By: Natalie Clark
Hamilton has been getting its fair share of the winter weather this season, so in what better way to embrace it than to explore all that Winterfest 2019 has to offer?
Winterfest is a two-week long affair that features winter events in and around the city. Beginning Feb. 1, there will be free and paid events held throughout Hamilton such as open skate, live music and various themed events. Take a break from studying and enjoy the winter weather while taking part in this timely Hamilton tradition.
Juno Award winner and Hamilton born indie rock singer/songwriter Matt Mays will be performing at Hamilton Central Public Library on Feb. 10. Mays is currently on his Dark Promises Tour and will be making a pit stop in his hometown for an intimate show. Head on down to Hamilton Central Public Library for some of the best music Hamilton has to offer. This is a paid event and tickets can be purchased on Eventbrite.
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Frost Bites is a four-day event in partnership with Hamilton Fringe featuring some of Hamilton’s best theatre performers. Each night, artists will perform “bites” of theatre shows that are meant to last no longer than 20 minutes each. The festival will also be taking place on Feb. 14 to Feb. 17 at two community locations, the New Vision United Church and St. Paul’s Presbyterian Church.
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On Feb. 13, Winterfest will be holding a lecture featuring guest speaker Kojo “Easy” Damptey, an afro-soul musician and scholar-practitioner. Born and raised in Ghana, he attempts to address societal issues and enact change in the world with his lyrics. He will be speaking on behalf of stories of existence, resilience and resistance. The event is free and will be held at the Historic Ancaster Old Town Hall. All are welcome to join the celebration and commemoration of Black History Month.
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Stressed? Bored? Dying to pick up a new hobby? If any of those resonate with you then this beginners knitting course may be up your alley. For $90 you’ll learn the basics of knitting over the course of three classes, running on Wednesdays from Feb. 13 to Feb. 27. Grab a group of friends and head down to the Art Aggregate in East Hamilton for all the tips and tricks you need to know about knitting.
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In honour of the beginning of the Chinese New Year on Feb. 5, Barton Stone Church will be hosting a Fung Loy Kok Taoist Tai Chi Open House on Feb. 9. This event is free and includes a demonstration and class, as well as various hot drinks including tea and apple cider! There will be volunteer staff available to chat with you about their class schedule, as well as information about the benefits of Taoist Tai Chi. The event is sure to be a warm evening full of new learning experiences.
The Canteen is one of Hamilton Winterfest’s signature events. Featuring live music from a variety of artists, including Hamilton-based singer/songwriter Ellis, a cozy fire, winter marketplace and various other events, this event is worth the trip to the Battlefield House Museum & Park National Historic Site on 77 King Street West. The location is also known as one of Canada’s most significant monuments of the War of 1812. Aside from participating in the event’s attractions, you are also welcome to explore the museum and historic grounds on site. This is an all-day event taking place on Feb. 16 starting at 10 a.m.
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Julia Redmond
Silhouette Staff
For most university students, the start of the final semester involves graduate school applications, or the beginning of the job search process. For one McMaster student, the post graduate plan is one of incredible prestige.
In December, Sheiry Dhillon, a fourth-year student in the Health Sciences program, was named one of two Ontario Rhodes scholars for 2012. Even though weeks have passed since the announcement, Dhillon is still in disbelief.
“It feels as if I’m suspended in between two worlds,” she said in an interview. “On one side, it’s such an incredible opportunity and I’m so excited to go to Oxford…and on the other side, it just feels so surreal and I am so excited, but at the same time I have to remind myself that this is actually happening.”
Awarded to approximately 80 students each year, the Rhodes scholarship is widely considered to be the most prestigious program of its kind in the world. It is given annually to students from the British Commonwealth, the United States, and Germany for post-graduate study at Oxford University.
The scholarship was established by British entrepreneur Cecil Rhodes, who at the time of his death in 1902 was considered to be one of the wealthiest men in the world.
In his will, Rhodes stipulated that the scholarship not be given to “mere bookworms;” instead, he intended for the scholarship to be awarded to young people who wanted to “fight the world’s fight.”
Dhillon certainly fits the bill.
Since her high school days, Sheiry has been interested in global issues, particularly maternal and child health. Her impressive resume includes an internship with the Canadian Centre for International Justice and a summer working on a primary health research project in rural Northern India.
“If I look at those experiences, it’s really just a common thread of pursuing my passions, my interests,” she said of her extracurricular activities. “I guess that helps qualify me for the Rhodes, because I guess it came across that I’m quite passionate about global health.”
Her specialization in the Health Sciences program has been in global health. Her passion for the subject led her to work with the department to “develop a global women’s health perspective in the global health curriculum.”
The Brampton, Ontario native credits her experience at McMaster University for much of her success. “I don’t know if I would have had this opportunity if I had gone to a larger university…McMaster has always been home to me, and it’s been so important for my growth and development in these last four years,” she said.
In particular, she credits her mentors as a major influence on her schooling and on her decision to pursue the Rhodes Scholarship.
“I’ve had some mentors and some good friends that have been a part of the Rhodes community and they’ve just said incredible things about the community…so I started thinking about [applying] when some of my mentors started suggesting it,” she explained.
“They just always believed in my work and have always given me the opportunity to excel in a lot of different fields,” she said.
Although her short-term goals upon graduation have been identified, Dhillon has not decided what she plans on doing with her studies at Oxford yet, but she remains confident that global health will continue to be her focus.
“I’ll definitely be pursuing my interests in the global health field.” She expects to study for either a Masters of Science in global health or a Doctor of Philosophy in public health.
“Right now I’m going in with an open mind and I’m just looking at the next three years as an opportunity to really focus on my interest in research and epidemiology…and perhaps, afterwards, maybe medicine is an option, or maybe it’s not,” explained Dhillon.
