In theory, social media platforms should be a boundless, intellectual, free market for sharing ideas. It’s a platform for individuals to effortlessly and instantly share their views. In turn, all users would be subjected to a wide range of views from all sides of the ideological spectrum. This, however, has[Read More…]
Commentary
No party is the ‘science party:’ The problem with politicizing science
The concept of the “anti-science” right isn’t new to political discussion; conservatives are consistently seen as the major perpetrators of anti-science rhetoric. A 2009 Pew Research poll described a mere six per cent of scientists in the U.S. as identifying with Republican views. According to the two-party political system, this[Read More…]
Instagram on the right track with new self-harm prevention feature
The combination of academics, finances, and relationships can strain students’ mental health. A 2013 survey of over 30,000 post-secondary students conducted by the Canadian Organization of University and College Health revealed that 63 per cent of students reported feeling lonely, and 50 per cent of students reported feeling hopeless. Significantly,[Read More…]
The future of birth control must include all genders
The results of a trial for male birth control, published in the Journal of Endocrinology and Metabolism, have sparked outrage and frustration. After 20 of 320 men dropped out of the study due to adverse side effects, the trials were discontinued. Altogether, the men participating in the trial reported 1,491[Read More…]
The social hangover of McGill’s drinking culture
I was at a café the other week, trying to decide between one croissant or two croissants, when I found myself confronted with an all-too-frequent crisis—I was faced with a familiar face, but no name to put to it. Luckily, she seemed to be in the same dilemma. We locked[Read More…]
Why isn’t mental health the top priority at McGill?
On Oct. 24, the Students’ Society of McGill University (SSMU) hosted a Q&A panel to address questions regarding the state of mental health at McGill. Only 16 students attended the panel out of a population of over 39,000. Whether the low attendance rate was due to the stress of midterms[Read More…]
When hate trumps hope
On the morning of Nov. 8, I awoke with an overwhelming sense of pride and excitement over the possibility—in my head, it was almost a certainty—of a woman in the White House. After 44 male presidents, an incredibly qualified woman was about to claim the 45th spot and change the[Read More…]
In appreciation of the McGill Library
When I look at the McGill Library, I am grateful for its extensive variety of academic sources, which have been vital to my studies. Recently, the University of Ottawa decided to cancel thousands of individual journal and database subscriptions in order to make up for a $1.5 million budget shortfall[Read More…]
Designated smoking areas rather than smoke-free campus
On Oct. 18, McGill sent an email to students detailing a policy proposal on the movement towards a smoke-free campus. The proposal states that the Downtown Campus will prohibit smoking on the premises—aside from the Upper Residences, which will have a designated smoking area. I am not a smoker. With[Read More…]
Remembrance Day should not be an occasion for indifference
The time of year has once again arrived when we see bright scarlet poppies pinned on the breasts of innumerable coats and sweaters. Evoking the frightening clashes of bayonets upon bloody fields, the reverberating shocks and explosions of shells colliding with rain-beaten garrisons, and the agonized screams of trembling men,[Read More…]
