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If you browsed through social media on Jan. 30, chances are you saw #BellLetsTalk circulating around. Political leaders, celebrities, corporations and even McMaster University shared the hashtag in support of “ending the stigma” around mental illness.

Success and meaning can be found along many paths, but the paths can be rough and winding. | @McMasterSWC #BrighterWorld #BellLetsTalk https://t.co/fzBIjSte6G

— McMaster University (@McMasterU) January 30, 2019

But like #BellLetsTalk, McMaster’s mental health initiatives seem more performative than anything else. While offering “self-care” tips and hour-long therapy dog sessions can help students de-stress and perhaps initiate conversations about mental health, it alone is not sufficient.

This sentiment is shared amongst many other students and has been brought up time after time. It is truly disheartening then that the university seems to do little to meaningfully address students’ concerns.

https://twitter.com/calvinprocyon/status/1090777829510397952

Instead of investing in more counsellors at the Student Wellness Centre or restructuring their support systems on campus, starting Feb.4, McMaster is running Thrive Week. Thrive Week is a week-long initiative aimed to “explore [students’] path to mental health”. The week boasts events including yoga, Zumba and meditation circles.

There is no doubt that engaging in wellness and mindfulness activities, including activities like yoga and Zumba, can help alleviate some of the stresses of university and can positively benefit your mental health.

However, it is in itself not enough to actually help students overcome mental health issues. McMaster acknowledges that most students seem to experience, at least during some point in their undergraduate career, mental health issues. This is telling of a systemic issue. Mental health issues are largely attributable to socioeconomic factors. Financial strain, food insecurity and lack of a responsive administration can all factor into developing mental health issues as a student.

The best way to help students is to address the root of the problem, which often lies within the very structures of the university. Until McMaster addresses these systemic issues, yoga classes and wellness panels will do little to remedy students’ concerns.

Beyond addressing systemic issues, students struggling with mental health issues can’t colour their issues away; they require professional help. It is true that the university offers trained peer-support volunteers at services like the Student Health Education Centre and the Women Gender and Equity Network, but again, this is not enough. The responsibility of students’ mental health should not fall on the shoulders of other students.   

If the university truly cared about their students’ mental health, they would invest in more counsellors and actively work towards ensuring that waiting times at SWC aren’t months on end. They would make systems for receiving academic accommodations more accessible, as they currently require students to provide documentation of diagnosed mental health issues.

Talk is cheap. So are free Zumba classes. While raising awareness and reducing the stigma around mental is important, what students need is real change to ensure there are actual support systems on campus. The university has a responsibility to make that change happen.

 

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WARNING: This article contains graphic descriptions of rape and mention of suicide.

I was a Welcome Week representative in 2012, and I met John Doe*, a fellow rep, through some friends. We didn’t work directly together, but he hung out with us often. I thought he was funny, we had the same taste in music, but I never thought of him as anything more. My friends were close to him, and I liked my friends, so it all seemed great. It was after our fourth encounter with each other that he raped me.

It was the day of the Yates Cup. I had gone to a friend’s before the match for some drinks. I was happily drunk but felt the cold November wind hitting my cheeks as the game crept closer to half time. My friends texted me that they were at TwelvEighty and there was an extra seat for me.

As I entered TwelvEighty, I saw John and my friends. I had run out of money and waved my debit card around, asking for a drink. The bartender said that if I had no cash, I had to buy a pitcher in order to use my card. I did so and ended up drinking most of it.

John got up and stretched, and announced that he was going to go for a walk. I was beginning to feel nauseous and figured that joining him would be a good way to sober up. We walked until we found a stairwell. He sat on the stairwell while I fell on them. I remember his face getting closer to mine slowly. He kissed me and I could hear footsteps approaching. People passed by, the match was still going on. I felt exposed and uncomfortable.

I suggested to him that we should go into a private room. I wanted to talk and I wanted for us to be alone. I wasn’t thinking about kissing him more. To be honest, I genuinely wasn’t thinking about anything in particular, I was just drunk. I know I didn’t encourage him, but I clearly didn’t express myself as properly as I wished.

We went into a room in the arts quad basement. He turned off the light and I sat on the ground as standing had become too tricky.

He pulled his pants down and tried to shove himself into my mouth. I was frozen. Somewhere in the back of my mind the phrase “freeze, fight or flight” popped up, and I cursed myself for having the worst reaction.

“Get on that bench.” he said. At that point in time I was so dumbfounded that any short instruction seemed sensible. He pulled off my jeans. I realized what his intentions were, and mustered up the strength to cover myself with both of my hands and said loudly, “No. Stop. I don’t want to. No. Stop.”

I remember him pulling my hands away. He pressed his lips against mine, hard. I remember hearing him grunt, and the occasional loud cheer from TwelvEighty came through the walls. My insides were screaming for my body to get up, to punch, to do anything, but I was incapable of moving. I was scared of his strength. Not physical, as he was short and smaller than me, but his mental strength – the fact that he ignored my pleas frightened me.

Something began to buzz in the room: my friends whom I left outside at the game were attempting to find me. They kept calling. Eventually, he stopped. I had sobered up enough by then to hop off the piano bench, pull up my pants, pick up my phone. We left the room and he headed back to TwelvEighty while I made a beeline for MUSC. As I left he called out, “See you around, eh?”

Somewhere in the back of my mind the phrase “freeze, fight or flight” popped up, and I cursed myself for having the worst reaction. 

I went to the Student Centre and ran into my friends. The shock settled in minutes after and I told my friends what had happened. They took me to Shoppers to buy a Plan B.

The next few days blurred together. I showered for 45 minutes washing every inch of my skin, hoping that the harder I scrubbed, the less dirty I’d feel. I couldn’t sleep. School didn’t matter. I lived off-campus and I would leave the house earlier because I didn’t want to face my parents.

I told my friends later on that day. It was confusing to them because they knew him for years. They said they believed me, but within that week they also told me that he made a mistake and they would remain friends with him.

John Doe called me the very next day and told me he knew I told our mutual friends, and that I was wrong. He declared he did have consent because I took him to the private room. A few days after this, I was with a friend, who was also a good friend of John Doe, but was supporting me during this time. John Doe called me, and I put it on speaker so she could hear what he was saying. He warned me again not to tell anyone, and claimed I was being ridiculous. “Am I always supposed to ask a girl if she wants to have sex with me?” he said in a sarcastic tone. I was stunned. His friend looked at me with an unfathomable expression. I hung up.

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My close friends were trying to convince me to report him, but even I was confused as to whether this was rape or not.

I even went to my old high school and confronted two of my closest teachers about what had happened. It hurt me to tell my friends and teachers. I’d see their faces register shock, worry, sadness, frustration, but I didn’t know what else to do. It felt as though I had such a big weight on my shoulders, and it had become too much for me to carry it by myself. I had to tell people who knew who I really was, who knew me before this happened, so I could cling onto my sense of self.

However, I also told people I regret telling. I shared what had happened with friends I wasn’t really close with. At the time, I thought that telling people would help bring some sense into this situation. However, the thoughts some shared with me confused me even more:

“Well, you did tell him to go into that room with you…”

“You were really drunk…”

“You are a super friendly person, so he just mistook that as flirting…”

“I’m not sure if this is considered rape because you probably enjoyed yourself once you started having sex, right?”

Another friend approached me at university one day and handed me a brochure explaining rape and that was when it finally clicked for me. I was raped. Some of my other close friends encouraged me to attend counselling, but it wasn’t until I saw the brochure that I did.

When telling the police, I had to replay every single thing in my mind. It felt like picking at the scabs of a wound that was trying to heal. We had to figure out how long John Doe and I were in the private room, and calculated that I was raped for 45 minutes. 

Two weeks after the incident, I went to see a counsellor in the Student Wellness Centre. My counsellor was nice enough but I felt rushed having to explain what had happened within my 30-minute time slot. It took me 10 minutes to stop crying. She referred me to the hospital and I headed there after my appointment.

Because I didn’t go there straightaway and had showered after being raped, they could not get his semen off my body. Instead, I underwent a physical exam and a mini counselling session. They took my urine sample and I had to take a pregnancy test. Afterwards, they gave me a handful of crushed up pills and water, telling me that these would wipe out any sort of STDs I could have contracted from him.

Within a month after it happened, I attempted suicide. To summarize it all into one sentence: I felt like a failure, like a used up rag that needed to be disposed. I am grateful that it was a botched attempt, and that I had friends around me who let me talk to them openly about it and made me realize it was not the way out.

One month after being raped, I contacted the city’s Sexual Assault unit and talked to a police officer on the phone. We arranged for them to meet me at a friend’s house, where they would interview me and fill out a report. At the time, that was the hardest thing I had to go through. When I told my friends or teachers what had happened, I was able to skip some parts. I was able to provide a summary. When telling the police, I had to replay every single thing in my mind. It felt like picking at the scabs of a wound that was trying to heal. We had to figure out how long John Doe and I were in the private room, and calculated that I was raped for 45 minutes.

I ended up going to the police station about a week afterwards and had an interview with the police. He said he met with John Doe and spoke with him. He asked if I wanted to take this to court, and added that it would take one year. I turned it down. I didn’t want this to drag on. Because I said no, it only says on John Doe’s profile that he was questioned for rape, but that’s it. The police officer patted me on the shoulder as I was leaving and said, “Take care of yourself. Next time, try not to get yourself into this sort of situation, like the drinking...”

The following summer, I found out that John Doe was going to be a Welcome Week rep again. I contacted friends involved with Welcome Week and was referred to the Office of Student Conduct. I went to their office and told them everything. They informed me that had I approached them right after it had happened, they could have done more. John Doe could have faced more serious consequences. I had no idea that I could have approached the Student Conduct Office. I wish I had known, and hope that more information is given to first years about it now.

The office asked me if I could provide a witness. I immediately thought of his close friend that overheard our phone call after it happened. I messaged her and explained the situation. She sent back a lengthy response, acknowledging that she heard what John Doe said, but that she wouldn’t be able to be a witness for me. She added that I seemed to be holding a grudge and keeping in some pent-up anger. She then closed the message saying that her and other friends were also upset about what happened, but they found ways to move on. Her closing sentence was wishing me all the best. I was disgusted, and still am as I type this.

I showed the office the message, and since she acknowledged what John Doe had said, that was all he needed. He told me that he would meet with John Doe and that he would be monitored at all times during Welcome Week. He also said that John Doe wasn’t allowed to approach me on campus, and that I could call security if he did. While that was comforting, that wasn’t the point of my actions. I didn’t want him to harm anyone ever again, especially first year students.

The conduct officer advised me to go to the Human Rights and Equity office, which I did. I met with someone who was extremely nice and warm. It was comforting to open up to such a wonderful person. She informed me of an upcoming event SACHA, the Sexual Assault Center for the Hamilton Area, was hosting at Mac, which was aimed towards friends of sexual assault victims. I attended the session with one of my great friends.

After being raped by someone who I thought was my friend, the most difficult part was letting go of my friends who still supported him. It genuinely crushed me to have my friends tell me they still considered John Doe a friend. One friend messaged me an apology this spring, saying that she finally sees how horrible John Doe is, and that she will always regret not supporting me. Her message was what I had wanted for so long, but when she finally sent it to me, it had lost its value. I had to go through the rest of my undergrad avoiding my Welcome Week friends and certain parts of MUSC where they hung out.

I would think about it at least once every single day for the first year. I would find myself taking the car and driving to a random parking lot to break down and cry without any interruptions. I’d cringe every time I heard a rape joke, pretend I wasn’t affected while inwardly accepting the fact that the joke would stay in my mind for the rest of the day. I began to join numerous clubs and kept busy. I picked up more shifts at work to avoid being home.

Some days, I would have such a good time with friends that it wouldn’t be until I went to bed that I finally realized I hadn’t thought about it all day. I learned to congratulate myself with every little step towards improvement. I dread November a little less now. I didn’t have sex again until a year and a half later. When I did, and I realized it is still pleasurable, I was elated. John Doe may have become the focus of my life and taken things away from me, but this was not one of them.

Sometimes there are setbacks, though. I recently went home with someone and was triggered by the sexual position he wanted us to be in. I ended up crying in his arms. I was lucky because he was kind and understanding. I am now seeking counselling.

Less than two weeks ago, a good friend of mine approached me and told me she had been raped. She brought a guy home who asked her if she wanted to have sex. When she said no, he proceeded regardless. As she was telling me what had happened, I was trying to control my emotions, to be her rock. But how could this have happened? How could someone assault such a kind-hearted human being? What had she done to deserve this? I felt heartbroken all over again.

While I will never be able to fully understand what she’s going through, it’s safe to say that I have a general idea. The pain from being in the position of a victim’s friend was different, but still prominent.

These situations made me realize how often people question what rape really is. I now know that, put simply, it is any form of sexual activity with another person without their consent is sexual assault.

The statistics are disgusting: one in four women in North America will be raped. While the media normally reports rapists as being strangers in parking lots (which does happen often, unfortunately), that is not true for the majority of rapists. 80 percent of the time, your rapist is someone you know. It’s a close friend, or acquaintance, or family member.

I hope people can learn from the experience I’ve had dealing with this crime on campus. There are resources on campus to approach and consult if you have had a similar experience, but it still isn’t enough. If you have been in a similar situation, please contact the Human Rights and Equity Services department at the university.

*Name has been changed.

The author of this article has asked to remain anonymous. If you have any questions, email thesil@thesil.ca.

---

 

RESOURCES ON AND OFF CAMPUS
If you or someone you know is in need of a support service, below is a listing of local centres that are able to provide a variety of services and couselling.

On campus
Human Rights and Equity Services
Provides confidential complaint resolution according to the University’s Sexual Harassment Policies.
(905) 525-9140 x. 27581
hres@mcmaster.ca

Meaghan Ross, Sexual Violence Response Coordinator
(905) 525-9140 x. 20909
rossm4@mcmaster.ca

Student Wellness Centre
Provides a wide range of counselling options and medical services and testing.
(905) 525-9140 x. 27700
wellness@mcmaster.ca

WGEN
Provides confidential support for all victims of sexual assault.
(905) 525-9140 x. 20265
wgen@msu.mcmaster.ca

SHEC
Provides confidential peer support, referrals on and off campus, anonymous and confidential pregnancy testing.
(905) 525-9140 x. 22041
shec@msu.mcmaster.ca

Off campus
SACHA
Provides a 24-hour support line, counselling services and public education.
(905) 525-4573
(905) 525-4162 (24-hour Support Line)

Hamilton General Hospital, Sexual Assault and Domestic Violence Care Centre
Provides a 24-hour support line, counselling services and public education.
(905) 521-2100 x. 73557
sadvcarecentre@hhsc.ca

Hamilton Police Services
Takes crime reports from city constituents.
(905) 546-4925

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By: Gwenyth Sage

I walked out of her room glowing. For the first time in a long time, I smiled a smile borne out of genuine joy. It was my last time seeing Kristy. I had written spontaneous poetry for friends before and wanted to do the same for her. I asked her for a word as inspiration for the poem. She gave me healing.

Kristy was my counselor, the guardian angel who selflessly held my hand and led me inch by inch out of the eye of the storm, through the turbulence, and onto safe ground. Kristy was tireless in picking up the pieces of the emotional mess that I was, helping me organize and reconfigure the thoughts that plagued and overwhelmed me.

Before Kristy, I was a different person. Mental illness is someone else’s problem, I thought. I was a nursing student after all — I’d know if something was wrong. It is an unfortunate reality that many people, like me, do not seek help until they find themselves in the middle of a mental health crisis. Changes in mood, eating habits, lack of motivation — these are easy to read as a list in a textbook but are difficult to identify in your everyday life especially when they’re commonly attributed to academic stress.

Shifts in mental wellness sneak up on you, inching ever so slowly that you are unwitting to the change. As Elizabeth in Prozac Nation muses, it comes “gradually, then suddenly” and “you wake up one morning, afraid that you’re gonna live.”

I went to the Student Wellness Centre on a whim for a drop-in counseling session to get a second opinion. It was an optional measure in my mind. I recalled from my mental health nursing placement that people were always the last to see when they needed help, so I went in to see what they had to say. My reaction to trauma was to ignore it, suppress it, and try to move on with life. While I wanted to be done with the trauma, it clearly wasn’t done with me. And so, when I told the mental health nurse in my initial appointment, the floodgates opened, and I was made acutely aware of the mental health crisis that I was in the middle of.

The fragility of the equilibrium I had tried to maintain by avoiding the psychological aftermath of trauma was revealed. Everything triggered me, everything hurt, everything was heavy. A response to constant pain is to numb. And for a while, I was numb, robotic; I was a zombie. As opposed to having low mood, which I did experience, more often than not, I had no mood at all. Emotion is an experience integral to the human experience and to lack such a basic part of myself was deeply distressing.

The results were in and I was to begin the most intensive, reflective, and painful chapter of my life with my counselor Kristy. The course of cognitive processing therapy would last ten weeks, and painstakingly, Kristy would break me apart, reset my bones, reassess, and repeat.

Counseling was not easy–the road to happiness never is. She challenged me with questions, understood and validated my concerns, and recalibrated me to be able to live amicably with my painful past. Pain is a part of the process in understanding and coming to terms with sensitive experiences. It is now just a memory, no longer lingering uncomfortably in the forefront of my conscious thought.

Avoidance is not therapy. You can shove it under a rug but you’ll never forget and it won’t go away. If you feel numb, anxious, or that your baseline mood has shifted to a level that is less than comfortable, please do not wait to seek help. In that state, you may be of the belief that you are irredeemable, unsalvageable, out of reach. It’s a lie. Help is available, and you are not alone.

Kristy gave me healing. This is what I gave her:

life was through a reel

   the ins and outs of 
   an assembly line
   revolving door of 
   broken minds

she sprinkled
she sewed 
she shared
  the wisdom bestowed 
  upon her
  by history
  it takes one to know one

empathy is pain
empathy is wisdom
pain is temporary

wisdom is not

To get help, please reach out to MSU services like Peer Support Line, Women & Gender Equality Network, and the Student Wellness Centre. If you are in a crisis, do not hesitate to call COAST, Hamilton’s 24 hour crisis outreach hotline at 905-972-8338. There is help, there is hope.

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By: David Rios

On Jan. 27 to 29, I am voting in support of the MSU Health Plan Referendum and I think you should as well. The current MSU health plan falls short of providing the essential coverage students need. For an additional $18.50, students will receive 80 percent off the price of contraceptives. A further increase of $32 will extend health insurance even more, to include vaccines, enhanced vision care and access to specialists including chiropractors and psychologists.

Related: Proposed referendum changes

The increase in health coverage would allow more students greater access to specialists who can positively impact their physical and mental wellbeing. It would cover a portion of the cost of seeing a clinical psychologist, physiotherapist, or naturopath, as well as a variety of other healthcare professionals. These are services that are often inaccessible to students due to their costs. The more comprehensive option would also cover 80 percent of the cost of an ambulance ride and provide more vision coverage.

The inclusion of contraception coverage would allow students who so choose to have agency over their own bodies and more freedom and safety with regards to their sexual choices. Moreover, birth control helps treat health ailments such as endometriosis, hormone imbalances, erratic periods, severe menstrual cramps, and helps to prevent ovarian cysts.

Just like the current healthcare plan, you can opt out as long as you have some form of healthcare coverage. Even if you opt out from the MSU health and dental plan, other students will still be able to access this increased health care coverage.

In my first year, I severely injured my knee playing soccer. The medical costs surrounding rehabilitation were a significant economic strain and something I had to focus on, on top of getting better. I would have benefitted tremendously if I had access to the proposed health care coverage, and I know that my experience is not unique.

You never know when you will need these services and should not be blindsided by these situations. So when you vote, please consider the benefits, not only for you, but for the entire student body.

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By: Beth Barr

In this week’s installment of the SHEC Interview Series, we feature Krista Madsen, an assistant professor in the Department of Kinesiology. Madsen’s dedication to the dissemination of knowledge led to her becoming the department’s first teaching professor, a position she holds with pride along with a firm determination to “ignite lightbulbs” for students.

Madsen believes that her fascination with the human body began in childhood. She doesn’t exactly know why, but speculates that it might have to do with a textbook her parents had at home; Madsen marvelled at the diagrams, and at how all that “stuff” fit inside each person as she peeled back layers of skin, muscle, vasculature and organs. Combine this experience with her natural tendency towards sport and visual learning, and you get a kinesiology professor whose ability to clearly illustrate and demonstrate principles ensures no student gets left behind.

When asked what she loves most about her work, Madsen has a lot to say – what’s not to love about her job? However, she became noticeably excited about the notion of watching students take what she presents, in any of the ways she manages to frame and re-frame concepts, and move on to do exciting things, from furthering advanced research, to landing top positions in emerging fields. She says she “really enjoy[s] the mentorship aspect.” In kinesiology, Madsen teaches from second to fourth year, and strives to challenge students and create opportunities for them to grow. She discovered that while she “appreciate[s] research and uses it all the time,” she “really enjoys the process of knowledge translation,” which is how she makes concepts manageable, useful and meaningful for students.

When asked about her regrets of undergrad, she mentions lack of sleep and poor cooking skills. She highlights the real importance of good sleep habits, and taking “moments of pause” to check in with yourself, even if you feel like you can keep going. Madsen suggests that listening to what your body actually needs (such as a nap) can overrule that adrenaline-filled need to accomplish things, and leave you more refreshed and ready to take on your challenges. She mentions immune function in relation to sleep and food, and reminds us of the viral hot box we live in, especially during exam and midterm seasons.

I wanted to know in what ways students could lead a more balanced lifestyle. She responded that “we always have the chance to start with today,” and went on to explain that while long term goals can be useful, we need to accept that “we are presented with choices in every moment,” and we have to do make small changes within them. If you only focus on the long-term goal, you may feel like you’re failing all the time, which can wear you down.

By focusing on today,” she said, “you can experience many small successes from moment to moment.”

She recommends minimizing any mental or physical barriers to make positive changes, like keeping your exercise gear by your bed, and advises acknowledging your unique personal victories rather than comparing yourself to external standards that can be self-defeating.

A major theme that flowed through our conversation was self-judgement. Madsen doesn’t recommend bogging oneself down with negative perceptions and judgements, and she links this back to the idea that we’re human and sometimes things aren’t right for us. “Just let it go,” she says. In terms of New Years Resolutions, she thinks they can be great; those who need a concrete starting point can begin with something realistic. Those who need less structure can start these habits at any time – but they all benefit from new efforts and goals they undertake.

Finally, Madsen touched on mental health and the mind-body link. She says that “mental health can be a struggle for many people, and physical activity can have a very positive impact when people take a balanced and rewarding approach to exercise.” She encourages students who are struggling – whom she might see in a classroom setting – to seek the help they need without judgement and to remove the barriers they perceive around help and self-help. Madsen is a firm believer in the mind-body link, and advocates care on all levels.

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By: Alexandra Killan

On Sept. 8, a video of football player Ray Rice physically abusing his then-fiancée was released to the public. This high-profile case once again opened the difficult, sensitive, and serious discussion about the realities and complexities of domestic violence.

Domestic violence is any kind of abuse (physical, sexual and/or emotional) perpetuated by an intimate partner or ex-partner. Domestic violence doesn’t discriminate.  It is prevalent in all social groups, regardless of race, religion, gender, or income. Importantly, while domestic violence is often presented as a women’s issue, recent statistics support that men and women are affected almost equally, but with a higher degree of reporting among women.

In addition to being classified as a human rights violation, domestic violence can also have serious health consequences that can haunt the survivor after the tumultuous relationship has ended. Research has documented a wide range of serious problems that manifest themselves among victims, ranging from physical injuries and chronic pain, to sexual health issues, to mental health disorders, as well as post-traumatic stress disorder. The physical, mental and sexual consequences of domestic violence are often not addressed in a timely manner and because of this they can worsen, partially due to the shame many victims feel is associated with seeking help.

Where does this shame come from? It stems from the silence, stigma, and societal taboos around domestic violence. Those abused stay silent for a variety of reasons. As many victims are in long-term relationships, there is often some level of emotional involvement . They often blame themselves and excuse the behaviour of the abuser, while believing that they are the only ones that can help the abusers confront their demons.

Most importantly, the silence surrounding domestic violence means that many victims do not recognize the warning signs and patterns, which means they may fail to identify that they are being abused—and that they are not alone. One does not enter a relationship with an abusive partner willingly. That is, abusive and violent character traits are not visible from the beginning.  In addition to bringing attention to the horror and prevalence of domestic violence, the Ray Rice case also demonstrates a lack of societal understanding and sensitivity to this issue. Janay Palmer, now Rice’s wife, was his fiancée back in February, when the initial video of the abuse was recorded. In the aftermath of the video release, people were incredulous towards Palmer in her decision to stay with a man who beats her. In contrast, there was seemingly less outrage at Rice’s behaviour than one might expect. American author Beverly Gooden turned to Twitter in support of Palmer. She chose to disclose her reasons for staying in an abusive relationship and ended the tweet with the now iconic hashtag, #WhyIStayed. Soon, many joined in solidarity with Palmer, Gooden, and countless others who remain silent in the face of pain and suffering. The plethora of tweets and stories surfacing through other media emphasizes the prevalence and complexity of the domestic violence that surrounds us. As well as ignoring the intricacies of an abusive relationship, we often fail as a society to think about the consequences of ending an abusive relationship. The abuse doesn’t always end after the relationship is terminated; the abuser often stalks the victim, can manipulate related court proceedings, and may even resort to murder. Over 70 percent of domestic violence murders happen after the victim has ended the relationship.

While the stories and their victims are unique, many of the themes are common: Family. Isolation. Love. Fear. Shame. Guilt. Dependency. These are some of the many emotions involved. Other considerations, such as careers, finances, and social status, are also taken into account.  Most dangerously, silence and loneliness pervade. In breaking down the silence, encouraging discussion, and offering a support, we can take the first steps in preventing more men and women from falling into the psychological trap of domestic violence.

By: Katie Lehwald

Trying to find your place in University can be difficult. For Alise deBie, this endeavor was complicated by her concurrent struggle with mental health concerns.

“I had just come to Mac for school and didn’t want to feel alone as a crazy student on campus,” said deBie.

To avoid this, deBie formed the Hamilton chapter of the international Mad Students Collective and began spending her spare time doing outreach on behalf of students with psychiatric histories and mental health concerns. The group is currently composed of over 160 members between the ages of 16 and 60, all who have personal experiences with mental illness.

Admittedly unorthodox, the group identifies as a community rather than an MSU club. Serving as the coordinator of the HMSC, deBie puts students in contact with peers who share common ground. Peer support, as mandated by the group, is offered by students with lived experience of mental health issues. The collective is composed of students in the local Hamilton community, not limited to those attending or looking to attend McMaster specifically.

The HMSC’s peer support methods manifest themselves in many ways. Students can meet for coffee or social events, attend healthcare appointments together, or just connect for someone to talk to. Just last week, deBie and peers relieved workday stress by building a fort in her TA office.

A more formal and recent initiative made by the collective is their Wellness Recovery Action Plan self-help group. Developed in 1997, WRAP is an internationally recognized evidence-based recovery education program. Offering the program to the McMaster community at no cost, the HMSC has turned this into a peer-led program, facilitated by trained volunteers.

The WRAP program has been used successfully by St. Joseph’s Hospital and by the Mental Health Rights Coalition in Hamilton, and will now be available at McMaster. Peer support is an important element in the workshops.

DeBie testifies to the benefits of the program based on her own experience with madness.

“I was trained to be a WRAP facilitator in May as part of peer support training I did in Toronto. We’re running WRAP groups at Mac this year as an extension of what we do,” said DeBie.

“A lot of our support is informal or drop-in based and sometimes this can be a barrier to folks who prefer a more structured environment and find this more accessible to them [as it is] less nerve-wracking and more controlled. It also has content that helps us make plans around wellness – and planning can be really helpful to feeling more in control over your life. I’ve definitely felt this has been really helpful for me”

Groups began Sept. 23 and will be hosted every Tuesday from 4:15 to 6:45 p.m. for eight weeks.

By: Megan Vukelic

 This Welcome Week, McMaster welcomed more than just first-year students. Scout, a one-year-old border collie, is the newest addition to campus as part of a partnership between the Faculty of Social Sciences and the Hamilton-Burlington SPCA.

Scout is currently going through therapy dog assessment administered by the SPCA. The goals of the program are threefold: helping students de-stress by interacting with Scout, promoting services offered to social science students, and bridging the gap between students and faculty.

The program has stemmed from a pilot study led by James Gillett from the department of Health, Aging and Society, which focuses on the nature of bonds between humans and animals.

Gillett describes Scout as a canine ambassador for the faculty. While McMaster has had therapy dogs in residence as well as Mills Library in the past, Scout will be social science centric.

“In the residences there is not as much access to everyone,” said Gillett. “This program will make the services available to all social science students.”

However, Scout is more than just a therapy dog. “The program is not exclusively for mental health. We are trying to do both – help students deal with the stresses of campus but also give them tools for success.”

He explains that often students that need academic and personal services the most are also the most reluctant. Having therapy dogs available will make these programs more accessible and make students more likely to feel comfortable to pursue them.

Similar programs have been implemented in universities across Canada. At the University of Alberta, students are able to take registered therapy dogs for walks around the community. At the University of Saskatchewan, professors with their own therapy dogs have been bringing them to campus as part of an initiative to foster connections between faculty and students.

Therapy dogs on campus have helped reduce the fear that some students have when approaching professors or faculty. Gillett expressed his intentions of incorporating such techniques into the program at McMaster in the future, in order to foster greater community within the social science department and improve student experience.

Students in the Faculty of Social Sciences have been overwhelmingly supportive of the program, recognizing the benefits for students. Daniel D’Angela, Welcome Week planner for Social Sciences, expressed his support of the program after meeting scout at Faculty Day while he greeted incoming students.

“The SPCA dog program is a great way to provide opportunities for students to de-stress with the added bonus of promoting resources that the University provides,” he said. It is the intention of the program that Scout will have more of a full time presence at McMaster in the following school year once he has completed the therapy dog program, and will hopefully be accompanied by more furry friends.

By: Caitlyn Buhay

We’ve all been there; your alarm goes off at an insane hour in the morning, and you immediately hit the snooze button. As Iggy Azalea’s “Fancy” is cut short, you have a groggy recollection that the alarm was meant to get you to the gym this morning. But alas, you choose snuggling with your pillow over the less than tempting prospect of sweating in front of strangers.

But hey, it’s a new semester, and time for a new you! Maybe a new snuggle buddy too – the elliptical can be very emotionally sensitive if need be. So let’s start being smart about the gym. Here are some clever tips to get you to the gym, and fitting into your McMaster onesie in no time.

Assess your self accurately

Are you a morning person? If not, don’t plan for a 6:30 a.m. gym session. You falling asleep on the yoga mats is no different than being in your bed, except now you have the concerned staff at the Pulse prodding you awake instead of your alarm. Start by going at times you know are practical for you. Remember the gym has showers, so you could easily go in between classes and not worry about stinking up your astronomy class. Even though your sweat might smell otherworldly, I am sure everyone will agree that it is not relevant to the course material.

Cop some stylish gym wear

Not enough motivation for you? Buy some stylish gym wear, or an outfit you would like to wear if you were a bit more fit. See our article on New York Fashion Week to get some inspiration. Feeling good about the way you look can improve your confidence and willingness to get to the gym – just don’t get too entranced by your reflection in the mirror.

What's the cost of not exercising?

It might also help to remind yourself about the financial costs of not going to the gym. Think of how much the membership cost you, along with whatever additional costs: new running shoes, gym wear, etc. that is going to waste by not going. If you think of it in a quantitative way, every time you miss a workout you are losing the monetary investment you put into the gym. So don’t let your inner investment banker down – nothing is worse than being scolded by a financial figment of your imagination.

Ease into it

Lastly, try to wade into a new workout slowly. Don’t jump into a total body blast workout and end up injuring yourself before you even start to notice those bulging biceps develop. Look up a workout routine online that works for your weight, fitness level, and end goals. Or get advice from the helpful trainers at the Pulse. It might be a good investment to book yourself in with a trainer to get tips on how to use the machines properly to maximize your workout and minimize those pesky gym injuries. Having an action plan for the gym will not only help get you there, but will also help you use the time more effectively.

The gym is a great opportunity for stress relief and maintaining your mental and physical health. If you can find a way to get yourself there, your workout routine will follow and it can help you become a happier, healthier, hotter person to boot! Speaking of boot…get going! Don’t you have a workout planned for today?