Disordered eating has been trending on social media since the early 2010s, but now it wears a new deceptive mask
cw: eating disorders
Approximately one million Canadians have been diagnosed with an eating disorder. Teens and young adults are the most at risk groups. Women are particularly vulnerable as they make up approximately 80 per cent of patients. The risk of developing an eating disorder is further heightened by social media trends that glorify unhealthy eating.
The ‘girl dinner’ trend went viral on TikTok this past summer and remains popular on the for you page. ‘Girl dinner’ started as a joke where young women and girls were showing weird combinations of food they put together as meals. However, the trend quickly slipped into the dangerous territory of disordered eating. People now use it to show off their tiny portions of food. Dinner implies a full meal, but many ‘girl dinners’ are barely a snack.
When ‘girl dinner’ first started promoting unsafe behaviours, I was reminded of the eating disorder culture that ran rampant on Tumblr in the early 2010s. Both ‘girl dinner’ and the pro-anorexia rhetoric from Tumblr encourage people to obsess over lowering calorie intake to obtain the ‘ideal body.’
Although awareness has increased, the culture has not changed. If anything, it is more pervasive and even deceptive. In the 2010s it was easy to discern what posts promoted eating disorders and unattainable bodies. For example, the quote “nothing tastes as good as skinny feels’ was popularized in 2009 by Kate Moss.
Today, it is much trickier to identify certain trends as problematic. ‘Girl dinner’ falls into this category of deception for two reasons.
First, it started as a joke. These meals were not intended to be taken seriously. However, calling a cheese string, five strawberries, and two hardboiled eggs a dinner sends out a harmful message. Some even started calling crying, vaping, and sleeping a ‘girl dinner.’ There are even ‘girl dinner’ filters on TikTok. Several of the options include things like medication, cocktails, and condiments. These are not meals.
Second, ‘girl dinner’ is linked to a broader trend of using the word ‘girl’ as an adjective in phrases like girl dinner, hot girl summer, and girl math. Typically, ‘girl’ has been used to devalue womens’ abilities. Now, the term is being used to reclaim feminine energy and activities. However, in doing so the dangerous implications of ‘girl dinner’ have been harder to discern.
‘Girl dinner’ wears a deceptive mask so it is critical to take a step back and analyze the issues with this trend and others like it.
Several eating disorders, including anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, and binge eating disorder have been listed with symptomatic criteria in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of mental illness. Collectively, eating disorders are among the deadliest mental illnesses. Disordered eating should never be promoted.
Tumblr was a breeding ground for eating disorders, hating one’s body, and abusing food intake to change one’s appearance. Social media is likely the reason why every single woman in my life has suffered from an eating disorder or has shown signs of disordered eating. Every single woman.
I was young teen when eating disorder culture spread like wildfire on Tumblr. Being bombarded with unhealthy images, quotes, and blogs contributed to my personal struggles with food. It is my hope that McMaster students and Generation Z alike can be the ones to end this cycle of toxicity, and this starts with calling out ‘girl dinner’ for what it is - a trend glorifying mental illness.
If you are struggling with an eating disorder McMaster University’s Student Wellness Centre offers resources to help you find trusted support for you or a friend in need. The National Eating Disorder Information Centre offers a helpline, information, and referrals. The NEDIC also offers resources specifically for racialized community members.
If you need urgent care, St. Joseph’s Healthcare in Hamilton has an Eating Disorder Program to help treat and guide anyone 16 or older. The program does require a referral from your doctor, but St Joseph’s has a self-assessment to guide you towards the treatment necessary for you. Please remember that you are never alone.
McMaster's fastpitch team rakes in two all-star nominations as regular season winds down
Beginning their season on Sept. 9, the Marauder women’s fastpitch team faced their first opponent, the University of Toronto Varsity Blues, in a doubleheader match-up. Disappointing scorelines and losses in both games seemed to set the stage for the remainder of the team’s season.
As the year went on, the Marauders struggled to keep pace in their league. They finished the season with a record of two wins and 18 losses. The team’s record would leave them at the bottom of the Ontario University Softball leagues west division just below the University of Waterloo.
Their last-place finish kept the Marauders out of this year’s playoffs, where the Varsity Blues were able to clinch the gold medal. Despite the disappointing results, two Marauder athletes excelled this past season, winning themselves OUS All- Star honours.
The team’s two recipients of the award were Julie Bland and Eibhlis Hopkins. Bland and Hopkins are both in their second year on the team. Bland plays as the team’s pitcher while Hopkins also pitches and plays as an outfielder.
With at least three more years of eligibility for the two players, the Marauders fastpitch team will likely look to grow in the coming years. The team is led by head coach Manny Amaro, who has been a coach for the women’s fastpitch team since 2009.
For their season next fall, Amaro will likely look to employ Bland and Hopkin’s skills in the new year to help the team generate better results.
After disappointing losses against Guelph and Laurier, the women’s lacrosse team looks to bounce back in coming games
On Sept. 10, the McMaster University women’s lacrosse team kicked their season off with a tournament style weekend which saw the Marauders take on the University of Guelph Gryphons and the Laurier University Golden Hawks in Guelph. Despite a strong showing, the team lost both games.
In their first game against Guelph, the Marauders lost with a score of 7-12. The second game of the day against Laurier saw them lose 6-15.
While these results may cause distress, the team is encouraged by their growth so far this season.
One major case of the team’s growth has been second-year player Lexi Sheppard. After a scoreless first season, Sheppard was able to bag four goals in her first weekend for the Marauders, earning her Athlete of the Week honours on Sept. 12.
Sheppard attributes her progress and the progress of the team to support from the university and positive leaders on the field. This year, McMaster also allowed the team to access field time much earlier before the regular season began.
“It was definitely way better than last year because we got way more field time beforehand, so we were able to work as a team more. Whereas last year [the season] was more rushed and we were pushed into it,” said Sheppard.
With women’s lacrosse being an Ontario University Athletics team, there can be many instances of athletes lacking access to facilities and services; such as the school’s High-Performance area, sports medicine services, and outdoor field space. OUA athletes do not usually get first choice access to these services, in comparison with McMaster U Sports teams. However, it seems like the increase in practice is helping the team to build.
“I definitely see us to be building to become a better team with the support of the school,” said Sheppard.
Another driving factor towards growth in the team has been the team captains. Both of this year’s captains, second-year Annika Perrino and fourth-year Cassidy Anyon, have caused a dynamic shift in the team with their presence.
“Definitely what's helping our team are the captains on the team. They really lead by example well and they’re a good positive influence. They make everyone feel comfortable to try even if they’re nervous,” said Sheppard.
Sheppard also attributed their improvements to the positivity and comfort encouraged by Perrino and Anyon.
“My teammates make me comfortable in trying new things. Last year I was kind of shy and didn’t want to be in anyone’s way, but this year they’ve done a good job of making it a comfortable space and causing me to not be afraid to go for it,” said Sheppard.
While the team is evidently growing and becoming better, there is some room for improvement.
The scores indicate that the team especially has space to improve defensively.
“We could work on communicating on defense and making it tighter so you’re always there to support someone. . .Moving forward [the team will be] just working on more of our defensive unit and our team play all around,” explained Sheppard.
If the Marauders can make this improvement defensively and quickly, they will likely be able to improve throughout the season. Combined with the growth of a positive team culture, this might be able to spur the team on for seasons to come.
How the journalism industry has major improvements needed to be made in terms of gender equity
Receiving news is one of the most important and beneficial things for our society, without it we would not know what is going on around us, in our community or globally.
However, being the one to tell it is far more valuable.
I have wanted to be a writer since I was a little girl but knowing the truth of what the journalism industry entailed in terms of the fairness and quality woman journalists received compared to men, I become confused.
Women are told constantly not be bold, confident and demanding, yet having to control one’s behaviour to not contradict expected gender roles, as the exact same behaviours would be accepted, if not rewarded, in male colleagues is misogyny at is finest.
Although numbers are starting to become even in terms of men and female in the newsroom, it is important that individuals do not forget to read in between the lines. Just decades ago, the lack of women being in a newsroom or being a writer was common, but the treatment and podium we get put on is the same as it is today.
Even though women are in the newsroom, they are not seen or taken seriously in many circumstances due to the maltreatment in this work field. And specifically, due to the misogyny that still rules the stories being told.
For example, famous Canadian-writer Margaret Atwood and well-known feminist spoke about this issue, as she has been in the writing industry as a woman for many decades and has experienced it all head on.
Something she found was that while pushing for women authors to have more space and freedom to write, it still had replaced those earlier expectations with demands of its own.
Women have it difficult today as a whole, so taking the reins of a position where your voice is to be heard, makes those who want yours silenced to be fuelled with envy.
For example, although women can write now, the only difference that has been made is our deception on it being a “bad” thing to now being something “good”. Yet women still deal with many repercussions today being a woman in journalism.
In a study done in 2020 on the dangers faced in the journalism industry, 73% of female respondents of that survey said they had experienced some form of online abuse, harassment or threats, with 20% facing dangers out of the newsroom.
Women have it difficult today as a whole, so taking the reins of a position where your voice is to be heard, makes those who want yours silenced to be fueled with envy.
Women are told constantly not be bold, confident and demanding, yet having to control one’s behavior to not contradict expected gender roles, as the exact same behaviors would be accepted, if not rewarded, in male colleagues is misogyny at is finest.
Although all of this is daunting, it did not stop me from wanting to pursue the passion. But the reality does settle once you are at the point in your life where you find yourself applying for these roles, seeing the wages and entering the newsrooms filled with white, old men.
The underrepresentation of woman in the media is so small, as women were only 13% of sources and subjects in the television and newscast industry monitored in 2020 as studied by the Global Media Monitoring Project.
It also dawns on you when misogyny is again, so obvious within the journalism industry yet too unidentifiable to others.
Although women are in the newsroom, it does not mean we are seen in the newsroom, are given a chance to speak, move up, prove ourselves, state our opinions boldly and call the shots.
Our society is just giving the mic to female journalists but leaving it on mute as we hope to share our opinions and voice so boldly, yet we are not even given a chance to be listened or to speak.
We need to start being heard and represented in the journalism industry, not just merely existing until a man decides that we are useful.
As the OUA postseason approaches for women's volleyball team, here is who to keep an eye on in the playoff journey
Another regular season has come and gone for McMaster University’s women's volleyball team. As spring approaches, the team enters the Ontario University Athletics playoffs sitting in fourth place.
The team managed to finish the season with an impressive 14 and six record. They faced losses from Toronto Metropolitan University, Brock University, Waterloo University, Western University and University of Toronto, but showed up big in other matches such as their sweeping wins against Nipissing University and Royal Military College.
As the team heads into the OUA playoffs, there is a lot at stake for the team’s veteran players. The core of this year’s team consists of many graduating stars, including three middle blockers Ellie Hatashita, Ana Strbac and Paige Vrolyk and setter Christina Stratford.
Despite the graduating class, the team has done well in incorporating its younger players. With a long and grueling regular season behind them, this is something that helped the team to be sitting comfortably in fourth place.
“All five of them first year players have been able to contribute in many different ways and all five of them have seen the court in an OUA game, which is something super exciting which doesn’t normally happen, especially in the sport of volleyball with only six on the court. The fact that all five of them have been able to contribute in different ways, it's super important not only for them but for the team in the future,” said Stratford.
Some of the team’s notable younger performers are Sullie Sundara, who leads the team in total kills, and Chayse Victoria who has given an impressive 162 assists this season. Along with help from veteran performers and rookies with experience, the Marauders look back at the regular season with pride, and are looking to continue strongly into the postseason.
“We’ve learned how to battle and we’ve never gone into a game thinking we had it. We knew we had to work. The reality was that we’d never have an easy way out. We’d have to be resilient and find a way to win,” explained Stratford.
"We’ve learned how to battle and we’ve never gone into a game thinking we had it. We knew we had to work. The reality was that we’d never have an easy way out. We’d have to be resilient and find a way to win"
Christina Stratford, McMaster University women's volleyball team setter
The Marauders face the York University Lions in their first playoff match. The two teams are no strangers to each other, as they’ve met twice at The Burridge this season already. Both matches saw the Marauders beat the Lions in convincing fashion, winning three sets to one.
Though the teams have met during the regular season, this does not reflect the do or die nature of the playoffs. The Marauders must win to advance to the semifinals.
“Playoffs is a different game, we’re not going in like “oh it's York we’ll be fine". Our mentality is we’ve got to beat every team we see in front of us until we hold a cup. We’re treating every game as if it were a blank slate,” said Stratford.
Their fourth place finish gives the Marauders hosting rights over sixth place York in the upcoming game. The two teams will meet at The Burridge on Saturday Feb. 25 at 6:00 p.m. in a battle for the Quigley Cup.
Having won 13 of their last 14 OUA games, the team has successfully made their way into the national top 10 rankings
By: Ramiz Khan, Contributor
The McMaster University women's basketball team is making a strong case for the title of the Ontario University Athletics Central division with a commanding 14 and four record on the year. They've now won 13 out of their last 14 games regular season games, taking down several top teams along the way, including the Toronto Metropolitan University Bold, the Brock University Badgers and the Western University Mustangs.
The secret to the team success lies in the dynamic play of forward Sarah Gates, who leads the entire country with a whopping average of 26.1 points per game. The team defense has also been a force to be reckoned with, allowing just 62.1 opponent points per game.
As the regular season nears its end with only a few games remaining, the team is gearing up for a deep playoff run. They hope to match the glory of their 2019 national championship season in what will be the final year for several players who were on that 2019 roster.
With a fairly comfortable lead in the division and a roster filled with talented players, the team looks poised for another deep run come playoff season. After starting the season with three losses and only one win, they managed to completely flip the script, putting themselves in a position for success.
“I think just working together and sticking through it as a unit. We play our best basketball and we're all having fun and making the most of our connections on the team, and it really shows, and that's what we've been doing, so it's been pretty awesome,” said Cassie Joli-Couer, a forward for the team.
“I think just working together and sticking through it as a unit. We play our best basketball and we're all having fun and making the most of our connections on the team, and it really shows, and that's what we've been doing, so it's been pretty awesome.”
Cassie Joli-Couer, Women's Basketball Team
Having now won nine games in a row, tying the Carleton University Ravens for the longest active streak in the OUA, the team has been rolling. Though there were several potential turning points for the team to prove themselves as a threat, one of the biggest came against the Brock Badgers on Jan. 18.
The Badgers, a traditionally strong team who currently hold a record of 10 wins and eight losses, ended the Marauders season last year. In their first rematch on Nov. 19, the Marauders won by a final tally of 66 to 53, but their second matchup was the game to watch as McMaster blew them out by a final score of 71 to 49.
“That was a great team win. We definitely had a little bit of a grudge, I would say, from last year that we were going in for the win no matter what. I think it was just another win to add to the books, and we're going to keep working hard and move forward. . . We're just going to keep working hard,” explained Joli-Couer.
The team holds a great mix of talent to really keep the flow of play moving over the course of the season. One can look to the league stats leaders to find players like Sarah Gates leading the league in PPG, to Deanna Mataseje and Jenna Button leading in assist to turnover ratio or Mia Spadafora leading the OUA in three point percentage, shooting nearly five percent more efficiently then the next closest player. However, the team dynamic stems much further than that.
“When we work together and we're creating opportunities for one another, we're scoring more often, and it's like translating into wins and better stat lines. There's always room for improvement,” said Joli-Couer.
With just one more win, McMaster can clinch a division title. They’ll take on the University of Toronto University Varsity Blues on Feb. 10 and Feb. 18, the TMU Bold on Feb. 11 and the Waterloo University Warriors on Feb. 17. The Bold sit second in the central division, while the Warriors lead the west. The Varsity Blues haven’t had the same kind of success, with a record of four wins and 15 losses so far.
The playoffs are set to begin on Feb. 22.
How the Madonna-Whore complex never left society after all despite the sexual revolution.
By: Venus Osmani, SATSC Contributor
cw: hypersexualization of women, mistreatment of women, racism
The sexual liberation movement began with the implementation of oral birth control pills in the United States, allowing for a drastic increase in female post-secondary graduates and careers. The benefits of easily accessible contraception were huge, but criticism can be given for the uprising in hypersexualizing of women seen in the media, notably Playboy magazines. The infamous rise of Hugh Hefner’s and his Playboy Mansion dominated the 60s sexual
revolution of discarding the feminized norm of the “housewife” and embracing sex. The rise of Playboy was arguably one of the most influential marketing moves of the century. The company created an outlet for women to embrace sexual liberation after a puritan and sexually repressed America which was dominated by the Madonna-Whore complex proposed by psychoanalyst Sigmund Freud.
The psychological dichotomy in Freud’s male patients essentially states women must be seen as either chaste and virginal or promiscuous and forthcoming; but never both. The great America prior to Playboy ostracized alleged sexual deviants and Hefner broke this ideology and challenged social restrictions. Playboy encouraged women to eradicate the norms of purity and to strive to become, for lack of better terms, sexual objects.
Yes, Hefner encouraged women to express their sexual nature and reach beyond the prudish nature of social norms, but here is the main critique to the evolution of the sexual revolution: the movement “revolutionized” women as sexual objects but it grotesquely presented women as exactly that. Women were now reduced to objects separate to that of their own sexual desires, creating an even more restricted role to be confined to. After the publication of this reformed ideology, the market turned women's bodies into a profitable business.
The movement
“revolutionized” women as sexual objects but it grotesquely presented women as exactly that.
Aside from pure pornographic material, female sexual imagery leaked through to clothing, cosmetic and most famously, fragrance industries because ultimately, sex sells. But how this sexual imagery plays a role in what sexuality entails?
Take Eva Mendes in the Calvin Klein Secret Obsession Ad or Victoria’s Secret in how embracing sexuality has its limitations based upon physical appearances. These advertisements show a woman who is not fully nude, yet still exposes herself entirely, containing the innocence centered around male dominated femininity — the epitome of the Madonna-Whore complex.
The Madonna-Whore complex and the idea surrounding sexual liberation targets white women at its core. Birth control pills in the early 1960s allowed for women to gain bodily autonomy with the freedom of choice and sparked the discussion of female sexuality and social norms. What failed to be mentioned was whether the pill complicated racist degradation of Black fertility, evoking several campaigns to promote sexist norms within Black communities and degrade Black childbearing.
What failed to be mentioned was whether the pill complicated racist degradation of Black fertility, evoking several campaigns to promote sexist norms within Black communities and degrade Black childbearing.
Black women were given the opportunity to gain control over their reproductive rights more than ever before, so why the criticism towards the pill? From the early 1900s to 1970s, many states supported the false idea of eugenics, stating that Black people are biologically less intelligent than white people, often denoted as ‘scientific racism’.
Despite a lack of scientific evidence to support Black inferiority, Black women were often sterilized regardless. So given the time period of the rise of eugenics and birth control, oral contraception was seen as a weapon against Black fertility as opposed to mere liberation and sexual endorsement towards predominantly white women.
The question is whether Hefner's influence was for the greater good or greater evil. Playboy reconstructed social norms to create a sexual revolution for women and he was an open supporter of the civil rights and queer rights movements. However, the company was inherently misogynist and normalized the objectification of women and at large, it was established for the benefit of men. In fact, former playmate Sondra Theodore had described the abuse of the sedative Quaaludes used for sex under the codename ‘thigh openers’.
Women are surrounded by sexuality in modern times. Much about sexual liberation is empowering and allows for reproductive control, but in another lens, the media perpetuates a sexually appealing standard for women to fulfill. Hugh Hefner advocated for supposed liberal feminism when mainstream society emphasized bachelorhood and promiscuity in opposition to the 1950s suburban dream. Nearly 70 years later, the Madonna-Whore complex continues to dictate internal misogyny: a spectrum of debauchery and chastity with no in-between.
How outright and subliminal misogyny in mainstream “self-help” media is taking the fun out of casual dating
By Cassie Wong-Wylie, Contributor
Navigating sexual shame as a girl, teen and, now, a young woman is something that is a very much shared and lived experience for the gross majority of women. Personally, I remember feeling a lot of shame about my sexuality from other women. It was easy to feel less judgment from men who were drawn to sexual prowess.
Fast forward to today, when I now feel relatively secure in my embodied sexuality and work hard to omit shame from my sex life, I find fellowship and power when talking about sexuality with other women. This shift, however, has also come with newfound obstacles. I began to encounter men who view sex as a physical actualization of sexist societal values and their sexual pursuits sought to secure their place as the apex, “alpha”, sex.
I cannot tell if it was my aging that revealed these sorts of men or the landscape around me that caused them to emerge. A landscape that is directly regressive to gender equality and emphatically contributes to homophobia, transphobia, female subjugation and by extension, sexual subjugation. This is namely, the chokehold that right-winged, misogynistic, “personal-growth gurus” like Andrew Tate and Jordan Peterson seem to have on boys and young men via social media platforms.
Dating, sex, relationships and general social interactions have changed since the fanaticism, or even just subliminal influence, of the macho-hustle mentality and with it, a new wave of outright misogyny. I can say confidently I have met the men I once thought only existed as hyperbolized wisecracks and parodies of pathetically insecure men my friends and I would joke about. After having met these caricatures, I believe the sensationalized Tate brothers, Jordan Peterson and other men who nonchalantly front self-help through avenues of female subjugation have ruined dating.
Dating, sex, relationships and general social interactions have changed since the fanaticism, or even just subliminal influence, of the macho-hustle mentality and with it, a new wave of outright misogyny.
This isn’t to say all men have been corrupted by this influence. However, with how influential this mentality has become, I see myself on a night out or a first date dreading that a guy might secretly revere a “boom in her face, grab her neck, shut her up” pseudo-mantra, just to quote one instance where Tate quite literally encourages sexual violence.
It's crazy to be talking to a man and suddenly, with just the slightest reference or name drop to the Tates, you realize he probably thinks you shouldn’t even be speaking when not spoken to. Additionally, having to psychoanalyze everything in a conversation and constantly trying to read between the lines has impeded playful banter. I also admit to the very embarrassing example of when a man says, “I love Jordan Peterson” and I agree, thinking we are being flirtatiously sarcastic, only to realize he is being totally serious when he asks me what the word ‘misogyny’ means.
Even beyond the sphere of conversation in dating, sex and sexual shame has also been impacted by masculinist gurus. The age-old conversation of how the porn industry normalizes and fetishizes aspects of sexual violence and female subjugation for the male gaze has now been superseded by Tate’s direct normalization and advocation for female sexual degradation and abuse.
The age-old conversation of how the porn industry normalizes and fetishizes aspects of sexual violence and female subjugation for the male gaze has now been superseded by Tate’s direct normalization and advocation for female sexual degradation and abuse.
Even men who do not ascribe to these channels and condemn the figureheads are not immune to the subliminal domination sex “commands”. Though it may not swing to the extremes, just ask the people in your life their thoughts about choking or a hand on her throat during foreplay and I bet you would be shocked by the number of people who say it’s so normal that it’s almost obligatory. Now, while that might not be directly oppressive, it still contributes to a culture focusing on male domination in the bedroom.
Although male domination during sex may simply be just a social symptom of millennia of patriarchy, celebrities who are deified based on upholding repressive values will have further impacts. Who's to say what the next version of the playful choke is? With pop culture becoming radicalized, I wouldn’t doubt overt, sexual and non-consensual male domination to follow suit, particularly as the young generations of TikTok kids become sexually active.
This isn’t to say that dating, men or sex need to be sworn off. Although the dating field has changed and new litmus tests for partners are required, I try not to allow advances from men who gain security in their lives by denigrating women’s autonomy as the oppressive force it aims to be. Instead, I hope to find renewed communion with women and establish strongholds of support as we are forced to fortify our status as equally alpha. Ultimately, I hope we all find refuge from sexual shame in each other, and not in a hollow, Tate-esc cult of personality.
Exploring the impact of the Women on Weights program offered by the Pulse Fitness Centre
Time constraints. Fear of injuries. Lack of gym knowledge. Looking silly. These are some concerns addressed by trainers through the Women on Weights program offered at the Pulse Fitness Centre.
This six-week program covers various resistance training techniques as well as gym etiquette, aerobic training, nutrition, the importance of exercise and the body. Taught by certified trainers, the program provides fundamental knowledge and skills to enhance participants’ confidence and comfort at the gym.
“When I was starting out by myself, I would have never gone into the gym alone because of that intimidation factor – being in a male-dominated area [or] being surrounded by a lot of machines that you have no idea how to use. The purpose of this program is to engage and teach women of all ages and abilities the importance of exercise,” explained Elizabeth Lang, trainer and life sciences student.
The purpose of this program is to engage and teach women of all ages and abilities the importance of exercise
Elizabeth Lang, Women on Weights program trainer and Life Sciences student
The Pulse was set to offer three Women on Weights classes in the fall semester with ten participants in each class. However, due to popular demand and a growing waitlist, the program was expanded to five classes.
To ease participants into the gym setting, the Women on Weights program is designed to progress in difficulty and slowly introduce participants to new weightlifting movements and machines. Having taught this program twice, Meghan Kostashuk has started to notice similar trends in participants.
“In the first week, a lot of the girls are very shy [or] anxious and have never been in a gym environment or haven’t been in a gym environment since high school. By the time the sixth class rolls around, all the girls are doing movements that they would never ever do, like deadlifting, squatting with a barbell, bench-pressing,” said Kostashuk, trainer and a biochemistry student.
The consistency and length of the program allows learners to develop practical skills in a short time frame. Both Lang and Kostashuk described the appreciation that participants have expressed for the program. For instance, past participants have often expressed more personal comfort in open-concept areas after learning how to use the machines in the gym.
“I was worried that I would injure myself or just look kind of silly because I didn’t know what was going on. There’s a lot of information online but sometimes it can be overwhelming . . . I definitely got a lot more confident in myself and my ability to go to the gym alone,” explained Celina Ruan, a past participant of the Women on Weights program.
The program provides participants with a wealth of information while also giving them an opportunity to make new friends and accountability partners through the classes. Once the six-weeks of Women on Weights comes to an end, trainers will often encounter past participants exercising together at the gym.
“I think there’s definitely been a really big impact on the girls. I still see some of the girls around the gym all the time and they’ll always come up to me and be like “I’ve been going to the gym with so and so from our class, we’ve become gym buddies and we go together all the time and we hold each other accountable,” and that’s such a nice thing to see,” said Kostashuk.
In addition to the Women on Weights program, Kostashuk teaches an introductory lifting program in partnership with the McMaster University biochemistry and biomedical sciences society. Moving forward, Kostashuk hopes to open a similar program for students of all gender identities and programs.
“With clients I’ve always tried to instill the idea in them that no matter how much weight you’re lifting, no matter how new to an exercise you are, no matter how new you are to the gym, there’s always a space for you,” said Kostashuk.
With clients I’ve always tried to instill the idea in them that no matter how much weight you’re lifting, no matter how new to an exercise you are, no matter how new you are to the gym, there’s always a space for you
Meghan Kostashuk, Women on Weights program teacher
McMaster students and David Braley Athletic Centre members can participate in programs for a reduced price. The Women on Weights program will also be offered in the upcoming winter semester. To learn more about the program and other classes offered by The Pulse, visit their website.
McMaster University has taken steps to memorialize Mahsa Amini but has not mandated accommodations for Iranian students
On Sept. 16, 22 year old Iranian resident Mahsa Amini died tragically, sparking protests around the world regarding the circumstances of her death and the treatment of women by Iran’s morality police.
After being arrested by morality police on Sept. 13 in Tehran for wearing her hijab improperly, Amini was taken to a re-education center where she collapsed. She was then transferred to the hospital where she died three days later. Authorities claim Amini’s death was due to a heart attack. Amini’s father claims authorities lied about the cause of his daughter’s death. Eyewitnesses support her father’s claim, saying she was beaten repeatedly by officers in the patrol car before being taken away.
Signs reading “Say her name: Mahsa Amini” appeared on McMaster University campus near the path running behind Hamilton Hall and were accompanied by scarves and paper chains. This initiative was led by Iranian student Roya Motazedian, who felt the need to commemorate Mahsa Amini and stand with the protesters in Iran.
“I was just filled with a lot of anger and kind of this feeling that I can’t sit still like I need to do something, especially since a lot of people in Iran are putting their lives on the line going out. . . what I decided I could do at that time was make use of the McMaster space,” said Motazedian.
Another way Amini has been commemorated on campus was at the memorial held by the McMaster Iranian Student Association on Sept. 28 outside of McMaster University Student Centre and Mills Library. MISA Co-President Sara Rafiei spoke about memorial and Amini’s death.
“The majority of people were so interested in learning, non-Iranians were interested in learning more, and then we had a few professors who came and spoke to us and offered support, which really warmed our hearts because for as long as I can remember, it’s always been, in my Iranian view of the world, no one really wanted to hear our voice,” said Rafiei.
“The majority of people were so interested in learning, non-Iranians were interested in learning more, and then we had a few professors who came and spoke to us and offered support, which really warmed our hearts because for as long as I can remember, it’s always been, in my Iranian view of the world, no one really wanted to hear our voice.”
SARA RAFIEI, Co-President Of MISa
As of Oct. 28, at least 270 people have been confirmed dead after taking to the streets to protest Amini’s death. Iran’s military warned protesters of backlash and have taken an aggressive approach in shutting down protesters. MISA executive member Sara Ghasemi said it was difficult to contact loved ones in Iran at the moment due to widespread cut off to internet access and a drop in cellular service in some parts of the country, making it almost impossible for McMaster students to reach their loved ones in Iran.
“Your friends are not responding or family’s not responding . . . it’s mentally draining, I can say for myself. Every day that I wake up, I’m crying. I see the videos and it makes me, apart from the guilt of not being there, it makes [me] feel even more guilty that [I’m] in a safe country,” said Ghasemi.
Co-president of MISA, Lida Nosrati, said that McMaster could further support Iranian students at this time by providing academic accommodations for those affected by the current state of Iran. She said so far, the school had not mandated any accommodations for Iranian students and they have had a difficult time tracking down who would have the authority to grant this request. Nosrati spoke about the struggle to find further accommodations.
“We went to the associate dean, we went to SAS, we went to the Student Wellness Center hoping for a bigger level of accommodation. We want them to reach out to our course instructors to let them know about what’s actually happening and how our whole community at McMaster is really affected,” said Nosrati.
“We went to the associate dean, we went to SAS, we went to the Student Wellness Center hoping for a bigger level of accommodation. We want them to reach out to our course instructors to let them know about what’s actually happening and how our whole community at McMaster is really affected.”
LIDA NOSRATI, Co-president of MISA
On Oct. 26 protests erupted with a new force in Iran, due to the significance of the fortieth day since Amini’s passing often recognized as a day of remembrance and mourning in Shiite Islam.
“Everyone’s been feeling like the way we felt when it first happened because of how important the 40 day mark is. So I think everyone, even students, are still grieving,” said Motazedian.
Some Iranian students have received individual accommodations, but no widespread relief has been offered by the university. McMaster has encouraged students to utilize the Student Wellness Center, individually reach out to academic advisors for accommodations or book an appointment with International Student Services for additional support.
