Daily Bulletin

Simon finds out about the flag -- a word from Simon the Troll

Anne Wagland and Anita Mallett of the president's office show off the new UW flag, which will be raised for the first time this morning. A ceremony at the flagpole, by the University Avenue entrance to campus, is scheduled for 10:30 a.m.

I have reason to believe that you're about to raise a University of Waterloo flag, as arrogant as some conquistador taking possession of a virgin strand. An invitation reached me yesterday: flag-raising ceremony this morning at 10:30, at the freshly-sodded triangle near South Campus Hall where the flags of Canada and Ontario have already been flying.

There's never been a University of Waterloo flag before, to the best of my knowledge, though I do see those yellow banners that are hung up on convocation days (and grind my teeth in irritation). How does a university get a flag, anyway? By joining the United Nations?

I see, I see: the flag is really just a rectangular version of your existing coat of arms. Which means, I have to admit, that you're flaunting symbols that should remind everyone of the university's roots in Kitchener and Waterloo. I don't see any hint there of the trolls and muskrats who are the original inhabitants of the land, or indeed of the Neutral Indians, or the Mennonite settlers . . . but the double chevron (the upside-down V at the centre of the shield, or flag) is borrowed from the coat of arms of Lord Kitchener, and the red lions are the symbol of Arthur, Duke of Wellington, the victor at the Battle of Waterloo. (The original battle, in 1815, not the one fought at University Stadium last Saturday.)

So the university's going to raise its flag, claiming the campus as though rebels might rise at any time to dispute the ownership. You needn't worry; trolls are not much for organized resistance. And, though I hate to admit it, over these years of mostly peaceful coexistence, I've come to think of Waterloo as my university as well as yours. So perhaps there will be a slight gleam of pride in the trollian eye, after all, when the yellow flag flutters above the half-empty parking lot.

The Atlantic Bowl weekend

It should be a great game, and while only a modest number of UW fans will be in Halifax to see the game live -- including the Warrior Band, who flew out last night -- thousands will be glued to their TV sets tomorrow. The game starts at 11 a.m. on TSN.

"The Huskies would have to be crazy," Christine Rivet of the Kitchener-Waterloo Record wrote yesterday, "to ignore ticking time bombs like [tailback] Mike Bradley and [quarterback] Ryan Wilkinson," who together account for touchdown after touchdown for the Warriors. And she thinks they shouldn't forget about fullback Eddie Kim, either.

Bradley has been named "most valuable player" in Ontario University Athletics football this year, and is the Ontario nominee for the national Hec Crighton Award. "Mike is poised to be recognized as one of the great rushers in OUA history," says a citation, pointing out that he's in just his third year with the Warriors and already ranks second in all-time Warrior scoring (196 points) and third in all-time rushing. Yet another Warrior player, linebacker Nate Martin, was named most valuable player in last week's Yates Cup game against Laurier.

Bradley, Wilkinson, Kim, Martin, their dozens of teammates, their coaches and their trainers flew to Halifax on Air Canada yesterday morning. The cheerleaders (right) and the Warriors Band followed last night, and a few diehard fans are also making their way east, by air or by land.

Athletics director Judy McCrae has some 200 tickets for the game available for sale on Saturday morning. She'll be at the centre of a loud Waterloo breakfast to be held at 9:30 -- two and a half hours before kickoff, Atlantic time -- at the Westin in downtown Halifax. (The venue announced yesterday, the Delta Barrington, has been changed, the athletics department said later.)

United Way hits target UW's United Way campaign went over the top last Friday, surpassing the 1999 goal of $140,000. As of yesterday, givings had reached $144,881, says campaign co-chair Sharon Lamont. "The campaign is still accepting contributions," she said, "and a Christmas card project has been launched by UW Graphics to boost the fund."

WatCard stickers simplify life

The change is "our attempt to make students' lives a little easier", says Gwen Sharp, associate registrar (records).

Among the students getting easier lives will be those who want to use libraries at other universities while they're away from Waterloo. Libraries elsewhere in Ontario do welcome students from other universities, including UW students -- with "a valid University of Waterloo borrower ID card". That's the trick: until now, a student who was on campus in the fall would have a WatCard sticker indicating "fall 1999", but not mentioning "winter 2000".

Says Laura Smith, writing in Imprint about the change: "Some services were not certain that the card was valid. Though many departments and services knew how the co-op system worked, others were unaware of the alternating school and work terms. To ascertain that these cards were indeed valid, services needed to contact the registrar's office to request a letter or fax verifying the card. The situation was difficult for both the students and the registrar's office personnel. The students had to wait for the verification to be completed and the registrar's office had to deal with the volume of requests. So, the registrar's office decided to improve the system."

Sharp explains that the stickers now being applied to WatCards will show two terms. "The first is the term of registration," she says, meaning the term for which a student paid tuition fees.

And the second term shown on the sticker, says Sharp, is "the term immediately following a registered term, one in which students would still be considered UW students (for example a co-op term is part of students' degree requirements but the student is not 'registered' at UW during that 4 months) or for health insurance where a student in regular system of study pays a premium in winter to cover them on their 'off' term. The stickers are intended to show that carry-over."

Awards offered to writers

Sponsored by St. Paul's United College, the contest is held annually in memory of Tom York, United Church chaplain to UW and Wilfrid Laurier University from 1985 to his death in an auto accident in 1988. York was a "writer, scholar, adventurer and chaplain"; his last novel, Desireless, was published posthumously in 1988.

In addition to the prize of $350, the award for previously unpublished prose fiction can be a stepping stone for aspiring writers. Anne Fleming -- a winner (1991) of the Tom York Memorial Award as a UW undergraduate -- has been nominated for this year's Governor-General's Award for her first book, Poolhopping and Other Stories.

The contest is open to all students registered at UW, its four federating and affiliated colleges, or WLU.

As well, St. Paul's is inviting entries for the 1999 A.C. Forrest Memorial Undergraduate Essay Award, given in memory of the "long-time editor of the United Church Observer, who left a legacy of passion for global justice, reconciliation and peace."

Open to undergrads at UW or its colleges, the contest requires that submissions be papers written for any undergraduate course taken at UW in 1999 in arts, environmental studies, or interdisciplinary studies, accompanied by a letter of endorsement from the course instructor. Eligible topics include those that enhance "understanding of human relations in the context of various types of social, political, or economic structures or institutions." An award of $150 is offered.

The deadline for both competitions is December 31, 1999. Details of entry guidelines are available from St. Paul's principal Graham Brown at 885-1460 ext. 200.

There's life beyond football

The joint health and safety committee will meet this morning at 9:00 in Needles Hall room 3043. (For some curious reason I said in yesterday's Bulletin that the meeting was yesterday; it wasn't.)

The Touring Players will be at the Humanities Theatre today with productions of the children's play "Charlotte's Web" at 10:00, 11:45 and 1:30. School bus drivers no doubt will be grateful for the bus bays that were installed near the Humanities building during the recent overhaul of the ring road.

A toy fair in support of the Hildegard Marsden Co-operative Day Nursery continues today (8:30 to 4:45) in the Davis Centre lounge. And it's not just toys; organizers promise "jewellery, sweaters, books, crafts and much more. . . . Each supplier will donate 10% of their final sales to the Nursery."

The Survey Research Centre (along with the health studies and gerontology department) presents a seminar today by Maureen Carew and Greg Taylor of Health Canada. Their topic: "National Surveillance Initiatives and Opportunities". The seminar starts at 2:00 in Davis Centre room 1304.

And the philosophy department has a colloquium at 3:30 in Humanities room 334. Wayne Myrvold of the University of Western Ontario will speak on "Is the Collapse Postulate Incompatible with Relativity?"

Raffle winner The November winner in the 1999 "Dollars for Scholars" raffle has been drawn. She is Heather Hergott of the office of the vice-president (university relations), whose prize finishes the 1999 raffle. Due on December 16: the first draw in the 2000 raffle.

Saturday brings the annual Big E and Special K math competitions hosted each year by the faculty of mathematics. Anyone enrolled as a full time undergraduate student at UW can write one of the two competitions, says coach Chris Small: The Special K is open to all first year students, and Big E to all other undergraduates. There is no registration fee. Says Small: "Students need only show at the right room about 10 minutes before the contests begin." that would be 9 a.m. on Saturday in Math and Computer room 4059. For more information, Small can be reached at ext. 5541, e-mail cgsmall@uwaterloo.ca.

The Science Semi-Formal will be held Saturday night at Time Square restaurant in central Waterloo -- cocktails at 7:30, dinner at 8. Last-minute ticket information should be available from the Science Society at ext. 2325.

Sports, besides football: the hockey Warriors will host Queen's at 7:30 Saturday night at the Columbia Icefield, and follow that up with a game against the Royal Military College at 2:00 Sunday afternoon, same rink. The men's basketball team is at Lakehead for games tonight and Saturday night; the women's basketball team and the women's volleyball team both play at McMaster on Saturday; the swimmers are at the University of Toronto invitational; the men's volleyball team is at the Guelph invitational for the weekend; and the figure skaters are opening their season with a tournament at Ryerson.

The Waterloo Potters' Workshop, in which a good few UW people are involved, will hold its annual fall sale this weekend (5:30 to 9:30 tonight, 10 to 5 Saturday, noon to 4 Sunday) at the Waterloo Recreation Complex.

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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