An architectural eclipse? Cameron Shelley took this arresting photo of the Mike & Ophelia Lazaridis Quantum-Nano Centre's profile silhouetted against the side of Engineering 5 from the Davis Centre bridge yesterday afternoon as the sun began to set.

Now why do I have the sudden urge to play Tetris?

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United Way campaign meets goal

by Jacqueline Martinz.

A staggering $240,000 has been raised by the University of Waterloo’s United Way Campaign, showing that the spirit of philanthropy is alive on campus. The funds will be used by the organization to support local programs and initiatives for a variety of groups within the community.

Volunteers from throughout the university worked on the campaign, and this milestone is the result of their dedication and the generosity of many others. The campaign co-chairs Alexandra Lippert and James Skidmore shared their appreciation for the volunteers’ hard work and contributions from the University community.

From volunteer training sessions to a lunch served by President Feridun Hamdullahpur and Dean of Arts Doug Peers for donors, various efforts were made to ensure the campaign would meet its goal.

People are still able to donate to the campaign and help the United Way do even more in Waterloo region. Information on how to give is available online.

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Turn off those private routers

Interference from private routers and other devices was the subject of a memorandum circulated by Information Systems & Technology to graduate students, faculty, and staff, last week.

Bruce Campbell, IST’s Director, Technology Integrated Services explains the issue: “We are experiencing problems with radio frequency interference from wireless routers, Wi-Fi Access Points (APs), wireless printers, and some other devices, installed in private offices or labs, to the extent that we cannot provide dependable Wi-Fi service near those areas.”

Campbell points out that the university has made major investments in upgrades and expansions of the campus eduroam service in recent years.

“If this service does not meet your needs, please contact me to discuss options for meeting your requirements in ways that do not disrupt Wi-Fi service for other users.”

Users who have set up wireless printers, AirPort Time Capsule, wireless projectors or similar devices are also being asked to turn off those devices’ wireless functions and use a network cable instead.

“In the coming months, staff from Information Systems & Technology (IST) will visit campus buildings with equipment to locate remaining devices which interfere with the campus Wi-Fi service.” Campbell writes. “They will ask owners of this equipment to disconnect it, or to move to a technology which does not interfere with Wi-Fi. As always, our staff members are available to assist with a transition to non-interfering technology.”

For additional information, please see the University's wireless guidelines. For assistance using the University's Wi-Fi network, contact a Faculty service desk or the CHIP.

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Higgins makes his donation count

The University of Waterloo will expand enrichment activities in math and computer science for high school students in the greater Toronto area thanks to a generous gift from Tom Higgins (right), former CEO, President and Director of Maple Financial Group Inc.

A $525,000 donation to University of Waterloo’s Centre for Education in Mathematics and Computing (CEMC) will support efforts to ignite passion in math and computer science among youth. Higgins’ gift will allow the CEMC to increase activities in the greater Toronto area, including more school visits and an annual math camp for students in early high school.

“Tom Higgins’ gift will ensure that more students in the GTA have the opportunity to nurture their talent for math and go on to achieve great things,” said Feridun Hamdullahpur, president and vice-chancellor of Waterloo. “We are grateful for his support of this outreach initiative.”

Higgins has had a passion for mathematics since he was a young boy. He participated in University of Waterloo math competitions in high school, and went on to study mathematics at university. He then used the skills and discipline developed through mathematics to build a successful career in international finance and trading.

“I was fortunate to have someone in my life to give me encouragement and the vision to see that mathematics was something I should pursue,” said Higgins, who would like to encourage more students to challenge themselves as he did.

The CEMC is the largest national youth and educator outreach program promoting mathematics and computer science in Canada.

“We’re excited to reach many more high school-aged students at a time when they are starting to make decisions and choices in their studies that will affect their lives and career paths,” said Ian VanderBurgh, director of the CEMC. “All of these young people will be encouraged to follow their interest in math and to explore the opportunities offered by this exciting field.”

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It's never too early to get fees arranged

The due date for students to become "Fees Arranged" for the Winter 2014 term is Thursday, December 12. Students are now able to log into Quest, go to the Student Centre, click Finances>Account Inquiry, then click Winter 2014 to view their detailed bill for the Winter 2014 term.

There are two ways to become Fees Arranged:

The first is Payment in full, either by bank payment, international wire transfer or Western Union transfer; or a certified cheque, money order or bank draft originating from a Canadian or US bank.

The second is by signing the Promissory Note which became available in the Finances section on Quest as of November 20. There are step-by-step instructions for how to pursue this option.

Finance-Student Accounts would like to remind students that their ability to access their course materials on the LEARN system may be affected if they are not Fees Arranged. A student's registered status is available on Quest's Account Inquiry page.

More helpful information can be found on the Finance - Student Accounts website. 

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Wednesday's notes

Today seems like one of those days when everything is happening. To wit:

The 2013-2014 Nicol Entrepreneurial Award Competition is being held today in the Student Life Centre's Great Hall beginning at 11:30 a.m. This "elevator pitch" style competition is in pursuit of the Nicol Award, a national program designed to generate and reward interest in entrepreneurship among undergraduate students. 2013 is the last year in which this 17 year-old competition will be run.

Competitors will be pitching to the audience as well as a panel of entrepreneurs for an opportunity to win 1 of 4 prizes worth $500.

As part of International Education Week, the Student Success Office is presenting "Canada, a country as diverse as its people," at noon in the Student Life Centre's multipurpose room.

The UWRC Book Club will be discussing Katharine Boo's "Behind the Beautiful Forevers: Life, Death, and Hope in a Mumbai Undercity" at noon in LIB 407.

In honour of GIS Day, an Open House is taking place at 1:00 p.m. in the EV1 courtyard that will feature lightning talks, digital map and poster displays, demonstrations, and more. Geographic Information Systems (GIS) Day is an annual celebration of how geography and technology make a difference in people's lives.

The Chemistry Department's Seminar Series continues with Prof. Jaclyn Brusso of the Department of Chemistry at the University of Ottawa, who will be presenting a seminar entitled “Multifunctional Materials for Molecular Electronics,” at 2:30 p.m. in room C2-361.

The latest Waterloo Lecture will take place at the Stratford Public Library tonight at 7:00 p.m. and is called Resilient Communities and the Paradox of Creative Destruction.

The Wednesday Night Discussion Group, which gets together to discuss issues of sexual orientation and gender identity, meets at 7:15 p.m. in MC 5136. Details.

A VeloCity Campus event, "How to set up your business with Josh Wright from Decision.io," will happen at 7:30 p.m. in EV3 4412. There will be free pizza.

And Professor Darrol Bryant launches a new book tonight in the Dunker Family Lounge at Renison University College at 7:30 p.m. “Ways of the Spirit: Celebrating Dialogue, Diversity & Spirituality,” edited by Bryant, contains writings by Ursula King, Rami Shapiro, Marcus Borg, Doboom Tulku, Casey Rock, Mary Pat Fisher, Val Larivier, Peter Phan, Kendra Smith and others, plus poems by Pamela O’Rourke.

Plant Operations will be making repairs to the east and west entrances to the great hall Davis Centre on Thursday November 21. Work will begin at the east entrance (the entrance facing the ring road) and then proceed to the west entrance. The entrances will be closed while the work is performed, with barricades put in place. All other entrances to the building will be open. Anyone with questions can contact Peter Fulcher at extension 36281.

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