The art crawl has always fostered an attitude that is community conscious and caring. The organizers request that crawlers bring a non-perishable food item to Super Crawl, which will be collected by skaters of the Hammer City Roller Girls for Hamilton Food Share. The crawl has had positive consequences for downtown Hamilton, and it seems that this positivity will continue with Super Crawl. Potocic said: “Super Crawl can only have positive repercussions for James Street North and downtown revitalization.

Citizens outside of the downtown area and who do not work in Hamilton often have the wrong impression about the downtown. Super Crawl and more

importantly the regular monthly art crawl are just some events that can help change the impression of the core city.”

McMaster students have always been a big part of the art crawl, and the Super Crawl is no different. Pederson said: “McMaster has always been tied to the street. Many Art students have shown not only at Loose Canon but have taken over galleries on the street like the Show and Tell Gallery this past summer.

I don’t know if McMaster students realize that they have contributed to the arts scene that is growing here.”

As far as music for the Super Crawl, there will be three stages set up.

Musical acts include Hidden Cameras, Ohbijou, Jeremy Fisher, John Ellison, The Marble Index, Annie Shaw, Terra Lightfoot, Cowlick Lee Reed, Olenka and the Autumn Lovers and Eccodek.

There are more bands playing at various after parties, such as Said the Whale, but many need RSVPs.

Gallery showings include Art

by Sherelle Wilsack at Mixed Media, Speakers Corner by Red Canoe and Mohawk College outside on the sidewalk on Cannon Street, “Nothing Twice,” screen and ink prints at The Assembly, “Peek,” an installation by Brian Kelly at the you me gallery, among other various gallery showings.

The first Super Crawl is sure to be an exciting night. The atmosphere of the art crawl is enough to keep you coming back. Pederson sumed it all up when he said: “The effort that the restaurants, shops and galleries put in every month is equally matched by the enthusiasm of the people on the Art Crawl. This is where I believe the success in the Art Crawl lies. Everyone is invested in the Art Crawl. They become ambassadors and champions of it in Hamilton and across the province.” Either way, I know I’ll always be coming back for more.

•Grace Evans

Although tempting to merely write a trio of cynical comments – overcrowded, overfunded, underwhelming – about this year’s Nuit Blanche, judging the outcome as one of over a million attendees rests heavily on the expectations one had going in. But given the volume of promotion and advertising, including an iphone application specifically created to navigate the night, it was hard not to set our sights high. Very high.

So what, exactly, were we all expecting?

To be dazzled by a show of bright lights, enthralled by creativity, offended by audacity, or stopped short by beauty? It was difficult to get close to, let alone engage in the exhibits.

The sheer volume of people in attendance, queued for as long as an hour to enter some of the bigger projects, made accessibility to many projects quite low. Coupled with the extent to which exhibits were dispersed throughout the city, it was as though people spent most of their nights either looking for each other or trudging to their next stop.

This isn’t to suggest that Nuit Blanche was a complete disappointment, but it invokes a reflection on the public attitude towards the arts throughout Canada’s cities. In line for Laundromat Kaleidoscope, someone loudly proclaimed while exiting, “don’t waste your time, that was so stupid!” It’s not necessary to get into a discussion over whether or not enormous light-shifting lenses positioned before glass-faced dryers tumbling laundry are really

‘art.’ But the smaller projects were definitely shunned by many in anticipation of the enormous light installations and performance art pieces. Some of the most enjoyable exhibits were the impromptu independent ones, forged among the more prestigious. The most humbling point among the soft smells and sounds of oscillating laundry was when one of the project coordinators ran over to feed more quarters into the machine, from

her own pocket. In Liberty Village, renowned Canadian chef Jamie Kennedy teamed up with artists to create Fire and Sausage, a simulated post-apocalyptic scene where crowds encircled sausages cooking over barrels, salivating over the food to be rationed out in the wake of a natural disaster or catastrophe. Yet many seemed to miss this objective entirely, gathering in hoards and lining up to snag their free sample, rather than a communal group sharing the provisions.

As a whole, Nuit Blanche resonated most strongly with the notion of a carnival.

While I was stopped at 3 a.m. in front of the Gladstone Hotel on Queen Street, the atonal sounds of karaoke reverberating against the glass were momentarily interrupted by a text message invitation to join for “strippers and pizza.” Possibly just another performance art piece. The ‘all-night-contemporary-art-thing’ might be less of a simulacrum spectacle were these events more frequent throughout the year.

If you missed it, rest assured that Thanksgiving and Halloween are right around the corner.

Perhaps our hunger to be inspired might be satiated by scaling back from the monstrosity of the night, dispersed at more frequent intervals. Toronto might have a thing or two to learn from Hamilton’s approach to art crawls. Check out this Friday’s Supercrawl on James North – bigger isn’t necessarily better.

•Julie Compton

C8 • the silhouette’s art + culture magazine

music

thursday, october 8, 2009

lion on a leash andy chats with hamilton’s kae sun

Music is more than just an auditory experience – rather, it is one filled with many different associations. Therefore, a musician’s job isn’t to merely perform on demand, but rather to communicate with their audience, to excite them about the power of songs and ultimately to transform and grow their listeners as human beings. A good songwriter simultaneously speaks to us through music, confronts us and challenges the way that we are. Born in Ghana, the music of Hamilton based songwriter Kae Sun passionately demands that we associate truth with experience.

His music, and especially the songs on his new disc, Lion On A Leash, is drawn from a broad spectrum of varying genres. When he spoke with me, Kae easily articulated the influence and that a wide range of different types of music has had on his life and career. Indeed, when he writes songs, he fuses the old soul and R&B influences of his childhood – channelling the spirit and style of performers like Marvin Gaye and Stevie Wonder, “the greats” as he called them, with the storytelling styles and cadences of singers like Bob Dylan.

“I went from a hip-hop background as part of my musical journey into writing on a guitar,” Kae told me. “I had always played,” he continued, “so when I did that I wanted to find a way to, you know, write the kind of things I was writing when I was an MC in a song and the only person that I had discovered or had been put on for me that was doing that was Bob Dylan. … [For Dylan] There is no set format— no song, verse chorus sort of thing, just almost a free style.”

“I had a guitar when I was fifteen years old. It wasn’t mine, it was my brothers, but when I first bought one when I turned twenty-one here and I started writing on that.”

“I just think I grew out of it, you know? I just wanted to try something else. I was trying to be as creative as possible. The joy of being an artist is that you continue to push yourself, so it was only a matter of time before I would start to do that because I could play a little bit already and I just gravitated towards that naturally. And I think that the very moment I got a guitar, that very day is when I started to do that.”

“I just started strumming, like singing, and it worked well,” Kae later told me.

For Kae, music is part of the blood

stream – each of his different influences are subconscious.

“When I pick up a guitar the rhythms that come out of me sometimes can be anything – can be an afrobeat kind of rhythm, can be a soul kind of rhythm.

It’s just a basic strumming thing of whatever I’m feeling in the moment and I don’t really know if I learned that, or it’s just pushing through it, you know. I don’t ever remember learning to strum a guitar any certain way, so, I think those rhythms are just there.”

“I think for most people it is – like, if you have an ear towards music and you keep listening and keep immersing yourself, when you start to play it [guitar], a whole bunch of different things will come out of it.

People in our generation especially we grew up with a lot of different influences because of the way radio airs and the way television is and all that stuff you get a whole bunch of influences, not just in music, but if you are any kind of artist I’m sure you have multiple influences coming out of your work. That’s just one of those thing, you know?”

This approach to music has affected the way that the local community here in Hamilton has been drawn into Kae. In 2006, based on the strength of his self-released debut EP, Ghost Town Prophecy, Kae received a Hamilton Music Award.

“That award for me was really a nod, an acceptance, into Canadian culture so to speak. I didn’t know if there was an audience for what I was doing or not. Before then it was just me and my friends, but when people started to respond to it in the way that they did and people thought it was deserving of an award, it gave me the confidence… to continue doing it specifically the way that I had been doing it – which is not being in any specific genre in particular but just pouring out what I had been influenced by and just writing on the things that were real to me.”

“You start out and, for me anyway, it’s not premeditated, it wasn’t like ‘okay I’m going to make this type of music, and then I’m going to attract these kinds of people’ – it was just doing whatever I felt like I could do at the time. When I got that kind of response, it was encouraging. You know?”

Kae Sun is playing a CD release show at the Casbah on Oct. 15.

•Corrigan Hammond

thursday, october 8, 2009

eating out

under the radar

as this was not my first visit – I knew this was going to be good.

Served in a basket and on a pseudonewspaper parchment paper, the grease pools to the bottom. Forget the health binge you’ve been on and dive into the fresh cut fries, perfectly Whitney’s Fish and Chips batter Halibut and just right tarter sauce – 905-522-5988 this is pub fare heaven. The batter has just 1831 Main Street West the right crisp, and balance with the size of Price Range: $7-15 per guest the fish. The fries have that homemade taste Whitney’s Fish and Chips do one thing and grit of the potato skin. For a moment, really, really well. There is no messing around you’re on the other side of the pond.

For some extra fun, take a look at here, this is probably the best Fish and Chips some of the Scottish fare. Soups from scratch this side of the Ocean.

Don’t take it from me, find yourself and desserts you’ve never heard of – but make a British exchange student and make your sure you order everything up front, as some way down Main Street across from the best of the specialty desserts take longer than the wings in town, Right Wingers, and wander fried fish themselves.

Keep in mind that this is not for the into the small shop. As you wonder what kind of trip the artist was on when they painted faint of heart, this is an artery killer. So treat the murals on the sides (something you think yourself at this cozy place, maybe on a cold, you would find out of Across the Universe), and rainy day in the fall. Your exchange student pick your fish. Yes, you heard me – a choice of friend will testify to this: these are the best fish. Right about then, you know this place is fish and chips this side of the pond.

•Jeff Green serious.

I opted for the two-piece Halibut with chips, probably the Cadillac of fish fare.

The burly Scotsman promptly turned around to batter my fish, and drop it in the fryer – did I say it was a small shop? With drink, the meal came to somewhere under 13 bucks, and I opted to drop my change in the tip jar

the silhouette’s art + culture magazine • C9

off the rack

Chasing Harry Winston Lauren Weisberger The Devil Wears Prada author, Lauren Weisberger, brings us another appealing book called Chasing Harry Winston. Essentially a Sex and the City knock-off, Chasing Harry Winston presents us with the story of three best friends who vow to each other to change their entire lives within a year.

Instead of looking forward to their futures, the three best friends, all nearly thirty, only see problems. Emmy, newly single (not by choice), thought she was going to be getting married and having a child in the near future. That all changed when her longtime boyfriend leaves her for his young personal-trainer. Now depressed and uneasy about leaving her apartment, her friends insist that an around the world sexfueled adventure will solve all her problems.

Next is Leigh, a successful editor for a publishing business, who is extremely close to both marrying her dream guy and becoming senior editor. Once she accepts a job offer to be attractive and up-andcoming author Jesse Chapman’s editor she

realizes that she may not actually love her soon-to-be husband.

Lastly, Adriana is the drop-dead gorgeous supermodel who spends her nights seducing any boy who catches her eye and making sure to leave as soon as the sex is over in order to preserve her mystery. Adriana is haunted by her mother’s advice to get married soon because their will always be younger, prettier women.

At times this novel was so ridiculous that I was unable to continue, but the concept of not finishing a book is against my religion. Leigh was one character Weisberger should have considering reinventing or even better getting rid of. Her constant whining and obsessive compulsiveness drove me crazy (not to mention that she ruined most of the storyline). Furthermore, the character of Adriana should have only been used for comic relief and not taken seriously. The fact that Adriana is the only character who didn’t come to a self-realization during the book disappointed me the most.

Weisberger also adds a lot of unneeded events throughout the novel that left me bored and skimming many pages just to get back to the main storyline. If you’re looking for your next fluffy summer read this is the book for you, but if you’re interested in a book with actual substance, this is one that you should leave on the shelf.

• Jennifer Bacher

C10 • the silhouette’s art + culture magazine

zombocalypse?

film

thursday, october 8, 2009

new horror comedy delivers a bloody good time

Zombieland Directed by: Ruben Fleischer Starring: Woody Harrelson, Jesse Eisenberg

Zombieland could not have come out at a more appropriate time. Amid a glut of written literature and worldwide events held in its honour, zombie culture is at its peak. Heck, just yesterday I saw a photo of a girl dressed up as a sexy zombie nurse. I don’t see the turn on, but hey, it was a valiant effort. Yep, I think it’s safe to say that zombie chic is here to stay. Well, at least for a little while.

This new addition to the cannon of undead cinema is not a horror film per se. I think it would be best described, and I hope I’m getting this right, as a “zom-com.” The situation is familiar, set in a desolate America; few survivors remain in a country ravaged by the “epidemic of the 21st century.” Jesse Eisenberg, the film’s protagonist is a white, lanky nerd who goes by the alias of Columbus (after the city in Ohio). Living in solitary existence, he narrates his travels, providing personal survival tips including: maintain good cardio, beware of bathrooms, don’t be a hero, and so on. In a stylized wink to the audience, the tips are expressively read onscreen while acted out to grotesquely humorous results.

One day while travelling on an eerily abandoned highway, Columbus crosses the path of Tallahassee (again, named after a city) played with gleeful intensity by Woody Harrelson. The two are an odd couple to say the least.

Traveling in Harrelson’s battle ready SUV, the two drive cross country in search of Twinkies and living humans,

specifically attractive girls. Curious about his sexual experience, Tallahassee inquires, “When’s the last time you were with a woman?” Nervously hesitant to divulge his virginal status, Eisenberg quickly improvises the sight of roadside boxes into a fabricated account, “About three weeks ago, we did it in the back of a Fed-Ex truck.” The combination of Harrelson’s machismo and Eisenberg’s neuroticism strike an irresistible comedic balance.

Stopping at a grocery store in search of Tallahassee’s on-going Hostess fixation, they meet two strong willed sisters, Wichita and Little Rock (Emma Stone and Abigail Breslin). First appearing as vulnerable victims of pre-zombie infection, they turn the tables, conning both men out of their vehicle, weapons and dignity. Yet, it isn’t long before they meet again down the road, coming to a truce and agreeing on California as their eventual destination.

This picture is an amalgamation of many genres: teen comedy, coming of age story, horror, and ultimately, road picture. I was reminded of George A. Romero’s zombie classic from 1978, Dawn of the Dead, and how four individuals came together, lived together, and most notably, survived together. Emotions seep in as bonds are tied between the foursome in Zombieland. In poignant moments, Harrelson discusses the trauma that still bereaves him, the death of what is thought to be his dog, but in reality an actual human relative. Eisenberg finds solace in his new family after coming to terms with realization that his parents have most likely perished.

What about the zombies though? Well, comparable to say, oh, 28 Days Later, their appearance is frightfully ghoulish. Advanced in speed, they decompose

with just the right amount of open lesions as a mixture of green and red fluid ooze from their askew mouths. Yet, they are not played for laughs, something I believe the filmmakers intended on avoiding. Zombie films work so well because they operate on such a primitive level. Either you kill them, or they kill you (note the strong emphasis on gore and the various ways of disembowelment).

Zombieland is primarily a comedy though, and a pretty good one at that. Arriving in California, they retrieve a map to the houses of Hollywood stars, seeking shelter within the area code of 90210. Tallahassee knows the perfect place, letting no one in on his celebrity of choice. When they do settle, we are treated to quite possibly one of the best cameos appearances of recent memory. I won’t ruin it for it for you, but let me just say it involves Ghostbusters and the regret of voicing a certain orange feline.

If I have one major concern, it’s the film’s climax. Culminating into a preposterous shoot out at an amusement park, its set up is even more perplexing, relying on stupidity and negligence. Why would anyone risk their life to ride a Ferris wheel in the midst of wall-to-wall zombies?

Yes, a deeper film here lies below the surface, emerging with quiet moments of loss, fear, and unspoken love. Yet, Zombieland isn’t interested in striving for those deep revelations. Its ambitions, although achieved in Shaun of the Dead, succeed rousingly in a comedic world of such disparity. Oh, and if you’re wondering, the film’s title refers to earth after the zombie take over – a world where Columbus still yearns to embrace a girl and brush the hair over her exposed ear.

•Myles Herod

thursday, october 8, 2009

classic review

in stereo

mothers.

Damaged manages to capture Black Flag at the most barbaric portion of their career as they shred through fifteen tracks without considering once Black Flag to turn down the amps from an Damaged (1981) already overblown capacitor. Chief Just as the cover indicates, Black songwriter and bandleader, Greg Flag’s debut LP, Damaged, is the Ginn, demonstrates his turbulent audio equivalent to smashing your guitar work by ripping loose atonal fist through a mirror in a fit of rhythms which draw influence blind rage. Damaged is a flawless from classical and jazz structures, representation of the first wave of proving that Black Flag were one punk -rock at its loudest. Its fast and of the few hardcore bands to angry, serving as an enticing escape successfully incorporate other styles for thousands of disaffected youth without losing their aggressive forced to endure the early years of edge. Rollins’ screeching vocals the Reagan administration. It also and paranoid lyrics were also a marks the professional debut of significant ingredient to the album’s the now infamous Henry Rollins furious chaos and allowed for songs who, at the age of twenty, helped such as “Rise Above” to become an Black Flag solidify their visceral anthem to the rough character of and abrasive sound into something the LA punk scene. that continues to terrify countless While thousands of

albums exist documenting the formative period of hardcore in the early eighties, Damaged is continually referenced as one of the most coherent and charged records of the time. It became a catalyst for Black Flag’s legendary career by allowing them to tour endlessly for five years, playing hundreds of gigs annually in every corner of North America. As a result, Black Flag helped to keep punk rock’s unique flare kindling in the underground, away from the airwaves flooded with a plethora of half-baked synthpop, while it prepared and matured itself for mainstream attention in the early nineties.

Today I Caught The Plague Ms. Mary Mallon EP

Polar Bear Club Chasing Hamburg

Monsters of Folk Self-titled

You’ve never heard modern eclecticism like this. You feel transported through the annals of time’s atavistic eccentricities; yet somehow wind up ending the journey in the future. Exceptionally strong moments include “The Artisan Movement” and “Dead Girls Don’t Smile.” The latter contains quite possibly one of the most beautiful segments of string music I’ve ever heard, coupled with a macabre theme.

Rich in soundscape and imagery, stay tuned kids, because this is only their debut. TICTP have been perfecting a new fulllength album that will more than likely be even better.

If you have an ear for heavy offerings and an acquired taste for the melodically bizarre, I challenge you to attend the upcoming Oct. 11 show at The Casbah as part of The Deadly Hangs Tour.

With a string of impressive releases and relentless touring, Polar Bear Club are the new darlings of plaidshirted, bearded punks everywhere.

While previous efforts have been smoldering, burning mixtures of emo, hardcore, and melodic punk rock, Chasing Hamburg has been doused with incendiary pop sensibilities to ignite a veritable blaze.

These songs crackle with enthusiastic, upbeat punk energy.

Vocalist Jimmy Stadt’s incredible vocal range and strong sense of melody shines through on this album. His gruff, throaty yell throttles through the music, while a fluid rhythm section effortlessly gallop through the winding, breathable song structures. Chasing Hamburg shows the maturation of this band’s distinct sound, and furthermore cements their place as one of the most promising acts in punk music today.

•Chris Hoy

Hailed from the get-go as the new Travelling Wilburys, “the CSNY of our generation” (according to Rolling Stone), the Monsters of Folk, if we are to believe the buzz, seem too good to be true. However, the new super-group, which features Jim James of My Morning Jacket, M. Ward of She & Him, and Conor Oberst and Mike Mogis of Bright Eyes, is just that; super. All fifteen tracks of this self-titled debut reach folk perfection. Surprising chord changes, gorgeous and sometimes haunting melodies, impeccable song structure, and lyrics of the times; that is what Monsters of Folk is all about. Buy this album!

HHHHH

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•Ryan Gainford

HHHH

the silhouette’s art + culture magazine • C11

featured review Volcano Choir Unmap

•Josh Parsons

HHHHH

The Vaselines Enter The Vaselines Anyone who was ever a fifteenyear-old Nirvana fan can probably tell you who the Vaselines are. Yet, despite the band releasing three identical “complete” collections since disbanding twenty years ago, most music fans have never heard any original Vaselines tracks.

What sets Enter The Vaselines apart from the previous two (now out of print) complete collections, is that it features a second disc of generally lacklustre live performances and home recordings. The first disc however, makes up for it— presenting us with nineteen beautifully cleaned up, high energy, proto-grunge recordings. But be warned, if •Jacob McLean the last two complete Vaselines collections are any indicator of the life expectancy of this one, it might not be commercially available much longer.

•Corrigan Hammond

HHHH

Although not as apparent on Justin Vernon’s debut For Emma (under moniker Bon Iver), his affinity for electronic manipulation and vocal layering is quite clear on Blood Bank EP tracks “Woods” and “Babys.” As such, it’s not surprising that Vernon has teamed up with folktronica duo Collections Of Colonies Of Bees to form Volcano Choir, a collaboration that takes Vernon’s signature reverb-saturated falsetto and earthy guitar tones, and fuses it with Bees’ glitchy production, skittering drum beats, and ominous blankets of ambient droning.

Unmap contains a number of standout songs, such as the expansive “Seeplymouth.” The song then immediately dives into lead single “Island, IS.” The highlight of the album however is “Still,” which takes the poignant a cappella vocals of aforementioned Bon Iver track “Woods” and puts an orchestra of found sounds, distorted droning, jangling guitar blips, and a chugging snare rhythm behind it to create a truly stunning soundscape.

Album closer “Youlogy” is borderline terrifying, with a single drone note piercing through Vernon’s chilling rendition of “Amazing Grace” and provides a rather appropriate end to the record. Although it can wander at times, Unmap is both an engrossing first listen, and possesses layers of details which unfold gradually upon subsequent plays.

•Michael Hewak

HHHH

C12 • the silhouette’s art + culture magazine

feature

canadian exports

thursday, october 8, 2009

vancouver’s japandroids have indie circles buzzing

If you’ve yet to have the fortune of catching the enormous buzz surrounding Vancouver’s Japandroids, I’d suggest you shuffle over to the closest record outlet and nab a copy of their debut LP Post-Nothing before you’re left high and dry, forced to endure accusations of being a second generation fan who hopped on the bandwagon of their immanent success. Within the last year, Japandroids have cultivated an enormous hype across independent music circles both nationally and globally, scoring massive North American tours, several award nominations and even earning an opening slot at Pitchfork Festival, Chicago’s annual get-together of upan-coming indie giants. With such accomplishment already under their belts the boys in Japandroids show no indications of decay, zigzagging across North America for the second time in vibrant anticipation of their first European tour.

A significant amount of hype is certainly owing to the band’s strength in surprising audiences with their lush and seamless sound in spite of the fact that there are only two members jamming away on conventional rock instruments.

The dynamic chemistry between guitarist Brian King and drummer David Prowse boasts an innate understanding of pop sensibility which, when channeled through catchy melodies and played with the intensity of punk-rock, creates a concrete style that sounds both fresh and simple. Both members also dine at a buffet of influences ranging from the raw garagerock of the Sonics to the fuzzed-out dreaminess of shoegaze.

Such a unique sound has warranted them much attention

in recent times including a nomination for the prestigious Polaris Music Prize supporting new Canadian music. All this support proves to be quite remarkable for such a young act.

As a result of the increasing support Japandroids have managed to issue a release annually since their formation three years ago. Their origins extend back to 2006 when Brian and Dave first met while attending the University of Victoria. Although they originally sought to include a third member, finding an appropriate fit proved problematic and they agreed upon splitting the vocal duties between themselves. Soon they began gigging locally and within a year they released a self-produced EP entitled All Lies that was eagerly consumed by a multiplying fan base in the surrounding Vancouver area. Cross-country tours and a slew of festival performances ensued throughout the next year; all in support of their second EP release Lullaby Death Jams.

Anticipation of a full-length album soon arose as their tremendous reputation grew exponentially courtesy of Internet bloggers and ecstatic concert attendees. Having already recorded their debut album Post-Nothing themselves with hopes of once again self-releasing, Japandroids managed to secure a deal with Canada’s own Unfamiliar Records. In the months building up to the albums release their acclaim spread virally across the Internet as their now famous track entitled “Young Hearts Spark Fire” received reviews on distinguished media websites including Pitchfork and Exclaim.

Finally Post-Nothing was issued in early spring to the delight

of critics everywhere, earning a feature review on allmusic. com as well as extensive play on CBC radio 3 and Aux.tv.

But in April of this year, on the eve of yet another North American tour, Brian was suddenly rushed into emergency surgery for a perforated ulcer. They were forced to cancel an entire 28-date tour, including a performance at this year’s Sasquatch Festival, in order for Brian to guarantee a full recovery. After a six-week break from performing live, Japandroids embarked on a self-proclaimed ‘never ending tour,’ rescheduling their entire previous tour as well as adding several more dates. Just a week ago they performed at the Casbah in Hamilton for the first time, rocking out to a nearly sold-out crowd. Japandroids continue on to the United States for the remainder of October before hitting Europe for their first time.

Be sure to keep an ear out, plans for the new year include yet another cross Canada tour as well as a compilation re-release of their first two EP’s, due out on their American label Polyvinyl. Also on the horizon is another batch of high-profile gigs including the Halifax Pop Explosion and two sets at New York’s CMJ music festival. This spreading enthusiasm throughout the music world is helping to make Japandroids not only a heavyweight Canadian act but also a promising indie rock band on the global scale.

•Josh Parsons