Students Experience Waterloo at Orientation

with files from Katie Eley.

Orientation has been chock-full of activities and programming designed to help new students build strong bonds with one another and feel welcome on the University of Waterloo's campus. Part of the week-long program is Experience Waterloo, a one-day program that will help ease students into the realities of university life in the days to come after Orientation draws to a close.

The program, developed by the Student Success Office, is packed with high-energy, group-oriented events for Waterloo's undergraduate students that starts at 10:30 a.m. with brunch on the Village 1 Green and runs throughout the day at locations across campus.

The event is anchored by two keynote addresses by speakers who proved to be a hit with students last year. Andy Thibodeau, a dynamic, youth-oriented public speaker, kicks off the day at 11:30 a.m. in the Physical Activities Complex with his motivating talk "Get our Hand Up!", which encourages students to make the most of their university of experience. He uses stories from his own life to demonstrate the importance of getting involved in your university community.

James Cunningham, a popular Canadian comedian, will present Funny Money, which turns the often dull conversations about managing finances into amusing anecdotes, often handing out money to illustrate the points of being financially savvy. Cunningham's keynote takes place from 4:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. in the PAC.

Between the two keynote addresses, from 12:30 p.m. to 4:00 p.m., students can select sessions that range from entrepreneurship, finding a job, global education opportunities, tips for a successful university career and getting involved on campus.

This is the second year in which the Student Success Office has offered the full-day program.

Other Orientation events today include:

The AHS Olympics, held from 7:00 p.m. to 1:00 a.m., with teams competing to be AHS Orientation Week Champions.

Arts Students will participate in the Arts Awards from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., followed by "Arts Gets Rowdy" from 9:00 p.m. to 1:00 a.m.

The Science Luau will take place from 9:30 p.m. to 1:00 a.m., with a quick trip to a Hawaiian-esque paradise that includes dancing and a slideshow, with the coveted Science Trophy being presented as well.

This is also the evening of scavenger hunts, with Engineering's event taking place from 7:00 p.m. to 12:00 a.m., Mathematics' "Raiders of the Lost Arcsine" (with the Math Orientation Trophy on the line) happening from 7:00 p.m. to 1:00 a.m., and the Science Faculty's "Go And Get Stuff (GAGS)" taking place from 8:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.

Orientation wraps up tomorrow with its Grand Finale, a series of events on Saturday. First-year students will attend a carnival with inflatable games and a barbecue, then enjoy the two soccer games courtesy of the women's and men's varsity teams at Black and Gold Day. At night, they will head to the Masquerade, formerly known as Monte Carlo. The casino-themed event will include live music, acrobats, magicians, caricaturists and games of chance including blackjack.

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It's Black and Gold Day tomorrow

The Waterloo Warriors and the Waterloo Minor Soccer Association have teamed up for the 2013 Ontario University Athletics (OUA) soccer season and will celebrate their partnership at tomorrow's Black and Gold Day event.

Waterloo will take on the McMaster Marauders at Warrior Field as part of this week's orientation activities, with the women kicking off at 1:00 p.m. followed by the men at 3:15 p.m.

Waterloo Minor Soccer will be heavily involved in the festivities to help promote and celebrate soccer in the region. Clinics will be held from 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. as well as Orientation carnival events.

Prior to the games' kick off, each participating Warrior and Marauder player will be accompanied by a minor soccer player as they make their way onto the field. The entrance, commonly seen in professional soccer across the globe, promotes sportsmanship and friendship through sport. Additionally, Ron Smale, president of the Ontario Soccer Association, will be in attendance to conduct the coin toss.

Black and Gold Day has been a key event for the athletics department 15 years running, attracting over 3,000 student-athletes to the varsity game each year. It's an exciting way to promote school spirit and pride to new students from across campus. This year's Black and Gold Day marks the first time that soccer has been featured.

Orientation leaders will be performing their annual halftime dance during the women's soccer game.

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Getting active at summer school

by Maureen Ashe, Associate Professor, Department of Family Practice, University of British Columbia.

Researchers from Waterloo and Vancouver teamed up to run "Physical Activity Mini-Summer School", an inter-university program for their staff and trainees on topics related to physical activity and clinical trials. Dr. Lora Giangregorio, from the Faculty of Applied Health Sciences at the University of Waterloo and Dr. Maureen Ashe, from the University of British Columbia and Centre for Hip Health and Mobility, initiated the first of hopefully many future summer sessions.

The over-arching aim of the mini-summer school was to provide an interactive way for trainees, staff and researchers to collaborate and network across university campuses, while providing training on ethics, study design, knowledge translation, and practical skills such as using accelerometers for capturing activity patterns. During the sessions, trainees and staff had the opportunity to present and guide each other through these topics. By the end of the summer, students and trainees completed the Tri-council Policy Statement: Ethical Conduct for Research Involving Humans (TCPS 2); reviewed the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) Knowledge Translation Module; discussed study design strengths and limitations; and gained practical knowledge in the basic application of accelerometers in human studies.

The summer sessions were possible from the generous support of Centre for Hip Health and Mobility and Waterloo, who have been instrumental in setting up access to video-conferencing, and thus providing the opportunity to expand these Canadian collaborations.

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Earth, water, and other elements

There will be more construction activity along the Health Services roadway as asphalt installation takes place today. There will be no access to the parking lot at St. Jerome's while the asphalt is put down, and pedestrians will be directed to a safe area.

On Monday, September 9, the road on the east side of the Optometry & Vision Science building from the X Lot roadway to the loading dock will be closed for approximately 4 working days as water service is extended to the new daycare facility, according to Plant Operations. Access to X Lot will be available from Hagey Boulevard. Water service and supply at Optometry will not be affected as this is a "live" tie-in. Fencing and signage will direct pedestrians around Optometry, and parking will still be available in the OV and O Lots.

Brace yourselves for the crowds next week. Lectures begin on Monday, September 9.

Human Resources is reporting that the following staff members have retired as of September 1, 2013:

• J. Scott Charles, who started in August 1970 and retired as Production Supervisor in Information Systems and Technology (IST);
• Aloysius Leonard, who began working at the university in September 1990 and retired as Manager, Resource Sharing and Reserves at the Davis Centre Library;
• E. Regis Bauer, whose start date was May 1975, retires as Freight and Mail Delivery Assistant in Central Stores; and
• Lynn Ryan, who began working in the Centre for Contact Lens Research in November 2006 and retires as Receptionist.

A number of faculty members have retired as of September 1 as well, including:

• Roger Mannell, who started at the university in July 1979 as assistant professor in the Department of Recreation, ending his career as Professor in the Department of Recreation & Leisure Studies;
• Owen Ward, who started in March 1987 in the Biology department as a Professor;
• Ellen Sue Mesber, who began work at the university in September 2002 as Professor and Director of the Bachelor of Social Work programme at Renison University College;
• K. Stephen Brown, who started at the university in July 1974 as an assistant professor in Statistics & Actuarial Science, retiring as Professor;
• Niels Bols, who began work at the university in September 1977 as assistant professor in Biology, ending his career as Professor;
• William Taylor, who started in September 1977 as assistant professor in Biology, ending his career as Professor.
  

Congratulations to all on achieving this milestone.

The International Spouses group will be hosting a Book Club meeting on Monday, September 16 at 7:00 p.m. The book under discussion is Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn. More details are available at the International Spouses website.

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