Daily News

posted on Jan. 30: National civil rights advocate speaks about terrorism, technology, liberties

Alan Borovoy, general counsel of the Canadian Civil Liberties Association, is giving a public talk on Terrorism, Technology and Civil Liberties: The Unasked Questions, tonight (Jan. 30) at McMaster. The free lecture is sponsored by the Theme School on Science, Technology and Public Policy. It begins at 7 p.m. in the Information Technology Building, Room 137. In his role since 1968, Borovoy has made presentations to public inquiries and given testimony before parliamentary committees on issues such as mandatory drug-testing in the workplace, wiretapping and police-race relations. His community organizing activities have included delegations to the federal and provincial governments on issues such as capital punishment, religious education in public schools, the War Measures Act, campus speech codes and national security and intelligence. Borovoy was a fortnightly columnist for the Toronto Star from 1992-96 and has appeared on various public affairs programs on television and radio. He is the author of Uncivil Obedience: The Tactics and Tales of a Democratic Agitator and When Freedoms Collide: The Case for Our Civil Liberties, which was nominated for the Governor General's Award in 1988. Borovoy has been a visiting professor at the faculties of law at Dalhousie University and the University of Windsor and a part-time lecturer at the University of Toronto's faculty of social work and York University's political science department. (End of story)

posted on Jan. 29: Humanities student connects course work with teaching in Angola

A lot of people in Canada would have a hard time placing Lubango on a map. But the southern Angolan city is where Julia Hitchcock, a final year peace studies and comparative literature student, has spent three out of the past four summers teaching English. She first went to Angola - a country that has suffered years of devastating civil war - with a high school friend who had grown up there and who was organizing an English language summer program through a local church. "Challenging!" is Hitchcock's verdict on her first teaching experience. "The kids ranged in age from five to 13, and were all in the same class, so it was a pretty big mix. It was hard sometimes - some of them were illiterate, some of them weren't, and the really little kids didn't have the attention span that older kids had. But I met so many people who I felt taught me so much, that I really wanted to give a bit back and sort of made a promise to go back." Fresh from her experiences in Angola, and in the first year of humanities at McMaster, Hitchcock discovered that the discipline of peace studies matched her interests perfectly. "I did a course on the theory and practice of non-violence that made a big impression on me. I was always thinking of the Angolan context, and the suffering I'd seen there and how could that be transformed. So I was always connecting peace studies and Angola in my mind." That connection made her want to try out some peace workshops when she was back in Angola teaching English. And last summer, by taking an applied humanities course, she was able to use the project to gain credit towards her McMaster degree. Applied Learning: Julia Hitchcock in Angola with some of the children she taught.

posted on Jan. 29: Students vote for McMaster Students Union president Jan. 29, 30

Full time undergraduate students will head to the polls on Jan. 29 amd Jan. 30 to vote for a new McMaster Students Union president. The candidates are Matt Lannan, Evan Mackintosh, Benny Min and Jen Thomas. Polls will be open from 9:20 a.m. to 4:20 p.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 29 and Wednesday, Jan. 30 at the following locations: BSB Lobby (until 7 p.m. on Jan. 29); CNH basement (near Starbucks); Commons lobby; Gilmour Hall (outside Titles Bookstore); Hamilton Hall (2nd floor); Ivor Wynne Centre (by Burridge Gym); JHE lobby; MGD lobby and Mills Library (until 7 p.m. on Jan. 29). Please direct all enquiries to Tom Nault, chief returning office, McMaster Students Union, ext. 27203 or election@msu.mcmaster.ca. (End of story)

posted on Jan. 25: Japanese drumming ensemble brings ancient art form to Convocation Hall

The Kiyoshi Nagata Ensemble, a Japanese drum group, is the featured performance tonight at the School of the Arts' latest Celebrity Concert. The ensemble is a five-person taiko (Japanese drum) group based in Toronto. Ensemble members are Kiyoshi Nagata (artistic director), Katarina Kin, Meiko Lydall, Scott Kusano and Paolo Pietropaolo. The concert takes place tonight, Jan. 25, at 8 p.m. in Convocation Hall. Tickets are $17 regular, $12 senior/student and for more information call ext. 23333 or ext. 27671 or e-mail sota@mcmaster.ca. The group has been active on the concert and music festival scene since making its debut in 1998 after being selected to perform at the Canada Council for the Art's National Showcase at the DuMaurier Theatre Centre. While firmly rooted in the folk drumming traditions found throughout Japan, the ensemble's principal aim is to rejuvenate and redefine this ancient art form ensuring its relevance in today's society. The ensemble, whose members come from Japanese as well as other backgrounds, has produced challenging and dynamic works that seek to create a new voice for the traditional taiko. Under the direction of Kiyoshi Nagata, the ensemble has earned a reputation across North America for its straightforward yet exciting approach to playing the taiko. Emphasizing sound, fundamentals and precision over choreography and extraneous movement, the ensemble has created a unique performance style that is both powerful in expression and beautiful in its simplicity. The ensemble is one of only a few groups in North American that owns and performs on a complete set of authentic taiko imported from Japan. (End of story)