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do in
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Celebrate!
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Inside
Astronaut
Lands
at Waterloo
Concrete
Toboggan
The Last
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Computer
Woes .:
Ernie
Engineer
A Pictorial
1111
2
Iron Warrior
A Costly Mistake

In a Dec. 3 column, Frank
Etherington, of the K-W Record,
wrote two damaging statements
which could destroy over three
years of work done by Eng Soc to
improve the image of engineering
students in the community.
Looking for ammunition to back
up his criticism of UW's reaction to
the use of university computers in a
racial bumour exchange,
Etherington overreached his
knowledge.
He wrote: "Take a look at certain
university rags published at UW
and the University of Toronto by
boorish engineering students and
you'll see what I mean.
These newspapers are usually full
of snickering, high-school smut
designed to offend all but
guttersnipes and engineering
students."
Obviously, Etherington was
referring to Enginews. Enginews
was last published in 1985. Since
then, Eng Soc effort and money has
Let's Advertise

Image, or the lack thereof, has
always been one of the Engineering
profession's problems. We just
don't get enough publicity. We as
engineers must make educating the
pub1ic a priority.
For too long, engineers have been
concerned only with technology and
"making things work". And,
although technologically
maintaining and even improving
society is a very noble aim, it is
time for us to come out into the
open. We need to expose the rest of
society to engineering and make it
aware of who we are, what we do,
and the career opportunities
available in our profession.
The medical, dental and law
professions don't have such
exposure problems. Ask any public
school child who their doctor or
dentist is, and they'll certainly be
able to come up with an answer.
Lawyers can thank soap and prime-
time TV for the glamour their
profession has obtained and the
number of series focusing on
medicine are legion. The media,
however, has left engineering
strictly alone, perhaps due to an
almost universal ignorance as to
what exactly an engineer does.
encourages
.1l\ii5alltB, facuUy and
university
should reflect
of the
should be
gone to the Iron Warrior. We
cannot deny that Enginews existed.
Nevertheless, damage has been
done to the image of engineering
students built up since Enginews.
The harm possible from such
careless statements is best
expressed in letters to the editors of
the Record. One such letter, by
Dean Lennox, criticised
Etherington's "apparent lack of
concern for accuracy" and drew
attention to Eng Soc's fund-raising
activities and the grad gift program.
A letter by Jorge Serrador, as
treasurer, on behalf of Eng Soc,
echoed those facts and added
Anselma House and the K-W Food
Drive to the list of charities
engineering students support.
Finally, Mary Ellen Perkins, a UW
engineering student, summed it up
in her letter by writing: "Give the
engineers some credit...."
In high school, students take
science and math courses but never
engineering. As a result they are
justifiably fearful of choosing a
career in an area they have never
studied and know little about. .
The APEO is trying to improve
this situation by putting together a
kit which will be sent to guidance
departments in Ontario schools. The
kit contains a booklet aimed at
stimulating an interest in
engineering in an audience ranging
from twelve to fourteen years of
age, a more specific, technically
oriented pamphlet for the high
school level and a presentation
booklet which outlines how to put
on a presentation about engineering.
Recalling my own university
application decisions, I remember
being unaware that different
programs within engineering had
(he riaht to
P()l'tiOltS of text that do not
university standards. Authors will be
notified of any major chanJes that may be
required.
All submissions anct advertising
enquiries should be forwarded to:
Iron Warrior
Engineering Society
CPH 1327
University of Waterloo
nUlTlner ' WATERLOO, Ontario
(Sf9). J8,S-l?ll extension 2323
Etherington printed an apology on
Dec. 31. He said: "My comments
were not directed at the editorial
content of the Iron Warrior ... "
He has completely missed the
point.
Etherington never laid bare his
mistake. He never said his remarks
were out of date by three years. He
never said his mistake was harmful.
He never said Eng Soc has been a
tremendous supporter of local
charities. He never said he was
sorry.
A motion to pursue this issue was
brought up at the Eng Council
meeting of Jan. 10. The
discussion, over 40 minutes long,
was bogged down by defining what
exactly to pursue and whether we
could win any concessions from the
Record. Council voted to oppose
the motion and drop the issue.
1 agree with Council because I
believe we will not get any
concessions from the Record.
Frank Etherington will get away
with this offence. But, I also
believe Eng Soc will overcome this
setback and recover its good
standing in the community through
the programs it plans to run . this
winter.
Who knows, maybe we can also
get another "Socially Stupid" t-shirt
out of it.
different admissions averages; nor
did I know the approximate average
needed for entrance to the faculty.
Students deciding on a faculty and a
university need this kind of
information. As well, they want to
know how much work is involved
and "what it's really like. II
We, as students going through UW
engineering, can provide the
answers to their questions. Last
work term, Mary Kay Lippert did
just that, spending five weeks
touring Ontario communities,
answering students' questions and
encouraging an interest in
engineering.
The Iron Warrior is starting a
project this term in which the
biweekly IW publications will be
sent to science teachers to promote
an interest in our faculty and
perhaps show students the lighter
side of engineering.
When the opportunity to make the
public more aware of our existence
presents itself, go for it. The next
time you have a couple of days at
home between terms, offer to talk to
students at your old high school, or
do the same at a nearby high school
on your next work term. Let them
know we're here.
January 20,1989
IRON WARRIOR STAFF
Editors
Danny Lee
Sonya Montgomery
Writers
Steve Herzberg
Walton Chan
Rich Zalek
Sean Maw
Pino Porciello
Tim Bouma
Mary-Kay Lippert
Leslie Ng
Mark Gerin
Vanessa Ryback
Baldwyn Chieh
Rob Stevens
Tim Francis
Todd Ruthman
Kathy Wood
Karen Ness
Jorge Serrador
Typesettim:
Niall Sexton
Leslie Ng
Andrew Sterian
Photo2r aphy
Marc Gravel
Wayne Dodd
Artwork
Kim Boucher
Paul Arthurs
Kathy Wood
Adyertiinl
Katherine Koszarny
. Martin White
Ross Honey
Chris Pustowka
. Jan Bergstrom
TedTlntar
January 20, 1989 Iron Warrior
3
CASI now at
Waterloo
by Sean Maw
3B Systems
CASI Chair
This January. the University of
Waterloo becomes one of Canada's
first english speaking universities to
get a Student Branch of the
Canadian Aeronautics and Space
Institute.
CASI is a professional
organization dedicated to the
advancement of aerospace/space
technologies and their related
applications. As such. its members
include engineers and scientists,
doctors and lawyers, geographers
and computer scientists, teachers
and astronauts as well as specialists
in a variety of other fields. While
CASI is as much an industry
association as anything else, its
emphasis is more on the technical
development of the industry than on
its financial development. CASI
regularly publishes two technical
journals and frequently hosts
seminars and conferences in cities
all across Canada. In fact, on
November 15-16 of last fall the 5th
annual CASI Conference on
Astronautics took place at the
Westin Hotel in Ottawa. The theme
of the Conference was "Space
Science and Engineering - Our
Capabilities for the Future". Many
excellent technical presentations
were made on such topics as Space
Station, RADARSAT, life sciences,
CASI is dedicated to
the advancement of
aerospace technology.
telecommunications, telerobotics,
materials processing and space
technology. Student registration
was only $15 for the two day event
and that automatically made student
attendees CASI Junior members.
Several U of W students and
faculty attended and just by our
enthusiasm we were noticed.
Waterloo is still not yet recognized
as a "space university" unlike York,
U of T and Western. But we are
making progress. Waterloo excels
in engineering, physics, systems
design, remote sensing, AI and
robotics. actuarial science,
kinesiology. sociology and
psychology, optometry and
computer science. All of these
programs are extremely relevant to
the evolving aerospace industry.
The problem is that we are often too
quiet about what we can do.
Enter, the U of W CASI Student
Branch! Just recently, CASI started
its Student Chapter program, with
much success in Quebec. Now
students from all over the Waterloo
campus are endeavoring to do the
same. On January 12, our kick-off
event featured Canadian Astronaut
Bjarni Tryggvason discussing
microgravity experiments. It also
featured a noon-hour presentation
on CASI. Our sustaining corporate
sponsor, COM DEY gave an
excellent presentation on why they
were helping support the Branch
and over 200 students and faculty
Microgravity on
by Pino Porciello
38 Systems Design
CASI V-Chair
The Canadian Aeronautics and
Space Institute (CASI) student
branch recently hosted a visit by
one of the six Canadian astronauts,
Bjarni Tryggvason. He kicked off
the start of the student branch and
gave a presentation on micro gravity
research.
Microgravity science is a new
field emerging in the space
industry. It deals with the study of
physical and biological processes in
a weightless environment and
incorporates such areas as materials
processing and life sciences.
In materials processing on earth,
gravity interferes with physical and
chemical reactions. However, in
space (with microgravity) new
processes can be developed to
create new alloys, drugs and
'perfect' crystalline materials that
are impossible to reproduce on
earth.
The life sciences area deals with
understanding how the human body
responds to weightlessness. This is
an important field as it becomes
necessary to understand these
functions in order to establish a
permanent presence in space. Work
in this area will also lead to new
medical procedures that will
improve the quality of life for
chronically ill patients on earth.
Canada has been involved in these
research areas for a number of years
and particularly excels in the life
sciences areas. The Canadian NRC
supports research at the industry
and university level by providing
access to various research facilities.
Test facilities include various types
of aircraft which fly a parubolic
flight profile to provide short
Producing ceramic
ball bearings.
periods of weightlessness. For
example NASA's KC-135 flies sets
of 40 parabolic manoeuvres, each
of which giveJ> about 15-20 seconds
of about 10-
2
to 10-
3
g, followed
by a 1.8 g pullup into the next
parabola. For longer duration
experiments access to the Space
Shuttle, and soon the Space Station,
can be arranged.
The following list gives a few
examples of some of the research
came out to watch. We also
received support from Canadian
Astronautics Ltd, Canadair, Dowty
Aero pace. Telesat, the Impact
Group and Air Canada. Industry is
saying they want to help us develop
aerospace studies at Waterloo. To
this end, U of W's CASI Branch
will be publishing a "Space"
newsletter every 2 weeks, while
hosting special events in the
intervening weeks. Our posters will
announce these events and most of
the presentations will occur on
Thursday's from 11 :30 - 12:30.
Watch for the announcements and
come out and see what we're about.
Our presentations will be free and
they'll be open to everyone. Then,
if you really like what you see we'll
be happy to sign you up as a CASI
Junior member. If you have any
questions, just leave a message for
us in the Engsoc office in CPH.
Earth
activities Canada has undenaken:
- investigating the physiological
parameters that might be associated
with motion sickness
- investigating the cause of back
pains in astronauts (the spine is
elongated by approximately Scm in
a weightless environment)
- production of small ceramic
spheres which might be suitable for
ball bearings in high temperature
engines
- developing immiscible alloys
which are made up of metals that do
n 1 thcrwi mix when in the
m hen liquid state
- encapsulating dr p1cL'i of liquid
in. ide a drop of a second liquid
- the study of bubble motion
which will provide information for
the design of a space bio-reactor
system for growing food on long
duration space flights
Most research currently being
undertaken consists of investigating
basic processes which are taken for
granted here on earth, but which
must be studied in space to provide
New science
microgravity.
the framework for further more
advanced development. Because of
this, simple experiments can easily
be created by students. Also, with
the building of the Space Station,
access to facilities will be greatly
enhanced. The NRC is, at present,
soliciting experiments to make use
of Canada's share of research space
on the Station.
For more information on research
potentials in this field contact the
CASI student branch by leaving a
message in our mailbox in the Eng
Soc orifice.
4 Iron Warrior
January 20, 1989
Look for a
Grad Gift to Literacy Council
by Tim Bouma
4B Mecb
The Graduate Gift is the raison
d'etre of the Grad Committee. The
tradition of the Graduating Class
each year is to donate a collective
gift to a particular organization in
the community. This year, the Grad
Gift is the donation of $3000 to the
Literacy Council of Canada to aid in
the publication of new adult
readers. The publication of these
books is an important step in the
fight against illiteracy.
Little do we realize how pervasive
illiteracy is. Yet it is all around us.
As you walk down the street, one in
four people that pass you is
illiterate. Yes, 25% of the Canadian
adult population cannot read .
Illiteracy is not limited to any
particular segment of society. It
plagues even institutions such as the
university. It is estimated that 8% of
university graduates are illiterate.
It is not a problem that can be
shoved into a corner and be
forgotten about because these
corners are everywhere you turn.
In fact, it costs the country more
than $2 billion per year in lost
opportunities and the cost of human
frustration is inestimable.
It is hard to believe that the
illiteracy rate in Kitchener-Waterloo
is in the top ten in the country -
hardly an achievement for an area
that is used to the glowing praise of
innumerable achievements, many of
them originating from the
University of Waterloo. The Grad
Gift can turn that around and make
literacy a positive achievement.
The printing of Adult Readers is a
relatively new program and at
present there is very little available
on the market for people who want
to improve their literacy. But that is
going to change - especially with
the hel p of the Grad Gift.
This is going to be the chance for
the Graduating Class to put
something back into the community
that they have Ii ved in for the past
five years. So participate in the
events planned by the Grad
Committee. Not only will you have
a fun time, you'll be able to help
one of those four faces that you
meet on the street.
ALL YOUR CO'YING NEEDS
JUST DOWN THE STREET!
6 a copy or less!
Covers for reports!
Iwhlte. auto fed. 81',. II )
Cerlox Binding! Three-hole Drilling!
Many colors of paper! Many textures of paper!
8lh x II to II x 17 sizes! Transparencies!
We send FAXes! Laminations!
and morel
RESUMES
Typeset in a variety of typestyles, copied onto your
choice of paper. Just bring us your (neatly!)
handwritten resume and we do the rest
(f'lrst come, first served)
Updates? Your resume is kept on disk and may
be updated any time.
~ ... ...... -
.... _---- -----
------
.. ---- ----
.......... ..
ftft .,I1'"
-----
-- -----
. ........... ..
232 King Street North, Waterloo
(near the comer of King 8( University, across from WLU Athletic Centre)
884-1071 885-2679
8:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m. Monday - Friday: 10:00 - 3:00 Saturday
--.. _ .... --............. - ., ............. _ ....... __ .. _ ..... :0: - .. - ... _--- .... .............. --... _ ........................ _.,;* .._ ................... __
.... ;,..-; , s.-e 15.00
or ~ ~ IIef# ItUIIIeI "
$.:" (',oupon -&1*- ~ 28. 1989
Great Finish
Upcoming from
by Tim Bouma
4B Mechanical
fad
The Grad Committee is doing an
experiment. Pavlov conditioned his
dog to salivate at the ring of a bell;
the Grad Committee is doing the
same thing with pizza. Every time
you smell it in the CPH foyer on
Thursdays, you'll get an
uncontrollable urge to get involved
with all of the upcoming events and
activities to be held by the
Graduating Class of '89. And
don't forget to buy the pizza!
The Grad Committee is committed
to making the final year of
graduating students fun and
memorable, while benefitting
charity at the same time. But this
can only happen if you get involved.
Remember this will be your last
chance to have that final fling before
being thrown into the real world.
Get involved!!
Here is a list of events planned for
the upcoming terrtl. If you get the
urge to volunteer, contact your
Grad Committee class rep. The
chairpeople of this year's committee
are Alain Gauthier, Marcel
Lemmen, and Tracy Renaud. If
you're willing and able, get
involved!
PIZZA DAYS - That's right.
Every Thursday from 11:30 to 1:30.
Don't bring your lunch and don't
buy at the C&D! Put pizza on your
menu for Thursdays.
ommittee
FED FLICKS - Keep your eyes
peeled for the FED FLICK that will
be sponsored by the Grad
Committee - and don't miss it.
COFFEE HOUSE - To be held
in POETS. Li ve local
entertainment, plus lots of goodies.
Last term's coffee house was an
absolute success! Stay tuned for
more details.
MILLIONAIRE'S NIGHT - To
be held at the Grad Club. This is
your chance to win big and payoff
that OSAP.
DUNK TANK - Yes it's true,
you will be able to put your
favourite professor in the drink.
Take out all your frustrations.
More details later.
IRON RING CEREMONY -
After five years of hard work you
finally get the ring.
IRON RING STAG - This event
is second in importance only to
your birth! Don't miss this or
you're not a real engineer.
GRAD BALL Get your dose of
fonnality at this bash!
The majority of proceeds from
these events are going to the
Graduating Class Gift to the
Literacy Council of Canada. Your
participation will not only make the
tenn more fun but will ensure the
success of this project.
January 20, 1989
Iron "'Varrior
UN Reborn says Lewis
by Leslie Ng
3B Electrical
It is generally conceded that
capacity audiences for speaking
events at UW are something of a
rarity. However, a sellout crowd at
the Humanities Theatre Jan. 12
heard Canada's former United
Nations ambassador Stephen Lewis
live up to his reputation as one of
Canada's foremost speakers.
Lewis' speech, which lasted just
under an hour, focused on the
dramatic changes that had taken
place recently at the United Nations
and why, as a result, he could have
"very positive feelings" about the
world going into 1989.
Moving the hands of
the doomsday clock
back from midnight.
"The United Nations has really
come into its own in the past 6
months to a year," said Lewis. "[It]
is experiencing a regeneration, a
renaissance its detractors and
vilifiers would not have believed
possible towards the end of 1987 ...
the organization which was subject
to so much uncritical abuse for so
long a time is now suddenly seen as
a vehicle in the quest for
international peace and security."
The impetus for this turnaround,
according to Lewis, stems from
Mikhail Gorbachev's elaboration of
the principle of glasnost for the
first time in September of 1987. It
soon became clear that Gorbachev
had decided to "embrace the United
Nations as an arm of Soviet foreign
policy". A torrent of palpable
support followed, financial and
otherwise. The final stroke was the
announcement that the Soviet Union
would begin withdrawing troops
from Afghanistan.
These developments boosted
morale at the United Nations
considerably. There were successes
in the South African and Iran-Iraq
disputes, among others, as well as
the successful negotiation of an
intermediate range nuclear arms
accord. These achievements
amounted to "moving the hands of
the doomsday clock back from
midnight." Indeed, the year 1988
could mark "the turning point for
international peace and security by
the year 2000." Much of the credit
belongs to the United Nations.
Canada, for its part, has an
excellent opportunity to expand its
role in international affairs. Canada
already has considerable respect in
the world, respect that has been
recognized with a seat on the UN
Security Council. Canada has
consistently contributed to UN
peacekeeping mjssions. It is a
middle power that willingly
renounced the use of nuclear
weapons. It is a member of the
Commonwealth, the Francophonie,
and the G-7 industrial nations. It is
Canada a middle
power.
also, significantly, a nation that is
bilingual and multicultural in nature.
It is thus one of the few countries
that can effectively bridge the
developed and underdeveloped
world. Lewis went on to say that it
is time Canada discarded the
timidity and self-consciou ne it
has tended to show in the past and
use the UN and its newfound
centrality in world affair to
improve world conditions.
Lewis relaJed a
number of anecdotes
of his past
experiences.
During the lively question and
answer session which followed, a
wide range of topics were raised. At
one point, Lewis restated his own
strongly positive feelings about the
international social, economic and
human rights programs operated by
the UN, and called on students to
involve themselves with some of
these agencies, for in addition to the
valuable work that they do, they
"know more than governments
know" and have the power to "force
public policy to change." Thus,
involvement with the agencies
would be a very rewarding
experience.
Lewis related a number of
anecdotes of his past experiences at
various points throughout the
evening. A number of pointed jabs
and denunciations of various people
and policies, mostly American,
were also thrown in for good
measure. Nevertheless, the overall
tone was upbeat; one would
conclude that, for all its faults, the
world finally appeared to be moving
in the right direction. It was a
welcome message which, when
delivered by as talented a speaker as
Lewis, became that much more
reassuring.
Say, I am Eng Soc
John Vellinga unveiled Eng Soc's
vision and objectives to over 80
students at the "I am Eng Soc"
seminar on Jan. 12.
Originally planned as a seminar to
outline how to publicize events and
how to use Eng Soc media, the "I
am Eng Soc" seminar also included
topics on running successful events
and motivating people to participate
in those events.
At the heart of the seminar was
the communication of the vision and
objectives of the society. By now,
THE DERN WRNTS WOMEN
I I

PATHMAKERS PROGRAM
Women engineering students to serve as role models for
projects at local high schools or for "shadowing" programs
The program is to help women high school students be-
come aware of career opportunities in nontraditional jobs
INFORMATION MEETING
WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 25
CPH 3385 AT 4:30 P.M.
( OR CAll BILL LENNOX x3347)
everybody should know Eng Soc's
objectives: To serve, inspire,
involve, educate and entertain. The
vision and objectives solidify what
Eng Soc is and gives it direction.
Vision, objectives and values were
developed by the executive during
the workterm
The values identified were:
dedication to the fee-paying
student
respect for people
teamwork and communication
forward thinking
One way of fulfJlling these values
is the encouragement of class-reps
as assistants to directors. By
emphasizing teamwork and
working smarter, more time can be
spent planning for the future.
Participants had a chance to
practise their new learned skills in
workshops dealing with real Eng
Soc problems, like: organizing a
charity event, creating an Eng Week
event, and organizing a technical
event for the community.
5
Wanna go to a
WinterCarnival?
by Mary-Kay Lippert
3B Chern
The community of
Gravenhurst, northwest of
Barrie, has personally
invited Engineering
Students from the
University of Waterloo to
participate in a Winter
Carnival Weekend from
February 25th to 26th.
Various events like Run-
A-Bed, Ski-Doo Racing,
Fun-Runs, Canoe Races,
and a dance will all help
raise money for the Heart
and Stroke Foundation.
Eng Soc has challenged U
of T Engineering Students
to com pete in these
events.
Shannon Franklin, the
chairman of the carnival
will be sending more
information regarding
times, entrance fees and
accomodations to the
Engineering Society.
It promises to be a post-
mi d-term-get-away-good-
time for all! .
Red Cross
Quiz
by Arun Lal
Charities Director
(1) How many pints of blood does
it take to prime a heart-lung machine
for use during surgery?
(2) How many pints of blood does
a hemophiliac require in a single
year?
(3) How long can a pint of blood
be kept?
These quiz questions sound like
lead-ins to old "Enginews" jokes,
but they are not. They are very
serious matters. Please be a socially
responsible engineer and give the
gift of life at the Red Cross Blood
Donor Clinic.
CAMPUS CENTRE
MONDAY
JANUARY 23
10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
S { ~ ~ M M ~ j ()
000'0 I 01 dn (z)
9 (r)
6
Iron Warrior January 20, 1989

In fits It a suitcase!
protruding from one section into the
next, providing torsional rigidity,
and a continuous steel frame bolted
on top, providing resistance to
tension and bending forces. The
braking assembly and the rolVpush
bar are then connected to the rigid
steel frame. Finally a thick
styrofoam cushion is installed to
provide even weight distribution
over the concrete slab. All the
components come apart into
appropriately sized pieces and can
be checked-in aboard any airplane.
by Marc Gerin
4B Civil
Winter is upon us at last, the long
months of waiting to hurl ourselves
down a snow covered slope on a
slab of reinforced concrete are over.
Yes, it is once again time for the
Great Northern Concrete Toboggan
Race. The event is taking place in
Vancouver on February 3rd and 4th.
This year, Waterloo will be
represented by a single team of
seven 4B Civil students. Reducing
the number of teams has enabled us
to concentrate our efforts and
resources on developing the
ultimate design for speed and
efficiency .
We used a very organic design
approach, allowing for greatest
flexibility and maximum
participation by every team member.
A great number of ideas and
We used a very
organic design
approach.
concepts were examined, modified,
re-examined, and rejected, but a
few survived to become reality. A
lot of "what if ?" analysis was
incorporated in the process. The
greatest breakthrough however,
came from the implementation of
Simultaneous Design & Build
(SDB) principles. Although
sometimes called Last Minute Panic
(LMP) by skeptics, this still
experimental technique will likely
replace Just In Time (JIT) and
E LE.V A T [ otJ OF SL.AB

II 9
Sec.TIONS
Materials Resource Planning (MRP)
in tomorrow's world. On a smaller
scale, the concrete toboggan project
was well suited to capitalize on the
benefits of SDB. These benefits
included minimizing the time span,
increasing flexibility, improving
integration of design with
prod uction processes and
optimizing resource use. So
far, SOB as worked extremely well
for this project. In fact, if it wasn't
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for the Simultaneous Design &
Build approach there would
probably not be a toboggan for our
team to ride. More specifically, the
following is a description of the
resulting design: The Suitcase
Shuttle.
Faced with the high cost of
shipping the toboggan to
Vancouver, dealing with
uncertainty in delivery or long lead
times, the suitcase concept was
born. The concrete slab is divided
into three sections, each 30" long
by 20" wide. The sections are
linked by reinforcing steel
DON'T THROW
ME OUT!
RECYCLE ME.
The most significan t design
improvements are found in the
braking mechanism. The major
innovation lies in the use of foot
activated brakes, instead of the
traditional hand lever. There are
three direct benefits to this method.
First, instead of trying to pull back
on a hand lever while the body is
being thrust forward due to
momentum, the braking is achieved
by pushing with the legs, using
momentum to increase braking
power. Second, the hands can be
used to stabilize the body on the
toboggan without worrying about
braking accidentally. Third, the leg
muscles are much stronger than the
arm muscles.
The other innovation in the brakes
is the maximization of the braking
surface area. This is achieved by
using a steel plate equipped with
"teeth", running almost full length
on both sides of the toboggan.
These are joined at the back by a
steel plate which also penetrates into
the snow. This brake assembly is
neatly tucked away behind a
widening of the concrete slab at the
front end. This will insure that the
brakes do not grab if the toboggan
comes too close to a snow bank.
With these major innovations and
a number of minor technical
features, Waterloo will definitely
be a strong contender at the 1989
Great Northern Concrete Toboggan
Race.
In Store Bakery
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Deli Counter
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January 20, 1989
Iron Warrior 7
Math's Pink Tie
Kidnapped
Special to IW
In a series of communiques to the
Iron Warrior staff a group calling
itself the Tie Liberation
Organization (TLO) has informed
this reporter that they have
kidnapped the Math Society's Pink
Tie and have takin it on tour.
Rumour has it that the Tie was
removed from the side of the Math
Building during Orientation Week
of 1988.
The communiques stated that the
purpose of the TLO liberation of the
Tie was to relieve it from its endless
hanging torment on the side of the
Math Building. The TID felt it was
their duty to expose the tie to things
far greater than its sheltered life had
allowed.
When the Math Society was a ked
for comment they were not even
aware of who the TLO were or
what they had done. When
informed of the TLOs actions they
quickly said no comment and hung
up on this reporter. It is quite
obvious from this that the Math
Society does not even truly care
about the whereabouts of their poor
mascot. How can anyone blame
the TLO for their actions when an
uncaring Math Society does not
even show the Tie the respect it
deserves.
In this reporters opinion the TLO
should be commended for their
ideals but not for their methods of
action. Not only did they kidnap
the Tie illegally, they threatened to
turn it into a Tent if followed. In
their next communique they
The truth
on
by Vanessa Ryback
3A Chemical
In the past few years, there has
been a lot of concern over the
environmental hazards and disposal
methods of polychlorinated
biphenyls (PCBs). Discovered in
1888, they were first prepared
commercially (by Monsanto
Corporation in North America) in
1929, but their hazards were not
realized until 1966. At that time,
extensive research began to find the
extent of PCB environmental
contamination. Only trace amounts
were found everywhere (air, land,
sea, animals, humans), but by
1983 the environmental load was
found to be 82 million kg. This
value includes all PCBs currently in
use and being stored, as well as
PCBs which are kflown to have
been released to the environment
over the years.
As the public became more
concerned, laws concerning PCBs
became more restrictive. In 1972,
the use of PCBs was limited to the
electrical industry only and in 1977,
their manufacture was banned in
North America. Storehouses still
exist, but the Canadian government
- has devised a five year phase-out
plan.
PCBs are prepared such that a
number of different molecules are
formed with varying .numbers of
chlorine atoms substituted onto the
biphenyl ring. A typical molecule is
shown.
The exact toxicity of individual
molecules is unknown, but it has
been found that tetra and less
chlorinated biphenyls can be
hydroxylated and excreted by most
species. Epoxides, which are an
intermediate of this hydroxylation
reaction, are known mutagens
which affect DNA structure.
However, these less highly
substituted PCBs, which are not
inert in the body, constitute only
about one percent of the PCB
mixture.
The chemical degradation of all
PCB molecules is difficult. They
are thermally stable and are resistant
to oxidation, acids and bases. They
are lipid soluble and thus
accumulate in fatty tissues.
Because they are inert, the body
cannot break them down and so
they are passed down through the
food chain.
In the past, it was thought that
PCB exposure caused liver
problems and dermatitis. More
recently, research has modified
these theories. PCBs are known
carcinogens for rats, yet, despite
many studies, no link has been
found between human exposure and
increased occurrence of cancer.
Short term effects include skin and
eye irritation and chloracne, which
will abate within two weeks to three
years, depending on the extent of
the exposure. These effects also
occur with exposure to any chlorine
substituted, fat soluble substances
(such as chloroform and
dichloroethane ).
These symptoms are not due
directly to PCB exposure. They are
caused by a by-product. of the
manufacture of PCBs. Because of
the heat required for the preparation
of PCBs, a side product, dibenzyl
furan, is formed. This is
chemically very similar to dioxin.
In North America, its concentration
is 1-2 J.lg/g PCB. It is more
reactive than PCBs and is thus the
cause of symptoms due to PCB
exposure.
The use of PCBs is widespread.
They are used in fluid capacitors
and transformers, hydraulic
systems and Vacuum pumps. At
one time, they were used as
pesticides, fire retardants and
threatened to make it into a kite. I
see no need for these threats of
violence. After all the Tie is not
responsible for the Math Society.
Why must terrorists use it for their
violent threats.
If the Math Society had only taken
the time to treat the Tie as a human
being. To take it places and keep it
happy none of this would have
PCBs
plasticizers, but their use in these
capacities is now discontinued due
to environmental concerns.
General Electric in the US has
been using PCBs since the 1950s.
The waste has been dumped into the
Hudson River where it has
accumulated. Researchers at
Michigan State University have
found that these molecules are now
partially dergadable by
microorganisms. Anaerobic
bacteria dechlorinate PCBs by
removing chlorine from the meta
Cl Cl
Cl Cl
Cl Cl
Cl
happenned. Now there are two
groups fighting over a Tie that does
not even have a say in what is
happening. Truly, what has our
world come to when a Tie must
suffer because of two selfish
groups with opposing ideas. I only
hope that there is no permanent
psychological damage to the
innocent Tie.
CI CI
"-Q-U
CI
2.2'.3,4'- tetrochlorobiphenyl
and para postitions of the biphenyl
rings, leaving those in the ortho
positions. Ortho substituted PCBs
are believed to be the least toxic
isomer. This degradation is an
important discovery because it
demonstrates that PCBs are at least
partially degradable at much lower
lemperatures than had previously
been thought.
As of now, the technology i
available to clean up PCB ., but no
plans have been put into action.
Although there is no proof that
PCBs are harmful to humans, their
side products are hazardous and
there is a need for caution and
concern.
When you buy, it's not goodbye ... at
off Campus Computers
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8 Iron Warrior January 20, 1989
Good
by Baldwyn Chieh
2A Mechanical
Next to drinking, eating is one of
the favourite pastimes among
engineers. However, cooking is
not; and after endless night of Kraft
Dinner and hot dogs, the engineer
longs for variety in meals.
Fortunately, Kitchener-Waterloo
has a healthy array of fast-food and
not -so-fast food restaurants to
satisfy the starving student. Here
are a few:
The Duke of Wellington
33 Erb St. Waterloo
(in the Atrium)
The Duke is a nice place to go if
you are interested in sampling a
variety of Engli sh ales and authentic
British cooking in a small pub-like
setting. The highlight of the Duke is
the "pub-grub" which ranges in cost
between about $2.00 and $5.00 and
includes favourites like "bangers &
mash", fish & chips and steak &
kidney pie.
The Rathskeller
151 Frederick St. Kitchener
For finer dining, the Rathskeller
serves German style cuisine in a
quiet, relaxing atmosphere. The
menu includes seafood, New York
sirloin, schnitzel and fresh venison
as well as a fine selection of
domestic and imported wines.
Meals at the Rathskeller range in
price from about $10.00 to $16.00
for a basic entree.
eats
around
K
-
w
Charlie's Restaurant
24 Charles St. W. Kitchener
Charlie's is one of the area's
faithful standbys for great Italian
food. They make terrific pizza, and
have a great stuff-yourself-silly
buffet on Sundays for $8.99. The
buffet usually includes two or three
different main course dishes, a
salad bar, pasta, bread, etc., etc.,
etc. Prices for regular entrees vary
from $6.00 to $8.00.
Blondie's
667 King St. Kitchener
Blondie's is a brand new
restaurant which just opened this
January in the building that used to
be Ichabod's. The menu includes all
of the standards from wings to
burgers to steaks. The portions are
immense and the prices are very
reasonable (i.e., $2.50 to $10.00).
There is also a bar and dance floor
adjoining the restaurant for some
after dinner excitement (that is, if
you're not too full to move).
Apparently, the DJ plays requests!
Big John's
Belmont Plaza
1095 Weber S1. Kitchener
Of course, no discussion of K- W
restaurants would be complete
without a mention of Kitchener's
own Big John's subs. Big John's
makes all other sub shops in town
look like meat-misers, bar none. If
you haven't tried a Big John, it
would be worth the trip ( even if
you had to walk). Prices for a large
sub vary from about $3.00 to
$4.50, depending on the number of
bells and whistles. Big John's
motto is "you can't beat our meat".
They're right.
FRESH!
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STANLEY BURGER
REG. FRIES
REG. POP
now only
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2tO ICING ST. Me .... t/tJni.e.Ur,
WATERLOO .... WLU .,
-.,- l)
..... til of a fralal ",,,,k bllr fOr'
A movie tonight?
by Rob Stevens
2A Mechanical
If you have a couple of hours to
spare this term, and you find
yourself at a loss for things to do,
try exploring the city's various
movie theatres. Surprisingly, this
area has quite a selection of theatres
for its size; there are over twenty
films playing nightly. This means
that your type of flick is probably
playing somewhere tonight.
Of course, there are the occasional
alternative movies in POETS and
Fed Flicks at the Arts Lecture Hall.
Off campus, you can find the
Waterloo Theatre, which shows
current features, and the Princess,
which tends toward alternative
films. Both are reasonably close to
campus. In downtown Kitchener
there is the Cinema, the Cineplex,
the Lyric, and the Capitol, all along
the main stretch of King S t., and
the Hyland, on Ontario St.
There are also two new additions
to Kitchener's theatre line-up:
King's College Square on the
corner of King and College streets
and the Fairway on Fairway Road.
These two theatres are a must. It
seems that the new trend in cinema
is a return to the extravagant and
classy design of the early movie
era, i.e. large theatres, super stereo
sound, real butter on the popcorn,
and floors that don't stick to your
shoes like fly-paper.
I highly recommend checking Ollt
one or both of the new theatres. A
classy theatre can make a good
movie even better.
Iron Warrior Open to All
The Iron Warrior invites articles from all
faculties on campus. Students, staff and faculty
can all contribute.
Send articles to the Iron Warrior at the Eng Soc
office, or leave a note for Danny Lee, Editor.
COMICS CONTEST
"DlGr DE.E:P INTO THE- Il\JNEJ<.. nU,HS
OF '<OUR. CREAT I \J \"\ '(. DR AW A C.OM I C.
STR\P AND 'e-NTE:-R -rHt;.
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Tt>PIC.: WHA'WO\..)l-t) AN
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January 20, 1989
Electronic
by Tim Francis
3B Electrical
"The bugs used ... were similar
to those which caused the so-called
computer virus in the U.S. last
November", read last week's lead
story in the Imprint. Similar reports
are beginning to appear with
increasing frequency in the news,
as the popular press grows
accustomed to the latest buzzword
to come from computers.
But what is a computer virus? Is
it at all similar to its biological
namesake? Above all, is it
something that should be taken
seriously? The short answers are
yes, and yes. A computer virus can
spread like wildfire, and if left
untreated, do irreparable damage to
your data.
There are many kinds of threats
to computer data, which vary
depending on the type of system in
use. You may physicaJIy damage or
lose disks for a personal computer,
but you generally know who has
access to your data. On a larger
system, or one connected to a
network, there is the additional
danger of an unauthorized user
gaining access. However, the
majority of 'traditional' threats can
be reduced by the l!Se of prudent
security policies.
The big difference with a
computer virus is that it propagates
by impersonating authorized users,
namely YOU. If you access a file or
disk, the virus will spread, without
it having to guess a password, or
convince anyone to lend it a disk.
By the time you realize you've been
infected with a virus, chances are it
will have spread to many other
users.
The virus will spread.
A virus usually consists of two
stages. The first part infects other
programs, modifying them to
include a possibly modified copy of
itself. The second part is potentially
where the damage can occur. The
virus can be programmed to wait
for a certain event, and then execute
some action. The possibilities are
limited only by the programmer's
imagination, and could include
erasing files on a certain date, or
crashing the system whenever a
certain company's program is run.
Not every program that causes
damage is a virus. Other variants
include:
a) A trojan horse is a program
designed to do things the user does
not expect. A program that
simulates a logon screen, and then
records the user's password is an
example of a trojan horse.
Iron Warrior 9
Infection
b) A worm spreads copies of
itself through networked
computers. These can cause
problems by overloading the
network, or the system they are
sent to. Once they have access to
the system, they can also explicitly
cause whatever damage uley want.
There are many ways a virus can
infect a system. Any time a
program is run with the ability to
affect other programs, there is the
r-MAG U SEA. 5 :

PLEA5E PLACE A
lcONDOtY/ oN DISK
BEFORE IN5ERT!N6.
*-
possibility of infection. lnte.cted
programs could come from any
source, known or not. Public
domain software, downloaded from
bulletin boards should be carefully
inspected before use, However,
since it is possible to be infected
and not know it, you could receive
an infection from your best friend's
computer. There have even been
cases where commercial software
has been sold that inadvertently
included a virus.
Both of the Engineering
computer systems (VIA TST AR and
the MacBooth) are reasonably well
protected against viruses. The
WA TSTAR system reboots the PC
when you logoff, thus clealing the
memory of any resident viruses. It
is also impossible to send
executable files on WATSTAR
(except through the use of Kennit
and the like), which further reduces
the risk. The Mac Booth employs
software that checks for a viral
infection whenever a user logs on.
characteristics of executable files. A
list should be kept of all such files,
including the timestamp and file
length. By comparing this list
against the files at a later date, {he
user can notice quickly if anything
changes. Again, it then becomes the
responsibility of the user to
determine if the change was
expected and/or authorized.
Once a virus has been detected
and identified, you can begin the
recovery stage. The obvious first
step is to eliminate any further
infection, inside or outside your
system. Remove any network
connections, and do not use any
exchangeable disks, until the virus
has been completely removed! If
you have an infection, even a
simple action like looking at the
directory of another disk could
infect it
You can now try and obtain (or
write) a program to remove that
particular virus. Such a program
should check every executable file
for infection, and try to remove the
infection by restoring it to its
original fonn. Many programs of
' this type are available on bulletin
boards. Of course, you should
ensure that the restoration program
itself is not another virus (or trojan
horse) in disguise.
Even before the threat of
viruses, good backups have always
been imponant. When a program or
data file is lost, a recent backup can
save much aggravation. The
potential harm caused by computer
viruses only increases the need for
backups. However, an important
point to remember is that backups
can also represent a place for a
virus to hide. If you discover a
virus on your system, you should
ensure the backup is secure before
restoring it.
When recovery is complete, it is
important that you remain watchful
for some time. A system that has
recently been infected runs an
increased risk of reinfection by that
same virus. The reinfection could
occur through some infected object
that was missed in the restoration
process, or from the same source as
the original infection.
Eliminate any further
infection.
Computers have been made far
more accessible and useful with the
widespread use of networks, and
the availability of personal
computers. These trends are likely
to continue for some time, and with
them the threat of viruses. While
the danger should not be
overlooked, it is also important not
to overreact, and limit the usage of
computers in an attempt to make
them safe. With increased user
awareness, the risk can be reduced
to an acceptable level.
POETS BE THERE POETS BE THERE POETS BE THERE P O ~
~
ttl
~
Q.,
ttl
~
ifJIPCC ({)) l ~ b:r
JIM
~
bj
~
~
~
~
~
~
t'tl
~
~
~
...,
It is important not to be lulled ~
into a false sense of security by ~
these systems, however. It is still ~
possible to catch a virus on both Q::)
Engineering systems through the ~
use of floppy disks, and then carry ~
the infection to another computer. ~
NEW AND IMPROVED
POETS CHALLENGE
~ BATTLING TOPS TOURNAMENT
T.H.A.
::::
t'r:
~
~
"'Q
~
~
~
The best protection from any
kind of viral infection is education.
If an infection can be discovered
quickly, the spread can be
minimized, and recovery made
easier. Only use programs when
you know the source, and are
reasonably sure of their safety. It is
also important to be a ware of any
changes in your system's behavior.
Decreasing free disk space, slowing
programs, and system crashes are
all possible indicators of a viral
infection.
A fairly secure method of viral
detection involves checking
~
C(
~
~
JAN 22
~ SUPERBOWL PARTY
~ ~
~ ~
~ ~ ~
POETS ROCK AND ROLL JAN 25 ~
~ ~
~ ~
~ FT OJ ."'N'" H.l ."'" .{j.UIOff ,,., N':f If" JUT S'.l.'" OJ ."'N.'" lI.l !T ff .N
10


by Todd Ruthman
2A Systems Design
I think there is a law recorded
somewhere which decrees that each
and every newspaper Illust print at
least one article reflecting upon the
year just past.
First, let us reminisce with a few
general news items - to help set the
scene, as it were. Controversy
abounded when a certain gold
medal contender at the Summer
Olympics tested positive for you-
know-what. Federal elections were
held on both sides of the 42nd
parallel. They got Bush and we got
Mulroney. It looks like we'll both
get free trade. Natural and unnatural
disasters struck worldwide in places
like Jamaica and Armenia.
On the more pleasant side of life,
two of three whales were rescued
from certain death up north and
released back into the open sea. On
the other hand, I hear a killer whale
is still performing tricks at Sea
World. But this really is not the
place for social commentary.
The four subjects I want to cover
are the space shuttle, genetic
engineering, computers and
superconductors. Let's begin with
the space shuttle.
In late September, Discovery
lifted off in its full glory and the
U.S. shuttle program got back on
track. The shuttle underwent a re-
evaluation and redesign period and
changes were not limited to the 0-
rings. A full discussion of the
engineering changes would take too
long.
The American shuttle in no longer
a one of a kind species. The
Russians have unveiled and tested
their own version of the shuttle for
the world to see. They call it Buran
("Snowstorm"). The two shuttles
look alike, but there are significant
FAMOUS ITALIAN
SANPWICHES AND PASTAS
VEAL
STEAK
SAUSAGE
MEATBALL
COLD CUTS
LASAGNA
SPAGHETTI
GNOCCHI
RAVIOLI
SAlAD - OLIVES - SOUP
( PAHZEROTTI)
Iron Warrior
January 20, 1989
Year In Perspective

differences between them. The US
shuttle has main engines while the
Russian bird relies entirely on
booster rockets. But, the Russian
shuttle lands under its own power
like a jet, while the US craft glides
to the ground. Now, the U.S. has
one, the Russians have one and I
understand the Europeans are
working on one.
The American Shuttle is
No Longer Unique
Genetic engineering has been a
buzz word for a very long time now
and it continues to conjure up all
kinds of wild pictures of mutant
muscle men with the IQ of a dozen
Einsteins. Last April, the US Patent
and Trademark Office saw fit to
grant Harvard a patent for a
customized mouse.
The process, developed by Philip
Leder, involves splicing the DNA
sequence of a gene (called
oncogenes) with genetic material
from a mouse mammary virus. The
virus acts as a trigger which can
cause the oncogenes to turn a cell
cancerous" This spliced material is
then injected into a ferti lized mouse
egg. After one surrogate mother
phase, normal Mendelian genetics
can be used to produce litters of
patentable mice. The result is a
mouse strain in which females are
extremely susceptible to breast
cancer.
There are many other, animal
patents currently under review. The
reference I used estimated forty.
One soon to be submitted is for a
mouse which caries the genes for
the AIDS virus. As one can
imagine, these mice are in high
demand by researchers.
Steven Jobs' new computer is the
NeXT technological announcement
I want to discuss. (Okay, okay. So
it was a pathetic pun.) The NeXT
computer is a matte black affair with
several new twists. The screen is
currently black and white and has a
megapixel resolution. Like the Mae,
it's an icon driven system but every
article I've read about it stresses the
differences between the two
computers. Built for connectivity
with other NeXT computers, with
lots of room for internal expansion,
it sounds powerful for a "personal"
computer. The computer is
expensive for the home computer
market, but Mr. Jobs is
concentrating on the academic
market at present.
The one hardware feature that
stood out was the magnetic optical
disk it comes with. (Todd wrote an
article on magneto-optic discs last
summer. - Ed) It can store 256
megabytes of data on one
removable disk the size of a floppy.
That's about equivalent to 200 high
density floppies and the disks
themselves are more durable than
normal floppies as well.
256 Megabytes on one
disk
On Sept. 19th, 1988 the New
York Times published an article
entitled "Suspension Effect
Astounds Scientists" with the
subheading of "Superconductors
produce a mysterious new
phenomenon." Dr. Palmer Peters of
NASA's Space Science Laboratory
was pushing around some
superconducting material (immersed
in the ever present liquid nitrogen)
with a small magnet. When he
SAN FRANCESCO
pulled the magnet a way, the
superconductor followed it and
hung suspended beneath it. This is
an entirely new effect and numerous
applications are already being
dreamed up. I've read two separate
theories explaining the phenomenon
and even if neither are correct, at
least it's adding to attempts to
understand superconduction.This
has temporarily returned
superconductors to the public eye.
An Entirely New Effect
Superconductors have so much
promise it is important that the
general public is aware and
interested in them. If the public
feels that a technology can do
something and they want that
technology then someone will try
and build it so they can sell it and
make money. In North America,
this is what drives the majority of
technical advancement
I must stress that these are simply
the things I remember about 1988.
If you feel I have missed something
significant, let us know. Get in
touch with the Iron Warrior editors
through the Eng Soc office in Carl
Pollock Hall.
PIZZA SLICES
14 INCH PIZZA
MONDAY
NIGHT P E C I ~
FRO
ONLY $12.99 DmuvERY
3 ITEMS 'OUR COKES
THEY"RE HERE I
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IN FRONT OF POETS
746-4111
PHONE AHEAD AND YOUR ORDER
WILL I. READY FOR PlCK-UPI
BAT-IN DRIV.-THRU TAKEeOUT 33 University Ave. E. Waterloo, Ontario
January 20, 1989 Iron Warrior
11
The Prototype Engineer
Ernie - A Pictorial
If we look close enough, we can discover that there is a
little of Ernie present in all of us.
We see the Wild, untamed engineering spirit as portrayed
by the Kodiak work boots, plaid flannel shirt, and rough
looking beard. The suppressed keener and geek is
represented by the HP 28C calculator, loaded pocket
protector, and greased hair. Most importantly, we see the
cool, easy-going partier with a beer handy for every
occasion.
--t----
2' 3"-------+4
H P 2.8 C
Created and
photographed by
Marc Gravel
3A Mechanical
and
Wayne Dodd
3A Mechanical
KODIAt SAFf.l'1 __ -...
B0015
We would like to thank Alex Poole for his participation in
portraying Ernie Engineer.
CREATED AND
PHOTOGRAPHED BY
APPROVED BY

-4- PRC1ECiO(\
, SELl
-4- CA.St.
-+- I
BAND
wA'fCH
5' 10"
(Co' 0" ()'PRIGH'i POS'1"'ON)
__ ROUG\-I

....-Pt..Alt>
511\ Rf
........ t---- WQOLlES
12
Iron Warrior J annary 20, 1989
Alternative Music
Scene
Steve is presently studying at
Braunschweig University in West
As Reported from Braunschweig
Warrior about/ife in Germany.
by Steve Herczeg
3D Electrical
There were a couple of things
that hit me after the first month I
spent here in Germany: 1> The
beer tastes GOOD; 2> Although my
razor has a 220v adaptor, it still
doesn't fit in the wall outlet, 3>
People's attitudes towards music
are quite different here than they are
in Waterloo. Here being
Braunschweig.
So, you may ask, what could
possibly be different? Well, I
might say, quite a few things. Most
of which probably can be attributed
to people's not being able to
understand all the lyrics to a song,
and therefore rendering the lyrics of
a song unimportant. Let me
explain ...
Upon my first venture into a
nightclub, I was hoping to see the
usual people dressed in black
smocks and dancing with
themselves in a mirror. Well, was I
surprised! I certainly found the
smocks and mirrors. What was
strange was that only girls dance,
guys stand opposite and watch
them. Nobody dances during the
laser show, since everybody thinks
you're actually supposed to watch
it, and last but certainly not least out
of place was the absence of a really
LOUD sound system pumping out
the latest mix by Ministry. It seems
that really cult-bands are having a
hard time breaking serious ground
in the Universities. This could have
a lot to do with the age difference of
University students here in
Germany, since many students start
Nobody dances during
the laser show.
their studies in their early 20s, and
aren't finished until they're around
30, but I can't say that for sure.
The general consensus here
seems to be that if the song has a
good beat, it's a good song. I
would say most people can
understand the title of a song and
the main thrust of what's being said
in the chorus or refrain, but in
general the lyrical content of a song
will not sway anylxxiy here to buy
it. Singers like Jermaine Stewart,
Rick Astley and the like are heard
for the entire evening in any club,
The Sandford Fleming Foundation
Waterloo Campus Chapter
Room 4366, Carl Pollock Hall,
University of Waterloo,
Waterloo, Ontario N2L 3G 1
(519) 885-1211, Ext. 4008
CALL FOR NOMINATIONS
The Waterloo Campus Chapter is accepting nominations
for the position of Student Director, to serve as one of two
"8" Stream representives for undergraduate engineering
students. The successful applicant will participate in the
business and activities of the Foundation's Waterloo Chapter
during 1989. Interested persons should leave their name,
telephone number, and local address with the Foundation
secretary. Deadline for applications is Tuesday, January 31.
Inquiries about the position may be directed to CliH Knox
(Student Director). via the Engineering Society OHice, or
to Graham Farquhar (Waterloo Chapter Chairman), in the
Department of Civil Engineering. E2-3312, Ext. 3989.
SANDFORD FLEMING DEBATES
Plan to take part in Engineering Debates this term. The
Foundation is a sponsor this term for Departmental Debates
within the Faculty, and also for the Ontario Undergraduate
Engineering "Silver Tongue" Series. which will be hosted by
the University of Toronto, sometime in March.
Anyone wishing to learn more about the Foundation
may contact the Waterloo Campus Chapter
Tuesday to Thursday, from 1 :30 to 4:30 pm
in Room 4366, Carl Pollock Hall or at Ext. 4008
An organization devoted to the advancement of engineering education
whether it be a "Shickey-Mickey"-
place (a beautiful German
expression used to describe a place
like SPECTRUM in Toronto), or a
more underground place. I hear
Phil-Collins remix of 'In the Air
Tonight' a whole lot as well --
probably because it now has a
'better beat' and everybody can
dance to it now.
Don't misunderstand me. An
underground music scene definitely
exists here, it is just very aptly
named. Underground bands like to
use English names that don't make
any sense. Not that the title of the
band itself doesn't make sense, just
that the title doesn't always 'fit' the
music. Clubs themselves are named
in this In,mner. Who would have
thought [har a place like
'Moonlight' was a heavy-metal
hang-out? "Tough Guys Don't
Dance", "Danny and the Moon-
throws"; names like this are really
popular for bands. None of them
are doing anything really original
though. Main-stream sounding
music is a winner here and not very
much is being done to change it.
Most of the bands you go see in
clubs are cover-bands. Most of the
Radio stations don't promote club-
performances --- they're advertised
by means of posters throughtout the
city.
Radio in general is very
different, and in my opinion, not at
all conducive to helping young
musicians with new and innovative
ideas get the exposure they need.
For the most part, radio stations
play all types of music -- all of
them. Radio-station formats are
Mainstream sounding
music is a winner
here.
almost non-existent. When you
tune in Q 1 07 or CFNY, you know
exactly what you're going to hear.
Radio here is always a surprise.
Formats here range from HIT-
Radio to HIT-PARADE-Radio and
that doesn't leave room for
alternative stations, heavy-rock
stations, or anything like MAGIC-
102 (thank God). Loyalty to a
radio-station is also not really
noticeable here, and this lack of
format-Radio would explain why.
So how do underground bands
get exposure? WORD OF
MOUTH. Unbelievable maybe, but
the old gabber really does work
when it comes to this kind of stuff.
When I ask people if they've heard
of bands like Ministry, The Smiths,
Echo and the Bunnymen, The
Lords, Violent Femmes, etc. etc ...
I always get the same answer:
"Yes, the name is familiar to me".
But when I look through people's
record collections, I don't see The
Cure, The Cult, or The Forgotten
Rebels, I see Supertramp, Chris
Deburgh , (or however that's
spelled), Saga, Phil Collins, Peter
Gabriel. All very good, and all very
BIG names. The smaller groups
don't tend to sell very many
albums, and I think that's a shame.
Of course it's all a vicious circle.
Since nobody buys them, shops
don't carry them, then you CAN'T
buy them .. da dat, da dat.
As far as live performances go, I
have not seen any really dynamic
live performances in clubs or
otherwise. The bands that are
around, usually are English-
speaking bands and therefore have
great difficulty in communicating
with the crowd. It's like a real
physical wall between the end of
the stage and the start of the dance-
floor. The band plays, the people
dance, nobody sings along, the
band wonders why (keep in mind
musicians don't usually know what
country they're in so the language
thing may slip by them) nobody's
Musicians don't
usually know which
country they are in.
singing along, think they're not
having a good night (audience
participation is very important to
bands) and end up not caring
whether they sound their best or
whether they're putting on their
best performance. In fact, when I
went to see Jermaine Stewart at a
club, not only did I pay a hefty
cover, but I walked in the 'place at
10:00 for the 7:30 show (usually a
good bet) and found absolutely no
band-gear on stage except for three
mics, an Emulator-II sampling
keyboard, a Macintosh and a very
large reel-to-reel tape machine.
"Where's the band?" I promptly
asked the guy at the door. "They
start at 10:30". Hmmm? 1O:30?
How many are in the band? One?
Well, cutesy Jermaine came out
with his two back-up singers, (a
guy in a tux, and a girl in a bathing-
suit with a leather miniskirt and
FMSH. eu T't"Cl\jS
Fl<..OSt-\:
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t>UiTCt-SS L.)ouLD
WkE fb oST,A.;IN A BUT1'DN
FoR. '= P\ut ..... FAt.ut... T'i .
P[..,E:A S'-: H. E:.t-P.
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-500

January 20, 1989
Iroll Warrior
13
Lost

In Germany
dinner jacket on -- somehow it
worked) and then the tapes started
rollin', and he started singin'.
Nobody cared that there was no
band. And like someone who really
believes in what he's singing, as
soon as he started "We don't have
to take our clothes of to have a
good time", he started stripping and
throwing his clothes into the
audience and telling us we were
"bad". Hmmm. Nobody touched
the synth for the whole 35 minute
show either. Strange?
I wouldn't say that the students
here don't appreciate good songs
with good lyrics. After having
listened to a couple hours of solid
Udo Lindenberg's
stuff is all in German
and they can
understand it.
Udo Lindenberg, I would have to
say that words DO IN FACT mean
a lot to the record-buying
population. His stuff is all in
German and they can understand it.
Thought-provoking music, you
might say.
Of course the really huge
underground/alternative bands are
popular. Bands like U2, Pink
Floyd, Genesis. Everybody's got
tha ' introduced REM,
Timbuck 3, and "similiar-sized"
groups to a few people (whose
record collections indicate at least a
mild interest in the out-of-the-
ordinary) and they really, really like
them. If these bands just get a
chance to be heard, I'm sure they
would be able to sell a sizeable
chunk of CDs (LPs are pretty much
passe here already). Talking Heads,
for a basically non-touring band,
have made their huge progress here
by word of mouth mainly. Smaller
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bistros with "cooler" employees
will be pumpin out The Heads and
Tracy Chapman on the box
although there's no dance-floor.
There does exist a few clubs
where they have what they call
"alternative night". These nights are
good, but Tuesday? As much as I
like to flail around like a swan on
the floor, Tuesday nights 'til 3
doesn't fit my schedule all the time.
Weekends are reserved for "music
for the masses" and I still have to
find a cool place for this time of the
week.
Older music like the Bearles, The
Doors, The Eagles, The (ugh)
BeeGees, are really popular too.
Seems nobody told anyone here
that disco died. I realise that a lot of
the stuff we listen to today is
modern disco, but "Stayin' Alive" J
could live without. New Order and
the Pet Shop Boys at least SOUND
better.
And I haven't met anybody with
any Cia h or Sex Pistols either.
So to sum it all up in case it was
ambiguous, Mainstream is in, and
Underground is being stomped by
the Radio-Industry. Bands play
boring stuff or without instruments.
Big bands are big, little bands are
not. If it's got a beat, then it's
good, but only if it's English. If it's
Gennan, it's gona have good lyrics
too. So now that the Universe is
back in order I'll sign off. go back
to my room and listen to my copy
of two existing Sinead O'Connor
tapes in the country.
We welcome any questions you
may wish to ask Steve. He will be
happy to answer questions in a
future article in the IW. Send
questions 10 Danny Lee by mail on
Watstar to dshJee@electrical. From
there, we willforward lhe questions
to Steve on his network.
NEW from Hewlett-Packard
The HP-28S Advanced Scientific
Calculator
Unparalleled in science and engineering.
And the broadest range of numeric and
symbolic solutions available on a calculator .
Come in today. And see for yourself.
89 King St. North
Fit;' HEWLETT
~ r . . I PACKARD
(Next to Old English Parlour)
886-0840
14 Iron Warrior
Hanging
Out
up en masse. Bring a card table and
get a good game of poker going.
For those not privileged enough to
go in the "cash only" line, take a
"beverage" with you and watch
how quickly you make friends!
Don't forget to save a few drops for
when you get to the cash desk,
though, because ZZAAPP!, you've
just put some rich author's son
through college. Yes, that 72
n
d
edition (first copyright: 1986) was
in the Bookstore
by Karen Ness
3B Systems Design
Read any good books lately?
Haven't had the time? Why not
head over to the bookstore anyway?
While you're getting the pen or
eraser that you need for the next
class, pick up that novel you've
been meaning to read. Odds are you
,
J c ~ i
FLOWERS
WESNOUNT
10
0
/0
discount for
students
on corsages and
all your floral needs!
(except holidays)
Bette and Frank Quinn Qwne,.
50 Wtslmounl Prace
Waterloo. Ontario N2L 2R5
(519) 8866410
P A ESC A , P T ION 5
We Accept University Drug Plan
weSTMOUNT PLACE
PHARMACY
886-7670
50 Westmoun1 Rd. N.
OPEN DAILY
9 am to 10 pm
SUNDAYS & HOLIDAYS
11 am to 9 pm
WESTMOUNT KING
CENTRE PHARMACY
578-1610
King Centre
OPEN DAILY
MTWS 9:30 5:30
Thu & Fri. 9:30 9:30
Closed SundayS
won't have to buy it, because you'll
be finished reading it by the time
you get to the cashier!
But seriously, this term, more
than usual it seems, buying books
and supplies is more time
consuming than any numerical
Why the HUGE lineups?
methods assignment ever was! You
can't just pop in to pick up a
textbook to do the reading for your
next class because the chance that
you make it back in time are slim,
even though the reading can be
done in line. The question is: why
the HUGE lineups? Are students
trying to corner the market on
school supplies? Do people simply
have nothing beuer to do with their
time than hang out in the bookstore?
Or is it that, contrary to popular
belief, the bookstore staff isn't as
efficient as they could be
(blasphemy! I)?
But don't despair! For people
with very little socializing time, the
trick is to gather a group and go line
absolutely necessary. Notice on
page 125, second line down the "is"
was changed to "was". And then all
the page numbers were altered, and
the problems were renumbered and
moved to different chapters. Don't
forget though: in return for your
undying loyalty to the U of W
bookstore you get a pin that says: "I
survived the UW bookstore."
Obviously the place to be this
term is the U of W bookstore. So
go ahead! What are you waiting
for? Just don't forget to take a
lunch!
The Lion Makers
A Fable
by Kathy Wood
38 Chemical
In a small town in India there
once lived four friends. Three were
very good scholars who diligently
studied and knew what was written
in books. The fourth was not a
good 'student'. However, this one
possessed good judgment and
common sense. He understood the
world around him.
It was decided that the three
scholars would go travelling to put
their knowledge to use. They
planned on winning the favour of
kings to gain money. They hesitated
in allowing their uneducated friend
to accompany them but finally did
let him join them for friendship's
sake.
Shortly into their travels the four
came upon the bones of a once
mighty lion. The three scholarly
friends saw this as an opportune
chance to put their studies to use.
Said the first, "I know how to
assemble the skeleton." The second
conveyed that once the skeleton was
together he could supply the skin,
flesh and blood. The third scholar
said, "And then I can give the lion
life."
l,.istening to his friends the one
with the common sense was
ed "H fri d " concern . ear me, my en s. ,
he urged, "This is a lion. If you
bring him back to life he will kill
every one of us."
The others scoffed at this
simpleton ideas. "In that case, wait
a moment." he replied while he
climbed to safety in a tree.
Subsequently the scholars eagerly
went to work creating a live,
ferocious lion from the bones.
Immediately upon gaining life, the
lion killed all three of them.
The fourth man, the man of sense
who was not a good scholar, waited
until the lion was gone, climbed
down from the tree, and continued
on his way.
January 20, 1989
Problem,
What Problem?
by Carolyn Anglin
4B Systems Design
1. Using the numbers 1, 2, 4, and 9
together or apart, and with anx
operations between them, what IS
the highest number that can be
created?
2. What does this say?
STAND TE U ND
I
2 TAKING
THROW MY
3. A bicycle rider rode a mile in
three minutes with the wind, and
returned in four minutes against the
wind. Assuming that at all times the
rider applies the same force on the
pedals, how long would it take the
cyclist to ride a mile if there were no
wind?
4. Can you write down five odd
figures that will add up. to fourteen?
5. Can you rearrange the five pieces
to form:
(i) A square
(ii) A Greek Cross ( like the
Red Cross symbol)
(iii) A diamond
(i v) A rectangle
(v) A right-angle triangle
(vi) The original trapezium?
6. For those of you who were not
here last term, I'll repeat this
problem-you didn't want to do any
schoolwork, did you?
There are 12 assignments. Eleven
of them weigh the same. One of
them is either heavier or lighter (this
one received the highest mark).
You are equipped with a see-saw
balance. With only three weighing
operations, find out which
assignment has the highest mark,
and whether it is lighter or heavier.
January 20,1989
Iron Warrior
15
Curiosity and Wit
by Walton Chan
3B Electrical
Lucid and witty, with the ability to
both inform and entertain.
Unfortunately, these qualities are
not usually associated with much of
scientific writing. Those readers
familiar with Stephen Jay Gould,
however, might find the
combination a little less unlikely.
Wielding a deft pen and a wide-
ranging curiosity, the Harvard
paleontologist has in the past
investigated the evolution of Mickey
Mouse and the extinction of the
.400-hitter from baseball, as well as
issues such as Creation Science and
Darwinism.
In his latest book, An Urchin in
the Storm, Gould again exhibits his
skill at communicating the arcane
Sewer Rats
get Snow Bowl
by Rich Zalec
3B Chemical
Columbia Icefield was the setting
for UW's premier winter sports
event this past Sunday. Twelve
classes fielded football teams in the
Sn 1, a tournament whic
MOND
Z3
and having it fascinate. Ostensibly a
collection of book reviews, it seems
at first sight fairly unpromising
stuff. After all, most of the books
reviewed are specialized and
technical, books that few outside
the fields concerned are ever likely
to read. Yet just as Gould often
uses the minutiae of nature to probe
general themes, so he uses these
books as springboards to explore
broader ideas.
An Urchin in the Storm:
Essays about Books and
Ideas
by Stephen Jay Gould. W.W.
Norton and Company. $10.95
The thread that runs throughout is
Gould's view of science as a
preeminently human activity, as
subject to passion and inspiration
rivalled the Super Bowl playoffs in
excitement.
One soon discovered just how
appropriate the name "Icefield"
really was. Minimal amounts of
snow and the presence of large ice
patches made footing treacherous,
while cold made ball handling
difficult. These conditions meant
some rough landings when tackling
and being tackled,but all who
participated found the to be a
Z4 Z5



dovtt1txb,

and personal idiosyncracy as art or
music. By challenging the
cardboard, white lab-coated image
of cientists, Gould i able to elicit
fresh insights and a sense of
adventure.
The best essays reflect this. In a
section titled "Biological
Detenninism", Gould explores the
political and social motivation
behind intelligence testing, and
exposes its foundation of prejudice
and bad science. Some of the most
fascinating reading can be found in
the reviews of four biographies,
especially that of the black
biologist, E.E. Just.
The most compelling part of An
Urchin in the Storm is the last
section, "In Praise of Reason". The
books here deal with the intercourse
between science and society, and
Gould's writing sparkles as he
anxiety and exhibiting some base
animal brutality.
The final game saw the Sewer
Rats and Mechanarchy battling for
the coveted Snow Bowl
championship, which the Sewer
Rats won by punting the ball
through the C;10 zone for a single
point. Third p!1\ce was shared by
LEGO and ReVolt. The event was
organized by Chern Bondage.
And so, the tradition of valiant
engineers dueling on a barren,
W v Ie i pc erv ...
i
warms to his topic. The focus is on
how science shapes our perceptions
of the world. As computers and bio-
technology thrust science
increasingly into the battle grounds
of ethics and morality, Gould's
humility and level-headedness are
inspiring, and very relevant
reading.
But I don't want to make Gould
sound too serious; this is a writer
who used the shrinking Hershey
Bar to demonstrate a rare
evolutionary trend, and once asked
if zebras are white animals with
black stripes - or the other way
around?
( An Urchin in the Storm is
available at the University
Bookstore. Also available by
Stephen Jay are The Flamingo's
Smile and Time's Arrow, Time's
Cycle, both highly recommended. )
Cll I J
-l
11
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16
Iron Warrior
January 20, 1989

lam ~ t e s
Microsoft Corporation
"Future oals an
Directions of Microsoft"
Friday, January 20, 1989
5:00 p.m.
The Theatre of the Arts