With vain hope in their hearts, students received an email from the Students’ Society of McGill University (SSMU) on Oct. 28, hoping to read a promising update on the University Centre’s closure. However, students were disappointed by yet another delay: Gert’s, club spaces, and community spaces are still inaccessible. Initially,[Read More…]
Opinion
Opinions from our editorial board and contributors.
“Made by McGill” disregards students’ ongoing concerns
Two years ago, McGill cut its Eating Disorder Program. Then, this fall, a change in policy left note-takers working for McGill’s Office for Student Disabilities without proper compensation. McGill has excused these cuts, and other functional problems, as tough decisions forced upon the administration by complex financial difficulties stemming from[Read More…]
Open letter on Indigenous affairs at SSMU
The “Redmen” name was a visible and constant reminder of McGill’s historical discrimination against Indigenous students. It is with great pride that I can say that, after years of Indigenous student activism, we have successfully changed the name. While the #ChangeTheName campaign demonstrated Indigenous resilience and strength, it also rallied[Read More…]
How I watched my country’s revolution from McLennan
I am human. I am distraught, disorganized, and disillusioned. I can barely attenuate how exhausting and disorienting this week was into coherent words. On Friday, it was my birthday. My friends and I hosted a potluck on Sunday. The long weekend ended with a pleasant dinner at my roommate’s family’s[Read More…]
Reflections on racism from the election
The 2019 federal election was my first experience voting. When I was a child, voting seemed like a distant, adult future; growing up outside of Canada also made that future seem more inaccessible, because my participation in Canadian political issues was always online, thousands of kilometres away. But finally, this[Read More…]
It was the landlord, with the lead pipe, in the moldy basement
Finding housing in Montreal can be a harrowing experience for students who are not properly informed about their tenant rights. For this reason, many students find themselves in illegal renting agreements, a scenario that can lead to serious problems such as costly repairs which should have been covered by their[Read More…]
Love at first bite
We set the scene on a Sunday afternoon. Dinnertime is approaching and my family has elected to order in. We shuffle through a list of options, and settle on Eastern Twist, a sandwich shop a couple of blocks away that sells barbecue chicken wraps—a form of Americanized roti, an Asian fusion[Read More…]
Gentrification falls on university administrations too
Urban universities take up a lot of space, and their presence has a profound impact on local neighborhoods’ economies. When universities such as McGill, Concordia, or the University of Montreal (UdeM) expand their properties or develop new ones, property values in the surrounding area tend to increase and developers pressure[Read More…]
Construction is inevitable, accessibility barriers are not
The McGill experience would not be complete without campus construction. However, while some campus improvements are necessary, construction should not bar students or faculty with disabilities from participating in classes and campus life. Able-bodied people may see construction as damaging to the campus’ aesthetics, but for disabled McGill students, construction[Read More…]
It’s time to abandon fast fashion
Over the last five years in the fashion industry, an area dominated by gratuitous marketing, social media, and online shopping, consumers have increasingly rewarded brands that can keep up with rapidly-evolving trends. This phenomenon, dubbed “fast fashion,” refers to cheap clothing that becomes popular because of its accessibility and trendiness.[Read More…]
