Staff Writer Tess Pilkington brings you the top stories of the week in the Tribune’s weekly news segment, “McGill Minute”.
Tag: students
Staff and students face difficult trade-offs as they transition back to campus
Following 2.5 weeks of online classes spurred by the Omicron wave, the administration’s decision to transition back to campus for the remainder of the Winter 2022 term has stirred up both positive and negative reactions amongst staff and students. Many eating spaces on campus do not respect provincial health guidelines[Read More…]
Raising awareness will not end the mental health crisis
CW: Suicide, mental illness Jan. 26 marked the 12th annual Bell Let’s Talk day, an initiative designed by multi-billion dollar telecommunications company Bell that fundraises and spreads awareness about mental health. Despite the importance of destigmatizing mental illness, the reality of Bell’s actions cheapen their purported belief in championing mental[Read More…]
SSMU hosts virtual Activities Night, student groups cite low engagement
The Students’ Society of McGill University (SSMU) hosted its Winter Activities Night on Jan. 17 and Jan. 18. During the Fall Activities Night, the virtual hosting platform Gather.Town crashed almost immediately after it failed to accommodate the high volume of participants attempting to join the event. To prevent another malfunction,[Read More…]
Students release open letter calling for hybrid learning and stricter campus safety measures
An open letter, written and published just hours after McGill’s Jan. 14 announcement that in-person learning would recommence on Jan. 24, has been circulating among the student body. The letter, titled “Open Letter to the McGill Administration – Return to in-person learning on January 24th,” denounces the administration’s decision to[Read More…]
Return to remote learning leaves students feeling ‘demotivated’
On Dec. 31, Fabrice Labeau, McGill’s Deputy Provost (Student Life & Learning), sent an email to the McGill community announcing that all learning except for Tier 1 activities would be held online until Jan. 24. Tier 1 activities include clinical activities, project courses, and various activities in music. This announcement[Read More…]
Quebec’s new program takes an ignorant course
On Oct. 24, the Quebec government unveiled a new education program called Culture and Citizenship in Quebec (CCQ). The new course will take the place of the previous Ethics and Religious Culture (ERC) program. Intended to broaden student engagement with Quebec values, the program is currently undergoing a curriculum drafting[Read More…]
In the minimum wage fight, a living wage is right
On Oct. 7, a group of anti-poverty advocacy groups and unions in Quebec, including La Fédération des travailleurs et travailleuses du Québec (FTQ), Syndicat de professionnelles et professionnels du gouvernement du Québec (SPGQ), and Collectif pour un Québec sans pauvreté, sent out a memo demanding that Quebec increase their minimum[Read More…]
McGill holds annual Queer History Month themed “Coming Together”
Throughout October, McGill is holding a series of events in honour of Queer History Month, ranging from public talks to workshops, centred around the theme, “Coming Together.” The month opened with a homecoming event called “Return of the Rainbow,” which featured Kanien’kehá:ka Elder Kawennotas Sedalia. The event brought together former[Read More…]
Using AI to save lives
Content warning: Mention of suicide and suicidal ideation. Young people aged 18-29 reported some of the highest rates of depression and anxiety during the COVID-19 pandemic. Even before the social isolation wrought by the pandemic, rates of suicidal ideation among college-aged individuals were troubling: In a 2019 sample survey of[Read More…]
