The Silhouette- Oct.22, 2015

the SRA, shall be defined in a bylaw approved by the SRA. d) Any vacancy occurring in the SRA shall be filled from the relevant division through a by-election to be initiated within fifteen (15) school days of the seat being vacant, pursuant to a by-election schedThedeclared Silhouette ule set out in a bylaw approved by the SRA. e) Upon receipt of the written resignation of a Vice-President, the SRA full MSU membership shall fill the vacancy from the membership of the MSU at its next meeting through an election period no sooner than one week after notice has been published in The Silhouette. 2.

Duties The SRA shall: a) Be the policy making body of the MSU. b) Appoint all Standing Committees. c) Appoint such special committees, as it deems necessary.

VP ELECTORAL d) Elect annually from the membership of the MSU, the Vice-Presidents of the MSU. e)d) Elect annually from the membership of the MSU by two-thirds (2/3) affirmative vote of the SRA members present, the Speaker of the MSU. f)e) Appoint the Secretary The SRA will discuss the possibility of the MSU on an annual g)f)toPlace restrictions of opening MSUbasis.

VP elections the MSU membership on the functions offull the Executive Board during the - Pages 4, 14 & 15summer period. 3. Voting The Speaker and Secretary

S

NEWS NEW BHSC DEAN Sitting down with Health Sci’s new dean, Stacey Ritz Page 3

LIFESTYLE COSTUMES The best lastminute Halloween costumes procrastination can buy Page 19

ANDY CHRIS BAIO The artist on his new solo album and Vampire Weekend past Page 27

Thursday, Oct. 22, 2015

REFORM

S

LOOKING BACK OCT. 11, 2012

The Silhouette

The early years

Volume 86, Issue 9 Thursday, Oct. 22, 2015 McMaster University’s Student Newspaper

EDITORIAL BOARD editor-in-chief | thesil@thesil.ca

Amanda Watkins @whatthekins managing editor | managing@thesil.ca

Ana Qarri @anaqarri production editor | production@thesil.ca Michael Gallagher @michaelradar online editor | online@thesil.ca Shane Madill @shanemadill sections

Rachel Katz @RachAlbertaKatz news reporter Patrick Kim @patrickmkim news reporter Alex Florescu @alexxflorescu features reporter Daniel Arauz @DanielArauzz opinions editor Talia Kollek @TaliaKollek sports editor Sofia Mohamed @itssofiaAM sports reporter Jaycee Cruz @_jayceecruz lifestyle editor Jason Woo lifestyle reporter Michelle Yeung @yeung_m andy editor Tomi Milos @tomimilos andy reporter Vannessa Barnier @vjbarnier news editor

In an interview three years ago, The Silhouette spoke with then Liberal MP Justin Trudeau about his future plans to run for Prime Minister when he visited McMaster. The newly elected Prime Minister will hopefully “be the change” we’ve been anticipating for the last few years.

media

Jonathan White @j_white.jpg (Instagram) photo reporter Jason Lau @jasonlaucker video editor Philip Kim social media coordinator Esther Adjekum @esturr

photo editor

sales ad manager | sgiordan@msu.mcmaster.ca

Sandro Giordano

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. 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.

Executive (905) 525-9140, ext 22052 Production Office (905) 525-9140, ext 27117 Advertising (905) 525-9140, ext 27557 10,000 circulation published by the

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ouette @thesilh

er /McMast te t Silhoue

ter @mcmas te t silhoue

Follow us on Snapchat for breaking news updates!

www.thesil.ca | Thursday, Oct. 22, 2015

In this

issue:

Changes possibly coming to MSU Vice President elections Page 4

The Silhouette

News

| 3

McMaster librarians in pre-strike conciliation talks Page 6

Stacey Ritz has got it going on McMaster alumna Stacey Ritz is eager to return to the Faculty of Health Sciences as the new Assistant Dean Alexandra Florescu News Reporter

Students from the Bachelor of Health Sciences program welcomed Prof. Stacey Ritz with a performance of the restructured lyrics to Fountains of Wayne’s “Stacey’s Mom” this past Welcome Week. The McMaster alum joined the Bachelor of Health Sciences faculty as the new Assistant Dean on Sept. 1, replacing the faculty’s first Assistant Dean, Prof. Del Harnish.

Prof. Ritz has an extensive background in science and health, with a Bachelor of Science in biology and a Ph. D. in Molecular Immunology, Virology and Inflammation, both completed at McMaster.

She then went on to complete a post-doctoral fellowship in Clinical Immunology and Aller-

gy from the University of California and has more recently finished a Masters of Education from the University of Western Ontario.

Prof. Ritz not only knows her way around McMaster, but she also knows her way around the Faculty of Health Sciences. In the past she has been a first-year Inquiry professor and co-developed and taught a fourth-year course in “Science, Culture and Identity.”

“I was in the environment where the BHSc program was starting and evolving and so it was really interesting to me because I had always loved teaching, I had loved being a TA, so seeing the way that the inquiry pedagogy was being used in the classroom from the faculty perspective was really valuable,” she said.

“The year one inquiry facil-

itators had a breakfast together early one morning every week and talked about what was going on in the classroom ... It helped me understand what I wanted to be as a teacher.”

A lot has changed since Prof. Ritz last saw the McMaster campus, namely the size and spread of the faculty, which includes the addition of the program’s specializations. On the other hand, leaving the Northern Ontario School of Medicine , where she worked from 2010 to 2015 as an associate professor, was like leaving behind her family.

“It was a really special experience to be involved in a brand new medical school, and building it from the ground up and seeing it come to fruition. I would have been happy to stay there for the rest of my career,” she explained.

“

We need to think about what we can do as educators so that getting good grades and learning deeply and well and in a satisfying way match up.

Stacey Ritz Assistant Dean, Faculty of Health Sciences

Yet Prof. Ritz knew that her time with Health Sciences faculty was unfinished, and she has many plans for the future.

In order to look towards the new, Prof. Rtiz is turning to the old – the current faculty in the program, many of whom have been at McMaster for years.

“It is exciting to see teachers who are so excited about teaching, so committed and interested. I really want to capitalize on what their insight has been in terms of what the program needs.”

The goal is to gather their input on what they value in the current state, where they can see improvements or what direction they would like to see the program go in.

CONTINUED ON PG. 7

>

JON WHITE/PHOTO EDITOR

4 |

NEWS

Thursday, Oct. 22, 2015 | www.thesil.ca

VP election referendum Following the receipt of a student body petition, the SRA will be addressing the request for a change to the VP election process at their Nov. 1 meeting Rachel Katz News Editor

Changes could soon be coming to the MSU’s Board of Directors elections. Earlier in October, the Student Mobilization Syndicate presented a petition with over 800 signatures to the VP (Administration) asking that all MSU members be eligible to vote for the three VPs (Administration, Education, Finance) in addition to the President. This request will be discussed at the upcoming SRA meeting on Nov. 1, where members will vote to take a stance on the issue. Based

on this vote, the SRA will make a recommendation that students vote in favour of or against the election of VPs. The SRA will take a stance on this referenda because it is a Constitutional amendment, unlike, for example, the newly passed health care coverage referendum.

MSU President Ehima Osazuwa was ecstatic at the thought of opening the VP elections to the MSU at-large.

“I’m very excited that students get a chance to decide what they want. That’s been my biggest position so far,” he said. He added, “[Whether students] want to elect VPs at large or not,

I’m glad they will finally get that chance.”

Despite his excitement, Osazuwa also expressed concern over how the student body will vote. “It’s going to be close because it needs to be two-thirds affirmative. So two thirds of the people who go to the polls need to say yes and that includes abstainers,” he explained.

Regardless of the SRA’s vote to endorse the amendment or not, it will go to referendum this winter.

“

I’m very excited that students get a chance to decide what they want.

Ehima Osazuwa President, McMaster Students Union

@RachAlbertaKatz

38

MSU PRESIDENTIAL

VOTER TURNOUT

50% Of total MSU members

2014/15

30%

40%

2012/13 2011/12 2010/11

22%

Gabi Herman Contributor

New cheating prevention study Freakonomics author Steven Levitt and Ming-Jen Lin discovered that randomly assigned seating for midterms is one of the most effective ways to quickly prevent students from cheating. Students are most likely to cheat by copying answers from those beside them.

When students were seated randomly for their final exam, the proportion of answers that indicated unscrupulous cheating behaviour plummeted.

“Flipped” classrooms improve experience

The voters

40%

Canadian research news

33%

25% 2013/14

29%

20%

10%

The current number of students who are eligible to vote for VPs

5

4

3

The number of candidates for last year’s VP (Administration) race

The number of candidates for last year’s VP (Finance) race

The number of candidates for last year’s VP (Education) race

The petition

672

The number of signatures required for the petition to be taken to referendum

800+

The number of physical signatures presented to the MSU on the petition

REQUESTED CHANGE

TO THE CONSTITUTION IV.B.1.e.

Upon receipt of the written resignation of a VicePresident, the SRA full MSU membership shall fill the vacancy from the membership of the MSU at its next meeting through an election period

In good news for many of Mac’s first year science courses, the Higher Education Quality Council of Ontario has released a report touting the benefits of “flipped” classrooms, with activities and problem solving in class and content-learning outside of class. This new learning model seems to improve short-term performance on quizzes and increase students’ confidence in their analytical skills. However, there was little significant difference in understanding of course material or final grades.

Canadian parents A new study from HSBC Bank shows that compared to global averages, Canadian parents are more supportive of a breadth of post-secondary education options for their children and less supportive financially. 72 percent of Canadian parents have a specific career path in mind for their children, while the global average is 83 percent.

Canadian parents have also grown more open to the skilled trades as a viable career path, and less than half believe that university is necessary for their children to achieve their goals. This may be good news for students, but 68 percent of Canadian parents expect their children to help pay for educational expenses, well over the global average of 40 percent.

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NEWS

Thursday, Oct. 22, 2015 | www.thesil.ca

Academic librarians vote in favour of strike mandate MUALA and McMaster University in conciliation talks over contract disagreements

Ana Qarri Managing Editor

McMaster’s Academic Librarians have their contract up for re-negotiation this year. Collective bargaining, which began on July 22, started out smoothly but has since faced several roadblocks, according to a press release issued by the McMaster University Academic Librarians’ Association on Oct. 9.

MUALA filed for conciliation with the Ontario Ministry of Labour, which brings in a conciliation officer to help mediate the disagreements between the union and the university.

The union represents 24 fulltime Academic Librarians who work at McMaster’s libraries.

“One of our key roles is that librarians act to support teaching, learning and research needs of the campus community. Specifically, we are supporting [students’] learning and research needs and of faculty members and other research teams. How we do it varies by the individual role that the librarian has,” said Laura Banfield, MUALA’s President and chief negotiator.

Prior to the conciliation talks, which began on Oct. 14, at a MUALA meeting with 92 percent of their membership present, all attendees voted in favour of a strike mandate.

Andrea Farquhar, McMaster’s Assistant Vice President Public Relations, said that half of the contract had been agreed on prior to conciliation talks.

Although neither the university nor the union can speak to the details of the talks, the general points of contention were addressed in MUALA’s press release. These include compensation and academic rights of Academic Librarians.

MUALA states that the employer — the university — wants to “rollback compensation and limit salaries far below inflation.”

However, Farquhar said that there are no rollbacks to compensation being proposed.

“The university has tabled salary increases exceeding inflation. That includes a combination of across-the-board increases and a merit pool that members are eligible for based on their individual performance each year,” added Farquhar.

The disagreement in interpretation between the two parties is clear, much of it founded on the meaning of “inflation” and how they individually define fair and reasonable compensation.

As for MUALA’s claim that the university is trying to remove Academic Librarians’ right to participate in academic decision-making, Farquhar

“

Our desire it to settle things through conciliation … the issues that we’ve raised are the ones that resonate within our population.

Laura Banfield MUALA President

commented that the meaning of this was “unclear.”

Based on previous bargaining updates on MUALA’s website, the union has shown concern about the university’s proposal to “delete substantial portions of procedures and criteria” for promotions, evaluations and other decisions, which would leave these decision entirely up to the university’s discretion.

MUALA claimed that this would seriously degrade working conditions.

When asked if the vote would mean that in the case of unsatisfactory conciliation talks the Academic Librarians would go on strike, Banfield said that

JON WHITE/PHOTO EDITOR

the vote simply gave MUALA’s executives the ability to call for job action if the situation requires it in the future.

“Our desire it to settle things through conciliation … even once a ‘no-board’ report has been filed then there is the situation in which both sides decide to go to mediation and still try to settle things before the lockout or strike mandate is acted upon,” said Banfield.

A “no-board” report by the

third party would signify that an agreement was not reached through conciliation meetings.

“The issues that we’ve raised are the ones that resonate within our population,” said Banfield.

Both parties hope the conciliation meetings will address these disagreements and help them effectively move forward with negotiations. @anaqarri

JON WHITE/PHOTO EDITOR

NEWS

www.thesil.ca | Thursday, Oct. 22, 2015

| 7

CONTINUED FROM PG. 3 >>

Stacey Ritz joins Faculty of Health Sciences

Write for News!

Is there something on campus you think students should know about? Email news@ thesil.ca to get involved

“

It is exciting to see teachers who are so excited about teaching, so committed and interested.

Stacey Ritz Assistant Dean, Faculty of Health Sciences

C/O STACEY RITZ

Prof. Ritz hopes to gain an appreciation for the essence of the program without shaping it with her own ideas – at least not yet. She is wary of colouring other people’s perception and is holding back in order to see how her vision combines with those of existing faculty and students.

Her predecessor in the role, Prof. Del Harnish, was outspoken about the need to assess

the value of grades, an aspect of education the Prof. Ritz wants to continue looking into.

“We need to think about what we can do as educators so that getting good grades and learning deeply and well and in a satisfying way match up. If you have a system where what you want for students and what you are assessing students for isn’t aligning well, they are going to [focus] on the assess-

ment. It is always a challenge to look at the hidden curriculum of what your assessment is doing.”

When asked about someone who inspires her, Prof. Ritz names her grandfather.

“He is 90 and although he never graduated from high school, he is one of the most educated people I have ever known. He is the absolute paradigm of what it is to be a self-directed learner. At age 90, he has learned to cook, he is trying new cuisines, he is writing a new book. I think a lot of people could learn from his example in terms of what it means to tap into your own curiosity.” @alexxflorescu

By Levin C. Handy (per http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.pnp/cwpbh.04326) [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

You don’t have to sit in school to stand among greatness. › Thomas Edison: Relentless Inventiveness Failure is no biggie. Just ask Edison. If he stopped at failure, he would never have moved on to invent a little thing called the light bulb. So if you’ve failed a class somewhere else, or have a scheduling conflict, come on over. You can catch up with our world-recognized online courses, then move on to bigger successes. Talk about a light bulb moment.

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8 |

DOGS!

Thursday, Oct. 22, 2015 | www.thesil.ca

Bring me back to your childhood.

Lily the Golden Lab-Poodle Cross Social Sciences II

My owner got me when I was eight weeks old, and I was born in Millgrove, Ontario, to a breeder. I was the runt of the litter, and I had a very large umbilical hernia, which can be a little costly to fix. So my owner’s daughter decided that she had to have me, and they took me home and fixed my umbilical hernia, and a couple other things that were wrong at birth.

I’ve been with the family ever since, and they always say that I’m just the best, best pet that they could have asked for.

I’m very friendly. They also say I’m hypoallergenic and non-shedding, which was a consideration for my owner because her son has asthma – and he hasn’t had any problems at all.

Have you had any memorable moments with your family?

I’ve had so many memorable stories with the family! I’m a swimmer; I love to swim. And I guess that’s the Golden Lab in me. My poodle side doesn’t necessarily like the water, but I love the water. So my owner took me to her mum’s for Thanksgiving, and it was a very windy day. It was really, rather, foul. And on Lake Erie, which is where her mother lives, the water was very rough, and the waves were high.

And it was just really, kind of eerie.

But I decided that I was

JASON LAU / PHOTO REPORTER

going to run down the embankment and onto the dock, and then jump into the water! So my owner looks out into the water, and there’s my head – just bobbing on top of these ginormous waves. The water was brown, and it was all coming up from the bottom. I came out, and I looked like a swamp monster – just covered in dirt and guck and you name it. But I loved

it, and I also found a dead fish, which I brought up to the family promptly, and laid at their feet for Thanksgiving dinner.

What brings you here to see McMaster students?

My owner’s mother had a stroke last January, so she was in a hospital at Brantford. My owner’s mother has four dogs of

her own, and my owner was told that she could bring those dogs to visit her mother while she was in the hospital recovering. My owner’s mother was in the hospital for eight weeks. And they noticed that for the first four weeks, her recovery was slow and there were lots of medical issues that were very serious.

But when they started bringing her dogs in, it just turned her

around, almost immediately.

And she started to feel better, and participate more in her recovery. She was happier; she had a better outlook, and a better attitude about her recovery.

And then my owner brought me into the ward as well, and the patients in the ward took to me. The nurses commented that having us animals there really did make a

Tell me about yourself.

I was a breeding dog in my former life at a very nice place, and I just didn’t really work out as a breeding dog because I wasn’t able to have puppies very well.

So I ended up as a great family dog for my owners. I’m not a very active dog so I don’t have a lot of adventure stories, but I’m a cancer survivor. It was only my first year with my family when I developed a tumour in my mouth. So I ended up having quite a radical surgery at the front of my face, and chemo for about three months.

It’s been about a year now since I’ve become – fingers crossed – cancer-free.

How was it like when you were diagnosed?

Dora the Bullmastiff SPCA Pet Therapy I

It was not good at all because my owners had only had me for just over a year, so it was an awful feeling because they thought “what crap luck.” I’d been around three and a half years and only with my family for a

DOGS!

www.thesil.ca | Thursday, Oct. 22, 2015

| 9

Mui Mui the Pug & Peeka the Pekingese-Poodle mix Social Sciences I & Eng Management VI

Is there anything you’d like to say to readers of The Silhouette?

DOGS OF

(heavy breathing)

McMAST

ER

difference to the patients’ recoveries, and the families as well.

So, then, my owner heard about James Gillett and his program here with the SPCA dogs – and she thought, “well, it might be a good fit!” I went and tested, did well, and now I’m going to be coming to the visits for the rest of the year!

Is there anything else you want to say to readers?

year and I got cancer already. It wasn’t pleasant for them, but I actually did very well and tolerated the chemo really well, too.

Tell me about some of your other work you do.

How are things looking now?

Good. I mean, it’s been over a year without chemo, so I think we can probably say that I’m okay. Knocking on wood, if I can find it.

Is there anything you want to say to readers?

Keep your eyes out for our visits! Everybody who comes here that I meet has a very positive experience. I mean, people who come here are obviously animal lovers. The more the merrier!

Typically if we find that the visitors are increasing, then we can often see if more people want to come out too. Because we’ve had sometimes up to up to five to six dogs. I would say everybody who comes thoroughly enjoys our company.

That’s a good question. Well right now at this time of year, I would say: don’t sweat the small stuff. And study hard and play hard. And swim. Just keep swimming.

I’ve very much enjoyed the dog therapy work. I work through the Hamilton Burlington SPCA, I do McMaster visits, and some of the reading programs with kids over the summer. My owner says I’m pretty good at just kind of lying down and having kids read to me. I also work through animal adoptions at Flamborough. Nursing home visits, too. One of my owner’s favourite visits is a couple of locations called “Choices”, which are daycare programs for adults with mental disabilities. We come to them in a group of five, six, ten or 12. And I quite enjoy that, because they really seem to really gravitate towards me as well, so I’ve enjoyed it. I don’t do so great with the nursing home visits because I have to go from room to room, and I don’t like exercise, so my owner has to drag me around. So he likes doing visits where I just stay put.

He says I excel at it.

FREE WEEKLY SHUTTLE BUS EVERY TUESDAY STARTING TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 15 Commons pick-up at 6:00PM | 7:00PM | 8:00PM Final drop off 9:30PM

Mary Keyes pick-up at 6:30PM | 7:30PM | 8:30PM Final drop off 10:00PM

LOOK FOR THE

BIG YELLOW School Bus!

Special thanks to owners Kelli Cale (Lily), Dr. Stephen Longridge (Dora) & Jamie Lai (Mui Mui & Peeka).

Thursday, Oct. 22, 2015 | www.thesil.ca

The McMaster Students Union

PRESIDENT’S PAGE

The McMaster Students Union exists to ensure that student life at McMaster is enjoyable, impactful, and accessible. Every full-time undergraduate student contributes to the MSU through the MSU organizational fee of $124.33. With students on tight budgets, the organization has a responsibility to spend this fee wisely and ef-

fectively.

On September 27, the Student Representative Assembly (SRA) passed the MSU’s Audited Statements, which can be viewed at msumcmaster.ca.

Every year, the MSU receives an external audit of all finances and spending from the previous year.

The auditors submit a report with recommendations to the Board of Directors and the SRA. This year’s report recommended only minor alterations, confirming the MSU’s excellent fiduciary practices.

In 2014/15, the MSU had a surplus of $473,574 - equal to approximately 3% of the organization’s total budget. The MSU places the surplus in a reserve fund, used for a variety of purposes. Specifically, the reserve fund may be used for capital expenditures, which are large one-time purchases which bolster service operations. Also, investment income generated from the fund may be used in case of future deficits or unexpected expenses. Of last year’s

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.

surplus, $414,000 was generated as investment income by the reserve fund.

Excluding investment income, the remaining surplus from general operations, including clubs, services, and business units, was approximately $60,000.

This represents just 0.6% of the budget.

This is an ideal situation for a not-forprofit organization.

The MSU recently put bylaws in place to ensure that reserves remain in a healthy, manageable range.

Current reserves, including the most recent surplus, fall well within this range.

The MSU works to provide tremendous value for the fees students pay to the organization. Student fees in 2014/15 totalled $2,645,266.

However, the MSU

spent $9,637,634 supporting student life, programming, advocacy, and services. Therefore, the value to students is equivalent to 3.5 times the organizational fee paid per person. In particular, the MSU introduced three new services: the Women and Gender Equity Network (WGEN), SPARK, and Maccess since 2014. Notwithstanding the addition of these services, the SRA increased the organizational fee by less than the rate of inflation last year, after having frozen it the previous year.

The MSU is spending more on students’ behalf while costing students less, generating a modest surplus, and creating more student jobs.

I will give a detailed presentation and answer questions regarding the Audited Statements on Tuesday, October 27 from 4:30-6:30pm in Council Chambers (Gilmour Hall Room 111).

Everyone is welcome to attend. Complimentary food will be provided.

www.thesil.ca | Thursday, Oct. 22, 2015

The Silhouette | 11

Editorial That’s still racist Amanda Watkins Editor-in-Chief

Halloween easily makes my top three favourite times of the year. Being a student during late October is a fantastical time when the student body seems to come together in a show of mutual admiration for costume-wearing, alcohol consumption and pagan rituals (not so much for the last one).

And typically, I have a great time getting into the spirit of Halloween.

That is, right up until someone decides it would be absolutely hilarious to mock the culture of my or anyone else’s ancestor’s via inappropriate and offensive costume.

I was scrolling through Facebook the other day when I decided to open the “Free & For Sale — Clothes” group operated under the McMaster Facebook community, one that requires all members have an

McMaster continues to lead in a lack of awareness about culturally insensitive costumes

authorized “@mcmaster.ca” email.

Most people were listing their gently used denim and more than gently used footwear, and then I saw it: an ad selling used Halloween costumes, posted by a student, with the most “liked” costume being “Rasta Mon,” a grotesque mask portraying what is supposed to be a Jamaican man (blackface, anyone?), complete with a Jamaican flag beanie and dreads, and a marijuana leaf necklace. Students were commenting on the post, tagging their friends in it, making claims like “this is exactly what we’ve been looking for!” No. Just, no.

Two years ago, The Silhouette confronted the university’s Campus Store about their ridiculous stock of culturally offensive Halloween costumes. Like clockwork, this issue has returned, and this time at the fault of the student body as opposed to the university.

How long will it take for people to realize that a culture is not a

costume? Not only should you not be dressing in this manner, but you should definitely not be posting about it in groups affiliated with your university. I’ve said this multiple times, and I’m going to say it again — McMaster is a school that prides itself in its diversity. It celebrates and welcomes all its students, yet for some warped reason, our student body still fails to see the issue with this trend.

What are we doing wrong? At what point should we be educating our students about these issues? Is the university responsible for educating students beyond the classroom? Is our university failing to provide its students with a social education?

As much as it seems like Halloween seems to bring our student body together, how together can we be if our dress and trends still other those around us? @whatthekins

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to refrigerator pad Thai. to cat people.

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Jersey Night When: October 22, 2015 at 09:30PM until

Leadership Summit for Women 2015

Men4Men Sexual Health Educator

October 23, 2015 at 02:00AM

When: October 24, 2015 from 09:00AM

When: October 27, 2015 from 01:00PM

until 03:00PM

until 04:00PM

Where: David Braley Health Science

Where: QSCC MUSC 221

Where: TwelvEighty Bar & Grill In support of Right to Play featuring DJ Staples

Halloween Movie Night When: October 23, 2015 from 06:00PM until 10:00PM Where: HSC 1A3

Centre - Downtown Hamilton The Leadership Summit for Women is

Men’s HIV Prevention Worker will be

presented in partnership by McMaster

available hanging out at the QSCC to chat

University and the McMaster Students

with our queer men about hooking up

Union with the YWCA Hamilton. The

and staying healthy. Have questions? Into

Summit brings together women, trans*

guys? Come get real answers!

individuals, and allies from the McMaster and Hamilton communities.

Join us for a spooky Halloween movie night complete with popcorn and junk

James Diemert, the AIDS Network’s Gay

Addictions Awareness Committee Presents: The Midterm Wire

een movies are all about. A perfect op-

SHEC Radio Show: Tricks and Treats

portunity to come out with your friends,

When: October 26, 2015 from 03:00PM

until 07:30PM

or to make some new ones and enjoy a

until 03:00PM

Where: ClubSpaces, MUSC 2nd Floor

Halloween flick.

Where: 93.3 CFMU

Come join in the discussion on midterm

food because really, that’s what Hallow-

When: October 28, 2015 from 06:30PM

stress, caffeine intake, adderall use and

McMaster Marauders vs Western Mustangs When: October 24, 2015 from 01:00PM until 01:00PM Where: Ron Joyce Stadium Ticket price: $5.00 (tax included) Ticket type: Student General Admission

Bridges - Kids4Kids Coffeehouse

more! We’ll be providing healthy al-

When: October 26, 2015 from 08:00PM

concentrated so you can conquer those

until 11:00PM

midterms! Don’t miss out!

Where: Bridges Cafe Come out for our Kids4Kids Coffeehouse!

Enjoy coffee and snacks while listening to music from various MAC clubs as well as

VISIT: msumcmaster.ca/calendar to view the full calendar of events!

individuals with amazing talent! Contact couchmrr@mcmaster.ca for more information.

ternatives (including a dark chocolate fountain) to helping you stay alert and

www.thesil.ca | Thursday, Oct. 22, 2015

The Silhouette | 13

Opinion

C/O BAINBRIDGELEGAL.COM

In defense of divorce Talia Kollek Opinions Editor

I was warned it would happen.

It starts with a post or two on Facebook, and an influx of engagement photos, and lo and behold, it feels as if everyone in their early 20s got married while I was having trouble committing to a cell phone plan.

“Whatever,” responded a friend to my lamentations, “they’ll all be divorced in five years anyway.” While I’m holding out hope for their happiness, it got me wondering, would a high rate of divorce in our generation be such a bad thing?

I’m a child of divorce from a relatively long line of divorcees. My parents split when I was 16, and my maternal grandparents divorced in 1982, which was significantly more of a scandal than it would have been today. I won’t lie, living through a divorce is not easy. My parents did an excellent job of supporting my brother and me through the process, but there is no quick or painless way to separate a family. However, much like any upheaval, we recovered.

It is safe to say that in the long

run we came out happier. The effect of divorce is different for every family, but mine is proof that it is not always a bad thing.

In fact, assuming that death — not lawyers — is what will end your marriage is more damaging than you might think. Happily being with one person for the rest of your life requires a near flawless relationship, which — much like the perfect cellphone plan — is something we can all aspire to, but may never find. The expectation that we are all supposed to remain with the one we married also means that we implicitly support the continuation of unhealthy relationships.

Seeing marriage as immutable makes leaving unhealthy situations that much more difficult by putting pressure on someone to stay with an abusive partner. Instead of viewing rising divorce rates as the failure of modern marriage (or the notorious feminist movement encouraging women to leave the kitchen) we ought to instead see it as a rise in individual agency. Maybe people are no less happy in marriages than they have been historically; instead, they now have the ability

to leave when they need to.

At this point, I should probably digress to assure you that I do not think badly of marriage just because I am advocating for an open dialogue about divorce. I myself am excited to marry, and I am often reminded of how well the arrangement can work by the wonderfully happy couples in my life, young and old. However, when discussing matrimony we often lose sight of the fact that other people’s relationships have no impact on our own.

Your neighbors getting a divorce does not mean that your marriage is any less of a success, or any less special. Opening up a dialogue on the topic won’t make happy relationships fail, instead it will help put an end to unhealthy ones.

Accepting this, what would a world with more divorce look like? Firstly, we would need to go into marriage with an open mind and a prenuptial agreement. Accepting that we may have many weddings — or none at all — might make them seem less momentous. (“Great ceremony Aunt Judy, see you at the next one!”) Prenups might alleviate some tension during

‘til lawyers do us part the separation and mitigate some of the legal costs, making the process more affordable. Divorce becoming more commonplace would foster better solidarity networks and support. This could lessen the unnecessary guilt and shame that often makes an already difficult situation that much worse.

Let’s treat divorce the way we do breakups from long-term relationships — devastating, but nothing uncommon or to be ashamed of.

To those who will be married, or who are married, I wish to tell you that I have nothing but high hopes for your future and wellbeing. I would not wish a bad relationship on anyone, nor do I think divorce is always the solution, or inevitable.

Instead, my wedding vows to my future partner will look something like this: “you are perfect to me right now, and I can’t wait to spend the foreseeable future with you. Let’s build a life together, and not be afraid to dismantle it if it no longer works. To us, and the happiest we can possibly be.” @TaliaKollek

“

Instead of viewing rising divorce rates as the failure of modern marriage we ought to instead see it as a rise in individual agency.

14 |

OPINION

Thursday, Oct. 22, 2015 | www.thesil.ca

C/O MNPOLITICALROUNDTABLE.COM

Democracy shouldn’t be a buzzword SRA Members should be the ones to elect MSU Vice Presidents Alex Wilson Contributor

There has been quite a bit of hype recently around electing McMaster Student Union Vice Presidents. We’ve witnessed hastily made, last minute, post-quorum motions at last year’s General Assembly, the formation of the Vice Presidential ad-hoc committee, persistent tabling in the student centre and a vote of support by the Inter Residence Council.

As a result of a circulated petition it appears that we will be moving with a referendum on the issue of vice presidential elections sometime in the near future. However, so far the only vocal participants in the debate have been the proponents of at-large elections. I strongly believe that student government is useless if it is not representative of student voices and that the coming referendum can act as an excellent medium to hear these voices. Democracy for the sake of democracy is nowhere near as valuable as an informed

“

Democracy for the sake of democracy is nowhere near as valuable as an informed democracy.

democracy.

The VP Ad-Hoc committee produced three detailed reports throughout the summer with the purpose of informing the Student Representative Assembly on the multitude of complexities associated with VP elections. After research into multiple direct and indirect democratic electoral systems and the process used by other universities’ student unions, the committee voted to provide five ranked suggestions to the SRA. The first suggestion com-

prised extensive changes to the current system. Modifications included changing the term of SRA members, the format of elections and the nominations timeline. As a member of this committee, I would like to share some of the rationale behind why I voted for this option over an at-large system.

Vice presidential candidates currently spend over 35 hours consulting with the president-elect, the outgoing Board of Directors and each of the students’ representatives on the SRA. Through this consultation, platforms are developed and aligned with the directly elected president and SRA’s views. These platforms are frequently close to 20 pages long and go into extensive detail based on the scope of each vice presidential position. Asking students to be informed on and to have carefully examined over 200 pages of platforms for three VP elections is ridiculous. The purpose of the SRA is to represent student interests and they are elected by students to do

just that. The SRA helps shape these platforms through extensive consultation and I would rather they make an informed vote, than lower the caliber and extent of discussion by making it at-large. Vice Presidents have very specialized roles from service administration, to advocacy, and finance and I want their hiring process to be just as intensive. This is starkly different than the varied and more visionary role the President of the MSU occupies.

Proponents of at-large elections have been quick to point out that we are one of two schools in Ontario that doesn’t have at large elections, yet I don’t believe this paints an accurate picture. The McMaster Student Union currently boasts a voter turnout of over 42 percent for presidential elections, by far the highest in Ontario. We also have a large and diverse group of students that run for both President and Vice President positions. Western and Queens both have seen less diverse elections with fewer

candidates running after switching to slate systems. In addition, Western has seen a drastic decrease in voter turnout. While the psuedoslate option being proposed is different from a slate system, voter fatigue is still a very real concern.

While I don’t agree with the direction of the discussion so far, I too feel the problems that have sparked it. Students clearly feel that they should be better educated on the governance structure of the MSU, that they should have more say in the governing bodies, and that there needs to be more outreach. However, I don’t believe that directly electing VPs will fix the larger issues. I believe drastic changes need to be made to SRA communication and outreach policies. These are our representatives in student government and they should be in extensive communication with students. While I know my opinion is not the only one on this issue, I hope this starts more of a two-sided discussion moving forward.

OPINION | 15

www.thesil.ca | Thursday, Oct. 22, 2015

The 0.0017% There are limitations to a representative democracy C/O ELIZA POPE

Chukky Ibe Contributor

The Student Representative Assembly is too small. Decisions made by a small sample of people are likely to be skewed because of the outlier effect, meaning that if there is one biased member of the sample — in this case the SRA — it can directly affect the outcome of an election. If 35 people are selected to reflect the opinion of the student body, one outlier, one person who votes for their partner or friend, does not read platforms or decides not to listen to debates, will directly affect the outcomes of any election. Simple behavioural psychology reveals that it is easier to trust people you know.

It is easier to believe people you have relationships with, and it is much harder to identify you

FEEDBACK

“

As an assembly member, I must empower my constituents to vote and not make excuses why they should not.

have a bias toward them. Our current VP Finance was elected by a difference of one vote, which highlights some vulnerability in our system.

The 35 SRA members represent 21,000 McMaster undergrads. A scientific sample of the general population of Mac

undergrads requires 10 percent or 2,100 people to claim scientific validity. The current system asks for 35 people or 0.0017 percent of the population. The system is deeply, methodologically flawed. Any decision that comes out of it cannot claim to be a valid representation of the student population. I concede that an election is not a scientific experiment, but it is not revolutionary to ask for a system based on mathematic principles, one which does not solely hinge on the altruism of strangers who are elected to represent people they will never meet.

The representative powers of the SRA are not absolute. We know this because the SRA does not vote for the MSU President and incoming SRA members.

We recognise there are limits to representative democracy. This

is why the MSU constitution defines the General Assembly, a direct democratic forum, as its highest space of governance.

Students vote for the MSU president and the SRA officials, and this does not make the SRA less representative. It defers representative elections to the highest governing student body — the students. This deference reduces the outlier effect as it broadens the sample size. Any numbers larger than the 35 SRA members we currently have further reduces the outlier effect and the margin of error. A larger sample would mean that SRA members still get to vote, but it also opens voting to part-time managers, service volunteers, faculty representatives, welcome week reps, and club members.

As an assembly member, I must empower my constituents to vote and not make excuses why

How do you feel about Vice Presidents being elected by the SRA?

Lesley Yuen

Kelly Anne Cassidy

Daniel Christian

Nikita Biswas

“Vice Presidents represent students and we should be the ones who vote for them, just like the President.”

“Everybody that really cares should have a chance to elect their Vice President. I signed the petition calling for reform.”

“You might as well let the students vote on it. If they are representing us it makes sense that they are chosen by the student.s.”

“A Student Representative is good as a voice for students, but you should be able to vote for your own vice president.”

Sociology and Commerce III

Social Sciences I

Economics II

Classics I

they should not.

The next conversation to have is one of the logistics. If this is the greatest challenge, then we must support our elections committee as they find collaborative solutions. Timelines can be adjusted to optimize our combined democratic model. VP elections can be moved to the end of March, and we can adopt a debate model with time limits as recommended by the VP reform committee.

This draws from the strengths of the representative and direct elections to optimize our democracy. This means successful candidates will have extra weeks of transition with their predecessors, and the SRA has fewer meetings during the exam periods. A class talk schedule that rotates according to faculty, so you do not have all candidates going to one class at the same time, and no one has an undue advantage. Candidates can also table-share to maximise traffic flow in the student centre.

The ideas I present in this short article are not solely mine but are a synthesis of conversations I had with 23 students who are not involved in student politics. More than anything, while talking to them, I was reminded that the people we serve will make rational decisions when they have the information they need. They must be treated with dignity and respect.

By increasing the number of people who vote, we reduce the mathematical errors present in our current VP electoral system.

16 |

OPINION

Thursday, Oct. 22, 2015 | www.thesil.ca

People with disabilities are not lessons in compassion A picture is worth a thousand words, but are they what we need to hear?

Sarah Jama Contributor

Over the past few weeks a picture has been floating around on my social media feed. From my understanding, it went viral because it captured an act of compassion. It showed one man — known only as Robert — who initiated hand holding with a stranger who allowed and reciprocated it. Godfrey Coutto, the stranger in question, is a McMaster student.

Believe me when I say I understand why this picture went viral. When on the HSR, most of us barely look up from our cell phones, let alone conduct acts of kind-hearted physical contact with people we don’t know. Not only was this moment a rarity, it also reminded a lot of people about how simple and momentous an act of kindness can be.

But something was off.

Robert’s name was scarcely mentioned online in the shared

posts, and only barely touched on in the news articles about the photo. He was never interviewed about the incident, and the only thing mentioned about him was that he was a man who has Cerebral Palsy (a mobility related disability) and a hearing impairment. In contrast, Coutto’s name was always mentioned in the first three sentences of the news articles. The articles written about this photo also tended to frame Robert as a person with “special needs,” but did nothing else to illustrate his character, or touch on why he initiated the hand holding in the first place. It would not have been difficult for the people writing these news articles to find American Sign Language interpreters (as Robert is fluent in ASL) and ask him these sorts of questions. On the off chance that he was approached and did not want to give a statement, this could have been communicated easily in the article.

I want to know what kind

of dialogue Robert and Coutto had while holding hands on the bus, if any. I want to know why Robert wanted to hold Coutto’s hand. I want to know if Godfrey reminded Robert of someone he cared deeply for. I want to know why he enjoys riding the HSR for hours as his family has stated he does, and what his favourite stops in Hamilton are.

Most of all, I want to know how he feels about the photo and the articles written about him. Not telling readers what Robert was thinking at the time this was taken tells us that he is more useful when silent. That he is to be used by society to teach others a lesson about compassion, as opposed to having his own personal intentions behind his actions. It says that even though the story would not have gone viral without him, he wasn’t an important piece of it.

When people with disabilities aren’t given the opportunity to have a say in the way they portrayed in the media it strips

away at the pieces of autonomy that people with disabilities have fought to have for years.

Canada has a hushed history of institutionalizing people with disabilities, taking them away from their families and putting them in homes, because people with disabilities were considered burdens on society with zero autonomy. It was only recently, on March 31, 2009, that Ontario closed the last three of its large-scale government operated institutions meant for people with disabilities.

In a lot of places around the world — mostly because of our warped tendency to view human productivity (and our limited understanding of what that entails) as the standard of who deserves to be treated with respect in society — people with disabilities are hardly given the space to voice their opinions. Considering that the leading cause of disability in Canada is old age (which is inevitable for us all), and considering the

“

Not telling readers what Robert was thinking at the time this was taken tells us that he is more useful when silent.

fact that people with disabilities exist in every culture, race, religion, region of the world and can have any sexual orientation, making them the largest minority in the world, we need to be careful that when covering acts of kindness in the media, we aren’t accidently erasing the identity of people with disabilities along the way.

OPINION | 17

www.thesil.ca | Thursday, Oct. 22, 2015

No sleeves, no service The Pulse needs to share the reasoning behind its dress code

Emily Current Contributor

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If you’ve been to the Pulse then you might have noticed one way in which it differs from other gyms: nobody wears a tank top when they work out. This is because The Pulse has a “no tank top” policy in place.

When I first started going to The Pulse I felt that the policy was a terrible one with no legitimate basis. I thought that if people were bothered by bare shoulders, they simply needed to get over their issue. However, upon investigation, I’ve changed my mind.

The rule was actually implemented because of a study found by a McMaster kinesiology professor, which has shown that there are people who are more comfortable going to the gym if everyone is dressed similarly. The Pulse banned tank tops in an attempt to create a more inviting environment for people who might otherwise be uninclined to go.

This ban helps to combat the lack of bodily diversity in the gym. The gym should be a welcoming place where people of all physiques and fitness levels feel comfortable, a place that emphasizes fitness for the sake of health and well-being, rather than for an aesthetic aspect. If having people dress uniformly can make other people feel more comfortable, then that makes this policy valuable. In fact, the aim is so worthwhile that I believe other gyms — especially those at other universities or colleges — should consider implementing similar dress codes. If you can take a small step towards making people feel welcomed, then why wouldn’t you?

Although I still feel a little selfish frustration that I cannot wear some of my favourite exercise shirts when working out, overall I am now in favour

of the rule. I think that it is important for the university to be as inclusive as possible and everyone should be willing to make the necessary small amount of personal sacrifice to help.

While I agree with the policy, I believe The Pulse needs to be much clearer about the rationale behind it. Without knowing the reason for the rule, it would be easy to assume that it is based on misguided ideas, such as the belief that people, especially women, shouldn’t wear revealing clothing when working out lest they distract others. Rather than fostering a welcoming community, this could leave people feeling uncomfortable about or even ashamed of their own choice of clothing.

There is no information about the “no tank top” rule posted at The Pulse, nor is there anything on their website, and this is definitely a problem.

Not only is the lack of clarity over why this dress code is imposed frustrating, but it is also troublesome that there are misinformed rumors about the rule going around. Rather than having irritatingly limited information available about their rule against exposed shoulders, The Pulse should be promoting the fact that they seek to create an inviting environment.

The Pulse is making an admirable effort towards making people feel welcome, but there needs to be more clarity about why the policy is in place. The rule itself is a step in the right direction and other gyms should definitely consider adopting it.

18 |

GAMES

Thursday, Oct. 22, 2015 | www.thesil.ca

CROSSWORD

ACROSS 1. Carried 6. Dragon’s home 10. Formerly 14. Foreign 15. Besides 16. Alert 17. Transplant 18. Made more compact 20. Female deer 21. Come back in 23. Large primate 24. Compact 25. Loafed 27. Truly 30. Walk nervously 32. Poor grades 33. Atlantic or Indian 36. Gradual 40. Raw metals 41. Hoarse 42. Tobacco holder 43. Easy gait 44. Iron setting 45. Hymn ending 46. Hearty breads 48. Far East 50. Ease up 53. Peeler 55. Corn center 56. Humiliated 59. Nest egg letters 62. Type of phone (hyph.)

64. The Devil

66. Informed of 67. Warning sign 68. Upright 69. Take a break 70. Join metal 71. Summits

DOWN 1. Poet 2. Toast topping 3. Mature

4. New (prefix) 5. Main course 6. Shoe fasteners 7. Unattended 8. Doesn’t exist 9. Took a cab 10. Possess 11. Of the smelling organ 12. Crinkly cloth 13. Brought to a close 19. Musician ____ Clapton 22. Approve 24. Meal ender 26. Hopelessness 27. Golden calf, e.g.

28. Notorious emperor 29. Profound 30. Dad 31. From now on 34. House pets 35. Vane letters 37. Shade of green 38. Honest 39. Departed 47. Slangy assent 49. What Moses parted (2 wds.)

50. Movie star 51. Pioneer Daniel ____ 52. Borders on 53. Wall board 54. Change 57. Pack away 58. Dwelling 59. List entry 60. Marathon, e.g.

61. Picnic pests 63. Camp bed 65. Circle section

www.thesil.ca | Thursday, Oct. 22, 2015

The Silhouette | 19

Lifestyle THE SKINNY Amber for GQ

Model Amber Rose posed nude and did an interview for GQ, in which she talked about Kanye, the Kardashians and more. Unfortunately, the model was not happy with the results.

“Really @gq??? I’m so much more then Kanye’s Ex or Wiz’s baby mama. Damn, why the f**k did u guys reach out to me for this article and photoshoot? To dumb me down?

I talked about feminism and my Slutwalk..., ” she posted on Instagram last night.

C/O REDBUBBLE.COM Model shot in the ass

“Don’t Netflix and chill” they said, “you’ll end up with more than just popcorn in your mouth,” they said.

Jennifer La Grassa Contributor

Remember when gunfire broke out in 1 OAK at a MTV VMA party and Suge Knight got shot six times? Well a model was shot in the ass that night, and now she’s suing the club for not having adequate security.

Drake’s cha cha bling

Drake released the long-awaited video for Hotline Bling. In it, Drake shows off his bad dancing (including the Cha Cha) and penchant for cool sweaters (and a turtleneck!). Naturally, the internet responded with a great parade of memes and gifs.

It all started this past summer when a girl at my work rubbed her pregnant belly and said “Yup, straight out of Netflix and chill.” The phrase she had used to describe the conception of her child was obviously a joke, but one that I couldn’t shake.

All of a sudden, I began to see “Netflix and chill” on every social media account I owned.

The popular page on Instagram, the trending hashtags of Twitter, and my Facebook timeline were consumed by memes of the world’s latest trend. Ladies, I’m sure there is nothing new I could tell you about Netflix and chill that you don’t already know. With it gaining recognition as the male’s newest mating call, my advice to all females is to not mate with the men who use it as we don’t want these Netflix and chill genes being naturally selected for.

I refuse to believe that this trend is representative of today’s modern dating scene. Netflix and chill is not a date, but rather a cop-out way to request casual

sex from someone you barely know. It is a trend that belongs strictly within the world of Tinder and should not be confused with actual dating. Before I continue, I should mention two key facts. I am an avid Netflix user and I have never been asked to Netflix and chill, but I do offer my sympathies in advance to the guy who might ask.

You may wonder why I am so passionate about the topic.

To be honest, I’m just over the hype. It was funny for the first two minutes, but if I’m forced to scroll past one more meme I will toss my phone, crawl into a cave, and live there for the rest of my days. In other words, I’m ready to move on, so if you still have “like to Netflix and chill” in your Tinder profile, you better believe I’m swiping left.

The fact that there are people out there who continue to use the phrase boggles my mind. It’s similar to the “YOLO” phase people went through, when you were deemed funny and cool when it first began, but if you’re still using it today people may give you one of those who-says-that-anymore faces.

I’m waiting for the day when Netflix and chill becomes a phrase of the past. Granted something else even more absurd will take its place, but I’ll cross that bridge when social media gets there.

I don’t think I’ll ever understand why someone would agree to Netflix and chill without actually Netflix-ing and chill-ing. As a third year university student, the amount of time I have allotted to watching TV has reached an all-time low, hence it is very precious to me.

If I actually agree to Netflix and chill with you, I expect there to be a hot pizza, red wine, and a Friends episode on. Otherwise, I will develop severe trust issues about our relationship. It’s nothing personal, I just take my Netflix and chill time seriously.

So fellow females, as we ride out the last of this “Netflix and chill” fad, let us remember and pray for the return of a time when this wasn’t a common expression. We can then all go back to actually watching Netflix and enjoying the many pleasures it alone has to offer us.

20 |

LIFESTYLE

Thursday, Oct. 22, 2015 | www.thesil.ca

The quest for costumes For those who are tired of showing up as the gladiator, the witch or the vampire, here are a few ideas for a more creative and spook-tacular Halloween Gizelle Panton Intern

Ideas

#1 Emoji Simple, cute and funny. All you need is a yellow dress or t-shirt and a matching skirt or pants, black shoes and fabric markers. Simply choose an emoji face and draw the face on your shirt with the markers (try to make it look as close to the iPhone emojis as possible). However, if you are not confident with your drawing skills, simply print out your emoji on an iron-on transferable sheet and iron it directly onto your costume.

#2 Netflix and Chill Affordable, easy to make and guaranteed to draw a chuckle from your friends. Costumes that embrace puns are especially useful for all you lazy folks out there. A popular one this year is the simple “Netflix and Chill” costume idea. All you need is a red t-shirt with the Netflix logo printed on it, a pair of black shades and a bag of ice that you can carry around to really heighten the punch line. Bonus: If you don’t want to carry ice around all day, you can use an old stuffed pillowcase, and label it “ICE.”

#3 Pumpkin Skull For those who are skilled in art and are willing to do a costume that is equal parts horrifying and economical, this is for you. The materials needed for this costume include an entirely black outfit, gray eye shadow and black and white face paint. Start by covering your face in white face paint, leaving circles around the eyes (you can set your paint by lightly dusting it with white face powder). Fill in the eye sockets with black face paint, making the black circles wide enough to reach the tops of your eyebrows and to the top of your cheekbones. Create a triangle outline with black face paint on the nose, creating two peaks at the top instead of one and fill it in completely. Now it’s time for the jagged smile! Extend your smile by drawing two black lines that start at the opposing mouth creases and end along the same line that your eyebrows end. Draw and fill in medium-sized triangles along the top and bottom of your line, covering the lips. With gray eye shadow, draw a set of frowning eyebrows above the area where your real eyebrows are to emphasize the serious look of your face, and dust-grey eye shadow along your hairline to add depth to your skull. Voila! You’re ready to go out and scare the town.

#4 Throwback Hippie It’s always nice to bring back old fashion statements and embrace where our current trends have come from. Whether you choose 20s fashion, 70s hippie fashion or retro fashion from the 90s, throwback costumes are always easy to recreate and fun to do. Just break out the old bellbottom jeans, a tie-dyed shirt, platform shoes and a bandana to tie around your head and pull the entire look together. Go out there this Halloween and prove that the past styles haven’t been forgotten.

#5 Super Mario Bros These costumes are best for a group of friends. You’ll need multicoloured t-shirts and hats (red for Mario, green for Luigi, pink for Peach, etc.) and a set of denim overalls for each character. For Princes Peach and Daisy, you can either choose to wear overalls as well, or wear a pink/yellow pleated dress or a matching t-shirt and skirt. Bonus: if you are travelling to your destination with your friends, you can choose to travel on bikes with balloons that match your colour tied to the back to help enhance the effect.

Materials

Communities in Conversation

Open Houses

Help shape the vision for the future of Hamilton The conversation continues…Visit a location near you to hear

what residents are telling us and let us know what you think.

Harry Howell Arena October 26 – 3:30pm to 7:30pm

Red Hill Public Library November 10 – 3pm to 7:30pm

Stoney Creek Municipal Service Centre October 27 – 3pm to 7:30pm

Evergreen Storefront (294 James St. N) November 12 – 3pm to 7:30pm

Stoney Creek United Church October 28 – 3pm - 7:30pm

Ancaster Town Hall November 16 – 3pm to 7:30pm

St. Helen Centre October 29 – 6pm to 8:30pm

Tim Hortons Field (Gate 3) November 17 – 3pm to 7:30pm

McMaster Innovation Park November 2 – 3pm to 7:30pm

Glanbrook Municipal Service Centre November 18 – 3pm to 7:30pm

Rockton Fairgrounds November 3 – 3pm to 7:30pm

Carnegie Gallery (10 King St. W., Dundas) November 19 – 3:30pm to 7pm

Sackville Hill Seniors’ Centre Lobby November 5 2pm to 4pm & 6pm to 8pm

Westcliffe Mall November 21 – 12pm to 3pm

Sherwood Public Library November 9 – 3pm to 7:30pm

Phone: 905-546-2424 ext. 5913 Email: ourfuturehamilton@hamilton.ca Visit hamilton.ca/ourfuturehamilton for complete details.

www.thesil.ca | Thurs., Oct. 22, 2015

Midterm survival Add taking breaks to your to-do list Sohana Farhin SHEC

During midterm season, it can be difficult to juggle assignments, midterms, extracurriculars, part-time jobs, and other things life throws your way.

Taking care of yourself can often fall to the bottom of the priority list. However, considering the prevalence of mental health concerns on Canadian campuses, the concept of self-care and checking in with yourself is becoming increasingly important. The Canadian Association of College and University Student Services found that 89 percent of surveyed students responded feeling overwhelmed with all the things that they had to do for school. With Canadian Mental Health Awareness Week, just behind us, here are some activities you can try to relax your mind and soul to keep your mental health in check, courtesy of the Student Health Education Center.

Nature

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LIFESTYLE | 21

A study by Selhub and Logan (2012) showed that spending 20 minutes in nature can help improve your vitality. Our brain responds calmly to the sounds of the nature and outdoors. In the fall, set some time to step outside the McMaster bubble and enjoy the trails Hamilton has to offer. Listen to the drizzling of the waterfalls while enjoying a breathtaking view of the trees’ colourful palettes. McMaster has some nearby trails; specifically, the Cootes Paradise trail and the Princess Point trail that leads to Bayfront Park. If you are willing to go further, take the HSR to Albion Falls or go to Dundas, and explore the many waterfalls.

Student Health Education Centre (SHEC) Peer support, resource, and referral service, by students for students MUSC 202 905-525-9140 ext. 22041 M-TH 9:30-6:30, FR 9:30-4:30 Got a problem? Let's talk.

We want to listen.

Reflection There are many mediums of reflection: prayer, journaling, lyrical writing, meditation, exercising. Pick a location in which you feel comfortable and set some time for yourself to reflect on your experiences, your goals, how you are feeling and what you have learned.

Genuine and honest reflection increases your awareness of yourself and your surroundings, increases appreciation of the things you have experienced and allows you to learn from your mistakes. Take a look at Gibbs' Reflective Cycle for a foundation upon which you can start your reflection.

Hobbies Annals of Behavioural Medicine reported that adults who engaged in leisure activities were 34 percent less stressed and 18 percent happier than those who did not. Challenging yourself and trying something new is a perfect way to spend time away from stressful obligations and help clear your mind.

Whether it is learning a new instrument, picking up knitting, hitting the gym, learning a new language, playing a video game or anything else you want to do, having a hobby is therapeutic for your busy lifestyle.

To reduce stress levels and increase productivity, it can be beneficial to take a breather and spend some time alone. Breaks can help you refocus, reflect and keep you healthy and motivated. This article provided a few examples of what you can do to take a break, but the choice is yours. After all, the time is yours. Spend it in the way that makes you happy and ready to take on your next challenge.

22 |

LIFESTYLE

Thursday, Oct. 22, 2015 | www.thesil.ca

It’s all a blr: Motivating your study Christine Chow Contributor

Coined as a portmanteau from the words “study” and “Tumblr,” a “studyblr” is exactly what it sounds like: a Tumblr blog used for the purposes of studying.

While many types of Tumblr blogs exist, ranging from hipster to fandom to social justice blogs the way stereotypical cliques mark their territory in a high school cafeteria, the studyblr is a strange attempt at reconciling the polar opposites of academics and procrastination (by means of social media).

As opposed to the average gifset, studyblrs tend to post or reblog aesthetic pictures of personal workspaces. These are often filtered shots of desks topped with nice plants, glossy computer screens, post-its, and neatly arranged sets of notebooks. Other reblogs show close-ups of notes in a combination of different colours and fonts, surrounded by an array of classy pens.

The obvious judgment is to dismiss these blogs as pointless.

Reblogging or liking pictures of other people’s study set-ups in no way helps you get your own studying done, and if you’re too busy ooh-ing and aw-ing over the aesthetics of someone else’s workspace, trying to capture the perfect angle of your own, or beautifying your notes, then

you’re wasting valuable time you could otherwise be using to mentally process what you missed out on during that lecture you fell asleep in.

However, if you’re like the majority of the student population, you’ve probably already come to terms with your inherent inability to stomach the multitude of information that gets vomited up by the course syllabus. You sit for hours on end in the same spot, staring at the same generic word document of notes you’ve managed to compile over the span of the term and flipping through the same tasteless PowerPoint slides your professor has probably recycled from last year. By comparison, venturing into the depths of Mordor seems like a much more appealing task.

A closer look at the Studyblr community reveals a group of like-minded individuals who are willing to empathize with the chronic symptoms of studying. In addition to sharing pictures, bloggers also share solid note-taking tips. For instance, how to start a bullet journal: a current popular technique for organizing all your tasks and to-do lists by code.

Further investigation reveals self-care tips for mediating study stress, as well as favourite stationary types and methods of condensing information that have helped individual bloggers

succeed.

Tumblr’s rise to fame in the past couple of years is accorded not just to its standing as a social media platform, but to its creativity and adaptability for multiple demographics – a metaphorical Room of Requirement. Though the effectiveness of its “study group” aesthetic is definitely questionable, its unique attempt to incorporate what all students dread into a leisure activity ought to be admired. Everyone studies differently, so there’s no harm in trying out different studying methods until you find out what works best for you.

CHECK OUT THESE STUDYBLRS STAINED GLASS AND http://study-nsp.tumblr. com/ C’s get degrees http://passwithclassandaniceass.tumblr.com/ The Travelling Studyblr http://takemetostarbs.tumblr.com/ Life of an English Student

http://studentlifethemusical. tumblr.com/

www.thesil.ca | Thursday, Oct. 22, 2015

The Silhouette | 23

Sports Record breaking season McMaster quarterback Asher Hastings has broken the OUA record for touchdown passes and is one pass away from the CIS record

LEAGUE AT LARGE Football OUA

CIS Top Ten W L

WESTERN GUELPH McMASTER CARLETON QUEEN’S LAURIER TORONTO OTTAWA WINDSOR YORK WATERLOO

7 6 6 5 5 3 3 2 1 1 0

0 1 1 2 2 4 4 5 6 7 7

CALGARY WESTERN MONTREAL LAVAL SHERBROOKE McMASTER GUELPH MANITOBA UBC CARLETON

Men’s Volleyball CIS Top Ten 1. McMASTER 2. ALBERTA 3. CALGARY 4. TRINITY WESTERN 5. MANITOBA

6. UBC 7. WESTERN 8. MOUNT ROYAL 9. DALHOUSIE 10. QUEEN’S

Women’s Volleyball CIS Top Ten

JON WHITE/ PHOTO EDITOR

Jaycee Cruz Sports Reporter

Regina, Saskatchewan is almost 2,600 kilometres away from McMaster. That’s the distance Marauders’ starting quarterback Asher Hastings travelled in fall 2014 to officially make Mac his home. Hastings is in his second year, double majoring in Psychology and Sociology.

Prior to arriving on campus last fall, Hastings played four years of junior football for the Regina Thunder of the Canadian Junior Football League winning a national championship and a few individual awards that garnered the attention of national press. While playing for the Thunder, Hastings attended the University of Regina for two and a half years before transferring to Mac. McMaster’s wide receivers coach Al Anonech and former Marauders quarterback Kyle Quinlan stumbled upon Hastings’ YouTube highlight tape and relayed it to Head Coach Stefan Ptaszek.

Soon after that Hastings took a recruiting trip to Mac. Having spent all of last year as Marshall Ferguson’s backup, Hastings was ready for the limelight once his time came this year. In the sixth game of the season, he broke the OUA

record for most touchdown passes in a season against the Waterloo Warriors on Oct. 8.

The record breaking is number is 25 touchdown passes. After this weekend’s 31-20 victory at Laurier, Hastings pushed that figure to 29 TD passes for the season (first in the OUA) and is now one TD pass shy of breaking the CIS record held by former Saint Mary’s Huskies QB Chris Flynn.

That record has been intact for 26 years. Hastings’ completion rate is a stellar 72.4 percent (also first in the OUA); he has thrown for 2,300 yards (third in the OUA) and averages 328.6 yards per game (third in the OUA). The casual observer shines the spotlight on the quarterback’s arm but Hastings knows a collective effort is a key ingredient to his success.

“The biggest thing has been the play-calling in the redzone.

It’s up to the coaches and what they want to run. We have a pretty dynamic receiving core,” said Hastings. “If you want to double cover Danny Vandervoort, we’ll throw it to Max Cameron, Dan Petermann, Josh Vanderweerd, Mitch O’Connor, or Declan Cross. I think our biggest strength is being dynamic in the redzone and being able to throw the ball to anybody.”

McMaster’s depth and skill

at wide receiver tells the opposing defense to pick their poison.

The amount of capable receivers at Hastings’ disposal forces other teams to play Mac honest because, on any given day, it could be a different guy catching Hastings’ passes. The versatility of Mac’s passing game is a big reason Hastings is breaking records. Danny Vandervoort has the school record for most TD receptions in a season with ten. Saturday at Laurier, Dan Petermann became the proud new holder of the school record for receptions in a season with 56 catches. The previous record was 52, held by Mike Bradwell.

In order to hit these receivers Hastings needs time in the pocket. That time has been provided by the protection of his stout offensive line, which gives up a little over a sack a game.

“They’re unbelievable. All five of those guys would do anything for me on and off the field. I love those guys so much.

They’re great friends, great guys in the locker room, and great football players,” said Hastings.

“McMaster has a reputation for recruiting enormous offensive linemen and so there’s a real feeling of safety when I’m in the game. I owe it all to them.”

Hastings’ skill-set as a true pocket passer is a bit of a change from the past two signal callers at Mac. Quinlan and

Ferguson were more dual-threat than Hastings. Hastings openly admits he’s not much of a threat outside of the pocket, but stats show he is a killer within the pocket.

“I really have a specific set of skills meaning I’m not well-rounded so I have a very specific idea of what I like to run. I think my strength is the ability to make any throw,” Hastings said. “My biggest strengths are my ability to read defenses, make good decisions with the football and make any throw on the field.”

Logically speaking, a passheavy QB would be more prone to throwing interceptions, but that is not the case with Hastings. His claim that reading defenses and making good decisions with the football are his strengths is validated by his almost immaculate 29:4 TD to interception ratio.

“Our philosophy is to protect the football. It’s the golden rule of playing quarterback,” Hastings said. “I have it written on a whiteboard in my room.”

No. 6 McMaster is preparing for their last game of the season against the No. 3 Western Mustangs on Oct. 24.

Kickoff is scheduled for 1 p.m. @_jayceecruz

1. UBC Okanagan 2. ALBERTA 3. TRINITY WESTERN 4. McGILL 5. MCMASTER

6. TORONTO 7. MONTREAL 8. CALGARY 9. SHERBROOKE 10. DALHOUSIE

Men’s Cross Country CIS Top Ten 1. GUELPH 2. LAVAL 3. WINDSOR 4. TRINITY WESTERN 5. MCMASTER

6. QUEEN’S 7. VICTORIA 8. StFX 9. CALGARY 10. LAKEHEAD

Women’s Cross Country CIS Top Ten 1. GUEPLH 2. TRINITY WESTERN 3. QUEEN’S 4. TORONTO 5. LAVAL

6. VICTORIA 7. DALHOUSIE 8. McMASTER 9. CALGARY 10. McGILL

RECORD ALERT Second-year reciever Dan Petermann has broken the McMaster Football record for receptions in a single season. He currently leads the CIS with 56 receptions.

MAC MEDALS

Cross Country brings it home Men’s Cross Country Veteran runners Connor Darlington and Blair Morgan led the Marauders to a win at the Queen’s Invitational in Kingston.. Crossing the line third and fourth respectively, the points resulted in gold for the men’s team.

Women’s Cross Country Maddy McDonald crossed the line sixth overall. Following her, Emily Nowak and Gabrielle Foran, scoring ninth and tenth respectively gave the women’s team a silver medal.

24 |

SPORTS

Thursday, Oct. 22, 2015 | www.thesil.ca

McMaster Volleyball preview Currently ranked seventh in the CIS, the Women’s Volleyball team is looking to start their season strong with a championship in reach

C/O YOUSIF HADDAD

John Bauer Contributor

Two years ago, the McMaster Women’s Volleyball team made a Cinderella run all the way to an OUA championship and a birth in the CIS quarterfinals.

Last year, the Western Mustangs cut the Marauders’ season short in the first round of the OUA playoffs; a disappointing end to a season in which the team toyed with the CIS top ten list all year.

With last season’s entire team returning save two bench players, the addition of three major recruits, several players in their fifth year of eligibility and a chip on their shoulder from the abrupt end to last season, the Marauders are looking to show that their 2014 run was no fluke.

Coach Tim Louks will be able to throw out a potent and recognizable line-up in their opener on Oct. 23. Five starters for the opener are all but decided, with the sixth spot to be determined based on an evaluation of the team’s play during their recent Thanksgiving Tournament.

McMaster’s high-scoring attack looks to again be led by second-year outside hitter Joanna Jedrzejewska, who finished

third in the OUA last year with 235 kills. She was the MVP at the Thanksgiving Tournament. Look for setter Caitlin Genovy to continue driving play. Her 607 assists last season were three fewer than the total number of assists opponents registered in games against the Marauders. While she does not get the number of touches that Jedrzejewska or other top scorer Lauren Mastroluisi (thirteenth in the league in both kills and points) does, Genovy is the team’s most efficient scorer, converting on more than a third of her attempts last year.

Coach Louks is also expecting big things from her this season; when asked, he pegged her as the player he expects a breakout season from.

Mastroluisi is the team’s biggest threat to score from the service area, picking up a service ace almost every other set in the previous campaign.

Overall, the Marauders are actually looking to drop from second overall in team scoring, as this total was inflated by games going more sets than the team would have liked.

Third-year Khira Adams allows the team’s big hitters to do their jobs, racking up 214 digs last year. The Marauders are one of the most prolific blocking

“

I expect us to be steady and compete tactically at a high IQ. We have enough in the tank to do that right now.

Tim Louks Head Coach, McMaster Women’s Volleyball

teams in the OUA, lead by Taylor Brisebois. First-year outside hitter Rachel Woock brings her 6-1 frame to the team, which should help at the net.

When asked if there are any games circled on the calendar, coach Louks said that he thought the most important game of the season would be: “No cliché, but the first one. It will set the tone quickly...[There are] lots of capable teams.”

Other key dates on the calendar include Nov. 20, the team’s first look at the Western team that

shocked them in the playoffs last year, a Jan. 23 home game against perennial contenders Ottawa and the team’s final home game on Feb. 13 against Toronto, who is looking to repeat as league champions.

Three first years should see game action this year. Highly touted setter Michelle Chelladurai was forced into action during the team’s preseason tournament in Ottawa when Genovy was injured, and was impressive in the Thanksgiving Tournament, finishing the weekend as a tournament all-star. Outside hitter Woock is being groomed to step in next year for Mastroluisi and Mira Krunic, both in their final years of eligibility. She played spot duty in Ottawa and during the team’s trip to Edmonton earlier in the preseason. Libero Zoe Mackintosh is coming off a U18 provincial championship with her club team last spring, and brings speed and beach volleyball experience to the team.

The Marauder’s 2014-15 season was a tale of two teams, as the squad looked unbeatable some nights and very ordinary for others. Not helping them was the fact that they played the other two elite teams in the OUA, Ottawa and Toronto, in games three and eight,

respectively, of a nineteen-game season, meaning most of the second half of the season was spent playing .500 or worse teams. This will not be the case this year.

With the team having one of the strongest offenses in Ontario, Coach Louks is focusing on the defensive side of the court this year. While he would not call it the team’s motto, he stressed that “offense will shape points, but defending will win championships.”

In terms of pure talent, the Marauders belong in the conversation as one of the best teams in the province. A young team last year, it was the superior focus and execution of a motivated Western team that brought McMaster’s season to an end. Coach Louks recognizes this, and is optimistic about his team’s prospects for the season.

“I expect us to be steady and compete tactically at a high IQ. We have enough in the tank to do that right now.”

If the Maroon can learn from last year’s mistakes and develop their mental game to match their talent on the court, a return to the CIS championships is not out of the question.

SPORTS | 25

www.thesil.ca | Thursday, Oct. 22, 2015

Pre-season shows promise Non-conference basketball action has given the McMaster Men’s Basketball team a chance to find their rhythm

JON WHITE / PHOTO EDITOR

Sofia Mohamed Sports Editor

There is no doubt that last season did not end the way the McMaster Men’s Basketball team hoped.

Though a loss crushed playoff dreams for the Marauders, there were positives to take away from the year. The team was ranked No.4 for most of the year and competed at a high level of basketball.

A new page has been turned and the future is in the hands of a team that wants to make an appearance on the national stage.

With the new season soon underway, the team shows a lot of promise and is ready to make a lot of noise this season.

With eight new additions on the roster, players finding their place on the team takes time.

Finding team rhythm after time off of competitive basketball does not happen overnight.

The best kind of learning can come from pre-season games where the outcome does not hurt the standing of the team, but where play is still competitive nonetheless.

In the last month, the Marauders have played six non-conference games, all

helping to build team morale and success.

Their current record for the pre-season is 5-1, losing to the McGill Redmen by a close score of 59-62.

After the loss to McGill, Head Coach Amos Connolly gave his players a chance to give the staff feedback.

“We were able to implement and install some of the comments and their feedback was translated into technical changes that showed success on the court,” said Connolly.

Though the team has come out with wins this past month, there is room for improvement before the regular season

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starts where wins will count for something bigger than bragging rights.

Turnovers, rebounds, foul shots and decision making are all components that the team can further develop.

“This group is really, really talented, but that’s not enough in the CIS. The coaches are really good, the technical stuff is really well done and so talent alone just cancels out at a certain level,” said Connolly.

Some new faces have touched hardwood, giving firstyear players exposure on the court. As the season approaches, a more definite rotation will be noticed all dependent

on individual performance to solidify a starting spot.

“Our rotation will be eight or nine. By the end of October, you’ll probably see a little bit more of a concrete picture of what that rotation will look like,” said Connolly.

The team will play two more non-conference games at home when they welcome University of Victoria on Oct. 23 and Saint Mary’s University on Oct. 25.

Regular season begins on Nov. 4 against the Brock Badgers in Burridge Gym. @itssofiaAM

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www.thesil.ca | Thursday, Oct. 22, 2015

The Silhouette | 27

andy INTERVIEW

Chris Baio

The Vampire Weekend bassist turned-solo artist links up with ANDY before his Toronto show to discuss his move to London, the making of his newly released record, The Names, and the perils of late night sports

“

I was very bad before I got good, and I think that I don’t regret doing it that way.

C/O DAN WILTON

Tomi Milos Andy Editor

When I meet Chris Baio at Toronto’s Drake Hotel he is exhausted and mildly anxious, but still smiling. Slightly bleary-eyed from his cross-Atlantic flight that day, the London-by-wayof-New-York musician is about to do sound-check for one of the first shows in support of his debut solo album, The Names, but is waiting on a crucial part of his performance.

Nursing a coffee in one hand while warmly shaking my own with his other, Baio leads me to the patio to both get some air and explain his predicament.

One would think that Baio’s experience playing with Vampire Weekend would render him immune to pre-show jitters, but that doesn’t appear to be the case. In this case, it has got more to do with his equipment than his self-belief.

“Right now, the pedal-board belonging to the guitar player that I’m playing with is somewhere between the airport and here. So I’m just waiting on a piece of equipment. We just flew in today from London [England] to Chicago, and from Chicago to here. I’m doing okay, I slept a lot on the flight.”

Passing up the golden-opportunity to make a Wilco joke (“Via Chicago”), I ask how life in London, England is treating him. Having grown up in New York’s surrounding suburbs before moving to Manhattan for college, the wiry musician had spent most of the time he wasn’t touring with Vampire Weekend in the city. As fate would have it, Baio would have to be geographically separated from his beloved New York Rangers due to a career-related move for his wife.

Not one to take his sporting allegiance lightly, Baio has been sacrificing rest to watch the Rangers late at night.

“I tend to live like a reasonable person, but I found that every time I watched the game it would go to double-overtime and I would be on my couch yelling at the TV at 5 a.m.” he said with a chuckle.

Luckily for him, the Rangers’ recent trophy haul has been enough to offset Arsenal’s 10-year cup drought (the F.A. Cup is consolation for consistent failure), the North London football club of which Baio describes himself as a “casual fan.”

What Baio lacks in taste when it comes to soccer teams, he makes up for with his astute musical ear. The EPs that he has been releasing on his own since 2012 (Sunburn, The Silent/New

You, Mira) all veer in different, but focused directions. The need to start recording and producing his own music arose from a desire to use the time spent at home from tour productively.

While he had been messing around with Logic on his laptop since 2009, this was the first time he began to take it seriously.

“It came from having ideas in my head and not being able to get them out. You can have an idea for a synth tone, a melody, a way a voice will sound but if you don’t know anything about production there’s no way you can convey that. I was very bad before I got good, and I think that I don’t regret doing it that way. Sometimes you can spend a lot of money and hire someone else to produce, but you don’t have that same level of control.

Taking the time and spending five years figuring out how to be a producer before finishing this first record has lead me to listen to and understand music very differently than when Vampire Weekend started and it makes me excited to make another one of these records down the line.”

Baio also said that watching his bandmate, Rostam Batmanglij, produce the first two Vampire Weekend records on his own was a factor in his desire to keep production in-house

as he saw the creative license it gave them.

“I wasn’t in a record contract or anything like that and just took it to a place where I had something I was really happy with before even starting to send it to people. When you’re just making a record on your own there are less expectations and pressure. I can’t say that anyone was really clamouring for a solo record from me, which I think was a good thing because it meant I could focus on the thing itself and make a record that I was really psyched on, which should be why people make records.”

If you sit down and listen to Baio’s discography chronologically, you won’t begin to hear his own voice until you hit his most recent EP, Mira, released in 2013. While he is quick to condemn his vocal performance on “Welterweight” as “not very good,” it showcased an artist growing more comfortable with himself and led to the testing of his limits. Sometimes, as Baio explains, these limits were pushed too far. When playing back the rough cuts of experimental songs for his wife, Baio was on the receiving end of some scathing words.

“She said she liked it, but she also said that when I’d sing in a deep voice it reminded her

Chris Baio Musician of the movie Planet of The Apes, which struck me as a funny first reaction.”

“Sister of Pearl” is one track that could have been included under Baio’s wife’s umbrella, but the vocal flows and cadences he employs are anything but ape-like. Inspired by the works of David Bowie and Bryan Ferry, Baio broke away from conventional singing with his staccato-like yelps and the results are seductive. Although they forced Baio to break away from his comfort zone, risks like the ones he took throughout The Names make it an imminently more infectious album from front to back.

The Names was finished approximately a year ago, and Baio says the gruelling post-production routine the record went through before it was picked up

by Glasslands makes touring all the more appealing.

“I’m just trying to enjoy the ride. I’ve always enjoyed playing live and I feel it’s kind of like the payoff of the work of making a record.”

Whether you buy the record and end up singing in the shower, or hit up one of his shows, you’re guaranteed a pleasurable ride as well. @tomimilos

28 |

ANDY

Thursday, Oct. 22, 2015 | www.thesil.ca

The Andy approval matrix

COMING UP IN HAMILTON

The best and worst in arts and culture. This is a concept borrowed from New York Magazine. We hope they don’t mind.

MUSIC

BALTIMORE HOUSE OCT 23 > Bandicoots OCT 30 > So Young

HIGHBROW

NOV 5 > Emay

The full trailer to JJ Abrams’, Star Wars: The Force Awakens is finally released. It was worth the wait.

THE CASBAH

OCT 23 > The Zolas

OCT 28 > K.I.D. (Kids In Despair) MILL’S HARDWARE

OCT 24 > Grand Analog OCT 30 > Turbo Street Punk

FILM Westdale Theatre

Bill Murray showed up to Jimmy Kimel dressed like this. I think we’re done here folks.

Currently playing > A Brilliant Young Mind > Jafar Panahi’s Taxi > The Stanford Prison Experiment

This week’s quick pick

Eames: The Architect and The Painter If you’re tired of studying but still want to do something mildly productive, your best bet is always throwing on a documentary. Eames: The Architect and The Painter is a really good one. The film is narrated

by James Franco, but it’s so good that you can look past his annoying voice.

It focuses on Charles and Ray Eames, two American artists who defined modernism throughout the 20th century. Charles was a failed architect who left his first wife for Ray Kaiser, a painter he had met in college and started an affair with. Following their impromptu marriage, the two moved to Los Angeles where they opened an office and changed the world from within it.

DESPICABLE

Film Festival > Oct 16-25

Amy Schumer got a big pay raise so now Hollywood will think their feminism quota is fufilled for the year.

Drake finally releases a decent video and paves the way for a week’s worth of GIFs.

Justin Bieber’s dad capitalizes off the photo of his son’s genitals that is circulating the internet with an attentionhungry tweet. You could say he proved himself a real dick with that one.

Gilmore Girls is set to be rebooted on Netflix.

LOWBROW

BRILLIANT

Chris Rock will host the Oscars for the first time since his thrilling 2005 gig.

Art Gallery of Hamilton

ANDY

www.thesil.ca | Thursday, Oct. 22, 2015

| 29

Review: Overqualifieder The Canadian writer’s second literary effort revolving around cover letters fell desperately flat. I felt like I was Overqualifieder to read this collection Title: Overqualifieder Author: Joey Comeau 81 pages Price: $14.95 (paperback)

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at all — we’ve all read Guts by Chuck Palahniuk. We get it.

Don’t get me wrong — I love visceral descriptions and writJoey Comeau’s newest book, ings that discuss taboo ideas.

Overqualifieder, is the second The perverted descriptions of collection of cover letters Cosexually exploiting people and meau has put out, following in killing yourself with electric the footsteps of similarly titled, radios in bathtubs aren’t what Overqualified. I picked it as a fan make this collection of writing of the Canadian author’s other awful. I’m the first one to talk work, namely a web series called about masturbation loudly in a “A Softer World.” Despite my public setting, but Comeau simhigh hopes, I ended up disapply seems to lack any subtlety. pointed.

Comeau’s earlier work on When I opened up this little the “A Softer World” comic collection of cover letters, I was series was reminiscent of this met immediately with the “Dear collection, but his style worked Reader,” where Comeau notes much better in a short format of that every letter was sent to a only a few lines. Over the years, real employer. I’ll admit that’s I found that the ASW comics an interesting concept. Once were hit or miss – but mostly I started reading the stories, hit, which is what kept me readhowever, I found myself bored, ing for so long. It’s unfortunate confused and annoyed. The ento watch an artist do something tire project was rather juvenile. I different, but not succeed in the didn’t find it to be funny or cute, same way. but rather simply I’ve been self-indulthinking that gent. Even the maybe Overtitle is contrived. qualifieder is the I’m the “Overqualifietype of piece der” is a neolothat is more of a first one to gism, meant to formative work talk about be a smart atlike Catcher in tempt to dub this the Rye. I mean, masturbation as a follow-up to if you don’t read his first piece. that shit before loudly in a Don’t get me age of 19, public setting, the wrong, I enjoy you’ll end up tacking suffixes hating Holden’s but Comeau onto every word whiney, bad I can but this one simply seems fuckin’ attitude. is not enticing in to lack any But, then again, the least. Despite if that is the case, subtlety. this fallacy, I wouldn’t now be think that it does the right time to exactly what a read Comeau’s title is supposed to do: summabook? I mean, I’m out here in rize what is inside for the casual my fourth year of university, bookstore browser. Be assured mere months away from trying that the content of this book is to find some mediocre job with just as trite as the title. my English degree, and yet this A lot of the content aims at book still doesn’t strike a cord jolting the reader. I have read with me.

Comeau’s other works, and I I found myself asking the can distinctly recall another same question throughout the short story about the rape of entire collection: why did he a ghost. He did what he inactually send these letters? He’s tended to do: he wrote a story just wasting the company’s time that was scandalous enough to with these pieces, giving himself stick with the reader. I wouldn’t fuel, and content for his books. necessarily say that it stuck with Comeau’s Overqualifieder is me for good reason, though. A the type of book I would see at common theme for Comeau is Chapters, pick up off the shelf to write uninteresting stories, simply for the aesthetic of the with attempts at shock-value to cover and for the name printed intrigue the audience. He has an on it, flip through a few pages, affinity for producing pervertand then put back. ed postulations in the form of stories as a sort of catharsis. @vjbarnier This would be intriguing if he were to be pioneering this sort of thing. Yet, he isn’t doing that Vannessa Barnier Andy Reporter

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ANDY

Thursday, Oct. 22, 2015 | www.thesil.ca

Review: Why Not Me?

Write for Andy!

Email andy@thesil.ca to get involved and write an article, review or feature

Amanda Watkins Editor-in-Chief

There are few people in the world who can liken their 12-year-old selves to “a middle school Hare Krishna,” and make you go, “yeah, sure, I could see that.”

Mindy Kaling is one of these people. On the first page of her sophomore novel, Why Not Me?, Kaling begins to tell the story of her early life by describing her childhood attempts to please everyone around her (“I brought a family-size bag of Skittles to homeroom”) — a trait that has followed her into her adult career. The book of essays by the actress, writer and your dream best friend, is a fun, informative and hilarious tellall about her personal life, the world of celebrity and Kaling’s early adventures manoeuvring through Hollywood.

Although styled similar to her first novel, Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me (And Other Concerns), the book is still a unique treasure trove of stories told with her iconic blunt and self-deprecating humour.

The book jumps into her stories head-on with details about her relationships (both high and low-profile), lists chronicling double standards in Hollywood, and even includes a detailed collection of imagined emails that would exist if she didn’t go into television and

instead became a high school Latin teacher.

With Kaling’s removal of the self-censorship that causes many celebrities to hold back details in their autobiographies, the novel is full of relatable anecdotes and honest experiences that address the question so many of us ask ourselves in terms of careers and relationships, “Why not me?”

After The Mindy Project was cancelled by FOX and received some mixed feedback from fans, I thought Why Not Me? May have been Kaling’s comedic swansong. Lucky for us, the show got picked up by Hulu (with hilarious new cast members and uncut Internet humour) and the book is far from the last we’ll be hearing from this talented actress.

Kaling has already signed a $7.5 million deal for a third book that she will be writing alongside former The Office co-star and ex-boyfriend, B.J. Novak.

The book will detail their failed romantic relationship, once again asking “Why not me” in the most lucrative way possible.

Overall the book is an entertaining read that can get most readers laughing. Kaling’s trials and tribulations make for good feminist fun and capture real-life emotions and challenges with a light-heartedness that she pulls off perfectly. @whatthekins

Title: Why Not Me? Author: Mindy Kaling 223 pages Price: $32 (hardcover)

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With Kaling’s removal of the self-censorship that causes many celebrities to hold back details in their autobiographies, the novel is full of relatable anecdotes and honest experiences.

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Voting will make you a nervous wreck.

I bet you didn’t think you’d be seeing one of these front pages again so soon. This is just a friendly reminder that your new government also voted pro Bill C-51, have historically cut funding for important social programs, and really, just have an aggressive colour scheme that makes me kind of uncomfortable. The anxiety never ends.

And while we’re here talking about general panic, here’s another reminder that you spend time everyday basking in the light of a giant ball of fire that will one day explode and destroy everything we know and love.

Which one is worse? Which one is worse...

ANYWAYS... THE TRUTH ABOUT 9/11 : There are seven letters in Trudeau, 7, 9 and 11 are all odd numbers. Justin’s father’s name was Pierre, the letter P looks like 9 backwards.

Trudeau was born in Ottawa, the parliament buildings also have two towers. We all love the J-Man, but you know that’s why his hair is so big, it’s full of secrets.

PER ISSUE: A lock of Trudeau’s hair NOT INCL. HST & PST

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