A call for McMaster to move towards greater transparency The university needs to ensure BoG and senate meeting agendas and minutes are accessible amid the Brighter World campaign
Back in September, a Silhouette contributor signed up to write a story about a piece of information that was stuffed into an old board of governors meeting agenda. While the contributor was working on the story, the agenda curiously vanished from the McMaster website. The agenda has since returned, being scrapped initially as a byproduct of the Brighter World redesign. However, the university must maintain a higher standard of...
The value of contributing Why your future self will thank you for getting your work published
Early on in my undergrad, one of my favourite professors told me that the best thing that you could do for your future self is to have published works under your belt. Sure, he was talking to a class of communication studies undergraduates and sure, having any kind of writing experience in the communications industry is a major asset. However, I believe more than anything else that this holds true to just about everyone. As a student...
Full steam ahead The LRT debate is tired, so why was it the only prominent issue this election?
This past municipal election came with special significance. It served as a pivotal moment for Hamilton, a moment that would decide whether the city would be moving forward with the $1 billion light rail transit system or not. While I’m grateful for those who fought tirelessly to bring something so obviously important to a city like Hamilton, I’m disappointed. I’m disappointed that so few councillor candidates discussed the issue of...
A call to keep the planned wage increase The MSU needs to follow through with their initial wage increase, despite the cancellation of Bill 148
A few weeks ago, the provincial government froze the minimum wage at $14 per hour and cut the planned increase to $15 per hour that was planned for January 2019. With this cut, many businesses, but not all, have decided to forgo the planned increase they had set up for employees. The McMaster Students Union should not be one of them. Studies have shown that the actual living wage in Hamilton is $15.85. The cost of tuition ranges, but...
Believing survivors How the Kavanaugh hearings reach further than the Senate Judiciary Committee
CONTENT WARNING: Discussion of sexual assault and rape. These past few weeks have been tough to watch. On Sept. 27, Prof. Christine Blasey Ford gave a testimony to the Senate Judiciary Committee against Judge Brett Kavanaugh, whom she says sexually assaulted her when they were teenagers. Since Prof. Blasey Ford spoke out, three more women have made similar reports against Kavanaugh, who, by the time this piece is published, may be...
What a drag How McMaster’s smoking ban prioritizes health and wellness concerns over safety and accessibility for smokers
In September 2017, McMaster released a statement saying it will attempt to ban smoking on campus that following January, establishing itself as “Ontario’s first 100 per cent tobacco and smoke-free campus.” The ban was to take effect in January 2018. In its initial months, anyone smoking on campus was to be given a verbal warning and a reminder of McMaster’s smoking cessation policies. Eventually, enforcement was set to include...
