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.
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.
Halloween socials and activities across campus are an opportunity to reconnect with friends and meet new people in creative settings
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.
Organized by the Spiritual Care and Learning Centre, the harvest dinner stems from a long-standing tradition of welcoming international students
This year's harvest dinner on campus was held during reading week on Oct. 17, 2024 from 5:30 to 8:00 p.m. at The Buttery in Alumni Hall. Students who attended the dinner enjoyed an evening of food, conversation, and friendship.
This dinner was primarily organized by the Spiritual Care and Learning Centre, one of the services of the Student Success Center, along with the McMaster Chaplaincy Centre. It was supported by the International and Exchange Student Experience office. The SCLC was founded in 2021 to provide accessible and comprehensive spiritual care.
Andy Crowell, the SCLC director, explained that the harvest dinner evolved from an annual thanksgiving dinner that the ecumenical chaplaincy held for nearly thirty years. “The heart behind it is to provide hospitality for any students, but particularly identifying international students. The heart behind it was to provide a little hospitality at a time when Canadians are celebrating in a traditional way,” said Crowell.
The heart behind it is to provide hospitality for any students, but particularly identifying international students. The heart behind it was to provide a little hospitality at a time when Canadians are celebrating in a traditional way.
Andy Crowell, Director
Spiritual Care and Learning Centre
The ecumenical chaplaincy falls under the umbrella of groups supported by the SCLC. Crowell noted that he advocated for the SCLC to help host the dinner to sustain the tradition without relying on volunteer support. “The original dinner through the ecumenical chaplaincy would involve at least 50 volunteers … That kind of organization, you can imagine, was wide and arduous,” said Crowell.
The dinner is held during reading week to provide a social opportunity for international students. “A lot of students go to their homes … [but] many are still on campus, most of whom are international students,” added Crowell.
Crowell also spoke to the decision to rename the event. “Thanksgiving is a perfectly appropriate word for a human expression of something, but it has a connotation at that time of year,” said Crowell.
Elder Katherine Knott, who works with the SCLC, was invited to speak at the dinner to honor the significance of this change. The harvest dinner included traditional thanksgiving and Indigenous dishes. “The repositioning is sought to try and decolonize a little bit out of the Canadian, sort of Euro-thanksgiving concept to one that is no less grateful,” said Crowell.
The evening began with opening remarks from Crowell, Knott, ecumenical chaplain Marlice Simon and dean of students Sean Van Koughnett. Each table had a host who facilitated icebreakers and friendship bracelet making. Door prizes were given out throughout the event and winners were encouraged to introduce themselves.
Crowell shared that the event was at full capacity, with over 100 students attending. Many students stayed and continued their conversations after the event officially ended.
Speaking about what he hoped students would take away from the event, Crowell said, “If they’ve not had many points of contact with other students to help build a small sense of community, they could and did find it that night."
If they’ve not had many points of contact with other students to help build a small sense of community, they could and did find it that night.
Andy Crowell, Director
Spiritual Care and Learning Centre
The harvest dinner provided an opportunity for students to find community and express gratitude. To connect with the SCLC and their programs and services, you can visit their website or drop in to their office, located in room 212 of MUSC.
Zero Waste McMaster cleans up neighbourhoods surrounding campus following homecoming parties
On Oct. 7, members of McMaster's Zero Waste club gathered on campus to collect waste and clean up the Westdale and Ainslie Wood neighbourhoods following the events of homecoming on Oct. 5. The student-led club is committed to promoting a low-waste lifestyle to students and community members both on and off campus while raising awareness about pressing environmental issues.
Jessica Prevost, co-president of the Zero Waste Club, spoke about the motivation behind the cleanup and the event’s turnout.
“Zero Waste tries to do a cleanup every semester and we usually try to do the fall one around homecoming because with the street parties, it can get pretty gross on the street … so we wanted to help clean that up as quickly as possible … the goal was to help clean up the [surrounding] neighbourhoods, especially for the people who live there who are not responsible for the garbage,” said Prevost.
The goal was to help clean up the [surrounding] neighbourhoods, especially for the people who live there who are not responsible for the garbage.
Jessica Prevost, Co-President
Zero Waste McMaster
Despite fewer attendees participating in the cleanup than expected, the club managed to collect three bags of garbage and two bags of recycling.
Prevost noted that all supplies, including garbage and recycling bags and gloves for the cleanup, were provided through the City of Hamilton's 'Team Up to Clean Up' community program. "You can sign up a group of people or friends for a cleanup initiative and they provide all the materials for free … If you dispose of [the garbage and recycling bags] at your house, they do not add to the total garbage or recycling bag count, which is super convenient,” said Prevost.
The Zero Waste club also plans sustainability-focused workshops and campaigns, advocating for students, faculty and community members to adopt less wasteful, low-impact lifestyles. Zero Waste has made a map showing the locations of all compost bins across campus.
Zero Waste is also collaborating with small sustainable businesses to create a discount program for McMaster students, offering a range of sustainable and eco-friendly products at an affordable price. Local businesses such as "That Planted Fork", "Audstruck Expression" and "The Casual Gourmet" are participating in the program, where students receive a discount code that can be applied at checkout.
Prevost noted that one of the club’s key goals is to emphasize that reducing waste should not be overwhelming and that every student’s impact can be significant. “Zero waste [living] is not as hard as it sounds … it is not about [achieving] zero waste, just reducing waste … it can be as simple as composting, as long as you have the resources, or turning the lights off when you don’t need them … there are many little things that you can do that really matter,” said Prevost.
Zero waste [living] is not as hard as it sounds…it is not about [achieving] zero waste, just reducing waste…it can be as simple as composting, as long as you have the resources, or turning the lights off when you don’t need them…there are many little things that you can do that really matter.
Jessica Prevost, Co-President
Zero Waste McMaster
The next
You can visit the Zero Waste Club's website and Instagram for more details and to sign up for their events.
The Timeless Vintage Market brought a unique curated vintage collection back this fall
The Timeless Vintage Market came back this month on Sep. 16 on 11 George St. and 32 Hess St., featuring 20 Ontario-based vendors of curated vintage. Some of the vendors included Snafu, Vintage Meets Hype, Streetsville Vintage and more.
The Timeless Vintage Market started hosting events in 2022, and Sept. 16 marked their fifth market. They tarted hosting vintage markets in Hamilton because they realized that other big cities in Ontario had vintage markets, while Hamilton did not.
They started planning their Sept. 16 market in April, and they rented out two buildings to improve wait times, issue they faced in previous markets. They aimed to have a variety of vendors and had them curate their own specific niche, from y2k to women’s wear.
Niche markets have become more popular over the past few years, especially vintage markets, which are collectives that curate second-hand clothing. They provide a one-stop shop for a variety of vintage items.
“So, there [are] some people [who] like true vintage, which is stuff between the 50s [and the] 80s. [There are some p]eople [who] specialize in [what] they really know; women's wear is popular right now, especially in the fall season,” explained David MacMullen, the founder of DropSpot Vintage and the coordinator of the Timeless Vintage Market.
So, there [are] some people [who] like true vintage, which is stuff between the 50s [and the] 80s. [There are some p]eople [who] specialize in [what] they really know; women's wear is popular right now, especially in the fall season.
David MacMullen, founder of DropSpot Vintage and coordinator of the Timeless Vintage Market
They also selected vendors that have their own following, so that they could also bring their own audience to the markets. This allows the market to reach the most amount of people they can.
They decided to introduce items to students this time and carried items other than clothing.
“This time, we decided to introduce things specifically for students, because we have people coming into the shop all the time asking, “Hey, can we buy posters or vinyls?” So, we've gone ahead and gotten a bunch of vendors that are going to be carrying those items for the market,” said MacMullen.
There is a sense of individuality and personality to each piece that some people love about the slow fashion movement. For others, like MacMullen, there is excitement in the collector's aspect, and they’re always on the hunt for a unique piece to add to their closet.
“So, I think that for sure, I've always just liked finding other things to add to my closet that I really enjoy. And definitely right up there is like finding pieces that other people are super excited about,” said MacMullen.
So, I think that for sure, I've always just liked finding other things to add to my closet that I really enjoy. And definitely right up there is like finding pieces that other people are super excited about.
David MacMullen, founder of DropSpot Vintage and coordinator of the Timeless Vintage Market
They hope that attendees were able to enjoy the experience and picked up something worthwhile, especially since vintage items tend to be better quality and more unique than fast fashion.
“I would really hope that people just think it's a crazy experience. Obviously, they find something that they're super excited about, whether that's something to wear or something to hang up in their room,” said MacMullen.
I would really hope that people just think it's a crazy experience. Obviously, they find something that they're super excited about, whether that's something to wear or something to hang up in their room.
David MacMullen, founder of DropSpot Vintage and coordinator of the Timeless Vintage Market
The Timeless Vintage Market has their next event in Toronto on Oct. 28. Be sure to check it out!
Hamilton’s apple season kicked off this past weekend with Apple Fest Weekend, as part of Food Literacy Month. Orchards are officially open, and there’s no better time to go out and pick some apples. I have a habit of picking way more apples than any one human can possibly eat. To make use of all them, I pull out a classic apple crisp recipe to bake and share with friends. Although honeycrisp apples were used for this recipe, you can use any baking apple.
There’s no better way to enjoy fall than with some freshly baked apple crisp and a nice cup of tea while bundled up in a scarf. This recipe pairs best with orange pekoe or chai drinks.
This recipe is a modified version of Apple Crisp II by Diane Kester.
The Ingredients
For the apples:
10 cups all-purpose apples, peeled, cored and sliced
3/4 cup white sugar
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon nutmeg
¼ cup water
For the topping:
2 cups quick-cooking oats
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups packed brown sugar
½ teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon baking soda
1 cup butter, melted
Caramel drizzle (optional):
1 cup butter
1 cup light brown sugar
The Preparation
When you’re peeling the apples, it helps to peel them over a sheet of newspaper (just as long as it’s not a copy of the Silhouette). When you’re tidying up,wrap them up in the newspaper and put them directly into the compost bin. This saves a lot of time cleaning up the counter. The prep takes about 30 minutes, but by far the most difficult part is waiting for the apple crisp to finish baking.
Note: If you find it’s too sweet, you can cut the white sugar down to half a cup.
The Baking
The Finishing Touch
If you aren’t in the mood for orange pekoe or chai tea, this crisp is also great with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream. Share it with friends, or eat the whole thing yourself. I won’t judge you. Make sure to tag The Silhouette if you make this recipe at home!
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Last August, The Pale Blue Dot (240 James St. North) ran their first clothing swap. It turned into a huge success, with a lineup out their door. On Oct. 7, they will be running another one, this time at Grain & Grit brewery (11 Ewen Road). The Pale Blue Dot is a sustainable, eco-conscious store named after the 1990 photograph of the Earth taken from space. Mary Luciani, the owner of The Pale Blue Dot, emphasizes how important it is to be mindful of where and how we get our clothes.
“The reason we wanted to start it was because we wanted people to realize that there’s a different way to go about consuming clothing,” said Luciani.
The Pale Blue Dot strives to provide support for people trying to live an environmentally friendly lifestyle.
“I really wanted the space to be a community hub as well, that was one of my major goals, to make the Pale Blue Dot a place where people could come and ask their questions, learn about new ways that they could live a low waste lifestyle or a lifestyle with a low impact. More than just a little general store of earth friendly goods, I wanted to have different workshops and events going on in the space that showed people how they could make a difference,” said Luciani.
The clothing swaps initially began as the brainchild of Luciani and her friends Kayla Whitney, Pam Huffman, Monika Benkovich and Liz Enriquez. Together, they created Good Habit Events, a collective that organizes affordable and eco-conscious events and workshops.
“Through Good Habits, we reach out to different missions, different services, different locations in the city. We chat with them to see who’s in need,” said Luciani.
All clothing that is not swapped is donated to those who need it. Admission to the event is $5, and the money raised will go towards environmental initiatives in the community.
“We want to make sure those funds get allocated into projects that will benefit the city, and benefit the environment at the same time,” said Luciani.
https://www.instagram.com/p/B3FHjM5nVrl/
This year the clothing swap will feature curated Halloween sections, with different costumes set up. There will also be regular clothes available, depending on what clothing is donated.
Participants can bring in their clothing to either Grain & Grit or The Pale Blue Dot from Oct. 1 to 6 ahead of the swap on Oct. 7 at Grain & Grit. Each item of clothing is worth one ticket, and one ticket can then be redeemed for a different item of clothing at the event. The full list of rules is available on the event page and on both of the brand’s websites.
The textile industry is a huge contributor to pollution. Environmental sustainability has become a major topic of discussion among Hamiltonians and the greater community. Those who are looking to combat climate change and help protect our pale blue dot can count on this event to be a first step towards building a better future.
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With the fall break over, students have trudged back to school for the November grind, with the end of the semester in sight.
But next year, a new fall break format is expected to bring drastic changes to the structure of the fall semester at McMaster University.
In the Oct. 19 Student Representative Assembly meeting, lost in the interest in the year-end celebration decision, the SRA voted to recommend a new fall break format for next year. The proposals, brought forward by MSU president Teddy Saull, motioned for either a full week or a two-day fall break, beginning in the fall of 2015.
Following deliberation, members of the SRA voted 18-9-1 in favour of the full week recommendation to the Fall Break Committee. Rather than two separate breaks, the Thanksgiving weekend would be extended into a full week off.
"[The vote] shows that the group wanted it, but since it wasn't a unanimous vote, I think it also shows that there are a lot of different opinions out there, because it impacts every student in a different way," said Saull.
This is the second year of a two-year pilot project that began in the 2013-14 academic year, in which a two-day hiatus helped break up the long stretch of school between Thanksgiving and the beginning of exams. The pilot was reevaluated by a Fall Break Committee consisting of voices at all levels in the university, including the registrar, associate deans of various faculties, and the MSU president. With the approval of the SRA for the committee to pursue the full week, the proposal is expected to go through and be implemented in time for next year, said Saull.
“The Provost, from the feedback that they've heard, is thinking that this is going to go through,” he said. “But it will depend on going through several governing bodies [like] the Provost's Council, and then it has to go to Undergraduate Council, and then Senate, so if [any of them] shoot it down, it wouldn't go through.”
Regardless of the decision, both the full-week break and two-day break were going to require noticeable changes to the semester and testing schedule. A number of programs at McMaster, specifically in engineering, have accreditation requirements that require students to be in class for a certain number of hours, meaning that time has to be taken from other areas of the semester.
In order to accommodate a full-week break, three main changes were proposed by the committee and brought forward by Saull. Move-in for Welcome Week would be pushed earlier to the Thursday and Friday before Labour Day, as opposed to the Saturday and Sunday as has been the case in previous years. In addition, the gap day that currently exists as a buffer between final classes and the exam term would be dissolved, and the time allotted for exams would be shortened from three hours to two and a half, or even two hours.
As Saull explained, these changes are a result of a late Labour Day in 2015; therefore, even a two-day break would still necessitate some combination of the proposed changes for a full week break.
“Next year, any break would be different from this year because of the schedule. The calendar is different next year, as Labour Day and Christmas are closer together.”
Based on the discussions at the SRA meeting, students were also concerned with the impact that an entire week off would have on the schedule of midterms. Concerns largely focused on mental health for students, but it was agreed that a full week off was a more effective break. One benefit is that it allows long-distance and first-year students a good opportunity to be able to go home.
By: Olivia Monardo
Fall is finally upon us, and there is no better way to welcome it than with this seasonal spaghetti squash dish. Not only is this recipe quick, healthy, and delicious, but it is the perfect way to rid your fridge of any leftover vegetables that have been hanging out since your last trip to the grocery store.
Sophia Topper
Staff Reporter
It was beautiful.
The sky was blue, the brick was red, the grass was green and the tree was so, so, gold.
I remembered sitting on the scratchy carpet in Mrs. Nordahl’s grade one class, learning about why trees change colour in the fall. As autumn days are cut to darkness and fall is cut to winter, the green pigments flood out, extraneous without the light that feeds them. Gold is the colour of death.
But as we extoll upon fall’s fiery beauty, we might ask why we find it so. The reds and yellows splattering our campus are omens of winter, and a symbol of vanishing vitality. They are the tree’s last words, and their parting gift before a barren darkness.
As I stood next to viagra canada Bates residence staring up at this incredible tree, I wondered why we don’t revel in spring the same way. Sure, everyone loves spring, the blissful rebirth after a harsh winter, but we don’t savour it. We keep looking ahead to summer. Fall is different because it’s ephemeral. We know it won’t last. We don’t like what comes next.
The leaves remind us how little time we have left. Fall inspires people to do things: go for one last hike before it gets icy, wear your sandals one last time, roast around one last bonfire, eat one last bowl of squash soup and live as much as possible before frigidity sets in and we all retreat to tunnels and dorms.
It was a bit of a shock to come inside and open up a magazine to a spread on anti-aging creams, serums and cleansers. Society doesn’t find beauty in wrinkles and grey hairs, but they’re no different from gold and red leaves.
When a woman looks in the mirror and spots her first wrinkle, the tired trope calls for a catastrophic melt down. She looks in the mirror and curses all the things that caused it. All those afternoons sunbathing on the lawn, those blissful cigarette study breaks, the late nights imbibing with friends, she stares in the mirror and wishes she could take them all back. Is it really worth it to lose all those joyful moments for a less flawed face?
When a man spots his first grey hair, he doesn’t celebrate the fact he lived long enough to earn one, he worries that he has lost his looks. He fears he looks old, tired, like his grandfather.
If a tree could see its leaves, how would it feel? Would it rejoice in its new beauty, or fear their imminent loss? We dislike signs of age in ourselves because they remind us of how much time we have left, but rather than plan how to spend it most people plan how to keep it from showing. What if grey hair and wrinkles were treated like fall, inspiring us to really carpe diem this time, instead of feeding into the $114 billion anti-aging industry. Couldn’t that money be better spent making the most of our own personal autumns?
I know that a bunch of college students who won’t be facing this anytime soon may not be the best people to make this plea to, but it starts with you. Next time you see your grandmother, try to appreciate the silver in her hair like you appreciate the gold in the leaves. If you’re lucky, that’ll be you some day. It can be beautiful too.
The summer months lead to a sudden influx of heat waves, unwelcome flooding, and most importantly, quality television. And if after four months of converter cruising you find yourself longing for the plains of Westeros, the halls of Sterling-Cooper-Draper-Pryce, or the methamphetamines of Walter White, look no further than Primetime television.
Although the AMC’s and HBO’s of the world may provide for high-class entertainment in the warmer months, there’s something to be said for cable TV’s mid-evening programming.
DRAMA
For Breaking Bad (AMC) fans, check out Blacklist (CityTV). Apparently, the show is about a notorious fugitive who turns himself in- but only under the condition that he gets to FBI alongside a babe-alicious agent. Oooh. Drama.
For fans of Mad Men (AMC), check out The Crazy Ones. Although theoretically a comedy, this advertising show has the same creds as MM - but sub Jon Hamm for Robin Williams.
COMEDY/REALITY
If you’re one of the five people who watch Wilfred (FX) and need a new comedy for the season, check out Gravity Falls (Disney). Don’t led Disney mislead you, equally obscure, this children’s show is full of quirks and irony.
For TLC-addicts, trade in your Breaking Amish habit for the last season of What Not to Wear or Duck Dynasty (A&E). To each their own.
MISC.
Shark Week (Discovery) came and went, but nature still thrives. And by that, I mean Nature, the documentary series on PBS. If you need a description, you shouldn’t be in university.
If loafting in front of The Food Network became a daily habit, but your student house does not cater to specialty networks, tune into Masterchef Junior (CTV) for a guaranteed young-in shit show, with food.
