NSAC E-Bulletin

Please forward your submissions to the NSAC E-Bulletin to Stephanie Rogers (news@nsac.ca) by Friday at 3:00 p.m. for inclusion in the next week's edition.

February 24th, 2003 - Week 122

Principal's Jottings
There are no jottings for this week's E-Bulletin. However, I would encourage all faculty and staff to bring a friend and attend the NSAC Drama Society's presentation of "It's Murder In The Wings", a comedy whodunit, on March 5th, 6th , and 7th in Alumni Theatre. The play is described in further detail elsewhere in this Bulletin.

NSAC International
We are pleased to announce that Mrs. Beata Palfalvy Sandor, Head of International Affairs at Szent Istvan University in Budapest, Hungary will be spending one week at the NSAC. Mrs. Sandor will be presenting at the upcoming workshop entitled "Understanding International Cirruclum
through the Development of a Web-Based Modular Course" being held on Wednesday, February 26th in the Riverview Room at Jenkins Hall.

Mrs. Sandor will be available for meetings and classes on Monday and Thursday. If you are interested in having her attend either your class or meeting with you individually, please contact Dawn Heintz at dheintz@nsac.ns.ca to schedule a time.

The NSAC Wool Blanket
For thousands of years, wool has been a fundamental product of human use and in spite of the competition of modern synthetic fabrics, wool maintains qualities that cannot be duplicated.
Wool has unique thermal qualities. Wool fibres trap millions of pockets of air that create a thermo- insulating layer. Wool "breathes". This allows moisture to be transferred from the inside layer of a wool fabric to the outside air where it is evaporated. Wool trousers are standard wear for shearers, who labour hard in hot humid conditions because the wool keeps them cooler than other fabrics. The natural oils of wool resist moisture penetration. However, wool can hold 30 per cent of its weight in moisture vapour without feeling wet. The crimp of wool provides it with elastic qualities and an ability to resist wrinkles. Wool is also fire retardant. Wool is strong, durable, a natural product and a renewable resource.

The NSAC Wool Blanket has been developed as a product that demonstrates these implicit traits and adds the aesthetic qualities of distinctive beauty and tradition.

High quality wool is dependant on the genetics and management of the sheep. Both the Rideau Arcott and Texel breeds at the College produce good quality fleeces, strong in fibre and heavy in crimp. The soundness of the wool fibres is a function of the nutrition and health of the sheep and the College sheep flock is maintained with a very high standard of care. The sheep are sheared in the spring and selected fleeces, clean, free of contaminants and with a consistent long staple, are chosen for blanket production. These are shipped to MacAuslands Woolen Mills in Bloomfield PEI where the wool is washed and dried. It is then picked to remove grit and open up the fibres. The cleaned wool is then carded, combed and spun into yarn threads. These threads are then loomed into blankets. The blankets are again washed and pre-shrunk , dyed , then "napped" to make them fluffy. Finally, they are hemmed, labelled and packaged before being shipped back to NSAC.

The NSAC Wool Blanket is an extraordinary reflection of the NSAC's agricultural identity. It makes a beautiful gift to current students, alumni, parents and College visitors, as a demonstration of the excellence in quality the College has maintained since 1905.

The NSAC Wool Blanket is available in two sizes, Queen (78 x 104 in.) and Stadium (60 x 48 in.).
It is available in three colours, Heather Blue Tweed, Natural White and Grey and NSAC Blue and Gold. Order forms are available by calling 902-893- 6644 or e-mail: blankets@nsac.ns.ca

Varsity Results

Basketball

Saturday Feb 15 UNBSJ at NSAC Women 67-73 (NSAC)
Men 72-78 (NSAC)
Sunday Feb.23 NSAC at MSVU Women 37-52 (MSVU)
Men 33-70 (MSVU)

Volleyball
Friday Feb. 14 MSVU at NSAC Women 0-3 (MSVU)

Badminton
ACAA Championships NSAC 3rd in Team Championship
Nathalie Chiasson - 2nd in CCAA Qualifying
Playing in CCAA Nationals March 6-8 at UNBSJ

Upcoming Games

MSVU at NSAC Women's Volleyball Feb.25 6 pm

UdM at NSAC Basketball w-5 pm m- 7 pm Saturday March 1

Dal at NSAC Basketball w-12 pm m - 2 pm Sunday March 2

Congratulations to Sarah Kimmins
Congratulations to Sarah Kimmins, who successfully defended her Ph.D. Thesis entitled "Endocrine and Paracrine Regulation of Integrin aVb3 in Bovine Endometrium" on February 18, 2003. Ms. Kimmins carried out her dissertation research in the Department of Plant and Animal Sciences at NSAC under the supervision of Dr. Leslie MacLaren of NSAC and Dr. Brian Hall of the Department of Biology at Dalhousie University. She also carried out her M.Sc.research at NSAC, finishing in 1999. Sarah's undergraduate degree is in Biology, awarded by Dalhousie in 1995.

She has become an important member of the NSAC community during her time here, acting as the senior Teaching Assistant in the Animal Science Research Projects course, serving on the Animal Care and Use Committee and mentoring incoming graduate students. In April, Sarah plans to take up postdoctoral studies at the Institut de Génétique et de Biologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire, Strasbourg, France with Dr. P. Sassone-Corsi. Very best wishes, Sarah!"

It's Murder In The Wings - March 5th, 6th and 7th
The NSAC Drama Society presents "It's Murder In The Wings", a comedy whodunit, on March 5,6,7 in Alumni Theatre. The play unfolds at the Wings Publishing Company where the staff has just discovered the untimely murder of their boss, moments before a contract-signing party that will
save the business. All they have to do is keep the murder under wraps until the contract is signed, bringing about a new loan from the bank. Throw in a television crew, the boss' fiancee, the editor's reporter boyfriend, a janitor, a hack writer, the banker's wife, a caterer and a pompous playwright and you have a recipe for a "Murder in the Wings".

Directed by Kent Loughead, the cast includes Julie MacDonald, Carrie Donovan, Sandy Hunter, Alice Woodbury, Tyler Campbell, Norma MacLellan, David Christie, Jennifer MacKinnon, Emily Durling, Sally Hawkins, Crystal Whitney, Tracy Collins and Tasha Kean. The production crew consists of Arlene LeBlanc, Jeff MacDonald, Clint Ronalds, Matt Reeves, Meghan Dickinson, Veronique Comeau, Carla MacKay and Nicholas Roy.

Performances are 7:30 Wednesday through Friday and tickets are on sale at the Student Union and Athletic Centre. Admission is $6 adult and $4 student.

Posters for the production are displayed around campus. The Drama Society extends their thanks and appreciation to the Student Services Office for their support of this endeavour.