Waterloo chosen to host 2012 Wilson Cup

with material from an Ontario University Athletics media release

Ontario University Athletics has announced that the University of Waterloo will host the 2012 OUA Wilson Cup. The Final Four basketball tournament will be played at the Physical Activities Complex from March 2-3, 2012, and broadcast on The Score Television Network.

The men's basketball playoffs tip off on February 22, and by February 25, four teams will be locked into the OUA Wilson Cup Final Four schedule. This will be the second year that the championships will be played at a predetermined site.

“Last year’s Wilson Cup Final Four in Hamilton was a great event, and OUA is looking forward to following up that success with another great tournament, this time in Waterloo,” said Ward Dilse, OUA Executive Director. “The Wilson Cup Final Four tournament is an exciting occasion to celebrate OUA basketball. We’re very pleased to be working alongside both Waterloo and The Score to showcase the best of OUA basketball.”

Christine Stapleton, University of Waterloo Associate Athletic Director, echoed Dilse’s sentiments. “The University of Waterloo is delighted to be hosting the 2012 OUA Wilson Cup. It’s been a long time since an athletic event of such magnitude has been held at the university, and we’re thrilled that the tournament is coming to Waterloo. We’re excited to use this opportunity to celebrate the rich history and leadership within the Waterloo basketball community.”

The Score will broadcast both semifinal games and the Wilson Cup final. On March 2, the first semifinal will air live on The Score at 6 p.m. The second semifinal will be played at 8 p.m., and will air tape delayed at 10 p.m. The finals will air live on The Score at 8 p.m. on Saturday, March 3 as Ontario’s top two teams battle to determine who will take home the championship banner.

Tickets are available for individual days at a price of $15 for adults and $10 for youth and students. A tournament pass is available for $20 that includes all three games. Tickets for the Wilson Cup Final Four men’s basketball championship can be purchased by phone at 519-888-4567 ext. 35869 or in person at the University of Waterloo Athletic office, located in the Physical Activities Complex. Tickets are available for purchase at Waterloo Warriors basketball home games. Those interested in group tickets can contact Jim Hagen at 519-888-4567 ext. 35433.

Full details on tickets sales and events surrounding the OUA Wilson Cup Final Four men’s basketball championship are available online.

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Off-campus housing updates

by Ryan King, Co-ordinator, Off-Campus Living and Neighbourhood Relations

Housing Sessions for students searching for a place to live next fall took place in residence over the last few weeks. These sessions outlined upper-year Waterloo Residence opportunities and provided an overview of what to expect when searching for off-campus housing.

For many students, finding housing as second-year student can be challenging. It’s a new experience for students searching for a place on their own as they weigh the options of life on campus or living in off-campus accommodations.

The majority of upper-year students at Waterloo do live off campus. As a free service for students, the Off-Campus Housing office helps students transition into off-campus life and succeed as upper-year students.

These housing sessions encourage students to be contributing members of the community, they provides an overview of student housing near the university, and explain the services available from the Off-Campus Housing office. Services used by students include free lease reviews, listing service of rental accommodations, student classified boards, and support if students run into issues off-campus.

Any student looking for housing next year (both on and off-campus) is encouraged to connect with the Waterloo Housing and Residences office by email at housing@ uwaterloo.ca or visit the office in the lower level of the Student Life Centre.

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Schlegel chair to deliver public lecture

a news release from the media relations office

The University of Waterloo’s third Schlegel research chair is a leading expert on Alzheimer’s disease whose work will contribute to the safe and appropriate use of medication among the elderly. Carlos Rojas-Fernandez is the Schlegel Research Chair in Geriatric Pharmacotherapy at the Schlegel-UW Research Institute for Aging.

“Waterloo is fortunate to benefit from the generosity and vision of former Waterloo professor Ron Schlegel, who established the Schlegel research chairs,” said Feridun Hamdullahpur, president and vice-chancellor of the University of Waterloo. “Dr. Carlos Rojas-Fernandez is one of few experts in his specialized field, and we are honoured that he is conducting research at Waterloo that will lead to improvements in the care and treatment of our aging population.”

Rojas-Fernandez studies the effects that certain drugs have on seniors in general, and which medications may worsen symptoms of dementia. He says medications that younger adults can take without a problem can bring on an adverse reaction in the aged, either because of medical conditions or the fact that older bodies respond differently, often with fatal consequences.

“A fall can be deadly for an elderly person, either directly or as a result of complications from that accident. We already know which medications can contribute to falls among older people. One of the studies I am leading looks at years’ worth of data to see how many falls may have involved medication as a risk factor,” said Rojas-Fernandez.

He will host a free public lecture tomorrow called "Medications and Alzheimer’s Disease" to discuss appropriate medication use in the elderly, provide examples of medications that those suffering from dementia should not use and highlight current treatment options for Alzheimer’s patients.

The event is for a general audience and will take place at the University of Waterloo School of Pharmacy at 10 Victoria St. S. in Kitchener at 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 31, the last day of Alzheimer’s awareness month.

“Alzheimer’s or other forms of dementia touch the lives of so many of us. And the numbers are certain to multiply over the coming years as our society ages,” he said. That’s one of the reasons why it’s so important to be informed. We need to consider not only those with Alzheimer’s, but also their families, their caregivers and their friends.”

Originally from Halifax, Rojas-Fernandez is an assistant professor at the School of Pharmacy at Waterloo. He earned his BSc in pharmacy from Dalhousie University. He practiced as a pharmacist for four years, and later earned a Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) degree at Wayne State University in Detroit, Michigan. Rojas-Fernandez completed postdoctoral training as a clinical research fellow in geriatric pharmacotherapy in the Division of Geriatric Medicine of Dalhousie University. He was the founding director of the Geriatric Pharmacy Residency program at Texas Tech University Health Sciences Centre, and has worked as senior medical science liaison in the Neuroscience Research and Development division of Bristol Myers Squibb.

His research has appeared in several key publications and peer-reviewed journals.

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