A new report suggesting condom use is on the rise among sexually active teens and young adults comes as welcome news, but the study also shows as many as one third of them still aren’t using protection, reported The Canadian Press March 21. “I think it’s great news that we’re seeing more kids, young adults using condoms,” said Sarah Flicker, a York environmental studies professor who specializes in adolescent sexual and reproductive health. “But it’s a huge problem that almost three in 10 are not using protection when they’re having sex,” she said. Read full story.
Mole hunt targeted diplomats, future spy chief
Dozens of prominent government officials — including several blue-chip diplomats and politicians — came under RCMP suspicion of being traitors as the Mounties scrambled to uncover a suspected Soviet mole in their ranks at the height of the Cold War, reported The Canadian Press March 22, in a story newly released documents about the Featherbed Probe of the late ’50s to the ’70s. The nature of the list is not surprising, given the suspicion on the part of police toward the “fancy-pants diplomats”, said Reg Whitaker, a research professor emeritus at Toronto’s York University. Read full story.
Dancing seniors teach York University students to adapt
Rina Shainhouse is energetic and bubbly as she leads a class of seniors through a series of zumba-inspired dance moves at the Bernard Betel Centre, reported the Toronto Star March 22, in a story about a course taught by students in the Faculty of Fine Arts. Dance professor and program manager Mary Jane Warner said the pedagogy course shows students how to teach for all ages and abilities. “What our students are learning is to be flexible and to adjust their teaching to fit the circumstance.” Read full story.
Linking cancer and work: A tricky task
Doctors err on the side of caution when applying lab results to patients, Ann Novogradec, a PhD candidate in York’s Faculty of Environmental Studies, told CBC News March 21, in a story about studies that look at work-related links to cancer and how potentially dangerous drugs are approved. Read full story.
York U students present to outside audience
For the first time, undergraduate students pursuing studies in Latin America and the Caribbean at York University had the honour of presenting their work to an audience outside of their regular classroom, reported TheCaribbeanCamera.com March 21. Their presentations were made at the first Undergraduate Conference on Latin America and the Caribbean hosted at York University and organized by the Centre for Research on Latin America & the Caribbean’s (CERLAC) Student Engagement Committee. Read full story.