Moreover, this shock layoff will inevitably discourage other unionization efforts across the rest of North America. The Quebec labour group Confederation des syndicats nationaux (CSN) is incentivized to take legal action against Amazon in the coming weeks.

This is not the first time that Amazon has engaged in union-busting. Another example is the company’s actions leading up to the International Brotherhood of Teamsters union’s strike, organized by delivery workers in New York City, Atlanta, Illinois, and California in demand of better pay, benefits, and working conditions. (Amazon’s poor working conditions, causing injuries exacerbated by inadequate medical care, have been well documented including in a US Senate report). After Amazon failed to acknowledge the Teamsters’ response deadline of December 15, the union launched a strike later that December to affect Christmas delivery services. By refusing to negotiate a contract, Amazon was violating labour law. It is common for employers to refuse to bargain and it is widely established that striking is the best way to get them to the table, but in this case Amazon insisted that the strike did not hurt its operations. They also maintained that the drivers involved were not Amazon workers but “Delivery Service Partners,” recruited through third-party companies, even though they wore Amazon uniforms, drove Amazon trucks and delivered only products bought on Amazon.com.

Companies like Amazon rely on low-cost and easily replaceable labour, meaning they can deal with high turnover. Signing contracts with workers guaranteeing them a fixed salary, certain benefits, and an established level of workplace safety contradicts their fundamental business model. These interests have led Amazon to engage in illegal union-busting activities such as threatening workers’ pay and already-meagre benefits for joining unions, firing some workers for unionizing, intimidating immigrant workers with Trump’s deportation policy, organizing anti-union sessions with managers and company lawyers, and spreading anti-union rhetoric while taking down pro-union messages. Although federal laws in the US govern how companies can and cannot deal with unions and collective action efforts, according to Arthur Wheaton, Director of Labour Studies at Cornell University’s School of Industrial and Labor Relations, they face no significant penalty.

Amazon is not only violating labour laws in North America. During the summer of 2024, the heat in Northern India was so intense that birds were falling from the sky. Still, managers in Manesar made workers swear oaths that they would not drink water or take toilet breaks while working in order to meet productivity targets. Everybody complied, fearing they would lose their jobs. Workers in the plant-loading section resorted to covering exposed skin with clothing to avoid burning in the sun, but this made them sweat, instead losing body moisture to the point of dehydration. Some workers who collapsed from the heat were deducted wages for the time they spent in the hospital. Dharmendra Kumar, the president of the Amazon Workers Association of India, which is part of UNI Global Union, says Amazon workers in India are commonly employed on short-term contracts lasting between one and eleven months. Only contracts lasting over a year qualify for statutory benefits; at the end of 11-month contracts, workers are customarily fired and then hired again.

The exploitation of these workers has helped Jeff Bezos, Amazon’s CEO, amass an estimated fortune of more than US$200 billion and qualify as the third richest man in the world. Now more financially potent than many governments, big multinational companies like Amazon are capable of influencing legislation in their favour. Not only do they spend tremendous amounts of money (sometimes through backchannel contracts) on lobbying and pressuring governments into enacting policies that may be unpopular with their electorates, but also directly fund many far-right political parties and idealist groups. Bezos, among other tech billionaires such as Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg, were front and centre at Donald Trump’s second inauguration. On top of that, Amazon has started selling merchandise featuring Trump’s expansionary comments, such as “Canada, 51st State” and “Make Canada Great Again,” seemingly following after Google, whose map services recently renamed the Gulf of Mexico to Gulf of America, and Facebook, who have removed fact-checking on posts.

Amazon’s continued violations of human, labour, and democratic rights violations are why workers are calling for an Amazon boycott. While a few million sales may not make that big of a difference for the company, it can make a big difference in the development of small businesses in Quebec and Canada that respect labour laws.

The post Boycotting Amazon appeared first on The McGill Daily.

As of late December, family physician Dr. Hashana Perera, the Wellness Hub’s primary GAC doctor, has gone on maternity leave and will not be back until January 2026. Dr. Perera was responsible for providing Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT), surgery readiness assessments, and other trans healthcare services alongside local wellness advisor Margot Nossal. During her absence, Dr. Perera’s patients have been redirected to the Hygea endocrinology clinic. 

The Wellness Hub told the Daily that they have a “multifaceted plan to provide care during Dr. Perera’s leave” and have been “building capacity through training and increasing options for care.” Nonetheless, the TPU has expressed that this redirection of services is an additional obstacle for trans patients seeking GAC and HRT services.

The TPU claims that since any general practitioner can supervise and administer HRT in Quebec, “it is an unnecessary burden on endocrinology clinics to exclusively shoulder this responsibility.” They added that “as specialized medicine, endocrinology is harder and slower for patients to access than general practice.” Multiple healthcare providers at Hygea have also recently gone on parental leave, adding an additional strain on their staff amidst an influx of new patients.

As of mid-January, the waitlist for HRT at Hygea was over a year long, a considerably longer wait than for any other endocrinology services at the clinic. According to the TPU, this means that patients referred to Hygea at this time will likely not be able to receive service at the clinic until after Dr. Perera returns from her leave.

According to a statement given by the TPU to the Daily, Wellness Hub employees told the organization in January that no plans had been made for other staff at the Hub to take over Dr. Perera’s role in administering HRT. However, in a more recent statement to the Daily on February 21, the Hub said that other medical staff are currently being trained in facilitating HRT and administrating other trans care services. The reason for this change is unclear. In January, the TPU claimed on Instagram that, to their understanding, Hub doctors have had access to and, in some cases, not taken various opportunities to learn how to provide HRT. Rather, the TPU states, “it simply seems that many doctors at the Hub, and in Quebec, do not believe that providing care to trans people is their job.”

The Wellness Hub also told the Daily that they have recruited a new family physician with seven years of experience in GAC services, who they hope will begin work at the Hub by mid-March. The TPU claims that the head of the Hub told them via email in January that they intend to find new providers, but the TPU has doubts after the same promise was left unfulfilled last year.

The TPU continues to meet with members of the Wellness Hub at least once a semester to discuss issues raised by patients on access and medical practices. In an official statement given to the McGill Reporter and shared with the Daily, the organization said that the dialogue with Hub employees over the years has been encouraging, and that they have been happy to see specific providers demonstrate a willingness to improve and develop trans patient care.

In 2022, the TPU interviewed over 25 trans patients to produce a comprehensive list of proposed changes to improve the GAC services at the Wellness Hub. They worked alongside SSMU, HealthQueer Professionals, and Community Educators for Healthcare Improvement to ensure the representation of trans voices in wellness spaces at McGill. Despite important victories over the past three years, the TPU claims that there is still much progress to be made in adequately addressing issues raised by patients.

The TPU has already raised various questions about the efficiency of HRT services at the Wellness Hub, and, as stated to the Daily, has made Hub employees aware of the precarity of having only one doctor providing HRT. Simultaneously, the TPU continues to have grievances and concerns about GAC at the Wellness Hub. In a statement posted on Instagram, the TPU discussed the limitations of trans health services available to McGill students, including: that the HRT process is unnecessarily long, that there is only a narrow range of HRT medications available to transfeminine patients, and that 17-year-old patients cannot access their right to consent to HRT until their 18th birthday — despite the medical age of consent being 14 in Quebec.

These grievances come directly from the patients the TPU represents. A series of anonymous interviews conducted by the TPU for the McGill Reporter raise various issues with GAC practices at the Wellness Hub, including practices that do not align with international recommendations set by the World Professional Association for Transgender Health. The six-month wait period to begin HRT (beginning from when the patient had come out or begun socially transitioning), and a visual inspection of the chest wall and physical examination of the genitals for patients seeking feminizing hormone therapy, are two Hub policies which have been dropped after meetings with TPU representatives. That being said, as of December, the Hub still required a minimum of three appointments to receive a prescription, even when patients presented a consent form at their first appointment.

“I think in general there needs to be greater understanding and recognition of trans patients’ perspectives on their own medical care,” shared a former undergraduate student who received HRT, referrals for surgery, and mental health services at the Wellness Hub from 2022-2024.
“I think it would be beneficial to see more doctors able to provide gender-affirming care at the Wellness Hub, though I know this is easier said than done,” a current student added.

The TPU continues to remain in contact with the Hub, which has been made aware of their concerns. The Union has also been in communications with Student Services and Provost Angela Campbell, and hope to meet soon with Dr. Vera Romano, Director of the Wellness Hub. In this time of change among GAC practices, The Wellness Hub has stated that they will continue to correspond with the TPU, keeping them informed of recruitment efforts and developments during Dr. Perera’s leave.

Gender-affirming care goes beyond HRT services. In Dr. Perera’s absence, the Wellness Hub continues to offer support services to LGBTQ+ students: students can meet with Local Wellness Advisors who provide psychosocial support, book appointments with counsellors and sexologists, and refer to Access Advisors in navigating care and support. For trans students struggling in the wake of recent changes made by the Wellness Hub, the TPU offers a plethora of resources for support, healthcare, and gender advocacy.

The post TPU Raises Concerns About Changes to Trans Care at Wellness Hub appeared first on The McGill Daily.

Although it may seem discouraging to some that people may drift apart during their college years, try to remember that friendships come and go. It is eventually up to you which friends you want to keep close. Sometimes, even if you don’t spend a lot of time in person with your friends, it may still be enough to keep your friendship alive.

The post Maintaining Friendships in College appeared first on The McGill Daily.

Reports of these cuts first circulated in November 2024 when McGill announced that the teaching support budget in the Arts faculty was to be cut by 15-20 per cent, Morard stated. Each department and unit were given their own proposed cut number within that 15-20 per cent range: for example, the History department was directed to cut 17 per cent of its teaching support budget.

The cuts introduced last semester are linked to the larger cuts that the Faculty of Arts has to make in the upcoming fiscal year, as detailed in the Town Hall. When the monthly Faculty of Arts council convened on February 18, Morard described that the Faculty of Arts would face a $3.6 million cut target overall, including funds directed to teaching support.

“The way this will impact TA positions, and graduate students more broadly, will ultimately result in less hours and/or less positions,” Morard said.

Currently, TAs take a 180-hour position during a semester. While each department’s approach to these cuts will vary, the most common moves will be either cutting TA hours — for example, by creating 150-hour shifts — or by moving TAs into different positions, such as graders. Morard underlined how these cuts will not be uniform across the Faculty of Arts, and that individual departments are still in the process of deciding which route to take.

Potential cuts to the number of TA positions will have drastic impacts on the academic experiences of both graduate and undergraduate students, according to Morard. By reducing reaching support and lowering the budget for the Arts in general, course offerings are expected to decrease. Without TAs, the quality of these course offerings will also be affected, leading to lower educational experiences for both undergraduates and graduates at McGill.

Having been a TA himself, Morard described that being a TA is a valuable experience for many graduate students. This opportunity opens doors to teaching and is beneficial for those who are looking to go into an educational career. On the flip side, TAs help and support undergraduates in a variety of ways. They are a second source of expert knowledge on the course material, and can give students a new perspective on how to approach the concepts taught in their classes.

“An important part of McGill class offerings is having tutorials and conferences, not just lectures,” Morard further explained. “Having a TA allows for conferences, allows for tutorials, and that allows many students who, say, may not thrive in a lecture setting, thrive in small groups or smaller classrooms.” By eliminating TAs, and effectively cutting the number of tutorials or conferences offered to undergraduate students, they are removed from an opportunity to succeed academically.

Additionally, undergraduate students may feel more inclined to reach out to TAs instead of their professors, as TAs are younger and can appear more approachable. Morard noted that many undergraduates appreciate their TAs for having a closer interaction, which is not feasible in larger courses. Lastly, without TAs, professors are expected to take on the responsibilities of grading and will be inclined to offer more robust office hours, which takes away from professors’ ability to engage in their own academic research.

Morard described a few ways in which AGSEM has currently been trying to mitigate the effects of these cuts, primarily in trying to get the university to understand the value of TA labour. Last semester, the union launched their “No More Free Hours” campaign that has encouraged TAs to stick to their hours and prevent doing unpaid work. TAs often work beyond the hours they are paid for due to unpredictable workloads, such as responding to student emails, additional office hours, and extra-long grading. This campaign has been one of their main efforts to emphasize how important TA labor is. In addition, Unit 3 of AGSEM — which encompasses graders, course tutors, undergraduate course assistants, graduate student assistants, graduate teaching fellows, and other academic casuals — began bargaining for better work conditions last semester. These negotiations also seek to make it harder for departments to move Unit 1 employees to Unit 3 in what Morard described earlier as the effort to transition current TAs to graders. Unit 3 workers, while unionized, currently do not have a contract and are waiting on McGill to respond with an intent to bargain.

Overall, these imminent changes in the academic climate at McGill have left Arts TAs with a general sense of anxiety. Morard explained how younger TAs, such as first-year PhD students or Masters students, are increasingly worried about losing these opportunities. For many, these positions are an important source of income amidst rising costs of living in Montreal. The possibility of losing out on hours, or on even obtaining a TA position, has created much uncertainty and anxiety within AGSEM.

“Many TAs feel that they have to work over their hours, and will work over their contract hours […] knowing that they will lose experience or be forced to feel the pressure of possibly having to overwork for less pay,” Morard explained, rooting the overall sense of anxiety for current TAs to these reasons.

These attacks are a continuation of the general trend of disregard for the Arts at McGill. Recent years have seen consistent cuts in funding for the Faculty of Arts that extend beyond TA hours into course offerings. In 2013, McGill removed 100 Arts classes, which led to a reduction in “lower enrollment courses” as Provost Christopher Manfredi (then Dean of Arts) stated, replacing them with larger, broader classes. These larger courses were implemented at the expense of a more intimate class environment, which is what Morard warns will happen with these new rounds of cuts.

“A lot of people like to harp on the Arts and usually they are one of the first faculties — not only at McGill but across Canada and North America more broadly — that gets targeted,” Morard concluded.

The post No More Free Hours appeared first on The McGill Daily.

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In just a leisurely scroll on TikTok, you will be assaulted by a barrage of health and wellness terms, “diagnoses,” and theoretical solutions. Issues like “high cortisol,” spiking glucose levels, imbalanced hormones, and “poor gut health” all presuppose a perennial state of homeostasis as an attainable standard of wellness. This vaguely defined golden standard of living can be reached via “detoxing,” extreme dieting, or a supplement available at the link in the creator’s bio. Social media has become an echo chamber of uninformed creators playing a warped telephone game that has divorced scientific fact from at-home wellness solutions.

Social media is an effective way to introduce alternative methods of healing and health through a public forum that does not hold the limitations of traditional medicine (cost, accessibility, and the prioritization of prescription medications). However, it has been taken too far. TikTok and other social media platforms are breeding grounds for misinformation regarding health and wellness, much of which has roots in capitalism and mass consumption.

Forbes reported that Gen Z uses TikTok and Instagram more often than Google to find information, including medical advice. This advice, however, is often rife with misinformation. A 2024 University of Chicago review of “#sinustok” found that nearly half of the 221 TikTok videos they studied — which had over 300 million views combined — contained false information, with over half by non-medical professionals. Lead researcher Christopher Roxbury, M.D., stated that “there is high-quality and factual information out there on social media platforms… but it may be very difficult to distinguish this from information disseminated by influencers that can actually be harmful.”

Most “remedies” advised by such creators are not inherently dangerous, such as drinking more water, eating more protein and fiber, or staying off your phone an hour before bed. However, others can lead to varying levels of harm, from sticking a garlic clove up your nose to reduce decongestion to ingesting Borax as an iron supplement.

In a Guardian article, Dr. Ammad Butt of University Hospitals Birmingham identified the real-world consequences of social media “hacks” he has encountered in his medical practice. He recalls patients with serious diseases, such as thyrotoxicosis or diabetes, who elected to forego their prescription medication for herbal “remedies” found online after being discouraged by videos from taking their medication. Other patients were convinced that, because they showed signs of “tiredness,” a symptom of magnesium deficiency that creators have latched on to, they too must have a magnesium deficiency; the vast majority actually had normal levels.

Health officials and experts have started building platforms to counteract misinformation. However, it is all too easy to fake medical legitimacy. Social media has become home not only to licensed doctors seeking to stem misinformation, but also to fake doctors working to propagate it. Expertise is evidenced by wearing scrubs, slinging a stethoscope around one’s neck, and adding “M.D.” to the end of one’s username. In 2023, Australian content creator Dalya Karezi was found guilty in a legal court for pretending to be a doctor while giving unsubstantiated reproductive health advice on TikTok, where she had 243,000 followers. Viewers must approach every video with a degree of skepticism — even actual health officials can be wrong.

The wellness industry has become driven by profiting off supposed maladies. The root of many health trends lies in the promotion of products. “Anti-bloating” supplements like Bloom Greens powder and Arrae Debloating pills are sold on TikTok Shop — the benefits of which can be gained by simply eating more diverse fruits and vegetables. Wellness is now a proponent of capitalist mass consumption. The only access to “true health” is by buying certain products, like red light masks, castor oil packs, or collagen supplements, none of which have been definitively proven to be effective treatments.

Scams and multi-level marketing (MLM) schemes abound on TikTok, including the company It Works, which promoted its weight loss “skinny brew coffee” and associated marketing scheme to viewers through links in creators’ bios. The products promoted are not FDA-approved and contain a dangerously high level of caffeine. Another scam targeting “gut health” and debloating sold their products and 30-day plans for over 600 USD.

The aestheticization of wellness has led to further barriers. The “pink pilates princess” trend and other visual curations surrounding working out lead you to believe that if you own the right jacket (that $128 Lululemon Define jacket, to be specific), own the right equipment (Bala Bangle arm weights, $81, and Alo yoga mat, $220), use the right skincare (Gisou, Laneige, Rhode, and the like), shop at the right grocery stores (Erewhon, of course), and frequent the right reformer pilates class (which clock in at an average of $85 per session), you too can be happy, healthy, and above all, thin. Those touting the “lifestyle” are more often than not skinny, white, wealthy, and conventionally attractive.

Social media has fashioned the health industry into one driven by profit and fed by misinformation, intentional or otherwise. Our generation, with our overly extensive use of social media as a source of general information, have become proponents of the corruption of the health industry.

Our generation needs to prioritize media literacy, especially when misinformation can be spread simply through word of mouth, and many sources of information are biased towards for-profit companies. Do not rely on TikTok and other forms of public social media as your main source of science and health information. Rather, learn to investigate the science behind a trending idea using reliable, data-backed sources, such as factcheck.org or the Mayo Clinic.

Be aware of your consumption of products hawked by creators interested not in your health, but only your dollars. Be even more aware of your consumption of social media overall: spend your time and your attention wisely, and learn to use rational sense before you hop onto the latest wellness craze.

The post The (Fake) Doctor is In appeared first on The McGill Daily.

Picture your hardest midterm. Now picture waking up one morning and realizing that said midterm, which you thought was a week away and thus hadn’t really studied for, was actually that morning – an hour before you woke up. You sprint to the exam hall and slide into your seat, panting, somehow freezing cold and burning hot at the same time. Your senses are in overdrive. Then, you look down and realize your midterm is written entirely in the Wingdings font, which seems to be legible to everybody except you. Oh, and you’re still in your pyjamas. And there’s only 30 minutes left to complete the exam.

From there, you’ve got a pretty good idea of how the events in One Of Them Days (2025) feel.

Hitting cinemas in mid-January with a bang, the Issa Rae-produced film injects nightmare-fuel scenarios like the one above with dazzling humour and charm. One Of Them Days features two best friends, Dreux (Keke Palmer) and Alyssa (Solána Rowe), and the obstacles they face in a race against the clock to avoid eviction after Alyssa’s boyfriend spends their rent money on a foregone T-shirt business. Solána Rowe, better known as SZA, makes her acting debut (though you’d never guess it) alongside the multi-talented veteran Keke Palmer. A ray of sunlight in the general malaise of winter, the duo’s impeccable comedic timing and hilarious dynamic make it easy to root for them as they stomp and stumble through their day.

Set in the heart of Los Angeles, Black culture is highlighted and celebrated in every facet of the film. Dreux and Alyssa live in Baldwin Village, a majority-Black working-class neighbourhood affectionately nicknamed “The Jungles.” Behind the film is an all-Black core team of directors, producers, and writers, guaranteeing an “authenticity” that underpins the film’s comedy and protects its cultural integrity. Ergo, One Of Them Days does more than just represent Black people – it ensures that Black people are not the butts of jokes but the ones making them, as well as the ones receiving credit for the laughter they elicit.

Up until recently, Black actresses in comedy played roles that made punchlines at the expense of their Blackness – perhaps the token best friend or the disempowered worker. Even as more and more Black women found prominence in the acting world, there remained a stark gap in comedies that spotlighted Black women and culture. One Of Them Days seeks to remedy this. The last buddy-comedy with two Black female protagonists was B*A*P*S (1997), which director Lawrence Lamont cites as one of the sources of his primary motivation: the pride he feels in seeing Black women in leading roles. As the first of its kind in close to 30 years, the box-office success of One Of Them Days sparks hope for widened avenues for Black actresses to showcase their comedic chops in cinema.

In a way, One Of Them Days is a gender-swapped version of Friday (1995), a cornerstone film in Black cinema that underlines not just the strife faced by Black communities but the joys shared amongst them, too. One Of Them Days pays tribute to its predecessor in many ways. The opening shot of a pair of sneakers hanging by their laces from a phone line in Friday becomes a central plot point in One Of Them Days, and both films feature the shenanigans of a pair of best friends (played by Ice Cube and Chris Tucker in Friday) over the course of a day-long mad dash against time.

Most importantly, like Friday, One Of Them Days is more than just a comedy. Beyond giving Black women the screen time they deserve, the film illuminates the harsh circumstances of Black neighbourhoods and communities in California. There, displacement is at a record high. The proliferation of development projects in Los Angeles has denied residents access to and gentrified various public spaces, infringing on already historically disenfranchised Black communities who have lived in the region since the 1940s. Moreover, skyrocketing real estate prices have forced many from their long-time homes, either into the growing urban sprawl on the outskirts of Los Angeles or onto the streets. Los Angeles had a homeless population of at least 75,000 in 2024, with this figure rising in tandem with the recent wildfires. Dreux and Alyssa’s fight to keep their apartment, while portrayed in a series of messy yet amusing events, is a sobering indictment of the very real issue of homelessness in California – and the desperation to avoid it.

In the same vein, One Of Them Days reawakens another classic comedy genre: the working-class comedy. Like Friday, One Of Them Days pokes fun at the struggles of the working class while simultaneously elevating them into public awareness. Amidst her and Alyssa’s haphazard attempts to make rent, Dreux contends with the anxiety of a make-or-break job interview; as well as a disastrously low credit score, which a clerk laughs uncontrollably and unabashedly at. While tonally humourous, these scenes engage the working-class majority in their relatability. More people can relate to self-doubt and instability than they can to the far-fetched plots that populate the comedy scene.

This, on top of its talented cast and stellar script, is perhaps what makes One Of Them Days so good. Its humour resonates with and reflects the realities of a demographic widely underrepresented in the glamour of Hollywood, reassuring them that they are not alone in their frustrations and upset. This solidarity extends beyond the screen: in an Instagram post, Lamont wished for One Of Them Days to “provide a moment of escape and joy when the time is right” for those affected by the destructive Los Angeles wildfires.

To those puzzled about how such a thematically serious film can be considered a comedy: fret not. While underscored by consequential Black issues, One Of Them Days highlights Black sisterhood and community through universal laugh-out-loud moments. The family-like bonds between the characters in The Jungles ameliorate seemingly insurmountable challenges, as seen in how the whole neighbourhood comes together to set up Alyssa’s last-minute art exhibition in the heart of the estate itself. While some of these portrayed solutions can feel contrived at times, the immense heart put into them is nevertheless unmistakable.

Back to the midterm at the start of the article. Let’s be real: you bomb it. Oh well. Anyway, there’s nothing you can do besides pick yourself up and tell yourself you’ll do better next time. Maybe grab a beer, or a Hot Cheeto Martini, the way Dreux and Alyssa do – whatever works to take the edge off. After all, it’s just one of them days.

The post Black Comedy for Dark Days appeared first on The McGill Daily.

After Trump interrupted one of Elon’s responses, the four-year-old left his father’s side, approached Trump, and leaned in to tell him “You need to shush your mouth. You are not the president.” There is no better way to drive home the pecking order between the POTUS, the CEO of Tesla, and the four-year-old son of a man worth over 400 billion USD.

Fears that Musk bought his way into the White House and is now acting as the president while Trump plays golf elsewhere have spread widely since Musk was appointed to two economic advisory councils in 2016. After Trump’s loss in 2020, the two stayed in touch, with Musk referring to himself as Trump’s “tech support.” One of the first decisions Trump made in his second term was to make the X CEO “senior advisor to the President.” With this authority, Musk is apparently permitted to perform press conferences in the Oval Office. A privilege which, prior to 2025, was reserved for the president alone.

Barely two months into Trump’s term, and Musk has already blown through the original limitations of his position. How far he can stretch this power is yet to be seen. Does Musk have more power than the vice-president? How much of this power comes from his appointed role and how much is bought by his billions? Has anyone actually seen J.D. Vance since Trump’s inauguration? What does he spend his days doing now that Musk has made himself Trump’s right hand man? Crying?

The Tesla CEO isn’t the only one of Trump’s new appointees to make headlines. The confirmation hearing for Robert F. Kennedy Junior (RFK Jr.) to be sworn in has been making headlines for the last two weeks. This event offered US senators a chance to vote on whether Trump’s pick would be sworn in.

The hearing spanned over two days and lasted over four hours. Many senators criticized Kennedy’s track record, questioning his competence as Secretary of Health based on his past statements, such as:

2013: “To me, [mandatory vaccinations for children] is like Nazi death camps. […] I can’t tell you why somebody would do something like that. I can’t tell you why ordinary Germans participated in the Holocaust.”

2021: “A hundred percent of the people who died — the first thousand who had AIDS — were people who were addicted to ‘poppers’ […] They were people who were part of a gay lifestyle, where they were burning the candle at both ends.”

2021: “We should not be giving Black people the same vaccine schedule that’s given to Whites because their immune system is better than ours.”

2023: “COVID-19 is targeted to attack Caucasians and Black People, the people who are most immune are Ashkenazi Jews and Chinese.”

2023: “I do believe that autism does come from vaccines.”

At the hearing, Bernie Sanders questioned how RFK Jr. can claim to be pro-vaccine while selling baby onesies that read “Unvaxxed Unafraid” online, as part of his company known as the “Children’s Health Defense.” The website sells merchandise and publishes articles on theoretical “dangers” of vaccines. Some of their most recent headlines are “‘Earth-rattling’: COVID Vaccines Linked to 113% Higher Risk of Underactive Thyroid” and “Pfizer Vaccine From ‘Highly Lethal Batch’ Likely Caused Man’s Death 555 Days Later.” Kennedy stepped down as the organization’s chairman in 2023 to begin his run for president. Prior to that, he was making over 20,000 USD a week from the website.

“Your organization is making money selling a child’s product to parents for 26 bucks, which casts fundamental doubt on the usefulness of vaccines. […] Now that you are pro-vaccine, will you have your organization take these products down?” Sanders asked.

“I’m supportive of vaccines,” RFK Jr. responded.

The onesies are, of course, still for sale – with versions reading “No Vax, No Problems” being sold, despite the fact that over two-thirds of the American children who died of COVID-19 from 2020-2022 were unvaccinated.

Skeptics have also questioned RFK Jr.’s alleged stance on vaccinations based on his response to the prompt, “What would you do if you could go back in time?”

“I would avoid giving my children the vaccines I gave them,” Kennedy said. “I would do anything for that. I would pay anything to be able to do that.”

This has to be the most wasteful use of a time machine ever uttered on camera.

Despite mountains of evidence to the contrary, Kennedy states that he has never made any racist or antisemitic remarks. He also claims that he’s not, and never has been, anti-vaccine, referring to his beliefs as “pro-safety” instead.

After the confirmation hearing, RFK Jr. was successfully sworn in with 52 senatorial votes in his favour and 48 against. With his position secured, Trump states he’s going to “let him [RFK Jr.] go wild on health. I’m going to let him go wild on the food. I’m going to let him go wild on the medicines.”

Kennedy’s new platform will allow him to spread conspiracies stating that there are links between vaccinations and autism, water quality and queerness, and antidepressants and school shooters. It is no accident that Kennedy separates the “Jews” from the “Caucasians,” and that he preaches categorical biological differences between races. These beliefs will have serious social and legislative consequences for all minorities targeted. What exactly RFK Jr. will accomplish with free rein is anyone’s guess, but it’s safe to assume it will cost thousands of citizens their lives.

What Kennedy and Musk have in common is a place in the President’s Cabinet and the privileges that go along with it. This power gives both men the ability to market whatever conspiracies or businesses they so choose. That is how the White House’s platform, a nation-wide stage that can be bought through funds or theories alike, is utilized to its most effective degree. Trump has given this power to men intending to spread misinformation like the plague, and the resulting injustice will put forward policies that take America back decades in the span of four years.

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The first two things I noticed after opening the nondescript door of Chez Greenberg (5159 Avenue du Parc) were Jake Greenberg himself behind the counter, donning his signature black glasses, and a jar of silver Hershey’s Kisses next to a childhood photo of Greenberg and his brother. 

The theme of “family first” carries itself throughout Chez Greenberg’s entire history. Beginning as a COVID project in May of 2020, Jake Greenberg took his father’s smoked salmon recipe and turned it into a booming online business – all with no prior experience in the food industry. Greenberg’s great-grandparents originally came to Canada from Poland, setting up Waxman’s Tuxedo Shop in 1927, where Greenberg worked before the pandemic. He named his viral salmon enterprise Zaidie’s, after his grandparents’ restaurant at the Rabiner’s Hotel in Sainte-Agathe. Once the world opened up, Zaidie’s put down roots in the Ripples Ice Cream shop on rue Jeanne-Mance, out of which they sold their now-iconic smoked salmon, bagel sandwiches, latkes, chowder, and cream cheese schmears. Why an ice cream shop, you may ask? The owner of Ripples, Richard Bernett, happened to be a former employee of the original Zaidie’s restaurant and opened up his space for Greenberg to share.

In 2022, however, Zaidie’s shuttered its (physical and online) doors. In his farewell Instagram post, Greenberg implied that the best was yet to come. This manifested three years later in the form of Chez Greenberg, a brick-and-mortar establishment and the new home of “Bubby’s” kitchen. The restaurant was announced in December 2024 and soft-opened in January. The menu began with Zaidie’s signature fare and is continually expanding, now including smoked salmon chowder, canned drinks, and a full espresso bar. Chez Greenberg is a joint venture alongside Daniel Feinglos of Agriculture du Coin, an aquaponics farm specializing in “urban hydroponic farming, fermentation, and mushroom cultivation,” that will eventually sell its products alongside Greenberg’s salmon and bagels.

As the establishment was founded upon the back of its infamous smoked salmon, it was my duty as a faithful reporter to order it. Alongside a cappuccino, I got their BLC (Bagel, Lox, Cream Cheese): a white sesame bagel schmeared with lemon cream cheese and layered with pink ribbons of lox, thick-cut tomatoes, fresh onions, a mountain of crispy fried potatoes, and a sprinkle of capers. They also offer a BLC Deluxe, which swaps the lemon cream cheese for smoked salmon cream cheese.

The bagel sandwich was, in a word, delightful. The bagel was dense, chewy, and toasted (regarding the controversy over toasting a bagel, I am all for it, contrary to popular opinion). The quality of this bagel was a high medium – not quite to the standard of one fresh out of Fairmount’s oven, but certainly no Tim Hornton’s (sorry, Tim). The crust was densely dotted with sesame seeds, adding a pronounced nuttiness. 

The eponymous smoked salmon was truly a delicacy. It was sliced razor-thin, with its edges crisped by the seasoning and the meat perfectly lean and supple. Many a lox is too shy in its fishy flavour; I have often been met with lox that tastes like nearly nothing. This salmon stands apart – the profile strikes a perfect balance, neither too pungently fishy, nor too lacklustre. Greenberg’s inherited smoked salmon recipe is, like all the best things, secret. All that is known is that it’s brined for 24 hours prior to smoking, then donned with a classified seasoning blend and lacquered with maple syrup (making it a thoroughly Canadian affair).

Atop the mille-feuille of fish lies bright, punchy white onions; slabs of tomatoes juicy enough to please Miracle Max; and crispy potato schmutz (latke scraps): all of which marry into a perfect union of textures and flavours. The potato trimmings add a rich caramelized note, while the lemon cream cheese cuts through in a tangy, zesty ray of herbs and sunshine. The restaurant makes “everything but the bagel by hand,” as Greenberg let me know (the bagel’s origins remain unknown). My singular critique would be to add a few more capers, but that may just be my particular affinity for the salty gems.

The cappuccino had a thick foam and was dusted with sweet chocolate powder. The dark-roast espresso kept its nuance of flavour (which is often lost the longer you roast the beans), and its profile balanced well with the sweetness of the chocolate. I will note that it could have been served a bit warmer.

On Instagram, Greenberg stated his intentions for Chez Greenberg as “the kind of place that feels like home, where you’re sitting at the kitchen table, warm and cozy, while your bubby or your mom is cooking up something made with love.” I can affirm that his ambitions have come through in every aspect. Aesthetically, the restaurant is the modern hipster’s paradise (a compliment). An open kitchen is bordered by bar seats where you can watch Adon, Leo, and the other chefs hand-make knishes and latkes. There are hydroponic towers to grow their herbs, scuffed wood floors and exposed ceilings, and a cheeky typewriter below the register. The playlist, decor, and merch curate the perfect point between kitschy nostalgia and something fresh. When he wasn’t working the cash register and espresso bar, Greenberg himself would often call back, “Everyone good?” or roam the floor, chatting up diners and bantering with his crew.

Chez Greenberg is a new kind of local. Built on the heritage of his ancestors, Jake Greenberg is building a space for the Mile End and the greater Montreal community to feel like home. His venture is defined by the strength of his supporters and would not be possible without the love they have for both his salmon and the man himself. I believe the best is yet to come from Bubby’s kitchen.

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When Star Wars first burst onto the screen in 1977, it was extraordinary. George Lucas crafted a thrilling tale of good versus evil, rich with unforgettable characters like Luke Skywalker, Princess Leia, and Han Solo. Audiences were transported to a galaxy teeming with adventure and hope, where meaningful battles against tyranny came alive with the help of dazzling lightsabers and epic space dogfights. The original trilogy resonated deeply with moviegoers, blending heart and humanity that fans connected with profoundly. While the prequels maintained some of this spirit with Anakin Skywalker’s poignant journey, the franchise found itself in a rough patch post-Disney acquisition in 2012. The sequel trilogy faltered, with inconsistent writing and risky choices that disappointed fans, especially with Luke Skywalker’s portrayed legacy feeling like a betrayal. Attempts to reconcile these issues in The Rise of Skywalker (2019) only led to a muddled conclusion filled with plot holes. With the sheer over-saturation of Star Wars content, fans sensed a shift in the franchise from its formal galactic glory to what seemed like corporate clone wars. By focusing on quantity over quality, the franchise has lost its magic and faced criticism for placing diversity above storytelling.

At its peak, Pirates of the Caribbean delivered an intoxicating blend of high-stakes action, supernatural intrigue, and sharp humour. Gore Verbinski’s trilogy delivered iconic villains, epic naval battles, ghostly pirates, and a tragic romance entwined with themes of freedom and fate, all anchored by rich character arcs — especially Johnny Depp’s unpredictable, witty Captain Jack Sparrow. However, subsequent installments like On Stranger Tides (2011) and Dead Men Tell No Tales (2017) failed to capture the essence of the prior films, featuring weaker plots and lacklustre character dynamics. The grand scale of the trilogy had been traded for a generic treasure hunt. The characters lacked depth, Sparrow became a mere comic relief, and the new leads failed to resonate with audiences. The announcement of a female-led reboot without Johnny Depp further alienated fans, who saw it as disregarding the franchise’s core identity, reflecting Disney’s broader disconnect from audience expectations.

It is worth mentioning that Disney’s female-led reboot wasn’t criticized for featuring female pirates, but for erasing the franchise’s heart under the guise of progress and boldness. Audiences embrace strong female leads when they are flawed, relatable, and earn their victories. In contrast, recent attempts, like Rey from Star Wars and Captain Marvel from the MCU, have been criticized for lacking depth and meaningful struggles, making them feel overpowered and unrelatable. This issue extends to the MCU’s post-Endgame decline, with She-Hulk (2022) and The Marvels (2023) facing backlash for weak storytelling, forced humor, and hollow messages. The Eternals (2021) suffered from an overly serious tone, while Thor: Love and Thunder (2022) turned an epic hero into self-parody.

More broadly, the MCU now lacks direction. Unlike the Infinity Saga’s buildup to Thanos, the Multiverse Saga feels aimless, with scattered characters and no clear future. Without a strong central figure or unified team, the franchise struggles to keep audiences engaged.

Disney can revive its struggling franchises by taking notes from sequels that not only lived up to their predecessors but surpassed them — films like Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991), The Dark Knight (2008), Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014), and Top Gun: Maverick (2022). These sequels didn’t just recycle old ideas; they expanded on the original themes, deepened character arcs, and raised the stakes in meaningful ways. Top Gun: Maverick showed its protagonist grappling with legacy and mentorship, while The Dark Knight deepened Batman’s moral struggles, introducing an unforgettable antagonist in the Joker who pushed Bruce Wayne to his limits. Meanwhile, Terminator 2 transformed Sarah Connor from a victim into a hardened warrior, and The Winter Soldier challenged Steve Rogers with ideological dilemmas that forced him to redefine his role as a hero. These sequels thrived by respecting audience intelligence, balancing nostalgia with innovation, and delivering strong emotional cores.

To revive excitement, the MCU must follow these same principles — crafting a strong, interconnected, and cohesive narrative with clear arcs and real stakes. Establishing a core team, like the Young Avengers, Fantastic Four, or X-Men, could restore purpose. More importantly, Marvel must embrace creative risks — darker, mature storytelling, as seen in Infinity War and The Winter Soldier, resonated deeply. By reducing oversaturation and prioritizing character-driven stories over CGI spectacles, the MCU can recapture its magic and once again inspire audiences.

Finally, Disney has a strong legacy of well-written female characters, not just in animated films but across its biggest franchises. Characters like Princess Leia, Elizabeth Swann, and Black Widow were all well-received because they had flaws and real growth arcs, rather than being reduced to mere symbols of empowerment that failed to resonate. Disney’s Princess Franchise had characters like Mulan — a regular girl who, through determination, intelligence, and resilience, grew into a warrior and earned her victories. It’s that level of depth, agency, and emotional complexity that inspired and fascinated audiences.

Disney has given us timeless stories, unforgettable heroes, and magical worlds that shaped generations, and by learning from past successes, Disney can return to its former glory, not just winning back old fans but captivating new ones. Here’s to hoping Disney rekindles the spark, bringing us back to the kind of storytelling that makes us laugh, cry, and believe in the impossible. The stage is set, and the audience is waiting — now let’s see the magic happen!

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“How’s everyone doing tonight?” one of two hosts leaned into the mic, and the crowd cheered. Someone let out a loud “Woo!” masking the groans of those who exchanged deprecated chuckles about their mutual dislike of Valentine’s Day.

The hosts continued to explain the premise of the event. Jam for Justice, a non-profit organization run by McGill University students, supports local charities through music events. For its Piano and Punk event, Jam for Justice collaborated with Montreal’s Heart of the City Piano Program, which provides tuition-free piano lessons to at-risk students in inner-city elementary schools. The night was divided into two halves, intended to represent the duality of love: Heart of the City piano teachers performed gentle piano pieces for the first part of the evening, before Montreal-based punk rock bands — As Usual, Ruby Slipper, and Art Grey — took over for the second half.

In a written statement to the Daily, Holly Kohler, Vice President of Communications at Jam for Justice, explained the intention behind the evening’s theme. “We wanted to make sure we could make this often tiresome day something that everyone could enjoy, regardless of whether or not they are in a relationship. So with that in mind, we landed on Piano and Punk, which we felt would adequately capture the dichotomy of the Valentine’s Day experience.”
“However you’re feeling about Valentine’s Day today, we hope you enjoy the event!” the host continued, despite Valentine’s Day skeptics in the audience. A ripple of laughter moved through the room as students clapped.

As students continued to stream into the dimly lit bar, mellow piano music danced into the air. McGill student Sophia Ahern described the atmosphere as “homey” and the piano music as “chill.”
“The vibes are good!” she told the Daily.

The piano styles ranged in genre, from pop covers to Debussy. One pianist even performed an improv piece, alternating seamlessly between jazz and classical music. During a pop duet of John Legend’s “All of Me,” phone flashlights waved in unison as students waved their hands side to side. “What’s going on in that beautiful mind? I’m on your magical mystery ride…” the performers serenaded.
Despite the romantically branded music, performers insistently proclaimed that Valentine’s Day was for everyone, whether you are in a relationship or not. One singer dedicated her performance to her “besties” before launching into a heartfelt ballad.

For Helene Saleska, another McGill student, Jam for Justice’s event was a chance to spend quality time with her friends: “I think it’s really fun to celebrate love. I’m in a long-distance relationship, so for me, [Valentine’s Day] has become much more of a friend holiday than a romantic holiday.”
Fellow student Lia Graham agreed. “I’m here with my best friends, and I’m so glad to be here. I’d much rather be here on a day when we can all spend it together than if people had their [partners] here,” she told the Daily.

When the last notes of a Debussy piano piece faded out, tables were turned over and chairs set aside to make room for the dance floor. As attendees stood up from their seats, an energetic buzz reverberated through the room in anticipation of the punk performances to come.
“Gerts! How’s everyone doing?” Dylan Jacques, lead singer and bassist of the band As Usual, crooned into the mic. He was met with an excited roar, and as a wave of students filled the dance floor, the evening took a distinctive turn, changing tunes to suit the higher-energy punk music.
Jacques, a U3 student at McGill, reflected on his performance in an interview with the Daily. “Looking out during some of the songs and seeing people dancing and having fun and smiling — it’s very cool to be part of that experience.”

Vishwa Srinivasan, As Usual’s lead guitarist and U3 student at McGill, echoed his bandmate’s sentiments. “My favourite part of performing live is just how interactive it is, both between us as musicians and with the audience,” Srinivasan said to the Daily. “When you’re on stage, it’s a collective experience that everyone’s having.”

Although As Usual is not strictly a punk band — Srinivasan described them as “not bound by a genre” — they leaned into several angsty punk songs to fit the evening’s theme.

Audience member Joshua Farmer commented on the contrast between the piano and punk music, viewing it as a metaphor for the duality of love: “[It] shows that couples sometimes appear calm and mellow on the surface, but behind closed doors, it can be loud, chaotic, and messy,” he told the Daily. “It shows that relationships are real and raw.”

When asked about the duality of love, Axel Morton, an undergraduate student at Concordia University, paused. “I mean, that’s pretty deep,” he told the Daily with a chuckle. “I may or may not be in love right now. I’m still trying to figure that out.”

Morton told the Daily that love is often “taboo, but at the same time, everyone talks about love. Almost every song ever written was about love.” He added, “I think it’s important that we have this day to celebrate love.”

It is thus fitting that Jam for Justice’s Valentine’s Day event celebrated love through piano and punk — two genres that appear contradictory at first, but when paired together, embody the duality of love.

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My mind kept going back to that quote as I binge-watched the second season of Mo on Netflix.
Mo is an American comedy-drama television series that premiered on August 24, 2022 on Netflix, starring Mo Amer as the titular character, Mo (Mohammad) Najjar. The series is loosely based on Amer’s own life as a Palestinian refugee living in Houston, Texas.

In Season Two, Episode One, Mo is desperately trying to get a laissez-passer: a permit allowing him to get back into the US in order to make his court hearing. During his time in Mexico, Mo was selling falafel tacos from a cart – a fusion platter, combining his Palestinian and Levantine heritage with Mexican cuisine.

Fast forward a few episodes later, and Mo is back in the US, to find his Mexican ex-girlfriend is dating a new man. Not just any man, however, but an “Israeli” chef named Guy, who owns a “Middle Eastern restaurant.” Mo is livid: he cannot shake the feeling of betrayal. Not only is his ex dating another man, but she chose to be with someone whose identity is at the core of Mo’s suffering.

In another episode, Mo is sleeping over at his childhood friend Nick’s house. In search of a midnight snack, he opens the fridge, and to his horror, sees a takeout bag from Guy’s restaurant. And what does he find? There, wrapped in aluminum foil, were falafel tacos. Before knowing who Guy was, Mo had met him outside a housewarming party Guy was catering. While sharing a cigarette, he noticed the Middle Eastern food, and Mo shared that he had spent time in Mexico selling those tacos. Seeing his stolen invention in his best friend’s fridge drives Mo to the brink of insanity. Nick doesn’t understand his outburst and calls him overdramatic, blaming his anger on his jealousy.

This part made me angry. Partly because I have experienced similar dismissal from friends who did not share my cultural background, did not understand what it is like to have a colonial entity steal your culture and claim it as their own.

One of my favourite Lebanese dishes is called moghrabieh, a pearl couscous dish with chickpea, chicken, and chicken stock. The name moghrabieh is in reference to the Maghreb, as in Morocco, to give credit to where the platter’s rolled-up dough comes from. When I would describe it to people, their faces would express confusion first, before exclaiming proudly, “Oh! You mean Israeli couscous?!”

No. No, I do not. And whenever I would react to this statement, I would be met with the same dismissal as Mo. They would claim that Arabs are too sensitive about food (have you met Italians?), and it wasn’t that deep, considering the Levant shared the same type of food in different varieties.

Granted, people from the Levant do share the same food. But there is a difference between sharing and appropriating it. Slapping your name on it and saying we’re alike. Slowly and cunningly seeping into a culture that is not yours and calling it your own.

In the Levant, food isn’t just something you enjoy — it is a form of resistance.

Take the Palestinian maqluba, for example: in December 2017, Palestinian women would serve the national Palestinian dish to protestors in front of Al-Aqsa Mosque, in the Israeli-occupied East Jerusalem, during a demonstration against Donald Trump’s decision to move the US embassy to Jerusalem.

One of the women, Hanadi al-Halawani, said, “I made sure to serve maqluba to the young protesters as a way to underline that Jerusalem is the capital of Palestine, with all its people, food and culture.” The dish would then be called the “dish of spite” by both Palestinians and Israelis.

To some of us, food is recipes that stood the tests of time and oppression. It is our grandmother’s hands rolling the vine leaves. Our grandfathers picking out the olives from the trees. Our mothers’ hands mixing the parsley with the tomatoes and the onions. Our fathers standing on the grill, making sure the meat is cooked just right.

Because when your literal existence is being erased, everything you do is an act of resistance.

The post Food is Political: Thoughts While Watching Netflix’s Mo appeared first on The McGill Daily.

“Last time I did the show is what made me fall in love with theater,” Quinsey said. “The audience will be transported to another world, although a lot of it takes place in the British parliament.”

Iolanthe originally opened in 1882 at the Savoy Theatre in London. It was the eighth collaborative work of Gilbert and Sullivan, the duo who’s also responsible for Princess Ida and The Pirates of Penzance. The comedic operetta follows Strephon (Matthew Erskine), a half-fairy, half-human man rising through the ranks of British parliament — going from a simple farmer to an even simpler chancellor. With a little magic from his fairy aunts and mother, Strephon is able to get any bill passed in his nondescript British city.

Despite this newfound political power, Strephon is miserable. Phyllis (Aniela Stanek), the girl of his — and the whole town’s — dreams, is contemplating several marriage proposals from his subordinates. In order to regain her sole admiration, Strephon must utilize both his manhood and his fairyhood to run both the parliament and the forest.

Due to asbestos issues in Moyse Hall, this production was performed at the Plaza Theatre. As a result, the orchestra, which usually performed in the pit, played alongside the actors on stage. This had to have been the best unintentional incorporation of the two most essential parts of musical theatre I’ve ever seen. Iolanthe was worth a watch purely to see the look of ecstasy on musical director, Noah Century, as he conducted the band.

“It’s extremely demanding and stressful while it’s happening, but then when we get to it being put together, and we’re performing it … everything sounds fantastic. It’s so worth it. It’s so perfect,” Century said, watching the orchestra rehearse on stage. “They sound amazing up there, and we haven’t even started.”

“Whimsical” was the word Century thought encapsulated Iolanthe. Like Quinsey, his directing process was tinged with deja-vu; in 2018 he’d performed this operetta as a pit musician, and was now acting as the musical director.

From the costumes, to the sets, to the performances, Iolanthe was certainly whimsical. The chancellors and the fairies were all elegantly and outlandish dressed, the “peers” (chancellors) wearing flowing velvet robes and the “peris” (fairies) flowery brown dresses. While some may imagine fairies as peaceful tree-hugging ditzes, the winged girls of Iolanthe live in a magical forest where the go-to penalty for crime is execution. Meanwhile, the nondescript British town their forest is located in follows the traditional British government structure, all under the control of the broken-hearted Lord Chancellor (Samuel Valentim-Gervais), who lies awake at night, teddy bear in hand, wondering why he’s been single for the last twenty-five years.

Iolanthe was, in a few words, “sublime,” and “wonderful,” and also “brilliant” according to lead actor Matthew Erskine. His performance, funnily enough, was also sublime, wonderful, and brilliant.
Magical character work and physical comedy intertwined in a hilarious and stage-stealing performance from Erskine, who played both a convincing fairy and parliamentarian. Iolanthe had some of the most creative and original comedy I’ve seen; the whole cast executed the satirical writing of Gilbert and Sullivan with complete dedication. Erskine and Stanek portrayed star-crossed lovers, separated by the former’s fairyness, with the overdramatic flare of Romeo and Juliet and the airy goofiness of a ‘90s romcom. Their chemistry was truly a treat to witness and something I’d be lucky to see again.

Iolanthe; or the Peer, and the Peri, was, in a word to me, “spirited.” The energy in the Plaza Theatre was unmatched, the performances were energetic and fun, and the plot was fantastical and comprehensive. All in all, it was a truly unique work that managed to make an audience laugh, and perhaps hope that forest fairies infiltrate the British parliament.

Editor’s Note (20/02/2025): In the original web and print version, the article stated that Michael Quinsey performed ensemble in his second year. Michael Quinsey actually performed in Iolanthe in his first year.

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Critically, the brunt of these costs are expected to ripple through employment at the university. Manfredi stated in the town hall meeting that “staffing costs account for 80 per cent of our operating expenses, so most of the adjustments are going to come from reducing our staffing costs.” While faculties and other major administrative units at the university have received budget targets for the upcoming year, which gives them the discretion to eliminate activities that may accrue additional costs, approximately 250 to 500 jobs will be cut in the process of this $45 million correction. McGill has yet to release details on which specific jobs they are targeting.

In order to account for the full repercussions of these financial pressures, administration has announced plans to launch a multi-year initiative in two key phases. This initiative seeks to not only balance McGill’s budget for the upcoming years, but almost optimize administrative services, review the current management of academic programs, and launch plans for strategic enrolment. Phase One of this initiative is geared towards implementing immediate corrections in the coming years, which include cutting $16 million and $14 million from the budget for the 2027 and 2028 fiscal years, respectively. Phase Two entails what Manfredi claims to be a “major transformation of McGill.” This phase will be carried out predominantly through an international benchmarking initiative titled UniForum, which observes the measures other universities have taken to increase efficiency under reduced operating costs due to financial pressures.

The immediate impacts of these budget cuts will be felt most drastically in the academic lives of McGill’s students. In December 2024, McGill imposed a hiring freeze in light of the financial impact the tuition hikes had on enrollment rates. Manfredi stated in an email to the Montreal Gazette that “the goal of this measure is to reduce the number of employees in the short term through attrition rather than cutting positions held by current members of our workforce.” Now, however, it appears that this is no longer a short-term solution, and that the university will begin implementing layoffs. In the town hall meeting, Manfredi claimed that McGill will ensure equal treatment across all employee groups — but it has already become evident that the most vulnerable employee groups, such as teaching assistants (TAs), will become the first source of reduction for the university’s operating costs.

Last winter, the Association of Graduate Students Employed at McGill (AGSEM) initiated a month-long strike asking for a pay increase comparable to the hourly rates of other Canadian universities. They ultimately came to an agreement with McGill on a 15.5 per cent increase over the next four years, with their hourly wage increasing from $33.03 to $38.46, effective as of August 1, 2026. This means that TAs now are still facing the same conditions in which they began their strike. Moreover, with McGill’s new policy of attrition, the university will not be replacing the positions of those TAs who choose to leave. This leaves many faculties potentially understaffed as they try to navigate this semester and the upcoming school year. However, in the town hall meeting, there was little discussion about how these job cuts will directly impact this student-led position, especially since TAs are often a first point of contact for students.

Saini admitted that “it just really is impossible to say how many jobs, because we won’t know that until individual units — faculties, departments and so on — come up with their plans on how they are going to achieve the reduction in salary mass.” Deferring the judgement on financial planning to the faculties themselves leaves TAs unable to go directly to McGill administration about their grievances. Saini, Manfredi, and Labeau emphasized how they are trying to maintain the reputation of McGill among the world’s leading universities. Manfredi assured students that they want to make sure that “McGill remains a place that provides [students] an educational experience that led [them] to choose McGill.”

However, these promises were made without a thorough explanation of how the budget cuts would directly impact the education students receive at McGill. TAs and professors work together to make sure that students are understanding course material in the most optimal fashion. It becomes difficult to “thrive in [one’s] research and scholarly endeavors,” as Manfredi put it, when one TA is assigned to large courses, often responsible for hundreds of students at once. The reduction in academic staff is guaranteed to put students’ educational experiences in jeopardy.

The post McGill Announces $45 Million in Budget Cuts for the Upcoming Academic Year appeared first on The McGill Daily.

So, let’s focus on the writers who stood with Algeria, defended its people, and celebrated its culture. Algeria is the largest country in Africa, a land steeped in history and bursting with cultural richness. Its literary landscape reflects this diversity: blending Arabic, Berber, and French influences into a unique and powerful tapestry of voices. From the works of Assia Djebar, who vividly captured the struggles and triumphs of Algerian women, to Kateb Yacine, whose Nedjma is a cornerstone of modern Maghrebi literature, Algeria has no shortage of authors who deserve the spotlight. These writers don’t just write about Algeria: they write for it, giving a voice to its people and its soul.

Understanding Algerian literature is to understand Algeria itself — a nation marked by resilience, resistance, and an unyielding spirit. It’s a reminder that literature is more than just beautiful prose or philosophical musings; it is a tool for advocacy, for truth-telling, and for preserving identity.

Kateb Yacine – Nedjma

Nedjma by Kateb Yacine (1956) is a profound exploration of identity, colonialism, and resistance. The novel follows four young men — Lakhdar, Mustapha, Rachid, and Mourad — whose lives are intertwined with the enigmatic Nedjma, a woman symbolizing Algeria itself: beautiful, elusive, and deeply connected to the country’s history. Written in a fragmented, non-linear style, Nedjma mirrors the disrupted reality of colonial Algeria. Yacine weaves together myth, history, and personal trauma, reflecting the cultural and political struggles of his homeland. Rooted in Algerian oral traditions and Berber heritage, the novel also subverts French literary forms, using the colonizer’s language as a tool of resistance. More than a novel, Nedjma is a powerful statement on Algeria’s resilience and the enduring complexity of its identity, making it a masterpiece of postcolonial literature.

Assia Djebar – Women of Algiers in Their Apartment

Assia Djebar’s Women of Algiers in Their Apartment (1980) is a collection of short stories that vividly portrays the lives of Algerian women. Inspired by Eugène Delacroix’s famous painting of the same name, Djebar delves into their experiences of colonialism, war, and the aftermath of independence. The stories in the collection explore themes of oppression, resilience, and solidarity. Djebar portrays women who are not only survivors of colonial violence but also active participants in their country’s struggle for freedom. She highlights the intimate, often untold stories of their sacrifices, fears, and triumphs, challenging stereotypes of silence and submission. Through her innovative narrative style, Djebar blends personal memories, oral histories, and poetic language, crafting a deeply layered exploration of identity and resistance. Women of Algiers in Their Apartment is a poignant and powerful act of cultural and feminist resistance, offering a window into the inner lives of Algerian women and the complexities of their struggles. It remains a vital contribution to both Algerian and feminist literature.

Mouloud Feraoun – The Poor Man’s Son

Mouloud Feraoun’s The Poor Man’s Son (1950), is a semi-autobiographical novel that captures the struggles of growing up in a poor Kabyle family under French colonial rule in Algeria. Written with striking simplicity and honesty, the novel offers a poignant portrayal of rural life in the harsh mountainous regions of Kabylia. The story follows the protagonist, Fouroulou Menrad, as he navigates the challenges of poverty, tradition, and the limitations imposed by colonialism. Despite his difficult circumstances, Fouroulou dreams of education and personal growth, viewing knowledge as a path to self-liberation. His journey reflects Feraoun’s own life as a teacher and intellectual who remains deeply connected to his people. The novel goes beyond personal narrative to address broader themes of social inequality, cultural alienation, and the resilience of Algerian identity. Feraoun depicts the dignity and solidarity of the Kabyle community while subtly critiquing the colonial system that perpetuates their hardships. Published just a few years before the Algerian War of Independence, The Poor Man’s Son stands as a testament to the spirit of resistance and the enduring hope for a better future.

Mohammed Dib – The Algerian Trilogy

Mohammed Dib’s The Algerian Trilogy, composed of La Grande Maison (1952), L’Incendie (1954), and Le Métier à Tisser (1957), is a foundational work of Algerian literature that vividly portrays the struggles of ordinary Algerians under French colonial rule. The trilogy is a poignant and unflinching depiction of life in the working-class neighborhoods and rural areas of Algeria in the 1930s and 1940s. The trilogy follows the life of Omar, a young boy growing up in a poor family, as he witnesses the deep inequalities and hardships faced by his community. In La Grande Maison, Dib paints a bleak yet empathetic picture of poverty and resilience in a colonial society. L’Incendie shifts focus to the countryside, where tensions between colonial authorities and oppressed Algerian farmers rise, foreshadowing the coming revolution. Finally, in Le Métier à Tisser, the trilogy captures the struggles of laborers and the growing awareness of collective resistance against the colonial system. Dib’s narrative style blends realism with lyricism, drawing from Algerian oral traditions and weaving in rich descriptions of the landscapes and lives of his characters. His work is not just a chronicle of colonial oppression but also a celebration of Algerian culture and the indomitable spirit of its people. The trilogy is deeply political, offering a critique of colonial exploitation while highlighting the seeds of rebellion that would grow into the Algerian War of Independence. Mohammed Dib’s The Algerian Trilogy remains a cornerstone of postcolonial literature and a testament to the power of storytelling as resistance.

In exploring the works of Algeria’s literary giants, we uncover a rich tapestry of voices that speak to the nation’s struggles, triumphs, and enduring spirit. Their stories transcend mere fiction; they are acts of resistance, reflections of identity, and declarations of resilience in the face of oppression. Whether critiquing colonialism, exploring post-independence struggles, or confronting extremism and authoritarianism, these writers have given Algeria a literary voice that is as profound as it is vital. Algerian literature is a testament to the enduring human spirit and the power of storytelling to illuminate, resist, and inspire. Let us honor these writers for their invaluable contributions, ensuring their voices continue to resonate far beyond the borders of Algeria.

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