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INSIDE>>
NEWS: TAPPING INTO YOUR NEW BUS PASS // PAGE 3 ARTS & CULTURE: MAC STUDENTS IN PRO WRESTLING // PAGE 11 SPORTS: FALL SEASON FOOTBALL // PAGE 14
The Silhouette Thursday, Sept. 7, 2017
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The Silhouette
Volume 88, Issue 4 Thursday, September 7, 2017 McMaster University’s Student Newspaper
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MCMASTER THESIL
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EDITORIAL BOARD editor-in-chief | thesil@thesil.ca Shane Madill @shanemadill digital media specialist | dms@msu.mcmaster.ca Aaron de Jesus managing editor | managing@thesil.ca Rachel Katz production editor | production@thesil.ca Catherine Tarasyuk online editor | online@thesil.ca Haley Greene sections
Sasha Dhesi Cassidy Bereskin features reporter Emily O’Rourke news@thesil.ca news editor
news reporter
opinion editor
Reem Sheet
opinion@thesil.ca
Justin Parker Jessica Carmichael sports@thesil.ca
sports editor sports reporter
& culture editor Daniel Arauz & culture reporter Razan Samara aandc@thesil.ca
arts arts
media
Madeline Neumann photo reporter Kyle West production coordinator Grant Holt production coordinator Timothy Law production@thesil.ca photo editor
Yvonne Lu Jaime Cook online content coordinator Susie Ellis online@thesil.ca video editor
social media coordinator
COVER PHOTO Rachel Connell
CONTACT
LEGAL
MUSC, Room B110 McMaster University 1280 Main Street West, Hamilton, ON L8S 4S4
The Silhouette welcomes letters to the editor in person at MUSC B110, or by email at thesil@thesil.ca. Please include name, address and telephone number for verification only. Letters should be 300 words or less. We reserve the right to edit, condense or reject letters and opinion articles. Opinions and editorials expressed in the Silhouette are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of the editorial board, the publishers, the McMaster Students Union or the University. The Silhouette is an editorially autonomous newspaper published by the McMaster Students Union. The Silhouette Board of Publications acts as an intermediary between the editorial board, the McMaster community and the McMaster Students Union. Grievances regarding the Silhouette may be forwarded in writing to: McMaster Students Union, McMaster University Student Centre, Room 201, L8S 4S4, Attn: The Silhouette Board of Publications. The Board will consider all submissions and make recommendations accordingly.
Editor-in-Chief (905) 525-9140, ext 22052 Main Office (905) 525-9140, ext 27117 Advertising Vlad Motorykin ccpc@msu.mcmaster.ca 8,000 circulation published by the
“If Orientation week is any indication, it appears that the university recruiters have gathered together a bunch of alcoholics to make up the class of ‘78.”
WE WANT YOU TO CONTRIBUTE We are starting up our weekly schedule for the academic year! This is the last reduced issue for a while. Starting next week, the paper will revert back to 28 pages. We look forward to seeing you on campus. As always, we will continue to accept volunteer submissions, feedback and inquiries. Feel free to visit our office in MUSC B110 or send an email to the appropriate section editor.
www.thesil.ca | Thursday, September 7, 2017
The Silhouette
| 3
News Say Hello to Presto, Mac
What you need to know about the new Hamilton Street Railway University pass Sasha Dhesi News Editor
Something green comes this way, as the McMaster Students Union rolls out their new Hamilton Transit Railway bus pass for the 2017-2018 school year. Starting this year, the new bus pass will be a Metrolinx Presto card, a green card that gives users access to multiple public transit systems scattered throughout Ontario. The new Presto card comes with free usage of the HSR and comes pre-loaded with the other student discounts Presto offers. As of Sept.1, students may use use their Presto card to tap onto any HSR bus, free of charge. Presto cards work in Brampton, Burlington, the Durham region, Mississauga, Oakville, Ottawa, Toronto and the York region. They may also be used on GO transit and the Union Pearson express. To use a Presto card, users must add money to their card’s balance, and each time they ‘tap’ their card onto a Presto card machine on a bus, their balance will be deducted the price of a Presto ticket. Users may add money to their card either in person and instantly have it added to their card, or online which will be added within the next 24 hours. To use the Presto card as an HSR bus pass, tap the card onto the Presto machine and flash your student card to the bus
To use Presto card as an HSR bus pass, tap the card onto the Presto machine and flash your student card to the bus driver.
MADELINE NEUMANN/PHOTO EDITOR
driver. The exact charge depends on the transit system, but generally speaking the Presto charge will be lower than the price of an individual ticket. Presto cards automatically discount all GO transit rides by 11.5 per cent. In the last major MSU election period, students voted to maintain the extended levels of service of past years despite the pay increase this would entail. Students now pay $187.67 for their HSR bus pass, an increase from last year’s $150.80. The HSR bus pass will also increase next year to $206.16 and then $225.55.
If a student loses their bus pass they may buy another one for $6. This is a significant decrease in cost from last year’s replacement fee, which was $25. While an increase, the bus pass is still below the Ontario average of $230 for university bus passes. The HSR bus pass must be negotiated and voted on every three years as per the contract between the MSU and the HSR. If a student loses their bus pass and have registered their Presto card on
their website, they may buy another one for $6 from any GO transit centre and can add the card to their account online, assuring they have access to the HSR discounts. This is a significant decrease in cost from last year’s replacement fee, which was $25. Otherwise, students who lose their passes and have not registered it must go to the MSU Compass centre in the McMaster University Student Centre, where they will receive the correct information to register the lost card. After registering the lost card, a new card will be issued and the student will have to pay $25.
If a student already owns a Presto card, they can transfer the funds from their old card to the new one by visiting a GO transit centre. Students may also visit the MSU Compass centre and receive a refund form, and receive a cheque in the mail within two to four weeks. The introduction of the Presto card as a bus pass marks a new age in the continually changing negotiations between the MSU and HSR, and any questions about the process should be directed to either Metrolinx or the MSU Compass Centre. @SashaDhesi
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NEWS
Thursday, September 7, 2017 | www.thesil.ca
The Board of Directors’ Summer Summary
A check in on the Board of Directors’ productive summer
Ryan Deshpande V.P. Education
Daniel Tuba D’Souza V.P. Finance
Preethi Anbalagan V.P. Administration
Ryan Deshpande, vice president (Education), acts as a voting member of the Student Representative Assembly and Executive Board and as an ex-officio member of all other McMaster Students Union committees. He is also responsible for chairing the Academic Affairs Council, developing external lobbying strategies and spearheading MSU policy concerning municipal, provincial and federal politics. Deshpande’s year plan emphasized the need for improvements to McMaster’s exam schedule policies and increased campus accessibility for students with disabilities. Deshpande also proposed sexual violence prevention training for students and the creation of a syllabus repository for undergraduate courses. Over the last few months, Deshpande has laid the necessary groundwork, establishing numerous committees and working to ensure that sexual violence prevention is an Ontario University Students’ Alliance priority. While successful on some fronts, many of Deshpande’s ambitious plans hinge on McMaster’s willingness to adopt them. “Exam schedule changes will hopefully happen this year, as I am putting forward recommendations as the university reviews their policy this summer. The syllabus repository will require a coordinated effort across all faculties, though hopefully by the end of this year there will be something created that can later be filled,” said Deshpande. Deshpande’s platform also consists of detailed municipal, provincial and federal advocacy plans. Some of these include increasing the MSU’s presence at Hamilton city council meetings, introducing landlord rating and licensing systems for off-campus students, supporting OUSA advocacy and lobbying the government to remove the two per cent funding cap on the Post-Secondary Student Support Program for Indigenous students. Deshpande has also started writing OUSA’s Indigenous Students policy and collaborating with a federal advocacy group that lobbies on behalf of undergraduate students’ needs.
Daniel “Tuba” D’Souza, vice president (Finance), is responsible for overseeing the MSU’s finance department. His role entails budgeting, providing advisory services to business units, service units, the board of directors, Executive Board, and the SRA, chairing the Silhouette Board of Publication and developing initiatives that improve the MSU’s fiscal status quo. In his year plan, D’Souza proposed the creation of a new TwelvEighty, which would offer students affordable gourmet food and specialty beverages. After receiving a capital allocation from the SRA and fast-tracking the logistics of the project, Over the last few months, D’Souza was able to implement his most ambitious platform point. While developing his proposal, D’Souza noted the old TwelvEighty’s decline in food sales and low club night attendance. To boost sales, D’Souza will be implementing an online ordering system wherein students can pay via phone and pick up food on the way to class. To increase club night attendance, D’Souza proposed that club nights be limited to popular dates and each club night be given a unique theme. The new TwelvEighty, with the addition of a café and study spot, is expected to open towards the end of October. “For the first time ever we will be having five large concerts in the month of September and have completely revamped our club nights with a change in frequency, change in music and the addition of themes,” said D’Souza. Two other projects at the forefront of D’Souza’s agenda include a large-scale consultation plan for the new Student Activity Building, plus a “McMaster Student Economic Engagement Strategy” aimed at outlining the ways in which the MSU plans to engage students in experimental and professional development opportunities.
As MSU vice president (Administration), Preethi Anbalagan is responsible for serving as the Vice-Chair of the Executive Board, Deputy Speaker of the SRA and voting member of the SRA and Executive Board, bridging the gap between the SRA, the Executive Board, and part-time managers and ensuring that adequate training is provided to PTMs and committee chairs. In her year plan, Anbalagan emphasized improvements to SRA, PTM and associate-vice president support and training. She also stressed the importance of the creation of an employment equity statement and better navigation of human resources issues. For Welcome Week, Anbalagan promised to strategically plan themes, expand bystander intervention training to a larger student audience, run pre-Welcome Week events in areas of high commuter population for off-campus students and integrate the SRA and other campus services into Welcome Week. This summer, Anbalagan invested a generous amount of time into training over 50 paid employees and preparing for Welcome Week. “Now overseeing our strategic themes, I’ve spent quite a bit of time event-planning and connecting with campus and off-campus partners to coordinate and plan unique events and messaging that fall within the realm of mental health, sexual violence prevention and response and alcohol awareness,” said Anbalagan.
Cassidy Bereskin News Reporter @theSilhouette
NEWS | 5
www.thesil.ca | Thursday, September 7, 2017
I am proud to have played a significant role in ensuring improvements to wireless services are student centred Chukky Ibe President
“
Chukky Ibe President As the MSU’s President, Ibe is the primary spokesperson for the student union. He chairs the Executive Board, board of directors and the Presidents’ Council, serves as an active voting member of the SRA and the Executive Board and represents the MSU to McMaster, Hamilton and government organizations. In his 2017-2018 year plan, Ibe highlighted 11 key objectives; the first consisted of a strategy to ensure that MSU’s interests are aligned with those of its student constituency. His other primary objectives showcased the need for improvements to textbook affordability, the off-campus experience, food delivery, student communities, partnerships between student societies and the wellness centre, campus accessibility for students with mobility restrictions and Wi-Fi access on campus. “I am proud to have played a significant role in ensuring improvements to wireless services are student centred and more student input is provided through the UTS governing board and student satisfaction surveys,” said Ibe. This summer, communicating with the Student Wellness Centre and The Student Wellness and Education Lower Lounge, Ibe has been working to implement the McMaster caring communities network and localize health and wellness service to student communities. His food delivery program, which will allow students to order affordable food to their student houses, is expected to be in full force as of September. While meeting with deans and associate deans, Ibe was able to discuss affordable courseware, early adoption of course materials, open educational resources and the off-campus experience. “There is a broad consensus from all parties that improving support for off-campus and international students are overdue,” said Ibe.
I’ve spent quite a bit of time event-planning and connecting with campus and offcampus partners to coordinate and plan unique events and messaging that fall within the realm of mental health, sexual violence prevention and response and alcohol awareness Preethi Anbalagan Vice President Administration
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For the first time ever we will be having five large concerts in the month of September and have completely revamped our club nights with a change in frequency, change in music, and the addition of themes Daniel D’Souza Vice President Finance
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Exam schedule changes will hopefully happen this year, as I am putting forward recommendations as the university reviews their policy this summer Ryan Deshpande Vice President Education
Claude Monet, McMaster Museum of Art Collection
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Tom Thomson, Art Gallery of Hamilton Collection
C/O SARAH MAE CONRAD
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EDITORIAL
Thursday, September 7, 2017 | www.thesil.ca
Editorial Breaking down McMaster’s new rank Increased prestige barely affects undergrads
One of the most popular topics involving McMaster recently had to do with its spot on the Times Higher Education World University Rankings for this year. As a university, Mac improved 35 spots from 113 to 78 in the world. This is the largest improvement of any institution in the top 100. But there are a few stipulations to this that make a substantial difference. There are a number of subcategories that went into this overall rating. Only a few of these are directly relevant to the undergraduate experience. The area that Mac improved in the most was “Industry Income” from 66.1 to 89.8. This is defined as: “the extent to which businesses are willing to pay for research and a university’s ability to attract funding in the commercial marketplace — useful indicators of institutional quality.” While you could definitely make the argument that the ability to get funds means that
the quality of your education will be better, it is not as direct as the other categories. Without context, this does not differentiate between graduate and undergraduate expenses, and fails to provide any indication about how effectively these funds are used. For McMaster, this is more of an indication of the construction and purchases the university has made recently. A lot of this will likely not affect you for a few years to come, and that is assuming you have not graduated by that point. Fortunately, this only takes up 2.5 per cent of the overall grade. The second best improvement went to “Citations”. This is about how often a university’s published work is cited by scholars globally. An improvement from 82.3 to 89.9, the subcategory takes up a substantial 30 per cent of the overall grade. This is also separated from the subcategory of “Research,” which is another 30 per cent. These do not directly affect you in any way. In terms of grad school, sure, you would love to work with one of the
professors here. The university’s reputation as a research school is better than ever, but there is little to get excited about as an undergraduate besides the fact that construction efforts may eventually pay off. The only real saving grace of this is that categories that might be applicable to you increased as well. “Teaching” and “International outlook” increased by 2.1 and 1.9, respectively. These increased by less than the three mentioned previously. Progress is being made for you as an undergrad, but it is not as direct or applicable to you as we should expect. There are improvements being made across the university. You have to take rankings like this at more than face value, and see what actually affects the undergraduate population. Feel free to enjoy McMaster’s new rank. Just remember to keep demanding more as an undergraduate.
NEWS
OPINION
A&C
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Weekly in-person volunteer meetings will be Mondays at 3:30
Weekly in-person volunteer meetings will be Mondays at 12:00
Shane Madill Editor-in-Chief
Weekly in-person volunteer meetings will be Mondays at 4:30
Weekly in-person volunteer meetings will be Mondays at 1:00
@shanemadill
to exposing a catfish from Tinder
to moon phases when they mess you up
to staring directly at the sun
to AAAAH MY EYES HURT
to messed up WW rep suits
to your friends vowing to kill you at any opportunity
to mashed potatoes made out of real, unpowdered potatoes to Navy Nation to the Woodstock birdies
to the Editor-in-Chief in the movie adaptations of Spider-Man not being developed well enough as a character
to cranes
to post-WW existential crisis
to hip Arthur
to cans
to taking a sip
to onions in pitas
to telepathic shitposting
to track changes
to instant noodles
SPORTS
to feeling guilty about going to class while sick
MEDIA Interested in photography or videography? Want your art featured as the compliment to an article? Join Production! Send them an email at: production@ thesil.ca Weekly in-person volunteer meetings will be Tuesdays at 2:30
www.thesil.ca | Thursday, September 7, 2017
HUMANS | 7 KYLE WEST/PHOTO REPORTER
William Dang Third Year Communications and Multimedia
How did you find out about Hamilton’s Business Funding program for Students? I heard about the program from my friends who are photographers who have done the program in the past. They told me it was a good opportunity for me to start up a business. With the funding, considering the academic program I am in. I wanted to start up my own photography business too this past summer so it did definitely helped me get a jump start on it. How was the application process? The application is basically making a business plan, what are your goals with this business, how much would you be making, how much you be charging clients etc. The business plan took me a few weeks to make because I wanted my plan to perfect. How has it benefitted you on a business level? It benefited me because it taught me how to run an actual business and learning how to market my service. I also learned how to be more organized when it comes to handling businessrelated documentation and finance. I also learned how to make a lot of connections with people on a professional level. What advice would you have for other students looking to start their own business? My advice for students who are trying to start up a business is to stick with your business plan. It’s
fine to make changes later on but always stick with your fundamentals and goals on the level you want your business to be. That’s what helped me up until now. I will also say networking is an important key because it helps to create more potential cliental & helps you to develop more professional relationships for the future. What is it like being a working creative and how does it feel? It feels great because I can have my own creative input when working with clients and they are always open on what my views would be. I want to show people my creative side on a professional level and have an input on a lot of things. Also, being a working creative helped me with becoming even more creative when it comes to seeing things now. It helped me enhanced my creativity to certain
aspects and help me apply my skills on to bigger projects.
“It benefited me because it taught me how to run an actual business and learning to market my service... I also learned how to make a lot of connections with people on a professional level.” William Dang Photographer
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GAMES
Thursday, September 7, 2017 | www.thesil.ca
Across 1. Incline 5. Vintner’s prefix 9. ____-ski 14. Hammett hound 15. Rivals 16. Minimum 17. Vientiane is its capital 18. Womanliness 20. Weights 22. Brit. lexicon 23. Holly genus 24. Turkish title 26. Harangue 28. Leap by a ballet dancer 32. Prison warden 36. Dr.’s org 37. Govt. security 40. ____ Hashanah 42. Excursions 44. Faithful
45. Cream-filled cookies 47. Mature 49. Byrnes of the “77 Sunset Strip” 50. Jumble 52. Serial parts 54. First name in fashion 56. Toll rds. 57. Tolled 60. Dada co-founder Jean 62. Old Testament book 66. Charge too high a price 69. Swallow eagerly 70. Caravansary 71. Expensive 72. Scat queen 73. Bouquet 74. Full of pep 75. Litigant
Down 1. “Le Roi d’Ys” composer 2. Biblical twin 3. Oodles 4. Winston Cup org 5. Branch 6. Fair-hiring abbr. 7. Captain of the Nautilus 8. Willow 9. Clay, today 10. Contrite 11. Complain 12. Ferrara family 13. River of myth 19. Mont. neighbour 21. Auspices 25. Big name in foil 27. Open mesh fabric 28. Billiards shot 29. Love, Italian-style 30. Stationed 31. Evade
33. Studied, with “over” 34. Chopin piece 35. Orchestra section 38. Blow 41. 3D photographic image 43. Lubricous 46. Choice: abbr. 48. Sounds of disapproval 51. Slangy assent 53. Siouan speakers 55. Mortarboard tossers 57. Civil rights leader Parks 58. Declare positively 59. Whodunit hero Wolfe 61. Trial run 63. Corker 64. Fr. miss 65. Box 67. The Company 68. Long-jawed fish
Puzzle 1 (Medium, difficulty rating 0.52)
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2 8
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Generated by http://www.opensky.ca/sudoku on Wed Sep 6 16:44:59 2017 GMT. Enjoy!
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www.thesil.ca | Thursday, September 7, 2017
The Silhouette | 9
Opinion Women-only gym hours A women’s only gym? Too much to ask for. Women’s hours? We shouldn’t have to ask for that Reem Sheet Opinion Editor
McMaster University’s Department of Athletics & Recreation is home to a wide range of facilities. With three different gyms, two dance studios, an indoor track, a climbing wall, a sports hall and a mindfulness centre, there is only one thing missing: separate gym hours for different genders. Personal health and finess is not limited to a specific gender and should be practiced by everyone.With the rise of body image insecurities and a growing advocacy for judgement free atmospheres, numerous fitness facilities in Canada are creating more welcoming and supportive spaces for women to achieve their personal fitness goals. Though McMaster does offer a women’s only circuit
within The Pulse on Mondays and Wednesdays from 7:00 a.m. to 8:30 a.m. and Tuesdays and Thursdays from 4:30 p.m. to 6 p.m., it does not exclusively open the facility up to just women. It certainly does not support women who want to work out individually, and feel comfortable on their own terms. Besides Curves, which is a women’s only gym dedicated to building strength and confidence plus diligent weight loss programs, GoodLife Fitness has been adapting and actively responding to women’s fitness and health needs. GoodLife Fitness for Women offers over 100 ‘For Women’ locations and almost 50 ‘GoodLife for Women’ clubs. In addition to women’s facilities, GoodLife also caters to other needs by offering a child-minding team to keep children active while moms
exercise, attend dance classes, or do a full circuit workout in 30 m inutes. A few universities have been considering the possibility of on campus women’s-only gyms. In February 2016, McGill University’s Facebook page had an intellectual discussion in the comment section of a Facebook post about the possibility of having women’s only gym hours in the McGill Athletics Centre, and excluding men from the fitness centre for just four hours a week. According to McGill Daily, Ryerson University and the University of Toronto have already implemented women-only gym hours, and revealed that participation increased in facility spaces that usually had low female participation, which is understandable given that many women typically don’t enjoy an
environment of unnecessary grunts and toxic masculinity. I certainly wouldn’t. This is why it is important for us to include everyone in the pursuit of healthy living. Undeniably, men and women are different in certain respects. In addition to physical diversity, in most religions and cultures, men and women have different roles and responsibilities. I’m sure for women who wear hijab, sweating in what would be comparable to a hat and scarf and doing 30 lb squats in front of men would not encourage women to go to the gym. Which is why women-only gym hours is a more equitable resolution for women. With this solution, McMaster does not need to invest creating a new recreational space. In addition, excluding men from the gym for a certain number of hours may increase productivity and focus for each gender, knowing that they have a certain time frame to achieve their fitness goals. I’m not saying that men and women should be separated altogether. Women-only gym hours do not mean that there will be no women in the gym. It just means that for those who don’t want to share the co-ed experience, they won’t have to. In the 21st century, diversity and equity in the gym isn’t much to ask for.
CATHERINE TARASYUK/PRODUCTION EDITOR
With the rise of body image insecurities and a growing advocacy for judgement free atmospheres, numerous fitness facilities in Canada are creating more welcoming and supportive spaces for women to achieve their personal fitness goals. @ReemSheet
10 |
OPINION
Thursday, September 7, 2017 | www.thesil.ca
Poor water labelling practices
When “gluten-free” needs to be labelled on water, you know things are getting out of hand Reem Sheet Opinion Editor
With increasing awareness about genetically modified organisms, hormonel injection and the dangers of gluten products for people with celiac disease, food labelling and production has begun producing poor solutions to people’s health fears. The fears began with bisephenol A; an industrial chemical in certain plastics consciousness.
BPA is a synthetic compound that is found in water bottles, food cans, food containers, and sometimes in baby bottles. Research reveals that the chemical structure of BPA is similar to that of hormone estrogen, which is harmful because it could affect the function of your body if it combines with estrogen receptors. The use of BPA has been restricted in certain parts of the world, including European countries, Canada, China and
Malaysia, especially for baby and toddler products. Nowadays, finding “BPA-free” products is quite common, especially on products like reusable water bottles. After BPA-free products became more popular with the public, additional harmful health cautions like gluten-free, kosher, organic, GMO-free and hormone-free products started to become more important to public health. However, product labelling today is taken to a whole new level.
YOU NEED TO LIVE SOMEWHERE! WE CAN FIND YOU A GREAT HOME!
Unfortunately, food labelling industries are manipulating the lack of knowledge that some people have about these products, and taking advantage of consumers’ being health conscious. For example, now when you go to buy a water bottle from the grocery store, you find that the options are endless. Aside from being able to choose from over 400 water bottle brands, you can now narrow down your options by choosing “premium water,” which, according to the label, is not only free of GMOs, but it is also certified kosher, organic and gluten free. Most people probably already know that water doesn’t contain any of those properties, but the food labelling industry seems to believe in being thorough anyway. By labelling water as “premium”, consumers are more
likely to pay more for the seemingly “higher end” product. From an economic perspective, consumers are more likely to find happiness in from a product’s characteristics and descriptions, not necessarily in the product itself. For example, when making an electronic purchase, most consumers are likely to purchase the most recognizable brand in the market (Apple vs. Microsoft). In these respects, functionality and the product itself is not the first consideration for most people. Labelling companies are also being deceitful with their product tracking information. Most water brands that claim to be “mountain glacier” or “natural spring” sourced, most likely come from the same place your tap water at home comes from. Unfortunately, food labelling industries are manipulating the lack of knowledge that some people have about these products, and taking advantage of consumers’ being health conscious. Fiji Water, Nestle Pure Life, Happy Water, and my personal favourite, Smart Water have been fooling consumers with their condescending branding and labelling. @ReemSheet
— MORE THAN 70 — RENTAL PROPERTIES AVAILABLE 1–10 BEDROOM HOMES
C/O FLICKR
The Silhouette | 11
www.thesil.ca | Thursday, September 7, 2017
Arts & Culture Drawing from a life in Hamilton Local artist Meredith Park’s work delivers big ideas in small images
C/O CATHERINE TARASYUK
Rachel Katz Managing Editor
Meredith Park believes in the impact of small-scale work. Best known for her four-panel visual journaling on Instagram, the Hamilton-based comic artist uses her work to make sense of sweeping issues. Park’s early comics revolved around slapstick comedy featuring a recurring cast of characters, inspired by the Three Stooges and “Happy Tree Friends”. “I only really started doing autobio [works] when I was about 20,” she said. “I stopped drawing comics during high school — I didn’t really do a lot of art then — and then when I started drawing again more in my early 20s I came back to comics almost immediately, and mostly as a tool for self-reflection.” What sets Park’s work apart is, of course, her style.
@Meredithplayground
“I think I saw my style get better and more defined the more I absorbed other people’s work,” she explained, later adding that she loves to discover autobiographical comic series made by other artists she meets. Park uses her work to distill complicated emotions and organize the world around her. “A lot of what I do with my art in general is I try to talk to myself and try to figure things out with myself,” she explained. “The combination of words and pictures … [lets] you have control over what you’re showing, so you can either be super direct and bold or you can be giving and taking between the words and the imagery and there can be more of a rhythm and a poetry to it. … It’s the best way to tell a story, I think.” In micro-comics usually no bigger than a few square inches, Park details the events of everyday life from the melancholy of long-distance relationships to the joy surrounding the arrival
of Canadian summer. But she also investigates personal, difficult subjects. She illustrates her own struggle with mental health issues, fears about growing up and living up to people’s expectations. These entries too appear on Instagram, next to comics about her baby housemate’s first birthday, or a retelling of a perfect evening bike ride. Though she admits it can be a difficult mentality to maintain at all times, Park tries to pretend there is no one viewing her work. Currently, she has close to 29,000 followers on Instagram alone. “There are thousands of people out there and they’re just going to do what they’re going to do and all the power to them … if I try to make something with anyone else in mind, I can’t come up with something good. … I can’t do this for anyone else.” Not only have comics allowed Park to explore her
own life in a creative manner, they have also helped her find a supportive, multi-national community. Although she acknowledges the historical importance of large-scale publishers DC and Marvel, Park works in the small press and largely self-published indie comic world, which she has found to be a more welcoming environment for women. Although both scenes revolve around using comics to tell stories, the small-scale scene has proven to be a more accessible community. “It can be a really safe and creative space for non-binary folks, queer folks, people of colour,” Park said, but she admits that the indie comic scene could do more. “It’s always improving, but since it’s a DIY scene, anyone can try it and find other people in their corner.” Park attends a variety of Canadian and American indie comic conventions and festivals throughout the year, and
commented on the excitement of meeting online friends and finding new reading material. Unlike some of her peers, Park does not aspire to fully dedicating her time to comics. “I’ll always be making comics … [but] I actually have always enjoyed having a couple of plates spinning. … I want to do other stuff,” she said, adding that she loves having a mix of a day job combined with making comics at home. “I’ve always had this image in my head that … someday, 70 years in the future, my grandkid or my great-grandkid is going up to the attic … and they stumble across a cardboard box full of sketchbooks and they’re the person who finds my comics and they can do whatever they want with them,” she explained. Published in a traditional sense? Perhaps not. Small scale? Yes. But there is no denying Meredith Park’s work is enduring. @RachAlbertaKatz
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A&C
Thursday, September 7, 2017 | www.thesil.ca
The art of wrestling McMaster graduates pursue their dreams and learn the ropes at Battle Arts Academy
Daniel Arauz A&C Editor
I love professional wrestling. I started watching WWE two years ago, and while it began as a guilty pleasure, I developed an interest in its history and both its international and local independent promotions. Eventually, I began to appreciate how demanding it was to create engaging stories through the medium. The appeal of pro wrestling is obviously not in its “reality”. Wrestling weaves effective storytelling while constantly maintaining a suspension of disbelief. Performers can achieve this without any dialogue or detailed plot, it is first and foremost, physical storytelling. I’m satisfied with my explanation for why I enjoy it, but it’s still a lonely hobby. You’re not going to find a lot of people, especially on a university campus, who openly discuss their love for wrestling. Then I learned about Battle Arts Academy in Mississauga, a gym and wrestling academy founded by a former WWE Intercontinental Champion, US Champion, Tag Team Champion Santino Marella aka Anthony Carelli. Just as I was beginning to realize my love for the craft, I learned that one of the Silhouette’s frequent contributors, Hess Sahlollbey, was training to be a wrestler at Marella’s school. After almost a year, I finally took him up on his offer to see the school for myself, just days before its biggest show of the year: Summer Sizzle.
Learning the ropes Sahlollbey is a PhD candidate student and Ancaster resident who has trained with Battle Arts since 2014. Like many others, he began as a fan ofAnthony Carelli, “I remember them saying on TV that he had a school to learn how to wrestle. Eventually the thought of not doing
the thing drove me crazy so I signed up,” said Sahlollbey.
“
If you’re an up-and-coming wrestling student… you want to prepare for the type of wrestling that’s going to be popular by the time you make it. Anthony Carelli Wrestling trainer Battle Arts
Making the leap into actually learning MMA, boxing and judo in order to build a foundation for pro wrestling gave Sahlollbey a unique athletic challenged to compliment the challenges in his academic work. “Learning all the little steps and moves, storytelling — all that hard-work slowly ‘clicks’ into place with time and practice. That gave me a greater appreciation for the art. [It] drives me to want to keep learning and growing,” said Sahlollbey. While he is most famous for his comedic WWE character, Carelli is a black belt in judo, and trained under the founder of the Japanese BattlARTS school, Yuki Ishikawa. Carelli helped Ishikawa move to Canada in order to work at a new Battle Arts school. “Immediately the lightbulb went off and I [said] ‘God man, there are so many young talented Canadian athletes that can benefit from his expertise and knowledge.’ He is literally a walking encyclopedia and, to be honest, a dying breed,” said Carelli. An MMA and wrestling master, Ishikawa trained under
“the God of Wrestling” Karl Gotch. Carelli believes that a MMA-oriented style of wrestling will be one of the directions that the WWE product will go draw from in the next few years. “If you’re an up-and-coming wrestling student… you want to prepare for the type of wrestling that’s going to be popular by the time you make it. We just put all our money on this style and we love it,” he explained. The prestige of the school’s instructors eventually attracted former McMaster football player James Singleton. Singleton is now known in the ring by his more pompous persona “James Runyan”, after he chose to pursue wrestling following his four years with the Marauders. “When you’re an athlete and competitor you always have that inside you when I stopped playing football I needed another outlet,” said Singleton. After making his way to Battle Arts following his initial training with famed Canadian wrestling
instructor Lance Storm in Calgary, Singleton eventually was rewarded the Battle Arts Heavyweight championship. “It’s no secret that the matches are predetermined, so when the promoter puts their heavyweight title on me they are basically saying that I am the face of the promotion,” Singleton explained. “It’s a big responsibility but it’s also a professional achievement… it’s a huge accomplishment as a professional and very humbling that people that have accomplished more things in this business than I have put that designation on me. Singelton made it apparent from the beginning that his craft and his fellow students should convey a level of respect and dignity while maintaining the kind of enthusiasm that you would expect from dedicated fans.
After I was introduced to him, Singleton insisted that I introduce myself and shake the hand of every wrestler, a tradition maintained in wrestling locker rooms throughout history. Before demonstrating some basic movements in the ring, he made a point to explain the ritual of wiping one’s feet before they enter the ring as a sign of respect for the place where you and your colleagues make their living. Ultimately, the end goal for Singleton and many of the students of Battle Arts is to turn their passion and love for competition into a financially sustainable career. Battle Arts is one of the few schools that get to perform in
AARON DE JESUS / DIGITAL MEDIA SPECIALIST
A&C
www.thesil.ca | Thursday, September 7, 2017
their own shows, giving students much needed performance experience before they even begin wrestling their careers in smaller independent promotions.
Summer Sizzle The students of Battle Arts put on a tremendous and stacked performance during their culminating pay-off show, but it was observing all the little tweaks and corrections that took place during Carelli’s class that reinforced how difficult it was for young, athletic talents to maintain a certain logic and drama in the match.
“
Learning all the little steps and moves, storytelling — all that hard-work slowly ‘clicks’ into place with time and practice. That gave me a greater appreciation for the art. Hess Sahlollbey PhD candidate McMaster Student
A tag match can easily devolve into a glorified singles match if the wrestlers forget to implement classic tag match psychology: bad guys cheat, create a 2 on 1 situation andtease the good guys’ inevitable reversal. They eventually overcome the odds and tag in their fresh, and ready partner. If the referee is out of sync with the hectic action in the ring, the authenticity of the match can fall apart. The interest and engagement of the crowd is another important consideration. Following their practice session, almost every student continued to go over spots in their matches, rethought the organization of their matches, practiced moonsaults, dropkicks and running knee strikes on
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punching bags and crash mats. Sahlollbey recalled several occasions where he has been at the gym until midnight with his classmates. It was just two days before Summer Sizzle. This was probably another one of those nights.
The Payoff Despite some frustrations with their rehearsal, each one of those wrestlers delivered incredible performances when the bell rang that Saturday. The crowd had its share of Battle Arts’ loyal fans, cheering on the characters and booing the villains that they had followed throughout the year. Yet, each of the performers managed to connect with a crowd of many non-wrestling fans too: their loved ones who came out to see the result of their late hours of training Battle Arts is a rare school that gives students the opportunity to perform in front of an audience. Despite all the complexities and technicalities of what makes a good match, wrestling is still all about its audience. It’s demanding on one’s body and mind. It requires an increasing amount of real fighting experience and technical ability, but ultimately it is all about the audience. These young wrestlers are working to give their audiences their best performance every time they enter the ring. Battle Arts and Carelli’s training ensures they will ensure that future audiences will want to see their ensuing work.
Former WWE Superstar Santino Marella aka Anthony Carelli. AARON DE JESUS / DIGITAL MEDIA SPECIALIST
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Thursday, September 7, 2017 | www.thesil.ca
The Silhouette
Sports A Good First Step The McMaster football team has another strong start to their season, boasting a tough defence and a new starting quarterback Justin Parker Sports Editor
C/O RICK ZAZULAK
NEW LOCATIONS ON CAMPUS!
Centro in the Commons Building welcomes Paramount! Paramount is the fastest growing Middle Eastern Food concept in Canada, serving 100% Halal Certified food items
Located in Bymac in the David Braley Athletic Centre, Rejuvenate features ethically sourced coffee, infused water, Kombucha, super foods, Buddha Bowls, sandwiches and amazing baked goods.
(905) 525-9140 Ext. 24422 hospitality@mcmaster.ca
The Marauders began their season in an unusual way by taking their bye week during the first week of the Ontario University Athletics season. While other teams were starting their regular season, McMaster had the opportunity to play host to the Saskatchewan Huskies for the first time in team history. This was also the first time since 1994 that the Marauders have played an interlock preseason game. “This was a good opportunity for us to have a team from out of conference to fill that void so I don’t think it’s detrimental,” said head coach Greg Knox following the game. “Otherwise, byes first week aren’t that fun, frankly.” While it can be easy to dismiss preseason games in any sport, they allow teams to test out new players and determine the starters in competitive positions. University sports do not
“This was a great opportunity for the team’s youngest recruits to get the feel of the game at a university level prior to the beginning of the regular season.” Greg Knox Head coach McMaster Football
usually have preseason games, but this was a great opportunity for the team’s youngest recruits to get the feel of the game at a university level prior to the beginning of the regular season. While the Marauders have many returning players, they had to deal with many impactful departures as well. Former star wide receiver Danny Vandervoort has moved on to the Canadian Football League. Former starting quarterback Asher Hastings and running back Chris Pezzetta both finished their eligibility and moved on to positional coaching for the Marauders. Any concern over whether or not the Marauders could pick up where they left off were quickly put to rest as the Marauders pulled off impressive back-to-back wins. The preseason game against the Huskies ended in a solid 22-10 win and was followed by a 23-9 win against the Carleton Ravens. It is clear the 2017 McMaster football team has the potential to have a great season. Despite the win, the Marauders’ game against Saskatchewan began with a slow start. The Huskies were the first to get points on the board, setting the tone for the first quarter. The Marauders trailed behind 7-0 as the offence led by sophomore quarterback Dylan Astrom struggled to move the ball. Looking to the fill the void following Asher Hastings’ departure, McMaster used this game as a chance to give the three quarterbacks on their roster some playing time. Next up was newcomer quarterback Jackson White, whose play
SPORTS
www.thesil.ca | Thursday, September 7, 2017
changed the pace in the game quickly when he entered the game in the second quarter. Following star kicker Adam Preocanin’s 25-yard field goal, White completed an impressive 28-yard touchdown pass to Brett Ledingham. With the Marauders now in the lead 13-7, both offence and defence were beginning to pick up momentum and cornerback Nolan Putt picked off the first of four Marauders interceptions of the night. White finished the quarter with an impressive 131 yards on seven completions. Something finally clicked for Mac in the second quarter as they headed into the second half up 13-7. “You could define that game less about what they were doing and more about what we weren’t doing in terms of some mental mistakes, which you can expect early on in the season,” explained Knox. By the third quarter, both sides of the ball were now comfortable showing off their speed. Freshman quarterback Andreas Dueck stepped in for the Ma-
rauders, starting and finishing the second half. The Winnipeg native maintained composure throughout the integral parts of the game. In the fourth quarter, the Huskies kicked a 45-yard field goal and were able to bring the score to 10-15. It was beginning to look like a close game. However, strong efforts from McMaster’s leading receiver Tommy Neild and Jordan Lyons’ three yard touchdown with 58 seconds left in the game allowed Adam Preocanin’s fourth field goal to seal the game for the home team. Freshman running back Justice Allin impressed with a few game-breaking runs, leading McMaster in rushing with 97 yards and splitting the backfield with Jordan Lyons’ 80 yards. On the other side of the ball, veteran Hassan Berry led the defence with six tackles and one sack. “[It was] a good first step. We learned a lot. I think we competed, a little shaky start all around. We’re a very young group, an inexperienced group, but I thought that we showed
good composure and did enough to win a football game we wanted to win.” Building off their strong preseason game, the Marauders traveled to MNP Park in their first regular season game to face off against the Carleton Ravens. Coming off of a 22-17 road win against the Queen’s Gaels, the Ravens looked poised to challenged the Marauders in their home opener. However, the Marauders did not let the Ravens begin their season with two straight wins. In a game filled with penalties, sacks and turnovers, the Marauders’ capitalized on Carleton’s mistakes. Despite only 142 yards of total offence, exactly half of the Ravens’ total, the Marauders were able to execute a dominant 23-9 win. As the Marauders’ new starting signal caller, Andreas Dueck struck early by throwing a five yard touchdown pass to Tommy Nield. That would be the highlight of the Marauders’ passing game as Dueck would finish 9 of 22 for 65 yards and an interception.
While not accumulating many passing yards, Dueck showed off why he was chosen to start the game by showcasing an impressive ability to scramble and throw on the run. Dueck racked up 19 rushing yards of his own to pick up a couple of first downs with his feet. The Marauders began another game slowly as they finished the first quarter leading 7-2 and letting the Ravens march the ball down the field on several drives, but stopping them from converting them to points. The pace of the game changed in the second quarter as McMaster took advantage of the Ravens’ turnovers to break out for 16 points. Running back Jordan Lyons was the source of the majority of the Marauders’ yardage for the game, responsible for 94 yards on 21 carries. Lyons almost scored a touchdown after a 25-yard run, but fumbled close to the goal line. The ball was luckily recovered by the Marauders’ Mitch O’Connor and essentially sealed the game for the road team.
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The Marauder’s defence shined brightly under the lights in Ottawa, allowing only three points and coming away with six turnovers, including a picksix snagged by OUA All-Star cornerback Robbie Yochim. The defence also posted five sacks, competing with the Ravens’ defensive line who had seven sacks of their own. One bright spot for the Ravens was second-year running back Nathan Carter who was able to break off for several big runs, finishing the game with an impressive 150 yards on 22 carries. Carleton will head to Laurier next week to see if they can bounce back from this loss. The Marauders will now play host to the Western Mustangs on Sept. 9. The Mustangs will be a tough test for the Marauders after opening their season with a commanding 66-3 win over the York Lions. If McMaster’s defence can continue their dominance and they can get their passing game going, the Marauders can go far in their 2017 season.
C/O RICK ZAZULAK
GERALD BAE Get a h*ck in’ lot of likes with these emo inspired Instagram filters C12
THURSDAY
THE
HAMILTON SPECULATOR Bojack Horseman impersonators since 1934
September 7, 2017
NOTSPEC.COM
Meet your 2017-2018 Band of Directors Dropping funky beats and hard-hitting legislation
Not pictured: everyone mentioned in the article. This is a satire page. It’s fake. There are no real people to take pictures of. There’s even a disclaimer at the bottom of every single one of these darn things stating that it is satire. Stop thinking it’s real. Seriously. People are still confused somehow, and I can guarantee people will still think this is a real article because they won’t bother to read this. You’re the worst. Don’t talk to me. If I were to be one of the people in this photo, however, I’d be the guy on the very right hand side who’s cut off and didn’t get the memo about wearing sunglasses.
SAINT PETER VEGAS No devil’s lettuce allowed
Damien Trombone O’Malley, Penny Sax Adams and RyRy Trumpet Davis make up the backbone of the hottest ska band on campus, Reel Thicc Fish. Looking to make their mark on history, the three hope to inspire generations to come with how they really like to put their nicknames on official documents. “Yeah, it’s a part of me. It’s who I am. Everyone already knows me as Trombone, and I like that. It’s a good brand,” said O’Malley Mr. Bone. The three are known for
“Yeah, it’s a part of me. It’s who I am. Everyone already knows me as Trombone, and I like that. It’s a good brand.” Mr. Bone Professional ska musician with some politics on the side
beating their own drums, but that is mostly because they did not bother with a percussion
POLL: Now they always say Congratulations
Mad dips, dirty snips, packin’ lips
Where’s L.R. Wilson Hall again?
Pssh, nothing personal, kid
All glory to the hypnotoad
Help, I’m still trapped in my office
HOW COULD THIS HAPPEN TO ME? I’VE MADE MY MISTAKES
All of the above
section and need to multitask. It is a tough balancing act between governance and dropping the hottest mixtapes of 2017. Fortunately, you do not need to find that balance if you do not care about it. “Look, we have all year to govern and do boring stuff. We only have the week before the academic year starts to let loose. And Homecoming. And the weeks before exams. The weeks after exams are pretty open too. The random events from time to time are also important. Actually, most weeks of the year have events on campus to perform at now that I think about it. It will be a fun time,”
said Miles Davis. Lead singer Charles Ibay also looks to redefine the genre with his unique take on conventional lyricism. “Trees and me see to seek a new foundation for this sensation of peace and grease more love for these doves in the future of, uh, bloopers,” said your mom’s favourite poet. When asked what this meant, we were told that we simply, “Wouldn’t get it.” Your mom’s favourite poet will be performing as a solo act sporadically in your classrooms and on your Facebook feed throughout the academic year.
Tweets to the Editor Do you even know the extended Speculator lore?
What do you think about Buffalo’s re-Bill-ding project?
- Jason, 34, local gatekeeper
- Ghost of Shit Hastings, spooky, garbage clown
INSIDE HOW DO YOU TYPE OUT THE GRUNT IN “WAR” BY EDWIN STARR? A4 I SAW ALL OF MOVIES IN THE MARVEL CINEMATIC UNIVERSE IN ONE SITTING AND BARELY SURVIVED B4 I SAW SIX DOGS ON MY WAY TO WORK SO HERE IS A PROFILE ON EACH OF THEM C1 WE WERE CLOSE TO MAKING POLICY TO ALWAYS SPELL WRESTLING AS WRASSLIN’ D2 LEADERSHIP’S POOP DECK D4
PER ISSUE: A Soundcloud rapper asking you to check out his new track made with Fruity Loops and a $20 mic
Disclaimer: The Hamilton Speculator is a work of satire and fiction and should not under any circumstances be taken seriously. Do not, under any circumstances, message me anything about ska music. You will be added to a blacklist.