News briefs for the new year

By Ruth Davenport

Stör handle debate
Fur flew at the Jan. 9 Student’s Legislative Council over the proposed new name for the Students’ Union convenience store.

Currently known as Stör, the establishment formerly known as McQ’s may soon be given the contentious moniker “Bad Kitty’s Snack Emporium.”

Student Nick Berdusco entered the name in the Name the Stör! contest sponsored by the SU and received a shiny new bike for his pains.

The name was selected from a shortlist of contest finalists by 14 members of an Ad Hoc committee comprised of university staff and students.

At the SLC meeting, debate was heated over whether the name, with questionable innuendos, was appropriate as the title of an SU enterprise. A straw poll revealed 11 council members favoured and 6 opposed the name.

The fate of the Stör appellation will likely be decided at next week’s SLC meeting.

Prof travels to accolades
University of Calgary Faculty of Management Professor Brent Ritchie was awarded the Martin Opperman Memorial Award by the International Society of Travel and Tourism Educators. The award recognizes Ritchie’s lifelong contributions to tourism education and is one of many he has won.

Ritchie’s achievements include the development of various tourism concepts and building a tourism research program at the U of C. He currently chairs the U of C’s World Tourism Education and Research Centre.

Energy rebates misguided
The Klein government’s energy rebate program is unfair and unrealistic, according to Alberta’s New Democrats.

“To describe [the] power rebates as a win/win for power generators and consumers is the latest in a string of falsehoods being foisted on Albertans by the Klein conservatives,” said New Democrat Deputy Brian Manson.

Manson cites discrepancies between the energy consumed and the size of the rebate, and is concerned that landlords may withhold rebates from apartment tenants. Manson also stated that the government’s estimates of average power usage are unrealistic.

Animal organ transplant report submitted
A citizen’s jury on xenotransplantation organized by
U of C Communication and Culture Professor Edna Einsiedel and graduate student Jennifer Medlock submitted its report to Health Canada recently. The jury, composed of 15 Calgary residents, conferred with experts in November to debate the ethical, physical, scientific and regulatory issues involved in xenotransplantation. Their report raises concerns about the unknown risks of transplanting organs from animals to humans, such as the possible transmission of animal viruses to humans and recommended further research into xenotransplantation alternatives by Health Canada.

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