Students invited to fix campus entrance

The University Avenue edge of the main Waterloo campus could see some student-created changes as the result of a project and competition that are being launched this afternoon in the Bombshelter pub.

The focus is the “south campus gateway”: the area around South Campus Hall, the flagpoles (left) and the entrance road that links to Seagram Drive, and then a broader district including parking lots A and C as well as University Avenue stretching from Westmount Road to past Phillip Street.

Students are being asked to look at that area under the umbrella of the “I3 Project”, where the I-words are Innovate (“borrowing from the university theme”), Integrate (“creating teams of students across faculties”), and Implement.

The key organizer is Jeff Casello, faculty member in the school of planning and associate dean (undergraduate studies) in the faculty of environment. He says the project was hatched in a meeting arranged with Tina Roberts, director of undergraduate marketing and recruitment, and Meg Beckel, vice-president (external relations), when it became clear that all three of them think the University Avenue entrance doesn’t reflect well on the university.

They worked out a plan for inviting student ideas, and “the provost’s office has agreed to fund the winning submission to some degree,” Casello said yesterday.  That’ll mean as much as $100,000 to put at least some of the student proposals into place. In the short term, the Region of Waterloo and the Faculty of Environment are each contributing $7,500 to get the project going, and a number of faculty and graduate students in environment are providing expertise, Casello said.

Says a web site: “The I3 Challenge is seeking student proposals for a creative and innovative design for the South Campus Gateway that inspires and captures the innovative spirit of the University of Waterloo. Student submissions may address one or more of the following categories: Enhanced integration with community; Sustainability;  Campus accessibility and transportation; University of Waterloo identity and marketing.

“The area for which design proposals are requested includes the public-right-of-way along University Avenue between Westmount Avenue and Phillip Street, and along Seagram Drive between the northern boundary of Waterloo Park, traversing University Avenue and extending to South Campus Hall; Parking Lots H, HV, C and their adjoining green spaces.”

A launch event will be held today at 4:30 at the Bombshelter in the Student Life Centre. “We'll be speaking about more event details,” says the web site, “and giving you a chance to collaborate with other students. Teams will be supported — financially and in the development of their concepts — throughout the competition. The winning submission will contain an element for which the University will fund construction up to $100,000. This is your opportunity to leave a legacy on the campus that will be experienced by the University community, students, faculty, staff, and the Region of Waterloo, for years to come.”

Teams must include three to six students, from at least two different faculties. “Teams will have three deadlines: an initial expression of interest in February 2011; a more defined proposal in April 2011; a final submission and presentation in May 2011 with winners announced. Construction is set to begin in Fall 2011.” Other details are set out on the web site.

The entrance area at the south end of campus has been seen as a problem for many years, with traffic from University Avenue and Seagram Drive encountering heavy bus and pedestrian use within a crowded space. South Campus Hall stands awkwardly close to the ring road, is much busier than anybody foresaw when it was built in 1967, and was most recently the subject of a reconstruction project in 1999. Plans to tear it down were aired in last year’s revision of the campus master plan, and the future of the area was complicated by a proposal to build a “student services building” on part of what’s now parking lot H.

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Open house flaunts 'career action' for all

from Liz Koblyk of the Centre for Career Action

True to its new name, the Centre for Career Action is being very active this term, and is hosting a week-long open house for students November 22 to 26. Since students can always drop into the Centre for Career Action (Tatham Centre), what's the big draw for the open house? During the week, students will have a chance to film their “true career crime” confessions to enter the competition for a $500 campus gift certificate. As an added bonus, the Centre for Career Action will also have some snacks for students to dip into during the week, including chocolates, popcorn and fortune cookies.

Centre director Kerry Mahoney notes that the fortune cookies won't reveal students’ future careers, but they will contain messages just for students. Mahoney says, "We're hosting this launch week to bust some of the myths about our Centre. Many students think we're for co-op or for undergrad students only. We actually work with all students, including graduate and regular stream students. They can come here for help developing a career strategy, learning job search tactics, or preparing applications for further education.

"So, while many students don't know that we do things like review graduate and professional school applications, we're hoping they’ll come by, grab a juice and some food, and learn more about what we can help them accomplish."

Current undergraduate student JS Rancourt reinforces Mahoney's statements. As one of the speakers at Career Action's launch party for staff and faculty, Rancourt told the crowd, "My first experience with the Centre for Career Action was the Career Fair. When I arrived, I thought, ‘This is for everyone. There are employers here for every kind of student.’ Now, I know that the Centre for Career Action does a lot more: they help students sort through their career plans, and can help them prepare really effective job search strategies."

For updates on Centre for Career Action activity, visit their website, become a fan on Facebook, or follow them on Twitter. Services and the open house are available to students from all programs and levels.

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Other notes, including flu shots

A flu shot clinic was held last week in the Student Life Centre, but that isn't the last chance for students, staff (union and non-union) and faculty members to get their seasonal injections. Flu shots are available at Health Services from 9 to 12 and 2 to 4, Monday to Friday, says health educator Sandra Gibson. She notes that information on the health services web site isn't entirely up to date: "I am trying to update our site but am having technical difficulties!"

The Courseware service, which formerly operated as part of the now-dismantled Graphics department, has moved to South Campus Hall as part of retail services. Coordinator Sarah Rodrigues, whose office was in the General Services Complex, is in business in SCH as of today. "We are moving the office to better serve the campus with one-stop service for all course material adoptions," says the director of retail services, May Yan. She adds that apart from location, "there are no changes" to how courseware is produced. "The Book Store continues to be the primary location for ordering all of your course materials, including traditional textbooks, custom print-on-demand textbooks, access codes, courseware, and non-traditional course materials such as clickers." One more thing: November 15 was supposed to be the deadline for ordering courseware in time for the winter term, but if there are instructors who still haven't done it, and need to, they should get in touch pronto (e-mail courseware@ uwaterloo.ca).

National Philanthropy Day was marked on Monday of last week, and among those who got a thank-you were more than 24,000 Waterloo students. An e-mail message reached them from university president Feridun Hamdullahpur and Federation of Students president Bradley Moggach: “As a student, you might be surprised to learn that you are part of the University of Waterloo's largest group of philanthropists. With November 15th marking National Philanthropy Day — a day to celebrate philanthropy in our lives, communities, and around the world — we are proud to take this special opportunity to thank you for your gifts and contributions. Students like you are incredibly generous as donors, volunteers and supporters on campus, in our regional community, and around the world. You give back in large and small ways every day. Thank you for being such wonderful representatives of our university and for making a difference.”

Something called the C4 Sustainability Challenge is scheduled for this Saturday at the University of Toronto, sponsored by the Canadian Undergraduate Technology Conference and Nspire. ("Students from around Ontario, coming from backgrounds including engineering, business, science and the arts, will compete to make the world a better place. With the support of the Ontario Power Authority and Just Energy, you will design a method to reduce energy consumption at home, build a prototype, and create the business plan for this idea all in one day. The prize, 800 dollars in cash.") A team made up of Waterloo and U of T students is putting it all together, and, according to engineering student Jennifer Wong, will be selling tickets to the event today between 11:30 and 2:00 in the Dana Porter Library foyer and in the Environmental Student Society coffee shop. Says Wong: “Come visit us at the booth and play with our Lego zip line/Rube Goldberg machine!”

The Whisper Folding Kayak (right), designed by Doug Simpson and manufactured by Feathercraft, is one of the creations featured in an exhibition that opens tonight at the Design at Riverside gallery in the Architecture building in Cambridge. The show, “High Performance: Evolution and Innovation in Canadian Design for Sports and Recreation Equipment”, was first presented in Vancouver during last winter’s Olympics. “The exhibition,” says a release from Cambridge Galleries, “features over 20 exceptional Canadian designed and manufactured products from the fields of sports and recreation equipment. These innovative objects have contributed to the advancement of design and manufacturing quality in their given fields and perform at an extraordinary level whether for extreme sports and conditions, for rigorous outdoor activity, or for recreational use.” An opening reception is scheduled for 6:30 tonight; the show runs until January 9.

And a couple of corrections: First, the science "speed networking" event, pictured in yesterday's Daily Bulletin, actually took place in the CEIT building, not in Biology 1. "The students were briefed for about 10 minutes in Biology 1 before the start of the networking event," says Joanna Magee, communications officer in science, who adds that the winery whose cellarmaster was one of the speakers is "actually Cave Spring Cellars, not Cave Springs". Second, yesterday's article about the impending blood donor clinic was way out of date in saying that appointments can be made at the Student Life Centre's turnkey desk. "Canadian Blood Services consolidated all of the appointment booking at the their toll free line, 1-888-2DONATE, several years ago," says Scott Pearson, assistant manager of the SLC.

CAR

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