Paying for misinformation Student fees should not be used to support groups on campus that deliberately share and promote misinformation
Photos C/O Kyle West The McMaster Students Union recognizes over 350 clubs. According to the MSU Clubs page, the purpose of these clubs is to “provide an insightful and meaningful contribution to the McMaster and Hamilton community.” Being a MSU recognized club affords certain privileges including being eligible for funding from the MSU. This funding comes directly from the MSU organizational fee, a $130.26 fee that all full-time...
Appreciating our instructors Students should do a better job at acknowledging the efforts made by their instructors through being engaged in class and filling out course evaluations
Photo by Kyle West By: Rida Pasha Whether it’s the real world being brought into the classroom by a professor, or the ease in explanation provided by a teaching assistant, there is no doubt that a good learning experience is a product of the time and energy of professors and TAs. However, these educators are often overlooked and underappreciated for their efforts to bring life to course content. It’s time we become more active in...
The future is open Our next president must prioritize open education in order to increase the accessibility of post-secondary education
Photos by Kyle West With tuition and living costs on the rise, obtaining a post-secondary education can be extremely costly. One of the higher costs of education are textbook fees; a first year life sciences student can expect to pay $825.15 in new textbooks. To reduce the overall cost and increase the accessibility of post-secondary education, open educational resources were created. OERs are any type of educational materials that...
What is the point of student politics? The Student Representative Assembly needs to do a better job at engaging first-year students
Photo by Kyle West By: Rida Pasha I am a first-year student who wasn’t aware of the Student Representative Assembly until just a few months ago. I am not alone in this experience. Many first-year students only became aware of the presence of the SRA after the recent election campaign, with posters plastered around campus. It is not news that it is difficult to find clear information about what the SRA does as the supposed voice of...
Job automation won’t doom students As long as university students embrace their skills and stay informed, automation doesn’t pose a threat to their careers prospects and is even creating a new job market
Photo by Catherine Goce By: Evonne Syed The topic of integrating artificial intelligence and robots into the workforce rouses the concern of anyone wishing to enter the job market, and the same goes for postsecondary students. Fortunately, the future is optimistic for students as automation is not expected to prevent graduates from attaining their career goals. In fact, the rise of automation actually improves career prospects for...
A mess of a move-out policy McMaster University’s end-of-term move out policy does not account for the lives of students who are not getting what they paid for
Photo by Kyle West By: Eden Wondmeneh As a first-year student living on residence, I had to cough up an outrageous amount of money for a mediocre living experience. Following a $600 residence deposit, residence can cost anywhere from $5,800 to $8,825, not including the additional, mandatory cost of a meal plan that ranges from $2,975 to $4,735. Separate from the fees, incoming students wishing to have a guaranteed residence space...
