Two McMaster basketball players started a podcast discussing their lives as student-athletes and things around the world

Ever since the cancellation of in-person activities throughout the world, many athletes have sought the virtual world as a place of comfort. In fact, some professional sports leagues have partnered with video game companies to deliver virtual tournaments, watchable by fans. The National Basketball Association conducted a video game tournament involving various athletes around the league, such as Zach Lavine and Devin Booker, broadcasting their virtual games to fans. Booker took home the top prize with a $100,000 donation split between two charities, Arizona Food Bank Network and #FirstRespondersFirst.

As the COVID-19 pandemic changed the way people worked, transitioning to a home office, it has been noted by Spotify that podcast usage has switched from only morning commutes to scattered throughout the day. 

“It just allows for even more time for them to consume podcasts in different times and different ways,” said Dawn Ostroff, chief content and advertising officer of Spotify during the company’s quarterly shareholder meeting.

“It just allows for even more time for them to consume podcasts in different times and different ways,” said Dawn Ostroff, chief content and advertising officer of Spotify during the company’s quarterly shareholder meeting.

Just as more podcasts are being listened to throughout the day, with everyone being at home, new podcasts are also being launched during the pandemic.

“[Podcasting] is more and more the way people are spending time, trying to educate themselves, trying to get smarter, trying to have companionship in a moment when people are alone,” said Anya Grundmann, the senior vice president of programming of National Public Radio, to CNN Business. 

With the sudden rise in podcast popularity, two McMaster men’s basketball players felt compelled to start their own. Brandon Bernard and Tristan Lindo, both third-year students in the Communications Studies Program, created The Player’s Podcast to discuss their lives as student-athletes. Inspired by the podcast, Knuckleheads, the duo discusses topics such as U Sports, the world we live in, the McMaster men’s basketball team and provide tips on how to succeed in sports. 

“As far as our content, we usually talk one or two nights before and just brainstorm what we really want to talk about — like stuff that’s hot at that time and just try to talk about something that would intrigue people to want to watch,” said Bernard on how they plan for each podcast.

Their first podcast discussed the cancellation of the NBA season, U Sports and the Black Lives Matter movement. Both Bernard and Lindo found that following the cancellation of the U Sports fall 2020 championships and the closure of gyms, it was tough to maintain the same level of play without access to proper conditioning equipment and team practices. But with the cancellation of the fall 2020 season, players do not have to juggle both athletics and academics at the same time. With that being said, the transition to online learning has been more difficult than anticipated.

“I feel like its a tiny bit harder just because even with senior friends reminding you of due dates, it’s so [much] easier to lose track of things when [class is] online compared to when it’s in person. It’s so [much] easier to fall behind in the lecture, it’s so [much] easier to fall behind in readings and everything else . . . But without having basketball it's a little bit easier. If we had basketball on top of school, it would be hectic,” said Lindo.

“I feel like its a tiny bit harder just because even with senior friends reminding you of due dates, it’s so [much] easier to lose track of things when [class is] online compared to when it’s in person. It’s so [much] easier to fall behind in the lecture, it’s so [much] easier to fall behind in readings and everything else . . . But without having basketball it's a little bit easier. If we had basketball on top of school, it would be hectic,” said Lindo.

As opposed to the National Collegiate Athletic Association which brings in massive amounts of revenue, Bernard believes that U Sports and Ontario University Athletics are not really a “cash cow,” as evidenced by U Sports’ large operations deficit for the 2018-2019 season and limited net gains for the 2019-2020 season. 

“There’s a ton of endorsements, media outreach, lots of people watching and betting involved, so lots of money tied up in the NCAA whereas, in U Sports, they’re paying to have places rented and lodging accommodations paid for. I don’t believe money is an issue to bring back sports. They’re paying to have a program for us, whereas the NCAA is the opposite,” said Bernard of his thoughts on the contrast between associations. Bernard believes that the reimplementation of sports will ultimately be a health-based decision as opposed to being financially driven.

“There’s a ton of endorsements, media outreach, lots of people watching, and betting involved so lots of money tied up in the NCAA whereas, in U Sports, they’re paying to have places rented and lodging accommodations paid for. I don’t believe money is an issue to bring back sports. They’re paying to have a program for us, whereas the NCAA is the opposite,” said Bernard of his thoughts on the contrast between associations.

“[The podcast is] something we can do and hopefully bring people here to see what we say on these topics. [We] want to focus not so much on basketball . . . but life as a whole, so everything can relate,” said Bernard and Lindo.

They both further explained how they would love to continue after graduation or pass it onto some teammates who would be suited for this job. 

“If you like good talks, funny moments and take away something that could benefit in your day, definitely tune into our podcast. We’re always taking questions either through Twitter or Instagram so definitely hit us up there. I think [questions are] the most engaging part. We’re not catering for one type of community — anyone can come on. Whether you’re a grandma or a mother, you can talk to us, ” Bernard and Lindo stated.

“If you like good talks, funny moments and take away something that could benefit in your day, definitely tune into our podcast. We’re always taking questions either through Twitter or Instagram so definitely hit us up there. I think [questions are] the most engaging part. We’re not catering for one type of community, anyone can come on. Whether you’re a grandma or a mother, you can talk to us, ” Bernard and Lindo stated.

The Player’s Podcast is available to listen via the McMaster men’s basketball YouTube channel. Questions can be submitted directly to Bernard and Lindo on Instagram.

The Studio Arts class of 2020 presents their graduation arts show Unguarded 

The graduating classes of the Studio Arts Program at McMaster University have traditionally showcased their works in the annual SUMMA exhibition in April at the McMaster Museum of Art. However in March when McMaster cancelled programming due to COVID-19, the show had to be relocated to a virtual platform. Titled Unguarded, the exhibition went live on Sept. 10 and will remain permanently online on the McMaster Museum of Art website.

The virtual exhibition and associated print catalogue feature images and videos of the 16 graduates’ pieces. Plans to organize a virtual gallery came together a few months after the April exhibition was put on pause due to COVID-19. At the beginning of the summer, the studio arts graduates and Curator Stylo Starr connected online to discuss building a virtual gallery.

With a background in graphic design, Starr is a multimedia artist from Hamilton who predominantly makes collage art. Starr summarized Unguarded in five simple words: “being your true authentic creator.” 

Starr’s focus on not only gallery shows, but on community-based work made her interested in curating the virtual exhibition. For Starr, Unguarded means freedom of expression and the lack of censorship, barriers or restraints. This was reflected in her approach as a curator and visiting artist.

“It was really important to not censor anyone, . . . to allow space [and] give space and agency to each artist equally to express what’s on their heart, what’s on their mind, what’s on their psyche and what’s being lived out [through] their experience. I think too often, especially in an academic environment, it almost comes second nature to guard things on either side of the spectrum whether it be censoring someone’s expression or . . . being a gatekeeper to whatever subject matter or topic,” said Starr.

“It was really important to not censor anyone, . . . to allow space [and] give space and agency to each artist equally to express what’s on their heart, what’s on their mind, what’s on their psyche and what’s being lived out [through] their experience. I think too often, especially in an academic environment, it almost comes second nature to guard things on either side of the spectrum whether it be censoring someone’s expression or . . . being a gatekeeper to whatever subject matter or topic,” said Starr.

Starr placed great emphasis on providing space for the artists to express freely. She was eager to listen to the artists’ goals and incorporate their input.  

“It’s really exciting to finally see their work be shown, not necessarily in the way it was intended, but I’m really proud of how resilient all the artists were and [how they] have been able to roll with the obstacles that were clearly set,” said Starr.

Despite unforeseen circumstances, the studio arts class of 2020 has come together one last time to deliver the final products of their growth, character and experiences over the past four years. Starr hopes viewers will come away from the exhibit with an understanding of the power of art as a form of a language and an appreciation for the students’ fluency in the language of art. The Silhouette sat down with a few of the participating artists to discuss their time at McMaster and to gain insight into their pieces that are displayed in the virtual exhibition.

Kelsey Dykstra

[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5-ko1ReXyvk[/embedyt]

Dykstra is inspired by the idea of home, diversity and feminism, which she was able to explore through the Studio Arts Program. She contrasts growing up secluded on a farm in Huron County to moving to Hamilton where she was exposed to many diverse communities for the first time. 

“[The program] definitely made me grow as a person in general . . . I never was really raised with [diversity or feminism] and it just really opened my eyes to a whole other world,” said Dykstra. 

One of the challenges Dykstra experienced while transitioning her pieces online was finding ways to document her textile piece which featured embroidery of her series Bored Naked People on cotton. Ultimately, it was captured through her artist video. 

In the future, she hopes to pursue art therapy. But in the meantime, she has launched a small business called Althea where she sells cards and posters. 

Sarah Urban

[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BgmSut1fr-A[/embedyt]

Urban didn’t always know she wanted to pursue art school. After finishing high school, she worked as a cake decorator and, four years later, was encouraged by her family to apply to university. Since entering the program, she has been able to step outside of her comfort zone and grow into an independent, mature artist. 

Urban described her class as one big family. 

“Unguarded to me is about how vulnerable we are with each other. And even though our artwork is so different, we’re always so supportive of other people’s ideas and supportive of each other and really, really vulnerable with each other . . . which is why we chose [the name Unguarded].”

The theme of her pieces for Unguarded stems from her interest in the environment and climate change. As a child, she spent a lot of time outdoors camping and hiking. Her work “Reclamation Series” tells the story of society's ignorance of global warming and alludes to Sodom and Gomorrah, Biblical cities that were ultimately destroyed for their ignorance and sins. 

Urban currently works as a full-time art instructor in Oakville with plans to attend graduate school or to go into gallery shows. Whichever path she decides to go on, she will be able to take with her the lessons she learned from the Studio Arts Program on listening, helping and caring for others. 

Celine Jeong

[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=spSWppmG5uM[/embedyt]

As a Korean-Canadian artist, Jeong’s practice is influenced by her Presbyterian and Korean upbringing as well as her death anxiety and interest in children's storybooks. 

Her Korean background is observed in Tigers which depicts this popular animal in Korean folklore. She also ties in narratives from Christianity in works such as Mother Sheep by examining the relationship between religious authority figures and death.

[A]s someone [who] struggles with a lot of death anxiety and who was very impacted by these teachings about death, I guess I just want to relate to others and their own childhood experiences with death and  . . . articulating that moment where you're grappling with your first awareness of death,” said Jeong. 

Reflecting back on her four years in the program, she was most impacted by the collaborative interactions with the other artists. The opportunities for feedback, critique and encouragement were critical pieces of her development. She is planning to open a business selling her art online and exploring webcomics and storytelling. 

Shveta Sharma

[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xnQCme2EoYs[/embedyt]

Influenced by her artistic household and a creative writing course she took in high school, Sharma integrates her love for music and performance with her fascination for alternate realities in her practice. She creates immersive installations designed to activate the human psyche. This was also the foundation for her honours thesis, which was about using multisensory stimuli to evoke psychological and physiological responses and the impact of psychedelia on the brain. 

In Insert Molly, which was captured through a video for the online exhibition, she plunges the viewers into infinite kaleidoscopic projections of light and body movements complemented by heavy bass, reverberation and rendered vocals. 

“I aim to create my own world to fully submerge the viewer in . . . The conceptual idea of multiple existences and the creations or recreation of realities is further emphasized through the interaction and production of the piece,” Sharma explained. 

The cancellation of the original April exhibition was emotionally difficult for her and the rest of her classmates, however, she is excited to finally share the worlds she has created. 

Before entering the program, Sharma didn’t know performance could be considered art. The program changed her life by helping her discover her passion and define her path. Through her continuing studies in computer art, she will develop skills to build a fully immersive installation in the future.

The cancellation of Hamilton’s signature festival is negatively impacting businesses on and off James Street North

Nothing brings Hamilton together like Supercrawl. The September festival on James Street North features numerous performances, fashion shows, art installations, food trucks and more. It is an opportunity for Hamilton to show off its artists and entrepreneurs. Unfortunately due to COVID-19, Supercrawl’s organizers announced in June that the 2020 event would be cancelled.

When Hamilton’s steel industry collapsed in 2008, Hamilton’s artists and entrepreneurs were credited with revamping Hamilton’s image and economy. As empty buildings became galleries, restaurants, studios and shops, art crawls emerged. Supercrawl, derived from these monthly art crawls, arrived as a celebration of this revival.

Since its inception in 2009, Supercrawl has grown from a one-day event attended by a few thousand people to a weekend-long celebration that draws about 250,000 people annually. The multi-arts festival is a major tourism event in Ontario that has an economic impact of over $2,000,000.

Every year, businesses on James Street North prepare themselves for this influx of customers by extending hours, increasing stock and putting on sales. Business owners often gain new customers during Supercrawl and see some of their highest sales of the year.

Priya Mohan is the owner of Sari Knot Sari, a sustainable and fair trade clothing line. As her store is located on James Street North, she has been directly impacted by the art crawl and Supercrawl cancellations.

https://www.instagram.com/p/B3nfsNEAFx_/

“Supercrawl, art crawl . . .  used to be able to pay for your rent at least for the whole month. You would make enough money during art crawl to pay for all of your utilities and rent. [I]t gives you the opportunity to earn more money, which would allow you to build your business or do whatever else . . .  That's gone now. So you just have to hope that the money comes in in dribs and drabs and that you can pay your rent and pay your utilities and pay your staff and still have enough money left over to increase your stock so that you have more money coming in because if you don't have stock you can't make money,” explained Mohan.

"Supercrawl, art crawl . . .  used to be able to pay for your rent at least for the whole month. You would make enough money during art crawl to pay for all of your utilities and rent. [I]t gives you the opportunity to earn more money, which would allow you to build your business or do whatever else," said Mohan.

Since Mohan started Sari Knot Sari in 2018, her business has participated in Supercrawl’s fashion shows and hosted a sidewalk sale in the tent outside their store. They also provide free space in their Supercrawl tent to local artisans and sustainable businesses as a way of exposing the community to these sustainable enterprises.

“[T]hat's gone now. Like there really is no hub for people who are artistic to have a free place to just showcase their goods and spread the joy of their artistic endeavors. There really isn't anything,” Mohan said.

Local artists and businesses without brick-and-mortar locations typically benefit from Supercrawl the most. Artists can apply to have an installation at Supercrawl and those that are chosen are actively promoted by the festival, facilitating widespread exposure for these artists. Similarly, small businesses can apply to be one of Supercrawl’s approximately 100 vendors. For those who are not able to apply or are not selected, the festival provides free, first-come, first-serve space for them to set up. Without these typical Supercrawl activities, these artists and vendors will not get the exposure they may need to survive the financial impact of the pandemic.

While Supercrawl organizers are planning alternate events, they haven’t yet announced an event that will help businesses that rely on Supercrawl. However, the fact that a few vendors and artists will be featured at Supercrawl’s first physically-distant concert series sparks hope that the festival organizers will continue to create events that include and feature Hamilton business owners.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CFFd5pwFhEc/

In the meantime, Hamiltonians continue to pull together to support local businesses. One example of this is Hamilton Supports Local, a website and business directory that sisters and Hamilton teachers Lindsay Hucal and Laura Varga started this year after their grandmother had to close her Port Dover shop due to COVID-19.

Having shopped locally for years, Hucal wanted to make it easier for Hamilton shoppers to find local goods and support small businesses. She believes that the only positive outcome of COVID-19 on businesses is that more people are thinking locally.

“I think there are more people being conscientious of where they buy things. A lot of our businesses are fair trade too . . .  and people are taking more of an understanding and awareness of where their products are coming from. So I think that because of COVID-19, because of a lot of things that are happening in the [United States] and free trade and all of these things that are happening, we want to support our Canadian economy. [I]t's taking a deficit from businesses being closed down for so long. I think that people are starting to think globally and shop locally and try and support Hamilton and Canada as a whole,” said Hucal.

"So I think that because of COVID-19, because of a lot of things that are happening in the [United States] and free trade and all of these things that are happening, we want to support our Canadian economy," said Hucal.

Hopefully, as Hamiltonians continue to support Hamilton businesses, it will mitigate the negative effects of the cancellation of Supercrawl and other events that support local businesses.

A tangible support for Black students in academia

Following the death of George Floyd, a surge of protests in support of the Black Lives Matter movement has been occurring across the United States and Canada. The continued injustice and systemic racism against Black folks inspired seven McMaster University and Mohawk College alumni to create a bursary for Black students of the McMaster Health Sciences Program. 

Nizar Hassan, one of the organizers for the bursary, recalled how the group of friends thought of the idea. 

“It came up fairly organically in the context of hearing about all the injustice, starting mainly with the George Floyd story, and reflecting about what we can as a group do to try and make some sort of a difference. The conversation then moved from there to the underrepresentation of Black-identifying students, particularly in science academia and in our program of health sciences,” said Hassan.

One of the other organizers, Anthony Albina, added that the group hoped to provide tangible support for Black students.

"It just became painstakingly clear that listening was just not enough . . . We actually wanted to do something concrete and something that would touch a program that is very near and dear to us and had a really big impact on our lives," said Albina. 

"It just became painstakingly clear that listening was just not enough . . . We actually wanted to do something concrete and something that would touch a program that is very near and dear to us and had a really big impact on our lives," said Albina. 

Currently, a fundraising goal of $20,000 has been set in order to establish a yearly bursary worth $800 in perpetuity. If more money is raised, the bursary can also be increased.

The bursary will be provided to one Black BHSc student with financial need each year, with a different student receiving the bursary every year. Hassan and Albina said that criteria for financial need are not handled by the organizers and will primarily be handled by the Student Financial Aid Services in addition to other departments of the university such as the Alumni Advancement Office or the BHSc program.

The organizers also expressed that other than financial support, there are ways McMaster can provide greater support for Black students within the local community. 

“Other things to consider [include] more active community engagement and trying to get people who come from a low socioeconomic background or are less likely to choose to go to university and try to engage with them and try to bring them into McMaster,” said Hassan.

Hassan and Albina expressed that McMaster could do more to actively reduce barriers, similar to what Queen’s University has planned. Announced on July 24, Queen’s will allocate ten of its 100 seats to Black and Indigenous students for each cohort of its Doctor of Medicine Program, effective for the 2020-2021 application cycle. 

Albina also elaborated that though the fight for social justice is not new, something was different this time around. 

“What was nice or different about [the support for Black folks] this time is that people were more [active in] looking for actual tangible ways to help . . . We just felt like we had to do something. You can’t just keep listening and letting this issue go. By no means do I think we will be fixing the issue of inequality in sciences, but hopefully this could be a small step in the right direction,” explained Albina.

Hassan and Abina shared that they have been encouraged by donations from many different folks, including those who are still in school and may not have a significant income.

“It's been nice to see that kind of positive feedback and people putting their money where their mouth is,” said Albina. 

“It's been nice to see that kind of positive feedback and people putting their money where their mouth is,” said Albina. 

As of Sept. 23, the bursary fund is at $8,100. The bursary will begin distribution as soon as enough funding is collected. With no deadline to reach target funding, the organizers wish to collect enough donations as soon as possible and have the bursary established for future students.

Amidst COVID-19, services across campus try to find ways to stay accessible in an online environment

The online fall term required the McMaster Students Union to adapt and innovate its services, typically run in-person, to continue to provide support, supplies and community to McMaster University students. The MSU runs over 30 services, run by and for students, that offer a range of resources and opportunities, from confidential peer support to first aid. Over the summer months, the part-time managers of each service planned and prepared to convert their in-person programming to online supports.

MSU Food Collective Centre

In typical years, the Food Collective Centre has run an on-campus food bank and various programs to increase food security in the McMaster community. The FCC has offered both catered programming and events, such as the Community Kitchen. PTM Hannan Minhas explained how the FCC will continue to provide these services and be mindful of COVID restrictions.

The drop-in food bank service will be closed to students for the fall term due to COVID restrictions. Instead, Lockers of Love will be the primary service to ensure that students and community members can still access the FCC resources. Students and community members can anonymously fill out an order form for non-perishable food items and health supplies. 

“[The executive team are] trying to make [Lockers of Love] more efficient so students can access food almost the same day or one day later. And we have more lockers so we’ll try to accommodate as many students as we can,” said Minhas. 

“[The executive team are] trying to make [Lockers of Love] more efficient so students can access food almost the same day or one day later. And we have more lockers so we’ll try to accommodate as many students as we can,” said Minhas. 

The Good Food Box, which is run in partnership with the Grace Lutheran Church, will run this term as it has in the past. The box is filled with fresh produce and is picked up on campus. The order and pick-up dates for the fall term can be found at the FCC website.

The FCC will offer the Community Kitchen workshops online, likely through Microsoft Teams to ensure closed captioning. Participants have the chance to cook a recipe along with the instructor, to ask questions and to build skills and confidence in the kitchen. Interested participants reserve their space and fill out a poll for which date and times are preferred, to accommodate all participants regardless of class schedule or time zones. The FCC will increase capacity and maintain a community for the workshops this term because of the virtual setting.

FCC will also run virtual events and contests, such as Quarantine Cooking, where students create and submit a recipe based on a key ingredient for the chance to win a $25 gift card.

MSU Peer Support Services

The four peer support services of the MSU have all adapted their programming in a secure and accessible way for this term. Maccess, Pride Community Centre, Women and Gender Equity Network and Student Health Education Centre have all adapted one-on-one peer support to virtual platforms. Flexibility and the needs of the communities that they serve are priorities for each service this term.

“We’re just trying to be open and have conversations with users who seek resources and responding [to users] in ways that maximize their comfort,” said Yimeng Wang, WGEN coordinator.

“We’re just trying to be open and have conversations with users who seek resources and responding [to users] in ways that maximize their comfort,” said Yimeng Wang, WGEN coordinator.

Each coordinator outlined plans and options to accommodate students in different time zones and with various technological resources.

Students and community members can reach out for one-on-one peer support or join identity-specific community groups in varied ways, such as through email, social media, anonymous forms and the platforms used by different services. Disclosure of specifics is not necessary to join a community group.

Maccess, WGEN and the PCC have each developed a Discord server where participants can access one-on-one peer support through text, audio or video chats. These servers will be available in early October and will be accessible by request. SHEC has developed a "Warmline" using tawk.to to offer non-crisis peer support. The Warmline will be fully anonymous through text chat, but support can also be offered via audio or video chats per student request. The Warmline is expected to launch in the coming weeks.

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Students and community members can also reach out to join identity-specific community groups offered by different services. These groups are run by volunteers with lived experiences and include a BIPoC-2STLGBQIA+ community group from the PCC, a disabled-2STLGBQIA+ community by the PCC and Maccess and Black and Gendered by WGEN and McMaster Womanists. PCC coordinator Christian Barborini highlighted that participants may not be out or may live in unsupportive environments, so they have accommodated supports to suit individual circumstances, such as text-only in the community group.

WGEN also has a peer support group for survivors.

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The PCC will offer individual check-ins this year. Participants can sign up and will receive a weekly text-based check-in from a PCC volunteer.

SHEC coordinator Sydney Cumming hopes to develop a system for students and community members to access the free resources that SHEC has normally provided. This is still in the works; however, Cumming is hoping to have a system by the end of the fall term. Cumming hopes to partner with the FCC’s Lockers of Love and WGEN with their gender-affirming products that Cumming highlighted as “life-saving”. In addition, the SHEC team hopes to partner with libraries and the Student Wellness Centre to offer various products. 

All of the peer support services plan to run events this term. Calvin Prowse, Maccess coordinator, planned for more frequent but relaxed events and is excited for the opportunity to have events they weren’t able to do previously. Maccess has a Pet and Plant Appreciation Party planned for later this term. Cumming has SHEC events planned to distribute resources to students, such as grocery store gift cards.

The service coordinators had different preferences for video platforms. SHEC, Maccess and PCC preferred Microsoft Teams for its built-in closed captioning. Wang preferred Zoom and Otter.ai for closed captioning.

“I think it was really important for us to try to find a way to create a community space in a way that doesn’t add on to Zoom fatigue and gives people a break,” said Prowse.

The coordinators are also working to ensure that the various platforms, such as Discord and tawk.to, are compatible with screen readers.

“I think it was really important for us to try to find a way to create a community space in a way that doesn’t add on to Zoom fatigue and gives people a break,” said Prowse

MSU Emergency First Response Team

The yellow backpacks won’t be on campus for a while, at least until November when the EFRT advisory board will re-evaluate whether it is safe for responders to be on-call. According to the EFRT Director Kevin Park, the EFRT advisory board has developed a "return to call" criteria. The advisory board is made up of student staff, including MSU representatives and medical doctors, including the EFRT Medical Director Dr. Morgan Hillier.

The priority of EFRT and its advisory board is the safety of all responders and community members. The safe reopening evaluation criteria are: risk of COVID-19 to responders, enough personal protective equipment, the population numbers on campus and office space for responders.

According to Park, the number of people on campus is used to gauge the capacity of Security Services and the Student Wellness Centre to respond, in case of an emergency on campus. The office space is a concern for Park, as he said that their current space is shared between 30 students and unable to accommodate social distancing. In addition, Park is concerned about the current spike of COVID-19 cases in Ontario and on university campuses, such as Western University.

“We’ve been trying to focus mainly on the things that we couldn’t do before,” explained Park.

In light of this, EFRT has increased its social media presence and has changed its training and hiring practices.

“We’ve been trying to focus mainly on the things that we couldn’t do before,” explained Park

Current EFRT responders have continued to practice First Aid and CPR. EFRT will run monthly virtual training sessions that will focus on critical thinking skills and knowledge of protocols. Park wants all responders to maintain their standard so that they are ready to go back as soon as possible.

For more information on MSU service adaptations, check out the MSU website.

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When reached for an interview about the MSU’s service changes, VP (Administration) Graeme Noble and AVP (Services) Martino Salciccioli declined an interview.

Correction: Oct. 7, 2020

Because of an error while collecting information, a previous version of this article misstated the medical director of EFRT as Dr. Eddie Wasser. The current medical director is Dr. Morgan Hillier and the article has been updated accordingly.

The Supercrawl cancellation is another disappointment in the year of COVID-19 cancellations

Community events are an important part of fostering a sense of belonging and inclusion in cities big or small. These events bring together people from all walks of life. Community events are often where many beloved traditions and treasured memories are created. 

In Hamilton, one of the largest community events is Supercrawl. However, on June 17, Supercrawl announced that due to COVID-19 it would be cancelling the festival which had been scheduled to happen in early September. 

On social media, many have also expressed relief that Supercrawl is willing to do their part to keep the community safe. However, it is still disappointing as the multi-arts festival is near and dear to the hearts of many Hamiltonians. 

And I guess this should be Supercrawl weekend☹️.
I ❤️ Hamilton.

— Marie Zilik (@MarieZilik) September 12, 2020

For many first-year students, Supercrawl is their introduction to Hamilton and its art community, and an opportunity for them to connect with their peers.

“I went to Supercrawl last year, so in my first year at McMaster . . .  I found it to be a really great opportunity to get to know the Hamilton community and the art community. I feel like I got to see a lot of really, really cool performances and art pieces. It was just a really great opportunity to experience Hamilton culture . . . I think a lot of people in the McMaster community actually really love Supercrawl. I remember in my first year when it was coming up, a bunch of professors and a bunch of upper-years were really encouraging us to go,” said Andrea Chang, a second-year arts & science student.

I think a lot of people in the McMaster community actually really love Supercrawl. Like I remember in my first-year when it was coming up, a bunch of professors and a bunch of upper-years were really encouraging us to go,” said Andrea Chang, a second-year arts & science student.

Supercrawl’s organizers have opted to run a series of alternate events beginning Sept. 24, 2020 and continuing through to March 2021. When these events are scheduled to take place in person, there will be a cap on the number of attendees, who will all be screened prior to entry, expected to wear masks and instructed to respect physical distancing protocols. 

The first of these events, running from Sept. 24–27, is a ticketed concert series featuring Tim Hicks, Jessica Mitchell, Lee Harvey Osmond, Choir! Choir! Choir! and Skratch Bastid, among others. Supercrawl organizers will be setting up a temporary open-air venue for the event, at the top of the York Boulevard Parkade in downtown Hamilton. Both the concert performers and concert-goers are grateful and excited to still experience a little bit of Supercrawl.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CBigIWvF2ga/

However, due to the academic year being entirely online, many McMaster students are not in Hamilton and will likely not be able to attend any of the alternate events. For students, the cancellation of Supercrawl reflects the much larger sense of community that the pandemic has deprived them of.

“[I]t's disappointing to not have community events in Hamilton the same way anymore. But I also think that that kind of just translates to everything else that the McMaster community is facing. We're stripped of in-person community in a whole host of ways and this is just one of them,” said Chang. 

“[I]t's disappointing to not have community events in Hamilton the same way anymore. But I also think that that kind of just translates to everything else that the McMaster community is facing. We're stripped of in-person community in a whole host of ways and this is just one of them,” said Chang.

Community is an essential component to wellbeing and has typically been formed through in-person interactions. In larger cities, community-wide events like Supercrawl, often play a key role in facilitating these interactions and connections. However, by causing events like these to be put on hold, the pandemic continues to isolate students from their communities.

Art Gallery of Hamilton staff and Hamilton art teachers come together to provide high school students with a platform to share their thoughts and feelings during COVID-19

Finding the right words to express yourself can be incredibly difficult. Sometimes you don’t have the words or the words you do have are not enough to represent your experiences. These are a few reasons why people turn to art to articulate and communicate their thoughts and feelings. However, artists need a space where they can not only share their art, but where their art can be supported and encouraged.

The Art Gallery of Hamilton’s programs and education department in conjunction with high school art teachers have gone above and beyond to provide a space for secondary school students to share their thoughts and feelings relating to COVID-19. Declaration showcases the talent and thoughtfulness of Hamilton’s young artists during these challenging times.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CBgf1uEDIsS/

Every year, the AGH hosts Hamilton's high school students’ art in their physical gallery. In the early weeks of the pandemic, the programs and education department at the gallery considered how they could adjust the exhibit for the new physical distancing protocols and decided to instead host it in a virtual space. The director of the department, Tor Lukasik-Foss, reached out to Hamilton high school art teachers, who submitted between six to 10pieces of art on behalf of their students. Then Youth Council and Studio Coordinator, Tyler Van Holst, uploaded them to the virtual gallery he created.

“It was such a huge group effort and the majority of the work, I would say, was done by the students and the teachers. From just the actual work being made and how much time and effort and care went into the crafting of all the artwork to the diligence [the] teachers had, to collecting and organizing . . .  I was just very touched to see the art teachers going that extra mile to support their young artists and their students,” said Van Holst.

“It was such a huge group effort and the majority of the work, I would say, was done by the students and the teachers. From just the actual work being made and how much time and effort and care went into the crafting of all the artwork to the diligence [the] teachers had, to collecting and organizing . . .  I was just very touched to see the art teachers going that extra mile to support their young artists and their students,” said Van Holst.

In the early stages of Declaration, there was a very strong sense of optimism. There was little if any commiseration about not being able to hold the exhibition in a physical space. Instead, the teachers expressed gratitude, appreciation and excitement about being able to put the event on during a time when so many things were closing.

Declaration features artwork from Grade 9 through 12 students from 11 different Hamilton high schools. The student artists used a diverse array of media, including photography, acrylic and oil paints and digital media. The images range from depictions from the students’ role models, self-portraits to representations of life in quarantine.

Amazing work by HWDSB Program of the Arts @Glendale_HWDSB and @HWDSB students as part of @TheAGH's #Declaration exhibit found here https://t.co/bvYUoBnMGU pic.twitter.com/MOzhp4dT4R

— Glendale Arts (@GPAandSHSM) June 17, 2020

“[The] content was mostly around — it could have been anything that they wanted to — but there was a [theme of] managing or understanding COVID-19 or . . . going with the new normal and just facing that reality,” said Van Holst.

Creating spaces for youth to express themselves is an essential part of Van Holst’s role at the AGH and art teachers’ roles. This role is even more important during the pandemic, as arts education builds essential skills and helps students cope with the changing world.

Creating spaces for youth to express themselves is an essential part of Van Holst’s role at the AGH and art teachers’ roles. This role is even more important during the pandemic, as arts education builds essential skills and helps students cope with the changing world.

“When I was working on [the exhibition] . . . I was just trying to make it a platform for them and a vehicle for their expressions. I guess my hope would be for them to be able to see that and to feel it’s a true expression of high school students and teenagers and youth and . . . I would hope that someone would really see [that] this is how these people speak or one of the ways how these people speak or how anyone can speak,” said Van Holst

Declaration is one example of the way people have come together during COVID-19, harnessing their passions and skills to create something new and wonderful.

The exhibition is officially open until Sept. 30, 2020 but there is the possibility of an extension or a follow up to the exhibition.

Going online means something different for many, especially for performance-based clubs

McMaster University has now announced that the winter 2021 term will be online. Students will continue online classes and while the McMaster Students Union has not given official word, many clubs are preparing for the possibility that students will not be able to meet in person for extracurricular activities, such as clubs. 

In previous fall terms, the McMaster Students Union hosted a Clubsfest for clubs to present information about their club and recruit new members. 

With the online fall semester, the MSU offered a virtual Clubsfest via Facebook and Instagram. The MSU has posted descriptions and contact information of various clubs and will continue to do so until Oct. 2.

Many recreational clubs, such as McMaster Yoga Club and MacUke, have announced that they will continue to operate with online meetings. 

However, meetings will look especially different for many performance-based clubs such as the McMaster Marching Band and Absolute Pitch. 

McMaster Marching Band is open to students of all experience levels and provides them with the opportunity to learn an instrument, as well as perform for local events such as Santa Claus parades. Typically, the band practiced at local churches.

"This year, there will be no in-person rehearsals or performances at local events. However, the band will continue to practice via monthly Masterclasses," said Mike Cummings, administrative director of the band. 

"This year, there will be no in-person rehearsals or performances at local events. However, the band will continue to practice via monthly Masterclasses," said Mike Cummings, administrative director of the band. 

Instruments will still be available for students to borrow and the band has a $40 refundable deposit to cover any instrument damage and repair costs.

Funding for the McMaster Marching Band is given through the bylaw 5 fee, which is a non-MSU non-McMaster fee that was decided by a referendum. Cummings explained that the fees not only goes towards staff and uniform costs, but a large portion of the fee is for instruments.

“This year we are going to be running a surplus so that next year we can put more into our instrument purchases because those are quite the investment and they take a lot of funds . . . We’re going to really build that up now so we don’t have to say to anyone “Well we’re actually out of alto saxophones, would you mind playing tenor saxophones?” We don’t like to have that conversation,” said Cummings. 

“This year we are going to be running a surplus so that next year we can put more into our instrument purchases because those are quite the investment and they take a lot of funds . . . We’re going to really build that up now so we don’t have to say to anyone “Well we’re actually out of alto saxophones, would you mind playing tenor saxophones?” We don’t like to have that conversation,” said Cummings. 

Absolute Pitch is another performance-based club that has changed rehearsals this year. As a show choir, members of the club are often involved in both singing and dancing during an in-person school year. The club typically runs a holiday coffee house event in November with a final showcase around March. The final showcase is centred around a theme chosen for the year, and this year, the theme is “best of the decade.”

Following the announcement that the winter semester will be online, the club is still in the process of deciding how the final showcase will look like and whether or not rescheduling is possible. Absolute Pitch President Areeba Sharafuddin said that the club is also considering other alternatives and should restrictions ease up in future months, the club may choose to film a showcase together rather than do one live.

As for the coffee house, Sharafuddin shared that the club may opt for an alternative such as an acapella style video, with members recording individual singing videos and combining them together. 

A fee of $25 is usually required for members of the club. However, Sharafuddin expressed that it has not been decided whether a fee will be needed this year due to a reduction in equipment and rentals. 

Calling for university policy changes should be top priority for mental health advocates

By: Anonymous, Contributor

At the request of the contributor, a student who went through McMaster’s mental health services, the Silhouette has chosen to publish this piece anonymously over privacy concerns. We believe giving this person a platform that does not damage their reputation allows us to share an important first-person account.

CW: suicide, mental illness, policing

September is suicide prevention month and businesses and institutions are turning to social media with sentiments like it’s “okay to not be okay.” As someone who has been through challenging university processes during my undergrad at McMaster University as a result of my mental illness, which included cycles of intense suicidal ideation, these words never sit quite right with me. 

Today is World Suicide Prevention Day -- and during COVID-19, times are difficult for many. @STJOESHAMILTON and @SuicidePrevHam are collecting messages of hope and photos for a community photo mosaic from folks in #HamOnt. Here's how to participate: https://t.co/J53iRQtsrO

— McMaster University (@McMasterU) September 10, 2020

Today is World Suicide Prevention Day. Talking about suicide can be difficult, and we want you to know that support is available on-campus if you'd like to talk. Student Health Services, located in UCC 11, is open from 9am to 7pm. @WellnessWestern pic.twitter.com/FuE2Ejqubc

— Western University (@WesternU) September 10, 2019

Although I seemed like a “model student,” for much of my undergrad I was constantly struggling with my mental health unbeknownst to those around me. But because my struggle didn’t seem apparent, counsellors often told me that I was just experiencing normal school stress and suggested band-aid solutions like meditation and walks even though I knew that something was very wrong.  

At the end of my third year, I reached an all-time low with my suicidal thoughts and couldn’t keep up the act that everything was fine anymore. As a result, I completely unravelled and verbally lashed out at people who I cared deeply about, with one of these individuals being a faculty member. 

This brought me into contact with the Student Support and Case Management Office because even though my actions were a result of mental illness and the complainant acknowledged this, I had engaged in behaviours that violated the Code of Student Rights and Responsibilities. Initially, part of me felt relieved because I thought that this meant that Mac would understand how much I was struggling and I would finally be able to get the support that I needed. Unfortunately, this was not how things played out over the next two years.

I came to learn that despite having behavioural challenges as a result of my mental illness and having a psychiatrist verify this, going through a code-related issue incriminates you regardless. The Code of Student Rights and Responsibilities does have a specific section of how to address violations where a health issue is involved, but this doesn’t benefit students. In reality, it puts unwell students in a position where they have to advocate for themselves and be put under scrutiny of whether they are faking, attention-seeking or have malicious intent when they are none of the above. In fact, I was required to have an independent medical evaluation with a psychiatrist and they concluded that I was low risk for violent behaviour, yet I constantly felt like I could never do anything right in the eyes of the SSCMO. 

I had desperately tried to get more holistic, effective support my entire university career but couldn’t because I didn’t seem “sick enough.” However, when I was finally pushed past this threshold to the point where I was engaging in problematic behaviours, I was met with intimidation and punishment when I was in distress or didn’t voice my concerns in what the SSCMO deemed a “proper” manner. Despite being told that the contents of my behavioural contract and wellness plan were in place with the intention of facilitating my success, it was about the interests of the institution instead of my wellbeing.  

 However, when I was finally pushed past this threshold to the point where I was engaging in problematic behaviours, I was met with intimidation and punishment when I was in distress or didn’t voice my concerns in what the SSCMO deemed a “proper” manner.

I was actively suicidal at many points during this time and yet, contrary to what we are told, I felt ashamed when I vocalized this because the appropriateness of my tone was more important than my distress. Don’t get me wrong, I think that taking accountability for behaviours is important even if they are the result of mental illness, but the way that my case was dealt heightened my distress levels and made it much more difficult for me to be successful at improving my symptoms and behaviours.  

After taking a voluntary gap year, things didn’t get better with the SSCMO. It came to a point where although the interpersonal issues that brought me into their office were resolved a long time ago, being required to be involved with them as I continued my studies kept me in a toxic cycle. Having to continually be aware of a really low time in life through my obligations to work with the SSCMO had my mental health spiralling downwards again. I put on a “brave face” with peers and supervisors throughout the year but I once again found myself in a position where actions put forth by the university to supposedly help me counterproductively created more distress. The primary response by staff was punitive and the “support” that came afterwards felt more like an afterthought.  

When someone is struggling deeply with a mental illness, they need to feel supported, valuable and should not be defined by how they respond to things that they find distressing. When I was in this process, I believed that how I was being treated by the SSCMO was what I deserved. I began to internalize the prejudices and biases that these policies and staff have towards individuals who are in significant distress and began to feel like I was a bad person who didn’t deserve actual help or compassion. This made me feel isolated from the people in my life who truly cared about me. I kept so many secrets about what I was going through because I was ashamed. 

When someone is struggling deeply with a mental illness, they need to feel supported, valuable and should not be defined by how they respond to things that they find distressing. When I was in this process, I believed that how I was being treated by the SSCMO was what I deserved.

By my final term, I wasn’t myself at all. Despite being part of an amazing lab for my thesis and being involved with equity-related activities on campus, I wasn’t emotionally present and just felt like I was going through the motions of every day. I couldn’t shake the feeling that I was truly a bad person instead of someone struggling with an illness that unbeknownst to me at the time, was actually rooted in a serious hormonal issue. I felt so disillusioned by the narratives that university staff were there to help. If this was the case, why did I feel so invalidated and criminalized for something that we are told to seek help for? If I was a “good” mentally ill person, would I have been treated better? If I didn’t advocate so heavily for my own ideas of what would help me, would this have ensured that I was seen as sick and not a non-compliant discipline case?

Now that I’m removed from the McMaster environment, I have been able to heal in a way that makes sense to me and honestly, I haven’t felt this good in years. But it shouldn’t have taken me having to graduate to have control over my own recovery. I would never discourage anyone from seeking support, but I am left feeling weary over how institutional policies related to mental illness are carried out. 

I would never discourage anyone from seeking support, but I am left feeling weary over how institutional policies related to mental illness are carried out. 

McMaster’s Mental Health and Wellbeing Strategy implicates policing into significant mental health concerns and takes an approach where the person who is struggling has little agency in the support they receive, despite those with lived experience being experts in their own illness and life circumstances. Situations like mine will continue to occur unless there are significant policy changes that centre lived experiences and makes space for the entire spectrum of how mental illness may manifest.

Although my experience has pushed me to help others and advocate for change, it’s going to take me a lot of effort and time to heal from the impact of systems that were supposed to help me. This should never be the case. We have raised enough “awareness” about mental health and illness, now it’s time to push for policy changes that ensure those who are vulnerable are supported rather than punished. 

By telling my story that I had once felt so ashamed of, I hope that I can shed light on mental health policy issues at Mac and make students who are currently experiencing or have been through similar issues feel less alone. I want students to know that contrary to what it may feel like at times, they deserve to feel supported and have a safe, accepting space to overcome their struggles.

Student job applicants need to be vetted more to prevent harm within our communities

CW: sexual violence, racism

As a student, there are many ways you can get involved at McMaster University. Whether it’s becoming a representative for Welcome Week, being a mentor for McMaster’s many mentorship programs, volunteering for the Student Wellness Centre or getting involved with the McMaster Students Union — there are plenty of opportunities for everyone. Some positions are paid as well — for example, a few part-time paid roles that students can apply for are the Archway mentor position where you mentor around 40 first year students, and a Residence Orientation Assistant, which manages a team of Residence Orientation Representatives throughout the school year.

Notably, a number of student jobs involve interacting with other students or prospective students, whether it is providing support to certain individuals or helping first-year students transition into university. Thus, it is important that individuals in these positions are properly trained for situations that may arise, such as sexual violence disclosures and situations surrounding discrimination. However, I believe that individuals entering these paid positions should also have some form of background check during the application process to make sure that they can respond to serious issues properly.

While training for paid positions is often provided surrounding these topics, the training can come in the form of a short Mosaic quiz or a two-hour workshop done by the Equity and Inclusion Office on responding to sexual violence disclosures. As someone who has completed many pieces of training on sexual violence, bystander intervention and anti-oppressive practices, I believe that training is often not enough to aid individuals in responding to disclosures if they’ve never done so in the past. If a student has responded to a disclosure in a harmful way in the past, I am doubtful that training will be able to equip these students adequately so that they do not cause harm again. As a result, they may intentionally or unintentionally cause harm to the people they interact with.

If a student has responded to a disclosure in a harmful way in the past, I am doubtful that training will be able to equip these students adequately so that they do not cause harm again. As a result, they may intentionally or unintentionally cause harm to the people they interact with.

Currently, many student jobs are heavily involved with the student body, such as McMaster Students Union part-time managers, Archway mentors or ROAs. However, in applications for these positions, there is little to no focus on how applicants have responded or would respond to serious incidents unless the job directly entails responding to disclosures, such as being a part-time manager of a peer support service. Many positions that my friends and I have applied for often focus on what relevant experience you have for a job or what ideas you want to bring to the role. Unfortunately, questions that focus on responding to incidents of violence are far and few between. It is especially vital that students in these positions know how to deal with difficult situations so that they do not cause harm to others.

As comprehensive as training can be, you can’t always train individuals to change their beliefs. By performing some form of background or reference check on applicants, you can vet whether they would be able to respond to harmful incidents well. Jobs outside of university that involve providing care, minors or vulnerable people require vulnerable sector checks. If certain student jobs involve support, students that are minors or people in vulnerable situations, it only makes sense that this standard is applied to students as well. 

Checking to see how students have responded to incidents regarding harassment, sexual violence or discrimination in the past is important because it can be a good indicator of how they will respond to these things in the future. Whether you check their history by seeing if they have a negative record with McMaster or ask their co-workers or past bosses, this is something that should be done more frequently. Sure, training may be able to alter someone’s behaviour to some extent, but it is unlikely to completely reform someone from a few hours of training.

Checking to see how students have responded to incidents regarding harassment, sexual violence or discrimination in the past is important because it can be a good indicator of how they will respond to these things in the future.

In addition, many student job interviews lack questions where one can ask the applicant about issues such as sexual violence or racism to highlight any red flags. Even if the job is not directly related to dealing with discrimination or sexual violence, these situations can come up regardless, so it is important to make sure that people can respond appropriately.

Although student jobs are often part-time and temporary, they can still have a big impact on our community. That’s why it’s important to make sure that students in paid positions are adequately prepared to respond to any situation that may come up so that they don’t respond to an issue in a way that harms someone else.