U of W students receive rowing scholarships

On Jan. 21, the Winnipeg Rowing Club announced that the Peter Nykoluk Rowing Scholarship would go to University of Winnipeg students Nia Perron and Natasha Tersigni. Each year the scholarship is awarded to students who display outstanding commitment, determination and sportsmanship in rowing. The award, established in 1995, is given in honour of Peter Nykoluk who died on Oct. 12, 1990 while aiding teammates involved in an accident. Both Perron and Tersigni have competed in the Canada Summer Games and plan to continue rowing while pursuing degrees at U of W.

Fight club at U of M

Reports of the existence of a fight club at the University of Manitoba have recently reached public ear. Last year an internal investigation of the campus was held after two men were reported to have left the school’s recreational facility with bloody faces. The investigation led to the discovery of a Facebook group used for organizing fights. The group, consisting of 87 members, has been removed from the website. Five of the group’s members, four students and one staff, were disciplined and suspended from the campus recreational facilities. Police did not have any hand in the investigation.

Correlation between VLT’s and female gambling problems

A new study from University of Manitoba’s community health science and psychiatry department reveals that video lottery terminals are the number one cause of gambling addiction for females. To correct this, researchers suggest the hours of operation of VLTs be reduced, awareness campaigns that specifically target women gamblers be created and more self-help programs directed at this specific problem be developed. This is the first study to use a population health model to understand the relation between type and frequency of gambling activities.

Dodgeball extravaganza at U of W

University of Winnipeg professor Fred Gutoski and students Hanna Stafford and Sheena Graham will be organizing a series of intramural events this semester starting with a dodgeball tournament. The tournament will take place on Friday, Feb. 5 in the Duckworth Centre. Future events may include a soccer game in the snow, street hockey, a snow sculpture competition and team skiing races. Stafford and Graham believe more intramural events will help build a better sense of community at the U of W while reducing stress and having fun.

Talking about climate change

The University of Winnipeg will host a climate change “teach-in” on Tuesday, Feb. 2 from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. in Convocation Hall. The event aims to stir up dialogue about what climate change means and how to address it as individuals and as a community. In concurrent workshops, participants will discuss recent science, international negotiations, social justice, energy options, alternatives to consumerism, community resources and innovation, and activist roles, skills and networking. Participants’ ideas and interests will help to shape a second event later in the month. Both events are free and open to all students, staff and the general public.

Published in Volume 64, Number 17 of The Uniter (January 28, 2010)