We’ve picked up the pieces and gotten our lives back together after homecoming weekend, but I’m wondering how many more of these we have left.
The scene on Saturday was par for the course; maroon-clad people roaming the streets of Westdale and Ainslie Wood on their way to parties and backyard keggers ahead of the football game.
The 2,000 or so people who attended the Shaggy concert and pancake breakfast hosted on campus probably made this year less crazy than years gone by. So far, there has not been a Hamilton Spectator article about a kegger-gone-crazy like there was in 2015.
This marginal improvement in behavior is not going to be enough to keep the community happy, and nor should it be. Littering, out-of-control parties, and harassment from drunk idiots during homecoming is going to continue to be a piss-off for Westdalers.
McMaster officials have this on their minds too. The concerts and beer gardens are born out of the McMaster President’s Advisory Committee on Community Relations, who fielded a ton of complaints about keggers and the community wanted change. I was at the infamous South Oval kegger last year, and while it was fun, it went too far.
As students, we can look around to other campuses for what could happen next if we don’t continue to work on improving the homecoming behavior. Queen’s University – a student population and alumni base that wears their tricolour prouder than most schools – put homecoming on hiatus for five years following partiers burning a car and throwing beer bottles at police officers in 2005.
The ban was effective, as the Queen’s Journal student newspaper reports that fines and arrests have dropped after they reinstituted the event.
Western University split up their alumni events over two weekends this year in response to complaints about massive street parties. Picture Sterling St. filled with students –that’s what Western’s homecoming looks like. For what it’s worth, the plan is likely going to be viewed as a failure, as students still partied hard in London on Oct. 1 and likely will party again for the late-October weekend too.
Personally I think it is naïve to equate McMaster’s homecoming to those of Queen’s or Western. The Mac party scene does not reach the same level, but we are not battling against people who care about what happens in Kingston or London.
“It could be worse” is not a good argument for the parent that can’t bring their kid outside to play road hockey because they are concerned about the drunk students walking around yelling profanities. So it’s equally naïve for the McMaster student population to think that we can continue on the same pace and expect homecoming to last forever.
Traditions will only last for as long as the community at-large wants to keep them going, and if students want future generations to enjoy the same festivities they did, it is time to grow up and be a little more respectful of the place you live.
And the crowd goes wild.
McMaster gave their fans something to cheer for on Oct. 1 in their showdown against Guelph, avenging last year’s loss with a 27-15 victory at home over the Gryphons. With the win, McMaster remains perfect in their last 16 homecoming appearances, and improves to a solid 4-1 record on the season.
But it wasn’t easy. Tight through the first two quarters, Mac failed to hit their offensive stride, trailing Guelph 7-5 at the half. Injuries to fullback Blake Reason and backup Matthew Decicco forced the Marauders to adjust early, while execution struggles and a few timely penalties kept Mac out of the end zone.
“Half the game we played really well, but we struggled in the first half,” said offensive coordinator Jon Behie. “We had some key injuries early and we were struggling to accommodate that. It took us two quarters to figure out what we would really do… but I’m so proud of the way our players responded.”
And respond they did. McMaster came roaring out of halftime to score 16 unanswered points in the third quarter in just under five minutes. Fueled by their strong game on the ground, fifth-year veteran Chris Pezzetta had 143 yards on 22 carries in his final homecoming game, securing key first downs and providing more options for a deep receiving core.
“It was a big day for him,” said Behie. “He’s battled back from three knee injuries, and that’s not easy, but we were able to ride him in the second half.”
Perhaps the unsung hero of the Mac’s comeback was the stellar play their offensive line. Executing well throughout the game, they gave Pezzetta room to operate on the ground and cleared space for quarterback Asher Hastings when he needed it.
Fifth-year senior Zach Intzandt was a part of that offensive stronghold, and was happy with his line’s performance.
“Our goal is to always win every game,” said Intzandt. “As the offensive line when we keep rushing, a goal of ours is always to try and rush 150 yards. If we get it we get it, if not we go back and clean it up. But tonight, I think we did a good job.”
Penalties have been a thorn in Mac’s side this season, but they managed to keep the penalty yards to a minimum. Meanwhile – thanks mostly to Mac winning the battle in the trenches – the Gryphons committed 18 penalties for 125 yards, stalling many of their drives on offence and any momentum they had during the game.
“It’s like coach Knox always says to us… preparation, focus, and attention to detail,” said Intzandt. “We’ve had two weeks to focus on those things, and I think that really showed today.”
On the other side of the ball, Mac’s defence hung tough to hold Guelph to just 15 points, down 12 from their season average. Fifth-year senior Michael Kashak had five tackles on the night, citing support from the defensive coaching staff for his success.
“A lot of it has to do with coaching,” said Kashak. “Carm Genovase and Jeff Robertshaw get us ready from the technical side, and coach Knox had a great game plan… When you have a unit that is all on the same page with minimal mistakes, you are going to get a good game.”
Looking ahead, Mac’s next challenge is a quick turnaround to host Queen’s at home, under the lights on Oct. 7. Coming off a short week, the Marauders will need to recover physically to keep a two-game win streak alive. But head coach Greg Knox believes his team’s resilience will play a key role moving forward.
“Football is a tough sport. If grit is a missing ingredient, then you have to inject the grit into what you do and how you do it. We showed a little more of that today, and I think the results speak for themselves.”
By: Bina Patel
Homecoming has come and gone, but its planning is still a point of discussion for those involved.
The planning phase of this past homecoming weekend spanned three and a half months during the summer. It began with finalizing the $25,000 of funding first introduced at an SRA meeting that took place in June, and brought new considerations for increasing safety into the mix.
The additional money was announced in June after being voted in by the SRA, who must approve any expenditure over $7,000. Prior to the vote, the MSU had a net allocated loss. The motion passed during a June SRA meeting, with 28 members voting in favour of the additional Homecoming funds.
“In Al’s budget, it had $45,000 set aside for expenditure and an estimated revenue of $40,000. So the MSU at that point was planning to lose $5,000,” vice president (Finance) Ryan MacDonald explained, referring to the Campus Events homecoming budget.
Community concerns were also addressed in the planning of this year’s homecoming. Once each year, Al Legault, director of Campus Events sits in on a meeting for the President’s Advisory Council on Community Relations. His primary role on the council is to discuss how community members will be affected by Welcome Week and homecoming events.
“The MSU listened to the community and heard some issues that came out and a lot of them were driven by the overcapacity of parties and wandering around the streets,” Legault said.
As a result, the MSU developed a strategy to keep more students on campus but also keep it central to campus. One of those was to introduce a second concert for the first time.
“It’s all about having Marauder pride on our own territory, and why not bring that in with morning entertainment,” explained Legault.
Another new aspect of homecoming weekend was a beer garden. Alcohol has been available during homecoming since 2012 and in previous homecoming weekends was located in the Athletics Centre just outside the concert in Sports Hall.
“There in no way is a suggestion or a drive to consume alcohol. In fact, quite the opposite,” assured MacDonald.
“We have not increased [the capacity of the venue],” adds Legault, “we just feel that there are students that are of age that have the right to consume a beverage if they choose so. We found over the last four years it was never really a large draw, but it was readily available.” The licensed area is gated and has a maximum capacity of 200 people.
There were also new measures for security put in place. Campus Events staff and volunteers from the Maroons received training from the Ottawa Sexual Violence Network to learn how to respond to incidents of sexual violence. WGEN members were also stationed to assist students who might need to navigate the sexual violence protocol through Meghan Ross’s office.
“Even one instance of sexual violence is too many,” said MacDonald.
An event as big as homecoming will be fraught with logistical concerns, but with continued changes in budgeting and planning, Legault says the MSU has “a lot of hopes.”
For those with any homecoming related concerns, contact Al Legault of Campus Events or the board of directors.
Homecoming is a celebration, and for the elite Ontario University Athletics football programs, it is a sign of dominance. The top teams typically schedule one of the bottom feeders to serve as punching bag for four hours, giving the fans lots to cheer about.
2016 should be different, though. McMaster hosts the reigning Yates Cup champion Guelph Gryphons in a key OUA match-up. The Gryphons are going through a major struggle after the departure of important defensive pieces and head coach Stu Lang. They are 2-3, but those two wins come against the Queen’s Gaels and University of Toronto Varsity Blues. Guelph is averaging 33.0 points against, the fifth-worst mark in the league.
The Marauders and Gryphons have a short but significant history. Guelph rose to prominence over the recent years because of a major anonymous investment in the school’s football program. The Globe and Mail reports that Stu Lang, the head coach from 2010-2015, donated anonymously to the program. Lang’s family owns CCL Industries, a global shipping company.
In that short time, the Gryphons program was completely revamped. Throughout the 2000s, Guelph was an also-ran; they made the playoffs all but two years but only made it past the quarterfinals once. Not bad, but nothing worth writing home about either. Under Lang, Guelph became a powerhouse, ripping off four consecutive 7-1 seasons from 2012-2015, including a Yates Cup win last year.
The legacy of that era is not going to be their competitiveness. It can’t be; McMaster and Western won more OUA championships and Mac made it to the Vanier three times. If anything, that era will be remembered for the bravado in which Guelph did nearly everything.
The program invested millions into Alumni Stadium, renovating a space that needed a facelift. They wore seemingly endless combinations of uniforms and helmets, prompting the OUA to limit teams to three game-day uniforms and two helmets per season. Guelph held some spring training camps in Florida. They have an $8.5 million facility dedicated specifically to football coming in December.
This makes Guelph the perfect rival to Mac. The Marauders have been a successful and consistent team, winning three Yates Cups and making three Vanier Cup finals. They have not been too flashy, they do not play with the same cockiness that Guelph does.
Games over recent years have been physical and competitive. Since 2012, Mac is 4-2, though the last four games have been split 2-2. McMaster is only +2 in point differential in those four games.
In 2010, Mac punted up seven with seconds left in the game, but kicker Tyler Crapigna took a late hit and broke his leg. In 2012, Mac beat Guelph in the Yates Cup final and drank Gryphon Gold beer after the win.
The 2014 opener at Ron Joyce Stadium was a scorcher, and it led to some tempers on the field. When Mac attempted a quarterback sneak on third-and-short, a Guelph player skirted around the pile and yanked on the leg of QB Marshall Ferguson to stop him from moving forward. The play was met with penalty flags and a handful of maroon jerseys, causing a quick skirmish.
When Guelph won the Yates Cup in 2015, the Gryphons yelled out a McMaster chant, the same one the Marauders performed when they beat Guelph in 2014.
The 2016 Homecoming game provides the Marauders with an opportunity to reaffirm their position in the OUA hierarchy. Likewise, Guelph will be out to prove that 2015 was not just an anomaly and that they should still be considered Yates Cup threats in 2016.
Asher Hastings and Guelph’s defensive line
Hastings has been dynamite in the air. He has the third highest completion percentage (64.7) and the best touchdown-to-interception ratio amongst OUA quarterbacks (7:2).
Guelph’s defensive line will look to put pressure on Mac’s QB before he has time to look downfield. Guelph currently ranks second in the OUA in recorded sacks (11), and will use their frontline pressure to reach Hastings as much as possible.
Linebacker pair and first time starters Lukas Korol and Riley Baines have been standout defensive players for Guelph and currently rank in the top five in total tackles in the OUA (41 and 34 respectively), while St Mary’s transfer Matt Delmas has already collected three sacks on the season.
Danny Vandervoort and Guelph’s Defensive Secondary
Danny Vandervoort has been unstoppable this season. Vandervoort is McMaster’s leader in career touchdown receptions (27), fourth in receiving yards per game (88.5) in the Ontario University Athletics conference, and fifth in touchdown receptions (seven), despite sitting out against Waterloo.
Always a deep threat, Guelph will look to contain him quickly and force the Marauders to other options.
“In every game we have to figure out early how teams are going to try and take away Danny Vandervoort,” said offensive coordinator Jon Behie. “Everyone has a different plan to do that, and they have some veterans in the their secondary, so who matches up against Danny and how [they do it] is going to be an important piece of the puzzle for us.”
Free safety Tristian Doughlin has been absent from the Gryphons’ lineup due to injury, but third-year player Mike Carney has stepped into his role and played consistently well. Guelph’s secondary kept Ottawa to a season-low 286 passing yards, 160 yards less than his season average, when they met in week four.
Doughlin and the rest of the secondary will look to take Vandervoort out of the offense, and force Mac to adjust on the fly.
Keys To The Game
Capitalize on offence - McMaster has struggled to finish off long drives this season, with 14 field goal attempts but only nine touchdowns on the year.
“We need to score touchdowns instead of just field goals,” said Behie. “That is something we have been struggling with this season but against Guelph we are going to need 7s instead of 3s.”
The offence has entered the red-zone only eight times. While they have scored on every trip to the redzone, only four times have they scored a touchdown. Look for them to create long drives to wear down the Guelph defence.
Playing disciplined - Guelph is second in the OUA in defensive interceptions (seven), while Mac has struggled with a league high 552 total penalty yards, giving opposing teams more opportunities gain ground.
If Mac gives Guelph the ball on offence, odds are that the Gryphons will take advantage, who are currently third in first downs (137) in the OUA. Guelph quarterback James Roberts has been consistent with 91 completions for just over 1000 yards this season, and a balanced run game already has eight touchdowns.
Ground n' pound - To keep the field open for Hastings and his receiving core, Mac will look to running backs Chris Pezzeta and Jordan Lyons to keep the Guelph defence on their toes.
“[We have to] establish the run game early to help open things up downfield,” said Behie. “We weren’t able to do that against Guelph last year and it hurt us, so that will be a point of emphasis for us throughout the week of preparation.”
Both Pezzeta and Lyons will look to carry their momentum from Waterloo, where they picked up two touchdowns and 105 receiving yards respectively.
Wildcard: McMaster’s Defence
McMaster currently leads the league in defensive interceptions with 11 through four games. Taking possession back from Guelph on defence could play a major part in the momentum of the game.
Bad blood - a Marauder history
2014: McMaster 34 vs Guelph 27 - The Marauders came back with ten points in the fourth quarter to send the game to overtime. QB Marshall Ferguson ran the ball into the end zone to seal a Mac win in their home opener.
2014: McMaster 20 vs Guelph 15 - Mac captured their third Yates Cup in four years by beating Guelph in a defensive battle. The Marauders had five interceptions and no touchdowns, but did enough to come away with the win.
2015: Guelph 33 vs McMaster 23 - Playing in Guelph’s second homecoming in three years, a 96-yard drive late in the fourth quarter kept things interesting, but McMaster’s struggles in the rain saw them fall to the eventual Yates Cup champions.
Home field advantage
McMaster has the highest average home attendance in Ontario, and when Behie was asked how important their playing at home would be, the answer was clear.
“It’s huge. Our record at Ron Joyce stadium since it opened is very good. It is a great environment to play in and our fans, especially at homecoming, have been the 13th man for us. I think it’s a huge advantage playing an opponent like Guelph at home as opposed to on the road.”
“It Wasn’t Me” is great as a song at the tail-end of karaoke or at the beginning of the weird, early 2000s playlist McMaster house parties tend to have as the night wears on.
Shaggy isn’t a singer that the majority of people will ever actively seek out in day-to-day listening, nor is he one most people would think of in a discussion of the best 1990s or 2000s singers. Out of 12 albums of material to pull from, the average student might be able to pick out four songs at best. To top it off, he hasn’t actually had a studio album in the last three years, but that’s almost irrelevant when the main draw will be the peak he had close to a decade and a half ago.
Hedley was one of the few bands that could have a track or two in every awkward middle school dance growing up. Almost everyone in the crowd should be able to pick out a few songs, and everyone’s experience will be vastly different based on their age considering the schedule of one album every two years that they’ve strictly followed. Like Shaggy, it’s unlikely for anyone who wasn’t a genre specialist, or a fan in general, to be able to name more than four songs at best.
With the Homecoming concert budget allocation this year being relatively close to previous years, the selection didn’t have the niche appeal of Dean Brody, the flash of Lil Jon or the more modern relevancy of The Sheepdogs. What the picks do with such weird expertise, however, is pull at random memories instead of hoping you happen to be a fan of a particular genre.
Even if it’s for a few songs out of a group or the general sound instead of anything specific about the music, the ability to go back to the past in a way that’s catered to university students is surprisingly not done much by McMaster outside of the rare student initiative. Just thinking about how you used to know Hedley and Shaggy or where you’ve heard them before can be powerful enough to evoke memories good and bad.
While my own backgrounds with both are obvious through how they were introduced earlier, this doesn’t even begin to describe the full extent of connecting memories. I was never a fan of either, but it’s impossible to deny the familiarity and how both align, even weakly, with different points of time in the past.
It doesn’t particularly matter if you have the same thoughts or experiences. The fact that you have your own feelings and sense of nostalgia is good enough. Not to say that this couldn’t have happened with Dean Brody, Lil Jon or The Sheepdogs, but the likelihood for more students to have at least some passing connection is significantly higher with Hedley and Shaggy.
This is perfect for Homecoming. As alumni come back to visit the school, all connected by a common theme but different memories. These concerts are actually one of the only instances where the entire student population will be in a similar situation until they come back after graduating. It welcomes old faces to what they used to know, even if what they remember is different than the person next to them.
It’s incredibly easy to get caught up in what is happening right now. Work, school, stresses, the upcoming year, the list piles on and on and it won’t let up until death or retirement. The chance to remember old times is a much needed break for alumni looking back on their own experiences, and that is mirrored by the upcoming concerts from a student perspective.
In a weird way, Hedley and Shaggy are one of the best pairings McMaster could have put out to best reflect what Homecoming is all about to the current students.
While they wouldn’t have been my first choices by any means, that is mostly because it’s significantly easier to pick something that’s relevant here and now. The two selected this year make up an ingenious combination of broad appeal, Homecoming relevancy and purpose that cuts deeper than wheeling out the first semi-big name you can book. All that’s left is for them to deliver, and hope that nostalgia can carry the crowd through whatever songs they won’t recognize.
By: Alex Killian
Welcome Week 2015 saw an innovative and important campaign on campus. From the social media platforms of Facebook and Twitter, to posters all across campus, to the buttons we still see today, the #Consent initiative represented a conversation many students were relieved to have on a safe, open and accepting campus. In the works since April 2012 and based on recommendations from the “It’s Time” project, it represented the first of three awareness campaigns aimed to reduce violence against women on campus.
The #Consent campaign was launched by the Sexual Assault Centre of Hamilton & Area and YMCA Hamilton. In partnership with many campus groups and services, these organizations took a challenging subject and started a conversation about the prevalence and impact of rape culture. The campaign explored what role we play as students and leaders in our school community in dismantling and reacting to our perpetuating harmful systems of oppression. They started a conversation about our generation’s impact on society and the new wave of Marauders on campus.
Yes, it is an uncomfortable conversation for some. However, it is extremely relevant for all as consent extends beyond sexual situations. It is crucial in every interpersonal interaction. In some situations, it is socially implied and expected, such as when we knock on someone’s door, symbolically requesting entry. The Welcome Week initiative on campus took the first steps to making the act of asking for and voicing positive and ongoing consent just as subconscious and normal as knocking on someone’s door before entering.
Welcome Week is supposed to be fun, others might argue. But, once again, the consent conversation applies outside of sexual situations. Positive and ongoing consent is fundamental to fun and enjoyment. Getting dragged to an amusement park against one’s will does not sound like a lot of fun.
The campaign could not have come at a better time in the school year. The first weeks of university are critical. There is a new, potentially vulnerable population on campus, which, by participating in the conversation, becomes more aware, more critical and ultimately safer.
Every Welcome Week is planned with strategic priorities in mind. For Welcome Week 2015, working to end sexual violence was one of those. The conversations throughout Welcome Week underline that understanding and practicing consent is an important part of this process. Social change always starts with education and awareness. As such, we have taken the first steps to creating a culture of respect and consent on our campus—let’s not lose the momentum.
Welcome Week was a chance to educate and raise awareness; Homecoming weekend is a chance to put in all into practice. Continue to ask open-ended questions and to listen for a response. Look out for your friends and make sure to keep checking in with those around you, particularly as the blood alcohol levels start to rise as the day goes on.
Like Welcome Week, Homecoming is an exciting, fast-paced event, with traditions and social expectations. Things can be memorable and enjoyable, when everyone is consenting and on the same page.
With that in mind, have fun this Homecoming! Demonstrate that beautiful maroon and grey Marauder pride while making your fellow Marauders proud by keeping the conversation on #Consent going.
The football team remains undefeated in a 28-19 win over Queen’s in front of a sellout crowd. Quarterback Marshall Ferguson spread the ball to eight different receivers to toss 376 total yards with two touchdowns. Chris Pezzetta also tallied a solid 154 yards rushing. Kicker Tyler Crapigna hit a 41-yarder to give him 76 all-time, and is just one below the record set by Western’s Lirim Hajrullahu for OUA’s all-time career leader in field goals. Sherbrooke’s William Dion holds the CIS record with 82 career field goals. The Marauders travel next to Western in a battle of undefeated teams.
Both men’s and women’s soccer went to Guelph. The men suffered their first loss on Saturday in a 2-1 effort as Mark Reilly scored his team-leading sixth goal of the season with the hope of a comeback in the 77th minute. Sunday’s game at McMaster fared much better in a 3-1 victory over Waterloo with a convincing second half with goals at the 65th, 79th, and 80th minute marks. They slip to third with a 6-1-2 record in the West OUA division.
The women lost the lead late in a 1-1 draw with midfielder Maureen Mai having an unrelenting offensive attack with the team’s lone goal, and five shots with three of those on target. A 74th-minute strike by Guelph resulted in the draw. The return back to McMaster did not fare better as the team was not able to complete the comeback, losing 4-3 to Waterloo. An explosive start to the second half to put Waterloo up 4-1 was nearly nullified with two late-game goals, but it was too little, too late. They slip to sixth with a 3-5-1 record, and travel with the men’s team to face Brock next.
Men’s rugby improved to 5-0 while handing Queen’s their first loss of the season in an 18-13 game. The team was able to respond quickly to offensive pressure in an extremely back-and-forth effort by both teams. With their 18 points, the Marauders surpassed the total of 17 that Queen’s had conceded through their first four games of the season. McMaster travels to face Brock next.
Women’s rugby gave up a 17-point lead to draw against Guelph 27-27. With McMaster captain Cindy Nelles in the penalty box, Guelph capitalized with two tries and one hit convert to make it 27-22. In the dying moments of the game, Guelph made the try, but the potentially game-winning convert hit the upright and bounced wide. The team faces Toronto next at McMaster’s Back Ten field.
