Warriors win opening game of University Cup

The Warriors men's hockey team defeated the top-ranked University of Alberta Golden Bears in the opening game of the University Cup yesterday, with a final score of 2-1. The Warriors handed the Golden Bears their first loss since December 2012.

Athletics has the summary of the thrilling upset on its website.

The men's hockey team will now face the St. Mary's Huskies on Saturday at 3:30 p.m. EDT, with the game being televised live on Sportsnet. The game will also be streamed live. A victory there will earn them a spot in Sunday's gold medal game. 

 

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Efficiency ideas sought

The Efficiency Working Group, created to "optimize the use of human, financial and capital resources," is seeking ideas from the campus community on how to improve administrative efficiency at the university.

A website and survey tool has been developed to help collect ideas. WatIAM authentication is required to make submissions, however the working group will review suggestions without personal attribution.

The campus community is encouraged to provide input by Friday, March 29.

 

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St. Paul's kicks off 50th anniversary celebration

St. Paul’s University College kicked off its 50^th Anniversary celebrations on Thursday, March 14 with a reception to honor alumni and friends who contributed to the renovation of one of the most important student and community spaces on the St. Paul’s campus – MacKirdy Hall.

To mark the critically important role that St. Paul’s alumni have played in the past few years to the College’s ability to develop a distinctive academic role at the University of Waterloo, the hall, named for Kenneth MacKirdy, founding Waterloo history department professor, member of St. Paul's board of governors and Honorary Fellow of St. Paul's, was officially renamed Alumni Hall.

As part of the renovations, The Edward Jackman Reading Room was created for students.  Reverend Jackman has been a longtime supporter of both the university and St. Paul's through the Jackman Foundation, and contributed to the former St. Paul's library, supporting the construction of a reading room during renovations in the area that at one time held the book stacks.

The celebrations on the 14^th included the unveiling of the new Dr. Kenneth A. MacKirdy History Wall that captures the spirit of the past 50 years. (Pictured above, St. Paul’s and uWaterloo alumni gather to celebrate the unveiling of the Dr. Kenneth A. MacKirdy History and Donor Recognition wall.)

50^th anniversary celebrations will include a spring BBQ, a fall Blackforest coffee house Reunion and a spring 2014 special dinner to honor distinguished alumni of St. Paul’s and Waterloo.

 

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Campus wi-fi upgrade update

Information Systems & Technology (IST) is in the final year of a 3-year, $1.2M upgrade to wi-fi in all academic and administrative buildings across campus. Existing access points (APs) are being upgraded, new access points are being added to nearly double the total number in order to enhance coverage, and special attention is being given to classrooms and common areas that tend to have a high density of users.

IST has provided an update of the current state of the upgrade project, available on its website. Some highlights that will assist campus wifi users in making the most of their online experience include:

Recommended WiFi adapters

"To take full advantage of the upgraded WiFi environment, a dual band 2.4GHz/5GHz WiFi adapter is recommended. This is because the 2.4GHz b/g/n band only has 3 useable channels, and suffers from interference from other equipment using the same frequency (e.g. microwave ovens, cordless phones, Bluetooth). 2.4GHz b/g/n is suitable in a home environment where there are only a few users, but in a classroom with 120 people, and with only 3 channels available (no matter how many APs are installed) performance will be limited. The 5GHz a/n band, in contrast, has 23 channels available."

Laptops

"When buying a laptop, make sure it supports both 2.4GHz and 5GHz. This is usually shown as a/b/g/n; if it says b/g/n (without ‘a’), it is probably not dual band. All Macs made in the last 3 years are dual band. Laptops bought through UW’s agreement with Dell are dual band. Many of the PC laptop models at campustech are dual band. Most PC laptops available at stores off campus or online are not dual band. If you aren’t sure you will need to look up the laptop and WiFi adapter model online to confirm."

Have you setup your own router or AP?

"Anyone who has installed a WiFi router or AP in their office or residence room should disconnect this device and use the campus provided service. If the campus service does not meet your needs, please follow the process. Unauthorized private APs may be disconnected without warning to ensure a dependable service is available to the campus community. For additional information, please see the university's wireless guidelines."

The full update, with more detailed information about Access Points and wi-fi usage guidelines, is available in the text of the update from Network Services.

 

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Watch for falling props and other notes

There will be a lot of things up in the air this weekend as the 21st annual Waterloo Juggling Festival takes place in the Student Life Centre on Saturday and Sunday. Workshops and competitions will be running all day, there will be a unicycle ride at 1:00 p.m., and the big show is set for Saturday night at 7:00 p.m. in Hagey Hall, with tickets going for $10.

The festival is the largest juggling event of its kind in Ontario, and the third largest in Canada.

Event details are available on the UW Juggling Club's festival Facebook page.

The Waterloo Warriors badminton team has won its fourth straight medal in as many years at the recent OUA championship tournament held at Ryerson University. The Athletics department has the team's highlights on its website. Congratulations!

Here's the latest nutrition "myth vs. fact" from Health Services dietician Sandra Ace:

"Myth:" Drinking tea and coffee causes dehydration.

"Fact:" Hydration, or having enough fluid in your body, is important for controlling blood pressure and temperature, waste removal, alertness and physical performance. It’s a widely-held belief that tea and coffee are dehydrating because they contain caffeine. However, most well-designed experimental trials found that consuming caffeine-containing drinks did not lead to negative fluid balance, or dehydration, when consumed in normal amounts (about 3 cups of coffee or 6 cups of tea per day). Tea and coffee are mostly water so they count towards your fluid intake for the day and can help keep you hydrated. In spite of this good news, satisfying your thirst most often with water is still recommended. A sign that you are well-hydrated is if you produce plenty of urine that is clear to light yellow, like pale lemonade. If your urine is darker than this you need to drink more fluids.

 

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