C/O Strathcona Market
Strathcona Market opens up following Mustard Seed Co+op closure
As convenient as Fortino’s and Food Basics may be for your Tuesday grocery run, the big-box grocery stores aren’t the only available options when it comes to stocking your fridge. The newly opened Strathcona Market, located on York Blvd., is a new one-stop-shop for local food and produce just a bus ride away from Mac campus.
MRKTBOX, the company behind Strathcona Market, opened their first physical space at Dundurn Market in West Hamilton in 2018. Only six months ago, they opened Ottawa Market on Ottawa Street, now followed by the new opening of Strathcona Market.
After the closing of The Mustard Seed Co+op in August 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Strathcona Market emerged in its spot at 460 York Blvd. to carry on the Mustard Seed’s legacy of ethically sourced local foods. Given the existing infrastructure and functionality of the space, the transition was a natural step to fill the gap left in the Hamilton community.
“It was very disappointing to hear that the Mustard Seed was closing because they were a pioneer in the local food community, creating a space for properly curated goods . . . There was clearly a loss in terms of the community and their feedback on social media, so it was an opportunity we were given that we also couldn’t pass up,” said Mackenzie Brown, Head of Produce and Communications Manager at Strathcona Market.
The new space at Strathcona Market has allowed MRKTBOX to expand their operations through much needed square footage, a new shipping and receiving center and a parking lot at the market.
Brown described the Strathcona Market as similar to a farmer’s market, operating every day, year-round. The new space functions as both a grocery store and cafe space — a hub for local produce and food.
“Strathcona Market is a multidimensional business that aims to support and uplift the local community by being a central point for local vendors, farmers and otherwise known creators in the city. We want to highlight and celebrate the sort of local food industry and almost create more food security within Hamilton and the greater area. It's hard to actually create a local food stable community unless you have businesses like ours,” explained Brown.
"Strathcona Market is a multidimensional business that aims to support and uplift the local community by being a central point for local vendors, farmers and otherwise known creators in the city."
Mackenzie Brown, Head of Produce and Communications Manager at Strathcona Market
The foods sold at Strathcona Market are sourced with an attention to local, organic and ethically produced products. All local foods come from farmers and businesses within 100 kilometers of the Hamilton area, though sourcing can be variable depending on the in-season produce available.
In the market, the kitchen team can be found manning the in-house cafe to create fresh salads, sandwiches, coffee and more using a selection of local produce.
“You can also see a lot of Hamilton all in one spot. We have butchers from Ottawa Street, which is all the way on the East End. We have local farmers growing in the Hamilton area that sell their goods here in the summer. You can buy fresh bread from three local bakeries that are all in Hamilton. Just coming to Strathcona Market, you're getting your morning coffee and getting all the groceries that you need for the week. You're actually supporting half a dozen to over a dozen local businesses with one purchase,” said Brown.
"Just coming to Strathcona Market, you're getting your morning coffee and getting all the groceries that you need for the week. You're actually supporting half a dozen to over a dozen local businesses with one purchase."
Mackenzie Brown, Head of Produce and Communications Manager at Strathcona Market
For those unable to visit Strathcona Market’s physical space, MRKTBOX has grocery delivery services available, delivered to your doorstep. Market Boxes can be customized weekly with a new assortment of local and organic produce and artisan items for a convenient way to shop local.
For students, a visit to Strathcona Market means not only a way to get out and explore Hamilton, but also to support and give back to the local community.
C/O Uta Scholl, Unsplash
With the rising COVID-19 cases in Ontario, many spent their holidays differently than expected
Prior to the outbreak of the Omicron variant, which began in Ontario at the end of November, the COVID-19 case count had remained relatively stable for most of fall. The lower case counts allowed the province to keep services such as gyms, theatres and indoor dining spaces open. They also allowed individuals to gather in larger groups and travel outside of the country.
The Omicron outbreak sparked a change in these public health guidelines, meaning that many Ontario residents were left spending their holidays in ways that they did not expect to.
Emily Osborne, a second-year student at McMaster University, described how COVID-19 impacted her ability to work over the holidays. Osborne works as a bartender in Hamilton and was planning on remaining in Hamilton to work for much of the winter break; however, she was unable to do so, due to the closure of indoor dining in Ontario.
“I was going to work 70 to 80 hours over the three weeks [of the winter break], but I ended up just working 25 or 30, I think, in the first week. And then we had the first set of restrictions that moved our close time to ten instead of 12:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. and then we had the new set of restrictions that completely closed indoor dining,” explained Osborne.
Despite feeling disappointed at not being able to work as much as planned, Osborne expressed that her situation over the winter break could have been worse.
“I didn't need those shifts and I feel bad for people who were actually really depending on the break [as a] source of income,” said Osborne.
“I didn't need those shifts and I feel bad for people who were actually really depending on the break [as a] source of income.”
Emily Osborne, second-year student at McMaster University
Maia Poon, another second-year student at McMaster, explained that COVID-19 changed her original winter break plans, which were to explore the city of Toronto. Originally from Vancouver, Poon spent the winter break with her grandparents in Scarborough and was looking forward to experiencing an Ontario winter.
“Because I was living with my grandparents [and] with the new COVID numbers, we ended up staying at home and walking outside in our neighborhood, rather than going out to places. So yeah, it was definitely pretty different than we'd imagined,” said Poon.
“Because I was living with my grandparents [and] with the new COVID numbers, we ended up staying at home and walking outside in our neighborhood, rather than going out to places. So yeah, it was definitely pretty different than we'd imagined.”
Maia Poon, second-year student at McMaster University
For Poon, her changing winter break plans were mostly a result of her desire to be cautious, rather than it being a reaction to public health guidelines. Since Poon was living with her grandparents, who she explained are immunocompromised, she was especially concerned about COVID-19 over the winter break.
After a winter break that, for many McMaster students, did not go as planned, the return to school this semester will be different as well, with many classes online until Feb. 7.
Poon said that she would still be returning to Hamilton at the end of the winter break; however, due to the increasing COVID-19 case count, Poon said that she would be getting a ride from a family member, rather than taking public transit.
Osborne, who is located in Oakville, said that she would likely remain at home for a few more weeks following the start of school on Jan. 10.
For Kimia Tahaei, a second-year McMaster student living in Iran, the Omicron variant has complicated her return to McMaster even more.
“I was about to come [to Canada]. My ticket was actually for Dec. 24, so about two weeks ago. And then, when they announced that because of the Omicron variant they're going to delay the school being in person for a week, I just assumed they [would] keep on doing that. So, I just canceled my ticket,” said Tahaei.
Tahaei explained that since she began attending McMaster in fall of 2020, she has had to pay fees to move and cancel flights numerous times, in response to changing statements about a return to in-person learning. Due to this, she opted to cancel her flight rather than push it back.
“The Omicron variant obviously made [planning to come to Hamilton] a lot tougher, because I know it's not the university's fault and it's not the government's fault. Everyone is uncertain. No one knows what to do, but that just puts extra pressure on people who are living abroad,” said Tahaei.
“The Omicron variant obviously made [planning to come to Hamilton] a lot tougher, because I know it's not the university's fault and it's not the government's fault. Everyone is uncertain. No one knows what to do, but that just puts extra pressure on people who are living abroad.”
Kimia Tahaei, Second-year Student At McMaster University
Whether it’s students who live near or far from McMaster, this winter, the Omicron outbreak has placed additional hurdles to many plans. With public health officials predicting that the outbreak has yet to reach its peak, McMaster’s plan for return is still up for changes as the university continues to follow public health guidelines.
C/O Sasha Freemind, Unsplash
How to navigate societal norms as a woman and embrace the person you are
There have been many points in my life where I questioned my capabilities simply for being a woman. I remember as a kid life’s possibilities felt endless and I was not the cookie-cutter version of society's eight-year-old girl. I loved getting aggressive on the field with the boys while playing Manhunt, I chose Pokemon cards over jump-rope at recess and I simply did not care about looks or my poise.
It wasn’t until I slowly started realizing I was not fitting society's mold and if I didn’t change myself to fit into it, I would be seen as less worthy. I began sitting on the sidelines watching the boys play Manhunt, I traded the Pokemon cards for the jump-rope and I started focusing on my looks and mannerisms. I started becoming more fragile and shy and avoided raising my voice.
In a period of time when I faced so much confusion, my second grade teacher was the only one who gave me clarity. He loved to read and write, specifically poems, and showed me that anyone could do what they wanted if they tried. He taught me that nothing can hold you back.
I was still intimidated by the notion of using my own voice and creating something with my mind, but I still pushed myself. Years later in high school, the pressure of being a woman — as depicted by society — grew in intensity. From navigating relationships, adjusting to cliques and figuring out what to do after high school, the only thing keeping me grounded was writing.
Writing helped me use my voice. I had the freedom to write about anything I wanted to. While writing, I did not feel what I felt as a result of society’s influence and messaging about women — small.
While writing, I did not feel what I felt as a result of society’s influence and messaging about women — small.
ANA MAMULA, OPINIONS STAFF WRITER
Through growing up in a society that believes women should be viewed as fragile, nurturing and sensitive, it becomes hard to believe in yourself and find your own independence. We feel as though we have to turn down our true selves or tie our identities to something else to simply fit in.
For example, Canadian women gained the right to vote in 1960. In fact, the pandemic has rolled back women’s employment rates in Ontario to the same levels as 1944. Today, for every 100 men promoted and hired to a manager position, only 72 women are promoted and hired for the same role and for women of colour, that number is even lower, with 68 latina women and 58 black women being promoted in comparison.
It is hard to feel powerful and independent when society tells you to be the complete opposite, yet praises men for their bravery and boldness.
It is hard to feel powerful and independent when society tells you to be the complete opposite, yet praises men for their bravery and boldness.
ana mamula, opinions staff writer
My advice to any woman who feels belittled or smaller than they are is to believe in themselves. As cheesy as it may sound, every woman will be knocked down plenty of times in their life. People will question their skills and strength but as long as you have your own back, that's all that matters.
Moving with confidence and truly investing in yourself is what makes a strong independent woman. Be there for other women, work hard and the only person you truly have to prove anything to is you and no one else.
If not for my second grade teacher showing me everything I could gain from writing and teaching me the importance of valuing what I want to do, I would not be as confident in myself as I am today.
It is important to have inspirational women around you and to do what you love, take time for yourself, learn what gives you that feeling of freedom and run with it. Anyone is capable of doing whatever they please; it is all about confidence and believing in yourself.
C/O Wikimedia
As social restrictions tighten due to the rise in COVID-19 cases, so do sports league restrictions.
As of Jan. 6, the number of COVID-19 cases in Ontario is rising, prompting the Ontario government to release an updated return-to-play framework for both professional and elite amateur sport leagues and events. Included in this framework is a list of elite amateur leagues and events; however, just as they were excluded in June of 2021, both Ontario University Athletics and USPORTS were not included.
What does it mean to be an elite amateur and why isn’t the OUA an elite amateur league? The framework given by the Government of Ontario did not explain what qualifications are required to be considered elite amateur. One of the leagues included in this list is the Ontario Scholastic Basketball Association. This insinuates that OUA basketball athletes who would have been able to practice and play in high school are now no longer able to play as they are not considered elite.
As such, the OUA immediately responded with the hashtag, #OUAisELITE. Coaches and players alike took to social media and began posting using this hashtag.
USPORTS, the national sport governing body of university sport in Canada, supported the OUA in a social media post.
“University sport in Canada is ELITE. It’s time for [governments] to understand our collective benefit to Canada. @USPORTSca stands with all of our conferences and members to say #OUAisELITE and student-athletes deserve to be recognized as being as such!” stated USPORTS Canada.
“University sport in Canada is ELITE. It’s time for [governments] to understand our collective benefit to Canada. @USPORTSca stands with all of our conferences and members to say #OUAisELITE and student-athletes deserve to be recognized as being as such!”
USPORTS Canada
Elite by definition refers to something being a choice part or the best of a class. The OUA claims to be deserving of the title of elite by explaining their athletes’ efforts academically, in the community and historically as many of their athletes graduate and move on to compete in the Olympics and many other national and international competitions.
“The notion that the hard-working student-athletes, who have long strived toward the goal of competing at the post-secondary level and proudly representing one of the OUA’s 20 member institutions in the sport they love, aren’t considered elite by the Government of Ontario is a disservice to the dedication, commitment and talent that they continue to show on a day-to-day basis,” said the OUA in a statement made on Jan. 4.
In support of this argument, nearly two dozen players decided to leave the OUA and sign professional contracts knowing they would not be able to play.
Before these new restrictions were put into play, the OUA had previously decided to delay all games including league play, exhibitions and scrimmages from Jan. 6 to Jan. 24. Since gyms were still open, the athletes could continue practicing during these weeks and launch straight into league play on Jan 24. However, since teams are unable to practice until Jan. 27, official league play cannot resume until the second week of February, after the athletes have had two weeks of practice. This will effectively cut many teams’ seasons short.
Championship dates for basketball are to be decided on or around Mar. 5, with volleyball following in two weeks.
Travis Nguyen/Photo Editor
How the newly imposed restrictions have negatively affected university athletes.
As athletes begin to return after three weeks off for the winter break, they will quickly have to adjust, as the Ontario University Athletics have seen major changes. As of Dec. 17, the OUA has halted all university sports amid the Omicron variant resurgence.
After the tightened restrictions were imposed on Jan. 3 by the Ford Government, all amateur leagues during this lockdown stage must halt all activities until Jan. 27. Additionally, the OUA has been labelled an amateur league, rather than an elite sports league, which sparked a large wave of reactions from the association and its athletes.
“The notion that the hard-working student-athletes who have long strived toward the goal of competing at the post-secondary level and proudly representing one of the OUA’s 20 member institutions in the sport they love aren’t considered elite by the Government of Ontario is a disservice to the dedication, commitment and talent that they continue to show on a day-to-day basis,” explained the OUA in their recent statement regarding the decision.
“The notion that the hard-working student-athletes who have long strived toward the goal of competing at the post-secondary level and proudly representing one of the OUA’s 20 member institutions in the sport they love aren’t considered elite by the Government of Ontario is a disservice to the dedication, commitment and talent that they continue to show on a day-to-day basis.”
Recent statement by the OUA
The OUA strongly stands behind their statement, labelling themselves as elite, and explaining this amatuer label does not do them justice. The sports association has not been the only one that voiced their concerns. McMaster students who may be following any of the Marauders athletes are extremely likely to have seen several postings regarding the decision, as athletes from all sports have united to make their message loud and clear.
So far there has been no word on whether a formal appeal will be placed by the sports league to change the type of league that they’re being labelled as. Additionally, this “amateur league” pause is scheduled to last until at least Jan. 27, which currently interferes with hockey, basketball and volleyball schedules that were meant to take place this month.
Although the main focus of the lockdowns is currently on the OUA league, there are other concerns that individuals will have moving forwards and the effects that they could have on all parties involved.
What does this mean for all the athletes that were scheduled to have their games? What does this mean for all athletes in general? Will their training and season preparation routines change due to the restrictions?
While none of those questions have a concrete answer that could be provided, it is clear that it will not be easy to prepare for games as it was at the beginning of the school year, when the province was not under any tight restrictions due to COVID-19. The road ahead features a lot of uncertainty.
With the province backtracking to step 2 of the lockdown measures, amenities such as gyms and pools are closing effective Jan. 5. Although the restrictions are meant to last only three weeks to combat the rise in cases of COVID-19, it is uncertain whether this period will be extended beyond that.
For athletes around Ontario, the closure of their main preparatory amenities will most definitely hinder their performances and readiness for the new season in some way. For indoor sports such as volleyball and basketball, whose season is still in progress, the lockdowns could also affect the actual game results for the rest of the season.
Currently the mens and womens basketball teams have had four of their games postponed in the January period, against Waterloo Warriors and Windsor Lancers.
As for the mens and womens volleyball team, two of their games have been postponed so far against Windsor Lancers and Brock Badgers. Not only have two of these games been postponed, but the men's team had their highly anticipated exhibition game against the Long Beach State University cancelled as well.
With so much uncertainty for university athletes heading into Ontario's third lockdown, only time will tell what will happen to university sports from February onwards.
C/O Georgia Kirkos
McMaster experts share insights about the updated guidelines and their effects on the spread of Omicron
After relatively steady COVID-19 case counts throughout the fall, the highly contagious Omicron variant was identified in Ontario at the end of November. Since then, case counts have skyrocketed, surpassing 10,000 cases for the first time on Dec. 25.
In response to the increase in COVID-19 cases, the Ontario government has updated public health guidelines, putting in place more restrictions for Ontario residents. This includes stricter gathering limits, closure of events and businesses, shortened quarantine times for individuals tested positive and limits on who can access a PCR test.
The gathering limits in Ontario have been reduced to five people indoors or ten people outdoors. Weddings, funerals and religious services, when held indoors, are limited to 50 per cent capacity of the spaces they are held in. When held outdoors, they must allow for full social distancing between all attendees. Further, businesses and employers must ensure that their employees are working remotely, assuming that this is feasible.
In terms of business closures, indoor dining, theatres, gyms and other similar spaces are required to close completely. Other spaces such as retail settings and public libraries can remain open at 50 per cent capacity.
Zain Chagla, Associate Professor of Medicine at McMaster University, emphasized the importance of these closures for Ontario. According to Chagla, the highly contagious Omicron variant will likely infect a large portion of the population, regardless of public health measures; however, the public health guidelines should slow the spread of Omicron to prevent placing a strain on the healthcare system.
“The hope is [that] public health measures might delay or slow down some of that spread, so [that the Omicron variant spreads] over two to three months, as compared to one month, where hospitals [could] easily become overwhelmed,” said Chagla.
“The hope is [that] public health measures might delay or slow down some of that spread, so [that the Omicron variant spreads] over two to three months, as compared to one month, where hospitals [could] easily become overwhelmed.”
Zain Chagla, Associate Professor of Medicine at McMaster University
Chagla also noted that slowing the spread of Omicron should ensure that essential services still have enough people to operate them in the meantime.
“People, even if they are mild with COVID, still need to isolate and that has downstream impacts on the ability to staff hospitals, police, fire stations, grocery stores, etc. Again, spreading that out a little bit would at least allow some of those essential industries and essential care services to stay open,” explained Chagla.
In addition to stricter COVID-19 related restrictions, Ontario has also made changes to their rules surrounding testing and isolation.
Publicly funded PCR tests, previously available to anyone with symptoms of COVID-19, are now only accessible to symptomatic individuals deemed high-risk by the province. As well, most people who test positive for COVID-19 using a rapid antigen test will no longer be expected to confirm their test result with a PCR test; instead, the province has instructed those people to assume that they have COVID-19 and to isolate for the recommended period.
The recommended isolation period, which was previously ten days since the onset of COVID-19 symptoms, has been shortened to five days since the onset of COVID-19 symptoms, for vaccinated individuals and children under twelve. Ontario was not the only province to implement this change; British Columbia, Manitoba, Alberta, Saskatchewan and New Brunswick have announced shorter isolation periods as well.
Chief Medical Officers and Health Ministers of various provinces have given a range of reasons for the shortened isolation time, such as a far lower risk of transmission after five days, greater incentive to self-test when the quarantine time is shorter and prevention of unmanageable disruptions to the workforce.
In terms of what the changing restrictions will mean for students at McMaster, Chagla pointed out that McMaster’s decision to delay the full return to campus to Feb. 7 will allow students extra time to obtain their third vaccine doses.
“I really want to reassure people, especially young individuals attending Mac, that [if] you get your booster [and] get your two doses, yes, there's a good shot that you would still get COVID in the next few months, but the outcomes are going to be really, really benign,” said Chagla.
According to Lori Burrows, Professor of Pathology and Molecular Medicine at McMaster, obtaining a booster shot is one of the most effective ways to combat the Omicron wave.
According to Lori Burrows, Professor of Pathology and Molecular Medicine at McMaster, obtaining a booster shot is one of the most effective ways to combat the Omicron wave.
Burrows emphasized the importance of being careful in the meantime because, while Omicron is generally less severe for vaccinated individuals, it is still dangerous.
“The natural course of evolution for any virus or pathogen is to become less pathogenic over time because if you're a virus, your goal is to infect as many hosts as possible. If you kill your host, that's a bad strategy from an evolutionary standpoint. So, most pathogens become less pathogenic over time, but better at transmitting,” explained Burrows.
Burrows added that, while this seems to be the direction that Omicron is heading in, it isn’t there yet.
“It's still killing people, so we have got to keep that in mind and we still have to be careful,” said Burrows.
“It's still killing people, so we have got to keep that in mind and we still have to be careful.”
Lori Burrows, Professor of Pathology and Molecular Medicine at McMaster
Despite this, Burrows emphasized that some level of optimism is important because we have made significant progress in fighting COVID-19 over the last two years. As Burrows explained, we did not have vaccines, medications or any understanding of COVID-19 when the pandemic first began. Now, two years later, we are far better equipped to handle the pandemic.
“We are in a better place than we were two years ago,” said Burrows.
C/O Georgia Kirkos
What the university hopes a near full return to in-person will look like
2022 marks nearly two years of McMaster University students adjusting to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. After the initial school closure in March 2020, the McMaster community has faced recurring uncertainty every semester. Unfortunately, it seems the winter semester of 2022 will be no different.
In October of 2021, McMaster informed students that the university is planning for a near full return to in-person activities in the winter semester after a hybrid fall semester.
Kim Dej, McMaster’s associate vice-provost, believed the school has been successful in adapting to COVID-19 regulations amid the hybrid format.
“I think as a community, McMaster faculty, staff and absolutely students did a great job. I really do feel like we all held it together. We supported one another. We recognized that things weren't going to be perfect, but we adapted well,” said Dej during a MacDiscussions roundtable hosted by the Silhouette and CFMU in early December.
During MacDiscussions, Sean Van Koughnett, the dean of students, and Denver Della-Vedova, the McMaster Students Union president, also joined Dej in addressing what they anticipate the winter semester would look like.
Speaking about eating areas, Van Koughnett said that though the school is planning to have the majority of food services open, they must also balance considerations of health and safety.
“There are a couple of locations in [the Student Centre] that will be closed because we’re trying to keep congestion to a minimum, if possible. So, for instance, in MUSC, Teriyaki [Experience] and Booster Juice will be closed, [but] Booster Juice in DBAC will be open, so if students want Booster Juice they can go there,” said Van Koughnett.
“There are a couple of locations in [the Student Centre] that will be closed because we’re trying to keep congestion to a minimum, if possible."
Sean Van Koughnett, Dean of students
For classes, Dej emphasized that although bringing students back in person is important, the school is also mindful of offering flexibility. This includes a combination of online and in-person components to classes and more options for lectures to be recorded now.
“[W]e have really invested in our learning spaces over the last 20 months. Most of our medium and large lecture halls have Echo 360, which is a capture tool that the MSU has been advocating for many years pre-pandemic and it means that live lectures can be streamed or they can be recorded,” said Dej.
“[W]e have really invested in our learning spaces over the last 20 months. Most of our medium and large lecture halls have Echo 360, which is a capture tool that the MSU has been advocating for many years pre-pandemic and it means that live lectures can be streamed or they can be recorded,”
Kim Dej, Associate vice-provost
However, certain in-person components such as labs or tutorials may not offer an online option. If students are to miss those components, they would have to use a McMaster Student Absence Form for accommodations.
Dej also added that she hopes students can make informed decisions about missing in-person lectures since in-person interactions can be uniquely valuable.
With the MSU, Della-Vedova said that the plan is to introduce more in-person returns amongst staff and reevaluate at the end of January to see where things can go for the rest of the semester.
“[A] number of our services will still be provided online, but will likely move more into that hybrid space where folks can access them a few select times a week in person,” said Della-Vedova.
“[A] number of our services will still be provided online, but will likely move more into that hybrid space where folks can access them a few select times a week in person,” said Della-Vedova.
Denver Della-Vedova, McMaster students union president
During this episode of MacDiscussions, concerns over the Omicron variant were also brought up.
On Nov. 26, the World Health Organization classified a new variant known as Omicron as a variant of concern for the COVID-19 virus. This was soon followed by cases of the variant identified in Canada only a few days later.
At the time of recording, McMaster had not announced any new changes to their operations as a result of the Omicron variant’s appearance and Van Koughnett said the school will continue to adapt should the government implement any changes.
Unfortunately, soon after, a rapid rise in Omicron variant cases began to occur and on Dec. 14, McMaster announced that the first week of the winter semester will be entirely online. The school stated that this measure was taken to be proactive about safety concerns the new variant may pose.
On Jan. 3, Ontario Premier, Doug Ford, held a press conference to announce that the province will be returning to a modified stage 2 of the reopening plan as of Jan. 5. This includes a decrease in social gathering limits, reduced capacity limits in a variety of settings and the prohibition of indoor dining. Schools are also being moved to remote learning until at least Jan. 17.
On Jan. 3, Ontario Premier, Doug Ford, held a press conference to announce that the province will be returning to a modified stage 2 of the reopening plan as of Jan. 5.
As a result of these new provincial guidelines, on Jan. 5, McMaster announced that the school will be pushing back in-person classes.
Starting Jan. 17, only labs, clinical and other high-priority hands-on activities will be taught in person. Then, on Jan. 31, first-year students will be returning to campus for in-person classes. In-person classes for all other students are scheduled to begin on Feb. 7.
In-person classes for all other students are scheduled to begin on Feb. 7.
Other university operations such as food services will also be adjusted to align with provincial guidelines. Indoor dining will be closed in all eateries, but take-out is still available in certain locations and will be open as of Jan. 17.
C/O Mark Sanchez
The pandemic will come to an end, but only with fair and meaningful restrictions
Cloth masks won’t cut it anymore, so you must purchase medical masks. No, not those, the expensive ones that are out of stock. If you’re experiencing COVID-19 symptoms, isolate yourself from family and friends for a minimum of ten days. You should definitely be back to work in five though.
We will start to limit PCR testing, so instead, use rapid-antigen testing kits. Good luck finding those, but if you do, don’t use them because they’re not accurate. You need PCR. But wait, they have great news! Elite sports are allowed to run. Not the largest university athletics organization in Ontario though, they said elite.
As hard as it may be to believe right now, all pandemics do eventually come to an end, though the fate of this one is clouded by the rising Omicron variant. Just as many started to regain hope for returning to a pandemic-free lifestyle, the Ford government placed further restrictions in Ontario in response to Omicron on Jan. 6, 2022.
These changes included a halt to indoor dining, gyms, movie theatres and further capacity limits for essential and non-essential businesses.
The execution of these changes, however, left many confused with questions about how this will aid in efforts to control the spread of COVID-19, with just one thought at the forefront of thousands of minds: make it make sense.
How exactly does this response fit into the potential end of the COVID-19 pandemic? First, it’s important to note that this alleged “end” cannot be abrupt, but one so gradual that COVID-19 will become something that the world simply has to learn to coexist with.
This may sound frightening at first, but recall that the human race has been doing this for centuries with viruses such as influenza and measles.
After establishing that COVID-19 isn’t going away, governments must set clear and realistic goals of how life is expected to be like upon endgame and take measures that directly result in said goals. At some point, the World Health Organization would declare when the pandemic is officially over, after measuring each country’s success in controlling case counts, or hospitalizations and deaths at the very least.
This would mark the endemic, or a post-pandemic state many would call the “new normal”. The endemic would mean reaching a somewhat steady-state of manageable cases, but how many is not exactly a scientific question, but a social one.
Omicron has proven to be an ultra-contagious variant so different as a result of mutations that it has managed to evade detection by immune defences gathered through previous infections and even vaccines.
That being said, Omicron essentially marks the beginning of when the virus will eventually max out in its ability to drastically mutate and make large evolutionary jumps.
New variants would still arise every so often again, much like the flu, but booster vaccines that are better catered to new mutants will also continue to evolve, as will the human immune system.
Additional measures and meaningful restrictions can effectively reduce hospitalizations caused by Omicron and give the general population a chance to boost their vaccinations. After all, it’s easy to point out that a major barrier preventing the COVID-19 pandemic from evolving into a flu-like endemic is hospitalizations and deaths.
With over 100,000 active cases in the province, this is more important now than ever.
Despite this, the request still seems to remain: make it make sense. As long as healthcare pursues a capitalist model, anything experts will say may be perceived as persuasion and manipulation rather than facts that fuel an effort to safeguard the public.
Living in low-income areas where healthcare may not be accessible is conducive to (valid) feelings of confusion and neglect.
Naturally, the first community that government officials turn to for information and guidance is the scientific one. Where most governments fall short is listening to research done by the social science and humanities community.
Time and time again, social scientists have identified how public health communication can impact the way people respond and act. Especially since this crisis so heavily relies on behavioural changes on a massive scale, social science can be used to align human behaviour with scientific recommendations.
The public continues to announce their frustration on further restrictions and lockdown measures that don’t seem to offer any slivers of hope. Some have even drawn comparisons between COVID-19 and suicide death rates, implying the importance of one over the other.
However, ranking equally important issues and insinuating the dismissal of one will not solve nor validate the other.
So how exactly can the government induce restrictions that appease the general public? It’s impossible. What’s completely plausible though, is alleviating mass confusions that accompany tighter regulations.
Lockdowns and public health measures will continue to seem like a performance act to the public unless they’re joined by measures that rebuild the damages inflicted by for-profit agendas on our healthcare system. It may be the key to reaching the endgame before running out of greek alphabet letters.
C/O McMaster Sports
The women’s basketball team hits the ground running in the first month of play
As many McMaster students have become used to seeing, the women’s basketball team is once again finding themselves in the midst of a strong season. Despite a fairly inexperienced roster full of athletes making their university debuts, the team went into the winter break with a record of five to one, their only loss having come to the Guelph Gryphons.
Through the course of the season it has become very obvious that the Marauders have done a great job at playing team basketball, which has played a big part in their success. They regularly beat the opposing teams in assists by wide margins, and commonly find themselves sharing the load when it comes to scoring. It isn’t uncommon for the team to have several scorers bunched up around the leading individual point totals.
With such a young team, it’s rare to find such strong chemistry so early on, but according to forward Amy Stinson, that’s exactly what the team has been able to create.
“This year is very special for us. We have a lot of new girls, it’s a big new group. Going into the season in November we were really finding our chemistry, so as [games] went on, we were learning more and more about each other and our strengths . . . We were confident in each other and we were confident in ourselves,” said Stinson.
Stinson, a jack of all trades, frequently finds herself making a difference in the box score, whether it be by way of scoring, rebounding, or anything else. Stinson discussed the importance of being an all around player and how much focus she puts on scoring compared to all else.
“I like to look at the little things, like positioning on defence, rebounds, assists. It’s the stuff I look at when I [evaluate] my all around game. I’m happy with what I’ve been doing, but I think there’s a lot more I can do,” said Stinson.
"I like to look at the little things, like positioning on defence, rebounds, assists. It's the stuff I look at when I [evaluate] my all around game. I'm happy with what I've been doing, but I think there's a lot more I can do,"
Amy Stinson, Forward
Through the season Stinson has become a fairly consistent scoring option for the team, regularly finding herself among the teams top scorers. Despite this, she stressed that scoring isn’t actually a major focus in her game and is rather something that just comes as a result of the way the team has played.
“Scoring has actually never been something I’ve made a priority and I think that’s why I’ve had this success I’ve had this season; I don’t put much pressure on myself. I find that when I’m just in the game and playing for my teammates, sometimes it’ll just come,” explained Stinson
This season Stinson and [Sarah] Gates have been the only players on the team to find themselves scoring double digits on multiple occasions. Despite sharing this achievement, Stinson considers Gates to be on a whole different level.
“Sarah [Gates] is just another story, she’s just [incredible] . . . To her that stuff just comes naturally because she’s just outstanding,” said Stinson.
"Sarah [Gates] is just another story, she's just [incredible] . . . To her that stuff just comes naturally because she's just outstanding,"
Amy Stinson, Forward
After several strong performances in November, Gates was named the Ontario University Athletics female player of the month, putting up a league leading 25.5 points per game while shooting to a 52.6 per cent field goal percentage, accompanied by per game averages of 7.7 rebounds, two assists and two steals while shooting 38.6 per cent from three point range.
“It was my first time ever getting that award, so it was really nice! I was a little bit shocked to get it, but honestly, this will sound pretty cliche, but that’s not my focus. My focus is just to get to that national level and compete from there. We have the team to do it . . . I just see good things to come,” said Gates.
Gates, despite her own consistently strong performances, praised the efforts of her team, suggesting that they are going against the grain in what is stereotypically a “rebuilding year” in university sports.
“We have such a unique group this year, especially since it’s such a young team. The amount of work ethic and drive our team has is pretty awesome . . . When so many new [players] are coming in, people usually say it’s a rebuilding year. I wouldn’t say that — we’re definitely really good. I like being the underdog and we’ll take that to our advantage," explained Gates.
"When so many new [players] are coming in, people usually say it’s a rebuilding year. I wouldn’t say that — we’re definitely really good. I like being the underdog and we’ll take that to our advantage,”
Sarah Gates
One of the most notable games of the season was against the Gryphons on Nov. 13. After losing by a 28 point spread on Nov. 10, the team was able to refocus and pick themselves up before their next game on Nov. 13. Gates paved the way, having scored 38 points while shooting 67 per cent from the field and from three. She also put up 11 rebounds and five assists in the redemption game, which the Marauders would win by a final score of 74-70.
Gates suggested that the loss was just a part of being a young team and facing their first “strong” opponent of the season. With the nerves out after the first game, they were able to play their way in the second of the two game matchup.
“We just went in with confidence and knew that if we just played our game that we could dictate the outcome. It all came with our team's confidence,” said Gates.
With a confident and hardworking team of young players, the Marauders have a chance to make a strong push once the season resumes. Originally scheduled to start on Jan. 12, games up until Jan. 22 have been postponed, with their next scheduled game coming against the Laurier Golden Hawks in Waterloo on Jan. 26.
C/O Youssef Naddam, Unsplash
New psychoeducational groups at the Student Wellness Centre starting this month
Psychoeducational groups are designed to focus on teaching a specific topic with an emphasis on developing healthy coping mechanisms.
This month, McMaster University’s Student Wellness Centre is launching multiple psychoeducational groups. This includes the Fostering Self-Compassion and Mindfulness group, the Love Better group and the Understanding & Managing Social Anxiety group.
Psychoeducational groups at McMaster have been done in the past by counselors, health promoters or SWC staff. Simone Gomes, a counselor at SWC and facilitator of the Fostering Self-Compassion and Mindfulness group, explained that these groups are developed by these professionals based on their area of expertise and interest.
Starting Jan. 12, Fostering Self-Compassion and Mindfulness is a consecutive five-week psychoeducational group that dives into what self-compassion and mindfulness mean and how students can develop these things in their lives.
It will take place online on Wednesday mornings from 10:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. Gomes explained that each of the five weeks highlights a different area within this topic. This includes introducing self-compassion and mindfulness, identifying self-criticism, practicing mindfulness and techniques to integrate that into one’s life.
Each session will aim to be informative by having students read articles or a particular website for discussion prior to entering the session. Gomes stated that this particular group tends to run once per semester (including spring and summer) and if curious, folks can contact her at gomessf@mcmaster.ca.
“With self-compassion, what’s really great is that it helps to acknowledge our experience and to name it — that we are struggling or we’re experiencing difficulty in our lives. But then it also helps us to think about common humanity too and to look at other people struggling as well [and think] maybe I am not alone in this experience,” said Gomes.
“With self-compassion, what’s really great is that it helps to acknowledge our experience and to name it — that we are struggling or we’re experiencing difficulty in our lives. But then it also helps us to think about common humanity too and to look at other people struggling as well [and think] maybe I am not alone in this experience.”
Simone Gomes, counselor at The SWC and facilitator of Fostering Self-Compassion and Mindfulness
Also starting Jan. 12, Love Better is another consecutive five-week psychoeducational group. This group will run online on Wednesday mornings from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.
Liz Nabi, a counselor at the SWC and facilitator for this group, explained that this group aims to educate students about healthy relationships and help them build skills that are crucial in developing these relationships.
Over the weeks, the group will touch base on qualities of healthy and unhealthy relationships, the effect of past relationships on current relationships, tools to build long-lasting relationships and how to deal with conflict and/or breakups.
Nabi emphasized that love is not just a feeling but a skill that one can get better at with practice and that sentiment was actually the inspiration behind the group's name.
“I decided to run a relationship group because this is really a phase of life where dating/intimate relationships start to become a main focus for students. Students often describe wanting to have really positive, healthy relationships yet at times struggle to develop the types of relationships they want. We know that the health of our relationships has a big impact on our overall mental health and well-being,” said Nabi.
"We know that the health of our relationships has a big impact on our overall mental health and well-being."
Liz Nabi, counselor at the SWC and facilitator of Love Better
Nabi shared that Love Better may also be running a second time in March. If students are unable to join the group in January, they can keep an eye out for the second recruitment.
Those who are interested or have questions can contact Nabi at nabie@mcmaster.ca.
Starting on Jan. 19, Understanding & Managing Social Anxiety is a four week group that uses a combination of cognitive behavioural therapy and narrative skills therapy to explore social anxiety and strategies to cope.
This program will run Wednesday afternoons from 3:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. Within the four weeks, four different topics will be covered. This includes defining social anxiety, models of social anxiety, self-reflection about one's own boundaries and understanding the implications shame has on one’s self. These concepts will be tied together at the end with an activity called Life Map where students will highlight significant people or events that shape their social anxiety.
If interested, students can contact Morgan Lucas, a facilitator for this group, at lucasm10@mcmaster.ca.
The variety of psychoeducational groups provided by the SWC gives students the opportunity to target specific topics they would like to work on. Aside from the groups mentioned in this article, other groups such as Embracing Gender Diversity and Mindfulness approach to Food and Eating are also available starting in January. For a full list of programs offered by the SWC, students can visit https://wellness.mcmaster.ca/programs/.
