Concordia's Thursday Report

Chris Alleyne, Michael Nimchuk and Judy Robinson.

Photo by Andrew Dobrowolskyj

Thrown behind bars for a good cause

Christopher “Biker” Alleyne, aka senior graphics designer, Marketing Communications, threatens the Hon. Justice Michael Nimchuk, aka president of the Engineering and Computer Science Students Association, as Judy “Pencil Pusher” Robinson (Purchasing Services) goes for the throat.
They may not look like it, but they’re raising money for cancer research. An unusual event called Jail-n-Bail took over part of the LB atrium at lunchtime March 21, as good-natured Concordians allowed themselves to be “jailed” and “bailed” for donations. Volunteers also sold daffodils, chocolates and T-shirts for the cause. They raised $6,138 for cancer research over the three days. Way to go!

Conference on core curriculum next week

Concordia’s Liberal Arts College, in partnership with the University of King’s College at Dalhousie University, will host the eighth annual conference of the Association for Core Texts and Courses, to take place at a downtown Montreal hotel from April 4 to 7.

The title of the conference is Re(-)forming Liberal Education: The Core — Its Teachers, Students and Texts — after the 20th Century, and the subjects of the workshops reflect this interest in keeping curriculum current.

For example, there are sessions on “pluralizing” and “internationalizing” interpretations of a core curriculum, and on including African-American voices, defining a Japanese core curriculum, and interpreting Islam after the events of Sept. 11, 2001.

Professor Harvey Shulman has been a member of the Association for Core Texts and Courses, and the Liberal Arts College has been a partner, since the group’s inception in Philadelphia, in 1995.

This is the first time the annual conference has been held outside the U.S., and he expects about 200 participants from institutions as far away as the Aga Khan University, in Pakistan, and from several republics that were former members of the USSR. For more information about the conference, please contact the Liberal Arts College, at 848-2565.

Injured student is out of danger

Sudeep Mathew, who was injured March 17 in the St. Patrick’s Day parade, is making a steady recovery in hospital and has a positive outlook despite facing two months of physiotherapy.

During the parade, Sudeep fell under the wheels of a float carrying students from the Engineering and Computer Science Students Association (ECA). His pelvis was broken in several places.

He is a popular student, and won two awards at the ECA banquet earlier this month for his extracurricular activity. He is in the final term of the four-year undergraduate program in electrical and computer engineering.

We join all Concordians in wishing Sudeep a full recovery, and offer our sympathy to his fellow members of the ECA, for whom his accident was a severe blow. The university extended its counselling services to those directly affected.

Chemistry/Biochemistry seminar tonight

Students, faculty and staff will gather tonight at 6 p.m. in Room H-767 for a research seminar organized by the Concordia Chemistry and Biochemistry Students Association. The invited guests are Dr. Bernard Gibbs, of MDS Pharma Science, and Dr. Ali Khamessan, of Actilab Pharma Laboratories.

CCBSA president Steve Spetsieris says the seminar will “give our undergraduates an idea of what kind of research is going on in the industry, and talk with industry researchers one-on-one about career opportunities available to them.”

In previous years, this student-organized event has been attended by more than 100 people.

The seminar is open to everyone and will be followed by a wine and cheese.

Business students excel in international competitions

Congratulations to two students in the John Molson School of Business, Taoufik Oualhadj (MBA) and Marc Huras (BComm), for winning third prize in the CIBC World Market Ivey Business Plan Competition.

Their start-up company, called K&H Innovations Inc. has invented the Digital Vibration Sensor (DVS), patent pending, which is a digital sensor that uses optical means to translate a mechanical motion (sound or vibration) into a digital signal without an intervening analog electronic stage.

In its commercialization strategy, the management team is targeting the defence industry (including sonar and surveillance systems). The company is curently seeking “angel” financing to develop its commercial prototype and establish contacts with potential original equipment manufacturers and licensees.

More than 60 teams from business schools in Canada, the U.S. and as far away as India competed in the CIBC/Ivey Business Plan competition.

First prize in the McGill International Management Competition was won by a team of Concordia undergraduate business students, Savvas Pilarinos, Michel Gentile, Josh Rosensweig and Aleks Zivanovic. They had 24 hours to analyze a cross-functional case based on globalization and innovation.

In addition to McGill and the John Molson School of Business, particpants came from Budapest University, Copenhagen Business School, Escola de Administracao de Empresas de São Paulo, National University of Singapore, University of California, Berkeley, University of Hong Kong, University of Maine, University of Melbourne, Unversity of Southern California, and Schulich School of Business.

Congratulations to the team, and to their coaches: Mark Haber, Kamal Argheyd, Tim Field and Noor Shawa.

Tom Keefer and Laith Marouf have their day in court

The appeals panel hearing has been completed into the request of Laith Marouf and Tom Keefer to have their exclusion from the university overturned.

The panel sat from 9 a.m. on Friday, March 15, until 1:45 a.m. the next morning, then reconvened at 9 a.m. to hear closing arguments from the parties. The panel will reconvene in the coming weeks to work on their report to the Board of Governors, in accordance with the Board resolution establishing the panel.

The report will be presented at the April Board meeting.

The panel is chaired by lawyer Rita Lc de Santis. The other members are Sister Eileen McIlwaine (vice-chair), Alex Potter, Miriam Roland, Joanne Beaudoin and Rocci Luppicini (ad hoc).

Keefer’s ban was temporarily lifted for the duration of the Concordia Student University election now in progress. He is running for a seat on the Council of Representatives.

Savings on the Summer Sports Camp

Concordia employees are entitled to a 10-per-cent discount on their children’s fees for the popular Concordia University Summer Sports Camp, until April 2.

Coordinator Janet Corrigan reports that there is space available in all of the weeks. Please call her for more information, at 848-858/3859, or contact her by e-mail: janetc@alcor.concordia.ca.

Maximo maximizes its services

Custodial Services (Cleaning and Grounds) been integrated into the Maximo system. You can contact the Service Centre by phone, at 848-2400; fill in a service request form available online at http://relish.concordia.ca/facilities/forms/servicerequest.pdf and send it by fax to 848-8638; or fill in a self-service work request directly in Maximo, at http://enigma/jsp/common/system/login.jsp.