executive board

EXECUTIVE EDITOR

Claire Chang

MANAGING EDITOR

Sarah Sylvester

cGill University has a lengthy history, beginning in 1821 with founder James McGill. This history is shaped by academic and scientifc accomplishments, community events, changing political landscapes, and most of all, the students and faculty. The clubs, activism, opinions, and sense of community generated by McGill’s students creates a culture which extends beyond its formal written history. Recently, this sense of culture has been extended to online platforms; the McGill community in 2023 is shaped by both the on-campus events and Reddit, Instagram, and YouTube posts.

An essential aspect of McGill’s internet history and culture are the YouTube videos students make about their experiences attending the school. Watching these videos is the begin ning of incoming students’ experience of McGill student culture and gives them a glance into what living in Mon treal has to offer. These videos discuss life in residence, things to expect be fore attending McGill, and tips to suc ceed both academically and socially. In one video titled ‘11 Must Know Things Before Studying at McGill University,’ which has garnered over forty-fve thousand views, Desautels graduate Will advises incoming students on mentally approach coming to university.

The comment section of this video is flled with incoming and future students saying how helpful it was for them to know what to expect. Another video titled ‘McGill Residence. Dorm Tours. Pros & Cons. Rankings’ by Ben Comeau includes four current students discussing their rankings and the reputations of each residence. One comment on this video reads “I love this, I’m trying to fgure out where to live because I just committed,” while another says “I have watched so many rankings… this one helped so much!”

Second-year Urban Studies student Aidan Solway stated, “Before coming to McGill I would spend countless hours watching vloggers on YouTube show their life in res and university life to make sure I knew what I was going into. It defnitely helped me to some extent but nothing compares to the actual experience of being at university.”

The indirect communication which occurs over the internet allows for McGill students to develop shared jokes and references. The instagram account @spottedmcgill has garnered nearly 10,000 followers by posting student confessions, quotes about professors, and stories about the campus squirrels. These posts create a sense of culture within the vast McGill community and allow individuals to share their stories. Many of the posts on this account are people speaking about students around campus who they have noticed or would like to get to know. One reads, “I need to know if the Gerts barista with brown hair is single because he has the cutest smile I’ve ever seen and I can’t stop thinking about him.” These posts generate a feeling of unity within the school and can allow people to connect who would not otherwise.

Another, more rudimentary way students have documented their history is through messages written in washrooms around campus, letting the walls speak - literally. Students memorialize their cultural history through witty phrases, encouraging messages, advocacy and wellness stickers, and other creative washroom-related messages. Picture this: you and a stranger enter adjacent bathroom stalls in the basement of Burnside and you imme- diately overhear your bathroom-buddy let out a chuckle. You instinctively look to the side where the laughter came from and see a note written on the stall “Be gay. Do crimes” and laugh as well, a common experience recounted by students, professors, and visitors coming through any one posts provide something the hand-written messages cannot: time stamps. Your favorite notes in campus washrooms are ever-growing and quintessentially separated from time. Unless you see new additions in spots you frequent, there is no way to tell when they were written. not just loved by the students at McGill, as evidenced by a remark about her archnemesis, a fully black-furred squirrel on the UofT campus. Cloudberry’s reputation precedes her, and her fans are not limited to just McGill. of McGill’s washrooms. These additions to the walls document thoughts and anonymous conversations between students who will never meet.

McGill University has a rich and vibrant cultural history refected through its Reddit page. This platform documents the various activities, advice, campus icons, lore, and conversations between students, together creating an integral part of student life.

A few fan-favourites collected by the Bull & Bear News writers include a phrase in Russian with a hammer and sickle below it – which a non-Russian speaker would think is a Communist message but is actually “I love to poop;” an encouraging “piss like there is no tomorrow :)” to fellow future pee-ers; an inspirational “BE SOMEONE” on the toilet paper dispenser; a request in a faculty-only washroom to “PLEASE TURN AROUND

The McGill Reddit page is home to a wealth of information about the university, including fun facts and general knowledge. For instance, one user from eight years ago, @morerum, shared that the sign for the tunnels at McGill — which can be seen around campus — is a snail. Another user, @ respectfullyyours, shared the history of Burnside Hall, which was originally James McGill’s home built in 1775. It earned the name Burnside because of the burn – a type of waterway that refers to a large stream or a small river – that used to run through campus.

The McGill Reddit page is a testament to the cultural history and vibrancy of the university. From general knowledge to campus legends, this platform captures the essence of student life at McGill. With Cloudberry as a beloved campus celebrity, it is clear that the McGill community is not just made up of humans but also of the charming and ever-present squirrels that add a touch of magic to campus life.

The messages shared on YouTube,

To

MAKE SURE EVERYTHING OKAY!!” because even faculty sometimes struggle to maintain order in washroom stalls.

r/McGill has documented messages in bathrooms around campus that have likely been around for almost a decade. @AaznTiger posted their favorite message on the ceiling above a urinal in the bathroom next to Gert’s that says “go home, you’re drunk,” and stated that “every time [they] read it, [they] know it’s right.” On the same thread, @CatanOverlord shared their favorite puns written between the grout of the walls in the ground foor Leacock washroom: “the grout wall of China,” “The Grout Gatsby,” and “some men are born grout, while others have groutness thrust upon them.” These

However, it is not just facts and history that are shared on the McGill Reddit page; there are also numerous conversations about the campus celebrity, Cloudberry. Students often document their sightings of the leucistic squirrel, from her jaywalking adventures to her preparations for winter, and even her daily transformations, as noted by @ NoBrightFutureForMe, who remarked that Cloudberry is becoming rounder every day. There are also various theories about Cloudberry’s motivations for jaywalking: *need to put picture in print issue* Some users speculate that she is playing a game with other squirrels to win money, while others believe that she works in mysterious ways we humans will never understand, as suggested by @Fml-idratherbeacat. Despite the different theories, one thing is certain – Cloudberry is a beloved part of the McGill community. She is affectionately captured in photographs and posted by students on the Reddit page, with user @actually_a_sheep referring to her as a “majestic and wonderful critter.” However, Cloudberry is

Instagram, campus washrooms, and other non-traditional community spaces record students’ recent shared culture. These platforms facilitate new conversations and help unite students, fostering the McGill community in unconventional ways. As students develop new ways of documenting their history by sharing messages and personal experiences, McGill’s tens of thousands of students will help bond the community together.