Urban universities take up a lot of space, and their presence has a profound impact on local neighborhoods’ economies. When universities such as McGill, Concordia, or the University of Montreal (UdeM) expand their properties or develop new ones, property values in the surrounding area tend to increase and developers pressure[Read More…]
Opinion
Opinions from our editorial board and contributors.
Construction is inevitable, accessibility barriers are not
The McGill experience would not be complete without campus construction. However, while some campus improvements are necessary, construction should not bar students or faculty with disabilities from participating in classes and campus life. Able-bodied people may see construction as damaging to the campus’ aesthetics, but for disabled McGill students, construction[Read More…]
It’s time to abandon fast fashion
Over the last five years in the fashion industry, an area dominated by gratuitous marketing, social media, and online shopping, consumers have increasingly rewarded brands that can keep up with rapidly-evolving trends. This phenomenon, dubbed “fast fashion,” refers to cheap clothing that becomes popular because of its accessibility and trendiness.[Read More…]
Mental health requires more than hashtags and hotlines
Content warning: Mentions of self-harm and suicide. People are uncomfortable talking about sadness. Discussions of tragic events are often met sympathetically, with ‘I’m sorry,’ if not ignored. Perhaps out of knee-jerk politeness, people are reluctant to exercise empathy. We would much rather turn our backs on the pain of others,[Read More…]
Racial profiling in Montreal threatens safety of racialized people
A report released by three professors at l’Université de Montreal released on Oct. 7 found that the Service de police de la Ville de Montréal (SPVM) were 11 times more likely to stop Indigenous women on the street than white women, four to five times more likely to subject black[Read More…]
Voting responsibly means voting sustainably
Just as abrupt changes in leaves’ colours herald the coming of winter, shifts in global environment signal that our world is on the cusp of a climate crisis. There is currently an insect apocalypse, and the drastic decline in global bird populations over the past few decades is starting to[Read More…]
Climate change requires global thinking and local action
Following a decade of vacancy, the City of Montreal has announced a plan to convert 43 hectares of land, once home to the Bluebonnets racetrack, into the city’s first carbon-neutral neighbourhood. The 10-year plan for the Namur-Hippodrome neighbourhood includes the development of 5,000 housing units, an emphasis on public transit,[Read More…]
OSD note-takers are another example of undervalued labour on campus
McGill’s Office for Students with Disabilities (OSD) is responsible for facilitating wider access to learning and providing adequate resources for all students. To this end, one of the services offered by the OSD is providing notes for students who may be unable to take their own. Note-takers are tasked with[Read More…]
The Involuntary Leave Policy lacks foresight
Content warning: Mentions of mental health issues In September, the Office for the Dean of Students, released an “Involuntary Leave Policy”, the process for which has now been suspended. An “Involuntary Leave Policy” sub-policy would allow the university to place a student who is “in crisis” on involuntary leave until[Read More…]
Cancel political stan culture
I have mixed feelings about the discourse that inevitably surrounds election seasons. Though I enjoy a good Scheer-centric takedown as much as the next person, I find myself unnerved by the surface level engagement on social media where stan culture intermingles with politics. Stan is shorthand for ‘stalker fan’ and[Read More…]