Is science good for its own sake?

By Eric Mathison

Learning about the universe is not cheap. The Large Hadron Collider, for instance, has a budget of $9 billion US. This coming February, a $1.5 billion US device called the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer will be sent to the International Space Station with hopes of showing that dark matter, which remains theoretical, exists. Neither project has… Continue reading Is science good for its own sake?

Arts reps hope for new faculty lounge

By Brent Constantin

The new amalgamated faculty of arts at the University of Calgary was established months ago, but to several students the change was in name only. Students’ Union representatives from the faculty are trying to change that by proposing a new lounge dedicated to arts student use. “I personally believe having a common lounge space really… Continue reading Arts reps hope for new faculty lounge

City rolls out new rubber walkways in pilot project

By Brent Constantin

The City of Calgary is testing a new alternative to concrete and asphalt sidewalks made from recycled tires in an effort to become more sustainable. This fall, 300,000 square feet of rubber sidewalk was installed at three locations, a bus pad at 85 Ave. and 24 St. SE, a sidewalk in Kensington’s commercial area and… Continue reading City rolls out new rubber walkways in pilot project

Clickers in the classroom can help

By Amy Badry

Students’ Union art faculty representative Bhuvana Sankaranarayanan is hoping to engage more students in the classroom by incorporating clickers — an e-learning tool — into their curriculum. “A lot of students within the faculty of arts are in large, 150-plus person classes, especially within their first and second years,” said Sankaranarayanan. “These classes are often… Continue reading Clickers in the classroom can help

Environmental design open house

By Colin Minor

The Faculty of Environmental Design hosted an open house on Nov. 16 to show undergraduates the interdisciplinary graduate programs offered. “One of the things that really distinguishes this place from a lot of schools is the diversity of design that occurs under one roof,” said associate dean of environmental design Michael Quinn. “We have one… Continue reading Environmental design open house

City of Calgary releases citizen satisfaction survey

By Susan Anderson

Ninety-four per cent of Calgarians feel that the overall quality of services provided by the City of Calgary is “good,” up from 91 per cent in 2009. Other results from the recently released 2010 Calgary fall citizen satisfaction survey are just as promising. Eighty-nine per cent of Calgarians gave the City of Calgary a “good”… Continue reading City of Calgary releases citizen satisfaction survey

It gets better, Calgary

By Colin Minor

The University of Calgary is launching its own It Gets Better project over the next two weeks. The international project, started by journalist Dan Savage, is in response to a string of recent suicides by gay youth. Students, alumni, faculty and staff of all genders and sexual identities are encouraged to videotape short messages of… Continue reading It gets better, Calgary

Banned Brit comes to U of C

By Jeffrey Spooner

Former British MP and controversial political activist George Galloway will be speaking at the University of Calgary on Nov. 23 for his “Free Palestine, Free Afghanistan, Free Speech” tour. In March 2009, Galloway and the Viva Palestina aid convoy delivered approximately $2 million worth of humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip following the 2008-2009 Israel-Gaza… Continue reading Banned Brit comes to U of C

Research briefs

By Amanda Hu

Middle-aged women running for change While running can be physically transformative, a researcher at the University of Calgary is examining the activity’s effect as an emotional and life-changing force. Faculty of education graduate student Patricia Knutson is interviewing middle-age women to record their experiences training for a marathon and the effect it’s had on their… Continue reading Research briefs