Ship Shape and Bristol Fashion Boatbuilding Competition

Blair Vincent Term 2 engineering student Blair Vincent advances his boat during the recent Ship Shape and Bristol Fashion boatbuilding competition held in the Engineering Building. The aim of the competition, organized by the Society of Naval Architects and Marine Engineers, Canadian Atlantic Section, was to create a vessel that could carry a load of pop cans the length of a trim tank - a distance of 1.5 metres. About 40 students and professors constructed nine boats from a single piece of bristol board for the event.

Grenfell talk show a hit

	Lars Davidson and Dave Elliott

Students at Grenfell College might have thought they were witnessing a miracle when John Lennon, the legendary ex-Beatle, was interviewed on the Friday Lunch Hour Show with Dave and Lars, Grenfell's interactive talk show.

Lars Davidson and Dave Elliott, along with co-producer Brent Greenham, came up with an innovative way of strengthening student awareness and togetherness at Memorial's Corner Brook campus. They found that an effective way of creating a close-knit, well-informed student body is by allowing all students to participate in the communication process. So what exactly happened at the Student Centre cafeteria every Friday? Each show featured several guests, a never-ending stream of improvisational comedy and several giveaways. The contests and the spontaneous humour kept students in their seats as they listened in on enlightening interviews with, for example, Grenfell Student Union president Jade Mahoney and "Professor of the Week" Dr. Ken Jacobsen, who appeared in late 2000.

With one show a week and a small number of instructors, students quickly became familiar with a diverse group of faculty members. The interviews offered insight into background and personality, and the light-hearted banter made for an attentive audience. Dr. Jacobsen, for example, admitted that he was chosen "Professor of the Week" because he was the only professor in at the time. The audience applauded as Dave and Lars probed into Dr. Jacobsen's participation in the faculty strike. They asked him about the game of road hockey that he and other professors played on the picket line and about his new-found addiction to Tim Horton's crullers. Jade Mahoney, student union president, told the audience about campus activities in the aftermath of the strike, her meeting with President Meisen, and her five-toed socks.

The producers say the feedback from the show has been incredible, and they are quick to share the credit. They say the show would not be possible without the help of sound technician Elizabeth Pullin, "best girl" Dana Puddicombe, "our girl Friday" Jen Thornhill, the "man with a thousand faces" Greg House, and, of course, Grenfell's maintenance staff. And who could forget the canine contingent? "Buddy Holly" entertained the audience with enthusiastic tail-wagging and obedient devotion to his masters.

One might think the show came about through the college's theatre program. While Dave and Lars have acting experience and the set was contributed by the Fine Arts department, the show was staged by students only. They received no financial support from the university and they had no budget.

Eventually Dave and Lars hoped to make contact with the Memorial campus in St. John's. They would like to see their ideas spread across the province to bring the university campuses closer together.