They may have been still learning some of the new cheers, but less than a year after McMaster University's engineers made headlines with a "sexist, violent and degrading" songbook, the Redsuits appear to have turned the page after an embarrassing black eye.
"You could see that they were coming out of some old traditions," said first-year engineer, Rebecca Lariviere, 18. "Some of (the Redsuits) weren't familiar with the new cheers."
But by all accounts — from the administration, the new Redsuits, and even first-year students like Lariviere — this year's Redsuits drew big turnouts from first-year engineers, represented the university well in their eyes, and stayed away from the old songbook.
In January, McMaster suspended the engineer student group known as the Redsuits over a songbook the university then called "sexist, violent and degrading material."
'I'm proud to be an engineer,' student says
McMaster's dean of students, Sean Van Koughnett, made 15 recommendations after the fallout from the book of chants, which referenced to violent rape, bestiality, as well as homophobic and misogynistic slurs. One of those recommendations was to strip the McMaster Engineering Society (MES) of picking the Redsuits for frosh week duties. Their selection was handed over to the faculty of engineering and paved the way for the same process across all faculties on campus.
The MES did not respond to requests for comment.
But were this year's events watered down? It depends on what you know.
"They don't know that last year (was) what it was, and this year's something different," said Shane Zuchowski, an Redsuit, engineering student orientation coordinator, a fifth-year student.
Van Koughnett added similar thoughts.
"The reality is for first year students coming in... They don't know what last year was like," Van Koughnett said. "They don't have anything to compare it to."
Lariviere agreed.
"I don't know what it was like in past years… I found being around the engineers was incredible," Lariviere said. "I'm proud to be an engineer."
70 per cent of Redsuits are new this year
Van Koughnett said 70 per cent of this year's Redsuits, picked by university staff, were new, and the university is happy with the result.
"I think it's gone really well. The new group of Redusits have been great leaders for our students," Van Koughnett said. "It's gone the way we had hoped it would go."
He added they can only pick the right staff and hope for the best.
"You've got 5,000 18-year-olds descending on campus. You have to manage that process," Van Koughnett said. "If you push too hard there's always a risk of driving things underground… I think the challenge is to talk some ownership without pushing too hard."
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