Daily News

April 1, 2003

To comply with the measures ordered by The Ministry of Health, that all Ontario hospitals take precautions against SARS (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome) and restrict access to visitors, the April 2 McMaster Mini-Med School seminar has been cancelled. The student organizers of McMaster Mini-Med School are monitoring the situation, and discussing their options. The Mini-Med School Web page at http://www.fhs.mcmaster.ca/macminimed/ will be updated daily as new information is received. Conference Services (905-525-9140 ext. 22671) can also provide updated information.

March 31, 2003

Internationally acclaimed writer and cognitive science researcher Douglas Hofstadter will probe why patterns provide pleasure during a public lecture Thursday. Hosted by McMaster's Department of Philosophy, the lecture, "Patterns as Pleasure-Providers" will include a panorama of pleasure patterns, such as poetry, photography and physics. It will take place Thursday, April 3 from 8 to 10 p.m. in Burke Science Building, Rm. 147. Hofstadter is College of Arts and Sciences professor of cognitive science at Indiana University, where he also directs the Center for Research on Concepts and Cognition. Born in New York City in 1945, he grew up largely in California. In addition to his native English, he speaks French and Italian fluently and several other languages at varying fractional levels. For more information about Hofstadter and his lecture visit http://www.humanities.mcmaster.ca/~philos/Events.htm

March 31, 2003

The 79th Annual McMaster Athletic Awards Banquet recognized the achievements of Marauder student-athletes in the 2002-2003 academic year. Awards were handed out in a variety of areas. The recipients are: Carla Cupido received the Les Prince Award. The member of the cross country and track program was involved in the Athletes Helping Athletes program and was president of the revamped outreach program for the past two years. During her past four years at McMaster, she has helped develop the Youth Leadership Symposium. This Les Prince Award is presented annually to a student athlete who has demonstrated leadership and outstanding community service through partnership in the Athletes Helping Athletes program. The award is in memory of the late Les Prince who was a founding board member of the AHA program. Bridget Sheahan was presented the Bruce Cochrane Award. Sheahan finished ninth at the OUA championships in the 60m hurdles and last year competed in the women's 4x400m relay team that placed twelfth at the CIS championships. She finished sixth at this year's OUA championship by establishing a new school record of 9.15 seconds in the 60m hurdles. The co-president of the McMaster Athletic Council has sat on a number of forums. The award recognizes Bruce Cochrane, who retired in 1995 after 25 years of unwavering dedication and service to athletics programs. Kipp Kaufmann received the Ray Johnson Award. Kaufmann won the 2003 OUA gold medal as part of the men's 4x200 freestyle relay. He was McMaster swimmer of the year in 2001, and has been a CIS finalist four times and athlete of the week in 2001. For the past three years he was captain of the men's swimming team and is co-president of McMaster's Athletic Council. Last year he was the swim team's outreach co-ordinator. The Ray Johnson Award honours the man who had a distinguished career as an athlete administrator, coach and faculty member until his retirement in 1993. Katie Coulson received the Edna Guest Award. Coulson, a member of the women's basketball team for the past four years, was captain of the team twice, she won the OUA Defensive Player of the Year Award twice and has been an OUA All-Star. The honours' student is Outreach Program co-ordinator of the athletic council. The Edna Guest Award was first presented in 1931 to recognize health through sport. Recipients are chosen for their athletic ability, are graduating and have participated in sport each year while at McMaster. Kyle Pyear was presented the Ivor Wynne Award. Pyear, who has been with the McMaster football team for the past four years, was the leading rusher in the country in 2002. He was honoured as a first-team OUA All-Star and a CIS All-Canadian, and this year was selected as homecoming MVP. The award recognizes Ivor Wynne, who served as director of physical education, dean of men and dean of students at McMaster from 1948-65. Established by the Alumni Club of Hamilton in 1971-72 and presented by the McMaster Lettermen's Association, the award is presented to an outstanding male intercollegiate athlete. Pam Wilson was chosen Female Athlete of the Year. The wrestler won gold at both the OUA and CIS championships this year, and adds these medals to an impressive resume that spans 15 years. The Female Athlete of the Year award recognizes the athlete who has distinguished herself to the highest level of performance while representing McMaster in intercollegiate competition. The women's and men's cross country teams were presented the Joyce Wignall Award. The cross country teams made an outstanding effort to connect McMaster teams and build a strong link to the community through the Big Brothers' organization. The team organized the golf, women's fast pitch and women's field hockey teams to take on the large task of redecorating the new Big Brothers' and Big Sisters' games area. Each team member devoted a minimum of four hours to strip, prime and paint the room, along with countless hours to co-ordinate this project. The teams made multiple visits throughout this week-long project to ensure the job was well done. Presented for the first time this year, the award recognizes Joyce Wignall, who during her 38-year tenure at McMaster embodied the values of the McMaster Athletic Council Outreach Program of teamwork, friendship, loyalty and community involvement. For more details about the award winners, and to view the list of MVP award winners for the various varsity sports, visit http://www-athrec.mcmaster.ca/whatsnew/releases/2003_awards_dinner.htm Also see Mac celebrates big year in the March 28 issue of the Hamilton Spectator.

March 31, 2003

The Ontario Ministry of Health has now extended restrictions on hospitals within the GTA to all Ontario hospitals in order to contain Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS). Hospitals are now closed to students, and since the Faculty of Health Sciences building shares space with Hamilton Health Science's McMaster hospital, this restriction means that effective March 31, 2003, and until further notice, students, including non-health sciences students, are not allowed in the building. The exception is resident trainees (postgraduate M.D. students). Faculty of Health Sciences classes are cancelled until further notice. Non-Faculty of Health Sciences courses that are normally taught in the Ewart Angus Centre will be relocated. See http://registrar.mcmaster.ca/internal/ for classroom relocation. Faculty and staff are allowed in the Health Sciences building and are expected to report to work as usual. Health officials are emphasizing that to date there have been no cases of SARS documented in Hamilton Hospitals. Nonetheless, for safety's sake, the Government has implemented the following conditions for all hospitals in the province, including the McMaster Health Sciences Centre: 1. Access to each hospital site will be restricted. At the McMaster Health Sciences Centre, entry for patients is through the main, front entrance or the emergency room entrance. Faculty and staff will only be allowed to enter through the parking garage using the red elevators. Staff must present identification and be screened for their health condition, for each entry to the building. Click here for entrance restrictions on other Hamilton hospitals. 2. Staff and faculty will only be allowed to enter after showing Security appropriate employee identification and verification that the individual is not experiencing any of the symptoms of SARS including: i. Headache, malaise, myalgia ii. Fever (>38 degrees Celsius) iii. One or more respiratory symptoms, including cough, shortness of breath, difficulty breathing iv. One or more of the following: 1.Close contact with a probable case 2. Recent history of travel (within 10 days to Asia, especially in areas reporting cases of SARS) The Ontario TeleHealth service is available 24/7 and will provide you with the assistance of a nurse to help confirm if you are concerned that any symptoms a person has are related to SARS. For the McMaster community, the Campus Health Centre may also be called for assistance Monday to Friday at ext. 27700. It is possible that these restrictions may be modified in the near future. People are encouraged to check this Web site for updates. Specific directives on classes and clinical placements will be sent to students and members of the Faculty of Health Sciences by email by each program's administration.

March 31, 2003

For most of us, reading the newspaper, and listening or watching the news is a part of our daily lives. In the past few months the mounting tensions over the situation in Iraq have dominated the headlines. They have created debate, sparked protests and raised concerns around the world. The military action that has now begun, and fear for its horrible impacts weighs heavily upon us. At McMaster it is important that we take this growing international crisis as an opportunity to discuss the issues thoughtfully and constructively, to extend the hand of friendship to people from around the world, and to celebrate diversity and the cultural understanding and strength that it can bring to campus and the broader community. It is especially important to be sensitive to the distress and pain of those among us who may have relatives and friends in Iraq or the United States, as well as other countries likely to be caught up in the war. This approach may not always be easy. Some recent public meetings addressing Middle Eastern political issues, held at the University, included some controversial speakers. Every campus visit or event is expected to be conducted in an orderly fashion that respects the rights of all members of the community. Emotions can become heightened and it takes a conscious effort to maintain an open mind and open attitudes on such complex issues. At McMaster, we have a strong tradition of embracing our differences. Students, faculty and staff of every nationality, religion and ethnic group show tremendous respect for one another. This show of unity and willingness to accept and understand differences is the best defence against intolerance and misunderstanding. If anyone is concerned about anything they experience, see or hear on campus, or feel they need help dealing with any stress the international situation may cause, I encourage you to contact the appropriate support office which could include SHADO, the Centre for Student Development, Chaplaincy Centre, the Ombuds, McMaster Security, the associate vice-president student affairs, associate vice-president academic, Human Resource Services, and the Employee Assistance Plan for staff and faculty. We will work assiduously to strengthen the climate of inclusivity that both ensures freedom of thought and expression and enables every individual to feel secure and respected. Over the next few weeks we will likely all hear stories of great loss and despair. I encourage everyone to learn as much as they can about the issues, to come together at vigils and other events, and to focus on the need for peace, understanding, tolerance and hope. Peter George

March 29, 2003

Tuesday, May 6, 2003 9 - 10:30 a.m.: Ergonomics Location: Downtown Centre Room 241 Bill Urie, ESAO (Education Safety Association of Ontario) discusses how to set up your computer workstation and also to perform lifting tasks properly. Call Janet at ext. 24352 to register. 9:15 - 10:30 a.m.: Get a handle on how to use a fire extinguisher. Location: Zone 7 Parking Lot Rob Edge, fire service technician, Physical Plant. Come on out to the Zone 7 Parking Lot. Includes hands-on training. 10 a.m - 2 p.m.: Safety Vendor Displays Location: Student Centre Safety supplies, personal protective equipment and the newest trends in ergonomic office equipment. Everyone is welcome. 11:30 a.m. - 1:30 p.m.: Barbecue lunch $3 Location: Outside Student Centre Meet the Risk Management Services team and enjoy a hot dog or burger (meat or veggie) with a beverage. Appreciation lunch for safety committee members - your lunch is free when you present your ticket. Safety Quiz - Assess your safety knowledge. A chance to win one of many prizes that have been donated by our vendors, Hospitality Services and the Bookstore. The quiz will also be available at the Risk Management Services booth. Please return your completed quiz to RMS, Gilmour Hall, B111 by 4 p.m. on Thursday, May 8. Draw will be held on Friday, May 9. 2 - 4 p.m.: Accident Investigation Location: Student Centre, Room 224 Ron Angus, manager of Risk Management Services, will discuss the steps used to investigate an accident. Wednesday May 7, 2003 10 - 11:30 a.m.: Safety Display Location: Downtown Centre Main Lobby Risk Management Services staff will be on hand to answer your questions. Visit our display and pick up your safety quiz for prizes donated from our safety vendors. Thursday, May 8, 2003 8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.: Violence in the Workplace Seminar Location: Skylight Room, Commons Building Kevin Beatty from Residence Life will be presenting Non-Violent Crisis Intervention Program from the Crisis Prevention Institute. Call Janet at ext. 24352 to register (enrolment limited) These sessions are intended to raise safety awareness to keep the campus safe for everyone. For additional information, contact Janet Marsh at ext. 24352.

March 28, 2003

A student referendum on contributing $20-million for a $30-million multi-sport and wellness complex has the support of McMaster's Board of Governors. Students will vote April 1 and 2 on supporting a building fee in which students will provide $20 million in capital and 50 per cent of annual operating and lifecycle costs. If the vote is succesful, full-time undergraduate students will pay an additional $60 to $100 per year. If the referendum is not passed, other financing alternatives will be considered, said President Peter George, or a second student referendum could take place next fall. George considers the construction of a new athletic facility a top priority. "We built the Ivor Wynne Centre (IWC) 30 years ago so we're well behind the times ... this is a high priority as far as I'm concerned," he said. "The University will benefit from this remarkably." Major overcrowding of the IWC, also used for writing exams, recruiting fairs, conferences, concerts and trade shows, is a safety issue, George says, adding McMaster is one of few Ontario universities that has not expanded its athletic and recreation facilities.

March 28, 2003

Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) continues to affect people throughout the Greater Toronto Area. There are no confirmed cases at McMaster or in the Hamilton community, but the outbreak continues to be considered a public health emergency. Several GTA hospitals have closed their doors to public access in an effort to contain the SARS outbreak. The following information is provided as a precaution and to assist anyone who has reason to think they have symptoms related to the illness. If you have the following symptoms, please call TeleHealth at 1-866-797-0000 immediately: a fever over 38 degrees (C) respiratory difficulties including cough, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing if you've had close contact with anyone diagnosed with SARS or considered as a probable case (close contact' means having cared for, lived with or had face-to-face  within one metre  contact with, or having had direct contact with respiratory secretions and/or body fluids of a person with SARS) if, within the last 10 days, you have travelled to or from Asia where cases of SARS have been diagnosed, - specifically Hong Kong (Guangdong province), Singapore, Hanoi or Vietnam if there is no other known cause for symptoms you may have if you have visited Scarborough Hospital Grace Division, or been in direct contact with anyone who was, since March 16, 2003. The TeleHealth service is available 24/7 and will provide you with the assistance of a nurse to help confirm if your symptoms are related to SARS. For the McMaster community, the Campus Health Centre may also be called for assistance Monday to Friday at ext. 27700. McMaster staff will remain in regular contact about the local status of SARS with Hamilton Health Sciences, the Campus Health Centre and Hamilton's Public Health office.

March 28, 2003

The needs of double cohort students looking to enter university in Ontario this fall will be met by provincial support announced in the March 27 . . .

March 28, 2003

The Department of Political Science is hosting a roundtable discussion today (Friday) entitled "The Anglo-American War on Iraq". The discussion takes place in Chester New Hall, Room 104 from 2:30 to 4:30 p.m. The panel includes political science professors Robert O'Brien, as chair; George Breckenridge, on 'The US and British Position'; Henry Jacek on 'The Canadian Position'; Marshall Beier on 'Weapons of Mass Destruction?'; and William Coleman on 'Global Governance Implications'.

March 26, 2003

Life's been fun and games for Chris Benoit since winning the $25,000 CampusIncubator award. The third-year McMaster software engineering student, with Peter Hitchcock, third-year McMaster arts and science student, and Mark Mikulec, a computer science student from Brock University, are recipients of the 2003 CampusIncubator Business Plan Challenge for Iron Fusion, an entertainment software development company. "We supply the core software component of a computer game, which makes it possible for others to use this technology to make their own games," Benoit explains. "The whole idea about this invention is that we are making it easier for others to create games. People have great ideas they just don't know how to separate the content of the game from the code." The $25,000 prize is welcome support for the start-up company, Benoit says. "The money will really help us make a lot of progress. Within the next year or two we hope to have the engine complete and by the end of 2004 we hope to complete a game called Dog Fight, which is a tactical space combat game." The software also enables urban visualization, he says. "Instead of using blueprints or schematics, you can use this software to get a 3-D model in its own virtual world, including wind and traffic." "This is something we have all been interested in for a long time," says Benoit, who with Hitchcock and Mikulec leads a nine-member team. "We have learned a lot from what we have seen and feel we can make it even better. Games are still so new. They have really only been around for 20 years." But, he adds, it is a growing industry, noting in 2003, it made about $7.7 billion in U.S. sales. "It rivals the music and movie industries. It's an exciting time to be in it because there are so many exciting things happening."

March 24, 2003

McMaster University ombudsperson Shelley Lancaster wants a more uniform approach to accommodating students with chronic mental health problems and other long-term conditions. The number of students with mental health concerns is increasing, Lancaster says. The issue is how to balance McMaster's obligation to accommodate them with the need to protect the academic integrity of its courses. Lancaster touched on the topic in her annual report, which covers the 12 months ending July 31, 2002. It went to Senate this month. The Ombuds Office, which assists students, staff and faculty, dealt with 325 cases last year, including 167 academic cases, a 36 per cent jump from the previous year. Lancaster said the increase may simply mean her office is becoming better known. Some of the most difficult cases involved students with mental health issues who were trying to remove failing grades from their transcripts. The episodic and unpredictable nature of some of these illnesses makes these problems very complex, Lancaster said. She noticed variations in how they are addressed from faculty to faculty, and says the university community could benefit from more education around mental health issues. Academic issues raised most frequently overall included grade appeals (18 per cent), academic misconduct (14 per cent), examinations (8 per cent), and teaching quality (7 per cent). The most common complaint about teaching practice involves instructors who read their entire lectures from overheads. Students also complain about instructors who are perpetually late for class and who appear disorganized in presenting material. McMaster's policy on the public release of students' ratings of teaching effectiveness stipulated the policy should be reassessed in the fall of 1999. That review is now more than three years overdue, and Lancaster recommended a committee be struck to do it. Lancaster said much has been accomplished in the past year, including the appointment of an academic integrity officer and various policy improvements. (The Hamilton Spectator, March 21, 2003)

March 24, 2003

Fifty first- and second-year engineering students will gain experience working with professors and research staff in a research-oriented environment through the 2003 Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program (UROP). Students may participate in UROP by applying for positions that professors and research staff post through Engineering Career Services or by creating research proposals for specific professors and research staff. Students will contribute to research projects in a variety of ways. Some will assist a team of research engineers in the installation, testing and operation of new pieces of semiconductor fabrication and characterization equipment in the Centre for Electrophotonic Materials and Devices; some will work with graduate students to assist with investigation of the behaviour or non-aqueous phase liquids (i.e. oil) in the subsurface (i.e. groundwater) in the Environmental Engineering Laboratory; others will assist in experiments involving novel techniques for preparing nano-crystalline materials in Materials Engineering; and all students will develop the techniques, skills and procedures required to produce quality research. Last year, dean Mo Elbestawi launched UROP 2002 by saying, "The introduction of UROP demonstrates the Faculty of Engineering's commitment to enhancing its reputation as a student-centered research intensive institution." The fact that the number of available UROP positions has almost doubled this summer indicates the strength of this commitment.

March 24, 2003

If you look good, will you get ahead? American economist Daniel S. Hamermesh will talk about the relationship between physical appearance and labour market success in a public lecture titled The Economics of Beauty. Hamermesh, a 2003 Hooker Visiting Professor in Economics, will deliver the lecture on Thursday, March 27, at 3 p.m. in the Michael G. DeGroote School of Business building Room 505. Hamermesh is the Edward Everett Hale Centennial Professor of Economics at the University of Texas at Austin. He has taught at Princeton and Michigan State and has held visiting professorships at universities in the United States, Europe, Australia and Asia. His research, published in more than 70 papers in scholarly journals, has concentrated on labor demand, time use, social programs and unusual applications of labor economics to suicide, sleep and beauty. A recent research article is titled Dress for Success: Does Primping Pay? Hamermesh is a Fellow of the Econometric Society, a research associate of the National Bureau of Economic Research, program director at the Forschungsinstitut zur Zukunft der Arbeit (IZA), and past president of the Society of Labor Economists and of the Midwest Economics Association. His books include Labor Demand and The Economics of Work and Pay, a labour economics textbook. His latest book, published this year, is Economics Is Everywhere, a series of 400 vignettes designed to illustrate the ubiquity of economics in everyday life and how the simple tools in a microeconomics principles class can be used. Hamermesh is widely quoted in newspapers and magazines and has appeared on such television programs as Good Morning, America, and the McNeil-Lehrer Report. Go to http://www.eco.utexas.edu/faculty/Hamermesh/ for more information about Hamermesh. The lecture is co-sponsored by the McMaster Economics Society.

March 24, 2003

McMaster is joining forces with Precarn Inc., Forintek Canada, Tembec and Comact Optimisation to develop an Intelligent Mill Wide Control System for the lumber industry. The official announcement was made Feb. 20 during the Canadian Lumbermen's Association Annual Convention in Montreal. Over the next three years the partners will contribute $2.7 million to create the Smart Mill Assistant (SMA). This advanced process control system will allow lumber manufacturers to monitor and control all independent production steps in an integrated fashion. The Smart Mill Assistant Project is being led by Forintek, which is Canada's National Wood Products Research Institute, in close collaboration with key specialists and mill staff from Tembec, Comact Optimisation and McMaster University (Dr. J. MacGregor and Dr. T. Kourti, MACC, Dept. Chem. Eng.) Theodora Kourti is an adjunct associate professor in the Department of Chemical Engineering

March 24, 2003

In the past decade there has been a clear move toward the development of research partnerships and alliances. It is estimated that 148 community-university research partnerships exist in Canada, accounting for approximately $340 million in research funding. Despite the millions of dollars spent on such partnerships, the impact of these research alliances has rarely been measured. CanChild Centre for Childhood Disability Research, located in the School of Rehabilitation Science at McMaster University, is a health-system linked research unit, funded by the Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care since 1989. Researchers at CanChild and four other community-university research partnerships have joined together to develop a reliable means of measuring the impact of these partnerships that address social or health services issues. Three other research alliances involved in the study include, The Research Alliance for Children with Special Needs, in London, Ont., Enhancement of Youth Resiliency and Reduction of Harmful Behaviours Leading to Healthy Lifestyle Choices, in St. Catharines, and Partnerships in Capacity Building, Housing, Community Economic Development and Psychiatric Survivors, also in London. The fourth partnership project, Therapeutic Relationships from Hospital to Community, is based in London, Hamilton and Whitby. CanChild's co-directors, Mary Law and Peter Rosenbaum are investigators on the study headed by Gillian King, research director at both the Research Alliance for Children with Special Needs and Thames Valley Children's Centre in London.

March 21, 2003

McMaster's Alumni Association introduced students to life after graduation at its annual Alumni Launch this week. Offered to students in their final academic year, the event is an opportunity to find out about the services, benefits and programs offered to alumni. It also allows students to learn about McMaster Alumni Association branches around the world, events or seminars offered, or what leadership opportunities are available. Several groups and services from across campus were on hand to provide information and answer questions. Students who missed the event can drop by the Alumni office in Alumni Memorial Hall, Room 203 to pick up a graduation gift between 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday to Friday.

March 21, 2003

McMaster students have voted to accept the renewal of the Hamilton Street Railway (HSR) bus pass contract for another three years. Originally signed in 1997, the MSU/HSR Bus Pass agreement must be renewed every three years. The pass was last renewed through referendum in the spring of 2000. This year's referendum was run in conjunction with the SRA elections. Full-time undergraduate students currently pay $61 for an eight-month bus pass. The fee for next year will be $65, representing a $4 increase. This price is based on the HSR's cost for a regular adult monthly pass, meaning that McMaster students are offered a rate one-eighth the cost of non-students. Students voted 3,389 in favour of the bus pass renewal, 76 against, 19 students abstained, 46 students handed in spoiled ballots and two declined their vote. "It is clear by the overwhelming majority of students who chose to continue the bus pass program, that this is an excellent service for McMaster students," says Adam Spence, MSU vice-president education. "We hope that it will continue for many years to come." Student Representative Assembly elections took place at the same time. The Student Representative Assembly is the governing body of the McMaster Students Union with numbers of elected representatives from each academic area based on the size of the faculty or school. SRA election results are as follows: Arts & Science (one seat elected) Tom Aylward-Nally Commerce (four seats elected) Maria Joseph Erin O'Neill Tommy Piribauer Kris Somers Engineering (five seats acclaimed) Ali Hassanali Sidra Abid Joseph Diening Maisara Kobaisy Bhavik Patel Health Sciences (three seats acclaimed) Amanda Bateman Sean Park Hanieh Rahimi Humanities (four seats elected) Samantha Keddy Natalie Ott Erin Robinson Matthew Watts Kinesiology (two seats elected) Lindsay Campbell Kevin Nizi Science (six seats elected) Kerstin Erickson Brandy Grafton Jeff Hargot Lindsay Minard Tom Nault Jonathon Thon Social Science (six seats elected) Tyler Chalk Monica Gharabaway Umair Khan Shano Mohan Matt Sumner Aliyana Yusuf Social Work (one seat elected) Robert Cosby Complete election results are posted at the MSU office, Room 201, McMaster University Student Centre.

March 21, 2003

The William Ready Division of Archives and Research Collections has acquired a cache of documents concerning Bertrand Russell, all written during the First World War. The documents pertain primarily to the interaction between Russell and Alfred North Whitehead, the mathematician and philosopher. Prior to the war, Russell had been especially close to the Whitehead family. He had been Whitehead's pupil at Cambridge University and then a collaborator with him on a monumental undertaking, Principia Mathematica (3 vols., 1910-1913). But the First World War sadly set them apart. At the time Russell was a vigorous opponent of the British government. He was a pacifist and a defender of conscientious objection. In his campaigns with organizations such as the No-Conscription Fellowship, he set out quite deliberately to provoke government reaction. In the end not only did he lose his teaching position at Cambridge, he was imprisoned for six months in 1918. In contrast to Russell, Whitehead believed that the British government had done everything in its power to preserve the peace in Europe. In Whitehead's opinion, in order to protect Western freedom, Britain was morally compelled to resist German aggression against France and Belgium. All the Whitehead children served in the war effort. The heaviest blow to the family came in March 1918 when Eric Alfred Whitehead's airplane was shot down on a flying patrol over France. Alfred North Whitehead gave explicit instructions to his executors that his papers were to be destroyed after his death. The discovery of this newly found material and its donation to McMaster University Library by George Whitehead make this donation all the more remarkable. It consists of the following: two letters from Russell to Whitehead and his wife Evelyn and their draft replies; a typed report of Russell's visit to General George Cockerill, Director of Special Intelligence at the War Office in September 1916; a letter from the War Office asking Russell to forward his lectures for perusal and censorship; a typescript entitled Mr. Russell's Statement of Position, explaining his refusal not to use his lectures as a vehicle for propaganda; a manuscript of 31 pages, Political Ideals; and a copy of Russell's letter of 6 May 1918 written from Brixton Prison to his brother Frank.

March 20, 2003

Mohit Bhandari, orthopedic surgeon and researcher at McMaster University, has initiated a large Canada/U.S. co-operative project to resolve differences of opinion on the best way to repair the most common long bone fracture in the human body - fracture of the tibia. Fractures of the tibia, the larger big bone between the knee and the ankle, are one of the most common complications of serious trauma such as motor vehicle accidents. Surgeons agree repair of serious tibial fractures should include the insertion of a nail into the canal within the central marrow cavity of the bone. They disagree, however, on whether it is better to enlarge (ream) the canal before inserting the nail. Proponents believe reaming increases blood flow to the hard bone at the outer surface of the fracture site, thus increasing fracture repair stability. They also believe reaming provides a natural graft of the patient's own bone tissue at the fracture site. Opponents believe that reaming damages the blood supply to the tissue lining the canal, impairing fracture healing. The three-year study of the repair of fractures of the tibia will involve 1,200 patients with 105 participating surgeons at 10 centres in Canada, 12 centres in the U.S., and one center in the Netherlands. Bhandari and fellow McMaster investigator Gordon Guyatt, are heading up the Canadian trials, while Mark Swiontkowski, of the Minnisota Medical School, is leading the U.S. trials. Nearly $3 million in funding is being provided by the Institute for Musculoskeletal Health and Arthritis (IMHA), a component of The Canadian Institutes for Health Research, and the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS), a component of the National Institutes of Health in the U.S.