All about Jack

The Toronto Sun printed these facts about Jack Layton Jan. 26 after he won the national leadership of the New Democratic Party: he earned a master’s in 1971 and a PhD in 1983 in political science from York University and he taught briefly at York. These facts also appeared in The London Free Press and the Toronto Star Jan. 26.

Turning to an outsider

“There’s no question. It’s an indictment of the caucus and it says there’s nobody there who has the strengths, the vision, the ability to attract public attention, capacity with the media, whatever you like, and therefore we had to turn to an outsider,” said James Laxer, political science professor in York’s Atkinson Faculty of Liberal and Professional Studies, in reference to the NDP leadership.

Schulich among top 30 in world

York University’s Schulich School of Business was one of three Canadian schools to make the top 30 in The Financial Times of London top 100 business schools in the world last week, reports the National Post Jan. 27. The other two were Rotman School of Management at the University of Toronto and Richard Ivey School of Business at the University of Western Ontario.

Carpooling popular at York

More than 616 people carpool to York University and 294 people are seeking ride matches to campus on the carpool database, writes Janet Lot, Black Creek Regional Transportation Management Association Toronto, in a letter to the Toronto Star Jan. 27 calling for the city to clear the way for transit.

US against legal pot

“There is opposition in Canada [to decriminalizing marijuana], but it’s not very vocal nor is it very powerful,” says Alan Young, professor at Osgoode Hall Law School, in a story in The London Free Press Jan. 27. “The only thing that seems to be a barrier to our taking a step forward is our close proximity to the United States.” He was also quoted in a CP Wire story carried by The Globe and Mail Jan. 27 saying the government may balk at becoming a large-scale pot dealer. “It may be easier for them to turn a blind eye and let the law die.”

Alarming drop in RRSPs

“But what’s more alarming is that investors are reducing their contributions to equity-based mutual funds at a time when market experience and conventional wisdom would dictate they shouldn’t,” comments Moshe Milevsky, a professor of finance at York University’s Schulich School of Business, in a Toronto Sun story Jan. 26 about investing in RRSPs.

York student athlete of meet

Tasha Monroe of York University was named female athlete of the McGill Team Challenge track-and-field meet over the weekend, reports The Gazette in Montreal.