Lögberg-Heimskringla - 28.04.1995, Blaðsíða 4

4 • Lögberg-Heimskringla • Föstudagur 28. apríl 1995
Academic Exchange Between Guelph and lceland Formalized
Beginning in the back row, moving left to right: Prof. Jim Shute, Director,
Centre for International Programs, University of Guelph, Prof. David Knight,
Dean, College of Social Sciences, University of Guelph, DavíO Gíslason,
Graduate student, University of Gueiph, Prof. David Noakes, Director,
Institute of lchthyology, University of Guelph, In the front row, moving from
left to right: Prof. Steven Cronshaw, Department of Psychology, University
of Guelph, Prof. Mordechai Rozanski, President, University of Guelph, Prof.
Skúli Skúlason, Research Scientist, Agricultural College at Hólar, lceland,
Prof. Sigurdur Snorrason, Department of Biological Science, University of
lceland, Reykjavík. (This photograph represents the signing ceremony for
the lceland agreement held at the University of Guelph).
by Kerith Waddington
University Communications,
University of Guelph
Guelph, Ontario, Canada.
Another avenue for study
abroad has opened up
for Guelph students
-this time with our neighbours
in Iceland.
An academic exchange
between the University of
Guelph and four Icelandic
institutions - the Agricultural
Colleges of both Hólar and
Hvanneyri, and Universities of
both Akureyri and Iceland -
was approved March 24. With
this exchange, the collaborative
research which has existed on
an informal basis between
Guelph and Icelandic institu-
tions for over ten years receives
a boost in terms of both fund-
ing and participant level.
Restricted only by the availabil-
ity of resources, enrolment is
open to all members of partici-
pating institutions (at the
Graduate and Undergraduate
level) at a maximum of 10 stu-
dents from each school per
year. Individual programs -
whether research or course
work - will be determined by
consultation between the stu-
dent and the course adviser at
the host University.
The brainchild of Prof.
David Noakes of Zoology and
his former student Skuli
Skúlason (who is from Iceland
and completed his doctorate
here in 1990), the exchange
became a reality with the for-
mation of an Icelandic commit-
tee. Members include (in addi-
tion to Noakes and Skulason)
Prof. Jim Shute of the Centre
for International Programs,
Prof. Steve Cronshaw of Psy:
chology and Prof. Mike Moss,
of Environmental Sciences.
David Knight, Dean of Social
Science, Bruce Sells, Dean of
Biological Science, Sigurður
Snorrason, Department of
Biology, U. of Iceland, Páll
Skúlason, Dept. of Philosophy,
U. of Iceland, and Thorsteinn
Gunnarsson, President of the
University of Akureyri.
The level of interest on cam-
pus and across departments is
indicative of the timeliness of
the exchange, says Noakes.
“The exchange is important
for cultural, economic, scientif-
ic and environmental reasons,”
he says. “Students and faculty
alike will benefit from exposure
to another culture and the
opportunities for research its
unique ecology provides.
One potential impediment
to studying abroad - the pay-
ment of international student
fees - has been waived for
exchange participants by the
Ontario Ministry of Education
and Training. Students register
and pay tuition fees at their
home institution; the cost of
housing, books and subsistence
is also their responsibility.
Skúlason believes the pro-
ject will be mutually beneficial
given the collaborative research
it will spawn.
“There is a lot of expertise at
Guelph that is much sought
after, for instance in the area of
aqua culture,” he says. At the
same time, Iceland offers
unique environmental situa-
tions for study not available in
Guelph.”
The exchange is off to a run-
ning start with the application
to Guelph of master’s student
Davíð Gíslason from Iceland.
A former student and teacher
of Hólar Agricultural College,
Gíslason arrived in Guelph in
January and is currently con-
ducting research on the genet-
ics and morphology of the
Arctic Char. Acting as informal
ambassador from Iceland, he
says his experiences here have
been pleasant.
“People here have been
helpful, and seem genuinely
interested in knowing about
Iceland,” he says. “Given the
level of interest, I think the
exchange program will be
active both ways.”
Also kicking off the program
is a three-week Icelandic multi-
disciplinary field course this
summer, entitled “Dialogues in
Environmental, Cultural and
Ethical Studies.” Shute is excit-
ed about its interdisciplinary
aspects.
“Science and social science
students will be participating at
the same level and with the
same colleagues,” he says.
“This is a spirit reflective of the
exchange as a whole.”
Submitted by Steven Cronshaw,
Phd., son of Gudny Thorunn
Cronshaw of Gimli.

that ‘Muna’ in lcelandic means ‘to
remember’.
Icelanders Will Go Out Of
Their Way com ’d. from p. 3
Muna
by Katrina Koven
I remember, Natkusiak, the night that
you took me
to swim in the protected and pristine
Laguna
Vou christened me there and you
changed my name
from ‘Moonbeam’ to the more graceful
‘Muna’
Vou adorned me with seashells and a
halo of amber
stained my skin with dandelions and
cranberries
The great Northern Lights hung high in
the sky
dancing carefree with night owls and
fairies
A poem you delivered with dash and
with spirit
endearments abounded, romance
bathed the air
You filled me with wine till my heart
could not bear it
and after we lay in the warmth of your
lair.
Natkusiak, you know I will treasure for-
ever,
that fairy-tale night in September
When at midnight we parted and you
whispered to me
Donations to
Lögberg-Heimskringla Inc.
T)avid Tomasson, Winnipeg, MB..$10.10 ^
G.J. & V.J. Henrikson,
Vancouver, BC................$40.00
Leo Hjalmarsson, Arden, MB.....$19.10
Jonina Eaman, Edmonton, AB.....$20.00
V
Katrína is the granddaughter of Ásdis
Anderson (nee Guttormson) and
Thorsteinn Andres Anderson , daughter
ofSylvia Koshyk.
To a Young Poet
by Ella Fiagg Ramsay
I hear your words on the wind, young'
poet—
Hear your words on the wind.
the words are wild and strong and free,
Silled with the glorious zeal of youth.
Let your words rise high, young poet.
Give them wings and let them soar
Over the scorched and withered grain—
Over the oil-slicked battered seas.
Send them up above the clouds,
Above the acid rain and higher—
Up through the holes in the ozone layer!
Touch the moon and Saturn’s face.
Your words will echo from the stars,
Bounce off the junk in outer space
Back to our aching wounded earth
To every part of the world we know.
We hear your words on the wind young
poet,
Words that have bounced off a comet’s
tail,
Resolute, daring, firm and bold,
Burnished by grit and cosmic dust.
Through concrete, steel and glass they
come
Into our minds and wizened hearts.
They waken us, stir us , churn our blood
To begin again with a burning will.
Dedicated to the gifted young poets
whose works were published in Lögberg-
Heimskríngla, July30,1993
stressed he did not believe in ghosts or
elves, but thought it important to keep
the idea alive.
The main road out of Reykjavík
bends to avoid an elfstone. Machineiy
had broken down when workers tried
to move it. Today, there is a fence
around the stone.
Rocks are believed to be the natural
habitat of elves, who can be either nice
or nasty but will not harm you uniess
you disturb their homes. The elves can-
not live in the lava that covers much of
the island because it is “dead” rock,
experts say.
“There are many gravel pits our
engineers would like to use, but don’t
dare to,” said Jónsson. His boss, how-
ever, reminded him of the quarry where
work stopped for several weeks so the
fairies could “move” elsewhere.
Few books can match the Icelandic
Road Guide for deadpan descriptions
of the supernatural, though many
entries are in the past tense and testify
to a fall in the spirit population.
For Thor Vigfússon, a school- heád-
master in Selfoss, a farming town of
3,800, the threat of extinction of
Icelandic ghosts is a personal problem.
One* of the peculiarities of Icelandic
ghosts is that they tend to haunt fami-
lies, accompanying descendants if they
move. They usually stay with families
for nine generations.
Vigfússon was brought up on the
farm next to that haunted by the local
ghost, known as Móri (the brown one).
The last member of the ninth genera-
tion of Móri’s “family” is very old and
he says the locals worry about what
will happen to Móri when she dies.
The hauntings began after a young
man was refused shelter at a farm in
1784. He drowned in a nearby lake that
night. Any car which refuses to give a
hitchhiker a lift outside Móri’s gate is
said to break down within 500 metres.
Strange, but fairly minor, mishaps
are said to occur if people laugh at
Móri while driving past the farm.
Courtesy News From Iceland
Minister threw a temple tantrum
ALutheran minister in Grindavík, southwest Iceland has come out
opposed to the building of a temple to the ancient pagan deities of
Þór and Óðinn on town grounds.
The novel undertaking, very likely the first of its kind in the nearly
1,000 years since Iceland adopted Christianity, is the brainchild of the
Vor trú (Our Belief) group, who hope to present Icelanders’ ancient cul-
ture both to their own countrymen and incoming tourists.
The local Grindavík building committee suspended construction -
already well under way - pending a decision on the matter by the town
council.