By Mark Ferguson

He arrived with little pomp or circumstance – but at least five armed guards. American Ambassador David Jacobson visited the University of Saskatchewan during a trip to Saskatoon to have a discussion with a small group of students in Convocation Hall Sept. 14.

By Mark Ferguson

On the eve of the 50th anniversary of the Canadian Bill of Rights, the Governor General of Canada arrived at the U of S campus, a place she called a comfortable environment, for a presentation about women’s rights.

The following story is an excerpt taken from the report of Gerald Langer, director of the Greystone Singers

Our University of Saskatchewan Greystone Singers performance and cultural tour to China—two years in the making—was an amazing experience and a significant life event for us all. China is a remarkable ancient country and there is an immediate and palpable sense of 6,000 years of civilization, culture, and tradition. This was going to be quite an experience for the vast majority of our choir—some of whom had never been outside Canada, much less to Asia or the Orient. The 14-hour time difference with Saskatchewan (ahead) was quite easily adjusted to due to excitement and anticipation. Each day felt like a week’s worth of experience.

The Department of Computer Science is drawing attention from the biggest names in the business. Recruiters from Apple, IBM, Google, SaskTel, Point2, zu, and many other companies will attend the 2010 career fair, hosted by the Computer Science Students’ Society.

Every three years, Spectrum—a science and technology exhibition organized and hosted by College of Engineering students—attracts 10,000 curious visitors to the University of Saskatchewan campus.

The university broke ground Oct. 13 on E Wing, the next component of the Academic Health Sciences project.

The Western College of Veterinary Medicine (WCVM) will be showing off its expanded facilities as well as the diverse world of veterinary medicine when it hosts Vetavision 2009 Oct. 1-4.

Organized every three years by students, Vetavision gives those in training the chance to talk to the public about many aspects of their profession. The event will include educations displays, speakers, demonstrations and animals. According to Jasmine Dhillon, Vetavision co-ordinator, it is important for people to understand that veterinarians “play vital roles in food safety, public health and ecosystem health as well as animal and human health research.”

Details about hours, admission and displays as well as maps can be found at www.vetavision.ca

“Ring-A-Ding-Dong-Dandy” was a familiar catch phrase to those who listened to Ed Whelan, the Saskatoon-born TV host of Stampede Wrestling. An exhibition of the same name in the Library’s Link Gallery will examine and celebrate old-school wrestling in Canada as documented by Regina-based photographer Bob Leonard.

It’s no secret the University of Saskatchewan and the city of Saskatoon love their Huskies, and on Friday, Sept. 4 there is an additional reason to celebrate.

The first conference home game of the season is the Alumni and Friends Homecoming game. U of S students, alumni and Huskie fans will gather under the lights to watch the team take on the University of Calgary Dinos at 7 p.m.

The University Library has announced changes to library service and safe study hours effective the start of the fall term in September.

Situated on the shores of Emma Lake within boreal forest, the University of Saskatchewan’s Emma Lake Kenderdine Campus does more than just create a scenic destination. The unique combination of natural environments enables the Kenderdine Campus to offer a diverse range of classes across a variety of subject areas.

Paul Trottier, left, Kenderdine Campus director, and Ken Van Rees, chair of the campus board

An increased grant from the provincial government for 2009-10, combined with what the president termed a “modest” tuition hike, comes very close to meeting the university’s forecasted operating requirement, but there will still be challenges in putting together the budget for the coming year.

A general feeling of concern about how the University of Saskatchewan will weather the current economic storm and what impact that storm will have on jobs, pensions and students was evident at a town hall meeting held Feb. 24 to discuss the situation.

A big research facility like the Canadian Light Source synchrotron at the U of S would seem an unlikely place to find a writer-in-residence, unless that writer has a particular interest in science fiction.

Science fiction writer Robert J. Sawyer
Submitted photo

With construction underway on D Wing, the university is moving toward a call for bids on the next phase of the Academic Health Sciences project, a building that will connect to the College of Dentistry and Royal University Hospital.

The E Wing portion of the Academic Health Sciences project seen from College Avenue.
Rendering provided by Kindrashuk Agrey Architects

The university has selected Saskatoon-based Meridian Development Corporation as its partner in a plan to build up to 200 new four-bedroom housing units for students.

The University of Saskatchewan will be 'flippng' on the first official day of the 2008-09 academic year.

There are a host of activities planned to mark the start of the 2008-09 academic year at the University of Saskatchewan.

Although the day is organized for the benefit of new faculty, everyone in the research community (faculty, research staff, students and administrative support) are invited to attend this full day event which highlights the various services provided by Research Services, as well as other administrative units which support researchers and research activity at the university. The day also provides an excellent opportunity to obtain answers to the most common administrative questions.

The current event will be held in the Physics Building Foyer and pre-registration is not required. For any inquiries relating to Research Services Day, please call the general offfice at 966-2239.

The University is giving up its seasonal Huskie store in Midtown Plaza in favour of a permanent year-round location on the second floor of the Bay.

At 8 pm on March 29th, the world will turn off its lights for one hour – Earth Hour – to show symbolic support for action on climate change.

Students from the U of S have launched a unique entrepreneurial program with aboriginal high school students that promises to produce beneficial results for all involved.

The team has been dedicating much of their extracurricular time teaching local aboriginal high school students the importance of financial literacy as part of their “Aboriginal Youth Entrepreneurship Program.” The U of S students started this project through their involvement with Students in Free Enterprise (SIFE), a program operated by ACE (Advancing Canadian Entrepreneurship) that encourages students to create economic opportunities in their communities.

As part of the students’ involvement in this program as well as the HSBC SIFE Financial Education Challenge, the U of S team will present the results of their project at a regional competition, the 2008 ACE Regional Exposition, in Calgary on Feb. 29. If they advance through the regional event, the team will present their project at the national competition later this year.

Through the Aboriginal Youth Entrepreneurship Program, the U of S team meets regularly with aboriginal high school students at the White Buffalo Youth Lodge in Saskatoon to teach them how to finance a business. The program is hoped to provide these high school students with financial skills they can utilize in their own lives and pass on to other in the aboriginal community.

The Board of Governors second annual Public Meeting will be held on March 7, 2008, from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. in Convocation Hall, College Building.

The following are the hours of operation for various student services on campus during Reading Week, Feb. 18 to Feb. 22. The campus is closed Monday, Feb. 18 for Family Day.

The $25 retail credit has been applied to your student card.

A recent inventory of greenhouse gas emissions on campus has proven that 30 years of paying attention to the issue of sustainability in the University's approach to building, planning, design, operation and maintenance has paid off.

The Muslim Students’ Association (MSA) recently hosted a week-long initiative aimed at informing and educating the campus about Islamic faith and its teachings.

Cody Casey, a member of the Muslim Students’ Association (MSA), stands beside the MSA’s Islam Awareness Week kiosk in the Arts Tunnel on Friday, Jan. 25.

International Week at the University of Saskatchewan begins Jan. 28.