NEWSWIRE

Roy McMurtry appointed
York's next chancellor

The York University Board of Governors has announced the appointment of Roy McMurtry, former Ontario chief justice and attorney general, as the 12th chancellor of York University. McMurtry, who also served as Canada's high commissioner to the United Kingdom, will be installed as chancellor in May. "Roy McMurtry has helped shape the legal and social framework of Ontario, and York University is fortunate to have him in this important leadership role," said Marshall Cohen, Chair of the Board of Governors of York University. McMurtry will succeed former Canadian Supreme Court justice Peter deCarteret Cory, who has served as York's chancellor since 2004.

Festival showcases York's resident talent
Like York University’s Faculty of Fine Arts, the Fine Arts Festival encompasses all the arts, from theatre and dance productions to visual arts, design and multimedia exhibitions, film screenings and classical, jazz and world music concerts.

New book explores the roots of early Christianity
Did Paul substitute the teachings of Jesus for his own radically different religion? Is today’s Christianity more about the Christ figure than what the Jewish rabbi Jesus really preached? Those are just some of the questions York Professor Emeritus Barrie Wilson addresses in his new book How Jesus Became Christian.

Conference will examine atrocities in the D.R. Congo
"How Much do you Know about the D.R. Congo?" is a one-day conference hosted by York’s Founders and McLaughlin Colleges on Thursday, March 13, featuring several prominent speakers who will address the current situation in the African country where 5.4 million people have died since 1998.

'Tour' the globe at York’s World Music Festival
Got the travel bug but can’t leave town? York University’s World Music Festival offers a sonic tour spotlighting musical traditions of five continents. The festival continues to March 16 in the Accolade East Building.

Documentary explores India's arranged marriages
How does a modern woman deal with a marriage that was arranged when she was a child? That’s what the new documentary film, Remembrance of Things Present: A Personal Exploration of Marriage and Gender Ideals in Contemporary India, by York alumna Chandra Siddan will explore on Tuesday, March 11.

Italian students plan charity fashion show for Children's Wish
The Italian Association at York University will hold a charity fashion show in aid of the Children’s Wish Foundation, at the Supreme Banquet & Convention Center in Woodbridge on Thursday, March 13. Doors open at 7pm and the show begins at 7:30pm.

Snow study will help improve winter forecasting
A team from York’s Earth & Space Science Program in the Faculty of Science & Engineering is studying blowing snow in Iqaluit in order to improve winter weather forecasting and better our understanding of weather on the planet Mars.

Women's Court of Canada celebrates opening
The Women’s Court of Canada celebrated its opening in Toronto with a panel discussion on gender and judging, and the publication of six rewritten Supreme Court of Canada decisions in a journal co-edited by York law Professor Janet Mosher.

Gift will create technology-enhanced law classroom
There’s a long-standing tradition at Osgoode Hall Law School called “Coffee with the Dean” where students can join Dean Patrick Monahan outside the Moot Court for coffee and a chat. The latest “Coffee with the Dean” was special, thanks to three alumni who are senior partners in the Toronto office of Ogilvy Renault LLP.

Two exhibits feature students' eye-catching art
York’s Department of Visual Arts serves up a visual feast this month with Brainstorm, an open house featuring more than 350 works in all media by more than 200 undergraduate students, and Under Construction, a group exhibition showcasing work by graduate students in the Visual Arts Master of Fine Arts program.

Seminar investigates hip hop in South Africa
The next instalment in the Beyond Multiculturalism: Back to Cosmopolitanism(s) series of informal talks and presentations features graudate student and instructor Remi Warner with a talk titled, "Hip hop Black Globality and Vernacular Cosmopolitanism in the new South Africa", will take place March 11.

Double poetry reading celebrates spring
There may be snow outside, but inside spring is in the air as York’s Stong College celebrates the coming season of new beginnings with a poetry reading by poet and editor Barry Dempster and York Professor Rishma Dunlop. The reading takes place on Wednesday, March 12, from noon to 1pm, in Sylvester’s, 201 Stong College, Keele campus.

Dance productions take festival's centre stage
York University's Department of Dance takes centre stage in two productions this month, starting with Vivid Variations: re/creating classics, on March 13-15, that showcase the York Dance Ensemble in a collection of vintage and bold new works as part of the third annual York Fine Arts Festival.

Colloquium on the Global South examines the politics of food
The political process involved in getting food from the farmers’ fields to the tables of those who need it is the topic of the next Colloquium on the Global South symposium, titled "Food Movements and Alliances: Toward Justice and Sovereignty" on Wednesday, March 12 at York's Keele campus.

Journal marks 10 years of probing cultural studies issues
York-based TOPIA: Canadian Journal of Cultural Studies is celebrating a decade of being this country’s only cultural studies journal providing critical thinkers in history, visual art, film, television, music, literature and the social sciences a venue to share, discuss and analyze the latest in Canadian and international culture.

Former Lions volley ball coach will talk about success at university
As part of The Agile Mind series, Stong College is presenting a talk by York’s Hernán Humaña, former head coach of the women’s volleyball team at York, titled "Beyond the First Year: Opportunities for Success at University", on Thursday, March 13.

York seminar series explores why adults lose earliest memories
Why don’t most adults retain memories from early childhood, prior to age four? That’s one of the questions that drives the research of Emory University Professor Patricia Bauer, who will discuss how memories develop, at York on March 13.

Lecture series talk probes roots of human rights language
The Division of Social Science Winter Lecture Series at York is presenting a talk by University of Massachusetts Professor Thomas Hilbink, titled "The Right’s Revolution? Grassroots Conservatism and Rights Talk in 1960s USA". The talk takes place on March 13 at the Keele campus.