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The Silhouette
MCMASTER UNIVERSITY’S STUDENT NEWSPAPER
www.thesil.ca
Thursday, September 6, 2012
EST. 1930
Fighting for our right to party like it’s 1986 since 1930.
Vol. 83, No. 5
The MacPass mandate Universal levy increases student registration for Welcome Week events Julia Redmond Assistant News Editor
It’s that time of year again. With a new group of first-year students and a fresh team of reps, Welcome Week is once again in full swing. The difference this time is that every first-year student has bought a MacPass. Halfway through the week, MSU President Siobhan Stewart was already happy about the results. “I would say it’s better,” said Stewart of this year’s Welcome Week. “I think it’s too early to say one hundred percent, but my perception at least is that it’s better.” This positive response comes in the wake of last year’s MacPass policy change. Following a campaign run by former MSU president Matthew Dillion-Leitch, quorum was reached at the MSU’s general assembly, where students voted in favour of a motion to impose a universal Welcome Week levy on first years. Rather than paying separately for the ticket to Welcome Week events, all incoming students are now charged the $110 though their student accounts with no chance to opt out. The intentions behind this change were both “financial and philosophical,” explained MSU VicePresident of Administration David Campbell. SEE POSITIVE, 2 First-year students gather in Ron Joyce Stadium despite the rain for Faculty Fusion on Tuesday.
JESSIE LU ASSISTANT PHOTO EDITOR
Student wins national award
INSIDE THE SIL One of only eight thousand to receive royal honour THIS WEEK Aissa Boodhoo-Leegsma Senior News Editor
Kyle Edward-Salter, a third year combined honours political science and labour studies student, has been awarded the Duke of Edinburgh Award - one of Canada’s most prestigious youth leadership awards. He is one of only 8,012 recipients of this specific Gold level award in the program’s 56-year history. Edward-Salter will be travelling to Ottawa on September 12 to officially receive the award from His Royal Highness Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex, KG, GCVO, SOM, ADC. The award was founded in 1956 by HRH The Duke of Edinburgh. The Duke of Edinburgh Charity aims to empower youth ages 14-24 to become involved in the community, develop practical and social skills
and be physically active. The award itself requires substantial commitment and perseverance to meet the necessary volunteer and fitness requirements. The program has three progressive levels that youth can work towards, which result in Bronze, Silver or Gold Awards. Kyle began the program at age 14, initially focusing on attaining the Bronze level. Eventually he set his sights on the Gold Level award, which he completed at age 20. The Gold Level requires participants to commit to leading an expedition and developing a residential project, which will enrich the community in the long-term. These two components are on top of the already rigorous fitness and community service requirements. SEE AWARD, 2
Opinions Editor Kacper Niburski reminisces and looks forward, now in the golden age of his university life. See page 5. Olympic Games silver medalist Jerry Brown reflects on his university career as a Marauder. See page 8. No good stories to tell about your summer? Why not bend the truth? See page 10 for a little advice. ANDY chats with Mac prof Alex Sévigny about social media and the future of the arts. See page 11. YOSEIF HADDAD SENIOR PHOTO EDITOR
Gold Level award winner Kyle Edward-Salter
Read more at www.thesil.ca.
2 • News
Response positive FROM 1 In previous years, Campbell said, some said Campbell. “We were really pleased with students who wanted to purchase MacPasses that, because that was one of our big targets.” on site were turned away. Though the registration overall was up, “[Dillon-Leitch] saw that this wasn’t right,” it was difficult to say if attendance increased he said. at specific events. Furthermore, he described the prices of “It’s a growing year for SOCS,” said past years as being “artificially low,” due to a Stewart. “They’re really motivated and…exsubsidy from another university source. cited about it.” “The problem that we were faced with… Both Campbell and Stewart emphawas do we want to jack the prices up, or are sized the expansion of programming for offwe going to find another solution? Because campus students, as well as other marginwe need some sort of sustainable model.” alized groups. “The programming is fairly The new MacPass diverse…and we’re levy has translated to always looking to ex“In my ideal world, it wouldn’t increased registration pand that.” be that we’d introduce an optfor Welcome Week. The no opt-out out, but it would just be that Although the fee policy doesn’t appear every student was getting someis automatically apto be a major issue, for thing out of [Welcome Week].” plied, students were either off-campus or given the opportunity residence students. David Campbell to register online in Said Stewart, “I MSU VP Administration advance, explained haven’t heard any comMichele Corbeil, First plaints from any first Year Transition Program Coordinator at the year that I’ve talked to, but that’s just my exStudent Success Centre. perience thus far.” She described the response as “posiCampbell notes that the no opt-out poltively overwhelming,” citing an increase of icy is something the MSU is still working on. 500 students in registration before the week “In my ideal world, it wouldn’t be that began. we’d introduce an opt-out, but it would just By Sunday, a total of over 4600 students be that every student was getting something had picked up MacPasses—roughly 800 out of it,” he said. more than in previous years and still rising And in the end, that’s what Welcome throughout the week. Week is all about, said Stewart. “My sincere “The majority of that increase happened hope is that students find something to conin off-campus students, which is really key,” nect to during this week.”
FALL OPEN HOUSE SEPTEMBER 16-23, 2012 FREE TO TRY! Detailed schedule available after September 1 online at www.marauders.ca
The Silhouette • Thursday, September 6, 2012
Mac student achieves gold level award FROM 1 Kyle was guided towards the Duke of Edinburgh program through his early involvement in the Air Cadets. Many of his community projects, including debating coaching, outdoor expedition trips and participation in the Around the Bay Race have involved other members of the Air Cadet squadron. But he was also quick to point out that the Duke of Edinburgh Award is open to all youth and has the potential to be an especially powerful way to harness youth leadership in universities and in urban areas such as Hamilton’s downtown core. “Youth in cities really need this. The Duke of Edinburgh Award is a huge personal achievement that is open to any and I would like to introduce it to as many people as possible.” Kyle was supported throughout the process by his mentor and coach, Captain Mike Lacombe. Cpt. Lacombe has known Kyle for several years through the Air Cadets Program. Lacombe noted that in general, Duke of Edinburgh Award recipients typically stand out from the average young person
in terms of their commitment to community service. “Kyle in particular had 400-500 hours of service, well above the 100 required hours. And no one told him to do that…he just did.” Lacombe, a former recipient and alumnus of the program described the excitement surrounding the upcoming awards ceremony. Kyle will be the second Hamiltonian after Lacombe to receive his award from a member of the royal family. Cpt. Lacombe received his award from HRH Prince Andrew while Kyle will receive his award from HRH Prince Edward. Looking back upon his success in the program, Edward-Salter stated he wants to continue to be an ambassador for the award into the future. There is currently no Duke of Edinburgh program or affiliated clubs at McMaster but Edward-Salter remarked that this would be an interesting endeavor to begin. However, Kyle sees a greater demand in simply promoting the entire Canadian program. which is less established and does not have the same mainstream recognition in Canada as does the initial program in the United Kingdom.
NEWS
Thursday, September 6, 2012 • The Silhouette
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News Editors: Aissa Boodhoo-Leegsma, Julia Redmond and Anqi Shen news@thesil.ca
News Bites
The Phoenix reopens
MORE PHOTOS AND NEWS BITES ONLINE AT WWW.THESIL.CA
Anqi Shen
Online News Editor
The Phoenix Bar and Grill reopened at the Refectory Rathskeller on Tuesday to a busy crowd eager to size up the new venue. The relocation of the 43-year-old campus bar from Wentworth House to the Refectory has been an ongoing project since summer 2011. The Phoenix runs on reduced hours this week and will host an official ribbon-cutting ceremony on Monday, Sept. 10. President Patrick Deane will attend the event along with members of the university administration, Graduate Student Association representatives and MSU executives. VP (Administration) Roger Couldrey will kick off celebrations.
ANQI SHEN ONLINE NEWS EDITOR
YOSEIF HADDAD SENIOR PHOTO EDITOR
Fall renovations on campus Installation Installation of a new $3 million outdoor track with a turf field nears completion after 4 months of construction during the summer. The eight-lane track, to be used by students and possibly rented for public use, has a new high-tech synthetic surface. The facility is expected to be ready for use in mid-September. YOSEIF HADDAD SENIOR PHOTO EDITOR
Expansion
YOSEIF HADDAD SENIOR PHOTO EDITOR
Second-floor expansion of the Psychology Building has reached the structural steel stage. The addendum will be home to a Large Interactive Virtual Environment (L.I.V.E.) performance laboratory. The lab will be dedicated to research bridging music and neuroscience, and will include a small concert hall. Construction is expected to finish by spring 2013.
YOSEIF HADDAD SENIOR PHOTO EDITOR
Prevention As part of the City of Hamilton’s backflow prevention program, four water lines on campus have been undergoing construction, including one outside the Engineering Technology Building facing Main Street West (shown above). Pipeline enhancements will prevent the university’s wastewater from entering pipes throughout the city. The initiative is in compliance with a by-law passed in May affecting all commercial, industrial and institutional buildings over four storeys high.
EDITORIAL The Silhouette
McMaster University’s Student Newspaper
TheSil.ca
Editorial Board Sam Colbert Executive Editor Jemma Wolfe Managing Editor Andrew Terefenko Production Editor Aissa Boodhoo-Leegsma Senior News Editor Julia Redmond Assistant News Editor Anqi Shen Online News Editor Kacper Niburski Opinions Editor Brandon Meawasige Senior Sports Editor Scott Hastie Assistant Sports Editor Sam Godfrey Senior InsideOut Editor Amanda Watkins Assistant InsideOut Editor Nolan Matthews Senior ANDY Editor Bahar Orang Assistant ANDY Editor Yoseif Haddad Senior Photo Editor Jessie Lu Assistant Photo Editor Javier Caicedo Multimedia Editor Karen Wang Graphics Editor Sandro Giordano Ad Manager
About Us MUSC, Room B110 McMaster University 1280 Main Street West, Hamilton, ON L8S 4S4 E–Mail: thesil@thesil.ca facebook.com/ TheMcMasterSilhouette twitter.com/theSilhouette Production Office (905) 525-9140, extension 27117 Advertising (905) 525-9140, extension 27557 10,000 circulation Published by the McMaster Students Union
Write Us Opinions: Up to 600 words Letters: 100 to 300 words Submit via email by 12:00 p.m. the Tuesday before publication.
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Executive Editor: Sam Colbert (905) 525-9140, extension 22052 thesil@thesil.ca
A call to first years Having fun? I’d hope so, because this is one expensive party. The pool of money allocated to Welcome Week this year is about half a million bucks. Events, swag, bands, food and all the other hoopla adds up quick. And whether you’re involved in the Week or not, you’re invested. A mandatory fee of $110 is pulled from every first year pocket. That’s new, and a little problematic. Some Muslim students, for example, have expressed concerns over the inclusivity of Welcome Week, given conflicts between their religious observance and getting their money’s worth. It doesn’t seem fair to force that choice upon them. But when you make exceptions for one group, do you extend it to others? Eventually it defeats the purpose of the mandatory fee, which was selected by popular student vote at last year’s students union general assembly. And even if participation wasn’t an issue, how about enjoyment? Yeah, it’s a good time being a rep. But the Week is for you, first years, and it’s up to you to tell the McMaster Students Union and the Student Success Centre what you liked and what you didn’t. Re-imagine the week. Eliminate this, add that. The money’s there, so do the class of 2017 a favour by making sure their Welcome Week is a blast. • Sam Colbert
A Silhouette for the 21st century The Sil started printing 82 years ago. With that same, curly, Old English font across its front page, it was hitting shelves in Hamilton Hall and University Hall, which stood alone among a few roads and empty fields. McMaster moved to Hamilton that year from Toronto, where it had operated as a Baptist college. We still make our newspapers in broadsheet format, which will be the format of next week’s issue. That makes us a rarity among student newspapers in Canada. Most of them have gone down to a smaller size, either because of shrinking budgets or a lack of student interest. We’ve always known that size matters. But when it comes to a newspaper’s content, it matters how you use it, too. People don’t get their news like they used to. They get it online. They interact with it. It’s fast. It comes in a variety of media platforms. Broadsheet or no broadsheet, the Sil has lagged behind in those respects. But this year, with your help, we want that to be different. We’ve got a new web The McMaster Silhouette, Volume 1, Issue 1. site. Throughout the year, we’ll be postPrinted October 2nd, 1930. ing videos, holding online polls, encouraging comments, integrating social media platforms and generating web-exclusive content. In addition to our weekly Thursday newspaper, we want to be relevant to you all week online. Though your interactions with us, we’ll try to find out what you want to hear about and how you want to hear about it. Like us on Facebook. Follow us on Twitter. Check out our web site. Help us to be better student journalists, and help us provide a better service to you. • Sam Colbert
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Legal The Silhouette welcomes letters to the editor in person at MUSC B110, or by email at thesil@thesil.ca. Please include name, address and telephone number for verification only. We reserve the right to edit, condense or reject letters and opinion articles. Opinions expressed in The Silhouette are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of the editorial board, the publishers or university officials. 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.
Thursday, September 6, 2012 • The Silhouette
An apology: The Silhouette’s editorial board apologizes for any offence that its review of the handicapped washroom in the MUSC basement [Aug. 9] may have caused. While it was intended to be humourous and light-hearted, we understand that some readers may have found it to be in poor taste.
to football blow-outs. it ain’t bad being the best. to howard elliott, managing editor of spectator. thanks for the inspiration. to jacques, provider of coffee, rain or shine, store closed or not. she’s a champion. to ‘no-pants’ yoseif. to diversifying your multimedia portfolio. oh baby. to club nights in tents on the bsb lawn. a crowd of silhouetted heads, appearing and disappearing with the flashing lights, surrounded by fog? i thought it was pretty cool. to the deathly hallows symbol on so many rep suits. to the good ol’ days of deadlines at dawn. to andy kaufman.
to football blow-outs. let’s just play the vanier cup match already. to limp dixon. to lines at the phoenix. you’re too popular for your own good. to trust falls. to 18-hour contact lenses. to complaints. to another week gone by without getting a haircut. to deadlines at reasonable hours. to moles. to classes. to parades cut short. to real life. keep away! to rips in the spacetime continuum. to soggy sandles. to shelves that take down walls. wow.
to careful driving.
We’re hiring! The Silhouette is looking for a Videographer and a Distribution Coordinator. Both are paid positions, and will last the duration of the academic year. Email thesil@thesil.ca for more information or to apply. Applications are due by Sept. 14.
Contact and Meeting Times News Thursdays @ 5:30 p.m. news@thesil.ca
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OPINIONS
Thursday, September 6, 2012 • The Silhouette
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Opinions Editor: Kacper Niburski opinions@thesil.ca
One day, these will be the days Kacper Niburski Opinions Editor
It’s hard to believe you got here. You – that massive mix of sweat and nerves, with those blue-greenbrown eyes and that murky yet blonde-orange-black hair. You’ve done it. Congrats. No one expected you to make it this far. There was a time long ago where you couldn’t help but poop your pants or you couldn’t feed yourself or you cried about both those things, and some people still hold you accountable for that. No longer. Don’t expect people to wipe up your mess, scatological or otherwise. This is university. A place where boys become men, girls become men (especially in Engineering) and men become sleep-deprived, morally broken semblances of what they once were. Really, it is a place where men wish they were boys again. This is because, although surviving the ironclad grip of your mother’s tearful goodbye embrace,
breezing through your father’s chastising lessons and laments and making it through the games of beer-pong becoming beer-pangsin-my-stomach, the breakfasts of undercooked burritos and Cheetos and the crushing gravity felt both on your wallet and ver tebrates from carrying 600dollar textbooks, this is both the beginning of the end and the end of the beginning. You, with that beer stain smeared onto your shirt and indefatigable grin plastered on your face, are at the very edge of a circle. On the inside is ev-
erything you once knew and cherished. There are days of innocence and sunshine, Lego and Barbies. There are games that felt like hours and that replay in your mind again and again and again. There is that time you peed in Lake Ontario. The out s i d e , though, is entirely dif ferent. Instead of warmth and comfort, there is the cold, hard reality of everything you don’t know. Ignorance, ambiguity, a future as blurry as you were during Frosh Week –
it all stares you in the face. It is life you could never call your own nor a life you ever imagined yourself living. At times, it feels coerced. You never asked to be here. You never asked to be born. And yet right before your eyes, there are things that you were told to eschew for as long as possible. Ahead in the fading light of comfort you felt, there is an actuality of eventual debts, early mornings, late nights, lifelong memories, midterms, assignments, exams, fights, responsibilities, children, insurances, braces, old-age and, eventually, death. All and all, there is a lifetime that is sandwiched between two milestones that are no more significant than a fart in the wind. This is the beginning of it all – debts, disappointments and dilapidating disasters. But there is more than that. Because on the precipice of a circle, on its very edge, where the light of the middle has dimmed SEE FIRST, 6
From marketing to mark-everything Monopolies have gone from guiding consumers to controlling them Michael Hewlett The Silhouette
If you don’t design your life, someone else will. This circumstance, essentially, is the legacy of developments in marketing. Initially, marketers were trying to make a product more appealing so that it would sell more. But two things have changed: there are many more people doing it, and they are doing it at a very fine scale. In other words, a lot of smart people working on a project get it right more often than they get it wrong. As a result, there are subtle cues in everything that we experience that are designed to convince us to make a decision. Marketing has gone from guiding to controlling the user experience. This is bad because the people designing your life don’t know you and their guess is not as good as yours. Moreover, you’re targeted by thousands of different people subtly persuading you to do different, sometimes conflicting things. If you have ever received mixed mes-
sages before, you know that this amounts to a mind fuck. To clarify, this is not just about massive marketing divisions of big business, or even mini marketing teams of small businesses. The people screwing with your head might not even call what they do marketing and they might have your best interests in mind. It’s open source persuasion, because anyone can add something to it, and, to a certain extent, everyone does. Anyone who takes your views into account when they want you to do something has a hand in your grand design. In other words, anyone with empathy and motive and that’s a lot of people. Here’s why you should care: they’re not just after your money. You are young and have resources to burn, including time and enthusiasm. Even gap years and volunteering are a marketable experience. Here’s how: Travelling: You set out to Europe, Australia or Asia with thousands of dollars to spend. It’s your great adventure, so being informed about what you do before you start
to travel takes away from the spontaneity of the moment. As a result, you have money to lose and are easy to convince that an experience isn’t shit; it’s authentic, and it’s culturally insensitive for you to call it shit. ‘Voluntouring’: You went there, you helped out, you did not get drunk and stumble through Thailand. You became a better person, and since the experience changed your life, it is fair game to post pictures of yourself with smiling kids on Facebook. But life changing means that your dayto-day changes somehow. Are you planning on using what you learned in Ecuador back here? To be fair, maybe it was not about you, but the village or the orphans. Consider this: some volunteer destinations maintain low living standards so that groups will keep coming and giving capital to their village. Moreover, orphanages, with or without you, are statistically damaging institutions, which is why Canada does not have them anymore. JAVIER CAICEDO MULTIMEDIA EDITOR
SEE PERSUASION, 6
Nowadays, companies shake your hand only to take your wallet.
6 • Opinions
The Silhouette • Thursday, September 6, 2012
Born to bleed Maroon First steps on the longest journey
Rob Hardy The Silhouette
School is once again upon us even though we’d all probably enjoy another couple of weeks before we get back to the grind. Yet despite this wish, there is something that can be felt in this place that makes us come back each year. When I came to campus last week, it was all so familiar. Many of us were away for part or most of the summer, while Mac had been preparing and continuously changing. The grounds were well taken care of (despite the massive drought that much of our continent had been experiencing). The sun was shining brightly and the sky looked blue and clear as I walked down the path in front of BSB. I thought to take out my camera and take a picture if only to capture the moment as serene as it was, but as so often happens with technology, it fell short of experiencing the moment in the present sense. So instead, I thought to take it – the beauty, the weather, the unquestionable spirit – all in fully and enjoy just being completely in the present. Everywhere I went everything was gearing up for the year ahead, while seeming serene due to most of the students still being away. Fridays are always the much quieter day on campus, and due to the heat, I’m sure some must have gone to the beaches for a quick swim. As critical as I can be, it never ceases to amaze me how ideal the university experience is. In a way, as I looked out on at the August picturesque scenery, it felt as though the promise university represents must still exist in a much palpable and recogniz-
FROM 5
KAREN WANG GRAPHICs EDITOR
McMaster is made better by everyone coming together.
able form. If this were not the case, the positive energy that pervades a stroll across campus would simply not be there. Every organization likes to toot their horn and I am not one to jump on the bandwagon, but I am incredibly proud of being a part of McMaster. School is what you make it, and ours is brimming with resources. Staff, students and faculty are so incredibly generous with their time and help, making this university something of which to be proud. That we have been recognized globally owes much to the fact that so many of us are willing to engage ourselves and get involved. It’s these little things that add up and show us that from here, we all truly can create a better society - probably never the ideal, but at least better, and often that’s a lofty enough yet measurable and attainable goal. Much luck and success to you all this year.
Business persuasion means coercion FROM 5 Voluntouring is not bad and you’re probably still a great person - key word: probably. But if you are spending your time, money and enthusiasm to help others or to change your life, building a well while playing with orphans is no guarantee. People are not smart or dumb; they’re informed or they’re not. Some argue that the road to self-discovery or self-improvement needs to start somewhere. It’s an appeal to randomness and chance. But with open source
persuasion, others have plans for you, even if you don’t plan for yourself. Shit doesn’t happen, shit is planned. Since you can’t avoid someone’s designs, make your own. If you put thought into what to do, you are more likely to be successful and get an enriching experience. Doing this in every part of your life has a lot of overhead, but for things like your career or your personal development, the investment is worth it. Ask “Am I really getting what I want out of this?” If the answer is no, ask “Am I at least getting something useful?”
a very fine line and where you are surrounded on all sides by an environment you didn’t quite choose, you can see things you could never see in the centre. What they are differs for everyone. Some only see success. Others are inevitably doomed for failure. Yet we all share the unknown and more importantly, we are all fighting against it together. It is an indistinct feeling pervasive here at McMaster. I won’t deny that some people think otherwise. They see success only when the light of someone else crashing and burning flickers. Even some of the administrative staff, who
with the precision of lasers, do as much. But while there is the inevitability of sadness and dismay, there is also an opening for unbridled happiness. We are all taking the first few steps of the longest journey of our life. Some will leap, some will crawl, and others will stop the journey all together. Yet all of us – from the frosh to the seventh-year bedraggled scholar – will look back on these days, and although we’ll never understand how we survived that Organic Chemistry exam or that one night at the bar, we’ll one day say, “Those were the days.”
SPORTS
Thursday, September 6, 2012 • The Silhouette
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Sports Editors: Brandon Meawasige and Scott Hastie sports@thesil.ca
FOOTBALL
Marauders make statement in debut
YOSEIF HADDAD SENIOR PHOTO EDITOR
Record attendance set the stage for a new season at Ron Joyce Stadium.
Brandon Meawasige Senior Sports Editor
YOSEIF HADDAD SENIOR PHOTO EDITOR
Quarterback Kyle Quinlan showed off his mobility in Monday’s game against the Gryphons.
With 26 seconds left in the first half of the Marauders 2012 season debut against the Guelph Gryphons, Kyle Quinlan jumped over a sideline advertisement after one of his several first down runs on the day. What would normally be a highlight reel play sealed with a glare at the record-setting opening day crowd has become the show that Marauder fans and the OUA have come to expect from Saturdays at Ron Joyce. Rushing the ball ten other times for a total of 109 yards, the nation’s best passer asserted both McMaster’s and his own poise to defend the title of national champions - a task made to be imperative for the Maroon and Grey. Even the national anthem was drowned out by the buzz in and around the stadium, which featured a large line waiting to enter until well through the first quarter. No pressure at all. However, with a target on their back and the weight of an entire campus resting on their shoulder pads, the Marauders demonstrated what all the hype was about. After giving up an early score to the visiting team, Mac settled down on both sides of the ball. Two-and-outs turned into efficient drives, which soon became an onslaught of Robert Babic receptions for six. The fourth year slot back from Oakville, Ont. who scored three touchdowns in last year’s regular season, caught the ball eight times for 165 yards and two scores on Saturday. As a result, Babic received player of the game honors - an accolade for which several Marauders could have made a case. One of those players, linebacker Ben D’Aguilar, earned himself a spot as the OUA defensive player of the week recording five tackles and three sacks. The final score of the game was 50-9 in favor of the #1 ranked Marauders whose next game comes against the Waterloo Warriors on Saturday September 8 in Waterloo, Ont. What appears to be an easy start to the schedule for Mac will quickly escalate as only a week later the nationally ranked Queen’s Gaels will come to town. All things considered, Saturday was an excellent start to what is surely to be the most closely followed season in program history. The national spotlight seems to bring out only the best of not only the football team, but also the entire community. By the looks of it, the Marauders are at the forefront of the growing popularity of Canadian university football. With exciting performances on the field and competitive title races, maybe one day the Vanier Cup and Hec Creighton will share the same buzz as the same awards south of the border. It’s a good place to start.
8 • Sports
The Silhouette • Thursday, September 6, 2012
BRINGING HOME THE TORCH
Olympian reflects on Mac career Jerry Brown discusses his time wearing Maroon - with a touch of silver Scott Hastie
cipline in training that I brought into rowing.” Assistant Sports Editor Brown also gave credit to members On Monday afternoon, in front of a ca- of the coaching staff for instilling a work pacity Ron Joyce Stadium, the McMas- ethic in him. “All of these guys build ter Marauders began their 2012 football your character and you go through exseason. periences; training hard, hardships, There to help the team start their winning, losing and everyone just rubs season was Jerry Brown, a 2012 Olym- off on you and shapes you a little bit.” pic Silver Medalist who helped Canada Larry Riley, entering his 19th seawin a silver medal in the men’s eight son on the sideline for the Maroon and rowing. Brown, an offensive lineman for Grey, was Brown’s offensive line coach the Marauders from 2004-2007, made for his career. Riley played a major role an appearance to perform a ceremonial in Brown’s career and the Olympian kick-off at his alma mater. had high praises for Coach Riley. “JaMarauder athletson Riley ics holds significance in helped me The Marauders gave me a training Brown’s journey to the out through foundation… it set me up with a athletics, as Brown credsome tough discipline in training that I brought its the football program times in into rowing that I wouldn’t have with giving him the tools university. been able to do without that kind to succeed at a world class On a perof exposure to an intense training program. level in rowing. “The Masonal level, rauders gave me a trainJason was Jerry Brown ing foundation… it set always very Olympic Silver Medalist me up with a discipline good for in training that I brought helping me into rowing that I wouldn’t have been get through some of that.” able to do without that kind of exposure Brown’s teammate, Doug Cheem, to an intense training program.” also hails from McMaster and the pair The No. 7 seat man from the sil- shares a pride for Mac athletics. “Doug ver medal team only began his rowing and I are both extremely proud to be career four years prior to becoming Marauders and it’s great to come back. a decorated Olympian, but starting a We’re always talking about the Maraudsport late is not a new concept to Brown. ers.” Before coming to McMaster, he had not Jerry Brown is a walking example even played football before. of how taking part in Marauder athlet“I didn’t play football in high school ics is more than just a five-year experiso I came into the program and I spent ence; it is a journey that begins in Hamtwo years just training hard, putting my ilton and continues on for the rest of an head down, and it set me up with a dis- athlete’s life.
YOSEIF HADDAD SENIOR PHOTO EDITOR
Brown credits McMaster coaching staff in his journey to an Olympic silver medal.
Scoreboard Women’s Soccer McMaster Marauders
2
Waterloo Warriors
0
Men’s Soccer
Baseball
Men’s Rugby
Women’s Rugby
McMaster Marauders
McMaster Marauders
McMaster Marauders
McMaster Marauders
Waterloo Warriors
Toronto Varsity Blues
Queen’s Golden Gaels
Guelph Gryphons
3
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INSIDE OUT
Thursday, September 6, 2012 • The Silhouette
InsideOut Editors: Sam Godfrey and Amanda Watkins insideout@thesil.ca
SEX andthe STEEL CITY
Snuff the flame of a summer fling
Amanda Watkins Assistant InsideOut Editor
Summer Fling: a popular warm weather sport played between the months of May and August. An average match lasts 8 to 12 weeks (give or take a few) and involves two people in a commitment-free form of human interaction, sharing prolonged eye contact and tender moments. During the summer months it’s always fun to have a little adventure. Whether that be traveling to a new destination, cleaning out your closet, and for some, sparking the fire of a quick summer fling. Summer romances can be a great way to pass time and feel loved for a few months before the bustle of school starts up again. But what do you do if September comes around and your temporary significant other just won’t let go? Is it possible to break off a summer fling without somebody getting hurt? “If you’re having a summer fling, you should treat it just as that,” explains second year English student Jamie. “You can’t expect anything more from it, it is what it is.” That being said, if you have somehow managed to land yourself in the predicament of a summer fling that just can’t be flung, there are a few steps that can be taken to cool the hearth of a heat wave love affair. If at the start of your relationship you let your partner know that you were not ready for a commitment then thumbs up to you, because you’re already one step ahead! When keeping a casual relationship, it is important to let your other half know what you plan on getting out of this arrangement. If you didn’t let them know up front that for you this was just a four month free-for-all, sit down and let them know that quite simply, it would not be a good idea for you to
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continue your relationship. If need be, bring up all the commitments that you are already tied to come September - school, work, sports, your Sims family, whatever it is that could potentially cause problems when trying to maintain your relationship. “It’s when people start anticipating something more from the relationship that problems develop. I personally don’t think summer flings are a good idea or that they can last because someone will almost always end up getting hurt,” stated second year Linguistics student Jenna. No one should be getting hurt in this situation. There should be no need for you to abruptly end the relationship or suddenly start ignoring the person. Take the time to talk through what is going on and slow things down. And when I say slow things down, let’s make this obvious: I mean between the sheets. Give it a week or two and gradually work your sexual encounters down to a glacial pace, making them as few and far between as possible. It will soon become obvious that you aren’t interested anymore or that you just don’t have the time. Don’t suddenly leave them high and dry (so to speak) after four months of a pretty wild schedule; no one likes feeling used. Summer flings can be fun and manageable, so long as you make sure not to rush into a relationship you aren’t prepared for. Try to keep the commitment light and airy, especially when it’s nearing its natural end. If in a role reversal you are the one having difficulties letting go, try not to take the blow too hard and understand that in most cases summer flings are just that, nothing more. Reminisce about the good times you did have and rethink how you might handle a similar situation next summer. If you like it, then you shouldn’t put a fling on it. JAVIER CAICEDO MULTIMEDIA EDITOR
10 • InsideOut
The Silhouette • Thursday, September 6, 2012
Summer lyin’ had me a blast Sam Godfrey
Senior InsideOut Editor
A howto on amping up your summer stories You had a job pressing orange price stickers on discount bottles of shampoo, a nametag pinned to your shirt tucked in to your bellybutton-high pants. In your free time, you re-organized socks at home and read your mother’s copy of 50 Shades of Grey. And be honest, you liked it a little. This is how you spent your summer. But your friends don’t have to know that. Successfully fool those around you into thinking you spent a rocking four months with these simple tips: KAREN WANG
Work It
GRAPHICS EDITOR
Your mind-numbing job has left you with a glaze over your eyes - use this to your advantage. By nodding slowly when your friends talk about their summer adventures, your now-permanent look of boredom will make you appear blasé, nonchalant and other vaguely French words.
Waste Money Buy something unnecessarily expensive to flaunt during your friendly reunions. The gaudy items will make it seem as though you’ve been living large all summer. Your old friends will assume you befriended celebrities in Silicon Valley, and you might make a few new ones, attracted by your shiny baubles. You can afford to splurge this one time, seeing as the only thing you spent money on this summer was clearance-shelf chocolate.
Fake It Somehow, the flickering fluorescents and perpetually-closed blinds have left your skin pasty and white. This is a problem, because if there’s one thing that says “bikini babes and beach volleyball,” it’s a tan. Actually: tan lines. Take some self-tanner and apply it around your sleeve, shorts, and watch edges. It doesn’t have to be perfect, heck it doesn’t even have to be good. It just has to show everyone how much time you spent soaking in the rays. If you’re feeling real crafty, put self-tanner on your face, outlining those Ray-Bans you totally lost on that girl’s sailboat.
Lie Through Your Teeth - Literally “Well Venice was alright, I found it rather droll compared to the rich culture of Malaysian villages.” “The yacht was at least as big as BSB, I swear, when you include the dolphin sanctuary out the back.” “Interestingly enough, it turns out the hot-tub could hold another three people.” “It was great.” All these lies and more are at the tip of your cortex. Just make sure you keep your stories straight: was the redhead the one you skydived or snorkelled with? Remember: as you spew these tales, just keep smiling. It’ll guard their trust. At the end of the day, you’ll have spent a productive, useful summer avoiding skin cancer, but your friends will think you’re pretty much Batman. Batman, who spent his summer fanning himself with hundos in the British Not-Quite-Virgin Islands.
11 • The Silhouette • Thursday, September 6, 2012 ANDY Editors: Nolan Matthews and Bahar Orang andy@thesil.ca
Oh, the humanities The effect of social media and smartphones on art Starting a new year at school seems as good a time as any for a good, old life reevaluation. It’s probably because it’s my last year here at Mac, but I’m finding myself wondering why things matter. It’s like some kind of mid-student-life crisis. Right now I’m writing about art, and why should that matter? I asked Dr. Sévigny, a Mac professor in communication studies and multimedia, and he explained that art, and the humanities in general, have probably never mattered more than right now. “I think the world is changing, in a pretty serious way,” he said. “This is something Marshall McLuhan predicted, that we’re moving away from a literate, alphabetized world and moving towards an oral culture.” Moving away from a literate culture doesn’t mean that people have forgotten how to read. It means that information used to be stored in books, where it was unchangeable and has now moved to the Internet, where nothing is sacred. And the Internet has now moved into our pockets, which, along with social media, is moving us to an oral culture. “Oral culture is much more fluid and it’s driven much more by principles, it’s driven much more by persuasion, by rhetoric, for which there was a lot less room be-
fore,” said Dr. Sévigny. “There’s a benefit to that, and the benefit is that the world is a lot more human, people are a lot more persuadable,” he said. People are more persuadable because information is presented as a conversation in an oral culture. If someone shares their views through Facebook, another person can quickly comment and disagree, linking to articles written by experts to back up their opinion. “The downside to it is that it is harder to get to the truth of things - it is harder to understand what really happened. It’s always this game of broken telephone,” said Dr. Sévigny. The truth isn’t necessarily important though, because it’s not the information that matters, it’s how it’s presented. And artists win when it comes to presentation. In an oral culture, artists are able to control what information people believe is important. “I think that the ‘humanities is useless’ nonsense that is going around would evaporate if we ditched all the layers of jargon and theory that we’ve opposed upon ourselves, because none of it is real,” said Dr. Sévigny. “What’s real is gaining a deeper understanding of human motivation and not from a neuroscience perspective, but from
an aesthetic perspective. Or what people find beautiful or true, or not true. And that’s visceral stuff.” If facts on their own are less able to make us feel something, there’s more room for the artists to have their way wwith our thoughts and feelings. “In an oral culture, this is our century. I mean, McLuhan said it - it’s the century of the pattern-finder, the artist, the critic who can have this massive impact, because we are back to this world of human experience.” • Nolan Matthews Senior ANDY Editor
JAVIER CAICEDO MULTIMEDIA EDITOR
Caught in a strange and insufferable case of wanderlust, I embarked on a journey through Europe this past summer in search of inspiration. I wondered if the trip would fulfill my clichéd expectations. I felt like Woody Allen, wandering through the streets of Europe with a mental camera, daydreaming entire novellas and feature-length films with each city as the main character. I found history and culture in Paris. I found fresh air and the bluest possible waters in the French Alps. But my heart expanded a million times over when I stumbled into East London. When I arrived, I immediately noticed how differently Londoners were dressed from Parisians. In Paris, life is all about elegance, subtlety and an aversion to primary colours. But in London, everybody looked like a rock star. It was refreshingly diverse, from the girls in Air Max 90’s wearing eight shades of gold, to the English gentlemen stepped in tweed, to the London gangster with the buttoned up polo and the pinky ring. Everyone looked like an extra for a Strokes music video or a modern day Blondie or a non-cracked out Amy Winehouse. It was an overwhelming display of strange put-togetherness. I was instantly inspired by everything I saw, and I felt creativity with an understated brand of rebellion all around me. I was staying with my cousin, sleeping on a pullout couch in her music studio. She works as a producer and
DJ and thus gave me a four-day tour of East London’s underground music scene. We commuted from place to place using a metro system that put Toronto’s only two subway lines to shame. She spent the better part of each trip telling me about the arts in London. She explained that artists were regarded with the highest respect and admiration. She insisted that those who graduated with the best grades in high school went on to be accepted into fashion design and graphic arts programs. She outlined the hugely popular phenomenon of the gay, black rapper in London. She spent the better part of my short stay bashing Skrillex, accusing him of commercializing the deeply cultural dubstep that originated from the UK underground. But I was most fascinated by what I learned and saw of “Grime” – an untamable beast of a music genre that formed in East London. When we visited a flea market in Brick Lane, we were greeted by an Asian female street musician, who could not have been more than 18 years old. Her music was an aggressive, angsty, intense and occasionally humorous combination of hiphop, dancehall, rap and thudding drum patterns that I couldn’t quite shake off for the next few hours. I asked my cousin, “What is this?” “Grime,” she responded. As we walked through fresh produce markets, vin-
tage record booths, and handmade tie-dye shirt sales she tried to define Grime and ended up going off in tangents with words like “8 bar,” “tension” and “2005.” Once we were home, we indulged in some Youtube digging and she played me Dizzee, Danny Weed, Eskimo, Spartan and P Money into the wee hours of the morning. We were no closer to a definition but I was left with Grime as a feeling, an ethos, a kind of gut reaction. It was my first time in London and I had very limited knowledge about British history and politics. My research tells me that Grime developed as a direct response to the sociopolitical tensions being felt by interstate teenagers of East London. As a fairly ignorant Canadian in England, I still felt strangely moved by this music and addictively engaged by its raw energy. Those same deep, thudding drum patterns reverberated in my ears on the plane ride home and like whenever you experience the best forms of art, I felt inexplicably reassured by its power and relevance. This totally foreign musical genre had somehow been the last key step in finally curing me of wanderlust; it definitely left me inspired. •
Bahar Orang ANDY Editor
12 • ANDY
The Silhouette • Thursday, September 6, 2012
Steve Angello brings down the house Tune in to ANDY next week for a steamy interview, where we cut through the fog of Welcome Week’s hottest artist.
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