COMMENTARY: Why we need the Trib

Let’s talk about accountability. I realize that sounds about as enticing as “let’s shovel horse manure” or “let’s talk about our relationship,” but bear with me. Right now, a student politician is wasting your money. Or maybe – if it’s a good day – they’re just saying something stupid on your behalf.

SSMU Candidate Interviews

JOSHUA ABAKI What has Rebecca Dooley done right this year, and what would you do differently? One of the things she has done well is getting student opinion – for example, “The McGill We Want.” I think that’s a very important task force, because it shows the McGill administration that we are actually going out there and getting the student mandate.

SSMU Election Endorsement: President Sarah Woolf

After careful consideration, the McGill Tribune Editorial Board proudly presents our fifth annual SSMU election candidate endorsements. While this year’s ballot includes two acclamations, we still provide our analysis of each candidate’s potential, along with our thoughts on the referendum questions (page 9).

LETTER TO THE EDITOR: Tribune misses the point of the endless Dr. Cornett letters.

Re: “Dr. Cornett’s favorite play? Monty Python’s Spamalot.” by Anait Keuchguerian (9.2.10) Under the banner of academic transparency, a recent student letter advocated the screening of Alanis Obomsawin’s documentary about the remarkable teaching style of Norman Cornett, a professor whom McGill let go three years ago.

With referendum vote, Tribune is poised for independence

In what Opinion Editor Matt Chesser called a “do-or-die” situation, The McGill Tribune’s future will be determined by a SSMU referendum next week. Should the referendum question pass, the Tribune would become fully independent after 29 years as a publication under the auspices of the Students’ Society.

Tuition comments spark protest

In response to the Quebec Minister of Education Michelle Courchesne’s recent hint that tuition may increase in Quebec, a small group of McGill students gathered in protest at the Roddick Gates on February 18. Some carried signs reading, “Courchesne I can’t afford your lies” while others passed out flyers explaining that since the 2007 deregulation of tuition fees for Quebec and out-of-province students, tuition has increased by approximately $100 per year.

Funding cuts may shut First Nations University’s doors for good

The First Nations University of Canada, North America’s only fully accredited Aboriginal university, has had a rough year. The school’s future is up in the air after losing over $12 million dollars in provincial and federal funding cuts in late January and early February.

Dentistry grad criticizes Quebec’s language exam

Jennifer Plotnick, a recent graduate from the McGill Faculty of Dentistry, has found herself with an unenviable commute due to Quebec’s language requirements. After failing to meet the French language requirements for out-of-province professionals, Plotnick now drives nearly two hours every morning to practice dentistry in Plattsburgh, New York.

THIRD MAN IN: The NBA Cares?

There are a number of words and phrases that we can use to describe the embarrassment that was the NBA Dunk Contest on Saturday night: worst of all time; forgettable; pathetic; mind-bogglingly bad. With a lineup featuring zero legitimate stars, and two players averaging less than 22 minutes per game, the event that many suspected was on wobbly legs finally came crashing down.

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