On Oct. 18, McGill sent an email to students detailing a policy proposal on the movement towards a smoke-free campus. The proposal states that the Downtown Campus will prohibit smoking on the premises—aside from the Upper Residences, which will have a designated smoking area. I am not a smoker. With[Read More…]
Opinion
Opinions from our editorial board and contributors.
Remembrance Day should not be an occasion for indifference
The time of year has once again arrived when we see bright scarlet poppies pinned on the breasts of innumerable coats and sweaters. Evoking the frightening clashes of bayonets upon bloody fields, the reverberating shocks and explosions of shells colliding with rain-beaten garrisons, and the agonized screams of trembling men,[Read More…]
Snowden revelations: The paradox of McGill students’ support for free expression and hostility towards AMUSE
The Nov. 2 live video lecture of Edward Snowden—the famous whistleblower who leaked NSA documents on mass government surveillance—was eagerly anticipated by many at McGill and within the Greater Montreal community. However, few were expecting a mosh pit of students trying to force their way into the lecture, nor the[Read More…]
Quebec must uphold freedom of the press
Last week, the Service de Police de la Ville de Montreal (SPVM) revealed they had obtained a warrant to monitor the cell phone of La Presse journalist Patrick Lagacé in order to determine the identity of his sources for an investigation into police fabrication of evidence. Over the last several[Read More…]
Don’t call me busy
McGill is a large school teeming with spaces to get involved. Finding your niche as a freshman is daunting, and, even then, being involved can come to feel like a burden. Students must often juggle their coursework with extracurricular activities, social commitments, volunteering, and athletics. Students who are incredibly engaged[Read More…]
Protesting in the digital age: Online activism is not enough
On Oct. 31, 1.4 million people checked in at the Standing Rock Sioux reservation, North Dakota on Facebook, in an attempt to thwart alleged local police surveillance. This mass check-in was, for all intents and purposes, an act of online solidarity. It was executed in the hopes of aiding protesters[Read More…]
Planet McGill: The McLennan midterm migration
As dawn breaks over McGill campus, still glistening with last night's freezing rain, all seems quiet. The Y-intersection is deserted and most doors won't open for another couple of hours. But, rest assured, there is one building that never sleeps: The McLennan-Redpath Library complex. Majestic, isolated, and open 24 hours[Read More…]
A Canadian’s guide to the American election
Despite having little-to-no vested interest in American domestic policy, Canadians have been fixated by the American election. They wouldn’t be directly affected if Donald Trump repealed and replaced Obamacare, or if Hillary Clinton decided to implement debt-free college for American students. Nonetheless, Canadians are very interested in debating these issues[Read More…]
A deadly high: Universities must take measures to educate and protect against fentanyl overdoses
Amelia and Hardy Leighton were, by all appearances, a young, happy, stable married couple from North Vancouver. They decided to celebrate the purchase of their first home—fit with a yard for their two-year-old son—by getting a little high. On July 20, they were found dead in their home. The cause[Read More…]
Unacceptable and urgent: McGill must reach agreement with AMUSE
After a meeting with the McGill administration on Oct. 28, the Association of McGill University Support Employees (AMUSE) called a five day strike, which began on Oct. 29. AMUSE is a labour union representing approximately 1,500 casual and temporary employees in both part-time and full-time positions. It has been negotiating[Read More…]
