UM Today: Ok, let’s start from the beginning. Who’s the favourite child?

Sheridan Oswald: Me. In some ways I guess.

You’re the younger one right?

Sheridan: I’m the baby, yeah.

Courtlyn Oswald: She’s the more behaved one I’d say. I was a more go-out type of person she was more of a stay-at-home body.

Have you always played hockey together?

Sheridan: We both started boy’s hockey really young, like four.

Courtlyn: I wouldn’t say four. Maybe five or six. We started playing girls hockey together in Atom and then it would rotate: we’d play together one year and then the next year we’d be apart just because of the age gap. Once Sheridan was in Grade 8 and I was in Grade 10 we were on the same team from there on out.

Was it hard to be a girl playing on a boy’s team?

Sheridan: There were always a couple of other girls.

Courtlyn: When we were younger there were more girls but as we got older we were kind of by ourselves. There’s another girl from MacGregor who plays on [University of Regina] that we are pretty close with. She was the age between us. One year I’d play with her, one year Sheridan would play with her.

Did you play a lot of pond hockey in MacGregor?

Sheridan: Our dad would make a backyard rink and we were on that quite a bit.

What are you studying?

Courtlyn: I actually just got into Nursing for the second semester. I was in the Faculty of Kinesiology and Rec Management before, but just made the switch.

Sheridan: I’m in Family Social Sciences right now and I’m hoping to become a teacher.

How did you get interested in those paths?

Sheridan: Our dad is a teacher and I’ve always liked kids, so I just wanted to become a teacher

Courtlyn: I’ve always had a liking towards the medical industry and I thought Nursing would be the best balance with hockey.

How do you find balancing athletics with academics?

Courtlyn: It’s definitely a jump from playing Midget hockey in high school to here. But my semester right now is pretty easy. I feel I am in for a rude awakening next semester. Two girls on the team got into Nursing this semester and they have been studying non-stop.

Sheridan: My first year… it’s been quiet a big difference. I’m definitely busier.

Would you ever drop hockey?

Sheridan: No. I don’t think I could.

Courtlyn: I don’t think I could either. I’d try limiting my schedule first; take fewer classes. I mean we only get five years. I feel like I’d really miss it if I dropped out.

You started the season on different lines but now you’re line mates. Do you prefer being line mates?

Courtlyn: Yeah, just because we have played together for so long.

Courtlyn and Sheridan Oswald

Who’s the better hockey player?

Sheridan: I think we both have strengths the other doesn’t

Courtlyn: She has a better shot and I’m the better skater

Sheridan: Yeah.

Courtlyn: We’ll go with that. We don’t want to start a fight.

And you also live together?

Courtlyn: Yeah.

So you are with each other…

Simultaneously: Twenty-four-seven.

Courtlyn: This semester we are actually in a lot of the same classes too.

So you’re obviously friends too.

Sheridan: Sometimes.

A lot of parents struggle to have their kids be friends, like real friends. Did your parents do anything that stands out, or do you think you just both happen to have compatible personalities?

Sheridan: Nothing stands out at the moment.

Courtlyn: She’s just more laid back and goes with whatever I do so it kinda works out that way. And we’ve just been together our whole lives so we’re just kinda used to it. We obviously bump heads but nothing too severe.

Sheridan: We’ll have a big fight but two minutes later it’s nothing.

Courtlyn: We’re talking as usual. There’s just this bounce-back thing.

How did you end up at U of M? Did you look at other universities?

Courtlyn: I looked at others but I wanted to stay close to home.

Sheridan: I had some offers elsewhere but I think just overall, this was the best fit for me.

Courtlyn: She wanted to play with me again too.

Do you have any other hobbies?

Courtlyn: I like to cook. And we played more sports in high school but…

Sheridan: When high school hit we had to decide if we wanted to go further in our hockey career or play everything. And that was when we stopped and just focused on hockey.

Do you have a favourite hockey player?

Sheridan: I like Ovechkin.

Courtlyn: I always rotate between the players. I don’t even know.

Sheridan: You just like the cute ones.

Courtlyn: Yeah, I like Crosby and Seguin, Landeskog. I’m all over the place. I don’t even have a favourite team most of the time, but I do like cheering for the jets.

• that Human Nutritional Sciences move to the Faculty of Agricultural and Food Sciences effective July 1, 2014;
• that the Department of Family Social Sciences join the Department of Community Health Sciences effective July 1, 2015; and
• that Textile Sciences join the Department of Biosystems Engineering, effective July 1, 2015.

Given that the Faculty of Human Ecology’s departments will all have joined with other faculties by July 1, 2015, the Faculty Council and Senate recommended that the Faculty of Human Ecology be closed effective July 1, 2015. The Board of Governors approved this recommendation on June 23, 2015.

Throughout its 105 year history at the University of Manitoba, the study of Human Ecology has evolved to reflect the educational and research needs of a changing society. It has grown from being a diploma in Household Sciences at the Manitoba Agricultural College in 1910 to become the School of Home Economics in 1943. In 1970, the School was granted official faculty status and in 1981, the Faculty changed its name to Human Ecology to reflect the diversification of curricula. In 2012, discussions about exploring partnerships between the Faculty of Human Ecology and other faculties were initiated as part of the university’s Academic Structure Initiative.

The transition of Human Nutritional Sciences, Family Social Sciences and Textile Sciences to their new faculties will enrich educational experiences for students in these areas, enhance leading edge, multi-disciplinary research, and forge new connections with community partners.

We respect and value the contributions that Home Economics and Human Ecology faculty, staff, students and alumni have made throughout the years and look forward to their continued contributions as we move into the future.

Kids are going to get hurt, and trying to keep them safe is a never-ending job for their parents and guardians.  But what if there are ways of predicting and preventing some of those most common injuries?  What are some things that parents can do to identify common risks, and what are the most effective strategies to reduce risk? Why is it that kids always seem to be getting hurt?

Listen to panelists Drs. Caroline Piotrowski, Carolyn Snider, and Lynne Warda; and moderator Dr. Michael Moffat discuss the answers to these questions and then ask some of your own.  The panelists have experience in varying backgrounds, from Family Social Sciences to Emergency Health to Pediatrics and Child Health, and are eager to share their knowledge with you.

The Café Scientifique sessions were developed to facilitate discussion between experts on different topics and the public.  The researchers bring their most current findings to the table and the public has a chance to talk with them and ask questions in a relaxing and informal atmosphere.    The topics chosen are all targeted at what the general audience is interested in, while at the same time highlights health-related research currently taking place here at the university.

The Café series, which is funded by Vice-President (Research and International) Office, will see a set of similar discussions take place throughout the upcoming school year.

Future sessions include:

• October 27, 2014: Kidney Disease: The Silent Killer
• November 24, 2014: Endocrine Disorders: Overeating, Obesity and Diabetes
• January 14, 2015: Time to Get Off Your Butt: Sitting is the New Smoking
• March 18, 2015: Keeping Your Head in the Game: How Concussions Affect the Brain

All of the discussions take place at McNally Robinson Booksellers (1120 Grant Avenue, Winnipeg) beginning at 7 p.m. and ending at 8:30 p.m.

For more information on the series visit umanitoba.ca/cafescientifique.

Dear Colleagues:

As part of the University of Manitoba’s Academic Structure Initiative (ASI), Senate approved in principle and recommended to the Board of Governors the merger of the Department of Family Social Sciences (FSS), Faculty of Human Ecology, and the Department of Community Health Sciences (CHS), Faculty of Health Sciences.  On June 24, 2014, the Board of Governors approved this recommendation.  As such I am writing to inform you that a FSS/CHS committee, co-chaired by Dr. Stephen Moses, Head, CHS, and Dr. Caroline Piotrowski, Head, FSS, has been struck to guide the implementation process to bring together these departments and the transfer of the associated undergraduate programs of the Faculty of Human Ecology to the Faculty of Health Sciences.  The committee will make reports and recommendations to the Faculty of Health Sciences Implementation Steering Committee.

By bringing together the Departments of FSS and CHS, the University of Manitoba strengthens its leadership role in teaching, research and outreach in family and population health research and education. The joining of these two departments will strengthen and enhance their respective missions, creating an innovative and unique emphasis on family and population health.

It is anticipated that undergraduate students in the Faculty of Human Ecology FSS programs will transition to the Faculty of Health Sciences for the Fall 2015 academic term.  There will be no changes to these academic programs at this time, and proposals for future changes to these or other academic programs in the Faculty of Human Ecology will follow the standard institutional processes already in place and will require the appropriate Senate and/or Board approvals.

It is proposed that the academic and support staff from the Department of FSS will transition to the Department of CHS in the Faculty of Health Sciences with full rights and responsibilities by July 1, 2015.  Processes to support interim appointments within both departments until July 1, 2015 are being reviewed by the committee.

For continued information, please monitor the Academic Structure Initiative webpage or UM Today.

Sincerely,
Joanne C. Keselman, PhD
Vice-President (Academic) and Provost