Daily Bulletin, Monday, February 28

ALL STUDENTS are back in classes today after the study break, and most of
them are talking about that silver medal in hockey.  Time to switch sports
to basketball, which doesn't figure in the winter Olympics.  The Warriors
play a crucial quarter-final game tomorrow night -- against Guelph at 8 p.m.
in the PAC main gym.

HE SAYS, SHE SAYS:  UW's "play about acquaintance rape and violence against
women in relationships" is getting another round of performances this
week.  Admission is free, and here's the schedule:

Monday, 5:30, Village 2 dining room.  Tuesday, 12:30, Optometry room 347,
and 5:30, Renison College cafeteria.  Wednesday, 12:15, Campus Centre
great hall, and 5:30, Village 1 dining room.  Thursday, 12:15, Math
and Computer "comfy lounge", and 5:30, Conrad Grebel College cafeteria.

And then there's a special performance Friday to which staff and faculty are
invited.  "Participation in this program is voluntary but is part of a 
normal working day," says the announcement sent to staff.  The performance
is at 12:30 (and, with discussion afterwards, runs through 2:30) in Siegfried
Hall of St. Jerome's College.  It's sponsored by the Employee Assistance
Program, the health and safety departament, the office of ethical behaviour
and human rights, and the staff training and development committee.

RECYCLE IT:  The new undergraduate calendar is available now, and the new
Kitchener-Waterloo phone book will be along shortly.  In both cases, yes, the
old ones can be recycled, says Patti Cook, UW's waste management coordinator.
At the university, put old calendars and phone books in newspaper recycling
boxes, or stack them beside white-paper boxes.  At home, they go in the
"blue box" for collection.

NEWSGROUP PETITION:  The Graduate Student Association has settled on a
text for its petition about "newsgroup banning", and the petition is now
being circulated, says GSA vice-president (communication) Brent Robertson.
Here's what it says:

	We, the undersigned individuals, call upon the University of 
	Waterloo to reinstate the five newsgroups that were banned on 
	February 1, 1994. 

	The University should, as one of its primary mandates, uphold academic
	freedom.  One of the purposes of an academic institution is to ensure 
	and protect the freedom to express one's views. The censorship sets a 
	dangerous precedent as the University is no longer allowing for all 
	exchanges of ideas and opinions which are an essential part of the 
	education process. 

	This petition is not a condonation of the material in the newsgroups;
	rather, the petition objects to the method by which the five newsgroups 
	were cancelled.  The cancellation occurred without the University 
	community's and newsgroup users' input.  The criteria which the 
	University used in the decision to cancel the five newsgroups was not 
	open to the University community, nor will the University 
	administration disclose this information.  This lack of accountability 
	is unacceptable. The University administration must take steps to 
	ensure that any action that could affect the free exchange of ideas 
	and opinions within the University community be made in full 
	consultation with the members.

	Finally, the action taken by the University does not provide an 
	effective solution to the original complaint.  The newsgroup ban has 
	not prevented the public display of banned newsgroup material.  
	Everyone has a right to a safe environment, and as such, the 
	University community members should not have any newsgroup material 
	inflicted on them.  However this does not mean that individuals should 
	not have the right to contribute to and participate in the newsgroups 
	of their choice.  Banning newsgroups does not deal with the issue of 
	harassment and has diverted attention from the original concern.

THE PIANO:  That much-publicized film, which has eight Academy Award
nominations this year, will have special showings on campus today and
tomorrow at 4:30, 7 p.m. and 9:20, under the sponsorship of the fine arts
film society.  "The Piano" will be screened in East Campus Hall room 1219;
tickets are $4.50, with a discount for film society members.  Information:
ext. 2442.

Chris Redmond
Information and Public Affairs, University of Waterloo
888-4567 ext. 3004      credmond@watserv1.uwaterloo.ca