Rhapsody tonight in free concert

UW’s volunteer orchestra will celebrate its fifth anniversary with a concert in the Humanities Theatre tonight, “and we will also make it a farewell to Catharine Scott,” says the chair of the Orchestra@ UWaterloo council, computer science professor Anna Lubiw.

Scott is the soon-to-retire associate provost (student services), who was celebrated at a reception in South Campus Hall late yesterday. The orchestra is responsible to her office, and she has been a strong supporter of the orchestra since it was created in 2004. “Her support has been crucial,” says Lubiw. “To honour her, the orchestra will play George Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue, a fun and jazzy piece for piano and orchestra.”

Local composer, pianist, concert producer and teacher Jason White will join the orchestra to handle the exuberant piano part in Gershwin’s 15-minute piece, composed in 1924.

The first half of tonight’s concert will also include the overture to “Egmont”, opus 84, by Beethoven; “Madigan” by Peter Hatch; and “Pavane pour une infante défunte” by Ravel. After the intermission, the orchestra will play Dmitri Shostakovich’s Symphony No. 1 in F minor, opus 10.

Since its creation, a news release notes, “the orchestra has been playing every term under conductor Erna Van Daele. The orchestra's players, who must audition to join, are UW students, staff, faculty, and alumni, and come from all areas: engineering, math, arts, environmental science, chemistry, architecture, accounting, music, computer science, philosophy.

“The orchestra has 60 to 70 players at any one time, but because of UW's co-op system, each term is a fresh start, resulting in a grand total of almost 400 people who have played in the orchestra over the last five years. In that time the orchestra has performed 10 free concerts in the Humanities Theatre, plus a number of summer concerts on and off campus.

“The orchestra also showcases the most exceptionally talented students through its concerto competitions.” Concertmaster of Orchestra@ UWaterloo is fourth-year computer engineering student Wallace Wu, formerly of the Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony Youth Orchestra. (The photo, from the group’s winter 2009 concert, is by Vic DiCiccio.)

The organization depends on support from many parts of the university. The provost’s office is acknowledged specifically in the program for tonight’s concert, which also includes an acknowledgement to Scott and the student services office, as well as these notes: “We thank Ron Eydt Village for rehearsal space. Thanks to Wilfrid Laurier’s Music Library for lending us music, and to the UW Library staff for handling it. We thank Wilfrid Laurier University and the UW Music Department at Conrad Grebel University College for the loan of percussion instruments.”

Tonight’s concert starts at 8:00, and free tickets are available from the Humanities box office, 519-888-4908.

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'Radio Waterloo' about to leave campus

The radio station that’s been associated with UW for more than three decades is leaving campus this month in the wake of two referenda by students: one last year that cut off fees to support what was then called CKMS-FM, and one this fall that turned down a proposed new fee for the reorganized station.

The station’s lease on space in the Bauer Warehouse, on the edge of UW’s north campus, expires at the end of January, and its move to new quarters will end a UW connection that dates back to the era of “Radio Waterloo” distributing its programming over a landline circuit to the Village residences. More recently, the station has been broadcasting on the FM band, with a signal also carried to Rogers Cable subscribers. It’s currently known as 100.3 SoundFM.

The “campus and community radio station”, as it calls itself, had been faced with the possibility of closing down after students voted, 2,460 to 2,005, not to introduce a $2.50-a-term fee to support its operations. But volunteers rallied round, and SoundFM announced this week that it will remain broadcasting into the new year from a new studio space.

“From locking its doors and planning to go off air to announcing the move to a new studio, it's been a busy few weeks,” a news release says. “Monday night saw the announcement of a new plan to keep the station on air. In January 2010 the 32-year-old radio station will begin broadcasting from the upper level of Maxwell's Music House at 220 King Street North.”

Says the station’s president, Steve Krysak: "Multiple options were considered to keep the station broadcasting, and this one was the best for us. We are very excited about the opportunities that this brings to us, and to Maxwell's."

The announcement says SoundFM “was also served an eviction notice for January 31, with the promise that the transmitter could remain on campus for a short time longer.” It notes that station management “temporarily locked out programmers earlier in November and announced it would be possibly going off air as of December 4 at 6:30 p.m.

“The revised plan still uses that date, but this time as an end to original program and the start of automated programming until the new studios are online in mid January 2010. Maxwell's Music House offers lessons, music workshops, jam spaces and has an 80 person concert hall.”

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Grants offered for staff initiatives

a memo from Janet Passmore, associate provost (human resources)

On January 9, 2008, the Provost’s Advisory Committee on Staff Compensation (PACSC) discontinued the staff recognition program and on August 31, 2009, announced the money set aside for the program ($250,000 per year) would be allocated into four priority areas within the new staff excellence fund: high-quality speakers $50,000; service recognition $50,000; staff career advisor $85,000; special initiatives fund $65,000 (all for a two-year trial period except service recognition which will require a five-year cycle to determine effectiveness).

I am pleased to report that the very successful service recognition reception honouring staff members with 5th, 10th, 15th, 20th, 30th, 40th or 45th anniversaries at UW during 2009 was held on November 12, 2009. In related news, PACSC has spent the past several months developing guidelines for the special initiatives fund (SIF) which will support special projects solicited from staff in the university support group (as defined by UW Policy 54). Details such as selection principles, project application deadlines, subcommittee terms of reference, application forms, etc. are now available online.

Projects are intended to promote excellence through cooperation, collaboration and innovation, enhance staff morale, such as departmental or university-wide events, beautification projects, volunteer or community service initiatives, projects that enhance staff wellness, cultural, athletic or recreational events and outings, or any other undertaking that would enrich the working environment for staff.

Applications must be received on or before March 31. Funding decisions will be made by April 30. Applications will be considered on the basis of overall merit, type of activity, who will benefit and will be selected by the Staff Excellence Fund Subcommittee of PACSC. All applicants will be informed of the successful projects and an “approved projects” list will be published on an annual basis.

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And just a few other notes today

It's been a pre-Christmas tradition for nearly two decades now, and performers and audiences alike were looking forward to it this year — but it turns out that the annual choir concert in the Davis Centre great hall, which had been scheduled for this coming Tuesday at noon, won't be happening. Sarah Brogan of the music department at Conrad Grebel University College sends “our sincere apologies” but advises that because of conflicts (“other things taking place in the Davis Centre”) the concert has been cancelled.

The Residential Energy Efficiency Project, which started life as a project in UW’s faculty of environmental studies, will mark ten years of greening the community at a celebration tonight at Kitchener’s Victoria Park Pavilion. The organization says it has helped to make more than 11,000 homes in Waterloo Region healthier and more energy efficient and helped homeowners receive a total of $4 million in federal and provincial grants for energy improvements. Eight homeowners will be honoured tonight for “extraordinary home improvements”, and a speakers’ panel will discuss REEP’s achievements. The event will also include addresses from MP Stephen Woodworth, MPP John Milloy and Waterloo Region chair Ken Seiling. “REEP has grown leaps and bounds” since its UW days, an announcement says. “The now 26-strong staff team includes energy advisors, water guides, community outreach workers, customer service representatives, IT personnel and managers. REEP is now a charitable organization based in downtown Kitchener that provides innovative environmental services to our community, including ecoENERGY home evaluations, Well Aware, Greening Sacred Spaces, and the upcoming demonstration house which will open to the public in 2010.” Today’s event includes a reception at 5:30, remarks at 6:30 and “dessert and music” at 7:30.

A group of UW students will be busy from noon to midnight today, knitting in a good cause. You'd think they might do it in Needles Hall, but actually the venue is the courtyard of Environment I. Delaney Swanson of the Knowledge Integration Student Society explains what it's all about: "We are hosting a Knit-a-Thon, and our goal is to knit for 12 hours to produce as many Izzy Dolls as possible. Izzy Dolls are simple-to-knit dolls that are given to soldiers in war-torn countries to give to kids. There is no need for anyone to know how to knit because we'll teach them as best we can. We will also be supplying yarn and knitting needles to those without their own supplies, though we would like people to bring their own materials if they have them. We'll be supplying tea and cookies, as well as pizza for the people who stay from noon until dinner. This event is sponsored by KISS and the Environment Student Society."

"There are very few opportunities for students to receive funds to do an international experience," says Elaine Garner of the UW graduate studies office. "I have students looking for funds all the time." And now, briefly, she has a way to help, at least for grad students who already have Canada Graduate Scholarships: the Michael Smith Foreign Study Supplements program. Here's the fine print: "Supplements of up to $6,000 will be awarded to active CGS Master’s and Doctoral or Vanier CGS holders to help offset the costs — including travel and accommodation — of undertaking research studies outside Canada for a defined period. After two rounds of competitions in 2009, several supplements remain to be awarded. In order to meet that objective, the granting councils are holding a third competition in 2009-10. We are soliciting your cooperation and ask that you forward your respective applications to the Graduate Studies Office as soon as possible, as these will be awarded on a first come first serve basis until January 10." More information: egarner@ uwaterloo.ca.

And a couple of small corrections: I wrote on Tuesday that the Grand River Transit terminal in downtown Kitchener was on Duke Street, but in fact it's on Charles Street. And yesterday I said it was the "final day" of the Imaginus poster sale in the Student Life Centre; in fact it was the first day of the two-day event, which continues today.

CAR

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