The Silhouette - October 30, 2014

Thursday, October 30, 2014

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State of the Academy

Mental health & Ottawa

COUNTDOWN: Top five indie horror games

McMaster provost delivers speech on the present activities of the university and what it means for the future..

Could more have been done to help the Ottawa gunman before he opened fire on pariliament hill?

In the season of scares, we look at the best offerings from small studios and indie developers.

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ONTARIO

CHAMPS The Marauders women’s rugby team has taken the province by storm.

Witness their third try at nationals this weekend.

- PAGE 13 -

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LOOKING BACK

The Silhouette

Volume 85, Issue 11 Thursday, October 30, 2014 McMaster University’s Student Newspaper

EDITORIAL BOARD executive editor | thesil@thesil.ca Andrew Terefenko @andrewterefenko managing editor | managing@thesil.ca Julia Redmond @juliaeredmond production editor | production@thesil.ca Amanda Watkins @whatthekins section editors

Krista Schwab @kschwabi assistant news editor Patrick Kim @patrickmkim features editor Christina Vietinghoff @cvietinghoff opinions editor Ana Qarri @anaqarri sports editor Scott Hastie @scott1hastie assistant sports editor Laura Sinclair @Lsinkky lifestyle editor Jason Woo @jayjai223 assistant lifestyle editor Tobi Abdul @toe_bee andy editor Tomi Milos @tomimilos assistant andy editor Michael Gallagher @mikeygalgz news editor

online online editor online reporter

William Lou @william_lou Shane Madill @shanemadill art

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

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NOVEMBER 18, 1999

Residence thefts terrorize Mac students After a night of drinking, socializing and dancing, students returned from a semi-formal event to find their residence rooms at Whidden and Haddon had been broken into. Windows were broken and locks and possessions were gone or destroyed. A total of $11,000 in personal goods were stolen from students. McMaster security services felt the “breakins were a little too convenient since the culprits knew how to get into the residences and where to park their car and where to flee.” [originally published in The Silhouette as Theft terrorizes two McMaster residences.]

ONLINE

Election recap + voting video Visit www.thesil.ca for a summary of the election results + a video where we ask McMaster students about their knowledge of municipal affairs.

SECTION MEETINGS News: Thurs @ 11:30 a.m.

Opinion: Thurs @ 12:30 p.m.

Sports: Tues @ 12:30 p.m.

LifeStyle: Thurs @ 1:30 p.m.

Andy: Mon @ 1:30 p.m.

Photo: Fri @ 11:30 a.m.

Video: Thurs @ 12:30 p.m.

Online: Fri @ 12:30 p.m.

INSIDE

NOTICE

News: PAGE 3 Editorial: PAGE 6 Opinions: PAGE 9 Around Campus: PAGE 12 Sports: PAGE 13 Lifestyle: PAGE 17 ANDY: PAGE 21

This is a reduced issue for Fall Break, so we regret that we were not able to include the Games page, Speculator, or full-sized sections.

We will return to regular size next week. Sorry.

Cover photo C/O Daniel Higgins

Thursday, October 30, 2014

News

The Silhouette

www.thesil.ca

Calgary mayor Naheed Nenshi visited McMaster to talk about jobs in Alberta

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Photos from Corporal Nathan Cirillo’s regimental funeral on Oct. 28 PAGE 5

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Mapping out the future of Mac Over-stuffed classrooms, satellite campuses among issues discussed at the annual address

Julia Redmond Managing Editor

McMaster Provost David Wilkinson

JON WHITE / PHOTO EDITOR

State of the Academy highlights •

McMaster is currently operating at 117 percent of capacity.

•

As a result, the university plans to expand through satellite campuses such as the new downtown Health Campus.

•

In the next few years, McMaster hopes to have 10,000 students living and studying downtown.

•

McMaster has proposed raising the entrance average across all programs from 75 percent to 80 percent.

In an environment of change, McMaster’s Provost is “incredibly optimistic about the future.”

Provost David Wilkinson expressed this idea at the State of the Academy address last Wednesday, Oct. 22. The annual speech is focused on current issues relevant to the running of the university.

Wilkinson began this year’s address by focusing on the inevitability of change in the university environment, and the challenges that may come with this.

“We’re certainly going through enormous amounts of system change,” he said of McMaster.

He referred specifically to the new budget model and Mosaic, garnering a laugh from the audience of primarily faculty and administrators when he promised that he wouldn’t be talking about the revamped and much-discussed online system.

He also noted that much of this climate of change could be attributed to external factors.

“I want to focus on how the landscape is changing in higher education…thinking about how

we are affected by the outside globally and perhaps more importantly in terms of our relationship with the governing climate,” said Wilkinson.

With this in mind, the provost recounted in detail the process the university went through to establish their Strategic Mandate Agreement with the provincial government, a process undertaken by all Ontario universities in an effort to increase differentiation.

While the government’s goal was to encourage each university to shy away from breadth of programming and put significant resources into fewer areas, Wilkinson claimed the SMA process “certainly didn’t drive us to be narrow.”

In McMaster’s SMA document, almost all of the faculties are named explicitly, leading the provost to conclude that the main points the university presented were “deep but incredibly broad.”

Another focus of the speech and for the university in the coming years was growth, both of the student body and of the campus capacity. Wilkinson explained that McMaster is currently operating at 117 percent of capacity, “stuffing students into classrooms.”

McMaster is looking to deal with this reality in part through

pursuing a satellite campus. The university already has buildings away from its West Hamilton base (through the downtown Health Campus and Continuing Education Centre), but hopes to expand its presence with the goal of having 10,000 students living and studying downtown in the coming years.

Wilkinson’s closing topic for the address was excellence, which is to be the focus of the Provost’s committee for the coming year.

A specific consideration in this broad topic is potentially raising the entrance average across all programs at Mac. He proposed increasing the 75 percent admission average to an 80.

“It raises the question as to whether or not by raising the bar we actually raise the attractiveness of the institution in all of our programs,” said Wilkinson. “There’s a lot of evidence to suggest that people want to get things that are hard to reach.”

Further details on some of the longer-term ideas for the university are expected to be addressed by President Patrick Deane in his upcoming lecture as part of a series on higher education on Nov. 5.

@juliaeredmond

Campus store cans costumes Daniel Arauz Staff Reporter

Last year, the McMaster Campus Store was forced to remove controversial Halloween costumes from its shelves that were stocked as part of a pilot program. That partnership with costume retailer Party City will not continue this year, and as a result, the Campus Store will not be stocking any costumes.

Party City’s decision to pull out of the campus market was supposedly unrelated to the removal of the offensive costumes.

Donna Shapiro, Director of the Campus Store, said that the

volume of costumes sold in the previous year could not match the sales in the standard pop-up store locations, meaning Party City decided not to return. Sales for the costumes were slow, and only really began in the week leading up to Halloween.

“They had a ton of costumes so they could have picked different ones and we could have went with it again, just the volume wasn’t there,” said Shapiro.

The pilot program was started last year but was met with an outrage from a large group of students when images of offensive women’s costumes

began circulating online.

The costumes, including “Cutie Eskimo” and “Sexy Indian Princess” were promptly pulled from Campus Store shelves after numerous complaints online, from members of the First Nations Student Association and through a petition for their removal which garnered 500 signatures.

“We tried to seek out another partner with the thought that we would then go through Student Union and Human Rights to vet what the costumes would be that we bring in, but we weren’t able to find another partner,” she said. “We provided

the sales from the previous year and nobody was really interested in pursuing it.”

However, this may not be the end to Campus Store costumes or similar partnerships in the future.

“We are always looking for pop-up stores and partners, be it that or be it some other organization so that we can offer some diversity and products to students, and we can use up some of our space that isn’t used in the month of October after rush.”

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Party City’s decision to pull out of the campus market was supposedly unrelated to the removal of the offensive costumes.

4 CANADIAN CAMPUS NEWS

Patrick Kim Asst. News Editor

uRegina creates communication centre

www.thesil.ca

Calgary Mayor Naheed Nenshi spoke at McMaster to advocate for student employment opportunities in Calgary Stephen Clare Contributor

Speaking at TwelvEighty last Thursday, Oct. 23, Calgary Mayor Naheed Nenshi quipped that he was here to “steal our children.” Though the comment was paired with a hearty chuckle and Nenshi’s trademark smile, the sales pitch that followed was no joke.

The popular mayor, ranked last year by Maclean’s as the second most powerful person in Canada, first reminisced about his Mac campus tour as a prospective student and journey to public office before launching into his presentation. There was no doubt about the purpose of the talk. Nenshi was here to sell Calgary to the young, soon-tobe-job-hunters of McMaster.

Speaking casually and confidently, Nenshi sang the praises of his city, which ranged from healthy job prospects to a thriving culture scene. He was particularly proud of Calgary’s

UBC receives $26.9M for project funding The B.C. Knowledge Development Fund is supporting the University of British Columbia with $26.9 million for research and infrastructure projects.

Projects involving genetic mapping, wind turbines, and digital radio telescopes are examples of the 70 research projects that will be funded by the grant.

Specializations including cancer genomics treatments, fuel cell technology, and planetary sciences will also benefit.

A Ryerson University television program produced by students will be televised on both Rogers TV and the Oprah Winfrey Network. The show, titled The Naked Entrepreneur, will spotlight Canadian business entrepreneurs through one-onone interviews conducted by Ryerson professor Sean Wise.

The program will air on Rogers TV in half-hour segments beginning Oct. 28.

Sheridan renames faculty of business Sheridan College recently renamed their business school as the Pilon School of Business as a result of a $2.5 million gift from Randy and Catherine Pilon. The grant is the largest personal donation Sheridan College has received in its history. Randy Pilon, a graduate from Sheridan’s business school and the CEO of Virox Technologies Inc., stated his desire for the Pilon School of Business to become the go-to place for talent.

Thursday, October 30, 2014

Pushing for a student stampede

The University of Regina recently introduced the George Reed Centre for Accessible Visual Communication in order to promote activities in accessible and inclusive communication. Funded by the George Reed Foundation, the centre will be housed by the Faculty of Kinesiology and Health Studies.

It will serve as the focus for a novel form of communication in pictogram symbolism.

Ryerson television program to debut nationally

News

recent ranking by the New York Times as one of the “52 places you need to see.”

It was clear that his pitch fell on eager ears. In the Q-and-A session following the talk, students jumped at the chance to ask about the city’s transportation infrastructure, recreational opportunities, and, of course, property taxes.

“The lowest in Canada,” Nenshi said, beaming.

The mayor himself lived up to his reputation as honest, friendly, and sharp. He made reference to Hamilton’s municipal election, light-rail transit debate, and relationship with Toronto. An off-hand comment about his less-than-favourable view of Prime Minister Harper drew laughter and perhaps a few raised eyebrows from the audience. The fact that the catering tables, laden with a feast of fried food, remained largely untouched speaks to Nenshi’s ability to engage an audience.

Employment in Calgary • Calgary’s top three employment industries are scientific and technical services, retail trade, and health care and social assistance.

Calgary Mayor Naheed Nenshi speaks to McMaster students about Calgary’s job opportunities.

C/O JON WHITE

• As of October, the unemployment rate in Alberta is 4.4 percent, compared to an unemployment rate of 7.1 percent in Ontario.

• The bulk of jobs created in the past year are centred in either Alberta, Saskatchewan, Ontario, and Newfoundland and Labrador.

Thursday, October 30, 2014

News

www.thesil.ca

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PHOTO GALLERY

A TRIBUTE TO CORPORAL NATHAN CIRILLO

On Oct. 28, thousands gathered in downtown Hamilton for the regimental funeral of Cpl. Nathan Cirillo, the Canadian soldier who was gunned down while standing guard at the National War Monument in Ottawa last week.

Cpl. Cirillo was buried in the Field of Honour at Woodland Cemetery.

C/O YOUSIF HADDAD

The Silhouette

6

EDITORIAL

www.thesil.ca

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Taxing the tubes

Not sure how I feel

Your window to the world is starting to show some cracks. Don’t wait for it to shatter. to some seriously creative Halloween costumes this year.

to Fred. Let’s see how this pans out.

to highlighters making even chickenscratch seem organized.

to Mulaney. I want to like it but am finding that difficult.

to funky layout.

to Jose Conseco’s middle finger.

to fall break. to new backdrops. to speedy desk vultures.

Andrew Terefenko Executive Editor

You may not know who Viktor Orban is, but he set into motion a series of events that will shape the way you view the world.

Viktor Orban is the Prime Minister of Hungary, and he is trying to tax the internet. It may not seem important, and he isn’t even proposing that large a tax (especially after relenting on his initial proposal and returning with a lower offer) but it threatens to set a precedent that will, without doubt, be used to justify the same (or worse) being done here at home.

Hungary isn’t taking the idea well. Over 40,000 protesters have marched on Budapest to try and quash this initiative before it gains any traction. In response, Orban’s party clarified that the taxes would be capped to a “reasonable limit,” which has done nothing to slow the waves of protesters joining the effort.

A tax is a contribution. A deferred payment on goods or services that are provided by the state. This is where the line is being crossed. The internet is not a good or a service, not anymore. Not since the UN declared internet access a human right in 2012. That is what we are facing, a tax on a human right.

So this problem is far away, for now. I can’t imagine how hard it must be for most students to care about a problem half the world away when they can’t be bothered to engage in democracy here at home, but this is just a precursor.

Canadian telecom giants have already tried, and are still trying, to nickle and dime internet access across the board, and it sure wouldn’t be detrimental to their efforts if they have some solid precedent to work off of.

Rogers is still being accused of throttling certain type of internet content to try and strongarm those content providers into giving them a cut (Netflix comes to mind) so those costs will always trickle down to you,

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the internet beneficiary.

Every year there is some new bill being pushed through the House of Commons that Canadians are urged to fight by net neutrality proponents, but for Hungarians, online petitions are not enough. They are flooding the streets just to avoid paying a few extra forints a month on their web access.

This isn’t an issue you can easily influence from North America, granted, but you can do your part in staying educated, following the events in Hungary closely, and prepare yourself to get involved if and when this controversy comes to Canada.

They’re asking Hungary for a little now, but it will translate to a whole lot more once the cracks begin to widen.

“In for a penny, in for a pound.” You’ve started something Canada, and it is happening everywhere else in the world, so pay attention, because without constant vigilance, it will cease to be the right that the human race has come to depend on.

Find us at either of our locations: Eastgate Square 75 Centennial Pky N, Stoney Creek, ON L8E 2P2 Underground Media + Design McMaster University Student Center 1280 Main St. W., Hamilton, ON, L8S 4S4

Thursday, October 30, 2014

to The Flash. CW has won me over yet again. to dogs in costume.

to you, the reader. to suite-style hotel rooms. to emotions. to Facebook stickers.

to the onset of the season of no insects.

to this length of time that bag of chips has been opened.

to new wigs.

to kiwis.

to $1700 in donations. to another woman on city council.

to some seriously offensive Halloween costumes this year. to people rudely demanding a longer fall break. to the lack of letters. to forgotten guides. to the recent pair of -gates, both Game and Ghomeshi. to Doug’s bid for PC leadership. to dangerous rail trails. to staying sober on Halloween. to SRA meetings on the Sunday of Fall Break. to scooped bagels. to Skype updates.

Thursday, October 30, 2014

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THE McMASTER UNIVERSITY

fall break

OCTOBER 30TH - NOVEMBER 1ST THE TWO-DAY FALL BREAK PILOT PROGRAM IS ENDING & THE MSU IS RECOMMENDING THAT THE UNIVERSITY IMPLEMENT A ONE-WEEK BREAK IN 2015

•FALL BREAK WOULD RUN IN EARLY OCTOBER •AN EARLIER START FOR THE ACADEMIC YEAR & WELCOME WEEK •LESS TIME BETWEEN THE END OF CLASSES & DECEMBER EXAMS •CHANGES TO THE EXAM TIMETABLE THE MSU WANTS TO KNOW WHAT YOU THINK ABOUT FALL BREAK. LEARN MORE ONLINE & GIVE US YOUR FEEDBACK AT:

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Thursday, October 30, 2014

POSTGRADUATE CERTIFICATE FROM MEDIA PLANNING AND MANAGEMENT TO ACCOUNT COORDINATION AND SALES, THIS PROGRAM OFFERS THE UNIQUE SKILLS YOU WILL NEED TO LAUNCH YOUR CAREER AS ACCOUNT COORDINATOR, MEDIA SALES REPRESENTATIVE, MEDIA BUYER, MEDIA PLANNER, AND MANY OTHER EXCITING CAREER OPTIONS.

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Thursday, October 30, 2014

Opinion

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ACK B D E E

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How are McMaster students spending their Fall Break?

Check out Feedback.

PAGE 10

MENTAL HEALTH

The second casualty of the Ottawa shooting Ben Robinson Contributor

In the wake of last week’s shooting on Parliament Hill, it is important to try to understand what really motivated the events in order to avoid them in the future.

At first, with the limited information available, there was speculation that it must be a terrorist attack, perhaps somehow associated with ISIL. Whenever a shooting like this happens, there is a scramble in the media to try and learn as much about the people involved as possible.

But the details that are reported are not always as innocuous as they seem. Michael Zehef-Bibeau, the man who shot Cpl. Nathan Cirillo, was immediately connected with a mosque that he attended three years ago. If it had been reported that he went to a certain church three years ago would that have been deemed relevant to print?

It was also reported that Zehef-Bibeau applied for a Libyan passport, not so subtly implying a connection to North Africa. It is strange that something as mundane as a passport application would be deemed newsworthy when the same article states that Michael Zehef-Bibeau’s family is from

Libya and that he was hoping to visit them. The limited details the press chose to focus on about Zehef-Bibeau being tied to Libya and Islam seem to be more distracting than edifying. Thus, this all too familiar characterization of “the shooter” directs readers toward an assumption that this was yet another terrorist attack by a Muslim extremist with ties to North Africa.

To explain this away with the palatable yet highly reductive motive of terrorism may ease the dissonance for those struggling to comprehend how this could happen to the “true North strong and free.” But it also leaves individuals feeling powerless to do anything. The spectre of terrorism often seems to loom too large for people to do anything other than be angry.

A recent CBC report confirmed that the man behind the shooting, Michael Zehef-Bibeau, had been arrested multiple times and on multiple occasions came forward to police asking to be taken into custody. In one instance he went as far as telling police “I wanted to come to jail so I could clean up,” and “if you release me what’s going to happen again? Probably the same loop and I’m going to be right back here again.”

This man was self-aware enough to know that he posed a risk to

We need to invest in mental health care, not security measures

others in his current state and so for Prime Minister Stephen Harper to come forward and say “our laws and police powers need to be strengthened in the area of surveillance, detention and arrest” in response to the shootings misses the point.

There was no need for surveillance or detection in this case; Zehef-Bibeau was forthright about the support he needed from various government agencies, and he was denied. The importance of mental health funding is more apparent than ever as we now know the consequences of neglecting it.

This issue was brought literally to the steps of Parliament Hill, right outside of Stephen Harper’s door. Hopefully the real story will not be drowned out amidst the cries of terrorism.

Terrorism necessitates a greater cause, something for the public to be scared of. Who is to be feared in this situation?

This was not terrorism. This was a tragedy that could have been avoided. Let’s put away the calls for increased police presence and begin the preventative mental health work that so clearly needs to be done. Not one, but two men died on Parliament Hill last week, and both deaths could have been avoided.

Hamilton honoured Cpl. Nathan Cirillo on Tuesday, Oct. 29.

C/O YOUSIF HADDAD

C/O YOUSIF HADDAD

Consent and the Ghomeshi controversy Ana Qarri Opinions Editor

The story of Jian Ghomeshi and his lawsuit against the CBC for wrongful firing will unravel itself accordingly. It will, undoubtedly, be the top media story for the weeks that follow.

On Sunday, when the CBC announced that it was ending its relationship with Jian Ghomeshi, it was revealed that the famous Q host had hired

Navigator, one of Canada’s leading “high-stakes” public relations firms.

If it wasn’t clear before, the public now knew that honest or not, Ghomeshi’s Facebook status about his private sex life was a well-crafted PR technique.

Ghomeshi has been a radio host since 2002 and running Q since 2007. Media strategy isn’t a foreign concept to him; he has used it to his advantage before, and he can use it again.

It is important that Ghomeshi fans don’t blindly follow his words as they might

be inclined to. This is particularly tough in situations like Ghomeshi’s, where the man at the heart of the scandal is a famous radio broadcaster, known for facilitating societal debate.

A closer look at Ghomeshi’s status finds many problematic parts – those, too, clearly crafted with a purpose. In it, he calls his ex “jilted,” painting her as a crazy person who was so angry that he broke up with her that she wanted to defame him by “corroborating” with two other women.

This line worked on quite a

few people; many comments on Ghomeshi’s post sound like one bro sympathizing with the other over the sexist myth of the crazy girlfriend.

This is not to say whether Ghomeshi is guilty or not. It’s the language he used to describe his ex, the way he decided to paint her character that makes the status seem disingenuous to anyone with some respect for women.

Then he goes on to talk about how consensual his relationship with these women was.

Knowing the definition of

the word consent doesn’t mean much more than that. This controversy will hopefully spark a larger debate about consent, one that goes deeper than what we’ve limited ourselves to so far.

Our conversations around sexual assault have been about rape on campuses, about no meaning no, or yes meaning yes, if you live in the more progressive parts of North America.

But we need to delve deeper than that.

Continued on PAGE 11

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Opinion

www.thesil.ca

Thursday, October 30, 2014

On subsidizing university tuition Is “free” a price we’re willing to pay?

Mia Kibel Contributor

Maybe your parents pay for your tuition, and maybe they don’t. Maybe you get subsidies from OSAP, maybe you work, or maybe you subsist off a diet of air, cheetos, and pirated videos.

But the fact remains that any way you slice it, university isn’t free, and students are the ones that have to find a way to pay.

University is never actually going to be free. Professors, campuses, and programs are always going to cost money. It is, however, worth questioning whether students should be the ones to pay. Germany, for example, recently decided that we shouldn’t. At the beginning of October, university became completely free in all German states, not only for German students, but for foreign students as well. So, if you can get a German visa, Auf Wiedersehen, and enjoy. But can university be free in Canada, and should it?

The rationale for making university entirely subsidized by the government is obvious, and it feels good in the gut. More education is a social good. On a macro level, a more educated population can drive innovation and development across all sectors the university touches, in areas as diverse as business, science, law, and the arts. For individuals, university education opens doors to careers that are typically more profitable and stable, and gives them the tools to specialize in areas that interest them, not to mention the simple implicit value of learning

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new things and ideas.

Tuition fees make it harder for a large segment of the population, typically those that are simultaneously disenfranchised, to access these benefits. They restrict university education to the rich, thereby setting up a cycle where only those who already have money can access the jobs best suited to making money.

Though students can take out loans to pay fees, the interest that kicks in as soon as you graduate means that university costs more for poor students than it does for rich ones. When students do decide to take out loans to pay for school, the interest can be crippling, and an uncertain job market makes it difficult to determine when or if

the loan can be paid back.

If we believe that education isn’t an elitist privilege and see that loans aren’t an equitable, or even necessarily viable, way for poorer students to pay for school, it seems like moving towards a system like Germany’s is the obvious choice.

But a closer look at Germany’s system reveals that, while completely subsidized university education is possible, it’s not exactly compatible with our university system. German university students mostly attend institutions

“

in or near their hometowns, so university residences are extremely limited. Most classes are large lectures, not the small group discussion based classes that become so rewarding in upper years. While “university” here is an institution replete with amenities, German schools are, for the most part, just classes.

Think about Mac without DBAC, the student centre, big sports teams, four libraries with support staff, and all the other things that happen outside of class, then consider what a

Subsidized education is not compatible with our university system.

“free” school would look like.

As it stands, universities are already heavily subsidized.

Only 25.9 percent of university and college revenue in Ontario comes from tuition fees. And with budgets tightly stressed, both in universities and in governments, it’s clear that fully subsidizing schools as they are isn’t really an option for Canada. Trimming down universities might not be such a bad thing— in fact, it might a good one. But, the next time you hear someone proclaim they’re off to the Vaterland, use those critical thinking skills you’re paying so much for to decide whether “free” is a price you’re willing to pay.

C/O CANADIAN BROADCASTING CORPORATION

How are you spendig your Fall Break?

Nadine Hermiz

Communications III

I’ll be working during the day and then going out for Halloween.

Luke Di Pietro Humanities I

I’m taking a trip to the States with my friend for the break.

Nisha Depa

Life Sciences III

I’m just going to be doing a lot of work, but I’ll probably go out tonight for Halloween.

Luke Schonberger Social Sciences I

I’m staying at Mac for the break, and I’m going to party.

Opinion

Thursday, October 30, 2014

www.thesil.ca

11

It’s not just about Ghomeshi’s innocence Continued from PAGE 9

In the case of Ghomeshi, whether he is guilty or not, there is a lot to be said about the complexities around consent.

The women that the Toronto Star interviewed who accused Ghomeshi of sexual assault expressed concern that their consent to one thing over phone or text would be misinterpreted as consent to other, unwanted and violent acts. In this context, a “yes” at some point in their conversations didn’t mean yes to everything, or anything. What the public needs to understand, and what I hope mainstream media will emphasize in future

articles is that consent is not transferable, nor is it a one-time deal. Consent is an on-going process that has to make both partners feel comfortable and heard.

Just because Ghomeshi knows when to use the word to incite the most sympathy from his followers doesn’t mean that he knows how to practice it properly, or that he does so at all.

On Tuesday, Lights, a well-known musician from Toronto, came out in support of Ghomeshi, stating that he has been her creative confidante and manager throughout her career. She said that he was

someone who preached female empowerment to her, and therefore cannot be someone who would disrespect women in such a gross, offensive way.

This is a harmful and hasty generalization to make. It assumes that progressive people, men or women, cannot possibly be abusive. This sort of claim trivializes the experiences of anyone who has been abused by a partner who identifies as a feminist. It is unfortunate that these messages are being spread by public figures, but on the other side of the spectrum there have been celebrities like Owen Pallett who have refused to take Ghomeshi’s words at face value.

Ultimately, the radio host’s use of consent doesn’t necessarily mean that he didn’t abuse these women, and neither does his apparent history of support for female artists. Conversations like these are critical and how we approach them will determine how safe people feel opening up about their experiences with sexual and domestic abuse.

Ghomeshi should not receive any special privileges because he has a faithful fan base, or because he can hire a company

that knows how to shift blame away from their clients.

The controversy should be followed with a critical and open mind. Regardless of whether Ghomeshi is guilty of sexual assault, let’s not cause any more harm to survivors of abuse along the way. We can start by calling out Ghomeshi and his PR firm on their sexist and victim-blaming language. @anaqarri

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Thursday, October 30, 2014

Around Campus Eliza Pope Photo Reporter

“Who’s someone you look up to?”

“My mom. We’re really close, and she’s raised me pretty much by herself right from the get go.

And she’s done really well for herself, which is something I’d love to be able to do. She’s my hero.”

“Tell me a bit about her.”

“My dad left when I was 10, and my mom has had a successful career and taken care of me by herself and hasn’t had a problem with it. She’s never been one of those moms that always has to have a boyfriend. She’s taught me how important it is to take care of yourself as a woman and be independent.”

“What’s a struggle you’ve overcome?”

“I guess just recently, it’s been a bit of a tough time. A lot of stresses, and issues with relationships and that kind of stuff. Things like depression get to you quickly. The biggest thing I’m working on right now is just trying to be happy.”

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“I dunno... maybe I just think too much into things. I’ve always been a bit melancholic in a way. Just recently, my girlfriend broke up with me again for the third time. She’s been my first for a lot of things in life... you know, things like that just wear you down.”

“Why’d you break up?”

“Good question. And I think it’s been the same answer every time. I just think she’s a different person than I am. I’m more of a romantic, but she likes her independence. It’s just hard to get over her. She was the bad girl for me, and I was the good boy for her.”

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Thursday, October 30, 2014

Sports

The Silhouette

www.thesil.ca

13

Marauders men's cross country finishes third at OUA's, women finish 8th

We look ahead to this week's OUA football quarter-finals and who you should watch

PAGE 14

PAGE 15

Grabbing the gold

For the first time in McMaster history, the women's rugby team are OUA champions

LEAGUE AT LARGE The OUA at a glance

Men’s Volleyball OUA

CIS Top Ten W L

3 3 2 2 2 1 1 0 0 0 0

WESTERN MCMASTER GUELPH WATERLOO WINDSOR RYERSON YORK TORONTO NIPISSING QUEEN'S RMC

0 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 2 2 3

ALBERTA TRINTITY WESTERN MCMASTER BRANDON UBC LAVAL CALGARY YORK SASKATCHEWAN DALHOUSIE

Women’s Volleyball OUA East

OUA West

W L

MCMASTER BROCK GUELPH WATERLOO WESTERN WINDSOR LAKEHEAD

2 1 1 1 1 1 0

W L

1 2 2 2 2 3 1

YORK QUEEN'S RYERSON TORONTO NIPISSING OTTAWA RMC

3 2 2 2 2 1 0

0 0 0 0 1 2 3

Football OUA MCMASTER GUELPH WESTERN WINDSOR OTTAWA LAURIER CARLETON QUEEN'S TORONTO WATERLOO YORK

CIS TOP 10 W

L

7 7 6 5 5 4 4 3 2 1 0

1 1 2 3 3 4 4 5 6 7 8

LAVAL CALGARY MONTREAL MCMASTER GUELPH MT. ALLISON WESTERN SASKATCHEWAN SHERBROOKE OTTAWA

Notable quote

C/O FRASER CALDWELL

Scott Hastie Sports Editor

McMaster has another champion: the Marauder women’s rugby team.

The squad has been among the OUA’s elite for years, but finally have a banner to hang in the David Braley Athletic Centre after besting the Guelph Gryphons, 19-10. The win puts them through to the national championship, where the Marauders are seeded second overall out of six teams.

Mac put on a defensive clinic against Guelph without captain Cindy Nelles, who broke her hand in the semi-final. Nelles, who earned her second All-Canadian nod, will miss the CIS tournament because of the injury. Winning the first championship is important to Nelles and her team.

“It’s a special opportunity.

It makes you realize that with hard work can come great reward, and that’s going to be huge for our program in the

future,” said Nelles on 93.3’s head coach Shaun Allen, who Marauder Radio show. won an OUA championship in It is not the team’s first trip his first year at the helm of the to nationals, though. McMaster program. hosted the inaugural tourA solid crop of rookies nament in 1998, where they pushed McMaster into the top captured silver in a 15-10 loss tier by providing depth to the to Guelph. squad. That After the depth is playing Marauders made dividends now, OUA finals in as Mac can 2011, the team weather injuries. qualified for But the nationals and team will be imfinished in fifthmediately tested place. at the national But the championship.

Marauders are Mac has to play a bit different Guelph – who this year. Kailyn is hosting the Jones, a fourthtournament – in Kailyn Jones year, said this the first round.

Women's rugby team has a close The Mabond and that rauders tied the has contributed to success.

Gryphons in regular season “I like how close everyone play, but both teams are not at is. At practice, everyone knows full strength. Guelph pinned each other. The rookies have McMaster back for long pericome into their own,” said ods of the OUA championship Jones. “Even when Guelph and getting another strong descored on us, no one got down fensive performance will be the and we came through.” formula for a first-round win.

Creating that chemistry is Regardless of the result,

“

Even when Guelph scored on us, no one got down and we came through.

national championship experience will help a group that could return nearly their entire roster.

The goal will still be to win the tournament, but playing games on that stage will set up a deep group for multiple runs at CIS gold. @Scott1Hastie

“I’ve been with teams that were 8-0 and 4-4 and both teams won the Yates Cup. You’ve just got to get in [the playoffs] and you have a chance.”

Michael Faulds Laurier football Head coach

On the lookout: Athletes to watch this week Angelo Cavalluzzo Men's soccer

Marauders recognized

Five McMaster players were named to the OUA All-star team •

Cindy Nelles - Number 8

•

Emily Ricketts - Centre

•

Sara Svoboda - Flanker

•

Abigail Moody - Lock

•

Heidi Henderson Scrum-half

Maroon All-Canadian

Cindy Nelles earned her second All-Canadian spot of her four-year career.

› First-team OUA All-Star Cavalluzzo stopped a penalty kick and help put McMaster into the Final Four. If Mac captures the third championship in four years, their star keeper will be a major reason.

Joanna Jedrzejewska Women's volleyball › 3.89 kills per set, 3rd in the OUA The women's volleyball team is off to a 2-1 start. A sweep of Lakehead in a double-header will help them increase their OUA West lead.

14

Sports

www.thesil.ca

Thursday, October 30, 2014

Men third, women eighth at OUAs

C/O PETE SELF

The Marauders cross country team has one last shot at glory. Will they be able to step up to the line and shine at the CIS Championships?

Laura Sinclair Asst. Sports Editor

The Marauders cross country team traveled to Kingston, Ont., to compete at the OUA Cross Country Championships on Oct. 25, where they conquered the same course they completed two weeks ago.

There was a lot of pressure to perform on the day, as the top seven athletes from each team across Ontario were on the line and ready to go, and this time, the numbers mattered.

The men’s team finished third overall, tying the Windsor Lancers’ score of 71 points overall.

This scoring resulted in a tiebreaker, where according to OUA regulations, the prevailing team depended on the sixth runner that crossed the finish line.

“Had it been the CIS Championships, it would have been a comparison between the fifth runners, which would have given us the edge,” said Marauders runner Taylor Forbes.

The Marauders fifth runner to cross the finish line was Blair Morgan, who finished ahead of the Lancers fourth and fifth scorers.

Despite the disappointment of finishing third, however, this OUA medal performance says a lot about the Marauders men’s program which has improved immensely within the last couple of years.

The team was a dark horse in last year’s OUA Championships, where they shocked the conference when they managed to finish second overall.

Although the team has won a medal of a different shade, it still speaks volumes about what they are capable of as a team and what they will be able to accomplish in years to come.

Taylor Forbes led the pack for the men’s team, finishing seventh overall, which had him named not only an OUA Allstar, which includes the top 15 runners on the day, but a first team OUA All-star as well.

“I feel great about my race.

It was definitely a goal of mine to be an OUA All-star, let alone a first team OUA All-star, so I’m feeling confident about my result and ready for Newfoundland, where I can hopefully get All-Canadian status,” said Forbes.

The rest of the Marauders worked together in a pack run for the majority of the race, which was a strategy of theirs right when the gun went off.

Connor Darlington finally laced up the spikes to run with

the top seven, and finished 14th overall in only his second showing of the season.

Gabriel Ghiglione reached his goal of being an OUA Allstar, finishing 15th overall, just five seconds behind Darlington.

Austen Forbes finished 17th overall, and Captain Blair Morgan who was recovering from an illness finished 18th overall, just three seconds behind Forbes.

Luke Charbonneau was the sixth runner to cross the line, finishing 22nd overall, and Paul Rochus was the last of the Maroon and Grey to finish the race, crossing the line just three seconds after Charbonneau in 24th place.

The Marauders are currently ranked second overall in the CIS top ten rankings, and will have to fight off the Windsor Lancers, Laval Rouge-et-Or, and the Victoria Vikings to maintain that spot.

“The boys love a good rally, so silver at [nationals] will still be the goal as it has been all season. As a team, we didn’t race as well as we had hoped for OUA’s, but that just adds more fuel to the fire,” said Forbes.

“We love a good challenge and we can’t wait to fire it up in St. John’s.”

As for the women’s team, they managed to finish eighth overall, which was disappointing for them, as their goal was to finish sixth overall on the day.

“I think our women’s team is better than what we showed at OUA’s. On an individual level, some people had better races, some had worse; but as a team, we should have been in the top six. I think the coaches echo these thoughts,” said the junior Pan Am Games 3000m silver medalist, Maddy McDonald.

Right when the gun went off in the race, a few Marauders got caught behind the pack right at the beginning, which made it tough for the girls to make their way up to the front pack.

“This is something we will be working on at [nationals], getting into a good position off the start so we aren’t already at a disadvantage from the beginning,” said McDonald.

McDonald managed to finish 17th overall, a result that she wasn’t pleased with, especially based on her performance on the course two weeks prior, where she ran a faster time.

“Top 14 was definitely a realistic goal, but I didn’t manage to perform like that on Satur-

day,” said McDonald.

McDonald will get another chance to show her full potential at the CIS Championships, where she will hope to finish up with the lead pack where she belongs.

Finishing behind McDonald was Gabrielle Foran in 37th, Kierstin Myers in 39th, Chelsea Mackinnon in 45th, Madeleine Benjamin in 47th, Maxine Gravina in 53rd and rookie Erin Mawhinney in 56th.

The team will be trying to stay well rested, and as confident as they can before travelling to Newfoundland to compete.

“Our coaches were hesitant as to whether to send us to the CIS Championships or not, so our goal is to prove to them and to ourselves that we do deserve to be there,” said McDonald.

“I do believe that we are capable of competing among some of the best teams in Canada.”

The Marauders will get one final shot at glory at the CIS Championships in St. John’s, Newfoundland on Nov. 8. @Lsinkky

Sports

Thursday, October 30, 2014

www.thesil.ca

15

What to watch for in OUA football playoffs Scott Hastie Sports Editor

The OUA regular season wrapped up on Saturday, Oct. 25 but the only real changes happened in the middle of table.

McMaster’s football team lost to Ottawa 38-18, but the starters did not play in the second half and this game had no impact on the Marauders finish in the standings. Mac sealed homefield advantage through the playoffs in the previous week.

Now, the team has a quarterfinal bye before facing off against the lowest-remaining seed. Typically, quarterfinals are not worth watching because they usually end in blowouts.

However, the developments of young players combined with injuries to major teams make this weekend intriguing.

No. 5 Ottawa Gee-Gees at No. 4 Windsor Lancers – Nov. 1, 1:00 p.m.

The separation between these two is negligible. Ottawa took the nearly eight-hour trip to Windsor in early October and

lost 39-29. This looks close on paper, but Ottawa clawed back at the end to make the score look better than it was. Using that game as a predictor for the outcome of this playoff game would be a mistake though, as Ottawa was forced to throw the ball because they faced a 24-1 deficit.

The quarterback for the Gee-Gees, Derek Wendel, is a third-year tosser capable of running the offence efficiently. He is essentially a replacement-level QB, which may be all Ottawa needs.

Their offence is built around running, and Ottawa sits at fifth in the country for rushing yards per game. The Lancers allow 167.9 rushing yards per game.

Windsor is an offence at the other end of the spectrum.

Quarterback Austin Kennedy tied the record for most touchdown passes in an OUA career, and he’s fifth in the country for passing yards per game.

He also has the most passing attempts in the country, although other conferences still have a regular season game to play. The Gee-Gees middling pass defence (14th of 27 teams

for passing yards allowed per game) cannot afford to concede any early points.

This will be a shoot-out, but if Ottawa gets in a hole early, Wendel will be leaned on heavily to move the ball. That could be too much for his first playoff game.

Western’s star QB, Will Finch, will not play in this game after suffering a concussion in the final regular season game.

This is his second concussion in a month, although Western originally described the first concussion as a “upper body injury” before calling it a “head injury.”

The injury means Stevenson Bone will line-up under centre. He played in the regular season match-up between these two teams, tossing three touchdowns for 285 yards. But his main responsibility will be to hand the ball off to running

No. 6 Laurier Golden Hawks at No. 3 Western Mustangs – Nov. 1, 1:00 p.m.

This is a weird one. Western hung 61 points on Laurier, and muzzled their offence until a 14-point fourth quarter. But the Mustangs have been rocked by injuries. Their secondary has seen significant hits, forcing the squad to play multiple defensive backs for the first time in their careers.

Laurier’s running back Dillon Campbell is the most talented player at his position in the OUA, if not the country.

He could finish the season with the most rushing yards, playing against a handful of top-ten teams. Campbell averages 7.9 yards per rushing attempt.

While Western’s run defence is still strong, Campbell rumbled for 111 rushes on 18 attempts.

backs Garrett Sanvido and Yannick Harou. The Mustangs rushed for 431 yards against the Golden Hawks.

Western should win this one, but it could be high-scoring. Laurier’s quarterback James Fracas is young and needs to make quicker decisions with the ball, especially when scrambling.

His deficiencies were on full-display against McMaster, where he went 13-28 for 117 yards. If Fracas can make smart decisions and keep his offence on the field, there could be an upset brewing for the Mustangs.

Dillon Campbell is a top running back in the CIS. A strong performance from him could spell upset for Western.

ELIZA POPE/PHOTO REPORTER

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HALLOWEEN BASH

WEEKEND WARRIORS

HALLOWEEN PARTY

Mac Farmstand When: Every Wednesday and Thursday from 11:00AM until 04:00PM Where: Outside University Hall We are a student-run campus farmers market aiming to provide students, faculty, and staff access to fresh and local fruit and vegetables from June to October.

Angels & Devils When: October 30, 2014 at 09:30PM until October 31, 2014 at 02:00AM Where: TwelvEighty Bar & Grill Join us for our Angels & Devils Pre-Halloween Party!! Doors @ 9:30PM!

Halloween Bash When: October 31, 2014 at 09:30PM until November 01, 2014 at 02:00AM Where: TwelvEighty Bar & Grill TwelvEighty’s Annual Halloween Bash! Doors open at 9:30pm! #HalloweenBender2014

SRA Meeting - SRA 14I When: November 02, 2014 from 06:30PM until 09:30PM Where: Gilmour Hall 111 Interested in finding out what your student government does? Stop by

and view the goings-on at the next meeting of the Student Representative Assembly!

At this meeting, we will be closing MSU seats to our Award Selection Committees. The committees are: Honour M, Rudy Heinzl, MSU Merit Scholarship, J. Lynn Watson, and MSU Spirit.

For more details, email speaker@msu.mcmaster.ca.

MSU Teaching Awards Fall Nomination Period When: November 03, 2014 at 12:00AM until November 14, 2014 at 11:59PM Where: MSU Website Nomintate your Professors and Teaching Assistants!

MacPride March When: November 04, 2014 from 12:10PM until 12:30PM

OPIRG McMaster’s 15th Annual Fair Trade Fest When: November 05, 2014 from 10:00AM until 05:00PM Where: MUSC Marketplace Featuring Fair Trade Vendors and Local Artisans.

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OPIRG McMaster’s Fair Trade Café and Talk When: November 05, 2014 from 12:30PM until 01:30PM Where: MUSC 224 Guest speaker is Michael Sacco, founder of Toronto’s ChocoSol, a socially conscious chocolate trader that works with Mexican farmers and embraces sustainable technology, such as a pedal-powered grinder.

Fair Trade Sampling. Free. Everyone Welcome!

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Where: Commons/Centro We are going to take over the McMaster campus on November 4, 2014!!

Meet up at 12:10 at commons/centro to join us on our march forward, followed by a short rally.

Craig Cardiff Concert

You are free to express yourself through signage and/or attire.

LGBTQ+ identitfied people and their allies are encouraged to show

Fundraiser for Cystic Fibrosis.

Tickets are $20 in advance and $25 at the door.

When: November 21, 2014 at 8:00pm Where: Dundas Valley Montessori School

The Silhouette

Thursday, October 30, 2014

Lifestyle

www.thesil.ca

Have a date with your significant other’s parents? Survive the most important dinner of your life.

PAGE 18

Back to

Basic

MacBook: So what if Apple products are ridiculously overpriced? You need the synergy between the laptop and your gold iPhone.

Cosmopolitan: Make sure to bring your candles with your magazine to your bubble bath for maximum relaxation. Having Taylor Swift playing in the background helps sets the mood.

Scented candlesl: Don’t feel like actually cleaning your room? These will do the trick!

Starbucks: Despite what others may say, getting your half sweet skinny salted caramel mocha with extra whipped cream is not contradictory at all, because whipped cream is the greatest.

17

Polaroid camera: A Polaroid isnstantly makes your photo a throwback. Instagram a picture of your Polaroid to fully appreciate it.

Pumpkins: A miniature pumpkin for decoration is totally acceptable. Just make sure you don’t actually eat it - basics only like artifical pumpkin spice.

The O.C.: It’s definitely one of CW’s greatest shows, and every basic knows only how to sing the chorus of the theme song.

In defense of pumpkin spice lovers, scented candle fanatics, and scooped bagel eaters Jason Woo Lifestyle Editor

Normally I would refrain from doing this, but the prevalence of “basic” in our day-to-day language is approaching other hall-of-famers like YOLO and #-insert random word-.

Despite its ubiquity, somehow the definition of “basic” is still very vague. Is it an insult or is it a ‘funny’ way of describing a common white girl? According to urban dictionary, “basic bitch” is defined as “a bum-a$$ woman who think she the shit but really ain’t."

Setting aside the inappropriate use of the b-word and the word’s origins in hip-hop cutlure (a serious discussion for another day), it sure sounds like being basic is not a good thing.

Grabbing a quick extra-whip low-fat pumpkin spice latte?

You basic. Making yourself a kale smoothie after Zumba class? You basic. But the truth is, everyone’s a little basic. The more important truth is that it’s no big deal if you are.

I’m pretty basic. On the tenth anniversary of the release of Mean Girls, I hosted a viewing party at my house, complete with sushi and copious glasses of Girls’ Night Out (or as I like to call it, Boys’ Night In). It was

also a ridiculously good time, so why not just shake off the haters? Because we all know the haters gonna hate hate hate.

Being basic is considered a bad thing in that it implies you lack agency. You will follow trends as they come, with not one original thought ever crossing your mind. That’s simply not true though. Remember that time you came up with the idea to deep-fry Oreos in a Nutella batter? How about that time you wrote a paper about Descartes’ ethics as a hopeful interpretation of human nature? That ain’t basic. Just because you follow trends doesn’t mean you are an unoriginal person as a whole.

Not many people are invested

enough in everything to go their own way all the time.

One of the reasons I don’t mind being basic is because I appreciate a basic’s honesty.

Basics are unafraid of accepting the notion that they are not wholly creative in their outer appearance. Basics are predictable. By acknowledging the inherent stupidity of things like celebrity gossip and Pawn Stars, basics make it okay to occasionally indulge yourself in these pointless fun pastimes.

And if you really think about it, calling someone basic as an insult doesn’t really criticize them for their lack of originality. Nowadays, the term is thrown around so much and

is so widely applicable that it’s hard to take seriously. Instead, calling someone out for being basic is just pointing out a common consumption pattern, and somehow asserting that it’s worse than subscribing to a less popular one (I’m looking at you, music snobs). It’s a really restrained way of proving your superiority over others, one that is buried in sarcasm and laced with just the right amount of sass. It also makes you a dick, but hey – what do I know? I’m just a basic guy who loooooooves brunch. @jayjai223

18

Lifestyle

www.thesil.ca

Thursday, October 30, 2014

Ace the family interview

Ten tips for meeting your partner’s parents Daniella Porano Staff Reporter

Meeting the family is one of the most stress-inducing parts of a relationship. Between the awkward introductions, like fumbling around or going for a handshake instead of a hug, and the onslaught of uncomfortable questions, like what you plan on doing with your life, it can be a downright terrifying experience. But have no fear, with these simple tips and your rockin’ personality, you’ll be sure to ace the first family date.

1. Do your research.

Remember, your partner is part of this family and is the best

person to ask for information pre-meeting. Ask your partner about family customs, what they like, or bits of info to get a better understanding of them.

Basically, dig around, especially for something that can be used as a conversation starter or to establish a commonality between a family member and yourself. Also, make sure your partner lets their family know of any dietary restrictions or other critical information to avoid uncomfortable kitchen/ restaurant/event scrambles.

2. Be helpful and endlessly polite.

Always ask if assistance is needed in setting the table, preparing food, or cleaning up

afterwards. Even if they decline, offering goes a long way.

3. Bring a small gift.

Personally, I think the best gifts are something everyone can share. If they love dessert, bring along some pie or delicious pastries. If they enjoy drinking with dinner, bring a bottle of wine.

4. Take a page from the family.

Whether they do European-style double kisses, firm handshakes, dinner at 5 p.m., or 9 p.m., order takeout, or concoct a massive homecooked meal, observe, follow their lead, and ultimately, be respectful of family traditions.

5. Step away from controversial debate topics.

This is not the time to bring up politics or religion, or really anything that makes people heated. It never ends well.

6. Don’t just focus on your partner!

Interact with everyone and make an effort to engage in conversation with other people at the table.

7. Don’t put your partner down.

Even if it’s a joke. Seriously, don’t .

8. Turn off your phone.

Or at least leave it in your coat pocket.

Kaitlynn Jong Contributor

Bounce back from a midterm

June Shannon, a.k.a. Mama June from the reality TV show Here Comes Honey Boo Boo, has controversially gotten back together with her ex-boyfriend Mark McDaniel, a sex offender convicted of molesting Shannon’s eldest daughter, Anna.

TLC promptly cancelled the highly-rated show after hearing this news.

9. Show a muted version of your style.

Keep the skin exposure to a minimum and always lean towards the more conservative and clean-cut side of the clothing spectrum until you get to know them better. Your first impression is incredibly important and can leave a lasting impact. Trust me, you don’t want to be “that person who wore a t-shirt that featured a sexually explicit Rob Ford quote to meet Grammy.”

10. Be yourself.

As cheesy as this tip is, it’s important to be relaxed and show who you are. After all, you’re getting to know them as well.

Renee Zellweger made an appearance at the Elle Women in Hollywood Awards with a completely different face! Zellweger appears to have had extensive work done, leaving her entirely unrecognizable and re-igniting conversations about Hollywood’s unreasonable pressures on middle-aged actresses.

How to get past a disappointing grade Mitali Chaudhary Contributor

Sometimes you just know a bad midterm mark is coming when you’re in the exam room, mind blank, slowly getting that sinking feeling in the pit of your stomach as you listen to everyone else’s pencils scribbling furiously. Even worse is when you’re blindsided and left stunned at the hands of a subject you studied your heart out for. Either way, getting a bad mark on a midterm is a painful experience that not everyone can simply brush off.

In time, however, it’s entirely possible to bounce back. The best way to start this process is by determining exactly how you prepared for the test and what actions you can take in the future to fill the gaps in your knowledge or steps you can take

to ready yourself better for future experiences. If this is done realistically, the reason behind your shortcoming can be picked out and smoothed over, which leads to greater chances of success in the course.

Maybe your social hours or casual Internet usage need to be limited or maybe you’re lacking in the organizational department. Whatever the problem may be, once it’s identified, it’s much easier to seek help and set goals to correct it. Fortunately, McMaster offers everything from counselling to extra help for virtually every course, as well as soft skill workshops for free that can provide support.

It’s also helpful to stay positive and to put the mark into perspective. Although it seems like a big deal at the moment, half a semester still remains and the finals are the real deciding

factor of the course grade. It’s therefore much more productive to focus your energy on using the experience as an accurate depiction of what you still need to learn or work on, instead of wallowing over it for a month.

Make sure you look at the class average too, it may be that you got a 65 percent and are disappointed by it, but if the class average was a 50, then I’d say that’s a pretty good mark.

Essentially, to properly bounce back from a botched midterm, a lot of introspection is required, followed by some goal-setting and smart action.

This lets the unpleasant event turn into a smudge in your distant memory instead of becoming a large mental stain that constantly intrudes on other thoughts.

Potterheads, rejoice! London-based boutique hotel, The Georgian House, is taking reservations for their two, newly renovated, Harry Potter-themed wizarding suites. Packages start at only $450 and feature muggle tours. Where do I sign up?

Beyoncé has partnered up with Topshop to create an athletic wear line to launch next fall.

Luckily for us, we can now channel Queen Bey while doing yoga, running on the treadmill, or more likely in my case, lounging around.

Lifestyle

Thursday, October 30, 2014

SEXandtheSTEELCITY

Let it buzz

Taking the shame out of female masturbation.

Tobi Abdul Asst. Lifestyle Editor

Anyone who has ever had a roommate has probably encountered that awkward moment when you want a little “private time” but your roommate is either in the room or in close proximity to it. When the mood hits and I want to settle down with one of my vibrators, I often find myself focused on where my roommate is and whether or not she can hear the buzzing, rather than the pleasantries going on between my legs.

I’m not a prude at all, but since childhood, I, and most other women, have been inundated with the paradox that women are simultaneously supposed to be sexual beings and lack sexual knowledge.

These ideas have somehow manifested themselves in the way that women masturbate.

I’m speaking directly about women because a) it’s harder for women who use toys to be quiet compared to men who prefer manual stimulation and b) men have fewer sexual expectations thrust upon them (no

pun intended). We have all had that childhood conversation about masturbating where one or more of your friends denied ever doing it, claiming that it was gross, while those same conversations in groups of male friends resulted in high fives and trading secrets.

Why? I personally love orgasms and masturbating. Being a lesbian, getting in touch with my body allows me to be better in bed. It also allows me to feel more confident about myself.

The more comfortable I am with all parts of my body, the less shame I feel about it. I own six vibrators, and one of my favourite places to go shopping is an adult store. For me, buying a new sex toy is like Christmas morning, but the fear of my roommate overhearing me masturbate really puts a damper on the whole hot and bothered mood.

It’s time to put the shame to bed, turn up the vibrator to the highest speed, and moan away. If you’re a vocal person, it can be hard to feel comfortable when you don’t live alone, but not accepting this taboo that has been forced on us is the first step towards satisfaction. It’s hard to completely let loose and enjoy yourself when you have one ear on the other side of the

$ COSTUMES

door. If you do find it hard to get off when your roommate or parents are home, try the shower, non-battery-operated toys, or go old-school and get reintroduced to your hand.

Solo time should be between you, your body, and whatever medium you decide.

Clit stimulator, rabbit, suction dildo, g-spot vibrator, external, internal, bullet, whatever your vibrator preferences are, I hope that you’ll let it buzz loud and proud and have the orgasm of your life.

JON WHITE/ PHOTO EDITOR

14

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Did you know?

• • • • • • • • •

53% of women who masturbate use vibrators The first vibrator was created by Victorian doctors in an attempt to treat female hysteria through orgasm More than 41% of people have been caught masturbating The longest female orgasm recorded was 43 seconds long Masturbating is seen as an effective tool to ease getting to sleep There are apparently 341 euphemisms for female masturbation 26% of women masturbate more than twice a week 44% of female undergraduates masturbate an average of 4.7 times per month Masturbation can ease menstrual cramps

20

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The Silhouette

Thursday, October 30, 2014

Bitten by the Vampire bug

We profile the scariest video games of 2014

PAGE 22

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Review: Hyperbole and a Half The Verdict

MUSIC

OCT 31 NOV 1 NOV 2 NOV 3

HOMEGROWN HAMILTON > The Marla’s

NOV 1

THIS AIN’T HOLLYWOOD > The Supersucker > Metal Mondays > Open Stage > Bump City

NOV 1 NOV 3 NOV 4 NOV 5

MOVIES

Westdale Theatre > Grand Budapest Hotel

OCT 21-30

MUSEUMS

AGH > The

Still Lifes of Paul Cezanne

21

ANDY heads to Toronto to catch Listen Up Philip

This week’s quick picks

THE CASBAH > Monster Mashup > Risky Business VI > The Saints Are Coming > Mounties

www.thesil.ca

NOV 1

Drake “How About Now” Every Drake release incites the same reaction on twitter.

While most of the takes are blindly positive, there are always a few naysayers. Without fail, these people manage to feel personally aggrieved that Drake didn’t #actually start from the bottom and that he doesn’t fit the bill of tough guy rapper that most pubescents (or those who still haven’t mentally matured) want to have in their lives. “How About Now” is what these people would call “soft”, but most others would dub vulnerable in a way that’s real. I mean, we’ve all driven our girls to their bar exams through the snow.

THE ANDY CHARTS

#

ALBUM TITLE

1

Monster

2

Start Together

3

Sell Sole

4

Ruins

5

Sea When Absent

6

Picture You Staring

7

In LA We Trust 2

8

With A Little Help From My Fwends

9

Secret Songs

10

“Welcome To New York” still

Meow The Jewels purrs into life Killer Mike and El-P are one of the best rap duos in recent memory as Run The Jewels. Now, they are broadening their reach to include the feline community.

Having met a Kickstarter goal, the pair will remix RTJ 2 with “all cat sounds for the music.”

An excerpt from Hyperbole and a Half, a book that started as a way to procrastinate.

Alex Florescu Staff Reporter

Hyperbole and a Half is a fantastic book. If you don’t believe me, read the back cover.

Allie Brosh is witty, funny and honest. Reading her book made me want to be her best friend.

She has an uncanny ability to portray even the most touchy and raw of human emotions through humour.

What’s even better, Hyperbole is a real-life adult picture book. Except don’t expect Picasso, because what you are going to find is doodles. Lots and lots of doodles. Pay attention to these doodles, they are as important to the stories as the words themselves. They are funny and ridiculous but you can’t ever take them too seriously.

Allie originally started off as a blog writer, as a way to procrastinate for a physics exam

(sound familiar?) but did not go unnoticed for long. In 2013, Advertising Age named her one of the fifty most influential creative figures in the world. That same year, her book Hyperbole and a Half came out. It is a collection of a few of her best blog posts, along with several new stories. When a friend gifted it to me for Christmas last year, I could barely wait to get home from our dinner out and crack it open.

It’s the kind of book you don’t get enough of, and I read it all in one sitting. However, it is also the kind of novel you can work your way through chapter by chapter, as each is a standalone story. Whatever your preferred method, it is definitely a top pick I would recommend to anyone. Aside from the pretty frequent use of swear words, which aren’t necessarily in everyone’s comfort zone, this book

really could do no wrong. Especially for those who feel as if they are going through a tough time, this is the novel to lift your spirits and make you realize that there really are others out there with the same insecurities and worries as you. Those people just happen to be Allie Brosh, the kind of girl who writes a story about cake and pulls it off.

You can tell Allie is smart.

The uses-big-words-but-doesn’tknow-it kind of smart. But she is also so down to earth. From recounting stories of testing her dog’s IQ to tackling topics like depression, you will laugh so hard your stomach hurts and cry like Allie’s pain is yours.

Reading her book feels like talking to an old friend from your childhood. It just fits.

the

big tickle What’s your favourite Halloween candy?

Katia

“Kit-Kat”

Jose

“Snickers”

Coleen

“Kit-Kat”

Jennifer

“Kit-Kat”

Julianna

“Mars”

22

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andy

Review: Listen Up Philip

Thursday, October 30, 2014

A history of vampires Nimra Khan Contributor

Elizabeth Moss and Jason Schwartzman star in Listen Up Philip

between the two is often hard to bear, but necessary in better understanding the existential crisis Tomi Milos they are both going through.

ANDY Editor Ike has been equally fond of burning bridges in his own Listen Up Philip opens with an life as his daughter Melanie uncomfortable shot of its titular (Krysten Ritter) explains, so his character walking down a buscheerful accusation of Philip tling New York City street while as “selfish and unsentimental” an omniscient narrator explains has more of an approving ring that he is on his way to meet to it than anything else. Having an ex-girlfriend for lunch. The thrived under Ike’s counsel, shakiness of the camera makes Philip takes his emulation of Ike it hard to track Philip, played to hilarious extents, unbuttoning

by Jason the collar Schwartzman, of his unbut his true mistakable character is Band of Both men delight in revealed when Outsiders buying into the cliché he snaps at his oxfords ex for arriving just like of the self-sufficient late a few moIke does writer who doesn’t ments later. with his need company, but With his own shirts. second novel Both if that were the case, set to cement men why would they feel him as a delight the need to “rub two notable figure in buying in the literary into the sticks together and scene, Philip cliché make a fire?”

Lewis Friedof the man is both self-sufa full-time ficient writer and self-obsessed asshole. writer who doesn’t need comHe lives with his girlfriend, Ash- pany, but if that were the case, ley Kane (a brilliant Elizabeth why would they feel the need Moss), a photographer whose to “rub two sticks together and success he resents even though make a fire?” Melanie, a moody she has carried them financially character who Ritter seems to for much of their relationship. have played countless times, sees Although Philip has stifled right through the bullshit and Ashley when she has had the calls out the circlejerk for what chance to shoot big campaigns, it really is. he jumps at the chance to take a Through his connections, creative opportunity himself.

Ike gets Philip a job as a creative After befriending Ike Zimwriting instructor at a small libmerman (Jonathan Pryce), his eral college. While keen to conliterary idol, Philip takes up the gratulate Philip on his new post older writer’s offer to move to and novel, the faculty quickly his upstate country house inturn against him at the promptdefinitely to focus on his work. ing of Yvette Dussart (Joséphine With little regard for Ashley’s de La Baume), an academic who feelings on being left alone all doesn’t find Philip deserving summer, Philip promptly packs of his new job. Having worked his bags and is gone. Moss plays for years to get to where she is, Ashley very emotionally, throw- Yvette is loath to see a newcoming Schwartzman’s own iciness er waltz into the college’s midst into sharper relief. The tension and supplant her as the youngest

“

faculty member. Yvette’s hatred is further compounded by the fact that she recognizes Philip’s talent when reading his novels.

Predictably, the two end up in a tryst. Even more predictably, they soon separate when Yvette finds that Philip is even more insidious than she thought.

Throughout all this, we gain a better sense of what it means to have lived with a destructive artist, as Ashley struggles to pick up the pieces of her life in New York. With Ashley’s compassion towards her new cat a more positive emotional outpouring than anything Philip has ever shown, we are truly made aware of how ridiculous he is. It is only a pity that Ashley and Melanie don’t meet to discuss how the men in their lives have hurt them.

One gripe I have is that watching this film wouldn’t encourage anyone to think that New York is the multicultural metropolis that it is. In a sea of white, buttoned-up actors, the few inclusions of black characters come as a slap in the face with the model, photographer, and unruly student all rising to question Philip’s authority only to be quickly put in what the film would have us believe is their place.

While taking up familiar settings in New York and a typical college campus respectively, Listen Up Philip marks a big step forward in director Alex Ross Perry’s career. Perry’s third feature film serves to debunk rather than perpetuate the myth that an artist can go through life hurting everyone they meet without facing the consequences. The audience is made to see through a fascinating display of dark misanthropic humour that if we separate the artist from their work (ahem, Woody Allen), we risk giving them free reign to ruin the lives of others. @tomimilos

We tend to forget why certain ideas about Halloween and monsters have taken root in our culture, but it’s interesting to take a step back and explore their history. Vampires have existed for centuries and there’s a version of them in almost all civilizations. Across the globe, vampires were one of the original scare stories who, despite the fear we often associate with them, were presented as alluring, sexual, and the price paid for a body forever young.

For Western society, the most popular image of vampires from Transylvania is rooted in the story of Vlad the Impaler.

The son of Dracul (meaning dragon or devil) Vlad inherited the patronymic name Dracula, which later inspired the naming of Bram Stoker’s now iconic villain in 1897. This name was fitting given the horrific acts

of torture Vlad the Impaler inflicted on people, making his likeness perfect for the name of a bloodthirsty and soulless character. However, it wasn’t until the emergence of vampire movies in the early 20s and 30s that Dracula became a part of popular culture.

Vampires originally represented fears linked to being corrupted by the devil, making holy water the perfect weapon against these creatures. Events of great fear, such as the Black Death, encouraged the idea of them even more. At a time when fear was abundant, even things of now common knowledge about fingernails and hair appearing to grow after death caused people to blame vampires as a source of unexplainable phenomena. To those in the past it was the devil’s work, and maybe all that had to be done was to purify those who were infected.

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Thursday, October 30, 2014

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2014’S TOP 5 MUST-PLAY

23

Michael Gallagher Asst. ANDY Editor

PC HORROR GAMES SCP -087-B

ONE LATE

NIGHT

ALIEN: ISOLATION

FIVE NIGHTS AT

AMONG

THE SLEEP

FREDDY’S

1

2

3

4

5 Price - Free Visuals – 6/10 Gameplay – 8/10 Story – 1/10 Scare Factor – 9/10 Based on the popular stories surrounding the fictional SCP organization, SCP-087-B takes advantage of people’s fear of claustrophobic environments and forces players to navigate through dark, cramped corridors without a weapon to defend them.

The game is incredibly simple in design, as the player is only able to move down the stairs and hallways the game presents to you, but the fear factor is still very real. While the game doesn’t offer much in the way of story, its simple concept and effective game design makes it a quick and highly effective scare for anyone looking for that coveted rush of adrenaline.

Price – Free Visuals - 8/10 Gameplay – 7/10 Story – 6/10 Scare Factor – 8/10 Much like SCP-087-B, One Late Night plays up humans natural fear of enclosed spaces, but does so within the familiar environment of an office workspace.

The story follows an unnamed graphic design employee who experiences a strange and terrifying series of events. This office setting is easy for anyone to familiarize themselves with and the story is fairly easy to get involved in. Moreover, for a free game the graphics are very impressive, offering more than enough variation in visuals.

Unfortunately, where the game struggles is in its level design. One Late Night offers too little direction when exploring its spooky office environment, leaving the player frustrated at times where they can’t find out what to do to advance the plot. Still, the game makes up for it by producing genuinely terrifying moments, making it a must-play for fans of a good scare and undoubtedly the best free horror game this year.

Price - $60 Visuals – 9.5/10 Gameplay – 8/10 Story – 8/10 Scare Factor – 8/10 One of the few big-budget titles on this list, Alien: Isolation is a first-person survival-horror game that exists within the fictional universe of the Alien films. What makes it so compelling is the game’s ability to create a unique universe that perfectly mirrors its source material. As soon as you start Alien: Isolation, players immediately feel like they have entered the universe of the films, only adding to the terror the game provides. The only drawback of the game is that the random nature of the alien “Xenomorph” can be more frustrating than it is fun. For those looking for a longer story-based experience – albeit it at a steeper price – check out Alien: Isolation.

“

What makes it so compelling is the games ability to create a unique universe that perfectly mirrors its source material.

Price - $5 on steam Visuals – 6/10 Gameplay – 10/10 Story – 7/10 Scare Factor – 8/10 One of the most innovative horror games since the indie hit Slender: The 8 Pages is this year’s release of Five Nights at Freddy’s.

The story revolves around an employee named Mike Schmidt who takes a job at the fictional pizza place “Freddy Fazbear’s Pizza” (think Chuck-E-Cheese).

As the game soon reveals, the animatronic animals inside the store come to life, making many children’s nightmares come true.

This $5 title knows exactly what it wants to be and effectively produces real scares despite its simple mechanics.

By utilizing a point-and-click style, the game has a surprising amount of depth and strategy that offers players far more hours of excitement than the $5 price tag entails. While the story is fairly simple, I feel the point of Five Nights at Freddy’s isn’t to engross players into a fictional universe, so it becomes less of an issue. Instead, Five Nights at Freddy’s should be seen as an easy horror gaming experience that effectively scares anyone who boots it up. Five Nights at Freddy’s is a simple, but addictive horror game that leaves the player wanting more after they conquer each night.

Price - $20 on steam Visuals – 9/10 Gameplay – 9/10 Story – 10/10 Scare Factor – 7/10 While many titles on this list offer exciting new ways to engage the player, none do it quite as effectively as Among the Sleep.

The game takes the perspective of a young toddler who explores eerie worlds created by its own imagination, as the player unravels the fears and struggles of the child’s home life through various memories. Without giving too much away, what makes Among the Sleep deserving of our number one spot is that it succeeds in so many different areas of game design. The story is fantastic, and is one of the only games that left me hungry to find out the plot the whole way through.

Moreover, the game does not suffer from the same navigational errors that plagued One Late Night as the game effectively balances level of difficulty and level of frustration perfectly. Because of this, I never felt bored while playing Among the Sleep, and also never felt lost for too long. Visually the game is immediately engrossing, and does justice to the wild imagination of the toddler you play.

Each world feels unique, and the games antagonist does a great job of keeping you frightened.

One of the only faults of the game is its relatively short length, as it is roughly two hours long, which to some doesn’t justify the $20 price tag. Despite this, the amount of scares and genuine sense of adventure the game offers is more than enough to put this game at the number one spot. If there is any horror game you play this year, it has to be Among the Sleep.

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