Tripadvisor’s Travellers Choice Award 2024 ranked Montreal 13th on the “Best of the Best” list for sustainable travel, crowning the city the “cultural capital of Canada.” Alongside this, Time Out ranked Montreal in 12th for “World’s Best Cities for Culture.” While this didn’t surprise me, I was shocked to find[Read More…]
Commentary
The real value of a McGill degree
What makes McGill a good school to attend? Is it the superior facilities? The enormous introductory classes? Much of the value in attending McGill stems from the McGill degree as a form of cultural capital. In other words, having the McGill name on a resume lends clout. A McGill degree[Read More…]
Blanchet’s tale of “two Quebecs” embodies the Bloc Québécois’s hypocrisy
Montreal is a city characterized by its liveliness and natural beauty. The numerous events that take place on the island, such as the Nuits d’Afrique and Jazz Fest music festivals highlight the city’s diversity and boast its reputation as a tourist hotspot. Most enticing, however, is that Montreal is composed[Read More…]
Lecture recordings are a necessary step for greater accessibility
Finding mental health support as a McGill student has been a challenge for quite some time, with the university’s meagre efforts to offer services—like animal therapy and peer supporters—falling short. The Student Wellness Hub is inadequate for the majority of the student population; however, the jarring lack of mental health[Read More…]
Legault’s populism will not address the opioid crisis
Quebec’s opioid crisis is worsening. In 2023, paramedics administered more naloxone to treat acute overdoses than ever before, and death from opioid toxicity is set to reach its highest levels yet, continuing an upward trend since 2019. Novel synthetic opioids, such as isotonitazene, which can be deadly even in minute[Read More…]
Post-secondary education is a right that must be asserted
Is McGill already not expensive enough? For many, the Coalition Avenir Québec (CAQ)’s announcement of a tuition hike and the requirement of French language proficiency is a definitive sign of the increasing precarity of higher education. Potential out-of-province students will simply be priced out of attending university in Quebec. This[Read More…]
Quebec needs to rethink its French tuition agreement
Since 2018, an agreement between the governments of France, Belgium, and Quebec has exempted francophone students from France and Belgium from the skyrocketing international tuition fee supplement. Under this collaborative initiative allowing Quebec to maintain the Francophonie, these undergraduate students are subject to the Canadian rate of tuition, while graduate[Read More…]
Compassion, inclusivity, and respect is impossible without divestment from genocide
Content Warning: Mentions of antisemitism, Islamophobia, violence, rape and death On Nov. 9, I spoke on behalf of McGill’s pro-Palestine Jewish students at a rally organized by SPHR McGill in front of the Arts Building. Within hours, I received anonymous threats that included my full name, which I had never[Read More…]
To Bixi or not to Bixi?
Bixi is my religion – Monique If taking out your first Bixi is an unforgettable experience in itself, riding one also comes with endless benefits. For starters, the convenience is unparalleled. With hundreds of stops all over the city, you can always find a bike and a place to drop[Read More…]
A snapshot of the perils of our phone-first recollection era
Photographs serve as timeless reminders of our lives and permanent homes for our precious memories. Without them, recollections fade unnoticed; so we snap pictures through joy and sorrow, to create a visual record of our journey through life. As cameras embedded in our cellphones have become an omnipresent part of[Read More…]
