The Silhouette: Please introduce yourself.
Subin Park: My name is Subin Park. I use she/her pronouns. I am the Arts and Culture Editor.
Jovan Popovic: My name is Jovan and I’m the Sports Editor.
Ana Mamula: My name is Ana Mamula. My pronouns are she/her and I am the Opinions Editor.
Chris Osadchuk: My name is Christina. I go by Chris. I am the Multimedia Editor.
The Silhouette: What made you want to join the Silhouette?
AM: My entire life I wanted to write, but that field doesn’t really make the most money and is looked down upon. So, growing up I always wanted to do it, but I didn’t really think it was something I could just go into. But I still loved writing and I really just wanted to go into it. Now, I still love writing and that’s why it never feels like a chore.
CO: I was the Editor-in-Chief of my high school newspaper, The Bear Truth. I really enjoy student journalism. I think that it’s such a nice alleyway to pursue individual expression and to explore campus-specific issues while still being able to explore community issues in Hamilton. It’s just a great opportunity for students to be a part of something that’s bigger than themselves.
JP: I love journalism. At that point, I had been writing for eight years on some of my own websites. I always loved [The Blue Jays]. When I was just a kid watching them, I saw a commercial saying build your own website for free. I did and I’ve been writing about them ever since. That turned into writing for the Sil. Unfortunately, I stopped writing for my own website about two years ago. But, you know, I’d call this a pretty good upgrade now that people actually read my articles.
SP: I started participating in student journalism in high school. I wrote for my school’s newspaper, Graffiti. I made a lot of close friends and we had a lot of cool opportunities like going to the Toronto Star Awards for high school journalism as well. I wanted to continue that with the Sil.
The Silhouette: What's one really notable memory?
CO: Andrew is a part of a club called Absolute Pitch. He’s the band director and my best friend, Eileen, is the president. Absolute Pitch has their rehearsals after our Sil general meetings. One night, Andrew, Nisha, Eileen and I were sitting in the Sil office just going over random Pitch things and random Sil things and just chatting.
It became a jam session; there were mood lights and Andrew started playing an instrumental version of the Hamilton soundtrack. Eileen and I just started coming up with random verses and choreo and Nisha looked really worried and really disappointed. I think that made the video we took.
SP: There was a community initiative aimed at parents with cancer. At the time, I was also dealing with a family member who was diagnosed with cancer going through chemotherapy. So having that conversation while I was also coping with grief was really helpful. This year, I also covered Concrete Tales. It was about people who were experiencing homelessness and also substance abuse. They were coming to this eatery called 541 Eatery and Exchange. It showed me a side of Hamilton I didn’t really know about before.
The Silhouette: Since this is your final year at the Silhouette, is there a final message you want to give?
AM: I’m so grateful for my time here and everything that I experienced. If anyone
is reading this and debating on writing or joining our team, they really should. I’m very fricking shy and I still did it and I’m still having the time of my life. It’s such a good opportunity and it’s opened so many doors for me. I’ve grown so much as a writer.
JP: It’s really had a massive effect on my life. It’s provided a sense of community, it’s provided a place for growth, a place for new experiences and improving myself. This isn’t only in terms of journalistic skills but also learning how to communicate and work with a team, getting to know new people from interviews, establishing connections and networking, all kinds of things like that. There are so many elements to the job that ended up being significant life skills. Through and through a lot of the people I ended up meeting — whether it be friends who are co-workers or athletes who I ended up being friends with — I met them through the Sil.
C/O Felix Wong
Lessons learned at the end of my first year with the Silhouette
“Make some noise for your . . . McMaster . . . Marauders!”
These are the words I’ve heard countless times this year. In my time as the sports staff writer for the Silhouette, event staff for varsity games and an executive on the McMaster Women’s Football team, I’ve become more immersed in the McMaster sports scene than I expected at the beginning of the year.
I’ve gotten to meet so many people with such interesting stories and it’s been an honour to cover them. I’ve watched the basketball teams struggle and succeed, gained an appreciation for football and volleyball and learned about less-covered sports such as curling, wrestling and Nordic skiing.
I’ve gotten to meet so many people with such interesting stories and it’s been an honour to cover them. I’ve watched the basketball teams struggle and succeed, gained an appreciation for football and volleyball and learned about less-covered sports such as curling, wrestling and Nordic skiing.
Writing for the Silhouette hasn’t been smooth sailing the whole time. Speaking of which, Mac has a sailing team that you should check out if you’re interested. I applied for the position on a whim because I was interested in sports and interested in writing. However, by the end of first semester, I wasn’t sure if I wanted to continue.
I reflected and ultimately decided to remain in the position. I started writing articles about what I was interested in, one of my favourites being “Body neutrality within dance,” and pulled from all I had learned about interviewing and writing. I focused my attention on the personal side of sports, wanting to hear about the highs and lows from everyone.
My favourite part of the position was meeting so many incredible people. I’ve talked to McMaster’s first two female football coaches, members of the Black Student Athlete Council, an Olympic gold medalist, a McMaster Sports Hall of Famer, McMaster Sports’ Associate Director of High Performance, some good friends and the rest of the Sil staff. I’ve taken away lessons from my conversations with every individual and I never would have had the opportunity without the Silhouette.
What I’ve taken away from this experience is that without these conversations and without giving these teams and issues the spotlights they deserve, we can never notice the small victories that each team gains. By learning more about them, we can celebrate, mourn and learn with them, helping the teams feel seen as representatives of McMaster and helping us maintain positive school spirit.
What I’ve taken away from this experience is that without these conversations and without giving these teams and issues the spotlights they deserve, we can never notice the small victories that each team gains. By learning more about them, we can celebrate, mourn and learn with them, helping the teams feel seen as representatives of McMaster and helping us maintain positive school spirit.
While I don’t know what I’ll be doing for the rest of my time here at Mac, I hope I can still be involved with the sports scene and the Silhouette.
How the Silhouette helped me through this difficult year
Graphic by Sam McBride
I’ve always loved stories. There is something incredibly brilliant and beautiful about the ways in which you can string together ordinary words to create extraordinary tales — tales that challenge, comfort, encourage, inform and inspire.
Last year, after the pandemic was declared in Ontario, classes were cancelled and I moved back to my hometown to be with my family. One of the first things I did was raid the house for any and all books in the house I hadn’t read yet. Stories have gotten me through some of my most difficult days and I knew I would need them to get through this too.
Fast-forward just over a year and I’m still living at home. I’ve read dozens of books, I am halfway through half a dozen more and the stack beside my bed is still growing, albeit at a slightly slower rate.
I’ve read about the fate of unsent letters and The Authenticity Project, the romance between Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth Bennet, the adventures of Hobbits, nurses in Ireland during the Spanish flu, psychotherapy and a hundred more things but it hasn’t just been my books that have helped me through this year — it’s the stories I’ve had the privilege to tell as well.
it hasn’t just been my books that have helped me through this year — it’s the stories I’ve had the privilege to tell as well.
This is the second year I’ve written for the Silhouette; I started out as a contributor last year. I had never written for a newspaper before but was amazed by how much I enjoyed it. I worried that the feeling might dissipate the more I wrote and the less novel the experience was, but it hasn’t.
Maybe in part because there’s always something new. While there are always the same deadlines, there’s never a dull week. I’m always learning something new, getting to interview different people and hear about new projects. This year, especially, I’ve been grateful for the interviews and meetings in particular that break up the monotony of my pandemic days. It gives me something to look forward to as well as a tangible connection to the world outside my home.
While I’ve appreciated living at home again, especially given the pandemic, I’ve missed campus and I’ve missed Hamilton. Last year, writing for the Sil meant that I got to explore downtown and Dundas, to visit artist centres and book stores that might have never been comfortable enough to seek out on my own, whether it was for my own articles or after reading others’. It was an adventure.
This year even though I’ve hardly gone more than a few kilometres away from my house, never mind back to Hamilton, I still feel like I’ve been able to explore Hamilton and learn about some of the wonderful people who make it up.
I used to dread doing interviews — the process feeling even more awkward over Zoom — but the more I’ve done, the easier it’s gotten. It helps that I get to interview so many fascinating and wonderful people about projects and work that they’re very clearly passionate about. I’ve had the chance to learn about travelling tea trailers and how to make chocolate, beading and murals, wigs and the wellness industry, photography and theatre and so many more things.
It’s something really special to have someone trust you with these stories that are so close to their hearts. I’ve had the privilege and the pleasure to share stories not only about these projects but also about the creativity and resilience of the people behind them.
The people I’ve interviewed inspire me but more than just that, these people and their stories give me a lot of hope. Not just during their interviews but also over the course of the week, as I’m writing my articles, it’s a continuous reminder that even in the craziness and uncertainty of everything there are still good things and good people.
These people and their stories restore some of my faith in the goodness of the world because if there are this many brilliant, dedicated and passionate people who are doing so much to hold space for and support their communities in just this one city there must be more out there, right?
These people and their stories restore some of my faith in the goodness of the world because if there are this many brilliant, dedicated and passionate people who are doing so much to hold space for and support their communities in just this one city there must be more out there, right?
So many of the stories I’ve written this year have been about the businesses and passion projects that have helped people through these difficult days, so it seems fitting in a way that my final article as A&C Reporter is about the work that has helped me through.
Even when there are a million other things to worry about, all I have to do is open my article drafts of the week and I feel a little bit more at ease. Even when I’m stressed by deadlines and interviews that fell through and articles that still don’t feel quite right, I’m happy. It sounds so simple said like that, but maybe that’s not a bad thing. There is no shortage of complicated things in the world, it’s been good to have something that makes me simply, uncomplicatedly happy.
I’ve been dreading this last article because in a way it means the end of that. But now that it’s actually written, it feels a bit more bittersweet than just sad because it’s not really the end. I still have two years left at McMaster and there will always be more stories out there. Maybe I won’t be the one telling them but I’ll get to read and hear about them and that’s just as good.
By Nisha Gill, Staff Writer
“My goodness how the time has flewn. How did it get to be so late so soon?” wrote Dr. Seuss.
Over the last year, there has been increasing awareness and action on a number of important issues: including accountability, accessibility, climate change, diversity and 2SLGBTQIA+ rights. The arts and culture community in Hamilton, including the Arts & Culture section here at the Silhouette, have been working to raise awareness and to spur action on the aforementioned issues. Here are a few memorable events from the past year.
Early in September 2019, A&C Editor Andrew Mrozowski had a chance to sit down with the Right Honourable David Johnston, former Governor General of Canada, and chat about a variety of topics. Their conversation covered everything from his career within politics to his advice for students as well as his new book Trust: 20 Ways to Build a Better Country. This was a great way to kick off the year, with an emphasis on collaboration, trust and the power of storytelling; all of which are going to be very important for the year ahead.
Next up was Supercrawl, Hamilton’s annual weekend-long street festival. As always, there were a number of spectacular events and exhibitions, but two in particular stood out for the way that they addressed important issues. First, McMaster professor Adrienne Crossman’s installation art “Flags” addressed what it means to be a queer person in the 21st century as well as the oppression faced by the 2SLGBTQIA+ community.
“It’s just the continuation of a conversation. So the text reads ‘subvert’, ‘deviate’ and ‘resist’ as forms of resisting oppression but on the back where it says resist it more speaks to the fact that existing as a queer person, a visibly queer person or anybody that doesn’t suit the way that people might perceive as normal — just existing itself is a form of resistance which I think can be a very radical sentiment,” Crossman said, when interviewed for the original article.
Second from Supercrawl was McMaster alumnus Christopher McLeod’s “EMERGENCY Pt. 2: Structures of Actions” installation exhibition. This was a follow up to a previous piece that the artist set up for Supercrawl in 2018. This year’s installation had taken the key issues people had highlighted last year — safe streets, health and the environment — and put the focus on what individuals can do about them, by asking attendees to commit to a level of action on those issues.
“Are we all just going to sit around and sort of watch what’s happening, or are we going to step up and try to make a difference?” asked McLeod, when interviewed for the initial article.
In early October 2019, the membership trade association of local brewers, Ontario Craft Brewers, promoted a meeting with Sam Oosterhoff on social media. Oosterhoff is a Progressive Conservative member of provincial parliament from the Niagara-West riding, who had previously claimed he wants abortion rights removed and that he opposes the use of more gender-neutral terms. MERIT Brewing Company believed that the OCB’s post with Oosterhoff cast an unfavourable light on the industry that did not reflect MERIT’s values. They saw it as their responsibility to hold the association accountable for their actions, and to push the conversation surrounding corporate accountability.
When interviewed for the initial article, Tej Sandu, co-owner of MERIT Brewing Company, explained: “Conversation is not enough; action needs to follow a conversation . . . You still need to have conversations to get to action . . . We’re trying to do our part. It’s inherent and embedded in what MERIT’s about, from why we are called ‘MERIT’ to what we strive to do here and has been our experience. This is something that we feel is not only our responsibility, it’s our privilege to be able to speak out on these things and it’s something that we are doing because we’re passionate about it.”
Later in the month, on Oct. 7, 2019, The Pale Blue Dot, a sustainable, environmentally conscious store in downtown Hamilton, ran their second clothing swap in partnership with Grain and Grit brewery. A great proponent of environmental consciousness, not only through their shop but also through events and workshops, the Pale Blue Dot contributed to a more sustainable Halloween with a dedicated costume section at the swap.
Nov. 9 - 10, 2019 brought a special performance by the Kronos String Quartet, as part of The Socrates Project. The group’s performance included a rendition of “Sun Rings”, composed by their friend Tyler Riley, accompanied by recordings from NASA missions. The performance was meant to foster hope and encourage solidarity and connection during difficult times.
When interviewed, prior to the publication of the article, David Harrington, founder and violinist of the group said, “I think that by allowing ‘Sun Rings’ to enter your life, I think a person will find a larger sense of appreciation for what we have right here, right now. Music is very mysterious, we never know when we will connect with another listener . . . it just gives more of a sense of wonder and wonder is such a beautiful thing.”
We often forget that to move forward we need to first confront our past. Deanna Bowen’s exhibit A Harlem Nocturne, which debuted at the McMaster Museum of Art in January 2020, is a reminder of Canada’s long history of systemic racism and injustice in Canada. Taking its name from the nightclub that her family operated in Vancouver decades before, Bowen’s work blended personal and public history to create an intimate and powerful exhibit that explored race, migration, historical writing and authorship.
“I would encourage people to see themselves in what I’m doing. There’s so much rich history in our own family histories. And I think it’s important to emphasize that everybody’s family story has some impact on the making of a nation . . . You know, it’s about recognizing that the power to create our history and our personal and our national narrative really does kind of boil down to people like you and I,” said Bowen when interviewed for the initial article.
February 2020 was an eventful month, coinciding with the release of our annual sex positive Sex and the Steel City issue on Valentine’s day. Full of a variety of excellent articles, including opinion pieces, artist and business profiles, this year’s issue had a special focus on identity and explored topics from queerness to body positivity, from romance to sex.
February also saw the chance to catch up with McMaster professor Henry Giroux in a two-part article series after the publication of his newest book The Terror of the Unforeseen, which featured a forward by Julian Casablancas, the lead singer of The Strokes and Giroux's good friend. The Terror of the Unforeseen was inspired by a sense of urgency following the rise of right-winged movements across the globe and focuses on how the rise of this kind of ideology affects universities, media and culture.
“I tried to take seriously the notion that politics follows culture, meaning that, you can’t really talk about politics unless you talk about the way in which people are experiencing their everyday lives and the problems that confront them,” Giroux explained when he was interviewed for the original article.
March 2020 turned the spotlight to sustainability initiatives once again, with pieces on Humble Bee, Hamilton’s own urban beekeeping company who has set up apiaries on campus, as well as the fabric store Needleworks. Needlework is more than just a fabric store, providing sewing lessons and workshops, which encourage their customers to express their creativity while also practicing sustainability.
In response to escalating concerns with COVID-19, many events and exhibitions have been cancelled, and many businesses and restaurants have had to close. However, we are still committed to supporting the McMaster community as well as the arts and culture scene, by highlighting key initiatives such as community donations by restaurants and food banks, author readings on social media and festivals that have adapted to the need for physical distancing.
Awareness and action on important issues has been a central component of the arts & culture community this past year, and hopefully it is a trend that continues. Afterall, as Dr. Seuss wrote, “Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It’s not.”
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I never actually applied to be the Arts and Culture Reporter, I got here mostly by accident. I applied to a few other positions on staff, but when I got a phone call from our Editor-in-Chief on a windy summer day to offer me a job, it was for A&C Reporter. I didn’t even know it was a paid position for another month.
McMaster isn’t my first school, I went to Western for two and a half years before coming here. In my first year at Mac I didn’t know very much about the school, and to be honest I still don’t know where Thode is — and at this point I’m too afraid to ask. But the Silhouette gave me a home on campus (our little office in the dungeons of the MUSC basement, untouched by natural light), and a group of friends that I didn’t have before. It made me feel like I was a part of a family, and a part of campus.
As Uncle Ben says, “With great power comes great responsibility.”
One of the best parts of working at the Silhouette is being able to give a platform to community events and organizations that matter to me. I’ve had the privilege to write about sustainable fashion, body positivity, local businesses and charitable organizations in addition to exciting arts initiatives. I was gone from Hamilton for a few years, and the Sil helped me to see my hometown in a fresh light. My magnum opus is my article on a local meme page The Hammer Memer. Don’t let your memes be dreams, folks. If there’s something happening in the arts community in Hamilton, don’t hesitate to contribute something to the Sil. It’s worth it.
I’ve also had the opportunity to write for other sections of the Silhouette. Being able to give voice to my thoughts about the Yellow Vests outside of City Hall was something vitally important to me, and the Sil let me do that. If I hadn’t been a part of the team I probably wouldn’t have had the courage to submit something, but I’m so glad I did.
As I sit at my desk at home, I feel a deep sense of loss. This is my final year at Mac, and I don’t think I’ve entirely processed that it’s over now. I can’t chill on the couches in the office and ask Hannah when the desks for the reporters are going to be built (spoiler alert folks: it didn’t happen). I can’t warm up my lunch in the microwave that can’t be used at the same time as the kettle without blowing a fuse. I can’t chat with my friends about the latest tea while munching on the chicken strips from La Piazza. It feels like just as I was settling in — everything ended.
In grade 12 English I read the book Stone Angel, which ends mid-way through a sentence. That’s how these past few weeks have felt for me; like an unfinished ending. It’s unsettling and unsatisfying, and I think we’re all feeling that way. Zoom calls are fine, but they’re not the same as sitting in your final few lectures and talking to your friends over coffee.
It feels wrong to mourn for this when there are people who have it much worse than me right now, but undergrad has been a long and complicated process for me, and I can’t help but feel sad that our end of year festivities have been postponed or cancelled. This is it, this is our last issue for the year, and we can’t have a last hurrah. Oh jeez, I’m crying a bit just thinking about it.
So here it is, my love letter to the Sil. From the bottom of my heart, thank you for this wild ride. Maybe this isn’t an ending, but a beginning. At least I can use the Oxford Comma again, thank the lord. Thank you to everyone on the team for being so kind, and thank you to everyone reading this for getting through to the end of my sentimental ramble. This isn’t a goodbye, just an until next time.
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By Anonymous
The Silhouette needs to do a better job of scrutinizing student politics, especially pertaining to the McMaster Students Union. A free press is essential to holding governing bodies accountable, but unfortunately, the Silhouette is letting the McMaster Students Union get away with a lot more than it should.
Currently, the Silhouette’s news section is mostly a pro-establishment mouthpiece: it gives the MSU a platform to broadcast its messages, but rarely challenges what the MSU puts out. Critical and insightful articles on political issues, such as the Maroons investigation, are the exception when they should be the norm.
For example, last month, in the midst of the Student Choice Initiative opt-out period, the Silhouette simply summarized political talking points from the MSU board of directors, instead of seriously analyzing or critiquing what our student government had to say. As a result, the MSU is able to brush its problems under the rug, and the Silhouette rarely bothers to question what the MSU publicly says. This apathy is unfortunately not new.
In 2016, the Student Representative Assembly ordered the MSU to lobby for the removal of Glenn De Caire, McMaster’s director of Parking and Security Services. While the Silhouette has covered two protests against De Caire and a tribunal case, the Silhouette has never reported on how the MSU responded. Even though the MSU has failed to produce results for the past three years, the Silhouette has neglected to report on why this is the case, or call out our student leaders for failing at their jobs.
In July, when MSU president Joshua Marando called for the Student Representative Assembly to de-ratify the Dominion Society, the Silhouette closely followed the MSU’s lead. Rather than asking difficult questions — such as why Marando personally voted to ratify the club on July 21, despite an SRA member publicly voicing concerns on June 23 about alleged white supremacist connections — the Silhouette simply copied and pasted from his public statement for their news headline. Rather than holding our elected officials accountable for overlooking the white supremacy concerns, the Silhouette literally parroted the words of a politician scrambling to contain a political scandal.
Finally, just last Thursday, the Silhouette reported that the SRA de-ratified the Chinese Students and Scholars Association — a full week after Hong Kong’s SCMP got there first — but quickly retracted their online article. The article failed to acknowledge the evidence in the The Globe & Mail of the CSSA’s connections to the Chinese Communist Party, failed to consider any of the documents on the SRA website and failed to investigate rumours that the MSU board has been trying to avoid or hush this issue.
I am not alleging that there is censorship — after all, these examples have each received at least some coverage in the Silhouette. Rather, the Silhouette rarely follows up on political articles, thus allowing the MSU to simply wait for controversies to blow over. What limited political coverage there is usually just summarizes or repeats what the MSU says, such as with the Dominion Society. Anything more substantial, such as last week’s CSSA article, is often not thoroughly investigated.
The articles on the MSU’s failed lobbying strategies regarding De Caire, the real reasons behind the clubs department’s recommendation to ratify the Dominion Society (after having already heard of white supremacy concerns) and the MSU board’s mysterious avoidance of the CSSA issue could all easily be front page headlines. This makes the Silhouette’s lack of reporting all the more inexplicable.
If the Silhouette is going to prioritize sundry stories like new buildings on campus over political controversies in the MSU, then their content is insufficient. Students are kept in the dark about the MSU’s internal problems, voter turnout is low because of our student paper reporting in-depth on politics only once a year during presidential elections and the lack of public scrutiny means the MSU board feels little pressure to treat the SRA as anything more than a rubber stamp.
We need a dedicated section for student politics, like with sports or arts and culture, to provide in-depth, year-round political coverage. Alternatively, at the very least, there could be a designated political correspondent, or the news section could up the quantity and quality of their political stories.
A student paper that uncovers the ongoings of the MSU each week would significantly help improve transparency, students would be engaged with politics year-round and ultimately, the MSU would become more democratic due to improved public oversight. The Maroons investigation is merely a taste of what’s possible if only the Silhouette was more inquisitive and kept the MSU on its toes.
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In October of my third year at McMaster, I was sort of lost as I entered the second half of my degree. The inevitable end of my degree began to loom large over many of my conversations. Family and friends, either out of genuine interest or idle conversation over the holidays, would inevitably attempt to discuss my post-degree plans with me.
At the suggestion of a close friend and encouragement from my family, I decided to get over any anxiety over my future and take steps into getting some experience that could resemble some sort of future career choice. The next week, I walked into the Silhouette office in the basement of the student centre and finally stepped out of my comfort zone.
Since that day, after countless articles, sports covered, athletes interviewed and friendships forged that I will cherish forever, I can truly say I have loved my time here. And I can owe that — at least in part — to sports.
As someone who has been obsessed with sports since my childhood, I have met many people who do not share in my obsession. Whether they were never exposed to sports growing up or just never found them interesting, a lot of people would not understand my love for watching millionaires play an arguably meaningless game.
But that’s totally missing the point. Sport is much more than goals scored in a season, triple-double records and debates over the best football player of all time. It is a chance to see thousands of people gathered together in a stadium to cheer for the same thing, or a family huddle around a portable black and white TV at a birthday party.
Not to mention the countless Saturday nights begging to stay up for the third period. It is a phenomenon that is truly unmatched in my eyes and has always played a significant part in my life.
Covering sports married my loves for reading, writing and sports perfectly. Contributing to the sports section then eventually stepping into the Sports Editor role this past school year has never truly felt like work.
In the 2016-2017 season, I went to nearly every men’s basketball game in Burridge. In that time, I gained a new appreciation for Ontario University Athletics basketball, and came face-to-face with what I have been hearing hopeful Canadian sports writers say for years: Canadian basketball is on the rise.
That same year, I got a chance to cover a couple of important football games as the team made a push into the later stages of the OUA playoffs. I had the opportunity to interview the coach and players in the hallways next to the team’s dressing room — a lot like every post-game scrum I have seen on TV.
I have since lost count how many times I have interviewed athletes and coaches in either post-game moments like that or at a wobbly table in the David Braley Athletic Centre. Yet, I still get that anxious feeling every time. While this feeling is less intense than in the past as I have gotten better at dealing with it, it has never fully gone away.
That stomach-turning anxiety is really now just excitement from getting to cover sports and continuing to share the stories of athletes that go beyond the box score.
Justin Parker
Sports Editor
The Silhouette
However, the only way for me to deal with that anxiety is to continue to put myself out there. And covering sports constantly makes me do that. Reaching out to new people, meeting with them and then writing an article a number of people will read is all part of the job.
Covering the Marauders these past two years has helped me not live my life in the stands, no longer watching everything pass by (and no, it is not not lost on me that I do watch and cover games from the stands). I have personally seen and heard of the many ways in which sports has helped people achieve a healthier state of mental health. Covering sports has actually done the same for me.
Thinking back to my first day of being involved with the Silhouette, walking back and forth in front of that off-putting, long entrance, I am really glad I went in. That stomach-turning anxiety is really now just excitement from getting to cover sports and continuing to share the stories of athletes that go beyond the box score.
From football to badminton, volleyball to cheerleading, there are countless athletes whose stories deserve to be heard — and I am proud that I can help share them.
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Deep breath in, deep breath out” were the words I told myself as I approached the press box to cover my first game as a Sports Reporter for the Silhouette. It was the McMaster men’s football team’s 2017 pre-season game against the Saskatchewan Huskies, and as I tried desperately to blend behind my editor, I stood out. Black skin, big hair and the only woman in the room? In the sports industry, I attract attention to myself no matter what I do.
Despite my discomfort, I knew I was there for a reason. So I shut out my thoughts, buckled down and focused on the action so I could write my first piece.
Don’t bother looking for that article because it does not exist. Although I pride myself on my writing, writing for sports was new to me — I felt like I had no idea what I was doing and it showed. I grew up playing sports, but I was by no means a sports expert. After some much-needed guidance from my Sports Editor, I tried again
As the McMaster men’s soccer team geared up to play against one of their biggest rivals, the York Lions, I geared up to cover their match for my official first article. In preparation for this, I searched up examples of good soccer articles. It did not take long to discover that game coverage was not something I had any interest in reading, let alone writing. But the story behind a player’s rise to success, a coach’s first championship, or why a fan used their Make a Wish Foundation wish to meet their favourite athlete, were the stories I wanted to tell.
So for the remainder of the year, that is what I tried to do. I shared stories of the club teams who worked just as hard as the varsity teams with less than half the amount of funding. I wrote about the importance of family in sports, both on and off the field. I helped athletes publish their experiences as Marauders and I explored how former Mac students got into the sports industry.
As I covered everything and anything sports-related at McMaster, I tried to tell stories that sports fans, non-fans and those who even hated sports, could enjoy. So if that meant taking a risk and hunting down athletes to talk about their style or how many sneakers they owned, stories that the stereotypical sports reader may not read, I did it.
I do not know if I want to write articles on sports forever, but I do know that both writing and sports will forever be a part of who I am and who I will become.
Jessica Carmichael
Sports Reporter
The Silhouette
And while I was writing for other people, I was also writing for myself. As someone with a variety of interests, I try to find harmony among them all. Originally the thought of doing this was scary. But my nerves that were present when I pitched some of my original story ideas, are minuscule to the positive reception I received from my editors.
As the Sports Reporter for such a progressive outlet, I have been given the opportunity to explore different areas using sports as a lens. Writing for the Silhouette was my first taste of what I believe my future has in store for me. As of right now, I do not know if I want to write articles on sports forever, but I do know that both writing and sports will forever be a part of who I am and who I will become.
So as the world continues to advance and become more inclusive, I have hope that the sports industry will too. Though it probably will not be the last time I will be telling my self to breathe in and out, in fear of being rejected, this fear alone will not stop me from continuing to break that glass ceiling. I have already made it this far, so why not keep going.
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My experience began with trying to write the best album reviews possible. It ended with the want to help the McMaster community by holding people, organizations and institutions accountable for their actions. Humble beginnings grew into the desire to create a high enough quality media source to rival journalism schools across the country despite not having one.
I wanted to help grow the Silhouette into one of the most credible media sources in Hamilton with a bunch of undergrads in programs that may not be related to journalism at all. Many of our paid staff had little experience of this nature or scale. Many of our volunteers had no experience at all.
Over my last five years of contributing, a lot of people have entered the windowless basement only to leave as lifelong friends. Generations of you have come and gone since I was introduced to the paper. You, as extraordinary members of society during your time here, have been unforgettable inspirations to my development as a writer and as a person.
No matter our personal circumstances, no matter how big the story and no matter how short the deadlines, we could always put our trust in each other to put out quality content week after week with laughs and beaming smiles in an office where brightness barely radiates otherwise.
For Sil alumni, I remember the late night sports games we watched as time ticked passed midnight and the want to watch just one more play before getting to work putting content on the website. Heated arguments over things as trivial as a top 10 movies list were funny in retrospect, but were battles to prove that your perspectives were valid and deserved consideration at the time.
I even remember how empty our mentions on social media became when my favourite trash talkers graduated. These were filled again years later with continuous support from members of the community who enjoyed our work.
These lofty, idealistic ambitions and goals were always meant to pass on the confidence and trust you had in me to a generation of Silhouette members you may never meet. I am sure that this year’s staff will understand the influence you have left on me with their own memories and experiences from this year, and I only hope that they remember me in a similar light to how I remember our times together.
For this year’s staff, I will always cherish the time we have spent together. The shouting, bad puns, food shared with friends, events attended throughout the year, the mix of vibrant and wonderful people and personalities have made this year better than I could have ever hoped for. Meetings with you all, a staff filled with members who were so eager to contribute, improve and share your work, reminded me of my humble beginnings and the feeling of pride from every piece published.
The responsibility has weighed heavily for the past five years to make my mentors and friends proud by trying to surpass the high standards they set. Our actions and words have the ability to help or hurt the people we trust and respect, and I hope mine have honoured you.
All I really wanted was to get a little bit closer to that ambitious vision so we could remember and respect the alumni that continue to leave their mark years after graduating and reach the full potential out of this year’s staff to create the highest quality product possible. I hope you are all proud of what we have accomplished.
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Back in 2016, the Silhouette had a campaign called “Silvision”. It was cheesy in its execution and salty in its referencing of negative subtweets and pseudo-insults.
The paper’s approach to arts and opinions completely changed as a result of this feedback. The successes of this were discussed in the editorial on June 1, 2017, which also highlighted what we would be taking the initiative on in the future.
In particular, these initiatives detailed were to add a second Production Coordinator position, hire the Digital Media Specialist position and attempt to not be as bound by the weekly schedule have all progressed and been successes throughout the year. Award-winning design, memorable videos and more consistent coverage on the website and on all forms of social media were just a few of the direct results of these early plans.
These, in addition to the ambitions of each print section, have made this year a success. The passion for breaking news, intriguing angles and possibilities out of any feature, finding a balance of perspectives and issues in opinions provided, the increased diversity of forms of arts covered and the humanization of sports and willingness to break away from the usual weekly tendencies surpassed my high expectations for the staff.
We definitely do appreciate your praise when it comes to your favourite parts and changes to the paper. It warms the hearts of the Silhouette’s staff to know our work is appreciated and respected, and we cannot thank you enough for your willingness to reach out and let us know.
As we look to the future, there have been a few things that we have left behind that have resurfaced as requests. Sex and the Steel City came back after a hiatus because of the staff’s aspirations for it and the positive reception from readers. Things like a few pages dedicated to business-specific content, an advice column and more coverage of McMaster events from certain clubs and services have all come up at some point this year.
While we do get a decent amount of praise for the decisions made in the past, it is time to look towards the future and transitioning into Volume 89. A few of these requests are already in progress, e.g., we are hoping to collaborate with a contributor for business content starting on the last issue of Volume 88 on April 5 and see the viability of continuing this into the Volume 89 summer issues.
However, what we really want is more feedback to work with. Though this has been a great year for the Silhouette, we want to know how we can continue to best serve you.
We have a Google form available. This will have a few questions related to where you like to read your content, how you feel about sections and aspects of the paper, what you like in terms of designs and layout, social media considerations, volunteering improvements, special issues and so much more.
You do not need to fill everything out, but every single response will be read and considered and we have continuously demonstrated the willingness to adapt to help provide you the highest quality content possible in what you want to see. We look forward to working with you to make the Silhouette even better.
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