Winter 2021 semester delayed

As the COVID-19 pandemic continues, universities across Ontario have made the decision to extend winter break.

This includes the University of Toronto, Western University, McMaster University, Laurentian University and the University of Waterloo. 

When news first broke out among students that various universities had announced a winter break extension, students at McMaster created a petition in fear that their university would be an exception and not extend their break. 

The very next day after the petition was posted on social media, McMaster made its announcement that winter term classes would be delayed. 

Winter classes were originally planned to commence on Jan. 6. Now, the school has announced that the Winter 2021 semester will begin one week later on Jan. 11. 

Although classes may be delayed, McMaster said that this does not mean the semester will end at a later date.

Although classes may be delayed, McMaster said that this does not mean the semester will end at a later date.

Instead, the school said that the exam period in April will be condensed to accommodate this change and therefore, the winter semester will end as originally planned. Classes will be extended into the exam period, and there will be no overlap between classes and exams. 

McMaster’s announcement said that the decision was made following a recommendation from the Virtual Learning Task Force and was supported by the president and vice-presidents. 

The school said that they had taken into consideration students’ wellness and mental health. Delaying classes by a week will hopefully provide students with a bit more time to recharge and also gives faculty members and staff the chance to better prepare for the winter semester. 

“[T]hose who went home for their Christmas break [will also have] the chance to isolate for an additional week to help limit any potential COVID-19 cases,” the school added in their announcement. 

“[T]hose who went home for their Christmas break [will also have] the chance to isolate for an additional week to help limit any potential COVID-19 cases,” the school added in their announcement. 

Although the winter break extension came as a relief for many students across the province, some students at McMaster proposed an alternative solution to encourage better wellness for students. 

A petition was started asking the university to create two reading weeks instead of one and discard the winter break extension. 

These students argue that a winter break extension would not help prevent students from experiencing burnout throughout the semester. Hence, giving students an extra week off during the semester can allow students to get some extra rest between their studies. 

“This is needed in a time where students are at home with little guidance or motivation, who require an additional break during the semester, whenever possible. This is a great opportunity to attend to the mental wellbeing of students. It is unfair to delay the semester for people who refrain from travelling in an attempt to limit potential COVID-19 cases,” the petition stated. 

Reading week for the winter term currently remains unchanged and will occur from Feb. 15 through Feb. 21.

Winter break will officially begin for students at McMaster on Dec. 23 following final examinations and students will be continuing their studies virtually for the rest of the winter term.

Abortion clinic in New Brunswick faces potential closure as the government refuses to invest in clinical abortion services

In March 2020, roughly $140,000 was deducted from New Brunswick’s annual health transfer payments by the Canadian federal government. Yet in April, the temporary reimbursement of the same amount was provided to the province due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The initial decision to deduct money was a result of the province not subsidizing out-of-hospital abortions. The province has been criticized for not providing adequate abortion access.

Medicare from the province for abortions currently only covers three hospitals, two in Moncton and one in Bathurst. While Moncton is the most populated city of New Brunswick, all three hospitals are located at least 150 km away from Fredericton and Saint John, the two other most populated cities of the province.

New Brunswick Premier Blaine Higgs has stood by his decision and refused to subsidize abortion costs for the province’s only private clinic offering abortion services, Clinic 554. However, Clinic 554 is a family medical practice and all other costs apart from abortion are covered by the province.

The federal government and other activists arguing against the province’s decision stated that New Brunswick is violating the Canada Health Act, Canada’s federal legislation for publicly funded health care insurance.

The Canada Health Act notes that provinces and territories should fulfill five criteria and two conditions. Of these criteria and conditions, accessibility is one of the criteria.

The act also states that provinces and territories should ensure there is no extra billing and user charges for insured health services. Violation of the act removes their entitlement to the full Canada Health Transfer.

In 2017, people from New Brunswick spent $140,216 out-of-pocket at a clinic when they were supposed to be covered by Medicare.

In 2017, people from New Brunswick spent $140,216 out-of-pocket at a clinic when they were supposed to be covered by Medicare.

Dr. Adrian Edgar runs Clinic 554, the only clinic that currently offers abortion services in New Brunswick and specializes in 2SLGBTQIA+ health care. Unlike the three hospitals, Clinic 554 is located in the city of Fredericton.

Edgar said that for those who do not have Medicare yet, such as international students or migrant workers, abortions at hospitals can cost roughly $2,400 to $2,700.

At Clinic 554, there is a $700 to $800 fee for each abortion service administered, but Edgar has been performing the service for free to those who can not afford the fee.

In September, Edgar said that the clinic itself subsidizes abortions for patients. However, the cost is no longer viable and therefore Edgar is forced to consider closing the clinic.

As of November, Clinic 554 is still open and continues to provide abortion services for patients. Edgar noted that the clinic has had to drastically reduce its services in the last year due to the lack of funds. The clinic no longer provides services relating to transgender health, routine family-practice care or addiction care.

A national civil liberties group known as the Canadian Civil Liberties Association has now filed a legal notice in the first stage of a suit against the News Brunswick government.

“We gave the government the chance to do the right thing but sadly they have given us no other option,” said Michael Bryant, CCLA’s executive director and general counsel.

“We gave the government the chance to do the right thing but sadly they have given us no other option,” said Michael Bryant, CCLA’s executive director and general counsel.

Higgs had previously expressed that he is concerned that funding abortion services at Clinic 554 would set a precedent for further funding of other private clinics. Higgs suggested that if there is a lack of access, the solution should be to consider whether another hospital should offer abortion services.

The Student Health Education Centre, run by the McMaster Students Union, expressed their concern for this issue and wrote a letter to Higgs and New Brunswick’s Minister of Health, Dorothy Shepard.

“This limitation notably restricts access to safe, legal, sex-positive, trauma-informed and gender-celebratory abortion care from a group of qualified licensed medical professionals,” the letter stated.

The letter stated that although the lack of accessible abortion services is occuring in a different province than that of the university, there are many students from New Brunswick attending McMaster. This included Edgar, who was a 2010 McMaster graduate.

Responding to Higgs’ rationale that further accessibility should mean more hospitals rather than clinics offering abortion services, Sydney Cummings, coordinator of SHEC, said that she disagrees with this reasoning as clinics are often a preferred option for those seeking abortion services.

“I truthfully do not think that [investing more in abortion services in hospitals] would be very helpful to many of the folks that want or need this care . . . I don’t think that’s the answer personally,” Cummings said.

“I truthfully do not think that [investing more in abortion services in hospitals] would be very helpful to many of the folks that want or need this care . . . I don’t think that’s the answer personally,” Cummings said.

Cummings added that statistics show abortion clinics are necessary and have been providing a service that people use. In fact, statistics show that in recent years, the number of abortions done in clinics outnumbers those done in hospitals.

In 2018, statistics compiled by the Canadian Institute for Health Information showed that across Canada, 26,498 abortions were done in hospitals while 58,697 abortions were done in clinics.

Aside from a lack of abortion services in general, making hospitals the only option for abortions has been a concern especially amidst the COVID-19 pandemic.

Speaking to Global News, Edgar said that he believes funding private abortion clinics is important now more than ever to help limit travel and patient exposure to bacteria.

Edgar also said that reports have been filled out by many patients of his clinic, complaining about the lack of access to services during the pandemic. Edgar said that the clinic is sending these complaints to the ministry of health.

The urgency of the matter during a pandemic was also noted in SHEC’s letter.

“[I]t is unethical to send people to a hospital in the midst of a global pandemic when these procedures could easily be done safely in a lower-risk environment. Especially given the immunocompromised state of most pregnant persons,” the service wrote.

Cummings expressed that the need for abortion clinics lies in its ability to provide person-centred care. Hospitals across Canada are often overburdened and healthcare staff may not get the appropriate care-focused training that they need to provide abortion services.

Clinics can help ensure a greater level of care and understanding from the staff towards sensitive healthcare needs, such as abortions.

The decision for SHEC to reach out to the New Brunswick government and focus on this issue was largely because they heard of the important work that Clinic 554 does, said Cummings. The clinic is providing services for marginalized communities such as sex workers and members of the 2SLGTBQIA+ community.

Hearing that such an important resource is facing closure propelled the team to take further action.

“Forcing individuals from these [marginalized or oppressed] communities to seek out support from healthcare workers who don’t respect their identities is an act of indirect violence,” the service wrote in their letter.

Resources for abortion care: 
→ https://www.actioncanadashr.org/campaigns/call-access-line-1-888-642-2725 
→ https://choiceconnect.ca/
→ https://exhaleprovoice.org/after-abortion-talkline/

As the fall semester comes to an end and finals roll in, here are seven tips for managing stress and practising self-care

Between keeping safe during the global pandemic, reacting to social injustices, hours of online school and finishing up your last midterms and assignments, it can be easy to forget to reflect and check-in with yourself.

The looming pressure and worry about exams exacerbate these stressors. During these turbulent times, self-care and mental wellness may be the last item on your agenda. However, managing stress is critical for avoiding burnout and maintaining good mental health. Below are seven self-care tips to help bring more balance into your routine.

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1. Develop a regular sleep schedule

This may be one of the most difficult goals to achieve for many students. Especially with online and asynchronous classes, you can quickly be derailed into a bad sleeping habit. You can track your sleep schedule using an app and set yourself up for success by limiting electronic use before bedtime, putting your screens into a nighttime mode in the evening and limiting caffeine intake. 

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2. Eat regularly scheduled meals

Similar to maintaining a healthy sleep schedule, practicing a healthy diet is important for both your physical and mental health. Eat foods that give you energy and make you happy. Switch things up by sharing recipes with friends. 

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3. Engage in non-academic activities

It may seem obvious, but many of us still need daily reminders to rest and unwind. You can go on a walk, exercise or take a nap. Give yourself opportunities to release some of the tension and stress and refuel your energy by doing activities you enjoy. 

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4. Take time to reflect

Even if it’s once a week, think about at least one thing that went well and one thing that you wish to work on. You could pick up journaling, use a mood tracking app or discuss your thoughts and experiences with your friends and family. Going on walks can also give you some personal time for reflections. Through reflecting, you can take a break from thinking about school, realize achievements and strengths and gain insights to set new goals.

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5. Find ways to connect with your community

According to The Health Mind Platter by clinical professor of psychiatry Daniel J. Siegel, connecting time is one of the factors that are essential for optimizing one’s mental well-being. It helps to reinforce relationships and reduce feelings of isolation. Try to identify the communities to which you belong and how to maintain an active membership. 

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6. Reward yourself

We all deserve praise after enduring a difficult and challenging semester. Set plans and goals and reward yourself by taking a day off, treating yourself with a gift or engaging in other activities that you normally don’t have time to do. Having something to look forward to at the end of a busy week or exam season can motivate you and keep you on track. 

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7. Reach out to peer support services if you need help

You can find resources through the Student Wellness Centre or reach out to one of the four peer support services offered by the MSU: MSU Maccess, Student Health Education Centre, Women + Gender Equity Network or Pride Community Centre.

Remember to also check in with your peers. Share how you are doing, what is going well, what you want to improve on and what you are looking forward to. It’s perfectly normal to ask for help and it can be comforting to have someone validate your feelings and experiences. 

Although self-care can look different for everyone, hopefully some of these tips have inspired you to develop your own self-care plan. We will all get through this semester together. Be proud of all the accomplishments you’ve made so far and always remember to be kind to yourself because taking care of your mental health is the most important homework.

Hugs Over Masks anti-mask group continue to plan rallies against mandatory face-covering bylaws

In July, masks became mandatory in all public spaces for everyone in Hamilton, Ontario. The government’s goal has been to implement various regulations to slow the spread of COVID-19 while safely reopening businesses. People who refuse to adhere to the bylaw could be fined up to $500. Today, masks are still required as the pandemic continues.

Mandatory face-covering rules were not happily accepted by everyone. Councillor of Ward 14 Terry Whitehead argued that there are studies showing masks are not that effective. Whitehead also argued that public health experts' recommendations are not always right.

Ward 11 Councillor Brenda Johnson said she received letters from those against the bylaw, stating that they would not vote for her in 2022 should she support the bylaw.

“In response, I’ve said I hope they’re healthy enough in 2022 to cast that vote,” Johnson said.

“In response, I’ve said I hope they’re healthy enough in 2022 to cast that vote,” Johnson said.

Anti-masks activists also grouped together to protest against the regulations, arguing that they should have the right to not wear a mask.

One anti-mask group, known as Hugs Over Masks, shared details of their rallies on social media. Most recently, news of upcoming rallies has been shared to popular pages visited by McMaster University students, sparking anger and fear amongst students.

One of the rally posts stated that the group planned to target an intersection frequented by McMaster students. The intersection between Main Street West and Emerson Street is right across from the university and is also a popular bus stop.

Not long after, a second post surfaced with a rally from Hugs Over Masks planned for Nov. 8 at Hamilton City Hall.

Although the main concerns of protesters have been mandatory masks, there has also been a mix of concerns over correlations to mandatory vaccinations.

In July, CBC News reported that Hugs Over Masks directly partnered with Vaccine Choice Canada, one of Canada’s anti-vaccination organizations.

There have been many similarities in both groups’ messages, including the idea of freedom and personal choice. For anti-maskers, they argue that they should have the freedom to choose whether they want to wear a mask. Anti-vaxxers argue that they have the right to choose whether or not their children receive vaccinations.

Writing for CNN News, Edith Bracho-Sanchez of Columbia University Irving Medical Centre points out the similarities between the two groups and how their actions are neglecting the health of others in the community.

“Both have taken hold against the backdrop of a cultural moment that emphasizes the individual above the community, self-interest above the common good. It is no coincidence then, that pleas to wear a mask to show respect and protect others or to vaccinate to create what's commonly known as herd immunity, have seemed to fall on deaf ears [sic],” Brancho-Sanchez wrote.

“Both have taken hold against the backdrop of a cultural moment that emphasizes the individual above the community, self-interest above the common good"

Brancho-Sanchez also added that both movements misrepresent science and attack health experts, discrediting experts of the knowledge that they share.

During the council meeting in which the bylaw was passed in Hamilton, Mayor Fred Eisenberger reminded the council that the community should follow the guidance of public health services.

“This is not a constitutional issue. This is absolutely a public health issue,” Eisenberger said.

Students respond to the COVID-19 outbreak at Western University and emphasize the importance of social distancing guidelines

About an hour drive west of Hamilton, in London, Ontario, a second wave of COVID-19 has hit the city, including 46 cases as of Sept. 22 linked to Western University students. 

The rapid increase of positive cases among university students prompted the Western's president and vice-chancellor, Alan Shepard, to urge the students to follow proper social distancing rules. 

Shepard wrote in a statement that student health leaders at Western have informed him of how the virus can have significant medical consequences, even for young and healthy adults. 

“Permanent lung injury, neurological damage such as long-term cognitive impairment or stroke and cardiac disease such as heart failure. These can happen to young people as a result of COVID-19 . . . Now is not the time to take risks with your health and the health of others around you who may be more vulnerable to this illness than you,” Shepard wrote. 

London Mayor Ed Holder has also expressed his frustration with those who are breaking guidelines. In a media briefing, Holder said, “If this continues, you’re going to kill someone.” 

"If this continues, you’re going to kill someone," said Holder.

On Sept. 18, London health officials asked the province to impose further restrictions and limit private gatherings to ten people indoors and 25 people outdoors. These limits were put in place for Toronto, Peel Region and Ottawa earlier that week. 

During a weekend press conference, Premier Doug Ford announced that these restrictions are now expanded to the entire province. 

“The alarm bells are ringing. And too much of it has been tied to people who aren’t following the rules. People who think it’s okay to hold parties, to carry on as if things are back to normal. They aren’t,” Ford said. 

A CBC News article reported that the students who were responsible for the outbreak engaged in high-risk behaviour by gathering at bars, basketball games and even shared e-cigarettes amongst each other. 

The Western Gazette, the university’s student newspaper, said that the increase in positive cases was mainly due to extracurricular activities and despite the increased number of cases, the Middlesex-London Health Unit does not recommend shutting down in-person classes because the spread has not been linked to academic activities. 

Here at McMaster University, classes for both the fall and winter semester continue to remain online. 

However, many students are still living around the McMaster campus in student housing. The Silhouette asked students in off-campus housing to share their thoughts regarding student parties and social distancing. 

Lee Higgins, a fourth-year engineering student is in a student house near McMaster with five other students. Higgins has not gone to any parties but he has expressed that it is obvious there are folks breaking social gathering rules.

“I haven’t felt unsafe here in any circumstances; however, I can tell that even though I’m not seeing them, there are parties going on. There [are] definitely groups of people walking around together late at night and it’s pretty obvious where they’re going . . . I wish we could party safely but at the moment I’m content just playing Dungeons and Dragons with my housemates,” Higgins wrote. 

"I wish we could party safely but at the moment I’m content just playing Dungeons and Dragons with my housemates."

Adam Gallant, a student who has lived in Westdale for three years, also stated that it is obvious when other students are heading to each other’s houses in large groups and adds that students of McMaster should try to not follow in other universities' footsteps. 

“[W]e aren’t Western or Queen's [Universtiy] and I don’t think anyone wants to emulate their behaviour. So throw your “COVID’s over” parties when it actually is. We know the virus spreads quickly, that’s how we got to where we are today, so while there aren’t many people who currently have it, that doesn’t mean that you can’t get it easily,” Gallant added.

On social media, other McMaster students have also encouraged each other to avoid an outbreak similar to that of Western’s. 

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As of Sept. 30, there have been three positive cases of COVID-19 on campus, with the most recent case involving a student on campus on Sept. 24.

The virtual event will feature movement and discussion intended to build community and address service gaps

Working in her capacity as a 2SLGBTQIA+ mental health clinician with Good Shepherd Youth Services, Catherine McCormack noticed that almost all of the trans youth she serviced also had chronic pain or disabilities. As general services for trans folks are already limited, she knew that there weren’t a lot of specialized services for those who exist at this intersection. Seeing an opportunity to build community, McCormack set out to plan an event that would bring together trans and non-binary youth with chronic illnesses and disabilities.

“What I saw was traditional pain services didn't really speak to the youth I was working with. A lot of them came from more of a critical disability perspective, like it's society that disables us, questioning our worth coinciding with productivity, all of that kind of stuff. I was like, “wouldn't it be really neat to connect all these amazing folks that are so isolated and struggling so much – especially during COVID – with each other”,” explained McCormack.

"I was like, “wouldn't it be really neat to connect all these amazing folks that are so isolated and struggling so much – especially during COVID – with each other”,” explained McCormack.

As McCormack doesn’t have these lived experiences, she reached out to movement studio Goodbodyfeel to help her find facilitators. She was connected with a tarot reader, artist and Goodbodyfeel Movement Teacher Clairandean Humphrey and Relationship Coach and Trans Inclusion Educator Mela Swayze. Both are looking forward to leading the free event, which will take on Oct. 13, 2020 over Zoom.

McCormack wanted the event to be a mix of body positive movement and facilitated discussion. The event will likely begin with a framing of why the participants have gathered and a discussion of participants’ expectations. Humphrey will then lead a hybrid of pilates and yoga, using everyday items such as pillows, blankets and rolled up socks as props. After that Swayze will facilitate discussion among the participants. The discussion will give participants a chance to state if they want further programming and what they would want this programming to look like.

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“Folks might just want a place to come and move weekly, folks might just want . . . to just come together the one time and meet each other and then kind of go off on their own and now they know each other and they can connect and self-direct that way. Or it might be the case that people are looking for a more directed, more structured psychoeducation workshop series, for example, that paired education about . . . chronic pain and marginalization and a movement piece. So there's an option that that might be something people are interested in, but we don't want to force it on people,” explained Swayze.

For McCormack, Humphrey and Swayze, it was important that the discussion was combined with movement. While movement has helped some people with disabilities and chronic pain manage their pain, many movement spaces are inaccessible to disabled people. Movement spaces then compound their inaccessibility by not being inclusive of and welcoming to racialized and queer individuals.

With Tender Flow, McCormack, Humphrey and Swayze wanted to help queer youth with disabilities reclaim their bodies in a society where their bodies have been made to be unsafe spaces. They hope the movement portion of the event will help participants in their journey of healing from trauma.

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“[When] I was looking for therapists, of course I had [a] struggle doing that and I decided to see an expressive arts therapist. So a lot of what we do is talk and move with the body. We use the body in order to process emotion and really difficult things and I found that more liberating than just like sitting and talking . . . [I]t's just nice to . . . communicate differently, again between the body and other forms of communication, instead of limiting it to just talking where sometimes you just don't have the words or language to express the complexity of existing in a marginalized body in this system. And that movement can be liberating, slowly, with time,” said Humphrey.

"[I]t's just nice to . . . communicate differently, again between the body and other forms of communication, instead of limiting it to just talking where sometimes you just don't have the words or language to express the complexity of existing in a marginalized body in this system. And that movement can be liberating, slowly, with time,” said Humphrey.

The online platform will help make the event more accessible to folks who don’t have transportation money, have too much pain to leave their houses and for those who have anxiety around attending events like these. However, McCormack acknowledges that those without stable internet access will be unable to access the event. She hopes that, if it continues, Tender Flow can be offered in multiple formats. The accessibility needs that participants express will guide how they continue to provide programming.

McCormack, Humphrey and Swayze hope that participants will leave the event feeling a sense of community. By listening to participants’ concerns and ideas, the facilitators will be able to create programming that enables trans and non-binary youth with disabilities and chronic pain to feeling supported and heard.

Ashantae Handcrafted promotes self-care while empowering the Black community

When much of the world came to a standstill during the early months of the pandemic many people looked for new ways to fill their days. Some took advantage of their newfound time to learn new skills or tackle various projects. 

McMaster University student Alethea Clarke and her mother, Sacha Clarke, decided to use their time to start a business. Their online natural health and beauty business, Ashantae Handcrafted, will officially launch in early October. Currently, their main products are soy candles and natural soap bars.

“[Ashantae Handcrafted] came about as an idea during COVID, sitting around being bored, seeing other people getting their business[es] started . . .  and us ourselves trying to figure out self-care . . . We just decided "let’s start a business",” said Alethea.

Described as artsy by her mother, Alethea is currently a second-year student in the life sciences program at McMaster. She is passionate about healthcare and finding ways to better people’s health. Collaborating with her mother, she created a business that merges her interests, using handcrafted goods to promote health, wellness and self-care.

“Just finding that time for yourself and to feel empowered to take that break . . . it could be sitting at home reading a book and having a candle lit. There's just a sense of peace that it gives you,” said Sacha.

“Just finding that time for yourself and to feel empowered to take that break . . . it could be sitting at home reading a book and having a candle lit. There's just a sense of peace that it gives you,” said Sacha.

Currently based in Oshawa, Ashantae Handcrafted offers delivery only within the Greater Toronto Area, but they will also do regular trips to Hamilton to drop off orders at a designated pick up location.

Alethea and Sacha are aware of the impact the products we use every day can have on our environment. All their products are made by them and use environmentally friendly ingredients, such as soy wax derived from soybeans, activated charcoal and essential oils. They want to do what they can to reduce their own carbon footprints and help others do the same.

Additionally, as a small Black business, it’s very important to them to use their platform to encourage and empower their community as well.

“I feel like it's important that we address that we are a small Black business . . . and it's important for our community — to just uplift [the] community as well . . . nothing is too out of reach for us,” said Alethea.

“Also, just to empower young people as well . . . to think outside the box and maybe create something and do something that you’re good with. Like if you're good with your hands, start building stuff and something like that [can] change your direction. Like instead of you now looking for a summer job or job over the holidays, you can create your own,” Sacha added.

While their journey as business owners is only just beginning, both women are happy with the work they’re doing. Undertaking this project together has made the journey even better.

“In terms of what's been the best part for us so far, I think it's just working with my mom. It's pretty cool . . .  having this amazing idea to bring to the community and just to carry that out,” said Alethea, both her and her mother smiling widely.

Going forward, they plan to introduce customizable gift baskets for the holidays. They are also considering adding more products eventually, such as bath bombs or body scrubs. They’ll continue to expand their selection as long as it’s possible for them to make the products themselves and ensure that they’re conscious of both human and environmental wellbeing.  

Embracing mad and neurodiversity to celebrate uniqueness

By: Elisa Do, Yvonne Syed and River Valade, Contributors

*DISCLAIMER: ‘Mad’ and ‘madness’ are reclaimed terms by the mad/mentally ill community. These terms were used to oppress them in the past and, just like with any reclaimed slur or term, are not necessarily labels that non-mad individuals should be using freely.*

People often throw around words without thinking twice. Phrases such as “the weather is so bipolar” or “I am so OCD” have become more or less normalized in our society today. But just as we should be mindful of our actions, we should also be mindful of how these particular terms can influence mad and neurodivergent students. Madness has been traditionally defined as a state of mental illness, and neurodivergent is a term used to describe folks with what most people refer to as atypical neurological development. 

First coined in the late 1990s by Judy Singer, the term neurodivergent was originally used to describe conditions related to autism. Today, neurodivergence includes many different types of disorders, including autism, bipolar disorder, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and obsessive compulsive disorder. Madness and neurodivergence are terms that are often used together, as there is overlap between the conditions that fall under either label.

However, this overlap cannot be generalized across all folks. Unfortunately, because madness and neurodivergence are often portrayed through a medical lens, the two terms are widely misunderstood. Specifically, at McMaster University, our community has failed time and time again to accurately translate mad and neurodivergent perspectives.

First and foremost, it is important that suffering and distress are not seen as inherent to madness and neurodivergence. The stereotypes and false notions that surround the idea of mad and neurodivergent individuals are often rooted in misinterpretation and ignorance of what it really means to live with these conditions. Madness and neurodivergence is more so a different way of thinking, rather than a state of being broken.

Mad and neurodivergent individuals shouldn’t be seen as though there is something wrong with them that needs to be fixed. In fact, there are individuals that identify as mad and/or neurodivergent with pride. For some of these individuals, their unique conditions are a part of their individuality and a result of the variation in how the human mind works.

Mad and neurodivergent individuals shouldn’t be seen as though there is something wrong with them that needs to be fixed. In fact, there are individuals that identify as mad and/or neurodivergent with pride. For some of these individuals, their unique conditions are a part of their individuality and a result of the variation in how the human mind works.

For instance, not all people with bipolar disorder constantly suffer as a result of their condition. While neurodiversity in and of itself involves diverse experiences, some individuals find the mania experienced with bipolar disorder to be thrilling and inspiring. People have described this state of being to make them feel more productive, more likely to take risks or take on challenges and full of life.

Similarly, sometimes individuals with ADHD are perceived as disorganized and unable to maintain their focus. For this reason, some individuals have shared their personal experiences regarding the inclination for professionals and support services to reach out to these individuals with the goal of “fixing” deficiencies. This can be in the form of pushing for the use of medications, for instance. However, some people with ADHD also experience something called “hyper focus” where they are able to completely zone in on something they are very interested in and are passionate about. Unlike the condition notes, some have reported that they can actually be even more attentive and productive in this state of being.

More well known mental health conditions such as anxiety and depression are widely emphasized and given awareness in society and on campus. Neurodivergent conditions like the ones mentioned previously are often misunderstood due to the lack of understanding surrounding them and the amount of stigma attached to them.

Furthermore, rather than pursue an institutional or community care-based response, such as providing more counsellors at the Student Wellness Centre, the university expects the onus to be on students themselves in addressing their mental health. This is evident through public awareness campaigns such as the “Feed Your Hippo” campaign in 2016, and the current revamped version of that campaign, known as “Ways to Wellness”. 

A Silhouette article written by a mad/neurodivergent student in 2016 criticizes the university’s attempt to address mental health concerns among students through the “Feed Your Hippo” campaign.

“According to the campaign, making sure to feed your hippo in these five ways can contribute to improved learning skills and academic success as well as mental wellbeing. Yet despite the supposed importance of these activities, no resources were provided to help students actually self care better — all of the onus is on the student,” wrote the author.

Even in the revamped “Ways to Wellness” Campaign, there are similar themes of individual responsibility for mental wellbeing. If you are unable to do their suggestions, say due to the result of the symptoms of a mental illness, it makes it seem like students have to shoulder the responsibility for their mental illness and its impact on their academic performance and that the university plays no part in this. While staffing and resources for mental health has increased since 2016, it is still not enough to support students, especially mad and neurodivergent students that may need more regular appointments, for example.

Aside from placing individual onus on students for their mental wellbeing, there is no mention of madness or neurodivergence within the conversation of mental health at McMaster. Specifically, madness and neurodivergence are often missing from communications to students. This could give the impression that both of those things are something to be ashamed of and to be kept quiet, as opposed to celebrating neurological differences among students on campus.

Embracing our differences is fundamental to establishing a community of diverse abilities. When we label madness and neurodivergence as a state of crisis, instead of a unique state of mind, we limit those individuals from being able to freely express themselves. When McMaster frames the conversation surrounding mental health from commonly-known perspectives only, we are excluding the experiences of neurodivergent folks. When people choose to throw around the words “bipolar” or “OCD” without consideration for how they leave an impact, our community takes a step back on building a safe and inclusive learning environment. 

Mental health is a topic applicable to every single one of us. However, it also applies to each and every one of us in a different way. For McMaster to truly embrace the idea of mental health, we should also remember to involve student perspectives beyond those of the typical norm, and in doing so, reach out to an even greater range of capabilities in our community.

Photo C/O Silhouette Photo Archives

This article will be updated throughout the year as McMaster University continues to deal with the COVID-19 pandemic.

Spring and Summer

After classes were cancelled for the remainder of the winter term in March, many students scrambled to adjust to the online completion of the courses they were midway through completing.

While this was a bumpy transition given the unexpected turn of events, some students thought many instructors did a good job adjusting to the new remote format and the new technologies that came with the move. With new software such as Zoom and Microsoft Teams to replace classes and office hours, professors had to figure out ways to continue delivering their courses under these new conditions.

“Even though it was a bit tricky, it's actually a pretty good platform for having virtual classes or even online classes. And since class sizes are really small right now...the environment is pretty good,” said Reza Khorvash, an honours life sciences student going into his fourth year.

“There's still some uncertainties about, well, some tricky parts of using it.”

Taking two spring courses online, Khorvash acknowledged that the class experience would have been different if instructional content didn’t have to be given remotely. Overall, he was satisfied with how it was all handled.

“It's actually pretty good that they made this adjustment [of shifting classes from in-person to online] in a very short period of time from like March to May. . . I think they have done a pretty good job”, Khorvash said.

So far, it has been announced that this form of online instruction will continue through the fall with classes for the entire semester taking place online and few students having access to campus. Only some students, including those who need to take “a limited number of health care professional courses”, will be required to be occasionally present on campus for their coursework if absolutely necessary.

Other Universities

McMaster joined many universities across Canada that shared similar plans for the fall semester, consisting of predominantly online classes. Some institutions are discussing different ways of offering various options that allow for a blended format, such as smaller in-person learning experiences to support online components.

While the move to online courses is not ideal for any program, this is especially a concern for programs that require access to special equipment or resources — among other associated concerns with online learning. How a blended system of courses could be implemented while adhering to provincial social distancing and health guidelines remains to be seen.

Many universities are planning on some sort of gradual return to campus that falls in line with the provincial government’s COVID guidelines.

Buildings and Access to Campus

As much of McMaster’s staff is encouraged to work from home, many of the buildings remain inaccessible. However, since their initial closing, McMaster has gradually allowed researchers access to on-campus labs, if required, with current plans to allow more access for other members of the McMaster community such as faculty. As of June 12, McMaster has begun allowing faculty to return in phases.

As of July 14, McMaster will also require face coverings to be worn in “all indoor public spaces”, including elevators, classrooms, washrooms and other common areas. They also have disposable masks available on weekdays at the COMPASS desk in the Student Centre and the lobby of John Hodgins Engineering Building.

Tuition and Fees

Despite the move online, McMaster has not lowered tuition costs for the Fall semester. While there are concerns about the tuition costs remaining the same, the university contends that the associated expenses of online learning — staff wages, technology, academic advising, etc. — will keep the cost for the university the same. Other supplementary fees may be dropped if a service’s availability will be affected by these changes, according to McMaster.

While McMaster is making efforts to allocate tuition to other online avenues, the news of unchanged tuition costs in the face of a drastically different term has not been well-received by many students, as evidenced by reactions on social media.

https://www.facebook.com/spottedat.mac/posts/1981807478621913

Eesha Rehman, an incoming first-year life sciences student, was unsure about McMaster’s explanation of the situation.

“I did think it was a little bit strange just because, you know...when you first you look at what tuition actually go towards — we don't have access to the campus or the library or any of these sorts of things, and we don't, at least for science students, most of us don't get to go on campus and do our labs and all that kind of thing,” said Rehman. “However, I do know that money gets redirected to creating the online experience itself. So I think there's a little bit of clarity to be had with how the university speaks to you know, 'Oh, this is where the money is going, where we're building this online thing' and it makes more sense that, you know, our money is going into that rather than just it being something like a Zoom call for a lecture.”

Incoming first-year students will definitely have a tough adjustment to a new academic environment, as many had to experience their last high school semester in online learning environments they had to adjust to suddenly. In addition to concerns over this adjustment and the obstacles that come with online learning (staying disciplined, engaging with the class, etc.), this group of first-year students’ introduction to university will be one that is unlike any traditional university experience many pictured when they applied.

”I mean it was sort of [like] being stuck between a rock and a hard place where we were missing out on these big high school things that usually happen [over] the final months of senior year: you have prom, you have convocation…. We missed out on that, unfortunately, and we're missing out on a lot of, like, the big things about first-year,” said Rehman. “People talk about welcome week and all these sort of fun experiences where you get to meet the other people in your program and in the school, and as first-year students get to explore the campus. So while I'm missing out, I think that, you know, it is what it is and it is something that's unavoidable.”

While it will definitely not be the same as previous years, McMaster plans on holding their Welcome Week orientation virtually, with other resources planned to help support new students in their acclimating to university academic life. The university has also created the Archway program that groups approximately 35 first-year students with an upper-year mentor. The goal of this program is to foster a sense community between the first-years, similar to what they likely would have gotten in-person.

While it will definitely not be the same as previous years, McMaster plans on holding their Welcome Week orientation virtually, with other resources planned to help support new students in their acclimating to university academic life. The university has also created the Archway program that groups approximately 35 first-year students with an upper-year mentor. The goal of this program is to foster a sense community between the first-years, similar to what they likely would have gotten in-person.

“I think that McMaster has done a pretty good job of sort of making the best of a bad situation with creating Archway and helping students to be like, 'hey, just because you're stuck at home doesn't mean you have to miss out and it doesn't mean that you're not going to be part of university life',” Rehman added. “That being said, I think the biggest concern for me and a lot of my friends and other students is the social aspect of things where you don't get to meet people in the same way. In some ways it is harder to take initiative to, you know, press the DM button and be like, 'hi, I noticed you're in the same program or you're another first-year student, do you want to get to know each other? Do you want to be friends?'”

In a video posted on the MSU’s social media accounts, Vice-President (Finance) Jessica Anderson provided an update on how the McMaster Students Union is in talks on how to reduce student costs for the upcoming 2020-2021 academic year.

Anderson stated that the MSU operating fee, which is used to fund clubs, services, governance and advocacy of the MSU, has been cut by 10%. She also said that due to COVID-19 and the Hamilton Street Railway temporarily pausing fare collection, students will be reimbursed for the months of April to June 2020. The bus pass will also be put on hold for the Fall 2020 term; however, a price was not stated for how much this fee would be for the winter.

While bus passes will be cancelled for the fall, Anderson said that the MSU is advocating for heavily discounted student fares for the time being. As of current, transportation passes are deemed mandatory fees by the provincial government for students to pay into as a part of the Student Choice Initiative.

SCI was implemented at the start of the 2019-2020 academic term allowing students to opt-out of fees deemed non-essential by the Provincial government; however, this recieved backlash by students who called for the initiative to be removed. 

In November 2019, the Divisional Court of Ontario struck down SCI. At current, there is no word as to how the ramifications of this decision will play out on the upcoming academic term and if SCI will be in effect or not.

“In addition to the reduction of the MSU fee, we have asked the university to reduce any fee for services that are unavailable to students in the fall semester”, said Anderson.

All incoming first-year students are required to pay a mandatory fee that is used to fund welcome week activities; however, as this has been moved online, this fee will be cut by 19%.

Anderson is confident that each full-time undergraduate student will save over $110 in the fall term, although if the Student Choice Initiative still stands for the upcoming academic year, this number could be more depending on what students choose to opt-in to.

Extracurriculars

Extracurricular activities will also have to adjust along with academics, finding new ways to not only operate, but to attract incoming students and students still looking to get involved or expand their social circles — an even more challenging prospect due to health concerns and social distancing guidelines.

“We're kind of like planning to have some sort of information and maybe online events, because we have to help new students to get involved in clubs. I think they're really important for students,” said Khorvash, who is president of the McMaster MCAT Prep Club.

Absolute Pitch, a show choir at McMaster that focuses on being a space for people who love to perform music, rehearses weekly throughout the year, where their executive team teaches its cast choreography and vocal routines in preparation for a final show. Due to COVID-19, the club’s final showcase performance in March 2020 was cancelled due to social distancing regulations.

Currently, the club is trying to figure out how to address the pandemic, but still maintain a routine similar to what would have been in person. President Areeba Sharafuddin noted that it is difficult to rehearse choreography and vocals via a virtual platform such as Zoom, due to lag.

“Choral music is not ideally rehearsed through Zoom calls, so the Productions team, specifically our Vocal Directors, are trying hard to come up with alternative and more independent rehearsal techniques for the wide variety of musical skill levels in our cast. None of them are ideal, but given the unprecedented circumstances, we’ve all had to adjust accordingly,” said Sharafuddin.

The volume 91 Managing Editor of the Silhouette, Andrew Mrozowski, is also the co-Editor-in-Chief of the McMaster Undergraduate Journal of Law and Politics. While he does not anticipate any problems on the production side due to the seamless integration of posting a journal online through a platform such as Issuu, there have been some problems with engaging students to apply to the executive team.

“I think it’s really hit or miss with a lot of clubs and their online community engagement. Especially now more than ever when we don’t have ways to engage students face-to-face, if you don’t have a large following, how can you showcase what your club does? We’ve been lucky enough to have other clubs and student associations share things with their following, but I fear that this will be an ongoing issue and likely something that will have to be addressed at the MSU level given the access to resources that we simply do not have,” said Mrozowski.

MSU ClubsFest usually takes place at the start of the school year in Burke Science Building Field on campus. Currently, the MSU has advised club presidents that this will take place as a virtual social media campaign that will extend throughout the month of September. While this will bring awareness to the approximately 350 clubs on campus, there are many concerns that have yet to be addressed.

“Much of our ‘recruitment’ of new members relies on in-person interactions during ClubsFest, where we are able to build one-on-one connections with students to get them excited about the club and auditions . . . [the social media campaign] makes it difficult for us to have those one-on-one conversations with interested students because there is less room to relay all the important and/or specific information(s) about the club,” said Sharafuddin.

Sports at Mac will have to undergo a massive adjustment as U Sports, Canada’s governing body for university sports, officially cancelled all of their championships for Fall sports. Ontario University Athletics subsequently cancelled “all OUA-sanctioned sport programming and championships” until Dec. 31, 2020. That puts many athletic teams and their players in limbo, especially for teams that begin their season in the fall but conclude in the winter. Other sports not under the OUA’s purview, such as cheerleading, are currently assessing their plans for the year ahead.

Despite the many challenges ahead for both new and returning university students, and the traditional university experience likely looking drastically different, enrollment numbers do not seem to be affected by the pandemic. With a large number of students still expected to look to their institutions for answers, there is still a lot of uncertainty as we rapidly approach a new school year.

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Photo C/O Anthony Tran on Unsplash

By Thivishah Rajsekar, Contributor

The COVID-19 global pandemic has many of us adapting to a new normal. McMaster University became one of many institutions that had to adjust to the present dangers of this pandemic, cancelling classes and announcing that its Fall 2020 semester will be online.

Initially, I was upset about having to spend my final semester online, but after taking time to really reflect on what is happening, I realized that this decision was made to ensure the health and safety of the McMaster community. However, adapting to such a change in a short period of time was not easy.

Many students, like myself, are experiencing fear and anxiety over the new learning conditions. I personally have the tendency to be consumed by thoughts about not being able to see friends, struggling to get through quarantine or even missing out on prospective employment opportunities due to COVID-19. A great way I learned to manage this kind of thinking is by protecting and valuing my mental health.

It is important to stay resilient and sustain your mental health during quarantine in order to help you cope. Especially as students, we don’t want to add the weight of additional stressors to our lives. Yet, for many of us, the isolation and social distancing we are experiencing to prevent the virus from spreading is leading us to neglect other aspects of our health.

Research has shown that mental and physical health are interdependent — having good mental and physical health helps you function in society. I can attest to the fact that poor mental health has a negative effect on your overall well-being.

At the beginning of the summer I had no responsibilities, so I made an effort to improve my mental health through my self-care practices. I took the time to exercise, keep in touch with friends, watch Netflix and pick up old hobbies. I also made sure to avoid being overly consumed by social media. I felt extremely accomplished trying to relearn how to play the flute and experimenting with art for the first time in years.

However, once summer school started, I noticed a change in my habits. I stopped pursuing my hobbies and devoted most of my time to school. Yes, school is important, but there should always be a balance for everything in life. I am only taking one course, but given that I am in my final year, I often felt that this is my last opportunity to boost my GPA.

As a result, I unconsciously committed way more time to school than needed. After a few weeks, I started feeling lazier than normal and felt hungry more frequently, which has negatively impacted my body. I also noticed a difference in my mood, as I constantly felt tired and irritable.

It was at this point that I realized that I needed to change my habits. When I finally acknowledged that I needed to switch things up, I went back to investing more time into my interests. To help with my mental and physical well-being, I started to consistently do at-home workouts and go for walks. I also revisited childhood hobbies like drawing, playing the flute and crocheting.

To help with my intellectual wellness, I invested some time in online courses to help me improve my employability skills, such as learning Excel. Going back to my old habits and exploring new self-care habits has boosted my emotional, psychological and social well-being.

All in all, fostering resilience during quarantine allows you to remain positive even in the face of adversity; improved mental health leads to increased productivity at work, home and school. Although you may feel that you are alone, remember that we are all in this together! Technology plays a key role in the 21st century and you can still make those same connections virtually.

 

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