Daily News

Posted on July 21: Honesty is the best policy

There is something rewarding about submitting a paper that is your own. Spending hours on the computer, deleting words that don't fit, adding paragraphs with more pizzazz. Putting sweat and tears into an assignment worth 20 per cent of the final grade. But what about the student that logs into a paper mill, searches through a database containing thousands of papers, and paying $50 for something they have no knowledge about? Both may get the same mark, but the satisfaction they feel will be poles apart. Indeed, integrity is worth more than the grade itself, feels Andrea Thyret-Kidd, McMaster's new academic integrity officer. Thyret-Kidd was hired last fall to implement the University's new Academic Integrity Code, which took effect May 1, with a transition between the old and new policy until September. The code, which replaces the Academic Dishonesty Policy, is intended to change people's attitudes from dishonesty to valuing integrity, she says. "It's not just about the negative side but it's about the positive side too. Part of the reason we're doing this is to protect the integrity of the entire campus and the integrity of those students who didn't cheat."

Posted on July 18: Filming begins for second season of Med Students

McMaster medical students are being job shadowed by a film crew. Filming has begun for the second season of a highly acclaimed television reality show based on their lives and learning. The Med Students series is produced by Breakthrough Productions of Toronto in conjunction with the Faculty of Health Sciences and Hamilton Health Sciences. The first season, 13 episodes of Med Students was broadcast last year on the Life Network and Discovery Health to great acclaim. The first season showcased the excellent education and patient care provided at McMaster and its partner hospitals. The show enjoyed significant popularity and positive feedback from viewers, including fan mail to some students. Second-year internal medicine resident Jamie Newman was recently filmed during his first shift at St. Joseph's Healthcare, Hamilton as a senior medical resident, taking responsibility for incoming patients. "I thought it would be fun," he said. "I also feel that my story is pretty common to people in and outside of medicine, therefore easy to relate to."

Posted on July 17: McMaster chefs clean up in cooking competition

Hungry? How does Asian smoked tuna loin paired with a crispy Szechuan barbequed shrimp roll, and a salad of sea asparagus and braised fennel sound? What it doesn't sound like is a traditional campus meal, but these delicious dishes were actually part of the grand prize-winning meal prepared by a team of chefs from McMaster University at the recent Canadian College & University Food Services Association (CCUFSA) conference. McMaster University Hospitality Services hosted the 2003 conference from June 25 to 29. Now in its 25th year, this event drew 180 Canadian and international delegates to McMaster for four days of workshops, presentations, and collaboration. One of the highlights of the conference was the fourth annual Culinary Challenge. Five teams, including McMaster University, University of Waterloo, University of Massachusetts, Northern Alberta Institute of Technology (NAIT) and Chartwells, participated in this ultimate test of culinary prowess and skill. Each team prepared an appetizer, entrie, and dessert, which were judged both individually and as complete meals. The McMaster team, consisting of Stephen Lee, John French and Nathan Evans, took grand prize for their meal.

Posted on July 16: McMaster’s residences popular with students

McMaster has experienced strong demand this year for residence space so Housing & Conference Services is advising students who are on the waiting list to investigate other possibilities for housing. Traditionally, this is the time of year when students are changing their minds about attending university so the number of people who want a space in residence does fluctuate. Last year during the month of July more than 100 students changed their minds about attending McMaster or living in residence. Phil Wood, associate vice-president student affairs, says that trend is continuing this year but the 400 or so students on the waiting list should be considering other alternatives. "The situation is pretty fluid at this point," he said, "but we encourage students on the waiting list to plan accordingly and ensure they are looking at other arrangements."