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Sep 02, 2010 - 11:57 PM

Hi everyone,

The department of graduate studies just circulated an email seeking nominations for the GSA's Annual Teaching Assistant Excellence Award. I thought to myself, "Where better to publicize than Macinsiders?" and so here we are!

Personally, I'm a huge fan of awards like this because they not only reward the remarkable TAs who are actually committed to their job, but the prospect of such awards also motivates TAs to better themselves and deliver the higher level of academic excellence. Be sure to nominate your favourite TA(s) so they have a chance at the respect of their peers, and a nice cash stipend to boot! Nominations take literally 5 minutes and are submitted through an electronic form.

The GSA Teaching Assistant Excellence Award

The Graduate Students Association gave its first TA Teaching Assistant Excellence Award in 1986-87. This award honors the contributions that teaching assistants make to undergraduate education at McMaster University. Each year, the TA Excellence Award's selection committee accepts nominations from undergraduate students. The nominees are evaluated by their students on the following criteria: (1) commitment to teaching, (2) reliability, (3) enthusiasm for the subject matter, (4) personality, (5) adaptability, and (6) communication skills. In addition to formal recognition, the award winner will receive a $375 cash prize.

The online nomination form is available here. (http://www.mcmaster.ca/gsa/gradsday10/TA.html)

General Information
Nominations should be...

Sep 02, 2010 - 6:52 AM

With only a couple more days until Welcome Week starts (OMG!) all the Welcome Week reps are in the midst of planning to make this Welcome Week the best one yet!

If you've never been a rep before (or even if you have), check out this Welcome Week Rep survival guide! http://www.macinsiders.com/showthrea...4.html?t=19394

I was a Welcome Week Rep FOUR times during my undergrads (three times as a res rep (Whidden once and Bates twice), once as a faculty rep (Soc Sci), and once as a Maroon) I've encountered pretty much everything you could possibly imagine, including being hospitalized for dehydration (not fun!).

If you've got any other suggestions for Welcome Week reps, post them!

Sep 01, 2010 - 8:55 PM

The Canadian Undergraduate Conference On Healthcare (CUCOH) provides an amazing opportunity for undergraduate students to take part in discussions and debates about the future of healthcare in Canada. In November of every year, over 300 of Canada's top students and healthcare professionals come together in Kingston for this conference -- one of the largest of its kind.

To further address the value of research in various healthcare fields, CUCOH will host the Health Sciences Research Competition, which is an abstract competition with monetary prizes open to both undergraduate and graduate students. The deadline for this year's research competition is September 8th at 11:59PM EST, so be sure to submit your abstract really soon! Abstracts can be submitted to research@cucoh.com. For more information on the Health Sciences Research Competition, please click here.

Research Application: http://www.cucoh.com/documents/%5BCU...pplication.doc
Research Guidelines: http://www.cucoh.com/documents/research_guidelines.pdf

Conference Information Quick Facts:
What? Canadian Undergraduate Conference On Healthcare
Where? Queen's University in Kingston, Ontario
When? From November 12-14, 2010
Who can you contact for more information? mcmaster@cucoh.com or check out www.cucoh.com for updates on conference and registration details.
Cool random fact: Last year, CUCOH invited Dr. Roberta Bondar as the keynote speaker! Who knows which awesome world-class expert CUCOH will invite...

Follow MacInsiders on Twitter! Click here.

Sep 01, 2010 - 3:51 PM

It's here! We've been hinting at it for weeks. MacInsiders is celebrating reaching our 10,000 member goal (we're now at over 11,600 members!) by giving back with a massive giveaway draw!

PRIZES

1ST PRIZE PACK

• SLICK FLIX SD Camcorder with Tripod
• MAC Hoodie, T-shirt and ball cap ($75 retail value)
• 3 DVD MOVIES
  

2ND PRIZE PACK

• MiJAM iPOD MIXER WITH MINI TURNTABLES
• BLUETOOTH N95 WIRELESS HEADSET
• SECOND SKIN LAPTOP TRAVEL CASE

3RD PRIZE PACK

• MP3 PLAYER/IPOD FM TRANSMITTER (play music through car radio)
• 4 Piece Mesh Office Set (Mesh garbage can, paper holder, pen holder, letter holder)

4TH PRIZE PACK

• TWILIGHT NEW MOON BOARD GAME
• COMPACT STAPLER

SPONSORS

• TITLES BOOKSTORE (THANK YOU!)
  
  

ENTER TO WIN
Two chances to enter the giveaway...

Sep 01, 2010 - 12:56 PM

IT'S BACK... AND ITS BIGGER AND BETTER THAN EVER

Get ready for a crazy night of networking and partying. The MACINSIDERS SOCIAL is officially confirmed... and it's going to be legendary.

THURSDAY SEPTEMBER 16th 2010
LOCATION: Stonewalls Restaurant- 339 York Blvd, Hamilton, ON L8R 3K5 (near Copps).
Click here for driving directions.
TIME: 5:30pm - 8pm + Karaoke starts at 9:30 (feel free to stick around!)
PARKING: FREE PARKING in huge side lot next to restaurant.
BUSING DIRECTIONS ARE BELOW.

AGENDA
5:30 pm - Start time, ice breakers, prizes
6:00 pm - Dinner (FREE stone-baked pizza and drinks provided!) - arrive early to get a seat!
8:00 pm - Back-To-School Giveaway Winners Announced
9:30 pm - Karaoke Night

With ice breakers and prizes, it's a great way to meet new people and put faces to usernames on MacInsiders! Plus winners of the Back-To-School Giveaway will be announced at our MI Social event! Open to all members, this year's event will be held at Stonewalls, a new restaurant in Hamilton. Just show up and enjoy!

ABOUT STONEWALLS
Last year we packed Boston Pizza, completely maxing out the dining area to capacity... so we're taking it to an even BIGGER and classier venue... Stonewalls. Stonewalls is one of MacInsiders new sponsors, a huge thanks to them for hosting the event. This...

Sep 01, 2010 - 11:41 AM

What is it?
There are 2 insurances that all Full-Time Undergraduate Students (18+ Credits) are automatically registered for. Health Insurance and Dental Insurance.

What is covered?
Health (45$):

• Prescription Drugs - Covers 80% of the actual cost of prescription drugs or medicines up to 1400$ (Oral Contraceptives Excluded)
• AIDS Coverage - Up to 5000$ in drug treaments for HIV-Positive or AIDS infected students
• Diabetes - Part of Prescription Drugs but additionally covers insulin (bottle and/or cartridge), syringes and pen needles, reservoirs and infusion sets for the pump. (Not included: glucometers, insulin pens, alcohol and swabs)
• Vision Care - Covers 50% of 1 eye exam up to 50$. Reimburse 80% of the cost for 1 glasses or broken NON-diposable contacts repair up to 100$
• Life Insurance - 5000$ life insurance benefit from sickness or accident.
• Accidental Dismemberment - See Link At Bottom
• Ambulance Expense Benefit - Covers 250$ for air and/or ground ambulance.
• Repatriation Expense Benefit - Covers expense of homeward carriage of body up to 1000$
• Dread Disease Benefit Care - Covers hospital or licensed/graduate nurse charges for diseases (see link for list of diseases). Disease must first manifest during time of coverage.

Dental (95$):

• Basic & Preventive Services - Covers 100% of 1 cleaning and 1 unit of polishing and 1 examination and consultation for
  • Exams - Complete Oral, Recall Oral, Emergency or Specific Oral, Consultation
  • X-Rays - Full Mouth Series, Panorex, Periacipal, Bitewing, Occlusal
• Minor Restorative Services - Covers 75% of cost of amalgam, silicate, composite, or tooth-coloured fillings and space maintainers.
• Extractions & Oral Surgery - Covers 75% of extractions and residual root removal (2 Wisdom Teeth limit)
• Services covered at 10% - See Link At Bottom.
• Exclusions - See Link At Bottom.

Who can opt-out?
Full-Time Undergraduate Students who already has the above or better coverage (through work or through parents) can opt-out with the exception of Varsity Students.
Note: You can opt-out of health AND/OR dental.

When can you...

Aug 30, 2010 - 5:03 PM

Some new videos for business students:

Aug 27, 2010 - 8:55 PM

TD is holding another contest to entertain 3 lucky schools!
What Is It?
1 of 3 concerts by Metric, Ok Go and Keys N Krates!

How Do You Win?
The 3 concerts are divided into Eastern, Central and Western Canada. McMaster is in Central Canada. The school with the most votes wins! Spreading the word is key to winning which means Facebook, Twitter and anything else that will get the word across.

Time Frame for Voting:
August 23rd to October 8 (6pm)

EXTRA ENTRIES!!
Once you have voted, you can go to "My Profile" and complete the 3 "tasks". Each tasks is one extra entry!

What Happens If Your School Wins?
All voters will get an e-mail notifying that their school has won. Details will be given on the distribution of tickets. To get a ticket, you must print the e-mail and bring it along with your student card (names must match). First come first serve.

Visit here to enter the contest: http://www.tdpumpitup.com/

View Standings here: http://www.tdpumpitup.com/standings/central

Aug 27, 2010 - 11:00 AM

Via the Daily News' YouTube Channel:



Check out coverage in the Winnipeg Free Press too!

Aug 26, 2010 - 8:45 PM

UPDATE: According to GO Transit McMaster is the one to blame in this situation. I talked to the GO Transit Customer Service and they told me the following (although I'm still slightly confused because she contradicted herself)

Private Bulletin: August 24th

McMaster University has not forwarded the sticker information (Basically the picture) to GO Transit for the upcoming 2010/2011 session. Your old sticker is still valid until October (as usual). She asked me if I was a student last year.

I said yes, but we've received the new stickers and replaced our old ones already.

She then said yes, you can use the 2010/2011 sticker.

If anyone denies your the purchase of the Student Tickets then ask for the GO Transit supervisor. Tell them that it says we can use our McMaster ID Cards both on the McMaster site and on the GO Transit site.

Horribly service in my opinion, but why the hell hasn't McMaster sent GO Transit the sticker information yet? We got these stickers over a month ago. But McMaster is close until Monday so I have no way of contacting them until then.

I will continue to update this as I find out more information.

Ignore everything beyond this line.

GO Transit has yet again changed their post-secondary student rules again. This year all students that wish to buy student 10-rides or student monthly passes must apply for the GO Transit Student ID Card.

For all undergraduates:

Step 1: Obtain a letter from the ...