After finishing a B.A. in history last year, I made the terrible life choice of staying at McGill for graduate school. Tuition hikes and dismal job prospects for prospective historians give me plenty reason to regret my decision for years to come, and the continual weaponization of academic history—be it[Read More…]
Articles by Kevin Vogel
Feeding ourselves, and our roots
Drinking cold sweet tea has always been my preferred way to pass a warm summer’s day. Growing up in Georgia, sweet tea was one of my favourite treats as a young child. While seemingly every Southern household had a pitcher of the sugary beverage in the fridge, ready to be[Read More…]
Thousands protest against anti-Black racism and police brutality in downtown Montreal
Thousands of Montrealers gathered on May 31 in front of the Service de Police de la Ville de Montréal’s (SPVM) downtown headquarters to protest police brutality and anti-Black racism in Canada and the United States. The demonstrations were organized by Justice for Victims of Police Killings, Hoodstock, and Tout Le[Read More…]
Holocaust survivor condemns McGill’s handling of anti-Semitism allegations
During her visit to promote her memoir, Holocaust to Resistance: My Journey, Suzanne Berliner Weiss led a rally on Feb. 17 condemning Deputy Provost of Student Life and Learning Fabrice Labeau’s handling of anti-Semitism allegations regarding last semester’s controversial Face to Face trip. Weiss, a lifelong activist and Holocaust survivor,[Read More…]
Sports are political
McGill Faculty of Medicine alumnus Laurent Duvernay-Tardif (MD ‘18) is, as a member of the Kansas City Chiefs, the first Quebecer to win a Super Bowl title. The victory has placed the Chiefs’ offensive linebacker in the spotlight, with McGill administrators sparing no expense in promoting Duvernay-Tardif’s ties to the[Read More…]
Lessons from my hometown
I grew up in a trailer park in Upstate New York. Having moved several times throughout my early childhood, I remember moving into the trailer with my mother and brother as an exciting moment: Even though I had to share my bedroom, it was the largest one that I had[Read More…]
The samosa-shaped hole in my heart
On Wednesdays last semester, I often found myself frantically rushing to get through the day. I didn’t have a lunch break in my class schedule and, admittedly partially because of my own laziness, I frequently forgot to pack a lunch. It was precisely in this situation that campus samosa sales[Read More…]
This ain’t no way to make a living
At an academically rigorous institution like McGill, schoolwork is just one of many intersecting obstacles to success, especially for students in financially precarious situations. According to recent National College Health Assessment (NCHA) surveys, 26 per cent* of McGill students reported that their finances had been traumatic or difficult to handle[Read More…]
POP Montreal spotlights local talent
This year, POP Montreal International Music Festival turned 18. Born in the Mile End, the festival had humble beginnings showcasing then-unknown acts Broken Social Scene and Stars. Now, the festival has grown to include over 300 acts, extending its commitment to championing independent arts across the seas: This year saw[Read More…]
Wisdom for the youth
Get involved and discover your interests Leanne Young, Photo Editor The first year of university is undoubtedly a busy time for students, but it is not just about getting your degree: It is also the best time to explore new interests and develop life long relationships. While you should not[Read More…]
Greasy diners, antique shops, and Gucci flip flops
How the working-class neighbourhood turned into a playground for wealthy millennials.
March music madness
The month of March saw no shortage of music releases. Both Hozier and Weezer made their comebacks—one triumphant, the other less so—and Solange’s When I Get Home awed Country and R&B fans alike. The final two weeks of this tepid, rainy month have provided us with two more treasures: One from[Read More…]
‘Queer Eye’ is in desperate need of a makeover
On March 15, Netflix released a third season of its feel-good makeover series Queer Eye. Based in Kansas City, the eight new episodes retread familiar ground: Five well-dressed gay men storm into the lives of some beleaguered individual and, through the power of a haircut, group hugs, and pep talks[Read More…]
Cinema Politica features indigenous-made cinema
On Feb. 4, Cinema Politica presented a series of documentaries by indigenous filmmakers, including a short animation, as part of Concordia University’s First Voices Week. With Flat Rocks and Lil Hard Knox filmmakers Courtney Montour and Karonhiarokwas Roxann Whitebean present to answer questions after the screening, illuminating the processes and intentions behind[Read More…]
Tuesday Night Café Theatre’s annual 24-hour play festival spotlights up-and-coming actors
In the 24 hours from Jan. 25 to 26, six student playwrights, directors, and actors met for the first time to write, produce, rehearse, and perform original student-written play as a part of the Tuesday Night Café Theatre (TNC)’s annual festival. Each play had to incorporate certain elements, including the[Read More…]
‘10 Years of Gaga’ gets its rah-rah on
On Jan. 12, the Diving Bell Social Club and drag queen collective BabyDrag celebrated a decade of Lady Gaga’s career in 10 Years of Gaga, a show featuring a host of queens as talented and visually provocative as Gaga herself. Each performer took to the stage lip-syncing along to Gaga’s[Read More…]
The best and worst of 2018
Best Albums: 1. Be the Cowboy, Mitski Sad indie kids have traded their beanies for cowboy hats, wallowing in perhaps the most beautiful auditory manifestation of sadness to ever have graced the radio waves. Hive Mind, The Internet 2. Hive Mind, The Internet This summer, the Internet brought the[Read More…]
Yvette Nolan’s ‘The Birds’ places indigeneity in the spotlight
Yvette Nolan’s adaptation of Aristophanes’s classic Greek comedy The Birds, which ran Nov. 21-23 and 28-30 at Moyse Hall Theatre, focuses on the history of colonization, and the future of truth and reconciliation for indigenous peoples in Canada. Produced as a part of the English department’s Drama & Theatre Program, The[Read More…]
Lakes of Canada blends eclectic influences in ‘We Will Outlive the Sun’
While up-and-coming indie rock bands often attempt to mimic genre-defining groups such as Arcade Fire or LCD Soundsystem, Lakes of Canada has proven itself capable of carving its own path in the music world. Their new concept album, We Will Outlive the Sun, adds innovative flavour to the industry. The[Read More…]
Artist Profile: Is it People releases first EP ‘Living Inside’
On Oct. 5, Is it People, the indie rock duo comprised of vocalist-guitarist-bassist Antoine Gallois, BCom ’18, and drummer Romain Peynichou, U3 Arts, released their first EP, Living Inside. Although it only features four tracks, Living Inside has been an ongoing project for the two musicians since October 2017, when they began casually playing together on the weekends.
Cher’s ‘Dancing Queen’ divides fans
As if her lacklustre performance in this summer’s Mamma Mia 2! Here We Go Again, wasn’t enough, Cher has released an album of ABBA covers. The A&E team is here to deliver the verdict: Does Dancing Queen redeem the Goddess of Pop? Does the diva do justice to her ‘70s-disco Swedish[Read More…]
Ivytide launches musical career of McGill students
For Nathan Gagné, U2 Psychology, vocalist and rhythm guitarist for Ivytide, an indie rock/R&B fusion group, making a living through music would be the perfect scenario.
“The school thing is a backup to [being a musician],” Gagné said. “If I’m able to…sustain myself by making music, that would be the dream.”
Fokus Film Festival showcases its 12th year of student filmmaking
For the past 12 years, the Fokus Film Festival has served as a showcase for student filmmaking in the Montreal community. On Feb. 23, Student TV at McGill (TVM) presented the annual film festival at Cinema du Parc before a panel of professors and film connoisseurs alike. Despite technical difficulties,[Read More…]
The Coronas set to take North American stages by storm
In the summer of 2016, an indie pop rock band hailing from Dublin called the Coronas burrowed themselves in the quaint County of Dingle on the southwestern coast of Ireland. The work they created would eventually evolve into their fifth studio album, Trust the Wire, which made waves in both[Read More…]
“Kanehsatake: 270 Years of Resistance” explores a conflict still unresolved
During the summer of 1990, a centuries-long land dispute between Mohawk members of the Kanehsatà:ke community and the Canadian government developed into an armed confrontation that would last for almost three months. The conflict broke out because of a proposed golf course expansion in Oka, a small town roughly 60[Read More…]
Thirty years of queer art and activism at image+nation
Thirty years ago, Canada’s first LGBTQ film festival held its inaugural screening. Today, the image+nation festival continues to share queer cinema with Montreal’s wider community, supporting the producers and artists who create these spellbinding stories. Bringing all of this together is no easy task. Programming director Katharine Setzer and her[Read More…]
Feminism, lesbianism, artistry, and activism
The film lesbian ARTivism: current realities is a frank documentary that showcases the experiences of a variety of lesbian artists from around the world. On Oct. 24, at Maison de la culture du Plateau Mont-Royal, the film premiered to an audience including director kimura byol-nathalie lemoine, producer Johanne Coulombe, and[Read More…]