The history of the things that haunt us at Halloween

As with many Western holidays, Halloween is associated with several traditions whose history has been long forgotten. Last year, the Sil looked back at some of these traditions in our first iteration of Spooky Facts. This year we’ve returned to examine the history of some haunting Halloween traditions.

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Haunted Houses

The origin of haunted houses as we know it comes from the Great Depression. At the time, Halloween in the United States had become known as a holiday where youth concocted elaborate pranks.

In 1933 when the pranks escalated to include property damage, vandalism and harassment, parents came together to find ways of distracting their kids. Along with trick-or-treating, parents created haunted houses in their basements and had their children go from house to house to experience different scary settings.

The beginning of the haunted house industry however came about when Walt Disney opened the Haunted Mansion attraction at Disneyland California in 1969 and Walt Disney World in 1971. Much more impressive than the basement haunted houses, the mansion featured a ballroom sequence of dancing ghouls in its Grand Hall, a seance room with a talking crystal ball and a graveyard full of grim grinning ghosts singing about spooking the living. From here, alongside the horror movie industry, the professional haunted house industry continued to grow.

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“Boo!”

Did you think of a ghost? Have you ever wondered why we associate this sound with ghosts? One of the first times that the word was found in text was in the 1560s poetic thriller Here Begynneth A Treatyse Of The Smyth Whych That Forged Hym A New Dame where it used more as a statement of one’s presence than a way to startle.

It was only later that the word was associated with fright. In 1738, the word appeared in Gilbert Crokatt’s Scotch Presbyterian Eloquence Display’d and this and an 1808 text noted that the word was used to scare children in North Scotland. By the 1820s, the word was known as the exclamation of real ghosts and those dressed up as ghosts. Another early example of ghosts saying “boo” was in the 1963 play Punch and Judy.

Why this sound? It is likely meant to imitate the mooing of a cow, but how and why this evolved into a word with ghostly connotation is unknown.

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Ghost Stories

As long as there have been ghosts, there have been stories about them. There are ancient ghost stories from Egypt, Greece, Rome, China, India, Scotland and many more places. Ancient Roman writings tell tales of ghosts who frequently showed up and rattled chains. Early ghost sightings include the first reported poltergeist (a ghost that causes physical disturbances) in 856 A.D. and the sightings of Anne Boleyn’s ghost after her 1536 death.

With his 1765 novel Castle of Otranto, Horace Walpole was credited with inventing the gothic novel and legitimizing the horror story as a literary form. Following this, gothic horror novels such as Frankenstein (1818), A Christmas Carol (1843) and Dracula (1897) were released.

In the Victorian era (1837-1901), ghost stories became increasingly popular. One of the potential reasons for this is that the industrial revolution led many people to migrate to big cities and move into houses with servants who, much like ghosts, were expected to move around the house without being seen or heard.

The Victorians also used gas lamps, the carbon monoxide from which could have caused hallucinations. Another factor could have been the introduction of the telegraph. The ability for messages to be transmitted across oceans using Morse code made it much less of a leap to believe a dead person was tapping out Morse code to you.

The Victorians told their ghost stories on long, cold and dark Christmas nights. However, because it was based on the supernatural, the Puritans frowned upon this tradition and it didn’t gain the same traction in America.

Nonetheless, Christmas issues of American magazines still carried ghost stories until as late as 1915. Eventually, as Americans took on the originally Scottish holiday of Halloween, they emphasized the scary elements and integrated ghost stories into the celebrations.

Ghost stories have gone on to take many forms, laying the foundation for the Halloween movies and horror films that we know and love today.

Greater safety precautions needed amongst student housing

CW: This article refers to instances of physical and sexual violence.

On Oct. 1, a 34-year-old identified as Michael Gallo was stabbed in the backyard of his home near Main Street West and Haddon Ave. South.

On Oct. 1, a 34-year-old identified as Michael Gallo was stabbed in the backyard of his home near Main Street West and Haddon Ave. South.

Gallo was found with stab wounds and taken to the hospital where he died of his injuries.

Kelly Botelho reported for CHCH that neighbours said Gallo had come out of the house that day, hugging his abdomen and asking for help. 

Due to its close proximity to McMaster University, the Westdale area is a popular area for student housing. 

Andrew Mrozowski, a fourth-year political science student and Managing Editor of the Silhouette, lives one street down from Haddon Avenue on Dalewood Avenue and has been in his student house since September.

Mrozowski recalls that when news broke about the stabbing that night, both him and his housemates were afraid. Not until the next morning after driving past Gallo’s house did he process the severity of the incident.

“Just because we live near Mac doesn't mean that we still should not take the precautions to be safe,” Mrozowski said. He was reminded that although Westdale is heavily populated by students of McMaster, it is still a neighbourhood like any other.

“Just because we live near Mac doesn't mean that we still should not take the precautions to be safe,” Mrozowski said.

In recent years, there have been several incidents within the student neighbourhoods around McMaster. In August and September 2018, there was a series of break-ins and attempted break-ins that targeted women. A 32-year-old man, Daniel Severin, was charged in February 2019 in connection with six incidents in Westdale during that time period.

Severin was charged with numerous crimes, including sexual assault, four counts of voyeurism, and six counts of criminal harassment. Severin was caught and charged five months after the first attack.

There were other incidents as well. A fight in September 2019 left two men with non-life-threatening stab wounds in the area of Whitney Avenue and Emerson Street. A couple was attacked on Bowman Street in October 2019, where a 19-year-old man had non-life-threatening stab wounds and a 19-year-old woman was sprayed with an unknown aerosol. It is unclear whether anyone was charged in connection to these incidents.

In thinking about why Westdale might lack safety measures, Mrozowski suggested that the lack of media coverage over student incidents may be a contributing factor.

In addition, to make Westdale a safer area for students, Mrozowski suggested that the university and the McMaster Students Union should be more involved. He would like to see students have authority other than the police to turn to for concerns within student housing.

“I hope [after hearing what happened] McMaster students really stop and consider, are they being safe . . . [I hope that] this horrible incident brings the community together to take further precautions to make sure it doesn't happen to anybody else in anybody else's family,” Mrozowski added.

"[I hope that] this horrible incident brings the community together to take further precautions to make sure it doesn't happen to anybody else in anybody else's family,” Mrozowski added.

Other students have also voiced concerns over the lack of police response to issues of violence in and around McMaster. A group of McMaster students and supporters called De Caire Off Campus continue to advocate for the removal of Head of Security Services Glenn De Caire and the removal of all special constables.

The group has cited failures of special constables to adequately respond to mental health crises and sexual violence.

In an update from the Hamilton Police Services, a man who was in the immediate area has now been deemed a suspect. The man was nearly hit by a vehicle while crossing the same intersection that night around five minutes before police were called to Gallo’s home.

The man is described as slender, about 5’9” and wearing a grey sweater with black sleeves along with a blue surgical mask.

Police are asking that people who were in the area at the time and saw the suspect to contact them. They are also asking homeowners in the Westdale area to check cameras and surveillance footage.

Anyone with information is also asked to call police at 905-546-3874 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.

The McMaster & Hamilton communities should do more to support SoBi

By: Adeola Egbeyemi, Brittany Williams and Christy Au-Yeung, Contributors

This article is written by members of the MSU Sustainability Committee, who are in the midst of their virtual SoBi campaign.

They’re blue, built with a thick Dutch frame and basket. Though you may have been around Hamilton, you may have not even noticed their presence swarming the McMaster University campus. We’re talking about Social Bicycles.

SoBi is a bike-sharing company. The Hamilton-specific SoBi fleet has bikes located in approximately 130 hubs across the city. Users can purchase a specific level of membership online and once registered, are ready to ride anywhere. Bike-sharing systems like SoBi Hamilton allow users to take one-way trips on publicly accessible bikes and create a network of efficient, affordable and sustainable transportation.

This efficient, affordable and sustainable mode of transportation nearly ended this past summer and is not yet out of its narrow bike lane. Back in May, SoBi was operated by Uber, although still city-owned. On May 15, Uber unexpectedly notified the Hamilton City Council that they would stop operating SoBi in June due to COVID-19 considerations, even though ridership had increased in the hundreds since the pandemic began.

Ward 3 Councillor Nrinder Nann attempted to save SoBi by using taxes collected from areas where SoBi operates, but the motion narrowly lost at City Council. The very next day, Hamilton Bike Share Inc., a not-for-profit bike-share operator, started a GoFundMe to try to continue operating the bikes at no cost to the city.

In a last-minute save, a reconsideration motion for SoBi passed unanimously at the next council meeting. Presently, SoBi is operating as normal through Hamilton Bike Share Inc., but the city is still in search of a stable long-term operator.

As the city searches, SoBi has become a notable transportation alternative for individuals who want to avoid public transportation. SoBi also provides users with the convenience of locking their bikes to a non-SoBi rack for a one-dollar fee.

In addition, the bike-share service maintains user accessibility through their subsidized Everyone Rides Initiative, which provides both a discounted pass and an opportunity for users to earn SoBi credits by relocating any out-of-hub bikes. If you’re a McMaster student, you can also access a discounted membership. So if you want to reduce your carbon footprint or you want to support this community program, this affordable option is for you.

Just as small actions can produce larger change, bike-share programs not only provide benefits to individuals as previously outlined but to the community as a whole. It is at this level that bike share programs have been proven to decrease car usage and reduce traffic congestion, which consequently reduces pollution, leading to community health benefits and allowing for economic expansion.

These environmental benefits are particularly relevant given that the transportation sector emits the second most greenhouse gas emissions in Canada. To date, SoBi bike-sharing is estimated to have reduced nearly 1 million kilograms of CO2 emissions. As a community, we have the vital responsibility to be environmental stewards; we need to make the necessary efforts required to protect the natural environs that have provided us with so much.

McMaster has demonstrated its commitment to sustainable transportation practices at an institutional level through its April 2017 Master Campus Plan Update, which outlines infrastructural changes for a vehicle-free core campus. A key aspect of this is not merely accommodating cycling on campus but actively encouraging it.

In the 2017 update, McMaster planned to expand SoBi to the GO Bus station and west campus. Evidently, the support and facilitation of bike-sharing services like SoBi align closely with McMaster's culture and priorities of sustainability.

The McMaster Students Union has also shown its commitment to supporting sustainable transportation through the MACycle service, an on-campus do-it-yourself bike repair shop. Unfortunately, due to low engagement and alternative services in the Westdale area, the service was de-ratified last year.

This exemplifies the importance of making conscious decisions to support these sustainable programs otherwise these options may become defunct. We are only able to keep these programs running through our community efforts.

SoBi is a valuable and accessible program that provides benefits individually, institutionally and municipally; as a result, they have received support at all of these levels. Since the future of SoBi remains undetermined, we as a community can find our footing as environmental stewards by supporting the bike share program while it is still here.

Despite being hit hard by the pandemic, the Hamilton Farmers’ Market is maintaining a steady presence downtown

On a typical day, the Hamilton Farmers’ Market would be busy, full of people either drifting from stall to stall or marching down the aisles with purpose. The air would be filled with the sounds of cheerful chatter as regulars caught up with their favourite vendors or friends they ran into by chance. Established in 1837, the market is an important place of community for Hamilton and a steady constant throughout the city’s history.

“I think it's one of the best things that Hamilton has to offer, right up there with waterfront escarpment, arts and culture and the music scene and all that . . . I would say that Hamilton Farmers’ Market [is one of] of the great assets of the city,” said Eric Miller, chair of the market’s board of directors.

“I think it's one of the best things that Hamilton has to offer, right up there with waterfront escarpment, arts and culture and the music scene and all that . . . I would say that Hamilton Farmers’ Market [is one of] of the great assets of the city,” said Eric Miller, chair of the market’s board of directors.

However, the market has experienced some dramatic changes due to the pandemic. In March, they implemented the necessary public health measures, including wearing masks, social distancing protocols and hiring security to help control the flow of people. While these changes were necessary, it meant that all fronts of the market have been sharply impacted by the pandemic.

All vendors at the market were affected, though some more so than others. In terms of their operations specifically at the market, many were limited in what they could sell, especially during the early stages of the pandemic. Miller noted that in some cases these limitations were because of disruptions to the supply chain. Many farmers were unable to hire help to pick their harvests and florists in the region experienced interruptions to the system by which they exchange flowers. Vendors offering cheese and meats also faced supply challenges during the pandemic.

For other vendors, particularly those selling non-food items, they found there was little to no demand for their products. One such vendor is Saji Kollanthara’s Folk Art Prints, who sells hand-printed artisan items imported from India. 

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Since the COVID [pandemic] started . . . people have no interest in buying anything other than food . . . So I waited for one week then I noticed that there is no point [in] opening the shop, because nobody's buying it. Nobody [was] even looking at my place because they were invested only in food items and nothing of anything else, so I stopped going there after one week,” said Kollanthara, who closed his stall for three months during the pandemic.

Since the COVID [pandemic] started . . . people have no interest in buying anything other than food . . . So I waited for one week then I noticed that there is no point [in] opening the shop, because nobody's buying it."

While Kollanthara’s stall was only closed on a temporary basis, four other businesses, including Cake and Loaf and Jamaican Patty Shack, were forced to terminate their contract with the market during the pandemic. 

Additionally, immediately following the pandemic announcement, the market also saw a dramatic decrease in customers, by almost 75 per cent during stage one according to Miller. This is likely because customers were being encouraged to limit trips into the community or order online.

Furthermore, while the market itself was not closed at any point during the pandemic, customers’ ability to access the market was restricted. This was in part due to the closure of the Jackson Square entrance during Stage 1 and much of Stage 2, which is a primary entry point to the market. Many also relied on public transportation to attend the market and were understandably concerned about continuing to do so.

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However, despite these difficulties, the market remains open and continues to persevere. While the numbers have not reached typical levels for this time of year, customers are slowly returning to the market. Some customers have commented to the market’s board of directors that they actually feel safer at the farmers’ market, as opposed to a larger supermarket.

However, despite these difficulties, the market remains open and continues to persevere.

Some current vendors, including Kollanthara, have also mentioned that while the pandemic brought many challenges, it also provided them with new opportunities, such as the time to learn how to develop and create an online platform for their business.

A couple of new businesses are even preparing to launch stalls at the market. The first, which opened in the market a few weeks ago, being Hotti Biscotti, a local, small-batch bakery. There are currently two other businesses in the process of setting up shop at the market.

“Two of them just presented to us at the last board meet on what they have to offer. So that's exciting for us . . . I would say it boosts our spirit to have new vendors setting up shop,” said Miller.

While these are without doubt difficult times, there is comfort to be found in the steady presence and perseverance of the Hamilton Farmers’ Market. The market and its vendors have been present through all the storms that Hamilton has had to weather and by continuing to offer delicious food, fantastic flowers and charming crafts, they will help us weather this one as well.

The Hamilton’s Artists’ Inc. presents Geneviève Thauvette’s wall installation exploring modern news media

CW: mentions of abusive language and sexual assault

When Donald Trump was elected as the President of the United States in 2016, Geneviève Thauvette was so horrified that she smashed a vase. The multidisciplinary feminist Franco-Ontarian artist, who often explores the history of French-Canadian women in her work, was disgusted with the president’s abusive language and numerous sexual assault allegations.

Following that election, Thauvette watched as deepfakes and the term “fake news” rose to prominence. This prompted her to create a work that explores the ways in which the news media has changed over time.

The result is Breaking News, a series of hand-tinted self-portrait photographs manipulated by Photoshop. The colourful works depict Thauvette posing as a newscaster reporting on several serious subjects such as flood and dictatorship. First displayed in Ottawa in 2017, the work was put up as a set of billboards on the Hamilton Artists’ Inc.’s exterior Cannon Project Wall on Sept. 12, 2020.

The first thing one may notice when seeing the billboards is the use of bright colours and clown-like makeup. While the work employs Thauvette’s trademark of depicting herself as her characters, the use of lively colours is a slight departure from some of her earlier works. However, these elements were a way for her to highlight the idea of the media circus.

“So in the series, the characters are very kind of clown-esque and of course they're playing a role. They're there to entertain [which] represents the more contemporary or modern kind of newscaster in the sense that they're performers. They're not necessarily like your Tom Brokaw, talking head. They have to be a personality and that in itself, it's entertainment. It's not really meant to inform it's meant to sort of sway,” explained Thauvette.

"So in the series the characters are very kind of clown-esque and of course they're playing a role. They're there to entertain [which] represents the more contemporary or modern kind of newscaster in the sense that they're performers," explained Thauvette

By employing bright colours and comedic details like the spilled popcorn in Oh the Humanity, Thauvette invokes this idea of media as entertainment. However, the actual contents of the reports are far from funny.

The three billboards featured on the Cannon Project Wall depict the death and embalming of a dictator, a devastating flood and the abduction of a young girl. On the Hamilton Artists Inc. website, you can also find the parodic Batchild Weds Mystery Woman and Oh the Humanity, named after the famous exclamation Herbert Morrison made while reporting on the fire that destroyed the Hindenburg airship.

In many of these works the newscasters are more than just reporting on events, they are a part of them. A good example of this is in Oh the Humanity, where the newscaster herself pops the balloon representing the Hindenburg. This theme can also be seen in Chance of Rain, which depicts a flood.

“I wanted to touch on some key big events, like stereotypes almost of news reporters. So like the flood, the journalist knee-deep in water, you know, almost masquerading as a humanitarian or really . . .  putting themselves into the story whereas, are they really all that involved?” said Thauvette.

“I wanted to touch on some key big events, like stereotypes almost of news reporters. So like the flood, the journalist knee-deep in water, you know, almost masquerading as a humanitarian or really . . .  putting themselves into the story whereas are they really all that involved?” said Thauvette.

Adding to the power of the work is the fact that it is being presented on a billboard, making it reminiscent of outdoor digital and billboard advertising. Much like the news itself, it is a spectacle that confronts audiences when they are least expecting it.

Thauvette also expressed that having the work outdoors makes it more accessible. Especially during COVID-19 when art galleries have had to close their doors, this is a way for the audiences to safely interact with important work.

“[Since] it uses humor because it's so bright I think it will, I hope, give people pause to sort of think and reflect on kind of what's going on right now . . . [T]here is a certain crazed look to them so it's not quite exactly how the news is . . . but it's clearly representative of the news. So [I hope people reflect] on where things are going and how we interact with the news and be more careful [and] mindful with our interaction with the media,” said Thauvette.

Breaking News will be on the Cannon Project Wall until May 30, 2021.

C/O: ProcrastiKnitters Exec Team

By: Esther Liu, Contributor

What inspired you to found the Procrastiknitters?

Valencia Gomes: We wanted to create a community at Mac for knitting and crocheting to bring people together. Knitting and crocheting is a skill but you can get a lot out of it: you can make things related to characters you like or just things you're interested in. So we're hoping even though our club is just knitting and crocheting, it would help people to meet others who have similar interests. We also want to meet people who have this interest and we knew already that there are a lot of students who were interested or already did knit or crochet. So we knew it was something that would work. It isn't just me facing two other people! This club needs to happen. So, who else to do it then both of us?

Valencia Gomes pictured here. C/O ProcrastiKnitters Exec Team.

We also want to meet people who have this interest and we knew already that there are a lot of students who were interested or already did knit or crochet. So we knew it was something that would work. It isn't just me facing two other people! This club needs to happen. So, who else to do it then both of us?

Mahimah Reancy: We also want to donate items, to give back to the community through things that we actually make. So I think that the members can feel accomplished from this hobby that they just started to actually help other people in different ways. We both went to high school together and joined this knitting and crocheting club. We would knit blankets and hats for homeless shelters in Toronto and give them out during the coldest days of winter. So we thought it was kind of weird that we haven't seen something similar at McMaster. There hasn't really been a knitting or crocheting club at all.

How are you finding running the club online?

Reancy: I think it got a lot harder because of COVID. We originally had so many plans at the beginning of March, but then everything's online, making it all a level harder. So far, there are minor difficulties that we're overcoming but everything is still running smoothly.

I think it got a lot harder because of COVID. We originally had so many plans at the beginning of March, but then everything's online, making it all a level harder. So far, there are minor difficulties that we're overcoming but everything is still running smoothly.

Mahimah Reancy pictured here. C/O ProcrastiKnitters Exec Team.

Gomes: I think as we're teaching people a skill, it's really hard to do over Zoom. When we're using the needles, you have to show people what you're doing and when people need help they need to show you what they're doing. That has definitely been the hardest part. Like a week ago, we had our first instructing event where we showed beginners how to knit and crochet. It actually went pretty well but I was expecting the worst, because how do you show someone how to do something so hands-on through a camera? Nobody's a professional YouTuber so no one had a camera to show all the different sides and angles. So in that sense, it was hard to get over that. But our instructors were really great and they adapted and found ways to overcome those barriers by showing their work through the camera. 

What are you hoping members will get walking away from this experience?

Reancy: We want them to be able to knit and crochet and be able to express themselves through something that makes them happy to do. I mean, there are so many possibilities with knitting and crocheting.

Gomes: We hope that this is a step into the knitting and crocheting world. Since we do have a lot of beginners, we're hoping that this will be the push they need to get into it and learn the basic skills so they can continue and make their own projects. We've actually had like a couple of people message us on Instagram and send us pictures of what they're making. There are people in the comments saying that they didn't realize the time passing, that they just had a midterm or have been studying all day and that it's so relaxing. That is definitely one of the points of having this type of club in a school atmosphere – it's to relieve people from their stress of school and like whatever other stress we may have by knitting and crocheting. So, I hope at the end of the year they can find that knitting and crocheting can help them destress or cope.

Members of a BIPOC running group stopped by police while viewing Indigenous red dress installation

On Oct. 7, three runners from the Air Up There Run Crew were completing their weekly run when they were suddenly stopped by two police officers outside of the central Hamilton Police Station on 155 King William St.

The Air Up There Run Crew is a running group specifically for Black, Indigenous and People of Colour. The group meets every Wednesday and provides a safe space where BIPOC folks can empower themselves through running and sharing experiences amongst the group. 

That day, the group had slowed down during their run to look at red dresses that were draped on trees outside of the station. The red dresses are meant to raise awareness about missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls, symbolizing the number of disappearances that have been occurring over many years. 

The runners decided to take some pictures and record videos of the installation before continuing on their run. As they were about to resume their run, that is when they were stopped from doing so by two police officers.

Here we are moments before we were racially profiled by the police on our BIPOC exclusive run
@HCCI1pic.twitter.com/UZl7wBfwPG

— Moe B (he/him) (@MohamadJBsat) October 7, 2020

They were told that the police were responding to reports of suspicious activity in front of the station. A spokesperson for Hamilton police told CBC News that the officers were flagged down by a citizen who reported the group for suspicious activity outside of the station.

One of the runners, Mohamad Bsat, took to Twitter to write about his frustration regarding the issue. Bsat had asked the police if they were detaining the group and the officers said no. 

“What suspicious activity, two brown people and a black person looking at an art exhibit. It shook us to our core . . . We left. Angry, confused, belittled and dehumanized. They infiltrated our BIPOC run,” wrote Bsat. 

“What suspicious activity, two brown people and a black person looking at an art exhibit. It shook us to our core . . . We left. Angry, confused, belittled and dehumanized. They infiltrated our BIPOC run,” wrote Bsat. 

I asked them if they are detaining us, they said no, and at that moment I told them we would not be answering any of their questions. We left. Angry, confused, belittled and dehumanized. They infiltrated our BIPOC run.

— Moe B (he/him) (@MohamadJBsat) October 7, 2020

Following the incident, when he spoke to a police representative, Bsat was told the service would not issue an apology. Instead, they directed him to file a complaint with the Office of the Independent Police Review Director, which handles complaints about police in Ontario, or ask for the officer's supervisor to speak with them about the interaction. Bsat has now filed a complaint with the OIPRD. 

Along with the complaint, Bsat refers to this incident as a part of a greater battle against systemic racism and advocates to defund the police.

It was only last week that the Hamilton police acknowledged systemic racism exists in policing, then this.

It’s time to get back to work. #DefundThePolice #bipoc @HCCI1 @HamiltonPolice

— Moe B (he/him) (@MohamadJBsat) October 7, 2020

“These streets are as much ours as any resident. We will not let the system hold us down . . . We were the victims of racial profiling because a culture of systemic racism and oppression exists within the Hamilton policing institution. This is not an American problem. This is #hamont.” 

“These streets are as much ours as any resident. We will not let the system hold us down . . . We were the victims of racial profiling because a culture of systemic racism and oppression exists within the Hamilton policing institution. This is not an American problem. This is #hamont.” 

Students shouldn’t feel the need to “hold on” until reading week in order to be okay

Fall reading week has come and gone this year and I don’t know about you, but it felt like a blur.

Many Canadian universities, including McMaster University, have introduced a fall reading week in response to increased stress and mental illnesses in post-secondary students. Although introducing a week-long break from classes seems ideal in alleviating school-related stress, a 2018 study conducted at McMaster found that supporting students’ mental health is a bit more complicated than that. The study, which was conducted in 2015 when the fall break was introduced, found that although students had fewer stressors after reading week, they felt higher levels of stress overall. 

Although introducing a week-long break from classes seems ideal in alleviating school-related stress, a 2018 study conducted at McMaster found that supporting students’ mental health is a bit more complicated than that.

Many students commented that because of the added break, a shortened semester resulted in them having an increased number of midterms and assignments that occurred right after the break. So even though there was a break from classes, reading week is often spent studying or worrying about upcoming assessments.

Although this study was conducted five years ago, much of the data is still relevant. Since first-year, I’ve been fortunate enough to have a full reading week for the fall and winter semesters, but each year I’ve felt the need to catch up on work that was either overdue or prepare for a hectic week of assignments after the break. Reading week is simply not enough to support students’ wellbeing — and it is especially not enough if instructors just condense the work we have to do to “make up” for lost time during the break.

The university has a lot of work to do in order to give us an actual, restful break that helps improve our mental health. Second-year hit me hardest in terms of stress and as a result, I deferred two fall exams. As a result, I had to write two exams during the winter reading week. This meant that on top of taking my full course load, I had to prepare for two final exams right in the middle of the semester when many of my winter courses also had midterms or major assignments' deadlines coming up. While these week-long breaks are supposed to be for our mental health, the winter break exacerbated my stress that year. 

This past reading week seemed even less restful, which was likely due to online classes and the pandemic. As our whole semester has been spent at home, spending another week — well, at home — didn’t really offer me with that mental pause in work and assignments. Yes, I didn’t have any synchronous classes to attend, but due to part of my course load being asynchronous, I already had fewer classes that I needed to attend synchronously this semester.

What I did have this reading week was a lot of work to catch up on or prepare for next week. This tends to be the norm for students every year, but with the anxieties surrounding COVID-19, being isolated from your friends and family and not being able to go out many places, this week was a lot more exhausting for me. Since in-person social interaction was limited and I was at home for the entirety of the week, every day I felt like I needed to do work and be productive.

I had a paper that was due right before reading week and four assignments due the week after — so of course, right after I finished my paper, I wanted to start working on the assignments so that their deadlines didn’t loom on the horizon.

Student mental health is more than just having a mid-semester break from classes and assignments. Many students like myself find that we just need to hold on until reading week; to simply finish our work and that as long as we don’t burn out until then, we will be okay. But once it’s reading week, we are allowed a moment to breathe before we must pick ourselves up and dust ourselves off again and continue working until we finish our exams — the light at the end of the tunnel. Then this cycle continues for the winter semester until summer break — unless you have spring or summer courses or work a job, of course. In that case, there are even fewer breaks that allow you to take a breather and actually, truly relax.

Student mental health is more than just having a mid-semester break from classes and assignments.

Giving us a reading week is a band-aid solution to a much larger problem. Students shouldn’t feel the need to “push through” to reading week and then “push through” to the end of exams. 

If McMaster wanted to ensure students had a restful break, fall exams wouldn’t be deferred to a break meant for our mental health. If McMaster wanted to ensure students had a restful break, we shouldn’t be overloaded with midterms, assignments and papers right before or after reading week.

I don’t have all the answers or solutions on how to improve student mental health. But what I do know is that if we want to truly support students, we need to do more than just providing two reading weeks.

This sponsored article is brought to you by the Student Success Centre. The Silhouette newsroom was not involved in the creation of this content.

Are you planning for grad school, medical school, law school or another further education program type? If so, you might be wondering how schools and programs are adapting to provide quality learning opportunities during COVID-19. 

Will everything be online? Will I still be able to complete a work placement? Is the application process different now?

The answers to these questions are likely different for each school and program. That’s why the Student Success Centre’s hosting the Online Further Education Fair on October 21 and 22, 11:30 a.m. – 2:30 p.m. More than 70 schools and programs are attending this year’s fair, so you can drop in and connect directly with representatives who can answer your questions and offer guidance related to a specific program or field. There will be representatives from graduate programs, professional schools, graduate certificate programs and further education programs abroad. 

Get registration details and explore all the participating schools and programs on the SSC website.

Additionally, with COVID-19 impacting the current job market, SSC career counsellors note that many students are choosing to pursue further education as a way to be more thoughtful about their career path. This could mean that programs are even more competitive than usual.

So how do you set yourself apart in your application? 

This is another question for the program representatives at the Further Education Fair. These representatives are eager to meet McMaster students and offer insight and tips on preparing a successful application.

Here’s what some of this year’s representatives have to say.

Choose an opportunity that works for you.

The advice from recruiters, “choose the graduate program you love!”  And search for a program that offers work-integrated learning (co-op, placements, practicums) if it fits with your further education plan. 

Do your research.

Gathering as much information as you can will help with your application. When attending the fair, the representatives encourage you to “have great questions ready!”

Include references who will back you up.

“Solid academic references are key to any grad school application.” Choose people who believe in you!

Make it personal.

Recruiters want to know what makes you different. “Be yourself! Don’t try to tell programs what you think they want to hear, be honest and authentic about who you are and your personal story.”

Apply early.

Some programs are extremely competitive, but “applying early will give you a head start.” Applying early also gives you the most scholarship options.

Get more application tips and resources on the SSC website.

A brief overview of activist action in Hamilton

CW: mentions of violence and racism

2020 has been a rough – albeit transformative – year for everyone. From the pandemic to the racial injustices across North America that gained media attention to global emergencies such as the Beirut explosion or worsening of the Yemeni crisis, the world has lived through some of its worst times in recorded history.

However, in the midst of the anger and sadness, there have been sparks of spirit and action as activists took the summer of 2020 as a time to enact social change. From rallies to sit-ins, activists across the country, even at McMaster, have advocated for change. Whether it be fighting for a home country’s autonomy and nationhood, empowering marginalized communities in Canada or reclaiming land that was lost to colonization, summer 2020 was full of activism.

[/media-credit] Hong Kong Umbrella Revolution 2014 爭取香港真普選

Pushing for Autonomy: Hong Kong’s Fight

In June 2019, protests took place across Hong Kong in response to plans to allow citizen extradition to mainland China. Although the bill that would allow for the extradition to occur was withdrawn in September, demonstrations continued as people demanded democracy and inquiries into police actions against protestors and activists. As police brutality against the citizens of Hong Kong became increasingly violent, many pro-independence activists are now seeking asylum in Canada as refugees. Canada has begun accepting these refugees into the country. 

The events unfolding in Hong Kong are heard here, on the other side of the globe, through media and first-hand accounts. Despite the physical distance between us, these issues directly affect and involve us, including students at McMaster.

McMaster Stands with Hong Kong is a student activist group that was founded last October. The mandate of the organization is to support and bring awareness to Hong Kongers in their fight against Chinese occupation, police brutality and to support all refugees seeking asylum in Canada. This past summer, the organization engaged in multiple acts of activism.

In May, Mac-HK opposed the Student Success Centre’s decision to post a Hong Kong police job on their student website, which yielded significant results as the Student Success Centre quietly deleted the post. In August, Mac-HK co-organized an event in downtown Toronto with other universities that called out Chinese influence and actions in Hong Kong and the need for Canada to protect Hong Kongers’ safety here. In September, Mac-HK co-organized a rally for Status for All, a rally focusing on giving status to international students, refugees, farmers and workers, who were all particularly affected socially and financially by the pandemic. 

These acts from McMaster students are a reminder that what happens across the world affects us right here in Canada and at McMaster. 

[/media-credit] Black Live Matter Plaza, Washington, DC - today with military vehicles removed

Fighting Social Injustice: Black Lives Matter

Black Lives Matter: this sentence and movement have been gaining traction since its use as a hashtag on social media after the acquittal of George Zimmerman in the death of Trayvon Martin in July 2013. This year, the movement reached a peak in traction and recognition following the shootings of Black men and women, including the murder of George Floyd in May.

An international fight against systemic racism and police brutality in the form of rallies, protests and petitions took center stage. In response to police brutality, many organizations seeking to fight systemic racism and police brutality in North America have emerged, some of them right here in Hamilton.

HWDSB Kids Need Help is an organization that was formed by Hamilton students, including some who currently attend McMaster University. The organization seeks to support the rights of high school students, particularly those from marginalized communities, in the Hamilton-Wentworth District School Board and oppose police presence.

In February 2020, HWDSB Kids Need Help assisted in a report that requested the termination of the HWDSB police school liaison program. The program supported the presence of six officers at 38 secondary schools and five officers in a partnership with 158 elementary schools. This presence was meant to prevent crime, but HWDSB Kids Need Help researched and outlined the impact of the program. After a summer of activism, the motion to terminate the police school liaison program was passed

Reclaiming Land: Land Back Camp

Today, Indigenous people continue to face systemic oppression as a result of colonialism in many forms. In response to this, many movements fighting against land occupation have come about.

One example is Land Back Camp, which was set up in June in Kitchener’s Victoria Park. The camp was set up to reclaim land that was once a central hub of activity and life for Nations such as the Haudenosaunee and Anishinaabe peoples.

Beyond existing as a way to reclaim land and send a political message to authorities, the camp is said to connect young Indigenous adults to their culture and offer youth and two-spirited people a place where they feel more at home.

Movements like Land Back Camp that occur so close to home offer an opportunity for students to reflect on their role in supporting Indigenous communities.

Although social issues can often appear abstract or distant, it is important to remember that our neighbours and peers are actively shaping and defining change in our society. Large-scale issues manifest in one way or another within our school and communities and it is important not to disregard them, but to rather acknowledge the efforts local activists are putting in catalyzing change.

This article is the first in a series on the many acts, events and movements of activism from summer 2020.

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