The Silhouette - February 4, 2020

S

Dare to Stay Giancarlo Da-Ré is your new President-elect // PAGES 4-5

The Silhouette

Tuesday, February 4, 2020

INSIDE>>

NEWS: Voter turnout is down low // PAGE 3 ARTS & CULTURE: Looking back at Hamilton’s past music scene // PAGES 10-11 SPORTS: Men’s basketball coach is leading the team to the top // PAGE 23

S

The Silhouette

FOLLOW US

/THEMCMASTER SILHOUETTE

@THE SILHOUETTE

/MCMASTER SILHOUETTE

@MCMASTER SILHOUETTE

Volume 90, Issue 14 Tuesday, February 4, 2020 McMaster University’s Student Newspaper

LOOKING BACK

Feb. 2, 1973

EDITORIAL BOARD editor-in-chief | thesil@thesil.ca

Hannah Walters-Vida digital media specialist | dms@msu.mcmaster.ca

Maxine Gravina managing editor | managing@thesil.ca

Neda Pirouzmand online editor | online@thesil.ca

Razan Samara production editor | production@thesil.ca

Elisabetta Paiano sections

NEWS Trisha Gregorio news reporter Shamir Malik news@thesil.ca

news editor

FEATURES Adrianna Michell features@thesil.ca

features reporter

OPINION Steffi Arkilander opinions@thesil.ca

opinion editor

SPORTS sports editor Graham West sports reporter Kyle West sports@thesil.ca ARTS AND CULTURE arts & culture editor Andrew Mrozowski arts & culture reporter Lauren O’Donnell artsandculture@thesil.ca MEDIA photo editor Cindy Cui photo reporter Matty Flader production coordinator Katarina Brkic production coordinator Zoya Gomes production@thesil.ca ONLINE Jaden Lall social media coordinator Erica Mark video editor

COVER GRAPHIC Elisabetta Paiano

WAITING ON BATED BREATH Crowds jammed into the election headquarters to hear the results of the MSU presidential election. Voter turnout this year was at an all-time high, at 51.1 per cent Fun fact: Ted McMeekin, former MPP, came second place in this election

WE WANT YOU

The Silhouette is always looking for volunteers! Come out to a weekly meeting or email one of our section editors for more information on how to get involved.

NEWS

PRODUCTION

SPORTS

news@thesil.ca

sports@thesil.ca

production@thesil.ca

Meetings: Thurs. 2:30 p.m.

Meetings: Wed. 5:30 p.m.

PHOTO

OPINION

ARTS & CULTURE

photo@thesil.ca

opinions@thesil.ca

artsandculture@thesil.ca

Meetings: Wed. 1:30 p.m.

Meetings: Fri. 11:00 a.m.

LEGAL

CONTACT

The Silhouette welcomes letters to the editor in person at MUSC B110, or by email at thesil@thesil.ca. Please include name, address and telephone number for verification only. Letters should be 300 words or less. We reserve the right to edit, condense or reject letters and opinion articles. Opinions and editorials expressed in the Silhouette are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of the editorial board, the publishers, the McMaster Students Union or the University. The Silhouette is an editorially autonomous newspaper published by the McMaster Students Union. The Silhouette Board of Publications acts as an intermediary between the editorial board, the McMaster community and the McMaster Students Union. Grievances regarding the Silhouette may be forwarded in writing to: McMaster Students Union, McMaster University Student Centre, Room 201, L8S 4S4, Attn: The Silhouette Board of Publications. The Board will consider all submissions and make recommendations accordingly.

MUSC, Room B110 McMaster University 1280 Main Street West, Hamilton, ON L8S 4S4 Editor-in-Chief (905) 525-9140, ext 22052 Main Office (905) 525-9140, ext 27117 Advertising ccpc@msu.mcmaster.ca published by the

The Silhouette

www.thesil.ca | Tuesday, Feb. 4, 2020

| 3

News

Voter turnout plummets to an alltime low since 2009

Less than a quarter of students voted for the 2020-2021 MSU president

Shamir Malik News Reporter

Only 19.1 per cent of McMaster students voted in the 2020 McMaster Student Union’s Presidential election, the lowest voter turnout for an MSU Presidential election since 2009. In total, 4810 students cast their ballots.

The 2020 Hamilton Street Railway referendum that took place concurrently saw 5,763 students cast their votes, equivalent to a voter turnout of 22.9 per cent.

On Jan. 30, the MSU Elec-

tions Department ratified and released the results of the MSU residential election and HSR referendum.

President-elect Giancarlo Da-Ré won the 2020 MSU Presidential election with 2,504 votes, a 1,529 vote surplus over the second place candidate, Jackson Tarlin.

Tarlin, the election’s runner-up, garnered 975 votes.

666 students abstained, and Krystina Koc received the lowest number of votes at 665.

Da-Ré will officially take office on May 1, 2019.

Voter Turnout and President-Elects, 2016-2020

2020 HSR Referendum Voter Breakdown

2020 Presidential Election Voter Breakdown

Voter turnout this year was the lowest it has been in a while, following a steady decline since 2018. Engagement fell from 41.6 per cent in 2017 to 28.1 per cent in 2018. In the following year, this steep drop appeared to level off, with a 1.2 per cent drop between 2018 and 2019. However, this year, the steep decline returned yet again, with turnout dropping by 7.7 per cent.

In the past five years, the lower the voter turnout, the greater the proportion of votes that went to the candidate who won.

The MSU elections department investigated the sharp decline in voter turnout that occurred between 2017 and 2018.

They concluded that it was likely because a large number of students opted out of receiving emails from SimplyVoting, McMaster’s online voting system.

Offering students the choice to opt out is in line with Canada’s anti-spam legislation.

According to chief returning officer Peter Belesiotis, the elections department also emails students independently, regardless of whether they opt out of receiving emails from

SimplyVoting.

“This has ensured that we reach all students with the relevant information, even those who may have opted-out from SimplyVoting emails. These email efforts are in addition to the print media, social media, video production and SMS messaging used to inform students of the election,” stated Belesiotis in an email.

Despite these measures, voter turnout was even lower this year, falling 9 points below 2018 levels.

Voter apathy and lack of trust in the student union may have played a role in this decline. A Silhouette article from 2018 speculated that candidates’ campaign strategies play a large role in voter turnout, citing class talks, student engagement and debate performance as potential factors in determining voter turnout.

Abstentions this year were also significantly higher than they have been in recent years. Between 2016 and 2018, abstentions remained below 7.3 per cent. Last year, they rose to 9.2 per cent, and this year they jumped to 13.8 per cent.

Voters abstain for a variety of reasons. Students may choose abstention as a vote of no confidence, because they feel that none of the candidates are qualified. Alternatively, an abstention could mean that the voter cannot decide between multiple candidates, or they feel that they do not have enough information to make an educated vote.

The majority of students voted to continue the existing bus pass agreement between McMaster University, the MSU and the Hamilton Street Railway. The option for a 12 month bus pass with expanded service on Route 51-University received 2338 votes after the first round of the MSU’s ranked election system.

The second most popular option, an 8-month bus pass from September to April with no expanded Route-51 service, received 1901 votes.

The option for no bus pass received only 494 votes and was eliminated after the first round of the ranked election system. @TheSilhouette

4 |

NEWS

www.thesil.ca | Tuesday, Feb. 4, 2020

Meet the new MSU president-elect Giancarlo Da-Ré talks about the 2020 Presidential elections and his plans for the coming months

CINDY CUI/ PHOTO EDITOR

Trisha Gregorio News Editor

On the night of Jan. 30, 2020, Giancarlo Da-Ré was in the basement of Togo Salmon Hall with a few members of his core campaign team when he learned that he was the new president-elect of the McMaster Students Union. As per tradition, the news was delivered to him by the current MSU president Josh Marando via phone call.

The ranked voting system requires over 50 per cent of the votes to elect a candidate. With 4810 students voting and 666 students abstaining, the threshold this year sat at 2073 votes.

Da-Ré received 2504 votes, 431 votes over this requirement and approximately 52 per cent of the total votes that were cast.

The 2020 elections also saw a new low for the voter turnout, with only 19.1 per cent of eligible McMaster students voting this year. This marked a sharp decline from last year, especially when compared to 2014 to 2017, when voter turnout did not once dip below 40 per cent.

This downward trend began in 2018, when voter turnout dropped to 28.8 per cent, and continued to 2019, when it dropped even further to 26.8 per cent.

“I was disappointed to see that the voter turnout this year had dropped again. I think this was the product of a few different factors, one of which being the low number of candidates, which would contribute to overall promotion of the election across our community of voting members,” said Da-Ré.

Since all candidates are given five business days to contest any results and to appeal any fines, Da-Ré’s new position is still unofficial. Nevertheless, he is continuing conversations related to his platform, which highlighted accessibility, climate action and student experience.

One critique of Da-Ré’s platform is that while he claims that it was informed by 100 consultations, there were several key groups that he had not contacted by the time the campaign period began. Now, Da-Ré asserts that he has set up consultations with Maccess and the Academic Sustainability Programs Office in order to

work towards accessibility and sustainability.

He also voices his desire to consult with people whose perspectives might differ from his own.

“If there’s one thing that I’ve learned from the campaign period, it is that there are many groups on campus trying to tackle different parts of the same puzzle, and that there is a lot of work I have to do to better understand those different pieces,” he says.

While he does not elaborate on any specific details, DaRé states that his consultations have helped him understand how offices and departments within McMaster interact with each other. He states that he has gained a sense of the work that has been done recently in this community, and, by extension, an idea of the work that still needs to be done.

With this in mind, Da-Ré wants to remind students at McMaster that they are foundational to the university’s community.

“Students are incredibly passionate and hard-working, and while some changes won’t be seen overnight, they have

“If there’s one thing that I’ve learned from the campaign period, it is that there are many groups on campus trying to tackle different parts of the same puzzle, and that there is a lot of work I have to do to better understand those different pieces,” Giancarlo Da-Ré MSU President-elect more power than they think in influencing change within our community,” he says.

Regarding what his first plans would be when he takes office, Da-Ré says, “It’s hard to say what my first plans will be a few months from now, but I look forward to getting up to speed on current initiatives and

projects so that I can hit the ground running in May.” For now, Da-Ré looks forward to the election results becoming official and to starting the transition process with Josh Marando.

He welcomes anyone interested in consulting to send an email to giancarlodare2020@ gmail.com. @TheSilhouette

www.thesil.ca | Tuesday, Feb. 4, 2020

The Silhouette

| 5

CINDY CUI/ PHOTO EDITOR

CINDY CUI/ PHOTO EDITOR

6 |

NEWS

www.thesil.ca | Tuesday, Feb. 4, 2020

Being MSU President is like being a rotisserie chicken Get too comfy in your seat (or spit), and you’ll burn once you’re gone you can’t really control those things,” added Monaco-Barnes.

If this is a known problem, incoming and outgoing presidents should prevent it from happening as much as possible. Starting from scratch, as Monaco-Barnes noted, is a waste of time.

Who do you want in the room?

CINDY CUI/ PHOTO EDITOR

Neda Pirouzmand Managing Editor

Students are often at a standoff with the MSU president. A commonly held belief is that the President cannot get things done, while presidents themselves often feel that they are misunderstood by the student body. Looking back at former presidents, we can see the difficult realities of their jobs.

However, each MSU president has many opportunities to enact change, and it is their responsibility to work within their limitations.

It’s hard to keep all the eggs in one basket “When someone is running for president they are running on 12-15 platform points, but that is not your only priority, you are a CEO, you are a manager of the whole institution,” said Ikram Farah, former MSU president for the 2018-2019 school year.

Every MSU president has and will continue to struggle with balancing priorities.

Consulting past presidents and critically examining a previous year’s struggles is meant to help incoming presidents plan for the year ahead. New

president-elects are given the opportunity to do this during their training period under the current MSU president, which lasts from February to April of each year.

Even with this transition process, neither Marando, Farah nor Monaco-Barnes were prepared for how much time would be taken up by priorities unrelated to their platform points.

“I didn’t realize how much of my time would be taken up with chairing various meetings, SRA, clubs, committees, events, and other things that you don’t really see the president do until you are in the role yourself,” said Marando.

During the transition period, outgoing presidents still have their own responsibilities and incoming presidents have their academics. It is unclear exactly how many hours are spent orienting. “[After March] you’re out, and the new person’s in, and it’s up to them and their team to carry on their objectives but also carry on ongoing projects to full term,” said Justin Monaco-Barnes, former MSU president for the 2016-2017 school year.

Limitations of the transition period may negatively impact a president’s future ability

to establish continuity, balance priorities and prepare for unpredictability. Farah faced the impact of the Ontario Student Assistance Program cuts and the Student Choice Initiative.

Responding to these events took up much of her team’s time.

“You don’t know what you don’t know,” said Farah.

Continuity is key Longevity, according to Monaco-Barnes, can be an issue with a one-year term. A president must continue previous presidents’ work while attending to their own platform points and responsibilities. Marando, Farah and Monaco-Barnes highlighted the added pressure that comes from students wanting tangible results. “. . . A lot of people probably don’t know I sit on groups that improve the university IT plan, or work on mental health support in classrooms. People don’t see all the time and energy that goes into working with our full-time staff and supporting business operations of the MSU. I think that if there isn’t a big promotion of something, people think nothing is happening. In reality things may span over a years — such as our new student space expansion — requiring a lot more resources

than one might think,” said Marando.

The student space expansion came from Monaco-Barnes’ platform, whose Pulse expansion plans eventually evolved to include a new student center, the Student Activity Building.

“And then here we are, two years later, and it’s being built which is pretty cool,” said Monaco-Barnes.

Monaco-Barnes took an unpaid leave of absence to run two student-wide referenda and help secure funding for the expansion plans. During the second referendum, Ryan McDonald, the VP (Finance) at the time, also took an unpaid leave.

While the Student Activity and Pulse expansion are underway, future MSU presidents must see them through.

Not all projects will survive this process.

At the end of Monaco-Barnes’s term, plastic water bottles were replaced with boxed water in Union Market.

Union Market reverted back to plastic water bottles the following year.

“I don’t know how you control that. You hope that the continuity pieces that remain in the MSU leadership wise, you hope they will continue your original messages and ideas, but

Farah notes that small scale changes are very valuable.

“We need people with ideas and strategic vision. That’s where the Pulse expansion or student activity building becomes impactful. But we don’t always need that large action.

Policy takes time though,” said Farah.

A president will have several opportunities to advocate for students. But it is not easy to get the job done. Monaco-Barnes said that higher-ups can wait out a president that they disagree with. There is also an intimidation factor at play, as the MSU president will interact with older and more experienced counterparts.

“It’d be very easy for a president to go in and do a lacklustre job if they are not motivated,” said Monaco-Barnes.

MSU presidents will make mistakes and struggle with their jobs. Their role is difficult to fully appreciate from an outside perspective. That doesn’t mean we shouldn’t point out their mistakes and challenge them to work around limitations. If we do not hold them accountable, then we may see less work being done. Is being MSU president hard? Yes. Does that mean that they cannot accomplish anything? Absolutely not.

@TheSilhouette

Try our new express to go service!

ANOTHER SERVICE PROVIDED BY THE MSU

5 8 C e nt e n ni a l P kw y N | 9 8 0 Up p e r J am e s S t .

S T A G S H O P. C O M

Gaining kitchen confidence It’s hard to think of a time when food wasn’t one of the most important parts of my life. I grew up sitting in kitchens, watching various family members prepare incredible dishes and baked goods. I loved getting to sit in the corner, eating chocolate chips or carrots until I was old enough to actually lend more of a helping hand.

I had hoped that my being surrounded by food growing up would ease my transition into cooking for myself in university, but I was wrong. First and second year presented a variety of challenges, from a range of disordered eating habits to maneuvering the logistics of sharing a kitchen with five other people. I was afraid of cooking meat, could not cobble dinner together in a way that worked for my schedule, and generally needed to work on my eating habits.

By third year, I had moved out of student housing and began to spend more time in the kitchen.Over this time, something changed; I started to get more excited about cooking for myself, and I began to experiment more with my meals and kitchen tools. Cooking and baking became instrumental parts of my recovery and standing over the stove or measuring flour or kneading bread dough grew into one of my primary anxiety management strategies.

Cooking allowed me to overcome my hesitation to host people for an evening, and in the past year I’ve hosted a variety of dinner parties, potlucks, and even a Mardi Gras pancake dinner.

Last spring, I decided I wanted to share my love of cooking and baking with more people. My friends and colleagues had been gracious

(and if I may, sometimes very lucky) guinea pigs with new recipes I was trying, but I wanted to show more people that taking care of yourself through food doesn’t have to be as terrifying as it sounds, even on a tight budget.

After spending some time scrolling through a range of Instagram’s food bloggers, I noticed that there seemed to be no accounts dedicated to cooking and meal prepping on a student budget. And so, armed with a spatula and an unairconditioned kitchen, I started Fork in Progress.

I wanted to find an outlet to show busy students and young professionals that cheap, easy, delicious food isn’t as impossible a dream as it can seem at times, and that even a more difficult recipe can usually be broken down into more manageable steps. Over the past eight months I’ve experimented with demonstrations of how

to prepare simple dinners like cauliflower wings and beef stew, and shown how to break down difficult cake recipes into multi-day processes with just a few small tasks each day. I’ve learned new skills, perfected a few go-to recipes, and had a lot of fun whipping up new dinners, desserts, and easily transportable lunches.

There’s no world in which learning to cook completely erases someone’s struggle to balance their physical, mental, and emotional well-being, and I’d be lying if I said that spending time in my kitchen alone was enough to keep me feeling good consistently. But it has helped, and I hope that it can help you too.

I want to inspire people so they feel empowered and capable of trying new foods, and I hope that through Fork in Progress, people feel as through they have a resource to make cooking fun, easy, and accessible. Feeding yourself doesn’t have to be a as much of a chore as we’re often led to believe. And with a little willingness to experiment a bit, you can make a dish you can be truly proud of. And trust me, there is no better feeling in the world than being able to say that yes, you made dinner and dessert.

Follow @forkinprogress on Instragram to learn how to cook tasty meals on a budget!

By Rachel Katz McMaster Alumna, Grad Student, food bogger Sponsored by:

ALUMNI

8 |

NEWS

www.thesil.ca | Tuesday, Feb. 4, 2020

Bus passes are here to stay Students vote to keep 12 month bus pass and extended HSR service Hannah Walters-Vida Editor-in-Chief

In last week’s referendum, fulltime undergraduate students voted to uphold the current agreement between Hamilton Street Railway and the McMaster Students Union, which gives students bus passes for 12 months with expanded service on the 51-University bus line.

Out of five options, 43 per cent of students that voted chose the 12 month expanded bus pass as their top choice on the ranked ballot.

Students also had the option to decide between a 12 month pass without expanded service, an eight month pass with or without expanded service and no bus pass at all.

Prior to 2014, the MSU provided a subsidized HSR bus pass that lasted from September to April. In a 2014 referendum, students voted overwhelmingly in support of a year-round bus

pass with expanded 51-University service.

The MSU renews their contract with the HSR every three years. Students voted to uphold the agreement in 2017, and did the same this year.

To establish the agreement for the base fee of the bus pass, the MSU engaged in a negotiation process with the HSR alongside the university, Redeemer college and Mohawk college.

In September 2019, students paid $225.55 for their bus passes. Next year, under the renewed agreement, they will cost $223.92, climbing to $229.62 in 2022. In comparison, an unsubsidized monthly HSR bus pass costs $110 per month, or $1,320 for a full year.

According to a 2017 briefing from the McMaster Graduate Student Association, the city of Hamilton has a vested interest in offering a reduced bus fare. A subsidized bus pass encourages students to explore the city, which can in turn lead

@CPAcanada #HelpingHamilton #CVITP

to greater population retention.

Next year, under the renewed agreement, the [bus pass] will cost $223.92, climbing to $229.62 in 2022 The HSR stands to benefit from this deal as well. Approximately 12 per cent of the revenue collected by the HSR comes from the McMaster U-pass.

McMaster is one of many post-secondary institutions across southwestern Ontario to provide some sort of subsidized bus pass for undergraduate students. Within Hamilton, Mohawk college and Redeemer college also offer subsidized bus passes for students. Students at Queen’s University, the University of Western Ontario and the University of Guelph also decide via referenda to provide

The 51-University bus CINDY CUI/ PHOTO EDITOR

compulsory passes for undergraduate students. The costs vary depending on the university, ranging from $90 to $240.

Now that the McMaster bus pass has been voted on via referendum, students cannot opt out of the fee. This is because, when HSR knows how many students will pay the fee, they can project service levels and secure revenue. In turn, they agree to provide a bus pass at a substantially reduced cost.

After the student choice initiative was announced in January 2019, there was some con-

Join the Tax Squad!

Where the only super power you need is the ability to make a difference in your McMaster and Hamilton community. By becoming part of the Tax Squad you will volunteer for the Tax Preparation Assistance (TPA) Program.

Learn how to file personal income taxes alongside Chartered Professional Accountants (CPA) and other volunteers.

cern that the bus passes would be designated as non-essential, which would have prevented the MSU from making an agreement with the HSR for subsidized bus passes.

In February of last year, Merrilee Fullerton, then the minister of training, colleges and universities, announced that the bus passes would remain mandatory.

The agreement with the HSR will be renegotiated in 2023. @TheSilhouette

Experience is not required, training will be provided.

The deadline to submit your application is Friday, February 7, 2020.

Registration is now open on OSCARplus.

Email money@mcmaster.ca with questions, comments or for more information. You will receive further information on the program after registration.

Time Commitment: Minimum of 20-25 hours between February and April.

OSCARplus > Student Success Centre > Events (February 11 or 12)

www.thesil.ca | Tuesday, Feb. 4, 2020

The Silhouette

| 9

Opinion Empty promises for marginalized communities Don’t say you’ll advocate for marginalized people if you’re only doing it for brownie points Steffi Arkilander Opinions Editor

Historically, McMaster Students Union presidential candidates often have big dreams to tackle issues concerning marginalized communities. Topics that reappear every year include accessibility, reducing financial barriers and sexual violence support.

While these platform points can be well-intentioned, they can often be examples of poor allyship instead. Using people of colour, the 2SLGBTQ+ community, disabled people and survivors as talking points for campaigning can be insensitive if candidates are unable to follow through with their platform points.

There are clear examples of platforms that have done this.

In 2018, past MSU president Ikram Farah campaigned on reducing financial barriers by re-evaluating the Ontario Student Assistance Program’s structure and reworking it to accurately reflect tuition cost discrepancies between different programs. This would mean that two students who paid different tuition amounts, and who previously qualified for the same amount of financial aid, would instead receive aid that was proportional to their costs.

Although Farah completed her presidential term in April 2019, any advocacy done surrounding OSAP hasn’t had a huge impact on OSAP’s structure.

In 2019, current MSU president Josh Marando promised to hire an additional sexual violence response coordinator to address the lack of support for survivors of sexual violence. Marando still has three months left in his term, but the efforts into hiring a new sexual violence response coordinator seem to be lacking. So far, an additional sexual violence response coordinator has yet to be hired.

In addition to an absence of follow-through, candidates also often fail to consult adequately.

Candidates at the MSU debate on Jan. 23 CINDY CUI/ PHOTO EDITOR

This year, MSU presidential candidate Krystina Koc aimed to address student safety due to the Westdale and Thorndale break-ins that occurred last year, and to increase support to Maccess. However, Koc’s consultations about student safety were limited and she failed to consult Maccess regarding how to best improve support.

Incoming MSU President Giancarlo Da-Ré plans to improve accessibility by making the MSU website compliant with the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act and increasing the number of courses that use Echo360 to record lectures. He also wants to implement consent culture modules that would be mandatory for welcome week representatives. Although Da-Ré states he has done 100 consultations and has platform points surrounding accessibility and consent, he did not consult Maccess or the Women and Gender Equity Network prior to campaigning.

Evidently, solidarity with low-income students, people of colour, survivors and disabled people have been a large topic of discussion within presidential platforms. However, these campaign points are rarely acted upon or are executed poorly.

This leaves me and many others with questions: if these points don’t result in any visible

change, why have them in your platform at all?

During campaign season, presidential candidates are trying to win students’ votes.

Therefore, it’s usually important to maintain a good public image. Nothing looks better than advocating for a marginalized population. Regardless of whether these candidates actually care for the marginalized populations they’re advocating for, if they’re coming from a place of privilege and put us into their platforms, it can seem like they’re trying to win brownie points for being good people.

This leaves me and many others with questions: if these points don’t result in any visible change, why have them in your platform at all?

Additionally, this allyship quickly becomes performative if the candidates don’t follow through when it comes to supporting marginalized communities — which they often don’t.

Even if you have the best intentions to help others, it is hard to

change systemic oppression in a one-year term because these structures have been in place for centuries.

Typically, advocacy movements are initiated by marginalized communities themselves, not presidents. This can be seen with the WGEN, which was created to provide a safe space for women and trans people, as well as students that face sexual violence. WGEN was approved by the Student Representative Assembly because of a community survey that provided statistics of students who faced assaults, misogyny and sexism on campus. Although the SRA did come into play with the creation of this service, consultations and surveys were important in its creation, which is what the presidential candidates have been failing to do. In addition, WGEN was spearheaded by women, trans people and survivors advocating for its existence, proving that marginalized communities have always been at the forefront of these movements — not the MSU president. If the MSU president is serious about advocating for marginalized communities, then they need to consult with the groups who represent the needs of these students.

Despite Koc and Da-Ré’s well-intentioned platforms for improving peer support services and consent education respec-

tively, they failed to consult the communities that are directly affected: Maccess and WGEN. How will you help improve support and remove systemic barriers if you do not talk to those that are directly affected?

Becoming the MSU president doesn’t mean that you suddenly have the ability to support marginalized people.

Anyone and everyone can support movements to dismantle oppressive barriers — instead of campaigning on the idea that you will support marginalized people during your presidential term, start by supporting them in your everyday lives. Talk to the people you know and ask them how you can support them. Actually consult the marginalized communities you hope to support, not the institutions that oppress us. Even if you can’t make a huge change during your one-year term, you can still make meaningful change through your individual actions as a person. But if you’re not willing to commit to your platform and actually support marginalized students, please leave us out of it.

@TheSilhouette

10 |

A&C

Andrew Mrozowski A&C Editor

This is part one of a three part series. Throwback Thursday looks to explore the past, present and future of Hamilton’s music scene through the eyes of those within.

The Hamilton music scene is ever-changing. The rise of Supercrawl over the past decade has given local bands a public platform that they might not have had access to otherwise.

Through this Throwback Thursday series, I seek to uncover the recent history of Hamilton’s music scene, and how the city has developed the unique musical identity that it’s known for today. This will take the form of three profile-based articles focusing on interactions with the past, present and future of Hamilton’s music scene.

We will begin with a snapshot of Hamilton’s music scene in the 1990s. Our guide is a former Silhouette Arts & Culture Editor, and co-author of Canadian alt-rock music book, Have Not Been The Same.

Ian A.D. Jack began study-

www.thesil.ca | Tuesday, Feb. 3, 2020

ing Kinesiology at McMaster in 1992. Although his studies were heavily focused on physiology and physical movement, Jack had a passion for music that stemmed from his childhood.

Jack recalled living in Thunder Bay as a child in the 80s, going to the local library and borrowing vinyl records which exposed him to a wide range of music. When Jack’s parents divorced, he turned to music as a comforting mechanism.

“Music has been my saviour all along,” said Jack.

With the late 80s came the surge of bands such as U2, The Smiths and New Order, creating a new wave of music. Music was getting louder, heavier, but strangely more melodic as well. Jack was captivated by this style. He tried to emulate their sounds, find out as much as he could about the bands and build his music collection.

While Jack was at McMaster, he would spend all of his extra money at Cheapies Records and Tapes (67 King St. East), a staple record store in Hamilton’s music scene that is still around today. Cheapies does

not confine itself to one type of music, allowing anybody to find their own interests in their vinyl record bins. After his first year of university he began writing for The Sil, after realizing that he would be sent new music for free so long as he wrote something about it.

“It was a great way of funding my habits and became a gateway for me to meet a lot of artists and my heroes,” said Jack.

Jack wrote his first article for HEAD about alternative rock band, Rhymes with Orange.

He continued writing for HEAD in his third year and became coArts Editor in his final year of school.In the past, The Sil used to have a dedicated pull-out section called Hamilton Entertainment Arts Directory, or HEAD This section featured movie and album reviews, but also had a heavy focus on reviewing and interviewing local Hamilton-based bands. HEAD was an important way for students to understand the music scene in Hamilton.

In addition to profiling Hamilton music, Jack’s section also featured interviews with bands such as Oasis and Blur.

HEAD also ran interviews with notable people in the movie industry such as actor/director Kevin Smith, actor Don McKellar and director Noah Bombock.

In the 90s, there were two pubs on campus that hosted live music. The Rathskeller, now Bridges Café, typically housed Hamilton-based bands, and the Downstairs John, which has since been demolished to make room for L.R. Wilson Hall, typically hosted more well known Canadian bands. Jack described the city’s music scene as being rougher than it is today due to the minimal amount of exposure artists received as well as the undeveloped, underground scene they were playing in.

“Now, you have some more prominent artists like The Arkelles and White Horse, and you have Supercrawl. That festival didn’t exist [before],” said Jack.

Jack also recalls off-campus venues that would host live music.The largest of these clubs was called X-Club, housed on the second floor of a building at King William Street and John Street North downtown. Up and coming indie bands such as Jale,

Doughboys and Pure would perform. Jack remembers tall posts extending from the floors to the ceiling, obstructing audience sightlines. Nevertheless, it was a great place to catch an indie show.

La Luna (306 King St. West), was another spot that would host smaller bands or acoustic sets. While primarily functioning as a Lebanese restaurant, it had a small space for live performances, hosting the likes of Dave Rave, Jale and Jacob Moon. This venue is still open today.

Jack noted that The Corktown (175 Young St.) sometimes felt dilapidated, but it hosted a number of punk and alt-rock bands. For that reason, it remained one of his favourite places to watch live music in Hamilton. One notable band who performed at Corktown was Junkhouse, a rock band helmed by Tom Wilson. This venue is still open today and frequently hosts live music.

While not primarily a place for live music, Fever, now Absinthe (38 King William St.), was a dance club playing alt-rock music. This style of

www.thesil.ca | Tuesday, Feb. 3 2020

The Silhouette

| 11

ellar The Rathsk

music started to gain traction with more and more people throughout the city.

Throughout Jack’s university years in Hamilton, a few major genres dominated the Steel City’s music scene. Punk rock was made prominent in part to Teenage Head; rock n’ roll was from Junkhouse; folk rock came from groups like Crash Vegas; and power pop from bands like The Killjoys.

“Hamilton is like the Brooklyn to Toronto’s New York,” said Jack when describing the 90s music scene.

In Jack’s earlier years, many Toronto-based artists moved to Hamilton as rent was more affordable west of the city. The same is true of New York-based artists who move to Brooklyn.

“It’s financially logical and you also have a collective of creative people that can afford to be creative,” added Jack.

Jack graduated from McMaster in 1996 and went on to teach music in the elementary sector; however, his writing endeavours didn’t stop with The Sil. He co-wrote a book in 2001 called Have Not Been The Same that focused on the development of alternative rock in Canada from 1985 to 1995.

Through this project, Jack had the chance to interview local Hamilton-based bands from his university days, such as Doughboys and Jale, in a process that came full circle for him.

On a more personal note, I had the pleasure of being taught by ‘Mr. Jack’ from grade four to six. Since my graduation from elementary school, we’ve kept

in contact over the years. By coincidence, I also found my way to McMaster for my post-secondary education. When I told him I had accepted my offer, he told me to look into writing for The Sil. My first year was really about finding my own footing at the school, as is the case for many other students, which is why I wasn’t able to pursue his advice. At the start of my second year, he told me to reconsider writing for The Sil. I took him up on his advice and the rest, as they say, is history.

An inspiration not only to my music, but also to my personal morals and values and seemingly to my journalism career, thank you, Ian.

The Corktown

@andrewmro-

H EAD LOGO C/O THE SILHOUETTE ARCHIVES IAN JACK PHOTOS C/O IAN A.D. JACK CORKTOWN PHOTO C/O CORKTOWN PUB RATHSKELLAR PHOTO C/O MARMOR

12 |

SPORTS

www.thesil.ca | Tuesday, Feb. 4, 2020

Sports From athlete to coach Patrick Tatham talks about his impressive history, the future of U Sports and coaching on and off the court

Patrick Tatham analyzing the game Feb. 1 2020 CINDY CUI/PHOTO EDITOR

Graham West Sports Editor

Head coach of the men’s basketball team Patrick Tatham has had an illustrious career. While he was an athlete he played Division 1 basketball at Cleveland State University. He moved on to play overseas for the Sions Herens Basket in Switzerland and the Itzehoe Eagles in Germany, with brief stints in Qatar and Syria.

Following his playing career, Tatham transitioned to coaching. This included jobs with Stoneridge Preparatory School in the states and the Maine Red Claws of the NBA G League. After five years of being assistant coach for the Ryerson University Rams, Tatham became interim head coach from 2015-2016. Now, he is the head coach of our McMaster Marauders. Simply put, the man has seen it all.

Taking part in so many positions was a huge learning experience for Tatham. His ability to transition with ease is one of the reasons for his accomplishments.

“It’s been a nice journey.

When I was at Stoneridge I had no clue what I was doing. I just did what I thought I knew to do based off my coaches at Cleveland State. Then coming back home to Ryerson, I took whatever we learned at Cleveland state to try and help the culture at Ryerson because there was no culture at all, we were one of the worst teams in Canada. It was like rolling the dice, you have nothing to lose. Just roll the dice and see what works and what doesn’t work and then make the necessary changes,” said Tatham.

As the saying goes, fortune favours the bold, and it certainly did with Tatham’s coaching style. When he began coaching at Ryerson, the team was struggling. However, the rough

patch presented an opportunity for growth given that the team was willing to take risks and innovate.

As the saying goes, fortune favours the bold, and it certainly did with Tatham’s coaching style.

When he began coaching at Ryerson, the team was struggling. However, the rough patch presented an opportunity for growth “I use that blueprint now, here at Mac, there’s already a base and foundation here but it’s about me cleaning up a few

things. Just doing all the necessary stuff to make sure all the guys are successful, not just on the court but in the classrooms,” said Tatham.

Tatham’s journey from high school to Division 1 basketball was quite different than what you see nowadays. Typically, top Canadian basketball prospects are noticed either before high school or midway through. Then they go to a preparatory high school in the United States. If they’re good enough, they go to a top college.

However, this is not always the case, and it wasn’t for Tatham.

He went to Chinguacousy Secondary School in Brampton and from there attended Cleveland State University.

Young Canadian athletes are often told that if they want to follow their dreams, they have to leave Canada. Fewer and fewer Division one scouts are looking to the north for elite-level talent, as the United States is already filled to the

brim with talented basketball players. As a result, top Canadian hoopers tend to relocate to the U.S. during high school.

Tatham was able to stay home for high school and then play for a top school down south, and he’d like to see more Canadian athletes do the same.

In order to accomplish this, Tatham says that U sports needs to do more to incentivize young Canadian athletes to stay at home. ‘’If we want to retain some of these kids to stay home and play at the U sports level, which is pretty high in my eyes, U sports has to take it upon themselves to really find a way to make the entire playing field very balanced. Offering a little bit more money even if it’s only to five or six scholarship athletes, but I think someway somehow we’ve got to get to a point where we can retain some of these kids that go south . . . and instead get them on a scholarship for four or five years

The Silhouette

www.thesil.ca | Tuesday, Feb. 4, 2020

| 13

Patrick Tatham coaching Feb. 1 2020 CINDY CUI/ PHOTO EDITOR

Offering a little bit more money even if it’s only to five or six scholarship athletes, but I think someway somehow we’ve got to get to a point where we can retain some of these kids that go south . . . and instead get them on a scholarship for four or five years [at home],” said Tatham. [at home],” said Tatham.

Retention of top Canadian athletes would bring U sports to another level. Can you imagine a league where Shai Gilgeous-Alexander played for McMaster or RJ Barrett played for the University of Toronto? This would bring another degree of respect not only to U sports, but to Canadian athletics in general.

Beyond his vision of a brighter future for Canadian university sports, Tatham focuses on his coaching style. He aims to ensure that his coaching staff is setting a high bar for their program and other programs around the league. He and his staff choose a philosophy of leading by example, setting a precedent of excellence for the team to follow.

“I think within our culture it’s really from the head, heading all the way down to the players and managers. I’ve got to be as consistent as I possibly can and then hopefully my coaches can follow suit and then after the coaches follow suit we all put it down to the players and then the players can follow suit,” said Tatham.

Tatham, or PT as his players know him, uses tough love when it comes to coaching, making sure to always tell players what’s on his mind, whether it’s good or bad. This transparency ensures mutual respect between the coach and team—they always know what he’s thinking, and the team can focus on improving.

Outside of performing on the court, the program has a

strong presence in the community. The team holds a yearly summer camp where kids from over Hamilton can come and learn from some of the city’s best athletes. It presents an opportunity for growth, not only for the kids who come to learn how to hoop better, but also for the team and coaches.

“This is the only university in the city of Hamilton so being able to have 200 kids coming to camp for two weeks is something special,” Tatham said.

“A lot of the younger kids are going to look up to some of our players and when our players graduate maybe some of those young kids will come to play at Mac. Being able to do the program is not just a great thing for our program but for the city because I think the city needs more basketball camps and I’m just grateful to be a part of it.”

Younger kids from the Hamilton area however are not the only ones being mentored and inspired. Players on the men’s basketball team have access to a mentorship program where men’s basketball alumni come in and talk about life after Mac. The alumni share how the skills they learnt through the

basketball program helped them later on in life.

“We’ve been doing a mentor panel for two years. I think that’s been the biggest success in my two years, I think the guys really enjoy the mentor panel and I think alumni enjoy coming back and talking to the current players. So far that’s been the most

“We’ve been doing a mentor panel for two years. I think that’s been the biggest success in my two years, I think the guys really enjoy the mentor panel and I think alumni enjoy coming back and talking to the current players. So far that’s been the most gratifying thing,” Tatham said.

gratifying thing,” Tatham said.

All in all, the program is in great hands. From competing at an extremely high level as a player to competing for greatness as a coach, Tatham has seen it all. His level of experience and understanding, as well as his connection with fellow staff and players, will be key for the team this season and the years ahead. @TheSilhouette

PRESIDENT’S PAGE

ALEX JOHNSTON VP (Finance) vpfinance@msu.mcmaster.ca 905.525.9140 x24109

Every year, there are opportunities for students to directly influence the future of McMaster. This week is an exciting week for students to have their voice heard; undergraduates can vote on the name for the Student Activity Building currently under construction and vote on the top ideas submitted for the Student Life Enhancement Fund (SLEF).

In 2017, the McMaster undergraduate population voted in favour of the adoption of a fee structure that would fund the creation of a new student space, which was called the Student Activity Building.

This addition to campus is being built on the west side of DBAC. When it is complete, students will be able to enjoy a 40,000 sq ft building with a multitude of services and features, including a multi-faith prayer space, nap room, community kitchen, grocery store, peer-support hub, community rooms, and event space.

Since the 2017 referendum, the MSU has worked to gather student

February 4, 2020 | thesil.ca

feedback to ensure the expansion accurately reflects student wants and needs. In 2018, feedback was gathered to determine what amenities should be included in the space, and in 2019, feedback was gathered on the interior design and furniture. This year, we are seeking input on what the expansion should be called. Through consultation, the ideas of students were aggregated, and the following three names were chosen: Student Life Centre, Marauder Activity Centre, and The Hub. To vote on your favourite, visit msumcmaster. ca/namevote. Those who vote will have the option of being entered for a chance to win a 32GB iPad, a pair of AirPods, or a $100 Campus Store gift card. These prizes have been funded by SLEF.

in 6th floor mills, indoor greenery in CNH, more bike lockers, new EFRT radios and packs, and updating the Thode Library first floor washroom.

For more information on SLEF and to have a say in which ideas are selected for funding, visit enhance.mcmaster.ca.

Voting for both SLEF and naming the Student Activity Building close on February 7. I encourage students to visit the MSU website to learn more about these two opportunities to provide input and improve student life at McMaster.

“Along with voting on the name for the Student Activity Building, students can also vote for their favourite SLEF ideas. ” Along with voting on the name for the Student Activity Building, students can also vote for their favourite SLEF ideas. SLEF is a pool of money available to students that can be used to enhance the student experience on campus. Through this, students are able to submit their ideas as to what they would like to see added or changed on campus. The SLEF committee combined the approximate 75 proposed ideas and examined their feasibility.

There is now a final list of eight ideas, on which students may select their preferences. The list of ideas is: better seating in MUSC outside of ClubSpace, new power outlets in HSL, free coffee in MUSC monthly, improved seating

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.

SARAH JOSH MARANDO FIGUEIREDO President

VP (Administration)

SHEMAR HACKETT VP (Education)

ALEX JOHNSTON VP (Finance)

Learning Disabilities Specialist GRADUATE CERTIFICATE In less than a year, gain specialized skills to support individuals of all ages with learning disabilities.

Apply Now. Start in April! mohawkcollege.ca/gradstudies

Use Your Elective Credits to Add a Professional Certificate or Diploma to Your Degree apply their electives towards a professional certificate or diploma. In a nutshell, you can earn a degree and diploma all at once at once; saving you time, tuition costs and it will get you career-ready faster.

Today’s top employers are looking for more than a Bachelor’s degree. They are selecting candidates with professional designations – either in the form of a diploma or a certificate – to join their team.

To ensure you’re a qualified candidate for any job, your skillset needs to move beyond the degree. You need to show that you not only have the technical skills obtained from your degree, but also the soft skills required

for many roles. Soft skills meaning a combination of people skills, career attributes, and more.

The job market is competitive across all industries and companies are expecting that you have the skills and business intelligence to integrate quickly into their corporate culture.

That’s where a certificate or diploma comes in. By earning a certificate or diploma you can gain valuable knowledge and

skills in your area of interest. The best part is, now you can do it without having to go to college after graduation.

If you’re looking for a competitive advantage in the employement market and to be job-ready upon graduation, McMaster University Continuing Education offers the Degree + Diploma program pathway. It is an opportunity for current undergraduate students to

Pinar Ovali, a Communications student at McMaster, is taking the Degree + Diploma Web Design Certificate program through McMaster Continuing Education. When aked about her experience with the program Pinar says, “I will have a very useful certificate for my field at the end of the program. As a Communications undergrad, I know that taking this program will benefit me tremendously when I start applying for jobs.”

Taking this program provides a huge personal return on investment, allowing you to develop your academic resume sooner and getting you one step closer to your dream job.

Degree + Diploma is offered through McMaster University Continuing Education. There

are many certificate and diploma options for you to choose from in the fields of business, communications, health and social services. Programs are designed to fit your schedule and are taught in flexible and convenient formats. You can select from an array of courses that are either – in person or online - whatever accommodates your busy schedule.

To get started visit mcmastercce. ca to learn more about the certificates and diplomas available to you. Once you’ve got an idea of what you are interested in you can book a meeting with your Academic Advisor in your faculty who can help you get started on future proofing your career.

Sponsored by:

PRESIDENTIALS ARE OVER. DID ANYONE KNOW THEY WERE HAPPENING? A6

THURSDAY

THE

HAMILTON SPECULATOR EATING HOT WINGS FOR THE PEOPLE SINCE 1934

Februar y 4, 2020

NOTSPEC.COM

The time is meow Meet the candidate that could’ve been

INSIDE CONSULTING ALL THE WRONG PEOPLE: A TRAGEDY A3 DO THEY HAVE MORSE CODE ON DUOLINGO? A6 HOW TO RIDE ON THE COATTAILS OF THE OUTGOING ADMINISTRATION B2 ARE BIRDS REAL? B5 HOW TO TRICK YOUR LANDLORD INTO FIXING THE HEAT C1

C/O Salmiakki’s campaign team

COURTNEY COMPOST This is my last damn MSU election

A new presidential candidate has arrived late in the game with a platform that promises to shake up the status quo.

Not only does Vaskebjørn Salmiakki’s platform propose innovative solutions to overhaul to McMaster Students Union , but the candidate puts forward a face that has never before been represented in MSU politics. You guessed it — Salmiakki is a cat.

Salmiakki hopes to advocate for fellow non-humans at McMaster who have not seen themselves represented in MSU leadership positions.

“I think that it is important to bring diversity to the MSU. Previous MSU Presidents and Presidential candidates have largely been white, straight, cis, nondisabled, and human. It is incredibly important that non-human McMaster students can see themselves and their needs reflected in the MSU,” Salmiakki stated.

This is not the first time that a non-human candidate has run for MSU president. In 2016, a cat by the name of Esther Chatul was

the first feline candidate to put their name into the race. Chatul was followed by rodent candidates Hannibal Maus in 2018 and Clarice Khomyak in 2019.

While all of them launched election campaigns on social media, the MSU did not recognize any of them as official candidates.

“This practice is discriminatory and a violation of our (non-) human rights. This practice has made myself, previous non-human MSU presidential candidates, and the non-human student body at large feel isolated, unwelcome, and unsafe at McMaster and within the MSU,” stated Salmiakki.

Although the student population has already elected the human MSU president, Salmiakki’s supporters hope that the new president-elect will address the feline’s platform points in some capacity.

Salmiakki delivered a five pillar platform, with points falling into the categories of transparency, reparations, accessibility, safety and healing for the students union — or for short, aiming to T.R.A.S.H. the MSU. Salmiakki’s platform proposes a wide range of suggestions to

improve student life at McMaster, from replacing the student wellness centre with a VIBE CHECK station outside of every building, to replacing Bleh DeCarding, McMaster’s Head of Security and former Chief of Hamilton Police, with a golden retriever.

Under the transparency pillar, Salmiakki proposes replacing every floor and ceiling in the McMaster University Student Centre with glass. This would provide the services and organizations that operate in the basement, such as Maccess and The Silhouette, with adequate sunlight.

When asked whether this would be valuable, Vanna Halters-Weeda, The Silhouette Editor-in-Chief, was highly supportive.

“Please. I have not seen the sun in years,” croaked Halters-Weeda, her eyes sallow and skin noticeably pale.

Under the ‘reparations’ pillar, Salmiakki commits to replacing the sports pages of The Silhouette with more pages of the Hamilton Speculator.

Salmiakki failed to consult with The Silhouette editorial board prior to releasing this proposal,

which prompted mixed responses from the staff.

“Sound sick,” said Tanya Tempeh, a reporter for The Speculator.

“What the hell?” sports editor Ritz North replied.

Despite the lack of consultation with The Silhouette, Salmiakki claims to have consulted a range of stakeholders, including Liam the Library Dog and the campus raccoon that naps behind the shed in the arts quad.

“Unlike other presidential candidates, consultations with my constituents were my top priority.

This was necessary to ensure that my platform addressed the needs of my constituents,” Salmiakki stated.

One of Salmiakki’s most ambitious platform points is to finally address the demon portal in the basement of Kenneth Taylor Hall.

The portal’s presence was first made known by Esther Chatul, another feline candidate that ran in the 2016 presidential election.

According to Salmiakki, the MSU has not only failed to address the portal, but they have actively silenced those who have raised the issue.

Disclaimer: The Hamilton Speculator is a work of satire and fiction and should not under any circumstances be taken seriously. Our operating policy says we have to include this disclaimer.

“After barring Esther from appearing on the ballot, the MSU has ignored this problem entirely and silenced those who speak out about it. These problems need to be brought to the attention of the student body and be dealt with appropriately and promptly,” stated Salmiakki.

Chatul proposed closing the demon portal. Salmiakki’s platform went a step further, promising to relocate the portal to former university president Datrick Peane’s new office at Queen’s University.

Although Salmiakki was not elected this time around, the cat pledges to continue fighting the good fight.

“Many voters felt their values were reflected in my campaign for Transparency, Reparations, Accessibility, Safety, and Healing within the MSU. To these folks, I will tell them that the fight is not over. We may not have won the election, but we have strength in numbers. Through direct action, we can bring these values to life at McMaster. Together, we can T.R.A.S.H. the MSU.”

PER ISSUE: An HSR pass