The Dark Nitrobacter Rises: This was the scene in Professor Josh Neufeld's Biology 240 ("Fundamentals of Microbiology") course yesterday.

"This class has begun to enjoy this Halloween tradition I think, following on the heels of last years' "Darth Grader" costume," Neufeld writes.

When he's not fighting bacterial crime as a costumed crusader, Neufeld is also recruiting students, faculty and staff to the Waterloo Science Movember team.

Photo by Elena Kazakevic.

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Today, celebrate Library Day

Today, from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., the Library will be celebrating Library Day.

A number of activities are planned to mark the occasion, which celebrates the campus community's connection to the Library, the role it plays in learning, teaching, and research, and most importantly, an opportunity for the Library to show its appreciation for students, faculty and staff at Waterloo.

The Davis Centre Library will be hosting a "silent spooky scavenger hunt." Students who complete the scavenger hunt will have a chance to win a $100 Book Store gift certificate.

At Dana Porter, a wide range of activities is being held:

• A digital photo both, where visitors can have their pictures taken against a Hallowe'en and Library Day banner, and have their photos uploaded directly to Facebook and Twitter;
• A face painter from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 (free, but any donations will go to support the United Way);
• Azonto dancing at 2:00 p.m. featuring the University of Waterloo African Students Association, who will be leading the dance on the main floor to close off the Library Day festivities.

Refreshments, including applies, cookies, and hot apple cider, will be available at all participating Library locations.

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Fall Open House to see thousands of visitors

by Andrea Rose Santi

Thousands of prospective university students and their families can learn about campus life at the University of Waterloo during an all-day event on Saturday, November 2. Close to 8,000 visitors are expected at the Fall Open House —mostly on the main campus, with some at Waterloo's School of Architecture in Cambridge and School of Pharmacy in Kitchener.

Many campuses hold open houses each fall as students are discovering programs and making up their minds which university best suits their needs. The day showcases the uWaterloo's academic strengths through program and faculty specific sessions, world-leading co-op program, student life, and leadership opportunities. Future students are encouraged to take a guided tour of the campus with a current Student Ambassador, check out residences, and buildings where they will be spending their time here. Our team of enthusiastic ambassadors and volunteers are excited to share their stories with visitors about their personal Waterloo experiences!

The open house runs from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. with tours starting from the Student Life Centre. Information booths will be open all day long and faculties will offer more detailed academic presentations. Each of the 4 University Colleges will also be open for programming throughout the day - visitors may go directly to Conrad Grebel, Renison, St. Jerome's, and St. Paul's for tours, residence and program information as well. Visitors are welcome to eat at the University Colleges or any of the food services outlets on campus, browse the university Bookstore and Waterloo Store.

Free parking is offered all day in several lots on campus, primarily towards the north end of campus. Interested students who are not able to make it to the open house can log in to chat with a current student anytime throughout the day.

Applicants to Waterloo will be encouraged to attend the March Break Open House for additional programming as they come closer to making their university decision!

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Field Hockey Warriors play in national finals

The CIS women's field hockey championship gets going today, with the Warriors representing Waterloo in Victoria, B.C. for their first shot at the McCrae Cup since 2010.

Waterloo, ranked third amongst the top five teams competing in the three-day tournament, takes the field against the UBC Thunderbirds today at 7:30 p.m., before playing against the host team, the Victoria Vikes on Friday at 9:30 p.m., finishing with a bout against the Guelph Gryphons, the OUA finalists, on Saturday, November 1 at 4:00 p.m. (all times are in Eastern Daylight Time).

"As a team we came together at the perfect time and found a way to get to the national championship," said head coach Steven Rodrigues. "After beating Toronto we've all started to believe we can beat any team in CIS on any given day and we will carry that attitude with us to Victoria."

The Warriors ensured their appearance in the CIS finals thanks to a 2-0 upset victory on Saturday over previously undefeated Toronto in the league semi-finals. Guelph beat Waterloo 4-1 on Sunday.

All contenders will play each other once in the preliminary round of the championship, with the top two finishers advancing to the final and the bottom two teams battling for bronze.

All eight games from the tournament will be webcast live on CIS-SIC.tv.

In 2010, the Warriors placed fifth in the CIS championships. Their best-ever result at the CIS championship was an appearance in the final game in 2001.

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Thursday's terrible tales and nasty notes

As part of the 2013-2014 History Speaker Series, the university community is invited to attend “The Fine Print of “Never Again” – the Drafting of the UN Genocide Convention,” led by Dr. Yehonatan Alsheh, a postdoctoral fellow at the Balsillie School of International Affairs. The event will run Tuesday, November 5 from 1:00-2:00p.m. in the MacKirdy Reading Room in Hagey Hall. Additional details can be found on the History department's website.

“The Federation of Students is hosting the 27^th Annual Hallowicked tonight at The Bombshelter Pub,” writes the federation’s Jacqueline Martinz. “Students will arrive in a variety of fun costumes to dance away the scariest night of the year.”

Students looking to spend Halloween off campus will be going door to door with the Feds Food Bank for Trick or Eat. “Over 220 undergraduates signed up to venture out into the community and collect non-perishable food items for the Feds Food Bank and the Food Bank of Waterloo Region,” writes Martinz. “Trick or Eat is an initiative started by Meal Exchange, a national student run non-profit that works to end hunger in communities.”

The Feds Food Bank accepts donations year-round.  Last year, the Feds volunteers returned with nearly 6,000 pounds of food.

More information about The Bombshelter Pub and the Feds Food Bank is available online.

Don't forget about the opportunity to participate in the University of Waterloo's United Way campaign.

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