March 15, 2002

Friday, March 15, 2002

UW creates student research jobs
Kids' summer programs are listed
St. Jerome's installs chancellor
Other notes, weekend events

Editor:
Chris Redmond
credmond@uwaterloo.ca

[Three with water bottles]
Water without arsenic is a novelty at Molinos in the Atcama desert of north Chile. Environmental (civil) engineering students Jackie Coughlin, Tricia Stadnyk and Sharon Daniel have been working on proposals for remediation of contaminated Lluta River water; their study included a nine-day trip to collect water samples and examine the site. They'll be submitting their fourth-year design project today. More about their work appeared in Wednesday's Gazette.

UW creates student research jobs

A new "Undergraduate Research Internship" program will provide 90 student jobs in UW labs and other research areas over the coming year, says an announcement from the co-op and career services department, which will operate it.

A memo from CECS explains: "The program is intended to provide both co-op and regular undergraduate students with research based employment, under the supervision of a faculty member (the employer), as early as possible in the student's undergraduate career. As an incentive, the University will provide funds to support the hiring of these students."

The plan comes from provost Amit Chakma, apparently spurred by comments made at recent meetings of the UW senate by chemistry professor Jim Sloan, who heads UW's Centre for Atmospheric Sciences. Sloan told the UW senate last month that research involvement by undergraduates can be valuable for both the student and the faculty supervisor, and said he, for one, would hire more students if they didn't cost so much.

Under the new program, the university budget will provide $1,200 towards each four-month student job -- a total of $108,000 in the coming fiscal year. The memo from the co-op and career services department gives some details:

"UW will provide $1,200 to support salary for each student up to a maximum of 90 students during the 2002/03 fiscal year."
"The employer is expected to supplement the salary so that the student earns, at a minimum, $4,800 for four months of employment."
"The positions created are expected to be incremental, i.e., beyond those currently in existence."
"Students hired must be in good academic standing."

It tells faculty members: "If you are interested in hiring a student under this program, please prepare a job description then contact the appropriate person in Co-operative Education & Career Services below who will arrange to have your position posted immediately."

The contact people in CECS are Ruth Hawes (accounting and mathematics), Diane McKelvie (applied health sciences and science), Shirley Thompson (arts and environmental studies), and Janet Metz (engineering).

Kids' summer programs are listed -- information from the community relations office

Children can go on field trips, sit around campfires, perform in theatre productions, or "explore new horizons" in computing, engineering and science at UW this summer. Parents can choose from several summer camps:

Arts Computer Experience: A summer day camp for children 7 to 12 years old, with emphasis on learning while having fun. The camp offers instruction in art, computers, drama and music, as well as outdoor activities and swimming. ACE runs four two-week sessions throughout July and August. Cost is $275 for sessions I and III (shortened by holidays) and $295 for sessions II and IV. A $10 discount applies for full payment before April 15. Program begins July 2. Camp hours are from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Info: ext. 5939; ace@uwaterloo.ca.

Engineering Science Quest: Now in its 12th year, ESQ is the winner of the Michael Smith award for excellence in the promotion of science to young people across Canada. The student-run program seeks to explore new horizons in engineering and science by giving children an opportunity to see, touch, invent, design, create and experiment in camps for Grades 1-12. Four "ExXtreme Camping!" programs focus on the world of computers and technology. The camps have a camper/instructor ratio of six campers for each instructor, except the ExXtreme and Primary programs, which have a ratio of four campers for each instructor. Camps run weekly from July 1 to August 30 at $185 for each five-day week ($225 for the ExXtreme programs). Camp hours are 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Info: ext. 5239; info@esq.uwaterloo.ca.

Hildegard Marsden Day Nursery Summer Camp: A program full of outdoor activities is offered, emphasizing the intellectual, physical, social and emotional growth of young children from two and a half to seven years. Activities include science projects, swimming, large and fine motor activities, songs, cooperative games and field trips. The child-staff ratio is eight campers for each childhood educator, with a maximum of 16 campers a week. Each week offers different trips and activities. Minimum weekly sessions are offered for July and August. Cost is $145 for each five-day week; $125 for each four-day week. Camp hours are from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Contacts: Alicia Smith, ext. 5437.

Klemmer Farmhouse Co-operative Nursery Summer Program: A fun-filled weekly program for children from 2-1/2 to five years. Campers can get involved in crafts, water play, music and games, as well as field trips and outdoor play programs. Children may register for one or more weeks. Hot lunch and snacks are served. The child-staff ratio is eight children for each early childhood education teacher. Camp hours are from 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Cost is $138 for each five-day week camp; $128 for each four-day week. Contact: Jan Robinson, 885-5181.

Ontario Mennonite Music Camp: The camp is aimed at young people from 12 to 16 years with a love for music and with some basic music training. They can participate in choir, instrumental music, private coaching, a musical theatre production, outdoor activities, campfires and field trips, as well as camper planned chapels, concerts by professional artists and a concert for family and friends. The music camp receives campers from many Christian denominations. Campers and university-trained counsellors are housed in the dormitory rooms of Conrad Grebel College on the UW campus. The camp will be held July 28 to August 9. Cost is $475, plus a non-refundable deposit of $50 before June 12 or $75 after June 17. Info: 885-0220 ext. 226.

St. Jerome's installs chancellor

Richard Gwyn, one of Canada's leading journalists and political commentators, will be installed as chancellor of St. Jerome's University at a special ceremonial Mass on Sunday. The installation will take place in the historic Church of St. Agatha beginning at 2 p.m.

As part of the celebration, members of the Millennium Choir, accompanied by pianist Krystyna Higgins -- wife of St. Jerome's president Michael Higgins -- will perform original choral works by conductor Alfred Kunz along with compositions by Bach and a traditional Irish canticle.

Gwyn becomes the college's second lay chancellor, succeeding John Sweeney, who died in 2001. Says a news release: "Mr. Gwyn enjoys a warm relationship, both personally and professionally, with St. Jerome's University. A Catholic himself, he was a featured speaker at the first Catholics in Public Life conference, co-sponsored by St. Jerome's and the Waterloo Catholic District School Board in 2000. In October, 2001, he delivered the inaugural Somerville Lecture in Christianity and Communications as part of the Centre for Catholic Experience lecture series."

British-born, Gwyn came to Canada in 1954 and entered the news business. He covered his first major news story -- the Springhill mine disaster -- for United Press International and went on to a series of media jobs. From 1968 to 1970 he was executive assistant to Eric Kierans, then federal minister of communications, and he was a senior civil servant for the following three years. He has been a columnist with the Toronto Star and its affiliated newspapers, now including The Record, since 1973, first as national affairs columnist and, later, commenting on international affairs out of London. In 1992, he returned to Canada to write a column. He appears weekly on foreign policy panels for TVO's "Studio Two" and "Diplomatic Immunity" programs, and is a frequent commentator for the CBC.

He has written a number of books, both biographies and works of political analysis, beginning with The Shape of Scandal: A Study of Government in Crisis (1965). Among the best-known is The Northern Magus: Pierre Trudeau and Canadians (1980). His most recent work is Nationalism Without Walls: The Unbearable Lightness of Being Canadian (1995). Gwyn is a two-time recipient of the National Newspaper Awards, in 1980 and 1985, and, with his wife, Sandra, received the National Magazine Award in 1985.

Most Rev. Anthony F. Tonnos, bishop of Hamilton, will preside at Sunday's ceremonial Mass, being held in a church long associated with the Roman Catholic order that founded St. Jerome's: the Congregation of the Resurrection. St. Agatha Church, a towering landmark in the small community that bears the same name, was established in 1840. In 1857, Rev. Eugene Funcken of the Resurrectionists arrived there to minister to parishioners and establish an orphanage. His brother, Rev. Louis Funcken, joined him and, in 1865, founded the Catholic college that would become St. Jerome's. The following year, St. Jerome's College was incorporated under provincial statute and moved into new quarters in downtown Berlin, now Kitchener. St. Jerome's became federated with UW in 1960.

On other campuses
The University of Toronto today celebrates the launch of a 725-page history of the university, by Martin L. Friedland, published by U of T Press at $60.
Tonight through Sunday, the University of Guelph holds its 78th annual College Royal -- "a combination of traditional favourites such as teddy bear surgery, Old MacDonald's farm and chemistry magic shows, as well as new attractions such as a robotics competition". The musical show in War Memorial Hall this year is "Guys and Dolls". Details of the annual open house are available on the web.

Other notes, weekend events

Interested researchers at UW, the University of Alberta and the University of Calgary will meet electronically today to hear about "Pomme", an interactive French grammar database developed by Martin Beaudoin at U of A. The event is part of the "Design Café" series sponsored by UW's LT3 technology centre, and starts at 11:15. Last-minute information: ext. 6832.

Postings for spring term jobs are still going up, says the co-op and career services department; posting #8 of the "continuous phase" will be available at noon today, and this one includes the first "continuous phase" jobs for architecture students (who need to sign up for the continuous phase by 4:00 today, if they haven't already done so).

Celebrations of St. Patrick's Day are somewhat diffused this year, since the actual festival falls on Sunday. Today, for instance: at the PAS Lounge (the newest little food services outlet, on the third floor of the "Psychology" building), "customers who purchase a beverage will receive a fantastic shamrock cookie."

Volunteers from the Accounting Students Education Contribution will be available from 11:00 to 3:00 today (and Monday and Tuesday) to help people fill out, or double-check, their income tax returns. There's no charge. Location: the Student Life Centre great hall.

A note from James Skidmore in the Germanic and Slavic department: "From 15 March until 8 April there will be two displays on German cultural identity on show in the Modern Languages foyer. These are poster presentations developed by students in GER 292: Survey of German Literature and Culture. The two themes are The Brothers Grimm and Dadaism. The students are putting in a good deal of work on these displays, and so I hope as many people as possible will take a few moments to view their efforts."

[Rainbow Reels] The Rainbow Reels "Queer Film Festival" continues through the weekend, with showings tonight, Saturday night and Sunday night in the Davis Centre. Also on the program for tonight: a reading by Toronto Tamil author Shyam Selvadurai, at 7 p.m. The major Saturday night feature is the Canadian film "Hey, Happy!".

Theologian Stanley Hauerwas, who spoke at Conrad Grebel University College last night, gives the second of his two lectures on Dietrich Bonhoeffer tonight. Topic: "Bonhoeffer on Truth in Politics". The lecture starts at 7 p.m. in Grebel's great hall; admission is free, if you can get a seat.

"Islam vs. Secularism" is the debate, tomorrow at 1 p.m. in Optometry room 347. David Livingstone, a convert to Islam and author of The Dying God, takes one side of the argument; Jan Narveson of UW's philosophy department, who was debating tuition fees yesterday, will take the other side. "Whatever your view is, you are welcome," says the Muslim Students for Universal Justice group, sponsors of tomorrow's session.

As I mentioned a day or two ago, the Swing and Social Dance Club will hold its end-of-term dance Saturday night at the Waterloo Community Arts Centre on Regina Street. The feet start moving at 8 p.m.; tickets are $7 at the door.

I don't have much information about the event, but "Once on This Island" is a Saturday night show in the Humanities Theatre, sponsored by the Association of Caribbean Students.

Looking ahead to Monday: James Diamond, UW's chair in Jewish studies, will speak at 7:30 p.m. (Siegfried Hall, St. Jerome's University) on "The Sage Is Greater than the Prophet: Judaism as a Religion of Freedom and Responsibility".

CAR

TODAY IN UW HISTORY
March 15, 1963: Ernie Lucy becomes UW's personnel director and assistant to the director of coordination and placement.