Thursday,August 7, 2014
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Driving the future forward
Fringe festival reviews
Marauders to face Div-1 NCAA team
One man’s mission to spread the story of sustainability, one city at a time.
The theatre festival is over, and we’re ready to give you our thoughts and show you some shots.
The Men’s Basketball team will face off with IPFW on Aug. 9th.
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The Silhouette thesil.ca | twitter.com/theSilhouette facebook.com/TheMcMasterSilhouette
R E V O C N S O I T D MIL A H ost m l a s ’ er Summ o have you all s d over, xperience o t e really el City has ll? e the St efore the fa rted. offer b t you sta ge Let’s
E8 G A P -
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LOOKING BACK
The Silhouette
Volume 85, Issue 3 Thursday, August 7, 2014 McMaster University’s Student Newspaper
EDITORIAL BOARD executive editor | thesil@thesil.ca Andrew Terefenko @andrewterefenko managing editor | managing@thesil.ca Julia Redmond @juliaeredmond production editor | production@thesil.ca Amanda Watkins @whatthekins section editors
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The Silhouette welcomes letters to the editor in person at MUSC B110, or by email at thesil@thesil.ca. Please include name, address and telephone number for verification only. We reserve the right to edit, condense or reject letters and opinion articles. Opinions and editorials expressed in The Silhouette are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of the editorial board, the publishers, the McMaster Students Union or the University. The Silhouette is an editorially autonomous newspaper published by the McMaster Students Union. The Silhouette Board of Publications acts as an intermediary between the editorial board, the McMaster community and the McMaster Students Union. Grievances regarding The Silhouette may be forwarded in writing to: McMaster Students Union, McMaster University Student Centre, Room 201, L8S 4S4, Attn: The Silhouette Board of Publications. The Board will consider all submissions and make recommendations accordingly.
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Guelph kidnaps Mac student shaves school letter onto his head As part of an ongoing rivalry between McMaster and the Ontario Agricultural College of Guelph, a Mac frosh was abducted outside of a Hamilton coffee shop, tied and thrown into a car in which he was taken to the Guelph campus. In addition to shaving his head, the raiders also ripped off and stole his iconic Mac jacket, and his shoes and shirt, before returning him to Mac at 1 a.m. The dean at the time, A. W. Patrick, strongly discouraged any retaliation and it is unknown whether any penalties were levied against the mystery kidnappers. [originally published in The Silhouette as OAC Raids --- Cutting Hair]
ONLINE
Osheaga makes waves in Montreal er /McMast te t Silhoue
Visit www.thesil.ca for our wrap-up coverage of the 2014 Osheaga music festival, and a gallery of photos from the event.
The Silhouette
Thursday, August 7, 2014
NEWS
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If you don’t think intestinal bacteria are in control of your emotions, prepare to think again, on page 4.
Rethinking the sustainability roadmap Stephen Szucs is touring across North America in his power-assisted bicycle, spreading the simple message of sustainable lifestyle.
One man is set on making the world a better place, one human being at a time. Andrew Terefenko Executive Editor
Sustainability is just a buzzword to some, but to Stephen Szucs, it is his way of life. The founder of Sustainable Joes, a sustainability awareness project, stopped by Mac on his crusade through North America to speak to students about what they can do to make the world around them better, one step at a time. “Step one is to get a million people to say they want sustainable change. Step two is to show them what it looks like by highlighting difference makers, such as individuals and businesses already moving out world in a sustainable direction. Step three is to build the world’s largest sustainability network so that it is easy to the average Joe, hence the name of the project,” said Szucs. Starting in London on June 14th, Szucs aims to reach Key West in his unique so-
lar-powered vehicle, the ELF. need to engage all of human“It stands for Electric ity.” Light Fun, and is classified as The trip was not without a power-assisted bicycle. It has any hiccups, as the vehicle is a 100 watt solar panel on the still somewhat experimental. roof, a 500 watt motor, and “I went to plug in the third legally governed at 32 km/h. It battery once, and nothing has to be out of Canada by the happened. I was in the middle end of August, at which point of nowhere, Amish country. the Visa on I could see the vehicle four houses, expires.” and only one Szucs of them had Sustainability is tries to make wires going as minimal into it. Finensuring that every a footprint gers crossed, generation gets to as he can on I knock on live in the same each of his the door and stops, going abundance we get to made three so far as to new friends.” live in.” improvise Szucs sleeping pointed out Stephen Szucs solutions on how quickly Sustainable Joes, the fly. little actions Founder “In the can pile up last 28 days for students. I’ve slept in close to twenty The average North American couches and futons, and even creates four pounds of garbage pitched a tent on a front lawn. a day. “I created one bag of Because I believe sustainability garbage in a year,” said Szucs. will take all of humanity, we “[Sustainability] is ensur-
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ing that every generation gets to live in the same abundance that we get to live in. It’s taking a full cradle-to-cradle mentality in everything we do,” said Szucs. “Instead of buying something with the anticipated lifespan of throwing it away, in the design phase we should think of ‘how are we doing to deconstruct something, and
re-utilize all the resources that went into making it?’ to ultimately maximize the utility of every resource. Szucs will continue his #rethink tour throughout the year until he reaches his destination, which will likely not be the end of his sustainability journey.
Three easy sustainable steps Reduce your garbage: Rethink the amount of garbage you are putting out as an individual and try to keep that to the lowest possible minumum you can manage. Recycle and compost wherever possible. Eat local: The average item of food travels over 2000 km to get to your plate. Reduce your carbon contribution by getting your food from local growers. Use alternative transporation: Whether it means taking public transit or biking to your destination, avoid individual vehicles. Added bonus of exercise!
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Thursday, August 7, 2014
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RESEARCH
Chemistry Research
The Ties Between the Belly and the Brain
Testing water purity — with the drop of a pill
Gut bacteria may be responsible for some mood disorders, research shows.
Krista Schwab News Editor
The connection between the gut, mood and behaviour is well known, but not fully understood. That anxious feeling of butterflies in your stomach is just one example of the relationship between our insides and our mental state. To take a closer look at this relationship, Dr. Stephen Collins, gastroenterologist and researcher at McMaster University’s Farncombe Family Digestive Health Research Institute, conducted a series of studies. Dr. Collins’ research focuses on the microbiata-gut-brain axis, a communication system between bacteria, the gut and the brain. “It enables the gut to respond to changes in the brain like emotion and stress and also enables the brain to monitor what’s going on in the gut,” Dr. Collins explained. “For that reason, many of the diseases that occur in the gut are often associated with things like anxiety and depression.” Up to 80 per cent of people with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) experience anxiety or depression, which previously
could not be explained. Dr. trial is currently in progress unCollins’ research suggests it is der the supervision of Dr. Precertain types of bacteria that mysl Bercik, associate professor can negatively impact the comin McMaster’s Department of munication system and cause Medicine. The experiment, the these symptoms in the brain. results of which will be available In his most recent study, the in the fall, replaces the “bad” bacteria in the intestines of two bacteria in human IBS patients types of mice were analyzed. experiencing anxiety and deOne type of mouse was calm pression with “good” bacteria. and relaxed while the other was This research will uncover anxious. The experiment took how “good” bacteria, which bacteria from include probithe intestines otics found of one type in yogurt, of mouse are able to and gave it to Many of the diseases positively inanother. mood that occur in the fut fluence When and alleviate are often associated given bacthe symptoms teria from felt in patients with things like an anxious with gastroanxiety and mouse, recipintestinal depression.” ients would disorders. become more “It’s Dr. Stephen Collins, PhD anxious. Simentirely feailarly, bacteria Gastroenterologist, sible that by Mcmaster University from a calm manipulating mouse would gut bacteria induce more you might be relaxed behaviour. able to make some impact on The results suggest that some of these disorders,” Dr. mood and behaviour can be Collins said. “I’m not saying modified through changing the they are caused by gut bacteria, bacteria in the gut. but they might be able to have This theory has not only an impact.” been tested on mice. A human
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Kimia Sorouri Meducator Columnist
More than 3.4 million people die every year from unsanitary water, and 99 per cent of those deaths are occurring in the developing world. But McMaster’s Chemical Engineering department has created a possible solution. Sana Jahanshahi-Anbuhi, a PhD student in the department, found inspiration for the project from a breath strip while out shopping in the supermarket. The idea is simple: take all of the complicated chemistry needed for testing water and cram it all into a single pill coated with the same dissolvable material used in breath strips. A change in the colour of the water after five to ten minutes will be sufficient to indicate the safety of the water sample. The contents of the pill can test for a variety of water contaminants, including pesticides, bacteria and metals. This allows water sources in the most remote regions to be easily tested by simply dropping in this magic pill. So how does it really work? The material used for the pill and in breath strips is pullulan, a natural polysaccharide produced by the fungus Aureobasidium pullulans, that forms an oxygen impermeable solid when dry but readily dissolves in water. The McMaster researchers working on the project were able to demonstrate that pullulan also offers protection against heat. Tests using common materials found in bioassays proved the significant thermal stabilization property of pullulan at room temperature, 50 C, and even 90 C after 30 minutes of exposure. The chemicals necessary for many bioassays, including water-testing assays, are highly reactive with other chemicals such as oxygen. In addition, the enzymes in these bioassays denature and lose their function upon exposure to heat. Hence, bioassays are highly sensitive and unstable. However, given the unique properties of pullulan, it is now possible to form capsules that are able to not only protect the encapsulated contents against heat and oxygen, but are also highly suitable for shipping. Consequently, capsules made of pullulan can be used to store precisely measured amounts of the chemicals and enzymes used for water-testing for long periods of time and to be transported to remote regions easily. It’s also cheap to produce and is already approved for wide commercial use. From the perspective of John Brennan, the director of McMaster’s Biointerfaces Institute, where the pill is being developed, the project has the potential to revolutionize the way water testing is conducted. In a video interview with McMaster, Brennan says with pride, “If what we have discovered doesn’t translate into having some kind of positive impacts for society, what have we really done?”
Dirty drinking water is a very real problem in many parts of the world. An easy test for purity could save many lives.
The Silhouette
Thursday, August 7, 2014
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OPINION Cdn. Politics
Reforming immigration rhetoric Are Conservative reforms fuelling anti-immigrant movements? Ana Qarri Opinions Editor
As most controversial laws go, the Strengthening Canadian Citizenship Act got its two weeks of fame. The law passed and the crowds roared, and there was nothing anyone could do. Some are calling it the Two-Tier Citizenship Act and others think it was a much needed change, but after everything is over and the public is no longer engaged or enraged, I’m worried about what the conversation meant and what it revealed about Canadian society. If one thing’s certain, it’s that Canadians pride themselves on diversity. The City of Toronto has declared it its strength and our country’s multicultural policy is, in theory, decades ahead of the rest of the world. Yet, the Harper government thinks that Canada has been too nice and has decided to make things stricter, to crack down on the abuses they believed were happening even though no substantial evidence pointed to their existence. There is nothing wrong with making the system a little stricter to protect Canadian citizens and our hard-earned tax dollars. Government needs to be efficient and the existing bureaucracy as painless as possible. However, treating non-Canadian born citizens and immigrants as less than and assuming the worst encourages anti-immigrant rhetoric and sentiment. Canada needs immigrants whether they come in legally and go through an abuse-proof immigration system or not. With parts of our country
steadily depopulating, the economic need for immigration is great. So far, Canada has attracted an educated immigrant base and skilled workers because of its competitive immigration policies. This might not be the case 5 years from now when the effects of the reforms are felt. The changes that are currently taking place might discourage people from wanting to immigrate, unwilling to invest so much time and money into a government that treats each immigrant as the worst-case scenario, and could, at the end of the day, revoke their citizenship without a fair judicial hearing. Current and future immigrants are faced with a quickly changing and uncertain immigration landscape that could be a deterrent in the long run. The theme of the two recent Immigration ministers has been the “integrity” of Canadian citizenship. This is admirable – being a Canadian citizen should mean something and come with its privileges and responsibilities. However, strengthening the integrity of Canadian citizenship should not come at the expense of committed immigrants. Public opinion is often easily shaped by the narrative told by our government through the policies they implement and parliamentary debates. If immigrants are portrayed and
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treated as people who are going to break laws and abuse the system, then the discourse around them becomes one of protecting Canada from immigrants rather than creating a system that benefits both present and future citizens. Not only are these policies unfair to immigrants, they are also offensive, and a country that loves its diversity shouldn’t be treating its immigrants – the source of that diversity – as possible criminals instead of dedicated citizens. For the most part, Canadians have much less antagonism towards immigrants than most other developed countries, however, like most politically-influenced climates, this can change. The Conservative government needs to be careful about the messages it delivers to the public. While it could be catering to a small, extremely conservative base within their own party, its messages are reaching a broad audience. Portraying immigrants as potential threats to Canadian integrity isn’t beneficial for anyone. Immigration reform should be a two-way street where both parties get the level of respect and responsibility they deserve and the positive impact of immigrants on Canadian society is recognized.
Canada needs immigrants whether they come in legally or not.
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Be on the lookout for more Opinions this summer exclusive to the website at www.thesil.ca. Or submit your own to thesil@thesil.ca!
DEAR MAC,
Dear Mac, I’m going into first year this September and I’m really nervous. I’m from out of province, and none of my friends are coming to McMaster University with me. I’m going to be living in a double room, and I don’t know my roommate. I’ve never lived with anyone before, and I don’t know this girl so I am really scared about living with her… I’ve heard a lot of roommate horror stories, and this is my first time living away from home, so I really don’t know what to do! What if we don’t get along? -Freaked Out First Year Dear Freaked Out, First of all, welcome to McMaster! I understand that it can be super nerve-wracking living away from home – especially when it’s for the first time, and especially when ‘home’ is so far away. The thing about living with someone is—you don’t really know what it will be like until you actually do it. The best way to start out on the right foot with someone you don’t know is to try to communicate with them. Find them on Facebook or email, and start talking to them. Start getting to know each other, ask questions, learn about each other’s habits and pet peeves. This might be a good time to discuss who is bringing what – especially in terms of appliances or fans, or things you might be sharing. Once you move in, in the first few weeks of living in residence, your building’s Community Advisors (CAs) will meet with you and your roommate, in order to discuss your ‘roommate agreement’. This is a contract that you and your roommate will design together, and it works to try to prevent future problems between roommates. In these contracts, roommates tend to discuss the rules and expectations of living together (e.g. warn each other before you invite over company), and this way, you have
everything in writing, and you have discussed it with a CA, so you are both held accountable to your roommate agreement. As for roommate horror stories – yes, people have had terrible roommates before, but people have also had great ones – roommates who surprise them with treats and presents; roommates who have the exact same sleeping schedule as you; roommates who have a great fashion sense, who wear your size, and who let you borrow their clothes! What I’m trying to say is, you won’t know what living with your roommate will be like before you do it, so go into it with an open mind – chances are, they are just as nervous as you are! Mac ---------------Dear Mac, I think my girlfriend is cheating on me, and I don’t know what to do. We’ve been together for a few months, and recently she’s been acting really distant and weird, and I think she’s seeing someone else. I really like her, but I’m not okay with her cheating. Should I just break up with her? -Anonymous Dear Anonymous, First of all, it’s important not to do anything rash. There could be many reasons why your girlfriend has been acting different, and many reasons why she has been acting distant. Try talking to her about it! Chances are, she has something going on in her life – and she might just not know how to talk to you about it! Try communicating with her, maybe telling her that you’ve noticed that she’s been acting differently, and ask her if everything’s okay, then go from there. Maybe there is just a simple, different explanation for her behaviour! Mac
“Dear Mac” is a column written by volunteers from the MSU’s Peer Support Line. To email in a question that you want addressed in a column, you can send it in to: psl@msu.mcmaster.ca with the subject line: Dear Mac. The Peer Support Line does not run in the Summer, and will start again in the Fall.
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Thursday, August 7, 2014
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How to survive next year’s Ramadan Sarah Jama Contributor
Ramadan is the ninth month in the Islamic calendar. One of the five pillars of Islam states that all Muslims must partake in fasting during this month—that is, to abstain from eating foods or drinking liquids between the periods of sunrise to sunset. The point in this practice is to force our busy selves to pause, reflect, and appreciate the wealth in our lives that can be sometimes forgotten or underappreciated. It is meant to be a month where families and friends come together to gain appreciation that which we have access to, and for each other. In my case, and with my shameless obsession of food and drink, participating fully in Ramadan has never been the easiest obligation to fulfil. Having survived this holy month with success, I’ve outlined five tips that fellow Muslim food addicts may find useful in combating withdrawal symptoms during future Ramadans. Turn off the Television: As much as I ‘m addicted to any other vice, I ‘m addict-
ed to television (yes, Netflix is included in this category). Still, television is a horrible vice to give into during Ramadan. What with those tempting fast food commercials, and the repetitive news of the Kardashians’ silicone butt, television does nothing more than slow the clock. Avoid the lunch room: I don’t know about you, but I’m not me when I’m hungry. Though against the spirit of Ramadan, when I’m deprived of food I turn into a three-headed, purple-haired monster. That’s why my second tip of surviving Ramadan is to avoid the lunch room. Whether at school or at work, hanging out in a lunch room while famished could cause one’s behaviour to range from mildly creepy, to downright violent. Speaking from experience, constantly giving someone’s food the ogle-eye is not good form (and might get you fired). Hang out with family and friends: Though sometimes annoying, hanging out with family during Ramadan is a great way to pass the time, and to deepen connections with loved ones.
Being hungry with those who are also hungry can help pass time, because there’s room to complain together. Big families are the most entertaining, because having them over during Ramadan can be like watching real life sitcoms for free. Read: From religious scriptures to the Harry Potter fan fic, reading can help keep hunger at bay. Reading during fasting can be entertaining and enlightening (unless of course you start obsessing over the imaginary taste of a bezoar). In this way you can exercise your mind, all while passing time during long hours of fasting. Stuff your face: I know, I know. This last tip seems counter-intuitive. Ramadan requires that Muslims fast from sunrise to sunset. In this part of the world at this time of the year, the interval between these two time periods leaves eight hours of time to eat up. Depending on your speed and skill level, that could allow for eighty meals a night. Sleep is for the weak, and subtracts valuable chewing time.
Upholding tradition can be tough when you’re away from home, but there are always steps to take the make it easy.
B.O.D. CORNER Scott Mallon Vice President (Finance) McMaster Student’s Union
Dispelling student fee myths.
Hamilton’s premier student housing experience WESTVILLAGESUITES.CA
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Students are charged a lot of supplementary fees these days to attend post-secondary institutions. As tuition continues to rise to the point where a house may end up cheaper than a degree, students may wonder if these are worth paying. I am not going to lie. I often let these thoughts cross my mind too, that is, until I was recently challenged to defend the rationale for collecting these fees. Being a commerce student I figure that I will never have to defend a thesis so this would be a pretty good comparison. I decided to explain each of the fees including the MSU fee ($122.61), the Athletics and Recreation Activity fee ($113.37) and the HSR Bus Pass ($138.65). In my mind this would be more than enough and I would be well on my way to a PhD in Compulsory Ancillary Fees. Think again Scott. The student would begin to ask for more and more details and reasons for why students cannot simply opt-out. At the risk at sounding somewhat biased, it was easy to defend the MSU fee because almost every student interacts with the MSU or a product of MSU campaigns on a daily basis. In regards to the other fees, this is where the real deep thought began. Why should all students pay for a service that is not used by all students? Why not pay for more services (i.e. Pulse memberships)? Why can’t they be opt-in or opt-out? I finally arrived at an answer that my grade twelve law teacher would be proud of: utilitarianism. Utilitarianism is defined as the belief that a morally good action is one that helps the greatest number of people. As university students we are all in a similar situation with financial, academic, and emotional hardships. It is our job to look out for each other. Those of us with the means to afford all of the services that the university has to offer are able to help lower the price for those that may not be able to pay for them otherwise. This train of thought is one where are able to anonymously help each other enjoy the same university experience as everyone else. In the immortal words of Troy Bolton, “We’re all in this together.”
The Silhouette
Thursday, August 7, 2014
EDITORIAL Get Ready. The summer is only a taste of what we’ve got in store for you, the reader. Andrew Terefenko Executive Editor
This August issue will be the last of the 16-page summer editions, and with it also comes the end of the condensed, punchier articles that you may have gotten used to in the past 3 months. When Issue no. 4 drops on September 11, we’ll bump up our page count to double that of summer issues — that’s 32 pages — and come at you with more original content than you can possibly consume in one sitting. It is in that spirit that I sincerely urge each and every person to get involved in this publication, as it is first and foremost by the students, for the students. It’s easy, and there are many avenues you can go down with us. You can write. It’s the most popular way people get involved and it’s rewarding in more than just print space. You hone your writing skills for other purposes such as essays and letters. You have something to show propsective employers to prove your extracurricular enthusiasm, and you still get your name in print, which is just as exciting to us veterans now as it was the very first time. You can take photos. Just as with writing, we need an almost equal amount of
visual content to go with our stories so that the easily-distracted youth of today aren’t turned off by massive swathes of quality text. Don’t wait for us to assign you a topic either. If you see something cool happening around campus, snap a picture, at the worst it’ll get a ton of likes on your Facebook wall and at the other end you never know what might becomes tomorrow’s front page photo. You can join our video team. A new iniative, we are always looking for people to be in our videos, to write video content, to think of cool ideas that would suit themselves well to video. You name it. It’s as simple as sending a two word e-mail to me; “I’m interested.” If you give me that much, I’ll give you back the entire information package with how you can get involved this fall. Just in case you’ve missed it on page two, I’ll put it under here big and bold so you can’t miss it. Looking forward to hearing from you.
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S To the magic of form-fitting bike seats.
To Sharknado. Cheese for the sake of cheese.
To friends tolerant of my clear lack of hoop skills.
To Poo-Pourri, a truly revolutionary product.
To Pearson’s improvements in quicker lines.
To 10-hour mixes of 80’s love songs. You got me to August.
To the cold third of extra large coffee by the end.
To Sharknado. The novelty wore off, now that I remember.
To the demise of my last working office highlighter.
To Westdale motorists. Eager to run stop signs as ever.
To the Ice Cap contest. Stop pretending you’re as good as roll up the win. You aren’t even in the same league.
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Thursday, August 7, 2014
WHAT TO DO: Hamilton is the waterfall capital of the world - we have over 100! SITE FACT: Make sure to bring a bathing suit to Chedoke Falls! BUS ROUTES: 05 (Tiffany &Webster’s Falls)
WHAT TO DO: A National Historic site that tells the story of Sir Allen McNab. Take a guided tour of this castle through more than 40 rooms. SITE FACT: Your Student Card gets you in free! BUS ROUTES: 01/05/51
WHAT TO D town, it is one o galleries, featur SITE FACT: Y BUS ROUTES
WHAT TO DO: Enjoy an scenic hike and get the best view of Dundas this side of the Escarpment. SITE FACT: Before visiting the peak, you can always stop at Webster’s Falls and Spencer Gorge. BUS ROUTES: 05 & 01/05
WHAT TO DO: Head to Locke hungry, since it has some of the cities best restaurants and shops. SITE FACT: Looking for the poems? Don’t forget to check under your feet! BUS ROUTES: 05/10/51
WHAT TO containing elem The home is cla SITE FACT: Y BUS ROUTES
Thursday, August 7, 2014
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Graphic C/O Alexander Young Text C/O Joshua Patel
DO: Located in the heart of downof the oldest and largest national art ring over 10,000 works of art. Your Student Card gets you in free! S: 01/05/51
WHAT TO DO: During the second Friday of every month, the street features local music, art, and food trucks for pedestrians. SITE FACT: Super Crawl is held mid September! BUS ROUTES: 05/51
WHAT TO DO: The most scenic watefront park in Hamilton, Bayfront offers an incredible view of the harbour and features a sandy beach trail. SITE FACT: Hutches is a must for their fries! BUS ROUTES: 51/01 & 04
DO: A mid-19th century estate ments from three different periods. assified as a National Historic site. Your Student Card gets you in free! S: 01/05/51
WHAT TO DO: Visit every Wednesday to Friday until the end of August for an outdoor promenade with local vendors and food trucks. SITE FACT: The park fountain is a city landmark. BUS ROUTES: 51/04
WHAT TO DO: Enjoy the Roller Rink, the Waterfront Trolley, or the Harbour Queen cruise. SITE FACT: During the winter, the Roller Rink is converted to an ice skating rink. BUS ROUTES: 51 & 04
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LIFESTYLE
www.thesil.ca
Thursday, August 7, 2014
Have any recipes or reviews of local restaurants/bars? Send them to thesil@thesil.ca.
GALLERY: Fringe Festival acts out Tobi Abdul Assistant Lifestyle Editor
When we speak of the Hamilton art scene, we often insinuate that is has sprouted out of nowhere. However, the art culture in Hamilton is rich in history, with the Hamilton Fringe Festival being an important facet in the culture. The Fringe, as it is called, is celebrating its eleventh year in existence. The festival, which ran from July 17 to 27, celebrated art, non-partiality, freedom from censorship, and accessibility. It allowed stories to be told and experienced through dance, spoken word, music, and drama while receiving a hundred percent of the profit. Fringe festivals are a longstanding tradition worldwide, allowing both veterans and emerging artists to share a stage. The festival aims to enrich the experience of both performers and audience members by opening up non-traditional spaces for stories to be told and innovative approaches to art to be discovered. The repertoire of shows that were performed at the twelve festival venues were somewhat overwhelming, however, we managed to grab some photos of some select performances.
The Yellow Wallpaper, a theatre classic, hopes to bring to the forefront the seriousness of mental health treatment.
Fast Food Love: The Musical! aims to shed light on the detrimental effect of capitalism in the form of chain stores.
Visit thesil.ca for interviews with directors and reviews of Fringe plays.
The Bell Ringer deals with body issues and self-image in the form of a Hunchback of Notre Dame interpreation
JON WHITE / PHOTO EDITOR
Thursday, August 7, 2014
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REVIEW: Bronzies is good as gold If you’re looking for authentic italian eats, look no further than this hidden Hamilton gem. Sarah O’Connor Staff Reporter
In late July I went with my family to Bronzie’s, a hidden little restaurant on James Street South. We went on a Saturday night and it was packed, but my parents made reservations ahead of time so we only had to wait a couple of minutes for our table to be washed down and ready. I overheard a couple who came in after my family and it was a fifteen minute wait. Not too bad, but Bronzie’s doesn’t have much of a sitting room for customers waiting for a table. Making a reservation would be a smart move. The restaurant is extremely small, hiding itself in a little corner on James Street South, and walking to your table can be a cramped and awkward
affair, but there’s something about the smallness of the restaurant that gives Bronzie’s its friendly atmosphere. Were it bigger location I feel the atmosphere would be lost, which would take most of the experience out of dining here. We ordered the “Bruschetta with shaved Parmesan” ($6.95) for an appetizer. Six pieces of sliced Italian bread with a generous amount of diced tomatoes and shredded parmesan cheese on each. The traditional feta cheese would have been a nice touch on the starter, but the large amount of shredded parmesan helped dull the ache of
the missing feta. Even with the missing feta I would swear that this is one of the best bruschetta’s I’ve ever had. For the main course I ordered the “Chicken Parmesan” ($15.95) which came with a side salad, a slice of bread, and a generous helping of pasta (spaghetti or penne, it’s your choice!). The dish was more than generous with the chicken parmesan nearly falling off the plate and the chicken and pasta slathered with tomato
sauce. The parmesan, as well as all the food at Bronzie’s, has a unique taste because every dish is personally hand-made. Nothing is frozen and nothing is old. Only the freshest ingredients are used, which makes every bite savory. We did have to wait a bit for our food, Bronzie’s even has a sign inside that notifies customers that all their food is freshly made at the restaurant, but the food is well worth the wait. But if you don’t want to wait, you can always call ahead and order off the Take-Out menu to pick up your food. A good portion of menu items on the Take-Out menu come from the Lunch and Dinner menu. Even with the wait the
service was friendly and the staff were always present to make sure every table was taken care of and every customer was happy. While waiting, Bronzie’s ended up feeling like home, and I look forward to going back. While Bronzie’s is hidden and parking can be a hassle for drivers, it is in a perfect location for students. Considering how popular James Street North has become with Art Crawl, students just need to walk a little farther down the street to visit the shops and restaurants that are overshadowed by the north side of the street. Bronzie’s gives customers an authentic Italian feast to gorge on and provides a cozy atmosphere for students. In short, Bronzie’s is somewhere your Nonna would be proud to eat.
Dining Time: 30-60 min. Price Range: $15 - $30 Location: 201 James St. South >> Lunch or Dinner <<
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Stay tuned for varsity team previews in our upcoming September mini-magazine!
CFL Football
Athletic Updates
Tiger-Cats at McMaster Ron Joyce became the battleground for a CFL showdown, but was Mac the right fit?
Scott Hastie Sports Editor
Mac to play Div-1 ballers McMaster will host an NCAA Division 1 basketball opponent for the second summer in a row. Indiana University-Purdue University Fort Wayne (or IPFW, for short) will take on the Marauders men’s basketball team on August 9.
Scott Hastie Sports Editor
After 637 days on the road, the Hamilton Tiger-cats were finally playing a game in Steeltown. It was not at the new stadium, which has been marred by construction delays, but at McMaster University’s Ron Joyce Stadium. Some believe the wait was far too long to be back in Hamilton, and that McMaster should have held the home games last year – not the University of Guelph. This game provided a reduced glimpse at what campus would have looked like should Mac have agreed to host the games for the 2013 season. To the Tiger-cats credit, the event seemed to run pretty smoothly. Some fans commented on confusion about parking and complained about the inability to drink alcohol in the bleachers. Parking confusion is an argument worth listening to, but no alcohol in the stands is no secret – the seats are not
licensed. being said, it was a much more Pre-game events were the engaged crowd that you would same as your average McMaster find at the average Mac football football game, except it was game. black and gold instead of maTSN broadcasted the game, roon and grey. There were some which meant they took over the tailgaters, entire press crushing box, forcing cans of Bud the journalLight in beer ists to watch Some believe the coozies, but from the nothing out conwait was far too long upper of control. course from It was a beneath a [for the Ti-Cats] to well-attendThe be back in Hamilton tent. ed game, and complaints if it was not from jour& Mac should have a sell out, nalists were held the homes then it only that some probably vantage games last year.” only missed points were by douso bad, you ble-digits. could not see Despite full stands, the crowd a third of the field, meaning that was tepid until the second some media were running to a half. The lack of liquid courbetter vantage point and then age played a factor, but it is running back to their computer difficult to get excited about to fire off a tweet. playing your first home game A walk through the conin a stadium that is a third the course at half-time was a good size of what was expected. That example of why McMaster
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hosting the games would have been a nightmare. There was barely any room to manoeuvre because of lines for concessions, and it’s hard to see how the stadium would have accommodated 10,000 more people. Granted, the additional fans would be on the other side of the stadium, but the reality is that Ron Joyce was already at capacity, and fans do not always staple themselves to their seats. Leaving the game was not too bad if you were walking, and there was not many cars parked along Sterling or King Street. The first of two Tiger-Cats games at Ron Joyce – and expect there to be a third – should be looked at as a success but also a line in the sand. It is a temporary home, meaning it does not need all the bells and whistles of a typical home game. McMaster cannot handle that capacity because it was never meant to, and now, we have proof.
Two Marauders represent Canada in El Salvador Two young members of Mac’s men’s volleyball program have been selected to represent Canada on the Junior National Team. Brandon Koppers (second year) and Andrew Richards (first year) are playing for the Canadian national team at the NORCECA Junior Championship in El Salvador.
Volleyball alumnus wins world award Former Marauder Sophie Bukovec won the Federation International de Volleyball U21 World Beach Championship. Bukovec left McMaster after one season to attend Long Beach State University and train under three-time beach volleyball Olympic gold medalist Misty May-Treanor.
Winning The War on Drugs Get ready for the quintessential sleeper hit. Lost In The Dream drags the listener in, knocks them out, and makes them ponder on life itself. Donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t wake up just yet. PAGE 14
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REVIEW: Lost In The Dream
- The War on Drugs unfathomable success of High Violet. That fact is worth noting The War On Drugs may not be because Granduciel seems to a household name as of yet, but have borrowed a page from their latest full length offering National lead singer Matt BerLost In The Dream takes them ninger’s notebook when writing further down the road to starwhat will surely be regarded as dom that their sophmore effort, his seminal work with War on Slave Ambient, firmly placed Drugs. them on in 2011. Much in the same way that While changes have been Berninger shines a light on the made to the lineup since its first banal anxieties that colour the inception with Kurt Vile opting lives of ordinary neurotics with to focus day jobs, on his solo Granduciel career, the too paints a band’s music very tense, remains more nervy portrait It makes me wish I so the sole of life. The product of difference in had a Porsche so I frontman this case is could speed along Adam Granthat Beran empty highway duciel. ninger uses Slave made-up at 4 a.m. with Ambient characters the sound system made Granto channel duciel & Co. his thoughts maxed out. many new while the life fans, like Granduciel is indie darlings The National who writing about is his own. invited them on tour when they You will notice a steady themselves were riding off the rhythmic accompaniment to all Tomi Milos ANDY Editor
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Like it was lost in a dream itself, we’ve pulled this album out of early 2014 to give it the exposure it so rightly deserves.
of the songs on the record; that would be the tapping of your own foot. Such is the strength of the spell cast over listeners from the first track that drags them into the very dream that the album’s title refers to. ‘Under The Pressure’ is the 9-minute sprawler that serves as an impressive introduction to the new material. It’s dad-rock (if that term means anything) that throws caution to the winds. More than anything else, tracks like ‘An Ocean In Between The Waves’ and ‘Suffering’ are exquisite sonic abysses to lose yourself in. Like any record dealing with big existential issues, it demands an equally grandiose setting. It makes me wish I had a Porsche so I could speed along an empty highway at 4 a.m. with the sound system maxed out. Granduciel has the rare talent of making songs about anxiety that are equally soothing as they are unnerving and it makes his band’s third full length an absolute joy to listen to.
REVIEW: All About You - Jeremih Tomi Milos ANDY Editor
Riding on the coattails of “Birthday Sex,” this EP doesn’t quite deliver the same punch as expected by fans but bides time for his next release.
If you turned on the radio once in 2009, you had a good chance of hearing Jeremih’s smash debut single, “Birthday Sex.” The Chicago born R&B artist dominated the charts that year with his single reaching number four on the Billboard Hot 100 and his self-titled album jumping out of the gates at number 6 on the Billboard 200. While his second album, All About You, didn’t fare as well upon its release in December of 2010, Jeremih has always been an infinitely more interesting artist when not shackled to major label demands. There’s no denying that All About You was a slightly rushed endeavour; Def Jam had wanted to capitalize on the hype that their artist’s first album had created and the result was a little choppy. That’s why Late Nights With Jeremih, the artist’s 2012 mixtape, came as such a breath of fresh air. Tracks like “Fuck U All The Time” and “773 Love” were intricately assembled
and let Jeremih’s recognizable falsetto shine. At the same time, the bevy of featuring artists like Gucci Mane, 2 Chainz, and Fabolous made sure that the artist maintained his street appeal. Since linking up with producer Shlohmo for the absolute banger that was “Bo Peep (Do U Right),” the pair’s EP has been hotly anticipated. Bearing the title No More, the EP was dropped on Jeremih’s birthday to widespread acclaim. The titular opening track is coloured by Shlohmo’s penchant for explorative electronic beats and can turn off those expecting a more conventional approach. Jeremih’s sultry vocals seem to float over the discordant jumble of the L.A. native’s production. It doesn’t matter whether Jeremih’s command to “turn it up” was an instruction to Shlohmo in the studio, or to listeners, because you’ll want to do it anyway. The tail end of the song evolves into something of a hazy chopped and screwed version of the earlier energy. It paints perhaps the
best representation of a night out at the club; an evening that begins with jubilant reverie and no small amount of bravado to utter exhaustion that transforms everything that happens after 2 a.m. into a hazy blur. Rather curiously, a Shlohmo rework of “Fuck U All The Time” is dropped into the fold. While the song is obviously good, it bogs down the sequencing with a track that most have heard before. The rest of the tape doesn’t disappoint. “Dope” is just that. “Let It Go” will have you shedding thug tears in the middle of the club. “The End” finds Jeremih linking up with Chi-town upstart Chance The Rapper to ear-pleasing results that will remind some of the work Jamie xx did with the late Gil Scott-Heron. While brief, at only 6 songs, the EP will tide Jeremih fans over until his next release, Not On My Album, a mixtape fittingly littered with songs that didn’t make it onto his forthcoming record.
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E-sporting tournaments draw in both crowds and prize pools, with the recent Dota 2 International 2014 awarding over $10 million in prizes to the top-performing teams.
E-sports is the answer to Nintendo’s question Michael Gallagher Assistant ANDY Editor
Despite Nintendo’s best efforts, their latest console the Wii U has struggled to compete with the sales of their leading rival competitor Sony, and its PlayStation 4. Even though the Wii U was released earlier in 2012, the PS4 has already sold more in one year than the Wii U sold in two, selling seven million consoles since November 2013. With this year marking Nintendo’s third consecutive net loss in the billions of dollars, it seems the company must shift some of its focus in a new direction if it wants to remain an industry leader. One of the best ways to do that would be to support esports. Esports, or electronic sports, is a fast-growing scene that features competitive video game players vying for ever-growing prize pools. These games, like League of Legends, StarCraft II and Dota 2, have attracted millions of viewers,
p on Catch u adio: r s campu n at tune i
and have even filled up sports stadiums. Making money playing video games may seem hard to imagine, but the numbers simply do not lie. In 2013 alone, the total amount of tournament prize money across all games was nearly $25 million, with a total viewership of 75 million. Even more astonishing is that this viewership has doubled each passing year with no signs of stopping. The majority of these tournaments are broadcast on Twitch, a live-streaming website recently purchased by Google for over $1 billion, lending weight to the gravity of gaming broadcasts. While the Wii U and Nintendo may be struggling to catch people’s attention, esports is quickly becoming one of the most popular activities in North America. One in four gamers in America now takes part. However, Nintendo’s support for this growing scene has been basically non-existent, leaving many fans confused. In fact,
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rather than “cashing in” on the advertising possibilities esports offers, Nintendo has, in the past, actively fought against it. On July 9, 2013, the fighting game tournament Evolution Championship Series (EVO), announced that Nintendo had deliberately banned the tournament from broadcasting any footage of their game Super Smash Brothers Melee, a game that had only been chosen thanks to fans raising more than $94,000 for charity. Rather than taking advantage of the advertising potential that 1.7 million EVO viewers offered, it seemed that Nintendo wanted no part of it. This quickly became a public relations nightmare, as the decision was met with public outrage. After only a few hours the company decided to revoke their decision, witnessing firsthand the power of the gaming community. All this is quite surprising considering Nintendo’s last major console release. In
Coming up in August: > Talking with food blogger The Hungry Gnome > Discover new music every day of the month > Discussing economics with Mac professor Bill Scarth
2006, Nintendo released the Wii, a console that almost single-handedly made “casual gaming” popular, bringing in a variety of previously untapped demographics such as the elderly to join in the fun. For a company known for its innovations, it’s surprising that they have been among the last to adopt a pro-esports position. With the upcoming release of the newest Super Smash Bros game on the Wii U slated for this holiday season, now more than ever Nintendo must capitalize on this growing industry. Smash Wii U is thought by many to be the first party software title that Nintendo needs to bring the much needed boost in Wii U console sales, and what better way than to market it than as a competitive title? Smash already has a growing competitive scene that is avidly watching and competing in the series’ previous two titles, making the adopting this series as a Nintendo-supported esports title a natural step.
Search "93.3 CFMU" on Soundcloud to catch up if you missed something: > Interview with a professional ultimate frisbee athlete > MSU President Teddy Saull examines why students are so busy & what that means for you > “Weird Sports”
Thankfully, it seems Nintendo is finally starting to change its tune. Rather than attempting to cancel Super Smash Bros Melee at EVO 2014 in July, Nintendo actually sponsored the tournament, sending the exact opposite message as the previous year. Even more interesting is that to advertise the release of Super Smash Brothers Wii U, the company held a 16man invitational tournament featuring top competitive players to showcase the new game. While it is still early to say whether Nintendo will attempt to break into the world of esports with the latest Super Smash Brothers game, it is clear that Nintendo is finally starting to take the hint. With much of 2014 left to surprise us, fans should look forward to Nintendo’s upcoming titles, and hopefully, if we’re lucky, look forward to a new developer support for competitive gaming. Esports is here to stay, and if developers don’t accept this, they will soon be left behind.
Best Quote of July: "The more I do work here at TVO and the more I get involved with education ... the more I see how important it is to reading at a young age" -TVO Kids host Ranger Kara “[Sometimes] what you’re expecting of yourself is literally impossible; you can’t fit all of those things into one day.” -MSU President Teddy Saull
IN FULL BLOOM Forgotten ac tor punches pretentious teen pop sensation; nobody loses C8
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HAMILTON SPECULATOR SUPPORTING MARVIN GAYE’S RIGHTS SINCE 1934
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AUGUST 7, 2014
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
Underground concert plays to empty crowd The Randy Rickshaws set a record last night as they were so underground approximately zero people showed up for the concert, including themselves
Kijiji killer on the loose again Police baffled as the classifieds’ criminal repeatedly eludes capture CRAIG SLIST Missed Connector
The infamous Hamilton Kijiji killer is on the prowl again, as city denizens grow weary of their accumulating junk. The killer was being held in a downtown jail cell pending further processing and prosecution. In the morning police found his cell empty, with the closed circuit cameras pointing to an accomplice helping him escape. “We believe the killer posted an ad on the classifieds website seeking an accomplice to help him with his escape,” said police. The posting, which reads “Asof-yet unconvicted criminal seeks willing patsy to spring him from the joint. Will trade first-edition Pokémon cards on arrival,” has since been removed. Kijiji admins urge users to “not commit felonies for ungraded trading cards. Please make sure merchandise is authenticated for quality before putting your future at risk for it.”
INSIDE The Rickshaws answer the age-old question: If a tree falls in a forest and nobody is around to hear it, does it still go triple-platinum?
TIBERIUS SLICK Speculator A&E
It is the driving ambition of all modern bands to be so obscure as to evade Google searches, and the Randy Rickshaws are no strangers to that goal. The Rickshaws, a band of unknown origin, were reportedly set to play a full concert set at local park, only to discover a field of empty chairs, at which point the performers broke out into tears of joy. “We never dreamed to be so lucky as a new band. We expected a few stragglers and meth-heads,
but never this sheer lack of interest,” said Fran Leer, keytarist for the Rickshaws. The Rickshaws have been approached by several major record labels with lucrative contracts and have become a top-selling iTunes download overnight. “We didn’t want to spoil the moment so we immediately packed up and went back to our van to celebrate,” said Leer. “If we performed we ran the risk of attracting passerby. We got away with the hipster equivalent of a no-hitter.” Other bands have quickly followed suit, trying every trick they
can think of to deter attendance at their respective concerts. The Lewd Crude Dudes out of Kitchener have gone so far as to surround the perimeter with barbed wire and armed guards, which only dared the zealous masses to try that much harder. “We are still unsure of the final count of casualties, but at this moment we can say that at least seventeen people made it into the venue and listened to most of the set, before several succumbed to bleeding wounds,” said Chief Inspector Gololecki of the Kitchener Police Department. Better luck next time, Dudes.
“We got away with the hipster equivalent of a no-hitter.”
THE DATE DEBATE: AT THIS POINT I’LL EAT JUST ABOUT ANYWHERE A3 HUNGARY? DON’T SNICKER A4 SOPHS SLOSH FROSH B7 YOU CAN GUARD MY GALAXY ANYDAY B8 I WOULDN’T BE SO WARY OF DOWNTOWN IF THERE WASN’T THE EVER-PRESENT DANGER OF BEING DOWNTOWN D6
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