S The Silhouette
Affordable Housing
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DEVELOPMENT IN HAMILTON HAS REVEALED THE TRUE COST OF LIVING IN THIS CITY
White Elephant
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FASHION DESIGNER LOOKS BACK ON THE CREATION OF HER ICONIC JAMES ST. STORE
Thursday, November 24, 2016
Rogue
Rapscallion Rogue Eatery’s Matt Kershaw talks about his beginnings as a chef and the development of Hamilton’s food culture Pages 6-7
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www.thesil.ca | Thursday, Nov. 24, 2016
The Silhouette
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News Hamilton’s affordable housing crisis
With increasing rent and decreasing vacancy rates, Hamiltonians struggle to find adequate housing
Emily O’Rourke News Reporter
Hamilton is currently in a state of change. Since property costs are relatively low compared to neighbouring cities, developers and entrepreneurs have been looking to Hamilton to open trendy cafes and restaurants or to build luxury condos. As positive as this kind of prosperity can be for the city, there is a grim reality behind the shiny facades. The cost of buying a home in Hamilton has spiked over 88.3 per cent over the past ten years. With that, the city has seen the cost of rental units shoot up more than any other city within Ontario in this past year alone, making it difficult to find adequate housing for those in need. One of the factors to the rental surge, besides the continued gentrification, is a drop in vacancy rates. From 2013 to 2015, vacancy rates fell to 1.8 per cent from 3.4 per cent, forcing rental costs to skyrocket and lowering the means for affordable housing projects that are in high demand across the city. The spike of the cost of living in Hamilton and the lack of affordable housing projects, including emergency homeless shelters or women’s shelters, see more people and families being put onto waiting lists for subsidized housing, and more people in emergency shelters staying longer with nowhere to go. Today, approximately 5,700 households in Hamilton are on a waiting list for subsidized housing. One community in particular has been facing the effects of this resurgence for years. The Beasley neighbourhood is located in central downtown and bound by four major streets that have arguably seen the most gentrification in the city, including James St N and Main St W.
Westdale is one neighbourhood which has been affected by Hamilton’s housing crisis. MADELINE NEUMANN/PHOTO EDITOR
In a 2012 report published by the city’s Social Planning and Research council, it was noted that poverty rates in Beasley are three times higher than the average for the city, with nearly six in ten residents living below the poverty line. “What does affordable housing mean to Hamilton? It means that we as a city are able to continue on with this value we have, which is that if you live here, you’re part of the community,” said Matt Thomson, a Beasley neighbourhood resident. “The city is not about creating wealth strictly through the speculation of housing, but rather everyone should have the
chance to participate, and when you have to move far away from where you’re grounded, that’s not what we’re about.” A 2012 report from the McMaster-Community Poverty Initiative found a 21-year gap in life expectancy between residents of the poorest neighbourhood and those of the wealthiest neighbourhoods in Hamilton. Sara Mayo, a social planner at the Social Planning and Research Council, noted that investing in affordable housing would mean massive improvement for people’s health. “The sort of low-level chronic stress that comes from things like not knowing if your
landlord is going to kick you out or not knowing how you’re going to make next month’s rent has shown to be very harmful to people’s health,” said Mayo. “One high-stress event is something you can bounce back from and something that your body can take, but that low-level chronic stress is something that has really big impacts on people’s brains and on their physical health.” The provincial government currently has a long-term affordable housing strategy in place that was updated in March. The plan sees $178 million of investment in affordable housing projects, specifically for survivors of domestic abuse,
supportive households and homelessness initiatives over the course of the next three years. “[Fixing the issue is] a complex question that often has very simple answers. You invest in affordable housing,” noted Thomson. “What that looks like is going to depend on what you’re expecting your outcome to be, but it’s about building units, and it’s about fixing the units that we have, and it’s about enabling and equipping people with really cool tools to try out new ways of keeping housing affordable, so that people can then work towards the bigger and better things in their lives.” @theSilhouette
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NEWS
Thursday, Nov. 24, 2016 | www.thesil.ca
A day in the life of a refugee Students came together to protest the inhumane treatment of religious minorities in Syria and Iraq Steven Chen News Reporter
For another year running, the McMaster Assyrian Chaldean Syriac Student Union hosted the “Life of a Mesopotamian Refugee” charity event. The event spanned all of last week from Nov. 14-18 to raise awareness and funds for the Assyrian refugees currently being marginalized in Iraq and Syria.
“There’s a lot of people who don’t wish to leave. We want to ensure, for those who don’t want to leave, a stable job, stable food, stable shelter and hope for the future as well.” Nivin Dinkha, Sleeper for McMaster Assyrian Chaldean Syriac Student Union The cornerstone of the event, standing in plain sight was the tent. Secured outside the McMaster Student Centre, the tent served to shelter volunteer “sleepers” over the week to symbolize and raise awareness for the Mesopotamian Refugees, specifically those who are Assyrian. “The Assyrians are an ethnic and a Christian minority in [Mesopotamia], so they are affected much more disproportionately than the general population. So we started the event to raise awareness for what was happening and to also raise money to send overseas,” said Ashor Sworesho, a McMaster alumnus who helped start this event six years ago. The plight of the internally displaced peoples in former Mesopotamia is directly related to the ongoing crisis caused by the Islamic State. “ISIS went in, they put the letter Nūn on all the houses of the Christians. And that is a derogatory way of symbolizing Christians. You either have to leave, pay a heavy tax, convert,
or they would kill you. [The refugees] were at the mercy of other people,” Sworesho explained. For this year’s event, it seemed that the volunteers in the tent had to bear more than just the cold weather. The student group received a number of complaints from passing students. According to the volunteer sleepers, critical comments were primarily directed towards the unrealistic representation of refugee life. “People will come by and they will say things like ‘I didn’t know that refugees had coffee’… We are trying our best to live like them, but this is pretend, this is convenient and this is so not what they are going through. For people to understand that, we are having a little bit of a harder time with that,” said Nivin Dinkha, one of the sleepers who volunteered for ACSSU. While the “Life of a Mesopotamian Refugee” is not intended to be a replication the circumstances in the region, the student group certainly tried their best to convey their message. “We didn’t eat, we didn’t drink. The only time we did was when it was donated to us,” said Dinkha. “This is to show that we were also at the mercy of others when it came to help. There’s only a limited number of things that we can do in our capacity that actually shows that we are living their life.” ACSSU McMaster raises money through this event to help those currently overseas. This is done in partnership with the Catholic Near East Welfare Association. “It’s been our land for thousands of years, and there’s a lot of people who don’t wish to leave. We want to ensure, for those who don’t want to leave, a stable job, stable food, stable shelter and hope for the future as well. [CNEWA] is project-based. They are creating initiatives, such as rebuilding, and creating community centres,” he added. @steven6chen
The ASSU raised approximately $7000 in funds last week. PHIL KIM/VIDEO EDITOR
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www.thesil.ca | Thursday, Nov. 24, 2016
NEWS
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The controversial act of carding Hamilton Police Board met with community members to discuss the carding policy Tashy Davidson Contributor
On Nov. 17, the Hamilton Police Board held a public meeting where delegations from various activism groups gave presentations on their concerns about Hamilton’s carding policies. Carding is the practice of gathering information such as name and address from the public and using this information as it becomes relevant to police investigations. Carding interactions vary across jurisdictions, and have come under particular scrutiny in Toronto. Organizations such as the Canadian Civil Liberties Association have condemned the practice for its ties to discrimination, specifically the systematic targeting of individuals based on stereotypes of race, colour or ethnicity referred to as racial profiling. “[The draft policy] appears to rely more heavily on giving permission to police officers to card individuals, rather than articulating clearly the rights an
individual has in their interaction with the police,” said Marlene Dei-Amoah of the City of Hamilton’s Committee Against Racism at the Board’s public meeting last Thursday. Hamilton’s carding history is controversial. But new provincial legislation, called the Police Service Act came into force in March 2016, which requires municipalities to revise their policy on carding by Jan. 1, 2017 and sets out guidelines for when it is justifiable for police to collect identifying information. However, even where the stop is justified, police are required to inform citizens that they have the right to walk away, to know the reason for the stop, and to file a complaint. According to Yasir Naqvi, Minister of Community Safety and Correctional Services, the new law will ensure that the collection of identifying information is not discriminatory, because it prohibits “arbitrary” and “random” collection. Critics, including Maria
Antelo of the Community Coalition Against Racism, question the potential consequences of the law. “The regulations... are an improvement over the status quo, which allows police officers to go on fishing expeditions among racialized and indigenous peoples who happen to be on the street,” Antelo said. “[Carding] should be abolished, not regulated.” The draft mandates procedural guidelines and requires that officers who collect identifying information be trained appropriately. Officers must give a receipt to individuals who allow their information to be recorded. But the guidelines also provide access to information collected unjustifiably before or after Jan. 1, and to information stored in the database for more than five years, will be limited to the chief of police. This is of particular concern to Antelo, who argues that allowing the indefinite storage of identifying information,
whether or not collected fairly, is a breach of civil rights. Dei-Amoah told the board that ambiguities and inconsistencies in the draft make its anti-discrimination regulations ineffective and have the potential to further marginalize
“[The draft policy is] a clear representation of systemic structural racism and we are vehemently opposed to its implementation without evidence that the board has taken seriously” Marlene Dei-Amoah Member of City of Hamilton’s Commmittee Against Racism
racialized members of the community. She asked the board to flesh out all obscure regulations, including the method of officer training, the content of the receipt given to individuals who consent to the collection of information, and the measures that will be taken to deal with transgressions. “[The draft policy is] a clear representation of systemic structural racism and we are vehemently opposed to its implementation without evidence that the board has taken seriously, and considered critically, the above noted recommendations,” Dei-Amoah concluded. Dei-Amoah wants the board to rewrite the policy, “incorporating the feedback that you’ve heard today, working alongside and not on behalf of the racialized community to address the highlighted concerns and unintended impacts.” The board’s final decision will be made at its next meeting in December, and its policy implemented by Jan 1, 2017. @TheSilhouette
PHIL KIM/ VIDEO EDITOR
THE GOOD FAT 6 |
FEATURE
Thursday, Nov. 24, 2016 | www.thesil.ca
Matt Kershaw, chef at Rapscallion Rogue Eatery talks ox tails, experimentation and creating opportunities for Hamilton resturaunteurs.
Alex Florescu Features Reporter
Walking to the door of Rapscallion two hours before the restaurant opened its doors, I could already spot steam swirling from pots on the stove. Matt Kershaw was where he likely spends most of the day, with a
knife in his hand and sizzling food behind him. Rapscallion is one of many restaurants that Matt Kershaw and the rest of Other Bird restaurant group own in Hamilton. I talked to Kershaw as he chopped first celery and then carrots, watching his fingers in fear. He, however, was unphased. It was clear that multitasking was not going to
be an issue. Kershaw has one thing that I didn’t even realize a cook needs to have: patience. “I think my favourite meat is ox tails. I spend hours cooking super slowly until they are rendered into yummy submission,” said Kershaw. While it depends on his mood or the season, slow braised meat is a
Ratatouille being slow cooked on the stove.
YUNG LEE / PHOTO REPORTER
FEATURE
www.thesil.ca | Thursday, Nov. 24, 2016
“
I eat a lot, read a lot, talk a lot and with that you experiment a lot. Matt Kershaw Chef, Rapscallion Rogue Eatery
Kershaw staple. While cooking is time-consuming, there can also be lengthy waiting periods. “If I am at home I drink wine. At a restaurant you’re multitasking. Right now we have pigs’ feet braising and ratatouille going; everything is happening at the same time.” Kershaw’s food is not for the faint of heart. When asked about experimenting with quirky ingredients, he made it clear that quirky was a word that to him was quite mundane. “Going to Nations is always fun —trying to figure out what the heck everything is. I eat a lot, read a lot, talk a lot and with that you experiment a lot.” “I have a very weird thing coming up. We have a bunch of industry people coming in. It was almost like a dare. Someone was talking about ox pizzle— which is actually the penis of a bull—so we actually have some downstairs right now and will be experimenting with them shortly.” No matter how much Kershaw likes to experiment, he is still aware that it is the customers that matter. “We will be the first line of defence, we are always going to try everything. Then after that you sort of put the dishes out and you get a lot of feedback really quick... Sometimes we put out a dish that we think is awesome, but the customer just doesn’t want it, doesn’t get it, doesn’t like it. You know, things happen.” Something tells me he hasn’t had too many of those moments, however. Kershaw has been surprised by some of the dishes people devoured. “Some things become successful but we never saw it [coming]. Like our chicken liver brûlée, it is one of our signature dishes at a couple of our places. I didn’t necessarily think people would be into chicken livers just because of the name,” said Kershaw. At this point Kershaw adds
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oil to the pot steaming behind him, and the sizzling intensifies. Wine gets delivered and the tables are still unset. Boxes and food are piled around, the place not yet picture perfect but starting to smell delicious. The secret to Kershaw’s cooking? Something that would get cardiologists going. “At a restaurant, we want to give people things they don’t eat at home... We make good stock and we use a lot of butter and cream, more than you would put at home. That’s what I would say —fat, and good stock.” Kershaw started cooking at a young age, having grown up in a family that hung out in the kitchen. “I got in the business when I was 14, always been in it. I would say the most important chef for me was this guy Michael Ewing. Most people might not have heard of him but if chefs were famous back then as they are now, he would have been famous.” Kershaw originally went into commerce but realized it was not the right fit in his second year. He dropped out, went for what he knew was more natural, and hasn’t looked back since.
“
If people come in and want something off the menu, I’ll create it for them. Give me some descriptive words and we will figure it out.
Here Kershaw excuses himself to get something, coming back with an onion that he begins to slice right away. I asked him what he cooks at home. “Exactly the opposite of what you would expect. I eat a lot of fast food when I finish my shifts. Simple pasta. Last night I was thinking about what to eat, it was late, and I decided to have Kraft Dinner.” As for the multitude of restaurants he co-owns, it was always something he wanted to do. “I never wanted just one successful restaurant. I found another person who had a
similar idea and one thing led to another and here we are.” Each restaurant has a different vibe, from Mexican at The Mule to meats at Rapscallion. “We are often inspired by other great places we encounter in other cities and we think ‘this is awesome, Hamilton should have this.’” The dishes featured on his menus are far too diverse for me not to probe Kershaw on his travelling. “In my 20s, I was out of the country for five years working in all sorts of different places. I encourage all young chefs to do that. If you just work in Hamilton, there are a lot of great chefs here, but you get so much more exposure,” he explained. “I was taught how to cook risotto by three different people in three different ways. I was taught by an old Italian grandmother in Italy, a star chef and the only master pastry chef in Canada. These people are all awesome, but they all made it differently and they all said ‘this is the way to do it’.” So which way does he do it? “Italian grandmother,” Kershaw said with a chuckle. Often the dishes he sees
abroad make it back to Hamilton. “I was in Montreal last weekend and ate at a lot of places. There was this really great and super simple dish; it was bone marrow with caviar and I never had that combination before... You will probably see something like that come back here.” For Kershaw, the menu is only a suggestion. “If people come in and want something off the menu, I’ll create it for them. Give me some descriptive words and we will figure it out.” Some of these customer suggestions have made it onto the menu at Rapscallion. There seems to be no end in sight for Kershaw. “Two things we are hoping to do next year — one thing is the Arkells, the band, wants to open a sport bar with us, so we are actively looking for a place for them. The menu is undetermined, but I know a bunch of the Arkells love Cajun food, so that could be the angle but I can’t say yet. And then there is an amazing sushi chef in Dundas that no one knows about. He is terrible at marketing, his place
is awful, but his food is killer. So we want to set him up, and we wouldn’t even do anything. We just like him and we want to get him set up in a really awesome place where he is only going to do his best stuff, his high end 12 seat amazing sushi bar – expensive, you don’t go often, but amazing. That is what he should be doing and wants to be doing.” It shouldn’t have surprised me that Kershaw’s plans were mostly for others, but it did. Kershaw seems to have the Midas touch – when it comes to food certainly, but also people. His career is one to follow with anticipation. @alexxflorescu
PRESIDENT’S PAGE
November 24, 2016 | thesil.ca
of work integrated learning: 1) Apprenticeships 2) Field Experience 3) Mandatory Professional Practice 4) Co-op 5) Internships 6) Applied 7) Service-Learning This week, schools across the province are highlighting Blake the diversity of work-integrated learning opportunities via our Oliver provincial lobbying organizaVice President (Education) tion, the Ontario Undergraduate Students Alliance (OUSA). As vped@msu.mcmaster.ca your Vice President (Education), 905.525.9140 x24017 I sit on the Steering Committee of OUSA, along with eight other As a health sciences student, I student leaders from institutions don’t have the option to com- across Ontario. Together, we plete co-op or an internship, but determine priorities for the orI know that getting some sort ganization annually – and work of work-related experience is important before I graduate. In fact, the province of Ontario has recently committed to creating at least one work integrated learning experience for every undergraduate, at some point during the course of their degree. But as students, we know that not every work integrated learning experience is created equal – especially across faculties. First of all, what is work integrated learning? It is essentially the process in which students come to learn from experiences in educational and practical settings and integrate the contributions of those experiences in developing the understandings for effective professional practice. There are seven main categories
integrated learning has been one for many consecutive years. This year, we wanted to highlight how WIL differs across different programs and institutions, by asking students what WIL means to them. And thus, the #myWILis campaign was born.
We hope to show students what WIL opportunities already exist. At McMaster, we are using the campaign as an opportunity to gather feedback from students on what WIL opportunities they have experienced, and what they are hoping to see in the future. This survey will be used when we advocate to the University
and the province for expanded opportunities. Students can take the survey online at msumcmaster.ca/wil, and each student who completes the survey will be entered into a draw to win one of four $50 TwelvEighty or Union Market gift cards. In addition, we hope to show students what WIL opportunities already exist in their faculties, should anyone be interested in pursing a course. MSU Macademics has compiled these courses in a convenient list which can be found online at msumcmaster.ca/wilcourses. For any interested students, be sure to check it out, and share what WIL means to you by using #myWILis on social media. Looking at my own program, #myWILis placement courses at nearby health clinics. I can’t wait to hear about yours.
msu_mcmaster
msumcmaster.ca
@msu_mcmaster
/msumcmaster
teXt ‘msu’ tO 71441
The President’s Page is a space sponsored and used by the McMaster Students Union (MSU) Board of Directors (BoD) to communicate with the student body. It functions to highlight the Board’s projects, goals, and agenda for the year, as well as the general happenings of the MSU.
www.thesil.ca | Thursday, Nov. 24, 2016
EDITORIAL
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Editorial Addressing racism on our campus Pretending the posters and their contents don’t exist will accomplish nothing Scott Hastie Editor-in-Chief
That did not take long. Less than two weeks after Donald Trump was elected president of the United States of America, the intolerance that propelled him to victory has landed on the McMaster campus. Coming to work at 7:30 a.m. on Monday, I was greeted with posters advocating for “altright” websites. They were in the hallways; they were on our office door. To clarify, alt-right is the term for a political movement that “emphasizes cultural and racial homogeneity within different countries” according to the Southern Poverty Law Center. The SPLC is an organization that monitors hate groups and extremists. The person who coined the term, Richard Spencer, refused to condemn those who drew graffiti swastikas following the election, said it was okay for people to wear Ku Klux Klan garments if that is how they EDITOR’S NOTE
There will be no Sex and the Steel City magazine this year. We are proud of the product that we made, but this decision comes for a variety of reasons. The first is that
wanted to express themselves, and said “hail Trump” while putting up a Nazi salute at a recent alt-right conference. Spencer writes for a website that was linked on one of these posters. The Silhouette has a duty to report on hate crimes on campus. And make no mistake, these posters are hate crimes. The links on those websites argue “mass immigration is destroying the Anglo/French/ European character of Canada” and that whites are better than “all other races combined.” This is white nationalism and white supremacy. However, our coverage could have been better. I should have blurred out the links on the posters because I was inadvertantly promoting their cause. This is something we will use as a learning opportunity moving forward. For those who believe we should not have covered it and simply ignored it, I suggest that you read a book, maybe even a history textbook from high school. Racism and intolerance we struggled to distribute the product last year. For whatever reason, people did not want to pick up the magazine and we were left with a lot of waste. Magazines are not cheap to produce. The labour involved in photoshoots, layout and writing
The Silhouette has a duty to report on hate crimes on campus. And make no mistake, these posters are hate crimes. is fuelled by the ignorance of those who believe they are not affected. If you sit passively and hope that the hate will subside, you haven’t been paying attention. The United States Holocaust Museum’s words from a press release condemning the references to Jews and other minorities at an alt-right conference are poignant: “The Holocaust did not begin with killing, it began with words.” The Silhouette will continue to report on these instances should they happen, and I expect McMaster University to be as vigilant as ever in preventing and addressing these acts. @Scott1Hastie
is significant and not something we can continue to do. The Silhouette’s printing budget shrank dramatically this year, leaving us with less money to spend on non-newspaper products. We will continue to find new ways to reach students.
to the Eastern Final snowbowl.
to Big Otry.
to dog-sitting.
to the “just hear them out” crowd.
to World Container.
to the laptop drop.
to Dan.
to vanilla.
to flag talk.
to “as well as.”
to cheap avocados.
to taking a month to schedule meetings.
to staff karaoke (again). to nudez newz. to meme cronies. to “Chipotle kid” vine. to rolling down hills. to whippets. to the speeches at the Nov. 17 morning convocation. to a shot of Jameson and a pint of Harp. to taking holidays you didn’t think you had. to parties on Hess St. S. to eNickma.
to post-truth U Sports. to Sportsnet, putting a photo of a Mac football player from 2014 in a 2016 Laurier graphic. to glut. This word is now banned. to that party at Queen’s. to the end of convocation. Unleashing hundreds of people into the lobby of Hamilton Place was not a great idea, Mac. to grocery shopping at 9:30 a.m. on a Sunday. Just don’t do it.
10 |
HUMANS
Thursday, Nov. 24, 2016 | www.thesil.ca
Tell me a little bit about yourself and what you people are up to. I’m the head of public relations and part of the wet lab team at McMaster iGEM, and I’ve been with the club since its establishment in 2014. iGEM stands for International Genetically Engineered Machine, and it’s basically an international undergraduate competition in synthetic biology. McMaster iGEM is one of the many undergraduate teams (25 people) worldwide that participate. Each year we come up with our own idea and project design involving genetic engineering, and execute this project during the summer term. During the school year we engage with students of all ages through community outreach events, and also research the potential human applications of our idea. In the fall members can choose to represent our team to the Giant Jamboree in Boston,
USA, to present our work, learn from teams and speakers all over the globe, and hopefully win a medal as well! It’s a big commitment, but this is a one-of-a-kind club. I never imagined that I would be involved in designing and working on my own projects so early in undergrad, especially in such an exciting field that is still emerging and evolving. Personally, iGEM has not only taught me about research and wet lab work, but it has also allowed me explore other interests such as starting a blog geared toward science and education. It really has something for everyone who is interested in science and synthetic biology. When everything is going wrong, what motivates you to keep going? When none of your experiments are working, and you’ve been in the lab for four hours
Maxwell Ng, Dhanyasri Maddiboina, Feifei Yu (Left to Right) iGEM, McMaster University
YUNG LEE/ PHOTO REPORTER
on a Friday evening, it’s hard to stay motivated. Lab work inherently has hours and hours of troubleshooting for what you think is a simple experiment. At one point in the summer, we had repeated an experiment countless times and, as we sat in our lab meeting, the general feeling was essentially “okay. I’ve run out of ideas. I can’t even imagine another way to try this.” What personally keeps me motivated in times like that is knowing that every other iGEM team in the world has likely struggled just like us. Even the most accomplished teams probably spend days scratching their heads about what to do next. Going through this process is part of the experience. Learning to think in new ways, and find solutions you haven’t thought of, is a skill to be learned and not an experience to bemoan. What is one piece of advice you were reluctant to follow but found working wonders for you on implementation? To trust in others - to trust in their skills and honest abilities, in our ability to have a dialogue and share constructive criticism, and in doing so, share what burdens may arise. As with any high-stakes work, this experience has had its share of difficulties - times when it seemed that there was no re-
course. However, in those same moments, it gave opportunities to reflect on the fact that we are, and must always be, a team effort. I often feel like I want to help out with everything and try to keep a close eye on it all, but sometimes the best thing to do is to just take a step back and put everything into perspective: as a group, we each have our own responsibilities and we all hold roles for specific reasons. When people are trusted to do their work, more often than not, I have found that the work is not only completed, but that the sense of independence allows for far more diverse and creative thoughts. Going even further than what I had expected, I learned that when people share that unified vision and are all striving for that same goal, work isn’t divided begrudgingly, but rather with a strong sense of camaraderie. No doubt it takes time to develop this type of reliable working relationship, and it is important to make sure that this trust is well placed and reciprocated. Nonetheless, I think that spending time in building those connections is well worth it, because in the end, doing something together has proven to be far greater in both process and product than it has been when done alone.
on a competitive, and collaborative, stage, it’s amazing to see how vastly different each project is, but how connected we all are by the goal of engineering organisms for the benefit of society and the environment. What we’re working on is a very interdisciplinary field, and diversity in people and areas of interest is something we look for in applicants. But besides all that, iGEM is just a cool way to develop your own research project and execute it. The direction of research is most often guided by
your P.I., or someone else who is supervising you, but we do everything on our own. We can choose any project, and where we take it is entirely up to us. That is probably one of the most unique ways to do research as an undergrad.
facebook.com/ HumansOfMcMaster
Yung Lee Photo Reporter
Why would someone want to be part of this? I’m always telling people about iGEM. What inspires me the most about it is the vibrant energy within iGEM, and in synthetic biology, currently. Every year more and more teams are joining the competition and bringing with them novel ideas and methods and research accomplishments. When you bring together thousands of students from around the world
YUNG LEE/ PHOTO REPORTER
www.thesil.ca | Thursday, Nov. 24, 2016
The Silhouette | 11
Opinion To the authors of the alt-right posters Express your opinions, but don’t be surprised when they’re countered by facts and morals Connor Blakeborough Contributor
Only two weeks after the divisive and controversial United States presidential election, a set of alt-right posters suddenly appeared on McMaster walls. The alt-right movement is a modern term for those who believe in right-wing ideologies that presents itself as an alternative to mainstream conservatives. For the movement, this means opposing immigration, pluralism and political correctness. The posters claimed the marginalization of the white community through being labeled racist if they “organize in our self interest” or “preserve our culture”. I know what you’re thinking; these people must be joking, right? On the campus of a well-respected Canadian university thought to embrace ideals of multiculturalism and tolerance, how do such controversial statements and posters make it onto the university’s walls? It’s simple: educated isn’t a synonym for informed. That’s not to say that controversial opinions have no place in a university, don’t get me wrong. Express all the opinions you want. Just don’t be surprised when they’re shot down with historical facts and a set of morals held by any decent human being. I feel comfortable in saying that the posters left on the walls on Nov. 21 do not represent the clear majority of views held by McMaster students and faculty. They represent a small minority of the McMaster community. However, when can we stop being tolerant of these exclusionary views and start calling them what they are? These people are bigoted. There’s a difference between being tolerant of another’s culture, and being tolerant of views that intend to harm other members of our community. There’s something hypocritical about complaining Ca-
nadian culture is being diminished due to immigration and multiculturalism in a nation that was built on immigrants fleeing persecution and international immigrants investing in this country. The same Asian Canadians the alt-right movement often claim are at fault for destroying what “makes Canada great” are the people who built the Canadian Pacific Railway. Just as the Muslim Canadians, often generalized as terrorists by the movement, are those dedicating their lives to civil service. It doesn’t take a political scientist to figure out that immigrants and pluralism are what make this country the envy of the world. The divisive politics showcased during this past American election have shown how much progress in the way of tolerance and enlightenment there is still to make. Let’s not make believe that because we’re on a university campus, that we all share the same set of values and principles. There’s still much progress to make in the way of equality and tolerance, and that stands for both sides of the political spectrum. Just as there are extremism and alternative movements on the right, the left shares similar problems. No political ideology makes you exempt from hypocrisy and intolerance, no matter how virtuous or morally valid it might seem. Just as there is no excuse for these recent ill-informed opinions being plastered on the school walls, there is no excuse for callout culture over opening a dialogue. Communicate your ideas in a productive manner, without bigotry.
@TheSilhouette
MADELINE NEUMANN / PHOTO EDITOR
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OPINION
Thursday, Nov. 24, 2016 | www.thesil.ca
REPURPOSING MCMASTER DeGroote’s reconcilliation should be an inspiration for the university’s future Shane Madill Opinions Editor
Business at McMaster has been a constant source of controversy over the last 12 years. When Paul Bates was appointed dean of DeGroote in 2004, some faculty members attempted to have him removed in the belief that his Bay St. success was less important than his lack of a university degree. The selection committee recommended the administration appoint an academic as the associate dean, common at other universities, but this was never followed.
By his contract renewal in 2008, 80 per cent of the faculty opposed his reappointment. They were overruled by the university’s board of governors. His greatest achievement in building the Ron Joyce Centre in Burlington to house the school’s MBA program in addition to the increasing number of students and the public reputation of the school trending upwards was enough. A later report stated a culture defined by “bullying, harassment, mean-spirited sarcasm, intimidation and disrespect,” resulted in dissension and lead to several faculty
MADELINE NEUMANN / PHOTO EDITOR
members turning to medication for depression, anxiety and stress-related illnesses. He resigned in 2010. In 2013, three professors were suspended without pay for three years, two faced shorter suspensions and one was reprimanded. Two groups had developed before the resignation, critics and supporters of the dean, which resulted in disputes before and after the resignation. The tribunal recommending this course of action argued that these critics were, “seemingly unconcerned about whether allegations [against Mr. Bates] were real, embellished, or
even false.” This group was also accused by the dean’s supporters of interfering in decisions about their careers and tenure. In October of this year, an Ontario appeals court reduced the suspensions in this harassment case and ordered the university to compensate the faculty members for the difference in duration. The public reputation of the DeGroote School of Business, the internal culture of the university, hiring practices and general human resources have all been altered significantly over the last 12 years. However, assuming a lack of persisting
internal problems, the future and the current contributions from the School of Business, including dean Leonard Waverman, are extremely positive and should represent a source of inspiration to any faculty. The first notable point is how the dean’s experience in international telecommunications and global resources management has changed the faculty. Most evident in the launch of a new Executive MBA in Digital Transformation with theScore Inc. as founding partners, the focus on technology and understanding globalization has defined a goal and focus
OPINION
www.thesil.ca | Thursday, Nov. 24, 2016
for the faculty that has modern relevancy. John Levy, theScore’s founder and CEO, stated, “companies are being [digitally] disrupted all the time and there is a lack of understanding of how to cope with that. We wanted to do something to have an impact on how modern businesses work.” James Bigg, manager of communications at theScore,
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Companies are being [digitally] disrupted all the time and there is a lack of understanding of how to cope with that. John Levy Founder and CEO theScore
added that the digital world, “is moving so fast that if you don’t stay ahead of the game, you’ll be left behind. This program will offer tangible results for organization.” This shift can also be noted recently with the three-day alumni panels hosted last month at the Ron Joyce Centre as part of the newly-redesigned MBA program. Reforms like cohort classes, integrated case studies and Foundation Weeks dedicated to sessions with faculty and industry professional are additional components to this modernization. Adeel Abbasi, who drove large-scale digital transformations at companies like Adobe and CIBC, stated, “Almost everywhere I’ve been, digital is growing while other areas are being consolidated… Think of an enterprise like Uber: they’re one of the largest transportation companies on earth, but they have no fleet. Airbnb has become a world leader in accommodations, but they own no properties. Every sector is being impacted by digital change.” While it seems obvious to shift to modern technology and interactions as an area of focus, other areas of the school should be learning from this. Developing Mosaic, while still with a large assortment of issues, and embracing WebEx as a web conferencing tool represent a similar idea in updating previ-
ously stale or non-existent tools. While these have been larger university issues, DeGroote has represented one of the few examples of a faculty actively moving towards this as a core part of its education. In more traditional courses, the lack of technology use and a lack of focus on how interconnected people are remains an issue. This generally ranges from professors not using all the options already available on Avenue to aid the accessibility of the material, the fact that so few courses having the ability to access podcasts or recorded lectures and fundamental issues with the curriculum that advocate for old methods in modern times. The capability to add more to each course with what is already in place and the capability to add more real world relevancy is apparent. While the increasing advocacy for course feedback may indirectly result in changes, the issue remains that this is done on a course-by-course basis rather than a directed change by each faculty’s management. Having clear direction, objective and way to elevate the prestige of the program above competitors should be on the agenda for any faculty. It does not need to be digitally focused, but a five year plan should be more than generic and subjective improvement of what is already in place. All it takes is a focus, a direction and a desired endpoint. The other big adjustment made is the coordination between DeGroote and other faculties. One of the only ways to mix faculties currently in the majority of undergrad experiences is roommates, electives or through clubs. While a career may filter you into an area with likeminded people with similar degrees, there is still a divide present between academia and real life. Understanding the perspectives of other people, expanding your knowledge base outside of bird courses and knowing how to interact with people outside of the limitations of your faculty are all underrepresented lessons at McMaster. The most notable example of this is the upcoming launch of the Integrated Business and Humanities program that follows a long tradition of McMaster innovation and experimentation. Introducing this program, set to launch in Fall 2017, has been considered since Leonard Waverman’s hiring as dean in 2013. Ken Cruikshank, dean of
the Faculty of Humanities, stated “The 21st century knowledge economy needs people skilled in communication, collaboration and creativity. These are precisely the qualities that a humanities education helps to foster.” This program and coordination with another faculty helps fill the gaps in education and reinforce important areas that may not be fully covered otherwise. We have already seen the effects of diversified post-secondary with the success of McMaster initiatives such as the Arts and Science program. Similar to the Integrated Business and Humanities program, the emphasis on active, self-directed and cooperative learning in addition to the development of transferable skills leaves students with a large base of skills and knowledge to work with. The Integrated Business and Humanities program, with a target enrolment of 80 students, will follow a near identical formula as Arts and Science’s target enrolment of 60 first-year students. Arts and Science is mentioned in the Forward with Integrity paper by current president Patrick Deane as the program, “was a determined
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Almost everywhere I’ve been, digital is growing while other areas are being consolidated.
Adeel Abbasi Digital Transformation Leader, Adobe attempt to escape the constraints of a discipline or department-centred curriculum and to create a program that would effectively answer by example the concern that undergraduate education cannot thrive in a research-intensive university.” The paper continues to state that the program continued to have an influence on innovations such as the medical program with self-directed and problem-based learning, and the Engineering and Management program. These are simply the next steps of long-standing McMaster traditions. The new Integrated
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The 21st century knowledge economy needs people skilled in communication, collaboration and creativity. These are precisely the qualities that a humanities education helps to foster. Ken Cruikshank Dean, Faculty of Humanities Biomedical Engineering and Health Sciences Program is also a great continuation of this concept, and additional faculties should take the examples set by DeGroote in addition to McMaster’s past and present to explore similar options. Despite recent controversies and history, the DeGroote School of Business has been able to push through this adversity to be a great example for the rest of the university to follow. With the technological shifts, general interaction and interactions with other faculties, DeGroote has managed to advance and modernize its education by finding appropriate inspiration from the past and from Patrick Deane. While most of us will have graduated by the time the full effects are felt around campus, the sense of pride knowing the school continues in a positive direction is one I am glad to have. @theSilhouette
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OPINION
Thursday, Nov. 24, 2016 | www.thesil.ca
Email etiquette McMaster professors should use a higher degree of professionalism when responding to emails
ONLY AT
@MSU_1280
T W E LV E I G H T Y OW N S T H U R S DAYS .
THURS, NOV. 24 F E ATU R ING :
Jennifer La Grassa Contributor
One of my biggest pet peeves is when I spend hours crafting a professional email to a professor, only to receive an abrupt reply. There are so many courtesies to follow when emailing an important figure such as a professor that I often feel like it would be much easier to just write an essay. You want to remain concise, but still include enough information. You should read up on their research beforehand and mention how interesting you found it if kissing up to them helps your email’s purpose. You must state how your interests align with theirs. You should ask for a meeting. You should end with formal statements such as “I look forward to hearing from you” or “Best Regards.” This etiquette can get tedious when sending off emails to five different professors, but it’s understandable that these are the efforts one must demon-
PSA for all McMaster professors: if a student has taken the time to write you a respectful and well-worded email, please take the time to do the same back.
strate to make a good impression. Like many others, I have sent countless emails to professors and potential employers. Although I often find it pointless for me to follow the same format as my peers as I don’t see how I’ll be able to stand out, I’ve always maintained a formal approach as that is the impression I want to make. Unfortunately, most of these emails have either gone unanswered or received an inadequate response. PSA for all McMaster professors: if a student has taken the time to write you a respectful and well-worded email, please take the time to do the same back. It is highly unprofessional and rude that I must not only wait an inordinate amount of time for a response, but then be made to feel as though I am not deserving of the same degree of professionalism because I’m “just a student.” I’m not looking for an elaborate response, but I would like the emails I receive to show the professionalism I have attempted to demonstrate to you. My dad has always told me that in an interview setting I should remember that I’m also interviewing the employer. I need to make sure that this is someone I want to work for. In cases where professors carelessly respond, I immediately lose interest. I think it shows a lot about someone’s character when they are incapable of putting the same amount of effort back. The common excuse is that professors are busy and so we
must be grateful if we even get a response. However, my life is not void of activity. I’m busy with graduate school applications, midterms and assignments, cleaning and cooking for myself, family commitments and managing a part-time job. When people say that professors are busy, I have no sympathy. A final frustrating protocol to this whole emailing process is that students are told to “follow-up.” I recently went to a graduate school workshop where the speaker told students that often times, we must follow-up three times. The speaker advised that in our final follow-up, we should include “This will be my final follow-up”. This is absolutely insane. The whole process feels more like a competition of who can actually get their professors attention versus who actually has the necessary skills. I refuse to chase after you for three emails following my initial email. If you do not respond to my first follow-up then I’ll consider it your loss and move on. I realize that not all professors are like this, and have only now begun to receive more respectful responses. I recently used my MSAF on a midterm due to wisdom tooth surgery and received a very thoughtful email from my professor who wished me well on the surgery. This is all I ask from professors of McMaster. A little bit of humanity and courtesy can go a long way.
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EVENTS CALENDAR Fire & Ice (MSU Sparks and FYC event)
December GFB Registration Closes
When: November 24, 2016 from 08:00PM until 11:55PM Where: Scottish Rite
When: November 25, 2016 from 11:59PM until 11:59PM Where: MUSC 201
*Presented by MSU Sparks and the First Year Council. Tickets on sale at COMPASS. NOTE: Please bring your STUDENT ID to get into the event & a government issued ID if you are of age.
An Evening With Tommy Chong When: November 25, 2016 from 07:00PM until 09:00PM Where: CIBC Hall (3rd Floor MUSC) Grammy Award winning comedian Tommy Chong is legendary for his invaluable contribution to American counter-culture as part of the iconic comedy duo Cheech & Chong and also his appearance on the show will consist of a moderated talk with Tommy Chong followed by a Q&A period.
Register online at www.msumcmaster.ca/ good-food-box or in person in the MSU office (MUSC 201). Registration is open from the 10th-25th every month, or subscribe for the whole year.
Bake Sale and Photobooth (Heart and Stroke Foundation McMaster) When: November 28, 2016 from 09:30PM until 02:30PM Where: IAHS Stop by our bake sale and photobooth to get in the festive mood by getting your own Polaroid photograph with the Heart and Stroke Foundation McMaster Chapter. Prices are only
$2 for a photo, or $5 for 3, and baked goods are being sold by donation! Bring a friend to make the cost of the photos cheaper for everyone. Hope to see you all there!
Movember: MO’Cafe Open Mic Night When: November 29, 2016 from 08:00PM until 11:00PM Where: Bridges Cafe Join us and bring your friends for a relaxing night of good music, good people, and good coffee for a great cause! Donations for McMaster’s Movember Campaign will be accepted at the door. Please email Marco Gugliucciello at eventsasst@msu.mcmaster.ca if you are interested in performing.
MARAUDER GARAGE SALE DECEMBER 6 & 7, 11 AM to 5 PM DAVID BRALEY ATHLETIC CENTRE
GAME-WORN JERSEYS l SURPLUS PRACTICE GEAR I SLEEPING BAGS OUTDOOR EDUCATION EQUIPMENT I TENTS I SPORTS EQUIPMENT HEAVILY DISCOUNTED UNUSED ATHLETIC BRACES I AND MORE!
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The Silhouette | 17
www.thesil.ca | Thursday, Nov. 24, 2016
Arts & Culture Hamilton’s incidental art as fashion
Local clothing store promotes Steel City art and pride Razan Samara Contributor
O’s Clothes is changing the face of Hamilton retail with its famous and unique clothing series inspired by street signs and cityscape. With strong ties to the local art scene, O’s Clothes collaborations and personal creations take a refreshing look at street style. Oliver Knutton has made Hamilton his home for 20 years and started out in the creative community while working for Sonic Unyon Records. Upon noticing a gap in men’s streetwear in 2012, he transferred his passion for music to art and fashion, and O’s Clothes was born. Located downtown on James St. N, O’s Clothes incorporates Hamilton’s charm, Knutton’s personal style, brands from all over the world, as well as showcasing unique pieces inspired by the cityscape and arts community. “There is a certain speed to Hamilton. I think the architecture mixed with the people, mixed with the cityscape, it’s all a part of [what inspires my designs],” said Knutton. “My most famous design is the ‘HamOnt’ design, it’s a concept I came up with a few
years ago… I got my friend Kyle Stewart [to design it], and he executed [my vision] perfectly.” Recently, Knutton has been working on a clothing series inspired by local signage, which he refers to as incidental art. “It might not be perceived as art, but I find that we are surrounded by art every day, and it’s just a matter of finding it and seeking it out. It doesn’t have to be in a gallery, it could be graffiti, it could be a sign, it could be whatever,” explained Knutton. Knutton’s first design was inspired by a Chinese BBQ sign located on Cannon St, and his second was a ‘Subs’ shirt based off of a giant sign next to a convenience store near Victoria Park. “I sent my friends over to the convenience store with a camera and a few shirts on and they were taking pictures in front of the [SUBS sign], and the guy in the store was very
“It might not be perceived as art, but I find that we are surrounded by art every day.” Oliver Knutton O’s Clothes owner
confused. [They explained that] the shirt [was based off of the] sign and he was just confused by it. He [said] ‘it’s fine, do what you want, but I don’t understand why you would make a t-shirt out of this sign.’” Another shirt and patch design was inspired by a makeshift dead end sign that Knutton stumbled upon on Bay St. N and Ferrie St. W. “From what I can tell, it was a sign that was made by the people on the street, it was a blank sign, and it was a dead end, but maybe they couldn’t get the city to designate it as a dead end. So they basically took makeshift letters and just stuck ‘dead end’ in this really ramshackle way. It just looks so unofficial and yet it is declaring something very official.” Knutton has his eye on a neon “pho” sign that could be inspiration for his next design. Knutton has a lot of love for his city and even worked with Rebecca Duyzer to design a ‘J’aime Hamilton shirt, but Knutton doesn’t want to subscribe to blind city patriotism. “There are other things to expose people to rather than just Hamilton is great. Why is Hamilton great? Hamilton is great for many reasons, and I just try to bring those elements
INSTAGRAM @blakemancini
into wearable things. You don’t have to wear the J’aime Hamilton shirt, you can wear the Subs shirt, and still exude pride for your city,” explained Knutton. Aside from local signage, O’s Clothes strives to be a reflection of the city by providing unique and diverse selection. From Swedish dresses to traditional plaid shirts and t-shirts displaying the work of local artist such as Gord Bond, Knutton selectively curates his selection by pairing different styles together. As clothing retailers are continuing to be challenged by the sheer convenience and
amount of options available online, Knutton hopes that he can continue to make O’s a unique part of the James St. N community. “I’m going to evolve the layout of the store as the years go on and offer products that I create or come up with [through collaborations] with artists, making [O’s Clothes] more of a destination,” explained Knutton. “I hope to evolve the store aesthetically in a way [that people ask each other] ‘oh did you see what O’s looks like now?’” @theSilhouette
INSTAGRAM @os_hamont
INSTAGRAM @os_hamont
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A&C
Thursday, Nov. 24, 2016 | www.thesil.ca
White Elephant Christmas Hamiltonian Business benefits Canadian Entrepeneurs and is the perfect place to check things off your holiday shopping Michelle Yeung A&C Reporter
Of the many local shops and boutiques located throughout Hamilton, perhaps the most recognizable to McMaster students beckons a blue and white sign and an always beautifully curated display window in the heart of Westdale. Founded in 2008 by Hollie Pocsai and Jane LaBatte, White Elephant, located 1032 King St. W, is a Hamiltonian boutique built upon the foundation of supporting independent and Canadian-made designers. Whether that be clothing, accessories or gifts, Pocsai and LaBatte believe that anyone can find beautiful, unique and better-made pieces when they avoid mass-produced items, and instead support local and independent goods. The story behind how White Elephant came to be actually precedes its inception
by many years; it all started in the hallways of co-founders Pocsai and LaBatte’s high school, where they became fast friends and felt as though they were meant to create something together. “Growing up, we had each separately dreamed of being a shop owner, but never really voiced this thought out loud to each other… we eventually found ourselves unsatisfied working desk jobs. We opened an Etsy shop in 2007, selling vintage housewares that were curated with our shared aesthetic in mind,” said Pocsai. “From there, we started to do small craft markets around Hamilton… after meeting some people who were involved with the James St. N scene at the time, we decided to just go for it and open a little brick-andmortar boutique filled with independently made goods in October 2008.” Over the past eight years,
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Not everything you do is going to work out, but the important thing is that you tried, and you’re willing to try again in a different way next time Hollie Poscai Co-Owner White Elephant White Elephant has expanded from a purely online presence to a store on James St. N and now a second location in the Westdale community. Pocsai accredits their success to how intuitively things work between
her and LaBatte, which they refer to as their “twin brain”, as well as how their symbiotic relationship has dealt so effectively with challenges along the way. “We both have no real business background – we went through post-secondary [education] for English and Television Production… we work a lot off gut and intuition. We only make decisions that feel right to us. We’ve done mostly everything on our own and we’ve learned everything by doing. We have definitely made mistakes along the way, but we think that the mark of an entrepreneur is being okay with failure,” said Pocsai. “Not everything you do is going to work out, but the important thing is that you tried, and you’re willing to try again in a different way next time.” Perhaps what makes White Elephant special is how dedicated its co-owners are in carefully curating a catalogue of merchandise that supports
and encourages local talents. To them, it is important that White Elephant offers a well-rounded shopping experience, complete with beautiful and thoughtfully made items for gifts or for the shoppers themselves. “We aren’t interested in fast, disposable fashion. We want to encourage the development and expression of personal style. We want pieces in our closet that will last a lifetime, if properly cared for,” Pocsai explained. “When you work with small scale makers, producers, and designers, the quality is much better than what was churned out quickly and cheaply, usually overseas in poor working conditions, just to keep up with trends… Canada is full of creative individuals making some pretty amazing stuff… so much thought goes into each piece that we carry in the shops; they really are an extension of ourselves.” With Christmas just
A&C | 19
www.thesil.ca | Thursday, Nov. 24, 2016
MADELINE NEUMANN / PHOTO EDITOR
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It’s so nice to be able to give someone a present that is not only made in Canada, but made right here in Hamilton… Jane LaBatte Co-Owner White Elephant
around the corner, many people are getting a head start on their holiday shopping lists. Besides quality skin care products such as the Rosemary and Mint soap from St. Catharines-based Garden City Essentials and modern plant pots from Homebody Ceramics located in Guelph, White Elephant offers a variety of other gift options for all budgets. “In 2016 we started carrying some new Canadian lines that are really special to us, like Odeyalo clothing and Isolde
Bags, both based in Montreal. Both of these lines are Canadian, beautifully made, and have a really great modern look. We also love Fancy Pop earrings as the perfect gift item, and we’re always partial to the Hamilton-based lines we carry like Hutchison Clothing, Hand & Shadow and Anna Kari accessories, Rare Specimens jewelry [as well as] Things by Slo Mittens. It’s so nice to be able to give someone a present that is not only made in Canada, but made right here in Hamilton…good gifts should be either beautiful, useful, or a combination of both,” said LaBatte. In the New Year, Pocsai and LaBatte hope to launch their web store so they can reach a wider audience across the country and expand White Elephant’s reach to even more lovers of nice things. “We’re really looking forward to that development, and it’s keeping us busy,” Pocsai said. “Hopefully we’ll also be able to take a nap sometime in January, which is really big and exciting news for us.” @mich_yeung
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A&C
Thursday, Nov. 24, 2016 | www.thesil.ca
Five local retailers to check out Sahra Soudi Contributor
With the emergence of Hamilton’s art scene, an abundance of local vintage boutiques and gift shops now surround the arts district located on James St. N. The International Village on King St. E is another stretch of the city with plenty of stores to explore. Whether you’re looking for gift ideas or a new wardrobe, these streets have something to offer everyone especially for fashion enthusiast and advocates of local shopping.
GIRL ON THE WING (181 KING ST. E)
Girl on the Wing has become a haven for many contemporary and vintage fashion fanatics, and rightfully so. Curated by owner Whitney McMeekin, Girl on the Wing specializes in all things vintage and retro: from plants, cards and jewelry, to retro houseware, one of a kind accessories and carefully selected vintage pieces. Since its opening in 2013, the shop has supported the Hamilton community through its involvement in Hamilton Flea, as well as the annual Super Crawl. Girl on the Wing is attentive when it comes to supporting independent artists and makers, some of which include Stay Home Club, Rosehound Apparel and Talulah Fontaine.
HAWK & SPARROW (126 JAMES ST. N)
Created by Sarah Moyal in 2011, Hawk and Sparrow started out as an Etsy shop and has since evolved to a signature James St. N storefront. The shop provides a variety of second hand and brand new vintage pieces inspired by the style era of the 60s, 70s, 80s and early 90s. The apparel that can be found at this shop varies from denim to floral prints, to colourful windbreakers. The shop focuses on selecting the most beautiful and unique pieces, appealing to low and high-end vintage clothing collectors.
LA BICHETTE (161 JAMES ST. N)
La Bichette is a lifestyle boutique that puts a strong emphasis on enjoying the finer things in life. Its products range from apparel to bath and beauty. The shop believes in carrying beauty products that are environmentally friendly, vegan and locally sourced in Ontari, including Hamilton-based Perks and Aurora’s Sudsatorium.
NEWOLD’S VINTAGE CLOTHING (240 JAMES ST. N)
This shop is a life saver, especially if you have bad luck with finding unique vintage pieces. Newold’s stocks a selection of
C/O STUDIO 205
handmade and vintage pieces. The shop itself is just as charming as the friendly employees. No matter what you're looking for from vintage coats and swimwear to retro-inspires sunglasses, Newold's has something for you.
STUDIO 205 (205 KING ST. E)
Advocating for the importance of shopping local, Studio 205 is a shop that prides itself on carrying exclusively Canadian and handmade products. The shop’s vivacious atmosphere can be credited to the art that hangs on its walls, impressive handmade apparel, unique cards and prints available for purchase and the cafe conveniently located right inside the store that offers locally sourced coffee and teas. Looking for gift ideas? This shop has tons.
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GAMES
Thursday, Nov. 24, 2016 | www.thesil.ca
FREE PIZZA
The first ten people to get the right answers and come to the Silhouette office with the paper win a $15 Pizza Pizza gift card! The cost of buying a home in Hamilton has spiked over what per cent over the past ten years? ___________________
Where is the “Subs” sign located? ___________________
Before Conor Darlington, when was the last time a male Marauder won a CIS cross country medal? ___________________ Can’t be a previous winner, member of the Board of Publications or full-time MSU staff
www.thesil.ca | Thursday, Nov. 24, 2016
The Silhouette | 23
Sports Wrestling 101
It’s time for fans to brush up on their knowledge on one of McMaster’s most underrated teams Lauren Beals Sports Reporter
After a strong set of performances at the McMaster Invitational, the Mac wrestling team has established themselves as a top contender among University Sports competition. Currently ranked second in the national rankings, the men’s team finished second in their home-opener, boasting one gold medal from Joban Phulka,
three silver medals from Ameen Aghamirian, Scott MacLellan and Ben Zahra, and two bronze medals from Ahmed Shamiya and Erik Joy. On the women’s side Jenna Leslie took home silver to carry the women’s team to a solid seventh place finish and setting up an eighth-place ranking in the U Sports Top Ten. “[We] wrestled okay,” said head coach Nick Cipriano. “It was a week earlier than nor-
mal so I thought we had some decent performances but not great performances… did we win some games that we did not expect? The answer is yes, but we also lost some we were expecting to win. It is still early in the season.” Perhaps a testament to the team’s lofty expectations, it is safe to say fans can expect big things from the Mac wrestling program as the season progresses.
C/O RICK ZAZULAK
What you need to know In preparation for the upcoming season, there are a handful of key rules fans can be familiar with to get the most out of this exciting spectator sport.
Basics Wrestlers compete for two three-minute periods with a 30 second rest period in between rounds for coaching advice. Opponents start in their respective corners and wait for the referee signal, then the match begins. There are no time-outs once the match starts, the only factors that can stop the match are the referee, the clock or injury.
Objective The goal of the match is to “pin” your opponent. A pin, also called a “fall”, occurs when both shoulder blades of the defensive wrestler are held in contact with the mat for long enough that the referee observes total control.
The Match
C/O RICK ZAZULAK
Wrestlers begin the match on their feet in a standing position, and their first objective is try and take the opponent down to the mat. If they are taken down to their stomach the offensive wrestler is awarded two points, and they are taken to their back the offensive wrestler is awarded 4 points. Those are called “takedowns”. Points can also be awarded if their opponent steps out of bounds (1) or if they finish finish a move out of bounds (2 or 4). If any wrestler
can accumulate a 10-point differential with takedowns, they win the match. But according to Cipriano, that does not happen all too often. What is more common is something called “par terre” wrestling. After a takedown or 2-4 points athletes are given about 20-30 seconds to try and expose the person’s shoulders to the mat (stomach to back). Alternatively, if the referee determines one wrestler is being too passive, they are placed in a par terre position with their knees and hands on the mat to give their opponent a chance to score.
Winning There are four primary ways to win a wrestling match 1. If one athlete pins their opponent to the mat they are the winner, regardless of the score. 2. If one athlete attains a 10 point advantage over their opponent they win by “technical superiority.” 3. If the match lasts the entire two periods, the athlete with the most technical points in the end is the winner. 4. If the match is tied at the end of two periods, the athlete with the most “high-value” points is the winner.
24 |
SPORTS
Thursday, Nov. 24, 2016 | www.thesil.ca
“Win or learn” Marauders fall to Badgers in first loss of the season Justin Parker Contributor
This rivalry just got more interesting. The men’s basketball team suffered their first loss of the regular season at the hands of the Brock Badgers in a 72-71 nail-biter on Nov. 16. In such a close game, late missed shots can always be pointed to as possible game winners. However, poor shot choices plagued the Marauders throughout the entire game. The Marauders started the first quarter with a field goal percentage of 44.4 per cent, but dropped to 23.8 per cent in the second quarter. The team finished the game shooting 26.9 per cent from three and 60.9 per cent at the charity stripe. In a game that saw 10 lead changes and seven ties, one shot can really make a difference. However, as coach Amos Connolly notes, it is tough to point to an early missed shot as a missed opportunity to capture the win. “You can always look back on it and handle something differently, that happens all the time,” Connolly said. “From a tactical standpoint, I don’t think you ever walk out of a game and say ‘okay, we just nailed that one perfectly’. The coaches are too good and the players are too good, and things change all the time. The decisions compound. It’s not fair to pick apart things that happened in the first quarter as necessarily the reason why you lost the game by one, but it all relates.” Fifth-year senior Lazar Kojovic struggled early and got into foul trouble, which opened up more playing time for bench. Guard Chris Thompson who entered the game in the first quarter with a bang, scoring 10 points on 4-5 shooting, including two threes. Thompson finished with a career-high 21 points in 27 minutes and added
The team is keeping their heads up and recognizing what can be learned from this close loss
five steals to the stat sheet. “[Thompson] came off the bench and played really really well and Chris doesn’t get tired very often,” Connolly said. “So you don’t necessarily have to sub him out because of fatigue in the same way you might with other players. When he came off the bench and played as well as he did, combined with Lazar struggling, it just kind of lead to him having more minutes it was a pretty easy decision to make in the combination of those two factors. We’re fortunate that Chris stepped up the way he did.” Playing a career game, Thompson missed two key free throws late in the game when the Marauders had a chance to regain the lead. Despite a couple of late threes by Connor Gilmore, who lead the team with 25 points and 10 rebounds, the Marauders ultimately could not pull out the win. However, the team is keeping their heads up and recognizing what can be learned from this close loss as they have a week off before they turn their attention to the rest of their season, including two tough games against Carleton and Ottawa to close out the fall semester schedule. “The mantra we have this year is win or learn,” Connolly said. “As cheesy as that may sound, I think it is pretty appropriate. In the past couple of years, we took losses very hard as a group. That caused many issues with the team. We’re trying pretty hard to make sure that we understand that losses have value and what we can gain from it. We are certainly in the learning mindset after last night.” As the Marauders shift their focus to the last few games of the fall term, they look for a chance to get back on the winning track and keep pace with Brock who currently holds first place in their division. While Ontario basketball continues to be the most competitive in the country, the Central Divison of the OUA is starting this season as a real battleground of strong teams. The Marauders will get to play the Badgers again on Nov. 26 in what should prove to be another tough battle as Mac will look to exact revenge.
Connor Gilmore led the way for the Marauders with 25 points and 10 rebounds C/O KYLE WEST
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SPORTS | 25
www.thesil.ca | Thursday, Nov. 24, 2016
Moments matter: tales of a senior athlete Rebecca Steckle breaks down what she has learned from the season that almost never happen Lauren Beals Sports Reporter
Rebecca Steckle never thought she would be back for a fifth year. Academically driven, on course to graduate, and ready to begin her career as a nurse, it wasn’t until a teammate stated another possibility. “One of my friends [Kiera Adams] joked one day ‘wouldn’t it be funny if we all came back,’ because we all weren’t planning on it,” said Steckle. “I remembered [laughing], but I never gave it a chance… It was just never on the table [at that point].” Flash forward to this season, and not only is Steckle back on the court in maroon, she is enjoying a perfect 6-0 record in league play while putting up some of the most stellar performances of her career. “It got to the point where I thought about it and I just thought ‘why not’,” said Steckle. “I have the rest of my life to do everything else but I only have one more year to play with this team.” Making the most of every game has been a clear theme among the Mac women this year, and their record shows it. Currently sitting third in the University Sports national rankings, women’s volleyball has yet to lose a game at home, dropping only two sets since October with solid wins over York, Lakehead and Brock in the last three weeks.
Steckle has experienced her own setbacks along the way, from nagging injuries to early playoff exits. But the ability to take something away from each of those setbacks is what is really important.
As a player, Steckle has transitioned from a first-year recruit out of Kitchener, Ontario who averaged just 0.71 points a game, to a team starter who currently sits third in the Ontario University Athletics league in hitting percentage (0.357) with 51 total kills and 65.5 points on the year. So what advice does this seasoned player have for her fellow marauders?
means more than just working hard within immediate circles. “I lot of the time we can get into this bubble within the Mac community, which is cool because I think we have a really strong group, the university itself is just so inclusive,” said Steckle. “But it’s easy to forget that there is a world outside of us, and even easier to forget there are a lot of things that aren’t easy happening around us.”
Find your Mental Game Being physically ready is just half the battle. Mental preparation has a huge impact on performance, and needs effort to improve. “It took a long time for my game not to be dependent on how confident I was feeling,” said Steckle. “I [started to realize] that it wasn’t about ‘do I get this point or do I not,’ it was ‘am I being better?’ It was ‘did I allow my team to get the point or did I make my team better.” “My mindset is always staying relaxed, and not thinking too much about the game,” said Steckle. “I don’t like to overthink... I just need to remember who I am playing for. My focus before the game is relaxing and remembering why I am in that team room, its for the girls around me.”
Walking the Walk As an executive of the student non-for-profit Athletes Care, Steckle has been an advocate of youth empowerment through sport and currently serves as the hospital visit coordinator for the organization. She has also volunteered with the Abide Family Centre, travelling to Uganda to work with individuals from impoverished communities. For her efforts, Steckle was award the OUA West Division 2016 Award of Merit and was a finalist for the Dr. Edna Guest award for outstanding female graduating student.
Don’t Dwell Steckle has experienced her own setbacks along the way, from nagging injures to early playoffs exits. But the ability to take something away from each of those setbacks is what is really important. “There are moments that are really hard… it is easy to look back and be angry, and we have all [done it]. But it becomes to much of an emotional game,” said Steckle. “Learning to take losses and recognize what you have done well or where you have lacked [can] help you focus in on what you need to do next time. As a team, we are much better at that.” Venture out of your comfort zone Finding your own success
Keep the Balance When it comes to managing school work and other commitments, it is more than just keeping busy and being efficient with the time that you have. “People always ask how you can do multiple things… but I think when you enjoy two things and you put your full effort into them you are able to do it,” said Steckle. “If you don’t love both its hard because you wont want to do one or the other... but for me I was able to do [school and sports] because I love both and I wanted to do my best in both of them.” Above everything else? it’s the little things that make everything worthwhile. “I am so thankful for every moment, because I never expected them to happen. So the fact I get another chance at that for another year, is really special,” said Steckle. “Just take the little moments and enjoy them, and you will be fine. You will love it.”
C/O BEN LEE
26 |
SPORTS
Thursday, Nov. 24, 2016 | www.thesil.ca
Last stand on the Plains of Abraham
Connor Darlington and his historic final cross-country race as a Marauder Eamon Hillis Contributor
As Connor Darlington toed the Plains of Abraham on Nov. 12 in what would be his last cross-country race as a Marauder, few could have predicted the events that were to transpire. Darlington entered the University Sports Cross Country Championships in Quebec City as an outside contender. However, he rose to the occasion to conquer a challenging course and win bronze. It was a historic accomplishment, and one that places Darlington in elite company. He is now one of only three McMaster men to have won a Canadian Interuniversity Sports/U Sports championship medal, and the first since 1978. “I was going into the race aiming high, looking for a medal,” Darlington said. “I don’t
C/O MAXINE GRAVIA
think a lot of people expected the results, but deep down that was my goal.” This confident attitude was on full display in a spirited and tactical performance that took advantage of the difficult terrain. Darlington chose to stay conservative through the first half of the 10 kilometre race, expending the necessary energy to keep pace. Then, in the last two kilometres, as other runners began to fade, he made a strong move to separate him from the pack and swipe bronze. Darlington lead the Marauder men to a commendable fourth place finish, with athletes Jeff Tweedle, Gabriel Ghiglione, Luke Charbonneau, Nick Kondrat, Christian MacGillivray and Paul Rochus performing well. Darlington was pleased, but expressed some understandable disappointment, for this marks the fourth consecu-
tive year that the Mac men have missed the podium by only one spot. “It seems bittersweet missing the podium as we have four years in a row, but I think we are all happy with how we ran regardless. We were up against some very good opposition, and I think we performed well.” Darlington has now completed all five years of his cross-country eligibility, and will be completing his undergraduate program in Environmental Studies this spring. When asked to reflect upon his time at McMaster he expressed nothing but gratitude. As a high school senior, Darlington found himself heavily recruited by top NCAA programs, but instead chose McMaster as his post-secondary destination. Darlington attributes this decision to the meaningful connection he felt to the coaching staff, especially
C/O MAXINE GRAVIA
head coach Paula Schnurr. “I chose Mac because of its great balance in athletics and academics. I got along well with the coaches and I knew that Paula understood my goals, and that she was interested in working with me on an individual level. I am very happy with my decision and I stand by it.” Darlington was quick to acknowledge the role that Schnurr and the rest of the coaching staff has played in his success. He was also keen to mention the invaluable support from family and friends throughout the years. Darlington is now shifting his focus from cross-country to the upcoming indoor track and field season where he hopes to carry his momentum. He will be looking to specialize in the 1500m; an event where he believes his best chances at success lay.
“I am going to focus on the 1500m this indoor season. I’ll be looking ahead to outdoor competitions where I’ll be running the 1500m, so I think it is helpful to specialize early.” Darlington is currently unsure as to what the next academic year will hold for him, but has shown an interest in returning for further study at McMaster. “I want to try and do a Master’s degree here at Mac,” Darlington says. “I have used up my eligibility, of course, but hopefully I’d be here training with Paula. I am still undecided, but that is one tentative plan.” Wherever the smooth-striding Marauder ends up next year – wherever his running career takes him – he will look back on his time at Mac with appreciation, and continue on as a great ambassador for McMaster athletics.
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OK THIS ISN’ T A JOKE I just found out Mar tha Stewar t and Snoop Dogg have a cook ing show?! A5
THURSDAY
THE
HAMILTON SPECULATOR Using iMessage invisible ink since 1934
November 24, 2016
NOTSPEC.COM
The December dentist dread
She smiles to hide the fear.
SHIT HASTINGS Was almost quoted in the real Spec
December means many things: the holidays, the horrible feeling of being alone on Christmas morning, the most over-hyped party night of the year, and meaningless National Football League games. But for undergraduate students, December means going home. And for some, it means a trip to the gates of hell, also known as the dentist. “I’m on my parents insurance plan so I wait until I’m home to go to our family dentist. I basically put it off as long as I can, but fuck, I’m dreading another trip,” said BreAshley Longley, a fourth-year engineering student.
Dentists play an important role in maintaining public health, but also, going there is fucking terrible. “Okay, I just wanted to talk at length about the dentist experience, or at least my experience. You go to this sterile place and wait for some people to jam their fingers in your mouth while you’re subjected to some awful television program. Like, when I go, there’s The View on or some shit. One time they had Family Feud on and that was pretty great, until I wanted to laugh at Steve Harvey, but someone had what can only be described as a caveman’s tool in my mouth. Then, they start literally scraping the plaque or whatever off of my teeth. Subjecting anyone to that sound
POLL: favourite 2000s conspiracy? 9/11 was an inside job
George Bush is a reptile
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DISCLAIMER: This is the Speculator, a joke page. The stories and continuing plot lines are fake. If you fell for this, please go to jail, do not pass GO, do not collect $200 and stop texting your mom. Fucking nerd.
and sensation for an extended period of time would probably qualify as torture in some places, but instead, we hand dentist offices piles of cash,” said Longley. [Editor’s note: she is so fired up about this we just let her keep going. Hell yeah, BreAshley.] “Once the dental hygienist is finished with all the weird coating or whatever that ruins the taste of everything for the rest of the day, the dentist comes in. Although the denitst is pretty impressive, I see this guy two times a year and he somehow remembers what year I’m in and where I’m going to school. Anyways, he just looks at my teeth and says ‘keep flossing’ and heads out. It makes no sense to me.”
“I’m on my parents’ insurance plan so I wait until I’m home to go to the dentist. I basically put it off as long as I can, but fuck, I’m dreading another trip.” BreAshley Longley Fourth-year engineering student and dentist hater
- Milad, 18
“JUST HEAR THEM OUT” IS AN INSANE REACTION TO WHITE SUPREMACY POSTERS A3 WORLD CONTAINER IS A GREAT ALBUM A7 MARY J. KEYES C2 WHAT TO GET YOUR MOM FOR CHRISTMAS B2 HONESTLY WHO HOSTS A COMPANY CHRISTMAS PARTY ON A SATURDAY NIGHT D9
FEATURE For those headed to the dentist this December, we support and believe in you. May you be cavity free.
Tweets to the Editor My floormates won’t stop playing Monopoly. It’s tearing us apart.
INSIDE
November convinced me that global warming is Actually Good - Maeve, 22
“Closing Time” by Semisonic is a good song A10-11
PER ISSUE: A November Monday that isn’t filled with bullshit.
Published on Nov 24, 2016
The end of the semester approaches and we have a loaded issue for you! We talk with Rapscallion Rogue Eatery's Matt Kershaw about Hamilton f...
Published on Nov 24, 2016
The end of the semester approaches and we have a loaded issue for you! We talk with Rapscallion Rogue Eatery's Matt Kershaw about Hamilton f...