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Holidays: Story Tips for Journalists (2015)

Published: 16 December 2015

Here are some story ideas for the upcoming Holiday season:

Catholicism: Anne Leahy, Religious studies

She's available to comment on the new engagements of the Catholic Church on a wide range of public policy issues: environment, ethical, political, social, economic, international relations and development. She can discuss Pope Francis' achievements in 2015 and what to look for in 2016.

She's an adjunct professor with a distinguished career in Canadian diplomatic service among which she served as Ambassador to the Holy See (2008-2012).

aslleahy [at] gmail [dot] com (English, French, Italian)

Homelessness: Dr. Eric Latimer, Department of Psychiatry and Douglas Mental Health University Institute

“2015 was an important year in the fight against homelessness in Montreal.  The first Point-in-time count of homeless people was conducted in March and revealed that while Montreal has fewer homeless per capita than other large Canadian cities, it has more than Toronto or Calgary who are sleeping outside.  At the same time, programs based on the Housing First model, funded by the federal government as a result of research conducted in part by McGill, have begun to operate and remedy this situation.”

eric [dot] latimer [at] mcgill [dot] ca. Office: (514) 761-6131 loc. 2351. Cell: (514) 518-1593. (English, French)

Television: Casey J. McCormick, PhD Candidate, Media & Cultural Studies

“TV can help manage holiday stress in two ways: by giving individuals a break from family interaction, or by giving families an activity to do together that creates shared interests and sparks meaningful discussions.”

She’ll teach next semester in McGill's English department a Special Topics in Cultural Studies course entitled "Netflix". Here's a blog post she wrote about why she has created the class.

virtualcjm [at] gmail [dot] com. Out of town Dec. 13-21. (English)

 

Food: Ariel Fenster, Department of Chemistry and Office for Science & Society

He can talk about food scares of the year, weight gain and dieting, the chemistry of wine, the science and traditions of chocolate, the chemistry of love, gemstones.

Ariel [dot] fenster [at] mcgill [dot] ca. Office: (514) 398-2618. Cell: (514) 917-7351. (English and French)

 

Joe Schwarcz, Office for Science and Society

Interesting turkey facts, Hallucinating reindeer, Mistletoe, frankincense and myrrh, Champagne.

Joe [dot] schwarcz [at] mcgill [dot] ca, office: (514) 398-6238. (English)

 

Marketing: Robert Soroka, Desautels Faculty of Management

1) Why "Boxing Day" Just Isn't Boxing Day Anymore. Boxing Day was once revered as THE day to get the deal of the year. Professor Soroka will tell shoppers why Boxing Day is now more sizzle than substance.
2) Christmas Myths: Marketing professor Robert Soroka will dispel common holiday shopping myths.
3) Gift Card Gaffes, or "when a dollar is not really a dollar": Marketing professor Robert Soroka will distinguish between "gift cards" and "prepaid cards", and explain why merchants hate gift cards but credit card companies love prepaid cards.
4) New Year's Shopping Resolutions: Marketing Professor Robert Soroka will help craft resolutions that will help consumers become sharper-and wealthier-consumers in 2016
5) The Power of Marketing: how we are seduced, cajoled, and romanced to buy so much!

robert [dot] soroka [at] mcgill [dot] ca. Cellphone available on demand: vincent [dot] allaire [at] mcgill [dot] ca or (514) 398-6693

Christmas tree: David Wees, Plant Science

David Wees will give you tips on how to pick your Christmas tree. Faculty lecturer in the Department of Plant Science and in the Farm Management and Technology Program, he teaches all aspects of horticulture with a special interest in greenhouse crops and urban horticulture.

david [dot] wees [at] mcgill [dot] ca, office: 514-398-7868. (English)

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