For McGill students and faculty in the Arts, these cuts will have disastrous consequences. McGill’s announcement is the latest blow in years of major rollbacks to the Arts department. In 2013, the university scrapped 100 Arts classes for the 2013-14 academic year, in what our Editorial Board then described as “a deprioritization of the Arts program at McGill and a disregard for student feedback.” A 2016 article by the Bull & Bear examined the trickle-down impact of provincial and university funding cuts on the Arts department. These cuts hindered the department’s ability to hire new faculty and teaching assistants (TAs), grant McGill undergraduates access to proper advising resources, and provide the necessary courses for students’ programs of study.

The 2024-25 academic year has been no exception to this alarming trend. In the wake of the Legault government’s tuition hikes targeting anglophone universities like McGill, as well as the federal government’s restrictions on study permits for international students, the ensuing slew of cuts was all but guaranteed. At the beginning of the Fall term, rumours circulated of more Arts classes possibly being dropped. This term has seen the university push for a 15 per cent reduction in Arts TA hours, which the Association of Graduate Students Employed at McGill (AGSEM) — the union representing TAs at McGill — is urgently organizing against. The TA dearth in the Arts is especially dire following years of austerity measures, with reports of some 100-student classes being assigned a singular TA.

This disheartening mentality — that somehow the humanities are expendable, that they must always be the first on the chopping block when it comes to tightening the fiscal belt — is a notion that is neither new nor unique to our university. Over the last decade, the humanities have been in decline across North America. According to Statistics Canada, post-secondary enrollment in the humanities has dropped by 18.5 per cent between the 2002-03 and 2022-23 academic years. A 2018 article in The Atlantic discussed a similar decline in the United States, with the percentage of humanities majors with respect to degrees in the US dropping from approximately seven to four percent between 2010 and 2017.

Drew Faust, former President of Harvard University, attributed this decline to “the pressure that students are feeling and being subject to about finding jobs and making sure their financial investment in education is going to pay off.” Her assessment is evidently reflected in enrollment trends for other, more financially lucrative subjects. Concurrently to the humanities’ crisis, the number of post-secondary students in science, engineering, and business has seen unprecedented growth. In Canada, the annual number of mathematics and computer science majors nearly doubled from 78,000 in 2002-03 to 142,000 in 2022-23. In the same timeframe, the number of business and management majors increased by 60 per cent, and the number of health-related majors by nearly 50 per cent.

This combination of financial stresses and peer pressure has fuelled a vicious cycle against the humanities: the lack of students leads to further cuts in the Arts by government and university administrations, thus driving the next berth of aspiring humanities majors away from gutted programs. “Students and their parents have increasingly come to see a college or university education as vocational training,” observed Paul L. Jay, Professor of English at Loyola University Chicago, in his 2014 book The Humanities “Crisis” and the Future of Literary Studies. “[People] want maximum value for the high cost of higher education, and that value is increasingly measured in utilitarian terms.”

To challenge this decline, some North American universities have taken to mandating a basic Arts curriculum for all undergraduate students, regardless of major. The Core Curriculum at Columbia University, in place since 1919, consists of a shared five-course syllabus in the humanities for all undergraduates. The Curriculum aims to “introduce cornerstone ideas and theories from across literature, philosophy, history, science, and the arts,” setting up a baseline in the Arts that is absent for non-Arts majors at many other institutions. Similarly, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology upholds the humanities, arts, and social sciences (HASS) requirement, especially important considering its critical role and reputation as a STEM-focused university.

Unfortunately, McGill — and Canadian institutions as a whole — are falling behind. Just last year, Queen’s University implemented catastrophic cuts to their Faculty of Arts and Sciences (FAS). A January 2024 report by Queen’s Journal detailed how, supposedly in response to Ontario’s Premier Doug Ford’s tuition freeze, the university cut “undergraduate classes with less than 10 students and graduate classes with less than five students” in the FAS, while further shuttering “admissions to Arts and Science Online degree and certificate programs.” These cuts were implemented despite months of student campaigning, and following a $100 million donation by alumnus Stephen Smith to the very engineering department named after him.

The fate of Queen’s University’s FAS could be a harbinger of what awaits McGill’s Arts faculty and students. Provincial funding cuts? Check. An administration that seems hellbent on kicking the “less profitable” departments to the curb when it comes to distributing those cuts? Check. Such a mindset — that in order for a department to be successful, they must bring monetary benefit to the university — is abhorrent and in direct opposition to McGill’s very mission statement preaching “the advancement of learning and the creation and dissemination of knowledge.” The very purpose of universities is to enable intellectual pursuits that would not be possible elsewhere. We are not Wall Street venture funds: we are places where passionate people gather and teach and learn.

Universities and governments should be doing everything possible to make the humanities more accessible. Nonetheless, when faced with the prospect of austerity cuts, the McGill administration is once again throwing the Arts under the bus. Once more, the Arts are on the chopping block — and it is up to us, the students of McGill, to defend it.

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In recent years, generative AI has wormed itself into every aspect of our lives. This fusion has been two-sided: as OpenAI and other Big Tech companies continue to train their large language models (LLMs) on data collected from their user base, we have also been gradually integrating generative AI into our daily routines.

This parasitic relationship has progressed to the point where we find ourselves on the verge of being unable to separate human from machine. You can post a piece of artwork online, and DALL-E could intake that piece and produce an imitation for a different user the next day. The production team behind The Brutalist used AI tools to intensify the Hungarian accents of its actors, as well as to generate drawings and buildings within the film. Among students at all levels, chatbots like ChatGPT have grown in use and, in some cases, have become directly involved in academics. Egregiously, AI has infiltrated even the most intimate human interactions, with online dating platforms now crawling with scammers disguised behind stolen avatars and honey-tongued chatbots.

Recent years have proven that the dangers of artificial intelligence are not restricted to stolen artist credit, academic dishonesty, and catfished date-seekers. Globally, the AI revolution has sent shockwaves rocketing through environmental and sociopolitical spheres.

Artificial intelligence has a well-hidden but significant ecological footprint. Most models of generative AI, such as OpenAI’s flagship ChatGPT-4o, require large volumes of computing power in order to operate. 

This exorbitant use of computing power consumes substantial quantities of electricity. On average, having ChatGPT answer a query uses up to ten times as much electricity as the corresponding Google search. Goldman Sachs predicts “that data center power demand will grow 160% by 2030,” contributing to a third of all new American electricity demand from 2022 to 2030. Additionally, these data centers require large quantities of water to cool  down. A University of California Riverside study found that entering as little as ten queries into ChatGPT will make a data centre consume roughly half a litre of water.

These numbers grow once the scale of generative AI’s user base is taken into account. A 2023 report by the United States Department of Energy revealed that across America, data centers consumed 66 billion litres of water annually, over three times as much water than the 21.2 billion litres consumed in 2014. This comes as climate change fuels droughts, wildfires, and extreme temperatures across the world — in California, for instance, where Silicon Valley and many of Big Tech’s data centers are located.

In the sociopolitical dimension, AI has entrenched itself as a tool for disseminating disinformation and serving authoritarian and imperial agendas. According to researchers from Google, Duke University, and multiple fact-checking organizations, AI-generated or manipulated images have rapidly grown in frequency to become one of the most prominent forms of false information today. Even credible organizations have resorted to such means: Amnesty International came under fire in 2021 after publishing AI-generated photos as “evidence” of police brutality in Colombia. Similarly, law enforcement agencies have begun consulting AI in criminal investigations without regard for personal privacy. For instance, both Canadian and American law enforcement have used AI facial recognition to identify suspects, as reported by the Washington Post and the CBC. 

Most worrying of all is the militarization of AI. The genocide in Gaza could be considered the first true AI-powered war, with the Israeli military employing artificial intelligence on an industrial scale to identify and kill Palestinians. Publically, the IDF has admitted to using an AI targeting system called Habsora (“The Gospel”) to “produce targets at a fast pace” among buildings and structures supposedly used by Palestinian militants. Aviv Kochavi, former head of the IDF, has boasted about the Israeli military intelligence’s “Matrix-like capabilities,” with these systems reportedly first finding use in Israel’s May 2021 bombing campaign on Gaza.

An investigation by +972 Magazine and Local Call revealed that the IDF also deployed additional systems called “Lavender” and “Where’s Daddy” during the Gaza genocide. Officially, Lavender was designed to “mark all suspected operatives in the military wings of Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ), including low-ranking ones, as potential bombing targets.” Little to no follow-up was given to Lavender’s targets, with military officials treating each of the AI’s outputs “as if it were a human decision.” Up to 37,000 Palestinians could have been directly targeted in such a manner, with the IDF authorizing the AI to permit “15 or 20 civilians” to be killed for every “junior operative,” and “more than 100 civilians in the assassination of a single commander.” Afterward, “Where’s Daddy” was used to identify whenever targets selected by Lavender had entered their family homes, in order to kill the entire family in a single airstrike.

These abominations are powered by the very tech companies that bring us our AI chatbots. The Israeli armed forces rely on Microsoft for IT services, with this dependence deepening significantly since late 2023. Microsoft cloud platform Azure is used by military intelligence agencies such the infamous Unit 8200, attributed as the developer of Lavender. OpenAI tools like ChatGPT “accounted for a quarter of the military’s consumption of machine learning tools provided by Microsoft” at one point in 2024. This follows in the footsteps of OpenAI’s removal of its restrictions on military use of ChatGPT in January of last year. At this rate, AI-powered systems are poised to become the literal conveyor belts in the butcher houses of imperial wars.

Here at McGill, though, none of these horrors seem to have settled in. The university has recently touted a “secure version of Microsoft Copilot” specifically tailored for academic use, complete with a handy MyCourses module for students to learn how to use the generative AI “safely, productively, and responsibly.” The very same Microsoft which has been offering its services to a bloodthirsty apartheid state. The very same GPT trained on our user data, so that it can be used by Israel to murder Palestinians.

What safety, we ask, when police agencies chip away at our fundamental rights in their AI-powered investigations? What productivity, when Big Tech companies gobble up resources and personal data in their artificial intelligence frenzies? What responsibility, when AI systems have fuelled the first televised genocide in history?

On the other side of the chatbot is not just a machine, but an equally soulless imperial system that perpetuates cycles of inequality, oppression, and violence. It is more critical than ever to reject this dystopian reality, and latch onto what makes us human: our creativity, our diversity, and our empathy.

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Little Burgundy was once home to Montreal’s largest Black community, dating all the way back to 1887. The area was positioned between two of the city’s major train stations, which attracted the hundreds of Black railway workers who had migrated to Montreal from the United States, the Caribbean, and the Maritimes. This unique community of English-speaking, working-class Black porters became an important hub for the larger fight against racial injustice in Canada. In order to combat the discriminatory laws enforced by white railway unions in the country, Black railway porters formed their own union in 1917, the Order of Sleeping Car Porters, which was the first Black labour union in North America. The group fought for better wages and fairer working conditions for Black railway porters, and their battle for equity was one of the most important labour rights movements of its time.

In the 1920s, Montreal was also playing a pivotal role in the emergence of jazz culture across North America. Little Burgundy in particular was known for producing many talented jazz musicians, including all-time Canadian greats like Oscar Peterson and Oliver Jones. The neighbourhood was home to a number of nightclubs catering to the young Black population in the area, and soon the city became famous for its lively nightlife across Canada. Among these bars, Rockhead’s Paradise was one of the most famous — the first in Montreal to be owned by a Black businessman, Rufus Rockhead. He was known for encouraging rising talent among jazz musicians in Montreal, and Rockhead’s Paradise even hosted American artists such as Louis Armstrong and Billie Holiday. The impact that jazz culture has had on the city is undeniable, with Montreal continuing to host the largest annual jazz festival in the world even today.

Further still, Black activist groups in 1920s Montreal proved crucial for the advancement of civil rights movements across North America. Malcolm X’s parents, Earl and Louise Little, met in Montreal in 1917 and consequently married here in 1919. They met while attending meetings at the Montreal branch of Marcus Garvey’s Universal Negro Improvement Association (UNIA), which had 32 chapters in Canada by 1922. Earl and Louise eventually relocated to the United States, with their son Malcolm being born in 1925 in Omaha — soon to become civil rights leader Malcolm X. These huge connections between Canadian and American Black history deserve more recognition when we talk about Black nationalism in Canada today.

Beyond activism, Montreal has been and continues to be a hub for Black culture. The city is home to Canada’s oldest professional Black theatre group, the Black Theatre Workshop, which was founded in 1971 and continues to showcase multiple plays a year. This Black History Month, they are presenting a new play, Vierge, by Montreal-based playwright Rachel Mutombo. Montreal also has the privilege of housing Canada’s oldest Black church congregation, the Union United Church, and Canada’s oldest Black women’s club, the Coloured Women’s Club of Montreal. Steps away from Solin Hall, a McGill residence, the Union United Church hosts weekly services and community programming. Painted on the side of the church is a bold, vibrant mural of Nelson Mandela, who visited it in 1990. The church remains a beacon for the local community to this day. All of these are just examples of how deeply rooted Black culture is within the city, and how it continues to shape the very fabric of Montreal today.

Living in a city like Montreal comes with the responsibility of understanding the history that has shaped it — not just in February, but throughout the year. We are surrounded by a profound culture that is easily accessible to us everyday, whether it is through watching local performances of Black theatre or attending jazz concerts by iconic Montreal artists. Making an active effort to bring light to local Black history and engage with the culture around us goes a long way in creating a more inclusive and vibrant society.

At McGill specifically, the University is organizing events throughout the month that celebrate Black culture and history. The Equity Team will be holding an opening ceremony on February 6th, hosted by award-winning architect Shane Lapiste, who earned both his Bachelors of Science and Masters of Architecture from McGill. The Team will also be hosting a Black community gathering on February 19, bringing together Black students, staff, and faculty members over a free lunch. McGill is also holding various community events throughout the month, from concerts to entrepreneurship panels to research webinars — all celebrating Black excellence and innovation.

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Indigenous households are three times as likely to have experienced some form of homelessness when compared with the total population. As reported by The McGill Daily, while Indigenous people only make up 0.6 per cent of Montréal’s population, they make up 12 per cent of the visibly unhoused people in the city. This overrepresentation in Montréal’s unhoused population is a direct result of the perpetual displacement and marginalization of Indigenous people by the Canadian government. Despite being a reason behind the high number of unhoused Indigenous people, the government’s actions have been insufficient in quelling this crisis.

The government has dedicated millions of dollars to help all unhoused people in Montréal during both the winter and summer months. Most recently, the Québec government secured nearly 50 million dollars to aid homelessness in the province. Still, these efforts aren’t being reflected in the day-to-day experience of many unhoused people here. A report from the Québec government in 2022 found that there were approximately 4,690 visibly unhoused people in Montréal. However, it is almost certain that this number has risen since then. Seemingly contradictory to their financial efforts, agencies of the Québec government, such as the Transport Ministry, have been brutally dismantling encampments of unhoused people across Montréal throughout the winter. When encampments are disassembled, there is often a large police presence, creating an environment that is deeply distressing. A bystander who witnessed a particular dismantling near Atwater Market reported seeing authorities “rip tents out of people’s hands.” Encampments have been disassembled across Montréal with a complete disregard for occupants’ wellbeing by the same government that claims they are “committed to ending homelessness.” In addition, many people who become displaced by the dismantling of the encampments are left without a place to go, since many shelters are fully occupied.

Despite limited resources, local shelters in Montréal have continued to aid unhoused people as best they can. Shelters like CAP St-Barnabé struggle to accommodate the large number of unhoused people who need somewhere warm and safe to stay during the cold winter months. During the coldest time of year, being unhoused is even more dangerous. Since temperatures aren’t expected to rise until March, it’s imperative that we aid unhoused people as much as we can. With the Arctic blast this past week, it puts unhoused people who have to be outside for extended periods of time at risk for conditions like hypothermia or frostbite. Just this past December, a man passed away outside in the cold, a death which Mayor Plante cited as “avoidable.” However, though the death of this man and many other people experiencing homelessness this winter are avoidable, they are not being prevented. With many shelters constantly operating at full capacity, it means that many people do not have access to a safe, warm place to sleep.

Despite government and community efforts to combat homelessness, if attitudes around homelessness don’t change, we will continue to turn our heads while our fellow community members suffer. Though the visible nature of homelessness can lead us to believe that it’s caused by the individual, it’s important that we examine the wider systems in place. Taking a people-first approach is a necessary step to changing the way that we talk about those who are unhoused. This approach encourages us to be mindful of the language used when discussing homelessness to make it more inclusive, positive, and empowering. As our language changes, our mindset and actions will follow. Evidence of our collective mindset about homelessness is shown by the lack of accurate figures available for unhoused people in Montréal and across Canada. Furthermore, there is also a lack of coverage around the deaths of unhoused people, which are only investigated if they “occur under violent or obscure circumstances.”

Homelessness in Montréal and Canada is a result of many different failing systems. Even if we don’t have the ability to change laws, we can still support organizations and shelters that work towards uplifting those vulnerable in our communities, and educate ourselves. If you want to get involved, consider volunteering or donating to organizations like Resilience Montréal, Dans la Rue, Mission Old Brewery, Angels of Mercy, Chez Doris, and CAP St-Baranbé. If you want to know more about homelessness in Montréal and beyond, The Canadian Observatory on Homelessness has many different initiatives, such as The Homeless Hub, which has a database of studies and statistics, while The Homelessness Learning Hub provides free courses that train and educate about homelessness in Canada. It’s extremely important not to underestimate how much change you can make as an individual.

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The Trump administration has plans to finish what it started in 2016, a threat it makes very seriously. Trump’s anti-immigration rhetoric is loaded with harmful claims about migrants at the U.S.-Mexico border, as he plans to dramatically reduce the number of refugees entering the country, end automatic citizenship for children born in the U.S. to immigrant parents, and enact the largest deportation event in U.S. history. He continuously brushes aside the issue of climate change; experts speculate a withdrawal from the Paris Agreement within his first days in office, in the wake of mass destruction from California wildfires.

Trump’s foreign policy is an issue of its own. His isolationist American ideology outlines a plan to potentially break off connections with long-term allied nations, disrupting a key system in international politics. The sheer absurdity of his plan to buy Canada and the 25 per cent tariffs he has threatened to impose on Canadian goods has distracted us from the pure aggression behind his threats. The nation is already feeling the implications of Trump’s presidency, as the Canadian federal government continues to tighten border security and prepares retaliation measures against his proposed tariffs.

Perhaps the most unsettling is the Trump administration’s Project 2025, co-written by The Heritage Foundation, one of America’s largest right-wing organizations. Among a long list of other concerning propositions, the plan will reorganize the federal government to support a conservative agenda. This includes limiting reproductive care and autonomy: ending diversity, equity, and inclusion plans in schools; and eliminating terms like “sexual orientation,” “gender equality,” “abortion,” and “reproductive rights” from all laws and federal regulations. This social vision is harmful and exclusionary, thinly veiled as a return to American traditionalism, and threatens the rights of the LGBTQ+ community, women, and all minorities.

Another Trump presidency will rewrite American culture, and the pervasion of conservative nationalism will strengthen throughout the sphere of global politics. America is not unique in witnessing this rise of right-wing ideology. Trump is a figurehead, however ridiculous, who is representative of the threat of the far-right felt across the globe. Right-wing populist parties gained ground internationally in 2024, from victories in parliamentary elections across Europe to a historical win in Australia’s national election. Canada too is feeling the threat of radical conservative politics: Conservative party leader Pierre Poilievre continues to gain support in his populist campaign. This new wave of ideology – what has been called “national conservatism” – is quickly becoming the right-wing paradigm in the contemporary “post-globalization and post-liberal era.”

Why has the West embraced social conservatism? What is it that people are truly seeking from these leaders?

Across the world, politics are polarizing: people are more ideologically divided than ever when it comes to the issue of tradition and social change. The current state of the Western world, both politically and socio-culturally, has only fed into this divide: a sluggish economy, political uncertainty, mass dissemination of misinformation, and the increasingly apparent effects of late-stage capitalism. Our affect has waned; we are jaded to social issues and trapped in a world of digital networks and internet escapism. People are looking for hope, the promise that things will get better, wherever they can find it – and they’ve turned towards billionaire conservative leaders at the expense of those who need our support the most. This normalization of right-wing rhetoric has had clear implications in the lives of marginalized people. Through the internet’s immediate transmission of ideas to their impressionable minds, young people have been conditioned to prioritize empty political promises over protection for minority rights. We are moving backwards, creating historical parallels that we cannot ignore. Overt bigotry is masked by policies that claim to restore liberty and freedom, which Vox call “democratic-sounding justification[s] for [right-wing leaders’] actions.”

The balance of our political landscape is teetering on the edge of a slippery slope. The past year has been one of change and uncertainty, but we cannot ignore the implications of Trump’s rhetoric and continue to treat conservative politics as a joke. We must acknowledge what is happening to our neighbors to the south, just as we must recognize the harmful nuances of national conservatism and right-wing populism in Canadian politics. These are not just political issues: they are social issues stunting us as a culture and leaving us incredibly susceptible to authoritarian control.

Politics affect everything we do, and we can no longer afford to pretend that they don’t. In a time when faith in democracy is dwindling, we must continue to make our voices heard, show up for our local governments to make change, and give a voice to those who don’t have one. Now is more important than ever for us to remain unified against hatred and bigotry, to stand together as a community, and speak out against injustice.

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The Daily ’s editorial board, however, believes that the New Year offers opportunities for forward thinking. Optimism, if utilized properly, can be a powerful tool to fuel the existing networks in
the community fighting for change. So, what are our resolutions in 2025?

In 2025, the Daily will continue fighting for the people of Gaza and advocating for the freedom of Palestinians. We will use our platform to pressure not only McGill administration but also national channels for divestment. We will strive to ensure full recognition of the genocide Israel is committing. As a publication rooted in student life, we will be more proactive in amplifying the lived experiences of Palestinian students and others who have been silenced. We will prioritize conducting more interviews with Palestinian members of our community and using other platforms to elevate their voices. We will provide resources to organizations on campus that seek to mobilize around Palestinian solidarity, such as SPHR McGill.

Amid ceasefire negotiations, Israel has intensified its attacks in both Gaza and the West Bank. Nearly two weeks into 2025, over 500 Palestinians have been recorded to have lost their lives at the hands of Israeli forces. Canada has stayed silent, and the US reinforces its defence of Israel, as seen with the recent bill passed to sanction the International Criminal Court in light of their arrest warrants against Netanyahu. Despite these hurdles, progress is imminent. Power exists in the hands of students and activists who can invigorate the movement and force our governments to pay attention. We cannot let such violence continue to uproot Palestinian livelihood and must enter 2025 with renewed resolve
to end this genocide.

In 2025, the Daily will continue to advocate for Ukraine’s sovereignty and for the withdrawal of Russian forces from Ukrainian territory. The future of the war on Ukraine has been unclear for several reasons. Since its onset in 2022, the war has become a burden for the Russian military, which has had over 400,000 soldiers either killed or injured in battle. US President Biden has targeted Russia’s oil industry in an effort to slow down the Russian economy and open up a pathway for peace negotiations. These new sanctions and weakened Russian forces have given the international community optimism for Russia’s full withdrawal.

Nevertheless, Russia continues to make slow but successful advances on Ukrainian territory. Ukrainian forces have lost over 43,000 soldiers, with an additional 370,000 injuries. US President-elect Trump has promised to end the war, but his current plan entail reduced military and financial aid to Ukraine. Russia has continued its media strategy of spreading misinformation in order to bolster its image in the US and turn public opinion away from Ukraine. In addition, Ukraine’s bid for NATO membership has been losing support among member nations. These factors point to an uncertain outcome for Ukrainians, though they may indicate incredible potential for positive change. In the coming year, the
Daily will remain attentive to the complexities of this war and be an outlet for Ukrainian support.

In 2025, the Daily will provide a platform for Syrian voices and closely track the rebuilding of community and culture in the newly liberated country. After thirteen years of severe repression by the
Assad regime in their struggle for democracy, the Syrian people are now in control of their own statehood. The Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), rebel forces who led the fight against Assad’s regime, have
seized control of the capital, Damascus, and have become the de facto governing authority in Syria. HTS has presented themselves as a moderate militant group, distancing their ideas from the political radicalism of Al-Qaeda, from which they branched off. However, the UN Security Council has designated HTS as a terrorist group, opening the possibility for future aggression and backlash from other countries, especially the US. The group has recently committed acts of terror against Syrian civilians, including the targeting and torture of vocally dissenting citizens, particularly women and journalists.

Additionally, HTS does not possess the resources to defend themselves against other militant groups, such as Turkish-backed rebels, and have yet to establish a clear plan for state-building. At the end of the civil war, HTS neglected to defend Syrian borders, allowing Israel to advance further into the Golan Heights territory, where Israel remains in control. The Syrian economy has been completely dismantled by war and famine and is now in need of restructuring, which requires organizational costs that HTS cannot afford to shoulder. The Daily will not become complacent in the supposed resolution of the Syrian civil war and commits to remaining vocal about Syria’s continued struggle for stability. While there is still much work to be done, Syria’s initial liberation sheds a hopeful light on the outcome of other independence movements, including those of Gaza and Ukraine.

Finally, in 2025, the Daily promises to be a safe space for all communities who have felt threatened by the growing presence of right-wing sentiment across the world. Populist, conservative governments have begun to take root in countries such as the US, France, and even Canada, posing threats to free speech and fundamental human rights. Trump’s second ascension to power has further pushed North American popular sentiment towards anti-immigration and anti-abortion ideologies. Project 2025
has also given many people reasons to worry about the state of public education and LGBTQ+ rights. In Canada, with the recent resignation of Trudeau, as well as the rising favorability of Conservative Party leader Pierre Poilievre and his harmful nationalist policies, these anxieties have permeated our lives.

The culmination of these events makes it imperative that we as a student body continue fighting for the values we believe in, and the Daily commits itself to becoming the backbone for student activism in the coming year.

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Translating this idea of “home” in French without losing the broader dimension of a warm, comforting place and not simply a “house” turned out to be more complicated than expected. “Home” has multiple meanings and qualities that are unique to each individual, making it a rich theme to explore for this special issue.

“Home,” far from just a physical place, can also be a community you join, a group of people with shared values, or even a hobby that makes you feel good. No matter what you consider “home” to be – tangible or not – it is a space of safety and comfort, where you can be yourself. At a broader scale, the society in which we live, no matter how flawed, is, in a way, our “home.”

In French, we made the decision to use the pronoun “nous” instead of “soi.” By rejecting this idea of individuality, we believe that a “home,” no matter how personal, is something that is shared. Throughout these 24 pages, we will question the significance of the word “home” and explore what it means to different people.

While everyone deserves a safe place to call home, we acknowledge that this is far from being the case. Around the world, 120 million people are forcibly displaced from their homes due to conflict, violence, genocide, and climate disasters, among many other reasons. At the same time, anti-immigration sentiment is growing across North America. With the recent election of Donald Trump, many people who have called the US home for years now face a heightened threat of being deported to somewhere that may be completely unfamiliar. In Canada, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has recently announced a cut to the number of immigrants entering the country. Quebec has also suspended two major pathways to permanent residence. These measures will prevent countless people from finding a home and pursuing a better life in Canada.

It is crucial to acknowledge that Canada, where many of us have found a home, is built on the genocide and displacement of Indigenous people by European colonizers and the Canadian state. McGill University is also complicit. Just last week, a group of Kanien’kehà:ka women gathered to plant a white pine, a symbol of peace for the Haudenosaunee peoples, on McGill’s lower field, which is located on unceded Kanien’kehà:ka land. The organizers wanted to share Kanien’kehà:ka teachings on peace with both Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples living on this land. The wooden plaque next to the sapling stated that “this tree of peace is a symbol of the solidarity of the Kanien’kehá:ka peoples with the students of McGill and Concordia who established a peaceful encampment here in 2024 in the name of justice for Palestine and all the peoples of Mother Earth.” The next morning, McGill confirmed to the Daily that the university removed the sapling.

From Little Portugal, to Chinatown, to the Village, Montreal is a hub for diverse communities, diasporas, and subcultures. In these times, community is more important than ever. As students, getting involved in our community allows us to play a role in shaping our home into the world we want to live in. At the same time, we must show solidarity with people worldwide who are being denied their rights and fight for a better future for our fellow human beings and our planet. This is our “Chez nous,” our “Home,” and we won’t have another one.

The post What Home Means To Us appeared first on The McGill Daily.

Global temperatures continue to rise alongside fossil fuel emissions, leading to intensified weather trends and climate patterns. Data released earlier this fall revealed that the ten deadliest extreme weather events of the past 20 years were exacerbated by the burning of fossil fuels. The European Union’s Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S) “is almost certain” that 2024 will surpass the average global temperature record set in 2023. It will likely be the first calendar year where global temperatures have consistently been 1.5 degrees above the pre-industrial level. This is the temperature threshold that the Paris Agreement states would bring irreversible damage to our planet if crossed.

Canada has been disproportionately impacted by these trends. Temperatures across the country have been rising at approximately twice the rate of the global average. Highly reflective melted snow and ice causes increased absorption of heat, creating a cycle of warming in northern regions. This phenomenon, known as “Arctic amplification,” is causing the Canadian Arctic to warm three times faster than the global average.

Canada’s Changing Climate Report from 2019 stated the effects of widespread warming will intensify across the country. Human-caused climate change has exacerbated the severity and frequency of recent devastating heatwaves, as reported by Environment and Climate Change Canada. The consequences of these phenomena bring threats not only to our ecosystem but to our health and our lives.

This past summer broke global heat records in Canada and internationally. Temperatures have remained high throughout the fall due to weather patterns intensified by climate change, causing record-breaking temperatures in Montreal, Toronto, and Ottawa. Montreal’s temperature high on Halloween broke the 1956 record at 24.4 degrees, ending the month on an alarming note.

Last winter was Canada’s warmest since 1948. In Montreal, mean temperatures were approximately four degrees warmer than average. El Niño patterns – naturally occurring above-average sea surface temperatures in the South Pacific – led to warmer weather internationally during the 2023-2024 winter. Rising ocean temperatures worldwide have contributed to the intensity of last winter’s El Niño.

What can we expect for this winter? It is likely that we will experience a La Niña winter, which brings large-scale cooling to the ocean surface temperatures and generally lowers global temperatures. Regardless of whether or not we see cooler weather this winter, global temperatures will continue to rise due to the relentless burning of fossil fuels.

While Canada has made strides in reducing emissions and minimizing pollution, it is not enough. The Canadian government continues to approve natural gas pipelines that pass through Indigenous territories without consent and criminalizes Indigenous land defenders opposing these projects. At the same time, fossil fuel lobbyists continue to exert influence over Canadian politicians, discouraging the government from adopting more ambitious climate goals. It is imperative that Canada cut emissions and limit new oil and gas projects before it is too late.

The next few months will be especially important for the fight against climate change. The COP29 Climate Change Conference will be held in Azerbaijan from November 11 to 22. At this conference, climate scientists intend to create a stricter timeline for transitioning away from fossil fuels, and increase the funds allocated to help impoverished countries adapt to climate change, such as through climate reparations.

2025 will be a big year for climate policy at McGill: the McGill Board of Governors has promised to divest all direct holdings from fossil fuel firms listed in the Carbon Underground 200, per a vote in 2023. This decision was the result of 12 years of campaigning by Divest McGill, which continues to advocate for the university’s divestment from indirect fossil fuel funds. However, the university’s climate change response leaves much to be desired, especially given that it is not on track to meet its emission reduction goals for 2025.

Climate change affects everyone, but it disproportionately affects vulnerable populations in Canada and across the world. Indigenous populations in the Canadian Arctic are facing the country’s most intense climate change patterns, impacting their physical health and well-being, as well as their cultural practices. Climate change threatens Indigenous communities’ access to nutritious food, clean drinking water, transportation pathways, and traditional land-based knowledge systems. Indigenous people make up ten per cent of Montreal’s unhoused population – despite comprising only one per cent of the city’s population – and are therefore more vulnerable to increasingly cold winters. These are just a few examples of how climate crises are contributing to colonial violence. Climate oppression is also a tactic used by Israel to further oppress Palestinians, weaponizing the climate crisis and depriving Palestinians of strategies to adapt to this change in one of the world’s most climate-vulnerable regions. Israel has systematically stolen Palestinians’ land and water, limiting their access to food and destroying their natural resources.

Student activism has been key in fighting climate change. McGill has a rich network of climate justice groups, focused on intersectionality and fighting climate oppression as a collective. The Disability Inclusive Climate Action Research Program (DICARP) works with McGill’s Faculty of Law to implement effective climate change policies that protect the human rights of disabled people. McGill Students for Greenpeace, the first university chapter of the Canadian climate justice organization, advocates for sustainability practices around campus and in the Montreal community. Divest McGill continues to pressure the university to cut ties with fossil fuels.

Climate change is not just an issue of environmental justice, but an issue of human rights: the attack on our environment is part of a complex system of oppression as a direct result of capitalism and colonialism. In watching temperatures rise year after year, we are seeing the repercussions of corporate greed from fossil fuel companies impact every facet of our society. We must continue to be proactive in our fight to support marginalized communities, and make our planet a better place.

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“It’s not for us to have shame – it’s for them.”

These are the powerful words Gisèle Pelicot gave to an Avignon court on October 23. Pelicot has now testified for the second time in the ongoing rape trial that has taken both France and the entire world by storm. This case has forced people from all over the world to confront the rape and abuse culture that, for too long, has reigned in silence and impunity. Through her courageous decision to make this trial public, Pelicot reveals the fissures in the judicial and societal systems’ prosecution of sexual violence. Pelicot’s argument is central to how this case is being received worldwide: rather than humiliate the victim, shame must be turned against the perpetrators as a tool to enact change.

The “Mazan rape trial” – first taken to court on September 2 – is an unprecedented case in which Dominique Pelicot, 72, is accused of repeatedly drugging and raping his wife, Gisèle, 71, over the course of nearly 10 years. This trial not only addresses Gisèle Pelicot’s marital rape, but also the rapes her husband subjected her to at the hands of dozens of other men between 2011 and 2020. Dominique Pelicot has since admitted to the crimes and is on trial alongside 50 other men. In the videos filmed by Dominique Pelicot, the police counted 92 rapes by 72 rapists, ranging in age from 26 to 74. Many of these men were recruited online and lived within 20 kilometres from Pelicot’s village, Mazan. An analysis of the rapists’ demographics from The Guardian revealed the variety in their profiles, including a computer expert, a nurse, a journalist, and a former fire officer. Most of the co-defendants are on trial for aggravated rape before the Vaucluse criminal court – although not all of the perpetrators have been identified – and face up to 20 years in prison. Despite damning evidence, at least 35 of the defendants have denied the rape charges.

Pelicot has been preparing for this trial for the past four years. She explained to the court on October 23 that “I’m holding on because I also have all these women and men behind me today […] The veil must be lifted on rape. That’s why I’m in this courtroom every day. It’s not just my fight; it’s also the fight of all [other victims].” In the past months, Pelicot has become an icon and a voice for feminism in France and across the world. Her decisions to reveal her identity, make the trial public, and allow the videos her husband made to be used openly in court are changing the way we talk about rape and sexual abuse. Pelicot is actively shifting the spotlight onto her rapists. “I’m a totally destroyed woman,” she told the court on October 23. Yet, she declared in the same statement that she “wants all these women who are victims of rape to be able to say, ‘Madame Pelicot did it, we’ll be able to do it.’ I don’t want them to feel ashamed anymore. Because when you’re raped, you’re ashamed, but they’re the ones who should be ashamed. I’m not expressing anger or hatred. I’m expressing a determination to change society.” And through this trial, she just might.

The narrative around rape has to change. During the trial, there have been several disgusting claims made by defence lawyers trying to reverse the situation in court. Some lawyers have even questioned the validity of Pelicot’s claims. On September 18, a team of defence attorneys showed 27 photos to the court, arguing that she appears to be conscious in the images. This is just one example of how justice systems consistently place blame on victims and try to downplay the perpetrators’ crimes. Pelicot denounced this pattern of attacking survivors, saying, “I have the impression that the culprit is me, and that the 50 behind me are victims.” The way the defence lawyers are treating Pelicot is a prime example of the persistent humiliation and degradation women face once they decide to speak up.

This trial is unprecedented, not only for the scope and nature of its accusations, but also because of its global impact. To many, Gisèle Pelicot represents every woman who has survived sexual violence. Her choice to openly challenge the discourse on rape and sexual violence has resonated with survivors around the world . One in three women worldwide have been subjected to physical and/or sexual violence in their lifetime, with the majority reported as intimate partner violence. This trial is in line with many other cases of sexual violence around the world. For instance, the rape and murder of a female doctor in India back in August sparked a national outcry regarding women’s safety. Similar discourse followed the We Will Stop Femicide Platform’s report disclosing the murder of 34 women in Turkey this September. This is just the tip of the iceberg – the Mazan rape trial exposes the prevailing rape culture both in France and the rest of the world.

Journalism has the power to influence the way sexual violence is perceived by the public. Not only is it the responsibility of the media to platform this trial – especially due to Pelicot’s wishes to make it public – but it is essential to report the proceedings with care. Media coverage must empower survivors by amplifying their voices and challenging rape culture.

In France, there is now a movement to add a clause on consent to the legal definition of rape. While these kinds of advances are promising, we hold the responsibility to understand the widespread issue at stake and to actively make sure that Gisèle Pelicot’s courage is not in vain. There is an urgent need for individuals, societies, and judicial institutions to recognize their failures in addressing sexual violence. Existing narratives surrounding rape culture must be changed and systemic impunity in courts must come to an end.

If you or someone you know has experienced sexual violence at McGill or in Montreal, you can call the Office for Sexual Violence Response, Support, and Education (OSVRSE), the Sexual Assault Centre of the McGill Students’ Society (SACOMSS), or the Montreal Sexual Violence Helpline for support. As a McGill student, you can also receive resources through The McGill Students’ Nightline, the McGill Peer Support Centre, and the Legal Information Clinic at McGill (LICM). If you can, consider donating to or volunteering at organizations such as The Native Women’s Shelter of Montreal, Auberge Shalom, Multi-Femme, and the West Island Women’s Shelter. We must do everything we can to support survivors of sexual violence and continue to uplift their stories.

The post Giséle Pelicot is Changing the Narrative on Sexual Violence appeared first on The McGill Daily.

I can guarantee that this heartwarming documentary will make you laugh and make you cry – sometimes at the same time. Self-proclaimed “greatest actor in the world” Will Ferrell embarks on a roadtrip across the United States alongside long-time friend Harper Steele in an adventure brimming with smiles, tears, and truly inspiring displays of emotional intimacy. Harper Steele, former head writer of Saturday Night Live, re-explores her favourite seedy diners, bars, and sports venues across the country – but this time post-transition. As she navigates these difficult spaces, Steele unravels her tangled thoughts and feelings every step of the way, leaning on Ferrell in what can only be described as one of the most beautiful displays of trust ever put to film. The documentary explores this duo’s friendship through a captivating mixture of Americana imagery, 70s radio hits, and masterful comedic interludes.

– Eliana Freelund, Culture Editor

VIDEO GAME – Life Is Strange (2015) by Dontnod Entertainment

It’s rare to find fantasy fiction that, while preserving the supernatural or futuristic, captures the dueling grittiness and whimsicality of the everyday world. It’s even rarer to find such “magical realism’” in video games. Set in the quiet coastal town of Arcadia Bay, Life Is Strange weaves a classic and beautifully rare story in a medium often maligned as ill-fitting for such a narrative. Max Caulfield’s journey through time and space is a fantasy epic, a mystery thriller, a coming-of-age tale, and a slice-of-life reflection all rolled around the beating heart of Max’s star-crossed love for her childhood friend, Chloe Price. Prepare for your heart to be ripped into a thousand pieces and reassembled into a chaotic jumble, by the storm at the centre of Max’s choices.

– Andrei Li, Sci+Tech Editor

BOOK – Wayward Lives, Beautiful Experiments: Intimate Histories of Riotous Black Girls, Troublesome Women, and Queer Radicals (2020) by Saidiya Hartman

Through a mix of historical research and close narration, Hartman spotlights intimate stories of “wayward” Black women in American history. She breathes life into torn photographs or scraps of police records that may have otherwise been forgotten, doing so with the grace of a seasoned archivist. “Part Three” of the book focuses extensively on the lives of queer Black women in 20th century America, shedding light on how Black women were experimenting with sexual freedom and queerness decades before white women were celebrated for doing the same. Every single young girl or woman in this book is written about with the utmost love and this love is what allows the modern-day reader to develop a closer relationship with past queer histories.

– Arismita Ghosh, Commentary Editor

FILM – The Birdcage (1996) directed by Mike Nichols

Alongside one of the most heartwarming and charming representations of queer joy, The Birdcage is a masterpiece in all aspects of filmmaking. Partners Albert (Nathan Lane) and Armand (Robin Williams), who own and perform at a Jewish drag club, must hastily play “straight” when their son, his new fiancée, and their staunchly conservative future in-laws decide to visit. The fact that this did not win Best Picture, Best Comedy, Best Leading and Supporting Actors, Best Cinematography, Best Writing, Best Set Design, Best Costuming, and/or Best Makeup at the Academy Awards is, in my opinion, absurd and frankly homophobic. As two of the defining comedic actors of their generation, Williams and Lane both bring their sheer talent and unapologetic devotion to their roles. The writing deftly weaves real issues of queer culture and acceptance into one of the funniest scripts in recent history, making The Birdcage a true star in both the oeuvre of queer film and the expanse of twentieth-century cinema entirely.

– Luxe Palmer, Copy Editor

TV Show – Interview With The Vampire (2022 – present) created by Rolin Jones

Based on the book of the same name by Anne Rice, the TV show Interview With The Vampire adapts Rice’s story to a modern setting. In 2022, journalist Daniel Molloy travels to Dubai to meet with the vampire Louis de Point du Lac. Following up on a project they began 50 years ago, Louis recounts his life’s story to Molloy, which the latter plans to turn into a book. Louis’s story extends across America and Europe, describing his romance with his maker Lestat, his frustration with the overt racism of 1910s New Orleans, and his familial bond with teenage vampire Claudia.

– Emma Bainbridge, Coordinating Editor

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When it comes to LGBTQ+ rights, there has been an alarming trend towards global regression over the past year, the effects of which have been felt by queer and trans communities worldwide. Countries such as Georgia, Indonesia, and the United States have set concerning precedents across multiple continents, passing and promising laws that repeal existing rights in place for queer and trans people. For instance, just this past July, Georgia passed a “Family Values” bill that, according to Al Jazeera, provides “a legal basis for authorities to outlaw Pride events and public displays of the LGBTQ rainbow flag, and to impose censorship of films and books.” Civil Rights Defenders states that this legislation outright bans gender-affirming care, adoption by queer or transgender parents, and “annuls same-sex marriages performed abroad.” In the United States, the far-right’s proposed Project 2025 plan, rising book bans, and state legislation pushed by conservative politicians like Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, all pose a significant threat to the safety and well-being of LGBTQ+ Americans. Canada has also been moving backwards, failing on many occasions to protect the rights and security of queer and trans people.

Yet, as some areas of the world are regressing when it comes to protecting LGBTQ+ communities, other places are progressing. In 2019, Taiwan became the first region in Asia to legalize gay marriage, with Thailand following suit just a few weeks ago. While many Western countries often pinkwash themselves as a haven for LGBTQ+ rights, such landmark developments show Asian nations moving towards a more inclusive future, whereas countries like the U.S. and Canada are becoming more repressive. These contemporary milestones illuminate the other side of queer visibility today: just as they have done in past decades, queer people continue to fight, to persevere, and to thrive.

Canada, specifically Montreal, has a long history of LGBTQ+ activism and groundbreaking victories. In 1977, Quebec became the first province in Canada to write the prohibition of discrimination based on sexual orientation into its Charter of Human Rights. This amendment came about as the result of extensive activism from Montreal’s queer community, who banded together following a deplorable police raid on Truxx and Le Mystique, two gay bars that were located on Rue Stanley. The raid culminated in 146 arrests and led to a massive protest, consisting of roughly 2,000 participants. The pressure put on the then-governing party, Le Parti Québécois, led to both political and social advancements in human rights in Quebec and Canada. The Canadian Museum of History states: “Public support for gay rights solidified after the raids and was instrumental in leading to the first Montréal Pride march on June 16, 1979.” This march, organized by queer rights pioneer John Banks, was instrumental in advancing the fight for queer and trans rights in Montreal. The events following these raids, in conjunction with the raid of The Sex Garage in 1990, are colloquially referred to as “Montreal’s Stonewall.”

Montreal’s rich queer history is preserved in the Quebec Gay Archive. There, you can find examples of the large role LGBTQ+ people have played in Montreal’s legacy as a city. The first queer establishment in North America was recorded in Montreal in 1869. Over the last century, many queer nightlife venues were founded throughout the city, such as the numerous lesbian bars started by Denise Cassidy in the late 1960s. Additionally, the first queer publication in Canada, Les Mouches Fantastiques, was established right here in Montreal and ran from 1918 to 1920. This magazine, which mainly featured poetry and essays, is a shining example of queer Canadians’ literary achievements.

Today, you can follow projects like Queering the Map and Walls Have Ears, which are useful resources for those seeking to learn about queer history and the lives of LGBTQ+ people. On Queering the Map, created by queer Montrealer Lucas LaRochelle, queer and trans people across the world can upload their daily life experiences online to document their collective history. Specific to Montreal is Walls Have Ears, an exhibit and “pilot project” that combines multimedia and interviews to precisely map the queer history of different neighbourhoods, universities, and college groups within Montreal.

McGill students and faculty have been instrumental in creating queer spaces at this university. Gay McGill, now known as Queer McGill, emerged following a 1972 seminar titled “Biology and Social Change,” and has been integral to McGill’s queer community ever since. Queer McGill continues to host important programming, creating safe spaces for queer and trans McGill students. The club started Gay Line, now known as the Canadian Association of Education and Outreach (CAEO), which provides a phone hotline for queer and trans Canadians in need of a social safety network. Currently, McGill and Montreal have many organizations in addition to Queer McGill, such as the Union for Gender Empowerment and the Quebec Public Interest Research Group (QPIRG) that aim to bring together queer communities.

As members of the LGBTQ+ community or as allies, we all have the responsibility to stand in solidarity with other oppressed groups and people who are suffering around the world. Showing up for queer and trans people also means opposing genocide, oppression, and imperial violence. By amplifying the voices of all marginalized people and advocating for them, we are all advancing our collective liberation.

The post Mapping Queer History, Charting Queer Futures appeared first on The McGill Daily.

The past year has been devastating for the people of Gaza. In September, it was estimated that 66 per cent of Gaza’s infrastructure was destroyed by Israeli bombing, including hospitals, schools, and residential buildings. Most of the population has been displaced multiple times, with Israel continuously attacking areas it labels “safe zones.” The humanitarian crisis has even led to a polio outbreak in Gaza, the first in 25 years. Israel has been blocking humanitarian aid from entering Gaza, attacking both those seeking and distributing aid, in violation of international humanitarian law. Reporters Without Borders found that Palestinian journalists attempting to document their genocide have been systematically targeted by Israeli forces.

In July, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) ruled Israel’s occupation of Gaza and other Palestinian territories to be “unlawful.” They demanded that Israel immediately end its occupation and provide reparations to Palestinian victims. Overwhelming evidence, cited by countless international legal experts, shows that Israel’s actions constitute a categorical genocide.

In the past month, Israel has also escalated attacks on Lebanon, carrying out nightly air strikes on Beirut and launching ground incursions into Southern Lebanon in preparation for an invasion. On September 23, Lebanon experienced its deadliest attacks since the end of the 1975- 1990 civil war, when Israeli air strikes killed 492 people and injured at least 1645 more. It is utterly deplorable that instead of complying with international orders to cease its operations, Israel has instead expanded its violence to neighbouring countries. Israel’s actions have brought the Middle East to the brink of regional war, and the international community must do everything in its power to stop Israel before even more lives are lost.

Israel is not acting alone. Its campaign of genocide in Palestine and Lebanon is fueled by weapons imported from abroad, including from Canada. Although the Trudeau government stopped approving new permits for weapons exports to Israel, it has not revoked any existing permits. According to an investigation by The Maple, approximately $95 million in military goods manufactured in Canada could end up in Israel by 2025. Furthermore, Canadian manufacturers are continuing to export military goods to the United States, which is Israel’s main arms supplier. For example, a recent investigation by The Breach found that the engine sensors used in Lockheed Martin’s F-35 warplanes are solely manufactured by Gastops, a Canadian company. It is imperative that Canada take an immediate stand against the Palestinian genocide by imposing a two-way arms embargo, a demand echoed by many civil society groups. The fact that Israel has been allowed to act with such impunity for the past year, enabled by governments such as Canada and the United States, is shameful.

The effects of the ongoing inhumane violence have been deeply felt by people across the world. Many McGill students have family, friends, or loved ones whose lives may be in danger. In this digital age, we are all witnesses to the violence and dehumanization inflicted by Israel on Palestinians, live- streamed on television and on social media platforms. We are living through what Palestinian UN Ambassador Riyad Mansour has called “the most documented genocide in history.”

It’s easy to feel as if we are powerless to stop these injustices, but there are still ways that we as students can take action. We can take part in the global Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) student movement calling on universities to divest from companies complicit in genocide. Additionally, there are ways to take action in and around McGill such as going to events put on by QPIRG (@qpirgmcgill) and Arts for Palestinian Liberation (@artsforpalmtl) which focus on bringing attention to the genocide through art, media, and community. Beyond academia, we can engage in protests calling for the Canadian government to take a stand against genocide. If you’re able, you can also financially support people in Palestine and Lebanon by donating to organizations providing aid, such as the Palestinian Children’s Relief Fund (PCRF), Medical Aid for Palestinians (MAP), the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA), Build Palestine, and Islamic Relief Worldwide’s Lebanon Emergency Appeal.

We at The McGill Daily editorial board stand behind all our readers who have been affected by the horrors unfolding in the Middle East. We are committed to practicing anti-oppressive journalism, as outlined by our Statement of Principles, and reiterate our call for an immediate ceasefire. We understand that words cannot capture the gravity of the situation and the magnitude of the suffering. Nevertheless, our hearts go out to you all on this very difficult day.

The post One Year Later appeared first on The McGill Daily.

This June, McGill announced their proposal for the Indigenous Tuition Initiative that seeks to waive all tuition and mandatory fees for Indigenous students from local First Nation communities. The program, which came into effect this Fall semester, positions itself as a reconciliatory effort on the administration’s behalf to cover up many of its past – and present – wrongdoings against Indigenous communities in and around Montreal.

Seven years ago, McGill’s Provost Task Force on Indigenous Studies and Indigenous Education established its now recognized 52 Calls to Action. These recommendations sought to advance the university’s project regarding the “recognition and reconciliation with Indigenous peoples.” This initiative followed a 2015 report by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada (TRC) that called on Canadian institutions to confront their violent and harmful actions towards Indigenous communities. In an effort to fulfill these Calls to Action, McGill has only now instituted this financial aid. However, McGill’s history of acting in opposition to Indigenous activists, such as the kanien’kehá:ka kahnistensera (Mohawk Mothers), makes it clear that McGill has a long way to go in mending its relationship with the Indigenous communities it has harmed, and continues to harm.

Most of McGill’s initiatives for Indigenous students have been introduced since 2015, showing how the university is still in its first steps towards recognizing and addressing its participation in settler-colonialism. Prior to the TRC’s statement, McGill had largely ignored its students’ calls for Indigenous recognition and equality. For decades, students have protested against the McGill men’s varsity athletics team name, due to its use of an anti-Indigenous slur. The university refused to listen to the requests to change the name, and it was only in 2020 that McGill rebranded its athletics department as the Redbirds and Martlets. The insensitivity that McGill has presented towards Indigenous students extends far beyond its blatantly racist actions.

The same year the McGill athletics department changed its name, students from the Black Student Network and the Indigenous Student Alliance sought to call out McGill’s systemic oppression against Indigenous and Black community members. The “Take James McGill Down” movement called to remove the James McGill statue on the downtown campus, due to the university founder’s past as a slave owner of both Black and Indigenous enslaved people. Once again, Indigenous and Black students requested that McGill honour its commitments made to Indigenous and Black peoples, and reassess its behaviours that are a continuation of its colonial past. Any progress McGill has made towards supporting Indigenous students has always been a direct consequence of mobilization efforts from Indigenous students and activists themselves.

The most recent example of McGill’s resistance against Indigenous communities occurred in the legal battles between McGill administration and the Mohawk Mothers concerning the development of the Royal Victoria Hospital site. The Mohawk Mothers requested to excavate the site to search for unmarked Indigenous and non-Indigenous graves, particularly from the MK-Ultra experiments in the 1950s and 60s. McGill refused to agree to their terms until November 2023, when the courts declared that “McGill and SQI [were to] suspend excavation of the site until the parties agreed on how archeological investigations be conducted.” If left to their own devices, McGill would not have listened to the Mohawk Mothers to halt their plans for development, as seen by McGill’s appeal of the Superior Court decision.

However, last month the Court of Appeal reversed its order, leaving the courts unable to enforce McGill’s compliance with the Mohawk Mothers. The judge “misapprehended the scope of his power to make safeguard orders,” the Court of Appeal wrote. Without a court mandate in place, it’s unlikely that McGill will be willing to acknowledge the concerns of the Mohawk Mothers.

Parallel to its injustices against Indigenous communities, McGill has aggressively pushed out policies claiming to fulfill its Calls to Action. This includes its newest announcement for a mental health initiative that would “bolster Indigenous youth mental health services across Canada.” The program, co-led by McGill psychiatry professor Srividya Iyer and Lakehead University psychology professor Christopher Mushquash, aims to provide services to help mitigate generational trauma and cultural disconnect affecting Indigenous youth. The university’s eager attitude in promoting these programs seems designed to distract the public from their lack of achievement in 43 of the remaining Calls to Action.

Although the university appears to be making amends, the administration has a long way to go in reconciling its destructive actions. While its policies may benefit Indigenous students now, they only address one facet of the larger mission: to hold colonial institutions fully accountable for the harm they have inflicted on Indigenous communities. Since McGill has mainly taken a reactionary stance in their proposals, acting only due to student activism, it is vital that we all participate in the fight for decolonization. Organizations such as the Indigenous Student Alliance at McGill make it possible to keep their identity alive in a society that tries constantly to assimilate them into Western ideals.

Despite McGill’s treatment of Indigenous communities, it is our responsibility to support Indigenous peoples and amplify their voices. To keep up with the Mohawk Mothers’ fight against McGill, you can follow @takebacktekanontak on Instagram or read Mohawk Nation News. Additionally, show solidarity by attending the Every Child Matters March for the National Day of Truth and Reconciliation on September 30. Another way to educate yourself on happenings within Indigenous communities is by engaging with media produced by Indigenous people. Within this issue, you can find pieces highlighting Indigenous achievements, such as the launch of the Tiohtià:ke: Mapping Indigenous Stories podcasts, a review of Shawnee Kish’s new single, media recommendations, and more!

The post McGill Must Do More for Indigenous Students appeared first on The McGill Daily.

On September 20, protests were organized across Canada to oppose gender-inclusive education in schools and advocate for “parental rights.” In response, members of the LGBTQ+ community and allies rallied to counter these protests, calling them out for what they are: hate marches against queer and trans communities. In Montreal, police violently assaulted counter-protestors trying to confront the anti-trans march. Both the anti-trans protest and the police response to the counter-protest are extremely disturbing, and reflect rapidly growing transphobia in Canada that we must continue to resist.

This is the second year in a row the transphobic 1 Million March 4 Children protest has taken place. Although the organizers claim to be concerned about their children’s welfare, it is clear that what they really want is increased control over their children’s lives and the information their children are exposed to. Enforcing so-called “parental rights” comes at the expense of children’s autonomy, and has serious potential to jeopardize their safety. Children should be free to explore their gender identity and involve their parents in this process whenever they feel comfortable doing so.

In Canada, the transphobic ideology spouted by the 1 Million March 4 Children is present in both federal and provincial politics. Saskatchewan and New Brunswick already have active anti-trans legislation, with many other provinces, such as Alberta and Ontario, at risk of implementing similar policies in the near future. In Saskatchewan, Bill 137 prevents children under 16 from changing their name or pronouns at school without parental consent. Similarly, the New Brunswick government now requires schools to obtain parental consent for children wishing to use different names, and makes it optional for teachers to use their students’ preferred pronouns. Alberta Premier Danielle Smith is planning some of the most repressive measures in the country so far, including restricting access to gender-affirming healthcare and requiring parental consent for lessons about gender and sexual identity in schools. All of these policies have been condemned by human rights groups such as Amnesty International and Egale, underscoring the serious risk they pose to trans children.

At the federal level, opposition leader Pierre Poilievre has openly supported Alberta’s aforementioned policies, and stated that trans women should not be able to access women’s sports, bathrooms, or changing rooms. These beliefs are not uncommon within his party. At the Conservative convention in September 2023, 69 per cent of delegates voted for a policy to ban gender-affirming care for youth. Additionally, 89 per cent voted for a plan to ban transgender women from women’s spaces, such as in shelters, prisons, and bathrooms. With an election likely coming up in the near future, these troubling statistics indicate that a Conservative win would undoubtedly lead to even more repression of trans communities.

In Quebec, the CAQ recently established a committee known as the Comité des sages to advise government officials on matters regarding gender identity. Despite their supposed mission statement, this committee has no trans members, clearly disregarding trans perspectives. Abe Berglas, former Administrative Coordinator of Queer McGill, told the Daily that the committee “won’t progress queer rights or trans rights at all but I also don’t think it was ever meant to. I think it was meant to placate trans foes.” The forming of this committee has even delayed progress on policies that would benefit trans communities, such as X gender markers on provincial documents. Although the situation in Quebec may not be as dire as in other provinces, we must continue to stand up for trans rights to prevent further injustices from occurring here.

September 20 has once again proven what many LGBTQ+ folks know to be true: we can’t trust the police to protect us from transphobic and queerphobic hate. When anti-trans protests happen, it’s important that we stand together in opposition to show that there is no place for hate in Montreal, Quebec, or anywhere in Canada. Keep an eye out for future counter-protests and show up if you’re able to! Support groups at McGill that uplift and advocate for trans people, such as the Trans Patients’ Union, Queer McGill, and the Union for Gender Empowerment.

The post Stand Against Anti-Trans Hate appeared first on The McGill Daily.

So why not, McGill? The Daily believes that fine arts education is a fundamental aspect of academia and should be accessible to all those interested in studying it. We call upon McGill to expand its arts programming to give students an opportunity to pursue these disciplines at a post-secondary level.

McGill has previously incorporated the visual arts into its program offerings. In 1948, McGill began its Bachelor of Fine Arts program, which gave students instruction in the visual and fine arts. This program gave way to many successful artists like Mary Filer and Nancy Petry. The program was born out of the desire to expand McGill’s course offerings and was aimed at veterans returning from the war; but received significantly more women. Gwendolyn Owens, the director of McGill’s Visual Arts Collection, explained to the Daily how the Bachelor of Fine Arts program “ended up morphing into the Art History Department, which used to teach more studio art, but now doesn’t.” Owens cited a change in dean as explanation for why studio classes were eventually removed from the fine arts program.

At present, McGill has very few offerings for visual arts instruction for most students. Only architecture students have the option to take courses in sketching, and only students studying education in the arts may take studio courses. Outside of those programs, McGill offers virtually no courses for students who want to learn visual arts skills. While Concordia University offers a wide range of fine arts courses, these are not options for McGill students. Credits in fine arts courses taken at other institutions cannot be transferred to McGill, as there is no equivalent program.

Although McGill doesn’t have a fine arts program, it does host artists-in-residence, sponsors guest lecturers, and houses a robust Visual Arts Collection. Students also engage with art and education through clubs and workshops. Fleeting Form Studio, a student-led project which focuses on art-based activism against climate change. The project’s founders, Saskia Morgan, Ava Williams, and Hannah Marder-MacPherson, mentioned in an interview with the Daily how information about creative happenings around campus are often “few and far between.” One of the issues with McGill and its treatment of the visual and fine arts is that promotion for these events and happenings rarely seem to reach the students. Owens further commented on this dilemma, saying: “those kinds of things are all happening, almost under the radar. From my perspective, we need to figure out a way that people can know about these things.”

As such, many student-led clubs have been created in order to address this need, including the McGill Arts Collective, the McGill Students’ Visual Arts Society and the McGill University Photography Students’ Society. Though these clubs provide an excellent outlet for students to build community amongst other artists and hone their skills, it shouldn’t be the responsibility of the students to create these educational spaces. If the university has over 40 clubs in the category of fine arts, dance, and performances, shouldn’t it be a sign that our education should also provide this dimension? By offering these types of courses, McGill would ensure that students are able to have a more well-rounded education.

Fine arts education has been proven to positively impact academic and social development. It gives students a space to explore their creativity and learn new skills while providing a break from traditional academic courses. Introducing fine arts programming at McGill would allow students who are passionate about the fine arts to develop that interest in conjunction with other academic streams. At the very least, it should be possible for McGill students to take fine arts courses at other universities, such as Concordia.

McGill should offer fine arts programming for its students and continue to place the arts on the same level that it does other program offerings. If you recognize the value of fine arts education, support clubs and student groups at McGill. Even if you’re not interested in practicing the fine arts yourself, you can attend dance, theatre, or musical performances put on by these clubs, or attend exhibitions showcasing art and photography done by McGill students. Look out for and attend visual and fine arts events hosted at McGill, as larger turnout shows that these events are valued by the student body.

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