Valérie Plante, Montréal’s new mayor, has openly supported providing services to citizens in the language that they are most comfortable with, be that English or French. Plante recently proposed promoting bilingualism in the Société de Transport de Montréal (STM) by providing emergency messages in multiple languages. However, the current provincial[Read More…]
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Viewpoint: Me and my cultural fatigue
Every year, thousands of students move to Montreal to begin their journey at McGill. Although the university’s multinational student body is a blessing for international students, moving to a new place often comes with a cost that goes unnoticed by locals. When I moved to Montreal from Mumbai, I was[Read More…]
Breastfed babies are less likely to develop eczema
Since the 1950s, breastfeeding has been almost a taboo subject in the United States and Canada. A simple Google search of “breastfeeding” shows top news stories of women being shamed by strangers for breastfeeding in public. This negative response might help explain the low rates of breastfeeding in many developed[Read More…]
Studying bird speech patterns can explain universal grammar rules
In the 1960s, Noam Chomsky, a linguist at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, observed that different languages across the world have common patterns. Chomsky postulated the Theory of Universal Grammar (UG), which suggests that humans have created languages and grammar rules that conveniently fit with how our brain is organized.[Read More…]
2017 Year End Top Ten Albums
Minerva schedules cause confusion over semester end dates
Every academic year, the Committee on Enrolment and Students Affairs (CESA) and the McGill University Senate approve the Calendar of Academic Dates, which stipulates dates for the start and end of classes and other important events throughout the semester. CESA and Senate approved the Calendar of Academic Dates 2017-2018 in[Read More…]
“Art a la Mode” bridges the gap to the future of art
A street artist, a professor, a tattoo artist, a videogame designer, and a curator all walk into a bar—or rather, a McGill University auditorium. On Nov. 30, the McGill Students’ Visual Arts Society (MSVAS) presented “Art à la Mode: Keeping Art Current,” a Q&A discussion panel questioning visual art’s position[Read More…]
ESports enter the McGill arena
On Dec. 3, eight teams of students from universities across North America battled in the Tespa Collegiate Series: Overwatch quarterfinals. Tespa—”a network of college clubs founded to promote gaming culture and host the best college eSports events and competitions”—is one of many organizations dedicated to collegiate eSports, or competitive video-gaming.[Read More…]
Short guides to active viewership and listening
Active Viewership Throw your cellphone, food, and “friend” out the window Rather than splitting your time between different distractions, do one thing at a time! Ask “Why?” Take for granted that filmmakers know what they are doing, and that all things happen for a reason. Questioning every artistic decision will[Read More…]
Pulling back the curtain: Access to sports superstars through social media
“I Dont wanna be here,” tweeted then-Phoenix Suns point guard Eric Bledsoe on Oct. 22. When he pressed send, Bledsoe had used a little over seven per cent of Twitter’s now 280-character limit to captivate the entire basketball world. Within a few hours, sports news sites picked up the tweet[Read More…]