Daily Bulletin

Campus primps for Convocation

Saturday's ceremonies, starting at 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. in the Physical Activities Complex, will see degrees presented to 1,029 undergraduate and graduate students, as well as the awarding of four honorary degrees and two alumni gold medals.

Honorary degree recipients will be Robert Kerr, founder of Imax Corp., famous for its innovative Imax giant screen technology; Michael Corballis, director of the Research Centre for Cognitive Neuroscience, University of Auckland, New Zealand; Archie Hamielec, founding director of McMaster University's Institute for Polymer Production Technology; and Jacquelyn Thayer Scott, president and vice-chancellor of the University College of Cape Breton.

WLU's ceremonies Wilfrid Laurier University will also hold its convocation this weekend -- on Sunday at 2 p.m. at the Waterloo Recreation Complex.

The alumni gold medal winners are Rina Carlini, PhD in chemistry, and Mark Carpenter, Master of Science in kinesiology.

Scott, an expert on the roles and functions of voluntary organizations and charities, will receive a Doctor of Laws degree at convocation for applied health sciences and arts graduates, starting at 10 a.m. in the Physical Activities Complex. She will give the convocation address. Corballis, a professor of psychology who has made major contributions to the understanding of brain-behaviour relations, will also receive a Doctor of Laws degree, at the morning convocation ceremony.

At the afternoon session for graduates in engineering, environmental studies, independent studies, mathematics and science, Hamielec, one of the founding fathers of polymer engineering, will receive a Doctor of Engineering degree. He will deliver the convocation address. Kerr, whose Imax technology won an award from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences for science and technical achievement in 1997, will receive a Doctor of Laws degree at the afternoon session.

Also at convocation, the title "Honorary Member of the University" will be awarded to a retired chemistry faculty member, Doreen Brisbin. She is a former associate dean (undergraduate studies) for UW's faculty of science and served as advisor to the vice-president on academic human resources.

As well, the title of "Distinguished Professor Emeritus" will be presented to a retired UW faculty member, Gordon Nelson, a highly regarded ecologist, geographer, planner and policy maker across Canada. Both Brisbin and Nelson will receive their awards at the afternoon ceremony.

Fischer-Hallman land sale cancelled

Past the halfway point Sharon Lamont, co-chair of UW's United Way campaign, reports that $82,199, or 60 per cent of the campus goal, has been raised as the two-week campaign hits its halfway point. She sends some statistics: 380 people have donated with an average donation of $216.31; 4 people have donated more than $2000; 14 people have donated between $1000 and $1999; 15 people have donated between $500 and $999. And she sends a reminder that "only donors whose donation forms have been received in the UW United Way office by the last day of the campaign, Friday, October 30, will be eligible for the first prize draw -- a choice of a Day off with Pay or $100 in gift certificates to the University Club." All of which reminds me that I haven't filled out my own United Way form yet. I know it's here somewhere. . . .

Dennis Huber, associate provost (general services and finance), confirmed yesterday that Trillium Estates Ltd. had withdrawn a conditional offer to buy the land -- about eight acres -- for some $200,000. At the beginning of this week, Trillium withdrew its application to the City of Waterloo to have the land zoned for a housing development, connected to the existing Laurelwood neighbourhood.

The UW-owned land consists of two triangles that were separated from the main north campus when Fischer-Hallman Road was realigned to make a smooth junction with Laurelwood Drive to the west and Bearinger Road to the east. It remains zoned like the rest of the north campus, which is in line for development as a research and technology park. With Trillium out of the picture, it's still listed for sale.

Neighbours in Laurelwood had lobbied against the Trillium development even after Trillium reduced the proposed number of houses from 41 to 23. "The residents' concern," the Waterloo Chronicle reports, "was that some of those properties would abut the Laurel Creek Conservation Area, putting unneeded pressure on the environmentally sensitive area." There was also concern that the project would add noise, density and traffic to what is currently a quiet, green-fringed neighbourhood.

Science faculty holds open house

• Hands-on chemistry experiments include turning copper into gold, making nylon and manipulating the atoms of aspirin on the computer screen.
• Members of Engineering Science Quest, an annual school and summer educational program, will be on hand with some of the activities from the summer camp and demonstrations taken on the road to region schools.
• Visit the greenhouse to view and learn about tropical palms and hibiscus.
• "That's Aeronautical" is an exhibit where visitors can design their own space pop bottle and demonstrate dramatic action and reaction. "Will yours go farther than all the others . . . it's all in your hands!"
• Physicist Phil Eastman will demonstrate the strange properties of liquid nitrogen, and John Vanderkooy will focus all ears on the science behind sound system speakers.
• Bring your summer rock collection for identification by members of the K-W Gem and Mineral Club in the Earth Sciences Museum. Make your own "rock critter" (using our rock or yours).
• Singer Chris Rawlings and Peter Russell, museum curator, will present "Rocks and Water" music and hold a sing-along with the "Rock Cycle Rock."
• Charlie Chaplin's classic film "The Gold Rush" will be shown in celebration of the 100th anniversary of the Yukon Gold Rush.
• "Oh, by the way, watch for Professor Howard Helium who was last seen wandering aimlessly through the halls."
•  Hungry? Members of the Chemistry Grad Society will cook up hot dogs and serve soft drinks while diners can whip up microcrystalline ice cream for dessert . . . instantly.

Other activities of the weekend

The University Club should be reopening today, just in time for the party tonight that's a memorial to UW chemistry titan Reg Friesen. "Come and join Reg's friends and colleagues in raising a glass to his memory," writes Lew Brubacher from the chemistry department. Friesen died last month after a long battle with liver disease. It's been a tough week at the Club, what with cracked walls, rotten bricks and a new dishwasher that turned out to be the wrong size, but manager Susan McGraw is hoping to have everything shipshape tonight.

The Kiwanis Travelogue series presents a show about Finland tonight at 8:00 in the Humanities Theatre.

Daylight Saving Time ends at 2 a.m. Sunday: clocks go back an hour.

Tomorrow on campus is dominated by convocation, but in the evening there's something completely different: "the first annual Pink Party" organized by Gay and Lesbian Liberation of Waterloo "to celebrate queer history month". The party takes place at Federation Hall, starting at 9 on Saturday night. Tickets are $8 in advance (623-0842) or $10 at the door. "The dance," a memo says, "will feature a special performance by the drag troupe Lads in Lashes. Music will be house, retro, and dance, presented by DJ Kel-E with great prizes to be won."

Sports this weekend: the major home event is a pair of soccer games against Guelph on Saturday afternoon on the North Campus Field. The men's teams will play at 1:00, the women's at 3:00. The badminton teams will begin their season with the West Sectional tournament here over the weekend. And the few other teams that are competing are all out of town -- including the football Warriors, playing at Windsor tomorrow afternoon.

CAR

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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