Daily Bulletin

About the number 4,281 "With one exception, we have now exceeded our Faculty targets and institutionally have enrolled 4,281 year one students or 103.9% of our goal," says a report from Peter Burroughs, UW's director of admissions, dated Friday. The one exception is science: "Although our confirmations in Science were unexpectedly weak initially, the Faculty now has 565 year one pre-registrations recorded, which represents 94.2% of the Faculty target." (Last year science was way over target, with 728 first-year students when it had aimed for 600.) The biggest bulge this year is in arts, which is at 108.6 per cent, with 1,213 first-year students preregistered. (Arts is usually the faculty with the largest number of students dropping out between Labour Day and the official enrolment count date, November 1.) First-year enrolment in other faculties: applied health sciences 296, engineering 850, environmental studies 291, independent studies 6, mathematics 1,061. "It is likely that we will exceed our target by November 1 but only marginally," Burroughs writes. This year's target is 4,120 first-year students, and UW officials are keen not to go much over it, following last year's crowds.

Here they are, 4,281 strong

And this morning Porcellino is wearing a jaunty wreath and a pair of green sunglasses -- signs that spirits are high on the campus with the beginning of orientation and the fall term.

For the next five days, first-year students will meet deans and mascots and hundreds of friends, get an academic and geographical sense of the campus, and take part in activities that range from dances to spaghetti and pizza feasts. They'll also watch the play "Single and Sexy" -- more about that in a moment.

Orientation today is focused on academics, or at least activities in the six faculties. Math students will be invited to "Earn your pink tie!" and then get some Unix training; science students will "meet the profs" and tie-dye their lab coats; and so on. Lunch is pitas for engineering students, a corn roast for science, and faculty members for those in arts, according to the printed schedule.

This evening, back in residence groupings, students have various activities planned before the two big events that start around 9:30. One is wet (that is, alcohol will be available): a dance party in Federation Hall. The other is dry: a concert in the Physical Activities Complex by rock band Moist.

Also happening The bookstore (and UW Shop and Techworx, right beside the bookstore in South Campus Hall) will be open into the evening this week: 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. today, Wednesday and Thursday, as well as Monday through Wednesday of next week. The stores are also open Saturdays, noon to 4 p.m. Key control will be open over the noon hour from today through September 22 -- ordinarily the hours are 8:30 to noon and 1:00 to 4:30. Health services won't open until 9:30 a.m. tomorrow because of a staff meeting -- ordinarily the clinic opens at 8:30. The executive committee of the UW senate will meet at 3:30 p.m. in Needles Hall room 3004 to fix the agenda for the September meeting of the full senate.

Single and sexy, for twelve years now -- a release from the UW news bureau

This insightful and often humorous play depicts the lives and experiences of such students in a thought-provoking one-hour production. It delivers a lot of straight talk about sex and sexuality in all its complexity, from date rape to homophobia, and presents other touchy subjects such as racism, plagiarism and substance abuse.

Non-judgmental, the play helps frosh get off to a good start at university by making them more aware of these issues. As well, it directs them to on-and-off-campus resources that might help deal with them, says Denise Angove, UW's assistant nursing supervisor.

The production's mix of education and entertainment, tough language and challenging scenarios help to maintain the value of the practical messages. The students have a lot to cope with -- living independently, meeting new challenges, often struggling to meet expectations, retaining their values and building new relationships and their support system.

"There is still an expectation that you have to drink a certain amount, otherwise you're not a bona fide university student," Angove adds. Also, they have to study, develop effective time management skills and prepare for a career. With all these demands, it is normal to be confused and doubtful, straying from smart choices. In its 12th season, "Single and Sexy" is produced by Angove and directed by Darlene Spencer, who is the inspiration behind the theatre production.

The cast of eight senior-level students -- from a variety of academic disciplines -- not only acts in "Single and Sexy," but also rewrote the script to keep it fresh and timely. They are: Ted Pegg, Denny Suh, Rachel Molnar, Munira Murphy, Aaron Ursacki, Julie Blake, Jay D'Aoust and Rob Waiser.

"Simply put," Angove says, "the play's power comes from students speaking to students, in the language that students understand. The goal is to break down stereotypes and keep people listening, then later thinking and talking."

This year's play is sponsored exclusively by Wyeth Ayerst Canada Inc., which is undertaking the entire production costs.

Receiving national and international acclaim, earlier scripts have visited the University of Toronto, York, Queen's and universities in Australia and New Zealand.

Performances for the new students will be held from Tuesday through Friday in the Theatre of the Arts, Modern Languages building. Admission is free, and students, staff and faculty members are all welcome. Today's showtimes are 1:00 (mostly for arts students) and 3:30 (mostly for ES and AHS students).

'We believe that students are adults'

She's had 18 years to get ready for this day.
She should be past the tears -- she cries some anyway.

Most of the guidebook provides information about UW services that parents may want to know about, ranging from academic advising to health services. Parents are told how they can send a student a care package from food services and given information about how to get to Kitchener-Waterloo for a visit and where to stay.

There are also the "top ten tips" for parents, including these:

• "Write or e-mail even if they don't reply. They do want to hear from you." (The booklet also includes a note on how to look up a student's e-mail address)
• "Prepare for the return of a very independent person. You will see a lot of changes and not all of them will suit you. Be patient. In time, you will get back the person you know and love."

Your son or daughter is beginning his or her first real experience as an adult and the University of Waterloo will encourage and respect this new phase of independence and responsibility. This means that information about your child's academic achievements, health care or counselling visits, academic absence or judicial/disciplinary concerns will not be shared with you unless your son or daughter provides written permission for release of this information.

The University expects students to assume responsibility for their own affairs, including the responsibility of keeping their parents informed of their progress and problems. We believe that students are adults when they attend university and we treat them as such. You should discuss our policy of student/parent communication with your son or daughter so that you both understand the individual responsibilities involved.

Where to do the paperwork

Tuition fee payments are overdue now, so late fees are being charged. Payments should be dropped off in one of the four express payment boxes in Needles Hall.

The cashiers' office on the first floor of NH is the place to get replacement fee statements and deal with adjustments to fee assessments.

The cashiers' office is also the source of information about student health insurance.

Fee receipts and stickers were mailed to students whose fee payments were received by August 18. More recent receipts and stickers can be picked up at the registrar's office on the second floor of NH.

The registrar's office is also the place to pick up class schedules, with some exceptions: engineering students get schedules in their department offices, Renison and St. Jerome's students get them at their colleges, optometry students will find schedules in their mailboxes. Schedules for independent studies and part-time students have been sent out by mail.

Student loan documents can be picked up at a temporary office on the third floor of Needles Hall this week, or in the registrar's office as of September 13.

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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