Over the winter break, I was excited to talk with my family and friends about McGill, but defending the university’s name against accusations of antisemitism was not what I had in mind. Instead of sitting down to the ordinary Shabbat dinner with loved ones, I stumbled into defending a McGill[Read More…]
Commentary
The CAQ’s secular mission masks discrimination
The Coalition Avenir Quebec (CAQ) recently announced its intention to abolish the mandatory Ethics and Religious Culture (ERC) course taught in schools around the province. The decision comes less than a year after Bill 21, a law that prohibits certain public servants from wearing religious symbols, passed in the National[Read More…]
Point-counterpoint: New Year’s resolutions
The McGill Tribune contributors Favour Daka and James Li present their opinions on New Year’s resolutions. Favour Daka, Against: People often see the beginning of a new year as a time for reflection, when they can use the lessons of the past year as an incentive for positive change in[Read More…]
World War III memes need to stop
The political turmoil between Iran and the US has created fears for many members of the McGill community. These range from direct impacts on their families in the Middle East to smaller things, such as increased surveillance at airports or train stations. McGill meme pages have been posting jokes about[Read More…]
Open Letter Against the Face to Face Trip
To the McGill community, We are a group of Jewish student leaders who wish to address the allegations of antisemitism in regard to the ongoing debate over the all-expenses-paid “Face to Face” trip to Israel offered by Hillel Montreal. These concerns have been put forward in Students’ Society of McGill[Read More…]
Mind your headspace
As the approaching finals mark the end of another semester, the spike of stress, anxiety, and mismanaged student mental health crises warrant a conversation about headspace. It is by no means news that mental health services at McGill do not effectively accommodate students’ needs: There are many instances of students[Read More…]
SSMU Executive Midterm Reviews Fall 2019
Bryan Buraga, President In light of the SSMU General Manager’s recent resignation and delays in the University Centre reopening, Buraga has done an admirable job ensuring that there has not been a negative impact on the resources and services that SSMU provides to students. His advocacy for a Fall Reading[Read More…]
McGill ignores invisible disabilities
Accessibility barriers are, unfortunately, part of the McGill University experience. Students at McGill have repeatedly reported a lack of silent study spaces on campus, and the closure of the Schulich Library and the University Centre—among other construction currently taking place on campus—exacerbates this problem. While the initiatives of on-campus advocacy[Read More…]
Canada needs a high-speed rail system
In November, VIA Rail, the Crown corporation that controls passenger train travel in Canada, unveiled plans for a “high-frequency” train project along its Quebec City—Windsor corridor. Although the project will no doubt make travelling by train more pleasant, it is not a sufficient solution. Canada should avoid quick fixes and[Read More…]
The lecture hall: The space where my two cultures met
I was born in Iran, but my family and I moved to Canada when I was four-years-old. Although Farsi was my first language, English quickly became my dominant one and, even though I was surrounded by Iranian culture at home, at school I was being exposed to a completely different[Read More…]
