![[University of Waterloo]](/goldbar.gif)
| Yesterday |
Thursday, September 4, 2003
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Editor: Chris Redmond credmond@uwaterloo.ca |
![[Hard hat in his lap]](/images/2003/0904sleep.gif)
And so the schedule for UW's orientation week has the occasional "sleep in" morning explicitly listed, as well as a midweek day -- yesterday for some faculties, today for others -- that's mostly down time. It's a chance for UW's 5,300 new first-year students not only to sleep, but to buy textbooks, complete student loan paperwork, do a load of laundry or maybe make a phone call home.
Orientation is going really well, says Catharine Scott, whose title is associate provost (human resources and student services), making her the senior administrator in charge of student life issues. She admitted yesterday that it's hard for someone in the administration generation to keep up with the 17-and-18-year-olds in this year's first-year class, but she's been out to as many of the events as possible, and says there have been almost no problems.
Scott had particular praise for the students who make up the Federation Orientation Committee -- the top echelon of organizers for this week's activities. "They're getting maybe two hours of sleep a night!" she said in admiration.
Peace and quiet is the order of the day today for students in mathematics, engineering and applied health sciences. They're free pretty much all day, except for the English Language Proficiency Exam (at 11 a.m. for engineering, 1 p.m. for math, software engineering and applied health sciences). In the other faculties, who got a break yesterday, activities resume today. And then tonight everybody's invited to the semi-formal party of the week, Monte Carlo Night in the Student Life Centre, with entertainment, high-class refreshments, and a mock casino.
Today also brings the last performances of "Single and Sexy" for this season -- at 10:00, 1:00 and 4:00 in the Humanities Theatre. Plenty of seats are available (free) at the 4 p.m. performance, and anyone is welcome, with a special invitation to staff and faculty members. The high-energy show lasts about an hour. "It's a great way," says Scott, "to find out what student life is like for the new generation!"
![[Lankowski]](/images/2003/0904lankowski.gif)
She was best known for her administrative work with the Telephone Services unit since it became part of IST in 1996, but that was just the most recent part of a 28-year staff career. She joined the university in December 1975 as a secretary-stenographer in electrical engineering, then transferred to what was then the data processing department in 1977.
Says Bill Futher, who heads the administrative support section of IST: "With hard work and her ability to learn new skills quickly, she became a Programmer Analyst in 1988 and then Office Systems Analyst/Assistant to the Director of Data Processing in 1991.
"In 1996, Data Processing, Computing Services and Telephone Services amalgamated into IST. Judie became the Special Projects Co-ordinator, which now involved her in the major IT changes on campus. Technology upgrade projects such as Financials, Human Resources, Telephone System, SISP, CECS, and Special Event Planning involved interfacing with many campus departments and vendors. People in these departments were touched by her outgoing personality and wit.
"Judie could be sweet when a situation required diplomacy, but tenacious and outspoken if necessary. She spoke out on many controversial issues and you always knew her position on matters. Judie loved to play practical jokes and if one was played on her you could expect a double dosage in return. Her work ethic was exemplary and her standards set high."
A funeral service will be held Saturday at 10 a.m. at the Schreiter-Sandrock funeral home on Benton Street in Kitchener.
The baseball scheduleThe baseball Warriors didn't play last night, in spite of what I said in yesterday's Daily Bulletin. Their first game is tonight, and there have been some schedule changes anyway. The Warriors are in the Blue Jay Cup tournament for the next few days, playing Brock tonight, Guelph on Saturday morning and Western on Saturday afternoon, all in Toronto. The Cup playoffs are scheduled for Sunday. The Warriors will have their first home game ("home") being Jack Couch Park in Kitchener next Wednesday, when they host Laurier. |
Name that spaceThe athletics department is running a contest to find a name for two new facilities -- the Columbia Icefield fitness centre and the Physical Activities Complex conditioning room. Prizes are offered for "exciting and unique names", with a deadline of September 26. Details are in the red Campus Recreation brochure for this term. |
"We do have some concerns that we are trying to address through some proactive promotion and marketing to the students. Many students will be younger and perhaps less confident with their seeking out physical recreation so we are going to hire student ambassadors of our programs to be around and helpful through the first few weeks. We will try to engage the new students and get them as much information as possible.
"With the intercollegiate teams, we do not anticipate much change. in the risk sports where size and strength mean a lot, we are paying attention to the teaching and loads that we ask of the athletes. The natural growth and development literature tells us to do this at all times, but we are a little more aware this coming year."
Tonight brings another open house for UW's Carousel Dance Centre, "committed to providing quality dance education for over 30 years". The open house -- 6 to 8 p.m. in East Campus Hall, off Phillip Street -- is an opportunity to meet the faculty, view the studios and find out about dance training for adults and children. There's a special program, a flyer notes, for home-schooled kids. More information: phone ext. 3147.
The last spring term issue of the Iron Warrior, the engineering student newspaper, included the results of the latest "debt load survey" conducted among engineering students. As usual, it found that -- thanks to relatively high-paying co-op jobs -- they often carry less debt than what students are popularly assumed to be enduring. Of the 640 students who answered the survey, 23 per cent said they expect to graduate with no debt at all, and another 22 per cent would have less than $5,000. But 19 per cent said $5,000 to $10,000; 24 per cent said $10,000 to $20,000; and 13 per cent anticipated graduating with debt of more than $20,000. Another question of interest: "Has the differential tuition increases caused you hardship?" Yes, 62 per cent; no, 15 per cent; not yet, 23 per cent.
Alan Webb of the school of accountancy has a new memory that won't fade: completing the Ironman Canada Triathlon on August 24. This event, run in British Columbia, involves a swim of 3.86 kilometres, bicycling 180.2 km and then running a marathon (42.2 km). "This was his first attempt at the Ironman distance," a friend tells me, and the experience was complicated by the summer forest fires in parts of British Columbia: "The swim course was converted to a two-loop course, closer to shore, due to a shortage of volunteers -- many of the volunteers for the swim course were out fighting the fires. The run course was moved into the city to keep the runners in town for safety reasons. The bike course retained the same challenging course through mountain passes. There were concerns about air quality because of the smoke. Alan's time was 12:02:22, good for 813th place among over 1,950 starters. He finished 125 out of 283 finishers in the men's 40-44 category."
Sean Van Koughnett, currently of UW's development and alumni affairs office, is moving to a new job as one of the assistant registrars, a memo from UW registrar Ken Lavigne announces. He'll be responsible for the faculties of applied health sciences and mathematics. Dorothy Chapman, who had been in that assistant registrar post, has moved to a job in systems administration in the registrar's office.
The staff association told its members yesterday that -- although its regular student bursary was increased to $500 earlier this year -- there were no applications for it in the spring term. "So," says the memo, "in Fall 2003 we will be giving away two awards. In addition, the Education Credit Union will match the $500 UWSA Award. Recipients will receive $1,000." The bursary is for UW students who are the children of association members, and the application deadline this fall is September 30. The association office at ext. 3566 can provide more information.
CAR