MFNSA Welcoming Powwow September 25 2009

http://www.macinsiders.com/showthread.php?t=24069, September 22 2009

The McMaster First Nations Student Association (MFNSA) will be hosting a Welcoming Powwow on Friday September 25th 2009 from 11:30am to 3:30pm in front of JHE (John Hodgins Engineering) building.

This powwow will be MFNSA's first event of the year, and the first-ever powwow on the McMaster campus. The powwow is a celebration of the twentieth anniversary of the creation of MFNSA in 1989. The event allows MFNSA to inform students, staff and faculty about Indigenous cultures on campus, as well as promote the Indigenous Studies Program at McMaster University.

There will be a number of different demonstrations at the event, including dancing, singing and drumming. Some of the participants will be giving presentations about the different styles of dances and about the dances themselves. There will be information tables from a few different groups, including MFNSA, the Indigenous Studies Program, and the Aboriginal Health Conference. Traditional cuisine samples which include strawberry drink, Three Sisters Soup, bannock, and wild rice will be available. Speakers from the Indigenous Studies Program will also be in attendance.

For more information, check out the Facebook event, or the event poster (attached). You may also email MFNSA at mac.first.nations@gmail.com

The Faculty and Program Series Part Nine: The Arts and Sciences Program

http://www.macinsiders.com/showthread.php?t=24027, September 20 2009

Introduction
The Arts and Sciences program at McMaster is relatively new, with the first cohort of students enrolling in 1981. As the first program of its kind in Canada, it was designed as a demanding program aimed at students who are capable of doing well in classes in the arts and sciences. This broad liberal arts education has the goals of providing substantial work in the disciplines of both arts and science; allowing students to further develop skills in writing, speaking, and critical reasoning; and fostering the art of scholarly inquiry into issues of public concern. Approximately sixty students are accepted into the program each year, making it the smallest faculty at McMaster.

Students take courses from within the Arts and Science program, as well as courses from the Humanities/Social Sciences and Science. Twenty percent of a student’s course load will be from Science, twenty percent will be from Humanities/Social Sciences, twenty-five to thirty percent will be interdisciplinary, and the remaining courses are electives. Students are usually registered in a combined Honours program in Arts and Sciences and another academic discipline within the Humanities, Sciences or Social Sciences. In their fourth year, students undertake a thesis project, which may be from any program at McMaster. A list of current thesis topics is available here.

Some Recent Awards:

• Patangi (Chari) Rangachari: winner of the 3M National Teaching Fellowships (2008)
• Miroslav Lovric:excellence in teaching from the Ontario government's Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities (2007)
• Ken Blonde: OUA Men's Epee Individual Championship title for fencing (2007)
• Bob Henderson: Association for Experiential Education's (AEE) Michael Stratton Practitioner of the Year Award (2006)

Important Undergraduate Contacts:
Program Administrator: 905-525-9140 ext. 23153 asadmin@mcmaster.ca
Program Secretary: 905-525- 9140 ext. 24655 artsci@mcmaster.ca

Tips for Success:

• Participate in the Big Sibling mentoring program
• Talk to your professors and ask them for help when needed
• Check ELM often
• Use the SASS forums
• Keep up with your readings and assignments
• Utilize the Arts Sci GradNet

Undergraduate Social Events/Student Societies:
Society of Arts and Sciences Students (SASS) http://www.sassweb.ca/index.php is involved in Welcome Week activities, socials during the year, a “Big Sibling” mentoring program, Survival Series, and the Arts Sci publication, the Agora.

Notable Alumni Careers and Awards
Brenda Matthews: Researcher at University of California at Berkeley’s Astronomy department
Farah Mawani: Epidemilogist:National Coordinator for the New Canadian Children and Youth Study
Kat Kinch: UBC Law’s Best All-Around Graduate, one of Maclean’s "Best and the Brightest – Twenty-five faces for the Future" in 2004
Ying Ying Li: Yale Law graduate
Sacha Ghai: completed an M.B.A. at Harvard University

Career Options
Because of the interdisciplinary nature of the Arts Sci program, its students have the opportunity to pursue careers in a variety of fields. These include, but are not limited to:

• Graduate Studies
• Medicine
• Dentistry
• Law
• Journalism
• Naturopathy
• Occupational Therapy and Physiotherapy
• Photography
• Social Work
• HR/PR
• Teaching
• International Development
• Library Science
• Resource Management
• Urban Planning
• Epidemiology
• Chiropractor
• Speech Language Pathologist

Dr. Alexandre Sévigny Gives Students Letter of Advice

http://www.macinsiders.com/showthread.php?t=23981 September 17 2009

Dr. Alexandre Sévigny is an associate professor of Communication Studies & Multimedia and French at McMaster, and has an excellent rapport with both current students and alumni.

He recently wrote an open letter on Facebook to students, which was later re-posted on the TalentEgg Career Incubator in order to reach a larger student audience with the aim of being seen by both McMaster students as well as those at other post-secondary institutions.

The letter is available in full below. If you have any comments or a response to this don't forget to add it to the TalentEgg Career Incubator article so students everywhere know how awesome we think Dr. Sévigny is! You can do so here.

The three or four years you will spend at college or university should be some of the best years of your life. You have a rare privilege: a few years to devote most of your time to learning about yourself, your culture, your society and your areas of interest. Understand that your real purpose here is not only knowledge but also to develop a life guided by wisdom and reason.

You have moved out of your parents’ home. You are meeting new people and starting to make your own decisions, your own life. You are now pretty much your own boss. But you are also on your own and that can be unnerving, lonely and a little scary.

This is your opportunity to struggle with your new environment, to understand your challenges through reflection, insight and the help of others. Use the support systems at the university. You are never alone, and the very act of seeking help or advice, of opening up to others, may become a vital part of your education – of your experience of learning about yourself through others.

Speaking of dialogue, I recently met a woman at an alumni dinner, a graduate of my department. She had graduated with high B average and now works in a public affairs agency. I’ll call her Simone.

It was a beautiful night – a fancy dinner, elegant surroundings and quiet, meaningful conversations among alumni and professors who shared the bond of having been members of the McMaster community. I was seated beside Simone and we chatted for much of the evening, mostly sharing memories: people we knew in common from her grad year, observations that she and classmates had made about faculty quirks of dress or mannerism, little things. We laughed a lot and reminisced. At the end of the evening, as we got up to say goodnight, she looked at me fixedly and said:

“Alex, I want you to tell your students something from me. Do you know what I really gained from my years at Mac?”

I shook my head, surprised by her suddenly intense expression.

“I gained understanding. Understanding that the world is complicated and profound, even when it is trying to be simple and ridiculous. Understanding about how to learn and how to know. Above all, I understood that although the world is sometimes sad, it is never boring and that I should love it, and try to improve it, even though it sometimes seems to betray me.”

I was surprised by her comments. She had obviously thought about this very deeply.

“Alex, I didn’t understand until maybe the middle of third year. I finally understood that education is about storytelling – the stories of art and science, society and engineering, health and commerce and how they all weave together into the grand story of our lives together.”

Heed Simone’s advice. It is wise. Learn to catch the storyline of the courses and conversations and relationships and solitary epiphanies you will experience at college or university. It isn’t easy. It requires a lot of hard work. It requires a personal sense of purpose. It requires an open heart and a seeking mind. But the payoff is amazing: a life that is transformed from mere existence to living. From shades of gray to millions of colours.

A life in which every experience becomes a possibility for adventure, growth and love.

The first year of university from the perspective of a continuing education student

The first year of university from the perspective of a continuing education student

The majority of us go to post-secondary within a year or two of graduating high school. It’s just the way it’s done; how it’s explained to us in high school and what our parents expect of us.

However, for those who came before us, not everyone wanted to or thought they needed to get post-secondary education in order to get a good job. But now, more “adults” (i.e. those of earlier generations than our own) are opting to attend post-secondary education as continuing education students than ever before.

Like many of you, I came to university right out of high school so I never really know what it was like to experience working full-time for anything more than a summer.

But I recently became the acquaintance of Mark Reeves, a 31-year-old former Tier II Technical Support for Apple computers, and asked him about his experiences so far as a first-year social sciences student.

Q. Why did you decide to go to university after having been in the working world for long?

A. University was something I wanted to do from the get-go, but I didn’t have the grades before. I fell into a routine of getting up and going to work which I didn’t want to disrupt. Workplace politics finally pushed me over the edge and I decided to apply to school last year.

Q. What separates you from the average first year student?

A. Besides the obvious – age. I haven’t really met any first years yet so it’s hard for me to say for sure.

Maturity level would be the big difference. I’m at university for me, [while] many first years are expected to go by their school and/or their parents. I should be able to put more effort into what I’m doing of my own volition because I want to do it. Another thing that is also tied into maturity is committing to things. I will get up and do it because I signed up to do it. Waking up for an 8:30 class isn’t a chore for me now in the same way it was when I was younger (and for many students) because I am used to getting up early for work now.

Q. As a mature student, what are some challenges you have faced and/or can possibly foresee?

A. The biggest challenge is the social aspect of everything: I’m mixing with people 10 to 12 years younger than I am.

Re-adjusting to school life is going to be a challenge. It is different to get up and go to work every day when work doesn’t come home with you. Now I’m going to have to buckle down and do the readings and the research, etc.

Q. What do you think a university degree can give you?

A. Hopefully a better job in the end. Mostly I’m here to prove to myself and everyone else that I have potential. There were people who said I’m a failure and could never do it and others who believed in me and said I would be able to. I want to be able to say yes I can do it and go shove it up your ass to those who said I couldn’t do this.

Q. What sorts of things do you hope to learn (or re-learn) while you are completing your next degree, either over the next year or over the next four?

A. Time management skills are something I need to work on. My job didn’t really require these skills.

My financial responsibilities are much different than bringing in a steady, relatively large pay check every couple weeks. Now I’ve got to live off of OSAP and a part-time job.

I need to learn some social skills. I’m not known as a social person, and you have to be for group projects and whatnot.

Commitment – I’ve got to stick things out to the end and do what I want to do and not get fed up and do what I was previously doing.

Why I walked away from a job opportunity

Why I walked away from a job opportunity

This is the first year in a few that I do not have a job for the school year, and am not involved in any way in Welcome Week (McMaster’s orientation/frosh week). But I happen to have McMaster’s campus events co-ordinator on Facebook, and in my news feed it showed up that a company she knows of was hiring a promotion team for a few days during Welcome Week.

It also turns out that I somehow managed to get both Thursdays and Fridays off for first semester this year (long weekend every weekend woohoo!). In my head, I thought “Hey, this could be a good way to make some extra money before school, and maybe turn into something a bit more permanent during the year.” So I emailed the contact person asking what sort of information they wanted from me, hoping for a quick response.

Shortly afterwards, I got a reply. They told me to send the sort of things I was expecting:

• Resumé
• Contact info
• Time available for a phone interview
• Availability during the school year

But there was another item on the list that really threw me off. I was required to submit a head shot. But I didn’t feel comfortable applying for a job where part of the basis for me being hired was my physical appearance.

This position instantly reminded me of the scantily-clad girls at sporting events and concerts handing out swag, samples or coupons. That is something I could never see myself doing. I do not ever want to feel like I’m using my body to sell a product – it would make me feel I had abandoned my values.

I’m not necessarily insulting my physical appearance here, but I feel that my ability to work for an organization should have nothing to do with what I look like, but the skills I possess. I have developed lots of skills that would be useful for doing promotions because I’ve previously done some niche marketing work.

Now, I’m not saying that the people who do this kind of work are knowingly using their physical appearance to sell products. Money is money and sometimes jobs in your field of interest can be hard to get, especially without a degree to back it up. I’m just saying it’s not for me because I feel it compromises my values.

Part of me still wonders if I should have gone through the application process. Maybe I’m making everything seem worse off than it is. I don’t know how likely it would have been for me to be walking around campus in booty shorts and a halter top hawking a product – as well as part of myself – to passers-by.

What I do know, however, is that having a bit more extra spending money right now would be useful.

Why you should consider completing a second degree

"Why you should consider completing a second degree", August 31 2009

In the spring of 2008, I graduated with a combined honours degree in cultural studies & critical thinking, and anthropology. While completing my undergrad, I had contemplated applying to graduate school. Although anthropology is a graduate program in Canada, cultural studies (which was my preferred area of interest) is not – it’s usually part of an English department. So I decided to give myself an advantage in the application process and pursue a bachelor of arts (non-honours) in English.

Originally, I had only planned to stay at McMaster for a year since it would only take me eight months to get all the credits required to graduate with the degree in English. I also took a bunch of indigenous studies classes as electives because I felt I could learn a lot from the program. I got the necessary references, filled out my applications and played the waiting game.

It turns out that I didn’t get into any of the grad schools I applied to, but that didn’t mean my options were limited for the upcoming year. Since I was doing very well in myindigenous studies classes, I decided I would go back to school again and finish with a combined honours degree in English and indigenous studies in April 2010 because:

• I can afford to complete this degree right now, so I do not need to wait until years down the road to go back to school
• finishing this program will help with my employability in the future – knowledge of indigenous issues can be applied to many different sectors
• it will expand my expertise in a way that may help admit me to post-graduate studies should I choose to go that route
• although there are times when I really hate school, for the most part I actually really like it (call me a nerd) – I have a genuine desire to learn and will likely be doing it in some form or another for the rest of my life.

With more and more people graduating from post-secondary education, the number of them who choose to get a second (or third) degree is on the rise. If you’re not sure if pursuing a second degree is right for you, here are a few things to consider:

Your other degree

Did you finish your other degree and realize close to the end that you hated what you were learning? Going back to school can give you the opportunity to learn things that are more in-tune to your interests.

Time

A degree is a huge time investment. Do you think you can handle another year or two (or more) of classes, and all of the things that go along with it? There will be more assignments, midterms, term papers, tests, quizzes and exams (not to mention pressure, anxiety and stress) in order to finish your degree.

Knowledge and skills

A second degree can give you the opportunity to learn things that you didn’t before. This can be something along the lines of essay-writing skills or sample analysis which you can put toward another career. You can also put what you learned toward post-graduate applications or programs.

Cost

Perhaps the biggest deciding factor is whether or not you can afford to do so. University is by no means inexpensive. In addition to tuition, supplementary fees, textbooks and supplies, you may need to consider the costs of housing, transportation, and living expenses. Although student loans don’t need to be paid until after graduation, they do need to be paid off sometime.

Book review: “10-10-10: A Life Transforming Idea” by Suzy Welch

"“10-10-10: A Life Transforming Idea” by Suzy Welch", August 28 2009

Some of Gen Y has not grown up enough to realize that the decisions we make now can have a major impact on our lives in the present, as well as the distant future. Many of us haven’t got to that point when it comes to thinking about our future in a serious manner. Part of the reason is that we don’t know how: our parents have been and in many cases still are incredibly involved in our decision-making processes.

I was watching The Hour recently and there was a segment on this book called 10-10-10: A Life-Transforming Idea. I’m known as being somewhat indecisive (from my future, to what I’m going to wear or eat for breakfast each day), so I decided to get a copy of the book and hope it would help me out.

Suzy Welch, the author of 10-10-10 and the person who coined the term, promises to help you make decisions in a clear, transparent and straightforward manner by following the book’s philosophy. Whenever you face a dilemma, she says, you need to ask yourself three questions: How will this choice impact me in 10 minutes, 10 months, and 10 years? But she also says it’s not as simple as asking yourself those three questions.

It is important to note that the 10-10-10 philosophy isn’t exactly literal: the first 10 is supposed to represent the present, the second 10 the not-so-distant future, and the final 10 several years down the road. 10-10-10 was just a means for Welch to conceptualize the idea in a way that could be easily remembered.

The book outlines how you can use the 10-10-10 philosophy to help you make major decisions in your life in regards to work, friendship, love, parenting and your career. Each chapter goes though a couple of examples of how Welch’s friends and family, colleagues at the Harvard Business Review, readers of O: The Oprah Magazine, as well as others she has come to know through various speaking engagements, have used the philosophy to solve their problems.

In nearly all of the examples she provides, the system seems to wrap up everyone’s issues very nicely. Interestingly enough, Welch claims that she doesn’t have everything tied up with a nice bow.

Perhaps the best piece of advice I took from the book was related to how we choose our professions. Welch states that people tend to gravitate toward certain professions because they’re good at them. She gives the example of English majors going into publishing, and math majors going to Wall Street. This is indeed true, and I’m sure you know lots of people who fit similar descriptions.

However, Welch states that “aptitude doesn’t always equal passion,” meaning just because you’re good at something doesn’t mean you should pursue it as a career. That is definitely something we should consider as a generation when we are looking for work. Welch also provides an example of how a young business grad named Kristin used 10-10-10 to choose between working in a small start-up company with an unstable future and a large company with a great reputation and many opportunities for promotion. I’m not going to tell you what the factors were for Kristin making her decision or what she eventually chose, though. You’ll have to read the book.

If you feel that you need some help when it comes to making decisions that can really affect you in the future, this may be a good book for you to pick up. It goes through a framework that can help you evaluate your choices in a way that makes you consider yourself, and those who also may be impacted by your decision.

How to make extra money by “moonlighting”

"How to make extra money by “moonlighting”", August 27 2009

As students, we’d all like to have a bit more money. Some of us work in the summer months and/or during the school year and this is still not always enough.

What do you do if you need a little more cash to get you through the month?

If you’ve already cut all your unnecessary expenses, it might be time to try moonlighting: taking a second (or third) job that is often paid “under the table” – meaning the employer pays you in cash and, more often than not, the income is not submitted at tax time.

Catering staff

Catering companies work primarily on evenings and weekends, which is optimal for most students. If you are involved in food prep, it’s a good way for you to get more familiar with cooking. If you’re serving, you’ll get some customer service experience. The pay is usually pretty good too.

Teaching or tutoring

High school students, as well as students in your school, may not be as proficient as you are in your studies. If you have an aptitude for certain subjects, why not tutor other students for a fee? This is a great way for you to gain some teaching experience if you are considering teacher’s college for the future. You can also edit people’s essays and papers for a fee, either a flat rate per piece or on a per word/per page basis.

Cleaning

Nobody likes to clean up after themselves and, in many cases, people will pay good money to have their homes cleaned for them. This often include cleaning houses or doing maintenance outdoors. All you need are some cleaning supplies and transportation, and you’re set.

Trials and experiments

I’m not necessarily advocating participating in drug trials, but there are several different ways you can participate in trials and earn some extra money. Many campuses pay students for participating in kinesiology and psychology studies. Marketing focus groups often pay good money for helping them get customer feedback on their products as well – sometimes $50 or $100 for a few minutes of eating chocolate bars or drinking beer. Watch out for advertisements on poster boards around campus to see what you can find.

Food Deliveries

Many restaurants will deliver to customers for a fee. As a driver, you will usually get paid an hourly wage as well as make money from tips. As long as you have a car, this is a way to make some easy cash.

Pets

Just like people don’t like cleaning up after themselves, they also don’t particularly enjoy cleaning up after their animals. Busy pet owners will pay for a “professional” pooper-scooper to come clean up after their dogs. You may want to offer your dog-walking services for people who can’t let their animals out during the middle of the day. You can also give pet sitting a try for people who go away on business for the weekend or on a vacation.

Paper delivery

This may have been a job you had when you were a kid, but there are always ads for these positions in the paper. This is a good way for you to get some exercise as you can complete your route through riding a bike or rollerblading. However, you need to be able to wake up pretty early in the morning if you are delivering a large daily paper!

Of course there are tons of other possibilities out there for you if you are looking to make a little bit of extra money on the side. Regardless of what skills you are advertising for hire, remember to use the resources around you to put yourself out there and to get hired. Even if you’re not making a huge amount of money, take what you learn from these jobs with you the next time you are looking for work. You never know what skills and connections this experience can give you!

Don’t turn away “artsy” students at career fairs

"Don’t turn away “artsy” students at career fairs", August 24, 2009

In high school, I was told that going to university would open a window of opportunities for my future and ultimately help me get a good job. I applied to university in a social sciences discipline since I did not have the mathematical aptitude to handle the sciences or engineering.

During frosh week, social sciences and humanities students were taunted by the engineers, who called out, “Spatula!” Meaning: we didn’t have any career options after university and were destined to work a low-wage fast food job.

Humanities students were specifically targeted with “A-B-C-D-E-F-G. H-I-J-K. L-M-N-O-P. Q-R-S. TU-V. W-X-Y-Z. Now I know my ABCs, so I can pass the humanities,” implying humanities courses are easy.

At the time, I just assumed this was a way for the engineering reps to promote faculty pride in their first year students, and this attitude wasn’t present throughout the rest of the institution.

However, it appears that was only wishful thinking: in the last few years, the humanities and social sciences have faced many budget cuts in instructors, number of classes offered and resources available, and I know that this is not unique to my school.

Once I completed a few years of school, I thought going to a career fair would be a good way for me to decide what I could do with my degree in the future. Not being in health sciences, engineering or business, meant few employers were interested in my degree.

I attempted to talk to a few different companies and was turned away when I told them I was in a combined humanities/social science program. I didn’t approach other groups because they had no information for students in more than one faculty. Quite frankly, the whole thing was a complete waste of my time, and I felt very frustrated and disappointed.

Does it mean those engineers were right, or do career fairs need to be re-worked in order to support the diversity of educational options out there?

I’m hoping for the latter. I was told to never to judge a book by its cover and, as an English major, that advice seems almost too fitting.

If your company is attending a career fair at a university or college, remember there will be students from all kinds of academic programs there and, as a result, students with a variety of different experiences, both in terms of education as well as employment.

Just because a student isn’t in a certain degree program does not mean they aren’t qualified for a job in your company. For example, I have experience in HR, public relations, marketing and management, which is something you wouldn’t know if you only look at what program I’m in.

Sure, if you’re part of an architecture firm you’re primarily going to want to hire architects or engineers. But if someone from another program comes to your table, you do not have to turn them away. Every company has multiple departments that need a variety of employees with different kinds of work and education experience, and your company should be no exception to this.

You attend career fairs to entice students, not to deter them. And just because your company doesn’t have anything to offer one student, it doesn’t mean the same student can’t pass on information about your company to a friend or two.

Why you should start saving for retirement in your 20s

"Why you should start saving for retirement in your 20s", August 17 2009

There have been countless reports which state that the Baby Boomers will need to work longer in order to save enough money to retire. Although retirement is supposed to start at 55, many people now work into their mid-60s or later out of necessity.

University students typically graduate at 21 or 22 and start pursuing their first real job. I will be graduating (for the second time) at 25, which is due to being part of the double cohort in Ontario and also choosing to complete a second degree. In terms of planning for my future, I’m a bit nervous about the fact that I will be reaching retirement age in 30 years and I have no definitive direction, nor do I have a stable, full-time job which allows me to save for retirement.

The truth is we don’t need to start with a ton of money to build a nest egg. Although the more you can save the better it ends up for you in the long run, you do not need to start out with a large lump sum.

If saving is tough for you, start small. Start putting aside 1% of your gross pay (what you earn “on paper” before deductions). Once you get used to the amount, move up to 2%, and once you’re comfortable with that move up to 3% and so on.

If you’re already working in an entry-level position with retirement benefits, you should find what the company’s retirement plan, also known as a Group Registered Retirement Savings Plan (RRSP), is all about. RRSPs allow you to save for your retirement while simultaneously deferring the income tax on earnings and savings until the money is withdrawn.

Up to 18% of your wages (to a maximum of $22,000) can be put into the company’s RRSP in a given year. They are designed to allow a flexible retirement date up until December 31 of the year you turn 71. From there, the RRSP’s must be converted into an annuity or a Registered Retirement Income Fund (RRIF), and you must start withdrawing money.

Of course, not all companies have a Group RRSP, so you should be saving on your own. If you start saving early, you have the power of interest on your side (as opposed to it being against you when you need to repay student loans or credit card debt). The money you put aside will grow because of this interest, so you should always have some put aside in either a high-interest savings account or one made specifically for retirement.

If you’re more interested in market-related investments, set up an informal meeting with a financial advisor at your bank to get some more information and advice.

Regardless of the ways and amount you choose to invest, the most important thing you should be doing at this point in your life is starting to save. Every little bit counts for the future.

Doctor or musician, which career would you choose?

"Doctor or musician, which career would you choose?" August 20 2009

A stereotypical doctor doesn’t have piercings or a tattoo, and a stereotypical drummer doesn’t wear scrubs. Bourke Tillmann, however, is a fourth-year medical student and is the drummer of the successful indie band Holding.Sky.

Holding.Sky has played with a variety of popular and independent artists in their three-and-a-half year reign on the indie scene. The band recently recorded their third EP, From the Throne to the Lions – produced by Dan Achen, who has worked with Feist and City and Colour. It’s available for free download, with proceeds going to charity.

Between Bourke’s busy schedule as an ER doctor, general surgery assistant and drummer, he and I recently chatted about his dual persona.

(Photography by Jeff Jewiss)

Q. What came first: wanting to become a doctor or a musician?

A. Wanting to play music came first. I wasn’t one of those kids who grew up wanting to be a doctor – I wrote the MCATs after first year [of university] just to prove to a friend I could.

Q. What are some of the reasons why you wanted to become a doctor?

A. This is actually a pretty personal question. During my teenage years, I was unfortunately near a lot of death and from then on have seen the after effects this trauma has had on my friends (depression, suicide, drugs, homelessness). I never wanted to be helpless in a situation like that again.

Why else? It’s something I love and am good at. And when I think about it, I know I would give anything to save a person’s life. So now I get to go to work every day and do just that. Not only do I get to do that, but I can call it a career.

Q. Why did you want to become a musician?

A. The joy in writing music and creating something new, when you sit down with a few friends and put together a few notes and a rhythm there’s just magic. Then getting to perform, to show others what you have made – it’s incredible. You’re terrified because you’re showing your deepest emotions and they might be rejected, but you’re thrilled because you have an excuse to be completely yourself.

So why did I start playing an instrument? I thought drums were cool. I always wanted to play them so I decided to. Why do I want to become a musician? Because I want to have the challenge of creating something new every day, and the thrill and fear of showing my soul to strangers every night.

"I practice two hours away every weekend and spend half my nights planning shows and tours. It reminds me there’s more in my life than just medicine." —Bourke Tillmann

Q. How do you think being in a band helped you get into med school?

A. When you’re getting ready to play a concert in front of a couple thousand people, a med school interview really isn’t that intimidating. So instead of being paralyzed with fear when I interviewed, I was relaxed.

The second way I think it helped is the system’s desire to show how accepting it is. Medical schools want to show the world that they accept everyone, that they’re not an elitist system, nor perpetuating a social hierarchy. So I had already slid by their mental benchmark and made a nice example to show the world how accepting medical schools are. Do I think they are as accepting as they’re trying to portray? I’m a white, middle-income male, so you guess.

Q. How has being in a band helped you since getting into med school?

A. It has helped me keep perspective. So many people allow medical school to consume their lives. Instead, I practice two hours away every weekend and spend half my nights planning shows and tours. It reminds me there’s more in my life than just medicine.

It has also helped me keep in touch with my patients. As an independent band, we tend to play the shadier areas of cities, and . . . more of my patients are in a lower social economic range (to be politically correct). I spend a fair amount of my time hanging out with my patient population, while a lot of people in medical school spend their free time in bars with $15 covers and $8 drinks.

. . .

When you remove the social barrier that the physician-patient relationship creates, sometimes you can learn a lot more. Of course, you can sometimes learn too much. But in our music we broach some common but difficult subjects, and when you start the conversation people aren’t nearly as afraid to continue it.

Q. Do you ever regret the choice you made to go through medical school to become a doctor?

A. I wish I could say no, but it’s a hard process. When I’m spending hours studying instead of learning how to play a guitar, or reading about an esoteric disease I’ll probably never see in my life, I ask [myself] if it’s really worth it. But the patient interaction . . . working up their problem, figuring out how to make them feel better (not necessarily how to cure their disease) makes up for it ten-fold.

Oh, and the paper work sucks.

Q. How has your training in medical school helped you within the band?

A. Well, it’s made me more of an asshole, so I feel less bad when yelling at them to get something on the business side of the band done.

But seriously . . . Working in a hospital really teaches you what’s important in life and has made me appreciate the band even more, which makes me work harder. Also, I have learned how to manage and delegate tasks, and this really does help the business side of the band. As far as writing music, I’m usually at my most creative when I’m in a poor mood, so it has helped me write some new songs.

Q. What advice do you have for people who feel like they need to make a decision between an ideal career choice and an important part of their personal life?

"Working in a hospital really teaches you what’s important in life and has made me appreciate the band even more . . ." —Bourke Tillmann

A. I tell them to do what makes them happy. Is that ideal career going to make you happy, or is it just impressive? Trust me, it doesn’t take a lot of money to make it in this world – I’ve lived off a bag of chocolate covered raisins and table scraps for a month.

I’ve also been homeless for four months (although not in a row). You can make due on very little and still be happy. But doing what makes you happiest doesn’t always come easy. If you truly want it, you won’t give it up, but you’ll have to sacrifice.

I rarely ever watch TV. I sleep less than six hours most nights. I’ve lost girlfriends. I’ve been in car crashes. I’ve been on the other side in hospitals and I’m not the best in either of my two passions (music and medicine). But I love them both so I make the sacrifices I make.

So I say again, do what makes you happy. If you want to ski for three months a year, find the job that allows you to do that. Don’t find a job that demands you work ridiculous hours so that when you’re 60 you can start skiing. If family is your passion, find the easiest, shortest job you can so you can spend as much time with your family, while still helping support them. Money only has value when it’s spent, so don’t spend your life chasing it.

Q. Do you think you can serve as a role model to others? What about others in the band?

A. I would like to see myself as a role model – [it] would be pretty awesome to think that I’ve done enough in my life that it’s worth people looking up to. As for the rest of the band, Holding.Sky is about dedication and breaking limits. We all challenge each other.

Ben [Tillman, bass] finished working on Tim Burton’s 9 and is now working on another major motion picture; Mikey [Hill, guitar] is in med school; Tim [Laidman, vocals] has degrees from both Sheridan and Mohawk; and Kohji [Nagata, guitar and backup vocals] will always challenge you to be a better person.

Q. How has all of your education and/or work impacted the bands progress, if at all? Do you think any of you would quit the band?

A. I think it’s more how is the band impacting [our] education and work. But truthfully, the fact that some of our jobs have locked in contracts means we can’t do extended tours unless we know they’re going to be very beneficial for the band. Which means we have to use other methods to get our name out there.

As for anyone quitting the band, unless Thursday, Moneen, Attack in Black or the Deftones offered them a spot in their band. I don’t think anyone is going anywhere.

Faculty and Program Series Part Two: The Indigenous Studies Program

"Faculty and Program Series Part Two: The Indigenous Studies Program", August 16 2006.

BY DANIELLE LORENZ, MACINSIDERS

The Indigenous Studies Program (ISP) at McMaster is one of the smallest degree programs on campus with approximately 250-300 (about 100 Native and 150-200 non-Native) students taking courses each year. It was established in 1991 as a response to the desires of Indigenous representatives, Native and non-Native students as well as educators from the region for increased accessibility and support from the University for Indigenous cultures and education. One of the goals of the program is to preserve and promote Indigenous Knowledge to students and researchers that are interested in learning more about Indigenous cultures and perspectives as well as enhance and support Native, Métis and Inuit students at McMaster.

This interdisciplinary program features perspectives from Indigenous Theory, Cultural Studies, Anthropology, Sociology, Political Science, English and Social Work among others. ISP classes are beneficial to McMaster students of any academic discipline and in any desired career path. Presently, students may take a combined major in Indigenous Studies or have a minor in Indigenous Studies. They may also take ISP classes as electives.

Faculty Awards:

• Professors Hayden King and Rick Monture were nominated for MSU Teaching Awards in 08/09
• Director Dr. Dawn Martin-Hill was at President Obama’s Inauguration

Important Contacts:

Student Inquiries: indig@mcmaster.ca or call (905) 525-9140 ext 27426

Tips for Success:

1. Always attend your lectures and tutorials, and take good notes.
2. Finish your readings to the best of your ability. If you can’t complete them all in one week read them for the next because they are part of discussion all term.
3. You will be writing essays in these courses. If there is something you do not understand or feel you are struggling with talk to your professor. But don’t wait until the last minute to get help!
4. Participation is a large portion of these classes. Make sure to participate and ask questions.
5. When in doubt, ask.
6. Pay attention to what is happening to Indigenous people in the news. Sometimes this ends up being part of class discussion.

Professors:
Program Director: Dr. Dawn Martin-Hill - on leave 2009-2010
(Acting) Program Director: Rick Monture
Full-Time Lecturer: Hayden King
Mohawk Instructor: Tom Deer
Anishnaabe Instructor: Ali Darnay
Elders in Residence: Bertha Skye & Norma General

Social Events/Opportunities:

McMaster First Nations Student Association (MFNSA) hosts a variety of events throughout the year. These include but are not limited to cultural awareness events and conferences on campus, toy drives during the holidays, and an annual Unity Ride. Additionally, MFNSA students are involved reaching out to local Indigenous communities as well as co-planning the Indigenous Lecture Series, and promoting post-secondary education in Native communities and more.

Native and non-Native students are encouraged to join and participate actively in MFNSA. You can contact them via email at mac.first.nations@gmail.com. You can also visit them in the MFNSA student lounge in Hamilton Hall 103D.

Looking Forward – Future Paths and Occupations:

Taking Indigenous Studies classes gives the student knowledge on the issues that face Native people and their communities. This knowledge can be transferred to a wide variety of professions and careers. It should be noted that some of these occupations may require additional education aside from a bachelors degree. Below are some suggestions.

• Graduate Studies
• Law
• Communications/Journalism
• Policing
• Department of Culture
• Non-profit Organizations
• Environmental Groups
• Policy Advisors
• Museums
  
• Business
• Social Work
• Government (municipal, provincial, federal)
• Correctional Facilities
• Teaching
• Financial Planning
• Medicine