The Silhouette- Nov. 5, 2015

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INSIDE >> NEWS // MAC PRIDE 2015 // PAGE 3 >> SPORTS // BACK TO BACK OUA CHAMPIONSHIPS FOR WOMENS RUGBY // PAGE 25 >> FEATURE // CANADA’S BIGGEST FIGHTING GAME TOURNAMENT // PAGE 30

The Silhouette Thursday, Nov. 5, 2015

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The Silhouette

Volume 86, Issue 11 Thursday, Nov. 5, 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

OCT. 5, 2000

Resident tension

sections

Rachel Katz @RachAlbertaKatz 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

news reporter

media

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

photo editor

The relationship between McMaster students and Hamilton residents has been consistently rocky. In this 2000 article, the author addresses how a lack of communication from both parties has led to tense relations for most neighbours. Do you have a positive or negative relationship with the Hamiltonians that live in your student neighbourhood?

sales ad manager | sgiordan@msu.mcmaster.ca

Sandro Giordano

CONTACT

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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.

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www.thesil.ca | Thursday, Nov. 5, 2015

In this

issue:

SRA takes a neutral position on VP election referendum Page 4

The Silhouette

News

| 3

Lecture by McMaster prof shows the possibility of de-extinction Page 9

Loud and proud The annual MacPride week celebrates diversity within McMaster’s queer community and highlights areas for further improvement

“

People shouldn’t see the word ‘queer’ and think ‘oh, this isn’t for me.’

Emily Smith McMaster QSCC Coordinator

Participants in the annual MacPride parade were all smiles at the rally on Wednesday.

Gabi Herman Contributor

As November sets in and the weather gets dreary and grey, the Queer Students Community Centre hopes to bring a rainbow of colour with this year’s MacPride festivities.

The QSCC office is tucked away in a back corner of MUSC to maintain student privacy, but MacPride is the QSCC’s week to be unabashedly public. Fourthyear Social Work student and QSCC coordinator Emily Smith says that the publicity of the annual event “brings a degree of community for people who haven’t found it yet.” MacPride also serves as a way for the university community at large to show support.

The festivities began on Monday with a MarioKart tournament and a coffee social, and each day has been busier than

the one before. With 16 events, this is the biggest year in recent memory. Smith hopes that there is a turnout to match. “Last year we had about 250 people come, and this year we are hoping for more,” she added.

Interested students have had an array of events to choose from. Wednesday featured classic Pride events: the Pride march and rally, followed by the keynote address. Body positivity workshops, Trans Inclusion 101, a board game night and a drag show are some of the options on offer for the rest of the week.

The “Let’s Talk Queer” event series is notable for the collaboration it has brought about.

The QSCC, EngiQueers, and SHEC have created three events about LGBTQ+ issues related to sex, relationships, and the workplace.

In addition to creating connections between cam-

pus groups, organizers hope MacPride builds bridges between the queer community and students who are not normally involved in LGBTQ+ related activities. Smith said, “People shouldn’t see the word ‘queer’ and think ‘oh, this isn’t for me.’” Unless otherwise specified, events are open to allies and intended for anybody who is interested.

Real goals, concerns, and initiatives are interwoven with the festivities. The QSCC is involved with the “MSU Wants You” campaign, and hopes to improve representation of queer people in student government.

The QSCC also provides a peer support service to help address mental health issues in the LGBTQ+ community.

Trans rights are also a priority for the QSCC. The MSU and the Presidential Advisory Committee for Building an

JON WHITE/PHOTO EDITOR

Inclusive Community both have committees that are working to change single-stalled gendered washrooms to gender-neutral. The QSCC also provides resources to help students address concerns with university professors and officials misusing pronouns, using the wrong names and other manifestations of transphobia on a case-bycase basis. However, according to Smith, there have been barriers to addressing transphobia on a broad level. “Making that big systemic change is really difficult, because what we really want to push for is training … the university keeps telling us there’s not enough money,” she explained. However, due to recent demand, the QSCC is working on investing in trans inclusion training for its members and volunteers.

The atmosphere in one of MacPride’s first events, the

Queer Coffee and Social, was a relaxed contrast to the busy rush of students in the Student Centre. Many of the students in the room were first time event attendees, many with a vision of what the QSCC could do for them. Students expressed desire for more newcomers’ events, excitement for the Pride march, and a hope to meet peers who understand their experiences.

Dina Kovacevic, a fourth-year Communications and Health Studies student and a QSCC exec, was glad to feel “a community vibe on campus” for the queer community.

MacPride runs until the end of the week. The schedule can be found on the MSU QSCC webpage or on Facebook.

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NEWS

Thursday, Nov. 5, 2015 | www.thesil.ca

Going small for at-large SRA takes a neutral stance on the upcoming VP at-large referendum Patrick Kim News Reporter

With a referendum now inevitable on whether future Vice Presidents should be voted on by the student body at-large, the Student Representative Assembly met on Nov. 1 to determine if they would endorse or reject such a motion to the general student population.

However, with this opportunity the SRA made the tepid decision to make a neutral

recommendation to students.

While any recommendation made by the SRA does not officially have any power over the outcome of the referendum, MSU President Ehima Osazuwa lamented the outcome and expressed his disappointment.

“In my opinion we didn't accomplish anything,” said Osazuwa. “I think we should have given the students a direction because that's why we got elected, to give students our opinions on certain things, and we did not accomplish that by remaining neutral.”

Osazuwa added, “I personally would have liked my assembly to take a stance on an issue like this. But I can't speak for the whole assembly, I can only speak for some members who voted for the positive and negative and took a stance.

But some members thought it was more important to make a neutral decision.”

It is clear that the official recommendation from the SRA was not reflective of a unified voice but rather the difficulty assembly members found coming to a decision. Over

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the course of the four-hour discussion, various proposals in favour of a positive, neutral and negative recommendation all failed to reach a necessary majority.

Currently, the President and the representative assembly are elected at-large by MSU members. This is in contrast to the three MSU Vice-President positions — Administration, Finance, and Education — that have traditionally been voted on by the newly elected SRA each year.

Thus, the issue is centered around a debate about the merits of a direct or a representative democracy, and whether students can make an informed decision on the matter.

Osazuwa was one of several vocal individuals in favour of opening the vote to the students, citing his belief in the power of the general student body.

“I'm a big believer in direct democracy. I think it puts the vote in the hands of the people,” he said.

"With the current system in place, the SRA members who elect VPs don't have any prior experience compared to the general MSU member, because this is the first decision they make as SRA members . . . In my opinion, running at-large makes it more accessible and it limits bias by including a larger number of people.”

Yet a significant contingent on the SRA remained concerned with moving VP elections to a general vote.

While the most recent MSU Presidential election boasted a strong voter turnout of 42 percent, evidence collected by an SRA committee pointed to voter fatigue amongst schools that had moved to voting for VPs at-large.

“We need to be honest with ourselves,” said VP (Education) Spencer Nestico-Semianiw, “I know that people have felt that we have pigeonholed the debate into just electoral turnout, but I do honestly think that that is a big discussion that we should look at.”

If the student body votes in favour of VP at-large elections, the SRA will also need to determine the best system amongst a plethora of options that range from a normal, open format, to a slate or pseudo-slate model where candidates form teams

“

In my opinion we didn’t accomplish anything. I think we should have given the students a direction because that’s why we got elected, to give students our opinions on certain things, and we did not accomplish that by remaining neutral.

Ehima Osazuwa MSU President or "slates," and are voted on as a team or individually.

Nestico-Semianiw also argued that the role of the VPs is far more technical than the broader vision of the President, and that the complexity and jargon of their platforms is a barrier to having informed, student voters.

“It's not as accessible to put those things on a platform,” he said. “This isn't to say that the SRA is some higher level of intellect, or are more worthy of being able to vote; it's simply that, by having that opportunity to be an SRA member . . . you will have the chance to sit down with your VPs, and you'll be able to ask a lot more questions than a student will be able to.”

Despite the SRA failing to take an official stance on the issue, Osazuwa and Nestico-Semianiw both expressed a hope and expectation for the discussion to continue.

Osazuwa said, “That's why I'm very happy this is going to referendum, so we can clearly see [what students want], a sense of direction from the students.”

“Who am I to say my opinion is better than your opinion?” he asked.

@patrickmkim

NEWS

www.thesil.ca | Thursday, Nov. 5, 2015

The prof who revolutionized med school

Gordon Guyatt Canadian Medical Hall of Fame inductee Assessment, Development and Evaluation, a system developed

by Guyatt in what was a collaborative effort. GRADE became the epicenter of a cultural shift that has taken place over the last 20 years towards a formal clinical process in patient treatment.

GRADE encourages physicians to adhere to guidelines that implement ideals that mesh well with evidence-based medicine.

It has allowed for a system where evidence is appropriated before it can be applied.

Guyatt attributes the genesis of the evidence-based method to the community at

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“It takes time,” Guyatt acknowledged. “It’s been 24 years since the term was coined, and we have been pushing and pushing and pushing. Eventually, if you’re in the right time, place and cultural environment, things will change. The ocean liner is just halfway turned around, now we just need to keep pushing until it turns all the way.”

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fame is another notch in a long history of recognition.

“For me personally it’s nice, but more importantly than for me personally, it’s a recognition of the importance of the way that evidence-based medicine has impacted the medical practice.”

When asked about the future of evidence-based medicine, Guyatt likened it to the metaphor of turning an ocean liner around.

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It was a revolutionary idea of a medical school. There were no tests, no examinations.

Everything was based on problem-bsed learning.

McMaster.

“This could only have happened within a unique cultural environment that exists [at McMaster]. McMaster is known worldwide as the place where evidence-based medicine got started,” said Guyatt.

Guyatt was the director of Residency Program in Internal Medicine at McMaster in 1990. It was here that he first implemented the term evidence-based medicine. Caught up in the environment of the then new medical school at McMaster, and under the mentorship of clinical epidemiologist Dave Saket, he was inspired to explore an unconventional approach to health care.

“When McMaster Medical School started it was a revolutionary idea of a medical school. There were no tests, no examinations. Everything was based on problem-based learning. There was a great innovative spirit where challenging existing norms and values was highly valued,” Guyatt said.

The British Medical Journal ranked evidence-based learning as seventh among the most important changes in medicine in the last 50 years. Other developments on the list included computers, public health and anesthesiology.

Guyatt’s induction into the Canadian Medical Hall of

Bon

What began on the McMaster campus has developed into an international protocol for evidence-based medicine, an approach piloted by professor of clinical epidemiology and biostatistics Gordon Guyatt.

Awarded a position in the Canadian Medical Hall of Fame for his work, Guyatt’s influence has spread throughout the western world.

“Throughout North America and Europe, bodies that accredit medical schools and training programs for physicians after they finish medical school have all adopted evidence-based medicine [into their curriculum],” said Guyatt, who sustains that evidence-based medicine bridges empirical data with clinical treatment.

“Evidence-based medicine has to do with being aware of the best available evidence… and being able to put that best evidence in the context of people’s values, preferences and circumstances relevant to choices that patients have to make,” he explained.

Currently more than 90 organizations worldwide abide by the policies and values of the Grading of Recommendations

“

McMaster Medical School professor Gordon Guyatt has been honoured by the Canadian Medical Hall of Fame for pioneering evidence-based medicine

(905)

Alexandra Florescu News Reporter

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HUMANS

Thursday, Nov. 5, 2015 | www.thesil.ca

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HUMANS

www.thesil.ca | Thursday, Nov. 5, 2015

JASON LAU / PHOTO REPORTER

Trigger Warning: themes of sexual abuse How did this journey start?

“I came out as bisexual around grade ten or so, and then I discovered the word pansexuality, and realized that I’m actually pansexual. Because people don’t often know what that means, the way I describe pansexuality is like the way I would describe how the average person sees eye colour. It’s something you can notice, and maybe you can have a preferred eye colour, but you would never be like, ‘I won’t date Billy because he has blue eyes.’ It’s such an insignificant detail about a whole person that you would never make that be a thing for why you would or wouldn’t date someone. For me, that’s gender. It’s something that I can recognize, and maybe have preferences or have

feelings about, but ultimately, it’s not going to be something I’m differentiated by.”

What’s one thing that people don’t know about you?

“The biggest thing that people don’t know about me is that I am a survivor … I’ve definitely been through some pretty hard experiences when I was younger.

I was actually sexually abused as a child. And, that was a pretty intense thing to go through when I was little. Literally, this September was the first time I ever told my mom, and started the police work to get him arrested and such. And he was actually just charged with three things a month ago.

So much of who I am and what I do is the fact that I love being really into my communities, and giving back. I think that there are a lot of leaders in our community that you see as

so strong all the time, and you don’t always realize that there are things they might have been through.

When you first saw me today, I was just getting out of my appointment with the sexual assault counsellor at the Wellness Centre, who I meet with every week as of this semester because I’d never told a therapist in my entire life what had happened to me until this September.

Because I had convinced myself for ten years that it didn’t matter, and it wasn’t that bad, because if we were to put it on a scale of sexual assault, it’s on the minor end. But I was also less than 12 years old. So there is no minor end when you’re so young. I don’t know if you know this, but the statistics are 15-25 percent of women in North America were abused sexually as a child, which is almost identical to the statistic in Africa. And, it just is this, really, really intense, weird, thing that no one talks about, and no one owns, and no one is able to be really open about. It’s a really isolating experience because it messes you up in a lot of ways, and there are a lot of bad things that comes out of it.

But for me, things like EngiQueers, and other organizations I’m involved in – they are the things that make me who I am, as me, and [he] could never take those things away from me. I was literally telling my therapist this: when I do stuff like this and when I get to see all the pride for LGBTQ+ people or whatever it is, it just helps me remember that I am still me, and other people can still be them if they have been through something similar to what I’ve been through. It’s been a really intense few months. It feels like coming out all over again. It’s like, coming out as a survivor to a lot of different people.

I’ve done so many things my whole life where I’ve just given back and been a leader in my community because that’s something I’m so passionate about and what I love to do. And it’s separate and different from my personal life, who I am, and what I’ve been through, but it’s also so connected and related.

It is a part of my identity and a part of who I am. And I feel like it’s something I’m not allowed to say or own up to, that I am a

survivor of child sexual abuse.

But the more I’m becoming aware of what other people go through, aside from me, and how I’ve been able to survive to some extent, that makes me want to be more open about it, and be more honest about it.

All this shit happened so recently. Ever since the day I told my mom and it came out to the light, I’m the type of person who shares my shit with the world – and that’s very much my shit. It was such a big accomplishment for me, but I kind of chose to be a little slower with how I told people. I’ve been thinking ... it’s been feeling like I’ve been getting more and more ready to be super open about it and sharing it. There’s been some really intense things that have been happening in different communities I’m apart of where more people are coming forward about sexual assault.

The more I read about statistics about child sexual assault – it’s like mind-blowing. I feel like I’m getting to the point where I’m strong enough to own it, and be a resource, and help people. It makes me feel like I’m thriving more in a way, too, because I feel like I’m not afraid.

The court date hasn’t even been set. It’s super recent. The person has been charged – that’s it. It’s super new, so I was like, “maybe I’ll wait ‘til it’s all over.

Maybe justice will happen...” But there’s no guarantee that justice will happen. I know what happened, and I’ll always know that.

And hopefully the legal system will work, but if it doesn’t, it doesn’t. I’m confident enough that people in my family and in my life will believe me that this happened, and that he will not... if he gets away with it legally, I don’t think he’ll get away with it morally, in his own head. Or even in the head of the life he used to have. It’s kind of over, as he knows it right now. And that makes me feel some sort of justice in itself.”

Thank you so much for sharing your story.

“I like being me, and that’s why it’s been really weird to be closed about this whole thing because it’s just not me, it’s not who I am.

I don’t hide stuff like this. And the fact that I’ve been hiding it

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… has made me feel like I need to hide it and it’s something I should be embarrassed about.

I survived and that’s not a bad thing. The fact that this happened to me is negative against no one but the person who did it. And the fact that he would take advantage of a child – that’s what’s wrong and nothing else is wrong. It’s no one else’s fault.

It’s not my sister’s fault, my mom’s fault, my aunt’s fault, it’s no one’s fault. It was his fault and that’s the important part of what I’ve been coming to terms with. Everyone is always like, ‘what could we have done? What could we have done differently?’ There was nothing anyone could’ve done differently. That person needed to not make that decision to take advantage of a child, and that was it. But that happened. So now, we work on healing and we work on getting the justice that he – or I guess – I deserve.”

If you or someone you know has experienced sexual assault, please speak to a professional counsellor at the Student Wellness Centre and/ or McMaster Human Rights and Equity Services, for support, information and referrals.

Student Wellness Centre: (905) 525-9140, ext.

27700 Human Rights and Equity Services: (905) 525-9140, ext.

27581 A 24-hour support line at Sexual Assault Centre Hamilton Area (SACHA) can be reached at: (905) 525-4162

You can view more photos online on the Humans of McMaster Facebook page: facebook.com/HumansOfMcMaster

8 |

NEWS

Thursday, Nov. 5, 2015 | www.thesil.ca

New year, new dean On Nov. 15, Jeremiah Hurley will officially be McMaster University’s Dean of Social Sciences

JON WHITE/PHOTO EDITOR

C/O EVIDENCENETWORK.CA

Rachel Katz News Editor

There is a new face in the office of the Dean of Social Sciences.

On Nov. 15, Economics professor Jeremiah Hurley will step into the role of Dean following the departure of Charlotte Yates, who was appointed the position of provost at Guelph University.

Hurley specializes in the economics of health and health care systems and completed his Master’s at the University of Wisconsin, Madison.

The idea of Hurley’s new role at McMaster is exciting. He said, “I’m most looking forward to trying to help build excellence in the faculty in teaching and research, support faculty and the university as it moves forward with its agenda.”

Hurley hopes to continue some of the initiatives Yates undertook in her time as the

Social Sciences Dean. He cited LR Wilson Hall, a new building exclusively for Humanities and Social Sciences students that is set to open next summer.

Hurley hopes it will foster innovative efforts in teaching and making use of active learning spaces. “It’s going to create great opportunities for us to learn from both research and the community,” he explained.

In addition to continuing the initiatives Yates started, Hurley hopes to create more opportunities for interdisciplinary learning. Due to the nature of his specialty, Prof. Hurley said, “I’ve always been appointed between Health Sciences and Social Sciences so I’ve always been engaged in interdisciplinary work.” He added that he plans to discuss strategies for greater interdisciplinary collaboration with other faculty members.

This collaboration process is what Hurley loves most about the McMaster community. “The

environment at McMaster is so supportive of interdisciplinary research,” he said.

“When I was on leave at another university and I realized the things I just take for granted at McMaster in terms of the ease of working with others across departments and faculties doesn’t exist everywhere.

For me that was a moment of crystallization.”

Prof. Hurley has not confirmed what these new interdisciplinary efforts will look like, but he mentioned the possibility of a greater variety of classes being offered to students in some programs in addition to courses where multiple professors divide a course. He believes this will allow students to learn about a wider range of perspectives, and concluded, “I think we want to be open and flexible about this.” @RachAlbertaKatz

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www.thesil.ca | Thursday, Nov. 5, 2015

| 9

Where the wild things might be New evidence from McMaster professor proves de-extinction is more than a pipe dream Steven Chen News Writer

We never really outgrow our childhood dreams of walking alongside extinct creatures. This fantasy has been vividly imagined in popular literary works, television shows and movies.

The only thing left is for scientists to undertake the daunting task of bringing it to reality.

On Oct. 27, the compelling question of whether extinct species can truly be revived was discussed in the talk, “Reviving Extinct Species — Fiction or Fact”, featuring Prof. Hendrick Poinar, current director of the Ancient DNA Centre at McMaster University.

Prof. Poinar’s public lecture at the David Braley Health Sciences Centre marked the launch of the “Research in the City” series. The series, which was established by McMaster University in partnership with The Hamilton Spectator, aims to

revitalize community interest in research done in Hamilton.

As an evolutionary biologist specializing in the genome of ancient species, Prof. Poinar offered a passionate recount of the work currently being done in the field. His team at McMaster has been investigating the DNA present in fossil remains for more than two decades — notably pushing research frontiers by using novel methods to sequence the genome of the extinct woolly mammoth.

The allure in uncovering the mystery to these extinct species has propelled Poinar to a life-long quest. “These are extinct creatures that once roamed the earth and then [simply] vanished. Why and what drives species to extinctions when they have managed well for so long?”

Poinar asked.

The public lecture supported the prospect of reviving recently extinct species, such as the passenger pigeon and the

Tasmanian wolf. It is reassuring that in the grand scheme of biological evolution, these species have only vanished in recent memory. Remarkably, specimens of the woolly mammoth, who last trudged the earth 10,000 years ago, are still preserved intact in the Siberian tundra. This offers immense potential for scientists to extract the genetic information to make clones of extinct creatures in the future.

With the rapid development of genome sequencing technologies, Prof. Poinar offers foresight on the possibilities and dangers. “We can expect genome analysis [to occur] in minutes,” he said . . . “Should gene therapy become a reality, I hope mostly for the better, but the changes surrounding the ethics need to occur now.”

Whether or not we will be able to witness the marvel of the woolly mammoth or glimpse the ferocity of the saber-toothed

JASON LAU/PHOTO REPORTER

cat remains a question. What is more important to consider is how our aspirations for the future are invested in the research being done on a local and global scale.

The “Research in the City” series hopes to continue engaging the public with upcoming talks, ranging from topics on the life and death of hitchBOT

to the Atacama Large Millimeter Array Radio Telescope.

Poinar mused, “Fascinating research is going on in Hamilton and the people have a right to know about what we do. The great thing about McMaster is that research is portrayed without the attitude, for the public to engage with at all levels.”

Canadian campus news

for Constitutional Freedoms, a disturbing number of Canadian universities and colleges are not doing enough to protect free speech on their campuses. Only eight institutions received an “A” grade, while 41 received an “F.” The campuses were graded using four criteria: university policies, university practices, student union policies and student union practices. McMaster averaged a C.

Rachel Katz News Editor

Nipissing faculty on strike As of the night of Nov. 2, all classes on Nipissing University’s three campuses have been cancelled due to a strike by Nipissing University Faculty Association. Talks between NUFA and the university broke down on Monday following disagreement about staffing and “meaningful participation in governance.” According to NUFA, ongoing disagreement continues between the two sides, however the university hopes the two parties will reach an agreement soon.

F for freedom of speech According to a report released by the Justice Center

Elevated radiation levels at Dalhousie University After receiving an anonymous complaint, the province of Nova Scotia’s Occupational Health and Safety division is investigating a claim regarding radiation levels at Dalhousie University’s dentistry school. The division received a tip from a staff member, who claims that they have been exposed to radiation that exceeds acceptable levels.

The university has disputed this claim, but spokesperson Brian Leadbetter announced Dalhousie will cooperate with any investigation. @RachAlbertaKatz

MSUMcMASTER.CA

The McMaster Students Union

PRESIDENT’S PAGE

It’s 12:30pm. You just finished class and you are free for the next couple of hours. You think, “hey, I’m hungry, it’s time for lunch.” However, if you are like me, you know that getting lunch can be a taxing process.

Lunchtime in MUSC presents you with two unappealing options. The first is to sit on the floor, which can be quite uncomfortable. The second is the ceremonial shuffle wherein you stand around and try to find someone who looks like they are going to leave soon. I call it the awkward MUSC dance.

This problem of space is not limited to MUSC: rather, it pervades the entire campus. DBAC offers another prime example.

Even though students at McMaster pay one of the highest Athletics and Recreation fees of any Ontario university, DBAC is Pulse without having to stand almost unusable during its peak around and wait for equipment. hours. It’s nearly impossible to Various studies validate the find an open gym or use the experience, widespread among

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.

students, of being unable to find a place to sit or use the facilities they support every year. In the latest State of the Academy

presentation, the Provost stated that McMaster is at 117% of the capacity of the campus. In 2011, the University undertook a Campus Capacity Study to assess various types of spaces on campus based on standards set by the Council of Ontario Universities and the U15 Group of Canadian Research Universities. This study identified that student lounge space, study space and recreation space have by far the largest deficits on campus.

These findings raise the question of what the MSU is doing to address concerns of overcrowding. To ensure that students feel more comfortable in the spaces and buildings for which they pay, the MSU is undertaking two initiatives. The first is to work with the University to update the Campus Capacity study. The updated study will enable the MSU and the University to better understand how McMaster performs on metrics regarding space, both objectively and in comparison to other universities.

I will need your help on the second initiative, which is the MSU Space Survey. This five-minute survey is very important in garnering student feedback on which spaces should be improved in order to make students’ experiences on this campus more enjoyable. The survey can be found at msumcmaster.ca/space. Fill it out and be entered in a draw to win one of four $50 gift cards to Union Market and TwelvEighty.

With space at a premium on McMaster’s campus, it is critical for undergraduates to define our current and future needs.

www.thesil.ca | Thursday, Nov. 5, 2015

The Silhouette | 11

Editorial Accountabilty vs. accessibility Amanda Watkins Editor-in-Chief

As some of you have already noticed, and have vehemently tweeted at us about, The Silhouette no longer Livestreams every SRA meeting.

“What?! How could you do this? What did the SRA ever do to you?” The answer to these questions is: yes it’s true; we did it following the guidelines of the MSU constitution and Silhouette bylaws; the SRA did nothing to hurt us, this is simply a decision of content management.

It has been brought to my attention that there has been some miscommunication about this decision, as well as some misinterpretation of The Silhouette’s role as a news outlet on campus.

According to the MSU’s operating policies, The Silhouette “shall remain completely autonomous in terms of the editorial content and the basic format of the newspaper” (Operating Policy 1.3.1- The Silhouette, section 2.9). Being autonomous means that we have the freedom to cover what we want without the influence of the MSU. This is not limited to our print product, it also includes social media such as Livestream.

Every year The Silhouette changes its social media to reflect the feedback and interaction we get from the year past. This year, we chose

to add three forms of social media — Snapchat, Instagram and we joined Reddit. We also decided to stop using one form of social media — Livestream.

We made this choice because we found it was a waste of our money and effort. It costs $504 a year to have a Livestream account, and when we hosted a stream of a meeting or debate, on average our links to the stream only recieved a single digit number of clicks on social media (like our last SRA meeting Livestream which peaked at 8 viewers). Compare this to the hundreds of views we get on our own videos and the thousands of clicks we get on written online articles, and it is clear that this is not the most effective form of media to get a message across to students.

We don’t hate the SRA. We cover their meetings in whatever form we deem most appropriate — whether that is with an article (in print or online), an infographic, a series of tweets or a Livestream recording.

We would have been happy to Livestream last week’s meeting as it discussed an important student issue that we have been keeping up with online and in print, but I did not feel comfortable sending one of our staff members into a meeting before having made a concrete and written decision about the long and short term plans for the future of Livestreaming. Based on the emails I have received,

the messages that have been sent to us over Twitter, and the conversations I have had in person, there is a clear misunderstanding about The Silhouette’s rights, and I was not going to send my staff members into a space where they would be bullied for exercising their freedom and editorial autonomy. Instead, this week we had a reporter cover the meeting in person, and they left a recorder to get the full meeting, since they had other school-related commitments to attend to on the night of the meeting. And for the record, no one from our staff promised to cover this meeting. I mentioned that we would consider it while at our Oct. 29 Board of Publications meeting, but no one reached out to me to confirm whether we would be there or not. If someone told you otherwise, you have been misinformed.

Just as The Silhouette acts to hold the MSU and SRA accountable, these two bodies also hold The Silhouette accountable in terms of our spending and budget. The argument for consistent Livestreaming has been that a portion of the budget has been allotted specifically to this cause — this may have been true in the past, but this is not true this year. This year we have a reduced subscription budget due to a few changes within the organization, we have not allotted any money towards purchasing equipment, and

Attention McMaster Students!

You are entitled to $600 in dental coverage.

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to Kim’s banana muffins.

to lung infections.

to recorders.

to font sizes.

to “Je Suis Bacon.”

to hate mail.

to public paper haters.

none of our job descriptions require that our staff Livestream any meetings or debates as a mandatory part of their job. It is simply not true that we are going against our budget or constitution by stopping the Livestream of these meetings.

I understand that having a Livestream of SRA meetings is important for accessibility, but making SRA meetings accessible is not The Silhouette’s job. We will make news about the meetings accessible, as well as any criticisms or praise of decisions made during the hours of meetings — but the meetings themselves? That falls on the shoulders of the MSU and the SRA. The MSU needs to make its services and decisons accessible to the public. We hold them accountable for this.

This being said, The Silhouette is happy to lend its equipment to

to racially motivated chocolate.

the MSU when or if they decide to do this.

The Silhouette will be covering some of the future meetings with Livestream, and other meetings through a medium of our choice. But, since The Silhouette does have autonomy, we do not need to say yes to demands related to coverage from the MSU, unless they are in writing as part of our operations. If we begin saying yes to these demands, at what point do we draw the line? At what point do we stop being a paper whose coverage is run editorially independent of the MSU? At what point do we become a mouthpiece for the MSU’s agenda and become a paper that is unable to hold our university and its students union accountable? @whatthekins

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MacPride Week

Super ‘Stache Bros

When: November 02-06, 2015

When: November 07, 2015 from 10:30AM

Where: Campus Wide MacPride week is our annual celebration of queer pride at McMaster. You can look forward to our annual events, including our Keynote Address and Drag show, as well as a variety of workshops, socials and a three part event series: “Let’s Talk Queer”.

until 05:00PM

world of board game challenges, and with Movember Swag Giveaways and refreshments it is sure to be a night you won’t want to miss!

Where: JHE A102 Wondering what to do on campus on a Saturday? Look no further! Music, Games, Friends, Photobooths- what else can you ask for?

Dirty Sexy XXX Bingo for Movember When: November 11, 2015 from 08:00PM until 10:00PM

Come by JHE A102 to enjoy free play of Check out our calendar of events to see just how much Pride the QSCC really has!

any casual games! Feeling competitive?

A massive thank you to all our allies on campus who will join us in celebrating the

Thanks to our sponsors, 1UP games, a

beauty of our community.

prizes! Come out for a MO’staching good

Enter in a competitive play tournament. raffle will also be availble for awesome time - all ages & skills are welcome!

Where: TwelvEighty Bar and Grill Spencer “Spenny” Rice from Kenny vs. Spenny will be hosting to demonstrate the practical and alternative uses to all the prizes, as well as answering any awkward kink questions you might have!

Be sure to come early as seats fill up fast. A

MoMusket’s Paintball Poker 4 Prostate

$5 donation will be requested at the door to

When: November 07, 2015 from 10:00AM until 04:00PM

When: November 08, 2015 from 08:00PM

to raise research funds and awareness about

Where: Soldiers of Fortune Paintball

until 10:00PM

prostate cancer! Keep an eye out for coupons

On November 7th MoMusket’s Paintball

Where: CIBC HALL

in Musc for reduced entry admissions!

will be meeting on McMaster Campus at

On November 8th McMaster’s biggest

10am and will be travelling to Soldiers of

Poker and Black Jack Tournament will be

Fortune Paintball in Mount Hope for a day

taking place in CIBC Hall with all dona-

of outdoor Paintball fun!

tions going to the McMoster Movember

The event will be $25 and includes:

Cause!

•

100 paintballs

•

equipment; helmet, goggles, gun, overalls etc

•

transportation to and from McMaster

Games of MovemberBoard Game Night

University Campus

When: November 09, 2015 from 06:00PM

Tickets are being sold at Compass so

until 09:00PM

hurry up and get yourself a reserved spot

Where: BSB 109

on the bus!

$5 donation at the door opens you to a

help support McMoster’s Movember campaign

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

www.thesil.ca | Thursday, Nov. 5, 2015

The Silhouette | 13

Opinion

Wednesday’s MacPride Parade.

AMANDA WATKINS/ EDITOR-IN-CHIEF; INSET: The flag representing the bisexual community.

The bisexual aesthetic Trusting bisexuals to form their own identities is the best way to make us feel welcome Victoria Marks Contributor

“I’m bisexual,” I said to my high school friend. “Really? I don’t think you are,” was her reaction.

This was the first in a series of frustrating responses I’ve had since I started coming out to friends and family. Ten years later and I’m still bi, but unfortunately the rude comments I’ve gotten on the subject haven’t changed. “Do you prefer men or women?” “How many girls have you slept with?” “Are you doing this for attention?” “Are you sure?” or, the memorable “can I watch?”

Since these rude and invasive questions seem destined to follow me for the foreseeable bisexual future, let’s start by debunking some myths: bisexuality is not — contrary to popular belief — simply the sexual or romantic interest in two genders equally. It is the attraction to your own and other genders (plural), not necessarily

in the same way or at the same time. It is fluid and complicated, and not always easy to explain.

Bisexuality is not inherently transphobic; I’m not interested in my partners based purely on the status of their genitals, nor am I concerned with their gender identities. I’m no less selective or more promiscuous because of my orientation, and I’m certainly not bisexual for the attention or because it is “convenient.” If I’m in a heterosexual relationship I’m still just as bisexual as I was before it. If I’m in a queer relationship, I’m still, I assure you, very bi. Just because I am bisexual doesn’t mean I am more likely to cheat on you. No matter who I am dating, I am still me.

While definitions and identities may vary depending on the individual, the majority of the bisexuals I know have all experienced similar stigma; we are often pressured to “prove” ourselves. The first girl I dated didn’t think I was queer until

I asked her out. “You just look so straight!” was the explanation. Years later, my crush was perplexed when I expressed an interest in him, because he was “sure I was a lesbian.” I have yet to figure out exactly what a “bisexual aesthetic” looks like — and if someone figures it out, please let me know — but the result of these interactions has been that I constantly feel the need to confirm my identity.

If I mention past girlfriends or boyfriends in conversation I almost always have to throw in the B-word to reassure the object of my attention that I am indeed still interested in them.

I felt an overwhelming sense of relief after I had my first serious relationship with a woman, because it meant that I would finally have an answer to the question “how many girls have you dated?” that didn’t make me feel like a fraud. Almost every interaction that I have concerning my sexuality is an exhausting balancing act, but I don’t

“

If I’m in a heterosexual relationship I’m still just as bisexual as I was before it. If I’m in a queer relationship, I’m still, I assure you, very bi.

feel like I have another option.

Reactions from the queer community tend to be mixed.

The ever-hateful Dan Savage — a supposed ambassador of gay people — has stated that he does not think that bisexuality exists, and that we are all either

confused or partially closeted.

It is therefore unsurprising that I feel the most welcome in LGBTQ+ circles only when I am in a queer relationship. I’ve had friends high-five or congratulate me for dating women, which makes me wonder what they think of me when I date men. The question that bounces around my head is “at what point am I queer enough to be considered a bonafide bisexual?” At what point am I unconditionally welcomed the way someone who identifies as gay or lesbian would be?

So for Pride on campus this week I have a simple request for the McMaster community: let bisexuals dictate their own identities. Don’t test us, or ask us to prove ourselves. Please stop asking us invasive personal questions about our sex lives — be inclusive of the B in LGBTQ+. And for god’s sake, stop asking us to take part in your threesomes.

14 |

OPINION

Thursday, Nov 5, 2015 | www.thesil.ca

This video posted on Oct. 26th showed a police officer shoving an unarmed student to the ground at Spring Valley High School in South Carolina.

C/O STILLS FROM PUBLIC VIDEO

Black girls matter

Black girls can’t count on their own safety — not even in classrooms Esther Adjekum Social Media Coordinator

I think I’m supposed to be outraged. My blood should probably be boiling at a video filmed by a classmate of the teenage girl at Spring Valley High, who was dragged from her chair and pinned down by a police officer in her classroom.

Instead, it hurt me. She did not threaten anyone and did not have a weapon. The discussion around the incident has been focused on the excessive force used by the police, not the fact that there was an officer called to a classroom because a student declined to participate and didn’t leave the classroom when asked. Is this the response from authority that we have come to expect and accept? Why is this considered acceptable just because the student wasn’t white?

I’ve had people pour drinks

on me, push me, scream at me and claim that I deserved harsh treatment with excuses like “a lot of black girls are whack.”

The guilty parties will tell you that it is not about race, and then respectability politics will come into play. Respectability politics refers to the idea that if someone acts in a ‘socially respectable’ way then maybe they would be afforded the rights and fair treatment that they were supposed to have in the first place. “If she didn’t have an attitude...” “If she behaved properly...” “If she subjected herself to police brutality with a smile on her face, maybe she would have been arrested nicely.” “If she had not disrupted the school and disrupted that class, we would not be standing here today” was the direct quote from County Sheriff Leon Lott in response to the video. These respectability politics don’t affect black women only when

interacting with the police.

Research groups such as the African American Policy Forum and The Center for Intersectionality and Social Policy have sought to measure the impact on black girls of “[being] subject to harsher disciplinary interventions because they are perceived to be unruly, loud, and unmanageable” both inside and outside the classroom.

This is what I know for certain: the function of the police is to protect and serve the community. In that classroom no one was at risk or being harmed by the student in question; if the girl’s lack of participation was considered disruptive, surely the officer’s response was far more of a distraction.

Will students feel safe attending this class now? According to a publication titled “Black Girls Matter: Pushed Out, Overpoliced, and Underprotected,” increased levels of law enforce-

“

If the girl in question’s lack of participation was considered disruptive, surely the officer’s response was far more of a distraction.

ment and security personnel within schools often make girls feel less safe and less likely to attend school. How will this teenager in her formative years view educational institutions or

law enforcement?

For all of the incidents that garner media attention, we will never know the number of times someone was not fortunate enough to have the incident recorded.

Last summer the police were called to a teenage pool party in a gated community, and a black girl was subjected to excessive force and arrested.

This fall, it was a black girl in a classroom. Who will it be this winter? A girl buying skittles wearing a hoodie? I’m angry that my existence and appearance means that I apparently deserve abusive treatment in the eyes of the law enforcement, or the eyes of my teacher, or the eyes of my partner. I like to think that I matter, just as much as the next girl. This is not a hashtag, this is a message: black girls matter. @esturr

OPINION | 15

www.thesil.ca | Thursday, Nov. 5, 2015

On being silenced

We need accurate information about abortion on campus — not harmful slogans Emily Smith Contributor

Coming out as a queer woman was a political experience for me. Intrinsically, our personal identities and experiences are political. When we are able to share our stories and create community, we come together to create social change. Recognizing this, I think it’s time to come out again in a very different way.

In July of 2010, I exercised my legal and inherent human right to choose and had an abortion. I was in my first trimester of pregnancy and my abortion took place around nine weeks. At the time I was in my first long-term relationship, which was both emotionally abusive and sexually coercive.

I was struggling significantly with my mental health. My abortion was a painful decision in an unfortunate situation. It is something I have struggled with, though never regretted, for the past five and a half years.

In my four years at McMaster I’ve seen an increasing presence of pro-life propaganda

on campus. Although I strongly believe in the right everyone has to an opinion, and by no means seek to eradicate groups on campus, I do think it’s important to recognize the inaccuracies and frankly emotionally manipulative tactics being used to stigmatize and marginalize the people in our community who have had abortions.

Recently I’ve seen some chalk writing on campus tarmac. One stated “your mother chose life.” I don’t know if my mother is pro-life, pro-choice, or somewhere in between, but I do know that I was a pregnancy that was planned, wanted, and prepared for. Had I been a pregnancy that was unwanted or unplanned would my mother have chosen differently? Would it have mattered? Her path would have been different, as would those around her. This tactic is frequently harnessed by pro-life groups and does not reflect the reality of choosing to have children. Pro-choice people have children on a regular basis, choosing choice.

Another quote stated that “the first inalienable human

“

[Women] are not walking incubators, and no one should have a say in what one person does with their own body.

right is to life.” Many justice groups are rightfully up in arms from the moment a child is born about bodily autonomy.

We protest the circumcision, cosmetic or surgical alteration, and piercing of infants. In all of these situations, we recognize that a basic human right all children should have is the right to choose what they will do with their bodies, and modifications should only be made when the individual is capable of making that decision. Yet somehow the importance of bodily autono-

my diminishes when we start talking about abortion. When we allow women the ability to pierce their own ears but not to terminate a pregnancy, what are we telling women? That their bodies are their own but only to an extent. Women’s bodies are not public property. They are not walking incubators, and no one should have a say in what one person does with their own body.

Finally, a chalk message said “adoption is a loving alternative.” Adoption is a beautiful option for women who choose to carry their pregnancies but do not want to parent children, but it is an alternative to parenthood, not pregnancy. When we talk about adoption in the context of a substitute for abortion, adoption becomes a weapon in a misogynistic political agenda against women. Adoption should not be disrespected and used as a guilt tactic or presented a last ditch effort against abortion.

Every moment that this pro-life propaganda exists on our campus, more and more people are shamed, silenced

and provided with false and manipulative information. Perhaps if accurate quotes were shared on sidewalks, accurate signs displayed in our student centre, or accurate pamphlets handed out on corners, we might see a marked change in how women who have had abortions navigate their university experience.

If well-intentioned and productive information was being disseminated on campus our pro-life organizations would cease to exist.

When these quotes are publicly displayed the intention is clear. To silence, shame, and deny women spaces to talk openly about their abortions.

When we fail to talk about abortion as a valuable and viable option for an unwanted or unplanned pregnancy we force women to see themselves as having shameful secrets. Most people can imagine what it’s like to carry with you a secret you cannot share without fear of disgust, rejection, or humiliation. There is a simple fix to this one: accept abortions.

Wear your red poppy with pride Respecting veterans on Remembrance Day should be our priority Michael Klimuntowski Contributor

The Royal Canadian Legion’s national poppy campaign begins every year on the last Friday of October and goes on to Nov. 11. I implore the McMaster community to wear the poppy on their left breast, just above our hearts.

Over the years there have been efforts championed by groups such as the Rideau Institute and campus clubs across Ontario that seek to provide what they portray as an alternative to the red poppy.

These groups claim these white pacifist poppies signify peace and do not glorify war.

This campaign is reprehensible for a variety of reasons.

Firstly, the white poppy campaign takes away resources and the focus from the Legion. The proceeds from the red poppy campaign go to help veterans and their families with the costs of food, medicine, heating costs, home repairs, transportation and valuable community services. When you buy a red poppy, you are helping the Legion care for the legacy of the

veterans and those who have fallen on hard times. These few days before Remembrance Day are when the Legion is best able to reach the most number of people in order to help Canadian veterans and their families.

Secondly, the advocates of the white poppy campaign have distorted the meaning of the red poppy. Last year over 18 million Canadians wore a poppy to honour the hundreds of thousands who perished in conflicts that have defined our history. It has been remarked by historians that it was at Vimy Ridge when Canada was born as a nation. It was the first time all four divisions of the Canadian military collaborated and defeated the German Army without subordination to British Command. Canadians fought valiantly during the Second World War at

the Battle of Normandy, liberating Belgium and the Netherlands with countless acts of heroism. In Korea, the Balkans, Afghanistan and other global hotspots Canadians responded to the challenges thrust upon the global community. Those who cannot see the heroism of such sacrifices don’t know where to look. The lives and actions of the Victoria Cross recipients, distinguished sol-

diers and those who paid the ultimate price are testament to the contrary.

The poppy is the internationally recognized symbol of Remembrance. Its symbolism has been immortalized by Canada’s Lieutenant-Colonel John McCrae. In Flanders Fields, McCrae’s final stanza describes the shared responsibility that towers over us: Take up our quarrel with the foe: To you from failing hands we throw The torch; be yours to hold it high.

If ye break faith with us who die We shall not sleep, though poppies grow In Flanders fields.

In remembering the human casualties, we do not glorify war. We commemorate the sacrifice of those who participated. No one who wears the poppy supports war over peace — this is a false dichotomy. There are times in the affairs of nations when war is justified, when the terms of peace are egregious,

“

In remembering the human casualties, we do not glorify war. We commemorate the sacrifice of those who participated.

and the price is one we are not willing to pay.

The pacifist poppy smears our veterans; those from conflicts long ago and as recently as military action in Afghanistan.

It attempts to make a political debate out of a simple act of commemoration and sign of respect. The question begs to be asked — is nothing sacred?

16 |

OPINION

Thursday, Nov. 5, 2015 | www.thesil.ca

Bloody politics Tampons are a human right — they should be free C/O THE INDEPENDENT Suzy Flader Contributor

As of July 1, Canadians no longer have to pay federal tax on menstrual hygiene products.

This decision came in response to an online petition titled “No Tax for Tampons,” which received over 75,000 signatures.

While items like wedding cakes and cocktail cherries had gone untaxed in Canada,

necessary menstrual hygiene products have been unfairly subjected to a five percent “luxury” tax.

By removing the luxury tax from menstrual hygiene products, the Canadian government took a significant step forward, but there is still more that needs to be done. The issue of menstrual health tends to not be discussed in our society, due to our discomfort discuss-

ing topics typically considered ‘disgusting’ (eg. blood) or ‘feminine’ (eg. vaginas). When it is brought up it is often in shameful or humiliating ways.

Hygiene products play a crucial role in the overall health of many women, trans people, and other “menstruators”. In order to respect the human rights of menstruators in Canada, our government should be doing more to publically support us.

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Menstrual health is often overlooked as an important aspect of overall health. Many menstruators are forced to wear pads or tampons for extended periods of time due to limited supply. This puts them at risk of contracting life-threatening infections or Toxic Shock Syndrome. While these physical risks alone justify menstrual hygiene as a health concern, there are psychological factors that must also be considered. From a young age, we menstruators are taught to hide our periods from others at all costs. I remember carrying my tampons around in a glasses case, out of fear that my classmates would figure out I needed them. For one week every month, I felt like a victim to my own body.

I was ashamed of my periods, even though there was nothing I could do to stop them. Later, I was introduced to the reality of “Post-Menstrual Syndrome shaming.” To this day I get told to stop “PMS-ing” whenever I convey feelings of anger or sadness, even when I am weeks away from my period. It is hard not to feel frustrated about menstruating when it subjects me to this sort of treatment. It is no wonder I have felt the need to keep this aspect of my life private.

I am not the only menstruator who has felt this sort of shame and humiliation.

Our societal norms validate the lack of empathy that those who do not menstruate often demonstrate towards those who do. Menstruators are forced to act and speak in certain ways in order to appease everyone’s discomfort. Both discussing and displaying menstrual blood is no exception to this rule. Those who are forced to show their blood to others, due to a lack of access to menstrual hygiene products, face social rejection and mental scarring.

While it might not resolve the issue entirely, the Canadian government must help protect the psychological security of those who menstruate within this country. Proper access to menstrual hygiene products should be defined as a human right, and they must be provided to Canadians either cheaply, or free of charge. While all public washrooms supply courtesy toilet paper, soap and seat covers, it is rare to see free tampons

“

While all public washrooms supply courtesy toilet paper, soap and seat covers, it is rare to see free tampons or pads.

or pads. For some reason, the line was drawn at a necessary — but sex-specific — hygiene product. There are places such as women’s shelters and university health centres that provide free menstrual health products to those who need them, but these places are often forced to ration their supplies due to limited donations or funding.

Our government should be playing a role in subsidizing menstrual hygiene products, the fact that they do not speaks to their discomfort discussing anything perceived to be related to women’s health.

It is true that the Canadian government has taken an important stand for menstruators by removing the tampon “luxury” tax, but just because an issue has been formally recognized does not mean it is time for the discussion end. There is still a great deal of discomfort surrounding menstruation. For many, it is more painful to put a box of tampons in a shopping basket than it is to recognize the high price that must be paid for them. For others, the cost of menstrual hygiene products is a serious barrier to both their mental and physical health. We as a society need to keep talking openly about menstruation, in order to remove the shame associated with it. Complete subsidization of menstrual hygiene products may be a stretch, but we should at least be taking more baby steps towards resolving this issue. Menstrual health rights are human rights, and they need to be treated as such. Period.

OPINION | 17

www.thesil.ca | Thursday, Nov. 5, 2015

Driving high Sunanna Bhasin Opinions Columnist

I remember heading to a sports tournament with friends a few years ago and having our taxi driver educate us on what drunk driving looked like. He pointed out one car in particular, just a few metres ahead of us. It was weaving in and out of its lane in an unpredictable pattern, travelling at relatively high speeds and the driver never signalled when switching lanes. I was shocked that the driver was drunk or severely impaired, but I was sure that he or she would be pulled over as soon as a cop caught sight of the sign of reckless driving.

What would follow would be a brief interrogation and a breathalyser test. If the blood alcohol content was found to be greater than 0.08 mg/ml, then it would be goodbye to the offender’s driver’s license.

It was that simple. However with the election of the Liberal government, it is a possibility that marijuana may be legalized in the near future. With legalization and easier access to the drug, there is the chance

FEEDBACK

“

How can police monitor driving high when there is no efficient test currently available?

of an increase in driving under the influence involving pot. Yet, how can police monitor driving high when there is no efficient test currently available?

The interesting thing about cannabis is that its main ingredient, tetrahydrocannabinol — responsible for its psychological effects — can stay in the blood and urine days after ingestion.

Unlike alcohol, which leaves the body before sobriety sets in, marijuana’s THC remains in the blood long after its effects have worn off. While taking a blood test can identify levels of active, or recently ingested THC, roadside blood tests are inefficient and time-consuming, not to

What are your thoughts on the legalization of marijuana?

Marijuana legalization should prompt a discussion on how to monitor impaired drivers mention expensive. In the time that it would take to conclude whether a driver is high, police could be missing those driving drunk. The question is should we be prioritizing one over the other?

The typical drunk driver exhibits three warning signs on the road: weaving within one lane weaving in and out of the lane and speeding. A high driver may weave within his or her lane but is less likely to display as extreme behaviour as a drunk driver. One may find reassurance in the fact that cannabis users are often aware of their impairment, and make conscious efforts to compensate for that on the road by keeping greater distances between themselves and other cars and driving more slowly. Drunk drivers, on the other hand, are often unaware of their inability to drive and do so anyway because of a false sense of confidence.

This does not make driving high less dangerous. Reaction time is affected in both cases, which can result in collisions and serious accidents. Because a stoned driver may not be displaying warning signs, the

drivers around them might not realize that they should be concerned. The legalization of marijuana could add to the invisible threats drivers face daily.

Surely, wrongly believing one is in control is worse than making the conscious effort to battle the impairment one is aware of being under when high.

The reality is that while both drunk and stoned drivers are a threat to road safety, so are distracted and tired drivers, and there are no tests to determine if someone is too overwhelmed with fatigue to be behind the wheel. The only way to prevent impaired driving is to continue advocating against it and educating the public on the risks.

Given the research available, drunk drivers tend to do much more damage than stoned

drivers, as there isn’t a clear positive correlation between traffic accidents and cannabis use, while there is a significant amount of evidence in regards to the risks of driving under the influence of alcohol. Finding a means to test for marijuana consumption would be wise nonetheless, but focusing on drunk drivers should remain the priority. @SunannaB

C/O PSYCHOLOGYTODAY.COM

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“People are adults and they make their own choices. That being said, there are complications with marijuana that need to be discussed properly.”

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Sophie Liu

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Health Sci I

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“Since it is already so popular, why not legalize it and then maybe control it the way we do alcohol and cigarettes?”

“I believe its a good call because it will improve our economy and get the drug off the street for younger children.”

18 |

GAMES

Thursday, Nov. 5, 2015 | www.thesil.ca

CROSSWORD

ACROSS 1. Thrashes 5. ‘’Diff’rent Strokes’’ character 11. Drinking-water tester (Abbr.)

14. Beware of this joint 15. Relaxed 16. Inaugural statement 17. Something fired 20. Love, Italian-style 21. Belittle 22. Cockroaches and cicadas, e.g.

25. Exude, as a poison 28. She played Rosemary 29. Muscle injury 31. Buy back 32. Maidens 34. New Testament chronicle 35. Something fired 38. Lose solidity 40. Off the beaten track 41. Knight mares?

44. Made haste 45. Where Bruce Springsteen was born 48. Small bags of scented powder 50. Common game piece 52. Drink a bit 54. Dish of potatoes or fruit, e.g.

55. Something fired

59. Five centimes, formerly 60. Seat of Pima County, Arizona 61. Of a similar nature 62. Sound of tires on the highway 63. Creates a glaze, in a way 64. 40-day period

DOWN

1. ‘’To life!’’

2. Kind of association 3. Champagne cocktail 4. Save 5. SPAR’s counterpart

6. Give-go link 7. Impart 8. Quaint roads 9. Chemistry exam topic, perhaps 10. New York lake 11. Fade away 12. D.C. dealmaker 13. Cobbler’s tool 18. Bees’ quest 19. Columbia University affiliate 23. Placement determinant, often 24. Dostoyevsky girl 26. Brandy amount, perhaps 27. The middle of summer?

30. Coral constructions 32. Cause for a 15-yard penalty 33. Takes a little off the ends 35. Alloy of gold and silver 36. Turn on the waterworks 37. ‘’Billion Year Spree’’ author Brian 38. Ed.’s pile for review 39. Socrates’ H 42. Train stations 43. Minnesota capital 45. Not similar to 46. Protect, as freshness 47. Like some fans 49. Piece of the pie 51. Type of cavity 53. Limerick language 55. Bat wood, typically 56. Note in a pot, perhaps 57. Bon ___ 58. Re-election seekers

MINI SUDOKU

Win a Pizza Pizza gift card!

Tweet us a photo or bring your answers to MUSC B110. The first ten people* to answer all correctly will win a $15 gift card!

Who is the current director of the Ancient DNA

How much prize money is given to the winner of

Centre at McMaster?

Canada Cup?

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Which team’s win ended the Marauder’s football

Which two celebrities star in the film The End of

season?

the Tour?

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* You cannot be a Silhouette staff member, member of the Board of Publications or a full-time MSU employee to enter.

www.thesil.ca | Thursday, Nov. 5, 2015

The Silhouette | 19

Lifestyle THE SKINNY Quitting social media for good

Essena O’Neil, a famous blogger on Instagram, has quit social media after posting lengthy posts detailing the artifice in her posts. The Australian teenager explained that she was paid to promote clothes and drinks. In an ttempt to get the perfect stomach-sucked-in shot, she tried over 100 times. She wrote, “We keep putting up staged photos in desperate hopes others will approve.

I have a lot to learn. I am already everything I want to be … it lives inside of me.

Not on a screen.”

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them

Harry Potter fans won’t have to wait long to return to the magical world. The first images from the prequel Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, starring Oscar winner Eddie Redmayne, have been released.

Tarantino sticking to police brutality stance

Director Quentin Tarantino defended his comments regarding police brutality following pressure from police unions to boycott The Hateful Eight. “All cops are not murderers,” Tarantino told The Times in his first public response to the controversy.

“I never said that. I never even implied that.”

Dough is the new

STEEL Daniel Arauz Features Reporter

Hamilton is no stranger to high-quality bakers. Locally-sourced ingredients, vegan options and small batch from scratch preparation has become the standard for any new small business looking to start up in the local food industry.

Yet, there is still something incredibly novel about taking these standards, adding a bit of creativity and applying it to the beloved donut. Donut Monster is one of the most creative and delicious new offerings in the city. You haven’t had a donut until you’ve tried one.

Donut Monster made its debut in July of this year, and since then has offered its expanding line of goods through a variety of local retailers. New flavours are announced every week via Instagram, often incorporating unorthodox pairings or drawing inspiration from other popular sweets. Notable favourites have included double chocolate brownie, mango cacao, blueberry basil, fig and brandy, honey mustard and rosemary, watermelon lavender, roasted plum and cranberry.

The dynamic menu and unique pairings of different ingredients are thanks to the innovative and culinary mind

of Reuban Vanderkwaak.

Vanderkwaak took inspiration from some of the many quality donut shops he encountered in his American travels, and began developing his own recipes.

Despite the donut service being his first venture into professional baking and small business, Vanderkwaak was able to make experimentation and collaboration a fundamental part of his work.

The difficulties associated with finding affordable and sufficient space brought Vanderkwaak together with the owners of Willard’s Ice Cream, Hero Coffee Roasters, Sweet & Simple Candies and Real Food Kitchens to start the Kitchen Collective.

The Kitchen Collective is a co-op, non-profit, and state of the art commercial kitchen that offers members and the public access to a significantly more affordable means to start a small business. The kitchen was funded via Kickstarter last year, and is home to a total of 34 permanent, professional members.

The extra set of taste buds naturally lends itself to some great collaboration.

Espresso Chocolate donuts made with Relay Coffee

roasts, an Oatmeal Stout donut using Brimstone Brewery’s own Midnight Mass, as well as several other ingredients from fellow Kitchen Collective members have been used to create some fantastic collaborative flavours.

“Part of what I love about Hamilton is the community aspect and the collaboration behind small businesses. It happens in other communities but it feels really strong in Hamilton,” says Vanderkwaak.

“A lot of people, they have an idea, and they wanna try it out … it’s a space to experiment.

It’s a space to really see if you can take your dream to the next level and you can do that in a safe way and not have to invest a lot of money into it.”

While Vanderkwaak and other small businesses involved in the local food industry are excited by its rapid growth, the barrier of entry and competi-

tion has also predictably grown.

“It starts to price people out of the game and that’s what the Kitchen Collective is trying to combat as well,” says Vanderkwaak. “Let’s keep an opening for people that are not necessarily millionaires or have access to a large amount of funds or have such a history in the industry that they can easily find access to those funds.

Keeping it experimental, keeping on a smaller level, keeping it fun. That’s what we’re doing.”

Donut Monster is carried

by The Canon, Pinecone Coffee Company and the Relay Coffee stand at Hamilton Farmers’ Market from Thursday to Saturday. Butcher and the Vegan, The Mustard Seed Coop and Cafe Oranje provide donuts on Saturdays. Announcements and other news can be found via Donut Monster’s social media.

For more information about the Kitchen Collective and its members, visit their website at www.kitchencollective.ca.

JON WHITE/ PHOTO EDITOR

20 |

LIFESTYLE

Thursday, Nov. 5, 2015 | www.thesil.ca

Don’t go bacon my heart Jason Woo Lifestyle Editor

REJECTED HEADLINES Et tu, Bacon?

Je suis Bacon #AllMeatsMatter I Bacon your pardon #FreeTheBacon Bacongeddon You’ve been Baconated

If bacon is bad for you, then I don’t want to live, and if the WHO is right, that won’t be a choice for me. The other day the aptly named organization (as in WHO do you think you are, destroying my world by telling me that the most delicious meat is carcinogenic?) tweeted: “Experts concluded that each 50 gram portion of processed meat eaten daily increases the risk of colorectal #cancer by 18%.”

The first thing to say is, “What part of my body exactly does colorectal cancer affect?

Can I live without it?” The second thing: people forget that there’s an 82 percent chance of not getting cancer (I don’t think that’s how statistics works, but whatever), and a 100 percent chance of having foodgasms for the duration of your life if you consume pig fat.

The fun hating “experts” from the International Agency of Research on Cancer examined over 800 “scientific studies” to determine that bacon belongs in the dreaded “group 1” of noxious substances that negatively affect human health.

Other fearsome substances in this group include asbestos, alcohol and cigarettes. I fear that one day, my child will need to use a fake ID to buy bacon with a picture of a dying baby’s lung on the package.

So what’s our alternative?

Dulse, a strain of red algae that apparently has a strong bacon flavour. These people are probably the same people who claim chickpea cookie dough tastes like the real thing (it doesn’t).

Somewhere in an American grocery store, Ron Swanson is tossing all dulse samples into the garbage. When asked about the bad news for bacon lovers,

Ron called it, “total f**king bulls**t.”

He emphasized that we should not panic, and instead procure as much bacon as humanly possible and hide it in as many locations you can.

Wise words.

Taking a step back, I quickly realized that 50g of bacon is approximately equivalent to six medium slices of bacon. If you’re eating that much bacon everyday, we have bigger problems to deal with. Also, cutting down on bacon consumption to a reasonable amount is not difficult. Instead of using two strips to wrap your scallop, use one. Get your Double Down from KFC without bacon. It’s definitely okay to eat it once you replace the carcinogenic bacon with dulse.

Remember, these “scientists” have been wrong before.

Margarine isn’t better for you than butter–and it definitely doesn’t taste the same. Egg yolks, once shunned for its cholesterol content, also turn out to not be bad for you.

Bacon, you’ve been under a lot of heat lately, but know that I will always love you.

Everything about you is perfect.

Your smell gets me out of bed everyday. The sizzle you makes when you hit a hot pan. The crunch you make when you’re bitten. The grease that coats my mouth and the warmth you spread in my body. Bacon, you make everything better. Never change (but I’d prefer it if you didn’t kill me).

An art deco collage of beloved bacon dishes.

C/O JASON WOO

Mac students get

on orders over $20 (must show Mac ID)

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NOT INTO RELIGION? GOOD! NEITHER WAS JESUS.

a church for people who aren’t into church

www.thesil.ca | Thursday, Nov. 5, 2015

The Silhouette | 21

WINTER ESSENTIALS Turtlenecks Sasha Dhesi Contributor

Boots Jennifer La Grassa Contributor

Quick, tell me one thing that all these people have in common: Audrey Hepburn, Michel Foucault, Steve Jobs, Zayn Malik and Carl Sagan. Nationality?

Nope. Ideology? Probably not. Love of turtlenecks? Check!

What is it about a turtleneck that makes it so appealing? It seems as though they’ve never really fallen out of fashion. And how did these sweaters win my heart over every other type of sweater? I remember finding a picture of my dad from his mid twenties, wearing a light blue turtleneck and tweed blazer. Maybe it’s in my genes to like them.

Turtlenecks have long been associated with new ideas and innovation.

During the 1950s they were adopted by the beatniks who challenged societal norms with their art. Likewise, in the 1980s they became associated with the late Steve Jobs and his strides in technology through his fledgling company, Apple. They’ve also been a staple in the fashion world, from Twiggy’s teenybopper editorials to Comme des Garçons’ brutal anti-fashion 1992 Fall/ Winter collection. The unisex simplicity of the style allows it to be worn and appropriated by many different crowds, arguably making it the most versatile piece one could own.

Either way, turtleneck season has arrived, and with Drake now endorsing them via a cameo in his “Hotline Bling” video, it will only be a matter of weeks before every fast fashion boutique worth anything is brimming to the seams with oversized turtlenecks emblazoned with spikes and slogans. With so many options it may seem impossible to pick, but here are my top choices for those who adore the cozy, sleek look that a turtleneck affords you.

I love my Steve Madden combat boots as much as I love life itself. It’s been two years since we found each other, and I can’t imagine what fall would be like without them. They go well with all my leggings and jeans. The only downfall to their worn leather brown exterior and cloth laces is their lack of durability and warmth during the winter months; I tend to wear them up until the first decent snowfall, and then tearfully put them away for the year.

Shifting from fall to winter boots is not only an emotional struggle, but a financial and fashion one as well. Finding a boot that looks, feels, and functions well is hard to come by when the amount of snow we get begs for snowshoes. Throughout high school I refused to wear the boots my mom suggested. I wanted boots that made me feel mature. This change of heart sacrificed both my bank account and fragile toes, forcing me to quickly realize that winter fashion came at a cost and that cost was quality.

Last winter, I was due for new boots and because school was a 15 minute walk away and the thought of my toes falling off from frost bite, I allowed my mom to help me shop for a pair of boots. Even though they made me look like a child and the fierceness created by my Steve Madden combat boots melted away a little more each time I wore them, they kept me warm and had good grip, which is all I can ask for when trekking to school in a blizzard.

For those of you searching for the shoe that will get you through winter, these high-quality boots will help you survive the winter in style. Forewarning: Winter boots are costly, but if they are of good quality and proper care has been taken, they’ll last; don’t let the prices scare you away.

SOREL WOMEN’S TIVOLI HIGH II BOOT

UNIQLO’S HEATTECH TURTLENECK T

$190

$14.90 UGG WOMEN’S ADIRONDACK PENDLETON BOOT

$325

GAP MERINO TURTLENECK SWEATER

$64.95

COUGAR MEN’S SERGE BOOT

$190 WILFRED FREE’S BIANCA DRESS

$175

22 |

LIFESTYLE

Thursday, Nov. 5, 2015 | www.thesil.ca

Flying, falling, failing Instead of planning to be successful all the time, try welcoming failure instead

Alex Kilian SHEC

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Between excitement, uncertainty and fear about the future, almost every undergraduate will experience massive moments of self-doubt, feelings of failure and fear. It happens at every level — the first years feel it as they transition into the world of post-secondary education, and the graduating students feel it as they approach the end of one chapter in their educational journeys.

Our fear of failure is paralyzing and it stops us from taking risks. We prefer to stay with things that we know we are good at, things that we understand and things that give us confidence and the opportunity for success. Our fear of failure stops us from trying new things, prevents growth and development and leads to the development of a narrow skill set. Yet, we often forget that significant success often comes from many attempts and many failures. Ultimately, by emphasizing linear and rapid professional success, society and its inhabitants have failed each other.

To this end, meritocracy, the idea that success is based on merit, is a blessing and a curse of our society. From a young age, we are told that if we are passionate enough, creative enough and determined enough, we will succeed. From this approach, it naturally follows that if you fail, you simply did not work hard enough.

The responsibility of failure is placed on the individual and as such, the idea of meritocracy, if not examined critically, can be extremely toxic in the context of personal success and failure.

Though hard work is an important factor to success, we need to acknowledge the role that context, luck and privilege play in success.

Planned happenstance, a

theory of career planning, acknowledges that in many cases, success is not linear and logical; an individual’s career path can be altered by one opportunity or one new contact. Within this framework, failure can be a positive thing. For example, failing a course can indicate that subject may not be for you, and prompt you to explore another area. Getting fired may lead to another job that brings you greater fulfillment.

On social media platforms, we are constantly bombarded with the success of others.

Accepting personal failure becomes difficult. Approaching failure as an opportunity for growth, reflection, and exploration is nearly impossible; we cannot capture it nicely in a photograph.

But really, what is success?

Upon reflection, we realize that it is challenging to define. It is a deeply personal concept that we are not often encouraged to define. As such, we may spend significant positions of our life chasing something that we do not really want. No matter what your path to your personal success, accepting failure as an integral part of it is critical.

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.

www.thesil.ca | Thursday, Nov. 5, 2015

The Silhouette | 23

WANTED: models of colour Sasha Dhesi Contributor

With cultural diversity growing in the West, our media is slowly but surely also becoming more diverse. Minorities have carved out their spots in most forms of media, whether it be music, dance or television, but there is one part of the art world where diversity has plateaued: the modelling world.

Diversity in the modelling world is abysmal: the FashionSpot, an online fashion magazine, reported that during February’s New York Fashion Week, the shows were overwhelmingly white, at 77 percent. Of the remaining 23 percent, 8.7 percent of the models were black, 8.5 percent were Asian, 3.5 percent were Latina and the remainder were composed of other ethnicities too small in percentage to list.

Even when ethnic minorities are included, they tend to be gimmicks, something to lure consumers in by their momentary diversity only to fall back into their usual homogenous white blur the next season.

More often than not, companies will throw in one non-white model and consider their job done, because apparently every ethnic group darker than “NW15” is the same. Ethnic minorities are considered a monolith that can be used at random to improve a company’s PR at the drop of a hat.

Consider H&M’s recent fall campaign, which included a woman wearing a hijab. While it is a huge achievement in our current society, I found it a little too convenient that the company decided to do this now following scandal after scandal that they endured over their incorrigible working conditions in a mostly Muslim country.

And this isn’t a trend exclusive to racial minorities. Despite being over the so-called “heroin chic” of the 1990s, the modelling world is still hesitant to use anyone who doesn’t fit this waif criterion. There has been the occasional editorial where a plus-size model will be used, but once again, it tends to be a gimmick meant to reflect well on the company over actually celebrating body diversity. For the most part, companies still manage to only use women with flat stomachs and hourglass figures. The stereotypical model is still thin, white and young.

Anything else must be explicitly stated: the trans model, the plus-size model, the model of

colour.

You may ask, why any of this is important? Does it really matter? And my answer is yes, it does. Modelling is a big part of how we establish beauty standards, and by continually using a very specific mould, companies insinuate that there is only one “look” that is noteworthy.

Even when fashion houses decide to use a minority en masse for a campaign, it tends to be in an insultingly obsessive way, like the way the fashion world is currently uncomfortably obsessed with the genitals of trans models. Although helpful in representation, the obsession does not equal celebration.

This isn’t to say that there isn’t variance in the modelling world: after all, some of the most popular supermodels have been women of colour. But they are exceptions to the rule, who often had the good luck of being in contact with the few progressive designers that are willing to hire them, which was the case for model Naomi Campbell, who credits her career to Yves St. Laurent’s willingness to use black models during the 1960s and 1970s.

Lucky for us, things are slowly changing. Although mainstream designers like Chanel and Dior stick to their blur of lily white waifs, up-and-comers like French brand Koché are making waves through their mix of high couture and sportswear, and use a mix of minorities in their shows to reflect the diversity of Paris’ underground scene, away from the Disney illusion that North Americans have come to know. And who could forget Kanye West’s Yeezy x Adidas collection, or his more recent surprise Yeezy 2 collection, both of which included an array of minorities in nude bodysuits? The rules of modelling are slowly being challenged, arguably not fast enough, but challenged just the same.

Models like Neelam Gill, Fei Fei Sun and Joan Smalls, to name a few, are examples of the elegance that is left untapped by our society because some are uncomfortable changing their notions of beauty. But to do so, minorities have to be used in shows and campaigns in a genuine manner, and not as tokens so the brand can improve its street cred, something very doable. A celebration of the beauty should be inclusive of all beauty, not just one. Once established, the fashion world can grow and change like the rest of the

The fashion industry has been whitewashed for too long

Too often, women of colour and plus-size women aren’t to be found on the runway because of discriminatory casting practices.

C/O STYLEITE.COM

McMaster Smiling Over Sickness presents

SHAVE FOR A CURE Monday, November 16th, 10 AM - 2 PM MUSC Atrium We are looking for brave shavees who are willing to shave their heads and help raise funds and awareness for pediatric cancer!

Watch your hair disappear before your very eyes!

All proceeds go towards Camp Trillium.

Minimum donation of $50 is required.

Interested in becoming a shavee or helping out with the event?

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www.thesil.ca | Thursday, Nov. 5, 2015

The Silhouette | 25

Sports The winning formula

LEAGUE AT LARGE

Trust, team confidence, hard work and talent has given Women’s Rugby

Men’s Basketball

another shot at CIS gold

CIS Top Ten 6. WESTERN 7. SASKATCHEWAN 8. McMASTER 9. CALGARY 10. UBC

1. OTTAWA 2. CARLETON 3. McGILL 4. BROCK 5. RYERSON

Women’s Basketball CIS Top Ten 1. McMASTER 2. SASKATCHEWAN 3. McGILL 4. RYERSON 5. SAINT MARYS

6. BROCK 7. REGINA 8. LAVAL 9. WINDSOR 10. ALBERTA

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

6. UBC 7. LAVAL 8. SASKATCHEWAN 9. TRINITY WESTERN 10. RYERSON

Women’s Volleyball CIS Top Ten

C/O KAREN STEPIEN

Sofia Mohamed Sports Editor

For McMaster Women’s Rugby, the last two years have been a dream. A dream that has become a reality for a program still getting used to championship status. The program has back-to-back OUA banners under the leadership of a head coach in only his second year with the program.

Having already made a name for themselves in the world of Canadian university women’s rugby, it is not surprising that the Marauders have often held a comfortable lead against the majority of their opponents this season.

Winning a game is one thing, but dominating teams by more than 60 points is another, and is a very telling sign of the quality and skill of this program.

It is no doubt that the national recognition of the program has gained a bigger following of fans and rugby faithfuls. Many might not be

too familiar with the program years before the championships.

Playing on the team for five years, fullback Rina Charalampis has seen the program develop in calibre and confidence.

“I saw the program change a lot. I think that we pride ourselves on being a program that is not well known. Trusting in our system is critical and we are always trying to go over our mindset. We set a goal on offense and defense. When we reach that goal, we are able to move forward,” said Charalampis.

Ending the regular season with four wins and one loss, the team’s most competitive and emotional game took place in front of a large crowd at Varsity Field when the Marauders took on the Guelph Gryphons for a game deciding the home of the OUA banner and another shot at a national championship. For some players on the team, it was their first time playing an OUA championship game. For others, this OUA championship game would be the last of their athletic career at McMaster.

Defending a title can be difficult and nerve-wracking, but the team took that pressure, turned it into a positive and used it to their advantage.

After an intense competition, McMaster was named the OUA champion for the second year in a row with a final score of 21-13.

The celebration after the final whistle was blown was one of humility and real emotion.

“In our game against Guelph, we were down at one point but we were only down in the sense of the score and not ourselves,” said Charalampis.

The Marauders made an appearance at last year’s CIS Championship and finished second. The team has been preparing for another chance at national victory for a year.

Every practice, regular season win and emotion-filled game will boil down to this weekend in Kingston for the 2015 CIS Women’s Rugby Championship.

“We were definitely hungry.

After last season ended on Sunday in Guelph, we were already hungry to start for next year.

“

Trusting in our system is critical and we are always trying to go over our mindset.

Rina Charalampis Fullback, McMaster Women’s Rugby

1. ALBERTA 2. TRINITY WESTERN 3. UBC 4. McGILL 5. MONTREAL

6. TORONTO 7. UBC 8. SHERBROOKE 9. DALHOUSIE T10. McMASTER T10. CALGARY

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

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

Women’s Cross Country CIS Top Ten 1. GUEPLH 2. TRINITY WESTERN 3. QUEEN’S 4. McMASTER T5. TORONTO

T5. VICTORIA 7. LAVAL 8. DALHOUSIE. 9. LAURENTIAN 10. CALGARY

Men’s Soccer CIS Top Ten

We had a few weeks off and went right into training. Our mindset was we wanted to be back in the exact same position playing in that CIS final. That is exactly what we wanted and nothing was going to stop us.” @itssofiaAM

1. UBC 2. YORK 3. UQAM 4. RYERSON 5. CAPE BRETON

6. TORONTO 7. NEW BRUNSWICK 8. MONTREAL 9. VICTORIA 10. McMASTER

26 |

SPORTS

Thursday, Nov. 5, 2015 | www.thesil.ca

McMaster Volleyball adding layers From digging to setting to attacking, McMaster’s progressive improvement is leading to better on-court execution

Jaycee Cruz Sports Reporter

Layering is something you do to add on to a pre-existing foundation. By its very nature, the term deals with building off of something. In volleyball it could be synonymous with improvement. Volleyball is a sport where everything is determined by the previous contact. How you handle the first contact affects the second contact, which in turn, affects the third contact.

Last weekend, McMaster Men’s Volleyball won two matches at home in straight sets. On Oct. 30 they beat Nipissing 25-8, 25-16, 25-20.

Halloween evening saw them treat fans to 25-15, 25-22, and 25-17 set wins over York. These two victories pushed McMaster’s overall record to 4-0.

McMaster added layers to their on-court execution from their season-opening wins to get these recent victories. They improved on their passing percentages and their defensive speed (i.e. their responses to opponents’ attack attempts).

Prior to these games, Head Coach Dave Preston wanted his team to work on balancing their scoring and their defensive speed. Those are the two layers he wanted to add.

His team did just that.

McMaster Men’s Volleyball coaching staff has “performance standards” where they rank each skill (such as passing or serving) on a zero to four scale, where a score of four is perfect by their performance standards.

“We passed a three out of a four on our performance standards scale. It was perfect,” said Preston. “Our passing has continued to stabilize itself and now we can start to build off of

that. It’s all fundamental and progressive.”

The increase in passing speed is an improvement in their defensive speed and also helps their offense.

“If your setter is playing well, then your offense is going to run better, but you have to put the ball in your setter’s hands with some regularity. So our passing needs to be there first and then your setting and then you need to make efficient attacks out of that,” said Preston.

“It’s all linked. Our first contact was really good this weekend so that set up our attacks well.”

Against Waterloo and RMC two weeks ago McMaster attacked at decent percentages, but improved significantly last weekend in terms of their attacks out of service receptions.

“We took our attack efficiencies from nine and 12 percent against Waterloo and RMC to 30 and 43 percent against Nipissing and York.

Our offense was much more in sync and a lot of that is due to our setter Andrew Kocur,” said Preston. “A lot of people won’t recognize that. His setting speed and setting decisions were great.

He was a better setter this week and as a result, we were a better team.”

On the defensive side of things, McMaster showed improvement as well, especially against York.

“We knew we had to control York’s middles and that requires speed. You have to be engaged right away. You can’t wait for that ball to go outside and get yourself into position late,” Preston said. “I thought our defensive engagement was really good and therefore, I thought our speed out of and into digs was pretty good.”

That’s the increase in defen-

sive speed he desired.

In his eyes, his team improved in both offensively and defensively this past week.

He hopes that this progressive layering of skills continues to translate to on-court execution and improvement.

“Our next layer is making sure our transition is proper.

We make a dig then we make a good decision out of what we have available and we set the right ball,” said Preston. “Our initial defensive speed was good and now we’re going to increase our transition speed.”

McMaster will travel to Waterloo this Friday for a rematch at 8 p.m. against a good Waterloo team that took McMaster to five sets just two weeks ago. This time around is a bit different because Waterloo’s gym is known for its offset setup that affects depth perception on the court. Waterloo is one of the toughest gyms to play in.

“They know us really well.

We know them really well.

We’re in for a tough one and they’re coming off of a loss so they’re going to be angry and hungry,” Preston said. “They’ve probably had this match marked on their calendar for a couple months. We know what we’re walking into but we’re also going to be very prepared for it.”

If the Marauders can add another layer to their already improving on-court performance, a victory on the road at a tough venue shouldn’t be out of reach.

“It’s November. It’s still relatively early in our season. We’re four matches into a 20-match season,” said Preston. “We’ll be okay, but we’ve been getting better every week and that’s what we want.” @_jayceecruz

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SPORTS | 27

www.thesil.ca | Thursday, Nov. 5, 2015

Golden Hawks soar past Marauders

Laurier’s 329 rushing yards prove too much for McMaster’s defense as the Marauders football season comes to an end

C/O DANIEL HIGGINS

Jaycee Cruz Sports Reporter

There will be a new Yates Cup champion this year.

“Birds flying high” are the lyrics the McMaster Marauders run onto the field to, but on Saturday those words rung truer for the Laurier Golden Hawks.

Both schools have flight as the common theme of their mascots, but the story of this game was all action on the ground.

Led by the 259 rushing yards from Laurier running back Dillon Campbell, the No. 6 Laurier Golden Hawks upset the No. 3 McMaster Marauders 29-15 to advance to the OUA semifinals. Laurier simply stole the show from McMaster in their OUA Football Quarterfinal game at Ron Joyce Stadium on Saturday, Oct. 31.

There is no other way to put it.

Far from an aerial assault team, McMaster Offensive Coordinator Jon Behie thinks Laurier did enough through the

air with a couple explosive plays to keep the McMaster defense honest.

“They’re not a team that will call 80 percent pass plays and get 500 yards on you, but they’re dangerous,” Behie said.

On the very first play of the game second-year Golden Hawks quarterback Eric Morelli threw a deep ball to wide receiver Carson Ouellette for a 46-yard gain. That was the beginning of a five-play, 70-yard touchdown drive. On their third drive Laurier pulled out the trickery and continued to attack the McMaster secondary with a Wide Receiver Reverse Pass that saw wide receiver Daniel Bennett hit fellow wide receiver Zeph Fraser for a 49-yard gain.

In the second quarter a Golden Hawks five-play, 98-yard touchdown drive was jumpstarted by a Morelli pass to Bennett for a 56-yard completion.

“I think they had some shots dialed up. They had a gameplan for stuff they saw on film and wanted to exploit”, said Behie. “They didn’t have to pass a lot on Saturday but they dialed up some shots and they

worked. Give them full credit for executing.”

Although those few plays were Laurier’s demonstration of explosiveness through the air, the slow and steady pounding on the ground throughout the entire game eventually became too much for McMaster. On the ground, Laurier more than established their rushing attack amassing 327 total rushing yards on 44 carries. This was allowed by a McMaster defense that was first in the OUA in rushing yards allowed conceding 122.8 yards/game on the ground to opponents.

“Dillon Campbell is one of the best backs in OUA history.

He was the OUA MVP last year and giving the ball to him 40 times is smart on their behalf.

Their offensive line played a great game and we just weren’t able to do anything about it,” Behie said.

McMaster’s usually potent pass offense was muzzled in a way on Saturday. Despite completing 20 passes on 31 attempts for 320 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions, McMaster quarterback Asher Hastings was

sacked four times and flushed out of the pocket several times.

His rhythm was disrupted

by Laurier’s defensive front.

Prior to this game, Hastings was sacked 10 times in eight games. The Golden Hawks defense almost racked up half of that. It was uncharacteristic for a Marauders offensive line that has been great at protecting their record-breaking signal caller all year.

“Our strength of our offense this year has been keeping our quarterback clean and giving him a clean pocket to set his feet and find our receivers and that wasn’t necessarily the case on Saturday,” said Behie. “Full credit to Laurier’s front four.

They played outstanding.”

McMaster can only look back on this tough loss and learn from it. Spring training camp will come soon enough but the Marauders’ football season was definitely cut abruptly short.

“I think anyone in our organization would say that we underachieved. We thought we were capable of a lot more.

We’re extremely disappointed

and we think we’re better than that. Our fans, student body, and campus deserves better than that. I think we have to remain motivated to work harder in the offseason to make sure this doesn’t happen again,” said Behie.

Next for McMaster football are season evaluations and recruiting. Nothing specific can be said about next year now as it’s way too early and the loss is still fresh, but the outlook remains positive.

“Our coaches will attend clinics and staff meetings to evaluate and figure out our next steps and we’ll continue to evolve and improve. Now our main focus is on recruiting and getting the best possible class for 2016,” Behie said.

McMaster finished 6-3 overall this season.

@_jayceecruz

28 |

SPORTS

Thursday, Nov. 5, 2015 | www.thesil.ca

Cross Country brings home bronze No. 4 McMaster cross country looks ahead to the CIS Championships after attaining bronze medals at the OUA Championships Sofia Mohamed Sports Editor

For the first time in McMaster cross country history, both the men’s and women’s teams found a place on the podium together.

With the team points and finish times noted, both teams ranked third overall and received bronze medals at the OUA Championships in Waterloo.

The men’s team repeated as OUA bronze medalists while the women’s position on the podium was more of an upset.

Team captain Maddy McDonald led the way by finishing 16th overall and crossing the line first for the team. Emily Nowak finished two places behind McDonald. The third place runner for McMaster was Gabrielle Foran, with the fourth and fifth places going to Chelsea Mackinnon and Maddie Benjamin. The last two runners were Lauren Locco and Soren Meeuwisse, finishing 32nd and

43rd respectively. McMaster’s team total was 103 points.

The Women’s Cross Country program, currently ranked fourth in the nation continues to make great strides in solidifying their spot amongst cross country powerhouses. Team captain Maddy McDonald feels that the bronze place was one that showed great improvement for the team.

“Earlier in the season, we did not make the Top Ten ranking. We felt that we had more to prove. Our training and our fitness was going well.

Everything worked well in the day and it was really exciting for us,” said McDonald.

With a sport like cross country, individual finish times are just as important as the team’s. Team points are concluded from the addition of individual times so it is clear that every second counts.

For the team to improve on individual and team bests, training is crucial for the

“

success of the team. The team trains outside five to six times a week and workouts take place three times a week.

“Going into the CIS Championships, our ranking this week is a huge motivation for us and it is attainable,” said McDonald.

Both teams have a week away from competition to train and direct their efforts to the CIS Championships, hosted by the Guelph Gryphons on Nov. 14.

“Before going into a race, we remind ourselves of the work that has been put in and all of the hours of running and strength has been done. It is about being proud of our effort no matter the outcome,” said McDonald.

The men’s and women’s teams will look to bring it all together and bring some more hardware back to McMaster.

3RD

Before going into a race, we remind ourselves of the work that has been put in and all of the hours of running and strength and conditioning.

3RD

Maddy McDonald McMaster Cross Country

@itssofiaAM

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The Silhouette | 29

andy Review: The End of The Tour ANDY takes a look at a film cataloguing an intense interview with the American writer David Foster Wallace

The Verdict Lipsky and Wallace reach a boiling point in The End of The Tour.

C/O ROLLING STONE

Vannessa Barnier Andy Reporter

When I first heard that a movie called The End of The Tour was in the works about American author, David Foster Wallace, I was very cynical. When I found out that Jason Segel was being cast as the recently deceased literary genius, my worries were not alleviated. With Segel being paired with Jesse Eisenberg as David Lipsky, I was bracing myself for disaster considering the dissonance of their personalities.

The tour referenced in the title refers to how the film tells the story of the five-day interview Lipsky did with Wallace for Rolling Stone at the peak of Wallace’s career, following the publication of his novel, Infinite Jest. The interview between the two strangers morphs into a sort of lengthy first date, where the

two discuss the ups and downs of life, and attempt to find truth in each other and themselves.

Lipsky turned this interview into a memoir in 2010, after it wasn’t featured in Rolling Stone in 2006 as intended. The memoir in turn inspired the making of The End of the Tour.

After avoiding it for some time, I finally gave into my curiosity and watched the movie. Running one hour and 46 minutes, the movie was long, but it rewarded those who stuck with it until the end with a hefty dose of inspiration and much to ponder. The movie echoes what Lipsky did in his own book, Although Of Course You End Up Becoming Yourself, in its heavy reliance on using Wallace’s own quotes, rather than trying to speak for him.

There is, of course, the other aspect of speaking on his behalf, with the film crew being left to devise their own interpretation

of Wallace’s actions, behaviours, speech patterns, but they do so with care. There was nothing outlandish about Segel’s portrayal of Wallace, and that has to be respected.

There was one part, however, that was a little off-putting.

About three-fourths of the way through, conversation between the two men felt rushed — it seemed as though they were trying to jam in as many quotes as they could before their time ran out. The shift starts just after a tense moment of jealousy between the two men over a woman. This inspires a heated conversation in Wallace’s living room, and continues into the night, when Wallace enters Lipsky’s bedroom to ask if he’s awake. Given that Lipsky is, and he says so, Wallace stands in the doorway and spouts lines about depression and an over-analysis of the self. It seemed like they needed to invent more ways and

places for the two to converse, and this is just an attempt at a new, creative setting. The slate is wiped clean between the two in the morning after Lipsky tearfully writes down notes from what Wallace had said that night.

The movie largely focuses on the secondary character, Lipsky, almost making him the main character. Eisenberg is essentially used as a vehicle to express Wallace’s ideas, to be a prompt.

The focus on Lipsky is also an attempt to talk about what it’s like to meet and talk with someone you admire, a mentor of sorts. Lipsky expresses his own feelings of inadequacy and adoration for Wallace, through both saying it and directing a prolonged, mesmerized look at him. This tactic makes the movie more palpable and accessible to an audience, where you can find some of yourself in the Lipsky character. The sentiments

quoted in this film are universal.

It’s a truly pleasurable experience consuming something that resonates with you, and this film fits easily into that category.

I could not rave about this film enough. Both Segel and Eisenberg deliver performances that echo two great men in a way that is poignant and memorable — I was wrong about my initial objection about their casting. I would easily recommend this movie to both fans of David Foster Wallace and strangers to his incredible written works. At the very least, The End of The Tour brings viewers into the world of a brilliant writer where they can find the little sparks of life that still keep Wallace alive in his interviews, short stories, and critically acclaimed novels. @vjbarnier

30 |

FEATURE

Thursday, Nov. 5, 2015 | www.thesil.ca

Canada

CUP

Attracting some of the best in the fighting game community, Canada Cup proved that e-sports is best experienced together with the fans that drive the scene

Daniel Arauz Features Reporter

This past weekend, I spent time with some of the world’s most talented, intelligent and fierce fighters at Canada Cup. Hajime “Tokido” Taniguchi, Daryl “SnakeEyez” Lewis and Bruce “GamerBee” Hsiang duked it out for a $15,000 pot bonus. Fierce punches, swift roundhouses and fireballs were perfectly executed until one competitor was left standing. It was an unforgettable show for the 600 attendees at the Sheraton Toronto Airport Hotel and Conference Center.

Canada Cup 2015 has become the largest Canadian fighting video game tournament in history. This weekend was a spectacle for competitors and fans alike, but for a small Hamiltonian group of gamers, Canada Cup saw the birth of a local champion, and solidified the importance of the gaming community as an outlet for individual passion.

Street Fighter and the Capcom Pro Tour Street Fighter is the 28-yearold series that took arcades by storm, and created the foundation for one of the first genres

in competitive gaming. The franchise has been the game of choice for the majority of the fighting game community’s history, largely because of how it has stayed relatively true to the fundamentals that hooked so many young arcade enthusiasts back in the day.

Despite the relatively small size of the community built around these games, the competitive scene is experiencing a period of phenomenal growth. The Capcom Pro Tour, a Japanese video game company, and Sony, have greatly contributed to this growth.

The total prize bonuses to win in Ultra Street Fighter IV total $500,000 throughout the year.

A large number of tournaments throughout the year provide opportunities for players, amateur and professional alike to accumulate ranking points and automatic qualification opportunities.

Canada Cup was the final North American premiere event before the final 32 players were to be fully qualified to enter the Pro Tour Finals in December. It comes as no surprise then that both professionally sponsored and independent players flew from over ten different countries to try and compete for the automatic qualification spot and prize money.

The international FGC By some unexpected series of events, I somehow find myself in the infamous “Salty Suite.”

A post-tournament hotel room hosts a party with the who’s who of the fighting game community. These rooms are regularly hosted and streamed on Twitch TV, and feature highstakes money matches between high-profile players. The big names of the international fighting game community were all partying in the same room, and I was there, completely star struck.

I took pictures, had actual conversations with the same people that I loved supporting and watching from home, many of whom can be considered legends within the community.

They were all extremely approachable and relaxed despite the crowd of locals that found their way in the room despite a long day of tournament matches.

This was the personal equivalent of partying with some famous Hollywood celebrities after sneaking into an exclusive Hollywood nightclub, with the addition of a not-soPG live stream, Chun-Li cosplay and an abrupt police shutdown due to the room being over

capacity.

The next morning revealed some of the more “exciting” antics that occurred that evening, but nonetheless transitioned into top eight action in the hotel ballroom. The final match that day, between two Japanese arcade legends, Tokido and Fuudo provided a thrilling, and fitting close to the end of the day, but the fun I had with fellow players, both international and local, will remain with me the longest.

Hamilton’s journey The local fighting game community has been cultivated in the weekly Super Steel City Fight Nights (SSCFN), hosted by Super 1UP Games and tournament organizer Vince “RXS” Hui. The series of tournaments has run for over three years, and has built up a group of friends just as much as it has built up a safe, competitive environment. The Hamilton fighting game community traveled to Canada Cup as a unit, under the SSCFN moniker.

The level of dedication that players and other professionals have for a very specific genre of video games can be difficult to understand. Countless debates about whether or not “e-sports” count as “real” sports indicate

that there are enough people who do not understand. Competitive gaming, particularly in the case of fighting games, is simply breaking down mechanics, and the carefully crafted rules laid out by game developers, who are now very conscious of the potential competitive communities that can be built around their games.

Street Fighter, Guilty Gear, Under Night In-Birth, Mortal Kombat X and Smash Bros. all share the fundamental concepts of controlling space with punches, kicks and fireballs of various ranges and speeds. The one-onone nature of these games also stresses anticipation and predicting your opponent’s next move.

What makes these games suitable for competition is one thing, but more importantly, committing to a single game is just plain fun. Critically thinking and practicing these games is just a satisfying and enjoyable way to approach them.

Some are more driven by the way in which testing, trial and error and the general search for understanding and knowledge within a game can translate directly to results. Others are motivated by self-improvement. When wins and losses are attributed to your ability to make critical decisions, and the dexterity and awareness need-

FEATURE | 31

www.thesil.ca | Thursday, Nov. 5, 2015

ed to execute those decisions, victory comes with a real sense of accomplishment.

A victory for Hamilton These are the elements that attracted local players such as Van Nguyen to take part in competitive Street Fighter IV. Nguyen traveled along with over thirty local players, representing the city of Hamilton, and more specifically, the local independent game shop that hosts this small community of competitors, 1UP Games.

Nguyen is Hamilton’s best player, but with minimal experience against international competition, there was really no telling how well he would perform this weekend. Then Nguyen beat Evil Genius’ sponsored player Kenneth “KBrad” Bradley, and ultimately finished his run in the top 32 out of about 300 players.

“I was just elated. I was having such an adrenaline rush.

Everyone came up and congratulated me, and I want to say that I didn’t feel deflated from it, cause I achieved something so great,” said Nguyen.

Despite his relatively short history with the franchise, the local player was able to level up his game relatively quickly. “In the recent year, what I think I’ve improved the most; I would do things like… a lot of introspection, a lot of watching my own replays, asking for advice, and a lot of thinking about my own game,” described Nguyen.

The level of competition is what has attracted Nguyen and many others like him to the scene, “I guess just competing in general, competing to try to win it’s something I wasn’t used to as a kid,” explained Nguyen.

A final thank you

I didn’t think I’d be affected by what professional Street Fighter commentator James Chen, aptly called “Post FGC Major Depression.” I was quickly proven wrong. After the half hour set between Tokido and Fuudo concluded, tears started welling up in the legendary commentator over the live broadcast. As people began pouring out of the ballroom, one last family picture of the Hamilton crew before they departed triggered some similar sentimentality.

A quiet ride home let me reflect on how significant and how necessary these events are, not just for the fighting game

community, but for any group of like-minded individuals who need to express their passions with others like them.

That Canada Cup was a success is undeniable.

The tournament will once gain return to Toronto next year, but attendance numbers and a plethora of exciting matches are not the only reason this event was one to remember. The feeling of community and a shared passion is really what makes these events so successful.

It’s all too easy to feel alone when you have a niche interest. Yes, the scale of the Capcom Pro Tour, and the general growth in online viewers and e-sports in general has made huge leaps in growing this niche. But even still, my excitement about our local hero’s run in Ultra Street Fighter IV will generally be met with polite disinterest. Canada Cup was a place to be loud and proud of the games that I love.

So thank you to the organizers of Canada Cup for providing a phenomenal tournament, an even greater outlet for so many people. Thank you to every single professional player who let me take pictures, and who tolerated my gushing.

Thank you to the energetic crowd of spectators during grand finals, and all the players for giving it their very best.

Hamilton can truly count itself among the lucky cities in this international community.

Super Steel City Fight Nights has shown no signs of slowing down, and it has successfully fostered a welcoming community that actively seeks to develop local players and build many friendships along the way.

Playing games online and watching Twitch streams is valuable, but it fails to incite those strong feelings of unity. Don’t keep your passion, whatever that might be, to yourself. It is something significant and real, and it demands to be shared and expressed.

@DanielArauzz

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32 |

ANDY

Thursday, Nov. 5, 2015 | www.thesil.ca

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

COMING UP IN HAMILTON

HIGHBROW

MUSIC

ABSINTHE NOV 5 > A$AP Ant NOV 7 > Glorious Sons NOV 8 > The Reason documentary THE CASBAH

NOV 8

Trudeau announces that the Liberal government will double funding for the Canadian Council of the Arts.

BBC ONE announces a TV series based on Philip Pullman’s famed His Dark Materials saga. Let’s hope it isn’t as shitty as the movie .

> Bright Light Social Hour

Fetty Wap and French Montana link up for the highly entertaining Coke Zoo.

NOV 13 > Almost Zero

Twitter kills off favorites in lieu of hearts. Now annoying dudes who believe in the friend zone will have the retort, “but she loved my tweets...”

HOMEGROWN

NOV 7 > Matt Mckinnon Band NOV 11 > Autumn Still

FILM

This week’s quick pick

Young Thug

Skrillex and Deadmau5 renew their boring EDM-bro Twitter beef. The world weeps.

Slime Season 2 Not content with putting a mixtape as enjoyable as Slime Season out just a few months ago, Young Thug has just put its sequel into our hands. Unlike his debut album, Barter 6, Slime Season 2 has no reputable singles to point to. The mixtape is devoid of usual slew of features aside from a few underground Atlanta artists as well as what we must assume is an old Rich Homie Quan collaboration (the pair had a public falling out earlier this year).

As a result of most of the rapping being done by Thugger, people who aren’t already devout fans of the zany rapper may not find it accessible, but I guess that’s the point. If you spend enough time with it, you’ll learn to immensely enjoy the sometimes nonsensical lyrics.

Fall Out Boy were announced as Grey Cup halftime show entertainment.

Was Nickelback busy?

Razorblades were found in candy in Thorold, Ontario. I was hoping my son got lucky this year. Daddy needs a shave.

Adele calls out Damon Albarn for calling her insecure in an interview.

Snoopy gets a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

LOWBROW

BRILLIANT

Currently Playing > Amy > Heart of a Dog > Stanford Prison Experiment > The Second Mother

DESPICABLE

WESTDALE THEATRE

Harper steps down from CPC leadership.

Everyone was surprised that he didn’t try to keep his talons hooked on his way out.

ANDY | 33

www.thesil.ca | Thursday, Nov. 5, 2015

Gothic horror is back Guillermo del Toro’s Crimson Peak and Paul McGuigan’s Victor Frankenstein signal a shift back to the once popular genre

Trisha Gregorio ANDY Writer

This year’s scary movie season oversees the release of two very distinctive horror films with the influences of H.P Lovecraft, Edgar Allan Poe and Stanley Kubrick all clashing together in the newly released Crimson Peak (directed by Guillermo del Toro), and the upcoming Victor Frankenstein (directed by Paul McGuigan).

Standard horror movie storylines of the past few years have transversed the spectrum of horror movie tropes. Both Del Toro and McGuigan take their films away from these archetypal horror elements to explore a category that has been distant from the spotlight in recent years: Gothic horror.

While many contemporary directors have interwoven Gothic elements into more modern storylines (a shining example of which is Kubrick’s The Shining,) the true core of the genre lies in its Romantic origins: damsels in distress, mysterious Victorian mansions, vampires and the mist-covered countryside. Romanticism was about stimulating its audience with something different, something wildly bizarre in comparison to the rig-

id Classical norms of the time.

Rather than idealize fear, as is the common misconception, the Romantic and Gothic genres instead redesigned it in such a way that it could be embraced.

Crimson Peak perfectly encapsulates this aformentioned “nitty gritty” feel. Del Toro’s film, starring Tom Hiddleston and Mia Wasikowska in the lead roles, combines all of those aforementioned elements and is rounded off with dark colour schemes and elaborate costumes to take the genre back to its roots. The same goes for the highly anticipated Victor Frankenstein, set for release late this November. Despite the fact that it’s yet another contemporary interpretations of Mary Shelley’s classic story, it’s looking like it will stay faithful to its stylistic roots and impress viewers with its visual elements.

Though Crimson Peak has come under fire for becoming more style than substance in its determination to stay loyal to its Gothic sensibilities, one thing no one can deny Del Toro does exceptionally well is put elements of traditional Gothic films back into the spotlight, and challenge the norms of today’s horror movie scene. The movie boldly asks what made

the Gothic horror film genre so distinct from the horror movies we know today, all while simultaneously responding with its own undermining twist on the classic factors distinctive of the genre.

And the answer? Sure, the Gothic genre doesn’t quite employ the same techniques we are now used to in horror. There are not quite so many jump-worthy scares or possessions. Exorcisms aren’t as likely to happen and scenes of violence and gore are few and far between. But the true horror of the genre, Del Toro reminds us, lies in a much more realistic source.

Instead of restless poltergeists and summoned demons, the Gothic genre entertains the notion of less palpable fears: death, guilt, and for most, the dangers that come with the unknown. Gothic elements stand out in a category of their own, and though Gothic horror doesn’t offer the same rush of adrenaline that movies like The Conjuring do, Del Toro and McGuigan seem keen to prove that the core of the genre is in itself a visual kind of poetry that still somehow manages to highlight fear as the most ancient and most human of emotions.

34 |

ANDY

Thursday, Nov. 5, 2015 | www.thesil.ca

Still Alice, more like still relevant

Why the 2014 movie is still valuable for its musings on Alzheimer’s disease and its debilitating effects

Julianne Moore stars as Alice, a linguistics professor diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease in Still Alice.

C/O THE TELEGRAPH

Sunanna Bhasin Opinions Columnist

Still Alice is a critically acclaimed 2014 film about a middle-aged linguistics professor, Alice (Julianne Moore), who is diagnosed with a rare form of early-onset Alzheimer’s disease.

Her life had always been about words and communication, and for it to become about remembering how to articulate basic sentences to a classroom full of students is a frightening new reality. One can only imagine how devastating it is to lose one’s language. While the symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease are widely known — extreme memory loss, disorientation, and loss of speech — Still Alice provides the perspectives of the afflicted individual as well as her family and friends and the difficult decisions both parties have to make after the diagnosis.

The movie goes a step further and recognizes the stigma that still exists in regards to neurodegenerative disorders by using brutally honest dialogue.

After getting her official diagnosis, Alice says that she wishes she had cancer. At first, this may seem a shock to the audience considering the severe nature of the sickness, but when Alice explains that cancer victims are

not looked on as social outcasts and that they receive support in multitudes, the viewer can sympathize and realize the indescribable isolation Alzheimer’s patients feel.

Having a family member with dementia myself, this film really opened my eyes as to how quick the progression of the disease is and how people beyond the patient are affected to a degree that truly tests their love in immeasurable ways.

In the film, Alice’s husband (Alec Baldwin) has to make the heart wrenching decision to leave his wife for an incredible work opportunity in a different city. On the surface, this seems like a selfish thing to do — to choose work over family is hard to understand as a viewer. Yet, the movie succeeds in keeping the audience from picking sides.

Rather than see it as a one-dimensional, straightforward situation in which the husband should obviously stay, take care of his wife, and sacrifice everything else in the process, Still Alice challenges viewers to appreciate the complexities presented by Alzheimer’s. While watching the film, one begins to wonder if it matters who the caretaker is if the one being cared for cannot recognize his or her surroundings or family

“

Having a family member with dementia myself, this film really opened my eyes as to how quick the progression of the disease is and how people beyond the patient are affected to a degree that truly tests their love in immeasurable ways.

anymore. If the breadwinner in she struggles: love. the family must leave to provide Still Alice teaches us that financial support, is he or she while not everyone is dealt the being selfish or simply doing his greatest cards, love is enough or her best to keep the sufferers to make life worth living even comfortable? Being in our own when it becomes hellish. Even bubble and having no experithroughout the movie, Alice ence taking care of someone would say how she’s had a with Alzheimer’s, it is very easy great life, full of language and to judge families that fall apart teaching, which she would when a member is afflicted. Still never trade. Being diagnosed Alice dares viewers to take on with early-onset Alzheimer’s the role of a significant other or may have been a horrific shock, a child of an Alzheimer’s patient but it didn’t change the amazing to truly see what the everyday life that she was able to live in reality is for a family dealing the years leading up to it. In with it. this way, Still Alice does not Despite the depressing, sugarcoat or romanticize the tear-jerking nature of the film, it devastating reality of Alzheiends on a hopeful and positive mer’s; rather, it reminds us all note. Yes, memories do comto live in the moment and love prise a large part of our lives. deeply because we never know Think about how many times when we could lose everything we reminisce with our loved that matters ones. However, there’s one most. thing that comes out ahead — memories or not, recognition or not. At the end of the film, Alice’s daughter (Kristen Stewart) reads her a story and asks her ailing mother what it was about. At this stage of the disease, The brain with and without alzheimers.

Alice is hardly able to speak, but she is able to C/O NATIONAL INSTITUTE ON AGING get one word out even as

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Dog people decide to speak on behalf of cat people

There are more dogs than cats. Dogs are better than cats. Dogs should speak for cats.

The innocent behind this controversy. INSET: A dog owner happily announcing his views.

MARY KROLL-SNOW Cat Person

After a recent conference for cat owners led to some claws coming out during a discussion panel, a group of dog owners have been asked to provide insight into the conflict and how it should be dealt with.

The conference, held this weekend, was an open space for cat lovers and owners to come together and ask honest questions. One of the more controversial discussion forums led to a heated debate with cat owners of various species saying offensive things to one another. At this point, a lone dog owner decided to step in and advise the cat owners on how to handle the situation.

“These cat people obviously do

not know what to do on their own,” said Buddy Velasco, a German Shepherd owner.

“Sometimes you just can’t trust cat owners to figure things out on their own. There are many more dog owners in the world, therefore we can deal with this situation for them.”

With the dominating barks of dog owners everywhere, many cat owners have found it difficult to have their voices heard. Especially with so many of them becoming asthmatic from inhaled cat hair, speaking is already a difficult enough task as it is.

“We may not have cats, we may not care about cats, we may not have lived the cat owner experience – but that doesn’t mean we don’t know everything about cats,” said Velasco.

The Speculator is a work of satire. It does not claim to be real, nor should you think it is. Please don’t harass us on social media.

“There is a huge amount of information about cats on the Internet. We trust what each and every blog has to say about that, and we make sure we look at all sides, instead of just the side of the cat owner. Official cat websites as well as sites made by lonely men in their Pennsylvania basements all share equally important and accurate opinions.”

As cat owners struggle to make their voices heard, dog owners continue to assert their apparently earned dominance.

“Dog owners know how to make our voices heard over others,” said Velasco.

“We understand the importance of a muzzle.”

“There’s a reason why cat ladies are considered crazy: history!”

Buddy Velasco BarkBox Enthusiast

INSIDE SUCCESSFUL SYNTAX A3 BEYONCE MY NAME A4 ARIANA GRANDE MACCHIATTO, SOY MILK, NO WHIP B2 KATY PERRY THE PLATYPUS B4 JAY-Z C, EASY AS 1-2-3 C2 NICKI MINAJ À TROIS D5 JENNIFER LO-PEZ DISPENSER B4 MARIAH CAREY ME HOME C2 KE$HA. SHE’S ENOUGH OF A JOKE ON HER OWN. D5

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