Demeter named men's rugby coach

an announcement from the Department of Athletics.

The Waterloo Warriors are pleased to announce Luke Demeter as the new head coach of the men’s rugby program. Demeter takes over for Josh Windsor who has chosen to focus on his career as vice principal at Kitchener-Waterloo Collegiate and Vocational School. Windsor led the Warriors to a 9-14-1 record over three seasons guiding the Warriors to the post-season each year.

Demeter has a strong background in the sport of rugby and brings a wealth of experience and knowledge to the black and gold. He was a member of the Warriors as a player for five seasons (2005-2009) where he was named an OUA all-star his final season and has had over four years’ experience in a various coaching roles. Demeter has coached several local high schools and has performed a variety of coaching duties for Waterloo County Rugby.

“I am truly excited to take over the reigns as head coach of the Warriors,” mentioned Demeter. “Josh represented everything Warrior rugby stands for; hard work, dedication, and integrity and has left the program in position to succeed. I look forward to building the program into an OUA contender and I’m eager to begin the process.”

Demeter is currently a business development consultant at Oracle Corporation in Mississauga, Ont., a company that specializes in developing and marketing computer hardware systems and enterprise software products. He is also the treasurer and director of rugby development in Waterloo County Rugby. In this role Demeter is a key liaison between regional, provincial and national sport governing bodies to help build the profile of men’s and women’s rugby in Waterloo.

“Luke was a tremendous student-athlete when he competed at Waterloo and will set a fine example for our team,” commented Director of Athletics Bob Copeland. “Beyond his love of rugby, Luke brings strong leadership and strategic planning capabilities that will benefit the program” added Copeland.

Demeter is also a key part of building and enhancing strategic community partnerships for rugby in Waterloo and generating sponsorships and donations to offset operating costs. As a result of his role as director of rugby development, Demeter established a high school rugby program that introduces rugby to students with the goal of promoting healthy active living while promoting Waterloo County Rugby. As a result 85 new members were recruited.

Demeter’s passion and excitement for rugby is undeniable and his excitement level will continue the Warrior men’s rugby program down the path of success for years to come.

 

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Canadian youth getting failing grades in health

a news release from the media relations team.

Canadian students in Grade 12 are in worse health than their younger high school peers, according to a new study from the University of Waterloo's School of Public Health and Health Systems.

By the time students reach Grade 12, they are at significantly increased risk for chronic diseases such as diabetes and lung cancer, according to the research published in the latest issue of BMC Public Health. Smoking, marijuana use, binge drinking, and physical inactivity, which are all risk factors for chronic disease, skyrocket between Grades 9 and 12.

“Large proportions of graduating high school students fail to meet the most basic health behavior guidelines. The age-related increases in substance use and excess weight-gain that occur among high school students are cause for concern,” said Professor Scott Leatherdale, a Cancer Care Ontario Research Chair in Population Studies with the School of Public Health and Health Systems.

Leatherdale found that over the four-year high school period, the number of smokers increased by 170 per cent, there was an increase in binge drinkers of 167 per cent, and a jump in marijuana users of 124 per cent. In addition, more than 89 per cent of students did not meet Health Canada’s minimum physical activity guidelines, while 93 per cent reported inadequate fruit and vegetable consumption.

“Evidence also suggests that having more than one risk factor can increase the likelihood of disease,” said Leatherdale.

By Grade 12, the average student will exhibit three risk factors for serious disease. Only 0.5% of youth surveyed reported having no risk factors. Students in the higher grades appear to be at the greatest risk.

“The only way to avoid a large future burden of preventable disease is to develop more integrated and real-world models of intervention in Canadian high schools.”

The study used data collected from 31,396 students in Grades 9 to 12 who responded to the substance use section of the 2010–11 Canadian Youth Smoking Survey (2010 YSS). The YSS is a nationally representative school-based survey of youth in Canada.

 

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Tourism association awards scholarship

Tourism Cares, the tourism industry's leading non-profit organization whose mission involves "preserving the travel industry for future generations" has announced the recipients of $2,000 scholarships to Canadian students studying travel, tourism, and hospitality in Canada.

Jasveen Rattan, a PhD Candidate in Recreation and Leisure Studies, was named as one of the recipients of the scholarship.

The scholarships are funded by Tourism Cares, the National Tour Association (NTA), the American Society of Travel Agents (ASTA), and the International Air Transport Association (IATA). Since 2005, there have been 26 Canadians awarded with scholarships through Tourism Cares.

The academic scholarship recipients are also invited to attend the Tourism Cares Mentoring Program at the annual NTA/UMA Travel Exchange in February of 2014 in Los Angeles, California. The program gives students the opportunity to shadow professional mentors, build their professional network, and attend industry workshops.

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Tuesday's notes

The Federation of Students will be holding the continuation of its March General Meeting on July 16 at 4:00 p.m. in the Student Life Centre's Great Hall.  More information about the agenda items and bylaw amendments is available online. Don't miss the sundae bar!

Human Resources is reporting that the following staff members retired as of July 1:

• Ann Naese, Manager, Collections Maintenance in the Library, who started at the university in September 1977;
• Jan Blackburn, who started in January 1987 and retires as Financial Officer in the Bookstore;
• Deborah Clark, who started at the university in September 1990, retires as Field Education Co-ordinator in the School of Social Work at Renison University College;
• Margaret Ingleton, who started in September 1987 retired as Research Experiences Group coordinator in Psychology;
• Robert Zinger, who started at the university in August 1981, retires as Building Section Supervisor in Plant Operations;
• Graznya Sztyler, who started at the university in August 1997 and retires as Housekeeper in Housing and Residences;
• Chandrika Anjaria, Client Support Assistant in Information Systems & Technology (IST), who started at the university in April 1974.
• Edie Cardwell, who started at the university in May 1983 retires as Graduate Administrator in the School of Planning;
• Martin Van Nierop, who started in April 1984 retires as Senior Director, Government Relations; and
• Karen Mason, who started at the university in November 2005, retiring as Public Affairs and Communication Specialist.

 

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