People
After Hours
ROBIN MILHAUSEN
Faculty member in the Department of Family Relations and Applied Nutrition since 2006
Although Prof. Robin Milhausen, former co-host of the TV show Sex, Toys and Chocolate, has taken a break from appearing on television, she admits she's become hooked on watching it. After she and her husband, Steve Jett, put their nine-month-old son, Leo, to bed, their attention turns to shows like The Amazing Race, Survivor, Big Brother and America's Next Top Model. We're reality junkies, says Milhausen.
On weekends from September to February, the couple's attention turns to a different kind of reality television as they root for their favourite football teams. And a day of football wouldn't be complete without a selection of snacks, she says. I love to make appetizers to enjoy while we watch the games. My favourite thing to make is baked brie with green onions.
Milhausen credits her husband with getting her interested in the game. He was smart. He figured the only way he could get me to agree to let him watch all season was to get me involved.
She's so involved that she created a couple's fantasy football league to add to the fun of the game. I'm actually quite competitive, and I apply my research skills to the game by making up all sorts of spreadsheets with yards and touchdowns and things like that.
In November, her competitive nature helped her win $1,200 at a blackjack table in Las Vegas. I'd never been to Vegas before, and it was unbelievable.
CATHERINE WALSH-SHANTZ
Master's student in the Department of Integrative Biology
There's nothing like spending the holidays in the clouds, which is exactly what Catherine Walsh-Shantz did. She and her husband, John, recently returned from a two-week trip to Costa Rica to spend Christmas and New Year's with one of John's brothers at his coffee farm in the Cloud Forest.
The number of different climates and ecosystems you pass through in a short drive in Costa Rica is pretty exciting, says Walsh-Shantz, who captured much of her experience through digital images she shot on her camera. I had to tell myself to stop taking pictures and look around once in a while. The huge diversity of plants and animals and the mountainous and ocean views provide for endless photo opportunities. My favourite things to do outside of school are travel and photography.
Over the past decade, she has travelled to India, Tanzania and Kenya with her mother, who operates a women's-only tour company in Stratford. In addition, she and John have been to a number of European countries, including Greece, where they spent their honeymoon nearly 10 years ago. This year is a big one for Walsh-Shantz, who celebrates her 30th birthday this month and her 10th wedding anniversary in September.
These days, it's difficult for the couple to find time to travel because of the demands of her school schedule and running an antique clock and watch shop in Stratford, she says. We're really busy year-round with the business, but especially busy during the summer tourist season and the weeks leading up to Christmas.
MICHAEL CHUDNOVSKY
IT assistant in the President's Office since 2006
Michael Chudnovsky first came to U of G as a human kinetics student, a perfect fit given his affinity for math, science and athletics. He excelled in those subjects in high school and was a competitive water polo player. But the Hamilton native was also passionate about theatre and film and ended up transferring to Guelph's theatre studies program, which he graduated from last year.
When he's not troubleshooting computer problems on campus, Chudnovsky has been working on his own film and two theatre productions through the local First Light Theatre Company. Film and television are what interest me primarily, he says, but theatre is a good stepping stone and I've always loved it.
Late last semester, he worked on a play called I Met a Bully on the Hill. He was both stage manager and assistant producer and also liaised with local education boards to bring 1,200 young people to see the show.
Currently, Chudnovsky is assistant director, stage manager, lighting designer and assistant producer for a production of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory slated to run at Our Lady of Lourdes High School Jan. 31 to Feb. 4. I love working with kids, he says.
His greatest joy is being behind the scenes, especially when directing. He did just that for the movie Four Aces, a film shot on campus last year.
Career-wise, his main interest lies in producing for television. I like the idea of being able to have input in the early stages of a project and see it come to fruition.
Editor's note: If you would like to be featured in "After Hours" or would like to suggest someone for the column, contact Rebecca Kendall at Ext. 56039 or r.kendall@exec.uoguelph.ca.