We're halfway through Welcome Week! Here's the run-down so far, as told by Mac students.

http://storify.com/TheSilhouette/welcome-week-2013

 

A movement called “Bringing an End to Facultyphobia,” initially spawned by reactions to a Silhouette Opinions article condemning Kipling Pranks as discriminatory, quickly picked up momentum in preparation for an inter-faculty event on April 3.

But the event was not to be.

Zachary Strong, Engineering student and Facebook event creator, explained how health and safety problems prevented the actual event from occurring. He hopes for a physical, planned event during the week of April 8.

“It looks like the event is going to remain nebulous. It may not happen the way we envisioned it, but the level of discussion is there, so it’s something I’m looking forward to.”

Issue has been taken with the description of faculty stereotyping as a type of phobia. David Campbell, MSU VP (Administration), felt that “phobia is a bit overstated, simply because I think it compares it with homophobia and racial issues which go a lot deeper and have a lot of context to them.” Strong admits that this may not be the ideal word to describe the actions and behavior he has experienced or heard about second-hand.

The initial Facebook event referenced ending “Engphobia,” but it was later renamed “Facultyphobia” in order to include the wide body of students who may feel discriminated against or mistreated on the basis of their faculty.

Strong reiterated that he was intent on reaching out to other faculties, and dismissed the idea that this was an Engineering-specific phenomenon or that Engineering students would be a majority of the participants in the “End Facultyphobia” event.

The McMaster Engineering Society issued a statement on their Facebook account announcing that they had chosen to distance themselves from the End Facultyphobia movement, despite recognizing and appreciating the need to break down faculty stigmas.

“We feel it has grown out of hand and is turning out to be quite the opposite of the initial intentions to shed a positive light on our University and its faculties. We absolutely love the idea of a University wide event that fosters the growth and relationships between students. We don’t, however, think this is the proper venue or time to do so,” said the statement.

Campbell explained that while he appreciated the importance of starting inter-faculty dialogue, he believed there has been a continued decrease in faculty tension in the last few years.

Both Campbell and Strong specifically pinpointed Welcome Week as the primary vehicle for building and breaking down faculty stereotypes.

“From the planning perspective, it was a specific topic of discussion during training for faculty reps. Planners specifically discussed how cheers degrading a faculty help no one,” said Campbell.

But Strong has asserted that there is an absence of one forum for all faculties to report incidents of stereotyping. Part of his goal is for students to complete an online survey to share their experiences. The results of this survey will be compiled and sent to faculty societies and the Student Success Centre.

When asked if he felt airing these stereotypes could do more harm then good, perpetuating and introducing new stereotypes, Strong argued that, “Ultimately, the alternative is isolation, and that doesn't really help either, so there is a risk. But would we be any better off if everyone just stayed away and did their own thing? I would say no.”

The buzz around the MSU’s General Assembly is noticeably quieter this year.

In 2012, then-MSU President Matthew Dillon-Leitch orchestrated a major marketing campaign. The posters were well designed, the event had its own website, the Facebook page exploded, and it was hard to walk around campus without learning that 601 students would make quorum.

The day of the event was like New Year’s Eve. There were counts coming from the back of the room: forty to go. And then thirty. Four, three, two, one, and we had it. For the first time in 17 years, votes made at General Assembly were binding on the Students Union.

It was exciting. So why no big campaign this year? Where is “The 606” (or whatever the number will be) this time around?

It might be absent because, for the brief period when there were enough students in the room to make motions binding on the MSU, no one seemed to know how to handle it.

The question was whether or not students wanted to charge incoming first-years an automatic $110 for Welcome Week fees, rather than offering an optional MacPass. In what looked like a pretty even split, the more than 601 people in the Burridge Gym ran to one side or the other to show their vote. Someone looked over the crowd, shot a picture, and it was decided. In about half an hour, it was determined that the Welcome Week fee would be applied.

With the announcement, two things became apparent.

First, 601 is not a big number. Least year, it was three per cent of the full-time, undergraduate student population. It takes 10 per cent of the MSU’s membership to vote on binding changes to the Union during a referendum. But at general assembly, 601 students were able to make a decision on behalf of the other (roughly) 19,400.

Second, the decision was largely made on impulse. Visibly undecided until they saw friends run in one direction or the other, it was apparent that many hadn’t given the issue much thought in advance.

And so, agreements between the MSU and University were re-written to make the new fee work. The MSU, Student Success Centre and faculty societies each received a piece of the pie. The money was spent, and expenses were badly reported. But an optional Welcome Week payment is likely a thing of the past.

It’s still true that a general assembly is a fine idea. It’s direct democracy. It’s a lot of people getting together to talk about realizing ideas that the SRA can’t (or won’t) and that wouldn’t be done justice by a referendum question on an MSU presidential election ballot.

But it doesn’t tend to work out like it's supposed to. In that rare quorate Welcome Week fee vote, it wasn’t the will of the masses that drove the decision. The MSU president ran a campaign to get 601 people in a room. And then he introduced a motion. He spoke to it, and it passed. And then a lot of people left.

There might come a time when McMaster needs General Assembly. During the peak of the Quebec student protests, masses of students were assembling to talk and to vote together as often as a couple of times a week.

But that time doesn’t seem to be now.

And given the toned-down General Assembly promotional campaign this year, the MSU appears to know it.

So, before Tuesday, have a look at the agenda. If you care about one of the motions, go to GA.

But if you’re only headed there to run with your friends across the Burridge Gym floor, stretching your legs after a 15-minute presentation, you’re probably better off staying at home.

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In the midst of second semester, summer might be the furthest thing from students’ minds. But the MSU and its partners are looking even further ahead: to Welcome Week.

As faculty societies begin to gear up for another year of planning for the incoming first-years, the Student Success Centre (SSC) and the MSU, as part of the Welcome Week Review subcommittee of the Student Services Committee, have just compiled their financial report from Welcome Week 2012.

The report comes in the wake of last year’s changes to orientation fees. In the past, incoming first-years had to register and pay for a MacPass, allowing them entry for the week’s events; they no longer have to, and are instead automatically charged fees.

In a campaign led by then-MSU president Matt Dillon-Leitch, the 2012 annual general assembly met its quorum of three percent of the student body for the first time in 17 years. Because it had the required 601 students, all votes passed were binding. And the students chose to implement the $110 mandatory fee for Welcome Week for new first-years.

The aim was to create a system with a widely bought but reasonably priced pass in order to have a “bigger and better” Welcome Week.

But despite the ample cash and months for all of the parties to report back, the finances remain unclear.

“This is our first year of developing what this consolidated financial report is,” explained Gina Robinson, Assistant Dean of Student Affairs and Director of the Student Success Centre.

But David Campbell, MSU VP (Administration), added that of the current breakdown, “we didn’t find any drastic areas that are way off.”

The $110 spent by each student is split between the MSU, the Student Success Centre, off-campus residence life, swag and miscellaneous merchandise, and the nine different faculties.

Campbell noted that there was some chance a “few dollars here and there” might be shifted from one division to another, but that the total value of the levy would stay consistent, potentially being indexed to CPI.

Although the breakdown was good, Campbell and Robinson explained that the reports sent to them from the faculty societies were far from consistent.

“Some of the statements weren’t really well put together,” said Robinson. “They didn’t always add [up] properly.”

Each faculty received $11 per student, but most supplemented this basic fee with additional money from their faculty societies.

“There were some faculties we had to go back to and ask for a second round of reporting, but there were no major [discrepancies],” Campbell said. “There’s nobody we suspect that egregiously misspent.”

He elaborated by saying that the faculties had no real guidelines for determining what constituted a Welcome Week expense.

Things like summer rep training or post-Welcome Week rep appreciation create some ambiguity when it comes to budgeting and reporting. And certain expenditures, like last-minute rain locations for faculty day, have resulted in misrepresented budgets and false deficits.

With this in mind, the faculty expenditures will be confirmed, said Campbell, but he didn’t expect the differences determined from clearing up ambiguity to amount to a lot of money.

Both Robinson and Campbell described their new roles as “gatekeepers” for the faculty finances, which are compiled and streamlined by the Office of Student Affairs for the first time this year.

“I feel really good about it because that way we can account to the student body exactly,” Robinson said.

The MSU and the Student Success Centre, like the faculties, received funds from the guaranteed sale of MacPasses to all first years.

The MSU and its divisions of Avtek and Campus Events are responsible for putting on Welcome Week concerts; this year, the performances by the Sheepdogs and Steve Angello cost roughly $40,000 and $50,000 respectively, including production costs, making them some of the biggest concerts Welcome Week has ever seen.

Meanwhile, the Student Success Centre offered a range of programming similar to what it has in past years, including $16000 spent on the Summer reading Program and $10,000 spent on the IRIS theatre production. It also funded the off-campus students’ Sunday night social, spending $7,000 as part of their goal to expand programming for off-campus students.

Welcome Week has the potential to make or break a first year’s experience at McMaster. But it’s difficult to say what this year’s batch of first year students thought about their Welcome Week.

The Student Success Centre (SSC) had originally scheduled Welcome Week focus groups for Nov. 21 and Nov. 22 in which first-year students are invited to voice their opinions on their Welcome Week.  In the past, the SSC has attracted approximately 15 students per focus group. This year, no students signed up.

According to Rachel Nelson, SSC Events Coordinator, the Centre is currently looking into why this occurred. Students were notified of the sessions via a mass email notification sent to their McMaster emails.

The MSU already conducted Welcome Week focus groups in early October. These groups mostly consisted of SRA members who had held a variety of positions in Welcome Week.  The groups looked at the purpose of Welcome Week, scheduling, levy fees, and Welcome Week representatives.

While the MSU coordinates some of the larger events such as the PJ Parade and Faculty Day/Night, the SSC is responsible for organizing move-in, distributing MacPasses and co-ordinating MACademics sessions.

MACademics are the school-oriented sessions run during Welcome Week in order to prepare first year students for the realities they will face in university. This year some sessions attracted up to 100 participants. For the first time, SSC also offered sessions tailored specifically for arts-based students and science-based students.

However, questions have been raised as to whether Welcome Week should have such a heavy academic focus. MSU Executives David Campbell and Huzaifa Saeed have put together a proposal to recommend an “Academic-focused Welcome Week” occurring the week after Welcome Week.

David Campbell, VP Administration noted that it is worth expanding MACademics due to its clear value to students. But he stated that, “Welcome Week should focus on social networking and getting your roots settled … which research shows is essential to academic success and retention.”

The MSU proposal would also aim to involve faculty societies and get more faculty-focused academic support for first year students. However, Campbell noted that this requires a significant amount of planning and resources.

With possible changes looming, it remains unclear what exactly first years think about their Welcome Week experiences. The SSC distributed a First Year Transition Survey earlier in November to ask new students about their overall experience so far. 1,000 students responded to this survey. With plans for Welcome Week hanging in the balance, the time for first year students to speak up is running out.

By: Aaron Grierson

Yet another Welcome Week has come and gone. As a veteran faculty rep, I’ve seen a lot of faces, many of which change, but some of which stay the same. Often times, these faces are of friendly reps that have been around almost as long as I have. Others, however, are anything but friendly and certainly set an interesting precedent given that we’re expected to not only represent our faculty but also McMaster as an institution and Hamilton as the city it belongs to.

Now I may not be the loudest rep, and I’m certainly not the most maroon in spirit, but I am a reliable, committed and loyal rep who has hopefully helped improve the Welcome Weeks for a few first year students for the last four years. For all the friends I’ve made and the good times I’ve seen, this last year helped cement some unpleasant revelations that have been shaping up in recent years, despite my fond memories as a rep.

I’ll begin with the newest experience for me: hearing about two reps that showed up drunk to a faculty event who proceeded to not only take first year students to a bar, but make out with them as well. Now other reps should see two flaming hot, red flags if nothing else. We’re on contract to neither drink nor get personal with first years. To everyone else, it shouldn’t sound like these guys are players, but uncouth and irresponsible. When I heard about this I was absolutely dumbfounded that these individuals had the audacity to try such shenanigans, especially since they were nowhere near campus and everyone was being bussed.

If you’re willing to contest that, you’re probably a player yourself or an engineer.

If you’re an engineer that will continue repping next year or hopes to become one for next year, I have a request: please, please, please come up with some sort of new shtick we all have to put up with. At least every other year. Is that really so much to ask? I know I’ve been around for four years, but honestly, if you’re going to be almost entirely useless after move in (beyond faculty day and night, I assume), can you at least be funny about it?

You’ve dried out like a rusted car engine. You don’t really do a whole lot for anyone, and quite frankly, I’m bored and it seems safe to say the same for most people that aren’t Redsuits. Of course, those of us that remember last year are glad you didn’t steal the faculty cup again, and we’re much obliged you didn’t waste hours of our lives again.

Now, as we came to the end of the Week, we’re all expected to be tired. Much to my surprise, some of us were hit harder this year. Particularly, a good friend of mine who I’ve always considered to be born of an indomitable spirit shut down right about Sunday afternoon. His reasons for doing so, though not fully disclosed here, kindled some thoughts in my own head.

A major one was the way the reps and MSU choose to impart the values that for several hours before hand are drilled into the heads of all reps. Simply, they are inclusivity, respect, being willing and able to help and knowing where to go as well as being polite - and not just out for some tail. I get that music (yes, even of the pop genre) is meant to be harmless fun, but there are several problems. First, and probably most obviously is that not everyone likes it, and when it’s all that’s played all week, some people might feel left out. Especially those of us that can’t dance or sing.

Second of all, both the lyrics and videos (both of which were showcased on at least one occasion) hardly exude any of the above listed values. Most of the songs are about sex, or at least getting someone to call you to get laid, maybe. Never mind the sort of dance moves a lot of people bring to the floor. First years might not be involved, or even new to this sort of thing, but it is a definite double standard as far as what monkey says and what monkey does.

Maybe I’m just old and bitter, but maybe, just maybe, the planners need to rethink what it is they should be cracking down on and how they do it.

By: Arnav Agarwal

As incoming first-year students begin their university careers, their first footsteps are drowned out by cheering Welcome Week representatives with dyed hair and painted suits. Some scamper away with the newcomer’s baggage, while others surround and welcome them enthusiastically with cries such as “we love you, John; oh yes, we do,” cheers that ring across the university campus for eight straight days of revelry. This first week is filled with energy, as building and faculty representatives lead armies of freshmen to a plethora events in wild pursuit of the coveted Welcome Week Cup. Welcome Week is always an exciting, if not overwhelming, experience.

In the week following, there is yet another set of unique opportunities for students to engage and immerse themselves. Alternative Welcome Week, run by the Ontario Public Interest Research Group (OPIRG) - a non-profit organization focused on social justice and sustainability - provides the perfect opportunity for students to have a space to explore themselves, build new relationships, pursue their interests and broaden their horizons by trying something new.

From a bike-in movie, dub poetry/ open mic night and the Community Volunteer Action volunteer fair, AWW has something for everyone. “Alternative Welcome Week focuses on providing more venues for students to be entertained, inspired, motivated and essentially, to be engaged,” explains Nathaniel Loranger, member of OPIRG McMaster.

Themed around the concept of student engagement, Alternative Welcome Week has highlighted how the McMaster community is a safe space for students with various interests, backgrounds, beliefs and personalities. “A lot of these events are things that people aren’t informed or aware of, and things that people haven’t done before. But if they try it, it is something that might just click for them,” said Loranger.

AWW includes a variety of events including Bike to the Day for all of Mac’s two wheel commuters interested in exploring the city, a comedy workshop and performance, and a Positive Space Workshop, which focuses on how to create an ally space and promote advocacy for minorities such as the LGBTQ community. OPIRG also works to showcase the contributions and opportunity offered of numerous working groups at “PIRGtopia” and provides crash courses on how to develop a healthy-living survival guide, cook fresh on a student budget and have fun DIY-ing dream catchers.

“What makes Alternative Welcome Week special is how it combines the fun stuff with the learning experience that enables students to be engaged and to learn in the process. It is about opening up people’s perspectives to what’s out there and giving them a taste of something new that they might not have experienced before - about getting them to encounter new opinions, viewpoints and perspectives, and helping them develop their own.”

OPIRG McMaster is instrumental in the organization of Alternative Welcome Week. Promoting the philosophies of non-oppressive practices, non-discrimination, human rights and various other facets of social justice, OPIRG coordinates the sponsorship of grassroots campaigns and other social change initiatives, and is actively engaged in numerous student working groups. Largely student-driven, the organization extends to numerous institutions and encompasses a wide range of focuses through these student-based groups. “I started in Body Equity, which creates workshops on tolerance of diversity and differences and focuses on self-esteem. I am now a part of a group creating focus group modules to engage high-school students in their communities and in municipal affairs - all in advocacy to promote change in their communities,” explains Nathaniel.

AWW is set apart by the diversity it offers and embraces. “It is a dichotomy: a place to learn and have a wonderful time, all at once,” said Loranger. “Go try it out and see what happens. You might be surprised as to what you discover about yourself.”

Alvand Mohtashami
The Silhouette

Westdale hosts mix of students and permanent residents, providing a campus-town feel. Yet along with that comes a frustration from both groups, as students want to experience the freedom of being away from home and residents seek a quiet and clean environment.

While resident reactions to this past Welcome Week vary depending on the street, community events like PJ Parade and Community Clean-Up have given students a stronger first impression of the community entering the school year.

However, it is through the school year that tensions can build up.

Kenneth Moyle is a 12-year homeowner in Westdale and a board member of Ainslie Wood Westdale Community Association (AWWCA), an advocacy group for permanent residents in the community. He cites the two main concerns of residents as being loud noise and messy properties.

“McMaster and undergraduate life are part of Westdale. When you live in Westdale, you’re living around families, just as you did at home. The same rules of common courtesy still apply now that you are in a house of your own.”

While not all student houses are disruptive, the inconsiderate behaviour of a few can put a bad label on all student houses. Still, Moyle insists it would be hard to find residents who want all the students to go away.

The McMaster Students Union, conscious of the relationship between students and Westdale residents, runs a service called the Student Community Support Network (SCSN) to help develop a sense of community in the Westdale area.

Erika Richter is this year’s SCSN Coordinator and organizes the Resident Buddy and Snow Angels programs, which provide students with volunteer opportunities to connect to residents. These programs complement Hamilton 101 and By-Law 101 initiatives that teach students about common considerations of living off-campus.

The programs keep Westdale a balanced neighborhood, Richter says, and keeps conflicts from developing. She urges students to experience the city and get to know the community, as this will enrich the student experience and provide a different perspective on student life.

“When you make an effort to be a good neighbour, you’re helping to keep Westdale a place where students and permanent residents want to live,” said Moyle, “and what you do can effect Westdale and McMaster for years to come.”

On Tuesday September 4, electronic dance music rocked Faculty Hollow for the first time with the appearance of legendary producer Steve Angello.

The former member of Swedish House Mafia brought his popular sounds to Welcome Week at a time when mainstream infatuation with celebrity DJs couldn’t be hotter. The overwhelmingly positive response Angello’s appearance received is proof of the timeliness of introducing EDM to the campus amphitheatre’s previously rock-centric history. Al Legault, Director of MSU Campus Events, said Angello was sought after because “student energy is really high at the start of the week and we wanted the Tuesday show to reflect that.”

A tremendous 5,748 students in total enjoyed Angello’s two-hour-long DJ set – a record audience for MSU Campus Events staff who eagerly made use of the higher budget the recent Macpass levy provided.

For Welcome Week 2012, approximately 35 per cent more funds were allocated for the concerts than in years past. With pressure to demonstrate that the levy is worthwhile and adds to incoming students’ experiences, securing an impressive lineup for the concerts was a priority. “We wanted to match the caliber of the Welcome Week entertainment that other schools are able to showcase. I think a lot of students saw the value in that… and [with this concert] we were able to reach 25 per cent of undergraduate students in one night,” Legault explained.

The bigger budget show was an obvious improvement from previous years and the high-energy dance party and light show that accompanied Angello’s appearance was clearly enjoyed by the sweaty, wildly dancing crowd. Lasers rented from suppliers of the ACC shone 14 miles into the night and an LED screen positioned behind Angello provided a continuous psychedelic visual experience.

Throughout the night, Angello was tight-lipped, pausing his set only occasionally to shout brief encouragement (“make some noise!”) to the adoring crowd. Post-show, however, Angello was eager to comment on the energy of the night. He said, “Nothing beats a good crowd at an event and as a DJ I really feed off the crowd. Best of all is the fact that this is the next generation of music lovers so being able to do show like this one was a great experience for me.”

For the incoming first years, he offered this piece of advice: “Stay in school! You can come a very long way with ambition and dreams but education is the key to a good life.”

The sun was setting, the rain held off (mostly) and cotton candy and red bull were plentiful at the second Welcome Week concert on Saturday Sept. 8. The Sheepdogs, who had come all the way from Saskatoon, were headlining.

Their music exploded with such good vibes that there was even the hint of a crowd surf. It took two attempts and only lasted about half a second, but it was there.

Near the end of the set, the singer thanked everyone for coming out. Despite the fact that there was no drinking allowed at the event, the guitar player ran to his red plastic beer cup and handed it to someone in the crowd, to which the singer responded, “Well, that’s going to be taken away immediately.” And even if it was, at least the person got a good story out of it.

The Dirty Nil, from nearby Dundas, were the first of two openers. They were reckless, loud and catchy. The Toronto-based Great Bloomers were next up. Their folk-indie pop was pleasant.

Before the show, I got to ask the Sheepdogs about their story.

The band has been around for eight years, releasing three albums before their infamous Rolling Stone cover. Their latest album, the first on a major label, is self-titled and came out on Sept. 4.

Before all the magazine covers and major labels, the Sheepdogs were high school band geeks. “Ryan and I first met because we were in schools bands, like concert band,” said singer Ewan Currie. “We both played clarinet,” laughed Ryan Gullen, the bass player. “The macho-ist of the woodwinds,” replied Currie. “Well, after flute and piccolo. We never had a punk phase or anything like that.”

Going from a playing clarinet to the Sheepdogs took a bit of time, and the members were about 20 when it all started. From there, the Sheepdogs did what all young bands do: they toured as much as they could and prayed that they’d be able to afford gas.

“We had doubts. How can you not?” said Currie. “I think it’s natural to have doubts in everyday life, no matter what you’re doing. Certainly there are times where you’re like, ‘Why the fuck am I out here doing this right now?’”

Hearing that Currie doubted himself was understandable, but I wondered how he knew that his doubts didn’t mean that he should give it up. “It’s like an intangible thing, you just have to know,” he said. “It’s just a gut thing. You’ll find out, man.”

Despite the doubts, the Sheepdogs made it to the point where Patrick Carney from the Black Keys produced their most recent album. “He has one of those megaphone things, a cone, like an old-time director, and he sits in a director’s chair, and he goes ‘Cut, cut, cut! All wrong!’” said Currie.

“He wore a beret. He treated it like he was Robert Altman on the set of McCabe and Miller.”

“That was the strangest reference,” added Gullen.

McCabe and Mrs. Miller is an old western that, like much of the music that has influenced the Sheepdogs, is from the 1970s.

“It’s not like I wish I was in Woodstock and I wish I was in 1971,” said Currie. “I just like the stuff they were doing. The music more closely resembled roots music, like old country and blues and folk. It had chord progressions and melodies and harmonies, and bands were generally more adept at playing in a range of styles. It seems like a lot of bands now start by playing their original material instead of learning a bunch of other stuff. And as such, I think their sound gets really limited.”

I expected the Sheepdogs to be gruff and intimidating – maybe that’s because of their huge beards and shoulder-length hair. But they were friendly, down-to-earth and funny. Like their concert, it was a nice surprise.