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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
“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.
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.
C/O @theemptiesmusic
Zeke Wilson discusses the artistic process of becoming vulnerable, Wilson and Flan and The Empties.
By: Edwin Thomas, Contributor
Zeke Wilson’s parents raised him on soul music. Stevie Wonder, Bill Withers and Marvin Gaye were the soundtracks of his childhood.
His father, Aron Wilson, is also a musician with two studio albums under his belt. Wilson describes his father as a supportive figure in his life. He taught Wilson to appreciate and play music, came to his shows, gave him feedback and also inspired him to pick up the guitar. Both father and son have similar tastes in music, enjoying Motown, soul and the blues. They could often be found in a jam session together in Aron’s basement studio.
Brought up in Kingston, Ontario, Wilson attended Kingston Collegiate and Vocational Institute where he established his foundation in music. In grade 10, he would find hip-hop beats on YouTube and rap over them with his friends using Garageband. He transitioned into writing and singing in grade 11 using his father’s basement studio to record vocals.
Around this time, Wilson also started teaching himself Logic Pro, a music recording software. During the remainder of his time in high school, he continuously released singles and collaborated with local artists such as Tshepo. Shortly after, he started playing guitar.
His first performance was during an open mic night at Kingston’s Elm Café, where his father accompanied him on the guitar. Wilson was initially uncomfortable performing in a live setting but found the experience to be very memorable.
“It’s a rush I haven’t gotten tired of. That feeling that you get after playing does not go away. It’s always exciting and exhilarating,” said Wilson.
After high school, Wilson took a gap year to live in Banff for eight months. He wanted to explore a new environment before enrolling in university. While working in a lodge during his stay, he participated in open mic nights every Friday night in a hostel across his residence. He was able to gain a lot of experience performing during this time.
Drawing inspiration from the nature in Banff, Wilson released a three-song, soul-style EP titled Three Seasons in 2019, with a song for every season that occurred during his stay. Besides being an opportunity to grow as an artist and performer, the Banff trip was also memorable for him as he was able to make life-long friends he now considers family. In the future, he sees himself living on either of the coasts.
In 2019, Wilson enrolled in McMaster’s arts and science program. He chose the program because he wanted to experience philosophical discourse and the art side of school while also integrating scientific learning. In his first year, he collaborated with a second-year arts and science student, Mark Pillai, to create the McMaster Music Production Society. Wilson and Pillai wanted to provide a platform for people in the community who were interested in music production. Wilson found that the club helped him find like-minded musicians that supported each other’s work.
While in university, Wilson was also able to grow as a musician. He became more confident in showing his vulnerability through his music and his art became central to his life.His time in Banff had improved his confidence through the low-stakes environment of the open mic night. It allowed him to feel more comfortable expressing himself.
However, Wilson’s time in university fostered his growth in even more significant ways. He was surrounded by musically inclined friends while in residence in Matthews Hall during his first year. He recalled being in the piano room with his friends playing music free of any feelings of nervousness or anxiety. The fear of judgement was a barrier in high school that he had to overcome.
“The vulnerability early in my career was because I wasn’t sure how [my music] would be perceived. In those days, I wasn’t writing the most honest music — I was just writing things that sounded good. It wasn’t a time where I felt comfortable speaking truth through music because I did not want to come off cheesy,” said Wilson
Wilson credits his father, Frank Ocean and Stevie Wonder as long-term influences on his music. He admires their ability to explore new styles with their vocal performances. Currently, the Black Keys and Allen Stone are also new influences on his music.
Shortly after his time in Banff, Wilson collaborated with his close high-school friend, Ethan Flanagan, to create the music duo, Wilson and Flan. At the time, Flanagan was in his first year of McMaster’s commerce program. Wilson credits Flanagan for improving his writing style and understanding the nuances of group work in the music industry.
In the summer of 2020, the duo released their first EP, Just for Now. They stayed in Flanagan’s cottage in Lac Beaven, Quebec for a week, intending to finish the EP before they left. The album has central themes surrounding relationships, as both members of the duo came out of relationships shortly before the album was made. While describing the writing process, Wilson explained how he had to learn how to work and compromise with Flanagan to finish the album.
“Combining ideas can create things that never would have been made on your own. There is a lot you have to sacrifice to consider the greater conception of the album, but being comfortable sharing and accepting ideas is important,” said Wilson.
When asked further about the barriers he had to overcome to grow as an artist, Wilson reflected on his early music career, noting the importance of identity in music.
“The biggest [struggle] for me was trying to find an identity through music when you are still so uncertain of everything in life as a young person. Getting involved and excited about music is a really fun but disorienting process because it is such a subjective field and there are a lot of expectations set on you as an artist, said Wilson. “Having some mindful thinking on how important the [music] process is for you, what it means to you and why you do it is the most important motivator.”
This year, Wilson and Flan performed multiple shows in many different areas of Ontario, including around both Hamilton and Kingston. They also recruited a third member, Ben Hagedoorn, Flanagan’s first-year roommate, to join their duo. In September, the group rebranded under a new name, The Empties.
“The name comes from the feeling like there is this empty slate to write a legacy on,” said Wilson, reflecting on the band’s new beginnings. “It’s the band name that says everything and nothing all at once. We let the music speak for itself.”
The Empties plans on releasing an album next year in collaboration with local artists in Hamilton and Kingston. Make sure to stay tuned for more from this group!
In four games this season the team has won three, two of which came in blowout form
In a four game season where every game matters, McMaster’s women’s rugby team has been making the most out of their opportunities. After starting the season with two wins and a loss, the team looks ready to take on whatever challenges lie ahead.
Upon returning to play for the first time since early 2020, the Marauders started their season on Sept. 13, with an exhibition match against the York Lions. There appeared to be no rust despite all the time off, as they took a huge victory with a final score of 31 to seven. With all cylinders firing, the team began their season on Sept. 24 against the Guelph Gryphons, which would be their only hiccup thus far.
Homecoming for the Marauders didn’t go so well, as they fell to the Gryphons in disappointing fashion. The final score wound up being 46 to 17 and it seemed like everything had fallen apart for the team. It would take significant time and effort to get back on track and prepare for the games ahead. Fortunately, the stars would align.
Not only was the team motivated to get back on track as they now had something to prove, but they were coming up against a team they knew they could beat: the York Lions.
In their second matchup against Lions, the first of the regular season, the Marauders would make an absolute statement. The previous 24 point lead wasn’t enough, as they would take the victory with a final score of 53 to five — a 48 point spread. In the final [regular season] home game, they were sure to leave a great taste in the mouths of their supporters.
The Marauders dominated the game right out of the gate, holding the Lions to only one secured try in the match, which came after 71 minutes. The long list of scorers for the Marauders by the end of the game would include Vanessa Webb, Tia Svoboda, Ila Bett, Malaya Mizal, Stacey Warner, Katie McLeod and Brie Clarke, compared to that of the Lions, featuring only Miyah Samson.
Beyond the impressive victory against the Lions, McMaster would continue their run, beating the Brock Badgers on Oct. 16. Although a much tighter match than that against the Lions, the Marauders still maintained a respectable lead, winning with a final score of 19 to 12. This win would advance their record to two wins and one loss in the season as they head into their final match.
The last matchup of the season comes on the road and will take place in Kingston, Ontario, home of Queen’s University. The Marauders will take on the Gaels with a desire to redeem themselves. The Gaels are arguably the favourite heading into the match, having beaten the Marauders eight times in 13 tries over the last ten years. Members of the team from the 2019 season likely remember the 100 to zero loss in the last game against the Gaels, but after a strong start to the 2021 season, they could look to turn the tables.
C/O Joltex
After the stands opened to all students, what are the general thoughts about the new varsity season?
After a full season of no varsity activities, the venue gates have finally opened and have started welcoming students to the stands as well. Many of the McMaster Marauders teams already have their seasons well under way. For example, the women's soccer team has already played six games within the Ontario University Athletics Championship, with five resulting in a win for the Marauders and one ending in a draw.
The women's varsity soccer team is not the only one who started the season off well, as the men’s varsity team has also performed to a high standard within the OUA championships, losing only one game from their first appearances in the tournament.
However, these teams were not alone in their success. Over the first month of games, both have managed to attract considerable crowds to not only the Ron Joyce, but away games as well.
In their tightest game of the season so far against the University of Toronto Varsity Blues that ended as a draw, the Marauders managed to get a good crowd at the Ron Joyce, attracting about 200 fans to watch them play the game.
However, shortly before that, the women's varsity team also played against the Blues, striking an impressive two to one win. Even during this game, there were about 150 spectators in the stands cheering the Marauders on. Evidently, the spectatorship boosted the Marauders’ chances of seeding high in the play-offs with their exceptional start to the season.
What do these events look like from a fan's perspective? How does it feel to watch numerous varsity games for the first time in a very long time or for the first time ever? Jared Paul, a second-year software engineering student, expressed his excitement at being able to support his friends from the stands.
“It truly is a good feeling being able to help your friends play the best they can. I went to a couple of women's varsity soccer games and got to watch and cheer on with a few of my other friends. It was quite something,”
JARED PAUL
When asked about how he got into watching the varsity sports so often, Paul explained how he and his friends would often go as a group.
“Sometimes, after I [finished] studying for my lectures in the afternoon, a couple of my friends and housemates would text me asking if I’d be willing to watch the games at the stadium in person with them. Most of the time I’d come because we personally know the players on the teams that play and that is what makes it more exciting,” explained Paul.
Although Paul was enthusiastic about attending the games consistently, he urged others to get involved as well.
“There are more and more of us every game and that is great. At the beginning of the season there were barely any people, but now there's a nice crowd [at the varsity soccer games] every time. I really do want more people to come and join us; it would be great to see the trend continue,” said Paul.
If you are willing to support any varsity team at this time, you can purchase tickets from the Marauders website for any sport.
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 Stepan Unar, Unsplash
Man arrested following an attack on Caleb’s Walk
CW: assault
Hamilton is home to a number of hiking trails and waterfalls, providing community members with the opportunity to head outdoors and enjoy nature views. As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, outdoor activities have also garnered rising popularity as people search for activities and recreation to entertain themselves with.
However, heavily wooded areas in Hamilton have also been susceptible to dangerous activity in the last several years. Given the popularity of hiking among the student body, students at McMaster University should remain aware of the potential dangers associated with visiting trails.
Most recently on Sept. 30, 2021, an individual was assaulted while walking alone on Caleb’s Walk trail. Caleb’s Walk is one of the many trails of the Cootes Paradise sanctuary and is located next to the Westdale neighbourhood, off of Dalewood Crescent and Oak Knoll Drive.
Hamilton Police Service released a request for assistance in identifying the assault suspect the next day, detailing suspect descriptions and asking residents to review their video surveillance footage.
On Oct. 5, 28-year-old Tony Robert Gordon was arrested for the assault. Gordon is facing charges of assault causing bodily harm, four counts of failing to comply with probation and drug possession.
According to HPS, the assault was a random attack of violence.
Gordon is facing charges of assault causing bodily harm, four counts of failing to comply with probation and drug possession. According to HPS, the assault was a random attack of violence.
Unfortunately, this assault was not the only one that has taken place in Hamilton trails. In April of 2019, a woman was struck with an object and sexually assaulted on another Hamilton trail, Bruce Trail.
Bruce Trail is Canada’s oldest and longest trail, running 900 km from Niagara to Tobermory, passing Hamilton in-between.
The victim was assaulted while walking from the Dundurn stairs down the Bruce Trail when she stopped after hearing someone call out to her.
The HPS did not release any further updates to this investigation nor was an arrest announced.
Also on Bruce Trail, an arrest was made in 2017 after an individual walking alone was approached by a man with a knife and forced into a quiet area.
The suspect was arrested in this case and HPS charged 28-year-old Shane Stevens with sexual assault with a weapon and two times of breach of probation.
With the Cootes Paradise area in close proximity to McMaster University, hiking on trails has been a popular outdoor activity for many students. However, the danger associated with walking alone on Hamilton trails has not been foreign to students.
A number of recreational trails are also available within the McMaster Forest. McMaster has noted that such trails, however, are mainly unmaintained.
Random assaults, such as the ones mentioned above, are unfortunate occurrences that most do not expect when visiting trails. It is important that students remain vigilant as they visit trails and take the necessary precautions to keep themselves safe.
Yoohyun Park/Production Coordinator
The social awkwardness many have gained over the pandemic is affecting our conversations in person
By: Ardena Bašić, Contributor
Although the COVID-19 pandemic has changed our lives in more ways than we could have ever imagined, one of the most potent impacts have been on our social lives. While the most obvious changes have been with regards to the way we interact with those around us regularly, either by a physical or virtual distance, our more casual, everyday interactions have also been significantly affected.
Before the world was forced to respond to a global health crisis, it was seemingly easy to start general, unprompted conversation. Walking through a library, hallway or even classroom meant endless opportunities for communication. However, as we changed to a virtual platform of school and work operations, this was almost impossible. One would have to deliberately present themselves online in a way that would advance the proposition of small talk. In other words, turning on one’s camera and microphone on zoom, despite how uninviting it may be for some. Being deprived of such interactions for a prolonged period means that we do so now with less confidence and find it increasingly unnatural.
This notion likely sounds all too familiar to students who are slowly acclimating to being on campus again. Seeing classmates and friends around campus and town was exciting at first, but the social engagement was ultimately quite draining considering the lack of such meetings for the past year and a half. Furthermore, initiating casual interactions with strangers around campus is much less enticing. As appealing as it may sound to say “hi” or find solidarity in the endless amount of schoolwork university seems to entail, it is daunting after a long period without such practice.
As appealing as it may sound to say “hi” or find solidarity in the endless amount of schoolwork university seems to entail, it is daunting after a long period without such practice.
Ardena Bašić, Contributor
The other negative implication of this lies in the idea of mentorship. Having an upper year student, regardless of whether they are in your program or not, is invaluable in terms of guidance and advice. Knowing what a professor may prefer for assignments, what study methods to use for a particular class or what lectures to never miss is especially helpful for first- and second-year students, many of whom are still adjusting to the expectations of university. Through our newfound discomfort in casual interactions, we are missing out on the opportunity to build these relationships while out on campus. Whilst virtual mentorship programs are providing one solution, the solidarity that arises from meeting someone in public who you can relate to is unobtainable through online platforms.
Whilst virtual mentorship programs are providing one solution, the solidarity that arises from meeting someone in public who you can relate to is unobtainable through online platforms.
Ardena Bašić, Contributor
Lastly, after being at home for so long, many of us are excited about the opportunity to make new friends on campus. Yet, given our trepidation to approach new faces, this is made even more difficult. As a result, we are still relying on social media and virtual platforms to interact with one another, increasingly diminishing our tangible sense of friendship. As eager as we are to return to a semblance of normality, the habits and routines we have developed over the past year must be conquered — or at the very least revised — first.
COVID-19 has given us yet another obstacle that we must overcome in order to live regular lives once again. There is so much benefit in being able to spontaneously interact with those around us. A slow, gradual approach to such encounters will likely be most comfortable for some, but don’t forget that we are all experiencing this same effect to some extent. As a society, we can find solidarity in the fact that we are going through this ordeal now, just like we will find solidarity in experiencing a re-introduction to a more social society together in the future.
C/O Yoohyun Park
The Marauders field hockey team describes new challenges and hopes for their first season
McMaster’s field hockey team has made their debut as varsity players in the Ontario University Athletics. Due to COVID-19 restrictions this year, the OUA has divided the eight Ontario field hockey teams into two divisions, East and West, with each team playing eight regular season games. The Marauders are in the West division and play against the Guelph Gryphons, Waterloo Warriors and Western Mustangs.
Due to these changes, the Marauder field hockey team has many challenges for this season as they fight to make a name for themselves within the OUA. Rebecca Jiang is one of the captains of the field hockey team.
“I'm just looking forward to having a good season and being able to prove ourselves in the OUAs, I feel like we've been underestimated a lot in previous years. So, I just want to be able to come on strong and prove that we can play and compete,” said Jiang.
As a result of school taking place virtually during the COVID-19 pandemic, many sports teams, field hockey included, were unable to practice. Jessica Lim, Jiang’s co-captain, also speaks on this issue.
“It's been different and I think that's been true for all of the sports teams. It's a huge transition, going from having light practicing, if any practice at all, and just doing conditioning, to having games practically every week . . . The games are twice every single weekend now, which is a huge jump than during the pandemic, [when] we didn't have anything,” Lim explained.
This year, the field hockey season only lasts for one month, making the level of intensity a lot higher, which can easily take a toll on the players. Playing a high performance sport at the provincial level is not easy and it requires a tremendous amount of individual and group effort. Since the team was previously not able to practice in-person, the team dynamic has changed with many members having graduated over the past two years and new first- and second-year teammates joining.
Briana Da Silva, a member of the field hockey team, described the comparison.
“Last year, we did a lot on Zoom, but obviously that’s nothing compared to in-person. We would do team workouts and team challenges, we’d group up that way to do a little team bonding, but I really don’t think Zoom has anything on being in-person when it comes to team building,” said Da Silva.
In addition, being a good teammate helps maintain a positive team spirit.
“Everyone has their bad days and everyone has off days on the field and off days just in their personal life. And the great thing about a team sport is that there's always 20 other girls who are with you . . . That's really the thing to remember, that if someone's down you don't have to be down with them, you can just take your energy and help bring them up,” explained Lim.
Da Silva too prides herself in her team spirit and contributing to the team’s positive disposition.
“I pride in team dynamic, so I really am always trying to keep the morale up. But also I know those girls have my back like a family and I know if you show up in a positive mood, it’s just [going to] reflect on the whole entire team,”
-Briana Da Silva
The team is more than halfway through the season, with their next home game on Friday, Oct. 22, 2021. If interested, be sure to watch them play on Alumni Field against the Western Mustangs.
Jovan Popovic has shown that he’s serious about his business in an industry that has found itself growing quickly amid the pandemic.
More often than not, university students solely focus on their studies for the four years that they spend in their undergraduate programs. For many, the only vision that they have in mind is schoolwork and graduation and they avoid pursuing their dream career on the side for this reason. However, this isn’t always the case. There are students around who have their own business success stories and have translated their entrepreneurship into serious and impressive endeavours.
A third-year business student, Jovan Popovic, has developed his passion for sports memorabilia into a serious business. Also known as the Sports Editor of the Silhouette, Popovic has been running his paid private signings business, Pop Sports Memorabilia, for 3 years. His business first began as a card flipping venture, but later changed focus, implementing a strategy to target a niche with sports fans by offering private autograph signings.
The business is based on Popovic finding various popular players and arranging private autograph signings with them. The business student would then collect items from all interested clients, and meet with the player on a predetermined date to get them signed. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Popovic found this unique opportunity to develop his business, and by taking advantage, his business gained much momentum.
In an interview, Popovic explained how autographs became a rarity during the pandemic as face to face meetings were limited and players avoided in-person physical contact, whether it be by choice or as a result of league protocol.
“Ever since the pandemic began, the business sort of took off. People couldn't see each other as much face to face, so autographs really became a delicacy. That’s where my business came in.”
Jovan Popovic, Pop Sports Memorabilia Founder
Since autographs became much less common, private signings took over. As business continued to grow, Popovic continued looking for more players to sign, having included as many as 12 players in a single wave of signings before.
When explaining his business model, Popovic described himself as the one who “connects” the two parties — players and fans.
“The way the business works, I would conduct research and find players that I believe are in high demand. I would reach out to them using my connections, or by contacting their agents. As soon as I get in touch with them, I’d negotiate a deal, and once it's set I would bring it to my customer base and start collecting items for the player,” explained Popovic.
Although Popovic is currently in contact with dozens of different baseball players, getting in contact with all of them was not easy. He explained that when he first broke into the business, he messaged 150 different players over Instagram, only to receive a reply from one.
“It didn't start off well. Generally [for] every 150 players I’d message, I would get one reply. Once I finished off with the first couple players, I offered them referral fees to get me in contact with others. That was what helped my business propel forward,”
Jovan Popovic
Through his connections and his negotiations with sports agencies such as Apex Baseball and True Gravity, Popovic has managed to gather an impressive pool of talent from the baseball world. Among the players with whom he has done business are Daniel Nava (World Series champion, 2013), Reese McGuire (Blue Jays catcher), Kris Bubic (Royals starting pitcher) and Ross Stripling (Blue Jays starting pitcher and former All-Star).
Although players may be slowly returning to normal signing more often now than through a majority of the pandemic, Popovic has found himself able to maintain a high business volume. After having grown the business from scratch, Pop Sports Memorabilia has made a name for itself in the industry over the course of the year. To learn more about the business, or to get in touch with Popovic, you can message him through the business Instagram or visit his website.
