Burnside elaborates: “It’s exciting — like with my favourite artists, every time they release a new record, I wanna be like ‘What?’” — his face contorts with a mixture of confusion and disgust — “I want to ask myself, ‘What is this?… They must’ve lost their minds.”

As Burnside alludes to, artists pushing the limits of their musical experimentation can often come at the cost of losing fans. The Strokes are one notable example, having recently altered their sound against the expectations of many of their listeners. Their latest album, Reality Awaits, released in late July, provoked mixed reactions from critics and fans alike. In addition to being touted as the “auto-tune” album, it features a prominent diss to popular music critic Anthony Fantano in the song “Lonely in the Future.” Reality Awaits has achieved an undeniable prominence in the Strokes’ discography — one that can be seen as either a jarring break or a welcome breath of fresh air from the rest of their work depending on the individual listener.

“Every songwriter I know is always trying to challenge and push themselves, some more than others,” says Burnside, “but it’s rare to meet anyone who wants to do the same thing over and over again”.

The reactions of fans, whether positive or negative, can be used as a gauge by artists to test whether they are pushing the boundaries of their own musical landscape to a sufficient extent. While Burnside himself hasn’t been tinkering with the wonders of auto-tune, he has been experimenting with a different emotional palette. His latest record, titled It’s Not Going to be Okay, marks a morbid turn from the more wistful, subdued tone of the rest of his catalogue. Written and recorded in the wake of the death of his best friend, Dean Jendoubi, Burnside used the project to process his grief. Centering an entire record around mortality marked a new direction for Burnside, one he deems significant to
his artistic development.

“You know…you understand how music works after a while, and how melodies and emotions intertwine. Music is like magic, isn’t it? It’s just like trickery. You’re tricking someone’s brain into feeling certain emotions with melodies and chords. But you have to kind of go, ‘Okay, don’t do that. You’ve done that before, or you’ve heard that before. Do try and do something else.’”

Making music that deviates from the norm is a deliberate craft. Commercial success in the music industry can often be crafted from a set of predetermined components that have been shown to work. There are identical melodies in hundreds of songs topping the charts (such as the pervasive “Gen Alpha melody”).

After more than a decade of releasing music, Burnside knows the “formulas” for gaining an audience. “You know all the tricks. You can do all the nice stuff, but you don’t. [In] so much music I listen to, you’re expecting this particular melody, [but] they went the other way even though it’s not as nice. It’s not as ‘done,’” he explains. “They chose to do the sort of grosser thing. And you’re like, ‘ah…I respect it.’ And then you grow to love it.”

In order to be appreciated, music relies on the interaction between the artist and listener, meaning that to some extent artists have to balance taking creative risks with maintaining a universality of appeal to the audience. For Burnside, that conflict is constant in his creative process.

“It’s so hard, when you’re making the music, to choose those paths sometimes. You’re like, ‘if I land on the four [chord] here and do this melody, it’d be really tasty…’ but it’s probably [already] been done. It’s hard to choose the path less taken,” he concedes.

Later, Burnside used the age-old adage “with great power comes great responsibility.” Artists like him maintain the cultural core of our society, wielding their craft to shape people’s everyday emotions. With the current state of our society making it increasingly enticing for people to retreat into the comfort of media and art, artists must continue exercising their creative influence in a meaningful way. Joshua Burnside, for one, keeps us wondering what he’s going to take on next — and how he is going to continue challenging his devoted fanbase, who for now seems to have withstood his attempts to drive them away.

The post The Art of Losing Listeners appeared first on The McGill Daily.

New York City is the City That Never Sleeps. Paris is the City of Light. Chicago is the Windy City. And, according to Chandler Levack’s Mile End Kicks (2025), Montreal is a City To Waste Away In, before maturing to the Big Kid City: Toronto.

I caught wind of this film in April 2026, a few months into my exchange semester in Melbourne, Australia. As a Montrealer born and raised, I took it upon myself to rave about my city to my peers on exchange who, if they knew anything about Montreal, labelled it “Canada’s French city.” I had hoped that a movie like Mile End Kicks could provide a nuanced, thought-provoking depiction of a city as unique as its namesake. It did not meet my expectations.

Mile End Kicks features Grace Pine (Barbie Ferreira), a music critic in her early twenties from Toronto who moves to Montreal to write a book on Alanis Morissette. She meets a cast of Canadians immersed in Mile End’s underground music scene. Set in 2011, the film presents a view of Montreal that both glorifies it as the only Canadian city where art can thrive, while also nullifying and reducing the city to drugs, parties, and rude French speakers. The movie misses the mark on what could have been a great way to break barriers between the Canadian anglophone and francophone worlds. Mile End Kicks uses Montreal as the backdrop to a mildly likeable protagonist’s foray into independence, simplistically reducing the city to a music scene built for Albertan male artists feigning tortured souls.

To its credit, the film accurately conveys the highs and lows of moving to a new city as a young person. Following my brief move to Melbourne, I am no stranger to embracing a city head on without fully grasping its culture. Grace is easily swayed by people who act like they know what they are doing. She holds the misconception that moving to a city known for being a centre of the arts, or a place to fall in love, means that every piece of her life will fall into place.

Archie (Devon Bostick), a Prince Edward Islander guitarist and Grace’s eventual love interest, declares Montreal the antithesis of Toronto, describing the two cities as youthfully creative and corporately bleak, respectively. Quebec’s metropolis is consistently reduced to a melting pot for free-spirited, artistic Canadians who will eventually desert it to return to what constitutes real life. However, by the end of the film, Archie consoles Grace by saying that all her tribulations in Montreal would have happened just the same if she had stayed in Toronto, ironically effacing the previously emphasized notion of Montreal’s singularity. Ultimately, since barely any aspect unique to Montreal itself was discussed throughout the film besides its so-called esotericism, I was ultimately led to wonder why the movie was even set here in the first place.

Grace’s grasp of Montreal is also coloured by her exposure to people from Quebec — only two of the main characters. Her roommate Madeleine (Juliette Gariépy) welcomes her to their Saint-Urbain apartment with open arms, a kindness she later takes for granted. While Grace does attempt to learn French, importantly highlighting the need to learn Quebec’s only official language, the film plays into stereotypes of Quebecois people being rude or unsavoury to English-speakers. From the get-go, Madeleine’s boyfriend Hugo (Robert Naylor), describes Grace, in French, as an “anglo” who is “colonizing” Quebec. An opportunity for productive dialogue is missed here, as Hugo’s prejudice against Grace is never addressed or corrected. Moreover, his disdain for her makes less sense when one considers that all his bandmates are also from other Canadian provinces.

Grace asks Archie why “French people,” (the conflation of French and francophone is not lost on me) hate her. He replies that they do not hate her, rather that they do not care about her, and goes on a tirade about needing to speak French to get a job. This scene could have been a learning moment, for Grace and for audiences alike, of the historical framework for such language laws. Instead, Archie’s pejorative attitude toward learning French in a French-speaking province adds fuel to the fire of longstanding misunderstandings. The film does little to ease, or even simply address, the depth of these century-old tensions.

There is a lack of contextualization for anything Montreal. Grace visits an iconic Montreal bagel shop, St-Viateur Bagel, which is oddly empty despite the usual hefty queue at the door. The shop fades into the background of the scene, and so the film misses a talking point regarding Montreal’s culinary history. The Mile End is a hub for young creatives, but the film seldom mentions that the neighbourhood was also built on and sustained by the immigration of Hasidic Jewish and Greek communities, to name a few. The characters scarcely mention any landmarks nor do they really discuss anything other than their own drama. Obviously, this movie is a coming-of-age one, but in spite of it being a film about Montreal, there isn’t a lot of the actual city in it.

For all my qualms with this non-Montreal Montreal, Grace’s time in the city is similar to many McGillians’ and other young adults’ experience. A common topic of conversation on the McGill Reddit page is that students from out of town fail to really leave the Plateau, Milton-Parc, and Mile End area. Young people are not necessarily to blame for this limitation. It’s only natural to want to stay in a safe and fun bubble. Still, there are so many other parts of Montreal to be explored and appreciated; like the centenary houses of Westmount or the crowded Beaubien Street restaurants of Rosemont. For those who live or choose to stay in Montreal, life goes on beyond dimly-lit basement concerts, hangovers, and bagel runs. This film starts and ends with the idea that Montreal is a sort of ahistorical fantasy land for young people to dream in before reality kicks in and they return to their hometowns.

My bone to pick with Mile End Kicks is not related to the plotlines of the movie, but the minimal spotlighting on what I think should have been of central focus: the city on which the whole movie is meant to be based. The movie may be an accurate survey of many young people’s move to a new city. Nonetheless, I left the film with the bad aftertaste of seeing an unsatisfactory depiction of my city, which is as complex as the people that make it up.

The post A (Not-So) Montreal Story appeared first on The McGill Daily.

The main culprit of the next major heatwave: the El Niño effect. This year’s onset of the natural climate phenomenon has been brewing since June 2026, and is predicted to be the strongest one recorded since 1950. This force will lead to an unprecedented spike in temperatures, and its effects will soon reach Canada, if it has not already. Yet, the phenomenon remains misunderstood by many. To cure that confusion, here is a guide to help understand what is to be expected in the coming months and why it will occur.

El Niño: The Agent of Chaos

In brief, the El Niño phenomenon is a natural planetary occurrence that happens in the Pacific ocean, which then affects the entire world. The event tends to happen every 2 to 7 years, and lasts up to 9 to 12 months, which is why we call it an “El Niño year.” In simple terms, the El Niño phenomenon is when the waters in the Pacific Ocean become warmer than usual. This occurs through positive feedback loops where weakened wind patterns cause sea temperatures to warm in the tropical pacific region. These waters do not cool down and self- regulate as they usually do, affecting ocean patterns around the world. Ultimately, this change leads to the disruption of weather patterns across the world. In a podcast episode of The Daily from The New York Times, Chico Harlan describes El Niño as “the biggest reorganizer of the earth’s climate apart from the change in seasons”.

Now, El Niño is a natural phenomenon, and scientists state that it has been occurring for centuries. In the 1600s, locals in Peru noticed tropical fish coming into their seas every couple of years. Although at the time they couldn’t name it, this event was the result of El Niño. This raises the question: if El Niño has been happening for so long, why are we talking about this specific one so much?

The phenomenon is usually measured across a geographical rectangle in the Pacific ocean. This region foreshadows the intensity of the effects we are to expect. Usually, in an El Niño year, we can see a 0.5 degree Celsius gap in usual ocean temperatures. A super El Niño is defined by a 2 degree gap, and this usually causes droughts and unusual storms across the globe. What scientists are currently predicting for the present El Niño, is a 3 degree gap. While there isn’t a scientific term to describe the magnitude of the phenomenon, I guess we could call it a SUPER DUPER El Niño here.

What does this mean for us?

El Niño is currently active, and is rapidly increasing in strength in the tropical Pacific Ocean. However, effects on Canada may be delayed. The last time Canada felt the effects of El Niño was in 2023. That year, Canadians witnessed milder winters with less snowfall, as less precipitation and heat was created from the phenomenon. This El Niño was categorized as a super El Niño. This year, there is an extra degree of intensity, and although it may not seem like it, the effects of this shift are extremely severe. Similarly to 2023, Larry O’Neill, a professor at Oregon State University, tells Canadians to expect limited snowfall and less extreme cold weather this winter. However, the moderate winter is to be mixed in with extreme irregularities as well. Cold and heavy snowfalls are also predicted; a long and steady winter is not in the cards this year. This also means that extreme heat waves are anticipated in the spring and summer. Wildfires will persist and expand quicker in North America, as droughts are also to endure across various regions.

Unfortunately, the rest of the world, and especially countries closer to the Pacific, will be more severely impacted. Almost 50 million extra deaths are predicted from this El Niño phenomenon. These deaths will be due to irregular droughts, disrupting the harvest season. Hurricanes and rainfall patterns will also increase, damaging homes. Basically, El Niño this year is going to create global mayhem. However, El Niño patterns are quite predictable, meaning that the anticipatory funding for agriculture production and early harvesting has already taken place in order to prepare for the event.

Are El Niño and Climate Change Connected?

That is the current million dollar question amongst scientists today. There is no empirical evidence that El Niño frequency is increased by climate change. However, what is certain is that the Earth is already experiencing abnormal weather conditions from climate change, just like the European summer I witnessed this year. These hot temperatures and disruptions will definitely be amplified by the El Niño effect, adding insult to injury. One could say that this strong El Niño year, after an already very warm one, is just very bad timing, and not correlated. However, this year’s extreme El Niño degree can also be seen as a glimpse of what is to come in the 2030s from climate change alone.

The post El Niño: Back and Stronger than Ever appeared first on The McGill Daily.

Good People is an article series highlighting McGill students doing community-oriented work on and around campus. Because it’s important to celebrate good people doing good things.

The World University Service of Canada’s Student Refugee Program is a unique initiative that combines refugee resettlement with access to higher education. Founded in the 1920s, World University Service of Canada (WUSC) is a Canadian non-profit organization dedicated to improving educational, employment, and empowerment opportunities for young people globally.

The organization’s Student Refugee Program (SRP) is a student-led sponsorship program that supports refugee students at Canadian universities.

The Daily spoke with Mohammad Alnatour about WUSC’s McGill committee. A Syrian refugee living in Lebanon, Alantour arrived in Canada in August 2022 through the SRP, when he started his undergraduate degree in anatomy and cell biology at McGill. One year later, he became an executive member of WUSC’s McGill committee before leading the group as Co-Chair the following year. Now in an advisory role, Alnatour will start his master’s degree at McGill’s Integrated Program in Neuroscience in January 2027.

We spoke about Alnatour’s involvement with WUSC, the importance of community for refugee students, and why he believes in doing hard things if it means getting to change someone’s life for the better.

This interview has been edited for clarity and conciseness.

Enid Kohler for The McGill Daily (MD): How did you first get involved with WUSC? What drew you to the organization?

Mohammad Alnatour (MA): The Student Refugee Program, one of WUSC’s pillar programs, sponsors refugee students who were unable to continue their studies at home to come study here in Canada. It gives them an opportunity for a brand new life as immigrants here in Canada.

I was a student of the SRP. Before coming here, I was a Syrian refugee in Lebanon. I heard of the program and I applied. I got rejected the first year, and then I got accepted, thankfully, the next year. I was eventually placed at McGill.

MD: I’m curious, what was it like to be part of WUSC upon arriving at McGill? What were your initial impressions of the organization?

MA: Well, for me, I was one of [WUSC’s] beneficiaries at the beginning. It’s a life-changing experience, not just for the person who benefits [from the program], but also for the people around it. During my first year at McGill, I felt I was given so much support that I felt obliged to give back. And this is why I got involved first as a VP Internal, and in the following year, I became the Co- Chair. Right now, I’m in more of an advisory position to advise the new team on how to approach and navigate future plans.

MD: In a nutshell, what kind of activities and events does your organization run?

MA: Our biggest program is the SRP. The program has sponsored over 50 students, with more than 35 of them being active students on campus right now.

The SRP still is our main program. But in the past few years, we realized we needed to do more on campus to engage with the student body, because the program entirely relies on student involvement.

That’s when we started doing more activities, whether that be social activities to foster a feeling of community for the students that we bring here to study at McGill, or advocacy events to highlight the refugee crisis around the world. We’ve also decided to expand the scope of our audience to offer opportunities for students or scholars at risk in general. We have other programs running right now under the committee, like a winter drive through which students can donate winter clothing for students at risk. We also started a French learning program for newcomer students that would like to integrate better into the community.

MD: Either as a WUSC scholar or as an executive member, what has been a highlight of your experience working with the organization?

MA: After coming here and realizing that I would not see my family and loved ones for quite some time while I was studying in Canada, you know, that hits hard. After a couple of weeks, the homesickness really starts to kick in.

But then at the beginning of the semester, WUSC held one of its very special events, very close and dear to my heart, which is simply a fall picnic that we do at the beginning of the semester.

During that picnic, I really felt a sense of belonging and I felt that there was a community for me here, that there was a family for me that would support me during my studies and in my new life. It really started to feel like home, finally.

MD: The theme of this column is “good people doing good things.” In the context of your work with WUSC, what does being a “good person” mean to you?

MA: During the SSMU referendum period last year, when we had to campaign to renew the student levy which is our main way of funding the SRP, I would constantly call my parents and tell them how stressful this was. Some nights, I would barely even sleep because peope’s lives would have literally been at risk had this not gone through.

My dad used to always ask, ‘You’re a pre-med student, you already have a lot on your plate. Why do you keep giving this much time and energy to this?’ And I always told him that I was given this chance, and without it, I wouldn’t have been here.

Now, I have the chance to contribute that back to someone else’s life. This is what being a good person feels [like] to me, that even when you are not tasked or asked to do something, if you feel that you can do something that will change someone else’s life, I believe that you should do it.

And this is what I’ve done. Successfully running the referendum means about 18 extra students over the next five years can be sponsored, and 18 extra students mean 18 extra lives that are changed.

Learn more about WUSC McGill and opportunities to get involved on Instagram, @wuscmcgill, through their website, wusc.ssmu.ca, or email wusc.mcgill@ssmu.ca.

If you know good people doing good things who you would like to see featured in this column, email news@mcgilldaily.com.

The post “A Life-Changing Experience”: Student-Led Organization Welcomes Refugee Students to McGil appeared first on The McGill Daily.

This interview has been edited for clarity and conciseness.

Charley Tamagno for the McGill Daily (MD): What’s the day-to-day of an RLF like?

Ksenia Boyer Voutova (KBV):

Right now it’s a lot more intense because we’re doing Welcome Week. Being an RLF feels more like an extracurricular than a job. Because it’s part-time, I still have a busy academic and social life. When I’m working, there’s a lot of different tasks – we either have events or office hours. For the events, we plan them and have to attend them. The office hours can happen from 9 to 5 every weekday. During office hours, you work on project planning and advertisements – whether that be making a poster on Canva, making a reel, [or] replying to student questions on Instagram. We have a lot of meetings, whether that be with our manager or with our teams. There we discuss feedback and brainstorm our next events.

MD: How do the first two weeks differ from the rest of the year?

Olivia Morawetz (OM): You work pretty much full time. Usually, throughout the rest of the year, you work six to 10 hours, and then in the first few weeks you’re working 40 hours. So it’s a full-time gig.

MD: Do you feel like these first two weeks are more rewarding than the rest of the year because you’re really meeting the students? Can you see yourself having an impact?

OM: The first few weeks are definitely the best in terms of visibility. We do hall meetings, where we talk to every single student in the building, and that’s really motivating in terms of making sure that they know who we are and know that we exist. During the rest of the year, attendance really goes down, and it makes you feel like nobody wants to attend events anymore. At the beginning of the year, people are really, really motivated to go to events and meet people and see us and find out who we are.

KBV: I would say there’s still some events in the middle of the year that feel more rewarding than others, especially big ones where you go out of the residence or on trips. You feel more connected to the community.

MD: What kinds of questions are people asking?

OM: Mostly about logistics, either the rules of residence or the events themselves.

KBV: Sometimes they can ask us questions unrelated to residence life, just [because] we’re upper year students at McGill.

OM: I wish more students knew that RLFs are a resource of upper year students who can answer questions about registering for classes or homework or certain subjects. Last year in Upper Residence we did study hall events that were specifically for studying. We would post “I’m going to be at the study hall today, and I’m studying biology,” so that students who study biology can come and ask that person for help.

MD: What was your experience with Floor Fellows in place of RLFs? Do you think there really is a tangible difference between the two?

Note: Before the 2023-2024 school year, Floor Fellows were upper-year students who lived with residents year-round in residences, working more hours than RLFs in addition to being a 24/7 support system. McGill terminated the Floor Fellow program ahead of the 2024-2025 school year.

OM: It’s not just not living in residence — the job changed a considerable amount. There were some union restrictions the first year [after the switch] that made it so that we weren’t allowed to do any job that the Floor Fellows did. We weren’t allowed to put door decorations up because that was something the Floor Fellows did. [Now] it feels a lot more interactive. We have a number of required monthly events. My Floor Fellow didn’t do any events, so I never saw him after the initial meeting at the beginning of the semester. It was very hands-off. The only people that were running consistent events were the council, which I was on. RLFs are definitely more connected and
interacting with the resident community than the Floor Fellows were.

MD: Do you feel like it’s hard to odd template

actually make a connection with the community?

OM: It depends on the person. Yes, because there are specific residents or groups of residents that don’t interact with us at all, and that’s fine. But there are definitely people who I’ve found, after a few years of doing this, who will come to as many events as they can because they just like having free events that they can attend.

MD: How do you pitch events to first years, and is it important for them to attend those events?

OM: I feel like something we’ve been trying to do more recently is asking first years what things they want to see. I think asking students what events they want to see is important, and a lot of them don’t realize that they can message us and be like, “Hey, I want to do a masquerade ball,” and we’ll be like, “Okay, we’ll try and do that.”

Feedback is a really important part of the job. Even when they designed the project planning template, feedback was built into it. You have to write down feedback after every single event. They started doing the symposium last year, which is a place where all the RLFs go to present their most successful and least successful events of the year, and provide feedback on how those went. Then we could take events from other RLFs.

MD: How do you get inspiration for different events?

KBV: A lot of the time, it’s just things we want to do. We all have different hobbies, so Olivia wants to do something and then I want to do something and then we end up having two different events.

OM: Or in previous years we’ve had really good cultural diversity [on the RLF team]. We had specific cultural events because we had people on the team that were part of those communities and were able to let us know that these things were happening.

MD: Do you have a favorite memory or a favorite event?

OM: Well, we did a formal last year, which was our biggest event, and it had a really good turnout in November, which is really rare for our late events. Usually by the end of the first semester, attendance starts to dwindle a little bit because people have made their own friends or it’s exam season and they don’t want to go to things. We had a bar where we had a menu of mocktails that we made [and] we ordered 50 pounds of sushi. It was insane. I was like a waiter running around with sushi. We had a dance floor. We hired a DJ who was a student in Upper. Some guy showed up with a saxophone at one point and was playing that on the dance floor. People were attending it because of the event. Obviously, with that many moving parts, things are bound to go wrong. But the things that went right outweighed the things that went wrong by a million times, and it was a really, really successful event.

KBV: I loved going to the PWHL [Professional Women’s Hockey League] game. It was really fun because it was just different. For a lot of students, it was their first time seeing a hockey game. That was my first time seeing a hockey game. What’s good about these events is that students are able to try out new things.

MD: Is there anything else you would like to add?

OM: I love my job. I love my team.

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We, Gen Z, are the generation who are constantly told by Millennials and Gen X that we have killed the dance floor, that we drink less and date less than any generation before, that AI will be taking over our pointless degrees, and that climate change will kill us before we can have children or own a home. When we do go clubbing to seize the supposedly fleeting days we have left, we open social media the next morning only to be asphyxiated by hundreds of reels with people advising us to go to the gym, hit our protein goals, stay home, and make zero-calorie-low-fat-oat-milk-chia-seed slop for a sweet treat (as you’re watching these reels, you’ve done none of these things). The irony and the pressure are discouraging.

Wellness Anarchism is a term coined by British award winning brand strategist and entrepreneur Tom Garland in 2025. Garland is an expert with over twelve years of experience in consumer research and trend forecasting, and founder of the brand consultancy edition+partners. Garland’s Wellness Anarchist is someone who strives to lead a balanced yet uninhibited lifestyle, ultimately rejecting the overbearing health and life optimization peddled by the mainstream wellness industry. For example, the Wellness Anarchist could be found at their run club, but always finishing it off with celebratory drinks. A term that began as a consumer archetype has evolved into less of an identity and more a
wide range of daily habits. These habits are particularly enacted by Gen Z for a sense of control over the futurity that has been taken from us. Wellness culture, with its traditionally strict, all-or-nothing framework, has thus been met with Wellness Anarchist resistance. The practices Gen Z appear to be using to combat it include, but are not limited to a notable surge in: smoking; short-term and noncommittal relationships; and making frequent, smaller purchases rather than large savings and investments.

Of course, there is something to be said about seeking instant gratification and rebellion, and their historical connection to youth. Disobeying parents’ wishes, sneaking out, or impulsively changing one’s appearance, to name a few examples, have long been staples of youth culture and the tendency to prioritize our immediate desires over future consequences. Wellness Anarchism, even before the term was coined, has always been a means for young adults to manage the stresses and anxieties of being in such a transitional stage of life. But in the year of 2026, we all have much more on our plates than we ever bargained for — and online discourse of Gen Z’s doom, combined with wellness culture being pushed down our throats, certainly isn’t lightening the load.

Two years ago, Substacker Sarah Noack published her article, “Dump your matcha and have a cigarette, bitch,” that now has over 22.5K likes and 4.5K reposts. Despite the conviction in her title, Noack highlights how the Ikarians, inhabitants of one of the world’s Blue Zones (regions with high population longevity), have never engaged in what we know to be wellness practices. Rather, they simply walk or swim instead of going for spin class, they also nap, eat locally produced food, and most importantly, enjoy substances like alcohol and tobacco for pleasure rather than as vices. A portion of Gen Z is arguably no longer just following in the footsteps of our predecessors’ reckless youth but also using these habits as what Noack describes as a “necessary escape.”

The latest Canadian Tobacco and Nicotine Survey from 2022 shows young adult smokers (20-24) decreased from 10 per cent in 2021 to 8 per cent in 2022, and smoking reached generational lows worldwide. However, we do not yet have data from the past year, when smoking cigarettes made a dramatic resurgence online. Whether it’s Kylie Jenner lighting one on the cover of Vanity Fair or countless images of Connor Storrie and Hudson Williams with cigarettes in hand, we’ve all watched the revival of the cigarette as a symbol of rebellion, an aesthetic, and, for some, an escape from everyday pressures.

Earlier this year, the CBC released an article titled “Smoking is making a pop culture comeback (even if the risks haven’t changed),” which fully explains how smoking has made a large return to mainstream media. In the article, Jared Oviatt, who runs the popular Instagram account @cigfluencers, said he saw the pop culture resurgence of smoking as separate from other mundane daily habits. However, through his social media presence, Oviatt has expended time, effort, and energy towards the aestheticization of the cigarette. It works directly in his favour to argue that the pop culture spotlight on smoking has no real effects, hence avoiding culpability for perpetuating smoking as an aesthetic, while maintaining his own habit guilt-free. Oviatt’s prediction of the ultimate demise of the trend ignores the fact that cigarettes are an addictive chemical substance, not something as innocent as a polka dot top from Brandy Melville. While we do not yet have the data to assess the real-world impacts of the cigarette’s cultural renaissance, celebrities can influence what we find cool, what we purchase, and where we go. Hence, it would be naive to say their actions are totally distinct from our own and have no impact on our individual choices.

Where I can agree with Oviatt is his theory on why young people smoke. Oviatt acknowledges that broader economic and social pressures are at play: “The anxiety over climate change, general burnout … it’s all part of it.” There has always been a traditional appeal to doing something taboo, recreationally sharing substances to foster a sense of community, and emulating your idols. Still, smoking has been on the decline for decades now. What’s different today is the pressure our generation faces, and a resulting inability to conceptualize our futures.

What’s more, Gen Z is notably dating less than previous generations, notoriously choosing more low-commitment, non-exclusive romantic relationships. The Atlantic declared that we are in a “Great Romance Slump”, with declining marriage rates and exclusive relationships, with 42 per cent of single adults under 40 in 2019 having never been in a committed relationship. Moreover, Gen Z has been spending more on everyday, smaller purchases to make their day-to-day lives easier, rather than saving for large future purchases. I would argue that the loss of our capacities to imagine a successful and secure future, and our consequent sense of general despair, contribute to a lack of commitment present both in romantic relationships and in the fruits of our spending power. Of course, low-commitment, non-exclusive romantic relationships have always existed. Gen Z has only legitimized this dynamic by giving it a name: the “situationship.” Even then, it appears to be more present than ever before.

Alongside a discernible revival of the cigarette, a decline in committed exclusive romantic relationships and an increase in short-term spending, it seems paradoxical that sobriety is on the rise. A World Finance Report found that Gen Z averages around 20 per cent less alcohol consumption than millennials. There are many possible reasons for this: a better understanding of the dangers of drinking, inflated prices, wellness culture, to name a few. If all of this data is factual, then why do we throw caution to the wind with our wallets, lungs, and love lives, but not alcohol?

No matter how one looks at the data, Gen Z appears to take the hit. We are smoking more, meaning we suck; dating less, meaning we suck; and drinking less. Though supposedly healthier, the narrative remains that we are less fun, and thus suck. In contention, I would argue that it is not Gen Z who is responsible for the death of the dance floor, but our predecessors. With their wellness culture and talk of doom and despair, they have made us the generation of Wellness Anarchism: the same generation that has brought back smoking and rejects commitment more than ever, who will always buy the overpriced latte.

I don’t speak from a place of judgement, but of deep understanding. I am proud to be a Gen Z, so it is hard to be unbiased. But I believe our actions, individual and collective, are valid responses to the state of global affairs, to the overbearing influencers on our phones, and to the way we have been treated by older generations, which has altered our perception of what the future holds and its meaning.

However, as much as these small patterns can bring great relief, we are far from as anarchistic as we may believe. Even if we are using these habits as fleeting escapes from the precarity we face, they are still merely attempts to cope; not, as we saw with Noack’s article, a sign of genuine, carefree living. There is power in Wellness Anarchism, but we are engaging in it out of necessity, not real interest. The $10 matchas are not just simple pleasures, but pinpricks of light amidst a seemingly dreary present and future.

Documentary photographer and poet Sophia Borzilleri articulated it best in an Instagram post, where she described her smoking habit as a means of reminding herself that life doesn’t always have to be taken so seriously, that she can do things that are objectively bad and be at peace with it. This frame of thought counters the dominant narrative in all our lives, that everything is that serious and that everything won’t be okay.

However, Borzilleri adds nuance to this perspective when she says “For me, when I smoke a cigarette, it’s a moment for me to step outside and breathe and realize nothing is that serious. But I want to be able to do that without the cigarette. I want to be able to realize that I don’t always have to be curated, [planned, perfectly healthy] and whatever in order to be okay. I can live in a balance.”

As we begin a new school year, it’s important to be conscious of our habits, not in pursuit of condemning them as either good or bad, but rather to recognize why we engage in certain patterns. Acts such as smoking or spending provide us with a moment of control in a time when we are told we have so little. However, our generation is entitled to living in the present, not because the future does not exist, but because it is something worth looking forward to.

The post The Death of Futurity appeared first on The McGill Daily.

This syllabus week, it’s time for the environmental implications of artificial intelligence to take center stage.

It happens in every course. My history professor will gaze wearily at the class and heave a hefty sigh rife with apprehension before instructing us to turn to the last page of our syllabus. We scroll through the PDF on our laptops until we find the subheading “AI Policy,” the complexity of these eight letters concealed behind a sleek 12- point Times New Roman font underlined in black.

About four years ago, on November 30, 2022, OpenAI released an early demo of its generative artificial intelligence (AI) chatbot, ChatGPT. Five days later, co-founder of OpenAI, Greg Brockman, claimed over one million people had used the technology.

In 2026, ChatGPT and AI usage feel ubiquitous. Journalists grapple with the implications of AI in op-eds, business owners eagerly implement the newest generative AI technology to maximize their profits, and tourists’ iPhones gleam with itineraries generated from a chatbot, restaurant and museum recommendations spilling out faster than they can say “ciao.”

In universities, educators confront a challenge different from anything they have seen before. AI is now a major focus when it comes to syllabus week, earning its own paragraph or even a full page.

Professors never cease to pause — sometimes for dramatic effect, sometimes out of apprehension, often begrudgingly — before raising the question of artificial intelligence use in their course.

The class discussion that follows is predictable. One student will wax lyrical about artificial intelligence short-circuiting the creative process; another will raise concerns over the misinformation that often spews from chatbots; a third will say that AI can never replicate the unique tone of a scholar who spent six months digging through archives instead of six minutes on ChatGPT. Conversations about misinformation and well-researched, human academic writing are all fine and well. In fact, they are very important. I, too, am deeply concerned about the implications of AI in academia, especially in creative disciplines that rely heavily on writing, like the humanities.

I don’t think we should stop having these kinds of discussions — about the moral implications of AI on creativity, originality, and academic rigour. But I am worried that AI’s impact on the environment is being entirely left out of classroom conversations.

In 2025, the MIT Technology Review published a comprehensive assessment of AI’s energy footprint, bluntly laying out the real environmental implications of the technology. The authors spoke to dozens of experts who measured AI’s energy and water usage and then analyzed their findings to reveal exactly how generative AI systems work.

For one, before a user can prompt ChatGPT to write a research paper or draft an email, AI models are trained in data centres. These centers are incredibly energy intensive, often requiring millions of gallons of water every day for cooling technology to prevent overheating. In 2023, data centres worldwide consumed 175 billion litres of water and training OpenAI’s GPT-4 model alone consumed about 50 gigawatt-hours of energy — the same amount needed to power San Francisco for three days.

By 2030, global data centres powering AI are projected to consume about 945 terawatt-hours of electricity, according to a United Nations University Institute for Water, Environment, and Health report published in June. That’s nearly three times the annual electricity use of Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Nigeria combined.

While data centers guzzle enormous amounts of water and energy, about 90 per cent of AI’s power use comes from online everyday user requests, according to Miriam Aczel, co-author of the UN study and environmental policy researcher. AI operational requests (like prompting a chatbot to write a LinkedIn post) require substantial amounts of energy, estimated to take up to 10 times more energy than a Google search. While the exact amount of energy used varies based on the prompt, it is clear that the average chatbot query is not as harmless as one might think.

Artificial intelligence is anything but artificial in its very real, measurable environmental costs. Scientific researchers, journalists, and think tanks are spelling this out like flashing stoplights that are impossible to miss.

So why are we not talking about it in the classroom?

Why have we stopped thinking about our natural habitat when it comes to AI? Have we all gotten so swept up in the ethics of using artificial intelligence in the world of academia that we have forgotten about the natural world right in front of us?

It’s time to steer the discussion about AI away from the abstract and toward the concrete. This week, when your professor will inevitably ask your thoughts on artificial intelligence, consider raising your hand to join the discussion.

Your professor may be surprised. They may respond in earnest, or even use your comment as a launchpad for a larger conversation, asking the rest of the class what they think.

Yes, creativity, critical thinking and authenticity in academia matter. But so does the environment. It’s time to start acting like it.

The post The Environmental Cost of AI appeared first on The McGill Daily.

The move-in and move-out periods generate a significant amount of waste in the Milton Parc neighbourhood. The dumpsters outside of residence halls overflow with cardboard boxes and single use packaging. Piles of black trash bags line the sidewalks from Lorne to Hutchison. Even just the packaging that comes with furnishing a dorm room or an apartment results in a massive amount of trash when multiplied by thousands of students.

The truth is that stopping the move-out mass littering begins at move-in. The reality for many McGill students is that we are temporary residents in Montreal, and many of us will leave the city after graduation. As much as departure seems far away upon arrival, we must remember that many of our possessions will not come with us when we leave.

As university students, how often are we thinking about the afterlife of our belongings when contemplating a purchase? It’s easy to imagine the missing piece for a shared living room or a shoebox dorm room when shopping after move-in. Much less often are we thinking of a piece of plastic that will take thousands of years to break down. The expectation should not be to buy something that will serve its purpose for a few years before being tossed away. Rather, moving into one’s apartment should come with the understanding that we have a responsibility to be sustainable for the sake of our neighborhood, environment, and wallet.

Instead of buying mass-produced items, turn to second-hand. when it comes to filling up your space. In addition to being better for the environment, buying second-hand will likely save you money in the process. Montreal has a vibrant Facebook Marketplace community, where you can find all sorts of furniture and unique decor for low prices, or even free of charge. And once you’re ready to move out of your university apartment, you can easily re-list items online or simply donate them to a local thrif store.

McGill runs its own on-campus thrift store out of University Hall. Launched in 2024 by Student Housing Services with the support of the Office of Sustainability, ThriftMcGill has since received over 10,000 donations including clothing, home decor, books, kitchenware, and board games. All items are free of charge for McGill students, making furnishing an apartment readily accessible.

When moving out, think of non-profit organization Sollicite’s Trash2Treasure initiative: a circular, volunteer-based program which redistributes used furniture and household items to charitable organizations across the island. Since 2017, the organization has dedicated itself to cleaning up the neighbourhood for a good cause. During the late-April move-out season, the team collaborates with the Students Society of McGill University (SSMU) to run multiple days of free home-collection services in Milton Parc. Volunteers pick up discarded items, including electronics, furniture, and small appliances, that can be recycled for those in need. In 2025 alone, they collected over 18 tonnes of material and gave new life to 96 per cent of it.

Frosh soon follows the excitement of residence move-in and OAP brings thousands of students to the lower field in the first week of classes. Both events have dedicated coordinators who work with McGill’s Office of Sustainability. In September 2025 OAP earned a gold sustainability certification, while the Management, Engineering, and Music Froshes earned platinum. In order for these events to happen, we have to be respectful and responsible participants and clean up our waste.

The beginning of the fall semester brings a lot of excitement to McGill’s undergraduate community, but we must remember the neighbourhood’s permanent residents while having fun. When attending back-to-school parties or other events in Milton Parc and beyond, dispose of cans, cups, and other plastic waste responsibly. Not only will cleaning up after partying help you avoid fines from your landlord, but it’s the right thing to do for our neighbours and our planet.

Moving into a dorm or returning to an apartment is, for many students leaving home to study, one of the most exciting parts of the university experience. But ultimately, Canada produces nearly five million tonnes of plastic waste each year, less than seven per cent of which is successfully recycled into new products. Bottom line, it is our responsibility to be mindful of the ways we can keep Milton Parc and Montreal clean throughout our time as residents on the island all year round.

The post Keep the Planet in Mind During Move-in appeared first on The McGill Daily.

On July 16, the 230-member blue collar workers’ union at Parc Jean-Drapeau voted unanimously in favour of increasing pressure tactics, such as a general strike, following unsuccessful negotiations with the City of Montreal over a new collective agreement. The union voted on this decision a little over two weeks before Osheaga: one of Canada’s largest music festivals, held annually at Parc Jean-Drapeau and one of the busiest weekends of the year for the park’s workers.

“The first thing that comes to mind when thinking about peak season at Jean- Drapeau is the huge number of people that attend the many events held on the island.” says Meera Pande, U3 cultural studies and political science student at McGill. Every summer, Jean-Drapeau receives hundreds of thousands of visitors for major events, with music festivals such as Piknic Électronik, Palomosa, and Osheaga being especially popular. “Osheaga has always been an all-ages event, but definitely has a specific draw to students looking to make the most of summertime in Montreal.” Ahead of these festivals, you’ll most likely see students reselling last-minute tickets on social media or student clubs and organizations offering discounted tickets for specific events. Students’ lives are vibrant in anticipation of the rush that comes from seeing their favourite artists with their closest friends.

The pre-festival frenzy, however, looks a little different through the lens of the Parc Jean Drapeau workers. The Parc Jean-Drapeau union has been working without a contract since December 2023, when their collective agreement expired. Correspondingly, the union has been in negotiation with the City of Montreal over a new collective agreement. The union is represented by the Canadian Union of Protected Employees (CUPE), Canada’s largest worker’s union. A statement released by the CUPE stated that the 230 workers at the park have not received a pay raise despite increased inflation.

In an interview with the Daily, Pierre- Guy Sylvestre, an economist, CUPE negotiator, and staff member, mentioned that the negotiation table includes a mix of grassroots organizers, union representatives and lawyers. He describes how the union has been mainly focused on reaching a new contract with a wage increase that adjusts for inflation as well as back pay for the past two-and-a-half years workers have operated since the previous contract expired. “Sometimes there are tough negotiations where even after two years or so, there’s no back time pay [included in the agreement]. This is especially in the private sector. But here with the local section, 301 Blue Collars, the back time’s always going to be respected.”

When asked about what exactly increased pressure tactics can look like, Sylvestre stated that, “Preparing for a strike is very hard, so there are other pressure tactics [unions can apply]. Let’s say we’re working with office staff. Just wearing a t-shirt can really offend bosses. …. The best agenda [would be to] go to meetings and meet your members. Some unions don’t go see those members because they have this rank and file, but it’s too much order. A union is a human relations group, you know? You have to go see the members, you have to talk with them. For me, this is one of the best weapons of any social movement, especially for unions.”

The potential strike may not make waves among incoming and returning McGill students as most of the major Parc Jean-Drapeau events of the summer have come to an end, and students’ focuses are most likely directed to preparing for the upcoming fall semester. Many major Montreal strikes typically seem to go under the radar for university students unless work stoppages directly impact their day-to- day lives, such as the Fall 2025 STM strikes, the 2024 McGill law professor strikes, or the 2025 AirCanada flight attendant strikes.

Despite many McGill students only living in the city temporarily, student life is not isolated from Montreal’s labour economy. A report by the Chamber of Commerce of Metropolitan Montreal found that in 2019–2020, over 173,000 students lived in Greater Montreal. The presence of students in the city was not only economically advantageous as a result of their spending, but also by promoting job creation. Hence, Montreal businesses have molded themselves to be as desirable to students as possible. In addition to the never-ending list of major events throughout Montreal, basic needs and extracurriculars often come at a lower price for students: museums and cinemas, transit fares, and even groceries are cheaper for students. There are hundreds of thousands of blue collar and service workers working day in and day out who make this city what it is. While apathy towards labour grievances is only disturbed once a strike shakes our routines, we students tend to forget that worker compliance is what allows us to enjoy what the city has to offer.

As of late, the union told CTV Montreal there is no strike plan. However, if and when one is announced, I urge McGill students to support the movement and stay informed in any way possible.

“We’re everywhere that’s going to [include] a social fight: equity for women and men, or any kind of discrimination against a group,” stressed Sylvestre. “Unions like CUPE and our allies, we ally together and we fight.”

The post The City’s Ours appeared first on The McGill Daily.

As Premier, Fréchette had the opportunity to act in one legislative session before the upcoming election, likely the last session with a CAQ majority until the following election. During this time, CAQ administration attempted to pass 27 bills. The Fréchette government’s first bill was particularly symbolic: an early renewal of the notwithstanding clause protecting the controversial Bill 96/Law 14, which consolidated the role of the French language in public, professional, and academic life by strengthening Bill 101. The Fréchette administration further expanded Bill 101 for vocational and adult education as well as changes to the application process for low-cost housing, with specific provisions regarding students. With limited time, these were abandoned. Still, a ban on selling energy drinks to youth under 16, the regulation of ticket resales and subscriptions, the Gabie Renaud law (granting individuals the ability to inquire about a potential partner’s domestic abuse history), and nine others were passed.

While Fréchette initially championed bills concerning language, they seem to have lost steam in the national assembly as they neared the session deadline. Due to the need for the opposition’s consent to further major legal projects, the CAQ government instead focused on achieving “results without drama.” This meant focusing on bills that wouldn’t get stuck in debate or in committee before the session ended. This also created distance between Fréchette and the famously confrontational Legault. She further distanced herself by criticizing Legault’s “economic interventionism,” referring to the auditor general’s report published on June 10. Despite the deliberate change in “tone,” Fréchette still sees Legault’s policies on the French Language and Quebec Culture as successful and intends to continue in that direction. On the abandoned Bill 101 expansion, she stated, “I understand that if we bring back this bill and we will, should we be reelected, we can modify the process to consult the English community.”

In the same interview on June 15, the only formal English language interview with Fréchette since becoming Premier, she praised McGill and Concordia as “important, world-class institutions.” A day later, on June 16, Fréchette’s higher education minister, Martine Biron, announced a deal with McGill, Concordia, and Bishop’s offering $20 million a year as long as 60 per cent of out-of-province students reach level 4 proficiency in oral French. In addition, these schools will have to pay fines if they fail to reach the quota. This does not change the tuition hike, which remains in effect despite the Quebec Superior Court deeming that the near doubling of fees for out-of-province students is “unreasonable.” As the former Minister of Immigration, Francization and Integration, this does not only represent a continuation of her predecessor’s policies, but of her own.

Recent polling by Leger shows that language is not among the highest priorities for most anglophone and francophone voters in Quebec, with the cost of living and quality of health services ranking as higher priority issues. That said, 12 per cent of voters still view Quebec’s language and culture as one of their highest priorities, while 24 per cent of anglophones who intend to move out in the next two years cite language in some form as the main reason. Anglophones also clearly diverge in their voting intentions as well, with 55 per cent support for the Quebec Liberal Party (PLQ) and 20 per cent for the Conservative Party of Quebec (PCQ). By contrast, the general Quebec population sees 24 per cent and 13 per cent respectively, with the separatist Parti Québécois (PQ) leading at 30 per cent support and the CAQ competing for second with 20 per cent.

There is no scheduled English language debate between the party leaders as the CAQ and the PQ declined their invitations, and the PLQ will not participate in debates without the other four parties. The last English-language debate in Quebec’s provincial history occurred in 2018, with the only other one occurring back in 1985. The “Dialogue jeunesse des chef·fes” planned by the Institute du Nouveau Monde (INM), an event scheduled for August 25th meant to allow youth to directly ask questions to party leaders, yet it was also cancelled. This raises questions about whether young anglophone Quebecers are being adequately included in conversations about the province’s future.

For Quebecers, and particularly for students at McGill, these debates are about more than abstract questions of language policy or provincial politics. They shape who can study in Quebec, how accessible its universities are, and whether young people see a future for themselves here. For McGill students, the effects are especially tangible. The provincial government can directly affect their education and their decision to remain in Quebec after graduation. Regardless of how one feels about the CAQ’s approach, these policies matter because they will help determine who feels they have a place in Quebec’s future.

The post Premier Christine Fréchette on Language appeared first on The McGill Daily.

On February 28, the US and Israel launched a join airstrike attack on Iran, killing many high-ranking government officials including Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Iran quickly retaliated in a series of missile and drone strikes against Israel and US allies in the region. The war has since turned into a chaotic global conflict; political leaders stand divided, the energy market has stalled, the Gulf states suffer damage from the unprecedented attack, and Trump speaks exclusively in contradictory terms about his next move.

Meanwhile, the Iranian government maintains a near- total internet blackout throughout the country, which renders it difficult to determine how the war is affecting Iranians on the inside of the conflict. The Daily was able to get in contact with a factory manager in Iran, to recount his experiences and share his thoughts from the first week of the conflict.

“[On the morning of Monday March 2], a very, very loud sound – caused by a bomb or missile – jolted me out of bed, waking me up,” he writes. “I froze, and did not immediately go to check on the factory until about 15 minutes later. In the factory, about 80 per cent of the windows facing the explosion were broken…The factory yard was full of bomb or missile fragments, full of large metal pieces, full of various parts including vision cameras, full of crushed rubble…broken glass covered my desk.”

“I think if [the explosion] had happened during working hours, we would have had at least 10-20 people injured…the distance between the explosion and our factory was about 100 meters.”

In the following week, Saeed cancelled work for his employees, although he went to the factory every day.

“Every day and night – at 10 p.m. or 3 a.m. or 8 a.m. etc., generally at different times – I heard a sound like an airplane or a missile. With my previous knowledge, I tried to take shelter quickly, so that if something happened, I wouldn’t get hurt. It sounded about two to four times every day.”

Once work resumed for Saeed’s employees, the sentiment amid the factory was one of unrest and paranoia. “There was worry in their eyes. A few of them had turned their feelings of worry into anger or chaos. Inadvertently, their words disturbed their coworkers and caused them to grow anxious as well. Seeing the state of the situation, I decided to call off work until further notice and send everyone home.”

“Some people decided to stay, to help clean up the rubble…at 9 a.m. we started replacing the broken windows. At noon, there was another explosion and the windows broke again.”

Such destruction and paranoia is characteristic of war. As the conflict drags on, Iranians – both within the country and in the diaspora – become increasingly disillusioned with the foreign powers who came to their “aid.” Hope dwindles for regime change and improved conditions once the war is over.

On the other hand, the majority of Iranians express discontent with the current regime, and have grown desperate for an alternative. “The ordinary people have lived without any peace or prosperity for 47 years. They are tired; they are unhappy,” Saeed tells us. “But they have found that whenever they protest, they face severe crackdowns and bloodshed, while the government remains untouched. I think more than 85 per cent of the people are against the government.”

Time and time again, mass protests against the regime have been met with violent retaliation. The most recent wave of protests in January and February of this year have been recorded as the deadliest wave of crackdowns in Iran’s modern history, with many estimates of fatalities exceeding 30,000.

This is why the assassination of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on February 28 had such a profound effect on Iranians: after decades of protests that rendered thousands dead while harbouring no real change, hope is in scarce supply. The sudden death of the regime’s most important figurehead gives a despairing population a tangible source of hope to latch on to. The overwhelming sentiment seemed to be that Khamenei’s death had freed the people of Iran, and put a definitive end to their suffering.

However, liberation did not immediately follow Khamenei’s death. In fact, what Iran saw instead of democracy was its antithesis: Ali Khamenei’s son, Mojtaba Khamenei, was appointed by Iran’s Assembly of Experts as his replacement; and the Islamic regime, although weakened, remains in power.

Weakened in terms of state apparatus, but not in spirit; since the beginning of “Operation Epic Fury,” the Iranian government has doubled down on its repressive measures and intimidation tactics. On state television, one presenter threatened that “every single” dissident will be pursued, and they will “make [their] mothers mourn.” The chief of police claimed that anyone who takes to the streets against the regime “[will not be seen] as a protester or something else; we will see them as the enemy and do with them what we do with the enemy.” Some Iranians profess that, in spite of the current airstrikes, they are still more afraid of their own government than outside forces.

Their fear is not unfounded; the Islamic regime has routinely imprisoned, tortured, and killed those who it deems a threat to its hegemony. Systemic violence is intrinsic to the government’s state apparatus.

It is true that the US-Israeli attack is an illegal one, and the continual erosion of international law is deeply concerning. It is also true that American intervention in the Middle East, such as the “war on terror” in Afghanistan and the 2003 Iraqi invasion, has an egregious track record. The US’ meddling has often resulted in lengthy, drawn-out conflicts that destabilize governments and devastate local populations. However, the present alternative for Iran – complete withdrawal of US and Israeli forces from the region, leaving the people’s fate in the hands of the Islamic regime – isn’t awfully alluring either. It is likely that as soon as foreign attacks cease to be a threat, the Iranian government will carry out mass imprisonments and executions of its internal “enemies.”

One option touted enthusiastically by the diaspora is the return of the exiled crowned prince, Reza Pahlavi. Although Pahlavi has a sizeable support base in the Iranian diaspora, and perhaps has some backing in Iran, his competency for the role is questionable. Saeed has his reservations regarding the exiled prince: “A person who has only talked and lived in luxury for 47 years wouldn’t be willing to come to Iran even if they give him the country with both hands. In my opinion, the percentage of people’s desire for Reza Pahlavi…is not even between 5 and 15 per cent.”

In Saeed’s view, Reza Pahlavi is a troublesome candidate; “Having a father as the Shah is not proof of sensibility and wisdom. If your father was wise and sensible, the events of 1979 would not have taken place. [The Shah] also had in his mind a great delusion, and wanted not only Iran, but the entire world under his feet; a delusional dream of power and global domination. Like Mohammad Reza Shah, [Reza Pahlavi] is our Trump who wants to rule the world.”

When the most viable “democratic” alternative Iran sees for itself is a relic of an archaic autocratic dynasty, it is clear that Iran is not dealt a fair hand when it comes to democracy. Grievances and suffering have compounded over decades of living under oppressive rule, resulting in progressively lower expectations and standards for change. Even when people continue fighting for a “democratic” alternative, what they come to accept as “democracy” becomes more lenient.

What results is a nation in which war sparks celebration, and the most viable form of democracy is the return of monarchy. After 47 years of violence and bloodshed, war is peace and freedom is slavery.

The post Iran is Not Dealt a Fair Hand When it Comes to Democracy appeared first on The McGill Daily.

Anya Kasuri, TVM President and Post-Credits Editor-in-Chief, attended the event dressed in a sparkling gown and touted the magazine’s sole physical copy. The magazine, which she co-founded alongside TVM’s graphics coordinator, Sascha Siddiqui, encourages authors to thoughtfully analyze their favourite films. Kasuri is in her third year, studying International Development with a double minor in Political Science and World Cinemas.

In an interview with The McGill Daily, Kasuri says, “Film is the medium that influences our everyday character and aspirations.” Not only does it influence you, it allows you to understand yourself: “Critiquing film is a social activity, an intellectual engagement, and at its core, is a self-assessment of your values and beliefs…the meaning you derive from it can be really telling of your character too. ”

Her favourite part of the magazine is the graphics: “[Unlike writing, graphics] provide visuals to cinema…to perfectly complement the [article’s] argument. Sascha [Siddiqui], our graphics coordinator, did an incredible job bridging the gap … When I saw the final [magazine] it was her creativity that grounded the writing back to its roots — an appreciation of cinema.”

“Films should always be critically analyzed this way. I feel like that’s a value that I’ve derived from my film classes, particularly with Professor Ara Osterweil,” she replied when asked about the vision behind the magazine. “The process of watching and experiencing a film is not only viewing it, then going home and going to sleep. It’s about watching it with your friends, watching other people, reacting, [and] hearing everyone’s reactions in the crowd. Afterward, [the experience is about] discussing it as you understand it — because when you come out of a movie, you’re not going to know exactly what you have to say; it’s not a fully fleshed-out thought. When you spend time discussing it, you learn more about it.”

The key difference, for Kasuri, between short- and long-form analysis lies in its depth: “[Long-form analysis] offers full fledged evaluations of films’ formal elements: cinematography, mise en scene, visual tone, colour palette, acting, narrative — being able to evaluate that in a longer form analysis lets you see each film individually…and its directors’ vision apart from one another because you get into the depths of each films’ elements’ meaning[s].” To conclude: “It’s a better, more engaging, intellectual, and educational alternative to short-form media.”

However, she notes that many people forget the core of analysis: what the film wants to be. “A lot of people misjudge pieces of media by applying the same expectations to all [of them]. It’s important to judge a film based on what it’s striving to be…they all have different standards of their visual language, their pacing, their acting, their sets,” said Kasuri.

I encountered Elena Degas at a bar table next to the DJ booth, listening intently to the live band. As TVM’s music composer, she wanted to “provide insight from a musical perspective.” Writing to the Daily, she highlighted how the score was integral to the story: “Sinners was by far the film that impacted me most from the last year, and I felt that it was special in the way that the score/music was so integral to the story and the conversations that were happening around the film.”

Degas got her start in film scoring when she watched Euphoria in 2019. The music was what made her love the show; she found that it could tell a poignant story on its own.

Her favourite part of the article she wrote for Post-Credits was her analysis of the use of blues at the centre of Sinners. It gives the viewer insight into the film’s characters and their struggles. Especially the song “Pick Poor Robin Clean,” demonstrates the turn from oppressed to oppressor in Remmick, an Irishman. It opens up a “space for a larger conversation about the history of predominately Black genres of music and how they’ve evolved and continue to live on today.”

From her article: “It is immediately following [the surreal montage] scene when the people in the juke joint are faced with the vampires, who dauntingly perform an upbeat, folk-inspired rendition of ‘Pick Poor Robin Clean’ for the group.” The song is “a blues song that [embodies] someone trying to survive by picking apart and taking everything they can from a dead robin.”

For Degas, “this jolly folk rendition exemplifies the white vampires’ inability to engage empathetically and thoughtfully with the community they are attempting to infiltrate, and recalls a common pattern in genres such as blues and jazz, in which white musicians have historically appropriated and overshadowed Black artists.” Remmick’s positionality is especially striking because of his Irish heritage and experience with colonialism. His desire to completely consume the music is shaped by a selfish desire to preserve it the way he was unable to with his own heritage. However, in doing so, he reproduces colonial violence, with music becoming a tangible symbol of culture.

TVM has allowed Degas to explore her passion for the soundscape of a movie: “Film is now one of the main cornerstones of my life, I have found a huge love for making music for films at TVM, and have found a great community of other film-lovers here; I now plan on attending film school next year for sound design in hopes of a career in film audio/music!”

McGill’s distinct lack of a creative arts programme is no secret. However, student initiatives like Post-Credits Magazine are working to allow student film lovers to think critically about the art they are passionate about.

TVM will be hosting its largest event of the year, FOKUS Film Festival on Thursday, March 26 at Cinema Du Parc. For more information, visit TVM at tvmtelevision.com or @tvm.television on Instagram.

The post TVM Reveals the First Issue of Post-Credits Magazine appeared first on The McGill Daily.

According to the CBC, 130 Palestinian students admitted to Canadian universities cannot enter Canada due to related administrative barriers. Empty Seats includes written testimonies from four out of five Palestinian scholars admitted to McGill but are currently in bureaucratic limbo, unable to enter Canada; as well as testimonies from McGill faculty members and students expressing solidarity with these Palestinian students. It also includes concrete calls to action.

The project was kickstarted by an article written by Calame and Delafoulhouse in October 2025. The piece, which included interviews with McGill’s Palestinian scholars and members of the Palestinian Scholars and Students At Risk (PSSAR) organization, highlighted the bureaucratic barriers that keep admitted Palestinian scholars from attending on-site school in Montreal. The PSSAR identifies Palestinian scholars and connects them to academic opportunities in Canada. Upon the article’s publication, Associate Professor of Anthropology Diana Allan, who is also the acting faculty liaison for PSSAR at McGill, proposed broadening the project scope to better uncover and uplift these students’ circumstances in hopes of changing them. Subsequently, Professor Allan hosted a zine-making workshop in collaboration with media-maker and activist Stefan Christoff as an extra-credit opportunity for her classes, with interested students encouraged to participate in the zine’s creation. Thus, Empty Seats was born.

The zine format, commonly used for social justice, welcomes academic writing while also centering other valuable sources of knowledge like testimonies, interviews, and artworks. It is also remarkably collaborative and approachable, which was imperative for engaging students regardless of their background and experience in organizing and activism. 

“It was a very McGill student-centred project,” says Louise Deroi, one of Empty Seats’ student organizers, in correspondence with The McGill Daily. Voluntary testimonies were collected from McGill students via a Google Form disseminated via social media and word of mouth, with respondents ranging across year groups and faculties. “A common theme expressed in the [student] testimonies was the disillusionment of and anger at attending a university that doesn’t do more for these students who, despite having submitted an excellent application and having been admitted, have the world pitted against them, which prevents them from being here. Putting the testimonies of the Palestinian scholars and other students and activists side by side shows the [Palestinian] students that they’re not alone; that there’s a community backing them up that desperately wants them to make it and is willing to mobilize for that.” 

At the zine launch, the team screened video testimonies by Palestinian scholars Shereen and Majd (last names not given), who were respectively admitted to McGill’s Master’s programs in Neuroscience and Computer Science but remain in Gaza due to multiple barriers preventing them from receiving their visas. Biometrics, a key component of the Canadian visa application, cannot be obtained in Gaza, meaning that individuals seeking them must travel through the Rafah crossing to neighbouring West Bank or Egyptian territories to do so. However, the Rafah crossing has been closed since May 2024, making it extremely difficult for these students to fulfill the necessary steps for their visa application without external intervention.

However, in the last few years, nations like France, the United Kingdom and Ireland have enabled Palestinian students to complete their visa processes through various means, from evacuating them to neighbouring countries like Jordan to creating streamlined bureaucratic pathways. Historically, Canada has also proved itself flexible by making concessions for individuals in extenuating circumstances during the visa application process. For instance, applications for the Canada-Ukraine Authorization for Emergency Travel (CUAET) visa, temporary emergency visas which were issued to families and individuals fleeing Ukraine, waived the requirement of medical examinations and COVID-19 vaccinations. 

At the institutional level, McGill belongs to lobbying bodies like U15 with mandates that encourage international talent and scholarship to drive Canada’s innovation. Moreover, McGill, registered as an active in-house lobbyist in Ottawa, meets regularly with Canadian government officials to discuss a host of notable issues including immigration. “It’s hard to access the content of these meetings, but we want to make sure that McGill is using all of its political power to make sure these students make it [to Canada],” states Deroi.

The zine’s launch hopes to spark a larger national movement to bring Palestinian scholars to Canada by pressuring the IRCC to expedite their VISA processes. “This is a Canadian issue, and is much bigger than McGill,” affirms Deroi. “Eventually, it would be amazing if other universities wanted to replicate the zine format and the project.” 

McGill students can follow the Critical Media Lab to receive updates about the Empty Seats project and other follow-up events currently in the works. In addition to staying informed about Empty Seats, Deroi encourages students to get involved in the other various forms of on-campus activism pertaining to the Palestinian genocide. “Seeing these issues as interconnected and knowing that there are many different approaches to activism in support of Palestinians is very important.”

Copies of Empty Seats can be found at Cinema Politica. Any further inquiries can be directed to mcgillemptyseats@gmail.com.

The post Taking Attendance for Empty Seats appeared first on The McGill Daily.

The line between performance and identity has become increasingly blurred in music. Be it EsDeeKid’s carefully hidden persona or Gorillaz’s quarter-century of lore, artists now construct themselves as deliberately as they write songs. Every physical action and digital trace carries a magnitude of importance. Optics are king, and a misstep could spell the end of an artist’s career.

Singer-songwriter Phil Elverum, talking to the Daily from his home studio in Anacortes, Washington, USA, has noticed this modern obsession with a carefully crafted image. “I think it’s an expression of what’s happening in the culture at large,” he says, gesturing for emphasis. “Everyone on social media is always performing for their followers, so everyone is used to putting on a face and presenting themselves in an idealized way.”

The goal of “perfect” performance is not restricted to social media or mainstream artists. “I think that it’s even finding expression in independent music,” Elverum adds. 

Performing as The Microphones and Mount Eerie, Elverum leans into lo-fi production, recording many songs with analog tape recorders and sparse acoustic arrangements. From hellish sound collages to delicate love stories, his music exudes vulnerability. The result is an intimate sonic landscape listeners can immerse themselves in.

Having released more than 40 records since the 1990s, with standouts like The Glow Pt. 2 shaping the independent scene, Elverum is no stranger to the pressures of presentation. Like many public figures, he holds his actions in high regard — but rather than chasing flawlessness, he actively avoids it. “People forgot that human touch is so important,” says Elverum, who is known for manning his own merchandise booth when on tour. 

Still, his goal of showcasing imperfection is most evident in his music. “My mind was formed in the era where sloppiness and imperfection were important to feature prominently,” Elverum says. His musical identity is shaped by Seattle’s grunge scene, which he describes as “raw and imperfect.” That era of music was not burdened by today’s technology, a development which tends to eliminate the mistakes and human touch that make recording music so special in the first place. 

Hence, the contrast between Elverum’s sound and the majority of today’s new music is evident. 

“I’m weirded out by how clean everything sounds. Also, people’s singing is so pretty.” He laughs, flashing a wide grin. “What’s up with that?”

Our algorithm-driven world is relentless in its crusade to force individuals into fixed boxes. Whether it’s new technology or the latest viral trends, the pressure to conform to social pressures seems unavoidable. In this day and age, a student showing up to class in skinny jeans would likely face judgement from classmates — even though the opposite might have been true ten years ago. Elverum faces a similar dilemma. Instead of skinny jeans in a room of straight-cut or bootleg denim, he arrives at a technically faultless musical landscape armed with uneven vocals and untamed instrumentals.

How has he resisted the expectations of conformity from the music industry, remaining aligned with his north star of imperfection? “I’ve just been careful to maintain my own weird little corner off to the side [and] to not really participate in the music industry as a whole in a way that feels like it’s beyond me,” Elverum explains.

His independence, facilitated through his own label P.W. Elverum & Sun, allows him to release and sell his work on his own terms. 

“I don’t work with other labels, I’m small, so I’m free and liberated to just do whatever I want. Also, I don’t really follow music very well, so I don’t even know what the expectations would be… I know how to do one thing, and that’s just what I do. If I were to try to do something that would be well-received or cool, it would be embarrassing and it would not work.”

The authenticity with which Elverum pursues his craft is poignant. Despite the talent and influence he has accumulated, he has not abandoned his ethos of imperfection for a path that almost certainly would have brought more commercial and financial success. 

At his essence, Elverum is an artist, and while he may continue to ponder the mysteries of human existence through his music, one thing he does not question is the importance of making art. “My ideal is to be engaged with some kind of art practice. Whatever it is, if it’s music or something else, I don’t know,” Elverum says.

“That’s who I am. That’s who I want to be. That’s the life I want to live, until I die.”

The post Phil Elverum on the Power of Imperfection appeared first on The McGill Daily.

The McGill Daily’s Editorial Board presents its endorsements for the Executive candidates running for the 2026-2027 SSMU election. The editorial board’s decision process included researching each executive’s roles and responsibilities, as well as the responses of the candidates present at the executive debate. Decisions were made through a democratic vote among the editorial board.

President

Endorsement: Yes to Hamza Abu-Alkhair with reservations

According to the SSMU website, “The President is the chief officer of SSMU, responsible for determining the vision of the Society, coordinating and supporting the activities of the other Executive Officers, and representing student interests on various university governance bodies.”

Experience: Hamza Abu-Alkhair has extensive experience in student government: he is currently a member of the Syrian Student Association, a member of the Arab Students Network, and most importantly, the current VP Clubs and Services of the SSMU. Abu-Alkhair’s position in the SSMU demonstrates an understanding of the organization’s tructure.

Platform: Abu-Alkhair’s platform focuses on three main initiatives: accessibility, community, and financial stability. He aims to achieve his first initiative by launching event summaries for students, ensuring transparency of how SSMU operates, improving SSMU outreach, and promoting student engagement. In terms of community building, he aims to make SSMU more visible on campus, develop a multi-year plan to rebuild SSMU as student-centered hub, and increase daytime programming in the University Centre. Finally, he aims to improve financial stability and transparency through collaboration with VP Finance to ensure financial reporting is accessible and inclusive of student voices.

Endorsement: Hamza Abu-Alkhair’s experience as VP Clubs and Services demonstrates his understanding of the SSMU structure and his experience communicating with student organizations. While his platform lacks specificity in describing the mechanisms he will install to improve current SSMU operations, his recognition of SSMU’s internal limitations demonstrates a desire for change and the implementation of student voices in democracy.

VP Clubs and Services

According to the SSMU website, “The VP Clubs and Services is the point person for internal relations between SSMU and its clubs, services, and independent student groups. They are also responsible for mental health promotion, collaborating with Student Services, and addressing issues of student life on campus.”

Endorsement: Yes to Acadia Knickerbocker

Experience: Acadia Knickerbocker has diverse community engagement experience in and out of McGill. She has served as the VP Race Director for McGill Run Club, AUS Co-Commissioner of the Sponsorship committee, and volunteers at the Milton Park Food Hub. Within the SSMU, she has served as the governance speaker of the Legislative Council, chairman of the Board of Directors under Internal Council, and Corporate Secretary.

Platform: Knickerbocker’s extensive platform targets four main areas of clubs and services. She firstly aims to expand resource accessibility by improving the SSMU club fund, increasing storage space, and expanding University Centre booking access. She strives to increase engagement with student groups through on-campus promotion and orientation channels as well as establishing an Activities Night bursary. Her platform also centres on administrative reform, which she states can be achieved by improving the backlog of student club requests, updating internal regulations of student groups. Finally, she intends to address accounting reform by increasing club financing and autonomy.

Endorsement: Acadia Knickerbocker’s platform and campaign showcase a deep understanding of the SSMU structure, policies, and areas of improvement. Her platform includes clear goals, and concrete solutions for existing concerns among student organizations. The Daily Editorial Board endorses Acadia Knickerbocker for the role of VP Clubs and Services, and believes her diverse experience in student clubs, her cohesive platform, and her passionate campaign position her as a strong fit for the role of VP Clubs and Services.

Vice President External

Endorsement: Yes to Harry Wang

According to the SSMU website, “The VP External is in charge of coordinating SSMU’s relations with various levels of government, student associations, community groups, and campus labour unions; as well as managing political campaigns and mobilization efforts.”

Experience: As a provincial School Board Trustee for the Hamilton-Wentworth District School Board, Harry Wang has experience in public service, developing academic policy. Wang has brought this experience to McGill University, where they has served as corporate Secretary for the SSMU, parliamentarian on the Legal & Governance team under the Internal Counsel, chair of the nominating committee for the VP Finance, board member at large, and a member of the judiciary, as well as a member of the accountability committee.

Platform: Harry Wang’s platform relies on three pillars: Government Advocacy, Student Affordability, and Accountability and Transparency. Wang aims to demystify the ways Quebecois provincial policy impacts McGill operations through collaboration with undergraduate student associations and news platforms. Their platform also discusses supporting lower-income students through subsidies and bursaries to support lower-income students in the face of tuition hikes. Finally, Wang aims to limit the unilateral uses of power and increase transparency on the structure and portfolio of the SSMU.

Endorsement: Harry Wang’s experience in provincial school boards as well as various McGill committees demonstrates maturity and familiarity with representing students’ voices on a larger platform. By championing anti-austerity initiatives, promoting minority voices, and highlighting the impact of provincial policies on McGill, Wang shows to beknowledgeable about student demands and interested in meeting student needs. The Daily’s Editorial Board strongly believes that Wang’s campaign showcases his strongcommitment to striving in the role of VP External.

Vice President Internal 

According to the SSMU website, “The VP Internal is chiefly in charge of communication and creating a sense of community with the student body through event planning and communications (such as the listserv).”

Endorsement: Yes to Maggie Tang with reservations

Experience: Maggie Tang’s experience in student government spans the faculty-wide and school-wide scales, having been the AUS HR Administrator as well as the Faculty of Arts Senator. The former comprised matters like promoting awareness of sexual violence and introducing initiatives to improve student life, and the latter involved liaising directly with the SSMU President and VP Internal. She has also worked as SSMU VP Internal administration.

Platform: The three pillars of Maggie Tang’s platform are Inclusivity, Safety and Good Vibes. In terms of inclusivity, her proposed initiatives include free events, engagement with first-year and international students and interfaculty partnerships. Regarding safety, she suggests lower intervention by external security authorities, more structured and transparent event planning processes, and advocacy for the prevention of sexual violence. Finally, lower-cost ticketed events, stronger alumni career fairs, and attractive events like Winter Carnival and SSMU’s Got Talent – in addition to events that aim to ameliorate mental health through light-hearted, casual means – are part of her plan to infuse good vibes into the student body.

Endorsement: Maggie Tang’s platform is not only full of personality, but full of heart. Despite stating that “the role is not about politics,” we believe that her platform and past experience still demonstrates her commitment to social justice issues, which are not only tied to the communitarian roles of VP Internal but are also inherently political. With her additional knowledge of SSMU bureaucracy, we believe in her ability to navigate the responsibilities that come with shaping the student body.

Vice President of University Affairs 

According to the SSMU website, “The VP University Affairs advocates for student interests at almost all levels of university governance. They do this through coordinating student representation to the university Senate and its committees, researching and consulting on policy solutions, and overseeing academic affairs. They also oversee equity initiatives and complaints, as well as advocacy regarding libraries.”

Endorsement: Yes to Meghan Lai

Experience: Meghan Lai’s experience mostly lies in the faculty of education. These roles are Education Student Senator, Legislative Councilor, Co-Chair of the McGill Committee on Student Services, Director on SSMU Daycare Board, EdUS Council Member, Faculty of Education Council Member, Education Faculty Ambassador, McGill Students For the Open Door Montreal Volunteer.

Platform: The three pillars of Lai’s platform include three ABCs: Academics, Bridge, and Community. In terms of academics, their specific aims include revising the Policy on Assessment of Student Learning, develop AI use guidelines/policy, and bring back VP Academic roundtables. They also aim to improve student services through alleviating Student Accessibility and achievement’s exam proctoring load, develop online booking with the Wellness Hub, and increase Student Services programs. Finally, Lai recognizes, and aims to continue the sitting University Affairs’ open-door policy while also striving to facilitate idea sharing through the University Affairs instagram and website.

Endorsement: Meghan Lai’s extensive experience in the undergraduate Education Faculty demonstrates a commitment to pedagogy and student interests. Their understanding of the responsibility of the VP University Affairs role showcases a strong ability to deliver their promises. Finally, Lai’s dedication to social justice, including menstrual health awareness, diversity, and mental health highlight their care and devotion to student wellness amidst an rigorous academic environment.

The post SSMU Executive Endorsements 2026-2027 appeared first on The McGill Daily.