UW holds Student Life 101 on Saturday

Students attending the University of Waterloo for the first time this fall will gather on campus Saturday to explore their brave new world, far away from home.

The annual event, known as Student Life 101, is an all-day orientation program "designed by students for students" to help with the transition to university life before the fast-paced weeks of classes early in the fall term.

Karyn Nelson, UW's First-year Student Life Coordinator, said the event will "show students the ropes and help prepare them for university life." Now in its ninth year, the event is organized by Nelson, who relies on 200 student volunteers.

The summer-time orientation event was created "to relieve student and parent anxiety and reassure them that UW is a warm and friendly place," she said. "We want to let them know that there are a lot of people and services here to help them and to make their years here fun."

A key presentation is called "Student Life at UW" and will be held at 11 a.m. in the Physical Activities Complex for students in the Faculties of Applied Health Sciences, Arts and Science as well as the Architecture and Software Engineering programs. At 12:15 p.m., it repeats for students in the Faculties of Engineering, Mathematics and Environmental Studies.

The presentation allows students to learn about the diverse services and resources available to help them throughout their university career.

As well, architecture students will be attending an academic session and introduction to the School of Architecture in Cambridge starting at 2:30 p.m.

Also on the agenda is "Meet Our People," which gives an opportunity for visitors to discover the services available on campus and talk to the people running them.

Those include: Athletics and Recreational Services, Co-operative Education and Career Services, Counselling Services, Distance and Continuing Education, Student Life Office, Food Services, Housing and Residences, Information Systems and Technology, Library Services, Office for Persons with Disabilities, Walksafe, Retail Services (Bookstore, Computer Store and UW Shop), and Student Awards (loans and scholarships).

Afterward, they can check out the Student Life Centre, "the living room of the university," visiting information booths and learning about the Federation of Students, academic rights advisers and off-campus dons, as well as clubs and student associations.

Among other presentations are: "Take the Bridge to Health," to share tips for maintaining a healthy lifestyle, provide some basic nutrition facts, answer student health concerns and offer tours of the Health Services Centre; Office for Persons with Disabilities, Adaptive Technology Centre, to showcase services available to assist students with disabilities; Co-operative Education, to introduce and inform students about the co-op system; and Career Services, to give advice on planning for the future.

There will also be presentations on: "Getting Off on the Right Foot," how to combine academics and extracurricular activities; "Making the Transition," how to ease the move from home to campus life; and "Show Me The Money," advising students receiving government loans and assistance this September.

As well, there will be a session called "So, You're Living Off Campus," with information on finding accommodation in the local community and tips on being an off-campus student. In addition, each faculty will be hosting a presentation for incoming students introducing them to the academic support available to them during their first year.

During the day, students can also visit UW's federated and affiliated institutions: St. Jerome's University, Conrad Grebel University College, St. Paul's United College and Renison College.

Top local athlete joins V-ball team -- By  Chris Gilbert, UW Athletics

Top recruit Bojana Josipovic joins Warriors Women's Volleyball in the upcoming season.

Warriors Women's Volleyball team will gain much strength this fall with the commitment of top recruit Bojana Josipovic for the upcoming season.

Josipovic is a graduate of Grand River CI in Kitchener where she was coached by Sue Senior and Margaret Howell. In 2005, her play helped lead the Renegades to a CWOSSA Championship and a fourth place finish at the 'AAAA' OFSAA Provincial Championships.

Her high school coaches had this to say about her: "Bojana brought our team to a whole new level ... not just in terms of her skill and talent but, more importantly, her ability to motivate the team ... to play with heart. Her positive attitude and love of competition is infectious. She has been a role model for team mates and competitors alike."

"Bojana will be an excellent addition to the Warriors' program," said Warrior Coach Jason Grieve. "She brings terrific athleticism, competitive fire and strong character to our team."

Josipovic said: "I am very excited to be joining the University of Waterloo and its volleyball program this fall, and I'm really looking forward to the next few years of my life at UW."

Josipovic will be part of a revamped group of outside hitters including junior Jenna Schroeder (third-year, Regina) and sophomore Gaby Lesniak (second-year, Hamilton).

"Bojana is our first Kitchener-Waterloo area recruit," Grieve said. "She believes strongly in (and will play a significant role in) the path and future success of our program."

The 6-foot-1 Josipovic will wear number 13 for the Warriors. She has been admitted into Honours Arts and will major in Psychology.

Minnesota regains lead in sun race, UW still third

During the fourth day of the North American Solar Challenge, the cross-country solar car challenge that began last Sunday in Austin, Texas, and ends on July 27 in Calgary, 12 teams reached the Sioux Falls, South Dakota, checkpoint.

The leader, the University of Minnesota, second place University of Michigan and third place University of Waterloo were expected to cross the Canadian border yesterday.

With Wednesday's results, Minnesota takes the overall lead with the lowest cumulative time, having travelled 1,108 miles in 27 hours, 20 minutes and 44 seconds. They are followed closely by Michigan at 27:52:21 and Waterloo at 28:34:26. Time penalties, if any, have not yet been assessed.

The NASC has two classes competing: the open class where teams are allowed to use batteries or solar cells of their choice and the stock class where teams use only lead acid batteries and solar cells approved by NASC officials. The stock class leader at the end of four days of racing is CalSol with a time of 31:59:55. CalSol is in ninth place in the overall standings.

The North American Solar Challenge is an educational event in which participants build and drive cars that run on 100 per cent solar power. The car with the fastest cumulative time will win the competition.

Official daily results will be posted at NASC. Final cumulative times are based on actual time, plus time penalties for rules infractions.

The contest is sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), Natural Resources Canada, DOE's National Renewable Energy Laboratory, TransAlta, University of Calgary, CSI Wireless, AMD and Manitoba Transportation and Government Services.

C&PA