The Silhouette - October 3, 2019

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Thursday, October 3, 2019

RUNNING ON PLANTS

What’s the deal with plant-based supplements? // PAGES 24-25

INSIDE>>

NEWS: Hamiltonians demanded action during Friday’s climate strike // PAGE 3 ARTS & CULTURE: What’s on in October? // PAGES 20-21 SPORTS: Intramurals provide community for off-campus students // PAGE 23

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Volume 90, Issue 6 Thursday, October 3, 2019 McMaster University’s Student Newspaper

EDITORIAL BOARD

LOOKING BACK

September 2, 1980

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 opinion editor Steffi Arkilander opinions@thesil.ca SPORTS Graham West sports@thesil.ca

sports editor

ARTS AND CULTURE & culture editor Andrew Mrozowski arts & culture reporter Lauren O’Donnell artsandculture@thesil.ca

arts

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 online@thesil.ca video editor

COVER PHOTO Matty Flader

SHAMELESS SELF PROMO An article from 1980 introduces the Sil and encourages students to get involved. Speaking of which...

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.

SPORTS

NEWS

PRODUCTION

news@thesil.ca

sports@thesil.ca

production@thesil.ca

Meetings: Tues. 1:30 p.m.

Meetings: Wed. 5:30 p.m.

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OPINION

ARTS & CULTURE

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CONTACT 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@mcmaster.ca published by the

LEGAL 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.

The Silhouette

www.thesil.ca | Thursday, Oct. 3, 2019

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News

Hamilton strikes for the climate Hundreds took to the streets to demand action on the climate crisis

Protestors took to the streets to draw attention to the climate crisis HANNAH WALTERS-VIDA / EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Hannah Walters-Vida Editor-in-Chief

On Sept. 27, hundreds of Hamiltonians gathered in Gore park to raise the alarm bell on climate change and urge leaders to take action.

The climate strike came as part of a week of mass climate actions from Sept. 20-27.

Hamilton’s climate strike was one of many general strikes around the world, in which people walked out of school, work and their homes to raise the alarm on the climate crisis.

According to Global Climate Strike, an organization helping to coordinate the strikes, 7.6 million people around the world took part in actions around the world.

Since March, students from schools across Hamilton have been holding regular demonstrations at City Hall to bring attention to the climate emergency. They have been working alongside the Fridays for Future movement, in which students from around the world walk out of their classes to showcase the severity of the climate emergency. By missing out on classes

and thereby making sacrifices to their education, they aim to demonstrate how deeply the climate crisis will affect their futures.

A 2018 report from the United Nations International Panel on Climate Change highlighted the severity of the climate emergency. According to the report, it is of critical importance to reduce carbon dioxide emissions to 45 per cent in the next 11 years. The report found that failure to do so will result in ecological degradation and major loss of life.

Climate Strike Canada, an organization coordinating climate strikes across Canada, provides a list of demands for protestors across the country.

The list includes a just transition to a renewable economy, the legal entrenchment of the right to a healthy environment, biodiversity conservation, rejection of all new fossil fuel extraction or transportation projects and the elimination of fossil fuel subsidies.

Makasa Looking Horse, a youth leader from Six Nations spoke at Hamilton’s climate strike. She described how Indigenous people are disproportionately affected by environmental

issues, noting that only nine per cent of the community has access to a water treatment plant.

“In Six Nations – only 30 minutes away from here – we’re having a water crisis . . . And that should not be happening when we’re surrounded by Toronto and Hamilton. Everybody else has simple rights to electricity, to clean water, those are all human rights that we should have,” Looking Horse said.

Speakers at Hamilton’s strike presented different perspectives about the best ways to address the climate emergency.

Lily Mae Peters, a student at Westdale secondary school and one of the strike’s organizers, urged people to change their consumption patterns and make sustainable lifestyle changes.

Lane O’Hara Cooke, co-founder of Fridays for Future Hamilton, urged people to look beyond individual solutions to the climate crisis. She noted that the climate crisis is a systemic issue that requires systemic solutions.

“It is the one percent, it is the fossil fuel industry, that is doing the most damage. We need to stop giving tax cuts to these fossil fuel corporations, we can’t do it anymore,” she said.

Peters stated that the purpose of the climate strike was to raise awareness of the climate crisis and educate the public. According to Peters, the organizers of the strike wanted protestors to remain in the park.

“Fridays for future needs to be a peaceful movement, we need to bring people to an understanding about how climate change is, rather than blocking roads and creating inconvenience,” she stated.

However, many activists believe that in order to make change, it is necessary to disrupt public life. By shutting down traffic, protestors disrupt the status quo, thus giving people no choice but to pay attention.

Acting against the orders of police, hundreds of protestors marched down James Street south to Jackson Street west, eventually arriving at City Hall. A student-led group then marched into City Hall and demanded to speak to the mayor about how the city of Hamilton is going to combat the climate crisis.

The group occupied the building for approximately 20 minutes. Initially, police officers asked for a few representatives

from the group to speak to the mayor. However, people were wary of “divide and conquer” techniques and wanted him to address everybody at once.

Eventually, protestors left the building and Mayor Fred Eisenberger addressed the crowd on the steps of City Hall. He thanked the protestors for pushing the city to make changes and urged them to keep pushing for change.

After a brief address, police officers escorted Eisenberger back inside. He did not answer questions from the crowd.

A group of approximately 20 protestors stayed after Eisenberger’s address and tried to enter City Hall, but were blocked by police officers.

While protestors had different ideas about tactics, their message was clear: Hamilton’s youth are demanding action on the climate emergency, and they are dedicated to holding leaders accountable to secure their futures. @theSilhouette

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NEWS

www.thesil.ca | Thursday, Oct. 3, 2019

Chinese Students and Scholars Association de-ratified On Sept. 22, the SRA voted to de-ratify the Chinese Students and Scholars Association, citing an alleged history of surveillance and intimidation

The SRA de-ratified the McMaster Chinese Students and Scholars Association, cutting off the club’s access to MSU resources and services.

C/O KYLE WEST

Nicholas Marshall Contributor

In February 2019, the McMaster Muslims for Peace and Justice and the Muslim Students Association hosted an event called “The Genocide of Uyghur Muslims — Talk by Uyghur Survivor”. During this event, activist Rukiye Turdush spoke about the treatment of Uyghur Muslims in Western China.

MMPJ co-presidents Batool and Elaaf, who requested to have their last names omitted from this article, explained that the event was meant to be a vehicle through which Turdush could share her experiences.

In doing so, it was also meant to raise awareness for how, according to Batool, there is a genocide happening against Muslims in China.

The MMPJ wanted to ensure that the narrative of Turdush’s talk was focused on the genocide happening to Muslims in China. To a certain extent, they said, they felt that they did reach a point of success.

However, the Turdush event came just a few months after reports were published of “re-education camps” in the

Xinjiang region of north-western China, where Uyghur Muslims were allegedly being forced to leave their religion. This was in addition to reports of Mosque demolitions and a record of the Chinese Communist Party’s intolerance of heterodox opinions in China.

To complicate matters, the CSSA had been characterized by rumours of affiliation with the Chinese Communist Party, with supposed participation in both public relations and surveillance on behalf of the regime.

McMaster’s Chinese Students and Scholars Association made a public statement accusing Turdush of inciting national

hatred, stating that the CSSA had contacted the Chinese consulate in Toronto about Turdush’s speech. Having anticipated the subject matter of the Turdush event via WeChat, a Chinese multi-purpose app used by the McMaster Chinese community, student protestors filmed and protested against the Turdush event. Turdush herself was harassed.

To complicate matters, the CSSA had been characterized by rumours of affiliation with the Chinese Communist Party, with supposed participation in both public relations and surveillance on behalf of the regime. While no evidence was provided to directly connect the CSSA with the Chinese Communist Party, SRA representative Simranjeet Singh delivered a presentation to the rest of the assembly called “Why We Should Revoke Club Status For The CSSA”.

He casted the CSSA’s act of contacting the Chinese government, which the SRA deemed to be a dangerous action, as a key detail in his vote to de-ratify the CSSA. According to Singh, this was an attempt by the SRA to intimidate students into avoiding discussions that might upset the Chinese

regime.

“That was enough grounds for us to decide that they are a threat to free expression on campus and may be a danger to students … We cannot normalize the extremist ideologies behind the CSSA’s actions,” said Singh.

“That was enough grounds for us to decide that they [CSSA] are a threat to free expression on campus and may be a danger to students … We cannot normalize the extremist ideologies behind the CSSA’s actions,” Simranjeet Singh SRA Representative Singh presented his perspective to the SRA on Sept. 22, accompanied by a slideshow.

The slideshow warned:

“Expert testimony, including from Human Rights Watch, has confirmed that students’ safety could have been endangered if the Chinese government … got info about them attending the MSA/MMPJ event.”

The SRA eventually sided with Singh, and voted to de-ratify the CSSA, cutting off the club’s access to MSU resources and services.

Over seven months after the CSSA de-ratification, Turdush returned to McMaster on Sept. 27 in response to an invitation from the MMPJ to speak about the treatment of Uyghur Muslims in China. According to Batool, the event was a success, with over 100 spectators and no disruptions.

@TheSilhouette

The Silhouette Silhouette The

www.thesil.ca | Thursday, Oct. 3, 2019

| 5

Making a difference together

Students affected by OSAP cuts gather in a Facebook group in hopes of lobbying for change

CINDY CUI / PHOTO EDITOR

Trisha Gregorio News Editor

In late 2017, Ontario experienced its longest college labour dispute when the Ontario Public Service Employees Union went on strike.

Representatives from the student associations of multiple colleges penned an open letter to members of provincial parliament, speaking on behalf of their respective student bodies.

One of these representatives was Nicola Lau, president of the Seneca Student Federation at the time. She led 2,000 students in a protest that gained attention from media outlets such as Global News and CBC — a fact with which she introduces herself in the Facebook description of “OSAP CUT 2019”, a group she created on Sept. 7, 2019 as a means of reaching out to students severely affected by the Ontario Student Assistance Program (OSAP) cuts.

The provincial government announced their planned OSAP cuts in January 2019; this constituted the end of reduced tuition for low-income students and a change in the guide-

lines for OSAP grant and loan eligibility. In response, student advocacy organizations such as the Students for Ontario, March for our Education and the Ontario Student Action network hosted a march toward Queen’s Park, with student activists and MPPs expressing their intolerance for consequences stemming from OSAP cuts.

When the OSAP changes came into effect in the summer of 2019, another wave of outrage emerged across Ontario as students reported that their OSAP estimates were much lower than previous years. This led to an additional round of protests from several Ontario universities, with some taking to social media to show their frustration.

Lau, now a second year Health and Aging student at McMaster, points out that the protests have since trickled into near non-existence. She feels that the level of outrage has faded into a quiet reaction, a change that she does not believe adequately represents the struggles that students continue to experience every day as a result of the cuts.

“I think that the problem is

that when Doug Ford came out last year [with the OSAP cuts], a lot of people were really angry, right? A lot of people were like, ‘Okay, I need to stand up right now. We have to do something about it.’ But quickly, all these actions and things just stopped,” said Lau. As a student impacted by OSAP cuts herself, Lau is determined to provide a platform for students to voice their concerns. She started “OSAP CUT 2019” with the hope of raising awareness until she has gathered people for a protest similar to what she did as president of the Seneca Student Federation.

Since the beginning of the 2019-2020 school year, the Facebook group has amassed more than 100 members. Most members are students who cannot afford textbooks and school supplies or are on the verge of dropping out because they are no longer financially equipped to continue. The Facebook group has also attracted concerned parents, who are worried about their childrens’ future post-secondary experiences as the full extent of the OSAP cuts gradually become clearer.

Lau is particularly disappoint-

ed with what she perceives to be the lack of action on behalf of McMaster students and the McMaster Students Union.

“Why is McMaster, such a big school, not caring about [the OSAP cuts]? Why are we not having protests? I don’t get what they [the MSU] is doing. I don’t get what they’re doing with our student money,” said Lau. However, Shemar Hackett, vice-president (Education) of the MSU, says that students have indeed reached out to the MSU with concerns about OSAP cuts. As a member of the Ontario Undergraduate Student Alliance (OUSA) steering committee, he has also encouraged McMaster’s participation in OUSA’s letter writing campaign, an initiative that calls for students to write letters to Premier Ford’s office to highlight how the cuts have affected them thus far.

“Students aren’t always aware of the issues that involve them, and what they can do about it,” said Hackett, when asked about the student-led advocacy scene in McMaster.

Financial accessibility is one of Hackett’s priorities for the school year, according to his

year plan. Much of this, according to Hackett, revolves around gathering as a student community and lobbying for change.

Despite the overlap between her intentions and the MSU’s, Lau questions what has really changed. She does not believe that change is happening quickly enough, she noted that students are beginning to struggle with juggling multiple part-time jobs in order to stay in school and other students having to scavenge rent money on top of their academic responsibilities.

Lau fears it might soon be too late to change the new status quo.

As a response, she has taken it upon herself, as well as the many others involved in her Facebook group, to form a voice on behalf of all those affected by the OSAP cuts. Lau hopes for the group to continue growing and, through its growth, to persuade the government to listen to them before it is too late.

In the group’s Facebook description, Lau writes, “Let’s not [let] these politicians change what will not even affect them … Let’s make a difference together.” @TheSilhouette

6 |

NEWS

www.thesil.ca | Thursday, Oct. 3, 2019

McMaster in the race against the climate crisis As the threat of global warming continues to loom, programs and initiatives on campus are finding ways to combat the climate crisis Wei Yan Wu Contributor

On Sept. 27, thousands of Canadians took to streets and parks to participate in the Global Climate Strike to raise awareness on the climate emergency.

On a request by students calling for cancellation of academic activities in order to make time for strike attendance.

In response, McMaster Students for Climate Change Advocacy created a petition on Change. org. To date, more than 2,000 people have signed the petition, without a public response from the university. Classes and evaluations continued to be scheduled at McMaster during the strike.

Although the university showed no support for the petition, various climate change combating initiatives and programs exist at McMaster. The university’s energy management program, for one, strives to manage utilities and facilities in a way that improves energy efficiency.

“McMaster is very research-intensive. We’ve been working with a third party to reduce air volumes to the labs which reduces our carbon footprint,” said Joe Emberson, director of energy management and utilities at McMaster.

The university’s energy management staff has also worked on reducing water use on campus. They audit buildings to check where the water is being used, investigating if there might be alternative solutions to using water.

McMaster also offers The Sustainable Future Program (SUSTAIN) and the Interdisciplinary Minor in Sustainability to its undergraduate students.

The main pillars of the SUSTAIN program, according to Kate Whalen, current senior manager of McMaster’s academic sustainability programs, revolve around providing opportunities for students to learn about sustainability. However, they also have opportunities specifically for interdisciplinary, student-led, community-based and experiential learning.

Within their five courses, the program aims to scaffold specific skills that give students learning opportunities to prepare for tackling more

Academic programs on campus are finding ways to contribute to efforts against climate change.

C/O KYLE WEST

complex issues in upper-year courses. On the other hand, the program’s lower-year courses have observation-based experiential excursions, projects in the community and lectures on sustainability theory.

“I expect a lot of our firstyear students will be attending the climate march [on] Friday.

They’ll go and participate, so they’re very much in the community in terms of project implementation and experiential learning where they’re working directly with the community,” said Whalen.

The upper-year courses focus more on community engagement and tackling city-based issues through sustainability projects. Whalen’s students, for example, are each completing a full ethics application for environmental practices. They conduct research and interviews, working with members of the community and city staff to understand environmental issues most prominent in the community and to seek solutions to these challenges.

The SUSTAIN program has garnered a great amount of interest from the student body.

“When we started the Sustainable Future Program,

we had one course and I think we had just under a hundred students enrolled in it. Now we have more than five courses and we have just under a thousand students enrolled this year.

We’ve seen rapid growth in the demand for our program,” said Whalen.

She attributes the success of the program to its timeliness, interdisciplinary characteristics, community-based experiences and the overall way sustainability education is being delivered at Mac. For her, it shows that Mac students are aware of the sustainability issues they face and are motivated to understand and engage with them.

Outside of academics, other McMaster students have also taken the initiative to promote sustainability across campus.

Zero Waste McMaster is a new club on campus this fall.

“I decided to start the club because I thought there was a gap in the clubs at McMaster.

There wasn’t really any club organization working towards conscious, sustainable, lowwaste living for students,” said Josephine Agueci, president of Zero Waste McMaster and student in the SUSTAIN program.

The club is in the process of planning its activities for the

year, with goals to hold monthly workshops and discussions on sustainable living. The club also aims to encourage students to attend environment awareness events like the Sustainability Walk in Hamilton happening at the beginning of October.

“Right now we’re focusing on individual impact, but from there we definitely want to work towards helping McMaster be more sustainable as a school, not just on an individual level,”

not just on an individual level.

So whether that be working on a composting system or working with different food options or waste disposal on campus,” said Agueci.

Zero Waste McMaster also aims to collect feedback from the student body. They want to know what students want to change and what sustainability issues they see on campus.

Though the university did not support students who wished to attend the climate strike on Sept. 27, academic programs continue to find ways to contribute to efforts against climate change. While many of them were not able to skip their classes or evaluations on Sept. 27, McMaster students are nevertheless finding ways to engage in sustainability initiatives on campus.

Josephine Agueci President of Zero Waste McMaster “Right now we’re focusing on individual impact, but from there we definitely want to work towards helping McMaster be more sustainable as a school,

@TheSilhouette

www.thesil.ca | Thursday, Oct. 3, 2019

The Silhouette

| 7

Hamilton is moving forward with Cardus partnership In its plans to re-open Balfour House, Hamilton city councillors have voted 13-2 in favour of an allegedly homophobic and Islamophobic organization

Hamilton city councillors voted 13-2 in favour of continuing negotiations with Cardus, an allegedly homophobic and Islamophobic organization CINDY CUI / PHOTO EDITOR

Shamir Malik News Reporter

The City of Hamilton is pursuing a partnership with Cardus, despite concerns from some residents regarding the organization’s allegedly anti-LGBTQ and islamophobic views.

Causes for concern include articles posted on Cardus’ website and its affiliate journal, Convivium. One article that has raised concerns is a piece posted in 2016 that criticized the recognition of a range of gender identities.

According to their website, Cardus is a non-partisan, Christian-based think tank and registered charity that provides independent research and commentary on a wide range of topics. These topics include education, health, law, work, economics and spirited citizenship. The organization has recently directed its attention towards the Balfour House, a heritage site currently owned by the Ontario Heritage Trust and managed by the City of Hamilton, with the possibility of using it as their home base.

The historic stone mansion on the Mountain Brow currently

requires renovations and is not accessible to the public. However, Cardus has proposed to restore and re-open the Balfour House for their own use and to make it available to the community.

“Allowing Cardus to cover the costs of restoring and re-opening Balfour House to serve as our head office is a major part of keeping this city’s historical and architectural legacy alive,” said Michael Van Pelt, Cardus president and CEO, in a news release.

According to Van Pelt, the proposal would restore the Balfour House and save taxpayers $1.5 million in repairs and operating costs over the next 20 years. Moreover, Cardus claims to have the support of David Balfour, whose grandparents once lived in the house during the 20th century.

While the apparent financial benefit of Cardus’ proposal has captivated several city councillors, many Hamiltonians believe that the negotiations have given public space to anti-LGBTQ views.

“Cardus proudly states that their goal is to challenge Canada’s secular, pluralist character by influencing and injecting religious values and doctrine into every aspect of Canadian life,” said Michael Demone

in his letter to the Mayor and members of council.

While the apparent financial benefit of Cardus’ proposal has captivated several city councillors, many Hamiltonians believe that the negotiations have given public space to anti-LGBTQ views.

“Much of their ‘research’ and material contains language and conclusions that are undeniably racist, homophobic, misogynistic, anti-union, anti-pro-choice, Islamophobic,” writes Demone.

Some citizens have gone so far as to urge the City of Hamilton to cease negotiations with Cardus all together.

“As one of your con-

stituents, I urge you to vote AGAINST this proposal, and AGAINST dealing with Cardus.

I urge you to support a more open search for parties whose philosophy is inclusive, as should be the policy of the City of Hamilton,” said Robert Brosius in an email to the Mayor.

Despite the concerns raised, many city councillors remain unconvinced.

“There is little doubt in my mind that some of Cardus’ publications could be interpreted by many as homophobic, Islamaphobic and transphobic. However, there [were] also many other publications that demonstrated acceptance of Canada’s pluralistic, multicultural and religious diverse society,” said Brad Clark, Ward 9 (Upper Stoney Creek) city councillor, in an interview with CBC news.

The possibility of a partnership between the city and Cardus may allow for other recent discussions about hate in Hamilton to resurface. This past year, Hamilton’s city and police were criticized for how they handled violence at Hamilton’s Pride festival in June. More recently, yellow vesters, members of a xenophobic far-right hate group, are gathering weekly to protest in front of city hall.

“I’m no expert, but it seems like if Cardus were to exist in

#HamOnt it would scale up, build upon a foundation of, and add a false sense of sophistication to the levels of white supremacist organizing in our city,” tweeted McMaster alumni and community organizer Sarah Jama.

Van Pelt recently sent a letter to city councillors, stating that Cardus complies with the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, the Ontario Human Rights Code, Ontario Employment Act and the City of Hamilton Equity and Inclusion Policy.

“I would like to add that Cardus has an impressive record in terms of building an open and tolerant society in Canada . . . [Cardus leads] some of the most respectful and thoughtful discussions on faith and public life in the country, ” said Van Pelt in the letter.

Hamilton’s City Council voted 13-2 to continue negotiations with Cardus. The majority of city councillors seem to agree that a partnership with Cardus may be in the city’s best interest as it will save on public expenditure, regardless of the potential impact on community groups. @TheSilhouette

PRESIDENT’S PAGE

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

For over 20 years, the McMaster Students Union (MSU) and the Graduate Students Association (GSA) have worked in partnership with the Hamilton Street Rail (HSR) to provide students with HSR bus passes. Each pass is valid for unlimited rides on the HSR throughout the academic year (September through August).

Every three years, the contract is renewed between the MSU and HSR and the finalized agreement is sent to referendum, allowing students to vote on their preference in January, coinciding with the MSU Presidential election. The last referendum occurred in January 2017, and during that referendum, students voted in favour for a fall/winter and summer pass with extend service at peak times during the school week. As a result of that referendum, all students currently have access to unlimited HSR trips through their transit ancillary fee.

Additionally, since renewal in 2017, the MSU has advocated for a better transit experience and lead the

October 3, 2019 | thesil.ca

evolution of the bus pass, which began as a separate card and now utilizes the PRESTO system. The MSU is continually working to improve the student experience of using the HSR. As such, now that the contract is to be renewed again in January 2020, I am conducting a feedback survey to gather info on how students use the HSR. The short survey is comprised of 12 questions and takes approximately five minutes to complete. The goal of this survey is to be able to use the personalized experiences of students to help inform the upcoming renewal discussions.

msumcmaster.ca/hsr to complete the survey until October 20. Completion of the survey will enter you into a contest to win one of ten Union Market gift cards for $10. If you would like to provide additional feedback or have

any questions, feel free to reach out via email at vpfinance@msu.mcmaster.ca, stop by my office in MUSC 201, or visit the Board of Directors’ rotating office hours - which you can find by following @msu_mcmaster on Instagram.

“... as a result of past MSU advocacy, we now have the 51-University line running through campus every 20 minutes from September to April.”

Collecting data on student HSR experiences helps to identify areas or stops that need improvements and provides information on commute times. The data can be used to ensure there are enough buses running, thus reducing the average wait time.

For example, as a result of past MSU advocacy, we now have the 51-University line running every 20 minutes through campus from September to April. Hearing feedback and suggestions for how your HSR experience could improve can help guide key areas of focus for contract renewal.

Ultimately, this survey is a great opportunity to have your voice heard and consequently impact students’ experiences on the HSR. Visit

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)

www.thesil.ca | Thursday, Oct. 3, 2019

The Silhouette

| 9

Editorial McMaster: put your money where your mouth is McMaster’s actions do not reflect the dire reality of the climate crisis Hannah Walters-Vida Editor-in-Chief

Last Friday’s climate strike brought the climate crisis to the forefront of public conversation.

There is an ever-growing awareness of the dire reality of the climate emergency: if immediate, far-reaching action is not taken, there will be major harm to ecosystems and loss of life.

A 2018 report from the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change found that, in order to keep global temperature rise below 1.5°C, carbon dioxide emissions would need to fall by about 45 per cent by 2030 and reach net zero by 2050.

Research tells us that the climate emergency is an existential threat requiring immediate, far-reaching action. It is

clear that our reliance on fossil fuels is unsustainable.

In order to properly address the climate emergency, we need rapid and unprecedented changes in every facet of society.

We need to move away from our extraction-based economy that prioritizes growth and resource extraction, towards a justice-centred approach.

Currently, the university employs measures to understand and address climate change, including the McMaster centre for climate change and the SUSTAIN program. McMaster also tracks and reports on its sustainability measures every year.

However, McMaster is more than just a research institution: the University has considerable financial, social and political power that it needs to use to push for far-reaching change.

Piecemeal solutions like banning plastic bags and reducing buildings’ energy consumption are good steps in the right direction, but they are not nearly enough.

Despite claiming to support pro-environment movements, McMaster provides financial support to the fossil fuel industry.

As of last year, $35.96 million, or 4.3 per cent, of McMaster’s endowment fund was invested in fossil fuel companies.

By investing in the fossil fuel industry, the university provides not only financial support, but also social license to the very industries that are harming the planet. By continuing to fund the fossil fuel industry, McMaster helps to uphold a system that is completely unsustainable.

According to the Carbon Majors Database, 71 per cent of

global greenhouse gas emissions since 1988 can be traced back to just 100 fossil fuel companies.

Furthermore, pipelines and other dangerous projects have violated Indigenous land rights in order to extract fossil fuels.

Moving away from this economic system is a much larger discussion, but one tangible step that McMaster can take is to pull investments from the university’s divestment fund out of fossil fuel companies.

Divestment is not an end goal, but is a tactic that aims to “name and shame” the fossil fuel industry. It is morally reprehensible to profit off of the destruction of the planet, and pulling investments out of fossil fuel companies sends a clear message of condemnation.

In 2015, students, staff and faculty members issued petitions urging the university to divest from fossil fuel compa-

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nies. Former president Patrick Deane struck an advisory committee, which came back with 12 recommendations for McMaster to pursue instead of full divestment.

More recently, MacGreenInvest, a McMaster faculty organization, issued a petition calling on McMaster to divest fossil fuel investments from McMaster’s endowment fund, and reinvest the funds in green renewable energy companies.

As of Wednesday afternoon, the petition had over 1,000 signatures on Change.org.

McMaster prides itself on being a leader in sustainable development. It is unconscionable that they pay for this work by investing into companies that profit off of harming the environment.

to choking on your PSL

to sweater weather

to one make up brush

to fall

to a mini hurricane

to working for “news media” and not being eligible to do a federal election phone survey

to AV/TEK’s wet ceiling

to my cat running to the door to meet me to cilantro, objectively the best garnish to green onions, the better garnish

to cockroaches to heavy pumpkins to buying cilantro instead of parsley to having to read 200 pages by tomorrow to forgetting your brownies

10 |

OPINION

www.thesil.ca | Thursday, Oct. 3, 2019

Opinion SRA acts on CSSA while MSU board flounders The MSU board of directors’ inaction on de-ratifying the CSSA Anonymous Contributor

On Sept. 22, the Student Representative Assembly decisively voted to revoke club status for the Chinese Students and Scholars Association, ending months of disgraceful inaction from the McMaster Students Union board of directors and clubs department.

As a Chinese student, I applaud the SRA’s decision to stand up for student safety.

The CSSA — which is linked to the Chinese Communist Party — has openly admitted to reporting people on campus to the Chinese government. By policing people and reporting them to a totalitarian dictatorship, the CSSA seriously endangered students who criticize the Chinese Community Party — especially Chinese, Tibetan and Uyghur students with family in China, given the Chinese government’s extensive human rights violations.

Many of us oppose the genocides in Tibet and Xinjiang, object to police brutality and rising authoritarianism in Hong Kong, and ultimately yearn to one day see freedom and democracy in our ancestral homelands. For us, the SRA’s monumental decision represents a strong affirmation of our right to exist safely on campus, and a rejection of Chinese Communist Party attempts to surveil and intimidate students.

Beyond my own opinion, the SRA has received sweeping praise. Rukiye Turdush, the Uyghur speaker condemned by the CSSA, applauded McMaster student representatives for standing up for our rights. Zhou Fengsuo, a famous Chinese human rights activist, called the vote momentous. Former Canadian ambassadors to China, David Mulroney and Guy SaintJacques, strongly commended the SRA’s move.

However, we should not let widespread approval obscure an important nuance: the SRA’s decision to de-ratify the CSSA was long overdue because of

Clubspace is located on the second floor of MUSC. CINDY CUI / PHOTO EDITOR

inaction from the MSU board and staff.

The SRA’s decision comes seven months after international media first reported on the CSSA in February. However, the MSU board and staff caused most of the delay, as they were occupied with speculation about lawsuits and fretting over potential backlash, instead of actually addressing the issue.

For starters, at the Mar. 24 SRA meeting, then-MSU President Ikram Farah stunningly claimed that there was mere “speculation” about what happened — despite numerous detailed reports from international media and Human Rights Watch.

“We look at federal, provincial, municipal, and university [policies], and … based on the information we currently have, none of that had been infringed upon,” stated Farah in the Mar. 24 SRA meeting, oblivious to the reason why international media sounded the alarm in the first place.

Beyond replying to SRA members who questioned them, the MSU board of directors did nothing to address concerns.

There was no public response to

the international news articles or Human Rights Watch recommendations. Meanwhile, the clubs department took no action either.

However, we should not let widespread approval obscure an important nuance: the SRA’s decision to de-ratify the CSSA was long overdue because of inaction from the MSU board and staff.

Finally, even immediately prior to the vote, the board of directors continued trying to avoid the issue in the SRA meeting on Sept. 22. Alexandrea Johnston (vice president finance) suggested moving the CSSA motion to the next meeting. Sarah Figueiredo (vice

president administration) and Shemar Hackett (vice president education) refused to vote on the deratification motion. MSU President Joshua Marando had conveniently left the meeting earlier.

The board’s persistent attempts to avoid touching the CSSA fueled rumours of intentional efforts to hush this issue, or self-censor, due to pressure from university administration and fear of Chinese government retaliation. Although these rumours are speculation, the MSU’s ominous silence on social media so far (in contrast to Marando’s dramatic public statement excoriating the Dominion Society, another de-ratified MSU club) does nothing to reassure concerned students.

Faced with such cowardice from the MSU board and staff, the SRA cut through the nonsense and did what’s right. While the board and staff buried their heads in the sand for seven months, it was SRA members who gathered evidence, made a presentation, and motioned to de-ratify the CSSA. Moving forward, SRA members should continue

to keep the board in check.

Evidently, the board’s approach is not always correct, so having the SRA hold the board accountable makes for a better MSU. Marando, however, needs to show better leadership. Similar to his strong condemnation of white supremacy, Marando should publicly and unequivocally make clear that the MSU will not tolerate attempts to police marginalized students; efforts to surveil and control Chinese, Tibetan and Uyghur students on campus; or the hateful ideologies that enable genocide in Xinjiang. His silence so far on these concerns is deeply worrying.

The SRA has taken a bold first step in making campus a safer place, especially for students with family in China.

Now it is time for Marando and the rest of the MSU board to stop twiddling their thumbs, match the SRA’s courage, and speak out against the threats and intimidation that students face. @TheSilhouette

The Silhouette

www.thesil.ca | Thursday, Oct. 3, 2019

| 11

X marks the spot

Why voting isn’t an option, but rather an imperative

People holding up check mark signs.

C/O SILHOUETTE ARCHIVES Katie Brent Contributor

Canada is a democracy. Democracy is a fun little word that means that Canadians get a say in who runs the country and maybe even a say in what happens with it.

So, because we’re a democracy, and a representative one at that, Canadians head over to the polls every four years or so to vote for who they want their riding’s member of parliament to be. The party that gets the most seats will form the government, and that’s that!

Of course, I am oversimplifying a complex process that is influenced by a large number of factors, but here’s an idea that is inherently simple: you should vote. Yes, really. On election day (or in an advanced poll), you should head down to a polling station and mark off that little space next to your favourite candidate’s name. It’s pretty darn easy.

Don’t have a preferred candidate, you say? Oh, but my friend, claiming ignorance isn’t an option. There’s so much out there to educate you. Why

not start with Vote Compass, an easy tool that aligns your basic views to the top parties?

From there, you can research federal party platforms and see who’s running for member of parliament in your riding. With the internet in the palms of our hands, learning about candidates and what they stand for is easier than ever.

Saying that your vote doesn’t count won’t fly with me either. In a number of instances, recounts have been required for ridings that have been narrowly won.

In fact, close votes regularly happen in the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area, and if every eligible McMaster student went out and cast their ballot, it could very well swing ridings one way or another. I want you to head over to your nearest mirror, stare yourself down, and repeat after me: my vote matters. Because it does. Every vote does.

There’s another viewpoint that I often hear people citing for not voting, and frankly I find it bizarre. That would be the classic I really don’t care, they all suck anyways.

All right folks, listen here.

The choices right now might not be the best, I totally get that, but they’re the choices we have. The reality is, someone on that ballot is going to win. You might as well pick who you like the best, or at least who you hate the least. If you don’t vote, you don’t have the right to complain.

Simple facts.

I want you to head over to your nearest mirror, stare yourself down, and repeat after me: my vote matters. Because it does. Every vote does.

Now it’s time to tackle the forever puzzling and cryptic category, those people out there who adamantly state that they do not believe in voting. I’m not going to even pretend to understand you people, because not believing in having the right

to have a say on a government that heavily impact their lives is deeply troubling to say the least. But here’s what I have to say to you: a massive amount of people around the world did not give their lives for you to sit at home and say I don’t believe in voting.

Women’s suffrage did not happen so that you could say that you don’t believe in voting.

And people around the world who would literally die just to vote for their government’s representatives are not putting themselves through grueling suffrage efforts so that your privileged Canadian self could sit down, sip an organic cold brew coffee and edgily say I don’t believe in voting.

So please, I implore you: vote.

Vote especially if you’re one of the people from a group that recently got the right to vote, because historically, your voice hasn’t been heard loudly enough. Vote if you’re a proud Canadian who just recently got their citizenship, because your voice matters as much as any born Canadian. Vote if you’re a young person, because it’s high

time that we show the older generations that we’re here and we have opinions that matter.

So please, I implore you: vote. Vote especially if you’re one of the people from a group that recently got the right to vote, because historically, your voice hasn’t been heard loudly enough.

Vote because you care about our country. Vote because you’re passionate. Vote because it’s the cool thing to do. Please, please, vote. Canada thanks you. @TheSilhouette

12 |

OPINION

www.thesil.ca | Thursday, Oct. 3, 2019

FirstOntario’s demolition and the future of the Hamilton Bulldogs Hamilton’s councillors need to be more decisive regarding the FirstOntario Centre

First Ontario Centre CINDY CUI / PHOTO EDITOR Rob Hardy Contributor

The aging FirstOntario Centre, formerly known as Copps Coliseum, is reaching the end of its lifespan. It is generally agreed that tearing down the building in the coming years is the best option ahead. But, as with the Ivor Wynne stadium debate, what to do after the demolition has become a question which has fallen onto our councillor’s laps.

Here we go again with the latest disastrous drama that has befallen Hamilton’s hapless city councillors. What should have been a relatively straight-forward process has become yet another muddled affair that will trap citizens in a never-ending debate as things progress painfully slowly, in true Hamilton fashion.

With the recent renovations in our downtown core, the plan to build a new arena somewhere near the current venue seemed to be a no-brainer, up until recently. Incoming proposals to switch arena locations

to a mountain site have suddenly complicated matters greatly.

What should have been a relatively straightforward process has become yet another muddled affair that will trap citizens in a never-ending debate as things progress painfully slowly, in true Hamilton fashion.

FirstOntario Centre’s biggest tenant is the Hamilton Bulldogs, the OHL team which relocated from Belleville a few years ago. At the time, the Hamilton Bulldogs relocating

here was considered a consolation prize when Hamilton’s AHL team, also named the Bulldogs, left in 2015. However, local businessman Michael Andlauer, owner of both teams, had always planned on a new facility for our city and his new franchise.

Now, City Council’s big dilemma is the possibility of the Bulldogs relocating once again due to poor ice arena conditions. Meanwhile, we are left with the task of having to build a new arena. Building the new arena on the mountain, the preferred outcome for Andlauer and his partners, might secure lucrative investment as the Bulldogs would be a large tenant. But this leaves a gaping hole for Hamilton in the downtown entertainment district, where the LRT will supposedly begin running. Yet, proceeding with plans for a downtown arena risks making the project suddenly more expensive if the Bulldogs wind up heading to Burlington.

Keeping the Bulldogs in town might involve having to

spend municipal tax dollars to build an arena in a location which simply doesn’t serve local interests. Further details are yet to be released, and negotiations are ongoing behind the scenes, but this is already proving to be a lose-lose situation for our city.

Operating any arena at all will prove very tricky without an anchor tenant.

The arena issue was already fuelled with some trepidation, as it also brings to the fore any future intentions Hamilton might have in pursuing a possible NHL team. However, the general instinct to build a “right-sized” arena for our city is without a doubt the best approach. If we are currently unable to accommodate even an OHL team, it should be clear to anyone that spending resources to entice the fickle NHL is a fool’s errand, especially when many factors well beyond the city’s control will also play into such decisions.

Hamilton’s councillors could greatly help itself by getting real and understanding its limitations. We desperately

need to start getting things done and stop being weighed down by divisive back-andforth issues. That we might lose another hockey team is an unfortunate situation that will no doubt have many people bummed out. But we have to remember that such teams often relocate, and could very well do so down the line, even if we yield to building a sports complex at Limeridge Mall.

Unforeseen events should not distract us from our vision and throw us off track. We might have to further downsize the number of seats in the new arena, and realize that certain acts would now pass on playing in Hamilton due to our lower capacity. But at the same time, we’re not Toronto and need to stop over-reaching as if we have the tax base to support projects bigger than we can manage. If we work on our problems and resolve to become the best city we can, given our demographics, then we needn’t worry as we will surely find a measure of pride, success and satisfaction.

The Silhouette

www.thesil.ca | Thursday, Oct. 3, 2019

| 13

Ingenuine care for student accessibility Dear McMaster professors, not posting your lecture slides won’t encourage students to come to class more

Lecture slides on McMaster Avenue to Learn CINDY CUI / PHOTO EDITOR

Suad Alad Contributor

Many McMaster University professors refuse to upload lecture slides as they believe it will discourage student attendance during lecture times.

However, what they likely fail to realize is that uploading lecture notes online can be beneficial to students’ academic success.

As the new year begins, students are getting back into their groove of their academic routines. I think most university students can agree that while school is a stressful time, technology and the internet lessen the stress of understanding lecture material on your own. However, many university professors, McMaster professors included, refuse to upload lecture slides to Avenue to Learn, as they believe it discourages students from attending lectures and negatively impacts class engagement. While it is true that not all students attend lecture,

refusing to upload lecture slides to Avenue only limits students’ access to course material. This is an unnecessary obstacle that prevents students from learning of course content.

While it is true that not all students attend lecture, refusing to upload lecture slides to Avenue only limits students’ access to course material.

McMaster has Student Accessibility Services which allows disabled students extra access to support from their professors and teaching assistants.

Through SAS, students can get lecture notes from either the

professor or notes written by volunteer students. While SAS is a fantastic resource at McMaster, not all students can access SAS for accommodations. Thus, many students can only rely on notes taken during one-time lectures, textbooks and Avenue.

But often, this isn’t enough.

As a student who commutes and works a part time job, I cannot ensure that I can always get to campus for lectures or stay for the whole duration of the lecture. With unreliable bus times, traffic and not enough seating in lecture, the possibility of missing lecture or getting to lecture late is a lot higher than you would think.

Having to scramble around and ask different classmates if I can borrow their lecture notes is a hassle that could be easily avoided if lecture slides were uploaded to Avenue before class. Life is also unpredictable and things happen that could hinder a student’s attendance

in lecture. Sickness, oversleeping, appointments or personal issues are just a few reasons why someone may miss class.

As a student who commutes and works a part time job, I cannot ensure that I can always get to campus for lectures or stay for the whole duration of the lecture.

Not all professors believe that posting lecture slides online causes low student attendance. But the amount of McMaster professors that do believe this is saddening.

In addition, many of these professors are the ones who have to beg students throughout the semester to volunteer as notetakers for SAS. These pleas feel disingenuous if these same professors refuse to benefit student learning and provide lecture slides on Avenue. If these educators truly wanted to help students achieve maximum success in their courses and academics, they would take our needs into consideration and help us properly understand the material taught in their classes.

McMaster professors are some of the staples of our university’s sound reputation. Their hard work and dedication to help students progress in their careers is greatly appreciated.

But this appreciation can only be extended so far when our professors expect more from us than what they’re willing to provide. @TheSilhouette

14 |

OPINION

www.thesil.ca | Thursday, Oct. 3, 2019

E-Cigarettes’ impact on our health and the environment Vaping is starting to replace smoking. But is this alternative truly better?

Kayla Freeman Contributor

Nicotine addiction is turning into a real problem, especially with the introduction of the vape. E-cigarettes, the Juul in particular, are appealing to younger generations since they are so compact and easily hidden. Moreover, apps like Instagram, TikTok and Snapchat are allowing people to perpetuate the trend of vaping through trick videos and aesthetic vaping photography.

The convenient apparatus can provide users with an array of fruity flavours, making vapes seem like a more desirable alternative to the traditional cigarette.

An important characteristic of Juul is that it is aimed at reducing adult smoking, not teenage smoking. As a result, one Juul pod contain as much nicotine as a pack of cigarettes.

This becomes problematic for young teens that may use Juul e-cigarettes socially and become addicted to nicotine. It can

be easier to go through pods more rapidly than traditional cigarettes since the Juul eliminates obstacles such as needing a lighter and needing to go outside.

As a result, one Juul pod contain as much nicotine as a pack of cigarettes.

This becomes problematic for young teens that may Juul socially and become vulnerable to the true addictive nature of nicotine.

In addition to the harmful impacts on the body, the Juul creates waste. Many e-cigarettes, like the Juul, operate through

what is known as a pod system.

The pod system can have a refillable tank or, in the case of the Juul, need single pre-filled pods. The inevitable waste from this type of system results in the small pods ending up in the landfill.

Juul pods are often thrown in gutters or onto the ground which creates a hazard for wildlife, domestic animals and marine life.

E-cigarettes are a new fad of which the short and longterm repercussions remain unknown. What we do know is that increased plastic and chemicals are harmful to all living things. Juul pods are often thrown in gutters or onto

the ground which creates a hazard for wildlife, domestic animals and marine life. The Juul, along with all other vapes, contain plastic, lithium batteries and other toxic chemicals in the device, and the e-juice.

Last January, McMaster became the first tobacco and smoke-free campus in Ontario.

Despite this being a positive step for the future of the planet, it does not seem that much has been done to enforce this rule. Cigarette butts and Juul pods are often found littered across campus. E-cigarettes are commonly used inside of study rooms, dorm rooms and even libraries. The vapour produced from an e-cigarette is normally free of carbon dioxide and usually does not trigger fire alarms, prompting increased indoor usage.

An outright ban likely will have no effect on campus without enforcement of this rule. Perhaps rather than a prohibition, educating the student body may ultimately be a more reliable alternative to showcase

the consequences of inhaling potentially dangerous substances. This will likely prove to have more success while giving young people to have increased agency over their own decisions when it comes to their health and the environmental impact of vaping.

@TheSilhouette

E-Cigarettes are a popular alternative to smoking for the younger generation.

CINDY CUI / PHOTO EDITOR

A&C

www.thesil.ca | Thursday, Oct. 3, 2019

| 15

Arts & Culture

Spooky Swap

The Pale Blue Dot partners with Grain & Grit for an eco-conscious clothing swap Lauren O’Donnell A&C Reporter

Last August, The Pale Blue Dot (240 James St. North) ran their first clothing swap. It turned into a huge success, with a lineup out their door. On Oct. 7, they will be running another one, this time at Grain & Grit brewery (11 Ewen Road). The Pale Blue Dot is a sustainable, eco-conscious store named after the 1990 photograph of the Earth taken from space. Mary Luciani, the owner of The Pale Blue Dot, emphasizes how important it is to be mindful of where and how we get our clothes.

“The reason we wanted to start it was because we wanted people to realize that there’s a different way to go about consuming clothing,” said Luciani.

The Pale Blue Dot strives to provide support for people trying to live an environmentally friendly lifestyle.

“I really wanted the space to be a community hub as well, that was one of my major goals, to make the Pale Blue Dot a place where people could come and ask their questions, learn about new ways that they could live a low waste lifestyle or a lifestyle with a low impact. More

than just a little general store of earth friendly goods, I wanted to have different workshops and events going on in the space that showed people how they could make a difference,” said Luciani.

“The reason we wanted to start it was because we wanted people to realize that there’s a different way to go about consuming clothing,” Mary Luciani Owner, Pale Blue Dot The clothing swaps initially began as the brainchild of Luciani and her friends Kayla Whitney, Pam Huffman, Monika Benkovich and Liz Enriquez. Together, they created Good Habit Events, a collective that organizes affordable and eco-conscious events and workshops.

“Through Good Habits, we reach out to different missions, different services, different locations in the city. We chat with

them to see who’s in need,” said Luciani.

All clothing that is not swapped is donated to those who need it. Admission to the event is $5, and the money raised will go towards environmental initiatives in the community.

“We want to make sure those funds get allocated into projects that will benefit the city, and benefit the environment at the same time,”

what clothing is donated.

Participants can bring in their clothing to either Grain & Grit or The Pale Blue Dot from Oct. 1 to 6 ahead of the swap on Oct. 7 at Grain & Grit. Each item of clothing is worth one ticket, and one ticket can then be redeemed for a different item of clothing at the event. The full list of rules is available on the event page and on both of the brand’s websites.

The textile industry is a huge contributor to pollution.

Environmental sustainability has become a major topic of discussion among Hamiltonians and

the greater community. Those who are looking to combat climate change and help protect our pale blue dot can count on this event to be a first step towards building a better future.

@TheSilhouette

Mary Luciani Owner, Pale Blue Dot “We want to make sure those funds get allocated into projects that will benefit the city, and benefit the environment at the same time,” said Luciani.

This year the clothing swap will feature curated Halloween sections, with different costumes set up. There will also be regular clothes available, depending on

Sustainable clothing options at the Pale Blue Dot. MATTY FLADER / PHOTO REPORTER

16 |

A&C

www.thesil.ca | Thursday, Oct. 3, 2019

Moving the daily grind

Relay Coffee Roasters finds a new home on King William Street

Barista preparing a latte at Relay Coffee Roasters MATTY FLADER / PHOTO REPORTER

Andrew Mrozowski A&C Editor

King William Street is known throughout Hamilton for housing some of the finest restaurants the city has to offer. While the two blocks are great for a night out on the town, there is a lack of grab and go items. Husband and wife duo, Jason and Rachel Hofing, found what it would take to fill this gap. This led to the development of their own coffee/cafe brand.

Before creating one of Hamilton’s premiere coffee roasters, Jason and Rachel lived in Oshawa. While Jason was working full-time at FedEx, Rachel stayed at home to raise their two small children.

“What bothered me was how far away we were from our family and friends. We were on the wrong side of Toronto . . . it came down to quality of life.

I wanted our kids to grow up with their cousins and grandparents, for us to feel connected because we are really close with our friends. How do I get my family into the Hamilton area?

I saw that a transfer wasn’t happening [but] one of my pickups and deliveries was a coffee roaster in Kingston. So that’s where I started to understand the coffee,” said Jason.

Eventually, Rachel and Jason’s trains of thought intersected.

“The timing was really interesting . . . Around the same time, I’m in Oshawa with the babies and Oshawa Centre would turn their parking lot into a farmers’ market a few days a week. We started caring a lot as a family about “If I’m going to buy vegetables, why wouldn’t I just get it from the farmers at the farmer’s market.”

If we’re going to get coffee, why don’t we get it from somewhere where they haven’t sprayed it and people got paid. What can we do that is wholesome, ethical and matters for quality of life for everyone — not just people we can see but right down to my kids — feeding them the right things,” said Rachel.

Jason and Rachel’s roasting brand began in 2008 as Red Hill

Coffee Trade, bringing locally roasted, fair-trade, organic beans to cafés and restaurants across Hamilton. Through participation in monthly art crawls and festivals, they were able to develop relationships throughout the community. As a result, the Hofings were able open up a coffee bar in the Hamilton Farmers Market (35 York Blvd.) under a new name, Relay Coffee Roasters.

While the coffee bar was servicing the downtown area, the duo launched a larger coffee shop a couple years later on Concession Street that serviced the Hamilton mountain. Jason kept asking Rachel what was next for Relay, which ultimately led to the conception of their third location.

Flat White ANDREW MROZOWSKI / A&C EDITOR

In comparison to the other establishments on King William Street, Jason and Rachel felt that they could use their third location to create a more casual setting, one that would be welcoming at all times of the day.

Nearly double the size of their previous location, the newest cafe has a large kitchen for salads and sandwiches, made on-site, as well as a coffee roaster tucked away in a small room towards the back of the space. To the Hofings, this space is more than just a coffee shop: it is an experience.

“A compliment I just received from someone was that the environment that has been created here has reduced some of their stress and anxiety because they know that they are cared about and they are encouraged to do their best and it’s not just in their job,” said Jason.

While all of their coffee has come from their roastery on the mountain, Jason’s hope is that he can start roasting small batches of coffee within the King William space as an exclusive.

Relay Coffee Roasters works with fair-trade and organic certified coffee, using coffee beans from approximately six different origins. Each different region gives the coffee a different flavour.

“We look for trusted companies and importers that share

the same values that we do,” said Jason.

The process starts off with roasting green coffee beans at 400 degrees fahrenheit. Colours will change from green, yellow, crimson and finally, to brown. At the end of the cycle, the beans are put into an agitator to cool them as quickly as possible and prevent further roasting.

The Hofings have created a warm, inviting space for late night study sessions or small get togethers with friends.

“I think with McMaster, Relay can be a little bit of an escape or that it’s a sense of home,” said Jason. “We want to meet them, we want them to feel great about choosing McMaster and Hamilton and we’d love to get to know them.”

@andrewmrozowski

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Your Student Assistance Program services include in-person, telephone or on-line counselling service.

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18 |

A&C

www.thesil.ca | Thursday, Oct. 3, 2019

Do-it-yourself art crawl Vibrant art brings Hamilton’s walls to life Lauren O’Donnell A&C Reporter

Hamilton is increasingly becoming known as a haven for artists. This is demonstrated in the street art that has taken over the walls of the downtown core.

Several of these pieces were created during Concrete Canvas, a visual arts festival that took place this past July. Each piece was painted legally and with permission from the city.

Take this map along with you and go take in some of the art Hamilton has to offer!

This is by no means an exhaustive list, so feel free to go out and explore to find some more! There’s another mural still being painted at 250 King St. East. Be sure to check it to see the process of creating these large pieces of art. @TheSilhouette

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5. Main Street and John St. North, piece by @jordan_war 2

2. 103 John St. South, Angelo Mosca tribute by @scottanddestroy Scott McDonald is the lead curator of Concrete Canvas. His piece commemorates Angelo Mosca, a Canadian Football League player and professional wrestler known as King Kong Mosca or The Mighty Hercules. Mosca was a player for the Hamilton Tiger Cats and is in the Canadian Football Hall of Fame. He is one of only a few players to have played in nine Grey Cup games. The painting is done in black, white and yellow to reflect the Tiger Cats colours, and shows Mosca running down the field.

This painting was done by Jordan Warmington, a tattoo artist at John Street Tattoo (179 John St. South). It was also done as a part of Concrete Canvas.

It decorates the construction plywood that has been sitting unadorned for several years

1

1. 126 James St. South, “Gateway” by Vivian Rosas & Vesna Asanovic This vibrant street mural is located on James Street, immediately next to the Hamilton Go Centre (36 Hunter St. East). It depicts different scenes from around the city through beautiful splashes of yellow, purple and orange. Scenes include hiking the Bruce Trail, walking along Art Crawl and eating pizza. It replaced an older, faded piece and is made of aluminum composite panels so that it can last for years to come.

3

3. 75-77 Hunter St. East, piece by @burnttoastcreative This painting was done for Concrete Canvas by Burnt Toast Creative, also known as Canadian illustrator Scott Martin. It’s visible from blocks away with its blue sky and unique comic style. It sits directly opposite from the Angelo Mosca tribute and has an image of a giant hand holding someone aloft. If you’re interested in his art style, you can see more of Martin’s work on his website.

www.thesil.ca | Thursday, Oct. 3, 2019

The Silhouette | 19

6. 81 King St. East, “Home Grown” by @luvsumone, @ javid_jah and @danilotheartist “Home Grown” was also done as a part of Concrete Canvas.

It is located on the back of 81 King St. East, in a small alleyway. It features a house walking forward wearing boots. You can read more about this piece on @luvsumone’s Instagram.

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7. King Street East and Catherine Street, “Emanating Flash” by Kristofir Dean This public art installation was created through the combined work of Effort Group, Scholar Properties Ltd. and the Art Gallery of Hamilton. Kristofir Dean is a contemporary artist and his work deals primarily in bright colours which can be found on display throughout the country, most notably at the Vancouver Mural in South Granville. You can read more about the piece on the installation itself.

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4. John Street and Jackson Street, parrot by @scottanddestroy This painting was also done by Scott McDonald. It features a colourful parrot that brightens up the otherwise grim parking lot and bus stop nearby. It is offset slightly by the Kings Pizza logo located immediately next to the beak.

PHOTO 1: HANNAH WALTERS-VIDA / EDITOR-IN-CHIEF PHOTOS 2-7: LAUREN O’DONNELL / A&C REPORTER GRAPHIC: ANDREW MROZOWSKI / A&C EDITOR

www.thesil.ca | Thursday, Oct. 3, 2019

A&C

20 |

October 5:

What’s happeni October 6:

Cheers to the Years: Selections from the Archives

October Free Store

TIME: 4 p.m. - 6 p.m.

TIME: 12 p.m. - 5 p.m.

LOCATION: Hamilton Artists Inc.

LOCATION: The Tower

155 James St. North

778 Barton St. East

Hamilton, ON.

Hamilton, ON.

October 7:

October 11:

Clothing & Costume Swap

October Art Crawl

TIME: 6:30 p.m. - 8:30 p.m.

TIME: 6:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m.

LOCATION: Grain & Grit Beer Co.

LOCATION: James St. N. Art Crawl

11 Ewen Road

James Street North

Hamilton ON.

ABBA & Queen Dance Party

October 17

TIME: 11:00 p.m. - 2:00 a.m.

Horror Movie Trivia

LOCATION: The Casbah

TIME: 7:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.

LOCATION: The Hearty Hooligan

Hamilton ON.

306 King St. West

Hamilton, ON.

292 Ottawa St. North

Hamilton, ON.

October 19:

Big Queer Halloween TIME: 10:00 p.m. - 2:30 a.m.

LOCATION: Absinthe Hamilton

38 King William St.

Hamilton ON.

The Silhouette | 21

www.thesil.ca | Thursday, Oct. 3, 2019

ing in October?

October 25:

Halloween Spooktacular

October 26:

Pumpkin Patch and Farm Day

TIME: 5:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.

LOCATION: Gore Park

TIME: 9:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.

399 King St. East

LOCATION: Hamilton Artists Inc.

Hamilton, ON.

October 27:

The Bazaar of the Bizarre Halloween TIME: 11:00 a.m. - 7:00 p.m.

LOCATION: The Spice Factory

121 Hughson St. N.

Hamilton, ON.

October 30:

Halloween Social

Hamilton, ON.

Halloween Makers Market TIME: 11:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.

LOCATION: Vine St. Market

98 Vine Street

Hamilton, ON.

Inside Dundurn Castle (and Bus Tour) TIME: 5:30 p.m. - 11:30 p.m.

LOCATION: Dundurn Castle

TIME: 5:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m.

LOCATION: 1280 Main St. West

1280 Main St. West

York Boulevard Hamilton, ON.

Hamilton, ON.

KATARINA BRKIC / PRODUCTION COORDINATOR

FIND US BESIDE TWELVEIGHT Y BAR & GRILL FOLLOW US @MSU_THEGRIND

VISIT US FOR ALL YOUR

FOLLOW US

PRINT + DESIGN NEEDS

@UNDERGROUNDMSU

LOCATED IN THE STUDENT CENTRE BASEMENT

The Silhouette | 23

www.thesil.ca | Thursday, Oct. 3, 2019

Sports Intramurals are connecting off-campus students Through team sports, the society of off-campus students has helped to create a sense of community

Off Campus students playing sports during welcome week C/O GABRIELLE BULMAN THOMAS

Graham West Sports Editor

If it felt like there were millions of new raptors fans this past summer, that’s because there probably were. There’s nothing quite like the first National basketball asociation championship in Canadian history to bring people together, one of the great powers of athletics. Whether it’s playing sports or watching the Toronto Raptors dominate the Golden State Warriors, sports have a habit of uniting people together over a common interest. This sense of inclusivity is also why intramurals play a big role in the off-campus community here at McMaster.

When you live off-campus, it can be hard to feel like you have a home at Mac. School can be a place associated with academic stress and not much else. This is why the society of off-campus

students runs intramurals every week. Intramurals can be a great way to get to know more people who are also in a similar situations. Here’s what the president of the society of off-campus students, Jeremy Sewnauth, had to say about SOCS and intramurals.

“Sports are a universal thing that everyone can bond over whether you’re talking about it or playing it,” Sewnauth said.

“Sports are a universal thing that everyone can bond over whether you’re talking about it or playing it,” Jeremy Sewnauth SOCS president

“At intramurals, we end up doing so many different sports, this term we’re running soccer,

water polo and frisbee and those were the sports that the members of the society voted for.” Sewnauth said.

Taking part in the PlayFun division is a great way to get involved in sport through a relatively non-competitive environment, where no one takes things too seriously and everyone is just looking to have some fun. There’s no need to have extensive knowledge in the sport or know every detail about the rules. PlayFun is a casual level of sport where students can meet one another.

There’s no need to have extensive knowledge in the sport or know every detail about the rules.

“You don’t have to have any experience, you don’t have to

know how to play any sports, if it’s something you’re interested in or you just want to kill some time, you can just pop in and play. If you don’t know how to play it everyone that’s there is willing and able to teach you how to play,” Sewnauth mentioned.

Playing sports chosen by SOCS members themselves makes it likely that people will come out, as they are going to be playing the sports they voted for. This type of engagement with everyone in the club is part of why SOCS is so successful.

“Every single weekend we’ll have a full squad come out for soccer, frisbee and water polo which gives you the opportunity to bond with people. A lot of people after games end up hanging out and every time I’ve met so many people,” added Sewnauth.

SOCS aims to offer off-campus students a way to feel connected and provide a home at McMaster. They offer mul-

tiple ways of trying to do that but, sports and intramurals are definitely one of the best ways to accomplish their goal.

“A lot of the times you’ll see groups of people, like a floor in residence or something they’ll put together a team or that same group of students that were all friends before. In later years they’ll keep doing these intramural teams every year.

We try to create something similar where we’re creating a community among sports,” said Sewnauth.

Being an off-campus student can often feel lonely but it doesn’t have to be. Intramurals are a great way to connect with other students. You can get a SOCS membership in the basement of the student centre and they’ll be more than happy to help you sign up for their intramural team.

@theSilhouette

24 |

SPORTS

www.thesil.ca | Thursday, Oct. 3, 2019

Are supplements effective?

Supplements have become a staple for gym rats, but research suggests they may not be as effective as we once thought

Eamonn Valelly Contributor

McMaster has become one of the few Canadian universities to partner with TDF Sports, a plant-based nutritional supplement company. McMaster’s director of athletics and recreation, Shawn Burt, explained that this partnership will expose our varsity athletes to supplements that will help them pursue excellence.

A closer look at research on supplements reveals that their beneficial effects may not be so clear. Professor Stuart Phillips is one of the head researchers in the kinesiology department at McMaster University. He is a professor in the department of kinesiology, the director of the Physical Activity Centre of Excellence (also known as PACE) and director of the McMaster Centre for Nutrition, Exercise and Health research. Phillips is a colleague and friend of Darren Burke, CEO of TDF Sports.

Consulting Phillips about this new-found partnership was essential because of his extensive knowledge in nutrition, athletic performance and the outstanding relationship between the two.

Phillips shared a 2017 meta-analysis paper, written by him and his research team, to use as a reference for our inter-

view. A meta-analysis combines multiple, related research papers and their results. By evaluating studies who share similar objectives and follow similar criteria, a meta-analysis can provide a conclusion on a commonly studied effect. Phillips’ paper looked at randomized controlled trials that included participants using resistance exercise training (for example, lifting weights) and the effect of protein supplements on these participants.

Protein supplements were ingested by subjects through multiple forms: plant-based protein supplements, animal-based protein supplements and standard meals. The study’s results were consistent across all supplement forms. As long as each participant was ingesting 1.6 grams of protein for every kilogram of their body weight per day, they experienced an increase in fat-free mass (muscle hypertrophy) and an increase in strength determined by a subject’s one-repmax (weight that subject could lift in one repetition).

Our bodies require 20 different amino acids. At the microscopic level, long chains of amino acids make up all proteins in all living things.

The order of amino acids in their long chains determines a protein’s function and structure.

Nine of the 20 amino acids are classified as essential because humans do not produce them organically. We need to ingest essential amino acids through our diet, whereas our body can produce non-essential amino acids on its own. It is important for protein supplements to contain all essential amino acids, otherwise there will be a very limited ability for our body to put on muscle mass.

“I have long been an advocate of consuming whole proteins, whether it’s from food or concentrated forms that you get in supplements,” stated Phillips.

With that being said, Phillips stressed that consumers need to understand that exercise provides the biggest stimulation of performance gains.

“A striking majority of the gains and benefits from exercise actually come from doing the action, lifting the weight, following the program,” Phillips said.

TDF Sports advertises a very popular product in the nutritional supplement world, branched chain amino acids.

BCAAs are popular due to

“I have long been an advocate of consuming whole proteins, whether it’s from food or concentrated forms that you get in supplements,” Professor Stuart Phillips Kinesology Department McMaster University their alleged association with decreased recovery time after a workout, improved performance and diminished effects of delayed onset muscle soreness (burning and tightness in your muscles following an intense bout of exercise).

“Concepts like delayed onset muscle soreness are proxy markers for recovery, they are anything but the ethos for all recovery. It’s a little bit of a stretch in my mind to make these claims, especially considering how subjective the concept of recovery is . . . these are what we call soft-word claims that are present on packaging and marketing material. People need to understand that these claims are

The Silhouette | 25

www.thesil.ca | Thursday, Oct. 3, 2019

not held to a rigorous standard for nutritional supplements,” Phillips explained.

BCAAs comprise three of the nine essential amino acids.

TDF Sports claims that their fermented BCAAs retain the benefits of BCAAs. Yet, a 2018 experimental research paper concluded that the effects of BCAAs are negligible if consumed with the baseline recommended daily protein intake of 1.2 grams of protein per kilogram of bodyweight, per day.

Leucine is one of the three BCAAs in the popular TDF Sports product. Leucine has been proven to stimulate muscle protein synthesis, aiding with the development and repair of muscle proteins. However, for muscle-protein synthesis to occur, the body needs to have access to all of the essential amino acids. Supplementing with only these three amino acids may have no effect, according to a separate meta-analysis by Phillips and his team that has yet to be published.

“Isolated BCAAs are a very popular supplement, but in my opinion—and with a little bit of inside information—we have an ongoing meta-analysis on the effects of BCAAs and we found absolutely zero benefit of taking

only those three [branched chain] amino acids, as long as you have sufficient protein in your diet,” Phillips said.

...the effects of BCAAs are negligible if consumed with the baseline recommended daily protein intake of 1.2 grams of protein per kilogram of bodyweight, per day.

McMaster is renowned as one of the most research-intensive universities in Canada. For them to partner with a company selling products that still carry a degree of uncertainty raises some questions.

“I think the biggest advantage you get from a supplement standpoint is convenience. That is the most significant advantage TDF has over food,” Phillips said.

Where the McMaster-TDF Sports partnership seems to

make the most sense is for the student-athletes here at McMaster. Student-athletes have extremely busy lives, balancing their games, practices, other forms of training and their studies is inarguably difficult. Finding the time to eat a full meal and take in all the nutrients they need to be getting to maintain performance at a high level must be tough and so these supplements offer varsity athletes at McMaster an opportunity to conveniently nourish themselves fully without having to think or worry about how.

“I think the biggest advantage you get from a supplement standpoint is convenience.

That is the most significant advantage TDF has over food,”

With regards to the research of Phillips, it appears as though supplements, in general, may not be as effective as previously thought. Even though they can provide some of the necessary nutrients, so long as you are ingesting the amount of protein you need to be, it does not particularly matter whether it comes from protein powder or food you get at the grocery store.

@TheSilhouette

Professor Stuart Phillips Kinesology Department McMaster University

ELISABETTA PAIANO / PRODUCTION EDITOR

26 |

GAMES

www.thesil.ca | Thursday, Oct. 3, 2019

Games

Crossword C/O Ian Usher

ACROSS

1. Poet Pound 5. Parts of a play 9. Ecological community 14. Noble gas 15. Nice milk 16. Santa’s reindeer, e.g.

17. Blow a ____ 18. Moon goddess 19. Horse noise 20. Those who study cognition 23. Warmonger 24. Scottish denial 25. Ancient theatre structures

28. Resolved, as a third party 33. 3:1, e.g.

34. Pedi twin 35. ___ Claire, Wis. 36. Those who design word puzzles 40. Assist 41. Quarter of EGOT 42. Shoelace tip 43. Royal wands 46. Secretary-General Kofi, and others 47. Ger. neighbour

48. Health food berry 49. Those who design plots 55. Piece of peeling paint 57. Half of stereo 58. Dutch cheese 59. Super Smash Bros. ____ 60. Mid-month 61. City near Lake Tahoe 62. Rear 63. Kennedy and Turner 64. Unforeseen difficulty

26. Ancient Persian coin 27. Chopin compositions 28. Some schoolteachers 29. Non-binary short form 30. Electrical pioneer 31. Consumed 32. Fine powders 34. Same, in Marseille 37. Song section 38. Hawaiian island 39. Fire starters 44. Wisconsin player 45. Soup dish 46. Half a crossword 48. Tipped with slender bristles 49. Retail event

50. Give off, as light 51. Point in a web 52. Paradise lost 53. Indian monarch 54. Kind of alert 55. Some radio stations 56. Tennis redo

DOWN 1. Possible MBTI type 2. King of Olympus 3. Looking up 4. Reflecting no sound 5. Concedes 6. Sealing substance 7. First baseman Martinez 8. Male deer 9. Tiny tree 10. Summer cooler 11. Elevator name 12. One White Stripe 13. Old English letter 21. Vietnamese capital 22. South Asian state 25. Seal predators

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THURSDAY

THE

WHAT DAY IS IT? IT ’S OC TOBER 3RD S5

HAMILTON SPECULATOR SAVING THE TURTLES SINCE 1934

NOTSPEC.COM

Oc tober 3, 2019

Mayor delivers rousing speech on steps of City Hall “Reduce, reuse, recycle”

INSIDE PM MARCHES AT CLIMATE STRIKE — WHO’S GONNA TELL HIM? A3 HOW DO YOU GET PAID TO BE A CLIMATE ACTIVIST? I’M SEEKING A SPONSOR A6 HELL YEAH, BABY: IT’S CORDUROY SEASON B5 120 HALLOWEEN COSTUME IDEAS THAT SOUND GREAT IN THEORY (YOU’RE GOING TO BE A CAT AGAIN) C1 TIME ISN’T REAL: I CAN’T BELIEVE IT’S ALREADY OCTOBER C4 GET OUT OF HERE PUMPKIN SPICE: SOUP IS THE BEST FALL FOOD JM4

COURTNEY COMPOST What can I say, I love soil!!

After young climate activists occupied City Hall on Friday afternoon demanding action on the climate emergency, mayor Frond Simongerber addressed the crowd on the steps of City Hall.

Desperate to keep the planet habitable long enough to reach adulthood, young climate activists asked Simongerber to explain how the city of Hamilton would work to address the climate emergency.

In his two and a half minute speech, Simongerber said just enough to get the protestors off his back without having to make any firm commitments.

Simongerber pinky promised activists that he would try to do his part to save the planet.

He pledged to plant a tree in his backyard and even start making

his own kombucha.

He also promised to introduce environmental measures across city council, requiring every councillor to hug a tree before entering council chambers.

In response to a question from the audience asking how the city planned to address the climate emergency, Simongerber stayed tight lipped. However, he made claims just lofty enough to elicit half-hearted cheers from the audience.

“I am dedicated to working with all of you young people to make real change,” Simonger-

ber said while slowly backing towards the building.

The mayor was flanked by a cohort of police officers who guided him away from the angry teens.

“Stop global warming.

Save the turtles. God save the Queen,” Simongerber stated.

“I’ll say whatever you kids want, please just let me go back to my office.”

Some activists were pleased to be acknowledged.

“He made direct eye contact with me, which has never happened before,” said one activist. “I’ve been calling, sending

Tweets to the Editor Why would you go after Will Rude?? He was my whole childhood.

- Former Sil reader

Disclaimer: The Hamilton Speculator is a work of satire and fiction and should not under any circumstances be taken seriously. I hope you think we’re funny <3

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emails and protesting at City Hall. It’s nice that he’s finally delivered lukewarm commitments face-to-face.”

However, others demanded firm commitments and continued to press Simongerber for answers. In response, the mayor departed to his office.

“Reduce, reuse, recycle!”

Simongerber declared as police officers escorted him away.

PER ISSUE: a sapling INCL. HST, PST & freshly spilled tea