This year, Canada’s National Ballet School has the highest percentage of boys in its entry-level Grade 6 class in its history: 65 per cent. . . . Popular TV shows and films are making all dance forms, including ballet, accessible to the general public, said Norma Sue Fisher-Stitt, professor of dance at York University, in the Toronto Star Nov. 1. Boys and young men may initially be attracted to other dance forms, but realize to go further they need more training, which may include ballet, she said. She suspects Ontario’s public school curriculum – dance is now required from kindergarten to Grade 8 – may be piquing the interest of some youngsters. Read full story.
Call public inquiry into Senate scandal
“If Canadians want to know who did what in the Senate expenses scandal, they should demand that Stephen Harper’s government call a targeted public inquiry into the matter,” wrote Osgoode Hall Law School Professor Gus Van Harten in the Waterloo Region Record Nov. 1. “This is the most straightforward way to get to the bottom of the alleged misuse of public money and political coverup. It is also a good way to find ways to fix the problem in future.” Read full story.
Mayor Rob Ford legally clear to talk about crack video
Mayor Rob Ford was legally allowed to comment on a video that appears to show him smoking crack cocaine and making homophobic and racist remarks in the wake of police confirmation of the video’s existence, according to legal experts. “When people say ‘I can’t comment, it’s before the courts,’ this is just a convenient way of avoiding things,” said Osgoode Hall Law School Professor Allan Hutchinson in the Toronto Star Oct. 31. “If he wants to say, ‘It wasn’t me, I’m innocent,’ of course he’s fully entitled to do this.” Read full story.
Maclean’s annual university rankings are in
Maclean’s released its annual university rankings issue on Thursday, reported CHFI Oct. 31. It’s considered a holy book of postsecondary education for many parents and students. Often controversial, the 130-page issue includes 49 schools and rates what each school has to offer, using charts and stories. The University of Toronto, York University and Ryerson all made the shortlist. Read full story.
Breaking down negative Muslim and Jewish stereotypes
Professor Tammi Rossman-Benjamin gave two powerful presentations, one in York University and the other in McMaster University, entitled “Antisemitism on Campuses”, reported the Huffington Post Oct. 31. She brought alarming statistics and facts regarding anti-Semitic attitudes of some Muslim Student organizations, very left-leaning groups and even ultra-left Jews’ anti-Semitic activities. Her presentation was full of worrisome data which concluded that Jewish students on campuses are highly vulnerable to being bulled and harassed. Read full story.