On Sept. 13, over 1,000 students barricaded the virtual entry doors to the Students’ Society of McGill University (SSMU)’s Fall 2021 Activities Night. Internet disconnection alerts flooded the screens of many confused students and club leaders. Although students might have anticipated a mediocre gaming platform with thousands of live participants[Read More…]
Commentary
When being deemed ‘non-essential’ threatens cultural existence
On Sept. 16, Grévin Montréal, the famous Montreal wax museum, permanently closed its doors. It had been temporarily closed since March 2020 as public health protocols forbade non-essential activities like cultural exhibitions from fully opening. Numerous Black-owned businesses faced similar circumstances after being deemed “non-essential,” exposing how such arbitrary labelling[Read More…]
Embracing the uncertainties of hybrid learning
After the August heatwave, September promised to bring fall weather, pumpkin spice lattes, and the ability to wear full-length pants outside of the house. And for a while, it did: Jeans walked the campus roads; cardigans thrived. But then, the average temperature rose to around 20 degrees Celsius, bringing with[Read More…]
McGill’s library vaccine mandate is indicative of its patchwork approach to COVID-19
On Sept. 17, McGill sent an email announcing that students will need to present their Quebec COVID-19 vaccine passport to enter any on-campus library—beginning in mid-October. The announcement came three weeks into the Fall semester, amidst demands from McGill students and faculty to implement stricter COVID-19 protections. The Students’ Society[Read More…]
The social politics of municipal retrenchment
Montreal’s bustle is returning after months of rigid COVID-19 restrictions, yet the Société de transport de Montréal (STM) ridership remains remarkably low. As a result, in August, the regional transit board asked the STM to cut $276-million from its budget over the next three years. Recently, the STM proposed cutting[Read More…]
Bill 96 is not the solution to the Anglo-Franco divide
Starting Sept. 21, Quebec’s National Assembly will debate Bill 96––a proposed amendment to the Canadian constitution that would declare Quebec a “nation” and make French its only official language. The bill has unsurprisingly sparked controversy in a province known for its biculturalism and history of intraregional tension. The English Montreal[Read More…]
Federal candidates must work harder to earn students’ support
Viewers of the federal leaders’ debates on Sept. 9 and 10 heard many promises to solve the country’s problems. Unfortunately, details about the implementation of these sweeping goals were missing. Young people, in particular, may have felt left out of the discourse, as student issues were barely mentioned in either[Read More…]
Toward body liberation
Content warning: This article discusses disordered eating I first started to think about my weight when I was in elementary school. I distinctly remember feeling as though I had to lose weight to make friends or to capture the attention of my crushes. But it was not until early high[Read More…]
Truth and Reconciliation Day: McGill’s lost opportunity
McGill University has sent a bold message to Indigenous students and their communities by refusing to close for Truth and Reconciliation Day this upcoming Sept. 30. The federal government created this statutory holiday to give Canadians an opportunity to acknowledge and learn about the tragic history of residential schools. Educating[Read More…]
McGill should prioritize protection over profits
Despite McGill’s numerous emails detailing their efforts to keep campus safe, the university is taking advantage of its international students. Although students and faculty alike have been anxiously awaiting the return to in-person classes, the return to Canada and Montreal has been fraught with obstacles for many international students. McGill’s[Read More…]
