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INSIDE >> NEWS// AN INTERVIEW WITH PHILOMENA TASSI// PAGE 3 >> LIFESTYLE// STAND YOUR GROUNDS, KNOW YOUR COFFEE// PAGE 18 >> ANDY// CRITIQUING THE LATEST STEVE JOBS MOVIE// PAGE 27
The Silhouette Thursday, Oct. 29, 2015
CAMPUS GETS
LIT UP
McMaster is throwing its second annual Light Up the Night block party. How is this celebration being funded? - Page 3-
S
LOOKING BACK NOV. 6, 1970
The Silhouette
Apathetic students
Volume 86, Issue 10 Thursday, Oct. 29, 2015 McMaster University’s Student Newspaper
EDITORIAL BOARD editor-in-chief | thesil@thesil.ca
Amanda Watkins @whatthekins managing editor | managing@thesil.ca
Ana Qarri @anaqarri production editor | production@thesil.ca Michael Gallagher @michaelradar online editor | online@thesil.ca Shane Madill @shanemadill sections
Rachel Katz @RachAlbertaKatz news reporter Patrick Kim @patrickmkim news reporter Alex Florescu @alexxflorescu features reporter Daniel Arauz @DanielArauzz opinions editor Talia Kollek @TaliaKollek sports editor Sofia Mohamed @itssofiaAM sports reporter Jaycee Cruz @_jayceecruz lifestyle editor Jason Woo lifestyle reporter Michelle Yeung @yeung_m andy editor Tomi Milos @tomimilos andy reporter Vannessa Barnier @vjbarnier news editor
media
Jonathan White @j_white.jpg (Instagram) photo reporter Jason Lau @jasonlaucker video editor Philip Kim social media coordinator Esther Adjekum @esturr
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A former member of the McMaster Senate expressed their disappointment in the student body when a number of students appeared apathetic during times of rebellion and activism in the early 1970’s. He referred to students as “stereotyped narrow minded vegetables.” Where do you think students stand today in terms of activism?
ter @mcmas te t silhoue
CORRECTION: In our Oct. 22 issue, in the article “VP election referendum” MSU President, Ehima Osazuwa, mistakenly said they needed two-thirds affirmatives and that included abstainers. You only need two thirds affirmative, which does not include abstentions.
www.thesil.ca | Thursday, Oct. 29, 2015
In this
issue:
MSU groups hold second annual Accessibility Forum Page 8
The Silhouette
News
| 3
McMaster University among top research universities in the world Page 9
Tassi takes the task
Newly elected Liberal Party MP Filomena Tassi to represent McMaster University’s new electoral
district of Hamilton West-Ancaster-Dundas
FlamboroughGlanbrook Hamilton Centre Hamilton WestAncaster-Dundas
Hamilton EastHamilton Stoney Creek Mountain
Voting map of Hamilton’s five ridings. C/O CBC NEWS INTERACTIVES
Patrick Kim News Reporter
After an eventful campaign period, Filomena Tassi was elected as the Member of Parliament representing the area around and including McMaster University. With a turnout of over 60,000 voters in the newly created Hamilton West-Ancaster-Dundas riding, Tassi is part of a returning wave of support for the Liberal Party, a party that has been conspicuously absent in representing Hamilton at the federal level for the past nine years. The Liberal Party achieved a historic victory this October, reaching a parliamentary majority with 184 out of 338 seats, ousting the previous Conservative majority government. The Liberals now represent two of the five Hamilton ridings, with Tassi in the HWAD riding and Bob Bratina, former mayor of
Hamilton, representing the Hamilton East-Stoney Creek riding. Since 2006, Conservative MP David Sweet had represented McMaster University in the now defunct Ancaster-Dundas-Flamborough-Westdale district. With Sweet running for and winning the new Flamborough-Glanbrook district, the battle amongst candidates in the HWAD riding was expected to be far more open without an incumbent involved in the race. Despite this, Tassi won with 29,698 votes, a comfortable margin of nearly 10,000 votes over her closest competition, Conservative candidate Vincent Samuel. In an election defined by voters desperate for change, it seemed apparent that strategic voting helped shape the outcome of the riding. However, it’s arguable that Tassi’s large margin of victory was also in part due to the criticism that NDP candidate Alex Johnstone faced over comments she
made regarding the Auschwitz concentration camp. Although candidates declined to comment on the issue during the race, Johnstone’s absence from her campaign to visit the camp, as well as an absence from the All-Candidates debate hosted in McMaster’s student atrium, contributed to a fairly straightforward result that was expected to be much closer between all three parties. With some of the Liberal Party’s key promises directed towards student tuition and the transition to the workforce, students can expect to see some direct benefits from Trudeau’s government. This includes a grace period for loan repayments until a graduate is earning a minimum income of $25,000, and the investment of $1.3 billion over three years in the creation of new co-op placements for students in science, technology, and business, as well as over 40,000 youth jobs. Although it’s unclear how much students will be able to
Filomena Tassi won her riding by nearly 10,000 votes. C/O LOUISE MURRAY-LEUNG
save by simply delaying their loan payments to the government, or what exactly Trudeau’s “youth jobs” will entail, Tassi emphasized the importance of students to the Liberal party’s plans in a previous conversation with The Silhouette. “We’re just trying to bridge the gap from education to work,” said Tassi. “They’re saying the average student debt is $26,000; this is why we want to work with students to try and ensure that the cost of going to school is lowered, and that when they graduate they won’t have to repay [right away].” Unfortunately, Tassi did not respond to The Silhouette’s request for an interview in time for the print issue. @patrickmkim
Hamilton West-Ancaster Dundas voter breakdown:
•
Turnout: 62,473 (74.06%)
• Liberal: Filomena Tassi (elected) 29,698 votes • Conservative: Vincent Samuel 19,799 votes • NDP: Alex Johnstone 10,144 votes • Green: Peter Ormond 2,832 votes Statistics taken from The Hamilton Spectator
4 |
NEWS
Thursday, Oct. 29, 2015 | www.thesil.ca
Still only half full
Following the federal election, the Political Science department held a post-election analysis panel Céline Ferreira Contributor
After one of the longest election campaigns in Canada's history, the Liberal Party's victory is not the only surprising change to come out of this election. Professor Karen Bird, whose research involves comparative politics, gender and politics, and indigenous and minority groups, spoke on a panel organized by the Department of Political Science on Oct. 21 concerning the 2015 Canadian
Federal Election. "The share of women among the newly elected Parliament is little better than before. Women now hold 26 percent of the seats, compared to 25 percent. The glass, for women, is still only half full," she said. “The evidence overall suggests we’ve been stuck at about 25 percent for a long time and it doesn’t seem to fix itself on its own.” The addition of new ridings and the insurgence of new candidates suggested that
more women would be elected. However, the one percent increase does not truly reflect this hypothesis. Prof. Bird said that is due to the lack of seats won by the New Democratic Party which had the largest proportion of women in their caucus. The NDP has implemented various practices that have increased their number of female MPs, including reaching out to women and offering the support they need to run. A great effort is put into recruitment and a mandate has been established
FREE WEEKLY SHUTTLE BUS EVERY TUESDAY STARTING TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 15 Commons pick-up at 6:00PM | 7:00PM | 8:00PM
requiring justification for why a female candidate was not found if that’s the case. Bird later stated that such efforts should be adopted by all parties if there is going to be a translation to a more gender balanced parliament. Due to the higher proportion of women with a post-secondary education, women are increasingly doing well economically, therefore resources such as those provided by the NDP are not of prime interest. Bird went on to say that something must be done at an institutional level to address the lack of women represented in parliament. Female representation is also topical at McMaster. Last year’s “MSU Wants You” campaign urged more female candidates to seek high-ranking positions within the MSU, and while this initiative is a step towards better female representation at McMaster, it also signifies the work that remains to be done. The federal election can be examined to see how our student government can become more representative of the undergraduate student body at McMaster. Out of the top nine research universities in Canada, McMaster has the second lowest representation of women in its council especially in executive positions. When asked about her opinion regarding this, Bird said that this is not due to the fact that the women are less qualified for the position or that voters are voting against
Final drop off 9:30PM
Mary Keyes pick-up at
2011
women; it is a result of structural hindrances. “I think that if there was some information about what the office involves – what the work is on a day-to-day level, what kinds of tasks are involved – a lot of women would say, ‘I have exactly those skills,’” she said. Bird further stated that explicitly publicizing what the job involves would attract more women as they would recognize that student government is something they would like to be involved in and that they do have many skills and accomplishments that would make them strong candidates for that position. Bird hopes that in future elections, whether on the federal scale or at the university level, women will recognize that they possess the skills, experiences and ideas needed to hold key positions that shape public policy.
NDP
12.9%
Conservative
9%
Liberal
2.3%
Green
0.3%
Bloc Québécois 0.3%
% of female MPs
Final drop off 10:00PM
BIG YELLOW School Bus!
Professor Karen Bird Political Science
% of female MPs
6:30PM | 7:30PM | 8:30PM
LOOK FOR THE
“
The evidence suggests we’ve been stuck at about 25 percent for a long time and it doesn’t seem to fix itself on its own.
2015
NDP
5.32%
Conservative
5.09%
Liberal
14.89%
Green
0.02%
Bloc Québécois 0.06%
NEWS
www.thesil.ca | Thursday, Oct. 29, 2015
Not our first time around the block Back for its second year, Light Up The Night will return to campus this spring with the promise of a bigger event
Students packed the Bridges Coffee House at last year’s Light Up the Night.
Rachel Katz News Editor
After a successful (albeit rainy) premier in April, McMaster’s block party Light Up the Night is returning to campus again this year. Last year’s event featured musical performances, carnival food, a coffee house and board games. MSU President Ehima Osazuwa is looking forward to this year’s iteration of the event. “It’ll be a similar layout to last year. Rides, speakers, multiple stages, food, fireworks, board games. As everyone knows I’m a big food person, so I’m open for us to having food,” he said. Even with the cold, rainy weather that coincided with last year’s LUTN, between 6,000 and 7,000 students attended the party. Osazuwa said that with better weather and more events to participate in, that number could easily increase. The coffee house hosted by Bridges Café was an extremely popular event last year, and Osazuwa mentioned that a bigger event of that nature is in the works. Osazuwa is eager to begin planning this year’s block party. “I’m excited because we get more time to plan out the events because last year they started planning in mid-February because Teddy [Saull] had to go to the assembly to get approval and that didn’t happen until February,” he said. The details of this year’s LUTN have yet to be finalized. “We had our first meeting a few weeks ago and the major contributors were there. The alumni, Student Success Centre and the MSU all came together to start discussing the plan for the year,” Osazuwa said. Along with a bigger event comes a bigger budget. The first Light Up the Night was a way to spend the MSU’s. This year, the MSU will contribute $40,000 to the event, with alumni and the SSC likely contributing similar amounts, though that has yet to be finalized. Osazuwa explained, “Campus Events has a budget and we increased that budget [by $40,000] for the sole purpose of Light Up the Night.” Technically, that money comes from students in the form of the
C/O ALEX YOUNG
| 5
Canadian campus news Steven Chen News Writer
uCalgary Students’ Union sues university for rights to MacEwan Hall The University of Calgary’s Students’ Union has filed a lawsuit against the university regarding the claim of ownership over MacEwan Hall, a hub of student activity at the school. The U of C and the students’ union have been working on renewing a management agreement that expires in December, but negotiations have recently soured. Although both sides claim documentation for ownership stretching back over 50 years, SU President Levi Nilson stated that the union has “been waiting to be proven wrong for two years and we haven’t gotten anything.”
Green initiatives on Canadian campuses $124 MSU fee all members pay. Since students fund a large portion of LUTN, Osazuwa hopes to give students the opportunity to share their thoughts. He said, “One thing we’ve been looking into is having a mini steering committee with students who want to get involved with the planning process for this event because I think it’s important that we get alternatives on the table.” He added, “Because as much as I try to represent students, I don’t really know everything students would like or would want.” The student steering committee will be launched next term. From a wider variety of events, to greater consideration regarding what students want to see, this year’s Light Up the Night is aiming to have something for everyone. “At the end of the day, the money comes from students, so we need to make sure that we spend the money in a responsible manner and cater to the needs of students,” said Osazuwa.
@RachAlbertaKatz
STUDENTS PAY
$515.38
in supplementary fees
Of that sum...
$124.33
goes to the MSU
and from there...
$20.89
The Council of Ontario Universities has issued this year’s Going Greener report, which assesses how Ontario universities are making an effort in promoting a greener community. The statistics highlight that “200+ sustainability programs are being offered by Ontario’s universities, 41 percent of universities are banning the sale of bottled water, 91 percent of campuses are offering the students discounted or free transit passes, and 77 percent of universities are offering a car share station on campus.”
goes to campus events
Light Up the Night costs...
this means
Light Up The Night
only costs you...
$1.69
per student
Memorial U partners with Inuit community Memorial University has announced a partnership with the Nunatsiavut government on a five-year project valued at $7.4 million. The project, titled “Tradition and Transition Among the Labrador Inuit”, will be done in association with MUN’s School of Music. It aims to advocate Labrador Inuit culture and language by joining academic research with traditional knowledge.
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HUMANS
Thursday, Oct. 29, 2015 | www.thesil.ca
Monica Sadik and Monika Sargeos Social Sciences I and Social Sciences I
Jason Amar Engineering Physics III
What are you looking forward to? “I’m going to Toronto this weekend just to spend time with my girlfriend. This Halloween weekend she’s throwing a little party, and we’re doing a little combination costume thing. We are Gomez and Morticia from The Adams Family. It’s an old thing, and for some reason we just thought of it, and were like, ‘why don’t we do this?’ So in September we watched all the movies, learning their mannerisms. She’s dyeing her hair black. It’s pretty exciting. I wanted to be Morticia, personally, but she didn’t let me. And I was like, ‘well, we could both be Morticia.’” What other costumes have you done before? “A lot of the times I like to just kind of push the boundaries a little bit with what we normally do. In the past, I’ve dressed up as a girl before, just female clothing and everything. I think I put make-up on too and everything. It was weird because I wasn’t used to the clothing — it was kind of tight and itchy and everything. I also had a bra ... It’s not comfortable, at least for me.
JASON LAU / PHOTO REPORTER
Usually for me, dressing up for Halloween or any sort of thing with costumes, it usually requires me to be just very comfortable with my body. ‘Cause I find that when you’re comfortable with your body, people can be comfortable with themselves as well. Last year, I dressed up as some sort of a devil, and I had this red, tight morph suit, and wings and a little pitchfork. I’m really open to doing things that people wouldn’t do, because if I
can do it, then everybody can. Plus, I just like to see people’s reactions. One was weird! I went to an all boys’ high school, so those guys are interesting to say at the least. But I remember dressing up as the girl and one guy looked at my chest and was like, ‘those are nice tits.’ I pulled out a sock and was like, ‘it’s just socks, dude. Are you really serious?’ And he just looked at me, and was like, ‘... it’s still nice.’ Then I was like, ‘you dumbass.’”
Is there anything else you want to say? “I think a big thing — and I don’t want to be cheesy or cliche — you have to believe in your own ability. I’ve met a lot of people who’ve believed in themselves, and I found if they can do it, then I can do it. You shouldn’t underestimate yourself. The best way to grow and to learn is to challenge yourself. But life only gives you only so much
that you can handle, right? So, if you find that you’re in a point where you’re struggling, where it’s tough and where you want to give up, you have to make an active choice to keep pushing through, and change it from a downwards spiral to an upwards spiral. Once you go through all that shit at the end of the tunnel, you’ll have something. So, keep looking forward and believe in yourself.”
HUMANS
www.thesil.ca | Thursday, Oct. 29, 2015
family-oriented. I can’t speak for all of them, but based on my observations, that’s how it is. So it’s pretty close to Catholicism. We have the same sacraments and stuff, we just maybe do them in different times. In Catholicism, there’s baptism, then communion in second grade, then grade seven confirmation, but for us we do baptism and confirmation and communion all in one. It’s really cool. We’re a pretty close-knit church. We moved actually. We used to be a really small church on Melvin Road in Hamilton. It was this really small church. It was very tiny, with close families. And when we moved, we got to meet a lot of different people. Before it used to be solely Egyptians, but when we moved we started to meet Assyrians, and people from Eritrea. Honestly, I love that they come, and that they feel wel-
Tell us about your church and faith. “We’re Coptic Orthodox, so that’s a different branch of Christianity. Coptic is actually a language — it’s almost as dead as Latin. It’s really, really old. It’s what the Pharaoh spoke way back when. So yes — we are Egyptian Christians. Before Arabic was a thing, it was called Coptic. So, it was a mix of hieroglyphics — and then hieroglyphics became Coptic, and Coptic became Arabic. It’s super cool! We refer to ourselves as Copts sometimes but Copts actually just means Egyptian; Copts translates to “gyptios” which means Egypt. Our church is really similar to Greek Orthodoxy ... if you’ve ever seen My Big Fat Greek Wedding, it’s really close. Egyptians are really close to Greeks where we are loud and
come, and I love that we can supply that welcome feeling. There’s nothing better than going to a new place and feeling more welcome — that’s how I felt at McMaster.” What’s happening at the church this weekend? “On Halloween, we’re just going to church to spend time with the little kids, because our church likes to gather the kids; they don’t trick or treat outside. We’re going to do arts and craft, hand out candy ... that’s what we’ll do on Saturday. Halloween can lose its meaning over time; I don’t even know really the history of Halloween. I know some people teach it, I just don’t know it. But the whole reason why we do this is because it’s safer in the church. We don’t have kids going out. There’s a lot of things that happen that night.
It’s also cold and windy and we don’t want the kids to get sick. We still offer them candy, you know! We just make huge bags of candy. We pack them after church and Sunday school. And they’re huge bags, so they still get the candy aspect of it, but they just don’t have to go out when it [could be] dangerous. They can just come here. And the kids love it! Their friends are there, we do arts and crafts, and we do have bouncy castles. For high schoolers, we go laser-tagging, and there’s always a lesson tied behind it. So we still have that spiritual aspect to it. But it’s just to offer a safe environment for them. They don’t have to come, but it’s encouraged — and we love it! The kids love it. I remember going since I was a kid, actually. We always went. We still dress up and it’s just really fun.”
What does faith mean to you? “It’s a very hard question because faith can mean a lot of things. Like, I have faith in myself, and I have faith in God. You know, you can have both. I have faith in myself, but I also have faith in others, and faith in Monika. And, I still have so much faith in God. Sometimes you lose that; sometimes you’re not going to be the best Christian or faithful person to yourself even. But everyday is a new day. You always have new chances to better yourself. You can always start fresh. God, or your mom, or your dad or your friends, they’re never going to turn their back on you for not being there for a little bit. Sometimes you gotta do you, and it can be difficult to be there for other people when you’re trying to do you.”
You can view more photos online on the Humans of McMaster Facebook page:
facebook.com/HumansOfMcMaster
REFERENDUM A petition to amend the Constitution has
IV ADMINISTRATIVE STRUCTURE, SECTION B. STUDENT REPRESENTATIVE ASSEMBLY, Changes to 1e as follows;
been submitted with the required number of signatures. The following changes to
IV ADMINISTRATIVE STRUCTURE, SECTION B. STUDENT REPRESENTATIVE ASSEMBLY, The striking of 2d as follows;
the Constitution will go to referendum in January, concurrent with the MSU Presidential election:
These changes will be discussed at the next SRA meeting happening November 1 at 5pm in GH 111.
| 7
V ANNUAL ELECTIONS, SECTION A, Changes as follows;
For more information, please contact the Speaker. (speaker@msu.mcmaster.ca).
8 |
NEWS
Thursday, Oct. 29, 2015 | www.thesil.ca
Accessibility after class MSU Diversity Services and the University Affairs Committee hosted the second annual Accessibility Forum, sparking discussion about student life outside of the classroom Saad Ejaz Rachel Katz News Editor Contributor
The event’s facilitators discussed concerns surrounding accessibility. C/O MIKE BEATTIE
According to MSU Diversity Services Abilities Coordinator Sophie Geffros, there is a positive wave of support and engagement for making campus more accessible for students with disabilities. On Oct. 8, Diversity Services and the University Affairs Committee hosted the Second Annual Accessibility Forum. The event focused on how individuals with disabilities and other student groups can come together to share stories and brainstorm ways to improve the accessibility experience at McMaster. The topics of interest focused on how disabilities, chronic medical concerns, mental health issues and madness affect student life. The theme of this year’s event was “Breaking the Stigma,” and unlike other discussions around accessibility, the focus was to further explore the other challenges common to being a student aside from attending classes. “We had small group discussions, all of which were lead by facilitators with disabilities, and we talked about things like social events, attending parties, disclosing to an employer and relationships,” says Geffros. The third year Philosophy and Biology student stated, “The end result of all of this is that, by working with University Affairs, I will generate a report based on
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Unlike other discussions around accessibility, the focus was to further explore the other challenges common to being a student aside from attending classes. what we heard from students who attended it, and actually will make recommendations to how we can change Mac and perhaps even the McMaster accessibility policy.” The committees are also working on a Maccess service along with other bi-weekly support events, which are aimed at strengthening the McMaster community in particular for students with disabilities. The event was a great success. However, Geffros said it is only the first step. The real work is yet to come in order to implement ideas and continue to build the already positive McMaster community.
Are you passionate about current affairs, student life and covering the important events on campus?
Write for News! Everyone is welcome to volunteer as a writer. Just email news@thesil.ca to get involved.
NEWS
www.thesil.ca | Thursday, Oct. 29, 2015
| 9
Ranking the research McMaster among top 50 Canadian Research Universities, according to Resource Infosource Inc. Isaac Kinley Contributor
Earlier this month, Research Infosource Inc. released its 2015 list of the top 50 Canadian Research Universities, as measured by research income figures from 2010 to 2014. The rankings placed McMaster sixth in the country overall, eighth in total 2014 sponsored research income, first for corporate sponsorships, and thirteenth in non-profit sponsorships. The rankings also measured research intensity, placing McMaster third in the country at $339,500 of research income per faculty member in 2014. Professor Allison Sekuler, McMaster’s interim Vice President of Research, credited the university’s performance to several factors. She pointed to the interdisciplinary faculties and institutions McMaster hosts, such as the Arts and Science Program, one of the oldest of its kind in Canada. She explained that, along with the size of the university, these initiatives help to foster collaboration between faculty members with different areas of expertise and bring varied perspectives to research questions.
C/O SILHOUETTE ARCHIVES
“
We’re big enough that there’s a lot of really interesting stuff going on but we’re small enough that it still feels like a community. Prof. Allison Sekuler Interim Vice President Research “We’re big enough that there’s a lot of really interesting stuff going on but we’re small enough that it still feels like a community,” she said. “When I was at the University of Toronto before, I might have to drive an hour to see some of my colleagues.” The rankings also showed that corporate research income as a percentage of total research
income from 2010 to 2014 was higher for McMaster than for any other university in Canada. This raised the issue of corporate influence on basic research and academic independence. However, Prof. Sekuler isn’t concerned. “[The McMaster Industry Liaison Office] reviews every contract that comes in to make sure [they] are in keeping with the ethos of the university,” she said. She also explained that the goals of research and commerce are not necessarily mutually exclusive. She cited Interaxon, the company that sponsors her own research, saying they’re interested in not only improving their product, an EEG headband, but furthering basic research on the human brain. The partnership also allows her to obtain data from many more subjects than are usually available for her research. “We try to be very careful when we’re making agreements with companies, or nonprofits for that matter, in terms of what their role is in the research,” she said. “We generally aren’t getting a lot of funding from companies where it’s constraining the kind of work that people do. Academics don’t typically like to do that.”
UNIVERSITY
RESEARCH INCOME 1. University of Toronto
$ 1,041,374
2. Université de Montréal
$ 548,849
3. University of British Columbia $ 547,027 4. McGill University
$ 477,843
5. University of Alberta
$ 462,891
6. Université Laval
$ 324,803
7. University of Calgary
$ 324,212
8. McMaster University
$ 310,608
9. University of Ottawa
$ 275,266
10. Western University
$ 237,894
Thursday, Oct. 29, 2015 | www.thesil.ca
The McMaster Students Union
PRESIDENT’S PAGE
If you had the opportunity to make the McMaster campus a better place, what would you add? I often ask myself this very question. I picture a campus with heated bus
shelters, nap stations, and an indoor soccer field. Many students have such ideas but lack the resources to execute them. This is where the Student Life Enhancement Fund (SLEF) can help. SLEF is a large pool of money set aside to support projects, innovations, and ideas that enhance the student experience at McMaster. This fund is derived from a portion of the Student Services ancillary fee, and administered by the Student Services Committee (SSC). The membership of the SSC consists of representatives from the MSU and the University. Thanks to the many McMaster students who submitted their ideas last year, new seating, lounge space, and electrical outlets are currently being installed in the Student Centre. In addition, a new fitness and boulder circuit has been installed near the Mona Campbell
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.
outdoor track. Past projects include the creation and expansion of the Queer Students Community Centre (QSCC) and Women and Gender Equity Network (WGEN) resource libraries. In addition, the 3D printer located on the fourth floor of Mills Library was purchased with funds from SLEF. Other enhancements include the expansion of study space in numerous campus locations and the creation of the McMaster Teaching and Community Garden. Finally, various conferences, speaker series, and accessibility upgrades have all benefited from the fund. Great ideas are easy to come by on a campus blessed with exceptionally smart and creative people. If you want your ideas to come to
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fruition, submit them at enhance. mcmaster.ca before November 20. Not only can you submit ideas, you can view and comment on other submissions, as well as see past projects that have been funded through SLEF. All ideas will be vetted by the SSC for financial and logistical feasibility, as well as sustainability. In January 2016, around the time of the MSU Presidential election, students will have the opportunity to vote on these ideas. Funding will be guaranteed to those ideas with the most student support. No idea is too big or too small, and detailed proposals are not required. Visit enhance.mcmaster. ca and share your great ideas to enhance McMaster University.
No idea is too big or too small ...
”
www.thesil.ca | Thursday, Oct. 29, 2015
The Silhouette | 11
Editorial $10? For a pita? Amanda Watkins Editor-in-Chief
The second year that I worked for The Silhouette, at least 50 percent of my job revolved around food. I ran the Lifestyle section, and I took restaurant reviews very seriously. I still love eating out now, so when the new MacEats app was released, I was quick to download it and give it a try. The new app is the offspring of Hospitality Services and the Student Dining Committee, a group of students devoted to sampling and judging the foods on campus. The app allows students to search across the menu offerings at campus eateries and compare their options before swiping their meal card. With categories like Food Types, Open Late, Locations and more, with the tap of a screen, students can find out which campus restaurants are open
The new MacEats app doesn’t let students search meals based on price and affordability
and what they are selling. While the app will surely be helpful for many students, there’s one category that seems to be missing — budget. It checks all the boxes for showcasing food options and even highlights which locations cater to dietary restrictions, but it has no way for students to search meals based on price. It’s no secret that food on campus is expensive. And for many students, it can be exceedingly difficult to find an affordable meal that isn’t going to take a huge chunk out of their weekly budget, especially if they didn’t factor in eating on campus. The app is great for students who live on campus and have meal plan dollars to use up, but for those of us who do not have a large pool of funds attached to our student cards, budgeting is important. Especially now that most campus vendors accept
credit and debit, the purchasing habits of the full student body should be considered. If the app had a section where students could program in the amount they were willing to spend and view options based on that number, not only would it help those looking for a more reasonably priced meal, but it may even increase sales at campus vendors since students wouldn’t be so turned off by what appears to be exclusively high-priced cuisine. Student finances should be a priority across campus, especially when it comes to making campus life something affordable or at least accessible for all financial backgrounds. Budgeting a student life shouldn’t be something hard to swallow. @whatthekins
to our newly hired writers.
to warm goat cheese.
to healing fingers.
to 77 friends.
to seeing other people. to Nicki gifs. to photo room fireworks. to Zumba. to Jon’s donut magic. to Teddy Grahams. to lighter, brighter, allnighter fighter.
to a credit card on hold. to three midterms in four days. to photo room firework panic. to confusing email tones. to “Adam.” to real bear meat. to social media haters.
SLICES for SMILES! October 13th– October 30th
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Interfaith - Faith in Action When: October 29, 2015 from 11:30AM until 01:30PM Where: MUSC 311/313 We have an exciting lineup of speakers ranging from students to community leaders and professors who will speak about social justice in Christianity, Buddhism, and Judaism.
Gayzer Tag
WGEN Spooptacular
Halloween Bash
When: October 29, 2015 from 09:00PM
When: October 31, 2015 at 09:30PM until
until 11:00PM
November 01, 2015 at 02:00AM
Where: Clubspace
Where: TwelvEighty Bar & Grill
WGEN’s first social event of the year is
Featuring DJ Teezy
going to be a spooky movie night! Join us in clubspace for a scary good time! Event starts at 9, movie should be on by 9:30! During the movie we will have snacks,
When: November 02, 2015 from 12:00AM
meninist voting, and some discourse on
until 11:59PM
gender in film through a framework of the
Where: Campus Wide
witches in Hocus Pocus. Come on by!
When: October 29, 2015 from 06:00PM until 10:00PM Where: LazerMania Join us for our annual Gayzer Tag event! Please note that all attendees will be required to: a) Pay per game (group deals apply) b) Sign bus waiver forms c) Sign event waiver forms
Halloween Coffeehouse When: October 29, 2015 from 08:00PM until 11:00PM Where: Bridges Cafe Join us in your spooky attire! E-mail macmusicnet@gmail.com if you are interested in performing. All are welcome to enjoy the
MacPride Week
MacPride week is our annual celebration of queer pride at McMaster. You can look
Angels & Devils When: October 29, 2015 at 09:30PM until October 30, 2015 at 02:00AM
forward to our annual events, including our Keynote Address and Drag show, as well as a variety of workshops, socials and a three part event series: “Let’s Talk
Where: TwelvEighty Bar & Grill
Queer”.
Featuring DJ Heartbeatz
Check out our calendar of events to see
The Halloween Hollerado Concert When: October 26, 2015 from 09:30PM until 11:00PM Where: TwelvEighty Bar & Grill A best dressed costume contest will be in effect, so pull out your scariest, funniest, and sexiest costumes out of your closet for a chance to win one of our many prizes!!!
scare with us! *Don’t forget, my culture is
Tickets for this special show will be on
not a costume! Inappropriate costumes will
sale at Compass for $15 +HST for students
not be tolerated and you will be asked to
(all ages) and $20+ HST for guests (19+
leave. Thanks for respecting our diversity!*
and must be signed in by a Mac student).
just how much Pride the QSCC really has!
VISIT: msumcmaster.ca/calendar to view the full calendar of events!
www.thesil.ca | Thursday, Oct. 29, 2015
The Silhouette | 13
Opinion
Wilfrid Laurier was closed on Oct. 16th following a bomb threat posted on the website 4chan. C/O THE TORONTO STAR
The niqab isn’t scary, 4chan is Why are we so worried about Muslim women and anonymity when the internet is a greater threat? Sunanna Bhasin Opinions Columnist
In early September, the University of Toronto was on police alert due to an online threat targeted towards feminists and women’s studies students by user ‘KillFeminists’ in the comments section of the BlogTO website. Just a few days ago, a 22-year old in the U.K. was arrested and charged with malicious communications after posting an online threat against Wilfrid Laurier University in Waterloo, Ontario on the website, 4chan. The man claimed it was intended as a joke, and that he did not believe himself to be a credible threat seeing as he lives across the globe and didn’t understand North American “paranoia” when it came to online threats. Thankfully, this was a false alarm, however, at the time we weren’t discussing internet security in Canada, we were discussing the “threat” of the niqab. During the election, incumbent Conservative leader, Stephen Harper, made it a priority to ban the niqab and used Islamophobia to attract to the polls. He attempted to instil fear in Canadians — mainly of Islam
Above: Daniel Ransem allegedly threatened Laurier with a terrorist attack. C/O CTV NEWS Below: Zunera Ishaq who fought for her right to wear a niqab during her oath of citizenship C/O CBC
— by introducing Bill C-51 as well as the Zero Tolerance for Barbaric Cultural Practices Act. Presented as legislation that protects immigrant women and girls on the government website, it is hard to believe that women’s rights are the motivation behind the bills considering the lack of inquiry into the missing and murdered Indigenous women across Canada. Rather, this type of legislation is divisive and singling out a group of Canadians as a means of propagating the belief that terrorism is a one-dimensional threat that stems solely from one group of individuals. Instead of targeting niqab-clad Muslim women in the name of women’s rights, perhaps the real target should be young people on the internet who think it’s okay to make threats as long as there is a screen separating them from the victims. In fact, the Canadian government would be better off spending its resources on educating its citizens about the seriousness of cyber-bullying and posting inappropriate content online as opposed to telling Muslim women that they are overly modest. If the government is truly
“
Its hard to believe that women’s rights are the motivation behind the bills considering the lack of inquiry into the missing and murdered Indigenous women across Canada.
concerned about being unable to see the women’s faces, then wouldn’t the Internet be significantly more worrisome? Online, users can not only create false identities, but also create believable fake lives, making it difficult to hold individuals accountable. It is probably in Canadians’ best interests to fo-
cus on accountability online — after all, threatening someone in person is an offence. Controversial websites like 4chan that do not monitor or moderate inappropriate content or threats should create rules for what constitutes acceptable online behaviour. Given the frequency of school shootings in the United States, and the communities these shooters sometimes seek out online, it would be best to direct our attention to sites that encourage users to make threats all in “good fun”. The Canadian government needs to realize that terrorism is not restricted to a certain culture, or a single religious group. It is time to redefine terrorism to encompass all terrorist acts, instead of attempting to quarantine those who are not at fault. If a woman’s niqab is unsettling because it covers her face, then ban the parka, the ski mask, and the scarf — now isn’t that ridiculous? I don’t know about Mr. Harper, but I’ll be bundling up this winter, and I should be able to do so however and for whatever reason I want. @SunannaB
14 |
OPINION
Thursday, Oct. 29, 2015 | www.thesil.ca
Prime Minister pageantry We should be focusing on Trudeau’s policy, not his looks Takhliq Amir Contributor
Within hours of the news that Liberal candidate Justin Trudeau was elected as that new Prime Minister, the reaction of the country and the world began to pour in. After approximately ten years of Canadian politics headed by Conservative leader Stephen Harper, it was understandable that the majority win by a previously third-ranking party would make news. What was slightly less expected, however, was the focus
of the new attention. It wasn’t really about the new policies that the Liberals are promising to introduce, or even the fact that we finally said goodbye to Stephen Harper. In the U.K.’s Daily Mirror, the headline read, “Is Justin Trudeau the sexiest politician in the world?” An Australian news website wrote about Trudeau as “Canada’s new, incredibly good-looking prime minister,” describing him as a “super hot new leader.” All across social media people began to comment on his slim physique, his adorable family, and his beautiful wife.
This is, to an extent, understandable. Trudeau is seen as an easy-going, energetic guy. From ski-instructor, to teacher, to boxer, he has held a variety of occupations that have not only showcased his athleticism but also his amiability. From taking selfies with little kids to making burgers and pizza, Trudeau has developed a strong connection with the people of Canada simply by appearing to be just like everyone else. However, the Conservative campaign focused not on Trudeau’s looks, but on the question of if he was ready for the role of Prime Minister.
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While the election may have been won, the future is really the time when his decisions will define his leadership. Instead of focusing on his looks, the country and the world needs to focus on his politics. Based on his party’s policies, for instance, a Liberal government would be more interventionist on economic matters. Their proposal to invest up to five billion dollars annually in additional infrastructure spending leads to running budget deficits over the next three years by taking the currently balanced budget to one that would run a deficit of nearly ten billion dollars before being balanced in 2019-20. Additionally, critics have argued that it could lead to “chronic deficits” that Ottawa would not be able to handle and decreased future tax cuts. However, a deficit of around ten billion dollars represents merely three percent of the federal budget and 0.5 percent of GDP. Regardless, we can absolutely say that the conversation on economy is infinitely more vital than one on his looks. The Trudeau government has also decided that Canada will be withdrawing from the American-led airstrikes against ISIS in Iraq, instead focusing on international peace operations with the United Nations that involve providing humanitarian aid and military resources to train local forces in war-like regions. Trudeau has further promised to allow 25,000 Syrians refuge in Canada by the
end of 2015, a move that would cost $100 million. On another note, the Liberal government will be increasing the maximum Canada Student Grant for low-income students to $3,000 per year for full-time students (a 50 percent increase) and $1,800 for part-time students. It will further introduce a plan that requires students to repay their student loans only after they have begun earning at least $25,000 annually, thereby addressing issues surrounding student debt. As a student, the Liberal policy regarding student loans matters. As a citizen of Canada, the future of the Canadian economy matters. As a human being, the role of the Canadian government in the war in Syria and the refugee crisis matters. So while “Trudeaumania” may have taken over the country, it is imperative that it remains temporary. Sure, while the Daily Mirror may arguably be right about the young Trudeau having “luscious brown hair, [and] spellbinding eyes” we have to keep in mind that his good looks will not dictate his political leadership. Mr. Trudeau may have won the election, but the question of how he moves forward is one that everyone should keep in mind. Our focus needs to be on what it really means to have real change, not a handsome leader. The world needs to give the younger Trudeau a chance by seeing and believing in him as the true leader of Canada.
OPINION | 15
www.thesil.ca | Thursday, Oct. 29, 2015
Break up with your boyfriend jeans Your friends never liked them anyway
Talia Kollek Opinions Editor
Disclaimer: I hate wearing jeans. I also don’t have a boyfriend. However, I promise that I am not just being bitter when I say that I dislike the new trend in denim of “boyfriend jeans” for women. Sharing clothing with someone you are dating is intimate. It implies shared property ownership, or at the very least, the promise that you will see that person again before laundry day. Maybe it is something you wear to remind you of your partner throughout the day, or maybe it has been borrowed after spending the night; either way, this romantic exchange of clothing is something that the fashion industry has decided to cash in on. The benefit is that these jeans — and all the associations that come along with them — can be purchased without the prerequisite of an actual boyfriend. So what exactly is the issue with this trend? Jeans cycle through fads faster than our wardrobes can keep up, meaning that this style isn’t guaranteed to stick around. Other trends such as bellbottoms or boot cuts were perfectly innocuous, so why should we care about this one in particular? The reason is the gen-
der dynamics that have been explicitly incorporated into your clothing. Since these pants are not marketed as “men’s slouchy jeans for women” but as “boyfriend” jeans, they assume certain things about their audience, primarily that they are heterosexual. The sharing of clothing is also not reciprocal. I have never seen a “girlfriend jean” for men, or any other form of female clothing designed for boyfriends, meaning that the denim industry is only comfortable with cross-dressing when it can’t in any way be construed as emasculation or in any way disturb the gender binary. These jeans also dictate what your relationship should look like. The design leads us to believe that girlfriends are supposed to be physically smaller — both shorter and skinnier — than their boyfriends. The jeans are intended to be baggy with a rolled up cuff, since your imaginary boyfriend ought to physically outstrip you. Standing at five foot ten, I promise you that none of my previous boyfriends’ jeans would have
fit me at all, let alone in an artistically baggy fashion. I can’t help but feel I’m somehow the “wrong” size when these jeans are just a small part of a larger message to women that we are supposed to shrink ourselves to fit into our interpersonal relationships.
Perhaps more concerning about the boyfriend jean is its function as a sartorial “no homo.” As of late, women’s fashion trends have been embracing what were previously seen as men’s styles. By labelling a jean as a “boyfriend” cut, you allay the fears of the heterosexual female shopper worried about venturing into “butch” territory. Worried that people might assume you are gay based on your pant selection? Don’t worry, your jeans are just as heterosexual as you are! In keeping with traditional gender dynamics and inequalities, it should not shock you that your boyfriend jeans can cost you more than your actual boyfriend’s jeans. The cheapest pair on the Levi’s website clocked in at 98 dollars, while the male counterpart cost ten bucks less. (I for one resent the fact that men’s jeans were not only cheaper, but also free of stylized holes.) While this may not seem like much, when every piece of clothing that you are buying is around ten percent more expensive, it starts to add up.
“
It should not shock you that your boyfriend jeans can cost you more than your actual boyfriend’s jeans.
It’s not news that the fashion industry has its problems, but while there has been a push in the past decade for the industry to do away with some of the more blatant issues, the banal ones remain. Do I think abolishing this style of jean will singlehandedly bring about gender equality? Not at all. But do I think this fashion trend is symptomatic of larger issues to do with heteronormativity and body expectations? Absolutely. Break out the ice cream and Netflix, because it is time for us to dump our boyfriend jeans.
@TaliaKollek
The doctrine of white innocence Racism is not monolithic Natassja Francis Contributor
As a black woman, it is remarkably hard to project my voice. This may take some by surprise, as black women are seemingly always cast as outspoken; the loud and obnoxious lionesses whose animalistic vocalizations cannot be contained. Life through adolescence and into adulthood has taught me the truth: societal forces are working against us to silence our voices and retain the distasteful stereotype of everything we are not. It happens in every institution, including university. Systemic, oppressive behaviour is most often hiding under the
farce of “neutrality.” It may be through the micromanagement tendencies of white peers towards a student of colour guised as “help.” It may be through a white friend or acquaintance failing to address the racist actions of his or her significant other, but insisting that they themselves do not see colour. It may be because a person of colour disagrees with a white peer, and as a result, other white peers avoid the person of colour in the name of “not getting involved.” All of these contexts are examples of “microaggressions,” or seemingly small but powerful and impactful acts of racism. The lack of a conscious effort to end microagression is what enables the persistence of
racism, small and large. A significant factor in the disregard of microagressions is the concept of white fragility. This dynamic plays out in media constantly. While people of colour are largely portrayed in film and in history as powerhorses who can handle virtually anything, white people, and even more particularly white women, are often painted as fragile and innocent glass ornaments. Due to this long-running and culturally ingrained perception of racial roles, it’s a lot easier for any member of the white community to subconsciously compare a stallion to a glass ornament in any situation and opt to hold the stallion back for fear of the ornament
cracking at the slightest touch. The trope of the innocent white girl is, of course, unfounded. I’ve often seen the opposite ensue, where white women are both hyperaggressive and refuse to accept responsibility for their actions because they have been taught that in social situations, they are always innocent. Microaggressive behaviour is often more harmful than overt racism because of white denial and the minimizing of conflict, along with microaggressive tendencies having become largely normalized in our culture. Although when I speak out I have been threatened with the trope of an angry black woman, I am choosing from this point forward to
“
Systemic, oppressive behaviour is most often hiding under the farce of “neutrality.”
use my voice. People of colour cannot continue to be the brunt of implicit or covert racism. We have fed into the illusion for too long. Now is our time to unanimously make our voices heard.
16 |
OPINION
Thursday, Oct. 29, 2015 | www.thesil.ca
To whom it may concern Delivering reference letters does not have to be an unnecessarily stressful process
C/O FINANCIAL POST
Kaiwen Song Contributor
MCAT? Thank God that’s done! Autobiographical sketch? Just needs another look. Supplementary essays? Completed and edited! Now I just pray that my reference letters arrive on time. This September, many of my peers and I applied to medical school through the Ontario Medical Schools Application System. In addition to the full application, OMSAS requires that three physical copies of completed reference letters be received by Oct. 1 — not sent by, not postmarked on, but received. Although many medical schools understand the variability of mail delivery times and use Oct. 1 as a flexible deadline, certain schools don’t. The University of Toronto medical school this year is notable for declaring on its FAQ page that if a reference letter arrives at OMSAS even just one day after the deadline, the corresponding application will not proceed to file review. As you can imagine, the weeks leading up to the deadline were a very stressful time. In addition to taking the MCAT, completing our autobiographical sketch, and writing our supplementary essays, we also had to take all the necessary steps to ensure that our reference letters arrive on time. Unfortunately, as students, we can only do so much. We begin by asking
our potential referees early to provide them with plenty of time to write it, as well as for the letters to arrive at OMSAS safely before Oct. 1 through the postal system. As the deadline approaches, we start to send carefully worded reminders to our referees — forceful enough to express the reference letter’s importance, but restrained enough to not offend. Although we understand that our referees lead busy professional and personal lives and require time to complete the letter, we can’t help but feel uneasy since our entire applications are on the line. At the time, it felt supremely unnerving and frustrating – all of our hard work can be undone by something outside of our control. Upon further reflection, I am surprised to say that I actually believe that the University of Toronto medical school’s strict deadline is fair. If the deadline was flexible, up to what point should reference letters to accepted? One week after the deadline? One month? There must be a clear deadline to ensure that all applications are processed in a timely manner, and Oct. 1 seems perfectly reasonable. That being said, I would like to advocate for the change from physical reference letters being mailed in to electronic references sent through email. The biggest source of stress
regarding references was the unpredictability of the postal system. Reference writers could send the letter weeks before the due date, but there’s still the chance that it could arrive later than the deadline, especially if the letter is coming from another province or country. If a letter is lost in the mail, students have no way of determining whether that occurred, and there may not be enough time after this discovery to ask for another letter. All of these issues can be addressed by switching to an electronic system, such as the one used by the United States’ undergraduate college application system. Students are asked to input their referees’ email addresses into the system, and their referees will receive a secure link in which to comment on the student’s suitability for their applied program. As soon as the reference letter is submitted, the student will receive notification of its completion. An electronic system for receiving reference letters will streamline the process, reduce the anxiety of students at a very tumultuous time in their lives, and ensure that all applications can begin to be processed in a timely manner. As anyone can tell you, applying to medical school is hard enough already. Let’s not make it harder than it has to be.
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www.thesil.ca | Thursday, Oct. 29, 2015
The Silhouette | 17
Lifestyle THE SKINNY
Blogging
TIME’s most influential teens
TIME magazine released their annual list of the 30 most influential teenagers in the world. Recipients were chosen based on their involvement in various fields, global impact through social media and overall ability to drive news. Among the 30 are engineer prodigy Ahmed Mohammed, First Daughter Malia Obama and golfer Lydia Ko. Other recipients include social media royalty Kylie and Kendall Jenner, as well as Jaden Smith, a bonafide philosopher and hip-hop artist extraordinaire. Action Bronsom hospitalized
While filming his food web series “F**K, That’s Delicious,” Action Bronson underwent emergency surgery in an Alaskan hospital after eating unique Northern delicacies that included an excessive amount of whale blubber. Man believes friend to be zombie, kills him
A man in New Mexico killed his friend after binge-watching “The Walking Dead,” a popular AMC show about zombies. Prior to the alleged crime, the suspect drank “multiple” 40-ounce bottles of malt liquor. He proceeded to believe that his friend was turning into a zombie, resulting in the brutal attack.
therapy How opening up to the world (wide web) can feel damn good
Miranda Babbitt Contributor
Blogging, in most cases, goes hand in hand with writing. Sometimes, the process of writing is a joyous pursuit. The words just won’t stop flowing! Try and stop us, we yell triumphantly! The rest of the time, however, blogging goes hand in hand with writer’s block. My blog is the sour truth of that. Trust me, if my blog were a book, the pages would have gathered so much dust by now, you’d probably just back away slowly from what clearly appeared to be a witch’s spellbook. (Actually some of you may very well jump in at that prospect to live out your Hogwarts dreams, and for that, I don’t blame you.) Do you know the feeling though? To have a blog sitting somewhere, not doing much except reminiscing about the good old days when it was churning out posts every week? Well, let me tell you something that you may not know: a big contributor to the wad of “blah” that’s stuck between you and your writing is fear. Fear, that dear old friend, has a way of making every post
“
I can’t tell you how many bloggers I’ve met that have said the most rewarding pieces they’ve written are the ones that required them to open themselves up.
you’re excited about seem impossible to approach. It can make any post you’re even planning on writing look just about as ridiculous as writing a spell to turn your least favourite professor into a cuddly kitten. Then there’s the fear of writing something people won’t like, and also the
fear of writing something you don’t like but you think will appease your readers for the time being. So how do we beat these insecurities rattling around in our heads? Own them. That’s right. Use your fears to your advantage. I can’t tell you how many bloggers I’ve met that have said the most rewarding pieces they’ve written are the ones that required them to open themselves up, if only a little, to their readers. The nerves before clicking ‘publish,’ the anxiety stirring inside their tummy afterwards, and then the gradual emanation of glory in knowing that they have put something out into the world that someone might be able to really resonate with — this experience is unbeatable. While tapping into the hearts of your readers is in itself deliciously rewarding, the very process of writing out your feelings is also known to be very therapeutic for you. The power of journaling is well documented as a super effective therapy exercise for those who find it difficult to articulate their anxieties. For some though, journaling falls flat because, well, who’s going to read it? (Pretty sure your younger sister has moved on by now.) The
thrill of knowing that there’s an audience can help you articulate your feelings even more clearly, letting you inch closer to the root of your anxieties. And who knows? Maybe by the time you’re finished writing, you’ll be a pro on how to help yourself out of a situation, which just means you can tailor your post into the most profoundly personal advice column ever. Those are the bomb. Yes, it can be effing scary to publish your insecurities to the world, let alone whisper them to a friend. But, I’m telling you, that vulnerability can reap such treasures inside of your soul and the souls around you. If you open yourself up, you can open up whole communities of people at the same time who are going through the same thing you are. So give it a try! To help you, we’ll give you a few ideas for prompts: Where do you see yourself in two years, and (this answer could be different) where do you want to see yourself in two years? Are secrets good for the soul? What do you need to remind yourself of more often than anything else?
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LIFESTYLE
Thursday, Oct. 29, 2015 | www.thesil.ca
Macchiato translates as “marked”. A caffe macchiato translates to “espresso marked with milk.” If you ordered one of these, your barista would serve you an espresso with a dollop of foam on top. A caffe macchiato is different than a latte macchiato, which is what you’d get if you ordered a macchiato at Starbucks.
This beverage earned its name in Italy when American tourists asked for ‘un caffe’ in Italia. Whilst expecting drip coffee, foreigners would unknowingly purchase espresso from baristas. Not being able to handle such a heavy dose, they would ask for it to be watered down a bit. And so emerged the americano, a caffeinated beverage that stereotypically only an American would ask for in Italy — espresso topped up with hot water in a mug.
Americano
Caffe Macchiato
BARISTA’S
DARK
DEMYSTIFYING Sonia Leung Contributor
Espresso
This is what you would receive if you ordered a coffee, or rather, caffe, in Italy. On the strong end of the coffee spectrum, espresso is traditionally served with a glass of water on the side to offset the diuretic (pee-producing) effects of caffeine. A few ounces of hot water is run through fresh coffee grounds to extract the caffeine and flavour of the beans. A single shot of this rivals the wings that Red Bull promises. A double shot of this and you’ll taste colours. There are two lengths at which espresso is extracted: ristretto and lungo (short and long, respectively). With a ristretto or short shot, less water is run through the grinds, producing a warmer and tastier coffee. A lungo or long shot has more water run through the beans. In a lungo shot, more tannins are extracted from the coffee, resulting in a more bitter drink.
Cortado
Just below the caffe macchiato on the spectrum of coffee is the cortado. Translating as “cut,” a cortado is an espresso cut with milk. Unlike the macchiato, which is comprised of espresso and foam, a cortado also has a bit of steamed milk to take the edge off.
LIFESTYLE | 19
www.thesil.ca | Thursday, Oct. 29, 2015
A real barista would first prepare the steamed milk and foam when making a cappuccino. This ensures that there is time for the foam to settle while the espresso is brewed. To make thick foam with minimally sized air bubbles, they would keep the tip of the steam wand just below the surface of the milk. Starting with espresso in the mug, a cappuccino would then be filled three quarters of the way up with foam, then steamed milk. Foam, of lesser density than milk, floats on top of the milk and sits above the edge of the mug.
Latte Macchiato
Brief barista musing: iced cappuccinos aren’t actually cappuccinos — there’s no foam and usually are saturated in sugar and caramel and vanilla flavouring.
Cappuccino
As explained above, macchiato means marked in Italian. Opposite of the caffe macchiato, a latte macchiato is milk marked with coffee. A bit of espresso is added to steamed milk for a hint of coffee flavour. If you were to order a macchiato without differentiating between latte or caffe, the latte macchiato is what you would be served.
GUIDE
LIGHT
COFFEE
Flat White Latte If you’ve stayed in the loop with Starbucks’ latest promotions, you’ve probably come across the flat white. Like a cortado, a flat white has espresso, milk and foam. The flat white, however, is milkier with a 2:1 of milk to coffee while a cortado’s got a ratio of 1:1.
Probably the most ordered drink at cafes in North America, the latte is the complement of the cappuccino. While cappuccinos have a dairy ratio of three portions of foam to one portion of steamed milk, a latte is ratio of foam to milk is 1:3.
LIFESTYLE
Thursday, Oct. 29, 2015 | www.thesil.ca
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Does it seem like everyone is getting into relationships these days? You may be witnessing the social phenomenon referred to as “cuffing season.” SHEC is here to answer questions you never thought to ask. What in the world is cuffing season? “Cuffing” describes the supposed biological urge to find romantic or sexual partners (or both) when the autumn season commences. The intention is to “cuff ” a companion to stay with throughout the upcoming winter months. Is it real? On its face, the theory does seem reasonable — as days get shorter and leaves begin to fall, the autumn season can put a damper on the fun and carelessness of summertime. Some may feel lonely on increasingly dark nights and seek the company of a special someone. Why wouldn’t we seek out the company and closeness of others with the impending frigidity of a Canadian winter? In fact, a study in the journal Emotion published in 2011 purported that humans associated colder temperatures with increased loneliness and solitude. Nonetheless, cuffing season remains to be verified as a real, scientifically based theory. What biological reasons can explain the phenomenon of cuffing season? It can likely be explained from an evolutionary perspective. Since the term “cuffing season” does not sound very scientific, and no research has been done on the subject, I can only invent an
argument to explain it. For example, it would surely be advantageous for a primate to share body heat with a partner in the cold fall and winter months. Those are interesting physiological theories. Are there any possible strategic explanations? Yes, certainly. A relationship may facilitate the acquisition of resources, mainly food that the couple can share. Also, going on romantic dates might mitigate the effects of the oncoming Seasonal Affective Disorder that results from the bad weather. But really, how healthy are relationships, with two people drawn together by the cold? I would not jump to the conclusion that these relationships are necessarily unhealthy. Every relationship has a unique starting point or a trigger, some more romantic and perhaps warmer than others. However, to the individuals who are feeling the desire for some warm romantic cuddles, I would proceed with caution. Be honest — first to yourself and then to your potential cuff mate — about what you want out of this relationship. Perhaps a good test to see if you’ve fallen into the cuffing trap is to ask yourself if you would want the same relationship in the summer. Once successfully cuffed, make sure to check in with your partner every so often to ensure everyone is still on the same blanket, especially as the days get warmer. A last word of advice for those feeling colder and lonelier as the days get longer and darker: friends can offer some lovely cuddling benefits too, without the risk of heartbreak!
LIFESTYLE | 21
www.thesil.ca | Thurs., Oct. 29, 2015
CROSSWORD
ACROSS 1. Radar’s kin 6. Crafts 10. Fighter pilots 14. Avoid 15. Sweetheart 16. Ring loudly 17. Fable author 18. Hint for Holmes 19. Relaxation 20. Trapped 22. Supported 24. Tells (a story) 26. Overhead trains 27. ____ a boy! 30. Afternoon affairs 31. ____-fi 33. ____ Valley (vineyard site) 35. Blvd. 36. Zones 40. Christian military expedition 42. King Kong, e.g. 44. ____ Fools’ Day 45. Salesperson, briefly 46. Large amount 47. Dined 49. Interested by 51. 19th letter 52. Eureka! 55. Certain connectors 58. Depict 60. Decipher 64. Differently 65. Singer ____ Turner
67. Kind 68. Begged 69. Lyric poems 70. Shaquille ____ 71. Carry 72. Nail polish shades 73. Robins’ homes
Win a Pizza Pizza gift card! Tweet us a photo or bring your answers to MUSC B110. The first ten people* to answer all correctly will win a $15 gift card! Who was interviewed for News on page 4? _____________________________________________ Which type of coffee beverage is considered the “lightest”? _____________________________________________ According to our Opinions Editor, what should you be breaking up with? _____________________________________________ Complete this sentence: In “Hello,” Adele refuses to go back to that dark place — whether it is a failed _____________ or some other __________ — rather, she faces her past head-on and questions what went wrong. * You cannot be a Silhouette staff member, member of the Board of Publications or a full-time MSU employee to enter.
DOWN 1. Oceans 2. Range part 3. Space org. 4. Embellish 5. Do again 6. NBC’s rival
7. Liberate 8. Tease 9. Certain leathers 10. Imitator 11. Stop 12. Artist’s tripod 13. Toboggans 21. Deep fear 23. Academy Award 25. Talk incoherently 27. Peruvian Indian 28. Field cover 29. Goad 32. Purple flower 34. Korea’s locale 37. Model ____ Macpherson 38. Pub beverages 39. Logging tools 41. Communion table 42. Lady’s escort 43. Made a choice 45. Matured 48. Reporter’s boss 50. Portland’s state 52. Highly skilled 53. Greeting word 54. Item of value 56. Remain 57. Setting 59. Surrender 61. Small bills 62. Mild expletive 63. Long fishes 66. Donkey
www.thesil.ca | Thursday, Oct. 29, 2015
The Silhouette | 23
Sports Forward spot in good hands The second-year forward continues to make a name for himself after a solid pre-season and has years to develop his talents with the program
OUA
CIS Top Ten W L
8 7 6 5 5 4 3 3 2 1 0
0 1 2 3 3 4 5 5 6 7 8
CALGARY WESTERN LAVAL MONTREAL GUELPH McMASTER SHERBROOKE MANITOBA UBC CARLETON
Men’s Volleyball CIS Top Ten 1. McMASTER 2. ALBERTA 3. CALGARY 4. MANITOBA 5. TRINITY WESTERN
6. MOUNT ROYAL 7. UBC 8. LAVAL 9. QUEEN’S 10. YORK
Women’s Volleyball CIS Top Ten 1. UBC Okanagan 2. ALBERTA 3. TRINITY WESTERN 4. McGILL T5. TORONTO
T5. MONTREAL 7. SHERBROOKE 8. UBC 9. McMASTER 10. DALHOUSIE
Men’s Cross Country CIS Top Ten 1. GUELPH 2. LAVAL 3. WINDSOR 4. McMASTER 5. TRINITY WESTERN
6. QUEEN’S 7. VICTORIA 8. LAKEHEAD 9. StFX 10. CALGARY
Women’s Cross Country CIS Top Ten 1. GUEPLH 2. TRINITY WESTERN T3. QUEEN’S T3. TORONTO 5. LAVAL
T6. VICTORIA T6. McMASTER T8 DALHOUSIE. T8. CALGARY 10. LAURENTIAN
PLAYOFF SEASON
F
SAT
Football
Connor Gilmore
closeness to home and family. “My dad is the biggest influence in my basketball life. He was the one who introduced me to the game. He taught me how to shoot and he taught me other ways to play as my coach for ten years. Him and my brother have pushed me to be the best player I can be. It was really good to learn
from both of them.” Sometimes a quieter season brings improvement and a chance to make noise in a team that competes for minutes. Starting only his second year of eligibility, McMaster basketball fans can expect to see more of the talent that Connor Gilmore possesses. @itssofiaAM
VS.
Women’s Rugby
SAT
a comfortable spot on the team and more noticed confidence in his play. A lot of hard work took place in the off-season for Gilmore to produce. Working with the coaches and strength and conditioning staff made him a stronger player. With the regular season around the corner for the team, the confidence in Gilmore’s performance in the pre-season is apparent. He played big minutes, positioned himself well and knocked down threes skillfully. With his six foot seven frame, outside shooting is always the most natural choice for a player of that stature and position. In the last exhibition game against Saint Mary’s, Gilmore scored a career-high of 23 points. Comparing that to his regular season best of ten last year, it is obvious that his talent will shine this season. “We bring a competitive standard to every game. We have certain stats that we want to keep teams below. We have certain standards that we set for ourselves going into every game,” said Gilmore. A big reason for Gilmore choosing McMaster was its
AT
Men’s Cross Country
SAT
The announcement of commits to join the McMaster basketball family is always an interesting one. Players, both local and global, find their place in a basketball program contending with the best. It is inevitable that the talent of some recruits brings more attention than others and some players get to play more minutes on CIS hardwood. Second-year forward Connor Gilmore knew he wanted to play for the Maroon and Grey. Though there was recruiting interest from schools in Canada and the United States, the choice was an easy one for him. “Mac was a much better fit for me. I liked the facilities and the academics and coaches are really good,” said Gilmore. Gilmore came into the program the same year center Taylor Black was finishing his five years of basketball at McMaster. Looking up to the all-star player and program veteran in the position made the transition an easier one. His first year did not come with many minutes on the court, but Gilmore was able to play behind one of the best players in his position in the league. That experience contributed to a great year of learning. “I knew I could learn a lot from Taylor and help make the team better going forward,” said Gilmore. Having played for Cushing Academy, a prep school in Massachusetts before committing to McMaster, Gilmore led his team and gained accolades for his work on the court. The adjustment from high school basketball to the CIS level can be a hard one. “It’s a different transition. It’s a lot more structured defensively and it’s a lot harder,” said Gilmore. With his first season playing Marauder basketball behind him, Gilmore has found
Football WESTERN GUELPH McMASTER QUEEN’S CARLETON LAURIER TORONTO OTTAWA WINDSOR YORK WATERLOO
#11
Sofia Mohamed Sports Editor
LEAGUE AT LARGE
AT
24 |
SPORTS
Thursday, Oct. 29, 2015 | www.thesil.ca
Football playoff run begins McMaster Marauders host Laurier Goldenhawks in an OUA quarterfinal game for a ticket to the semifinals
C/O DANIEL HIGGINS
Jaycee Cruz Sports Reporter
Hey, Present your valid McMaster I.D. on
ANY TUESDAY & receive a
10% DISCOUNT on almost everything!
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The No. 6 McMaster Marauders concluded their 2015 regular season with a 46-24 loss to the No. 2 Western Mustangs at Ron Joyce Stadium last Saturday. McMaster finished 6-2 with wins over Toronto, Ottawa, York, Windsor, Waterloo, and Laurier. The Marauders’ only two losses came at the hands of Guelph and Western. This season was one that saw multiple Marauders break records. Second-year quarterback Asher Hastings broke the school record, the OUA record and the CIS record for touchdown passes in a season. Hastings ended the season completing 203/284 passes (71.5 percent completion rate) for 2,586 yards, and 31 touchdown passes to just five interceptions. Second-year wide receiver Dan Petermann broke the school record for most receptions in a season hauling in 61 balls for 831 yards and nine touchdowns. Third-year wide receiver Danny Vandervoort broke the school record for most touchdown receptions in a season with 11. These milestones are just a testament to the potency of McMaster’s offense. On the defensive side of the ball, McMaster forced ten turn-
overs this year (nine interceptions and one forced fumble) and had one defensive touchdown. The nine interceptions ranked sixth in the OUA and this is impressive considering the Marauders secondary was relatively young in comparison to previous units Mac has fielded in the past. Moving closer to the trenches, McMaster’s front seven showed their ability to wreak havoc up front posting 27 sacks on the season, which was good for second in the OUA. Second-year linebacker Jake Heathcote picked off opposing quarterbacks four times giving him the second-best interception total in the CIS only behind Calgary’s Robert Woodson and Waterloo’s Jordan Hoover who have five interceptions each. Fourth year defensive lineman Mike Kashak was responsible for almost a third of McMaster’s total sacks with 8.5 sacks on the year, which is second in the CIS. In the latest CIS Top 10 poll McMaster kept their No. 6 spot and secured the No. 3 seed in the OUA. The OUA playoff picture begins with a Halloween afternoon tilt between No. 3 McMaster and No. 6 Laurier. In their meeting just two weeks ago at Laurier, McMaster won 30-21. The OUA quarterfinal game takes place on Oct. 31 at 1 p.m. at Ron Joyce Stadium. @_jayceecruz
SPORTS | 25
www.thesil.ca | Thursday, Oct. 29, 2015
Volleyball on top
McMaster Men’s Volleyball continues to develop depth and rhythm while holding the No. 1 spot in the country
JON WHITE/ PHOTO EDITOR
Jaycee Cruz Sports Reporter
In the past three weeks McMaster Men’s Volleyball went on an international tour in Poland, and played (and won) the first two games of the season. In Poland they played five matches and also had the privilege of visiting Auschwitz, which Head Coach Dave Preston referred to as “a valuable life experience.” Four of the five matches in Poland came against pro teams from Poland’s PlusLiga League, which is the league that produces the highest level of men’s competitive volleyball in Poland. The other game was against the junior team of a PlusLiga team. Upon returning to campus after the fall break, the Marauders went straight into match week to prepare for their home and season opener against Waterloo on Friday, Oct. 23 and a match against RMC on Oct. 24. The first CIS Men’s Volleyball Top 10 of the season was released earlier last week and McMaster entered their season opener ranked No. 1 in the country. In their season opener against Waterloo — last year’s
OUA silver medalists — McMaster jumped out and took a quick two-set lead before struggling to put Waterloo away until the fifth set. “If anybody was expecting a cakewalk, that would’ve been a bad expectation. We knew that we were in for a battle. The first two sets we were on our game, but I think the next two sets we showed mental and physical fatigue from the hangover from the Europe trip,” said Preston. “We just didn’t have that extra gear until the fifth set when we found it again.” This theme of finishing games in close sets has been a common one so far. In Poland, McMaster lost matches in close sets that were tight battles. “It’s really good for us to be exposed at that level early in the season because we can address it now,” said Preston. “Sure enough that’s exactly what happened Friday night against Waterloo. In the fifth set we needed to make some plays down the stretch and we did.” In the fifth set McMaster turned to fourth-year outside hitter Stephen Maar, who had been a total offensive force the entire game, to help put the Warriors away. McMaster won 3-2 (25-17, 25-19, 23-25, 22-25, 15-8).
“I think that fifth set was the best set we played so far this year against any opponent in terms of giving ourselves defensive chances and it showed,” Preston said. Maar stood out scoring a game-high 29 points on 25 kills, one service ace, and three solo blocks. “He’s a terrific attacker. Thankfully Steve stepped up and took over things in the fifth set, but that’s not something we want to get used to,” Preston said. “In the fifth set we leaned on him and thankfully he’s talented enough that he can do that. Relying on him is not something we want to get in the habit of doing, but it’s kind of a safety valve that’s there when you need it.” Preston wants the team to be more balanced in terms of their offensive scoring moving forward and McMaster’s depth and balance across their lineup affirms the potential in that. Even on nights when a few players are stealing the show on the court, the whole team shares in the success. “I think that’s something that separates our team culture. When one guy makes a play, there are 17 other guys who are genuinely excited for him as much as he is,” Preston said. “I
think that’s part of the culture we’ve built and the respect the guys have for each other.” The following night majority of the McMaster starters got a rest and the others got a chance to get their first significant OUA game action of the year against RMC. McMaster’s bench played a great game and put RMC away in straight sets (25-22, 25-20, 25-16). Preston uses this analogy of a machine to describe his team. Each player is a vital part that contributes to the efficient and effective functioning of the machine. The common theme remains to be this complimentary relationship between depth and rhythm. Depth is the ability to seamlessly interchange players into the lineup and rhythm is being able to keep up that same playing speed the starters play at. “When we make substitutions we have to keep the machine going. We’ve got to be able to interchange some parts but keep the machine rolling,” said Preston. “It was a good weekend because we didn’t overplay anybody and we built a little bit more depth.” That depth should pay dividends for this battle-tested McMaster team as the season progresses. In the latest CIS Top 10 poll
“
I think that’s something that separates our team culture. When one guy makes a play, there are 17 other guys who are genuinely excited for him as much as he is. Dave Preston Head Coach, McMaster Men’s Volleyball
McMaster remained at No. 1 and hosts Nipissing on Oct. 30 at 7 p.m. and York on Oct. 31 at 7 p.m. @_jayceecruz
26 |
SPORTS
Thursday, Oct. 29, 2015 | www.thesil.ca
OUA champions to defend title
2015 OUA
SEASON
The performance of the McMaster Women’s Rugby team brings another championship appearance and individual awards
Sofia Mohamed Sports Editor
For a second year in a row, the McMaster Women’s Rugby team is making an appearance at the OUA playoffs. Another banner in the David Braley Athletic Centre does not seem so far fetched for a team that has played remarkably all season. Ending the regular season with four wins and one loss, the team is ranked first in the Russell Division and third nationally. This year, the squad is defending the title against the Guelph Gryphons, who are ranked first in the country and held a perfect record of 5-0 this season. Both teams are quite familiar with one another as they competed last year for the OUA banner. Last year, the Marauders defeated the Gryphons with a final score of 19-10.
The Marauders will not have home pitch advantage come Oct. 31 as they travel to Guelph looking to repeat history. While the team prepares for the championship title, the success of the team has brought numerous OUA awards. The team’s performance on a grand scale has allowed the opportunity for individual recognition. Five Marauders have been named to the Russell Division all-star team: Cindy Nelles, Emily Ricketts, Colleen Irowa, Katie Svoboda and Abi Moody. Individual awards have also been given to Cindy Nelles, the recipient of the Most Valuable Player award. Fifth-year fullback Rina Charalampis is the recipient of the Community Service Award for her contribution to McMaster Athletes Care and other community initiatives. @itssofiaAM
4-1
Regular season record
60+
Points scored in four wins
5
JON WHITE/ PHOTO EDITOR
Marauders named to the Russell division all-star team
T W E LV E I G H T Y O W N S T H U R S D A Y S .
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www.thesil.ca | Thursday, Oct. 29, 2015
The Silhouette | 27
andy Review: Steve Jobs
The Verdict Michael Fassbender stars as Steve Jobs in the disappointing new biopic on the late Apple founder.
Tomi Milos Andy Editor
Aaron Sorkin must have salivated when he was asked to write the Steve Jobs biopic, but the result will leave those who pay to see it with a dry taste in their mouths. Following the heels of The Social Network, Sorkin was on top of the world and he tries to replicate the same magic with Danny Boyle (127 Hours, Trainspotting) directing instead of David Fincher. Much of the equation remains the same in Steve Jobs: the focus is still an ornery male “genius” who manages to alienate those around him, but the great man-history building feels stale this time around. Renowned as the prodigal son that returned to helm Apple during the glory years when the company churned out the iMac, iPod, Macbook, iPhone and iPad, Jobs’ penchant for success seems unrivalled, but so was his capacity for hurting people to get what he wanted.
All this and more was already known to those who read Walter Issacson’s biography of the late Jobs, but here we find it overwrought in typical Sorkin manner. If it weren’t for Michael Fassbender’s intense display as the titular character and Kate Winslet’s captivating transformation into Joanna Hoffman, the film would have little to be proud of. Famed for his work on shows like The West Wing and The Newsroom, Sorkin has a penchant for tightly wound characters and dialogue that leave actors and audience alike very little time to breathe. Such verbal acrobatics are seen here, but they are incredibly dizzying within the confines of a twohour movie. Whether it was Sorkin’s intent for such quickfire interactions to emulate what it was to work with Jobs, I don’t know, but something tells me it’s just Sorkin deriving pleasure from cringe-worthy one-liners from the film, like: “Musicians play their instruments. I play the orchestra,” and “If a fire causes a stampede to the unmarked exits, it’ll have been well worth it for
those who survive.” The claustrophobic effect is emphasized by how the movie is divided into three acts, all taking place in the forty minute-span before Jobs is to introduce a new product, and all involving the same rotating cast of characters: his daughter Lisa, her mother Chrisann, Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak, right-hand woman Joanna Hoffman, Apple developer Andy Hertzfeld and former Apple CEO John Sculley. The focus on the film is not so much on the products — Boyle and Sorkin are content to cut immediately and flash ahead whenever Jobs actually sets foot on stage. Instead of the products, the focus remains on Jobs and the conflicts that exist between him and his close acquaintances, and this tension is manipulated to the fullest. Too often, like when the camera flashes back and forth from Jobs to John Sculley (played by Sorkin favourite, Jeff Daniels) prior to the launch of the NeXT computer, this manipulation can prove to be too heavy-handed and leaves the viewer feeling as if they’re having their arm
twisted. The attitude that films like Steve Jobs and The Social Network propagate is that “changing the world” is more important than having the basic decency to value the lives of those around you. While the events in the film are heavily fictionalized, events like Jobs purporting that 28 percent of the American male population could have fathered his daughter Lisa with his girlfriend at the time, Chrisann Brennan, are true and pretty damning on their own. The fact that events like Jobs denying paternity and refusing to offer any monetary support are tempered by Sorkin one-liners rub further salt to the already gaping wound. The only positive I can point to in Sorkin’s treatment of women is the fact that they are actually given screen time for once. Jobs’ head of marketing Joanna Hoffman (Winslet), mockingly referred to as his “work-wife,” is always on hand to berate Jobs to “make things right with Lisa,” but that just renders Jobs’ eventual attempt at reconciliation all the more laughable. That a man so endowed with the drive to
succeed couldn’t bring himself to repair the bridges he had personally razed to the ground speaks to his character. While Hoffman admirably stands up to him throughout the film, she is only condescendingly asked to use a vague Eastern European wisdom to help fix Jobs’ relationship with Lisa. The only moment where Boyle gets a chance to capture a genuine moment is in the final scene between Jobs and Lisa. But even then, the script falls flat in an attempt to wrap things together too neatly. Instead of letting the rawness of the scene carry it, Sorkin sneaks in a premature reference to the iPod that brings everything crashing back down to Earth. Then comes an embrace scored by The Maccabees’ “Grew Up At Midnight,” the type of indie-rock song that weaker films drift to when they want to evoke the sort of emotion that their own work lacks. In the end, the catharthis that the film peddles is shallow. Save your money and try to “think different”-ly than Jobs. Don’t be an asshole.
28 |
ANDY
Thursday, Oct. 29, 2015 | www.thesil.ca
The Andy approval matrix
COMING UP IN HAMILTON
The best and worst in arts and culture. This is a concept borrowed from New York Magazine. We hope they don’t mind.
MUSIC
BALTIMORE HOUSE OCT 31 > Halloween NOV 5 > Emay
HIGHBROW
NOV 7 > Adam Bryan THE CASBAH
OCT 31 > Fat Cats
NOV 3 > Current Swell
Gregory Pardlo, winner of the 2015 Pulitzer Prize for poetry, questions the homogenous state of the publishing industry.
Alber Ebaz unceremoniously ousted from Lanvin, after spending 14 years as the fashion label’s creative director.
THIS AIN’T HOLLYWOOD
OCT 31 > The Forgotten Rebels NOV 5 > Leapin’ Laszlo
FILM Westdale Theatre
This week’s quick pick
Apple releases a Hermes incarnation of its Apple Watch.
Carrie Brownstein releases her new memoir, Hunger Makes Me A Modern Girl.
“Sandra’s Smile” Blood Orange Dev Hynes is a New York musician who has worked with big acts like Solange Knowles, and Carley Rae Jepsen, and achieved critical success under the moniker Blood Orange. He’s also suffered his fair share of tribulations, with his apartment burning down in 2013, and being assaulted by Lollapalooza security guards. With all that he’s built for himself, and all that he’s endured, it’d be fair for him to go on without rocking the boat. He didn’t have to stand up and be counted in the struggle against police brutality, but he does with “Sandra’s Smile,” a track that references the 28-year-old woman found hanging in a Florida jail cell after being arrested for a supposed traffic violation earlier this year.
Spectre topped Skyfall’s single-day earnings on its premier weekend in the U.K.
Yelp sues South Park for $10 million after the show lambasts the company. I guess you could say...Welp.
Phil Collins says he’s out of retirement. I can feel a shoddy comeback tour, coming in the air tonight.
Jurassic World is on pace to be the year’s best-selling home entertainment release.
LOWBROW
BRILLIANT
> The Second Mother > Jafar Panahi’s Taxi > It Follows > The Stanford Prison Experiment
DESPICABLE
OCT 30-NOV 5
ANDY
www.thesil.ca | Thursday, Oct. 29, 2015
| 29
Sina Grace’s Self-Obsessed Touching upon current struggles faced by millennials, Grace crafts an autobiographical comic that is entertaining and racy Hess Sahlollbey Contributor
If Aziz Ansari’s specialty is discussing the problems facing millennials then Sina Grace proves to be the absolute master of drawing them out in his new graphic novel, Self-Obsessed. This especially rings true in the amazing way technology has transformed the way we, as a society, communicate with one another. We live in a world where, more often than not, rather than speak openly about what’s bothering us we would rather text about our problems. We communicate through short messages with our friends instead of talking about our problems with them in person. Sina Grace, however, bucks that trend completely. He doesn’t want to write or talk about his problems because, in his own words, he’d much rather draw them. Taking more than a
decade’s worth of doodles, drawings, essays and some new strips, Self-Obsessed by Grace is an unfiltered look at his psyche and insecurities. What truly makes his graphic novel striking is inclusion of his old work, in chronological order, with his new strips. The juxtaposition between the works he did early in his adolescence with the new material that he created for this graphic novel allows readers to effectively see not just Sina’s journey as a cartoonist, but also his coming of age. And while some of his problems may have been difficult for this heterosexual reader to relate to, particularly the ones relating to Grace’s sex life, there was plenty that also echoed true for me. Self-Obsessed captures the emotional angst and turmoils that we’ll face at some point or another while we continue on this never ending process of “growing up.” This can best be seen in the way
“
We live in a world where, more often than not, rather than speak openly about what’s bothering us we would rather text about our problems.
Grace’s art evolves in Self-Obsessed. I have to commend Grace for having the courage to open up, create and share this intimate work of art with us.
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30 |
ANDY
Thursday, Oct. 29, 2015 | www.thesil.ca
Say “Hello” to Adele’s new single
Adele makes a riveting comeback with “Hello” after a four-year hiatus
“
In “Hello,” Adele refuses to go back to that dark place — whether it is a failed relationship or some other struggle — rather, she faces her past head-on and questions what went wrong.
Sunanna Bhasin Opinions Columnist
Still image from Adele’s video for “Hello”
STUDENT ACCESSIBILITY SERVICES NOTIFICATION TO STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES FOR DECEMBER 2015 FINAL EXAM ACCOMMODATIONS All newly identified or returning students with a disability MUST attend an appointment with a Disability Coordinator before November 20, 2015 in order to receive final exam accommodations for December 2015. For more information, please contact:
STUDENT ACCESSIBILITY SERVICES (SAS)
by phone: 905-525-9140 ext. 20302; or in person at MUSC (Student Centre) B107; or by email at: sas@mcmaster.ca
In 2011, Adele released what she called a break-up album titled 21. After a painfully long hiatus, Adele is releasing 25, which she calls a make-up album. The teaser track, appropriately named “Hello,” was released to the public on Oct. 23, 2015. Having been out for just a few days, it has already generated positive feedback from fans, who are excited to see what is to come on Nov. 20. Covers of the track are already all over YouTube, and it seems like the music-loving community in general has a case of Adele fever. What is it about “Hello” that makes it resonate so completely with listeners? While Adele may have a flawless track record, there is something hauntingly beautiful about “Hello” that makes it stick out after only a single play. In “Hello,” Adele refuses to go back to that dark place — whether it is a failed relationship or some other struggle — rather, she faces her past head-on and questions what went wrong. Instead of questioning in order to recreate the old scene, she sings about learning from past mistakes, accepting them and moving on. “Hello” starts out apologetic with a slow, wistful verse: “Hello, it’s me / I was wondering if after all these years / You’d like to meet, to go over everything.” Yet, this song isn’t about resignation. Resignation would be too easy and would not allow for any personal growth. This is a song about acceptance and learning. It’s about re-visiting the past to learn from previous mistakes by considering both sides.
After the first couple of regretful verses, there is a gradual crescendo into an empowering chorus that makes listeners realize that it is possible to move on from a terrible situation and be okay with it: “Hello from the other side / At least I can say that I’ve tried to tell you / I’m sorry, for breaking your heart.” These lyrics are an indication of reconciliation with a partner or past problem as well as with oneself. Adele teaches us an important lesson with “Hello”: it is enough to try. Once you come to terms with a problem, internal or external, you are free to move on to the next stage in your life. That is when you can make up with both your present and past selves. Does this track’s popularity stem from the fact that Adele is the one singing it? Absolutely. I don’t think anyone can dispute her powerful, warm voice. However, the lessons this song teaches are unique to the music we hear daily. We often hear of the messed up, unapologetic protagonist that moves on without looking back. This can be falsely empowering, while “Hello” reflects people’s realities by saying that ghosts from our past can haunt us, but that we do have the power to look them in the eye and reach some sort of resolution. Adele tells listeners that it’s okay not to say goodbye to your past because it is truly a big part of who you are. It’s better to say “hello” to your present and future and use the lessons you’ve learned along the way to become a better person and make the present worthwhile. @SunannaB
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9th Annual Fundraising Dinner The Hamilton Brain Injury Association presents the
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THURSDAY
THE
HAMILTON SPECULATOR Noticing your logo ripoffs since 1934
OC T. 29, 2015
NOTSPEC.COM
Alumni furious over university’s recent improvements Of course all the good changes come to campus as soon as [graduating class] left
Our well-maintained campus. INSET: An alumni praying for his presence to be noticed.
CASSIE NOVA-MOORE Alumni status unconfirmed
After recent visits to campus, a number of university alumni are enraged with the fact that the university has made a series of improvements without them. “Of course they would go and make all these changes as soon as we leave,” said a variety of former students on their Facebook pages, accompanied with a broken link to a Daily News article. A group of former students has decided to return to campus and protest the fact that the university has gone on to improve itself without their input, and that students have been able to move on in their absence while benefiting from their
alumni support. Many an alumni has been spotted chanting in the Arts Quad with slogans like “Just because we’re alumni/ doesn’t mean we’re bad guys”, “We are back/ It’s not whack” and lastly, “Go team,” which they felt could appeal to the masses. “We’ve seen a lot of students return to campus in an effort to regain the sense of direction they once had,” said Polly Smithsonian, an alumni coordinator. “Unfortunately, upon their return, so many of them got physically lost due to changes on campus.” In response to this, the university has developed a support group called “Alumni FOMO Recovery” which is meant to help former students move on with their lives.
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The support meetings give disgruntled former students a space to discuss their need to remain present in the ongoings of university life. The FOMO plays double duty standing for the conventional “Fear of missing out” as well as “Forget others, move on.” In response to this ongoing issue, the university has provided some advice for upcoming alumni, “If you find you may be inclined to depict these same traits, we recommend borrowing some moves from former student government members,” said Smithsonian. “Once you weasel your way into a position of power at the university, we keep you around. You know too much.”
“We’re obviously the glue that held this place together.” Timothy Slides Class of ‘13
INSIDE FRANTIC FEATURETTES A3 THE OTHER SIDE OF ADELE’S PHONE CONVERSATIONS A4 THE 5 PEOPLE YOU MEET ON TINDER (I SEE YOU, DANIEL) B2 HAND, BLOW AND STEVE B4 WHEN YOU GET THAT SINKING FEELING, GRAB A LIFE JACKET C2 NOT A LIVESTREAM LINK D5
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