Despite being hit hard by the pandemic, the Hamilton Farmers’ Market is maintaining a steady presence downtown

On a typical day, the Hamilton Farmers’ Market would be busy, full of people either drifting from stall to stall or marching down the aisles with purpose. The air would be filled with the sounds of cheerful chatter as regulars caught up with their favourite vendors or friends they ran into by chance. Established in 1837, the market is an important place of community for Hamilton and a steady constant throughout the city’s history.

“I think it's one of the best things that Hamilton has to offer, right up there with waterfront escarpment, arts and culture and the music scene and all that . . . I would say that Hamilton Farmers’ Market [is one of] of the great assets of the city,” said Eric Miller, chair of the market’s board of directors.

“I think it's one of the best things that Hamilton has to offer, right up there with waterfront escarpment, arts and culture and the music scene and all that . . . I would say that Hamilton Farmers’ Market [is one of] of the great assets of the city,” said Eric Miller, chair of the market’s board of directors.

However, the market has experienced some dramatic changes due to the pandemic. In March, they implemented the necessary public health measures, including wearing masks, social distancing protocols and hiring security to help control the flow of people. While these changes were necessary, it meant that all fronts of the market have been sharply impacted by the pandemic.

All vendors at the market were affected, though some more so than others. In terms of their operations specifically at the market, many were limited in what they could sell, especially during the early stages of the pandemic. Miller noted that in some cases these limitations were because of disruptions to the supply chain. Many farmers were unable to hire help to pick their harvests and florists in the region experienced interruptions to the system by which they exchange flowers. Vendors offering cheese and meats also faced supply challenges during the pandemic.

For other vendors, particularly those selling non-food items, they found there was little to no demand for their products. One such vendor is Saji Kollanthara’s Folk Art Prints, who sells hand-printed artisan items imported from India. 

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“Since the COVID [pandemic] started . . . people have no interest in buying anything other than food . . . So I waited for one week then I noticed that there is no point [in] opening the shop, because nobody's buying it. Nobody [was] even looking at my place because they were invested only in food items and nothing of anything else, so I stopped going there after one week,” said Kollanthara, who closed his stall for three months during the pandemic.

“Since the COVID [pandemic] started . . . people have no interest in buying anything other than food . . . So I waited for one week then I noticed that there is no point [in] opening the shop, because nobody's buying it."

While Kollanthara’s stall was only closed on a temporary basis, four other businesses, including Cake and Loaf and Jamaican Patty Shack, were forced to terminate their contract with the market during the pandemic. 

Additionally, immediately following the pandemic announcement, the market also saw a dramatic decrease in customers, by almost 75 per cent during stage one according to Miller. This is likely because customers were being encouraged to limit trips into the community or order online.

Furthermore, while the market itself was not closed at any point during the pandemic, customers’ ability to access the market was restricted. This was in part due to the closure of the Jackson Square entrance during Stage 1 and much of Stage 2, which is a primary entry point to the market. Many also relied on public transportation to attend the market and were understandably concerned about continuing to do so.

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However, despite these difficulties, the market remains open and continues to persevere. While the numbers have not reached typical levels for this time of year, customers are slowly returning to the market. Some customers have commented to the market’s board of directors that they actually feel safer at the farmers’ market, as opposed to a larger supermarket.

However, despite these difficulties, the market remains open and continues to persevere.

Some current vendors, including Kollanthara, have also mentioned that while the pandemic brought many challenges, it also provided them with new opportunities, such as the time to learn how to develop and create an online platform for their business.

A couple of new businesses are even preparing to launch stalls at the market. The first, which opened in the market a few weeks ago, being Hotti Biscotti, a local, small-batch bakery. There are currently two other businesses in the process of setting up shop at the market.

“Two of them just presented to us at the last board meet on what they have to offer. So that's exciting for us . . . I would say it boosts our spirit to have new vendors setting up shop,” said Miller.

While these are without doubt difficult times, there is comfort to be found in the steady presence and perseverance of the Hamilton Farmers’ Market. The market and its vendors have been present through all the storms that Hamilton has had to weather and by continuing to offer delicious food, fantastic flowers and charming crafts, they will help us weather this one as well.

Students shouldn’t feel the need to “hold on” until reading week in order to be okay

Fall reading week has come and gone this year and I don’t know about you, but it felt like a blur.

Many Canadian universities, including McMaster University, have introduced a fall reading week in response to increased stress and mental illnesses in post-secondary students. Although introducing a week-long break from classes seems ideal in alleviating school-related stress, a 2018 study conducted at McMaster found that supporting students’ mental health is a bit more complicated than that. The study, which was conducted in 2015 when the fall break was introduced, found that although students had fewer stressors after reading week, they felt higher levels of stress overall. 

Although introducing a week-long break from classes seems ideal in alleviating school-related stress, a 2018 study conducted at McMaster found that supporting students’ mental health is a bit more complicated than that.

Many students commented that because of the added break, a shortened semester resulted in them having an increased number of midterms and assignments that occurred right after the break. So even though there was a break from classes, reading week is often spent studying or worrying about upcoming assessments.

Although this study was conducted five years ago, much of the data is still relevant. Since first-year, I’ve been fortunate enough to have a full reading week for the fall and winter semesters, but each year I’ve felt the need to catch up on work that was either overdue or prepare for a hectic week of assignments after the break. Reading week is simply not enough to support students’ wellbeing — and it is especially not enough if instructors just condense the work we have to do to “make up” for lost time during the break.

The university has a lot of work to do in order to give us an actual, restful break that helps improve our mental health. Second-year hit me hardest in terms of stress and as a result, I deferred two fall exams. As a result, I had to write two exams during the winter reading week. This meant that on top of taking my full course load, I had to prepare for two final exams right in the middle of the semester when many of my winter courses also had midterms or major assignments' deadlines coming up. While these week-long breaks are supposed to be for our mental health, the winter break exacerbated my stress that year. 

This past reading week seemed even less restful, which was likely due to online classes and the pandemic. As our whole semester has been spent at home, spending another week — well, at home — didn’t really offer me with that mental pause in work and assignments. Yes, I didn’t have any synchronous classes to attend, but due to part of my course load being asynchronous, I already had fewer classes that I needed to attend synchronously this semester.

What I did have this reading week was a lot of work to catch up on or prepare for next week. This tends to be the norm for students every year, but with the anxieties surrounding COVID-19, being isolated from your friends and family and not being able to go out many places, this week was a lot more exhausting for me. Since in-person social interaction was limited and I was at home for the entirety of the week, every day I felt like I needed to do work and be productive.

I had a paper that was due right before reading week and four assignments due the week after — so of course, right after I finished my paper, I wanted to start working on the assignments so that their deadlines didn’t loom on the horizon.

Student mental health is more than just having a mid-semester break from classes and assignments. Many students like myself find that we just need to hold on until reading week; to simply finish our work and that as long as we don’t burn out until then, we will be okay. But once it’s reading week, we are allowed a moment to breathe before we must pick ourselves up and dust ourselves off again and continue working until we finish our exams — the light at the end of the tunnel. Then this cycle continues for the winter semester until summer break — unless you have spring or summer courses or work a job, of course. In that case, there are even fewer breaks that allow you to take a breather and actually, truly relax.

Student mental health is more than just having a mid-semester break from classes and assignments.

Giving us a reading week is a band-aid solution to a much larger problem. Students shouldn’t feel the need to “push through” to reading week and then “push through” to the end of exams. 

If McMaster wanted to ensure students had a restful break, fall exams wouldn’t be deferred to a break meant for our mental health. If McMaster wanted to ensure students had a restful break, we shouldn’t be overloaded with midterms, assignments and papers right before or after reading week.

I don’t have all the answers or solutions on how to improve student mental health. But what I do know is that if we want to truly support students, we need to do more than just providing two reading weeks.

With the season being up in the air, Forge Football Club still prevails in the end.

Forge Football Club, Hamilton’s team in the Canadian Premier League, won their back-to-back championship after scoring two-nil against the Halifax Wanderers Football Club in the title game of the 2020 season.

A typical season consists of 28 matches lasting from April to October; however, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the season was shortened. It has become known as the Island Games, comprised of seven matches between the eight teams in the first stage, utilizing a round-robin format. Afterwards, the tournament goes into the group stage, in which the top four teams compete against one another. The top two teams advance and compete against each other for the title.

Kyle Bekker, the captain and player with the highest score on the team, understood that he had to bring the team together to get the morale high to compete at such great levels. 

“We spoke about it just being a business trip and knew what guys were giving up and the sacrifices people are making to go make a tournament happen and going away from family and loved ones for a significant time. If we’re going to do this, we’re coming back home with the trophy at the end of the day . . . It became militant at times. It was a battle every single day. We got [to the final game] and we achieved that . . . There’s obviously good days and bad days in the bubble. We just have to get on with it,” said Bekker. 

“We spoke about it just being a business trip and knew what guys were giving up and the sacrifices people are making to go make a tournament happen and going away from family and loved ones for a significant time. If we’re going to do this, we’re coming back home with the trophy at the end of the day . . . It became militant at times. It was a battle every single day. We got [to the final game] and we achieved that . . . There’s obviously good days and bad days in the bubble. We just have to get on with it,” said Bekker. 

David Edgar, former Premier League player for Newcastle United Football and centre-back on Forge FC, echoed similar sentiments as Bekker. Edgar exclaimed that carrying the mentality before the pandemic into the bubble is what propelled them to the championship, despite having to leave a young family for such a long time. 

“This [tournament] was extra hard. But in all honesty, I attacked it like a prison sentence, where you mentally focus and lock in for one job only. Yeah, you miss certain things and meals. But winning it makes it worthwhile,” said Edgar. 

“This [tournament] was extra hard. But in all honesty, I attacked it like a prison sentence, where you mentally focus and lock in for one job only. Yeah, you miss certain things and meals. But winning it

Edgar went on to say that the bubble was very unique and acted as a family with other teams there. “It’s also not the friendliest of places, lots of testosterone running around with the competition. You go about your business and hold yourself to certain standards,” said Edgar. 

Despite the team having won a championship the previous season, they knew the pressure of a title game doesn’t change. 

“We definitely felt the weight of it being a championship game. We were lucky enough to have a core group from our first year come back and be a part of this, which definitely helped . . . But going into that final game, the excitement will always be there. Definitely, a feeling of we been here and we know what was expected of us,” said Bekker. “It felt more unique. Overall, we won both now and that’s the hardest thing to do. We won in a league and tournament football and you can’t afford to lose in a tournament,” said Edgar of repeating as champions.

“We definitely felt the weight of it being a championship game. We were lucky enough to have a core group from our first year come back and be a part of this, which definitely helped . . . But going into that final game, the excitement will always be there. Definitely, a feeling of we been here and we know what was expected of us,” said Bekker.

After their championship victory comes their first match of the 2020 Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Association Football League, having qualified from winning the 2019 season of the CPL, playing in El Salvador. The team will play against Municipal Limeño of El Salvador. Bobby Smyrniotis, head coach of the team, says that with the El Salvadorian league commencing Oct. 10, it gives them two matches to view their opponent’s playstyle to prepare for the match. “[I] gave the [players] a full week off to decompress then back [to] work at Tim Horton’s Field, six days a week . . . Looking forward to another opportunity to compete continentally for our club. The guys really relish the opportunity to play,” said Smyrniotis.

“[I] gave the [players] a full week off to decompress then back [to] work at Tim Horton’s Field, six days a week . . . Looking forward to another opportunity to compete continentally for our club. The guys really relish the opportunity to play,” said Smyrniotis.

Their match against Municipal Limeño will happen on Thurs, Oct. 22 at 8 p.m.

The Art Gallery of Hamilton Film Festival moves online amidst the COVID-19 pandemic

By: Samantha McBride, Production Assistant

Every year film enthusiasts and creatives alike descend on Hamilton for the Art Gallery of Hamilton Film Festival.  This event promises local and international feature films, short films, competitions and other programming. The festival is also an opportunity for the Hamilton community to support independent artists and engage with an international circle of storytellers.

Amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, this year’s festival has undergone major changes. The festival is currently running from Oct. 16-25, 2020 and is entirely online using the platform, Eventive. Most of the films are available on-demand but there are also live online events.

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“It's very important for us to continue to support the creators as well as help the community to see new films that they might not see anywhere else . . . [Films are] a window into someone else's world and someone else's experience and it's an important medium for us to understand the world around us and the experiences other people have in our world,” said Art Gallery of Hamilton Film Curator Ryan Ferguson. 

“It's very important for us to continue to support the creators as well as help the community to see new films that they might not see anywhere else . . . [Films are] a window into someone else's world and someone else's experience and it's an important medium for us to understand the world around us and the experiences other people have in our world,” said Art Gallery of Hamilton Film Curator Ryan Ferguson. 

One of the more notable live events is the festival’s youth film challenge, an opportunity for anyone under the age of 25 to submit their short film to the festival. The youth challenge is a chance for young filmmakers to showcase their work to the community and beyond. One film from the category will be selected to receive the audience choice award for standout film. This year’s youth and family film challenges will be livestreamed on the last day of the festival. 

The festival’s 21 short films are being offered at no cost in categories of six to seven films. These short films are eligible for the audience choice award, given to the film voted best by the audience. 

The festival also includes a number of works from local and Canadian filmmakers. One of these works is the world premiere of La Toccata created by Hamilton interdisciplinary artist Radha Menon. La Toccata is set in Sicily and explores the Western obsession with youth and beauty. It is particularly fitting at this time when the pandemic has exposed the individual and systemic lack of care for the lives of elderly individuals. 

“[I]t’s all about beauty so [the film is] made to look beautiful . . . because we are obsessed with beauty and it's that beauty that draws us in . . . [I]t has been created in our mind that the ageing process is something to be feared, mine included, everybody, it's so drilled into our psyche . . . [I]n my culture elders – well especially used to be, not so much maybe anymore because Western influences – were revered and the grey hair meant wisdom. But now, we shove our elderly behind closed doors, segregate them so we don't have to see them or be with them and it’s quite foolish because we could be learning from all the wisdom that they have,” Menon explained.

Menon was excited to premiere this work in the city that she calls home, even if it is only online. While she knows audiences will be missing the experience of being in a theatre, she thinks it is valuable to have the opportunity to see what creators are working on during this time. 

Ordinarily, the festival is geared toward the Hamilton community but as it shifts to an online event, other audiences have the opportunity to partake in the diverse programming lineup offered by the AGHFF. The move to online creates a more inclusive festival for those who would not ordinarily be able to visit the Hamilton area.

“It's exciting for us to have the opportunity to share what we do every year here in Hamilton with people all over the province," said Ferguson. 

“It's exciting for us to have the opportunity to share what we do every year here in Hamilton with people all over the province," said Ferguson. 

Overall, the festival promises an interesting online experience for audiences with exciting ways to get involved. Although audiences are not together to watch the films, the community remains united by the stories told.

 Hamilton Public Library’s virtual programming is supporting the community and helping them stay connected

Community is a crucial component of well-being. It is also something that many are missing as traditional gatherings such as city-wide events have been cancelled due to the pandemic. Libraries have long since been gathering places for communities but due to the pandemic, many closed for months.  While nothing will likely be able to replace this missing connection, libraries have found ways to adapt and forge new kinds of connections.

The Hamilton Public Library has created new avenues for connection while still maintaining the high quality and range associated with their traditional programming. In mid-March, shortly after the first pandemic closures, HPL transitioned its programs to a virtual environment, initially using Microsoft Teams. Since then, they have expanded to YouTube and Hamilton TV channel Cable 14. They have also added a number of new programs in light of the pandemic, such as a learning database, job search events and social events like Poems from Home. 

So far, HPL’s virtual programs have been very successful, with many of their livestreamed events continuing to get views weeks after they’re released. Their online platforms, such as Cisco Academy and Mango, have seen dramatic increases in use since the pandemic closures.

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HPL serves not just those who live in Hamilton but those who work and learn in the city as well. They want to ensure that all members of the community, whether or not they are able to come to Hamilton now, still feel connected and supported. Community is very much top of mind for Lisa Radha Weaver, the director of collections and program development at HPL, as well as the rest of the HPL’s program team.

“I really hope that all HPL library members are able to walk away with the thing that they were looking for. So, if they were looking for social interaction with a sit and stretch, or a book club conversation, I hope that they got that engagement, especially if they've been isolated since March. I hope the people who are logging on to our Cisco Academy and are hoping to apply for that dream job are able to have the confidence . . . [to] have a successful interview and for any member who is looking for something and isn't able to necessarily find it on our website. I hope that they're going to call [in] to Ask HPL or email us and let us know that they're looking for this kind of programming,” said Weaver.

“I really hope that all HPL library members are able to walk away with the thing that they were looking for. So, if they were looking for social interaction with a sit and stretch, or a book club conversation, I hope that they got that engagement, especially if they've been isolated since March..." said Weaver.

All their programs can be accessed with an HPL library card. If community members do not have a card as of yet, they are able to register for one through the HPL website. Weaver especially encourages students to get a library card if they do not already have one, as this is a way by which they can connect with the Hamilton community during a time when they may feel particularly isolated. Even if they are not living in Hamilton currently but still attending university virtually, students are eligible for an HPL card. 

Many of their programs featuring local musicians and authors can offer students a glimpse into the culture and history of the city they’re studying in. Other programs, such as book clubs, knitting circles and music circles can help students connect with the larger Hamilton community. Additionally, the library’s many online learning platforms can offer students support through various tutoring, language learning, computer coding and other skill programs.

“We really do appreciate being part of the McMaster community and are happy to support, just as McMaster libraries are, all . . . student learners and instructors at McMaster . . . [W]e look forward to engaging with all the students, especially the new students at Mac this year who we haven't been able to meet in person yet . . . We look forward to meeting them online and supporting them throughout this academic year,” said Weaver.

“We really do appreciate being part of the McMaster community and are happy to support, just as McMaster libraries are, all . . . student learners and instructors at McMaster . . ." said Weaver.

HPL has faced some challenges, the chief one being accessibility. Many people rely on libraries for computer and internet access. Currently, some branches are open for restricted hours and computers can be accessed then. However, many of the virtual programs they offer take place after hours and if community members do not have a device and stable internet access at home, they cannot access these events. 

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One of the challenges that HPL has been able to surmount is the number of community members who were not online or comfortable navigating the virtual environment before this pandemic. Through the Ask HPL service on their website, they have been able to help many of these people transition online.

“So there are book clubs that have been meeting for decades in person, and transitioning them online for some people has been a challenge, whether it's a device challenge or a software challenge but again, with our amazing Ask HPL service . . . we've been able to help members transition to those services online. We look at every challenge as an opportunity and we're fortunate that we've had the staff capacity and community interest in addressing those challenges and helping people stay engaged with the library,” explained Weaver.

Libraries have always been places for people to gather and feel connected, held and supported. So it is fitting that HPL are among those fostering a digital sense of community during these trying times.

After the cancellation of fall sports, Western Mustangs’ football player, Garrett Holmes, created the CSAA to protect student-athletes.

In early July 2020, U Sports made a controversial decision where they maintained their current eligibility policy of disallowing football athletes older than 25 (born on Sept. 1, 1996 or after) from competing in the 2021-2022 season.

After pressure from athletes and the public, the national association made an exception to their policy, where the 2020-2021 season would not be counted as part of their eligibility, thus allowing athletes to participate after competing five academic years and allowing football athletes older than 25 to compete in games.

Official statement from U SPORTS: pic.twitter.com/k95YqNDxkS

— U SPORTS (@USPORTSca) July 27, 2020

A key voice that resulted in this reversal is the newly-formed Canadian Student-Athlete Association, founded by Garrett Holmes, a fourth-year social sciences student at Western University and back-up quarterback for the Western Mustangs. 

“COVID-19 really changed college and university sports forever in Canada unfortunately . . . it’s not about the decisions made in the past, but it’s the future decisions that are going to be made, and when those are made, I think student-athletes should have some input. It’s their future and it’s their careers at stake. I don’t think it's right if they don’t [have] input to what’s happening,” said Holmes.

“COVID-19 really changed college and university sports forever in Canada unfortunately . . . it’s not about the decisions made in the past, but it’s the future decisions that are going to be made, and when those are made, I think student-athletes should have some input. It’s their future and it’s their careers at stake. I don’t think it's right if they don’t [have] input to what’s happening,” said Holmes.

On July 20, the CSAA provided a statement to U Sports asking them to revisit their decision regarding eligibility for the 2021-2022 season and onwards. On July 27, U Sports made the reversal, with the CSAA expressing their gratitude to CEO of U Sports Dick White and U Sports as a whole for their willingness to listen and their consequential decision. 

“I think Canada will be in limbo for a while. A bubble is a great idea, but I don’t know how they will fund it. It needs a lot of planning. Even for fall sports, the timing is slipping away . . . the season would have started a few weeks ago for football. I think for spring sports, that’s an option, but they have to start planning now for a bubble. But unfortunately, I don’t think U sports is thinking about that; they’re just pretty set on staying safe. But it’s hard to know what they’re thinking without getting input from student-athletes. It’s just tough,” said Holmes.

“I think Canada will be in limbo for a while. A bubble is a great idea, but I don’t know how they will fund it. It needs a lot of planning. Even for fall sports, the timing is slipping away . . . the season would have started a few weeks ago for football. I think for spring sports, that’s an option, but they have to start planning now for a bubble. But unfortunately, I don’t think U sports is thinking about that; they’re just pretty set on staying safe. But it’s hard to know what they’re thinking without getting input from student-athletes. It’s just tough,” said Holmes.

Outside of the COVID-19 pandemic, the CSAA has various goals that comprise its mandate to provide student-athletes with a voice.

“Right now, we are reaching out to key people, like Dick White and key organizations and getting their input and providing my input . . . Obviously COVID-19 is the most important topic right now in U Sports and Canadian university athletics, but aside from that, there are so many big issues that aren’t talked about right now, such as sexual harassment and racism. These issues are pushed away because student-athletes don’t know where to go to talk, but now the CSAA is somewhere to go to bring up such issues,” said Holmes. 

“Right now, we are reaching out to key people, like Dick White and key organizations and getting their input and providing my input . . . Obviously COVID-19 is the most important topic right now in U Sports and Canadian university athletics, but aside from that, there are so many big issues that aren’t talked about right now, such as sexual harassment and racism. These issues are pushed away because student-athletes don’t know where to go to talk, but now the CSAA is somewhere to go to bring up such issues,” said Holmes. 

Holmes also explained that bringing agent representation to student-athletes is an area that the CSAA would like to focus on, providing them with the best student-athlete experience. 

“Change is needed. With COVID-19, we are in very strange times. Student-athletes deserve to see the table. It’s their future being altered and to have no input from them is very wrong,” said Holmes.

Despite the governance of the CSAA still being under development, current student-athletes and alumni are encouraged to view the association’s website and reach out to Holmes to discuss the future of the CSAA.

C/O: Silhouette Archives

How McMaster’s COVID-19 Research Fund enables scientists and students alike to engage in exciting research to fight the pandemic

Universities across the world have come together to conduct COVID-19 research. Some research projects have even entered phase three clinical trials. The brightest minds around the globe are all hard at work in the lab or hunched over a computer sifting through collected data to put an end to the ongoing pandemic. In the midst of all the headlines boasting of some institution’s cutting-edge research, have you perhaps wondered how McMaster is fighting against COVID-19? 

McMaster holds the title of the most research intensive university in Canada for good reason. Like many of the most advanced research institutions across the world, McMaster’s faculty and students have been working intensely on COVID-19 projects, from exploring the potential for new diagnostic tools to exploring potential drugs that inhibit the virus’ ability to infect human cells. Many such projects have been made possible by many grants and these include the McMaster COVID-19 Research Fund, a program whereby the university itself and donors are able to support research projects conducted at McMaster.

One recipient of the McMaster COVID-19 Research Fund is Dr. Richard Austin, a professor in the medical sciences graduate program. He is the research director at St. Joseph’s Healthcare for the Hamilton Center for Kidney Research and has been at McMaster for 25 years. His research interests are focused on understanding why those with chronic kidney disease are at a higher risk of death due to cardiovascular complications. While waiting for his lab to reopen after facing setbacks from COVID-19 regulations, Austin became interested in the potential of a connection between his work prior to the pandemic and the novel virus itself. 

C/O: Dr. Richard Austin. Richard Austin pictured here.

“We had stumbled upon a couple papers that were published actually showing that one of the cell surface proteins that we work on – GRP78 – was actually identified as a receptor that can combine to spike proteins on the virus and bring it into cells,” explains Austin.

Austin’s research lab has been hard at work looking further into the potential of this discovery he made when looking through the medical literature. His lab has since paired with a large scientific company in order to have access to different molecules that can bind to GRP78 and potentially block it and ultimately the entry of SARS-CoV-2 into human cells. The goal is to find out whether such a molecule may be used as a potential antiviral agent. 

C/O: Michal Moshkovich. Pictured here is Dr. Richard Austin’s research team.

“We have small molecules from another company that we're working with that bind to surface GRP78,” said Austin. “So we're going to [ask whether] if we take some of these small molecules, can they actually disrupt the interaction of GRP78 with the spike protein so it doesn't get into the cell; so it could be an antiviral agent? That's what we're thinking.”

Austin’s research project has since grown and now involves an interdisciplinary team of researchers across McMaster. The team is now a collaboration of different faculties all working together to potentially uncover an antiviral agent. The team includes Dr. Karen Mossman, a virologist and professor in pathology and medicine, as well as a medicinal chemist. “One great thing about McMaster is the collaborative efforts we have,” explains Austin. “Here's a product that's sort of spurred out of an idea at three in the morning, when I was doing nothing and wanted to check on PubMed, into now, three investigators at McMaster that are actively looking at this whole process of GRP78.”

Another recipient of the McMaster COVID-19 Research Fund is Dr. Nikhil Pai, an assistant professor in the department of pediatrics, division of gastroenterology & nutrition, for his current project, “A Prospective, Observational Study on the Diagnosis of COVID-19 Infection from Stool Samples of Children and Adults.” 

The project involves many collaborators across McMaster: Dr. Marek Smieja, Dr. Jeffrey Pernica, Lee Hill, Emily Hartung, Jelea Popov, Jodi Gilchrist, Julia Maciejewski, Dr. Mark Larché and Dr. Karen Mossman. 

C/O: Michal Moshkovich. Pictured here is from left to right: Dr. Nikhil Pai, Dr. Jeffrey Pernica, Dr. Marek Smieja.

However, also participating in this exciting project are two undergraduate students in the Bachelor of Health Sciences (Honours) Program, Michal Moshkovich and Melanie Figueirdo, in second and third year, respectively. Indeed, it is not only professors and PhD students who are invested in the fight against COVID-19, but the student community as well.

C/O: Michal Moshkovich. Pictured here is Michal Moshkovich and Melanie Figueiredo, the undergraduates involved in Dr. Pai’s project.

The study will help determine whether COVID-19 infection can be detected from stool samples, which could potentially revolutionize current diagnostic methods. This is especially important considering the high prevalence of asymptomatic patients or COVID-19 positive patients who test negative through nasopharyngeal swabs. 

“We are testing stool obtained from patients across eight major adult and children’s hospitals serviced by south western Ontario’s regional virology laboratory,” explains Moshkovich. “This study will better define rates of community infection, increase diagnostic accuracy, broaden our understanding of disease transmission risks and potentially offer more economical approaches to COVID-19 testing.”

The study, which involves a large multidisciplinary team, has garnered attention from across the globe and professionals from abroad are reaching out to offer their own data to assist the study. This just goes to show the importance of collaboration in science, a field which can often seem uber-competitive, during global emergencies. 

“What's really incredible is how quickly we and the research community were able to pivot when there’s a global crisis happening to get important, relevant data out immediately,” explains Figueirdo. “We are doing this with a pediatric infectious diseases specialist, clinical pathologist, Director of lab medicine professional; we’ve gotten ministry of health support, McMaster university support and had phone calls with collaborators from Brazil back in February who wanted to share diagnostics with us. It’s very global and rapid; it feels great!”

What better way to spend your undergraduate career than by lending a hand to global COVID-19 research? Moshkovich and Figueirdo have definitely made the most of the pandemic and have had the unique experience of being involved in the nitty gritty of research that might eventually lead to COVID-19 patient care and global implementation of diagnostic techniques. For students also interested in getting involved in the fight against COVID-19 or simply impactful research in general, Moshkovich has an important message. 

“The world is evolving — everything is changing,” says Moshkovich. “Do not hesitate to reach out to specialists, practitioners, laboratory heads and offer a hand in making this change. Because that is exactly what we did!”

Amidst COVID-19, services across campus try to find ways to stay accessible in an online environment

The online fall term required the McMaster Students Union to adapt and innovate its services, typically run in-person, to continue to provide support, supplies and community to McMaster University students. The MSU runs over 30 services, run by and for students, that offer a range of resources and opportunities, from confidential peer support to first aid. Over the summer months, the part-time managers of each service planned and prepared to convert their in-person programming to online supports.

MSU Food Collective Centre

In typical years, the Food Collective Centre has run an on-campus food bank and various programs to increase food security in the McMaster community. The FCC has offered both catered programming and events, such as the Community Kitchen. PTM Hannan Minhas explained how the FCC will continue to provide these services and be mindful of COVID restrictions.

The drop-in food bank service will be closed to students for the fall term due to COVID restrictions. Instead, Lockers of Love will be the primary service to ensure that students and community members can still access the FCC resources. Students and community members can anonymously fill out an order form for non-perishable food items and health supplies. 

“[The executive team are] trying to make [Lockers of Love] more efficient so students can access food almost the same day or one day later. And we have more lockers so we’ll try to accommodate as many students as we can,” said Minhas. 

“[The executive team are] trying to make [Lockers of Love] more efficient so students can access food almost the same day or one day later. And we have more lockers so we’ll try to accommodate as many students as we can,” said Minhas. 

The Good Food Box, which is run in partnership with the Grace Lutheran Church, will run this term as it has in the past. The box is filled with fresh produce and is picked up on campus. The order and pick-up dates for the fall term can be found at the FCC website.

The FCC will offer the Community Kitchen workshops online, likely through Microsoft Teams to ensure closed captioning. Participants have the chance to cook a recipe along with the instructor, to ask questions and to build skills and confidence in the kitchen. Interested participants reserve their space and fill out a poll for which date and times are preferred, to accommodate all participants regardless of class schedule or time zones. The FCC will increase capacity and maintain a community for the workshops this term because of the virtual setting.

FCC will also run virtual events and contests, such as Quarantine Cooking, where students create and submit a recipe based on a key ingredient for the chance to win a $25 gift card.

MSU Peer Support Services

The four peer support services of the MSU have all adapted their programming in a secure and accessible way for this term. Maccess, Pride Community Centre, Women and Gender Equity Network and Student Health Education Centre have all adapted one-on-one peer support to virtual platforms. Flexibility and the needs of the communities that they serve are priorities for each service this term.

“We’re just trying to be open and have conversations with users who seek resources and responding [to users] in ways that maximize their comfort,” said Yimeng Wang, WGEN coordinator.

“We’re just trying to be open and have conversations with users who seek resources and responding [to users] in ways that maximize their comfort,” said Yimeng Wang, WGEN coordinator.

Each coordinator outlined plans and options to accommodate students in different time zones and with various technological resources.

Students and community members can reach out for one-on-one peer support or join identity-specific community groups in varied ways, such as through email, social media, anonymous forms and the platforms used by different services. Disclosure of specifics is not necessary to join a community group.

Maccess, WGEN and the PCC have each developed a Discord server where participants can access one-on-one peer support through text, audio or video chats. These servers will be available in early October and will be accessible by request. SHEC has developed a "Warmline" using tawk.to to offer non-crisis peer support. The Warmline will be fully anonymous through text chat, but support can also be offered via audio or video chats per student request. The Warmline is expected to launch in the coming weeks.

https://www.facebook.com/msuSHEC/posts/3287225894695713

Students and community members can also reach out to join identity-specific community groups offered by different services. These groups are run by volunteers with lived experiences and include a BIPoC-2STLGBQIA+ community group from the PCC, a disabled-2STLGBQIA+ community by the PCC and Maccess and Black and Gendered by WGEN and McMaster Womanists. PCC coordinator Christian Barborini highlighted that participants may not be out or may live in unsupportive environments, so they have accommodated supports to suit individual circumstances, such as text-only in the community group.

WGEN also has a peer support group for survivors.

https://www.facebook.com/WGEN.MSU/posts/2741913719369823

The PCC will offer individual check-ins this year. Participants can sign up and will receive a weekly text-based check-in from a PCC volunteer.

SHEC coordinator Sydney Cumming hopes to develop a system for students and community members to access the free resources that SHEC has normally provided. This is still in the works; however, Cumming is hoping to have a system by the end of the fall term. Cumming hopes to partner with the FCC’s Lockers of Love and WGEN with their gender-affirming products that Cumming highlighted as “life-saving”. In addition, the SHEC team hopes to partner with libraries and the Student Wellness Centre to offer various products. 

All of the peer support services plan to run events this term. Calvin Prowse, Maccess coordinator, planned for more frequent but relaxed events and is excited for the opportunity to have events they weren’t able to do previously. Maccess has a Pet and Plant Appreciation Party planned for later this term. Cumming has SHEC events planned to distribute resources to students, such as grocery store gift cards.

The service coordinators had different preferences for video platforms. SHEC, Maccess and PCC preferred Microsoft Teams for its built-in closed captioning. Wang preferred Zoom and Otter.ai for closed captioning.

“I think it was really important for us to try to find a way to create a community space in a way that doesn’t add on to Zoom fatigue and gives people a break,” said Prowse.

The coordinators are also working to ensure that the various platforms, such as Discord and tawk.to, are compatible with screen readers.

“I think it was really important for us to try to find a way to create a community space in a way that doesn’t add on to Zoom fatigue and gives people a break,” said Prowse

MSU Emergency First Response Team

The yellow backpacks won’t be on campus for a while, at least until November when the EFRT advisory board will re-evaluate whether it is safe for responders to be on-call. According to the EFRT Director Kevin Park, the EFRT advisory board has developed a "return to call" criteria. The advisory board is made up of student staff, including MSU representatives and medical doctors, including the EFRT Medical Director Dr. Morgan Hillier.

The priority of EFRT and its advisory board is the safety of all responders and community members. The safe reopening evaluation criteria are: risk of COVID-19 to responders, enough personal protective equipment, the population numbers on campus and office space for responders.

According to Park, the number of people on campus is used to gauge the capacity of Security Services and the Student Wellness Centre to respond, in case of an emergency on campus. The office space is a concern for Park, as he said that their current space is shared between 30 students and unable to accommodate social distancing. In addition, Park is concerned about the current spike of COVID-19 cases in Ontario and on university campuses, such as Western University.

“We’ve been trying to focus mainly on the things that we couldn’t do before,” explained Park.

In light of this, EFRT has increased its social media presence and has changed its training and hiring practices.

“We’ve been trying to focus mainly on the things that we couldn’t do before,” explained Park

Current EFRT responders have continued to practice First Aid and CPR. EFRT will run monthly virtual training sessions that will focus on critical thinking skills and knowledge of protocols. Park wants all responders to maintain their standard so that they are ready to go back as soon as possible.

For more information on MSU service adaptations, check out the MSU website.

https://www.facebook.com/MSUMcMaster/posts/3562728260424699&sa=D&ust=1600726517532000&usg=AFQjCNHBWTrfMv-QLixINzj--92BCxVkAQ

When reached for an interview about the MSU’s service changes, VP (Administration) Graeme Noble and AVP (Services) Martino Salciccioli declined an interview.

Correction: Oct. 7, 2020

Because of an error while collecting information, a previous version of this article misstated the medical director of EFRT as Dr. Eddie Wasser. The current medical director is Dr. Morgan Hillier and the article has been updated accordingly.

Dr. Paul Alexander influenced the American response to COVID-19, sometimes against scientific consensus

News broke on Sept. 9, 2020 that an appointee from the Trump administration was trying to dictate what information Dr. Anthony Fauci was able to share with the public in regards to the risks children face with COVID-19. That appointee was Paul Alexander, a part-time professor in the department of health research methods, evidence and impact at McMaster University.

Fauci is the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, part of the National Institutes of Health and the United States government’s top expert on the COVID-19 pandemic.

This story is bonkers. @McMasterU prof Paul Alexander tried to prevent top U.S. infectious disease expert Anthony Fauci from speaking publicly about COVID-19 risks to children. #HamOnt (1/6) https://t.co/i0sIbZa0t2

— Sebastian Bron (@sbron_) September 10, 2020

Alexander was appointed to the Department of Health and Human Services in March 2020 by Michael Caputo, the assistant secretary of public affairs. Caputo was also new to the department and had no medical background or experience. However, he did work as a top advisor for Donald Trump’s presidential campaign.

Alexander was appointed as a science adviser to help manage the COVID-19 pandemic in America. “The president called me at the end of March and told me I should bring expertise with me. Paul [Alexander] was the first call I made after I got off the phone with the president,” said Caputo in an article written by the Hamilton Spectator.

“The president called me at the end of March and told me I should bring expertise with me. Paul [Alexander] was the first call I made after I got off the phone with the president,” said Caputo in an article written by the Hamilton Spectator.

That expertise has now been the centre of a controversy within the Department of Health and Human Services and the overall response to the pandemic in America. POLITICO’s Sarah Owermohle broke the story from emails sent by Alexander to various officials. His medical advice and instructions for Fauci are written as scientific fact but contradict mainstream scientific consensus, particularly around masks and the risk of COVID-19 in children.

Prior to an interview of Fauci by MSNBC, Alexander wrote that he is opposed to mask-use in children and testing children for COVID-19. He wrote, “can you ensure Dr. Fauci indicates masks are for the teachers in schools. Not for children. There is no data, none, zero, across the entire world, that shows children, especially young children, spread this virus to other children, or to adults or to their teachers. None. And if it did occur, the risk is essentially zero.”

That email was sent on Sept. 8, 2020. In an article from Aug. 15, 2020, Nicole Chavez of CNN cited an American Academy of Pediatrics analysis that indicated a 90 per cent increase in COVID-19 cases among children in the United States. Chavez wrote, “several clusters of coronavirus cases emerged in Florida, Georgia and Mississippi schools within days of starting classes.”

This story has info on the latest school COVID-19 case in Hamilton and a follow up on the first case linked to the school system.

It also has a map of all the school cases between Burlington and Niagara. #HamOnt #COVID19 #BackToSchool https://t.co/i0O5roIwLd

— Bobby Hristova (@bobbyhristova) September 18, 2020

In Hamilton, there have been at least two cases of COVID-19 among children in schools. As of Sept. 18, there have been at least 25 COVID-19 cases among students across Ontario’s publicly-funded schools.

A previous email from Alexander, dated Aug. 27, wrote that “there is no reason to test people without coronavirus symptoms.” The Center for Disease Control published new guidelines on Aug. 24 with an unclear direction on tests for asymptomatic individuals.

Trump has repeatedly attributed high COVID-19 case counts to high testing numbers. As of Sept. 20, 2020 the United States has reached over 6.7 million total cases.

Fauci wrote in a statement to CNN, “I'm worried it will give people the incorrect assumption that asymptomatic spread is not of great concern. In fact, it is.”

“I'm worried it will give people the incorrect assumption that asymptomatic spread is not of great concern. In fact, it is.”

In an email from Dr. Hugh Auchincloss, deputy director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, he and Dr. Fauci declined an interview citing their full schedule.

PAUL ALEXANDER, the aide to Michael Caputo who personally tried to muzzle Fauci and change CDC reports, is leaving HHS, the department says in a statement. https://t.co/ep0xHyISFL

— Dan Diamond (@ddiamond) September 16, 2020

On Sept. 16, POLITICO reported that Michael Caputo will take a 60-day medical leave of absence, while Paul Alexander has left the department. It is unclear whether Alexander resigned or if he was let go. On Sept. 24, Alexander is set to appear before the Congressional Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Crisis. This appearance is part of the subcommittee’s investigation of alleged political interference by the Department of Health and Human Services against the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s COVID-19 response. 

When the Silhouette reached out for an interview in regards to this article, Paul Alexander declined. 

How remote education benefits students who experience disabilities

By: Yvonne Syed, Contributor

Since the World Health Organization declared COVID-19 as a pandemic in March 2020, educators and postsecondary institutions have been hard at work transferring their teaching to online delivery methods. To accommodate everyone’s health and safety, remote learning has become a norm and is something we will be engaging in for at least a year. 

Earlier this year, McMaster University students completed the remainder of their winter 2020 term online and offered spring and summer courses remotely. Then this past week, through a letter from the provost, it has been confirmed that the university will remain online until the end of the winter 2021 term. 

To accommodate for remote methods of teaching and learning, the university prepared for the fall term by making pre-recorded lectures, posting slides on Avenue to Learn and offering remote office hours. While online learning may not be a preferred method of learning for some students, remote delivery has undoubtedly made life easier in the sense that learning is more accessible for some students with some of the flexibility it brings. This is evident in the ability for students to learn at their own pace in some courses that are now being offered asynchronously, or for courses that now pre-record, podcast or post lecture recordings, as it does not constrain students to set times for learning. The adjustments made related to COVID-19 are showing us that more effortful accessibility accommodations for students with disabilities could have always been arranged.

Prior to the adjustments made as a result of the pandemic, students who experience disabilities were at a significant disadvantage in terms of access to an educational experience that best facilitated their learning and met their individual needs. For instance, students with attention and concentration problems may have trouble focusing during in-person lectures and some students with physical and invisible disabilities may be unable to maintain regular in-person attendance as a result of their conditions. Additionally, deaf and hard of hearing students benefit from the closed captioning made available on the pre-recorded lectures the university is now offering for some courses. 

While Student Accessibility Services is available for students to seek accommodations to support their learning, the services provided by SAS are limited and may fail to completely meet the needs of students. For example, SAS note takers are provided on a volunteer basis, meaning that if there are no student volunteers that come forward to provide notes for a given course, the students requiring accommodations will not receive the support they need to be successful in the course. Thus, students have had to rely on minimal and potentially unreliable accommodations such as having a note-taker for their courses, when they could have more support ensuring that the delivery method of their education is made more feasible for their learning needs. While it is disappointing that these students’ needs were not given priority and that it took a crisis like a pandemic for everyone to realize that these measures could have been implemented earlier, it would be extremely beneficial to have these accommodations implemented in future. 

While it is disappointing that these students’ needs were not given priority and that it took a crisis like a pandemic for everyone to realize that these measures could have been implemented earlier, it would be extremely beneficial to have these accommodations implemented in future. 

Moving forward, it is imperative that McMaster University re-evaluates the extent to which it offers accommodations so that they can support all types of learners, including neurodivergent students and students with disabilities. The current accommodations with online learning may not be necessary for all students once the pandemic improves, but remote or blended learning should still be offered as an option for students who learn better this way. Making access to class materials online and not just in-person allows students who are unable to attend every class, due to mental health symptoms or disabilities, to catch up. The same goes for students who need mobility aids during a harsh winter semester with many snowy days, which may hinder their ability to make it to class.

While creating these accommodations are undeniably a timely and effortful process, it yields results that support an inclusive learning environment and ensures that all students can excel in their educational endeavours. Empowering all students in education, beyond those who are neurotypical and able-bodied, is a matter of great importance. Accordingly, postsecondary institutions must transcend beyond using the universal design for instruction in order to meet these needs.