Dec. 12, 2007

Girl dead after clashing with her family over traditional religious values

Dr. Tamara Seiler, professor of Canadian Studies can talk about the difficulties of new Canadians and first generation Canadians balancing two cultures.
(403) 220-5320
tseiler@ucalgary.ca

Helping Santa navigate

He’s been doing it for years without one—but how could GPS make Santa’s December 24 run better, faster and more accurate? By using GPS technology Santa can navigate worldwide in all weather conditions. GPS units integrated with digital maps will help him choose the most efficient delivery route. With the latest smart systems he can even find the nearest supplier of milk and cookies.Susan Skone is an expert in the field of geomatics and has some ideas that could help out St. Nick.

Susan Skone
Schulich School of Engineering
(403) 220-7589
sskone@geomatics.ucalgary.ca

Rothney Observatory on the hunt for Santa

The U of C’s Baker Nunn telescope in the Rothney Astrophysical Observatory, searches the sky near the northern celestial pole hunting for asteroids every clear night of the year. An unusual object was noticed last year on one of the images taken on December 24. It was a faint object similar to an asteroid flying through space. Under high magnification there could be what appeared to be two things moving in unison—perhaps reindeer pulling a large sleigh, but the observation was inconclusive.

U of C’s crack team of astronomers will be watching the skies again on December 24 to see if the object appears again—and the Baker Nunn telescope is the best technology for this mission. Visit www.ucalgary.ca/rao for updates.
Jennifer Howse
Education programs manager, Rothney Astrophysical Observatory
(403) 931-2366
jhowse@phas.ucalgary.ca

Giving the gift of navigation

It’s expected to be a hot item this Christmas—a GPS unit for your favorite directionally challenged loved one.  So how do they work—and what can you expect from these techno marvels? Susan Skone is an expert in the field of geomatics and can talk about which GPS units are the best.

Susan Skone
Schulich School of Engineering
220-7589
sskone@geomatics.ucalgary.ca

Compare your swing to Mike Weir’s

Imagine playing around with Mike Weir or Justin Rose. In the U of C Faculty of Kinesiology’s TaylorMade Golf Swing Lab, we will hook sensors to you and a club and with high-speed cameras and record every nuance of your stroke 180 times per second. We will take that information and overlay it with any number of pro-golfers to show you exactly how your swings are different. Sessions are $150 for an hour session. Call Geoff Smith to book now or to purchase a gift certificate for the golf lover in your life.

For more information, call Geoff Smith (403) 220-4899.

Pain free running or walking

Reed Ferber’s running injury clinic has a simple goal: keep people active and help them stay fit. His running injury clinic doesn’t treat the symptoms, it finds the reasons why your shins or knees hurt—then teaches you how to stop the pain for good. Ferber’s clinic boasts that 92 percent of his patients are pain free and back on the jogging paths within four to six weeks.

For more information, call Jill Gibbons at (403) 220-5193.

Kindle a passion for the great outdoors

Let’s face it—Calgary winters can sometimes stretch on for eight months or more. If you spend that time inside on the couch it won’t be long before you’re as wide as you are tall. If you think someone in your life could use a nudge out the door, why not give them a unique gift this season? How about an introduction to snowshoeing or cross country skiing? How about a backcountry ski-trip or perhaps an avalanche safety course that could save their life? The University of Calgary Outdoor Centre serves everybody and has the largest selection of rental gear and outdoor activity courses in Calgary.

For more information, call Marni Hutchinson at (403) 220-2445.

Help someone you love change their life for good

Being overweight can lead to heart disease and other life-changing chronic conditions like Type II Diabetes. More importantly it can cheat you from enjoying everything that life has to offer. Our Trymgym program is a sensible and lasting approach to weight-loss. We’ve helped thousands of Calgarians lose weight over the last 30 years. Many have tried to copy Trymgym however no one can match our expertise in nutrition and exercise physiology. If you love someone who needs to lose weight Trymgym could be the most important gift you’ll ever give.

For more information, call (403) 220-4374 or visit www.ucalgary.ca/trymgym.
 

Get the best possible results from your surgery

The best things you can do if you have knee or hip replacement surgery planned is to work out and get those muscles in the best possible shape. To get good results from your surgery you need to be strong and give yourself the best chance for recovery. If you know someone who will be having this kind of surgery our Joint Effort Fitness Program may the perfect gift.

For more information, call (403) 220-8814.

---

Dec. 3, 2007

City council will discuss whether they should change from being called "aldermen" to "councillors"

Dawn Johnston
Faculty of Communication and Culture
Does gendered language carry the same connotations it used to? Johnston can comment on the meaning and impact of gendered language.
403-220-3199
debjohns@ucalgary.ca

Lisa Young
Department of Political Science
Young’s research interests includes women's participation in politics
Lisa.Young@ucalgary.ca

On Tuesday, Dec. 4 Statistics Canada will release detailed analyses of data from the 2006 Census on immigration and citizenship, as well as on the linguistic composition of Canada

Yvonne Hébert
Teacher preparation, Faculty of Education
(Research interests: youth, identity, culture, democracy, languages, diversity, values and minorities in educational contexts.)
Available 1-3 p.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 4 – Phone TODAY to arrange an interview.
403-521-6160 (office)
403-710-0949 (cell)
yhebert@ucalgary.ca
Speaks French

UN climate change conference in Bali – December 3-14, 2007 
Canada is being criticized for lack of a plan

Michal Moore
Institute for Sustainable Energy, Environment and Economy
403-220-4386
mcmoore@ucalgary.ca

Bob Page
Institute for Sustainable Energy, Environment and Economy
403-210-9614
rjdpage@ucalgary.ca 

People who eat foods that are fried, roasted or grilled are at a greater risk of developing cancer, according to a newly released Dutch study

Cynthia  Mannion
Faculty of Nursing
403-210-3848
cmannion@ucalgary.ca