The Silhouette - Nov. 14, 2013

The

Midsummer Night’s Dream turns heads and gender roles

Silhouette

C4

McMASTER UNIVERSITY’S STUDENT NEWSPAPER

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 14, 2013 VOL. 84 NO. 14

Fine Arts to get $3 million facelift

McMaster Fine Arts recives its largest ever donation. The gift, from philanthropist Robert Fitzhenry, will expand art studios to honour his late wife, Andrée.

A6 TYLER WELCH / ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR

Justice is served

Justice, Political Philosophy and Law program gets ministry approval J.J. Bardoel Silhouette Intern Humanities has introduced a new honours program to McMaster Justice, Political Philosophy and Law - following approval from the Ontario Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities. The program is the outcome of two years of steady preparation from the Department of Philosophy.

The main focus for students in the JPPL program will be to help develop an understanding of law and legal institutions, as well as perspective on political and moral theories. The ideologies will be reflected throughout the wide range of courses available, ranging from law and global politics to feminist jurisprudence and human rights.

The program went through a long process of approval from department faculty, the university and the ministry. Those advocating for the program creating a detailed brief outlining the old programs structure, aims of the courses and benefits for students involved, as well as the unique traits the program could potentially bring to the campus.

“In our case, the consistency with President Deane’s Forward With Integrity was an important part of the case we made for the JPPL,” said Chair of the Depart-

“

“JPPL should appeal to any student interested in becoming an informed and engaged Canadian and global citizen.”

Elisabeth Gedge, Chair of the Department of Philosophy

ment of Philosophy, Elisabeth Gedge. “The JPPL Program will instantiate the values set out in FWI in a unique way.”

The majority of students already involved with the program are currently aiming to attend law school, although Gedge emphasized that JPPL will also prepare students for potential careers in other fields, including politics, philosophy, human rights or public policy. “More broadly, JPPL should appeal to any student interested in becoming an informed and engaged Canadian and global citizen,” she said.

The centralized focus on law with the heavy emphasis on philosophical reflection and theology make the program unique in Canada. Those in the program say the program’s feasibility is based on its faculty; the Department of Philosophy currently has two fac-

ulty members with law degrees, and a professor who is chair in constitutional studies.

“It builds on strengths we currently have in the philosophy department in areas of legal philosophy, political philosophy and applied ethics,” said Violetta Igneski, assistant professor in the Department of Philosophy.

The program hopes to offer experience and opportunities for internships, placements and community engagements in legal clinic, round tables and immigrant centres. Senior undergraduate students will also have the benefit of the Department of Philosophy’s active membership in the Ontario Legal Philosophy Partnership, a joint agreement between the philosophy departments of McMaster, York University and Osgoode Hall Law School, which allows for constant collaboration between the three parties.

In order to qualify for the program, students are recommended to complete Humanities I with at least three units of Level I philosophy, along with submitting a supplementary application form in March of their first year in McMaster. Enrolment will be limited, with roughly 60 students expecting to be admitted.

“Lots of students and parents ask, ‘What can I do with my degree?’” said Igneski. “This program has an answer to that.”

Michael Ryu The Silhouette A recently published study called “Bridge That Gap: Analyzing the Student Skill Index” puts into the spotlight a critical problem: students who have graduated from post-secondary education are unable to uphold the quality of work that employers expect.

In fact, employers are experiencing an increasing divide between the standard of work they expect from students and the standard that students perceive in themselves.

The study interviewed 2,000 18- to 24-year-old students enrolled in two- or four-year college programs, and 1,000 hiring managers.

Students were asked whether they felt qualified to work in a professional environment while hiring managers were asked to evaluate the readiness of recent college graduates.

The results demonstrated that students tended to overestimate their abilities. 50 per cent of students answered that they felt completely prepared for professional environments, while hiring managers answered that they believed only 39 per cent of recent graduates were prepared to work in their respective fields.

Cross country team comes back from championships

PAGE B7

Lulu-lame

Study finds grads feel more qualified than employers think they are

PAGE B6

James Street Eats

PAGE A7

Bridge the gap

Thor 2 bolts into the box office PAGE C7

Students and hiring managers were then requested to name factors they found to be most important in the hiring process.

45 per cent of students thought the name of their institution was a large factor, whereas only 28 per cent of hiring managers thought it was important. 77 per cent of students believed that personal connections would help them secure a job, while only 52 per cent of hiring managers stated that it was significant.

Qualities that most hiring managers held in high regard were the demonstration of an initiative to lead, participation in extra-curricular activities and the completion of a formal internship prior to graduation.

Lynn Stewart, the director of outreach and community engagement of McMaster’s Engineering Faculty said, “For engineering students.

The divide is less about technical work than… the ability of students to interpret and navigate… the professional workplace. When students are on an engineering internship, many will identify dealing effectively with people in the workplace as a more significant challenge than dealing with technical problems.”

STUDENTS, A3

the S ’ T N E D I S E R P E G A P Spencer Graham VP Education vped@msu.mcmaster.ca ext. 24017

MSU Advocacy: Making Student Voices Heard Universities and government are intrinsically linked with one another. Many aspects of student life are impacted by government decisions, such as the cost of tuition, the quality of education, and financial aid. The MSU advocates on behalf of students through two lobbying organizations, OUSA (Ontario Undergraduate Student Alliance) and CASA (Canadian Alliance of Student Associations).

To ensure that the priorities of OUSA and CASA are aligned with student needs, every issue and position is decided by students at general meetings. November is a busy month for advocacy and government relations, with OUSA General Assembly (GA) wrapping up last week and CASA Advocacy Week starting this coming Monday in Ottawa.

At OUSA GA, we debate and discuss policy on a semi-annual basis. On the weekend of October 31 – November 3, the MSU brought seven student delegates to Western University for OUSA’s Fall GA. By Sunday afternoon, delegates voted to pass each policy with a bunch of fresh new ideas regarding ancillary fees, student success, and access to university.

OUSA’s updated Ancillary Fees policy takes new stances against universities being exempt from the Ancillary Fees Protocol in the cases of system-wide fees and vendor exemptions. Our policy also expresses strong concerns about Access Copyright, in the wake of recent Supreme Court rulings on fair dealing of copyrighted material. Another notable addition to OUSA’s Ancillary Fees policy is recommending more proactive oversight of unfair ancillary fees levied to students within individual courses.

59% of students cannot rely on government assistance alone to finance their education.

Student Success was the policy that I co-authored, and is the cornerstone of OUSA’s lobbying on quality of education. It provides a vision of the optimal university learning experience. A notable addition to the policy was expanding our expectations for university/government support of the broader learning environment (e.g. for-credit experiential education, undergraduate research, and service learning). OUSA also adopted a stance on increased resources and support for TA training and new faculty members.

Finally, OUSA GA adopted another highly important policy, a Comprehensive Access Strategy.

There can be significant barriers to enrolling and completing post-secondary education, particularly for underrepresented groups such as Aboriginal or low-income individuals. One of the most significant policy additions at GA was the recommendation to eliminate high-school streaming into academic/university and applied/college courses, as this sorting of students currently has major negative effects on university attainment rates for many groups.

Switching gears from policy to advocacy, David Campbell and I will be heading up to Parliament Hill next week for CASA Advocacy Week. Advocacy Week gives student representatives the opportunity to speak directly with federal decision-makers. The narrative for Advocacy Week 2013 is ‘Setting the Access Agenda’. Students will be making recommendations to the federal government on supporting student loans, grants, and helping to cover additional costs of learning.

For example, did you know that the maximum weekly loan limit for students hasn’t changed since 2004 (almost 10 years ago)? Student grants haven’t kept up with inflation either. Tuition and costs of living have increased dramatically in this time, yet students have received proportionally less each year. Making sure that students can cover their living expenses is a chief priority for the MSU and CASA, and this will only be achieved by modernizing grant and loan allocations for students. We will make sure that MPs, ministers, senators, and federal bureaucrats hear student concerns, and inspire action for change at CASA Advocacy Week.

33% of students graduate with more than $20,000 in debt.

17.5% 0.00%

Your voice matters when it comes to advocating on student issues. If you have any questions about the MSU’s lobbying efforts or government relations, please contact me via email at vped@msu.mcmaster.ca or call me at 905-525-9140 x24017.

The amount that the cost of living has increased since 2004.

The amount that the weekly loan limit of the Canada Student Loans Program has increased since 2004.

The MS U Deleg ation a with Br t OUSA ad Dug Genera uid, Min l Assem ister of College Training bly s and U niversit , ies

Spencer Graham VP (Education)

David Campbell President

Anna D’Angela VP (Administration)

Jeff Doucet VP (Finance)

The President’s Page is sponsored by the McMaster Students Union. It is a space used to communicate with the student body about the projects, goals and agenda of the MSU Board of Directors.

www.msumcmaster.ca

N

theSil.ca

EWS

Thursday, Nov. 14 2013

A3

Editors Julia Redmond & Tyler Welch & Tomi Milos Email news@thesil.ca

@theSilhouette

Phone 905.525.9140 x27117

VIDEO: THE MAKING OF LIFESTYLE’S THREAD COUNT THESIL.CA

Empathizing with the life of a refugee Students dence support opportunities.

Three years ago, ACSSU held a similar activity during which they raised $5,000 for Iraqi A vibrant green and blue six-perrefugees, and they are challenging son tent secured in the awnings themselves to achieve that same of McMaster University’s Student goal within a year. In pursuit of Centre is host to the Assyrian their goal, students have been Chaldean Syriac Student Union’s visiting classrooms, speaking to newest event. peers, and even receiving extra The event, which began on student helpers who are volunNov. 11, and will continue until teering their time to visit HamilNov. 14, has been organized to ton homes. raise awareness and funds for “We started going door to Syrian refugees, explained Ashor door, first giving flyers out, letting Sworesho, one of the participants. people know [about our cause], “On the news all you hear is and if people wanted to donate, that this one side is doing this to they’d leave the flyer out the next the other side. You don’t hear the day, or two days story of the civilafter that. Then ians,” he said. we’d go door to ACSSU door to [collect began planning the donations]. the event during As soon as the first week “Honestly, when you [people] hear of school, and put it in perspective, about our cause, brought together we’re volunteering to do they’re very a group of 15 to 20 students, six this, and as bad as this open to it; they want to help,” of whom agreed is...I’m pretty sure we’re Sworesho said. to sleep outside Even with doing better than out in Canada’s these standby less-than-dethere. At least we don’t methods, the sirable Novemhave fear.”

McMaster stuber weather as dents sought to a small-scale Ashor Sworesho, one of the go a step beyond student demonother schools by event’s participants, sleeping stration. camping outside.

The group, outside of MUSC The six people along with affilisharing the tent ates from Brock, established basic Ryerson, York guidelines for re-enacting a day universities, as well as groups in in the life of a Syrian refugee: they Germany, created a partnership can go to class, but they will not with independent The Assyrian visit their homes for the duration Aid Society charity. The AAS is of the stay; they would go without a charity based primarily out of showers; they will not eat unless Iraq that provides basic services the food is donated to them/their to Syrian refugees, such as health cause; and they will have only care, education, and indepenAurora Coltman Silhouette Intern

One of the students participating in the challenge to live outside explains her work.

Mac advisors suggest balance of skill and academics FROM A1

“

YOSEIF HADDAD / PHOTO EDITOR

blankets and simple mattresses.

After the students’ first night outdoors, Sworesho noted that it was not an easy experience.

“It was pretty bad, it was really cold,” he said. “But honestly, when you put it in perspective, we’re volunteering to do this, and as bad as this is…I’m pretty sure we’re doing better than out there.

At least we don’t have fear. It’s just uncomfortable, but it’s not like we’re scared for our lives.”

He also reiterated the importance of the organization’s mission. “When there’s turmoil, it’s the minorities that suffer the most. So we’re looking at the Assyrians, which are not only an ethnic minority, but they’re also the religious minorities in Syria to funnel or focus on.”

HealthSci takes learning outside the classroom Rachel Faber The Silhouette On the first day of class, the course outline for Health Sciences 4ZZ3 was thrown away. Instead of learning about advocacy, students would be practicing it.

Though the course has been running for four years at McMaster, this is the first year that experiential education has been a part of the curriculum.

Lead by professor Steven Hoffman, this class takes a problem based learning approach and applies it to global health advocacy. Hoffman explained that this benefits students by pushing them out of their comfort zones and into “doing things they have never done and probably didn’t think they ever would be doing.”

Through this hands-on approach, students have been speaking to Members of Parliament, civil society leaders, and key stakeholders about the policy options that they have been formulating. In order to make their ideas effective and politically feasible, the students have formed an organization called Global Access to Medicines, to advocate

for change and engage in global health policy issues.

Their mission is to facilitate Canada’s role in access to medicine, introducing an initiative into the existing “Orphan Drug Framework” which regulates drugs for rare diseases.

The students saw a policy window in Canada, which has created an opportunity for them to actually make a difference. The students are proposing to give more incentive to pharmaceutical companies with something called “Priority Review Vouchers”, which will allow companies to release drugs onto the market 12 months earlier than they would normally be able to.

Orphan Drugs are expensive to invest in, and this new idea would mean huge revenue for the drug companies and large strides in the research of these important drugs for rare diseases.

Some students from the class attended a conference on Nov. 11 and 12, to which they were invited by the Canadian Organization for Rare Disorders. The goal of this conference was to make any last minute changes to the Orphan Drug Framework that CORD

need practical skills

will be presenting to the House of Commons this winter.

The students had the opportunity to present their idea about Priority Review Vouchers in Canada, which has already been a success in the United States. They were the youngest people at the conference by a landslide, and they had a lot of great responses from academics and pharmaceutical companies who attended.

This opportunity to attend the conference has given the students “a real seat at the table,” according to fourth-year Arts & Science student Sarah Silverberg.

The students feel that the most valuable thing they are learning from this course is how to advocate, reach out and talk to stakeholders who can help them reach their policy goals. The students expressed that the process is long and tedious, and are learning just how difficult it is to form policies.

“I’ve been so excited to see my students get more confident in themselves as advocates…this is very much their campaign, not mine,” said Hoffman. The students have been surprised at the positive reactions that they

are getting from MPs, Industry Canada and Health Canada.

In December, three students will be heading to Ottawa to meet with more lobbyists from Industry Canada to further discuss their ideas. These important individuals have given the students advice to shape their campaign moving forward.

Hoffman notes that this allows his students to become a part of the public discourse, “their voice is a legitimate voice.” Overwhelmingly, the students in the class admit that this course was not what they were expecting.

“I think we’ve all been surprised at how seriously everyone takes us, if we take ourselves seriously,” said Silverberg.

Hoffman explained that experiential education still remains an experiment, about whether this is the best way to deliver a course on global health advocacy, but the results have been extremely promising.

Said Hoffman, “It’s amazing to be at McMaster where this type of really innovative and wacky educational experiment is not only supported but celebrated.”

This problem was not exclusive only to the engineering community but applied to students as a whole. 63 per cent of hiring managers found that graduates were very prepared to apply technical skills to the task at hand but were relatively lost when they had to apply soft skills.

“The communication, the team-building, the prioritization and time management skills are… skills that employers are wanting more from students,” explained Lisa Barty, manager of McMaster’s Science Career and Cooperative Education office.

“Employers have changed their expectations of new hires,” said Sandra Preston, Assistant Professor and Director of Experiential Education of Social Sciences. “Employers want students to be job ready for their specific job and aren’t as willing to invest in young people who are just learning to navigate the work world… I do believe the discrepancy [between employer expectations and student performance] exists, but it has more to do with students not fully understanding how their skills do relate to the ‘real world.’”

The responsibility of diminishing the divide does not fall upon only the academic institutions but also the students themselves. The study highlighted the lack of soft skills that most graduates demonstrate.

“Students are under immense pressure to succeed academically, and maybe what we’re seeing is that students are coming out of post-secondary institutions lacking some of these skills because they have not found that balance between academics and all the other available [opportunities] that are going to help develop those [soft] skills,” explained Barty.

Preston pointed out that, “there are many opportunities on campus for students to gain the kind of experiences that will help them translate their skills from the academic to the employment world.”

Stewart agreed, and said “[We should] encourage students to develop these professional skills, as much as this is possible while they’re in school: participate in extracurricular activities, push outside of the comfort zone to interact with people from diverse academic backgrounds… it’s not just about getting good grades, it’s about both personal and professional growth.”

CANADIAN CAMPUS NEWS Sarah O’Connor Staff Reporter Engineers need to study arts, humanities

UAlberta research helps Canadian soldiers live healthy lives

USask signs agreement to construct hotel on campus

UCalgary researchers receieve funds for breast cancer studies

Canada needs national coordination of ocean research

The Canadian Engineering Accreditation Board has begun revising the standards of engineering education by including a list of 12 graduate attributes, six of which will focus on courses such as use of engineering tools and problem analysis, while the other half are more vague, relating to topics such as impact on society and communication. To follow CEAB’s new requirements, universities like the UAlberta have begun to add courses such as “Sociology for Engineers” or “English for Engineers” which act to make the new requirements available to engineering students.

A new study led by University of Alberta researcher Dr. Ibolja Cernak could help soldiers live healthier lives. Dr. Cernak and her team of researchers recently studied early signs of stress in more than 100 soldiers who were deployed in Kabul, Afghanistan.

Cernak believes that scientific evidence may help soldiers better accept mental health as it is not a topic many open up about. The Canadian Forces is watching the research closely saying it could help with diagnosis and treatment of mental disorders. The soldiers who took part in the first year will be continuing the study with Cernak.

On Nov. 7 University of Saskatchewan announced an agreement with P.R. Hotels Ltd to build a 10-storey, 203-room hotel on campus. Two Intercontinental Hotel Group brands will share the development: a Holiday Inn Express wing, which will have 117 mid- to upper-scale rooms, and a Staybridge Suites wing, which will feature kitchen facilities in each of its 86 rooms for guests staying a longer-term. As well as guests to the University, the hotel hopes to be available to Innovation Place tenants and Royal University Hospital. Construction will begin in mid-2014 with hopes to be completed by spring 2016.

The Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation (Prairies and Northwest Region) have awarded $4.7 million in funding to 14 scholars for cancer research. Three of the recipients are based out of the University of Calgary. Dr. KiYoung Lee, Dr. Randal Johnston, and Dr. Elise Fear have been awarded a portion of the funds, which will go to develop the next generation of effective treatment in cancer therapy. Last week’s announcement brings the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation’s 2013 investment into research to $4.91 million, following the money given to the three PhD students earlier this year, including Dr. Jie Chen, also from UCalgary.

The Council of Canadian Academies report, Ocean Science in Canada: Meeting the Challenge, Seizing the Opportunity, says that funding for ocean science is increasing but limitations on access to data are reducing the usefulness of research done by industry, governments, and universities.

It also asserts that Canada has an aging research fleet. David Strangeway, chairman of the expert panel, says that Canada is a steward of the ocean and its activities have an impact on the world. Canada has been regarded as having a world-leader status on ocean research, but without updated research facilities this could change.

E

theSil.ca

Thursday, Nov. 14, 2013

DITORIAL

A4

Executive Editor Jemma Wolfe Email thesil@thesil.ca Phone 905.525.9140 x22052

STUDENT SUCCESS

The person behind the prof Building relationships with your professors will make you more successful in your academics

to the return of legolas.

to synthetic pumpkin ingredients. gross.

to j.r. sharing life hacks, and having a thumb to understand.

to no mousse (until tomorrow).

to mac theatre & film. to drop-by family visits. to drag. to planning trips. to my first basketball game.

Jemma Wolfe Executive Editor I’ll never forget being in elementary school and seeing my teachers outside of the classroom for the first time.

Whether it was at the grocery store, at the local pool or out for a walk, it didn’t matter. Realizing that my teachers were real people with real lives who existed beyond the boundaries of the school playground was one of the strangest things for me to reconcile as a child.

And while it’s a phenomenon that often gets joked about by myself and my peers, I think it’s a strange perspective that never really goes away.

Throughout my degree, learning about professors’ lives outside the lecture hall always fascinated me, perhaps because a childish part of me still had a hard time imagining professors doing normal people things and having real lives.

It’s this imagined divide, I think, that inhibits so many students from seeking out their instructors during office hours, after lecture, or otherwise.

They are intimidated by the fictive qualities they’ve assigned to their professor.

Celebrity culture plays hugely into this. We build up bizarre expectations about people we’ve never known and are surprised – and disappointed – when those expectations aren’t met.

That it’s scandalous for famous women to have cellulite, that celebrity couples divorcing is a national outrage, that an actor going to the gym is shocking news is proof of this strange attitude.

In a much smaller but still influential way, we feel the same about

our professors, and this intimidation prevents students from seeking help, guidance, or merely having a conversation.

The success of smaller programs on campus – Health Science, Arts & Science, etc. – can perhaps partially be attributed to the more tight-knit, personable atmosphere of a close student-to-professor ratio. Everyone knows everyone, and while that small community feel can be stifling at times, it also fosters accountability to fellow students and to professors.

My degree took a turning point when my classes started shrinking and I was forced to get to know my professors better. It’s easy to sleep through your alarm when you’re in a 200-person class where the professor doesn’t know your name. Anonymity, especially at university, breeds apathy.

But small classroom settings inevitably meant that my professors knew who I was and came to expect my attendance, effort and dialogue surrounding course material.

My professors saw potential in my ideas when I couldn’t anymore, encouraged me to pursue opportunities I didn’t know existed, and mentored me through difficult times. When I needed an extension or modification, they understood. I wasn’t just another unknown name in their inbox, and they took the time to care.

Suddenly, I felt like if I didn’t study hard, or put significant effort into a paper, or show up to class on time, I was personally letting a professor down.

I’d had enough one-on-one time in class or during office hours to feel both

academically and personally invested in succeeding in that course.

Whether that feeling of obligation was largely in my head or was a true representation of the relationship I’d developed with my professors, I can’t really say. And now that it’s all said and done and my degree hangs on my living room wall, I don’t know if it matters.

What matters is that my connection motivated me to do my best, and that dedication paid off.

This midterm season, find a professor you can connect to. Their mentorship, support and guidance will help get you through and make your university experience more rewarding and worthwhile. @jemma_wolfe

AFTER OFFICE HOURS A video series that the Sil has been sharing about breaking down the barriers between professors and students is called After Office Hours. Check out interviews with Joe Kim, P.K. Rangachari, Jessica Franklin and more at thesil.ca.

Most popular

Most commented

Most underrated

FEATURE: “Humans are meant to move: parkour at Mac” by Tomi Milos. First published on Thursday, Nov. 7.

EDITORIAL: “Taking time to remember” by Jemma Wolfe.

First published on Thursday, Nov. 7.

SPORTS: “Men’s volleyball keeps winning streak alive” by Laura Sinclair. First posted on Wednesday, Nov. 6.

About Us MUSC, Room B110 McMaster University 1280 Main Street West, Hamilton, ON L8S 4S4 E–Mail: thesil@thesil.ca Facebook.com/ TheMcMasterSilhouette Twitter.com/theSilhouette Production Office (905) 525-9140, extension 27117 Advertising (905) 525-9140, extension 27557 10,000 circulation Published by the McMaster Students Union

Write To Us Letters to the Editor should be 100-300 words and be submitted via email by Tuesday at 12:00 p.m. to be included in that week’s publication.

Legal

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

to (mostly) successfully baking pumpkin pie. to making new friends. to hamsterdam. the speculator version is forthcoming.

to embarrassing myself. to student centre vendors. goodbye all my money. to missing the deadline. to “back during my undergrad,” and other such grown-up phrases. to everything happening at once (not to be confused with “it’s all happening”). to the slim selection of flights from yhm. come on, hamilton. to the itch that my wallet can’t scratch.

McMaster University’s Student Newspaper

My degree took a turning point when my classes started shrinking and I was forced to get to know my professors better... Suddenly, I felt like if I didn’t study hard, or put significant effort into a paper, or show up to class on time, I was personally letting a professor down.”

They may have been published in previous weeks, but these online pieces deserve a second look

to the hamilton spectator, for making us feel like part of the team for a day.

to being late.

The Silhouette

“

Come again?

to free holiday concerts.

to my hormones.

Remember to check out our website throughout the week for fresh content daily! We’re no longer Thursday exclusive – we’re your constant source of everything McMaster, every day.

thesil.ca Section Meeting Times News Thursdays @ 3:30 p.m.

Opinions Tuesdays @ 1:30 p.m.

EDITORIAL BOARD Jemma Wolfe | Executive Editor thesil@thesil.ca Scott Hastie | Managing Editor managing@thesil.ca Andrew Terefenko | Production Editor production@thesil.ca Anqi Shen | Online Editor news@thesil.ca Julia Redmond | News Editor news@thesil.ca Tyler Welch | Assistant News Editor news@thesil.ca Tomi Milos | Features Editor news@thesil.ca Sam Godfrey | Opinions Editor opinions@thesil.ca Laura Sinclair | Sports Editor sports@thesil.ca Alexandra Reilly | Assistant Sports Editor sports@thesil.ca Amanda Watkins | LifeStyle Editor lifestyle@thesil.ca Miranda Babbitt | Assistant LifeStyle Editor lifestyle@thesil.ca Bahar Orang | ANDY Editor andy@thesil.ca Cooper Long | Assistant ANDY Editor andy@thesil.ca Yoseif Haddad | Photo Editor photo@thesil.ca Eliza Pope | Assistant Photo Editor photo@thesil.ca Ben Barrett-Forrest | Multimedia Editor photo@thesil.ca Karen Wang | Graphics Editor production@thesil.ca Emily Scott | Video Editor photo@thesil.ca

Sports Thursdays @ 12:30 p.m.

Olivia Dorio | Distribution Coordinator thesil@thesil.ca

LifeStyle Thursdays @ 10:30 a.m.

Sandro Giordano | Ad Manager sgiordan@msu.mcmaster.ca

ANDY Tuesdays @ 5:30 p.m.

Video & Multimedia Mondays @ 1:30 p.m.

Photo Fridays @ 12 p.m.

Staff Reporters Tobi Abdul Sarah O’Connor Ana Qarri Sophia Topper thesil@thesil.ca

Facility services clean house Tomi Milos Features Editor Workers from McMaster’s facility services unit have officially severed ties with their old union.

In a vote conducted by the Ontario Labour Relations Board on Sept. 23, the 270 workers who make up the unit decided to break off their five-year agreement with the sizeable Service Employees International Union two years early and instead entrusted their affairs to the Building Union of Canada.

BUC is a recent upstart in the business headed by former Toronto police union leader, Craig Brommel.

The vote was a narrow one, said Craig Macdonald, the Director of Maintenance at McMaster’s Faculty Services.

“To my understanding, 55 per cent [of union members] were for leaving while 45 per cent were in favour of staying with the existing agreement.”

Regardless of the fact that Brommel used intimidatory practices to silence critics during his stint at the head of Canada’s largest police union—infamously chronicled by CBC’s The Fifth Estate—members have voted to trust him as the head of their new union.

Those who voted for change were unhappy about a five-year collective agreement conceived in 2010 that left the majority of them with small wage increases and few benefits.

Speaking to The Hamilton Spectator, Brommel reiterated that fact saying, “The problem is that a certain group of workers there didn’t do well on the last contract. There was almost no pay hike and a lot of take-aways on their benefits. I’d say 75 per

cent of the members did not do well and a certain group really got screwed. McMaster seems like a good university, but this last contract was really bad.”

In the same article, the local vice-president of the SEIU, David Bridgers, lamented the recent turn of events but maintained that his union was handicapped by McMaster’s own stinginess during negotiations: “The university was very clear that there was no new money available when we negotiated and we saw that was the way of the world.”

Speaking to the mixed response from votes, Macdonald said, “There’s some people who benefitted from the last contract and others who didn’t do as well.

I think that depending on the demographics involved, some saw opportunity in the new union and some saw comfort in the existing one.”

Macdonald is optimistic about the possibilities that the future holds, despite knowing that the agreement will have to satisfy a wide array of interests.

“The employees haven’t change; we have a great staff. I don’t think the fact that they have different leadership will change our relationship with the workers,” he said.

The parties meet for the first time on Nov. 14 to begin negotiations regarding the new collective agreement that will be drawn up. @tomimilos

– Talk to the –

Ombuds Office

Confidential • Impartial • Independent A FREE SERVICE designed to assist students, faculty, and staff in the just, fair, and equitable resolution of university-related complaints and concerns.

Students might visit the office with academic or non-academic problems, including those related to: Academic An Instructor or Supervisor Appeals and Petitions Examinations Academic Dishonesty Withdrawals or Reinstatements Course Rules

Non-Academic Code of Conduct On-Campus Employment Residence Life Fees, Fines or Refunds Quality of Service

MUSC ROOM 210 x24151 | OMBUDS@McMASTER.CA

www.mcmaster.ca/ombuds

A5

CHECK OUT WWW.MSUMcMASTER.CA/TWELVEIGHTY FOR MORE!

NEWS

CHEAPDRINKS, AMAZINGFOOD, PRICELESSMEMORIES.

Thursday, Nov. 14, 2013

THURS BAR NIGHTS! HOTTEST DJ’S! LOWESTDRINKPRICESINHAMILTON! STUDENTPRICES!

theSil.ca

theSil.ca

Thursday, Nov. 14, 2013

NEWS

A6

Mac Fine Arts to get studio upgrade Tyler Welch Assistant News Editor McMaster University’s fine arts program has been given three million dollars—the largest donation ever made to the program— to renovate and expand existing studio space.

The benefactor is Robert Fitzhenry, a McMaster alumnus and philanthropist, who made the donation in honour of his late wife Andrée, who was a painter specializing in landscapes.

The announcement was made at an emotional ceremony, on Wednesday—the same day of Andrée’s birthday—with administrators and art students in attendance.

“I believe that art is an essential component of a complete life.

My wife Andrée’s devotion to art was a beacon for us, and continues to be an inspiration for sharing with others the value of art in all its forms,” said Fitzhenry.

Livia Tsang, a fourth-year honours art student, was at the celebration ceremony.

“He dedicated it to his wife and it was her birthday today. It was super emotional,” said Tsang.

She continued, “It’s just so generous the fact that he’s donating so much money. We heard that he was giving something, but we weren’t thinking anything so big. It is so exciting.”

The gift will establish the Robert and Andrée Rhéaume Fitzhenry Studios and Atrium, an open space filled with natural light, set aside for painting, sculpting and other media.

The atrium will face Stearn Drive near the David Braley Athletic Centre and will act as a reception area allowing visitors, students, faculty and staff to view completed art as well as works in progress.

McMaster’s fine arts studios were first built in the 1960s in Togo Salmon Hall and were originally intended to house only 15 artists at a time. Since then, the program has expanded and the need for space has grown.

“The space does get cramped.

The new studio and atrium, as seen in an artist’s rendering, will add 1,700 square feet to space in Togo Salmon Hall.

Having an expansion will be helpful,” said Lydia Santia, a second-year studio art student.”

“The studio here has its own charm, and the tight quarters mean that we do often get close to each other, but at the same time, having not enough space can cause tensions,” said Tsang.

In her first year, Tsang was one of 22 artists who entered the program. Current first-years entered into a class of 30.

She said that, due to the cramped space, many artists have to work from home.

“The people who do work in the studio, they take over certain areas and other people get irritated when their space is impeded or when people use their things without permission,” she said.

The new atrium will cover a courtyard workspace, adding 1,700 square feet to the lower level of Togo Salmon Hall.

“They’re going to bring in a lot of light. We’re all stuck in a

No sleeves, no service Julia Redmond News Editor If you’re new to the McMaster community, there are a lot of things to learn. Mac has its own set of standards and rules—some of which may seem more unusual than others.

Among these unusual norms is a rule at the Pulse, the fitness and cardio facility at Mac’s David Braley Athletic Centre. While this portion of the gym asks some fairly standard qualities, among them proper footwear and general courtesy, it also makes another thing clear—no sleeves, no service.

The Athletics and Recreation website states, “a full shirt with sleeves must be worn. Halter tops, tank tops or half shirts are not permitted,” adding “sleeveless unitards must be covered by a T-shirt.”

The rule has been in place at Mac since the early 2000s, even before the existence of DBAC. It makes McMaster stand out among other universities. Queen’s, Western and U of T, for example, have no comparable rules.

But what makes it especially unique is how it came to be.

Kathleen Marin Ginis, a professor in health and exercise psychology in Mac’s Department of Kinesiology, explained that the decision to implement the Pulse’s rule was purely evidence-based.

“I would suggest that the use of evidence to inform such a policy is wonderful and a unique thing that they’re doing at the Pulse,” she said.

The athletic centre’s management at the time looked at a body of research and made the decision to change the clothing rules at the gym.

Pulse staff cited a number of studies that suggested people ex-

perienced anxiety based on their perceived appearance and the appearance of others exercising around them.

A 1989 study out of Wake Forest University, for example, established a “social physique anxiety scale,” to assess the degree to which people were uneasy when they felt others were evaluating their bodies. Findings suggested that certain elements of a workout environment—among them, clothing—affected people’s sense of insecurity.

Further research, some of it done in Marin Ginis’ own lab at McMaster, confirmed the study’s findings, suggesting that people were more comfortable and thus more likely to work out if people around them were dressed in a less revealing way.

“The results tend to be consistent,” she said. “When you’re talking about new exercisers—it freaks them out.”

And this is exactly the problem DBAC is hoping to combat.

“McMaster has a very lofty goal for getting high levels of participation in athletics and attendance at the DBAC and is something I know athletics takes very seriously,” said Marin Ginis.

“They’re not just interested in getting the usual gym rats there… they want people to start being active, and to continue being physically active… if it can be as simple as telling people not to wear tank tops in the gym, then why wouldn’t we do that?”

While it’s not a foolproof measure, and the gym staff are not meant to be “wardrobe watchdogs,” staff suggest that the outcomes are worthwhile, and that it results in a more welcoming workout environment. @juliaeredmond

basement [now] all day and in the winter it gets kind of drab. Obviously natural light is optimal for when you’re working with paintings and drawings and colour,” she said. “Being in a basement can be tough. Especially in the winter when it’s dark and it’s cold.”

Nikkie To, a fourth-year fine arts student, said she feels that space is integral to the artistic process.

“It allows us to present art properly and express our ideas.

We can talk to one another, receive feedback and get help from our peers,” To said.

Second-year studio art student Mary Duncan could only think of “dingy” when asked to describe fourth-year studios upstairs.

“Most of them don’t have indies and only have of them has a sink. They’re essentially closets,” she said. “There’s no light up there. Having some natural light up there will be amazing.”

“

“I believe that art is an essential component of a complete life. My wife Andrée’s devotion to art was a beacon for us, and continues to be an inspiration for sharing with others the value of art in all it forms.”

Robert Fitzhenry, philanthropist and McMaster alumnus

McMaster president Patrick Deane expressed gratitude for Fitzhenry’s donation to the program.

“This critical investment will have an impact on the entire campus, altering the way our students learn and creating an environment that can support all their artistic endeavours,” Deane said.

Robert Fitzhenry grew up in West Hamilton and graduated McMaster in 1954 with an honours B.A. in political economy. As a student, he played football and served on the Board of Publications.

He holds an honourary doctorate from McMaster and has been a member of the McMaster Alumni Association board of directors.

Construction on the site will begin in 2014. @TylerWelch4

Universities get short-term relief from pension pressures

Anqi Shen Online Editor With a number of Ontario universities facing large pension deficits, the province recently gave universities and other public sector employers a three-year extension to put sustainable pension plans in place.

Prior to the extension, several universities were running pension deficits in the hundreds of millions and had applied for solvency relief from the government, with terms expiring in January 2014. The three-year extension would allow universities to defer their solvency payments, or make interest-only payments, until 2018. “[The extension] gives universities and their employees breathing room to address their pension plans,” said Graeme Stewart, communications director for Ontario Confederation of University Faculty Associations (OCUFA). The OCUFA lobbied for short-term relief from pension pressures.

Currently, all but three universities in Ontario face pension solvency deficits, according to OCUFA. Queen’s University, for instance, faces a pension deficit of $459 million. To pay that off in 10

years, the university would have to draw heavily from its operating budget — extra funds it does not have — to allot $35 million annually to its pension fund.

Caroline Davis, vice-principal of finance and administration at Queen’s, recently called the university’s deficit issue “one of the most pressing financial issues facing Queen’s” in a Q and A on the school’s website.

Davis also said that the threeyear short-term relief “would not eliminate [the university’s] solvency problem and it would come at a cost.”

“It’s a little like making only the minimum payments on your credit card,” she said.

McMaster University’s 201314 consolidated budget similarly cited the university’s pension deficit as “the most significant financial pressure McMaster faces.”

The University of Ottawa has a pension deficit of $289 million and was approved for solvency relief this past June. Prior to the approval, the U of O faced the option of diverting $62 million, about 9 per cent of its operating budget, to paying off the deficit over five years.

Unfunded pension liabilities in universities have been an issue in Ontario for a number of years,

“

“The market crashed in 2008 and still hasn’t recovered. We also have historically low interest rates.”

Graeme Stewart, OCUFA communications director

exacerbated by the 2008 financial crisis.

“There were contribution holidays taken a decade ago when the plans had surpluses – the universities asked to not make contributions and were given that,” said Stewart. “The market crashed in 2008 and still hasn’t recovered.

We also have historically low interest rates.”

“This is a short term stop gap,” Stewart said of the extension granted by the province. “OCUFA has received a grant from the government to do research on [sustainable pension options] – and so has the Council of Ontario Universities.

“It gives us time to do research and gives us time to propose some solutions.” @anqi_shen

O

theSil.ca

Thursday, Nov. 14, 2013

PINIONS

A7

Mac transportaion

Editor Sam Godfrey Email opinions@thesil.ca

Globalization

A9

Phone 905.525.9140 x27117

The Lululemon Fiasco: Julie Huff The Silhouette

Has Lulu Become A Lemon?

My friends and I have long claimed that a woman’s wardrobe is not complete without one pair of Lululemon pants and a scuba hoodie.

I have spent most Tuesday mornings scanning Lululemon Athletica’s website for their weekly product uploads and Sunday nights scouring the “We Made Too Much” section (that’s Lulu’s fancy way of saying “on sale”). But over the past year, my Lulu addiction has slowly diminished.

Simply put, their clothes are not what they used to be.

Lululemon’s signature luon fabric and Groove pants are what made them famous, yet customers have lately been experiencing sheerness with their once-beloved pants. Last March, Lululemon was forced to pull thousands of Wunder Unders and Groove pants off their shelves, causing stocks to take a “downward dog” and CEO Christine Day to step down (although she will not leave until they find a replacement). But it is not only women who find that Lulu leaves much to be desired.

Even men have noticed a quality decline in the Game On boxer briefs and five-year basic Tees (yes, I read the men’s reviews, too).

What has been the cause of this mishap?

Some suggest that Lulu has gotten too big for its britches.

Founded by Chip Wilson in 1998 and based out of Va n c o u v e r, B.C., Lululemon Athletica was celebrated for being an all-Canadian company.

But Lulu has begun to outsource.

Although the tags on their clothes boast that they are designed in Vancouver, they also state that they are actually made in Vietnam, China, and other parts of

Asia. While outsourcing is not necessarily the reason why Lulu’s quality has declined, it certainly seems to be a contributing factor. Lulu is blamed for having become too greedy. They’re using cheaper fabrics, yet their prices continue to rise.

Last week, Lulu experienced yet another setback. On Nov. 5, Bloomberg TV interviewed Wilson in an attempt to respond to the latest issue with the luon pant: pilling. Women claim that their pants pill between the thighs after only a few uses and washes. This seems to be an issue only with pants that have been made recently, as women say that their ten-year-old luon pants show little signs of wear. But it is not this design flaw that has taken center stage. Instead, it is Wilson’s response to the latest scandal that has incited a roar of media backlash. When Wilson was asked why the pants are pilling, he replied: “Quite frankly, some women’s bodies just actually don’t work for [the pants].

It’s really about the rubbing of the thighs, how much pressure is there over a period of time and how much they use it.”

Wilson implies that Lululemon is not made for “plussized” women.

While this may not be so, Lululemon Athletica is indeed made for athletes, and not all athletes have a gap between their thighs.

Wilson’s remarks suggest that only thin women are athletic, therefore only thin women can wear Lululemon.

Instead of promoting a healthy lifestyle, Wilson employs the image of a thin woman to endorse his company.

For some women, being fit does mean a slim body type.

But the fact is that healthy and athletic body types come in all shapes and sizes.

Women who are “plus-sized” (what Lulu considers size 14 and up) can be equally athletic as women who are, say, a size 4.

As a company who claims that it endorses health, fitness and wellbeing, Lululemon should exemplify this definition through a myriad of body types instead of casting only one image as a representation of their company. Wilson has been accused of “fat shaming” women. After all, what kind of message does Lululemon convey by suggesting that only thin women are athletic and healthy?

After being confronted by the media, Wilson addressed his interview with Bloomberg and “apologized.” He stated: “I’m sad for the repercussions of my actions, I’m sad for the people of Lululemon who I care so much about that have really had to face the brunt of my actions. I take responsibility for all that has occurred, and the impact it has had on you.”

But Wilson’s “apology” leaves me bereft. He’s not apologizing to his customers or the public, but rather apologizing to his employees. Wilson needs to stop blaming women for Lululemon’s declining quality and instead take responsibility.

P e r h a p s he should read Lulu’s manifesto and pay specific attention to these words: “The world moves at such a rapid rate that waiting to implement changes will leave you two steps behind. Do it now, do it now, do it now!” Yes, Lululemon.

Improve the quality of your product now. Do it before customers become so frustrated that they leave.

A l t h o u g h c u s t o m e r s’ complaints prove that women are sorely disappointed with Lululemon’s quality decline, they are not ready to give up on the yoga-inspired c o m p a ny.

Indeed, Lulu has

a cult-like following and has inspired a “Lululemon culture” that seems to be aimed toward the elite.

Lululemon is a status symbol. Their high prices and high quality products once attracted certain “elite” customers, and while they still do, Lulu needs to be careful because their products don’t seem to be so high quality anymore.

The fact that customers have cried out for Lulu to improve their product instead of just walking away from stores highlights how well loved the company is.

Lululemon needs to listen to their customers’ plea.

My final words: The fact that Lululemon has not maintained the quality of their clothing is a bad reflection of the company, but the fact that customers keep going back despite their disappointment is a bad reflection of the customers.

Lulu seems to be unwilling to adjust their clothing to fit a more diverse group of women, but women shouldn’t try to change their bodies to fit a certain type of clothing. Women need to find clothes that fit them and make them feel good.

Lululemon Athletica was great before. They can be great again. But women shouldn’t have to wait around for them to change. Move on, shop around, and try something new.

KAREN WANG / GRAPHICS EDITOR

FEEDBACK Are you an organ donor?

Amy Rae argues for more Canadians becoming organ donors.

HAVE A HEART, A10 “Currently I am not. I am going to change that. Everybody should be, it’s an important gift to give away.”

Jordan Cole, Political Science / Philosophy II

“No, but I wish I was.”

Tahiya Bakht, Political Science / Labour Studies IV

“Yes! When I die I won’t need my organs; I’d rather they go to somone who does.”

Alexandra Reilly, Communication Studies III

“Not currently, but it’s on my list of priorities.”

Alex Niedra, Mechanical Engineering III

A8

theSil.ca

Thursday, Nov. 14, 2013

Railing on HSR

OPINIONS

Park it, Mac Natalie Doland The Silhouette

KAREN WANG / GRAPHICS EDITOR

Tobi Abdul Staff Reporter It has happened to all of us at one point: there you are, on time for the bus, only a few metres away when it just flies by, without you on it, causing you to be late for whatever important presentation or appointment you were off to.

Or similarly, it’s freezing cold and you’re on time for the bus and just before literally freezing your fingers off, it does come. But unbelievably late, causing you to be late for whatever important presentation or appointment you were off to.

If you’ve ever been on the 5

or the 51, you know that once the bus reaches campus, it basically empties. Yet, despite this, the HSR has done nothing to cater its services on the 5 or 51 towards students.

We may not pay per trip, but regardless of how much we pay in comparison to what it costs, the fact that we do should guarantee us a service that actually works for us, instead of one where it’s a gamble as to if the buses are even going to show up at all.

To quote HBO: winter is coming. And despite all the bundling up that us Canadians have to endure to survive the freezing cold, walking sucks.

The HSR is unreliable at best.

I may not know much about the bureaucracy behind the bus system but I can’t imagine that it really takes that much to make sure the buses are relatively on time or at most, make sure the buses actually show up.

We deserve something a little better considering that we pay for this service and until the HSR recognizes the fact that the student demographic are its biggest constituents on the 5 or 51, they will make no steps to give us better service. @toe_bee

A8

The parking cost at McMaster from September 2013-April 2014 is about $556, and the average Canadian university tuition is $5,772. This makes parking at McMaster for eight months approximately one-tenth of the average Canadian tuition.

There have been numerous cases of illegal parking this academic year. Approximately 75 tickets have been issued, and there is an indeterminate amount of parking-mischief that has gone unnoticed. There are many reasons that people feel this is their only option. Parking on campus is overly expensive, and students have limited resources to pay for fees on top of tuition. It is hard enough for students to own a car and pay for gas, let alone buy or pay for a parking permit.

A fine of $75 is administered to anyone caught scamming free parking. Even if five tickets are received over the eight month academic period, it is still cheaper than buying the most inexpensive parking pass at McMaster. It is not surprising that students are continually finding ways to cheat the system. The odds of getting caught are in the parker’s favour because it would require a great amount of

staff to catch every illegal parker.

A McMaster graduate stated that her tactic worked 40 or 50 times and she paid minimally. Honest people that pay for parking are beginning to see that these illegal strategies are working. Consequently, more and more people are trying to cheat the system. As more students hear about the different tactics avoiding the system, the problem will only worsen and fewer students will pay for parking. McMaster must take action.

McMaster may argue they need to charge this amount for maintenance, new sidewalks or other miscellaneous costs. McMaster can work out this problem is through student fees. Bus passes are automatically added to a student’s fees regardless of if the student wants to use the pass. McMaster should consider the decision of designing a system where a student can opt-out of the bus pass and use that cost towards a parking permit.

This would reduce the cost for students parking on campus, subsequently reducing the amount of illegal parking.

McMaster’s solution to solving the illegal parking issue is imminent. The ball is in their court and it is time that they take action on this issue.

WANTED: CHRISTMAS GIFT WRAPPERS CREATIVE INDIVIDUALS LOCATIONS: Downtown Toronto, Etobicoke (Sherway Gardens), Brampton.

Managers to $12.00/hour + bonuses.

Wrappers to $11.00/hour.

Full & Part Time Avail - December 1 – 24.

TO APPLY, GO TO:

www.TorontoWraps.com

theSil.ca

Thursday, Nov. 14, 2013

OPINIONS

A9

g l o g b n i a o l G Cassandra Jeffery The Silhouette

There are very few places, if any, that are completely untouched by the rapid modernization that has come to overwhelm much of the globe.

North American culture, for example, is largely based on a capitalist system that reinforces the spread of globalization. We’ve become not only fully immersed within a globalized, cultural context but we’ve also grown numb to the ramifications of capitalist ventures and the intrusiveness of globalization.

For

us, living in Canada, we’re exposed and all too familiar with the consistent influx of McDonalds or Starbucks.

Speaking for the general population at McMaster, I can say that all of us have access to a modern form of communication. Most of us lay claim to a cell phone or laptop, both of which can access various media and communication outlets.

We have, practically, instant and constant access to the Internet. Google has made it possible to see a street level view of a German city while sitting in a lecture hall here at McMaster. Although I’m still astounded at the speed in which technology is accelerating our ability to connect with the rest of the world, I have certainly taken for granted some of the benefits that come along side of globalization.

Globalization discourages cultural and national ignorance. With the world literally at our fingertips we, as global citizens living in Canada, have the ability to discover diverse perspectives while enjoying the comforts of home. Although I can’t speak for everyone, I certainly can’t claim ignorance when I can easily research something on the Internet. Borders have become less tangible as we move fluidly through the globe’s nations and cultures portrayed on our computer screens.

In a more literal sense, globalization encourages travel.

As I learn about these fascinating places in the world I begin to yearn for the physical experience. Traveling puts your world, your culture, and your experiences into a different perspective. Taking yourself out of what is

subjectively normal and placing yourself into a whirlwind of new customs, cultural practices, and ideologies can be overwhelming, challenging, yet eminently enriching.

Globalization has also walked hand-in-hand with industrialization and modernization. Although I cringe to see yet another corporate conglomerate plant its roots in our already capitalist weeded soil, there are benefits to bringing industrialization and modernization into the metaphorical garden. Influencing economic stability, national capital, and employment, industrialization maintains a level of prosperity.

And, I’m sure we’d be reluctant to give up our vehicles, cell-phones, and central heating in return for a “simpler” lifestyle. Globalization has encouraged industrialization and modernization across the globe, which has, in some ways, beneficially impacted national economic, political and social standing. However, what is to be said against globalization, industrialization, and modernization?

As globalizations encourages a surge of eager travellers, typically the wealthy and middle-class populations of the world, the more traditional areas of the world and the predominantly poverty stricken global citizens are vulnerable in that they become fetisized by world travellers and exploited by money hungry industrial ventures. The land and the people of these un-familiar areas of the world are worked down and forcibly pushed into the path of globalization.

Being sucked into the vortex of capitalism in the name of modernization, we are to assume that this development is natural—an unexplainable, self governing force that simply

exists. However, it was Karl Marx who pointed out that our fixation with commodities, and all of the elements that are attributed with consumerism, is a product of our society that we, the global citizens, perpetuated.

The spread of industrialization and capitalist ideologies in a country such as Cambodia, for example, creates a social constructed hierarchy of the oppressed worker and the commodity consumer.

There’s something romantically simplistic about the areas of the world that seem to have withheld from aspects of globalization. When I was travelling through Croatia this past June I was surprised to see that the country did not have the typical western icons of globalization.

There were no franchises of McDonalds or Burger King, there were no large western corporations, and although Croatia is a modernized, industrialized country, I couldn’t help but feel pleasure in the fact that this small country, in relation to the rest of Europe, was able to fight off a metaphorical, iconic representation of globalization. On the contrary, Croatia recently joined the European Union and no doubt will this membership into the EU bring beneficial national growth, however with such improvements must come the inescapable spread of globalization.

Switching my focus to Southeast Asia, I fear for the beautiful yet still mysterious country of Laos. Nestled in between Vietnam, Thailand, Myanmar and Cambodia the country, from what I have seen on television and in research, is left for the

most part untouched by industrialization. The country remains frozen in time, unchanged from a century ago.

Yet, it seems globalization is inevitable.

Industrialization and modernization will eventually make its way to Laos.

Tourists will choose Laos as their next exotic travel destination, the country and her people will imminently change as outside influence becomes more prevalent and capitalist ideologies flourish.

The pessimism I have for the globalized world is troubling although I hold little faith in the world`s ability to alter our chosen path. If the spread of modernization and industrialization is inevitable all I can do is explore and understand these untouched areas of the world before they become consumed.

We tend to take the good in globalization and seem to forget about the bad and at the end of the day we are left wondering, do the ends really justify the means?

KAREN WANG / GRAPHICS EDITOR

Make cures cross-continental Initiative for Global Access to Medicines Global Health Advocacy 4ZZ3 Ten years ago this week, the Canadian Access to Medicines Regime was created. Its purpose was to improve global access to medicines by allowing Canadian generic pharmaceutical companies to reproduce patented medicines at a lower cost, which could then be distributed to countries where these medicines are inaccessible.

In doing this, Canada was a global leader and tried to set an international precedent to use inexpensive generic drug manufacturing to improve access to lifesaving drugs worldwide.

Unfortunately, Canada’s leadership was short-lived. In its tenyear existence, CAMR has only been used once, highlighting its failure. CAMR procedures were found to be too cumbersome, and the only generic pharmaceuti-

cal company to ever use CAMR vowed never to try it again.

Last year, Canada had a chance to plug the holes in the original legislation. Although petty politics got in the way of the Canadian government’s chance to fix CAMR, there is still hope for improving global access to medicines. There is another option for Canada to use its strong pharmaceutical sector for the global good.

The Orphan Drug Regulatory Framework, a set of incentives meant to encourage research and development for rare and neglected diseases, is being brought to Parliament in Winter 2014. Rare diseases are those that affect less than five in 10,000 Canadians, while neglected diseases are those that disproportionately affect lowand middle-income countries, but receive little research funding.

The ODRF legislation is a key opportunity for Canada to address

the global disease burden.

Right now, Canadian pharmaceutical companies are not motivated to perform research on drugs for the diseases that most affect the developing world. The ODRF does not do enough to help stimulate such interest, particularly in the case for ultra-rare and neglected diseases. An additional incentive is needed so that researching these drugs is profitable for Canadian companies.

Canada should look to the United States’ in its innovative creation of Priority Review Vouchers. To provide further incentives to the ODRF, priority review vouchers can be awarded to pharmaceutical companies that develop rare and neglected disease therapies. In the regular review process, it takes Health Canada an average of 18 months to review and approve a new drug. Most of this time is spent waiting in line to begin the testing

process. But under the priority review, certain drugs, such as those that target life-threatening diseases, are reviewed in just 3 months.

Priority review ensures that drugs complete the same approval processes and pass the same safety and quality testing, but without waiting in line. Priority review vouchers — which would allow companies to redeem these priority reviews for any drug — could be worth up to $300 million dollars in profits for pharmaceutical companies, since they allow for earlier market introduction of drugs.

This is a low-cost solution for the Canadian government that will increase profits for pharmaceutical companies, thus making it a financially sustainable enterprise.

Priority review vouchers will have a significant impact not only for Canadians living with rare and

ultra-rare diseases, but can also have implications on global access to medicines. By incentivizing research and development on treatments for neglected diseases in addition to rare disorders, Canadian pharmaceutical companies will also be targeting the issue of availability of essential drugs to people in the developing world.

Canada has come a long way, but it still has a ways to go to fulfill its global commitments.

Although the ODRF is an important step forward, but Canada needs to include priority review vouchers if it is to improve global drug access.

Canada was once a leader in access to medicines, and Canada can re-establish this role on the world stage once again.

Contributors: Asha Behdinan, Justina Ellery, Anna Foster, Esaba Kashem, Jennifer Romano, Sarah Silverberg.

theSil.ca

Thursday, Nov. 14, 2013

Drop the puck,

not the gloves Sam Godfrey Opinions Editor Statistically, I’m a great fighter.

In my 10-plus years of playing hockey, I’ve never lost a fight.

When it came to going buckets and gloves, I won both times.

But despite my obvious physical dominance on the rink, I have to say I’d rather hockey cut the fighting.

Those interested or involved in the sport have no doubt been a part of this debate at some point or another, and even those who aren’t interested have probably read an article or two about concussions sustained by minor hockey players.

Though brain-damaging injuries are obviously serious, that aspect of the argument, for me, isn’t the strongest. What is more convincing are the considerations of how scrapping affects the game itself.

There have been many recent changes to gameplay, regulations, even things like dimension standards. The changes were primarily implemented to improve the speed and flow of the game, as well as hopefully the skillsets of

players.

Changes like those made to dimension standards are easier to see the effects of than more subjective changes (for instance the severity of penalties). The newly-increased distance between the blue lines and the goal lines, making for a larger offensive/defensive zone, makes a difference in how often the puck leaves the zone.

This way, there is less need for the offensive players to clear the zone, and fewer stoppages of play related with re-entry offsides.

Hockey is obviously taking pains to become the smooth, fast sport it should be, for as much of the game as possible. Given this aspiration, it seems silly to keep mucking around with scraps.

Instead of bench brawls, I’d rather see brawlers benched.

Fighting is an unnecessary disruption to gameplay that serves no purpose but to entertain spectators who mistook the hockey rink for a boxing ring.

It distracts from and interrupts the parts of the game that matter.

Shooting, passing, skating, making plays to score more goals because that’s how you win a game; not by throwing a few punches

or pulling another person’s jersey over their head.

Additionally, fighting in hockey creates an unwarranted culture of violence within the sport and its spectators. There is no other game wherein players regularly fight outside the parameters of the sport. Football, notoriously rough, has huge amounts of physicality. Yet, it is not unusual to see a player helping an opponent up after a particularly nasty tackle. And the fans don’t seem to mind, given that the National Football League is the most profitable sports organization in North America.

Speaking as a puck-head, I know that the National Hockey League wouldn’t lose me as a fan, and I wager most of my ice-fiend friends wouldn’t stop watching either. There is significantly less fighting in hockey than there used to be, and the referees are making marked attempts to stop brawls before they break out. It’s just a matter of improving this trend until we cut fighting out entirely.

OPINIONS

A10

Secondhand

Forget the myths about organ donation and become a donor Amy Rae The Silhouette The Barrie Examiner recently presented a story about college student Helene Campbell from Ottawa who was diagnosed with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis in April 2011. This fatal disease can come from many causes, such as smoking tobacco and genetic factors. Fortunately, she received a life-saving double-lung transplant soon after her diagnoses.

Many other Canadians’ in Campbell’s position are not as fortunate. Organ donation should be better promoted in Canada; the Canadian Transplant Society stated that more than 90 per cent of Canadians support the donation of organs and tissue, but fewer than 25 per cent have yet to go through with it.

residents in Ontario alone are on a transplant waiting list.

It is time for Canadian citizens to realize that by donating organs and tissues after death, so many can benefit. Spending your life on dialysis for example, is not a life well lived, especially when someone’s healthy kidney could be yours.

It is up to us as a society to bring awareness to the benefits of becoming a donor and there are many ways we can do so. A couple from Scotland, Gordon Hutchinson and Catriona Anderson who were wed this year, asked their guests to consider registering to become an organ donor in exchange for traditional wedding gifts. Hutchinson received a heart

Organ donation has longingly held countless myths, which are partially the reason behind many people choosing not to donate.

Some common myths include: “If I agree to donate my organs, the hospital staff won’t work as hard to save my life,” “What if I am not really dead when they sign my death certificate?” and “Nobody would want my organs, I’m too old,” and so on.

A lack of information on organ donation, leading to these beliefs, is continuously swaying people towards not registering as a donor.

Why not give someone the opportunity to a healthier life or life in general? Donors are capable of saving up to eight lives. According to the Trillium Gift of Life Network, approximately 1,500

transplant when he was 13 due to his congenital heart defect. He and many other donor recipients are trying to encourage as many people possible to become donors.

Hutchinson was lucky enough to receive the transplant he so desperately needed, but many others are not as privileged.

By becoming a donor yourself, and encouraging others to do so, many people who wouldn’t originally have the opportunity to finish school, travel the world, establish a career, get married and build a family, will now have that chance.

Register to become a donor and give people within our country better odds to living a healthy and fulfilled life.

@samwisegodfrey

You can register as a donor online at beadonor.ca

STUDENT LIFE ENHANCEMENT SHOWCASE Do you have a great idea to enhance McMaster?

Share your idea and be inspired by others who have done the same.

Wed, Nov. 20 | 11am - 2pm | MUSC Atrium

enhance.mcmaster.ca

ur Fair

e Entrepren Not sure which path to follow?

Want to know your options?

Start walking START UP

WORK FOR AN ENTREPRENEUR

OWN A FRANCHISE

SMALL BUSINESS

Choose your track for the day or mix & match

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 21 12:00pm - 5:15pm McMaster Innovation Park Listen to industry professionals, entrepreneurs & consultants with knowledge & experience Participate with a Keynote panel of local entrepreneur leaders, including Juan Lopez (Pipeline Studios) and Tom Schopf (Wedgie) Sign up: mip2013entrepreneurfair.eventbrite.com

Sponsors:

Food Providers:

NOTSPEC.COM

GUNNING FOR GOOD GRADES Academic dishonesty disputes will now be settled by pistols at dawn; plagiarism infrac tions sk yrocket B5

THURSDAY

NOVEMBER 14, 2013

HAMILTON SPECULATOR THE

EATING DOGS SINCE 1934

LOCAL

Walk-in bathtub business is booming; scoot over shower plebs A4

WORLD

Gallery of costumes from annual Geneva Convention A7

NATURE

Twenty species of birds classified as extinct; not the ones you’d hope for C1

Mutt shaming hits Hamilton

REVIEW

No more kidding around

SHIT HASTINGS All bark, no bite

A disturbing trend among dog owners has emerged in the Steel City.

Dogs are being insulted for being dogs. The Hamilton Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals estimates that three out of five Hamilton pups have been berated by their owners for things like pooping in the house.

“People have no issue giving their dog a hard time for ripping toilet paper up, stealing socks or barking at squirrels,” said JoAnne Fitzsimmons, spokesperson for the HSPCA. “Maybe if they took their [redacted] dogs out for a [redacted] walk, they wouldn’t have this problem.”

It’s becoming a bit of a bitch to city officials, as Hamilton is close to losing its status as a “dog-friendly” city after fighting for years to change it’s reputation from being just a lowly “cat-friendly” city.

City Councillor Milo Xavier urged Hamilton residents to change course.

“It’s easy to be cat-friendly. Put out some food, Instagram some photos and buy cat litter.

But dogs have feelings, and you have to respect them. We can’t be mutt-shaming, we have to take the onus off the dog for just living its ruff life,” said Xavier. “Being deemed dog-friendly proves that Hamilton is more than just a ‘poor-man’s Montreal’, something the city has worked hard to prove.”

Pure-bred owners are the most guilty of mutt-shaming, probably because they expect more out of their dogs because the owners were pretentious enough to only get a pure-bred.

The Speculator has tried to deter these trends by sending staff out to just say nice stuff to dogs like “good boy” and by petting any canine they encounter.

The new hit show, Deadliest Catch a Predator, is taking the nation by storm and frightening close-minded communities everywhere.

TIBERIUS SLICK

SCORE

WE GIVE IT A WHOPPING....

Registered Speculator

In their tradition of bringing viewers into unfamiliar territory, Discovery is about to make waves with their reinvention of a tried and true formula.

Deadliest Catch a Predator, a new show set to air on their network later this fall, is a ballsto-the-wall endeavour in which a camera crew follows a team of P.E.I. fishermen while they scour suburbia for sexual deviants.

“I think this is a frontier for fishers everywhere. We’re not used to our hauls being able to outthink, outsmart, or even outmolest us, so we’ve got our work cut out for us,” said Kip Lively, captain of the “Barnacle Buoys.”

The first episode was screened for this reporter, and to my surprise, I made it to the end without reaching climax even once. The art direction was very tasteful and the producers chose only the most unassuming of sexual predators.

“When we were looking

This time the prey is trying to catch prey of their own.

It’s gonna be pedomonium all the way down if we don’t haul ass.”

3 OF 4 PUBLIC ERECTIONS

through the sexual offender registry, we didn’t just want any old pencil-moustached creep. We wanted to go after the vermin that look so normal, you can only go ‘really? He was my grocer!’” said Lively, who is also an executive producer on the program.

The show also found that unlike traditional catch-and-release television programs, the general public was uncomfortable with the release part of the equation as far as pedophiles were concerned, so Kip got creative.

“We register them as Yukonian citizens and ship them off to the edge of civilization, where life is scarce and fun is illegal.”

For anyone looking for a family affair, or if you’re curious about a career in being absolute scum, check out the premiere later this week.

Ornery Pedophobe

The seasoned seadogs will have to get wet to land one of the elusive willywatchers.

Ways to spice up your Mills sex life In a desperate 1 2 3 4 effort to relate to students, preseason MSU electoral candidate Cleopatra Fawkes guides undergrads through how to relieve stress in the library – the inappropriate way.

[Vote Fawkes for >> MSU President in an awkwardly long number of weeks from now!]

We all know the elevators in Mills are painfully slow.

But let’s not be so naïve to assume that’s because it’s an old building. People are banging in there, and you shouldn’t continue to be left out. Grab a friend – or four – and ride the elevator (and each other) into bliss.

Pro tip: make lots of “shaft,” “hitting the right buttons,” and “getting off ” puns. Use a sexy voice.

What good are big study tables and height-adjustable chairs if not for foot-genital under-the-table massaging?

Pro tip: don’t wear scratchy socks.

WEATHER HIGH: FRIGID BITCH LOW: WHY DO PEOPLE LIVE IN THIS PART OF THE WORLD Canada is evidence that hell has indeed frozen over, and then the British colonized it.

Shit in a Box

SPECU

Shit Hastings trades bodies with Lindsay Lohan and has a hard time adjusting to the litter box. see ONLINE

Tickets when you don’t throw your money away on playing the lottery.

You know all those small, private rooms around the Learning Commons perimeter that are always booked for noble initiatives and club meetings?

Pick a snazzy, inconspicuous sounding name (e.g.

The Study Hard Club), book yourself a solid chunk of time, and get to “work” with your partner(s) of choice.

Pro-tip: remember to pull down the privacy blinds.

As our world moves from print to online, there are bound to be several sections of the library that are now entirely obsolete.

Who looks at the encyclopedias or the music CD archives anymore?

People who want to get it on. Meet them there. Get it on.

Pro-tip: avoid windows at night.

SASKATCHE-WAND:

LAISSEZ-FARE: APATHETIC

CANADIAN EDIT OF HARRY

TOLL BOOTH WORKERS D3

POTTER HITS SHELVES A2

SERIOUSLY SUJAYCREW D6

MORE FORD NEWS: THE 2014

ONCE YOU GO BLACK, YOU

EXPLORER HAS IT ALL A3

STOP HAVING VARIETY IN

OIL OF O-LAYMAN B4

SCORING LEADERS G3

It is no longer safe for a Hamiltonian leg-humper to express itself in our society.

Thanks Obama.

PER ISSUE: Six Sick Ticks Flicked from Licked Chicks

INCL. HST, PST where applicable.

DISCLAIMER: Only idiots play the lottery on an organized, consistent basis. You would be better off sticking the money up your asshole and waiting until you shat out a cool million, which would happen long before you ever won a cent from the lottery and gaming commission. Except those scratch cards, like the crossword ones. Those are kind of fun to play and I mean we have to get our thrills somewhere right? I’m so alone.

Disclaimer: The Hamilton Speculator is a work of satire and fiction and should not under any circumstances be taken seriously. Unless you’re into that sort of thing. Then do what you want. I’m not your dad.

S

B1

Thursday, Nov. 14, 2013

theSil.ca

PORTS

Editors Laura Sinclair & Alexandra Reilly Email sports@thesil.ca

@silsports

Phone 905.525.9140 x27117

Women’s Volleyball

B3

Men’s Basketball

B2

MAC HOME GAMES ARE FREE ONCE AGAIN Alexandra Reilly Assistant Sports Editor It looks like Marauder fans have an even bigger reason to smile this season. Not only are both the basketball and volleyball teams off to a great start, but now admission to the games in Burridge Gym is free again.

All you need is some maroon to guarantee your seat to take in some Marauders action this season.

With the $5 ticket fee having the potential to decrease attendance at games this season, the McMaster Athletics and Recreation department reached an agreement with Bell Mobility to bring ticket prices back to zero once again.

“Tickets are once again free for students who wear their maroon to both basketball and volleyball games,” said Parrish Offer who is the manager of marketing communications sponsorship for McMaster Athletics.

“This is thanks to a new partnership with Bell Mobility who is also offering discounted rates to students,” said Offer of the new deal.

“We want students to understand that there is value in coming to McMaster sporting events and that considerable effort and cost is associated with delivering first rate athletics, however we want to make it accessible.”

With the season barely underway for the Marauder volleyball and basketball teams it turns out the partnership with Bell was reached at the perfect time.

“We actually hadn’t started the season when we made the decision,” Offer said.

“We’d been working on the partnership with Bell for over a

year, and they were interested in how best to help and reach students.”

With a decision finalized, attendance numbers should certainly be how they always were, with no chance of a ticket price now deterring fans from taking in Marauder action. With continued hype around both volleyball and basketball this season combined with free of charge entrance for wearing maroon, McMaster athletics should still maintain its popularity amongst students looking to cheer on their fellow maroon and grey peers.

As an agreement was finally met with Bell there are questions now surrounding the price of all Marauder games and if eventually football tickets will soon be free for students as well. Bell will continue its work with McMaster athletics ensuring all students get the full experience when it comes to athletics at their school.

YOSEIF HADDAD / PHOTO EDITOR

C/O RICHARD ZAZULAK

@Miss_AReilly

“

“We want students to understand that there is value in coming to McMaster sporting events...”

Parrish Offer, manager of marketing communications sponsorship for McMaster Athletics

C/O JON WHITE

Men’s volleyball continues to impress

The Ryerson Rams put up an impressive fight against the Marauders, but a strong McMaster effort on all fronts would eventually lead the team’s well- deserved victory YOSEIF HADDAD / PHOTO EDITOR

Laura Sinclair Sports Editor The Marauders men’s volleyball team knew that they would be in for a tough challenge on Friday night against the Ryerson Rams, and although the team was able to take down the Rams in three sets, Coach Preston believes that the Rams still gave them a hard time, especially in the second set.

“I think Ryerson did a pretty good job. I think it really showed in the second set, how much stress they could put us under … their middles really stepped up, and we didn’t do a very good job on that” said Preston.

The Marauders still managed to hold them off, however, by maintaining their concentration in the third set to come out on top with a big win.

This win came after a great start, which saw the Marauders get off to an early lead which made it easier for them to come out on top when it mattered most in the third set.

“I know for the first five or

six minutes in the match, we kind of smothered them, we kind of shocked them,” said Preston.

Preston credits the performance and the shock factor for the Rams to his offence, particularly setter Austin Campion-Smith.

“It was our best passing match that we’ve had this year.

So Austin Campion-Smith had his best offense available to him all night long, our passers did a ridiculously good job in that regard. So offensively, it was really, really smooth.”

Preston refers to Campion-Smith as the orchestrator of the team, as there are some key players in the match that score some big points, but Campion-Smith’s job is to provide them with a great pass which results in their points in the first place.

“The guy behind the orchestra, the conductor is Austin. He finds out what we’ve got, what they are doing, who is going to be open and then he goes with it.

The good news is when he calls Jori’s number, Jori is ready to go.

And when he calls Jayson’s number, Jayson is ready to go…He is a combined middle linebacker and the quarterback. He’s got to see everything, and execute it all.

So we have prepped him pretty good.”

Campion-Smith called Mantha’s number often against the Rams, as Mantha was the leading scorer for the Marauders, getting up to a total of 14 points, which is something that Preston is not surprised by.

“He hit over .500, so he is serving so well right now,” said Preston.

“He’s putting tremendous pressure on the opponent, he is blocking; we had him matched up on their number one hitter, defensively in the back corner he is making the right moves, and the right reads, and he is our leader right now,” added Preston.

The good thing about the team is also the fact that if Mantha has a bad game, there are multiple people that can fill in for that person – so it won’t be too much of a burden for the team in

YOSEIF HADDAD / PHOTO EDITOR

high-pressured situations.

“If for some reason he is not on, on a given night, other guys can step up, but Jori is being the leader that he wants to be right now. It’s nice for him to get the recognition because he has worked really hard,” said Preston.

The Marauders were able to take advantage of their offensive talent to come out on top against the Rams, and this is something they will have to bring into the game against Queen’s this Saturday at 2 p.m. in the Burridge Gym. Preston has pointed out some key opponents that stand out on the Queen’s team, and are sure to provide the Marauders with a tough challenge.

“They’ve got three excellent read blockers in the middle, so they can shut down the middle of the court. Their libero is outstanding. He is a Bulgarian kid, and only second year but plays much, much older and more mature than that. So they are solid and really, really well coached,” said Preston.

This is something that the Marauders are prepared for, however, and Preston is very familiar with their style, having played the Queen’s Gaels several times in previous season match-ups.

“We are very, very familiar with Queen’s, we’ve played them a lot in the past, so we’re ready for the challenge, but the challenge will be big.” @Lsinkky

theSil.ca

Thursday, Nov 14, 2013

SPORTS

B2

Inconsistency plaguing Marauders Scott Hastie Managing Editor Following a 1-1 weekend, head coach Amos Connolly is a frustrated man. In the halls outside of the Burridge Gym, he recapped the 87-84 loss to Laurentian.

“We played basketball hard for about four minutes, at the end of the second quarter,” said Connolly.

Those four minutes saw McMaster go on a 17-3 run that featured a Taylor Black to Leon Alexander alley-oop and a pair of Joe Rocca threes, giving Mac a 4635 lead going into halftime.

That momentum evaporated in the third, as the Voyageurs scored 14 unanswered points to grab a lead they would hold for all but a minute and 44 seconds of the game.

Mac also shot 11-21 from the free throw line.

Connolly aired a concern about the intensity level that the team is bringing after a Tuesday night practice.

With Mac starting three third-year players and one fourthyear, bringing effort every single minute was not something that seemed to be an issue coming into the season, but is a reality after four games.

“Are our 50/50 guys ready to play at the intensity level they need to for 80 minutes? It remains to be seen,” said the head coach, now in his fourth year with the team. Connolly points to the victory over the Rams as a time where the 50/50 guys played with the right amount of effort for the entire game, and the result speaks for itself.

Taylor Black echoed his coach’s sentiments.

“The most we can take out of the Laurentian loss is a lesson. We need to realize that the game is 40 minutes long,” said Black.

The fourth-year forward led the team in scoring and rebounding, with 26 and 10, respectively.

But McMaster will need more than just steady contributions from Black if they want to make it to nationals.

With the No. 1 Carleton Ravens and No. 3 Ottawa GeeGees heading to the Hammer this weekend, McMaster has the opportunity to garner some national respect.

Due to an up-and-down preseason and loss to Laurentian, McMaster did not receive any votes in the Nov. 12 CIS top-ten rankings. Connolly said he does not believe the team deserves any respect yet because of their inconsistent play.

Carleton, the reigning national champions, has started off 4-0. Black described the Ravens as a “workhorse team that is always on the glass.” If Mac can’t take care of the ball or be strong on defensive rebounds, they will not stand a chance against Carleton.

Last year, Mac played them tough and dropped 88 points on the Ravens – the second most points scored on the team after the Gee-Gees’ 107 points. The Maroon and Grey fell 100-88 in

that game.

Ottawa is not to be forgotten either. Warren Ward – Ottawa’s best player last year – may be playing professional basketball in Germany, but this team has not missed a beat.

Mike L’Africain, the GeeGees point guard who played high school basketball with Adam Presutti and Rohan Boney, has flourished in his third-season and Johnny Berhanemeskel is one of the best shooters in the country.

Connolly is excited to take on Canada’s best.

“You don’t get No. 1 and 3 unless you’re in the OUA. We’re fortunate to have that opportunity. But it’s two wars. It’s a UFC match and then a bar fight,” said Connolly.

If Mac can play at a consistent level for all 80 minutes of action this weekend, they should have a chance to win in both games.

But if they don’t do that, they’ll be staring at a disappointing .500 record. @scott1hastie

“

“You don’t get No.1 and 3 unless you’re in the OUA. We’re fortunate to have that opportunity.

But it’s two wards. It’s a UFC match and then a bar fight...”

Amos Connolly, Head coach of Marauders men’s basketball team

YOSEIF HADDAD / PHOTO EDITOR

Maroon and Grey improve to 4-0 William Lou The Silhouette

YOUSEIF HADDAD / PHOTO EDITOR

Vanessa Bonomo has been reliable in both the half-court offence and the lethal full-court press.

The McMaster women’s basketball team kept the ball rolling last week with yet another pair of dominant victories, improving to 4-0 on the OUA regular season.

On Nov. 8, the Marauders travelled north to Sudbury to take on the Laurentian Voyageurs.

The women got off to a hot start as they jumped out to an 18-2 start to the game thanks to a pair of three-pointers from Danielle Boiago.

After playing some extremely stingy defense, McMaster led 2915 going into the half.

Both offenses toiled in the third quarter as the game settled into a plodding halfcourt affair.

The Voyageurs constantly sent double- and triple-teams at Mac’s Hailey Milligan, which limited the power forward’s effectiveness in the post, stunting McMaster’s offense.

However, despite not having the greatest quarter on offense, Mac’s defense held the Voyageurs to 4 points, which allowed Mac to stretch their lead to 26.

McMaster cruised through the fourth to earn the 59-34 victory.

Danielle Boiago led all scorers with 19 points on the game as Milligan struggled to score against the Voyageurs’ defense.

Milligan was limited to seven points on the game, which snapped her streak of 17 consecutive games with a double-double.

The Marauders traveled to Sault Ste. Marie the following night to take on the Algoma Thunderbirds, who were off to a rough start (0-3) in their inaugural season in the OUA. The Thunderbirds struggled to contain Milligan in the post as she decimated the Algoma frontline with 12 points in the half.

McMaster led 37-16 going into the half.

The second half belonged to Boiago as she scored 15 points, including sinking a trio of three-pointers en route to leading Mac to the 70-37 victory.

Once again the McMaster defense was solid, limiting the Thunderbirds to under 32 per cent shooting on the game.

This season, McMaster’s defense has been extremely effective.

Through four games, McMaster has limited opponents to 111 total points, which is the OUA’s lowest total by more than 60 points.

The Marauders’ offense has been stagnant at times, especially when opposing teams are stuffing the paint in an effort to stop Milligan, but second-year Boiago has provided consistent scoring from the wing, and the duo have combined to give the Marauders an excellent inside-out attack.

Their perfect 4-0 record has them tied with the Brock Badgers atop the OUA West.

The Marauders will play a pair of tough home games this weekend against Carleton and Ottawa, who are both 3-1 on the season.

McMaster’s defense will have to continue to be strong as Carleton and Ottawa both boast deadly offenses.

“

“This season, McMaster’s defense has been extremely effective. Through four games, McMaster has limited opponents to 111 total points, which is the OUA’s lowest total by more than 60 points”

theSil.ca

SPORTS

Thursday, Nov. 14, 2013

B3

Marauders swinging into shape Tobi Abdul Staff Reporter With a healthy roster for the first time in the regular season, McMaster women’s volleyball team proved that they have what it takes to be a powerhouse team as they defeated the visiting Lakehead Thunderwolves in a weekend double header Nov. 8 and Nov. 9.

McMaster took the match 3-0 on Nov. 8, in arguably their best match of the season, playing with a rhythm and consistency that had not been seen thus far.

This match was the season debut for previously injured middle Taylor Brisebois who came back full swing aiding the team defensively at the net and offensively with an impressive six skills.

“It feels amazing to be back playing with the team, I missed it a lot. The most frustrating thing was to not be able to contribute at all, just doing my best cheering from the sidelines,” Brisebois said.

“I think we just have been practicing really hard and slowly but surely, as a young new team, will find a rhythm.”

Lakehead took the early lead of the match at 6-2, but great defence from the Marauders tied the score at 10-10. The Thunderwolves outplayed McMaster for the next 6 points, bringing the score to 16-10 but didn’t see many points after that as McMaster ended the set 25-18.

The start of the second set saw an even playing field for both teams as the score was tied 10-10 before McMaster gained momentum and dominated the next points, bringing the score to 16-10 at the technical timeout.

McMaster continued to lead and won 25-16, now leading the game 2-0.

McMaster started out strong in what would be the final set of the match, taking an early lead of 9-6. Lakehead fought back hard and for the third time in the match, the score was tied at 10-10.

McMaster played with accuracy and skill and led 16-12 at the technical time out. They continued to widen their gap with stellar serving from Sophie Bukovec, and Big Mac Player of the Match, Mira Krunic.

The Marauders showed that they had found their rhythm as four players had five or more kills during the game, with Bukovec leading with 10 kills. Offensively, the Marauders were looking strong, but were even stronger on defence with Brisebois being a big help at the net, and Krunic on the floor with seven digs.

This rhythm continued into the second game of the weekend on Nov. 9 as the Marauders took

the match 4-1.

The Marauders proved that they were a team full of talented players as Saturday’s game saw a rotation of hitters and nine out of 11 players had at least one kill during the match with a match total of 42 hits. The most consistency came from the middles with Brisebois scoring 14 points, including 11 kills and Maicee Sorensen scored 12 points with six kills but overall, Marauders played an impressive match, including great plays from every player.

McMaster had an impressive start to the game wasting no time and soon had a lead of 15-11. The Marauders continued to demonstrate that they were both an offensively strong team as well as a defensively strong team and outscored the Thunderwolves 6-3 to bring the score to 21-14. Rebecca Steckle scored the last two points with consecutive kills, bringing the set to an end at 25-18.

The second set saw a sloppy Marauder team unable to get the ball up to the setter and overall inconsistent passing. Despite attempts to shake up the rotation with substitutes, the Marauders were unable to find their footing and Lakehead took the lead of 16-13 at the technical timeout.

McMaster was unable to improve scoring and lost the set 25-18.

The Marauders started out strong in the third set taking an early lead but quickly lost momentum, allowing Lakehead to outshine them. After a time out called by head coach Tim Louks, a new McMaster team stepped onto the court, one with precision, accuracy and communication, taking a 16-13 lead at the technical timeout. After a solid kill from Joanna Jedrzejewska, the Marauders would pick up speed and continue to dominate, taking the set 25-16 thanks to a final ace

by Steckle.

The fourth set was one of incredible defence, including amazing combo blocks by Lauren Mastroluisi and Maicee Sorenson.

McMaster continued with unparalleled consistency and went into the technical timeout with a 16-11 lead. Mastroluisi played a solid set, an even more solid match with 8 kills. A double touch by Lakehead would give McMaster the set 25-19 and the match 3-1.

The Marauders continue to improve their rhythm with each game played and their success in the weekend’s games can be attributed to communication and consistency.

“We brought a consistent energy to the court right from the beginning of the game to the end, not allowing small mistakes to get us down,” says Sorenson. “Instead

we came together as a team and played how we should have been playing the whole time” The Marauders hope to continue their winning streak as they will travel to Guelph on Nov. 15 to take on the Gryphons then return back home to host the Brock Badgers Nov. 17. @toe_bee

RECAP

YOSEIF HADDAD / PHOTO EDITOR

WOMEN’S VOLLEYBALL OUA EAST

OUA WEST W | L | PTS

YORK OTTAWA RYERSON TORONTO QUEEN’S RMC NIPISSING

7 5 5 5 3 1 0

0 1 2 2 2 4 7

14 10 10 10 6 2 0

W | L | PTS WINDSOR GUELPH MCMASTER WATERLOO BROCK LAKEHEAD WESTERN

4 3 3 3 2 2 0

3 3 3 4 3 4 5

8 6 6 6 4 4 0

NEXT UP IN MARAUDER-LAND.....

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL vs. CARLETON RAVENS MEN’S BASKETBALL vs. CARLETON RAVENS WOMEN’S VOLLEYBALL at GUELPH

MEN’S VOLLEYBALL vs.

QUEENS

YOSEIF HADDAD / PHOTO EDITOR

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL vs.

OTTAWA

NOV 15 | 6 p.m.

MEN’S BASKETBALL NOV 15 | 8 p.m.

OUA EAST

OUA WEST W | L | PTS

NOV 15 | 7 p.m.

NOV 16 | 2 p.m.

NOV 16 | 6 p.m.

CARLETON LAURENTIAN OTTAWA QUEEN’S RYERSON YORK TORONTO ALGOMA

4 4 4 3 3 2 1 1

0 0 0 1 1 2 2 1

8 8 8 6 6 4 2 2

YOSEIF HADDAD / PHOTO EDITOR

WINDSOR LAURIER MCMASTER LAKEHEAD BROCK WESTERN GUELPH WATERLOO

2 2 1 3 3 4 4 3

4 4 4 2 0 0 0 0

OUA WEST W | L | PTS

NOV 16 | 8 p.m.

2 2 2 1 0 0 0 0

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL OUA EAST

MEN’S BASKETBALL vs.

OTTAWA

W | L | PTS

CARLETON OTTAWA RYERSON QUEEN’S YORK LAURENTIAN TORONTO ALGOMA

3 3 2 2 1 1 0 0

1 1 2 3 3 3 1 2

6 6 4 4 2 2 0 0

W | L | PTS LAURIER BROCK WESTERN WINDSOR MCMASTER LAKEHEAD WATERLOO GUELPH

3 3 3 3 3 1 1 0

1 0 1 1 0 3 2 4

6 6 6 6 6 2 2 0

theSil.ca

SPORTS

Thursday, Nov. 14, 2013

B4

Life after McMaster football After an amazing five-year career playing for the McMaster Marauders, the future is looking bright for Winnipeg Blue Bombers draft pick Michael DiCroce Alexandra Reilly Assistant Sports Editor With two Yates Cups, a Vanier Cup ring, a Hec Crighton trophy nomination and a long list of OUA honors to his name, Michael DiCroce will now face a new journey ahead, one that will hopefully see him playing professional football in the Canadian Football League.

The 2011-12 football season for the McMaster Marauders football club was one of the best season’s the school has ever seen.

With doubt surrounding the Marauders, the team was able to secure a spot in the Vanier Cup game after taking down the Western Mustangs in the Yates Cup match and the Acadia Axeman in the Uteck Bowl.

The Marauders were then matched up with the reigning Vanier Cup champion Laval Rouge et Or squad. In what TSN dubbed “the best game ever”, Mac came out victorious, putting an end to a picture perfect season.

That season in particular was a special one for Michael DiCroce not only because the Marauders came out as champions or as the first place team in the nation, but because DiCroce was recognized for his efforts which included winning the 2011 OUA Most Valuable Player award and receiving a nomination for the coveted Hec Crighton trophy.

“Being a member of the football team has been pretty special,” DiCroce said.

“Knowing what we did in my third year here and what we did last year and this year, it’s been pretty special.”

Despite a picture perfect season for the Hamilton native, DiCroce would not always experience good luck throughout his career at McMaster.

After coming off a textbook 2011 season and into one of

the most important years of his football career, DiCroce would suffer a devastating injury at the start of the 2012 season, which also happened to be the start of his draft year.

The second day of the 2012 season’s training camp would prove to be a day, which would begin the battle that was his fourth year.

A broken bone in his foot would make a developmental year one that would be a lot harder to deal with.

“That injury set me back a lot and I didn’t play the whole regular season. I was in the physio clinic for those eight to nine weeks and I was in the walking boot for about nine weeks,” DiCroce said.

“It was hard because I had trained all year and all summer for that year hoping that it would be a special year for me going into the draft.”

After a frustrating blow to his season DiCroce would face another battle. One that meant proving his injury would not let his style of play or skill falter.

He wanted to prove that he had recovered from his injury and that CFL scouts would not be disappointed with his return.

DiCroce ended up receiving an invitation to the CFL combine where he impressed both coaches and scouts with his recovery, proving that he was playing better than ever.

With a light slowly beginning to show at the end of the tunnel, DiCroce would earn a CFL contract in his draft year as he was drafted 29th overall by the Winnipeg Bluebombers.

Opting to return to McMaster for a fifth year DiCroce wanted to ensure that school also remained an important priority for him.

“My decision to come back this year was so that I could finish up with my degree so that I had a back up plan if football didn’t work out,” said the fifthyear receiver.

“Coming back this year to finish off my last year was something I wanted to do.

Winnipeg does have my [negotiation] rights so I will be reporting back to camp in June and that’s definitely something I am looking forward to.”

DiCroce has also proved that height is not a determining factor of how big you play.

At 5’11” he is one of the smaller receivers in the OUA, but his style of play says otherwise.

“There is one guy in the NFL who is my favorite receiver, his name is Steve Smith of the Carolina Panthers. He’s the same height as me but he plays so big and he’s so fast and goes up and gets the ball when it’s in the air and he makes guys miss,” said DiCroce.

“That is always something I have tried to do myself because I am not the biggest receiver on the field so if you can believe in yourself to play big, then you will.”

When asked what DiCroce would miss most about being a Marauder his response would perfectly encompass what made the sport special to him.

“I think I’m going to miss my time with the guys on the field the most. That’s why we all came back to play the game this year, that’s why we love it so much is just to hang out with the guys and see the guys everyday,” he said.

Despite a long list of achievements that any university athlete would envy, DiCroce remains humble and understands the sacrifices that must be made in order to achieve success.

With a prosperous career in his future, it would be no

surprise to see DiCroce’s athletic achievements only continue to grow. @Miss_AReilly

“

“Knowing what we did in my third year here and what did last year and this year, it’s been pretty special.”

Michael DiCroce, wide receiver for McMaster football

Thursday, Nov. 14, 2013

theSil.ca

SPORTS

B6

One step forward With the CIS championships behind the cross country team, they look at the progress they’ve made and what comes next

“

“The men are going to be podium contenders for years to come.”

Taylor Forbes pictured here, took 37th place in the CIS meet, and 16th place at the OUA meet.

Rory Sneyd, Coach

The Marauder cross country team ran to the best of their potential at the CIS championships at the Thames Valley Golf Course in London, Ont. – a course that they are very familiar with, from last year’s CIS Championships.

The women’s team finished in 6th place overall, while the men’s team finished 4th overall, which was their best finish at the championships since 2000.

The men’s team managed to pull off an incredible performance and finish despite missing one of

Free

the best runners on the team— Connor Darlington.

“He came down with a lower-body injury. The day before the meet he indicated that he was 95 per cent sure that this wasn’t going to be something he could run through. He’s a big time team player and we know it hurt him to have to admit this. Hopefully he is back healthy soon and ready to do some damage in the indoor season,” said coach Rory Sneyd on the situation.

This ended up not being an issue for the team, however, as several runners stepped up in the high-pressured situation to have

Weekly Shuttle Bus Starting Sept. 18th

Wednesdays 6:00pm | 6:30pm | 7:00pm Last pick-up from Fortinos at 8:00pm Pick-up From Mary Keyes Residence At The Cootes Dr. Entrance

Look for the Big Yellow School Bus

strong finishes overall.

The most impressive of these performances included Lionel Sanders, who finished in tenth place overall, and captain Blair Morgan, who finished in 11th place overall, which was a huge improvement from last year’s CIS championships, where he finished 46th overall “Blair proved that his OUA performance was no fluke,” said Sneyd.

The third runner in for the Marauders was Gabe Ghiglione in 20th place – which was also an incredible performance on his part, as he finished in 44th place at the OUA championships two weeks before.

“Gabe was a game-changer having been 44th at the OUA meet, and then 20th at CIS meet – that just isn’t done. Had he been our 4th or 5th man, our men are on that podium. He’s a special athlete and I look forward to seeing his progress in coming years,” added Sneyd.

Rounding out the score for the Marauders was Taylor Forbes in 36th place, while his brother Austen Forbes finished in 37th.

Although the men’s team missed making it to the podium this round, the future of the team is looking promising, with several runners returning next year, and other top high school recruits expressing their interest in McMaster for next year.

“All five of our scorers return, plus Connor, and guys like Nick Kondrat, Paul Rochus, Jeramie Lai, Luke Charbonneu, and Nick Belore. We have at least three of the top ten senior boys from OFSAA sincerely interested in McMaster. The men are going to be podium contenders for years to come,” said Sneyd.

As for the women’s team, Sneyd is proud of their 6th place accomplishment, and feels as though they are proud also and have reached their goal of the season, especially after facing some major challenges and setbacks throughout the season.

“Going into the meet, we talked about beating some teams

that we had previously faced and thought we could beat – Windsor, Dalhousie, and McGill. We knew that the teams from out west were big question marks so we did not set our sights on Trinity Western or Victoria because we were not sure how good they might be.

We felt the top four OUA schools would be tough to beat. It ended up that Trinity Western ran well and our women were able to beat Victoria. The women talked about being proud of their team effort and I think they achieved their goal,” said Sneyd.

The women’s team will be losing their oldest member, Courtney Patterson, for next season, which Sneyd believes is a loss for the team, but nothing that will set them back from winning a medal.

“She contributed to five OUA team medals and four CIS team medals. We knew we could count on Courtney and she is definitely a big loss for the program.”

But Sneyd knows that the women’s program will only improve from here, as the goal is to get on the CIS podium once again.

“We expect to get some quality recruits and the goal for next year is to be back on the OUA and CIS podiums,” said Sneyd.

As for the people that stood out in the race on the women’s team, Sneyd credits grad student Kierstin Myers, and leader Maddy McDonald for their outstanding performances.

“Kierstin Myers stands out.

To be so close to Courtney was quite impressive. Maddy McDonald also ran great. She ran conservatively and was less than ten seconds off being an all-Canadian again. It was a trying season for her, both physically and emotionally, and she performed admirably despite these tribulations,” added Sneyd.

The team will now take a much-needed break before getting into training again for the track season, which gets underway in January. @Lsinkky

“

The women talked about being proud of their team effort and I think they achieved their goal Rory Sneyd, Coach

YOSEIF HADDAD / SENIOR PHOTO EDITOR

Laura Sinclair Sports Editor

L

Thursday, Nov. 14, 2013

theSil.ca

IFESTYLE

B7

Sweater Weather

Editors Amanda Watkins & Miranda Babbitt

B11

Email lifestyle@thesil.ca Phone 905.525.9140 x27117 Threadcount

B10

T E E R T S S JAME Bar t on S

EAT

tree t We

st

6

Mu

lbe

rry

4

Bar t on S

tree t Ea

S

st

Stre

5

et t Str

eet

non

Stre

et W e

st

Jam

Can

es S

tree t No

r th

Rob er

3

2

Wil

son

York Boulevard

Amanda Watkins LifeStyle Editor @whatthekins

1

Stre

et

The Chef’s Wagon 16-24 James Street North

With an unconventional address, The Chef ’s Wagon leads more of a nomadic life.

As a James Street staple food truck, the Wagon is located next to the James/King William intersection, but prefers an established location to conventional wheeled travel. Opened in December of 2012, this food truck is firmly planted as a fast and fresh place for homemade burgers on the go. Their patty meat is made fresh daily, never frozen, with local Hamilton ingredients, no additives or preservatives, and charming names like “The Mountain” and “The Steeltown Gyro.”

2

Mex-I-Can Restoraurant 107 James Street North

If the abnormal spelling of the word “restaurant” in its title isn’t enough to make you want to give them all your business now (and no, that’s not the Spanish spelling), then perhaps the genuine hole-in-the-wall atmosphere and cheesy (in both senses of the word) Mexican cuisine will.

Serving up your classic quesadillas, enchiladas, chimichangas and so much more, Mex-I-Can gives you an authentic sketchy Hamilton restaurant experience complete with tasty and authentic Mexican cuisine.

Mex you can have your burrito, and eat it too.

3

CONT’D ON “EAT ST” B9

The Burnt Tongue 10 Cannon Street East

With its grand opening just two months ago, The Burnt Tongue is already a local hot spot for soups and sandwiches. When we went by at lunchtime, the lineup was consistent and the restaurant was bustling.

With a soup menu that’s updated every day, novelty sodas, and Rudy’s Paletas- delicious Hamilton-made gourmet popsicles- it’s no wonder they’re already a student household name.

Try the Cauliflower and Sweet Potato Soup with a Peanut Butter Paleta for dessert, and you will be one happy Hamiltonian.

1 4

McCartney & Son Salad Emporium and Eatery 282 James Street North

This restaurant owner’s clients have included Robert Plant, Bob Dylan and Samuel L. Jackson. I know, right? Once a caterer to the stars, McCartney now runs this urban and spacious salad bar close to the corner of Barton and James. In addition to spending a hefty chunk of time serving celebrities out of Toronto, he is also the manager of Hamilton’s favourite sandwich shop and James Street classic, Jack and Lois.

Will a salad bar serving tens of toppings at $7 a pound, sandwiches, soups and ice cream, the Salad Emporium has enough to satisfy all of your cravings.

5

Charred Rotisserie House 244 James Street North

Quality chicken is hard to come by on campus, so why not venture down to this Portuguese rotisserie for their stellar poultry? With full, half and quarter chicken dinners, their meat loving menu will make the most of your Paleolithic diet.

A home-y environment, friendly staff and a pulled chicken on a bun will have you coming back for more.

6

James North General Store 261 James Street North

It’s both a coffee shop and clothing store. Yes, the James North General Store is heaven on earth. Established in June of this year, this new shop will feed and clothe you. With inexpensive coffee and tea, vintage handbags, contemporary clothing, jewelry and work from local artists, the General Store puts a modern and trendy spin on a neighbourhood staple of the past.

Although they’re closed on Sundays and Mondays, head on over the Tuesday after Artcrawl for their monthly post-crawl, tax-free sale.

theSil.ca

Thursday, Nov. 14, 2013

B8

LIFESTYLE

Always more than just a letter

Because the relationships we value deserve to stay in the real world Miranda Babbitt Assistant LifeStyle Editor instantly communicated to me so much more than the words enclosed inside. They carry a sentimental value that is no longer a part of how we communicate.

And letters have no specified audience, either. They don’t just need to be for your family at home, or a friend from high school, or anyone who is literally far enough away from you that a letter would be expected. They can be the cutest pick-me-up for someone who has just had a rough week and the most intimate way to enclose some news about your life to a friend you just don’t get to see enough.

The happy dance that comes with a letter isn’t solely reserved

ment with a letter or two? Even if it’s a funny story about the ugly Christmas sweater waiting for you on your bed, the message behind the cringe-inducing tale won’t be forgotten. @mirandababbitt

ss p your word afe e e k to

y Ets

- $4

8 8.2

6 for

es lop e v en

o wr t S IL

ite happ yt

hin

gs

STICKERS for the

C

NV

ES P O EL

for the recipient either. There is something so inherently satisfying with sending a letter nowadays, perhaps because it is as rare as I made it out to be in my own life.

Going out to the store, buying some cheerful envelopes, a vintage postage stamp, and stickers to be sprinkled throughout the message has such a novel appeal to it. We can see the products of our efforts, package them away, and send them across the city, or world, and know that this will be held in the excited hands of someone we love.

Come the holidays, when your own group of friends scatters in every direction as they make their way home, why not experi-

irony of it

PE N

nagging homework answer, or the hours of Starbucks to make sure you can walk home with a red holiday cup, but the harrowing part of this convenience is that we’ve thrown our relationships into the mix.

We’re offered endless ways to merely scratch the surface of reaching any depth in a relationship. The ease of “liking” a photo or shooting a quick one-word message to a friend from home is the basis of most relationships sustained through Facebook.

Social media outlets can make it seem as though maintaining relationships is easy, but this isn’t the case for any that we value. When someone is valued, they deserve effort, and this is not achieved by lumping them together with checking the hours of Starbucks.

An emoji in replacement of a string of explanatory sentences doesn’t help us foster the connections we have with those we value.

It cheapens it. It seems to me that traditional communication, be it a phone call, a face-to-face conversation, or even letters, are undervalued for the sake of convenience. And yet, I know I’m not alone when I say that effort does not go unnoticed. It’s a neon indication in an otherwise grey realm of technological methods.

A letter, for example, can succinctly demonstrate this effort.

For the collection I have received over the past few years, they have

E

The art of letter writing is one that I have rarely tried to perfect, despite the instinctive happy dance that reverberates through my body once I grasp the envelope addressed to me. Perhaps this reaction seems excessive, yet every letter that has waited for me in my mailbox has been greeted with near hysteria. But it’s on a more somber note that I must admit this hysteria is mostly a result of the rarity of receiving one at all.

This honesty should grant me no mercy, as I still haven’t managed to deliver the happiness of receiving a letter to someone else.

In other words, I don’t really send letters at all. And for the most part, my excuse in avoiding such a beautiful habit is one of undeniable laziness. Sending a GIF of a clip from Parks & Recreation or just a chubby kitty with an oh-so-powerful message to a far off friend is so much more tempting when I’ve just collapsed onto my bed and my procrastination coma is beginning to set in.

This procrastination coma, or shall I say the “suffocating lazy blanket” to avoid any morbidity, is a pressing issue. In fact, it’s nearly an epidemic for those of our age.

We see the screen in front of us, and it’s lit up with shortcuts intended to make our life easier.

The convenience of technology is inevitably tempting for a large majority of everyday activities – whether that’s looking up a last

Etsy - $13.97 for gold dipped pencils

Urban Outfitters - $12

Thursday, Nov. 14, 2013

theSil.ca

B9

LIFESTYLE

It’s the holiday season.

Are you ready, or not?

RECIPE

Cocoa tea

Karen Piper The Silhouette Cocoa tea is a traditional breakfast beverage in St. Lucia, derived mainly from locally grown cocoa on the island. The cocoa plant grows abundantly in St. Lucia and is world-renowned for its high quality.

This hot delicacy has multiple health benefits such as reducing high blood beverage and lowering cholesterol. Not to mention, this is the ideal treat to help keep you warm during those cold winter months, and get excited for Christmas!

Sarah O’Connor Staff Reporter

INGREDIENTS

2 cups water

1 cup milk

3/4 cup cocoa powder

1 tsp ground nutmeg

1 tsp vanilla essence

Peel of 1 lime

3/4 cup brown sugar (optional)

1 tbsp cinnamon

• • •

Pour water, milk, vanilla essence and cocoa into a pot and bring to a boil.

Add lime peel, cinnamon, sugar, nutmeg and clove into the mixture and let it boil for 15 minutes.

Allow the beverage to cool for five minutes before serving.

Strain thoroughly and enjoy!

green sweaters, flashing toys, ridiculously early sales and neon twinkling lights - you were practically shouting that you were on your way. Halloween hadn’t even arrived yet! I’m sorry, Christmas, but that’s just a little rude.

Even though Halloween isn’t my favourite holiday, I enjoy the appearance of black cats and witches’ hats, but I certainly don’t need you breathing down my neck so much. Halloween gives you no excuse to be so creepy.

Christmas, it’s only November. We still have Remembrance Day, and our neighbours in the States still have Thanksgiving, I know we don’t have any more days off until you arrive but these holidays are just as important as you, maybe even more so since they haven’t been commercialized like you have.

Every time I leave my house

I’m afraid to see your telltale LED lights because you’ve convinced another person that Christmas is only two months away. I shiver looking at my Newsfeed on Facebook in case one of my friends has posted a daily countdown to Christmas.

I love you Christmas, but let’s slow it down. By the time it’s really your moment to shine, people will be sick of you. With the way you’re acting now, people are going to replace you with Boxing Day. Perhaps some already have.

In a nutshell, people are starting to think you’re desperate, Christmas.

Sincerely, A Christmas lover (who likes the wait) @notsarahconnor

Exam time adventures!

Joshua Patel Discover Your City December is just around the corner and along with the festivities of the month comes the word that most students dread – exams.

Exams are a stressful time for most students (if not all) as we all work tirelessly to ensure that our semester ends off on the right note. During this busy exam period, it’s important to take a break or get some fresh air to relieve some of that stress.

Hamilton offers many great experiences that are definitely worth checking out and could also provide an alternative study location if you’re looking for a change of environment.

If you’re looking for cafés and restaurants away from campus,

downtown Hamilton has plenty to meet your needs. Locke Street full of restaurants, cafes and clothing shops is a great first stop for students, easily accessible through the HSR. The Jet Café and Detour Café (both on King Street) as well as James Street’s Mulberry Street Coffeehouse are just a few more options outside the McMaster University ‘bubble’ that could offer you an alternative study location as well as help you explore the City at the same time.

Weather-permitted, Hamilton also has a number of parks that could add some beautiful scenery to your study experience.

Bayfront Park, Pier 4 Park, the Hamilton Harbour Waterfront Trail and Hamilton Beach Recreational Trail are a few scenic options in the City to help you get

some fresh air and enjoy the view of the harbour, whether you’re looking to take a break or just study outdoors.

While libraries on campus get busy there are a number of public libraries off-campus that could meet your needs. The Westdale public library and Hamilton’s Central Library (near Jackson Square) are two options that have great study places and academic resources that you could utilize while exploring the City at the same time.

Hamilton has something to offer for everyone and during the upcoming month, don’t be afraid to get out of your comfort zone and explore the City! Good luck McMaster!

Barton Street West e Jam

Eat St.

You’re my favourite holiday, and I know I’m not alone on that. I just can’t resist you. I love the Christmas music, the Christmas specials, the candy canes, the Santa hats, the multicoloured trees and singing ornaments. The looks on my family’s faces, excitement and love, sitting around the Christmas tree and opening presents with glee. It’s a chance for us all to be together with no work or school.

And once it snows, it will feel like you’re right around the corner and the countdown can begin!

But while I love you dearly, you do get on my nerves from time to time. It’s only November, Christmas. And that means one thing – it’s too early for you!

Last week, I saw you in every store in the mall. Your red and

1 tbsp cloves

DIRECTIONS •

Dear Christmas,

FROM B7

reet

s St Nor th

Mulberry Street Coffee House

The Green Smoothie Bar

A super hip cafe open for your enjoyment, Mulberry Street Coffee House will pump you with caffeine in style.

Serving up tasty beverages, including a Nutella latte, Mulberry also offers a diverse selection of homemade cookies, paninis and grilled cheese sandwiches.

In addition to food, their charming atmosphere with vintage couches, chandeliers and exposed brick walls will have you coming back again and again.

Sit back, relax and let Mulberry make you feel at home.

For all the health nuts out there (bless your sweet devoted souls), The Green Smoothie Bar serves up delicious, nutricious and ambitiously crafted beverages.

On top of their tasty smoothies, you can also pick up some of their flavoured kale chips or packaged nuts.

The next time you’re artcrawling, vintage shopping, or walking downtown, make a stop at The Green Smoothie Bar, your colon will thank you.

193 James Street North

236 James Street North

theSil.ca

Thursday, Nov. 14, 2013

LIFESTYLE

B10

Pump up your Pulse

In a safe, supervised environment. Reviews of classes at The Pulse.

Amanda Watkins LifeStyle Editor @whatthekins

Zumba Offered on: Monday 3:30-4:20, Tuesday 4:30-5:20, Wednesday 6:30-7:30, Thursday 12:05-12:55, Sunday 4:30- 5:20

GTL

(Glutes, torso, legs) Offered on: Monday 12:05-12:55

Step It Up! Offered on: Thursday 5:30-6:20

You will have fun when you go to Zumba. Your instructor will probably warn you not to look at your reflection in the mirror, and that is because it will make you feel like a fool. But don’t worry, everyone else looks crazy too!

An intensive cardio dance session based around classic Spanish styles, you will go through several routines led by the instructor that feature dance moves coupled with stretches, jumps and standard exercises (think jumping jacks and squats). With all this movement, Zumba will have you sweating profusely by the end of the session. Not as direct in strength training as other classes, it will still have you on your feet while burning calories and building muscle.

This class comes with a lot of accessories. For the exercises and stretches involved you will use a step and risers, hand weights, an exercise mat and an exercise ball. Targeting your core and lower body, the first few exercises do a good job at easing you into the workout ahead. And then the squats start. You will definitely feel the burn, and possibly, you may actually feel your ass as a separate entity of your body.

A really great and effective workout, it offers both a strength training and cardio workout. The fifty minute session includes, jump and squat activities on the step and risers, balance and core exercises on the ball, hamstring and core exercises on the mat, and squat and lunge activities with the hand weights. A little bit of everything, your muscles will thank you for GTL. If you’ve never done a step class before, be warned that this does feature some fancy footwork that may not be familiar or easy for beginners. But, after a few sessions, you should be a stepping pro with thighs of steel.

As a beginner (and a person below average height), I’ll set my risers with a single level. The more risers you have, the harder the workout will be. But with a series of twists, turns and jumps, keeping it closer to the ground may be your best option.

The workout increases in pace to a point where I needed to leave early my first time taking the class. But with a bit of practice and consistent water sipping, your lower body should be plenty ready for the road ahead.

SIMPLY SUDOKU

WEATHER

SUCKS? C/O CUPWIRE/ Puzzles provided by WebSudoku.com (http://www.websudoku.com). Used with permission.

BINDING DOESN’T HAVE TO

25% O OFF

ALL NOVEMBER LONG ONLY AT UNDERGROUND MEDIA + DESIGN

Thursday, Nov. 14, 2013

theSil.ca

B11

LIFESTYLE

Leanne Winkels First -Year Humanities

Sweater

Value Village

Jacket

Stitches

Skirt

Walmart

Shoes

Reitman’s

Scarf

NYC Chinatown

LIZ POPE / ASSISTANT PHOTO EDITOR

R E T A R E E SW EATH W

Fin

One morning as I pulled my blankets off and placed my feet on the ground, an instinct reflex came over me as I kneed myself in the face. That’s how cold and unforgiving the floor was. That is also how I knew it was November. This is the beginning of the annual Dark Ages, in which it looks like it’s 2 a.m. outside when it’s actually 6 p.m.

Don’t fret though, as this is also the time to pull out your winter sweaters, which are cozy, huggable, and everything in between. Since they’re so glorious/ vitally needed in this weather, a list has been compiled with different types of sweaters you can own so you can be comfortable seven days of the week (without any repeats… that’s a fashion faux pas).

Urban Outfitters - $34

Urban Outfitters - $68

C HOODIE I S AS This L C is so ubiqui-

tous that I don’t really need to explain why it is awesome. Instead, I will say that a customized hoodie with t .. . a club name or favourite musida cian is a handy topic for conversation with strangers Literally and acquaintancany clothes. ing store.

Zara - $69.90

ARDIGA ER C N

November is also the time you pack away your thin fall cardigans, but that doesn’t mean you need to stop sporting cardigans all together! Knitted cardigans are warm, fashionable, and can double as a miniature blanket.

Gap - $59.95

Fin

TLENECK R U ET

J. Crew - $108

Find at. .

Gap, Tommy Hilfiger, Roots

.

One of the oldest types of sweaters known to man, this has truly stood the test of time. A true multipurpose sweater, it can be used in casual, business, and even sporty occasions as long as they are paired properly.

Zara, H&M

N V-

K EC

t .. da .

TH

da

Fin

W

INT

R

MAS SWEATE T R IS

Thanks to Macklemore, you cannot really find a tacky Christmas sweater at a thrift shop anymore, but this does not mean you shouldn’t look for one! Winter’s here to stay, so embrace it with your sweater and remind yourself (and everyone around you) that Christmas is just around the corner.

Thrift shops, Urban Outfitters, Sears

CH

Jason Woo The Silhouette

S W E A TE R

.. .

It’s definitely time to layer and this nifty garment lets you do just that. Paired with a dress shirt, a regular shirt, or just going solo, this sweater works for a variety of occasions. P.S. a Find sweater vest also serves the at same purpose.

Club Monaco, J. Crew, Banana Republic

t. . .

IN PARTNERSHIP WITH

Starting November 4th, bring new unwrapped toys for children up to 12 years of age to any of our drop off locations.

You can also donate a toy through our online toy catalogue at www.citykidz.ca/toys For more information, to make a donation or to volunteer your time please call 905.544.3996 or visit www.citykidz.ca/christmas

DROP OFF LOCATIONS:

Thursday, November 21 3rd floor, MUSC, CIBC Hall 11am - 5pm

Would you like to be featured in Community Connections?

Send your request to Leeann Corbeil, Director of Marketing and Community Relations. E: leeann@findlaylaw.ca

PH: 905.522.9799 ext. 248

Findlay Attorneys. 20 Hughson St. S., Suite 510, Hamilton, Ontario, L8N 2A1 Findlay Attorneys will determine which agency or group will be included based on a first come, first serve basis and at the discretion of Findlay Attorneys.

Findlay Attorneys cannot guarantee inclusion of any materials submitted and therefore accepts no responsibility for any ad or information exclusion. Materials should be submitted at least two weeks prior to date of publishing.

theSil.ca

Thursday, Nov. 14, 2013

ANDY E-mail: andy@thesil.ca

ndex

Senior Editor: Bahar Orang

Meeting Time: Tuesdays @ 5:30 p.m.

Assistant Editor: Cooper Long

Phone: (905)•525•9140 ext 27117

Contributors: Jemma Wolfe, Lene TrunjerPetersen, Shane Madill, Michael Gallagher, Sarah O' Connor, Sophia Topper

coming up in the hammer the casbah •nov 14 •nov 15 •nov 16 •nov 18

C2

in my coma saint alvia nothing helper brendan canning

Cover: Liz Pope

C3

editorial C4 C5

midsummer night's dream

homegrown hamilton •nov 15 shawn brush •nov 16 the kents •nov 21 pick a piper

this ain't hollywood •nov 16 HMA showcase •nov 20 dead city soul

theatre aquarius

C6

interview with day drunk C7

thor 2 C8

album reviews

•until nov. 23 kim's convenience •from dec. 11 the sound of music

art gallery of hamilton •nov 23 kostanski & richardson •nov 27 salinger

THE COVER STORY For the past several days, I had a slight itch in my eye. It caused the occasional tear, and created in me a strange but desperate desire to listen to heavy metal music.

Suffice to say, I needed to get it checked out. I visited the optometrist in the student centre. This is what they found.

theSil.ca

ANDY

Thursday, Nov. 14, 2013

C3

EDITORIAL

catalysis can help with social paralysis precedence over aesthetics. A representative work is Catalysis, a series of performances from the early 1970s by Adrian Piper, When I was in fourth grade, I which I studied last year in an art missed almost a year of school. history course. Each performance My classmates were simply told that I was sick, and they all wrote involved Piper distorting her physical appearance and violating kind letters wishing me a speedy recovery from my ambiguous ill- certain social norms in public.

In Catalysis I, for example, ness. Few would have guessed that it was not my physical health that Piper soaked her clothes in a mixture of vinegar, eggs, milk and cod was keeping me out of the classliver oil for a week, and then wore room. I was too anxious. them on the subway during rush Even though I was not in hour. For Catalysis IV, she travschool for several months, I elled around New York City with was doing a lot of learning. For a large red bath towel bulging out instance, I learned that I had of her mouth.

Generalized Anxiety Disorder. I If these acts seem disruptive received cognitive-behavioural therapy (CBT) and for many years and confrontational, that was Piper’s intention. As a black female, I took the anti-depressant Paxil.

Piper was already accustomed to Eventually, I was well enough to being treated differently based return to school and thank my classmates for their letters in per- on her body. The artist hoped to provoke a complacent public and son.

Today, I no longer take medi- force people to be more conscious of how they react to “otherness.” cation and I am quite practiced I have never walked around at handling my anxiety. Yet, one with a bath towel stuffed in my of my newest and most reliable mouth, but I do think of Catalysis anxiety management techniques was not prescribed by a doctor, or sometimes when I experience mild social anxiety. When my learned in a CBT session. jokes are met with silence, for Rather, it comes from the instance, or I misuse an ungainly, world of conceptual art. pretentious word like “potent” In conceptual art, ideas take Cooper Long Assistant ANDY Editor

in a class discussion, I imagine that I am a conceptual artist like Piper.

I focus on the idea that both my gaffe and people’s responses are part of an elaborate performance art piece.

Obviously, reflecting on conceptual art is not a solution for severe anxiety, or other serious problems related to mental illness. Far superior resources are available at the Student Wellness Centre. Yet, I genuinely find that playing pretend in this way can occasionally help to quell some of my social anxiety and embarrassment.

Conceptual art is often denigrated as frivolous or foolish. Indeed, some may dismiss Catalysis on these grounds.

These people might be surprised to find out that Piper also has a doctorate from Harvard University, where her supervisor was the legendary political philosopher John Rawls.

To me, however, my relationship with Catalysis absolutely

CATALYSIS, ADRIAN PIPER

affirms the value of conceptual art. Piper’s work has changed the way that I see the world around me, and I don’t think that there is anything more one can ask from a piece of art, be it a painting or

performance.

Conceptual art is powerful; that’s one claim I am not anxious about making. @coop_long

the

big

tickle which of your childhood idols would you like to see at mac?

JJ BARODEL / INTERN LIZ POPE / PHOTO EDITOR

Tina S. “Neil deGrasse Tyson.”

Nilani A. “Loonette the clown.”

Martin L. “Bill Gates.”

Dylan T. “Robert Munsch.”

Sean S. “Miss Frizzle.”

theSil.ca

Thursday, Nov. 14, 2013

andy’s review

Sarah O’ Connor Staff Reporter

a midsummer night’s dream asks us to wake up

Q&A with director Peter Cockett Jemma Wolfe Executive Editor

Q: Why MSND? A: I think it is one of the funniest plays ever written. I also felt it would be a good vehicle to explore issues of gender and sexuality in our times.

Q: Why do you think Shakespeare’s work continues to resonate with modern audiences?

A: Shakespeare wrote for his time, not for all time. His work

has lasted because throughout history theatrical producers have edited his plays to suit the tastes and morals of their day. In 18th century productions, Hermia and Lysander were accompanied into the woods by a chaperone because no respectable lady would go alone to the woods with her lover. We are simply following in that tradition. Shakespeare’s plays are also particularly complex representations of his society’s social attitudes and this complexity makes it easier to find resonances between his text and

our own very different world.

Their complexity leaves them open to various interpretations.

Q: Why mix up the genders of the characters?

A: Through our research on the project we came to the conclusion that the categories male and female were inventions of Western culture that limited our understanding of the complexity of gender identity and sexualities.

We also wanted to disrupt the more conservative, patriarchal

elements of Shakespeare’s text. In Shakespeare’s play, Titania submits to her husband’s will, in ours the significance of this moment is somewhat changed.

Q: Was there anything that surprised you along the production process?

A: The openness of the cast and creative team to quite radical ideas has made this project a joy. I have learned so much from the students on this one and I am filled with hope about our future.

One of Shakespeare’s most popular comedies, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, focuses on four Athenian lovers who are controlled and manipulated by fairies in a forest. With the many characters and interwoven subplots, the play can be mindboggling for everyone – at least for the first few scenes.

Taking a new stance on an old classic, Dr. Cockett and his Theatre & Film 3S03 students’ production hopes to “unsettle normative gender dichotomies.”

They use cross-casting and gender reversing for some characters in order to make the audience re-evaluate their views of gender, sexuality, and power.

I can say with full confidence that Dr. Cockett and his team of students were able to achieve this and much more.

The set was created by Emily Gallomazzei, Nick Kozij, and Ian Wilush. It creates the perfect, fuzzy line between dream and reality. The production makes fantastic use of multimedia, orchestrated by Joe Keca, and very cool lighting, which was done by Carissa Kaye, Anthony Scime, and Jennifer Rossetti.

The doubling of the roles for Theseus/Titania and Hyppolita/ Oberon were both extremely powerful and effective decisions.

The actors, Dan Megaffin and Julie Lane, showed immense acting skills through their ability to portray such diversity. The mischievous Puck was performed

by Phillip Krusto and Claudia Spadafora in a stunning act of unison and with great humour.

The chorus of fairies also bring to the production some very beautiful songs and hypnotic-like harmonies.

While the group of the four Athenian lovers were both

hilarious and heartfelt it was Miles Greenberg who stole the show with his humourous and heartbreaking portrayal of Helena. The ‘group of actors’ played by Matt Blackshaw, David Jackson, Rex Jackson, Nick Kozij, Sasha Stevenson, and Ian Wilush were hysterical and a perfect end to the show. Ian Wilush’s portrayal of Bottom was also hilarious and endearing.

A Midsummer Night’s Dream continues its stage run in Robinson Memorial Theatre (CNH 103) until Nov. 16. Tickets can be purchased at Compass or through SOTA at 905-525-9140 ext. 24246.

ANDY

C/O PETER COCKETT

C4 & C5

theSil.ca

Thursday, Nov. 14, 2013

ANDY

C6

day drunk’s slam dunk

C/O DANNY SHEPARD

Sophia Topper Staff Reporter How did three high school band geeks end up opening for Theory of a Deadman?

McMaster band Day Drunk’s origin story is one of auspicious coincidences and last minute frenzies. Jordan Hallin, a fourthyear philosophy student, who plays guitar and vocals, is also the resident storyspinner. Last winter he happened upon an MSU “Last Band Standing” poster and thought, “This is something I’ve always wanted to do, so why not throw this crazy thing together?”

With just days before the Feb. 1 deadline, Hallin recruited his acquaintance Marty Vandenberk, a third-year sociology student. The group needed a third member because the competition prioritized larger bands. Luckily Marty’s housemate, Rhett Amin, a bass player, was just next door.

They called out, “Hey Rhett, you’re gonna be in a band with us,” and he obliged.

The first time they practiced together was while recording their audition.

Amin’s bass is a defining part of Day Drunk’s sound. The bass often takes on elements of the melody and as Hallin said, “Rhett does things on the bass that consistently surprise me.” The early rush of success for the band has had a large influence, explained Amin. He said, “We have way more shows than we have practices, we have to listen to each other.” This unity exists offstage as well; said Hallin, “We’re the best of friends.”

Their opportunity to open for Theory of a Deadman came about in much the same way as the band got together. Hallin discovered the Whiskey Rocks contest three days before it closed, and sprang into action. Vandenberk said, “Jordan came to our house one day and said, we’re going to do this. Jordan always comes to us with these crazy ideas, and our first reaction is ‘you want to do what?’”

They filmed their music video in just

one day, and Amin and Hallin spent six hours editing their footage. “I don’t think I’ve ever worked harder on anything,” Hallin said.

Ironically, the Whiskey Rocks contest, run by the LCBO, would not allow them to use the name Day Drunk, because they said that it promotes irresponsible drinking. Their fans on Facebook suggested switching the name to Dray Dunk, which was accepted by the contest coordinators.

That wasn’t the only snag they ran into. Going from coffeehouse nights at Mac’s Bridges Cafe to the London Music Hall was a big change, but the band took their mistakes, such as hitting microphones, as learning opportunities. “We got to experience things going wrong and everything turning out all fine,” said Vandenberk. The band also shared their appreciation for the friends and family that came out to support them. “What they really don’t understand,” explained Hallin, “is how much it means and how much it

helps us.”

Day Drunk was overjoyed by the success of their set. Hallin, who was still wearing his performer’s wristband during our interview, describes the experience as “unbelievable.” “We’ve had the experience of playing on a sound system that can deafen small children, how often can you do that?” said Vandenberk. Theory of a Deadman, who was once their childhood hero, came up to them afterwards and congratulated them on their performance.

They plan to build off this success by putting out more music in the next two months, and hope to release a full album by next summer. Day Drunk also has ideas for a benefit concert for the music program Vandenberk worked for in high school. Hallin said he hopes his shows “always have a cause…using your music to spread music to more people, what’s the downside?” @SPTopps

theSil.ca

ANDY

Thursday, Nov. 14, 2013

C7

m l fi

w e i v re

lightning strikes twice Oh brother, its Thor and Loki Lene Trunjer Petersen The Silhouette

Thor: The Dark World Director: Alan Taylor I have to admit that I have been looking forward to Thor: The Dark World for quite some time now, maybe even since the Avengers crashed New York in 2012.

Thor is absolutely one of my favourite Norse gods, and when I was younger, I read all the albums of Valhalla, which is a Danish comic book series based on the stories and myth in the Elder Eddas. That being said, I was also a little concerned about how Chris Hemsworth would portray my hero from back then.

The Thor franchise is rather Americanized and does not resemble much of the original Norse stories, but it is based on the Marvel comic books. Thor is, with that in mind, an excellent addition to the Marvel superhero universe, and I found the sequel better than the original film.

The story picks up right after The Avengers, but two years after Thor. Loki (Tom Hiddleston) is being imprisoned for his crimes and Thor is out in the nine realms to re-establish peace.

Back on Earth, Jane Foster (Natalie Portman) has given up on finding Thor again. Meanwhile, Erik Selvig (Stellan Skarsgård) is a loon and is, among other things, running naked around Stonehenge. Skarsgård does a marvelous job and he made the whole theater laugh when he, at “the end of the world,” blurted

out, “there is nothing more reassuring then knowing the world is crazier than you.”

But there cannot be a superhero without evil lurking somewhere. This time the evil is represented by some more than 5000-year-old dark elves. Their leader Malekith wants to bring darkness into the nine realms.

He tried five millennia ago, when the nine realms were aligning, but Odin’s father Bor stopped them. But Bor could not destroy a dark material referred to as the Aether, which also is the bringer of darkness. Instead Bor hid it where no one could find it, except for Jane Foster, who stumbles over it. The Aether seeks her as a host and drains her life force.

Naturally, Thor comes to rescue her, but Malekith senses the Aether and travels to Asgard to remove it from Jane’s body, so

he can try again to bring darkness into the nine realms.

After a gruesome fight between the Asgardians and the dark elves, Thor seeks Loki’s help.

Tom Hiddleston plays up the trickster character with several good one-liners. “Evidently there will be a line,” he says, when everyone wants to kill him. Thor and Loki’s shared screen time provides some of the best moments in the film and together they set out to save the world.

With this kind of film there will always be critical reviews.

Thor has so far scored 66 per cent on Rotten Tomatoes, but it has done really well at the global box office throughout its first week.

I found the storyline good, even though Malekith and his quest to bring darkness to all the realms was a bit trivial. What I

really loved was how the director Alan Taylor has developed Asgard with houses, mountains and even one of Odin’s ravens flying around. Taylor has possibly also picked up a few things from Joss Whedon (The Avengers) and his lust to smash his settings. These scenes are stunning and there are several new and very well orchestrated battle scenes.

Thor has definitely become the main character of the franchise and all my worries about Hemsworth have fallen silent. He does a really good job portraying Thor as this brave, but fool-headed, hero who is tricked by Loki again and again. Jane seems to be nothing more then a footnote, however, which I really hope will be removed for the promised third Thor adventure.

theSil.ca

Thursday, Nov. 14, 2013

ANDY

C8

andy’s album reviews Michael Gallagher The Silhouette

Shane Madill The Silhouette

Static Artist: Cults

Reprise EP Artist: Gold Panda

Cults’ new album Static is strange.

While there are many good songs, there are few great ones. The record found a weird middle ground for the quality of their latest material. This isn’t to say that their material is bad – that isn’t the case at all – but there isn’t anything that really sticks out, either.

As you flip through the tracks, the smooth voice of Madeline Follin and bright guitars of Brian Oblivion are there to greet you with catchy melodies and strangely dissonant chords. The inclusion of strings and almost eerie-sounding organs makes Static very similar to another male and female duo, Beach House.

Unfortunately, Static just isn’t able to set itself apart from the stream of new music that comes out more and more with each passing day. What’s worse is that Static isn’t even able to set its songs apart from each other, and many of them simply sound too similar and uninspired. Even their newest single, “High Road,” drags on and barely makes an impression on the listener Fans of the band may still enjoy the album, but compared to their self-titled first album, Static falls short.

In the genre of ambient or minimalist music, every little detail included or omitted by the producer has a significant effect on the listener’s interpretation of the music. Unfortunately, this also means that every single mistake is able to take centre stage, and often for extended periods of time.

In the case of Gold Panda’s Reprise EP, none of the songs really evoke any kind of reaction. Every track leaves you feeling completely neutral and without any real connection to the music. If you were a fan of Gold Panda’s prior music, this EP may even induce frustration, as it is nowhere close to the emotional depth and ability that Gold Panda has demonstrated before.

The one standout track that saves this EP from complete mediocrity is “Community (Fort Romeau Remix).” It progressively develops and balances the fine line between conventional dance and experimentation very effectively. “If U Knew (Reprise Long Live Take)” is an honorable runner-up, though it also suffers from the mistake of trying to add in too many meaningless details.

Had Gold Panda and company trimmed the fat off of some of the tracks and nailed down what they wanted to present, this EP would have been substantially better.