WARRO

Nov. 17, 1989 THE ENGINEERING SOCIETY'S STUDENT FORUM Nov. 17, 1989
UNIVERSITY OF WATERLOO
ENGINEERING SOCIETY
GEN E 19808 - The Decade in Review
Final Examination
1a. Name all leaders of the Soviet Union during the 1980s.
1 b. Which of these leaders was internationally acclaimed
for their involvement in ending the Cold War?
2. What countries poycotted the 1980 Summer Olympic Games,
and why?
3. What countries boycotted the 1984 Summer Olympic Games,
and why?
4. What countries boycotted the 1988 Summer Olympic Games,
and why?
5. In what military actions were the following countries involved?
a) The United States of America
b) The Un i ted Kingdom
c) The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics
d) Canada
e) France
f) Vietnam
6a. What was the single most important event of the 1980s?
6b. When did it begin publication?
6c. When did it. replace Enginews as EngSoc's premier paper?
7. Name all of the Presidents of the Engineering Society in the 1980s.
8. Name all of the Editors of the Iron Warrior.
9. Name all of the Editors of Enginews.
10. Why was Enginews forced to cease publication?
11. What were the major changes in EngSoc in the 1980s?
12. Explain, using at least 5 examples, how the 1980s was the start
of a new era of international peace and understanding.
Page 2
Iron Warrior November 17, 1989
Signing Off
Okay. Okay. I'll write the damned
editorial.
No. Wrong allilude. Try again.
Okay, this is my last editorial. My
last chance to be high and mighty. How
can I use this opportunity to make the
best of the situation? What words of what
I call wisdom can I pass on in this, the
final editorial by Todd?
Well, how about attiLUdes, our way of
looking at things?
I, unfortunately, still look at most
deadlines as impositions on my free time.
I've always got better things to do (eg.
Rock-and-Roll night at the Shelter).
Therefore, things are always put off unLiI
the last moment and I bitch all the way
there. But wait. What if they weren't
pains-in-the-butt? What if they actually
served a purpose?
Take project courses. Building the
damn thing is always a pain. Or is it a
great experience in disguise? Building
somet hing gives you a sense of
The future's not ours to see.
The last issue of the 80's. I should say
something about that
Thought one,' I used to keep
newspaper clippings: I've thrown most of
them out. They are history. It is the
present and future that matters. The past
is merely a reference poim, a relative scale
for current events.
Thought two: Everything we have
done prepares us for the present. A person
is the sum experience and future
capability. Past and future, irrevocably
linked. History is important after all. It
determines the future.
Thought three: What does this have to
do with the 80's.
I'm not a historian. My recollection of
the past is sketchy. I leave it to the major
dailies to oblige us with a snap-shot
review of the decade. Besides, 1990 is
still over a month away.
Today, my mind is filled with images
of an Iron Curtain being drawn and
sunlight streaming in through grimy
windows with people on both sides
polishing as quickly as possible. But I
also sec the potential for a shattered frame
of glass.
Who knows what I'll read in the Globe
tomorrow?
I'm not a futurian. I don't know what
stories I'll tell my grandchildren. Time
will choose for us.
My money is on Gorby. Good will or
good economics? Does it matter? A
charismatic symbol of the decade.
At home, maybe the year we sold
Canada. Or saved it. Or is this best left
for the 90's?
I'd like to remember the good things,
not the bad.
Thought four: If I am still alive in
100 years, I would like to read a history
book. I wonder what it would say. What
will be the final issue of the 80's?
\ e') J Ul I
J
'..-' \.A..o.O . .'

+ 5",,,1,)""(")
/
Caravan Cafe
(GrriUID.<dl IIltl tlDD.<J#
Come and taste our MidEastern and Canadian Food
1 / 2 price Special Take-Out Only
Falafel $ 1.99
Shawerma $ 3.99
(SLiced, Grilled veal or Chicken Breast)
Served with Tomatoes, Pickles, Lettuce and Homemade Sauce
L
ST VA()()"'" S [)A "'"
WAVM-UV
n '= 3il
NDV.17 J Winter Coop:
one for YOU!
)
completion and satisfaction. It also
teaches you all kinds of useful SLUff. No
matter how perfect your design is, there's
always a hitch. Software always has
bugs. Lathed rods never fit exactly.
Projects constantly run over budget.
These are valuable lessons to be learned.
As an engineer, someone will eventually
have to build anything you design. Some
appreciation of the final process is
mandatory to the development of a good
product.
And how about midterms? They
always come at the worst time. Just when
big assignments are due or a major lab
report ncccts writing, a midterm pops up.
But, hey, it make me use my time better.
It teaches me how to deal with stress.
And 30% is a sure indicator that I've got
some serious work to do before finals. It
beats finding out in December!
Which nicely brings us to finals. How
can there be anything good about finals?
Well, there are no more classes to sleep
through. If we're going to be engineers,
we've got to learn the stuff sometime
(unless we've been smart (unlike me) and
have kept up all term). And, finally, it
feels soooo goooood when they' re over.
Can't you just taste the Christmas
holiday?
It's all a point of view. Looking at
things negatively, treating them as
problems, makes life a lot harder than it
has to be. Try to see things as a positive
experience, as an intellectual challenge,
and not as an imposition. It helps a lot. I
to.aatj .. ,
just need to remind myself of that every
now and then.
But how? We're all feeling the crunch
about now. It seems like there's no end to
the work we have to do before end-of-term.
Here's a tip that sometimes works for
me. I have this course in which I want to
catch up (Signals and Systems. maybe
you've heard of it). Instead of saying, "I
going to learn Signals by the end of the
weekend", I'm saying. "Okay. I'm going
to learn chapter one." When I'm done
with one, I'll learn chapter two.
Eventually I'll get the whole course. Of
course, it does helps to have some sort of
deadline. I've got five other courses to
deal with too.
The point is to set short-term, realistic
goals that don't overwhelm you, and to
use these to achieve a long-term goal. (It
can't hurt. Give it a ShOL)
I'll sign off with an exercise I blatantly
stole from a book I read recently. It's
based on an old and dastardly practical
joke. Imagine you've been stranded in an
unknown city with no transportation, no
money and no identification. Now think
of five ways to turn it into a positive
experience.
Well, so long. Good luck. Have fun.
After this term, finals are going to be a
blast.
MIKE 0 '80METtIING
November 17, 1989
Iron lVarrior
Editors
Remembering Today
Todd Ruthman
Ted Timar
In Flanders Field the poppies blow
Between the crosses row on row
that mark our place. And in the sky
the larks still bravely singing fly
scarce heard amid the guns below.
We are the Dead. Short days ago
we lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
loved and were loved, and now we lie
in Flanders Field.
Take up our quarrel with the foe.
To you from failing hands we throw
the torch; be yours to hold it high.
If you break faith with us who die
we shall not sleep, so poppies grow
in Flanders Field.
- Col. John McCrae
As I sat in the Remembrance Day
service last Saturday, I was moved by all
of the present day meanings for this
holiday.
In the 1940s, the world had to relearn a
major lesson about war: it isn't fun.
Several thousand soldiers were killed.
Worse, several thousand innocent civilians
were killed. (Of course, this falsely
implies that the soldiers weren't innocent.)
Furthermore, most of the European Jewish
population was killed. All this is
frequently noted. Unfortunately, people do
tend to forget that the Gypsy population
was also decimated. Unfortunately, there
aren' t enough Gypsy organizations left to
remind the world about this loss.
People never really learned. Only
shortly after the end of the World War II.
Mao Tse Tung won the Chinese
Revolution and proceeded to kill people in
much the same way as Stalin had two
decades earlier. This, and Soviet
expansionism in Eastern Europe,
promoted McCarthyism in the West. This
resulted in an environment where the mere
thought that social ism might have some
merits was treated barely better than
Stalin's opponents had been.
Since that time, "From Szczeczin on
the Baltic to Trieste on the Adriatic, an
Iron Curtain has descended upon" Europe.
This was caused, not only by the
persecution of people in Eastern Europe,
but also by the attitudes in the West The
cold war was based upon a lack of
communication.
But that has not been the only problem
the world has faced since the end of the
second world war. There has been
continuous turmoil in the Middle East, in
Ireland, in most of Africa and in Central
America. More noticeably, there have been
major wars in East Asia. First, the US
was able to get the UN to authorize a
Police Action in Korea, which resulted in
the split of the country. Later, another
similar war occurred in Vietnam.
Later, in some parts of the world,
people did try to win their freedom. In
The Iron Wmior is a forum for
thought-provokinl and inform.-iYe II1icles
presented by the academk commwlity of
the University of Waterloo. Viewl
expressed in the Iron Warrior. other than
the editorials, are those of the authors and
do not necessarily reflect the opinions of
the editors or the Engineering Society.
The Iron Warrior encourages
submissions from students. faculty and
other members of the university
community. SubmiAions should reftect the
concerns and intellectual standards of the
university in aeneral. and should be
typewritten or neatly written. double-
spaced and on one side of the pap only.
The authors name. eJ.- (if applieable) IDd
phone number .Jlould be l u d c d
Hungary, Czechoslovakia and Poland there
were major flare-ups. In each of these
cases, the rebellions were brutally crushed
by armies which have been faiLhful to the
government.
Looking back to the beginning of Ihis
decade, which certainly came in more like
a lion than a lamb, we can remember that
every day, the newscasts would inform us
of the number of days that the U.S.
embassy staff had been held hostage in
Iran. At that time, Iran and Iraq started the
prolonged "Gulf War". The American
backed Contra Rebels were killing
civilians to force the government of
Nicaragua to give in.
Still in this decade, we saw continued
turmoil in India, Sri Lanka, Ireland, the
Middle East, Central America, and all over
Africa. We also saw Argentina attack the
Falkland Islands, in an unexpected dispute
that most people hadn't even considered an
issue. In 1980, most western countries
boycotted the Olympics in Moscow,
because of the Soviet invasion of
Afghanistan. In 1984. the east block
countries boycotted the Olympics in Los
Angeles because of the American invasion
of Grenada.
Since that time most of those conflicts
have been seuIed, at least temporarily. In
Lebanon, a new government has been
formed, accepted by almost all of the
parties involved. In Central America, we
have a Peace Plan to which most parties
have agreed, and eventually all might. We
have seen a new reduction in the amount
of indiscriminant terrorism. Iran and Iraq
have a lasting cease fire. China and Britain
have decided upon a future for Hong Kong
and Portugal was able to use this as a
blueprint for the peaceful hand-over of
Macao. The PLO have promised to
abandon terrorism as a meLhod for gaining
their desired homeland. In Grenada and in
the Philippines, the governments are now
supported by the people. Argentina and
Britain arc now at peace. Even more
astounding is the fact that the U.S. and the
Soviet Union have been eliminating all
medium and intermediate range ballistic
missiles.
In many parts of the world, people arc
still fighting for, diing for, and now even
winning their freedom. In Poland, there is,
for the first time in 40 years, a non-
communist government that has been
elected by the people'. In Hungary, the
communist party has commuted itself into
a social democratic party, and multi- party
western-style free elections fill be held for
both the government and the presidency.
In the USSR itself, with Perestroika, the
government has been replaced with a freely
elected one, albeit with some restrictions,
and the new constitution created an elected
presidency with a maximum term of
office.
Most recently, in East Germany, the
government has given, in to the people's
desire for freedom, and just given it to
All submissions, unles. otherwile
stated, become the propty of Ibe ha.n
WmiOt. which reserves the right to refuse
publication of material which it deems
unsuitable. The Iron Warrior also Teservers
tbe right Ie edit grammar, spellinl and
portions of text that do not meet university
standards. Authors will be notified of any
major change. that may be required.
All submissions and advertising
enquiries should be forwarded to:
Imn Waaior
Engineerin, Society
CPH 1327
University of Waterloo
WATERLOO, Ontario
(519) 888-4762
them. With the end of the Berlin wall,
many people arc much more worried about
the potential economic power of a united
Germany, or at least a powerful frcc Ea t
Germany, instead of how Germans are
persecuted.
In other parts of the world, we have
seen the completion of the Soviet
withdrawal from Afghanistan, the
Vietname e withdrawal from Kampuchea
(now, once again called Cambodia), and in
progress, the South African withdrawal
from Namibia. We also see some
(possibly dim) hope for a Syrian
withdrawal from Lebanon, which has
certainly been the most prolonged and
direct ion less civil war of our time.
Unfortunately, not all has gone well.
In China, four thousand students who were
peacefully trying to gain democratic
freedoms were killed in a successful
auempt by the totalitarian Chinese regime
to maintain their grip on power. These
Chinese students must be remembered.
because they died in a fight for freedom
and peace, and they, unlike the soldiers of
the World Wars had no intention of killing
anyone.
Adyertjsim:
Martin White
Jan Bergstrom
Paul Valin
Calendar
Grover
Within the Soviet Union, there is new
turmoil in several of their provinces. The
Soviet government must be encouraged to
wait out these problems, because Lhey can
be made to look .Iike the consequence of
the new freedom. Many of Lhe "Old Guard" Jorge Serrador
will try to use this turmoil to tum back Walton Chan
the clock.
We must now hold out hope and look Ray White
for ways to help the Chinese people Ken Whatmough
achieve their freedom. We must also ohn Venin
continue to try to PJ UI e ....
African regime, which has recently started.
to look less hard-line, to allow their black
populations equality. Here in Canada, we
must negotiate reasonable settlements
with the first nations, who have treaties
that we must continue to follow, or
renegotiate.
While the composition of the world
today appears better that i.t has at any lime
si nce the end of the second world war, we
must continue to strive to make it belter.
This responsibi lity li es with us all. It
especiall y lies with us, the new
generation. We shall graduate and become
a active worthwhile parl of this new
improved world. We must use our
abilities to maintain this rate of
improvement. We must, as this get'>
better, also transform much of the energy
and resources being used 10 create freedom
to creating a better environment
By no means is this "The End of
History", but it seems to be a very major
turning point. We must ensure that we
pivot into the right dircction, not turn
right back towards the old status.
/
/ ~
PhotQ&raphers
Warren D'Souza
Katherine Koszarny
Layout
Linda Hachey
Jolln Kingdon
Jonatbon Lee
Stacey Flynn
DaveStampe
Stu Carmichael
Laurie Litwack
Distribution
K 1-8
Mega-thanks to all!
Page 3
Page 4 Iron Warrior
Concerning Course Critiques
teaching. However, the current course
critique and the method of administering it
fall far short 'of the mark. Let me
elaborate.
When I read Ted Timar's comments .
(Iron Warrior editorial, October 6, 1989),
I,like Professor Robinson, was moved to
write a reply. But, unlike Professor
Robinson, I decided not to. But the open
letter to Professor Robinson (Iron Warrior,
November 3, 1989) from Name Withheld
Upon Request requires a response.
To begin with, [ agree entirely with the
spirit of Professor Robinson's letter. My
only criticism is that he did not discuss
issues of measurability. I have just
received a copy of a memo from Dean
Lennox and Engineering Society B that
says, in part, "As you are aware, feedback
from the students regarding the quality of
teaching and the courses in general is
taken very seriously. The course critiques
are an excellent method of obtaining
potentially useful information." From my
experience here, I bel ieve the first
statement to be true and the last statement
to be wishful thinking. Yes, constructive
feedback would be helpful in improving
It is essentially true that the response
rate on a course evaluation in less than
50% of the class and an even smaller
percentage of students take the time to
submit written comments (which are far
more valuable than the questionnaire).
Why is the response rate so low if the
students are so interested in fostering
improvements in the quality of teaching?
The set of questions which form the
course critique used by the Engineering
Societies is, in the context of
questionnaire design, totally flawed. They
do not observe any of the rules for seuing
out a questionnaire that seeks useful
November 17, 1989
information. There is a very large body of
literature on how to design surveys and
questionnaires, none of which seems to
have been consulted by the designers of
the current survey.
The current survey seeks to measure
things that the instructor has little or no
control over (eg. "Rate ... yQjJ! ability to
understand his/her English." and "Describe
Y.Qj![ Professor-class relationship." also
"What was your impression of your
Professor's attitude towards teaching ..... ).
The current survey makes no attempt to
check for consistency of the responses
with a questionnaire and there is no
allempt to determine the validity of the
response. For example, a response from a
student who attended only 10% of the
lectures and none of the tutorials is
t------------------------------------------------., weighted the same as a response from a
Fast
Deliver
Last Words
by John VeJlinga
The Prez
This is it. The last prez spews I will
ever write. In only a few short weeks, I
will be in the enviable position of
President Emeritus.
Looking back on the last sixteen
months, it is hard to believe that my tenn
is over. It is fun to look back on the
accomplishments and challenges our
society faced during that time and reflect
on how we, as a team, met them.
As I put my fcct up and think, I feel
confident that we do not leave the same
organization that we inherited. Eng Soc
has continued its dizzying rate of
expansion into new and exciting areas, and
this expansion will only continue as we
take on the ominous task of fund raising.
r feel good about the positi on of our
society in the university, the faculty and
the community. We have shown that it is
possible to be a responsible university and
community citizen while maintaining
many of the crazy eng.ineering traditions
we all enjoy. A Soc-B Soc relations have
never been belter.
"'-- $
PANZEROTTI
MONDAY NIGHT SPECIAL
Large 16 slice Pizza
3 items 4 Cokes
$12.99
KITCHENER LOCATION:
Licenced Sports Bar
Big Screen TV
GIANT PIZZA SLiCESII
Best
Prices
Waterloo 33Uni Ave.E
Kitchener 30 Ontario St. S
While all of these things are nice to
think about, it is really the people that I
have met and the experience that I have
had while in Eng Soc that are most
important. The-accomplishments I listed
above arc theirs and I feel privileged to
have worked and partied with them. I have
met more students in my role of president
than I could ever have hoped to meet
otherwise, another privilege indeed. r leave
with a wealth of new experience and
memories which I will carry with me as
long as I live.
To those of you considering
involvement with Eng Soc in the future,
let me leave you with some advice. A
: friend reminded me of the old camping
adage of "leaving your campsite cleaner
than when you found il". That is how one
should feel about everything, including
Eng Soc. Granted, involvement with
student government does look good on a
resume, but that is no reason to be
involved. ,Be there to do something
meaningful, both to you and your society.
We have a terrific student body and a
great student soeiety . Lets continue to
make it better. Eng Soc is so important to
us all. We owe it to ourselves and our
colleagues, past, present and future, to
leave it clcaner than when we found it.
CCEC Was
by Michelle Chin
4A Chemical
It was like frosh week all over again ...
October 3, '89, marked the beginning
of a very special event for Chemical
c f c 3 ~
FLOWERS
WfSTMOUNT
10
0
/0
discount for
students
on corsages and
all your floral needs!
(except holidays)
Ben. and Frank Quinn Ownera
50 Westmounl Place
Walerloo. Onlano N2L 2R5
(519) 8866410
student with 100% attendance.
In terms of making suggestions for the
improvements of the course evaluation
process, I, and seventy other Professors in
the Fall Term of 1987, responded, at
length, to a request from the Engineering
Counselling Office for suggestions on
how to improve the Engineering Society
Course Critiques. The results of this
survey were discussed at the Engineering
Faculty Council on December 7, 1987;
none of the Engineering Society members
were in attendance. A summary of the
responses sent to Engineering Counseling
was circulated with the minutes of the
meeting and it seems that during the last
23 months, the Engineering Societies
have bee unable to respond to the
suggestions made in that summary.
Finally, I wish to re-emphasize the
point that course critiques do not and
cannot help Professors learn how to tcach,
for, as Professor Robinson said, "Trying
to adapt your tcaching style based on such
flimsy evidence is like trying to improve
you singing by listening to the audience
applause."
Sincerely,
G.R. Heppler
Assistant Professor
A Success
Engineers all over Canada. The 39th
annual Canadian Chemical Engineering
Conference was held in Hamilton,
Ontario.
We met many of the people who will
shape the future of Chemical Engineering
in Canada. Students from Waterloo,
McMaster, Toronto, Western, Ecole
Polyteehnique, Laval, Queens, Calgary
and Alberta were among the 300 students
attending. Despite the diversity of this
group, it was a very special moment when
we sang, in unison, the Plummer's Hymn
at the Main Reception.
Waterloo, in conjunction with
McMaster, organized the student portion
of the conference program. Sessions on
the paths notable chemical engineers took
"after the Ring" provided insights into
career choices and the future of Chemical
Engineering. Something you just can't
get from doing assignments all the time.
Workshops on job hunting and
communication skills also prepared us for
the inevitable: graduation.
On the lighter side, we converged upon
McMaster UniversiLY for an evening of
pubbing at The Downstairs John. We
also took tours of the Darlington Nuclear
Generating Station, Andres Winery,
Proctor and Gamble, and Dofasco.
Watcrloo was fortunate in reeciving a
Merit Award for its student chapter of the
CSChe for 1989.
We would like to thank all of our
supporters, namely Proctor and Gamble,
GE Plastics, Combustion Enginccring,
the Department of Chemical Engineering,
the Faculty of Engineering, Eng Soc, and
all who ate our hamburgers!
November 17, 1989 Iron Warrior
Page 5
: Engineering Through the Ages
toilet, coal -gas lighting, telcgraph,
Babbage calculating machine (precursor to
the computer), and steam engines for
trains and ships.
by Andrea Zypchen
4A Systems Design
An understanding of the history of the
engineering profession allows engineers to
put their present place in society into
perspective, and thus build professional
responsibility. Currently, engineering
students are not given the opportunity to
learn the history of engineering and its
relationship with society. Following is a
brief history of how craft evolved into
science and engineering. Although far
from complete, hopefully it will pique
your interest and spark discussion.
Around 8000 BC, man made a gradual
shift from hunter/gatherer to
fanner/shepherd. The need for something
to store excess grain initiated the craft of
making clay potS, and thus craftsmen
emerged. Other crafts that developed
the word ingeniator was
used jor a man who
operated a device oj war
included techniques of milling grain,
irrigation, spinning and weaving. With
the Bronze Age (3500 BC), the formation
of cities and towns began and labour
became specialized. Specific trades evolved
concerned with surveying and building
canals and darns.
Properties of numbers and the
classification of phenomena, the basis of
science and math, emerged around 1000
BC. In the next 700 years, the Greeks
made a wealth of inventions using gears
and water wheels (which could grind 700
times as much com per day than a slave).
Roman engineers designed and planned
projects such as tremendous roads,
aqueducts and bridges. They were the first
engineers to gain societal recognition and
to be actively encouraged.
By 100 BC, craft evolved into
"technics", which means rules of thumb
were written down. These rules had no
theoretical backing and there was no
questioning of why things happened.
The first use of the word ingenium
(later to become engineer) was around 200
AD to describe a type of baltering ram
used in attacks on walled defenses. By the
1400's, the word ingenialor was used for a
man who operated such a device of war.
Science was born around the 1400's
with the separation of theology and
philosophy (the precursor to science).
Between 1400 and 1600, rapid scientific
progress occurred due to the following
factors: a liberal and less powerful papacy
caused by the reformation, a system of
free scholars supported by patrons, and
mass publication made possible by
Gutenburg's printing press (1454).
Voyages to the New World opened men's
minds and brought wealth. The scientific
method began 10 be investigated by Bacon
and Galileo.
Although at first the efforts to present
discoveries of Nature's laws were met with
' opposition, slowly more freedom was
allowed. The new concept of testing to
evaluate a hypothesis replaced the previous
idea of establishing a principle solely by
argument. Developments included the
efficient smelting of iron, the beginning
of the science of optics and chemistry,
\a fO.milV I ssv..ts...., f (l.,,N(,tI
ffVJKV{ ,
i(\ 4 RMth b:xlies ; 0"Ic:xft1 L
t J \0; "Uf.c. 1/
8:00
N-\\<R
28
,
sugar refining, soap making, and perfume
distilling Also, with the growth of
Christianity, people less liked the idea of
using slaves as the primary source of
power. Waterwheels, windmills, horse
power were actively developed.
Between 1600 and 1800, the pace of
scientific discovery picked up. Scientific
societies were formed which sped the
dissemination of knowledge. Aids to
experiments, such as logarithms, slide
rule, microscopes and telescopes, were
developed and refined sufficiently for
scientific use. In 1740, Britain set up the
first military collcge of engineering. but
industry had the greatest needs. Induslrial
engineers were educated by travelling
lecturers and books (few of which were
read).
I thought you were
a gentleman
LitLle trust was placed in theoretical
results. For example, when the Pope
asked three engineers to survey the dome
of St. Peter's to find the causes of its
distress, their report began with an
apology that they had used theoretical
view rather than physical. The report
caused a furor.
As slavery diminished further, the need
to develop "efficient" technologies
increased. Between 1800 and 1850, the
first efficient engine was developed. For
the first time, machinery became
concentrated in the factory rather than the
COllages. Thousands of inventions
occurred, including the sewing machine,
Engineers were educated through
apprenticeship rather than formal
education. They had liule concern with
efficiency, only whether or not it worked,
and therefore did not look to science for
ways of improving their inventions. For
example, the science of eleclricity was
developed, but was not exploited for use in
industry. The term "engineer" began to
apply LO more than just those who
specialized in the construction of military
equipment and fortification.
An engineer, in the Canadian public's
view, still meant anything from a
locomotive driver to a plumber.
Herbert Hoover spent a week crossing
the ocean on a ship. having pleasant talks
with a young woman. At the end of the
trip, she asked him how he was employed.
He answered that he was an engineer. She
emitted an involuntary exclamation and
said, "I thought you were a genLleman".
By 1850, there was a distinct body of
knowledge for engineers which consisted
of theory and rules of thumb. Engineering
was transformed from an empirical art LO a
scientific profession. Engineers began to
be educated formally at universities. This
occurred only 140 years ago.
Much has changed since then.
Engineering became a profession and now
pledges to serve society rather than
industry. Discussion of this evolution
constitutes an entire article itself.
Although I've outlined a very Sketchy
history, hopefully it will provide some
landmarks, and you will lake some of your
plentiful spare time to investigate the
more interesting points. Reflect on how
young the engineering profession is, and
how the engineer's relationship to society
has changed.
Ft:'D H...lu:.':>:
:D1l.rY
12.a1-rcN

19
z:d
DAY or:A
&RAttD

t-'10NTW
01 01..
Page 6 Iron Warrior
November 17, 1989
The Waterloo Engineering
Endowment
by John Vellinga
4A Systems Design
Lets all wake up and smell the coffee.
Two issues ago, I wrote an article in
the Iron Warrior outlining the idea of an
endowment. The underfunding crisis in
engineering is critical. The facts arc
staggering. Ontario has the second worst
record in the country for post secondary
education funding. We have all seen how
bad the labs arc getting, how crowded class
rooms are, and how the quality of our
education is eroding rapidly.
We can not rely on the government to
fix the situation. They're far too short
sighted to realize that education, especially
technical education, holds the key to
Ontario's future wealth and well-being.
We are not so short sighted.
Both Engineering Society A and B
have embarked upon an initiative which
may save the quality of our education.
With overwhelming support from alumni
and the Dean, our student society has
planned the establishment of a permanent
endowment to fund the undergraduate
engineering programs at Waterloo.
What is an Endowment ?
An endowment consists of a portfolio
of investments. The principal of the
investments is never touched, but is
allowed to accumulate and grow year after
year. The interest from the investments is
pumped into equipment and other areas of
concern for undergraduate engineering
students.
A Gift That Keeps On Giving.
Because the principle of the endowment
is never touched, the endowment pays
every year, rain or shine, recession or
boom. An endowment is an investment
in the future value of our own degrees.
Princeton is Rich on its
t:ndowments.
Princeton University has endowments
totalling over $2.8 BILLION! The interest
on these investments alone would be more
than double the entire annual UW budget.
Princeton is about the size of Laurier.
It is not surprtSlOg that such a
seemingly small university is anything
but small in stature and reputation. The
endowment fund was generated only from
very large donations to the university,
currently $25,000 or more. Any lesser
donations were used immediately. The
generosity of the alumni is staggering, but
when one stops to think how much a
degree from Princeton is worth the
generosity seems quite justified. '
Where Will Our Money Come
From?
The money for the Waterloo
Engineering Endowment will come from
the three biggest beneficiaries of a high
quality engineering education:
Undergraduate studcots
Alumni
Employers of graduates and co-op
students
The money will be generated from
these three groups of people through the
following mechanisms:
The Voluntary Student Contri-
bution (YSC), a $75 per term voluntary
student fcc, which will be voted on in a
student referendum;
The Plummer's Pledge, a
program started last year by the Graduation
Committee, which asks graduating
students to pledge money to the faculty of
engineering for three years;
The Employer Matching Contri-
bution (EMC), a program in which co-op
and full time employers are asked to match
the contributions of their employees.
Who Says Where the Money
Goes?
We do. Period. The endowment
administration will be organized in such a
way that undergraduate students have
ulLima\.C control over any funding decision
made with endowment money.
The Waterloo Engineering Endow-
ment will allocate funds to departments
based loosely on enrolment, but will do so
with planning periods of five years or
more to allow departments to take on
long-term, meaningful projects.
The structure of the fund is organized
into three governing bodies (see figure 1).
The Board of Directors will set the tone of
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Dean of Engineering Treasurers of Eng Soc A and B
The Dean's Alumni Affairs Assistant 2 alumni representatives
Presidents of Eng Soc A and B 2 industrial representatives
STEERING COMMITTEE
Department chairmen
Endowment Directors from Eng Soc
B
1 student from each department
Associate Dean (Undergraduate)
A graduate student (UW undergrad)
FUNDING COUNCIL
One elected student representative from each class
Chaired by the on-term Endowment Director
Council must ratify any funding decision made by the steering committee
FIGURE 1: Organization of Waterloo Engineering Endowment
the organization while setting policy to
ensure the equitable distribution of funds.
The Steering Committee will make the
real decisions as to exactly which
programs will be funded. The Funding
ratifies any funding or policy
deelslon made by either the Board of
Directors or the Steering Committee.
How Much Money Can Be
Made?
The growth of the endowment has been
projected for the next ten years. The
figures shown in figure 2 are very
conservative. The estimates were based on
a return of only 12% and a participation of
only 70% and 75% in the Plummer's
Pledge and VSC respectively.
This is a lot of money. In effect, in
only a few years the endowment will
double the current amount of money
available for equipment!
Why Now, Why Us?
If we don't start thinking about the
future NOW, it will be too late. At
present rate of funding, it will take 100
years just to get equipment up to current
standards. By that time, our equipment
will be as much as 100 years old!
Princeton is well known as a fine
university because it has the money to
train and turn out top notch graduates.
Waterloo has an excellent reputation now,
but funding has dwindled to such a point
that the quality of future graduates will be
nowhere near as high as it is today. The
degrees of Waterloo engineers are worth a
lot because of the quality of past and
present graduates and co-op students.
By setting up the Waterloo
Engineering Endowment, we are making
an investment in the quality of future
graduates, and therefore the future worth of
our own degrees.
YEAR PLEDGE VSC EMC FUND INTEREST
1990 $33,000 $108,000 $200,000 $341,000 $40,920
1991 $85,000 $274,000 $200,000 $900,000 $108,000
1992 $137,000 $274,000 $200,000 $1,511,000 $181,320
1993 $156,000 $274,000 $200,000 $2,141,000 $242,760
2000 $156,000 $274,000 $200,000 $6,551,000 $786,120
FIGURE 2: Endowment Growth
. .
..
New EngSoc Exec,
and Referendum
by John Kingdon
Chief Returning Officer
Due to low turnout of candidates, the
entire Engineering Society 'B' executive
for the term of office from Winter 1990 to
Winter 1991 has been elected by
acclamation. The following are the new
exec:
President
Vice President
Treasurer
Secretary
Jorge Serrador
AJ. Baxter
Sean Murphy
Janice Woods
However, the Tuesday, November 21
vote win still take place, in order to
accommodate the following referendum,
approved unanimously be the Engineering
Society Students' Council on October 31,
1989. All undergraduate members of
Engineering Society 'B' are eligible to
vote by presenting their student card at the
polling station in the CPH foyer between
8:30 am and 4:30 pm.
WATERLOO ENGINEERING EN-
OOWMENT
VOLUNTARY STUDENT CONTRI-
BUTION REFERENDUM
I support the inclusion of the Waterloo
Engineering Endowment Voluntary
Student Contribution (VSC) of $75 per
term on the university fee statement,
subject to the following conditions:
50 per cent plus one vote (a simple
majority) of ballots from both the '
Engineering Society A and B referendums
is required to approve the inclusion of the
VSC on the university fee statement
The fee is fully refundable aecording
to the University of Waterloo's policy on
incidental fees
All proceeds generated by the VSC
will be placed into the Waterloo
Engineering Endowment
The fee will not be put into place
until such time as the university
administration provides, in writing, an
indefinite guarantee that the university
will not adjust its funding or funding
policy toward engineering undergraduate
education in response to the VSC or any
other funds generated by the Waterloo
Engineering Endowment
The structure of the fund will be
such that the undergraduate engineering
student body will have ultimate control
over the money by requiring the
ratification of any funding decision by a
students' council
YES: I support the inclusion of the
Voluntary Student Contribution (VSC) on
the university fee statement.
NO: I do not support the inclusion of
the VSC on the university fee statement.
For further information about the
Waterloo Engineering Endowment or the
Voluntary Student Contribution, please
contact John Vellinga or Avi Belinsky at
the Engineering Society Office (CPH
1327, X2323).
November 17, 1989
The Voluntary Student Contribution
by John Vellinga
4A Systems Design
I know what you're thinking already.
Oh no. not another bloody fee! And why
is Eng Soc running around initiating it?
This is no ordinary irritating fee or
tuition hike. This is money that goes
directly into undergraduate engineering
education at Waterloo. Not only will the
money work for us today. it will continue
to work in the future. because our money
will become a part of the Waterloo
Engineering Endowment
Currently. our tuition and many
incidental fees go into the larger university
budget. Only a small proportion of these
funds actually make it into programs
which directly benefit the quality of our
educations. The money finds its way into
salaries for custodians. upkeep on
buildings and roads, etc.
h is hard to imagine the university
without custodians. These and other
expenditures are obviously indispensable.
The problem is that the university is so
underfunded that it has little money left
over to spend on lab equipment and other
enhancements to undergraduate engineering
education. Nearly all of the equipment we
now get is either purchased with alumni
dollars or scratched out of the Dean's
meagre equipment budget
The Engineering Society will be
holding a referendum seeking approval
from students to include a $75 voluntary
fee on the university fee statement (see the
referendum on facing page). This fee is
fully refundable to any student who does
not wish to chip in. The fee will be called
the Voluntary Student Contribution
(VSC).
We Are Not Alone.
About three years ago. U of T
engineers voted in a $100 fee. Over 80%
of the students voted in favour, and that
fee was not voluntary in the same sense
that ours will be. Just over two weeks
ago, Queen's engineers voted 94% in
favour of a $50 voluntary fee.
These fees and ours share one thing in
common. All of the money is controlled
by students. and all of the money goes
into lab equipment and other
enhancements to the quality of our
educations.
What sets the VSC apart from other
fees is the Waterloo Engineering
Endowment. The VSC becomes part of a
long term solution, rather than a quick flX.
You may be asking yourself, "why
should I give more money to the
university when I already give so much
already and don't feel like I'm getting my
money's worth". The following illustrates
the advantages of contributing through the
VSC.
Why Vote Yes?
If you think that you aren't getting
your money's worth, then think again. We
only pay for about one sixth of the actual
cost of our education. For just over
$8,000 in tuition and fees, we are virtually
guaranteed a good job and lifestyle.
Waterloo enginecrs enjoy particularly high
esteem and command larger salaries
because of the quality of the education we
reeeive here. Ask any alumni or employer
of our graduates and they will tell you
how much it means to toil it out for five
years.
Not only are we paying very little for
our educations, we are paying much less
than ever before. The cost of tuition has
deereased 30% in real terms since 1967
(from $500 to $350 in 1967 constant
dollars). If inflation were actually taken
into account, our tuition would be $500
higher than current levels. In 1961, 7% of
family income was allocated to tuition
fees. That number is only 3% today.
The $75 fee goes directly into the
Funding Issues
A key issue of University funding is
"What is a fact?". "What is fiction?",
"What are the implications?"
We hear 0 much about it that it is
difficult not to just 'tum off or respond
with indifference and say "so what".
I am also well aware of the fact that
my arguments may appear self serving
since I am in the business of education,
but I am willing to risk that. I believe
that the situation of inadequate funding is
fast creating a third rate system at a time
when nearly every study relating to
Canada's economic survival in the future
clearly defines a need for more well-
educated human resources, especially in
the science and engineering fields. I can
quote ad infinitum from Science Council
reports, NSERC reports, government
reports, etc.
Dr. Tom Brzustowski, Deputy
Minister of colleges and Universities (and
ex-mechanical engineering professor at
UW), is on record as follows: "I contend
that one global object of post-secondary
education in Ontario must necessarily be a
greater capability of the people of Ontario
to create wealth ... We must export
products in which our knowledge and our
skills provide the value added, and we
must also use our ingenuity to develop
new services which we can offer in trade
on the world market. Our educational
system will not be serving us well if the
people of Ontario fail to grow in the
collective ability to accomplish these
ends."
Everyone seems to be on record as
identifying an absolute need to invest in
higher education as the cornerstone to our
future. The problem is that he track record
of doing anything about it is abysmal. In
fact, it is alarming. We are well
positioned to lose the future.
What is more frustrating to me is that
Waterloo engineering has achieved a well-
earned position of prominence in Canada
in terms of both research and engineering
education. You are in the middle of it. I
know it may not be so obvious to you. It
is, however, obvious to the large number
of visitors we have who always want to
review our education system. Also, it was
by Dean Lennox
acknowledged in our recent accreditation
review.
These are the facts:
- Last year, in an unprecedented move,
the Ontario Federation of Students
presented a detailed account of the effects
underfunding is having of the quality of
their education. I believe it was well
done. It deserved a response; none was
given.
- You should be aware of the fact that
the Federal government provides
substantial funds for post secondary
education in Canada. The monies arc
passed to provincial governments under
The Established Program Funding
arrangement. It is complicated, but it
provides funds for hospitals, social
services and post secondary education. At
the present, there is a dispute between the
federal and provincial governments
regarding this formula and we seem to be
falling in the crack. Ontario has clearly
not passed on the dollars it receives from
the Federal Government. This is weIl
documented.
- In terms of 1972 doHars, total per
student funding has decreased by about
30%.
tud nt-faculty ratio have in rca ed
by 25%.
- Enrollments are now 60% higher
than in the early 1970's.
!lave I got your attention?
- U.S. public universities arc funded
37% more on a per-student hasis
(accouming for the eXChange rat ').
Michigan is 57% more and California is
90% more. (Michigan's in-statc fcc wus
$US 2501 in 1986).
- Ontario's government expendi tures
have increased at a rate one third fasler
than its grants to universities.
- Ontario ranks ninth (out of ten) in
terms of provincial grant support per
student.
Where does the money go? The
attached figures give some idea. Heahh
care and hospital arc expensive and
command more and more of the public
purse. This is understandable.
- In terms of tuition fccs (again using
1972 as a base), the fees have actualIy
deereased by about 30%1
- Ontario's University buildings have
been depreciating much faster than they arc
being renovated or replaced. So much so,
that in 1988 the value of capital formation
OPERATING GRANTS TO UNIVERSITIES PER FTE STUDENT
1977-78101988-89
10,000
(ConSlant 1988-89 Dollars)
9.0CI0
!
t
t .000
J
I
'000
I ~ __ __ L-__ ~ __ : : ~ = = = C = = ~ = = ~ ~ I
''''''U
ll1t 7.,9 19.0 .olt SIll ,'1) 1J14 ~ . ~ '''''J &totl .,.. ...,.
,..,
Page 7
programs which benefit our education. To
achieve the same results, a tuition hike of
well over $300 per term would be required!
The VSC is completely voluntary.
Any student wbo does not want to chip in
can get a full refund. In a sense a vote of
"yes" in the referendum is a vote to give
students the choice of giving.
Because the VSC is a contribution to
the Waterloo Engineering Endowment, a
charitable organization, it will be tax
deductible.
Everything Hinges on the
VSC
The VSC shows that undergraduate
students are making a commitment to the
quality of theit own educations. This will
have an effect on the generosity of our
alumni and industry donors.
The President of U of T's Eng Soc told
me that after alumni heard that students
had imposed a fee upon themselves, their
donations nearly tripled! The alumni felt
that the demonstration of desperation
indicated the gravity of the situation. They
admired the fact that students took the
initiative to solve the problem in a
decisive manner, something engineers are
renowned for.
If the VSC referendum is not passed,
the Engineering Society will drop all
plans to establish' the Waterloo
Engineering Endowment, because we can't
ask alumni and industry to help us when
we aren't doing anything to help
ourselves.
It's time to stop complaining and start
doing something. The VSC is a
commitment to the present and future
value of our own degrees.
of fixed assets exceeded the value of
depreciation. What that means is that we
can't keep up with the mruntenance needs
for the buildings.
Closer to home, what does all this
mcan for engineering? The most difficult
issue is the modernization of our
laboratories and computing facilities. TIle
introduction of tht' microchip has viJ1uully
revolutionized nginccring practic und
en rinccring education. Work wtions ar' a
natural evolution from slide rules. These
workstations arc now the (oOls of a
modem engineer. The ability to simulate
complex designs. to investigate allCmative
designs, to take into account economic and
environmental factors is now at our
fingertips. In my view, it is a virlual
revolution in engineering education. The
only difficulty j that it is damned
ex pen ive. We have a t.Caching inventory
of nearly $20.000,000. We now have an
equipment budget of $200,000. At this
rate, we can replace it in 100 years.
Government is not the only source of
funds. Business, individuals and. perhaps,
students should help shoulder this
responsibility. We do gel gifts from
industry (eg. the Beacon lab). Alumni
have contributed $1.1 million in recent
years. All of it is targeted to teaching
equipment. Several years ago, we
colleeted $50/term from each student in
terms of the computer enhancement fee.
This was spent entirely on engineering
teaching labs ($442,000) and, quite
frankly, made an incredible difference to
our facilities. It also indirectly lifted the
spirits of the facuIty who were, and are,
frustrated with our inability to modernize.
This et.;uipmcnt problem is experienced by
all engineering schools.
The issues are well identified. Deans
of Engineering, Engineering Industrial
Advisory CouncilS, and Industry itself
have made submissions to government of
the magnitude and seriousness of the
issue, The case of the equipment needs
has been well made - but me are stlll
wailing. I can assure you that this is still
a very active issue.
Page 8
Iron Warrior November 17, 1989
Services
announces

a new service
Full Colour Copying
Now available
Copy Centre - Dana Porter Arts Library
Room 218 - Phone 2956
Offset Printing
Graphic Services, hours 8:00 am -
4:30 pm .
Photocopying
We serve at 7 per copy (FST
included), discount on volume
copying. Collating, stapling and a
variety of paper colours available at
no extra cost (available at the
locations listed below)
Self serve copying at 5 per copy
(available in the libraries and
various locations on campus)
Venda card copiers are located in
the Dana Porter and Davis Centre
Libraries
Copy Centre Locations
Dana Porter Library - LIB 218,
ext. 2956
Math Centre - MC 51 04A, ext. 2335
Engineering - E2 2353, ext. 2334 .
Arts Centre - HH 370, ext. 2336
Davis Centre Library - DC 1501 ,
ext. 3878
Graphic Services
Plastic Ring Binding
Same day service available at
Graphic Services, hours 8:00 am -
4:30 ..
Typesetting
Our new Linotronic 300 typesetter will
typeset any computer file in
PostScript format on a Mac diskette,
a 5.25 inch PC diskette, SCRIPT on
CMS and TROFF on UNIX.
For more information about
typesetting, call ext. 3540.
General information, call ext. 3451.
General Services Complex
November 17, 1989
Iron Warrior
Page 9
Workstations Designed for Engineers
by Ray White
4A Mechanical (A Soc)
Are Engineering students of the
University of Waterloo computer literate?
Well, it depends upon what one means by
"computer literate". Literacy at its textual
root refers to the ability to read and write.
A literate person, though, is often thought
to be one who has used this basic ability
to sample a variety of materials, building
up a wealth of knowledge in a general
sense.
So, given a broader definition of
literacy -- that of a wealth of non-specific
knowledge -- are these students computer
literate? Until the Fall of 1988 I would
say that most undergrads are at least
functionally literate -- at the read and write
stage -- however, they have been limited
in the types of computers and operating
systems on which they have had
experience.
Until recently, UW Engineering
undergrads have had access to many
computers, mostly of the IBM/PC or PC
clone variety. This isn't a disadvantage
since industry uses the IBM/pC as a
universal workhorse, but these machines
are not necessarily indicative of the
computers used in engineering research
environments. In this environment, the
computers almost universally used are
engineering workstations. Large graphics
terminals, multi-tasking operating
systems, interconnections between
workstations for sharing resources,
computing power, programs, mail,etc.,
are the hallmarks of this particular breed of
machine.
Project BEACON was conceived as a
laboratory which could be used to
introduce this workstation technology to
the undergraduates, while at the same time
providing a powerful, modem platform for
the presentation of new teaching software
and established engineering packages alike.
Through a joint agreement with the
Digital Equipment Corporation of Canada,
Engineering Computing and the
Engineering Education Research Centre
have acquired engineering workstations for
undergraduate use, specifically fifteen
V AXstation -2000's. Thus arrived the
equipment for the BEACON Laboratory.
However, the planning did not end at
this point. Computing laboratories are
not just hardware, anymore than books are
just words. The lab environment is as
important as its contents. Tables were
de igned and ub e uenli built b: the
engineering machine shop, carpeting (in
an easy-care muted tone) was installed,
lighting was altered to reduce glare,
acoustic insulation was added and many
other deficiencies of the room were
' improved. A card-activated security system
allows 24 hour acc for tudents.
Initially, the u e of the e powerful
workstations has been limited to certain
course and software packages. Currently,
the laboratory is used for circuit
simulation, image proces ing, solid
modeling, finite clement analy i ,
numerical control of machine tools and
ystem simulation. In fact, the BEACON
lab may find a use anywhere that oftwarc
can provide a greater insight into an
engineering concept. As this software
becomes available, more courses will be
added and more students in Engineering
will use the laboratory. When this
happens, UW undergrads will build up
their general knowledge of computers as
they further their cngineering education
and continue Waterloo'S tradition of
highly computer-literate graduates.
EngSoc Wants You
by Jorge Serrador
2B Systems Design
It's that time of year again when the
trees look bare and dead, the cold north
wind blows across the campus, the smell
of finals are in the air and life is just not a
whole lot of fun.
Well, get those depressing thoughts of
finals off your mind and think of the fun
and sun you would have in the summer of
'90 as an Eng Soc Director. Applications
will be available for all positions starting
at 9:00 am on Monday, November 20th
and ending at 3:30 pm on Friday,
November 24th. We're looking for
anyone interested in any of the following
positions.
2nd VP Activities
2nd VP Communications
Speaker
Q'
Chari ties Director
Course Critiques
SAC Chairman
UnWant Ads Director
Endowment Director
C&D Manager
Computing Director
Garage Manager
Novelties Director
Orifice Director
Recycling Director
Athletics Director
Debates Director
P**5 Director
POETS Managers
Semi-Formal Director
Social Director
Special Events
Arts Director
. Engincwslctter
IW Editors
IW Layout Manager
IW Typesetting Manager
IW Photo Manager
IW Ad"ertising Directors
Photo Director
Publicity
Take
Jf .. ou have any questions about what
these directorships entail or -would just
like to ask some questions about Eng Soc
and being a director fccl free to stop by the
Orifice Imd ask.
Man Was Meant To Fly
by Ken Whatmough
3B Computer
Hanging over the airfield, where I sit in
my glider and run through preflight
checks, is a flat-bottomed cumulus -- a
good indicator of rising air. My glider is .
hooked up to the tow plane before the two
of us take off into the cloud-scattered blue
sky.
At 600 metres above the ground, I
notice the voltmeter indicates rising air as
I release the tow rope and begin spiralling
in the "thermal". "This is the best way 10
experience flight!", I think to myself.
After going several hundreds of metres,
I decide to head for that promising
But when I arrive under
the Js.1 nothing but sinking air!
Lessor l&ve know a good thing -- and
don't' " El(
Md& El/eUC44 gliding clubs in Canada
(20 " C:J 010111 are in Ontario) offer
introductory flights for anyone interested,
usually on weekends and holiday from
April to November. In the off-season,
most clubs also offer ground school,
which teaches the basics of safety,
weather, glider dynamics, and ground
operations.
Learning to fly is challenging and
requires time, but the personal satisfaction
is well worth it! The major milestone in
gelling a glider pilot's licence is the
student's first solo. After about 20 solo
flights, one must pass a Department of
Transport (DoT) written exam and a nying
exam as administered by the club's chief
flight instructor.
Many glider pilots enjoy weekend
flying at clubs that provide gliders, tow
planes, and instruction. Such clubs
usually charge an annual membership fee,
plus a rental fee for using the club's
gliders. The club where I learned to fly,
Erin Soaring Socicty (ESS) located ncar
Orangeville, offers full-time students a
50% discount off the annual membership
fcc! All the instructors at ESS are DoT
qualified and volunteers. I found thatlhe
sport of gliding costs more in terms of
On the west coast, however, where
mountain ridges deflect winds upward,
gliders can rcach incredible ahiludes in
uch "wave" air currents. The world
altitude record i. over 14,000 metres! The
pilot needs an oxygen supply at that
height. As well, Air Traffic Control
notifies any other traffic ncar the area
occupied by the glider.
Owning a glider is out of the financial
reach of most students. Used training
gliders may cost as lillie as $5000, while
state-of-the-art sailplanes boasting 46: 1
glide ratios and carbon fibre wings may
cost over $50,OOO! Also <ivai table ure
"self-launching" suilplanes. having their
own engine and propeller that retract into
the fuselage. Quite often a Slli Iplane is
owned by s veral partners LO share the
cost.
The peaceful silence of soaring and the
excitement of powerless night arc beyond
description. Only by experiencing gliding
can one decide if it is for them. For those
interested, J recommend contacting a
gliding club and asking about introductory
flights. I am always glad to provide
anyone with information on ESS.
time than money.
The challenge continues after gctting m
one's licence: The Federation _
Aeronautique Internationale (FAl) offers
internationally recognised awards for
reaching certain distance and altitude goals.
International competitions pit expert In Store Bakery
pilots and high performance sail planes F h F' d V
against each other, achieving distances of res rUlts an egetables
hundreds of kilometres and speeds of over Deli Counter
250 km/h!
In Ontario, glider pilots rely on large
bubbles of rising air, called "thermals".
Finding these thermals is the art of
soaring. Cumulus clouds with dark,
concave bottoms and birds soaring without
flapping are natural indicators that a
thermal is active. Other gliders that seem
to be spiralling in good lifl arc probably
the best indicators. The variometer is an
instrument that measures change is
altitude, so it is also used for finding lift.
Full Line of Groceries
Man In Store Features
@[p)@ITil 71
f1i1il c 1] UiJi)
,
886 - 9933
Universit
Page 10 Iron Warrior
The
Re Volutionary
Scunt
by Walton Chan
4A Electrical
It was the Last Scunt of the Decade, a
thrilling, incredible, ReVolutionary Scunt
to end all Scunts! On Friday, Nov. 10,
twelve brave teams gathered to test their
mettle in the great Re VOLT Havenger
Scunt, and it turned out to be a night to
remember for everyone involved.
With lists for Toronto, Ottawa, Sl.
Catha rines, Sutton, KW and the Gravel
Run, plus hundreds of items and trivia
questions and brain-teasers, the Scunt was
a formidable challenge. There were clues
on video and audio tape, clues on
computer disk, clues that had to be bought
and bribed for, services to perform,
Biggest and Best things to prepare, people
to kidnap, and much, much more.
In Toronto, scunters staged a Dini
Petty protest ou tside CITY-TV and
performed street busker acts outside the
Eaton Centre. In Ottawa, they had to sing
the Plummers' Hymn in the Rideau
market, protest in front of Parliament
Hill, and visit the redneck Lafayette
dressed in drag. Back here in Waterloo they
had to visit the home of Re VOL T's
favourite prof, Prof. Van Heeswijk, and
regale him with poetry and song, and later .
perform a Monty Python skit in the CC.
Throughout the night, teams also had to
visit the headquarters of the ReVOLT
Scunt Gods, bringing offerings of pizza
and wings and beer, clean the bathrooms,
wash the dishes, do our laundry, iron Bill's
shirts, and do whatever else we felUike at
the time.
747-9888
$3
00
OFF
ANY PIZZA OVER S9.00
I Excludl ng pec lal S}
: ____ Coupon - - -
$30
OFF

UNIVERSITY Sr OP PLAZA
747-9888
ANY PIZZA OVER S9 00
IE. clull,ng Spec,als)
t
747-9888
ANY PIZZA OVER S9.00
(Exc1ull,ng Spec,als)
The individual team HQs were also
visited by various Gods during the night,
and the hospitality and subservience
shown them by all the teams were much
appreciated.
Saturday morning, after 24 sleepless
hours, was the Judging. Teams stumbled
into the graphics lab, laden with trash and
treasure beyond imagination. Whipping
their spirits into a frenzy, they yelled and
screamed and chanted, improvising and
just doing crazy things in general. With so
many teams - an Eng Soc record - in the
Scunt, judging would've been a nightmare
whipping their spirits
into a frenzy, they yelled
and screamed and chanted
without the hard work of the judges and
the cooperation of the teams. Especially
memorable were the Chemmunist Party's
Monty Python Cream-Pic skit and the
Ohm Rangers' l{emembrance Day Service.
In the end, even with a spreadsheet
program, it took until 12:30 before the
final scores were tallied, the winners
announced, and everybody could go home
November 17, 1989
At the end of it all, the ReVOLT Scunt
Gods would just like to thank and
congratulate all the teams who came out,
especially the Frosh. The sheer energy and
enthusiasm you showed was
overwhelming and demonstrated once
again the Engineering spirit at Waterloo.
We would also like to give our heartfelt
appreciation to three of the Scunt Gods in
particular, Ed Kress, Danny Lee, and
especialJy the amazing Brian CappelJani
for their indefatigable efforts in making
everything possible. Guys, take a bow for
a fabulous job!
The Final Standings in the ReVOLT
Havenger Scunt
I. Ohm Rangers (2B EE)
2. MOIST (2B SD)
3. Civivors (2B Civ)
4. SMURFS (Mathies)
5. Indecent Mcchsposure (2A Mech)
6. Chemmunist Party (IA Chern)
The other great Scunters, in alphabetical
order, were:
Brew '92 (2B Chern)
Chern Waste Alumni
Circhemcision (2A Chern)
Kl - K8 (10 Carlcss Frosh)
Psycho-Frosh (K9 - K16)
The Dammed
j{ave We (jot Yl 'Deaf :For You!
Pfe-Christmas Shop and Say
Hooded Shirts regularly $24.95, now $19.95!!
Other discontinued lines UP TO 50% OFF!!
The Campus Shop
lower level in the Campus Centre
November 17, 1989
I ron Warrior
Page 11
The Skating Revolution

In Skiing
by Steve Paradine
2B Systems
The questions now arises: Why did this
technique, which has been proven to be
faster, and has existed since people put on
skis, enter the racing world only in 1982?
The real reason lies with technology.
People have skated over frozen crust, but
to skate along trails the snow would have
to be packed down to form a solid snow
layer, as skating tl1rough deep snow
requires too much effort and the
momentum cannot be maintained. Only
recently, with the cost-effective use of
snowmobiles and more advanced grooming
vehicles, could the trails be packed wide
enough, hard enough and smooth enough
to accommodate skating.
There are a number of principles of
motion which apply to all forms of
motion and more specifically, in thi s case,
to traditional and skating. For one cycle
of motion, the same basic steps occur.
These are in order: preload, push, weight
shift, glide, and then the cycle restarts. In
the preload phase as many muscles are
contracted as possible for the desired
motion. When the push or force phase
occurs, these muscles arc all extended,
with the largest muscles extending first.
The kinetic energy from the force phase is
transferred to a different direction, and then
the skier glides on the ski and relaxes their
In 1982 an American, Bill Koch, won muscles. When the speed slows down
the World Championships of cross- below a desired level the skier will repeat
country skiing with a revolutionary the cycle.
technique, which comprised of keeping To illustrate this concept the diagonal
one ski in the track and the other ski stride technique will be examined. With
pushing off to the side with an the body weight fully on one ski, the
approximately 20 degree angle. The two muscles are contracted in the preload
pictures illustrate the skating technique (of phase. Force is then exerted, starting with
uphill one-Skating), pushing off to the the larger muscles of leg, the back,
sides with no track, and the classical or shoulders and stomach. The smaller
traditional technique (of diagonal stride) muscles of the leg and the arms are
- where the skis remain in the track. extended to complete the push phase.
Skating is not a new concept in can 6e PlcturCO as droppmg c upper
it was just brought to the.1imelight of the body onto the pole, starting to push with
skiing world by Bill Koch when he the leg and then fini shing off with the arm
perfected it. A number of European skiers (pushing the pole behind the body) and
had previously tested out this technique in fully extending the leg. At the time that
the 1970's, but were in the opinion that it the smaller muscles are exerted the skiers
would tiTe the muscles too quickly to be weight is transferred fully to the other ski,
beneficial. Skating has also bcen used to upon which he glides, and relaxes the
turn corners, ski across ice crust and for muscles.
downhill skiers to get to the lift. Skating can now be shown to be fasler
However, before 1982, skis basically for physiological and other reasons. The
remained in the track, with a wax on the first Teason is because gr ip wax is
base of the skis to enable the skis to grip in skiing, and not for
on uphills skatmg. When the leg extends backward
Watpubs
by Jorge Serrador
28 Systems
Once again it's time to pull out the
track pants and put away the suit and tie as
interviews come to close. It's also time to
start looking for a place to rent and start
wondering about this new city you're
going to be living in this workterm. Is
there going to be anything to do or are
you going to end up watching Three's
Company reruns every night
Well, why not make something to do.
Start a Watpub. That's right, Watpubs are
fun in cities from population 2,000 to
2,000,000. It'll give you a chance to meet
people and to have a great time.
My experience as Watpub director
stems from my stint in Chatham last
summer. When I first decided to take the
job in Chatham (pop. 45,000), I thought,
"Great. I'm spending my summer in
Chatham. Oh joy. Oh bliss." But after
whining for a little while, I thought why
not start up a Watpub and make my own
fun. I contacted the PEDS and, after
meeting a little resistance, was able to get
official Watpub status.
So I went to the coordinators in charge
of the area and got the names of the
Wanted
companies that hired co-op students. After
arriving in Chatham, I called each of the
companies and asked to talk to one of the
co-op students. I was quicldy able to get a
contact at each company that would spread
the news about the Watpubs. My Watpub
network was set up.
We had an organizational barbecue. I
brought up several ideas to get people's
reactions. The end result was that
Watpubs were not just drinking affairs
anymore.
Our summer Watpub schedule ended up
consisting of several bar runs, a Hawaiian
beach Watpub, horseback riding Watpub,
boat cruise Watpub, hayride Watpub,
Second City Play Watpub, camping
Watpub, Windsor Watpub, and a pool
party Watpub. This kept me quite busy
for most of the summer since I arranged to
get specials at most of these places.
The end result was that I had the best
summer of my life and I made some
friends that I will never forget. So, this
work term , instead of just sitting in your
stark unfurnished apartment, moaning
about being bored, go out and be all you
can be; be a W A TPUB director!!! (Go to
the Fed office for more information.)
in diagonal stride, ideally, th ski will
remain in the same place, and not lip
backward. In order for thi to occur the
ski has to stick to the now. In skoting,
the leg and the ski both pu h off to th
ide. The grip wax required for traditional
slows the ski down substantially
compared to kaling where grip wax is
unnecessary .
Since the ski remains in the same
place, in the push phase of diagonal stride,
the momentum is 10 t. In skating
however, the momentum is carried 0 er to
the other ski much more efficiently with
the direction of motion shifting from side
to side, much like heading upwind in a
sailing boat. Other reasons ror the greater
speed of skating are the usc of longer
poles and the better use of muscles, which
allow for a stronger and longer push
phase. All these factors along with the
technology which is improving trail
grooming, point to the reason why
skating is becoming increasingly popular.
A brief look through varying terrain,
for both skating and traditional will give
the reader a glimpse of the different
techniques that arc used for racing. Along
flats double poling (pushi ng with both
poles simultaneously, with lillIe leg
action), and two skate (where one double
pole is made for every two leg pushes) are
used. As the grade gets steeper, double
pole with a leg kick (either leg pushes at
the same time as the double pole) or one
skate (a double pole occurs at every leg
push) are predominant. When the grade is
steeper diagonal stride (one arm and one
leg pushing at the same time) and uphill
two skate, formerly call ed offset (double
pole before every second leg push, which
allows the larger leg muscles to be used at
a higher tempo) takes precedence. On
extremely steep uphills in classical, the
racer will break into a herringbone run.
On downhills there is lillie difference
between the two techniques, except on
gradual slopes where the skier will push
off to either side, rather than riding in the
track. Around comers on flats, both in
skating and traditional the half skate or
skate (double pole and one leg
pu h With the other riding in the track) is
quite often used.
future of cross-country skiing will
contam both skating and traditional.
Currently in the world circuit both skating
and traditional races take place. In
traditional races, the skier is not allowed
to push off her legs off LO the side,
whereas in skating the event is called
freestyle due to the fact there are no
limitations. Many casual skiers are
learning Skating, due to it's simplicity.
However since there are many excel lent
trai ts which are groomed only for
traditional, and for back-country skiing,
many will continue to diagonal stride.
the best reason that both types
WIll both remain is the different intrinsic
pleasure they give the skier.
(Special thanks to Daile Mallory who
supplied much useful in/ormation.)

The Stanley Burger Philosophy
At Stanley's we believe thal each
customer deservr.s a great tasting,
wholesome meal. Every item on our lIIenu
is prepared lhe olde-fashioned way Ilsing
olLly fresh, nutritious ingredients. Our
burgers are IYL,!-de with 100% pure beer;
all natural spzces, no added preseruatwes
and are served on bakery fresh buns. We
take pride in putting only tlte best illto
everything we make.
Experience the Difference of Il
Fresh Home Mode Burger
210 lUng SL N. Waterloo
IAcrosS trom WLUI
IUmit one coupon per purchase)
STANLEY
COMBO
Stanley Burger
Fries
Pop
Only$2;9

etorJ.eJ/'
c )
Expires Dec. 10, 1989.:
--------------------------------------------------
Page 12 Iron Warrior
SKI
Mt.
6 Days
Dec 30
/ 5 Nights
- Jan 1
Your sizzling HI LIFE "Winter Heat" package includes:
High quality Quebec City/Ste. Foy accommodations (5 nights)
Return transportation from your campus. Hi Life uses modern
highway coaches with air conditioning, reclining seats and
washroom facilities (some have VCR's!)
FREE shuttle bus service to/from the ski slopes/night clubs
Hi Life parties and other special events - FUN TIMES
Experienced Hi Life staff at your service
Discounts at local merchants, restaurants, and bars
Optional ski lift pass
Optional snowboarding at Mt. Stoneham
$236
Inc. Tax
Ste.
November 17, 1989
Ann
,/' Call
-------------' Colin or Yoav ---------------

NEW EAR

In MONTREAL
o


o -::---...
o ------ 0
- _ 0 0

o Dec
30
-
Jan
1
$119
Inc. Tax
Toronto Departures
Available
Tour arranged by L'Ie
,r
Not just Q tour ........ It's Q WQY of lif.
4920 Dundas Street, W., Suite 300
Toronto, Ontario
(416) 234-1686
F\eglstrlloon No 2582246