By Areej Ali
McMaster students can now take breaks between classes at the nap space recently added to the third floor of the McMaster University Student Centre. The “Refresh Nap Lounge” launched during the first week of September and is currently available for student use.
The nap station project is being funded by the Student Life Enhancement Fund, an MSU-organized fund that students pay approximately $100,000 into annually. To determine what the money is allocated for each year, students are asked to submit project ideas aimed at improving student life on campus and vote on the ones they find most fashionable.
“A few years back, a nap room in MUSC was one of the top choices, so the money was given to the MUSC administration,” said Scott Robinson, McMaster Students Union vice president (Finance).
In 2016, MUSC was given $20,000 to create the space.
Lori Diamond, MUSC administrative director, took the lead on the nap lounge project. Her team reported on their progress to both the student services committee, which consisted of both university and MSU staff, and the MUSC board of management. Ongoing promotion and maintenance will be taken care of by MUSC.
Despite the newness of the initiative, the MUSC administration team has been discussing the idea of providing students with napping options for a few years now.
“We looked at different options, including high-tech nap pods, and providing reclining chairs in existing lounges,” Diamond said. “Ultimately, the MUSC board of management wanted to ensure that we used the grant money effectively to benefit the students in a dedicated space.”
The brand new nap area sits in a space that was previously allocated towards “undefined general lounge space.” Diamond explains that the previously awkward configuration of the space made furniture placement difficult.
“It did, however, make a good space for a nap lounge,” said Diamond.
The newly added nap lounge area includes seven hospital-grade, adjustable sleeper chairs and is enclosed by a clear glass wall.
Diamond excitedly affirms that McMaster students have been receptive to the new usage of the space thus far.
“The students who have found the Refresh Nap Lounge on the third floor of MUSC have been very receptive to and positive about the existence of the space,” said Diamond. “Anecdotally, the room is well-used whenever I pass by.”
More information can be found on the big screen located on the first floor of MUSC. A few rules for the nap room are highlighted below.
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After a busy summer, the McMaster University Student Centre renovations are finally complete.
Construction began on May 2, and primarily focused on the Mills Plaza entrance as well as the North Quad stairs. The west wing of MUSC expanded further into Mills Plaza and converted from a corridor to a lounge.
The main purpose of the renovations was to increase seating in MUSC in addition to reducing traffic congestion around these two areas. The renovations were slated to add about 125 seats to MUSC, most of which are concentrated in the lounge built in front of the Starbucks in MUSC.
They also added another staircase leading to the Arts Quad meant to reduce congestion in that area.
The projected cost of the renovations was about $1.5 million, which were covered by excess MUSC reserves.
When MUSC was first built, the MSU collected a small fee from students to pay the mortgage over time, and the sudden influx of students following the elimination of the OAC year in 2003 caused a surplus which was transferred to MUSC and placed in a capital fund.
Student reactions to the new space have largely been positive. The new lounge in front of Starbucks is particularly popular with students due to its open-air concept and comfortable seating.
“I think this is going to make MUSC an easier place to hang out, especially during exams. There was so much empty space before and this is a lot more student-friendly,” said Dev Shields, a third-year English and Cultural Studies student.
The new renovations have come just in time for the new generation of McMaster students, who are enjoying their new home base.
“I really like the MUSC, it’s great aesthetically, there’s a lot of great spots for students to meet up or wind down,” said Megh Rathod, a first-year Integrated Sciences student.
Some students have their reservations about the layout of MUSC, though.
“The new student centre is really aesthetically pleasing but the changes also seem really inconvenient for some people. I feel the traffic will really increase because of the extra space for people to meet up and sell textbooks. It also feels like certain practices will have to change such as tabling for clubs during Clubs and during the year,” pointed out Cindy Lam, a fourth-year Social Work student.
“I enjoy the reconstruction of the space, however, the layout and design of the furniture are not up to my standards,” said Susie Ellis, a third-year Communications and Multimedia student.
The main complaint is towards the colour scheme chosen for the booth and couches, which are currently blue and orange, respectively.
Overall, the new renovations bode well for improving student life on campus, as well as improving campus traffic and revitalise the atmosphere in MUSC.
Eight of the 12 mayoral candidates gathered in the atrium of the student centre on Oct. 22 to debate issues specifically important to the student population.
Michael Baldasaro, Ejaz Butt, Brad Clark, Fred Eisenberger, Warrand Francis, Crystal Lavigne, Brian McHattie, and Michael Pattison were all present at the debate.
The candidates provided a variety of perspectives on the topics, which have been highlighted below.
Only McHattie, Eisenberger, and Baldasaro were on board for light-rail transit, while Clark, Francis, and Lavigne opposed its implementation.
Baldasaro suggests a north and south LRT line, citing the infrastructure deficit as the reason not to build an east-west LRT line.
“Nobody cares about going to Mac and Stoney Creek that lives in Flamborough, Dundas, Ancaster [...] everybody in this room including me at some time has to go to Toronto. The best way to do that would be on a downtown LRT from GO station to GO station,” said Baldasaro.
Instead, Clark suggests executing an eight-year plan to increase B-line and A-line bus services that run north-south and east-west in the city. Baldasaro opposed this idea, stating: “The BRT, fossil fuel vehicles are dinosaurs; [...] electricity is tomorrow.”
Many candidates opposed LRT because it would take away lanes and cause more congestion for drivers. To avoid this, Butt suggested creating an underground LRT system.
A more unique approach to oppose LRT is Lavigne’s plan to bring gondola transit, or cable cars, to Hamilton. She claims cable cars are an environmentally friendly option and will act as a tourist attraction for Hamilton. Additionally, Francis claimed that a high-speed dual monorail system on both Main and Barton street will solve this issue. He proposed that McMaster engineers could design the system and it could be built from steel materials made in Hamilton, creating jobs and a new model that could be sold to other cities.
On the other hand, Pattison suggested a referendum to ask citizens what they want, as well as expanding bike lanes.
When asked to highlight how they will provide employment opportunities to students and new graduates, most candidates responded.
Clark highlighted his international business development plan to develop partnerships with CEOs and union leaders in the city. He plans to use their connections with businesses in foreign countries and entice them to move to Hamilton. In contrast, Eisenberger argued that 80 percent of growth opportunities will come from businesses that are already here in the city.
McHattie focused on advanced manufacturing in Hamilton, citing health care and the research going on at McMaster Innovation Park as an important sector for jobs.
Lavigne expressed the importance of keeping the younger generation in Hamilton by offering employment opportunities that youth want, including flexible work hours. She did not, however, provide insight into how those jobs would be created.
The candidates all agreed on finding a balance between pleasing permanent residents, land owners, and renters. Many opposed the by-law that would require rental houses to be licensed.
“The original proposal that came forward from a number of the councillors was to license student housing. And when that came forward, I opposed that because the reality is you can’t license a class of citizens,” said Clark.
Francis proposed building a new student residence close to campus, but provided no further details.
All agreed that rental conditions are sub-standard, but did not offer many concrete solutions to the problem.
Each candidates approached environmental concerns differently. McHattie described the improvements that have been made in Hamilton, including the recently improved sewage treatment system. As part of his platform, McHattie wants to found a trees and parks trust, as well as implement an air pollution by-law similar to ones in Oakville that prevent small particles, which are often the most deadly, from entering the atmosphere.
Eisenberger also emphasized the sewage treatment successes and claims that automobile emissions make up a considerable amount of pollution. He suggested a more environmentally friendly transit system to help combat this issue.
Francis stated that his monorail system would be environmentally friendly, but stressed the issue of decline of the bee population.
“My most important thing is what are we going to do in 2035 when there’s no more bees in North America? We only have four years after the bees die, after four years, we’re dead,” said Francis. “As mayor, I’m planning a massive bee re-population program where we can get the bees and sell them to all of the parts of the world where the bees are dying off.”
Clark, Eisenberger, and McHattie offered the most detailed answers, especially in the areas of transit and economic development. Butt, Francis, Baldasaro, and Lavigne offered the most unique ideas in their transit plans, but left out the details at how these projects would be funded.
McHattie and Eisenberger seemed to be the audience favourites, with the most visible support from those who attended. Baldasaro acted as the comic relief for the debate, offering strange solutions that often involved his hemp farm.
Overall, the debate addressed key issues that affect students and provided many different solutions for the problems. Now it is up to Hamilton to decide which will be the most effective for improving Hamilton’s transportation, job market, housing, and tackling environmental concerns.
The municipal election will take place Oct. 27.
Pretty soon, grande mocha lattes, caramel macchiatos and strawberry frappuccinos will be mere footsteps away with the arrival of Starbucks on campus. Now you can reward your tastebuds for long hours spent at the library – but prepare your wallets for the arrival of the high-end coffee chain.
Shortly after the abrupt closure of the McMaster University Student Centre location of Williams Fresh Café in June, Hospitality Services announced what many students have long hoped for: a campus Starbucks.
Dale Adams, Associate Manager of Hospitality Services, is the project lead on the incoming Starbucks. He offered insight into the decline of Williams, and what Starbucks has in store for the now-vacant space in MUSC.
“Simply put, the [Williams] business started to decline and we felt we needed to make a move. We checked out other proprietors and decided to go with Starbucks. It was the best fit,” he said.
Transitioning to Starbucks has actually been several years in the making. “The decision had been tossed around for about two years now and last year it didn’t work out so we continued with Williams. This year we’ve made big steps and are moving forward with it,” Adams explained.
Construction is set to begin at the end of August, and Starbucks won’t be opening its doors until at least the end of October, or more probably, early November. The remodeling will retain the basic structure of Williams’ previous setup and the tables and chairs will remain, but the enclosure is going to be altered to achieve the now-iconic Starbucks look.
For those looking for autumn employment, Adams hinted that Starbucks could be on one’s list of prospects. “The baristas will most likely be students,” he said. “We might do a small job fair… It depends on how many employees we’re looking to bring on.”
What we can probably be sure of are the long lineups and hallway congestion that heralded the first few weeks of Booster Juice being in business.
UTS has finalized its plans to upgrade campus Wi-Fi in several high-priority areas. The $100,000 pilot project will occur gradually over the next few months, and is expected to be finished by May of this year. The project was first announced in November.
A total of 90 Wi-Fi access points will be either upgraded or added to 12 buildings on campus.
According to John Kearney, chief information officer with UTS, the process of expanding Wi-Fi should be “invisible” but “in some cases there may be momentary pauses in service.”
Classrooms, conference rooms and lounges have been identified as top priority areas.
A list of building upgrades is below:
DeGroote School of Business
UPGRADE: B105, B106, B107
Kenneth Taylor Hall
NEW: B104, B105, B102, B135
UPGRADE: B110, B121, B123
Togo Salmon Hall
NEW: B105, B106, B107, B120, B126, B128, B130, B125, B180, 122,187, 512
UPGRADE: TwelvEighty
Chester New Hall
NEW: B107, 102, 106, 104
UPGRADE: B180, 183
Alumni Memorial Building
NEW: B130, B130/E, B130/A
McMaster University Student Centre
NEW: Everywhere
Gilmour Hall
NEW: 108
UPGRADE: B107, B109, Council Chambers, 203, 206, 212
ABB
NEW: 136, 162
Psychology Building
NEW: 151,155
UPGRADE: 180
Art Gallery
UPGRADE: Everywhere
Burke Science Building
NEW: B119, B103, B155, B135, B136, B139, B142, 119,120, 117, 121, 115, 108, 106, 137, 138, 145, 147
John Hodgins Engineering Building
264, 376
New funds available for crown wards
An additional $24-million investment by the Ontario government has been made to educating current and former crown wards. A Jan. 24 announcement said that funds will be allocated for the foster children to finish secondary school and attend post-secondary institutions. As a result of the investment, approximately 1,600 former crown wards will be eligible for funds. McMaster founded a Crown Ward Education Championship Team in the Hamilton/Brant/Haldimand-Norfolk region in 2008-09.
‘Locks 4 Love’ coming to Student Centre
Smiling Over Sickness in partnership with Albert Snow Hair Design Group, will be holding its annual Locks 4 Love event in the MUSC Atrium on Feb. 11 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Volunteers will have their hair cut by local hairdressers and be donating it to Angel Hair for Kids, which provides wigs to financially disadvantaged children in Canada who have lost their hair due to a medical condition. Students interested in learning more or participating can contact sos@mcmaster.ca.
City fires 29 employees for “breach of trust”
The City of Hamilton has fired 29 City employees from its Public Works Department. In a Jan. 28 press release, the City stated that the employees were terminated for neglect of duties, time theft and breach of trust. It was reported that the specific employees allegedly used city vehicles for personal use, took full days’ pay for only a few hours’ work and personally sold asphalt out of the back of City vehicles. The City will finish its internal probe prior to a formal investigation with Hamilton Police Services.
New Associate VP, Research and Analysis
On Jan. 25, Jacy Lee, Director of Institutional Research and Planning at Simon Fraser University, was appointed McMaster’s new Associate Vice-President Research and Analysis. She will formally start her term on March 4. The AVP role entails a large amount of liaising with government officials and working with the Public and Government Relations unit. Lee will be taking over for acting VP Peter Smith.
Marauder scholars recognized
McMaster recognized over 200 athletes as “Marauder Scholars” on Jan. 28. A brunch was held to recognize the academic and athletic achievements of these students. Marauder Scholars achieve a minimum 9.5 GPA and excel in their respective varsity sports. Defensive lineman Scott Caterine and cross-country runner Victoria Coates were honoured with the Jack Kennedy and Mary Keyes awards, respectively.
The name Haman Man probably doesn’t ring a bell for most McMaster students. While most of the other candidates have aggressive poster campaigns and a perpetual campaign headquarters in MUSC, Man has so far flown under the radar. But in this year’s presidential election, the mild-mannered fourth-year student should not be underestimated.
RELATED: Selected questions and answers from our interview with Haman
Man’s campaign, as little advertised as it may be, focuses on the pillars of accountability, accessibility, engagement, and inter-university initiatives. The reasoning behind the pillars is reflective of his own personal commitment to change, which he has tried to pursue in his own way through his years at Mac.
“One of the factors in my decision [to run] was the fact I had been trying to make a couple changes at McMaster, and the avenues I took to get those changes weren’t really fruitful,” he explained.
His decision to run was recent – he submitted his nomination form in mid-January – but he hopes to embrace the opportunity to promote his causes. Along with accessibility issues, which encompass issues including access to SOLAR at peak registration hours, Man plans to start an anti-calendar, a course calendar with student reviews, and he hopes to promote student engagement in provincial and federal government.
While Man’s range of personal interests is broad, it doesn’t translate well into a platform; he has a few major points, but the scope of his plans is unclear. And without the social media and campus presence of his competitors, widespread support for Man’s campaign is unrealistic.
Man also envisions a different future for the MSU, one that emphasizes the union’s role in advocacy. His goals are consistently more long-term; in talking to the Silhouette, he spoke often of “paving the road” for future developments and improvements. But as optimistic as his dreams may be, Man has so far been unable to compete on the same level as some of the other candidates.
Foot traffic expected to increase significantly in already limited space
In mid-winter when there is a load of work and a lack of sunlight, students can always use a little vitamin boost. And come January, they’ll have the opportunity to get this from smoothies when a new location of Booster Juice is slated to come to the McMaster University Student Centre.
After the closing of Scoops, a smoothie and ice cream vendor that occupied a small kiosk next to Tim Hortons, McMaster Hospitality Services (MHS) explored different options for new businesses for the space. The deal between MHS and Booster Juice was announced in December of last year.
Lori Diamond, Director of MUSC, noted that students are happy with the deal.
“Feedback from students … was overwhelmingly positive when our proposal came forward,” she said.
Despite the anticipation from students and administrators, there has been no noticeable progress on a storefront in the student centre. And at this point, the construction details are still unclear.
“Nothing is confirmed,” explained Albert Ng, Director of MHS. The University held a meeting with the contractor and construction project team on Nov. 19 in order to work out these details, but Ng emphasized the fact that no strict timeline had been set.
“Three groups are trying to establish what would be a conservable and doable schedule,” he said, noting that the coordination between these groups was not always easy. MHS has some control over the construction, as the electrical work is run through McMaster, but the equipment for the store comes from Booster Juice, and the contractor is from an external company.
“From my understanding, most of the kiosk itself is constructed off-site, then put in place and hooked up with electrical, plumbing and equipment,” Diamond explained.
MUSC administration said that the proposal suggested construction would start the week of Nov. 26, with the opening scheduled for Jan. 2. And despite the lack of confirmation for the plans, Ng said, “we’re still hopeful that we can get it done for the New Year.”
The kiosk will occupy the same place as the previous smoothie bar, though it “will have a larger footprint.” The choice of location has raised some concerns about traffic flow and available space in the student centre, which is already often overcrowded. And MUSC, which replaced Hamilton Hall as the student centre when it opened in 2002, was built at a time when the student population was approximately 14,000 full-time students.
Diamond noted, “we did … consider [the impact on space], as did Hospitality Services in bringing forward the proposal.”
She said that the addition of the kiosk would not require a removal of seating, but that the existing food court area will be reconfigured to accommodate it.
MUSC added 48 seats to the area last year in order to accommodate the “rising demand,” but during the day the space is almost always full.
And the new storefront could pose more of a problem than rearranged seating; like the Tim Horton’s, Booster Juice will have to have a lineup for its customers.
Diamond claimed that “it will be configured to corral the line-up away from the main traffic corridor.”
But it remains to be seen whether the convenience of campus smoothies will come at the cost of a busier student centre.
Before the plan for a campus location, the nearest Booster Juice was a few minutes from campus, located at Main Street and Thorndale. It has since been closed.
Booster Juice was unavailable for comment on whether or not this is related to McMaster’s new store.
Following an announcement of a $100,000 pilot project by UTS to improve wireless internet service on campus, the MSU has released a list of facilities that will receive wireless upgrades or expanded service. The Wi-Fi expansion will prioritize classrooms, lounges, meeting and conference rooms.
Feedback gathered in a student survey played a significant role in the decision-making process, said Huzaifa Saeed, VP (Education) of the MSU.
The survey garnered about 900 votes when the Wi-Fi working group met to discuss funding allocations, and has since reached more than 1,200 responses.
Notable service upgrades will take place in the basement and first level of BSB along with several rooms in TSH. The entire Student Centre is also expected to receive wireless internet connection.The working group comprised members from UTS, CLL, the University Library, Facility Services and the Registrar.
Originally, rooms 264 and 376 in the John Hodgins Engineering Building (JHE) were not included in the project despite many student survey-takers identifying JHE as needing Wi-Fi. The building will now be considered in the pilot project.
Ken Coley, associate dean of Engineering, explained that the faculty had spent a portion of their budget upgrading Wi-Fi throughout JHE in the past two years, so the faculty was not interested in allocating their own funds for further Wi-Fi enhancements in the building. However, the faculty has clarified that they will not impose restrictions on the pilot project.
“Wi-Fi in classrooms has not been a priority for Engineering but we are not going to stand in the way of UTS putting in upgrades in JHE,” said Coley.
Saeed said there will be extra funds freed up from the $100,000 pot if the MUSC Board of Management agrees to cover Wi-Fi in the Student Centre with the $1.1 million surplus in student fees collected for the building in 2010. That motion will be presented at the Board’s next meeting the second week of December.
Ron McKelvie, director of UTS, said final approval for the project will occur in December. It has not yet been confirmed when updates will be complete.
The list of building upgrades is below:
DeGroote School of Business
UPGRADE: B105, B106, B107
Kenneth Taylor Hall
NEW: B104, B105, B102, B135
UPGRADE: B110, B121, B123
Togo Salmon Hall
NEW: B105, B106, B107, B120, B126, B128, B130, B125, B180, 122,187, 512
UPGRADE: TwelvEighty
Chester New Hall
NEW: B107, 102, 106, 104
UPGRADE: B180, 183
Alumni Memorial Building
NEW: B130, B130/E, B130/A
McMaster University Student Centre
NEW: Everywhere
Gilmour Hall
NEW: 108
UPGRADE: B107, B109, Council Chambers, 203, 206, 212
ABB
NEW: 136, 162
Psychology Building
NEW: 151,155
UPGRADE: 180
Art Gallery
UPGRADE: Everywhere
Burke Science Building
NEW: B119, B103, B155, B135, B136, B139, B142, 119,120, 117, 121, 115, 108, 106, 137, 138, 145, 147
The line for a free Steve Aoki, Dragonette and Young Empires concert started on the third floor of the student centre Wednesday morning. It stretched down the hall, down the stairs, across the entire second floor and into the stairwell leading to the first. Ticket distribution began at noon, with the pickup location of MUSC 319 announced only 45 minutes in advance. McMaster found out on Oct. 4 that it had won the show in the TD Pump It Up Contest, beating out Queen's University in the heavyweight division. There are about 3000 tickets available for the Nov. 22 event, which will be held in the Wentworth Room of the Hamilton Convention Centre.
