The Gesi Thursday, March 22, 1990

Page 2

Some university graduates illiterate

By LAURA CURRIE

The United Nations declared 1990 the year of literacy. Along with the recent statistics about overall illiteracy rates across Canada it was discovered that "il- literacy" exists within Canadian universities.

The Creative Research Group of the Southiam News conducted a literacy survey. One of the survey’s conclusions was that

eight per cent of Canadian univer- Sity graduates are "illiterate".

The research group did not define illiterate in their survey. However, the data suggests that there are serious English skills problems formany university stu- dents.

Wayne Taylor, of the provin- cial Department of Education, said, "The statistics are so high that the actual statistic is not the

problem. The actual situation is the problem."

The writing center at Memorial University is available for all stu- dents, especially those having difficulties with English com- position. Katherine McManus, Memorial General Studies repre- sentative and head of the writing center, stated, "Students who come in the writing center are not substandard.”

McManus said that the dif- ficulties some students ex- perience with writing could be attributed to the set rate at which the curriculum was taught from their primary to secondary school years.

McManus claimed that the stu- dents who had English skills problems and had passed the ad- mission requirements for Memorial University were "sur-

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vivors of the system."

The problems are not only as- sociated with first year students. McManus said, "[The writing center] sees everything from first year students to graduate stu- dents."

When asked if an English skills problem existed at Memorial, Avril Gardner, English Depart- ment head, said, "Some students do have these problems, but they seem to exist in other universities as well." ..

The failure rate for Foundation English (100F) in 1989 was 12.5 per cent. For the English 1100 course the failure rate in 1989 was 9.8 per cent. These are not high failure rates compared to those of other courses.

Gardner said students’ English education should not be totally left to the English Department.

"It is the responsibility of [all faculties] in the university to help students with their English literacy," he said.

U of T residence hires strippers

(Source: The Varsity)

By Andrew Epstein

and J. Andrew Yao

TORONTO (CUP) — Univer- sity of Toronto residents hosted two strippers at their ’stag’ Tues- day night, and some administra- tors are angry.

“IT think it’s just disgraceful that students would amuse them- selves with such a degrading por- trayal of women,” said assistant vice president of Student Affairs,

‘David Neelands.

About 60-80 men and one woman crowded the basement common room of Devonshire house to watch the two half-hour shows by strippers Juicy Lucy, and Sugarbouche. The two strip- pers said the residents were “ex- tremely well behaved.”

The stag is not a new con- cept to Devonshire House. Sug- arbouche said she appeared at a similar party last fall.

House president Rick Yankowich had said last month there would be no strippers at the stag. He said they were too ex- pensive, and generally not a good thing, when considering sexual equality.

U of T Status of Women offi- cer Lois Reimer said she was dis- appointed by the event.

“It’s a sad commentary on their level of awareness or matu- rity of these students,” she said. “This is yet another example of crowd or peer pressure without any kind of mature leadership.”