Thursday, October 31, 2019
Your ultimate Halloween guide // PAGES 15-22
INSIDE>>
NEWS: Hong Kong solidarity protest disrupted // PAGES 4-5 ARTS & CULTURE: A look into the cultural history of Halloween // PAGE 19 SPORTS: Cross country team gets a running start // PAGE 24
S
The Silhouette
FOLLOW US
/THEMCMASTER SILHOUETTE
@THE SILHOUETTE
/MCMASTER SILHOUETTE
@MCMASTER SILHOUETTE
Volume 90, Issue 8 Thursday, October 31, 2019 McMaster University’s Student Newspaper
EDITORIAL BOARD editor-in-chief | thesil@thesil.ca
Hannah Walters-Vida digital media specialist | dms@msu.mcmaster.ca
Maxine Gravina managing editor | managing@thesil.ca
Neda Pirouzmand online editor | online@thesil.ca
Razan Samara production editor | production@thesil.ca
Elisabetta Paiano sections
NEWS Trisha Gregorio news reporter Shamir Malik news@thesil.ca
news editor
FEATURES Adrianna Michell features@thesil.ca
features reporter
LOOKING BACK
Oct. 14, 1949
KEEP THIS IN MIND In need of fashion advise? Look no further. An article from 1949 advises students on the evening dresses du jour. Please note that hip pads are taboo, while large rolled or rounded collars are A-okay. Hot tip: “try dyeing satin slippers to match your satin dress.”
OPINION Steffi Arkilander opinions@thesil.ca
opinion editor
SPORTS Graham West sports@thesil.ca
sports editor
ARTS AND CULTURE & culture editor Andrew Mrozowski arts & culture reporter Lauren O’Donnell artsandculture@thesil.ca
arts
MEDIA photo editor Cindy Cui photo reporter Matty Flader production coordinator Katarina Brkic production coordinator Zoya Gomes production@thesil.ca ONLINE video editor Jaden Lall social media coordinator Erica Mark online@thesil.ca
COVER GRAPHIC Andrew Mrozowski
WE WANT YOU
The Silhouette is always looking for volunteers! Come out to a weekly meeting or email one of our section editors for more information on how to get involved. NEWS
SPORTS
PRODUCTION
production@thesil.ca
news@thesil.ca
sports@thesil.ca
Meetings: Tues. 1:30 p.m.
Meetings: Wed. 5:30 p.m.
PHOTO photo@thesil.ca
OPINION
ARTS & CULTURE
opinions@thesil.ca
artsandculture@thesil.ca
Meetings: Tues. 11:30 a.m.
Meetings: Fri. 11:00 a.m.
CORRECTIONS
LEGAL
An article published on Oct. 3 about the deratification of the Chinese Students and Scholars association stated that MACCSSA’s act of contacting the Chinese government was considered an attempt by the SRA to intimidate students, when in fact it was considered an attempt by MACCSSA to intimidate students into avoiding discussions that might disrupt the Chinese regime. The article stated that WeChat is a Chinese multi-purpose app used by members of the McMaster Chinese community. It has since been corrected to state that a group of Chinese students at McMaster created a group on the app. The article also stated that no evidence was provided to directly connect the CSSA with the Chinese Communist Party. This has since been removed, and evidence has been presented. An updated version of the article posted online corrects these errors and provides additional context.
The Silhouette welcomes letters to the editor in person at MUSC B110, or by email at thesil@thesil.ca. Please include name, address and telephone number for verification only. Letters should be 300 words or less. We reserve the right to edit, condense or reject letters and opinion articles. Opinions and editorials expressed in the Silhouette are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of the editorial board, the publishers, the McMaster Students Union or the University. The Silhouette is an editorially autonomous newspaper published by the McMaster Students Union. The Silhouette Board of Publications acts as an intermediary between the editorial board, the McMaster community and the McMaster Students Union. Grievances regarding the Silhouette may be forwarded in writing to: McMaster Students Union, McMaster University Student Centre, Room 201, L8S 4S4, Attn: The Silhouette Board of Publications. The Board will consider all submissions and make recommendations accordingly.
CONTACT MUSC, Room B110 McMaster University 1280 Main Street West, Hamilton, ON L8S 4S4 Editor-in-Chief (905) 525-9140, ext 22052 Main Office (905) 525-9140, ext 27117 Advertising ccpc@msu.mcmaster.ca published by the
NEWS
www.thesil.ca | Thursday, Oct. 31, 2019
| 3
News
Looking at the 2019 federal election
What can we expect in the next four years?
This year’s Canadian federal election was held on Oct. 21, 2019, to elect members of the House of Commons to the 43rd Canadian Parliament. MATTY FLADER / PHOTO REPORTER Hawley Flett Contributor
After a divisive and vitriolic six-week campaign, the federal election came to a close the evening of Oct. 21. Following a year filled with scandal, the Liberal party lost 20 seats from the previous election and their majority. They did, however, win a total of 157 seats — enough for Justin Trudeau to form a minority government and remain Prime Minister for another four-year term. The Conservatives gained an additional 26 seats compared to the 2015 federal election. Despite winning a higher percentage of the popular vote than the Liberals, they finished with 121 seats. They swept the Prairies — the New Democratic Party won only one seat of 48 in Alberta and Sasktachewan — while the Liberals did not win any seats in either province. The NDP took a considerable blow on election night. The party finished with 24 seats, losing almost half of their 44 seats from the 2015 election. Despite reports of Jagmeet Singh’s strong campaign and approval ratings. The Green Party gained one seat from 2015, to finish with their highest ever seat count of
three. It also marked the first time the party had received over one million votes. The Bloc Québécois gained 22 seats, forming the third largest caucus on Parliament Hill with 32 Members of Parliment. The Bloc’s leader, Yves-François Blanchet, opposes an oil pipeline that would go through Québéc, and plans to defend the controversial Bill 21, which is Québéc’s proposal to “prohibit certain persons from wearing religious symbols while exercising their functions”. The People’s Party of Canada lost their only seat — that of leader Maxime Bernier. Despite this, Bernier insisted throughout his concession speech that the PPC would persist. Minority governments occur when no party wins a clear majority, where a majority is classified as winning 170 of 338 seats in the legislature. The party with the plurality of votes will form government. A critique of minority governments is that they tend to be less stable and not as long lasting because they must rely on support from other parties. Peter Graefe, an associate professor of political science at McMaster, believes that the Liberals are unlikely to focus
on cooperation with the other parties, even the NDP. “I suspect they’re looking more at what happened under Stephen Harper, or what happened in Ontario when Kathleen Wynne had a minority, which was really about governing as if they had a majority and assuming the other parties were too weak to call an election,” said Graefe. As for the effect of Bloc Québécois’ newfound power, Graefe thinks the party’s influence in Ottawa will be more indirect than direct. “By being able to bring together a significant chunk of the Québéc vote around a kind of a conservative nationalist platform, it leads both the Conservative party and the NDP, and maybe to a lesser extent the Liberals, to think about how they can go about trying to ‘woo’ that vote in the next election,” said Graefe. The near Conservative sweep of the prairies is symptomatic of another provincial nationalist cause in the West. The push for Alberta’s independence, though not widespread, gained significant traction this year. Recently, #Wexit (short for “West-Exit”) has been trending on Twitter. “We’ll see [Wexit] burn for a
while … For someone like Jason Kenney [Premier of Alberta], who has aspirations to be Canadian Prime Minister, posturing against a central government is going to cost him in terms of his capacity to maybe make that leap,” said Graefe. #Wexit is one of many issues this election that reignited talk of electoral reform. “Some Conservative voters might be interested in thinking about proportional representation in a way they weren’t when we were discussing it about three years ago,” Graefe adds. As for whether electoral reform will actually happen, Graefe thinks the Liberals are content governing as if they had retained their majority from the 2015 election, even if they only have one vote in three. Graefe believes that the Conservatives would also want things to stay the same, believing in the possibility that in the next election, it would be the Tories who receive 33 or 35 per cent of the vote. Nevertheless, minority governments are not unfamiliar to the Canadian political climate. Stephen Harper’s government, which preceded Trudeau’s, was 31 seats short of a majority. Before that, there were eight other minority governments, two of
which — under Liberals Lester B. Pearson and Pierre Elliot Trudeau — are now considered to be two of the most influential governments in Canadian history. On the other hand, Joe Clark, whose government was short only six seats of a majority, lasted only 300 days as Prime Minister. In any case, the fact remains that there have been instances where minority governments have flourished and instances where they struggled. It is difficult to predict where Prime Minister Trudeau will take his minority government and whether or not his Liberals will rely on other parties; it is therefore also difficult to predict whether the second Trudeau government will be as unstable and short-lasting as critics of minority governments expect it to be.
@TheSilhouette
4 |
NEWS
www.thesil.ca | Thursday, Oct. 31, 2019
Student demonstration in solidarity w What we know so far
Trisha Gregorio News Editor
On Oct. 22, a group of international students from Hong Kong, joined by their supporters, set up a Lennon Wall in the courtyard between Mills Library and the McMaster University Student Centre. Lennon Walls are a form of collaborative protest art that have varied in form since the name was first coined in reference to the John Lennon Wall in Prague. The McMaster students built the Lennon Wall with bristol boards, banners and sticky notes. Nearby, students in face masks handed out flyers and held up signs that welcomed passers-by to contribute to the wall in an attempt to raise awareness for the 2019 Hong Kong protests. On the ground in front of
the makeshift Lennon Wall, a black banner announced in white block letters, “Help Hong Kong. No extradition to China.” The protests in Hong Kong began in March 2019, provoked after the Hong Kong government published the Fugitive Offenders and Mutual Legal Assistance in Criminal Matters Legislation (Amendment) Bill 2019 on March 29. If passed, the bill would have permitted authorities in Hong Kong to transfer wanted criminal fugitives from Taiwan, Macau and mainland China back to the countries where they are wanted. The notion of allowing extradition to mainland China sparked concerns that the Bill would grant the mainland Chinese legal system access to Hong Kong residents and visitors. This was seen as a subversion of Hong Kong’s autonomy. Since March, the protests have grown in scale and intensi-
ty. By June, they had turned into a mass movement, with clashes between the Hong Kong police and the protestors becoming increasingly violent. Allegations of misconduct have been made against the Hong Kong police; many assert that the Hong Kong police’s use of force against protesters has been unlawful and excessive. The protests expanded to involve demands beyond the withdrawal of the extradition bill: an independent inquiry into police brutality, amnesty for arrested protesters, retraction of protestors being labelled as “riots” and an appeal for Carrie Lam, Hong Kong’s Chief Executive, to step down. Lam suspended the bill on June 15, but it was not until Oct. 23 that the bill was formally withdrawn. By then the protestors, unsatisfied with having only one request met, had turned their key demands into a motto: “five demands,
not one less”. The U.S. government, through Vice-President Mike Pence, has provided verbal statements of support to the protestors and taken legal action. The timing of these actions and whether they will see follow-through remains to be determined. Across Hong Kong, protesters have begun setting up Lennon Walls of their own. In the past several months, the wall has developed into an expression of national and international solidarity with the protests. It is with this sentiment of solidarity in mind that McMaster students from Hong Kong built a Lennon Wall on campus. Following examples from various universities and cities around the world — Toronto, Burnaby, New York, Berlin, Taipei, Brisbane and Auckland — the students set up a temporary Lennon Wall as they held a demonstration to protest
against the situation in Hong Kong.
In the past several months, the wall has developed into an expression of national and international solidarity with the protests. While the sticky notes on the wall formed a heart sketched around the letters “HK”, another bristol board presented papers that read headlines such as “811 Police Attempt to Kill HK Citizens”. The main purpose of the board was to raise awareness for what the organizer of the demonstration called the “injustices” happening in Hong Kong.
NEWS
www.thesil.ca | Thursday, Oct. 31, 2019
| 4
with Hong Kong protests disrupted
Signs included in the McMaster student solidarity with Hong Kong demonstration CINDY CUI / PHOTO EDITOR
McMaster students were able to show their support by writing sticky notes of their own and attaching them to the boards that made up the Lennon Wall. At around 4:30 p.m., an individual broke through the small crowd gathered around the wall and ripped one of the bristol boards apart. He proceeded to do the same with other boards, ignoring the demonstrators’ requests for him to stop. At one point, he pushed past those trying to hold him off in order to damage more of the Lennon Wall. “Please … We are trying to express freedom of speech,” said one of the demonstrators, who will be referred to as H. for the remainder of the article in honour of their privacy. “There is freedom of speech in Canada, right?” added another demonstrator. According to accounts from students present during the altercation, the individual tore off
three students’ face masks. In the background, students also began yelling in Mandarin, “Speak Chinese!”
“Effectively, the guy tried to stomp on our right to freedom of speech and our right to protest. Destroying personal property, committing assault, right, it’s just absolutely insane,” Anonymous
Another witness account claims that the individual disagreed with Hong Kong’s autonomy and believed that the region belongs to mainland China. Hong Kong is currently operating under the constitutional principle “one country, two systems”, which allows Chinese territories to maintain economic and legal systems independent of the mainland government. However, the evolution of the street protests into a movement has fuelled calls for independence, with many believing that Hong Kong’s identity is separate from mainland China. “[The individual] proceeded to spout — I wouldn’t call it propaganda — but you just start saying phrases and lines … what really struck me was [the] blatant violation of so many laws and so many things which we call fundamental tenants in our society. Effectively,
the guy tried to stomp on our right to freedom of speech and our right to protest. Destroying personal property, committing assault, right, it’s just absolutely insane,” said H. Several minutes after the altercation began, campus security was called. Security arrived to clear out the scene and the demonstrators began to disperse. Some of the students present during the disruption believed that the ideal next step would be to find the individual who initiated the altercation. However, it has yet to be confirmed whether the initiator is a McMaster student. Gord Arbeau, director of communications at McMaster, said that the security investigation is in progress. As of Oct. 26, security is looking into charges for level one assault, mischief and a charge for the threat caught on videos of the incident. They are also consid-
ering the possibility that the incursion was premeditated. The students behind the demonstration are not deterred. “We refuse to be intimidated — at any kind of level or in any way … There’s nothing more important to us than continuing the fight and nothing can stand in our way,” H. declared. Neither the University nor the McMaster Students Union have released a statement regarding the incident. This is a developing story, the Silhouette will be following up as it progresses.
@TheSilhouette
Find your next
at the Off-Campus Housing Fair! Thursday, November 21 10:30 a.m. - 2:30 p.m. MUSC Marketplace
Introducing the newly revamped off-campus housing website.
Exclusive to the McMaster Community, find off-campus housing options from any device. Login using your MacID at offcampus.mcmaster.ca
VISIT US FOR ALL YOUR
FOLLOW US
PRINT + DESIGN NEEDS
@UNDERGROUNDMSU
LOCATED IN THE STUDENT CENTRE BASEMENT
Oct.31.v.90 - 6-7 - News.indd 1
2019-10-30 2:57 PM
NEWS
www.thesil.ca | Thursday, Oct. 31, 2019
| 7
Buried three feet under
Making burials more environmentally friendly
In green burials, the body is usually placed in a biodegradable container and not embalmed. CINDY CUI / PHOTO EDITOR
Trisha Gregorio News Editor
cw: graphic descriptions of death The first stage in embalming a body is surgical. It involves creating an incision in the abdomen, sucking out internal organs and draining blood from the body in order to fill the vessels and the abdominal cavity with embalming fluid for temporary preservation. In green burials, however, the body is not embalmed. The term “green burial” refers to when a body is buried without anything that could harm the environment — which includes formaldehyde, a known carcinogen that renders the embalming process dangerous not only for mortuary workers but for the ground in which bodies are buried. “You let someone be after they die without [embalming the body] and then you put them in a biodegradable container,” said Rochelle Martin, a community death-care educator and advocate for green burials. Green burials also avoid the use of concrete, metal and shellac, forgoing traditional stone grave markers in favour
of marking graves with a tree, a natural stone marker or nothing at all. According to Martin, many conventional burials in North America are conducted in cement vaults, where they pour a concrete liner to temporarily protect the ground from byproducts of decomposing bodies that can leach into the soil, altering its chemistry. “It’s a hassle for cemeteries to refill those graves and restore them. With green burial, you don’t [need to] use a cement vault, you don’t put cement underneath the earth. And also usually with green burial, you bury shallower than we do. Three feet of ground above you is sufficient,” Martin explained. In January 2018, The Hamilton Spectator featured Martin’s work on lobbying the city of Hamilton to designate a particular site for green burials. Initially, the city was not interested. Kara Bunn, Hamilton’s manager of parks and cemeteries at the time the article was written, told The Spectator that it was imperative to first determine if there was enough demand to warrant the spending of resources. After a June 2019 survey found that 58 per cent of the 24 participants were interested in
green burials, city staff offered to designate a green burial area at the Mount Hamilton Cemetery. Martin says that as of 2019, the city’s approach has shifted in support of green burials. Although initially dismissive, the city has since received letters from citizens expressing their interest. The Green Burial Society of Canada was also helpful in motivating the city by educating Hamiltonians about more eco-friendly alternatives to traditional burials. Now, she wants to inspire people to think even bigger. Beyond death-care options that do not include embalming, Martin proposes conservation burials. These involve using existing conservation areas or pieces of land intended for preservation, using them for burials in order to keep them from commercial development. At the same time, mortuary practices can fund the preservation and restoration of these areas. “Once you bury a body, you can never build a Wal-Mart on it … So what’s even better than taking land and turning it into cemeteries and offering green burials is taking land and preserving it forever for recreation and habitat by burying bodies through conservation burial,”
said Martin.
“Once you bury a body, you can never build a Wal-Mart on it ... so what’s even better than taking land and turning it into cemeteries and offering green burials is taking land and preserving it forever for recreation and habitat by burying bodies through conservation burial,” Rochelle Martin Death-care Educator
At this point, she has not found any takers on conservation burial. She has approached
the Royal Botanical Gardens and the Hamilton Conservation Area but says that she has not found much interest. There are conservation areas across North America struggling for funding that have taken on the conservation burial practice. With this in mind, Martin expresses her desire to see more people considering conservation burials in the future. @TheSilhouette
PRESIDENT’S PAGE
ALEX JOHNSTON VP (Finance) vpfinance@msu.mcmaster.ca 905.525.9140 x24109
The McMaster Students Union (MSU) is a not-for-profit organization whose purpose is to draw into a true society all students at McMaster University. To do this, the MSU supports various events, facilitates communication between the student body, the University, and other organizations, in addition to organizing and regulating student government. MSU members are defined as full-time undergraduate students enrolled in 18-units or more, who are subject to MSU ancillary fees charged with tuition in the fall term. In the 2018-2019 fiscal year, all MSU members paid a $130.26 Operating Fund fee and a $13.41 CFMU fee. However, as a result of the Student Choice Initiative, MSU members paid five essential MSU fees for 2019-2020: Health and Counseling, Academic, Recreation, Campus Safety, and Building. The essential fees for the five pillars totaled $69.70. The remainder of the Operating Fund fee was classified into non-essential fees, and as a result, students had the option to opt-out of
October 31, 2019 | thesil.ca
$63.56 for the Operating Fund nonessential fees and $13.72 for the CFMU fee. The fees students pay towards the MSU go to support three dozen student services, including the peer support services, the Clubs Department, and Campus Events. Some additional MSU fees include the HSR bus pass fee that provides students with unlimited HSR trips and the MSU Health and Dental Insurance plans. Students with proof of additional insurance have the opportunity to opt-out of the MSU Health and Dental Insurance plans. With the administration of dozens of student services through the collection of ancillary fees comes the responsibility to ensure student money is spent effectively, in a manner that is transparent to the student body. As such, at the end of every fiscal year, the MSU’s finances are audited by a professional accounting firm. In June and July of 2019, KPMG audited the MSU’s finances from the 20182019 fiscal year. At the SRA meeting on October 20, the SRA received and approved the 2018-2019 audited statements. These documents can be found online at msumcmaster.ca. As an entirety, MSU Inc. produced a deficit of $46,658, a positive swing upwards from last year’s deficit of
The President’s Page is a space sponsored and used by the McMaster Students Union (MSU) Board of Directors (BoD) to communicate with the student body. It functions to highlight the Board’s projects, goals, and agenda for the year, as well as the general happenings of the MSU.
$369,514. The main driver of this upwards shift is a result of a strong performance from the MSU’s marketable security investments. Additionally, the operating fund produced a deficit of approximately $600,000. With these deficits, the MSU continues to remain in a healthy fiscal state with approximately $2.1 million in Operating Fund reserves and $6 million in reserves for the entire organization. It is important to note that the MSU operates using fund accounting, meaning certain reserves can only be used for specific aspects of the organization. The reserves remain within the limits set within Corporate Bylaw 3, which ensures responsible capital retention.
“With the administration of dozens of student services through ancillary fees comes the responsibility to ensure student money is spent effectively” Some notable deficits incurred last year include TwelvEighty’s deficit of $276,601, The Silhouette’s deficit of $230,496, and The Underground’s
SARAH JOSH MARANDO FIGUEIREDO President
VP (Administration)
deficit of $300,356. To address these results moving forward, we have been working to implement new revenue streams and reduce overall expenses. With the expansion of The Grind and the introduction of TwelvEighty 2-Go, we should see TwelvEighty’s budget trend towards the positive. To mitigate some of the deficit experienced by The Silhouette, The Silhouette’s Board of Publication (BOP) reduced some of the summer print issues, as well as those circulated around the fall and winter breaks. Additionally, The Silhouette’s BOP will continue to assess the winter print schedule, which should help to mitigate losses. Lastly, although The Underground experienced some staffing challenges last year, we are working to ensure the service is backed by a full team of staff. The MSU constantly evaluates future enhancements for the students at large while balancing the fiscal risk. The results of the 2018-2019 audit and the opt-out numbers resulting from the Student Choice Initiative, will guide the 2020-2021 budget process. The full details of the audited statements can be accessed on msumcmaster.ca. For any specific questions, please email me at vpfinance@msu.mcmaster.ca or visit the MSU Main Office in MUSC 201.
SHEMAR HACKETT VP (Education)
ALEX JOHNSTON VP (Finance)
www.thesil.ca | Thursday, Oct. 31, 2019
The Silhouette
Shop Small Saturday November 30th
SHOP THE VILLAGE Saturday, November 30th Shop Local this Holiday Season Find exciting holiday deals at our shops and restaurants!
Free 2 hour on-street parking November 25th to December 24th -InternationalVillage BIA
-HamIntlVillage
to 8am meetings
to my roommate for giving me banana bread
to spilling coffee all over yourself to fruit flies
to helpful thesis supervisors
to the rain
to when your boyfriend surprises you with lunch
SANTA WILL BE HERE!
to warm soup
Santa will be making a special stop at Ferguson Station 10am to 4pm!! Bring your family, friends, pets and a camera down and get free photos with him.
to your friend getting a puppy
www.hamiltoninternationalvillage.ca
to receiving emails about high quality dried chili peppers
to to your contributors adding their own social media copies
to the rain soaking through my boots to cold soup to candy corn (you heard me) to halloween costumes that nobody understands
to halloween!!!! to subway to hasty halloween decorations
-internationalvillagebia
#thevillage #spenditthere
November is Financial Literacy Month! This year’s theme is Dream Big!
Workshops
Events Money Talks with Financial Experts November 13, 5:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.
Food + mocktails + real advice from financial experts. Be part of an interactive evening, featuring four financial experts who have powered their way to success. Following the conversation is an audience Q&A with our speakers and a mingle.
Makeover Edition
McMastering Mac and Cheese: A food lover’s dream!
Date and time to be announced.
November 4, 2:30 p.m. November 18, 1:30 p.m.
Yikes! What are my expenses? November 7, 2:30 p.m.
We’re putting a new and healthy spin on a classic dish, but keeping it affordable and delicious. The SSC has teamed up with Hospitality Services to put a twist on one of the greatest comfort foods (in our opinion). Join us at this interactive cooking event where you will learn how to make the recipe and enjoy free samples. If you can dream it, you can do it!
Building your credit report
On Sunday evenings, we will post a theme and take questions on @MacSSC’s Instagram story. Our Money Coaches will answer back every Monday.
93.3 CFMU: Smart Money Moves to Make in University Facebook Live: Make your travel dreams a reality November 18, 12:30 p.m.
It’s the contest of your dreams! Attend the starred events and workshops and be entered to win your textbooks for the Winter term, courtesy of the Student Success Centre. Register on OSCARplus to attend events and workshops. bit.ly/mac-flm
November 25, 5:30 p.m.
@MacSSC
Money Mondays
November 5, 9:00 a.m. November 28, 12:30 p.m.
Cooking on a Budget.
AMA In Residence
Dealing with debt and the high costs of education
Digital
studentsuccess.mcmaster.ca
Gilmour Hall 110
Make your dreams happen. Follow @MacSSC’s Facebook page for a conversation with our Money Coach, Terry, and Karolina Armstrong, an alumni who travelled the world on a budget.
| 7
10 |
OPINION
www.thesil.ca | Thursday, Oct. 31, 2019
Opinion Echo360: making learning more accessible
Lecture capture is currently underused despite the benefits it provides
Echo360’s online platform alows students to access podcasts and recordings CINDY CUI / PHOTO EDITOR
Sarah Homsi Contributor
Picture this: it’s the first day of class and your professor doesn’t seem to take breaks when they talk. Wow, you think, this is a lot of content to absorb in just 50 minutes. They then inform everyone that lectures in this course will not be podcasted, as Echo360 is not available in this room. A collective groan is heard across the lecture hall. Perhaps you are in a program where podcasting is frequently utilized, or maybe you have no idea what it’s like to listen to a lecture after class is over. Regardless, the platform, is an extremely useful educational tool and we should be advocating for its use. Echo360 is a lecture capture system that can record any combination of screen, camera and microphone activities, allowing instructors to make all kinds of content available to students online. It allows for live streaming, polls and the ability to pose questions and view notes alongside the podcast,
creating many opportunities for meaninful, engaging interactions with course-content.
The use of podcasting permits access to lectures that have occurred anywhere, at any time, allowing students to learn material straight from their instructor, beyond scheduled class time. The use of podcasting permits access to lectures that have occurred anywhere, at any time, allowing students to learn material straight from their instructor, beyond scheduled class time. The flexibility of Echo360 helps to accommodate the various needs of students, facilitating better learning for all. When injury or illness occur,
as they inevitably do, being able to watch a missed lecture and avoid falling behind makes Echo360 an invaluable resource.
In addition, remote access improves accessibility for individuals that are hard of hearing or have low vision by providing the opportunity to interact with and absorb lecture content through supplemental features such as closed captioning. For those who commute, attending every lecture is not always feasible. Therefore, being able to access lectures from home allows these students the
same opportunities as those in closer proximity to campus. An individual with a disability may face challenges in getting to class, making remotely available lecture content a necessity for these students. In addition, remote access improves accessibility for individuals that are hard of hearing or have low vision by providing the opportunity to interact with lecture content through supplemental features such as closed captioning.
Currently, Echo360 is only available in 28 of McMaster’s classrooms, severely limiting its ability to benefit the student population. Students have indicated more and more that they want technology integrated into the classroom. An ability to go
through a lecture at your own pace, wherever you want and as often as you want is not just appealing, but is feasible with Echo360. Currently, Echo360 is only available in 28 of McMaster’s classrooms, severely limiting its ability to benefit the student population. Additionally, some professors refrain from using it despite its availability, leaning towards more traditional instructional methods. Podcasting lectures is not merely universally helpful, but it is also necessary in order to create an equitable learning experience for everyone. By reducing barriers that traditional teaching methods impose on students, we can empower more students to be successful in their studies. Part of building a “brighter world” should include giving us the tools to meaningfully engage with course material. @TheSilhouette
The Silhouette
www.thesil.ca | Thursday, Oct. 31, 2019
| 11
Cancelling “cancel culture”
In many cases, cancel culture does the opposite of holding others accountable
A person scrolling through an Instagram feed. CINDY CUI / PHOTO EDITOR Lily Diaz Contributor
cw: racism, sexual assault, child pornography What do James Charles, Justin Trudeau and Kanye West all have in common? Not much, but you’ve probably heard of them being “cancelled” at some point in recent memory. If you’re unfamiliar, it’s hard to define, but cancel culture is the mass boycotting of a celebrity or public figure after controversial allegations are made against them or transgressions are dug up from their past. In the case of someone like R. Kelly, a mass boycott is justified. Dating back to the 1990s, numerous allegations of sexual assault and child pornography have been brought against him, highlighted in the Lifetime documentary Suriving R. Kelly. He was recently arrested on a count of 18 federal charges including child pornography, forced labour and kidnapping. We must take allegations against public figures, such as these, seriously and hold them accountable for their actions. In more trivial cases however, cancel culture is a toxic and presumptive phenomenon sustained by mob mentality. A prime example of this is the feud between Youtube makeup gurus James Charles and Tati
Westbrook. Charles lost almost 3 million subscribers in a week after Westbrook made allegations surrounding his loyalty, friendship and treatment of others, but Charles regained all those subscribers, and more, after releasing a video a week later explaining himself.
In more trivial cases however, cancel culture is a toxic and presumptive phenomenon sustained by mob mentality. While this may seem like a trivial issue, it showcases how mob mentality propagates the toxic nature of cancel culture. While some may argue that taking away a celebrity’s power in the form of followers or subscribers is holding celebrities accountable, in many ways cancel culture does just the opposite. This is evident through the fact that after an explanation, Charles was able to regain his subscribers. Cancel culture mentality has left many of us accepting often trivial allegations at face value, and acting before critically evaluating the media that is presented to us. If a simple
explanation video is enough to change the minds of over 3 million people who, only a week before, had unfollowed Charles, what does this have to say about the strength of the initial argument for cancelling him? Another dimension of cancel culture is the response to allegations that arise against public figures many years after a negative action. In recent news, the controversy surrounding Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his blackface/brownface scandals resulted in him being cancelled all over social media. While his actions were clearly wrong, after an apology and four years of majority governance in Canada, it doesn’t seem fair to completely write him off 19 years after the fact. Rather, we should be critiquing him on his policies, legislation and actions which demonstrate his character over the past four years and today, not 19 years ago. This is a very different scenario than we see with R. Kelly, where a critical look at his actions over the past 20 years shows a pattern of sexual offences and misconduct, with no evident change or remorse. Had these videos of Prime Minister Trudeau surfaced three months or even three years ago, it would be a very different story. Of course, it is still important to acknowledge past actions to
judge someone’s character, but we should also do more than that. While an apology cannot heal deep wounds, it is up to us as individuals to assess whether a person has learned and changed, and evaluate them as a person today, rather than rushing to cancel them because that’s what’s popular or seems like the right thing to do. In many cases this can be trivial, like deciding whether we want to continue supporting a beloved recording artist, but can also hold as much weight as influencing a vote for Prime Minister.
While an apology cannot heal deep wounds, it is up to us as individuals to assess whether a person has learned and changed, and evaluate them as a person today ... By engaging in cancel culture, we are propagating the idea that you are guilty until proven innocent and not giving individuals the opportunity
to show regret, learn or grow. Granted, some people are not good people, and sometimes an apology is not enough. Rather than following the hoards of people on social media to sentence someone to social death, take a moment to consider the weight of a mistake, what this person means to you and who you believe them to be today. We can’t really know if somebody is truly remorseful based on a press conference or a Youtube apology video, so why do we give them so much power in the first place?
@TheSilhouette
Try our new express to go service!
ANOTHER SERVICE PROVIDED BY THE MSU
The Silhouette
www.thesil.ca | Thursday, Oct. 31, 2019
| 13
Bear witness to our struggle: Why Hong Kong matters We were violently attacked during our peaceful campus demonstration, but we refuse to be forced into silence Anonymous Contributor
cw: mention of violence To many, the words “Hong Kong” spark images of a cosmopolitan city, a glimmering skyline or a financial powerhouse. But to us, these words represent the Spirit of the Lion Rock burning within the soul of every Hongkonger — the generations of blood, sweat and tears shed in the dream of a land where we can prosper. These words mean home. And our home must be protected. We are the demonstrators who assembled in Mills plaza last Tuesday, Oct. 22 to peacefully spread awareness about police violence and authoritarianism in Hong Kong, as well as call for freedom and democracy. We set up a Lennon Wall — a form of collaborative protest art where people write messages of encouragement and solidarity on a wall of colourful post-it notes — and engaged with people who stopped to chat with us. In the name of the rights and freedoms which we hold dear, we stood with our hearts on our sleeves and flyers in our hands, ready to speak to any and all who would listen. However, to our dismay, a group of individuals decided to respond to our peaceful demonstration with vitriol. One person tore down our Lennon Wall, assaulted us by ripping off our masks and threatened that “next time, this won’t be so easy”. Meanwhile, others cheered them on, jeering at us in Mandarin and shouting crude insults. Their response to civility was aggression, talking was replaced with shouting and peace was answered with violence. The physical violence and wanton aggression that we faced was a harrowing attempt to intimidate us into silence and to stop us from speaking freely about the situation in Hong Kong. It was also a solemn reminder of why we wore masks in the first place. Without anonymity during protests in our city, Hongkongers are much more vulnerable to arrest and intimidation by others, including pro-government paid thugs, employers and political opponents. In encounters with the
police, Hongkongers have been exposed to horrific violence: beatings that leave people with shattered bones, torture, sexual violence in police stations and even permanent blindness after being shot in the eye.
One person tore down our Lennon Wall, assaulted us by ripping off our masks and threatened that “next time, this won’t be so easy.” This is why we treasure anonymity and wore masks in solidarity during our protest. To have someone violently attack us by tearing apart our signs and clawing at our faces to unmask us was a terrifying reminder of what we’re fighting against and the stakes at hand should we lose. These stakes are the highest that Hong Kong has faced in the past century. Currently, Hongkongers enjoy rights and freedoms unheard of in Mainland China. However, since the 1997 Handover, the Chinese government has sought to restrict our freedoms. This is being done by mirroring oppressive practices from the Mainland, where citizens can only access Communist Party-approved information, where any criticism of the government often leads to imprisonment and where millions of Uyghurs are incarcerated in torture-ridden concentration camps. As Hongkongers brave the frontlines in the global fight for freedom and as we yearn for a taste of the democracy that we were promised by the British and Chinese governments which we’ve since been denied, we hope that others will bear witness to our struggle and listen to the voices of the oppressed. To other students at McMaster University: we hope you will stand in solidarity with us. When we return — and we certainly will — we ask you to please drop by and stick a postit note on our Lennon Wall, or
chat with us to learn more about Hong Kong. If you have friends of Hong Kong origin, be sure to reach out and support them.
It was also a solemn reminder of why we wore masks in the first place. Without anonymity during protests in our city, Hongkongers are much more vulnerable to arrest and intimidation by others, including pro-government paid thugs, employers and political opponents. To the university administration and the McMaster Students Union: we call upon those in positions of power to uphold our right to peaceful protest and ensure student safety. No student should be physically assaulted for peacefully demonstrating on campus. The University should
ensure that our right to assemble on campus is protected and the McMaster Students Union must publicly speak out and defend the marginalized students who face violence in retaliation for exercising our basic rights. The harassment at McMaster eerily echoes similar violence elsewhere, such as at the University of Queensland, where pro-Beijing students punched and shoved those who supported Hong Kong’s right to freedom and democracy. We would prefer to have an open discussion about Hong Kong issues, but this is difficult if those living in China’s propaganda bubble refuse to believe facts reported by the international media and also try to silence rather than engage with us.
We are doing our best to support the brave people back home in our struggle to uphold the values which we hold dear. We cannot block the bullets, nor can we rinse the tear gas from their eyes. But we can speak. We can remind the world that Hong Kong is dying and that Hongkongers around the world are desperately trying to safeguard our home. We can show the people in the streets that the world has not forgotten about them.
To the university administration and the McMaster Students Union: we call upon those in positions of power to uphold our right to peaceful protest and ensure student safety.
@TheSilhouette
Demonstrators in Mills Plaza spreading awareness on police violence and authoritarianism in Hong Kong. CINDY CUI / PHOTO EDITOR
14 |
www.thesil.ca | Thursday, Oct. 31, 2019
OPINION
Student jobs for those who need them Student jobs are sparse and should be prioritized for those who demonstrate financial need
The student work program on Mosaic is one way to find student jobs. CINDY CUI / PHOTO EDITOR
Taylor Johnston Contributor
University brings many changes in a person’s life, such as beginning to cook for yourself or doing your own laundry. In addition, many students will manage their own finances for the first time. Living costs and tuition are just some examples of common worries for students. The daunting task of needing to be financially stable usually requires finding a job. Some students, like myself, are lucky in the sense that we do not have to worry about our own tuition and living expenses until a later date. However, many undergraduate and graduate students are faced with the burden of supporting their academic goals and living accommodations throughout university. The aspirations to receive higher education come at a cost.
In today’s current student job industry, the student with the most impressive interview skills and resume are usually hired for the job. And yes, the argument can be made that the most qualified candidate is the best candidate for the job. However, employers should also look at living expenses as a factor when hiring students for student jobs. Most student jobs do not require a great deal of expertise coming in, as the skills required are usually easily learned; thus, many of these jobs’ requirements can be met with a hard-working candidate who is willing to learn. Employers should consider more than just an applicant’s skillset or grades. While it may be useful for these criteria to be evaluated, application processes should also evaluate financial need in as much detail as the applicant is comfortable
sharing. Especially with recent cuts to the Ontario Student Assistance Program by the provincial government of Ontario, students are scrambling to support their academic goals and futures.
However, employers should also look at living expenses as a factor when hiring students for student jobs. All student-specific jobs should have an alternate application process that allows an applicant to proclaim their financial circumstances so that it can be determined whether a student is applying for a job to
simply add experience to their resume or to make ends meet. Financial need could be demonstrated in the supplementary application for student-specific jobs. Students wishing to add experience to their resumes should be directed to unpaid positions, ensuring those students obtain an equally beneficial experience. The cost of living is on the rise and because of this, an increasing number of students are in dire need of a job. Yes, many of us wish to work for the experience, but I believe that paid student jobs should be left to those in need. A student’s academic life is already incredibly stressful and it could reduce some stress if more jobs were made available for the students that need them. Filtering job applications by financial need is one way to ensure that paid student jobs
are left for students who need them the most. This is something that should be considered to ensure that every student has their best chance for academic success and financial stability.
@TheSilhouette
The Silhouette
www.thesil.ca | Thursday, Oct. 31, 2019
| 15
Arts & Culture Something strange in the neighbourhood Telling the stories of ghosts at the Royal Connaught Hotel Andrew Mrozowski A&C Editor
Have you ever thought of what it means to live in a haunted city with a long, dark history? Hamilton’s stories of ghosts, ghouls and everything strange are plenty, yet most of us are seemingly unaware of what may be lurking in the shadows. There are claims that the downtown core is home to many of the city’s trapped souls. One such building is Hamilton’s Royal Connaught Hotel. The story starts in 1854 when the Anglo-American Hotel was built on its site. It wasn’t long until the hotel went bankrupt and by 1861, the building was converted into an international all-female college. Nearly 40 years later, the past reasserted itself when the space became the Waldorf Hotel in 1898. Once more, this did not last; however, that’s when local businessman Harry Louis Frost had an idea. He pictured a lavish hotel in the centre of the city. A place of luxury and relaxation that you could not get anywhere else. In 1914, Frost was granted a permit to demolish the Waldorf and construct a new hotel on the grounds. Named after the Duke of Connaught, Governor General Prince Arthur William Patrick Albert, the new 13-storey hotel featured 244 ensuite bedrooms, all with marble-floored bathrooms, a grand marble staircase, rooftop dance club and electric elevators — a rather new technology at the time. Legend has it that the pa-
trons who frequented the hotel had encounters with a ghost. One former maid of the hotel described her as a “[Woman] dressed in a flowing white gown, gliding down the hallway ever so gracefully, her feet never touching the ground”. The ghost became known as the Lady in White. Another account of a patron describes the time he saw the Lady in White while lounging by the hotel’s pool one day. He claims to have seen a woman dressed in a long, white gown standing at the edge. He watched as she walked over the water, disappearing like TV static. While different people have told these stories over the years, Cathy Lechniak is one of the only people who documented her encounter. Lechniak is the mother of Haunted Hamilton’s own Spooky Steph Dumbreck. In 1974, Lechniak was a practicing psychic medium. One night, she was having dinner at Fran’s Diner, a restaurant located inside of the Royal Connaught Hotel. She found herself needing to use the washroom, and so she excused herself. As she was walking through the lobby, she bumped into what she thought was a man. She soon realized that it may have been something else. Lechniak claims that the dark, shadowy figure with a semi-translucent body. When she finally got to the washroom, she was spooked. A year later in 1975, Lechniak found herself back at the hotel’s restaurant. Once more, she went to the washroom to freshen up. Walking through
the lobby, she walked past the grand marble staircase but felt that she was not alone. Standing on the first landing, she described seeing a woman wearing an antique white dress with a high laced collar, gripping a silver clutch with a short chain. Her hair was in a loose bun, held in place by a comb adorned with beads and feathers. A fitting description of none other than the Lady in White. Lechniak was startled by the figure she saw, who was staring directly into her eyes and asking, “can you help me find him please? I can’t find him.” Lechniak replied, “I will in a moment.” She went to the washroom, but when she got back, the woman was gone. Instead, Lechniak claims that a distinguished looking man with thick sideburns, a vintage suit and top hat was sitting in her place. The man looked at Lechniak with anticipation and said, “I can’t seem to find her,” before vanishing into thin air. The Lady in White became an increasingly popular sighting at the hotel, with locals and visitors sharing stories of her infamous presence. The Royal Connaught closed its doors in 2004, and the building has recently been renovated to house 122 condominiums. With the closing of the Royal Connaught hotel came the end of this chapter in Hamilton’s ghost stories. However, important questions still remains: who was the Lady in White? Will she resurface once more to haunt the grounds of the former hotel? @andrewmrozowski
C/O Hamilton Public Library, Local History & Archives
16 |
www.thesil.ca | Thursday, Oct. 31, 2019
A&C
Celebrating #31daysofhalloween Hamilton makeup artist connects with her community through her elaborate Halloween makeup
Rya Buckley Contributor
As an ongoing October tradition, makeup artists around the world have taken to Instagram to participate in the #31daysofhalloween challenge. The challenge is to post a picture of an extravagant makeup look every day in October in honour of Halloween. One of this year’s participants is Hamilton makeup artist and makeup studio owner Victoria Belletti. Every day, Belletti has been posting incredible makeup looks on her personal page @ victoriabelletti. Some of the looks have been charming, like the Van Gogh’s Starry Night she painted on her face. Other looks
have been more terrifying, such as when she made it look as though her head had been severed from her body. For Belletti, the challenge combines her love of both Halloween and makeup. “I’m kind of known for doing crazy things around Halloween. I usually do like three costumes a year. So I wanted to really push myself and do it . . . I love the kitschiness of [Halloween]. It’s kind of tacky, but aware of itself at the same time . . . there’s something about the cheesiness of Halloween . . . it makes those terrifying things way less threatening,” Belletti said. She gains inspiration from
the supportive community of makeup artists on Instagram. Some looks are directly inspired by other artists’ work, while others are references pulled from pop culture, like her Beetlejuice look. The makeup designs look
complicated, but Belletti doesn’t want them to feel inaccessible to her followers. In addition to her makeup studio, Belletti works as a cosmetic manager at Shoppers Drug Mart. She doesn’t invest in expensive special effects makeup, but uses more accessible
drugstore makeup. “Part of beauty, part of aesthetics and part of my job as a cosmetician and makeup artist is teaching people that some things are just way easier than you think they are . . . Sometimes it’s just me looking at an image and copying a reference. I think that’s something that a lot of people can do. A lot of people get down about themselves and say, ‘No, I’m not that talented,’ but if you have decent materials, it’s actually pretty easy,” said Belletti. Casting away self-doubt is the approach that Belletti advises those interested in makeup. Even if it turns out not to be your thing, she encourages everyone, regardless of gender or
The Silhouette
www.thesil.ca | Thursday, Oct. 31, 2019
| 17
Various halloween makeup looks C/O VICTORIA BELLETTI
experience, to experiment with makeup and to know that it is for them if they want it to be. Makeup is a form of art, expression and connection for Belletti. A former art school student, Belletti left the art world because the environment was not fulfilling. After getting a full time job, she started doing makeup for weddings and events on the side. Doing makeup allowed her to reconnect with her love of art. “Makeup is a way that you get to connect with other human beings . . . If it’s someone’s wedding day, it’s one of the most vulnerable times you can be face to face with a bride who is nervous or excited for her big day and you’re a small part of that. So it’s everything that I had with art and creating but it’s like an extra human level for me,” said Belletti. Working in the makeup industry now, Belletti is continuously
connecting with others. Last year, she opened her downtown Hamilton makeup studio Central Beauty Bar (195 James St. North). The studio has allowed her to form connections with not only her clients, but with Hamilton’s supportive community of entrepreneurs.
By partaking in #31daysofhalloween, Belletti continues to use makeup as a form of connection. She has received overwhelmingly positive responses not only from the Hamilton businesses and clients she knows, but also from
influencers and makeup lovers from all over. Alongside her two jobs, creating intricate makeup looks
daily has been a challenge; however, the way it has connected Belletti to both her love of art and people, making the whole experience of celebrating Halloween just plain fun. @TheSilhouette
18 |
www.thesil.ca | Thursday, Oct. 31, 2019
A&C
On Halloween, what
What you should think about as you carve pumpkins and put
Neda Pirouzmand Managing Editor
In anticipation of Oct. 31, students may have been planning events, purchasing the finishing touches for costumes or catching a timely flick. These activities, while enjoyable, reflect how Halloween has lost touch with its roots. More specifically, it is becoming increasingly detached from its connections to death. A day that once complimented other cultures and religions in honouring the dead has since morphed into a highly secularized event, notably in specific regions of North American society. Hanull (Matthew) Lee, a doctoral candidate in the department of religious studies at McMaster, is fascinated
by the development of our modern-day Halloween. Lee specializes in political theology, which documents the complex interconnections between Western theological and political thought. Halloween can be traced back to a Celtic festival called Samhain. Samhain is believed to have influenced a Christian tradition known as All Hallows’ Eve. This point has been contested by those who state that Halloween developed independently. All Hallows’ Eve is part of Allhallowtide, a threeday long commemoration of the dead. For many, this is a far cry from what Halloween stands for today. The dates for Día de Muertos or the Mexican Day of the Dead, Oct. 31-Nov. 2, are identical to Allhallowtide. Día de Muertos pays respect to the
souls of those who have passed away and recognizes death as an inherent aspect of the human experience. It is an entirely different holiday, with its own unique history and culture. However, Día de Muertos was influenced by Allhallowtide following Spanish colonization. “The fact that Día de Muertos has a cultural connection to pre-colonial native traditions doesn’t change the fact that its current celebration is an example of the inculturation of the native Mexican traditions into a Christian form, even if in a very ‘folky’ way — but such ‘folk’ traditions exist in pretty much every area of the world where Christianity took root, and parallels also exist across the world in Judaism, Islam and Buddhism,” said Lee. Diving further into this idea, Lee explains that the aforementioned religions carry their own unique history. However, within different locales, individ-
ual peculiarities will reflect the “on-the-ground” culture and religion that has persisted and developed through a history of its own.
The roots of Halloween and Día de Muertos are more complex than what people may think. “There is always this kind of negotiation between how something that is universal is expressed in a particular way . . . The complex, polyphonous expression of Allhallowtide across the world, whether as Halloween or Día de Muertos, is a great practical example of how universal ideas are expressed in a diversity of ways across space
and time, with all their tensions and developments,” said Lee. The roots of Halloween and Día de Muertos are more complex than what people may think. Throughout their history, these traditions passed through lenses, which impacted their expression. In this case, Celtic traditions and Mexican traditions were independently transformed through a Christian lens. The assimilation of Samhain was just one instance of a larger process of acculturation during the 6th century. Allhallowtide was not a direct import or continuation of Samhain, but rather the Christianization of a previously pagan holiday. “[Still], they each have their distinct customs that surround this day that are unique and reflect the local and ancient traditions that existed before Christianity became influential over those lands. Take the Anglo-Halloween
The Silhouette
www.thesil.ca | Thursday, Oct. 31, 2019
| 19
are we celebrating?
on costumes
traditions, even before modernity they never built altars for the dead that they were commemorating, but in Mexico that often has been a big part of the culture,” said Lee. At some point, Halloween and Día de Muertos began influencing each other. For example, Lee has read that facets of North American Halloween culture, such as dressing up in costumes and getting treats from neighbours, may be influencing Mexican culture. In addition, some North Americans, having become familiar with Día de Muertos, have begun wearing Halloween guises derived from Día de Muertos. Lee’s research revealed that over the course of the 20th century, especially in North America, English-speaking nations became secularized very quickly. With this, Halloween lost its ties to Celtic and Christian traditions. “And what is Halloween
to us now? Well, for kids, it is getting free candy, for everyone else it is wearing costumes that they will not wear any time of the year, you know? No one knows what it was anymore,” said Lee.
For Lee, the way that Halloween has morphed in many contemporary North American regions is a small piece of a broader reluctance to think about death seriously. With a more critical eye, we can see what Halloween has left behind in its rich history.
“I think the contemporary White Anglophone societies have lost a robust connection to their cultural heritage and history to be a profound tragedy. I have heard from a number of White Canadians over the years comment that they ‘have no culture’. Now, of course we can immediately criticize them for being blind to the anglo-normative shape of mainstream Canadian culture, which is true, but I think we should also take such comments somewhat seriously at face value. Modern secularism and late capitalism have broken down a myriad of Western traditions to the point that many White Canadians feel alienated and unrooted even in their own birth country. The seemingly insatiable hunger of White Anglophones to dabble and appropriate ‘racialized’ things rightly elicits our
disdain, but I want to suggest that it should also elicit an even greater pity,” said Lee. An industry worth billions of dollars may be supporting unhealthy trends in more ways than one. For Lee, the way that Halloween has morphed in many contemporary North American regions is part of a broader reluctance to think about death seriously. While there are groups who still commemorate the original values of Halloween, the loss is still quite robust. “If there is anything I hope people take away from this, it would be for the reader to take death seriously again, to take the time to remember those who have passed from this world. I hope that we all come to resist the pathological tendency of our contemporary society to obscure our morality
and sanitize human suffering, because under the shroud of such obscuration there can be no authentic life,” said Lee. Not only is it important to acknowledge pre-colonization societies which inspired Halloween, but to also acknowledge the transformations that their original principles underwent as a result of colonization. There is more to be said and learned about Halloween’s history. However, even with the information at hand, it is apparent that celebrating Halloween without an awareness of its history would be to ignore the implications of what our modern-day celebrations reflect.
@TheSilhouette
Graphics by ELISABETTA PAIANO / PRODUCTION EDITOR
20 20 ||
www.thesil.ca www.thesil.ca || Thursday, Thursday, Oct. Oct. 31, 31, 2019 2019
A&C A&C
Halloween Tips and tricks to DIY your own spooky get up
Lauren O’Donnell A&C Reporter
Halloween is upon us. If you don’t already have your costume prepared, fear not! These tips and tricks can help you assemble a costume quickly, easily and cheaply.
When in doubt, hot glue it out
Hot glue guns usually retail for under $10, and they are a life-saver. This Mary Poppins costume was made for under $25, which is much cheaper than the average store-bought costume. The pants and shirt can be thrifted, and the hat was $5 from Value Village. The Silhouette recently ran a
piece focusing on thrift stores in Hamilton, so if you’re not sure where to shop, check it out once our website is back up and running! The flowers were bought at the dollar store for $2 and then attached with hot glue. The bowtie is a piece of red ribbon from the dollar store for $1 that was then folded up and secured with a safety pin, before being attached to the collar with a bobby pin. Altogether, this costume took about 40 minutes to assemble.
Instantly recognizable
Pick a costume with an easily recognizable prop. This Indiana Jones costume is really simple to make as soon as you can get
your hands on the hat. This one was $6 from Value Village, but similar ones can be found at most vintage stores. The shirt and pants are easy to find at most thrift stores. Add a rope if you’re feeling spicy and you’re all set to go. A crystal skull is recommended, but not mandatory.
Easy to thrift
These Rosie the Riveter and Harry Potter costumes were both easy to find. Like the Indiana Jones hat, as soon as you’ve found the perfect piece to complete the outfit, the rest of it is less important. When most people see a costume, they fill in the details of things that you’ve missed. The Rosie jumpsuit is from Dollywood Vintage, and
the Harry Potter cloak was from Value Village. The bandana, tie, and button-up shirt were already in my closet.
Open up your closet
These hobbit and Gandalf costumes were a little bit more tricky to make, but the defining features are the cloaks. These are actually bed sheets that have been secured at the neck with a hair tie. The rest of the costumes were a mix of ordinary clothes and thrifted pieces. The most expensive part of the Gandalf costume was the beard, which was $8.99. The hat was crocheted by hand, but you could easily pick one up at a second-hand store.
Be Bob Ross
I fully guarantee that you will be the most popular person at the Halloween party with this happy little costume. If you’re looking for a couples costume, feel free to have your significant other or friend dress up as a painting! The shirt for this costume was $5, the wig was $8.99 and the paintbrush was $2 from the dollar store. Add some jeans and a bit of contour
@TheSilhouette
The Silhouette staff in DIY Halloween costumes CINDY CUI / PHOTO EDITOR
The The Silhouette Silhouette || 21 21
www.thesil.ca www.thesil.ca || Thursday, Thursday, Oct. Oct. 31, 31, 2019 2019
on a budget
DIY Mary Poppins costume.
DIY Indiana Jones costume.
DIY Harry Potter costume.
DIY Hobbit and Gandalf costumes.
DIY Rosie the Riveter
DIY Bob Ross
22 |
www.thesil.ca | Thursday, Oct. 31, 2019
A&C
Why do we have these Halloween traditions? Lauren O’Donnell A&C Reporter
Halloween has become a celebration, of dressing up and eating chocolate to your heart’s content. But it wasn’t always this way. A long time ago, Halloween was something deeper. This article charts the rise and fall of some of Halloween’s most popular traditions.
Samhain and AlL-- Hallows Eve Halloween began as the Celtic tradition of Samhain. Accoridng to History.com, it marked the evening before the beginning of the new year, when “the boundary between the worlds of the living and the dead became blurred”. During the festival, bonfires would be lit and sacrifices made both to ward off evil spirits and to try and predict the future of the
coming year. When the Celts were violently conquered by the Holy Roman empire, the festival was adapted to suit Catholic sensibilities. Eventually it became a part of a three-day commemoration of the dead known as Allhallowtide. Today, one of these three days is now a chance to dress up and eat discounted candy in many Western societies.
Jack--- o’-- lanterns Jack-o’-lanterns originate from an Irish myth about a man called Stingy Jack. Jack invited the devil to have a drink with him, but he claimed he didn’t have any money. He conned the devil into turning into a coin, which Jack then put in his pocket next to a silver cross to prevent the devil from transforming back. He freed the devil on the condition that he wouldn’t claim Jack’s soul for a year. When the devil came
back, Jack tricked him into climbing up an apple tree, and then surrounded the tree with silver crosses, trapping the devil again. Jack made the devil swear not to take his soul for ten years. When Jack died, he ended up locked out of both Heaven and Hell. He was sent away with only a burning coal to light his way, which he put into a carved out turnip. Initially, jack-o’-lanterns were made from carved potatoes and turnips. When the tradition came to America, they switched to pumpkins.
TRICK-- OR--TREATING Trick-or-treating comes from a number of ancient traditions. During Samhain, food was left out for the spirits — like leaving out milk and cookies for Santa, but with demons. In the middle ages, performers called mummers would perform in exchange for food and drink. In Scotland and Ireland, children
would dress up and perform tricks in exchange for snacks, a tradition known as guising. Unfortunately, they generally received nuts and seeds rather than mini Mars Bars.
COSTUMES During Samhain, the borders between the natural and the supernatural became blurred. Certain attire was used to scare away unwanted spirits. They would also wear masks so that when they ventured forth into the night, ghosts would mistake them for fellow spirits. This is a far cry from the twelve Spiderman costumes I saw last year.
VOODOO Not all spooky traditions are light-hearted. Many of us may be familiar with the image of the voodoo doll stuck full of pins. However, similar to other Halloween traditions, voodoo has been watered down and
distorted over the course of history. Voodoo originated in West Africa, in modern-day Benin, as a religion and way of life. It only became associated with “evil” practices when Haitian slaves were brought to America and forced to give up their religion. The conception of voodoo as evil and malevolent is one which still persists today. Maybe give this some thought before you dress up as a voodoo doll for Halloween. Many Halloween traditions are traditional rituals and practices that have been watered down over time. While some elements still remain in our modern-day society, their roots are being muddied, potentially through a lack of awareness and appreciation for past traditions and values. @TheSilhouette
ELISABETTA PAIANO / PRODUCTION EDITOR
www.thesil.ca | Thursday, Oct. 31, 2019
The Silhouette | 23
Sports There’s more to disc than what meets the eye Here’s what sets Ultimate Frisbee apart from the other major sports
Women’s ultimate frisbee C/O ED KUNG
Eamonn Vallely Contributor
Amelia Keenan is one of the four captains for the McMaster Women’s Ultimate Frisbee team. Keenan’s older brother, Patrick, was the one who initially started playing the sport, influencing her and the rest of her family to pick up a disc. This was Keenan’s first year as captain and she has been grappling with some of the challenges that come with her title. As captain, she believes that it is her job to lead by example. The team has three coaches with different availabilities and different styles. Therefore, when it comes to coaching, they can only have so much consistency. This variation in consistency brings forward some challenges for the captains, as they must be able to adapt to the different styles and abilities of their coaches. “The real consistency is within the captains, we have to
adopt some coaching roles and run our practices and our training weekends,” Keenan said. Keenan explained that this extra challenge of coaching has taught her a great deal about how she plays, allowing her to become a more well-rounded player overall. “As a player, you find yourself really only focusing on your personal game. Stepping into this role has opened me up to actually having to give feedback and potentially correct other players, it’s challenging in a lot of ways, especially with such a short season,” Keenan added. The three other captains of the women’s team are Ashley Wray, Lixia Xu and Leah Tackaberry-Giddens. “There are so many things I appreciate about their styles of captaining. Lixia has such an incredible energy throughout the whole game, she’s the first voice you hear after a point whether it was for us or against us. Leah
compliments Lixia extremely well, she brings a calmness and chillness to the team that I definitely don’t,” she says as she laughs. “Ashley is actually injured right now —which has its challenges — but it doesn’t change her involvement with the team. She’s still at every practice and tournament, she really keeps everything together and knows what needs to be done solely through her knowledge and decisiveness.” Outside of university and some professional leagues, the majority of Ultimate Frisbee teams are co-ed or mixed. This is how Keenan started playing in high school. She expressed her appreciation for the uniqueness of the mixed nature of the sport. “There are not too many sports that you play co-ed. Like hockey, soccer, basketball, it’s all completely separated. Frisbee is really unique like that,” Keenan said.
Nonetheless, the co-ed nature of frisbee does not translate as well to the professional level. There is a professional men’s league called the American Ultimate Disk League, which does not yet exist for women, although the AUDL has announced they have tentative plans to start a women’s league as early as 2020. There is also the Premier Ultimate League which is a women’s only league but has not reached the level of popularity that the AUDL has. Keenan explained that gender equity is a highly discussed topic between the men’s and women’s ultimate teams at McMaster. The teams split themselves up into small groups and discuss their experiences with gender inequality in sport and in life. Keenan believes that disc is destined to grow as a women’s sport, as long as more funding is dedicated towards televising high-level women’s frisbee. “One of the big reasons
why most people who play frisbee — regardless of whether they’re a woman or a man — watch men’s frisbee is because there are more men who play frisbee,” Keenan said. The National University Ultimate Frisbee tournament took place over reading week. The women’s team ended up placing fifth overall, besting the University of Waterloo and old-time rivals, the University of Ottawa, to get there.
@TheSilhouette
24 |
www.thesil.ca | Thursday, Oct. 31, 2019
SPORTS
A running start for U sports Championships Cross country teams’ performance at provincial open sets them up for a promising finish to the season
The men’s cross country team after their silver medal performance 2019. MAXINE GRAVINA/DIGITAL MEDIA SPECIALIST
Graham West Sports Editor
Over the weekend the men’s and women’s cross country teams competed in the Ontario University Athletics championship, one of the largest tournaments of the year. The momentous open took place at Bayfront Park in downtown Hamilton. At the 2018 OUA cross country championship, the men’s team placed first overall and the women’s team placed sixth. However, this year the men’s team posted a total of 48 points to grab second place out of 11 teams, while the women’s team posted a total of 165 points to snag fifth place out of 12 teams. If these numbers seem confusing, it may be because cross country is a unique sport where points are allocated to individual runners. The lower the total points, the higher the team places. First place at a race is allotted one point, second place gets two points and so on. Having a lower score means your team did better at the race.
Although their overall performance was a step back from last year’s, second place is a great finish for the men’s team. They were also only eight points behind the first-place finishers, the University of Guelph Gryphons. The men’s team is set for a potentially strong performance at the U sports championship on Nov. 8 and 9. Having three runners in the top ten was essential to the team’s success. The standout performers from the day were Andrew Davies, Alex Drover and Max Turek, who placed fifth, sixth and eighth respectively. What bodes well for the men’s team are perennial powerhouse runners Turek and fellow veteran Sergio Raez-Villanueva, who both underperformed at the tournament compared to their typical performances. At last year’s OUA championship, Turek placed first overall and Raez-Villanueva placed seventh. Raez-Villanueva placed fifteenth this year, also securing bronze at the Bayfront Open which took place on Oct. 11. He is a consistent top scorer who could make
a larger impact at the U sports championship.
Having three runners in the top ten was essential to the team’s success. The standout performers from the day were Andrew Davies, Alex Drover and Max Turek, who placed fifth, sixth and eighth respectively. The women’s cross country team is mostly full of first and second years, so their fifth-place finish, an improvement from their sixth-place finish last year, is quite promising for their future. Their top three performers at the OUA championship were Caroline Forbes, a second-year runner who placed 21st overall,
Morgan McKeown who placed 26th and Amanda Lewis, another rookie athlete who placed 38th.
At last year’s OUA championship, Turek placed first overall and Raez-Villanueva placed seventh. Raez-Villanueva placed fifteenth this year, also securing bronze at the Bayfront Open which took place on Oct. 11. Although a fifth-place finish is impressive for the team, there was quite a disparity between fourth and fifth place. The fourth-place University of Western Mustangs had 51 points, compared to the Marauders who finished with a
total of 108 points.
The women’s cross country team is mostly full of first and second years, so their fifth-place finish, an improvement from their sixth-place finish last year, is quite promising for their future. The men’s and women’s team are looking to have a positive end to the season, building upon their own individual flashes of greatness at the OUA championships. They will look to improve on their finishes at the U sports championship on Nov. 8 and 9. @TheSilhouette
www.thesil.ca | Thursday, Oct. 31, 2019
The Silhouette | 25
Big shoes to fill Despite a new team, the women’s basketball team looks to make strides this season
The McMaster women’s basketball team 2018 C/O Kyle West
Hannah Walters-Vida Editor-in-Chief
The 2019-2020 women’s basketball season tipped off this past weekend, with the team facing the Lakehead Thunderwolves. McMaster won Friday’s game on the Oct. 25 with a socre of 80-55 against Lakehead and the team was able to get ahead of Lakehead again on Oct. 26 for a final score of 67-65, ending the series with a sweep against the Thunderwolves. The Marauders have a lot to live up to this year, having claimed the Critelli Cup last year, and winning the Bronze Baby at last year’s U sports national championship.
The Marauders have a lot to live up to this year, having claimed the Critelli Cup last year, and winning the Bronze Baby at last year’s U sports national championship.
The team’s unprecedented success last year was due in large part to its strong veteran players. This year, however, many of the Marauders’ top athletes have graduated, leading to a team that will have to rely on first and second year players at times. According to head coach Theresa Burns, the rookies are coming in with a strong set of skills. However, the jump between playing high school and university-level basketball is large, meaning that new players often need an adjustment period before they are ready to play at the pace of university basketball. Burns recognizes that this will take time, noting that team members themselves need to take the initiative to learn. Burns remarked, “The first half of the year, we’re hoping that we’re going to have good success. But we also recognize there’s going to be some ups and downs with the young team. And that’s okay. We’re learning.” The team is aiming towards the “long game”, taking the first half of the year to learn and grow, while setting their sights on playoffs at the end of the year. Despite being a relatively new team in terms of its
players, strong veterans remain. The veteran team members all contributed to winning a national championship, giving them experience that they can pass on to their fellow newer teammates. Notable among the team’s veteran players are guard Christina Buttenham, who transferred from the University of Iowa in January 2018. Third-year guard Sarah Gates is another veteran player who, Burns hopes, will help guide the team forward. The team also benefits from the leadership of Assistant Coach Danielle Boiago, who led the Marauders to success during her time as a student and was named 2016-2017 U Sports all-Canada Player of the Year. “She’s just such a good basketball mind. She understands the game. She’s a good communicator with our players. She’s a great communicator on the bench as a coach. She sees things. She understands the game. And so I’m so happy. So, so happy to have her on our staff,” remarked Burns. Burns remarked on elements of success from last year that she hopes to continue for the year ahead. One of the reasons for the team’s success
last year was their approach of balanced scoring. The team did not rely on just one player to score, meaning they were not as vulnerable to opposing teams’ defense. The team also had a strong defense and were committed to playing a fast game. The last, and according to Burns, the most important element for success, is the team’s culture: the way they work together and carry themselves both on and off the court. Burns spoke to the importance of being ambassadors for the university, and working to support one another. “Whatever you can do to make the person next to you better is going to help the team in the long run, so we talk a lot about empowering each other,” said Burns. Burns also took note of her own responsibility for creating a strong team dynamic, remarking that her ability to positively influence her players largely depends on how she communicates with the team. “The day that you cut a corner on something or as a coach, [if] I’m not mindful of how I’m saying something or when I’m saying something, as soon as you cut a corner off, there will be a little chip in your armour.
It’ll erode your culture even a teeny bit. So you have to pay attention to it all the time, every day,” she said.
“Whatever you can do to make the person next to you better is going to help the team in the long run,” Theresa Burns Head Coach McMaster Women’s Basketball team Despite being a relatively new team this year, the women’s basketball team is setting their sights high. Taking direction from their strong veterans and coaches, they are taking the time to learn, grow and develop as a team.
@TheSilhouette
26
GAMES
www.thesil.ca | Thursday, Oct. 31, 2019
Games
ACROSS 1- Former Russian ruler; 5- Tell all; 9- Pampering places; 13- Stan’s chum; 15- Prego rival; 16- Trial; 17- Chambers; 18- Author Turgenev; 19- I could ___ horse!; 20- Born: Fr.; 21- Periodic movement of the sea; 23- Horse-drawn vehicle in India; 25- Franklin D.’s mother; 26- Spanish rice dish; 27- Uppercase;
30- Pipe joint; 31- Put on a pedestal; 32- Insular; 37- Boy or man; 38- Radiant; 40- Staffer; 41- Previous to birth; 43- Army leader?; 44- NASCAR sponsor; 45- Intolerant of another’s creed; 47- Beard type; 50- Overt; 51- Adherent of Islam; 52- Before long;
53- ___ Schwarz; 56- Type size; 57- Spy; 59- ___ of a Salesman; 61- According to the Bible, he was the first man; 62- Cab; 63- Pertaining to birds; 64- Dynamic beginning; 65- Eye sore; 66- Rubik of cube fame
25- Temptress; 26- Cancun coin; 27- Group of tents; 28- Purim month; 29- Tent stick; 32- Off one’s feed; 33- Brother of Moses; 34- Windshield option; 35- Actress Falco; 36- Action; 38- Tries; 39- Open wide; 42- Italian wine city; 43- Plan;
45- Bet taker; 46- Wall St. debut; 47- Tour leader; 48- Movie award; 49- Battle site of 1836; 51- Movie-rating org.; 52- Alluring; 53- Free from bias; 54- ___ impasse; 55- Don’t tell me!; 58- Devour; 60- First mate?
DOWN 1- Ripped; 2- Blackthorn; 3- Shampoo ingredient; 4- Flange; 5- A type of suite or party; 6- Bathe; 7- ___ Khan; 8- Small house; 9- Take the wrong way?; 10- It may be cultured; 11- Latin stars; 12- Command to Fido; 14- What you will; 22- George’s lyricist; 24- War, to Sherman;
SPORTS
We Offer Affordable Coffee Monster Donuts, Bigger Bagels + so much more! @msu_unionmarket
/unionmarketmsu
HALLOWEEN IS ON A WEEKDAY, YOU BE T WE PART YING THE WEEKEND BEFORE AND AFTER S9
THURSDAY
THE
HAMILTON SPECULATOR DRESSING UP AS CATS SINCE 1934
OC TOBER 31, 2019
NOTSPEC.COM
Today’s free HORRORscopes
Halloween marks the beginning of Mercury retrograde, and shit is about to get spooky Sagittarius | Nov. 22 to Dec. 21
Take it easy, bud. You’ll probably end up in black jeans and a black t-shirt, but the costume doesn’t matter – you’re here for the parties. Your night might be a little chaotic, and you’ll probably (most definitely) going to end up hanging out with your older brother and the bros.
Capricorn | Dec. 22 to Jan. 19
WE STAN BY OUR QWEEN THIS HALLOWEEN. Despite the chaos of Mercury in retrograde, you’ve got your shit together. That’s all, we appreciate you.
Aquarius | Jan. 20 to Feb. 18
Admit it, you want to dress up as a cat. That’s okay, it’s your choice, but I want you to think long and hard about that. Especially with that new Cats movie coming out, do you REALLY want to be associated with that?
Gemini | May 21 to June 20
Halloween is an interesting time of the year for you. Old friends are creeping up in your dms and while you want to be social, the thought of driving around to party with twenty-something year olds in other cities is just too much effort for a Thursday night.
Cancer | June 21 to July 22
Your Halloween is going to be pretty boring. Even the kid that drops by your night class occasionally with his mom is having a more lit time than you.
Leo | July 23 to Aug. 22
Leo, leo, leo… Halloween just isn’t your thing. You’d much rather spend your Thursday night binging the Office.
Pisces | Feb. 19 to March 20
“Baby how you feelin’? Feeling good as hell. Hair toss. Check my nails. Baby how you feelin’? – Lizzo” – Pisces
Aries | March 21 to April 19
Listen up Aries, you’re the daredevil in this bunch and that’s a lot of pressure to live up to in the costume category. Let your sign’s impulsiveness take hold this Halloween and MSAF your assignment so you can go to that party ;)
Taurus | April 20 to May 20
You’re going to spend Halloween in a cute, well thought out costume. I see you indulging in the spooky fall aesthetic with friends. Stay wholesome Taurus, stay wholesome.
Virgo | Aug. 23 to Sept. 22
You can be a little shy, but when your squad is getting in formation for Halloween, you deliver.
Libra | Sept. 23 to Oct. 22
You’ve either yet to think of a costume for Halloween or you’ve thought of a million ideas by now. There really is no in-between when it comes to your indecisiveness, Libra. The good thing is if you wear anything other than your grey jeans, people will probably think you’re in costume.
We got rid of Scorpio, again (sorry not sorry). You can check out Refinery69 though.
Disclaimer: The Hamilton Speculator is a work of satire and fiction and should not under any circumstances be taken seriously. LIKE SERIOUSLY, stop taking everything so seriously, we’re all really tired folks. Peace out.
PER ISSUE: One gourd and two pumpkins. INCL. HST, PST & A supermoon.