Jean Vanier speaks tonight There are no tickets left for tonight's lecture by the world-famous Jean Vanier, sponsored by St. Jerome's University. And people who do have tickets are reminded that the lecture is being given at St. Mary's Church in downtown Kitchener, and not at St. Jerome's itself. Vanier, the founder of L'Arche communities for developmentally challenged people, will deliver the 2001-2002 Devlin Lecture, entitled "Becoming Human: Living for Others" tonight starting at 7:30. (He'll also be in town to give a special lecture for youth tomorrow.) Vanier, son of the late Georges Vanier, Governor-General of Canada, founded L'Arche ("the Ark") in 1964, beginning with a single house in France. L'Arche is now an organization of more than 100 communities in nearly 30 countries, including 26 in Canada. The annual Devlin Lecture is part of the St. Jerome's Centre for Catholic Experience lecture series. The SJCCE is jointly sponsored by St. Jerome's University, the Sisters of St. Joseph of Hamilton, the School Sisters of Notre Dame, and the Congregation of the Resurrection.

UW's first Rhodes Scholar

News came over the weekend that Mark Schaan (right), political science student and former vice-president (education) of the Federation of Students, has been selected as this year's Rhodes Scholar from Manitoba, his home province.

His friends were celebrating, but not only them. Catharine Scott, associate provost (human resources and student services), who got the news by phone, said she could hardly contain her pride.

The Rhodes Scholarships pay for two years of study at Britain's Oxford University, usually for someone who has already completed an undergraduate degree. They are available to a small number of students from Commonwealth countries, the United States and a few other places, based on academic excellence, extracurricular and service activity, and what the original rules called "manliness". (That word disappeared when women became eligible for the scholarships 25 years ago.)

They're financed by a trust set up under the will of imperialist millionaire Cecil Rhodes, who died in 1902. The most famous Rhodes Scholar these days is probably Bill Clinton, but the roll has included prominent academics, writers, lawyers, political leaders and scientists from around the world.

It's the last day of classes

The university's flags are at half-staff today in memory of Jerzy Pindera, distinguished professor emeritus in the department of civil engineering, who died Thursday. A funeral Mass will begin at 10:30 a.m. in St. Michael's Roman Catholic Church on University Avenue.

Things are busy in East Campus Hall, where the fine arts "miniature art show and sale" continues. The walls will be a lot barer than they were when the sale began Friday afternoon, but remaining works -- drawings, paintings, prints and photographs -- are available for purchase today and tomorrow from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Expectations are that the event will break the record set last year, when 1,200 miniature works were on show and the take was $11,600 for fine arts department activities. "We're thinking big for this year," says department secretary Lesley Hartley.

Alan Morgan of the earth sciences department (who is not a professor emeritus, despite what I said about him in the Bulletin a few months back) will be speaking today at the Kitchener Public Library main branch. His lecture is on "Global Change" -- there's nothing like thinking big -- and starts at 12 noon.

There's coffee and talk today in the LT3 technology centre in the Dana Porter Library: "Continuing LT3's informal late-afternoon gathering of faculty who are, or want to be, working with LT3 to develop effective applications of learning and teaching technology, Professor Paul Malone of Germanic and Slavic studies will be leading the discussion. Here is what Malone writes about Using Visual Organizer Technology in an undergraduate humanities course: 'In a course on German intellectual history to 1800, I was faced with helping students master, at least in outline, a huge amount of often conceptually difficult information. I turned to visual map diagrams and information matrices, generated by myself and by the students, using a variety of readily available software. Based both on prior research and my own study, I can attest to improvements in general understanding and retention of the material compared to previous years' classes.' The sessions are intended to be a mixture of colloquium and kaffeklatsch. Please RSVP to Peter Goldsworthy at ext. 7008, or peter@LT3."

"Festival Fare", otherwise known as the cafeteria in South Campus Hall, will be closed today. Regular meals resume there in January -- but the place will be in operation to serve a Christmas lunch, at $11.45 per person, December 11 through 14. (That would involve turkey, roast beef, baked hake, and vegetarian stir-fry, not to mention a plum pudding that may or may not be as good as mine.) Reservations: ext. 3198.

The faculty association is holding a reception for new faculty members today from 4:30 to 6:00 in the Davis Centre lounge. (Also from the faculty association: the fall general meeting will be held on Wednesday at 2:30 p.m. in Math and Computer room 4020.)

The executive committee of the UW senate will meet at 3:30 today in Needles Hall room 3004, to look at the tentative agenda for December's meeting of the full senate and decide whether there's anything that can't wait until January.

"The uwstudent.org Media Corporation is going into the sports business," writes Jon Willing, its editorial director. "In January 2002, we will be preparing to launch a comprehensive website dedicated to UW athletics. News, scores, features, rosters and commentary are just some of the highlights we plan to deliver with our new sports coverage. uws is holding a Name the Sports Site Contest where we're looking for the best name of our forthcoming sports site. Contest ends December 17." Entries are being accepted on the web.

More about the Keystone Fund

And most of all, at this time of year, you can "save when you give", the letter says, pointing out that "Donors who make a contribution to UW will receive between 40% and 46% of the cost of their gift through provincial and federal tax incentive, depending on taxable income and other factors." Gifts made before the last day of the year can be claimed as deductions on 2001 tax returns, which are usually filed in March.

The Keystone Fund is, as summed up on its web site, "the annual fundraising appeal for faculty, staff, and retirees and is the keystone of the overall Annual Fund, which includes alumni, students, parents, and friends. Since 1980, the campus community has generously supported many priority projects. Annual donations from faculty, staff and retirees together total close to an amazing $500,000 and help UW maintain and exceed its high level of achievement in teaching and research."

The main appeal goes out in June this year, but a reminder is always issued just before the December 31 tax deadline.

And Keystone Fund publicity has something now that it didn't have in June: the brand-new logo of Campaign Waterloo, with its slogan "Building a talent trust". Contributions from staff, faculty and retirees are considered an essential part of the early stages of the campaign, which is to go public next year as UW seeks to raise $260 million from private sector supporters.

Keystone Fund supporters are invited to play an early part in supporting campaign projects, which range from scholarship funds to equipment for the optometry clinic.

Accounting grad tops in Canada -- from the UW news bureau

Kellett, of Oshawa, graduated this fall with a Master of Accounting degree and now works at Andersen LLP in Toronto. Earlier, she also received a BMath from Waterloo. Kellett's excellent showing in the UFE earned her gold medals from the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Ontario and the Canadian Institute of Chartered Accountants, as well as the CICA's Edmond Gunn Prize.

"The UFE is the final hurdle in the process of becoming a professional chartered accountant," said accountancy professor Dave Carter. "Angela's achievement is really remarkable since she was up against the best in Canada."

Four other UW graduates were among the top 20 Ontario writers in the UFE: Anthony Bellomo, who tied for fifth, works for Deloitte & Touche LLP, in Ottawa; Scott Denneny, 14th place, PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, in London; Lisa Ligori, 18th place, Millard Rouse & Rosebrugh LLP, in Brantford; and Martin Hengeveld, tied for 19th, KPMG LLP, in London.

In Ontario, there were a total of 1,096 UFE writers, of whom 730 were successful. UFE is a national exam that tests knowledge, professional judgment, ethics and communication skills. Passing the exam is a requirement for chartered accountants. UW's school of accountancy offers a master of accounting degree, which is described as the only "accredited direct route" to the UFE, held by the Canadian Institute of Chartered Accountants.

Hours for the CHIP The IST Computing Help and Information Place (CHIP) in Math and Computer room 1052 will have the following hours in December, a memo announces: Tuesday, December 4, to Wednesday, December 19: general services, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.; help desk, 8 a.m to 12 noon and 1 to 5 p.m. Thursday, December 20: general services, 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.; help desk, 8 a.m. to 12 noon and 1 to 3 p.m. Friday, December 21: general services and help desk, 8 a.m. to noon and 2 to 3:30 p.m. The CHIP will be closed from December 22 to January 1. It will reopen on Wednesday, January 2, at 8 am.

A calendar for December

• "Town hall meeting" for staff and faculty members, with comments by president David Johnston and provost Amit Chakma; Humanities Theatre, 2:30 p.m.
• Poetry reading by Jan Zwicky, former UW professor of philosophy; St. Jerome's University room 327, 4 p.m.
• Service of Lessons and Carols; Conrad Grebel University College chapel, 5:30 p.m.

• Concert by the University Choir, Chamber Choir and chapel Choir; Davis Centre great hall, 12:15 p.m.
• Inaugural lecture for the Munich Re Chair in Insurance, held by Gordon Willmot of the school of accountancy; Munich Re Centre, 390 Bay Street, 26th floor, Toronto, 4 p.m.
• English Language Proficiency Examination; Physical Activities Complex, 7 p.m.
• "Faculty and Staff Appreciation Night" with discounts, refreshments and special guests; UW bookstore, South Campus Hall, 5 to 7 p.m.

Wednesday, December 12: Carol singing led by Jake Willms; Modern Languages building lobby, 12:15 p.m.

Friday, December 14: "Song: A Celebration of Community", music by The 9:30 Choir of the University Catholic Community; Siegfried Hall, St. Jerome's University, 7:30 p.m.

CAR