Quebec’s proposed legislation regarding the regulation of marijuana—set to be legalized federally on July 1, 2018—will likely be the harshest in the country, amassing much criticism since it was tabled on Nov. 16. On one side, the Quebec Liberal Party has come under attack from news sites, such as Vice, and[Read More…]
Commentary
McGill Quebec Studies: Maintaining an international university’s local roots
The existence of McGill’s Quebec Studies Program is currently up for debate, due to its low registration rates. It may seem logical to cut a niche program that does not attract many students. Quebec Studies is particularly specialized—it is an interdisciplinary field that focuses on a specific locality, and because[Read More…]
Creating space for inclusive political conversations on campus
Sometimes, it seems almost impossible to talk politics on campus without coming across some mention of the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement against Israel. And, often, it feels as though on this issue there is no room for discussion. However, the problem is not that issues like BDS are[Read More…]
You Reddit here first: The best social media platform at McGill
McGill students have a strong presence on every imaginable social media platform. For example, the Facebook community includes everything from a Samosa Sale tracker to a group dedicated specifically to clothing swaps for petite people. On Instagram, the McGill University geotag is frequently used by a wide range of accounts.[Read More…]
EUS alcohol subsidy motion won’t change campus drinking culture on its own
On Nov. 22, the Engineering Undergraduate Society (EUS) will vote on a motion to eliminate subsidies for “binge drinking” events. The events in question are those that last for more than one day, and that budget for over three drinks per person, such as Frosh or EngGames. For-profit events like[Read More…]
McGill Arts Freshman Program needs a rehaul
McGill’s U0 Arts curriculum is failing its students. The Arts Freshman Program’s purpose is to encourage academic diversification, and provide students with a basis of knowledge in the liberal arts. It requires first years to fulfill broad credit requirements across three of four streams—social sciences, humanities, languages, and mathematics and[Read More…]
Who does SSMU serve?
I’ve been working at the Students’ Society of McGill University (SSMU) in various capacities for almost three years. During this time, I have seen the vital role that SSMU plays in improving student life, and the potential of the Executive team to truly affect change on campus. So, when my[Read More…]
Reconciling Munroe-Blum’s multiple legacies
McGill has come under fire for awarding former principal Heather Munroe-Blum an honorary doctorate on Oct. 31. The university highlights her “unprecedented renewal of McGill’s outstanding professoriate” and her “unwavering efforts to find necessary resources to maintain McGill’s excellence.” Yet, Students’ Society of McGill University (SSMU) and on-campus labour unions[Read More…]
Hiring discrimination exists—it’s time for universities to acknowledge it
In her Nov. 4 column in The Globe and Mail, Margaret Wente denounced the decision of Universities Canada, a national university lobbying group, to release the demographic data for each university faculty in a national database. Her argument is that universities have come to prioritize inclusivity over performance; hiring staff,[Read More…]
Made in Canada doesn’t mean Canadians will watch
On Sept. 28, the federal government announced a partnership with Netflix. The online streaming service agreed to invest $500 million over the next 10 years to create “Canadian content” as part of Justin Trudeau’s cultural strategy, which will in turn pledge $125 million towards promoting Canadian content. Netflix will be[Read More…]
