Thinking of buying a coffee today? Why not donate your change to the ongoing relief and recovery efforts in Japan? Every dollar counts and will help support the people of Japan as they continue to struggle following the 9.0-magnitude earthquake and ensuing tsunami that struck the country on March 11.

Boxes of buttons will soon be out at food service locations across campus. All proceeds will be donated to the Canadian Red Cross. Although recovery efforts are under way, many dangers continue to plague the country, including the damaged nuclear reactors. Help Japan overcome this terrible tragedy. Together we can make a difference.

You would have been hard pressed to find a better game in town on Wednesday evening than the fifth annual MBNA Capital Hoops Classic.  Both the Gee-Gees and Ravens Women’s and Men’s Basketball teams played so well, providing many memorable moments that added fuel to this fiery cross-town rivalry!

In the end, the Carleton University Ravens women’s basketball team captured its fourth straight MBNA Capital Hoops Classic title in a 71-63 victory. The Gee-Gees put up a great fight, pushing the game into double overtime. Congratulations to the Gee-Gees’ very own Jenna Gilbert who earned the title of top scorer with a total of 17 points! The Carleton University Ravens men's basketball team also claimed a victory with a 78-65 score over the University of Ottawa Gee-Gees, but it was not an easy claim. Gee-Gees’ Warren Ward was a top scorer with 22 points and 10 rebounds! Congratulations Warren.

It was a great evening with both the uOttawa Gee-Gees and Carleton Ravens demonstrating their talent, skill and fairness on and off the court. It was also a lot of fun for the players, the coaches and the fans. I hope you can join me next year. I lost my friendly wager with Roseann Runte this year, but she’ll be wearing a Gee-Gees jersey in 2012!

I wanted to welcome everyone back to the University for the start of the Winter session. I hope that the holidays were a relaxing time for you, a time to catch up with family and friends.

While a change from the fast pace of life as a student is always welcome, I know that it can also be good to return to uOttawa and reconnect with the community we have formed here on campus.

I want to wish you all the best for this session. May it be an enriching one for you, both academically and personally.

Here we are at the end of another session, preparing to break for the Holiday Season. Good luck on your examinations and with your papers.

I hope you have a moment to savour this time and to reflect on the bright future ahead of you. Many young people around the world share your passion for knowledge but do not have an opportunity to pursue postsecondary studies. A university education, so rich on so many levels, can inspire hope and transform lives.

Enjoy the company of your family and friends and have a delightful Holiday Season. I look forward to seeing you back on campus in the New Year.

We are going to be offering textbook rental services at our bookstore in the University Centre as of January 2011. The Rent-A-Text program will save you 50% or more off the cover price of the nation's most popular textbooks.

In addition to promised savings, the new rental program offers:

• Same-day service: you can rent and return textbooks in store, ensuring that you have the right textbooks the day classes start;
• real-life usage: you will have the freedom to highlight and take notes all within the normal wear and tear associated with coursework; and
• extra spending power: your up-front savings on the cost of textbooks can be applied to other school supplies you may need.

The program is based on a major pilot project undertaken by Follett, our partner in the bookstore operation. Follett's pilot showed that the program saved students nearly $6 million on their course materials in just two terms at 27 schools. More than 90% of the students who rented textbooks expressed satisfaction with the pilot program.

I hope you also find the new program useful and convenient, and I'll be eager to receive reactions you want to share once you've tried it!