C/O Yoohyun Park
Although many hoped for an in-person year, hybrid learning continues to have mental health impacts on students
Since March of 2020, almost all McMaster University students have been unable to attend in-person classes, access on-campus services, or engage in extracurricular activities on campus. However, this fall, for the first time in over a year, students finally have the ability to return to campus for some in-person activities.
“[McMaster is] focusing our planning on providing safe and meaningful in-person experiences for you this fall,” said a fall 2021 update for students published on April 30.
Avery Kemble, a second-year student at McMaster, expressed an appreciation for the reopening of campus, citing the mental health benefits of learning around others and being able to access communal study spaces.
“I think the vast majority of students want to be on campus. It is so isolating to be by yourself, doing school in your room for twelve hours a day. Being able to go on campus is so helpful for me, and I’m way more productive in a library than I am on my own,” said Kemble.
For Camille Lisser, a first-year student, this hybrid learning environment is her first experience learning at McMaster. Lisser explained that even though she only has one tutorial in person this semester, being in residence and having access to spaces on campus allows her to learn with other people.
“My roommate is also in [Arts & Science], so we’ve been trying to join a lot of the online [classes] together, and that’s been really helpful because one thing that I’ve really missed was being able to [attend class] sitting next to someone,” said Lisser.
Lisser and Kemble both noted that along with the mental health benefits of learning alongside other students, there are also mental health benefits associated with being around other students in a social context too.
Despite the mental health benefits of the return to campus, there are also mental health challenges associated with the return to in-person learning.
After a year of online learning, returning to campus has created challenges such as COVID-19-related anxiety, stress associated with a change in routine and increased social exhaustion.
“During Welcome Week, I was super tired, and I couldn’t figure out why I was so tired. What I think now is that it’s because there [were so many social events], and it was coming from a very non-social [time period] to a very social [time period],” explained Lisser.
Kemble pointed out that, for second-year students specifically, another significant mental health challenge is the lack of social connection between students because they spent their first year online.
“A lot of us still don’t know anybody in our program,” said Kemble.
According to Kemble, McMaster’s second-year welcome events were seen as an attempt to combat this mental health challenge. However, due to the low registration capacity for those events, many second-year students were not able to access them.
Students entering university are faced with many new things: new classes, new friends and sometimes even new living arrangements. But students living in on-campus residences should not have to worry about their safety.
To help students transition into living away from home, and to enforce the rules of residence life, McMaster University community advisors live with first-year students in their residences. Their purpose is to “develop and maintain an environment that is conducive to learning and personal growth.”
To be a CA, one must fulfill many qualifications including maintaining a minimum sessional average of 6.0, being a full-time McMaster University student, demonstrating responsibility and leadership abilities and have a working knowledge or building community within students.
But for all the listed requirements, CAs are not required to complete any sort of police background check, including a very important vulnerable sector check.
VS checks are a collection of offence information that is restricted to applicants seeking employment or volunteering in a position of authority or trust over vulnerable persons in Canada. They can be obtained easily from the police service in your residing jurisdiction.
The lack of VS checks for CAs is problematic for many reasons. For one, many incoming students are under 18-years-old. In these cases, it is evident that these students are considered vulnerable persons and subsequently require additional protection from those in positions of authority and trust like CAs.
But even for incoming students who are legally adults, their role as a first-year student inherently places them in a lower position of power relative to their CAs. This power dynamic can be harmful if the CAs have a history of offensive behaviour.
CAs have a lot of influence over the first-year students under their supervision. CAs are oftentimes students’ first interaction with upper-year students and are meant to be the go-to person for questions about campus and residence life. To not conduct a proper background check on them is negligent of the university in ensuring that students are protected.
The lack of VS checks is not an exclusive issue of CAs. In addition to CAs, residence-affiliated positions such as the residence orientation representative are not required to complete VS checks.
In fact, part-time managers, the board of directors and other McMaster Students Union positions do not require the completion of a VS check.
Considering that almost all of these roles involve interaction with and power over a vulnerable population of students, it makes no sense why these roles do not require VS checks. If anything, the lack of VS checks puts students in avoidable danger.
In addition to VS checks, McMaster University should do a more thorough job of ensuring that individuals hired for their positions are positive reflections of the university. This includes ensuring that these individuals have not been reported to university administration or asked to withdraw from their positions previously.
The lack of sufficient and necessary screening of individuals in positions of power within the university is alarming. For McMaster University to truly commit to ensuring student safety, they must create better hiring policies that begin with implementation of VS checks.
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By: Areej Ali
Nu Omega Zeta is a Black-focused sorority at McMaster that aims to support and enrich the Black community on campus and in Hamilton.
While the sorority was founded in September 2011, plans to launch Nu Omega Zeta were in the works months before the sorority’s founding date.
The seven Nu Omega Zeta founders first looked to Black Greek organizations in the United States, which provided a good perspective on how they should establish their own chapter.
For instance, today, the sorority pairs up new members with a ‘Big Sister’ who provides guidance and support.
The founding members first looked for an executive board and then created the symbols, guidelines and pillars that the sorority would stand for.
According to Eno Antai, the current president of Nu Omega Zeta, members do not need to identify as Black in order to join the sorority.
Nevertheless, the group is Black-focused, aspiring to “promote the growth and enrichment of Black undergraduate students and to enhance their education through the strengthening of the relationships within the Black community.”
In particular, Nu Omega Zeta stands for “Sisterhood, Volunteerism and Knowledge.”
Over the few years, members of the sorority have volunteered at Empowerment Squared, a Hamilton-based charity that seeks to empower marginalized and newcomer communities in Hamilton.
The sorority also runs campus events such as “Chance on Campus,” a one-day event that gives grade 10 and 11 students the opportunity to experience post-secondary life at McMaster and learn about the university’s organizations and academic and financial resources.
“When I look back and think why I wanted to join Nu Omega Zeta, I remember feeling very isolated and alone on campus in my first year,” said Gabriela Roberta, a member of the sorority.
“I had no intentions of joining a sorority. However, Nu Omega Zeta was the first and only organization to reach out to me and make me feel as though my fears are not only my own,” said Roberts.
Roberts added that the sorority immersed her in a community of women that truly understood her struggles and concerns.
She strongly feels that Nu Omega Zeta has been a transformative life experience.
For Jet'aime Fray, another member of Nu Omega Zeta, the sorority means sisterhood. Fray explains that the sorority has allowed for her to create long lasting friendships and has given her a unique opportunity to volunteer in Hamilton.
“In a society that refuses to acknowledge Black women, having a space that allows you to be unapologetically who you are and celebrates you is very needed,” said Antai, who feels that the space Nu Omega Zeta provides to acknowledge Black women is much needed and can give many students a home away from home.
Julianne Providence joined Nu Omega Zeta for precisely this reason.
“I saw it as a space where I could belong. I had seen the ladies on campus and admired the connections they had with each other,” said Providence.
Omega Zeta hosts a number of initiatives throughout the year, including rush events, parties, relationship summits, workshops, networking events about education and support in the Black community and a ‘World AIDS Day’ panel discussion.
Students interested in attending these events or becoming a part of the sorority can get more information on Nu Omega Zeta’s website.
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By: Elliot Fung
In January 2019, McMaster Security Services announced an update to their mobile safety app, allowing students to receive safety alert notifications and information about campus safety resources.
The app, which was developed in partnership with both McMaster and the McMaster Students Union, provides a centralised location for contact information for a multitude of emergency and non-emergency safety services.
In 2013, McMaster Security Services released an application that included the capacity to easily contact emergency services, the MSU Emergency First Response Team and request the MSU Student Walk Home Attendant Team.
In addition, users could access transit information, the university’s emergency protocols and live alerts.
The 2019 update includes many of the previous features and adds new ones.
However, the new app has omitted information about EFRT and transit.
Among the app’s new noteworthy features includes a “Friend Walk” option that allows students to watch their friends as they travel home.
Friend Walk allows a user to send their real-time location to a friend. The user picks a friend to send their location to via SMS or email and then initiates a walk and chooses a destination.
If the user is under duress, they have to option to notify their friend and start an emergency call. If either the user or the friend disconnects from the walk, an option to contact emergency services will appear on the screen.
According to a McMaster Daily News article about the app update, “Friend Walk” serves to enhance the on-campus SWHAT service, which provides students with the ability to walk to a destination with the company of two attendants.
Another notable feature of the app is a crime map.
The map displays the location and dates of recent crimes in Hamilton and the area surrounding McMaster.
Crimes displayed include categories like auto-theft, car burglary and residential burglary.
The app also features a section about student support services, where users can access information about various student supports on-campus including the McMaster Equity and Inclusion Office, sexual violence support, and McMaster Wellness Centre.
Users can also email facility services to report an issue.
However, according to the “On-Campus Infrastructure Policy Paper” passed by the MSU Student Representative Assembly in Nov. 2018, the process of submitting a work order for a repair of infrastructure is still meticulous and unavailable to off-campus students.
The safety app is an improvement to the outdated safety app that was implemented in 2013.
The McMaster Security Services website characterizes the app as a ‘must have’ that contains valuable features and information.
However, it appears the app may not do a great deal to improve students’ experiences.
During the 2017-2018 academic year, the MSU proposed a variety of suggestions for increasing student safety on and off campus and improving the university’s response via the university’s sexual violence prevention and response policy.
As it stands, the university has yet to implement these recommendations and make improvements to these resources.
Among the recommendations relating to infrastructure in the policy paper were increasing the number of red assistance phones and improving lighting on campus and in the surrounding housing areas.
The newly updated safety app does not ensure these larger recommendations are implemented, only consolidating information that is already available online.
In addition, while students can use the app to access information about sexual violence support at McMaster, they also cannot do much beyond that to improve their experience and safety.
More information about the safety app can be found at https://security.mcmaster.ca/crime_prevention_safetyapp.html.
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By: Donna Nadeem, Anastasia Gaykalova and Matthew Jones
At the McMaster Students’ Union Student Representative Assembly on Nov. 25, the SRA passed a number of policy papers, including “Tuition & Student Financing in Post-Secondary Education,” “On-Campus Infrastructure” and “Student Engagement & Retention.”
Rising tuition is one of the most pressing issues affecting post-secondary students in Canada.
Once enrolled, OSAP provides a number of grants and loans to students with financial need to lessen the costs of tuition.
While not mentioned in the policy paper, it should be noted that Ontario government’s recently announced changes are expected to reduce tuition by 10 per cent but also scrap OSAP grants for low-income students and remove the six month grace period that students were previously given to pay off their loans following graduation.
The policy paper argues that restrictions to the current OSAP deny many individuals access to its services, pushing back these students’ entry into post-secondary education.
It also notes that tuition increases by a substantial rate each year, continually surpassing the rate of inflation.
According to the paper, currently, 53 to 70 per cent of student financial aid through OSAP includes loans.
Although offering loans to pay back tuition later may appear to help with accessibility and enrollment, the more tuition rates increase, the greater the amount students will have to pay back.
During student interviews included in the policy paper, students said that they have noticed tuition rising, but not at a specific rate, and acknowledged that they were unsure of the details surrounding tuition rate.
However, students also said they felt strained financially and found it harder to pay off their debt each year.
The policy paper also points out that McMaster has one of the lowest budgets for entrance scholarships in Ontario.
McMaster’s automatic entrance awards are lower than those offered at Queen’s University, University of Western Ontario, University of Toronto and the University of Guelph, for instance.
The MSU recommends that McMaster consider a monthly tuition payment plan.
Recommendations for the government include re-evaluating interest rates on student loans and making OSAP cover a larger percentage of tuition for low-income students in some programs.
Major themes in the Infrastructure policy paper include campus accessibility, transparency, deferred maintenance and student study spaces.
The SRA’s first recommendation is for facility services to oversee a new campus accessibility review with a new action plan, examining infrastructure concerns in more detail.
Regarding accessibility, the SRA believes elevator issues and the installment and repair of automated doors should be seen as priority areas for maintenance.
The policy paper also affirms that “bad weather should not be a deterrent for students to access their education.”
Another concern addressed is the lack of air-conditioning in some residences. Currently, only five out of twelve residences have AC.
During warm weather, the heat poses a risk for students’ health, as many reported experiencing heat stroke symptoms during Welcome Week this past year.
The paper recommends that all residences have AC and that Residence Life provide more fan rentals.
Another infrastructural problem is that buildings at McMaster are not as well maintained as they should be, creating a non-ideal learning environment for students.
For instance, many older buildings have broken seats and tables.
The policy paper also touches on insufficient and inefficient on-campus workspaces.
For instance, the university does not have enough group study facilities for its growing student population. Many such places are often full or completely booked.
These issues are planned to be resolved by introducing more compact book stacks to free up space.
Some on-campus spaces also lack reliable wifi.
The policy paper explains that the university is planning to create a self-reporting network tool for students to report “dead zones,” which can be fixed.
To ensure future buildings consider the needs of students, the SRA suggests that some MSU members sit on a design committee for the coming Peter George Centre residence.
This policy paper highlights key issues regarding student engagement and retention, including student dropout rates and off-campus students’ engagement within individual faculties and services.
At McMaster, 10 per cent of first-year students do not continue onto pursue their degree. The policy paper notes that marginalized students are more likely to experience barriers to completing post-secondary education.
“[The] policy aims to utilize evidence-based research to identify gaps and targeted opportunities for particular focus groups of students, including first-year students, first-generation students, racialized and marginalized students and student groups, and commuter students,” reads part of the paper.
The MSU paper emphasizes that marginalized students should have “equitable access student success and satisfaction on campus” in response to structural barriers.
The policy paper makes several recommendations, such as the incorporation of prior-learning assessments for students who want them.
The paper also raises concerns regarding off-campus students’ engagement with respect to public transit, volunteering and community engagement.
“The MSU advocates for greater transparency and efforts by the university towards student engagement on campus and within the broader Hamilton community,” reads part of the paper.
According to the paper, commuter students face a higher risk of dropping out when they feel disengaged and disconnected from campus.
Commuter students may be restricted from developing social connections or a sense of belonging on campus.
The paper recommends creating a “centralized social hub” to address the disconnects faced by commuter students and the campus.
Additionally, the document advises the off-campus resource centre to work more to encourage campus opportunities to bolster social events while also increasing the number of resources for students who commute.
All of the policy papers be found in the “SRA documents” section of the MSU website.
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It’s a familiar lunch-time scene in the Silhouette office. Someone walks in with a white, Styrofoam take-out container, plops down on the couch and before they can even open their lunch, someone will always ask, “butter chicken or shawarma?”
It should come as no surprise that the student newspaper staff, damned to the student centre basement, rely on the neighbouring halal food and bubble tea shop, Taro. Their prices are reasonable, the portions are generous and they make sure that we can avoid the crowded lines of La Piazza above.
Nestled between the Student Wellness and Education Lower Lounge and the CFMU office, Taro has been keeping the Silhouette staff fed with hearty plates of butter chicken, shawarma, vegetable curry, lentil soup, crispy samosas and addictive Jamaican patties.
Now Taro is such a staple part of my own campus food experience, my memories of its absence are hazy. I have no idea what that space was before Taro. Was that slot machine always there? Was it part of the old student centre arcade and game room? I think it was empty in my first year but I can’t be sure.
I remember the staff tradition of communal patty-runs starting and people relieved to know that even if they forgot their lunch on a busy afternoon, a filling meal wasn’t too far.
The only thing I clearly remember during Taro’s first few days was entering the office for the first with container filled with piping hot butter chicken and a bubble tea shortly after the shop opened. I remember the staff tradition of communal patty-runs starting and people relieved to know that even if they forgot their lunch on a busy afternoon, a filling meal wasn’t too far.
This year, if you owe Tim a couple of bucks, he will ask that you buy him a patty instead. When Rachel forgets to bring something to dip into her hummus, she’ll quickly grab a piece of naan. On long production days, I can throw back their strawberry, banana and blueberry protein shake in five minutes.
One of the Arts & Culture section’s goals was to make consistent food coverage a central part of the section. Whether that be exciting new restaurants or some under-discussed staples that can be found throughout the city, and that we genuinely provide readers with a great experience for a range of budgets.
But after all, we are students.
We have a full day of class to attend, often multiple jobs to work at, there isn’t always time in the day to bus to a new restaurant. That, if anything, unites our collective experience with food at the Silhouette’s office.
We love food, we love exchanging recipes and making plans to grab lunch or dinner together, but finishing the newspaper has to come first. Catching up on our studies often comes next. The office this year shares baked goods and snack foods every other week, and this is partially because it is easier to make time to do something you love when you can share the results with others.
In a similar fashion, acknowledging this shared experience with the halal and bubble tea shop down the hall does this too. Not because it is an act that we do for each other, but acknowledging the staff’s shared experience with Taro reinforces how much we can bond over a trivial relationship with campus food. Even if just amounts to in-jokes on the surface, being familiar with your cohorts go-to orders, speculating over recipe changes and buying each other an occasional snack just exemplifies how much we look to food to be a source of common ground.
While we often have to put our dinner plans together on hold, the Silhouette will always have this. I have a feeling that even five years from now, the staff of the future will still be laughing over their take-out from Taro.
By: Suzany Manimaran
On one side of the room, people gazed at the wall of vibrant artwork, taking in the intricate line art drawings and detailed paintings. On the other, performers were shaking off their nerves as they waited for the show to open, preparing to share their reflections on “the f word”.
She’s the First McMaster titled their second annual The F******* Word arts showcase, referencing the stigma associated with “feminism”.
All proceeds raised by the feminist arts showcase went towards the non-profit organization, She’s the First, which focuses on fighting global gender inequality through education.
STF President and fourth year student Barkhaa Talat leads the McMaster chapter of the New York-based organization.
“All donations [that we raise] goes to girls in low income countries, [allowing them to] gain an education, give them scholarships, clothing, shelter, a nutritious diet, and all of it is done through local organizations,” said Talat.
“Feminism is given a bad name, there’s a lot of misinterpret-ation.”
Barkhaa Talat
President
She’s The First McMaster
Currently, STF works to provide scholarships and facilities to girls in Sierra Leone, Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, South Sudan, Guatemala, Peru, India and Nepal.
“The showcase focused primarily on two things: the first was to raise donations… the second reason was to showcase local artists from Hamilton and the GTA to give them a free platform to showcase their talent. We contacted local artists throughout the Art Gallery of Hamilton and McMaster Students,” explained Talat.
“Artists showcased their art for free, there was also a silent auction. It was dedicated to the talent within the [McMaster] community, and learning about gender equality through art and performances.”
The artwork and the performances of the night were varied in their mediums and styles. From original and cover songs, to spoken word, to visual art pieces that were displayed all around the room.
https://www.facebook.com/STF.McMaster/
Musicians performed songs like Sia’s “Titanium” and Colbie Caillat’s “Try” along with original songs that were also focused around the themes of female empowerment, body positivity and vulnerability.
“I really enjoyed planning it, contacting the artists and performers, there wasn’t really any selection process. We made sure it was appropriate [and] it was showcased if it was approved. [The] older artists that contributed their pieces hadn’t heard about anything like this and [they] encouraged us to [keep] doing these kinds of events,” explained Talat.
“It’s important to have these kinds of conversations because of our age group, there’s an interest towards it on social media, but it’s not really talked about. Feminism is given a bad name, there’s a lot of misinterpretation. People are often standoffish, they want to know what about the boys who need education too,” said Talat.
“[Our focus is on] making it important that [both] are disadvantaged but inequality for women, especially in low income countries, is much more prevalent.”
She’s The First McMaster facilitates this discussion on campus through art, music, and creative expression.
As the fight for gender equality continues to be stigmatized and misinterpreted, it’s important to allow for discussion and artistic expression that highlights that it is, at its core, a fight for equality.
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McMaster Housing and Conference Services recently announced its proposal to redevelop Bates residence.
According to Kevin Beatty, the director of Housing and Conference Services, all of the internal aspects of Bates residence, such as room configurations, common rooms and amenities, will be redeveloped. Students can look forward to enjoying increased natural light and improved amenities, such as a games room, gym and music room.
“Adding expansive exterior windows and removing large sections of the ground and second floor plate will infuse the building with natural light and activate the basement level while celebrating the beautiful views surrounding,” said Chelsea Alexander, one of the architects of the project.
Nevertheless, Bates Residence’s structural foundation will remain.
“We are eager to create a harmonized Bates residence community, full of opportunities for social interaction, enjoyment and educational advancement within an extensive 1970s shell,” said Alexander.
The redevelopment project is in the design phase. Although the final construction timeline has yet to be solidified, Beatty has confirmed that the redevelopment will not begin until after the Peter George Centre for Living and Learning opens in Aug. 2019.
Students with an average of 83.5 per cent or higher are guaranteed a place in residence on campus. After securing a spot in residence, students are entered into a lottery that determines what room style they get placed in.
Since Bates is currently the only apartment style residence on campus, closing it during the construction phase may have repercussions for students. It is unclear how the renovations will affect the number of residence spots available to students.
“Housing and Conference Services is committed to continuing to keep students and the university community updated when more details are finalized over the next few months,” said Beatty.
According to Alexander, the Bates residence redevelopment will solve the current building’s most pressing accessibility problems.
In particular, the new building is slated to improve navigation through washroom facilities, doorways and narrow corridors. The new Bates building will also be AODA compliant, consisting of improvements such as accessible suites and auto-door operators.
“Accessibility to all building amenities and spaces have been of critical importance since the onset of the redevelopment discussions,” said Alexander.
Students can share their feedback on the McMaster Housing and Conference Services website until Feb. 12.
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By: Thomas Oshana
Is it possible to be physically, socially and mentally healthy at the same time? With all the stresses and worries of school, the answer is actually yes. While it sounds counter-intuitive, putting more time towards participating in intramurals and clubs instead of worrying about academics is the best decision you could make. There are only beneficial outcomes to engaging in at least one intramural or club.
A comprehensive study and analysis of existing research by the National Institutes of Health found that leisure-time physical activity is associated with reduced risk of 13 different types of cancer. Physical activity also helps build and maintain healthy bones, muscles and joints, which will help control weight, reduce fat and prevent the development of high blood pressure. Although it is typically intramurals that provide these physical benefits, there are many clubs that also promote a healthy lifestyle.
Being a part of a team will also help you develop cognitive skills. The Government Accountability Office has found activities common to intramurals and clubs can affect attitudes and academic behaviour, including enhanced concentration, attention and improved academic performance. Regular physical and social activities will help keep your mental skills sharp.
There are multiple social benefits as well. In both intramurals and clubs, there are amazing social communities that you will be welcomed in to. This social aspect can positively affect the crucial aspect in the development of self-esteem, goal setting and leadership in students. You will learn teamwork and communication skills and likely get a boost in self-confidence. Your overall self-image may positively change. As a result of this, you will gain a feeling of pride. You will be more encouraged and motivated to continue involving in activities and now may be more inclined to social activities both outside and in the school.
Through intramurals and clubs, you will gain or improve upon your physical, mental and social health, as well as learn core skills such as teamwork and collaboration. Yes, they can take up time with practices, games, events and meetings. However, the benefits that you will gain will far outweigh the couple of hours you may lose during the week.
Pushing precious time aside that could be used for school involvement is not the solution to keeping busy. There are no benefits to not getting involved — citing that intramurals and clubs are too “time-consuming” is nothing more than an excuse. School involvement in intramurals and clubs will not only make you overall healthier, but will also allow you to have an overall enjoyable time. You will meet new people, make new friends and create long lasting memories that you will never forget.
Play and join in at least one intramural or club throughout university because in the years to come, when you are physically, mentally and socially healthier and hanging around the friends you made along the way, you will be satisfied knowing that putting yourself out there and engaging in the school community was the best choice you ever made.
By: Elizabeth Ivanecky
Graffiti is vandalism — I won’t even begin to deny it, but it is also an important way for Mac students to artistically express themselves anonymously.
With November just a couple of weeks away, the stress of midterm exams and assignments is here. What it doesn’t mean is dropping all of our creative energy and redirect it only towards our studying.
The anonymity of graffiti art at Mac gives both freedom and power to the graffiti artist to speak their mind without the fear of their identity being discovered.
“Have you seen the White Whale?” adapted to the context of McMaster from Herman Melville’s classic Moby Dick nearly covered Mac’s pavements over the summer and start of the school year by an anonymous chalk artist.
Lines such as, “if all the buildings on campus were sea creatures, McMaster Hospital would be the Great Leviathan,” made you giggle a little at the unique comparisons of literary figures to familiar structures on Mac’s campus.
While part of a larger thesis project, the drawings of whales incidentally brought back memories of finger painting and chalk drawing in kindergarten to me. They helped me forget about the world for a moment and live in the world of imagination.
Chalk drawings around campus aren’t the only ways to share with others visually how you are feeling — writings on school property walls are rather fascinating. Whether on the walls at Mills library, on pages in a research book for a paper or even in the stairwells, reading an inspiring quote or encouraging words someone wrote for a stranger makes you feel connected for a moment to someone else’s lived experience. These snippets of life make you realize that we do not study in a vacuum at McMaster.
You might be indifferent to these drawings and writings or refrain from calling them artwork, but individually and as a whole they share a story about a part of someone’s life that wanted and needed to be heard by others. For a brief moment, you acknowledged someone else’s existence as a creative being and lived in their world of imagination.
Interestingly enough, there is no written policy on persecuting graffiti artists or the illegality of the act itself. It only becomes concerning if the graffiti art depicts racial slurs or hate graffiti of any sort against a group or groups of individuals. While vandalism is still a crime, we could infer that there is little priority on getting rid of current street art and the positives it can bring.
We are not alone in the midterm season or throughout semester for that matter. We may finish our work individually and alone at our crammed desks, but in the end we all have to slog through late nights, early mornings and some semblance of a weekend to complete our terms sanely.
It’s easy at this time of year to adopt a narrow focus of going from class to library, finishing assignment after assignment and ultimately just getting from point A to point B. Frankly, I’ve learned in my own experience as an undergrad that the extra hour editing a paper won’t make much difference, but an hour spent posting a blog entry or making a homemade card for a friend will.
I challenge you today to prove to yourselves that even with the heaviness of our textbooks in our bags and midterms looming in our minds that we are more than our student IDs and cumulative averages.
Try leaving a kind note in an envelope or message in a bottle for someone to find on campus — at least you will have shown that schoolwork at Mac didn’t cramp your style.
