The Ring

The fine arts count(down)

01/11/2012 - 11:54

Almost all university educators have met parents who do not want their daughters, or especially their sons, to pursue a career in the arts. Why? Because most parents want to see their children well established in the world, and they have heard all the tales about low wages and uncertain futures in fine arts as opposed to more stable and lucrative careers in the sciences or law.


Bringing community values into our economic life

12/06/2011 - 13:39

Peredo and the Occupy Wall Street encampment.

The ‘Occupy’ movement seems to be losing its place in the public eye as it is removed from city squares and public spaces. But the initial response suggested they were onto something that we had better not lose.


In praise of the humanities

03/09/2011 - 09:38

Lately, few other academic disciplines have been such a stranger to praise as the humanities. Branded as impractical and even disposable, the humanities have been criticized for seemingly failing to provide financial benefits compared to certain programs in business and the sciences.


Latest opinion


Humanities, languages, arts: A luxury? A mission? A must?

Are language departments under threat in the neo-liberal academic landscape? The brutal announcement of “termination” for language departments, including classics, and the drama programs at SUNY Albany last September sounded a shrill alarm.

UVic Vikes experience is for everyone

There is something about going to live games that I have always found very appealing. I think it is a kind of complex mixture of the sounds, sights and smells that all come together to provide an exciting multi-sensory experience.

"Too Asian"? We must defend diversity at all costs

Concerned members of several university campuses are condemning an attack on diversity from an article entitled "'Too Asian'?" published in Maclean's magazine on Nov. 11.

Our freedom to read—Pass it on

In the last week of February, I “released” Michael Willhoite’s pioneering children’s book, Daddy’s Roommate, somewhere in Victoria.