in-the-news
SFU People in the News
May 30, 2012
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. Tuesday May 29 to 8:30 a.m. today, Wednesday May 30.
25 under 25 | 50 under 50 | Census | Target | Politics | Athletics
- Current and past SFU students Ivneet Bains, Michael Cheng, Ravneet Dhaliwal, Afraj Gill, Joyce Loksum Mak, Sukhi Sangha, and Stevie Vu were all named as winners of Surrey’s 25 Under 25 awards. The Surrey North Delta Leader highlighted all 25 winners.
Bains is the co-owner and founder of Math4Me Learning Inc, a social entrepreneurship program helping students achieve university scholarships through tutoring and mentorship. Dhaliwal is the director of student affairs at Math4Me, and currently manages 400 students and 60 employees at two branches in Surrey and Vancouver.
Cheng is the founder of WittyCookie, a web design company dedicated to supporting the growth of local small businesses, and was named runner-Up as SFU Student Entrepreneur of the Year in 2011. He is also the founder of TEDxSFU, an annual conference aimed at inspiring an audience of students and professionals at SFU.
Gill is currently pursuing his studies in Business Administration, with a long list of volunteer efforts on his resume and a series of personal and professional accomplishments including earning the Army, Navy and Air Force Veterans in Canada Medal of Merit.
Mak is the current president of the SFU International Business Association, a non-profit organization that aims to assist all SFU students interested in pursuing a career with international prospects.
Sangha's Learning Centre has provided private and professional tutoring for students in Kindergarten through Grade 12. She is also an executive member on SFU's Pre-Med Society and Aids Awareness Network.
As president of the Association Internationale des Étudiants en Sciences Économiques et Commerciales (AIESEC) Kwantlen, a student-run internship organization, Vu was able to establish the group as an official chapter.
Winners were chosen on a combination of their community achievements, leadership ability, community involvement and professional achievements.
Full story: http://at.sfu.ca/ssfsYb
SFU news release: http://at.sfu.ca/NiLZOf
- Quacquarelli Symonds released Monday its Top 50 Under 50 ranking, which ranks universities that have been established since 1962. SFU places #25 in the world and #2 in Canada in the rankings.
SFU was founded in 1965. U of Calgary, which opened in 1966, placed #1 in Canada and #17 worldwide. - Full story: http://at.sfu.ca/EPIFVJ
- Rankings: http://at.sfu.ca/OGABGa
- Andrew Wister, chair of the gerontology department at SFU, says in a Victoria Times Colonist article that the rise in age won't be catastrophic to our economy, health care or pension system, but that careful planning will be key.
"This isn't a crisis," Wister said. "People for the most part are aging better," and don't generally get frail and put pressure on services until they are over 75, he added.
"We are not raising up a white flag. We have some time, 20 to 25 years, to make some adjustments to an aging population."
Almost five million of Canada’s 33.5 million citizens are now seniors. Seniors accounted for 14.8 per cent of our total population in 2012, up from 13.7 per cent in 2006. And the population of working-age citizens is also growing older, as the baby boomers near retirement.
Full story: http://at.sfu.ca/rIYrIw - Wister reiterated those thoughts in a Globe and Mail article.
While politicians fight for more federal health dollars to respond to the province's aging population, Wister says it’s not entirely necessary.
"It is not a crisis," he says. "The pressure on the health-care system isn't that high until people reach 75, 80, 85—and that point is being pushed back. What that means is, we have a bit of time here to make adjustments."
Full story: http://at.sfu.ca/umaWKr - Wister was also quoted in a Province article about the recent census results.
Canada’s national age is growing, though after seniors, the growth in the number of people under 11 saw the biggest spike.
Wister says this phenomenon is the result of the children of baby boomers having families.
"It's the echo of the echo along with increased immigration targeting people who are young and middle age," he says.
Full story: http://at.sfu.ca/mZgKri
- In a Vancouver Sun article, marketing professor Lindsay Meredith talks about Target’s Vancouver arrival.
He says the arrival signals a shift in consumer tolerance in this country toward lower-cost, high-volume retailers.
"It's the old story: You give and you get. We all decry the fact these guys are paying pretty much slave wages and change, and then we all beat a path down to the door because the prices are right," he says.
He adds Target's recruitment drive will be attractive to segments of the population that suffer higher-than-average unemployment rates, notably young people and new immigrants with little to no work history, and seniors who want, or need, to keep working past retirement. "There is some real value to that," he said.
But, Meredith adds, "Are these going to be the high-end, high-tax-generating, high income-generating jobs? Hell no."
Full story: http://at.sfu.ca/GnjcYe
- Political scientist Patrick Smith was in a CBC News article about municipal spending in Metro Vancouver.
The Business Council of BC (BCBC) says local spending in the region rose 32 per cent between 2000 and 2010, when adjusted for population growth and inflation, and says the rise in spending is problematic.
Smith does not share the BCBC’s opinion.
“Part of it is just groaning from the ‘We need less government’ crowd,” Smith says. “Municipal governments spend less than 10 cents of every tax dollar in our governing and they’re pretty efficient.
“Municipalities have to take on things that citizens feel are important and that senior governments have simply abandoned in their quest to balance their budgets,” he adds
“Cities are now providing what many would consider essential services,” he continues. “In many instances they haven’t formally downloaded [the responsibilities] onto municipalities — they’ve just abandoned it.”
Full story: http://at.sfu.ca/jHTMit
Basketball
- The Simon Fraser University men’s basketball team has added division I experience as David Gebru, who played last year with Western Illinois University, has committed to attend SFU.
“I think I’m a pretty good player, one on one,” says Gebru. “My shooting’s strong and so is my passing. I can rebound well and block shots as well.
“I’m really excited to play in such an outstanding city and play at a great school. Throughout this process, I’ve felt like I have a good relationship with coach Blake. The city, the school and the team all seem to be a good fit for me and the style of basketball the team plays suits me as well.”
After a strong freshman year at WIU, Gebru played in just nine games before suffering a season ending knee injury in his second collegiate season. He rebounded this past year to play in 30 games for the Fighting Leathernecks.
“David is going to give us some stability at the post,” says head coach James Blake. “He’s a very skilled, European style player. He has great footwork and I think he’s going to have a very good Division-II career. He was playing behind some good posts at Western Illinois and he didn’t get the minutes. He’ll certainly get the minutes here.
“I think he can be a dominant post in the GNAC. He’s a very good shooter and once he’s in the block he uses both hands and has really good footwork,” concludes Blake.
Clan news release: http://at.sfu.ca/PjsMjb
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
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