The Silhouette - March 14, 2019

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NEWS: Allegations of sexual assault within the MSU Maroons // Page 4-5

SPORTS:

Mac Women’s Basketball team win national championship

// Page 24-25

The Silhouette

Thursday, March 14, 2019

NAVIGATING THE

UNIVERSE How to explore the stars in Hamilton // PAGE 18-19

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Volume 89, Issue 24 Thursday, March 14, 2019 McMaster University’s Student Newspaper

EDITORIAL BOARD editor-in-chief | thesil@thesil.ca Emily O’Rourke @emily_oro digital media specialist | dms@msu.mcmaster.ca Aaron de Jesus managing editor | managing@thesil.ca Sasha Dhesi @SashaDhesi online editor | online@thesil.ca Yvonne Lu sections

NEWS Cassidy Bereskin news reporter Ryan Forrest Tse news@thesil.ca news editor

FEATURES Hannah Walters Vida features@thesil.ca

features reporter

OPINION opinion editor Sabrina Macklai opinion@thesil.ca SPORTS Justin Parker sports reporter Jessica Carmichael sports@thesil.ca sports editor

ARTS AND CULTURE arts & culture editor Razan Samara arts & culture reporter Rya Buckley aandc@thesil.ca MEDIA Kyle West photo reporter Catherine Goce production coordinator Sukaina Imam production coordinator Sabrina Lin production coordinator Katarina Brkic production@thesil.ca photo editor

ONLINE Sasha Roshan social media coordinator Martin Burwell online@thesil.ca video editor

CONTRIBUTORS staff writer Elliot Fung staff writer Andrew Mrozowski staff writer Rida Pasha staff writer Neda Pirouzmand staff writer Drew Simpson staff writer Graham West staff writer Eden Wondmeneh COVER PHOTO Kyle West Razan Samara Katarina Brkic

#TBT #TBT

September 25, 1970

Existential crises In 1970, the SRA had an existential crisis. In this meeting, the SRA halted proceedings to try to discover what it was doing. The meeting apparently failed to provide any answers and prompted one SRA member to say “I was confused when I joined SRA and I’m still confused”.

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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.

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www.thesil.ca | Thursday, March 14, 2019

The Silhouette

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News Keeping up with the demand for student housing Amid increased demand, off-campus housing is becoming less affordable and harder for students to find

The student housing supply has not been able to keep up with the rising demand.

CATHERINE GOCE / PHOTO REPORTER Ryan Tse News Reporter

Finding off-campus housing can be a stressful experience for McMaster students for a variety of reasons, and it does not look like that will change anytime soon. With the increased number of students enrolled at the university, off-campus housing is becoming harder to find.

According to McMaster University official statistics, more than 27,000 full-time undergraduate students are enrolled at the university this year, a figure 20 per cent higher than the 22,558 undergrad students enrolled five years ago.

According to Andrew Parashis, a property manager at Spotted Properties, the largest property management in the McMaster community, the student housing supply has not been able to keep up with the rising demand.

The number of students seeking housing through Spotted Properties has tripled over the past year, easily surpassing the number of new properties

the company has taken on.

“With McMaster taking on so many people, there are a lot of people saying they can’t find a house,” Parashis said.

Much of the increase in demand can be attributed to the increase in international students, who Spotted Properties work with regularly.

In 2014-2015, McMaster had 1,499 full-time international undergraduates. This year, that number has doubled.

According to Parashis, another contributing factor this year is the higher number of first year students that have come to Spotted Properties to find accommodation.

McMaster currently cannot accommodate all first-years in

The MSU municipal affairs committee also launched a landlord rating website in January.

residence. Instead, only incoming first-years with an average of 83.5 per cent or higher are guaranteed residence placement.

To accommodate incoming students, the university is developing two new residences: the Peter George Living and Learning Centre, slated to open this fall, and an off-campus residence, scheduled for August 2021.

Yet, with the Peter George Living and Learning Centre adding only 500 beds, some first-year students will likely still have to find non-residence accommodations next year.

One of the byproducts of increased housing demand is higher prices.

“We’re renting houses out for an average of $550 dollars right now,” Parashis said. “Ourmost expensive places are about $700 a room, which is very high.

The problem is there’s such a lack of good quality homes, so it allows landlords to demand high prices if they offer premium product.”

Students are also forced to live further from McMaster.

“We have people going as far as Dundurn to rent,” said Parashis.

These issues are compounded by existing problems in the student housing industry, such as pervasive landlord discrimination.

“Many landlords have negative stereotypes of people and have made judgement based on race, gender and even university program, which isn’t fair,” said Parashis.

These biases make it frustrating for students, who are often not given an equal chance at securing a house.

An especially frustrating situation can occur when landlords break an agreement with students before a contract is signed or a payment is made.

Parashis says students independently negotiating with landlords are susceptible to this problem, leading them to employ companies like Spotted Properties, which use a standardized transaction process.

Spotted Properties, which is run by former McMaster students, is working to ad-

dress these issues by ensuring contracts and policies align with current best practice guidelines and providing 24/7 service to tenants.

In addition, the company is working closely with agencies abroad to reserve homes for international students at the university.

The McMaster Students Union has also been working to improve students’ experiences with off-campus housing, pushing the city of Hamilton to go forward with a landlord licensing pilot project.

The MSU municipal affairs committee also launched a landlord rating website in January.

Despite these efforts, student housing issues are many, and the solutions remain unclear. Addressing them will likely require concerted efforts from all parties involved.

@tweetingryantse

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NEWS

Thursday, March 14, 2019 | www.thesil.ca

Beneath the underbelly of the MSU's cheer squad A slew of MSU Maroons have disclosed some kind of sexual assault in the last year Sasha Dhesi Managing Editor

CW: Discussions of sexual violence For Jess*, a veteran Maroons representative, Welcome Week used to be a positive experience, with the Maroons team offering a sense of community. But following a series of sexual assaults by fellow representatives and a varied response, Jess and others in her position continue to feel unsupported by their student union.

The Initial Assaults

Back in April 2017, Jess was hired as a general volunteer for the McMaster Students Union Maroons team. The Maroons are a unique service at Mac; its main role is to serve as an official voice for the MSU, making its volunteers ambassadors for the union.

Jess was first assaulted by a fellow representative in September 2017 during Rep Night, a thank-you party offered to all reps following Welcome Week, held in TwelvEighty.

At the time, Jess did not bring up the assault with any-

one else, worried how accusing her well-respected perpetrator would come across to the rest of the team.

“I was just worried that my position on the team would be jeopardized because I was so new to it,” she said.

In addition to the assault during Rep Night, Jess experienced similar assaults by other representatives at team-building events, particularly at the Maroons’ annual Blue Mountain trip, which occurs in January.

Jess ended up joining the Maroons again, citing that she did ultimately enjoy working with the team.

As Jess spent more time with the Maroons, other representatives began disclosing similar experiences to her, with fellow representatives sharing a similar story. “...It kind of made me realize that this problem was more ingrained in the Maroons than I thought,” she said.

During the August training for Welcome Week 2018, Jess noted that multiple representatives were clearly distressed as others unknowingly praised their perpetrators.

After witnessing that distress and noting how many oth-

KATARINA BRKIC // PRODUCTION COORDINATOR

ers had already disclosed to her, Jess decided to come forward and take action, in hopes that no other Maroons would have to experience this again.

Taking Action

In September 2018, Jess and Jane*, a fellow Maroons representative, began a series of meetings with Kristina Epifano, the MSU vice president (Administration) to address the pervasive rape culture that exists within the Maroons.

“I was just worried that my position on the team would be jeopardized because I was so new to it.”

Jess* Maroons Representative Both Jess and Jane wanted to do a full service audit of the Maroons, with a keen focus on

the sexual assaults going on within the team; the pair were only aware of the survivors who disclosed to them, but theorized that others may have had similar experiences as well.

Since the MSU is technically a separate organization from McMaster University, the sexual violence response protocol cannot address issues of harassment within the student union and does not have the authority to remove perpetrators from their positions.

It was of utmost importance to the pair that the service review be completed before January, since the bulk of disclosed assaults occurred during the annual Blue Mountain trip.

Trips like the Blue Mountain trip are unsanctioned, unofficial trips not technically under the purview of the MSU. According to Epifano, the MSU does not pay for trips such as Blue Mountain directly. With that said, Maroons expenses are initially done through their budget, with the expectation that individual Maroons reimburse the cost.

Following their meetings with Epifano, the pair created a feedback form as a part of the regularly scheduled service

audit. Their anonymous survey, meant to be sent out to all Maroons, focused on gathering concrete data concerning the number of sexual assaults occurring within the Maroons team.

By late October, the pair had created a final draft of the survey. The survey would have asked Maroon representatives if they felt safe at Maroons events, whether they had experienced gender-based violence and how those incidents were handled.

Epifano decided to go another route, focusing the resultant service survey on general comfort levels as opposed focusing on sexual assault.

“It shouldn’t be in the overarching review of what the service is operationally and structurally due to the sensitivities and the fact that this is a large priority for me,” said Epifano. “I wanted to take on the role of being able to evaluate this and putting in the reporting tools necessary in order to make sure that Maroons did feel comfortable disclosing and also to make them aware that there is this sense of uncomfort within the team.”

Instead, Epifano implemented a feedback form in

www.thesil.ca | Thursday, March 14, 2019

The reported sexual assaults occurred during Rep Nights and the annual Blue Mountain trip.

November, sent out every two weeks. According to Epifano, no Maroons reported any assaults following this year’s Blue Mountain trip.

The Maroons have yet to receive the official service review survey, outside of the biweekly form.

The MSU’s policy in cases of sexual violence is housed under their Workplace Anti-Violence, Harassment and Sexual Harassment policy. For those who file a complaint through that policy, one would be expected to write a formal complaint, to which the accused party may make a statement.

An investigation would commence, and the MSU would be obligated to inform both parties of the result within 10 business days of reaching a verdict, deciding whether harassment had occurred. Punishment may come in the form of counselling, a formal warning or dismissal.

The policy itself does not have a specific section on sexual

violence, but does have sections pertaining to workplace violence, domestic violence and sexual and/or gender-based harassment.

Epifano states that her current policy is to remove any perpetrators from positions they hold within the student union upon receiving disclosures of sexual violence.

Moving Forward

For Jess and Jane, however, this was not a satisfactory response.

They questioned Epifano’s qualifications to address such an endemic issue, believing her to be cutting out survivors.

Both women were concerned that Epifano had taken over the changes to any sexual assault policies, arguing that someone fresh out of their undergraduate would not have the appropriate knowledge to create such policies.

The two were also concerned about how Epifano cut out survivors, since she stopped consulting the pair in Novem-

The Silhouette

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As the next cohort of Maroons are hired, it is unclear whether past perpetrators will be disciplined. ber, despite being the ones who brought up the concerns.

“Like not to shit on young people or student employees, but she has no qualifications,” said Jess.

The pair were also concerned with the lack of vulnerable sector checks within the student union; no one on the Maroons team, in addition to any part-time managers or the board of directors, are expected to complete a VS check.

VS checks are a form of police check reserved for those working with vulnerable persons. Jane reasoned that if Maroons are expected to receive disclosures and work with those under 18 years, it would make sense they receive a VS check before repping.

“It’s not fair that people are going on these trips like Blue Mountain, participating in Welcome Week, going to these social events under these sort of impression that this is a very safe, very protective group of

people when in reality it’s not,” said Jess.

Jane in particular raised concerns over the funding of the Maroons, believing the service receives too much money given the rate of assaults occurring.

According to the MSU proposed budget, the Maroons were slated to receive $20,110. The funding mainly goes toward paying a part-time manager to coordinate the service and pay for events the Maroons put on throughout the year.

To contrast, the MSU Pride Community Centre was slated to receive $16,055.

“You’re paying for other students to be assaulted,” said Jane.

Epifano is currently in the process of updating the harassment policies in place, consulting university officials to make it more in line with McMaster’s own sexual response protocol, while also consulting other postsecondary institutions for guidance.

As the next cohort of Maroons are hired, it is unclear whether past perpetrators will be disciplined; to Jess’s knowledge, her perpetrators were not.

And while Epifano and future boards of directors may do the work, Jess and Jane remain wary of what progress will be made without the direct consultation of survivors. *Names were changed to preserve anonymity.

@SashaDhesi

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NEWS

Thursday, March 14, 2019 | www.thesil.ca

Connecting the dots and filling the gaps Student Success Centre takes customized approach to diversity and inclusion needs in the workplace

The program is for students and alumni that identify as persons with disabilities, First Nations, Metis and Inuit persons, members of racialized communities, First Generation students and LGBTQA2S+ students.

KYLE WEST / PHOTO EDITOR

Razan Samara A&C Editor

Statistics Canada data suggests that persons with disabilities, Indigenous and racialized identities are vastly underrepresented in workforces in Canada.

To help marginalized students and alumni seek employment, the Student Success Centre launched the Career Access Program for Students, a suite of services offered in collaboration with the Student Accessibility Centre and Maccess.

CAPS focuses on skill building and career development through career advising, strategic goal setting and personal branding. Students also work on creating an employment action plan that is customized to meet their needs.

The program is for students and alumni that identify as persons with disabilities, First Nations, Metis and Inuit persons, members of racialized communities, First Generation students and LGBTQA2S+ students.

Students and alumni can

book one-on-one appointments through OSCARPlus, participate through events, or utilize online resources to learn about financial accommodations for students with disabilities, wellness support services, a transit accessibility initiative and campaigns to promote diverse practices.

The SSC also introduced a new position.

Katherine Hesson-Bolton started her position as the diversity employment coordinator in July 2018.

CAPS focuses on skill building and career development through career advising, strategic goal setting and personal branding.

Her initial goals were finding her way around campus alongside first-year students,

reading reports, developing a network with faculties, students, campus services and partners and identifying service gaps and needs.

Hesson-Bolton’s role places her in a unique position as a connecting link between McMaster and the greater community.

She regularly meets with employers in hopes of coming away with jobs and opportunities for students while also having conversations around diversity hiring and removing barriers.

She then is able to provide employers with on-campus and external resources, such as ones coming from Pride at Work Canada, to help them address diversity and inclusion in the workplace.

“It’s really about having a conversation with the employer to hear what their needs are, what McMaster students’ needs are, and then finding that fit…

So it’s really about relationship building on both sides,” said Hesson-Bolton.

“It also comes back to

reaching back to those campus partners, whether it’s student accessibility services or Indigenous services,” said Hesson-Bolton. “I also work a lot with and involve students on campus because it’s really important to get students’ perspective and their feedback.”

Hesson-Bolton also strategizes with employees on branding. Some employers have identified that they want to focus on inclusion, but do not know how to identify and address the needs of new employees.

“You may have employers who will want to hire students with disabilities. And the question back is ‘have you thought about how your workplace is set up? What are your policies, procedures, your staff education, so that the new employee feels included?’,” said Hesson-Bolton.

Hesson-Bolton starts the conversation by discussing meeting the needs of new hires, whether that be identifying the accommodations that would allow persons with disabilities to work, establishing prayer spaces or recognizing that always hav-

ing social events in establishments that serve alcohol may exclude some individuals.

Hesson-Bolton also has important conversations with students and alumni around disclosure in the workplace and accommodation plans.

She also provides a space for students to talk about their frustrations, experiences with discrimination, while also connecting them to mentors and peers with similar lived experience.

There is a strong need for university services to support students entering the workforce and address the barriers to diversity and inclusion. The CAPS program and the role of the diversity employment coordinator are just getting started. @theSilhouette

www.thesil.ca | Thursday, March 14, 2019

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Hamilton introduces equity, diversity and inclusion lens The motion calls for the city to incorporate equity and inclusion into all city decisions Ryan Tse News Reporter

Hamilton city council has committed to taking an equity and inclusion lens to municipal decisions going forward.

Two weeks ago, Mayor Fred Eisenberger brought a motion to city council to implement a new equity, diversity and inclusion lens into city policies.

The motion passed unanimously and calls for a report to be brought forward on how to introduce an EDI lens to all city initiatives.

Attached to the motion was a draft version of an equity, diversity and inclusion handbook.

The motion also includes an allocation of $5,000 for city council to hold an EDI summit.

The new lens builds on the recommendations highlighted in Hamilton’s equity and inclusion policy implemented in 2010.

Ward 1 councillor Maureen Wilson said an EDI lens will require the city to be more

specific and concrete when it incorporates equity and inclusion into different policies.

According to Wilson, it is not about quotas and targets, but about a shift in decision-making that will require city council to include the perspectives of all communities.

The EDI lens will first be applied to issues concerning housing and homelessness.

However, Wilson sees potential for it to affect how the city envisions issues like transit, helping to consider the ways that different communities, like women or bikers, get around in Hamilton.

Eisenberger’s motion followed debate at city councillor over the city manager search committee and interview process, which some individuals, including Wilson and Ward 3 councillor Nrinder Nann, criticized for not taking a diverse and inclusive approach.

Denise Christopherson, the CEO of the YWCA Hamilton and chair of the status of

According to Wilson, it is not about quotas and targets, but about a shift in decision-making that will require city council to include the perspectives of all communities. women committee, has called for city council to adopt an EDI framework for years.

Christopherson said she is encouraged by the support for the motion at city council and appreciative of the efforts of Wilson and Nann in pushing this forward.

“It’s been in the works for a long time,” Christopherson said. “To develop a framework, this is going to be a multi-year work project that hopefully gets ingrained in everything they

do at city hall. So when they’re putting forward a proposal, it’s about, have they gone through the lens of inclusion? Who have they consulted with?”

The YWCA Hamilton currently runs multiple programs providing housing for non-binary people and women without places to stay.

Christopherson is hopeful that the new lens will result in more funding for programs like these.

“I like to say that the city should have a hand in all marginalized communities,” Christopherson said. “Hopefully we see more investment in those necessary programs.”

Community organizer Sophie Geffros is also optimistic about the new lens and what it could mean for current city council issues.

“I’m cautiously excited about it, because it signals to me that the city is at least beginning to acknowledge that designing a city around the needs of straight, white, middle class,

“I like to say that the city should have a hand in all marginalized communities.

Hopefully we see more investment in those necessary programs.”

Denise Christopherson CEO of YWCA Hamilton able bodied men is not just ineffective but can be actively harmful for its marginalized citizens,” Geffros said.

As the city still awaits a report on how the lens will be implemented, activists and supporters of the motion are hopeful about the many policy areas a city-wide EDI framework could effect change in. @tweetingryantse

McMaster alumna promotes STEM satire through new website Lexa Graham is using comedy to bring attention to the knowns and unknowns of science Neda Pirouzmand Staff Writer

After completing an undergraduate degree in chemistry and masters in chemical engineering at McMaster University, Lexa Graham embarked on a new path.

She performed in stand-up comedy shows and wrote for satire sites like The Onion and CBC Comedy. After identifying a gap in the market for satirical science content, she launched DNAtured.com on Feb. 21.

“The journey to build up this website was a long, long process,” said Graham. “I spent two to three months designing the website and learning to be a web developer over the summer. Beginning in the fall, I organized writer meetings, which allowed me to build up a treasure chest of articles which I am eager to begin releasing.”

DNAtured.com contains sub-categories for its articles.

Among them are “News and Views,” which attracts the general public through a comedic approach that brings awareness to issues such as climate change.

The “Research” page contains relatable content for researchers. One example of an article headline is “Professor Excited For Decades of Research To Be Completely Misinterpreted by Media.”

The “Protocols” section is being developed as a play on how-tos in research. Finally, “Submit to Reviewer 3” is an opportunity for external writers to contribute pieces to DNAtured.

“I started the site because I wanted to poke fun at all sensationalized science journalism I was seeing in the news, as well as have relatable comedy for people in STEM about the challenges of research and academia,” she said.

Aware of the misinterpretations that regularly occur in

science, Graham said that she wanted it to be clear that her articles are a joke. She never wants them to be even remotely taken as fact.

For now, the goal is to focus on increasing readership.

In the future, Graham hopes to incorporate video along with more educational resources into her articles.

“It is not fully realized right now, but the aim is to follow a Wikipedia-type style where there are one to three links embedded in articles that will take readers to other articles within the website,” said Graham. “In addition, we want to start focusing more on anchor tags within an article, which will teach you about what is being referenced.

We are still working on implementing more of those.”

With a team of approximately 10 regular writers, Graham is gearing up for Pi Day on March 14.

Beginning at 7:30 p.m. at

“I started the site because I wanted to poke fun at all sensationalized science journalism I was seeing in the news, as well as have relatable comedy for people in STEM about the challenges of research and academia.”

Lexa Graham McMaster Alumna Tranzac club in Toronto, Graham’s team will host a comedy

night with performers as seen on CBC Comedy and Just for Laughs.

The night will emulate the Saturday Night Live Weekend Update, where news topics will be brought up with a comedic twist.

Graham believes society has evolved to the point where you need to grab people’s attention quickly if you want to send a message. One hundred page reports on climate change will not appeal as much to people as science satire will.

With this in mind, Graham hopes to be a liaison between the truth and drawing attention to real issues.

To learn more and/or get involved with DNAtured, students can access the site at https://www.dnatured.com/ and reach out to Graham directly at grahamlexa@gmail.com. @theSilhouette

PRESIDENT’S PAGE

IKRAM FARAH President president@msu.mcmaster.ca 905.525.9140 x23885

Along with access to over three dozen services, positions in governance, over 300 clubs, and political representation, MSU members are able to influence the future of the organization.

One opportunity available to students to shape the actions of the MSU is General Assembly, the constitutionally-mandated annual meeting of full-time undergraduate students.

The purpose of General Assembly is to ensure all students, regardless of the positions they hold or their involvement within the MSU, have an opportunity to have their voices heard. General Assembly is a unique opportunity for students to build consensus on an issue they are passionate about through democratic procedures. All resolutions passed within the context of the General Assembly are binding on the Student Representative Assembly.

March 14, 2019 | thesil.ca

Over the years, motions brought forward have covered a wide range of topics affecting and relating to student life. Last year, motions were brought forth concerning access to mental health care and training, Greek life organizations at McMaster, the anti-disruption guidelines, and clubs without membership rules. In 2017, there was business concerning General Assembly itself, along with free access to universal tuition.

“General Assembly is a unique opportunity for students to build consensus on an issue they are passionate about through democratic procedures.”

This year, the General Assembly will take place on March 20 in Burridge Gym from 4:00 - 7:00pm. Registration opens at 3:15pm in the mezzanine above the gym. MSU members are welcome to attend with their student card and enter via the IWC hallway. I encourage you to review the agenda, available at msumcmaster.ca/GA, and attend. As a venue for direct democracy, General Assembly is a place where meaningful debate can and should take place.

In addition, I will address the attendees near the beginning of the General Assembly to update MSU members on some of the projects the Board of Directors has been working on to enhance 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.

SHOW UP.

SPEAK OUT.

McMaster Students Union

General Assembly Wednesday, March 20 4:00 to 7:00pm | Burridge Gym *The Speaker will order motions based on logical reasoning, not necessarily in the order in which they are received

Registration starts at 3:15pm. Bring your student card.

All MSU members are welcome.

Email speaker@msu.mcmaster.ca with any questions

msumcmaster.ca/ga student life on and off campus.

Feel free to come out and ask me questions about the progress myself and the Board of Directors have made during our term.

I look forward to providing up-

dates of organizational progress over the last few months and hope to see students in attendance bring their perspectives on issues about which they are passionate.

www.thesil.ca | Thursday, March 14, 2019

EDITORIAL

| 9

Editorial

All talk and no action

Our student union should spend less time on town halls and more time properly addressing Ford’s changes to postsecondary education Emily O’Rourke Editor-in-Chief

Sabrina Macklai Opinion Editor

By the time this editorial is in print, Member of Provincial Parliament Chris Glover will have come to campus to listen to students’ concerns over the future of post-secondary education.

Glover is the Ontario New Democratic party MPP for the Spadina-Fort York riding and was appointed as the Official NDP Critic for the Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities in August of last year.

Within this role, Glover acts as the voice of the Official Opposition on postsecondary issues, allowing him to keep elected officials accountable.

Glover has been visiting universities across the province to discuss the recent changes to Ontario Student Assistance Pro-

gram and the Student Choice Initiative with students. According to the McMaster Students Union, by hosting Glover they “[gave] students the platform to voice their concerns to someone who will be able to raise them in legislation, during Question Period and through committee meetings.”

The event also gave students the opportunity to have MPP Glover answer their questions regarding the changes.

Events like these are a common rhetoric of the MSU; generating talk but no tangible results. It’s the same thing that happened with their lobbying efforts, where the MSU considered the provincial government continuing to recognize transit passes as essential a win.

In reality, transit passes are pretty useless if postsecondary education is not accessible or affordable to all students.

Students are already aware of the upcoming terrifying changes and have voiced their

concerns, publicly and loudly, on numerous occasions. McMaster students have interrupted meetings at Queen’s Park and have even took to the streets to make sure their voices are heard. It’s not that the government isn’t aware of student concerns, it’s just that they don’t care.

While discussion is important, why isn’t the MSU supporting the students who are taking action on the ground? An event like this wouldn’t pose as an issue if it was accompanied by actual efforts from the MSU to address Ford’s changes.

Students don’t need photo-ops and half-hearted discussions of change, they need word from the student union that they have a tangible plan of action in the face of these changes. @emily_oro @_sabrinawitch

to dark mode for Slack

to scary beeping in the office at 4:00 a.m.

to late night office chats

to insurance fraud

to the evil roommate moving out to IAN BARNES! YOU’RE THE BEST! to wine and cheese night to yice to Ryan on Twitter to ibuprofen to Linkedin to lattes

to the evil roommate to headaches to crying in the lab and ur supervisor telling u thats against lab safety to radio silence to radio killing the video star to seeing your ex boyfriend to homophobia in sports

We only have three issues left!

Of this semester, that is. If you’ve ever wanted to write for the Silhouette, now’s your chance! Get in touch with our section editors below!

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HUMANS

Thursday, March 14, 2019 | www.thesil.ca

we need money to survive and sometimes there’s research experience in labs and you don’t really know about them if you don’t have social capital at university. This was a way for us to kind of share out networks, share social capital, share volunteer research opportunities with other aspiring physicians at McMaster and build strong Black applicants here too.

What inspired you to do so?

Kayonne Christy Co-Founder McMaster Womanists and Black Aspiring Physicians of McMaster C/O CATHERINE GOCE/PHOTO REPORTER

Catherine Goce Photo Reporter

Why and how did you create Black Aspiring Physicians of McMaster and McMaster Womanists?

I was the co-founder of both of those clubs. The McMaster Womanists came a little bit before the Black Aspiring Physicians of McMaster. My friend Kermeisha and I noticed a lack of space for Black women on campus, there were Black clubs but there was no space for Black women to connect. I think that for us, sisterhood and community has always been important, so we thought this would be a cool opportunity to bring together Black women and every woman of color to connect and share experiences.

We thought this would be a good opportunity to bring us together and also be grounded around principles of Black feminism and womanism, and also learn together about those ideas and politics and try to get a little bit of consciousness and mobilize Black women. But more than that, we wanted to create a community of strong Black women on campus.

Then Black Aspiring Physicians of McMaster came into existence because there was an initiative that started at University of Toronto called the

“[...] we wanted to create a community of strong black women on campus.”

Kayonne Christy Co-Founder McMaster Womanist and Black Aspiring Physicians of McMaster Community of Support which seeks to increase the representation of unrepresented students in medical schools including Indigenous people, Black people, Filipino people and any under represented groups in medicine.

They have chapters in different universities and myself and my friend Sonia started a chapter here. I wanted to do medicine at the time, so we partnered together and worked with people and other aspiring medical students to get the club up and running. What we wanted to do there was to create competitive applicants, because it’s one thing to say that you want to get into medicine but often times in addition to your grades you have to have good volunteer experience, good research experience, and all these other things that often times it’s difficult for marginalized students to access.

Volunteer opportunities are difficult because sometimes

I think it’s recognizing a need and a deficit and trying to fill it. These things are rooted in structural inequities, so obviously there’s so much we can do, but if we can do something to kind of address it, it’s better than nothing. I think that’s a characteristic of mine, if I see something that’s wrong, I’ll try to do something to fix it. It’s also great to have community around you who also share the same views, values, visions and politics that you can build with to make those things possible because you can’t do it alone.

All of these things I co-founded because community is important, and you can’t do everything by yourself.

Why did you decide not to go into medicine?

Well, I wanted to go into medicine because I’m very passionate about Black people, Black liberation, and I realized that there was a lot of Black people who experience poor health outcomes and many different facets like cardiovascular health diabetes, a whole bunch of things.

So, I was like ‘okay’, something that I can do to tangibly improve these outcomes is to be a physician. It made sense. But, I realized that’s not what I wanted to do. I was in the life sciences program and then I started taking more health studies and health and aging courses and I found myself drawn to those courses a lot more than the natural sciences. I also did way better and those courses than the natural sciences. I think it’s because my brain thinks in terms of structures and systems. So, when I graduated I didn’t really know what I what I wanted to do because I didn’t get into my masters and I didn’t want to do medicine anymore.

But I got a research job with the University of Toronto and that kind of changed my life. It made me realized that I really loved research and that research was also a way to improve those out-

comes as well.

It’s one thing to say there’s a problem but we’re in an age where everything needs to be evidence based. If we don’t have the evidence to support or acknowledge that problem, then people can ignore it easily.

For me, doing research is a way to expose these problems so that people can’t say that we didn’t know about it and then try to figure out ways to create solutions to those problems. I’m really enjoying research now and I’m really immersed in it. I think my passion for health still remains, but the approach to it has just been different.

“I think that’s a characteristic of mine, if I see something wrong, I’ll try to fix it.”

Kayonne Christy Co-Founder McMaster Womanist and Black Aspiring Physicians of McMaster How did the portrayal of Black women on television and social media affect you today?

Patricia Hill Collins talks about this a lot in what she calls controlling images. These are images that emerge from slavery and that were used to kind of justify the exploitation and the abuse of Black women. So those things are tricky, obviously a lot of them are exaggerated and obviously stereotypes. It is tricky because I think black women are portrayed in monolithic ways, but also that’s the reality of some people. I don’t want to be like ‘I’m not like that’ be-

cause there’s nothing wrong if you

do play into those stereotypes.

Oftentimes, we’re multifaceted people and I think that that the images that are portrayed of Black women right now in the media are very narrowly focused and exaggerate certain qualities. But Black women are still heterogeneous and we’re so diverse that it would be nice to see other representations as well. I’m thinking of Cardi B because she’s beautiful, she’s gorgeous and then I see people getting hurt because of certain characteristics that they call ‘ghetto’ or whatever but there’s nothing wrong with being who you are.

What is your biggest aspiration in life?

I would love to just dismantle the whole system. Definitely doing the best that I can through my research. Right now what I want to do is I want to eventually do a PhD so I can become a professor and educate the next generation of people and educate my peers and educate others and also like influence and affect policy change and as I said, expose these inequities that exist because everybody knows anecdotally but I think there’s an emerging literature and emerging research on people trying to expose different systemic stuff.

But also contributing to that and just trying to make changes through the research.

facebook.com/ HumansOfMcMaster

OPINION

www.thesil.ca | Thursday, Sept. 13, 2018

| 13

FOLLOW US @UNDERGROUNDMSU TO STAY UP TO DATE + LEARN MORE ABOUT THE UNDERGROUND! SPONSORED

How legalization is changing cannabis research and creating demand for evidence-based education As the full roll out of cannabis legalization in Canada continues into 2019, sellers, consumers, investors and law makers still have many unanswered questions and concerns. But one group of stakeholders is cautiously optimistic about the future— cannabis researchers.

With legalization generating many new opportunities for cannabis research, those who are interested in educating themselves through legitimate, evidence-based channels will soon have the opportunity. Many post-secondary institutions have already started filling these gaps by offering programs related to various aspects of cannabis.

Institutions across Canada are providing workshops and courses on topics ranging from cultivation to policy to business.

In Spring 2019, McMaster University Continuing Education

will add its name to the list of post-secondary institutions responding to the pressing need for excellence in cannabis education. In particular, it will launch one of the first evidencebased, post-secondary cannabis programs in the country focused on the scientific study of cannabis and its therapeutic applications as well as its risks and harms.

In partnership with the Peter Boris Centre for Addictions Research and the Michael G. DeGroote Centre for Medicinal Cannabis Research, the program will take an evidence-based approach to understanding the science behind the substance.

This 3-course academic certificate of completion will be offered entirely online through McMaster Continuing Education and will be available to interested persons working in the health, education, public service, and community betterment sectors

with such fields as addictions, mental health and public policy.

According to MacKillop, now is an important time for the science of cannabis because it is an evolving field with significant implications for public health and medicine in Canada today.

across the country.

Overseeing the course development of the program is Dr. James MacKillop, holder of the Peter Boris Chair in Addictions Research, Director of the Peter Boris Centre for Addictions Research, and Director of the Michael G. DeGroote Centre for Medicinal Cannabis.

“This program really takes advantage of a lot of faculty

expertise,” said MacKillop.

“Students are going to have firsthand exposure to all different avenues of cannabis research that are being pursued within our centres.”

MacKillop believes the program will make it possible for physicians, nurses, psychologists, social workers, teachers, first responders and others to better understand the science of cannabis and how it interacts

“What we know is that there’s a lot of information out in the world about cannabis, but not all of it is accurate,” said MacKillop. “So both doing high quality science and promoting high-quality science are really critical functions.”

For more information about the Science of Cannabis program, please visit mcmastercce.ca/thescience-of-cannabis-program

Sponsored by:

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OPINION

Thursday, March 14, 2019 | www.thesil.ca

Opinion Valedictorian for who?

If McMaster University wishes to keep the tradition of valedictorians, graduating students should be allowed to vote for their own representatives Sabrina Macklai Opinion Editor

Nominations for spring 2019 valedictorians closed on March 4. Interviews with the selection committee are taking place until March 29, with decisions releasing in early April.

In total, the spring 2019 convocation will consist of 11 valedictorians, one for each convocation ceremony, with representation from McMaster University’s different faculties and programs.

Historically, the valedictorian is the student with the highest ranking amongst their graduating class, where highest ranking is determined by grade point average. This student is expected to deliver a closing statement at their graduation ceremony.

While valedictorians are still required to deliver a farewell remark, the definition has greatly changed. According to the McMaster Students Union, valedictorians are graduating students who “best represents the student community at McMaster University.”

In regards to grades, valedictorians are only required to have an average of at least 7.0 in their last academic year, or as their cumulative average.

While this definition does not appear to be problematic, and in fact makes the title more inclusive, the selection process for valedictorians does not reflect this positive change.

To be nominated for valedictorian, students must complete a lengthy valedictorian nomination package. This includes signatures from at least three members of the graduating student’s respective faculty, a two-page letter outlining why the student is best suited for the valedictorian title, a copy of their curriculum vitae or resume and two letters of reference, one academic and one work or volunteer related.

The requirements of this

package already discriminate against students who do not have the time to thoroughly complete it. Especially considering the horrible job the MSU did in advertising valedictorian nominations, many students did not have time to complete their applications despite the nomination period opening on Jan. 28.

One of the largest issues with Mac’s valedictorian process is the selection committee itself. While the committee is comprised of both faculty and students, the student representation on the committee is severely lacking.

According to the valediction information package, the student representation consists of students from the Student Representative Assembly and MSU members appointed by the MSU vice president (Education).

Although this means that the selection committee may contain students from the graduating class, the seats on the selection committee were also poorly advertised.

The poor advertising for seats on the selection committee and the actual nomination period does nothing but perpet-

Especially considering the horrible job the MSU did in advertising valedictorian nominations; many students did not have time to complete their applications despite the nomination period opening on Jan. 28.

The current selection process for valedictorians is flawed in that it preferentially chooses individuals already within the MSU bubble.

THE SILHOUETTE PHOTO ARCHIVES

uate a cycle of only individuals within the MSU bubble being aware and taking advantage of these opportunities.

It makes no sense why faculty members especially are allowed to determine who best represents students. Even the few selected students on the selection committee are not a good representation of the student community, but rather, a representation of those few already involved in the MSU. If the university truly wanted to elect valedictorians who best represents the student community at McMaster, and not just the MSU bubble, they would allow the graduating student community to vote for their representative through an election.

If an election were to occur, students would have the opportunity to pick who they’d like to have speak at their convocation.

Students could run based on whatever merits they feel they possess, rather than those arbitrarily set out by the selection committee.

Perhaps the winning valedictorian isn’t the most

“involved” student, but their actions and character make them somebody that their fellow peers opt to vote-in.

As it stands, the selection committee for valedictorian

The poor advertising for seats on the selection committee and the actual nomination period does nothing but perpetuate a cycle of only individuals within the MSU bubble being aware and taking advantage of these opportunities.

focuses on “McMaster and/ or community involvement”, which is listed as involvement in student groups, student support, student government and community involvement. Of the listed examples, almost all have some relation to the MSU. Being valedictorian shouldn’t equate to being the ideal and involved MSU member. It should, as their definition states, be an accurate reflection of the diverse student community at McMaster.

Beyond the title and delivering a five-minute speech at convocation, valedictorians don’t receive anything. Personally, I don’t see the point of having valedictorians. It’s pretty much impossible to have a single student be truly representative of their entire faculty.

But if the university wishes to keep the tradition, they ought to do a better job of ensuring that whoever gets the accolade is supported by the graduating

@_sabrinawitch_

OPINION

www.thesil.ca | Thursday, March 14, 2019

| 13

Stop bullying students running for SRA Before laughing at platforms for the Student Representative Assembly, criticize the elitist culture which prevents students from being informed

The lack of informed SRA platform points is indicative of rampant elitism within the MSU. KYLE WEST / PHOTO EDITOR

Brian Zee Contributor

Since I started at McMaster University in 2014, I’ve been involved with the McMaster Students Union, from involvement with a presidential campaign to eventually being elected on the Student Representative Assembly. I quit the SRA six months in.

When I started, I was handed several documents to help me understand the MSU and my role within it. Even after two training sessions and reading multiple documents, I still didn’t have a clear understanding of the possibilities within my role.

This is due to the sheer volume of functions the MSU oversees. The MSU consists of over 30 different business units and services, along with individual committees that address issues affecting the 20,000+ undergraduate students represented by the union.

Along with this, there are 35 student representatives from

each faculty that make up the SRA. These students are elected each year, based hopefully on their platform points.

With the diversity of functions that exist within the MSU, keeping track of the hundreds of members involved is more than a full-time job; hence, the existence of four full-time student jobs, the board of directors, dedicated to managing all these portfolios.

So, if a potential SRA candidate wants to grasp this wealth of information, it would require them to sift through an incredibly disorganized website, spend hours reading jargon-riddled meeting minutes and likely set-up meetings with a few SRA members.

It’s no secret that the SRA struggles with transparency. The point is, it is not easy to disseminate information about the MSU, let alone in a format that’s easily digestible by students.

But is this the reason why candidates continuously repeat previous or unfeasible platform

points? I don’t think so.

The reason why the average student doesn’t understand the MSU has little to do with the disorganization of the information. Instead, students’ lack of awareness is due to the existence of the elitist culture rampant within the SRA. During my time involved with the MSU, I’ve noticed several condescending statements released both publicly and privately ridiculing the SRA candidate pool.

For example, a current SRA member, on their public twitter stated, “If I hear extended library hours as a platform point one more time I’m gonna lose it”.

In a separate instance, during last year’s SRA elections, another heavily involved MSU member wrote as their Facebook status, “Lol, @SRA candidate saying that the MSU should make job descriptions, we are doomed”.

These are only a few public statements made by elected

members that dramatically contribute to the MSU bubble which many of the same individuals supposedly ran to help dissolve.

After releasing these statements, SRA members had the audacity to wonder why such a limited number of candidates reached out to consult their platform points.

It is important to note that while these factors alone don’t contribute to the unapproachability of the SRA, the public ridicule of students aspiring to volunteer their time is equivalent to schoolyard bullying and needs to stop.

While it is more than possible to develop comprehensive platform points without the help of current and previous assembly members, it is so much more difficult given the overwhelming disorganization of the available information.

Unfortunately, not everyone has the time to sort through the disorganized mess. The inaccessibility of this information can

be easily tested by simply trying to figure out where to find the most recent SRA meeting minutes.

Candidates aren’t reaching out, not because they don’t want to, but because the assembly does not appear to be an approachable group. The MSU does not reflect the welcoming environment that it boasts, and as a result, candidates are more likely to run on limited information. Hence, the epidemic of repeated and unfeasible platform points continues.

Over the years, I have constantly heard the notion that the lack of student engagement within the MSU is a result of apathy on the student end. Maybe it’s about time the assembly made it worth students’ time.

Halfway through my term, I left my seat on the SRA. This was not because I couldn’t learn about the organization, but because I didn’t feel like being @theSilhouette

14 |

OPINION

Thursday, March 14, 2019 | www.thesil.ca

Adopting a weighted voting system Graduating students should not have equal influence on the outcome of McMaster Students Union elections and referenda

As graduating students are not influenced by changes to student fees in the year following their graduation, they should not have equal influence on the results of MSU elections and referenda.

CATHERINE GOCE / PHOTO REPORTER

Neda Pirouzmand Staff Writer

Graduating students should not have had an equal say on these decisions in comparison to returning students. As changes regarding student fees are implemented in the following academic year, graduating students will not be paying for them.

This line of reasoning can be extended to graduating students’ influence over the MSU presidential elections. The actions and views of the MSU president only become relevant during and following their transition period into office.

Chukky Ibe won the McMaster Students Union presidential election in 2017.

In March of the same year, students passed a referendum to add $95 to their Athletics and Recreation Activity fee in order to build the Student Activity Building and expand the Pulse fitness area.

Last year, Ikram Farah’s winning election was accompanied by a referendum that reduced the Ontario Public Research Group’s funding at the university from $8.07 to $5.50 per student.

Josh Marando will officially take office in May. While he is currently in the process of transitioning into the role of MSU president, his responses to recent events, such as Doug Ford’s changes to the Ontario Student Assistance Program, and any future implementations will directly impact incoming and returning students.

At most, graduating students may be indirectly affected by the MSU’s advocacy efforts at the municipal, provincial and federal levels. This possible indirect impact still does not warrant graduating students to have as much influence as they currently possess.

An alternate system may involve weighting votes, where

graduating students’ votes are weighted less than those of returning students. The logistics of the weighting amount could be decided by the MSU. Those against changing the voting system may state that graduating students have unique and relevant experiences that allow them to make informed votes. Additionally, as graduating students pay the full MSU fee it can be argued that they have the right to exercise their vote.

These concerns could be addressed through adjusting the weight of votes from graduating students, rather than removing their vote altogether. If necessary, this could also be coupled with lowering the MSU fee for these students.

Would reweighting graduating students’ votes have changed past elections and referenda? This information is not publicly available and therefore no concrete conclusions can be

drawn.

Elections should allow for a candidate to be selected who is in agreement with the majority of the relevant student population. Thus, the influence that graduating students have in this mix should be decreased.

At most, graduating students may be indirectly affected by the MSU’s advocacy efforts at the municipal, provincial and federal levels.

cannot accommodate this due to their timing in relation to admissions.

However, in some cases, this could be accomplished through implementing appropriate communication channels between incoming students and the MSU. If this were to be pursued, it would need to be preceded by large-scale exposure and encouragement of voting in high school students.

Once April passes, graduating students will no longer fall under the umbrella of the MSU. As such, they should not influence future MSU decisions as much as they currently do.

@theSilhouette

Following this line of reasoning, incoming first-years should have a chance to vote.

Many referenda and elections

OPINION

www.thesil.ca | Thursday, March 14, 2019

| 15

A welcoming workout environment

The Pulse should create more female-centered spaces to better accommodate the student population Eden Wondmeneh Staff Writer

I am embarrassed to admit that I have put off getting fit for an absurdly long time. I thought that coming to McMaster University would see the end to my procrastinating ways as I could see the gym from my window and I had no choice but to pay for a Pulse membership as part of my student fees.

Turns out, I was not alone in my gym-avoiding ways; at McMaster, I met a group of girls that wanted to work out but something kept getting in the way. We found ourselves linking together as gym buddies, trying to determine the time of day to visit the gym that would avoid the most amount of people.

We went to early morning sessions, a practice that was not sustainable for our lives. Long story short, it has been months and we still don’t make it to the Pulse regularly, primarily because we don’t feel comfortable in the spaces provided.

The Pulse needs to create more female-centered spaces.

After a series of mansplaining and semi-violating incidents in co-ed gyms and classes, I’m automatically turned off by most of the Pulse’s programs, which are catered to a mix of individuals.

This is not a reflection of the type of people who frequent the Pulse, as I must admit I have not been there enough to pass judgements, but instead is a re-

After a series of mansplaining and semiviolating incidents in co-ed gyms and classes, I’m automatically turned off by most of the Pulse’s programs, which are catered to a mix of individuals.

The Pulse should consider creating more female-centered spaces to ensure that their patrons feel comfortable working out.

KYLE WEST / PHOTO EDITOR

flection of the culture produced by most co-ed gyms. I have experienced this negative culture enough times that I now go out of my way to avoid them.

This discomfort means that I walk straight past the weights and resistance machines. Cardio is the safer option, as there is no one there to mansplain or make crude comments about my body, and no one to increase the level of discomfort I already feel as a plus-size girl in a gym.

Female-centered spaces can take many different forms.

For one, the Pulse can increase already existing programs like women-only swims. A greater number of female-only classes or even a female-only wing extension with equipment that is usually dominated by men would also achieve this goal.

This space would not be what all women want or need but will serve a population that face a significant barrier to bettering themselves. If the Pulse can enforce a no sleeves rule to make their facilities more accessible to those feeling self-conscious towards the gym, there is

If the Pulse can enforce a no sleeves rule to make their facilities more accessible to those feeling self-conscious towards the gym, there is no reason why they can’t create more femalecentered spaces. no reason why they can’t create more female-centered spaces.

This is not to say that all men are creepy chauvinists who are committed to disturbing women’s workouts. And not all women are welcoming, positive and non-judgmental. But in my personal experience, there is great liberation felt when one can lift weights and not feel like the odd one out.

Perhaps some of my

resistance to visit the Pulse is linked to my personal insecurities, which I recognize entirely.

But these insecurities are only heightened in the vulnerable space of working out, where comments made and the atmosphere created reinforces a power imbalance.

Gyms should be a space where everyone feels empowered and strong, not out-ofplace. Female-centered fitness spaces lift the weight of discomfort off of my shoulders, so that I can workout at any time; the intimidation is no longer at the back of my mind, making fitness a much less daunting task.

If the Pulse cared about all of its patrons, it would follow suit and create more female-centered spaces.

@theSilhouette

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OPINION

Thursday, March 14, 2019 | www.thesil.ca

A home away from home Reflecting on McMaster University and campus life, in the perspective of an international student from Saudi Arabia Fabiha Islam Contributor

I was born on a rainy afternoon in the city of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. My birth was somewhat atypical as rainfall is the last thing you’d expect from Saudi Arabia’s dry and hot weather.

Strangely, the rain led to many of my relatives making the comment that the desert might not be the place for me.

Unbelievable but true, a simple brochure from my father’s workplace about one of the world’s top universities turned my life upside-down. I got to know about this amazing university with cutting-edge research opportunities known as McMaster, and wanted to be there.

My endless insisting finally made my parents agree to send their daughter to a completely different country in the farthest continent from home.

In the airport, my parents were concerned if I’d be able

to undergo the immigration processes myself, as travelling alone wasn’t exactly what a women In Saudi Arabia would normally do.

On my first day in Canada, I faced an unworldly snowstorm. Snow always fascinated me since the only place I would ever see it was in movies.

However, little did I know of the harsh weather the beautiful snow brings with it.

When I saw McMaster in person for the very first time, the word “home” was the first thing to come to my mind. The campus had a sense of deep intimacy as it covered a beautiful, little area with all of its buildings so close together.

Despite being covered in snow, everything on campus looked beautiful, and I knew that I made the right choice.

I lived in Les Prince Hall in my first year and was proud of myself for being able to live, eat and even walk alone, without my parents around. Saudi

When I saw McMaster in person for the very first time, the word “home” was the first thing to come to my mind.

The campus had a sense of deep intimacy as it covered a beautiful, little area with all of its buildings so close together.

Arabia never let women go out without any assistance, so it may seem strange that I hadn’t even walked alone to the corner store next to my house until coming to McMaster.

Although I didn’t have any

problems with the language since I was brought up in an English-speaking environment, it took time to adapt to the weather and cultural differences. I struggled quite a bit in my first days due to constant snowstorms, icy roads, different food and how everything goes quiet after 9:00 p.m.

Back in Saudi Arabia, the city would wake up after 9:00 p.m. as the desert was burning hot during daytime, restricting any outdoor activity. Entertainment was very different from what I experienced before and so initially, I actually struggled to have fun.

In my opinion, cultural differences will forever exist but it is not what should controls our sense of closeness and familiarity. In a new culture, it is crucial to be open to exploring new ideas and trying to find out specific things from the new environment which are suited to your own expectations.

I developed a more positive

attitude and felt at home when exploring made me realize that there isn’t any major difference after all.

A major difference is only when there is a change in the key component of our survival, that is, human interaction.

Despite different language, food and weather, human beings were always the same to me.

The way you perceive a person is completely subjective and depends on our own minds other than any certain culture and fortunately, my mind and thoughts were still unchanged.

I would like to thank McMaster University for being so dear, inclusive and family-like.

The incredible openness and friendly attitude of the campus community makes me feel completely “at home” despite being miles away from my family!

@theSilhouette

McMaster University boasts a beautiful campus that is home to many international students.

KYLE WEST / PHOTO EDITOR

A&C

www.thesil.ca | Thursday, March 14, 2019

| 17

Arts & Culture

At Crumbled, Pugliese prepares a bowl filled with cake base layers, frosting and toppings.

RAZAN SAMARA / A&C EDITOR

Crumbled is too sweet to pass up Crumbled Bakery is deconstructing cake on Barton Street East Andrew Mrozowski Staff Writer

Tucked away on Barton Street East is an unexpected pop of colour that catches the eye when passing by the old grey brick buildings. Immediately when you walk through the door you are greeted by the smell of succulent cake. On your left is a vibrant mural created by Hamilton-artist Trinity Bolduc, capturing the very essence of Crumbled. Owner Dom Pugliese is likely to be mad at work trying to fill walk-in and online orders, but he is always willing to stop and chat.

Gaining experience working on the corporate side of baking in Toronto, Pugliese found himself yearning for a change of pace. Pugliese decided to leave Toronto and move to Hamilton with the hopes of creating something new for himself.

“I wanted to open a bakery for like eight years, but only thought of a traditional bakery — breads and breakfast things,

or just dessert. I had a vision of even doing a café with all the cakes made in-store and do coffee,” said Pugliese.

“It’s cool because it’s like a sundae bar…You can choose your own toppings, you can make it your own and it’s great for customers who want variety.”

Dom Pugliese Owner Crumbled Bakery While working at Cake and Loaf Bakery, Pugliese started to learn about how Hamilton operates and meet with locals. On the side, he would make cakes for family and friends at home.

He then would put all the scraps

into a bowl and toss them in the fridge only to consistently come home to find his boyfriend eating the crumbled bits. Suddenly, an idea sparked in Pugliese’s mind. This was the inspiration for Crumbled.

In June 2018, Pugliese actively searched for the perfect location. He knew he wanted a bakery on Barton Street East.

“Everyone is doing their own thing [on Barton Street East] and it’s unique. To open now, when it’s starting, but not there yet, to be a part of that is huge,” said Pugliese.

Crumbled Bakery serves gourmet deconstructed cake in a cup. Starting with their core menu, Pugliese has developed a different take on classic flavours with the “I Dream of Vanilla Bean”, “Chocolate Chaos” and “Red, White and Velvet” cake bowls.

Each month, a small number of specialty seasonal offerings get added to the menu. For March, customers are able to get lemon meringue cake, a vegan

Snickers cake and a cream egg brownie cake. If you want a little more diversity, Crumbled also offers a make your own bowl where you can choose two cake bases, frosting and any toppings.

The bakery also offers full-sized cakes made to order.

“We’re doing something different that nobody has done,” said Pugliese. “It’s cool because it’s like a sundae bar but with cake. You can choose your own toppings, you can make it your own and it’s great for customers who want variety.”

Currently, Pugliese is the only worker at Crumbled and does all the baking and assembly himself. He uses fresh ingredients and makes his cake creations from scratch every day.

“That’s where the corporate side helped me. I’ve learned how to use both my hands at the same time. It can be hard with planning and production but that’s where Cake and Loaf refined me. Now, I’m able to bake while the day goes on, the frostings don’t take long

to make. You have a recipe for a simple buttercream and you can add different flavours to it.

It’s like repurposing,” explained Pugliese.

“I want people to know what real baking is. We use real ingredients and it’s all made from scratch every day. That’s what’s great about Hamilton.

That’s everywhere. Everybody is doing things from scratch and doing things differently.

You’re getting something unique wherever you’re going,” Pugliese added.

Crumbled bakery is the first of its kind and momentum only seems to be growing more and more. With a great atmosphere, delicious cake and a great host, Crumbled is part of a community working to add something special and sweet to Barton Street East.

@andrewmrozowski

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The Silhouette

www.thesil.ca | Thursday, March 14, 2019

Taking a look at the atronomy events Hamilton has to offer Andrew Mrozowksi Staff Writer

Big cities are beautifully illuminated at night, however one drawback is that it’s not often you can look up at the night sky and see constellations and planets. Hamilton is unique as it not only features a lot of green spaces that set the scene perfectly for stargazers, but also has a dedicated group of astronomers to keep the interest as alive as the stars in the sky.

One group that takes advantage of the clear, starry nights is the Hamilton Amateur Astronomers. The non-profit organization is the Canada’s largest independent astronomy club and is made up of 200 members who range from beginner to expert level astronomers.

“We strive to further not just the understanding of this fascinating science but also, and most importantly, the enjoyment of it,” said John Gauvreau, chair of the HAA. Through free monthly events, the HAA holds meetings that are open to the public. At each of these events, a speaker showcases a presentation on astronomy or a related topic.

Kevin Salwach, a member of the HAA since 2009, presented A Step Back and a Look Up on March 8. Since the event was catered towards the general public, Salwach dropped all

technical aspects of astronomy and highlighted the importance of amateur astronomy. He encouraged attendees to take a look at the bigger picture of the universe.

“I find stargazing to be one of the most humbling and relaxing hobbies out there. There is something about sitting under a clear, dark sky that brings me complete peace of mind,” said Salwach.

Starting from a young age, Salwach found himself fascinated with the world of astronomy after visiting the William J. McCallion Planetarium at the Burke Science Building on campus.

“I remember the student doing the presentation pointing out Orion’s belt on the projector, and then going home later that night and seeing the belt in the night sky with my own eyes got me hooked. I’ve been going back every Wednesday ever since,” said Salwach.

Originally opening in 1954, the Planetarium was the conception of William McCallion, a professor in the department of physics and astronomy.

Before finding its permanent home in the basement of BSB in room 149, an old war-surplus parachute was hung from the ceiling and used as a planetarium dome. The planetarium was the first of its kind in Ontario to offer public shows.

Featuring two shows every

“I find stargazing to be one of the most humbling and relaxing hobbies out there. There is something about sitting under a clear, dark sky that brings me complete peace of mind.”

Kevin Salwach Member of the Hamilton Amateur Astronomers

Wednesday night, graduate students who are studying astronomy create and design a one-hour show on the topic of their choice.

Two upcoming shows at the planetarium are based on pop-culture. One show is set around the Star Trek universe.

Attendees will be taken around the universe to explore different stellar objects and phenomenon that have been featured in the show. The other is set around the theme of Harry Potter as many names of the book’s characters are inspired by the field of astronomy.

For PhD candidate and manager of the planetarium, Ian Roberts, the space has become a

second home during his time at McMaster.

“For me, I think it’s a totally unique experience — something that you are not going to get a chance to do in many places, to come in here when a show is going, it’s totally dark [in the room],”said Roberts. “The first time the night sky comes up, it is completely amazing. It’s very striking. Getting the opportunity to come to a facility like this is something that is super unique.” he added.

Between the McCallion Planetarium at McMaster as well as the numerous other events that the Hamilton Amateur Astronomers run every month, there is room for anybody to study the night sky, whether they have a general interest or are aspiring astronomers themselves.

“Anyone can go out and take a look at the night sky, it belongs to all of us. Especially for a university student who is bogged down with study and schoolwork, stargazing is a nice repose to the stress of school,” said Salwach.

There’s a lot of life down here on Earth, but if you take a look up, you will be introduced to a brand-new world filled with wonder and awe that is sure to strike your curiosity. @andrewmrozowski

“For me, I think it’s a totally unique experience— something that you are not going to get a chance to do in many places, to come in here when a show is going, it’s totally dark [in the room].

The first time the night sky comes up, it is completely amazing. It’s very striking.”

Ian Roberts Manager of the planetarium

A&C

www.thesil.ca | Thursday, March 14, 2019

| 19

Ian Roberts at the William J. McCallion Planetarium

The Digitarium Alpha 2 system is the first digital projector housed in the McCallion Planetarium.

KYLE WEST / PHOTO EDITOR

20 |

The Silhouette

www.thesil.ca | Thursday, March 14, 2019

Youth creating community together Never Gonna Stop hosts a Women’s Appreciation Brunch to empower Hamilton women Rya Buckley A&C Reporter

With International Women’s Day just behind us, several Hamilton organizations are taking the time to show their appreciation for the women in our community. One such organization is Never Gonna Stop, a youth initiative that is hosting Empower Me: A Women’s Appreciation Brunch on March 16 at the Hamilton Plaza Hotel and Conference Center.

In addition to brunch, the event will feature games, raffle prizes, a variety of visual and performing artists and speakers.

The event is open to all ages and genders. It was important for the organizers that this communal appreciation of women be done by not just other women. “[I]t’s really important to have men to support women in our community. Men’s voices are heard a lot more than just women’s [so] we’re trying to get men to align with women… [W] hen we hear [about] domestic violence, usually it’s men doing violence towards women, so… that’s what I mean when I say we try to align men with women to support each other,” explained NGS member Gonca Aydin.

The brunch, which is now sold out, is free of cost. Making it free allowed the event to be accessible to everyone in the community. Reducing financial barriers is important for this organization, which is catered towards helping low-income youth.

NGS was created by David Lingisi, Saifon Diallo and Joshua Kiena, all of whom come from low-income backgrounds. They wanted to create an initiative that would provide physical and mental

The initiative hopes to provide the support for low-income youth that they feel is missing in Hamilton. They want to support the artistic, athletic and academic talent of today’s youth by providing them with opportunities and the knowledge to succeed. health-related activities for youth from the ages of 13 to 29. “[W]e’ve seen how there’s a lot of older people… that have talent basically wasted because they didn’t have an opportunity… [A]s the younger generation, we basically want to help [youth] out to make their dreams come true.

I want everyone to provide a platform for them, to give them an opportunity to… go

to the league, allow them to become doctors and [whatever] they want to do,” said Lingisi.

Lingisi was born with sickle cell anemia and has spent his life in and out of the hospital while still working towards his dream of being a music producer. Each of the co-founders have underwent personal challenges, which fuel their desire to help others overcome obstacles.

Growing up in immigrant families, they all faced culture shock in addition to financial barriers.

The initiative hopes to provide the support for low-income youth that they feel is missing in Hamilton. They want to support the artistic, athletic and academic talent of today’s youth by providing them with opportunities and the knowledge to succeed.

Since the creation of the initiative last summer, NGS has hosted a youth panel, a holiday food drive, an All-Star weekend basketball tournament and a talent and fashion show for

Black History Month among other events. They are continuously planning new events in partnership with other organizations in the city.

They took on the Women’s Appreciation Brunch because it fits within their goal of creating community. NGS is proud to call themselves inclusive to all genders, races, religions or economic statuses. Setting aside space and time to celebrate women and promote the resources that women can access within the city fits within that mandate.

Most importantly, the Women’s Appreciation Brunch delivers the message of persistence directly to Hamilton’s women. They named the event Empower Me because they want women of all ages to know that they can accomplish any goal that they set out to reach. “[K]eep following your dreams, whatever it is, don’t ever stop, don’t let anything stop you. You are able to make it no matter what you’re going through, it doesn’t matter the situation, just keep going as long as you get one more day… I just want to [say] that everybody’s a part of NGS. I’m NGS, you’re NGS, anybody going through anything but still fighting is NGS,”

“[K]eep following your dreams, whatever it is, don’t ever stop, don’t let anything stop you. You are able to make it no matter what you’re going through, it doesn’t matter the situation, just keep going as long as you get one more day…”

David Lingisi Co-founder of Never Gonna Stop said Lingisi.

That is why they named themselves Never Gonna Stop.

More than a name, it is a movement and source of encouragement for those involved.

Knowing how hard life can be, NGS is focused on motivating others to work hard in order to achieve their wildest dreams.

@theSilhouette

OPINION

www.thesil.ca | Thursday, Sept. 13, 2018

| 13

SPONSORED

Why Attend Career Fairs Some say that when they last attended a job fair employers told them to apply online, so they felt it was pointless to attend. If you have similar sentiments, I urge you to keep reading.

Employers may tell you to apply online (it does save paper!), but the real reason they are there is to get a sense of the person behind the resume that is submitted online — YOU. Who are you? What do you have to offer? Why are you unique? Are you personable?

Do you seem genuinely interested? What do you know about them? Answers to these questions can only be conveyed in an application to a certain extent. Make a real connection so that when your application does come across their desk, your name gets noticed.

How can you differentiate your

application from other ones in the application pile?

Do your research. Explore the event website for the list of employers confirmed to attend and do some research on them before the event.

Tailor your elevator pitch.

Make eye contact and shake their hand. Be bold, assertive, and with some confidence, introduce yourself. Tell them what you do or want to do, what you have to offer and why you are interested in them.

Customize your pitch based on your research.

Ask useful questions. Based on your research, prepare some thoughtful questions to generate conversation after your introductions.

Be an active listener. Really listen to what they have to

say; it is easy to start thinking ahead to what you will say next, but concentrate on being in the moment. After the conversation is over, jot down any suggestions they had for applicants before you forget.

Be ready to dig deeper. If you encounter an organization of interest that is not hiring in the area you are interested in, don’t despair. Remember that organizations recruit for many diverse roles and hiring timelines are often not predictable.

Invite to connect on LinkedIn. Visit your new contact’s profile and send your request from there, so you have an option to ‘Add a Note.’ Reference something from your conversation when you invite them to connect and thank them for their time in speaking with you at the event.

By: Tanya Kett & Jillian Perkins Marsh

After you attend the event and employ the tactics above, you are ready to submit that online application. Don’t forget to mention the contact you spoke with at the Career Fair or Company Recruitment Event.

Incorporate their suggestions and offer something you learned from them in your cover letter as part of why you are interested in applying.

just applied online. Which application would you be most interested in?

Now imagine you did none of the above, just attended, had a few conversations and

Read the full article on our Medium page.

Sponsored by:

Use what you’ve learned in this article at our SCENE networking night on March 21. This event is open to McMaster alumni and students in their final year. Register here: alumni.mcmaster.ca under Event Listings.

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SPORTS

www.thesil.ca | Thursday, March 14, 2019

Sports Time for redemption A tough loss in the provincial finals means a shot at redemption at the national championship for the men’s volleyball team as they head to Laval

Despite topping the OUA with a 15-2 regular season record, Mac was forced to travel for the Final Four.

KYLE WEST / PHOTO EDITOR

Graham West Staff Writer

Heading out to Kingston for this year’s provincial playoffs, Andrew Richards and the McMaster men’s volleyball team went up against the University of Windsor for their 15thstraight provincial semifinal appearance, and won, advancing to the finals.

Unfortunately, their championship bid ultimately fell short, suffering a heartbreaking loss to the hosting Queen’s University Gaels. Although the men’s six-year dynasty was broken, getting to the finals means they also have a spot in the national championship tournament, where they have another chance to go on the court and show everyone why they deserve to be there.

As regular members of the Ontario University Athletics

Final Four under head coach Dave Preston for almost two decades, the team has certainly solidified a strong culture of winning. Although, even with prolific numbers and success, Richards says this doesn’t play into their mindset, and that they choose to look at the season on a game-by-game basis.

“Whether it’s a lot of times hosting in a row, or a lot of times being in the Final Four in a row, I think our program does a really good job of not thinking about that too much,” Richards said. “We don’t get too far into that because at the end of the day, it doesn’t help us perform on the court. The group this year is really tight and we’re really good at understanding that when we’re on the floor, all that matters is how we can help each other, compete hard and enjoy ourselves.”

The love of the game is one

of the biggest factors for the team’s prolific success. Even so much as just being on the court means a lot to Richards and his teammates, making them fierce competitors as not many teams can match their passion.

“I think we’re lucky as student-athletes to even be able to play volleyball for McMaster,” Richards said. “So for us, we’re just thankful to play and have fun, and I know our hard work and all of our training throughout the year will help us get to where we need to go.”

Even though the team did ultimately lose in the finals, it’s only a roadblock on their way to taking on nationals, which has been a big focus for the team all year.

“I’ve found over my four years that the next two weeks happen really fast, so I think it’s easiest to break it up and take it game by game and enjoy things

while you can,” Richards said.

“Our team has higher goals than just provincials, so for us, it’s going to be crucial to refocus after every match.”

Richards emphasized the role that team chemistry plays in the success of the team, especially when it comes to being able to pick each other up when things are down. This is mostly due to the fact that the team is so close and knows each other so well. This is a key reason why they are such a tough group to get through for any competitor.

“Over my years here at Mac, we’re one of the tighter teams,” Richards said. “It’s easy for teams to play well and feel good about themselves when things are going well on the court and you’re winning, but I think when it really comes in handy to have a tight team and work through things together is when things aren’t going well.”

By earning a spot in the provincial finals, the Marauders have also clinched a place at the national championships. The men’s volleyball team will be one to watch during the national championships as they look to make a huge statement after provincials and certainly have the potential to take home the national gold.

On March 15 at 6:00 p.m., the No. 7 Marauders will take on the No. 2 Trinity Western University Spartans to kick-off the U Sports Final Eight. The Spartans are also coming off a provincial silver medal, losing to No. 1 Brandon University in the Canada West Championship. @theSilhouette

SPORTS | 23

www.thesil.ca | Thursday, March 14, 2019

Good for the soul

Providing Marauders an accessible opportunity to give back to their community, McMaster Athletes Care is an important aspect of the McMaster community Justin Parker Sports Editor

The month of March is an exciting time for Canadian university sports. Varsity teams across Canada spend most of March battling it out in arduous tournaments to bring national recognition to their university.

Especially during this time of year, it is easy to get swept up in the action, focusing solely on medals won or opportunities squandered, and the human side of the athletic community can be quickly forgotten. While all student-athletes at McMaster grind it out over the school year to bring home another banner, many members of the McMaster athletic community also dedicate their time to another important cause.

McMaster Athletes Care is a volunteer program whose vision is to “utilize sport as a tool to teach valuable life skills and empower youth to believe in their dreams”. In addition to community events such as January’s annual Think Pink Week, the program gives Mac athletes an opportunity to volunteer in the Hamilton community.

From hospital visits and bringing kids to Marauders home games, MAC hosts weekly volunteer visits to the Living Rock Youth Resources program, the Kiwanis Boys and Girls Club of Hamilton, and the Routes Youth Centre. During these weekly visits, volunteers will uti-

lize gym space to get kids active.

“It’s a really easy way to get volunteer hours to just sign up and go play sports, which is not really volunteering — it’s a lot of fun,” said MAC’s Living Rock coordinator Mike Cox. “It’s a productive procrastination where, if you watch two hours of Netflix, I feel like I don’t really get anything done and I feel kind of bad about that. But if you go and volunteer, you’re giving your time and it’s a nice break.”

Mike Cox has been involved with MAC for the last few years, initially volunteering as a member of the men’s lacrosse team to earn volunteer experience in pursuit of a teaching career.

Cox eventually found himself making the weekly visits to Living Rock, a program for at-risk youth, and it became more than just a fun way to give back to the community.

“It’s a reality check too, to go out and to do all that stuff,” Cox said. “It just kind of makes your bed a little warmer and your food taste a little better and all that stuff, so I know that it puts things into perspective.

I started out doing it because I needed volunteer hours but like once you get out there, it kind of sucks you in and obviously I’ve been there ever since.”

Upon returning to Mac for a master’s degree in mathematics last year, Cox took over as MAC’s Living Rock coordinator. Enthusiastically organized

Think Pink Week is an annual staple of the Marauders community.

THE SILHOUETTE PHOTO ARCHIVES

by McMaster’s Coordinator for Community and Alumni Engagement, Nicole Grosel, the executive committee is full of members like Cox, each committed to coordinating the various events of the program.

Living Rock focuses on an older age group compared to the other weekly visits, so while it can be a challenge to get the older kids to participate in physical activity, which is the program’s main focus, the quality time spent with the members of these

programs is still important to them.

“It feels good to see these people who stop coming for good reasons, like they don’t have to be there because they found an apartment or because they’ve found a better job or they moved on,” Cox said. “It’s a cool feeling to kind of see them through all that stuff and see where they started and see where they ended up.”

In addition to giving kids an outlet and an additional support system, getting varsity athletes to interact with kids in the community serves MAC’s goal of inspiring and motivating kids.

In addition to showing them the importance of living a physically active life, student-athletes can share opportunities that can come from playing high-level sports, like scholarships and important relationships.

“Volunteering is always important and all of those kids appreciate it, and I know they do. It’s just good for McMaster and it’s good for your soul,” Cox said. “To show that the athletes do have, amongst their busy schedules, that we can give back a little bit and show that McMaster Athletics isn’t just about winning championships, it’s about showing that we can give

back and that we can recognize that we’re very fortunate people.”

Not only does MAC help student-athletes appreciate their position, but it also allows some of the lesser-covered sports to gain some recognition as important parts of the Marauders community, such as the women’s lacrosse team who brought in a sizeable donation for a clothing drive and logged the most volunteer minutes for Think Pink Week.

Giving student-athletes from any sport a fun and easily accessible way to give back to the community, MAC continues to be a great service that deserves to be recognized as an invaluable resource for the Hamilton community. While giving student-athletes an opportunity to appreciate their own lives, MAC is helping to inspire a new generation of athletes.

@writingparker

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SPORTS

www.thesil.ca | Thursday, March 14, 2019

bringing home the

Bronze

baby

The McMaster women’s basketball team defeated the number-one ranked Rouge et Or to win the U Sports Championship Jessica Carmichael Sports Reporter

For the first time ever, the McMaster women’s basketball team have brought the Bronze Baby home. Led by head coach Theresa Burns, the Marauders are the 2019 U Sports national champions after defeating the Laval University Rouge et Or 70-58 in the gold medal game.

It has been a long time coming for Burns, but so worth the wait. The head coach has been with the Marauders for the last 29 years and has yet to win it all like she did this past weekend.

Ending the regular season 21-3, the Marauders turned up the intensity and remained undefeated in the postseason. For Burns, competing and winning at this level was something the team knew they could do from before the season even started.

Led by head coach Theresa Burns, the Marauders are the 2019 U Sports national champions after defeating the Laval University Rouge et Or 7058 in the gold medal game.

“We believed we could do it. It’s been the mindset all year,” said Burns. “Then, as the year went on and we continued to build, we got better as it went.”

The U Sports women’s basketball Final 8 festivities kicked off with the annual All-Canadian gala. McMaster veteran Hil-

ary Hanaka made Mac proud, taking home the Sylvia Sweeney Award for Student-Athlete Community Service for her outstanding contributions both on and off the court.

Hanaka is well known for her leadership on the court, but off the court, her work with McMaster Athletes Care, Varsity Leadership Council, McMaster Women’s Athletic Leadership Council, Neighbourhood Hoops Program, Flamborough Fire basketball and St. Mary’s Catholic High School, all contributed in her earning the honour. The All-Canadian was also named a U Sports Second Team All-Star that night.

With the awards wrapped up, the Marauders hit the court for the first game of the tournament, a quarter-final matchup against the Concordia University Stingers. Mac superstar Sarah Gates put up a career high of 32 points and the Marauders took down the Stingers in a dominant 86-68 victory.

Next, McMaster faced the third-ranked University of Saskatchewan Huskies, advancing to the final game with a 73-66 win. When Laval defeated the University of Ottawa Gee-Gees 60-56 in their own semifinal game, the stage for finals was set.

Heading into nationals, the Rouge et Or were ranked number one due to their nearly perfect season, with only one loss to McGill University, while the Marauders ranked second. With the story of Laval’s Khaléann Caron-Goudreau’s journey airing on Sportsnet’s pregame, it was very clear who the favourite was perceived to be. Yet, quickly after the whistle blew, it was obvious that the Marauders were not ready to go home without what they came for.

The first quarter was low scoring, as not only were both the Marauders and the Rouge et Or playing strong defense, but they also struggled to hit wideopen shots. By the end of the first quarter, Mac was up 11-10, but that was the last time that they would lead the game until the third quarter.

Sarah-Jane Marois of Laval

Heading into nationals, the Rouge et Or were ranked number one due to their nearly perfect season, with only one loss to McGill University, while the Marauders ranked second…

[I]t was very clear who the favourite was perceived to be. got hot in the second quarter, finding and making shots to help Laval lead at the half, contributing 13 points in the quarter. The impact of Marois’ ability to hit shots that both teams struggled with earlier made the Marauders head into the half down 27-33.

“The game plan is to always be as tough as we can be defensively, stay positive, and no matter what happens, you just keep picking each other up and good things will happen,” Burns said.

“They’re just so resilient. We’re playing a good team, we’re playing No.1 in the country, so they’re going to get their runs,

they’re going to score. But when we bent we didn’t break.”

“To be able to do this after five years, in my last year is so amazing.”

Linnaea Harper Forward McMaster’s women’s basketball team The thing about bending is that there is always a snapback, and snapback they did. Coming into the third regrouped and focused, the Marauders began to play at a different level. Linnaea Harper started off the third quarter strong with a three, followed by a Gates’ layup that helped the Marauders cut the lead to 33-32 in the first minute.

But it was the laugh from regularly composed head coach Burns after Harper’s off-balance shot gave Mac a 10-point lead that made the Marauders and fans watching know that they had sealed the deal.

Mac led again for the first time since the first in the third quarter, thanks to consistency from Gates, Harper, Hanaka

and most importantly, Christina Buttenham. Buttenham, who went on to be named the player of the game, contributed both offensively and defensively for the team throughout the entire matchup. Buttenham had 13 points, seven rebounds, four steals and three blocks that left her grinning from ear to ear.

Ensuring the Marauders would not fall behind again, Buttenham not only stole the ball but scored off a rebound, helping the Marauders go into the fourth 44-44. Starting the fourth from the free-throw line, the Marauders led throughout. But it was the laugh from regularly composed head coach Burns after Harper’s off-balance shot gave Mac a 10-point lead that made the Marauders and fans watching know that they had sealed the deal.

Not only did the women’s team make Marauder history, they finally were able to give Burns the one thing she has been chasing for 29 years.

“To be able to do this after five years, in my last year is so amazing,” said Harper, the tournament’s most valuable player.

“This also means the world to [coach Burns] she’s been doing this for 25-plus years, and to finally make it to the National Championship and win, we’re so happy to do this for her.”

Harper and Gates both contributed 18 points while the eldest Hanaka brought in 12. Laval may have had the U Sports Player of the Year Marois on their side, but the Marauders beat the odds and reminded us exactly what hard work can do.

@JaayCarmichael

www.thesil.ca | Thursday, March 14, 2019

C/O NOAH HOFFMAN

SPORTS | 25

26

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GAMES

www.thesil.ca | Thursday, March 14, 2019

Games

ACROSS 1- Singer Campbell; 5- Not very much; 9- Pan-fry; 14- Vintner’s prefix; 15- Tent event; 16- Come to a consensus; 17- Sugar source; 18- Speaker of note; 19- More wise; 20- Agnostic; 23- Funnyman Philips; 24- Opposite of WSW; 25- Interstellar dist.; 27- Playful swimmer; 31- Just one of those things;

33- Exxon predecessor; 37- Playground retort; 39- Suffix with Capri; 40- Smooth-talking; 41- Frankie Carle’s theme song; 44- ___ boy!; 45- Tussaud’s title: Abbr.; 46- Schedules; 47- Molt; 48- Colorful fish; 50- “Family Ties” mom; 51- Fish-eating eagle; 53- Author Fleming; 55- “2001” computer; 58- An arm of the Mediterra-

nean; 64- German sub; 66- Ed and Mel of baseball; 67- ___ impasse; 68- Not tied down; 69- Chap who plays the field; 70- Pillar; 71- Easy gaits; 72- Slammin’ Sammy; 73- Puts into words;

26- Pertaining to a reign; 27- Fertile area in a desert; 28- Verity; 29- Stressed; 30- Online brokerage; 32- Old Testament book; 34- Stony gray; 35- Factions; 36- Like Santa; 38- Donny or Marie; 42- Rulers; 43- Nicholas Gage book; 49- Gap; 52- Taxes, e.g.; 54- In a fog;

55- Ship’s frame; 56- Peek follower; 57- Stunt plane maneuver; 59- Langston Hughes poem; 60- Hats; 61- Greek portico; 62- Effortless; 63- Aardvark’s prey; 65- Enzyme suffix;

DOWN 1- Asian desert; 2- Impolite look; 3- Steven Chu’s cabinet dept.; 4- Brief letter, paper money; 5- John of “The Addams Family”; 6- Aim; 7- Et ____ (and other men); 8- Lonely; 9- Impudent; 10- Khan’s title; 11- Driving force; 12- Swarm; 13- Architect Saarinen; 21- Vive ___!; 22- Speaks;

FREE! Student SURVIVAL GUIDE

COUPONS | ASSIGNMENT PL ANNER GRAB YOUR COPY FROM THE UNDERGROUND (MUSC B117 ) OR AT THE MSU OFFICE (MUSC 201)

MARCH MADNESS LITERALLY EVERYONE IS MAD AT ME THIS MONTH AND IDK WHY? S5

THURSDAY

THE

HAMILTON SPECULATOR GRUMPY SINCE 1934

NOTSPEC.COM

MARCH 14, 2017

Too much daylight, saved

We have no idea what the heck to do with all of this daylight!

HILDA O’HOOLIHAN I had to Google “Daylight Savings Why???” to write this article

I don’t know why daylight savings keeps happening?! We have so much damn daylight saved up now!

We’ve been doing this for what? Like hundreds of years?

Thousands? Idk. It must have been happening for a long time though if we have this much damn daylight.

I talked to some science person about this because I have an arts degree. They said that we do this because it’s better for the planet and people to run on a schedule with more sunlight. I call bullshit on that.

“Ancient civilizations adjusted daily schedules to the sun more flexibly than DST does, often dividing daylight into 12 hours regardless of daytime, so that each daylight hour became progressively longer during spring and shorter during autumn,” said science person Brenda Science.

“In 1895, Benjamin Franklin published the proverb “early to bed and early to rise makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise”, suggesting that Parisians economize on candles by rising earlier to use morning sunlight.”

Does it look like it’s 1895 anymore Brenda? Do I look like I give a shit about what an

old, dead, white man said? Also, that’s a real picture that I found on Wikipedia in the left corner.

What I really give a shit about is the fact that I lost a whole damn hour of sleep, even though DST has yielded so much daylight that it might as well just be light out all the time and we’ll never have to sleep ever again! That would fix this.

According to more science, we’ll have enough daylight saved up that we might be able to afford a trip to Disney Land this summer. Even better, we might even be able to pay off my student loans!

I took to the streets to find out what the everyday person thinks about this excessive amount of daylight.

“Don’t we lose an hour of daylight in the fall? Shouldn’t it just even out? Why do we even need the sun? It just makes the planet hotter and worsens global warming,” asked some guy on a skateboard.

“DST is a capitalist movement that exists in order to enforce harder and longer work hours,” said someone else.

“With all this daylight saved, maybe we can finally get rid of Seasonal Affective Disorder and it can be sunny all of the time! Maybe I could finally find a reason to get out of bed in the morning,” said me.

I’m not convinced that we’ve ever had a problem like this before, tbh. Like, I genuinely can’t think of a better solution to this problem besides rewiring everyone’s sleep schedules in order to make sure that no one sleeps again, that way, DST

It’s 10:10 won’t make me such a miserable bitch ever again.

If whoever is controlling time is reading this, can you please just STOP!? We have too much daylight and grumpy bitch (me) on our hands now.

Please cut it out! Or just freeze time for like one hot minute?

Thank you.

Fucking awful

Genuinely ill

Miserable AF

TERRIBLE!

So dang grumpy!

Sick to my fricken stomach!

Like a big bag of shit

Fine I guess?

- Some fucking narc

DAYLIGHT SAVINGS MAKES ME A MISERABLE ASS BITCH A6 WHEN YOU TRY YOUR BEST BUT YOU DON’T SUCCESS B5

HOW TO SAVE THE STUDENT PRESS WITHOUT HELP FROM YOUR PUBLISHER C4

Tweets to the Editor

This is a real photo I found on Wiki

THIS JOB PAYS WELL BELOW INDUSTRY STANDARD A3

IMPOSTER SYNDROME CURED

BY OTHERS TELLING YOU WHAT YOU’RE DOING WRONG, READ MORE C1

POLL: How does DST make you feel?

DST is crucial to our very existence. It allows for growth, wisdom and clarity when entering a new season.

INSIDE

Not everything is about you, Hilda. Grow up - Everyone in Hamilton, ON

Disclaimer: The Hamilton Speculator is a work of satire and fiction and should not under any circumstances be taken seriously. Thankfully you only have to put up with me for three more issues after this.

I FEEL LIKE I’M IN SOME KIND OF WACKY TV SITCOM WHERE EVERYTHING GOES BADLY FOR THE MAIN CHARACTER BUT THEY DON’T REALIZE IT BECAUSE THEY’RE DEPERSONALIZING JM4 PER ISSUE: More night time hours INCL. HST, PST & that hour of sleep I lost