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The Silhouette
Volume 88, Issue 24 Thursday, March 15, 2018 McMaster University’s Student Newspaper
EDITORIAL BOARD editor-in-chief | thesil@thesil.ca
Shane Madill @shanemadill digital media specialist | dms@msu.mcmaster.ca
Aaron de Jesus managing editor | managing@thesil.ca Rachel Katz production editor | production@thesil.ca Catherine Tarasyuk online editor | online@thesil.ca Haley Greene sections
Sasha Dhesi Cassidy Bereskin news@thesil.ca
news editor news reporter
Emily O’Rourke features@thesil.ca
features reporter
opinion editor
Reem Sheet
opinion@thesil.ca
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& culture editor Daniel Arauz arts & culture reporter Razan Samara aandc@thesil.ca media
Madeline Neumann photo reporter Kyle West production coordinator Grant Holt production coordinator Timothy Law production@thesil.ca photo editor
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To vote or not to vote - is there a question By DEAN RIVANDO Silhouette Staff
Voters on September 4 are going to be faced with the perennial problem fac ed by voters at every election—should I vote on the basis of the candidate, the party or the leader? The questions becomes especially tricky in an election where the party establishment and in deed the leaders of the two old parties are similar if not identical, in both philosophy and voter appeal. Both Brian Mulroney and John Turner are products of the corporate boardrooms: both leaders preach an e s s e n tia lly s m a ll-c c o n s e r v a tiv e philosophy of restraint, rationalization of go vern m en t p ro g ra m s and v e r y moderate government spending in cer tain politically salient areas of the economy as the answer to our economic malaise. Edward Broadbent, the leader of the NDP, supports a slightly more pro gressive philosophy on economic issues, but this really amounts to a little less restraint, less rationaliation of programs and slightly higher spending in those high profile areas of economic concern. It is unfortunate that, while the NDP prides itself on having set the agenda in this campaign, their policies in economic matters at least, have been no more vi sionary than their neanderthal conservativce colleagues, but simply different in degree.
But enough of the economy. What are the other issues in this campaign? Surely issues such as our foreign policy stance, the massive social displacement that ac companies the introduction of technology to replace jobs, protection of our environ ment, and even issues such as capital punishment and abortion have taken a high profile? Not at all. Not only have the party leaders tried to bury or avoid these issues, but there is no evidence to show that voters are even interested in these policy areas. The reasons for this are clear. The parties have certainly played an important role in determining the agen da for policy discussion in this campaign, and the media have conspired with them in this regard. (Anyone who watched the three senior male correspondants from the three major television networks ask questions that played into the hands of the party leaders by not challenging them on issues that are not as salient as bum patting knows what I mean about the media). What it amounts to is this: the instruments through which the grassroots in this country can affect change, the political parties, have become guardians of the status quo. In this election more than at any other time in recent history, the party grassroots have relinquished whatever influence they had in the party leader ship, in the interests of political oppor
tunism (read winning). Otherwise, why would the Conservative party, enjoying the spillover effects of the shift to the right in the United States, elect a moderate, almost left leading leader like Brian Mulroney? The liberals elected a right leaning continentalist named John Turner, when the philosophical bent of the party, especially in the final years of the T ru d eau a d m in is tra tio n , b eca m e especially left leaning and nationalist. Even the ND P has decided to moderate their tone. The party leadership decided that, for this election anyway, they would no longer speak of forming a govern ment, since this “ scares” voters away. They might as well tell the people not to vote for them if they expect change, since the party cannot put their ideas into practice anyway. If the leaders are essentially the same, and the parties can only be depended upon to support the status quo, then the only alternative criteria with which we can decide who to vote for are the qualities of the individual candidates in any riding. If you elect the candidate that can best represent your interests in a parliamentary caucus, you at least can be sure that your concerns will be raised in the House of Commons. However, any expert on parliamentary government will tell you that the individual caucus members are called upon, in the final analysis, to “ tow the party line” and vote with his or her party. In other words, no matter what the M P ’s personal opinion, or that of the members constituents, the member must vote the same way the party votes or risk censure by their party and parliam entary colleagues. The result in this case would be a decrease in
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paper presentation, you probably will not get an interview.
Your scholastic achievements are important, and your extra-curricular ac tivities are very necessary reinforcers for the paper impression you make on company recruiters. Without a good
Assuming you do get aninterview ap pointment, prepare yourself ahead of time with as much knowledge of the com pany and its operations as you can, also prepare some questions of your own to ask the interviewer.
First Year Students—Start Now to qualify for the best job offers! Yes, graduation is a long way off, but there are some factors that employers give serious consideration to, factors that you should start to work on now! Be a joiner and a worker. Employers are most interested in what you do out side of class time—whether you hold
THE COMMANDO GAME
WAR GAMES?
Question Not to ask are obvious: “ Just what does your firm do?” “ Where is your company?” “ What is the job I am applying for? ” Use our company boxes and binders, the library, friends, any source you want, but get to know the company. If the company holds a briefing ses sion for the candidates, be sure to attend.
M a n y m a jo r c o m p a n ie s and organizations from across Canada visist our Campus between mid-Octorber and early April to interview students for per manent or summer jobs after the end of the Academic year. If you are interested in employment, you cannot afford to miss out on this opportunity. In place of the formal resume, we use the University and College P la ce ment Association Application Form (UCP A Form for short) which is much sim p ler to com p lete. C opies a re available from our office (free.)
notion for the contest, advanced last winter by alumni councillor and Senate secretariat assistant Ron Cooley, ’82, ex pects it to succeed: it called the scheme “ both v ia b le and w o r t h w h ile .” Up to four cash awards will be made, with the first-place essayist receiving $300, and any runners-up $100 each Also, the top prize-winning essay will be published in McMaster News. Finally, the declared winners will be acknowledg-
The alumni committee—chaired by physics professor Dr. Carm McMullen, ’49—which considered and developed the
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Companies hold briefing sessions to s time during the interviews by co lot of material about the company: the jo b (s) with all the candidates at I same time. A list of typical questions asked I recruiters is available upon request our office.
We recommend that you complet one copy in rough, have us or someor else review it and make suggestions fc improving it, then have one copy type up, leaving the space for the compan name blank, and the last page blank. Run off photocopies of this form a you need them, complete the compan name and fill in the last page relatin how your education, background trainin and experience relates to the particula company and to the position they hav advertised. Start now and avoid the rush. Hamilton Hall Room 409.
ed at Recognition Night in early spri when the University, the alumni assoc: tion, and the student government, sail undergraduate achievement. To attract entrants, the associati will advertise this fall in The Silhouett the student newspaper, and will a other campus media, and also instn tors, to co-operate in publicizing theco petition. The graduates' organizati must still choose the topic for essa> perhaps having to do with education with McMaster, or something of w contemporary interest—which are to about 1,500 words in length. Work si mitted to fill a course requirem ent, pi o r p r e s e n t, w ill be welcome It
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The Silhouette welcomes letters to the editor in person at MUSC B110, or by email at thesil@thesil.ca. Please include name, address and telephone number for verification only. 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.
This brings m e back to the orign question of the criteria that should be u ed when voting. If you cannot find a go candidate, party or leader to vote for, tl least you can do as a responsible citizi is express your dissatisfaction by spo ing your ballot. Even this act is le reprehensible than staying at home a refusing to exercise your freedom choice that many have fought and di for, but as yet few have achieved.
Hamilton Hall Room 409. 1
To encourage pen-paper prowess among McMaster’s students, the alumni association, beginning in the fall, will sponsor an annual essay writing contest for the University’s undergraduates. The competition will be held for two years, after which a review will determine whether it should be continued.
&
LEGAL
However, we cannot all be party leader or candidates. This is why it is so impo tant to vote.
Alumni to sponsor undergrad essay contest
Madeline Neumann
8,000 circulation published by the
Amorphism
This means that you and I, and every other person who has seen the porblems in our system, cannot sit back, throw up our hands and cynically mouth amorphisms that “ the little guy has no say” or “ what can one person do, anyway.” In this regard, we must all be leaders.
down a part-time job, what clubs you join, whether you hold office, how fre quently you participate, whether you are involved in after hour sports, etc. G et out and p a r t ic ip a t e lm Something, Anything, but be A CTIVE! There may not be any credits for out side participation in most courses, but most people develop better work habits, better retention and become more decisive when forced to work under a bit of pressure such as the time constraints of participating in sports, club activities or a part-time job. This type of ex perience will help you throughout your life.
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Editor-in-Chief (905) 525-9140, ext 22052 Main Office (905) 525-9140, ext 27117 Advertising ccpc@msu.mcmaster.ca
as a nation.
Start job hunt
Yvonne Lu social media coordinator Jaime Cook online content coordinator Susie Ellis online@thesil.ca
MUSC, Room B110 McMaster University 1280 Main Street West, Hamilton, ON L8S 4S4
leaders, who are the status quo, and who are the representatives of the consti tuents, are people that have the political will to constantly search for the most ef fective solution for the problems we face
the M P ’s power within their party to ef fect change. It’s a catch-22 situation. A s a p erso n o b s e r v in g and sometimes participating in the political process, I can only point out some of the caveats in our system of electing representatives. However, there is one solution I can suggest. If there is no leader that provides distinct leadership, no party that can provide an avenue for change, and no representative that can adequately represent your interests, there is a need for fundamental reform of the system. This change can only take place when the people who are the
Prepare for the interview, if you want the job!
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The calm before the storm Still—but deadly. This is the scene awaiting first and second year students in the Bookstore’s Togo Salmon Hal annex With nearly three thousand first year students alone, the Bookstore staff sets up this auxiliary store t( handle the overflow. Even so, the lines in the basement of the Arts Complex will continue to grow....
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The Silhouette, Thursday, August 30,1984.
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will
be
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members of I
McMullen’s ad hoc committee, plus ^ of the McM aster News editorial advis1 board, under high school English I# Paul Murphy, ’64, who’ll judge essays. Suitability for publication n general interest magazine will be oW the criteria which they’ ll apply *n P3 •ng judgement.
Benefits
In recommending the contest, 5 Cooley predicted that the associa'1 would benefit in several ways fro1111 sponsorship of the activity: it would ra the o rg a n iz a tio n 's p ro file am0 undergraduates; provide McMaS News with something outside its 081 content; and add to the maga»B reputation among faculty by Prov* ^ with a composition with some acader flavour. As well, the contest, of cour will help ‘deserving students to cont>r their studies’ , Mr. Cooley stated. ^ Further information is aval a through the alumni office and will be<j ried as it becomes available in th* 1
It is never too early to start thinking about future elections. With municipal and provincial elections within the next few months, it is important to consider the odd quirks possible with each.
WE WANT YOU TO CONTRIBUTE As always, we will continue to accept volunteer submissions, feedback and inquiries. Feel free to send an email to the section you would like to contribute to.