C/O Yoohyun Park/Production Coordinator
Fans attend the game for a couple of hours, but how much effort gets put into preparing a game?
Football, basketball and volleyball — these are McMaster’s three most popular varsity sports for students to enjoy watching, but there are many more, from badminton to field hockey to water polo and more. Not only does each sport require a different set up, but each individual game does too. For example, setting up for football homecoming to a sold out stadium required a different set of plans than the second game against the Laurier Golden Hawks when it was rainy and cold.
All these considerations and more are handled by TJ Kelly, the Facilities and Events Manager for McMaster’s athletics and recreation department. After he thinks of everything, Dalton Jeyapalan, the Events Coordinator, implements it with Kelly’s approval as the final word.
Jeyapalan originally recognized his passion for working with sports when he was an undergraduate student at York University, holding an event staff job as part of the work-study program.
“I just knew that it was bigger than myself; it was part of school identity. And sports have a huge role in a lot of individuals and their success in their academics, so I knew that I always wanted to work in university athletics. I felt it was just more intimate and more focused on individual self development and growth,” explained Jeyapalan.
"I just knew that it was bigger than myself; it was part of school identity. And sports have a huge role in a lot of individuals and their success in their academics, so I knew that I always wanted to work in university athletics. I felt it was just more intimate and more focused on individual self development and growth."
Dalton Jeyapalan, Events coordinator
As Events Coordinator, Jeyapalan is on campus quite often, even on off days. It takes about a week to set up properly and ensure that the event runs smoothly. He considers multiple groups of people, from audio and visual, to the OUA and even student organizations such as the Black Student Athlete Council. All these groups and many more have something to gain from being considered in the planning of these events. He ensures each group has exactly what they need through constant communication and piecing everything together like a puzzle.
“If you get the logistics in place a few days in advance, it helps for a seamless event, rather than just figuring it out at game time and I gotta tell people, ‘Okay go get this, go get that.’ It's more like having this stuff prepped, knowing where it is and that way when the questions are asked, you have the answer as soon as possible,” said Jeyapalan.
Luckily, when it comes to putting the entire event together on the day of, Jeyapalan isn’t alone. He is aided by a group of event staff, made up of McMaster students. There are about 45 to 50 event staff and different quantities of staff members are in attendance at every game. Event staff help out with a variety of game day operations such as COVID-19 documentation check, ticket scanning and more.
For Jeyapalan, the event staff are his coworkers and people he can help grow and succeed, both in their careers and academically. He encourages students as a whole to push the envelope and try new things to see what they’re really capable of.
“I like to think that I'm a prime example. I never thought I could work in sports and I tested the envelope. I did things that are out of the ordinary and I'm here now . . . Give me a shout, follow me on LinkedIn. I’m there and we can definitely connect and see where your opportunities can align with mine and we can see how far you can go above me. Because that’s my main goal — to see everyone around me get bigger and better,” said Jeyapalan.
Because that’s my main goal — to see everyone around me get bigger and better
Dalton Jeyapalan
Just like how events require a lot of planning, so does a university career; however, it helps to add a little bit of fun. Students may not have fan cams cheering them on, but they have friends, professors and more all ready to support one another. It is important for students in all university communities, not just within sports, to support each other and remember that their friends, professors and support systems are there to help.
If interested in supporting McMaster’s varsity teams, tickets are now available for basketball and volleyball at mcmaster.universitytickets.com with more non-ticketed events coming in the winter season during second semester.
C/O Dolled UP Desserts
Katarina Poletto, the founder of Dolled Up Desserts, reveals her journey from the Health Sciences program at Mac to opening her own bakery
After graduating from her undergraduate studies in health sciences at McMaster University in 2016, Katarina Poletto was ready to begin her master’s degree at the University of Chicago. However, her plans took an unexpected turn when she decided to take a year off to pursue her true passion — baking. She opened her award-winning bakery, Dolled Up Desserts, that same year, specializing in gluten-free, vegan desserts with a pin-up vintage twist.
Poletto entered the health sciences program at McMaster thinking she would go into medicine. But when she realized she didn’t want to pursue it anymore, she began to explore her other interests in holistic health and wellness.
“I really went in a really different direction than most of my peers. In second year, I realized I wanted to [do something different] because I became disenchanted with the medical system,” said Poletto.
For her fourth-year thesis project, Poletto had researched alternative therapies for eating disorder treatment under the supervision of Dr. Parmjit Singh and she wanted to continue on a similar pathway for her career, focusing on research and policy making for alternative therapies and holistic health.
Poletto received an offer and scholarship to attend the University of Chicago for graduate studies in social service administration and policy in the fall of 2016. However, it all changed when she received the Summer Company grant for entrepreneurial students after learning about it from her partner, and now husband, earlier the same year.
With the $3,000 and business mentorship provided through the grant program, Poletto started Dolled Up Desserts.
Poletto had always loved baking and grew up in a household with a sweet tooth. However, during university, she developed intolerances to gluten, dairy and eggs. Following this change in her diet, she began to bake for herself more because she noticed there was a gap in the market for high-quality gluten-free and vegan baked goods.
“Oftentimes, [gluten-free food] tastes like cardboard or sandpaper and I wasn’t going to settle for that. I really focused on trying to make tasty gluten-free items,” said Poletto.
Poletto was already an avid baker, baking at least twice a week, and worked on converting all her recipes into gluten-free and vegan items she could enjoy. With her recipes and knowledge about the gap in the market, she was inspired to create a business to fill that gap.
Dolled Up Desserts started as a wholesale gluten-free and vegan dessert manufacturing business. Within the first few months after the launch, the business saw tremendous growth and the demand for her products were high. In fact, the Union Market at the McMaster Student Union Centre was one of her first customers.
Seeing the great potential for her business, Poletto never turned back to her graduate studies.
“I had no idea what I was doing. I was absolutely just going at it, learning as I was going and I felt confident in that,” said Poletto.
In July of 2020, Dolled Up Desserts finally opened its brick-and-mortar location on James Street to offset the losses during the COVID-19 pandemic. Prior to opening the physical location, Dolled Up Desserts was mainly focused on providing dietary-inclusive desserts for restaurants, school cafeterias, stadiums, hotels, banquet halls and other event centres. However, during the peak of the pandemic, they lost many of their food service customers.
“We were doing some really big things leading up to the beginning of 2020 — huge, massive things — and we lost it all in a week when the lockdown happened because gluten-free and vegan products aren’t part of a restaurant’s core business. It’s an accessory product that’s good to have. So, I’m grateful for the store. It’s definitely given us a bit more presence in the community and given our brand awareness overall,” said Poletto.
Poletto is still looking to get the business back in the food service sector while continuing the store front as it is her firm goal to have inclusive desserts be available and accessible everywhere.
Looking ahead into the holiday season, Dolled Up Desserts will soon launch their holiday menu at the end of November. The holiday menu occurs once a year where every item is replaced with the best of the best, limited-edition Christmas and holiday themed baked goods.
The story of Dolled Up Desserts may not be a typical one. Poletto did not pursue a predictable career in the science field coming out of the health sciences program, but she says the skills and knowledge gained from the program have been integral to her success and starting a business for the first time.
“From the outside, it’s really hard to see this and it’s gotten lost in translation over the years, but the health sciences program really gives learners the opportunity to develop different skills to be lifelong learners and do and learn about things that interest them in a way that makes sense to them,” Poletto explained.
Poletto valued the inquiry learning model from the program the most which allows the students to be directors of their own education.
“[Inquiry] is a free form space or you to try and unlearn all the things you’ve learned from traditional school . . . and that learning model really opened up my mind and awareness to who I am as a person and really helped me develop the skills to be a lifelong learner,” said Poletto.
“[Inquiry] is a free form space or you to try and unlearn all the things you’ve learned from traditional school . . . and that learning model really opened up my mind and awareness to who I am as a person and really helped me develop the skills to be a lifelong learner,”
Katarina Poletto, Founder of Dolled Up Desserts
Today, Poletto often returns to McMaster as a guest speaker and mentor for health sciences and commerce courses.
Poletto’s journey of wanting to go into medicine to opening her own bakery has been challenging and difficult. So what’s the secret ingredient behind her success? She says flexibility and open-mindedness to new opportunities.
“If I was so focused on, ‘This is the way I have to do things and this is the only goal I have,’ I would have never [started Dolled Up Desserts]. I believe having goals is really important, especially long-term goals, but there also has to be room for flexibility and opportunity there. If you are ever presented with a really exciting thing that may be off kilter to what you think you should be doing, just do it because you never know — it could change your life,” said Poletto.
“If I was so focused on, ‘This is the way I have to do things and this is the only goal I have,’ I would have never [started Dolled Up Desserts]. I believe having goals is really important, especially long-term goals, but there also has to be room for flexibility and opportunity there. If you are ever presented with a really exciting thing that may be off kilter to what you think you should be doing, just do it because you never know — it could change your life,”
Katarina Poletto, Founder of Dolled Up Desserts
C/O Ainsley Thurgood
The City of Hamilton warns students their residence may have lead service pipes via letter
By: Kate O’Melia, News Staff Writer
Students living in houses built before 1955 in Hamilton might be getting a letter from the City of Hamilton warning them about lead in their private water service pipe.
The City of Hamilton is aware there are approximately 20,000 homes with lead pipes in Hamilton currently. Lead can be dangerous for a number of reasons, including health effects such as reduced cognition, increased blood pressure and renal dysfunction. Since this was not known when many of Hamilton's older houses were built, it was used in pipes until 1955 and in the solder for the pipes’ connections up to the 1990s. Unfortunately, some of these may include McMaster University student houses.
One household in the Westdale area received a letter from the City of Hamilton in early September, during McMaster’s Welcome Week, warning that they had a lead or unknown private water service pipe entering their house.
Mac student Trevor Whitesell said his house received the letter right after moving in to start their second year. Since receiving the letter on Sept. 7, he and his roommates have been more cautious with their water intake.
"I don't want to risk it . . . Small amounts [of lead] can be harmful, so I'm pretty cautious about it. I think we just got a Brita the other day [to] make sure we're not drinking it. But other than that, we just drink bottled water instead. For showering and brushing your teeth with the water, what else can you really do?" said Whitesell.
Their service pipe was not confirmed to be lead, but because the house was built prior to 1955, it was suggested that the residents identify the type of pipe supplying water to protect themselves from possible toxic lead exposure.
“The private portion of this pipe is the responsibility of the homeowner,” stated the letter.
Since the lines installed are on private property, it is up to the homeowner to check for any lead and replace service pipes if needed.
This isn’t the first time Mac students have had run-ins with lead pipes.
In May of 2020, a Spotted At Mac post was made stating that the City of Hamilton had confirmed their house in the Emerson area had lead pipes and warned other students to check their houses for lead pipes.
Usually, the city would arrange for a Water Distribution Operator to come into homes to check for lead pipes, but COVID-19 regulations make this impossible. For now, the city is asking residents to conduct the inspection using a visual and/or scratch test on their own by following a video tutorial.
In addition to this online tutorial, the city is offering virtual inspections. Residents can also choose to send in water samples for testing instead of or in addition to the scratch test. Any water sample tested by the city should contain levels of lead under 10 micrograms per litre to be deemed safe for drinking.
A Tap Water Lead Levels map made in 2008 by the City of Hamilton shows that there are also many houses throughout Hamilton that contain some traces of lead, but at levels deemed safe enough for drinking. These homes can be identified as the green dots on the map which contain under 10 micrograms of lead per litre.
If a residence is inspected and found to have lead pipes, the homeowner must replace it at their own expense and schedule a date with the city for a replacement of the public portion of the pipe. The city does allow for applications to a $2,500 loan transferred to the homeowner’s water bill.
However, to qualify for this loan, the existing pipe needs to be substantially composed of lead. Additionally, replacing lead pipes can be difficult and costly even if the loan is granted.
Whitesell and his roommates are worried that their landlord will not want to address the possible lead exposure in the household because of how costly this might be. Students facing similar circumstances may feel the same way.
Currently, the City of Hamilton estimates that it will take approximately 25 to 40 years to replace all the private water service pipes containing lead.
“Yeah, I’m totally fine.”
The human body is incredible, isn’t it? It’s capable of so much — all we have to do is train it and trust that it will keep up with any physical exertions that are inflicted. It suffices to say that most of us have gotten quite good at inferring the consequences that our dietary intakes and lifestyles would have on the mechanical aspects of our bodies.
To train for any sport, for example basketball, athletes train and appropriately fuel their bodies in order to perform on the court.
If one can infer these things for physical well-being, what about the stuff that goes on inside your head? Though the conversations around mental health have substantially improved, it seems to me that many are more invested in its social advocacy rather than its implementation to reality, especially when it concerns themselves.
When waking up on time becomes a miracle instead of routine and eating breakfast turns into a time-permitting luxury, perhaps your medial prefrontal cortex is trying to tell you something.
Everyone experiences stress from time to time. In fact, you’re probably experiencing some form of it as you’re reading this right now. The type of stress holds a lot more significance than one might assume.
Episodes of acute stress, that can cause an individual to do things like type at godspeed at 11:56 PM, elicit the “fight or flight” response. This goes on to increase cortisol and adrenaline levels and blood pressure.
Chronic stress may develop if these moments of acute stress are prolonged, or if the stressors themselves are there to stay, such as the steady demands of university workloads.
The never-ending drone of monotone lectures, awkward tutorials, labs with clocks that definitely tick faster and tedious group assignments often cause students to disregard obvious signs of mental health deterioration. The combination of all that pressure can result in “burnout,” otherwise known as a state of physical, emotional and mental exhaustion.
This can leave a person unmotivated, anxious or cynical, the consequences of which may be disastrous.
McMaster’s mental health resources, which include outlets to gain information, will tell you no different. In addition to facilitating mental health education, McMaster offers several other resources such as guided self-help, peer support, student services, phone lines and even mental health crisis support.
However, you didn’t need me to tell you that. The majority of McMaster’s student body is aware that some form of mental health support exists, much like it does at most post-secondary institutions.
Why, then, might one ask that recognizing and being aware of mental health is still a concern, if not a greater one than before? This can be explained, in my opinion, through a combination of two factors, the first of which may be quite apparent: the onset of remote learning and the assumption of immunity.
Let’s break this down.
As discussed by many before, a shift to online learning has meant fewer in-person interactions with peers, more uncertainties about daily scheduling and a decreased sense of structure.
Though manageable and perhaps even beneficial for a short period of time, the stretch of its duration has resulted in added layers of concern such as employment terminations and financial hardships, all of which contribute to mental health deteriorations. Prior to the onset of the pandemic, 46 per cent of Ontario students reported feelings of depression and a whopping 65 per cent experienced overwhelming anxiety. Imagine the numbers now.
It also shouldn’t be a surprise that these layers affect different students to varying degrees when you account for initial socioeconomic states that are often influenced by social identities, race and ethnicity.
Now that we’ve established a plausible source for increased mental health concerns, what’s stopping students from acknowledging them — let alone seeking support? People love to overestimate their own abilities and qualities, which is a form of cognitive bias that’s explained by the illusory superiority theory.
In some contexts, this bias can be beneficial by providing the necessary confidence to perform a certain task. In the case of mental health, however, it can prove to be detrimental by providing fuel to the assumption that we are immune to its degradation.
This is where things can get dangerous. While it’s important to push yourself to reach your fullest potential, it’s just as important to know when to pause. The problem with assuming immunity is that students may overestimate their abilities and continue to pile on work while convincing themselves that “they’re fine.”
So how does one swallow their pride and seek help? The solution may seem blatantly obvious and one that I’m sure you’ve heard countless times: find balance. Remember that, even though school may be quite demanding, it’s important to schedule in TikTok-less breaks and spend them doing things that you enjoy. Take a breather. After all, timeouts and half-times exist for a reason.
C/O Thibault Penin
Young women are disproportionately ridiculed for their popular interests
Time and time again, we’ve heard the word “basic” being used to describe popular trends in mainstream media. Everything from Starbucks Frappuccinos to UGGs to One Direction has at least once fallen under the umbrella of being “basic.” Designating popular trends as basic has extended to an unwanted label on those who consume them.
It’s no surprise that the label of being basic falls largely on what is liked by women. I consider 2016 as the golden era of what was and is still considered to be basic. As an eighth grader at the time, I completely remember the satisfaction of buying that one dark green fall jacket with the gold buttons that everyone around me seemed to wear.
To me, buying that jacket was nothing short of an achievement as its popularity at the time truly cannot be described. Imagine my surprise when that jacket was lumped into the multitude of trends that were designated as “embarrassing” to participate in.
This notion of being undervalued as young women, especially in the context of following the status quo, wasn’t isolated to small-level interactions. Throughout history, musicians have lamented against being known as artists liked by crowds of young women.
5 Seconds of Summer is a band that rose to popularity around the same time that One Direction did. In fact, they joined the latter on multiple tours and consequently gained a fanbase that largely resembled that of One Direction’s. However, in 2014, they expressed that their credibility as a “real band” was hindered by being known as a band that was “just for girls” and revelled in the fact that they had started to gain more male fans.
It’s incredibly troubling to note that the impact of being labelled as basic has led to a perceived decline in credibility of anything with a female-majority fanbase.
While the “basic” label may have peaked in popularity in the 2010s, many other labels have come and gone that seem to only have the purpose of ridiculing women. As a reaction to the “basic” title, internalized misogyny began to manifest in the minds of many young women. Suddenly, the scales tipped in the other direction and being “not like other girls” was highly valued. The only way to gain any sort of unique identity was straying away from what we all loved just months ago.
Eventually, the story repeated itself and the label “not like other girls” began its turn in the cycle of ridiculing what girls choose to like. On TikTok, a social media platform that recently gained popularity in 2020, videos posted under #notlikeothergirls have over 85 million views with the majority of them mocking “alternative” trends enjoyed by young women.
If it seems as if you can’t enjoy anything without some form of backlash, then you’re not far off from reality. It’s time for us to make the active decision to focus on all the benefits that come from adoring the same songs, clothing and movies as the majority.
I’m proud to admit that nearly everything I like could be considered basic. Perhaps the most basic of all is my adoration of Taylor Swift’s discography. However, it’s also gratifying to have so many interests that others can relate to when you freely accept the value of being basic.
Why wouldn’t you choose to enjoy the fact that your favourite song is also at the top of the charts in the world right now? What’s the true disadvantage of being able to see yourself in women around the world? On the other hand, if you choose to let the criticism in and affect every aspect of your life, you only compromise your own happiness.
The unfortunate observation from the persistent mockery of both being like and unlike other women has cemented the fact that we gain nothing from trying to please others. We shouldn’t view this observation as a battle we “can’t win,” but rather a battle that doesn’t need to be fought.
Immediate disdain of an entire demographic for their interests isn’t a reflection of your shortcomings, but of those who choose to make such blanket statements.
C/O Robin Worrall, Unsplash
Hamilton police investigated shooting threat made against McMaster University and Mohawk College
On Sunday, Nov. 7, a screenshot began circulating around social media which claimed that someone had made a shooting threat against McMaster University and Mohawk College for Monday, Nov. 8.
Messages in the screenshot showed an individual warning others not to go to campus on Monday. This screenshot was spread through various social media platforms, such as Instagram and the Spotted at Mac Facebook page.
That day, a statement was released through McMaster Daily News, saying that the police had been informed of the situation and that McMaster would be proceeding with classes as usual on Nov. 8.
“The university has not been made aware of any reason not to go ahead with its usual operations. Based on the information that McMaster has received, McMaster will be operating normally on Monday,” stated the university.
Navya Sheth, a second-year student at McMaster University, noted that most of her initial information about the shooting threat was learned from discussions with her peers. Sheth said her peers reacted to the shooting threat and to McMaster’s statement in different ways.
“Several of my friends were really concerned and took [the threat] really seriously. Others were not concerned at all and didn’t think that it was going to happen regardless. And then there was a third smaller fraction which might have been concerned, but then, when the university took action and when class was still running, decided to continue as normal,” said Sheth.
“Several of my friends were really concerned and took [the threat] really seriously. Others were not concerned at all and didn’t think that it was going to happen regardless. And then there was a third smaller fraction which might have been concerned, but then, when the university took action and when class was still running, decided to continue as normal.”
Nayva Sheth, Second-year McMaster Student
On the morning of Nov. 8, Mohawk College released a statement on Twitter.
“Police are investigating and there is no indication that this represents a credible threat. College campuses and services will be operating as normal today,” stated Mohawk.
On the morning of Monday, Nov. 8, the Hamilton Police followed up with their own statement on Twitter, saying that they had located the source of the threat.
The Hamilton Police managed the investigation into the shooting threat and determined that it was not credible.
The Hamilton Police managed the investigation into the shooting threat and determined that it was not credible.
Still, both McMaster and Mohawk experienced increased police presence on Monday, Nov. 8, as a precaution.
C/O McMaster Rowing
The first major rowing competition after a year and a half was welcomed by many
On Nov. 6, the Canadian University Rowing Championships took place at Brock University. After over a year of the COVID-19 led recess, the best rowers from universities across Canada gathered to take part in the competition. There were a total of 21 schools competing in both mens and womens entries that had a chance to prove themselves over the two days of competition.
McMaster participated as one of the 21 teams in the rowing competition. They entered the tournament with a total of seven entries, which were: Mens Open 1x, Womens Lightweight 2x, Mens Lightweight 1x, Womens Open 1x, Mens lightweight 2x, Womens lightweight 1x and Mens lightweight 4+.
Overall, the major Canadian rowing competition did not conclude well award-wise for the Marauders, who were unable to achieve podium status in any of their entries. The first race of the day was the Mens Open 1x, which was scheduled at 9:00 a.m. The 2,000 metre rowing distance had McMaster finish in 13th place with a time of 7:57.717.
The next two races didn’t show much more success than the first, unfortunately. In the second race — Women's Lightweight 2x — the Marauders placed 11th while achieving a time of 8:18.096 for 2,000 metres. The third event for McMaster was the Mens Lightweight 1x, which resulted in a 9th place finish for the school, with a time of 7:56.410.
Arguably the biggest success that the Marauders have achieved throughout the rowing championship was the Men's Lightweight 4+ race. The team managed to qualify for the finals, where they unfortunately fell to sixth place, with a total time of 7:00.070 over 2,000 metres. The participants for McMaster’s most successful and final race were Liam McDonald, Alex Barnes, Alex Cowman and Jack Thorpe.
Although McMaster did not do very well in this competition, University of British Columbia student Niko Schramm managed to make the podium in both of his races throughout the weekend. Speaking to him, he expressed his excitement to be back to the sport that he loves after such a long time.
“I was so excited to be a part of this competition. This COVID break seemed to last forever to me and I couldn't wait to get back to rowing. As a student athlete, breaks like these in the past period affected [me] a lot and a return was much needed,” explained Schramm.
Schramm also added how the COVID break started for him and his peers.
“In 2020 there were meant to be many races for my peers and I to participate in. However, there was so much uncertainty as to what would happen, [and] eventually everything had to be cancelled until further notice. I was gutted,” said Schramm
When asked about the competition opportunities for his university compared to McMaster and other Ontario schools, Schramm said that his school did not get as many opportunities to prove themselves on the big stage leading up to the big competition last weekend.
“This was [UBC’s] first major meet in a very long time. It’s a different scenario for Ontario universities as they have had Ontario University Athletics championships beforehand so they have gained some competitive experience leading up to this major meet,” explained Schramm.
"It’s a different scenario for Ontario universities as they have had Ontario University Athletics championships beforehand so they have gained some competitive experience leading up to this major meet,”
Niko Schramm, University of British Columbia Rower
Schramm also spoke about the success he achieved during this rowing meet, coming in second and third place in his heats.
“Personally, we were a bit disappointed with what we achieved. We didn’t really expect anything other than a win in our heats, as we have worked hard to prepare in the best possible way for these races. The expectations were really high as UBC has done exceptionally well at rowing competitions in previous years. On a personal level though, I am somewhat satisfied with the way that I have done. I am just glad to be back to rowing,” said Schramm.
"I am just glad to be back to rowing,"
Niko Schramm, University of British Columbia Rower
Although the Canadian University Rowing Championship is over and won't be played again until next season, the competition couldn't come at a better time for many of the student athletes who have been hungry for competition after a year and a half of inactivity. While the Marauders season comes to an end, there is plenty of room for optimism and improvement when looking ahead to the next season.
C/O Safer Spaces
The Safer Spaces Project, a joint initiative by Industry and Hamilton Fringe, seeks to create safer theatre and art spaces
Theatres and other art spaces are often perceived as safe spaces — spaces upheld by mutual respect, trust and kindness where folks can comfortably express themselves and feel supported.
However, this view fails to completely capture the real definition of a safe space: an environment free from harassment, racism, sexism and other forms of discrimination, oppression and emotional or physical harm. In reality, the view that artistic spaces are fundamentally designed to be a safe space could not be further from the truth.
The Safer Spaces Project is a research project led by two arts organizations at the forefront of change in performance and art spaces, Industry and the Hamilton Fringe. The aim of the project is to collect data on harm that exist in theatre and art culture through a survey and use the information obtained to develop an internal cultural guide on mitigating harm and setting expectations of behaviour and accountability at Industry and Hamilton Fringe.
The survey launched in July 2021 and the hope is to collect 250 responses from all folks who engage with theatre and art spaces — performers, musicians, directors, producers and patrons just to name a few. A select number of survey participants will be interviewed to expand on their lived experiences. It is open to folks from any location; participants don’t need to be from Hamilton nor have an experience in an art space in Hamilton.
Robin Lacambra, also the Founder of GOODBODYFEEL, a pilates, yoga and mindfulness studio in Hamilton, is the director of the Safer Spaces Project. She was brought onto the project because of her previous work in creating safer spaces and collective liberation. Her online courses such as Sharing Privilege focus on how folks can implement more inclusive and anti-oppressive daily practices and be more aware of their individual privilege.
Laura Welch, the project coordinator, joined the Safer Spaces team to address and open the conversation on toxic norms of creative spaces that are too often swept under the rug. As an actress, she witnessed first-hand the abuses of power and discrimination in theatre. Outside of this project, she is the Safe Spaces Coordinator for Industry and Artistic Director of Light Echo Theatre.
“This project is really near and dear to my heart because throughout my experiences of working in the professional-level theatre, there’s just been so many abuses of power, harms and a lack of care in many of the spaces and it has deeply affected the quality of my artistry and my ability to seek employment in a field I have wanted to do my whole life. This project is a way to start addressing that,” explained Welch.
Everyone on the Safer Spaces Project team contributes unique perspectives and diverse, lived experiences to the conversation about issues in theatre and art spaces.
Researchers on the team include Maddie Krusto, an artist, educator and community outreach coordinator at the Hamilton Fringe, and Kitoko Mai, a Black, non-binary, multidisciplinary performance, media and community artist.
The project’s steering committee is composed of Karen Ancheta, a Filipina theatre storyteller and theatre performer; Adrienne Crossman, queer and non-binary curator and artist; Juan Jaramillo, a Latinx, deaf performance artist; Josh Taylor, Black dancer and owner of Defining Movement Dance studio; Talli Osborne, a performance artist born missing her arms; and Cher Obediah, an Indigenous storyteller, writer and artist.
“It’s a very colourful steering committee and that’s very rare. It’s really rare to have steering committees that aren’t predominately White . . . Even though all the experiences are individual, because we have such an intersectional team, we are getting way more data from our steering committee meetings than just a boardroom of White men talking about what they think will be best,” explained Lacambra.
So far, the response to the project has been affirming. Many people have shared their appreciation about the conversations the team is promoting online, through the survey and at panels. On Nov. 25, Safer Spaces Project will have a booth at the Garden Project Party for folks to complete the survey at the event and ask questions.
Once 250 survey responses have been collected, the team is planning on hosting a public panel to share the findings. When the internal culture guide is complete, it will be available on the Industry and Hamilton Fringe websites for feedback and re-evaluated annually. On a broader scale, the team hopes the guide can serve as a blueprint for other arts organizations and places to cultivate a safe space in their own practices.
“The hope is to create this takeaway: we did all this research, we spoke to a lot of people, we have such a diverse steering committee, so many experiences are being considered in this document we are presenting, [so] take it and run with it and make your space safer for more folks,” said Lacambra.
In addition to the development of the internal cultural guide, the Safer Spaces Project facilitates discussions about oppressive and harmful practices in the entertainment and art industries through its interview series called Midday Musings. The series is conducted by the core team of Lacambra, Welch, Krusto and Mai featuring guest speakers to share their experiences and the changes they would like to see.
The series re-emphasizes the importance of the Safer Spaces Project and amplifies voices of those that have gone through challenges and are surviving and thriving. In doing so, the team also hopes it will increase engagement and encourage others to take part in the survey.
“[Collecting enough survey responses] has been a little tricky so far. I think partially because to actually name there’s an issue in an industry where you are so replaceable can feel really scary. We are trying to continue a conversation that has been happening underground for a while and spark something in artists to do the survey so we can get data and make change,” said Welch.
In an industry in which success is heavily reliant on fame, power and influence, it can be difficult to speak up. Silence is demanded. Complaints are shut down. And the squeaky wheel doesn’t get the role. However, it is more the reason why the project requires support and action.
“It’s important for all folks to recognize we are all required to intentionally contribute to creating equitable futures and just futures and liberated futures. If we aren’t intentionally contributing to such a cause, then we are unintentionally holding that reality back from manifesting. We are all required in the revolution of collective liberation,” said Lacambra.
By participating in the survey, folks can enact their leadership and power to drive tangible change in fostering safer, braver theatre and art spaces.
“And wouldn’t that be an amazing thing to do?” said Lacambra.
Sil sit down with Steven Page on first BPAC performance since COVID
On Nov. 13, the Steven Page Trio is once again performing at the Burlington Performing Arts Centre as part of an Ontario-wide tour. This performance marks approximately eighteen months since the trio’s last performance in Burlington — the group’s last show before the COVID-19 pandemic locked down Canada.
“It feels great . . . I think I might have maybe expected something — some deeper feeling that I was getting because it’s what I’ve done for 30 years and if you’re away from it, but [because] I’ve been doing the online shows through most of the pandemic, I kind of kept some of my chops up and I’m able to because they’re on Zoom,” said Steven Page, former frontman of Barenaked Ladies and Canadian Music Hall of Fame recipient.
Since April 2020, Page has been livestreaming weekly concerts from his basement. Selling tickets for a small price, the musician has been able to ensure fans still get a taste of live music in a safe way from home. To date, Page has livestreamed 74 shows with plans to do more in the future in between his in-person shows.
“When everything shut down and I watched a lot of musicians, my peers and also superstars and young people doing online streaming shows . . . at first I resisted it. I thought “I don’t know how interested I would be sitting here at this table with my guitar” and that they were often that kind of intimate “Hang out in the kitchen with Hugh Jackman” or something like that. I didn’t know if I wanted that, but people started to kind of expect if from everybody,” said Page.
Although Page was apprehensive at first, he became inspired by friend and Canadian singer-songwriter Dan Mangan’s company Side Door. In a pre-pandemic time, Side Door would organize concerts in peoples’ homes. Due to COVID-19, Side Door pivoted to organize livestreamed concerts. Page watched one of Mangan’s concerts and saw the opportunity to have a musician play to an audience, albeit virtually.
“I thought I’d try [performing] one and so you charge eight bucks a concert, it’s not a heck of a lot but I play two to two and a half hours. They’re long shows, but that’s how it ended up evolving and I think once I realized it was something that we could actually do as musicians that kept us in our jobs in a time when our jobs were impossible, it was pretty exciting,” said Page.
In 1991, Page rose to popularity with the release of “The Yellow Tape”, a demo tape created by Barenaked Ladies. Helmed by duo Ed Robertson and Page, the band was set to play Toronto City Hall’s New Year’s Eve party but were removed from the setlist due to controversy of the band’s name. Instead, BNL performed at McMaster University.
“I guess I remember it was one of those things that it didn’t register with us that much that we got kicked off the Toronto City Hall show. We were bummed about it, but we had other shows before too where people would be like “Oh I don’t want those guys” and sometimes it was about our name, sometimes it’s just that they didn’t like us or we didn’t draw well enough or whatever. So, we went and did the show at McMaster for New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Eve is always fun and wild and that was that. But the whole publicity that came out of that thing later, happened after New Year’s. I think somebody at the [Toronto] Star caught wind of it and ended up putting it on the front page of the newspaper and that was a big part of how people got to know who Barenaked Ladies were back then. But we were kind of nonplussed and just happy to have the university gig,” said Page.
Just over 30 years later, Page is still performing, now with the Steven Page Trio comprised of Craig Northey on the guitar and Kevin Fox on the cello.
“The greatest thing for me at the beginning was reuniting with Craig Northey and Kevin Fox in my trio because we haven’t been able to be in the same room together like that, but after a few shows under our belts, now we can step back and go “Oh, we’re playing really well together”. You start to, I think, enjoy the things that you maybe took for granted pre-pandemic, just the little nuances musically or the moments together on stage, or the response from the audience,” explained Page.
Although provincial restrictions are slowly lifting, many live shows have yet to return with many still apprehensive to partake in an atmosphere with hundreds of people. Page shared why he thought now was the right time to return with Northey and Fox to the stage.
“You know I’ll be honest; I didn’t have any plans to be first out of the gate. It was not what we’re trying to do, but this tour of these shows, you often book a whole bunch of shows at once and it was supposed to happen in the fall of 2020 and of course it didn’t happen then. So, then they’re like “Well, let’s move it to March of 2021” because the whole industry kept trying to figure out when was live music going to happen again” said Page.
The show was moved to middle of November in hopes it would be safe to perform to a full audience. In July 2021, Page performed a few shows in the United States to a very welcoming audience; however, then the delta variant of COVID-19 became prevalent. Page has attempted to find a way to bring music to those who are comfortable to be in public settings as well as those who might not be comfortable yet.
“People got a lot more cautious, which was great — I’m happy for people to be cautious which is why, for instance with these shows, in Burlington, people can buy a streaming ticket if they’d rather have one in-person. Which I think is great, but we also have all the vaccine and mask precautions, so it makes it safe,” said Page.
Many know the sound of Page’s voice from hit songs like “If I Had a Million Dollars” or “One Week”. Although much of his set is comprised of songs from his solo adventures, Page shared his favourite song that never gets old to play.
“I’ve been lucky. I enjoy playing most of the songs all the time and I also have enough of a catalogue that I can skip one now and again, if I want to. But “Brian Wilson” is the one I usually close with and that one, it doesn’t get old. For me, it’s not about me singing my song or whatever else. For me it’s about hearing and seeing the audience bring whatever [memories] . . . and I love that. I love that people bringing their own memories of a song with them to this new place altogether and that’s what “Brian Wilson” is for me,” explained Page.
Reflecting on his career, Page had some advice for McMaster students, sharing one of his own experiences.
“You know, I’ll tell you about my own university experience. I went to York [University] and I dropped out in my fourth year and part of me still is like “I wish I had my degree” as if it would have mattered at all to my career path. But, I admit, I enjoyed doing the work and I enjoyed being a student, but I just jumped onto being an artist because it presented itself. I had an opportunity to go on the road and tour, so I was going to do it. I think young people now know so much better than my generation did that it’s okay to follow your instincts on something and do 15 different things and come back to it later. As opposed to having that singular track that we were brought up to believe. You go to school and you become a thing and that thing is who you are for the rest of your life. I’m a doctor, I’m a scientist, I’m a whatever. I think your generation understands much better and I think it’s awesome that you can do those things as long as you want to do them and then you can do something else,” said Page.
The Steven Page Trio will be performing at the Burlington Performing Arts Centre on Saturday, November 13, 2021. Tickets can be purchased for an in-person concert or livestreamed show.
C/O Jesse Martini
Intelligence is made up of more than one IQ test
By: Rankini Kulatilake, Contributor
If FP = 10 and HX = 16, what does DS mean? The answer? 15, the number of alphabetical spaces between the two letters. This is an example of a question from the Mensa IQ test. The Intelligence Quotient test is largely regarded as a way to assess intellectual capacity.
Yet, a closer look at the IQ test reveals that intelligence cannot be measured using a single test. This is illustrated through the reality that the IQ test isn’t subjective, coupled with the fact that intelligence is not composed of one element.
When approaching intelligence in a culturally diverse context, using an IQ test created in Western society in a different community would result in the exclusion of factors that determine what each community sees as intelligent behaviour. One model of intelligence is not universal as it doesn't take into account key points such as cultural values.
Richard Nisbett, an American psychologist, suggests that the Western belief includes the ability to engage in logical discussion while the Eastern view focuses on social roles and the capability to identify contradiction and complexity. Therefore, the IQ test is neither objective nor equal in its assessment of cognitive ability. Intellect cannot be quantified using one biased form of evaluation as it does not consider the vast differences between cultures.
In a study conducted by Adrian Owen, a professor at Western University, it was concluded that one test cannot judge the cognitive performance of a person. Human intelligence is not made up of a singular component, but rather a multitude of elements. Therefore, the idea of intelligence has a variety of definitions and ideas.
One recent theory is Howard Gardner’s, in which he proposes the idea of eight intelligences which includes values from different cultures and various skills. Intelligence is not composed of one element but is categorized by different capacities, including interpersonal and musical capacities.
Now, if a writer with exceptional literature skills isn’t math-oriented, their intellectual ability isn’t diminished. Contrarily, it proves that there is another field where they would excel. As university students, there may be subjects that many of us still struggle with. The same argument goes for many of us who feel that our unsatisfactory results in one area lessen our intelligence. Judging the mind through one viewpoint takes away value from the other kinds of intelligence present.
In spite of this, the IQ test is an effective way to identify young children who may need additional education services, such as “gifted” programs. The gifted program uses IQ tests to determine a student’s admission. These programs help students who are struggling in the general stream reach their full potential as the classroom supports each student’s learning style. However, these programs have traditionally shown a lack of diversity.
In TDSB public schools, students in the gifted stream are disproportionately white and from higher-income families. This imbalance only allows for further inequities beyond public school, translating into post-secondary and work life as well.
“TDSB’s gifted program is lacking in racial diversity and needs a total overhaul,” stated Carl James, a professor at York University.
The fact is the IQ test has indirectly led to inequality and has negatively impacted students of colour. Judging students’ intellect by one subjective test does more harm than good. Casting aside all other factors to place a label on one group of students based on one test is not only harmful to others who harness the potential to fulfill that label, but sets a dangerous precedent for future educational development. As intelligence cannot be accurately quantified, using one test that does not take into account many crucial elements of intellectual ability results in social inequality that translates beyond school.
The IQ test claims to objectively measure intelligence, yet it has been proven otherwise through its exclusion of important cultural differences and other components that contribute to intelligence. When we look around at our peers, we see different values and abilities. While one may argue that one subject produces “smarter” students than another, that’s simply not true. “Intelligence” incorporates a wide variety of elements that cannot be judged through one lens. At the end of the day, our intelligence cannot be compiled into a single number.
