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CONTENT from her experiences, Zsuzsi also remembered all the people she worked with by telling stories of how they are a family in OPIRG. She says that their tiny space of an ofmce is "a place where best of intentions and expressions for the city of Hamil-ton" were born out.

As of present time, Zsuzsi is mnishing up a Mas-ter's Degree in Planning at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver and is doing a research on community development, social planning, food systems planning, and the intersection of these areas within the city. She is still connected to a Public Research Interest Group through SFPIRG (at(at Simon Fraser University in the Greater Vancou-ver area).

Truly, Rabea, Scott and Zsuzsi had contributed a lot to the community since their humble begin-nings with OPIRG but upon hearing their stories, it also became clear that OPIRG did not just touch the lives of the people of the community through them. OPIRG has also made a signimcant contri-bution to the lives of these alumni who worked behindbehind every cause; contributions that made them continue their work and still devote their time and effort to make the world a better place. With all negativity, war, and violence happening around us, isn't that nice to know?

Dig The Community Gardens!by Meghan Dertinger

A city-run community garden established in 1997 (the community garden was established by the RBG before 1997. In 1997 the city took over the management) has passed to the management of a group of OPIRG volunteers this year. The garden, consisting of seventy-mve individual plots, is located at Churchill Park. City gardeners, usu-allyally with little or no gardening space of their own, pay a small fee to use a piece of this tilled and fer-tilized land. The fenced-in space is host to water spigots, gardening tools, and most importantly a community of individuals connecting with the earth, their food, and each other.

When the city announced that they would defer responsibility of all three of its community gardens in Dundas, Victoria Park and Churchill Park to (community collectives or) non-promt groups, OPIRG McMaster advertized the opportunity.

However, when no one stepped forward, OPIRGs own Cecilia Irazuzta decided to spear-head the project. Together with a group of OPIRG Board Members, (gardeners), and community en-thusiasts, Cecilia oversaw the transition of legal and logistic responsibilities from City to volunteer hands. In a decision passed by the OPIRG Board of Directors in March, OPIRG McMaster became the licensees of the Churchill Park garden. Cecilia clarimed OPIRGs role in an interview, saying that OPIRG McMaster would oversee the formation of volunteer committees rather than actively running the garden. This way the stability of OPIRG as an organization could ensure the continuity of the project,project, while each year a separate group of vol-unteers would manage the garden.

Over half of last years participants are returning to garden this year, some of whom have been working the soil at Churchill Park for over mve years. Community gardens are growing in popu-larity, and appearing all over Hamilton.

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participate Community Volunteer Action is a working group which helps MAC students mnd volunteer place-ments in the Hamilton community. The groups meet weekly on campus, travel together, volunteer with a variety of local Hamilton agencies, and renect on their experiences. Each group has a facilitator which conducts these renections, so the students areare better able to understand the importance of vol-unteering as well as the societal issues Hamilton faces. This year we have approximately 330 stu-dents volunteering weekly which equates to 9700 hours of volunteer work! For more information please go towww.opencircle.mcmaster.ca/volunteer

Wonders of VolunteeringBy: Shalin Shah

Volunteering is a truly remarkable experience which brings wonders to ones life. The preceding sentence may seem like a clich but the truth is the sentence is remarkably authentic. From my experi-ences, most university students want to provide help to the community but are so preoccupied with their studies, that volunteering doesnt come natu-rally to them. It would be safe to assume that most university students begin their volunteering process to add something valuable to their resume. While it is true that volunteer work can add wonders to your resume if you are pursuing professional studies or a job, it doesnt simply end there. I, like most of you, initially started to volunteer to add substance into mymy resume. Personally, if it motivates someone to become involved in the community, I believe that the end justimes your means. It is, however, extremely important that one chooses to volunteer at a placement that is appeal-ing to them. Otherwise, you will not be able to expe-rience the full range of wonders that volunteering has to offer. Moreover, you will mnd it a chore to go to your volunteer placement each session and it will affect your commitment to your group. Thus, it is extremely important that you choose a placement that interests you the most, even if it is simply to bulk up your resume.

Overtime, you will realize that volunteering has much more to offer than simply adding substance to your resume. If you are volunteering at an agency that you mnd interesting, you will not mnd it a chore. As a matter of fact, you will be looking for-ward to it. Volunteering gives you great satisfac-tion and a break from the hectic university schedule. It raises the energy level and the feeling is similar to what one would expect from doing med-itation or yoga. It lifts you up and helps to carry on in our regular life, be it education or work. As a matter of fact, contradictory to the myth that volun-teering takes up time and it can negatively affect grades, I have seen a marked improvement in my grades since I started volunteering. As a matter of fact, many volunteers that I have facilitated have also noted the same.

The improvement could be due to the fact that through volunteering experience, volunteers gain organizational and management skills. Moreover, since we are helping others who are often worse off than us, we realize that people depend on us. It helps us see that we are needed and important, giving us conmdence and bolstering our self-esteem.esteem. It allows us to refocus on the more impor-tant tasks ahead. Furthermore, through volunteer-ing practices, ones leadership, interpersonal, and communication skills sharpen and results in personal and educational growth. As a matter of fact, I have experienced this transformation within myself and within the volunteers that I have facilitated or volunteered along.

The wonders of volunteering, while immeasur-able mnancially, are evident. Not only does it result in personal and educational growth, but also pro-vides a sense of satisfaction and content. How-ever, in order to receive maximum benemts, I should stress the importance of mnding the cor-rect volunteering placement. Community Volunteer Action group is an excellent organization with a wide variety of different volunteer placements throughout the Hamilton community, allowing the McMaster University students the choice of volun-teering at a placement that appeals most to them.

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general assemblies, and starting a campaign with other OPIRG members against the corporization of the University. Like Rabea, Scott had his fair share of memorable experiences with OPIRG too. He got involved with Waste Reduction for two years and one fo the tasks that was assigned to him is to do an audit of waste of the University that involvedinvolved sorting out one day's worth of garbage and weighing it. "Sorting through a couple of tons of garbage is a big and unpleasant job except for the fun people that you get to do it with, which makes it much more pleasant," he explains.

Scott has also worked with other members to produce the OPIRG newsletter on a number of oc-casions with the other staff and mentioned how supportive everyone was. All these experiences and all the people he met during his years in OPIRG has made signimcant contributions to mnd-ing his cause. "I'm still very involved in social changechange work, and much of my writing relates to social and political issues and social movements." Currently, Scott is residing in Sudbury and is bal-ancing his time being a writer, an activist and a parent. As of the moment, he is involved in a movement called Sudbury Against War and Op-pression, and a related group called Justice for Freedom for John Moore, which is focused on supporting a wrongfully convicted Ojibwe man in search of justice.

He is also a part of an an advisory board of a radical political journal called Upping the Anti. In terms of writing, Scott does a lot of blog-based writing in his blog site A Canadian Lefty in Occu-pied Land (http://scottneigh.blogspot.com). He is also mnishing a book project which is tentatively

titled Talking Radical. The book revolves around oral history interviews with long-time activists from different Canadian social movements with histori-cal and political presented in his own voice. It is set to be published on Fall 2012. He is also a father of a seven-year-old son to whom, he said, most of his energy is focused.

"I wouldn't describe OPIRG as the cause, but in-volvement in it was certainly an important early step when I was just starting to mgure things out," he stated when asked about the impact of OPIRG in his life.

Years with OPIRG surely had a great impact to both Rabea and Scott but for Zsuzsi Fodor, an-other OPIRG alumna, all she needed was one summer gig with OPIRG to realize her true calling. "That summer propelled me in to what has since then and will continue to be my life's work," she mentioned. Zsuzsi started as a volunteer for one ofof OPIRG's former working groups called NonVio-lenceNow. Later on, she did a summer research for OPIRG that turned to her undergarduate thesis on the alternative/local food system in Hamilton. From there, she founded and coordinated a work-ing group called PEAS: Promoting Eating Alterna-tively and Sustainably which initiated From Seed to Scrap food system bus tour of Hamilton and has been adopted in part by HSR and Environ-ment Hamilton Eat Local's Rural Routes bus tours. She and other members of PEAS working group have started a community kitchen in partnership with St. Paul's church in Westdale for students and community members. "OPIRG gave me the chance to be self-directed and explore how the food movement and alternative food landscape was coming alive in Hamilton," she added. Aside

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Andrew Cruickshan kInterviewed by Kristina Mangligot

Tell me a little bit about yourself.

I am currently mnishing my 5th year of mechani-cal engineering and society here at McMaster. I study energy systems, mechanical devices, and social development as part of this, and am very in-terested in environmental issues and their solu-tions.

What do you love about being an OPIRG Board member?

I have been part of the board of OPIRG since the end of summer this year during which I was working with them as the green roof researcher. I have thoroughly enjoyed working with OPIRG for many reasons. The most important reason is be-cause of the people here. In many of the environ-mental organizations and social action groups I have worked with over the past few years, I have found that the people who tend to work in this in-dustry or volunteer in it do so because they love working there, and the cause they support in their work. There are many great individuals that I have met as part of OPIRG, and have made my experi-ence here quite enjoyable.

What are the challenges of being an OPIRG Board member?

The challenges of being a board member at OPIRG are mainly due to having a busy schedule to balance from university (as many students have), and deciding which groups should receive support and how much within the budget.

WhatWhat have you learned so far from your experi-ence of being part of the OPIRG Board of Direc-tors?

I have learned about many different issues and organizations that OPIRG is involved with, and have been quite surprised with the number of amazing groups on campus, and what they have done in the past year. There are many great groups connected with OPIRG and they deserve a lot of credit for the work that they do.

What social issue is most important to you that you think should be addressed?

There are many different social issues affecting Hamilton and the world that should be addressed, but as an engineering student I feel most strongly about how I can affect issues related to energy conservation and the move towards renewable technology. Our current use of fuels contributes strongly to global warming and air quality prob-lemslems which affect the world, and I hope to help with this problem in the future.

Simon Christopher Andrew De AbreuInterviewed by Kristina M

Please tell me a little bit about yourself? I am an activist performer, teacher, poet, direc-tor, producer and community organizer. I have an M.A. in Theatre Studies and a B.A. with Honours in Communications Studies, Theatre and Film. I also have a post-graduate certimcate in Human and Community Development from the ESI (East Side Institute) in New York City. I am presently working withwith seniors at Queens Gardens Long-Term Care Residence in the recreation department here in Hamilton, Ontario.

Why were you interested in volunteering for OPIRG? I felt that the organization would be a great place to learn more about social justice, commu-nity development and it would be a place I could meet like-minded citizens.

What kind of work did you do during your time with OPIRG?

I served on the OPIRG McMaster Board of di-rectors from 2004-2008. I also was the lead coor-dinator on many events that OPIRG helped me or-ganize: Arts and Activism Symposium on Fair Trade (March 2004), where I raised $2 000.00 1st Social Justice Film Festival in Hamilton en-titled: Project Peace Film Fest (March 2005 & 2006), where I raised $10 000 over the two years I created the OPIRG working group: TLCP-Theatre of Liberation Community Proj-ect (2006)

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OPIRG Alumni, and Beyondby Thessa Sandoval

Each and every one of us are born with different set of capabilities, skills, strengths and weakness-es-- things that make us unique. Each and every-one of us believes and hence mts into a certain cause where we can contribute our time and skills, and learn more and develop these gifts.

The Ontario Public Interest Research Group (OPIRG) at McMaster is one of the organizations which have been supporting a lot of these causes. For many years, OPIRG has supported and trained individuals who peacefully mght against societal issues especially on social justice and the environment. And all through these years, OPIRG hashas also produced individuals who didn't end their work when they received their degrees and stepped out in the real world to become profes-sionals.

No matter how important it is to discuss societal issues and let people become aware of it, we be-lieve that it is important too to let people know about the unsung heroes behind it; these people who made signimcant contributions in the past that made OPIRG what it is today. And yes, they are the alumni.

One of them is Rabea Murtaza. She was once an OPIRG Board Member in the late 90s while doing her Undergraduate degree in McMaster. Rabea has continued social work in the last few years doing community-based research and pop-ular education training in research skills for refu-gee youth, homeless youth, LGBQT youth, and low income people of colour. She still facilitates and attend anti-opression workshops in which "the content has developed over time," she says. When asked about some of her memorable expe-riences while working for OPIRG, Rabea says, "While I was a part of OPIRG McMaster, [the] staff went on strike and the Board organized solidarity actions including soliciting old socks to string up on clotheslines on the picket lines." She explains the action was done to satirize one comment made by McMaster Univeristy's former President Peter George that he had been late for a meeting because he cannot mnd his socks after recently moving to a larger home. "My hands stank for

days after rolling up hundreds of letters into old dirty socks and delivering box loads to Dr. George's ofmce," she added. The action may be a bit tenuous for some but there was a greater in-tention behind this. OPIRG staff wants to support workers and put pressure on the school's admis-nistration. This proves that there is no small action for good intentions. She continuously brings the principles and values that the organization in-stilled in her in every work she does, may it be po-litically, professionally or personally.

Rabea is currently on maternity leave taking care of her newborn baby. Her experiences in OPIRG gave her a contrast of raising a child in a societal context of war, patriarchy, racism, and violence; and of love, friendship, community, and beauty now that she is raising a child of her own.

Another alumni worth mentioning is Scott Neigh. Scott has been a former member of the Board of Directors and got mrst involved with Mac OPIRG right after the funding was approved to create it. Scott was doing a Science degree and felt like he needs to do something else besides his major. "I did not encounter much in my classes that en-couragedcouraged me to think critically about the social world," he says. He started reading books about the world and this made him decide to try looking for a social movement activity towards the end of his second year to get involved. He found OPIRG and realized what it is all about. He discovered things he cannot learn in the four corners of the classclass room with OPIRG when he joined it, and the rest was history. The next thing he knew, he was sitting on the hiring committee, organizing annual

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I produced & directed the Liberation Theatre Extravaganza 2006 I raised $1000 for the on-campus production To date, I have raised over $20,000 for non-promt NGO-TLC Project

What do you like most about OPIRG?

I love the kind and caring staff that support Fair Trade goods and the equally-passionate mem-bers of the organization.

Which other groups are you involved with besides OPIRG?

PACSS-Peace and Connict Student Society MACSS-McMaster Association for Communica-tion Students McMaster Theatre and Film Students Society CFMU-McMaster Campus Radio Station as a host of my own show entitled: Window into My Dementia

Madelaine CahuasInterviewed by Kristina Mangligot

Tell me a little bit about yourself

I am an older sister and come from a large ex-tended family of diverse, migrant heritages. My father is Peruvian and my mother is Romanian, and I identify as a second generation Latina. I'm currently in my second year in the Health & Aging Master of Arts program at McMaster University. My work mainly focuses on the effects of neigh-bourhood "revitalization" on community members' perceptions and resistance to stigma as well as the intersections between housing, neighbour-hood and health. I wish to pursue a doctoral degree and engage in critical research and teaching with my communities.

What do you love about being an OPIRG Board member?

I enjoy being in a space that facilitates creativity, openness and meaningful dialogue and action between students and community members. As an OPIRG board member, I feel that I'm part of something incredibly greater than myself since OPIRG is a vital hub for countless student and community social justice and environmental proj-

ects that are essential to improving not only campus life, but strengthening the Hamilton com-munity. Also, as a board member, I am able to learn about so many diverse and important initia-tives taking place in and around campus and even globally. However, as a board member I can not only learn about such initiatives, but build relationships with students, support working groups and bring students and community members to-gether through collaborating on special projects and events. It is also extremely motivating and in-spiring to be surrounded by critically conscious and passionate students, community members and dedicated OPIRG staff. So what's not to love?

What are the challenges of being an OPIRG Board member?

I feel my two greatest challenges are managing my time between OPIRG, school, work and my commitments to other organizations, projects and activities as well as making decisions on applica-tions of support. OPIRG McMaster receives so many excellent applications, it's very difmcult at times not to award as much funding or support due to limits on our own funding. due to limits on our own funding.

What other groups or organizations are you in-volved in besides OPIRG (if there is any)?

I am currently actively involved with the Organi-zation of Latin American Students (OLAS) at Mc-Master. I am also a Graduate Student Represen-tative for Health & Aging students and sit on a number of committees including, the Health & Aging Graduate Committee, the Gilbrea Chair in Aging & Mental Health Selection Committee, the Chair in Health, Aging & Society Selection Com-mittee, the CUPE3906 Equity Action Committee, the President's Advisory Committee on Building an Inclusive Community, and the Black History Month Planning Committee. I also organize the montly Health & Aging Speaker Series and work with Barrio Nuevo, a Latin American grassroots organization based in Toronto.

What do you think is the best and most effective way of educating people about anti-oppressive behaviour? (I.e. Is it through books, news articles, schooling, etc)

I think it begins with engaging in critical dialogue

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Clearly there is much to be gained from a biodi-versity standpoint to expanding the buffer be-tween McMaster parking and the creek. McMasters expertise from diverse academic and research backgrounds could be brought to bear on a restoration project involving students apply-ing their learning here in our backyard.

The importance of Cootes Paradise as a biodi-versity hotspot, to the local economy and to recre-ational pursuits cannot be understated. It is inter-esting to note that the parking areas in question were, until the late 1960s, part of the Royal Botani-cal Gardens Coldspring Valley Trail system. (Figure 3)

To bring back lost habitat and the species de-pendent on the former noodplain and spring fed ponds is the kind of project that carries national, indeed, international signimcance, and would en-hance McMasters reputation as an innovative and sustainable institution.

Ideally, erasing the footprint of pavement used for car-parking and restoring the ecological integ-rity of the area would be pursued in a staged manner. With these considerations in mind, Re-store Cootes respectfully requests that McMaster University work in conjunction with the City of Hamilton, the Hamilton Conservation Authority and the RBG to:

1) Leave the parking area closed due to the con-struction of the CSO tank vacant as prime rehabili-tation lands i.e. no overnow parking 2) Reconmgure remaining parking along the creek edge to create a naturalized 30m buffer in the short to medium term 3) Create a long range plan to phase out parking in the lots west of Cootes Drive.

Melanie SkeneInterviewed by Margot Rosenberg

During my time as an undergrad at McMaster I was frequently involved with OPIRG activities both directly and indirectly. I was on the board of direc-tors during the 2003/04 school year when I was in charge of acquiring new resource materials.

In 2008, I worked directly with OPIRG to create

a one-day art exhibit as a practicum for one of my classes. The exhibit was called Visioning a Sacred Ecology and was dedicated to showcas-ing the relationships between the environment, the human spirit and art.

OPIRG also provided invaluable support for many other projects that I undertook during my time at McMaster. They have assisted my work in many ways - mnancial contributions, promotional assistance and the folks in the OPIRG ofmce have always provided a safe space for discussing ideas and planning events.

Other events I have worked on with OPIRG as-sistance:-The mrst (March 2005) and second (March 2006) annual Projecting Peace Social Justice Film Festi-val of which I was a co-coordinator.

I have also worked with two different OPIRG working groups SMART and TLC Project. -For SMART (Student Math Action Research Team) I participated in their video project about global warming called The Shocking Truth. I ap-peared in the video interviewing the other SMART group members. -I was a part of the TLC Collective (Theatre of Lib-eration Community) and worked as an artistic fa-cilitator and summer program co-coordinator for the TLC Project.

In January 2011, I graduated with my Masters in Environmental Studies from York University. OPIRG provided support by mnancially contribut-ing to my Major Research Project which involved organizing a community arts street festival called Solus: A Community Earth Vision Festival, which took place in June 2010, in downtown Hamilton. I am presently planning Solus for the second year.am presently planning Solus for the second year.I currently have my own community arts practice called Many Hands Art in which I work with com-munity members to create art projects such as Solus. Feel free to check out my website for more information www.manyhandsart.org. I also do freelance work, puppets, stage props, work-shops, etc.

Most recently (Oct 28, 2010) I ran two work-shops for Living the Environment 6, an environ-mental conference for high school students, which was co-organized by OPIRG.

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and discussion where people actively listen and respond to one another in constructive ways. This can occur in classrooms, cafeterias, on the streets and any sort of meeting place you can think of. However, this in itself is at times difmcult to do and it's not even enough, because dialogue and discussion must be followed with some sort of meaningfulmeaningful action, however small or large. I also feel that the roles people play in sharing knowl-edge about oppression and anti-oppression differ according to their positionality, but that we can all play a signimcant role. Personally, my education in anti-oppression was never learned by my "formal teachers" or required readings in school (although that would've been great!). I began the learning process through key student mentors that took the time to patiently engage in conversations with me and point me to some wonderful authors and community leaders to begin developing my own political agenda that must always be linked with my communities. In addition, I learned anti-oppression from my family and the people in my communities present and past that showed me how to survive, resist and love.

What social issue is most important to you that you think should be addressed?

There are so many important issues that I'm passionate about, but if I would have to choose one it would be health equity. I feel that it is ex-tremely unjust for an increasing number of people living in Canada to suffer incredibly worse health outcomes than their wealthier counterparts. Lower life expectancies, higher rates of disease and dis/abilitiesdis/abilities is preventable and needs to be ad-dressed.

Inter-City Homeless OutreachBy Hayley Moody

On too many occasions have I walked past homeless individuals in the downtown core with-out more than a second glance we are all guilty of this. Isnt it just part of life? With so much going on in our own student lives, how can we care about the men, women and children who have to bounce from shelter to shelter, or take up a spot onon the street corner every night? Its not our prob-lem to deal with, right? Wrong. Homelessness is a complex issue which affects all Canadiansignor-ing the problem will not make it disappear. Thank-

fully, McMaster University has stepped up to the plate to aid in tackling this problem through Inter-City Homeless Outreach Initiative (ICHO).

The ICHO at McMaster is a student run organi-zation which focuses on the elimination of home-lessness through the concept of relationships. Audrey Naluz, long time member of the branch in Toronto, explains that when you are able to reach the individuals at a personal level, you are better able to address their specimc needs. So, instead of just handing out sandwiches and water, ICHO volunteers also know their names, their stories, their aspirations Relationships are established and avenues open for learning and opportunities, for both the volunteer and the homeless individu-al.

The ICHO Hamilton division, run through OPIRGs working group status, recently began in September 2010. While their numbers are small, their hearts are big, with their campaigns already delivering big success. During the Christmas season, ICHO sold candy-cane reindeers in the McMaster Student Center, raising money for new socks,socks, underwear and thermal gear for those who are faced with sleeping on the streets. Recently, the FRESH fundraiser was established, raising money for fresh produce through a series of bake sales.There has been a continuing effort through the BELOW ZERO effort, which collects new and used clothing for those who need it most, as well asas mnancial donations to buy socks, underwear and toiletries. This campaign will run until March.

As ICHO continues to grow, it is hoped that vol-unteers will be able to enter the Hamilton down-town core and distribute much needed items, as well as develop relationships.

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commitRestore Cootesby Randy Kay

Restore Cootes is encouraged by McMaster Universitys work to improve the sustainability of campus, and applaud efforts so far as the univer-sity makes the shift toward a smaller environmen-tal footprint.

With the hope to build on success, we are writ-ing to convey our thoughts on plans to re-open parking in McMaster Parking Zone M.

Our concern is that restoring parking will nega-tively affect the potential for an improved natural habitat adjacent to Coldspring/Ancaster Creek. As you are aware, the campus Master Plan refers to a desired 30 metre naturalized buffer be-tween parking lots and the creek], as proposed by the Hamilton Conservation Authority (HCA). The HCA is tasked with protecting Hamiltons natural assets, but this signimcant yet degraded area is of course worthy of all of our attention.

I am conmdent we share the desire to see the best possible outcome for the environment.

Plans to use permeable paving in place of as-phalt at this site are progressive and innovative, and may indeed qualify for LEED points, but in this instance, perhaps are not the ideal. Rather, a more passive approach leading to rehabilitation of the landscape may be preferable for this sec-tion of Zone M Parking, and should rightly rank higher in terms of sustainability.

Our concern is that the plan to use this area, even for occasional overnow parking will disrupt any potential benemts a more naturalized surface will create using permeable pavers. At one level you will create better environment for wildlife, but using it for parking will quickly negate this benemt.

The campus has already absorbed the loss of parking since construction began in 2009, calling into question the need to replace the lost spots. Looking at campus parking level of service, it is imperative that we consider at least two variable

conditions while looking to the future

1)1) The price of oil we know that when gasoline prices rise, people look for alternatives to driving and will take advantage of transit and cycling op-portunities where they exist This is supported by recent research that indicates that price sensitiv-ity has started to increase, up to -0.1 to -0.3 in the short run, suggesting long-run elasticities of -0.3 to -0.6 (a 10% price increase [for fuel] reduces ve-hicle travel 3-6%)

2) Changing demographics when the parking lots were built in the late 60s young people ex-pected to drive. This is changing: the number of young drivers 16-to-29 year-olds is increasing at the slowest pace since the mid-1990s. These developments are expected to reduce growth in the vehicle buying population to 0.6 percent per annumannum in Canada over the coming decade. This represents a sharp slowdown from an average annual growth in the driving age population of 1.4 percent over the past 50 years.

Restoration

Local efforts to restore lost habitat have been undertaken by key conservation and civic agen-cies under the Cootes to Escarpment Park System: Conservation and Land Management Strategy, headed by the Royal Botanical Gardens. There are several key issues identimed in the report that could be applied to this site, but one willwill illustrate the importance of a site bordering a key waterway:

Maintaining and increasing woodland cover is probably the most important factor to protecting biodiversity in fragmented southern Ontario land-scapes. At a broad regional scale, it is also valu-able to have a diversity of habitats to maintain landscape richness. Opportunities for the restora-tion of natural connections need to be identimed and implemented. Protecting and enhancing ex-isting wildlife pathways, such as along stream cor-ridors, and protecting natural features in close proximity to each other are also important to natu-ral system functions.

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developDIY COSMETICS

Coffee Body Scrub:

Ingredients:1 1/2 cups cane sugar1/4 cup ground coffee beans1/4 cup shredded coconut1/4 cup oil (olive oil, almond oil etc)1/4 cup oil (olive oil, almond oil etc)1 tsp honey3 - 5 drops essential oil of choiceA tin or jar with lid

Method:1) Mix sugar, ground coffee, coconut and oil in a bowl untiluntil fully combined . Add honey, followed by the essential oil.2) Transfer the mixture to a closed container (the scrub will keep for 1-2 weeks sealed at room tem-perature).3) Rub a generous amount of the scrub over your body, scrubbing medium to hard depending on your sensitivity. (Skin should be moist when ap-plying the scrub).4) Rinse off in the shower under warm water, en-suring that the sugar crystals disintegrate com-pletely. Pat dry to allow the oils to soak into your soft glowing skin.

How the ingredients work:-Coffee grounds: Reduces cellulite; their course nature helps remove dead skin and helps in toning and mrming the skin-Sugar: Exfoliates the skin and removes dead cells-Olive oil: moisturizes the skin, makes it soft and gives it an over all glow-Honey:-Honey: brings blood to the surface, removes im-purities, smoothes and softens the skin-Coconut: Adds to the aroma and the bufmng/exfoliating action of the other ingredients

Face Scrub:

Ingredients:2 Tbs almond meal/ground almonds

4 Tbs mnely ground oatmeal (any kind)2 Tbs white clay or powdered milk2 Tbs mnely ground herbs such as rose petals andlavender buds1 tsp poppy seeds (for grit - also optional)3-5 drops essential oil of choice (optional)1 tsp kelp powder (optional)1 tsp kelp powder (optional)A tin or jar with lid

Method:1) Mix all the dry ingredients well and followed by the oils if you are using them. Transfer to a closed container.2)2) To use, scoop out a little and mix with either honey almond or olive oil, rose water, tap water or milk to form a paste.3) Using your mngertips rub the paste gently into your skin. Leave it for a couple or minutes, or even till it dries. Wash your face well with warm water.

How the ingredients work:-Almonds:-Almonds: gentle moisturizing exfoliating for dry and sensitive skin-Honey: brings blood to the surface, removes im-purities, smoothes and softens the skin.-Kelp: nourishes the skin - especially with cartenoids.-Lavender: promotes tissue regeneration; good for aging skin, as well as oily, dry, cracked, scarred and sensitive skin, a truly universal skin nower; antidepressant, antiseptic, and nervine.-Oats: gives skin a smooth silken appearance; heals wounds and cuts, soothes irritated skin, nu-

5

tritive, antidepressant and nervine-Rose: helps control thread veins, good for cracked, scarred and sensitive skin; heals wounds; helps skin keep elasticity.-Rosewater: gentle astringent and antiseptic.-White-White Clay: cleanses and draws out toxins; helps the skin to rejuvenate, stimulates circulation and soothes innammation.-Milk: moisturizing and good for deep cleansing of pores

Deodorant

Ingredients:1/4 cup baking soda1/4 cup baking soda1/4 cup arrowroot powder4 Tbs coconut oil10 drops essential oilA tin or jar with lid

Method:1)1) In a bowl, stir together dry ingredients. Add the oils gradually until you like the consistency and mix with a fork. Store in a closed container at room temperature.2) If the mixture seems too soft, try refrigerating it for a bit to make it mrm)3)3) To apply, scoop up a bit with your mnger and rub well into the area.4) This mix should last you 4-5 months. Also note that the coconut oil has a shelf life of about 2 years

Antiperspirants vs Deodorants-Antiperspirants work by clogging, closing, or blockingthethe pores with powerful astringents such as alumi-numsalts so that they cant release sweat. (Note thataluminum can accumulate in the brain and can lead toearly alzheimers.)-Deodorants work by neutralizing the smell of thesweat and by antiseptic action against bacteria.-Deodorants are preferable because they dontinterfere with sweating, a natural cooling process.

How the ingredients work:-Coconut oil has natural anti-bacterial properties and makes the deodorant more moisturizing-Baking-Baking soda works because it neutralizes the odor of sweat.-Arrowroot powder helps maintain the proper acid

and alkali balance and also helps absorb perspi-ration-The essential oils you choose also add to theproperties of your deodorant

Food-For-Life Recipes

Paprika Chicken

Ingredients:3 tablespoons paprika1 tablespoon cayenne powder1 tablespoon dark-brown sugar2 teaspoons hot chili powder1 teaspoon ground cumin1 teaspoon garlic salt

Procedure:1)1) Mix everything together and store in a cool, dry place2) Rub mix on chicken thighs or breast.3) Bake in oven at 375 F for 15 mins4)4) Then set it to broil for 5-10 mins. You can poke it with a fork to check if it is done. The liquids that run out should be clear if its done, otherwise it will be slightly pink.

Farmstand Ratatouille

Ingredients (makes 2-3 servings):1/2 egg plant2 cloves garlic2 cloves garlic1 zucchini2 plum tomatoes1 onion2-3 medium Portabello mushroomsBalsamic vinegar4 fresh basil leavesSalt and pepper (to taste)Salt and pepper (to taste)Olive oilWater

6

Method:1) Chop the egg plant and zucchini into 1 inch pieces. 2) Dice the onion and tomatoes roughly and mince the garlic or use a garlic press. 3)3) Halve the portabello mushrooms and cut them into thin strips, approximately 1 cm wide.4) Roll and roughly chop the basil leaves.5) Add oil to the pan and turn onto high heat. 6) Once heated, add the onions, garlic, and basil into the pan, stirring consistently to prevent burn-ing. 7) Turn the heat to medium and stir until onions are translucent. 8) Add the diced tomatoes and cook until toma-toes have disintegrated. Set this aside for later.9) Add oil to the pan and turn onto high heat. 10) Once heated, add your zucchini or eggplant, stirring until pieces are evenly coated.

11) Add approximately 1/2 cup of water to the pan and stir, allowing the zucchini or eggplant to soften slightly. This process will be quicker if you add a lid to the pan and allow it to steam for 1 minute. 12) After the vegetables are tender, but not fully cooked, set them aside.13)13) For the mushrooms, add oil to the pan fol-lowed by mushrooms, at high heat. 14) Stir until evenly coated and follow up with a quick splash of balsamic vinegar, stirring to get an even glaze on all mushrooms. 15) At this point, you may add all of your veg-etables back into the pan and turn to medium heat, stirring constantly. 16) Add salt and pepper to taste, and use a lid if you have one to speed the cooking process.

Addressing Change by Creating Opportunityby Debi Banerjee (excerpts from Marlette Ravelo)

Opportunities are all around us. Some of them we create and others appear when we least expect it this is how I came to be aware of Com-munity Volunteer Action.

During an impromptu stroll through the student centre, a CVA info board caught my eye. Being new to Hamilton, I wanted to know more about the community, explore the city, and hopefully meet new friends along the way. Volunteering seemed to be the perfect outlet to meet all these goals. But did I have the time to contribute?

The physical, emotional and mental pressures of student life can get taxing, and you demnitely need to pick and choose what occupies your schedule. But as I read the placement descrip-tions of where I could be volunteering enabling adults with disabilities, working with at-risk youth, feeding the hungry at a soup kitchen, or tutoring recentrecent immigrant youth, I realized that we also need to dedicate time to pursue the things we enjoy. For me, volunteering for a worthwhile cause was an easy decision.

Spending a couple hours a week at a teen homework club catering to immigrant youth did not take much of my time. In fact, it was a much welcomed break from the routine of school life! But to the many Canadians who utilized this ser-vice, it was considered a precious gift.

Spending a couple hours a week at a teen homework club catering to immigrant youth did not take much of my time. In fact, it was a much welcomed break from the routine of school life! But to the many Canadians who utilized this ser-vice, it was considered a precious gift.

At mrst, the teens were sceptical. Why would these University students, these proper Canadi-ans want to help them out? It was evident that many of the students we tutored placed the Uni-versity and those who attended it on a pedestal - an entity beyond their reach. Slowly but surely the youth developed a sense of comfort and familiarity around the volunteers, calling them by name, requesting specimc individuals for tutor help, and asking When will you be back?. With time, the

7

tritive, antidepressant and nervine-Rose: helps control thread veins, good for cracked, scarred and sensitive skin; heals wounds; helps skin keep elasticity.-Rosewater: gentle astringent and antiseptic.-White-White Clay: cleanses and draws out toxins; helps the skin to rejuvenate, stimulates circulation and soothes innammation.-Milk: moisturizing and good for deep cleansing of pores

Deodorant

Ingredients:1/4 cup baking soda1/4 cup baking soda1/4 cup arrowroot powder4 Tbs coconut oil10 drops essential oilA tin or jar with lid

Method:1)1) In a bowl, stir together dry ingredients. Add the oils gradually until you like the consistency and mix with a fork. Store in a closed container at room temperature.2) If the mixture seems too soft, try refrigerating it for a bit to make it mrm)3)3) To apply, scoop up a bit with your mnger and rub well into the area.4) This mix should last you 4-5 months. Also note that the coconut oil has a shelf life of about 2 years

Antiperspirants vs Deodorants-Antiperspirants work by clogging, closing, or blockingthethe pores with powerful astringents such as alumi-numsalts so that they cant release sweat. (Note thataluminum can accumulate in the brain and can lead toearly alzheimers.)-Deodorants work by neutralizing the smell of thesweat and by antiseptic action against bacteria.-Deodorants are preferable because they dontinterfere with sweating, a natural cooling process.

How the ingredients work:-Coconut oil has natural anti-bacterial properties and makes the deodorant more moisturizing-Baking-Baking soda works because it neutralizes the odor of sweat.-Arrowroot powder helps maintain the proper acid

and alkali balance and also helps absorb perspi-ration-The essential oils you choose also add to theproperties of your deodorant

Food-For-Life Recipes

Paprika Chicken

Ingredients:3 tablespoons paprika1 tablespoon cayenne powder1 tablespoon dark-brown sugar2 teaspoons hot chili powder1 teaspoon ground cumin1 teaspoon garlic salt

Procedure:1)1) Mix everything together and store in a cool, dry place2) Rub mix on chicken thighs or breast.3) Bake in oven at 375 F for 15 mins4)4) Then set it to broil for 5-10 mins. You can poke it with a fork to check if it is done. The liquids that run out should be clear if its done, otherwise it will be slightly pink.

Farmstand Ratatouille

Ingredients (makes 2-3 servings):1/2 egg plant2 cloves garlic2 cloves garlic1 zucchini2 plum tomatoes1 onion2-3 medium Portabello mushroomsBalsamic vinegar4 fresh basil leavesSalt and pepper (to taste)Salt and pepper (to taste)Olive oilWater

6

Method:1) Chop the egg plant and zucchini into 1 inch pieces. 2) Dice the onion and tomatoes roughly and mince the garlic or use a garlic press. 3)3) Halve the portabello mushrooms and cut them into thin strips, approximately 1 cm wide.4) Roll and roughly chop the basil leaves.5) Add oil to the pan and turn onto high heat. 6) Once heated, add the onions, garlic, and basil into the pan, stirring consistently to prevent burn-ing. 7) Turn the heat to medium and stir until onions are translucent. 8) Add the diced tomatoes and cook until toma-toes have disintegrated. Set this aside for later.9) Add oil to the pan and turn onto high heat. 10) Once heated, add your zucchini or eggplant, stirring until pieces are evenly coated.

11) Add approximately 1/2 cup of water to the pan and stir, allowing the zucchini or eggplant to soften slightly. This process will be quicker if you add a lid to the pan and allow it to steam for 1 minute. 12) After the vegetables are tender, but not fully cooked, set them aside.13)13) For the mushrooms, add oil to the pan fol-lowed by mushrooms, at high heat. 14) Stir until evenly coated and follow up with a quick splash of balsamic vinegar, stirring to get an even glaze on all mushrooms. 15) At this point, you may add all of your veg-etables back into the pan and turn to medium heat, stirring constantly. 16) Add salt and pepper to taste, and use a lid if you have one to speed the cooking process.

Addressing Change by Creating Opportunityby Debi Banerjee (excerpts from Marlette Ravelo)

Opportunities are all around us. Some of them we create and others appear when we least expect it this is how I came to be aware of Com-munity Volunteer Action.

During an impromptu stroll through the student centre, a CVA info board caught my eye. Being new to Hamilton, I wanted to know more about the community, explore the city, and hopefully meet new friends along the way. Volunteering seemed to be the perfect outlet to meet all these goals. But did I have the time to contribute?

The physical, emotional and mental pressures of student life can get taxing, and you demnitely need to pick and choose what occupies your schedule. But as I read the placement descrip-tions of where I could be volunteering enabling adults with disabilities, working with at-risk youth, feeding the hungry at a soup kitchen, or tutoring recentrecent immigrant youth, I realized that we also need to dedicate time to pursue the things we enjoy. For me, volunteering for a worthwhile cause was an easy decision.

Spending a couple hours a week at a teen homework club catering to immigrant youth did not take much of my time. In fact, it was a much welcomed break from the routine of school life! But to the many Canadians who utilized this ser-vice, it was considered a precious gift.

Spending a couple hours a week at a teen homework club catering to immigrant youth did not take much of my time. In fact, it was a much welcomed break from the routine of school life! But to the many Canadians who utilized this ser-vice, it was considered a precious gift.

At mrst, the teens were sceptical. Why would these University students, these proper Canadi-ans want to help them out? It was evident that many of the students we tutored placed the Uni-versity and those who attended it on a pedestal - an entity beyond their reach. Slowly but surely the youth developed a sense of comfort and familiarity around the volunteers, calling them by name, requesting specimc individuals for tutor help, and asking When will you be back?. With time, the

7

developDIY COSMETICS

Coffee Body Scrub:

Ingredients:1 1/2 cups cane sugar1/4 cup ground coffee beans1/4 cup shredded coconut1/4 cup oil (olive oil, almond oil etc)1/4 cup oil (olive oil, almond oil etc)1 tsp honey3 - 5 drops essential oil of choiceA tin or jar with lid

Method:1) Mix sugar, ground coffee, coconut and oil in a bowl untiluntil fully combined . Add honey, followed by the essential oil.2) Transfer the mixture to a closed container (the scrub will keep for 1-2 weeks sealed at room tem-perature).3) Rub a generous amount of the scrub over your body, scrubbing medium to hard depending on your sensitivity. (Skin should be moist when ap-plying the scrub).4) Rinse off in the shower under warm water, en-suring that the sugar crystals disintegrate com-pletely. Pat dry to allow the oils to soak into your soft glowing skin.

How the ingredients work:-Coffee grounds: Reduces cellulite; their course nature helps remove dead skin and helps in toning and mrming the skin-Sugar: Exfoliates the skin and removes dead cells-Olive oil: moisturizes the skin, makes it soft and gives it an over all glow-Honey:-Honey: brings blood to the surface, removes im-purities, smoothes and softens the skin-Coconut: Adds to the aroma and the bufmng/exfoliating action of the other ingredients

Face Scrub:

Ingredients:2 Tbs almond meal/ground almonds

4 Tbs mnely ground oatmeal (any kind)2 Tbs white clay or powdered milk2 Tbs mnely ground herbs such as rose petals andlavender buds1 tsp poppy seeds (for grit - also optional)3-5 drops essential oil of choice (optional)1 tsp kelp powder (optional)1 tsp kelp powder (optional)A tin or jar with lid

Method:1) Mix all the dry ingredients well and followed by the oils if you are using them. Transfer to a closed container.2)2) To use, scoop out a little and mix with either honey almond or olive oil, rose water, tap water or milk to form a paste.3) Using your mngertips rub the paste gently into your skin. Leave it for a couple or minutes, or even till it dries. Wash your face well with warm water.

How the ingredients work:-Almonds:-Almonds: gentle moisturizing exfoliating for dry and sensitive skin-Honey: brings blood to the surface, removes im-purities, smoothes and softens the skin.-Kelp: nourishes the skin - especially with cartenoids.-Lavender: promotes tissue regeneration; good for aging skin, as well as oily, dry, cracked, scarred and sensitive skin, a truly universal skin nower; antidepressant, antiseptic, and nervine.-Oats: gives skin a smooth silken appearance; heals wounds and cuts, soothes irritated skin, nu-

5

and discussion where people actively listen and respond to one another in constructive ways. This can occur in classrooms, cafeterias, on the streets and any sort of meeting place you can think of. However, this in itself is at times difmcult to do and it's not even enough, because dialogue and discussion must be followed with some sort of meaningfulmeaningful action, however small or large. I also feel that the roles people play in sharing knowl-edge about oppression and anti-oppression differ according to their positionality, but that we can all play a signimcant role. Personally, my education in anti-oppression was never learned by my "formal teachers" or required readings in school (although that would've been great!). I began the learning process through key student mentors that took the time to patiently engage in conversations with me and point me to some wonderful authors and community leaders to begin developing my own political agenda that must always be linked with my communities. In addition, I learned anti-oppression from my family and the people in my communities present and past that showed me how to survive, resist and love.

What social issue is most important to you that you think should be addressed?

There are so many important issues that I'm passionate about, but if I would have to choose one it would be health equity. I feel that it is ex-tremely unjust for an increasing number of people living in Canada to suffer incredibly worse health outcomes than their wealthier counterparts. Lower life expectancies, higher rates of disease and dis/abilitiesdis/abilities is preventable and needs to be ad-dressed.

Inter-City Homeless OutreachBy Hayley Moody

On too many occasions have I walked past homeless individuals in the downtown core with-out more than a second glance we are all guilty of this. Isnt it just part of life? With so much going on in our own student lives, how can we care about the men, women and children who have to bounce from shelter to shelter, or take up a spot onon the street corner every night? Its not our prob-lem to deal with, right? Wrong. Homelessness is a complex issue which affects all Canadiansignor-ing the problem will not make it disappear. Thank-

fully, McMaster University has stepped up to the plate to aid in tackling this problem through Inter-City Homeless Outreach Initiative (ICHO).

The ICHO at McMaster is a student run organi-zation which focuses on the elimination of home-lessness through the concept of relationships. Audrey Naluz, long time member of the branch in Toronto, explains that when you are able to reach the individuals at a personal level, you are better able to address their specimc needs. So, instead of just handing out sandwiches and water, ICHO volunteers also know their names, their stories, their aspirations Relationships are established and avenues open for learning and opportunities, for both the volunteer and the homeless individu-al.

The ICHO Hamilton division, run through OPIRGs working group status, recently began in September 2010. While their numbers are small, their hearts are big, with their campaigns already delivering big success. During the Christmas season, ICHO sold candy-cane reindeers in the McMaster Student Center, raising money for new socks,socks, underwear and thermal gear for those who are faced with sleeping on the streets. Recently, the FRESH fundraiser was established, raising money for fresh produce through a series of bake sales.There has been a continuing effort through the BELOW ZERO effort, which collects new and used clothing for those who need it most, as well asas mnancial donations to buy socks, underwear and toiletries. This campaign will run until March.

As ICHO continues to grow, it is hoped that vol-unteers will be able to enter the Hamilton down-town core and distribute much needed items, as well as develop relationships.

4

commitRestore Cootesby Randy Kay

Restore Cootes is encouraged by McMaster Universitys work to improve the sustainability of campus, and applaud efforts so far as the univer-sity makes the shift toward a smaller environmen-tal footprint.

With the hope to build on success, we are writ-ing to convey our thoughts on plans to re-open parking in McMaster Parking Zone M.

Our concern is that restoring parking will nega-tively affect the potential for an improved natural habitat adjacent to Coldspring/Ancaster Creek. As you are aware, the campus Master Plan refers to a desired 30 metre naturalized buffer be-tween parking lots and the creek], as proposed by the Hamilton Conservation Authority (HCA). The HCA is tasked with protecting Hamiltons natural assets, but this signimcant yet degraded area is of course worthy of all of our attention.

I am conmdent we share the desire to see the best possible outcome for the environment.

Plans to use permeable paving in place of as-phalt at this site are progressive and innovative, and may indeed qualify for LEED points, but in this instance, perhaps are not the ideal. Rather, a more passive approach leading to rehabilitation of the landscape may be preferable for this sec-tion of Zone M Parking, and should rightly rank higher in terms of sustainability.

Our concern is that the plan to use this area, even for occasional overnow parking will disrupt any potential benemts a more naturalized surface will create using permeable pavers. At one level you will create better environment for wildlife, but using it for parking will quickly negate this benemt.

The campus has already absorbed the loss of parking since construction began in 2009, calling into question the need to replace the lost spots. Looking at campus parking level of service, it is imperative that we consider at least two variable

conditions while looking to the future

1)1) The price of oil we know that when gasoline prices rise, people look for alternatives to driving and will take advantage of transit and cycling op-portunities where they exist This is supported by recent research that indicates that price sensitiv-ity has started to increase, up to -0.1 to -0.3 in the short run, suggesting long-run elasticities of -0.3 to -0.6 (a 10% price increase [for fuel] reduces ve-hicle travel 3-6%)

2) Changing demographics when the parking lots were built in the late 60s young people ex-pected to drive. This is changing: the number of young drivers 16-to-29 year-olds is increasing at the slowest pace since the mid-1990s. These developments are expected to reduce growth in the vehicle buying population to 0.6 percent per annumannum in Canada over the coming decade. This represents a sharp slowdown from an average annual growth in the driving age population of 1.4 percent over the past 50 years.

Restoration

Local efforts to restore lost habitat have been undertaken by key conservation and civic agen-cies under the Cootes to Escarpment Park System: Conservation and Land Management Strategy, headed by the Royal Botanical Gardens. There are several key issues identimed in the report that could be applied to this site, but one willwill illustrate the importance of a site bordering a key waterway:

Maintaining and increasing woodland cover is probably the most important factor to protecting biodiversity in fragmented southern Ontario land-scapes. At a broad regional scale, it is also valu-able to have a diversity of habitats to maintain landscape richness. Opportunities for the restora-tion of natural connections need to be identimed and implemented. Protecting and enhancing ex-isting wildlife pathways, such as along stream cor-ridors, and protecting natural features in close proximity to each other are also important to natu-ral system functions.

9

I produced & directed the Liberation Theatre Extravaganza 2006 I raised $1000 for the on-campus production To date, I have raised over $20,000 for non-promt NGO-TLC Project

What do you like most about OPIRG?

I love the kind and caring staff that support Fair Trade goods and the equally-passionate mem-bers of the organization.

Which other groups are you involved with besides OPIRG?

PACSS-Peace and Connict Student Society MACSS-McMaster Association for Communica-tion Students McMaster Theatre and Film Students Society CFMU-McMaster Campus Radio Station as a host of my own show entitled: Window into My Dementia

Madelaine CahuasInterviewed by Kristina Mangligot

Tell me a little bit about yourself

I am an older sister and come from a large ex-tended family of diverse, migrant heritages. My father is Peruvian and my mother is Romanian, and I identify as a second generation Latina. I'm currently in my second year in the Health & Aging Master of Arts program at McMaster University. My work mainly focuses on the effects of neigh-bourhood "revitalization" on community members' perceptions and resistance to stigma as well as the intersections between housing, neighbour-hood and health. I wish to pursue a doctoral degree and engage in critical research and teaching with my communities.

What do you love about being an OPIRG Board member?

I enjoy being in a space that facilitates creativity, openness and meaningful dialogue and action between students and community members. As an OPIRG board member, I feel that I'm part of something incredibly greater than myself since OPIRG is a vital hub for countless student and community social justice and environmental proj-

ects that are essential to improving not only campus life, but strengthening the Hamilton com-munity. Also, as a board member, I am able to learn about so many diverse and important initia-tives taking place in and around campus and even globally. However, as a board member I can not only learn about such initiatives, but build relationships with students, support working groups and bring students and community members to-gether through collaborating on special projects and events. It is also extremely motivating and in-spiring to be surrounded by critically conscious and passionate students, community members and dedicated OPIRG staff. So what's not to love?

What are the challenges of being an OPIRG Board member?

I feel my two greatest challenges are managing my time between OPIRG, school, work and my commitments to other organizations, projects and activities as well as making decisions on applica-tions of support. OPIRG McMaster receives so many excellent applications, it's very difmcult at times not to award as much funding or support due to limits on our own funding. due to limits on our own funding.

What other groups or organizations are you in-volved in besides OPIRG (if there is any)?

I am currently actively involved with the Organi-zation of Latin American Students (OLAS) at Mc-Master. I am also a Graduate Student Represen-tative for Health & Aging students and sit on a number of committees including, the Health & Aging Graduate Committee, the Gilbrea Chair in Aging & Mental Health Selection Committee, the Chair in Health, Aging & Society Selection Com-mittee, the CUPE3906 Equity Action Committee, the President's Advisory Committee on Building an Inclusive Community, and the Black History Month Planning Committee. I also organize the montly Health & Aging Speaker Series and work with Barrio Nuevo, a Latin American grassroots organization based in Toronto.

What do you think is the best and most effective way of educating people about anti-oppressive behaviour? (I.e. Is it through books, news articles, schooling, etc)

I think it begins with engaging in critical dialogue

3

Clearly there is much to be gained from a biodi-versity standpoint to expanding the buffer be-tween McMaster parking and the creek. McMasters expertise from diverse academic and research backgrounds could be brought to bear on a restoration project involving students apply-ing their learning here in our backyard.

The importance of Cootes Paradise as a biodi-versity hotspot, to the local economy and to recre-ational pursuits cannot be understated. It is inter-esting to note that the parking areas in question were, until the late 1960s, part of the Royal Botani-cal Gardens Coldspring Valley Trail system. (Figure 3)

To bring back lost habitat and the species de-pendent on the former noodplain and spring fed ponds is the kind of project that carries national, indeed, international signimcance, and would en-hance McMasters reputation as an innovative and sustainable institution.

Ideally, erasing the footprint of pavement used for car-parking and restoring the ecological integ-rity of the area would be pursued in a staged manner. With these considerations in mind, Re-store Cootes respectfully requests that McMaster University work in conjunction with the City of Hamilton, the Hamilton Conservation Authority and the RBG to:

1) Leave the parking area closed due to the con-struction of the CSO tank vacant as prime rehabili-tation lands i.e. no overnow parking 2) Reconmgure remaining parking along the creek edge to create a naturalized 30m buffer in the short to medium term 3) Create a long range plan to phase out parking in the lots west of Cootes Drive.

Melanie SkeneInterviewed by Margot Rosenberg

During my time as an undergrad at McMaster I was frequently involved with OPIRG activities both directly and indirectly. I was on the board of direc-tors during the 2003/04 school year when I was in charge of acquiring new resource materials.

In 2008, I worked directly with OPIRG to create

a one-day art exhibit as a practicum for one of my classes. The exhibit was called Visioning a Sacred Ecology and was dedicated to showcas-ing the relationships between the environment, the human spirit and art.

OPIRG also provided invaluable support for many other projects that I undertook during my time at McMaster. They have assisted my work in many ways - mnancial contributions, promotional assistance and the folks in the OPIRG ofmce have always provided a safe space for discussing ideas and planning events.

Other events I have worked on with OPIRG as-sistance:-The mrst (March 2005) and second (March 2006) annual Projecting Peace Social Justice Film Festi-val of which I was a co-coordinator.

I have also worked with two different OPIRG working groups SMART and TLC Project. -For SMART (Student Math Action Research Team) I participated in their video project about global warming called The Shocking Truth. I ap-peared in the video interviewing the other SMART group members. -I was a part of the TLC Collective (Theatre of Lib-eration Community) and worked as an artistic fa-cilitator and summer program co-coordinator for the TLC Project.

In January 2011, I graduated with my Masters in Environmental Studies from York University. OPIRG provided support by mnancially contribut-ing to my Major Research Project which involved organizing a community arts street festival called Solus: A Community Earth Vision Festival, which took place in June 2010, in downtown Hamilton. I am presently planning Solus for the second year.am presently planning Solus for the second year.I currently have my own community arts practice called Many Hands Art in which I work with com-munity members to create art projects such as Solus. Feel free to check out my website for more information www.manyhandsart.org. I also do freelance work, puppets, stage props, work-shops, etc.

Most recently (Oct 28, 2010) I ran two work-shops for Living the Environment 6, an environ-mental conference for high school students, which was co-organized by OPIRG.

10

Andrew Cruickshan kInterviewed by Kristina Mangligot

Tell me a little bit about yourself.

I am currently mnishing my 5th year of mechani-cal engineering and society here at McMaster. I study energy systems, mechanical devices, and social development as part of this, and am very in-terested in environmental issues and their solu-tions.

What do you love about being an OPIRG Board member?

I have been part of the board of OPIRG since the end of summer this year during which I was working with them as the green roof researcher. I have thoroughly enjoyed working with OPIRG for many reasons. The most important reason is be-cause of the people here. In many of the environ-mental organizations and social action groups I have worked with over the past few years, I have found that the people who tend to work in this in-dustry or volunteer in it do so because they love working there, and the cause they support in their work. There are many great individuals that I have met as part of OPIRG, and have made my experi-ence here quite enjoyable.

What are the challenges of being an OPIRG Board member?

The challenges of being a board member at OPIRG are mainly due to having a busy schedule to balance from university (as many students have), and deciding which groups should receive support and how much within the budget.

WhatWhat have you learned so far from your experi-ence of being part of the OPIRG Board of Direc-tors?

I have learned about many different issues and organizations that OPIRG is involved with, and have been quite surprised with the number of amazing groups on campus, and what they have done in the past year. There are many great groups connected with OPIRG and they deserve a lot of credit for the work that they do.

What social issue is most important to you that you think should be addressed?

There are many different social issues affecting Hamilton and the world that should be addressed, but as an engineering student I feel most strongly about how I can affect issues related to energy conservation and the move towards renewable technology. Our current use of fuels contributes strongly to global warming and air quality prob-lemslems which affect the world, and I hope to help with this problem in the future.

Simon Christopher Andrew De AbreuInterviewed by Kristina M

Please tell me a little bit about yourself? I am an activist performer, teacher, poet, direc-tor, producer and community organizer. I have an M.A. in Theatre Studies and a B.A. with Honours in Communications Studies, Theatre and Film. I also have a post-graduate certimcate in Human and Community Development from the ESI (East Side Institute) in New York City. I am presently working withwith seniors at Queens Gardens Long-Term Care Residence in the recreation department here in Hamilton, Ontario.

Why were you interested in volunteering for OPIRG? I felt that the organization would be a great place to learn more about social justice, commu-nity development and it would be a place I could meet like-minded citizens.

What kind of work did you do during your time with OPIRG?

I served on the OPIRG McMaster Board of di-rectors from 2004-2008. I also was the lead coor-dinator on many events that OPIRG helped me or-ganize: Arts and Activism Symposium on Fair Trade (March 2004), where I raised $2 000.00 1st Social Justice Film Festival in Hamilton en-titled: Project Peace Film Fest (March 2005 & 2006), where I raised $10 000 over the two years I created the OPIRG working group: TLCP-Theatre of Liberation Community Proj-ect (2006)

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OPIRG Alumni, and Beyondby Thessa Sandoval

Each and every one of us are born with different set of capabilities, skills, strengths and weakness-es-- things that make us unique. Each and every-one of us believes and hence mts into a certain cause where we can contribute our time and skills, and learn more and develop these gifts.

The Ontario Public Interest Research Group (OPIRG) at McMaster is one of the organizations which have been supporting a lot of these causes. For many years, OPIRG has supported and trained individuals who peacefully mght against societal issues especially on social justice and the environment. And all through these years, OPIRG hashas also produced individuals who didn't end their work when they received their degrees and stepped out in the real world to become profes-sionals.

No matter how important it is to discuss societal issues and let people become aware of it, we be-lieve that it is important too to let people know about the unsung heroes behind it; these people who made signimcant contributions in the past that made OPIRG what it is today. And yes, they are the alumni.

One of them is Rabea Murtaza. She was once an OPIRG Board Member in the late 90s while doing her Undergraduate degree in McMaster. Rabea has continued social work in the last few years doing community-based research and pop-ular education training in research skills for refu-gee youth, homeless youth, LGBQT youth, and low income people of colour. She still facilitates and attend anti-opression workshops in which "the content has developed over time," she says. When asked about some of her memorable expe-riences while working for OPIRG, Rabea says, "While I was a part of OPIRG McMaster, [the] staff went on strike and the Board organized solidarity actions including soliciting old socks to string up on clotheslines on the picket lines." She explains the action was done to satirize one comment made by McMaster Univeristy's former President Peter George that he had been late for a meeting because he cannot mnd his socks after recently moving to a larger home. "My hands stank for

days after rolling up hundreds of letters into old dirty socks and delivering box loads to Dr. George's ofmce," she added. The action may be a bit tenuous for some but there was a greater in-tention behind this. OPIRG staff wants to support workers and put pressure on the school's admis-nistration. This proves that there is no small action for good intentions. She continuously brings the principles and values that the organization in-stilled in her in every work she does, may it be po-litically, professionally or personally.

Rabea is currently on maternity leave taking care of her newborn baby. Her experiences in OPIRG gave her a contrast of raising a child in a societal context of war, patriarchy, racism, and violence; and of love, friendship, community, and beauty now that she is raising a child of her own.

Another alumni worth mentioning is Scott Neigh. Scott has been a former member of the Board of Directors and got mrst involved with Mac OPIRG right after the funding was approved to create it. Scott was doing a Science degree and felt like he needs to do something else besides his major. "I did not encounter much in my classes that en-couragedcouraged me to think critically about the social world," he says. He started reading books about the world and this made him decide to try looking for a social movement activity towards the end of his second year to get involved. He found OPIRG and realized what it is all about. He discovered things he cannot learn in the four corners of the classclass room with OPIRG when he joined it, and the rest was history. The next thing he knew, he was sitting on the hiring committee, organizing annual

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participate Community Volunteer Action is a working group which helps MAC students mnd volunteer place-ments in the Hamilton community. The groups meet weekly on campus, travel together, volunteer with a variety of local Hamilton agencies, and renect on their experiences. Each group has a facilitator which conducts these renections, so the students areare better able to understand the importance of vol-unteering as well as the societal issues Hamilton faces. This year we have approximately 330 stu-dents volunteering weekly which equates to 9700 hours of volunteer work! For more information please go towww.opencircle.mcmaster.ca/volunteer

Wonders of VolunteeringBy: Shalin Shah

Volunteering is a truly remarkable experience which brings wonders to ones life. The preceding sentence may seem like a clich but the truth is the sentence is remarkably authentic. From my experi-ences, most university students want to provide help to the community but are so preoccupied with their studies, that volunteering doesnt come natu-rally to them. It would be safe to assume that most university students begin their volunteering process to add something valuable to their resume. While it is true that volunteer work can add wonders to your resume if you are pursuing professional studies or a job, it doesnt simply end there. I, like most of you, initially started to volunteer to add substance into mymy resume. Personally, if it motivates someone to become involved in the community, I believe that the end justimes your means. It is, however, extremely important that one chooses to volunteer at a placement that is appeal-ing to them. Otherwise, you will not be able to expe-rience the full range of wonders that volunteering has to offer. Moreover, you will mnd it a chore to go to your volunteer placement each session and it will affect your commitment to your group. Thus, it is extremely important that you choose a placement that interests you the most, even if it is simply to bulk up your resume.

Overtime, you will realize that volunteering has much more to offer than simply adding substance to your resume. If you are volunteering at an agency that you mnd interesting, you will not mnd it a chore. As a matter of fact, you will be looking for-ward to it. Volunteering gives you great satisfac-tion and a break from the hectic university schedule. It raises the energy level and the feeling is similar to what one would expect from doing med-itation or yoga. It lifts you up and helps to carry on in our regular life, be it education or work. As a matter of fact, contradictory to the myth that volun-teering takes up time and it can negatively affect grades, I have seen a marked improvement in my grades since I started volunteering. As a matter of fact, many volunteers that I have facilitated have also noted the same.

The improvement could be due to the fact that through volunteering experience, volunteers gain organizational and management skills. Moreover, since we are helping others who are often worse off than us, we realize that people depend on us. It helps us see that we are needed and important, giving us conmdence and bolstering our self-esteem.esteem. It allows us to refocus on the more impor-tant tasks ahead. Furthermore, through volunteer-ing practices, ones leadership, interpersonal, and communication skills sharpen and results in personal and educational growth. As a matter of fact, I have experienced this transformation within myself and within the volunteers that I have facilitated or volunteered along.

The wonders of volunteering, while immeasur-able mnancially, are evident. Not only does it result in personal and educational growth, but also pro-vides a sense of satisfaction and content. How-ever, in order to receive maximum benemts, I should stress the importance of mnding the cor-rect volunteering placement. Community Volunteer Action group is an excellent organization with a wide variety of different volunteer placements throughout the Hamilton community, allowing the McMaster University students the choice of volun-teering at a placement that appeals most to them.

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general assemblies, and starting a campaign with other OPIRG members against the corporization of the University. Like Rabea, Scott had his fair share of memorable experiences with OPIRG too. He got involved with Waste Reduction for two years and one fo the tasks that was assigned to him is to do an audit of waste of the University that involvedinvolved sorting out one day's worth of garbage and weighing it. "Sorting through a couple of tons of garbage is a big and unpleasant job except for the fun people that you get to do it with, which makes it much more pleasant," he explains.

Scott has also worked with other members to produce the OPIRG newsletter on a number of oc-casions with the other staff and mentioned how supportive everyone was. All these experiences and all the people he met during his years in OPIRG has made signimcant contributions to mnd-ing his cause. "I'm still very involved in social changechange work, and much of my writing relates to social and political issues and social movements." Currently, Scott is residing in Sudbury and is bal-ancing his time being a writer, an activist and a parent. As of the moment, he is involved in a movement called Sudbury Against War and Op-pression, and a related group called Justice for Freedom for John Moore, which is focused on supporting a wrongfully convicted Ojibwe man in search of justice.

He is also a part of an an advisory board of a radical political journal called Upping the Anti. In terms of writing, Scott does a lot of blog-based writing in his blog site A Canadian Lefty in Occu-pied Land (http://scottneigh.blogspot.com). He is also mnishing a book project which is tentatively

titled Talking Radical. The book revolves around oral history interviews with long-time activists from different Canadian social movements with histori-cal and political presented in his own voice. It is set to be published on Fall 2012. He is also a father of a seven-year-old son to whom, he said, most of his energy is focused.

"I wouldn't describe OPIRG as the cause, but in-volvement in it was certainly an important early step when I was just starting to mgure things out," he stated when asked about the impact of OPIRG in his life.

Years with OPIRG surely had a great impact to both Rabea and Scott but for Zsuzsi Fodor, an-other OPIRG alumna, all she needed was one summer gig with OPIRG to realize her true calling. "That summer propelled me in to what has since then and will continue to be my life's work," she mentioned. Zsuzsi started as a volunteer for one ofof OPIRG's former working groups called NonVio-lenceNow. Later on, she did a summer research for OPIRG that turned to her undergarduate thesis on the alternative/local food system in Hamilton. From there, she founded and coordinated a work-ing group called PEAS: Promoting Eating Alterna-tively and Sustainably which initiated From Seed to Scrap food system bus tour of Hamilton and has been adopted in part by HSR and Environ-ment Hamilton Eat Local's Rural Routes bus tours. She and other members of PEAS working group have started a community kitchen in partnership with St. Paul's church in Westdale for students and community members. "OPIRG gave me the chance to be self-directed and explore how the food movement and alternative food landscape was coming alive in Hamilton," she added. Aside

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CONTENT from her experiences, Zsuzsi also remembered all the people she worked with by telling stories of how they are a family in OPIRG. She says that their tiny space of an ofmce is "a place where best of intentions and expressions for the city of Hamil-ton" were born out.

As of present time, Zsuzsi is mnishing up a Mas-ter's Degree in Planning at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver and is doing a research on community development, social planning, food systems planning, and the intersection of these areas within the city. She is still connected to a Public Research Interest Group through SFPIRG (at(at Simon Fraser University in the Greater Vancou-ver area).

Truly, Rabea, Scott and Zsuzsi had contributed a lot to the community since their humble begin-nings with OPIRG but upon hearing their stories, it also became clear that OPIRG did not just touch the lives of the people of the community through them. OPIRG has also made a signimcant contri-bution to the lives of these alumni who worked behindbehind every cause; contributions that made them continue their work and still devote their time and effort to make the world a better place. With all negativity, war, and violence happening around us, isn't that nice to know?

Dig The Community Gardens!by Meghan Dertinger

A city-run community garden established in 1997 (the community garden was established by the RBG before 1997. In 1997 the city took over the management) has passed to the management of a group of OPIRG volunteers this year. The garden, consisting of seventy-mve individual plots, is located at Churchill Park. City gardeners, usu-allyally with little or no gardening space of their own, pay a small fee to use a piece of this tilled and fer-tilized land. The fenced-in space is host to water spigots, gardening tools, and most importantly a community of individuals connecting with the earth, their food, and each other.

When the city announced that they would defer responsibility of all three of its community gardens in Dundas, Victoria Park and Churchill Park to (community collectives or) non-promt groups, OPIRG McMaster advertized the opportunity.

However, when no one stepped forward, OPIRGs own Cecilia Irazuzta decided to spear-head the project. Together with a group of OPIRG Board Members, (gardeners), and community en-thusiasts, Cecilia oversaw the transition of legal and logistic responsibilities from City to volunteer hands. In a decision passed by the OPIRG Board of Directors in March, OPIRG McMaster became the licensees of the Churchill Park garden. Cecilia clarimed OPIRGs role in an interview, saying that OPIRG McMaster would oversee the formation of volunteer committees rather than actively running the garden. This way the stability of OPIRG as an organization could ensure the continuity of the project,project, while each year a separate group of vol-unteers would manage the garden.

Over half of last years participants are returning to garden this year, some of whom have been working the soil at Churchill Park for over mve years. Community gardens are growing in popu-larity, and appearing all over Hamilton.

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