NEWSWIRE

York student
wins CBC's
Next Great Prime Minister contest

Joseph Lavoie, a political science major at York's Glendon College, has won the CBC's nation-wide search for "The Next Great Prime Minister." Judged by four former Canadian prime ministers, "The Next Great Prime Minister" contest netted Lavoie $50,000 and a six-month internship with the contest's sponsors: Magna International, the Dominion Institute and the Canada-US-Fulbright Program. "I've been a political junkie for a long time," says Lavoie, who also writes his own blog. (Photo by Paul Couvrette).

Get your red out
Celebrate York’s 48th Birthday by showing off your school colours. Wear red or York gear on March 26 and you’ll qualify to win some great prizes. The York Shop in York Lanes is offering a 20-per cent discount on all red t-shirts and sweatshirts until Monday.

Student offers inspiration in Black History Month speech
York University student Tamara Gordon delivered her presentation on Beating the Odds at a Black History Month event held at Tropicana Community Services on Feb. 24. Beating the Odds, the theme of the annual event which has run since 1984, was organized by Tropicana, a United Way member agency.

York marks International Day for
Elimination of Racial Discrimination
A multimedia exhibition and a performance celebrating the life of the late Caribbean poet Louise Bennett (Miss Lou) Wednesday at The Underground are among York events marking International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination.

It's all happening at York's Fine Arts Festival
The film screenings, plays, music and dancing continue as York's fine arts students present three film events, two powerful plays in repertory performances, dozens of concerts spanning eight centures and numerous genres, and two dance productions.

Student writers are honoured for their creativity
English and humanities students from York’s Faculty of Arts gathered for the annual President’s Creative Writing Awards event on March 14 to celebrate their achievements and recognize the support of the donors who helped establish the awards.

Anthology highlights student stories about school
Cosmopolis, Toronto, an anthology of stories written by students from 32 countries about their educational experiences around the world, will be launched tomorrow. The anthology features stories, poems and autobiographical writings about schooling in a variety of cultural and geographical landscapes.

Leading expert on chimpanzees to speak at York
Tetsuro Matsuzawa, professor of language and intelligence at the Primate Research Institute of Kyoto University in Japan, will present his most recent findings in a lecture on March 29, 5-7pm, in Vari Hall B on York's Keele campus.

Governor general will visit York to open new research institute
Canada’s Governor General Michaëlle Jean will open the Harriet Tubman Institute for Research on the Global Migrations of African People on March 25, to mark the 200th anniversary of the British abolition of the slave trade. The governor general will also be awarded an honorary doctor of laws. The Harriet Tubman Institute for Research on the Global Migrations of African Peoples at York is Named in honour of the 19th-century anti-slavery activist.

Atkinson community celebrates excellence
Over 70 faculty members from the Atkinson Faculty of Liberal & Professional Studies gathered to celebrate at the annual Dean's Reception for Excellence in Research & Teaching on March 7.

International day focuses on AIDS' impact on women
As students hurried through the Vari Hall rotunda on March 8 – International Women’s Day – they were met with a haunting sight: figures wearing white masks and T-shirts which read "HIV-positive" standing together in a silent vigil.

War, terror and gender stereotypes
During the Peloponnesian War, Greek women witheld sex from their husbands as a protest but women aren't always anti-war. Rutgers Professor Mary Hawkesworth will look at feminist challenges to this ancient notion at a lecture in the Social Science Lounge in South Ross on March 20.

Osgoode professors win national awards
Two Osgoode professors will receive awards from the Canadian Association of Law Teachers at its May 30 conference in Saskatoon. Jinyan Li will receive the Award for Academic Excellence and James Stribopoulos will share the association's Scholarly Paper Award for substantial contribution to the legal literature.

Law school appoints new associate dean of research
Peer Zumbansen has been appointed associate dean of research, graduate studies and institutional relations at Osgoode Hall Law School for a two-year term beginning July 1.

Marilyn Dumont: a poet's confession
"Writing is one of the hardest things to do," said Marilyn Dumont's by way of confession early in her reading for the latest talk in the Canadian Writers in Person series.

Music speaker series ranges from jazz to koto
York’s Department of Music is enriching the academic experience through a series of engaging lectures by some of the best artists in the music industry, talking informally about their art form while offering professional insights into the Canadian music scene.

Economist speaks about legacy of John Locke
American economist Charles Rowley will give a talk on "The Political and Economic Philosophy of John Locke" Wednesday as part of Calumet College’s Economics Forum. An expert on Locke, Rowley will present an overview of the 17th-century philosopher’s political and economic ideas, including the social contract and the mind as a tabula rasa.

In which watersheds are York's campuses situated?
Thursday is World Water Day 2007 and students from York's Faculty of Environmental Studies have organized a day of activities around this year's theme of coping with water scarcity. From 10am to 4pm, they have organized a number of interactive activities which will take place in the Vari Hall Rotunda.

Duke's Mudimbe to lead annual Saul Seminar at York
The African Studies Saul Graduate Seminar at York presents the Annual African Studies Lecture by Valentin Y. Mudimbe, titled “Africa in Theories of Difference” on Friday, March 23, 12:30-2:30pm in the Senate Chamber, N940 Ross Building. Mudimbe is Newman Ivey White Professor of Literature at North Carolina’s Duke University.