The Tribune

If you spend a lot of time complaining about McGill for its lack of or poorly run programs and student life, you would be a hypocrite to not vote YES for the Tribune’s independence. Okay, hypocrite’s a bit strong. But the point is, I spent a lot of time complaining about just that over my time at McGill.

Let’s talk about accountability. I realize that sounds about as enticing as “let’s shovel horse manure” or “let’s talk about our relationship,” but bear with me. Right now, a student politician is wasting your money. Or maybe – if it’s a good day – they’re just saying something stupid on your behalf.

Although four years and thousands of dollars was a steep price, I do give McGill credit for teaching me one extremely important lesson: the most relevant, edifying learning is accomplished outside the classroom. At first I thought that university would be training.

After careful consideration, the McGill Tribune Editorial Board proudly presents our fifth annual SSMU election candidate endorsements. While this year’s ballot includes two acclamations, we still provide our analysis of each candidate’s potential, along with our thoughts on the referendum questions (page 9).

The Ontario legislature – like most political bodies representing a diverse range of opinions – is a place where it’s hard to achieve consensus. One in five children in Toronto go to school hungry in the morning and asthma and cancer-causing coal power generate much of the province’s electricity, but no consensus can be found among the provincial political parties to address such dire issues.

The Winter Olympics are pointless. They feature sports that are generally boring to watch or better showcased in other competitions (at the X Games, for example). They cost a lot of money, create headaches for people living in host cities, and don’t attract enough tourist dollars to offset the large taxpayer expense.