‘Tis the season—for course evaluations. At McGill, the online form asks students to effectively grade their professors, by identifying the degree to which they agree with statements such as, “Overall, this instructor is an excellent teacher.” These data are then made available to all McGill students, but open-ended feedback is[Read More…]
Tag: Representation
Anti-Zionist tweet prompts lengthy question period at SSMU Council
This past Thursday, Feb. 9, the Students’ Society of McGill University (SSMU) Legislative Council hosted speakers from McGill Athletics and Recreation and the Association for the Voice of Education in Quebec (AVEQ). In addition, two out of four motions were passed: the Motion for SSMU to Advocate for an Immediate Suspension of[Read More…]
Students must hold representatives accountable through appropriate channels
A tweet from Arts Representative to the Students’ Society of McGill University (SSMU) Igor Sadikov, reading “punch a zionist today,” has been subject to intense controversy for inciting violence against Zionist students. Thus far, the debate surrounding the tweet and, in particular, Sadikov’s interpretation of Zionism, has been understandably divisive[Read More…]
Bioengineering Department seeks to form undergraduate society
Following the Quebec Ministère de l’Éducation et de l’Enseignement’s approval of McGill University’s bioengineering undergraduate program in June 2016, students of the department are now campaigning for their own society. First year bioengineering students Niloufar Serajmehdizadeh and Itai Wine have been elected as representatives to shadow Chemical Engineering Students’[Read More…]
Pop Rhetoric: The small screen reaches a wider audience
Television has long been regarded as film’s more annoying, less accomplished younger sibling. Sound bytes like 'made for T.V. movie' and 'multi-camera sitcom' continue to haunt audiences’ psyches, evoking nightmares of outrageous laugh tracks and over-dramatic soap opera acting. For decades, critics considered film the real art form—a medium that actually allowed[Read More…]
Race and RENT: A look at racial representation within the McGill theatre community
The poster for the Arts Undergraduate Theatre Society’s (AUTS) most recent production, RENT, might have unsettled those who know the original musical well. Their first question would likely be: “Wait, why is everybody white?” RENT is a musical that centres on the lives of poor artists in 1980s New York[Read More…]
Pop Rhetoric: Respectability politics in “Fresh Off the Boat”
A year in, Fresh Off the Boat (FOTB) is still much of the same: An occasionally poignant portrayal of the immigrant experience tempered by whitewashed sinophilia. Take last week’s episode for example. Right before Chinese New Year, FOTB aired the first depiction of Mandarin Chinese New Year on American primetime[Read More…]
Editorial: Changes at faculty level must be made to make SSMU more representative
In the wake of the recent Students’ Society of McGill University (SSMU) elections, many students have renewed their complaints of dissatisfaction with what they feel is an insular and inaccessible SSMU. While these feelings are certainly valid, the overemphasized focus on SSMU executives and the concurrent lack of student engagement[Read More…]
Editorial: PGSS healthcare fee reduction highlights benefits of effective representation
In recent negotiations with health care provider Blue Cross, the Post Graduate Students’ Society (PGSS) was able to secure a significant reduction in health insurance premiums for all international students, including undergraduates.
