Last spring, Jia Tolentino wrote an article in The New Yorker declaring the end of what has arguably been the biggest literary trend of the 21st century: The personal essay. This trend has been bolstered by a subgenre of often pointless confessionals. These have inundated publications over the last decade for[Read More…]
Opinion
Opinions from our editorial board and contributors.
Thought for food: A closer look at McGill Food and Dining Services
As Virginia Woolf said, “One cannot think well, love well, sleep well, if one has not dined well.” Despite the numerous awards bestowed upon McGill Food and Dining Services (MFDS) over the past years, McGill’s dining halls are just not stepping up to the plate. The slew of praise and[Read More…]
Don’t tell celebrities to “stay out of politics”
Many actors and actresses have recently been criticized for being too political in award acceptance speeches. Some celebrities explicitly avoid sharing their political opinions so as not to alienate portions of their fan base. As Mark Wahlberg said, “Both Republicans and Democrats buy movie tickets.” However, all democratic citizens have[Read More…]
The world is larger than English
Like many others at McGill, I come from a background of multiple languages. My father grew up in Wolfsburg, Germany—a relatively small country town, about an hour away from Berlin. After 20 years of living in a rainy climate, he decided to venture south in search of sun and a[Read More…]
Sorry, Justin, there’s a new kid in town
Oh, the impermanence of young love. Not long ago, Canada’s youth naively fawned over Justin Trudeau. But, as flings meet their bitter ends, so too do they begin anew. Canadians have moved on to a new flame—newly-elected, uber-chic New Democratic Party (NDP) leader Jagmeet Singh. Compared to Trudeau, his suits[Read More…]
On sexual violence policy reform, it’s McGill’s turn
In the 2018 Quacquarelli Symonds World University Rankings, McGill was the second best school in Canada. Maclean’s just named the university the number one medical and doctoral school in Canada, for the 13th year in a row. In contrast, last week the inter-university student group Our Turn gave McGill’s Policy Against Sexual Violence—passed in[Read More…]
“Should I stay or should I go?” An Uber story
Back in the simpler days of September 2016, the incorporation of Uber into Quebec’s transportation sector created an upheaval in the province’s usually peacefully monotonous system. After first threatening to shut Uber down, the Quebec government only agreed to a one-year “Pilot Project” with the ride-hailing service—demonstrating that Quebec has[Read More…]
Dear Quebec, give Jagmeet Singh a fair shot
The New Democratic Party (NDP) has been in hibernation since the last federal election. It shed several pounds in Parliament—from 103 to 44 seats after the 2015 election—and ran its it’s base’s enthusiasm enthusiasm dry, leaving a skeleton of good policy remaining but little charisma. In this weak position, the[Read More…]
What I’m thankful for this Thanksgiving
This past weekend, as I sunk into a puffy chair to nurse my protruding belly much too full of turkey, mashed potatoes, and other Thanksgiving delicacies, I closed my eyes and took a moment to fulfill the holiday’s second mandate—being thankful for what I have. My four years at McGill[Read More…]
Letter to the Editor: Student politics can’t be apolitical
Last week, The McGill Tribune published a commentary piece by Gabriel Rincon that critiqued the Students’ Society of McGill University (SSMU) Vice-President (VP) External (my role) for taking political positions and participating in student demonstrations, supported by the underlying thesis that SSMU executives “should represent the interests of all students, independent[Read More…]
