The 2018 Campus Freedom Index (CFI) bestowed the Students’ Society of McGill University (SSMU) an F grade for its lack of free speech protections and a C for its political practices in 2018. The Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedom (JCCF) sponsors the CFI, an annual assessment of the successes and[Read More…]
Commentary
Deromanticizing academic passion
There’s a chance that you don’t have a passion. Or at least not one easily consolidated into an academic discipline. That’s okay. Countless others probably don’t either. According to a study by researchers from Stanford University, use of the encouragement to simply ‘find your passion’ has increased in frequency in[Read More…]
The CAQ’s anti-immigration policy at McGill
On Oct. 1, the Coalition Avenir Quebec (CAQ) lead by François Legault defeated the incumbent Liberal Party of the Quebec government. This result is a significant and historic win for the CAQ, disrupting nearly two decades of Liberal political dominance in Quebec on a controversial campaign platform. One of the[Read More…]
With rising temperatures come rising tension, especially for Montreal’s youth
On Oct. 6, protesters flooded downtown Montreal and Centre-Sud to voice their frustrations with Premier-designate François Legault’s weak stance on environmental issues. Legault is facing immense backlash regarding his plans to further Hydro-Québec development, his support of fossil fuel exploitation in Quebec, and his overall indifference toward the pressing topic[Read More…]
Irresponsible representation: How unsanctioned posts damage SSMU’s credibility
On Oct. 2, Quebecers woke up to the results of the previous night’s election: The Coalition Avenir Québec (CAQ) had won a majority of seats in Quebec’s National Assembly. On the same day, then Students’ Society of McGill University (SSMU) Vice President (VP) External Marina Cupido wrote a—now deleted—post on[Read More…]
Identity crises and queer history months
October is Queer History Month at McGill, the first event of its kind at a Canadian university. It aims to explore and expand on the boundaries of heteronormativity through educational initiatives and celebrations: A four-week tangle in the complex web of queer identity. I came into my own sexuality with[Read More…]
Religious neutrality isn’t neutral
On Oct. 1, Quebec elected 74 members of the Coalition Avenir du Québec (CAQ) to the National Assembly, giving the party a majority mandate. The CAQ campaigned on a platform of reducing immigration, restructuring government institutions, and maintaining ‘religious neutrality.’ Discussions about religious neutrality are not new in Quebec: In[Read More…]
Where are you from?
Back at my international high school in Tokyo, I could answer this seemingly simple question with, “I was born in Canada, but I was raised in Japan,” and that would be that. Many of my friends answered with two or three countries and it seemed like a perfectly-appropriate reply. However,[Read More…]
Quebec is legalizing cannabis—barely
Legal marijuana is set to hit stores and online markets country-wide in less than a month, and many Canadians are eagerly awaiting this change. Amidst the excitement, Quebec is taking a sideways attitude toward legalization. Quebec’s hesitance to embrace the benefits of legal cannabis has resulted in half-baked rules and[Read More…]
Straws aren’t the problem
A consensus has emerged: Plastic straws are bad. But the reasons why these flimsy cylinders of plastic are suddenly (not) at the tip of everyone’s tongues may not stand up to scrutiny. It’s comforting to see that McGill’s favourite neighbourhood spots are distancing themselves from the recently tabooed straw, but[Read More…]