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McMASTER UNIVERSITY'S STUDENT NEWSPAPER / THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 8, 2011
The Silhouette YOUR VOICE ON CAMPUS
Est. 1930
VOLUME 82, NO. 4
A Running Start: McMaster students kick off another year with the annual Pyjama Parade. Welcome Week 2011 saw the highest MacPass sales ever and unprecedented attendance. See page 2 for more details on frosh festivites.
JONATHON FAIRCLOUGH / PRODUCTION EDITOR
Gas leak scare a false alarm
Government funds automotive centre
Brian Decker
Kacper Niburski
Welcome Week was a gas for more than just first-year students and reps on Tuesday. The Tandem Accelerator Building and General Sciences Building were evacuated and a large portion of campus was blocked off to pedestrians and vehicles after a gas leak was reported around 1 p.m. at the west end of campus. The incident was later determined to be a false alarm, and an investigation into why the alarm went off is underway. “There was never a gas leak. It was an alarm that signals something is not right in that lab. Once it was checked out, there wasn’t any problem,” said Andrea Farquhar, director of public and government relations at McMaster. Emergency crews were called as per University protocol and the evacuations followed, cordoning off a large portion of campus and shutting down Cootes Drive from campus to Olympic Drive. Welcome Week events that were taking place on the lawn of BSB were relocated. “We don’t know why at this point [the alarm] went off. Once it was checked out, there was no problem that would have caused it to go off,” said Farquhar. Outside of the two evacuated buildings and clearing of the BSB lawn, no buildings or Welcome Week activities were affected.
With numerous research funding announcements this summer, there was little doubt that McMaster’s Innovation Park would be exempt from the lot. On Aug. 24, it was revealed by Chris Goodyear, Minister of State for the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario, that McMaster would receive a federal investment of up to $11.5 million through FedDev Ontario towards the McMaster Automotive Resource Centre (MARC). The funding is a small portion of the $800-million Conservative government’s Prosperity Initiative meant to accelerate economic development in Ontario. The current centre calls for 80,000 square feet, with a footprint of 50,000 square feet and an upper level of 30,000 square feet. To satisfy such a request, $26 million in funding is required – $22 million of that necessary for renovations and construction while $4 million would facilitate various equipment needs. The current Longwood Road location complies with the MARC building requirements. Previously, the location was home to the appliance manufacturer Camco, and as such, the withstanding structural integrity can be maintained with comparatively little demolition. “Where literally empty fields and mostly
Assistant News Editor
Executive Editor
JONATHON FAIRCLOUGH / PRODUCTION EDITOR
IN THE SIL THIS WEEK...
31 Tips for Success: With all the lecturing going on, let InsideOut give you all the advice you need to succeed at McMaster... pg. 6 Mac Cruises Past Queen’s: Football squad opens season with a convincing 26-2 victory against the Gaels... pg. 8
• PLEASE SEE MCMASTER, 2
2 • THE SILHOUETTE
Welcome Week 2011 exceeds expectations MacPass sales reach record high Dina Fanara
Assistant News Editor
“Lights, Camera, Maction!” is the theme of Welcome Week 2011, one that looks to be well on the way to being one of the most successful Frosh Weeks thus far. According to the Student Success Centre (SSC), approximately 3,800 MacPasses were sold this year, which is a record high. As a result, the majority of events have been either at or near capacity. Many of the events have been adjusted to suit the new numbers, and several more events have been added, specifically MacQuest, which took place on Sunday. “Everyone should be setting their own stage . . . you decide and discover your own role [within the university],” said Rachel Nelson of the SSC. When asked about MacQuest, Vice President Administration of the Society of Off Campus Students (SOCS) Cameron Taylor said that he especially enjoyed the event because there was something for everyone to do. “The more outgoing people could cheer, whereas the more introverted people could go make pitas, and the athletic students could go play Frisbee.” This transition in attitudes as time progressed was noted by many involved in different aspects of Welcome Week, by planners and participants alike. One of the main goals of Welcome Week is to help stu-
dents step out of their shell and integrate themselves into the community. “You can definitely see that the first-years who are shy are starting to come out of their shell and step out of their comfort zone,” said Nadeem Nathoo, a Welcome Week Coordinator for SOCS. Katie Ferguson, Vice-President Administration of the McMaster Students Union, said that the progress in student attitudes has been noticeable as the week has gone on. “As days progress, you see the same students getting more and more involved,” said Ferguson. “There was a nervous buzz at first as people were meeting new friends. As time progressed, these quickly shifted to positive and cheerful feelings,” said Taylor, echoing that sentiment. At the McMaster Welcome event, which took place on Tuesday, McMaster president Patrick Deane, provost and vicepresident academic Ilene Busch-Vishniac and dean of students Phil Wood all stood before the class of 2015 and addressed them for the first time. When Nelson of SSC was asked about the energy level felt during Welcome Week, she stated that she felt this same spirit when “we had an ongoing dance party at Mac Expo [on Monday] for five hours. If that doesn’t show spirit, I don’t know what does.”
World class research facility coming to McMaster • CONT’D FROM 1 abandoned warehouses once stood is now an open canvas for research,” said Goodyear. Professor Ali Emadi, a leading U.S. developer of electric powertrain technology, is one of the many who will be making use of this “open canvass.” In May 2010, Emadi was lured from Chicago’s Institute of Technology to McMaster University and was appointed as Canada Excellence Research Chair in Hybrid Powertrain. He was one of the 19 announced nationally, and subsequently received $10 million in funding. Most of his work will focus on the next generation of hybrid electric cars with projects ranging in electrified powertrains to hybrid battery/super-capacitor energy storage systems. Other McMaster researchers who will use the space include Saeid Habibi, recipient of the Research Excellence Award on Green Auto Powertrain, who has forged a partnership with Ford Canada in the development of diagnostic strategies for advanced vehicles. Through various projects spearheaded by McMaster professors Tom
Maibaum and Gillian Goward, GM Canada and IBM Canada will also develop software aimed to deliver functionality and safety features for automobiles. Such projects will notably add to McMaster’s worldwide recognition as a hub of research and development in Canada. Patrick Deane, president of McMaster University, went so far to say that MARC “is the most remarkable milestone for the University and our innovation park.” The benefits of MARC are not restricted to the University. Nick Markettos, Assistant Vice-President of Research Partnerships, suggested that “MARC will become a magnet for companies to locate in the city and invest in new facilities.” Markettos also added that, unlike many other locations, Innovation Park is located in a network of outstanding industrial centers such as CANMET, as well as private companies like ArcelorMital-Dofasco, which will allow for any research and manufacturing to be mainly conducted in Hamilton. The McMaster Automotive Resource Centre is expected to be complete by the end of 2012, at which point, it will employ approximately 120 to 150 people.
THE SILHOUETTE • 3
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 8, 2011
EDITORIAL
editor’s extension: 22052 letters: thesil@thesil.ca
Make university your own time Brian Decker
The Silhouette
McMaster University’s Student Newspaper
TheSil.ca
Editorial Board Brian Decker Executive Editor
Executive Editor
Welcome back, everyone. Welcome to a new year, a new home, a new Welcome Week. Welcome to a first full week of September, one that’s unlike any other in the school year. You’re on campus or in your student house, but with no homework to do or classes to attend. Take full advantage of it while you can, students. Take time to sleep in when you’ll have 8:30 class next week. Take a moment to revel in your drunkenness on a Thursday morning. And while you’re at it, take a moment to think about taking this attitude with you for the rest of your university life. The goal of many Welcome Week participants is to get screwed as many times as possible. That’s funny, because most students end up spending the rest of their university career getting screwed over. Screwed over by textbook costs; screwed over by mindless, dull readings; screwed over by taking irrelevant courses required for degree programs. Let’s face it: there are a lot of painstaking yet completely useless processes to go through at university. At some point, every student will spend $85 on some useless textbook or take two hours to read some passage that will never be mentioned in class. Even worse, many students will end up doing both of those for a class that is a) tedious, b) irrelevant to their degree, c) extremely difficult or d) all of the above. This is by no means a call for students to half-ass their way through school. This is a call for students to take their daily tasks with a dose of reality and not to sweat the small stuff. This is a bit of advice for students: Don’t worry about remembering formulas from your first-year calculus course in hopes it’ll get you a job some day. Don’t worry about remembering all the names of obscure French Revolution leaders. Don’t worry about trying to become the person you’ll be when you graduate by remembering everything from your classes. That would be like trying to win a basketball game by scoring a 100-point basket in the first quarter (not gonna happen). There’s no doubt university is a time for hard work. The combination of classes and extracurriculars present a unique combination of challenges unlike anything else you’ll experience in life. But mixed in with that hard work are a lot of things that will bog you down while giving you nothing to show for it. There’s a lot to enjoy while you’re at university, and one of those things is the freedom to make your own decisions and turn yourself into an independent person. So when you inevitably find yourself needing to buy a useless textbook or read some obscure reading, take control of your own life. Or, if you prefer, at least find the used copy on Kijiji.com or lightly skim through the chapter summaries. Welcome back, McMaster. This year, let’s make Welcome Week last a little longer.
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Contact Us 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 facebook.com/TheMcMasterSilhouette twitter.com/theSilhouette Production Office (905) 525-9140, extension 27117 Advertising (905) 525-9140, extension 27557 6,000 circulation Published by the McMaster Students Union
to another year at mac.
to gas leak scares.
to more people on campus than just camper kids.
to hockey’s brutal, tragic, horrible summer.
to the sidewalk sale.
to f$#@ing textbooks.
4 • THE SILHOUETTE
OPINIONS
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 8, 2011
production office extension: 27117 opinions@thesil.ca
The stern slap of a scorned world Andrew Terefenko Opinions Editor
“Nature, to be commanded, must be obeyed,” wrote Sir Francis Bacon in his compendium of reasoning Novum Organum almost four centuries ago. How true are we to this ideal today? For all of our mastery over nature, why do we fall so helplessly to our knees when it gives us a display of the kind of destructive power it wields? I’m talking about hurricanes, and specifically the one that taught a wet life lesson to our neighbours in the south – Irene. I think the hurricane did more mental damage than physical in a highly metropolitan area like New York, as it was a sort of geographical surprise party. In the core of one of the most far-removed-from-nature civilizations in the States, a natural disaster is not something one ever prepares for, or even considers. In passing through, it forces the victims to reconsider their place in the hierarchy of life on Earth. Humans are in a very tentative position where we can claim dominance over this planet, but are powerless to contain the primal forces that frequently remind us not to get too comfortable. It is made even more tenuous by the fact that we can predict natural disasters long before they strike, but only with the option of trying to get out of the way. This makes me wonder if we are meant to be in constant fear of these natural forces, or to develop a sort of sheer reverence. I feel that for us to truly understand our place in this heavily scarred world, we need to feel the sort of dread our ancestors did when a hurricane meant a villagewide restart of life. Historically, natural disasters have been used in writing as a representation of judgement and cleansing, a method with which the powers that be “reset” the planet for a more deserving species. Have we come too far technologically and medically to be susceptible to natural “punishment” anymore? Living in Canada also brings natural disasters pretty far from the front of our thoughts, as we rarely get
WIKIMEDIA COMMONS
When nature strikes it leaves a nasty scar, as a reminder to all who live there again. Do we heed them? a trickle of bad weather up here, let alone sheets of razorsharp day-ruiners. As Canadians, are we less sensitive to the plights of people who suffer disasters on an almost monthly basis? I certainly can’t empathize with tsunami victims when the worst wave I have ever experienced was no taller than myself. As humans we are testing the infinite patience that nature has for us. We pollute and destroy and consume and carry on with our days, because that is our way of life. Do we spite nature and incur its wrath with greenhouse gases because we have to, or because we can? We are quickly coming up on a day where we
will pull at nature’s last straw and be forced to deal with a catastrophe that will be far too enveloping to simply sidestep. What do we do then? Do we relocate our seven billion walking waste factories to the moon? Do we hole up underground and wait for it to pass like a strong breeze? Sadly, there is no simple solution. We will deal with nature as we have always dealt with it. We will spit in the wind and be puzzled when it spits back at us. It seems as if life was easier to comprehend when we were ignorant of the forces that powered it. When we thought that the horizon was an endless waterfall into an • PLEASE SEE STORMY, 5
Fast food and a side of bad manners to go Bridget Duquette The Fulcrum
OTTAWA, Ont. (CUP) - I begin every day in tears. “Six-inch or foot-long?” I ask, my eyes red and watery, my face flushed. Nobody seems to care or even really notice. I suppose tears seem perfectly appropriate on the face of a fast-food employee. Why shouldn’t I be miserable? It’s fitting - much more so than my grungy, ill-made uniform. This outfit turns even the most attractive fast-food worker into a mound of shapeless flesh. God forbid any customer notice that there is a person buried under my uniform or think of me as a real human being with thoughts and feelings. So what if my tears are only caused by the bag of onions I have to chop each morning? My customers don’t know this. For all they know, I could have two weeks left to live. I could be on the run from the mob. Maybe my hamster just died. You know what goes through my mind when I see a fellow human being in
tears? “Is this person suicidal? Should I that I don’t have emotions, that I don’t get offer some kind words of support, or maybe offended when people loudly gab on the leave a quarter in their tip jar?” I like to phone instead of asking me how my day believe I have some kind of basic human is going and that I don’t get angry when compassion. Maybe my customers do too, someone walks away without saying “thank but they do an amazing job of hiding it. As you” after I serve them. far as I can tell, the only thing that interests “You are welcome,” I’ll yell after them in the least are their iPhones. them - a big mistake on my part. “Hey, check out my new app! I should approach every shift the It enables me to completely block out the same way Meryl Streep readies herself outside world, thereby making lowly fast- for a role. Get into character. Pull my food workers feel like the scum of the earth. baggy uniform on over my head. Tighten What fun!” Maybe I don’t deserve their my apron. Straighten my visor. Stand up sympathy. I know I’m not straight. And finally - the the most charismatic person. pièce de resistance - force I scowl when someone asks It is supposedly my a smile onto my face. Voila: me to change my gloves job to act like I am I’m ready for my close-up. before making their food, sorry, but no. I refuse. not a real human If II’m and perhaps my eyes do roll were getting paid twice back in my head when a as much as I am, I would be customer demands more olives. (“No, more the perkiest sandwich artist on the planet. than that. More. More. More. Even more!”) I’d tap dance for the customers, shine their You see, we fast-food workers are shoes, and open-mouth kiss everyone who apparently being paid $10.25 an hour to put upped their order to a combo. No problem. on a performance. It is supposedly my job But I am not getting paid $20 an hour, and to act like I am not a real human being - I refuse to smile for anybody unless they
deserve it. I will prepare your food for you. I will give you your food in exchange for currency. And that’s about all you’re going to get. Yes, I am bitter. A lot of us fastfood workers are. Just try to remember that we’re not mad at you as a person; we’re mad at you as a customer. We’re mad when you ignore us when we say “hello,” yet still demand special treatment. We’re mad that we’re being paid minimum wage, that our boss is a psycho and that this is our 20th day of work in a row. The next time you come in to get your six-inch chicken teriyaki, try to pry your eyes away from your phone. I know it’s trendy, shiny and fabulous, but just try to make eye contact with the person behind the counter (that’s right - person) and note the tired look in their eyes. Try to be nice, or even just polite. Don’t yell. Don’t scream. Don’t bark at us. Just treat us like human beings. In exchange, you can expect a genuine smile, a little light conversation and maybe even extra olives. Deal?
THE SILHOUETTE • 5
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 8, 2011
HEY YOU! Stormy strife Do you want to express yourself? Is there an issue you want covered? Did something we say piss you off? Send us a line at opinions@thesil.ca with your idea and immortalize your venting in black ink. Get your voice heard.
• CONT’D FROM 4 abyss, we moved carefully and expected the worst. When our houses were destroyed by a towering twisting tunnel of destructive air, we built them elsewhere and hoped to not meet the same fate again. Now that we know nature is just a series of cold and hot air currents and have homes built sturdily enough to survive near anything, we are apathetic. Nature is just another reason to stay home, and we pray for it to come on a weekday so we don’t have to go to school or work. To us it is a snow day, to us two hundred years ago it was starvation. All it takes is one event, one showing of nature’s vast array of chaotic tools, to make us remember; to make us feel fear again.
The hidden expense of the inexpensive Andrew Terefenko Opinions Editor
I like free things. No, really. I enjoy it when someone, friend or stranger, gives me something without the burden of payment involved. I say this because I meet with the exact opposite response whenever I try to give a stranger something for free. I meet with responses as regular as “no thanks,” extending to the insanely cautious “get away from me, what’s wrong with you?” It seems that there was a point at which we became more afraid of each other as a society, rather than optimistically accepting by default. In old-timey shows such as Leave it to Beaver, no questions were asked if a neighbour wanted to give Beaver his old catching mitt just to put a smile on a kid’s face. So why was the twenty-something man on the subway extremely reluctant to take away from me my old mp3 player when I had just come back from buying a new one? He looked bored, I had no use for it anymore and it seemed like a fair deal for everyone. Instead of even politely declining my offer he gave me the sort of look of stern disgust that you would maybe save for a crime against humanity, or a reality show rerun. Needless to say I went home with that mp3 player, deeply disappointed that I could not give away a piece of super-cool (somewhat aged) technology that I would have been ecstatic to receive from a stranger. Maybe I’m expecting too much without knowing the whole story. The poor guy might have had a severe case of technophobia. But my money is probably safe in betting on him being an irate passenger on today’s hate-everything bandwagon. Oh well. More free stuff for me I guess.
6 • THE SILHOUETTE
INSIDEOUT
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 8, 2011
production office extension: 27117 insideout@thesil.ca
Read ‘em and weep, kiddo Kacper Niburski dishes on the naked truth of student life in 31 pieces of wisdom for incoming first-years
Kacper Niburski
Assistant News Editor
If your mother hasn’t crushed your trachea during the tearful farewell hug, and your father’s brief yet sincere congratulatory nod hasn’t left you weak in the knees, and you still are sober enough to read this, then I would like to extend my welcome to eventual debt, to midterms, to early mornings, to late nights, to lifelong memories, and to a beginning of an end, for here it all begins. In short, welcome to university. Understandably, such a welcome is overwhelming, intimidating even. Do not fret though. Being a student myself, I know the ins and outs of university. Mostly the outs, like how to get out of trouble from your CA or getting out of a test. This is why I’m writing to you, dear student. Whether first or seventh year, I’ll pass down my years (read: year) of experience. Consider this the Manifesto of a University Student: it’ll provide the only tips needed to succeed while at McMaster. Besides that, you know it’s important because it has the word ‘manifesto’ in it. 1. Contrary to popular belief, beer isn’t part of a healthy breakfast. 2. All nighters. Get used to hearing that. In fact, get ready to hear it all night long. Bow-chicka-wow-wow. 3. You’ll be surprised how many times you’ll say, “Yeah. I think I can eat 24 cheese burritos in five minutes.” 4. You’ll also be surprised to find that cheese burrito vomit has the same consistency of regular cheese burrito. You may even try to eat the vomit. Don’t. 5. Despite getting into university with a sports scholarship, racking every accoJOY SANTIAGO / MULTIMEDIA EDITOR
6.
7. 8. 9. 10.
11.
12. 13.
lade possible, and being the top of your high school class (or for less astute: on top of your class), you’ll soon find out you are an idiot. We all are. There are two kinds of people in University. The first are those who reek of last week’s Pancake Tuesday, who blab on impudently during lectures, and who believe they are undeniably smarter than everyone in the class, including the professor. The other are women. Laundry? Screw it. Cleaning? Screw it. The opposite sex? Screw it. (Or same sex: university is a time for experimentation.) Roommates come a dime a dozen. There are all different types. The phantom that you never see, the somnambulist who only is awake at night, the med keener (who is really both of these) and so on. Knowing this, you should also know the best kind of roommate is the dead kind. Understand that you will have to learn to balance three things in university: social life, academics and sleep. Also understand that you can only pick two of the three. Cheetoos, Dunkaroos, barbeque sauce, pita bread, whipped cream. Enough said. Do not be afraid to transgress your social comforts. Join a club such as the Debate Team, Campus for Christ or Hong xxx x x x
14. 15.
16. 17. 18. 19. 20.
21. 22.
Kong Student Alliance. Hell, even join the Silhouette. Just join the Silhouette. All other universities suck. (This is most certainly not true, however, being a McMaster student you are obliged to soil the good name of all other schools.) Wuck Festern. Wuck Faterloo. Brock? That’s a joke enough. If you want to make your parents disappointed, get a degree in the arts. If you want to be homeless, get a degree in the arts. If you are like me, you are getting a degree in the arts. 4 + 4 = rest of your life. My math may be a bit fuzzy (did I say I’m an undergrad in the arts?) but the four years of high school narrowed where the next four years will be spent. You chose here. How you spend these four years will determine the outcome of your entire life. In other words, you’ll be broke, in debt, and living in your mother’s basement no matter what. Sleep in class. Any class. Every class. It’ll be zzzz-uper. When midterms overwhelm you, assignments are like an avalanche swallowing your desk whole and you are about to explode with anxiety (because you slept in class), know that in the end you’ll be one step closer to a degree that 25.6% of Canadians have. x
Comforting, I know. 23. Women outnumber men in university approximately 1.5 to one. In other words, welcome to heaven boys. 24. Girls, tough luck. 25. Girls, I’m single though… 26. University is rough. You’re going to get pushed and slapped around more than ever before. Tears will be frequent, both good and bad. You’ll hate your professors. You’ll hate waking up for early morning labs. You’ll tell someone every day how much you hate it here, but goddamn it, you’ll love every second. 27. After four years, you’ll also fail to understand that you’re a walking contradiction. 28. Books are useful. They make great Frisbees on sunny days and even better sleds on snow days. 29. In the next four years, you are going to make mistakes. And your mistakes will make mistakes. And those mistakes will make even more mistakes. And so on, ad infinitum. 30. You’ll learn esoteric words like ad infinitum, and that’s about all you’ll have to show for after four years. That, and a degree that says “BS” on it. 31. Despite the difficulty ahead of you, dear student, these are the days of which you’ll one day say, “Those were the days.” So there you have it. You’re ready to take on the world, or at least the next four years. Although considering the catastrophe that is the real world, whether it be the employment rate, the War on Terrorism, the Tiger-Cats, you may just want to stay in school for as long as possible. At least that way, you can pretend you have a blooming future and a fridge-worthy diploma waiting for you at the end of four, or five, or six, or seven (woohoo!) years.
Welcome back, Mac! Start the year off write. Join the InsideOut team today. Email insideout@thesil.ca
8 • THE SILHOUETTE
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 8, 2011
SPORTS
production office extension: 27117 sports@thesil.ca
Marauders off to a flying start Brian Decker Executive Editor
Having just won a game at Richardson Stadium for the first time, Stefan Ptaszek thought he and his team might celebrate a bit. A road win over the Queen’s Gaels was something he had never accomplished since becoming McMaster’s head coach in 2006, a much-hyped fact heading into the season opener on Sept. 5. Instead, it was a feeling of satisfaction about starting the year with a win that was most salient on the Monday night as McMaster kicked off their 2011 campaign in style with a 26-2 drubbing of the Queen’s Gaels. A championship run looks like a realistic possibility as the Marauders enter the early stages of their 2011 season, and it was all business from the coach and his team in the wake of the victory. “I thought there’d be more celebrating and excitement and enthusiasm about [winning at Queen’s], but they’re so fixated on this year and making the most of it. It was something we needed to get done,” said Ptaszek. After bowing out in the OUA semifinals each of the last two seasons, the Marauders are banking on their 2011 squad having the right combination of skill and experience to lead them to their first Yates Cup since 2003. With an experienced defense, some talented receivers and a potential Hec Crighton trophy-winning quarterback in Kyle Quinlan, the core of a contending football team looks to be in place. The questions circling this year’s team revolve around whether some key pieces from last year’s 6-2 team can be replaced. Notable losses from last year in-
clude receiver Kevin D’Hollander, running back Jordan Kozina, linebacker Byron Metcalfe and, perhaps most importantly, a plethora of offensive linemen including All-Canadian Justin Glover. It will be up to a mostly new crew of linemen to protect Quinlan from sacks and blocked passes this year. That new crew looked good in its debut on Monday, when they gave the quarterback enough time to throw for 349 yards with one touchdown and one interception. “I thought the o-line played really well. We knew coming in that Queen’s has one of the best defensive lines in the country, so I thought they played exceptional,” said Quinlan. “We have a well-coached o-line. I knew we would put a good squad together.” For Quinlan, expectations are skyhigh this season. After a solid first full season as starter in 2010, when he was named second team All-Star at quarterback behind Hec Crighton winner Brad Sinopoli, all eyes are on the pivot to lead Mac deep into the playoffs. A busy summer of football should have Quinlan ready. In addition to playing in the East-West bowl, Quinlan spent much of the summer in training camp with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats as part of the CFL’s Canadian quarterback internship program. “I did a lot more field work in the offseason in terms of throwing the ball and making reads and stuff, so I’m a little ahead of where I was last year,” said the quarterback, who was solid if unspectacular in Monday’s win, completing a 76-yard reception to Mike DiCroce and a 60-yard touchdown to Jarred Jones mixed among 18 other completions. Quinlan’s consistency was part of a bigger picture for Ptaszek, who counts the organization of his team on offence, defence
PHOTO C/O JEFF CHAN
SITTING PRETTY: Jarred Jones (19) comes down with the ball during Mac’s 26-2 beatdown of the Queen’s Gaels on Monday afternoon. and special teams among the best sign so far. “All 12 guys on the field knew what they were doing. To not have any big mistakes in four quarters in week one is a
pretty good sign that we’ve prepared them for this season.” With their first win out of the way, Ptaszek is hoping that preparation translates into a deep playoff run and a Yates Cup.
Special Olympian wins three medals in Athens Fraser Caldwell Sports Editor
After more than 20 years of hard work in the pool, McMaster employee Bobbi-Lyn Cleland reached the most satisfying of peaks this summer. The 36-year old, who suffers from Down’s Syndrome, is entering her sixth year of employment at the university’s Pulse Fitness Centre. She achieved a longtime dream by swimming at the 2011 Special Olympics World Summer Games in Athens, Greece at the end of June. More than simply competing, Cle-
land reached the podium in all three events she entered, garnering gold medals in the 200m backstroke and 100m butterfly categories and a silver in the 4-by-50m relay. The highly successful international showing represents the culmination of two decades of effort on the part of both Cleland and her mother Mary, who has been a driving force in the growth and development of the Seahawks Special Olympics team based out of Dundas. The elder Cleland tells of her daughter’s entry into the Special Olympics fold as a tale of good fortune that came about because of her involvement with McMaster’s Kinesiology department as a grad-
uate student. “Bobbi-Lyn originally took swimming lessons, but wasn’t originally involved in anything competitive,” said her mother. “Unfortunately, Special Olympics sports don’t have much in terms of advertisement to encourage enrolment.” “When I came to the Kinesiology department at McMaster, one of our administrators asked me if Bobbi-Lyn was involved locally in the Special Olympics, and when I said no, he directed me to the head of the program at the time.” Upon enrolling her daughter in the Seahawks program at that point 21 years ago, Cleland also took up the position of
team manager. Since then, the Dundas squad has continued to grow in size and scope. “There were nine swimmers on our team when Bobbi-Lyn started,” said Cleland. “Right now our program includes 34 swimmers. We keep growing and growing year by year.” Part of that growth included the recruitment of coach Jeannette Restivo, who personally mentored the younger Cleland to her recent success. Originally motivated to join the Seahawks in the interest of her son Chuck, also an internationally decorated competitor, Restivo eventually became the • PLEASE SEE CLELAND, A9
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THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 8, 2011
Mac soccer launches new season Brandon Meawasige Assistant Sports Editor
Both of McMaster’s soccer teams enjoyed encouraging starts to their 2011-2012 seasons on Sept. 3 and 4. The squads played consecutive matches at Ron Joyce Stadium against the Windsor Lancers and the Western Mustangs. After the men’s and women’s squads earned 2-1 and
2-0 wins over the Lancers in their respective season openers on Sept. 3, the teams faced stiffer tests in the form of visitors from Western. The men’s team played their way to a 1-1 draw, with a key save coming from Marauder goal keeper Angelo Cavalluzzo, which prevented a 90th minute Mustang chance. Mark Reilly, who missed last season with an injury, scored the lone McMaster goal.
Coach Dino Perri believes that the striker will definitely be a player to watch this season. Poised for a run at the playoffs, the Marauders will look to players like Reilly for more goals, the area of the team’s game in need of the most improvement according to Perri. The Marauders experienced setbacks with consecutive losses on Sept. 7 to the York Lions in Toronto.
Cleland reaches swimming pinnacle at Greek event
PHOTO C/O MARY CLELAND
Bobbi-Lyn Cleland claimed three medals in Athens in June. • CONT’D FROM A8 personal coach of Bobbi-Lyn. “Seeing Chuck swim at a meet for the first time was what really piqued my interest,” said Restivo. “But I could never find a place where I really wanted to coach until I met up with Mary. “Then I started with Bobbi-Lyn. She never knew what she was getting herself into. She had a coach previously who never bothered with her, and it really got to me. I saw that she had the endurance, but that she wasn’t pushing herself. “When I saw that, I told Mary that I wanted to take over her lane.” It quickly became apparent to her coach that Bobbi-Lyn had the natural tools necessary to swim at the highest level, and when her motivation was put to the test in the lead up to last year’s national event, the swimmer came through with flying colours. “When I started with Bobbi-Lyn for nationals, that’s when I really worked on her,” said Restivo. “I truly was brutal, but she never complained once. I made her swim with my son, and nobody on the team touches Chuck.” The hard work paid off, and saw Cleland qualify for the premier summer Special Olympics event on the planet. There, she experienced the camaraderie of international competition for the first time. The most enduring mark of the friendships made in Greece come in the form of the assortment of pins and clothing items that Cleland and her teammates traded for with their fellow competitors. Her mother indicates that
she and her daughter came well prepared to participate in the phenomenon. “I brought ten Team Canada t-shirts in preparation and ended up coming home with an entire hat full of pins from across the world,” said the elder Cleland. “You would be walking along and people would propose trades. One young lady even wanted me to buy her entire uniform.” With the excitement of the summer behind her daughter, Cleland indicates that her goals are quite simple in nature. “The goal really is just to keep Bobbi-Lyn involved at this point,” said Cleland. “With the internationals behind her, it’s just important that she stay in the pool and stay active.” That same message is one that the Seahawks’ manager wishes to express to the parents of those with special needs who remain uninvolved in sport. “If you have someone who’s interested in swimming, bring them out. You see so many potential athletes who just aren’t doing anything,” said Cleland. Restivo added, “In the case of one of our swimmers, his parents were completely unaware that he swam, and were floored when they saw him at a meet. “This boy never spoke when he first came to us. Now we can’t stop him from talking. “These athletes need that sense of community.” For their part, the Clelands will continue to foster that communal sense at their Dundas club. The hope is that Bobbi-Lyn’s achievement can serve as an inspiration and propel other Special Olympians to similar heights.
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THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 8, 2011
welcome week kicks off: excited first-year attendees enjoyed tuesday’s ‘triple theat’ show featuring stereos, these kids wear crowns and dragonette. stay tuned to next week’s andy for full concert coverage and interviews!
RICARDO PADILLA / ASSISTANT PHOTO EDITOR
applauding the rise of canadian indie labels Rumours have been circulating throughout the music industry suggesting that the current economic instability of the United States could spell disaster for many of the major labels. While this is certainly feared by international media conglomerates, countless independent musicians have joined together in a chorus of cheers. Many factors contributed to the rumoured collapse of mega-labels such as Sony and Universal Records: the rapid spread of internet sharing, trying economic times and the ceaseless saturation of the market with commoditized acts by the labels themselves. But the hard work of independent labels and musicians over the past three decades is often overlooked as the final nail driven into the coffin of the major label platform, which has plagued the music industry since Elvis. Independent labels were kick-
started in the early ‘80s as a reaction to the conservative backlash of the Regan-ThatcherMulroney empires. Money was scarce and creativity abundant as thousands of new bands carved independent touring circuits across North America. California’s SST Records is often hailed as a hallmark example of the early success of independent labels. Started by Greg Ginn, the guitarist of Black Flag, SST boasted a myriad of diverse and productive artists who have become legendary among indie circles. But SST has also been a warning story for those embarking on the independent route through the music industry. Ultimately, mismanagement and apathy caused the label to collapse in the early ‘90s and left dozens of artists angry over unpaid royalties. In Canada, the rise of alternative music in the ‘90s provided another chance
for independent labels to flourish. Hamilton’s own Sonic Unyon Records emerged as both one of the largest supporters of Canadian talent as well as a distributer for the most reputable international talent. The label distributed the music of Hamilton’s most legendary independent acts such as Teenage Head and Simply Saucer while also circulating the albums of American heavyweights like Black Francis, of Pixies fame and the Jesus Lizard. In the last decade, a plethora of strong independent labels across Southern Ontario have wedged themselves into the public eye. Toronto’s Arts and Crafts Records was started in 2002 by the members of Broken Social Scene and has gone on to become arguably the most important independent label in Canada. Artists such as Feist and Bell Orchestre have led the label’s artists to col-
lect 15 Juno awards and countless nominations. Also Toronto based, Dine Alone Records is quickly rising as a top contender in the Canadian independent music scene. Groups like City and Colour and Tokyo Police Club have proven that mainstream success is not hindered by the micromanaging of an independent label. The successful trend of independent labels extends outside Canada and across the globe. Many independent musicians now have the opportunity to share their music with international crowds and make a reasonable living. The music industry is shedding its glitz and glam and heading towards a more sincere form of artistry. • Josh Parsons
Come write for ANDY; drop by MUSC B110.
CD Review
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 8, 2011
jeff bridges
by Jemma Wolfe
Hollywood legend Jeff Bridges proves himself to be a successful actor-turned-singer in his self-titled sophomore album. This folksy record explores themes of love, work and day-today life. The toe-tapping beat of “What A Little Bit Of Love Can Do” starts the record off on the right foot and immediately speaks to Bridges’ blues-inspired talent. His full vocals and rich harmonies on “Either Way” are wistful and calming, making the song another particularly notable track. The album is great for a casual listen and will be particularly appreciated by blues enthusiasts. Overall Rating: 3/5