2005 engineering graduate dies of cancer in Japan

St. Thomas graduate Daniel Shinozaki died Sunday, Feb. 21, in Nagoya, Japan.

Shinozaki, who attended Rosemount High School and graduated from St. Thomas in 2005 with a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering, was battling colorectal cancer and undergoing chemotherapy while in Japan.

Demise of December commencements surprises students

Students are surprised that St. Thomas is cutting December commencement exercises. From now on, students planning to graduate in December will not be able to participate in a commencement ceremony until May.

St. Thomas’ administration is eliminating December commencement ceremonies because of its proximity to Christmas, its typically lower number of graduates than in May and to tighten the budget.

Opinions bubble about soda pop study

A recent University of Minnesota study suggests people who drink at least two bottles of pop per week are twice as likely to develop pancreatic cancer.

Dr. Jill Manske, St. Thomas biology professor, has been following the study and said high fructose corn syrup, found in regular pop, is the main ingredient to blame.