It was on my first hunt, six years ago, that a bear charged me. I was pretending to be a moose. My dad and I were crossing the Secret River, deep in Yukon Territory’s wilderness, in our motorboat. It was the first evening of the hunt, and we wanted to[Read More…]
Tag: family
Surviving college as a commuter student
Having grown up in the Montreal suburbs, I’ve always felt like living at home while going to McGill would guarantee that I’d be left out of the “college experience.” Thankfully (sort of), my first year was during the height of COVID-19, meaning there wasn’t much to miss out on. But[Read More…]
Attempting to bridge the gap: A family divided by COVID-19
At the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic when we were all shut into our homes, washing our groceries when we got home from the store and buying every disinfectant we could get our hands on, everyone in my extended family agreed that we had to do everything necessary to keep[Read More…]
Tips to help recreate the dread of seeing your family over winter break, from home!
Content Warning: Sexual harassment Every year when December rolls around and finals season ends, McGill students have only one thing in mind—winter break. Sadly, due to COVID-19 restrictions and safety concerns, we know many of you are unable to head home to see your families this year. Fortunately, we have[Read More…]
Life as an atheist liberal feminist in the American South
For as long as I can remember, I have been described with juxtapositions: Short yet bold; quiet yet opinionated; Southern yet Democrat; young yet informed; petite yet strong. Once you add feminist and atheist to the list, I become even more of an enigma. Growing up in the southern United[Read More…]
The unexpected irony of self-isolation
Before COVID-19 forced the shutdown of public institutions and non-essential services, my life followed a stable routine. On most days, if I wasn’t already gone for an early shift at work, I would get to McGill at around 9:00 am for my morning classes, spend my free time at the[Read More…]
Ask Ainsley: Coming home for the holidays
Dear Ainsley, I’m dreading going home for the holidays and seeing my family again, and this fear has been hanging over me since midterms. My parents can be really strict and critical, especially about my weight, grades, and struggles with my mental health. The prospect of seeing them again and[Read More…]
Love at first bite
We set the scene on a Sunday afternoon. Dinnertime is approaching and my family has elected to order in. We shuffle through a list of options, and settle on Eastern Twist, a sandwich shop a couple of blocks away that sells barbecue chicken wraps—a form of Americanized roti, an Asian fusion[Read More…]
Social media: The scrapbook of our time
Being a naturally private person, I have never felt social media came easily to me. I’ve often found myself sympathizing with those who criticize my generation for our tendency to overshare online, not because I see it as symptomatic of narcissism, but simply because I don’t share the same impulse.[Read More…]
What my parents’ polyamory taught me
It was a peculiar sequence of events: I remember walking downstairs and seeing my mother lying down with someone else in our living room. I remember my dad coming home from yet another business trip. It had been about two weeks since I’d last seen him. I remember sitting in[Read More…]
