Media Matters, a report on Simon Fraser University in the news, is compiled and distributed by SFU Public Affairs & Media Relations (PAMR).

This edition is a weekend roundup that lists the main items of known media coverage from 8:30 a.m. Friday May 11 to 8:30 a.m. today, Monday May 14.

Drugs | Crime | Women in prison | Seniors | Jobs | Fair trade | Education | Biking | Athletics

DRUGS

• “We have a lot of dead people related to the misuse of drugs," says Benedikt Fischer, director of the Centre for Applied Research in Mental Health and Addiction at SFU, in a Winnipeg Free Press article about the reality of prescription-drug addiction.
  While many may think of the average drug addict having a “needle hanging out of their arm,” there are a growing number of prescription-based addictions.
  "We think that in Canada probably half of all overdose deaths involve prescription opioids."
  Fischer concedes statistics linking prescription drug misuse to mortality rates in Canada are "more fuzzy,” but adds that it “is a data problem we need to urgently fix to get a clear idea about the exact harm and impact there is. But there's a good enough indication at this point that it's pretty sizable."
  Full story: http://at.sfu.ca/tmSlMd

CRIME

• Criminology professor Rob Gordon was in a Globe and Mail article talking about Vancouver police efforts on curbing gang violence.
  This is in light of the recent murder of B.C. gangster Tom Gisby in Mexico late last month.
  The police issued a public warning at the time of the murder, but have since admitted they can't wipe out the gangs and can only work to contain the violence they inflict.
  Gordon says the police strategy of containment makes sense.
  "That's the best we can hope for, that police do their best to contain these periodic outbreaks," he says.
  He adds: "[Police] recognize the task is keeping a lid on things and the prospect of knocking out this industry is close to zero."
  No URL available

WOMEN IN PRISON

• In a Vancouver Sun article, Suzanne Leduc, a masters student at SFU, raised her concerns on women released from prison being able to find their way again.
  "The current reality is pretty bleak," she says.
  "How do you get a reference for an apartment, when your previous landlord is federal corrections?" asked Leduc.
  For every 100 women released from a B.C. jail this year, 45 of them will be back behind bars next year.
  Leduc and her colleagues will be detailing the findings of their study at a public forum on Monday at B.C. Women's and Children Hospital.
  Full story: http://at.sfu.ca/YTqJHs

SENIORS

• Habib Chaudhury, a gerontology professor at SFU, was quoted in a CBC article about the growing number of senior citizens in B.C.
  The number is expected to double its current total by 2030, meaning there will need to be an increase in senior care.
  Chaudhury says the choice provided by most private care operators is good, but there are concerns about quality control.
  "In my opinion, it has to be closely monitored," he says. “We need to look at the resident outcomes and quality-of-care measures to really make an informed judgment."
  Full story: http://at.sfu.ca/nVpmfu

JOBS

• Tony Botelho, manager of career and volunteer services at Simon Fraser University, suggests graduate in a Canada.com article that students get the jump on their career ambitions long before they In everything, Botelho said, students should be "maximizing their human inter-actions", or in other words, networking.
  "Go to events, talk to parents' friends who happen to be doing something you are interested in. Find out what the opportunities are," he says.
  "Part of our belief is that there is no one path (to career success). There is no one way that it works."
  Full Story: http://at.sfu.ca/avOhZk

FAIR TRADE

• SFU recently became Canada's second university to earn fair trade designation, meaning food service providers on campus, like Chartwells, sell and visibly promote fair trade coffee, teas and chocolate. Mark McLaughlin, executive director of SFU’s ancillary services, was featured in a Globe and Mail article about fair trade, and SFU’s new designation.
  McLaughlin says it's not just about coffee with a conscience. It's about adopting policies that promote sustainability and ethical choices throughout the university administration.
  "We've completely changed our procurement policies for down the line. We want it to be part of our DNA," he says
  Full story: http://at.sfu.ca/HtkWot
• In a News1130 story, McLaughlin says this has been in the works for 10 years.
  "It means that you're taking small steps here on your campus, but you are affecting small farming communities in third world countries," he says.
  "We know that the money is going straight into the pockets of the farmers instead of being siphoned off to multinational companies."
  He adds students pushed hard for this to happen, and won’t have to pay extra for it.
  "They feel better. We think the coffee prices will be maintained, we insisted on that when talked with all of our vendors. In most cases, the mainstream coffees that they bought and are providing, there's no price difference," he says.
  Full story: http://at.sfu.ca/YCJRXQ
  SFU press release (May 4, 2012): http://at.sfu.ca/QOWyNN

EDUCATION

• Political science professor Marjorie Griffin Cohen was on CKNW Saturday morning at discussing the latest BC Teacher’s Federation issue, the government challenge of the teacher’s withdrawal from voluntary work.

BIKING

• In light of the launch of the new Bike Score website—a quantitative look at the “bikeability of a location” or different cities—assistant health sciences professor Meghan Winters commented on the initiative in a PR Newswire article.
  Bike Score was born out of collaboration between Walk Score (which does the same for the ‘walkability’ of a city) and a grant from the Canadian Institute of Health Research (CIHR).
  Winters, a member of CIHR, says: "We are thrilled to partner with the popular and well-regarded Walk Score to extend our research to consumers," with the hope that the knowledge will put more bikes on the streets.
  Full story: http://at.sfu.ca/aUtusw

ATHLETICS

Track and Field

• Three members of the Simon Fraser University track and field team wrapped up the 2012 Great Northwest Athletic Conference Track and Field Championships with conference titles in their respective events.
  Ryan Brockerville won the steeplechase event and Jade Richardson won the discus on Friday before Lindsey Butterworth took the 1500-metre competition on Saturday.
  Brockerville set a new GNAC record in the event.
  Richardson scored a narrow conference title victory for SFU, edging Leeza Henry of Montana State University Billings.
  Richardson and Henry each had a throw of 42.53-metres in the final round, but Richardson recorded the victory thanks to her second best throw of the day of 40.11-metres, which topped Henry’s second best distance.
  Butterworth upset number-one ranked Susan Tanui of Alaska Anchorage with a time of 4:28.77 to take the GNAC conference title.
  Clan runners turned in a strong performance in the women’s 800-metre as Sarah Sawatzky and Michaela Kane finished second and third with times of 2:12.50 and 2:13.78 respectively.
  Butterworth, Sawatzky and Kane then teamed up with Abbey Vogt in the women’s 4x400-metre race and turned in a third place finish with a time of 3:53.43.
  Adam Reid posted a third place finish as well in the men’s 800-metre competition thanks to a time of 1:52.73 while sophomore Mercedes Rhode finished fourth in the women’s long jump with a final jump of 5.53-metres.
  Clan news release: http://at.sfu.ca/oFSLov

Football

• SFU running back Bo Palmer was featured in a North Shore News article about being drafted to the CFL earlier in May.
  "I didn't know a whole lot," says Palmer. Because he intends to return for his senior season at SFU he could not speak to any pro teams to find out who was interested in him.
  "All I knew is that some teams had come to our games throughout the season, our homes games, and also some teams had come to watch our spring scrimmage. Still, everything was up in the air. I had no idea if teams were looking at me specifically or not."
  The Hamilton Tiger-Cats, the team that drafted Palmer, like him enough that they're willing to wait a year to get his services, as NCAA rules prohibit him from even showing up for CFL training camp. Palmer said despite the wait, he's still excited.
  "I was just really excited (when they drafted me), I'm looking forward to joining them after next year," he says.
  Full story: http://at.sfu.ca/dBojui

EARLIER EDITIONS

• 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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