Ahoy, matey! Whether you spent the summer traveling the Seven Seas, working for an evil ship captain, or are just feeling a bit washed up after Frosh – the fact is you’re back on solid ground, and we’re here to help you through the year ahead. Before the seemingly endless winter sets in, we encourage you to take a gander through this issue’s Disorientation Guide and get acquainted with what McGill and Montreal have to offer.
If this is your first day on the island, think of us as your compass to cultural, political, and otherwise news-worthy events happening on campus and around the city – and know that we won’t be doing any more tacky themed issues throughout the year, because they get annoying. Fast. (Arrr…)
Let’s go over the basics. Alongside Le Délit, our French language sister publication that occupies the same office as us in the Shatner basement, the McGill Daily is the only fully independent and autonomous student newspaper on campus. We seek out, thoroughly research, and carefully evaluate stories of importance to the student community. We focus on stories and issues often ignored or neglected by mainstream media. And unlike many media outlets who make impossible claims to pure objectivity in their reporting, we don’t bother hiding our biases – they’re listed in our Statement of Principles, which you can find below.
Also, students are the only ones steering this ship. That means the Daily needs you like fish need gills. We need you to come to meetings, write stories, take pictures, pitch ideas, and even read this thing. You may as well; as soon as you’ve paid your student fees, you are a member of the Daily Publications Society. Even if you decide not to join us on the production side, we print every letter members send us, so long as it’s not sexist, homophobic, racist, libelous, or otherwise hateful. We want you to use the Daily as a forum for the issues and debates that matter to you.
We’ll do our best to help you navigate the waters that lie ahead. With the TA strike behind us, another one – MUNACA, the union for University’s non-academic workers – seems to be looming just around the corner. Both groups have accused the administration of being completely apathetic toward the quality of campus life, and we’re tempted to agree. Revoking clubs’ and campus groups’ right to use “McGill” in their names has become a yearly threat, and room booking and event-planning for students is nearly impossible.
Meanwhile, young buccaneers, we’re bracing ourselves for an election-heavy season, and whatever else the high seas might send our way. Take comfort in knowing that whatever happens this year – whether you lose your fishing rod, have a fight with the deck crew, or just feel like McGill is making you walk the plank – we’ll be here, tossing you a lifevest and doing other nautical-y shit.