From the buzz of battling robots to the power of Japanese drummers and drones of the bagpipes, SFU Surrey’s Global Community Open House on Mar. 7 (4:30-8:30 p.m.) promises to be a high-energy event.
Here’s a taste of what visitors can see and do:
• Join a Nerf target practice while learning about the popular Police Studies program. Meet Rick Parent, assistant professor in the School of Criminology and former Delta Police officer who studies the phenomenon of “suicide by cop”;
• Dress up in the costumes of some of your favourite literary characters (Dr. Suess?) compliments of the World Literature program – one of only seven such programs in the world;
• Go for a virtual walk and see how virtual therapies developed in SFU Surrey’s Pain Studies Lab are helping people to manage chronic pain;
• Meet researchers and students whose stories are part of SFU’s community engagement map – from a student working to empower women in India to an entomologist teaching U.S. park rangers how to solve wildlife crime;
• Watch the action when Lego Mindstorm robots activated by programs built inside them compete like Sumo wrestlers;
• See small-scale, unmanned aircraft capable of performing surveillance duties at forest fires and other tasks showcased by SFU students who are part of Team Guardian. They’ll compete nationally with their projects in May;
Check out some cool technology:
• Wo.Defy is a wedding dress that shows a bride’s emotions by emitting LED lights and setting off pulsating silk flowers that respond to increased breathing and muscle contractions;
• Braccialetto puts GPS technology to practical use for cyclists in the form of arm-bands to interact directly with the environment and experience their surroundings while navigating freely;
• Sonic Cradle melds music, meditation and modern technology together while the user sits suspended in a dark “chamber” to experience a stress-free environment;
• Make colourful elephant toothpaste, stare at science that is both microscopic and larger than life, and watch a variety of science stinks and bangs.
Take in a “world” of entertainment – quite literally. See:
• Bagpipes (SFU Pipe Band) and highland dancers (4:40 p.m.)
• Chinese Wushu sword dance (4:50 p.m.)
• South Asian Arts Bhangra team (5-5:20 p.m.)
• Cloverdale’s Paradise of Polynesian dancers (5:30-5:40 p.m.)
• Sawagi Taiko drummers (5:40-6 p.m.)
• Langley singer/songwriter Shy Sharity (6:30-6:50 p.m.)
• Surrey youth band Good for Grapes (7 p.m.)
Other activities include a fun photo booth, variety of food and a Kid’s Zone with crafts.
Simon Fraser University is Canada’s top-ranked comprehensive university and one of the top 50 universities in the world under 50 years old. With campuses in Vancouver, Burnaby and Surrey, SFU engages actively with the community in its research and teaching, delivers almost 150 programs to more than 30,000 students, and has more than 120,000 alumni in 130 countries.
SFU Surrey is located at #250-13450 102 Ave. in Central City. For more information about the open house, visit http://www.surrey.sfu.ca/openhouse/events
