It’s a beautiful day: Birds chirping overhead, cyclists zooming by, neighbours and shopkeepers chatting, people enjoying shawarma and poutine on benches. No, you’re not in a park. You’re in the middle of the Plateau, on Mont-Royal Avenue—and there are no carbon-dioxide–spewing vehicles in sight. Montreal’s pedestrian-only streets, which can be[Read More…]
Commentary
Ushering in a new future for McGill’s museums
Museums: A quintessential aspect of family vacations, school trips, and artsy dates. For centuries, they have offered visitors the chance to explore conceptual, social, scientific and artistic heritages. But museums hold more weight than most realize; they are inherently political and consistently perpetuate racism. Non-Western cultures are frequently misrepresented in[Read More…]
Sacrificing academic fulfillment for a 4.0
In the midst of add-drop season, any study space at McGill is filled with students frantically scrolling through the McGill course catalogue in search of the perfect class—one that will fit into their packed schedules, help them increase their GPAs, and make their lives a little easier. How much they[Read More…]
Point-counterpoint: A debate on the aesthetic of Burnside Hall
Burnside is the vision of practicality – Alexander MacKenzie A quick glance towards Burnside Hall reveals nothing striking about its immediate design. Perhaps the most observant of oceanographers or astrophysicists studying in the building could casually point out its warm sandy colour, and wavy texture adorning the walls outside. Likely[Read More…]
Archaeological work at the New Vic is anti-Indigenous
In 2016, McGill contracted private archaeology firm Arkéos to survey the Royal Victoria Hospital site—a necessary step in planning construction at the New Vic. The New Vic is a part of McGill’s Master Plan, an ambitious project to renovate certain buildings in the Royal Victoria Hospital complex. The McGill administration[Read More…]
Shattering the political illusion of Legault’s anti-immigrant policy
The Quebec provincial election campaign has officially kicked off and, as election day approaches on Oct. 3, voters have much to consider after a tumultuous four years. This fall, immigration is top of mind. Businesses want more immigrants to relieve the province’s major labour shortages, Bill 96 has stirred intense[Read More…]
We need to change how we talk about abortion
CW: discussion of reproductive violence, racism, violence towards Indigenous people It has been over one month since the Supreme Court of the United States overturned the constitutional right to an abortion. Since then, the abortion debate is the loudest it’s been since the 1973 Roe v. Wade ruling: Anti-abortion activists[Read More…]
Bill 96 further ingrains systemic racism
In a devastating decision taken by the National Assembly of Quebec on May 24, Bill 96—the newest addition to the province’s array of restrictive language laws—was officially adopted. While the Coalition Avenir Québec (CAQ) advertised the bill as another small step to protect the French language, the reality is that[Read More…]
Campus conversations: Resistance
Resisting silence Sepideh Afshar, Opinion Editor Resistance, to me, is to be vocal about the injustices you see and experience. For about a year, I was part of a sorority at McGill. In this predominantly white space, I found myself silenced concerning the overt racism I was experiencing. I felt[Read More…]
Between climate denial and climate anxiety
During their time occupying the Arts Building, Divest McGill screened movies and documentaries shining light on the climate emergency. As the chilling images of fires, floods, and famines flashed across screens, the air became heavy. Silence reigned, and only a few deep breaths disturbed it from time to time. It[Read More…]