Patrick Chan, the two-time defending Canadian senior men’s figure-skating champ, suffered a calf injury, then was dropped by coach Don Laws of Florida, who cited distance between the two as the main factor, wrote The Canadian Press Jan. 15 in a story about the skater’s preparation for the 2010 Vancouver Olympics.
Chan doesn’t seemed fazed, saying his relationship with choreographer Lori Nichol and technical adviser Christy Krall is ideal. “Lori and I are more like friends, she’s almost like a skating mother,” said Chan, who intends to study economics at York University next year.
Matt Dusk’s decor harks to the past
Welcome to Matt Dusk’s party. Whether you are part of his concert audience or listening to his latest CD, Good News, Dusk (BFA Spec. Hons. ’02) wants you to “get into the groove and have a good time.” The 12-song collection is a mix of pop hits and original material sung in Dusk’s smooth, sophisticated style, which has been compared to that of crooners like Tony Bennett and Frank Sinatra, wrote the Brantford Expositor Jan. 15.
The Toronto native became passionate about jazz as a teenager. “My parents enrolled me into St. Michael’s Choir School to pursue my musical interests,” Dusk explains. But it was performing at a talent night at an all-girls’ school that gave him a taste of what was to come. “After my performance, the girls went nuts! I said, I don’t care what I’m singing, I love this!”
Dusk furthered his music education at York University’s Faculty of Fine Arts, where he had Oscar Peterson as a guest lecturer. What advice did the legendary musician offer Dusk? “Persevere because you love it, not because you want to make money. It takes dedication, hard work and focus to make it.”
On air
- Arcola Theatre executive director Ben Todd’s presentation on environmental sustainability and culture at York was featured on CBC Radio’s “Metro Morning” Jan. 14.
- Leo Adler, adjunct professor in York’s Osgoode Hall Law School, spoke about the recent government decision to refuse compensation for the wrongful conviction of Robert Baltovich on murder charges, on CRFB Radio’s “The Bill Carroll Show” Jan. 14.
- Lauren Sergio, professor in York’s School of Kinesiology & Health Science in the Faculty of Health, spoke about her recent study of video gamers, on Global TV in Edmonton, Alta., and Dartmouth, NS, Jan. 14.