York alumna Harpreet Ghuman (BA ’98, BEd ’98), Firgrove Junior Public School's lead teacher for the Toronto District School Board's Model Schools for Inner Cities project, grew up in the area and chose to return after graduating from York, wrote the Toronto Star April 20. She had a goal of improving community and family involvement. "I remember from my student experience the lack of community interaction with the school," he said. To that end, Ghuman meets with parents each week, and monthly with community groups to discuss the project, and what could be done differently.
MBA student starts job interviews for real
What a long, strange trip it's been, wrote Richard Bloom in the latest of his ongoing series of columns about life as an MBA student at York’s Schulich School of Business, in The Globe and Mail April 20. With respect to the Grateful Dead, Bloom wrote, that so perfectly encapsulates these past two years – from my being accepted into York University's MBA program to quitting my job as a business reporter at this newspaper to countless hours spent toiling in the library to even more hours battling teammates during group projects to the e-completion of my last class a few days ago.
The MBA taught me more than I could ever have imagined. But in addition to hard skills, I learned an overwhelming number of soft skills…the essence of what business-education experts call "the MBA experience." My post-MBA career hunt is now in full stride. After more than a dozen informational interviews, I'm in full-blown formal interview mode – applying for jobs and moving through various screening rounds with organizations I have identified as potential employers.
Knowledge Network names Buttignol acting CEO
One of the leading figures in the country’s television and film industry and a winner of nine Gemini Awards is taking over as the interim head of the Knowledge Network, wrote The Vancouver Sun April 20. Rudy Buttignol (BFA ’82) becomes acting president and CEO of the network as it separates itself from the Open Learning Agency, which it had been a part of since 1987. A Knowledge Network news release said that in recognition of his contribution to the film and television industry, Buttignol will be honoured with the inaugural Outstanding Industry Achievement Award at the 2007 Hot Docs documentary film festival Tuesday in Toronto. Born in Pordenone, Italy, Buttignol came to Canada in 1955, later earning a BFA from York’s Faculty of Fine Arts.
North York Mirror featured in York student’s movie
A short film featuring The North York Mirror is a finalist for an American online pet movie competition, wrote the newspaper April 19. Ryan Knight's film All About Oscar made the Top-12 finalist list for the pet-centric competition by PetStyle and Gen Art. Knight, a York film student who graduates this spring, shot the film over two days at a home in the Bayview and Finch avenues area and various locations across Toronto and Vaughan. The public can vote for their favourite short film by visiting www.petstyle.com and rate the film using a star system.
Environmental forum includes York’s Albo
Carleton University is hosting a public forum on environmental change today, featuring some of the country's top academics on the subject, wrote The Ottawa Sun April 20. Guest speakers include Greg Albo, political science professor in York’s Faculty of Arts.
York supports young jazz stars program
Back in the '30s and '40s, jazz – the popular music of the day – was being written and performed by young musicians, wrote the Welland Tribune April 20. It's just this kind of youthful energy and sound that music director Zygmunt Jedrzejek taps into with his Toronto All-Star Big Band (TABB), a 17-piece band that features the vocal stylings of the TABB five singers. Jedrzejek admitted that the school systems fully supported TABB and encouraged their students to audition for the big band because of the numerous benefits. "We get very good support from…York University" said Jedrzejek.
On air
- Peter Victor, professor in York’s Faculty of Environmental Studies, joined a panel discussion titled The World of Choice, on TVO’s “The Agenda” April 19.