C/O @ark_collectivehamilton
The Ark Collective draws the community’s attention to local BIPOC businesses.
The Ark Collective strives to promote and support local Black, Indigenous, and People of Colour owned businesses from their storefront on James St. N. The collective aims to help expose the community to the variety of these small businesses and their products.
Ayodele Adefala, the founder of Ark Collective, worked in retail for over 10 years before launching her online clothing boutique, Liza and Grace, focused on selling women’s clothing and accessories. However, Adefala realized customers were more willing to trust and purchase from a brick-and-mortar store because they could physically see and try the product.
“Small business owners struggle with having to pay for Facebook ads, which cost a lot of money for people to even realize your store exists. And . . . sometimes customers are a bit apprehensive and conscious about online shopping with new businesses, like “Will I get my product or not?”, that sort of thing,” explainedAdefala.
Adefala decided to sell some of her products in a collective store in Toronto. Being a part of a collective can be a incredibly valuable opportunity to a business and it provides every brand with the same amount of exposure and recognition.
Seeing a lack of similar collective store in Hamilton, Adefala decided to open her own in the steel city this past April. Recognizing the difficulties local BIPOC businesses can face, she chose to focus her work on supporting them.
“The sad reality of this life is we don’t have as many opportunities as some of our counterparts. In the GTA, there are about six or seven Black-owned businesses with a similar business model. But the prerequisite is you have to be Black, but I was like, ‘What about the Spanish girl? What about the Ecuador girl? What about the Asian girl?’. . . We all suffer with similar issues,” said Adefala.
“The sad reality of this life is we don’t have as many opportunities as some of our counterparts. In the GTA, there are about six or seven Black-owned businesses with a similar business model. But the prerequisite is you have to be Black, but I was like, ‘What about the Spanish girl? What about the Ecuador girl? What about the Asian girl?’. . . We all suffer with similar issues.”
Ayodele Adefala, founder of ark collective
Her business approach has broadened her search for brands to collaborate with while also keepingt the products in the collective diverse.
Right now, Ark Collective has over 20 brands with various products such as clothing, jewellery, accessories, skincare, health and wellness and home decor.
“You get to see the vendors in person who can tell you more about the product. I feel like [a storefront has] a more genuine approach to it and that’s what makes us unique,” explained Adefala.
She plans to add food items to the collective soon and hopes to make the Ark Collective a one-stop shop where customers can purchase anything they might need.
Adefala also rotates through vendors every three months and she hopes this system will help keep the store seeming fresh and different every time a customer steps in.
Moving forward, the Ark Collective aims to expand the variety of products they carry and continue to participate in more pop-up markets to bring more exposure to the brands in their store.
“I want them to walk away with that ‘do good, feel good’ mindset and feeling when they are coming in,” said Adefala.
C/O Pixabay
There needs to be more awareness surrounding athlete mental health
As we near the date on which the latest COVID-19 measures will be lifted, Ontario University Athletics has officially announced a resumption of their sport competitions and there seems to be a light at the end of the tunnel for many student athletes. However, there are many other ways in which the sports dynamic at universities may affect their mental health and their general wellbeing.
The recent spike in Omicron cases around Ontario prompted a lockdown that negatively affected many student athletes around the university. Not only did individuals have their pre-season heavily affected by the lockdowns but the amateur label placed on OUA also meant that teams that were supposed to have their season continue after the new year were required to wait for an additional few weeks.
The Marauders basketball teams are prime examples of students who suffered due to the measures implemented. Thomas Matsell, a player on the men’s basketball team, mentioned in a previous article that the forced pause was both frustrating and stressful. This sentiment is shared by many athletes who had to pause their activities. With that said, how much of an impact has all this had on their mental health?
In a recent study published by Sport Aide, the most common psychological problems that student athletes will suffer include depression, anxiety, eating disorders, attention deficit disorders, problems related to the use of illicit substances and psychological changes following a concussion. Many of the mental health concerns already faced by student athletes were only exacerbated by the recent obstacles they faced in playing their sport.
Marauders on the women’s tennis team, including Jovana Paramentic, explained the various ways in which the recent measures exacerbated or caused negative mental health among players. Beyond the recent COVID-19 measures, athletes who play seasonal sports have the additional burden of ensuring they take care of their health during both on and off season.
“There are many things that can affect our mental health. They can be lockdowns, rejection or something else like missing out on the sporting action that you got used to. For seasonal players [like the tennis team], it is essential that we take care of our mental health throughout. When our season ends, we do lack that play time and I personally would miss being with the team and playing together,” said Paramentic.
“There are many things that can affect our mental health. They can be lockdowns, rejection or something else like missing out on the sporting action that you got used to. For seasonal players [like the tennis team], it is essential that we take care of our mental health throughout."
Jovana Paramentic, Tennis Team
Given the various ways in which student athletes have faced unique mental health challenges due to the recent COVID-19 measures, it is important that awareness surrounding athlete mental health increases. Only through greater awareness can solutions be developed.
“I feel as if there needs to be more awareness raised with regards to the current mental health issues athletes at universities feel on a daily basis. Although there have been some prompts made before at McMaster, I think that it's more important now than ever. When there’s so much uncertainty regarding whether we will get to play at all or not, it creates a sort of anxiety among us that you just can't let go of easily,” said Paramentic.
The pandemic had a significant effect on athletes’ mental health, from the cancelled 2020 season to all the delays that occurred in 2021.
“There are many reasons why an athlete's mental health may be affected, however I feel that lately, the pandemic definitely had the highest toll on athletes, especially those which are in university. Although I can’t speak objectively, I feel that generally, the weird schedule and the ever-changing outcomes of lockdowns can confuse us and this is something that can lead us to struggle mentally,” said Paramentic.
Paramentic hopes, that in the future, McMaster can offer broader services to student athletes who are struggling with their mental stability.
“I would certainly like to see more action being done by the university in minimizing the struggles that athletes experience. Maybe setting up a more accessible counseling initiative for athletes would be useful, or anything similar,” said Paramentic.
Although OUA will resume their activities in early February, about a month after they were halted, there is still so much uncertainty regarding whether such pauses will occur again in the future. The mental health of student athletes will, without a doubt, always be vulnerable to such decisions as nobody knows exactly when the pandemic will come to a close.
C/O Yoohyun Park
MacDivest paints mural to demand attention from the Board of Governors
On March 4, 2021, McMaster University announced that President David Farrar had urged the Board of Governors to divest from their use of fossil fuels as an investment pool.
“President David Farrar has asked the Board of Governors to put in place a strategy to divest fossil fuels from the university’s institutional investment pool as soon as possible,” stated the University.
Farrar spoke about how the McMaster community wants to see consistent changes.
“It is necessary, alongside our carbon reduction activities, to confirm that we want to be a leader in these areas and so today I asked the university’s Board of Governors to work with us to put in place a strategy to divest fossil fuels from our institutional investment pool as soon as possible,” said Farrar.
These sentiments rang through the McMaster community. Groups like MacDivest are curious about what this could actually mean for the future of McMaster.
MacDivest is a public interest project under OPIRG McMaster, a nonprofit organization that offers students the chance to take action on social justice and environmental issues.
As a group, MacDivest has two goals. The first is a continual attempt to raise awareness about McMaster’s investment in fossil fuels. The second aims to create a plan for divestment that has a basis behind it, factoring in McMaster and the current environmental climate.
As such, the group has organized, and continues to plan, different ways to bring light to this issue. On Sept. 13, they banded together to paint a mural with the phrase “No brighter world without divestment” on the front steps of Gilmour Hall.
Simran Dhindsa, a member of MacDivest, explained why this was chosen.
“We were debating multiple places . . . but once we arrived to the area we were like this seems like the perfect place to lay out our image. [We chose that area] because the Board of Governors office is there. Our mural was a message to them, to bring awareness that we have been demanding action about climate change for a while and about divestment,” said Dhindsa.
She went on to explain that the mural was painted due to a lack of action from the Board of Governors.
“Seeing news like [Farrar’s announcement] is motivating, that conversations like that are happening. At the same time, it seems more to just say that ‘conversation’ is happening instead of actually taking action about them. MacDivest earlier this year sent hundreds of letters to the Board of Governors and they didn’t really acknowledge that or even give a reply,” explained Dhindsa.
"MacDivest earlier this year sent hundreds of letters to the Board of Governors and they didn’t really acknowledge that or even give a reply."
Simran Dhindsa, member of MacDivest
Srishti Sharma, a student at McMaster, saw the mural being painted that morning.
“I thought it was very empowering,” said Sharma.
According to Dhindsa, five hours after they had painted the mural it was promptly washed off. She explained that they had begun at 9 a.m. and by 1 p.m. it was being washed off. However, despite the mural being washed off, Dhindsa believes they had made their message clear.
“David Farrar — we had met him that morning and he did see us make the mural. So I think we kind of accomplished our goal of making them aware,” said Dhindsa.
On Sept, 16, MacDivest shared an official response to McMaster’s treatment of the mural.
“We are deeply disappointed at McMaster’s lack of tolerance to a mural that was not obscene or impeding anyone’s experience on campus . . . The power washing of the mural was symbolic of the treatment our efforts encouraging McMaster to divest have endured,” stated MacDivest.
“We are deeply disappointed at McMaster’s lack of tolerance to a mural that was not obscene or impeding anyone’s experience on campus . . . The power washing of the mural was symbolic of the treatment our efforts encouraging McMaster to divest have endured.”
macdivest
When the Silhouette reached out to the Board of Governors, they declined an interview.
Ainsley Thurgood/Photo Assistant
Remember that you aren’t the only ones who live here though
By: Derek Elliott, Contributor
Every September, the areas of Ainslie Wood and Westdale welcome a new group of McMaster University students who are eager to participate in university life and enjoy living in the area. Truth be told, there really is a lot to enjoy. You will find as you settle into the area that it is a great place to live. It’s very walkable and very convenient, close to Cootes Paradise, with parks and playgrounds, miles of cycling trails nearby, the recently renovated Westdale Theatre, lots of bars and restaurants and of course all the facilities that the university has to offer. You can even hop on a quick bus or train to Toronto, but Westdale has everything one would need.
For those of us who live in this area, the presence of McMaster students adds a spark of life that it otherwise just wouldn’t have. We really do hope you enjoy the few years that you will be living among us.
As a long-time Westdale resident myself, there are a few things I’d ask you to keep in mind.
Please be aware of those around you. Westdale and Ainslie Wood houses not just students, but many families and elderly folks live in the area. Some folks have very young children and some are commuters who have to get up early to travel for work.
Have a good time and enjoy yourself but remember that you need to keep the noise down, especially after 11:00 p.m. Unfortunately the mix of large numbers of young, energetic people, alcohol and/or other stimulants can result in otherwise decent responsible people acting in irresponsible ways. This can make things challenging for the more “permanent” residents of the areas surrounding campus.
In the age of cell phones and social media, a small gathering of friends can quickly get out of control. It happens at least once a year around here. If you’re renting a house and it happens to you, don’t be afraid to call the police for help. If you don’t, be assured that somebody else will and you’ll get the blame for the loud party.
Along the same lines, residents take pride in keeping our yards clean and tidy. It’s part of what makes the neighbourhood a pleasant one to live in. If you’re renting, please keep your yard in a reasonable state — free from garbage and overgrown weeds. When it snows, the sooner you shovel your sidewalk, the easier it is to do. You may be lucky enough to live next door to someone who has a snow blower. Many of us who do just keep going down the sidewalk when we’ve finished our own. In Hamilton the temperature fluctuations cause freezing and thawing which can lead to really dangerous conditions on sidewalks. If someone is injured, the signatory in your house could be held legally liable.
Consider this — if your parents or guardians were living in this neighbourhood, how would you behave? I know you're here for a good time, but please respect those of us who are here for a long time.
Welcome to the neighbourhood and by following these suggestions, we can all live together safely, comfortably and happily.
A seemingly sudden move to Microsoft 365 serves as a reminder that universities need to do a better job of understanding student opinions in a pandemic
C/O Tadas Sar on Unsplash
Change is hard. That is a fundamental lesson every McMaster University student has learned throughout this once-in-a-lifetime year. While we can all appreciate our ability in being able to personally overcome the transformative changes life throws at us, more often than not, our everyday lives yearn for little moments of stability.
Even though we all have our own individual definitions of what stability looks like for us, there are some facets of our life which we completely take for granted. We might only realize with great annoyance how detrimental their loss was to our day-to-day routine.
For example, when you lose your favourite metal straw, or your AirPods somewhere in your house, this seemingly small hindrance often does a remarkable job in souring your day. In a time where the fundamental truths of being a university student — such as enjoying an in-person year on campus — are under attack by our time of uncertainty, McMaster at the very least could soothe some of the unprecedented student anxiety by maintaining a small modicum of stability.
In a time where the fundamental truths of being a university student — such as enjoying an in-person year on campus — are under attack by our time of uncertainty, McMaster at the very least could soothe some of the unprecedented student anxiety by maintaining a small modicum of stability.
How can Mac do that you ask? By staying in touch with student opinions? By being aware of the actual, unfiltered realities of its students (especially new ones)?
Aside from the obvious cases of proctoring and online education, Mac in subtler ways has implemented some systems this year which greatly annoyed students, solely because they were so small, yet so infuriating. Mac plans on switching its primary student hub in Google over to Microsoft — as in students will no longer have a Google Drive, but an OneDrive, and instead of a Gmail, they will have an Outlook.
While the reason for this change was announced via Mac Daily News, it nonetheless faced controversy from the student body due to the impracticalities associated with accommodating the changes (like having to move several gigabytes of data from Google Drive to OneDrive), but also with the disastrous performance of Microsoft Teams this year.
In my experience, the Microsoft Teams application was so functionally inefficient with large class sizes, that instructors often took up class time in switching to alternative platforms such as Zoom. Some went as far as switching instruction to taking place only on Zoom.
This is discounting the fact that countless students heavily relied on Google services such as Gmail and Google Drive in middle school, throughout high school and university until these new IT changes were approved. For many Gen Zs, (who will soon inevitably comprise the majority of Mac’s student demographic), anything Microsoft-related is a draconian relic of the past and many of us strongly believe there are much sleeker, easier to use and more compatible options are already available to us, right at our fingertips.
For many Gen Zs, (who will soon inevitably comprise the majority of Mac’s student demographic), anything Microsoft-related is a draconian relic of the past and many of us strongly believe there are much sleeker, easier to use and more compatible options are already available to us, right at our fingertips.
This is particularly worrying as there is a very real possibility that fall 2021 might be online and if not, it may shift online in accordance with health guidelines. Online workspaces are our way of life now, and we have already made enough changes than we expected, for better or for worse.
Students have earned the right to retain one simple facet of online school, which allows them to retain some semblance of their previously normal life. A change that might seem little and from the outside appears to be nothing more than technical difficulties, could have drastic real-life implications for students in their online environment.
Mac, once again, please be mindful of the choices you make on behalf of the student body. Listening to students might surprisingly help with that.
Seven clubs that are leading the foundation for change at McMaster
C/O @bapmac
In response to the resurgence of Black Lives Matter movement in 2020, new clubs focused on Black, Indigenous and People of Colour were introduced to McMaster University. They have tried to foster community, break down barriers and create space for important conversations.
These clubs, run by BIPOC students for BIPOC students, are working tirelessly toward fulfilling student needs and establish spaces necessary for students to flourish, receive support and form valuable relationships.
“The reason why I am part of these clubs is because I want to do whatever I can to best support the Black community. Because oftentimes a major issue is just lack of information. People aren't aware of these opportunities. In being in these roles, we're able to share different opportunities with the people who are part of our club . . . and just keeping them tapped in because that's really important. Overall, [I am] just looking for ways to support the community in whatever capacity that I can. That's why I'm involved in these clubs,” said Anu Popoola, a second-year student involved in the Black Student Mentorship Program and Black Aspiring Physicians McMaster.
“The reason why I am part of these clubs is because I want to do whatever I can to best support the Black community. Because oftentimes a major issue is just lack of information. People aren't aware of these opportunities."
Executives and members of these groups have already made a significant change, however, this is just the beginning, as Sammi Yahya explained, a second-year student who is part of the McMaster Muslim Students’ Association’s Anti-Racism Racism Committee and Black BHSc Student Association. They will continue to set far-reaching goals and advocate for their community.
“This can't be this can be the end, we can't just fall off the wagon once all this buzz dies down. I just really hope that even as time passes and the impact of the BLM movement and all of that becomes distant, hopefully the passion never dies out, and we continue to make steps towards equity, inclusion and diversity, not only within [health sciences], but within the McMaster community and beyond,” said Yahya.
Whether you are a Black Muslim student, Black first-year student seeking mentorship or 2STLGBQIA+ BIPOC student looking for a community with similar intersectional experiences, there may be a community waiting for you. Here are seven new and existing BIPOC-focused clubs and the work they are currently doing to promote change.
Canadian Black Nurses Alliance McMaster
A McMaster chapter of Canadian Black Nurses Alliance (CBNA) was introduced this year to promote community within Black nursing students and inspire Black students with an interest in healthcare and nursing leadership. However, the club is also open to other students of colour.
Previously, the group has hosted events such as Black voices in healthcare institutions, new graduate nursing student panels and resources night for exams. They also run an anonymous online forum where students can share their experiences of microaggressions or discrimination and receive advice and support from other Black nursing students.
Queer and Trans Colour Club
The Queer and Trans Colour Club is a club dedicated to fostering community building within LGBTQ+ identifying BIPOC students at McMaster. They host 2SLGBTQIA+ identifying BIPOC exclusive socials, discussion panels and other events, including collaboration projects with other clubs on campus, such as a poetry slam night. From Feb. 21 to 27, they are holding an aromantic spectrum awareness week to debunk stereotypes and myths and spark conversation on being aromantic.
McMaster Muslim Students’ Association: Anti-Black Racism Committee
The Anti-Black Racism Committee of McMaster Muslim Students’ Association is a new committee of the club. The committee primarily focuses on welcoming Black students into the group and promoting a sense of community within Black Muslim students on campus through various events.
In the past, the group has hosted socials such as Black Muslim Jeopardy night and Speed Friending. Currently, they are working with the Equity and Inclusion Office to make reporting incidents of discrimination more accessible.
“It’s really easy to just brush off [experiences of discrmination] or microaggression, and a lot of people think they can’t report this stuff when you can,” explained Yahya, one of the executives on the Anti-Black Racism Committee.
Yahya hopes that through the committee’s work, more students will know about the tools and resources they can use to speak up against racial discrimination.
Black Student Mentorship Program
The Black Student Mentorship Program is a new initiative in which Black first-year students are paired with a Black upper-year student, Black upper-year students are paired with a Black graduate student and Black graduate students are paired with a Black faculty member.
A pilot version of this program ran last year with about 10 first-year students, but it has now expanded to over 60 first-year students in the program. It currently offers both one-to-one and group mentoring.
The mentors provide guidance and advice on academics, navigating school and finding opportunities and resources for professional pursuits. Most of the events this year have been geared towards first-year students to help them connect during times of online and at-home learning.
However, they are also planning events with the African Caribbean Faculty Association of McMaster to help both mentees and mentors of the program socialize and develop themselves professionally.
Popoola, a second-year student who was part of the pilot program last year as a mentee, is now currently an executive member of the program.
“We've really created a space in which the first years are able to share their experiences and bring up concerns about things that happened in their classrooms. It's been really rewarding just seeing that we're able to impact them, even if it's in the smallest way,” said Popoola.
Black BHSc Association
Following the death of George Floyd, Black health sciences students came together to support each other and share experiences of microaggressions and racism. They also discussed changes they wanted to see within the program and McMaster. These discussions led to the formation of Black BHSc Association with the aim to increase equity, inclusion and diversity in the health sciences program.
One of the most exciting changes brought on by the club is Equitable Admissions for Black Applicants. It is an optional application stream for Black applicants which allows their supplementary applications to get reviewed by other Black students, alumni and faculty of the program in order to eliminate conscious and unconscious bias in the application review process. Currently, Black identifying students make up less than two per cent of the bachelor of health sciences population.
“It's not going to be easier to get [into the program] which is very, very important for people to understand, but it just pushes down or breaks down some of the boundaries that might stand in the way of Black students coming in,” said Yahya, president of BBA.
Another goal of BBA is to reach out to Black high school students who have an interest in the program and show them pathways in academia, healthcare and medicine. They have already received great response and excitement from their application info nights.
“It's not only about helping current Black BHSc students or prospective Black BHSc students, it's about going all the way to the roots . . . . [Black students might not be getting in] maybe because not as many people are applying, but it’s also because maybe they're not getting the opportunities to even go to university . . . or not knowing what university is about and just opting for college,” explained Yahya.
Blackspace
The main objective of Blackspace is to empower Black women in the classroom and the Hamilton community and enable them to collaborate and gain access to opportunities both at and outside of McMaster. The club was founded because there weren’t many spaces for Black women students to connect on campus.
This year, the club has focused on professional development with events and workshops featuring professionals from humanities, business, sciences, math and other fields. They spoke on the experiences of breaking into these fields as Black women and shared advice. Every Monday, the club also hosts an Instagram live series called Moscato Monday where they discuss current events.
On March 6, they are organizing an event with different Black companies and small businesses from McMaster and Hamilton who will speak about entrepreneurship and what it means to be a Black entrepreneur. There will also be more networking events coming up in March.
“I’ve never really interacted with many of the clubs on campus, let alone a Black club. I wasn’t even aware of half of their existences until I got to third year, which was last year . . . [Through Blackspace I have had] not only the opportunity to help people with what I couldn’t do, but also help myself while learning about all of these opportunities that I would’ve had to dig for otherwise,” explained Makena Githinji, the current co-president of Blackspace.
Black Aspiring Physicians of McMaster
Black Aspiring Physicians of McMaster aim to support Black students in their pursuits to enter a career in healthcare. They host events such as MCAT and MMI prep nights, research info nights and the iRise conference. In March, they are planning an event with the Indigenous Health Movement at McMaster which will feature healthcare leaders and BIPOC student advocates in a panel discussion.
Outside of events, they also have a YouTube channel where you find webinars on topics related to healthcare and interviews with guest speakers. Additionally, the club has a mentorship program to pair students interested in medicine with a medical student.
In last week’s referendum, full-time undergraduate students voted to uphold the current agreement between Hamilton Street Railway and the McMaster Students Union, which gives students bus passes for 12 months with expanded service on the 51-University bus line.
Out of five options, 43 per cent of students that voted chose the 12 month expanded bus pass as their top choice on the ranked ballot.
Students also had the option to decide between a 12 month pass without expanded service, an eight month pass with or without expanded service and no bus pass at all.
Prior to 2014, the MSU provided a subsidized HSR bus pass that lasted from September to April. In a 2014 referendum, students voted overwhelmingly in support of a year-round bus pass with expanded 51-University service.
The MSU renews their contract with the HSR every three years. Students voted to uphold the agreement in 2017, and did the same this year.
To establish the agreement for the base fee of the bus pass, the MSU engaged in a negotiation process with the HSR alongside the university, Redeemer college and Mohawk college.
In September 2019, students paid $225.55 for their bus passes. Next year, under the renewed agreement, they will cost $223.92, climbing to $229.62 in 2022. In comparison, an unsubsidized monthly HSR bus pass costs $110 per month, or $1,320 for a full year.
According to a 2017 briefing from the McMaster Graduate Student Association, the city of Hamilton has a vested interest in offering a reduced bus fare. A subsidized bus pass encourages students to explore the city, which can in turn lead to greater population retention.
The HSR stands to benefit from this deal as well. Approximately 12 per cent of the revenue collected by the HSR comes from the McMaster U-pass.
McMaster is one of many post-secondary institutions across southwestern Ontario to provide some sort of subsidized bus pass for undergraduate students. Within Hamilton, Mohawk college and Redeemer college also offer subsidized bus passes for students. Students at Queen’s University, the University of Western Ontario and the University of Guelph also decide via referenda to provide compulsory passes for undergraduate students. The costs vary depending on the university, ranging from $90 to $240.
Now that the McMaster bus pass has been voted on via referendum, students cannot opt out of the fee. This is because, when HSR knows how many students will pay the fee, they can project service levels and secure revenue. In turn, they agree to provide a bus pass at a substantially reduced cost.
After the student choice initiative was announced in January 2019, there was some concern that the bus passes would be designated as non-essential, which would have prevented the MSU from making an agreement with the HSR for subsidized bus passes.
In February of last year, Merrilee Fullerton, then the minister of training, colleges and universities, announced that the bus passes would remain mandatory.
The agreement with the HSR will be renegotiated in 2023.
[thesil_related_posts_sc]Related Posts[/thesil_related_posts_sc]
By Taylor Johnston, Contributor
We are currently within one of the greatest eras for technology. Many jobs are becoming automated, there are online-only industries and our cell phones are so multiuse that they can act as a small computer. The appeal of online education and the concept of going “paperless” has been rising based on its flexibility and cheaper costs. Some universities are even introducing online degrees. However, is it all as amazing as it seems?
There are two types of online education: self-paced and structured. Self-paced gives all the course content to the student at once, but it must be completed within a certain number of months. Therefore, the student can work as quickly or leisurely as they like. There are ministry high school programs such as those taken through the Independent Learning Centre that have adopted this self-paced format and have been proven to be very efficient, which has been attributed to allowing students can learn at their own pace.
While structured education is also a common method of online teaching, it can also present more flaws. A structured online course attempts to mimic in-class courses by giving students access to content material on a week by week basis. While some students may like structured learning to help them stay on track of class, it can also be less beneficial for many students, as it doesn’t give the student the freedom of learning at their own pace. As a result, structured learning can add stress for students who like to learn at a different pace than the one that the course is providing.
Many Ontario universities offer select elective courses in the online-structured format, which hold many attractive qualities in terms of flexibility and the opportunity for another in-class course to be added to a student's schedule. However, do the pros of online education outweigh the cons?
One apparent difference between online education and in-person education is the amount of interaction you have with your instructors. This may have you thinking, “In non-online classes I am just one student in a lecture hall with hundreds of others, and there is not that much opportunity for a one-on-one relationship anyways. Wouldn’t online courses be the same?” However, even the experience of going to lectures holds an added level of value as you get to hear the “in the moment” thoughts and opinions of your professor that are otherwise non-existent in most online courses and degrees.
One apparent difference between online education and in-person education is the amount of interaction you have with your instructors.
Furthermore, in-person education usually gives more opportunities for office hours where students’ questions can be asked and answered. The main method of communication for students that want to talk to professors and teaching assistants throughout an online course is strictly email, where communication can often be misunderstood and unclear compared to in-person conversations. Although some people may find office hours to be a waste of time, other students find them very beneficial to their education and learning and unfortunately, you cannot get that from online education.
The main method of communication for students that want to talk to professors and teaching assistants throughout an online course is strictly email, where communication can often be misunderstood and unclear compared to in-person conversations.
Online education provides the opportunity to access education regardless of how far away you live from university. However, the benefits of in-person schooling still outweighs the online system due to the added benefits of being able to physically interact with your professors. With in-person courses, you are able to talk to classmates and meet others, which can be a huge benefit to your learning. Still, it is important to recognize that as students, we can still reap the benefits of online education as it provides a bridge for those who are unable to physically attend lectures.
[thesil_related_posts_sc]Related Posts[/thesil_related_posts_sc]
By Olivia Fava, Contributor
Two of McMaster’s professors, Chandrima Chakraborty and James MacKillop, have recently been named to the Royal Society of Canada’s College of New Scholars, Artists and Scientists.
Founded in 2014 and based in Ottawa, the College of New Scholars aims to gather the “emerging generation of Canadian intellectual leadership” from a broad range of disciplines. Recipients of the College’s title must have demonstrated exceptional achievement in the early stages of their career. By pooling together award recipients, irrespective of their disciplines, their goal is to encourage a dialogue between intellectuals with diverse perspectives, and hopefully inspire new insights.
The College acknowledges five aspects of the current academic landscape that inform their mandate: the increasing use of new media in research communication; the emergence of interdisciplinary research; the majority of Canadian professors being recently hired; greater female representation in academia; and greater First Nations and visible minority representation in academia.
A clinical psychologist by training, MacKillop’s award-winning research focuses on addiction — the factors causing it, how it sustains itself and how it can be treated. He is currently the director of McMaster’s Peter Boris Centre for Addictions Research, and co-director of the Michael G. DeGroote Centre for Medicinal Cannabis Research. He studies both cannabis addiction and the potential risks of prescribing cannabis medically. He is a member of the department of psychology, neuroscience and behaviour. MacKillop was not available for comment.
Chakraborty, on the other hand, is part of the department of English & cultural studies. In the past, her work has focused on the relationship between religion, masculinity and nationalism in India, with an analysis of media and literature. Currently, she is focused on the 1985 Air India bombings and the post-9/11 targeting of South Asian populations.
Chakraborty was nominated by McMaster to become a member of the College. According to her, the nomination was formally initiated by the previous president, Patrick Deane. She considers the nomination not only personally significant to her, but also significant in its recognition of the value of research that engages the community.
“Much of my work straddles a number of different fields. History, memory studies, trauma studies, nationalism, masculinity … For me, this nomination is a recognition of that kind of work that crosses those kinds of disciplinary boundaries. I also think this recognition is important because my work is very much situated in the community,” she said.
Specifically, Chakraborty referenced her current work on the Air India bombings, through which she has interviewed families of victims and collecting photographs. She has been learning from the community and recognizing them, in her own words, as “carriers of knowledge”. She works as a mediator to bring a seldom-recognized tragedy into the realm of public consciousness.
Chakraborty’s efforts have resulted in the first-ever public archive on the Air India tragedy. She emphasizes that this project is not simply about researchers writing about the tragedy but also about families sharing their stories on their own terms. The archive also engages questions of race, Canadian citizenship and public mourning.
“Why is it that if 329 people were on that plane, and about 280 of them were Canadian citizens or permanent residents, why do Canadians of [student] age, for instance, not know about this tragedy? How do certain griefs become part of the public realm and part of the national consciousness whereas certain other kinds are seen as local? … Is it ignorance, is it apathy, is it racism, what is it?” she asked.
When asked what she would attribute her personal success in terms of this recognition, Chakraborty named her childhood experiences as a child of refugees as well as her experiences as an immigrant in Canada.
“I might be an English literature prof, but I don’t speak like white Canadians — accent and gender and race and all of those things. You learn to work harder than others … you always feel like ‘I really have to prove myself, because nothing is given to me,” said Chakraborty.
She also expressed gratitude to her teachers and family, her colleagues at McMaster for their support and the students who have expressed interest in her work.
The College of New Scholars summarizes its membership criteria as “excellence.” Congratulations to these two researchers for demonstrating the excellence of the McMaster community in a range of disciplines on the federal level.
[thesil_related_posts_sc]Related Posts[/thesil_related_posts_sc]
The Campus Store will no longer be selling single-use plastic bags in an effort to make McMaster University more sustainable.
According to Donna Shapiro, the campus store director, the store was selling over 20,000 plastic or tote bags each year.
“We look at the waste on campus and we look at the plastic bags. Those bags are heavy duty plastic bags. We’re not talking about Walmart plastic bags, because they have to hold textbooks,” said Shapiro.
The Campus Store has previously taken measures to reduce the environmental impact of bag sales in the past, charging 15 cents per plastic bag. While the initiative failed to reduce plastic bag sales, it prompted the store to look into other more sustainable alternatives.
Louise Walker, the sales floor manager at the Campus Store, said it took their team a long time to evaluate alternatives such as paper or compostable bags. Each time they pursued an option in hopes that it would pose a solution, she said, they realized that it was much worse than plastic.
Eventually, she reached out to the university and got into contact with Kate Whalen. Whalen is the former developer and manager of McMaster’s office of sustainability as well as the current senior manager of academic sustainability programs at the university.
While many at the Campus Store supported the elimination of single-use plastic bags, they also considered student needs.
“I think my biggest concern was that the thought of a customer coming here and not being able to put their items in [a bag]. So Kate [Whalen] helped us think about the donation bin, where we could take donation plastic bags,” explained Shapiro.
The donation bin encourages shoppers to bring their own bag. If customers do not have their own bags, they can reuse a donated plastic bag or purchase a water resistant tote bag for 75 cents.
“The goal is not to sell the bag — the goal is for students to bring a backpack, their own recyclable bag or to carry it in their hands,” emphasized Walker.
The campaign, called “Maroon is the New Green,” launched on Aug. 24. The initiative is the first of many steps the Campus Store intends to take to make McMaster more sustainable, according to Walker.
“We’re looking at changing a mindset. People are used to bringing their bags to the grocery store but they’re not used to bringing their bags here,” said Walker.
The Campus Store’s remaining plastic bags, as well as bags donated by the store’s staff have been filtered into the donation box.
The store’s green team, a group of staff interested in supporting more sustainable practices, is now working closely with a group of students in the SUSTAIN 3S03 course to raise awareness of the campaign and continue to help the store look at greener alternatives.
The Campus Store is already looking at what reusability could look like in the future. They are working with student groups to create more sustainable products, such as washable cutlery sets and stainless steel straws.
“It fulfills two things: it’s a student entrepreneur we will be supporting, but also they are reusable materials,” said Shapiro.
She added that the Campus Store is always open to feedback about how they are able to improve a process. Students are encouraged to provide feedback to the Campus Store regarding their green initiatives at campusstore@mcmaster.ca.
[thesil_related_posts_sc]Related Posts[/thesil_related_posts_sc]
