The absence of masks does not relieve students from the pandemic state of learning but rather pushes us more toward it
C/O Tai's Captures (Unsplash)
We appear to have introduced the new normal of the post-pandemic. Students can once again freely socialize, hybrid learning is at its peak and the mask mandate is long gone. However, COVID-19 and many other common sicknesses are circulating within the population.
Cold and flu season has arrived and with the end of the mask mandate on campus, it is concerning how quickly viruses are spreading among students. With illnesses running rampant throughout campus, many individuals are thrown back to the early pandemic — time when students lacked the tools to protect themselves against fast-spreading diseases.
Living Systems Laboratory, a second-year course taught by Dr. Tomljenovic-Berube, includes a unit on epidemiology. This unit teaches students about the biological mechanisms of how viruses spread. Students learn that illnesses such as the flu are airborne diseases that spread through respiratory droplets obtained through the air, or infected surfaces. They are also taught the infectious rates and measures to prevent sicknesses from spreading which have been prominently implemented throughout the pandemic.
Learning about the rates at which diseases spread among the student population due to a lack of masks can cause concerns for students attending in-person classes. It can be worrying to go back to school knowing that other sicknesses are still present among COVID-19, especially when you hear your peers sniffling and coughing in lectures and tutorials.
Contagious students are likely attending in-person elements and due to the lack of a mask mandate students are not wearing masks in enclosed spaces. It can be uncomfortable sitting next to a coughing student and neither one of you has any form of protection. Understandably, masks come from a time of frustration and loss. However, masks also provide us with a safety barrier and continue to do so; masks hinder the spread of airborne illnesses.
The lack of mask usage on campus fosters a growing population of sick students and rather than taking us away from online learning, the campus-wide epidemic pushes us more towards it.
The beginning of a common illness hinders students from physically attending school. Thus, this population relies on online lectures and accommodations for missed labs and tutorials. Unfortunately, online learning hinders student performance since a barrier is created limiting social interactions.
Students who choose to stay at home for the duration of their sick period fall even more behind. Fortunately, the duration of a common illness is no more than a week. Due to the lack of regulation, students can attend campus earlier than this. However, this small notion further spreads the illness within the student population since the individual’s contagious period may not be over.
The cold and flu are like COVID-19 in terms of mechanics; they are airborne viruses that target the immune system. Henceforth, masks should be mandatory for ill individuals. As learned through the pandemic, masks work because they prevent ill individuals from spreading their contagious respiratory droplets. Masks function as a barrier. When worn correctly, they prevent individuals from inhaling respiratory droplets as well as spreading the virus to individuals they interact with.
Although no one likes being sick, ill individuals should not be forced to stay home nor should they walk around campus maskless during their contagious period. It should be mandated that individuals in their recovery phase wear a mask. This will limit the spread of the common illnesses and protect other students who are exercising their freedom to not wear a mask.
C/O Ollie Take, Contributor
Got yesterday’s lecture notes?
As McMaster University students prepare to return to in-person learning, the school issued new guidance on how students should handle absences.
On Feb. 1, McMaster Daily News posted a guide on what to do if you get COVID-19.
“Staying home when sick or isolating when required is one of the most important ways our community members can contribute to making in-person learning and working as safe as possible,” wrote McMaster Daily News.
Everyone in the McMaster community is reminded that they must complete MacCheck before attending campus.
If you have symptoms or have tested positive, stay home!
For those who are not well enough to learn, the university has increased how long the MSAF lasts. Instead of only covering three days of missed classes and assignments, you will now be able to MSAF five days. This ends in April 2022.
“Students are encouraged to use the McMaster Student Absence Form (MSAF) through Mosaic if their screening results recommend that they isolate and are not permitted to come to campus,” said the post.
DeGroote School of Business students received a flowchart that explains what to do if they miss class. Students who are not cleared to attend classes are instructed to contact their peers, TAs or instructors to stay on top of their work.
The Daily News article also spoke to students who are currently living on residence, encouraging them to check with their community advisor or residence life area coordinator for more details on what to do if they show symptoms or test positive for COVID-19.
According to Housing and Conference Services, if students live in residence and need to isolate, they may be asked to move to an isolation room for up to 10 days, unless they have a private ensuite washroom, live in a suite or apartment style room, or isolate at home.
Students have pointed out on the McMaster sub-Reddit that the university has not said whether or not classes will be required to be recorded. This confusion has caused some heated debated amongst users.
“This doesn’t confirm that they won’t record right? Or does it? Honestly idk lol,” user Lord_of_Wessex wrote about the flowchart sent by DeGroote.
In a MacDiscussions roundtable with the Silhouette and 93.3 CFMU, Vice-Provost (Academic) Kim Dej said that most medium to large lecture halls would be equipped with recording technology.
“[W]e have really invested in our learning spaces over the last 20 months. Most of our medium and large lecture halls have Echo 360, which is a capture tool that the MSU has been advocating for many years pre-pandemic and it means that live lectures can be streamed or they can be recorded,” said Dej.
McMaster University has not publicly stated whether all in-person classes will be recorded for students who are absent. Provost and Vice-President (Academic) Susan Tighe stated in a post on McMaster Daily News that the university is committed to helping those who cannot come to campus due to isolation.
“Our university is committed to being supportive, compassionate and flexible for our community members who are required to isolate,” said Provost and Vice-President (Academic) Susan Tighe.
Despite Tighe’s commitment, many students remain confused as to exactly what supports are available should they get COVID-19 and cannot attend in-person classes.
Photo C/O flowersformeplease, Reddit
Better drink up before you go study
McMaster University students took to the r/McMaster sub-Reddit to share that their drinks were being confiscated by Mills Library Learning Commons.
On Jan. 14, McMaster announced a list of places where students were able to eat and study during the limited reopening of campus.
While the Silhouette reported that food and drink would be prohibited, it's safe to assume that everyone thought this meant you couldn't eat or drink in there, but if you brought in a water bottle that would be fine.
Well, Reddit user flowersformeplease, surely proved us wrong
The user posted the photo to r/McMaster on Wednesday, Jan. 26 which caused an uproar in the student-Reddit community.
"This won’t spread Covid at all. The mouths of the bottles almost touching is waaaaay more safe than putting it in your bag. Smh," said user LowFatTastesBad.
Another user shared their experience before the current set of restrictions.
"They were very lenient last semester, I saw people with drinks in there all the time. It seems a little bit much to take water bottles away tho," said user mspag5000.
Some students on the Reddit thread have put into question the different restrictions that Ontarians are facing across the province. While McMaster has its own sets of restrictions, the elementary school sector has a completley different set of rules.
"[E]lementary students are eating and drinking together for 20 min[,] 2 times a day. There is no logic to this pandemic anymore," said Maplesugar2112.
With campus currently slated to open in a larger capacity on Jan. 31 to welcome level one students, we will have to see if this rule sticks around.
In a statement to the Silhouette, McMaster University officials say this rule is due to the current COVID-19 restrictions.
"Users are not permitted to bring food or beverages into McMaster libraries. This prohibition – a requirement under pandemic-related public health rules – is posted clearly. Library users are required to consume their food or beverages prior to entering or to leave any food and drinks at the entrance for retrieval upon leaving. This policy will continue to be enforced as long as public health protocols are in place," stated McMaster officials in an email to the Silhouette.
In the meantime, drink as much as you can before you head into Mills because you'll have to leave your bottle on the middle desk.
In the aftermath of the fire that destroyed their studio, Grey Harbour Tattoo is back and better than ever
C/O @greyharbourtattoo
Located in Hamilton’s art district on James Street North, Grey Harbour Tattoo is a semi-private tattoo studio that has been offering client-centred service to customers since April 2015. The studio was opened by tattoo artists and owners Tom Penny and Ron Vino and formerly, Sherlane White.
Penny was born and raised in Hamilton. After several years working in the automobile industry, he changed direction to study visual arts at Sheridan College, where he learned to tattoo at a local studio. After returning to Hamilton, Penny approached fellow tattoo artist and current business partner, Vino, with the idea of opening up his very own studio.
Penny himself tattoos primarily nature-based and traditional tattoos, drawing on flora and fauna as his subject matter. Meanwhile, Vino’s tattoos are very saturated and characterized by bold lines and bright colours.
“What I strive for is just to constantly progress. It's a very competitive industry, and there's people constantly coming up. Even just in our shop, we have a few new artists and working alongside them pushes us to constantly get better,” said Penny.
On April 21, 2020, about one month after the first business closures due to COVID-19, Grey Harbour Tattoo was caught in an arson attack on James Street North that destroyed it as well as La Bichette boutique and Born & Raised restaurant.
“[The fire] was something obviously that we didn't expect. How do you explain something that was just so shocking? I came in [so distraught] that it was almost hard to believe that we went through it,” said Penny.
“[The fire] was something obviously that we didn't expect. How do you explain something that was just so shocking? I came in [so distraught] that it was almost hard to believe that we went through it,” said Penny.
Penny was first alerted to the fire by Vino, who rushed to the scene when the building owner initially realized that Born & Raised had caught fire.
“I just remember we were all sitting at home doing our own things, and I got a message from Rob saying, “[the] building's on fire.” Thankfully, it didn't get out of hand and someone was present there to put the fire out. At first I just couldn't believe it—within 10 minutes [of receiving a phone call] I was there, seeing what I didn't ever expect to see. Obviously I've seen fires in my time, but to see your own space just demolished was pretty shocking,” said Penny.
In the aftermath of the fire, they set up a GoFundMe campaign with the help of fellow local tattoo artist Brock Ryan, which hit its $25,000 fundraising goal in order to cover expenses outside of the studio’s insurance coverage. Through collaboration with local artists to raise awareness, the studio received immense support from the local community.
“Word spreads. Even overseas I was getting messages from people and so just seeing that kept us positive. Knowing that we were going to be okay, we were going to get through it and we had support,” said Penny.
In a stroke of good luck, the owners of a space across the street reached out to Penny, so the studio transitioned from a second and third storey location to a spot opening straight onto James Street North. They are now located at 172 James Street North.
“No one was hurt and the building was vacant because of COVID, so there were so many things to be thankful for rather than [focusing] on the negative,” said Penny.
Although they are currently closed due to COVID-19 lockdown procedures, Grey Harbour was open from August to December 2020. They have changed the way they operate due to COVID-19. Now clients contact the artist they’d like to tattoo them directly in order to book an online consultation.
From there, the artist will discuss design ideas, placement and determine if tracings or pictures are necessary. Depending on the artist, wait times range anywhere from a couple of weeks to months due to limited client capacity and enhanced sanitation procedures.
Grey Harbour Tattoo takes a special pride in tailoring to the interests of each individual that comes to their studio, with a very client-centered approach to tattooing.
“The way we run the studio is you choose the artists you want to work with, you look at the work, you check out their social media page. If someone came to me with an idea that I felt another artist at another studio is better for . . . I'll refer them to another artist. We just want our clients to get the best possible tattoo,” said Penny.
After a difficult year, Grey Harbour Tattoo is happy to be back from the face of hardship and delivering the best possible service to their clients once again. Their experience is a testament to the resounding support of the local Hamilton community.
Due to COVID-19 being declared a pandemic, The Good Foot has decided to postpone their first in-person event. They plan to hold an Instagram live-stream on Saturday March 21 at 8 p.m. instead, in order to lift people’s spirits up during this time. Stay tuned to their social media for updates.
Ring of Fire, You Can’t Hurry Love and Hard Day’s Night; you may not be able to name a 60s song off of the top of your head, but you definitely know the words to one. Starting soon, The Good Foot will be bringing the songs of the 60s to a dance floor near you, complete with prizes for best outfit and a songlist perfect for boogying down.
The Good Foot was created by a group of local DJs, dancers and vintage fashion lovers looking to liven up the Hamilton dance scene with 60s tunes. They include owner of Girl on the Wing Whitney McMeekin, illustrator and dancer Jacqui Oakley, DJ Spaceman a.k.a Stacey Case, DJ Donna Lovejoy a.k.a Rachael Henderson and Jen Anisef of Weft projects. Anisef says that Weft projects’ aim is to create collaborative opportunities for local creators and makers.
https://www.instagram.com/p/B9CR8ArpSAJ/
“[I]t's like the weft are the threads that bind everything together. So the idea is to serve the community through facilitating creative collaboration. So this project, it's brought together a lot of different folks that all have different areas of interest and expertise, to throw a really fun party that is hopefully intergenerational and is just unpretentious and to celebrate dance and fashion, and have a good time,” said Anisef.
Henderson, also known as DJ Donna Lovejoy, describes herself as a Jill of all Genres, and she definitely lives up to her name. Thanks to collaborators like her, The Good Foot is set to cover songs from every nook and cranny of the 60s.
“It’s gonna be Soul, Motown, Early Funk [and a] bit of Rocksteady, Britpop, Mod, just a bit of everything,” said Henderson.
Social distancing is making it more difficult than ever to connect with other people. The Instagram live stream that The Good Foot will be running will hopefully help bring people from all walks of life together that might never have met otherwise. Anisef and Henderson say that they are hoping that their future parties can create a sense of intergenerational bonding and community.
https://www.instagram.com/p/B9xryXrHvft/
“I think the beauty of 60s music is that most of us kind of know it deep in our soul, even as kids it was around and the music has endured so much. Plus, it's really nostalgic for older folks like the music of their youth. And I think it also really is like, it touches a lot of different cultural communities as well. So our hope is that it draws people together,” said Anisef.
Henderson says that in all of the events that she DJs, whether they be corporate events, weddings or club nights, 60s music appeals to everyone.
“I do find that 60s music crosses generations and does actually speak to a younger crowd. I'm always impressed when the younger people know all the lyrics and they get really excited,” said Henderson.
When Anisef lived in Glasgow, Vancouver and Toronto, she says that there used to be regular 60s and soul dance nights, with attendees dressing to the nines and dancing their cares away. There will be a contest for the best 60s outfit at the event, but Anisef says that everyone is welcome to come as they are.
“Some of those nights, people would really like to make an effort to dress up. And so I'm hoping that we can also build that we're trying to build that culture in the event. You don't have to, by all means come in your sweatpants and just have a great time. But if you're inspired, we'd love for people to play around and dress up,” said Anisef.
The Good Foot may not be shimmying to a dance floor near you just yet, but once everyone is safer they hope to bring the 60s back to Hamilton. In the meantime, having a 60s dance party in your very own home might just be a great way to add some spark to your day.
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Please note: This is a developing story and this article will be updated as more information arises.
McMaster is requiring students to move out of residence by this Saturday at 4 p.m., as the COVID-19 pandemic spreads and calls for social distancing increase across the province.
In a release sent out the morning of March 17, McMaster announced immediate changes to support social distancing within residences. Until the move-out deadline, guests will not be permitted in residences, and common rooms and game rooms will be closed.
In order to appropriately check-out, students must complete a mandatory online residence status update form through the McMaster Housing Portal. The form asks students to select a move-out time between Tuesday, March 17 and Saturday March 21 at 4 p.m.
Before this release, the university suspended all in-person classes and exams on Friday, March 13. Many classes are being moved online, and professors are required to contact students by Wednesday to let them know how their courses will proceed for the remainder of the term.
McMaster’s 12 on-campus residences house almost 3,600 students. It remains to be seen how the university will support students in their transition from residence.
A room in residence costs between $5,800 and $9,000 for a year. The residence contract requires students to move out of residence the day after their last exam, which can be anywhere from April 13 to April 29.
In the March 17 release, McMaster committed to providing “financial consideration for your shortened stay in residence” to students who check out of residence on or before the designated move-out deadline. It is not yet clear what financial consideration entails. According to the frequently asked questions column on the Residence COVID-19 Updates page, the University does not currently have any information regarding refunds for meal, residence, and parking fees. Food plan budgets will, however, carry over into next year. Information is expected to be updated soon.
The university may make exceptions for students who are unable to return home due to travel restrictions, however, students need to submit an application through the McMaster Housing Portal in order to be eligible to remain in residence. According to the release, the only students eligible to remain in residence are international students and out-of-province students who need extra time to move out.
The statement did not make note of students who face additional barriers, which may prevent them from being able to complete the remainder of their academic terms, should they be forced to move out from residence.
Hi Calvin -- students in those circumstances would need to speak with Housing about their specific situation.
— McMaster University (@McMasterU) March 17, 2020
Students may be unable to return to their family homes due to unsafe living situations or unsupportive families. Additionally, students may not have access to wifi and other resources necessary to complete their course work. As the provincial government requires all public libraries in Ontario close under a declaration of emergency, it remains to be seen how the university will support students without access to the resources necessary to engage in online courses.
Update: March 20, 2020: While international students and out-of-province students are pre-approved to stay in residence, students with extenuating circumstances, such as those in unsafe living situations, can apply to extend their stay.
"Students who have extenuating circumstances may request special consideration from the Residence Admissions office to extend their stay. These are approved on a case-by-case basis," wrote Holly Gibson, manager of marketing and communications for housing and conference services, in an emailed statement.
Gibson also confirmed that all food services except for Centro are now closed.
It is yet to be determined whether students who stay in residence will remain in their current rooms.
"Once we determine the number of students who will need to stay on campus, we will make plans with a focus on student safety, social distancing and in alignment with Public Health recommendations," stated Gibson.
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