Controversy stirred last week after the World University Service of Canada (WUSC) announced an event called, “Mock Refugee Camp on Campus.” While similar events have been held at other Canadian universities, some members of the McGill community saw the event as an insensitive way to portray and trivialize a very[Read More…]
Opinion
Opinions from our editorial board and contributors.
Commentary: Corporate interests infringing on editorial integrity in newspaper endorsements
Journalism depends on freedom of expression. The Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms protects “freedom of thought, belief, opinion, and expression, including freedom of the press and other media of communication.” This means that the government will protect the right of the media to say what they believe. Although the[Read More…]
Beyond cows and cars, copyright in the TPP
At its core, the Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP) is a trade deal between Canada and 11 other Pacific rim nations that seems to be incensing Canadian dairy farmers and car makers by increasing imports in these sectors. But the TPP contains a myriad of new copyright protection that will make[Read More…]
Students instrumental in the battle against climate change
Current students should focus their energy on climate change because it is the defining issue of our generation. It threatens the livelihood and existence of the human species; scientists argue a temperature increase of more than two degrees celsius will have an unpredictable and destructive impact on ecosystems, food sources,[Read More…]
Balancing representation and competence in the VP Finance position
The Arts Undergraduate Society (AUS) is currently undertaking a revision of the election process for the Vice-President (VP) Finance position. Given the society’s recent record of high turnover in the position and financial turmoil, the outcome of this revision will be key to defining the sustainability of the VP Finance[Read More…]
Justin Trudeau’s gender equal cabinet quota is not “real change”
“In Canada, better is always possible,” Prime Minister-designate Justin Trudeau boldly proclaimed to a room full of beaming supporters shortly after leading the Liberals to victory on Monday, Oct. 19, at the conclusion of one of the most predictable, ferocious, and drawn-out election campaigns in the country’s history. Trudeau pledges[Read More…]
Student innovation key to Montreal’s future
McGill is often portrayed as an institution that operates alongside Montreal rather than within it. While its quota system requires approximately 50 per cent of the student body to be made up of students from Quebec, most of the international and out-of-province student body decide to leave upon graduation. Given[Read More…]
Off the board: Political critique without personal criticism
Topics dealing with race, sex, and gender are inherently politically and personally charged issues. Critiques based on these issues are bound to one’s own experience and identity; when these issues are raised, the discussion can quickly become emotionally-charged. These conversations are crucial in order to highlight and dismantle oppressive structures[Read More…]
Commentary: McGill spirit more than homecoming
Last week, McGill students might have pretended not to notice the one lonely person standing at the Y-intersection flaunting a poster for McGill homecoming in front of disinterested passing faces. Unsurprisingly, having a one-man promo team accosting students didn’t work. His words fell on deaf ears; nothing he could have[Read More…]
Confirmation bias on social media limits conversation
Between Facebook posts, online publications, and Reddit threads, it is overwhelming to begin to imagine the amount of different opinions, ideas, and information a regular internet-user processes in a single day. Consequently, the digital age is heralded for supposedly allowing people to become educated on a broad assortment of topics[Read More…]