As a Torontonian, I, like many, have always recognized Montreal as better than our own city. The ability to legally drink fresh out of high school in such an artsy city was just one of the many reasons McGill was number one on my list. While oftentimes I do yearn[Read More…]
Commentary
CCP interference allegations are not an excuse for anti-Asian racism
News coverage about the Chinese government’s alleged interference in Canada’s 2021 federal elections has continued for more than a month since The Globe and Mail reported that CSIS received intelligence about the Beijing government’s possible meddling in the 2021 federal election. The media attention has created a public uproar because[Read More…]
SSMU must tackle its low election turnouts head-on
The Students’ Society of McGill University (SSMU) executive elections and Winter referendum took place last week, and I think it’s time we address the elephant in the room: No one gives a toss. Voter turnout came to a meagre 16.7 per cent, a slight rise from 12.9 per cent the[Read More…]
Don’t bet on Montreal’s new casino
Loto-Québec recently announced its plan to install a mini-casino in the old 1909 Taverne Moderne, a three-storey building adjacent to the Bell Centre in downtown Montreal. The casino would include hundreds of slot machines, sports gambling terminals, and several poker tables. Jean-François Bergeron, the CEO of Loto-Québec, has stated that[Read More…]
Black history isn’t one uniform experience
As an African student attending McGill, I was initially shocked to see that McGill’s course list included classes with titles such as History of Colonial Africa or African Politics. While I am glad to have the opportunity to take any classes related to Africa, something I was not provided with[Read More…]
Toward flourishing for Black profs at McGill
In 2020, Black professors represented just 0.5 per cent of McGill’s entire teaching staff, adding up to only 10 professors in total. As of today, though the number is up to 28, little improvement has been made and the percentage remains a paltry 1.6 per cent. To end the underrepresentation[Read More…]
Converting office buildings is worth the gamble
If you’re a student in Montreal, you know how difficult it is to find affordable housing. According to the Association des Professionnels de la Construction et de l’Habitation du Québec (APCHQ), the vacancy rate has fallen below the three per cent equilibrium threshold, where supply and demand are equally matched.[Read More…]
How (not) to leave home
A joke of history: North America is the centre of the modern world, so it can never truly feel international. Inane metaphors––melting pot, mosaic, salad bowl––only distract from the inexorable crush of the market and the English language. Even Quebec’s vaguely nationalist slogan, “//Je me souviens//,” today feels without content,[Read More…]
McGill’s academic freedom policy is rude-imentary
Last April, to appease their older rural voters, the Quebec government unveiled a new policy concerning academic freedom in schools and universities: Bill 32. Naturally, the policy had little to do with Quebec’s rural population and very much to do with enforcing its definition of academic freedom upon universities, prompting[Read More…]
McLennan-Redpath closure: Construction or destruction?
Most McGill students spend a large portion of their time in the McLennan-Redpath Complex, taking out books for classes or using it as a study space. Home to the largest library on campus, this space will soon be closing its doors for renovations under the Fiat Lux project. Construction is[Read More…]
