The Silhouette - February 7, 2019 by The Silhouette

NEWS

ARTS & CULTURE

SPORTS

Interview with Ontario NDP leader, Andrea Horwarth

Hamilton Artists Inc. provides space for migrant artists

Hanaka reaches a career milestone of a 1000 career points

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The Silhouette Thursday, February 7, 2019

Unaffordable e

Student leaders from McMaster and Mohawk stand united against planned OSAP cuts // PAGE 2

The Silhouette

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Volume 89, Issue 20 Thursday, February 7, 2019 McMaster Universityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Student Newspaper

#TBT

Feb. 14, 1975

EDITORIAL BOARD editor-in-chief | thesil@thesil.ca Emily Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Rourke @emily_oro digital media specialist | dms@msu.mcmaster.ca Aaron de Jesus managing editor | managing@thesil.ca Sasha Dhesi @SashaDhesi online editor | online@thesil.ca Yvonne Lu sections

NEWS Cassidy Bereskin news reporter Ryan Forrest Tse news@thesil.ca news editor

FEATURES Hannah Walters Vida features@thesil.ca

features reporter

OPINION opinion editor Sabrina Macklai opinion@thesil.ca SPORTS Justin Parker sports reporter Jessica Carmichael sports@thesil.ca sports editor

ARTS AND CULTURE & culture editor Razan Samara arts & culture reporter Rya Buckley aandc@thesil.ca

arts

MEDIA Kyle West photo reporter Catherine Goce production coordinator Sukaina Imam production coordinator Sabrina Lin production coordinator Katarina Brkic production@thesil.ca photo editor

ONLINE Sasha Roshan social media coordinator Martin Burwell online@thesil.ca video editor

CONTRIBUTORS staff writer Elliot Fung staff writer Andrew Mrozowski staff writer Rida Pasha staff writer Neda Pirouzmand staff writer Drew Simpson staff writer Graham West staff writer Eden Wondmeneh

COVER PHOTO Catherine Goce Sukaina Imam

BEFORE IT WAS COOL In 1975, the SRA was to ask the university administration to ban smoking in all seminars, tutorials and small classrooms and to divide large lecture halls into smoking and non-smoking areas. CONTACT

LEGAL

MUSC, Room B110 McMaster University 1280 Main Street West, Hamilton, ON L8S 4S4

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. Letters should be 300 words or less. 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.

Editor-in-Chief (905) 525-9140, ext 22052 Main Office (905) 525-9140, ext 27117 Advertising ccpc@mcmaster.ca 8,000 circulation published by the

WRITE FOR US NEWS Tuesday at 2:30 p.m. news@thesil.ca

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The Silhouette

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News McMaster students speak out against OSAP Over 17,000 McMaster students will be affected by the cuts

Daniella Mikanovsky Contributor

For many students, the OSAP cuts will cast doubts over their ability to afford the remainder of their post-secondary education. KYLE WEST / PHOTO EDITOR

Ryan Tse News Reporter

On Jan 17, the provincial government announced plans to change the Ontario Student Assistance Program and cut tuition by 10 per cent. The OSAP changes include requiring students to take out a loan when receiving an Ontario Student Grant, lowering the threshold to receive financial assistance, and eliminating the six-month interest-free period after graduation. On Jan. 31, more than 75 student associations across Canada released an open letter demanding the government reverse the changes to OSAP. Since the announcement, multiple protests have been held across the province, including in Hamilton. Students at McMaster are also being affected by the changes, with more than 17,000 fulltime students having applied for OSAP. Many students are concerned about the shift in finan-

cial assistance towards loans instead of non-repayable grants. First-year social sciences student Bryce Lawrence does not get money from her parents for tuition and says she would not be able to go to school without receiving grants and loans through OSAP. This past year, Lawrence qualified to receive a higher proportion of grants compared to loans. Going forward, she will receive more money in loans and less in grants. “The 10 per cent tuition decrease is nothing compared to the amount that we are not going to be getting anymore and it is going to be harder for a lot

Since the announcement, multiple protests have been held across the province, including in Hamilton.

of students,” Lawrence said. During the school year, Lawrence works three days a week, with the money going directly to basic expenses like groceries, gas and her phone bill. “I worked hard in high school to get here and I need that money to get myself through it so that in the future I can get myself a good career that will help support a family,” Lawrence said. Looking forward to next year, Lawrence says the money she gets from OSAP probably will not be enough to cover additional costs on top of tuition. “It’s just frustrating,” She added. “It is going be weird not having the amount of money I need. Literally nothing is free in school. It is so expensive, and once the money goes into my tuition, I will not have enough to pay for my textbooks and stuff.” Second-year political science student Zack Anderson said the elimination of the sixmonth interest-free period is

especially harmful. “It is already stressful enough once I do graduate to try and find a stable income, but I always kind of knew that that six-month cushion was going to be there for me and now that rug’s been pulled out from under me,” he said. Anderson has relied heavily on OSAP. However, even with

“The 10 per cent tuition decrease is nothing compared to the amount that we are not going to be getting anymore and it is going to be harder for a lot of students,” Bryce Lawrence Student Level I social sciences

OSAP, Anderson still struggles to cover school and living costs beyond just tuition. This year, he was forced to take a reduced course load and work three jobs to pay for tuition and living costs. Over the summer, Anderson was working 70-hour weeks to save up for school. “I have had to take out loans off the bank, I have maxed out credit cards before, done all these kinds of things to try to survive and you take it day by day, week by week,” Anderson said. While there have yet to be any announcements since Jan. 17, the Ford government’s plans are expected to be in place for the 2019-2020 academic year.

@tweetingryantse

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NEWS

Thursday, Feb. 7, 2019 | www.thesil.ca

Bringing the Hammer down on Ford Hamilton students rally against Ontario government OSAP changes

The rally included performers and Hamilton students marching through the streets of downtown Hamilton. CATHERINE GOCE / PHOTO REPORTER

Ryan Tse News Reporter

On Feb 1, the Hamilton Student Mobilization Network, a local activist group, hosted a rally at Gore Park in downtown Hamilton to protest the government’s proposed changes to the Ontario Student Assistance Program. The event featured various speakers including Angie Perez, president of the Canadian Union of Public Employees 3096, and Sandy Hudson, co-founder of Black Lives Matter Toronto. “Students have gone to strike for less,” HSMN organizers said at the event. Beyond the issue of OSAP, various speakers advocated for completely free tuition. All stressed the need to support grassroots student activism. The protest downtown followed a protest in the McMaster University Student Centre on Jan. 31, where the HSMN called out the McMaster Students Union for failing to advocate for the student body effectively. Multiple musicians and poets were also featured at the

two-hour long rally, performing pieces on the issues of capitalism and gentrification. “It is a strong sense of solidarity, a strong sense of agitation, and a strong sense of annoyance,” one protester said when asked why he attended the rally. After an hour of speakers and performers, the protest took to marching on the streets, stopping traffic around the downtown area. The HSMN was launched in the first few weeks following the government’s announcement on Jan 17. The organization strives to equip activists to mobilize against shared struggles and

The HSMN is also very concerned that the option for students to optout of certain student fees will jeopardize some student services.

is mostly run by students and workers from McMaster University and Mohawk College who had already been organizing separately. “We started having conversations about what it would look like if we came together on campus across campuses across the city and really bolstered a more cohesive body of resistance,” Vic Wojciechowska, a HSMN organizer and McMaster student, said. Though the rally was centred on the changes to OSAP, the HSMN is also focused on the adverse effects that cutting tuition and student fees will have. Wojciechowska pointed out that McMaster is set to lose $22 million in funding next year, with no additional funding from the government to offset the loss. “We are looking at suffering quality of education given that there will probably be increases of class sizes. We are looking at part-time staff, faculty associate professors being made vulnerable, anyone that really does not have security or stability of tenure or status in

the organization,” Wojciechowska said. “There are a lot of communities being affected by this, not just students on OSAP,” they added. Nonetheless, changes to OSAP will not make it easier to afford tuition anyway, according to Wojciechowska. “The tuition cuts are very misleading,” they said. “If you cannot afford the tuition even with it reduced, you are still

“We started having conversations about what it would look like if we came together on campus across campuses across the city and really bolstered a more cohesive body of resistance,” Vic Wojciechowska Organizer Hamilton Student Mobilization Network

taking out higher loans, which means higher debts, higher interest rates, and in the long run, it is going to cost more.” The HSMN is also very concerned that the option for students to opt-out of certain student fees will jeopardize some student services. “We need to really come together as a community and realize that services we do not use today we might need tomorrow. We need to support services for each other and recognize that student fees help build a stronger, healthier community,” Wojciechowska said. For the HSMN, the rally represents only the first step in what they hope will be sustained student mobilization and advocacy. “It represents an entry point for a lot of students to mobilize around these changes and we are going to be having a sustained campaign,” Wojciechowska said. The HSMN has not released any other planned actions to the public at this point. @tweetingryantse

www.thesil.ca | Thursday, Feb. 7 2019

The Silhouette

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Mac developing therapies for diabetes Current projects aim to explore treatments and test medicines to prevent metabolic disease

The “Baby & Mi and Baby & Pre-Mi Studies” study is investigating the impact of gut bacteria on long-term health. CATHERINE GOCE / PHOTO REPORTER Abirami Sudharshan Contributor

In October 2018, the McMaster faculty of health sciences launched the “Centre for Metabolism, Obesity and Diabetes Research,” an initiative ten years in the making. Since then, the centre has been working to engineer novel clinical applications in the diagnosis, prevention and treatment of adult and juvenile metabolic disease. According to the agenda from the Oct. 18 McMaster board of governors meeting, 25 per cent of adults in Canada and around the world are affected by obesity, type two diabetes and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. Every year, the Canadian health care system incurs more than $30 billion per year in incurred related costs. The founding of the MODR centre, which was approved by the senate in April 2018, allows for the accelerated progression of pre-clinical to human research. This is largely made possible through the MODR’s col-

laborative and multidisciplinary approach to metabolic research, according to a report in the Oct. 18 board of governors agenda. “The MODR brings together a rich and diverse group of researchers from across McMaster University… with expertise ranging from cellular metabolism, physiology, clinical epidemiology, population health, pediatrics, adult medicine and clinical trials… who share a passion for collaborating and sharing insights and perspectives,” said Hertzel Gerstein, the centre’s senior advisor at the McMaster faculty of medicine. Co-directors Katherine

The founding of the MODR centre which was approved by the senate in April 2018, allows for the accelerated progression of pre-clinical to human research.

Morrison and Gregory Steinberg are studying these diseases at the clinical and cellular level, respectively. Under their guidance, the centre is set to flourish as a world expert in determining the biological drivers behind metabolism disruption, understanding their mechanics and translating this knowledge into feasible, effective and clinical solutions. “Ten years from now, we hope to have made a significant impact on the lives of people living with metabolic diseases by having developed new therapies,” said Steinberg. The MODR is currently facilitating a number of metabolism-related research projects. One project Steinberg and Morrison are leading is the “Gene Environment Team on Brown/Beige Adipose Tissue” project, which aims to understand the underlying causes of obesity, type two diabetes and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. According to the project description, brown adipose tissue is essentially the body’s furnace, burning sugar and fat in the body.

“In individuals with obesity or T2D the ability to switch on BAT is compromised, but the reasons for this are not well understood,” reads a statement on the MODR’s website. “The GET_BAT team is examining how agricultural and food processing practices may regulate BAT metabolic activity, directly, or indirectly by altering the gut microbiome.”

“Ten years from now, we hope to have made a significant impact on the lives of people living with metabolic diseases by having developed new therapies,” Gregory Steinberg Co-director Centre for Metabolism, Obesity and Diabetes Research

The results from these studies are expected to help the researchers develop strategies to increase BAT activity and treat and prevent metabolic disease. Another project underway, the “Baby & Mi and Baby & Pre-Mi Studies,” is investigating the impact of gut bacteria on long-term health. In particular, the study will be one of the first in North America to explore factors that may alter the gut bacteria picked up in the first three years of life. In another study, Steinberg will be testing new medicines that impact proteins in the liver and adipose tissue in effort to treat type two diabetes. More information about the research being conducted at the MODR can be found at https:// healthsci.mcmaster.ca/metabolism-research.

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NEWS

Thursday, Feb. 7, 2019 | www.thesil.ca

Andrea Horwath on Ford government What the Ontario NDP leader has to say about tuition, OSAP and student fee changes

Andrea Horwath speaks to students about OSAP changes and tuition cuts. KYLE WEST / PHOTO EDITOR

Hannah Walters-Vida Features Reporter

On Jan. 25, The Silhouette sat down with Ontario New Democratic Party leader Andrea Horwath to discuss the Ford government’s recently announced changes to Ontario’s tuition framework, financial aid system and student fees. On Jan. 17, the Ford government announced a 10 per cent reduction in the up front cost of tuition in Ontario. This came alongside a plan to tighten the eligibility requirements for the Ontario student assistance program, reduce grant money offered by OSAP and eliminate the six month grace period before loans must be paid back. Additionally, the ministry announced that post secondary institutions will be required to allow students to opt out of paying non-tuition fees deemed “non-essential.” According to Horwath, the 10 percent tuition cost reduction will end up harming

students. “This decision that the government’s made is deceitful first and foremost because the 10 per cent sticker price announcement really means nothing for affordability for students,” she stated.

According to Horwath, the 10 per cent tuition cost reduction will end up harming students.

Horwath said the proposed changes would cause students to graduate with more debt and pay higher interest fees. The McMaster Students Union has expressed similar concerns. “Grants are a far more effective form of student financial aid than loans. Rolling back OSAP eligibility and increasing the loan threshold will

increase the debt load on many students,” said Ikram Farah, president of the MSU. According to Horwath, the requirement of an opt-out for non-essential student union fees is a strategy to silence the voices of students. “I think a lot of what the government is trying to do is weaken the student movement to silence the voices of young people,” she said. The MSU released a statement saying that this provision might impact the advocacy abilities of student unions and provision of services and supports. “The potential of optional fee structures for services could severely undermine the ability of students to organize and maintain robust student-oriented provisions, along with their representation to all levels of government,” stated the release. According to Horwath, the proposed changes to tuition, fees and OSAP will impact more than just students because all Ontarians benefit from

well-functioning post secondary institutions. “It is going to affect everyone,” she stated. “It is going to affect families. It is going to affect the economy. It is going to affect the educators.” She explained that weakening the student experience on campus, lowering the quality of education and burdening students with more financial distress mean that young people will not get the education that they need in order to participate

“I think a lot of what the government is trying to do is weaken the student movement to silence the voices of young people.” Andrea Horwath Leader

Ontario New Democratic Party

The Progressive Conservative party holds a 60 per cent majority, meaning that they have enough seats to pass legislation without the assent of other parties. Despite this, Horwath believes it is still possible to advocate for change. She noted that as a result of public outcry, the Ford government recently backtracked on a proposal open up the Greenbelt to developers. According to Horwath, this demonstrates that broad resistance from Ontarians is key. “I think this is a glimmer of hope to say that notwithstanding that it is a majority government, if you have a broad enough resistance and if you push hard enough […] then you have an opportunity to engage.”

@theSilhouette

www.thesil.ca | Thursday, Feb. 7 2019

The Silhouette

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Effectiveness of Mac’s new safety app The updated version of the app has new features, but does little to address more systemic student safety issues Elliot Fung Staff Writer

In January 2019, McMaster Security Services announced an update to their mobile safety app, allowing students to receive safety alert notifications and information about campus safety resources. The app, which was developed in partnership with both McMaster and the McMaster Students Union, provides a centralised location for contact information for a multitude of emergency and non-emergency safety services. In 2013, McMaster Security Services released an application that included the capacity to easily contact emergency services, the MSU Emergency First Response Team and request the MSU Student Walk Home Attendant Team. In addition, users could access transit information, the university’s emergency proto-

cols and live alerts. The 2019 update includes many of the previous features and adds new ones. However, the new app has omitted information about EFRT and transit. Among the app’s new noteworthy features includes a “Friend Walk” option that allows students to watch their friends as they travel home. Friend Walk allows a user to send their real-time location to a friend. The user picks a friend to send their location to via SMS or email and then initiates a walk and chooses a destination. If the user is under duress, they have to option to notify their friend and start an emergency call. If either the user or the friend disconnects from the walk, an option to contact emergency services will appear on the screen. According to a McMaster Daily News article about the

app update, “Friend Walk” serves to enhance the on-campus SWHAT service, which provides students with the ability to walk to a destination with the company of two attendants. Another notable feature of the app is a crime map. The map displays the location and dates of recent crimes in Hamilton and the area surrounding McMaster. Crimes displayed include categories like auto-theft, car burglary and residential burglary. The app also features a section about student support services, where users can access information about various student supports on-campus including the McMaster Equity and Inclusion Office, sexual violence support and McMaster Wellness Centre. Users can also email facility services to report an issue. However, according to the “On-Campus Infrastructure

MSU Student Representative Assembly in Nov. 2018, the process of submitting a work order for a repair of infrastructure is still meticulous and unavailable to off-campus students. The safety app is an improvement to the outdated safety app that was implemented in 2013. The McMaster Security Services website characterizes the app as a ‘must have’ that contains valuable features and information. However, it appears the app may not do a great deal to improve students’ experiences. During the 2017-2018 academic year, the MSU proposed a variety of suggestions for increasing student safety on and off campus and improving the university’s response via the university’s sexual violence prevention and response policy. As it stands, the university has yet to implement these recommendations and make

improvements to these resources. Among the recommendations relating to infrastructure in the policy paper were increasing the number of red assistance phones and improving lighting on campus and in the surrounding housing areas. The newly updated safety app does not ensure these larger recommendations are implemented, only consolidating information that is already available online. In addition, while students can use the app to access information about sexual violence support at McMaster, they also cannot do much beyond that to improve their experience and safety. More information about the safety app can be found at https://security.mcmaster.ca/ crime_prevention_safetyapp. html. @theSilhouette

Main menu for McMaster’s new safety app. AARON DE JESUS / DIGITAL MEDIA SPECIALIST

PRESIDENT’S PAGE

KRISTINA EPIFANO Vice President (Administration) vpadmin@msu.mcmaster.ca 905.525.9140 x23250

When talking to my counterparts at other student unions, I have come to realize that by comparison, the MSU operates the largest number of services for students. The services we operate fall within the pillar of enhancing student life because they provide resources, support, education, and a space for different groups on campus. In addition, many also serve to elevate the voices of those who may be underrepresented, by advocating to the university on behalf of their community. Our services were created to fill gaps in the resources provided by the University. For instance, the Food Collective Centre was created to address food insecurity on campus, and the Women and Gender Equity Network was established to support and advocate for survivors on campus. In addition, CFMU and the Silhouette provide campus media outlets and highlight student journalism. A common misconception of many of our services are that they’re not “for everyone,” as they cater to a specif-

February | thesil.ca February 7, 2019 8,| 2019 www.thesil.ca

ic group of students. For some of our services, specifically our identity-based services, a majority of their advocacy and service delivery is to support a specific community. However, they also work to educate and raise awareness for all students. For example, although you may not identify within the LGBTQSI2+ community, there are opportunities to learn how to support those around you and better understand the experiences and perspectives of those within the community. Moreover, students don’t necessarily know when they are going to need access to a food bank or require medical attention through EFRT, until those services are required.

“The variety of MSU services aim to create spaces on campus for everyone.” Services get reviewed by a standing committee comprised of SRA members and individuals from the student body. This review process ensures that services are still fulfilling their mandate, and also serves as an opportunity to collect feedback from students. We recognize that as the needs of students change, our services need to adapt alongside them. A service review is comprised of external research, internal research, and surveys released to the student population to gather opinions on how well services are meeting their needs. The committee subsequently evaluates their findings and makes recommendations aimed at enhancing the service. The variety of MSU services aim to create spaces on campus for everyone, whether that is physical space as seen with our brick and mortar services such as SHEC and Maccess, or a metaphorical space referring to a community where students feel comfortable and are given

The President’s Page is a space sponsored and used by the McMaster Students Union (MSU) Board of Directors (BoD) to communicate with the student body. It functions to highlight the Board’s projects, goals, and agenda for the year, as well as the general happenings of the MSU.

opportunities to grow and explore. Together, they represent the diverse, supportive, and passionate community that is dedicated to making the student experience at McMaster the best it can. The recent announcement from the provincial government regarding cutting back OSAP grants also included the provision of making many student fees optional. This may have a signifi-

cant impact on the services provided by the MSU and therefore a wide-reaching impact on the quality of student life on campus. We encourage you to reach out to members of the provincial government on this matter, as well as your local MPP. Visit msumcmaster.ca/osap for resources to assist you in emailing your concerns about how these changes will affect you.

www.thesil.ca | Thursday, Feb. 7, 2019

EDITORIAL

| 9

Editorial

On recent media cuts

The future of journalism looks bleak, what does that mean for future journalists? Emily O’Rourke Editor-in-Chief

When I was 16 years old, I told my parents that I wanted to be a journalist. They hated that, obviously, and I don’t blame them. Why would they want their kid to go into a (their words) dying field? Especially one that has been at a low point for the past ten years. Over the past decade, the number of jobs in newsrooms have dropped by 45 per cent. In the past month alone, major news companies have laid off major portions of their staff. BuzzFeed’s recent layoffs amounted to 15 per cent of its total staff, equating to about 1,100 employees around the world, Vice recently announced that it would lay off 10 per cent of their workforce and Verizon announced that it would cut 7 per cent of its headcount, around 800 people, from its

media unit, which includes HuffPost, Yahoo and AOL. Many have blamed these cuts on the shift to digital media, and while there is incredible opportunity with moving a news product online, the fight for advertising revenue is the biggest culprit in this. At the beginning of February, Facebook reported that it had made $16.6 billion in ad sales in the fourth quarter of 2018. We all fell for high-quality video work, online exclusive articles and more recently, sponsored articles, to get ahead of cuts like this. However, if a company like BuzzFeed, who literally created a platform exclusively for online content, couldn’t keep up with the digital shift, then who can? These numbers alone feel like enough to convince young journalists to steer away from pursuing their dream jobs, but to make matters worse, the

Ontario Progressive Conservative party’s recent move to make ancillary fees optional can also be taken as a major attack on student publications. As many post-secondary schools in Ontario are without a journalism program, student news rooms are most students’ first, if not only, taste at journalism. These cuts are devastating, and ultimately signal an end of an extremely long era. If these cuts signal anything, it’s that the future of journalism is feeling more bleak than ever, especially to those who are just entering the field.

to boujee brunch to Cronuts!?? Revolutionary!! to Spongebob sicko mode to BILL AND TED’S EXCELLENT ADVENTURE 3 to triple digies to GETTING THE JOB

@emily_oro

to new staff! to launch parties! See you Feb. 14! to saving the chik

to your mac email account deactivating without notice to digies to coin-operated laundry machines in your own student house to thinking you don’t have an interview, finding out the day before you have an interview, then having the interview cancelled because of ice rain to wiping out in front of quik chik

For school, play and everything in between the HSR wants to take you there.

allows me to volunteer

That’s why it’s time to think about the Hamilton of tomorrow and how you’ll help to shape it. Tell us how you would (Re)envision the HSR.

Take the survey: hamilton.ca/reenvision

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HUMANS

Catherine Goce Photo Reporter

How did you get into cheerleading and why is it so important to you? I got into cheerleading when I was nine. My mom just put me in it because she wanted me to try something new. It was up and coming in Ancaster when I started and she figured it’d be cool. She saw it in the newspaper and she was like “let’s try this!”, and I was like “okay!”. It’s important to me because it’s honestly a way of exercising without it feeling like exercise but also a way of having a social life, meeting new people and trying new things. It’s very different from other sports because it’s constantly evolving. There’s not one particular piece or goal or aspect to cheerleading. In basketball, the goal is to get the ball in the net, whereas in cheerleading, there’s just so much more artistic components to it that is a lot of fun to keep building and learning new skills which is what I like a lot about it. Being the captain of the team, what are some things you’ve learned? Unlike most people think,

Thursday, Feb. 7, 2019 | www.thesil.ca

being the captain of a McMaster sports team is not so much about conducting the team and telling everyone what to do so much in the sport, it’s more of the administrative role. I’ve learned a lot about money management and all the nitty gritty details of what you have to do to enroll in competitions, how to pay bus fees, how to get into hotels and make sure all of those things are up to date. I’ve also learned a lot of interpersonal skills especially with a group of cheerleaders. As much as they are fun, they can be very demanding. I’ve learned how to take all the different personalities on the team and kind of mesh them into one and blend them so that everyone feels included and good about coming to practice and have fun with the sport as much as you can, as well as it being a team and being very competitive. Being on a team, you don’t see a lot of the behind the scenes stuff and things kind of just happen and you just roll with it. Whereas this year, you decide what competitions we’re going to go to which is huge. Whether we go to Montréal or Myrtle Beach, being the one to make those decisions and also helping the coaches with different decisions with how the routine is going to look and stuff like that is very

Emily Vinken McMaster Cheerleading Captain CATHERINE GOCE / PHOTO REPORTER

different. What are some myths of cheerleading that aren’t accurate? I think one of the biggest myths is the strength component. A lot of people think cheerleading is very dancey and artistic of a sport, which it is, like there’s a lot of artistic components in it but, the core components are the jumps, stunts and tumbling. This requires so much power, endurance, speed and strength, which a lot of people don’t really realize until they’ve seen someone compete in cheerleading. We’re not these frail little dancers, we hit the gym, we hit it hard, we’re benching and pressing huge weights because we are lifting people above our head so you’ve got to be strong. I would be nervous if someone underneath me was a little frail and weak. I think another one is the dim witted aspect of it. At least in the past, I think it was more of a stereotype that cheerleaders are kind of airheads I guess you could say. Especially at McMaster, to be on a club sport, a varsity sport or any type of sport, team or club, you need to be smart. You can’t commit to something for that many hours per week and that mental capacity without having good grades and excelling in school because you just wouldn’t be able to handle it. I know for a lot of sport teams, if you’re not exceeding a certain grade expectation then you can’t be on the team. That’s huge for cheer. We have intelligent girls in engineering, kinesiology, health sciences, all these really challenging programs and they’re exceeding. Why do you think it’s important to stay active? For me at least, being really active helps me in all other domains in my life. I find if I can get a good workout in, then I feel energized for the day. So then I can go study and go have a social life and do all those other things. Whereas on days that I don’t have a workout or practice or anything, I get into this rut and I feel slower and not motivated to do anything. Also, having good physical activity amounts helps with

eating as well, which helps with mental health. As soon as I lose that physical activity aspect, all other areas of my life start to fall out and

sometimes I like do that unintentionally and then I realized I haven’t worked out in like three days which is probably why I feel like this. I think that’s the biggest part for me and why I need physical training and why it’s so good for me. Other people have different things like they might want a doughnut after they workout because it makes them feel accomplished.

“[...] the core components are the jumps, stunts and tumbling. This requires so much power, endurance, speed and strength, which a lot of people don’t really realize until they’ve seen someone compete in cheerleading,” Emily Vinken McMaster Cheerleading Captain What are some advantae.s of working on campus? I work at the Joan Buddle Service Desk, it’s in the athletic center. I get to see all aspects of the athletic and recreation component of McMaster. Just working at the desk, you get to see varsity athletes as well as

coaches, but then you also get to see the recreational athletes, people that are just coming in to play drop-in basketball on their time off which is really cool. You get to see all areas of fitness and athletics and different people’s point of views for why they’re coming to the gym. Sometimes even the most exciting times working at the desk is exam seasons because you’ll get people coming in that have never been in the facility before and you know it because they are so lost. Tt’s crazy the amount of people that have not been in the gym on campus. Sometimes it works that we have exams in those gyms because then people know the facility more so maybe they’ll come in afterwards. At least that’s helpful! I can also fit in work into my school schedule. If I have a class in the morning, then a big break during the day and then another class, I can work in that time which I really like just because it’s right there. I can just take two steps and I’m now in my workplace.

facebook.com/ HumansOfMcMaster

OPINION

www.thesil.ca | Thursday, Sept. 13, 2018

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OPINION

Thursday, Feb. 7, 2019 | www.thesil.ca

Opinion Saving the “unnecessary” Our student unions are far from perfect, but their existence should be protected nonetheless Alex Bryant Contributor

Many students at McMaster University are furious over the recent changes to the Ontario Student Assistance Program. Our student unions, which are some of the best tools we have to collectively resist changes like these, are also under attack. The Ontario government will soon deem some ancillary fees “unnecessary.” Given the extreme cost of education at Ontario colleges and universities, students are likely to feel strong-armed into opting out of these fees. While student-run groups and services funded through direct ancillary fees play an important role in students’ lives, we should expect the government to use this framework to attack student unions by making union dues optional. Doing so poses an existential threat to the McMaster Students Union, the Graduate Students Association and, by extension, campus groups and services under their umbrella. Legislation in Quebec and British Columbia protects some student unions from attacks of this kind, but no such legislation exists in Ontario. Students must collectively resist this attack on student unions but also recognize that defending the existence of these organizations does not require defending the actions of current or past student leaders. This government has its sights set on student unions because our organizations have for decades played a key role in fights for change at the governmental, institutional and community level. This is not because our unions are overrun with political reactionaries, but because the work of student unions naturally cultivates political community between students of differing backgrounds. When we join union-based clubs or benefit from related services, we also have the opportunity to critically engage

Students protested the changes to tuition and ancillary fees on Feb. 1. CATHERINE GOCE / PHOTO REPORTER

Students must collectively resist this attack on student unions but also recognize that defending the existence of these organizations does not require defending the actions of current or past student leaders. with our peers over shared struggles and recognize our ability to overcome these struggles together. When we allocate union resources to student-led projects, we choose to build a community where everyone can have enough food to eat, openly

love who they want to love, safely walk alone at night and relax by having a great party. This critical recognition of our shared experience is also the basis of student unions’ advocacy for students’ diverse interests, and as central locations for organized opposition to the origins of our shared struggles — tuition fees, for example — alongside others outside of our campus community. Unfortunately, conservative politicians tend to defend the grounds for the struggles we face by protecting the interests of those who benefit most from the status quo. Hence why conservative politicians and campus conservatives have long attacked student unions and related groups. Long after students choose to found their unions, the processes of direct democracy of the general assemblies and referenda used to set union due rates, and members’ participation in the allocation of this

funding through votes on budgets and representative bodies, reflect that student unions are fundamentally for students and our interests. We may wish voter turnout were required to be higher, disagree with some of the campaigns and policies adopted by the organizations our union funds, or something similar. We should hold fast to these legitimate criticisms, engage with our peers about them and demand change where those leading our unions have genuinely failed us. If our demands are ignored, we may rightfully escalate our actions until they are implemented just as we will do with the provincial government. However, criticizing the work of our unions and related organizations is importantly different from attempting to eliminate these organizations, which is what the provincial government seeks. Hoping finally to accomplish their thinly veiled goal of

destroying student organizing, the provincial government has even abused our critical examination of our peers’ work in order to support an existential threat to our unions. We must forcefully resist this rhetoric and this attack. We must protect our student organizations as a whole by keeping in the foreground their foundational importance to our ability to organize, and by doubling-down on our commitment to support the collection of union dues. Especially under the current government, students across Ontario must work together to become educated about the struggles facing our peers, build skills, organize, resist and stand in solidarity with others doing the same — student unions continue to be one of our best tools for doing so. @theSilhouette

OPINION

www.thesil.ca | Thursday, Feb. 7, 2019

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Against vaping on campus Vaping regulations at McMaster University have gone up in a puff of smoke Lauren Olsen Contributor

Last January, McMaster University’s president Patrick Deane took a stand and banned all forms of smoking on school grounds, making McMaster Ontario’s first 100 per cent tobacco and smoke free campus. This included banning the on-campus use of cigarettes, cigars, hookah, pot and most importantly, the ever-popular vape pens. The ban on campus was a welcome sight for those opposed to tobacco, however, the ineffectiveness of enforcing this policy rendered the ban as a bland suggestion rather than a legitimate rule. You can witness this phenomenon simply by walking around campus. You won’t make it far before encountering students vaping in direct violation of the McMaster ‘ban’, with their discretion being non-existent. Students can be found vaping in classrooms, lecture halls, residences and around campus. Recently, there was an opening of the 180 Smoke Vape

You won’t make it far before encountering students vaping in direct violation of the McMaster ‘ban’, with their discretion being non-existent. Shop in Westdale which will only further support and make accessible the habits of smokers. The store offers everything including e-cigarettes, vape juice, pens and portable vaporizers, and is located just a short walk from McMaster University. They are attracting not only smokers who may be trying to quit, but others who lack the proper information about the hazards associated with vaping, and may only be concerned with becoming part of the current trend. They are promoting this product as a commercialized, socially-acceptable activity

rather than a helpful addiction quitting strategy for tobacco smokers. For McMaster students, it’s just a short stroll to a readily-available addiction which is now a booming industry. According to BBC News, the number of vapers has increased rapidly — from about seven million in 2011 to 35 million in 2016. The global vaping products market is now estimated to be worth up to $22.6 billion USD. The rapid growth of the industry is not a victimless development. New products need new users and stores like 180 Smoke Vape Shop will likely be getting their customer base from McMaster. Other than perpetuating the ‘look’ and fueling the industry, students are playing with fire and risking addiction. Although e-cigarettes do not contain any tar, carbon monoxide or other chemicals found in tobacco smoke, they still mimic the familiar action of a smoker and can be addictive. What used to be a method to quit is now

Other than perpetuating the ‘look’ and fueling the industry, students are playing with fire and risking addiction. becoming a method to start, and making smoking acceptable again. The smoking population who are slowly cutting back their nicotine addiction to quit smoking have made way for the young adults who are peer-pressured by the new “cool” thing to do and, in turn, are becoming dependent on the addictive drug. Harvard Health Publishing describes the side effects of vaping to include the potential of diabetes, loss of impulse control, impairment of brain development and elevated heart rate and blood pressure. Thus, the antidote is quickly becoming the poison.

I am not advocating that McMaster shutdown 180 Smoke Vape Shop, or campaign to influence public policy. Rather, the university should enforce the very rule they promised in early 2018, in order to make McMaster a safer environment and community. Creating a ban was a novel idea, but not following is more than just lazy enforcement — it is potentially dangerous to student health. More and more youth will be exposed and persuaded to try vaping, which easily perpetuates an addiction whose lasting health implications are still being determined. Moreover, the campus itself is not an inviting space with smoke billowing from its hallways and paths. It’s time to inhale the future and start enforcing the smoking ban on campus.

@theSilhouette

The university should enforce their smoking ban on campus. THE SILHOUETTE PHOTO ARCHIVES

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OPINION

Thursday, Feb. 7, 2019 | www.thesil.ca

The monopoly on art If outside vendors are allowed to sell art on campus, students should be afforded the same opportunity

The Imaginus poster sale occurs at least once every term and sells a range of mass-produced artwork. KYLE WEST / PHOTO EDITOR

Sabrina Macklai Opinion Editor

Every so often, students walking through the McMaster University Student Centre are met with faces of The Beatles, large maps of the world and even prints of Banksy’s most popular works. The Imaginus poster sale, which has been touring Canadian university and college campuses since 1975, is a staple of the university experience. It is not uncommon to see their posters plastered over the walls of dorms and off-campus housing. At first glance, the poster sales seem innocent enough. For under $10, you can get away with two good-sized posters of your favourite band or quote — what could be wrong with that? A lot, actually. The Imaginus poster sale has been critiqued in the past for selling posters that promote cultural

appropriation, and poster sales in general have been scrutinized for the ethics of selling reproduced and borderline copyright-infringement artwork. This can especially raise eyebrows, as it is rare that the collected profits ever reach the original artists. But beyond the possible problematic nature of the content of their posters, the Imaginus poster sales take opportunities away from student artists. As it stands, McMaster University students cannot sell their artwork on campus for a profit. According to the Policy on Student Groups, student groups on campus “may not engage in activities that are essentially commercial in nature.” This policy is what caused the shutdown of an art sale by McMaster’s Starving Artists Society last year. The club is made up of student artists and creatives that are looking to ex-

pand their portfolio and reach a wider audience. The event that was shut down was meant to be an opportunity for student artists to market their artwork to their peers and even profit off of their hard work. Many of Mac’s student artist community are involved with SAS and were negatively affected by the university’s decision to shut the event down. Essentially, the university has allowed Imaginus to have an unfair monopoly on selling art on campus. For a university that already arguably disvalues the arts, to dissuade student artists from profiting from their work is a serious matter. This brings to light a larger issue at hand. Why should any students be disallowed to sell their products on campus — especially when outside companies are given space in our student centre to sell their products?

Why should any students be disallowed to sell their products on campus — especially when outside companies are given space in our student centre to sell their products? This situation unfortunately reflects the situation of many non-student local artists within the community. In our corporate world, it is extremely difficult to establish a reliable clientele and profit off of one’s work. Mass commercialized products inherently cost less and as a result, this drives away

sales from local artists. As the university makes a profit from the poster sales, and in general from any vendors on campus, it is unlikely that this issue will be addressed anytime soon. Until it is, you can support local and student artists through sharing their work, reaching out to them and contributing towards their sales. The SAS also runs art crawls and other events where students can get in contact with student artists! Everyone has a Friends poster in their house. When you buy local and student, not only are you supporting your peers, but also you’re likely acquiring higher quality and truly unique works of art. @_sabrinawitch_

OPINION

www.thesil.ca | Thursday, Feb. 7, 2019

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Calling a snow day

McMaster University remaining open during unsafe conditions shows the university prioritizes profits over student safety Kashyap Patel Contributor

The safety and wellbeing of the student population should be the top priority of any respectable university. On Jan. 29, McMaster University chose to prioritize profits over the safety of their students. Despite heavy snowfall and icy conditions, McMaster remained open because “crews [had] spent the night clearing snow and cleaning walkways.” The university simply advised their students to take care when travelling to campus. McMaster’s Storm Emergency policy states that the university will be closed “when severe weather poses a danger to students, staff and faculty while on campus or if the weather would prevent large numbers of them from coming to campus or returning safely to their homes.” For students living on-campus, the inclement weather did not pose as serious of a concern. However, for students

and staff who live off-campus and commute, this decision put their safety at risk as roads and pathways leading to the campus were not adequately cleared. In the opinion of many students on social media, the cancellation of classes should have been deemed a necessity. Students used the closure of the Hamilton-Wentworth District School Board schools, which are located in the same area as McMaster, to support their views. Many students could not make it to campus due to Go bus cancellations and delays. The university clearly overlooked these legitimate

In the opinion of many students on social media, the cancellation of classes should have been deemed a necessity

concerns despite the potential negative impacts on students’ academic standings. This incident begs the question: does McMaster value profits over the safety of its students? Given this instance, I believe the answer is yes. This decision was careless and irresponsible considering that most students attending McMaster either commute or live off-campus. These severe weather conditions also made it impossible for students using accessibility devices to safely reach campus. Furthermore, many students that braved the conditions and commuted to campus found out that their instructors had cancelled their classes. The lack of coordination between the university and its faculty led to students unnecessarily putting their safety at risk. Students also pointed out that several walkways on-campus were not cleared even though the university claimed otherwise. McMaster should be more truthful about the statements they disseminate

These severe weather conditions also made it impossible for students using accessibility devices to safely reach campus. to the public. Students use this information to make decisions about their commute and how they navigate the campus in a safe manner. It is difficult to pinpoint what sources of information the university used to inform their decision. The weather forecast predicted a snow storm at approximately 4 p.m. the day prior. The local facilities in Hamilton such as the YMCA and public libraries were also closing for the day. Buses and trains were also delayed or canceled in several locations throughout the southern Ontario area.

McMaster University should take a multi-faceted approach when making weather-related closure decisions. Transportation, safety and the effectiveness of the clearing crew needs to be evaluated before making a decision that can impact the safety of thousands. Student safety should be of paramount importance to educational institutions. There seems to be a disconnect between McMaster and its students regarding the implementation of the inclement weather policy. McMaster should re-evaluate the actions it took on Jan. 29 and learn from this incident. Students need to know that their safety is valued and plays a key role in the decision-making processes of their university.

@theSilhouette

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Students used social media to express frustration over snow days. KYLE WEST / PHOTO EDITOR

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A&C

www.thesil.ca | Thursday, Jan. 7, 2019

Arts & Culture

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La Nuit du Vagabond tells a story The Hamilton Aerial Group’s sixth annual fundraising cabaret presents people on the move

C/O SUZANNE STEENKIST

Rya Buckley A&C Reporter

On Feb. 16, the Hamilton Aerial Group is inviting the community to witness a story of wanderers with its sixth annual Winterfest cabaret show, La Nuit du Vagabond. Both onehour shows will take place at 5 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. in the third floor event space of the Cotton Factory. The troupe wanted this year’s cabaret to be current and thus the performance’s individual aerial, acrobatic and puppetry acts weave a story of migration to a better place. Founder and artistic director of Hamilton Aerial Group, Lori Le Mare, was influenced by the displacement of people from war-torn countries. “In particular I read about the exodus of people from Central America… and how it gained strength as people were moving and why they were leaving their homes… [I] guess just having that as a loose space for the story but not… preaching. You don’t want to preach but we

just want to sort of reflect [on] what’s happening in the current times and then have people make up their own mind about how they feel about that,” Le Mare said. The group brainstormed how to represent this underlying theme and came up with imagery such as emerging out of a tunnel. Le Mare instructed the individual performers to put themselves in the shoes of someone struggling to reach a better place so that the component acts form a narrative. The cabaret was not always a narrative piece. When it started in 2014, the show took on a more traditional cabaret format with 5-minute musical and circus acts. It began as a way to raise funds to move into a new space and buy new equipment. From the first year, there was a strong positive response with over 500 attendees. After a few years of a cabaret style show, the Hamilton Aerial Group changed the fundraiser to be more a narrative-driven theatrical performance without as many musical

acts. The change was driven by viewers saying they wished to see more aerial acts. “[I]t’s my love really to create a story… [W]e’d have a really interesting beginning and an interesting ending… but then we have all these other musical acts that didn’t really go with the sort of story that we were establishing by having a beginning and an ending… [W]e thought that if we could take out the musical acts and just have those aerial acts… we could have more of a narrative storyline throughout it,” said Le Mare. The narrative is also supported by the elaborate costumes that the performers wear. The costumes are made by Hamilton Aerial Group member Tanis Sydney MacArthur and usually evolve out of ideas that were not used throughout the year. Le Mare also likes to work with local artists in the creation of costumes for the show. She has a long-time collaboration with Hamilton activist, artist and puppeteer Melanie Skene

who has made puppets and masks for the aerial group over the years. This year, local artist Colin Christopher Palangio will also be making headpieces for the stilt costumes. Le Mare founded the Hamilton Aerial Group when she moved back to Hamilton after 23 years in Toronto. She became an aerialist while in Toronto and when she returned to Hamilton, began teaching classes through the Hamilton Association for Residential and Recreational Redevelopment Programs. Teaching at HARRRP led to people asking Le Mare and those she taught to perform. This group of performing aerialists eventually developed into the Hamilton Aerial Group. People have come and gone over the years but the community that the aerial group created has endured. “I think it’s a really good place for people to… deal with any kind of issues they might have… [W]hen you become really strong physically and you’re also in a group of strong, not physically strong but I think

emotionally strong, women — and we are pretty much all women — then we just really support one another,” Le Mare explained. Anyone is able to join the Hamilton Aerial Group as long as they have a passion for and willingness to learn the circus arts. Le Mare also recognizes that many viewers may not be able to see a large scale Cirque du Soleil show and strives to make her shows accessible. The annual cabaret used to be pay-what-you-can but after having to scale down the number of attendees due to fire regulations, the show is now $28. However, there are a block of 30 tickets that are free for children under the age of 12. Le Mare hopes that in the future the annual cabaret will take place in a larger space so more people will again have access to the aerial storytelling of the Hamilton Aerial Group. @theSilhouette

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The Silhouette

www.thesil.ca | Thursday, Feb. 7, 2019

all in Migrant artists come together to share their experiences through art Andrew Mrozowski Staff Writer

For many immigrants, integrating into Canadian society poses challenges. Hamilton Artists Inc. on James Street North consistently works with artists of all nationalities but realized that integration could be smoother. “They were saying ‘we feel like we are not being heard. How do we get our voices out there [into the world]?’,” said Jasmine Mander, coordinator for Hamilton Artists Inc. The Incoming program was created in order to address these questions and feelings. Designed to connect new refugees and migrants to Hamilton’s art world, Incoming provides artists with a basic understanding of how the art world works, especially on a Canadian scale, as it differs so from other countries. The Incoming program started off with workshops that teach participants how to write biographies, artists statements and resumes. Hamilton Artist Inc. is also planning on hosting a meet and greet for new

refugees and migrant artists as an opportunity to connect with one another and to other working artists. The main component of the Incoming program is an exhibition taking place in Hamilton Artists Inc.’s gallery space. All In One Place was curated through an open call that was posted within the community. “Outreach is difficult because we aren’t just posting in local galleries, we’re posting in places like working centers and providing translations, so it is accessible.” stated Mander. All In One Place is the culmination of four lifetimes’ worth of experiences represented in four vastly different styles of art. The exhibition features the works of four Hamilton-based artists: Jordi Alfaro who has created large sculptures that are thought provocative within the space; Cesar Correa Cordoba who uses natural materials to create realistic animal sculptures providing a dialogue between man’s relationship with nature; Salwa Issa who paints her investigation of water; and

one place

Bassem Alshamali who paints his depiction of the world through space and time. For Cordoba, his story began in Mexico City. He lived and travelled to different parts of the country as he loved to learn about the diversity that existed within traditional art throughout different regions of Mexico. “My inspiration is every root and ramification of nature. The traditional handcrafted arts of Mexico, diversity of plants and animals, the rivers, seas, forests, people… everything inspires me,” said Cordoba. The artist took to using materials he found all around him to create life-like sculptures of owls, hawks and other animals. “For this particular exhibition, I used nature as my inspiration. The sculptures with dry plants is to me something like a ritual and I feel connected with nature. I get to learn about plants, collect them and try to understand the shape of the universe,” explained Cordoba. Although Cordoba has only been in Canada for two

Hamilton Artists Inc. hopes that the Incoming program will be a sustainable way for migrants in Canada to be able to seamlessly integrate into the art community. years, he hopes that his work can share his Mexican heritage with the rest of Hamilton. “The most important thing to take away from this exhibition is to enjoy it and think about the connection of diversity, in all levels… ,” said Cordoba. Alshamali’s story began in Syria but he found himself flee-

ing to Jordan and Lebanon due to war. His final destination was immigrating to Canada. He was nearly done his PhD in arts and archeology in Lebanon before having to immigrate to Canada out of necessity in 2016. The artist’s work has evolved since his arrival here. He feels free to express his thoughts and opinions without fearing any repercussions. “I came from a place where the war has torn everything and most of the things that happened were for ideological conflicts! Being safe here taught

A&C

www.thesil.ca | Thursday, Feb. 7, 2019

me to be grateful and appreciate the little things as much as big ones. Through my experience, my story, my art I would like to emphasize that ‘love is wise, hatred is foolish’,” said Alshamali. “Each artwork has a technical and intellectual time for materializing the ideas into a physical form, though I would say it’s hard to put that implementation into a time frame. Especially since I am a sculptor and I see the painting from a different perspective, a sculptural perspective,” explained Alshamali.

Hamilton Artists Inc. hopes that the Incoming program will be a sustainable way for migrants in Canada to be able to seamlessly integrate into the art community, so they do not have to go into cities such as Toronto and be overshadowed by others. “We always focus so much on differences,” said Mander, “but if we break it all down, at the end of the day we are so much more alike than we are different. It doesn’t matter where we come from, we’re all together in one place.” All in One Place will be on

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exhibition until March 9th at Hamilton Artists Inc. located at 155 James Street North.

@andrewmrozowski

CATHERINE GOCE/PHOTO REPORTER SUKAINA IMAM/PRODUCTION COORDINATOR

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The Silhouette

www.thesil.ca | Thursday, Feb. 7, 2019

Recognizing when we’re wrong Vancouver-based singer Khari Wendell McClelland tours Canada for Black History Month

C/O CELINE PINGET

Rya Buckley A&C Reporter

What is the value of an apology? That is one of the questions that JUNO-nominated singer and songwriter Khari Wendell McClelland is exploring in his new concert, We Now Recognize. The show, which consists of all new songs, will tour six Canadian cities for Black History Month. It comes to the Lincoln Alexander Centre in Hamilton on Feb. 19 at 8 p.m. We Now Recognize is a partnership between McClelland and Project Humanity, a non-profit organization that uses the arts to raise social awareness. The two collaborated in 2017 and 2018 to create the documentary theatre musical of the Vancouver-based artist’s debut solo album, Freedom Singer. Freedom Singer interpreted songs that might have accompanied McClelland’s great-greatgreat-grandmother Kizzy as she escaped from slavery via the Underground Railroad. This show is another personal work, although McClelland originally took inspiration from the current sociopolitical

landscape. The number of political apologies that have occurred struck him in the past decade or so and especially in Justin Trudeau’s term. He began to question what constitutes a substantive and meaningful apology. In writing the show, McClelland found himself reflecting on being wrong and the extent of his compassion for those who do wrong. He considered how recognizing wrongdoing feels and how to move forward from it. With this, he also thought about the relationships he has with the generations of men in his family. “[I was] looking at my grandfather and my father and my brother and even considering what it would be to be… a father and what the implications might mean for a larger society… [I]t’s men who are exerting power and have a lot of control in society… What are some of the ideas… I grew up with that I have at different times perpetuated in my own life and trying to figure out like what that might look like through a generational lens,” said McClelland.

In writing the show, McClelland found himself reflecting on being wrong and the extent of his compassion for those who do wrong. He considered how recognizing wrongdoing feels and how to move forward from it. The show explores other ideas that McClelland cares about, such as community and the way we wield power over the natural world. In bringing different ideas in proximity with one another, McClelland sees the work as an assemblage like a quilt or collage. McClelland sees being able to explore a multitude of ideas as a way of celebrating Black

life. Unlike his past work with Freedom Singer, which tackled the history of slavery head on, We Now Recognize, is a subtler approach to Black history that it more rooted in the present and in the future. “I feel like there are ways in which black life can be can be understood as a monolith, that black people in Black communities aren’t allowed to have a diversity of experiences and perspectives. I’m very curious… about creating some kind of radical subjectivity around Black life, like being able to be all these different ways that we are just as human beings,” McClelland said. Not only will the concert allow McClelland a chance to bring forth the multiplicity of Black life, it will allow him to stretch himself and grow as an artist. The personal show will force him to be vulnerable in a way that he hasn’t been before with the communities across Canada that has supported him. McClelland sees the connection to music as something that erodes for many people over their lifetime. For him, however, it is something that he

hasn’t stopped doing ever since it became a part of his life as a kid growing up in Detroit. It moves him in a way that isn’t necessarily positive or negative, but just is. He also sees the medium as essential to building community. “I feel like healthy communities move together. That they practice together, that they have rituals together… [O]ur connection to artful practices actually has the potential to heal us as communities and individuals coming together… has this real potential for a deep kind of healing… I think it is just a deep medicine in the way that we come together and make music and make art,” explained McClelland. McClelland is looking forward to this tour to see how audiences connect with the new songs. He is eager to see the way in which people are moved by this meditation on wrongdoing and apology, whether positively or in a way that is a little uncomfortable.

@theSilhouette

— 2019 —

spring valedictorian nominations are here! Nominations are due by March 4 at 4:30pm Nomination forms are available in the MSU Office (MUSC 201) and online: msumcmaster.ca/valedictorian

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SPORTS

www.thesil.ca | Thursday, Feb. 7, 2019

Sports Getting to a thousand After passing an impressive 1,000 career points, Mac’s star guard Hilary Hanaka on her role on the team and her future in basketball

The Marauders’ star guard is averaging 14.9 points on 47 per cent shooting this season. KYLE WEST / PHOTO EDITOR Graham West Staff Writer

Hard work, toughness and focus are the key elements that have led to Hilary Hanaka’s outstanding success at the university level. After recently achieving the milestone of 1,000 career points, Hanaka is looking forward to a season filled with promise. Hitting 1,000 career points is a huge career landmark and it meant a lot to Hanaka, although she stressed the importance the team has had in contributing to her being able to achieve it. “It’s a pretty big milestone to hit and it means a lot to hit that point,” Hanaka said. “But, of course it’s a team sport overall, so I think I’m more excited to figure out where our team will end up this season… it’s obviously nice to hit that point,

but I obviously wouldn’t have gotten to this point without the help of my teammates and my coach.” It has not always been easy on the path to greatness for Hanaka as there have been challenges with balancing academics and being a varsity athlete. “There are positives and negatives. Coming into first year, that was when the big adjustment hit,” Hanaka said. “Obviously, it’s a much bigger time commitment being on a varsity team and having classes every single day, practices every day and you’re away on weekends and just making sure you find the right balance to do everything.” “With that being said, you’re surrounded by an incredible group of girls, coaching staffs,” Hanaka added. “We have so much support through the

athletic department, so whenever things were going downhill, you always had someone to pick you back up.” Hanaka’s experience with the difficulties athletes can face and her expertise on the court are some of the things that make her a great leader. Being there for her teammates on and off the court is instrumental to the success of the team and something that is incredibly important to her as well. “Off the court is just as important as on the court when it comes to varsity sports,” Hanaka said. “Being a veteran player, I’ve been around for five years so I’ve been through most of the things that bring you down and that go on. So just being able to be there for the girls is something that I really strive to do.” “Just knowing that I’ve

been in the position of a firstyear, second-year, third-year and even a fourth-year player and things aren’t always fun and games there’s always going to be those lows,” Hanaka added. “Being able to make sure the girls are aware that I’m always there for them, whether it’s something basketball-related, life-related, school-related, whatever it might be, that just because I’m a leader on the court, doesn’t mean I can’t be the leader off the court. ” Whenever Hanaka’s career as a player ends, it will most certainly not be the end to her basketball career. When you have a particularly knowledgeable player who is a natural leader, coaching is always on the horizon. It is something Hanaka is interested in, and given her success as a player, seems very possible.

“I would love to be a coach. Growing up I’ve always been surrounded by basketball and it’s been a huge part of my life,” Hanaka said. “Being a player has been incredible, but I think I’m kinda ready to hang up the shoes and move forward. Hopefully down the road, coaching is something that I’ll be put into.” Always one of the first people in the gym, Hanaka has had an outstanding career so far in the maroon and grey and looks to only improve. The team is one to watch as they continue to play their way to a return to nationals, with their eyes clearly set on taking home gold. @theSilhouette

SPORTS | 23

www.thesil.ca | Thursday, Feb. 7, 2019

Get your head in the game McMaster men’s basketball players Matt Quiring and Sefa Otchere discuss the pressures of being an athlete and strategies towards maintaining a healthy mindset

Mac’s fourth-year forward is one of the most tenured players on the roster. KYLE WEST / PHOTO EDITOR Adriana Skaljin Contributor

Being in athletics, especially at a university level, can add pressure to the lives of athletes. Whether it comes from personal expectations, or those of coaches and fans, pressure can affect both their physical and mental states. Matt Quiring, who has been a forward for the McMaster men’s basketball team for four years, began playing due to his family’s love for the sport. “I started playing when I was in the third grade, but started playing competitively in Grade five,” said Quiring. “I’m glad that my parents forced me to play, considering that I was shy. It got me to where I am today.” Through basketball, Quiring met many important coaches and players who provided him with opportunities he would not have experienced otherwise. “Basketball also taught me hard work ethic, [which] I wouldn’t have learned anywhere

else,” explained Quiring. “This skill can be translated later on in life.” Sefa Otchere, first-year starting guard, also acknowledged the ways in which basketball has positively impacted his life. “[The sport] is still impacting my life,” Otchere said. “Playing sports made me get out of my house, and [ultimately] showed me different places [while] making new friends.” Both players also commented on the pressures that playing at a university level places on them. “There is a lot of pressure that comes with the sport, both academically and athletically,” said Quiring. “It can get to you a lot of times. The mental and physical struggles can become taxing.” Quiring and Otchere have implemented motivational strategies to work through their doubts and create a positive mindset when going into their games. “[The pressure] is something I’ve struggled with,” said

Quiring. “Recently, I have increased my confidence and have used pregame techniques given to me by a sports psychologist. There is a whole mental side to preparing.” Otchere has a similar approach to handling pressure, starting with not putting expectations on himself. “Basketball should be used to relieve stress and pressure, rather than provide that. I try and remind myself that before games,” said Otchere. “I make sure to remember that I need to go out and have fun.” A healthy mindset is also important when coming back from a loss or a tough game. Recently, the Marauders suffered back-to-back tough losses against Brock University and Western University on Jan. 30 and Feb. 2. “It’s always hard coming back from a loss because you have to watch the film and look at your mistakes. Then you have to fix them before the next game,” said Otchere. “You need time to mourn the loss, in a sense,” added Quir-

ing. “After that, you need to put it behind you and realize where you messed up, and then learn and move on.” Otchere also had to prepare for his comeback after his injury earlier in the season.

“There is a lot of pressure that comes with the sport, both academically and athletically. It can get to you a lot of times. The mental and physical struggles can become taxing.” Matt Quiring McMaster men’s basketball team “I felt like I had to get my [groove], and confidence back,” said Ochere. “I also had to do extra practices to physically get back into the game as well.

Going into the end of the regular season, the players have applied these techniques as a means for achieving their goals. “Besides winning, we want to make it to the final four and get to nationals,” said Quiring. “[Coach] Patrick Tatham preaches consistency [and] sets up team and individual workouts to develop skills needed to achieve our goals.” “We need to make it known that we are one of the best teams,” said Ochere. “[All of] my focus is towards playing right and making playoffs.” It is evident that both mental and physical health are important towards the well-being of athletes. The McMaster men’s basketball team’s perseverance and passion for the game will definitely be reflected in the upcoming games and in their journey towards nationals.

@theSilhouette

24 |

SPORTS

www.thesil.ca | Thursday, Feb. 7, 2019

Sports Marauders tackle mental health The Womenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Athletic Leadership Committee host their first-ever Bell Letâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Talk Student-Athlete Panel

The Silhouette

www.thesil.ca | Thursday, Feb. 7, 2019

Jessica Carmichael Sports Reporter

On Jan. 30, the annual Bell Let’s Talk Day, an advertising campaign created by Bell Canada, took the country by storm. In an effort to raise awareness and combat stigma surrounding mental health in Canada, Bell donated money to mental health funds for every social interaction with campaigns hashtag.

The event consisted of McMaster student-athletes sharing their personal stories in an open and safe environment that was open to the entire McMaster community. While the world tweeted, snapped and Instagram-ed away, The McMaster Women’s Athletic Leadership Committee took it one step further and hosted their first-ever Bell Let’s Talk event. The event consisted of McMaster student-athletes sharing their personal stories in an open and safe environment that was open to the entire McMaster community. Five student-athletes, Sabrina Schindel, Allison Sippel, Aurora Zuraw, Nicolas Belliveau and Louis Sharland, took the floor and led discussions on depression, eating disorders, language and anxiety and men’s mental health. The event was a success with a great turn out that

included open discussion and much-needed conversations on mental health and how it affects athletes, in addition to the right steps that need to be taken to combat different stigmas. “At first, I was expecting it to be a small event with just members of WALC, but to have my teammates, friends and people I didn’t even know come out to support was so amazing and inspiring,” said Sippel, the initiator for the event. The idea for the event came up after Sippel, a cross-country runner, wanted to be able to create an open space for people to be able to talk about their battles with mental health. “I feel like if we are able to create a space where people are open to talking, there would be less of a stigma around it,” said Sippel. She first wrote down her story after she got out of the hospital after suffering from an eating disorder. After reading it to her close friends and family members, she never really shared it with the public. But when the idea of creating an event for Bell Let’s Talk came up, the idea of the panel sharing personal stories came to mind. Working with Claire Arsenault, McMaster’s Athlete Services Coordinator and WALC, the panel that would originally be a conversation for members of the committee grew to more. “I was happy that male athletes joined in and it was really inspirational that the group of us could be able to share our stories,” said Sippel. Each speaker shared their story then opened up the floor for discussion, answering questions in regard to their experiences, advice for others and much more. During the panel, Sippel shared her story about how her eating disorder led her to be hospitalized when she was 14 years old. After losing too much

Five studentathletes, Sabrina Schindel, Allison Sippel, Aurora Zuraw, Nicolas Belliveau and Louis Sharland, took the floor and led discussions on depression, eating disorders, language and anxiety and men’s mental health. weight and no longer being allowed to run, her journey to bounce back was not easy. “This illness had turned mind against body and person against person because nurses were trained to trust no one,” Sippel explained about her time in the hospital. Eventually, Sippel showed signs of improvement and was allowed to leave the hospital and return to her everyday life. Fast-forward to today, and she is now running on the Mac cross-country team while trying her best to stay on top of her condition. “It’s a lifetime of fighting against my mind so I never had to go back,” Sippel said. For Sippel, having the student-athletes lead this conversation was important for a number of reasons. “I feel like a lot of times, it is frowned upon to express our feelings. If we start the conversation, there is no better way to set an example for our fellow students,” said Sippel. “Hopefully five students sharing their stories can spiral into something bigger and start a

movement.” Schindel, another one of the five student-athletes who shared their stories, is a lacrosse player who suffered from depression. Through the ups and downs of dealing with her battle, she eventually discovered that staying busy and active is what kept helped her out the most. This meant that when her lacrosse season was over, she would have to find something to keep her occupied so she did not fall down that dark hole again. “Realizing that no one is beyond help and getting in front of my depression before it could do the same damage it used to,” Schindel explained as the steps she takes to keep herself from falling again. Schindel’s story, though

“It’s a lifetime of fighting against my mind so I never had to go back.” Allison Sippel McMaster student Athlete devastating, is more common amongst young people than one may think. This is why it is so important that these conversations are happening. Having the bravery to start the conversation, and sharing tips and resources with their fellow students is a great way for Marauders to do their part in helping end the stigma surrounding mental health.

@JaayCarmichael

KYLE WEST / PHOTO EDITOR SABRINA LIN / PRODUCTION COORDINATOR

| 25

GAMES

www.thesil.ca | Thursday, Feb. 7, 2019

Games

ACROSS 1- Sun. speeches; 5- Become firm; 8- Large mop; 12- Family portrait?; 13- Greek goddesses of the seasons; 15- Lavish affection (on); 16- From the U.S.; 17- Rubber gasket; 18- ___ La Douce; 19- Person who breaks open safes; 22- Barbie’s boyfriend; 23- Neither’s partner; 24- Madras dress; 26- Gum arabic source; 29- Be present;

DOWN

1- RR stops; 2- Humorist Bombeck; 3- Coral formation; 4- Sister of Venus; 5- Marsh bird; 6- Clapton of rock; 7- Liquid container; 8- Star Wars letters; 9- Man of the working class; 10- Look ___, I’m Sandra Dee; 11- Legume; 13- Distress greatly; 14- Discharge; 20- Designer Chanel; 21- Charge per unit; 25- Overhaul; 26- Chasing; 27- French Revolutionary dance; 28- Blazing; 29- Neighborhoods;

31- Son-gun link; 32- Bid; 34- Boundaries; 36- Give it ___; 38- Omigosh!; 40- Black cat, maybe; 41- Big rigs; 43- Gaucho’s rope; 45- Tumult; 46- Strong snuff; 48- Alarms; 50- Equipment; 51- At a great distance; 52- Male child; 54- Excessive amount;

30- Acts; 31- Western Hemisphere org.; 33- Supplement, with “out”; 35- ___-Cone; 37- Exclamation of fright; 39- Become rigid; 42- Health resorts; 44- Asian inland sea; 47- Belch; 49- Blows one’s top; 52- Swedish import; 53- Meanie; 55- Andean country; 56- Enthusiastic liveliness; 57- Journalist Jacob; 58- Bones found in the hip; 59- Connections; 60- Votes for; 62- Type of mouse;

61- Yes, there is ___!; 63- Whoopi’s role in “The Color Purple”; 64- Ballet bend; 65- Folk singer Guthrie; 66- Habituate; 67- ___ yellow ribbon...; 68- Ale, e.g.; 69- Young ___; 70- Disrespectful back talk;

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IS THIS THE REAL LIFE? IS THIS JUST FANTASY? C12

THURSDAY

THE

HAMILTON SPECULATOR TRYING TO SAVE THE WORLD SINCE 1934

FEBRUARY 7, 2019

NOTSPEC.COM

STEM student doesn’t believe in science Straight up just doesn’t believe in science!

HILDA O’HOOLIHAN I was an arts student

Despite the 40 degree temperature difference in just a week, this asshole in STEM still doesn’t believe in science. Clive Matt Change, third year health sciences student, thinks that global warming is a scam, a story created by a bunch of liberal hipsters to get him to stop buying what he loves, Nestler bottled water. “Global warming doesn’t exist,” said Change. “If it did, why was it negative 30 degrees just the other day?”

Change has studied science for most of his adult life, learning all of the things that STEM majors do. I don’t know what these things are tbh, I was an arts student, but that’s besides the point. The point is that for the past seven years, Change had made it his ultimate goal to change the world through science. But guess what? This prick doesn’t believe in climate change. You’d think for the number one research intensive university in (the world?), McMaster Unibersity would teach their

POLL: WHEN DO YOU THINK THE WORLD IS GOING TO END? Tomorrow, hopefully

Keep on dancing till the world ends

12 years like those scientists said

It’s already ended, we’re living in a simulation

I hope to live to 100

Next week sometime

Soon, tbh

Dunno!

idiot STEM folks about how dangerous the climate crisis is, but guess not. Datrick Peane, your PR campaign won’t do anything if the world is burnt to a crisp! When asked why Change just straight up doesn’t believe in science, Change chugged 14 bottles of Nestler water simultaneously, gargling about how much he loves them. “Find me something that tastes as good as Nestler bottled water and then we’ll talk,” said

Change. “Until then, I’m going to keep ruining the planet.” Get a grip, Change!

- @medsci69420

CAN I PLEASE KNOW IF THIS NEWSPAPER WILL OUTLIVE ME OR IS THAT TOO MUCH TO BE ASKING RN? A3 BUS PASSES SUDDENLY MORE IMPORTANT THAN MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES A6 THINGS ARE STILL AS BAD, BUT I’VE JUST LEARNED TO REPRESS THEM MORE B2 LUNCHABLES FOR ADULTS: NOT BAD B5 DELETING EVERYONE FROM THUMBS C1

Tweets to the Editor I’ll show you liberal hipsters REAL journalism.

INSIDE

PER ISSUE: One polar bear. Just one. Find me one that isn’t suffering from the effects of climate change and this paper is yours.

Come to Brazil! - @user6789271

Disclaimer: The Hamilton Speculator is a work of satire and fiction and should not under any circumstances be taken seriously. Climate change is real. Species across the world are going extinct at an unbelivably high rate and ultimately, if this keeps up, we won’t h.......