Newly-elected Premier and leader of the Coalition Avenir Quebec (CAQ) François Legault recently shuffled his cabinet, naming Isabelle Charest the new Minister responsible for the Status of Women. Charest sparked controversy in early February for insisting that the “hijab is a symbol of female oppression.” When criticized for her comments,[Read More…]
Opinion
Opinions from our editorial board and contributors.
Subject: Guide to #ChangeTheName
Re: Next steps regarding the name / Étapes à venir dans le dossier relatif au nom Dear McGill, I hope this email finds you well, and thanks for the snow day! I got your email, but it left me a little confused. It’s about time you noticed that no one[Read More…]
Don’t overturn a democratic vote for undemocratic reasons
In an ambiguous and poorly-worded email sent on Feb. 12, Arts Undergraduate Society (AUS) executives released a statement announcing that they had overturned the AUS Legislative Council’s decision to withhold approval of the course fee for POLI 339. POLI 339 Comparative Developed: Topics 1 is a two-week summer exchange course[Read More…]
St. Valentine’s Capitalist Manifesto
It seems that, every year, the public outcry against Valentine’s Day threatens to overwhelm the holiday itself. Browsing through the opinion sections of online publications, it is impossible to escape the feeling that a war is unfolding against the holiday. According to recent trends, the percentage of the population celebrating Valentine’s[Read More…]
Employable, inkless personas
Whether by feigning confidence in an interview or embellishing responsibilities on a resumé, people often present an enhanced version of themselves to prospective employers. Many industries, like law and finance, maintain conservative hiring practices that pressure prospective employees to craft an inauthentic personal presentation by covering tattoos or piercings and[Read More…]
The lasting hangover of McGill’s drinking events
With midterms right around the corner and classes proceeding at full pace, events like Carnival, E-week, and Science Games seem distant. While your onesie might be neatly stored away and the lingering smell of beer washed off of your clothes, the impacts of these events on participants’ health can linger.[Read More…]
Learning from the successes and failures of AVEQ
Following years of apathy and disengagement, the announcement that the Association for the Voice for Education in Quebec (AVEQ), a provincial student union, had dissolved generated little attention on McGill’s campus. While students are passionate advocates for causes like greater access to mental health services at McGill and the upcoming[Read More…]
Reinstituting systems of care: Treating eating disorders at McGill
I was lucky. I was able to sit down with my mum and tell her how scared I was. The people I love supported and watched out for me. When I woke up in the middle of the night and I couldn’t see, my dad was there to drive me[Read More…]
Becoming a Canadian in Canada
Before I went on exchange last winter, my mum sewed a small Canadian flag to my backpack. I was apprehensive: It felt like a a bold, definitive declaration of my nationality. As an anonymous traveller, your country of origin comes to define you, and I wasn’t sure I was ready[Read More…]
I don’t want to rent a lamp: I need to see a therapist
For most people, the decision to see a therapist doesn’t take place overnight. Often, a series of events will knock someone down until dealing with an issue alone is no longer an option. By the time that I decided to trek to the Brown building, my closest friends knew that[Read More…]