Daily Bulletin

Mysteries lurk in lost and found

If you're lucky, they've been handed over to "lost and found" at UW police headquarters, where they can be retrieved with a description, a "thanks" and a relieved smile. The police are mandated as the keepers of lost and found items by university policy, says Sgt. Wayne Shortt, "because of our 24-hour presence, seven days a week."

As it arrives, each lost item is given a registration number, and records are kept of when, where and by whom it was found and where it is stored. "A very, very small percent is ever claimed," says Shortt.

Many missing objects find their way to the police via the turnkeys in the Student Life Centre, or through various student groups. Items such as clothing and books are kept for 30 days by police. After that, clothing is sent to central stores for surplus sales, and texts go to the used book store. More valuable items such as bikes, calculators and watches are kept for 90 days, after which bikes are given to the UW Bike Shop where they're stripped for parts or refurbished for auction. Other valuables are sent to central stores, and eye glasses are given to the school of optometry to be distributed to clients around the world.

"If we can't get it back to students one way, we'll try to get it back another," Shortt laughs.

Police attempt to contact the owner of any item containing a name, such as a credit card, Watcard, birth certificate or a driver's licence. If that proves unsuccessful, the card or document is returned to the issuing agency.

While the most common lost items are calculators, textbooks and single mittens, occasionally something bizarre turns up, such as the ring from "a major world athletic event" or the diamond ring that was kept by police for over a year before it was appraised and sent to central stores for sale. "I'm sure there are hidden stories behind a lot of the lost and found," says Shortt.

Improv troupe plays "fishbowl"

Billed as "the area's longest-running improv group," it was formed at UW in 1981 as Theatresports by Roehl and friends who knew each other through campus theatre productions. Using suggestions from the audience to create fast-paced sketches, the company performs every Thursday at 8 p.m. at the old Button Factory in Waterloo, and conducts improv workshops on Sunday afternoons at 4 at the K-W Little Theatre.

Although there's no theme for tonight's performance, Roehl, who serves as artistic director for the company, anticipates "a lot of university content," as well as ideas arising from contemporary issues and current events.

Busker bash celebrates 10th birthday

Starting with a fringe festival today at 3 p.m., the carnival kicks off officially at 6:30 p.m., featuring some of the best of the buskers who have appeared in Waterloo over the years. Back by popular demand are such faves as Flyin' Bob from Saskatoon, El Gleno Grande of West Virginia, Tawny Ross of Montreal (with his bullwhip), The Jim Show from Boston, the Invisible Masters of Halifax and Madame Buskerfly from Toronto. As well, premiering will be the Yo-Yo Man from Denver, the Butterfly Man from L.A., the Unicycle Lady from Washington, D.C., and a host of others from as far away as Australia.

On Friday and Saturday, buskers will take to the streets in uptown Waterloo from noon till 11 p.m.. "Kidz Day" on Friday from 2 to 5 will provide wonders for small fry, including "wacky white-coated wizards...(who) do lots of weird tricks based on real science," the funky Subtonic Monks and more, all hosted by TVO kids' celeb Rekha Shah. A "Late Night Adult Show" is scheduled for Saturday at 11:30.

Buskers will be busy on Sunday starting at noon, with a special 10th birthday bash planned from 3 to 4 p.m. with cake and free balloons. A grand finale vaudeville show at 4 p.m. wraps up the festival. Throughout the festivities, buskers will be bunking at the UW conference centre.

UW web site of the day

On this part of the Waterloo Public Interest Research Group site, STIR presents itself as "dedicated to providing support to the many indigenous peoples around the world who are suffering from the destruction of their communitites by the callous actions of corporations and governments". The page goes on to introduce "one of the issues we are working on" -- in fact the only issue mentioned:

The Shell-backed Nigerian military government has killed many Ogoni as punishment for protesting Shell's environmental destruction of their homeland. The most famous of these heroes is Ken Saro-Wiwa who was killed after a mock-trial by the Nigerian dictatorship.

The page ends with a disclaimer: "Although WPIRG is based on the campus of the University of Waterloo, WPIRG is a separately incorporated and fully autonomous organization that takes full and exclusive responsibility for its information dissemination and actions."

Barbara Elve
bmelve@nh4.adm.uwaterloo.ca

Editor of the Daily Bulletin: Chris Redmond
Information and Public Affairs, University of Waterloo
credmond@uwaterloo.ca | (519) 888-4567 ext. 3004
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