Amid the return of official on-campus homecoming, unsanctioned street gatherings continued but saw improvements with smaller crowds and fewer arrests
On Oct 5., unsanctioned homecoming gatherings this year near McMaster University were smaller in size than previous years, according to statistics released by the Hamilton Police Services this year and last.
This coincides with this year's return of an on-campus and university-sanctioned homecoming, a key campaign promise of McMaster Student Union President Jovan Popovic's election platform for his current term. This was in an effort to both curb the disruptive nature of large street parties by drawing students away from these and to improve student life on campus.
Despite the on-campus homecoming events, over 6,000 people gathered in the Westdale and Ainslie Woods neighbourhoods, continuing the long-standing history of unsanctioned street celebrations.
In 2023, the Hamilton police reported that the unsanctioned gatherings drew 8,000 to 9,000 people, resulting in 49 calls to the police. The event resulted in five arrests under the implemented Nuisance Party Bylaw and the issuing of 10 provincial offence notices. Additionally, two individuals were hospitalized for intoxication.
This year's reports showed that attendance dropped slightly, with an estimated 6,000 to 7,000 people participating. Calls to police also decreased to 43 and three charges were laid under the Nuisance Party Bylaw. However, there was an increase in medical incidents, with paramedics responding to 21 calls and transporting 13 people to the hospital for intoxication.
While the official event provided a structured and legal homecoming alternative, it did not entirely eliminate the appeal of unsanctioned street parties.
The superintendent of the Hamilton Police Service, Robin Abbott, publicly stated that the enhanced coordination between Hamilton Police, McMaster Security, and emergency services helped improve controlling the unsanctioned gathering. There was no mention of the bylaw's efficacy.
Despite the persistence of off-campus gatherings, the MSU deemed the on-campus events a success and in an Instagram post implied its commitment to continuing the initiative in future years.
As midterms lurk in the dark, spooky season is the perfect time for students to take a mental break and recharge with creativity and community
It is no surprise that most students feel overwhelmed and overworked during midterm season as assignments, tests and other commitments start to pile up. With a to-do list longer than the Tim Hortons line at MUSC, Halloween offers the perfect opportunity to take a well-deserved break and indulge in light-hearted traditions with those around you.
While your academic commitments might take priority, Halloween is the perfect excuse to schedule social time and prevent burnout from a hectic time at university. Short and intentional breaks away from academics have proven to be an effective strategy in maintaining good cognition and comprehension long-term.
Although taking a day off might seem disruptive to your academic routine, it ultimately enhances knowledge retention and mental health, benefiting students in the long run. Breaks such as Halloween allow students to recollect and organize themselves for any upcoming academic demands, improving well-being, productivity and performance.
Aside from academics, the most obvious perk of Halloween is the social events that allow students to interact with the McMaster community. Halloween socials and activities across campus are an opportunity to reconnect with friends and meet new people in creative settings. Themed-social activities such as costume contests, movie nights and scavenger hunts foster social interactions and bring students together.
These events are particularly impactful for first-year students. While working to solidify study strategies and survive their first round of midterms, they can often feel isolated, especially during stressful times when they are away from home.
Halloween also serves as a creative outlet for many. Planning Halloween costumes, decorating your dorm, or simply walking past the Halloween decor in William's Fresh Café at the Health Sciences Centre brings a sense of festivity. It encourages students to partake in campus events and savour these little moments throughout university life.
With academics being a constant part of a student's life, Halloween offers students more than just a holiday. It is a reminder for students to take a break, connect with others and tap into creativity outside of academic commitments. Taking a small amount of time to enjoy Halloween on campus can make all the difference to help students balance their well-being alongside the academic grind. Take the time off to recharge for the remainder of the semester and enjoy the full scope of university life beyond academics.
Hamilton running organization VR Pro hosts charitable Halloween races in support of Hamilton Food Share and McMaster Children’s Hospital Foundation
VR Pro is a company which facilitates race events for the running community within Hamilton and Burlington. This year’s Halloween races were held on Oct. 26. and started at the Discovery Centre Waterfront Shores.
This year’s race offers runners a one kilometer race, a five kilometer race, and a 10 kilometer race. But while the race offers runners a chance to indulge in the Halloween spirit and compete with others, it also aims to help others. Funds raised from the races this year will be donated to the McMaster Children's Hospital and the Hamilton Food Share.
Amitoz Bhattale is the company's new director of marketing. This year's races were her first Halloween races and she has helped to make this year’s event one to remember.
“It's all about the community in this one. And we are supporting McMaster Children's Hospital in this race and the Hamilton food shelter as well. We've already raised over $3,500 for that [McMaster Children’s Hospital] and $1,500 worth of food for the Hamilton Food Shelter,” said Bhattale.
By signing up for the Halloween race with VRPro, runners were prompted to donate to either the McMaster Children’s Hospital or Hamilton Food Shelter. Additionally, those who signed up for the one kilometer race were asked to donate $25 overall.
Along with numerous individuals donating to these charities before the race, VRPro also had an option for people to bring non-perishable items to donate or to make a monetary donation to Hamilton Food Share.
“[W]e definitely want to make an impact whether it's through the charities that we support or through the community that we bring together. And that's how we measure success as VRPro. And personally for me, if I have done the marketing right, and if we have gotten enough participants and we have exceeded the check that we have for us, that's a personal success for me,” said Bhattale.
If you are a runner and passionate about supporting charitable organizations, VR Pro hosts other holiday themed, charitable races throughout the year. On Dec. 1, 2024 they will host a Santa Parade Race followed by the Santa Hamilton Race on Dec. 15, 2024, the funds from which will support Food for Life and Mission Services.
Zero Waste McMaster’s Hike and Halloween workshop encouraged students to enjoy the season and adopt practical, sustainable habits both for Halloween and throughout the year
Zero Waste McMaster organized a Hike and Halloween workshop to promote sustainable practices among students on Oct. 29, 2024. The event consisted of a hike through Cootes Paradise, followed by a workshop focused on reducing waste during Halloween festivities.
Co-president of Zero Waste McMaster Sonia Chernov spoke to the Silhouette about the event before it occurred. Participants learned ways to repurpose pumpkin scraps, with a pumpkin scrap cookbook available on the Zero Waste McMaster website. “Our goal is for students to leave with sustainability-related skills that are easy to implement and can be used in the long run,” said Chernov.
To minimize waste this Halloween season, Chernov urges students to use thrift stores or DIY methods for costumes, noting that full costumes are often available for reuse. For those interested in creating their own costumes, Chernov highlighted resources available at the Makerspace in Thode Library, where students can make and sew costumes.
Regarding decorations, students are encouraged to use natural, biodegradable materials like leaves and corn husks. The workshop promoted using heirloom or deformed pumpkins for decoration, which can serve the same purpose as conventional pumpkins but result in less waste.
In addition to the Hike and Halloween workshop, Zero Waste McMaster has planned a series of future initiatives. Chernov mentioned that future plans include a mending workshop at the Thode Makerspace in November, a sustainable holidays workshop in December and various campus cleanups. Other events will focus on topics such as cooking with food scraps and making Valentine’s Day cards from homemade paper.
Students interested in participating in these events or becoming involved with Zero Waste McMaster can sign up as general members through the organization’s Linktree.
Incoming McMaster president Susan Tighe will assume role with goals of securing the university's financial future and maintaining its reputation
On Oct. 24, 2024, McMaster University announced the appointment of Susan Tighe as its next president, effective July 1, 2025. Currently serving as McMaster's provost and vice-president (academic), Tighe will succeed David Farrar, who has served in the role since 2019.
Her appointment follows an extensive search that began in early 2024 to identify a leader capable of guiding McMaster forward. The Committee for Recommending a President, comprised of members from McMaster's Senate, the Board of Governors, student representatives and staff, was tasked with identifying a leader who could carry the university's mission forward.
As part of this process, McMaster's asked for input from faculties, departments, staff, students and other community members during a consultation period. This input shaped the role description for the next president, reflecting the attributes the university community felt were critical.
After considering numerous candidates, the committee unanimously recommended Tighe for the role, a decision that was subsequently approved by McMaster's Senate and Board of Governors on Oct. 24, 2024.
Prior to her time at McMaster, Tighe held a faculty position at the University of Waterloo, where she became known for her research in sustainable infrastructure and transportation systems. Her contributions to the field earned her a fellowship in the Canadian Academy of Engineering and the Sanford Fleming Award.
With the transition set for July 2025, Tighe has the goal of ensuring McMaster's financial security and maintaining and building its reputation both locally and globally.
This immersive art
From Oct. 17 to 19, Hamilton-based non-profit
Located at 349 and 351 Barton
Lauren Galenkamp, the executive projects assistant at HHSM spoke to The Silhouette about the inspiration for the event. “A lot of the stories that I’ve heard from a lot of the friends at Helping Hands have shifted the way that I view a lot of things. It’s made me more compassionate. It’s made me softer as a person. It also has made me realize that not a lot of people get a chance to listen to those stories, so I wanted to make a space for our friends to tell their stories and for people to come and listen,” said Galenkamp.
Ten different stations were set up, each depicting a different person’s story. Works included photography, paintings, sculptures, spoken word, and dance. Attendees were encouraged to walk through the exhibit at their own pace. “Art is this incredible bridge and storytelling is this incredible bridge that makes it easier for us to think about things and to sit with things and wrestle with things,” said Galenkamp.
One of the artists is Sarah
The exhibit featured interactive components, including a station called “Tapestry” with writing prompts about the meaning of home. As attendees exited the exhibit, they were invited to write reflections on a large paper banner. There was also a children’s station with various activities.
The name “We’re All Neighbours Here,” was chosen to represent the community-based perspective that
The decision to hold this fundraiser stemmed from a desire to change the annual HHSM fundraising gala. “Our galas always have so much in the program because we want so many friends to be able to share their story that it ends up being a very full evening of just friends telling stories. Which is so great, but is not what people want from a gala necessarily. It made us realize that maybe we should be doing an event that feels more like us and feels like it is more accessible, because galas are expensive,” said Galenkamp.
She added that the event was intentionally held outdoors to encourage people to consider the experiences of people who have to live outdoors, especially in cold and rainy weather.
Galenkamp said that she began planning the event in July and the process was supported by two artist coordinators and a group of volunteer mentors. Vik Mudge, one of the participating artists, discussed his experience participating in the show. “It’s been really interesting to meet folks from many different places and many different backgrounds and many different experiences. It’s been really powerful to talk to people and hear their stories and experiences,” said Mudge.
Another of the artists, Michael Irvine, echoed this sentiment. “Everything’s been very powerful with the friendliness in people. Everybody wants to help you. We don’t label it as love but there’s a lot of love,” said Irvine.
Galenkamp said she hoped that the exhibit would help people move forward with compassion. “What we need in this city pretty badly is more compassionate people in our neighbourhoods. I want my friends to be able to share their stories and for people to see them and be changed by them and be affected by them. I would love for it to have long term impact over the way that we see each other as neighbours,” said Galenkamp.
If you are interested in hearing people’s stories,
McMaster's African and Black Diaspora Studies hosted a transformative discussion exploring the vital intersections of decolonization, creativity and cultural expression
The African and Black Diaspora Studies interdisciplinary minor at McMaster University kicked off its seminar series on Oct. 8 with a session called Decolonizing Arts, Music And Communications. This session featured a panel of three Black-identifying professors that engaged in an in-depth discussion about the significance of representation in the arts.
African and Black Diaspora Studies is an undergraduate interdisciplinary minor that offers courses spanning various departments at McMaster. These courses provide an understanding of African and African/Black-diaspora peoples and societies in an international context.
Decolonizing the arts involves talking about the importance of including diverse perspectives into the arts, as well as the audience that artwork and media caters to and how it is received.
Hosea Patrick, a postdoctoral fellow and the chair of the African and Black Diaspora Studies seminar series committee, provided information about the seminar to the Silhouette via email.
“The rationale is to have a platform for academic and non-academic engagement on issues that affect the Black and African diaspora. This is an opportunity for people doing various work on black studies and experiences to share their work as well as allow others to collaborate with each other,” stated Patrick.
The session took place on Tuesday, Oct. 8, 2024, from 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. in The Hub. The panel featured associate professors Alpha Abeb and Selina Mudavanhu and assistant professor Syrus Marcus Ware.
The session was split into two main parts: a discussion and social. The discussion began with each panelist presenting their own artwork or other pieces they've encountered firsthand, highlighting the intersections of Black creativity, culture, and communication.
This was followed by the social portion for networking. This itinerary allowed students to engage with panelists to question their perspectives and foster an insightful conversation.
“It means a lot to me … I think it’s really important that there are more of us [Black professors] and that we are connected to each other,” expressed Abebe, who is an associate professor in the faculty of humanities and the lead for African and Black Diaspora Studies.
For the first part of the event, the three panelists were introduced along with their works and backgrounds. This was followed by a discussion where the panelists were asked questions regarding decolonization in the arts by the panel moderator and later the audience.
The networking session that followed allowed the panelists, students and other McMaster staff in attendance to meet and discuss the topics with each other. "What you have access to in your classroom is only a sliver of the activity that’s happening on university campuses,” said Abebe, commenting on the importance of networking opportunities such as the seminar.
Decolonizing Arts, Music And Communications was the first of four seminars in an ABLD series that showcases insightful conversations and networking opportunities for students. “The central theme for the year is "Exploring Black Experiences in Canada." This particular seminar happening eighth October 2024 focuses on decolonizing arts, music and communications. Others will look at other areas of decolonization from science and technology (21st November 2024) to decolonizing history (6th Feb. 2025) and decolonizing business (13th March 2025),” stated Patrick.
“What we’re trying to do here is not replicate the institutional structures that have always alienated us [people of colour] . . . I hope they [students] come and know they are welcomed with open arms and that they feel a sense of ownership and entitlement to be part of this process of dreaming up what this community looks like,” said Abebe.
Students are encouraged to keep up to date with this seminar series and explore other opportunities through the ABLD minor's Instagram.
Hamilton community members gathered to honour lives lost and advocate for a brighter future in overdose prevention
Two weeks ago, the Substance Overdose Prevention and Education Network held a drop-in butterfly art installation in honour of International Overdose Awareness Day to honour lives lost to overdose.
The initial gathering to create the origami butterflies occurred on Aug. 22, 2024 at 12:30 p.m.. The memorial was fully assembled and commemorated on Sept. 26, 2024 from 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. at 541 Eatery & Exchange in Hamilton.
International Overdose Awareness Day takes place every year on August 31 with the goals of destigmatizing discussion and action about drug-related death and raising awareness about substance use. For SOPEN, the idea of a public memorial originated from a deep sense of grief over the rising death toll due to drug poisoning in Hamilton.
This year, SOPEN worked collaboratively with members from the REcreate Outreach Art Studio, Positive Health Network and Hamilton Public health to create a permanent art installation.
The memorial is made of 1,051 origami butterflies that represents the lives lost to drug poisoning in Hamilton since 2015. Kayla Crabtree, co-founder of SOPEN, shared the symbolism and significance of the butterfly. “The butterfly represents transformation and although [these] folks may not be here on earth with us now, they're often on a journey to something more beautiful,” Crabtree explained.
The memorial was a community effort. On Sept. 26, local Hamilton residents came to create and paste origami butterflies to a canvas. “It was a way to highlight the amount of grief for the amount of lives lost but also a beautiful way to bring together the community of people who are grieving the loss of all those lives,” said Crabtree.
In addition to honouring those lost, the butterfly installation serves as a reminder of the ongoing opioid crisis in Hamilton, where overdose rates have far surpassed the provincial average. Crabtree said she hopes the memorial will inspire action and raise awareness about the importance of harm reduction services, which help save lives by providing support to those struggling with substance use.
"It [the opioid crisis] does impact us all .... and it's going to drastically impact us with the closure of CTS [consumption and treatment services],” said Crabtree.
Supervised drug consumption sites are spaces that allow individuals to safely use drugs while being monitored by trained staff to prevent overdose and aid in overdose recovery. The Ministry of Health decided to discontinue its funding for CTS and safe consumption sites across the province and they will be closed by March 2025.
"But without those services in place, it's going to be everyday community members, parks, parking lots and public businesses who are going to experience the traumatic side of the drug poisoning crisis," said Crabtree. "So for me . . . this memorial continues the conversation about this to keep these services in place that make such a massive difference."
The memorial installation at 541 Eatery & Exchange will remain on display as a permanent tribute to those lost and a reminder of the need for ongoing advocacy for harm reduction. Crabtree said she hopes that by seeing the butterflies, more people will engage with the issue and understand the importance of services like supervised consumption sites and naloxone distribution.
“Reduction is a broad spectrum of different services with the goal of supporting people where they are at until they decide to make a decision,” said Crabtree. "Not everyone uses drugs their whole life, but if they die the one time they use it, then they never get a chance to try and be sober."
The memorial will continue to inspire conversation and advocacy around harm reduction in Hamilton, serving as a lasting symbol of the community’s grief but also its commitment to action. Those who wish to visit the installation and pay their respects can do so at 541 Eatery & Exchange, where the butterflies will remain on display to honour those lost to the opioid crisis.
Amid Canada's housing crisis, the cap on international students will fail to address it and only comes at the cost of their education and futures
News flash: Canada is suffering from a housing crisis! What a surprise.
The lack of housing, and affordable housing at that, has been a chronic issue affecting off-campus students. In recent years, renting costs have dramatically increased..
Partly in response to the lack of affordable housing, the Canadian government implemented a two-year cap on the number of international students to be admitted into the country. They also implemented rules limiting these students from receiving work permits and buying homes in Canada.
According to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, the temporary cap would help to regulate the number of students in the country and reduce demand on the housing market.
Specifically, it limits the enrollment of international students to approximately 360,000 individuals, a 35% decrease from last year's statistics.
Each province or territory is receiving a cap that is proportional to their population. Each province and territory will receive a specified cap based on its population size and provinces are able to decide how they want to allocate their cap across their universities.
For example, Ontario is estimated to have a cap of 236,373 international students for this academic year, while Alberta will have a cap of 71,149 international students. Although these may seem like drastic differences, the amount of international students Ontario plans to admit is down 133,404 from last year while Alberta could experience an increase of 36,243 international students.
The international student cap will not solve the housing crisis because they are by no means the cause. More significantly, the cap will perpetuate unfair blame targeted towards these students, unrightfully holding them partly responsible for the state of the Canadian economy.
The idea that international students are a big contributor to the housing crisis is incorrect. Considering the deep and interconnected economic issues that have produced the current housing crisis, it should not be expected that cap will have any meaningful positive effect on the issue.
Unaffordable housing and rent costs, increasing inflation, the cost of building materials and difficulties within the labour market are some of the major contributors to the housing crisis. The slight contribution to our population that international students make is not the problem we face.
The government can take much more meaningful and needed action to combat the housing crisis, as well as the other crises we are facing that all contribute to the overall cost of living crisis.
Expanding initiatives and grants to build affordable social housing and implementing vacancy taxes on landlords who own vacant properties are just two examples of action the government could take to address the housing crisis at its roots. Creating programs that ensure grocery prices stay low and incentivizing businesses to pay a living wage are all steps that could be taken to address the current cost of living crisis.
By enacting the cap on international students, the government wrongly reinforces the idea that international students are the problem. Sadly, this could contribute to fostering contempt for and prejudice towards international students. Many citizens may feel resentment towards these students and create a negative environment for them to live in.
Although Justin Trudeau has stated that international students aren't the problem numerous times, the implementation of the cap contradicts this.
The cap can also prevent family members from being with each other. For example, a current international student may have a sibling who wants to attend university with them. However, because of the restriction, it may now be impossible for that international student to attend university with their sibling abroad. This can contribute to increase the isolation international students feel from being away from family.
Although the government has proposed many benefits to the cap on international students, it not only falsely blames international students for the housing crisis, it will also fail to provide any meaningful relief to the crisis. As such, the move by the federal government is a two-fold blunder that does not effectively serve its own citizens and reinforces a xenophobic narrative. Domestic and international students and Canadian citizens as a whole deserve much better from the government.
New federal regulation on international students will limit work hours to 24 per week, sparking debate over financial impacts
A federal law limiting the number of hours international students' are allowed to work to 24 per week was set to come into effect this September. The limit would apply to off-campus work during the academic term and has sparked discussion surrounding academic success, financial stability, and career growth opportunities for international students studying in Canada.
Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada announced earlier this year that the proposed cap would apply to off-campus work during the academic term, increasing the limit from the previous 20-hour cap. According to CBC News, the federal government has not yet implemented the new 24-hour cap and has not provided a clear timeline as to when it will.
The proposed change aims to protect students from overworking and support academic success, but many are questioning the effects it will have on international students finances.
The Silhouette spoke with three international students at McMaster about the new cap, whose identities have been anonymized.
Student A is a fourth-year anthropology student. "Living expenses in Canada are really high, even though they assume that international students always come from a very rich and high economic background . . . That is not always the case. Sometimes students save money to get out of their country and then coming here, they need to work to meet their monthly expenses," said Student A.
In a press release, the ministry noted that the cap is intended to help students focus on their studies without the burden of excessive work hours.
However, some students feel that a rigid cap could force them to make difficult choices between covering essential living costs and focusing on their education.
Student B, a third-year international student studying anthropology, acknowledged both sides of the argument about the cap. "I think it could be beneficial for a lot of international students because we do come here to study and at times, working and studying at the same time is pretty difficult . . . But it can be difficult for other students who come here and want to work in Canada. Getting work experience as an international student is already really difficult."
Student B also expressed frustration at the level of support offered by McMaster's regarding opportunities for work.
"We do have the international student work opportunity, but a lot of the time, international students are not given proper criteria for being eligible . . . The school prioritizes domestic students over international ones when it comes to jobs, which, fair enough, but it's still difficult for us to find jobs through that program," said Student B.
They further explained that they thought on-campus jobs, which are not restricted by the new cap, were hard to come by.
"A lot of us do not have that experience because it's so hard to find jobs, and the time where you would gain that experience is on campus and working with staff. But we aren't being given these opportunities," Student B added.
The new work cap comes alongside additional financial requirements for international students to study in Canada. Marc Miller, minister of immigration, refugees and citizenship Canada, announced in December 2023 that for the 2024-2025 school year, international students wanting to study in Canada would need access to a minimum of $20,635.
Student C, a third-year computer engineering student with campus work experience, shared concerns that while students working on campus may be accommodated, but those seeking off-campus jobs could face difficulties due to a lack of understanding on the part of employers'.
"I think 24 to 30 is a good range if they allow for students, especially because they're paying a lot to institutions and have a lot going on . . . On campus, employers understand your situation. Outside employers wouldn't," said Student C.
Student A shared that many prospective international students come in search of a better quality of life, motivated by the hope of improving their circumstances. They also expressed concerns that a 24-hour work cap could push some students to seek unregulated or unsafe work, especially those unable to meet their financial needs within the time limit.
"If there is a guideline that restricts them from working, we are going to get into low-paid, unsafe, not secure work . . . But they have to get their expenses right; they're gonna do it one way or the other," said Student A.
On April 29th, 2024, IRCC defended the policy in a news release, stating that they developed the new cap after considering student needs, policies in other countries and research showing that excessive work hours can negatively impact academic performance. However, Student B expressed they thought international student's voices need to be considered more.
"There needs to be a better dialogue between the government and international students . . . The government should maybe try [to] speak to their international student demographic a bit more to gain a perspective on how to handle the situation properly," expressed Student B.
Although the new law is still set to come into effect, it is unclear when exactly this fall the new cap will begin to be enforced.
This is an ongoing story.