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GLOW’D UP How Hamilton Glowriders have kept shining over the years - Page 11 -
Thursday, Jun. 7, 2018
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NEWS: Meet Hamilton’s Ward 1 candidates // PAGE 6 ARTS & CULTURE: Jackson Square wear // PAGE 12 SPORTS: In conversation with Patrick Tatham // PAGE 15
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Thursday, June. 7, 2018 McMaster University’s Student Newspaper
EDITORIAL BOARD
LOOKING BACK
June 9, 1983
editor-in-chief | emily.orourke@thesil.ca
Emily O’Rourke
digital media specialist | dms@msu.mcmaster.ca
Aaron de Jesus
managing editor | managing@thesil.ca
Sasha Dhesi
production editor | production@thesil.ca
Hamza Furli
online editor | online@thesil.ca
Yvonne Lu sections
Cassidy Bereskin news reporter Ryan Forrest Tse news@thesil.ca news editor
features reporter
Hannah Walters Vida
features@thesil.ca opinion editor
Ruchika Gothoskar
opinion@thesil.ca
Justin Parker Jessica Carmichael sports@thesil.ca
sports editor sports reporter
arts arts
& culture editor Razan Samara & culture reporter Rya Buckley aandc@thesil.ca media
Kyle West Catherine Goce production coordinator Sukaina Imam production coordinator TBA production@thesil.ca photo editor
photo reporter
Sasha Roshan Martin Burwell online@thesil.ca
video editor
social media coordinator
COVER PHOTO Aaron de Jesus
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www.thesil.ca | Thursday, June. 7, 2018
The Silhouette
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News Looking green A look at the implications that come with marijuana legalization in Hamilton Emily O’Rourke Editor-in-Chief
One of the biggest milestones in the Canadian history of legalized weed might come into play this summer. As of right now, marijuana remains a Schedule II drug under the Controlled Drug and Substances Act. Unless otherwise regulated for production and distribution for medical purposes, it is subject to offenses under that act. Processing and selling marijuana for non-medical purposes is still illegal everywhere in Canada. The Cannabis Act, also known as Bill C-45, is an act that was introduced to Canadian Parliament in 2017. This act would legalize cannabis nationwide when combined with Bill C-46, an act to amend the criminal code. Under the Cannabis Act, should it come into force, adults who are 18 years or older would be able to legally possess up to 30 grams of legal dried cannabis or equivalent in non-dried form and share up to 30 grams of legal cannabis with other adults. This act would also allow adults to purchase dried or
fresh cannabis and oil from a provincially-licensed retailer, grow up to four cannabis plants per residents for personal use and make cannabis products, such as food and drinks, at home provided that organic solvents are not used.
“It’s our job as a municipal government to ensure that once the federal legislation takes effect, we mitigate any issues as they arise and I believe we are well prepared to do so. Jason Farr Ward 2 City Councillor
The Cannabis Act will also see strict regulation under federal, provincial and territorial governments who would share responsibility for overseeing the new system. The federal
government’s responsibilities are to include setting strict requirements for producers, setting industry-wide rules and standards, including the types of cannabis products that will be allowed for sale, the pacakge and labelling requirements, standardizing serving sizes and potency Despite the federal government’s efforts to make the July 1 target to pass the Cannabis Act, new reports say that the bill will need to be delayed to ensure that provinces and territories have the capacity to get the products in their shops. The senate will vote on the Cannabis Act on June 7. Until then, Canadian cities are awaiting the regulations to take effect. In an email, Constable Lorraine Edwards, Hamilton Police Media Relations Officer, noted that until the legislation is passed, Hamilton Police will continue to enforce current laws. “Hamilton Police is currently enforcing the laws outlined under the Controlled Drugs and Substance Act in relation to all listed drugs including marijuana,” said Const. Edwards. “Until such regulation or legislation changes, we will of
continue to enforce the laws outlined in the CDSA.” The rise in local dispensaries has seemed to significantly blurred the lines of legality in Canada over the past few months. According to the Government of Canada, dispensaries are not licensed by Health Canada under the current law, and are illegal. Within the past year, the number of marijuana dispensaries operating in Hamilton has nearly tripled despite increased bylaw enforcement efforts. There are now nearly 50 dispensaries operating in the city. Ward 2 councillor, Jason Farr, has noted that the number illegal dispensaries in this city may be affected with the enactment of the Cannabis Act. “The growing number of dispensaries may be affected by a motion I successfully moved last year,” said Farr. “[the motion] respected a radial separation between establishments. At that time, the province had not yet announced its plans to exclusively sell through an LCBO model. The coming results of the Provincial Election may bring back the possible radial separation by-law to council.” The Cannabis Act is not
set to take effect for another few months. In the meantime, cities are planning the logistics behind operating under this framework. “The reality is the federal government has decided to legalize marijuana in Canada,” said Farr. “It’s our job as a municipal government to ensure that once the federal legislation takes effect, we mitigate any issues that may arise and I believe we are well prepared to do so.” @emily_oro
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NEWS
Thursday, June. 7, 2018 | www.thesil.ca
New MSU VPs take office
Summer plans include standardizing hiring practices and developing a rep support program Cassidy Bereskin News Editor
Following their election by the Student Representative Assembly on April 7 and 8, Scott Robinson, Kristina Epifano and Stephanie Bertolo were installed as McMaster Students Union vice presidents on May 1, joining the Board of Directors with MSU president Ikram Farah. What the incoming vice presidents have in common is a high degree of experience and knowledge about the MSU, something reflected in the leaders’ confidence in the feasibility of their platforms.
Scott Robinson vice president (Finance) “I’m looking forward to focusing on the entirety of my platform. I wouldn’t have put projects on there that I didn’t think were achievable in the year,” said Robinson, vice president (Finance), who plans to modernize the MSU’s communications strategy, make additions to services such as Compass and the Underground and develop partnerships with local businesses. When it comes to TwelvEighty, Robinson seeks to advocate for a menu redesign and possibly expand seating at The Grind into the TwelvEighty event centre. He also has plans to use The Grind as an after-hours event space for clubs and increase the number of products offered. Robinson’s experiences
as associate vice president (Finance), SRA caucus leader (Commerce) and chair of the finance committee for the Student Activity Building Space, allocation committee, sponsorship and donations committee and the programming advisory committee have prepared him for the financial nuances of his role. “I am looking forward to engaging students in the Student Life Enhancement Fund, focusing heavily on the design and construction of the Student Activity Building and Fitness Expansion, and redesigning the idea submission and voting process and timelines for the Student Life Enhancement Fund to engage more students in the 100k fund,” he said. Two of Robinson’s goals for the near future include introducing “Rep Support,” a project aimed at supplying Welcome Week reps with subsidized meals, food, water and sunscreen and renovating the MSU clubs storage system to add usable storage space.
Kristina Epifano vice president (Admin) Epifano is also armed with MSU experience, having served as both a customer service representative and Internal Coordinator at Compass, leadership developer for Creating Leadership Amongst Youth and associate vice president (Services) during her undergrad at the university. “This really helped me better understand what it was like to be a manager in the students
union. I got to meet and work with a lot of the full-time staff which allowed me to come into this role feeling more comfortable, as I already had a working relationship with many people in the office,” she said. In her new role, Epifano plans to improve volunteer training and ensure that peer support services are knowledgeable about supporting intersectional identities, reform training to focus on small group rotational sessions, incorporate full-time staff in training and create a how-to guide for SRA and part-time managers to access during the term. “I created my platform in a way that was achievable but still made a difference. Rather than coming in with big new ideas, I decided it was more important to focus on strengthening the foundations and improving what we currently do,” said Epifano, who wants to standardize hiring practices over the summer by having the hiring board meet prior to reading cover letters and resumes, work to revise the campus-wide crisis protocol and work with Farah and Robinson to ensure that GO bus hours are extended during Welcome Week. “The areas of my platform that I really want to focus on this year is enhancing our peer support department and the administrative aspects of the role,” said Epifano.
Stephanie Bertolo vice president (Education) In addition to Robinson and Epifano, Bertolo, vice
president (Education), held a number of roles within the MSU, serving as associate vice president (Municipal Affairs), community engagement coordinator for the education team and as a delegate for the Ontario Undergraduate Student Alliance. “I believe my involvement in the education team and some of our services has provided me with a strong background to understand the context of a lot of the issues that will come up throughout the year,” said Bertolo. “The relationships I
What the incoming vice presidents have in common is a high degree of experience and knowledge about the MSU, something reflected in the leaders’ confidence in the feasibility of their platforms
at the municipal, provincial and federal level and improve MSU services, particularly the education department. Some platform plans include advocating for a reduction in schedule conflicts during exams, the adoption of Open Educational Resources, a No-Sick Note Policy, OHIP for international students and more funding for race-based initiatives with the President’s Advisory Committee On Building an Inclusive Community. When asked which platform points she wishes to focus on, Bertolo expressed interest in advocating for increased post-secondary affordability through base-funding for universities, pushing for safer student housing and ensuring that OSAP considers the higher costs of education for students in professional programs. During the next few months, the vice presidents will be meeting with key stakeholders, solidifying their year-plans and laying the groundwork for a productive upcoming term. @cassidybereskin
developed in these roles will allow me to continue to work well with partners on shared priorities.” With a focus on improving the accessibility of education, Bertolo aspires to make a number of additions to the university’s policies and services, spearhead new advocacy initiatives
C/O HALEY GREENE
NEWS
www.thesil.ca | Thursday, June 7, 2018
| 5
Who is Ward 1?
A review of Ward 1’s character before the municipal election ramps up Sasha Dhesi Managing Editor
In the coming months, the city of Hamilton will see another election, this time to vote in the new city council. Ward 1, the ward in which McMaster University and many of its students reside, is known for having a relatively high voter turnout; during the 2014 election, Ward 1’s voter turnout was 40.7 per cent, while Hamilton’s overall turnout sat at 34 per cent. But a lot can change in four years, and the city keeps on changing. Here’s a look at the major changes. Ward 1 stretches from Osler Drive at its western border to Queen Street to its east. It contains popular student neighbourhoods such as Westdale and Ainslie Wood in addition to well-known streets like Locke Street. Currently, Aidan Johnson is Ward 1’s city councillor after taking on the role from Brian McHattie back in 2014. The last time census data was taken for each individual ward was in 2016 and 2006, collected and presented by the city of Hamilton. Over those five years, numbers have fluctuated but the same narrative arises again; a ward full of well-educated people paying too much for rent.
2006 In 2006, Ward 1’s population was 34,409. Recently landed immigrants made up 5.7 per cent of the population, which contrasted Hamilton’s 3.3 per cent in 2006. 36.3 per cent of Ward 1 residents held some form of post-secondary education, a much higher percentage than Hamilton’s overall 18.8 per cent. The unemployment rate for Ward 1 sat at 7 per cent, slightly higher than Hamilton’s 6.5 per cent. At the time, 45.7 per cent of Ward 1 residents were renters, with 45 per cent spending over 30 per cent of their income on housing. Only 31.7 per cent of all Hamiltonians rented during 2006. At this point, McHattie had been Ward 1 councillor for three years, and would continue to hold that role until 2014.
2011 The most recent data, as reported by the city of Hamilton, paints a similar picture filled with change and uncertainty. As of 2011, Ward 1’s reported population sat at 29,764. It also appears that Ward 1 had remained a relatively popular destination for recently landed immigrants, with the proportion of recent immigrants in Ward 1 slightly higher than the proportion throughout all of Hamilton, sitting at 5.8 per cent and 2.9 per cent, respectively. Just over half of all residents have attended a post-secondary institution, with 50.9 per cent of residents holding some sort of degree. The unemployment rate for Ward 1 sat at 9.6 per cent, while Hamilton’s overall rate was 8.7 per cent. This additional education still does not guarantee housing tenure, though; 47.5 per cent of residents are tenants, and 46.6 per cent of tenants report that they spend over 30 per cent of their income on housing. Ward 1 has also has a higher proportion than renters, with Hamilton’s overall percentage sitting at 31.6 per cent, with an overall 42.8 per cent of renters spending over 30 per cent of their income on housing. By 2011, McHattie had been Ward 1 councillor for eight years.
What it means A brief survey of Ward 1 statistics points to a clear story that has been consistent for the last decade or so; Ward 1 residents are well-educated, but lack secure housing.According to the Wellesley Institute, a non-profit think tank based in Toronto, anyone spending over 30 per cent of their income on rent may be considered at risk, meaning that a significant number of Hamiltonians in Ward 1 live in precarious housing. According to research released in Nov. 2017 by Rentseeker, a real estate website, the average rent price for a two-bedroom apartment in Hamilton sits at $1,103. In comparison to other cities in the Greater Toronto Area, Hamilton is one of the cheaper options,
with cities like Burlington and Mississauga sitting at $1,366 and $1,333, respectively. To add to the overarching issue of affordable housing, research released by the Social Planning and Research Council of Hamilton in June 2018 also discovered an increase in evictions occurring in Hamilton. The SPRC argues that a lack of rental protection is the cause of such high eviction rates, pointing to Quebec City and its low eviction rates as the model for Hamilton to follow. The SPRC argues that in order to stabilize rental prices in Hamilton, policies must be enacted that allow tenants to know how much their units previously cost before signing a lease, and financial barriers such as expecting the first and last month’s rent must be taken away. The SPRC argued that Quebec City and Hamilton share enough similarities, such as similarly proportioned
growth, to qualify for comparison. As of now, only two candidates have registered to run in the Ward 1 municipal election: the incumbent Aidan Johnson and McMaster graduate Sophie Geffros. The official nomination period will not end until July 27, meaning candidates have nearly two months to make their candidacy official. While it’s unclear what these two candidates plan to advocate for, common themes have arisen through even the briefest of looks at census data, pointing to affordable housing issues, questions about unemployment or underemployment and other issues that affect students. Whether McMaster students vote depends on many factors, but as of now, precedence does not lend itself to suggesting McMaster students will vote en masse: the last McMaster Students Union election saw a voter turnout of 28 per cent. But overall, the Ward 1
election holds one of the higher voter turnouts in the city. Statistics have their limitations and can’t tell you everything about a race and candidates may decide to focus on issues other than the ones listed above. Since census data for Ward 1 is not available, it is unclear how Ward 1 fared while Johnson was city councilor, but likely will not be out before the municipal election is over. With that said, it still looks like it will be an interesting race. @SashaDhesi
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EDITORIAL
| 7
Editorial Pomp and Circumstance and wondering what’s next Now is our time to take advantage of not having an answer
Emily O’Rourke Editor-in-Chief
A few days after this issue is printed, I’ll be a McMaster alumna. I’ll have crossed the stage at the FirstOntario Centre, I’ll have shaken Patrick Deane’s hand and I’ll have a degree. This has been something that I’ve been looking forward to for four years, so why am I so anxious about it now? Prior to this past year, there had never been a time where I wasn’t looking forward to graduation. That’s not to say I haven’t had some of the best of times over the past four years. I’ve been lucky enough to be met with some incredible opportunities, meet phenomenal people and to be able to learn how to think much more critically. But a mix of the late night cram sessions, caffeine induced tear-fests in Thode and the general pressure of pursuing an undergraduate degree while working full-time often got the better of me, and I couldn’t wait to get out of here. Fast forward to fourth year, where I’ve spent the better part
of these past twelve months grappling to make sense of leaving university. I still absolutely haven’t, and am unsure when or whether it will make total sense to me. I genuinely don’t want this to be over. It’s an exciting time, most definitely, being faced with this much opportunity. As the class of 2018 is facing the inevitable fate of questioning what’s next, we’re also faced with a chance to write our own narratives and to own the experience that comes with this big step. It’s also our time to be reflective. How have the past four years changed me? Where do I want to be four years from now? Am I ready for what’s next? I don’t know the answer to any of those questions, and the fact is that at this very moment, I don’t have to. Now, more than ever, is the time to take this opportunity and run with it. It’s our time to take the jump in the deep end, not knowing where our feet will touch. It’s our time to take the long way home, to purposely get lost and to find our way back with more stories under
our belts. It’s our time to live these mega cliches and to experience life on our own. There is no universal plan and honestly, that’s the best part. The world is big and the anticipation of finding out what it has in store for us is overwhelming. But that’s the point. The endless possibilities that come with life after Mac are ours to explore. While I’m sure I’m not the only one struggling to make sense of it all, the fact is that we’re in this together. We’ve made it through these past four years with resiliency and there is no doubt in my mind that we’ll keep shining for years to come. @emily_oro
to making your own parking spaces to successfully teaching yourself almost every program on Creative Cloud to having weekends off to biking to work to weird but good coincidences to visitors who come to see me in this sad basement
to missing e-mails to being alone in the dungeon office every day to how dirty white Vans get to feeling nocturnal during the day to shattered glass to faking an engagement to realizing 2018 is half over
to Mat Savelli tho
to summer school
to family gatherings
to office mould
to pancakes at 4AM
to imposter syndrome
to the class of 2018
to no staff until September
to full bags of Goldfish, now available at UM
to being a grown up
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10 |
HUMANS
Thursday, Jun 7, 2018 | www.thesil.ca
program things that sort, but it was basically boys. That’s the way the university was at that Ken Hall stepped foot onto particular time. It’s not the way this campus in 1951. After grad- it’s not the way it should be, but uating from the Honours Gethat’s the way it was then. ography program in 1955 and following a dedicated teaching What is the biggest career, he became the only two- change on campus today? term president of the McMaster Alumni Association in twenty The thing the thing that reyears. During that time, he led ally amazes me about McMaster a program which links female is how it has changed with the graduates to first year female school’s population. Right now, students-in-residence. you get people here from all Hall is also a founding over the world who come in member of the Student Recruit- and go to the university. There ing Committee, has created an are a lot more women at the annual leadership conference university now, too. I really on campus for high school stu- think that’s going in the right dents and is a co-founder and direction. It’s just my feeling first president of the Geography of what a university should be. I mean, you’re taking your courses but a lot of the things “You’re taking that you do [at university] are your courses but exchanging information with other students. a lot of thngs When you have all these that you do [at people coming in from all over the world, it’s just a wonderful university] are opportunity to mix with them exchanging and get their feelings on things. information with It enriches your experience being here when that’s done. other students.” It’s not easy to do. I guess on campus people tend to stay in Ken Hall their little groups, but there Class of 1955 are ways of breaking through on that.
Emily O’Rourke Editor-in-Chief
Alumni Branch. Being a wearer of many hats, he will soon be adding a graduate’s cap to the collection during the upcoming Social Science convocation ceremony where Hall will be receiving an Honorary Doctorate of Law. This interview has been edited for clarity and length.
to university. If you got here, you got here on your own. My dad got me a job at the Canadian National Railway at that time, [working the] five to one shift. So, I was at the university until four o’clock and then went right down to the to the CNR to work. It was tiring, and it wasn’t exactly the way I expected it to be because it was a tiring experience. There were times when I could get time off to do certain events that were were going on around campus, but I was going to work all the time and at one o’clock at night when I’d be coming home, I’d be trying to do my homework. So, I can’t say “well, I had lots of fun playing cards”. It wasn’t part of my life at all coming in here. I got through it, but it was it was a struggle. It really was a struggle for me.
C/O Aaron De Jesus
What is one piece of advice you would give to students today?
Tell me about your time here at Mac. My parents had moved to Montreal and I said I wanted to go to Mac, and this is a depression year. It wasn’t the time where your parents are working to provide money for you to go
The one thing I want to point out to them, that I think one of the key things at university, besides all the lea-
rning you put in, is making friendships. That’s the key thing. In my experience, you can’t do very much in this world unless you have a lot of friends to help you. So, I would say that’s the thing to get the most out of in university. @emily_oro
What was McMaster like back then? Having four major buildings that were here on campus at that time was a little bit confusing, getting to classes and things of that nature. You didn’t quite know where to go when you first came in. No one instructs you and tells you “hey, this is where you’re going”. So, you’re hunting around the first couple of days to figure out where you are and what to do and so on. It was basically all boys. Not saying that there weren’t girls here. There were some some girls here in nursing facebook.com/HumansOfMcMaster
@emily_oro
C/O Aaron De Jesus
The Silhouette | 11
www.thesil.ca | Thursday, June 7, 2018
Arts & Culture An unconventional look
Hamilton’s strange style gives the city its character Razan Samara A&C Editor
After a few unexpected returns of the winter weather this season, Hamilton is finally starting to come out of hibernation. With increased foot traffic downtown and the Gore Park fountain no longer running dry, the city has been overcome with a sense of vitality. Yet there’s something different about Hamilton beyond new additions to City Hall and the flourishing gardens. I would say that much of what makes the city what it is, what defines its character and uniqueness, can be found in its people. And sometimes more specifically on its people. I sat on a bench overlooking King Street West with a friend trying to define what the city’s style is. He was born and raised in Hamilton, wears mismatched socks and isn’t shy of the few wears and stains on his denim shorts. On the other hand, I was raised in Mississauga where I have not so fond memories of feeling the social pressure to always dress my best, especially if it was for a trip to the mall. This is in stark contrast to what I often see at Jackson Square, where people unapologetically dress in any way they want. There is diversity in people’s style, but there’s an underlying attitude that seems consistent across the board. Pardon me when I say this, but a lot of people simply don’t give a shit.
I was walking along James Street North when a guy in head to toe blue and orange flannel caught my eye. I got to know him as Sean Gratton, a filmmaker, actor and musician, who was strolling around that day in his ‘I don’t give a shit about society outfit’. To gather more evidence to support the notion that Hamilton indeed doesn’t give a shit, I spoke with Becky Katz, artist, musician and Director of Outreach at Center 3, who also happens to manage the Square Wear (@square_where) Instagram account. Square Wear chronicles the unique fashions of Jackson Square and surrounding areas. It surfaced in 2016, years after Katz and her friend, Victoria, came up with the idea late one night while in university. Katz has captured quite a few people that give Hamilton character. She often photographs a lady named Margaret, often recognizing her from her colourful attire and shopping cart decorated in ribbons and sunflowers. She met Alyshia and Ricki last spring as they carried their two pet birds and a guinea pig for a stroll to the Bayfront. Eye-catching fur coats, outfits that push the limits of patterns and layering, eccentric pieces and repurposed pajamas often make up the Jackson Square fashion scene. Katz paid homage to Hamilton’s attitude in Sweat Pant City, a screen printed series in collaboration with Matt McInnes that was included in the 2013 Waysgoose anthology. “Hamilton’s [style] is
RAZAN SAMARA / A&C EDITOR
wearing whatever the hell you want…there are certainly a lot of people who do try to be cool, but at Jackson Square you do see a lot of people who couldn’t care less. I love that so much, especially when their fashion sense shines through that and it’s just inherent in them,” explained Katz. Kiera Boult is a regular on Square Wear, she pays no mind to the practicality or occasion, always dressing in what makes her feel like the boss she is. “I dress like a crow built a nest. The shinier the better… If it is embellished and heavy with sequence or jewels I’m going to buy it, even if it doesn’t fit me,” explained Boult. Her current favourite item is a seafoam green vinyl miniskirt, but that piece is almost retired. According to Boult, everything has its moment and if you want to look your best you can’t wear outfits competitively ever again. Boult describes Hamilton as dressing like its 1987, a year notable for Black Monday, when stock markets around the world crashed and it was around the same time Hamilton settled into a recession as Dofasco and Stelco cut thousands of jobs. “There’s a post-industrial feel [to the way people dress], it’s kind of gritty, vintage, second-hand, and worn,” explained Boult. Boult has a point, but despite the city’s strange style, it’s deeply endearing. There are no rules or fashion faux pas to fear because there are no shits given in this city. @theSilhouette
C/O Becky Katz
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A&C
Thursday, June 7, 2018 | www.thesil.ca
Glow’d Up
How Hamilton Glowriders have kept shining for the past seven years. Emily O’Rourke Features Reporter
You may have noticed the parade of glowing cyclists around Hamilton during the summer months and wondered what exactly was going on. Glowriders is a friendly, group bicycle ride around Hamilton that sees both bikes and riders decked out in glowing lights. Originally launched in 2012 by Tyler Roach and a group of friends, these monthly rides are open to anyone of any cycling ability. The project began as a relaxed cycling event to promote good cycling in the city and to show the public that cycling can be fun. Since then, the project has grown to nearly 120 participants each ride, fostering a sense of community for cyclists and building a harmonious relationship between cyclists, drivers and pedestrians. Roach is expecting this season to have the biggest turnout yet. “We started with about a
dozen people and every year we’ve kinda doubled in size,” said Roach. “This year we’re expecting two to three hundred people at every ride. Now we have music, people with huge sound systems, families, tandem bikes, unicycles and the whole spectrum of cyclists and those who want to participate.” Every month, glowing cyclists gather in Durand Park until it gets dark. Once the sun sets, the group makes their way on an extensive bike tour through the city’s best cycling
“We kind of let it grow organically and slow to start, and eventually we kind of realized that this is manageable, we can do this.” Tyler Roach Glowriders Founder
spots, including Victoria Park, Locke Street, the Princess Point trail and James Street North. The ride ends at Augusta Street for a celebratory refreshment. As the rides began growing in size, Roach became weary of the logistics behind organizing a hundred-person bike ride. However, citing Toronto’s annual Bike Rave, which sees nearly 700 participants every year, and mentioning that interactions with Hamilton Police have been positive, Roach and his team have been able to keep shining for nearly seven years. “I was hesitant to let it get this big because I was worried about how we were going to manage having hundreds of cyclists on the street,” said Roach. “We kind of let it grow organically and slow to start, and eventually we kind of realized that this is manageable, we can do this.” Roach and the Glowriders team launched the 2018 season on May 26, and are expecting to keep growing over the next few rides. As for what’s next, Roach
C/O Aaron De Jesus//Digital Media Specialist
is hoping to continue passing along good cycling vibes, in addition to building this glowing community. “It’s really hard to say what’s going to happen with how it’s growing,” said Roach. “If we’re going to get to the point where we have too many people, it might get challenging being on city streets but I’d like
to let it keep growing and keep fostering a community.” The next Glowride takes place on June 23, following a monthly schedule until their final ride on September 22. @emily_oro
C/O Aaron De Jesus//Digital Media Specialist
A&C
www.thesil.ca | Thursday, June 7, 2018
| 13
Emily O’Rourke Features Reporter
Left: @dineandfash. Right: @lovenicolerae
What’s the deal with influencers? How Instagram influencers have changed the traditional ad narrative
Emily O’Rourke Editor-in-Chief
Advertising is evolving. The ongoing trend of user-generated content on social media websites means that brands should be reflecting on the best possible ways to reach their target audiences. That’s where influencer marketing comes in. Instagram sees nearly 800 million monthly users. The accessibility and visual nature of the app serves as a unique opportunity for brands to market their product to almost anyone. In fact, nearly 75 per cent of users will take action after seeing a sponsored post. Influencers often have niche followings in various different markets. These individuals ultimately bridge the gap between a brand and consumers, and have the power to affect their audience’s purchasing decisions due to their knowledge, position or relationship with their audiences. Nicole Rodger of lovenicolerae, a Hamilton-based beauty, fashion and lifestyle blogger and McMaster graduate has worked with various companies to share their message through Instagram. To her, being an influencer means being in a position to have her voice heard. “Being an influencer is more than being ‘a person that
gets free stuff ’,” said Rodger. “In the marketing world, it is a real life person that can give opinions on an item that can possibly making someone else want to buy it or participate in something.
The accessibility and visual nature of Instagram serves as a unique opportunity for brands to market their product to almost anyone. Nearly 75 per cent of users will take action acter seeing a sponsored post. Rodger has worked with a wide range of companies, from Kiehls, Aerie and Burlington’s Sound of Music Festival. When it comes down to deciding who to work with, Rodger makes sure that the company is one that aligns with her own beliefs. “I have really put a lot more into my decisions on partnering up with brands this year, said
Rodger. “If it’s something that aligns with my lifestyle, then I will likely move forward with a campaign. If it is something that is out of my realm of comfort, I likely will pass up on the offer, hoping it goes to someone more fitting for the role.” For most influencers, developing a personal brand starts initially as a hobby. In a report from influencer marketing platform, Mavrck, sharing a passion, creative expression, inspiring and connecting with others are the main topics that inspire influencers to create content. Krystle Ng-A-Mann of dineandfash, a Toronto-based food, fashion and travel blogger started blogging as an offshoot of what she enjoyed doing already. She was eventually able to turn this into a full time career. “I was a lawyer for nine years before I quit my job and started to do this full time,” said Ng-A-Mann.” This was really like my creative outlet but it started getting a lot more serious and I got more traction. When I first started, I didn’t necessarily know that whether I wanted to take it full time, but it grew a lot faster than I expected it to. So, it really got to a point where it became viable for me to be able to do this as a full time career.” The trend of influenc-
90 per cent of professionals consider influencer marketing to be effective when it comes tobrand awareness, while 73 per cent say that influencer help to build customer loyalty er marketing seems to keep growing. Over 50 per cent of influencers started producing content for brands within the past two years, while a third started this past year. Further, 90 per cent of professionals consider influencer marketing to be effective when we speak about brand awareness, while 73 per cent say that influencers help to build customer loyalty. “[Instagram marketing] is a really an area that grew in a short period of time over the last few years,” said Ng-A-Mann. “It’s really a privilege to be able to make money from it and to be able to sustain yourself and pay your mortgage and have fun it while setting your own schedule and really doing what you love.” @emily_oro
www.thesil.ca | Thursday, Jun 7, 2018
The Silhouette
Opinion Why you should give a S*%& Voter turn out during recent provincial elections has been historically low Emily O’Rourke Editor-in-Chief
This article will hit newsstands on the same day as Ontario’s 42nd general election. I’ll be making my way to the polls, but a large number of Ontarians, specifically younger adults, won’t be. Ontario’s election turnouts are among the lowest in the country. A dismal 51 per cent of Ontarians showed up to the 2014 Ontario vote, not terribly far off from a frankly embarrassing 43 per cent who cast their ballot in the 2011 election. To make matters worse, only 34 per cent of young people, aged 18 to 24, said they bothered to vote in the 2014 election. While new reports have found that millennials are becoming more mindful of their democratic right, only about 43 per cent of young Ontarians said they were “extremely likely” to vote in the 2018 provincial election.
Ontario’s election turnouts are amongst the lowest in the country. A dismal 51 per cent of Ontarians showed up to the 2014 Ontario vote, and only 48 per cent cast their ballot in 2011. This will the first provincial election in which more millennials will be eligible to vote than baby boomers. That means young people have a significant
amount of power to take issues that are important to them into their own hands. The fact is, a large portion of the issues at stake in the June 7 election are ours to lose. Transit plans, talks of student debt relief, health and dental coverage and environmental impacts are among the many issues that will affect young people this election, and for that matter, voting is integral. So, why aren’t young people voting? There are several reasons why young people may think their vote doesn’t matter, or that they’re lacking the information to properly exercise our democratic right. Young people are reportedly twice as likely to believe that they can’t cast their vote because they don’t think that they’re registered on a voter list. They’re also 51 per cent more likely to say that we lack enough information to make an informed decision during an election. Some reports say that the explanation behind this mentality may rest in the lack of exposure to traditional mainstream media. 40 per cent of young people say that they rely on social media as a political news source, while roughly 57 per cent of all adults say they rely on mainstream media, including newspapers, and TV for their political coverage. At this point, these are genuinely insufficient excuses. There are various initiatives that are pushing the youth vote. Elections Ontario launched an e-registration platform that allows users to check and edit their information online. McMaster University held an all candidates debate on May 29. Various organizations are coming together to encourage young people to get informed. As for the lack of knowledge regarding candidate information, it is genuinely
Transit plans, talks of student debt relief, health and dental coverage and environmental impacts are among the many issues that will affect young people this election, and for that reason, voting is integral. easier than ever to review a candidate’s platform online. Some outlets have even compiled and organized information from each major candidate’s platform, making research a simple task. For democracy to work properly, people need to cast a ballot. With stakes as high as they are in this election, it is more important than ever to let your voice be heard. On June 7, vote as you please, but please vote. @emily_oro
34 %
of people aged 182014 voted in the 2014 provincial election of young Ontarians said they were “extremely likely” to vote in the 2018 provincial election
43 %
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T H E 2 2 ND A N N U A L
THURSDAY, JUNE 21ST, 2018 12:45PM SHOTGUN | CHEDOKE GOLF CLUB
All proceeds will benefit the MSU Shinerama Campaign and the MSU Child Care Centre REGISTRATION NOW OPEN! MSUMcMASTER.CA/McMASTERS
14 |
GAMES
Thursday, June. 7, 2018 | www.thesil.ca
Puzzle 1 (Easy, difficulty rating 0.37)
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Generated by http://www.opensky.ca/sudoku on Wed May 23 16:42:18 2018 GMT. Enjoy!
ACROSS 1- Quebec’s ___ Peninsula; 6- Feat; 10- Male turkey; 13- Blender brand; 14- Harper’s Bazaar illustrator; 15- River in central Switzerland; 16- Name on a bomber; 17- Diving bird; 18- Comic Rudner; 19- Truck stop sight; 20- Eternal; 22- Bigot; 24- Uses money;
28- Bear witness; 31- Grenoble’s river; 32- “Inferno” writer; 34- Guggenheim display; 38- Group of fruit trees; 41- Sportage maker; 42- Rime; 44- ___-disant (self-styled); 45- Brewer’s need; 47- ___ vincit amor; 49- Lozenge-shaped; 51- Hype; 53- Power problem;
56- Mirror; 59- Able was ___...; 61- Second letter of the Greek alphabet; 64- Kansas city; 65- Bother; 66- Quick sharp bark; 67- Civil disturbance; 68- Line in a play directed to the audience; 69- Corner key; 70- Feminine ending; 71- Spirited horse;
DOWN 1- Departs; 2- Moore’s TV boss; 3- Mouthlike opening; 4- Large web-footed bird; 5- Division of geologic time; 6- Erase; 7- Switch ending; 8- Thames town; 9- Actor Leary; 10- Skater Babilonia; 11- Table scrap; 12- Give ___ break!; 15- “Gunsmoke” star; 20- Late bloomers; 21- Bee: Prefix;
21- Bee: Prefix; 23- Sock ___ me!; 25- Head supporters; 26- Legal right; 27- ___ precedent; 29- Indian term of respect; 30- Singing syllable; 32- Cathedral; 33- A Bell for ___; 35- Audition; 37- Yikes!; 39- Dove’s sound; 40- Car scar; 43- Wall of irregular stones; 46- Contrary to;
48- Stout relative; 50- Situate; 52- Flaming; 54- Bottled spirit; 55- Wear down, physically or emotionally; 57- Cut of beef; 58- North Carolina university; 60- Watched intently; 61- Ciao!; 62- Some MIT grads; 63- Pampering, briefly;
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The Silhouette
www.thesil.ca | Thursday, June. 7, 2018
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Sports Chipping Away
Men’s basketball coach Patrick Tatham discusses recruiting following his first season at Mac in preparation for the 2018-2019 season Justin Parker Sports Editor
Following spring exams, many members of the McMaster community vacate the campus for the summer, forgetting about university responsibilities until after Labour Day. That is not the case for everyone however, especially for the Marauders men’s basketball coach, Patrick Tatham. While it may technically be the offseason for Ontario University Athletics basketball, recruiting season is in full swing for the maroon and grey, with coach Tatham already adding several prospects to the roster. Since the end of the spring semester, Tatham has added three key prospects to help out the Marauders next season. This includes Sefa Otchere, who is ranked 39th in Canadian basketball prospects by NorthpoleHoops, Tristan Lindo, a 6’3” shooting guard ranked at 45th in Canada, and most recently, Southwest Academy’s Joshua Massela, a 6’4” swingman who boasts a 7’ wingspan. For Tatham, and after talking with his connections in the National Collegiate Athletics Association, there’s no special secret to recruiting. Yet, it goes deeper than statistics and raw talent. “You want to recruit a lot of talent, but you also want to recruit kids that have great character or are willing to work hard, and are just good students overall,” Tatham said. “In our program we talk about having ‘our kind of guy’. For us, our kind of guy looks like a guy that has heart, he is willing to play hard, he’s willing to play through pain — he’s just mentally tough. We’re looking for guys that can fill certain areas, and the areas we really want to fill are athleticism, hard workers, high character kids, and guys that aren’t afraid to get
down and dirty.” Tatham certainly is enjoying his opportunity this year to start building the Marauders team he envisions as his first truly full offseason. As a coach coming to a new team, Tatham found the toughest part to be deciding which players would form his lineup as he inherited a pre-made roster. “It’s always tough because you come into a situation where you’re not really coaching the kids that you’ve recruited, you’re coaching the team that’s already been here,” said Tatham. “I want to give everyone a fair kick at the can, but at the same time, during the season you build up a great relationship with the guys that it makes it hard to say ‘this is the end of the road for you’ because you’ve developed more than just a basketball relationship with them.”
“Its always tough because you come into a situation where you’re not really coaching the kids you’ve recruited, you’re coaching the team that’s already been there”
Patrick Tatham Marauders men’s Basketball Coach That transition from the old guard to a new coach and system is not easy, which is likely the reason Marauders fans witnessed a Jekyll-andHyde-like season from the Mac men in 2017-2018. The team that faced Laurier in the OUA playoffs by the season’s end was markedly different from the team that tipped off the season
in October. “It was interesting, a lot of
“[...] as much as I think we finished on a pretty high note last year, I think 2018-2019 brings its own set of hurdles.”
Patrick Tatham Marauders men’s Basketball Coach ups and downs,” Tatham said of last season. “I always say it was a tale of two seasons. One season was from essentially September to December, the guys are trying to figure me out, I’m trying to figure the guys out. But in the second half, everything starts to click and the guys start to really understand their roles and what’s expected of them. I start to get comfortable with them and they’re getting comfortable with me. So then we finished off the season on a nine out of 10 game winning streak.” While there is still a long way to go before the 20182019 season tips off on Oct. 24 against the Waterloo Warriors, Tatham does not have too many big goals in mind for the remaining months. “It was just a down year this year, at least for me,” Tatham said. “I’m literally just trying to get my feet wet still and hopefully in the coming offseasons we have a few International trips and a few NCAA games. But I think this year is a good year for us to kind of lay low and just really chip away at getting better at our skills, getting better individually and also getting better as a team.” While the news from the Marauders’ camp may be relatively quiet in the coming months, it certainly does not
mean that there is not work being done. The Marauders will be aiming for a much stronger start than they got off to last season, and that does not come easily. “It’s going to be interesting because as much as I think we finished on a pretty high note last year, I think 2018-2019 brings its own set of hurdles,” Tatham explained. “Because I’ve gone out and recruited a few kids, still adding a few more kids, they’re all going to be new to this level. So can they pick up things as quickly as possible? Can we pick up where we left off last year? Or are we going to take a step back because now I’ve got to reteach all the young guys especially where we were last January through March? It
will be a fine balancing act but I think if the guys are willing to work hard and they’re willing to understand their roles and really buy into being a star in their roles, then I think we’ll start off on a better note then we did my first year.” Already off to a strong start this summer, whatever the coming months hold for Tatham and the Marauders, the Fall will likely reveal a different team in Burridge Gym than before. A squad that promises to be the building block for Tatham’s Marauders, with their eyes squarely set on a successful season for the boys in maroon and grey. @theSilhouette
GRANT HOLT/CONTRIBUTOR
HOW TO WRITE A NEWSPAPER BY YOURSELF GATEKEEPING IS HARD C4
THURSDAY
THE
HAMILTON SPECULATOR DEPRIVED OF SUNLIGHT SINCE 1934
JUNE 7, 2018
NOTSPEC.COM
Province’s priorities switch following the promise of fun Who needs healthcare now that we have cheap beer?
Cheers to that!!!
HILDA O’HOOLIHAN Putting the han in hangover
Early last week, provincial candidates threw their campaign plans out the window to promise Ontarians what they deserve: a good time. Issues that have typically been a priority for most, including healthcare, environmental protection, something pertaining to the economy and maybe student loan reduction are essentially null at this point in the election. That’s fine, we’re only here to party anyway. Among the promise of a good time, provincial candidates have additionally cam-
paigned for cleared bar tabs, government buildings turned bouncy castles, ball pits in potholes, and a province-wide ban on vegetables. “Here for a good time, not a long time amirite?!” said Toby McChoir, 28, who has never voted in his life. “They’re called political parties for a reason”. Reports have shown that, when given the chance, Ontarians would throw away all that matters to them to feel even a small amount of joy. At this point, we’ll do anything to feel something again, even if that means our province will completely crumble by the end of this fiscal year. But so what?!
POLL: Who would you vote for? I have no idea what’s happening
Still don’t know what’s going on
Whoever can shotgun a beer fastest
This is too real
The underdog.
I don’t trust the government
My dog.
Rug Chrysler
YOLO right? “This is a big mistake,” said party pooper and Political Science professor Martin Smith. “The impact of this election will be felt for generations to come if this province doesn’t get its shit together and get back to what matters.” A recent study shows that Martin Smith is a weenie. Over the next few months, each party will be working together to ensure that this party planning comes to fruition. Democracy as we know it is overrated anyway.
INSIDE LANNY OR YAUREL?A4 “HOW TO BE A GOOD JOURNALIST” WAS IN MY RECENT GOOGLE SEARCHES WHEN I APPLIED TO THIS JOB B4 DOES IMPOSTER SYNDROME EVER WEAR OFF?? C1 YOU KNOW THAT VINE THAT GOES LIKE D3 HOW THE HELL DO YOU WRITE ABOUT SPORTS? E2 IS ANYBODY OUT THERE? F1
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