Magical fingers

He has made an indelible mark not only in the country but in international circuits too through his performances, compositions, teachings and extensive collaborations in the field of world music, wrote India’s The Hindu Feb. 2, introducing an interview with Trichy Sankaran, music professor in York’s Faculty of Fine Arts and mridangam maestro. He has made rich contributions to the academic field in the past four decades and taught many Western musicians, including jazz drummers, said the paper. Sankaran talked about founding York’s South Asian music program with the late Jon Higgins. “Foreigners are fascinated by our rhythm system, the techniques used in playing and even how the nadam in mridangam is generated,” said Sankaran. Read full story.

Mooting across the miles
Students from four Canadian law schools – including York’s Osgoode Hall Law School – connected with law students from other parts of the world via videoconference in a friendly moot, wrote Legal Feeds, the blog of Canadian Lawyer Magazine Feb. 2. “Videoconferencing is something that we have been hoping to do for some time,” said Osgoode Professor and team coach Janet Walker. Read full story.

Panelists say law schools have problems, but no crisis
After a New York Times editorial declared in November that “American legal education is in crisis,” law professors from Harvard, Indiana University and York University refuted the editorial’s dismal claim at a panel discussion on Thursday, wrote the Harvard Crimson Feb. 2. “We should theorize and teach about a world in transformation,” said Osgoode Hall Law School’s Peer Zumbansen, a participant. Read full story.

MAT stages ‘Leaving Home’
Director and York grad Michael Clipperton (BA Spec., Hons. ’86) talked about Leaving Home, the latest play mounted by Mariposa Arts Theatre at the Orillia Opera House, in a story on Simcoe.com Feb. 2. Clipperton said he first encountered the work as an undergraduate at York more than 30 years ago, when he played the role of Jacob, the family patriarch. Read full story.

International students lament high cost of earning Canadian education
Seven years after moving from her Caribbean island of St. Maarten to study at Toronto’s York University, Vanessa Hunt, president of the York Federation of Students, says she would be happy to call Canada home after graduation, wrote The Canadian Press Feb. 2. But she still feels unfairly pitted against her Canadian peers because of higher tuition fees. Wallace Pidgeon, York’s associate director, media relations, said the University doesn’t think tuition fees will deter prospective students coming from abroad. Read full story.

Wood Manufacturing Council honours outstanding individuals
This year’s recipient of a Wood Manufacturing Council Award of Distinction is an extraordinary practitioner in the human resources profession and a prominent supporter of the advancement of HR issues for the advanced wood processing industry, wrote Woodworking Canada, in a story about recipient Mike McClements (MBA ’78). Read full story.

York University students get valuable advice from industry leaders
Student Ram Accoumeh, leader of the York Inspire team, was able to witness firsthand the positive outcome the Inspire Toronto leadership event had with York University students, reported Tandem, a weekly English-language edition of Toronto-based Italian-language daily Corriere Canadese. York U Inspire 2012 was held Jan. 26 at York’s Underground restaurant. Read full story.