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| College legends and oddities |
Friday, February 5, 1999
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The big race is planned for Saturday at the River Valley Golf and Country Club near St. Marys, where snow making equipment is available for the club's tubing hill. As well, say organizers, there's a good base of snow, and they scoff at talk of a meltdown.
The 25th anniversary event, hosted by UW, will bring together more than 400 civil engineering students from universities and colleges across North America.
"The goal of the Great Northern Concrete Toboggan Race is to showcase the innovative spirit of engineering students, to bring schools together for a week of competition and most of all, for everyone to have a blast," said Carrie Junker, a fourth-year civil engineering student, who co-chaired the organizational committee for the event with colleague Mark Popik.
UW's entry from the civil engineering class of 1999, dubbed the "Ice Dragons", will be defending the university's first-place finish at last year's event in Calgary. Previously, UW teams placed first in 1997 and 1995.
The competition calls for a toboggan with a concrete running surface, a total mass of less than 136 kg (300 pounds) and space for five riders. The toboggans are equipped with a braking system and other safety features. As well, teams are required to present a technical paper outlining innovative aspects of their entries.
The race on Saturday is a timed run on a straight course, and once past the finish line, teams must deploy a braking system. It will be held between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. at the River Valley Golf and Country Club, on Higway 7 near St. Marys, one hour west of Waterloo.
Today, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., the student teams will participate in a technical exhibition in the Student Life Centre to display their toboggans to the public.
Under the competition, the students are responsible for managing the project from the design stage through to the fabrication of two technically innovative toboggans. The teams are awarded points based on technical merit, such as mix design and brake design, plus race performance, including top speed, braking performance, team spirit and most spectacular run.
The concept of the Great Northern Concrete Toboggan Race (GNCTR) originated in the spring of 1974. The Alberta branch of the American Concrete Institute discussed the possibility of sponsoring an event similar to the Concrete Canoe Race held in the United States. Taking into account the rugged climate of an Alberta winter and seeking a suitable vehicle, they agreed upon the toboggan, but one made of concrete.
The first race was held in 1975 in Alberta with only four schools participating. This year's competition marks the 25th anniversary for the GNCTR and will draw more than 30 teams from across North America.
Turner and Hur were among ten artists selected by Bell in the company's 1997 student art competition. The contest was open to college and university students in Ontario and designed to promote their work.
Turner is a fourth-year student originally from Kent County in England who moved to Kitchener in 1989. His winning piece, a composition of several photo images titled 'ECH' (one of the images is the interior of East Campus Hall), had already been showcased on campus when it was selected to appear on the cover of the 1997-98 distance education calendar. Later, fine arts professor Art Green suggested Turner enter the piece in the Bell contest.
Hur, meanwhile, a third-year student from Mississauga, had entered after seeing a promotional poster in the fine arts building. Her winning painting, 'Split Second,' is a cubist image that investigates the conflict between humanity and nature.
Late last year, Turner and Hur were invited to a reception in Toronto honouring the contest winners. The cards, issued in $5 denominations, display the artwork on the front and include a photo of the artist on the reverse, along with name, school, and title of the work. The card also indicates that 5,000 of each have been printed.
Besides the honour and recognition, Turner and Hur each received 100 of the cards featuring their art. Now they'll have no excuse not to phone home.
Both the party and the renovations are compliments of UW food services, and housing and residences.
Candidates for the next Federation of Students president will meet in a debate today at noon in the AHSUM lounge in Burt Matthews Hall. The debate is sponsored by the UW Young Liberals. An all-candidates forum sponsored by AHSUM will follow at 12:30 p.m. And just days before the ballots will be cast, the NO committee for the capital improvements fund referendum question has been disqualified "for the continuous use of inappropriate campaign material," the Feds' chief returning officer has announced.
The co-op department reminds architecture students to submit one copy of their resume package to the co-op drop off slot by 8 p.m.
"Hierarchical Models: An Application and a Comparison of Algorithms" is the subject of a lecture by Paul Gustafson of the University of British Columbia today at 1:30 p.m. in Math and Computer room 5158. The event is sponsored by the department of statistics and actuarial science.
At 3:30 p.m. today, UW philosophy professor Jan Narveson presents a philosophy colloquium: "Is there anything special about economic rent". The event will be held in Hagey Hall room 373.
To set the mood for Valentine's Day an "obsessive, deadlocked love story", Fool for Love, continues its run tonight and tomorrow night at 8 p.m. in Studio 180, Hagey Hall. The UW drama department production will play next week, from February 10 to 13.
Conspiracy theories and campus paranoia abound in the Faculty, Alumni, Staff and Students (F.A.S.S.) performances of The F.A.S.S. Files: The truth is WAY out there! tonight at 7 and 10 p.m., and on Saturday at 8 p.m. in the Humanities Theatre, Hagey Hall.
Reading week is fast approaching -- February 15 to 19 -- and to set the mood and help ensure "a safe and healthy" holiday, health and student services present Beach Party 99: Single and Sandy tonight, starting at 8 p.m. in the Student Life Centre great hall and Bombshelter. On the agenda: a coffee house, a "celebrity mocktail drinkoff contest", a college quiz game, demonstrations by the campus break-dancers, and some short vignettes from the Action Theatre Group, as well as a pinata filled with such healthy goodies as sun screen and condoms. "All this with a Beach Party theme with costumes and decorations."
Company in Concert by Stephen Sondheim is the first production in Ontario of Second Company, a non-profit troupe recently relocated from Montreal. The musical runs tonight and Saturday at 8 p.m. in the Theatre of the Arts, Modern Languages Building.
Renison College is sponsoring its 13th annual charity haircutting pub tonight from 8 p.m. to 12:30 a.m. in the college's great hall. The goal: to raise $2,600 for SAFEHAVEN, a street youth drop-in centre in downtown Kitchener. As part of the fundraising effort, draw tickets are also being sold and individual donations accepted for those who don't wish to have their locks clipped. For more information, contact George Ferris at 884-4404 ext. 610.
The first Canadian Quiz Championship is happening here Saturday, starting at 2 p.m in Math and Computer room 4040. The championship game is scheduled for 8 p.m. in what organizers say "is the first step in establishing a permanent Quiz Bowl Circuit in Canada."
On Sunday, prospective optometry students are invited to Optometry Admission Night from 7 to 9 p.m. in OPT 347. In addition to a tour of the school's facilities, presentations will be given by a local optometrist, an optometry student, and admissions officers.
On the sports calendar this weekend, Warriors do basketball (and volleyball) battle with Brock on Saturday, and meet Ryerson on the ice on Sunday.
Volunteer experience is offered this week for folks with a flair for carpentry and those with a sunny personality. Carpentry skills are needed to erect a pre-fabricated greehouse and shed to allow participants in a psycho-social rehabilitation program to develop their green thumbs. Sunnyside Home needs one-to-one visitors to brighten the day for senior residents. To learn more, contact the Volunteer Action Centre at 742-8610.
Barbara Elve
bmelve@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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