I don’t know what I want to do after undergrad, but I’ve come to learn a few things from it

Graphic By Esra Rakab / Production Coordinator

Back in Grade 12, when I was applying to university, I applied to 11 different programs — all in science or engineering. I was uncertain about what exactly I wanted to do and what university I wanted to go to, but I was sure that I wanted to do something within the STEM field (science, technology, engineering and mathematics). Fast forward to September 2017 and I had officially started my undergraduate degree in health sciences at McMaster University.

Although I still had an interest in engineering and other programs like kinesiology, I thought that health sciences was a good fit due to its flexibility with electives. In addition, I had considered becoming a doctor — and didn’t most people in this program become a doctor? While I was right about the latter, the idea of becoming a doctor was only an idea that was floating around in my brain at the moment.

However, things came up. I realized that medical school, unfortunately, wasn’t accessible to disabled students. So what was next on my list? To be honest, when I came to this realization in my first and second years, I wasn’t sure what was next. But I had the rest of my undergraduate degree ahead of me, so I shouldn’t have to worry about it, right?

Unfortunately for me, I was very worried. It seemed as if everyone in my program knew exactly what they were going to do — they were going to be a doctor. They were going to write their medical college admissions test after their second year and apply to medical schools in their third. If they didn’t get in that year, they’d apply in their fourth year.

Unfortunately for me, I was very worried. It seemed as if everyone in my program knew exactly what they were going to do — they were going to be a doctor.

To be surrounded by people who know exactly what they want to do when you’re just struggling to have your head above water is terrifying. I felt the need to still take courses I didn’t like in order to maintain a high grade point average (just in case I changed my mind about med school, of course). All I wanted to have was some sort of stability, some goal to aspire to. If that wasn’t med school, then I wanted to know what career I would be pursuing.

The thing is, I hadn’t been sure of pursuing any career — even in high school, I was so uncertain of what program I wanted to do. I picked health sciences on a whim. So by now, you think I would be okay with uncertainty, right?

Uncertainty is still hard for me. Not knowing what goal to pursue can be scary for many people. But, I’m going to graduate very soon and my perspective has changed a lot. Although I’m still coming to terms with being okay with uncertainty, I have learned a couple of things.

The first thing is: do things because you enjoy them. Take courses you enjoy, not because you think you should take them. Don’t take that microeconomics course if it’s not what you’re really interested in doing. Take courses that you like, even if they aren’t “a part of” your program.

The first thing is — do things because you enjoy them. Take courses you enjoy, not because you think you should take them.

I took an English course this year because I thought it looked interesting, not because it was a requirement for a potential career. While it is important to look out for your future, doing prerequisites isn’t the be-all end-all.

The English course I took ended up being one of my favourite courses I’ve taken and led me to meet a really cool instructor that I actually met to talk about potentially pursuing a master’s degree in English. By taking a course I enjoyed, I opened a career path I may not have considered before now.

Secondly, it’s okay to not have your future mapped out. If you decide you don’t want to become a certain profession, even if you have it all planned out and are about to graduate, it’s okay to change your mind. Don’t go into something because you feel pressured by your parents or other students.

Secondly, it’s okay to not have your future mapped out. If you decide you don’t want to become a certain profession, even if you have it all planned out and are about to graduate, it’s okay to change your mind.

I don’t know, maybe I still will become a doctor. I don’t know what lies ahead in my future. I’ve considered occupational therapy, physiotherapy, law, becoming a professor, social work, nursing, journalism and more.

My idea of what I want to do changes very frequently, but that’s okay because I want to take my time so that I’m 100 per cent certain that I like my future career. Even if my mind changes after I enter a certain profession, though, that’s okay too.

Being okay with uncertainty is hard, but sometimes uncertainty helps you figure out what you truly want to do. We should learn to embrace uncertainty more — after all, it’s completely normal not to know what you want to do.

McMaster University zine aims to showcase art from survivors of sexualized violence

C/O Tim Mossholder

cw: sexual violence 

Four McMaster University undergraduate students have launched a zine aimed at showcasing art from survivors of sexual violence and their supporters. It is open to McMaster students and members of the Hamilton community.

The zine is part of an initiative called Colours of Solidarity that started in 2019 for the course HTHSCI 4X03 — Collaboration and Peer Tutoring. In March 2019, the organizers created an interactive survivor art installation. This year the organizers shifted the project’s focus to the zine to accommodate the COVID-19 pandemic restrictions.

Sexualized violence is a traumatic experience that can have ranging effects on survivors, including physical, psychological and social impacts. It can also affect survivors’ sense of self and identity.

“Our zine’s focus is on survivorship . . . and we're really just hoping to create a space where people are comfortable sharing their experience and talking about whatever it is that they feel is important. [Through the zine], we can try to support them as much as we can, while also letting them have a space where they can just be themselves and reclaim their identity,” explained Zahra Abdullah, a fourth-year health sciences student and member of the Colours of Solidarity team.

“[Through the zine], we can try to support them as much as we can, while also letting them have a space where they can just be themselves and reclaim their identity,”

Zahra Abdullah, member of the Colours of Solidarity team

The zine is now accepting submissions in a range of formats such as poetry, art, writing and photography. The deadline for submissions is to be determined, but will likely be in late March or early April.

The team has also provided some optional prompts for individuals to consider in their contribution.

Colours of Solidarity acknowledged that sexual violence is a large problem that exists institutionally at McMaster and within other postsecondary institutions. The organizers hoped that this zine can provide a safe space for survivors.

“We [hope we] can let people feel like there are others that they can reach out to people who've been through it to create some sort of support,” said Abdullah.

The team also recognized the importance of giving survivors the power to shape their narratives through this zine.

“I think oftentimes in a lot of these [sexualized violence] cases, survivors voices' aren't heard as much as we would like them to and there are often so many other factors that take priority over their own narrative, which should be the most important thing in that situation . . . This zine can serve as a springboard for survivors to talk about their own experiences,” said Sowmithree Ragothaman, member of the Colours of Solidarity team.

". . . survivors voices aren't heard as much as we would like them to and there are often so many other factors that take priority over their own narrative, which should be the most important thing in that situation."

Sowmithree Ragothaman, member of the Colours of Solidarity team

The team hopes that the zine will become an ongoing initiative that can collaborate with other McMaster clubs and organizations to create safer spaces for survivors.

They have collaborated with MSU Women and Gender Equity Network for their Making Waves week campaign. This week-long event hosted survivor-centric events, including a session for attendees to create art for the zine or in general

Submissions for the zine are accepted through a Google form and any questions can be directed to the team directly at solidaritysubmissions@gmail.com.

A seemingly sudden move to Microsoft 365 serves as a reminder that universities need to do a better job of understanding student opinions in a pandemic

C/O Tadas Sar on Unsplash

Change is hard. That is a fundamental lesson every McMaster University student has learned throughout this once-in-a-lifetime year. While we can all appreciate our ability in being able to personally overcome the transformative changes life throws at us, more often than not, our everyday lives yearn for little moments of stability.

Even though we all have our own individual definitions of what stability looks like for us, there are some facets of our life which we completely take for granted. We might only realize with great annoyance how detrimental their loss was to our day-to-day routine.

For example, when you lose your favourite metal straw, or your AirPods somewhere in your house, this seemingly small hindrance often does a remarkable job in souring your day. In a time where the fundamental truths of being a university student — such as enjoying an in-person year on campus — are under attack by our time of uncertainty, McMaster at the very least could soothe some of the unprecedented student anxiety by maintaining a small modicum of stability.

In a time where the fundamental truths of being a university student — such as enjoying an in-person year on campus — are under attack by our time of uncertainty, McMaster at the very least could soothe some of the unprecedented student anxiety by maintaining a small modicum of stability.

How can Mac do that you ask? By staying in touch with student opinions? By being aware of the actual, unfiltered realities of its students (especially new ones)?

Aside from the obvious cases of proctoring and online education, Mac in subtler ways has implemented some systems this year which greatly annoyed students, solely because they were so small, yet so infuriating. Mac plans on switching its primary student hub in Google over to Microsoft — as in students will no longer have a Google Drive, but an OneDrive, and instead of a Gmail, they will have an Outlook. 

While the reason for this change was announced via Mac Daily News, it nonetheless faced controversy from the student body due to the impracticalities associated with accommodating the changes (like having to move several gigabytes of data from Google Drive to OneDrive), but also with the disastrous performance of Microsoft Teams this year.

In my experience, the Microsoft Teams application was so functionally inefficient with large class sizes, that instructors often took up class time in switching to alternative platforms such as Zoom. Some went as far as switching instruction to taking place only on Zoom.

This is discounting the fact that countless students heavily relied on Google services such as Gmail and Google Drive in middle school, throughout high school and university until these new IT changes were approved. For many Gen Zs, (who will soon inevitably comprise the majority of Mac’s student demographic), anything Microsoft-related is a draconian relic of the past and many of us strongly believe there are much sleeker, easier to use and more compatible options are already available to us, right at our fingertips. 

For many Gen Zs, (who will soon inevitably comprise the majority of Mac’s student demographic), anything Microsoft-related is a draconian relic of the past and many of us strongly believe there are much sleeker, easier to use and more compatible options are already available to us, right at our fingertips. 

This is particularly worrying as there is a very real possibility that fall 2021 might be online and if not, it may shift online in accordance with health guidelines. Online workspaces are our way of life now, and we have already made enough changes than we expected, for better or for worse.

Students have earned the right to retain one simple facet of online school, which allows them to retain some semblance of their previously normal life. A change that might seem little and from the outside appears to be nothing more than technical difficulties, could have drastic real-life implications for students in their online environment.

Mac, once again, please be mindful of the choices you make on behalf of the student body. Listening to students might surprisingly help with that.

 SACHA launches chat and text support service for survivors of sexualized violence

C/O Gilles Lambert

cw: sexual violence

SACHA, a non-profit community-based sexual assault centre in Hamilton, has launched a chat and text support service for survivors of sexualized violence of all genders and their allies. This new service launched on International Women’s Day as part of their overall commitment of the feminist movement to support survivors.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, SACHA saw a dramatic increase in the number of calls they received on their 24-hour support line.

They recognized the barriers that come from COVID-19 pandemic lockdown measures. Survivors who are isolating with others or with their abuser may have a lack of privacy and security, making it difficult to access support over the phone. The chat and text service hopes to bridge this gap and make receiving support more accessible through a quick, discreet platform.

Survivors who are isolating with others or with their abuser may have a lack of privacy and security, making it difficult to access support over the phone. The chat and text service hopes to bridge this gap and make receiving support more accessible through a quick, discreet platform. 

“We're hoping that through this chat and text, more survivors are able to come through or feel comfortable coming through . . . we know that because we're having to isolate and stay home either with our family, our friends or with our roommates, privacy is really hard to have at home,” explained Jessica Bonilla-Damptey, director of SACHA. 

The webchat and text support service can be accessed by anyone 16 years or older and of all genders who has experienced sexualized violence at any time in their life, along with people who support survivors of sexual violence, such as friends, family, professionals and other allies. It is free, anonymous and confidential

Trained volunteers will take a survivor-centered approach to provide support through non-judgemental listening, insight into questions about sexual violence and information potential options and community resources.

“[The service] is there to provide support, through a listening ear from trained volunteers or staff members from SACHA, as well as validation, applause, belief . . . because we know lots of survivors and their experience with disclosing sexual assault . . . Unfortunately [survivors are] not believed, so when you call SACHA, you know that you will be believed 100 per cent for your experience,” said Bonilla-Damptey.

"Unfortunately [survivors are] not believed, so when you call SACHA, you know that you will be believed 100 per cent for your experience,”

Jessica Bonilla-Damptey, director of SACHA

The platform also uses end-to-end encryption so that there will be no record of the conversations. Users of the chat and text service should remember to delete their text messages or erase their laptop history.

Alongside crisis support, SACHA also offers trauma-informed, survivor-centric counselling sessions and public education. Additionally, their diverse communities outreach program offers specific programming for Hamilton’s diverse communities, such as folks who are Black, Indige­nous, Queer, Trans or Peo­ple of Colour.

Bonilla-Damptey also emphasized the importance of McMaster students to know that although SACHA is not officially involved with the campus community as they were before, they are still available for support.

“You're not alone. You don't just have to access services on campus; you're available to come to SACHA as well and we can offer options of other services that you may be able to connect with, so we're here for everybody,” said Bonilla-Damptey.

The webchat and text support service is offered on Mondays and Thursdays from 4 pm-midnight, Friday 8 am-noon and Sunday 4-8 pm Eastern Standard Time. The service can be accessed through the online webchat by clicking the purple chat box on the bottom right hand corner of the page or by texting (289) 207‑7790. 

By: Esther Liu, Contributor

The Silhouette: Please introduce yourself!

Inemesit Etokudo: My name is Inemesit Etokudo but I go by Inem. I am a 28-year-old [McMaster University alumna] living out in Alberta, Canada. I split my time between Calgary and Edmonton, but I'm primarily based out of Edmonton right now.

Since graduating from Mac, I joined the energy sector, specifically the oil field. Right now, I am a pipeline operator and engineer. I was a [life sciences] major. I went into sciences and thought I was gonna do the whole med school pathway.

After four years of gruelling school, I decided another seven was not for me. My parents live in Calgary so I actually moved back to my parents and took a year off to figure out what I want to do. I ended up just falling into the sector because that is all we Albertans do.

What are some of your hobbies?

When I first moved out to Alberta, I knew no one. I was just like: "I'll pack up my stuff and move across the country”. When I first got here I found it a little lonely. I didn't really know anyone and wasn't making friends yet. So, I decided to turn my passion [for] fashion and my love for styling into an online blog.

It literally started with my mom taking my pictures in front of her house, my brothers and sister pitching in and my parents buying me my first camera. That's how it's evolved to where it is now, where I'm really lucky and blessed to be able to help women who don't see themselves a lot in the media and in fashion have someone to look to.

That's really one of my biggest goals. As much as I love clothing and love shopping and love styling, the undercurrent of everything that I do with my passion is to help Black fat women feel seen. That's really all I try to do and I try to use my platform to ensure that their voices are heard as well.

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What inspires you?

The first thing has to be my parents, my family and my heritage. So I'm Nigerian and I'm not sure if you know a lot about the Nigerian culture, but we love colour. We love expressing ourselves through our clothing, we love wearing traditional garb that's beautiful, colourful and full of patterns. I believe my styling really evolved from that.

I love playing with patterns and colours to sort of push some of those boundaries that plus people feel uncomfortable doing sometimes. They want to just wear the dark colours and fade into the background. I'm like "Hello, a leopard print mixed with hot pink" — that's kind of what I love to do.

Secondly, I grew up travelling the world. My dad was an [expatriate]. So every year or two we found ourselves in a different country up until I was about 12 or 13 years old. So, I've been able to see the traditional dressing up of quite a number of countries in my lifetime and it really showed me how unique your fashion and style can be dependent on geographical location.

Being a Black woman is a huge influence of mine. Especially in the field I find myself in, it's quite dominated by older white men. So trying to break in and figure stuff out is a real passion of mine because I look around where I am [and] I don't see a lot of me. I've always been the type of person to find those really tough places where I do not exist and try to force my way in.

Through that, I've realized that as much as fashion is important and I love it and it's the backbone of what I do, it's the advocacy portion that I really enjoy the most. Using fashion, which everyone speaks in terms of style, everyone can understand it. I use that as a gateway to discuss more pressing topics. I also started a sorority while I was at Mac. It's one of Canada's first or second Black-focused sororities. So my sorority sisters are huge inspirations for me. It's really cool to see what all the alumni are doing and really awesome to see all the new classes coming in.

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A post shared by Inemesit Etokudo (@inemesitetokudo)

So much of fashion is from Black culture and Black women in particular. 

It's a very interesting subject that you brought up. For a while, Black culture has been the inspiration behind high fashion. However, when seen on Black bodies, that same fashion is seen as ghetto or unprofessional or it doesn't "fit right”. But then, all of a sudden, you have high fashion houses like Gucci and Louis Vuitton doing cornrows and braids and then, all of a sudden, it's alright, we're fine now. That bit is an ongoing battle.

To be honest with you, it's the reason why no matter what space I'm in, I like to make it very clear that I am Black first. That is a very important thing for me. Even something as little as driving into my work parkade, I'm blasting my Childish Gambino on full blast and then getting out and saying: "Hey, morning Tim, morning Bob," as our 47-year-old white counterparts are getting into work. I really want to ensure that people know that I know that I'm Black first.

What keeps you going when it comes to your Instagram account?

Honestly, it's the community I've built. The interesting thing about myself being online is that being an influencer is not my job goal in five to 10 years. I'm very rooted in my career, you know, CEO of a Fortune 500, that's the path that I'm going on. So my online journey is a very casual one. I don't really care much for the number game. It's more so building a community where people feel safe within it.

Having done that for a couple of years, I've genuinely formed a group of individuals around me who are positive and support each other and know not to troll accounts. It's just such a positive environment that I've intentionally fostered online. When times are rough and for the beginning of this year, I've taken a couple of months off cause being online a lot is a lot. It can definitely take its toll on you. Even being away for so long, I still got such lovely messages. Some people who follow me were checking in and these are people I've never met before. So it's just such an awesome way to connect with people, especially during this time where we're all so not connected physically.

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A post shared by Inemesit Etokudo (@inemesitetokudo)

How did you get into modelling?

That was literally just by fluke. I had no plan in place, I was just taking my own pictures. And then, I believe it was Addition Elle. They were really the first supporters. They're a Canadian-based plus-sized brand. They really, really supported me and still to this day support me and everything that I do.

The modelling aspect came because honestly, taking my own pictures, I learned how to model just by doing that. When you have a tripod and a camera and a remote, you have no choice but to figure out how to work angles on your own. I think that some of the images I got as a result of that really showed how I could do that. Agencies and companies started noticing and from there — it just kind of blew up. I wish I could say that I had a path or a plan for it but it was all a fluke.

Do you have any personal goals for your online presence?

Online, I have Instagram, TikTok — that whole shebang — a YouTube channel and a website. For the website, I would love for it to eventually become a place where I can let other people speak. That's always been a goal, to give other writers a platform where I can let them speak about what they want to.

For my Instagram and TikTok side of things, again, I really just wanna show a body that does not look like the conventional Instagram body or the conventional TikTok body. I just want to show that just because you don't look like these people online, which — asterisks, many of them don't actually look like that either — it doesn't mean that you cannot have fun with fashion, that you can't wear a crop top and show your belly, it's okay, we all have stretch marks.

With my YouTube channel, I want to show that a plus person can inhabit that lifestyle. So, I'd do off-shift vlogs where I'll do mundane things around the house, go grocery shopping, hang out, show behind the scenes of some shoots just to show that being fat — and again, I use the word "fat" as a descriptor, to me it doesn't have any negative connotations whatsoever — does not mean that you must stop just living.

Online school is beneficial during a time of uncertainty

Graphic by Esra Rakab / Production Coordinator

By: Ardena Bašić, Contributor

With the COVID-19 crisis, most schools worldwide have had to revert to online learning for sustained periods of time. For postsecondary institutions specifically, this means lectures have been conducted via Zoom, Microsoft Teams or Webex. Proctoring software such as Respondus has been used for exams and there have been significant changes to how and what kind of content is delivered.

All things considered, many individuals have chosen to halt their education until things are back to normal. However, considering that the duration of this pandemic is still unknown, this is likely doing more harm than good.

When you take school out of your schedule, particularly given this situation where we’re in a pandemic, there are not many other activities to fill it. A lot of work is now done remotely and other jobs that are still in-person maintain some risk of catching the virus.

Otherwise, leisure activities like going to the gym, movie theatre or even restaurants with friends neither fill one’s day nor are constantly available in this turbulent environment. Keeping school in the mix can at least contribute to some form of routine, which can be invaluable in such arduous times.

Keeping school in the mix can at least contribute to some form of routine, which can be invaluable in such arduous times. 

Moreover, learning, in general, carries a multitude of benefits — COVID or not. At McMaster University specifically, professors are still managing to deliver their course content in engaging and clear ways. Yes, there can be some Zoom fatigue, but instructors are highly aware of that and do their best to accommodate for that during class time, such as providing breaks in class for students. Many instructors have also been more lenient with different forms of testing and applying content, meaning that there are more — albeit different — ways to prove that you are learning. 

With online school specifically, no matter whether you like it or not, you will still obtain an abundance of new, useful skills. Organization, for one, can be more difficult for some when navigating through multiple different platforms for classes.

However, this forces you to challenge your previous systems and find new, potentially better ways to stay on track. Furthermore, tech is the future: getting better acquainted with spending a major part of your life on it is good preparation for whatever the future may hold.

Lastly, pandemic life is tough. There are rarely any constants that you can rely on and it seems like every day brings a new challenge to overcome. Yet, by committing to your education during such a difficult time, you are investing in your future self and showing you and those around you just how resilient and strong you can be. If anything, take pride in what you have been able to accomplish during these unprecedented times and look back when you need a reminder of your abilities. 

Yet, by committing to your education during such a difficult time, you are investing in your future self and showing you and those around you just how resilient and strong you can be.

With everything that’s been said, there are good reasons for gap years. If you are struggling and you know that your mental health would benefit from the time off, don’t be afraid to do so. Ultimately, as it is often said, filling our own cup is just as important as pouring from it. You know what is best for you.

However, if you are considering taking a year off solely because school is online, take some time to reconsider that idea. Overall, deeply considering your reasons for taking some time off your education can help you make the best decision for your future.

Hamilton-based artist Bhairavi Jathar shares thoughts on painting, productivity and the pandemic

C/O Bhairavi Jathar

Bhairavi Jathar is a Hamilton-based artist with a passion for painting. Inspired by the impressionists who painted outdoors, Jathar particularly partakes in plein air painting. She has participated in live art shows across Ontario and her art was recently displayed in the Hamilton Artists Inc.’s window activation series.

Jathar grew up in Pune, India and first learned the basics of drawing and painting from her mother, who is also an artist. She went on to study commercial art and advertising and worked for many years as a graphic designer and illustrator.

C/O Bhairavi Jathar

“While [completing my studies], I realized that my passion for painting was still there. So I continued painting outdoors and I was always surrounded by great teachers, artists, friends and colleagues . . . so I also learned from them and that's how my painting career started,” explained Jathar.

"While [completing my studies], I realized that my passion for painting was still there. So I continued painting outdoors and I was always surrounded by great teachers, artists, friends and colleagues . . . so I also learned from them and that's how my painting career started."

Bhairavi Jathar

She also travelled with her husband as part of his job and during these travels, she had the opportunity to study French art. Jathar has always loved painting outside and it was also during these travels she had the chance to try plein air paintings. Later she pursued a master of art to get more insight about Indian and western art.

Jathar immigrated to Canada in 2014 and continued to work as a graphic designer for a few years. Then in 2017, she decided to become a full-time artist. During these years, she began volunteering at an art centre that hosted live painting events.

These events are often paired with an auction, so as the artists are painting in front of their audience, the audience is also bidding on the paintings being created.

C/O Bhairavi Jathar

“These events are very, very interactive because you get to talk to your audience and they can give you feedback because they see you painting and it gives you motivation,” explained Jathar.

"These events are very, very interactive because you get to talk to your audience and they can give you feedback because they see you painting and it gives you motivation."

Bhairavi Jathar

Jathar began participating in these shows at the art centre but went on to participate in others across Ontario. In recent years, she has successfully participated in, juried and curated exhibitions in art galleries in Brantford, Brampton, Hamilton, Mississauga, Paris, St. Catharines and Toronto.

Unfortunately, the pandemic not only shuttered many galleries but also put many of the live events Jathar enjoyed on hold indefinitely. Despite these setbacks, Jathar noted the last year has been her most productive.

Over the last few months, she has been working on a series of paintings depicting important heritage buildings in Hamilton and some of the surrounding towns in Ontario.

“Every city has one building which is prominent there and that city is known by that [building’s] old architecture and so those things are also captured in my paintings . . . every painting is from a different city, in different seasons. So even though it's the same spot, in every season, it looks different,” Jathar explained.

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Jathar hopes her art brings people some joy but more broadly she hopes that whatever the scene may be, people are able to connect to it and see something of themselves in her art.

Jathar hopes her art brings people some joy but more broadly she hopes that whatever the scene may be, people are able to connect to it and see something of themselves in her art.

Moving forward she hopes to do a series of more conceptual art around the themes of immigration and balancing different cultures.

“As an immigrant, how do I feel and how my culture is still here . . . and because my kids are growing up here, I always feel that I need to adjust with some things, which I never faced earlier. I grew up in a different atmosphere and my kids are growing [up] in a different atmosphere, so I always try to balance those things. That’s what I want to show [in this series],” explained Jathar.

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Jathar has also been offering virtual art lessons for children and adults over the last few months and offered some words of encouragement for students.

“I would [tell them] keep doing what they want to do and don't get distracted with what others are doing. You keep doing your work, your art, because sometimes what happens is we see others are doing something different and sometimes we feel that maybe we are the odd one out, but don't think that way. You keep doing whatever you're doing,” Jathar said.

Inspired by Joni Mitchell and quarantine, Mac student Zoé Freeman created an album all by herself

C/O Zoé Freeman

By: Serena Habib, Contributor

Meet Zoé Freeman, also known as Zoé Alexis. A fourth-year student in the arts and science program, Freeman’s album River was released in December 2020. The process of single-handedly creating an album might seem daunting to most people, but Freeman saw it as a challenge that she felt compelled to undertake.

Music has been a part of Freeman’s life for as long as she can remember. From harmonizing to songs on the radio and recording covers in her basement to performing in choirs and musical theatre troupes in Toronto, Freeman grew up singing. However, she was always afraid to write her own music.

“Music was always a thing in my house so I actually have my parents to thank for that. I got my first little music player when I was seven or eight and I just listened to the same 12 Beatles songs over and over and over again,” said Freeman.

Music was always a thing in my house so I actually have my parents to thank for that. I got my first little music player when I was seven or eight and I just listened to the same 12 Beatles songs over and over and over again.

Zoé Freeman

Her fear of writing music changed when she moved to university. While going through a challenging time during first year, Freeman attempted to write her own melodies. However, she found it to be a discouraging process.

Freeman compared songwriting to flipping pancakes. Practice makes perfect, or in her case, a song she’s happy with. Through practice, the title track of Freeman’s album was born, with each drum beat created electronically and manually placed into the spellbinding track.

C/O Zoé Freeman

Freeman gained confidence while singing with an intense competitive music group in England while on exchange in her third year. When she returned home due to the COVID-19 pandemic, she began a new musical journey.

“I was living completely alone during the first month or two of quarantine and I didn't see a single person, not even my family. So I went into overdrive. And I couldn't stop writing . . . The only reason I even decided to release an album was honestly because I liked the challenge. I thought to myself, “I wonder if I could write, record, produce, edit, mix and release an album, all by myself.” And once the seed was planted, I couldn't stop thinking about it. It became something I had to do to . . .  prove to myself that I can actually do it,” said Freeman.

I was living completely alone during the first month or two of quarantine and I didn't see a single person, not even my family. So I went into overdrive. And I couldn't stop writing.

Zoé Freeman

Using the same microphone, mix boxes and editing software she’s had since the age of 12, Freeman was determined to create the album on her own. In her writing, she intertwines memories to make her songs both ambiguous and relatable. This conception of memory is echoed in the childhood photos used as the artwork for her music.

“It was fun for me because I wrote about everything right now. I wrote about things that had happened years ago. I wrote about new things that were happening during quarantine. I wrote about things that people didn't even know I knew about,” explained Freeman.

Freeman’s favourite songwriter and greatest inspiration is Joni Mitchell, who invented her own type of guitar tuning and chord progression structure by ear because her polio prevented her from using traditional methods. Joni Mitchell’s story has helped Freeman overcome insecurities surrounding her own unorthodox way of creating and playing music by ear.

C/O Zoé Freeman

Freeman begins with the guitar, memorizing finger placements for her desired sounds and then designs a mental image of the other instruments. She then records voice memos of herself singing accompaniments and either send them to friends or constructs the harmonies herself. River is a tribute to Joni Mitchell’s song of the same title and the song “Oh Joni” pays homage to the singer as well.

“Part of her being my biggest musical inspiration is that it's made me realize there is no right way to play music. You can sort of just do it any way that you want and, as long as you end up getting the result that you want, it doesn't really matter how you got there,” said Freeman.

You can sort of just do it any way that you want and, as long as you end up getting the result that you want, it doesn't really matter how you got there.

Zoé Freeman

The end product of Freeman’s journey is an exquisite collection of music that stems from personal experience. However, it may be a while before fans have a new album to listen to. Freeman does not feel compelled to continue publicly releasing her music.

“I would love to be one of those people who leads a professional career, but plays in a band on the side, like that's my dream . . . Music has always been and will always be sort of something that I do for myself,” Freeman explained.

Freeman is heading to law school next year, but she plans to continue sharing her music with loved ones. Music has allowed her to connect with friends and family through hardship and it has been there for in times of loneliness. Regardless of whether she releases more songs, Freeman hopes that listening to River provides people with a sense that they are not alone.

Former Mac football offensive lineman Jakub Szott takes us through his journey as a rookie to working for a spot on the CFL's Ottawa Redblacks

C/O Owen Mertens

It all began in Summer 2016 when Jakub Szott went from high school to a training camp with the McMaster University men’s football team. Moving from a small team to a team full of veterans, Szott was able to grow both as a player and a person.

“Honestly, I just tried to approach every single day with the same work ethic when I first came into the school . . . I have to keep fighting,” said Szott.

“Honestly, I just tried to approach every single day with the same work ethic when I first came into the school . . . I have to keep fighting.

Jakub Szott

Aside from field play, teammates spend most of their time in the locker room. As a first-year player, Szott did recognize the age difference among the players and as years passed, he emulated the same experience for the rookies during his senior year.

However, it's not always about shining bright in the locker room. During Szott’s third year on the team, their head coach was fired towards the end of the season.

“We were just completely wondering what’s happening with our future. Everyone is working super hard in the off-season,” said Szott.

C/O Owen Mertens

Fast forward to the following season, Szott’s fourth season on the team, when the team advanced to the prestigious Yates Cup, the trophy awarded to the champions of the Ontario University Athletics conference. After being down 10-0 to start the game, the Marauders fought back to defeat the favoured Western Mustangs by a score of 29-15 and claimed the Cup.

“Beating Western for the first time in my four years at university was truly an awesome experience . . . it goes to show how tightly knit our group was, to overcome everything that happened the year before and for us to grow and to be able to accomplish something like that,” said Szott.

“Beating Western for the first time in my four years at university was truly an awesome experience . . . it goes to show how tightly knit our group was, to overcome everything that happened the year before and for us to grow and to be able to accomplish something like that.”

JAKUB SZOTT

While winning the Yates Cup was a remarkable achievement for the athlete, his journey was nothing short of challenging.

“We suffered a ton of different injuries, we were having the next guy up and up, having to rotate guys in there shows our tight-knit group,” said Szott.

Fortunately, for Szott himself, while he suffered a concussion, he did not miss time as it happened during his bye-week.

C/O Owen Mertens

Furthermore, as a leader on the team, Szott understood that he needs to instill personal responsibility into his own mistakes but also keep the team morale up after losses.

“Trying to be level-headed and positive and understanding the coaches' goals and moving past everything that comes,” said Szott.

Aside from winning the Yates cup, Szott’s personal favourite game was their homecoming game against the Waterloo Warriors in his most recent season.

“They didn't want to dress as many defensive linemen, so I kind of took that as a challenge as an offensive lineman and we rushed for over 200 yards that day,” said Szott.

“They didn't want to dress as many defensive linemen, so I kind of took that as a challenge as an offensive lineman and we rushed for over 200 yards that day.

JAKUB SZOTT

When McMaster’s defence was able to shut down Waterloo’s offence that day, a unit that featured one of the best quarterbacks in the nation, Szott knew the team had something special on their route towards the Yates Cup.

C/O Owen Mertens

After the fourth season of his undergraduate career, it was tough to adjust when COVID-19 locked down Ontario last March. That being said, Szott was fortunate enough to gain access to training equipment with gyms being closed.

“I've had some great guys that were able to hook me up with some racks to lift some weights . . . At the start I remember working with just bands and it’s not the same,” said Szott.

As Szott graduated this past December, he was still participating in activities with the McMaster football team since training camp in August.

“I did try to attend all the meetings that I got invited to and to stay in the loop because I can still come back . . . I don't want to close any doors because I did enjoy my time at Mac,” said Szott.

“I did try to attend all the meetings that I got invited to and to stay in the loop because I can still come back . . . I don't want to close any doors because I did enjoy my time at Mac.

JAKUB SZOTT

Although he maintained his ties to the Marauders' program, Szott was ultimately drafted by the Ottawa Redblacks in April 2020's CFL Draft.

“I have to be physically ready regardless of where I get drafted if I want to make the team,” said Szott.

As draft day approached, circumstances were quite unusual with online interviews, yet Szott enjoyed the process of dressing up and doing it within the comfort of his home.

Despite being drafted and successfully signed by the team, Szott still has lots of work to do to earn a spot on the final roster. While having an extra year to maintain conditioning and be physically ready for the tryouts, Szott’s coaches at McMaster have also been encouraging on his route to the CFL.

As the former Marauder mainstay has to compete against other offensive linemen at the training camp for a spot, Szott knows that he will most likely have to once again take that extra step to beat someone out and earn his spot.

In a year of COVID-19 restrictions, student-athletes have found new ways to improve their game during the pandemic

C/O Esra Rakab

In a year where McMaster University sports seasons had to be cancelled and training has become increasingly difficult due to social-distancing restrictions, teams and athletes have had to find new ways to keep improving. Not only are these athletes missing out on the most critical method of improvement — the cancelled games in which they regularly play — but practices have also looked extremely different throughout the school year.

Some teams opted to train via virtual practices, gathering on Zoom to work out together and run drills individually. Others have opted to continue hosting regular in-person practices, simply adhering to the provincial restrictions. That being said, the majority of teams have created a variety of in-between scenarios in their best attempts to keep their athletes on the right track to improvement.

Tyler Pavelic, a middle on the McMaster men’s volleyball team, discussed the differences and difficulties of the in-person practices the team has held this year.

“Training in the pandemic has been pretty tough, especially considering we have to wear masks during the whole practice . . . With the guidelines here in Hamilton, we are only allowed 10 guys at a time, so for a sport like volleyball where you need six-on-six to play, we can’t really do much,” said Pavelic.

"With the guidelines here in Hamilton, we are only allowed 10 guys at a time, so for a sport like volleyball where you need six-on-six to play, we can’t really do much.”

Tyler Pavelic

Practice might be much difficult in the pandemic, but for Pavelic, it’s the missed gameplay that was the biggest punch to the gut.

“[On] gamedays, it’s a great feeling with a lot of fans, loud music . . . It’s just a great experience in every game that everyone looks forward to during the week,” said Pavelic.  When asked what he missed most about pre-pandemic sports, the answer was simple: “Just games, games were awesome,” said Pavelic.

Julian Tymochko, a member of Mac's men's baseball team, is another Marauder who spoke about the hardships the pandemic has caused on his team.

“It’s been tough — we haven’t really been able to get any official practices going. The best we could do was have about 10 guys get out, throw a little bit of live batting practice, and get some ground ball work in and all of that. That was during the summer mostly, we really haven’t done much since then,” said Tymochko.

“It’s been tough — we haven’t really been able to get any official practices going. The best we could do was have about 10 guys get out, throw a little bit of live batting practice, and get some ground ball work in and all of that.”

Julian Tymochko

With practices limited, and limitations surrounding indoor practices, Tymochko has found himself improving within the mental/strategy-based aspects of his game from his own home, something many athletes have turned to this past season.

“Something that I’ve been really excited about recently is that college baseball in the states has started up . . . Typically I’ll start my morning watching two or three highlights from the games, like a Vanderbilt-Arkansas game or something like that,” said Tymochko.

Tymochko enjoys watching his American counterparts to analyze how they play the game. He considers each and every move to help improve the way he goes into each game.

“I’m watching those highlights and seeing those pitchers from our age group in North America, how they’re going about their in-game play. Just looking at how they’re playing, considering that they’re the top of the game, they’re the top competition for our age group,” explained Tymochko.

Tymochko, the 2019-2020 Canadian Baseball Guru Cy Young winner, awarded to the league’s best pitcher, has been working extra hard over the offseason, as McMaster Baseball isn’t all he has been training for.

After his Cy Young-winning season, the fifth-year athlete was signed by the Fort McMurray Giants of the Western Canadian Baseball League.

“During the pandemic it was so hard to get a training routine and a good regimen, so I reached out to a trainer via Zoom. For a while I was doing twice a week training sessions with him on Zoom, just getting a good workout,” said Tymochko.

The primary goal Tymochko was going for was finding ways to workout without the typical training equipment offered by McMaster.

“He knew workouts with minimal amounts of equipment that still made me feel a lot stronger, smoother and way more mobile, and I would say that’s what I worked on the most this offseason,” said Tymochko. 

The workload Tymochko has undergone similarly resembles what many McMaster athletes have found themselves striving for during the pandemic. With many struggling to find the resources they would’ve had at McMaster, and the limited and potentially cancelled practices, they’ve had to find ways to keep pushing through.

Whether it’s working with a trainer, finding new training methods at home or doing their best to train with their teams despite the restrictions, these student-athletes have found ways to keep getting better, and they’re undoubtedly looking forward to showcasing these new improvements next season.

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