wr Time to re-live the Vancouver 2010 Olympics By Maria Asselin-Roy, Staff Reporter ast year, it seemed as if the entire Lower Mainland was partying on Granville street. Canadians, Americans, world travellers, mascots, and athletes were all gathered in one place for one celebration. The two weeks that the Olympics were held in Vancouver were two weeks that the citizens of the Lower Mainland will never forget. It seems that since everyone had such an amazing time, the people of Vancouver have decided to re-live the 2010 Olympics, for old times’ sake. Vancouver asked for it, and Vancouver got it. Mayor Gregor Robertson has just recently announced that Vancouver will be hosting fun and festive events that are meant to celebrate the one year anniversary of the Olympic Games. Robertson says that “The 2010 Winter Games filled our city with energy and excitement and changed the way the world looked at Vancouver. The Games were a once in a lifetime experience that elevated our city onto the world stage.” So far, the plan is that the city will get together with community groups in order to host a wide range of events over the weekend of February 11. Events include: the Lunar Festival Parade, a two-night street party with booths and light displays from local artists, Olympic themed events at the Creekside Community Recreation Centre, and much more. To completely re-live the feel of the Olympics, Granville Street will be closed to vehicles so that mass crowds of people can visit and party. The large screens on Granville Street will be playing the highlights of the Olympic Games during this two day street party. Robson Street will also be closed to accommodate the crowds. Richmond will also be celebrating the 2010 anniversary on February 11 and 12 as it will be holding the annual Winterfest Weekend at the Richmond Olympic Oval. At the Winterfest Weekend you will be able to skate with Olympic athletes, as well as other events in celebration of the Games. Kristina Groves and Denny Morrison, who are speed skating medalists will be there for “A Special Skate for a Champion” The celebrations to re-live the Olympics will coincide with Vancouver’s assigned title “Cultural Capital of Canada” this year. The people who are organizing these 2010 inspired events are expecting a huge turnout, and should be almost as successful as the Olympics themselves. If you are looking for a fun night out on the weekend of February 11, downtown will have tons to offer. Underground physics lab in Antarctica By Maria Asselin-Roy, Staff Reporter ecently, the world’s largest underground physics lab in the world finished completion. The physics lab, titled The IceCube Neutrino Observatory, is meant to detect high- energy sub-atomic particles such as neutrinos, and hopefully find evidence of dark matter. For those of you who do not know what neutrinos are, basically they are a tiny particle that travels close to the speed of light, and they are able to pass through materials without disturbing anything around them. The observatory is located in the middle of a glacier in Antarctica, almost directly on the South Pole. In order to detect these high-energy sub-particles amongst other phenomena, over five thousand sensors have been put into 86 holes, and each hole is drilled around two and a half kilometres into the ice. The observatory has been up and running for about a year, although it is only recently that the last holes were drilled. Since the first observations, the working physicists have looked at nearly twenty thousand rare collisions between water particles 4 and one of the high- energy sub-atomic particles known as neutrinos. This is not the first underground physics lab to be set up. In 2005, a similar observatory was built called the Main Injector Neutrino Oscillation Search, or MINOS. It was launched in the 1980’s, but in the 21* century detector components were added to observe neutrinos. There is another lab currently being built for similar reasons in Lead, South Dakota. This lab is specifically made for finding dark matter. The scientists are attempting to find dark matter by filling up 300 kilogram tanks with Xenon, which is material that is originally thought to help form the universe. According to physicists, the deeper they go the better. Physicists hope that with searching for evidence of dark matter, neutrinos, and other things they _ will better understand the birth of the universe and why we are here. IceCube Lab 80 meters: 1490 meters 2490 meters: 2820 meters: Let sleeping dogs lie — just not in your bed. By Kate Hunt new report suggests it might be time to send Fido back to the oghouse. In “Zoonoses in the Bedroom,” published in the February issue of Emerging Infectious Diseases, authors Bruno Chomel and Ben Sun suggest that sleeping with, kissing or being licked by pets can pose a risk to your health. This article may be a tough pill to swallow for animal lovers. Surveys cited in the publication suggest that up to 62% of pet owners allow pets in bed with them. Further, resting with pets is considered by many to be a source of psychological comfort. The risks, however, may be hard to ignore. Of the 250 known zoonotic diseases — that is, viruses, bacteria and parasites that can be transferred from animals to humans — at least 100 come from domestic pets. And even if you think your pet is in peak condition, think again. According to the article, even dogs and cats that appear perfectly healthy can carry pathogens that “cause mild to life- threatening illness in their owners.” But we shouldn’t be too quick to give our furry friends the cold shoulder, says Chomel. “It’s a matter of common sense,” he says. “I never said, ‘Don’t have the pet in the bedroom.’ I’m saying, if you put the pet on the bed or in the bed, there are consequences.” He adds that such consequences are “rare,” but that effects can be severe. Severe, indeed — the article cites a number of shocking case studies, including one in which a man contracted meningitis from his dog licking his owner’s hip replacement wound under the covers. In another example, a nine-year- old boy got the plague from sleeping with his flea-ridden cat. Children and people with compromised immune systems are at the greatest risk for zoonotic illness. The study also reports that dog lovers might have less to worry about than cat owners, as statistical analyses have demonstrated higher prevalence and severity of disease from feline friends. The most common is cat-scratch disease (Latin name bartonellosis), which is diagnosed in approximately 25,000 Americans each year and can lead to swollen lymph nodes, fever, headache and various other symptoms. The authors emphasize that while the aforementioned risks are real, regular veterinary care substantially reduces the risks pets pose to their human companions. Ensuring pets’ health goes a long way toward securing both owners’ health and the joys of pet ownership. Emerging Infectious Diseases is the monthly peer-reviewed public health journal of the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). Bruno Chomel is a professor of zoonoses at UC Davis. Ben Sun is the state public health veterinarian for the California Department of Health. It is unknown whether Chomel or Sun are pet owners. Ladies Night at Douglas College By Sharon Miki crowd of staff and students assembled on January 25 for uglas College’s first ever Ladies Night at Sephora. The event took place at the Coquitlam Centre mall, located in the same area as the College’s David Lam campus. Hosted by Centre for Campus Life and Athletics, Ladies Night offered the mostly female crowd the opportunity to partake in free hair and makeup makeovers and refreshments. In addition to the free activities, the staff at Sephora kept their tills open after-hours to allow attendees to shop throughout the event. Participants were also encouraged to participate in a meet-and-greet activity for which they were entered in a prize draw. Event leader Anna Schachner, who works with the David Lam campus branch of the Centre, planned the an occasion as way »,* to reach out to Douglas College h A students that want 4 to be involved in campus life but a who may not be interested in the more athletic- based activities offered by the school. Prior to the night, 130 people had signed up online to confirm their intended attendance; additional students were able to drop in and attend the event as well. For information on other upcoming events planned by the Centre for Campus Life and Athletics, visit www.douglife.ca.