McMaster EASA and MacAfricans join forces and kick off the year with MACAFCON to celebrate community and culture through sport and food
MacAfricans and the East African Student Association at McMaster University partnered to host both clubs' first event of the year, MACAFCON. Taking place on Sept. 25, 2024, from 5:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m., this event included a soccer tournament, mini-games, food and lively music.
This exciting event was inspired by the African Cup of Nations, AFCON and the recent World Cup. AFCON is a soccer tournament in Africa that takes place every two years and is played by the national teams of participating countries.
The first portion of MACAFCON began with the soccer tournament at 10 Acre Field at McMaster. All participants were required to register to play. The registration form was accessible via EASA’s Instagram and included the player’s name and country they represented.
Diella Barihuta is the administrative coordinator of the East African Student Association and recalled the expected competitiveness among participants representing all regions of Africa. “MacAfricans has a lot of Nigerians in their executive team and a lot of people that follow MacAfricans [on social media] are West African. So as East [African], we don't really have a lot of representation. So let's see if we can breed a little competition,” said Barihuta.
The idea for MACAFCON emerged during a brainstorming session among the EASA executive team. “I can't even pinpoint the moment, I just feel like it happened and then it was just snowballing,” said Barihuta, highlighting the enthusiasm and collaborative spirit during the event's creation.
After the soccer matches, attendees gathered at Peter George Centre for Living and Learning. The event was designed to be inclusive, featuring a range of activities for everyone. The room buzzed with excitement as students participated in a variety of mini-games and enjoyed complimentary cultural food.
“The mini-games that we did we kept simple . . . We had Uno, Pig and cards of humanities . . . it was beautiful, we wanted for people to feel relaxed enough to play against each other," said Barihuta.
Barihuta also recalled some memorable moments from the tournament. “One highlight was definitely the music. We played a mix from various regions in Africa, and it was heartwarming to see everyone vibing and dancing together,” said Barihuta.
One highlight was definitely the music. We played a mix from various regions in Africa, and it was heartwarming to see everyone vibing and dancing together.
Diella Barihuta, Administrative Coordinator
East African Student Association
The turnout for MACAFCON exceeded Barihuta's expectations. “That huge of a turn out at the first event and all the stress that was going through the last two weeks to get it done was incredible,” said Barihuta. “Even though it rained a little bit people still showed out, and that was really lovely to see.”
Food played a significant role in bringing people together at MACAFCON. Catering was provided by Swahili Fusion, featuring Kenyan dishes such as pilau, chicken, pork and chapati. “Because it was such a huge turnout, we ended up having to add pizza,” shared Barihuta, highlighting the unexpected success of the event.
At the heart of MACAFCON was the emphasis on community. “It's really the community aspect,” emphasized Barihuta. “I've lived in five different countries, four of them being African and community was something that was so normalized.”
EASA and MacAfricans aimed to foster an environment where students, regardless of their backgrounds, could come together to share joy, laughter, and food. “Even though they might not come from our country there's that shared connection and community,” said Barihuta.
Even though they might not come from our country there's that shared connection and community.
Diella Barihuta, Administrative Coordinator
East African Student Association
With MACAFCON’s success, both clubs are excited about future events and initiatives. Students can follow EASA and MacAfricans on social media for updates and opportunities to get involved.
Hamilton is increasingly becoming known as a haven for artists. This is demonstrated in the street art that has taken over the walls of the downtown core. Several of these pieces were created during Concrete Canvas, a visual arts festival that took place this past July. Each piece was painted legally and with permission from the city. Take this map along with you and go take in some of the art Hamilton has to offer!
Click a point on the map below to see some of the art!
Stop #1: 126 James St. South, “Gateway” by Vivian Rosas & Vesna Asanovic
This vibrant street mural is located on James Street, immediately next to the Hamilton Go Centre (36 Hunter St. E). It depicts different scenes from around the city through beautiful splashes of yellow, purple and orange. Scenes include hiking the Bruce Trail, walking along Art Crawl and eating pizza. It replaced an older, faded piece and is made of aluminum composite panels so that it can last for years to come.
Stop #2: 103 John St. South, Angelo Mosca tribute by @scottanddestroy
Scott McDonald is the lead curator of Concrete Canvas. His piece commemorates Angelo Mosca, a Canadian Football League player and professional wrestler known as King Kong Mosca or The Mighty Hercules. Mosca was a player for the Hamilton Tiger Cats and is in the Canadian Football Hall of Fame. He is one of only a few players to have played in nine Grey Cup games. The painting is done in black, white and yellow to reflect the Tiger Cats colours, and shows Mosca running down the field.
Stop #3: 75-77 Hunter St. East, piece by @burnttoastcreative
This painting was done for Concrete Canvas by Burnt Toast Creative, also known as Canadian illustrator Scott Martin. It’s visible from blocks away with its blue sky and unique comic style. It sits directly opposite from the Angelo Mosca tribute and has an image of a giant hand holding someone aloft. If you're interested in his art style, you can see more of Martin's work on his website.
Stop #4: John Street and Jackson Street, parrot by @scottanddestroy
This painting was also done by Scott McDonald. It features a colourful parrot that brightens up the otherwise grim parking lot and bus stop nearby. It is offset slightly by the Kings Pizza logo located immediately next to the beak.
Stop #5: Main Street and John St. North, piece by @jordan_war
This painting was done by Jordan Warmington, a tattoo artist at John Street Tattoo (179 John St. S). It was also done as a part of Concrete Canvas. It decorates the construction plywood that has been sitting unadorned for several years now.
Stop #6: 81 King St. East, “Home Grown” by @luvsumone, @javid_jah and @danilotheartist
“Home Grown” was also done as a part of Concrete Canvas. It is located on the back of 81 King St. E, in a small alleyway. It features a house walking forward wearing boots. You can read more about this piece on @luvsumone's Instagram.
Stop #7: King Street East and Catherine Street, “Emanating Flash” by Kristofir Dean
This public art installation was created through the combined work of Effort Group, Scholar Properties Ltd. and the ARt Gallery of Hamilton. Dean is a contemporary artist and his work deals primarily in bright colours which can be found on display throughout the country, most notably at the Vancouver Mural in South Granville. You can read more about the piece on the installation itself.
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If it felt like there were millions of new raptors fans this past summer, that’s because there probably were. There’s nothing quite like the first National basketball asociation championship in Canadian history to bring people together, one of the great powers of athletics. Whether it’s playing sports or watching the Toronto Raptors dominate the Golden State Warriors, sports have a habit of uniting people together over a common interest. This sense of inclusivity is also why intramurals play a big role in the off-campus community here at McMaster.
When you live off-campus, it can be hard to feel like you have a home at Mac. School can be a place associated with academic stress and not much else. This is why the society of off-campus students runs intramurals every week. Intramurals can be a great way to get to know more people who are also in a similar situations. Here’s what the president of the society of off-campus students, Jeremy Sewnauth, had to say about SOCS and intramurals.
“Sports are a universal thing that everyone can bond over whether you’re talking about it or playing it,” Sewnauth said. “At intramurals, we end up doing so many different sports, this term we’re running soccer, water polo and frisbee and those were the sports that the members of the society voted for.” Sewnauth said.
Taking part in the PlayFun division is a great way to get involved in sport through a relatively non-competitive environment, where no one takes things too seriously and everyone is just looking to have some fun. There’s no need to have extensive knowledge in the sport or know every detail about the rules. PlayFun is a casual level of sport where students can meet one another.
“You don’t have to have any experience, you don’t have to know how to play any sports, if it’s something you’re interested in or you just want to kill some time, you can just pop in and play. If you don’t know how to play it everyone that’s there is willing and able to teach you how to play,” Sewnauth mentioned.
Playing sports chosen by SOCS members themselves makes it likely that people will come out, as they are going to be playing the sports they voted for. This type of engagement with everyone in the club is part of why SOCS is so successful.
“Every single weekend we’ll have a full squad come out for soccer, frisbee and water polo which gives you the opportunity to bond with people. A lot of people after games end up hanging out and every time I’ve met so many people,” added Sewnauth.
SOCS aims to offer off-campus students a way to feel connected and provide a home at McMaster. They offer multiple ways of trying to do that but, sports and intramurals are definitely one of the best ways to accomplish their goal.
“A lot of the times you’ll see groups of people, like a floor in residence or something they’ll put together a team or that same group of students that were all friends before. In later years they’ll keep doing these intramural teams every year. We try to create something similar where we’re creating a community among sports,” said Sewnauth.
Being an off-campus student can often feel lonely but it doesn’t have to be. Intramurals are a great way to connect with other students. You can get a SOCS membership in the basement of the student centre and they’ll be more than happy to help you sign up for their intramural team.
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