This Week at Saint Mary's University

March 13 , 2009

Notices for This Week at Saint Mary’s

The mission of This Week at Saint Mary’s is to communicate information that relates directly to Saint Mary’s University. To that end, first priority is always given to university-related events and announcements. Pending availability of space, other notices submitted will be considered for inclusion on a first-come basis. 

Submissions to This Week @ Saint Mary’s and our online Events Calendar can be sent to thisweek@smu.ca. For further information, contact 420.5518. Deadlines for submissions are Wednesdays at 5.00pm.   

The Annual Cyril Byrne Memorial Lecture

Dionne Brand, one of Canada’s most celebrated and critically acclaimed writers will read from “Inventory: Notes on a Poem”.  The annual lecture will be held on Friday, March 13 at 7.30pm, a reception hosted by the Dean of Arts will follow.  Musical guests will be the ECMA award winning group, Los Primos.  The lecture is free and open to the public but seating is limited.   The Cyril J. Byrne Memorial Lecture celebrates the spirit and vision of Dr. Byrne, as well as his life-long commitment to interdisciplinary studies in the Faculty of Arts at Saint Mary’s University.  

IDS Seminar

International Development Studies Program is pleased to announce a seminar on “Childhood Experiences of Daughter Elimination in Tamil Nadu, India” by Sharada Srinivasan, Assistant Professor of International Development Studies at York University.  The seminar will be held on Friday, March 13 at 12.00pm in McNally Main room 208.  The financial support for the IDS Speakers Program from IDRC is gratefully acknowledged.  

Employee Group Benefits Renewal Information

In the interest of the environment and to continue the sustainability efforts of the University, the Employee Group Benefits Renewal memo will be available again this year in an electronic version only.  Please visit the Human Resources website (under “News & Events” or “Benefits/Renewal Details”), Employee Self-Service or SMUport for full details. 

Public Lecture on “Seneca’s Baths of Scipio Africanus”

The Saint Mary's Classics Society would like to invite you to a public lecture by Dr. Sonia Hewitt (Acadia University) on "Seneca's Baths of Scipio Africanus".  The talk will be given on Monday, March 16 at 5.00pm in McNally Main 201. For more information, please contact Alison Barclay on alison.barclay@smu.ca or Sarah Matte, President of the Classics Society at sarah.matte@smu.ca.   

International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination

The March 21st Committee, to honour the UN International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, will be offering opportunities for members of the Saint Mary’s University community to view select 40-minute films that address racism. “The Eye of The Storm” will be shown on Monday, March 16, 10.00am in Burke 218 and 1.00pm in the Chapel, Loyola 183.  The film “Teaching Peace in a Time of War” will be shown on Wednesday, March 18, 10.00am in Burke 218 and at 1.00pm in the Chapel, Loyola 183.  Final film entitled “Remember Africville” will be shown on Thursday, March 19, 10.00am in McNally Main 307-A and at 1.00pm in the Chapel, Loyola 183.  

Student Registration for Fall and Winter - An Important Message for Faculty and Staff

March 17, March 19 and April 8 are important dates for student registration at Saint Mary’s and very high usage is expected on the Banner Self Service on these days. To provide students with the best possible access to self-service, we ask that the rest of the Saint Mary’s community avoid using self-service on these dates.

Saint Mary’s Honorary Degree Recipient Ken Dryden Comes to Campus

Ken Dryden will be giving a talk entitled "It's Time for Canada" on March 18 at 11.00am in the Scotiabank Theatre. This is a public lecture so admission is free.   

Mr. Dryden was first elected to the House of Commons as the Member of Parliament for York Centre in 2004 and was re-elected in 2006 and 2008. From 2004 to 2006, he served as Minister of Social Development.   He is the author of four best-selling books: The Game, Home Game, The Moved and the Shaken, and In School. In 1984, he was appointed Ontario¹s first Youth Commissioner. Mr. Dryden has been involved with several community and charitable groups with a particular focus on children, youth and education. In 1996, he created the Ken Dryden Scholarship, awarded to young people currently or formerly in the care of the Canadian child welfare system who demonstrate great achievement and promise.   

Mr. Dryden is a member of the Hockey Hall of Fame, the Canadian Sports Hall of Fame and the International Scholar-Athlete Hall of Fame. He holds a degree in history from Cornell University and a degree in Law from McGill.  Mr. Dryden also received an Honorary Degree (D.C.L. Honoris Causa) from Saint Mary’s at a Special Convocation on March 23, 2004.

15th Annual Gallery Reading Series Presents Ian Colford & Harold Hoefle

Ian Colford is a fiction writer living in Halifax. His work has been included in The Journey Prize Anthology and has appeared in The Antigonish Review, Event, The Fiddlehead, The Dalhousie Review, Grain, and Canadian Fiction Magazine. Evidence, his acclaimed first book, is a genre-bending work of fiction. It was named one of the top five books of 2008 by The Globe and Mail and is currently nominated for the 2009 Margaret and John Savage First Book Award.

Harold Hoefle lives in Montreal. His award-winning fiction has appeared in many leading literary journals and magazines, including Exile, Maisonneuve, The Nashwaak Review, and The Antigonish Review.  His first book, The Mountain Clinic, blurs the lines between the novel, the short story and the memoir and evocatively explores the relationship between travel, memory, and loss.

The readings will take place on Wednesday, March 18 at 7.00pm in the Art Gallery.  Please call 491-6222 or 420-5701 for more information. 

The Faculty of Arts Academic Advising Center – Sessions and Workshops

The Center will host an information session to help prepare potential graduates for the transition from University life.  Important topics will be discussed, such as planning for graduation, career planning, and planning for further studies. There will be two sessions on March 17 and 23 from 1.00pm to 2.00pm in Loyola room 281.  Participants are asked to register before March 16 by e-mail to smarts@smu.ca and to include: Student Name, ID (A number) and the intended attendance date. 

The workshop for continuing students entering year-2 (30-60 credits) will help continuing students prepare for their second year and beyond, by discussing important topics such as choosing a major, course selection to meet degree requirements, and helpful tips for academic success in and beyond second year.  The workshops will be: Monday, March 16 in McNally Main room 203 from 1.00 to 2.00pm; Monday, March 23 McNally Main room 203 from 1.00 to 2.00pm.  Participants are asked to register by e-mail to smarts@smu.ca and to include Student Name, ID (A number) and the intended attendance date.

35th Annual Commerce Dinner

Every year the Business Dinner hosts a prestigious guest speaker that brings a wealth of knowledge and insight to this event. We are pleased to announce the guest speaker for this year will be Mr. Michael Durland, of Scotia Capital. Mr. Durland serves as Group Head, Global Capital Markets and Co-CEO of Scotia Capital.  In addition, our Honoured Guest will be Mr. Malcolm Butterfield, Managing Director of KPMG Advisory Limited, Bermuda.  The dinner will be held on Wednesday, March 18, reception at 5.30pm and dinner at 6.30pm in the Nova Scotia Ballroom at the Halifax Marriott Harbourfront Hotel.  Individual Tickets: $ 100 Table: $ 700

Coffee's On at the Gallery

On March 19 from 10:00am to 11:00am the Art Gallery will be hosting another "Coffee's On".  Please join us for free coffee and cookies and take in the two new solo exhibitions that are currently on display.  Matt Wedel is in the Main Gallery featuring his ambitious ceramic works and Mary-Anne Wensley's exhibition entitled  "inescapable shelter" is in the Side Gallery.

Student Employment Experience Program (SEEP)

The Student Employment Experience Program (SEEP) will be offered again this summer.  SEEP is a Student Bursary Program, established in 1994, designed to provide student employment opportunities with an emphasis on meaningful work experience. The opportunity to apply for funding is available to Faculty & Administrative departments. Successful undergraduate applicants will receive up to a maximum of $3,885 per job based on $9.25 per hour, which includes 4% vacation pay.  Successful graduate applicants will receive up to a maximum of $4,536 per job based on $10.80 per hour, which includes 4% vacation pay.  Job proposals must be submitted online through SMUport no later than 5.00pm, March 20, 2009. Applications must include a job description indicating the skills required. For more information, please contact Marla Douglas, in the Financial Aid & Awards Office at Ext. 8726 or e-mail: marla.douglas@smu.ca 

World Water Day

The Citizen Science project presents a public video screening of the documentary “Blue Gold: World Water Wars” on March 23, in the Burke Building Theatre A from 7.00pm to 10.00pm.  This event is made possible by the financial support of the Canadian International Development Agency and Saint Mary’s University.  For more details about the film, please visit www.bluegold-worldwaterwars.com/  and for more details about the Citizen Science project, please visit www.smu.ca/administration/international/pe.html

Second Semester Instructor Course Evaluations March 23-27

Second Semester Instructor Course Evaluations will be administered from Loyola Team Work Room 280A, from 8.00am to 8.00pm, Monday, March 23 through Friday, March 27 inclusive.  During the scheduled evaluation week, while instructors may pick up the course evaluation envelope in Loyola Team Workroom 280A, a member of his/her class must return it.  

Please note:

1) Courses with fewer than 5 registered students will not be evaluated except by direct request of the instructor.  

2) Instructors requiring scheduling outside of the scheduled evaluation week, on a Saturday, or evaluation of courses with fewer than 5 students, must contact the Senate Office (420.5412) immediately to schedule. 

Tern it Up 2009 – Open Mic and Silent Auction

This fundraising event will take place on Saturday, March 28 from 7.00pm to 11.00pm at the Gorsebrook Lounge. Funds raised will go toward the Gareth Akerman Memorial Scholarship, which is open to full-time students majoring in Biology or Environmental Studies at Saint Mary’s.  Participants in open mic will be entered to win a free recording session. There is a suggested $5 donation at the door.  For more information about Gareth Akerman, the Scholarship or the event visit www.ternitup.com.

Inventory & Distribution Closure

Please note that Inventory & Distribution (I&D) will be closed for the physical inventory count on Friday, March 28 and Monday, March 31.  Departments are encouraged to ensure that supplies are ordered prior to these dates.  Also please note that I&D staff will continue to receive incoming shipments during this time and will date receiving documents accordingly for the purposes of year end activity. They may not, however, be able to forward the goods to the end user until after the count is complete. We appreciate your patience at this time.

Trivia Night #2

It was a great event in January so let’s do it again!  The Alumni Office invites all faculty and staff to test your knowledge and have some fun with Trivia Night #2 on Thursday, April 9 at the Gorsebrook Lounge from 5:30pm to 7.00 pm. Please register your team of four by April 6 to kathy.macfarlane@smu.ca or 496.8276.  The defending champions Hot Toddies, will be there so put your team together now and get set for the challenge!

Galileo Lecture “Worlds Beyond: The Diversity of Extra-Solar Planets”

One of the world’s foremost experts on the birth of stars and planets  will be at Saint Mary’s University on Friday, April 3 at the McNally Theatre Auditorium at 7.30pm to present a Galileo lecture called, "Worlds Beyond: The Diversity of Extra-Solar Planets."  Dr. Ray Jayawardhana is a renowned author, researcher, astronomer and authority on the search for new planets, including the search for a true Earth twin.

Following the lecture, telescopes will be set-up for public use outside the McNally Building for a “sidewalk astronomy” session – weather permitting.  One lucky attendee will go home with brand new Celestron PowerSeeker telescope, valued at over $200. There will also be a guided tour of the Burke-Gaffney Observatory (limited numbers) and everyone attending the lecture will receive a free prize draw ticket.  Admission is free. 

This Galileo Lecture is part of Halifax’s contribution to 100 Hours of Astronomy – a worldwide celebration of astronomy from April 2 to 5.  This event is sponsored by Saint Mary’s University, the Canadian Astronomical Society/ Société Canadienne d'Astronomie (CASCA) and the Halifax Centre of the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada, the lecture is the first of two featured Galileo lectures that will be held at Saint Mary’s during the International Year of Astronomy. 

Art Gallery Exhibitions – Matt Wedel and Mary-Anne Wensley

The Saint Mary’s University Art Gallery has two fantastic new solo exhibitions from March 7 through to April 11. Sculptural forms both massive and ethereal inhabit Saint Mary’s University Art Gallery as spring approaches.  Mary-Anne Wensley’s exhibition entitled ‘inescapable shelter’ explores the delicate and translucent material of pig intestine.  In this exhibition, located in the Side Gallery, she has constructed a “safe house” large enough for the viewer to enter made from this material.  Her 3-minute animation, The Day of the Uteri, will also be on display near the Main Gallery entrance.  In his self-titled exhibition in the Main Gallery, Matt Wedel presents monumentally sized sculptural ceramics, some as large as eight feet in height.  These works and the drawings that accompany them have been inspired by the artist’s home landscape of southern California. 

Mary-Anne Wensley will present a public talk on Thursday, April 2 at 8.00pm and Matt Wedel will present a public talk on Friday, April 3 at 8:00pm. These dates will also constitute the official launch of each exhibition catalogue.

Volunteer with Habitat for Humanity

Habitat for Humanity has been in HRM for the last 13 years.  The main purpose of the organization is to provide affordable housing to less fortunate families.  The organization is solely based on volunteerism and corporate donations.  There are many venues of participation. Should you be interested in finding out how you could help, please contact Clement Rodrigue, Facilities Management on 429.5569.

For Rent

5 bedroom house on Herring Cove Road for $1,050 dollars per month, includes washer and dryer, full kitchen, 2 newly renovated bathrooms and plenty or parking.  Available starting May 2009. Please contact Ann at 222.2265 for more information.