On his blog for the New Republic, the neo-liberal magazine he owns and edits, Marty Peretz recently wrote of American Muslims: “I wonder whether I need honour these people and pretend that they are worthy of the privileges of the First Amendment which I have in my gut the sense that they will abuse.” This shocking and seemingly racist line, which he later apologized for, is an example of how the always-difficult debate on the role of Islam in American culture has recently become even more difficult, and more uncomfortable.

I would like to begin this letter by thanking you, students of this university, for your outpouring of support regarding the matter of the Architecture Café. It warms our hearts to know that, despite our faculty’s detachment from the rest of the student body, our cause is not lost on you. Thank you. We appreciate you. Moreover, a special thanks for those of you who have taken the time to write articles for the Daily, the Tribune, the McGill Reporter, Le Délit, and even Concordia’s paper, the Link—we needed to get the word out, and you were all quite successful in that respect.

Last weekend, my boyfriend and I decided to take my family’s newly purchased boat out on the Ottawa River for a romantic sunset cruise. We had wine and a small snack, and I must admit, I thought I might even get a little lucky that night. Instead, we spent at least two extra hours stuck in the middle of the river with a dead engine, at which point I decided to call the Ottawa Emergency Services.