This report on Simon Fraser University in the news lists the main items of known media coverage from 9 a.m. Pacific, Tuesday April 24 to 9 a.m. Pacific Wednesday, April 25.
The report is compiled and distributed by SFU Public Affairs & Media Relations.

Education | Politics | Food | Journalism | Dance | Athletics | Also in the News

EDUCATION

• The higher-education newsletter of Academica.ca told readers: “Simon Fraser University's First Nations Studies program has been given department status and will be placed within the arts and social sciences faculty.
  “‘I am thrilled. . . . It definitely shows the university's commitment to ongoing Aboriginal initiatives and will assist in making the new department the best of its kind in British Columbia," says the director of SFU’s Office for Aboriginal Peoples.
  “"There is a tremendous focus on Aboriginal issues and initiatives at SFU as we speak. Having the above occur will only add to Simon Fraser's stature in this area.’"
  “The department offers sequential, comprehensive courses rooted in traditional and contemporary Aboriginal logic, methodology, practice, and theory.”
  Academica.ca: http://at.sfu.ca/TmEdPg
  SFU news release (April 20): http://at.sfu.ca/mBYNYQ
• Multicultural OMNI Television quotedLouise Legris, director of admissions in SFU Student Services, in a story about increased admission requirements for international students.
  “It is just because we are over-enrolled with international students. We do get funded from the (provincial) government for a certain number of domestic students, but we are over-enrolled on the international side. We are still going to grow our international student population over the years. We continue to attract strong, academically strong, international students; it’s just that our capacity for students as a whole is limited.”
• Also in education:  The North Shore News reported the appointment of West Vancouver resident Dan Birch as chancellor of Quest University in Squamish.  Birch was SFU’s vice-president, academic, in the 1970s.
  Full story: http://at.sfu.ca/rzgbdF

POLITICS

• Lindsay Meredith, Beedie School of Business marketing professor, was featured on CBC Radio's On the Coast show on the topic of "political positioning." He said the BC government's frequent use of the term "free enterprise" may be signaling a personality shift as the Liberal party prepares for another election by courting a conservative coalition.
• Montreal’s Le Devoir newspaper ran a story on a study by SFU economist Anke Kessler. It found that if “robocalls” that misled voters were made in the last federal election, they could have had a statistically significant impact on voter turnout and election results.
  Le Devoir: “‘In constituencies that are predominantly non-conservative, we noted a decrease in participation rates between 2008 and 2011,’ Ms. Kessler explained in an interview.
  “‘In the 27 constituencies on my list, this decrease was really most important. There is nothing else we can find, no other explanation for why in these 27 districts, in polling stations where there are many non-conservative voters, the turnout was much lower. What's so special about these constituencies? One thing is special: They are on my list."
  (The newspaper, however, did not say she is from SFU.)
  Full story (in French): http://at.sfu.ca/KUUmhO
  SFU news release (March 12): http://at.sfu.ca/YTBsgO

FOOD

• SFU food policy researcher Herb Barbolet was featured in a Vancouver Sun story about waste reduction in the food industry.
  Barbolet said a lack of federal or provincial food policies means any changes in food systems are left to smaller groups of entrepreneurs and market forces to deal with.
  Barbolet added that a food industry based on cheap, processed foods will likely remain that way, as naturally grown and unprocessed foods—what he calls “real food,”—simply cannot compete in price. While organic food and sustainability movements may get all the news attention, they still only account for about 2% of the food market, he said.
  Full story: http://at.sfu.ca/tJBbCe

JOURNALISM

• The news-and-commentary website of rabble.ca covered a conference in Montreal of “activists, academics and journalists”, and noted that SFU Communication prof Robert Hackett was among speakers.
  “Journalists can help focus attention and prioritize issues in order to ‘inform, engage and empower audiences,’ Simon Fraser University professor Robert Hackett told the conference. He pointed out that peace journalism is an important alternative to the standard journalistic approach to covering wars and conflicts.”
  Full story: http://at.sfu.ca/zXOmOF

DANCE

• SFU dance student Desi Rekrut will be performing at the Helix Dance Theatre Company’s performance in Comox BC, as the company returns for its third season. The show takes place this Friday, and Rekrut is slated to give a “guest performance to inspire.”
  Full story: http://at.sfu.ca/WRgkit

ATHLETICS

Softball

• Freshman pitcher Carling Hare earned her first collegiate victory as the SFU Clan softball team defeated the University of BC Thunderbirds 6-5 Tuesday (April 24). It was also the first win caught by freshman catcher Kaitlyn Cameron.
  Hitting sixth in the order, SFU’s Sammie Olexa went three-for-three with a walk and drove in four runs including the winner.
  The win improved the Clan’s record to 29-12 this season, and 21-11 in the NCAA’s Great Northwest Athletic Conference (GNAC).
  The team now faces the Western Oregon University Wolves in a doubleheader to close out its home schedule at Beedie Field, Burnaby campus, on Thursday (April 26) at noon. SFU will then travel to Billings MT to tackle the first-place Montana State University Billings Yellowjackets in a double header on Saturday (April 28).
  Heading into the final four games of GNAC play, SFU is three games back of MSUB, which also has four games remaining.
  The Province: http://at.sfu.ca/GSErWx
  Clan news release: http://at.sfu.ca/tytglK

Golf

• The Clan men’s and women’s golf teams each had a golfer crack the top 10 as SFU wrapped up its 2011-12 season at the GNAC championship tournament in Coeur d’Alene ID.
  Michael Belle closed out the tournament with a 69-74-79 for a total of 222, giving him ninth place on the men’s side. The women played a two-round tournament and Nicole Jordan earned an eighth-place finish for SFU at 82-82—164.
  The teams now prepare for their annual fundraiser, the Clan Classic Golf Tournament on Monday, April 30 at the Vancouver Golf Club.
  Clan news release: http://at.sfu.ca/rGskcs
  Register: http://at.sfu.ca/IWEkEP

Basketball

• The SFU women’s basketball team was doubly honoured by Basketball BC as head coach Bruce Langford was inducted into the BC Basketball Hall of Fame and junior forward Nayo Raincock-Ekunwe was named BC University Female Athlete of the Year.
  Langford entered the hall after 11 seasons with the Clan. He guided the program to five national and this past season led the team to a 17-11 record and its first win in GNAC playoffs.  His career record at SFU is 293-71.
  "I just wanted not to screw it up too badly," said Langford of his initial thoughts on joining the Clan.
  Raincock-Ekunwe won the player-of-the-year title for the second year in a row.
  She led the GNAC in points and rebounds this past season and surpassed her own record for double-doubles in a season with 22.
  Clan news release: http://at.sfu.ca/jJyNxG

Soccer

• Burnaby Now reported that SFU Clan soccer player Carlo Basso will join the Ottawa Fury's Premier developmental men's soccer league team for the summer season.
  “Basso had a solid sophomore season with the Clan, earning Great Northwest Athletic Conference co-player of the year with 16 goals. He also earned first team all-region and All-American mentions. Basso also garnered the SFU male athlete of the year award.”
  The roundup story also reported that Clan softball pitcher Cara Lukawesky was named the GNAC pitcher of the month for the third time this season. And that SFU golfer TJ McColl was named to the GNAC all-academic team on Monday (April 23).
  Coquitlam Now carried a story on Lukawesky.
  Burnaby Now: http://at.sfu.ca/JsXyKS
  Clan news release on Basso: http://at.sfu.ca/deZMob
  Coquitlam Now: http://at.sfu.ca/jkXseF

Also in sports

• SFU student Soraiya Abdulla, who took part in last week’s Boston marathon, was featured in a Maple Ridge News article highlighting four Metro Vancouver participants. Despite the high heat that forced more than 4,000 runners to drop out of the event, Abdulla finished the race, and even with the “brutal” weather, she still said it was “an amazing experience.”
  Full story: http://at.sfu.ca/aTxAkJ

ALSO IN THE NEWS

• Former SFU student Brian Brett has been named as this year’s recipient of the Lieutenant Governor’s award for literary excellence. The Salt Spring author and poet, who has been a big advocate for getting poetry into schools and young students more involved with it, earns the award for having contributed to the development of literary excellence in the province. However, he did not see the award coming. "It's so lovely when you win something out of the blue when you're not expecting it," he said.
  Full Story: http://at.sfu.ca/ZxSmzQ

EARLIER ISSUES

• Earlier issues of Media Matters are online at http://at.sfu.ca/GzJvYO

SFU NEWS RELEASES

• SFU’s news releases are online at http://at.sfu.ca/APbezp

MORE LINKS

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• Also available online: information and reports from SFU president Andrew Petter: http://www.sfu.ca/pres
• And Petter’s strategic vision and engagement process: http://www.sfu.ca/engage.html

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