Bill 62 is a xenophobic piece of legislation that is not reflective of the multicultural values upheld at McGill. The bill, passed by the provincial government on Oct. 18, prohibits citizens from covering their faces while giving and using public services. Justified under the guise of religious neutrality and security,[Read More…]
Editorial
On sexual violence policy reform, it’s McGill’s turn
In the 2018 Quacquarelli Symonds World University Rankings, McGill was the second best school in Canada. Maclean’s just named the university the number one medical and doctoral school in Canada, for the 13th year in a row. In contrast, last week the inter-university student group Our Turn gave McGill’s Policy Against Sexual Violence—passed in[Read More…]
It’s time to decide on AVEQ affiliation—whatever that means
If you Google the acronym “AVEQ,” the top result is a Quebec electric vehicle association—Association des Véhicules Électriques du Québec. The website probably saw an unexpected spike in traffic during McGill's 2016 Winter Referendum, when students voted on the Students’ Society of McGill University (SSMU) becoming a member of the Association[Read More…]
McGill residences: More than just a roof overhead
McGill guarantees residence for all first-year students under the age of 22. Yet, the conditions of this guarantee are murky. McGill’s residence system intentionally accepts more applications than it has capacity for, counting on cancellations to accommodate all of the incoming first-year students. This year, without enough cancellations, McGill was[Read More…]
Accessible care or adequate care: Students with eating disorders shouldn’t have to choose
McGill’s Mental Health and Counselling Services face a twofold challenge: Make mental health care efficient and accessible to all students, while ensuring that care is appropriate to each student’s specific needs. Given limited resources, it is not an easy balance to strike. But it is, fundamentally, a balance—not an either-or[Read More…]
Separating criticism from cynicism when evaluating McGill’s student leaders
Often, students at McGill regard the Students’ Society of McGill University (SSMU) as an inefficient, incompetent, and divisive organization. Some of these perceptions are reasonably grounded in SSMU executives’ past mistakes. Last February, campus was rocked by Vice-President (VP) External David Aird’s resignation, following a statement released by the Community[Read More…]
The McGill community must confront the fentanyl crisis—or risk fatal consequences
McGill Frosh week just ended. It’s September’s biggest party, and, for many students, a comprehensive introduction to the school’s drinking and drug culture. Healthy McGill, Floor Fellows, and other student leaders encourage first-years to have fun, but be safe—they acknowledge that some young people do drugs, and emphasize harm reduction over lecturing[Read More…]
Searching for McGill pride
School spirit at McGill is an elusive concept. McGill students lack the hallmarks of typical university pride, like packed varsity games and roaring homecoming events. Attendance at McGill varsity games is notoriously low, and our homecoming is a far cry from the raucousness at other universities. That isn’t to say[Read More…]
Beyond zero-tolerance: McGill needs a new approach to deal with hazing
On March 13, The Globe & Mail published an article detailing a hazing incident that occurred in September 2015 involving McGill’s men’s and women’s basketball teams. The piece, based on the testimony of an anonymous member of the Redmen basketball team, alleged that first-year players were forced to drink various[Read More…]
The uphill battle to restoring trust in SSMU
On March 17, the results of this year’s Students’ Society of McGill University (SSMU) executive elections were announced. The entire process took less than 10 minutes. But brevity was to be expected–as is typical for SSMU elections, many of this year’s positions were uncontested, and the low level of fanfare[Read More…]