Daily Bulletin

Wednesday, October 1, 1997

University of Waterloo -- Waterloo, Ontario, Canada

Yesterday's Bulletin | Previous days | UWevents | UWinfo home page

Looking west, to the East

Renison College launches its annual East Asian Festival tonight, looking at Korea, Japan and China under the title "The Year of Asia Pacific Evolving Connections".

"We want to acknowledge and celebrate the important relationship between Canada and East Asia," says Gail Cuthbert Brandt, principal of Renison. "In particular, we will focus on culture, education, trade and technology as well as examine the similarities and differences in how our societies approach such issues."

She said the festival's program was developed by representatives of Renison, UW and local East Asian community and student groups. "It is also our hope that the festival will bring about awareness of the college's and the university's programs in East Asian studies," Brandt said.

Tonight's opening starts at 7 p.m. at Kitchener City Hall, where the public can sample Chinese, Korean and Japanese cuisine at the Tastes of East Asia food fair, as well as enjoy Korean dance, Chinese folk music, origami and calligraphy demonstrations. Five-time Canadian heavyweight champion Julio Vasquez and his students will put on a show of Tae Kwon-Do.

Tomorrow at Renison's chapel lounge, there will be panel discussions on educating youth for the 21st century and a technology showcase of work and study opportunities for students, teachers and educational administrators. Specifically, the panels will look at educational issues in a cross-cultural perspective, the current status and future prospects of East Asian studies in Ontario universities and building academic links with East Asia. At 7 p.m. a Korean film, "The Story of Two Women", will be screened at the Princess Cinema in Waterloo.

On Friday an all-day East Asian business seminar will be held, with panels on geo-political and economic issues, forging alliances with East Asia and new directions for Canada in the region. John Bell, Canada's special ambassador for Asia Pacific, will give the luncheon keynote address.

Delegates to this seminar will be able get the latest information from experts on market trends in Asia; talk directly to Team Canada members about what they learned on their Asian trade tour; and establish contacts with other business people interested in pursuing the Asian market. Advance registration for the business seminar costs $75 -- call 884-4404, ext. 657.

Winding up the festival on Saturday, there will be cultural demonstrations at the college's great hall, including kite making, origami, martial arts, shiatsu therapy, Chinese calligraphy and a Japanese tea ceremony. On Saturday evening, the Korean Canadian Symphony Orchestra will give a performance at UW's Theatre of the Arts, beginning at 7:30 p.m. Tickets cost $8; children, seniors and students, $5; or $20 per family.

Bill 136, highway 401, and so on

The battle between organized labour and the Ontario government over Bill 136 is officially over. "I received a call from CUPE headquarters to say that the differences have been resolved," says Neil Stewart, president of UW's local 793 of the Canadian Union of Public Employees. That reflects an agreement by labour minister Elizabeth Witmer to remove many provisions of the original bill, which would have removed the right to strike and created a government-appointed commission with power to impose contract terms. CUPE and other unions are, however, still backing Ontario teachers, who are fighting the government over a related law, Bill 160, giving the government a greater say in how schools are run.

The "Highway Help" program, which makes "Call Police" signs available to motorists for use in emergencies on the road, was celebrated today as the Ontario Association of Chiefs of Police said 200,000 such signs have been handed out. UW's police service has been active in the program, making signs available to students, faculty and staff as they register for parking permits, and so UW police chief Al MacKenzie was on hand for yesterday's party and was presented with a ceremonial 200,000th sign. He brought it back to work and turned it over to parking manager Elaine Koolstra: "Ironically, she didn't have one for her own car yet."

A new assistant registrar has been named for the faculties of arts and environmental studies: Julie Mulvey. Says registrar Ken Lavigne: "Julie is no stranger to the Registrar's Office and her assigned faculties, given her recent responsibilities in the Arts Faculty undergraduate office. She brings extensive experience in academic counselling, recruitment and publications. She is a UW grad, Arts '89, and holds and Honours BA in history. Julie will begin her new duties on October 14." And yes, I'm assured that a new organization chart for the registrar's office, which has had a number of such appointments in recent weeks, is coming soon.

There's controversy today at the University of Toronto, which has said it will give an honorary degree next month to former United States president George Bush. "There are many more distinguished candidates, particularly in Canada, whom we should look to," says English professor David Galbraith, who's organizing a petition against the honour for Bush, citing particularly his background with the Central Intelligence Agency and his policies in Central America.

It appears that there won't be a second fraternity at UW after all. Dan Weber of Sigma Chi sends an update to the report he had written for that fraternity's national magazine, which I mentioned in this Bulletin yesterday. Says Weber: "The fraternity that was going to start a local was Pi Kappa Alpha (they printed it wrong). Pi Kappa Alpha has since decided not to start a local at Waterloo, so Sigma Chi is still the only fraternity on campus, and Kappa Kappa Gamma is the only sorority."

Alone in the north, and more

"Arctic Odyssey" comes to the Humanities Theatre tonight. "For centuries," a flyer explains, "arctic explorers sought the Northwest Passage. Even today, it remains a challenge to navigate this route. In 1991, Victoria Jason, a youthful grandmother and recovering stroke patient, embarked on what would become a four-year odyssey. This determined and optimistic woman kayaked 7,500 kilometres in some of the most difficult conditions in the world. Much of the voyage was made alone. She will share with you the breathtaking beauty of the Arctic's land and sea as well as her great respect for the North. Author of Kabloona in the Yellow Kayak, she will relate her epic journey in an engrossing, illustrated lecture." It's free, sponsored by UW's geography department among other agencies, and starts at 7:30 p.m.

Also happening today at Waterloo:

"Partnerships for Employment", described as "Canada's biggest post-secondary career fair", at Bingemans Conference Centre in Kitchener, from 10 a.m.to 3:30 p.m.
Speakers, demonstrations and free food provided by Mentortech, from 11:00 to 2:00 in the Davis Centre lounge. The agency is encouraging entrepreneurship by students and recent graduates.
A sale of surplus UW property, from 11:30 to 1:30 at central stores in East Campus Hall (off Phillip Street, beside parking lot B).
An Italian lecture at 3:30 in the St. Jerome's College common room: "Uno scrittore italiano e la Spagna: Edmondo De Amicis", by Alfredo Luzi of the Universita di Macerata.
The monthly get-together of the Interdisciplinary Forum: Doug Mann of the philosophy department speaks about "A Secret History of the Liquid Body: Image and Counter-Image in Twentieth-Century Culture", 5 to 7 p.m. in Environmental Studies I room 221.
"A new way of conceptualizing dementia", presented by Elery Hamilton-Smith of LaTrobe University, Melbourne, Australia, at 7 p.m. in Matthews Hall room 1621. He's sponsored by UW's Alzheimer Research and Education Project.

And today begins a "Yellow Sale" at UW's bookstore: from now through the end of December, books from the big technical publisher Springer Verlag are on sale. "This sale offers customers saving up to 65% on more than 275 excellent mathematics titles," writes Barb Russwurm, the store's general books manager. "We will stock 80 titles and will process special orders, on request, for titles not stocked."

Note for tomorrow: hot water will be shut off in Biology I, Biology II, and Earth Sciences and Chemistry from 7:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. while plant operations repairs a leak.

CAR

TODAY IN UW HISTORY October 1, 1968: The monthly rate rises to $3 in central parking lots, $1.75 in others. October 1, 1988: The Robert Starbird Dorney Ecology Garden, outside Environmental Studies I, is dedicated. October 1, 1990: The WatGreen program is announced.

Editor of the Daily Bulletin: Chris Redmond
Information and Public Affairs, University of Waterloo
credmond@uwaterloo.ca -- (519) 888-4567 ext. 3004
Comments to the editor | About the Bulletin | Yesterday's Bulletin
Copyright © 1997 University of Waterloo