September 11, 2002

Wednesday, September 11, 2002

UW, too, marks the anniversary
Water association starts local branch
Arts copy centre is closed
What's going on around here?

Editor:
Chris Redmond
credmond@uwaterloo.ca

UW, too, marks the anniversary

A year ago this morning, we were all huddled around TV sets, making the occasional stunned remark but mostly watching in silence. The audio-visual centre took the initiative to send a CNN news signal into all the lecture halls that have television wiring and weren't otherwise occupied, and people watched there as the normal activities of the day were gradually abandoned.

On the web about 9/11

Site created by UW math student Tushar Singh
Gotham Gazette
Government of Canada: one year later
America Rebuilds: CNN documentary
Yahoo Living Tribute
It was the morning of the attacks on the United States, as two airplanes hit the World Trade Center -- killing some 3,000 people in the fiery collapse -- and two other hijacked planes also crashed, one into the Pentagon. It was the day that's come to be known simply as "September 11", and although there is a September 11 every year, everybody knows which one you mean when you say it.

Name your own memories of that day -- although few people can have memories as searing as those of computer science student Peter Chiu, who was in the lobby of the World Trade Center on his way to a co-op job he had just started. (He checked in with 'uwstudent.org' later the same day to say he was okay.) Name your own cliché: the day the world changed, the end of innocence, or just a few minutes of brutal breathtaking death. Name your own visceral response: anger, grief, bafflement, a passion for war, a longing for peace.

Whatever the reactions, it became, for most Canadians as for most Americans, a day to remember. As the anniversary is marked around the world, a September 11 memorial service will be held on UW's campus today, starting at 12 noon in the semicircular "atrium" just outside the Student Life Centre.

A tree "will have been planted" nearby to mark the occasion, organizers say. At the memorial service, a choir from Conrad Grebel University College will sing, and UW president David Johnston and Brenda Slomka, president of the Federation of Students, will speak.

As well, Lowell Ewert, of peace and conflict studies, will talk about peace and what people can contribute toward it.

"Participants will be encouraged to think about how they can contribute to an understanding and open community which celebrates and works towards peace," says Catharine Scott, associate provost (human resources and student services). Or as a verse from my particular faith tradition puts it:

Love shall tread out the baleful fire of anger
And in its ashes plant the tree of peace.

Also, participants will be asked to check out clubs displaying exhibits on peace, harmony, acceptance and diversity. The exhibits will be located in the multipurpose room inside the SLC.

Water association starts local branch

The Canadian Water Resources Association will be officially kicking off its first student chapter at UW tomorrow, says one of the organizers, Laura McCreanor, a graduate student in environment and resource studies.

Students from all disciplines across campus are invited to attend a brief presentation followed by a social get-together. "Whether you're in Arts, Science, Environmental Studies, Engineering, Math, AHS or Independent Studies, if you have an interest in the management of Canada's water resources, you are more than welcome to attend and find out what we're all about," says Bruce Davison, another of key organizers for the event. "We're looking to engage students from first year undergrad to final year PhD."

The CWRA is a national organization of individuals and organizations interested in the management of Canada's water resources. The membership of the association, its web site explains, includes water resource professionals including managers, administrators, scientists, academics, students and users. It has branch organizations in eight provinces and members throughout Canada and beyond.

"We've hooked up with this incredible mix of people to help promote the vision of sustainable water management practices." says Davison. "The Association's aims are fourfold: to stimulate public awareness and understanding of Canada's water resources; to encourage public recognition of the high priority of water as a valued resources; to provide a forum for the exchange of information and opinions relating to the management of Canada's water resources; and to participate with appropriate agencies in international water resource activity.

"Most of our work to date has been with the third objective of providing a forum for the exchange of information of water as a valued resource."

Thursday's kickoff will take place in room 309 of the J. R. Coutts Engineering Lecture Hall starting at 7 p.m. For more information, Davison can be reached at bjdaviso@engmail and McCreanor at lbmccrea@fes.

Arts copy centre is closed

The arts copy centre, a fixture in the Humanities building for the past three decades, shut down this summer and won't be reopening, the director of UW Graphics says.

A memo from the director, Linda Norton, says the change was made "in an effort to streamline our operation and provide better overall service to the university community". The copy centre "will be converted to a self-serve location", she said. " The decision to change this centre to self-serve was made with the input of the Arts faculty."

She said WatCard-operated copiers will be installed in the room -- Humanities room 370 -- where the copy centre had been, "so you and your students will have access to a variety of copiers during and after regular office hours. Graphics will make every effort to provide you with uninterrupted service, as well as provide you with additional services offered at our other on-campus locations."

Says the memo: "Patricia Campbell, who has been a valued employee with Graphics for the past twenty-one years will be relocated to Graphics Express in the Dana Porter Library. She will be happy to serve her regular customers in her new location. When you stop by to see her, make sure you enjoy a coffee from Browsers, conveniently located right across from Graphics Express.

"All of the services that you are familiar with from the Arts Copy Centre are available at Graphics Express. In addition to the regular duplicating services provided by Arts, Graphics Express has colour copying, direct on-line printing, laminating and novelty items. Graphics Express also accepts credit cards and Interac for payment."

And, Norton noted, "for your convenience, we also offer our courier service to pick up and deliver rush jobs. Just call our dispatch service at ext. 6885 anytime from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m."

Susan Schaefer of Graphics said yesterday that the self-serve copier, plus some equipment such as a stapler and recycling bins, will be in Humanities 370 "in the near future", but "It is difficult to pin down an exact date, because we are still working towards signing our new campus fleet copier agreement, and the installation of this machine is dependent on that."

Staff positions are listed
Three jobs are listed on the weekly "Positions Available" memo from the human resources department:

Payables analyst, finance, USG 6.

Administrative coordinator, mathematics business and accountancy programs, dean of mathematics, USG 7.

Prep room technician/demonstrator, chemistry, USG 7.
Full information is available, as always, on the HR web site.

What's going on around here?

I said in yesterday's Daily Bulletin that Jim Frank, associate dean of graduate studies, was the first person to hold that position at UW. Nonsense, of course, and I have no idea why I overlooked Dwight Aplevich, professor of electrical and computer engineering, who was associate dean 1995-99, before Frank took the job.

Clubs Days, sponsored by the Federation of Students to show off the activities of dozens of UW student clubs, run today and tomorrow from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. in the Student Life Centre.

And one of those clubs, the Spanish Club, will be holding pizza day today from 11:30 to 2:00 outside the Modern Languages building. "We'll be the ones with the big sombreros," says co-president Julie Sperling.

This afternoon brings an open house for the campus recreation program based in the athletics department. "Join us," says special events coordinator Michelle Robinson, "for freebies and giveaways. We will have information on our leagues, instructional programs, fitness, aquatics, tournaments and clubs, plus general information on Campus Recreation including information on using the Physical Activities Complex and Columbia Icefield. We are also having some demonstrations from our clubs, and we are hoping for performances from the UW cheerleaders and UW Band." The event runs from 3 to 7 p.m. on the patio of the Physical Activities Complex.

"Welcome Week" for graduate students continues, with Burger Day from noon to 2 p.m. at the Graduate House. ("Meet the UW Admin and GSA Exec . . . celebrate the start of the 3rd annual Graduate Student Research Conference . . . redeem your free burger coupons!" Tonight, grads make an outing to Waterloo Bowling.

The weekly gay and lesbian discussion group meets tonight to talk about "On-Line Romance: The Role of the Internet in the LGBT Community" (7 p.m., Humanities room 373).

Tomorrow will bring the open house organized by the Engineering Society to discuss the recent, and much-publicized, UW-Microsoft partnership. The event runs from 5 to 7 p.m. tomorrow in Rod Coutts Engineering Lecture Hall room 101.

A note for tennis enthusiasts, from the organizing committee of the annual Downey Tennisfest, says this year's event is scheduled for September 29. "Participants must sign up by Monday, September 23. It's for staff, faculty and retirees, and their guests. The format will be round robin doubles with partners and teams assigned. Everyone gets to play at least three matches. The cost of dinner and tennis is $35; tennis only $20; and dinner only $20. For further information contact Shirley Fenton, ext. 4074, or Jane Varley, ext. 2699."

Memo from the registrar's office: "If you're an undergraduate student, it is important to make sure that the University has an updated mailing address to which it can send important mail. You can change your mailing and/or home address in Quest. In most cases, your home address and mailing address should be the same to ensure all University mail goes to the same convenient location."

Also from the registrar: "You can now view your enrolment appointment for winter 2003. Class Enrolment appointments run from September 30 to October 26. Open Enrolment begins November 4. If you miss your enrolment appointment, you'll have to wait until Open Enrolment to select or make changes to your classes."

CAR

TODAY IN UW HISTORY
September 11, 1970: The Canadian flag is raised for the first time on a new flagpole at the University Avenue entrance to campus. September 11, 1985: Some 1,334 people set a Guinness record by doing the bird dance together on the Village green.