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SRA TAKES A NEGATIVE STANCE ON VICE PRESIDENT AT-LARGE PAGE 4
Students will have another opportunity to decide on vice-presidential reform. The SRA recommends voting no. Why? Page 5
ARTS & CULTURE NIQUE A contemporary Canadian restaurant opens on James St. N Page 13
OPINION ONLY ARMS Debating the Pulse's dress code Page 9-10
SPORTS WOMEN'S RUGBY Gearing up for the playoffs ready to defend their OUA and CIS championships Page 17
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Thursday, October 20, 2016 McMaster University’s Student Newspaper
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In 1974, the Silhouette ran a special editorial issue titled “MSU in crisis.” At the time, the Student Representative Assembly was looking to cut costs and suggested cutting the salaries of Sil staff. The entire issue slammed the SRA, calling them “incompetent” and “ignorant.” The above picture is an article summarizing student feedback, in which the Sil is called “a real pile of shit.” The 1970s were lit.
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www.thesil.ca | Thursday, Oct. 20, 2016
The Silhouette
| 3
News Hamilton marches in solidarity SACHA held its annual march in downtown Hamilton, in support of survivors of sexual assault and gender-based violence Sasha Dhesi News Editor
On Oct. 13, women and women-identified folk took to the streets of Hamilton in support of survivors of sexual assault and gender-based violence during the Sexual Assault Centre of Hamilton and Area’s annual march, Take Back the Night. The march aims to encourage women and women-identified folk to reclaim their right to safety. Due to the nature of the march, SACHA requested only women and women-identified people take part in the march, and encouraged male allies to participate by congregating in Gore Park and cheering there. The march began at Hamilton City Hall and looped around King Street. Women took over the streets for the night, marching, drumming, and dancing while carrying signs bearing slogans such as “stop the violence” and “break the silence”. In order to maintain accessibility, SACHA also offered an HSR and DARTS bus for those who were not able to march, C/O SACHA HAMILTON
in an effort to keep the event accessible for as many people as possible. Despite occurring during McMaster’s Reading Week, many students still attended to support SACHA, both as volunteers and as marchers. “Every time I turned around to look at the people marching behind me I had an overwhelming view of so many amazing and inspiring signs and people and artwork, it was amazing,” said Monica Sadri-Gerrior, a second-year Biology and Psychology student. “I can honestly say I was blown away by the energy folks brought to the walk, and how much solidarity I could feel from women, but also non-binary folks, and the male allies that came out to support us,” said Lainey Stirling, a fourthyear Health Sciences student and Coordinator of the Women and Gender Equity Network who attended the march. While WGEN has no official affiliation with the march, the service consistently supports SACHA during the march. “People ask me why we don’t have a [Take Back the
Night] every year run by WGEN. I think what SACHA’s doing right now in Hamilton is an amazing way to bring students and the community together and they are doing an amazing job,” said Stirling. “One of my favourite parts of the march was also seeing some of the men with signs cheering us from the sidewalks, it was really heartwarming,” said Sadri-Gerrior. Stirling expressed the importance of male allies at events such as these. “I think it’s important for male allies and allies to the campus sexual assault issue realize that folks in the march see you cheering on from the sides,” said Stirling. “Your role to be there for the women and non-binary folks in your communities, even if you’re not marching.” While Take Back the Night is over, those who need support can access SACHA by visiting their headquarters at 75 MacNab St. South, or call their 24-hour support hotline at (905)-525-4162. @SashaDhesi
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4 |
NEWS
Thursday, Oct. 20, 2016 | www.thesil.ca
Hackin’ it in Hamilton
A new competition created by McMaster students aims to solve problems in the local community Steven Chen News Reporter
A McMaster University student initiative seeks to unlock the full potential of the Hamilton community while fostering a slick competitive vibe. Hack the City is an interdisciplinary case competition centred around bringing students closer to the city by raising challenges pertaining to three main sectors: health and technology, transportation and energy sustainability. The initiative is the brainchild of Daniel “Tuba” D’Souza, a fourth-year Biochemistry student and founder and Co-Director and Sarah Saliba, McMaster alumna and Co-Director. “The idea sprung around nine months ago—going through my own educational experiences, I realized that there weren’t really enough opportunities for me to apply my education to situations that occur in the real world,” said D’Souza. In its inaugural year, the project aims to give a chance for students to apply the content they have learned in the classroom to relevant, real-life scenarios. The delegate application process ends Oct. 21, with 100 students from McMaster and 20 from Mohawk/Redeemer College to be selected for the competition. Teams of four to five students will be formed in January and will be given a month and a half to devise an innovative strategy for the multi-round case competition later in March. “One of the exciting things about Hack the City is that it is interdisciplinary in nature. The cases themselves are focused around developments in Hamilton, so not only will students be interacting with businesses in a mentorship and learning capacity over the two months before the actual event, the cases themselves will all be Hamilton focused… requiring perspective from all faculties,” said Mithunan Ravindran, a third year
“I realized that there weren’t really enough opportunities for me to apply my education to situations that occur in the real world,” Daniel “Tuba” D’Souza, Founder of Hack the City Health Sciences student and the Logistics Coordinator. Hack the City is partnering with some of the most prominent organizations in the city, notably Hamilton Health Sciences, IBM, Hamilton Chamber of Commerce and Hamilton Utilities Corporation. The case competition revolves around addressing challenges that these institutions are currently facing. One of the biggest challenges that executive team faced in achieving Hack the City was the need to make the city of Hamilton more appealing to students. “Working within the McMaster bubble, it can be very difficult to appreciate the amazing things that are going on in Hamilton more generally,” D’Souza said. Ravindran added that the contrary is true with Hamilton businesses as well, citing that institutions do not take students seriously in their ability to contribute to society. “One of the biggest challenges [with Hack the City] was establishing enough support and gathering enough important partners within the community for people to realize that this initiative is something that we are taking very seriously and can have an outcome,” he said. “During the case competition, [students] are going to be thinking very critically about these issues, and at the same time understanding how they are making the city better in a really tangible way.” @steven6chen
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www.thesil.ca | Thursday, Oct. 20, 2016
NEWS
| 5
SRA takes a stand
For the second time this calendar year, students will vote on vice-presidential reform. The Student Representative Assembly took a negative stance, urging students to vote no Scott Hastie Editor-in-Chief
It is the governance issue that keeps on giving. Vice-presidential election reform is back in the student politics spotlight after a petition was submitted to vice-president (Administration) earlier this year calling for VPs to be elected by the student body. At the Oct. 16 meeting, the Student Representative Assembly debated what stance to take and why. The discussion lasted two hours, and ultimately, the SRA recommends students vote no to vice-presidential reform. We explore the issue and arguments made. Negative stance on vice-president at-large referendum After two hours of discussion, the SRA took a negative stance on the topic. This means the SRA is recommending that students maintain the current system, where vice-presidents are elected by the SRA. According to McMaster Students Union policy, the SRA must take a positive, neutral or negative stance on constitutional amendments. At-large vice-presidential elections have been part of the MSU conversation for years. In 2016, there was a vice-president referendum question put on the MSU Presidential ballot after an SRA member went to the 2015 MSU General Assembly – where most
[These three democratic reform committees] recommended continuing to elect VPs in the internal process. Blake Oliver Vice-president (Education) McMaster Students Union
attendees were there for the Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions movement – and submitted a motion to make vice-presidents elected by the student body. This move was met with social media backlash from some members of that SRA, but students voted overwhelmingly in favour of the motion. However, the vote did not have quorum, so the motion went to the SRA. The Student Mobilization Syndicate, a student group started in 2015 that aims to educate and empower students to advocate for themselves, ensured the referendum question would be on the ballot by circulating a petition and getting over 800 signatures. Under the MSU governance structure, petitions that get three per cent of the student population’s signatures are brought to referendum. The 2015-16 SRA chose to take a neutral stance on this issue, though the decision was contentious, with the MSU President saying he wanted the group to take a stance. Despite 66.4 per cent of voters choosing “yes”, the referendum failed. Constitutional amendments require a 66.7 per cent vote to pass. Of the 9,478 votes, 2,567 students abstained. The call for nominations for SRA positions runs from Oct. 19-27, and official campaign sides will be announced. There is a strong belief within MSU circles that there will be an official campaign that urges students to “vote yes” for the referendum, but there is less optimism about an official “vote no” side.
conversation. Since 2012, there has been three different committees struck at the SRA level to investigate our democratic reform: one in 2012-13, one in 2013-14 and most recently in 2015-16,” said Oliver. “[These three committees] recommended continuing to elect VPs in the internal process, with some modifications that were made this year.” Oliver also noted other reasons for taking a negative stance: voter fatigue, at-large systems turning into popularity contests, the lack of student understanding of what the vice-president roles are and “communications from the student body”. But Oliver discussed the role of sexism in an at-large system at length, noting that three women have been elected MSU President in the history of the union. As the seconder, MacDonald made the argument that SRA members spend 15-25 hours talking to vice-president candidates ahead of the internal election, therefore creating a rigorous hiring process. He also noted that at-large elections could negatively impact the effectiveness of the MSU. “What happens when a vice-president (Education) is elected at-large with a completely different approach to advocacy than the president? I can tell you what’s going to happen. They are going to disagree all the time and nothing is going to get done,” said MacDonald.
Why take a negative stance?
Not all SRA members believed that the group should take a negative stance. Esra Bengizi, SRA Humanities and a former manager of the “vote yes” to vice-president reform side during the 2016 presidential campaign, introduced a motion for the SRA to stay neutral on the subject. “I thought that it would be best to stay neutral that way we’re not influencing students how to vote, and they can make
The motion was introduced by vice-president (Education) Blake Oliver and seconded by vice-president (Finance) Ryan MacDonald. Oliver opened the conversation with her arguments about why the SRA should take a negative stance. “Changing the process of electing VPs has not been a new
Making the argument for a neutral stance
their own educated decision. Although I did speak in favour of VP at large several times, I thought it wasn’t in our position to tell students how to vote on this issue especially after seeing the results from last year,” said Bengizi, referring to 66.4 per cent of the voters voting “yes” to reform. Bengizi was also critical of the decision because of the way it reflects the SRA. Not all SRA members agreed on this issue, so making the SRA take a stance creates an unfair characterization of what some members think. The SRA Humanities rep also believes the decision to take a negative stance “confirms the nepotism that we’ve been talking about”. There is a belief amongst some who follow MSU politics that the current system reinforces the MSU bubble, meaning that people who are elected to vice-president positions have been working or involved with the union for years. Bengizi was not alone in her desire to take a neutral stance. MSU president Justin
I thought it wasn’t our place to tell students how to vote on the issue especially after seeing results from last year. Esra Bengizi SRA Humanities Monaco-Barnes and vice-president (Administration) Shaarujaa Nadarajah both took a neutral stance, as well as some other SRA members. This SRA meeting was not intended to be a debate between the “vote yes” and “vote no” sides, but there were compelling arguments made about the issue. Video of the discussion can be found on the McMaster Students Union Livestream account, and the conversation starts around the 2:57:00 mark. @Scott1Hastie
PRESIDENT’S PAGE
BLAKE OLIVER Vice President (Education) vped@msumcmaster.ca 905.525.9140 x24017
One of my favourite parts of my job is policy. When I say that, I know how it sounds. Policy is practically a synonym for boring – technical, dry, tedious – and I know it isn’t every student’s dream to spend their days thinking about policy. But I’d like to change that.
Policies, as boring as they may sound, create change in a real way. Within the MSU, policy is everything. For my job especially, as an advocate for students, everything I do is based on a directive from students. Often, this directive comes in the form of a lobbying policy. Lobbying policies are, at their core, a list of fundamental principles, concerns, and recommendations regarding student life. For instance, in the
October 19, 2016 | thesil.ca
MSU’s policy paper on Tuition & Post-Secondary Education Affordability, the MSU formally takes a stance against tuition increases. These types of policies are what give weight to our lobbying efforts towards the University and government. The Ontario government’s recent decision to dramatically expand financial aid for low-income families was directly influenced by a lobbying policy written by the Ontario Undergraduate Students Alliance. Policies, as boring as they may sound, create change in a real way. This year, one of my platform points was to engage more students in our policy work. The way this has unfolded is in a new initiative called MSU Policy Conference. The first ever Policy Conference is happening Saturday, November 12, and registration is now open. What the Policy Conference will be is essentially an opportunity for students to provide their perspective and feedback on what the MSU is asking the university for. This term, we are looking at three specific topics: Sexual and Gender Diversity, International Students, and Ancillary Fees. Students don’t have to be an expert on these topics to come - they just have to be willing to participate in the conversation. Delegates for the conference will be provided with draft policies in advance of the conference for an opportunity to learn more about each topic. As well, training will be provided on conference day to ensure that delegates have an understanding and the tools needed to critically engage in discussions.
In addition to policy discussion, there will also be an opportunity for students to learn about how the MSU advocates on their behalf, how to get involved further with advocacy on campus, and to hear from some pretty cool guest speakers (including our very own Dean of Students, Sean Van Koughnett) about
how the University can use student feedback to implement real change on campus. I am so excited to hear from students about what they want to see the MSU advocate for. Registration is open until Wednesday, November 2 at noon. Be sure to register at msumcmaster.ca/policycon.
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The President’s Page is a space sponsored and used by the McMaster Students Union (MSU) Board of Directors (BoD) to communicate with the student body. It functions to highlight the Board’s projects, goals, and agenda for the year, as well as the general happenings of the MSU.
www.thesil.ca | Thursday, Oct. 20, 2016
EDITORIAL
| 7
Editorial Students deserve better than this A limited campaign window combined with the SRA’s early stance created an unbalanced conversation
Scott Hastie Editor-in-Chief
The SRA was wrong to take a stance on the at-large vicepresidential election question. Students should be pissed off about the way this referendum has been discussed. For the uninformed, members of the SRA, who are elected by students, currently elect the MSU’s vice-presidents. This issue was on the 2016 MSU presidential ballot, and the referendum narrowly failed. Of the 9,478 votes, 27.1 per cent were abstentions. Attempting to create a reason for that number is a fool’s game, but it is fair to say a large portion of students were so unsure of where they stood on this issue, they chose not to vote. The SRA’s voice matters here, because their stance goes on the ballot. If you’re sitting there, about to make a decision that you haven’t really done any research about, and there’s a little sentence that says “Hey, your elected group says you should choose option [x]” that can be influential. I understand that the SRA is more informed about student issues than the average voter, and there are times (like the Exclusive Club Card) where they should take a stance in order to help students. But should they be
influencing the voters in a case that directly impacts the power of the SRA? No. Students should be doing the research to determine how they want their government to operate, not being led by the governing body what is best for the system. Doing the research isn’t that easy to do this year, either. The referendum is being run during a by-election. The student petition that brought this issue to referendum specified that they put this on the November by-election ballot but there are different rules for by-elections. The campaigning period is only four days – Oct. 31-Nov 3 – instead of the typical duration of the presidential campaign. This means that “vote no” or “vote yes” sides have less time to discuss their viewpoints in a public space. The SRA voting to take a negative stance gives the would-be “vote no” campaign side a two-week head start. SRA Science released a video on their Facebook page, outlining each member’s decision and reasoning. While this is a transparent way of communicating with constituents, it also creates an argument for the undecided voter without a counterargument. However, there may not be a “vote no” side. That makes it easier for those who want students to vote no, because if
you’re not on a campaign team, you have a greater freedom of speech. Is the elections committee going to punish someone for tweeting tomorrow about why they are voting no? The issues do not stop there. Four days is not enough time for students to get the whole picture, especially when the Silhouette - the main media source for student politics prints on weekly schedules. Campaign sides would be breaking the rules if a piece was published in Oct. 24 issue. The existence of these campaign teams is not supposed to be public knowledge until Oct. 27, the end of the nominations period. In theory, the Silhouette could post articles online at the start of the campaign period, but we have significantly more reach if we combine print and online. The Silhouette contacted the MSU elections office to see if there could be an exception made, since it makes sense that the student paper would feature opinion pieces on referendum questions. We did not receive a response. This is all bullshit. Students deserve better than a four-day campaign where the impacted group has a unique ability to influence the voter on the ballot. If the intention of the SRA’s stance is to inform students of what is best, there were better
solutions. So start doing your research now. Look up the pros and cons of each side, talk to your friends about it, and see what your friends at other universities think about their system. The Silhouette published Opinion pieces on the issue in January 2016: just search “VP referendum” on thesil.ca. I want a fair referendum to
happen, not one that follows these rules. If you have thoughts on the referendum questions, send an opinion piece to thesil@ thesil.ca. Campaign teams have to follow the four-day window but we do not. The student body can make up for where the SRA failed by starting a conversation in a balanced way, not by leading the conversation towards a certain decision.
to the mug life.
to Big Kale.
to no cold calls.
to figuring out a Halloween costume.
to the Buffalo Bills! I’m back in. to #34. to the scoville ghost pepper scale. to Gabi2. to cows on campus. to potato cardigans. to the death of Pumpkin Spice. It’s coming soon. to the return of the Raptors.
to the horrible Bills fans. to smoothie bowls in class. to belt loops. to rebrands. to 30 spins. to bell peppers. to the end of presidential debates. to the number of skunks in Westdale.
8 |
HUMANS
Thursday, Oct. 20, 2016 | www.thesil.ca
heavy the doors were. But when I wasn’t ill, I walked around no problem… run around like a crazy person and now, I’m the one that takes forever to get somewhere.
Lena Pignatelli Master’s of Nursing Graduate
I used to live in Hedden Hall and I used to walk to the Health Sciences Centre. No problem in first year. Nowadays, to do that hike, it’s dreadful. Imagine doing that with all your textbooks, walking back and forth. It’s an absolute nightmare with my cane. My illness gets worse with the cold. Even just walking from the bus stop to HSC would progressively slow
down my mobility and would not be able to move. Sitting in the lecture, I think, “Am I really focused? Am I really obtaining all the information? Am I participating fully or am I focusing on the pain?”
How would you define a disability?
Being diagnosed with diabetes at the age of 4, I thought why? As anyone would, I questioned why would such a horrible thing would happen to someone so young. However after years of reflection, I came to realize that
I would define it as the following: a disability is a diagnosed condition that impairs ones ability to live a normal life. I came to define a disability in this way after being diagnosed with diabetes 16 years ago. I personally don’t define myself as disabled and hold a very negative connotation to this word. Growing up being diabetic I felt it truly was a disability but as time progressed and I understood it more and more I no longer viewed it as such. It has become a part of who I am, in essence a part of my identity. It does not hold me back, it is something I am not ashamed of or scared to discuss. Diabetes has shaped me into the person I am today and I wouldn’t change one thing. People have asked me when I say that, “If you could live a life without diabetes would you?” My response is always the same. No matter how scary some days can be and how hard it is to be a diabetic, what it has taught me are invaluable lessons about people, community, and myself. As a diabetic, I do not see myself having a disability. I can live and lead the same life as anyone else.
I was so angry that I had to prove people wrong. Just because of all of the stigma and even the people - how they
treat you when you first walk in. You walk in with no cane, everything is fine. No problem. You walk in with a cane, and they look at you like you have the plague. Everywhere you go and travel, they look at you literally… like you have the plague. That’s very difficult. Like holding doors…you wouldn’t believe how heavy the doors are and I didn’t recognize how
this curse was really a blessing. I assume you’ve heard of the saying that everything happens for a reason. While one cannot see that reason in right now, I really believe that true benefit
You are in your bubble when you are in school. You just wanna do everything that you want to do. You want to focus on school, and your friends that are here. This is McMaster down here in Westdale. I find that no one really looks out anymore and are mindful of what’s going around them. I feel like there is not enough understanding because people are not mindful of the society. I think that people don’t recognize the negative effects that it has when they look at someone with a disability and basically can tell that they are judging them. You can look at someone’s eyes and you know what’s going on in their head. I went from thinking about studying 24/7 to now having to will become apparent in the future. It took me nearly 15 years to see the benefit of being a diabetic. It has shaped me into the person I am today, through my experiences and my interactions, I feel that overall, I am in
worry about my illness. It just shows how much more individuals who acquire accommodations need to juggle. Individuals with accommodations can also go to school, can work, and they can volunteer… and we don’t have to be pitied.
facebook.com/ HumansOfMcMaster
a better place then I would have otherwise been.
Yung Lee Photo Reporter
Luke Little Commerce Level III
YUNG LEE/ PHOTO REPORTER
www.thesil.ca | Thursday, Oct. 20, 2016
The Silhouette
| 9
Opinion McMaster’s undergrad resources Better engagement should be a higher priority
MADELINE NEUMANN / PHOTO EDITOR
Shane Madill Opinion Editor
I don’t know what I’m doing for Halloween. I don’t know what the weekend will consist of, what life after my next midterm will be like or what’s for breakfast tomorrow morning. “I’m keeping my options open,” was usually my response whenever someone asked about my plans for life after McMaster. While this is true enough, it was a cop-out answer that really meant short-term goals, school or work related, were taking priority over the intimidating reality of how I want to define myself after university. It’s difficult to think about a year or more in advance when your day-to-day challenges are current and more obvious. It’s too easy to get caught up in the present. If it weren’t for the pestering of nearly everyone I knew and a coinci-
dental Avenue notification in one of my classes detailing an upcoming grad school information session, it is very unlikely that the idea of preparing for post-McMaster would have occurred to me. While McMaster has a substantial amount of resources related to preparing students for the inevitable, the worry is simply that the university doesn’t do a good enough job promoting these. On Oct. 18, 19 and 20, there is a “Continuing Education Fair” in the MUSC Marketplace. Between Oct. 11 and Oct. 17, a total of eight posts were made between the Facebook and Twitter accounts of the McMaster Student Success Centre about the event. It doesn’t show up on any of the main McMaster University social media accounts, and it doesn’t show up on any of the events calendars on the McMaster Daily News, the McMaster Alumni website
or the McMaster site. The chances of you finding out about the event were about the likelihood you happened to follow one specific subset of McMaster related content and were coincidentally one of the impressions. Why should you care about the event when McMaster barely seems to? With over 70 post-graduate representatives showing up, you would think there would be more of an effort to ensure current students know what’s happening. While the MUSC Marketplace has heavy traffic, it does not account for students who may not have classes close by enough to stumble on the event. It certainly doesn’t help that workshops at the fair require registration on OSCARplus too, so a student finding out about it last minute may not be able to participate. Maybe there’s an overreliance on hoping the initial “apply for graduation” option on
It is disheartening to see constant news about McMaster alumni and their successes, but so little about how to actually achieve similar success. Mosaic suddenly sparking motivation. The logic that post-university is inevitable and thus should be considered is fine on paper, but often fails when life right now is so prominent. I’m simply not sure if the university assumes students will find out about events through their own means and drive, or if they don’t actually care
about pushing the community towards becoming productive alumni. It is disheartening to see constant news about McMaster alumni and their successes, but so little about how to actually achieve similar success. The most tragic part is I have absolutely no idea what other events or resources I have missed as a graduating student because I wasn’t in the know, didn’t follow the right niche on social media or didn’t see a poster in a hallway I’ve never gone down. While the university has prepared me for the future education-wise, I feel like the university has let me down when considering the lack of importance placed on how to actually use this education. All it would take are a couple more reminders about what McMaster is already providing to its students. @shanemadill
10 |
OPINION
Thursday, Oct. 20, 2016 | www.thesil.ca
The Pulse’s dress code
Sweaty cotton tees and feeling awkward about lifting? No thanks, let me show my shoulders Melanie Yin SHEC Contributor
This year, I got a Pulse membership. I’ve been very pleased with my decision thus far, but one part has been worrisome: the no sleeves rule. The requirement that students wear a full shirt with sleeves at all times has been in place, puzzling students,
since the early 2000s. The reasoning behind the policy is that people who are new to the gym feel insecure and intimidated when they see how fit and muscular other people are. As someone who is very new to gyms, I certainly understand feeling like someone is going to call me out as an imposter who does not belong in an environment where people understand how to work bench presses. However, I have to say that I can tell that everyone around me is way more ripped than I am, even when they are wearing sleeves. That extra bit of fabric does nothing to hide the fact that the bodies of other people are much more toned and well-muscled than my own. I also wonder about the arbitrary
decision to enforce dress codes on one small portion of our bodies, but not others. How are long sleeves so different from long pant legs? The premise of the argument in favour of the dress code is confusing. Regardless, I still feel self-conscious and awkward
and out-of-place. Furthermore, the athletics manager who made the no sleeves decision back in the early 2000s clearly did not consider the fact that it is difficult for women to find exercise clothes that are not tank tops. As a result, instead of wearing exercise clothes that wick your sweat away, I am left in the unfortunate position of wearing cotton tees with sleeves that
develop pit stains. No one wants to see pit stains. This is something that discourages me, and potentially other students,
from enjoying workouts. Instead, why not let McMaster see my shoulders? I’ve demonstrated the lack of effectiveness of the no sleeves rule in reducing anxieties. If we’re aiming to actually reduce anxieties around working out,
why not have specific hours for “gym noobs” like myself? We could meet other gym noobs and crack jokes about how shocked our parents were when we decided to get memberships. Maybe we’d meet up beforehand and enter the gym together with other noobs during regular hours. There are many policies that would actually aid in reducing anxiety and increase the confidence of people new to working out, but the no sleeves rule is not one of them. Let us have more comfortable, less embarrassingly sweaty workouts. Not everybody will choose to wear tank tops, but give us the choice.
OPINION
www.thesil.ca | Thursday, Sept. 15, 2016
| 11
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T W E LV E I G H T Y OW N S T H U R S DAYS .
Should the no sleeves rule stay? Two contributors debate
THURS, OCT. 20
Evidence-based policy works. Keep the rules Yifan Yang SHEC Contributor
If you’ve been to the Pulse, then you already know about the no sleeves rule. According to the terms and conditions of the Athletics & Recreation website, “a full shirt with sleeves must be worn. Halter tops, tank tops, shirts bearing midriff or torn shirts are not permitted.” This rule has sparked a lot of controversy, and many people seem to be confused and frustrated when they first learn of it — myself included. This prompted me to research how the policy came to be. Starting in the early 2000s, the Pulse implemented the no sleeves rule as a response to a growing body of evidence on factors affecting emotions such as anxiety during exercise. In 1989, Wake Forest University developed “The Measurement of Social Physique Anxiety,” a scale measuring “the degree to which people become anxious when others observe or evaluate their physiques.” The authors found that revealing clothing negatively affected the exerciser’s sense of security. These findings were supported by various studies following it, including ones led by McMaster’s very own Kathleen Martin Ginis, a professor
and principal investigator in the Department of Kinesiology. The conclusion based on scientific, reproducible evidence is that people are more secure and more likely to exercise if those around them are dressed in a less revealing way. Now, this raises the question of what the Pulse’s goal is with respect to their users. Is the goal to cater to already avid gym-goers, or is it to increase accessibility for those who may be new to the gym or intimidated by the environment? In a previous interview with the Silhouette, Prof. Martin Ginis said,“McMaster has a very lofty goal for getting high levels of participation and attendance at DBAC… they’re not just interested in getting the usual gym rats there… they want people to start [and continue] being physically
active.” Personally, the sea of machines I don’t know how to use and everyone else there seeming to know exactly what they’re
Is the goal to cater to already avid gym-goers, or is it to increase accessibility for those who may be new to the gym or intimidated by the environment? doing is intimidating enough. Given the evidence in support of limiting revealing clothing to reducing exercise anxiety, I commend the Pulse for using evidence to inform policy that removes one layer of the barriers that prevent Mac students from active lifestyles. When I first heard about this policy, I thought that it was completely ridiculous. I did not appreciate feeling that there was an infringement on my freedom to dress how I want to. And yes, I still agree that sometimes, a pit-stained cotton tee is just not what most want to sport after an intense workout. However, I’ve come to understand that this minor inconvenience is a small price to pay for the goal it hopes to achieve. We should remind ourselves that this dress code is rooted in evidence-based policy-making and works towards making McMaster facilities more accessible for those who may feel self-conscious or apprehensive towards the gym. The greater goal is for the McMaster community at large to take strides together towards healthier and more active lifestyles.
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OPINION
Thursday, Oct. 20, 2016 | www.thesil.ca
Ode to McMaster’s street art Finding creativity despite the stresses of midterms Elizabeth Ivanecky Contributor
Graffiti is vandalism — I won’t even begin to deny it, but it is also an important way for Mac students to artistically express themselves anonymously. With November just a couple of weeks away, the stress of midterm exams and assignments is here. What it doesn’t mean is dropping all of our creative energy and redirect it only towards our studying. The anonymity of graffiti art at Mac gives both freedom and power to the graffiti artist to speak their mind without the fear of their identity being discovered. “Have you seen the White Whale?” adapted to the context of McMaster from Herman Melville’s classic Moby Dick nearly covered Mac’s pavements over the summer and start of the school year by an anonymous chalk artist. Lines such as, “if all the buildings on campus were sea creatures, McMaster Hospital would be the Great Leviathan,” made you giggle a little at the unique comparisons of literary figures to familiar structures on Mac’s campus. While part of a larger thesis project, the drawings of whales incidentally brought back memories of finger painting and chalk drawing in kindergarten to me. They helped me forget about the world for a moment and live in the world of imagination. Chalk drawings around campus aren’t the only ways to share with others visually how you are feeling — writings on school property walls are rather fascinating. Whether on the walls at Mills library, on pages in a research book for a paper or even in the stairwells, reading an inspiring quote or encouraging words someone wrote for a stranger makes you feel connected for a moment to someone else’s lived experience. These snippets of life make you realize that we do not study in a vacuum at McMaster. You might be indifferent to these drawings and writings or refrain from calling them artwork, but individually and as a whole they share a story about a part of someone’s life that wanted and needed to be heard by others. For a brief moment, you acknowledged someone else’s existence as a creative
Frankly, I’ve learned in my own experience as an undergrad that the extra hour editing a paper won’t make much difference, but an hour spent posting a blog entry or making a homemade card for a friend will being and lived in their world of imagination. Interestingly enough, there is no written policy on persecuting graffiti artists or the illegality of the act itself. It only becomes concerning if the graffiti art depicts racial slurs or hate graffiti of any sort against a group or groups of individuals. While vandalism is still a crime, we could infer that there is little priority on getting rid of current street art and the positives it can bring. We are not alone in the midterm season or throughout semester for that matter. We may finish our work individually and alone at our crammed desks, but in the end we all have to slog through late nights, early mornings and some semblance of a weekend to complete our terms sanely. It’s easy at this time of year to adopt a narrow focus of going from class to library, finishing assignment after assignment and ultimately just getting from point A to point B. Frankly, I’ve learned in my own experience as an undergrad that the extra hour editing a paper won’t make much difference, but an hour spent posting a blog entry or making a homemade card for a friend will. I challenge you today to prove to yourselves that even with the heaviness of our textbooks in our bags and midterms looming in our minds that we are more than our student IDs and cumulative averages. Try leaving a kind note in an envelope or message in a bottle for someone to find on campus — at least you will have shown that schoolwork at Mac didn’t cramp your style.
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The Silhouette | 13
www.thesil.ca | Thursday, Oct. 20, 2016
Arts & Culture A (u)Nique dining experience New James St. N restaurant Nique prepares to open its doors with diverse menu Celia Kwan Contributor
After 16 years of cooking experience, Chef Harrison Hennick has decided to open his own restaurant along with co-owners Ryan Tracey and Gabby Gwyn-Neumann. Their contemporary Canadian restaurant, Nique, is set to open on Oct. 21, at James and Vine. “Canada is a bit of a mosaic culture and the menu kind of represents that - internationally inspired, using locally fresh products whenever possible, trying to represent all of that in the menu,” explained Tracey. “We like to take traditional foods from these cultures, not fuse them but shine a light on what those cultural foods are and serve them in our way, putting them in a Canadian presentation [while being] very specific to that cuisine,” said Hennick. Already a signature, the dish that best previews what’s to come is their sushi nachos. Made up of wonton chips, fresh Ahi tuna, puffed rice, pickled jalapenos, avocado, pickled red chillies, tobiko (flying fish roe), furikake (Japanese seasoning), scallions, spicy mayo and pickled ginger, this dish is essentially a tuna maki (rolled tuna sushi) on nachos. Not only does Nique’s menu showcase the mosaic of Canadian culture, but also represents Hennick’s story. Instead of thinking about current food trends, Hennick cooks from his heart, and looks to the people who have inspired the development of his craft. “[The menu] is a direct reflection of places I have travelled and… people I’ve worked for that have had impact on my life; there is always a dish or a sauce that has stuck with me and [the menu] is almost an homage and tribute to the people I’ve trained with and places I have worked at,” Hennick explained. The unorthodox name plays on the word “unique”, the
Top: Nique’s famed sushi nachos. Bottom: Interior mural by Street Art Hamilton. FACEBOOK @NIQUERESTAURANT
“[The menu] is a direct reflection of places I have travelled and… people I’ve worked for that have had impact on my life.” Harrison Hennick Nique Chef and co-owner name of the restaurant is a derivative of Hennick’s last name. For him, his restaurant is a tribute to his father and to his family, while also evoking Hennick’s personal attitude towards food and culture. “[It is] something very approachable, not pretentious, just a cool place that speaks to our style and our vibe,” explained Hennick. The restaurant has a laidback vibe, with lights and paint cans suspended from the ceil-
ing, a mural featuring Hamilton street art, picnic-style tables, and a sign from Hennick’s mother that says “Welcome to our beginning”. The eclectic but sophisticated space is able to maintain a comfortable, welcoming vibe. Hennick’s belief is that his restaurant is about being a family and providing a personable experience for diners, and the space really captures that spirit. Currently, the owners of Nique are coming off of their initial wave of open houses and previews before their grand opening date. They are excited to be part of the warm Hamilton community, but are also looking forward to being a part of the McMaster community. “We’re hoping that the McMaster community will gravitate to be here; we want [students] here, we want to support [them] and we want to do what we can to be part of the McMaster community as well.”
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A&C
Thursday, Oct. 20, 2016 | www.thesil.ca
AGH holds iconic film festival Check out these films and many others showing in diverse locations around the city Michelle Yeung A&C Reporter
The Art Gallery of Hamilton’s annual film festival is back for its eighth year and is featuring dozens of remarkable and decorated films from across the world. Check out some films in this year’s line-up that the Silhouette is most excited for and that you definitely do you want to miss.
Thursday, October 20, 2016 1. Sing Street 4:00 pm at Cineplex Cinemas Ancaster An official selection for the 2015 Toronto International Film Festival, 2015 London Film Festival and 2016 Sundance Film Festival, the John Carney directed Sing Street follows a teenager in 1985 Dublin who attempts to balance being the new kid at school, discord at home and a bright-eyed dream of becoming one of the most iconic rock stars of his era. We take a look at how the fledgling musician begins to write songs
and make DIY videos to how his confidence grows to fulfill his big dreams. 2. Ixcanul 9:00 pm at AGH Annex Director Jayro Bustamante takes audiences on a glorious ride in this stunning drama that expertly intertwines documentary and fable. An official selection of the 2015 Berlin International Film Festival and the 2015 Toronto International Film festival, this film features two young Mayan lovers who attempt to escape from a remote Guatemalan coffee plantation to live their lives in the United States, a land they believe where dreams come true.
Friday, October 21, 2016 1. Driving with Selvi 7:00 pm at AGH Joey and Tanenbaum Pavillion Driving with Selvi dives deep into India’s patriarchal culture with a former child bride named Selvi who found herself married into a violent and
abusive marriage. One day, she chooses to escape and soon becomes South India’s first female taxi driver. Directed by Elisa Paloschi, this documentary follows Selvi’s incredible transformation from a timid, soft-spoken runway to the founder of a taxi company and an educator for women in India.
Saturday, October 22, 2016 1. The Measure of a Man 7:00 pm at the AGH Annex Stéphane Brizé’s drama feature is perhaps one of the most highly-anticipated films at this year’s festival. Vincent Lindon, who plays the film’s titular character Thierry, won the Best Actor Award at both the renowned 2015 Cannes Film Festival and 2016 César Awards. After being unemployed for 18 months having lost his job as a factory worker, Thierry begins a new job as a security guard in a supermarket at the age of 51. In the job, he finds himself faced with a moral dilemma and must decide whether his job is worth it.
Attention McMaster Students! You are entitled to $600 in dental coverage.
2. Dheepan 9:00 pm at the AGH Annex Winner of the prestigious Palme d’Or at the 2015 Cannes Film Festival, Dheepan is a tourde-force saga from acclaimed director Jacques Audiard that stars three strangers who find themselves united by circumstance and common struggle. In order to escape the civil war in Sri Lanka, a former soldier, a young woman and an little girl pose as a family and end up in France. On the streets of Paris, this makeshift family deals with another kind of violence and powerfully embodies the immigrant experience.
Sunday, October 23, 2016 1. Boy & the World 1:00 pm at the AGH Annex Directed by Alê Abreu, Boy & the World is a 2016 Academy Award Nominee in the Best Animated Feature Film category and has racked up over forty accolades in various film festivals. Hailed as one of the most bril-
liant animations to have graced the silver screen in recent years, this film is a cautionary tale of globalization and discusses the dangers of massification of the economy, of the mind and of the soul through the lens of eclectic imagery. 2. Calling Occupants 4:00 pm or 5:30 pm at the AGH Annex Q&A with director Mitch Fillion to follow the screenings This screening will mark the World Premiere of Mitch Fillion’s sci-fi drama, where a young man and his friends attempt to contact and establish a peaceful relationship with extra-terrestrial beings. The film follows the group of friends as they embark on their quest for the truth as they interview the world’s top UFO researchers, abductees and lobbyists. @mich_yeung
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A&C | 15
www.thesil.ca | Thursday, Oct. 20, 2016
Painting pictures of paradise Local painter James Gummerson embodies the rejuvenation and struggle of Cootes Paradise Abeera Shahid Contributor
A painter’s lens can provide new insight into familiar landscapes, even if that landscape is your own backyard. On Oct. 14, James Gummerson debuted his Cootes collection at the Focus Gallery in downtown Hamilton. The intimate venue featured paintings that highlighted the various aspects of Cootes Paradise, the famed nature sanctuary adjacent to McMaster University and a key part of the Hamilton ecosystem. Gummerson has been a professional painter for over 20 years and creates pieces that are detailed and representational; in previous work, he has spent six to 12 months on one painting. However, this time Gummerson took a new approach. “I needed a way to paint faster and express myself faster, almost like a thought,” said Gummerson. “Instead of one
major thought, it’s small little thoughts and the whole painting is one moment. The paintings are done relatively quickly, that means around a day or two to do a piece,” he said. As part of the Hamilton community and connected to McMaster, many students have visited Cootes and experienced its beauty, but Gummerson provides a unique interpretation. “I tried to embody what Cootes really is as opposed to the romanticized version of it: this beautiful nature beside the city. Although it is that, it is also many other things. It has a past. Over the years it has gone through a lot of changes, pollution. There is rejuvenation but also struggle,” explained Gummerson. One of Gummerson’s paintings reflects this struggle by showing a wired fence next to a marsh. He brings in elements of the urban life that is situated around Cootes to provoke reflection on the landscape’s inter-
actions with human structures. Since he spent significant time painting Cootes, he noticed a broadening of his view over the painting process. “Over that period of painting, the paintings got a little brighter and tended to have a more playful mood… There is a lot of muted, deep tones, grays and I saw all the dead branches [in the beginning] and by the end of it I saw a lot more colour. I saw it more beautiful than when I started.” A brighter painting featured in the collection was captioned “The House That Cootes Built” and displays a lilac tree around a house. The colours consisted of a lighter palette, with various shades of pink and purple. He touches on elements from the seasons throughout his collection and shared his insight on how he sees the current fall scenery. “I don’t like fall because of just the reds, oranges and trees.
I like fall because of the deep tones and contrast that you get. I wouldn’t say I love dead things but I love the interesting sort of patterns it creates when things are in a decay period,” said Gummerson. The sight of a landscape is only one factor that influences an artist’s interpretation. Gummerson addressed how his work is influenced by other senses, specifically sound. Another one of his paintings is titled “The
crunching beneath my feet was the only sound I heard” and showcases the marsh’s ground in the winter, with plant life fighting its way through the snow. The paintings in the Cootes collection connect and demonstrate nature’s interaction with Hamilton. However, appreciating the depth of his work is only possible by seeing it for oneself. The Cootes display will be on at the Focus Gallery until Nov. 12.
EVENTS CALENDAR School of Bhangra Coffee House
Refugee Aid: A Night Dedicated to Syria
When: October 20, 2016 at 08:00PM until September 13, 2016 at 11:00PM
When: October 24, 2016 from 05:30PM untvil 07:30PM
Where: Bridges Café
Where: TwelvEighty Bar and Grill
MSB’s Coffee house is an event to gather club members, clubs related to recreational dance and individuals interested in what MSB offers. This is an open event to all clubs allowing them to perform and introduce themselves through MSB’s fun, positive and energetic environment. Along with performances, those who attend the coffee house will be entertained with games, music and food.
Women’s and Men’s Soccer vs. Brock When: October 22, 2016 from 01:00PM until 03:00PM (Womens) 03:00PM until 04:30PM (Mens) Where: Ron Joyce Stadium Free entry! Come show your Marauder pride!
A night to come together to learn more about the refugee crisis, show support for refugees and stand in unity with Syria. The show will include 2 musical performances by the very talented Ahmed Halayqa and Majd Alfa followed by a documentary screening. Food will be served! Its a night you dont want to miss ALL proceeds will be donated towards the refugee cause. If you are interested in finding out more about our club, visit our website: www.refugeaid.com
Dirty Sexy Bingo When: October 25, 2016 from 08:00PM until 11:00PM Where: TwelvEighty Bar and Grill
Wondering how to spice up your relationship? Or perhaps looking for “interesting” ways to relieve stress? Dirty Sexy XXX Bingo is back by popular demand at TwelvEighty with hundreds of dollars’ worth of INTAMITEtoys available to be won!
Sex101 Discussion When: October 26, 2016 from 07:00PM until 07:00PM Where: Wallingford Hall SHEC is hosting a Sex101 Discussion on October 26th in Wallingford Hall for women, non-binary people, and transfolks of any genders. The sexual health committee will be having an interactive presentation on sexual health, consent, relationships, dating and all that good stuff. This is definitely a conversation you don’t want to miss!
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A&C
Thursday, Oct. 20, 2016 | www.thesil.ca
L CON shoots for the moon
Toronto musician Lisa Conway writes spacey soundscapes and cosmic stories in latest release Vanessa Polojac Contributor
Fresh off the release of their sophomore album, Moon Milk, L CON had a chance to stop by Hamilton to play a sold-out show at HAVN alongside Coszmos Quartette and EONS while promoting their new music across Canada. The Silhouette sat down with the band tor talk about their LP, touring life and sexism within the music industry. “L CON is a produced, fluctuating project which always has me and it’s just an umbrella for making things that I am interested in,” explained front woman Lisa Conway. “The album has a lot of people on it. Right now, Andrew Collins is playing bass and bass synth with us and Jordan Howard is on guitar.” For Conway, music has always been a part of her life. She has been the vocalist of bands such as The Owle Bird; but feels the most musically artistic through her latest project L CON. “I have been making music for a really long time under a lot of different names. The Owle Bird was a specific group of people; Jordan actually played guitar in that band as well. It seemed like I needed a new start and it just sort of naturally evolved,” said Conway. Since dropping her first LP, The Absence Of, with The Owle Bird in 2008, the music industry has changed, and so has Con-
“As a woman in the music industry a lot of people make assumptions about you and I found especially as a vocalist I get pegged as somebody who just sings; who doesn’t know anything about recording or production." Lisa Conway L CON Frontwoman
way’s writing style. The punk-rock sound of The Absence Of turned into synth and techno a cappella tracks in Moon Milk. “I am always trying to make things that challenge me as a musician and as an artist. In the past I have been doing a lot of things with strings and voices without a lot of electronic elements with more acoustic elements… it’s all about staying inspired. I really am inspired by bands that are pushing the elements and are experimental,” explained Conway. The lyrical inspiration for Moon Milk comes from a collection of 12 short stories written by Italo Calvino called Cosmicomics. Each song on the album is based on and named for a story within the collection. “I was doing a song writing residency in New Brunswick and it was the first residency that I [had] ever done. I was really nervous that I wouldn’t write any new songs and I was recently introduced to Calvino’s writing; he wrote really beautiful stories," reflected Conway. "I thought it would be a interesting exercise to write a song for every story and the album took off from there.” Conway also addressed the discrimination that female musicians still face in 2016. She explained with passion the struggles she faces with being a woman trying to break into the male dominated music industry. “As a woman in the music industry a lot of people make assumptions about you and I found especially as a vocalist I get pegged as somebody who just sings; who doesn’t know anything about recording or production," said Conway. "I think it is really important to be brave and feel they are talented… In bands it is a very white dude scene and in techno music as well. There is not a lot of women in the studio and that needs to change.” Together with Andrew Collins, Conway created Moon Milk in her very own studio: Wildlife Sanctuary Sounds. Since then, the work has gotten recognition from The Ontario Arts Council and is now available to purchase online and in local record stores now.
C/O JAMIE ONIONS
SPORTS | 17
www.thesil.ca | Thursday, Oct. 20, 2016
Sports Ruling the rugby summit The defending OUA and CIS champions look ahead to semifinal action Cullum Brownbridge Sports Editor
Good luck to the rest of the competition. They are going to need it. The McMaster women’s rugby team capped off their regular season with a commanding 43-7 win over the Western Mustangs on Oct. 6. With the win, Mac moved to 5-0 to stay undefeated, and is the no. 1 seed with home field advantage for the duration of the Ontario University Athletics playoffs. Leading 10-0 at the break, Mac ran away with the victory in the second half. Head coach Shaun Allen credited the fitness of the team being the difference maker. “We are also a very fit team,” Allen said after the win over Western. “The second half against Queen’s and the second half tonight, we were able to do some pretty good things.” Even though Mac made errors on offence in the first half, their defence was outstanding. With Western controlling most of the ball and field possession in the first 20 minutes of the game, the Marauders stood strong at the try line, not allowing Western to capitalize on mistakes made. “Our defence was very solid,” Pletch said. “There were some very good individual points of contact, some very good tackles made.” A big difference in their victory over Western was the style of play implemented during the game. Throughout the regular season, Mac has utilized their quickness in the backs, swinging the ball wide and stretching opposing defences to their limits. Against Western, however, Allen cited the changes in weather for affecting their different approach. “As it gets wetter, the conditions are potentially going to get worse. We’ve been playing
A balanced attack and a strong defense should help the women’s rugby team go deep into the OUA and CIS playoffs. C/O KAREEM BAASSIRI
pretty open during the season, so we’re giving it a go allowing the forwards to get into the fight and see how they perform. It’s another tool for us.” No. 8 and second-year player Sara Svoboda – who scored eight points on four conversions in the win over Western - echoed her coach’s strategy, citing the shift in focus from the backs to the forwards. “We usually play an expansive style of play, meaning we get the ball out wide and get our backs to put on a clinic,” Sara said after the win over Western. “We always said that the forwards decide who wins the game, and the backs decide by how much.” “But this game, we implemented a system where we punch up the middle and use our forwards to hit up hammer
balls, trigger balls, or pick-andgo’s, and then use our backs.” “I think our girls did really
“We know we have a title to defend, and we know it’s a clean slate. But we want to keep hammering towards that goal of an OUA final and finally off to a CIS championship.” Sara Svoboda No. 8 McMaster women’s rugby
well, and it worked really well in sucking in the defence and then we expand when we have that space open up on the wings.” With her eight points, Svoboda finished the regular season in fourth position in OUA scoring, tallying 50 points over five games. After the game, Sara touched on her thoughts on the regular season, and the team’s focus coming into playoffs. “It feels awesome, being able to pick up where we left off from last year,” Svoboda said. “We had a bit of turnover, losing a couple of fifth years. But we have a good rookie class and a lot of vets returning and the energy has stayed high. We know we have a title to defend, and we know it’s a clean slate [from last year], but we want to keep hammering towards that goal of an OUA final and finally off to a
CIS championship.” Their playoff schedule has already started off in dominant fashion on Oct. 14, with the team thrashing the University of Toronto 85-0, who they conquered in the first game of the season. Next up, Mac once again goes up against the Western Mustangs at Ron Joyce stadium on Oct. 21. If the Marauder women come away with the victory, they will host the OUA finals at home against the winner of the semifinal match between Queen’s and Guelph. The women’s team are well on their way to repeating as champions of both the OUA and the CIS. The style of play for the Marauders has changed, but the results have stayed the same. @Curtains1310
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GAMES
Thursday, Oct. 20, 2016 | www.thesil.ca
Finish this crossword, tweet a picture to @TheSilhouette and the first 10 people win a $15 Pizza Pizza gift card!
STUDENT ELECTIONS TO McMASTER GOVERNING BODIES VOTE ONLINE @ MACVOTE Tuesday, October 25, 2016 – 8:30 a.m. until midnight Wednesday, October 26, 2016 – 8:00 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. Vote online at https://elections.mcmaster.ca/voter/index.cfm Voters will need their MAC ID and password to cast a ballot. Senate: Faculty of Business Undergraduate Representative: Luke Little – Level III Jake Parkinson – Level I Jackie Phung – Level IV University Planning Committee - Graduate Representative Arun Jacobs – M.A., Work and Society 1 Andrew LeClair – Ph.D., Software Engineering 1
For the results of the other Senate elections and all candidate résumés: www.mcmaster.ca/univsec/elections/ Questions? Contact the University Secretariat, telephone 905.525.9140 ext. 24337, or email unielec@mcmaster.ca
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SPORTS | 19
www.thesil.ca | Thursday, Oct. 20, 2016
It’s the final countdown With one game left in the regular season, McMaster looks to knock off Western from the top of the OUA standings Lauren Beals Sports Reporter
Momentum in sports is a tricky thing. Sometimes it isn’t enough to be good when you need it. As a team, you have to play well before that big game, or that deep playoff run, to fine-tune your performances and ensure that, when the time comes, you are not starting from scratch. With a four-game win streak under their belt, the Mac men know this better than anyone, and are looking to ride that momentum when it matters most. Sitting on a 6-1 record, McMaster has capitalized on two strong games to affix themselves atop the Ontario University Athletics leaderboard. Mac currently sits in a three-way tie with the Western Mustangs and the Laurier Golden Hawks. Dominant wins against Queen’s (36-6) and York (64-2) in the last two weeks have given Mac plenty of confidence to build on as they head into the final act of the season, a showdown on the road against the rival Mustangs. “[The win streak] feels good going in,” said fifth-year wide receiver Bennett Megarry. “But the Ottawa game is definitely something we [have] been thinking about every week and we want another shot at them. Going into this week playing Western, this game has an explanation point on it. We are excited to get at them, and it
will be a good test of where we are at.” With a top seed and a first-round playoff bye hanging in the balance, a win for the Marauders has the ability to shape their entire playoff run, but it won’t be easy. Currently ranked third in the Canadian Interuniversity Sports rankings while sporting a five-game win streak, the Western Mustangs have been incredible offensively, besting two other CIS top 10 teams in Ottawa and Laurier and putting up a stunning 113 points in the process. “It’s the biggest game of the season,” said fifth-year linebacker Cole Munden. “They have a solid running game, they have a big [offensive] line, good blocking… they always bring it, so we have to make sure we come ready.” Luckily, Mac has its own weapons to rely on. Running back Chris Pezzetta is putting up the best numbers of his career, with 646 yards and 92.3 yards per game this season, good enough for fifth in the OUA. Against York, Pezzetta ran for 162 yards on 14 carries and a pair of touchdowns in just two quarters of play, setting a single game career best of 11.6 yards per carry in the process. “I honestly can not say a single bad thing about that guy,” said Megarry. “Perseverance, determination and at the end of the day a love of the sport, it is something that as a teammate your rarely see at that level. He’s
Mac’s recent wins over Queen’s and York have put them in good playoff position. C/O DANIEL HIGGINS
been playing lights out.” Pezzetta wasn’t the only record setting performance. Rookie wunderkind Adam Preocanin went a perfect seven for seven in field goal conversions against Queen’s, marking a new McMaster best and tying the OUA record set by Toronto’s Lance Chomyc in 1982. Against York he added two more field goals to match the McMaster single-season record of 24, putting him two back of Guelph’s Daniel Ferraro’s 2014 OUA and CIS single-season records heading into the Western matchup. Perocanin’s success could also spell trouble for the Marauders, who have struggled converting long drives into
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touchdowns so far this year. Despite Perocanin’s 24 points, Mac only found their way into the end zone once against Queen’s, and will need to create seven-point drives if they want to stay competitive with the Mustangs. They will also need a strong defensive stance to limit Western’s scoring chances. Fifth-year defensive end Mike Kashak has been a bright spot for Mac, recording 4.5 quarterback sacks for losses of 37 yards, seven total tackles, and a forced fumble against Queen’s. His impressive performance earned him the CIS defensive player of the week award, and his CIS leading-11.5 sacks puts
him one sack shy of the national single-season record set in 2012 by former McMaster teammate Ben D’Aguilar. “He is a very well-spoken leader,” said Munden. “He brings a lot of tenacity to the field, and a lot of other players, myself included, we feed off of it.” Even with strong performances leading into the last week, McMaster’s playoff picture is still uncertain. The Mac men will all have to be at their best if they want to set themselves up for a successful run. But that’s the thing about momentum; you never know how far it will take you. @theSilhouette
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Ending the season strong One more win could see the McMaster men’s rugby team secure a first-round bye Griffin Marsh Contributor
As the fall break got underway, the McMaster Men’s Rugby team took on the Laurier Golden Hawks in an afternoon clash on Ten-Acre field. The Marauders showed their depth, scoring from a variety of sources, and made light work of the Golden Hawks, leading to a commanding 37-7 victory. It was another positive result in a strong run of form, since a frustrating loss to the Queen’s Gaels on Sept 24. In the last three games, the Marauders have outscored their opponents 108-20, showing success on both sides of the ball. This offensive and defensive productivity shows the growth and refinement the team has gone through over the latter half of the season. “The players now have a good understanding of what we are trying to do out there, both on attack and defense” said head coach Dan Pletch. “We have been building nicely all season, each game looking better than the last.” Pletch noted that this recent success was not a change in tactics or any new addition to the system “We are just getting more and more effective as we go and fine tune and clarify things.” The four McMaster tries scored in the game came from four different players, along with another commanding performance from rookie William Kelly, who contributed 17 points in the victory. This is a testament to the team’s attitude. “It’s definitely the best group we have had in terms of team dynamics in the last few years. We don’t have any selfish guys, there is no egos on the team,” said Pletch. This depth also comes from the team’s structure, as the flexibility built into each play call allows for guys to shine from all parts of the field. The conclusion of this season looks bright for the Marauders, and the results keep coming. Since the time of the interview with
“It’s definitely the best group we have had in terms of team dynamics in the last few years. We don’t have any selfish guys, there is no egos on the team.” Dan Pletch Head coach McMaster men’s rugby the head coach, the men moved through Toronto with a 33-0 victory. All of this puts the Marauders in a great place entering the final game of the season against league leaders Guelph on Oct. 21. McMaster currently sits in second place, which would provide at least a first-round bye once playoffs begin. Pletch ensured the team’s focus as the season comes to an end remains one game at a time. “We are always just focused on the performance, we have certain measures that we are looking for and that we are trying to improve each game.” Clearly, Pletch’s assessment of his team is ringing true, and we are in for an interesting final few weeks of the season. Playoffs are just around the corner, and the Marauder community should definitely be excited at the prospect of another McMaster team in contention to succeed. @theSilhouette
Fly-half William Kelly has been a standout for the men’s rugby team this season C/O FRASER CALDWELL
STUDENT ACCESSIBILITY SERVICES NOTIFICATION TO STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES FOR DECEMBER 2016 FINAL EXAM ACCOMMODATIONS All newly identified or returning students with a disability must attend an appointment with a Disability Coordinator before November 25, 2016 in order to receive final exam accommodations for December 2016. For more information, please contact:
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by phone: 905-525-9140 ext. 20302; or in person at MUSC (Student Centre) B107; or by email at: sas@mcmaster.ca
SPORTS | 21
www.thesil.ca | Thursday, Oct. 20, 2016
Mac rounding into form as season ends After battling injuries, the squad is healthy and ready to make noise in the OUA playoffs
C/O KAREEM BAASSIRI Justin Parker Contributor
After a solid 2015 campaign that saw the women’s soccer team finish fourth in the Ontario University Athletics West division (7-6-3), the team struggled to get things off the ground at the beginning of the 2016 season. In their first seven games, McMaster went without a win (0-5-2) and the squad was outscored 10-4.
However, the team has kept their heads down and worked through an early rough patch that saw them face the top teams of the OUA West. The team bounced back since then, winning six of their last seven games, putting them in fifth place in the OUA West for this season (6-6-2, 20 points). Although the road to the playoffs is not an easy one, they look to carry their momentum into the final two regular season
games. The team kicked off October with two strong wins against Windsor (1-0) and Waterloo (3-0), and then traveled to Algoma last weekend to dominate 6-0 and 7-0 in back-to-back games. They are now looking to continue their form throughout the rest of the season and heading into the playoffs. This sudden resurgence coincides with the return of many key players. One of the those to return recently was goalkeeper Deanna Persico, who currently ranks fourth in the OUA in Goals Against (four). Persico also ranks fifth in shutouts (four), which all came in her first five games since her return from injury. “The team started the season with a massive amount of injuries,” head coach Brett Mosen said. “[At one point] We had 15 healthy players out of 33”. Persico’s presence was
missed in the middle of the season, where the team lost five straight games in her absence, and roster adjustments were constantly made by the coaching staff. Coach Mosen stressed the perseverance of the team, and how the were able to play well despite these injuries. “I think the girls did tremendously well at the beginning of the season. With no healthy defenders, we converted midfield players to defenders and they did fantastic. Although we didn’t get the results we wanted, I think they did very well.” Now McMaster looks to ride this momentum into the playoffs. They may not get home field advantage but can still make a lengthy run into the playoffs if they keep this pace of play up. In their games against Algoma, McMaster cruised, allowing the team to sit several starting players. Given the
injuries early in the season, the strength of the bench maintained the level of play. Depth is an asset come OUA playoff time. With their star goalkeeper back, the Marauders are positioned to gain more momentum as they finish off the regular season and head into the playoffs “We’ve just got to keep the winning mentality going and stay confident,” Mosen said. “We are a confident team and players are healthy. The girls have worked hard all season, have committed to getting to the playoffs when it looked unlikely at one stage, but our belief never stopped. We always believed we could get there. It was just getting everyone together and healthy.” The women’s soccer team looks poised for an excellent run into the playoffs. A win over league-rivals Laurier would clinch the fifth seed for Mac. Now that the team is healthy, nothing is in their way.
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MURDER IN NEW JERSEY Pedals the bear was k illed in cold blood and I am legitimately hur t by this A5
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HAMILTON SPECULATOR Showering alone since 1934
Oc tober 20, 2016
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This guy has it all figured out Third-year social sciences student “totally, for sure” has his life together after fall break
SHIT HASTINGS Wrote this while listening to Sum 41
Fall break offers McMaster students the opportunity to go home and relax after five grueling weeks of book learning. There is lots of debate about whether this is a useful break, or if it condenses the academic year and actually creates higher stress points because the due dates are condensed. We talked with Jack “Jack-O” Goff about his thoughts on reading week. Q: So, how did your fall break go? Goff: Uh, yeah, it, uh, it went well. I was able to go to the... library a lot. Yeah, the library in my hometown was great for me. I looked at a lot of books and stuff. I worked hard towards my education. Q: The fall break was created to give students some time off. How did you unwind this week? G: Well, yeah. I know the university wants us to do school work, and that’s what I did mostly. Except for Thursday, Friday and Saturday, both weekends. I got really drunk. Have you tried the Green Apple Smirnoff, dude? So good. I got drunk as hell off that and sang “Photograph” by Nickelback at karaoke one night. But also I swear I did studying man, make sure you put that in your article. I love to learn. Q: Alright. Do you have
He has no idea where he is.
any examples of homework you did over the break? G: So, I did some studying. Like, I looked at the slides my professor posted on Avenue to Learn. I read those a couple times. I’m feeling pretty prepared, I didn’t do the readings because seriously who does readings? So now I feel prepared for my midterm that is next week or the week after or whatever. Q: Students have said the fall break creates a deadline crunch because it makes the academic semester shorter. Were you able to complete any
POLL: what are you being for Halloween? Prince.
Gene Wilder.
David Bowie.
My hopes and dreams. They are dead too.
DISCLAIMER: This is the Speculator, a joke page. If you believe any of these stories are true, please bring $1,000 to MUSC B110. Sorry, ignorance isn’t cheap, you bucket of bolts!
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assignments? G: No. I’m pretty organized about that stuff. Like, I don’t do the work two weeks ahead of time because God or whoever put 24 hours in a day for a reason. I’ll just stay up and crush an essay or something. Work hard, play hard.
“Have you tried Green Apple Smirnoff, dude? So good. I got drunk as hell off that and sang ‘Photograph’ by Nickelback at karaoke one night.”
Q: Hey, Jack, please put the bottle of Green Apple Smirnoff vodka down, we’re trying to conduct an interview here. Last question, do you think the fall break should continue?
Jack “Jack-O” Goff McMaster student Talking about how he spent his fall break
G: For sure, for sure. Tinder was lit last week.
Tweets to the Editor Only three more weeks of shitty of @Speculator Donald Trump jokes! - Miranda, 21
I’ll show you my Dundas Peak! - [redacted], 43
OKTOBERFEST IS A RIP-OFF A3 WELL, ACTUALLY 2.0 C2 BAWLING OR BOWLING? B2 RUSSIAN TO CONCLUSIONS D9 BRIAN BURKE SCIENCE BUILDING A8 WHEN WILL MCMASTER FINALLY HONOUR ROBERTA BONDAR WITH A BUILDING, SHE WENT TO SPACE H1
FEATURE Group set to lose power tells students “don’t let us lose that power” A10-11 PER ISSUE: One Auston Matthews goal. Get to work, #34.
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Published on Oct 20, 2016
Following fall break, we've got coverage on the vice-president at-large debates, the clothing rules at the Pulse and a look at Nique - a new...
Published on Oct 20, 2016
Following fall break, we've got coverage on the vice-president at-large debates, the clothing rules at the Pulse and a look at Nique - a new...