The Silhouette - February 14, 2019

S sex

and the

The Silhouette Thursday, Feb. 14, 2019

STEEL CITY

Our annual sex, love and health issue // PAGES 13-24

INSIDE>>

NEWS: An update on one Mac alumna’s discrimination case against the university // PAGE 3 SPORTS: Love in Maroon: Marauders share how sports has led to love // PAGE 30-31 FEATURE: Indigenous advocacy and teaching through design // PAGE 6-7

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Volume 89, Issue 21 Thursday, February 14, 2019 McMaster University’s Student Newspaper

#TBT

Feb. 14, 2015

EDITORIAL BOARD editor-in-chief | thesil@thesil.ca Emily O’Rourke @emily_oro digital media specialist | dms@msu.mcmaster.ca Aaron de Jesus managing editor | managing@thesil.ca Sasha Dhesi @SashaDhesi online editor | online@thesil.ca Yvonne Lu sections

NEWS Cassidy Bereskin news reporter Ryan Forrest Tse news@thesil.ca news editor

FEATURES Hannah Walters Vida features@thesil.ca

features reporter

OPINION opinion editor Sabrina Macklai opinion@thesil.ca SPORTS Justin Parker sports reporter Jessica Carmichael sports@thesil.ca sports editor

ARTS AND CULTURE & culture editor Razan Samara arts & culture reporter Rya Buckley aandc@thesil.ca

arts

MEDIA Kyle West photo reporter Catherine Goce production coordinator Sukaina Imam production coordinator Sabrina Lin production coordinator Katarina Brkic production@thesil.ca photo editor

ONLINE Sasha Roshan social media coordinator Martin Burwell online@thesil.ca video editor

CONTRIBUTORS staff writer Elliot Fung staff writer Andrew Mrozowski staff writer Rida Pasha staff writer Neda Pirouzmand staff writer Drew Simpson staff writer Graham West staff writer Eden Wondmeneh COVER PHOTO Razan Samara Kyle West A special thank you to Out of the Past for the costumes

NSFW

Previous editions of Sex and the Steel City were pretty raunchy. I’ll save you from seeing that and leave you with a fun, outdated quiz about what you should wear on Valentine’s Day! CONTACT

LEGAL

MUSC, Room B110 McMaster University 1280 Main Street West, Hamilton, ON L8S 4S4

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. Letters should be 300 words or less. 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.

Editor-in-Chief (905) 525-9140, ext 22052 Main Office (905) 525-9140, ext 27117 Advertising ccpc@mcmaster.ca 8,000 circulation published by the

WRITE FOR US NEWS Tuesday at 2:30 p.m. news@thesil.ca

OPINION Tuesday at 1:30 p.m. opinion@thesil.ca

SPORTS Tuesday at 2:00 p.m. sports@thesil.ca

ARTS & CULTURE Monday at 11:30 a.m. aandc@thesil.ca Join our weekly meetings in MUSC B110!

www.thesil.ca | Thursday, Feb. 14, 2019

The Silhouette

| 3

News Alumna accusing McMaster of human rights violations Al-Hatimy has proceedings against McMaster, Hamilton Health Sciences and a number of university officials

In addition to lodging human rights complaints, Al-Hatimy has launched an application for reprisal for three counts of racial profiling, intimidation and harassment.

Daniella Mikanovsky Contributor

Cassidy Bereskin News Editor

Over the last two years, Halima Al-Hatimy, a former McMaster University public health grad student, has launched multiple Ontario human rights complaints against McMaster and Hamilton Health Sciences.

She also has legal proceedings against McMaster officials Patrick Deane, Wanda McKenna, Sarah Dickson, Glenn De Caire, Joseph Zubek and constables Tyler Rogers and Peter Broz.

Al-Hatimy’s issues with the university first materialized in 2017, before her anticipated departure to Ghana with “Waters Without Borders,” a program facilitated through a partnership between McMaster and the United Nations University.

The day before Al-Hatimy was expected to leave, the university informed her that she had been taken out of the program’s trip as a result of her presumed plan to bring medicinal marijuana overseas.

KYLE WEST / PHOTO EDITOR

Since launching her complaint, Al-Hatimy also filed for reprisal and organized two antismoking ban protests, one off-campus and the other in the health sciences building.

Thirteen days later, AlHatimy filed a human rights complaint against McMaster and the UNU. “The administration asked me to sign an affidavit saying that I wouldn’t take medicinal cannabis with me illegally. It was riddled with criminalizing language, telling me that I had to promise I wasn’t going to traffic, import, export or illegally purchase illicit drugs or substances. I was traumatized by the

experience,” she said.

Al-Hatimy is firmly convinced the university discriminated against her on the basis of “race, age, disability and use of medicinal cannabis.”

Thus far into the proceedings, the Ontario Human Rights Tribunal has affirmed Sarah Dickson’s involvement in the case but cut out the UNU and David Wilkinson, McMaster provost and vice-president (Academic).

Al-Hatimy said the university has been “extremely aggressive and uncooperative” over the past year.

In particular, according to Al-Hatimy, McMaster’s campus-wide smoking ban instituted in 2017 directly tore away her demand that the university construct a medical cannabis policy to protects users on campus.

Since launching her complaint, Al-Hatimy also filed for reprisal and organized two anti-smoking ban protests, one off-campus and the other in the Health Sciences Building.

“Both times, I was racially

carded. The police showed up and walked straight to me. The guy beside me was white and smoking his medical cannabis.

At the time, they didn’t know he was a licensed user. They just saw an older man and a younger student with a megaphone. You’d think they’d card him first, but they carded me,” she said.

When walking in the McMaster University Student Centre on another occasion, she said she was harassed by Joseph Zubek, the senior manager of McMaster security services.

“He showed me pictures that he had of me on his phone.

He said they started an investigative police file on me,” she said.

In addition to lodging human rights complaints, AlHatimy has launched an application for reprisal for three counts of racial profiling, intimidation and harassment.

Upon entering the impending proceedings, Al-Hatimy said she feels hopeful.

“I have a strong case, I have evidence in my favour. I have

witnesses. I’ve connected with other students who have also been bullied by the university and I have evidence of their stories that I’ll be presenting to the tribunal,” she said.

Gord Arbeau, the communications director at McMaster University, told the Silhouette that McMaster is committed to being inclusive, respectful and harassment-free.

“The university’s policies and procedures support this commitment, including providing medical accommodations to members of the community,” said Arbeau, on behalf of the university’s respondents in the proceedings.

On March 29, Al-Hatimy and McMaster officials will attend a case management conference that will consolidate her applications. From there, cases will be combined and a hearing will be scheduled.

@cassidybereskin

4 |

NEWS

Thursday, Feb. 14, 2019 | www.thesil.ca

Mohawk students campaign for sharps disposal bins The organizers say the lack of a disposal system is dangerous and stigmatizing

During the rest of the semester, the team will be planning the specific details of a sharps disposal initiative at Mohawk.

KYLE WEST / PHOTO EDITOR

Ryan Tse News Reporter

Students at Mohawk College are campaigning for the school to introduce sharps disposal containers in washrooms.

The Change.org petition campaign, being led by a group of six Mohawk students in their final year of the social service workers program, currently has over 100 signatures.

Vince Soliveri, a campaign organizer, said the petition is driven by safety concerns and a desire to de-stigmatize the use of needles.

The Change.org petition campaign, being led by a group of six Mohawk students in their final year of the social service workers program, currently has over 100 signatures.

Currently, Mohawk College does not have sharps disposals in washrooms.

Instead, there are signs asking students not to flush needles down the toilet or put them in the garbage.

“Because it is so stigmatized, people do not want to have that conversation,” Soliveri said. “Telling people to cap needles and take them home is a pretty harmful way to go about the situation.”

Soliveri first started thinking about the subject when a harm reduction worker from the AIDS Network came in to speak to the crisis intervention class in November. “[The harm reduction worker] brought up that Mohawk College is branding itself as a safe and inclusive space for anybody and having a sticker like that on the wall is stigmatizing for those that use needles and do not really to create a safe and inclusive environment for people who do use needles for any reason,” Soliveri said.

The project team members began serious work on the project in January.

Soliveri has a particular connection to the issue as well, being a placement student with the AIDS Network in downtown Hamilton.

These experiences make him confident about the feasibility of installing sharps disposals.

“It does not really come at an expense other than a little bit of labor screwing the sharps container and mounting it on the wall. That is really the hardest part of it because everything else is provided by other agencies in the city,” Soliveri said.

The AIDS Network

Ryerson University is planning to install sharps containers in over 500 washrooms in university-owned buildings following a successful pilot project last January.

currently runs a “Community Points” program in collaboration with Hamilton Public Health Services, where the organization picks up needles and drops off sharps disposal containers around the city by request.

For the rest of the semester, the team will be working out the exact details of a potential sharps disposal program. They are also planning a public outreach phase.

After that, they will bring their plans to the college administration.

“This is probably a project that will go beyond our time as students,” Soliveri said. “We finish school in April, and we are hoping by then, we can at least have a pretty good set of signatures in our petition that we are circulating around members of the Mohawk community.”

Soliveri is hopeful that the petition could have lasting effects beyond Mohawk.

“We are hoping if this project is successful and people are into it and understand the value, that it can be used as a framework for other places in

the city,” Soliveri said. “And that could be as big as a university or that could be as small as your local café, just letting people understand that the process is not as daunting as people think it is.”

A sharps disposal system at Mohawk would not be the first of its kind.

Ryerson University is planning to install sharps containers in over 500 washrooms in university-owned buildings following a successful pilot project last January.

McMaster lacks sharps disposal containers in its washrooms. The facility services has not confirmed any plans to implement a sharps disposal system.

The Mohawk College online petition can be found at https://www.change.org/p/ get-sharps-containers-at-mohawk-college. To contact the Community Points program for disposal of sharps or for harm reduction supplies, call 905546-2489. @tweetingryantse

www.thesil.ca | Thursday, Feb. 14, 2019

The Silhouette

| 5

New study explores prevalence of campus food insecurity 51 per cent of respondents cited moderate levels of food insecurity

The study suggests only 24 per cent of students take advantage of the food programs and services at their disposal.

KYLE WEST / PHOTO EDITOR

Donna Nadeem Contributor

In the fall, An’am Sherwani, Asha Smith and Garry Vinayak, three students taking the SUSTAIN 3S03 course, conducted a new study on food insecurity on campus.

The results reveal that 39 per cent of the 204 student respondents have experienced moderate food insecurity and 12 per cent have experienced severe insecurity.

Food insecurity refers to the state of being without reliable access to a sufficient quantity of affordable and nutritious food.

Meal Exchange is a nonprofit organization that tackles issues such as student food insecurity in Canadian post-secondary institutions.

In 2016, Meal Exchange worked with university campuses including Brock University, the University of Calgary, Dalhousie University, Lakehead University and Ryerson University to survey students using the “Hungry for Knowledge” survey guide and framework.

The objectives of the study

were to determine a ‘prevalence estimate’ of students experiencing food insecurity, identify key factors that contribute to student food insecurity and raise awareness about various services that address and help reduce the issue of student food insecurity.

As part of the course, Sherwani, Smith and Vinayak created an online survey for the McMaster student population to collect information about students who are at most risk of food insecurity.

The survey also asked respondents about the various barriers and factors that influence and contribute to the emergence

The survey also asked respondents about the various barriers and factors that influence and contribute to the emergence of student food insecurity.

of student food insecurity.

The goal of the project was to use the survey data collection to gain knowledge and a deeper understanding about the social issue of student food insecurity.

The team advertised the survey through social media, posters around campus and class talks. They obtained 204 partial responses and 185 complete responses.

Their findings indicate that 39 percent, or 71, of respondents have experienced ‘moderate’ food insecurity while 12 per cent, or 22 respondents, experienced ‘severe’ food insecurity.

Respondents indicated that their food insecurity was largely the result of factors including financial barriers, having limited time to cook and the lack of healthy and diverse food options on campus.

They also reported that food insecurity impacted their physical health, mental health, social life and grades.

The most common experiences amongst those dealing with food insecurity included relying on low-cost foods, not eating healthy balanced meals,

and prioritizing other financial needs before securing adequate food.

The study also suggests that food insecurity also results in skipping meals and sometimes not eating the entire day.

Of those who identified as food insecure, only 24 per cent utilized programs and services at their disposal, such as the McMaster Students Union Food Collective Centre.

Nonetheless, as there is a stigma associated with these services, it is unclear the extent to which respondents underreported their use of them.

The results reveal that 39 per cent of the 204 student respondents have experienced moderate food insecurity and 12 per cent have experienced severe insecurity.

After analyzing the results of the survey, their findings were shared with MSU student clubs and services.

These groups can use the results of the study, particularly the one about students’ use of food services, as a springboard to explore new ways of outreach to McMaster students experiencing food insecurity.

The increased usage of these services and clubs may aid in the reduction of food insecurity at McMaster.

The SUSTAIN 3S03 team has sent their study to a graduate student, who will continue to pursue and examine the research. Further exploration and follow-ups are currently in progress and the study will be continued into 2019.

@theSilhouette

6 |

The Silhouette

www.thesil.ca | Thursday, Feb. 14, 2019

FO R

Hannah Walters-Vida Features Reporter

From side tables to sex toys, Hamilton-based artist Lauren Goodman’s work is all about blending functionality, feel and form.

Formally trained in fine woodworking at Williams & Cleal Furniture School in England, Goodman has a business designing and creating handmade furniture.

She also collaborates with other artists at Hamilton Audio Visual Node, a multimedia arts collective. Additionally, she co-founded Sister Moon Collective, which focuses on fostering community and safer spaces through art.

In 2013, she helped create sex-positive submission-based

zine Milkweed, where she was introduced to the erotic art scene. However, it was only recently that she began making erotic art of her own. She began creating hand carved wooden sex toys as a way to experiment with erotica.

“A friend of mine and I were talking about how wood is not a medium that people make sex toys out of,” said Goodman.

“So just kind of sort of playing around using these offcuts to make different shapes and forms and sort of coming to forms that I like.”

Sex toys are a personal project for Goodman. Whereas her furniture is commission-based, her sex toys are more about personal exploration.

“This is me exploring my

Through her erotic art, Goodman aims to normalize discussions about sexuality. sexuality and what I want, and breaking down stigma that I have myself,” she said.

Through her erotic art, Goodman aims to normalize discussions about sexuality. By making beautiful, artistic sexual objects, she hopes to help break down taboos around sexuality and encourage people to explore sex openly.

“The idea is to break down this stigma of sexual objects, that they have to be in a little

M A ND

box under your bed,” Goodman said. “Why can’t we put our ‘dirty’ thing on a plinth in our living room, and then when we want to have sex we grab it off the plinth and go have sex?”

Goodman finds that the sex-positive movement is slowly becoming more widely accepted. In some ways, Instagram is helping to encourage this shift.

Instagram facilitates connections between like-minded artists from around the world, and in doing so builds an online community for an art form such as erotica that may have otherwise been considered niche.

Additionally, sites like Instagram provide opportunities for people to explore sexuality while maintaining some level of anonymity. Goodman notes that people who are reserved

By making beautiful, artistic sexual objects, she hopes to help break down taboos around sexuality and encourage people to explore sex openly. about sexuality in real life can find a sense of liberation and openness through social media.

However, the advent of digital media presents a unique set of challenges for Goodman.

As a woodworker, the visual element of her work is only one

FEATURE

www.thesil.ca | Thursday, Feb. 14, 2019

D

F U N CT

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IO N Talking erotic art with Lauren Goodman

C/O LAUREN GOODMAN

“I want it to be tactile pleasing as well as aesthetically pleasing, as well as functionally working. And all of these things intersecting to make a beautiful piece of art.”

Lauren Goodman Hamilton-based artist part of the picture. The tactile component of her art is also vital.

“Even with the tables that

I make, or lamps, or anything like that — I want you to touch them and feel like it’s silky.,” she noted. “I want it to be tactile pleasing as well as aesthetically pleasing, as well as functionally working. And all of these things intersecting to make a beautiful piece of art.”

As online markets replace brick and mortar stores, consumers lose the ability to physically interact with work and provide real time feedback.

Goodman noted that many queer-centric, sex-positive shops are shutting their doors. This means that people lose tactile access to sex objects, as well as the ability to talk to people about sex.

Goodman points to the need for an independent, sex-positive sex shop in Ham-

While Hamilton is known for being an artistic city, it does not have an erotic art scene. ilton.

“I would love a Girl On The Wing that just sold sex toys — you know, like the local stuff, really curated with nice colours — that would be amazing, that would be a great store,” she added.

The absence of sex-positive shops in Hamilton speaks to a larger observation about the city’s approach to sexuality.

While Hamilton is known for being an artistic city, it does not have an erotic art scene.

She observes a history of sexual repression that pervades into the present day, noting that Hamilton only legalized burlesque last year.

“I think that those deep-seated ‘ickies’ towards sex is really fervent here. And that’s maybe why it’s a little stifled on the erotic side,” she said.

Goodman also points out that the absence of an erotic arts scene in Hamilton is in part to due with the city’s proximity to Toronto. Hamilton-based artists can take their work to Toronto if they are interested in pursuing erotic art in an already established scene.

Despite the lack of an erotic art scene in Hamilton, Goodman finds that artists often explore themes of sexuality in their work. She finds the artist

community in Hamilton to be open, progressive and welcoming.

For Goodman, this openness is key. By exploring sexuality openly and honestly in her work, Goodman hopes to work away at her own internalized shame, and encourage others to do the same.

@theSilhouette

PRESIDENT’S PAGE

SCOTT ROBINSON Vice President (Finance) vpfinance@msu.mcmaster.ca 905.525.9140 x24109

Recently, the Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities announced detrimental changes to OSAP and brought forth a program titled the Student Choice Initiative. As a result of this new initiative, all non-academic student fees that are deemed to be ‘non-essential’ will be optional in the upcoming 2019 2020 school year. Aside from a few fees including those related to health and safety, athletic and recreation, and transit, students will now be able to opt-out of paying fees which support essential and incredibly impactful programs on campus. Although it still remains unclear exactly how these changes will affect student unions, there are concerns that the MSU could suffer reductions, as it is supported substantially by democratically elected student fees.

Student fees are established through at-large referenda, typically concurrent with a campus electoral cycle, wherein all full-time undergraduate students are eligible to vote. Any time there is a proposed fee increase or decrease above inflation, it must be approved by the re-

February 14, 2019 | thesil.ca

spective student body. As such, students vote to approve or reject each fee in question. In 2017, students voted for fee changes to the HSR bus pass. In 2016, students voted to eliminate the Marmor fee and voted against the addition of a SoBi fee. In 2015, students voted in favour of fee increases to the MSU Health & Dental plans. Conducting these votes at-large entrenches students in the decision-making process of where their fees go. This announcement by the provincial government calls into question the MSU’s ability to conduct similar democratic processes in the future.

As it currently stands, the MSU collects $130.26 from each full-time undergraduate student at McMaster.

We use this money to fund our approximately three dozen services which work to improve student life on campus and represent students politically.

These services play an important role in providing resources, peer support, and advocacy work for various communities and groups on campus. Some of our services include the Emergency First Response Team, Food Collective Centre, Pride Community Centre, Campus Events, and The Silhouette.

As the Vice-President (Finance), it is part of my portfolio to ensure that the spending of the MSU is transparent to students. As such, we have numerous financial documents available on our website. This includes our operating and capital budgets, monthly financial performance updates, and a detailed breakdown of how the operating fee is spent. This information can all be found at msumcmaster.ca/yourmoney.

Moreover, we employ the services of KPMG to audit the entirety of our organization’s finances on an annual basis to ensure good fiscal management.

Each year, our budgets are approved by the incoming members of

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.

the Student Representative Assembly (SRA). The SRA is an elected body of undergraduate students who represent the different academic divisions at McMaster, forming the highest governing body of the organization. The SRA ensures that budgeting is a process that centres around student input and need.

All full-time undergraduates have the opportunity to run for a seat on the SRA. If you are interested, nominations are open until February 27, and information regarding the election can be found at msumcmaster.ca/sra-generals.

The Student Choice Initiative threatens the MSU’s ability to provide services for McMaster students. I am confident that our processes ensure financial transparency, and our fee structure is chosen by the students, for the students. The MSU is encouraging students to reach out to their members of the provincial government regarding how this change will impact their McMaster experience. You can find resources at msumcmaster.ca/OSAP, to assist you in emailing your concerns about how these changes will affect you.

www.thesil.ca | Thursday, Feb. 14, 2019

EDITORIAL

| 9

Editorial Bringing Sex(and the Steel City)y Back Why we stepped up our game with SATSC this year Emily O’Rourke Editor-in-Chief

Sex and the Steel City has made its rounds over the years.

Whether it was moving on from a totally separate issue to an insert, reviving it from the dead after it was put to rest in 2014 or making the decision to not distribute 8,000 copies of full-on porn around campus and the community, looking through the SATSC archives is both hilarious and moving.

Special issues are a lot of work. Every aspect of this issue has a meticulous planning process and an entire team of staff and volunteers to get the job done. This year’s edition of SATSC was no exception.

On top of making sure that our regular, 28-page issue is both high-quality and on stands on time, our staff worked around the clock looking for submissions, editing content, laying out pages and planning a launch party. Razan Samara, our Arts & Culture editor, spent

months planning the issue, from working and reworking our page count, layouts or what the cover might look like. Some of our contributors did double their paid workload in order to get this issue on stands.

Despite the various planning meetings, extra hours in the office, stress headaches and way too much coffee, we got it done, and it looks incredible.

We published the last Sex and the Steel City magazine in February 2016. The 32-page issue was distributed at the same time as our weekly paper and despite its popularity, was cut the following year due to budget cuts and complaints about the fact that it was NSFW. After floating the idea around how to bring it back last year, we revived the special edition in the form of a some extra pages in our Arts and Culture section. We strayed from our traditional format about writing about sex for the sake of writing about sex and instead published pieces surrounding sex, health

and relationships.

This year, we decided to follow suit, putting in an additional 12 glossy pages filled with artwork, information about LGBTQ2SA+ friendly spaces in Hamilton and several pieces on sexual health and wellness.

We also added our feature and sports section to the fun with some themed articles and decided to have a launch party for it — which you should come to, tonight at Redchurch Cafe from 7 p.m. to 11 p.m.

Special issues allow our staff and contributors to stray from our usual content and dive into topics that interest them, never minding what may be too taboo for our weekly issue.

It allows our production team to really show off how talented they are. Most importantly, it allows us to stray from the ordinary and be as creative as we want.

@emily_oro

to Spain in Toronto to being able to afford a panini press to rescheduling the Morgan McMichaels drag show

to getting tricked into going to the MACMUN after party to self-deprecating profs to damn snow days

to Sophie from Air Canada who put you on the next flight out so you could make your connection!

to Air Canada delaying yout flight which would have made you miss your connection to France

to Marxist nonsense from student unions

to waiting for that snow day closure tweet

to life chats at Pinks to supporting your friend’s artistic endeavours

to the wind knocking out part of your window and having a gaping hole in your wall at 3 a.m.

For school, play and everything in between the HSR wants to take you there.

could be better

That’s why it’s time to think about the Hamilton of tomorrow and how you’ll help to shape it. Tell us how you would (Re)envision the HSR.

Take the survey: hamilton.ca/reenvision

10 |

HUMANS

Thursday, Feb. 14, 2019 | www.thesil.ca

Catherine Goce Photo Reporter

How did you meet?

Ken: We met in high school, it was kind of a kind of a funny story because a friend of mine lived on the same street and we would go home to have lunch at our place and the next day we would go home for lunch at his place. Joan went home that way too. For some reason she seemed to be walking home just ahead of us all the time. That’s actually how I met her.

In high school they put us in classes in alphabetical order and Joan was in the other group , so other than walking home in the same direction every other day, we didn’t have too much to do with each other.

“Can you remember where our first date was?”

She was a basketball fan and I was a basketball jock, so she used to come to all the basketball games. They were exciting days because the age of television was just beginning and outside of sports there was nothing for kids to do. so they went to all the sporting events.

What are your most memorable moments at McMaster together?

K: Well at McMaster, because she was taking courses by extension, she used to come into the evening and when I used to stay there and work on my cartography, she used to come around and knock on the window.

I go back there now to show visitors the place and in the cartography lab they’re doing the same things I was doing, but something that would be taking me two to three weeks to do because it was all by hand, no pen and ink, they got it all on their computers.

What was your first date?

“No.” Ken and Joan Hall McMaster Alumni

K: Can you remember where our first date was?

Ken and Joan Hall McMaster Alumni C/O CATHERINE GOCE / PHOTO REPORTER

Joan: No. K: Joan was involved with the library and there were times when they had little parties of various sorts and I think it was when she invited me to go down to one of those parties and I think she was sort of introducing me to these other girls saying ‘this is my boyfriend’. It was nothing but an elaborate tea party but that was probably the first time that we were out together.

“I didn’t have much trouble with Joan because she was a good-looking girl and also a smart girl, so it wasn’t difficult”.

Ken Hall McMaster Alumnus What do you usually do for Valentine’s Day? K: Not very much. This is the 66th year of our marriage and as we were going to high school

together, a lot of that revolved around sports. Joan played sports and I would go to watch her play and she would come and watch me play. I think our activities were more built around the sporting events that were going on at the time. We might go to a movie or something on Valentine’s Day, that’s basically the way we would celebrate it, but nothing too elaborate.

What is some advice to stay in a lasting relationship?

K: I think young people growing up just get thrown into a mob and sometimes they get associated with people that they don’t want to spend the rest of life with. Sometimes those relationships are hard to break, so I think it’s a time for you to really be serious. I didn’t have much trouble with Joan because she was a good-looking girl and also a smart girl, so it wasn’t difficult. We’ve always gotten along with each other and are very helpful to each other.

J: Well I think there are a lot of people that have very good life together. There will always be times coming in when you won-

der why on earth you’re there and what that person thinks.

But it works, so often it works.

K: We got married while in university in 1953 and it was a good move.

“We got married while in university in 1953 and it was a good move.”

Ken Hall McMaster Alumnus

facebook.com/ HumansOfMcMaster

STUDENT ACCESSIBILITY SERVICES NOTIFICATION TO STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES FOR APRIL 2019 EXAM ACCOMMODATIONS All requests for accommodations must be activated by March 15, 2019. Returning students (previously accommodated) can self-activate via sas.mcmaster.ca. Newly identified students must make an in-person appointment with SAS. For more information, please contact:

STUDENT ACCESSIBILITY SERVICES (SAS)

by phone: 905-525-9140 ext. 28652; or in person at MUSC (Student Centre) B107; or by email at: sas@mcmaster.ca

— 2019 —

spring valedictorian nominations are here!

Nominations are due by March 4 at 4:30pm Nomination forms are available in the MSU Office (MUSC 201) and online: msumcmaster.ca/valedictorian

late forms will not be accepted

We’re looking for our next Editor-in-Chief Applications close on at 11:59 p.m. on Feb. 17, 2019 through the MSU jobs page. www.msumcmaster.ca/jobs/1231

FREE

www.thesil.ca | Thursday, Sept. 13, 2018

OPINION

| 13

Student survival guide COUPONS | ASSIGNMENT PL ANNER

GRAB YOUR COPY FROM THE UNDERGROUND (MUSC B117 ) OR AT THE MSU OFFICE (MUSC 201)

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How to Make Your Informational Interview Matter For folks who are trying to figure out what an occupation is really like before taking the leap or for those trying to build their connections to help with their job search efforts, informational interviews can be extremely helpful. Really, what is better than one-onone time with someone who can offer you career advice at

minimum, and at the end of the spectrum, if all goes well, someone who may offer to pass along your resume to the right people and tell you about unadvertised jobs?

Informational interviews can be a highly effective way to build connections. If the

meetings are done right, they can be an amazing way to make a positive first impression with a professional in your field of interest.

Be sure to be genuine in your interest in connecting and to follow up – and avoid the pitfall of ‘transactional networking’. The idea that networking is about focusing on the number of interactions, rather than the quality of the relationships. This is absolutely not what effective networking should involve.

Life gets busy. But that is no excuse for not staying in touch and responding to others in a timely way…especially when you initiated the connection.

Try and think from the other person’s perspective. After you reach out to the person you were referred to in a timely manner, remember to

circle back to your original contact to update them about your conversation and thank them again. Completing the networking circle will maintain relationships and not leave them wondering if you ever followed up with their suggestion.

on how to land a job in the industry of your dreams.

Visit mcmaster.firsthand.co to create your profile today, and potentially find your career match! It’s free, easy to use and right at your fingertips. Any questions at all, email elnaien@ mcmaster.ca.

These are the kind of recommendations that can help you turn a good strategy for building and using your network into a good and successful strategy for building and using your network, and that can make all the difference.

Watch for upcoming employer – student networking event on March 14 – part of Career Month!

If you are looking to build your network and don’t know where to start, visit Firsthand, our online networking and mentorship platform. On Firsthand you will find McMaster alumni ready to have career conversations with you and give you advice

By: Jillian Perkins-Marsh, alumni career counsellor

Sponsored by:

x e s and the

STEEL CITY Embracing love and sex-positivity by reflecting on our history and aspirations as a community Razan Samara A&C Editor

If you’re an avid reader of the Silhouette, then you’d know our annual rendition of Sex and the Steel City, much like the paper itself, has evolved quite a bit over the past couple of years.

Putting together this year’s sex-positive publication meant embracing the diverse ideas around sexuality, love and health. It’s about creating a non-judgemental space where experiences can be shared, identities are expressed and art can be enjoyed.

Through Sex and the Steel City, we were also able

to explore Hamilton’s history, challenge the issues our communities face and open eyes to future possibilities with passion and dedication.

Every word and visual in this issue is also a reflection of the privileged position we, as a publication, are in to unapologetically express ourselves, a position that has been continuously denied to people historically and as of late.

For this reason, our cover includes re-creations of stills from the recently discovered film Something Good - Negro Kiss. Directed by William Selig in 1898, the film depicts the earliest on-screen kiss between

two Black stage entertainers and challenges the racist caricature prevalent in popular culture. In the 29-second silent film, Saint Suttle and Gertie Brown convey undeniable expression of love, pleasure and happiness.

We hope to continue the conversation around barriers that continue to marginalize identities today while also celebrating everything good they have to share.

Sex and the Steel City is a hopeful expression that love will prevail.

@theSilhouette

TABLE OF CONTENTS 14

Where do we go?

15

19

Food/Fuck by Matty Flader

20

We’re here, we’re queer, you’re welcome!

Coming together by Kyle West

16

The romance of ego and love

17

A medical callout

“Me” time for better “us” time Eviscerate by Cait Gautron Naturally Grown by Jet Shower Scene by Erin Nantais

18

21 22 23

Seriously, can we scrap the term “sexually active?”

24

Pulling back from the cloak

6-7

Feature meets SATSC: Form and function

10

Humans of McMaster meets SATSC

30-31

Sports meets SATSC: Love in Maroon

or nothing at all by Kaylita Something Good - Negro Kiss was discovered and restored

by University of Southern California archivist Dino Everett and identified by University of Chicago scholar Allyson Field.

C/O USC HUGH M. HEFNER MOVING IMAGE ARCHIVE

14 |

The Silhouette

www.thesil.ca | Thursday, Feb. 14, 2019

WHERE DOWE GO? Without any brick-and-mortar spaces, Hamilton’s LGBTQA2S+ community struggles

Sasha Dhesi Managing Editor

In recent years, Hamilton’s downtown core has changed rapidly, with many businesses closing down and new ones popping up, just as fast. While some may welcome these changes, many others point to a loss for the LGBTQA2S+ community, with many popular gay bars closing down as the city evolved.

In the early 2000s, there were five major gay bars people could go to: The Werx, the Rainbow Lounge, The Embassy, M Bar and The Windsor, all of which were located in Hamilton’s downtown core. Since then, all of these bars have shut their doors.

For James Dee, a McMaster alum and Hamilton resident since 2004, bars such as the Embassy were an important aspect of their experience with Hamilton’s queer community as a place where they could go without threat of violence.

“We maybe have a little bit of drama and be kind of mean to each other….But when the lights came on at the end of the

night you know everyone was checking in with each other like ‘text when you get home and so I know you’re safe,’” Dee said.

While Hamilton’s queer scene thrived in 2004, it was not without violence. In that same year, Hamilton Police Services, among other municipal agencies, raided the Warehouse Spa and Bath and arrested two men for indecent acts. That raid was followed by protests from Hamilton’s LGBTQA2S+ community.

“It felt a lot more dangerous to be visibly queer in 2004,” Dee said. “I think it’s easy to kind of romanticize the time when we had brick and mortar spaces but it’s also easy to forget why we needed those spaces so much.”

Dee believes that, to some degree, places closed down due to a decline in need, but also points to the gentrification of Hamilton as another key reason these spaces disappeared.

“It’s not just the story of queer Hamilton, it’s the story of Hamilton in general… a lot of the places I used to enjoy hanging out [at] are now bougie coffee shops,” Dee said.

For example, following the shuttering of the Werx’s door,

the building was converted into the Spice Factory, a popular wedding venue.

“All across the board, [the gay bars] catered to people with less money,” Dee said.

“They don’t survive downtown anymore.”

Dee believes that, to some degree, places closed down due to a decline in need, but also points to the gentrification of Hamilton as another key reason these spaces disappaeared.

For Sophie Geffros, another long-time Hamilton resident and McMaster graduate student, the loss of brick-and-mortar spaces has meant a segregation within the community.

Geffros, who spent their

teen years in Hamilton, had many of their formative experiences at bars such as the Embassy, where they met older members of the LGBTA2S+ community in addition to those their own age.

“There is still an isolation that I think that can only be combated by in-person interaction,” Geffros said.

“We’re a little more fragmented. Like if I’m going out…

I’m going to be going out with people I already know who are members of the community,” they added.

For Geffros, the loss of Hamilton’s queer spaces is especially harmful, as these spaces were often the most accessible hangouts for queer people living in rural communities that lack direct bus service to Toronto.

“Those are people who are particularly isolated, who are often closeted throughout the week and would come to Hamilton on the weekend to blow off steam and be amongst

themselves. That’s a real loss,” Geffros said.

While there are no longer any physical LGBTQA2S+ spaces, there are opportunities for Hamilton’s queer community to converge. Dee is one of the founders of Queer Outta Hamilton, a collective that runs monthly queer pub nights, typically at Gallagher’s Pub. In addition, there are other organizations that offer workshops and events, such as Speqtrum Hamilton, the NGen Youth Centre, Pride Hamilton, the McMaster Students Union Pride Centre and others.

There are also many LGBTQA2S+-friendly bars and clubs, such as Sous Bas, which offers queer events, typically in partnership with Queer Outta Hamilton.

While Hamilton may have lost its major physical queer spaces, the community continues to support each other the best they can. @SashaDhesi

Popular Queer spaces open for people in the LGBTQA2S+ Hamilton community.

CATHERINE GOCE // PHOTO REPORTER

SATSC SATSC

www.thesil.ca || Feb. Feb. 14, 14, 2019 2019 www.thesil.ca

15 || 15

We're here, we're queer, you're WELCOME! Community event organizers Adam George and Steve Hilliard create and support the LGBTQA2S+ community in Hamilton Andrew Mrozowski Staff Writer

“In the beginning God created Adam and Eve (allegedly), but she soon realized how boring their parties were and created Adam and Steve to be their neighbours and show them how it’s done,” read the official Adam and Steve manifesto.

Since 2016, Adam George and Steve Hilliard have been throwing the queerest parties that Hamilton has seen for decades under their event planning name Adam and Steve.

These two community event organizers have a single mission, to create community and carve out LGBTQA2S+ friendly events within the Hammer. “[Our events] are unlike anything you’ve ever seen. It’s like your gayest wildest wet dream,” said George.

George moved to Hamilton in the late 2000s to attend McMaster’s science program.

Shortly after meeting Hilliard on campus, the two students clicked. Hilliard went on to graduate from the nursing program and became a full-time

nurse while George became a full-time realtor.

The “semi-engaged” duo — they have an ongoing competition over proposals — loved making a life together in Hamilton, but they felt something was missing in their community.

Being inspired by the fact that there weren’t any queer spaces currently in Hamilton, George and Hilliard had an idea. What if they planned and hosted parties in Hamilton that they would want to attend?

“We were tired of having to go to Toronto to have fun,” explained George.

“We were both inspired by being queer, inspired by fun, beauty and I have an intense love of drag. I really wanted to give a stage to queer artists,” added Hilliard.

Historically, Hamilton has had a rough history with queer spaces amounting to raids and police brutality.

“At any given moment, there was at least four or five [gay bars and clubs]. Hamilton was almost too gay and this history is tragic. If you look up the lists of the top ten worst police

raids, one of them was in Hamilton at a bathhouse downtown,” said Hilliard.

“But now, we’re moving towards a queer scene about being whoever the fuck you wanna be,” added George.

Attracting the likes of popular Toronto queens, such as Priyanka, and RuPaul’s Drag Race season 8 contestant, Thorgy Thor, the dynamic duo is always on the lookout for who can throw the greatest party.

“We wanted to throw parties that we wanted to go to.

Right before we started doing events, we always thought ‘Why hasn’t a RuPaul queen come to Hamilton?’ Then once we started throwing events, it was one of those things where you didn’t think was possible and then one day, I just googled … what would it take to get a RuPaul queen to come,” said Hilliard.

“We did a survey on our Instagram to see if there was interest… in four days the first show sold out and then we added a second date, and that one sold out,” added George.

Community is a large reason why George and Hilliard

The duo’s goal is not only to create community and a space that fosters inclusivity through their events, but they also wanted to become part of the community. throw their parties. The duo’s goal is not only to create community and a space that fosters inclusivity through their events, but they also wanted to become part of the community.

“It’s about creating a family in this city,” said Hilliard.

“Queerness was never something that was handed to us.”

George and Hilliard are consistently looking towards the future and are hoping to open up their own space. The goal is to have a party every night, so there will always be a safe space

for the community to celebrate and have fun.

Always busy planning parties, the duo has big plans for this coming romantic weekend.

Adam and Steve will be hosting Heart On: Queer Galentine’s Day Party featuring House of Filth on Feb. 16 at Absinthe Hamilton on 38 King William Street.

“Queer and gay bars left [Hamilton], but the gay and queer people didn’t. We need to give those people and ourselves a safe space where they can meet new friends, be safe, and won’t ever need to leave the city at all,” explained Hilliard.

The future for Hamilton’s LGBTQA2S+ looks as bright as the pride flag thanks to event organizers like George and Hilliard. Adam and Steve events are where you can put glitter on your face, wear your cutest shirts and dance the night away in a safe and inclusive space for all. @andrewmrozowski

Meet and greet photos from Thorgy Thor’s show.

C/O KENDELL MACLEOD

16 |

The Silhouette

www.thesil.ca | Thursday, Feb. 14, 2019

“Me” time

for better

“us” time

SUKAINA IMAM / PRODUCTION COORDINATOR

How focusing on self-love and introspection can improve your relationships Jackie McNeill Contributor

When I had friends over as a kid, I would pull my mom aside after a few hours and ask, “When are they going to leave?”

It’s not that I wasn’t having fun — I loved seeing my friends, but this time with others never failed to become draining and leave me with a need for some alone time.

While I once thought this desire to be alone was abnormal and unhealthy, as I got older I learned to take advantage of it to promote self-improvement. Left alone with just my thoughts, I’ve had the opportunity to think critically about who I am as a person, what I like about myself and what I want to do better.

Learning about who I was, both outside and inside of my relationships with others, and working to better myself has helped to increase my self-esteem exponentially over years of self-reflection.

I’ve experienced how this increase in self-esteem has aided my relationship with myself, but studies show that it can also benefit the way we interact with others.

Megan McCarthy, a professor in the department of psychology at the University of

Waterloo, suggests that people with low self-esteem are more likely to stay in unhappy relationships with others, resulting from their resistance to recognize and address problems.

“People with a more negative self-concept often have doubts and anxieties about the extent to which other people care about them,” explained prof. McCarthy.

The self-concept is our idea of self, constructed through a combination of our own beliefs about ourselves and how others respond to us. A negative self-concept, then, can cause someone to assume negative reactions towards them and therefore avoid confrontation or conflict as a defense against these assumptions being actualized.

So, an increase in self-esteem can certainly improve romantic relationships, but those are not the only relationships we experience. Every interaction we have, be it with friends, family, or even our co-workers, can benefit from the practice of selflove and self-care.

Time alone also increases communication with the self through self-awareness. When I spend time alone, my own thoughts, feelings and desires become my priority. This has helped me realize that commu-

nicating with myself should remain a priority throughout my life, including when I interact with others, paving the way for honest and open relationships.

In addition, being selfaware has allowed me to be more receptive of others’ thoughts, feelings and desires, which may reflect similar concerns or insecurities that I possess. By reflecting upon the self, we can become more sensitive and considerate towards the people we build relationships with.

It is important to note that my idea of alone is not one size fits all. Spending time alone can simply mean loneliness for some people, and as a Psychology Today article explains this can lead to anxieties, depression, or reminders of loss and abandonment.

McMaster University’s prof.

Tara Marshall illustrates this idea through the example of a breakup.

“After a breakup, people who are more secure in relationships and have higher self-esteem are more likely to desire some time alone,” explained prof. Marshall.

“They may engage in some personal growth-enhancing experiences. People high in anxious attachment, on the other hand, desire to go on the

rebound after a breakup,” she added.

Marshall went on to explain that humans are social by nature and we have a need to belong to social groups as our survival has depended on it throughout history. So it is important to balance time spent alone with socialization, just as it’s important to get to know yourself and what will work well for your own self-esteem.

The point of this time spent alone is to improve your feelings about yourself, but also to use this to positively affect your relationships with others.

What works for me won’t work for everyone, but maybe by sharing my experience others will venture to learn more about themselves and how they interact with others.

Of course, when trying to self-reflect as a student several issues present themselves. Our days are packed with studying, interactions with peers everywhere on campus, trying to balance friends, a job, finishing that essay and visiting family; our minds never get a break.

So how do you get some quiet time in a busy day? Try the silent study in Mills— it’s a great way to ease yourself into being alone because you’re surrounded by other students, but everyone is focused on their

own work. There’s no opportunity for socialization to distract you from yourself.

Sitting still can be difficult, so go for a walk alone in a quiet neighbourhood. No phone calls or music, just reflect on that day or what’s to come and make an effort to think positively.

If these options take too much time, go to bed 20 minutes earlier than usual and let your mind wander while trying some deep breathing. This can help ease stress and relax your mind, leaving it open for reflection.

This time alone allows you to drop what Psychology Today calls your “social guard.” Pay attention to how you behave alone and compare it to how you behave around others, and maybe work to let some of your “alone” self bleed into your public persona.

Whether you crave alone time like me or not, we can all benefit from a bit of self-reflection to better our relationship with ourselves and others.

Self-awareness and the resulting higher self-esteem make an impact on the way we interact with others, and can keep our relationships open, honest and healthy. @theSilhouette

art submissions

| 17

Eviscerate Cait Gautron In using fruit to mirror anatomy, Cait Gautron was seeking to question ideas of ripeness and primacy in media surrounding sex.

Shadowing the piece are ideas of destruction and decay.

With these characteristics she playfully seeks to evoke viscera while using approximate substitutes to create a surreal and dream like atmosphere.

In oil paints, Gautron seeks to explore the delicate balance between desire and disgust, growth and decay, inherit in human anatomy.

Raised by an artist mother, the majority of her early artistic

Naturally Grown Jet Jet’s artistic process relies heavily on research into my chosen focus. It starts with the inquiry: “I want to understand more about…” as they then experiment with different mediums until they find the right material and presentation of their idea.

Visualization is the key to their process where they push the boundaries of my idea and test as many possibilities as they can. When the piece is ready for an audience, Jet prefers the audience takes part in the outcome of the work itself.

Jet works mainly with

performance, video, sculpture, photography and painting. They try not to ever limit myself to one medium. Jet encounters ideas that seem to float in the air and works with them, listens to them, becomes them and finds the best method to allow the work to exist in harmony with the audience.

Jet’s practice often explores the human body in all of its physical and ethereal elements.

Throughout their life they have always made space for themselves to imagine and work out complex issues. This gives them the head space to create and transform what is not yet physical into a tangible piece.

Jet is a multidisciplinary artist who emigrated from Mexico in 2009. They grew up feeling that they didn’t always belong. Social norms, family, friends, peers, the state, and especially an oppressive culture of dominance, sought to limit the creativity of their soul. Now their work reflects a rebirth of expression, and the power of the artist’s will to transform the unseen beauty that surrounds them. @hayetcoghlan

Shower Scene Erin Nantais This digital drawing entitled “Shower Scene” explores ideas and themes of intimacy that are typically uncomfortable for individuals to openly discuss.

Sex and sexuality are often unnecessarily forbidden topics that need to be reimagined as natural and normal.

Through this piece, sexuality is explored and depicted as natural, normal and familiar.

Simple lines and colours along with a minimalistic look are used to enhance the idea of intimacy as a normal and acceptable human experience.

education came from exploring the galleries and museums of Europe in her early teens.

In that time she became enamoured with the lustre of Vermeer’s still lifes and the contortion of Schielle’s portraits.

Currently enrolled in her second year of McMaster University’s studio arts program, Gautron has just began to show her work around Hamilton and Ontario. @caitgautron

Erin Nantais is a fourth year multimedia student at McMaster University. She typically works with photography and graphic design.

Her personal style of work emphasizes strong lines and simple colour schemes to create a distinctive digital feel.

Creative portraiture and animal photography are main sources of inspiration for most of Nantais’ work.

Nantais has always been interested in art and photography and through her work she’s found a digital style that incorporates elements of both. @nantaisphoto

18 |

or nothing at all.

It’s 11:07 a.m.

You check your phone.

For a moment you can’t breathe and then breathing happens all at once.

Too fast. Too frequent.

Depression lingers in the depths of your mind and anxiety holds you by the throat. _ It’s 9:27 p.m.

You ask them to choose you, but they show you they never will.

Over and over again.

You knew all along this was going to happen.

The red flags waved furiously but they were in your blind spot. _ Now. You are accompanied by your old friend, insomnia.

You are enveloped with exhaustion, and gently embraced by the solace of truth.

Sometimes you have to choose if you want to pick the dandelion or the rose or nothing at all. or nothing at all.

Kayla Da Silva The artwork accompanied by the poetry is meant as a reflection of relationships that are emotionally damaging. More times than never, an individual in the relationship may not be aware of how complicated the situations were until leaving them.

The series is meant to highlight the mental turmoil an individual can experience when the pattern of behaviours from a partner negatively impacts their state of mind. When being in a complicated relationship, it can often lead to an internal conflict when they are in-love with their partner.

The difficult question is; how long can one hold on to what appears to be a rose when the thorns cause trauma? A partner should never put you in a position where you need to routinely put your wellbeing at risk.

Kayla Da Silva, also known as Kaylita, is a creative and a designer. She has found her poetry to be a suitable companion to the visuals she creates.

She holds a Bachelors of Arts in multimedia and communications from McMaster University and currently resides in Hamilton, Ontario working full-time as a junior graphic designer. @iamkaylita

| 19

Food/Fuck Matty Flader CW: Disordered eating For me, sex and food have always had their limbs awkwardly intermingled (in a no eye contact Grindr hookup sort of way). I know what you’re thinking: “how deep, bananas look like dicks and I’m entirely enthused and kind of turned on.” Yet, the story of this photograph is really one of inner turmoil, anguish and ultimately resistance. The food/fuck correlation, as I call it, has lingered like an unwanted houseguest in my head for quite some time now. It goes something like this: the less sex I’m having the less I feel I’m allowed to eat.

In times of plentiful or at least grandiose sexual conquest, I can take a breath… or, a bite I guess. The logic is as desperate as it is simple. If I’m not getting laid, I better stop snacking and start looking like a snack. The food/fuck correlation not only problematically frames sex as some prize for me to win, it also leads me through disorderly cycles of eating.

It’s all too easy for the things I did or didn’t eat to change my self-perceived body image.

This self portrait is meant to picture the undying torment food puts me through.

Putting a voice to this struggle challenges the hegemonic belief that men, those wonderful, tenacious beasts, could never develop eating disorders. The photo challenges the societally constructed ideal of a man who is too tough to feel pain. Inability to conform to this ideal can strip one of his own masculinity.

As men the borders of our gendered and sexual identities are constantly under scrutiny by our peers. For most, it’s far easier to conform by reproducing masculinity however they see possible.

As a result, men are taught that being normal means never being vulnerable. Expressions of masculine insecurity like my food/fuck anxiety are constantly pushed to the margins of society. I say fuck that. Through this photo I proudly shout: I am a man, I have feelings, sometimes I feel insecure, but here I am.

And hey, I bet

you’d still fuck me.

Matty Flader is an emerging artist based in Hamilton, Ontario and Vancouver, British Columbia. He takes an interdisciplinary approach to art projects, with a specialization in portrait photography. Flader’s work concerns a broad range of topics, including gender performance, eating abnormality and responses to current events.

He often challenges difficult ideas through a humourous lens in attempt to bring attention to the absurdity of this world. @matt_der

20 |

Come Together Kyle West This photography series was inspired by comparing classic symbolism of unity and strength with consideration to the themes of Sex and the Steel City. Across the world

and throughout many diverse culture, the symbol of holding hands can be seen to communicate intimacy or a close relationship.

Taking this symbol and empowering it through strong vertical compositional choices lend the viewer to perceive

these couples and their love as prevailing. The stylistic choices are a nod towards the strength and monumentality of the landscape work of Ansel Adams and the influential portraiture of Platon. Ultimately, “Come Together� is a story of love, unity and partnership and my best

ability to document this.

Kyle West is a Hamilton-based photographer. West has developed a particular interest in portraiture over the years, often times turning to digital and film photography to capture his subjects in a beautiful light. From perfectly timed

scenes of bustling city streets on film to carefully composed landscapes and journalistic endeavours, West also utilizes his photography as a means for storytelling. @westsphoto

www.thesil.ca | Feb. 14, 2019

The Romance of Ego and Love

SATSC

| 21

A wedding filmmaker’s perception on the popular relationship into adulthood Relationships thrive on love, not ego.

AARON DE JESUS // DIGITAL MEDIA SPECIALIST Aaron de Jesus Digital Media Specialist

Twenty. That’s how many weddings I shot in 2018 as a wedding filmmaker, and that’s how many couples I’ve witnessed embark in the romantic tradition of love through ceremonial spectacle. As Aristotle puts it, love that is “composed of a single soul inhabiting two bodies.”

But what stems from this poetic union of two perfect swipes matches? A spiritual bliss? Unconditional passion? A fulfilled soul? Maybe. But there is a definite partner in crime to romantic love we all need to control: ego.

What is Ego Not the Freudian ego, but that Kanye ego. You see it in films, you hear it in music and you feel your eyes rolling back when your lab partner urges you to believe that they “meet the perfect criteria” for their Fridaynight-fling. Or better yet, the heavenly Friday-night-fling “fits all my checkboxes.”

This is only the bark of the evergreen ego, which we can define using author Ryan Holiday’s definition as an “unhealthy belief in our own importance” found in his book Ego Is the Enemy. This is synonymous with arrogance, vanity and of course, Kanye.

What is Romantic Love The ego in love inflates our own level of significance, while at the same time projecting ambitious standards for another to meet.

With this principle narcissism, we begin to see the clinging relationship of ego with “romantic love” — which we can describe through the wisdom of Alain

The ego in love inflates our own level of significance, while at the same time projecting ambitious standards for another to meet. de Botton as a lifelong passion of unconditional affection, monogamous sex of the deepest expressions, independent of any logical reasoning and relying only on instinctual emotions and feelings.

Take that in — romantic love lives solely on emotion without logic. To the casual reader, these childish thoughts may seem obvious, but reflecting deeper, we begin to see signs within ourselves and our closest circle. We must control this.

Let’s take a look throughout your life.

Children: The Seedling Ego Going back to where this all began, childhood is where we first experienced love. Most can associate child affection with a loving authority. Whether we called them our parent, sibling, relative, or neighbour, we needed them. The attachment theory research of John Bowlby throughout the 1900’s, followed by Prof. Sue Johnson’s couples therapy research today, brings sound evidence for our dependence on others. When we screamed for food, we got it. When we cried to be held, we got it. When we laughed for playtime, we got it. This is a good thing. Relying on others is the fundamental reason our

species has survived millennia.

The downside is in its longevity and growth through life.

Yes, we need others in life, and yes, our deepest instinct is to seek attachment, as outlined by Prof. Johnson, but the feedback loop of the Ariana Grande-esque “I want it, I got it” is the root that sprouts the dark ego of romance. Getting things as children paves the way for this underlying principle of romantic love: When we want something, we’ll find a way to get it.

Adolescence: The Budding Ego Which brings us to the next step of the growing ego in love.

Found in puberty, high school, college or university, new experiences with decreased micromanagement and guidance.

This is when the ego begins to experiment. Our claustrophobic wants begin to explore outside the supervised home and seeks easier ways to be watered.

Whether through becoming captain of the volleyball team, taking the alto sax solo in band and most notably, finding a significant other to seek love and affection from.

This is also the point where ego meets romance. Our idea of love at this time is heavily influenced by the media, family and friends, and I’m willing to bet they all follow the blueprint of romantic love defined above.

The fairytale love. The princess and prince charming love.

The budding ego spreads its roots and leaves into new terrain, searching for nourishment through this angelic and socially-acceptable soil called romance. This fair ground is for taking, stemming from it the seedling motto of “doing it because you want it” which only

leads to the growth of our selfish plant called ego.

Our idea of love at this tiem is heavily infleunced by the media, family and friends, and I’m willing to bet they follow the blueprint of romantic love defined above.

Into Adulthood: The Warped Ego This is when our ego blooms the biggest, taking our primal egotistic need for affection and mixing it with the socially-acceptable irrationality of love. It almost becomes Machiavellian in the way it finds love.

Robert Greene, author of The Laws Of Human Nature, highlights a few archetypes of the folly relationship: the victim types that need saving, the saviour types to save victims, the devilish romantics of seduction, the image of perfection that never comes to fruition and the straight-up “they’ll worship my ego indefinitely and unconditionally because of who I am” type.

Nowhere near complete, these types in relationships are ever-present. They may not come to mind right away when we think of romance, but when we look deeply at traditional love stories, the Romeos and Juliettes, the Snow Whites and Prince Charmings, there they are. And when we look beside us, there they are.

Is this a bad thing? Aristotle once said that to fix the warped curvature of wood, one must apply pressure in the opposite direction. And I do believe that regulating our growth should be at the forefront of any visionary.

But is this subjective idea of “true love” really a disservice to our growing forest of human interaction?

The Solution Yes, I do believe this traditional view of love has well overstayed its visit. Especially with our cultural shift towards individuality and independence. And the first step to grow with the grain is understanding and loosening our ego.

For better or for worse, it’s our ego trying to keep up with the Kardashians Joneses in love.

But they’re not you, and only you know what climate is best to grow love. Not Disney, not the latest country ballad and not the many wedding films found online. There are 7.4B definitions of love, and we need to rid our ego of any unexamined soil.

This means stop assuming that relationships are the norm.

Stop associating sex with love.

Logical thinking can be just as divine as cupid’s arrow. You don’t need to love everything about someone to love them.

Arguments are arguments, and not signs from a higher power.

We can’t put full responsibility on another to complete ourselves. And above all, it doesn’t make you any less of a person to love someone.

Let go the ego to let love grow.

@theSilhouette

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The Silhouette

Thursday, Feb. 14, 2019 | www.thesil.ca

A medical callout

Exploring the connection between the pill and mental health that’s often neglected

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SUKAINA IMAM / PRODUCTION COORDINATOR Rosemarie O’Shea Contributor

For many users, the birth control pill’s side effects pose problems beyond spotting and migraines. The pill’s effects on the mental health of women are now being more widely discussed than ever. More women are opening up about their birth control experiences and how it has taken a toll on their mental wellbeing.

A quick YouTube search results in various videos titled along the lines of “Why I quit the pill”, where one video is even titled and thoroughly capitalized “THE PILL IS MAKING ME CRAZY. I QUIT”. Despite all this discussion in the social sphere, the medical research in comparison appears to be lacking.

Upon being made available to Canadians since 1960, the pill quickly became the country’s most popular form of reversible contraception. Now, more than 100 million women worldwide use the oral contraceptive pill to prevent pregnancy or control their menstruation.

Birth control pills contain varying levels of the hormones estrogen and progestin, the synthetic version of progesterone, a natural sex hormone. They prevent the release of the egg to stop ovulation from occurring, whilst also thickening the cervical mucus so that sperm cells are unable to enter the fallopian tubes. Both tactics minimize the chances of the egg meets sperm fertilization fairy tale. Provided it is taken correctly, the pill’s efficiency rate is stated to be 99 per cent effective.

Of course, almost every medication comes with its own set of side effects. The most commonly reported repercussions of the pill include intermenstrual spotting, nausea, breast tenderness and migraines. Slotted amongst these physical reactions, the ever-ominous sounding ‘mood changes’ is also listed.

These ‘mood changes’ are reflected in the most common reason for women to stop taking or change the pill they are using – its ramifications on their mental health.

In the 1970s, women pro-

tested for more information to be made available about the side effects of the pill as there were increasing reports of women suffering from heart conditions in connection to it. Eventually, the Food and Drug Administration required manufacturers to include inserts, within its packaging, listing the pill’s side effects and risks.

The FDA also required that the pill’s formula contain a significantly less amount of estrogen which has resulted in a lower risk of cardiovascular events and emergence of cancers. However, the connection between usage and increased risk of experiencing mental health issues weren’t legitimately addressed.

Recent studies have determined a link between the changes in hormone levels and the extent of anxiety and depression prevalent such as in premenstrual syndrome.

Furthermore, the progesterone hormone has been shown to induce depression while its synthetic version, progestin, has been discovered to result in the decreased production of

serotonin which is the hormone responsible for feelings of wellbeing.

Finding an ethical method of proving the cause and effect relationship between the pill and deteriorating mental health has stunted research in the field as the distribution of placebo pills to study subjects would result in unwanted pregnancies. Though, a study involving celibate subjects would face no ethical deliberation.

The issue remains that the advancement of medical technology concerning all categories that the pill’s side effect falls into: mental health, contraceptive technology and women’s health. Funding for such research is simply inefficient in times where it is most needed and expected by many.

Moreover, there is a consistency in the medical community’s reluctance to connect the pill with mental health issues, despite the large quantity of claims that have supported the correlation. Such reluctance possibly stems from the pill’s profit and value as a commodity.

It also seems to be the most accessible form of contraception to many and, so, slandering its brand so to speak may appear as a brash move.

With so many women experiencing heightened mental health issues in connection to their usage of the pill, this is an issue that needs addressing within the medical community. While the government are pushing more funding into mental health awareness, this problem continues to grow without being adequately addressed by research.

It’s time to shift the focus from dealing with the issues at hand after they conspire to looking at preventative measures that will protect users. The pill and its implications need to be more well researched and users must be informed. It’s time for the medical community to listen to women’s experiences, as neglecting their health and wellbeing is not an option.

@theSilhouette

SATSC

www.thesil.ca | Thursday, Feb. 14, 2019

| 23

Seriously, can we scrap the term “sexually active?”

How clinical language can lead to disparities in sexual healthcare for the LGBTQ2S+ community Julia Healy Contributor

“Sexually active” is an awkward phrase that many of us only hear in the doctor’s office. It is used in an attempt to bridge the intimate world of sex with the clinical and professional world of medicine, which is not an inherently harmful goal.

What is harmful is that whether or not one is sexually active is often the only question concerning sexual health that is asked during a doctor’s visit.

And more often than not the answer is confined to heteronomrative, penis-in-vagina penetrative sex between a cis man and a cis woman.

I recently had a negative experience that sums up how the use of this clinical language can lead to misunderstandings and humiliating experiences for LGBTQ2S+ individuals like myself. After having a bizarre 25-day period, I decided to go to the doctor. He told me that a wide variety of problems could have caused this problem. He then referred me to an ultrasound clinic for testing.

At the clinic, I filled out my

paperwork and waivers. One form asked if I was sexually active and left no space to elaborate. I had to think about how to answer; I had had sex before, but it was with another woman, so what was this form actually asking about? Possibility of pregnancy? Exposure to STIs? I decided to check ‘yes’ since I do consider myself to be sexually active and my doctor had mentioned that an STI could be a contributor to my problem.

Once I was inside the ultrasound room, lying on a table in a hospital gown, the technician noted that I was sexually active.

She then muttered under her breath that I would need to be to to get a transvaginal ultrasound, while picking up a large internal ultrasound wand.

Not having known that being sexually active in a heteronormative sense was a prerequisite to the procedure, I decided that now was a good time to clarify. I tried to phrase my predicament as delicately as possible, so I emphasised that I had never had penetrative sex before.

The technician became

very frustrated and started to interrogate me, demanding me to explain.

I thought that a medical professional who specialized in sexual healthcare would understand my phrasing. I thought that she would at least consider that different people have different types of sex.

Instead I was there, lying half-naked on a table, being yelled at by somebody who did not seem to consider sexual differences. Humiliated, I said in a very small voice, “well… I’m a lesbian.”

The technician’s demeanor instantly changed. She became less aggressive and seemed embarrassed. She left and brought back new paperwork for me and indicated that I should write that I was not sexually active and that I did not consent to the tests that I had previously consented to.

I went home frustrated about being yelled at and ultimately denied the testing that was recommended by my doctor. I decided to follow up with the clinic and while the receptionist was sympathetic and said that they would follow

up with the technician, they also defended the clinic’s position by saying, that I was technically a virgin and that I shouldn’t have indicated otherwise.

This entire situation was incredibly uncomfortable for me and it could have been avoided if only the original paperwork had been clear in its questions.

If I had space to elaborate on my sexual experiences in the paperwork, I would have and would have spared myself from the frustration of the technician.

If I had known that penetrative sex was a prerequisite to the test, I would not have signed the consent form.

However, even with these language changes, the clinic’s penetrative sex requirement is an inappropriate policy. Everyone with a vagina should have access to reliable ultrasound tests regardless of sexual activity.

Smaller ultrasound probes that can be used with less discomfort do exist, but unfortunately, not many ultrasound clinics use them. In my city of 600,000 people, you can only gain access to a smaller probe by going to the hospital.

When discussing barriers

that lie between the LGBTQ2S+ community and healthcare, it’s not just about blatantly bigoted “bad apples” who refuse to treat queer patients. Barriers are deeply ingrained in the language that is used and assumptions that are made about a patient’s experience.

Barriers include failing to take LGBTQ2S+ experiences into account when designing medical procedures and failing to provide access medical equipment that works for all bodies, regardless of previous sexual activity. Barriers also arise when medical staff are ill-informed about the language that groups use to describe themselves and their experiences, and when this language is challenged in a hostile way.

Sexual health is incredibly important. However, encouraging people to take control of their sexual health only does so much if one’s identity and experiences are not incorporated into our healthcare systems.

@theSilhouette

SUKAINA IMAM / PRODUCTION COORDINATOR

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The Silhouette

www.thesil.ca | Thursday, Feb. 14, 2019

Pulling back from the cloak Mia Sandhu’s paper cut outs depict her evolving ideas on women’s sexuality

C/O MIA SANDHU

Rya Buckley A&C Reporter

Mia Sandhu’s paper cut outs depict images of women partially or entirely nude, amidst backgrounds of leaves or behind curtains. She began working on these figures four years ago as a way of working through her own ideas about women’s sexuality.

Sandhu is a multidisciplinary artist currently based in Toronto. Her work has been exhibited in Toronto, Kingston, Halifax and Hamilton. She is a member of The Assembly gallery here in Hamilton, has done an artist residency at the Cotton Factory and also exhibited her work at Hamilton Artists Inc. Last November, Sandhu exhibited her collection Soft Kaur at The Assembly, which featured playful figures who are comfortable with their sexuality. The name of the exhibition, which alludes to both to the softness and fierceness of women, incorporates the half Punjabi artist’s

cultural background into her work.

“It’s the idea [of] a female warrior spirit and the idea of equality that exists… Singh and Kaur are these given names and it was designed to eliminate status and… [create] men and women as equal. And I liked the play on this idea of soft female spirit slash warrior spirit [and] also the sexual undertone,” Sandhu explained.

There are other motifs in Sandhu’s work that suggest a dialogue between Sandhu’s culture and her evolving ideas on sexuality. A lover of Indian fabrics, silks and tapestries, Sandhu includes these aesthetic features in her work through the exotic plants in the environment her figures reside in. With the evolution of her work, she now references more domesticated plants that humans have formed a relationship with.

The silhouettes that are seen in Soft Kaur are also the result of Sandhu’s art’s progression. Her earlier work featured

brown-bodied figures because Sandhu felt it more appropriate to use brown bodies in a work related to her upbringing and culture. Over time Sandhu employed more silhouettes in order to represent any woman, regardless of race.

The silhouettes do not broadcast as a uniform but as a canvas onto which women can project their own sexuality and ideas about sexuality. Sandhu is a believer in the fact that no one should decide for a woman how she should be represented sexually in society.

“I want women to be safe and I want them to feel safe and feel free and strong and empowered… [W]e’re autonomous [and] each of us should choose for ourselves how we want to be represented sexually or in any other way because we’re individuals. Hopefully we’re not represented with any sort of attachment to shame. We should just be proud of who we are,” Sandhu said.

Facilitating space for

women to speak about their ideas on sexuality was one of Sandhu’s aims behind this body of work. She finds it interesting to observe how her audiences connect with and interpret her art. By enabling dialogue, she finds that women can begin to realize the experiences that they share.

Exhibiting at The Assembly also gave Sandhu a location to speak with others about her work and to receive feedback.

One thing that she appreciates about the Hamilton art scene is the sincerity of the participants who she feels are open to talking about important issues and are creating art that is driven by content.

While there is no linear narrative to Sandhu’s work, the content is obviously evolving as Sandhu’s own views develop. One of the motifs whose symbolism has changed over the years is the cloak that Sandhu’s figures have covering and revealing their bodies. “[The cloak] represents

shame, it represents personal space and it represents a number of other things as well… But it’s like they’re choosing how much of themselves that they’re revealing and then as the work evolves, it’s like the… cloak… stops being on them directly and starts being like in their space around them and they’re allowing you in, or not letting you in,” explained Sandhu.

Through her work, Sandhu is also choosing to what extent she decides to let her audiences in. She is working on a new set of drawings and will continue to explore women’s sexuality and empowerment in the future. Her artwork is her diary, the paper cut outs and pencils replacing the thousands of elusive words that would be required to speak on the complicated ideas that she depicts.

@theSilhouette

OPINION

www.thesil.ca | Thursday, Feb. 14, 2019

| 25

Opinion Banning student-TA relationships How my relationship with my teaching assistant caused me to drop the class and consider switching programs Anonymous Contributor

I never imagined that I would date my teaching assistant. I also never imagined that I would have a “W” on my transcript from dropping their class. Dating my TA was probably one of the worst decisions of my undergraduate degree.

When I got into a relationship with my TA last semester, I didn’t think it was too big of a deal. Dating your TA is much more socially accepted than dating your professor or course instructor.

For one, the age differences between you and your TA aren’t always that big. My TA was two years older than me, but I’ve had TAs who were my age or younger. In that case, it’s hard to impose a ban against two consenting 20-somethings dating.

But what a lot of people don’t recognize is that there’s a power imbalance when dating your TA. Even when they’re the same age, or a bit older, there’s the fact that the TA is in a position that can strongly influence your academics and career.

When I had talked with my TA about our relationship, he told me that the department frowned upon student-TA relationships but there was no strict rule against them. While he was “required” to fill out a conflict-of-interest form, nobody forced him too. As long as he gave my assignments to another TA to grade, nobody batted an eye at our relationship.

I don’t think that’s enough.

Especially in classes where TAs are asked to deliver lectures or hold review sessions, it’s not enough to require TAs in relationships with their students to not directly grade their work.

Their presence alone influences their students’ marks.

Even when I got out of the relationship, I still felt ashamed and embarrassed every time I had to see him in tutorial or

McMaster University should protect students by banning all student-faculty relationships.

C/O MADELINE NEUMANN

But what a lot of people don’t recognize is that there’s a power imbalance when dating your TA. Even when they’re the same age, or a bit older, there’s the fact that the TA is in a position that can strongly influence your academics and career. lecture. When I found out that he had marked my midterm, I was angry but didn’t know what to do. It’s difficult to tell your professor the reason you want to switch tutorials or have your test remarked is because you slept

with your TA. In the end, I ended up dropping the class and dodging questions from people asking me why. I still see my TA around campus, however, and I’m scared that I’ll be assigned to his class again. I’ve been so anxious that I’m even considering switching programs to avoid him.

A conflict of interest policy is not sufficient. I reviewed Mac’s conflict of interest policy for employees and there is a section that states that a conflict of interest is present when an employee of the university engages in an “intimate relationship with a person who relies upon them for opportunities to further their academic or employment career”.

However, the only actions an individual must take when this conflict arises is to report to their direct supervisor, who can then decide if the “conflict is confirmed”. If it is, then the case is moved to higher-ups who decide what sort of actions need to

It’s difficult to tell your professor the reason you want to switch tutorials or have your test remarked is because you slept with your TA. be taken to remove the conflict.

But by the time that decision is made, it’s probably too far into the semester to make any changes. In my case, my TA didn’t bother disclosing our relationship since he knew the only action that was required was that he didn’t grade my work.

Even though it states in the policy that failure to report will result in “appropriate disciplinary procedures”, I’m not confident that the university

enforces this.

McMaster University should protect their students by banning student-TA, or any student-faculty, relationships altogether. These relationships have harmful power dynamics that blur the lines of consent, and can sometimes be considered sexual harassment or assault.

I’m not saying that all student-TA relationships end poorly. Sometimes it really is just bad timing when two people happen to meet. But if a relationship is meant to be, it can wait till the end of the semester to begin.

Dating your TA seems like a fun and sexy experience. In reality, this kind of relationship can be complicated, embarrassing and act as a huge stress on your academics and your mental health. Honestly, that cute TA isn’t worth it.

@theSilhouette

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OPINION

Thursday, Feb. 14, 2019 | www.thesil.ca

Meet Estelle, the dog guide Service and working dogs, while cute, need to be respected and approached only with the owner’s consent

Dog guides like Estelle play an important role in many students’ lives and should be respected.

KYLE WEST / PHOTO EDITOR

Bridgette Walker Contributor

There have been and will continue to be various types of service and working dogs in educational environments like McMaster University and out in the world at large. I’m Bridgette and I have a dog guide named Estelle.

Please don’t freak out!

Properly trained dogs are more effective, efficient and reliable than technology for a lot of physical and mental health conditions. These dogs truly do save lives.

Estelle plays many important roles in my life including going to McMaster University with me. She does many things including listening for certain sounds — especially my snack alarms — and knows where all the really important places are.

Aside from deafness, I have anxiety, autism and chronic migraines. Estelle keeps me in check mentally and emotionally.

When meeting service dogs, there are some ground

rules: ask first, establish what’s helpful and what are the limits.

There are some things Estelle really shouldn’t do for her own sake, and a few things that would actually cause problems for me. Meeting other service dogs is cool too, as long as they’re all well-behaved and ready to get right back to work.

Anyway, I don’t appreciate people randomly trying to pet or play with Estelle while I’m walking between classes. In general, all dog guides need to pay attention to where they’re going, and to their person.

We’re on the move, but she’s still listening for what sounds are in the area, how I am doing and so forth.

Please respect my space.

I don’t like being “crowded in” and neither does Estelle. She may be a dog, but she’s also regarded as a medical device — same as a wheelchair or other medical apparatus.

And yes, you can take a picture of us as part of the scenery going by, but don’t stop us to pose for snaps; if we did

In general, all dog guides need to pay attention to where they’re going, and to their person. this every time, I’d be late for everything.

Enough with distracting the dogs themselves! This can be dangerous for other people with more serious conditions when their service dogs are being distracted and hindered from alerting them to potentially harmful or even fatal issues that can crop up at any time. I’m blessed that this isn’t the case for me, so far.

Then there are people with phobias. I don’t know whatever trauma you have endured in the past but we really don’t mean you any harm! Please, stop screaming and whining. It’s not good for Estelle’s ears, not good for my anxiety and certainly not good for your throat or mental health.

Don’t project your personal problem onto us like that. You are an adult in university and entering the working world.

If you’re going to be like that every time you see Estelle or another kind of service dog on campus or out in the world, you’re not going to live as good a quality life as you deserve.

Everyone should be able to enjoy or at least tolerate seeing these dogs on duty — they’re really good at heart!

The secret is that if she weren’t on duty, she’d like to try being your friend! Estelle also likes visiting babies, kittens and even pet chickens. Anyway, since she can’t try comforting you in her doggy-way, try refocusing your perspective of the dog with: “It’s a special animal.

It’s somebody’s lifeline.”

From Estelle and me, see you around campus! @theSilhouette

Enough with distracting the dogs themselves!

This can be dangerous for other people with more serious conditions when their service dogs are being distracted and hindered from alerting them to potentially harmful or even fatal issues that can crop up at any time.

OPINION

www.thesil.ca | Thursday, Feb. 14, 2019

| 27

Public transit blues take two Eight years after the initial critique, the Hamilton Street Railway still has a long way to go Rob Hardy Contributor

Eight years ago, as a rookie contributor to The Silhouette, I wrote one of my very first pieces on the sorry state of the Hamilton Street Railway. It still survives online under the title of “Public Transit Blues”. So what’s changed since for McMaster University students and the city itself? Not much.

Some things are a bit better and some have gotten worse, but overall I would say the HSR is the same miserable experience it’s always been.

There do seem to be more student buses during peak times on campus so it’s not as packed as it used to be. We also have been able to negotiate year-round bus passes for Mac students, which previously only gave us an eight-month deal.

While I believe the HSR functions as best as it can within its limitations, the truth is that this is often not even remotely good enough.

In my case, coming in from Stoney Creek, the time spent commuting is brutal. If I take the B-Line, it still takes

While I believe the HSR functions as best as it can within its limitations, the truth is that this is often not even remotely good enough. roughly 50 minutes. Trapped in a compartment full of stale air, at times too overheated, and shaking like hell as it travels our streets, the experience can be uncomfortable.

What’s worse is that unlike previously, where the B-Line used to come right onto campus, it now stops on Main Street.

Having to then walk all the way down to Togo Salmon Hall, in often unpleasant conditions, is ridiculous.

Moreover, the B-Line still ends around 7:00 p.m. This results in having to make two connections, which significantly adds to the trials of an already long day.

While I can understand that

express buses may terminate service at night, it would greatly help if a consecutive route ran from at least University Plaza to Eastgate, even with regular stops.

I use the B-Line as merely one example. Anyone living on the mountain, who also has to first get downtown before progressing into Westdale, suffers similarly.

Part of this dilemma is that Hamilton has unique geography to contend with. Our city layout is not a simple grid like you would find in Edmonton, for example, with nothing other than a river to divide us.

But much of the fault lies with the HSR itself. My biggest issue is with buses that arrive early, causing them to leave many people behind. Sometimes I have been able to trace this to drivers who began their route early, because there is no other way, logistically speaking, they could have already arrived at that stop.

This is notable given that the HSR has been trying very hard to rebuild ridership — somewhat of a fool’s errand considering their target market

Moreover, the B-Line still ends around 7:00 p.m.

This results in having to make two connections, which significantly adds to the trials of an already long day. is people who take the bus out of necessity.

What’s more striking is that even intra-city travel within Hamilton becomes “a commute” if one were to cross the length of the city twice a day. The current system as it stands is simply too broken and not meant for people in Stoney Creek to travel by bus all the way to Ancaster mountain.

During this decade, the light rail transit promised to offer innovation, as we moved from the planning stages to acquired funding to implementation. After all, Canadian cities of comparable size can now rea-

sonably be expected to have an alternative public transit option on their most travelled route.

But as things stand, the latest news is that certain council members are now weary of paying additional costs should the project go over-budget, a reasonable possibility considering its timeline has been continually delayed due to endless council motions on the subject.

But why should the province keep footing the entire bill anyway, especially for a city whose factions are still so divided on this issue?

While the HSR is a crucial part of Hamilton, their monopoly on public transit leaves bewildered riders powerless to really express their concerns.

When we are caused to be late for school or work, an apology is pretty useless, and most people don’t even bother to complain.

What some have done is stop riding. Yes, the HSR wants to regain their numbers. But many previous and potential transit users are waiting for more than a hollow marketing campaign to be convinced. @theSilhouette

The Hamilton Street Railway has made improvements over the years but still has room to grow.

THE SILHOUETTE PHOTO ARCHIVES

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OPINION

Thursday, Feb. 14, 2019 | www.thesil.ca

Defending a French-language university The provincial government’s plans to cease building a French-language university adds to the longstanding anti-francophone sentiment in Canada Nicolas Belliveau Contributor

The news in November 2018 that Doug Ford and his provincial government were ceasing the project to build a French-language university in Toronto and eliminating the position of the provincial commissioner for French language affairs was met with backlash.

However, situations like these aren’t novel. French education and culture has been the target of marginalization for hundreds of years. Ford adds to this long list of discriminatory acts, as his decision to cut services and protections to Franco-Ontarians has underlying anti-francophone sentiment and is a violation of minority language rights in Canada.

But why should we care about this? After all, with just over 620,000 people, the French-speaking community in Ontario makes up just 4.5 per cent of its total population.

Growing up French-Canadian in Ontario, practicing and maintaining the language my ancestors tirelessly fought to preserve has proven difficult.

Additionally, the limited number of French secondary schools meant that I had to enroll at an English secondary school — adding to the challenge of keeping my mother tongue.

However, francophones are still Canada’s largest minority with Ontario home to the most populous French-speaking community outside of Quebec. But most importantly, the French language is a right that is protected by the Constitution and language laws.

This didn’t come easily.

Throughout all of Canada’s history, francophones have fought for the right to French education and with Ford’s new agenda, the battle appears to be ongoing.

Merely a century ago, the provincial government passed and enforced Regulation 17 throughout Ontario, which restricted the teachings in French beyond grade 2 and limited French teachings to one hour per day in primary schools. After 15 years of enforcement and prohibiting a whole generation from learning French, the law was finally repealed in 1927.

By ending the project for

However, francophones are still Canada’s largest minority with Ontario home to the most populous French-speaking community outside of Quebec.

But most importantly, the French language is a right that is protected by the Constitution and language laws. the development of a French university, Ford is reopening a door into the past that most French-Canadians thought was over. The ideology that once disregarded Franco-Ontarians’ identity and equality is now resurfacing, under the new

disguise of Ford’s policies.

And what is Ford’s reasoning behind these radical changes? Although Ford has yet to comment on the matter, government officials have cited the province’s $15 billion deficit as being the motivation for these cost-cutting actions.

However, the cost for the French Language Services Commissioner and the university tally up to a total of just $15 million per year. And as of now, Ford’s government has yet to meet the targeted amount of savings, leaving experts to question whether a thorough program review was carried out.

When looking at these realities, it is hard to believe the government’s narrative of the provincial deficit being the sole incentive for premier Ford’s changes, and not worry about an anti-francophone sentiment underlying Ford’s fiscal agenda.

What’s more unsettling is that Ford’s new policy changes cuts into Canada’s Constitution and the protections and rights of French-Canadians.

The functions of a language commissioner prove to

By ending the project for the development of a French university, Ford is reopening a door into the past that most FrenchCanadians thought was over. be essential in promoting and protecting a language. Not only do they monitor the government for any infringements upon minority language rights, the French language commissioner acts as a liaison between the provincial government and Franco-Ontarians.

By getting rid of the French Language Services Commissioner, Ford is destabilizing the rights and protections of minority francophones and undermining the institutions that promote one of the ‘sup-

posed’ official languages of this country.

I acknowledge that Ontario is already home to three bilingual universities and that the francophone minorities account for just 4.5 per cent of Ontario’s population. Additionally, I acknowledged that the Ford government has created the position of senior policy adviser on francophone affairs following the elimination of the French Language Services Commissioner.

The realities of the mistreatment of francophones throughout history along with the benefits of the French services and protections that Ford is eliminating would make it illogical for one to not consider this as anti-francophone sentiment. To be idle while the government carelessly partakes in these divisive political tactics is a disservice to our ancestors and to all minorities. @theSilhouette

Recent changes to Ontario universities made by the Ford government have been met with strong backlash.

CATHERINE GOCE / PHOTO REPORTER

SPORTS

www.thesil.ca | Thursday, Feb. 14, 2019

| 29

Sports Set up for a playoff run

With the worst behind them, the women’s volleyball team looks to finish the season strong with a run at the postseason

With only three games left in the regular season, the Marauders are on the cusp of a playoff berth.

KYLE WEST / PHOTO EDITOR Graham West Staff Writer

After a slow start to the season, the women’s volleyball team is rolling and looking to lock up a spot in the playoffs. Their slow start can be attributed to the major shift in the roster, with many upper-year players graduating, but the newer players are filling in admirably and the roster is loaded with potential.

They’ve won four out of their last five games, which is in large part due to a few players stepping up their play. Most notably, right side Jessie Nairn’s recent play earned her the Pita Pit Athlete of the Week for leading the team in points and kills over their weekend trip to Thunder Bay. Stuffing the stat sheet in all facets of the game, Narin’s 13 kills in the team’s Jan. 27 win

over Lakehead University is a perfect example of what she brings to the rotation.

The Marauders are back on track as they are riding a string of good games, with their only loss in the past five games coming from the undefeated and first in the division University of Waterloo Warriors.

“Even though we lost against Waterloo, we played a really good game against them,” Nairn said. “And if we play the way we did, we can definitely beat, if not at least play a really good game against, all of the teams coming up in the next couple of weeks.”

Nairn says the team is still in the process of finding its identity after losing so many of its veteran players. However, their development over the course of the season thus far is why they’ve been on a hot streak

lately, which should easily transfer to next season.

“After losing a really big graduating class last year, I’d say that our skills aren’t really spread out yet and we haven’t found out what our strengths are, so we’re slowly starting to get to that point,” Nairn said. “Although we’re a really big blocking team and we’re definitely one of the best blocking teams in the league, we’re definitely a big offensive team. Where we struggle is starting the offence, so passing and stuff like that, but when we have that done, it’s when we’re at our best.”

It’s been a tough transition going from losing only five regular season games over the past two seasons to having lost six already this season, but Nairn is confident the team can close out the season successfully.

The roster is filled with tal-

ent and potential but is lacking experience. With that being said, it hasn’t stopped the team from remaining in playoff contention despite the roster’s youthfulness.

“In the past years, we’ve only lost two or three games.

So for my first two years, it was a big deal losing,” Nairn said on the team’s recent struggles.

“Learning to lose, and then learning to learn from that, knowing that it’s going to be ok and that we are good enough to win and win the whole league — we just need to have the mentality to get there because we don’t know how to deal with losing yet, but we’re getting there.”

Nairn believes the team still has the capability of going far in the postseason and they still have their sights set on a trip to nationals.

“Our goal is definitely still to win, even though our path

to get there is looking a little rocky,” Nairn said. “We’ve played really good games against some of the teams that are definitely going to be in the final four this year. For instance, our very first game this season where we were nowhere near as good as we are now, we went to five sets with [the University of] Toronto and they’re looking like a team that will definitely be in the final four.”

The women’s volleyball team has had it’s fair share of struggles so far this season but they are a bright young team, with a roster full of talented players and greatness on the horizon. @theSilhouette

Love for sport leads three Maurader couples to @JaayCarmichael strong relationships off the field Jessica Carmichael Sports Reporter

STEPH AND ANTHONY Soccer & Football Starting off as friends in their first year, Steph Roberts and Anthony Bontorin would always see each other on residence, at the gym and around campus. It was during the summer of second year when the two both stayed in Hamilton that they began to hang out more seriously and eventually became official. The two bonded over their sports and being able to understand each other’s schedules as student-athletes. Although Bontorin suffered from an injury that has prevented him from playing, he is still a huge part of the men’s football team and is often just as busy as Roberts. Despite their schedules, the two make time for each other and support one another. Roberts even credits Bontorin’s role in supporting her during her breakout year a big part of her success. Being with someone who knows exactly what being a student-athlete entails is something the couple cherishes. With sports being a year-long and time-consuming commitment, both Bontorin and Roberts are happy they have found each other in the process.

JAY AND KRYSTAL

STEPH & A STEPH & ANTHONY

Love in Maroon

STEPH & ANTHONY

SPORTS

The first time Jay Anyimadu and Krystal Henry-Mathieu met each other, they were both Marauders receiving treatment after getting injured playing their sport. They saw each other for three weeks while at treatment, but that was all. Fast-forward to last year, when Henry-Mathieu replied to Anyimadu’s Instagram story, he kept the conversation going and they soon realized how much they had in common. The two no longer played for the school, as Henry-Mathieu had a career-ending injury and Anyimadu had moved on the Junior Canadian Football League, but their student-athlete mindset remained the same. Although she is retired, Henry-Mathieu was one of the few people who he could relate to. This past fall during his first season with the Junior CFL, Anyimadu was named Defensive All-Canadian and his team, the Hamilton Hurricanes, were named the Ontario champions. Through it all, Henry-Mathieu was right by his side cheering him on, even when it was cold, because not only does she love the sport, but the things that make him happy, make her happy.

MATT AND RACHEL Basketball & Volleyball When Rachel Woock was in her first year at McMaster, she immediately fell for Matt Quiring.

The tall blonde basketball player was on her mind for quite some time but like most men, Quiring was too oblivious to notice. Putting her feelings aside, the two remained friends for a while until a falling out stopped them from speaking to each other for a month. It was not until the men’s volleyball North American Challenge last year that they broke their silence and put aside their differences. A month later the two started dating and the pair has been inseparable ever since. Part of what makes them work as a couple is being student-athletes. Being able to understand where the other is coming from because they both play a sport where such a strong team component has been key in their relationship. Another thing that has kept them together is their faith. As Christians, figuring out that they were on the same level spiritually has been really encouraging for the couple. When asked what advice they would give other student-athletes in relationships, they encourage them to be vulnerable. Frustrated after a loss?

Let the other know, so it does not affect your relationship. Accepting who the other is but also being willing to change as they grow, is all part of what makes this couple work.

STEPH & ANTHONY

Football & Soccer

EPH & ANTHONY

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MATT & RACHEL

JAY & KRYSTAL JAY & KRYSTAL

MATT & RACHEL

JAY & KRYSTAL

MATT & RACHEL

KRYSTAL

EL

JAY & KRYSTAL

MATT & RACHEL

JAY & KRYSTAL

MATT & RACH

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SPORTS

CATHERINE GOCE / PHOTO REPORTER

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www.thesil.ca | Thursday, Feb. 14, 2019

Pride in the game

Event organizer Shawn Small outlines what went into creating the celebratory Pride volleyball event and its significance in the world of university athletics Coby Zucker Contributor

Saturday’s Pride volleyball games went off without a hitch, in part due to the organizational skills of Shawn Small, a manager in the department of Athletics and Recreation. The event was designed to merge athletics with a celebration of the LGBTQA2S+ groups on campus and in the Hamilton area.

“It’s just a celebration of the community,” said Small. “And trying to bridge our department with the community on campus and outside in the Hamilton community. Again, it’s a celebration game and just opening up the doors, making sure that people know what we stand for, who we are and making an inclusive environment for everyone.”

Small is something of an industry veteran, having had the opportunity to work in a similar role within the professional sports scene. During his time with the Maple Leafs Sports and Entertainment, he was able to help organize a similar event for the Toronto Raptors. Looking at what the pro teams were doing, as well as other universities, it was only a matter of time before the Pride event wound its way into Marauders athletics.

“The Toronto Blue Jays do a game,” said Small. “And Ryerson University, York University. So it’s something that’s pretty prevalent in the sports community.

Pretty common. So we felt that it’s time that we make sure that we’re recognizing and celebrating our community as well.”

Small explained that beyond just a celebration of the LGBTQA2S+ community, the event also helps promote equity and inclusion within university athletics.

“Generally, there’s a stigma around sports and the LGBT community,” said Small. “So we’re trying to break down those barriers and make sure people know that it’s an inclusive and equitable environment at the David Braley Athletic Centre and at the Athletics and Recreation Department.”

Though high-level athletics and the LGBTQA2S+ community have frequently been at odds, Small feels as though

The men’s volleyball team swept Nipissing in straight sets during the Pride event.

KYLE WEST / PHOTO EDITOR

stigma within the Marauders community is mostly imposed from the outside and not by teammates.

“I mean, we’ve had some openly gay athletes and student-athletes on our teams,” Small said. “And there is this stigma of people outside the sports world. But when you’re in it, all the people on the teams that know these openly-gay athletes are already open arms, and there’s no stigma within the environment. But when you’re outside the environment, we feel like there is always a perceived stigma, but perception is not always reality.”

The game itself was an overwhelming success for the Marauders. Both the women and men’s volleyball teams easily handled the Nipissing University Lakers in three-set sweeps. While the women’s team has remained competitive in the Ontario University Athletics West division, the men’s team is in prime position to go for OUA gold once again.

Even still, the team’s dominance was not a large factor

in the scheduling of the Pride event and was more of a happy coincidence.

“We don’t have many available dates with other things going on,” said Small. “So it landed on this date and we’re actually very excited again because the men’s volleyball team has been doing so well and it’s a strong draw — we always have a solid crowd. So it helps enhance what’s already a good event.”

This is not the first time Marauders sports have been fused with celebratory or awareness-spreading campaigns.

Bell Let’s Talk Day, which promotes conversation around mental health, was marked by a sizable campaign led by student-athletes and punctuated

by McMaster basketball games in support of the event. Chances are, the two events won’t be where the themed games end.

“We’re really trying to look at our calendar and schedule appropriately,” said Small. “Making sure that we have the opportunity to break down walls and invite different groups from all cultural, sexual

orientation, gender or whatever it would be. So we try our best to make sure we spread the net wide and bring everyone together and to our building.”

After another successful social event in the Marauders community brought fans and athletes together through

sports, the volleyball teams will build on this energy to boost them through the rest of the season. @theSilhouette

C/O MCMASTER ATHLETICS TWITTER

START YOUR MORNING AT THE GRIND

y r e v e n Ope y a d k e e w ! m a 0 0 : 8 t a FOLLOW US @MSU_THEGRIND

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GAMES

www.thesil.ca | Thursday, Feb. 14, 2019

Games

ACROSS 1- He-Man’s twin sister; 6- Claims; 10- Crowd noise; 14- Troy beauty; 15- Nabisco treat; 16- “Carmen” highlight; 17- Let me repeat...; 18- Info; 19- Ruin; 20- Abuse; 22- Arrested; 24- Electric fish; 25- Counselor;

26- TV chef Lagasse; 29- Too; 30- Prolonged unconsciousness; 31- Processed oxide of uranium; 37- Singer Bonnie; 39- Extra-wide shoe size; 40- Gannet; 41- Unqualified; 44- Refer to; 45- ...baked in ___; 46- Request; 48- Regret; 52- Novelist Ferber;

53- Two-time U.S. Open champ; 54- Burnish; 58- Londoner, e.g.; 59- Gyro meat; 61- ___ Janeiro; 62- Nota ___; 63- Type of arch; 64- Garr and Hatcher; 65- Anatomical passage; 66- Requirement; 67- Blind parts;

DOWN 1- Leveling wedge; Arabic letter; 2- For ___ Jolly Good Fellow; 35- The Green Hornet’s sidekick; 3- Mideast carrier; 36- Steven Chu’s cabinet dept.; 4- Repeat; 38- Autocratic Russian rulers; 425- Peace Nobelist Sakharov; Fifth letter of the Greek alphabet; 6- Fountain treats; 43- Pedestal part; 7- I smell ___!; 47- Grunts; 8- So far; 48- Temple leader; 9- Dirty rat; 49- “Snowy” bird; 10- Hub-to-rim lines; 50- Lobster state; 11- Ph.D. hurdles; 51- Blender maker; 12- Anouk of “La Dolce Vita”; 52- Surround snugly; 13- Abbreviated time off; 54- Hook’s mate; 21- ___ May Clampett of “The Beverly 55- Circle dance; Hillbillies”; 56- Revise; 23- States; 57- Capone’s nemesis; 25- Tree-lined walk; 60- Tree-ring indication; 26- Hose hue; 27- Grumble; 28- Islamic chieftain; 29- Advil rival; 32- Strange and mysterious; 33- Crested Australian parrot; 34- First

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