Get a Life! Socials

The Second Messenger Neuroscience Students’ Association Issue No. 2 December 2005 For more info, email or phone Dallas WELCOME TO THE Second SECOND at... MESSENGER (or as we like to call it 22 Messenger). Inside this issue – [email protected] everything you’ve ever dreamt of seeing 478-6145 in your undergraduate Neuroscience Newsletter: Socials, Gradnews, Prof January Jolliness Profiles, Neurowear, and updates on ongoing projects, and of course, a …Introducing the Neuralympics! (aka chance to free stuff – the win best kind Survivor, Neuro-style). Has your mother of stuff there is. ever told you that in a battle of wits, you’d arrive unarmed? On more than GET A LIFE! SOCIALS one occasion? Here is your chance to prove her wrong! Enter the We are pleased to announce that our Neuralympics – the Trivial Pursuit October Social was very well attended – challenge with a Neuro twist. Profs will our dinner at Fiore’s saw a good third of be paired up with students in teams of 2, Neuroscience come out – but really, with each team vying for fame, glory, what else can be expected from a and sweet prizes. But hurry – we are program that is as full of hip, suave folk capping entries at 6 students, so you as Neuroscience? Congratulations to might just want drop anything else you Benjamin Meek and Jill Palmer for being are doing (including studying for that the first two first-years to respond – they final tomorrow) and e-mail Shawna at had their dinner paid for by the NSA. [email protected].

Here is a look a upcoming socials: Inside this issue

Winter Break Welcome………………………...1 Get a Life: Socials…………..…1 It’s official! The Neuroscience Ski Trip is GradNews……………………….1 all set to happen January 5th and 6th (a Thursday and Friday, for the metrically The Academic Life………….…2 challenged). If you want in on the Question of the Month………..2 fabulousness, here is what you need to Neurowear……………………...2 know: Prof Profile……………………..2 Comments?...... 3 COST: $13500 NSA Exec Contract Info……..3 Included: Lift tickets, a one-night stay at the best hotel in Jasper, transportation GRADNEWS ’06 – Update and some other goodies. What you need to bring: Your skis (or The Ball is Rolling. This year, the you can rent) and some extra cash for partnership that everyone has long meals. awaited is finally happening: the Why you should e-mail our VP Social marriage between the two hottest right this second: Two-thirds of the sciences, Neuro and Pharmacology is available 12 spots are already taken – underway, and in a little under 9 and this trip promises to fire up those months, we will see the fruits of this rusty dopamine reward pathways, love-union: Grad 2006! It will be fun. It dormant from a term of drudgery…. will be formal. It will be fab. GRADNEWS part deux: (Estimated value of shirt $15000.00, 4th years: E-mail Lindsay, our grad accounting for inflation in 1000 years coordinator if you are interested in time). attending. The tentative date is scheduled for one of April 29th.

Tasting Fame & Glory: The Academic Life

Neuroscience Outreach Program (NOP)

Presentations are currently on hold until the new year. If this news saddens you, never fear: if You’ve seen them on the covers of Vogue, you are a third or fourth year “Are you pondering what I’m pondering?” student, and you want in on Maxim and Chatelaine. Now, after months of the action, we are presently waiting – it is finally here! Enter NeuroWear recruiting presenters for ‘05’ – the hottest fashion item of the season. If Winter Term ’06, contact Cam you are interested, send an e-mail to Laura at [email protected]. ([email protected]) specifying your name, shirt size and quantity desired no later than You Could Be Famous! Calling All January 3rd, 2006. Prices, though not finalized Neuro 450/451/452 Students! as of yet, will range between $15-25. We will be starting our student profiles on fourth-years and their research in January. If the thought of minor fame tantalizes you, e-mail Cam at [email protected] Free Neurowear November Question of the Month. Prof Profile: Dr. Dallas Treit Think you know everything there is to (Because, yes, profs are human too.) know about Star Wars? Then try this question on for size: It is a little known Dr. Treit-at-a-glance: fact that back in his youthful days (and before he became a Jedi Master), Teaches: Yoda was Intergalactic Grammar Psychology 275 Champion – until the light-sabre (required for 2nd year) accident. Now he can’t coherently Famous for: Using string a sentence together! Assuming his brain follows a similar physiology to Jeopardy-style ours (humans, not monkeys, smart- questions as a aleck), speculate where his light-sabre teaching aid in class. lesion occurred to make him have such Favorite Music: Classical, rock, jazz, difficulty with speech production. If you folk. think you are a savvy neuroscience Favorite Sports: Tennis, gol.f student, e-mail your answers to Cam at If he wasn’t teaching he’d be… “a [email protected]. The first correct professional golfer. And on holiday on reply will get a free Neuro shirt the time.” (wouldn’t we all…) On why he chose his field, behavioral psychology with a focus on neuroscience: “I’ve always been interested in human behavior – it holds the greatest promise for understanding human behaviors, which shape our world, society and culture. The neuroscience is important because the study of the brain is important in understanding complex behaviors.” What he’d change about the teaching set- up if he could: “Large class sizes make prof-student interaction difficult. A larger teaching capacity for smaller class sizes Tired of K+ Channels? would be ideal.” Words of Wisdom for Newbie Neuros: We are too. So email us and tell us “It’s that same thing for any first-year: about your neurocellular University is not the same as high school. angst. We promise to at What you achieve is up to you.” least feign interest and Finally, a word association game: biology. pretend like we still know “Behavior.” Monkey. “Primate.” Kumquat. what you are talking about. “Olive.” Giraffe. “Ganglion cell.” Angry purple hobo. (Laughter) “Wicked Witch of The NSA Exec is: the West.” President – Shawna Pandya ([email protected]) “ These pretzels are making me VP Academic – Cam Elliott thirsty.” Did any part of this ([email protected]) newsletter make you thirsty? VP Social – Dallas Koperski Tell us about it. If you have any ([email protected]) questions, suggestions, comments, heaps of praise or Social Coordinator – Sonya Kostov rude remarks, please e-mail our ([email protected]) co-editors, Shawna Grad Coordinator – Lindsay Jantzie ([email protected]) or Cam ([email protected]) ([email protected]). Treasurer – Laura Davies ([email protected]) Secretary – Hollie Power ([email protected])

Please try to direct questions to the appropriate individuals, or the consequences will be dire.