Photos by Matty Flader / Photo Reporter

King William Street is known throughout Hamilton for housing some of the finest restaurants the city has to offer. While the two blocks are great for a night out on the town, there is a lack of grab and go items. Husband and wife duo, Jason and Rachel Hofing, found what it would take to fill this gap. This led to the development of their own coffee/cafe brand. 

Before creating one of Hamilton’s premiere coffee roasters, Jason and Rachel lived in Oshawa. While Jason was working full-time at FedEx, Rachel stayed at home to raise their two small children. 

“What bothered me was how far away we were from our family and friends. We were on the wrong side of Toronto . . . it came down to quality of life. I wanted our kids to grow up with their cousins and grandparents, for us to feel connected because we are really close with our friends. How do I get my family into the Hamilton area? I saw that a transfer wasn’t happening [but] one of my pickups and deliveries was a coffee roaster in Kingston. So that’s where I started to understand the coffee,” said Jason.

Eventually, Rachel and Jason’s trains of thought intersected. 

“The timing was really interesting . . . Around the same time, I’m in Oshawa with the babies and Oshawa Centre would turn their parking lot into a farmers’ market a few days a week. We started caring a lot as a family about “If I’m going to buy vegetables, why wouldn’t I just get it from the farmers at the farmer’s market.”  If we’re going to get coffee, why don’t we get it from somewhere where they haven’t sprayed it and people got paid. What can we do that is wholesome, ethical and matters for quality of life for everyone — not just people we can see but right down to my kids — feeding them the right things,” said Rachel.

Jason and Rachel’s roasting brand began in 2008 as Red Hill Coffee Trade, bringing locally roasted, fair-trade, organic beans to cafés and restaurants across Hamilton. Through participation in monthly art crawls and festivals, they were able to develop relationships throughout the community. As a result, the Hofings were able open up a coffee bar in the Hamilton Farmers Market (35 York Blvd.) under a new name, Relay Coffee Roasters.

While the coffee bar was servicing the downtown area, the duo launched a larger coffee shop a couple years later on Concession Street that serviced the Hamilton mountain. Jason kept asking Rachel what was next for Relay, which ultimately led to the conception of their third location. 

In comparison to the other establishments on King William Street, Jason and Rachel felt that they could use their third location to create a more casual setting, one that would be welcoming at all times of the day.

Nearly double the size of their previous location, the newest cafe has a large kitchen for salads and sandwiches, made on-site, as well as a coffee roaster tucked away in a small room towards the back of the space. To the Hofings, this space is more than just a coffee shop: it is an experience.

“A compliment I just received from someone was that the environment that has been created here has reduced some of their stress and anxiety because they know that they are cared about and they are encouraged to do their best and it’s not just in their job,” said Jason.

While all of their coffee has come from their roastery on the mountain, Jason’s hope is that he can start roasting small batches of coffee within the King William space as an exclusive.  

Relay Coffee Roasters works with fair-trade and organic certified coffee, using coffee beans from approximately six different origins. Each different region gives the coffee a different flavour.

“We look for trusted companies and importers that share the same values that we do,” said Jason. 

The process starts off with roasting green coffee beans at 400 degrees fahrenheit. Colours will change from green, yellow, crimson and finally, to brown. At the end of the cycle, the beans are put into an agitator to cool them as quickly as possible and prevent further roasting.

The Hofings have created a warm, inviting space for late night study sessions or small get togethers with friends. 

“I think with McMaster, Relay can be a little bit of an escape or that it’s a sense of home,” said Jason. “We want to meet them, we want them to feel great about choosing McMaster and Hamilton and we’d love to get to know them.” 

 

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Photo C/O @vinestmarket

When partners and food and beverage producers Ryan Chelak and Jules Lieff went looking for a production space, they came across a building at 98 Vine Street. While the space was larger than they required for their businesses, they decided to take it. Now they are sharing the extra space with Hamilton makers with their first Vine Street Makers’ Market set to take place on March 30.

The two-storey red-brick building was once the home of Hamilton Pure Dairy, which opened in 1907 to provide healthy, safe and pure milk to the community. It has been home to other businesses over the year and now houses Vibe Kombucha and FitOrganiX.

Chelak is the founder of Vibe Kombucha, a craft brewer of raw, organic kombucha tea. Lieff founded FitOrganiX, a daily meal delivery system that uses local, organic ingredients. They will be using the second floor of the building for production.

The main floor will be open to the community as studio and event space. While Chelak and Lieff are still determining exactly how they will use the space, they know they want it to cater to creatives in Hamilton.

“In talking to a number of artists in the community, in Hamilton, there seems to be a need, particularly where we are downtown, for creative space. All of the workshop, event spaces, they're all pricing a lot of these people out of the market,” Chelak explained.

The desire for space can be seen in how the market sold out of vendor space within a day and a half. By providing space at an accessible price point, Vine Street Market is allowing emerging makers the chance to bring their product to the public.

The markets are currently slated to be monthly, but Chelak said that they may change depending on the demand. Starting in May, they will also host a bimonthly thrifted, vintage market.

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However, the main floor will be more than just market space. At the back of the main floor, there will be collaborative work space for artists to work out of. This would also allow artists to have wall space in order to display their work for clients.

Vibe Kombucha and FitOrganiX will also be selling their products at 98 Vine Street. Chelak and Lieff hope to have a cafe counter where people can buy their products, along with food and beverages from other local producers.

Another important use for the space will be the workshops that makers can host. Having gotten into kombucha by giving workshops, Chelak appreciates the opportunity to share skills with others.

“You know sharing that knowledge is really what community is all about, whether it's making something to eat or drink or making… music or arts. People need outlets like that, maybe now more than ever when everything is fast-paced and we're so immersed in technology and our work… [T]hat time to create it is important,” Chelak said.

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The market will provide an opportunity for Hamiltonians to interact with and buy from local makers. While there is no restriction on where the makers hail from, the market will primarily host local creatives.

Chelak believes that the local creatives are leaders in Hamilton’s resurgence. However, more than helping to grow the city, Hamilton artists are also providing a welcoming and collaborative space for emerging artists to develop.

“Hamilton seems to be, from my perspective…, a city that is collaboration over competition… And I think when you have that mindset where you're looking to promote each other and/or share information or opportunities… then people are more apt to do the same back in return and the adage that when you first give and then you'll receive, it's really what it's all about,” Chelak said.

By creating an environment where artists can work together, Vine Street Market is joining the tradition of collaboration within Hamilton’s artistic community. Having this new space for makers to make and sell their art will allow more individuals with small businesses to flourish in this rapidly changing city. In turn, Vine Street Market will grow as well.

 

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Photos C/O Steel City Studios

On March 1, creative co-working space Steel City Studio threw a grand reopening celebration to mark the completion of its expansion and renovation. The changes, which began last November, brought better workflow to the space and will allow the studio to grow as a business.

The studio is now 2,000 feet larger than it once was. When the second floor unit beside the studio became available, cofounders Nadine Ubl and Jennifer Donaldson jumped on the chance to increase their square footage. By knocking down the walls between these two units, Steel City Studio now enjoys a brighter and more open space.

Beyond expanding, the renovation involved refinishing the oak flooring on the second floor, replacing the front door with a glass door, changing the tile at the front of the studio, adding a double glass door at the entrance and bringing the wiring up to code. It was important to Ubl and Donaldson to stay within the existing layout and maintain the charm of the 120-year-old building.

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The most significant updates involved making the space more environmentally friendly. The old windows facing east and south were replaced by more efficient windows. Wherever they changed the light fixtures, they also changed the light bulbs from halogen to LED to decrease their power draw.

“[P]art of what we do is keeping in mind [the] environmental component. So by sharing a lot of resources, it means that we can sort of lessen our environmental impact,” Ubl explained.

The studio has become green in more ways than one. The most impressive part of the renovation is the moss wall and ceiling on the second floor. The greenery was done by Greenteriors, one of the businesses that uses space at Steel City Studio. While designed to absorb acoustics in the new open floor plan, the moss also serves to inspire the makers and benefit their health. It is also a sign of new beginnings.

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To celebrate these new beginnings, the studio hosted an event to share the refreshed space with the community. They filled the space with artwork by the Hamilton Female Artists Collective and provided snacks, a cash bar and live acoustic music by musician Murray Thiessen.

They also announced the winner of their Spring Start-up Contest. The contest, which was ran through their socials, was open to creative entrepreneurs, artists and small businesses. They then invited the nominated makers to share their vision and tour the studio. The lucky winners were awarded two months of free studio space.

[W]e hear a lot that people want to gain access to the studio, but they're not really sure how to go about starting or, financially, they're not sure if they can make that commitment. So the point in this contest was to give someone the opportunity to get started in the space for a couple of months and help them to grow their business so that they can sustain staying in the studio,” Ubl said.

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Helping small creative businesses grow is the main goal of Steel City Studio. Not only does the studio offer space on a membership basis, it also provides flourishing businesses with business knowledge and supplies. An example of this is the six-week program, Open Co-tivation, which kicks off on March 12 and is designed to help entrepreneurs keep one another accountable.

In addition to these programs, the studio hosts various workshops, such as the upcoming Screenprinting Basics on March 16. And on March 30, the business will be hosting its seasonal Open Studio, which allows members of the community to check out the studio as well as meet and buy from makers.

Expanding the space will allow the studio to further meet its mandate and grow its influence in the city. There is a definite benefit to being able to work with, support and seek advice from other makers. The studio wants to continue to cater to individuals who are just starting creative endeavours.

“I think what we hope to be is that next step for people that are transitioning into either work in a creative field or into their own business….  [T]hey had everything at their fingertips while they were at school and then when they go to leave it's like ‘okay and now I'm doing this from home, how do I do that?’ So we definitely want to solidify that a little bit,” said Ubl.

Steel City Studio occupies a unique niche in Hamilton by bridging the gap between the maker and start-up cultures. By expanding its space, the studio has more room for Hamilton’s small creative businesses to grow in.

 

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Photos C/O Lauren Goodman

From side tables to sex toys, Hamilton-based artist Lauren Goodman’s work is all about blending functionality, feel and form.

Formally trained in fine woodworking at Williams & Cleal Furniture School in England, Goodman has a business designing and creating handmade furniture.

She also collaborates with other artists at Hamilton Audio Visual Node (HAVN), a multimedia arts collective. Additionally, she co-founded Sister Moon Collective, which focuses on fostering community and safer spaces through art.

In 2013, she helped create sex-positive submission-based zine Milkweed, where she was introduced to the erotic art scene. However, it was only recently that she began making erotic art of her own. She began creating hand carved wooden sex toys as a way to experiment with erotica.

“A friend of mine and I were talking about how wood is not a medium that people make sex toys out of,” said Goodman. “So just kind of sort of playing around using these offcuts to make different shapes and forms and sort of coming to forms that I like.”

Sex toys are a personal project for Goodman. Whereas her furniture is commission-based, her sex toys are more about personal exploration.

“This is me exploring my sexuality and what I want, and breaking down stigma that I have myself,” she said.

Through her erotic art, Goodman aims to normalize discussions about sexuality. By making beautiful, artistic sexual objects, she hopes to help break down taboos around sexuality and encourage people to explore sex openly.

“The idea is to break down this stigma of sexual objects, that they have to be in a little box under your bed,” Goodman said. “Why can't we put our ‘dirty’ thing on a plinth in our living room, and then when we want to have sex we grab it off the plinth and go have sex?”

Goodman finds that the sex-positive movement is slowly becoming more widely accepted.  In some ways, Instagram is helping to encourage this shift.

Instagram facilitates connections between like-minded artists from around the world, and in doing so builds an online community for an art form such as erotica that may have otherwise been considered niche.

Additionally, sites like Instagram provide opportunities for people to explore sexuality while maintaining some level of anonymity. Goodman notes that people who are reserved about sexuality in real life can find a sense of liberation and openness through social media.

However, the advent of digital media presents a unique set of challenges for Goodman. As a woodworker, the visual element of her work is only one part of the picture. The tactile component of her art is also vital.

“Even with the tables that I make, or lamps, or anything like that — I want you to touch them and feel like it's silky.,” she noted. “I want it to be tactile pleasing as well as aesthetically pleasing, as well as functionally working. And all of these things intersecting to make a beautiful piece of art.”

As online markets replace brick and mortar stores, consumers lose the ability to physically interact with work and provide real time feedback.

Goodman noted that many queer-centric, sex-positive shops are shutting their doors. This means that people lose tactile access to sex objects, as well as the ability to talk to people about sex.

Goodman points to the need for an independent, sex-positive sex shop in Hamilton.

“I would love a Girl On The Wing that just sold sex toys — you know, like the local stuff, really curated with nice colours — that would be amazing, that would be a great store,” she added.

The absence of sex-positive shops in Hamilton speaks to a larger observation about the city’s approach to sexuality.

While Hamilton is known for being an artistic city, it does not have an erotic art scene. She observes a history of sexual repression that pervades into the present day, noting that Hamilton only legalized burlesque last year.

“I think that those deep-seated ‘ickies’ towards sex is really fervent here. And that's maybe why it's a little stifled on the erotic side,” she said.

Goodman also points out that the absence of an erotic arts scene in Hamilton is in part to due with the city’s proximity to Toronto. Hamilton-based artists can take their work to Toronto if they are interested in pursuing erotic art in an already established scene.

Despite the lack of an erotic art scene in Hamilton, Goodman finds that artists often explore themes of sexuality in their work. She finds the artist community in Hamilton to be open, progressive and welcoming.

For Goodman, this openness is key. By exploring sexuality openly and honestly in her work, Goodman hopes to work away at her own internalized shame, and encourage others to do the same.

 

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Photos C/O USC Hugh M. Hefner Moving Image Archive

If you’re an avid reader of the Silhouette, then you’d know our annual rendition of Sex and the Steel City, much like the paper itself, has evolved quite a bit over the past couple of years.

Putting together this year’s sex-positive publication meant embracing the diverse ideas around sexuality, love and health. It’s about creating a non-judgemental space where experiences can be shared, identities are expressed and art can be enjoyed.

Through Sex and the Steel City we were also able to explore Hamilton’s history, challenge the issues our communities’ face and open eyes to future possibilities with passion and dedication.  

Every word and visual in this issue is also a reflection of the privileged position we, as a publication, are in to unapologetically express ourselves. A position that has been continuously denied to people historically and as of late.

For this reason our cover includes re-creations of stills from the recently discovered film Something Good - Negro Kiss. Directed by William Selig in 1898, the film depicts the earliest on-screen kiss between two Black stage entertainers and challenges the racist caricature prevalent in popular culture. In the 29-second silent film, Saint Suttle and Gertie Brown convey undeniable expression of love, pleasure and happiness.


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Stills from Something Good - Negro Kiss, a silent short film directed by William Selig in 1898 and starring Saint Suttle and Gertie Brown. The film was discovered and restored by University of Southern California archivist Dino Everett and identified by University of Chicago scholar Allyson Field.

 

We hope to continue the conversation around barriers that continue to marginalize identities today while also celebrating everything good they have to share.

Sex and the Steel City is a hopeful expression that love will prevail.

 

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Photos C/O Catherine Goce

By: Andrew Mrozowski

For many immigrants, integrating into Canadian society poses challenges. Hamilton Artists Inc. on James Street North consistently works with artists of all nationalities but realized that integration could be smoother.

“They were saying ‘We feel like we are not being heard. How do we get our voices out there [into the world]?’,” said Jasmine Mander, coordinator for Hamilton Artists Inc.

The Incoming program was created in order to address these questions and feelings. Designed to connect new refugees and migrants to Hamilton’s art world, Incoming provides artists with a basic understanding of how the art world works, especially on a Canadian scale, as it differs so from other countries.

The Incoming program started off with workshops that teach participants how to write biographies, artists statements and resumes. Hamilton Artist Inc. is also planning on hosting a meet and greet for new refugees and migrant artists as an opportunity to connect with one another and to other working artists.

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The main component of the Incoming program is an exhibition taking place in Hamilton Artists Inc.’s gallery space. All In One Place was curated through an open call that was posted within the community.

“Outreach is difficult because we aren’t just posting in local galleries, we’re posting in places like working centers and providing translations, so it is accessible.” stated Mander.

All In One Place is the culmination of four lifetimes’ worth of experiences represented in four vastly different styles of art. The exhibition features the works of four Hamilton-based artists: Jordi Alfaro who has created large sculptures that are thought provocative within the space; Cesar Correa Cordoba who uses natural materials to create realistic animal sculptures providing a dialogue between man’s relationship with nature; Salwa Issa who paints her investigation of water; and Bassem Alshamali who paints his depiction of the world through space and time.

For Cordoba, his story began in Mexico City. He lived and travelled to different parts of the country as he loved to learn about the diversity that existed within traditional art throughout different regions of Mexico.

“My inspiration is every root and ramification of nature. The traditional handcrafted arts of Mexico, diversity of plants and animals, the rivers, seas, forests, people… everything inspires me,” said Cordoba.

The artist took to using materials he found all around him to create life-like sculptures of owls, hawks and other animals.

“For this particular exhibition, I used nature as my inspiration. The sculptures with dry plants is to me something like a ritual and I feel connected with nature. I get to learn about plants, collect them and try to understand the shape of the universe,” explained Cordoba.

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Although Cordoba has only been in Canada for two years, he hopes that his work can share his Mexican heritage with the rest of Hamilton.

“The most important thing to take away from this exhibition is to enjoy it and think about the connection of diversity, in all levels… ,” said Cordoba.

Alshamali’s story began in Syria but he found himself fleeing to Jordan and Lebanon due to war. His final destination was immigrating to Canada. He was nearly done his PhD in Arts and Archeology in Lebanon before having to immigrate to Canada out of necessity in 2016.

The artist’s work has evolved since his arrival here. He feels free to express his thoughts and opinions without fearing any repercussions.

“I came from a place where the war has torn everything and most of the things that happened were for ideological conflicts! Being safe here taught me to be grateful and appreciate the little things as much as big ones. Through my experience, my story, my art I would like to emphasize that ‘love is wise, hatred is foolish’,” said Alshamali.

“Each artwork has a technical and intellectual time for materializing the ideas into a physical form, though I would say it’s hard to put that implementation into a time frame. Especially since I am a sculptor and I see the painting from a different perspective, a sculptural perspective,” explained Alshamali.

Hamilton Artists Inc. hopes that the Incoming program will be a sustainable way for migrants in Canada to be able to seamlessly integrate into the art community, so they do not have to go into cities such as Toronto and be overshadowed by others.

“We always focus so much on differences,” said Mander, “but if we break it all down, at the end of the day we are so much more alike than we are different. It doesn’t matter where we come from, we’re all together in one place.”

All in One Place will be on exhibition until March 9th at Hamilton Artists Inc. located at 155 James Street North.

 

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Photos by Kyle West, Graphics by Sukaina Imam

For many students, living in residence is an important part of the first year experience. In recent years, universities across the country have had to act quickly to meet the increased demand for residence space on campus.

McMaster has 12 residence buildings that house approximately 3,700 students. The demand for student housing, however, is far higher. Currently, there is only enough residence space for about 40 per cent of incoming first year students.

McMaster is one of the only universities in Ontario that does not provide guaranteed campus housing for first year students. In order to be guaranteed admission to residence, students must meet a minimum grade average. All other students are placed on a waitlist.

Finding Space on Campus

In 2016, McMaster had to fit 200 additional students into residence due to higher than anticipated enrollment numbers. As an immediate solution, double rooms were converted into three person units.

The Living Learning Centre currently being built on the north end of campus will help to meet the need for residence space. In addition to classrooms and student services, it will also offer 500 suite and traditional-style residence rooms.

But there is only so much space on campus. In order to meet the rapidly increasing demand for residence space, universities across Canada are rushing to create new housing options.

One novel yet controversial approach to the problem of minimal housing space comes from the University of British Columbia’s “nano suites” pilot project.

Enrolment numbers at UBC have been steadily increasing and have led to space and resource shortages. The university is now considering scaling back admission of international students, according to UBC’s student-run newspaper The Ubyssey.

Nano suites are 140 square foot housing units containing a bed, desk, bathroom and kitchen. A desk sits under the bed, which can retract into the wall to save space.

The nano suites will account for 71 rooms in a new 362 unit student residence building on UBC’s campus.

One of the main draws of the nano suites is the cost. Each unit costs around $700 a month which, compared to Vancouver’s notoriously high rent costs, is a strong draw for students.

However, living in such a small space is not a feasible option for everybody. The Ubyssey notes that the units are less than double the size of a minimum-sized single occupancy Canadian prison cell.

While scaling down the size of residence rooms is one approach to the problem, the more common approach is to build residences off campus.

Turning to Private Companies

Private developers have noticed this trend. In some cities such as Waterloo and Toronto, the demand for student residences is so high that private companies have built student residences independently of the universities.

Since privately operated residences are not affiliated with universities, students do not get access to the same benefits and support systems that are typically available in traditional residences. Additionally, privately owned residences are often far more expensive than traditional options.

Due to a lack of government funding for residence construction, many universities are unable to build their own new residence buildings. In recent years Canadian universities have begun exploring public-private partnerships to fund university-affiliated student residences.

York University, U of T and McGill are among the growing cohort of Canadian universities who have partnered with private companies to fund student residence buildings.

In 2017, McMaster announced its plan to follow suit. The university bought a group of nine Westdale houses around campus for $9.5 million with the plan to develop a multi-storey residence building in partnership with Knightstone capital management, a Toronto-based company that specializes in student residences.

While the construction will be handled privately, McMaster will run the residence as part of the university-wide student housing system.

The proposed first phase of the residence will have 950 beds, and there will an additional 455 if there is sufficient demand.

In addition to the Westdale residence, McMaster is also partnering with Knightstone to build a residence in downtown Hamilton for graduate students and their families.

Knightstone aims to build residences that challenge the perception of unclean, unsafe student living. Their website claims that they cater to the new generation of students with higher expectations about their student living conditions.

“These expectations, taken together with security, cost and cleanliness as their parents’ hot buttons, have created consumers that seek a student residence experience at a level that corresponds to their home life,.” read a part of their site.

Some of the new privately developed student residences across Canada more closely resemble luxury condominiums than traditional student dormitories.

CampusOne is a student residence in downtown Toronto that houses students from the University of Toronto, Ryerson and Ontario College of Art and Design. The building houses movie theatres and a fitness studio, and the website advertises Feng Shui compliant rooms.

While privately and jointly funded residences offer luxury, they also tend to be more expensive than university owned buildings. A standard room at CampusOne, for example, costs about $1700 a month, not including the meal plan.

McMaster has yet to announce the costs of the new residence buildings in Westdale and downtown Hamilton.

 

Community Impact

By building student residences the surrounding city, universities are better able to meet the increasing demand for housing. However, building residences off campus means that universities must account for the needs of the surrounding community members.

The proposed Westdale residence concerned residents, who worried that the height and density of the proposed building would alter the community. A letter from Ainslie Wood/Westdale Community Association Of Resident Homeowners Inc. to the city of Hamilton expressed concern about foot and vehicle traffic and, as well as the plan for yearly move in and move out.

“We understand the need of the University, and we endorse a development on the proposed site; however, we feel that this development in its present form will have long-lasting negative effects on the immediate community,” states the letter.

Community resistance to off-campus student residences is not unique to Hamilton.

In 2013, a proposed private residence for U of T students faced similar backlash from members of the surrounding community. The Harbord village residents’ association found issues with the proposed building’s height and density, among other concerns.

A new proposal was announced this past summer that accounted for the concerns raised by the HVRA. However, it took five years of negotiation to come to the agreement.

While building residences off campus may be necessary to accommodate for increasing enrollment, it requires careful consultation with community members.

 

As university admissions continue to rise across the country, so too will the demand for student housing. While many incoming students want the first year residence experience, the future of campus living is anything but traditional.

 

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Photos C/O Peggy Baker Dance Projects

It has been said that life is a dance. No one knows that better than celebrated Canadian dance artist Peggy Baker whose dance installation Move captures the duality of caregiving. The free installation will be performed on Feb. 2 at the Art Gallery of Hamilton as part of McMaster University’s Socrates Project.

The dance installation takes place in a 28 by 28-foot square surrounded by a frame.  It is 70-minutes long and is organized into four cycles. The cyclic nature of the piece and the fact that it rotates throughout means audience members can take it in from multiple angles.

 

The performers are not necessarily dancers by trade but members of the community who love dance. There are 16 of them dancing in pairs that reverse roles with each cycle. They were selected in November 2018 during a two-hour workshop and audition.

The story of Move began 10 years ago when Baker first presented the dance as part of Toronto contemporary art event Nuit Blanche. At that time, the dance was 20 minutes long and done on the hour every hour for 12 hours with 12 pairs of professional dancers. When Baker put on Move for the second time at the Art Gallery of Ontario a couple years later, she decided to extend the length of the piece and do it with fewer dancers.  

It was while doing the dance at the Art Gallery of Ontario that Baker thought about using community members as the dancers. She has since put on several performances of Move with non-professional dancers, staging the entire performance in five three-hour rehearsals.

 

Baker’s own experience with caregiving formed a part of the inspiration for the installation. She was the primary caregiver to her late husband, who had primary progressive multiple sclerosis. She found that caregiving involves a beautiful rapport between the one receiving and the one giving care.

Baker was also inspired by art and dance itself. While teaching in Philadelphia, she was struck by the beauty of partnership when she had dancers pair up and help another during some difficult movement sequences. Also while in Philadelphia, she saw an exhibition of paintings by American painter George Tooker and was inspired by the images of people embracing one another.

The dancers changing roles throughout the piece represents the inevitability of being on both sides of caregiving. The choreography for the piece overall is formal and highly organized, mimicking the ritualized elements of human lives. The choice to have four cycles mimics the cyclic structure of the seasons and the fact that there are four cardinal directions.

“[I]t’s something universal. We all receive that kind of intimate physical care and physical nurturing as infants and children. We may all find ourselves in a position where we where we are called upon to give care to a parent or a partner or a child. And we may all eventually need to receive care,” explained Baker.

KITCHENER, Ont. (09/04/18) - Victoria Park

 

The electro-acoustic soundtrack, composed by musician and composer Debashis Sinha, is also organized into four cycles. It is subtle and atmospheric, not quite music but a sonic landscape for the audience and dancers to reside in.

Baker encourages audience members to walk around the square performance space, close their eyes or turn their back to view the art in the gallery. The space allows viewers to feel comfortable arriving after it begins or even leaving before it ends.

I like it to be in a public place. I like it to be in a place that already is claimed by the community as being a place in their town or city like this is… an art gallery, a foyer of a theater, a market… [I]t needs to locate itself in the heart of the community… [I]t's about community building basically,” Baker said.

At the end of the piece, the dancers pour water for one another and drink it. One of the dancers in the group, a ceramic artist, suggested that the group each makes the vessel that they drink out of. At the end of one of their rehearsals, she guided her fellow dancers through making their own bowl.

The creativity and passion brought on by these community dancers give this installation of Move a unique tint. However, the beauty of Move is the universality of the theme and the way in which it can move anyone.

 

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A response to the "Taking the Pulse of campus projects" editorial from the Sept. 21 issue.

By: Shaarujaa Nadarajah

From being an SRA member to being on the Board of Directors, I have always tried to take criticism with grace. I am a strong believer in the notion that there are always ways we can improve as a community and the day I choose to reject feedback was the day I fail as a representative member. However, in my time as a representative, I have also recognized the value of using my voice to share perspective — maybe a perspective someone hadn’t considered and one that is integral to conversations we were having.

As a member of the 2016-2017 board, I can answer the first question posed in the editorial. I’ve held a Pulse membership for the last four years and am a frequent user of the facility. In my time as a Pulse user, one thing that was blatantly apparent was that the Pulse was overcrowded. But I wasn’t the only student that recognized this need as countless surveys sent out in the years before my term indicated that students wanted to see improvements being made to their athletic and recreation space.

Years of on the ground feedback collected by boards before us set the foundation for a space referendum to be sent to students where they directly got to vote on fee increases and whether this was a project they wanted the MSU to invest time and resources into. I guess the “true vanity” in this project came when the referendum failed by 10 votes the first time and how we had to go knocking on every administers’ door day after day begging the university to invest money into this project because that is what students asked us to do.

Construction takes time and expansions can’t happen overnight, however. The athletics department discussed in length the measures they would take to address the increased traffic they foresaw happening by planning to open up a pop up Pulse for students by end of October and by extending gym hours.

I will admit having an overcrowded gym is an inconvenience, but alternatively, I would gladly wait five more minutes for an elliptical if it means hundreds more students were taking advantage of their membership. I am willing to endure the short term pains to ensure the long term gains of working to build a healthier campus together. Are you?

But an overcrowded Pulse was just a small moot point in the greater systemic problem the writer was examining that was calling to question whether board members should work on long term projects. Making reference to Teddy’s failed Perspectives on Peace initiative and Ehima’s gender neutral bathrooms, the article does a good job of highlighting that one year is, in fact, a short time frame to work on some student projects.

However, what the article failed to recognize is the follow through these projects had years beyond these Presidents’ terms in office. After Teddy’s term, he went to work for Patrick Deane where he began the Model UN Conference, which was founded on the same principles as Perspectives on Peace and now continues to run as a yearly conference. As for gender neutral bathrooms, sustainability of projects are just as important to consider with the MSU’s yearly turnover and the gender neutral project is a true representation on how the MSU continued to work with the Equity and Inclusion Office to carry this project between multiple board terms because it remained a priority for students. In fact, I doubt many students even associate gender neutral bathrooms with Ehima any longer.

In order to leave a legacy, people need to remember you actually worked on the project. Using the expansion as an example, I hardly think three years from now students will even remember what board was responsible for initiating this project. All that will be seen is the hundreds of students who no longer have to eat their lunch on their ground or the religious faith groups on campus who will finally have a prayer space. The reality is we don’t do these projects for the vanity. We don’t spend over 60 hours a week working on these projects because we want the recognition. We do it because we care about students.

Students critique board members of coming short in making large-scale changes for them during their one year terms. However, when they attempt to take on large projects, they are critiqued for their lack of forethought in picking projects they can complete in their term. So, what I have come to realize is that whatever you do, you will always be faced with criticism. And that is okay because that is part of the challenge that comes with representing such a diverse population of 22,000 students here at McMaster.

So, I guess I will end it off here and bid you all farewell until the next 600 word article is written about us.

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Space travel began with the launch of Sputnik 1, the first satellite. The first human to orbit the Earth was Russian, but the Americans made it to the moon first. Since then, Russia and North America have dominated space travel. The Canadian Space Agency was first established in 1989, with its first major contribution being Canadarm, a robotic arm capable of satellite manipulation. The success of Canadarm prompted the National Aeronautics and Space Administration to work with the CSA to train Canadian astronauts and send them to space. Several years later, Chris Hadfield became a household name when he became the first Canadian to command the International Space Station. Since then, the CSA has started to rely on Russian capsules to get them to low-earth orbit, limiting the number of trips that Canadian astronauts can make and therefore limiting the need for astronauts. At the moment, the CSA only has two active astronauts, David Saint-Jacques and Jeremy Hansen. This is the smallest that the Canadian astronaut corps has ever been.

Last year the CSA put out a job posting for two more astronauts. Now, the remaining candidates will undergo a series of selection events geared at determining their ability to work in a team and cope with physical and mental stress. The final two will be relocated to Houston, Texas in August of 2017 to begin their official training as astronauts for the CSA. The recruitment campaign will reinforce Canadian contribution to the exploration of the new frontier. The rigorous selection criteria means that the CSA has their pick among the most qualified Canadians, and the two who will be chosen to represent the country on a global scale.

Among those who applied was Thomas Karakolis. He is one of 72 remaining Canadians, and two McMaster alumni, who are vying for one of two positions.

Self-Sufficiency

Karakolis completed his undergraduate degree in mechanical engineering and pursued a master’s degree under the supervision of Greg Whol looking at biomechanics and bone adaptation to mechanical loading. After finishing two degrees at McMaster, Karakolis moved to Waterloo to complete a PhD in applied health sciences in the department of kinesiology.

Portrait of Thomas Karakolis, PhD

Portrait of Thomas Karakolis, PhD

Karakolis credits much of his education at McMaster for the fact that he has made it this far into the selection process.

“It is tough to tell exactly what the CSA is looking for. I think it is someone who has a diverse background,” said Karakolis.

The CSA website says that among the key factors for consideration is excellent health, a university education in science, engineering or medicine and extensive knowledge and experience. The wide breadth of requirements for becoming an astronaut ensures that those who are sent to space are capable of dealing with a multitude of problems thrown their way.

“There are only a few astronauts on the International Space Station so they have to be the scientists conducting scientific experimentation on animals, on plants, on themselves. But they also have to be people that maintain the space station so they have to be mechanics, plumbers, and electricians that take care of the space station,” said Karakolis. Three people typically inhabit the ISS at a time. They alone are responsible for the integrity of the orbiting structure and the discoveries that come from its use. If something breaks, they are the ones to fix it. The astronauts on the ISS also do any unloading and reloading of re-supply vehicles and equipment maintenance. Their purpose in space is to run experiments geared at understanding more about the biological and physical world, the universe and how being in space affects the human body.

"The ultimate goal of science is discovery and to progress our knowledge as a civilization and a species of not only ourselves but the world around us."
Thomas Karakolis
Canadian Space Agency applicant

Karakolis hopes that his background in biomechanics and experience with experimentation makes him a good fit to contribute to one of the goals of space travel: discovery. “The ultimate goal of science is discovery and to progress our knowledge as a civilization and a species of not only ourselves but the world around us,” said Karakolis.

He is currently working as a defence scientist with Defence Research and Development Canada, an agency of the Department of National Defence. His research focuses on human performance and injury prevention in members of the Canadian Armed Forces. His educational background allows him to apply biomechanics to physiological functioning.

“Astronauts are scientists in space and a lot of the experimentation they do is on themselves as well as their crewmates,” said Karakolis.

Independence Day

According to Karakolis, the current most exciting occurrence in space travel is the progress NASA has made in gaining the independence to send astronauts to space themselves. Currently, Canadian and American astronauts rely on Russia’s Soyuz rocket to take them to the ISS, at the price of $80 million per person. This means that the CSA currently has only one way to get to space, via the Soyuz, and only one destination, the ISS. Taken together, the CSA only gets a space flight on average of once every four to five years. Up until now, the CSA has not had a need for more than two active astronauts.

NASA’s Commercial Crew Program asked companies to design the next generation of space systems that will carry astronauts into low-Earth orbit. NASA awarded SpaceX and Boeing a contract to complete the design of their capsules that will carry astronauts to the ISS. While the first manned test flights were set for 2018, safety delays and challenges have set the progress back and NASA will likely not certify the capsules until much later. Karakolis does believe that the CSA will be playing a role in the development of these capsules, although the best way to contribute has yet to be decided.

“The anticipation is with these new vehicles, and missions, there will be more frequent opportunities for the CSA to send Canadian astronauts to space in the near future,” said Karakolis. These up and coming opportunities for space travel lead the CSA to launch the 2016 astronaut recruitment campaign.

Karakolis believes that it is integral that Canada reinforces its contribution to space travel in order to continue giving our astronauts access to the sky. The CSA’s close relationship with NASA means that a NASA victory is a victory the CSA as well.

“Right now, we don’t have a capability to get Canadians to space on our own, so we need to deal with access through either the Russian technology or the new American technology so I think instead of… just buying tickets essentially, contributing makes us more a part of the journey, the adventure, the discovery,” said Karakolis.

"Astronauts are scientists in space and a lot of the experimentation they do is on themselves as well as their climates."
Thomas Karakolis
Canadian Space Agency applicant 

The Right Timing

Karakolis says that he always wanted to be an astronaut. “I don’t think I am unique in that way; a lot of kids dream about being astronauts,” he said.

While he encourages those who dream of space travel to pursue their dreams, it is not a career that you can bank on.

“One thing that I was never quite sure of was if I would get an opportunity as good as the opportunity I have now,” he said. “It is one of those things that you dream about and you hope for but you can never really plan on being an astronaut because there are so few opportunities and some of it has to do with just being able to go for it when they do make a call like they did last year.”

The last time the CSA made a job posting for astronauts was in 2008. The 2016 recruitment campaign was the fourth ever for the CSA. The yearlong selection process is not only gruelling and stressful, but also has a low success rate; from the thousands of initial applicants, only two are going to be chosen this year. At a rate of about two new Canadians becoming astronauts every 10 years, there is an element of luck that plays into the job. The right opportunity has to present itself at the right time, when the person is ready. Despite this, Karakolis still encourages those who look to the sky to work hard and look out for opportunities to apply.

The candidates will find out who is chosen before Aug. 2017. After getting chosen, the two astronauts will be trained in Houston, Texas at the Johnson Space Centre for about two years. Once on the ISS, the Canadian astronaut will be working with the Americans and Russians and potentially astronauts from another space agency such as Europe or Japan.

Karakolis hopes to be the newest Canadian to explore the new frontier. “It is really the idea of being able to explore, being on the cutting edge of human discovery and at the same time being able to inspire people and to encourage people to pursue their dreams,” said Karakolis. For the CSA, the 2017 recruitment campaign will help Canadian space travel pick up speed once again.

 

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