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University of Toronto’s community newspaper Independent since 1978
February 5th – 11th, 2009 Vol. XXXI, No: 18
the newspaper
the newspaper write between the lines
the news
the arts
5 Policing our schools 4 N Sync this Saturday! 5 God vs. not God
6 Shane Philip does it all 6 Salman Rushdie enchants 3 Roommates from Hell
Education value rising
Wavelength Review
ELISABETH BENNETT
JAKE STEINMETZ
Continuing Education Bureau
Musical Arts Bureau
For many of us nearing the end of our studies at U of T, those celebrated last few months of student life are often spent in anticipation and excitement about what comes next: landing that dream job, right? Erm, maybe not. More and more jobs demand a university education in today’s information and knowledge geared market. However, factor in the shrinking job prospects due to a lacklustre economy, the less-than-positive forecasts for growth in the immediate future, and the fact that the positions that do open up are likely to be snapped up by experienced professionals who have recently been laid off, then nope, it’s not looking so good for current grad hopefuls. If you’re one of those people who, like me, fears Life After School, numbers suggest that you are not alone. The Council of Ontario Universities recently reported that there has been a 10 per cent rise in non-high school applicants to Ontario universities for the 2009/2010 year, contributing significantly to what is the highest total number of university applications since the double cohort year in 2003 when grade 13 was phased out and two graduating high school classes applied simultaneously. Many graduate schools have also seen a significant increase in applications, with the University of Toronto receiving approximately 9 per cent more grad school applications to date than it had at the same time last year. Linda Franklin, president and CEO of Colleges Ontario, says that “people, in a bad economic time, are starting to think more about coming back to school,”
If, this past Sunday, you had your head stuck in your books, paralyzed in anticipation for the week’s busy workload, you missed a truly eclectic spectacle: Sneaky Dee’s Wavelength Music Series this week proved to be the most bizarre and abstract demonstration of creativity yet. The night kicked off with the exploding melodies of Fire Hydrant. Jon (listed by first name only), who holds down lead vocals and guitar, led captivating musical alternations: from a lulling guitar to a twisted burst of the chorus to a quick reversion to the sullen verses, the polar shifts in melody were successfully backed by Jon’s strong voice. The songwriting betrayed a distinct likeness to the post-Pablo Honey work of Thom Yorke (Radiohead), especially The Bends (1995). All in all, Fire Hydrant set the stage ablaze, with the audience giving them their deserved attention. Next up, Electroluminescent
Falling economy fuels university applications
Ashley Minuk, the newspaper’s News Editor, is one who knows the value of a Photo: Matthew Pope good education.
be it for an upgrade or an extra degree. According to Paul Genest, president of the Council of Ontario Universities, this is a trend that has also been seen in past recessions. But as high school students are competing this year with 21,128 (a number that is still growing and could potentially double) non high school applicants, competition for space will be tough: last year, there were only 64,000 spots available at Ontario’s 20 universities. Genest notes that while enrolment numbers in Ontario are very healthy, in other areas of the country, such as Alberta and Atlantic Canada, numbers are flatlining or dropping – figures that he cannot explain. The only Ontario university that has seen a drop is York University, where applications fell by 10.8 per cent. Apparently, the union strike that lasted nearly three months has lowered the school’s desirability factor
(shocking, right?). So, should one continue with school or try to get a (gulp) job? This has been the crisis that has consumed my life, and that of my peers, for the past few months – one which is only exacerbated by the doomsday gloom of persistently fatalistic economic news reports. My sister smugly reminds me every time I see her that, being in grad school, she exists cozy and warm in her little microcosm of academia, protected from the Big Bad World of Recession. Truth be told, taking advantage of the economic downturn to build skills and credentials probably can’t hurt, as many applicants this year would attest. If you choose your program wisely and come out of it with marketable skills, you might just gain the edge you need to stand out among your peers when the new job hunt begins.
#448 an eclectic music fest
and his shadow swayed in front of the acid yellow backdrop that perfectly suited his space rock sound. The hazy electric noise, reminiscent of Boards of Canada, instilled a melancholic transcendental feel in the bewildered yet curious audience. Electroluminescent managed to probe the outlandish and unknown, hiding behind the shelves of eclipsed electronic gizmos and keeping secret the bizarre musical ways of a single guy with a guitar in one hand and hoards of hidden knobs controlled by the other. The grand finale was led by Mein, a keyboardist and guitarist duo whose steady flowing beats underlay grinding guitar picking and abstract ambiance. Mein evoked a psychedelic journey that oftentimes evoked the sounds of Black Rebel Motorcycle Club and sometimes mirrored the catchy pop of Supergrass. Overall, Mein’s performance put an exclamation point on the motley nature of the night, leaving the audience bewildered but satisfied. Wavelength #449, which takes place at Sneaky Dee’s on Sunday, February 8th from 9-11:45pm, will feature Machetes, Sadie May Crash and Key Witness.
Electroluminescent’s warm, looped sound lights up Photo: Helene Goderis Wavelength.