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MAC Dance hosted their year end showcase on April 8. Check out MAC Dance Competitive Team Year End Showcase for more information.

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By: Saad Ejaz

Despite cold temperatures, McMaster students stood in solidarity with the victims of recent tragic events around the world, including the Beirut bombings and Paris shootings.

On Nov. 8, the Political Action Committee of Overcome the Gap, an MSU club, held an open dialogue to commemorate the lives lost around the world.

Dozens of students gathered outside at Mills plaza at 7 p.m. The event had a number of speeches, musicals and spoken word poetry that honored the victims of the tragic events that took place. Several students delivered an impromptu speech and also signed a banner to honour the lives lost.

Taaha Muhammad, President of Overcome the Gap, mentions that the focus of the event was to show equal solidarity to victims of the attacks in Baghdad, Beirut and France, and two earthquakes in Japan and Mexico.

“The goal was to raise awareness about all the issues going on in the world. It wasn’t to emphasize the ‘greater importance’ of any one tragedy, but rather to enlighten us of being more cognizant, understanding, and holistically knowledgeable and sympathetic individuals. We realized the Paris shootings resonated in the hearts of many as it was spread all over the web and social media, and we used this as an opportunity to get people together to discuss a common issue and how to move forward from there,” said Muhammad.

The aim of the event was to unite students to understand that there are more things we all have in common than it often seems.

Many McMaster and Hamilton organizations attended the event, including the Muslim Student’s Association, Assyrian Chaldean Syriac Student's Union, Grace Mandarin Alliance Church, LIFT Church and the Downtown Hamilton Mosque.

Umair Majid, cofounder of Overcome the Gap, emphasized unity and a progressive society. He stated, “Our objectives as an organization have been consistent with collective action …We wanted to use recent events as an opportunity to bring together individuals from different backgrounds, cultures and religions. Therefore, we held a shared and open dialogue called ‘#PrayforParis: #PrayforHumanity: Where Do We Go From Here?’”

The event was a great success, according to Muhammad. “There was a sound number of people there and all who came walked away enlightened by the perspectives shared,” he said.  “I think having an outlet like this event for us to share our joint sincerities and condolences for those affected by the tragedies around the world really served as a catalyst for positive change. It brought people together, despite their differences, and students walked away having internalized a multitude of perspectives centred around one common theme: humanity.”

Photo Credit: Rehan Pervaiz

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By: Sophie Hunt

The new year has brought changes for certain MSU services.

The Women and Gender Equity Network, is an anti-oppressive, anti-racist, intersectional feminist organization. It provides a safe space for women, trans individuals and survivors of sexual violence to meet. The group has moved to a new location in MUSC 204, which is located directly beside the McMaster Student Union offices.

“It’s supposed to be a space that caters to communities that are marginalized,” said Hayley Regis, WGEN’s part-time manager. “So having a space and the ability to decorate it and make it as we see fit to best help the community makes more sense.”

Giuliana Guarna, VP (Administration) of the MSU, highlighted some of the factors that contributed to the shift in spaces. “Last year there was a space audit completed, and we evaluated to see how we’re using space.”

The MSU considered placing the group in the MUSC basement, but the idea was discarded. “Being downstairs next to all the medical services, they thought that for what their service was going after, especially supporting victims of sexual violence and assault, they wanted to demedicalize it,” Guarna said. “By being in this location they are very close to all of the other peer support services.”

When asked about current and future plans for WGEN, Regis emphasised the new space itself. “We’re finishing updating the space to make it feel like a cool space that’s nice to be in and is a good place for discussion.”

Visibility and a welcoming atmosphere are at the forefront of WGEN’s recent move. “I want the space to be something that’s permanent, comfortable and lived in,” Regis said, “like a living room, a place where you’re at ease.”

There was some speculation about how high traffic at their new location will affect those who might be uncomfortable coming to the space with private matters. “We haven’t had any adverse reactions,” Regis said. “People are still acclimatizing, but I would say we’ve seen a much higher amount of people.”

The Student Walk Home Attendant Team, has also moved locations, now residing in MUSC 226. The service aims to promote on and off campus safety, and has volunteers that walk or bus with students during evening hours.

“SWHAT is a unique case because they operate after hours,” Guarna said. “The Student Success Centre was generous enough to donate the space to us after hours, which is exactly what SWHAT needs it for.”

“This office space is a lot bigger,” said Serena Arora, the current SWHAT part-time manager.

“In the past volunteers who wanted to study or meet at a quieter space would share the back offices. Now we have rooms that allow you to do your own thing.”

When asked about the remote location in comparison to other services in the Student Centre, Arora said this is a good change for those who are “embarrassed” to use SWHAT, so the change will add another layer of confidentiality for service users.

Despite the change in location, Arora stresses the importance of remaining visible on campus. “We’re making sure that students know where we are, that we’re still here, and we’re still excited to walk you home.”

Both WGEN and SWHAT are aiming for more visibility on campus, and encourage the McMaster community to become more involved in their networks.

Photo Credit: Jon White/Photo Editor

With a population of over seven billion, examining our role in combatting poverty at both an individual and societal level is becoming increasingly difficult.  Nevertheless, on Sept. 16, the McMaster chapter of Engineers Without Borders invited students, politicians and citizens to hold an open discussion on the complex issue.

From foreign aid to student debt, the discussion that took place accentuated the complex issue of poverty as a societal issue.

Nine politicians running in the federal election were present at the discussion, representing all four of Canada’s major parties. Green Party candidate Ute Schmid-Jones believes the cycle of poverty begins with university and college graduates.

“We need to stop creating poverty. Students graduating with these terrible debts are a part of this poverty cycle,” said Schmid-Jones.

“Engineers Without Borders attempts to address the root causes of poverty and tries to create systemic change to help alleviate [it],” said EWB chapter co-president and fourth year Engineering student Nick Sully. The Q&A session was a part of EWB’s campaign, #PoliticsAside. “We should all care about the world’s poorest people, regardless of political affiliations. That’s essentially what the hashtag is about: that we should put politics aside and care about poverty,” explained Stephanie Neufield, third year Life Sciences student and event coordinator.

The spirit of Politics Aside manifested itself through the panel discussion that took place, where non-Conservative candidates across the board agreed on various strategies in fighting systemic issues that perpetuate poverty in Canada.

David Christopherson from the NDP vehemently rejected our institutionalization of food banks. “[They] need to go now,” he said. “The day needs to come that people don’t need them anymore because they have adequate funds to buy sufficient and nutritious food for them and their families; that’s the way we need to see food banks.”

Liberal candidate Filomena Tassi said food security issues are “something that cannot be ignored, nor can they be fixed by food banks. We need to give individuals the structural support to be able to pull themselves out of poverty.”

“I think we need to figure out ways to most effectively deliver our services to those who need them the most,” said Liberal candidate Anne Tennier. “That’s something that every party here can aspire to.” Christopherson agreed. He said, “I would love to sit around the cabinet table with every one of these people regardless of their party label and say, ‘Okay now we’re going to talk about tackling poverty in Canada and internationally.’”

“Politicians are always going to have their own opinions, but I think in general we’re all working together towards a common goal. Just the fact that all nine candidates showed up today is amazing; it shows that they care and that they’re passionate about poverty issues,” concluded Neufeld. The McMaster chapter of EWB wplans to hold many more events throughout the school year to continue raising awareness on poverty issues, including their current online Fair Trade campus week campaign.

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September is a month of novelty—new faces around campus, new courses, new clubs. Among these changes is the return of the Inter-Residence Council (IRC), the organization that represents students living in residence.

The IRC is now functioning fully after a hiatus of event activities from October 2014 to the end of the 2014-15 academic year due to internal restructuring. Nisha Depa, the newly elected IRC President and a fourth year Life Sciences student, is excited to see the changes implemented.

Among these changes is the addition of four vice presidential positions for every residence: advocacy, promotions, administration and yearbook.

This system is similar to that implemented at Guelph, where an upper year fills a mentor position for a council made up of residence students. The goal is to encourage incoming student participation as well as grant students the opportunity to volunteer in positions that do not require the same time commitment as some larger roles.

Changes to IRC bylaws state that two of these positions are filled through an election process while the other two are hired.

In the past, the IRC has operated based on the two main themes of advocacy and programming. A survey distributed to students in residence last year highlighted a demand for greater advocacy. Results showed that only 56 percent of students claimed that they felt they had adequate opportunity to voice their opinions. This gave rise to a new position for Vice President Advocacy and Leadership Development.

When asked about what responsibilities the roles will comprise, Depa explained that the Vice Presidents are working closely with the Director of Housing to create a consultation framework to process requests for issues like more study rooms.

“We have added guidelines into training for event planners to encourage bigger events […] that students can’t plan on their own,” said Gurteg Singh, a fourth year Life Science student and the VP Communications for IRC.

“First year event planner positions allow students to contribute to their own experience in contrast to an upper year planning events for them,” added Depa.

This year there will also be a greater focus on leadership. Changes in this direction are taking place with the addition of new VP, volunteer positions, and the creation of the Students in Residence Fund (SIRF).

“SIRF is a new initiative where students can choose where to [allocate] the money coming out of their residence fees. […] Students can apply for initiatives they are interested in, that then go through the finance committee in order to get passed.”

Along with changes in structure come changes in funding allocation: residences will receive a budget proportional to the size of their student body. Additionally, the IRC has decreased its sub-committees as some delegations have been absorbed into larger groups.

The IRC has come a long way from last October. Events were better organized during this year’s Welcome Week, though not without kinks, like the delay in the Tug of War event.

Despite these few hiccups, the IRC seems to be well-prepared to welcome new students to McMaster and encourage them to get involved with the community in which they live.

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Aurora Coltman
Silhouette Intern

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Mac Alliance for Body Peace saw a great turn-out to their first event as a club. The event, an outdoor yoga session, was led by a volunteer McMaster student on Oct. 2.

With the Mac ABP goal of promoting physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual wellness, a partnership with Moksha Yoga, a Hamilton yoga studio, gave the club members a chance to meet with their supporters, and to see the support that will prompt them in taking the next steps.

Katarina Polletto, the club’s president, Kate Lebedeva, director of promotions, were pleased with the turn-out. They said that while yoga was indeed their first event planned, it was only one of many events to come.

Photo by Aurora Coltman.

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