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MEDIA York student wrestler works hard for her body This shapes up as a critical year for Akuffo. She wants to improve her current No. 5 ranking at the 2007 World Championships in Azerbaijan in September. She will also be aiming for gold in July at the Pan-Am Games in Rio de Janeiro, a step-up from the silver she won at the 2003 event. "She's got the world to conquer in front of her – and she has the potential to do it," says Daniel Igali, who won Canada's only Olympic gold in wrestling at the 2000 Sydney Games. Education is pivotal in her life – she's currently juggling work for a bachelor's degree in business, an honours degree in marketing and a certificate of sports administration at York’s Atkinson Faculty of Liberal & Professional Studies.
She's also played with The Chieftains, Led Zeppelin, Roger Daltry, and Dionne Warwick. Her second CD includes He Shoots, He Scores, composed in the stands of the Air Canada Centre in Toronto while she fiddled the Toronto Maple Leafs to one of their victories. Lindsay spent much of last year in the pit of the Lord of the Rings stage show; she came up for air in the fall and crisscrossed the country in the Jim Cuddy Band. Good Samaritan helps nab sex attack suspect The man – who did not want to be identified – was driving along Sentinel Road, south of York’s Keele campus, around 3:30pm on Dec. 20 when he spotted a woman trying to break free from a man on the sidewalk, wrote the Post. He dialed 911 and used his car to block the suspect's grey Intrepid. But the attacker got away, he said. Without thinking twice, the man sped after the attacker – and said the chase that followed was something he had seen only on his favourite TV show, "CSI Miami". Police talked him through the pursuit on the phone, he told the Post. He dictated a description of the car and the licence plate and stayed close to the Intrepid while police had a chance to catch up. The man said he had heard about the serial attacks, but had been shocked by the brazen nature of the attack he stumbled across: "I think this person is very bold, very aggressive to take this kind of stance in broad daylight.'' Just after 4pm, 31 Division officers stopped the Intrepid and arrested a man, Sex Crimes Detective Tom Lynch said. Police believe the predator might have assaulted another woman less than an hour earlier on that same day, he said. ''Suspicious behaviour'' was reported, but he would not elaborate. Despite the recent arrest, some York students still will not walk alone. Police are looking for several sexual predators elsewhere in the city. Because only one suspected predator has been arrested, police urge women to remain vigilant, Det. Lynch said. Prince Powell, 28, has been charged with assault and appeared in a North York court yesterday, reported the Post. A publication ban was placed on the proceedings.
Alumnus Flaherty displaces Black as business newsmaker of the year Flaherty displaced former newspaper mogul Conrad Black, whose high-profile racketeering and fraud case in the US helped him hang on to the title for three years straight. Flaherty has become the face of the Conservative government's first major broken campaign promise, the man who wiped out more than $20 billion in stock-market value overnight.
York aims for medal in volleyball tourney York Lions head coach Wally Dyba – who recorded his 300th win with the men's volleyball squad in a 3-1 victory over fellow Ontario University Athletics (OUA) league power Ryerson Rams recently – said with his team performing the way it has of late, a title win isn't unthinkable. York, 9- 3 so far this season, has gone four games without a loss. Patricia Murray, the director of sport and recreation at York, has been at the local university since the tournament's start. "Wally's really done a good job in bringing some of the best teams in the country to this," she said, adding that although York's men's volleyball program has seen stronger years, she is confident it will fare well this weekend. Surf’s up for North York entrepreneur Dan Boag Boag, who spends May to September in Los Angeles and February in Costa Rica, was bit by the surfing bug at age 10 while vacationing with family in South Carolina. It was there that he rented a surfboard and taught himself how to ride waves. Throughout his studies at York, Boag, a business student, would spend his summers working in southern California, which afforded him easy access to the ocean. Survey tracks indicators of students’ experience at Ontario universities "When we compare ourselves to universities in the United States, Ontario universities don't fare very well on the engagement of students, but many of them are better funded than we are," said Rob Tiffin, York's vice-president students. He said large, urban universities like York, U of T and Ryerson where most students commute and many work part-time – face a daunting challenge to make students feel at home. To help them plug into campus life, York has launched a Web site with tips on how to get involved in anything from student politics and sports to finding help with university life.
He'll rely on an ensemble that includes guitarist and singer Mike Daley (right), one of four musicians who will be onstage for the entire program. "For a rock nerd, this is manna from heaven because you get to hang out with other rock nerds and exactly reproduce something," says Daley, 37, a musicologist who recently took time out from the six-week rehearsal schedule to defend his doctoral thesis at York University. York study looks at women’s anger The study found that girls whose anger is dismissed or silenced learn to live as chameleons – changing themselves to blend into a society that denies females their right to feel or express anger. The study, called Living as a Chameleon, A Guide to Understanding Girls' Anger for Girl-Serving Professionals, took its name from one girl's description of how she had learned to get along in life. The message for professionals it contains is simple, van Daalen-Smith says. "Don't silence angry girls, don't turn them away, don't dismiss them, don't medicate them. Listen to them…. Many people fail to distinguish between anger, which is an emotion, and aggression, which is behaviour, so they put girls on anti-depressants. In fact, anger is a necessary human emotion and must not be denied because of narrow beliefs about femininity," says van Daalen-Smith. 'Desi lit' finds a warm welcome from TO readers Convicted killer’s case taken up by Osgoode’s Innocence Project From Toronto, Thakore made clear it is too early to determine if Whitwell is innocent, or even to gauge the strength of the evidence, although he did say the case has elements that were convincing enough to merit consideration. "We get a lot of applications and a lot of them don't have anything we can really latch onto," he said. "In Tim (Whitwell's) case clearly there are a couple of things that, if we could work towards and establish (them), there are definitely indications we might be able to do something," he added. York astronomer comments on a peek at the end of the world "One of the biggest debates we've been having is: how common are solar systems?" he said. The search focuses on stars similar to our own. "For every 100 stars that we look at, only five of them have got planetary systems that we can so far detect," Delaney said. "Most of us are of the view that (planets) should be more common than that but, if you can't see it..., then you come up with a low estimate."
"I think Health Canada's approach has been very narrow," said Wiktorowicz. "Canada could be a leader in this area in terms of innovative post-marketing surveillance," she says, a refrain echoed by many researchers.
The fallout from Saddam Hussein’s execution Suarez: Professor Abdullah, does this execution mark the end or the beginning of something in Iraq? Abullah: Every single change that would occur in Iraq would have to be measured by very small, incremental steps. So with that in mind, yes, I do think that the execution of Saddam marks a very small step…. When I spoke to friends and relatives…their joy was rather subdued, because the real matters at hand were the insecurity, the lack of electricity, the corruption…and these are the issues that will ultimately make or break the government. I should mention one other thing: It was rather depressing, also, to see the manner and the haste with which the execution took place. The fact that it took place in such haste gave the impression that, in fact, these were Shia militias who were executing this individual who represented the Sunnis. And I think this is a terrible mixing and muddling of the whole legacy of Saddam. This is yet another incident that shows the incompetence of both the American administration and now the Iraqi administration in managing what would certainly have been a very turbulent period, the post-Saddam period. Suarez: I'd like to get a quick reading…on how this looks in the rest of the Arab world, where Saddam was a big figure for many decades. Abullah: …right now in the Middle East there is such an intense fear of American imperialism or American neo-imperialism in the region that anyone who stood up to the Americans, even Saddam Hussein…was suddenly transformed into some sort of a champion for the Arabs. This, in my opinion, is a very sad indicator of how confused the Arab world is. To see people mourning such a terrible dictator who harmed the Palestinian cause, who harmed the cause of progress in the region as a whole is a very depressing statement, as to the low levels that the Middle East has sunk.
Seymour Schulich Building is among the best of 2006
Feed your head with the best ideas of 2006 We can't afford higher taxes. Wrong. Taxes are a burden. Wrong. Taxes restrict freedom. Wrong. In a rare defence of one of the two inevitabilities, Neil Brooks, a professor at York’s Osgoode Hall Law School and research associate with the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives, maintained that he likes paying taxes, which aren't just good for us but crucial to a civil society. "Taxes have brought us high-quality public schools that remain our democratic treasure," he wrote, "low tuition at world-class universities, freedom from fear of crippling health bills, excellent medical services, public parks and libraries, and liveable cities. None of these things comes cheaply…. To promise, as some politicians are doing, that they are going to cut taxes in order to 'allow Canadians to keep more of their hard-earned dollars' is simply a way of saying 'forget about your moral obligations to one another, to heck with pursuing your most noble aspirations collectively and do not worry about securing the blessings of real freedom.' These people need a civics lesson. As a famous US jurist noted, taxes are the price we pay for civilization."
But the high-precision gyroscopes aboard the spacecraft wobbled and twisted in unexpected ways, wrote the Star. Unless these deviations can be identified, the main Gravity Probe B research team based at Stanford University in California may not be able to produce a precise enough number of how much frame dragging has apparently shifted the satellite during a year orbiting the Earth. Whether the shift is real depends on equally precise measurements of the position of a guide star already successfully taken by Bartel and colleagues. They and the Stanford-Harvard-Smithsonian team plan to reveal the outcome at an April meeting of the American Physical Society. Literary look back features York professors In April I visited poet, novelist and culture critic Bruce Powe's class at York University on Marshall McLuhan and Northrop Frye to judge the winner of a debate between two student teams over the titans' respective merits, wrote Marchand. It was a tough assignment; I more or less chickened out by calling the debate a draw. What's significant is that these students were interested in McLuhan ("the medium is the message") and Frye in the first place. Even when they were alive and flourishing in the '60s, the two University of Toronto English professors were regarded with suspicion by their colleagues. Finding optimism in a year of loss I would sit in his office and complain and whine and kvetch about the injustices of the world and the excruciating difficulties involved in learning how to write a play. Mavor, who wrote more than 100 plays in his lifetime, would puff placidly on his pipe and look out the window and say things like, "My, isn't it a lovely day." Mavor was a driving force in promoting art that was made here in Canada. He once said, "A fresh start is made by building on what we have here with vigour and honesty, not with borrowed polish. We will never do it by making bad carbons of what is already growing dated in London and New York." He will be missed.
York establishes lecture series in honour of Mavor Moore Complexity theory reveals small things can have a big impact "The world is so complex, and the challenges are so multi-faceted. But that doesn't mean you throw your hands into the air and say, 'Why bother?'" She relies on something called complexity theory, which says that because things are so interconnected and complicated, sometimes small actions can have a big impact. Her book, which is one of this year's treatises on this new smaller-steps form of revolution, begins with a warning: "This book is not for heroes or saints or perfectionists…. This book is for ordinary people." It may seem a stretch to consider the loonie donation tagged on to the end of an Indigo purchase on a par with such economy-altering tactics, but Zimmerman and her co-authors see it all as part of a continuum. "I teach MBA students and, you know, they care about making a difference...ordinary people, busy people, people in a hurry, they still want to make a difference." The responsibility of freedom Michiel Horn, history professor in York’s Faculty of Arts, Glendon College, sent along his book Academic Freedom in Canada: A History, which offers a defence of academic freedom and of tenure: the right of a professor to guaranteed employment until retirement, barring egregious misbehaviour. These rights, Prof. Horn concluded, "may protect people whom others regard as undeserving and who may in fact be so…[who] have turned out to be mediocre or worse in accomplishment, or wanting in some important aspect of their work. But these drawbacks are the price that must be paid to protect the innovative, the outspoken, the unconventional, and the unpopular." Really? To insist that tenure and academic freedom (for one is impossible without the other) are superlatives, that they must be embraced entirely or not at all, is naive…. Freedom and responsibility necessarily exist on opposite sides of the democratic scale. All of us have a duty to try to keep the scale in balance. That includes newspaper columnists. And it includes professors, too. AGYU seen as 2006 success story York to host Ontario archives "This is an incredibly special week for the Archives of Ontario, one that will mark the beginning of a new era in the preservation of Ontario's rich heritage," Phillips told reporters. The new three-storey facility will be located at York's Keele campus and will be built over the next two years. A seven-storey tower atop the archives centre will house university researchers. York will pay for and operate the building. Aside from York there were initially three other bids to host the archives – from the CBC, which offered to house the archives at the Front Street Broadcast Centre; from Union Pearson Group, as part of its since-cancelled Union Station renovation; and from Woodcliffe Corp. and Westdale Construction Co., in a joint proposal to renovate some King Street East buildings. Each of those bids eventually dropped off until only York could provide a home for the archives, noted Phillips. York President and Vice-Chancellor Lorna R. Marsden said she was "delighted" the archives are moving to the campus. "The addition of the new subway line...will make this location even more convenient, " said Marsden. Opening is scheduled for 2009.
Merit bonuses can motivate This means Christmas bonuses – which aren't necessarily related to performance – won't encourage employees to work harder. "It's a nice gesture, but people shouldn't link it as a means of increasing employee productivity," he said. Singh added that companies should be careful not to give small holiday bonuses because they could insult their employees. He says giving gifts might be a better option, especially if it's done in a personal manner. Christians, business both lay claim to Christmas By this point, said Russell W. Belk, a sociologist and anthropologist who specializes in marketing in York’s Schulich School of Business, Christmas had already been through several incarnations – Christians in the United States had initially resisted Christmas because it was seen as tied to the Catholic calendar, but waves of European immigrants brought traditions of Christmas celebrations with them. Still, the idea of giving gifts to relatives was not the norm, especially among English immigrants, where Christmas gifts were primarily seen as acts of benevolence toward servants and slaves.
Hajj links humanity across religions York student featured in holiday religion profile Rugged bacteria may be sign of Martian life – on Earth "It's actually a theory which is gaining a little more ground of late," says astronomy Professor Paul Delaney of York University. There are about 30 known Mars meteorites on Earth (and certainly more that haven't been found), he says. "Microbes come in the billions, which is very handy. Even if you kill off 90 per cent of them in flight, you've still got enough left. "We have no proof...that says such a venture has already taken place," he said. "But...there is a lot of attention that is being given to the environment of a meteorite that would be required to contain literally billions of bacteria to survive the interplanetary journey from Mars to Earth. Iran's leader feels backlash at the polls for tough talk "Nothing major will happen but it's an important signal.... It sends a message to Ahmadinejad that despite the fact that he has the big machinery of mobilizing the masses, the rest of the public is not happy with him." Rahnema said concern remains among so-called reformers or pragmatist candidates that the final election results may be rigged. "The authorities can always fabricate something, saying there were irregularities and so on." Cancelling play a shameful act Law grad Peter Van Loan appointed House leader Academics have no time to think – study The research, while only in its pilot phase (with 80 respondents) produced some startling results. For example, with rising workloads and student expectations of availability, academics reported high levels of stress, resulting in sleep deprivation, new food allergies, short-term memory loss and problems concentrating. Fifty-eight per cent said that their ability to stay focused on their work had decreased, and 42 per cent said that their susceptibility to being distracted by all the communication and information coming at them had increased.
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MONDAY, JANUARY 8, 2007 |
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With a sweet, dimpled smile that could melt an iceberg and biceps that could crack walnuts, York student Ohenewa Akuffo (right) is all about crushing stereotypes, wrote the Toronto Star Dec. 31. Take the poster this leading Canadian wrestler – a medal prospect for the 2008 Beijing Olympics – just had made up to promote herself and her sport. It features the 27-year-old from Brampton in several wrestling shots, but also includes pictures of her in a bikini and an elegant dress. "You work so hard for this body," says Akuffo. "If you're going to have the muscles, you might as well dress them up beautifully…. That's the fun part. I like to challenge people, especially with my sport. They go, 'Female wrestling. Is she a butch?' I'm like, 'Surprise, surprise. No, I'm not.'" 
Alumna fiddler releases new recording
A Halloween bombshell, a broken promise and the multibillion-dollar stock market fallout that followed have made federal Finance Minister Jim Flaherty (left) (LLB ’73) Canada's Business Newsmaker of the Year, the Canadian Press and Broadcast News wrote Dec. 28. The stocky finance minister, who spooked Bay Street with the Oct. 31 shocker that his Conservative government would change the rules to tax income trusts much like corporations, garnered 51 of 139 votes cast in the annual survey of newspaper and online business editors and broadcasters.
Soccer Lion impresses at Toronto FC tryout
Dan Boag (left) turned a life passion into a full-time job, reported the North York Mirror Dec. 19. The 26-year-old North York resident founded Pacific Blue Surf Adventures two years ago, which specializes in fully instructional surf adventures and guided tours along the Pacific coastlines of southern California and Costa Rica for beginners. "We are the only surf travel company in Canada (that) offers this type of service," Boag said.
A hard day's delight
Damage Control: It's on the market, so now what?
Dr. Joel Lexchin, who also teaches in the School of Health Policy & Management, says we have to make it clear to the public that reporting adverse drug reactions is important, and to make it easier to do so. "You can set up a database whereby you record the names and birth dates of, say, the first 50,000 people who get a drug and you can link with things like hospital visits or hospitalizations or death or cancer or doctor's visits using other databases, and you can see whether or not these drugs are presenting certain problems," he says.
Thabit Abdullah (right) , a Baghdad native and professor of history in York’s Faculty of Arts, took part in a discussion on PBS TV’s “NewsHour” program Jan. 1 on the reaction to Saddam Hussein’s execution. Below are some of his comments to moderator Ray Suarez.
Superglitch in space?
Irving Layton (right), [who taught literature in York’s Faculty of Arts from 1969 to 1978] and for generations of Canadians the embodiment of Canadian verse, died wrote book critic Philip Marchand in a year-end review of authors and events for the Toronto Star Dec. 31. So did American novelist William Styron, author of such works as Lie Down In Darkness and Sophie's Choice. The two writers were poles apart in temperament, background, style and genre, but the feisty Montreal Jew and the aristocratic Virginian had one thing in common: both came under political attack in the 1960s. Layton's mistake was supporting the Americans in the Vietnam War. He once sent a book of his poetry, The Shattered Plinths, to Lyndon Johnson in admiration.
Every year has its share of passings, some of which hit close to home, wrote columnist Eugene Stickland (left) (MFA ‘84) in the Calgary Herald Dec. 30. It may have gone largely unnoticed by the general public but, last week, Canadian theatre and cultural luminary James Mavor Moore died in Victoria. Mavor was my mentor when I did my master of fine arts degree at York University a million years ago. He was unflappable. Or maybe just around me he was.
"There are so many books out there that say, 'Everything's going wrong. The world is going to hell.' It creates this sense of fear and 'I can't do anything about it,'" says Brenda Zimmerman (let), a policy specialist in York’s Schulich School of Business and one of the authors of Getting to Maybe: How the World Is Changed, in a story in the National Post Dec. 27.
Parbudyal Singh (right), professor of human resources management in York’s Atkinson School of Administrative Studies, explains that merit bonuses reward employees and are more affordable for employers than continuous pay raises, reported the Hamilton Spectator Dec. 21. But a bonus will only motivate an employee if it's a substantial percentage of his or her regular salary, and if it results from an appraisal of the employee's performance, he says.
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