Photo By: Andrew Mrozowski/Editor-in-Chief
Are you feeling the luck of the Irish?
UPDATE: McMaster University has once again canvased the Westdale area with flyers reminding students to be "good neighbours".
"You have helped to create a welcoming environment during the past few weeks as we returned to in-person learning . . . Let's keep that momentum going," reads the letter.
McMaster has stated that there will be an increased security presence on campus and Hamilton police presence in the surrounding areas.
"We want to prevent any student from suffering the impacts of violating bylaws, laws, and/or McMaster's Code of Student Rights and Responsibilities."
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On March 11, McMaster University released a statement asking students to be mindful of the community as St. Patrick’s Day approaches.
“Heading into St. Patrick’s Day, our hope is that we can reinforce our culture of caring and being a good neighbour, and be considerate of the families, seniors, and fellow students who live around us,” reads a statement from Associate Vice-President & Dean of Students Sean Van Koughnett.
Warnings from McMaster about St. Patrick’s Day are not new. Before COVID-19, McMaster similarly warned students about the risks of large-scale gatherings.
“University communities experience larger-scale outdoor parties and public street gatherings that can be unsafe and can jeopardize the health and well-being of participants and neighbours,” reads the 2019 statement from McMaster Daily News.
The MSU also released a video to address possible concerns regarding large gatherings.
These warnings come after a series of destructive homecoming events in early October which saw property damage, large gatherings, and arrests.
After that event, the university strongly condemned the “fake homecoming” gatherings and apologized on behalf of students.
“On their behalf, I apologize for this behaviour, particularly by those who caused damage and put anyone at risk. Such actions are completely unacceptable,” stated President and Vice-Chancellor David Farrar.
For those who choose to attend St. Patrick’s Day gatherings, the university urges students to avoid large groups, to keep roads clear, and to be considerate towards the community.
Like previous years, the university is also paying for additional Hamilton police officers to patrol the neighbourhood on St. Patrick’s Day.
In four games this season the team has won three, two of which came in blowout form
In a four game season where every game matters, McMaster’s women’s rugby team has been making the most out of their opportunities. After starting the season with two wins and a loss, the team looks ready to take on whatever challenges lie ahead.
Upon returning to play for the first time since early 2020, the Marauders started their season on Sept. 13, with an exhibition match against the York Lions. There appeared to be no rust despite all the time off, as they took a huge victory with a final score of 31 to seven. With all cylinders firing, the team began their season on Sept. 24 against the Guelph Gryphons, which would be their only hiccup thus far.
Homecoming for the Marauders didn’t go so well, as they fell to the Gryphons in disappointing fashion. The final score wound up being 46 to 17 and it seemed like everything had fallen apart for the team. It would take significant time and effort to get back on track and prepare for the games ahead. Fortunately, the stars would align.
Not only was the team motivated to get back on track as they now had something to prove, but they were coming up against a team they knew they could beat: the York Lions.
In their second matchup against Lions, the first of the regular season, the Marauders would make an absolute statement. The previous 24 point lead wasn’t enough, as they would take the victory with a final score of 53 to five — a 48 point spread. In the final [regular season] home game, they were sure to leave a great taste in the mouths of their supporters.
The Marauders dominated the game right out of the gate, holding the Lions to only one secured try in the match, which came after 71 minutes. The long list of scorers for the Marauders by the end of the game would include Vanessa Webb, Tia Svoboda, Ila Bett, Malaya Mizal, Stacey Warner, Katie McLeod and Brie Clarke, compared to that of the Lions, featuring only Miyah Samson.
Beyond the impressive victory against the Lions, McMaster would continue their run, beating the Brock Badgers on Oct. 16. Although a much tighter match than that against the Lions, the Marauders still maintained a respectable lead, winning with a final score of 19 to 12. This win would advance their record to two wins and one loss in the season as they head into their final match.
The last matchup of the season comes on the road and will take place in Kingston, Ontario, home of Queen’s University. The Marauders will take on the Gaels with a desire to redeem themselves. The Gaels are arguably the favourite heading into the match, having beaten the Marauders eight times in 13 tries over the last ten years. Members of the team from the 2019 season likely remember the 100 to zero loss in the last game against the Gaels, but after a strong start to the 2021 season, they could look to turn the tables.
Andrew Mrozowski/Editor-in-Chief
McMaster University attempts to discourage students from partaking in any homecoming festivities
On Oct. 1, Hamilton Police Services went through the Westdale area with a letter addressed to McMaster students from the Student Support and Case Management department.
"As we head into the weekend and the excitement of our first home football game of the season, we would like to remind you to keep safety, respect and your neighbours top of mind. This is especially important given this time of a global pandemic when there is heightened anxiety resulting from unsafe gatherings," stated the letter.
Homecoming parties are not a new occurrence at McMaster University. In 2019, the Silhouette reported on a "fake homecoming" which occurred as a result of McMaster University moving the homecoming match to the end of reading week. FOCO was attended by an estimated 2000 students filling the street of Dalewood Ave. While HPS gave out tickets at this event, no arrests were made.
This year, the Marauders are set to play their first game at Ron Joyce Stadium against the Western Mustangs on Oct. 2, 2021. Historically homecoming has taken place on the day of this match. It is expected that this will continue regardless of the COVID-19 pandemic. This is corroborated by users on the McMaster sub-Reddit claiming that the street party will once again be returning.
"To safeguard the community, McMaster will be ramping up its security presence on campus and in the surrounding neighbourhoods this weekend. Hamilton police will be watching for any unsanctioned and large-scale parties in the area," stated the SSCM letter.
"To safeguard the community, McMaster will be ramping up its security presence on campus and in the surrounding neighbourhoods this weekend. Hamilton police will be watching for any unsanctioned and large-scale parties in the area,"
McMaster University Student Support and Case Management
On Sept. 17, HPS released a statement indicating that there would be an increased police presence as it was suspected homecoming parties would begin on that weekend due to the Marauders' football season commencing at Western University.
Queen's University, University of Guelph and Western University have appeared in the news recently due to large street parties resulting in thousands of dollars in property damages.
At time of publication, Hamilton Police Services have taped off a lawn on Dalewood Ave. in preparation for homecoming. HPS mounted units can also be seen patrolling the Westdale area. Similar reactions by the Hamilton community to homecoming have occurred in pre-pandemic years.
According to the letter delivered to student-homes, McMaster Security Services will be working closely with HPS to monitor the area for large gatherings of students, both on and off campus, that break both provincial and municipal COVID-19 by-laws. SSCM also cited the McMaster Code of Student Rights and Responsibilities, specifically with regards to the health and wellbeing of McMaster community members. If students are found to be in violation of the Code, academic repercussions may occur, such as suspension or expulsion from McMaster University.
"As a reminder, anyone found in violation of bylaws and laws - by hosting large gatherings for example — could be subject to charges, fines and possible sanctions under McMaster's Code of Student Rights and Responsibilities . . . If violated, the Code allows for a range of sanctions up to and including suspension and expulsion," stated the SSCM letter.
"As a reminder, anyone found in violation of bylaws and laws - by hosting large gatherings for example — could be subject to charges, fines and possible sanctions under McMaster's Code of Student Rights and Responsibilities . . . If violated, the Code allows for a range of sanctions up to and including suspension and expulsion,"
McMaster university Student Support and Case Management
Students who live on near where the party is set to occur have expressed their concerns, largely due to COVID-19.
"I think [the homecoming street party] is very dangerous, for not only the students, but the community surrounding McMaster. You don’t know who is vaccinated and who’s not. Even if you are vaccinated, you can still carry it and transmit it, so it’s very dangerous with that many people. You know with people our age, they likely won’t be wearing masks which makes it even more unsafe," said fifth-year earth and environmental science student, Andrew Smith.
Another student and Dalewood resident, who was granted anonymity by the Silhouette Editorial Board due to her proximity to the street party, echoed Smith's concerns.
"Regardless of COVID, big gatherings can cause lots of damage and put people at risk. Add COVID into the mix and you know stuff is going to happen and things are going to spread. People won’t be distancing if everyone is crowded into such a small street," said a second-year engineering student who resides on Dalewood Ave.
This is a developing story.
More than 2,000 maroon-clad students ventured to Dalewood Avenue last Saturday to celebrate McMaster’s first ever “Fake Homecoming” or FOCO, one of the largest student street parties that the university has seen in years.
FOCO was planned in response to the university’s decision to move its annual Homecoming event to the weekend of Oct. 18, overlapping with the end of reading week.
The unsanctioned street party began as a Facebook event called “MAC FOCO 2019 - A new beginning”. According to the page, it had over 2,700 attendees. The party coincided with the McMaster Marauders’ 47-19 win against the Windsor Lancers.
While the reason for the timing change is likely due to the 2019 football schedule, students took it upon themselves to organize a replacement Homecoming event that satisfied their own schedule.
The Facebook event description stressed that although the McMaster administration had decided to move HOCO, this would not stop students from taking advantage of an opportunity to celebrate. Visitors to the page were told to come to Dalewood on Sept. 21 and show their school spirit.
The event attracted the attention of the Hamilton Police and the McMaster administration. A day before, both parties stated in a press release that they were visiting residences to remind students to respect the community.
The Hamilton police noted that they — as well as city partners — would have an increased presence in the neighbourhood to discourage anything and anyone that might be disruptive. Particular emphasis was placed on forbidding large parties and alcohol on the streets.
HOCO has a history of safety concerns and in previous years, there have been issues of students publicly urinating and disrupting neighbors and making inappropriate comments during HOCO concerts. In addition, one woman was run over by a police horse during Homecoming in 2018.
Fortunately, FOCO did not run into such problems. Hamilton Police closed off Dalewood between Main Street West and Westwood Avenue and used caution tape to section off homes not housing students or interested in participating. With the exception of a few medical calls and bylaw tickets, the police made no arrests.
Students remained respectful and enjoyed their time day-drinking on front lawns and walking down the street. Some students even helped clean the street after the parties subsided, earning the gratitude of the Hamilton Police. In addition, the MSU planned a litter pick-up on the street for the Sunday after.
On Twitter, the Hamilton police wrote, “A special thanks to these #McMasterU students for taking the time to clean up after today’s unsanctioned homecoming event in the Ainslee Wood/Westdale area in #HamONT. Thanks for being #good neighbours.”
FOCO also drew in other students from outside Hamilton.
“It was lit. I had a really fun time and I wasn’t worried about anything. Overall, it was really relaxing,” said Trevor Chang, a third-year Laurier student and regular HOCO participant.
The success of FOCO has encouraged some students to plan a similar event next year should McMaster’s annual Homecoming fall during reading week once again.
“It’s a cultural thing. Of course there will be another FOCO. If we want to, university students are going to plan something like this again,” said a McMaster student who wishes to remain anonymous.
Regardless, the event supports the possibility of over 2,000 McMaster students attending an entirely student-run Homecoming event with no major issues.
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By Lilian Obeng
Two weeks ago, students and alumni gathered in the streets of Westdale and Ainslie Wood to celebrate McMaster’s Homecoming. After the incident known colloquially as “Dalewoodstock” took place in 2017, residents and university administration were keen to avoid repeating the levels property damage. The McMaster Students Union president also participated in the university’s promotional campaign dissuading students from partaking in the extremes of party culture.
Also two weeks ago, McMaster went viral. A clip of a girl being knocked down, and subsequently trampled by a mounted police officer began to make the rounds on social media. The video was so clear that news outlets such as CBC Hamilton picked it up. The immediate response to the video was to brush the incident off as a moment of drunken hilarity, but this occurrence sheds light on the evolving relationship between the MSU and law enforcement — specifically to the detriment of students.
We have arrived. #homecoming @McMasterU #makegooddecisions pic.twitter.com/VbO9AvUgnW
— HPS Mounted Patrol (@HPSMounted) September 15, 2018
In preparation of Homecoming, the university administration, McMaster Parking & Security Services and the MSU all meet to discuss and determine strategies for deterring improper conduct.
With this in mind, the increased policing of students appeared inevitable. Since St. Patrick’s Day of 2016 — at the very least — police officers have been contracted by the university for additional security. ACTION officers have been consistently and increasingly patrolling the Westdale area whenever celebratory, or potentially inflammatory, occasions take place, often with horses.
[spacer height="20px"]Initially, there was a half-hearted attempt by dispersed student groups to call attention to the increased policing going on at McMaster. In spite of the MSU’s purported dissatisfaction with the situation, this issue was shelved. Subsequent board of directors failed to recognize the danger this presented to all racialized people at McMaster.
The push towards policing was spurred on by our Ward 1 councillor Aidan Johnson.
Johnson, who is not seeking reelection in October, ran on a platform of deliberately increasing police presence on ‘student streets.’ He also expressed support for hiring Mohawk students to help patrol the Ainslie Woods and Westdale neighbourhoods — an idea that the city and McMaster are not in opposition to.
Why does any of this matter? Essentially, students are being used as an ‘easy’ source of revenue — a concerning fact when financial security is tenuous for many of us. Students are ticketed at such a disproportionate rate that the MSU must roll out multiple by-law education campaigns. We are also deliberately exposing vulnerable populations to uncritical surveillance.
The fact of the matter is that certain groups in our society have been historically disenfranchised by law enforcement. Heightened police presence is an inherent threat and a reminder of the power dynamics present in Hamilton.
It is plausible that our student leaders were unaware of this history, but ignorance is an insufficient excuse when police officers unnecessarily parade horses through students and cause bodily harm. We as students have forgotten our initial outrage, and allowed ourselves to uncritically parrot back the talking points of out-of-touch administrators. Our MSU president, however inadvertently, used her image to promote the policing of students and advance the university’s public relations campaign. This doubly highlights the need for the MSU to find ways to retain institutional memory. Our advocacy needs to be much stronger than this.
Ultimately, the response to Homecoming was overblown. We as students empathize with the desire the City of Hamilton, residents and the university has to contain rowdy, disruptive teenagers. We should wholeheartedly reject the notion that the solution lies in policing.
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Football
The main event of the weekend ended in success for the McMaster Marauders as the men’s football team defeated the University of Toronto Varsity Blues 37-3. With quarterback Andreas Dueck starting and playing the entire game and a breakout performance from receiver Tommy Nield, this big win coming off two tough losses is exactly what the Marauders needed before they face their rivals the Wilfrid Laurier University Golden Hawks. This game on Sept. 22 will be just as much of a mental match as it is physical, as the Marauders’ 2017 season came to an end at the hands of the Golden Hawks.
Women’s Rugby
The women's rugby team faced the Queen’s University Gaels, but were unable to hold their own and lost 34-14. This loss caused them to drop five places to 10th in Tuesday's U Sports national rankings. Up next, they face the University of Western Ontario Mustangs, who are currently 0-3, and will hopefully be able to see a positive change in the rankings the following Tuesday.
Men’s Soccer
It was a scoreless first half for the Marauders when they faced the Brock University Badgers. Unfortunately for Mac, the Badgers were just able to edge them out by scoring twice in the second half. Even though rookie substitute Daniel Vicente was able to connect with the goal post, McMaster now sits 3-2-2 before they face their next opponents, the Mustangs on Sept. 21.
Women’s Soccer
The women’s team found themselves in another draw after playing the Badgers as well. Both Stephanie Roberts (who we profiled on Sept. 5) and Lindsay Bosveld scored for the Marauders but Brock was able to match their production. The team now stands 2-2-3 and will have to make some changes before facing the 4-0-3 Mustangs on Sept. 21.
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McMaster University Homecoming is always an exciting game for both the players and the fans. Big crowds, big games and big wins are always guaranteed. This year the 1-2 Marauders will face the 0-2 University of Toronto Varsity Blues. But before we get to the action, here are some of the most exciting moments from the past five Homecoming wins to get you pumped up for the upcoming game!
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If you have been paying attention to McMaster football over the last year, the name Jordan Lyons surely rings a bell. The fourth-year running back first started playing football fairly young when he saw his twin brother Justin play.
The two grew up and continued to play the sport all the way to the university level until Justin suffered from a back injury two years ago. At first, having to play without his brother was a weird adjustment for the running back.
“We were literally hip to hip all the way through elementary school, high school and even university, so that was a little bit of a change,” Jordan said. “But he's doing his own thing now. He's actually into modeling.”
As one Lyons brother chose the runway, the other continued to perfect his game on the field. It was during last year’s Homecoming where he brought in one touchdown with an impressive 186 yards on 25 carries for the Marauders in a triumphant 32-2 win over the York University Lions. This was the second time in Lyons’ career that he had broken 100 rushing yards, and at the time was a career high.
During the Ontario University Athletics quarter-finals last year, Lyons fell just short of setting a new Marauders team record for yards in a game, 344, set by Jesse Lumsden in 2004. He carried the ball 39 times for 319 yards which helped the Marauders advance to the semifinal game. Though after losing to the Wilfred Laurier University Golden Hawks, Lyons and the Marauders suffered more than just a playoff loss: they lost several key veteran players.
Their absence is definitely noticeable as the Marauders now sit 1-2 after a crushing 44-6 loss against the University of Western Ontario Mustangs. Lyons, on the other hand, has been a light in the darkness.
Against the University of Ottawa Gee-Gees, he ran for 168 yards on 24 carries and had two receptions for 22 yards, for a total of 190 yards, which made up more than half of Mac's total yardage. While he was unable to find much room to run against the Mustangs’ all-star defence, as he was only unable to gain 21 yards on 10 carries, he did find success as the Marauders’ leading receiver with four catches for 65 yards.
For Lyons, this was not always the case. Like most freshman, he had to wait his turn as a fellow Burlington running back finished what he came to Mac to do. Lyons had watched Chris Pezzetta develop as a player and learned from him for several years in Burlington and then continued to do so at Mac until he graduated.
“Coming in with [Chris Pezzetta] leaving was just a big opportunity that I tried to take advantage of,” said Lyons.
And that he did, immediately making an impact and breaking records to prove it, the running back still did not crack under the pressure.
“I didn’t see it as pressure. I just see it as coming out and playing my hardest and hopefully we can win,” said Lyons. “It’s really about the team and winning and that’s all I care about. The records come with whatever happens in the game, but what happens on the field, if we win or lose, is the most important thing.”
With his eyes on his lifelong dream of making it to the Canadian Football League, winning is part of the reason he chose McMaster.
“I knew a lot of people at the Mac program have done well here and in the CFL,” said Lyons.
Like he does on the field, Lyons does not allow the pressure of ‘making it’ to have too much of a toll on him.
“Whenever it comes, it comes,” Lyons said. “That's just my dream so if it happens it happens, and if it doesn’t it doesn’t.”
Beyond football, the labour studies student hopes to take the team atmosphere that he learned as a Marauder and that into the business and/or the human resources world.
Although Lyons may have what it takes, the rest of the Marauders’ offence continues to struggle against tough competition at the beginning of the 2018 season. Looking forward to an early Homecoming to draw as much support as possible to break the losing streak. Lyons pointed out that earlier Homecoming makes it easier for McMaster students to come out and support.
“I think when you see the fans very enthusiastic about the game it definitely helps out with the atmosphere,” said Lyons. “Before the actual game, guys are just so excited about Homecoming because it's just a fun game to play in.”
With Lyon’s leading the way, a fun game it should be.
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On Sept. 27, city council approved spending as much as $500,000 on a bid to host Amazon’s second headquarters. The city will contribute $250,000 and private donors will contribute $250,000.
This was already a pipedream given competition such as Toronto, Vancouver and major US cities are able to spend $2 million on their bids and Hamilton fails to satisfy such Amazon preferences as “[m]etropolitan areas with more than one million people.” Since announcing their intentions, the city has also managed to demonstrate failure when it comes to other aspects of the bid.
Following the events of homecoming and the related street wide party on Dalewood Avenue, city council, with only ward 3 councillor Matthew Green and ward 15 councillor Judi Partridge opposing, passed a motion for additional bylaw officers be added to the Westdale and Ainsile Wood areas. These two neighbourhoods surround McMaster University.
This motion was forward by ward 1 councillor Aidan Johnson, who is the current representative of the boundries where the university and neighbouring areas are located. He argued that the program is necessary to improve the hygiene of the area and the enforcement of law in the area.
This knee-jerk reaction continues to pull at a few much larger issues. Instead of working with the student union for a non-punitive, educational and restorative approach to bylaw management, as proposed by vice president (Education) Ryan Deshpande and associate vice president of municipal affairs Stephanie Bertolo, the city simply decided that lip service to get students to pay more fines was better than actively working towards solutions.
With the issues about student retention in Hamilton coming up every so often, you would think the city would at least try to improve on this when this is a core part of the Amazon bid.
It explicitly states that Amazon has a preference for, “Urban or suburban locations with the potential to attract and retain strong technical talent,” and that, “A highly educated labor pool is critical and a strong university system is required.” Hamilton has demonstrated their intention to do neither.
Green stated that the bylaw management program unfairly targets students, sends a bad message for the city wanting to retain graduates and stigmatizes the population. He is right.
While I respect the fact that something had to be done, this particular effort and the way it was conducted disrespected the student body. Though our student representatives had strong enough points for city councillors to concede to, they were ultimately fruitless in changing the vote or even delaying it to find better solutions.
Hamilton had an opportunity to move forward in their efforts to retain students by at least pretending to care about the perspectives of the McMaster population, and could barely be bothered to try. The city has a significant way to go to even hope to compete for Amazon.
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In response to the underrepresentation of reps and security staff at Post Malone, the McMaster Students Union beefed up security for Lil Yachty and the Strumbellas.
The call for the MSU to update students about its increased security measures came when Sabra Salim, caucus leader (Science), put forward a motion at the Student Representative Assembly on Sept. 24.
While the initial motion asked the board to outline what changes they were making to Homecoming and other events, the amended motion that passed asked that the MSU release a statement before Homecoming highlighting all safety measures.
“The changes made for Homecoming in light of Post Malone are absolutely necessary,” said Salim. “It is our responsibility as a union to fill in the gaps by the university. Whether this looks like having a chill zone by [the MSU Women and Gender Equity Network], having more and better quality security or more [Emergency Medical Services] on-site, it is a pre-requisite for the MSU to learn from what hasn’t worked before so as to improve,”
In the Sept. 28 issue of the Silhouette, Chukky Ibe, MSU president, outlined the board’s efforts to improve Homecoming security. A notable change included the moving of concert grounds away from Faculty Hollow to John Hodgkins Engineering Field, accommodating for the expected increase in students.
“We have been working closely with McMaster Security Services and Hamilton Police Services to double the amount of security staff present at the venue, ensuring that students have a safe environment to enjoy the concerts,” said Ibe.
The board was also able to ensure that the MSU Emergency First Response Team was supported by Hamilton EMS, volunteers from MSU WGEN were available to assist students and staff from Campus Events and volunteers from the Maroons received bystander intervention training prior to Homecoming.
In addition, D’Souza was unable to speak to how police and security staff were trained to handle disclosures and causes of assault.
“At Lil Yachty, there were a lot more cops on campus and near the venue,” said Faris Mecklai, a first-year arts and science student who saw both Post Malone and Lil Yachty perform.
It should be noted, however, that Ibe did not provide specific numbers in his letter. The numbers of security staff, on-site EMS, volunteers and police present at the concerts, for instance, were omitted. In addition, aside from noting that the MSU was working to double the amount of security at Homecoming, Ibe did not explicitly compare security numbers to those at Post Malone.
When repeatedly asked for a comparative quantitative breakdown of the number of security staff, on-site EMS and police officers at the homecoming concerts, Daniel Tuba D’Souza, vice president (Finance), repeated Ibe word-for-word, not disclosing any numbers.
In addition, D’Souza was unable to speak to how police and security staff were trained to handle disclosures and causes of assault.
The board’s lack of transparency may not be the only indication that the MSU could have done more to maximize student safety last weekend. During his show, Lil Yachty told all the women in the audience who wore a C-cup bra size to directly message him.
“It was really weird after Lil Yachty’s C-cup remarks as he blatantly said he wanted to sleep with Mac students,” said Mecklai, who notes that the MSU or the university should have communicated with Lil Yachty prior to the concert.
“At that point I was really creeped out…. I didn’t feel unsafe but I’m a guy and I’m not sure how girls in the crowd felt.”
While its efforts to improve security at Homecoming made a tangible difference, the MSU needs to continue to increase transparency and communication.
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