McMaster announces commitment to hiring 12 Black faculty members
In October, McMaster University completed an external review of Black student-athletes and their experiences with racism. The review was first initiated in July, prompted in part by tweets by former McMaster football star Fabion Foote who now plays for the Toronto Argonauts.
In a series of tweets, Foote shared his experiences of systemic racism within the McMaster Athletics & Recreation Department.
My DL coach at Mac said I had to sell weed to afford my tuition lol. Keep in mind I never smoked in my life. My friend was in a group chat were a white athlete used the N word. My teammate reported it to the coaches and they some how managed to blame us for it.
— Fab (@Fabloescoo) June 28, 2020
The review investigated the experiences of various students from as early as 2010 and included various interviews with both former and current Black athletes, Black staff and coaches and non-Black staff and coaches.
Completion of the review showed that a culture of systemic anti-Black racism is present at the school and has harmed a number of current and former athletes.
Completion of the review showed that a culture of systemic anti-Black racism is present at the school and has harmed a number of current and former athletes.
“[I]t is clear that there is a culture of systemic anti-Black racism within McMaster Athletics as a result of individual and group actions and inactions from staff, coaches and department administrators. This culture is evident in explicit and implicit examples of anti-Black racism. It is also evident in a widespread lack of awareness, education, understanding, empathy and systemic perspective on issues of race and inclusivity,” the report said.
“They probably think they’re working from neutral where they have to do something and fix it, as opposed to stopping doing things that they are already doing.”
McMaster President David Farrar shared a letter of apology to students and acknowledged that more action needs to be done.
“On behalf of the University, I apologize for the anti-Black racism you experienced. I am deeply sorry that effective action was not taken to prevent this; there are no excuses for the behaviour you endured. I assure you that we are listening and that action is already being taken to implement the report’s recommendations and to begin the work with the Department and the broader university community to help us eliminate systemic racism,” the letter wrote.
However, for Elvin Girineza, a fourth-year chemistry student, noted how several flaws of the review and the university’s response were apparent to him as a Black student.
“I think it’s interesting to say the least, that they reviewed only athletes as part of the survey."
“I think it’s interesting to say the least, that they reviewed only athletes as part of the survey. Also just that it was more asking for experiences rather than something more proactive, more doing something to address it. [It was more] reactive and having to have their Black students remind them of what exactly is going on or has been already going on in the past,” Girineza said.
On Nov. 23, McMaster announced that the school will be committing to hiring 12 Black faculty members. The announcement stated that this approach aims to ensure the school’s commitment to inclusivity is supported by Black scholarship excellence.
The release of the initiative received support from many across social media, with people feeling pleased that the university is addressing the issue and taking action.
An important first step. Let’s keep imagining better futures ✊🏾 https://t.co/O8RNOFK6CB
— Stacy Creech de Castro (@Stacy_AnnC) November 25, 2020
Aside from showing support, some have also suggested the next steps the school can take to further foster inclusivity, such as considering similar initiatives for Indigenous scholars.
Excellent first steps towards meaningful change in #academia. I hope to see a similar hiring initiative focused on #Indigenous #scholars@McMasterU @EIOMcMaster https://t.co/1pvKtlAUmV
— Dr. LeaGrie (@LeaGrie) November 24, 2020
Others have also questioned whether this initiative is enough and how it can truly ensure that Black voices are being expressed in academia.
Dr. Alvin Thomas, a clinical psychologist and professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, responded to the announcement on Twitter.
“Along with the hiring, what positions, policies, procedures, processes and changes are being enacted to make sure that these new faculty have every opportunity and support towards success rather than becoming possibly sacrificial lambs as has happened with other academic spaces?”
“Along with the hiring, what positions, policies, procedures, processes and changes are being enacted to make sure that these new faculty have every opportunity and support towards success rather than becoming possibly sacrificial lambs as has happened with other academic spaces?” Thomas tweeted.
Along with the hiring, what positions, policies, procedures, processes and changes are being enacted to make sure that these new faculty have every opportunity and support towards success rather than becoming possibly sacrifical lambs as has happened with other academic spaces?
— Dr. Alvin Thomas, PhD. (@Dr_AT758) November 28, 2020
Girineza expressed that although hiring Black faculty is a step in the right direction, he believed a lot more work still needs to be done.
“They’re deciding how much influence and power [Black academics] get and then those new faculty will be restricted to their rules."
“They’re deciding how much influence and power [Black academics] get and then those new faculty will be restricted to their rules. . .[McMaster is] only willing to budge however much they’re willing to budge. They’re not willing to fully listen and maybe take on a more humble role and, you know, take a step back and not be the one in charge of the final decisions when it comes to how institutions deal with its own problems,” said Girineza.
"They’re not willing to fully listen and maybe take on a more humble role and, you know, take a step back and not be the one in charge of the final decisions when it comes to how institutions deal with its own problems,” said Girineza.
Girineza is no stranger to racism as a part of his everyday reality. When he had to choose where to attend university, the culture and severity of racism at each university played a part in his decision.
“For people who haven’t experienced racism it’s a theory to them more and there has to be more work put on looking at the extent of it. Does it really exist? While to the people who experienced the consequences, it’s just a reality,” Girineza expressed.
“For people who haven’t experienced racism it’s a theory to them more and there has to be more work put on looking at the extent of it. Does it really exist? While to the people who experienced the consequences, it’s just a reality,” Girineza expressed.
Girineza added that if McMaster really wants to properly address anti-Black racism, they have to be willing to dive deeper into the issue and apply their actions systemically.
“As opposed to trying to put a bandaid on cancer,” Girineza said.
“As opposed to trying to put a bandaid on cancer.”
Girineza believes the problem is being handled by people who may not realize that they may also be contributing to the problem.
“They probably think they’re working from neutral where they have to do something and fix it, as opposed to stopping doing things that they are already doing,” said Girineza.
He said that if the university wants to foster a place of community and safety, they must do more than just the basic standard.
“I can’t applaud the institution for doing the bare minimum,” Girineza said.
“I can’t applaud the institution for doing the bare minimum,” Girineza said.
McMaster University completes its review of systemic racism in the Athletics Department.
This past July, McMaster University announced they would be conducting an external review of Black athletes' experiences following accusations of systemic anti-Black racism in the Athletics Department brought forward by several Mac alumni.
The review predominantly looked at the individual experiences of Black student-athletes, institutional gaps limiting their student experiences and suggesting improvements to address these gaps while also mitigating any discriminatory issues on an intersectional spectrum.
The review was led by Ivan Joseph, vice-president of student affairs at Wilfrid Laurier University and former athletics director at Ryerson University. A task force composed of five members — one faculty, two staff and two students — assisted Joseph with regards to the interviews and producing observations and recommendations based on the data.
The data would consist of interviews with current and former Black student-athletes, non-Black student-athletes, Black coaches/staff and non-Black coaches/staff. Upon successful completion of the interviews, the final report of the review was sent to Sean van Koughnett, associate vice-president and dean of students at McMaster University.
On Oct. 27, McMaster announced that the review was completed by Joseph, with the assistance of the task force.
“I view this process as an exercise in understanding. Together, our job is to use this as an opportunity for learning, for expanding the way we think and for seeing more clearly, more deeply, more broadly,” stated Joseph to McMaster Daily News.
“I view this process as an exercise in understanding. Together, our job is to use this as an opportunity for learning, for expanding the way we think and for seeing more clearly, more deeply, more broadly,” stated Joseph to McMaster Daily News.
The review of the Black student-athlete experience in McMaster Athletics & Recreation is complete. Evidence collected during the review, which was conducted by @DrIvanJoseph of Wilfrid Laurier University, reveals a culture of systemic anti-Black racism within the department. 1/8
— McMaster University (@McMasterU) October 27, 2020
The report outlined various experiences faced by these athletes, the process of the review, the persistent culture of anti-Black bias in the department and the lack of accountability by authority, by both athletics staff and university faculty/staff.
While discussing the impact on the student-athletes, Joseph stated in the review, “[t]hey believe that ‘nothing was done’ or it was ‘swept under the rug’ to ‘avoid drawing attention to it.’”
“They believe that ‘nothing was done’ or it was ‘swept under the rug’ to ‘avoid drawing attention to it,’” stated Joseph in the review.
During an interview, an anonymous staff member from the department told Joseph and the task force, “[d]iversity training within the Department is non-existent. We don’t spend any time on it.” Per the recommendations of the task force, implementing an anti-racism policy statement with specific attention to anti-Black racism will help “create a culture of accountability” within the department.
“Diversity training within the Department is non-existent. We don’t spend any time on it,” said an anonymous staff member.
The review concluded that this report is made public with its recommendations. Ideally, such news would further entice the university to conduct more reviews and other universities’ athletics department to follow likewise.
“This issue is not something unique to McMaster. Our opportunity with this action plan is to be a leader in this area,” said van Koughnett.
“This issue is not something unique to McMaster. Our opportunity with this action plan is to be a leader in this area,” said van Koughnett.
The main recommendations include increased Black-identifying representation among coaches, counsellors, leaders; produce a safe, encouraging environment for accountability; establish a scholarship program for Black student-athletes, create a new advocacy role to allow for a third-party group to act on behalf of such athletes; and implement a consistent support and training program in partnership with the values of equity, diversity and inclusion.
Upon receiving the report, van Koughnett worked alongside Arig al Shaibah, associate vice-president of the Equity and Inclusion Office at McMaster, to help produce a five-point action plan, based on the aforementioned recommendations stated in the review. This plan would be implemented by a newly hired role, Senior Advisor of Equity, Inclusion and Anti-Racism, where they will be working closely with the Athletics Department, the office of Student Affairs and EIO.
These include hiring a senior advisor of equity, inclusion and anti-racism, who will be responsible for collaborating with key contacts within McMaster’s Black community, including a new Black Student-Athletes Council. 5/8
— McMaster University (@McMasterU) October 27, 2020
“We are establishing a couple staff positions: a Black student services advisor which will handle a variety of issues, such as academics and careers. They will also refer to them with other resources and help advocate for them. Another new role is a Senior Advisor in the EIO, who will be engaged with Black student populations and student populations in general and have the authority to reach out to higher senior figures in the university,” said van Koughnett.
“We are establishing a couple staff positions: a Black student services advisor which will handle a variety of issues, such as academics and careers. They will also refer to them with other resources and help advocate for them. Another new role is a Senior Advisor in the EIO, who will be engaged with Black student populations and student populations in general and have the authority to reach out to higher senior figures in the university,” said van Koughnett.
With regards to increased representation, hiring members will now include an Employment Equity Facilitator and other racialized community members; paid internships in the department will also be emphasized for up to three recent Black graduates. A Black Student-Athlete Council will now be formed, alongside the formation of a Black student services and 10 new Athletics Financial Aid awards for Black-student athletes.
We know we have work to do, and this is where we’ll start
Here are some points from the action plan following the external review of the black student-athlete experience. pic.twitter.com/2VNfHc4MCo
— McMaster Marauders (@McMasterSports) October 29, 2020
Black student-athletes will also have the opportunity to receive support from Black faculty members and a non-profit organization, Onyx, to provide career development opportunities for Black students.
Lastly, policies such as the Code of Student Rights will be updated to reflect these experiences and address it immediately. Van Koughnett is also working with al Shaibah to create comprehensive education training by fall 2021 for athletics and recreation coaches, staff and student-athletes to give them the capabilities and understanding to discuss anti-Black racism.
As the news of the review and action plan came out, Kwasi Adu-Poku, who interviewed with us earlier this year, shared his thoughts on the review. Adu-Poku is currently a member of the McMaster men’s basketball team.
“Just looking through the review and I participated in it, it was a lot to go through and I’m just talking about reading it. But not even the length, but processing a lot of these experiences that not just I experienced. I just had to sit back and think of all the things that have been going on for a while. But with regards to the action plan, it's a really good step to create a better future, but more things need to be done. It's not a one-step process. It's a good thing student-athletes to have their voices heard but I know even just regular students would love to have their voices heard,” said Adu-Poku.
“Just looking through the review and I participated in it, it was a lot to go through and I’m just talking about reading it. But not even the length, but processing a lot of these experiences that not just I experienced. I just had to sit back and think of all the things that have been going on for a while. But with regards to the action plan, it's a really good step to create a better future, but more things need to be done. It's not a one-step process. It's a good thing student-athletes to have their voices heard but I know even just regular students would love to have their voices heard,” said Adu-Poku.
Adu-Poku explained that with this action plan, he hopes that the needs of Black students are accounted for outside of the athletics population. He believes that with the creation of the Black Student-Athlete Council, it will be something that carries a greater impact in the future.
— McMaster Marauders (@McMasterSports) October 29, 2020
“I hope its function is something more internalized than tokenized,” said Adu-Poku.
“I hope its function is something more internalized than tokenized,” said Adu-Poku.
After speaking with fellow Black-student athletes, Adu-Poku explained a shared sense of sadness resonated between them.
“I don’t even know the word to put on it. In a sense, it’s a form of grief. At the end of the day, it was overwhelming. As much as we have been accustomed to these experiences, but seeing it on paper, it just brought so much more weight to it. Despite action being taken, we need to make sure this is not a short term thing and make sure our kids are not dealing with this when they enroll in university. We want to make sure it’s a better world for them,” said Adu-Poku.
“I don’t even know the word to put on it. In a sense, it’s a form of grief. At the end of the day, it was overwhelming. As much as we have been accustomed to these experiences, but seeing it on paper, it just brought so much more weight to it. Despite action being taken, we need to make sure this is not a short term thing and make sure our kids are not dealing with this when they enroll in university. We want to make sure it’s a better world for them,” said Adu-Poku.
During Adu-Poku’s tenure as a Welcome Week representative for 2020, he was part of a Black student panel for incoming first years, the first of his entire undergraduate journey of five years. The panel shared their experiences with the students but also provided them with the comfort, support and resources they need. Adu-Poku also explained that relationships with various members of the Black community at McMaster have been fostered in virtual check-in spaces.
There have also been two meetings headed by van Koughnett and al Shaibah to allow more Black students to express their opinions of the review.
“We have an ongoing conversation with the African Caribbean faculty associate and their focus is on the students. They are interested in supporting them through creating a mentorship program . . . We are having sessions for Black student-athletes. It doesn't replace face to face, but we are doing best virtually,” said van Koughnett.
“We have an ongoing conversation with the African Caribbean faculty associate and their focus is on the students. They are interested in supporting them through creating a mentorship program . . . We are having sessions for Black student-athletes. It doesn't replace face to face, but we are doing best virtually,” said van Koughnett.
With regard to accountability, there still may be fear by students from reaching out to a formal complaint process.
“Even when I reflect on certain experiences that I disclosed, I wouldn’t have had that window if it wasn't for this review. At the end of the day, a lot of these reporting processes are uncomfortable because you're confronting an issue, but fear that you might be outed stepping forward with this. Just ways that ensure confidentiality and security as students take this uncomfortable step,” said Adu-Poku.
Ultimately, while the action plan is comprehensive and has detailed tangible steps to address systemic racism in the department, this is still an ongoing process in establishing an inclusive environment.
The team now gets its chance to compete for the provincial championship over a full season
Up until the 2016 season, the McMaster University women’s field hockey team competed in exhibition games and tournaments strictly as a club. In 2016, the team entered the Ontario University Athletics tournament still as a club, but not the league; they were allowed to play exhibition games, but could not be involved in the league standings with the other seven teams.
“It’s extremely hard to grow a program when you’re not getting enough of that game experience. All these other teams are playing their whole season but then we show up with maybe a couple of exhibition games of playtime. The rest is just practicing,” said Briana Wice, a fourth-year kinesiology student and current co-president of the team.
“It’s extremely hard to grow a program when you’re not getting enough of that game experience. All these other teams are playing their whole season but then we show up with maybe a couple of exhibition games of playtime. The rest is just practicing,” said Briana Wice, a fourth-year kinesiology student and current co-president of the team.
Now, the team is officially an OUA team, meaning they can participate in the entire league and its entirety of games. There is still limbo on when the season will resume. Regardless, training will commence with fitness programming during virtual Zoom sessions. As tryouts cannot be done right now, members will be recruited as part of the training program and then will have to try out once they are given the green light by the OUA and McMaster. Thus, members will have great conditioning prior to their first interaction on the field.
With regards to how the team functions, the team is a full-year team, playing in both the outdoor (September to October) and indoor (January to March) seasons. The team operates in a similar function to an MSU club, with two co-presidents who manage the administrative and financial responsibilities; they report to their club coordinator in part of the McMaster Athletics department.
Whereas U Sports has coaches who are hired on full-time contracts with a predetermined salary, OUA coaches are recruited as volunteers, sometimes being rewarded with compensation, as Wice explained to us.
“I think another thing is that other teams have conditioning and strengthening trainers that are not their coaches. So we have to plan all the fitness training by ourselves,” said Rebecca Jiang, a third-year health sciences student on the team.
Financially, the team is self-funded either through individual payments or through fundraisers.
“We try to fundraise as much as we can to offset [team costs], so paying to play isn’t a major stressor on our athletes,” said Wice. “The big financial burden is going to be all of the travel costs associated with games for a full outdoor season. So that’s travel for every week. Either taking a bus or reimbursement for gas and parking costs . . . As part of OUA sports, it’s required for us to stay in hotels. So when travelling to McGill [University in Montreal], as it’s in the OUA league, there are big hotel costs with that. Financially, we have done a lot of budgeting. We expect our expenses to double the next year; it’s really the travel and hotel costs that increase the cost of the season,” said Wice.
“The big financial burden is going to be all of the travel costs associated with games for a full outdoor season. So that’s travel for every week. Either taking a bus or reimbursement for gas and parking costs . . . As part of OUA sports, it’s required for us to stay in hotels. So when travelling to McGill [University in Montreal], as it’s in the OUA league, there are big hotel costs with that. Financially, we have done a lot of budgeting. We expect our expenses to double the next year; it’s really the travel and hotel costs that increase the cost of the season,” said Wice.
Despite these challenging logistics, the team has high aspirations for its first full OUA season.
“We’re hoping to place higher than previously in the OUA championship. Another goal is to increase the visibility of McMaster field hockey everywhere . . . A lot of McMaster students and athletes are not aware we have a field hockey team so we hope over the upcoming years, we hope a lot of people learn about us and have a couple of home games to raise awareness,” said Jessica Lim, a third-year software engineering student. The team plans to also conduct community outreach for high school students and give more recognition for the sport in its entirety.
“We’re hoping to place higher than previously in the OUA championship. Another goal is to increase the visibility of McMaster field hockey everywhere . . . A lot of McMaster students and athletes are not aware we have a field hockey team so we hope over the upcoming years, we hope a lot of people learn about us and have a couple of home games to raise awareness,” said Jessica Lim, a third-year software engineering student.
As they now prepare for their first season, while a medal would be wonderful in the short run, the overall movement of field hockey to become a global sport remains the ultimate goal. An official announcement from the team regarding their OUA status will be released in the coming weeks.
Two McMaster basketball players started a podcast discussing their lives as student-athletes and things around the world
Ever since the cancellation of in-person activities throughout the world, many athletes have sought the virtual world as a place of comfort. In fact, some professional sports leagues have partnered with video game companies to deliver virtual tournaments, watchable by fans. The National Basketball Association conducted a video game tournament involving various athletes around the league, such as Zach Lavine and Devin Booker, broadcasting their virtual games to fans. Booker took home the top prize with a $100,000 donation split between two charities, Arizona Food Bank Network and #FirstRespondersFirst.
As the COVID-19 pandemic changed the way people worked, transitioning to a home office, it has been noted by Spotify that podcast usage has switched from only morning commutes to scattered throughout the day.
“It just allows for even more time for them to consume podcasts in different times and different ways,” said Dawn Ostroff, chief content and advertising officer of Spotify during the company’s quarterly shareholder meeting.
“It just allows for even more time for them to consume podcasts in different times and different ways,” said Dawn Ostroff, chief content and advertising officer of Spotify during the company’s quarterly shareholder meeting.
Just as more podcasts are being listened to throughout the day, with everyone being at home, new podcasts are also being launched during the pandemic.
“[Podcasting] is more and more the way people are spending time, trying to educate themselves, trying to get smarter, trying to have companionship in a moment when people are alone,” said Anya Grundmann, the senior vice president of programming of National Public Radio, to CNN Business.
With the sudden rise in podcast popularity, two McMaster men’s basketball players felt compelled to start their own. Brandon Bernard and Tristan Lindo, both third-year students in the Communications Studies Program, created The Player’s Podcast to discuss their lives as student-athletes. Inspired by the podcast, Knuckleheads, the duo discusses topics such as U Sports, the world we live in, the McMaster men’s basketball team and provide tips on how to succeed in sports.
“As far as our content, we usually talk one or two nights before and just brainstorm what we really want to talk about — like stuff that’s hot at that time and just try to talk about something that would intrigue people to want to watch,” said Bernard on how they plan for each podcast.
Their first podcast discussed the cancellation of the NBA season, U Sports and the Black Lives Matter movement. Both Bernard and Lindo found that following the cancellation of the U Sports fall 2020 championships and the closure of gyms, it was tough to maintain the same level of play without access to proper conditioning equipment and team practices. But with the cancellation of the fall 2020 season, players do not have to juggle both athletics and academics at the same time. With that being said, the transition to online learning has been more difficult than anticipated.
“I feel like its a tiny bit harder just because even with senior friends reminding you of due dates, it’s so [much] easier to lose track of things when [class is] online compared to when it’s in person. It’s so [much] easier to fall behind in the lecture, it’s so [much] easier to fall behind in readings and everything else . . . But without having basketball it's a little bit easier. If we had basketball on top of school, it would be hectic,” said Lindo.
“I feel like its a tiny bit harder just because even with senior friends reminding you of due dates, it’s so [much] easier to lose track of things when [class is] online compared to when it’s in person. It’s so [much] easier to fall behind in the lecture, it’s so [much] easier to fall behind in readings and everything else . . . But without having basketball it's a little bit easier. If we had basketball on top of school, it would be hectic,” said Lindo.
As opposed to the National Collegiate Athletic Association which brings in massive amounts of revenue, Bernard believes that U Sports and Ontario University Athletics are not really a “cash cow,” as evidenced by U Sports’ large operations deficit for the 2018-2019 season and limited net gains for the 2019-2020 season.
“There’s a ton of endorsements, media outreach, lots of people watching and betting involved, so lots of money tied up in the NCAA whereas, in U Sports, they’re paying to have places rented and lodging accommodations paid for. I don’t believe money is an issue to bring back sports. They’re paying to have a program for us, whereas the NCAA is the opposite,” said Bernard of his thoughts on the contrast between associations. Bernard believes that the reimplementation of sports will ultimately be a health-based decision as opposed to being financially driven.
“There’s a ton of endorsements, media outreach, lots of people watching, and betting involved so lots of money tied up in the NCAA whereas, in U Sports, they’re paying to have places rented and lodging accommodations paid for. I don’t believe money is an issue to bring back sports. They’re paying to have a program for us, whereas the NCAA is the opposite,” said Bernard of his thoughts on the contrast between associations.
“[The podcast is] something we can do and hopefully bring people here to see what we say on these topics. [We] want to focus not so much on basketball . . . but life as a whole, so everything can relate,” said Bernard and Lindo.
They both further explained how they would love to continue after graduation or pass it onto some teammates who would be suited for this job.
“If you like good talks, funny moments and take away something that could benefit in your day, definitely tune into our podcast. We’re always taking questions either through Twitter or Instagram so definitely hit us up there. I think [questions are] the most engaging part. We’re not catering for one type of community — anyone can come on. Whether you’re a grandma or a mother, you can talk to us, ” Bernard and Lindo stated.
“If you like good talks, funny moments and take away something that could benefit in your day, definitely tune into our podcast. We’re always taking questions either through Twitter or Instagram so definitely hit us up there. I think [questions are] the most engaging part. We’re not catering for one type of community, anyone can come on. Whether you’re a grandma or a mother, you can talk to us, ” Bernard and Lindo stated.
The Player’s Podcast is available to listen via the McMaster men’s basketball YouTube channel. Questions can be submitted directly to Bernard and Lindo on Instagram.
After racist tweets by a former Marauder were brought to light, former Mac athletes began to share their stories and the university’s lack of response.
CW: anti-Black racism, police brutality
Since the widespread protests in the United States and globally following the deaths of Ahmaud Arbery, George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, many professional athletes have taken it upon themselves to further educate others and raise awareness about the acts of racial injustice plaguing their communities, especially those consisting of police brutality; however, this is not new to many athletes this year.
“We found something we’re fighting for as the NBA, as a collective unit…and I use these shoes as a symbol to keep fighting all around the world.”
- Jamal Murray after Denver's Game 6 win. pic.twitter.com/rkwPn9QuHX
— NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) August 31, 2020
In 2016, Colin Kaepernick began the movement of kneeling during the national anthem, where he was met with support and anguish. Over the years, Kaepernick became a leading civil rights activist despite being blackballed by team owners for his outspoken views.
“I am not going to stand up to show pride in a flag for a country that oppresses black people and people of color. To me, this is bigger than football and it would be selfish on my part to look the other way. There are bodies in the street and people getting paid leave and getting away with murder,” Kaepernick said in a post-game interview during a 2016-2017 preseason game.
“I am not going to stand up to show pride in a flag for a country that oppresses black people and people of color. To me, this is bigger than football and it would be selfish on my part to look the other way. There are bodies in the street and people getting paid leave and getting away with murder.” Kaepernick said in a post-game interview during a 2016-2017 preseason game.
Kaepernick’s statement comes two years after many NBA players made a statement in their games where they wore t-shirts saying, “I Can’t Breathe” following the death of Eric Garner, who repeatedly said those words while being put in a chokehold by police officers. A reminder that those three words were also uttered by Floyd four years later. Likewise to Kaepernick, these athletes still continue to face heavy scrutiny where comments about their salary are made, suggesting that such athletes did not experience systemic racism due to their wealth and financial stability.
Fast forward to 2019, Masai Ujiri was blocked and shoved by the Alameda County sheriff from celebrating with his team due to allegedly not having the correct credentials. A new video released in August 2020 showed otherwise where Ujiri was shoved while having his credentials. The public viewed this incident as a classic case of racial profiling, despite status or wealth being present.
As we look more recently, following the game seven loss by the Toronto Raptors in the 2020 Eastern Conference Semifinals, the public heavily critiqued Pascal Siakam’s play; however, it was brought to our attention that some fans have gone too far and made racial attacks against him.
The aforementioned stories have shined the light on the racism that athletes face consistently but continues to be ignored. As we look more directly at our own community, former lacrosse team player Steven Archachan was only removed from the team (but not from the university) following the revelation of tweets that featured racist slurs. With that being said, Archachan removed himself from the university and stated he would not be attending in the future. Archachan has since apologized for his tweets, while stating to one of our reporters that he was dealing with issues affecting his mental health and well-being at that time.
Kwasi Adu-Poku, a fifth-year kinesiology student at McMaster University and current member of the men’s basketball team, shared his thoughts on the handling of the situation.
“When they released the article through CBC Hamilton on the situation, when they described [Archachan] choosing to leave the school, it kind of made him seem like the bigger person in the situation and when you think about the scope of what happened, a lot of people were impacted by this message,” Adu-Poku said. “It wasn’t the best thing to let that person paint themselves in that kind of light . . . a lot of us felt there could have been a stronger response at the time but our school is definitely on the trajectory to make a lot of the needed changes and now we’re being held publicly accountable.”
“When they released the article through CBC Hamilton on the situation, when they described [Archachan] choosing to leave the school, it kind of made him seem like the bigger person in the situation and when you think about the scope of what happened, a lot of people were impacted by this message,” Adu-Poku said. “It wasn’t the best thing to let that person paint themselves in that kind of light . . . a lot of us felt there could have been a stronger response at the time but our school is definitely on the trajectory to make a lot of the needed changes and now we’re being held publicly accountable.”
As the case of Archachan began to unfold, former Marauder athletes came forward with their stories. Fabion Foote, a former football player at McMaster, has detailed the systemic racism he faced while on the team.
“My DL coach at Mac said I had to sell weed to afford my tuition lol. Keep in mind I never smoked in my life. My friend was in a group chat were a white athlete used the N word. My teammate reported it to the coaches and they some how managed to blame us for it,” Foote stated among a series of tweets discussing the systemic racism he endured while at McMaster.
“My DL coach at Mac said I had to sell weed to afford my tuition lol. Keep in mind I never smoked in my life. My friend was in a group chat were a white athlete used the N word. My teammate reported it to the coaches and they some how managed to blame us for it,” Foote stated among a series of tweets discussing the systemic racism he endured while at McMaster.
The racial profiling Foote experienced was echoed by John Williams, a former McMaster athlete who penned a letter via a Google Form, detailing the failures of the university attempting to support the Black and Indigenous community while asking people to support his statement.
“One former athlete detailed how a certain post practice locker room day of the week was entitled "White Boy Wednesdays" where only "White Music" was allowed to be played. Another athlete spoke about how when the team travelled to Toronto the other white teammates asked them if they were "going to be shot by any of the brothers?" Another Black former female athlete spoke about her feelings of isolation while being on the team and how she felt treated differently by coaches,” wrote Williams.
“One former athlete detailed how a certain post practice locker room day of the week was entitled "White Boy Wednesdays" where only "White Music" was allowed to be played. Another athlete spoke about how when the team travelled to Toronto the other white teammates asked them if they were "going to be shot by any of the brothers?" Another Black former female athlete spoke about her feelings of isolation while being on the team and how she felt treated differently by coaches,” wrote Williams.
Williams also claimed that former Director of Athletics, Glen Grunwald, current Director, Mark Alfano and Dean of Students Sean Van Koughnett did not take action on the issues Black football athletes endured while on the team.
Following the various critiques, the university announced in July they are conducting a review into the countless experiences of Black athletes and investigating the racism within the department of athletics, which will be headed by Van Koughnett. He aims to hire more Black leaders in the McMaster Athletics department.
Adu-Poku explained to us his appreciation for Van Koughnett’s willingness to work with him and open-ears regarding a discussion about celebrating Black history. Adu-Poku also spoke to non-athletes in the McMaster Black student community and echoed their hopes that this review could act as a blueprint to combat systemic racism in an academic setting.
From Foote’s story to Archachan’s racial slurs, it shows that over the years, racism has never really left the McMaster Athletics department. It was just a matter of time until serious demands for accountability occurred.
By Jovan Popovic, Staff Writer
McMaster’s baseball team had an outstanding 2019 season. With a great regular season record of 12-6-0, the team entered the Ontario University Athletics tournament with the 10th seed, but ultimately lost in the semi-finals in a 10 to seven loss to the eventual tournament champions, the Wilfrid Laurier University Golden Hawks. Despite the loss, the team had many bright spots throughout the year, the most obvious being the much improved play of center fielder, Nik Motruk.
Motruk broke out this past school year, being a co-recipient of the OUA’s most valuable player award, and also being recognized as the OUA’s most valuable hitter. The fourth year mechanical engineering student led the team in his monstrous comeback year, hitting at a .581 average. Motruk, who had been a pitcher before an injury during the 2018-2019 school year, made the seamless transition to a full-time player this season, proving his value to the team no matter his position.
“Near the end of the 2018 campaign I suffered a shoulder injury which set me back, and I have not been able to pitch since,” said Motruk. “I played the field growing up and was a good hitter, but I knew that I really had to step up my game if I wanted to keep playing. I worked really hard on my swing to help take me to the next level, and it ultimately resulted in the season I had this year.”
Nikolas Motruk - Baseball
Nikolas Motruk (18)
Converting from the pitcher’s mound to the outfield could be one of the possible reasons for his breakout season. Realizing that you can’t play the position you’ve played your whole life can be really difficult, especially when the next closest alternative is so different. Motruk was able to convert this nervousness into energy and motivation, knowing he had to work harder and find new ways to succeed if he wanted to keep his important role on the team.
Having a pitcher’s mindset in the batter's box can actually be quite beneficial. One of the biggest aspects of hitting is knowing what to expect. When pitching at a competitive level, it’s helpful to be able to think like the guy you’re facing.
Knowing what is coming can be a huge benefit — just ask the 2017 world series champion Houston Astros.
Despite literally having an MVP season, Motruk isn’t satisfied yet and is hungry for more. The team’s success is the highest priority for him, and despite a great season, his sights are set on what the team can accomplish in the future.
“Baseball is a game of numbers and statistics,” said Motruk, “and I may have had a standout season this year, but at the end of the day the only stat that really matters is the W or L on the scorecard. Baseball is not an individual sport and it can't be won alone. I am really proud of everything that I accomplished this year but more importantly what we accomplished as a team and I look forward to seeing what is in store for McMaster Baseball moving forward.”
The biggest standout stat for the reigning co-MVP this season was his astronomically high batting average, sitting at .581. Contact hitting is integral to a strong hitter and is defined by a player who rarely strikes out. Naturally, contact hitting is.a huge and critical part of Motruk’s game, especially knowing that once you can pick up hits, everything else comes naturally over time.
“Contact hitting has always been the main focus,” said Motruk. “Hitting for power comes as you get bigger, stronger and start to face better pitching. Getting the ball in play and finding the holes will result in base hits, and sometimes they turn into extra base hits. This year I had 25 hits, 12 of which were for extra bases, but it all starts with putting the ball in play.”
In an age where contact hitting is becoming less and less appreciated, Motruk understands that it is critical for success. With good bat control and pitch timing, it gets easier and easier to find pockets of green in the outfield, which frequently turn into extra bases.
Being a mechanical engineering student who took a co-op year, Motruk still has two years of eligibility with the team despite being in fourth year. The upcoming seasons will undoubtedly be exciting ones for the team with such promising players in their prime upper years.
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Student athletes will face many obstacles in their careers. These range from injuries to team conflicts, from saying goodbye to friends graduating to having to deal with life as a student and life outside of sports.
For most, university is a time of immense growth, and student athletes are no exception. The obstacles that student athletes face can help them grow and deal with adversity in ways that other students may not realize.
Stephanie Roberts is one of the better known student athletes at McMaster. Regularly awarded for her efforts on the soccer team, she is no stranger to success. The women’s soccer team graduating captain has even been featured many times in this very paper.
Roberts’s career at McMaster was littered with roses, but it wasn’t without its thorns. With the unfortunate passing of the team's coach, Joseph Valvasori, and the injury Roberts had in her final year, there were many bumps along the road. However, she is still graduating on a high note and leaving McMaster with many great memories.
Stephanie Roberts - Women's Soccer
Stephanie Roberts (6) F
Roberts was an asset to the team from her first year to her last. She was a starter right from the get-go, as she started for 12 out of 15 games in her rookie season. In her freshman year, she accumulated eight goals in 15 games, even pulling in a hat trick. This impressive start would continue as Roberts progressed in her campaign wearing maroon and grey. While her sophomore season doesn’t stand out on paper, with two goals and four assists, it was the stepping stone to a stellar third season.
In her third season, the Ontario University Athletics All-Star really began to shine. Roberts would go on to lead the nation in goals scored, with a total of 14 goals by the end of the 16 games of the regular season. This was just one of the accolades she earned throughout the year, as she was also named a two-time OUA athlete of the week, an OUA First-Team All-Star and, finally, the U Sports October Female athlete of the month.
It is safe to say that the 2018 season saw Roberts step into a role of strong leadership which set her up to become team captain, a role that would become increasingly clear as the team progressed into the postseason. The 2018 season was also the year that the team finally overcame a three-year losing streak in the first round of the playoffs.
Not only would they overcome this losing streak, but they would also take home an OUA bronze and punch their tickets to the national championships for the first time since 1997. They would then go on to place fourth overall in Canada by the end of the year. This constant battle in the postseason that occurred over the previous three years was a learning experience for Roberts.
“This taught me that success definitely does not come easy, and it’s important to not give up on your goals!” she remarked.
However, the playoff battle was not the only one happening within the team. In June of 2018, the McMaster women’s soccer team family was struck with devastating news that their longtime coach, Joe Valvasori, had been diagnosed with cancer. In April of 2019, Valvasori passed away.
The unfortunate passing of Coach Valvasori would cast a cloud over the program in the following year.
“Losing Joe was really, really hard on all of us. He was the best coach we’ve ever had and brought us all so much happiness. I found my fifth season really hard without him because every practice, game or film session was a reminder that he wasn’t with us anymore,” said Roberts.
The team stepped up and played the season in his honour. They made it to the second round of the OUA playoffs, where they fell short to the Western University Mustangs.
Unfortunately, Roberts was injured 11 games into the 2019 season, something which would bring a bittersweet end to her career as a Marauder.
“I won't lie, it was definitely tough not getting to play on my seniors day or play alongside my teammates during our playoff run, but I wouldn't say my injury spoiled my final year. I was still able to play in over half our games and make memories I'll hold for a lifetime. My teammates were also all so supportive while I was in the hospital and recovering, which made the whole thing a lot easier on me,” said Roberts.
The end of her time on the field did not stop Roberts’s season with the team. Roberts was a strong presence on the sidelines and helped her squad in more ways than just competing through being there for her team. Her efforts to help her teammates regardless of her own position would help her earn the title of women’s soccer MVP by the end of the 2019-2020 season. Knowing she was able to make an impact regardless of her situation was an honour, and Roberts left McMaster on a high note.
As Roberts leaves this year, the program turns a new chapter. One of the more crucial leaders on the field is graduating and the team just announced the new head coach of the program, Miranda Wiley. There is a bittersweet feeling in the air. It is certainly the end of an era, but with new beginnings also comes hope.
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As the COVID-19 pandemic spreads around the world, decisive and necessary measures have been taken to slow the spread of the virus. On March 23, the Ontario government announced that all non-essential services would be required to close for two weeks. These closures, while necessary, will have major impacts on all sectors of society. The current pandemic is effecting operations for our various sports teams due to closures of facilities and team operations. As precautions being taken against COVID-19 increase and uncertainty about the future remains, McMaster Athletics must be prepared for a long road ahead.
Let’s begin with recruiting. Naturally, recruiting revolves around one-on-one and in-person contact with the athletes, and often involves coaches watching athletes competing. With school closures expected to last much longer than anticipated, many high school athletics teams will not see the end of their seasons.
These closures would mean that crucial areas of competition, such as city championships, provincials and nationals, will no longer take place in sports such as rugby. Therefore, the previously available opportunities for varsity coaches to base recruiting decisions on are no longer an option.
Stefan Ptaszek, the head coach of McMaster Football, remarked that while many of the main talents have already been scouted for next year’s team, large high school level tournaments can give many players the opportunity to step up and get noticed by scouts. The playoffs often see several players step up on their roster and perform at a higher level. For some, these opportunities have unfortunately been lost, and with them, chances for scholarships.
The moments in the postseason when an athlete’s performance counts the most could be among the deciding factors for a player making it to the collegiate level. With regard to scholarships, for some students such deciding factors could have been the difference between attending university or not.
https://www.instagram.com/p/B9xkAvVnV6M/
This was further acknowledged by Daniel Pletch, the head coach for the men’s rugby team at McMaster. He agreed with Ptsazek’s concerns that obstacles to recruitment could affect an entire incoming class of students.
“The real challenge will be the 2021 recruits, as it’s looking unlikely we’ll have a spring high school rugby season. This means identifying the top high school players will be a bigger challenge, especially finding those ‘late bloomers’, who pick up the sport later in high school, and really rely on their grade 12 seasons to develop,” Pletch said.
According to Ptaszek, around 30-50 students per year receive scholarships for their efforts on the football team, which is roughly a third or more of the entire team. It’s clear that scholarships are an integral part of university athletics. The scholarships offered for being on the football team, for example, are held if the student retains a 6.5 GPA or higher. With the added stress and mental pressure the pandemic is putting on everyone, it is not inconceivable to think that this could affect athletes’ grades due to greater mental strain and less access to campus resources.
Official sports bodies have also taken a stance on recruitment. U Sports released a statement on March 16 declaring that it was putting a three week minimum moratorium on recruitment. This would not allow any travel, in-person visits or one-on-one contact with high school athletes, furthering the difficulty to create and harvest new relationships with budding student-athletes. With that being said, “non-contact” measures such as phone calls, video conferences and social media contact are allowed.
Both Pletch and Ptsazek also made remarks about another main area which will be greatly affected: physical conditioning. Due to city closures and the need to practice physical distancing, it is harder for athletes to access commercial gyms and university athletic facilities. For example, on March 16 the McMaster Pulse announced it was shutting its doors for several weeks and that all athletics services in the David Braley Athletic Centre were also shutting down. Athletes who cannot afford outside facilities or personal equipment may find it harder to remain in shape for the season.
While public health guidelines must be adhered to in order to reduce the risk of harm as much as possible, the closure of sports, schools and athletics facilities has the potential to deeply affect the lives of student-athletes everywhere.
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As local businesses, schools and social gatherings face cancellations in response to the COVID-10 pandemic, major sports organizations have also been braving turbulent changes.
The four major national sports in North America — basketball, baseball, hockey and football — have all been greatly affected by the virus. The original plan was to have games continue, but not allow fans or unnecessary personnel near games.
In theory, this was a great idea; it would have allowed for play to continue and the multi-billion dollar industry to continue creating some revenue, such as through television ads. However, when the first pro athlete, Rudy Gobert, the center for the Utah Jazz, contracted the virus, this idea went out the window along with any hope of play to continue. After the NBA cancelled games, the rest of the sports world soon followed suit.
As the days progress, more professional athletes are testing positive for COVID-19. This has been attributed to athletes' consistent travels from city to city for games and practices, which makes them more susceptible to contracting the virus and spreading it.
It has been suggested that the best way to mitigate exposure and transmission of the virus is for athletes to restrict travel and self-quarantine.
When I read the reports of the National Basketball Association postponing its season for a minimum of 30 days, subject to change depending on the future state of the virus, and the National College Athletics Association ending all of its national tournaments for the year, I wondered how this may affect Canadian university sports. As updates and articles shared information about major sports leagues, the Ontario University Athletics and U Sports had yet to release statements on how they were going to factor the coronavirus into their decision-making.
University and college cancellations across Ontario began on March 12 and 13 with Western University, McMaster University, Mohawk College and others cancelling in-person classes and student events for the remainder of the semester. The U Sports association then followed suit, cancelling that weekends’ scheduled national championships in volleyball and hockey, but continuing with the curling championships.
U Sports’ championships require competing varsity teams to travel to chosen host locations. The volleyball championship was set to take place in Winnipeg and Calgary over the weekend of March 14 to 16 and the hockey championships to take place in Halifax and Charlottetown over that same weekend.
Both of these tournaments were expecting teams from across the country to attend, from British Columbia to Prince Edward Island. This potentially heightened the risk of spreading the virus. To limit the spread of COVID-19, Canadians have been advised to avoid international non-essential travel; while the travel measures announced on March 16 did not include domestic flights, the situation is continuously changing from day to day. Recently, airlines such as Air Canada began suspending domestic flights.
This begs the question of why the U Sports National Championships for curling were not cancelled. This tournament involved universities from all over the country such as McMaster University, University of Dalhousie and the University of Alberta, and took place the very same weekend as the aforementioned volleyball and hockey tournaments.
At the time of writing this article, U Sports had yet to post any material on their social media to answer those questions or comment on why they made contradictory decisions to cancel volleyball and hockey tournaments, while continuing the curling championships.
After having reached out to U Sports for a statement, John Bower of U Sports stated that the curling championships had been in line with government regulations at the time.
“The total number of participants in the Curling championship was inferior to the 250 established by the Government of Manitoba on Thursday and therefore was allowed by the Province to continue and had begun prior to the cancellation of the hockey and volleyball championships,” said Bower.
It is important to keep in mind that the volleyball championships, which were also planned to take place in Manitoba, and the hockey championships in Prince Edward Island were cancelled.
The following was the response to my questions about their tournament handlings:
As stated by Bower from U Sports.
While these precautions seemed to be adequate at the time of the curling tournament’s start date on March 10, the tournament would go on to see play for another five days. All the players and potential companions travelled in and out of the province over this time.
The representative from U Sports said that Curling Canada was able to guarantee a safe and secure environment for the curling championships to take place. As we have seen the pandemic continue to spread, it seems that it would have been very difficult to guarantee anything. The tournament should have been shut down.
The U Sports national championships was not alone in the building. The event coincided with the Senior Men’s and Women’s Championships, the Canad Inns Canadian Mixed Doubles Championships and the Canadian Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA)/Curling Canada Championships.
The amount of people at any given time in the arena might have been under the mandated 250 person limit, but this limit became quickly outdated as the Centre for Disease Control lowered the limit to no more than 50 people just one day after the tournament finished on March 16. Considering the curling teams, general fans and family members that were in attendance, it is unlikely that this limit was adhered to during the tournament.
The first red flag was that this tournament was continued while the other national tournaments were cancelled. The second red flag was that there was no postponing or cancelling as the tournament progressed. Just as COVID-19 spread across the country, the red flags spread across this event.
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The big question going into the men’s volleyball semi-final match was whether or not the Queen’s University Gaels would topple the McMaster Marauders for the second year in a row. Having previously bested them in last year's Forsyth Cup, everyone was wondering how this year's semi-final matchup would go.
Last year's loss was very close, with the Marauders almost pulling away with the win. There were plenty of chances for McMaster to come back, but they ultimately fell short and had their six-year win streak taken down.
Last year's loss was very close, with the Marauders almost pulling away with the win. There were plenty of chances for McMaster to come back, but they ultimately fell short and had their six-year win streak taken down.
When the tournament was set with McMaster gaining home-court advantage after blowing out the Nippissing Lakers, everyone’s ears perked up when word spread that they would be taking on the Gaels at home.
This gave McMaster a massive advantage, playing in front of a lively Burridge Gym gave the impression that Mac would undoubtedly have the upper hand. At first, it looked like they did.
McMaster went into the first set blazing hot and fought off a strong Queen’s effort to seal off a close win at 25-23. Queen’s, however, was not going to stay in the losing column for long. After falling in the first set by a small margin, they entered the second with determination.
McMaster went into the first set blazing hot and fought off a strong Queen’s effort to seal off a close win at 25-23. Queen’s, however, was not going to stay in the losing column for long. After falling in the first set by a small margin, they entered the second with determination.
Queen’s would go on to win the next two sets with a blazing offence. They won the second set 25-17 and the third set 25-18. Even in the face of these strong performances and being one set away from securing their spot at the finals, McMaster wasn’t going down without a fight.
McMaster won the next set, but it was a hard-fought battle. Mac gave everything they could to get to a 26-24 win, leaving the match tied in set victories. This led the teams to a dramatic tie-breaker set, where the first team to 15 would advance forward and claim the win.
Queen’s quickly pulled up in front with five straight points. Unfortunately, their early lead was a preview of how the rest of the set was going to go. McMaster fell in a really close match, leading them to play in the bronze medal game against the University of Guelph Gryphons.
This match may have held more significance than the Queen’s rematch. Whoever won the bronze would have been given the last chance at a USports National championship run.
In the bronze medal match, which took place March 7, the Marauders had something to prove—and boy did they do just that. They swept the Gryphons in three straight sets, claiming the bronze medal and a trip to the U Sports national championship. Unfortunately, following recent public health regulations amidst growing coronavirus concerns, the national championship has been cancelled.
In the bronze medal match, which took place March 7, the Marauders had something to prove—and boy did they do just that. They swept the Gryphons in three straight sets, claiming the bronze medal and a trip to the U Sports national championship. Unfortunately, following recent public health regulations amidst growing coronavirus concerns, the national championship has been cancelled.
Official statement on the 2020 U SPORTS Volleyball Championships. pic.twitter.com/Uojzxxqp4E
— U SPORTS (@USPORTSca) March 13, 2020
Had the Marauders run into Queen’s again during nationals, the matchup could have easily developed into one of the most interesting storylines of the tournament.
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