As McMaster's student population continues to grow, limited parking infrastructure creates mounting challenges for both commuter and resident students
By: Ardena Bašić, Opinion Contributor
McMaster University's parking situation has reached a critical point, with demand for parking spaces significantly exceeding the available supply. This shortage affects not just commuter students, but also off-campus residents who keep their vehicles on university grounds, creating a complex challenge that requires immediate attention.
The current parking system at McMaster is characterized by waitlists for parking permits, forcing students to seek alternatives that often compromise their time, safety or finances. For example, many students park on side roads, local businesses or other areas where parking can be under strict time limits, unsafe and potentially more costly than campus options.
While the university has implemented a tiered pricing system offering various rates for different time periods, the impact of these measures appears minimal in addressing the core issue of capacity.
One of the most significant challenges is the limited availability of parking spaces near core campus areas. In a recent study of students in the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area, 41 per cent of students reported that long commutes discouraged them from coming to campus more often, with parking challenges being a significant factor in this decision.
41 per cent of students reported that long commutes discouraged them from coming to campus more often, with parking challenges being a significant factor in this decision.
The financial burden of parking adds another layer of complexity to the issue. Current parking fees represent a substantial expense for students already managing tuition, textbooks and other educational costs. While the university's tiered pricing system again attempts to distribute demand across different time slots, the number of students able to take advantage of reduced pricing after 4:00 p.m. is likely minimal due to rigid class schedules.
The parking challenge extends beyond just commuter students. Many students living off-campus in nearby neighbourhoods rely on their vehicles for work commitments, grocery shopping or family obligations. These students often need long-term parking solutions that the current infrastructure struggles to provide.
Looking ahead, several potential solutions could help address these challenges. While constructing new parking facilities would be the most straightforward solution, space constraints and environmental considerations make this option complicated.
Alternative approaches might include implementing smart parking systems to optimize space utilization, developing partnerships with nearby private parking facilities, expanding shuttle services from remote parking locations, creating designated carpool parking areas with incentivized rates and introducing flexible permit options that align with hybrid learning schedules.
However, immediate actions are also necessary. McMaster should conduct comprehensive surveys to understand parking usage patterns and student needs. This data could inform more effective short-term solutions while longer-term infrastructure plans are developed.
The university should also consider how parking policies intersect with its sustainability goals. While addressing parking needs is crucial, solutions should align with environmental responsibilities and encourage alternative transportation methods where feasible.
McMaster's parking challenges represent a significant infrastructure issue that affects the daily lives of numerous students. As the university continues to grow, finding innovative solutions to address parking capacity while balancing accessibility, affordability and sustainability will be crucial for maintaining its reputation as a student-centered institution.
After nearly five decades, McMaster graduate from class of 1965 reunited with lost graduation ring just in time for 83rd birthday
McMaster alum Morgan Perigo lost his graduation ring in 1977 during a family vacation in Barbados when it slipped off into the ocean. Nearly five decades later, he was reunited with it thanks to professional freediver Alex Davis and McMaster Alumni officer Laura Escalante.
Davis discovered the McMaster ring using an underwater metal detector and contacted McMaster University to track down its owner.
Davis discovered the McMaster ring using an underwater metal detector and contacted McMaster University to track down its owner.
Davis's email to McMaster reached Laura Escalante, a
McMaster alumni officer, who took on the task of identifying the ring’s owner. Escalante identified the owner, Frederick Morgan Perigo, by cross-referencing the engraved graduation year, 1965, and the initials "FMP" with alumni records.
Escalante shared insights about the collaborative effort that ultimately reunited the ring with Perigo.
“It went directly to my director at the time and then my director forwarded it to me to follow up on because I work with reunions . . . So, I have some familiarity with the audience,” said Escalante.
Escalante searched through the alumni records and narrowed the search down to Perigo by looking for his graduation year and the engraved initials. She noted that identifying the owner would have been more challenging had the ring not included his middle initial.
“It was just a matter of matching up. There was, luckily, one record that had those initials,” said Escalante.
It was just a matter of matching up. There was, luckily, one record that had those initials.
Laura Escalante, Alumni Officer
McMaster University
While it’s not uncommon for people to contact the McMaster Alumni Office to reconnect with old friends or classmates, Escalante had never encountered a case like this one in her career.
Escalante managed to have the ring returned to Perigo just in time for his 83rd birthday, 47 years after he lost it. The story of the McMaster alum's reunion with his graduation ring has made global headlines, being covered by The Washington Post and The New York Times.
If you are an international student who uses social media frequently, and find it hard to put down your phone, it’s time to start prioritizing your social and mental health
By Nada Mahmoud, Contributor
Every day, international students leave their homes and families behind to earn a powerful education abroad and secure a future with greater opportunities. Some might say that trying to make new friends is key to coping with feelings of loneliness. But, being in a new environment with different socio-cultural norms and barriers like language makes it harder to put yourself out there.
The International student population has been rapidly growing in Canada over the past decade, contributing about 22 billion dollars to the Canadian economy.
Universities put in a lot of effort to attract international students, who tend to pay more than triple the tuition of domestic students. However, efforts to support them mentally and socially upon arrival are limited.
When the COVID-19 pandemic came along, feelings of loneliness increased. Many were unable to go back home to their families and the lack of community resulted in increased reliance on social media. According to research, poorly adjusted international students reported the highest use of social media before and after the pandemic. Social media was the only way for students to satisfy their need for social interaction without feeling uncomfortable or exposed.
A study was conducted on university students which considered other factors such as moving into residence, to a new community. With McMaster’s very large international and out-of-province student population, many students end up being away from home in a new environment with new people which can be difficult.
On one hand, some students report low levels of loneliness as they remain focused on schoolwork and only use social media as a method of communication to stay in contact with friends and family.
Yet, most students show high levels of loneliness because they yearned to reinvent themselves online when starting a new phase of their life. The desire to edit themselves caused loneliness. It became challenging to maintain the standards they set, hindering their ability to communicate with other students offline.
Thus, students over-rely on social media, causing severe loneliness and social anxiety. Excessive social media use leads to an increase in cases of loneliness and corresponding mental illnesses which is why researchers continue to try and pinpoint the best way to use social media to take advantage of its benefits while staying shielded from the harm it causes.
Today, mental health research indicates that loneliness is more prominent than ever, which is particularly worrying since the majority of internet and social media users are young adults.
People who use social media the most, especially those who depend on it, suffer at the highest rate. We can see this through the way they use social media which reflects on how it impacts their mental health.
For example, if an international student uses social media to connect with people, they know offline such as family and friends back home, the impact is minor. But for students who use social media as a primary source of communication with others, the impacts are serious. As a result, when they stop or simply log off, all sense of connection vanishes.
Social media usage needs to be managed on a personal level since everyone is different; everyone's brain functions differently and this is especially true for teenagers. Young adults are more vulnerable to developing feelings of loneliness and hurt caused by over-usage. Therefore, trying to reduce social media use and focusing on offline social life is essential for students to keep their mental health a priority.
While resources are offered, current efforts to support international students are severely lacking. As was proven when the pandemic hit students across Canada found it hard to make appointments with their university counsellors due to the high number of students trying to get support. Universities and governments must work to prioritize the social and mental health of international students and provide more holistic support to meet their needs.
Universities can focus on creating spaces for students from similar backgrounds to connect and come together to feel more at home while governments need to focus on making international students feel valued.
It is important to recognize the politics of books because the art cannot be separated from the artist when it comes to literature
As with many other bookworms, I read to escape my own stressful reality by stepping into the world of someone else. People who read for fun have inspired imaginations and creative thinking skills. Plus, readers tend to have more positive outlooks on life compared to non-readers.
But, reading is much more than simply a form of entertainment. Reading is a great way to gain knowledge about the real world, making it a political act because politics are the intricate relationships between people within society, usually regarding people who have and don't have power.
Historically, reading has been linked to upward social mobility, freedom, and radical change. Reading and education coexist because the organization of political movements cannot happen unless people are educated on the issue.
Historically, reading has been linked to upward social mobility, freedom, and radical change. Reading and education coexist because the organization of political movements cannot happen unless people are educated on the issue. Many independent bookstores and libraries put out reading lists to support movements and to educate their consumers. For example, the Hamilton Public Library has a reading list for Black Lives Matter.
Reading and education are so powerful that many attempts have been made throughout time to censor or ban books. Book bans have been sweeping across the United States, but the removal of books is also happening in our own neighbourhoods in Canada. In September of 2023, the Peel District School Board (PDSB) was accused of weeding out 50 per cent of its library books simply because they were published pre-2008.
PDSB defended its actions by claiming that weeding out old books promoted inclusivity and diversity. However, by following the sole criteria of publishing date, the school board was erasing important history. The loss of certain books sparked anger because many of them were used to educate students on real-world events that should not be forgotten.
Reading influences the outcome of politics, but the creation of books is also influenced by politics. A book cannot be separated from an author just as politics cannot be separated from everyday life. Authors write what they know, embedding little parts of themselves and their beliefs throughout their work. Books reflect reality, both good and bad, and expose readers to a vast range of human experiences and world views.
Although reading can serve as a positive political tool to educate the masses, there are times when books do more harm than good. Unfortunately, readers can sometimes also be exposed to extremely problematic and offensive literature. Where books are hypothetical and imaginative for some, they are triggering for others when they mishandle or glorify topics such as homophobia, racism, sexual assault, and more.
I spend a lot of time in the online book communities of BookTok, Bookstagram, and BookTube where I often encounter the rhetoric of "keep politics out of books." But, for the reasons explained above, it is virtually impossible to remove the politics from books. As a content creator in these spaces who openly criticizes harmful authors, I get frustrated when I'm told I'm "making a big deal out of nothing" because "it's just fiction."
Many comments made along these lines have been in relation to my attempts at exposing authors who romanticize and erase the violent nature of sexual assault. For survivors, these books are never "just fictional" because reading them can easily trigger past or ongoing trauma. In addition, it can teach young readers that certain acts of violence are okay and prevent them from speaking up if they become a victim.
The art cannot be separated from the artist. When not held accountable for their actions, authors continue to profit from their harmful remarks and glorification of violence. For example, J. K. Rowling, the author of the Harry Potter series, has never apologized for her transphobic, homophobic, and racist behaviour, yet she remains a multi-millionaire.
To ignore the ways reading and writing are political acts is to remain in a state of ignorance. Being university students we are taught to use our critical thinking skills and we can extend this ability to reading. Yes, it is a fun hobby, but as readers, we are always in communication with society. We decipher what is true and what is not based on what we know about the political world.
Despite the resuming of processing for certain visas to enter India, travel visas in particular remain inaccessible to students who wanting to travel there this holiday season
On Oct. 25, the Indian Government resumed processing certain visas, including entry and conference visas. Visas are notations in passports granted by international countries embassies where a person does not hold passport or permanent residency.
On Sept. 21 the Government of India paused the processing of VISA requests from Canadian passport holders. The pause on visa processing arose after the Government of Canada expressed that they believed the Indian Government assisted in the assassination of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, who expressed beliefs pertaining to independent Khalistan State. The statement had caused several other actions to be taken by both countries.
This pause resulted in a few different impacts on the Canadian passport-holding population. Given that the overall service was paused, any applications that had been submitted before the pause were affected. Canadians currently in India are also affected, as any requests for extensions of stay were not being processed.
For those who intend on visiting family and relatives in India, tourist visas are still not being processed. Additionally, if your layover for a flight requires staying in India for over 24 hours (or to leave the designated transit areas) a transit visas is required. Transit visas are currently suspended as well.
Given the current pause on tourist and transit visas, the two types of visas students are most likely to need if they are travelling to India to visit family or tourism purposes, this pause could have an impact on students' upcoming plans.
This is an ongoing story.
Food Collective Centre at McMaster University shares how they are contributing to supporting students through the ongoing food crisis
Food insecurity has become increasingly relevant in Canada, with reports from 2023 indicating that throughout Canada people are struggling with food for many different economical factors, such as cost of living.
This issue is also prevalent in Hamilton. The Hamilton Food Share coordinates emergency food shipping throughout their their 23 hunger-relief programs. They found in March 2023 there was a total of just over 33 500 visits across their 23 hunger-relief programs.
The Food Collective Centre at McMaster University is a service that offers a food bank system and resources for students. In addition to their food bank, the FCC has fronted other food security initiatives such as Lockers of Love, Good Food Box and the Community Kitchen Workshop.
FCC director Samantha Cheng shared that the food insecurity for students presents in many different ways. Cheung explained that food illiteracy, or not being able or struggling to find time to cook, is a common contributor to food insecurity.
“Fresh produce is what's most difficult to obtain, students tend to turn to the quicker options. Which often look like processed foods [or] snacks and so produce might be at the back of their agenda. Which is obviously not great, because you want to promote eating more fruits and vegetables for better health outcomes,” said Cheng.
Fresh produce is what's most difficult to obtain, students tend to turn to the quicker options. Which often look like processed foods [or] snacks and so produce might be at the back of their agenda
Samantha Cheng, Food Collective Centre director
Cheng explained that due to many of these factors, food insecurity is experienced at higher rates by marginalized communities. She expressed that this holds true not just at McMaster, but the larger community that spans Canada.
Within marginalized student communities, Cheung explained how international students are specifically at risk of being subjected to food insecurity. This demographic is recognized within the FCC and they are currently in contact with the International Student Services.
Cheung shared how at one of their recent International Food & Grocery Trips, the FCC presented their work, and exchanged information with the students.
“International students, [FCC’s] also seen, they struggle with adapting to the food systems here in Canada, and especially like not being able to access cultural, like food that they're used to in their culture,” said Cheng.
Currently the FCC is planning an initiative with the Indigenous Health Movement to raise awareness on Indigenous food sovereignty. She shared that raising awareness is important, and can further educate students on an aspect of Indigenous sovereignty.
Cheng ultimately believes that by working with groups on campus that focus specifically on marginalized populations that they can better understand how to address the needs of food insecurity from these communities.
“One way we are trying to address specific marginalized groups is to reach out to different communities on campus that are that perhaps have people who can who represent these groups and work towards these groups, and we partner with them. We hope to partner with them to raise awareness for the greater student population,” said Cheng.
Cheng shared that the biggest barrier to services they currently face is budget. She shared that while they do not focus specifically on donations from the community, they do accept them.
“A lot of times our partners are disappointed or frustrated because they go to the pantry and they see there's nothing there. We are limited by budget in terms of how much we can purchase for the fridge in the community [and] the fridge in the pantry space, despite having [a] give what you can take what you need model. It's definitely been unbalanced. So funding is the largest barrier for all services, not just the food center,” said Cheng.
We are limited by budget in terms of how much we can purchase for the fridge in the community [and] the fridge in the pantry space, despite having [a] give what you can take what you need model.
Samantha Cheng, Food Collective Centre director
Cheng expressed that students are more than encouraged to reach out to the FCC whenever needed. They can answers questions, and help guide you through their services.
“We're here to support you, and we understand. We understand that your situation so you're not alone in this struggle,” said Cheng.
To learn more about FCC please visit their website, and get updates on current events please follow their Instagram. McMaster University has a McMaster Campus Food Council, where they share a list of resources on campus for students to utilize.
As the country’s economy weakens, students need to prepare for the financial consequences of a recession
The Canadian economy has undeniably been facing a rough patch for the past year. With the cost of living rising and wages lagging far behind, inflationary pressures left many Canadians squeezing their wallets dry.
However, experts predict things are about to become much worse for Canadians as the economy nears a recession.
A recession is defined as a period of economic decline. Marked by a decrease in a country’s gross domestic product, a recession brings severe job cuts as businesses reduce production, sales suffer, and consumer spending falls.
So, why should you care?
While the weakened state of the economy affects everyone, students, and especially socioeconomically disadvantaged students, are more disproportionately burdened by the consequences of a recession.
Students already grapple with a range of education-related costs, on top of their basic necessities, but the volatile economic state could lead to even further financial constraints and unexpected expenses.
As universities also begin to feel the effects of a recession, educational budget choices become difficult, often resulting in cuts to financial aid programs to support students.
The lack of financial aid, joined with the hiking interest rates on existing student loans, makes students more vulnerable to accumulating debt during a recession. Of greater concern, however, is the fact that some may end up digging themselves an even bigger hole, as they’re forced to borrow more money as a means of short-term relief.
Beyond these financial constraints, graduating students and those who are employed or searching for employment will need to navigate an unstable job market. The rise in layoffs may hit some working students, but graduating students and those searching for work will face a range of challenges securing a job as employment opportunities become scarce. The inability to secure a job during a recession only magnifies the financial hardships endured by students who rely on employment to support their day-to-day needs and pay off their student loan debt.
Though the recession will widen economic disparities, stretching students thinner than ever, preparing now can help mitigate the way you experience the economic downturn.
As with inflation, reducing spending on unnecessary purchases is a fundamental starting point to saving up for the heightened financial pressures brought by a recession. However, paying bills and credit card balances on time is also vital to ensuring you aren’t slammed with late fees and high interest charges during an already stressful period.
Since the recession will hit individuals with less skills and work experience harder, graduating students will need to think more about the implications of entering the job market during this time.
Not only will they face worse job prospects, but research also suggests that students who leave school for work face a range of long-term consequences.
For instance, those graduating in a recession are dealt lower wages and lose out on initial earnings compared to students who graduate prior to a recession. Research also suggests that these students are less likely to hold managerial or skilled positions by their thirties. These issues in employment, however, translate to more concerning impacts such as lower socioeconomic status and poorer health outcomes.
While the prospect of graduating in a recession is daunting, preparing yourself for the unstable job market through career counselling and making yourself more hireable are important steps in increasing your chances of employment. The basic advice for advancing your competitive edge in the job market has always been to diversify your skillset through further training or taking on job and volunteer opportunities that contribute to professional development – and that advice is still valuable.
The bottom line is recessionary pressures will affect you no matter what – but doing your research on how best to prepare and taking preventative actions can help to reduce anxiety and mitigate some of the effects of a recession.
From stigmatized to glorified, perceptions of mental illness shifted from one extreme to another
cw: suicide, mental illness
About seven and a half million children and youth up to the age of 25 suffer from mental illness in Canada. Mental illness is serious, debilitating and life-altering.
As discussions of mental health have continued to shift away from stigmatization, there has also been a shift towards the glorification of mental illness, particularly in the media.
Though there is a stark contrast between stigmatization and glorification, both processes inherently amplify the attention directed toward an individual’s mental illness, disregarding the other attributes that make that person who they are.
Though there is a stark contrast between stigmatization and glorification, both processes inherently amplify the attention directed toward an individual’s mental illness, disregarding the other attributes that make that person who they are.
Particularly, in the media and among young adults, mental illness is gaining recognition as a desirable quality. Posts on social media romanticizing and glamourizing these conditions are growing, but at a cost for those who are truly suffering.
Circulating media glamourizing and misrepresenting mental illness have also promoted the notion that a diagnosis defines an individual and contributed to a culture where mental illness is trendy and something that should be coveted.
Our society has the tendency to extract a few socially acceptable traits from prevalent mental illnesses while completely overlooking the larger associated range of clinical symptoms. For instance, anxiety is reduced to simply being shy or introverted and depression is characterised as sadness. These stereotypes obscure the reality that anxiety and depression — the most common mental illnesses in the world — severely impair an individual’s ability to perform daily tasks.
Even in day-to-day conversations, comments like “my OCD is so bad today”, as an expression to convey a desire for tidiness, minimize the experience of having a mental illness such as obsessive-compulsive disorder which can involve immense fear, stress and doubt that make daily life challenging and miserable. These comments can have grave consequences and may be potentially triggering to those who are suffering from the illness.
Viewing mental illness as something to be sought-after is a detrimental mindset even for those who are not affected by it. Studies have found that alluring depictions of mental illness in social media and other forms of media can lead to a strong yearning for mental illnesses and associated behaviours among young adults. Specifically, with suicide and self-harm, aesthetic posts with quotes framing suicidal individuals as “angels that want to go home” romanticize and encourage the perception that mental illness is something that is “tragically beautiful”.
Clearly, there is still a lack of knowledge surrounding mental illnesses among the public and the misrepresentation and glorification of these illnesses is only setting us back.
Clearly, there is still a lack of knowledge surrounding mental illnesses among the public and the misrepresentation and glorification of these illnesses is only setting us back.
With World Suicide Prevention Day having just passed and this week being Mental Health Awareness week, along with declining mental health among post-secondary students, we need to recognize the harms of glorifying mental illness and work to continue de-stigmatizing the issue by promoting awareness, acceptance and more importantly, advocacy for action. Our governments, institutions and organizations also have a tremendous role to play in making mental health supports accessible for all individuals.
If you or someone you know is in need of mental health support, please know that there are ways to get help. McMaster University’s Student Wellness Centre and the Canadian Mental Health Association offer a variety of resources, services and information that may help you begin prioritizing your mental health and well-being.
If you are in need of more urgent services, the McMaster Students Union Student Assistance Program provides all McMaster students with access to 24/7 multilingual mental health support from professional counsellors at no cost. To get help immediately, please call or text 1-888-377-0002.
Men's soccer and both men and women's cross country land in top ten of recent U Sports power rankings
On Sept. 26, U Sports released their weekly power rankings for Canadian university teams across several sports. The men and women’s cross country team ranked fifth and ninth in their respective standings, while men’s soccer slid into eighth in the national circuit.
Just before the release of the rankings, both cross country teams put on a solid performance at the Vigars and Salter Western Invitational on Sept. 23.
On the women’s team, veterans Hannah Goodjohn and Rosalyn Barrett both placed in the top 10 at the meet, finishing with times of 30:14 and 30:25. Their efforts helped push the team to fourth place overall, just missing the podium by one point. The St. Francis Xavier University X-Women finished with 116 points.
Their efforts helped push the team to fourth place overall, just missing the podium by one point. The St. Francis Xavier University X-Women finished with 116 points.
For the men’s team, rookie Kamran Brar completed the race as the top runner , nabbing the thirty-fourth place out of 147 qualifying runners with the Marauder’s best time of 26:38. Brar led the team to an eighth place finish, along with top-50 finishes from Connor Lashley, Lukas Vadeika, Noah Mulkewich and William Weist.
Prior to the release of the U Sports rankings, the men’s soccer team snagged a tough 1-0 victory over the Wilfrid Laurier University Golden Hawks on Sept. 22. Sachin Sargeant, a returning member from last year’s Ontario University Athletics championship team, scored a late-game goal in the second half of the match that propelled the team to their fourth win of the regular season.
Following the game, the Marauders played their second match against the Golden Hawks on Sept. 24, winning another tightly contested game 1-0 with a penalty shot by sophomore Damiano Refosco. The win pushed the team to a four-game win streak and an overall record of five wins and two losses for the season.
The win pushed the team to a four-game win streak and an overall record of five wins and two losses for the season.
With these early successesacross both sports, the Marauders have put themselves in a good position for the rest of the season.
Long commute times and the constant back and forth make it difficult for commuter students to have the expected university experience
With the academic year in full swing, students have been able to return to in-person classes and gatherings, socialize with friends and faculty and explore the thriving arts and culture scene in Hamilton.
However, for a significant portion of the student body, this is not their university experience.
The lengthy travel from home to campus, and vice versa, often cuts commuter participation short since students are forced to choose between commuting and enjoying university activities.
Commuters miss out on events, in-person lectures, especially if they occur too early or later, and socializing with peers due to the ridiculous transit wait times. Especially during busier periods of the school year, such as the first week of school and midterm season; commuting students find themselves choosing between three options: travelling hours in advance, waiting in enormous public transit lines or attending classes virtually as opposed to in-person, if they have the option.
This unjustifiable dilemma is one commuters face daily and results in them being left out from the university community.
Unreasonable public transit has been a hindrance in campus life for numerous years. Last year, students voiced concerns over the highly long line-ups and the insufficient amount of GO services available to university students. In fact, due to the complete return of in-person activities on campus, students have noticed worsening wait times and have demanded an increase in public transportation to and from McMaster University.
“I am very aware of the time now in the sense that I always have to keep an eye [on] what time it is. What time am I meant to get on the bus? Okay, if I didn’t get on this bus which bus would I get on then?” explained Zoha Irfan, a third-year commuter student.
Irfan also explained that she’s often forced to arrive at the bus stop a minimum of 30 minutes in advance due to the tremendously long bus lines. She explained that the buses are usually 20 minutes late, resulting in a continuously growing line and two missed buses if you are not patiently waiting.
Commuter students are hyperaware of the scheduling times and feel a constant sense of urgency surrounding public transportation. They prioritize commuting over their classes, campus events, networking and socializing with friends, which are all the pieces that make a student’s university experience whole.
Commuter students are hyperaware of the scheduling times and feel a constant sense of urgency surrounding public transportation. They prioritize commuting over their classes, campus events, networking and socializing with friends, which are all the pieces that make a student’s university experience whole.
Public transit is not the only issue plaguing commuter students; traffic is another massive concern for those students who drive to university. Last year, the Ford government proposed to build Highway 413 to reduce traffic individuals experience throughout the day. Although this seemed like a good idea on paper, research from the University of Bath indicates that building more highways is a short-term fix for commuters due to Canada’s rapidly increasing population.
Some steps have been taken to address the challenges commuter students face in participating in the university community, including the creation of the McMaster's Society of Off-Campus Students.
Some steps have been taken to address the challenges commuter students face in participating in the university community, including the creation of the McMaster's Society of Off-Campus Students.
McMaster SOCS has been around for several decades and aims to bring off-campus students back into the spotlight. The group works to create a supportive community for students sharing similar experiences by hosting events and opportunities that accommodate the average commuter’s schedule.
Although these initiatives within the McMaster community for commuters are a great start, we need to make a greater effort to support these students and create an accommodating, inclusive environment that offers everyone the opportunity to thrive.
