OCTOBER 2006 ISSUE

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Marc Boulet

STUDENT COLUMN

Charms of New Orleans Capture Contingent of U of C Students

Certainly, travel is more than the seeing of sights; it is a change that goes on, deep and permanent, in the ideas of living..

 – Miriam Beard, Author

BY MARC BOULET
University of Calgary Student Columnist (Geosciences)

THE NEW ORLEANS CONTINGENT These University of Calgary visitors made a great impression on their New Orelans hosts at the Society of Exploration Geophysicists Conference. The success of this year's trip means futture visits to the SEG Conference are likely.

The University of Calgary made quite an impression on organizers, exhibitors and delegates at a recent conference in New Orleans. The University of Calgary, in fact, sent the largest contingent of undergraduates of the educational institutions represented.

Sixteen senior U of C undergraduate geophysics students (including me) attended the 76th annual Society of Exploration Geophysicists’ Conference. This represented double the number of students who attended last year’s conference in Houston.

Part of the invaluable experience gained from an event like this results from planning and organization. The inaugural meeting was held in March, with fundraising efforts stretching over the summer into September.

A tremendous amount of hard work was put in by all of the participating students in order to remove any financial obstacles to our attending. Consequently, the trip was fully funded, thanks to the generous support of a number of industry sponsors and various levels of the university.

Once in New Orleans, we took in every aspect of the conference, including volunteer and presenting opportunities. Besides a dazzling array of technical talks, we took part in a number of conference activities, such as the student career planning session and evening gala.

A particular favourite was the exhibition floor, where sales pitches, free handouts, and networking opportunities flowed like the Mississippi. The international complexion of the conference was especially eye-opening, and we met students from around North America and the world.

In addition to the conference, we had the opportunity to take in the sights and sounds of New Orleans. While the devastation of Hurricane Katrina was still evident, the city is working hard to welcome visitors, with great music and food everywhere. The vibrancy of the French Quarter was a real treat, and everyone enjoyed feeding marshmallows to wild alligators on a bayou tour.

Based on the enthusiasm shown by the students both in New Orleans and Houston, it appears that attending the SEG Conference will become an annual event for graduating geophysics students. It is a great mix of fun and education, as well as an ideal capstone event for students who have attended four years of school together.

Once again, hearty thanks go out to the organizations that have supported this endeavour over the past two years.

2006 SEG Conference Sponsors

Talisman Energy Inc.
Faculty of Science,  University of Calgary
Department of Geology and Geophysics, University of Calgary
GEDCO
Key Seismic Solutions Ltd.
Saudi Aramco
University of Calgary Students’ Union
Apache Canada Corporation
BJV Exploration Partnership
Golden Eagle Energy Ltd.
Rosetta Exploration Inc.
Sigma Explorations Inc.
Total E & P Canada Ltd.