In my first high school political science course, I had a friend who was very clever and well-informed—the kind of self-identified young intellectual that read the New York Times like scripture. One class, he got into an argument on electoral reform in Canada with another very clever and well-informed student.[Read More…]
Off the Board
Is there an upside to the O’Leary candidacy?
It’s been an odd political year. As news from the United States continues to descend into absurdity, in Canada the Conservative Party leadership race drudges on, complete with a cast of characters large enough to carry a Marvel movie. The Conservative race came to McGill on Feb. 13, as TV[Read More…]
Laughing Matters: Squirrel slander put to rest
McGill has been the target of some vile chattering. As good McGillians, we must stand up for our grey friends—mostly because they can’t speak for themselves. Ladies and gentlemen, I am addressing the University of British Columbia’s (UBC) student newspaper, The Ubyssey, and one article’s boast that UBC’s squirrels are[Read More…]
Montreal needs a better shovel for snowy sidewalks
Everyone’s been there—walking around Montreal when all of a sudden you find yourself looking up at the sky from your backside. Whether sober, drunk, or somewhere in between, Montreal’s sidewalks represent the single most dangerous threat to any student. Snowy, slippery wipe-outs are commonplace, and those who find themselves victim[Read More…]
Why you should clap at the movies
Have you ever walked out of a movie in which the audience clapped raucously as the credits rolled, only to have your friend turn to you and ask, “What’s the point of clapping? It’s not like the cast or crew can hear the applause anyway.” If you’re anything like me,[Read More…]
#Ensolidarité: In response to Quebec City mosque shooting, from members of The McGill Tribune Editorial Board
On Jan. 29, a mass shooting occurred at the Islamic Cultural Centre of Quebec, a mosque in Quebec City. The suspected shooter, a student of Laval University, opened fire on the 39 men who were praying in the mosque while women and children were upstairs. At the time of writing,[Read More…]
Reflections from the Women’s March on Washington
On the afternoon of Jan. 20, I dredged through Jeanne Mance Park, making an effort to step in the footprints of those before me, grasping large pieces of cardboard. I was running late to class, but that wasn’t my main priority. I was focused on getting to campus to meet[Read More…]
Student community is more than McGill once, McGill twice
As the add/drop period comes to an end, McLennan gets a little more crowded. School work picks up and routine begins to set in. Yet our McGill spirit remains at a high. At this time last semester, Open Air Pub (OAP) was an overcrowded mess of people, sharing drinks and[Read More…]
Humans need not apply: analog solutions to digital problems
There is an apocryphal story about Henry Ford II and Walter Reuther, the Union Head for the Ford Motor Company, touring a new factory. The two are looking over a balcony at an assembly line of robots when Ford turns to Reuther and says, “Hey Walter, how are you going[Read More…]
When words lie: Leitch’s anti-Canadian values exclude on the basis of inclusion
“Violence and misogyny are not Canadian values,” Kellie Leitch, former minister of labour and minister of the status of women, tells Maclean’s. The above is an innocuous statement regarding Leitch’s vague and seemingly benign proposal to screen immigrants for “anti-Canadian values.” Obviously, most people don’t condone violence or misogyny. But,[Read More…]