With vain hope in their hearts, students received an email from the Students’ Society of McGill University (SSMU) on Oct. 28, hoping to read a promising update on the University Centre’s closure. However, students were disappointed by yet another delay: Gert’s, club spaces, and community spaces are still inaccessible. Initially,[Read More…]
Commentary
“Made by McGill” disregards students’ ongoing concerns
Two years ago, McGill cut its Eating Disorder Program. Then, this fall, a change in policy left note-takers working for McGill’s Office for Student Disabilities without proper compensation. McGill has excused these cuts, and other functional problems, as tough decisions forced upon the administration by complex financial difficulties stemming from[Read More…]
Open letter on Indigenous affairs at SSMU
The “Redmen” name was a visible and constant reminder of McGill’s historical discrimination against Indigenous students. It is with great pride that I can say that, after years of Indigenous student activism, we have successfully changed the name. While the #ChangeTheName campaign demonstrated Indigenous resilience and strength, it also rallied[Read More…]
How I watched my country’s revolution from McLennan
I am human. I am distraught, disorganized, and disillusioned. I can barely attenuate how exhausting and disorienting this week was into coherent words. On Friday, it was my birthday. My friends and I hosted a potluck on Sunday. The long weekend ended with a pleasant dinner at my roommate’s family’s[Read More…]
Gentrification falls on university administrations too
Urban universities take up a lot of space, and their presence has a profound impact on local neighborhoods’ economies. When universities such as McGill, Concordia, or the University of Montreal (UdeM) expand their properties or develop new ones, property values in the surrounding area tend to increase and developers pressure[Read More…]
It’s time to abandon fast fashion
Over the last five years in the fashion industry, an area dominated by gratuitous marketing, social media, and online shopping, consumers have increasingly rewarded brands that can keep up with rapidly-evolving trends. This phenomenon, dubbed “fast fashion,” refers to cheap clothing that becomes popular because of its accessibility and trendiness.[Read More…]
Voting responsibly means voting sustainably
Just as abrupt changes in leaves’ colours herald the coming of winter, shifts in global environment signal that our world is on the cusp of a climate crisis. There is currently an insect apocalypse, and the drastic decline in global bird populations over the past few decades is starting to[Read More…]
Climate change requires global thinking and local action
Following a decade of vacancy, the City of Montreal has announced a plan to convert 43 hectares of land, once home to the Bluebonnets racetrack, into the city’s first carbon-neutral neighbourhood. The 10-year plan for the Namur-Hippodrome neighbourhood includes the development of 5,000 housing units, an emphasis on public transit,[Read More…]
OSD note-takers are another example of undervalued labour on campus
McGill’s Office for Students with Disabilities (OSD) is responsible for facilitating wider access to learning and providing adequate resources for all students. To this end, one of the services offered by the OSD is providing notes for students who may be unable to take their own. Note-takers are tasked with[Read More…]
It’s time for equal treatment of female athletes and their sports
I joined McGill Varsity Artistic Swimming (AS) in 2018 after 11 years of practicing the sport on a national and international level. McGill AS’s 2018-19 season was one of the most successful in the team’s history. We won Nationals after an undefeated season and brought home the coveted Geraldine Dubrule[Read More…]