Every year, Persians meticulously celebrate the exact second that the sun passes the celestial equator, as the spring equinox marks the start of a new year, Nowruz. Nowruz, and most of the traditions that accompany it, have direct roots in Zoroastrianism, one of the oldest religions in the world. Yet,[Read More…]
Commentary
Spotify has a responsibility to protect its listeners from inaccurate information
Recently, The Joe Rogan Experience, now a Spotify-exclusive podcast that brings in an estimated 11 million listens per episode, has come under scrutiny for platforming COVID-19 misinformation. The episode that initially spread controversy featured an interview between host Joe Rogan and Dr. Robert Malone, in which the pair discussed multiple[Read More…]
McGill’s COVID-19 response has been a shitshow from the start
As the COVID-19 pandemic nears its second anniversary, McGill’s response to the ongoing health crisis has been thoroughly disappointing and incompetent. It has gotten to the point where many students are taking matters into their own hands to protect themselves, their peers, and their loved ones. Undergraduates from the School[Read More…]
Groundhog day: Climate change’s age-old scapegoat
Groundhog Day, a tradition dating back to the late 19th century, has long provided respite from many long winter months. Moving from candles, to hedgehogs, and finally, to groundhogs, the holiday has gone through many transformations. Yet predicting the weather has remained its steady focus. On Feb. 2, the possibility[Read More…]
The mandatory meal plan should be taken off the table
Cramped dorm rooms, unknown roommates, and questionable cafeteria food are all pillars of the first-year university student experience. However, in enforcing a mandatory meal plan for all students in residence, except for those in Solin Hall and the MORE houses, McGill stifles student autonomy. Meal plans are not mandatory at[Read More…]
Students should deal with choice, not chance
On Dec. 31, McGill sent an email to all students and staff announcing that, in line with new Quebec regulations, the return to in-person learning would be delayed until January 24. The announcement came amid the surge in Omicron cases in the province and the world at large. However, despite[Read More…]
Blood in the stadium
When the Olympic flag rises in Beijing’s National Stadium this February, it will not be a moment of prestige or celebration. It will be a painful reminder that, in the eyes of the world, the horrors and abuses of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) can be swept aside to make[Read More…]
There is a duty to right the wrongs of Quebec’s pre-pandemic long-term care policy
The Omicron wave is exposing and exacerbating a pre-existing crisis in Quebec: The failure to invest in long-term care (LTC). Throughout the pandemic, Quebec has seen disproportionately high COVID-19 death rates among its senior population, particularly those residing in long-term care and housing facilities (CHSLD), or LTC, facilities. During the[Read More…]
Ask for an extension, I dare you
With finals period now a distant memory and the add/drop period beginning, stress levels are subsiding as students leave the last semester behind. However, between harsh syllabi guidelines and stigma surrounding asking for help, asking for extensions is often the last thing students want to do. In a competitive atmosphere[Read More…]
Campus conversations: Recovery
Making peace with grey Ella Fitzhugh, News Editor **Content warning: Mentions of mental illness, eating disorders** I’ve never been secretive about my love for psychotherapy. Admittedly, I have weeks where I dread the session—fears about my perceived lack of progress in treatment flood my mind. Other times, however, I desperately[Read More…]
