Black, gold, white, hike!: Carol Stewart from the David Johnston Research + Technology Park snapped this photo of the Hamilton Tiger-Cats during their practice on Warrior Field Tuesday. The stands were packed with onlookers as the team drilled, scrimmaged, and did whatever else it is that football teams do during practice sessions. The Ticats cheerleaders and mascot (upper right) entertained the 1,400 spectators who made it out for the free event.

Top right photograph by uWaterloo Athletics.

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Video campaign unlocks campus perks...

by Kirsty Budd, Community Manager, Student Success Office

The Student Success Office asked 18 upper-year Waterloo students what advice they would share with their first-year self if they could go back in time. Their ‘dear first year me’ video responses had everything from a Mission Impossible-style dash to class, a Dr. Seuss rhyme and a fourth-year ghost who goes back in time to save his first-year self from a studying dilemma.

The videos were also created as part of a challenge put to the incoming class. The task? Share, support and watch the videos to unlock a great prize during Orientation or Welcome Week. The Student Success Office partnered with the Federation of Students to offer three possible prizes: a hot fudge sundae bar at Orientation Week for 500 shares and views, a blockbuster movie showing on BMH green for 1,000 shares and views and the grand prize of a huge concert during the Federation of Students’ Welcome Week for 2,000 shares and views. 

The Waterloo community did not disappoint and over the summer the videos reached over 3,691 unique views, 74 supports and 432 social media shares, a total of 4,197 interactions.

Students, staff, faculty and even the campuses sent in their dear first year me advice via twitter with the #dear1styrme hashtag:

The Student Success Office would like to thank everyone for sharing, supporting and watching the dear first year me videos. Still want to share your advice? We’d love to hear from you on Twitter (@uwaterloolife #dear1styrme) or Facebook.

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...that include a Welcome Week concert

by Jacqueline Martinz, Communications Coordinator, Federation of Students

Popular Canadian band Faber Drive will be performing a heart-pounding live outdoor concert on September 14 for Feds Welcome Week 2012.

Organized by the Federation of Students, Feds Welcome Week 2012 is scheduled to take place from September 10 to 14 and has exciting events for all undergraduates at the University of Waterloo. The show is expected to be the highlight of an already epic line-up.

“Faber Drive is incredibly talented, and their energy on stage is contagious,” said Nga Tran, Special Events Coordinator for the Federation of Students. “We’re proud to bring them to campus, and put on a great show to welcome students back.”

The band was the grand prize in the “dear first year me” contest – 2000 shares and views had to be received in order for the concert to go ahead. Pictured above is a scene from last year's Welcome Week concert.

Feds Welcome Week 2012 will also feature renowned comedian Adam Growe at The Bombshelter Pub on September 11, and The Evasons: Mentalist Duo at Hagey Hall on September 13. A lunch with the president of the University will be held on September 10, and VeloCity Campus: Entrepreneurship at uWaterloo will engage students on September 14.

In addition to the amazing special guests, the Federation of Students is providing free treats for undergraduates throughout the week.

“We’ll have free poutine, bubble tea from Campus Bubble, and pancakes,” said Tran. “The Feds Welcome Week 2012 Coordinating Team has worked hard to ensure this year’s edition is the best yet.”

The full schedule for Feds Welcome Week 2012 is available on Feds.ca.

Photograph courtesy of the Federation of Students.

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Retiree roundup

As it turns out, Human Resources has left me off the email list highlighting recent faculty retirees. Apologies are in order as I attempt to bring you up to speed.

The following faculty members retired as of July 1, 2012:

• Bernt Chou, who started at the university in September 1982 as a Lecturer in the School of Optometry and ended his career as an Associate Professor.
• Stanley Laiken, who began his career at the university as an Associate Professor with tenure in the School of Accounting and Finance in July 1981 and ended his career as a Faculty member.
  
• Robert Hiscott, who joined Sociology & Legal Studies in July 1988 as an Assistant Professor and retired as an Associate Professor.
  
• Hildi Froese-Tiessen who began working at Conrad Grebel University College in July 1987 as a Faculty Member and retired a professor.
• Jan Uhde started at the university in September of 1969 in Fine Arts as a lecturer and ends his career as a Professor.
  
  

The following faculty members retired August 1, 2012:

• William Cunningham, who began his career at the university as a tenured Professor in the department of Combinatorics & Optimization in January 1991, and retired as a Professor. I'm told that his connections to the university go back much further than that - he was a student here and was on the team that placed second in the 1968 Putnam Competition.

And not to get too far ahead of ourselves, but the following faculty members will be retiring as of September 1, 2012:

• John Semple, who began his career at Waterloo as an Assistant Professor in Biology in September 1974, will retire as a Professor.
• Ireneusz Szarycz, who joined the Germanic and Slavic Studies department in January 1986 as a Lecturer, ends his career at Waterloo as a Professor.
• David Matthews, a member of Statistics and Actuarial Science since September 1975, started his career as a visiting Assistant Professor and ends it as a Professor.
• David John of the Germanic and Slavic Studies department, joined the university as a Lecturer in September 1974 and retires as Professor.
• Zinaida Gimpelevich, also of Germanic and Slavic Studies, has been at the university since September 1990, starting her career as an Assistant Professor and retiring as Professor.
• Roy Cameron, who started at the university in July 1983 as an associate professor in what is now known as the School of Public Health and Health Systems. He retires as a Professor.
• William Moul of the Political Science department, joined the university in July 1974 s a lecturer and is retiring as an Associate Professor.
• Gretchen Harris, who has been a member of the Physics and Astronomy department since September 1976, joined the university as a Lecturer and ends her career as an Associate Professor.

Finally, Douglas Dudycha, who began working at the university in July 1975 in Geography and Environmental Management as a Lecturer, retired in January 2012 as Associate Professor.

As the university prepares to turn over a new leaf with the beginning of the Fall term, I'm sure I'm not the only one wishing these retirees well. Thanks all for leaving something better behind.

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