A joke of history: North America is the centre of the modern world, so it can never truly feel international. Inane metaphors––melting pot, mosaic, salad bowl––only distract from the inexorable crush of the market and the English language. Even Quebec’s vaguely nationalist slogan, “//Je me souviens//,” today feels without content,[Read More…]
Opinion
Opinions from our editorial board and contributors.
McGill’s academic freedom policy is rude-imentary
Last April, to appease their older rural voters, the Quebec government unveiled a new policy concerning academic freedom in schools and universities: Bill 32. Naturally, the policy had little to do with Quebec’s rural population and very much to do with enforcing its definition of academic freedom upon universities, prompting[Read More…]
Journalism’s only vocal when it’s local
On Jan. 26, Postmedia, a Toronto-based media conglomerate and the parent company of over 130 local newspapers across Canada, including The Montreal Gazette, revealed its plan to lay off 11 per cent of its total editorial staff. This devastating decision, made in a Toronto boardroom, will put up to 10[Read More…]
McLennan-Redpath closure: Construction or destruction?
Most McGill students spend a large portion of their time in the McLennan-Redpath Complex, taking out books for classes or using it as a study space. Home to the largest library on campus, this space will soon be closing its doors for renovations under the Fiat Lux project. Construction is[Read More…]
The sound of silence
Velvet and corduroy, tags on turtlenecks, a gaze sustained solely by counting. An unusually large fraction of my life is spent perceiving more sensory information than the average person or, perhaps, in the typical amount of time for a neurodivergent person. I thought everyone experienced life uncomfortably—I froze when hugged[Read More…]
Representation, not impersonation
On Feb. 7, Mary Ellen Turpel-Lafond returned her honorary degree from Royal Roads University. This is the second honorary degree she has returned—one of 11 she received, including from McGill—after an investigation late last year by the CBC called her claims of Indigenous identity into question. The Canadian lawyer and[Read More…]
Long live Herbert
Herbert came into my life sometime around 2018, a short, wilting thing from the reject corner at Home Depot. He led an unfortunate existence right from the start: About half of the people I told about him misheard me and thought I had named him “Pervert,” which… no. After some[Read More…]
How to sign a lease in 10 days
Now’s the time to look for living accommodations for next year—and, boy, is it stressful! Not every apartment will be right for you. Some will lack natural light, others will exclusively have windowless rooms, like a dungeon of sorts. Not ideal. That’s why I am pleased to announce that I[Read More…]
McGill needs a complete summer term
Registration for the summer term at McGill is set to open in a few weeks. As it stands, McGill students can only take two courses per summer session, or 12 total credits, over the four summer months, and are usually provided with relatively few class options. This system, however, is[Read More…]
Targeting Elghawaby is a bigoted political play
On Jan. 26, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau appointed Amira Elghawaby as the country’s first federal representative on combating Islamophobia. Within mere days of her appointment, various politicians and Members of Parliament began calling for the resignation of the Canadian journalist, communications professional, and human rights activist. Elghawaby was accused[Read More…]
