Canada needs more festivals, and let me tell you why. As someone who grew up in a multicultural country––living in the immigrant hub of New Delhi––I have celebrated almost every festival known to man since I was barely a year old. When I came to Canada at 18, my first[Read More…]
Opinion
Opinions from our editorial board and contributors.
Open Letter to McGill Administration Regarding the Teaching Assistants’ Strike
On Friday, April 5, just before 2 p.m., a few signatories of the below open letter walked over to the James Administration building to deliver it in person, accompanied by about a dozen members of AGSEM. The plan was for three professors to walk in and deliver seven copies of[Read More…]
Cops off our campus, protect the pickets and protests
Last week, the teaching assistants’ (TAs) strike took priority at McGill as they protested to demand a fair wage for their work, healthcare, and indexed working hours. Beginning on March 25, students arrived on campus to the sight of picket lines and bright banners, full of signs indicating that all[Read More…]
Being a recreational musician at McGill is almost impossible. It shouldn’t be.
My first semester at McGill marked my 12th year playing the violin, and I auditioned for the Classical Music Club as soon as I knew whom to email. I was placed in a trio with a flutist and a pianist and we were told to rehearse in a room on[Read More…]
Why we need to reconsider Quebec’s subsidization of private schools
Amid the François Legault government’s contentious policy decisions, including recent tuition hikes, Quebec’s substantial financial backing for private schools raises significant concerns for equal access to education across the province. This policy, whereby the majority of independent private schools receive subsidies from the government for each student, not only undermines[Read More…]
In defense of gullibility
I have always been a little too gullible for my own good. From an early age, I internalized the idea that other than injuring someone or hurting their feelings, one of the worst things you could do was lie. Assuming that everyone around me was on the same page, I[Read More…]
Assist, don’t resist, TAs in their strikes for better rights
On Monday, March 25, McGill teaching assistants (TAs) began striking following months of failed bargaining and 19 meetings with the university to negotiate a new collective agreement (CA). Last week’s strike vote found 87.5 per cent of the TAs in favour of striking, providing the Association of Graduate Students Employed[Read More…]
When I grow up, I want to still be an idealist
This is a coming-of-age story. At a young age, I signed up for multiple activities outside of school—dance, piano, chess classes, all that good stuff. Being relatively skilled at each thing I tried, I quickly became a busy kid, running to different places each day after the ring of the[Read More…]
McGill’s Student Accessibility and Achievement is not achieving its goals
McGill’s Student Accessibility and Achievement (SAA) program consistently faces criticism for not providing thoughtful support tailored to student’s needs and not adequately addressing the diverse range of student challenges. Forty per cent of Canada’s university students self-identify as having a disability, which raises the question: Are students truly receiving the[Read More…]
Floor Fellows are the latest domino to fall in McGill’s decline
On Feb. 15, Daniel Fournier, Associate Director of McGill Residence Life, announced that the Floor Fellow position, a staple of the McGill residence system, would be abolished effective May 2024. This callous decision leaves McGill as the only major Canadian university without Floor Fellows or a comparable position; it will[Read More…]
