A term we often hear from time to time—sometimes in the pages of this newspaper—is the idea of the “McGill Community.” While this works best as a tidy phrase to lump together disparate stakeholders—students, faculty, employees, the administration, and alumni—in most instances, there is no such “McGill community,” so much[Read More…]
Off the Board
On tomatoes
The players are far from unknown. There’s the tomato: a round, plump fruit, often confused for a vegetable (although definitely a vegetable for taxation purposes, according to a 19th century U.S. Supreme Court ruling). Then there’s McGill University: a Canadian research institution with global renown and an annual late-August set of welcome exercises for new students.
Brendan bids goodbye
When I sat down to write my final column for the McGill Tribune, I didn’t really know the best way to wrap up my time here. I could review criticisms of my work or what I have learned. But neither of these options seemed to be the best way to[Read More…]
Health care gets personal
Most Canadians perceive general flaws in the country’s health care system, but report positive individual experiences. Until recently, I counted myself among those who held this idea: I knew there were gaps in the system, but had always received excellent care. I strongly believed that despite these gaps, Canada’s public[Read More…]
Here comes the SunTV
Last Friday, the Canadian Radio-Television and Telecommunications Commission approved Category Two certification for SunTV, a 24-hour news/talk television channel. The negative reactions of many Canadians at the prospect of SunTV, which have been evident since Quebecor announced plans to create the channel, are the most recent manifestation of a widespread[Read More…]
Simplify Sexual Harassment Procedure
Last week I wrote a Features article (“Sexual Harassment at McGill,” November 23) about sexual harassment at McGill. I expected it to be a straightforward assignment—resources for this type of thing should be easily accessible. But by the time I sat down to write the article, I was disturbed by[Read More…]
Bilingualism: a plus
According to a recent study, Canadians who speak both English and French are likely to have higher incomes than their unilingual peers. Louis Christofides and Robert Swidinsky of the University of Guelph found that a basic knowledge of a second language could positively affect one’s income. Using data from the[Read More…]
Leave Your Lulus Behind
According to the Rock ‘n’ Roll racing series—which is slowly taking over every distance race in the U.S.—to be a successful runner one must eat P.F. Chang’s Chinese food, drink light beer, and wear $200 worth of Brook’s running gear. Don’t forget the $350 Garmin watch that has GPS, a[Read More…]
James Square – The Last Metal Handrails on Campus
When I arrived at McGill, many years ago, things were a lot different. New Rez was new, students were lobbying against tuition increases, and the administration didn’t feel the need to dig giant holes in order to make me three minutes late to every class. Since that time, things have[Read More…]
Registration Not Necessarily Required
As a frequent Internet user, I must comment on something that frustrates me more than getting ready to tackle a room full of unbuilt Ikea furniture only to find out I don’t have a screwdriver: why do I need an account to use nearly every website? Take a moment and[Read More…]
