October 18, 2004

Researchers in McMaster's Department of Physics & Astronomy are peering into the distant galactic past by studying the first stars to illuminate the dark universe. Their findings are leading to answers to the question of how galaxies, stars, and planets first formed.

October 18, 2004

It's amazing how a few national and provincial records change the perception of a game. In the McMaster Marauders' 32-13 victory over the Queen's Golden Gaels, McMaster lost fumbles, threw interceptions, and took many unnecessary penalties. But Jesse Lumsden moved those mistakes to the background and took the spotlight.

October 18, 2004

The Joint Job Evaluation Steering Committee (JJESC), established by McMaster University and the McMaster University Staff Association (MUSA), has established a new JCQ Helpline at extension 26465. The helpline will operate from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. Monday through Friday from Oct. 18 to Nov. 12.

October 15, 2004

AIESEC McMaster has won two awards at this year's Ontario Regional Conference, held at Guelph University. They were represented by a 13-member delegation, who actively participated in various sessions and developed a variety of personal and professional skills.

October 15, 2004

This Saturday, the McMaster Marauders will face the Queen's Golden Gaels in what could be the final game played at Les Prince Field. The 2 p.m. game, which will be broadcast nationally on The Score, is receiving extra publicity because of McMaster running back Jesse Lumsden's rush to the record books.

October 15, 2004

McMaster medical students who want to pursue family medicine as their speciality were given a strong incentive to do so by ALTANA Pharma, which launched a $125,000 scholarship fund. "This is excellent news," says McMaster medical student Alicia Gallaccio, who hopes to enter family medicine next year. "This will provide so many opportunities for students who are interested in family medicine." The ALTANA Pharma Family Medicine Scholarship will give select medical students at McMaster and Ontario's four other medical schools $5,000 a year if they pursue family medicine as their speciality.

October 14, 2004

A place for residence student leaders to find supplies and inspiration opened in Moulton Hall yesterday. A new Programming Resource Office (PRO), an initiative of the 2003-04 Residence Life Management Team, has been created for student leaders to have increased resources and support in their programming initiatives within residence.

October 14, 2004

In two studies at McMaster University's Department of Kinesiology, researchers demonstrated that doing isometric handgrip (IHG) contractions three times a week for eight weeks led to lower blood pressure in people who were already taking medication for high blood pressure (hypertension).

October 13, 2004

McMaster University's solar car project has been recognized for technological innovation and excellence by the Yves Landry Foundation. The Foundation, founded in 1998, works to advance technological education and skills training in order to resolve the skilled labour shortages facing Canadian industries.

October 13, 2004

Canadian universities got their own report card today. The annual survey by the Globe and Mail changed its approach this year using a rating method rather than a rankings approach. McMaster scored an A in Education, and A- in Student Services, and a B+ in career preparation. "They're great results and show once again that McMaster should take a lot pride in the quality educational experience we deliver to students both inside and outside of the classroom," says president Peter George.

October 13, 2004

Sixteen McMaster students have received National In-Course Excellence Awards from the Canada Millennium Scholarship Foundation. The awards recognize and foster active citizenship, creative leadership and academic excellence in upper-year post-secondary students.

October 12, 2004

First-year students hoping to "ace" year one of university can stop by the McMaster University Student Centre Marketplace today to learn about the services that can help get them there. A new First Year Ignition Success Fair, hosted by the Centre for Student Development, First Year Experience Office, and Career Services, is showcasing McMaster's resources and services that can help students achieve academic success.

October 12, 2004

Family and friends of Bruce E. Clarke gathered Friday in front of Divinity Hall to remember and pay tribute to one of McMaster's long-serving employees. There they unveiled a plaque and a tree planted in his remembrance. Clarke, 73, passed away in March of this year.

October 12, 2004

The McMaster Marauders defeated the York Lions 35-6 Saturday. The game, which took place at York Stadium, was a battle of the nation's top two running backs -- the Marauder's Jesse Lumsden and York's Andre Durie. Lumsden held Durie to 43 yards on 11 carries as Lumsden ran wild, going for 213 yards on 23 carries, and two touchdowns.

October 12, 2004

An additional orientation session about the new job evaluation system for positions in the MUSA bargaining unit has been added. The session will take place Tuesday, Oct. 26 from 3:30 to 5 p.m. in Health Sciences Centre, Rm. 1A1.

October 12, 2004

Golfing on a Monday afternoon, spending the summer in the garden or traveling the world are retirement dreams that may soon be a little easier for McMaster employees with the launch of a new financial and pre-retirement planning program. A new initiative, offered by Toronto-based Financial Knowledge Inc., provides employees with customized textbooks, workshop books and a Web-based resource on planning for retirement. Developed in partnership between Working at McMaster and Retirement Support Services, it will soon be available to all McMaster employees.

October 8, 2004

Every day, engineers develop and discover innovative new technologies. But how do those technologies get from the university laboratory to the mainstream market? The McMaster University School for Engineering Practice, the first of its kind in Canada, will ensure that future engineers will have the necessary mix of skills to recognize and develop new technologies and to take those new technologies to market in a safe, efficient, and environmentally sound manner.

October 8, 2004

The Marauders will travel to Toronto tomorrow (Saturday, Oct. 9) to face off against the York Lions. The 2 p.m. game will be a showdown of the top two rushing teams in the country and their two focal points, McMaster's Jesse Lumsden and York's Andre Durie.

October 8, 2004

At least $300 million in matched funding from the Ontario government will support the Canada Foundation for Innovation for research and development, announced Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty this week. "This announcement is a great relief to Ontario's university-based research community," said McMaster University President Peter George. "It will help us to build the research capacity necessary to conduct research at the frontiers of knowledge."

October 8, 2004

Three years worth of writing, recording, blog-sphere guerilla promotion culminated, and the eventual foray into the world of live music culminated Wednesday, Sept. 10 with the North American release of Last Exit, an album by The Junior Boys, a duo comprised of McMaster alumni Jeremy Greenspan and Matthew Didemus. The album, released in North America on Domino Records, had a highly successful European release through Kin Records, the one-man army label that launched both the Junior Boys career and its own through their thoroughly unique sound (Visit www.electrokin.com for the full story on the rise of the Junior Boys).