McMaster alumnus continues to find ways to bring families together during the pandemic
By: Nisha Gill, Contributor
When the COVID-19 pandemic began, many people tried to look on the bright side, seeing quarantine as an opportunity to tackle personal projects and spend more time with loved ones. However, as time marches on, many are becoming restless, trying to find activities to keep themselves occupied, especially those with young children.
Programs such as Friendly Fables, a book subscription service and YouTube channel, help parents and guardians in their struggle with trying to fill the time, filling it with positive and heartfelt programming throughout the pandemic.
Friendly Fables was created by McMaster alumnus Alexis Alexander. Though the program didn’t begin until many years later, Alexander has said that the creative foundation for Friendly Fables started in his dorm room at Brandon Hall.
“I had a friend in commerce who would produce beats and we would write poetry and songs to record over them in between studying at Mills Library. I loved 90’s hip-hop and music consumed me in first year like most students. Popular songs at the time became the chorus for my university life. Writing those rhymes and immersing myself in music while at McMaster greatly influenced me later creatively with Friendly Fables for sure,” Alexander explained.
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Photos C/O Sabrina Byrnes
After graduating from commerce in 2004, Alexander founded Iconic Group, a digital advertising agency specializing in designing websites for Canadian companies, with two fellow McMaster grads. While the company is still thriving today, in 2017, Alexander left his job to be with his newborn son as he recovered from surgery at SickKids hospital.
During this time, he began to write rhyming stories for his children to help them through the difficult time. These stories, based on his children and their adventures, were the beginning of Friendly Fables. Since then, the project has grown.
“Friendly Fables has evolved into a rap-a-long concert performance, a series of animated cartoons and a live-action YouTube TV show for kids,” Alexander explained.
Despite the changes, the one constant throughout the years has been the aim of the program, which has always been to inspire children and make them smile.
C/O Sabrina Byrnes
Prior to the pandemic, Alexander had been planning to make a film using the characters from Friendly Fables; however, his plans had to be quickly altered as the pandemic spread. Instead, he combined existing concert footage with new scenes shot following social distancing guidelines. Alexander and his team succeeded in putting together A Magical Concert For Kids Stuck at Home, which was released on YouTube.
“We’re already seeing positive results from our early digital initiatives. I was so caught up in my live performances at schools, I didn’t realize how many more families I could reach by putting my songs and concerts on YouTube,” said Alexander. “I think it’s even more important now to continue with our programming for kids. I think parents, like myself, had a lot of early zeal during the quarantine. We were doing a lot of crafts and activities but as time has gone on . . . [parents] are struggling to find quality activities to keep our children entertained.”
"I think it’s even more important now to continue with our programming for kids. I think parents, like myself, had a lot of early zeal during the quarantine. We were doing a lot of crafts and activities but as time has gone on . . . [parents] are struggling to find quality activities to keep our children entertained,” said Alexander.
In uncertain times, we often hear a lot about the importance of resilience and being able to adapt to new situations. In the particular instance of the pandemic, there is also a lot of pressure not only to adapt, but to also use the newfound time in productive ways. However, there is also something to be said for finding ways to be happy and to make others happy during such times; finding ways to spark joy in yourself and others can be far more meaningful than just being productive. Alexander’s work at Friendly Fables has not only done exactly that, bringing families together in these difficult times but also encouraging the spirit of community that drew him to McMaster in the first place.
“Keep dreaming. Your dreams will unknowingly define you. Don’t ever lose sight of them and know that one day, in order to achieve them you may need to pivot and walk an uncertain, scary path,” Alexander said. “Trust in yourself and don’t take ‘no’ for an answer. Sometimes the most rewarding paths are the hardest to walk.”
This article will be updated throughout the year as McMaster University continues to deal with the COVID-19 pandemic.
Spring and Summer
After classes were cancelled for the remainder of the winter term in March, many students scrambled to adjust to the online completion of the courses they were midway through completing.
While this was a bumpy transition given the unexpected turn of events, some students thought many instructors did a good job adjusting to the new remote format and the new technologies that came with the move. With new software such as Zoom and Microsoft Teams to replace classes and office hours, professors had to figure out ways to continue delivering their courses under these new conditions.
“Even though it was a bit tricky, it's actually a pretty good platform for having virtual classes or even online classes. And since class sizes are really small right now...the environment is pretty good,” said Reza Khorvash, an honours life sciences student going into his fourth year.
“There's still some uncertainties about, well, some tricky parts of using it.”
Taking two spring courses online, Khorvash acknowledged that the class experience would have been different if instructional content didn’t have to be given remotely. Overall, he was satisfied with how it was all handled.
“It's actually pretty good that they made this adjustment [of shifting classes from in-person to online] in a very short period of time from like March to May. . . I think they have done a pretty good job”, Khorvash said.
So far, it has been announced that this form of online instruction will continue through the fall with classes for the entire semester taking place online and few students having access to campus. Only some students, including those who need to take “a limited number of health care professional courses”, will be required to be occasionally present on campus for their coursework if absolutely necessary.
Other Universities
McMaster joined many universities across Canada that shared similar plans for the fall semester, consisting of predominantly online classes. Some institutions are discussing different ways of offering various options that allow for a blended format, such as smaller in-person learning experiences to support online components.
While the move to online courses is not ideal for any program, this is especially a concern for programs that require access to special equipment or resources — among other associated concerns with online learning. How a blended system of courses could be implemented while adhering to provincial social distancing and health guidelines remains to be seen.
Many universities are planning on some sort of gradual return to campus that falls in line with the provincial government’s COVID guidelines.
Buildings and Access to Campus
As much of McMaster’s staff is encouraged to work from home, many of the buildings remain inaccessible. However, since their initial closing, McMaster has gradually allowed researchers access to on-campus labs, if required, with current plans to allow more access for other members of the McMaster community such as faculty. As of June 12, McMaster has begun allowing faculty to return in phases.
As of July 14, McMaster will also require face coverings to be worn in “all indoor public spaces”, including elevators, classrooms, washrooms and other common areas. They also have disposable masks available on weekdays at the COMPASS desk in the Student Centre and the lobby of John Hodgins Engineering Building.
Tuition and Fees
Despite the move online, McMaster has not lowered tuition costs for the Fall semester. While there are concerns about the tuition costs remaining the same, the university contends that the associated expenses of online learning — staff wages, technology, academic advising, etc. — will keep the cost for the university the same. Other supplementary fees may be dropped if a service’s availability will be affected by these changes, according to McMaster.
While McMaster is making efforts to allocate tuition to other online avenues, the news of unchanged tuition costs in the face of a drastically different term has not been well-received by many students, as evidenced by reactions on social media.
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Eesha Rehman, an incoming first-year life sciences student, was unsure about McMaster’s explanation of the situation.
“I did think it was a little bit strange just because, you know...when you first you look at what tuition actually go towards — we don't have access to the campus or the library or any of these sorts of things, and we don't, at least for science students, most of us don't get to go on campus and do our labs and all that kind of thing,” said Rehman. “However, I do know that money gets redirected to creating the online experience itself. So I think there's a little bit of clarity to be had with how the university speaks to you know, 'Oh, this is where the money is going, where we're building this online thing' and it makes more sense that, you know, our money is going into that rather than just it being something like a Zoom call for a lecture.”
Incoming first-year students will definitely have a tough adjustment to a new academic environment, as many had to experience their last high school semester in online learning environments they had to adjust to suddenly. In addition to concerns over this adjustment and the obstacles that come with online learning (staying disciplined, engaging with the class, etc.), this group of first-year students’ introduction to university will be one that is unlike any traditional university experience many pictured when they applied.
”I mean it was sort of [like] being stuck between a rock and a hard place where we were missing out on these big high school things that usually happen [over] the final months of senior year: you have prom, you have convocation…. We missed out on that, unfortunately, and we're missing out on a lot of, like, the big things about first-year,” said Rehman. “People talk about welcome week and all these sort of fun experiences where you get to meet the other people in your program and in the school, and as first-year students get to explore the campus. So while I'm missing out, I think that, you know, it is what it is and it is something that's unavoidable.”
While it will definitely not be the same as previous years, McMaster plans on holding their Welcome Week orientation virtually, with other resources planned to help support new students in their acclimating to university academic life. The university has also created the Archway program that groups approximately 35 first-year students with an upper-year mentor. The goal of this program is to foster a sense community between the first-years, similar to what they likely would have gotten in-person.
While it will definitely not be the same as previous years, McMaster plans on holding their Welcome Week orientation virtually, with other resources planned to help support new students in their acclimating to university academic life. The university has also created the Archway program that groups approximately 35 first-year students with an upper-year mentor. The goal of this program is to foster a sense community between the first-years, similar to what they likely would have gotten in-person.
“I think that McMaster has done a pretty good job of sort of making the best of a bad situation with creating Archway and helping students to be like, 'hey, just because you're stuck at home doesn't mean you have to miss out and it doesn't mean that you're not going to be part of university life',” Rehman added. “That being said, I think the biggest concern for me and a lot of my friends and other students is the social aspect of things where you don't get to meet people in the same way. In some ways it is harder to take initiative to, you know, press the DM button and be like, 'hi, I noticed you're in the same program or you're another first-year student, do you want to get to know each other? Do you want to be friends?'”
In a video posted on the MSU’s social media accounts, Vice-President (Finance) Jessica Anderson provided an update on how the McMaster Students Union is in talks on how to reduce student costs for the upcoming 2020-2021 academic year.
Anderson stated that the MSU operating fee, which is used to fund clubs, services, governance and advocacy of the MSU, has been cut by 10%. She also said that due to COVID-19 and the Hamilton Street Railway temporarily pausing fare collection, students will be reimbursed for the months of April to June 2020. The bus pass will also be put on hold for the Fall 2020 term; however, a price was not stated for how much this fee would be for the winter.
While bus passes will be cancelled for the fall, Anderson said that the MSU is advocating for heavily discounted student fares for the time being. As of current, transportation passes are deemed mandatory fees by the provincial government for students to pay into as a part of the Student Choice Initiative.
SCI was implemented at the start of the 2019-2020 academic term allowing students to opt-out of fees deemed non-essential by the Provincial government; however, this recieved backlash by students who called for the initiative to be removed.
In November 2019, the Divisional Court of Ontario struck down SCI. At current, there is no word as to how the ramifications of this decision will play out on the upcoming academic term and if SCI will be in effect or not.
“In addition to the reduction of the MSU fee, we have asked the university to reduce any fee for services that are unavailable to students in the fall semester”, said Anderson.
All incoming first-year students are required to pay a mandatory fee that is used to fund welcome week activities; however, as this has been moved online, this fee will be cut by 19%.
Anderson is confident that each full-time undergraduate student will save over $110 in the fall term, although if the Student Choice Initiative still stands for the upcoming academic year, this number could be more depending on what students choose to opt-in to.
Extracurriculars
Extracurricular activities will also have to adjust along with academics, finding new ways to not only operate, but to attract incoming students and students still looking to get involved or expand their social circles — an even more challenging prospect due to health concerns and social distancing guidelines.
“We're kind of like planning to have some sort of information and maybe online events, because we have to help new students to get involved in clubs. I think they're really important for students,” said Khorvash, who is president of the McMaster MCAT Prep Club.
Absolute Pitch, a show choir at McMaster that focuses on being a space for people who love to perform music, rehearses weekly throughout the year, where their executive team teaches its cast choreography and vocal routines in preparation for a final show. Due to COVID-19, the club’s final showcase performance in March 2020 was cancelled due to social distancing regulations.
Currently, the club is trying to figure out how to address the pandemic, but still maintain a routine similar to what would have been in person. President Areeba Sharafuddin noted that it is difficult to rehearse choreography and vocals via a virtual platform such as Zoom, due to lag.
“Choral music is not ideally rehearsed through Zoom calls, so the Productions team, specifically our Vocal Directors, are trying hard to come up with alternative and more independent rehearsal techniques for the wide variety of musical skill levels in our cast. None of them are ideal, but given the unprecedented circumstances, we’ve all had to adjust accordingly,” said Sharafuddin.
The volume 91 Managing Editor of the Silhouette, Andrew Mrozowski, is also the co-Editor-in-Chief of the McMaster Undergraduate Journal of Law and Politics. While he does not anticipate any problems on the production side due to the seamless integration of posting a journal online through a platform such as Issuu, there have been some problems with engaging students to apply to the executive team.
“I think it’s really hit or miss with a lot of clubs and their online community engagement. Especially now more than ever when we don’t have ways to engage students face-to-face, if you don’t have a large following, how can you showcase what your club does? We’ve been lucky enough to have other clubs and student associations share things with their following, but I fear that this will be an ongoing issue and likely something that will have to be addressed at the MSU level given the access to resources that we simply do not have,” said Mrozowski.
MSU ClubsFest usually takes place at the start of the school year in Burke Science Building Field on campus. Currently, the MSU has advised club presidents that this will take place as a virtual social media campaign that will extend throughout the month of September. While this will bring awareness to the approximately 350 clubs on campus, there are many concerns that have yet to be addressed.
“Much of our ‘recruitment’ of new members relies on in-person interactions during ClubsFest, where we are able to build one-on-one connections with students to get them excited about the club and auditions . . . [the social media campaign] makes it difficult for us to have those one-on-one conversations with interested students because there is less room to relay all the important and/or specific information(s) about the club,” said Sharafuddin.
Sports at Mac will have to undergo a massive adjustment as U Sports, Canada’s governing body for university sports, officially cancelled all of their championships for Fall sports. Ontario University Athletics subsequently cancelled “all OUA-sanctioned sport programming and championships” until Dec. 31, 2020. That puts many athletic teams and their players in limbo, especially for teams that begin their season in the fall but conclude in the winter. Other sports not under the OUA’s purview, such as cheerleading, are currently assessing their plans for the year ahead.
Despite the many challenges ahead for both new and returning university students, and the traditional university experience likely looking drastically different, enrollment numbers do not seem to be affected by the pandemic. With a large number of students still expected to look to their institutions for answers, there is still a lot of uncertainty as we rapidly approach a new school year.
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By Elisa Do and Yvonne Syed, Contributors
Education is often considered to be a stepping stone towards entering the workforce. University is not only supposed to teach students textbook knowledge, but it is also supposed to support students in the development of transferable skills. Hence, the Ontario government has implemented greater ties between university funding and experiential learning opportunities, which is why we are also seeing an increase in experiential learning within the curriculum of many universities.
At McMaster University, experiential learning is defined with six criteria, including: a workplace or simulated workplace environment, exposure to authentic demands, purposeful activities, assessments conducted by both self-assessment and by the employer, application of knowledge from the student’s university or college program and completion of a course credit. By structuring the experience with authentic demands and meaningful activities, students can face real-world problems and undergo conditions that are relevant to the typical responsibilities of the industry that they are practicing for.
The types of experiential learning that are offered at McMaster include: co-op, internships, professional placements, lab courses, community/industry partnered learning and research projects. Experiential learning provides wonderful opportunities for students to apply theory and gain exposure to the workforce. Therefore, as experiential learning makes its way into university learning, there is also a greater need to consider accessibility options for students.
For starters, the time commitment and duration of experiential learning placements may be difficult to manage for certain students depending on their situational circumstances. Students may also have other obligations, such as having to take care of a dependent, having to work to finance their education or having other commitments to tend to, preventing them from fully completing the placement. Some students may not be able to commit to placements for weeks or months on end, and some may not be able to dedicate a fixed amount of hours per week.
The strict time commitments can be a barrier to those who want to access meaningful experiential learning opportunities but cannot commit to the entire time. This could be in the form of a requirement of 5-15 hours a week of volunteer experiences or conflicts between student class times and shift availability.
Furthermore, since the Ministry of Education’s focus on experiential learning involves participation in a workplace or simulated workplace environment, transportation plays a huge factor. For example, nursing students being able to commute to their clinical placements is essential. However, nursing students at McMaster are responsible for their own travel costs to and from their placement locations.
For some students, this may mean travelling on the Hamilton Street Railway to nearby Hamilton hospitals, but others, it can also mean having to spend money on Ubers in order to make it in time to their placements located as far as Niagara. Not all students can afford a vehicle of their own and public transit is not always accessible. This can mean busses not running at times suitable for the student’s placement, or not extending far enough to reach other cities that the student must travel to. Clinical placements in and of itself are already putting students under responsibilities for which they are typically paid. When transportation becomes a barrier, students may endure heavy financial burdens, as they already dedicate much of their time to their studies and do not always have a source of income.
Clinical placements in and of itself are already putting students under responsibilities for which they are typically paid. When transportation becomes a barrier, students may endure heavy financial burdens, as they already dedicate much of their time to their studies and do not always have a source of income.
Looking at other European universities, such as the University of Dundee and the University of Limerick, travel allowance is often provided when expenses are incurred due to responsibilities associated with the nursing program.
When compared to more nearby universities, Queen’s University offers travel reimbursements to students of their school of medicine. Although each university has their own limitations and variations in their accommodations, the importance lies in providing support for students who have to travel beyond local public transport.
Lastly, when we look at accessibility options, we must also consider the methods with which students are assessed. Students enrolled in experiential learning courses often have to complete reflections. There is also a concern regarding the course outlines and required components that students are graded on as they partake in an experiential learning course. A challenge to assessing student learning through reflections is how to do so while respecting their privacy.
Novel assessment formats and unclear instructions may lead to students feeling they are required to disclose significant personal details in required 'reflection' assignments. They may not feel comfortable disclosing personal encounters or experiences they have undergone to their professor or teaching assistant, but they may still want to address the issues they’ve faced.
However, if they don’t want their teaching assistant or the professor to know of an embarrassing or uncomfortable situation, they cannot write it in a reflection. Thus, bearing this in mind, assessment through reflection can be made more equitable with revisions of this assessment method from instructors. Perhaps instructors could ensure that students are well informed of an anonymous reporting procedure if they ever feel the need to report any inappropriate behaviours or workplace violations encountered during their experiential learning placement. This eliminates the need to disclose this information in a reflection assignment while still addressing any private issues in an equitable manner.
It is undeniable that experiential learning has been growing rapidly within the curriculum of many programs today. With the benefits that experiential learning holds, it is important for universities to critically evaluate the accessible options that are offered. To start, basic support for barriers in time and scheduling, transportation and as confidentiality should be considered. If students are to carry extra burdens, such as financial costs, their learning experience can also be hindered. In order to provide a well-rounded experiential learning opportunity the way the curriculum intends for it to be, further improvements should be made.
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By Alakshiya Arumuganathan, Contributor
Can you believe it has been over three months since McMaster announced the end of in-person classes? The moment I heard there was going to be a pause in classes, I had many emotions going through my mind. I couldn’t wrap my head around the possible truth that COVID-19 is a lot more severe than we first thought.
As soon as they announced classes would be online, I automatically assumed that everything would be easier. However, as deadlines were piling up, I had difficulty staying focused and motivated. I lost my momentum and feared my academic performance was declining. I became a victim of stress, worry, anxiety, declining health, loneliness and relationship difficulties, among others. These challenges got worse each day and I feared I would never be able to overcome them.
Weeks went by and I managed to successfully submit my coursework, however, my mental health was deteriorating, and I assumed that if I stopped feeling my emotions, everything would be fine. It reached a point where I did not invest in any time for myself.
One day, I came across a course McMaster was offering called “Coping with COVID-19”. Reading about the course sparked an interest and I realized I needed to make a change. I knew that change is progressive and it does not happen overnight, but with a positive attitude and consistent effort, you have a good chance of seeing great results.
Through this course, I learned multiple coping strategies that anyone can use — during quarantine and beyond. This course helped me discover my path to success, understanding my purpose and helping me achieve my own holistic personal development.
A few coping strategies that struck me were mindfulness, meditation, self-care, listening to podcasts, practicing emotional first aid, watching relevant TEDtalks, connecting with friends and family and understanding cognitive therapy and the thinking/feeling connection. Everyone has their own coping strategies so these may or may not work for you.
One tactic I used to help manage my pandemic-related anxiety was to minimize my time devoted to watching the news. Seeing the staggering number of cases increase each day along with hearing about deaths made me feel more anxious. Watching the news at night ruined my sleeping habits so I decided to dedicate only an hour in the morning to keep myself informed.
Another habit I developed was incorporating meditation into my daily routine. Meditation helped relieve my stress, anxiety and worry. There are many forms of meditation so take the time to understand which type is better suited for you. Some of my favorite ones are breathing awareness, walking meditation and guided imagery. After I meditated, I wrote down two things I was grateful for along with what I planned to be mindful of for the day. Self-reflection allowed me to build emotional self-awareness and a positive mindset.
With the new knowledge I gained, I took the initiative along with a friend to start up an online platform on ways students can cope with their mental health during COVID-19. Our project includes various resources including a 20-Day Self-Care challenge which can be carried all throughout your life.
Initially, I felt overwhelmed with the thought of completing all 20 habits in the challenge. However, with the help of my friends and family, I was able to push through. Surrounding myself with a positive support system helped me have a better outlook on life and incorporating all these strategies into my life helped me feel stronger — mentally, physically and emotionally. I continuously aspire to grow stronger and become the best version of myself.
I have the tendency to isolate myself when I am not doing well mentally. Once I started feeling comfortable with myself, I decided to connect with friends and family again. I wish I had done this sooner because having a social support system really has an impact on your well-being.
Through media and social pressures, we have been told that showing our emotions is a sign of weakness. Remember that it is okay to feel those emotions. These times of uncertainty can be scary but we are all in this together.
You are the only person who can change your life.
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By Thivishah Rajsekar, Contributor
The COVID-19 global pandemic has many of us adapting to a new normal. McMaster University became one of many institutions that had to adjust to the present dangers of this pandemic, cancelling classes and announcing that its Fall 2020 semester will be online.
Initially, I was upset about having to spend my final semester online, but after taking time to really reflect on what is happening, I realized that this decision was made to ensure the health and safety of the McMaster community. However, adapting to such a change in a short period of time was not easy.
Many students, like myself, are experiencing fear and anxiety over the new learning conditions. I personally have the tendency to be consumed by thoughts about not being able to see friends, struggling to get through quarantine or even missing out on prospective employment opportunities due to COVID-19. A great way I learned to manage this kind of thinking is by protecting and valuing my mental health.
It is important to stay resilient and sustain your mental health during quarantine in order to help you cope. Especially as students, we don’t want to add the weight of additional stressors to our lives. Yet, for many of us, the isolation and social distancing we are experiencing to prevent the virus from spreading is leading us to neglect other aspects of our health.
Research has shown that mental and physical health are interdependent — having good mental and physical health helps you function in society. I can attest to the fact that poor mental health has a negative effect on your overall well-being.
At the beginning of the summer I had no responsibilities, so I made an effort to improve my mental health through my self-care practices. I took the time to exercise, keep in touch with friends, watch Netflix and pick up old hobbies. I also made sure to avoid being overly consumed by social media. I felt extremely accomplished trying to relearn how to play the flute and experimenting with art for the first time in years.
However, once summer school started, I noticed a change in my habits. I stopped pursuing my hobbies and devoted most of my time to school. Yes, school is important, but there should always be a balance for everything in life. I am only taking one course, but given that I am in my final year, I often felt that this is my last opportunity to boost my GPA.
As a result, I unconsciously committed way more time to school than needed. After a few weeks, I started feeling lazier than normal and felt hungry more frequently, which has negatively impacted my body. I also noticed a difference in my mood, as I constantly felt tired and irritable.
It was at this point that I realized that I needed to change my habits. When I finally acknowledged that I needed to switch things up, I went back to investing more time into my interests. To help with my mental and physical well-being, I started to consistently do at-home workouts and go for walks. I also revisited childhood hobbies like drawing, playing the flute and crocheting.
To help with my intellectual wellness, I invested some time in online courses to help me improve my employability skills, such as learning Excel. Going back to my old habits and exploring new self-care habits has boosted my emotional, psychological and social well-being.
All in all, fostering resilience during quarantine allows you to remain positive even in the face of adversity; improved mental health leads to increased productivity at work, home and school. Although you may feel that you are alone, remember that we are all in this together! Technology plays a key role in the 21st century and you can still make those same connections virtually.
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By Clare Fiala, Contributor
Nestled in a corner on the second floor of the McMaster University Student Centre, the cozy office that is home to the McMaster Ontario Public Interest Research Group can be easy for a rushing student to miss.
Despite financial cuts propagated by the Student Choice Initiative in September 2019, the grassroots student-run organization has continued to act as a hub for many social justice and environmental causes on campus. The McMaster Students Union referendum in March 2020 affirmed OPIRG’s place at McMaster University as 60.2% of respondents voted to keep the organization funded by maintaining its $5.50 optional fee. However, some students may not be fully aware of the organization’s important work, especially incoming first-years.
A major component of OPIRG’s activities is centered around Public Interest Projects, which aim to advocate and fundraise for a variety of different causes ranging from countering the “fast-fashion industry” to feeding the hungry and beyond.
Currently, OPIRG supports eight PIPs, all run by McMaster undergraduate students. Some projects have been around for several years while others are newer, such as Warm Soles, the PIP I co-founded this school year. Even though our PIPs are different in many ways, we all strive to affect change and advocate for an issue that we believe is relevant to McMaster students and the wider Hamilton area.
Warm Soles seeks to provide socks for people experiencing street homelessness in Hamilton. Surprisingly, 20% of medical issues among this population are foot conditions. Good quality socks protect the feet and help prevent these debilitating conditions, yet they are the least donated item to clothing banks. Thus, a simple item that we often take for granted could have a significant impact on someone’s quality of life.
With OPIRG’s support, Warm Soles set up sock donation boxes in the OPIRG office and the Arts and Science Program Offices, to collect new socks or cash donations (since most people don’t carry around brand new pairs of socks). All socks will be donated to the Good Shepherd, a large non-denominational shelter and social services organization in downtown Hamilton.
Among the types of equipment OPIRG provides their PIPs for free, OPIRG has two high-quality button makers of different sizes. Warm Soles employed this resource to make a variety of different buttons, which we sold to raise money in order to purchase socks for donation. The button-makers and associated materials are also available for other McMaster student groups to use for a small fee.
All OPIRG PIPs have innovative and unique ways of raising funds and awareness. However, disruptions imposed by COVID-19 have required another pivot. For example, Bleed Free, a PIP focused on ending stigma about menstruation, conducted their popular annual fundraising raffle online. OPIRG moved their public Annual General Meeting to virtual platforms and maintained an active social media page. Here, students can find helpful online resources for dealing with the pandemic, free webinars, and relevant updates about the causes supported by the group.
More than ever, in these difficult circumstances, there is a need for organizations that prioritize humanitarian and environmental wellbeing. I encourage all students to visit the OPIRG website to see what aspect of its mission interests them. Together, we can all play a little part towards a brighter world for McMaster students, Hamilton residents and beyond.
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