The Silhouette - October 18

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The Silhouette

YOSEIF HADDAD SENIOR PHOTO EDITOR

MCMASTER UNIVERSITY’S STUDENT NEWSPAPER

www.thesil.ca

Thursday, October 18, 2012

EST. 1930

Swag don’t make the Sils.

Vol. 83, No. 11

Clock ticking on fall break MSU pres. Stewart looking for student input on key platform point as deadlines for 2013-14 scheduling draw nearer Anqi Shen

Online News Editor

YOSEIF HADDAD SENIOR PHOTO EDITOR

A Fall Break was part of Stewart’s electoral platform.

This time next year, McMaster students could be off on their first-ever fall break, but so far, there have been few signs this will happen in 2013.

With sessional dates to be presented to the Undergraduate Council in December, MSU President Siobhan Stewart has limited time to determine whether her proposed fall break will get the nod from the student body. She will then need to convince University administrators to make a change to next year’s calendar.

Stewart won the MSU presidential campaign in April with ‘fall break 2013’ as a major platform point.

The promised break could manifest itself in several ways, from an extra day off before Thanksgiving weekend to a full reading week.

At this point, Stewart says she’s not sure what she could accomplish in time for 2013.

“I can’t say whether or not a full reading week could happen next year. Something can happen. What that something is, I don’t know yet,” said Stewart, who said she would not identify concrete goals before finding out feasible options and polling students.

“My role is to get student feedback and try to get all the factors. In terms of getting that into the calendar, all I can really do is present [what students want]. I don’t have approval

power, but my hope is that with substantial student voice behind me, that will add more weight to whatever it is they’re hoping for,” said Stewart.

As of yet, the MSU has not held a public student forum on fall break. Stewart said a survey of student opinion will be released in early November.

The survey will ask students for feedback on what is possible for fall break next year and whether or not they want to move toward a larger-scale initiative like a fall reading week.

Given the tight timeline for administrative approval, a full week off during fall 2013 is unlikely.

Last week, Ryerson University joined several other universities in the GTA by having its inaugural fall reading week, giving students time off from classes between Oct. 8 and Oct. 12.

It was no easy feat, as Melissa Palermo, Vice President (Education) of the Ryerson Students’ Union can attest.

“We started work on getting a fall reading week in the 2010-2011 year,” said Palermo.

“We first wanted to get students’ opinions on whether or not it was something they wanted, and we got a mandate at our semi-annual general meeting in 2010. We did research on what happened at other campuses and wrote a proposal to the University Senate, and that proposal was passed in January of 2011. The whole process took about a year and a half.”

SEE OBSTACLES, A3

Trouble in Paradise With ambiguity surrounding its monopoly on campus events, Paradise Catering is offering 15 per cent off to student clubs as it seeks to clarify its deal with the MSU Aissa Boodhoo-Leegsma Senior News Editor

Aissa Boodhoo-Leegsma Senior News Editor

A Paradise Catering van sits outside the loading dock of the Student Centre.

New Hands Local music legends explain how the internet has not killed the indie scene just yet.

See C4

OPINIONS

event requires catering versus what type of event can use a potluck.

For student groups, this difference can be crucial. Prohibitive food costs often force student clubs to forgo holding events or simply to limit the scale of their events.

Albert Ng, Director of Hospitality Services, recently gave a statement to the MSU regarding a new policy that will waive the 15 per cent service charge for MSU Clubs and Associations.

This is policy is a result of recent talks between the MSU and

INSIDEOUT

ANDY

Their bird of paradise logo is plastered all over campus catering and food providers.

It has been implicitly understood for years among students that any and all events held on campus cannot be catered by any company other than Paradise Catering.

The MSU began looking into what specific agreements obligated students to use Paradise Catering, and how exactly Paradise had positioned itself as the sole provider of catered food on campus.

Jeff Wyngaarden, MSU VP Finance, has devoted the last several months to researching the issue.

He found that the contract between MSU and Hospitality services had not been revised since 1999 and consequently was rife with outdated references and ambiguous language.

Specifically, the contract applies to any MSU-affiliated activities held in the Student Centre, with the exception of the student-owned bar and convenience store.

Wyngaarden pointed out that the contract uses vague language to define the differences between “catering” and “potluck” when it comes to student events. It remains unclear how to determine what type of

SRA to explore women’s centre

Hospitality Services, but had already been enjoyed by internal University departments.

However, under an MSU/Paradise Catering agreement, there appears to be room to maneuver for small-scale student events that can be considered potlucks.

This would appear to be good news for student groups, although students shouldn’t expect any great clarification to come from the revision of the MUSC hospitality agreement.

“We [have been told] we will

YING SHAN THE SILHOUETTE

not be given a numerical measure.

We are supposed to use “common sense” [to determine what qualifies as a potluck]. The way it’s managed now is that Hospitality and someone in the University makes a judgment call about whether someone is violating the policy,” said Wyngaarden.

The contract also contains outdated references to the Downstairs John, the former student-run campus bar.

SEE MSU, A4

Fragile Planet Earth is just too small and fragile a basket for us to keep all our eggs in.

See A7

Technological Fail-line See the kinds of technological “marvels” that history chose to forget.

See B7

The Student Representative Assembly created an Ad-Hoc Committee to investigate the establishment of a Women and Trans Centre at their Oct. 14 meeting. While the motion to create the committee did not actually mandate the creation of a Women and Trans Centre, it is part of the ongoing discussions to better service women and trans needs.

Elise Milani, SRA Services Commissioner, proposed the idea, which aims to assess the need of, and create a model for, a potential on-campus centre.

In 2009, a student referendum was held to gauge students’ opinions on the creation of a women’s centre.

The referendum failed because it did not reach quorum.

Last year’s SRA mandated an interim report that explored the overall process of opening a women’s centre and looked at case studies from other universities. The report was compiled primarily by a Women’s Studies class, led by professor Karen Balcom.

A new report, another step in the consultation and research process, would offer a specific operational model to address funding issues and logistical concerns and to conduct a needs-based analysis.

Milani expressed concern about simply interpreting need based on statistical data. She stated that a focus on quantitative evidence had come up in SRA discussion but that she felt strongly that “numbers don’t necessarily represent what a need is.

If one in ten women need this, as an example … is that enough? Is that not enough? It’s [about] how do you measure when a need is valid.”

SEE REPORT, A5

the

PRESIDENT’S PAGE Jeff Wyngaarden VP (Finance)

MSU

Huzaifa Saeed VP (Education)

Siobhan Stewart President

David Campbell VP (Administration)

EXAMINES CHANGES WELCOME WEEK

We have made a lot of progress!

David Campbell VP (Administration) vpadmin@msu.mcmaster.ca ext. 23250

It may be hard to believe as midterms and assignments pile up, but it has been only six short weeks since Welcome Week. Sifting through the hazy memories, you may remember some giant concerts and, perhaps, some choreographed dancing. What you may not know is how this Welcome Week was different than ever before.

This past March at a General Assembly of the MSU, students voted in favour of approving a new fee of $110 to every Level I, full-time student in order to help subsidize Welcome Week. The fee, which used to be more expensive and based on an opt-in model, is split between the MSU, Faculty Societies and several University partners in order to pay for all the swag, concerts, events and programming you see during Welcome Week. The institution of a universal charge not only made our McMaster welcome a more sustainable program going forward, but it also ensured that no student had to be turned away from any of our events during the week, for lack of a Mac Pass.

But the new fee also brought plenty of new tasks for the planning committee.

For one, we wanted to make our events bigger and better than ever before. We also wanted to improve outreach to groups on campus that had not always been fully engaged in Welcome Week. Our main focus on this front was students living off campus. As more and more students do not live in residence in first year (this year the split was fairly close to 50/50), it becomes ever more important to make sure the off-campus students get a proper welcome to McMaster.

This work will continue next year, but what has been done so far is only the beginning. In the MSU, we are working hard to imagine what Welcome Week could be in the future. Working with the Student Representative Assembly (SRA), I have begun to put together a series of proposals that think more imaginatively about how we can improve Welcome Week for our incoming class. Could we get Faculty Societies more involved, creating opportunity for pride and connections for students with their academic division of the next four years? Could we make more use of small groups like the MSU does with our summer conferences, ensuring every student has the opportunity for real connections with their peers? Should we move academic programming into the second week of September, to allow both this programming and our community building to have a dedicated focus?

These are questions on which we would like your input. So please do not hesitate to contact me with your thoughts and opinions. And don’t forget to dream big; this is the perfect time for change.

CLOTHING SWAP! thursday october 25th 10am-­3pm

collection from october 18th-­25th 11am-­2pm in MUSC macthreadwork@gmail.com for more information and volunteer opportunities

MADE

TO

...but there’s room for improvement community engagement, self-directed learning, development of academic competence, development of cognitive skills and intellectual dispositions.

These are skills that will prepare new students for adulthood, citizenship and Huzaifa Saeed the identification of a future career path.

VP (Education) Therefore, we need to cohesively revped@msu.mcmaster.ca evaluate the provision of well-designed ext. 24017 and implemented orientation, including: The Office of the Vice President placement testing, first-year seminars, (Education) has traditionally been learning communities, intrusive advising, uninvolved in Welcome Week and early warning systems, redundant orientation activities at McMaster. safety nets, supplemental instruction, Furthermore, the MSU and student peer tutoring/mentoring, participation groups on campus in extra curriculars have concentrated and intramurals, their resources theme-based campus towards providing housing, adequate ... the importance of non-academic financial aid programming (including on-campus building a connection (Faculty day/night, work), awareness of with upper year leaders concerts, ClubsFest, health and wellness, and mentors [has etc). The role of internships and become] incredibly informing students service learning. All important as to academic this needs to be done expectations, as via effective teaching well as awareness of campus resources practices that take into consideration the has been largely run by University varied demographics and learning styles Administration. of incoming students. All of the above However, following David are just some of the factors that will Campbell’s Welcome Week feedback predict the persistence and success of a sessions, I began to question whether or first year student. not, as an institution, we have evaluated or A large portion of the above activities strategically planned for one of the most are already available in some form or the important times in a student’s career. other, however many Welcome Week Post-secondary programs now enroll Reps commented that students aren’t students of all ages and developmental aware or comfortable engaging with the stages. The largest shift in enrollment resources. Therefore, the importance of patterns is from students enrolling building a connection with upper year directly from high school because that leaders and mentors becomes incredibly was just a parental expectation, to important. Faculty Reps are largely students with multiple career routes and underutilized at McMaster compared complex reasons for pursuing higher to Western or Queens University where education. McMaster has also seen a societies run almost of all of academic rising influx of international students, programming, facilitating smaller groups as well as increasing cultural diversity during Welcome Week that keep in on campus. The type and process of touch and act as a social net throughout teaching and learning at the secondary the year. The MSU through its Horizons level is a barrier to ready success at leadership conference has already seen the post-secondary level of learning. the positive benefits of fostering peer The strong emphasis on rote learning groups with an integrated upper year (memorization), the absence of training mentor. in higher order thinking skills and Over the next couple of months the focus on test scores, has created a I will be submitting a proposal to the generation of students who struggle to University citing some of my research adapt to university over their first year. and focus group findings, in hopes the At McMaster, the Student Success Welcome Week Planning Committee Centre has implemented several well will consider implementing new designed and intentioned academic programs. One major idea supported modules into orientation, such as by almost all participants at my focus Summer Orientation, MACademics groups was the moving of academic and the Common Reading Program. programming to the second week of From anecdotal evidence, many students school, and add sessions run by Faculty I’ve talked with have mentioned that Societies, professors and Deans. As they found these programs useful, but well, there have also been calls for more I wonder if they are the most effective faculty events during Welcome Week methods of delivery in what is already a where Reps can facilitate self-awareness jam packed Welcome Week. exercises, leadership training and ice Arguably, a large portion of breakers within smaller group settings, academic learning isn’t something that which will ideally create a stronger can be taught through a singular lecture sense of belonging within the incoming format or within a two hour module. student body.

Some of the skills that a first year student The project is at its preliminary phase should ideally have developed by the and I welcome any feedback, feel free end of their first year are leadership and to send me an email with some of your communication skills, social learning and transitional challenges to McMaster.

“

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

EWS

Thursday, October 18, 2012 News Editors: Aissa Boodhoo-Leegsma, Julia Redmond and Anqi Shen Meeting: Thursdays @ 4:30 p.m.

Contact: news@thesil.ca

Activist Assembly encourages solidarity McMaster students protest higher tuition fees at province-wide assembly Ryan Sparrow

Revolutionizing Ontario’s Post Secondary Education System for the 21st Century,” or The Silhouette “three cubed” for short, revealed earlier this Hundreds of students from across the prov- year that the Ontario government has plans ince descended on Toronto Oct. 12-13 for a to cut faculty, reduce undergraduate degrees province-wide Student Activist Assembly. to three years and make three out of five The two-day event was organized by the classes online only.

Students will also have to pay more in tuCanadian Federation of Students – Ontario (CFS-Ontario) and was attended by students ition fees, which, according to the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives, are expected from all regions of the province.

According to Sarah Jayne King, Chair- to be in excess of $9200 a year in the 2015person of the CFS-Ontario, the purpose of 2016 academic year if the current increases the Activist Assembly was to “talk about the continue.

Twenty-five McMaster students regisdifferent organizing that’s going on campuses … to find unity and be able to grow the stu- tered for the assembly and they were well represented with a bus that left campus on Oct. dent movement.”

12. Others who made The last time the their own way there.

CFS-Ontario had an “Connecting with campuses in “[This was] the activist assembly was in Ontario is the only way we can perfect next step to get 2008. get perspectives on ourselves... involved in the activist “That was a really [There] is an unlimited amount scene in Hamilton and important time in the of potential in coalition work Toronto and seems like student movement and and cooperation inter-campus.” a very positive thing,” following it we saw stusaid Anna Peterson, a dents getting extremely Karen McCallam second-year English engaged in the student McMaster Graduate Student major, when asked why movement and various she came to the event. movements,” said King. “[The Activist Assembly] was a really ef“This year is another big year in the student movement and we thought it appropri- fective way to have inter-campus conservaate to see a similar sort of kick start to the stu- tions about organizing strategies,” said Karen dent movement. We’re at the point in Ontario McCallam, a Masters student in Gender where we have the highest tuition fees in the Studies and Feminist Research at McMaster.

“Connecting with campuses in Ontario country and we have a government that is talking about drastically changing the educa- is the only way we can get perspectives on ourselves. It’s almost sectarian if we focus on tion system,” she added.

A leaked government document, “3x3: our own campus politics. [There] is an un-

SEAN CARSON THE SILHOUETTE

Student panels discussed education inequalities, especially in tution and quality of learning.

limited amount of potential in coalition work and cooperation inter-campus.”

The Activist Assembly worked towards eliminating significant barriers for participation, providing ASL interpreters, translation, child care, and attendants while also covering food, transit and accommodations for activists.

The Activist Assembly concluded with a keynote panel on Oct. 13 with student leaders from Chile, Spain, Greece and Quebec, who gave powerful insights into the struggle behind their respective student movements.

The Activist Assembly imparted one core message to the activists present: urgent action by students and workers is needed. With increasing tuition fees, few job prospects and pressing ecological concerns, student activists asserted that youth are inheriting a world without a future.

With over 300 students in attendance at the event from all regions of the province, organizers felt the day was a resounding success given the follow-up plans that participants pledged to bring back to their respective campuses.

OFFMAP

Partial fall break

Obstacles ahead for fall break 2013 ANDREW TEREFENKO PRODUCTION EDITOR

FROM A1 Phil Wood, Associate Vice President (Student Affairs) at McMaster said there are a number of administrative kinks to work out before a fall break of any kind could happen.

“There are several difficulties that must be worked through on our end. These include things like length of a term and exam schedules, which will need to be dealt with before we could consider even a pilot project,” said Wood.

As is the case for Ryerson, some professional programs at McMaster may not be able to reduce the number of weeks in the semester from 13 to 12.

In particular, engineering students need to spend a higher number of hours in class in order for their program to be accredited.

“Whether or not they would be able to take time off would depend on the steps we are able to take to replace these hours. This would not be a simple task,” said Maria White, Assistant Dean of Engineering.

At Ryerson, the faculty of engineering and architectural science was permitted to re-evaluate whether they wanted a reading week due to their accreditation requirements. Ultimately, the faculty decided not to participate.

“Their options were to find more class time or work through the reading week,” said Palermo.

The fall reading week debate has grown in popularity among Ontario universities over the past few years, with mental health concerns and student stress at the core of the discussion.

Debra Earl, McMaster’s Mental Health Team Nurse, wrote a proposal for fall break for submission to Student Affairs in 2009, to which she says she has received no response.

The report compares McMaster to peer institutions in Ontario and the U.S. and finds McMaster more stringent than other institutions in its scheduling accommodations for students.

The study shows the number of teaching days at McMaster was one

of the highest in the province in 2009, with only two non-teaching days in the semester.

McMaster’s exam period (14 days) was also longer than nine other Ontario universities’ in 2009.

McMaster had only one ‘study day’ before the start of exams.

“There might be a benefit to having exams spread out more, but what some schools do is have a condensed exam schedule and a longer study period beforehand,” said Earl.

At the time of Earl’s study, Laurentian, Trent, Nipissing, Windsor and York had week-long breaks during the fall semester. Since then, the University of Ottawa and Ryerson University have jumped on board.

The University of Toronto offers a two-day mid-semester break in November, and Queen’s has a three-day study break in December.

At the moment, it is uncertain whether a fall break would be favourable to the majority of McMaster students, and in what capacity they would want it implemented. It also remains to be seen whether there is enough time to make it happen for the next academic year.

The Undergraduate Council will vote on next year’s sessional dates on Dec. 11. The schedule for 2013-2014 must be finalized before the printing of McMaster’s undergraduate calendar in March.

A4 • News

The Silhouette • Thursday, October 18, 2012

Entrepreneurs venture into Lion’s Lair Julia Redmond Assistant News Editor

By their fourth year of university, most McMaster students would hope to be on track to earn their degree, have some work experience and be prepared to graduate without too much debt.

Mohamed El Mahallawy has something better.

The fourth-year Psychology and Economics student is CEO and founder of his own business, called Nervu, that won third place on Oct. 4 in Hamilton’s Lion’s Lair competition.

The Lion’s Lair contest, which has a premise similar to that of CBC’s Dragon’s Den, offers entrepreneurs the opportunity to pitch

their business idea to a panel of local business owners in the hopes of earning start-up funds.

The prize for third? $15,000.

He and two fellow McMaster students Bilal Husain and Shawn McTigue developed the business and chose to pitch it in the competition, organized by the Hamilton Chamber of Commerce and Innovation Factory.

And in fact, it was Innovation Factory, a Hamilton not-for-profit organization funded by the Ontario Network of Excellence, that helped get the business started through Innovation Night, a networking event for local startups.

“I shot a few ideas here and there with my dad and my friends, but I never really had the guts to do

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it,” El Mahallawy explained. “Once I found out about Innovation Night, and I actually went … I realized maybe my idea actually had some potential. Why not maybe go out and pursue it?”

El Mahallawy said that at first, Lion’s Lair didn’t seem accessible for him as a student, since no students had ever entered before.

“When we first became a client [at Innovation Factory] we thought, no way, it’s never going to happen, [but] Lion’s Lair was an open window that we … just tried.”

Their company, Nervu, is a text-message based service that allows its users to choose brands in order to receive notifications about sales or deals they have.

El Mahallawy and his colleagues, who all hail from the GTA, had good things to say about Hamilton as an incubator for new businesses.

“Hamilton is no longer the ‘armpit of Ontario,’” he said. “The only thing is, we don’t have a very thriving economy. And that’s why I think [that] entrepreneurship in Hamilton, that’s really key … [it] creates jobs … and that grows and puts Hamilton on the map.”

He feels that McMaster, on the other hand, could afford to offer more encouragement and support to entrepreneurs.

Recognizing that significant funds and resources are dedicated to medical and scientific research, El Mahallawy said, “there’s not re-

YOSEIF HADDAD SENIOR PHOTO EDITOR

Three Mac students won third place in Hamilton’s Lion’s Lair competition.

ally any resources or any help for startups.” He also claims the school lacks “incubation space.”

McMaster’s Faculty of Engineering is one area, outside of the undergraduate commerce program, that offers entrepreneurship support in an academic setting. As of last fall, the faculty offers an entrepreneurship stream through the faculty’s five-year Engineering and Management program.

The optional specialization is meant to give undergrads “the opportunity to test the feasibility of new business start-up ideas while they are introduced to the concepts and tools used for new business creation.”

The Engineering and Management program was unavailable for

comment.

“I believe it is more of a science school, as well as an engineering [school] so it’d be nice to see entrepreneurship and resources and whatnot here,” El Mahallawy said of Mac. Whether or not McMaster is providing similar support to students, El Mahallawy, Husain and McTigue will walk away from this experience happy.

“It really taught us a lot, from things like what to wear in front of a camera, how to speak to a journalist, to … organizing our pitch and whatnot.”

And what of their $15,000?

“We’ll be using it to accelerate the development [of Nervu],” said El Mahallawy.

MSU to revisit MUSC contract FROM A1 Wyngaarden has pledged to challenge some of the conditions of the Hospitality agreement in the coming months.

However, he noted that the University and Hospitality Services have a powerful bargaining chip in the negotiations, which could hinder any drastic changes from being made to the revised agreement.

“The MSU is not paying occupancy costs for a lot of its space in MUSC. That occupancy cost is covered by the University … and a large portion is paid for Hospitality Services (or profits derived from Hospitality Services),” Wyngaarden explained.

“Any pressure we apply to try and lower the cost of food on campus or try and avoid using Paradise Catering…[doesn’t work because] they always have the trump card…[of] ‘how are we going to continue to pay for you in this building.’”

The origin of the campus-wide exclusivity understanding was uncovered in a different document, separate from the MUSC-specific agreement.

The Board of Governor’s “Policy on the Use of University Facilities for Non-Academic Purposes” (PUUFNAP) appears to contain several provisions that allude

to the exclusivity agreement.

One clause states that Conference Services is responsible for student room bookings, and by extension, they would also refer the groups to other service departments (such as Hospitality) “as necessary.”

Another provision limits commercial activity, only allowing organizations operated by the University to sell services on campus. However, this provision only speaks to prohibiting sales of unapproved external companies on campus. But since the average student bringing outside food has most likely purchased the food off campus, this relevance of this clause becomes questionable.

Roger Couldrey, Vice-President Administration of McMaster, confirmed that the PUUFNAP document was “the right policy” to look at to understand the mandate Paradise Catering has to exclusively provide catering to McMaster.

The MSU aims to continue revising and renegotiating parts of the MUSC-specific contract, which may ease event restrictions for student groups using the Student Centre.

However, the blanket PUUFNAP agreement, which applies across the campus, is expected to remain largely unchanged.

Thursday, October 18, 2012 • The Silhouette

News • A5

Getting Smart about global health issues

JAVIER CAICEDO MULTIMEDIA EDITOR

McMaster hosted this year’s Talk Change conference with a theme of global health issues.

Julia Redmond Assistant News Editor

While many McMaster students participated in homecoming festivities on Oct. 13, a dedicated few considered issues beyond Hamilton’s horizons in the Health Sciences Centre.

The annual Talk Change Conference was hosted at McMaster this year, organized by the University’s chapter of Smart Solutions. The club, part of an inter-university network, is focused on developing innovative and sustainable solutions to global development problems.

McMaster’s chapter is still in its infancy, but was nonetheless chosen to play host for this fall’s conference.

“The actual Talk Change event has been present for the past couple years, and we knew that McMaster was hosting,” explained Nithin Vignesh, co-president of McMaster Smart Solutions. “What we didn’t know was that it was going to be this early in the school year.”

The theme for the conference was global health. The executive invited a range of speakers familiar with diverse facets of global health.

Dr. Katherine Rouleau of St. Michael’s Hospital, who is director of the Global Health Program at the University of Toronto, was among the speakers at the event.

“Every time I accept an invitation like [this] ... I really hope it’s worth my time,” Dr. Rouleau said. “But I have to tell you, today I am so happy I’m here.”

Her morning workshop was well attended, and the topic of primary care and community-based medicine seemed to engage the audience.

“The caliber of question, of insight, of understanding of the students is spectacular,” she said, after exceeding her time limit to field questions. “These are well-informed,

open-minded, critical [students] … who are clearly quite committed to the essence of global health.”

Dr. Rouleau, as well as the other speakers and workshop leaders, were chosen based on survey results from students.

“Our education directors… put out a survey about topics that they [felt] students may be interested in…and we got a list of topics that we could potentially use,” said Vignesh.

The most popular topic was HIV/AIDS, which led the team to choose Dr. Prabhat Jha, O.C. Dr. Jha, as well as being the founding Director of the Centre for Global Health Research at St. Michael’s Hospital in Toronto, was recently awarded the Order of Canada for his work in epidemiology and the economics of global health.

In addition to such researchers as Dr. Jha, the conference featured two student speakers. Fourth-year Health Sciences student Lauren Friedment offered a workshop on the ethics of “volun-tourism,” inspired by her time volunteering in Africa.

Alexandra Sproule, a third-year Arts and Science student, earned the Engineers Without Borders fellowship last year, and spoke to some of the conference delegates about her insights on designing for real people in Ghana, after having spent four months on an internship in the country.

McMaster students weren’t the only ones involved, however. As Smart Solutions is a cross-university club, students from other schools were invited.

“We were surprised … we had a good mix,” said Nida Sohani, the club’s vice president, of the 135 delegates, who hailed from Western, Guelph, Waterloo and Ryerson.

“They weren’t all undergrads. We had people that have graduated, an older audience. We honestly weren’t [expecting that].”

Report will assess need for centre FROM 1 David Campbell, the Students’ Union VP Administration and member of the Ad-Hoc Committee, acknowledged that the committee’s primary task is determining and measuring the need for a campus women’s centre.

“I think [the SRA motion passing] is a good sign that we should look into the issue seriously. The issue needs to be addressed, whether it be through a women’s centre, expansion of our current service or better promotion of services.”

Campbell also mentioned that the MSU operated a campus women’s centre during two periods in the 1980s. Both times the centre was disbanded; the second time it was disbanded because it had ceased to be an open, inclusive and safe space and was therefore not fulfilling its mandate.

However, this time seems different. With growing reports of campus sexual assault, most recently seen on York and Ryerson’s campuses, Milani asserted that a women’s

centre represents a fundamental and distinct service, especially in providing a safe space for women to speak about sexual assault or trauma.

“This [centre is] something that women at McMaster have been trying to do for a while…from talking to other women who have experienced trauma…and they feel disconnected from the issues. They are having mental health issues. And the closest place for them to go is a 20-minute bus ride downtown.”

She suggested that “SHEC is not necessarily prepared or trained to deal with these issues. And from what I’ve heard, the Wellness Centre reportedly has long wait times … [overall] it seems like women feel more comfortable going to a women’s centre.”

Milani welcomed input into this issue and also disclosed that the committee will have a diverse body of interests represented.

Members on the committee will include representatives from the MSU, SRA, SHEC, Student Wellness Centre and McMaster Security.

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In God’s universe they belong together.

DITORIAL

Thursday, October 18, 2012 Executive Editor: Sam Colbert Contact: thesil@thesil.ca Phone: (905) 525-9140, extension 22052

FALL BREAK

to menstrual cycle cranberry juice. to the two black men in my office. to naming my dog “buster posey.” to marrying my dog because i’d like to take his last name. to impersonating my dog because i’d like to take his first name. to the nickname “shooter.”

to false alarms. to the price of paradise. don’t even ask me about the price of a gangster’s paradise.

to a-rod as the world’s most expensive bench-warmer. to free pizza. to cookie coffee.

Unless a quick and concerted push by our Students Union is in the works, we’re not getting a fall break in

to cuticles.

2013. The time for gathering a wide sample of student input, in which we’ll weigh the many pros and cons

to fluff pieces.

for each of the faculties, is gone. It’s probably just too late.

to double spacing after periods. to bullying. to walking on all fours. to 24-hour clocks.

to media excitement around dalton mcguinty’s resignation.

Time to seek for a mandate from students has passed

to old hands. to pretty much anything other than the space jam sound track. to when my free pizza is jeopardized. that was a close one.

The Silhouette McMaster University’s Student Newspaper

Editorial Board Sam Colbert | Executive Editor thesil@thesil.ca Jemma Wolfe | Managing Editor managing@thesil.ca Andrew Terefenko | Production Editor production@thesil.ca

I don’t mean to sound entitled, but a commitment to creating a fall break was a big part of our MSU president’s platform when she ran last winter. It was made very clear. If elected, Siobhan Stewart would work with University Administration to create a break lasting anywhere from a day to a week around Thanksgiving for 2013.

She got elected, and she started her job as the Students Union’s CEO in May. But before proceeding in her discussions with the University, she wanted to be sure she had the mandate from students to ask for the fall break, and wanted to be clear on what that mandate was. Not a bad idea.

Getting direction from a student body like ours, though, is hard. As big as the issue might be – and don’t get me wrong; a fall break is a big issue – no call for feedback will give you a representation of our students’ interests in which you’re totally confident. Our campus of more than 20,000 full-time undergrads is just not engaged enough. If it’s consensus you’re looking for, you’re never going to be satisfied.

But, symbolic as they might be, there are ways to strengthen a mandate before you approach University administrators. It’s the job of the SRA, for example, to define direction for the MSU. A vote from those 35 members represents a vote from students. (Never mind the low voter turnout SRA elections receive.) A simple poll on the MSU website, even, could have been launched during Welcome Week.

Mind you, the mandate was strong to begin with. Voter turnout at the MSU’s 2012 presidential elections was at about a third of eligible voters. As McMaster student elections go, that’s huge. And as difficult as it is to know just how a person wins an election, you’ve got to assume that their platform has something to do with it.

Kudos to Stewart for including a fall break in her platform last winter at all, and for looking into the various options of how a break would look. I believe that Stewart’s pending search for student input comes from a genuine desire to know what students really want.

But at some point – sooner rather than later – we need to move forward.

At least in my humble opinion, a fall break, be it a day or a week, is a good idea. It’s got ramifications

Aissa Boodhoo-Leegsma | Senior News Editor news@thesil.ca

for student mental health and, almost as importantly, an undeniable “cool” factor.

Julia Redmond | Assistant News Editor news@thesil.ca

ourselves by believing that the University will pass what we students (or our representatives) say we want

Anqi Shen | Online News Editor news@thesil.ca Mel Napeloni | Opinions Editor opinions@thesil.ca Brandon Meawasige | Senior Sports Editor sports@thesil.ca

But regardless of what I believe, we need to pick our position and go with it. We don’t need to flatter without running it past the inevitable criticisms throughout the University.

And you can’t balance a teeter-totter by sitting in the middle.

But like I said, I’m not optimistic. I’m worried that we’re started onto a series of discussions and online surveys as our student leaders cycle through year to year. I’m worried that we’ll never get enough steam behind this idea to make it happen.

But I’d love for the MSU and the University to team up and prove me wrong.

•

Scott Hastie | Assistant Sports Editor sports@thesil.ca Sam Godfrey | Senior InsideOut Editor insideout@thesil.ca Amanda Watkins | Assistant InsideOut Editor insideout@thesil.ca Nolan Matthews | Senior ANDY Editor andy@thesil.ca Bahar Orang | Assistant ANDY Editor andy@thesil.ca Yoseif Haddad | Senior Photo Editor photo@thesil.ca Jessie Lu | Assistant Photo Editor photo@thesil.ca Javier Caicedo | Multimedia Editor photo@thesil.ca Karen Wang | Graphics Editor production@thesil.ca Ammar Hanif | Distribution Coordinator thesil@thesil.ca Sandro Giordano | Ad Manager sgiordan@msu.mcmaster.ca

Sam Colbert

Corrections In “Can Trudeau ‘be the change’?” [Oct. 11], it was written that Marie Bountrogianni, who introduced Justin Trudeau at the Oct. 10 Hamilton event, said that Canada was second only to Spain in youth unemployment. This should have been youth “mal-employment,” given that one out of five 25-29-year-olds make less than half the median income in Canada.

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PINIONS

Thursday, October 18, 2012 Opinions Editor: Mel Napeloni Meeting: Wednesdays @ 2:30 p.m.

Contact: opinions@thesil.ca

POLITICS

PHILOSOPHY

Eyes turned skyward

Let’s get critical Is a Marxist world possible?

Earth is too fragile a basket for us to keep all our eggs in Mel Napeloni Opinions Editor

Politics is a complex thing. It has a pretty oppressive, violent, brutal narrative. It’s also the thing that ultimately saves us from ourselves, so, you know, it’s good to know a bit about it.

There are social issues and economic issues. There are issues involving gender, race and sexuality.

Most issues aren’t abstract. They’re right in front of you - your schools, your hospitals, your stores, your households, your toilets.

When you shit, you’re shitting into an abyss constructed to meet the political standards of your culture.

A lot of bad stuff exists, partly because of ourselves, partly because of people in power, and partly because of modes of production we’ve entrenched. A lot of stuff occurs and junk transpires and things happen.

And before this piece deteriorates, let me discuss a political issue that most people reading this have either never heard of or never quite conceptualized. It’ll be, at the precipice of our lowly existence, the most important decision we will ever make. It’ll make us question ourselves more fervently than an existentially despondent, middle-aged neurotic.

We live in a galaxy of exploding stars, random collisions, and empty space. The universe is so unconcerned with our existence, that it leaves a guy like me drinking mickeys on Friday nights with a coke, Fritos, and a few, cold tears.

We’ve tried a lot of ways to do things.

Empires have fallen and risen more than the amount of chamomile I drink in a single day.

JAVIER CAICEDO MULTIMEDIA EDITOR

But when it comes to the subject of space colonization, we’ll only have one, risky-ass shot.

There’s no telling when a meteor will find its way right into the gaping stratosphere of our rotating spec. And if you think that’s just a thing of the future, think again. The uni-

verse will vomit meteors at us tomorrow if it so desires, sick with a maniacal lust for our destruction. So suit up and start strategizing.

I’m concerned. I mean, who wouldn’t be? We’re savages. Seriously. We have a terrible track record in doing things right. In fact, we’re doing them worse then ever. Slavery is at an all-time high, poverty rates make me sick, privilege is rampant, medical and scientific research isn’t getting the funding or respect it deserves, political leadership is masturbatory, and people kill each other over subjective, self-satisfying contingencies called ‘countries.’

We need to colonize space. There are planets out there. People can occupy them.

Make yourself care. Learn your world, your galaxy, your universe.

Take scientific research so seriously it hurts. Free falls in space, going on the moon, and sending a robot to Mars are pretty neat feats, but we should really step it up. We shouldn’t have been to Mars fifty years after being on the moon. That’s just lazy.

One day, you’re going to be an old, grumpy, Conservative toad with bad taste in television and ice cream. For now, you have unfathomable opportunity to expand your mind and not be a dolt about the fate of our species.

We have a special ability to self-analyze, to observe, to empathize, to seek faith in our neighbours, to break barriers that no other damn thing we know of yet has achieved.

That’s a beautiful thing.

I’m ready to believe we can one-day grab our desensitized, jaded universe by the throat and call it its master. How ‘bout you?

PHILOSOPHY

Balancing work and play How do we wrap our minds around education’s dichotomies?

Rob Hardy The Silhouette

One of the bigger decisions of our lives is not only what kind of education we should pursue and where, but also what field we will choose to study. In recent years, and ever since The Great Recession, this has become a larger concern for the majority of people who enter higher education these days. But in true Socratic fashion, this becomes a much bigger debate we have with others and ourselves.

Whether we realize it or not, we gradually develop philosophies on which things we value and, consequently, which we don’t.

As our time in university plods on, we are forced to confront what value means to us.

Is it some kind of inherent quality regarding the sanctity of life on all levels? Are we okay with resigning those ideals once money enters the equation on a more pressing level? Or are our values what we actually practice when it comes down to the wire? These are only some of the dilemmas facing us as we choose courses and think about graduate school.

While it is prudent to be aware of what awaits us when we choose to study philosophy or any of the other programs under the umbrella of humanities, it is also prudent to understand the ways our experiences will vastly differ based on whether we make our decisions on external or internal forces. Simply put, doing things we intrinsically enjoy versus our current idea of what practical is.

And therein lies a distinction. We never have to think about, or usually regret, those things that truly give us joy and make the minutes and days a pleasure to go through.

But some conception outside of us about what constitutes security and a safe path is always to some degree arbitrary, shifting and not wholly clear.

I’m talking about this because there has been so much negative press circulating about the validity of pursuing a degree in the Humanities, or what others similarly refer to as the Liberal Arts. But what is ironic and unbeknownst to most, is that these subject areas of language, philosophy, music, as well as mathematics, in relation to our place in the world, formed the core of university curriculums since their inception. The line of reasoning was that in order to be a truly free person, one must be educated, and that these subjects were the essence of enlightenment.

So while the marketplace, something which is extremely fickle to say the least, is demanding students study business, technology, and other cut-and-dried industries, we are drifting further away from a core understanding of the institutions we comprise. And while there

JAVIER CAICEDO MULTIMEDIA EDITOR

is nothing wrong in formulating a resume in order to optimize your chances of gaining secure employment and future prospects, we have to be aware of how much we are giving up as we essentially design and subsidize our own job-training programs then later nostalgically wonder about having forgone those courses for which we had a genuine curiosity.

When we ask others to validate our paths and experiences, we lose control and confidence in becoming the captains of our own life journey.

It is no secret that university departments across North America are slashing budgets, and that humanities departments are front in line. But we need to take another look at the real value of dismissing what has been, up until now, the heart and soul of academia.

After all, if we don’t care what others have shared and discussed in the past, why should we be presumptuous enough to ask future generations to give us an audience?

As idealistic and passionate as I am about those courses many now deem a waste of time, I have to admit that I would have no problem with going into fields which are big money-earners if I had the aptitude. No one wants to feel like whatever they have worked on for years is not valued and rewarded by society as a whole.

At the same time, there is a transient

quality in current trends. Certain fields are booming now, but busts always follow sooner or later. And for all the talk of “experiential learning” and teamwork, I still fail to fully grasp how this applies despite reading every word of Forward with Integrity, our esteemed university president’s views on the direction we are/should be heading.

As much as we want some kind of short cut, the fact is that acquiring substantial knowledge has always involved the discipline of a tremendous amount of individual study over time. Other skill sets are also important today, but they are not so much academic in nature as they are broader social requirements newly demanded of everyone now.

Like many articles you have read on the subject, this is all just food for thought. Some of us are looking forward to careers in professions with a clearly defined track with little room for flexibility, while others have priorities that extend to other life areas, leaving little curiosity to debate the place of education in our lives. Still, we should not be afraid or dismissive of the long rows of books we pass by as we walk through the library, thinking them irrelevant to our everyday lives.

Just as Twitter has formulated the catchphrase “Join the conversation”, there are many others waiting to be engaged, some via the printed word, spanning space and time.

JAVIER CAICEDO MULTIMEDIA EDITOR

Edward Lovo The Silhouette

What is it to be a critical thinker? One can be critical in one of two ways. First, one can question what one thinks. Second, one can question how one thinks. Each of these is important, but it is the latter which has fascinated many for its accomplishments.

Questioning the way one thinks inevitably leads to new modes of thought, which bring about questions proper to their manner of thinking and opens up an uncharted realm of problems unique to it. To illustrate this point, I think, would be pedantic, outlining the shifts in paradigms between Newtonian mechanics and Einstein’s theory of general relativity, (not to mention the quandary of quantum mechanics), between Lamarckism and Darwinism and the vast changes that Darwinism is currently undergoing, (beyond the image of the selfish gene), between a human society that lacked the language (and thereby the concept) of rights and the one that has slowly come to grasp it from the 12th to the 17th century. I can go on. Paradigm shifts occur across an array of disciplines, and these shifts illustrate change in ways of thinking.

The same is no less true of society. The fabric of society ought to be questioned. How ought it to be questioned?

The social world comes to us readymade.

Individuals are already in definite relations with one another and our entrance into this world also commits us immediately into definite relations. This claim ought to be platitudinous. Consider a definite form of our existence with one another - us human beings must produce the means for our subsistence and there is a definite way in which we human beings do this.

The economic system of capitalism hasn’t always been around in human history. This is just one definite form of our existence, and they are demands of the social world on us on how to interact with one other. Free market capitalism makes different demands than regulated market capitalism, and the each of these different from feudalism.

As Marx says, “[These modes] of production must not be considered simply as being the production of the physical existence of the individuals. Rather...it is a definite form of expressing their life, a definite mode of life on their part. As individuals express their life, so they are.” The readymade world into which we enter its definite relations thus determines the nature of individuals.

This is a challenge to the atomistic view of some of the social sciences take with respect to the individual. Many object to Marxism by citing the behaviour of individuals with reference to microeconomics, but no one dares question why these relations were brought about in the first place, and this is to take a more holistic view of society. This means that no one can make reference to the behaviour of individuals that has been determined by the present economic system to justify the present economic system. Neither can one claim that the economic system is a result of the nature of individuals.

Individuals have behaved differently and thought differently in accordance with the economic system in which they’re in. Thus, there is no reference to the nature of individuals that can justify the present economic system. Marxism thus opens itself up as a real possibility, but the question of how this is to be achieved is a question reserved for another occasion.

Marxism challenges our modes of thought, which have been determined by the relations of the social world in which we’re immersed. Like the paradigm shifts of Newtonian mechanics to Einsten’s theory and the other aforementioned shifts, the transition to Marxism requires its own paradigm shift in the social consciousness of the people—one of its prerequisites is critical thinking. Are you a critical thinker?

A8 • Opinions

The Silhouette • Thursday, October 18, 2012

Andrea Tang

Karthicka

Suthanandan

Executive Member MacDebate

Executive Member MacDebate

Should we hold students legally responsible for bullying if it results in the victim’s suicide?

A: There has been an increase in attention recently on the news and in social media surrounding teen bullying and suicide. Last year we had the instance with youtube sensation Jonah Mowry and just last week we had the story of Amanda Todd’s suicide, which spread like wildfire all across the internet. This debate aims to discuss the controversy surrounding teen bullying and to what degree bullies should be punished for their role in a suicide even though they did not directly or physically murder a victim.

On my side of this debate, I believe that all students, no matter if you are in elementary school, high school, or university should be legally held responsible for the bullying they do if it results in the victim committing suicide. I think the degree and nature of the bullying should be factored into the charges. Charges can range from harassment to hate crimes to even manslaughter. The purpose of the law is to punish actions that inflict serious harm on others in society, be it psychological or physical.

When bullying results in the suicide of an innocent teenager, I think that classifies the bullying as an action inflicting serious psycho-

HEADTOHEAD

logical harm on another person, and thus should be appropriately dealt with by the justice system in Canada.

I think the current legal regime does not adequately punish or prevent bullying and that we need to make more serious consequences for bullying, especially when it is so serious to the point that a person

When an individual commits suicide it is a terrible tragedy, but it is very hard to identify the causes of the incident. Who takes most of the blame when the individual’s suicide is the result of several individuals’ comments or actions? Is it fair for several individuals who acted independently to take collective blame for the severe result of more then just their actions?

and not vary depending on, for example, the specific teachers at a school. As stated before, the degree and nature of bullying can be taken into account, but legal action is the best way to show teenagers the severity of bullying.

If we leave punishment to the discretion of schools, bullying will continue the way it does now.

Andrea

A: It doesn’t matter what the bullies’ intentions were when they began the act of bullying; the fact of the matter is that they inflicted psychological harm upon another human being, and thus need to be adequately punished for their actions. If we leave punishment to the discretion of schools, bullying will continue the way it does now. The biggest punishment for one incident of bullying in schools is essentially being suspended, which is nowhere as near as legal action. I think teenagers are warned enough about the potential harms of bullying and that the excuse “I didn’t know it would be this bad” is no excuse for bullying. I think legal action is the best method because it is the only method of punishment that can be consistent across the country,

There is no denying the severity of bullying or suicide, but are legal matters really the best solution for the problem?

Karthicka

commits suicide.

K: There is no denying the severity of bullying or suicide, but are legal matters really the best solution for the problem? An individual cannot necessarily understand the implications or severity of their actions on other people. Of course, that does not excuse the actions of bullying.

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K: I do agree that something needs to be done about the issues of bully-

ing but I feel the pure use of retribution would not address any of the social implications of these incidents. I feel that the problem is not in how we handle bullying after the matter, but how it is handled when victims are looking for resources to help them cope or address the problems they face. Better prevention or resources during the matter would be better then

what is essentially excessive force after the matter. The reason I say it would excessive is that this idea of criminalizing their bullying paints their actions in a more severe light in the aftermath of the suicide, but like I said we shouldn’t draw a direct correlation from one person’s action to another individual’s suicide that may have resulted from several factors. The punishment for bullying should fit the nature of the specific actions, not the outcomes, and only constitute legal action if it falls into such a category (e.g. physical assault, harassment.)

A: I think that no matter what extent of bullying you do, it will ALWAYS fit the nature of a specific action to a certain degree, because you are always harming another individual. In the instance that an individual commits suicide, there is direct proof that harm has been done and serious consequences should follow.

Under the current model, I think the extent to which this bullying (be it online or in person) has affected individuals who commit suicide is undermined and needs to be taken more seriously.

Go online to see the conclusion >>

Opinions • A9

Thursday, October 18, 2012 • The Silhouette

Feedback

The decline of literature There should be more than romance in our stories

What is your opinion on having light rail transit in Hamilton?

Compiled by Mel Napeloni and Yoseif Haddad “It would be frequent and effective for people off campus. However, if it impacts tuition fees, I’d disapprove.”

Steven Wang, Kinesiology II

JAVIER CAICEDO MULTIMEDIA EDITOR

Romance is an old catharsis. We need to expand our minds to bigger concepts.

Sarah O’Connor

“It will decrease vehicle wdependency, and pave the way to a more pedestrianfriendly, fuel efficient city.”

The Silhouette

Ana Petrson, English II

“We have a lot of commuters in Hamilton. It would serve as a good alternative to current transit systems and provide easy access to the city.”

Bahy Abdellaziz, Automotive Technology IV

“It would be great for the environment. Any form of transit that can get you from A to B quicker is better.”

Sarah Hlywka, Humanities II

“Less costly, more efficient and smoother travel. That’s more than HSR buses can say,” Tony Ly, Economics II

I’ve always found comfort in a good book and am a frequent visitor to Chapters, Coles and Indigo. And, now that I’ve started university, I also frequent Titles (god how I love Titles.) I find myself scanning the spines of these shining, unread books and allow myself to be momentarily lost in the story.

I don’t have enough money to buy them - that money was spent on textbooks that our professors assured us would be put to good use yet have never seen the light of day. But now I’ve noticed that my visits are just as frequent. That eagerness to escape into a story is slowly depleting and is now replaced with longing. Longing for a book that’s different.

It’s no secret that romance is a big thing in literature these days. You can argue all you want on how the big stuff are paranormal, supernatural or dystopian literature. But take a good look at what you’re reading: The Mortal Instruments, The Hunger Games, Divergent.

Each of these books focus on a lovesick couple (that usually grows into a love triangle) that are more concerned with loving one another than saving the world from imminent doom (or zombies).

Current authors seem to have forgotten that the days of Jane Austen are over and that in this day and age, marriage or being in a relationship does not equal having a perfect life. A story cannot be simply dystopian,

supernatural or science fiction, it must have a romance to be considered good literature.

But why? Are we so behind the times that we assume every person has to get married or be in a relationship in order to have meaning in life?

I used to indulge in the paranormal romance myself and enjoyed it. But after reading romance after romance after romance I couldn’t help but see how all these young unpopular women (books now-a-days usually center on a female protagonist) suddenly became someone when they are in a relationship.

It disgusts me that the message of having a true meaningful life must come through marriage or at least being romantically involved with someone, otherwise your life is dull and meaningless.

Don’t get me wrong, I support marriage and would like to get married one day, but I don’t want the idea shoved down my throat every time I open a book. I’m only eighteen. And I can’t help but think of people who are perfectly happy being single. How can they relate to these books?

We have come very far in literature these days. Progressive literature is published and read by many worldwide.

One hundred years ago this type of literature would be burned and the author probably jailed. It’s now time for authors to focus a little less on romance and a little more on adventure.

A10 • Opinions

The Silhouette • Thursday, October 18, 2012

POLITICS

McGuinty, goodbye and good riddance You’ve now resigned; don’t let the door hit you on the way out.

Ryan Sparrow The Silhouette

Well, that was unexpected. Premier Dalton McGuinty resigns. On the surface, this seems like a moment to celebrate. However, in perhaps his last act as premier, McGuinty has prorogued the legislative assembly. Remember that undemocratic thing that Harper did?

Well, McGuinty just did it, too. Before we get into why he abolished our democracy, let us reminisce on his reign.

McGuinty was made famous for breaking his promises. For instance, he promised to freeze tuition fees for students, which he broke in 2007 by allowing tuition fees to increase above inflation. Now, Ontario has the ominous distinction of having the highest tuition fees in Canada, the largest class sizes and the lowest-per student funding. Since 2006, tuition fees have increased by up to 71 per cent. If this was not bad enough, the plan is to make it worse; average tuition fees are expected to exceed $9,200 in the 2015-2016 academic year according to the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives, alongside further deep cuts to post-secondary education.

His corporate tax cuts last year seemed to mock students even more. The amount of annual revenue cut in these taxes amounted to $2.4 billion, the exact same amount that would have provided for free post-secondary education to every last Ontario student. Not

just that, but with a record deficit, and a corporate tax rate of 11.3 per cent compared to 35 per cent in the United States. It seems clear that Ontario is trying to earn the distinction of the land for corporate interests.

McGuinty also brought us the much hated HST, a regressive tax that makes regular working class people pay more taxes, while taking the burden off of businesses. In other words, the taxes paid by corporations are now paid by everyday Ontarians.

McGuinty, perhaps not satisfied with making poor and working class families pay more than their fair share of taxes, has aggressively cut social programs such as Ontario Works. In one of his election promises, his party said they would ���������������������� raise the rates of Ontario Works, then once elected only raised the rates by like $6/month. Perhaps the aim was to break his promise of reducing child poverty faster than all his other broken promises.

We also cannot forget about the corruption. One of many examples is the ORNGE scandal, the air ambulance service that lined the pockets of its CEO and other executives showcased the cronyism of McGuinty’s government. Currently it is under investigation by the Ontario Provincial Police over financial irregularities. ORNGE received a billion dollars from the province over the past five years with absolutely no government oversight into how that money was being spent. It turns out the money, our money, was used to establish

YOSEIF HADDAD SENIOR PHOTO EDITOR

private for-profit businesses that provided lavish salaries and benefits for its executives.

But as of late, our dear McGuinty decided to focus his energy towards attacking the public sector. This is not to say that this is something new, rather it’s renewed. This attack started against some of his former supporters - teachers - by legislating away their rights. I do not know why teachers naively supported the Liberals in the past. It is clear they do not anymore. This August, I had the fortunate chance to witness the anger of teachers 25,000 strong - against the Hudak-McGuinty plan to take away their rights.

While teachers were not the only workers McGuinty attacked, their backlash is swift and well deserved. After offering a patronage position to the conservative MPP in the Kitchener-Waterloo riding to trigger a by-election, the party lost dramatically and voters replaced the conservative MPP with an NDP MPP in part due to backlash of teachers. Perhaps this vain democracy is too messy for McGuinty, so he does away with it as we do away with McGuinty. Goodbye McGuinty, don’t let the door hit you on the ass on the way out.

The rest of Ontario, let’s fight to get our democracy back.

Thursday, October 18, 2012 • The Silhouette

Go to your room Control, control, control

Opinions • A11

LITERATURE

Stepping out of the grey Fifty Shades of Grey, rape culture, and all the wrong perceptions T. J. Jamieson

MEL NAPELONI OPINIONS EDITOR

Tarun Sanda The Silhouette

How much control do we really have? Growing up is tough, and people fortunate enough to have parents to help them through it usually have a smoother journey. But what happens when you’re old enough to make your own decisions?

No matter what our age, we feel we have the tools and maturity to handle our personal affairs. But our parents have been there, guiding us through childhood, adolescence, and in some cases adulthood.

At times we seem lucky to have someone looking over our shoulders, but everyone soon dreads that figure behind us, suddenly monitoring our every move. When is it the right time to turn around and reassure the people closest to us that “Hey, I can handle it from here.”

It is a concept that varies for each individual, and there is no real right or wrong answer. People with traditional parents want desperately to step out of that shadow whilst not offending the person they looked up to their whole life. However, it is necessary to take that step. Everyone needs their freedom and independence to grow as individuals.

Without that, we simply remain a product of our parents’ ideals.

This may not be a bad thing, but over time you will lose your innate, evocative nature. What’s worse is that you may even begin to resent your parents. Soon the control they assert on you will seem suffocating, their every action causing you to silently resent their presence. Some people secretly lash out to liberate themselves from that set of rules.

Sometimes, the repercussions of those actions can eventually drive our relationships with our parents to the brink. If you have ever caught yourself in this sort of situation, it is time to step up and voice your side of the story, take a stand.

In the mid 20th century, an Indian guru by the name of Osho reiterated such ideals in his teachings. He hailed from a traditional society, and his message of emotional liberation surrounded him with controversy.

However, with his rationale he was able to capture the mind of individuals across the world. He once boldly stated: “Never obey anyone’s command unless it is coming from within you also.”

If we lead our lives blindly obeying somebody else’s rules, we lose our individuality.

Once an individual reaches a certain age in their life, they should be able to make simple decisions on their own.

They should understand the possible outcomes. Nonetheless, it will leave you with no regrets. Even if you made a bad call, at the end of the day, it was yours all the way.

ence. There is nothing empowering in being Where I stand, the grey is where rape culabused. Don’t ever tell a survivor otherwise. ture hides in ambiguity.

The Silhouette O’Connor proposed we all need to open In the grey, tolerance for sexual assault Fifty Shades of Grey. I’m certain you’ve heard up our eyes a little more and stop seeing and abuse will continue to fester. Stepping of or read the exotic novel that promises a everything as either black or white, and in- out of the grey is the first of many hurdles we daring, passionate affair with the exotic flair stead focus on the grey. must act upon. of BDSM. Often cited as “Mommy Porn”, the novel is controversial at best. At its core, Fifty Shades of Grey is a story about a girl being sexually abused repeatedly by a man who possesses complete control over her. The main male character, Christian Grey, is depicted as a wealthy entrepreneur, beautiful and brilliant, who boldly showers Ana with expensive gifts; purchasing her compliance to his ‘exotic tastes.’ Pain, humiliation, dominance and torture are thinly veiled as kinky and excusable rough sex. We are expected to see this as romantic, enticing and arousin.

Sarah O’Connor’s Silhouette article ‘In Defense of Fifty Shades of Grey’ proposes that Ana Steele’s ordeal should alternatively be viewed as a liberating opportunity for self growth and discovery. She points out that Ana has learned to “step outside of her comfort zone and become assertive”, “learns the importance of taking risks”, and “becomes more comfortable with her physical appearance.”

Ana, having never experienced any form of sexual intimacy or self-stimulation prior, is hurriedly thrust into the sexual-role Christian Grey has outlined. The stage is tragically classic. Anna, heavily intoxicated by her first experience with alcohol, is brought back to Christian’s hotel where, enticed by her virginity, they have sex.

As the relationship progresses he instructs her on everything from what to say, what to eat, where to go and how to act. She is subjected to physical, sexual and physiological punishment.

What is particularly damaging is that she is influenced by her abuser to find pleasure within the abuse. For the violent acts perpetrated against her, the reward of getting to ‘step outside one’s comfort zone’ is a cheap condolence.

O’Connor asserts that despite the risk of YOSEIF HADDAD SENIOR PHOTO EDITOR being hurt, Ana’s leap of faith with Christian Rape culture is entrenched in our societies. It degrades women. No means no. has resulted in her finding love, “the greatest risk of all.” Loving relationships are formed on trust, respect and oh, yeah, consent. All relationships, especially BDSM relationships, require a foundation of mutual trust and clearly defined safety practices that protect the consensual partnership. Fifty Shades of Grey neglects to provide both participants with the necessary safety tools and practices. Consent is not static.

Permission given at the start of sexual actively doesn’t necessarily secure consent throughout the act. At anytime, a participant has the right to withdraw their consent.

Christian Grey discounts his partner’s words and boundaries, satisfying his needs at the expense of his partner.

Lastly, it is argued that “Ana learns to be comfortable with her appearance, that she isn’t going to change for anyone and comes to love herself, which is something few people can say.” If you have ever looked into the eyes of a survivor, a person who has experienced sexual and physical abuse, you will not see shimmering liberation from vanity in their eyes.

It is unlikely they will tell you of a surge in their self-confidence, or the love and comfort felt while in the arms of their abuser. Most survivors identify as feeling unlovable, feeling that they aren’t good enough, and struggle to regain a sense of safety and security. Many others do not survive the abuse. Abuse is not a romantic, enticing and arousing experi-

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INTROVERT PRIDE PARADE Attendance is at an all-time historical low. B7

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HAMILTON SPECULATOR OC TOBER 18, 2012

THE

HANDING OUT RAZOR BLADES SINCE 1934

Nothing of consequence happened

BRUTAL MASSACRE

Something happened, maybe? No one is sure.

CLEOPATRA FAWKES Unsure Speculator

On Wednesday, possibly, sometime in the early evening, an unspecified incident occurred somewhere around some place that people congregate on campus.

While facts are still foggy, it is presumed that several students were involved in some form of behaviour that resulted in no known consequences. Some male or female students – or both – did something at some point on Wednesday evening, the repercussions of which University administration is still unsure and anxiously awaiting. Assistant to the Vice-Assistant, Cher Horowitz, commented, “all we know is something happened. We’re still trying to figure out what, but rest assured that as soon as we know, we’ll make the student body aware and are prepared for the inevitable backlash. Your patience at this grave time is appreciated.”

Rumors are abounding about what exactly happened, but no concrete – or, in fact, even slightly solid – details are known. Analysts, however, believe the incident was probably important.

Security officials refused to comment, citing lack of knowledge. As of early Thursday morning, they were as-yet unaware that an incident had occurred. They do, however, urge anyone with information to call 1-800-GETACLU. Updates, if available, will be posted eventually. Follow the story somewhere on the internet.

[Picture Unrelated] A shooter let loose a round of assault rifle bursts in a crowded shopping mall last night, fatally wounding thiry-seven people and injuring at least thirteen more. Coroner is currently identifying bodies and our condolences go out to families. H3

Paradise spelled with a capital PFK International fried chicken baron takes over as exclusive catering service to McMaster University.

TIBERIUS SLICK & SHIT HASTINGS

tucky Fried Chicken franchise.

It is uncomfirmed at this time whether the chain will continue to offer two-dollar deals on Tuesdays, a common staple of KFC franchises, but students are eager to McMaster University is about to get a mouthful of the hear the answer, as they are poor as folk, and could really use some cheap indigestion.

Colonel.

“How am I supposed to raise my family when thirdKFC is now the official and exclusive caterer for all McMaster events, including faculty and residence parties rate chicken chains hock their fourth-rate goods at a tenth of the price that I offer?” said Popeye Seaman, caand impromptu cage ragers.

After a fierce battle between rival catering/fast food shier at a rival fast food chain in Hamilton.

Local vegetarian activist groups chains Burger King, Wendy’s and Talare in an uproar, claiming that KFC ly Ho’s, KFC came out on top after a Students are eager to hear does not offer them enough options to lengthy negotiating session that went survive on a daily basis. well into the wee hours of the morning. the answer, as they are “It just isn’t enough to eat luke“I just couldn’t believe how much poor as folk and could warm coleslaw three times a day, I have KFC was offering to have this opporreally use some cheap to get a source of iron and protein that tunity. We felt our offer was generous, indigestion. hasn’t been fried past the point of edbut the chicken pushers managed to ibility,” said Slam Cuthbert, beat poet blow our pitch out of the water and I Tiberius Slick and pretentious meat-hater. guess the university took it hook, line Deep-Fried Dead Animal Expert KFC plans to expand their presand sinker,” said Ronzald Hechdonald, ence to other southern Ontario uniowner and proprieter of local chain versities, with little to no opposition. Their immediate McDurnalds.

The move is expected to draw in more international agenda is to take the show to Western University where students to campus, especially those from less developed audiences are quicker to eat up all their bullshit and won’t parts of the world, where fried chicken is not jsut a privi- put up any kind of fight, kind of like their football team. lege, it is an honour.

To uphold their mandate of providing “finger-lick“I’m really excited to watch Mcmaster’s new basket- in’ good chicken,” KFC hopes to foster an environment ball program flourish, and letting my business cater to of collaboration between themselves and the university the school was my ticket to first-class hoopside seats,” in order to raise the city’s mortality rate and fulfill Col. said Pvt. Second-Class Sanders III, legal heir to the Ken- Sanders’s ancient Manifest Murder Destiny.

Senior Speculator & Dickies Model

INSIDE TODAY PER ISSUE:

UNFILTERED VEGETABLES I8

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HIGH: ME LOW: MOTIVATION WHat doEs it alL reallY mEAn man? Where dO WE Go fram he?.

AS A KITE G5

Two-Thirds of

“ART” H8

WORD B1

a Banana Peel

AFRIKAANS DICTIONARY C8

OH! YOU! EH! A9-A11

INCL. HST, PST .

LOW TONER... A5

I HID TWENTY BUCKS IN MY

UNFULFILLING CAREERS A8

KID’S MATH HOMEWORK F4

INTO THE MANHOLE

SPECU

T.J.’S DOWN UNDERWEAR

What did you learn this week, Timmy?

“Plagiarism is the sincerest form of flattery.”

Shit Hastings steps into Hamilton sewers to find out if they’re cleaner than the streets. A3

EMPORIUM

MAGIC UNDIES

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Disclaimer: Stories printed in The Hamilton Speculator are fact. Any resemblance to persons real or dead is likely intentional and done out of spite. Opinions expressed are those of The Speculator and if you disagree with them you are wrong. And stupid. Possibly ugly as well.

TOP STORY IN INSIDEOUT THIS WEEK: HISTORY’S BEST TECHNOLOGICAL FLOPS SEE B7

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Thursday, October 18, 2012 Sports Editors: Brandon Meawasige and Scott Hastie Meeting: Thursdays @ 1:30 p.m.

Contact: sports@thesil.ca

Perfection in arm’s reach for Mac Brandon Meawasige Senior Sports Editor

On what was supposed to be a day entirely dedicated to McMaster school spirit, the Windsor Lancers walked into Ron Joyce Stadium and stood up to the defending champions, providing the Marauders with their most difficult test of the season.

Quarterback Austin Kennedy, the bright spot for the Lancers, demonstrated why he is often compared to McMaster’s Kyle Quinlan in the discussion of the nation’s best passers.

Prior to Saturday’s homecoming game, Marauders head coach Stefan Ptaszek offered his take on the Windsor attack.

“They have possibly the best quarterback and receiver combo, maybe in Canada.

Receiver Jordan Brescacin was a Hamilton Tiger-Cat all summer on their practice roster.

He would have made [the Tiger-Cats], except he wanted to go back and work with Austin Kennedy for another year, and together they are the most prolific pass-catch combination in the league.”

Kennedy and Brescacin have hooked up for 880 yards and seven touchdowns this season, leading the OUA in both categories.

“Austin is a rhythm guy, so when he is on rhythm he is going to move the football and put up lots of points,” added Ptaszek.

Usually making headlines for that electric offense, the 3-3 Lancers were carried by a different part of their team on Saturday; their defense held Mac to only 17 points in the first half, the lowest total of the season for the Vanier Cup champions.

Mac quarterback Kyle Quinlan entered Saturday’s homecoming game having thrown zero interceptions so far this year.

Windsor’s defensive back Josh Burns picked off Quinlan twice and helped keep the deficit to single digits until Mac made the score 27-11 after a Tyler Loveday score with less than two minutes remaining in the third quarter.

Windsor fired right back with touchdown of their own, thanks to an Austin Kennedy connection with receiver Evan Psczczonak to make the score 27-18.

At this point, the Mac faithful began to trickle out of the bleachers due to the cold and wet weather.

Although the game was close, Kyle Quinlan managed to throw for over 400 yards through three quarters, asserting his position in the talks for the Hec Creighton trophy.

Kennedy, by comparison, had 298 yards.

With home field advantage in the playoffs

tied to a victory for the Maroon and Grey, the fourth frame was undoubtedly the 2012 season’s most important.

Also at stake for Mac was a 19-game win streak dating back to September of last year, when the team lost its second game to the visiting Mustangs.

With so much on the line, McMaster pulled away from the Lancers after a crucial fumble recovery in the Windsor end zone to make the score 37-18.

In the end, McMaster continued their CIS record-breaking win streak, locked up ideal playoff standing and, most importantly, defended their home turf.

A late pick by linebacker Nick Shortill all but sealed the deal for the seventh Marauder victory of the season with a final score of 3918.

Also breaking a record for McMaster, linebacker Ben D’Aguilar set the CIS singleseason record for sacks with 12.5, surpassing previous record holders Leroy Blugh of Bishops and Queen’s Jim Aru, who both recorded 11.5 sacks in 1988 and 1996, respectively.

The secondary also had a big day, picking off Kennedy four times, bringing the unit’s total this season to 15, leading the CIS in that category.

Now moving forward with a record of 7-0, the team is one win away from a perfect season.

The last time that was accomplished by their program was in 2003 when they went 8-0, winning the Yates Cup and eventually losing to the Laval Rouge et Or in the Vanier Cup semi-final. McMaster finished with a 7-1 record last season.

The Marauders have played this year without their first-string running back, Christopher Pezzetta, exciting back up Jimmy Hill and one of the country’s premier deep threats in wideout Michael Dicroce due to injury.

The list does not stop there either; several players on both sides of the ball have missed time this campaign under similar circumstances.

The final opponent of the regular season will be Wilfrid Laurier University’s Golden Hawks, a playoff team a year ago, who have struggled their way to a 3-4 season.

Coming off a 53-point loss to the Western Mustangs in London on Saturday, the Hawks will visit Ron Joyce with a .500 finish in their sights.

With the playoffs around the corner, this game, though it has no implications for the standings, could be a solid conclusion to the 2012 OUA regular season.

ELIZA POPE THE SILHOUETTE

WR Tyler Loveday contributed to McMaster’s aerial onslaught against the Lancers.

ELIZA POPE THE SILHOUETTE

Despite some first half struggles, the McMaster Marauders rebounded well and came one step closer to completing a perfect season in OUA play.

WOMEN’S RUGBY

Rookie gets provincial attention Marauder Steph Black in the discussion for OUA rookie of the year Brandon Meawasige Senior Sports Editor

The women’s rugby team, coming off a CIS championship tournament appearance a year ago, is right back in the thick of the hunt after earning an OUA quarter-final victory at home on Sunday, Oct. 14 over the York Lions.

The Marauders, who finished the season with a record of 4-2, found a formidable opponent in the York Lions, who kept the game close until late.

Twenty minutes into the second half, the score was 19-14. From there, McMaster took control of the game, bombarding their opponents with several scores.

By the final whistle, Mac had defeated their visitors from York handily by a score of 43-14.

The leading scorer for the Maroon and Grey was Stephanie Black of Ottawa, Ont. The rookie has been turning heads in the OUA as a scoring machine for her team this season.

Black finished her first season tied for first points scored with 52, making her a candidate for OUA rookie of the year honors and possibly even CIS recognition.

“It’s really exciting for me. Competing for a top spot against players like Britt Ben and Nadia Popov is a real challenge, as they are both great rugby players. Even being considered at that level is really fun and rewarding. Most of my points come from kicking, however, meaning that it took the hard work of the rest of my team to lead to my success, giving me the chance to convert the kicks,” said Black.

Interestingly enough, Queen’s Nadia Popov, the player with which Black is tied in the scoring race is also eligible to receive such honors.

The two players are closer than even the statistics would suggest.

“I had the opportunity to play with Nadia over Thanksgiving weekend, when we both attended a U20 Canada camp, and were placed on the same team. She is an awesome

girl, and a great athlete who deserves the title just as much as I do. As our statistics suggest I’m sure it will be very close,” said Black of the rookie of the year race.

For Black, playing for McMaster is a simply a continuation of a life dedicated to competitive sports, but certainly it has been a new challenge for the 5’7” first-year.

“I have played high-level sports for most of my life, but coming to Mac was definitely the most intense level I have experienced yet in terms of commitment and expectations,” she said.

Next up for Black and the Marauders is the powerhouse Guelph Gryphons, who are defending OUA and CIS champions.

The first matchup between the two was closer than the 53-8 score line would suggest.

Mac gave the Gryphons a run for their money, but couldn’t keep it close in the second half.

“Guelph is definitely a strong opponent, as we saw in our first league game against them. However, a lot has changed since then.

We are really excited for the game this Satur-

day, as our whole season we have been preparing for this opportunity to test ourselves against one of the top teams in the country, a class that we hope to be included in,” adds Black.

Perhaps this time will be different, but it will certainly take something extra from not only Black, but also the entire Marauder team.

“As a team we are getting mentally and physically prepared to bring our A-game this Saturday. We plan to physically dominate Guelph. This means doing lots of fitness and contact in practice, as well as ensuring we execute drills well, even when we are tired.

Personally I will be practicing my place kicking, making sure I can kick from all sides of the field, even under pressure,” she said.

“It’s going to be a battle this weekend and it could come down to a single kick.”

Regardless of the result this Saturday, the Marauders will have captured a second straight CIS-ranked, playoff season, and Black has been a big part of that.

B2 • Sports

The Silhouette • Thursday, October 18, 2012

MEN’S BASKETBALL

Marauders take the battle of Hamilton Scott Hastie

Assistant Sports Editor

The battle for men’s basketball supremacy in Hamilton wasn’t a pretty one.

Tuesday night’s crowd at Burridge Gym endured a game full of turnovers, missed shots, and dropped rebounds but none the less, the McMaster Marauders defeated the Mohawk Mountaineers.

The defending Canadian College Athletics Association champions came to Mac in search of bragging rights for the best squad in Hamilton but the young Marauders squad gave the Mountaineers more than they could handle, winning 87-51.

In the first quarter, the preseason game felt very much that.

It took multiple possessions from either side to draw first blood and nearly the entire period to establish any real offense.

McMaster looked to run early, pushing the ball up-court and attempting to get quick inside looks.

While successful at first, Mac struggled to get back on defense giving up fast break points to a fast Mountaineer team. The quarter finished with a 17-14 Marauder lead, a

lead Mac would hold for the rest of the game.

The second quarter saw a defensive stand by the Maroon and Grey, forcing Mohawk into multiple turnovers and destroying any rhythm to their offense. The turnovers gave the fast break offense of McMaster new life, allowing excellent guard play to take over and create a larger separation between the Hamilton teams.

Going into the half, McMaster held a 29-20 edge in rebounding despite giving up a height mismatch in nearly every position on the court.

2011-2012 CIS Rookie of the Year Adam Presutti led the team to a 34-22 advantage with six points and six assists.

Over the course of the third quarter, McMaster pulled away from their opponents, again behind a strong defensive effort early in the period.

Mac had a 10-0 run over in the first minutes, with Presutti carving up the defense to contribute seven of those points.

As an attempt to stop the bleeding, Mohawk coaches called a timeout, but to no avail, with the quarter ending on an even larger lead for Mac, 61-36.

The fourth quarter saw Mc-

ELIZA POPE THE SILHOUETTE

McMaster is looking to take the OUA by storm, with Coach Amos Connolly leading a young group of players.

Master use many bench players and the choppy play would continue.

Mac’s bench performed well against the defending college champs, and their efforts further bolstered the Maroon and Grey lead.

The game finished with a surprising difference of 36 points.

Burridge Gym will see more pre-season action over the weekend, with two teams from the Atlantic University Sport conference visiting

McMaster. On Friday, the men will take on St. Francis Xavier University, with a 7 p.m. tip-off followed by a Sunday matinee match-up against Cape Breton University, tipping off at 1 p.m.

Women’s soccer splits weekend matches Scott Hastie

Assistant Sports Editor

It was a weekend of mixed results for the McMaster Marauder’s women’s soccer team. The squad sits third in the OUA West conference after the ladies split two games over the weekend.

On Saturday, the Marauders headed to the University of Guelph to take on an opponent who sits only two positions behind Mac in the standings. The Maroon and Grey expected a hard-fought battle with playoff implications looming over both teams, but the Marauders fell at the hands of the Gryphons.

The first half would see a strong per-

formance from McMaster; the Gryphon goalkeeper put the team on her back and refused to allow any goals from the Maroon attack.

In the second, the goalkeeper spotlight would be put on McMaster’s Brittany Duffey, who parried a strike from a pressing Guelph forward to maintain the tie.

But the tie would not last, as in the final minute of play the Gryphons would break the stalemate after a shot bounced off the crossbar, found a Gryphon forward’s end, and ended in the back of the Marauder goal. The deflating loss would not carry over however, as the women bounced back immediately in Sunday’s contest against the UOIT Ridgebacks. The women took the victory over the

Ridgebacks, who are locked in a tight playoff race in the lower half of the playoff bracket.

Mac’s lone goal of the contest game in the 30th minute from team captain Mel Van Der Hoop. The score would be enough to surge McMaster to victory as the team rode a steady offense and solid goaltending to their eighth win of the 2012 season.

Only three games remain in the Marauder’s regular season. Currently, McMaster sits in 3rd place in the OUA West conference, three points behind the Western University Mustangs and six points behind the Laurier Golden Hawks.

The first of three games is against the York Lions, a team only two points behind

Free

the Marauders.

A win in this Wednesday match-up would create an almost insurmountable lead over the Lions and secure at least a third place finish the OUA West, given the Marauders win at least one other game.

On Friday, McMaster will travel to the University of Windsor to face the Lancers, who have only one win to their name.

The final game of the regular season will be at Western, with a possible opportunity to leapfrog the Mustangs to take second-place.

Although who their match-up will be is unclear, the Marauders are in OUA playoff contention and the first game will be on Wednesday, Oct. 24.

Weekly Shuttle Bus Starting Sept. 26th

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

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Sports • B3

Thursday, October 18, 2012 • The Silhouette

Strasburg shutdown shenanigans

PATRICK MCDERMOTT GETTY IMAGES

A controversial decision to shut down the young phenom pitcher has both fans and teammates up in arms - and rightly so.

Brandon Meawasige Senior Sports Editor

Franklin D. Roosevelt coined the phrase “the only thing to fear is fear itself ” as he came into office during the Great Depression. That same year, San Francisco began construction of the Golden Gate Bridge, and Major League Baseball held its allstar game in Chicago’s Comiskey Park.

It was 1933, and it would be the last time that playoff baseball was played in Washington D.C. That is, of course, until this year.

The Washington Nationals, formerly the Montreal Expos, have played eight years in the bigs since their relocation, the majority of which they spent occupying the National League East cellar. The Expos franchise, which had been competing since 1969, last made the playoffs in 1981.

Even still, a 31-year playoff drought going into the year put them atop the list of longest active playoff droughts. Something was special about 2012. Somehow, the blue chip prospects, alleged wash-ups and solid major league veterans mixed perfectly. At the all-star break, the Nats had 49 wins and led the division with no team closer than four games.

The leaders of three out of the five remaining divisions held slimmer leads, and the only two front-runners with a more dominant position were the New York Yankees and Chicago White Sox. That is certainly more favorable company than the Kansas City Royals, who have now missed the playoffs for a 27th straight year, taking over top spot in that metric.

Washington ended the season with a record of 98 wins

and 64 losses. By doing so, the team not only had its first winning season in D.C., but also set a franchise record with 98 wins and was the best team in baseball. Even when the Expos were winning, they were never that good.

It almost sounds too good to be true, and believe me, it is.

As a baseball fan, I write to you with hopes of explaining how truly disappointed I am in the Washington Nationals as an organization.

Efforts on the field were admirable, even at times remarkable, and the pitching staff in particular contributed to the success this year. Ace pitching duo Gio Gonzalez and Stephen Strasburg, two of the shining young stars of the sport, combined for 36 of the team’s wins and 404 of the total strikeouts.

The pair was truly the anchor of a staff that saw each of the five starters get double-digit win totals.

I regret to inform you that every one of those wins – Strasburg’s 15 at the very least – went completely to waste; There would be no happy ending to this fairy tale.

On Friday, Oct. 12, the St. Louis Cardinals, in a heartbreaking fifth and deciding game, eliminated the team from the National League Division Series. Someone had to lose. But to give every player on that roster, and potentially everyone else in the Washington dugout, some credit, it was not entirely a fair fight.

At the very least it is not the fight the team deserved. After making a start on Sept. 7 against the Miami Marlins, Strasburg was shut down by the team’s upper management. Was he injured? No. Was he playing poorly? No. Was he causing problems in the clubhouse? At least, not to the best knowledge of America’s ever present and savvy baseball writers. Accord-

ing to management, the team was preserving the longevity of their young star’s career.

Strasburg’s arm has, in fact, been touted as possibly the best ever. That is the guy you want on the mound in one of the first two games in a series against a Cardinals team that breathes playoff baseball. No? The young ace made no such appearance. Instead, the Nats took a 1-0 lead in the series, only to be tied up a game later.

An article on ESPN quotes an unnamed player on Washington’s roster who seems to believe strongly that Strasburg would have made a difference in the series; the player makes no mistake in saying that Strasburg would have helped make the series 2-0. Numbers don’t lie; there is a good chance that would have been the case, but it is impossible to say. He is only human after all.

This is evident in the injury troubles that have been a reality for Strasburg early in his career. Regardless, he didn’t show it this season. He has no business packing a lip on the bench.

His absence during the NLDS was a tragedy, not only for the Nationals and their (newly) loyal fans, but baseball as a whole.

No player of Strasburg’s caliber or character should ever be prevented from playing for fear of injury or wear, especially on the eve of the playoffs. Good players should be seen and not heard from, I suppose.

For fear of hurting their best player, the Nationals hurt their best chances at winning in the playoffs. 79 years later, Washington’s new baseball team proved Mr. Roosevelt very, very right.

PHOTO OF THE WEEK First-year running back Declan Cross scored his first touchdown while donning the Maroon and Grey on Saturday.

The Humanities student broke into the endzone with style at the Homecoming matchup against the University of Windsor Lancers, diving in with some Superman style.

JEFF TAM THE SILHOUETTE

THREE DOWNS 1 2 3 What a wild season for the University of Guelph. The Gryphons football team entered the 2012 season with question marks littered all over the place. Where they would finish in the OUA standings was hardly an agreed upon subject, ranging from expectations of a one or two win season, all the way to a third place finish. Instead, the Gryphons have defeated two OUA heavyweights in Queen’s and Western, and clinched 2nd place in the conference.

Is there a better time to be a CIS fan than late October? The football playoffs are drawing close, accompanied by both men and women’s soccer playoff ’s looming over the university athletics scene. Throw in rugby, cross country, and golf championships, sports fans need to look no further than their own university for incredible competition. But the action doesn’t stop; basketball and volleyball seasons begin at the end of October, an opportunity for fans to be refilled with optimism if their varsity squads don’t qualify for any fall championships.

If you were planning on going to the Vanier Cup at the Rogers Centre, be prepared to pay out some serious cash. In a stadium notorious for being a miserable football viewing venue, the Vanier Cup staff have made the lowest ticket price $29. Factor in transportation costs with food and drink, and you’re looking at an expensive night. I wonder who the event is being targeted at, because with that price tag, it isn’t students.

Sports • B5

Thursday, October 18, 2012 • The Silhouette

Cross Country continues to dominate Laura Sinclair The Silhouette

The McMaster Marauder’s cross country team has proven to be unstoppable with strong performances across the board from Chicago, Illinois, to Princeton, New Jersey, to Guelph, Ontario.

The women’s team won the Sean Earle Lakefront Invitational in Chicago on September 29th, comfortably with 105 points, while the men’s team finished 6th out of 47 teams. This past Saturday, the men’s team and half of the women’s team went to the Vic Matthews Open in Guelph, while the other half of the women’s roster raced at the Princeton Invitational in New Jersey.

Despite missing the CIS 3000m champion Lindsay Carson at both the Loyola Lakefront Invitational and the Princeton Invitational, the women’s team still managed to pull off a win and a second place finish overall.

“We’re happy with our 2nd place finish at Princeton, but it was definitely a great feeling to bring home the win at Chicago,” said Victoria Coates, the individual second place finisher for both meets who had to adapt quickly to the Princeton course which required another kilometre of running accompanied with increased physical and mental strain.

Coates had a unique perspective on the new challenge: “The Princeton Invitational was a different experience for us since it was a 6 km race instead of 5 km. Personally, I like the Chicago course better because it has a big hill in the middle. The Princeton course was pretty flat and I tend to do better on hills” For Coates, it was all about the experience, and competing

against some of the most prestigious schools in North Amer- ning the race, followed by Courtney Patterson in 9th, Pauline ica: “It was exciting to race big name schools like Princeton, Skowron in 26th, Laura Morrison in 34th, Raquel Burgess in Harvard, and Columbia, and we’re pretty happy that we were 44th, and Claire Stewart in 48th. able to place second amongst them.”

The next meet on the Marauder’s horizon is the OUA Helping Coates to pave the way for the Marauders in- Championships in King City, where both teams hope to percluded stand-out rookie Madeleine McDonald, who beat out form at their best with the top seven runners on the line from hundreds of seniors, finishing 7th overall at the Loyola Invita- the men and women’s team. tional and 3rd overall at Princeton.

This meet will be a preview for the CIS Championships Rounding out the score at the Loyola Invitational in- on November 10th in London, Ont. where the men’s team cluded Jill Wyman in 15th, Steph MacNeill in 37th, Chelsea will strive for a top five finish overall, and the women’s team Mackinnon in 44th, Pauline Skowron in 88th and Claire Stew- will strive to overtake last year’s CIS Champions, the Guelph art in 96th. At the Princeton Invitational, Victoria Coates was Gryphons.

2nd, Madeleine McDonald was 3rd, Jill Wyman was 16th, Steph Macneill was 18th and Chelsea Mackinnon was 78th.

On the men’s side, Lionel Sanders finished 10th overall at Loyola followed by top recruit Connor Darlington in 13th, Taylor Forbes in 38th, Blair Morgan in 47th, Ryan Tice in 75th, Austen Forbes in 82nd and Keenan Viney in 83rd.

The sixth place finish was an impressive feat, but for Captain Jeremy Walsh, the Vic Matthews Open in Guelph is an important meet to size up the competition.

“Racing the familiar faces prior to championship season gives us a good idea where we sit in the standings and who to key off in the more important races,” he said.

The familiar faces gave the men an extra push at the Vic Matthews Open, where they finished fifth overall in a pack run, with Connor Darlington in 22nd, Taylor Forbes in 25th, Taylor Reid in 26th, Jordan Bierema in 31st, Lionel Sanders in 33rd, Blair Morgan in 39th and Austen Forbes in 40th.

The other half of the girls team at the Vic Matthews Open C/O MCMASTER ATHLETICS & RECREATION finished fourth overall, with veteran Lindsay Carson win- Women’s cross country is ranked No. 2 in Canada.

BASEBALL

Marauder gets OUA All-Star nod Paul Saville receives honour for outstanding performance in 2012 John Bauer The Silhouette

C/O MCMASTER ATHLETICS & RECREATION

Saville was a bright spot for the Marauders’ 2012 season.

Ontario University Athletics announced their year-end allstar team this past weekend, and one of Mac’s own was given centre stage – literally.

Outfielder Paul Saville was chosen as the league’s most outstanding centre fielder during the OUA baseball championship in St. Catherines. His .324 batting average was fifth among league outfielders, but the stat more indicative of his value to the Marauders was his 23 hits, first among outfielders and tied for ninth overall.

His 71 at-bats were also good for fourth in the league. In a strange statistical anomaly, he did not hit a solitary double through 21 games, though he tied for the league lead in triples (with fellow Marauder Jake Chiaravalle), with three. His bat-

ting stats likely would have been even better if opposing pitchers did not hit him with a league-leading eight bean balls.

Saville struck out only six times and made two errors the entire season, and tied for the league lead in stolen bases with 14. He was far and away the leader in outfield put-outs with 47 to the nearest opponent’s 39.

Other standout performances included Guelph catcher Justin Interisano, who sported a .460 batting average and 8 home runs, Brock first baseman Cameron Graham, who hit a ridiculous .476, and Brock pitcher Justin Ayles, who threw complete games in four of his five starts, shutting the opposition out in three of those games.

In addition to the All-Star team and awards, there was a championship to award. The Toronto Varsity Blues repeated as champions, winning the final game 4-0 over Brock behind the pitching of Andy Orfanakos.

B6 • Sports

The Silhouette • Thursday, October 18, 2012

HOMECOMING

A celebration of school and sport

JEFF TAM THE SILHOUETTE

Homecoming at McMaster is not only about football; it’s a celebration of the university, it’s accomplishments and students both past and present.

Jemma Wolfe Managing Editor

For Mac’s star quarterback Kyle Quinlan, the Oct. 13 football game against Windsor was something special.

“Homecoming is a pretty unique time because it allows us current players to connect with former Marauders who have laid the groundwork for this program. It gives us an opportunity to celebrate the success of our collective efforts,” Quinlan said.

For former McMaster Marauder running back John Hartnett – now an MBA candidate at the DeGroote School of Business – the weekend was an important op-

portunity to return to the field.

Hartnett, who played from 2007 to 2010, is nostalgic about times past.

“Homecoming is a great opportunity to bring alumni together to share memories and to see how far the team has come from when head coach Stefan Ptaszek first took over. When I first started playing for Mac, we had no stadium on campus – we didn’t even have a locker room.

Now, we have sold out games in the heart of campus, one of the best facilities around, and a tonne of student support,” he enthused.

Players can take pride in playing for a mixed crowd of students, alumni and people closely associated with the football legacy. But one might expect the average student to

feel differently. the sport. I never have been, and I’d The parties that line Sterling confidently wager that I never will Street and the club culture that has be. But whether it’s the free chili luncheon outside DBAC, the chance for maroon-bedecked students to Homecoming is a pretty see and be seen or a genuine love of the game, campus is swarmed with unique time because it allows people every autumn for the Homeus current players to connect coming game. with former Marauders who Football fans or otherwise, too have laid the groundwork for dedicated (or drunk) to care about this program the weather on Saturday, stuck out the rainy afternoon to see the Marauders through to their inevitable victory.

I, too, found myself panicked developed seem to indicate that over purchasing Homecoming footHomecoming is more about the ball game tickets, excitedly awaitdrink and less about the football. ing the afternoon of Oct. 13 and I, for one, am not a big fan of clapping and cheering with the rest Kyle Quinlan McMaster Quarterback

Marauders own the pitch in weekend doubleheader

MEN’S VOLLEYBALL

Scott Hastie

Scott Hastie

Assistant Sports Editor

It was another successful weekend from the McMaster Marauders men’s soccer team, picking up another two victories against mediocre OUA opponents and securing themselves a second-place spot.

On Saturday, McMaster travelled to the University of Guelph, taking on a Gryphon squad who is jockeying for playoff position. Earlier in the season, the Marauders beat the Gryphons 3-1 and the Maroon and Grey would experience a similar result in their second match-up of the season, earning the victory 2-1.

The scoring began in the 27th minute, with Gersi Xhuti scoring his 4th goal of the 2012 campaign. The first half would end with a 1-0 lead, but the score failed to highlight the domination by McMaster.

The Gryphons struggled to maintain possession or put together any sort of offense in the first half, but their difficulties would end in the second half. A Guelph striker broke through the Mac defense and scored a goal to even up the score in the 49th minute of action.

The tie would not last long though, with a rare goal from defender Garrett McConville. The sweeper’s game-winning score was only the second of his career, but it was enough to give the Maroon and Grey the edge and increase their lead in the OUA West table over the trailing Western University Mustangs.

McMaster’s winning ways would not stop there. On Sunday, the Marauders hosted the UOIT Ridgebacks, a team who’s only captured three victories in 16 games. In the previous matchup, Mac defeated the Ridgebacks with a 1-0 victory, despite an overwhelming presence

in the offensive third of the pitch.

In the rematch, McMaster would conduct another impressive performance over the decade-old school from Oshawa, Ont. winning 2-0 at Ron Joyce Stadium.

Ryan Garnett would continue his excellent play in the second of the 2012 season, scoring the eventual game-winning goal in the 39th minute. Garnett finished from just outside the 18-yard box with a strike to create the 1-0 margin.

Sparks would fly in the second half, starting with a second half tally from defender Dominik Blachut, the first goal of his career. At the mid-point of the second half, tensions would boil over between both sides. A shouting match between coaching staffs began before the head referee broke up either side.

Short after, a UOIT player would earn his second yellow card of the game, forcing UOIT to play one man short.

McMaster could not capitalize on the opportunity and the game would end 2-0 to push McMaster’s record to 11-1-1.

Mac sits three points behind the conference leading York Lions.

The Lions host the Marauders on Wednesday in one of the biggest games of the entire CIS season. York is ranked No.1 in the nation and McMaster is ranked No.4, and this match could decide who finishes first on the OUA table.

The University of Windsor will host McMaster on Friday for their second match up of the season, looking for revenge after the Lancers took a loss on the road to the Marauders.

The Maroon and Grey will also hit the road for a match against the Western Mustangs on Sunday for their final regular season match.

OUA playoff action begins on Wednesday Oct. 24.

of the crowd for the entirety of the game. It’s people like me – with no great interest or knowledge of the sport – that fill the stadium year after year.

So perhaps it does come back to football after all, and the celebration of what the Marauders – past and present – have accomplished for McMaster athletics and consequently, community pride.

Perhaps I’ll never grow to love the game. Football isn’t for everyone, and that’s ok.

What matters is that even those still on the fence about the sport come out year after year to watch the Homecoming game and celebrate everything that McMaster Homecoming means to them.

Championship dreams Assistant Sports Editor

The McMaster Marauders men’s team played their fifth game of the preseason on Thursday, defeating the Brandon University Bobcats in three straight sets to put Mac at 5-0 in non-conference play.

The Bobcats play in the Canada West conference and finished the 2011 season ranked seventh in the CIS. With such a strong resume, the match was touted to be a long battle between two CIS heavyweights.

Early in the first set, it looked like McMaster struggled to keep up with the Bobcats, getting into a 5-0 hole before scoring their first point.

McMaster looked out of place to begin the game, but after a timeout from Coach Dave Preston, the Marauders got back on track. Their rebound was led by a strong defensive effort and a successful shut down of the Bobcats’ best hitter.The rest of the first set would be a hard-fought battle; with each team gaining minor leads on one another before McMaster took over late to win the set 25-21.

But the first set would be as competitive as this match would get. The men’s squad found a weakness in the Bobcat’s serve-receive and would use this advantage to prevent any offense to develop from their opponents.

Tie in a lack of offense with an inability to find a service rhythm and Brandon University was asking for a rough second set.

Mac’s effective targeting of poor serve receivers on the Bradon squad led to many free balls, which

was easily converted into kills by the Maroon and Grey’s offense. The Marauders would win the set 25-12.

In the final set of the match, the story remained the same. The Bobcats struggled to string together successful possessions, allowing Mac to take full control of the game.

Preston would reach into his bench and put first year Stephen Maar on display late in the third set, who provided McMaster with kills to round out the third set.

The Marauders’ front line had another strong performance, bolstered by an excellent performance from their setter Austin Campion-Smith.

There was a rematch against the Bobcats on Friday Oct. 12, at North Park high school in Brampton, Ont. The matinee game in front of the high school crowd was an unfortunate affair for any Mac fans, as the men’s team lost their first game of the season.Campion-Smith sat out the game with a sore left hand and the team got swept, 3-0 at the hand of the Bobcats.

Throughout the preseason games, there was an obvious confidence and calmness amongst the players.

Despite only playing together for a short period of time, the offense appeared in sync for the majority of their exhibtion games.

The 5-1 record earn McMaster a spot in the CIS national rankings, coming in at No.4 of 10 in the first rankings of the 2012-2013 season.

The journey to the Forsyth Memorial Cup for McMaster begins on Saturday Oct. 20th, with the Marauders hosting the York Lions in Burridge Gym. The women’s volleyball team plays first at 6 p.m., and the men will tip-off at 8 p.m.

YOSEIF HADDAD SENIOR PHOTO EDITOR

Mac’s performance in non-conference play validates OUA championship hopes for Marauder fans.

OUT

Thursday, October 18, 2012 InsideOut Editors: Sam Godfrey and Amanda Watkins Meeting: Thursdays @ 4:30 p.m.

Contact: insideout@thesil.ca

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K C A P T E J Y M S ’ E R WHE And other technological innovations that didn’t stand up to their hype

Arnav Agarwal The Silhouette

Technology has revolutionized the way we live our lives to such an extent that it’s often the most awaited element of our day, and sometimes the most disappointing as well. Let’s take a closer look at some of the largest technological failures and disappointments of the twentieth and twenty-first centuries.

technological

Artificial intelligence (AI):

Can human intelligence really be mirrored in the form of a machine? In the 1950s, we were convinced the achievement was only ten years away. Over four decades later, AI finally made its way to the headlines in 1997. ‘Deep Blue,’ a chess-playing computer developed by IBM, won a match against Garry Kasparov, who was the world’s best chess-player at the time. While robots have made their way into numerous industries and AI has become common-place in even the simplest of word-processing applications used on a daily basis, AI tests indicate the technology hasn’t come close to fulfilling its foretold potential despite developments in recent years.

While tic-tac-toe and the Rubik’s Cube are ranked as “optimal” on the test, indicating AI robots perform at the best level for the skills, optical character recognition, speech and handwriting recognition, word-sense ambiguity ability, object recognition and several other daily tasks performed by humans are ranked as “sub-human,” indicating AI machines perform worse than most humans at the majority of tasks relevant to humans on a regular basis. Even after forty years, the untapped potential of AI remains to be explored for this technological breakthrough to leave its mark in a societal framework.

1950s

1957

Ford Edsel, A Cautionary Tale:

Now synonymous in the marketing world as how one should not pursue selling a product, the Ford Edsel was released in 1957, much to the embarrassment of Ford. An investment of $400,000,000 in the development of an innovation is never to be taken lightly, but Ford was only asking for trouble by pricing this car in the range of the most expensive and far more lavish Ford and Mercury vehicles, that too, during an economic recession. A strange name, mechanical flaws, and controversies over its “toilet seat” grille didn’t help its cause. While Ford would like to forget about their innovation as quickly as possible, the 1950s failure continues to haunt the modern business realm.

Nintendo’s only failed system: Released in 1995, the Nintendo Virtual Boy was a portable game console which was designed to use a monochromatic visor to simulate a 3-D view on its games. A rushed job by the designing team, which was hurried forward to work on the upcoming Nintendo 64, resulted in significant eye-strain and a nauseating experience for gamers. A hefty price and a lack of multiplayer functionality didn’t help raise the popularity or acceptance of the product amongst the consumer market either. Eventually being discontinued by the company, only 770,000 units were sold worldwide, a measly quantity next to the three million anticipated sales.

1975

1995 1997

Fall of the humanoid robot ASIMO (Advanced Step in Innovative Mobility), Honda’s very own humanoid robot, was designed to be a helper for people, but certainly did its innovators no favours in 2006. Performing a demo in the presence of a packed auditorium of people, the robot took a few steps towards the stairs and began its ascent before stopping and turning swiftly, teetering backward and falling over. The presenters were swift in turning the lights off and taking the robot away. Despite the incident, ASIMO has made a presence on a global scale. Having the ability to recognize moving objects, gestures, faces and sounds, the robot is able to interact with humans to a certain degree, and paved the way for later research in walking assist devices.

Windows Vista: upgrade or downgrade?

2003

2006

And it wasn’t just once either.

Sony’s release of Betamax in 1975 preceded the release of JVC’s VHS alternative the following year. Betamax was outdone as JVC developed their product to allow four hours of content-holding capability, while Sony allowed only one with its upscale but significantly more expensive product. Pioneer followed suit in taking on the dominant storage medium in 1983 with LaserDisc, possibly the first commercial optical disc format, only to be shot down by poor consumer response to high pricing and inconvenient sizing despite superior image quality.

Nokia’s gaming platform-come-cell phone?

What could possibly be better for the average traveller, student, worker or just about anyone, than a gaming platform with cellphone functionality? The answer for Nokia, unfortunately, was lots of things. Upon its introduction in 2003, the Nokia N-Gage experienced several design and pricing modifications over subsequent years, which led to a more affordable and betterdesigned, but far less functional, device. Nokia’s frontline product was crushed under the competition of the Nintendo DS and Sony PlayStation Portable consoles in 2005, which provided a far higher-quality gaming experience. What had begun as an all-in-one entertainment device strategy spiralled down to becoming the world’s biggest mobile phone producer’s biggest mistake.

2010 Present

Twenty million sales of Vista within the first month of its release would appear to be nothing less than a success for Microsoft. But a closer look at consumer responses to Windows Vista as an upgrade from Windows XP, indicates a massive sense of disappointment. A quick search on Google yields 2,790,000 hits to the search terms “how to downgrade vista to xp.” A survey conducted

by Harry McCracken, editor at TIME magazine, on sentiments towards Microsoft’s plans to discontinue most sales of Windows XP several years ago received over 3,500 responses, 83 per cent of which expressed dissatisfaction with Microsoft’s move. While some admitted Vista is slightly more advanced but for an exorbitant price, others outright dismissed it as a far less secure, convenient, efficient, streamlined, resource-effective, reliable and user-friendly system.

UPCOMING – Avatars from fiction to fact:

UPCOMING – Self-driving cars: Google cofounder Sergey Brin announced the release of autonomous, self-driving cars for the general public within fie years. California, Nevada and Florida are already on-board to allow licensed drivers to test the car.

Google itself has already put in over 300,000 miles of testing, and is well on its way to addressing hardware failure support and sensor capabilities. How safe would you feel crossing the street or driving beside a car that drives itself? Would you trust it to drive you to your destinations? The new innovation contains as many elements of risk as it possesses potential to transform the roads of countries across the world within a few years.

Outdone by VHS

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KAREN WANG GRAPHICS EDITOR

If someone were to tell you immortality will be a possibility within your lifetime, would you be interested? Maybe. But if someone were to tell you they would like to transplant your brain and its personality into a robot which will eventually be developed into a hologram-like body who resembles a real human being closely, would you be interested? Questionable. As Dmitry Itskov and his team play with the ideas of eternal life and transplanting the human experience into non-human dimensions, they not only place human life in the balance in standing on the edge of a revolutionary discovery, but bring into question numerous ethical and other considerations. Does our overpopulated world have space for this solution, and is the move from real to robotic a step in the right direction or the wrong one? (Search “immortality” on thesil.ca to read more about cyborg-you.)

B8 • InsideOut

The Silhouette • Thursday, October 18, 2012

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InsideOut • B9

Thursday, October 18, 2012 • The Silhouette

C OLUMNS

Skin deep The tolls of tanning Alisha Sunderji

Student Health Education Centre

With the dark days of winter fast approaching and tan lines fading like those summer memories, tanning beds are a tempting option for maintaining that healthy glow. Equating tanned skin to good health however, is a myth.

A tan is your body’s response to an injury, as skin cells respond to damage from ultraviolet (UV) rays by producing more pigment. Using a tanning bed or sun lamp isn’t much better, as some beds can expose you to upwards of five times more radiation than conventional seaside tanning. The World Health Organization has classified tanning beds in its highest cancer-risk category, placing it in the same league as tobacco and asbestos. Most people are well aware of the relationship between exposure to UV radiation and skin cancer. Yet, we still flock to the beach in the summer, or worse, our local tanning salon, in pursuit of

golden-brown hues.

A recent study published in the journal Addiction Biology cited that people who frequently use tanning beds experience changes in brain activity during their tanning sessions that mimic the patterns of drug addicts. Researchers found that several parts of the brain that play a role in addiction were activated when people were exposed to UV rays. Just as the brain associates a reward in response to the consumption of drugs, and high sugared food, UV light triggers a similar positive response. The term “tanorexia,” used to describe excessive tanning, has been coined by popular media, (playing off anorexia nervosa, an obsessive desire to be thin). A study in 2005 by the Journal of the American Medical Association showed that a large proportion of sunbathers met the psychiatric definition of a substance abuse disorder, based on their answers to a variation of a test often used to help diagnose alcohol addiction.

As with alcohol, not everyone who is ex-

posed becomes hooked on getting that “tanner’s high.” But there certainly are abusers, notably among adolescents and young adults, with one in five university students identified as being “tanorexic”. The appeals of tanning lie beyond the aesthetic, from providing relaxation to being a form of socialization.

The added benefits of tanning pale in comparison to its negative consequences, namely the fact that people under the age of thirty who use tanning machines increase their risk of skin cancer by 75 per cent. There are different definitions of what constitutes too much tanning, but the underlying message is clear: even brief exposure to UV radiation can cause mutations in the DNA of skin cells. Accumulate enough mutations and skin cancer can result.

Tanning in pursuit of vitamin D is often cited in defense of tanning beds. For the majority of the population, incidental exposure to the sun combined with normal dietary intake of vitamin D, provides adequate vitamin D intake for a healthy body throughout the year. During the winter, many head to tanning salons as a solution for Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), a.k.a. winter depression, “People often think of sunbathing as the anti-

depressant essence of light exposure. Wrong!

Light therapy acts through the eyes, and requires visible light, not UV,” writes Michael Terman, PhD, Director of the Center for Light Treatment and Biological Rhythms at Columbia University in New York.

In the immortal words of Katy Perry, “California gurls, We’re unforgettable, Daisy Dukes, Bikinis on top, Sun-kissed skin, So hot we’ll melt your popsicle...” - the concept of linking tanning to beauty and health might be around for a while. There are some alternatives to roasting on the beach like a beef patty, such as using bronzer or tanning cream. For the endorphin release, exercise can be a healthy and effective coping mechanism. These simplistic suggestions aren’t in any way attempting to dismiss the seriousness of tanorexia. Over-using tanning, as a form of self-medication or otherwise, demands professional help. For the less serious cases, if the statistics aren’t enough to scare you out of the bed, taking active measures in the tanning salon, from wearing protective eyewear to waiting at least 48 hours between sessions to allow time for cell reparation, can make the process a little safer. The pursuit of beauty has often been convoluted, but the stakes have never been higher, so perhaps a change in the status quo is only a matter of time.

RANT OF THE WEEK

Dear Feet...

Sam Godfrey

Senior InsideOut Editor

Why must you carry me so swiftly? You move by your own volition, not mine, at a rate that far exceeds that of the people ahead of me. I understand your need to get from A to B while keeping t as low as possible but there are other variables to consider. The physics breaks down when the wall of people in front of us won’t.

Feet, we’ve been through a lot. Grass, sand, pavement, if it’s a surface for walking on, we’ve been there together. We’ve been running and jumping and often falling, so you know how tired you can be. Try, feet, please try to understand that other people’s might be too. That’s why they seem to be slogging along at an inhumanly slow pace. It is not out of cal-

culated cruelty they make us late for Math, or premeditated malevolence that they keep us from Philosophy, I am certain they’re merely tired.

And feet, you’re going to have to be patient, because there’s a lot about us humans you don’t understand. We’re social creatures, you know. So don’t tap anxiously when that gaggle of girls is clogging the hallway of TSH, or fidget back and forth when that group of guys keeps shoving each other in CNH. And sure, it is tempting to be annoyed with that person ahead of us texting in the stairwell, but I’m sure it’s really important or else they wouldn’t be that inconsiderate. You’re going to have to trust me on this. Like you always have, you’ll have to support me.

So feet, I know ‘looking’ and ‘up’ aren’t really your duties, but you’ll have to do both, because the speed of people on

sidewalks is as low as you are. Gridlock on the quad isn’t going anywhere, and neither are we at this pace, but it’s here to stay.

The beaten path is crowded, so explore the grass. Bushwhack through Faculty Hollow because the McMaster Arch is the arch-nemesis of getting somewhere fast. Find backdoor entrances, hallways, routes less taken.

I know you want to take me to class, but take things in stride.

Be a little more kind to those whose feet are less hurried than you, they are harried enough.

Don’t think ‘dawdle,’ think ‘perambulate,’ it’s nicer.

Your solemate, A Fast Walker

Our love affair with

Miranda Babbit The Silhouette

I can safely say that 67 per cent of people have Googled themselves. I can also safely say that 83 per cent of statistics are made up. Tough to believe what we find on the Internet, isn’t it?

Either way, Googling our own names remains an inevitable Internet journey we all travel through at one point or another. And even though it seems to be a fad most of us went through when our Neopets were still our big responsibility, the allure of discovering who you are in the eyes of the collective world hasn’t disappeared. Once we grow a little bit older, when angst is our beloved middle name and voice cracks appear in the most socially convenient of times, our lives become even more centred around the Internet. You know, when we’re finding ourselves.

We spend our days looking deep inside our souls and pulling out the unexplored wisdom that accompanies maniacally trolling our newly formed YouTube account.

Googling your own name is almost akin to finding someone else’s diary. It’s you, but from an objective view of the world. You see yourself as simply a name, a profile, and it suddenly clicks how small you are. There is a certain intrigue as to who you will find. Suddenly, you’re no longer John Smith, but John Smith, track team member in Grade 6 and the proud owner of the most thumbed up comment on Rihanna’s “Love the Way You Lie” music video.

Does this imply we are a vain society? All eager to snatch a little pocket of fame, even if that entails a Blogger profile abandoned years ago? No; it’s human curiosity. We want to see ourselves as others do. It’s smart. We want to see ourselves as our potential employers will.

It’s hilarious. We want to see how many alleged criminals share our names on the FBI wanted list. It’s natural.

Yet it’s also natural for people other than your procrastinating ego to type your name into the mother of all information known as Google. It’s this very fact we have to be cautious of, and is precisely the reason I just signed up for a Google Alert with my name on it. Every time my name is searched, I will be notified. And that’s either a whole new level of vanity or absurd paranoia, but I suggest you do the same, fellow cyberspace civilians.

Despite the creepers lurking behind the screens around the world (and apparently

anyone who has looked through someone else’s photos on Facebook qualifies for the endearing term “creeper”), the Internet is a place of endless discovery, perhaps even nostalgia. A few months ago, I stumbled across my old Neopets account, which reminded/guilt-tripped me about the fact that I had left this virtual little pet without food for 3627 days. No wonder eight-yearold me was so addicted, seeing this creature’s eyes tearing up, begging me to come back and play. This was a game of serious responsibility!

A friend of mine entered his name into Google only to find a website which looked to be dedicated to him, as if he came across a personal shrine created by his oh-so-devout fans commending his piano expertise. It was entitled The Piano Sensation, but not targeted towards my buddy over here. Just another guy who made a website for himself praising his piano skills (if that’s not sad, I don’t know what is).

I, for one, share my name with what seems to be hundreds of middle-aged women in Ohio. A fascinating lurk, I know. Others have such unique names that they are really the only ones who come up – the one and only in a vast world of Internet fame.

It remains a source of intrigue for everyone. Some are left feeling sufficiently creeped out after finding their name inserted into a foreign blog entry, others feel a little ashamed that they only appear once for participating in their school’s annual bake sale, and most feel a little bit smaller than before.

The power of Google has literally overtaken the world. We may think of the internet as being an invincible creature, holding our secrets as its own, laughing with us while we watch the panda sneezing for the thirtieth time, patting our back while we read a surprisingly tear-jerking chain email (grandparents always have a knack for those). But in reality (please stop reading if you’re morbidly afraid of the Internet already) it’s as if Google is glaring at us at all times. Really? It rolls its eyes. You’re checking how to spell “definitely” for the third time today? Do you honestly think the baby with the bellowing laugh is this funny?

I’ve essentially come to view the Internet as a cynical, bitter creature before me, who probably views me as a sporadic, ADD-prone maniac. But hey, at the end of the day, we are their masters. The Internet is our very own tool for success. It doesn’t have a brain. …at least for now.

Have you Googled yourself lately?

Who or what appears when you Google your name?

“The results of my skating competition from 8 years ago.”

– Meaghan Langille

“Just a whole bunch of Asian guys.”

–Andrew Hoang

“There’s a folk singer in the states that has the exact same name and birthday as me!”

– Rebecca Vine

When the editors of InsideOut googled their names, some noteable Google counterparts were found: “Amanda Watkins” is either a Broadway star, or a schoolteacher from Alabama, currently serving a ten-year prison sentence.

“Sam Godfrey,” shown here, is known worldwide for being Oprah’s favourite baker.

InsideOut • B11

Thursday, October 18, 2012 • The Silhouette

FASHION & FANDANGOS MALLORY FITZ-RITSON Third year Arts and Science

Scarf: A bazaar in Istanbul - about $10 Earings: Gift shop on Granville Island in Vancouver - $23 Purse: Miz Mooz Boutique - $100 Bracelets: Graduation gift from family Sweater: Value Village - $7 Shirt: Winners - $20 Jeans: Fidelity (Over the Rainbow) Boots: Madden Girl (Town Shoes) - $130

Smartphone Showdown

JESSIE LU ASSISTANT PHOTO EDITOR

Amanda Watkins Assistant InsideOut Editor

A war is brewing right before our very eyes. Abbreviated words and emoticons are thrown carelessly, memory cards flailing about in front of us, touch screens smacking against our apathetic desires to be at the top of the tech curve. Yes, the war being discussed is the battle of the cellular mobile devices. Apple and Samsung brutally target one another in an attempt to rise to the forefront of cell phone technol-

BlackBerry Bold 9900

Size: 115mm (h), 66mm (w), 10.5mm (d); 130g Display: VGA 640 X 480 pixel resolution, 287 ppi Average Cost: $630 Camera: 5MP; 720p HD video Battery (Stand-by time): 12.8 days Wireless/ Processor: 1.2 GHz (3G) Operating System: BlackBerry OS 7 Available to: Bell, Rogers Wireless, TELUS, Virgin Mobile, PROS: OS 7 features new tools such as the integration of Twitter and Facebook into BBM, Near Field Communication (NFC) which allows devices to connect to nearby devices with the same feature, and a voice-activated searching tool. The best feature of the OS 7 would apply to the ability to separate work and personal contacts and emails to create two separate communities that can be accessed on different days of the week depending on your exact contact needs.

In addition, with both a touch screen and an easy to use keypad, you will have easy access to your information regardless of whether the size of your finger tips is conducive to touch screen dynamics or not.

CONS: Ever accidentally tweeted a message that was meant to be a private BBM? If not, now may be your chance to do just that. The BB Bold’s latest addition of integrated apps into BBM may be handy for those with several statuses to update at once, but could also wreak havoc as it could cause textbox confusion and an indecent over share of information. If that doesn’t creep you out just a little, the NFC feature allows friends to follow and track your location. Get excited. And food for thought, the new OS 7 isn’t all that new as it was already featured in the BB Bold 9790. Shucks.

RECOMMENDED FOR: Hardcore office workers and BlackBerry fan girls with clumsy fingers and a desire to separate work and play

HTC One X

Size: 134.36mm (h), 69.9mm (w), 8.9mm (d); 130g Display: 1280 x 720 pixel resolution, Super LCD 2 Average Cost: $549 Camera: 8MP; 1080p HD video Battery (Stand-by time): 10 days Wireless/ Processor: 1.5 GHz, dual core LTE (4G) Operating System: Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich) Available to: Rogers Wireless, TELUS, Virgin Mobile PROS: With the same tech offerings as the iPhone in regards to camera features and a super LCD screen (to be honest, I’m not sure if that’s as exciting as it sounds), it offers the same multimedia graphic appeals as its Macintosh counterpart. This phone also has the capability of playing back almost every type of audio and video file imaginable, making life a lot easier for those working with various file formats on a day to day basis. Additionally, this HTC model is more affordable if being purchased without a plan and with the latest Android technology offers the same app world punch as other operating systems.

CONS: It’s a little bit on the massive size depending on what you’re looking for, and in terms of that Super LCD screen, I recently looked it up, and it’s not as exciting as it sounds. The primary downfalls of this device are its lack of style in the design department and inability to be stored in the average pant pocket. Also, HTC isn’t known to be the most reliable of phone and it’s possible that this phone, although inexpensive at first, may have you shelling out cash for upgrades and battery replacements in the future.

RECOMMENDED FOR: Multimedia students who aren’t already Apple zombies, slightly less stylish hipsters who already have reasonably high levels of self esteem, and students on a reasonably flexible budget.

Let’s get real here for a second, if the primary use of your phone is casually texting friends and occasionally calling your mom, then any one of these phones will do the job for you. Four out of four allow access to Twitter, Facebook and any other social networking site young people of the world are revolving around. Three out of four have 8MP cameras and allow you to Instagram your latest meal. And they all feature graphic and high tech appeal considering the extensive design research that is put into each to appeal to a large audience.

If you’re looking into buying a new phone, consider any other features that may be potentially useful to your future. Require a structured email server? Try going with a beloved

ogy. RIM and HTC carefully watch from the sidelines, picking up advice for the future of their technology. But who will win? Who deserves the title of phone champion?

We all have our favourites depending on which corporation we’ve decided to subscribe to in a cult-like manner, but how often do we look at these new devices with a critical eye and compare what the differences in these devices truly are? Here we take the market’s current top four and most hyped-up phones and divulge a comprehensive comparison between them. Find which phone is worth your cash money, and discover what the hype is all about.

iPhone 5

Size: 123.8mm (h), 58.6mm (w), 7.6mm (d); 112g Display: Retina 1136 x 640 pixel resolution, 326 ppi Average Cost: From $699 Camera: 8MP; 1080p HD video Battery (Stand-by time): 9.375 days Wireless/ Processor: 4G LTE Operating System: iOS 6 Available to: Bell, Rogers Wireless, TELUS, Virgin Mobile PROS: The latest iPhone design features a larger screen and lighter design and one-of-a-kind Apple originals such as Siri, a robotic best friend and secretary, iCloud, used to sync up all devices founded or inspired by Steve Jobs, and the graphically appealing iSight camera which now offers a panorama capturing option. In addition, this beaut also comes with the latest iPod ear buds featuring an all new design, and a smaller and more compact charging cable. Not to mention, the headphone jack is now at the bottom instead of the top.

CONS: Aside from the miniscule difference in size, most of the “new” apps being featured on the iPhone such as enhanced iCloud service and Siri can be downloaded to older models with a simple upgrade in operating systems that is offered free to any Apple device. Sure the new headphones, jack and charging cable seem like fun, but save your money and hang on to your old phone, the upgrade really isn’t worth the extra seven hundred dollar expense. Plus, word on the street is that the release date for the iPad mini is coming up soon - and that seems way more exciting.

RECOMMENDED FOR: Graphic designers in need of a retina display and HD camera, Apple zombies in need of a new device to satisfy their addiction, or stylish hipsters in need of some self esteem.

Samsung Galaxy S3

Size: 136.6mm (h), 70.6mm (w), 8.6mm (d); 133g Display: 1280 x 720 pixel resolution, HD Super AMOLED Average Cost: $649 Camera: 8MP; 1080p HD video Battery (Stand-by time): 30 days Wireless/ Processor: 4G LTE Operating System: Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich) Available to: Bell, Rogers Wireless, Virgin Mobile, WIND Mobile PROS: It’s almost a tablet. Save yourself some money and get the best of both worlds with this innovative phone/ screen of fun.

Android 4.0 is in all its glory with this phone featuring connects to Google and a true high definition display. With capabilities of storing up to 64G, you will have the opportunity to save all your needed files, folders and apps on this relatively compact device.

Its combination of high resolution graphics, a large memory, fast network capabilities and an adorably sleek design contrary to its larger than normal size makes it today’s number one phone on the market. Available to most service providers, it is easy to access and easy to understand.

CONS: It’s almost a tablet. It is huge. Definitely not conducive to your average pocket it comes in weighing more than any of the other featured devices. Aside from that, you really can’t go wrong with this device.

RECOMMENDED FOR: Techies with substantial upper body strength, app-addicts, ambitious students determined to stay above the curve and people on the fence about the usability of a giant interactive screen.

BlackBerry. Already have several other Apple devices? Go with an iPhone to sync up with iCloud. Need an all around crowd pleasing phone that features the latest growing technology, easy and comprehensive internet access, and high memory capabilities? Consider Samsung. Prefer a more cost effective phone with appealing graphics and a multimedia features waging against the realms of Apple? HTC is the way to go. The cell phone war gets a lot of hype and deserves it given the amount of money these companies are asking us to shell out for such a small device. Choose your phone based on your needs and feel the satisfaction of consumerism filling the emotional void in your soul it was created to occupy.

fall into this week’s issue

andex

c2 • the silhouette’s art & culture magazine

thursday, october 18, 2012

Senior Editor: Nolan Matthews

Assistant Editor: Bahar Orang Contributors: Palika Kohli, Sarah O’Connor

opening

Cadence Weapon The Casbah 9:00 p.m.

Oct. 118

Lifestory Monologue The Casbah 8:00 p.m.

To Rome With Love Westdale Theatre 7:00 p.m.

Oct. 18

Ark Analog This Ain’t Hollywod 9:00 p.m.

Paranormal Activity 4 Alex Cross All Together

Beasts of the Southern Wild Westdale Theatre 9:10 p.m.

Nov. 5

Oct. 29

Wax Mannequin Homegrown Hamilton 9:30 p.m.

Oct. 31

Oct. 19 Oct. 26

Bruce Springsteen Copps Coliseum 7:30 p.m.

Nov. 11

Hey Ocean The Casbah 8:00 p.m.

Nov. 15

The Good Hunters Baltimore House 9:30 p.m.

Oct. 25

Windows and Walls David McLaughlin, Frances Ward, Sherelle Wilsack James North Art Collective

until Nov. 4

Conspiracies of Illusion Curator’s Panel Discussion McMaster Museum of Art

Oct. 18

Design: Karen Wang Cover: Bahar Orang

KAREN WANG GRAPHICS EDITOR BAHAR ORANG ASSISTANT ANDY EDITOR

Die Farbe The Staircase 7:00 p.m.

thursday, october 18, 2012

editorial

the silhouette’s art & culture magazine • c3

even the leaves fall for y o

the big tickle

u

When I was seventeen years old, autumn came like every other year. The air was slightly cooler, the leaves slightly crisper, and the heart slightly nostalgic. With it came a pumpkin spice latte from Starbucks, with “even the leaves fall for you” scrawled in boy’s handwriting across the white of the cup. My love interest at the time was the non-committed type who played guitar very badly, occasionally plagiarized poetry, and loved the sound of his own voice.

At the time, my heart melted with all the warmth my gold and maroon Gryffindor scarf and woolen cardigan could muster. Several years and a few tumblr searches later, I now know that he wasn’t the first to pen those words. Nonetheless, I am reminded of that day whenever a gust of wind blows a brightly coloured leaf in my direction.

Corny quotations aside, there is something inexplicably charming about autumn. Like all other seasons, it’s the careful combination of scents, sounds, and scenery that evoke an entire spectrum of emotions. It’s the soundtrack of crunchy leaves and indie music, the aroma of drinks with floating marshmallows and sprinkled cinnamon, the strange satisfaction of sunny days and cold nights. I can finally pull out my oversized flannel shirts, I feel a curious desire to watch either Annie Hall or The Graduate and “I Can’t help Falling in Love With You” plays on repeat for a startling number of hours as I do my readings for school.

There’s something about autumn that fills you with an inner peace touched by a kind of longing. Longing for the past, for memories close enough to touch, but not quite close enough to hold. Longing for warm hugs and a shoulder to rest your head as you read those books and watch those films. Longing for inspiration, comfort, warmth, beauty, romance, melancholy, childhood and serenity. Longing for the ability to take a mental photograph of the stunningly beautiful images of the leaves all red and gold around you. But before any of these things can materialize into anything beyond the wanderings of a mind already tired by school, it’s all erased by the first snowfall of the year.

• Bahar Orang, Assisant ANDY Editor

who’s your favourite artist to listen to in the fall? compiled by nolan matthews and yoseif haddad

KAREN WANG GRAPHICS EDITOR & BAHAR ORANG ASSISTANT ANDY EDITOR

c4 • the silhouette’s art & culture magazine

thursday, october 18, 2012

i throw my new hands up in the air sometimes For those of us who weren’t there, music scenes have a romantic, almost mythic quality. Anyone who loves Nirvana has almost certainly worn a plaid shirt and wondered if we’ll ever have another Seattle.

But the infinite power of the Internet has changed local music scenes, at least enough to inspire a 2010 article in the Guardian to ask, “Has the internet killed local music scenes?”

Well, no. Local scenes may not be based on a specific sound in the way they used to be (like the grunge explosion), but they will always be vital and important. At least according to New Hands, a young, upcoming Hamilton band.

“There may be different scenes, but no one is working against each other,” said Pat O’Brien, the guitarist. “It feels like a community, basically.”

Hamilton’s diverse music scenes are about supporting bands, whatever they sound like.

“Young Rival have been really good to us,” said O’Brien. “They’ve given good advice about what not to do.”

“I’ve heard from them to never play in Regina,” said Spence Newell, the singer. “They played with Hollerado in Regina, and there

were thirty people.”

“And that was apparently a better Regina show,” said O’Brien. “Like thirty people was a more significant crowd in Regina. Keep in mind that’s for Hollerado, a big Canadian act.

And Young Rival does well too.”

Before New Hands were learning from big Hamilton bands, they were a high school Christian rock band called The Social Workers.

Except not really.

“We went to a Catholic high school, the three of us,” said Ben Munoz, who plays guitar and synthesizer and occasionally sings. “We invited Gordy Bond, our drummer, to jam, and he was kind of reluctant about it, but he came anyways. Someone said we were a Christian rock band as a joke, and he thought it was real.

Obviously he realized really quick that we’re not a super religious band.”

The New Hands of today sound like the soundtrack to a late night in a city far in the future. They combine elements of the moody postpunk bass and drumming of New Order with the effortless cool of the Strokes (back when the Strokes were effortlessly cool). The addition of Bond as the drummer was an important part

of New Hands developing their sound, and on Sept. 16 they had another defining moment as a band. They sold their first song.

“This is hilarious,” said Newell. “On Bandcamp, we’ve always made our music free, and finally when we released ‘Whichever Way You’ll Have It,’ which is still free, the two songs we released beforehand, ‘This I’ve Heard’ and ‘Tulips,’ we made cost 99 cents. And then someone bought our music, for the first time.”

“We didn’t know the person,” said O’Brien. “He didn’t buy both of our songs, though. He just liked one.”

“So we got 15 cents out of it,” said Newell.

“We each made 3 cents.”

“We got fifteen cents from it?” exclaimed Munoz. “Holy cow, they’re scamming us.”

“It was nice, at least,” said Newell. “It’s a good feeling.”

New Hands will soon have more songs to add to their Bandcamp page. Over the next few months they will slowly be recording their first album, which they hope will be finished by early 2013.

•

Nolan Matthews, Senior ANDY Editor

C/O SONIA CACOILO

thursday, october 18, 2012

the silhouette’s art & culture magazine • c5

metz know what’s best It’s 1 a.m. on a Thursday night and I’m blasting my ears full of a record that’s definitely going to change my life.

But before I get into that, let me ask you a question. Have you ever gone to a show that punched you in the face? And I don’t mean the kind of punch you get from a random dude in a mosh pit. I mean that the music was so punishingly loud it slammed you over and over, right in the kisser, leaving you smiling like an asshole. That’s what seeing Toronto’s METZ was like.

The decimating three-piece punk group played a short and sickly sweet 40-minute set at Baltimore house this past Tuesday and if you weren’t there then you best get started on that time travel machine.

The opening act were Hamilton punk locals WTCHS whose extremely angular brand of noise punk was a well suited choice for the bill. They recently released an EP, and were the perfect lead

up for the thunder that was to follow.

While they aren’t a band for everyone, METZ is the kind of band the music industry needs. Combining angular punk rock from the world of bands such as Drive Like Jehu and the pop infused punk of Nirvana, METZ is a band that you can’t say no to.

METZ opened with “Knife in the Water,” starting the set with a bang worthy of an entire powder keg. The immediate intensity left the crowd standing with mouths wide open in shock, but once it wore off the crowd was manic. Heads bobbed, fists pumped and beers were raised in ecstasy.

Ominous white lighting protruded from behind their amp stacks and blasted through the gigantic drum set of Hayden Menzie. The combination of the most bombastic drumming I’ve heard and the unity of Alex Edkins guitar and Chris Slorach’s thick bass tones left no gaps in the wall of sound. Some friends described

the show as “sweet, pummeling noise candy,” “technically flawless without care” and “fucking mind blowingly relentless.” If this doesn’t make you want to see or listen to METZ then you just aren’t a music fan. Period.

After the set I thanked the band for destroying my body with their thunderous noise and drooled over their new self-titled LP, which is pressed on marbled-white vinyl and a visual treat for any record collector.

Back home, in a drunken stupor, I couldn’t resist playing the record immediately. It’s just a bombastic and satisfying as their live shows and a must have for any one looking for new music.

METZ might just make you think differently about music and yourself. Or at least fill you with good vibrations that won’t quit.

After my fifth listen I decided to call it a night. If METZ is playing your town, you better be there.

• Kyle Fisher

C/O ROBBY REIS

c6 • the silhouette’s art & culture magazine

thursday, october 18, 2012 The Night Circus – Erin Morgenstern This is the book to turn to when you are suddenly no longer impressed by your own reality; when everything seems grey and bleak. When I picked up this book, I found a story of love and magic, the most wonderful imagery and an overwhelming reminder of the poignancy of opposites, of black and white.

Favourite Quote: “It is like realizing someone in a photograph is no longer the same age as they were when it was taken, and they seem farther away because of it.”

The Perks of Being a Wallflower – Stephan Chobsky This story is for anyone who has ever had an existential crisis; for someone who loves music on an almost transcendental level; for someone who finds it impossible to name just one favourite novel; or for you, if you get it when Charlie says he feels infinite.

Favourite Quote: “The outside lights were on, and it was snowing, and it looked like magic. Like we were somewhere else. Like we were someplace better.”

The Alchemist – Paulo Coelho When you forget that you already have everything you need, read this book. When you are reminded that there is more to what meets the eye, when you’re stuck at the bottom of your personal wheel of fortune – read this book.

When you have a moment, and all the other books on your list are too long or too daunting, read this book.

Favourite Quote: “You must always know what it is that you want.”

Complete Journals of L. M. Montgomery (The PEI Years, 1889-1900): As I read through her journals, Lucy Maud Montgomery’s writing style reminds me of myself, aged 8, 10, 14, 17: (re) reading Anne’s adventures, and graduating, finding my own Patty’s Place, falling in love. There is almost a feeling of ‘inception’ because suddenly I find myself reading and maturing along with Montgomery – someone who would grow up only to affect my childhood.

Favourite Quote: “What care I if it be ‘wild and improbable’ and ‘lacking in literary art’? I refuse to be any longer hampered by such canons of criticism. The one essential thing I demand of a book is that it should interest me. If it does, I forgive it any and every other fault.”

Time Was Soft There: A Paris Sojourn at Shakespeare & Co – Jeremy Mercer This summer (which was possibly the best one of my life), je suis tombée en amour avec Paris. Extremely cliché I know, yet with my friends, I did much better than just fall in love.

We found, like many before us, the famous Shakespeare & Co. bookstore, the star of this story. While reading this memoir I could hear, amidst all of the colourful characters, the trilling of an old piano, low laughter, the clacking of an old typewriter, an occasional snore – and the sounds of pages turning.

Favourite Quote: “In a place like Paris, the air is so thick with dreams they clog the streets and take all the good tables at the cafés. Poets and writers, models and designers, painters and sculptors, actors and directors, lovers and escapists, they flock to the City of Lights.“

BOOKBAG Palika Kohli

PALIKA’S

•

KAREN WANG GRAPHICS EDITOR

on your mark, get set, write Attention all wanna-be authors! Put down your red pens and unfinished manuscripts and listen up! NaNoWriMo is almost here!

NaNoWriMo, or National Novel Writing Month is just what the name suggests. It’s an online community that started in 1999 and challenges aspiring authors to write a 50,000 word novel by November 30th. Erin Morgenstern’s The Night Circus started out as a project for NaNoWriMo. When the thirty days were up, Morgenstern kept writing, re-writing and editing until her novel was published in 2011.

The purpose of NaNoWriMo isn’t to shackle you to your laptop (or notebook, whichever you prefer) but to challenge writers to finally start writing that story that’s been nagging them for years. It’s a chance for writers to have fun and finally break themselves free from procrastination or that fear of writing their story. It allows them to expand their mind and receive constructive criticism on their work. It’s a chance to get started and see where your story takes you.

•

Sarah O’ Connor

thursday, october 18, 2012

the silhouette’s art & culture magazine • c7

THE FOLLOWING ARTICLE HAS BEEN APPROVED FOR HAMILTON AUDIENCES

Just a little after seven o’clock on Saturday, Oct. 13, I walked into the Citadel Theater on Rebecca Street. All around me were warm handshakes, conversations and wishes of good fortune. The program of the evening’s event, “McMaster 24hr Film Fest,” or M24, is a collection of fifteen short films selected for the competition. There are awards for first, second and third place, and also Best Performance and Audience Choice.

M24’s main goal was to reach out to the extended Hamilton community. Mac’s film fest would not have been possible without the help of volunteers, especially support from the School of Graduate Studies, the McMaster Student Union, and the President’s Office. I was reminded of Dr. Patrick Deane’s

commencement as McMaster University President. In an inspiring document, Forward with Integrity, he invited you, as an integral part of Mac, to be creative with your connection to the community. In any way possible, you have the opportunity to do what you love and reach out to others.

The idea is to create networks and strengthen them for a fruitful future. Such is the prideful new vision of McMaster University. Such is the purpose of M24.

Hosted by the Lyons New Media Center, the short film competition showcased movies edited within the LNMC’s technologically innovative laboratory on the fourth floor of Mills Library. Indeed, the films did have the appearance of professional grade production, and I could only imagine how hard it was for

the judges to decide on the winners.

The first place prize, Blinded, features the story of a blind man with nothing to live for, yet he turns his life around after a chance encounter with a homeless person. Yousif Kellow, Faculty of Health Sciences, plays the role of the blind man and also won Best Performance.

The second place prize was given to McMaster staff and students, and their film Hunter is the story of a woman pursuing a dark figure through the streets of Hamilton after receiving a mysterious note.

And the third place winner, which also won the Audience Choice award, is a comical piece called You Only Draw Once, created by Humanities students. It follows a McMaster student who

happens upon a magic pencil that makes his illustrations come to life.

The remaining finalists were given the opportunity to exhibit their filmmaking skills. And interestingly enough, the competition drew people from all backgrounds, whether it be McMaster alumni or staff.

This year’s M24 is the first annual event. In the upcoming years, the organizers at LNMC hope to expand the film fest by making a tradition. I could only imagine how it might look like in the near future. So if you, as a returning student, staff member, or alumni, are thinking of putting something up on the cinematic screen with your friends, this is your opportunity.

•

Marco Filice

C/O CHRIS MCALLISTER

c8 • the silhouette’s art & culture magazine

thursday, october 18, 2012

album reviews Allelujah! Don’t Bend! Ascend!

Godspeed You! Black Emperor 4.5/5

Dead End Kings Katatonia 4/5

Lighting Matt & Kim 2.5/5

A few weeks ago, the music world collectively orgasmed as famed Canadian post-rock band Godspeed You! Black Emperor announced out of nowhere that they would be releasing their fourth album after a ten-year hiatus. Now, one might be inclined to believe that such a long break would have affected the band in some way. One would be wrong. GY!BE are just as good as they ever were.

On Allejuah! Don’t Bend! Ascend! the songs are still paced perfectly, the crescendos are still just as mighty, and the instrumentation still comes together to form one living, breathing organism in a way that only GY!BE can do.

The record consists of two longer, more “traditional” songs and two ambient drones. In typical GY!BE fashion, the songs are about twenty minutes apiece, and the drone tracks clock in around six and eight minutes, respectively.

Each second of the album is carefully constructed; every sound, every cerebral sample and every bit of feedback has its place.

The album doesn’t quite get a perfect score mainly because the final drone track is a little underwhelming. But this is an excellent album nonetheless, and firmly cements GY!BE’s place as one of, if not the, greatest post-rock band of all time.

• Alexander Sallas

Katatonia’s latest release doesn’t really change the band’s formula of depressive, proggy metal. Instead of change, the band expands their sound. Keyboards and violins are more prominent than ever on “The Racing Heart” and closer “Dead Letters” and female vocals are utilized to great effect on “The One You Are Looking For Is Not Here.”

The record has a strong sense of flow, and instrumentally the band puts on a solid performance. The drumming is particularly great, with lots of tasty, creative cymbal hits.

David Castillo’s production is also fantastic; every instrument is clear and the levels are perfectly balanced.

The previously mentioned lack of change is slightly disappointing, but nonetheless, Katatonia have crafted a great album with Dead End Kings. It may not reinvent the wheel, but when the wheel is this well-oiled, why bother changing it?

Heavy kick drums, over-the-top synth layering, shout-y vocals, catchy melodies…sound familiar? If you’re already a Matt & Kim fan, you’ll recognize this formula.

It hasn’t changed, and they intend to keep it that way.

To be fair, Matt & Kim’s consistency could be seen as either a talent or a crutch. Most bands have a difficult time getting to their fourth album without trying a new direction. Not Matt & Kim. They still pepper their upbeat songs with simple piano lines, the keyboards still sound like early ‘90s Casios, and Matt is still belting the same vocal lines (seriously, some tracks have nearly identical vocal melodies to previous recordings; compare “Let’s Go” and “Good For Great” from the previous album).

The strengths: they’re still great at what they do.

“I Said” and “I Wonder” are masterfully produced.

“Let’s Go” is an echo of their first big hit, “Daylight,” and “It’s Alright” features one of the catchiest brass lines ever. The flaws: it’s a disappointingly small album, and if you played it back-to-back with their self-titled debut, most people couldn’t say which came first.

Tempest Bob Dylan 4.5/5 Bob Dylan’s 1997 album Time Out of Mind marked his return to the musical innovation that hasn’t been heard since the late 1970s. With the creation of his 2000s masterpieces Love and Theft and Modern Times, Bob Dylan sought to invigorate his career by reinventing himself as an artist. In this gathering momentum Dylan has released the appropriately named Tempest.

Bob Dylan has always felt the need to write about the social barriers within his time, but here he’s looking more to the past. Instead of rambling about the present, songs like “Roll on John” reminisce. Perhaps Dylan is just living the life of his contemporaries, who see the past as an escape from today. He doesn’t adapt to the times because he knows they’ll adapt to him. But these sentiments may not mean much to young people who want music grounded in the present, just as the youth of yesterday did.

The title Tempest sparked anxious rumors that this would be Dylan’s last album. Although Dylan has refuted the claims, if this is indeed his last effort it would do an appropriate justice to his career. That’s saying quite a lot.

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Spencer Nestico-Semianiw

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Alexander Sallas

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Brody Weld