S The Silhouette Thursday, March 8, 2018

INSIDE>>

NEWS: Changes coming to QSCC next year // PAGE 5 ARTS & CULTURE: Reactions to the Locke Street rally // PAGES 18-19 SPORTS: McMaster badminton wins silver at provincials // PAGE 23

SECOND SHOT AT

GOLD After a silver medal finish, the basketball team has a chance on a national court PAGES 24-25

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Volume 88, Issue 23 Thursday, March 8, 2018 McMaster University’s Student Newspaper

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Aaron de Jesus

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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 reporter

features@thesil.ca

Reem Sheet opinion@thesil.ca

opinion editor

& culture editor Daniel Arauz & culture reporter Razan Samara aandc@thesil.ca

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The Silhouette 19

Yes it’s true! The critically a c ­ claimed Women’s M arauder B asket­ ball team came down from their col­ lective paper pedestal of credits and kicked butt this weekend in M ac’s own Winter Rose Classic. The Winter Rose Classic was founded in 1981 by School Director Bill Fowler in honour of Rose Hill, a retired faculty m em ber of the School indj. of physical Education who has made aetej great contributions to Women’s Athletics since 1962. Though only at­ tracting three visiting team s (due to the large number of pre-season My,* tourneys), the tournament should tbq prove significant to the Mac cagers ermtiv who overcame several stumbling imaj. blocks in the ir first home gam e s of the season. On Friday night Mac defeated on3^ York 58-53 in their second meeting of USI0T5 ■ence the pre-season; Y ork won the first confrontation 53-44. Howe ve r, an 'g W it* early first quarter burst—an eleven ir*|» point lead at one point—combined with spirited run and jum p defense ted by proved insurm ountable fo r the mor* Yeowomen. ---------------------------------------------base

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At the half Mac led by seven, 33-26. The two team s w ere even in thesecond half for the most part un­ til about the three minute m ark when Mac began to lose composure running the offe nse . This has be e n the proverbial thorn in the side for Mac all ye ar. However, Mac ove rcam e the ir youthful inexperience and held York to within three. With eight seconds re maining, C ara Solne ss se ale d York’s fate with two freethrows to end the scoring at 58-53. Solness ex ­ hibited lightning quick reflexes and aggressive ball control throughout thegame.

The stands were empty but the baskets were full of McMaster jump shots in the Winter Rose Basketball Tournament last weekend. Mac defeated York, then Laurier in the championship game. York defeated Windsor for the consolation final. The regular season for McMaster begins Saturday at Windsor. Head coach Sue Lindley. was iiaturally ve ry pleased to win her first home gam e and w as also happy with her team ’s perform ance under pressure. K arla Van K essel lead the scoring with 12 points while Gloria Tom ase vic had 10 points. Coach Lindley w as pleased with her squad’s opening perform ance; she w as ecstatic after the women c a g e r s tra s h e d d iv isio n r iv a l L au rier for the Championship. The gam e w as ve ry fast pace d to begin with both te am s shooting well.

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9 9 bfil o u tp la y ed b y the M a r a u d er s thereafter. M ac h ead c o a c h , T h e re s e The M c M a s t e r W o m e n 's Quigley complimented L au rie r’s hit­ Volleyball Team is rolling like a te rs, although they cannot a c ­ steam engine across the P rairies, complish their excelle nt potential showing no sign of e asing up on its because the team s’s “ passing is pace or stopping for anything that ve ry w eak” . On F rid a y , the women set forth gets in its tracks. The previous two matches of last week typify the in­ for London and arrived at Western tensity, effort and team perfor­ three and half hours later (ordinari­ mance s of the squad. A gain st ly an hour and th re e -quarte rs Laurier last T u e sd ay and the drive ). The sunny Hamilton we athe r m of the Western Mustangs F rid a y night, our co u ld not w a rn the Mac women concluded each match snowstorm en route to London. As can be imagined, the match started in a 3-0 victory. These tw o w in s put th e an hour late and the effects of the in­ Marauder’s record at five wins, no terference could well have favoured losses, a record which continues to the Western outfit. Adding to the M arauders’ disad­ reign atop the West Division. Ju s t as it appeared that things could not get vantage w as the concern that the any better, the team w as informed Mustangs usually perform very well of some quite positive news. Western at home, on their unusually sm all defeated Windsor last week, who court. Coach Quigley admitted that held a strong stance before that, and if our Mac team was going to get were probably the biggest challenge fluste re d in a situation whe re the cir­ cum stance s we re against them, this that McMaster had re ce ive d during probably would have been the place. this first half of the regu lar season. The M cM aster women did not On Tuesday night, L a u rier met to mighty M arauders in the aux­ act ruffled at all, though they were iliary Gym. Our M ac women m ain­ allowed only a half-hour warm-up tained “ control throughout” the upon arriving. Instead they retained match, ove rpow e ring th e ir op­ their “ confidence and exposure” , outplaying Western 15-10, 15-13, and ponents 15-5, 15-8. and 15-13. From Q u ig ley p r a is e d th e the outset, Lau rier fell quickly 1 7 - 1 5 . challe nge rs stating that the 3-0 behind and w e re c o n s is te n tly

By ROB T H O M PSO N Silhouette Staff

M ac cam e out imm ediately with the run and jum p defense and began to rattle the Lau rier guards early ir. the gam e. In the second quarter, play slowed right down and became somewhat e rratic with both teams unable to execute their respective offense. Thus, M ac’s inconsistency did not hurt their lead and they went to the locker room with a 27-21 lead. S ay goodnight Laurier. Mac cam e out inspired in the second half, s lo w ly and m e t h o d ic a lly disassem bling L au rie r’s offensive

a q a in match score does not represent the true closeness of the contest. She went on to compliment our women for their “ discipline” and “ control throughout” both matches last week. The typical strong team play throughout overshadowed in­ dividual efforts. The “ top ten” in university volleyball we re announced seve ral weeks ago, with two Ontario teams on the list. The M cM aster women’s team was not one of them, although Ottawa (9th) and York ( 6th) were.

Future While looking to the future, coach Quigley comments that the Western defeat of Windsor (just before the M cM aster win over Western) will help the wowen focus on the playoffs. The two recent wins for Mac will separate them further from the second place Windsor team. The final regular season gam e be fo re C h ristm as, a fte r which M cM aster will have played every West Division team once, takes place this Saturday, the 28th at four o’ clock. Check out the winning women a s they conclude the first half of their regular season at the Ivor Wynne Centre.

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Mac plucks W inter Rose Tourney

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Tt* Women’s Swim Team enjoyed a very successful Mac Invitational las weekend, winning three events with three seconds and three thirds as well. The team is steadily improving with 32 ^sona l bests out of 45 total swims. Captain Natalie Henderson was named the swimmer of the roeet and also claimed female athlete of the week award for her efforts. Other prominent swim­ mers for Mac included Leanne McConnell (first in 200 back), Anne Corrigan (second in the 200 breast and third in the 100), Kelley Boettcher (second in the 400 free and third in the 800 free), ar,d Tamara Singer (third in the 200 fly)-

arse nal with a strong half-court press. B y the three quarter mark, M ac led by ten and incre ase d the lead to 14 by the ten minute m ark. At the seven minute m ark, Mac led by 24 and L au rier crumbled. Nancy Hyland and Lauren Crich we re re le ntle ss in e xploiting the w e akn e ss of W LV gu ard K im Fritzle y causing turnover afte r tur­ nover. Mac eve ntually won 67-44 but led by as much as thirty in the final f:ve minutes. Mac exhibited com­

posure, hustle combined with some strong individual efforts—a winning formula in any team sport. Coach Lindley was ecstatic with good cause. Her team did everything a coach could ask for in the final gam e . It didn’t m atte r to Lindle y that it w as only a four-team tourney because her squad overcam e all previous stumbling blocks: com­ posure under pressure, consistent executior of offense and shooting. M ac shot 52% from the floor compared to their previous 36%

average. As a result, this somewhat sm all victory could prove quite larg e as far as spirit and confidence are concerned. In the final game, Gloria Tom asevic led the scoring with 21 points and seven rebounds while Hyland and Solness each had eight. T om ase vic was also name d tournament M .V.P. and all-star. York de feated Lake he ad 58-53 for the conse latio n cham pionship. R e g u la r season begins Saturday at Windsor.

Bators Ready For OUAA s By W ALTER POLOUGH Silhouette Staff T h e M c M a s t e r W a te rp o lo Bators completed an undefeated season this past weekend with two more victories. The team travelled to Waterloo where they beat their hosts 19-6 and the Western Mustangs 16-4. Mac has now am asse d a 20 wins and zero losses season including 12 regular season, 3 exhibition and 5 tournament gam es. The Bators are now the favourite he ading into S a tu rd a y ’s OUAA cham pionship playdowns which will be held here at Mac. The two wins were quite im­ pressive and reminded one more of the Bators a s they we re e arlie r on

B lu e s

By PETE XAN D ER Contributing Writer

Your M cM aste r M arlins went on the road last weekend to the U of T Invitational and continued to beat up on e ve ryone e lse in Ontario. The Men’s Swim team em erged vic­ torious, beating the top eight teams in the province including the hated and highly-ranked University Toron­ to Blues. L ast weekend’s perfor­ mance will solidify the M arlins Number five National ranking and m ay even push the team up into the top three in the country. C o ach G a y e S t r a t t e n w a s spee chless. He could not be lie ve how fast everyone was swimming. “ We have never had everyone swim this fast this early in the season. It was an am azing m eet” was all the coach could say. F o r a change the M arlins were led by a couple of veterans who are in the twilight of their long careers. Both G re g B arb ou r and P e te r McKinnon realize the end is near and they a re trying to get the most out of their old decrepit, aching bodies. G reg proved to the critics (Gaye) that he isn’ t as decondition­ ed as everyone thinks he is. Barbour powered his w ay to victory in the 100 B reast and then added a second in the 200 B reast to prove it wasn’ t a fluke. G reg celebrated by drinking one beer after his race. Things are changing. Co Captain P eter McKinnon led by exam ple by winning the 200 Back

this season. This could be due larg e­ ly to the well-deserved weekend of rest that the Bators had the weekend be fore . This se e me d to re fre sh the team both m e ntally and physically, and a s a result they played with more intensity and sharpness. A great deal of teamwork was evident and is indicated by the w ay th e g o a ls w e r e d is t r ib u t e d throughout the team. The 35 goals score d in the two gam e s we re spre ad over the entire 13 team members and even K irt Cushnie scored on a last second throw from his goalie position. Alan D axner led the charge with 7 goals. Pat Lees and Geoff White each found the m ark 6 times. Bill West hit for 4 as Glen Jam ieson ex­ ploded for 3. Deuces were recorded

a re

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and added a third in the 100 Back. In the last of his four illustrious years at MAC, P eter is determined to finally win that e lusive O.U.A.A. gold me dal. His e a rly se ason 200 time was the fastest in the province so fa r this y e a r and would have plac­ ed fifth at last y e a r’s O.U.A.A. finals. P e te r Lightbody got back on track with a win in the 100 F re e and a second in the 50 Free. His times again w ere two of the fastest in Canada, but the important thing was that he beat one of U of T ’s fastest sprinters. If Lightbody can keep working as hard in the pool as he did downstairs in Bate s on Saturday night he is sure to show some great results. Rookie Ste ve M e rke r continued to show his dominance in whatever he swim s. Steve won his two events, 200 IM and 200 F re e . Both swim s resulted in personal pre-shaved best times. (Ste ve shave s his le gs). Steve also won athlete of the “ week” honors. MAC’s othe r two first place finishers were C raig M ortimer and Doug Henderson. C raig placed first in the 400 F re e and fourth in the 200 F re e . C raig is slowly catching up to where he’d like to be. A trip to Florida might allow everything to fall into place. Second year swim m er Doug Henderson swam what looks to be the first of many 1500 m fre e style s. Doug posted a respectable time in the mile and indicated often the race that he is looking forward to many m ore . With a little in ce n tive

by M ike Williamson and Chris S on sm an n w h ile s in g le s w e re recorded by Mike Carnegie, Mark Fingland, Bob Mitchell, Mark Zenchuck and John Waldow. As the season winds down, coach es Robert Thompson and Johnny ‘O’ have only a couple of practices left to prepare the team for Saturday’s finals. Action will get underway at 1:00 pm as e aste rn divi­ sion champs Ottawa take on the U of T Blues. At 2:00 pm the Bators face Carleton. The losers of the sem i­ final m atches play in the ‘bronze medal gam e ’ at 4 :00 pm and the win­ ners battle for the OUAA crown. All gam es should be actionpacked; so plenty of fans should be in the stands on Saturday. DON’ T YOU D A R E M ISS I T !!!

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(Bacon), Doug should be able to im­ prove on his personal bests and team record. Fellow distance sw im m ers John Vaderka and Tim K ilby also per­ formed adm irable. Tim finished se­ cond in the 1500, John fourth in the 400 F ree. John kept pace by placing third in the 400 IM. In this gruelling event John was closely followed by a couple of vastly improved rookies. Richard B eacroft and Jim Clements placed fourth and fifth and both pro­ duced lifetim e bests in these events. If these two continue to improve at the current pace, they should both m ake the team and should score well at the O.U.A.A. championships. Rounding out the scoring were ve te rans Je f f Kle ve n (se cond in the 400 IM and fourth in the 100 F ly ). Chris Fenton proved he w as actually human and didn’t win any events. He had a third in 100 F ly and a fifth in^the 100 Back.

R u n r e c o r d 6-0 This Sunday at 10:00 am the M arlins wind up the first half of their season with a dual meet against L aval at MAC. The M arlins will try to run their season record to 6 and 0 with a win against a strong Laval team that finished one place ahead of MAC last year and is currently ranked one behind MAC, at sixth in Canada. Those of you who cannot wait to see the M arlins again can come and watch the team chee r on the Bators Saturday afternoon at MAC in O.U.A.A. championships.

“Yes it’s true! The critically acclaimed Women’s Marauder Basketball team came down from their collective paper pedestal of credits and kicked butt this weekend in Mac’s own Winter Rose Classic.”

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.

www.thesil.ca | Thursday, March 8, 2018

The Silhouette

News

Commonalities of faith in the student body The SRA approves the Interfaith Council

CATHERINE TARASYUK / PRODUCTION EDITOR Emile Shen Features Reporter

The McMaster Students Union Student Representative Assembly recently approved the operating policy for the Interfaith Council on Feb. 25, 2018. The Interfaith Council, however, has been holding meetings since July 2017 and under the leadership of Sabra Salim, SRA member (Science) and Max Lightstone, former SRA member (Engineering), writing the operating policy and making long-term plans since November 2017. The newly-approved Interfaith Council sought to create more space for student-run faith groups and clubs. Since the restructuring of MSU Diversity Services in 2016, which replaced the pillars of multiculturalism, interfaith, abilities, and Indigenous affairs, there have not been as many spaces for interfaith groups to work within the student union. More specifically, Salim explained, “[that] there were not many platforms for these religious and spiritual groups to come together and discuss the commonalities of faith in a post-secondary institution.” The operating policy additionally specifies that the purpose of the Interfaith Coun-

cil is to work to “address issues common concern that affect the greater McMaster community” and “facilitate and encourage religious dialogue within the McMaster community”. The chair of the Council will be the next Diversity Services coordinator as a non-voting member who is responsible for facilitating unbiased discussion with the spiritual groups at the table. Currently, the following campus faith groups are representatives and also voting members: Power to Change, the Muslim Students Association, McMaster Hillel, the Hindu Students Association, the Cooperative of Indigenous Studies Students and Alumni, the Sikh Students Association, the Catholic Students Association and the Orthodox Christian Students Association. Salim emphasized that the Interfaith Council is happy and willing to expand the membership. “In the coming year, any MSU club willing to join can write a letter of interest to the chair and be ratified by the council membership as a non-voting member,” Salim said. Salim noted that the process of writing the operating policy was streamlined and simple because of Ibe’s support

The operating polic additionally specifies that the purpose of the Interfaith Council is to work to “address issues common concern that affect the greater McMaster community” and “facilitate and encourage religious dialogue within the McMaster community”. for this initiative and the enthusiasm by representatives of the stakeholders stated above. There was much consultation between the leaders of the religious and faith-based organizations, Diversity Services and the MSU Clubs Department in order to create a sustainable and holistic mandate for the Interfaith Council. The Internal Governance Committee assisted in developing and finalizing the operating policy. The council will primarily be

under the jurisdiction of the SRA and Diversity Services. A logistic reason for the establishment of the Interfaith Council was for the group to help facilitate and inform the creation of a Multi-faith Centre and Multipurpose Space physically integrated into the Student Activity Building, which is currently under construction. On the academic side of things, the Interfaith Council has been advocating and promoting the Religious, Indigenous and Spiritual Observances accommodation form. “This form was introduced to give students who partake in faith-based observances an opportunity to be accommodated for an examination,” said Salim. In under a year, the Interfaith Council has quickly established a solid foundation for current meetings, as well as future plans. As such, they were awarded the MSU Students of Distinction Award. The Interfaith Council will continue to work with the MSU and community to build relationships with religious members on campus.

@theSilhouette

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NEWS

Thursday, March 8, 2018 | www.thesil.ca

McMaster People Project comes to campus The student group’s first event sparks conversations about the power of spaces and diverse governance Cassidy Bereskin News Reporter

The McMaster People Project is a new student-led initiative aimed at improving representation of students in governing bodies at McMaster and in Hamilton. The initiative was spearheaded by Chukky Ibe, McMaster Students Union president, and Sabrin Salim, a representative from the Student Representative Assembly, in collaboration with Makenzy Walcott, Sebat Bekri, Gabriella Roberts, Kamini Persaud and Ibe’s campaign team. The McMaster People Project consists of a group of student leaders who are committed to cultivating diversity and supporting marginalized groups on campus. As part of its main objectives, the group seeks to arm students

with information about campaign opportunities on campus, work with student groups to increase candidate diversity and provide students with training and resources to improve education about critical issues in the community. “We will also provide continuous training and learning opportunities for elected student leaders. Our objective is to go to places where we haven’t traditionally looked for talent on our campus,” said Ibe. Salim’s role entails exploring directions for the McMaster People Project and exploring new ways to outreach to marginalized groups at the university. “Stepping on campus in my first year was the largest cultural shift I’ve experienced. When the time came for elections, I was afraid because I had never seen anyone who looked like me get elected, and so I subconsciously believed it was impossible,”

said Salim. “I understood that that experience is not unique to myself and that a large number of individuals from marginalized communities are not being represented in governing bodies.”

“Our objective is to go to places where we haven’t traditionally looked for talent on our campus.” Chukky Ibe President McMaster Students Union After being elected to the SRA, Salim decided that she would work to tackle this problem, sharing ideas with Ibe and recruiting passionate individuals to the McMaster People Project. The group’s first event, called “The Price of Entry:

Open Conversations with Change Seekers,” was held at Bridges Cafe on Feb. 27. At the event, participants engaged in meaningful dialogue about the compromises and sacrifices candidates have to make to get elected and the how diverse governance can transform spaces in the university. “The Price of Entry” also included networking and skill-building exercises to spearhead an effective campaign. “We were fortunate to have Ehima Osazuwa and Siobhan Stewart who were MSU presidents from before come out and speak,” said Salim. “For me, it was exciting to see that between generations of MSU presidents, more of the conversation on minority in governance was coming about.” Stewart referred to the event

as a healing experience. Although the McMaster People Project’s role in the university has not been solidified, plans for the future are already being made. “We have several positions opening up, and we will be launching applications after the event,” said Ibe. “We have a conference on the horizon. We are working with the team to find out where the project is best housed, whether we apply to be an MSU service, or we apply to be a club.” Applications for the group’s executive team are expected to be released in the next month. When they open, students will be able to find them on the McMaster People Project Facebook page. @cassidybereskin

TIMOTHY LAW / PRODUCTION COORDINATOR

NEWS

www.thesil.ca | Thursday, March 8, 2018

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Changes coming to the

QSCC

The new coordinator has big plans to bring the peer support service up to speed Sasha Dhesi News Editor

The McMaster Students Union Queer Students Community Centre may see big changes in the coming school year if incoming coordinator, Miranda Clayton, has her way. Clayton, who plans on implementing new programming and potentially change the physical layout of the space, hopes to bring the QSCC to the quality of other MSU peer support services on campus. “The QSCC hasn’t felt like home to queer and trans students for a really long time. I’ve been at Mac for quite a while even though I’ve been out as bisexual on campus for several years, I have never actually felt comfortable accessing a service,” said Clayton. Clayton, whose term as QSCC coordinator officially began on March 1, has been circulating a survey to LGBTQ+ students in order to see what specific needs the McMaster LGBTQ+ community has. The survey, which asks students to describe their past experiences with the QSCC and what programming they would like to see, aims to make sure all identities may see their preferred programming and systems of support offered by the QSCC. “It’s kind of a common issue in the queer and trans community that conversations become focused on one particular experience, but there isn’t very much use to run programming that only appeals, to say, [cisgender], white, male gays,” she said. “The thing with the LGBTQ+ community is that it’s really diverse. A lot of people have very different needs. They want to see different things happen and they want to be supported in different ways,” Clayton added.

Although the survey is by no means complete, Clayton has already begun to receive a swath of responses and has already identified some major programming the QSCC will work to offer in the coming months. Through Clayton’s preliminary research, she has found a growing need for support groups for bisexual students and programming for those who are currently questioning their sexual or gender identity. According to the data Clayton has received so far, many students currently questioning their identities feel that the QSCC is only for those who know for sure, and others have identified that programming would have helped them arrive to a conclusion concerning their identity earlier had they explored it within the context of a service like the QSCC. Clayton highlighted the importance of QSCC as a peer support service, especially with the rise of other peer support services such as Maccess and the Women and Gender Equity Network.

“The QSCC is one of the older services. It’s been around for a number of years under different names and it really needs to match the quality of the rest of the peer support services that have sprung up now.” Miranda Clayton Incoming Coordinator Queer Students Community Centre

“The QSCC is one of the older services. It’s been around for a number of years under different names and it really needs to match the quality of the rest of the peer support services that have sprung up now,” she said. In addition to adding new programming, Clayton also hopes to change some of the physical barriers students may have while trying to use the QSCC space. One of Clayton’s top priorities is cleaning up the space to ensure that it is accessible to those who use mobility devices. “I actually have a friend who’s been out for a long time but couldn’t access to space because their wheelchair couldn’t fit into the space,” Clayton noted. The QSCC space, which is located in the McMaster University Student Centre, room 221, is often considered isolated from the rest of the building. Clayton plans on changing the basic layout of the space to make it more inviting by switching the main door and side door, which Clayton believes will make the space more welcoming for students. Clayton also plans on defrosting the glass of the windows in the QSCC space. For anyone interested in contributing to Clayton’s survey, it will remain open for the coming weeks.

@SashaDhesi

MADELINE NEUMANN / PHOTO EDITOR

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NEWS

Thursday, March 8, 2018 | www.thesil.ca

Searching for answers after Soli’s death McMaster Muslims for Peace and Justice are still looking for answers about the death of Soleiman Faqiri Sasha Dhesi News Editor

Content Warning: This article contains descriptions of violence In December 2016, Soleiman Faqiri died in segregation in a Lindsay, Ont. jail after being subdued by over 20 officers. Since then, both his family and members of the McMaster community have been waiting for answers surrounding the circumstances of his death and the punishments to follow. Walid Abdulaziz, a student and member of McMaster Muslims for Peace and Justice, is one of those people. Abdulaziz, who has been involved with the case since early 2017, has been helping both Faqiri’s family and the Justice for Soli movement, a movement created to seek out answers concerning the circumstances of Faqiri’s death. Faqiri was a mentally ill man placed in segregation in a Lindsay, Ont. jail for a number of days who subsequently died under their care. He had been arrested about two weeks earlier on charges for aggravated assault and did not have a criminal record prior to this. In the February 2018 report the Toronto Star obtained through a freedom of information access request, the Kawartha Lakes Police Services found that Faqiri had been pepper sprayed twice and held down by iron rods. As of now, Kawartha Lakes Police Service does not plan on charging any of the officers involved with the altercation. Abdulaziz first heard of Faqiri’s case through a fellow member of MMPJ, who had learned about the case about a

Faqiri was a mentally ill man placed in segregation in a Lindsay, Ont. jail for a number of days who subsequently died under their care.

Yusuf Faqiri, Soleiman Faqiri’s brother, has been doing talks at various universities in order to inform the public about the circumstances of his brother’s death. He is pictured here at the University of Ottawa with attendees of the talk. C/O JUSTICE FOR SOLI

month after it occurred when it was mentioned by a speaker at a different university. “Obviously [MMPJ is] a social justice group so we wanted to get involved with as much as we could. Our first idea was to make an informative video that made its way around the internet to get publicity for the case. A lot of members have kept close ties to the movement,” Abdulaziz said. Abdulaziz and other members of MMPJ helped the Faqiri family while they tried to find answers to why he died. They finally received a report of the exact nature of the attack sometime in February 2018. Since then, Abdulaziz has been working with the Justice for Soli movement and the Faqiri family to inform people about Faqiri’s case.

“Our immediate goal is to get answers and report on what happened, but our bigger picture is to make sure that this doesn’t happen again,” said Abdulaziz. As a part of their education process, the Justice for Soli movement has been coming to different university campuses and giving talks to inform the public about Faqiri’s case. Yusuf Faqiri, Soleiman Faqiri’s brother, is a common guest speaker, who talks about his brother and the difficulties surrounding his death. The Justice for Soli movement had scheduled an event on March 1, but due to the weather conditions and Mohawk College’s shutdown of all their buildings, they had to cancel their event which was set to take place in the Institute of

“Our immediate goal is to get answers and report on what happened, but our bigger picture is to make sure that this doesn’t happen again.”

many intersections. There’s so many problems with the justice system that we have people with mental health concerns being mistreated by those in authority and other really grave injustices that affect a lot of people,” said Abdulaziz. “It’s not unrealistic to expect things to be better or just different,” he added. The Justice for Soli movement plans on rescheduling their event on campus in the coming weeks.

Walid Abdulaziz Justice for Soli executive Applied Health Sciences, a Mohawk building on the McMaster campus. Nonetheless, Abdulaziz urges students to learn about the Justice for Soli movement. “This kind of topic has so

@SashaDhesi

NEWS

www.thesil.ca | Thursday, March 8, 2018

| 7

Mac’s plan to reduce international PhD tuition Following the suite of other Ontario universities, McMaster has unveiled the exact details of their plans to lower PhD costs for international students

As of Sept. 1 2018, international PhD students will be charged the same tuition fees as domestic PhD students. Nevertheless, the take-home pay for international students will remain the same. In September 2017, only domestic PhD students were eligible for funding by the province. However, in October, this changed as the provincial government released part of its internationalization strategy in a letter to Ontario universities. The letter highlighted the Ontario government’s commitment to increasing support for international PhD students in the province. Driving the government’s change was the fact that an insufficient number of domestic students entered Ontario PhD programs in the years prior. According to Doug Welch, vice-provost and dean of graduate studies at McMaster, last year, of the 6,000 PhD spots available, only 2,400 were filled. “From both the university and province’s point of view, this was unfortunate,” said Welch. “They very much felt, and still feel, that graduate work actually has a strong benefit for the

economy in terms of making the knowledge base better and government function better.” Welch praises the Ontario government’s efforts to attract international PhD students to universities in the province. “A lot of this talent comes here, stays here, and contributes to the economy,” he said. Approximately 50 per cent of international students who enrol as PhD students at Ontario universities become permanent residents and Canadian citizens. “Ontario needs to be competitive in its ability to attract highly qualified students from around the world to its PhD programs,” read part of the letter to Ontario universities. Most Ontario universities can now use up to 10 per cent of PhD allocations to fund international PhD students. Because McMaster University meets five out of six research intensity criteria, it can allot up to 15 per cent. Welch, however, doubts that the full 15 per cent will need to be used. “We attract very strong domestic students, and I think we’ll continue to do so,” he said. In the past, international tuition prices were not regulated by the province. As a result,

tuition between domestic and international students experienced increasing polarization. However, the university has provided financial support for international students. Some avenues include teaching assistantships, research grants and funds from faculties. In a few cases, these offset the difference between domestic and international tuition fees entirely. Moreover, in the past, departments would receive $5,000 to $10,000 for each international student and be asked to make up the difference.

“Since we’re a research university and we pride ourselves on having an excellent research environment, we’re basically taxing ourselves for improving research intensity by having researchers find someone who may be the best candidate to any applicant in their particular research,” said Welch. Welch explains that in the wake of the tuition change, international PhD students will not be able to take home more money. “Effective Sept. 1, students will not be getting an extra

$10,000 in their pays,” he said. “Because we’ve supported that difference in the past, they’re still going to have the same takehome pay after tuition.” As a result, the tuition change may not significantly improve the affordability of McMaster’s postgraduate education.

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PRESIDENT’S PAGE

March 8, 2018 | thesil.ca

CHUKKY IBE President president@msu.mcmaster.ca 905.525.9140 x23885

The purpose of the annual MSU General Assembly is to ensure all students, regardless of the positions they hold or their involvement within the MSU, have an opportunity to have their voices heard. Quorum is attained by reaching three percent of the MSU membership or 250 members, depending on whichever is higher. All resolutions passed within the context of the General Assembly are binding on the Student Representative Assembly, making General Assembly an opportunity for students to truly influence the actions and direction of the organization. The MSU General Assembly is the constitutionally-mandated meeting of all full-time undergraduate students that happens yearly. Any student can submit a motion for discussion or debate and speak for, or against, any issue. Those who attend have the

chance to directly participate in the decision-making process of the MSU, as the business of students is brought before an open and public session. This year, the General Assembly will be held on March 20 in Burridge Gym from 4:007:00pm. Registration will open at 3:00pm, and MSU members are welcome to attend with their student card. In order to be considered for the agenda, students must submit motions to the MSU Speaker by email at speaker@ msu.mcmaster.ca no later than Wednesday, March 13 at noon. I encourage you to reflect, either as an individual or with the communities you belong to, on your experiences at McMaster thus far, and consider if there are any changes you would like to see.

attendees near the beginning of the General Assembly to update MSU members on some of the goals I have been working towards and the areas I have been involved in, both on and off campus, during the past few months. The agenda of the meeting will be posted at msumcmaster.ca/GA

on or around March 15. For those unfamiliar with the process, the MSU speaker will explain the procedure at the beginning of the event. I hope to see students in attendance who aim to bring awareness, have discussions, and represent in a public manner the issues they are passionate about.

As a venue for direct democracy, General Assembly is a place where meaningful debate can and should happen Along with access to the 35 businesses and services, positions in governance, over 300 clubs, and political representation, MSU members have the ability to use their voices and perspectives to shape the future of the organization. As a venue for direct democracy, General Assembly is a place where meaningful debate can and should happen. If you have a stance on an issue or a topic you are passionate about, I implore you to use this opportunity to discuss and address it. In addition, I will address the

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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.

www.thesil.ca | Thursday, March 8, 2018

EDITORIAL

| 9

Editorial

Locke Street contemplations Where do you even begin to report on the last week? Shane Madill Editor-in-Chief

On March 3, a group of about 30 individuals dressed in black and with a banner stating, “We Are the Ungovernable” marched down Locke Street and vandalized multiple local businesses. A few examples from the list of those affected include the Beverly, Bitten, Donut Monster, Locke Street Meats, Pippa & Prue, Neo and Naroma. All of these had windows smashed. Multiple other businesses were egged. Swarms of people visited Locke Street on March 4 to spend money at businesses affected in the area. The Member of Provincial Parliament for Hamilton Centre and Ontario NDP leader Andrea Horwath announced in a press release on March 4 for a #LoveLockeDay initiative on March 10 to further support these stores. Since then, reporting and perspectives have seemed to exponentially grow as media sources, organizations and citi-

LETTER TO THE EDITOR

Given the discussion surrounding McMaster’s protest guidelines, I’d like to offer some perspectives for today’s student activists to consider. First, some biographical details for context. In 2011, I was the first person to publicly denounce offensive and crude cheers used by the engineering “Redsuits” group during Welcome Week. In 2012, I ran for the position of McMaster Engineering Society President on a diversity-focused platform. In 2013, following a meeting with concerned students from Feminist Alliance McMaster, I was the first person to voice a concern directly to the Engineering Society that LGBTQ+ engineering students lacked adequate peer support. I share these things not to boast of my activist credentials, but to assure readers that I am not a member of the “alt-right” or an enemy of human dignity.

zens share different sides of the stories and their interpretations. A statement from the Tower, an anarchist social centre in Hamilton, stated that they did not organize the actions, but they were in support of those who carried them out. The Sky Dragon Community Development Co-operative, a non-profit community development organization in Hamilton, clarified how an article in the Spectator mischaracterized their organization as a “now defunct anarchist gathering spot”. There have been a few backand-forths about the media’s reporting of the events and the relatively little priority other stories have gotten such as the two random stabbings in the city within the last week targeting women. An anonymous post on the “North Shore Counter-Info” blog claims to be one of the participants and expands on the motivations behind the vandalism. The police mentioned a recent anarchist book fair held

in Hamilton as they state they have received evidence linking it to the Locke Street events. Hamilton landlords on Barton Street say they warned police about anti-gentrification activists months ago. This is all without even considering potential connections or situations in the past like how Tanya Detmar, a transit planning and infrastructure manager for the HSR, stated that 206 panes of glass at Hamilton bus shelters out of 670 in 2017. Our coverage in Arts & Culture this week focuses on things like the positive support the businesses in the area have received in response and #LoveLockeDay. This is only one part of a substantially larger story that has the ability to question systemic issues across a widerange of political and public endeavors and beliefs.

That said, I would like to address the misguided claim that McMaster’s new guidelines infringe on activists’ ability to dissent. I ask students to consider what the university might become without policies banning de-platforming tactics as a form of protest. Here’s the core issue — McMaster’s guidelines affirm that the right to free expression includes the right to not be de-platformed. To remove that right from others today is to sacrifice your own claim to that right in the future. For if you are free to disrupt events you find reprehensible, what’s stopping your own events from being similarly disrupted? Without these guidelines, what would prevent secular humanists from disrupting gatherings of the Muslim Students Association, or anti-LGBTQ+ activists from crashing Mac Pride events? What would stop BDS activists from targeting pro-Israel gatherings, or Zionist

activists from shutting down pro-Palestine events? Without a universal policy of mutual non-disruption, free speech only becomes available to those capable of defending their platforms, physically or otherwise. Given that many activists on campus claim to be acting to prevent violence, any opposition to these guidelines seems counterintuitive. It’s also worth mentioning that de-platforming, or otherwise preventing people from speaking their minds, has long been the hallmark of totalitarian regimes, and is only a recent addition to the modern activist’s toolkit. Indeed, humanity’s most celebrated activists have employed creative, provocative, and non-confrontational methods that exposed the hypocrisy and tyranny of their oppressors. Consider the heroic Iranian women currently demonstrating against the compulsory hijab; they face prostitution charges

@shanemadill

to new hair to the Council of Daniels finally meeting to friends to daddy moustache to merciful professors to getting a $2,000 cheque from the university to MSU fanfics to the algorave to Zumba to the ancient origami-folding human to making a dinner from a recipe book like in the olden times

to telling your mom you got into grad school and her leaving you on read to the return of strep throat during hell week to garlic triggered motion sickness to boyfriends moving into my house to white guy confidence™ to the return of saying pepperoni when you mean pineapple to running out of beef patties to PBR enablers to scrubs

for merely removing their hijab in public. Other paragons of creative and non-confrontational resistance include Rosa Parks, the suffragettes, Sir Thomas More, Oskar Schindler and Banksy. Activists must realize that Jordan Peterson, who they de-platformed on this campus one year ago, is a master of non-confrontational subversion. The footage from last year’s event, where Peterson faced down a crowd of screaming undergraduates armed with glitter and air horns, showcased his calm and measured disposition. It made him look like a reasonable intellectual, and cast McMaster’s student activists as a mob of raving lunatics. The publicity generated from last year’s protests has fuelled Peterson’s rise to stardom, making him one of the world’s most sought-after thinkers. Ironically, Peterson is beating social justice activists at their own game.

Students of McMaster University: silencing those with whom you disagree instead of exposing their shortcomings in a public debate is an unsustainable approach used exclusively by fools and tyrants. It has never worked, it is not currently working, and it will never work. Furthermore, protest tactics that de-platform others have no place or purpose in an institution dedicated to the discovery, communication, and preservation of knowledge. Many activists that insist otherwise are well meaning, but misguided. However, some are merely clever thugs who use the prevention of violence as an excuse to perpetuate it. Zachary Strong The Silhouette welcomes letters to the editor in person at MUSC B110, or by email at thesil@thesil.ca.We reserve the right to edit, condense or reject letters.

10 |

HUMANS

Thursday, March 8, 2018 | www.thesil.ca

Manveer Kalirai Contributor

What are you studying? I’m in the Radiation Sciences graduate program and as you can probably discern from the name, the program is centred on safety in the radiation field. This branch of radiology is interested in knowing how best to protect people from potential radiation hazards, while still enabling them to reap the benefits of peaceful use of the atom. What did you want to be when you were a kid? When I was young, I wanted to be a mathematician. I loved math more than you could believe, and spending the rest of my life doing just that sounded incredible. The way I saw it then, science was the child of mathematics. Math is all about seeking patterns, it’s about investigating structure, quantity, space, and change — without math, there would be no science. As I grew older, I began to fall in love with physics. Physics, I started to see, is math in motion. It’s the language of the universe, diving into the basic nature of how things work. It makes the impossible possible. I still have an immense love for mathematics, but being able to grasp the logic underlying all those mind-blowing theorems emanated an even bigger love for physics. Just think: anything and everything happening around you, at any given moment, can be explained logically through physics. How amazing is that?

Sajed Mcheik Radiation Sciences Graduate Program

What drives you? My end goals. The desire to see this path through to the end pushes me to get up in the morning, put in the work and give it my absolute all. Down the road, I envision myself doing research in either health physics or radiation physics. I want to be a part of something much larger than myself. Tapping into my deep-seated fascination with applied physics, I hope to discover something that transcends my lifetime. That is the ultimate goal. I hope to push the limits of human knowledge and make my mark on that which I most love — physics.

What do you want most out of life? Our time here is finite, and what I want most is to leave my mark on the world. Long after I’m gone, I want to be remembered as someone ordinary who did something extraordinary. I hope to discover something through my research, to stumble upon something that has the potential to better the lives of people all over the world. There is an infinite number of ques-

tions out there to which we have no answers at this time, and countless problems for which we have no solutions. If I can find one durable solution, within the scope of health and radiation physics, to a problem that humankind is presently faced with, I will have gotten out of life what I want most. I will have changed the world in some way, shape or form. I will have left my mark. It’s as they say: “The people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world are the ones who do”. If you had teach someone one thing, what would you teach them? Don’t run from your problems,

face them head-on. The truth of the matter is this: there will always be challenges that need to be overcome and difficult situations that need to be dealt with—that’s life. There will be good moments, and there will be bad ones too. And, through them all you will hopefully always be learning. When you find yourself caught up in particularly difficult circumstances, remind yourself that this obstacle will pass. Stay focused. Keep an open mind and heart. Accept whatever life throws your way. Learn from your mistakes. Celebrate your victories, however big or small. Move on. Don’t let this one drop in the ocean deter you from doing the things you want to do or being the person that you are happy to be. It’s easier said than done, of course, but it’s a lesson worth repeating a thousand times over.

What’s one thing that life has taught you? Life has taught me many, many things thus far. And with every passing day, I learn many, many more. If I had to choose just one thing, it’d be this: never assume. The way someone presents themselves is often not all there is. You don’t know what might be happening inside their homes, or what might be on their mind. You don’t know what they’ve been through, what they’re going through or the way they cope with their problems. You don’t know their story. Respect every person that you meet. Treat them as equals. Just like you, they have feelings and opinions, beliefs and values of their own. They may not be the same as yours, but why should that matter? We’re all human in the end. We’re all just trying to do the best we know how. That is all that matters. facebook.com/HumansOfMcMaster

www.thesil.ca | Thursday, March 8, 2018

The Silhouette

| 11

Opinion Limiting student expression The new provisions for anti-disruption and protesting limits studentsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; right to expression

REEM SHEET / OPINION EDITOR THE SILHOUETTE PHOTO ARCHIVES Jordan Graber Contributor

At an institution such as McMaster University, the subject of free speech is not an easy discussion. After Jordan Peterson, a controversial psychology professor from the University of Toronto came to visit McMaster, this has sparked immense discussion amongst students, faculty and other sources in Hamilton. It has been argued whether in this circumstance free speech had been impaired when Jordan Peterson was not able to deliver his lecture or was practiced freely by the students who felt his words were offensive and oppressive to certain communities. Despite his outlook that this might do good for McMaster students, faculty and guests, much like creating a smoke-free campus, this is in no way a good idea. The effects this policy,

which was created by a specific demographic group, will merely take away the ability to fight from marginalized groups and sway even more power from the right side of the political spectrum to the left.

Protesting gives students power. It gives them the ability to participate in movements that are bigger than one person Issues involving language towards the LGBTQ+ community is no light subject, considerably in modern society where the inclusion of these bodies is stamped in the media. Mr. Petersonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s refusal to use gender-neutral pronouns towards

his co workers and students has placed him at the centre of debate over gender and free speech. With the implementation of this policy, the social inequalities and issues that so many different groups fight for will be protected. If there were to be future speeches or guest lecturers who were to speak against these groups and their beliefs, there would be no ability to fight back and defend their beliefs, which is a basic human right that should be fought for itself. In addition to the exclusion of marginalized groups and lack of community discussion, the application of the anti-discrimination policy will promote those who sit at the right end of the political spectrum disempower those who sit at the left. This leaves the protestors. Citizens who often lean to the left end of the spectrum will be left with little advocacy when it comes time

to implement this policy. Without advocacy for social democracy and change, we are left with a significant barrier and inequality among political groups and followers. This could create a social divide amongst McMaster students and allow for events and speeches that discriminate against or offend different communities. Once again there are implications that this policy will divide the McMaster community, leaving many without a true voice. Protesting gives students power. It gives them the ability to participate in movements that are bigger than one person. With the placement of a policy which restricts the boundaries of a true protest, the ability to spark change at McMaster may diminish. It would reduce advocacy for minority groups and the left hand political spectrum, as well as leaving students without a voice.

It is difficult to speak up and to fight, however when it is done it starts a trend that can create real change in a society or community. It gives people purpose and meaning in their lives which is important for the future leaders of this city and this world. People like Jordan Peterson have their rights to free speech but taking away those rights from a spectator creates contradiction. McMaster is a place where change for the better should be encouraged, not lessened. Anti-disruption is, in theory, a good plan. It does not, however, teach the students of McMaster that their voices are heard and are important, which should be the sole purpose of an institution like this.

@theSilhouette

GET YOUR FREE STUDENT SURVIVAL GUIDE Make sure to pick up this year’s Student Survival Guide from the Underground or participating MSU & McMaster services starting March 12!

McMaster Students Union’s

EVENTS CALENDAR Pangaea:

club members (both general and exec) to our first ever CLUBS NIGHT! There will be a cash bar, FREE FOOD, Karaoke and a photo booth. Ratified MSU clubs only!

McMaster’s Largest Multicultural Showcase Sunday March 11, 2018 Where: McMaster Innovation Park Time: 11:00am to 5:00pm General Admission tickets for Pangaea 2018 are $10, and provide full access to all pavilions and performances. Tickets are available for purchase every Monday and Thursday on campus leading up to the event. Limited door tickets available.

Clubs Night Nomination Due Date Thursday March 15, 2018 Where: TwelvEighty Bar & Grill Time: 8:00PM to 11:00PM In collaboration with Campus events, the Clubs department is happy to invite ALL

Stay Connected:

MSU General Assembly Tuesday March 20, 2018 Where: Burridge Gym Time: 4:00PM to 7:00PM Registration will open at 3:00pm. Please bring a valid student card to register. Motions must be submitted to the MSU Speaker by email no later than Wednesday, March 13 at 12pm. Please email speaker@msu.mcmaster.ca to submit a motion, or for an General Assembly related question.

Spring Valedictorian Nomination Due Date Friday March 23, 2018 Where: msumcmaster.ca/valedictorian

/MSUMcMaster

The nomination period opened on Tuesday, February 27, and information packages are now available from the front desk of the MSU office (MUSC 201), as well as from the MSU website via msumcmaster.ca/valedictorian. Candidates will have until 4:30pm on Friday, March 23 to submit their nomination packages to their respective faculty or program offices. Successful applicants will subsequently be contacted to present a draft version of their valedictorian address to the selection committee during the month of April. All eligible graduating students are encouraged to apply.

Check out the full Events Calendar at: msumcmaster.ca/events

@MSU_McMaster

msumcmaster.ca

OPINION

www.thesil.ca | Thursday, March 8, 2018

| 13

One lease to rule them all New Ontario housing lease changes can alter the hunt for off-campus accomodations for McMaster students for the better Michelle Nakansah Contributor

As classes draw to a close, for many, concerns over exams are mixed with cocnerns over future housing. For those looking for housing, there is a new game changer in the Ontario housing market that may be extremely beneficial for McMaster’s off-campus community. Finally, in our favour, the Ontario government has introduced a standard lease which will be required to be used in nearly all rental agreements beginning April 30, 2018. A simple lease should be a right to both landlords and tenants and awareness and education of leasing rights should be provided in an understandable manner. We all know how difficult it can get to understand leasing agreements at times. Until to this decision by the Ontario government, there was no standardized form of rental agreements, leaving both tenants and landlords confused and forced to rely on online or secondary sources as a template for leasing agreements. Deciding between difficult leasing agreements can be a struggle. The confusing language and long readings have often caused difficulty and worry while signing leases. We will struggle no longer. For those of us interested in renting after April, this new form would be required for most privately, on the market residential tenancies including tenancies in single, and semi-detached houses, apartment buildings, rented condominiums and secondary units including basement apartments. You, as students, are now able to understand most leasing agreements. In addition, the new standard lease form must contain three portions; “Mandatory Fields” including names of landlord and renter, the tenancy term and other terms. Although the renting market in Ontario is quite large, including several university and student towns such as Hamilton, with McMaster and Mohawk. Ontario is one of the later provinces to join in on the standard leasing effort. In addition to

several other provinces in the Canada, the Standard Lease is an effort to eliminate confusions in leases and make the terms clear to both the landlord and the tenant.

For those looking for housing, there is a new game changer in the Ontario housing market that may be extremely beneficial for McMaster’s off-campus community.

Under this new act, previous leases that do not fit in the template may still be used however it must comply with the Residential Tenancies Act. However, beginning April 30, if you as a student renter were to request the new Standard Lease, landlords must provide it. Failure to provide a tenant with the new standard lease within 21 days gives the right to withhold up to one month’s rent. If a landlord still does not provide a standard lease after 30 days of the 21-day threshold, tenants are no longer required to pay that rent back. Look at that, because of someone else’s negligence, you could get free rent. I feel that introducing this new standard lease is a step

towards improving conditions in housing market specifically between landlords and tenants. To start, this new standard lease makes the language found in leasing forms easier to understand, to avoid any confusions that may arise. For me, the absence of a standard lease causes me to bypass many illegal terms to appear on leasing agreements, including “banning pets and guests, or demanding post-dated cheques.” The introduction of this lease is a win for all students including myself, who have often been forced into buying into illegal leasing terms, simply because we know no better. We all know about the stresses that come with searching for student housing, and this

lease should not be an additional one. The Ontario government’s effort to develop a standard lease is a bold attempt to protect landlords and tenants from any issues that may arise due to the confusing wording of leasing agreements. By introducing the standard lease, the Ontario government seeks to help both parties by clarifying each of their rights, making the lease easy to understand and eliminate some of the confusions that have arose in the past.

@theSilhouette

Clearer leases will benefit students living in off-campus houses like this. THE SILHOUETTE PHOTO ARCHIVES

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â&#x20AC;&#x201D; 2018 â&#x20AC;&#x201D;

spring valedictorian nominations are here! Nominations are due by March 23 at 4:30pm. Nomination forms are available in MUSC 201 and online: msumcmaster.ca/valedictorian

late forms will not be accepted

OPINION

www.thesil.ca | Thursday, March 8, 2018

| 15

ESL at McMaster McMaster should consider ESL programs for educators

GRANT HOLT / PRODUCTION COORDINATOR

Reem Sheet Opinion Editor

McMaster offers programs for students to develop their English language skills and immerse themselves in the English-speaking McMaster community. However, McMaster does not offer an English as a second language program for students who wish to further their education in this field of interest. For students who are looking to improve their English in an environment that is predominantly English-speaking, McMaster does offer a 4-week ESL program from July to August to help students develop their English-speaking skills. McMaster also offers a program for international students, whose primary language is not English, who wish to improve their English skills. This includes oral, written communication and English-speaking skills to help students who speak English as a second language feel more comfortable adapting to an

English-speaking environment such as McMaster. The McMaster English Language Development Diploma is committed to providing and encouraging and supportive environment for development and success in the program. However, given that the diploma is a two-term, full-time bridging program in English language and development, students who are interested are expected to apply for the program with a the a minimum score of English proficiency in order to register for the program. According to MELD McMaster, these minimum scores of English proficiency are 70 in TOEFL iBT, 5.0 in IELTS, 55 in CAEL or 65 in MELAB. Students can work for MELD as coaches, however, it is not a program that students can participate in for the intent of teaching. Although the opportunity to be a coach for MELD would be beneficial as well, it does not serve the same purposes that an ESL program for the pursuit of obtaining a certifi-

â&#x20AC;&#x153;ESL education would not only benefit students who are interested in becoming educators, but also surrounding communities where there is an increasing need for ESL educators.â&#x20AC;? cate/diploma to be certified as an ESL educator would. Especially for students who are interested in teaching English abroad or even voluntarily participating in the active efforts to help refugees in Canada adapt and improve their English-speaking skills, an ESL education program at McMaster would be beneficial. Alternatively, the University of Waterloo, through Renison

University College, is now offering a TESOL certificate and diploma for students who are interested in pursuing teaching English as a Second Language as a summer program for students who are in their final year of their undergraduate career or for anyone who is certified as a teacher. The certificate program certifies you to teach English internationally, while the diploma certifies you to teach in Canada and overseas as well. The certification would allow students to teach different levels of ESL including adult education. The program is a summer program the requires you to complete 150 hours (or 100 modules) of in class study along with a 30-hour practicum for completion. It is available for students at McMaster in enroll in, though enrollment would be done completely separately of McMaster University. Though McMaster offers programs for international students who can benefit from ESL programs, there are no programs available for students

who are interested in being the educators of ESL programs, or those who simply wish to be able to take courses that are directly related to ESL education. For those who do wish to pursue ESL education, the closest campuses to Hamilton would be Brock University or the University of Waterloo, which is difficult to manage if you are already a student who is enrolled at McMaster. ESL education would not only benefit students who are interested in becoming educators, but also surrounding communities where there is an increasing need for ESL educators. McMaster should consider offering a program for ESL education, where students who are interested in pursuing ESL education as either a study or a summer certification can do so here instead of having to seek an opportunity elsewhere. @theSilhouette

The Silhouette | 17

www.thesil.ca | Thursday, March 8, 2018

Arts & Culture

Nezqwik jazz up the night Trio let loose for a note-worthy performance at Corktown Pub Razan Samara A&C Reporter

When you realize that not only is your birthday coming up, but so is your drummer’s, then it makes perfect sense to celebrate getting another year older with a big bang. At least that’s how Nezqwik bandleader Aleef Mehdi sees it. The local jazz band celebrated their March 2nd with good friends, fellow bands and great music. The band consists of Mehdi on guitar, Ben Duff on bass and Jinu Isac on drums. Music has been a big part of all their lives for as long as they can remember. Mehdi and Duff grew up in Hamilton as childhood friends. They played in a band together before Mehdi started his studies in McMaster’s psychology program and Duff pursued a Bachelor of Music at Humber College. Isac is a Toronto-based musician. He learned to play the tabla at seven years old, the piano at twelve, and the drums at fourteen. Much to the dismay of his father, a pianist, Isac has been passionately pursuing percussion instruments. Shortly after starting his first year, Mehdi formed an eight-piece band, but things dwindled down after some difficulty coordinating rehearsals and gigs with a series of rotating members. Determined to keep the

“It’s really interactive. You have to be actively engaged into our music to appreciate it... if people feel groove they’re going to move.” Mehdi Guitarist for Nezqwik

band alive, Mehdi convinced Duff and Isac to join him as a trio. Despite the challenges over the past two years, Nezqwik has stylistically stayed the same. They play primarily jazz, jazz fusion and funk, and are influenced by the likes of Snarky Puppy, D’Angelo and Kendrick Lamar, for a unique touch of hip hop and neo soul. Despite rehearsing pieces on a weekly basis, the band is all about improvisation. They vibe off one another’s energy and build on top of another’s instruments, like having a conversation through music. Nezqwik, like most jazz bands, perform standards, a collection of well-known musical compositions that each jazz musician has memorized, and each member will take turns improvising on a song. “Each time you play the song it should be unique and different.… The other thing is we arrange the songs differently. Like with Stevie Wonder’s ‘I Wish’, we like to have a different arrangement of it and it makes it a little bit more interesting than going to a bar and listening to a cover band play it,” explained Duff. The band remarked that some people can’t relate to instrumental music and often think of the melody coming from just vocals. Nezqwik throws around the melody, it’s found in every guitar, drum and bass solo. “It’s really interactive. You have to be actively engaged into our music to appreciate it… if people feel groove they’re going to move,” said Mehdi. Their interactive on stage presence translates off the stage too. Their musical journey together, while mostly consisting of good times, has had its fair share of crazy experiences too, but it all came down to bringing them closer together as friends. One of Nezqwik’s favourite performances was at the Stonewalls Restaurant last year. The restaurant was packed

GRANT HOLT / PRODUCTION COORDINATOR

with over 130 people for their gig, but it was the interactions and responses from the audience that made the night memorable. The band also vividly remembers another performance at Corktown Pub, but perhaps that experience was more memorable for the events that unfolded after finishing their set and realizing that the all the money from the cover box, with exception of a five-dollar bill, was gone. “We found out that one of the [other] band member’s roommate was also at the show and he peaked inside the box, according to someone else there, and left the venue right away,” explained Mehdi.

The next few hours consisted of waiting for the convicted thief to come home while bonding with the other band and playing Super Smash Bros. He eventually came home to a living room filled with 15 people waiting for him to give the money back. “He tried to give us a hard time. He threw change at us. Like the musician struggle is a real thing because he was throwing the change and [Isac] actually grabbed all the change.” “Then he just [says], ‘you want your money back?’ We’re like, ‘yes obviously that’s why we’re here.’ Then he said, ‘take me to an ATM!’… We asked him if he took it and he said ‘not proud of it, but I did it. Take me

to an ATM’,” explained Duff. Despite the stress of the situation, the band looks back on it with laughs and they look forward to the performances to come. Nezqwik added their Birthday Bash to their list of epic experiences. They had a wild performance and Shariq Tucker, a renowned drummer from New York, decided to drop by and jam with the band. The lives of Nezqwik never have a dull moment. You can see Nezqwik live at their upcoming gig at The Piston in Toronto on March 20th and at the Artword Artbar in Hamilton on April 27th. @theSilhouette

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A&C

Thursday, March 8, 2018 | www.thesil.ca

Community gathers together to show love and support

Locke Street Strong

GRANT HOLT / PRODUCTION COORDINATOR

A&C

www.thesil.ca | Thursday, March 8, 2018

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People left positive messages on Donut Monster’s boarded windows. GRANT HOLT / PRODUCTION COORDINATOR

Razan Samara A&C Reporter

Hamilton was overcome with shock and disbelief as the stories of shattered windows and egged storefronts unfolded after the vandalism incident in the Locke Street neighbourhood on the evening of March 3. Hamilton police responded to a “mischief in progress” call when thirty masked individuals gathered in Durand Park on Park Street South. The group, clad in all black, marched with a painted banner that read “We Are the Ungovernable”. As police called for backup, the group began making their way towards Locke Street South near Aberdeen Avenue. It is unclear whether the group originally intended to cause damage to the small businesses in the community or if the acts of vandalism were not planned. The first business to be egged was Earth to Table: Bread Bar, a large stone was smashed into a Pippa & Prue window, while two windows were smashed at the Beverly on Locke. The momentum of damage increased as the group marched west along the street, pelleting stones and setting off fireworks. Donut Monster appeared to sustain the most damage. Eight windows and the front door were shattered before the group caused damage to Bitten on Locke, Condo Culture, Neo, Locke Street Meats and Cima Enoteca. My Dog’s Café Bar and Mattson Co. were also egged. Police have not made any arrests in connection to the incident and are currently investigating evidence that they have received linking the incident to the anarchist book fair that took place at Westdale Secondary School the same weekend. The Tower, an anarchist social centre in Hamilton, which

organized the book fair, released a statement claiming that they did not organize the rally, but are in support of the incident. “[Small businesses] aren’t the ones redeveloping whole blocks or carrying out mass evictions. What they have done, though, is to put themselves on the side of the speculators and landlords, positioning themselves to profit off forces that harm most of their neighbours,” read the statement. The Tower made an additional post on Facebook following a break-in to their premises. Their same statement alleges that alt-right groups have sent threats to the community library in the days before the break-in.

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In an effort to move past the incident, Hamiltonians came out to embrace Locke Street, and in turn, businesses showed their gratification for their community while also encouraging positive conversation.

Following the aftermath of the attack, Locke Street business owners and community members took to social media with emotionally charged messages of love and support. Countless comments were left by people sending their well wishes and offering to help clean up stores.

By the afternoon of the next day, it became nearly impossible to walk, let alone drive through Locke Street, as hundreds of people, children and pets took to the streets for a day of local shopping and supporting small businesses. In an effort to move past the incident, Hamiltonians came out to embrace Locke Street, and in turn, businesses showed their gratification for their community while also encouraging positive conversation. “Please stop in if you would like to say ‘Hi’, you will be welcome to start a conversation with your neighbours on keeping peace and promoting good connections here in #HamOnt,” read a post published on Donut Monster’s social media. “To those who took part in the destruction on the street last night: the damage you caused has impacted the lives and wellbeing of fellow Hamiltonians that work and reside in your city. While your actions were confusing and hurtful and your intentions unclear, you are also welcome at the shop today — minus the masks and rocks — to add your voice to a peaceful discussion on reconciliation and moving past violence.” Donut Monster’s call to conversation was heard as people stopped by for coffee and took the time to chat with owner Reuben Vanderkwaak and his wife. The boarded-up doughnut shop quickly became a canvas for visitors’ positive affirmations and doodles of doughnuts, hearts and sunshine. Conversation transcended on social media, amalgamating around the question on everyone’s mind: why did this happen? Some drew a connection between last summer’s vandalism on businesses on Barton Street and in Westdale, which have been linked to a campaign

against gentrification in the city by anarchist groups. Others claim Locke Street, a relatively wealthy neighbourhood, has been undergoing changes for years, making its small businesses a target of anti-gentrification groups. However, in an anonymous article written by an attendee of the rally on Anarchistnews. org, the author explains that small businesses are not exempt from contributing to the city’s gentrification.

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The community is planning on holding a #LoveLocke Day on Saturday March 10. Hamiltonians are encouraged to visit and shop at local small businesses.

“The problem isn’t the size of the business, it’s that the relationship is exploitative. When someone decides to be a capitalist, making money through their investments rather than through their labour, their position relative to changes in the city becomes fundamentally different,” read the article. Pippa & Prue owner, Prudy Allison, claims that urbanization may have played a motivating factor for the rally, but they do not justify the attacks on businesses. “This isn’t a community that’s been urbanized so that all the old buildings are gone. [My] store looks exactly the same way it did, we’re going back 60 to 70

years, the front of this store is almost the same,” explained Allison. “All the buildings are trying to preserved, as much as they can, and they’re all small businesses here… we’re holding on to our roots here, we’re just not letting it decay.” If the purpose of the rally was to deter people away from Locke Street, then the efforts weren’t fruitful. According to Allison and other business owners in the area, new faces have been coming out to shop at their stores and the community received extensive media exposure. “It was surreal. What’s going on. The outpouring of support was immediate. This is Locke Street, the community loves it, a bunch of punks aren’t going to change that. That’s all they were because if they had a statement, they weren’t smart enough to put it out there very well,” said Allison. The community is planning on holding a #LoveLocke Day on Saturday, March 10. Hamiltonians are encouraged to visit and shop at local small businesses. Donut Monster also released a new “Make Lemonade” flavour for this week, complete with glass-like shards of lemon candy made by Sweet Simple Co., a nod towards the weekend’s events. All proceeds from the “Make Lemonade” donut will be donated to Indwell, a non-profit organization that creates affordable housing communities in Hamilton. Locke Street is a strong community built on support and collaboration between businesses and community members. Last weekend’s events were a testament of that. @theSilhouette

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A&C

Thursday, March 8, 2018 | www.thesil.ca

Turning the tables in Poland Hamilton’s DJ Cam B places third in the world’s largest DJ competition Red Bull 3Style

DJ Cam B qualified for the global finals in Vancouver’s National Championship. C/O FORTUNE SOUND CLUB Vanessa Polojac Contributor

Hamilton club veteran DJ Cam B brought his modern take on 90s scratch techniques to represent Hamilton on a global stage. Cameron Ballantyne placed third in the eighth annual Red Bull world DJ championship, Red Bull 3Style, in Krakow, Poland. Scratching is a DJ and a turntable technique used to produce distinct, variety of percussive sounds. DJs manipulate sounds by moving a vinyl record back and forth on a turntable while using the crossfader on a DJ mixer to open and close audio signals from the two records that are simultaneously played. While the DJ scene is growing rapidly in the Hamilton community, Ballantyne is considered to be one of the city’s original mixers. During the Red Bull events, he chose to stick to his scratch record origins. Ballantyne bought his first scratch-table in 1999 when he was 15 years old. Since then, he has become one of Hamilton’s most well-known DJs. He has performed at Che Burrito &

Lounge located in Hess Village for the past nine years. This is where he met performing partner Walter Deans. The two went created a collaborative project titled Buggin Out DJs. “Walter and I were the only type of scratch DJs in the city at the time. We met in 2005, while we were both performing at a small venue downtown and the owners called it Buggin Out Night. We got on really well and had similar music tastes,” explained Ballantyne. Ballantyne was strongly influenced by hip-hop music from an early age. House parties and buying Tupac and Biggie on vinyl records in the late 90s inspired him to begin scratching. “Scratching used to be an underground and secretive type of activity when I was first starting out. Now, with YouTube anyone can learn how to become a scratch DJ,” explained Ballantyne. “Everything also used to be on vinyl… the internet is now being used and DJs can incorporate any song to their mix.” Hamilton crowds have been a source of inspi-

ration and connection to youth culture for the 34-year-old DJ, and it shows in his sets. Ballantyne combined 90s hip-hop cuts and a contemporary club staples in a brilliant combination of Ol’ Dirty Bastard’s “I’m an Alcoholic” into Beyoncé’s “Drunk In Love”. “Performing regularly in the Hamilton community for numerous years now has given me inspiration for routines and has also given me knowledge for what audiences like [so I

C/O RED BULL

can use those songs] while I am competing,” explained Ballantyne. To qualify for the championship, Ballantyne had to send in a video of his best DJ mixes. For the final Red Bull Championship, competitors had to draw from three different genres of music. Ballantyne’s 15-minute set included “Kid Charlemagne” by Steely Dan, “DNA” by Kendrick Lamar and “Bulls on Parade” by Rage Against the Machine. For the latter, he combined Slim Thug’s verse on “Wamp Wamp (What It Do)”, with the song’s famed guitar riff, and replicated the iconic Tom Morello guitar solo with scratch sounds. The Red Bull world DJ championship is the largest international DJ competition in the world. The Championships have successfully advanced DJ culture and entrained crowds since 2010. During his time there, Ballantyne learned about where the future for scratch DJs is heading. A new DJ software was

announced at the finals called Phase, a wireless tracker for turntable DJs. Now, instead of using cartridges, needles and a control vinyl, Phase will allow scratch DJs to wirelessly control the position of a record with a single control remote. Competing against DJs from 21 different countries and receiving third place has meant a lot to Ballantyne while, representing Canada and Hamilton to an international crowd. “Hamilton is this small city that many people foreign to Canada have not heard of. Being so close to Toronto we are often overshadowed and undermined but I think that we are the heart of Ontario, where a lot of great talent and culture comes from.” For the rest of 2018, Ballantyne hopes to keep on performing regularly with Buggin Out DJs in all over Ontario while also creating new sets and tracks online to show the world what Hamilton’s scratch DJs have to offer.

@theSilhouette

A&C

www.thesil.ca | Thursday, March 8, 2018

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Using the F******* word She’s the First McMaster hosts art showcase to discuss stigma around feminism Suzany Manimaran Contributor

“Feminism is given a bad name, there’s a lot of misinterpretation.”

On one side of the room, people gazed at the wall of vibrant artwork, taking in the intricate line art drawings and detailed paintings. On the other, performers were shaking off their nerves as they waited for the show to open, preparing to share their reflections on “the f word”. She’s the First McMaster titled their second annual The F******* Word arts showcase, referencing the stigma associated with “feminism”. All proceeds raised by the feminist arts showcase went towards the non-profit organization, She’s the First, which focuses on fighting global gender inequality through education. STF President and fourth year student Barkhaa Talat leads the McMaster chapter of the New York-based organization. “All donations [that we raise] goes to girls in low income countries, [allowing them to] gain an education, give them scholarships, clothing, shelter, a nutritious diet, and all of it is done through local organizations,” said Talat. Currently, STF works to provide scholarships and facilities to girls in Sierra Leone, Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, South Sudan, Guatemala, Peru, India and Nepal.

“The showcase focused primarily on two things: the first was to raise donations… the second reason was to showcase local artists from Hamilton and the GTA to give them a free platform to showcase their talent. We contacted local artists throughout the Art Gallery of Hamilton and McMaster Students,” explained Talat. “Artists showcased their art for free, there was also a silent auction. It was dedicated to the talent within the [McMaster] community, and learning about gender equality through art and performances.” The artwork and the performances of the night were varied in their mediums and styles. From original and cover songs, to spoken word, to visual art pieces that were displayed all around the room. Musicians performed songs like Sia’s “Titanium” and Colbie Caillat’s “Try” along with original songs that were also focused

around the themes of female empowerment, body positivity and vulnerability. “I really enjoyed planning it, contacting the artists and performers, there wasn’t really any selection process. We made sure it was appropriate [and] it was showcased if it was approved. [The] older artists that contributed their pieces hadn’t heard about anything like this and [they] encouraged us to [keep] doing these kinds of events,” explained Talat.

“It’s important to have these kinds of conversations because of our age group, there’s an interest towards it on social media, but it’s not really talked about. Feminism is given a bad name, there’s a lot of misinterpretation. People are often standoffish, they want to know what about the boys who need education too,” said Talat. “[Our focus is on] making it important that [both] are disadvantaged but inequality for women, especially in low

income countries, is much more prevalent.” She’s The First McMaster facilitates this discussion on campus through art, music, and creative expression. As the fight for gender equality continues to be stigmatized and misinterpreted, it’s important to allow for discussion and artistic expression that highlights that it is, at its core, a fight for equality.

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Barkhaa Talat President She’s The First McMaster

McMaster and community artists showcase their work for the event’s silent auction. C/O SIMONA GABRIELE

@theSilhouette

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GAMES

Thursday, March 8, 2018 | www.thesil.ca Puzzle 1 (Very hard, difficulty rating 0.83)

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Puzzle 2 (Easy, difficulty rating 0.34)

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Across 1. German river 5. Cherish 10. Gardner and others 14. Adidas rival 15. 2:1, e.g. 16. Starchy food grain 17. Like Death Valley 18. Soften 20. Columbus’s birthplace 22. Toothpaste type 23. Tennis’s Monica 24. Higher 26. Youth org. 27. Embroidery frame 30. Warned

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34. Ultimatum words 35. 007’s alma mater 36. Summer cooler 37. Achy 38. Actor’s parts 40. ____ above 41. U.K. record label 42. Has a bug 43. Join together 45. OK to consume 47. Cock 48. Spud bud 49. Rhythm 50. Eye drops 53. Skill

54. Blow one’s top 58. Antagonistic 61. On ____ with 62. Comics canine 63. Pong maker 64. Japan’s first capital 65. Grounded fleet 66. São Paulo feature 67. Remain

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Generated by http://www.opensky.ca/sudoku on Thu Mar 8 00:35:59 2018 GMT. Enjoy!

Puzzle 3 (Easy, difficulty rating 0.38)

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2 25. Juvenile 26. Bloom 27. We’re Off ____ the Wizard 28. Fragrance 29. Reason for a raise 30. Dined 31. Unspoken 32. Elicit 33. Discourage 35. Overhead trains 39. Grand ____ Opry 40. Losers 42. Bottomless pit 44. Bishop of Rome 46. Hawk homes

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1. Obstacle 2. Suffix with concession 3. Related by blood 4. Double 5. Jackie’s second 6. Peril 7. Web-footed mammal 8. Monetary unit of Cambodia 9. Ages and ages 10. Debt that remains unpaid 11. Antidote holder, maybe 12. Entr’____ 13. Goes out with 19. City on the Ruhr 21. Mil. addresses

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47. Hinder 49. Experiment 50 New Mexico art colony 51. Terminates 52. Squabbling 53. Broadway beginning 55. ____ the crack of dawn 56. Graph prefix 57. Cafeteria carrier 59. Feedbag bit 60. Tell it like it isn’t

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The Silhouette

www.thesil.ca | Thursday, March 8, 2018

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Sports Silver is the new black

McMaster’s badminton team stuns their provincial competition by capturing silver at this year’s OUA Championships

C/O ONTARIO UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS Lucas Uggenti Contributor

Over the Feb. 16-18 weekend, Ryerson University played host to this year’s 2018 Ontario University Athletics Badminton Championships. This tournament showcased some of the best athletes each university had to offer. Fortunately for McMaster, this tournament went exactly as planned, finishing in earning a silver medal amongst intense competition. This was a considerable upgrade from last year’s bronze medal finish. The tournament was comprised of 10 events divided into three specific categories:

C/O DESMOND CHAN

Men’s, Women’s and Mixed. Each university was allocated 16 open spots that have to be split evenly amongst men and women. McMaster battled hard all tournament, eventually defeating a difficult Waterloo team in the quarter-finals, en route to their second straight semifinal appearance. The Marauders were able to squeeze by the Western Mustangs in the semifinal matchup with a final score of 6-4, keeping McMaster’s gold medal dreams alive. Unfortunately, the Toronto Varsity Blues were too much to handle, as McMaster was defeated soundly 6-2, capturing a silver medal. “The game ends when the

first team gets to six,” said coach Jason Sun. “Ultimately, if the game was played out, it would have a much different score line.” Sun, who began his playing career at McMaster University five years ago, began playing for the program when it was just a recreational sport. His first two years saw him face many challenges, as he was named the team’s head coach. It was tough for Sun to find the balance between being both a player and head coach. Ultimately, in his third year, he recognized the talent the badminton program had and decided it was in his best interest to step down as a player and begin coaching. “The amount of talent this team had was unbelievable,” Sun said. “I wanted to help these guys get better and become successful, and I knew it would not be possible if I was both playing and coaching” Although a tough pill to swallow, the championship defeat did not affect the outlook on a positive season. McMaster did well in all pre-tournament

events, which are held by each university in preparation for the final OUA tournament. McMaster had exceeded expectations, which were created by the previous success of this program in the OUA tournament. “We had very high expectations this year as we had a good mix of returning veteran players and rookies,” explained Sun. Badminton is an increasingly rising sport that holds some of the best athletes that universities across Ontario have to offer. The number of university badminton programs has already increased since Sun’s first year, adding two more teams this past season. McMaster’s badminton program has developed some extremely talented athletes, one of which has been formally recognized by the OUA on numerous accounts. Jacob Kao, who is a fifth-year student, was once again named an OUA All-Star following his dominate performance at the championship weekend in Toronto. Kao, who was talented enough to be named an OUA Most Valuable Player during

the 2015 campaign, notched his second-straight All-Star appearance. Kao was also named McMaster’s Pita Pit Athlete of the Week, which he can now add to his already impressive résumé. McMaster has earned their spot to challenge some of the best teams in Canada at the University National tournament. Although this tournament is not sponsored by the OUA or U Sports, Badminton Canada has created this tournament to showcase some of the best badminton players across the country. This tournament will be held on March 9 at Laval University. Sun and the Marauders will be sending a total of 10 athletes to the competition, consisting of six males and four females. McMaster will be looking to maintain form and finish the tournament with a medal, which would be the first national badminton award in McMaster history. @theSilhouette

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Thursday, March 8, 2018 | www.thesil.ca

SPORTS

Down but not out Their OUA Critelli Cup final may have ended in a loss, but the McMaster women’s basketball team is ready to bring their all to the U Sports Championships Jessica Carmichael Sports Reporter

In playoff games, especially in basketball, one should always expect the unexpected. The McMaster women’s basketball team experienced a little taste of their own “March Madness” during the Ontario University Athletics Critelli Cup playoffs. Leading up to the playoffs, the Marauders proved to not only to those watching but to themselves what they were made of. When several key players graduated at the end of last season, it was up to the mix of new veterans and younger players to step up to the plate. “I think this season has been a growing experience for our team and an opportunity to prove what we have and how great our team truly is,” said fourth-year forward Linnaea Harper. “We are a lot stronger in our ability to score and play defence across the board, so overall we are more cohesive as a team this year.”

KYLE WEST / PHOTO REPORTER

That cohesiveness began to solidify over the summer when the team went to Taiwan to compete in an invitational tournament. “Having that stress-free time to play basketball with no pressure to win gave us more time to really bond and have fun with one another,” said Harper. As the season went on, and the wins began to increase, this bond only became stronger. “[My] last couple years have been amazing, but this year there was a different team connection and that connection off the court really helped with

our chemistry on the court,” said fourth-year guard Hilary Hanaka. “Everyone was always so excited for one another, it did not matter who was scoring as long as they were in a McMaster jersey.” The team’s handwork in the regular season was recognized as Hanaka was named an OUA First-Team All-Star and Harper an OUA Third-Team All-Star. First-year guard Sarah Gates was also recognized for her efforts, being named to the OUA All-Rookie Team. “I knew I was having a good season but you never know with awards, so it was really a nice surprise,” said Gates. With a regular season record of 20-4, the Marauders sat in first place in the OUA West Division by season’s end. After a well-deserved bye in the first round of the playoffs, the team regrouped to defeat the University of Western Mustangs 61-51

in the OUA quarter-final match. The playoff madness began when the Marauders faced the University of Ottawa Gee-Gees, a team they had lost to by just two points earlier in the season. Going into that game, one of the Marauders’ biggest problems was the size mismatch with the Gee-Gees’ 6’5” forward Angela Ribarich. “We knew we had to double her when she had the ball in the post and get them to prove that they can make their outside shot,” said Harper. Brigette Lefebvre-Okankwu also posed a threat with 14 points, 11 rebounds and three steals, while guard Brooklynn McAlear-Fanus contributing 14 points of her own. The Marauders were ultimately able to pull away with the win thanks to Harper nailing both of her free throws in the last eight seconds of the game, sealing a 47-46 Marauder win. “When I was shooting the free throws, I blocked out the idea that these were basically

the biggest free throws of my life,” said Harper. “But after I got the first one and I heard the crowd roar I felt a wave of relief knowing that I tied the game.” That roar of the crowd was the cheers of hundreds of McMaster athletes, students and supporters in the stands being the perfect soundtrack to the nail-biting win. “It was a redemption game because we fell by only a few points the last time,” said Hanaka. “We knew we could do it, and being excited both on and off the court and the huge crowd that came out to support was all a huge bonus for us. That’s a game that I will never forget.” The win against Ottawa meant that for the first time in 11 years, the Marauders would host the Critelli Cup final with the undefeated Carleton Ravens as their opponent. The Marauders hoped to give the Ravens their first loss of the season, and by the end of the first half with Mac up 36-28, it looked like they could pull it off. “We had a really great first half against Carleton and that felt really good,” said Harper. “I do not think Carleton has experienced a game like they did [in the OUA finals].” But after the break, the Ravens came out strong with a 12-0 run and managed to stretch their lead. By early in the fourth quarter, Mac had managed to bring the deficit down to two at 55-53, but unfortunately, Hanaka, who was already at three fouls, committed her fourth. Making the obvious but tough choice, head coach Theresa Burns took her out the game and the Ravens were able to bring the score back up to 60-53 before she returned. “I was a little disappointed in myself to foul that late in the game knowing the next couple of minutes would be crucial for our team,” said Hanaka. “But I tried not to hang my head and not show my emotions, not only to my team but to the other team. I told myself If I’m going be on the bench I need to stay engaged and make sure I’m supporting my team in any way that I can.”

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www.thesil.ca | Thursday, March 8, 2018

When she returned at the five-minute mark, she played carefully so that she would be able to contribute in the best way possible. With Hanaka back in, the Marauders managed to bring the deficit back down to a five, but unfortunate fouls from Mac and proficient shooting by the Ravens lost them the game. Though the Critelli Cup final did not end how they would have wanted, the Marauders are still grateful to be in the position they are in. “As much as it sucks to lose, I do not think our team is feeling defeated,” said Harper. “If anything, we should feel more

confident knowing that we can complete it with the top teams in the nation.” Making their first appearance in the national tournament since playing host in 2011, the U Sports Championship hosted by Regina is the next challenge for the Marauders. “I’m super excited to go to nationals,” said Hanaka. “Our team has come together really nicely as a unit right now, we just have that little extra fire when it comes time to play the big games at the U Sports championships.” With the tournament schedule set, the Marauders will face McGill University’s Martlets to start the competition. The quarter-final match up will be the first time the two teams will face each other since Mac lost 59-70 in their first preseason game. Five months and over 20 wins later, the Marauders are more than ready for whatever nationals has to offer them. @jaaycarmichael

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www.thesil.ca | Thursday, March 8, 2018

| 27

We are family

As Olivvya Chow reflects on her time as a Marauder, she leaves a lasting legacy for a program that is often more like a family than a sports team

Women’s relay at the swimming dual against the University of Ottawa. C/O MONISH AHLUWALIA

Justin Parker Sports Editor

After five years spearheading the McMaster swimming team, Olivvya Chow has swum her last collegiate competition for the McMaster Marauders. Initially coming to Mac from thousands of kilometres away, Chow quickly felt like she belonged on campus. “I’m from British Columbia and if you’re in a sport, there are only two or three schools out there so you have to look at other universities,” said Chow. “I came here for a recruiting trip and everyone here was just so nice and inviting. They flew my mom out which was a big deal because it’s pretty far. As soon as I came here, I knew I wanted to come here and I accepted on the very last day the last time during my recruiting trip.” A mainstay of the Marauder swimming team and a strong presence in the national swimming circuit, Chow can hang up her swim cap after another strong and successful season filled with medals. As one of the more tenured members of the program, Chow has settled into more of a leadership role due to the large amount of incoming rookies. “There are 24 rookies, so they take over our entire team,” said Chow. “So you’re doing whatever you can to get them

to practice, have them motivated to get them to swim. I thought less of myself and it was more developing them as their personalities, their training and stuff like that. I was less stressed about how I would swim versus how they would swim.” One notable rookie to immediately make a splash across the country was Isabelle Lei, who set records and earned a lot of hardware in her own right. In addition to being a big presence on the team, Lei is a fellow B.C. native who actually swam for the same home team as Chow.

“When Isabelle raced, four of our teammates started crying and you don’t see that in any other sport. We are like a family, and I know that sounds very cliché, but we honestly are.” Olivvya Chow McMaster Swimming Team “We have a little rivalry, not really, but she took all my records at the home club and then she came here, and we’re in some different strokes,” Chow

said of Lei. “But she went two minutes which is very impressive for 200[m freestyle], and I started crying. I was so excited for her and that inspired me to race harder just because of the way she swam.” Looking back on her time with the swimming program, Chow will most fondly remember the moments and experiences outside of the pool possibly more than any moment racing. “Just being on a sports team is probably the best experience anyone could ever have,” Chow said. “You’re never going to be able to make friendships like this. I’m never going to live in a house like this, so I just cherish those moments. I live in a swimmers’ house with six girls, so it’s something I’m never going to experience again, but it’s an experience that everyone should have.” Chow is of course no stranger to the podium herself; the Surrey native once again helped the women’s swimming team collectively medal in the Ontario University Athletics tournament in early February. While bringing home four individual medals of her own, including three gold, she contributed to two relay medals as well, resulting in an overall team bronze for the second consecutive year. This is the second time the women’s team was able to reach

the podium during Chow’s tenure, with last year being a defining moment in her collegiate career. “For sure last year when we medalled at [OUAs], we were third and we hadn’t been third since I came here and there were 16 of us,” Chow said of her fondest memories at Mac. “You can have a team of 18 so that team wasn’t full and we still medaled which was pretty impressive.” Most impressively, Chow was able to etch her name into the history books once again, breaking two OUA records (both she had previously held): one in 100m breast stroke with a time of 1:08.44, and one in 50m breast stroke with a time of 31.26. “It was the last time I was going to race so I just had to know to trust in my coaches trust in my training and just go for it,” Chow said. “There were three of us who were going to be under the cut no matter what. So it was just whoever got their hand on the wall first.” Chow took her success down to Toronto to the U Sports Championships, proving to be the top-performing Marauder at the national tournament as the only Mac swimmer to reach the podium. The French and economics major brought home a silver medal in 100m breast stoke and a bronze in the 50m breast stroke. Chow also helped

the Marauders to a fourth-place finish in the 4x100m medley relay. While medals look great in trophy cases and in pictures, Chow emphasized just how strong the bond is between the swimmers at Mac. Especially in a sport that primarily consists of individual events, the Marauders’ support for one another and their team-first mentality truly sets them apart from other programs. “Mac is very inclusive,” Chow said. “When we’re racing, if someone is on the blocks, everyone’s standing up cheering. Every other team is sitting down worrying about themselves, and our team is always about the person racing and no one else. We always yell ‘M-A-C’ like three times before someone races and everyone calls us a cult because we are always so involved in everyone else’s races.” While her time as a Marauder has officially come to a close, the impact Chow leaves on the swimming program will surely remain. It is clear in both the team’s performance and in how Chow speaks of the team that the swimming program at McMaster is truly something unique that deserves to be recognized. @justinparker81

LOCAL MAN SWEATS PROFUSELY WHEN ASKED WHAT HE’S DOING NEXT YEAR Please give me a job C1

THURSDAY

THE

HAMILTON SPECULATOR Waiting to hear back on applications since 1934

March 8, 2018

NOTSPEC.COM

Local student newspaper attempts to get Sports Illustrated reimbursed The staff swears they need it for sports writing and photography inspiration SAINT PETER VEGAS Thanks, Drew Brees

One of the most popular magazines in the world, Sports Illustrated has been a constant source of inspiration for the Silhouette’s content. With high levels of SPORTS and captivating portrait shots, the publication remains an aspiration for the staff in these areas. While not every piece of content is relevant, the majority of content not covering OUA, U Sports, McMaster or even anything related to Canada, elements from it could be applied to the local student newspaper’s content. However, resistance from the local Editor-in-Chief has caused a rift in the office related to whether or not a subscription

would be a good use of resources. “Look, I realize this isn’t like a subscription to the New Yorker that you buy to look smart and never actually read as the stack builds up. People are going to read Sports Illustrated and enjoy its content, but I just don’t know how to justify it to the students union,” said Sean McGill, the current Editor-in-Chief and local hater of fun. Subverting this authority, the local bros have attempted to circumvent the process and approach the union directly. “While I respect the fact that the local staff are looking for inspiration, I simply cannot justify a year-long subscription of $39 with a free NFL t-shirt,” said students union vice-presi-

dent (Finance) Damien Trombone O’Malley. “Firstly because we simply do not have it in the budget to do so, and secondly because there would be absolutely no consensus about what the NFL team would be.” While the Editor-in-Chief believes the shirt should showcase the Packers should the subscription go through, the Sports Editor believes it should be a Giants shirt. The poll conducted in the students union was immediately dismissed when a Browns shirt was requested. Moving forward, the union will consider the possibility of sharing a subscription with every service on campus receiving exactly one issue per year and one piece of fabric from the shirt.

Shoutouts to when Ed Hochuli was on the cover. He’s pretty cool. Look at those muscles!

Tree falls near the student centre Everyone was around to hear it SAINT PETER VEGAS Conservation efforts are cool

So a tree fell near the student centre recently. The word on the street is that it was really old, but no one knows the full history behind it. “Yeah, you see that tree that fell near the student centre? It was really old. Was it a protected species or something? I don’t recognize it,” said one onlooker. The tree remains toppled. As mentioned previously, it was quite old and possibly a protected species, so efforts to evaluate the situation and go through the formal processes are beginning.

INSIDE

It appears to be quite awkward to move without interfering with the surrounding buildings considering how tall it is because of its old age. In the meantime, it continues to serve its purpose as a subject to make small talk about. In particular, its old age, unknown species and unknown history are primary talking points. The tree had no comments to give when interviewed.

SO ARE WE EVER GOING TO GET A PRESIDENT-ELECT OR WHAT? MAYBE ONE DAY A2 WEEBS AND NERDS ARE DIFFERENT SAYS NEW SCIENTIFIC STUDY BY A BUNCH OF GEEKS B4 HONESTLY, I’M NOT SURPRISED GRAD SCHOOL ACCEPTANCES TAKE SO LONG TO SEND OUT CONSIDERING THEIR STUDENT PORTALS LOOK LIKE MOSAIC C3 BADMINTON PLAYERS PLAY BADMINTON D1 Honestly, thischannel isn’t the istree. This isn’t even the right university. The aquarium more relaxing than the fireplace channel, However, we do think this is approximately how old and mysterious and I’m not just saying that because the union pays me. the old and mysterious tree that actually fell is.

POLL: What’s your favourite sport? Crying myself to sleep

Mid-2000s emo music appreciation

That video of a squirrel water skiing

Segway football

Beer pong

The one that gets me out of the office

Whatever they showed on “Most Extreme Elimination Challenge”

All of the above

Tweets to the Editor [hot Locke Street takes]

Haha, Oscars! Movies! Yeah!

- Literally everyone, any age, neutral about Hamilton

- Jim, 22, just enjoys drinking games

FAHRENHEIT 451, BUT IN KELVIN INSTEAD E3 PER ISSUE: Complaining about something that has been complained about before, but in a slightly different context.

Disclaimer: The Hamilton Speculator is a work of satire and fiction and should not under any circumstances be taken seriously. Personally, I regret not becoming a professional darts player. You see the arenas they fill? I don’t get it.