Paige Hannan says her time at Mac was largely shaped by getting involved with student government, both as a Humanities caucus leader for McMaster’s Student Representative Assembly and as a Welcome Week rep.

Now graduating from the Justice, Political Philosophy and Law program, Hannan was also part of the team that helped the Grind coffee shop develop into a thriving social and cultural space (that just happens to have the best coffee on campus).

Off campus, Hannan has also been a volunteer with LetsStopAIDS as an HIV peer educator. Moving even farther off campus, she completed a semester at the University of Amsterdam as an international exchange student, then served as an exchange ambassador, helping other students navigate the application process and prepare for their own experiences.

Hannan is preparing for even more international education in the fall: she’ll be starting a BPhil (the equivalent of an MA in philosophy) at Oxford University, studying the field of metaethics.

What was the benefit of being involved in student government, and of volunteering within your community? 

I learned so much about the MSU and McMaster through being in the Humanities caucus – I learned about Humanities’ close connection to the various student services, and about pushing the other faculties to engage with us. Since it’s not famously easy to be the arts, I learned how to create a well-rounded space that was beneficial for everyone. 

Being on the SRA also gave me skills that served me well as I watched the Grind evolve over the years. The team held strong and drew on our MSU connections when things were bumpy, and we have a thriving community to show for it now. While it’s undeniably the best coffee and aux on campus, we also have the most supportive team. Love makes the coffee taste better. 

As a volunteer with LetsStopAIDS, I sometimes wish everyone could take the training I’ve received; HIV awareness is on the decline, and having open conversations is important everywhere. Practicing care grounds all kinds of work, whether in advocacy, education, or even coffee. 

What lessons did you learn from your experience in the Netherlands? 

While the Dutch keep everything well organized – especially their bicycle traffic – I think any student who is studying abroad learns to accept a certain level of chaos in their new life. Everything is new, and you’re trying your best to get your bearings for the first little while – and as soon as you do, it’s over. Thankfully, I think most would agree that you have a new and improved version of yourself to show for it. This version, Paige 2.0, has the self-confidence of someone who has come out the other side of some pretty dubious travel situations and who created a new rag-tag family of international students. 

While I still marvel over the confidence of young Dutch citizens on e-bikes in narrow lanes, I’m immensely grateful for what I learned as I look forward to my next international academic experience.  

What was your proudest Mac moment? 

While plenty of golden-hued memories come to mind, some of my recent proudest moments come from looking out over packed rooms at the Grind open mic nights. I worked with Mike Asquith and CFMU to put on a series of open mic nights, where we had students perform music and poetry. The outpouring of support floored us every time, and I was continually shocked by calibre and quantity of talent in our community. Bands were formed, and seasoned and brand-new acts alike gained new fans. Turns out I have something of a knack for hosting! 

What challenges have you overcome while you’ve been here? 

I think one of the hardest lessons I’ve had to learn – other than figuring our how a loom worked in my elective seminar – is how to allow plans to change. Like most of any JPPL cohort, I had my heart set on law school since well before high school – but as I took philosophy and worked in law, it slowly became clear to me that 1L wouldn’t be the right place for me after Mac. Indeed, I could not be motivated to study for the LSAT by anyone.  

As I would tearfully admit to my (very supportive) parents, I had been wrong – an upsetting prospect to someone in my field. I can see now, though, that had I not been set on law school, I might not have found the academic and personal community which has been so integral to my development. Everything happens for a reason, as it were. 

How do you hope to make a brighter future? 

I’m headed for the University of Oxford this fall, to begin their BPhil.  

A big move like this prompts me to reflect on some things I read about in [the class] Indigenous Resurgence this semester. Wes Jackson put forward the “Mill About Theory” – the idea that deep knowledge comes not from seeking elsewhere but from staying, tending, and listening to the land. To leave the acres I’ve grown accustomed to milling on is incredibly bittersweet. 

For now, I feel sure that it is this type of knowledge that creates the important and unique contours of my scholarship. I can only hope that this will be an advantage to any philosophy I contribute, wherever that may be.  

What’s one word you’d use to describe your Mac experience? 

Whole. 

Anyone you’d like to thank – someone who made a difference during your time at Mac? 

There’s a long list, but I’d begin with Dr. Stefan Sciaraffa. Dr. Sciaraffa is a leader in the JPPL program, but he has no bigger fan than me. He has been hugely supportive in my development as a philosopher, and I attribute so much of my current standing to him. There are plenty of “if it weren’t for…” instances here (seminars, our reading course, an invitation to a particular session of the speaker series, countless editing passes of my paper, etc.), but suffice it to say that I have found my way thanks to him illuminating the path. Among many other things I know about the discipline, I have learned what it looks like to be an exemplary mentor and instructor. 

I would be remiss to neglect an opportunity for a formal thank you to my best friends, Elysse and Camille. It is only through their dedication in the valleys and celebrations at the peaks that I have arrived at this point of my life in one piece. It is the greatest privilege to know and love them.