The internet has a dark side. A recent McMaster University study is the latest to confirm the adverse effects of too much screen time: The connection between internet use and mental illness is even stronger than previously thought. The survey of 254 McMaster University students, using the Young Internet Addiction[Read More…]
Opinion
Opinions from our editorial board and contributors.
Broadening the scope of sustainability at McGill
On Sept. 23, McGill hosted the first in a series of open forums to discuss sustainability with members of the McGill community. The forums were agreed to in the wake of Divest McGill’s sit-in at the James Administration Building in Winter 2016. The forums were structured to include segments on[Read More…]
Montreal pit bulls victims of impulsive decision-making
Last week, the Montreal City council passed a bylaw that will prevent the city’s residents from adopting any new pit bulls and introduce a set of rules governing existing pit bull owners. This decision has garnered much attention, mainly in the form of outrage and criticism: Montreal residents have set[Read More…]
In defence of laptops: Students must not be forced to take handwritten notes
When entering their first classes of the semester, students are often apprehensive as they wait to hear the professor’s policy on laptops in class. While insisting on handwritten notes is not the norm at McGill, some professors nonetheless present students with articles and studies that explain how writing notes by[Read More…]
MTL Blog’s repurposing of Instagram content highlights grey area of control on social media
MTL Blog is a normally benign clickbait website known for publishing articles such as “The Whole Foods Market Close to Montreal You Have To Road Trip To ASAP.” Recently, however, the blog moved away from think pieces on snow and poutine, and engaged in truly tasteless journalism. Two of the pieces[Read More…]
Language of McGill’s Draft Policy for Sexual Violence allows perpetrators too much leeway
McGill University is one of the safest spaces I’ve ever been in. Never in my life have I ever been made so aware of issues of race, sexuality, consent, and gender. This university opened my eyes to topics I had rarely thought about in-depth and made me a far more[Read More…]
Advertisements in SSMU: Brought to you by lack of funding
Observant students returning to campus this year may have noticed something different about the Students’ Society of McGill University (SSMU) Building. In response to continued budgetary constraints, SSMU has—among other initiatives—increased the presence of advertisements. However, the advertisements have been met with backlash from some McGill students, leading some to[Read More…]
Proposed SSMU bicycle facility not on the right path
For students already forced to navigate the labyrinth of construction on two wheels, the lack of bike parking on McGill’s campus is an additional grievance. The return to school was marked by the removal of two of the campus’ largest bike racks in front of the McConnell Engineering and Leacock[Read More…]
The hidden harm of voluntourism
While the idea of going abroad to help impoverished communities is commendable, volunteering abroad has several negative consequences that directly oppose the humanitarian intentions behind these trips. Many agencies that offer volunteer opportunities abroad sell the idea of ‘contributing to a community,’ whether by helping to build wells, schools, or[Read More…]
What we can learn from Homa: Concordia professor’s release from Iranian prison underscores importance of her work
The international community cheered today when Iran finally released acclaimed academic and former Concordia University professor, Dr. Homa Hoodfar. The Iranian-Canadian anthropologist was detained in Evin Prison in Tehran for over one hundred days without access to her family or lawyer. The details of Hoodfar’s charges were ambiguous, though reports in[Read More…]
