McMaster student Mina Abd-Al-Ahhad shares her experience on this new reality show and her passion for new challenges.
Mina Abd-Al-Ahhad, a contestant on CBC’s latest competition reality show, Canada's Ultimate Challenge, discussed her experience on the show in a sit-down with The Silhouette.
Canada’s Ultimate Challenge features teams of everyday Canadians undergoing physical challenges in famous Canadian locations. Each team is coached by a former professional athlete who provides advice on approaching challenges, overcoming mental barriers and improving group dynamics.
Abd-Al-Ahhad joined Canada’s Ultimate Challenge in its second episode as an alternate, when a teammate contracted COVID-19. She was coached by Jen Kish, the former captain of the Canada Olympic bronze medal-winning rugby sevens team.
Abd-Al-Ahhad joined Canada’s Ultimate Challenge in its second episode as an alternate, when a teammate contracted COVID-19. She was coached by Jen Kish, the former captain of the Canada Olympic bronze medal-winning rugby sevens team.
Abd-Al-Ahhad discussed her passion for challenges, both as a member of the show’s cast and in other aspects of her life.
Regarding her experience on the show, Abd-Al-Ahhad reflected on a challenge in episode three where teammates had to carry supplies across the Yukon River while simultaneously assembling a plank bridge to cross.
“You get to see teams coming together and uplifting and motivating each other. And they made coaches proud during that challenge. Everybody ended up walking out with a lot of respect for themselves for being able to complete it and for being able to do it with their team,” said Abd-Al-Ahhad.
Abd-Al-Ahhad also explained that she was initially drawn to the show because of its premise.
“I was always a fan of The Amazing Race Canada because you get the opportunity to explore this great nation of ours while you're competing and solving puzzles, showing your mental skills and physical skills. Canada’s Ultimate Challenge is like the Amazing Race, plus The Voice, since you have coaches. So instead of singers that are coaches, you get the luxury of being coached by Canadian Olympians,” said Abd-Al-Ahhad.
Outside of her role on Canada’s Ultimate Challenge, Abd-Al-Ahhad discussed her passion for new challenges, pointing to her growth as an athlete. She started weight training when she was 16, then moved to boxing, which motivated her to become a personal trainer. Over the years, she has completed numerous CrossFit competitions and races.
“I just felt that throughout my life, I've been training for something though I didn’t know what it was. I was enjoying training because of the strength and confidence that it gave me not just physically, but mentally. To be able to look at something so challenging and realize that this is a mountain, but you’re going to do it,” said Abd-Al-Ahhad.
“I just felt that throughout my life, I've been training for something though I didn’t know what it was. I was enjoying training because of the strength and confidence that it gave me not just physically, but mentally. To be able to look at something so challenging and realize that this is a mountain, but you’re going to do it,”
Mina Abd-Al-Ahhad, contestant on CBC’s Canada's Ultimate Challenge
Abd-Al-Ahhad’s career later transitioned to a position as a financial career representative. Despite having a successful career, she realized that she wanted to explore her career options further, which led to her enrolment at McMaster.
She is currently enrolled in the Global Peace and Social Justice program, and she discussed how becoming a university student was the start of another new challenge for her.
“I'm starting school at a later age. I already went to college. I've already been a student before. I've already worked in two professions before this. Sitting with everybody in class... A lot of people are just straight from high school,” said Abd-Al-Ahhad.
Abd-Al-Ahhad emphasized that students should not be afraid to change their minds and start fresh in a new career.
“It is never too late. And it's okay to change your mind. It's okay to start something that you thought was for you and that was fitting for you. You don't have to stay just because you suit the part,” said Abd-Al-Ahhad.
Canada’s Ultimate Challenge premieres new episodes weekly on CBC Gem Thursdays at 8 pm ET. Abd-Al-Ahhad’s socials can be found here.
C/O @killyourmasters_
For local artist Kyle Joedicke, murals are an opportunity to honour his Indigenous roots and share stories with the Hamilton community
By: Edwin Thomas, Contributor
As students, many of us are familiar with the difficult dialogue that is often involved in learning, particularly in conversations about Indigenous justice and reconciliation. However, most of us might not be aware of the importance of art in fostering these conversations. Art is powerful. It can raise awareness and provoke thoughts and dialogue while also helping us to give voice to experiences and stories that are otherwise difficult to communicate.
For local artist Kyle Joedicke, his murals are a way to honour his Indigenous roots and share Indigenous art, culture and stories with the Hamilton community. Joedicke is Cayuga Turtle Clan from Six Nations of the Grand River and grew up between the Six Nations reserve and Caledonia on the border of Hamilton. Although he describes himself as being not very connected to his Indigenous identity during his adolescent years, he began rediscovering his Indigenous roots in his twenties.
Joedicke uses his art to find his voice as an Indigenous person. His work has helped him become closer with the Indigenous community as well, which in turn teaches him more about the culture. For Joedicke, the relationship he has developed with his Indigenous community is a gift.
“I’m speechless in a lot of ways about the gifts that I have been given recently,” explained Joedicke.
His first mural was of an orca commissioned by Merk Snack Bar in 2020, dedicated to his late grandmother. He soon realized the spaces he was creating Indigenous art for could be used to support urban Indigenous communities and provide opportunities for conversation between both Indigenous and non-Indigenous folks.
Joedicke’s murals are woodland style and inspired by the style’s creator, Norval Morrisseau.
“His ability to paint these oral stories in such a visually captivating way is remarkable,” explained Joedicke.
Similar to Morrisseau’s depictions of traditional stories, Joedicke recently created a mural depicting The Seven Grandfather Teachings, which is an oral teaching and tradition centered on the Indigenous way of life.
Joedicke also uses his art to explore intergenerational trauma among Indigenous communities.
“I think being Indigenous means being resilient in a lot of ways. From the inception of the colony of Canada, it’s been the goal to have us not exist, to put it in blunt terms. To be an Indigenous person in 2021 is to be living proof of an entire civilization’s will to live,” said Joedicke.
The discovery of the unmarked graves of Indigenous children at residential schools over the past few months has shocked the nation and impacted Indigenous individuals and communities in complex ways. This extends to Joedicke, whose grandparents were survivors of the residential school system.
Recently, Joedicke has been working on a mural in the memory of children who died while attending residential schools. The mural is located at St. Matthew's House.
He found the experience of creating the mural at St. Matthew’s House cathartic and an opportunity for reflection.
“While I was working on the mural, it gave me a lot of time to reflect on the fact that it isn’t specific to me. It is an issue that has affected thousands and thousands of families. It also gives you a sense of the community because of the outpouring [of] support from the Indigenous and non-Indigenous communities,” explained Joedicke.
Art can be an important catalyst for conversation and change and Joedicke has felt that the important role art plays in social progress in creating his artwork.
“It was impossible not to feel the added weight behind the art because, at that point, when you are trying to convey the particular images and ideas, it is too emotional to not be present for it,” explained Joedicke.
Joedicke was recently featured on CBC and has recently been commissioned across the city to continue his work, including a future project with the Hamilton-Wentworth District School Board.
“I want people to be able to come to see this art and feel that they are welcomed and included. It’s something they can be a part of and interact with,” said Joedicke.
Youth, representing the future generations of our society, are pivotal to social progress and change and embody people’s growing openness to learn. Joedicke encourages students from McMaster University to learn more about Indigenous culture as much as they can.
“It’s never wrong to ask questions. Education is important, especially in terms of understanding different cultures. Look into the teachings; [they] can be applied to your own life without being associated with a particular religion or culture. The stories are one of the major things that help us learn in life,” said Joedicke.
By Anonymous, Contributor
This article has been edited as of Jan. 19, 2020
A previously published version of this article stated, "Contrary to what many people in the West may believe, state-run news stories about China, although heavily censored, are in fact quite accurate when they do get published." This has been corrected to, "Contrary to what many people in the West may believe, the fact that state-run news stories about China are heavily censored does not make them factually inaccurate."
The correction has been made to reflect the final submission of this piece published in print on Jan. 9.
The CSSA-gate at McMaster has triggered an interesting online debate between members of the Chinese community at McMaster and the rest of campus. Many non-Chinese students mistakenly believe that the Chinese students who questioned the procedures and implications of the McMaster Students Union’s decision are brainwashed as their life before coming to Canada was behind China’s “Great Firewall”. Some of them seem to perceive such Chinese students to be victims of an absolute information barrier, which supposedly leaves them no choice but to accept the government’s propaganda. Therefore, it seems righteous to “enlighten” those Chinese students with patronizing questions or bombardment of pictures of historical incidents like the Tiananmen Square Protest. These gestures, although they may have good intentions, are pretty amusing to this new generation of Chinese students who were born and raised in China, including me. Let me explain why.
First, Chinese people have access to the largest ever-increasing reservoir of information and news on China — in Chinese. Such information not only comes from state-owned media channels, but also non-official channels, social media platforms, online chatting groups and other online platforms. Contrary to what many people in the West may believe, the fact that state-run news stories about China are heavily censored does not make them factually inaccurate. Due to the rise of social media platforms as well as the anti-corruption campaign, it has become increasingly difficult and costly for government officials to cover up catastrophic or controversial stories. Therefore, most people, if curious enough, can get a pretty good grasp of what is going on simply by combining information from state media and other channels.
Second, while China’s “Great Firewall” does block a few websites, such as Google and Facebook, it does not block all Western media. In fact, Chinese people have access to a majority of Western media channels through state and non-state owned media. Some include the Associated Press, Reuters, Agence France-Presse, the Economist, CBC, The Globe and Mail and CNN. Selected news coverage on China and international affairs are translated into Chinese from tens of languages. In any country in the world, a larger blockade to absorbing foreign information is usually the barrier of a foreign language rather than the “Great Firewall”. Therefore, translated news stories offer a very informative picture of the world to the Chinese people.
Lastly, the “Great Firewall” is not an absolute blockade of information, despite the websites that are blocked by censorship. For those who want to obtain unfiltered information, they can get around the firewall through a VPN proxy to gain access to those blocked websites. Such VPN services are usually not blocked by the government.
You may argue that China’s censorship of information is still controlling people’s minds but — and this may come as a surprise to many — contrary to the idea that the Chinese are “brainwashed”, Chinese people are usually hyper mindful of the fact that the government dominates and controls information inflows. Hence, they do not take media at face value and are usually super critical of it. This is particularly true for educated Chinese students on McMaster University’s campus. They generally obtain information, compare multiple sources and do some further research before they come to their own conclusion.
In this new era of fake news in the Western media, more and more Canadians are trying hard to seek the truth and stay critical of Fox News, CNN, the National Inquirer, and tabloid sources that may provide dis-information, mis-information and mal-information. In order to be engaged citizens of the world, we all have to be investigative journalists to some degree to search for stories from different sides. However, in China, people have been carrying out such an independent investigation on controversial events for decades because of the apparent censorship.
Sadly, Chinese students were judged based on two assumptions: that the Chinese students are absolutely “brainwashed,” and China is an evil country. As a result, the Chinese students who questioned the treatment of Mac Chinese Students and Scholars Association by the MSU were mocked as if these students can’t think critically because they are Chinese. Therefore, despite the fact that we’re in Canada, Chinese students’ voices can be immediately dismissed, our rights can be compromised and our character can be attacked based on these assumptions.
This article is not arguing that Canadian students are “brainwashed” by all the fake news about China or that you shouldn’t believe anything Western media says about China. Rather, its purpose is to serve as a gentle reminder that biases against China and Chinese students can exist on campus. In this increasingly divided world, keeping a cool head and sticking to the facts are valuable qualities that make us Canadians truly multicultural and inclusive.
It takes some effort to do your own research, fact checking and comparing different sources of information, but we can’t afford to be lazy. It might not be that difficult to carry out a Google search on different sides of stories about the recent happenings about Xinjiang, Hong Kong or Mac CSSA. It might not be that difficult to truly listen and respect opinions from the Chinese students’ side as equals. If some members of our community, within the Student Representative Assembly or outside of the SRA, can truly reflect what happened in the MAC CSSA-gate instead of getting defensive and maintaining their anti-discrimination responsibilities merely as lip services, it might not be that difficult to correct the mistakes made. At least I wish.
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This January marked the release of CBC’s six-part mini-series adaptation of Lawrence Hill’s The Book of Negroes. Fans of the book will attest that the novel set a high bar, and the show does an admirable job of striving towards it. When Hill, who lives in Hamilton, released the novel in 2007, it caused a ripple of shock. With a bold and well-researched take on the slave trade, Hill brought to life a part of the past that is not often talked about. While in no way an easy watch, the show captures Hill’s tale onscreen.
The show picks up where the book begins, with an aged Aminata Diallo recounting her life story in front of the English Parliament. She starts with her childhood in Bayo, Africa. As she speaks, the scene switches, matching her words. Her relationship with her parents is laid out beautifully, only for it to be torn at the seams moments later. Sold into slavery at 11 years old, Aminata is tied to a coffle of other village members, loaded onto a ship and made to endure a horrific crossing into what would become her new life as a slave. From this point on, the show is trademarked by heartbreak. While fans of the book may be surprised that the most graphic of details have been subdued, it is inevitable that many scenes will still make viewers cringe. The epitome of human cruelty is not an easy sight to witness, even more so when the recipient is an unsuspecting child.
The show jumps into the middle of the action without hesitation. The resulting momentum might leave the most faint of watchers with whiplash. Cinematically, choppy segmentation and brief scenes characterize the beginning of the show but it becomes more seamless with time as it settles into a more comfortable rhythm.
Central to the story is setting, and the show’s cinematography does it justice. Scenes of fog rising from the jungle floor and stretches of pale sand on blue sky are breathtaking, juxtaposing the horrid scenes that characterize the plot.
The opposite of lighthearted, The Book of Negroes is bound to turn stomachs and weigh down hearts. Even harder to swallow is the acknowledgment that the tales of human enslavement are not fiction, but a part of the past. In one particular scene, Aminata describes the moment when the people in her village began to “slip away like the moon behind the clouds. Only unlike the moon, the villagers didn’t come back.” The Book of Negroes allows viewers to follow Aminata as she too slips behind the clouds, and into the open arms of the slave trade.
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The story of Jian Ghomeshi and his lawsuit against the CBC for wrongful firing will unravel itself accordingly. It will, undoubtedly, be the top media story for the weeks that follow.
On Sunday, when the CBC announced that it was ending its relationship with Jian Ghomeshi, it was revealed that the famous Q host had hired Navigator, one of Canada’s leading “high-stakes” public relations firms.
If it wasn’t clear before, the public now knew that honest or not, Ghomeshi’s Facebook status about his private sex life was a well-crafted PR technique. Ghomeshi has been a radio host since 2002 and running Q since 2007. Media strategy isn’t a foreign concept to him; he has used it to his advantage before, and he can use it again.
It is important that Ghomeshi fans don’t blindly follow his words as they might be inclined to. This is particularly tough in situations like Ghomeshi’s, where the man at the heart of the scandal is a famous radio broadcaster, known for facilitating societal debate.
A closer look at Ghomeshi’s status finds many problematic parts – those, too, clearly crafted with a purpose. In it, he calls his ex “jilted,” painting her as a crazy person who was so angry that he broke up with her that she wanted to defame him by “corroborating” with two other women.
This line worked on quite a few people; many comments on Ghomeshi’s post sound like one bro sympathizing with the other over the sexist myth of the crazy girlfriend.
This is not to say whether Ghomeshi is guilty or not. It’s the language he used to describe his ex, the way he decided to paint her character that makes the status seem disingenuous to anyone with some respect for women.
Then he goes on to talk about how consensual his relationship with these women was.
Knowing the definition of the word consent doesn’t mean much more than that. This controversy will hopefully spark a larger debate about consent, one that goes deeper than what we’ve limited ourselves to so far. Our conversations around sexual assault have been about rape on campuses, about no meaning no, or yes meaning yes, if you live in the more progressive parts of North America.
But we need to delve deeper than that.
In the case of Ghomeshi, whether he is guilty or not, there is a lot to be said about the complexities around consent. The women that the Toronto Star interviewed who accused Ghomeshi of sexual assault expressed concern that their consent to one thing over phone or text would be misinterpreted as consent to other, unwanted and violent acts. In this context, a “yes” at some point in their conversations didn’t mean yes to everything, or anything. What the public needs to understand, and what I hope mainstream media will emphasize in future articles is that consent is not transferable, nor is it a one-time deal. Consent is an on-going process that has to make both partners feel comfortable and heard.
Just because Ghomeshi knows when to use the word to incite the most sympathy from his followers doesn’t mean that he knows how to practice it properly, or that he does so at all.
On Tuesday, Lights, a well-known musician from Toronto, came out in support of Ghomeshi, stating that he has been her creative confidante and manager throughout her career. She said that he was someone who preached female empowerment to her, and therefore cannot be someone who would disrespect women in such a gross, offensive way.
This is a harmful and hasty generalization to make. It assumes that progressive people, men or women, cannot possibly be abusive. This sort of claim trivializes the experiences of anyone who has been abused by a partner who identifies as a feminist. It is unfortunate that these messages are being spread by public figures, but on the other side of the spectrum there have been celebrities like Owen Pallett who have refused to take Ghomeshi’s words at face value.
Ultimately, the radio host’s use of consent doesn’t necessarily mean that he didn’t abuse these women, and neither does his apparent history of support for female artists. Conversations like these are critical and how we approach them will determine how safe people feel opening up about their experiences with sexual and domestic abuse. Ghomeshi should not receive any special privileges because he has a faithful fan base, or because he can hire a company that knows how to shift blame away from their clients.
The controversy should be followed with a critical and open mind. Regardless of whether Ghomeshi is guilty of sexual assault, let’s not cause any more harm to survivors of abuse along the way. We can start by calling out Ghomeshi and his PR firm on their sexist and victim-blaming language.
Twenty minutes before doors opened, dozens of students lined in the halls, waiting anxiously outside TwelvEighty.
Inside, a pair of entrepreneurs were on hand to offer financial success advice. The first was Kevin Cochran, founder of enRICHment Academy. The other was Bruce Croxon, co-founder of dating website Lavalife, and a former judge on CBC’s hit show, Dragon’s Den
Croxon was the headliner. Before his talk, he calmly reviewed his notes on stage while onlookers in the audience snapped pictures. Having served as a judge for three years on Dragon’s Den, Croxon is a celebrity. He looked laid back and unfazed by the crowd, wearing a black t-shirt, dress pants, topped off by his signature greying curls.
Cochran spoke first. He was an engaging speaker; a natural salesman peddling a slick message honed from years of repetition.
He talked at length about of the curriculum taught in his video-based program, enRICHed Academy, aimed at educating students on financial literacy. A derivative program has been adopted by McMaster University, entitled Spectrum. The goal of both programs is to help participants avoid making the mistakes Cochran made in his youth.
Cochran recounted a story of his teenage years, in which he eschewed post-secondary education in favor of a string of menial jobs. At the age of 20, working a dead-end job as a mechanic, Cochrane found himself over $20,000 in debt. Something had to give.
For Cochrane, that something was his decision to take his future into his own hands. He retold a story of how he, on a whim, took a week off work, and called every real estate agent in the Yellow Pages - all sixty - in hopes of an internship.
Cochrane was turned down by all but one, an agent named Richard Robbins, who took an interest in Cochrane’s energetic attitude. The two struck an agreement; Robbins would assign Cochrane an assignment every two weeks. If Cochrane completed the assignment on time, Robbins would continue to meet with him. If not, the internship was over.
The assignments were simple - read a book. The first was Think and Grow Rich. Two weeks later, it was Rich Dad, Poor Dad.
Another week went by before Robbins approached Cochrane with an opportunity - vice-president of sales for Robbins’ new start-up. Cochrane, a young mechanic armed with no relevant education or experience outside of reading three self-help books, was on the fast-track to becoming a vastly successful entrepreneur. After four years, Cochrane went from being $20,000 in debt to earning $250,000 per year.
Cochrane went on to share a few of his tips - be punctual, don’t give up, get a mentor - a complete guide can be found in his enRICHed Academy videos, or at McMaster Spectrum.
Croxon took the stage after Cochrane. He emphasized the importance of personality. In Croxon’s perspective, it’s about the people behind the idea, not the idea itself - the triumph of humanity over technology.
“Increasingly, it’s less and less about ideas,” Croxon said. “Because the difference today, versus when I started a business 30 years ago, is that things change so quickly. When you look at an idea, there’s a very good chance that the idea you’re investing in will turn into something very different when it grows.”
“It’s about screening and looking at the people, and looking at if these are the types of people who can change? Are those the kind of people you feel good about and working with?”
Croxon also gave his share of tips - work hard, being a team player, being open to change - before wrapping up his talk with a few stories about his time at Dragon’s Den, including a friendly jab at fellow Dragon Kevin O’Leary, who is best known for his abrasive persona.
“The question I get asked most often [about O’Leary’s personality]. Yes, he is really that much of an asshole in real life. I’ve come clean on that. He’s not someone you would want to go fishing with.”
Photo Credit: Christopher Wahl/CBC
