Daily News

Posted on Nov. 20: Peace Studies helps poor women of India

McMaster's Centre for Peace Studies is hosting a Festival of Light fundraising dinner on Sunday, Nov. 24 to help poor rural women in India learn how to improve village life. Funds will go towards training camps that promote peace by teaching women about non-violence, peace and democracy. In these camps, women learn about their rights and responsibilities and essentially about how to stand on their own feet. Many of these women are members of the village council who were elected two years ago after a constitutional reform gave women more power by reserving one-third of the seats in all elected bodies for women. For many, this is their first chance to learn what democracy means. The peace training camps, called Women's Shanti Sena, began last February with an International Peace Conference in Vaishali, India, co-sponsored jointly by the Centre for Peace Studies and an Indian non-governmental organization located in Patna, India. Since that conference, about 2,000 women have been trained with the financial help of the State level UNICEF office. Also at the conference, the Vaishali Sabha People's Assembly became a Vaishali Sabha Peace Movement. There is a great demand for holding similar Women's Peace Training Camps in other parts of India. At the fundraiser, members of the Peace Centre, including religious studies professors Graeme MacQueen and Anne Pearson and biology professor Rama Singh, who participated in the Vaishali Peace Conference, will present their thoughts on the conference as well on the ongoing work of Women's Shanti Sena. The fundraiser takes place at the Michelangelo Banquet Centre and will consist of an exhibit on Vaishali, cultural program (Kathak dance) and an Indian vegetarian dinner. The cost of the dinner is $50 per person (tax receipt) and it will start at 5 p.m. Interested individuals should contact Rama Singh at 905-525-4471 ext. 24378 singh@mcmster.ca

Posted on Nov. 19: Engineering dean claims national innovation award

Research that advances the science of intelligent machining has garnered a national Synergy Award for Innovation for engineering dean Mo Elbestawi. Elbestawi teamed up with eight industrial partners, including Siemens Westinghouse Canada, General Motors, Cobra Machine Tool Co. and Pratt & Whitney Canada at the McMaster Manufacturing Research Institute to refine and improve intelligent precision machining. The national innovation award recognizes outstanding achievements in university-industry collaboration. It is co-sponsored by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC) and the Conference Board of Canada. The university receives a $25,000 NSERC research grant and the industry partner receives a sculpture. Intelligent machining is machining controlled by a computer. Although it is not new technology, researchers are constantly trying to refine the technology to improve productivity and quality. "The machines are usually computerized and unmanned," said Elbestawi. "Just imagine the computer can now make decisions on the fly, so if there is something happening in the cutting process and it needs to speed up or slow down, for example. The idea is that the machine is capable of making the right decision without human intervention."

Posted on Nov. 20: Major study finds patients more likely to die in private for-profit dialysis centres

If Canada switched to for-profit dialysis centres, death rates would increase by eight per cent, according to a major study to be published today in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA). "The results extend our previous findings of higher death rates in for-profit hospitals," said the study's lead author, Philip Devereaux of McMaster University. "We've now found that the profit motive leads to increased deaths in both hospital and out-patient settings." Devereaux, a clinical scholar in the Department of Medicine in the Faculty of Health Sciences, was the lead investigator on the study.

Posted on Nov. 18: First loss of season a blow to Marauders

In the first of two Canadian Interuniversity Sport football national semi-finals, the Saint Mary's Huskies defeated the No.1 ranked and previously unbeaten McMaster Marauders 36-25 on Saturday afternoon in front of a capacity crowd of more than 6,400 at Les Prince Field to claim the Churchill Bowl and earn a berth in a second straight Vanier Cup. Next Saturday at Skydome in Toronto, the Huskies will try to become the first team since the Western Ontario Mustangs in 1976 and 1977, and the third in history, to repeat as CIS champions. The contest marked the first ever appearance for an Atlantic team in the Churchill Bowl. For OUA champion McMaster, it also marked a third consecutive loss in a national semi-final. The Marauders lost to Ottawa in 2000 and Manitoba in 2001.

Posted on Nov. 18: Security cameras lead to arrest

Security cameras on campus proved their worth over the weekend. About 3 a.m. Sunday, a student was walking to her car in Zone 4 parking when she was assaulted. An alert operator saw the attack on video surveillance and officers were on the scene within three minutes. The student was frightened and shaken up but there were no serious physical injuries. Officers nabbed the suspect just minutes later after a short foot chase. "Security for people on campus is our number-one priority," says Bill Armstrong, operations manager for McMaster security. "The operators did a first-rate job and everyone involved deserves tremendous credit for acting quickly. The video cameras are an important part of our work not only to catch crimes in action but also to provide clear evidence when a case goes to court." The Hamilton Police sex assault unit is working with security on the case. The suspect is in custody and it's expected that charges will be laid later on Monday. Armstrong says it's important that people keep their safety in mind and recommends not walking alone, particularly after dark. There are red security phones across campus and he says everybody should be aware of their locations. The Student Walk Home Awareness Team (SWHAT) is also available for students and he emphasizes that people should never hesitate calling security if they see anyone suspicious on campus.