What It Is:
Motel Restaurant (359 Barton St. East) takes your favourite brunch and lunch dishes and immerses you in the sweetly-pink ‘no-tell-motel’. From themed-cocktails to sweet and savoury plates, there is something to satisfy every palate.
The restaurant is easily noticeable due to its green painted exterior walls, which contrast the brick buildings surrounding the area. Once you step inside, you are instantly transported to the lobby and greeted by Chris Hewlett, the owner and host of Motel. A bright blue neon sign for vibrating beds, pink luggage all around and a long bar extending the length of the space creates an atmosphere that removes you from Barton Street East. On your way downstairs to the washrooms, you will see doors on either side of the hall with room numbers to make you feel as if you are about to check-in for the night.
A staple of Barton Village, Motel strives to bring a little bit of luxury to your busy week either through their daily drink specials or one of their specialty dishes like their champagne pancakes topped with edible gold-leaf.
How to get there from Campus:
For the most direct approach, take the 51 from campus towards Hamilton Go Centre. Walk to the east end of the platform and jump onto the 2. Continue to ride this bus for about 15 minutes and get off at Barton Street East and Emerald Street North. A short stroll to the north-east corner of the intersection will take you to the emerald-coloured building on your left.
For a quicker alternative, you could take the 10 from Main Street West and Emerson Street for an express ride to Main Street West and John Street South. Jump off the bus and head south towards Jackson Street East to wait for the 2 at the bus stop.
The Cost:
Entrees range in price from $16 to $19.75 and usually will require you to request a to-go box because the portions are quite large. On more than one occasion, a meal from Motel has lasted me both brunch and dinner. Sides are also available and they range from $3 to $7.50.
No great brunch can be had without a beverage to compliment. Motel offers a variety of hand-crafted espresso beverages and local freshly-squeezed juices from $4 to $6. If you’re looking for something spirituous, Motel offers a variety of “5 O’Clocktails” for $12. You can also upgrade to Motel-sized drinks for $2.50 or a flask to share with your party for $35.
Although the food is tasty and the atmosphere is inviting, I fully understand that this is not in the every-day student budget; however, Motel is great if you are looking to treat yourself after a hard week or need a go-to Hamilton spot to sit down and celebrate with friends.
What to get:
Every time I go to the restaurant, I typically have to tell Chris to come back to our table three or four times because I am so overwhelmed by the menu. I have learned that your choice will come down to whether you want something savoury or sweet for your breakfast-lunch combination. An added benefit is that Motel sources local ingredients, when they can, for their dishes.
If you are looking for a wow-factor or Instagramable moment, try the Champagne pancakes. They come with Devonshire cream, raspberry and pink champagne coulis topped with gold flakes. Fluffy pancakes topped with a light cream, fruity sauce and real gold makes for an incredible breakfast that seems as if it could only exist in a dream.
Looking for something savoury? Last time I went, Chris recommended the Loaded Breakfast Nacho Fries featuring a three cheese blend, crumbled bacon, tomato jam, jalapeno sour cream and two over-easy eggs served on a bed of crispy french fries. This may very well be my favourite item on the menu due in part to its sheer size but also because it tastes absolutely stunning.
Motel offers vegetarian options (including most of their sweet brunch options) as well as the I’m a Vegan which brings together marinated kale, quinoa, sweet potato, pecans and Brussel sprouts drizzled with a roasted vegetable vinaigrette.
Why It’s Great:
No matter what day of the week, you can expect Motel to be open from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., including most holidays. Some days are busier than others, but they will take your information and text you when your table is ready.
The space is a refreshing change from the typical restaurant environment. It immerses you in a different setting so far removed from Hamilton that you will forget what city you are eating in. The food will make you feel like a superstar (still really cannot get over the fact that you can eat gold on pancakes) and the staff are so inviting that you truly feel like a welcomed guest at staying at their motel.
[thesil_related_posts_sc]Related Posts[/thesil_related_posts_sc]
With the women’s soccer season underway, the team is likely holding onto the memories of one of their most valuable team members. Recently, players, family members, and the McMaster community lost Joeseph John Valvasori, the previous head coach of the team. After fighting a long battle with cancer, Valvasori passed away this summer. He will be remembered by players and community members alike for his efforts on the field as well as for his ability to touch the hearts of the people around him.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BwxbgaWB0Nf/
Anthony Costa takes the field this year as the head coach for the team. As a McMaster alumnus and a decorated former student-athlete, Costa not only has an extensive amount of knowledge on coaching but also of the challenges student-athletes can face. Having learned under Valvasori, Costa seems primed to build off of Valvasori’s contributions to help lead the Marauders to an incredibly successful season.
The maroon and grey finished last year with a record of eight wins, three losses and five ties to make their best record since at least 2014, finishing with a season points total of 29. They used the momentum from their successful season to advance to the final four of the U sports championship, where they played the Cape Breton Capers.
Ultimately, they lost the bronze medal match and placed fourth overall at the tournament. Nonetheless, they made an incredible effort at the U sports championship and look set to improve on their achievements from last year.
They’ve largely kept together the same roster, which is promising for the team as senior players such as Stephanie Roberts and Hannah Chau-Stacey played a big role last year and will be returning. Roberts was named U sports second-team all Canadian last year, the first women’s soccer player in a decade to do so. Part of the reason she accomplished second-team all-Canadian was due to her leading the country in conference goals for the regular season, scoring 14 points in just 16 games.
Another key player, Chau-Stacey, played a big role in her team’s opening game against Windsor. She also notched one of two goals in the team’s win against Waterloo. For her accomplishments in these games, she was just awarded the Pita Pit athlete of the week. Going into her fourth year, Chau-Stacey provides a solid veteran presence and will definitely play a big role this year.
The women’s soccer team opened the 2019-2020 season ranked eighth overall in the nation, a ranking that they hope to outperform as they’ve started out the season with two wins and a loss.
https://www.instagram.com/p/B2DHm3PnteW/
One of those wins was also a blowout against the Windsor Lancers in their opening game. The Marauders scored four goals in the first half and one in the second to take the game five to one. Their only loss so far is against the perennially great York University Lions, against whom the Marauders played an away game in Toronto.
With all of this in mind, the women’s soccer team is poised to have a very deep playoff run as they build off of the accomplishments they achieved last year and hopefully take a shot at gold in the U sports championship.
2018 Women's Soccer Roster
The official 2018 Women's Soccer Roster for the McMaster University Marauders
[thesil_related_posts_sc]Related Posts[/thesil_related_posts_sc]
A new study led by McMaster researchers may change the medical treatment of heart attack survivors.
The COMPLETE study, led by Dr. Shamir Mehta, staff cardiologist at Hamilton Health Sciences and professor with the Population Health Research Institute at McMaster University, investigates reducing survivor’s risk of future heart attacks.
Heart attacks occur when arteries supplying the heart with blood are blocked. Doctors typically open up the artery responsible for the heart attack and treatment proceeds with medications such as blood thinners, beta blockers and low-dose aspirin. The COMPLETE study, however, aims to investigate whether opening up more potentially problematic arteries is preferable to medication-focused treatment options.
“Given its large size, international scope and focus on patient-centered outcomes, the COMPLETE trial will change how doctors treat this condition and prevent many thousands of recurrent heart attacks globally every year,” said Mehta in a McMaster press release regarding the study.
Arteries are “opened up” through a procedure known as percutaneous coronary intervention, a non-surgical procedure in which a small structure known as a stent is put in place to widen blood vessels supplying blood to the heart. Blood vessels that require this procedure are usually narrow due to a buildup of plaque.
Beginning in 2013, the COMPLETE study has enrolled over four thousand patients with acute heart attacks from 31 countries. Upon arriving at collaborating hospitals, patients are quickly installed with a stent to widen the narrowed artery. If cardiologists discover one or more arteries that are more than 70 per cent blocked during the procedure, that patient becomes eligible for the COMPLETE study.
Patients are randomized to one of two groups: one returns 45 days later to install more stents while the other heads home with normal medication centered treatment.
The study found that 7.8 per cent of patients that had additional stents installed either had another heart attack or died. By contrast, 10.5 per cent of patients receiving conventional care experienced these outcomes.
“This study clearly showed that there is a long term benefit in preventing serious heart-related events by clearing all of the arteries. There was also no major downside to the additional procedure,” said Mehta.
The COMPLETE trial earned international attention after being published in the New England Journal of Medicine early last week, and was presented at the World Congress of Cardiology in Paris. Whether the study’s findings will convince more doctors that partially occluded arteries should also be opened up, or result in a change in medical practices remains to be seen.
The study may prove to be of special importance to Canadians. Heart disease is the second leading cause of death in Canada and cardiovascular diseases account for approximately 30 per cent of all deaths worldwide. Making changes to improve the treatment of patients with multivessel disease may help to save lives in the future.
[thesil_related_posts_sc]Related Posts[/thesil_related_posts_sc]
The Government of Ontario’s Student Choice Initiative was announced on Jan. 17, 2019. It called into question the tuition and ancillary fee guidelines that many students across the province had grown accustomed to.
The SCI is part of the Government of Ontario’s plan to make postsecondary education more affordable in Ontario. The new framework has already attracted much attention due to its changes to tuition and OSAP support. This year, the SCI will also allow students to opt-out of ancillary fees that have been deemed non-essential by the Government, which includes fees allocated towards clubs and student organizations.
The McMaster Students Union has created a webpage that advocates for students to support the non-essential fees and explains the impact the SCI may have on student life. The MSU represents over 20, 000 full-time undergraduate students and over 30 student-oriented services. Typically, money collected through the MSU fee that students pay as a part of their tuition is distributed amongst various student services on an annual basis.
According to the webpage, the MSU will change to a pay-per-service model in the coming year. Many services that were previously guaranteed will now be subject to optional funding. The list of optional services includes the Child Care Centre, Campus Events, Mac Farmstand, The Silhouette, CFMU and emergency student grants. In addition, all student clubs will be at risk of losing all or a significant portion of their funds.
“The MSU has consistently been our biggest source of funding, and for that, we are very grateful, but that also means we will likely lose a significant portion of our funding under the new opt-out policy,” said Edward Cui, co-president of the McMaster Dragon Boat Club.
One of the primary concerns for many presidents, executives, and general members is that decreasing financial support will reduce the accessibility of club activities.
“I'm sure other athletic organizations at McMaster would agree: sports are not cheap. Yet they are so integral to the health and wellness of our student community,” said Cui. “The team fees of McMaster Dragon Boat have been historically lower than the dragon boat teams of neighboring schools, but there have still been instances where the financial burden becomes a barrier to student participation.”
Katie O’Donnell and Sara Elgadi, co-presidents of the McMaster Classics Club, are worried that without financial support from the MSU fee, they will be unable to afford the larger events that they have offered in years past. They recognize that they will likely no longer be able to execute high quality events, which makes them fear that students will lose interest in Classics. For them, this idea is upsetting because everything they do is for the benefit of students, and to lose their support would be detrimental to their club.
The MSU promises that all of its services will continue to operate this year. However, everyone is already planning measures to face future years of reduced financial support. Elgadi and O’Donnell are already working on fundraising opportunities such as T-shirt sales, book sales and bake sales. Some clubs are turning to external support from the community. Cui and his team have been reaching out to various community partners for potential sponsorship opportunities. He sees a bright side to all of this, noting that regardless of how their budget turns out this year, this is a good chance for the club to establish long-term relationships with local businesses and increase their reach for years to come.
Currently, MSU club members fear that students are not aware of exactly how club budgets will be impacted by SCI. They believe that McMaster clubs are an integral component to student life on campus.
“While we understand the decision to opt-out, we would like to remind students that the fee is very minimal and helps support our clubs which aim to give you a better university experience,” said Elgadi and O’Donnell, “Opting out doesn’t take [money] away from McMaster itself, but rather, it takes opportunities away from you as students to network, make friends and receive guidance.”
Despite the possible changes and challenges that MSU clubs may face, a strong sense of optimism remains for the school year.
“To McMaster students: this policy change may seem to put a damper on your plans for the year,” said Cui, “but don't let it stop you from exploring your passions and interests on campus.”
McMaster students will be able to opt-out of non-essential fees through an online process available on Mosaic from Sept. 12 - 20, 2019 on Mosaic.
[thesil_related_posts_sc]Related Posts[/thesil_related_posts_sc]
In April 2017, construction for McMaster University’s Peter George Centre for Living and Learning began. Situated directly beside the Ron Joyce Stadium, PGCLL is projected to be a complete 14-storey, 335 000 square foot building by Nov. 4, 2019.
Holly Gibson, manager of marketing and communications for McMaster’s Housing & Conference Services, revealed that that the rationale for building PGCLL was based on demand for student housing and wellness services, a movement towards active learning at McMaster and a commitment to replace the daycare that was removed when Wilson Hall was built.
Meeting minutes from a McMaster Faculty Association meeting on Apr. 23, 2019 reveal that the new McMaster Children’s Centre was set to open in PGCLL by Aug. 7, 2019. In addition to the daycare, other non-residence areas of PGCLL such as the active learning classrooms and Student Wellness Centre still remain under active construction.
Currently, McMaster has six other active learning spaces in L.R. Wilson Hall. PGCLL will introduce a seventh, larger and more refined active learning space to McMaster’s campus. As Gibson said, “Whereas most active learning classrooms accommodate 30-90 people, the PGCLL active learning classroom was created in consultation with designers, architects and campus stakeholders to be one of the largest active learning spaces in North America (according to FlexSpace.org) with a capacity of 405 participants.”
The purpose of an active learning classroom can be defined as a way to teach content through group-based learning. Gibson stated that instructors who utilize the spaces effectively tend to focus less on lecturing and more on facilitating active engagement amongst students. The technology of these rooms is built around fostering collaboration. For example, instructors can control whether a student’s work is displayed within their group or to the whole class. Self-directed problem solving through case studies are just one example of how professors can use active learning classrooms. The active learning format is being successfully implemented across many faculties at McMaster.
Gibson believes that not only will PGCLL be valuable for student education, but that the size and scale of PGCLL will provide a central “hub” for student life on campus.
“In PGCLL, we expect to see up to 2,200 students going to/from class every hour or an hour and a half; this represents 18 per cent of the total classroom space on campus,” said Gibson. “In addition, the Student Wellness Centre handles over 50 000 student appointments a year and our on-site student residence will be home to 518 students during the academic year.
CLL double room with a connected shared washroom. In the image, it is set up for conference guests who were welcomed during summer months to ensure maximum utilization of the space.
The 518 students will be distributed between four different residence room types. All students in these rooms also incur a $40 residence life fee per year.
During Welcome Week, students were moved into PGCLL while it was still undergoing construction. Classes which were scheduled to take place in PGCLL have been relocated due to the fact that the building is incomplete. With over two months left until the projected completion date, it is unclear whether changes will need to be made to ensure the safety and comfort of students living in PGCLL.
This will likely not be the last renovation project on McMaster’s campus. Potential future prospects include a Main Street West residence, a grad residence downtown, and a Bates redevelopment project. In addition, the Student Activity Building is projected to be ready for summer 2020.
[thesil_related_posts_sc]Related Posts[/thesil_related_posts_sc]
Isolated from the grey overtones of King Street West lies a splash of pink just east of Hess Street North. Walking into the space, you are immediately overwhelmed with the pleasant scent of freshly baked goodies. As your eyes gaze upon the pink shop, the show-stopping piece is the custom-made swing holding a hundred pounds of sprinkles. For Real Dough (256 King Street West) adds an escape from the downtown core by combining a bakery with the feel of a pop-up museum.
For owner Diana Smiarowski, the bakery was a chance for her to get a much needed change of pace.
“We came up with [an idea to] mix an element of fun while at the same time my boyfriend was craving cookie dough... We looked it up and saw places in the States but there was nowhere permanent here that you could go. We kind of mixed the two together and we wanted to bring a feeling of nostalgia. I know lots of people [ate cookie dough] and snuck it when they were little. Coming into a place like this with the clouds, the pink...it’s just meant to bring you back to your childhood. We just wanted it to be a happy, fun place to come,” said Smiarowski.
For Real Dough is an immersive experience in the heart of downtown Hamilton that meshes the feel of a pop-up with decadent edible cookie dough. Ranging in simple flavours like chocolate chip to more unique flavours such as cookie monster and dunkaroo. Select vegan and no gluten-added flavours are offered on the menu to ensure everybody is able to try the sweet treats For Real Dough has to offer. The bakery also boasts stuffed cookies, cookie dough paired with soft-serve ice cream and iced coffee served with cereal-flavoured milk with everything made in-house.
“It’s about bringing a sweet piece of childhood back. We try and bring some fun, creative flavours that you wouldn’t find anywhere around...We see Hamilton growing and we just wanted to bring something to help it grow,” said Smiarowski.
Raw cookie dough is normally not recommended for consumption due to the inclusion of raw eggs and flour. For Real Dough uses pasteurized eggs and heat-treats their flour to allow their cookie dough to be fully edible without the associated health concerns of its raw counterpart.
From conception to reality, the bakery was set to open its doors after a year and a half of planning and execution. With the giant spoons above the washroom, clouds hung above the tables, and neon signs mounted to the walls, the store was ready for its soft-launch in July 2019 with an unexpected turnout.
“It was wild! There is always a fear of starting a new business but it has been amazing, especially seeing people come in here happy. They’re just in such a good mood and it puts you in a good mood,” said Smiarowski.
https://www.instagram.com/p/B0ovNHMnwPr/
Although the bakery has a lot to offer, the menu is constantly changing with each week holding a new flavour in-store for customers. Basic flavours are kept; however, seasonal treats are swapped out to keep things fresh.
“Our number of flavours are always rotating and we are constantly trying to stay innovative. It’s a nice escape for people to just kind of forget what’s going on. They’re walking back into their childhood.” said Smiarowski.
To Smiarowski and her team, For Real Dough is more than just a cookie dough cafe. It is an experience for Hamiltonians to feel transported away from their busy lives. Put your head in the clouds and enjoy the atmosphere that has been created to ignite your childhood self.
For Real Dough is not only the perfect place for your next Instagram post but it also has sweet treats that allow you to relive your childhood years without having to leave the city. This cookie dough cafe is not going anywhere, anytime soon making it a beautifully pink addition to King Street West.
[thesil_related_posts_sc]Related Posts[/thesil_related_posts_sc]
Every Welcome Week, McMaster reps across faculties and residences partake in Shinerama, a fundraiser for Cystic Fibrosis Canada.
Shinerama is an incredibly successful fundraising campaign as McMaster fundraises over $100,000 every Welcome Week. Altogether, over 40 Canadian colleges and universities fundraise money for Shinerama annually, collectively fundraising approximately $500 thousand every year. However, it may be time to question our fundraising efforts—where exactly is our money going, and why are we doing it?
While Shinerama can bring students together to promote working towards a good cause, it can also alienate first years of a low socioeconomic status. Being asked for money constantly, especially during a week where many first years are acclimatizing to a new environment can be daunting.
Being asked for money can make students uncomfortable, especially when university tuition and housing is a huge financial burden for many. First years may not have money to spare but being constantly asked and reminded to donate can make people feel obliged to contribute money. As a result, many first years often feel uncomfortable going up to reps who are shining, as they’ll feel the need to give money they don’t have.
One way to tackle the issue of soliciting first years for donations is to solely run a fundraising campaign during the summer or during the school year. Welcome Week often is a place where first years feel very vulnerable due to such a new environment and asking students for money who may not be financially stable can put them in an uncomfortable position. This issue has been ongoing, but with the OSAP cuts this year, this problem may have been especially prevalent this past Welcome Week. Simply changing the time of our annual fundraising campaign so that it is no longer during Welcome Week can help alleviate this problem so that first years don’t feel obliged to donate when they have tuition fees to cover as well.
Another issue that has been raised is Cystic Fibrosis Canada’s efficacy as a charitable organization. In 2017, around 30 per cent or approximately $4 million of total funding for Cystic Fibrosis Canada went towards administrative costs or fundraising fees. Although McMaster raises over $100,000 for Shinerama each year, that does not even cover overhead fees. Cystic fibrosis is a good cause to raise money for, but it is also important to critically analyze how much money actually goes towards funding research.
Cystic fibrosis is a common genetic disease in Canada which is one of the reasons why fundraising efforts are so large. However, it is important to note that Cystic Fibrosis Canada states that Caucasians make up 93 per cent of diagnoses in Canada. While Caucasians are not limited to only white people, the Caucasian population in Canada is mainly white. According to Genetics Home Reference, the disease has been found to be most prevalent in White Americans (around 1 in 2,500 to 3,500) compared to African Americans (1 in 17,000) and Asian Americans (1 in 31,000).
As most people affected by cystic fibrosis are white, many students feel unrepresented by our fundraising efforts. As McMaster likes to promote the fact that their students are diverse, they should consider contributing to diseases or causes that affect a diverse population, not a mainly white population.
Evidently, Shinerama has a lot of room for improvement. As McMaster raises a large amount of money each year, it is important to critically analyze where our money is going. So what are some other options?
One solution to this problem could be rotating charities every year. Many local grassroots organizations such as sexual assault centre (Hamilton) are in dire need of funding and $100,000 could really benefit their programming and resources. SACHA currently only has six full-time staff, one part-time staff and the rest of the organization runs solely on volunteers. As a result, SACHA is often flooded with requests for sexual violence support. If McMaster chose to raise money for SACHA even for only one year, it would provide a huge support to an organization that provides crucial programming and training on sexual violence and bystander intervention.
By raising money for local grassroots organizations, McMaster students could also improve relationships with the Hamilton community, which is one thing that many people really enjoy about Shinerama fundraising during the summer.
Fundraising efforts done by McMaster students can have incredibly positive effects on our community if we do it correctly. Moving forward, we should critically analyze when we fundraise and who we are fundraising for so that our efforts can be allocated more effectively.
A previously published version of this article stated that there was only one part-time staff working at SACHA. It has since been corrected to state that SACHA has six full-time staff and one-part time staff.
A previously published version of this article stated that almost 60 Canadian universities fundraise for Shinerama, collectively raising approximately $1 million every year. It has since been corrected to state that over 40 Canadian colleges and universities fundraise, collectively raising approximately $500 million annually.
[thesil_related_posts_sc]Related Posts[/thesil_related_posts_sc]
Sept. 13, 2018
Ursula Johnson’s Mi’kwite’tmn (Do You Remember) art exhibit opened at the McMaster Museum of Art. Through three distinct spaces and public performances, she showcased Indigenous culture and the obstacles that it faces.
Sept. 25, 2018
A series of break-ins concentrated in a short amount of time occurred near McMaster and the Westdale area. Eventually, police made an arrest on Feb. 15, 2019.
Sept. 27, 2018
About two months after the city of Hamilton added colourful crosswalks at Sterling Street and Forsyth Avenue to honour Hamilton’s LGBTQIA2S community, white paint was found dumped all over it. The police attempted to investigate and the white paint was removed.
Nov. 7, 2018
In March 2017, McMaster students voted in a referendum to approve the creation of the new Student Activity Building and expanded Pulse. The plans included a grocery store, study spaces, a multi-faith prayer space, and a nap room. Due to budgetary concerns revealed in February 2019, construction was delayed. The targeted completion date has been since moved to summer 2020.
Oct. 17, 2018
As of this day, Canadians aged 19 or older could legally possess up to 30 grams of cannabis and purchase weed from regulated retailers. Andrea Farquhar, assistant vice president of McMaster communication and public affairs, revealed that students would only be allowed to consume cannabis in residence straight from a manufacturer-labelled container. This year will reveal how such rules and specifications will be enacted.
Nov. 15, 2018
Doug Ford’s provincial government released a mandate that all publicly-assisted colleges and universities in Ontario submit a free speech policy by January 2019. This was unanimously opposed by the McMaster Students Union Student Representative Assembly . The SRA believed that the mandate was being used to censor dissent towards hate and bigotry.
Jan. 17, 2019
Doug Ford’s provincial government announced their plan to reduce tuition by 10 per cent and make ancillary student fees optional. This ignited a conversation on how the funding of university organizations, clubs and services would be impacted. On Apr. 4, 2019, it was revealed that McMaster students would be able to opt-out of paying for MSU clubs and services.
Feb. 1, 2019
Josh Marando is elected MSU president. Voter turnout for the 2019 McMaster Students Union presidential election reached the lowest that it has ever been since 2012.
Mar. 14, 2019
Maroons members disclose accounts of sexual assault that occurred over the past year. This led to an investigation that is currently ongoing.
McMaster women’s basketball team win their first national championship.
Mar. 19, 2019
Hundreds of McMaster community members mourned the victims of the Christchurch massacre.
Mar. 21, 2019
McMaster men’s volleyball team lost in the consolation semifinals of the U Sports tournament. The McMaster women’s volleyball team missed the Ontario University Athletics playoffs for the first time since 2003-2004.
Mar. 28, 2019
The federal government awarded $3.3 million in grants to 72 social sciences and humanities researchers at McMaster.
Aug. 7, 2019
Marando issued a letter urging the SRA to revoke a new club’s status due to its alleged ties to white supremacy.
As Ned Stark said: brace yourselves, back-to-school shopping is coming. Every fall, students are pressured to buy the trendiest, fashion-forward outfits in order to both fit in and stand out (at the same time, effortlessly). This is particularly overwhelming for university students. We are encountering more new people and ideas than ever before, and that is often expressed through changes in personal style. Clothes allow you to experiment with different identities until you find the one that fits you.
While it can be freeing to reinvent yourself through clothes, it can also be financially taxing to buy an entirely new wardrobe every year. But fear not! Here are some tips and tricks for navigating back-to-school shopping that will save your wallet and your sanity.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BuythwLBQBA/
If you know and love Queer Eye as much as I do, you’ll know that Tan France, the fashion expert, recommends finding a ‘hero piece’, a statement item to build an outfit around. This hero piece might already be in your closet. When the first week of school comes and you are stumped for outfit ideas, a hero piece can form the foundation of an outfit that you feel comfortable and confident in. Just one item of clothing can transform your whole outfit.
Change up your closet with clothing swaps! Threadwork (a sustainable fashion club on campus) usually has a swap in the McMaster University Student Centre each semester. It’s a quick and easy way to refresh your wardrobe while cleaning out some of the items that you no longer wear for free. There are also clothing swaps in the community; The Pale Blue Dot (240 James Street North) frequently has them, as does the Hearty Hooligan (292 Ottawa Street North).
https://www.instagram.com/p/B2AGni_Hlga/
Thrift stores are your friend. Places like Out of the Past (308 Ottawa Street North), The Giving Closet (1162 Barton Street East) or Hawk and Sparrow (126 James Street North) will frequently have pieces that are more affordable and of higher quality than what you might find at the mall. If you don’t have the time to go in person, there are even online thrift stores, like thredUP. If you’re looking to free up some space in your closet, try donating your old clothes to avoid throwing them away. If you take them to Plato’s Closet (505 Rymal Road East) or Style Encore (989 Fennell Avenue East), then they will even pay you to donate them. This is a real thing! Check it out!
Rescue your beloved old clothes by taking them to a tailor or cobbler. My life changed when I realized I could get my worn out pants repaired for $20 rather than having to face the horrors of trying on too-small jeans in a dimly-lit dressing room. Not to mention, repairing old shoes means that you don’t have to go through the time and effort of breaking in a new pair. Your ankles will thank you. Thankles?
Not only do these four tips help you save money and live better, they also help to minimize your contributions to ‘fast fashion’ (buying clothes that won’t last and then throwing them away). The fashion industry puts out a huge amount of pollution every year. Clothes that fall apart after a few months are not only damaging to the planet, but they are also a strain on your wallet over time as you keep having to replace them with increasingly expensive options. Buying good quality pieces or repairing the pieces that you have helps to keep clothes out of landfills.
You shouldn’t feel guilty for buying new clothes or following fashion trends if that brings you joy, just keep these sustainable options in mind. Remember, by November we’ll all be wearing sweatpants anyways, so wear whatever makes you happy and comfortable!
[thesil_related_posts_sc]Related Posts[/thesil_related_posts_sc]
By: Lauren O'Donnell
‘A Two Piece’ consists of two separate and distinct dance pieces choreographed, respectively, by Georgi DiRocco and Jake Poloz. It is a part of the Hamilton Fringe Festival, and it runs until Sunday, July 28th. ‘A Two Piece’ is being put on at The Westdale Cinema, recently renovated and looking snazzier than ever.
As the audience filters into the theatre, the dancers are warming up. There are brief flashes of the performance that is to come, interspersed with stretches and laughter. With dance performances it can be easy to feel out of place and confused, but that was not the case with this show. Every movement spoke directly to the heart of summer romance, however fleeting. The performers channelled every emotion from lovesick, to happy, to heartbroken, to disinterested in every boy on every dating app. Truly, the most relatable content.
The stage remained bare except for a small bin of props. The focus remains permanently on the performers. They command the stage. There are brief moments of slam poetry interwoven within the choreography, connecting the movements to the words in another kind of duet. The poetry is good, but the true strength of the performance lies in the dance.
Each of the two pieces carries a different tone, as well as dramatically different music choices. In other words, if one of the pieces is not your other thing, the other one probably will be. Different as they may be, however, there is a cohesion and unity to the show that makes it feel whole and fulfilling.
I give this show a solid 2/2 pieces. When you’re compiling your list of Fringe plays to go see, make sure to add this one in. And then go ahead and add in every other Fringe show.
For more information, visit http://hamiltonfringe.ca/shows/a-two-piece/
[thesil_related_posts_sc]Related Posts[/thesil_related_posts_sc]
