Having grown up a son of French and Tunisian immigrants in the West Island, a mostly English-speaking part of Montreal, I have had a curious experience with language. Although Bill 101, The Charter of the French Language, was at first necessary to preserve the French language in Quebec, current attempts[Read More…]
Opinion
Opinions from our editorial board and contributors.
McGill’s non-indigenous allies must reexamine their efforts
Non-indigenous allies at McGill need to be conscious of their actions and intentions. These allies often wish to act in solidarity with indigenous peoples and students. They are usually well-intentioned, and the solidarity is greatly appreciated—so long as allies do not overstep their boundaries. A few ways in which I’ve[Read More…]
Bill C-14’s flaw: Who deserves the right to die?
In 2015, the Supreme Court declared the existing absolute ban on physician-assisted death unconstitutional in the landmark case, Carter v. Canada. In this case, two women, both of whom suffered from degenerative diseases, argued that their inability to access physician-assisted death was grounds for discrimination because neither had the physical[Read More…]
Shutting down campus speakers at McGill won’t help divestment
With this spring’s campaign for divestment behind us and more activism likely to come in the fall, a brief window for critical reflection on the movement is upon us. This past semester’s sit-ins and rallies, spearheaded by groups such as Divest McGill, have largely been respectful and positive displays of[Read More…]
Britain the brave
On June 23, 2016, the people of the United Kingdom will vote in a referendum on whether their country should remain a member of the European Union (EU). The outcome of this referendum will be of enormous importance to Britain. Scotland has suggested that a vote to leave the EU[Read More…]
Debating Project Consent
Project Consent shows us how to tell it like it is In Project Consent’s new videos, dancing, laughing, and whistling genitalia tell us without a doubt that If it isn’t yes, it’s no. It might seem ridiculous that mature adults would need dancing, animated body parts to explain a rather[Read More…]
The media on life, death, and the late Rob Ford
The media has a habit of praising public figures upon death, even—and perhaps especially—when they were criticized in life. Media coverage of Rob Ford’s death has been markedly different from how he was covered as mayor of Toronto. Ford was caught smoking crack cocaine, denied it, and then finally admitted[Read More…]
Student activism taking the front seat at McGill
Last week, McGill students were faced with a sense of déjà-vu when they were greeted by a congregation of Divest McGill speakers camped outside of the James Administration Building. In response to the McGill Board of Governor’s (BoG) decision to reject fossil fuel divestment, Divest McGill organized a sit-in, which[Read More…]
Information overload is an overblown fear
For the past few years, the term ‘information overload’ has saturated numerous media outlets, from reputable scholarly journals to more mainstream magazines offering solutions to an apparent epidemic sweeping the modern world. The argument contends that the accessibility of information online, from go-to search sites such as Google and Wikipedia,[Read More…]
Editorial: Advancement of McGill’s mission statement in conflict with corporatization of the university
It is difficult for students to comment on the McGill’s behemoth bureaucratic nature. Various administrative levels seem oceans apart from the day-to-day educational pursuits of the student body. As a line gets drawn between administrators on one side, and academics and students on the other, all members of the McGill[Read More…]