Free anthropology lecture at U of W

On Thursday, Nov. 12, the University of Winnipeg presents the lecture “Africa, Neanderthals, and the Origin of Modern Humans” by human paleontologist Fred Smith. The lecture will focus on humans’ origins in Africa. Smith earned his PhD in biological anthropology from the University of Michigan and is chair of the Department of Sociology and Anthropology at Illinois State University. He has written over 150 scholarly works and several acclaimed books. Receiving the first annual Hermann Schaaffhausen Prize (Germany) for research on Neandertals in 2006 and the Dragutin Gorjanovic-Kramberger Medal from the Croatian Academy of Sciences in 2009, he currently works in Germany and Croatia.

The lecture starts at 4 p.m. in room 4M47. For more information contact [email protected].

U of W moves up in Maclean’s ranking

The University of Winnipeg moved up one spot to place eighth in Maclean’s magazine’s ranking of Canadian undergraduate universities. Notable progress was made in the fields of student services (up four spots to third) and satisfaction rates among students. Currently the U of W’s students are the most satisfied in Western Canada, and sixth overall.

“The commitment we made several years ago to improving student services is now starting to show in these rankings. The impact of our new initiatives – such as the McFeetors Hall ... the UWSA Day Care and our Diversity Food Services – means that we will likely maintain or increase in this category in future years,” said president and vice-chancellor Lloyd Axworthy in a release.

Theatre department presents faust(us): a fantasy

From Nov. 24 to 28, the U of W theater department will be presenting a fantastical re-vision of Christopher Marlowe’s Doctor Faustus. Entitled faust(us): a fantasy, the play will be performed by fourth-year theatre students and directed by faculty member Christopher Brauer.

The play follows the title character through a journey in which he raises the devil to become powerful and who then returns to claim his soul. The nine-actor cast will have 37 costumes and rousing sets, making it an ensemble effort.

Performances are free and are Tuesday, Nov. 24 through Saturday, Nov. 28 at 7:30 p.m. nightly at the Gas Station Theatre, 445 River Ave.

UWSA byelections coming up

The University of Winnipeg Students’ Association byelections will be held Nov. 23 to 26 after being postponed from the previous week. Ten director positions need to be filled, as well as the chief elections commissioner.

Two more speakers coming for Mouseland Press Speaker Series

The Uniter / Mouseland Press Speaker Series will bring two more speakers to the university before the end of the fall term. On Monday, Nov. 16 Malalai Joya, the youngest female member of parliament from Afghanistan, will speak about the war in Afghanistan and her recent book, A Woman Among Warlords. This event will take place in Convocation Hall.

Sandy Tolan, author of the Christopher Award-winning book The Lemon Tree: An Arab, A Jew, and the Heart of the Middle East will speak on Thursday, Nov. 19 at WECC.

Published in Volume 64, Number 11 of The Uniter (November 12, 2009)