picture courtesy of Second City Toronto

A couple of weeks ago, I had the privilege of attending my first Second City performance. Boy was I impressed, especially considering my growing disappoint of Saturday Night Live. Albeit, I must say it has gotten slightly better since the Sarah Palin sketches. Nevertheless, Second City is way better. Not having seen the original Chicago show, I have no real other comparison to draw from other than SNL.

So what makes Second City better than SNL? First, I have to of course include the fact that the sketches are indeed longer and therefore, I guess, easier, to pack in more funny than it would be for shorter SNL sketches. Secondly, I would like to point out that the actors in the sketches were oftentimes the ones who wrote the sketches, and can therefore present the sketches they way they intended to. Unlike SNL (where big corporate owners control everything since it’s broadcast on live television), Second City (I am assuming of course), has more liberty as to what they want done. Lastly, Second City is pretty much a different show altogether, but for the purposes of this article I equate the two simply because they’re both sketch comedy shows.

(more…)

This Wednesday at Hart House, you’ll have the chance to celebrate Nowruz, the ancient Persian tradition of celebrating the arrival of spring, dating back to at least 3000 years ago. The event will feature classical Persian music, dance, and storytelling.

Attendees can also purchase Persian dishes as part of Hart House 5-Buck Lunch program. A sample of the menu:

• Khoresht-e Fesenjan (Iranian stew with chicken, pomegranate sauce and walnuts)
• Zereshk Polo Ba Morgh (barberry and zaffron rice with chicken)
• Kookoo Sibzamini (potato patties)
• Shevid Baghali Polo (lime bean with dill rice)
• Shirazi Salad (made with tomato, cucumber, onion and lemon juice).

This event is organized by Hart House, the Iranian Association at U of T (IAUT) and the Iranian Student Union at U of T (ISU).

What: The 5-buck special lunch (Persian dishes)
When: March 25, 11:45 am – 2 pm (5-buck lunch), 2pm-3pm (Iranian Art Performance)
Where: The Great Hall (5-buck lunch), Music Room (Iranian Art Performance) in Hart House

For more information and a schedule of events, see the IAUT website.

U of T’s own engineering orchestra will be hosting the 3rd annual Symphonic Boom this April.

Enjoy a night of great music from Skule Orchestra and Skule Choir, including Dvorak Symphony No.9 – From the New World and The Schumann Piano Concerto in A.

Tickets are $8 for general admission and $4 for students.

For more info, see the Facebook event

What: Symphonic Boom
When: Wednesday April 1 @ 7 PM
Where: The Church of the Redeemer, 162 Bloor Street West (at Queen’s Park)

Something big is approaching. I think you know what. Throw in some key words such as “Recession” and “Environmental Catastrophe” and it couldn’t be more obvious. If you guessed the 9th annual National Business and Technology Conference (NBTC), you’re bang on.

NBTC is here! From March 20 to March 21 you can witness this annual phenomenon at the MaRS Collaboration Centre. We are bringing in the heavyweights of technology and business to give us a professional view as to what measures need to be taken for you and businesses to strive in the shaping economical and environmental landscape. We want to prepare you to be able to acclimatize to anything that is thrown at you, but we can only do that if you join us at the NBTC.

Our theme this year is Adaptability. In a world in constant flux, being able to succeed in whatever situation is crucial. Our seminar hosts and activities are all based around our theme. We are bringing owners of Green IT businesses of Lumen Earth and Cybernomics to talk about the business advantages of becoming green. Our keynote speakers bring great experience at business market strategy as they are a founder of a major food company and an expert advisor in business start-ups. Attendees will broaden their understanding of financial markets and their behavior in our stock exchange challenge, showcase cutting-edge technology and business ideas in our Entrepreneurial Competition, and expand their presentation and analytical skills in the Consulting Case Competition.

If you want to equip yourself better for what is to come, come to this conference. We are prepared to help our attendees gain greater business acumen and insight into possible career paths into the unknown and highly variable future.

Right now, all engineering departments and many colleges are subsidizing part of the ticket price so you get great value for your dollar. Check the website, www.nbtc.ca, to see how much your department or college subsidizes your ticket. To register, either sign up online or submit a form and cheque to the EngSoc office. Adapt today for tomorrow!

The Trinity Dramatic Society’s spring play is an original production written by student Michael Clarke and directed by Tom Davis. Based on a true story, it is about a family who is torn apart by mental illness. The show runs just under an hour, so take some time off studying and come out to experience some creative and intense theatre!

Date: Wednesday 18th – Saturday 21st
Time: 8pm
Place: George Ignatieff Theatre, 15 Devonshire Rd
Tickets: Student $8/Adult $12

Tickets can be bought at the door, or reserved in advance by emailing trinity [dot] dramatic [dot] society [at] gmail.com

I spent much of yesterday at Sid Smith trying (and I really want to emphasize that word, trying) to study for a mid-term. Unfortunately, the forces of nature were working against me not only because my mind seemed to wander off endlessly, but also because of all the commotion that was going on around me. Apparently, it’s election season at U of T. All day I was bombarded with pamphlets and strangers encouraging me to vote. Vote for Change! Demand Access! Rah, rah, rah! I couldn’t help but be swept up by all the excitement so off to the poll I went to cast my ever so valuable vote.

And staring into those little colourful pieces of paper with various names of people that I couldn’t even attach a face to…I couldn’t help but wonder (yes, my inner Carrie Bradshaw is coming out!), is this really the democratic process that we all so ardently and passionately advocate (okay…maybe not so juicy as Sex and the City…)? There I was standing at a booth deciding who I should vote for for this position and that position and I didn’t even have a single clue who some of those people were. Let me tell you the various considerations that went into my decision-making process: (more…)

It’s been a while since 2004’s How To Dismantle an Atomic Bomb, but U2’s latest offering, No Line on the Horizon, is well worth the wait. It is a wonderful album, but very different depending on how you listen to it: as an album, or as a collection of songs. As an album it is truly “Magnificent,” blending the sounds that we expect from U2 with the experimentalism added by producers Brian Eno and Danny Lanois to create a series of delicate, beautiful, and meditative soundscapes. As a collection of songs, it is weaker. Some are brilliant, but others miss the mark. (more…)