Coming to the end of 2001

Notes for students Many services available through the Quest student information system will be in operation as usual over the holidays, but "class enrolment" will not. And there will be no help desk or technical support for Quest during this period. Winter term fees are due December 27 through bank transfer. Although the university reopens January 2, winter term classes will begin Thursday, January 3. The registrar's office says there isn't yet an exact date when fall term marks will be available through Quest, but it should be mid-January.

The university is officially closed from the end of the working day today until the morning of Wednesday, January 2. Of course there are a few staff whose duties continue -- more about that in a moment -- and a good many faculty will be busy marking papers and exams, with an eye to the January 2 deadline for mark submission. In addition, of course, there are graduate students whose research doesn't stop. But by and large, the Christmas and New Year's break touches everybody.

First, though, today's a normal business day on campus, except where it's not. Some offices and services have already closed down, and others will put up the shutters in the course of the day. The research office, for one, will close for lunch at 11:45 and not reopen today. The libraries will be open (both Dana Porter and the Davis Centre) until 6:00 this evening, although circulation services will end at 5 p.m. They reopen January 2. The Computing Help and Information Place will be open 8:00 to noon and 2:00 to 3:30 today, and then closed.

The residence cafeterias have closed for the season, and the few remaining food services outlets on the main campus will close early today: Pastry Plus (Needles Hall) at 11:00; Tim Horton's (Davis Centre), Bookends (South Campus Hall), Browsers (Dana Porter Library) and Brubakers (Student Life Centre) all at 2:00. Most food outlets will reopen January 2; the first meal in the residence cafeterias will be dinner on that day.

There will be recreational skating at the Columbia Icefield tomorrow from 11:00 to 12:15 and Sunday (December 23) from 12:00 to 1:15, but otherwise the Icefield and the Physical Activities Complex are closed for fitness activities from today until January 2.

Custodians will be working an early shift today, 4 p.m. to midnight, and then will be off until their usual Wednesday shift on January 2.

The telephone switchboard will close at 4:30 tonight and reopen on January 2. While it's closed, as always, it's possible to direct-dial to UW extensions through the "automated attendant" at 888-4567.

The Daily Bulletin will return Wednesday, January 2. Any emergency announcements before that date will be made through a headline on the UW web home page.

And it's worth noting that today is the last day of UW work ever for several people. Officially retiring on January 1 are four staff members, Fran Towner of key control (here since 1989), Helen Boutilier of Village I (since 1983), Gordon Nicholls of the Centre for Education in Mathematics and Computing (since 1996), and Osmund De Silva of chemistry (since 1978); and two faculty members, Anthony Anderson of physics (at UW since 1966) and David Burns of mechanical engineering (at UW since 1967, dean of engineering 1990-1998, and about to become vice-president of Conestoga College).

Closed buildings bring savings

As usual, heat and ventilation in most buildings will be turned down to night settings from tonight through January 1. Rick Zalagenas, director of maintenance and utilities, is estimating that UW will save $30,000 to $40,000 in fuel and electricity costs because of the shutdown.

He said there's no fixed temperature that will be reached in all buildings -- it depends on their size, the heating system, the difficulty of raising the temperature back to normal levels in January, and so on -- but in general, anyone coming to campus during the holiday can expect to find a cool environment, and it might be worth bringing a sweater along.

"It will save additional energy expense," says a memo from the plant operations department, "if coffee-makers, computers, office equipment and unused fumehoods are turned off during the break. And please make very sure all windows are closed before you leave."

During the break, staff will be on duty in the central plant as always, and emergency maintenance requests can be called in to ext. 3793.

Snow removal from December 22 through January 1 will be limited. "Grounds staff will respond to serious snow issues," says plant ops, especially to clear priority areas such as the ring road.

Scheduled construction projects on campus during the break include continuing work on the new CEIT and co-op and career services buildings, as well as the addition to RCH. (A couple of days ago I called that one by an informal name, and was reminded that it's officially the J. R. Coutts Engineering Lecture Hall, so there.) There will also be renovations taking place in the Village I dining area, the Davis Centre and Modern Languages; electrical work in Chemistry II and Math and Computer; and mechanical work in Matthews Hall.

Holiday shutdown for UW labs

A web page dealing with the Christmas and New Year's shutdown warns that, among other things, labs have to be prepared for the power going off during the holidays: "Due to winter weather conditions utilities, especially electricity, may be affected. It is a general rule that all laboratory processes be designed to safely survive a service failure. During the holiday shutdown this is particularly important."

It lists some recommended preparations:

• Require that lab operations be suspended by December 22, 2001 @ 5:00 PM until January 2, 2002.
• Shut down all processes vulnerable to failure of utilities.
• Remove hazardous waste from the lab. Last day for hazardous waste pickup is December 19 and for drop off at the Environmental Safety Facility is December 21. For more information call x5755 or x6268.
• Store hazardous materials properly and in containment areas and ensure that containers are closed or sealed.
• Shut off compressed gases and gas supply lines to equipment.
• Turn off and unplug, where possible, electrical devices such as hot plates, computers and, if not containing hazardous materials, fumehoods and environmental chambers. This prevents damage to equipment due to power surges while reducing energy waste and pollution.
• Ensure lab contact information is updated with names, phone numbers and addresses in a location accessible to emergency response personnel (suggest on inside of door). Include documentation on contents of freezers and refrigerators.
• If you have any questions about preparing your lab for the shutdown contact Safety Office at x6268.

• Report failures of equipment or physical plant to Plant Operations at x3793.
• If lab or building has been without power, allow the lab exhaust systems to operate for at least 2 hours before entry to lab or building.
• Contact Safety Office or UW Spill Team through UW Police at x4911 if you have concerns relating to hazardous materials spills.

Advice about security A note from the UW police: "Do not leave any personal valuables or smaller 'attractive' items, such as laptop computers, radios and cameras, in the office or workplaces. These items should be secured in a cabinet or removed to home for safekeeping over the holidays. "The local police services will be out in full force with the RIDE program over the holidays, so if you drink, do not drive."

Exceptions and special arrangements

The Student Life Centre (phone 888-4434) will be open 24 hours a day as usual throughout the holiday. The turnkey desk can provide not just coffee and hot chocolate but bus tickets, stamps, "some food", lots of information and even sometimes an emergency pillow. "We also plan to show movies in the great hall," says assistant manager Nancy O'Neil. Parking is available between the SLC and the Physical Activities Complex, and it's the door at the PAC end of the SLC that's sure to be open.

All parking lots, except lot D under Needles Hall and the ECEC lot at the PAS building, will be open and free throughout the holiday period. Gates to service roads will be kept closed during the holiday break.

If you notice an outage of the campus network or any major IST-maintained computing facility, you can leave a voice message with the Information Systems and Technology Helpdesk at 888-4357 or send e-mail to request@ist.uwaterloo.ca. Both will be checked daily.

The one sports event between Christmas and New Year's is the Waterloo Warriors Christmas Shoot-Out, which brings eight women's basketball teams to the Physical Activities Complex December 28-30. Joining the UW team are Laurentian, Concordia, Queen's, McMaster, York, Saskatchewan and Ryerson. (The Warriors' first game will be played against Ryerson on the Friday at 7 p.m.; they'll play again at 7:00 Saturday night, the opponent depending on who wins Friday, and in a third game some time Sunday.) Tickets are $7 (students $4) for each two-game session, or there's a tournament pass available for $15. WatCard holders, of course, get in free.

A semi-formal New Year's Eve party is planned at Federation Hall: doors open at 8 p.m. on December 31. Tickets are $15 for undergraduate students, $20 for others -- phone ext. 6196.

Mass is scheduled at St. Jerome's University (Siegfried Hall) at the following times: this Sunday at 9:30 and 11:30 a.m.; Christmas Eve at 7 p.m. and midnight; Christmas Day at 10 a.m.; Saturday, December 29, at 5 p.m.; Sunday, December 30, at 9;30 and 11:30; New Year's Day at 10 a.m.

Anglican services at the Renison College chapel will be held this Sunday at 10:30 a.m. and Christmas Eve at 11 p.m.

So some of us go now to church, and some to feast, and some to skis, and some to bed -- and most of us to loving friends and families -- though some must study or must work: a dozen faiths, a thousand ways to live in harmony with truth through cold and dark December days. We pause from labours, when we can, and hear the season's whispered call to burn the candles of our lives for Peace on earth, good will to all.

CAR