Journalist and York alumnus wins award for prison series

Ottawa Citizen writer and York alumnus Dan Gardner is the recipient of this year’s Joan Gullen Award, awarded to a print journalist for exploration of a social problem or issue of social justice, social welfare or social policy, reports The Ottawa Citizen March 5. Gardner, who has worked at the newspaper since 1997, is being recognized for his “Crime and Punishment” series, in which he looked at the criminal justice systems of four countries. He graduated from York University with bachelor’s and master’s degrees in history, before obtaining a law degree from Osgoode Hall Law School.

Advice to new Osgoode dean: Do opposite of U of T law school

Patrick Monahan has been named the dean of Osgoode Hall Law School at York University, reports the National Post March 5. He will succeed Peter Hogg when his term ends at the end of June. Monahan, a noted constitutional scholar and a gold medalist at Osgoode, occasionally hangs his hat at Davies Ward Phillips & Vineberg, says the Post article. He advised the Ontario government for four years on the Meech Lake negotiations and served as an adviser to the Inuit on the Charlottetown Accord. It seems to us that ought to adequately prepare him for the rigors of life at the highest levels of academe, be it kindergarten or law school, writes Sandra Rubin in her column “Legal Post”. We are prepared to offer him one piece of advice. Don’t take your eyes off Ron Daniels, your counterpart at University of Toronto, and whatever he does, do the opposite – at least when it comes to tuition. It’s a no brainer, or so we are told, she concludes.

Women may be better investors than men

Women may be better investors than men. That’s just one of many provocative ideas that can be found in Wealth Logic: Wisdom For Improving Your Personal Finances (Captus Press; January 2003), the newest book by best-selling author Moshe Milevsky, popular media commentator and finance professor at York University’s Schulich School of Business, reports Canada News-Wire March 4. Based on rigorous statistical analysis, Wealth Logic answers critical investment questions and reveals surprising findings, such as why you should probably not bother saving for retirement before the age of 35 and why using dollar-cost averaging as an investment strategy is not a good idea.

Power company helps burn victim, York student

Lewis Wheelan, a York University economics student who was horribly mutilated in a workplace accident two years ago, will be paid $500,000 by Great Lakes Power, the company that faces charges in the incident, reports the Toronto Star March 5. Wheelan was a 19-year-old summer student picking up brush under power lines owned by the Brascan Corp. utility when he was hit with 7,200 volts of electricity, burning his body so badly that doctors had to amputate his right arm, shoulder and both legs. Last fall, he returned to school, switching from Wilfrid Laurier University to York University.

Defibrillation program launch at York

York University launches its participation in Toronto’s life-saving public access defibrillation program, announced Canadian Press wire service March 5 in its service announcements for that day. The launch was to include a hands-on defibrillator and CPR demonstrations at Vari Hall rotunda, reported CP.

First steps to making a difference

Boglarka Bene, a first-year international studies student at York’s Glendon College and one of last year’s Wendy’s Classic Achiever Award winners, has become increasingly aware of the positive changes required in the world and feels compelled to improve the lives of those less fortunate, reports Hamilton News Mountain Edition March 5 in a story about Wendy’s scholarship winners. Bene says: “I have increased confidence that my previous undertakings were merely the first step towards making a difference world-wide in a future international career.” The award winners are outstanding contributors to their schools and communities.

On air

  • Don Rubin, theatre professor in York’s Faculty of Fine Arts and founding editor of the Canadian Theatre Review, spoke on CBC-Radio’s “Ideas” Feb. 28 about Canadian theatre and the Vietnam War. His remarks were originally made at a conference in Toronto on Exile and Theatre. The full text of that speech was published recently by Playwrights Canada Press in Theatre in Society: Politics, Plays and Performance edited by Angela Rebeiro.