August 21, 2002

Wednesday, August 21, 2002

Alternative transportation comes to campus
This week's staff positions
Happening on Wednesday

Editor:
Chris Redmond
credmond@uwaterloo.ca

Alternative transportation comes to campus

Sebastian, Johannes, Claire, The Rambler, and Ginger Bike line up in racks outside the Student Life Centre, ready for a sprint to a class, a trip to the grocery store or an evening parked outside a local restaurant.

The fleet of five bikes was launched this summer in the Yellow Bike Program's pilot project -- the "light version" of what organizers hope will become a free-wheeling transportation alternative on campus.

Initiated by science student Mark Daalderop -- who spent much of the summer cycling across the country -- and run by Daalderop and co-coordinator Tina Deacoff (psychology) right, the UW program is modeled on successful Yellow Bike projects in communities and on campuses around the world.

Designed to promote cycling as an environmentally friendly and economically viable form of transportation, the program offers loaner bikes to members. For just $25 per term -- $20 of which is refundable at the end of the term -- any UW student, staff or faculty member can join the Yellow Bike Program and have access to a sturdy, three-speed bicycle. The $5 balance is used for maintenance costs.

Members can sign up at the SLC turnkey desk, and leave a Watcard with the turnkeys when they take out a bike. The yellow bikes must be returned by 11 p.m. on the day they are borrowed.

So far, says Deacoff, the bikes have mainly been used for off-campus trips. "They allow students more freedom," she adds, especially co-op and international students who may not have their own bikes at Waterloo.

The five pilot bikes were donated to the program by Recycle Cycles in Kitchener, a group founded at UW and now affiliated with The Working Centre on Queen Street.

"We didn't want expensive bikes often in need of repair, like mountain bikes," says Deacoff. The three-speed versions are "sturdy, unlikely to be stolen and low maintenance" -- a key factor when Daalderop, Deacoff and just a few stalwart volunteers perform repairs at the Bike Centre in the basement of the SLC.

Photos promote cycling
The Bicycle Aesthetic: The European Experience, a photography exhibition mounted by fourth-year environment and resource studies student Johanna Stange as a thesis project, will be on display August 21 to 23 in the Great Hall of the Student Life Centre.
Stange is using the photos, taken in German and Hungarian cities, "to promote the use of the bicycle as a sustainable mode of urban transportation."
The exhibition opens at noon on Wednesday, with local resources on biking available, and a presentation on UW's new Yellow Bike Program.

Funding for the project was provided by the Student Life Centre and the Federation of Students, and Deacoff and Daalderop gave each reconditioned bike a coat of bright yellow paint and its own name -- an anthropomorphizing strategy designed to "help people feel more affection and respect" for the bikes.

"So far," says Deacoff, "we've been pleased with the honesty and responsibility of the users."

After a successful start this summer, turnkey staff will begin taking memberships for the fall term during frosh week. The Yellow Bike Program is planning to install a sign over its racks, and depending on demand and the availability of volunteers, may add more cycles to its fleet. Prospective volunteers and members can learn more at the turnkey desk.

This week's staff positions

"University Policy 18," says the human resources department, "provides maximum opportunity for promotion of regular, internal staff members. Those interested in applying for an available position are invited to call human resources at ext. 2524 for more information or are welcome to visit during regular working hours to view a detailed job description. Human resources is located in the General Services Complex, room 130. A current resume is required with your application.

"Due to the number of applications received, we regret that we can not respond to external applicants who apply to the vacancies listed below unless an interview is scheduled.

"If there are no qualified internal applications, a decision may be made, no earlier than seven working days from the job posting, to seek external candidates. All applications received after this decision will be treated on an equal basis, without consideration of the internal status of the candidate."

On this week's list:

Payables specialist, finance, USG 5
Collections maintenance/TUGBARS supervisor, library user services (Davis), USG 6

More information about each job is available on the human resources web site.

"The university welcomes and encourages applications from the designated employment equity groups: visible minorities, women, persons with disabilities, and aboriginal people. For more information call ext. 2524."

Happening on Wednesday

Hear ye, hear ye

Organizers of the Royal Medieval Faire send "A call to arms... and hands and legs too!" There will be an orientation session for volunteers to the Royal Medieval Faire this evening from 7 to 9 p.m. at the Hauser Haus Room in the Waterloo Memorial Recreation Complex on Fr. David Bauer Drive.

"We are seeking volunteers for gating, information booth, volunteer hospitality, security, parking, games magistrates, set-up and tear-down. There will be refreshments served (at the meeting and on Faire day)."

The Faire itself will be held in Waterloo Park on Saturday, September 21 from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. For more information on volunteering, contact Jessica at (519) 239-7502 or at volunteers@royalmedievalfaire.org.

The student awards office will be closed today so that staff may meet "critical deadlines."

There will be a shutdown of "chilled water services" in the Douglas Wright Engineering building beginning today at 2:30 p.m. and running until 4 p.m. tomorrow so that plant operations may install new piping. Also, the shutdown of hot water to all buildings within the Ring Road continues until 1 p.m. tomorrow. Plant operations is doing maintenance work on the steam mains to these buildings.

Gays and Lesbians of Waterloo will hold a discussion group this evening in HH 373 beginning at 7 p.m. Tonight's topic: Growing older in the LGBT community. A social event follows the discussion at 8:30 p.m.

And the athletics department sends word that 2002-2003 season tickets are now on sale. The UW Athletics season ticket includes more than 60 regular season home events, three tournaments, (including the Naismith Classic Basketball, Warrior Volleyball, and Oktoberfest Hockey tournaments) and three issues of the Gold and Black newsletter. Season tickets are $40 for adults, $30 for students, and $25 for seniors. Purchasing information is available at www.athletics.uwaterloo.ca.

Avvey Peters

TODAY IN UW HISTORY
August 21, 1995: The Canadian Academic Round Table, sponsored by UW's Federation of Students and drawing student leaders from across Canada, wraps up today.