Daily News

Posted on Sept. 5: Shiny happy people

On Saturday, Sept. 6, McMaster students will be wrapping up their Welcome Week activities by giving the residents of Hamilton a reason to shine. They'll be at street corners and shopping malls armed with polish, cloths, and donation boxes to make everyday articles shimmer and raise money for a good cause. Third-year biochemistry student and fundraising initiative team (FIT) co-ordinator Binny Jandu, says McMaster has a long, proud tradition in Shinerama, the largest post-secondary fundraising event that has raised more than $14 million for Cystic Fibrosis (CF), a fatal genetic disorder that leaves its sufferers highly susceptible to lung and digestive tract problems. "This is a great opportunity for university students because it is one of the only Welcome Week events that is directed specifically at the community," says Jandu. "They still get to make new friends and have a lot of fun, but they're helping a really good cause too."

Posted on Sept. 5: Engineers present distinctive clock ring

A double ring shape encircles a shield emblazoned with the McMaster coat of arms. Within it, two massive rings indicate the time. This is the brainchild of mechanical engineering graduates Patrick Burton, Braden Kurczak, Michael Paddags and Peter Whitred, who today presented a "clock ring" perched atop the doorframe at the north entrance to the McMaster University Student Centre. But even more than that, they presented their legacy. "We wanted to give something back to the University," said Whitred to the Daily News. "We all had such a great experience over our five-year degree and we love McMaster and engineering that we wanted to give something back. It's also a little immortality for us," he said, adding whenever they come back to campus to see the clock it will remind them of their student years.

Posted on Sept. 4: New staff will bring human rights out of the shadows

A new name and a new face will put human rights issues at McMaster in a different light, with the recent appointment of a director for Human Rights and Equity Services (HRES), formerly known as the Sexual Harassment and Anti-Discrimination Office (SHADO). Mark Walma, a Hamilton native and McMaster alumnus, joins the University after earning a law degree and recently serving as the acting director of Equity Services at The University of Western Ontario where he also chaired Western's New Ontarians With Disabilities Act Committee. "I'm very excited to have the opportunity to return to my hometown and, even more so, to be able to pursue my passion for human rights at my alma mater," says Walma. "I have very fond memories from my undergrad and graduate work here and look forward to being able to give something back to the McMaster University community."