C/O Robyn Sidhu

The Silhouette: Please introduce yourself.

Robyn Sidhu: My name is Robyn, my pronouns are he/she/they and I'm a fifth-year student at [McMaster University] in the [political science department] and I'm double majoring in peace studies and attempting to minor in gender studies.

When did you first get into poetry?

I was in grade 10 [and] for a civics assignment, we had to do a creative project that had to do with a social justice issue my teacher gave us. I decided to do poetry and I think queerness. This was also when I was still in the closet so I was like, “let me test the waters, let's see how these folks think about the gays.” That same year I started slamming with the Brampton poetry slam. That doesn't exist anymore; it only lasted a couple years, unfortunately. But I loved it. I was writing really angsty poetry that was definitely not good at all, but I really loved it. Then I came to Mac and I heard about the Burlington slam project. I ended up joining the team and being able to go to a couple different festivals, which was really cool. I got to go to Dallas, [Texas] in my first year for the International Women's Poetry Slam and this was also before I came out as nonbinary, [so] I identified as a woman when I went. I got to go to Chicago for the National Poetry Slam out there which is super cool and only three Canadian teams get to go — the Burlington, Toronto and Vancouver teams. I also ended up going to the Canadian festival for Spoken Word in my second year, which was in Guelph. That's how I got to know the national scene and then the American scene and kept writing.

Do you have any goals in regards to your work?

It's kind of weird. Once the pandemic happened, I've taken a step back from writing and now I teach [more]. I work with this charity in Toronto called CANVAS. We do consent education training in schools and workplaces and queer identity training in schools, camps, workplaces and stuff like that. Through CANVAS, I run a poetry program for [femme and misogyny-affected] youth and shelter spaces. For the past two years, I've been running this program . . . Every year, I get to meet so many wonderful youth who come through the program and write and foster and create that space. That is something that I love doing more than actually performing and writing. We put together a book every year called the Back Talk Collective. My real poetry goal is to expand that program . . . I want to expand that. I want to do a queer-specific stream; I want to do a stream for boys and masc [folks]; I want to do a trans only stream; I want to keep teaching . . . I love doing it. All of our sessions are about some part of our identity or experience. We try to weave a lot of other art forms into the session like collaging, poetry and music. We do performances together and we pay whoever comes to perform. We really strive to not just create that safe space in session, but also as an organization, [to] really invest in our youth and our artists. So, we’ve implemented this new thing where if you're submitting to any literary magazine and there's a paywall to submit, we'll cover that. Or if you're wanting to go to other workshops that are arts-related and there's a paywall, let us know and we'll pay for it. That's been one of the things that I've really tried to foster because I don't just want people to come to my session and then do poetry; I want them to invest in themselves.

Have there been any obstacles that you've encountered with poetry or any of your work?

I run a poetry slam series in Toronto called Hot Damn it's a Queer Slam. It's Canada's only queer circuit for queer people by queer people. The pandemic has forced us online. We haven't been able to meet together in person. Everybody's Zoomed out and nobody wants to go to Zoom events so we found that our poetry slams, our open mics and the workshops we've been hosting have been pretty intimate. They're not getting as many people as they normally would have. That's been kind of a step back, but also the beautiful thing about Zoom is that everybody can join, no matter where they're from if you have Internet access. We've been seeing a lot more disabled folks come and join our sessions because you can log on and you don't have to physically go anywhere. We've had people from across the world join our workshops, which has been really weird and really good because we never would have met [them] otherwise, but now [they’re] from London and [they’re] in this workshop on a random Saturday. 

Do you have any favourite poems?

Sonya Renee Taylor and it's called The Body is Not an Apology. Gorgeous, phenomenal. It's about how you don't have to apologize for existing and you having a body is a joyous reckoning. Sonya Renee Taylor also has a website and an organization called The Body is Not an Apology. It's a movement about reclaiming your body as a disabled person, reclaiming your skin as a racialized person and then it's just a phenomenal organization and movement. Another poet that I absolutely adore, but, unfortunately, have never been able to meet, is Melissa Lozada-Oliva and she is phenomenal. She's a [Latin] writer and she's got this poem called Black Thong Underwear. 

Do you have any favourites of your own?

Falling in Love with a Poet. I just love roasting shitty men I've dated and that one is so close to home. When I read it for other poets, they're like, "wow, you're really calling me out" and well, we all do this stuff, so. Then I've got another poem I wrote in my first year that's called Sunflowers and Rooftops and I usually perform it with my ukulele. I know four chords on the ukulele and I milk them all. It's about this first-year romance I kind of had but I exaggerated in my head.

Do you have takeaways from your work, your experiences or just even from poetry itself? 

I think the biggest takeaway from poetry has been that anybody can be a good writer. As long as you foster it, especially with teaching. There's this thing I teach called the responsibility of the storyteller. [It’s] the idea that we're all experts of our own narrative, but we shouldn't be writing each other's stories; write what you know [and] write what you've experienced. It's been really interesting to see people writing such specific stories to their own experiences and then seeing other people relate to that. It makes me feel not alone. Poetry brings so many people together. If I read a random poem out and somebody I never met before relates to it, that's a shared moment and I love those shared moments. I love how such specific stories in my own life can resonate with other people and vice versa. Also, putting your heart into it and trying really can get you somewhere. You know, with being able to go to all the festivals, being able to meet so many wonderful people and being able to run a slam myself. It's just my wildest dreams come true.

C/O Chana/Unsplash

McMaster has more supports in place for Black students than I expected

By: Bianca Perreault, Contributor

Countless people think that being a Black student has always been the same as being a "regular" student. Obviously, many students can relate to being a minority visibly: not looking like everyone else, having different types of hair, skin tones and culture. Especially when coming from a small village or town, that receptivity can be even more dominant. But how is it at McMaster? What does it feel like to be a Black student in 2021 at McMaster University? 

Perhaps before 2021, the experience was different or even the same in its own way, but I believe that McMaster has improved its role in the Black community since last year. The Black Lives Matter movement in 2020 truly impacted the whole world. It was a beautiful and poignant reunion of a community fighting for its rights and Mac did not let these circumstances leave in a mist. As a matter of fact, McMaster put in place many different initiatives in support of our Black student community. As a Haitian student myself, I was more than pleased to discover all the opportunities and programs awaiting me and I can confidently say that I feel welcomed in my own skin.

First and foremost, McMaster’s Student Success Centre was a forum established to direct students towards the resources they may need. Perhaps the most marvelous thing about the organization is that they have specifically created a division for students of Black/African descent: the Black Student Success Centre. It is entirely dedicated to supporting and championing the success and well-being of Black students. Through fostering a positive student and athlete experience, they intend to value us at any level, whether that be academic, professional or personal. As a Black student myself, feeling like you have access to resources as much as any student is of the utmost priority. I believe that this division is a safe space for us to connect with people who feel comfortable nurturing our academic and personal growth at university. BSSC is guided by Unbuntu, an ancient African philosophy which means, "I am because you are.” Connection, community and collective success are emphasized by this word.

BSSC is not the only support we have at McMaster. In fact, the department of communication studies & multimedia and the department of history have created bursaries for up to $2,500 per year for many Black students based on their financial needs. It’s amazing to not only see the impact of these two initiatives on the Black community at McMaster, but also to recognize the true impact of the two programs supporting such bursaries. Through communication arises our ability to share milestones and recognition of one another. Through history, arguably the most critical part of our African-descendant story is shared and valued towards achieving shared, common knowledge. Even the fact that the bursary was put in place is in itself a form of thoughtful acknowledgement. 

Besides BSSC and Black Student Excellence scholarships, McMaster has established postdoctoral fellowships for Black graduates, a coaching program for Black scholars called Thrive, and launched employee resources for staff who identify as Black, Indigenous or a person of colour. While there are some that I haven't even mentioned yet, Mac is committed to amplifying voices that can share our concerns and elevate their attention to an institutional level. Being a Black student at McMaster, I can fully expect to be supported and heard.

C/O Hello I'm Nik/Unsplash

Time and time again, vaccination efforts have ignored the accessibility needs of disabled individuals 

We’ve all heard the endless discourse surrounding COVID-19 vaccinations these past few months. With news coming out about mandatory vaccination passports and changing travel guidelines, it’s important to take a step back and fully internalize the expansive impact of vaccination rollouts on an overlooked sector of the population. 

Individuals with a disability, both seen and unseen, have been reported as 12% less likely to have received one vaccination dose. This is due to a myriad of factors, namely inaccessible online platforms for booking vaccine appointments, difficulties getting to clinics and physically inaccessible clinic locations. 

Besides just vaccinations, the entire handling of the COVID-19 pandemic has persisted without consideration of differently abled perspectives, as echoed by the visual inaccessibility of the ArriveCAN app that determines whether vacationers can re-enter the country.

Craig Madho is a research analyst at OpenLab, an innovation hub at University Health Network , who detailed the accessibility challenges that were inherent to many early-stage pop-up clinics in Toronto. As a volunteer lead for the Mobile Vaccine Strategy Table at UHN, Madho recruited volunteers for functions such as line management and registration at various vaccine pop-ups across Toronto. 

“Definitely, there’s a balance between needing to pop-up quickly, utilizing simply what’s available and taking some time to understand the accessibility needs of the community and catering more directly to their needs,” Madho explained. 

Essentially, the requirement of meeting accessibility needs across venues was often superseded by the rush to get “hotspot” areas vaccinated. Madho further detailed that there was awareness that some factors could be improved upon and following feedback from the community, interventions such as coloured signage, more physically accessible venues and increased volunteer support were prioritized. 

Despite the best efforts of volunteer and government-run vaccine initiatives across the country, this phenomenon highlights the unfortunate nature by which accessibility needs are circumstantially forced onto the back burner, especially in the onset of a public health crisis. Individuals with disabilities are more likely to experience chronic disease and face additional barriers to acquiring appropriate healthcare and these inequities have amounted to a higher risk of contracting COVID-19 and lower vaccination rates, despite an increased need. 

Another factor that deserves consideration are the pertinent reasons behind vaccine hesitancy for individuals with disabilities. One of the biggest reasons behind disability-related hesitancy is a lack of trust for vaccine safety or efficacy on their disability. This exemplifies the ever-present need for holistic scientific data collection — one that actually addresses the expansive needs of our diverse population. 

Additionally, such information points to a need for vaccination clinics made specifically to cater to the needs of a community. One such example is a vaccine clinic located in the MaRS Discovery District for Innovation. It houses a quieter environment, smaller groups and open space for youth with varying accessibility needs along with their caregivers. Another clinic that was formulated to meet the needs of a specific population, the Black community of Toronto, was the vaccine pop-up held at the Jamaican Canadian Association centre on May 8 and 9, 2021. 

Clearly, steps are being taken to ensure future and more recent vaccination efforts truly encompass the needs of the entire Canadian population. However this begs the question: what more can be and should be done to improve accessibility surrounding COVID-19 vaccinations?

“Largely, what would be helpful is documentation and shared information around what has been done and what has been successful . . .  We’re at this point where we can look back and try to better understand what could be done for future clinics and health initiatives,” explained Madho.

Such a mindset has been echoed by disability organizations across the GTA. The Centre for Independent Living in Toronto  has made tremendous strides in pooling the resources available to those with disabilities, while partnering with organizations and community members to deliver vaccine town halls and webinars for both the visually impaired and autism-affected communities.

It is more important now than ever to share both the quality and depth of any information learned through the steps and missteps in the handling of COVID-19 vaccination clinics. It is truly unfair to put the onus of education completely in the hands of vulnerable populations whose voices often go unheard. Rather, both abled and disabled advocates must raise their voices to move such considerations to the front of the decision-making agenda. Achieving equitable access to public health interventions is a necessity, not a choice. 

C/O Andrew Mrozowski

While there may be an explanation for unruly students, they sure aren’t blameless

By: Zara Khan, Contributor

University entails huge transitions, from moving out to becoming fully independent. Students become able to make their own decisions and set their own bedtime. They become able to make decisions on whether or not they spend the night out or stay inside. In the end, you realize that your day-to-day choices are now entirely up to you, with the only exception being the people around you who influence your decision-making process.. That sounds pretty exciting if you think about it, but what if this excitement leads to decisions that end up wrecking your entire future career? 

Insert McMaster’s homecoming party, also termed FOCO. It was quite the scene when looking at it from an outsider’s perspective. From the perspective of a first-year student going with no experience of such an event, it may have looked intimidating, but perhaps also fun and enticing to be a part of. 

Any students who may have missed out may well have silently thanked their decision after hearing about the events that occured. First-year Ashley Hogan’s car — a white Mazda — was flipped over and completely totalled. Ashley was away on a rowing competition and heard about the event on social media, with a GoFundMe page started by her friend having received over $10,000 in donations. During the unsanctioned celebration, people were disturbing homeowners and entering random backyards in the area. Others were ripping out street signs, jumping from tree to tree trying to cross the road, littering and lifting people with shopping carts inside them as well. Two individuals were charged under the Liquor License Act and five others for causing a disturbance. 

The general motivation behind such an event was clearly hopes of enjoying the first homecoming event since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. From my own observations, many off-campus houses were also throwing their own parties, though they didn’t come close to the degree of property damage that ensued at the ‘FOCO’ party. 

While such rhetoric may be understandable to a certain degree, the extent of the damage and harm caused by some of the events at ‘FOCO’ are quite frankly way over the line. There were indeed many challenges faced by students over the past year, including online classes, but the fact that students are “back” on campus does not give them the right to engage in the destructive acts that took place during McMaster’s homecoming party.

This also applies to students at other universities. The effects of isolation on the brain are still being studied, with frustration and a decrease in mental health commonly discussed in studies. In fact, loneliness has been found to reduce brain volumes in the prefrontal cortex, a region important in decision making and social behavior, although other research suggests this relationship might be mediated by personality factors as well.

With all this being said, going out every once in a while because of the feeling of finally being “free” and not having to quarantine anymore is totally acceptable as long as you follow the law and stay safe. I’d advise not doing anything that would put your future at risk and tapping into that rational part of your brain that helps with making decisions in times like these. As students, we are becoming responsible for our own decisions and it is important to use this privilege ethically. 

C/O Ehimetalor Akhere Unuabona, Unsplash

SPHR McMaster calls on McMaster to stop partnering with Tel Aviv University 

The Solidarity for Palestinian Human Rights Organization at McMaster is a student-led social justice club that raises awareness regarding the Israeli occupation of Palestine and holds events to promote Palestinian culture. 

“SPHR is a non-profit, student-based organization that advocates on a strong social justice platform to uphold the rights of the Palestinian people in the face of human rights violations and all forms of racism, discrimination, misinformation and misrepresentation,” SPHR states on its Facebook page

On June 30, SPHR McMaster published an open letter, calling for McMaster University to end its partnership with Tel Aviv University, in regards to a course that is being jointly offered by both schools. 

EXPLORE 4II3, The beginning of science: ancient Egyptian and Babylonian conceptions of time and space, is a course being offered at McMaster in the fall semester of 2021. The course is co-taught by Sarah Symons, an associate professor in the School of Interdisciplinary Science at McMaster, and Eshbal Ratzon, a senior lecturer at Tel Aviv University. 

According to the course description, the course focuses on the origins of science. The course is worth three units, graded, entirely virtual and it is taught out of McMaster University and Tel Aviv University.

SPHR McMaster’s open letter explains that the club has four key demands for the university. Firstly, they call on the Office of the Registrar to end its collaboration with Tel Aviv University on EXPLORE 4II3. Second, they call on Symons, the course coordinator, to withdraw from the course. Third, they ask that McMaster end all partnerships with Tel Aviv University. Finally, they demand that McMaster make a statement in support of Palestinian students. 

In the letter, SPHR McMaster makes clear that they do not object to the content of the course or the involvement of Ratzon; rather, it is McMaster’s partnership with Tel Aviv University that SPHR is protesting.

“Tel Aviv University (TAU), among several other Israeli universities, directly contributes to the human rights violations that the state of Israel commits against the people of Palestine,” stated the letter.

According to the letter, Tel Aviv University is involved with Israel’s military efforts, such as the development of weapons and technology as well as military strategy. Additionally, according to the letter, Tel Aviv University currently houses 63 Palestinian corpses, thus preventing Palestinian families from mourning and burying the dead. 

“The very research done within the grounds of the university aids and abets in displacement, killing and ethnic cleansing,” stated the letter. 

The letter has now been signed by 10 McMaster or Hamilton-based organizations as well as three McMaster professors. 

C/O Black Student Success Centre

Officially open as of September 27, the BSSC offers resources, support and a sense of community to Black students at McMaster 

On Sept. 27, the Black Student Success Centre officially opened at McMaster University with the goal of supporting Black students and fostering their success. 

“Black students across Canadian universities sometimes feel isolated on campuses and are less likely to access student support services. The BSSC exists to connect Black students to the programs, people and resources that will nurture their academic and personal growth,” states the BSSC website

The BSSC currently offers most of its services online, given that its physical space is under construction. However, it will eventually be housed on the main floor of the Peter George Centre for Living and Learning.

C/O Travis Nguyen

Faith Ogunkoya, manager of the BSSC, explained that the centre was created in response to discussions of racism at McMaster that occurred in 2020. Notably, a review of Black student athlete experiences was published last year, which called attention to anti-Black racism at McMaster. In response to this review, a five-point action plan was released with the creation of the BSSC as a part of the university’s plan to have targeted supports for Black students.

Although the review played a crucial role in the development of the BSSC, the centre’s emergence also builds on years of activism and advocacy work done by Black students, faculty, and staff.

Along with the review, Ogunkoya explained that students and alumni became increasingly vocal on social media about the racism they had experienced while at McMaster. These factors together prompted the university to create a safe space for Black students on campus.

Since the BSSC was created in response to students’ needs, Ogunkoya emphasized the centre’s commitment to representing students and meeting their needs. Thus, one of the centre’s main focuses is to provide general advising services to Black students and to connect them to other services on campus that they might need. 

Along with providing individual advising, the BSSC has also partnered with the Student Wellness Centre. The BSSC’s partnership with SWC has allowed them to connect students with Black counsellors and run group sessions that promote good mental health for Black students. 

The first of these sessions, called You Belong in the Room, explores feeling inadequate in the context of racism and belonging. Starting on Oct. 13, the session is projected to run for five weeks every Wednesday from 1:30 to 3 p.m. 

“[You Belong in the Room] is basically going to be a space where [students] can talk about anything and everything, being open about racism and its impact on them academically, personally or professionally, discussing impostorship and how sometimes, in white-dominated spaces, we almost feel like we shouldn’t be here or that we don’t belong,”

Faith Ogunkoya
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A post shared by Black Student Success (BSSC) (@macbssc)

Along with providing services and support to Black students, Ogunkoya explained that the BSSC also strives to educate other members of the university. 

“We often feel like we've got two sides to our service, where it's working with Black students and getting them to where they need to be [and to the] services and programs that they need to access, but also that it needs to be culturally informed. So, we will also be providing training, providing some guidance and providing leadership to units and departments so that [McMaster] is an environment that makes Black students know that they belong,” said Ogunkoya.

Overall, Ogunkoya said the goal of the centre is to create a safe space and a strong sense of community for Black students at McMaster.

Ogunkoya noted that many Black students at McMaster are not surrounded by a lot of other Black students in their programs which can lead to feeling a lack of belonging. 

“There’s something that follows you around sometimes when there’s only a few of you,” explained Ogunkoya.

According to Ogunkoya, this is what makes the existence of the BSSC so important. 

“When you see yourself and you see representation, it can empower you; it can make you feel less alone,” said Ogunkoya.

The past few years have been transformative for society and the fight for social justice. Here’s hoping the development of this much-needed service both empowers Black students at McMaster and helps address the injustices faced by the Black community at large. 

C/O Emily Underworld, Unsplash

Do 24 hours truly suffice for such a complex topic?

On Oct. 10, 1992, Global Mental Health Day was introduced to the world. The day aims to bring attention to mental health and educate the public. Corporations, groups and the general public try their best to open as many discussions about mental health as they can. 

However, this day dedicated to the conversation that pertains to mental health is a widely debated topic. Amelia J. Joseph, one of McMaster University’s associate professors in the School of Social Work, tweeted about this day. Joseph questioned whether or not a single day in itself can truly make the difference it hopes to achieve.

Zeinab Khawaja, a health promotor at the McMaster Student Wellness Centre, described how the SWC views Mental Health Day and how it ties into their work. 

“I think any opportunity that highlights mental health [is] a good thing to have, but for [SWC], it is a year-round thing where we are trying to educate people around different mental health and well-being topics . . . It is something we are focusing on all the time, so Mental Health Day is just one extra day where, maybe, more people are talking about it,” explained Khawaja. 

Khawaja spoke about how extending conversations pertaining to mental health beyond one day can come from the little things. 

“For me, it is small things, like being honest when someone asks you how you are doing. Checking in on your friends, being vulnerable and taking risks. Sometimes it is sharing what you are struggling with instead of pretending you are not or that you shouldn’t be. I think the more people who take that little bit of a risk to acknowledge what’s going on with themselves, the less stigmatized it gets,” said Khawaja.

Though the SWC offers opportunities for communication, many students often find that when they do try to reach out they are left more confused than when they had started. 

Anisah Ali, a second-year health and society student with a mental health specialization, spoke about their own experiences with mental health. 

“As I’ve grown older, Mental Health Day is still important in terms of destigmatizing mental health in general, but I don’t think it creates sufficient change for those that do experience mental health issues,” said Ali.

Ali is one student that has experience using SWC resources

“I went to them for help and they were nice in terms of hearing me out which helps because someone was there to listen. They would provide me tips on anxiety, for example, but it wasn’t sufficient enough in terms of fundamental changes to handle these things better in your life,” explained Ali.

Lucas Mei, a second-year linguistics student, also accessed SWC’s counselling service. When Mei called the SWC seeking immediate help, the SWC presented him with times to speak with a counsellor that were weeks or months away. Mei explained that the experience was frustrating so he ended up not booking an appointment at all. 

“I ended up hanging up the phone because that was ridiculous,” said Mei.

Mei added that there was no follow-up from anyone in SWC after the phone call. Though he was disappointed with the way it was all handled, he was aware it was because of the shortage of counsellors for this particular service. 

“They could look for more openings. They are a prestigious university in our country. I feel like if they wanted counsellors and if they actively were searching for improvements in their mental health department, then I feel like they could. But to them, it just isn’t a priority,”

Lucas mei

Abrar Khan, a second-year in electrical engineering, also had difficulty finding mental health resources while studying from out of the country. For Khan, it wasn’t clear where he could access resources or who he was supposed to contact. 

Unfortunately, Khan said that he did not end up receiving the help he needed. Khan believes resources like these should be attached to more student familiar sites such as Mosaic.  

Brenda and Cinthiya, co-presidents of MSU COPE, a student mental health initiative, talked about how vital it is to keep the conversation going beyond just a single day.

“We all need time to take a step back and look at where we are, so [Mental Health Day] gives a specific day to tune into ourselves. The landscape is constantly changing and it’s a reminder of where we are and what we have to do to get to where we want to be,” said Brenda. 

“It is important to acknowledge that just because it’s Mental Health Day doesn’t mean it is the only time to acknowledge mental health,” explained Cinthiya. 

Anika Anand, Director of MSU’s Student Health Education Center, also shared similar sentiments in terms of Mental Health Day and its effectiveness. She added that institutions, like McMaster, can foster a more open environment.

“Bell is notorious for having this yearly ‘Let’s talk day’ but their working conditions are also notorious for being extremely toxic and unhealthy for their workers. So I look at, not necessarily McMaster, but the McMaster Student Union and I look at the way they are treating their part-time managers, who are running each of these student-run clubs. The work environment is completely toxic and I think that if you’re going to talk about mental health on Mental Health Day, you have an inherent responsibility to start working actively to make your organizations have an environment in which that is even possible,” explained Anand.

The discussion of academics and the culture it breeds came into the discussion as well.

“I think that professors need access to adequate training, not necessarily to treat mental health problems because they are not health care professionals or crisis responders, but they are people who are trusted, or at least they are supposed to be,” said Anand. 

Anand added that there is a disconnect between the accommodations provided by the Student Accessibility Services and how different professors handle students requesting accommodations.

“It needs to be more connected. So that we build a sense of community because, as we all know, community connections lead to better mental wellness,” explained Anand.

Mental health is a topic that affects each and every single person differently. Though a day like this may be vital to opening the door to deeper conversations, continuing them everyday is what can truly create the difference.

C/O Yoohyun Park

The importance of self-care and managing school and other stressors

By: Anna Samson, Contributor

About halfway through every semester, Canadian postsecondary students get one week off from school. Known as a mid-term recess, or reading week, this week is meant for students to catch up on class material and assignments. It is also used as a break so that students can take some time to rest before entering the homestretch of the semester.

This year, at McMaster University, reading week for the fall 2021 semester ran from Oct. 11 to 17. 

The break is a chance for many students to spend time with family and friends. Like most fall semester reading weeks, this year’s reading week aligned with Thanksgiving weekend. In the winter semester, it aligns with Family Day. Both holidays offer good opportunities for students to reconnect with their loved ones.

Aside from seeing friends and family, students can use the break as a chance to do some self-care that they may have slacked on in lieu of schoolwork. This can include getting more sleep, taking long baths, spending time in nature, journaling, doing hobbies or just going out and having fun.

Yuka Abe, a fourth-year kinesiology student, spent her break reconnecting with family and friends. She also got some rest and devoted time to leisure reading. 

“I did read more, I think, which I haven’t done in a while. So, that was pretty nice, just reading for fun and not like school readings,” said Abe.

Since fall of 2019, students have had reading weeks that were filled with health anxiety and uncertainty due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Fall of 2021 is the first reading week since the pandemic started where students are not stuck at home. As places open back up and people get fully vaccinated, students now have more options regarding how they choose to spend their reading week.

Zeinab Khawaja, a Health Promoter at the Student Wellness Centre at McMaster, highlights the importance of adequate sleep and rest and not being too hard on yourself throughout the school year. Her major piece of advice for students about managing stress is two-fold.

“One: trusting in your ability to handle things and get the supports that you need, because they exist at McMaster and within your social circles. Two: prioritizing rest. Say ‘this is my cut-off time and I’m gonna do as much as I can by then and then I’m gonna rest guilt-free or go to bed’,”

Zeinab Khawaja

The Student Wellness Centre has services available to students year-round. These include counseling and therapy sessions, both individually or by group, medical care and health promotion and wellness resources. Most services are covered under the McMaster Student Union Health Plan.

As this week off from school falls around the middle of the semester, students are often preoccupied with studying for midterms. Some midterms are due right before reading week, which gives students some time to recharge and recuperate afterward. Other midterms may fall after reading week, which provides students with more uninterrupted time to prepare and revise.

However, although reading week is meant to relieve stress for students, trying to balance productivity and finding time to rest can also induce greater stress for some. 

With one midterm before reading week and two more during the first week back from the break, Abe was one student who felt that the break did not offer enough time for relaxing. 

“I don’t think I was able to relax as much as I could’ve, or wanted to, during the break because I was just thinking about the midterms or like studying for them,” said Abe.

Other students have also expressed similar sentiments in previous years. 

To help organize and manage schoolwork, students can use planners to make note of due dates. Scheduling programs and apps are also great ways for students to make realistic schedules for all the tasks they have to juggle. Most importantly, making time for self-care, including exercise and relaxation, can help reduce stress.

Khawaja emphasizes the need for students to be kind to themselves.

“Forgiv[e] yourself for not completing every single thing you wanted to do and not doing everything at 110%. We’re humans, we can’t constantly be functioning at “100%” and our best looks different every single day,” said Khawaja.

Through self-kindness, rest and realistic planning, students can achieve a healthy balance between their lives and their workload. It is important that students find ways to use the reading week to enrich their minds and bodies and not feel overwhelmed by school.

C/O @ourovintage

The owner of Ouro Vintage shares her love for all things vintage

Once you fall in love with vintage, it is difficult to escape it. Each item carries a unique history and these stories, combined with a sense of nostalgia associated with the items, invoke feelings of comfort. Discovering unique pieces hidden in warehouses and thrift stores also holds an element of adventure.

Growing up with parents who were antique dealers, Eady’s passion for vintage developed naturally. She loved learning about the stories behind vintage pieces and different eras of clothes. In 2017, she turned her interest in hunting for rare, quality vintage items into Ouro Vintage where she currently sells second-hand clothes, accessories, shoes and home items. 

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Ouro Vintage originally launched online under the name Daughter Daughter, but after changing its name to Ouro to be more gender inclusive in its name, Eady opened its brick-and-mortar location in Barton Village in July this year.  

Through Ouro Vintage, Eady hopes to share her love for vintage and provide people with more options for eco-friendly, second-hand shopping. In an era of fast fashion, second-hand shops like Ouro Vintage encourage upcycling and reusing clothes to reduce waste, preserve water and lower your carbon footprint. In line with the theme of sustainability, the pieces offered at Ouro Vintage are timeless, minimalistic and chic to ensure they last a long time. Eady also mends damaged pieces for the store herself and tries to avoid microtrends. 

“I just hope people shop vintage or thrift or anything second-hand and hopefully, we won’t contribute to the problem with fast fashion,” said Eady.

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Although born and raised in Burlington, Eady opened her business in Hamilton as she was drawn to the city’s arts scene. She recalls going to concerts at the Underground when she was younger with her current spouse and wanting to be part of the creative community here. Hence, as soon as she could move out at the age of 17, she relocated to Hamilton. She has found her community here and it has become her new home.

“The communities and scenes in Hamilton are really rich with creativity — everyone you meet is into something creative. There’s so much talent in Hamilton. I love Hamilton,” said Eady.

Eady was concerned about opening the brick-and-mortar location during the pandemic. She worried the reception would be low, but to her surprise, it was met with lots of positive support. 

“I thought it was actually probably a really bad time to open a store. It wasn’t my original plan, but I ended up getting a lot of responses and the community has been really great. All my neighbours have come and introduced themselves and they’re all so nice and supportive. I’m really happy with it. It’s always been a dream,” Eady said. 

Before opening the physical location, Eady also struggled with maintaining her work-life balance. Like most of us working from home during the pandemic, it was difficult for her to set work hours and boundaries. She would answer messages and work on social media posts in the middle of the night instead of enjoying her time with her children and relaxing. Having a separate space for the business has helped her to be more organized and take her mind off work when at home. 

Outside of operating the second-hand shop, Eady is an artist. She graduated from Ontario College of Art & Design in art, with a degree in sculpture and installation.

 In 2009, she and her husband Sean Gadoury founded a collage collective, Group of 7 Billion. The duo started the collective by selling their collages made using hand-cut pictures from vintage books at the monthly Art Crawl on James Street North. 

Since then, Eady and Gadoury have regularly attended art shows and events including Supercrawl. Their art pieces are available on their Etsy shop, website and Ouro Vintage

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For Eady, Ouro Vintage represents her childhood memories, her parents and her love for objects with a history. She has plans to sell other artisan goods and wholesale gifts at the shop in the near future, but she says she would like to keep the business as small as possible for as long as possible.

Ouro Vintage is a place of classic and wonderful second-hand pieces. Discover a new way to live more sustainably and fulfill your antique dreams by shopping second-hand.

C/O @mysweetooth_hamilton

McMaster graduates share their love for Asian desserts while sharing their culture with the Hamilton community

Food is a powerful unifier that transcends all cultural or language barriers. Sharing food can open people’s minds to diverse traditions and values while also encouraging empathy and tolerance. Even if you have never travelled to another country, you most likely have had foreign food and learned about its significance before. 

For immigrants, eating traditional cuisine is especially important as it helps them to carry a piece of their culture with them wherever they go. For others like Jia Tian, the co-owner of an East Asian gourmet bakery, MySweeTooth, eating Chinese food and other treats from her childhood serves as a means of coping with homesickness.

Tian moved to Canada from Hong Kong when she was in high school and later studied electrical engineering at McMaster University. At the time, she never imagined she would be opening an Asian fusion bakery in Hamilton with her life-long partner, Peter Sun, who moved to Canada from Shandong province in China in grade 13 before majoring in economics at McMaster. 

After Tian graduated from McMaster, she proceeded to start her graduate studies. However, she began to doubt if electrical engineering was what she truly wanted to do. She knew she wanted to pursue a career she had a passion for, but her passion was in baking — not engineering. 

Moreover, she missed all her favourite treats she had in Beijing and wanted to pursue her dream of running her own shop where she could share her pastries from her culture, from strawberry whipped cream chiffon cakes to mouth-watering cream puffs. As difficult as it was to decide, in 2009, she took a step-back from her studies to enter the food business industry.  

“It was not easy because I needed to tell my parents about my decision — that part was definitely not easy. But I guess once you know what you want to do, you just go full speed on what you want to do and put your whole heart at it,” Tian said. 

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With unfaltering support from her husband Sun, who also re-directed his career path to join her in her goal of running a bakery, Tian began working at various shops including the Williams Fresh Café at the Hamilton Health Sciences building. 

“Peter supported my decision and my dream. He’s very supportive. We ended up doing this together because he wanted to make sure that I get to realize what I had a vision for. So, he worked with me and I couldn’t have done it without him. He really brings a different perspective and [skillset] when it comes to running a shop,” said Tian. 

The couple first opened MySweeTooth online in 2013 and on Jan. 8, 2020, they finally launched their brick-and-mortar location on Main Street West. They chose to stay in Hamilton as Tian had an uncle living here and it was important for her to stay close to family. She also preferred Hamilton’s small-knit community and quieter, slow-paced atmosphere coming from the busy and loud city of Beijing.

Besides recreating her favourite childhood memories and flavours through MySweeTooth, Tian’s other goals for the business included sharing and representing East Asian culture in Hamilton through food. For example, for Chinese Mid-Autumn Festival Day, which is a day when the moon is believed to be the brightest and fullest and families get together to celebrate, they sold mooncakes and shared the cultural significance of the holiday. 

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“We feel that if we can have our shop selling tasty Asian influenced, Asian fusion desserts, there will be more people who can try our desserts and get to know our Asian culture better….I think that once you know a culture a bit better, it eliminates some misunderstanding. People are scared of things they don’t really know and we’re hoping our shop is not just a place that makes desserts that taste really good, but also a place that will showcase our Asian culture,”

Jia Tian

Since MySweeTooth opened, it has received lots of positive attention. Just a quick scroll through the comment section of the bakery’s Instagram page is enough to demonstrate the enthusiasm and love their customers have for their delicious treats. 

Nonetheless, operating their physical location during the COVID-19 pandemic has been difficult. In addition to coping and adapting to COVID-19 restrictions, they were confronted by hate from members of the community who were disrespectful towards their COVID-19 store policies. In September, their window was vandalized over their sign asking customers to wear their masks and stay six feet apart inside. Though Tian emphasizes most people have been kind and supportive, she posted the image of the vandalism on the shop’s Instagram page to highlight some of the challenges small businesses and other hospitality services have been facing during the pandemic. 

“For us, of everyone who we’ve met, the vast majority of people are very supportive and understanding. We are happy to see that because we understand the community is also suffering right now. So, we are doing whatever we can to also give back to the community and to remind people that although it is difficult for us, it can be more difficult for some of us than others. There are people who lost their jobs, lost their homes and [are] living on the streets because of COVID-19,” explained Tian.

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Tian and Sun’s response to the hate is another example of their tenacity and their work towards fostering community. Since the beginning, MySweeTooth has always been about repping Asian culture in Hamilton and sharing its traditions. During your time in undergrad, it is perfectly normal to feel confused about your identity or uncertain about your career path. To all international or immigrant students or those who may be struggling to fit in, Tian shares a message about the importance of not losing your heritage and believing in yourself.

“It is important to be proud of your cultural background because that’s what makes us special — that’s what makes us who we are . . . It’s very important, for not just Asian students, [but] for any student to remember and know their heritage and make sure more people know about it. You can do it with anything — you can do music, art, cooking, baking — there are many ways to do it. Even just to tell your friends about something that’s special in your culture is a way to contribute. So that’s what I want to share with the students at Mac: be proud of who you are and do something you really have a passion for,”

Jia Tian

The story of MySweeTooth is one about love, passion and community. Tian and Sun have demonstrated these three ingredients are everything you need to achieve success and happiness.

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