Department of Physics and Astronomy faculty and staff attended a special post-Christmas retreat at Ivey Spencer Leadership Centre on January 4, 2017.
The day began with a wonderfully relaxing hour-long yoga class from teacher Michel. Everyone thoroughly enjoyed it.
With stress levels dissipated, the freshly energized retreat goers went on to a another activity, the head chef’s challenge. Placed in front of each of 4 groups of challengers was a table of sweets, candies, various fruits, graham crackers, skewers, some royal icing, and some thinner consistency icing, along with parchment pastry / piping cone paper. The idea was to have each of the teams not only assemble a creation on a 30cm. by 50cm. plate, but to concoct a story line around the creation. They were given 45 minutes to complete their chefs d’oeuvre.
Group 1 came up with a graham cracker Keck telescope and a spiral galaxy containing an assortment of sweet galactic residents. Pauline Barmby was the group presenter, and did a fine sales job.
Group 2, the overall chef’s pick for winner, had a theme of ‘Solar Eclipse Aug. 21, 2017 at Cronyn Observatory’. This display had everything, including a pineapple Sun, chocolate Moon, melon and cracker observatory, Alumni traffic circle, telescope, and a basement filled with historic artifacts. Jan Cami was sales person for this project, and it is rumoured that he payed off the chef.
Group 3’s presentation was titled “Worlds Collide” and was a well presented mishmash of Sci-Fi lore, including Dr. Who’s Tardis phone booth, a Borg Cube, as well as a small collection of Sci. Fi. characters. Brian Davis did the sales work on this one.
Group 4’s sales pitch was done as a group effort, with a Star Trek theme. The story line has the crew of the U.S.S. Enterprise visiting a planet that is filled with tasty alien life forms.
Lunch followed in DK’s Lounge.
After lunch the group was treated to a very interesting talk by Western Political Science professor Rado Dimitrov. Professor Dimitrov has been the Bulgarian representative to the E.U. during the recent international climate talks, culminating in the Paris Agreement. The audience was given a wonderful taste of the Paris meetings, as well as some insights into the science and diplomacy centred on the global warming issue. There were lots of questions from the audience.
The final item on the agenda was a brainstorming session on several important departmental topics, projects, and initiatives. This was led by Chair Bob Sica.
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