C/O Kojo Kwarteng, Unsplash

Without sounding like your Italian nonna, "mangia"

Due to the latest surge in COVID-19 cases across Ontario, McMaster University has closed all spaces that students were able to utilize during the fall semester.

On Jan. 14, McMaster Daily News shared a list of spaces that students would now be able to access until Jan. 31. It is important to note that these are subject to change based on provincial and municipal COVID-19 guidelines.

The provincial government has announced that starting Jan. 31, restaurant capacity will increase to 50% and indoor gatherings will be increased to 25 people in a space. At current, McMaster has not stated whether or not this will impact how campus will look.

Where to study:

McMaster has provided students with three places to study or hangout in between classes.

McMaster has also shared guidelines for those in shared office spaces. Those who have private, closed-door offices may take off their mask and eat. Those who work in open or shared spaces are socially distanced. The University has recommended having a rotation for each individual to be able to eat while others are masked.

"Please be considerate and rotate eating times to ensure everyone in your workspace is masked whenever possible," said McMaster Daily News.

This is a developing topic.

*Social distancing is required in all spaces where you can eat.

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 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 Yoohyun Park

With several new rules and regulations, sports have looked much different for the athletes. 

After more than a year without sports due to the pandemic, university athletes across Canada were beyond excited to hear that they would be returning to play in the 2021-2022 season. Lower-year students would finally get their first chance to represent their university and upper-year students would finally get to return. It was a very exciting time. 

Although athletes were thrilled to get back, they were also left in some confusion, as there would be several new COVID-19 protocols in place, not just affecting playing conditions, but also their season as a whole. 

Many teams would see shortened seasons, alternative formats and reduced playoffs. Other teams saw their divisions realigned to limit travel and would play their regional championships in facilities other than their own. It was a very strange time that left many athletes and teams attempting to figure out how “normal” their return would really be. 

Alexander Cowman, a member of McMaster’s rowing team, was surprised to find his season to be fairly normal and very similar to what he had experienced prior to the shutdown. 

“I don’t think there were any hurdles that came with COVID. It was more so just the regular screening and masks and then that was about it. It’s been fairly close to normal this year,” said Cowman. 

When asked about the big differences he noticed, he quickly pointed to the lack of socialization at regattas from team to team and described it as the most abnormal aspect of the season. 

“I think the biggest difference is the lack of socialization between the different teams. Everyone just stays with their team and doesn’t interact with the other teams as much [as they used to],” said Cowman.

Although sports are full of competition, it is also an opportunity for athletes to socialize, get to know their peers and competitors and learn from one another. This is something that athletes from many sports have noticed as the human element of the game has slowly disappeared. 

When asked about how the year long break from sports affected the team, Cowman suggested that it may have actually been a positive, allowing the team to become more competitive and perform better under a new coaching change. 

“This year’s been pretty good. We had a change of coaches that has made a big difference in the atmosphere around the team . . . I think the year with COVID also helped to build into this with the change that came through COVID and the change through our team,” explained Cowman.

With so many changes having come through the pandemic, Cowman was also asked about what he would like to see return back to normal in the new year, should circumstances allow it. 

“I’d like to see our practices go back to normal. Last winter we were only able to train at home and alone, so I’d like to get back to practicing inside all together. I’m really excited to get back into there with the team weight sessions. I’m also looking forward to hosting some of our indoor regattas,” said Cowman. 

With many indoor sports beginning to take place leading into the break, such as basketball, water polo, volleyball and more, it should be interesting to see how much leniency both U Sports and McMaster allow for and how “back to normal” the lives of athletes can truly get. 

From the explanation of Cowman, sports have seemingly largely returned to normal. However, this largely applies to outdoor sports as these are the ones largely being allowed to proceed. Here’s hoping the same will be said as indoor sports begin to take charge. 

C/O Yoohyun Park

How are international students staying connected with loved ones this winter break?

During August of 2021, Hamilton saw a massive influx of students returning to McMaster University, including a large number of international students who were finally able to return to Canada. Due to the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on previous years, this is the first semester many international students are able to attend university in person and live away from home for the first time.

Dipto Prasun Nath, a fourth-year business student, spoke about his experiences during the holidays as an international student and his plans for the upcoming winter break. 

Over his winter breaks before the COVID-19 pandemic, Nath met up with his international friends from Bangladesh, whom he has been friends with for eighteen years. Although they’re all in Canada, they are separated by university so they have often picked a starting point to meet before travelling as a group.

“It’s nice to have your school friends around. When we move to Canada, it’s a new place where we don’t have any family. So whenever we get together with school friends we always have like, nostalgic feelings,” said Nath.

This year, Nath said he and his friends may be connecting through Whatsapp calls to keep in touch. Nath also commented on how each winter break has been a different experience for him. In his first year, Nath was invited by his roommate's family to stay over during the break.

“Every time it’s a new experience, right? I made really good friends at McMaster, I have to say that. One of my roommates, they were really nice to me. I had [the] experience of spending the winter break at a friend’s place,” said Nath.

“Every time it’s a new experience, right? I made really good friends at McMaster, I have to say that. One of my roommates, they were really nice to me. I had [the] experience of spending the winter break at a friend’s place.”

Dipto Prasun Nath, fourth-year business student

Last year, Nath stayed in Bangladesh and continued classes online, keeping the apartment he had rented during the first half of his second year. This year, he will be in Canada once again for the winter break and for the first time, his family will be visiting him for the winter break in Canada. He says he is looking forward to the visit as he misses his parents.

“In Bangladesh the coldest we get is like 10 or 15 degrees . . . so we never got to experience snow,” said Nath.

Nath said he and his family are looking forward to visiting Vancouver and Montreal during the break.

Another international student, Cleon D’Souza, plans to return to Dubai this winter break to visit his family for the first time since 2018. He looks forward to being in Dubai to celebrate Christmas, his parents' anniversary and his father’s birthday.

“The thing I miss the most is my mom’s cooking because I have not had my mom’s cooking in so, so long. I can’t wait to spend time with my dad,” said D’Souza.

“The thing I miss the most is my mom’s cooking because I have not had my mom’s cooking in so, so long. I can’t wait to spend time with my dad.”

Cleon D’Souza, Fourth-year mathematics and statistics student

D’Souza also talked about meeting his friends during the holidays in person, instead of over the internet like he had during previous winter breaks. 

“100 per cent I’m so excited . . . Usually every winter it’s [my friends] meeting and me just being virtually available in Canada. This time I can actually physically meet them, see them [and] spend lots of time with them,” said D’Souza. 

“100 per cent I’m so excited . . . Usually every winter it’s [my friends] meeting and me just being virtually available in Canada. This time I can actually physically meet them, see them [and] spend lots of time with them.”

Cleon D’Souza, Fourth-year mathematics and statistics student

Not only will D’Souza meet up with old friends, but he will also have the chance to reconnect with high school teachers and volunteers from his church that he hasn’t seen since he left to study in Canada. 

“There’s also other events, like meeting my highschool teachers . . . a lot of them played a really important role in my life. I can’t wait to meet with them and discuss things that they’ve taught me that I use in my real life,” said D’Souza. 

After so many lockdowns due to the pandemic, there is more catching up this winter break to be done than usual. Whether it’s through Whatsapp calls, flights home or visits with friends, international students are finding ways to stay connected to their friends and family this winter break.

Jessica Yang/Production Assistant

Time off work doesn’t always mean a perfect break for professors

For many people, the holidays have always been something to look forward to. For students, this means time away from school and for others, it can mean time away from work. 

This year, at McMaster University, student examinations end officially on Dec. 22, 2021, with winter classes beginning on Jan. 10, 2022. While professors technically have the same time limits when it comes to class dismissals, they spend a large majority of break bringing their courses to fruition. 

Courses often require a lot of planning leading up to the first class, but the COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in professors planning for online classes since March of 2020. 

Now, for the upcoming winter semester in 2022, there is going to be a transition to an almost entirely in-person learning format, which can mean a shift in planning for professors yet again. What this planning looks like will differ depending on the course. 

Joe Kim, an associate professor at McMaster under the department of psychology, neuroscience and behaviour, spoke about how the IntroPsych team at McMaster had already had a relatively hybrid learning style prior to the pandemic as they were using virtual modules. Kim explained that planning for the upcoming semester was close to completion. 

Krista Howarth, an assistant professor at McMaster under the department of kinesiology, explained that, although a large majority of her course planning had been completed, there were still things like the Avenue course shell that needed to be activated and then formatted. 

To Howarth, the way her course appears on Avenue is important, as it is an essential means of communication to her students. She talked about how it would have been nicer to have a longer winter break so she can better prepare for the winter semester.

“I do wish there was more time between term one and term two and even last year, there was a survey that went around and [asked], ‘Would you guys mind if we sort of started the term later this year?’ to give everyone more time. Not just the students, but also [so that] the faculty have more time to get ready for term two,” said Howarth.

“I do wish there was more time between term one and term two and even last year, there was a survey that went around and [asked], ‘Would you guys mind if we sort of started the term later this year?’ to give everyone more time. Not just the students, but also [so that] the faculty have more time to get ready for term two,”

Krista Howarth, Assistant Professor

Though professors spend time planning, many also try to balance spending time with family and friends over the holidays. 

For Kim, the holidays are a chance to be closer with his family. He talked about the variety of games they play, whether that be Sorry!, Dominoes, Clues or Jenga. He also talked about the importance of good food, exercising and binge watching television shows to help create a relaxing break.

“The holidays means the end of semester, so it is a chance to rest, regenerate and spend a lot of time with family. For my daughter, I think she just loves the holidays because everyone is together in the same house so we have time for lots of games,” said Kim.

“The holidays means the end of semester, so it is a chance to rest, regenerate and spend a lot of time with family. For my daughter, I think she just loves the holidays because everyone is together in the same house so we have time for lots of games,”

Joe Kim, Assistant Professor

Howarth also spoke about how excited she is for the upcoming holidays. 

It’s a hard earned break that she always looks forward to because she gets time to spend with her family. Her family loves to do puzzles together as she said it was their own form of relaxation. 

Howarth also discussed how few days she actually takes off during the winter, spending the rest of the days working towards the first day of winter semester.

“I don’t often get to spend as much time as I would’ve liked over the holidays with my family, [but] at least I do get to take a little bit of time off to do some things with my kids and my other family members . . . Most years I take off Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and Boxing day and I’ll spend that at my parents’ house. I go with my kids and we just hang out there and do our typical Christmas celebrations,” said Howarth.

“I don’t often get to spend as much time as I would’ve liked over the holidays with my family, [but] at least I do get to take a little bit of time off to do some things with my kids and my other family members,"

Krista Howarth, Assistant Professor

Both Kim and Howarth shared advice for students on how to have a balanced winter break. They stressed the importance of how taking a break is essential to wellbeing. 

Kim shared how it is good to be productive, but that there are realistic ways to achieve this. He suggested making a list of things one hopes to finish during the break and to ensure that they are realistic goals.

Kim shared how it is good to be productive, but that there are realistic ways to achieve this. He suggested making a list of things one hopes to finish during the break and to ensure that they are realistic goals.

The upcoming break is a much needed holiday for not only students but also professors. Many use this time to spend quality time with their families. Though rest is their main goal, many professors still find themselves spending a large majority of their break planning for the next teaching semester.

C/O Travis Nguyen

As the Ontario tennis season comes to a close, there’s lots to look forward to in the coming year

After more than a year and a half of the COVID-19 break, the Ontario University Athletics made a return, which got student athletes back in the spotlight. One of the sports to make a comeback was tennis, who had their season start in September and subsequently end in October. 

Going into the new season, both of the McMaster teams had no previous championship-winning experience. In the previous years the OUA championships were dominated by the Western Mustangs and University of Toronto Varsity Blues, with the Mustangs winning six out of eight times in the Men’s category. 

Overall, the season for both the Marauders men’s and women’s tennis teams did not end as well as they’d hoped. Both teams failed to make it past their regional qualifiers and therefore missed out on the OUA championship spot which took place in the Western Tennis Centre on Oct. 23. The OUA championships ended with the Varsity Blues winning in the women's section, while the Mustangs clinched their third successive title in the men’s section. 

Jovana Paramentic, one of the women's varsity tennis players, described how it felt to be back on the court after such a long time away from it. 

“Obviously, the break affected me as a student athlete more than I thought it would. I grew up playing tennis on a regular basis, so not being able to play whenever I wanted felt odd. It definitely did alter my ability overall, but I am glad that after such a long time I am able to play once again,” said Paramentic. 

When asked about how she felt to be back, Paramentic described how happy she was to be representing McMaster once more. 

“Representing McMaster in any varsity sport is a big deal. I was looking forward to trying out and playing last year, but that obviously wasn't possible. The tryouts did make me a little bit nervous, but I was confident and I managed to get in. Even though it wasn't the best season performance-wise, I am just really happy that I am able to play with some competitiveness,” explained Paramentic. 

When asked about outlooks on the next season, Paramentic explained that she is certain that the team will continue to improve.

“This season wasn't the best, but I am confident that next will be better. I am sure that during the off season period we will all work hard on improving and hopefully come back stronger,” said Paramentic. 

Although the season for the Marauders has ended for this year, there is a lot to look forward to for the 2021-2022 season, in which McMaster will have another chance to impress in the OUA qualifiers. 

C/O Ainsley Thurgood

The City of Hamilton warns students their residence may have lead service pipes via letter

By: Kate O’Melia, News Staff Writer 

Students living in houses built before 1955 in Hamilton might be getting a letter from the City of Hamilton warning them about lead in their private water service pipe. 

The City of Hamilton is aware there are approximately 20,000 homes with lead pipes in Hamilton currently. Lead can be dangerous for a number of reasons, including health effects such as reduced cognition, increased blood pressure and renal dysfunction. Since this was not known when many of Hamilton's older houses were built, it was used in pipes until 1955 and in the solder for the pipes’ connections up to the 1990s. Unfortunately, some of these may include McMaster University student houses.

One household in the Westdale area received a letter from the City of Hamilton in early September, during McMaster’s Welcome Week, warning that they had a lead or unknown private water service pipe entering their house. 

Mac student Trevor Whitesell said his house received the letter right after moving in to start their second year. Since receiving the letter on Sept. 7, he and his roommates have been more cautious with their water intake. 

"I don't want to risk it . . . Small amounts [of lead] can be harmful, so I'm pretty cautious about it. I think we just got a Brita the other day [to] make sure we're not drinking it. But other than that, we just drink bottled water instead. For showering and brushing your teeth with the water, what else can you really do?" said Whitesell. 

Their service pipe was not confirmed to be lead, but because the house was built prior to 1955, it was suggested that the residents identify the type of pipe supplying water to protect themselves from possible toxic lead exposure.

“The private portion of this pipe is the responsibility of the homeowner,” stated the letter. 

Since the lines installed are on private property, it is up to the homeowner to check for any lead and replace service pipes if needed.

This isn’t the first time Mac students have had run-ins with lead pipes. 

In May of 2020, a Spotted At Mac post was made stating that the City of Hamilton had confirmed their house in the Emerson area had lead pipes and warned other students to check their houses for lead pipes.

Usually, the city would arrange for a Water Distribution Operator to come into homes to check for lead pipes, but COVID-19 regulations make this impossible. For now, the city is asking residents to conduct the inspection using a visual and/or scratch test on their own by following a video tutorial.

In addition to this online tutorial, the city is offering virtual inspections. Residents can also choose to send in water samples for testing instead of or in addition to the scratch test. Any water sample tested by the city should contain levels of lead under 10 micrograms per litre to be deemed safe for drinking.

A Tap Water Lead Levels map made in 2008 by the City of Hamilton shows that there are also many houses throughout Hamilton that contain some traces of lead, but at levels deemed safe enough for drinking. These homes can be identified as the green dots on the map which contain under 10 micrograms of lead per litre. 

If a residence is inspected and found to have lead pipes, the homeowner must replace it at their own expense and schedule a date with the city for a replacement of the public portion of the pipe. The city does allow for applications to a $2,500 loan transferred to the homeowner’s water bill. 

However, to qualify for this loan, the existing pipe needs to be substantially composed of lead. Additionally, replacing lead pipes can be difficult and costly even if the loan is granted.

Whitesell and his roommates are worried that their landlord will not want to address the possible lead exposure in the household because of how costly this might be. Students facing similar circumstances may feel the same way.

Currently, the City of Hamilton estimates that it will take approximately 25 to 40 years to replace all the private water service pipes containing lead.