FNU takes over CBC

To commemorate National Aboriginal Day on June 19, students from the First Nation’s University Indian Communications Arts program took over CBC Radio One airwaves for one hour.

From 5 to 6 p.m., Shannon Poundmaker and Diane Adams guest-hosted The Afternoon Edition, with comedy from Edward Doolittle and Robert Hoek and music from Terri-Anne Strongarm. Adams and Poundmaker interviewed people who are making a difference in First Nations communities, and Doolittle and Hoek’s comedy routine poked fun at the Olympics and parodied The Bachelorette with “Who Wants to Snag a Treaty Indian.”

U of S studies childhood obesity

The University of Saskatchewan received $665,000 in grants this June to research the reasons behind childhood obesity. The grants were awarded through a partnership with the Canadian Institute of Health Research, Rx&D Health Research Foundation and the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada.

Nazeem Muhajarine, professor in community health and epidemiology at the College of Medicine, leads a team studying how urban design affects childhood obesity, and Barbara von Tigerstrom, assistant professor in the College of Law, will study the Children’s Fitness Tax Credit.

U of S earns its place in history

The College Building, which sits on the east end of the Bowl, has been designated a national historic site.

The building was designed by Montreal architects Brown and Vallance in 1909. They designed the first six buildings built on the University of Saskatchewan campus, all in the Collegiate Gothic style, using the College Building as the centerpiece.

The occasion was celebrated with a ceremony on June 19, where a plaque describing the building’s history was unveiled. In attendance were the Lieutenant Governor of Saskatchewan, Gordon Barnhart, Saskatoon Mayor Don Atchison and U of S president Peter MacKinnon.

Improving patient drug adherence

A $1.7 million joint venture will create an academic chair in drug adherence research through the College of Pharmacy and Nutrition. The initiative, funded through project partners Saskatchewan Health, AstraZeneca Canada, Merck Frosst Canada and Pfizer Canada, will improve health care and health care education in Saskatchewan.

The chair will work with industry professionals to collect information on and improve patient adherence to prescription drug plans. The cost associated with non-adherence in Canada is estimated at about $10 billion per year.