The Iron Warrior: Volume 21, Issue 15

Friday, November 14, 1997 The Magazine of the University of Waterloo Engineering Society Volume 21 Issue 15
"No man is good enough to govern another man without that other's consent." - Abraham Lincoln
2 The Iron Warrior
Assistant
C
atchwords. Our society is obsessed
with them. Downsizing, touch
base, mind share, lateral moving,
McJobs, paradigm shift, save the whales,
restructuring ..... the list goes on and on.
Later in this issue, you will read an article
about one of the worst catch phrases of our
times. Hold on. You MIGHT read that
article, if you posse, s the catchword that r
am going to talk about. What is that word?
Commitment.
Why is it that engineering studcnts
seem to have an innate ability for biting off
more than they can chew? Every week, it
seems a though at least one Eng-hockey
team doe .. n't show up. My class soccer
team had, in theory, over twenty people on
it. But we never had more than fifteen
people show up, and that was on a good
day. r get the impre sion that most engi-
neering students feel the urge to commit to
something, to belong to something, but
these urges are suppre sed once the stu-
dent signs up for something. But having
one's name on a piece of paper does not
mean that one is committed.
As humans, we enjoy a sense of com-
munity. We enjoy bei.ng a part of things,
and when we are interested in omething,
we have the desire to be involved.
Unfortunately, after we get involved, we
get busy with school, friends, work, etc.
We put our commitments on hold so that
we can catch up. I do this all the time. 1
have these aspirations of grandeur, but
Editor
halfway through the semester I realize that
there is only so much time in the day. I'm
not willing to give up my life for this
newspaper, but I wouldn't ask anyone else
to do it either. So what is the problem?
The problem is that we all need to learn
commitment skills as badly as we need to
learn academics. Once we get out into the
real world, we will start losing contracts,
promotions, salary raises, and the trust and
respect of our employers if ~ t com-
mit to things. When you commit to ome-
thing, someonc will be counting on you to
get things done, to meet deadlines, or, at
the very least, to just show up. It is very
frustrating to be let down by someone, par-
ticularly someone that you trust.
So what i the solution? Here at the
[W, organization at the editorial level real -
ly helps. The more organized the editorial
board is, the more articles we get from
staff writers. Redefining the word com-
mitment can also help. Commitment does
not imply that you must deditate twenty
four hour of every day to the cause.
Commitment imply means that you are
willing to work the TW into your schedule.
It may take a while to do that in a way that
satisfies all parties involved, but it can be
done. But not everyone has a responsible
and accountable body lurking above, pro-
viding guidance. Just because you are on
your own doesn't mean you can't learn
commjtment skills.
How many times have you set up a list
of things to do? And how many times
the
Assistant Editor
Caroline Page
2A Enviro-Chem
have you actually followed through wi.th
the list? Try it It's actually quite satisfy-
ing. And it can be implemented in almost
any situation. You can use lists to get your
homework done, to plan chores around
your house, to buy your groceries, or to
plan a pub crawl. There are no limits.
Once you've conquered the list thing,
try joining some sort of organization. Ye ,
you've probably done that before, but this
time you should make sure that you attend
every single meeting/game/etc. It might
hurt, but it will help you organize your
time effectively. After all, commitment
and time management go hand in hand.
The most important part of committing
is the "following through" part. When you
are bu y or tired or hungry, it is very diffi-
cult to follow through. By being pro-
active (unfortunately another catchword of
our times), you can figure out where
potential problems are going to occur.
Some things cannot be foreseen, such as
. illnesses or emergencies. But emergency
camping trips are rare. Midterms and
assignments do get in the way of extra-
curricular commitments, but you can work
around them by being prepared. You will
get more out of your education by experi-
encing many new and different things.
Just remember that the people who get the
most out of things are the people that have
learned the true meaning of commitment.
After all, how can you have fun being on a
soccer team if you don' t even show up to
play?
Cover artwork by Richard Kuttner,
2A Computer Engineering
---------------------------
Iron Warrior Highlights
Eng Soc
Executive
Candidates
pp.4-8
Engineering
Semi-formal
p.ll
Photo Contest
Winners
p.lS
Remembrance
Day
pp.20-21
The "Editor-in-Chief is lurking in the Shadows" Issue
Friday, October 31, 1997
W l l m l ~ R
The Magazine of the University of
Waterloo Engineering Society
Editor - in - Chief
Michael Hermann
Assistant Editors
Jeremy Eves
Caroline Page
Layout Editor
Richard Kuttner
Advertising Manager
Aaron Leiba
Staff
Allison Annan
Sabrina Cannistraro
Rukma Chakravarty
Audrey Paint
Raymond Ho
Amy Kim
Alison Kudelka
Arthur Lam
Kun-Wah Mak
Mat Pigozzo
Po-Yan 1: ang
Luke Windisch
Zhan Huan Zhou
Copy Editor
Carrie Warner
Contributors
Cory Amundrud
Paul Bowles
Greg Bridgett
Andre Brisson
Ryan Chen-Wing
John Faber
Kelly Pawcett
Chris Foster
Andrew Krywaniuk
C. Ian Kyer
Adrienne Law
Alex Matan
Cam McNaughton
Chris McCullough
Michael Olley
Kati Princz
Kathryn Russill
Doron Solomon
Monika Ulagaraj
Kim Whitear
Jay Worry
The lron Warrior is a forum for thought provoking
and infonnalive anicles published by the Engineering
Society. Views expressed in The Iron Warrior are
lhose of the authors and do nOl necessarily reflect the
opinions of the Engineering Society.
The Iron Warrior encourages submissions from Stu-
dents, faculty and members of the university commu-
nity. Submissions should reflect the concerns and
intellectual standarch of the university in general. The
author's name and phone number should be included.
All SUbmissions, unless otherwise stated, become the
property of The Iron Warrior, which reserves the
right to refuse publication of material which it deems
unsuitable. The Iron Warrior also reserves the right
lO edit grammar, spelling and text that do not meet
university standards. Authors will be notified of any
major changes that may be required.
Mail should be addressed to The Iron Warrior,
Engineering Society, CPB 1327, University of
Waterloo. Waterloo, Ontario, N2L 3G I. Our phone
number is (519) 888-4567 x2693. Our rax number is
(5 19) 7254872. Email can be sent to
iwarrior@engmail.ulI'alerioo.ca
The Iron Warrior, Friday, October 31, 1997
Allison Annan
2A C{)mp - Flying Circuits

4th Year Pub Crawl
The 4th year pub crawl was on Nov. 6. It
consisted of visiting the Grad House, Weaver's,
McGinnis, Louie's, the Fox and the Pheasant,
Phil's and finally, to wrap things up, Mel's.
Overall, it was a very social evening and a great
chance to hang out with fellow classmates.

News & Information
H
a it been two weel. alread)? Wow!
Time ure does fly when you're huving
fun. Speaking of fUll, some fun and
exciting events took place over the la t couple
of week . So read on and find out about what' ,
been happening.

Council #4
There was a Council Meeting on Oct. 29.
Some of the topics discussed were the upcoming
elections, Shadow Day and Frontrunners. The
class rep award was given out to the 2A Civils
for organizing and participating in an early
morning run for charity.

3
M.O.T.
This Y'<lf'S M.O.T. fell on Halloween.
Needl ss to say, il wns a costume party. There
was a wide variety of interc. ting costumes and
awards were given out for the best and wor t
costumes. The worst costume award wa given
to lex Matan who was dres ed a a box of
Tequila (by the way, don't ask him about hi.
pick-up line.). The first place prize went to
Becky Lam, who dres. ed up as a dog made
completely oul of newspaper. All in all, there
were many great costumes and everyone who
attended had a great time .

Spirit of the West
Dana Manning opened for Spirit of the We t
when they played at Fed Hall on Friday, Nov. 7.
Dana was amazing and put on a great show,
however there was no mistaking who everyone
was there to see. When Spirit of the West came
on there was no holding back; everyone was
dancing and singing and having a great time.
Spirit of the West brought out Dana Manning to
give them a hand in singing "Venice is Sinking"
which was amazing. By the time the concert
was over, everyone in the building was ready to
go home for a re t!

Semi-Formal
The emi-formal was held on Nov. 8 at the
Waterloo Inn. Everyone was dressed up and
looked great. The theme of "Back to the Blue
Lagoon" was enhanced by the presence of gold-
fish at every table and a bubble machine on the
dance floor. The evening was a great succe s,
including good music, good food and a wonder-
ful atmosphere. Thanks to Monica Milanowski
who did a terrific job of organizing the semi-for-
mal. It was a lot of fun and 1 encourage anyone
who didn't make it to this one to definitely
attend the next one.

Good friend!, [1m times, [lreat costumes,
what more you askfor?

Upcoming Events
Nov. 11
Brunny Trip Nov. 14
Shadow Days Nov. 17 & I H
Candidates !-'orullI Nov. 19, II 1 :30
Eng Soc Elections - Nov. 20
Tal ENG Unplugged - Nov. 20
Mudbowl - Nov.22
E.O.T. Nov. 28
4 Internal Information The Iron Warrior, Friday, November 14, 1997

eClons
Elecrions photos by Palll Bowie.'
ris McCullough
Chief Returning Officer
I
t'S me again! Your trusty C.R.O. here to remind
you of all the important events coming up. The
most important being ELECTIONS!!! Yes, that is
right, soon you will be called upon to cast your vote in
that ever so important election for Engineering Society
Executive. In this last week you have probably
noticed the fun and exciting posters all over the engi-
neering buildings. That is because there are a number
of very capable people wanting you to vote for them
for Eng Soc Exec. Who are these people you may
ask? Well, they may have already been to your class
to introduce themselves, or maybe they will be coming
next week. What's that? You never attend class?
Well, another way to acquai nt yourself with the candi-
dates is to come to the Candidates Forum. All the can-
didates will be standing in CPH foyer Wednesday
November 19th from ll:30am to I :30pm, anxiously
awaItIng your questions. This will be a good opportu-
nity for you to ask the candidate about all the impor-
tant election i sues and to find out how tunningly
beautiful they truly are. Yes, I will be there too, but
you already know how stunningly beautiful I am.
Then of course, Election Day follows on November
20th, from 8:30am to 4:30pm in CPH foyer. But you
already knew that, right? So, remember, if you are an
Eng Soc member, and chances are you are, you have
the right and the duty to vote. There are plenty of
opportunities to meet the candidates and to decide on
the best person for each position. Then on the 20th,
take a few minutes out of your day and make your
mark. This is your chance to decide on who will run
your Engineering Society, so don't pas it up!
VOTE!!!
Vote! Vote! Vote! Vote! Vote! Vote! Vote! Vote! Vote! Vote! Vote! Vote! Vote! Vote! Vote! Vote! Vote! Vote!
ryan
CHEN-WING
Y
OU and I are a part of a rich community here in Waterloo
Engineering. Students come here for cla ses but al 0 gain
a sen e of our community and culture here which is also
important. I have always wanted to be helpful to the people around
me and have endeavored to do so in the things] get involved in.
For Orientation I have been a Big, a Huge and a Super Huge.
When the Iron Warrior was shut down, I tepped forward to
become the Editor-in-Chief and wa a part of re-establishing it and
implementing the policy under which it now run . I ran
Engineering Society election as CRO and was Spirit Director and
WEEP Director. As well, at one time or another [ have been
Academic Rep, EngSoc Rep and WEEP Rep for my class.
Outside of engineering [ play varsity rugby, work at Imprint,
give tours to prospective rudents and repre ent students on the
UW Senate and Board of Governors.
As pre ident I would like to look at the things we do in the
Engineering Society to ensure that we are investing in and proper-
ly serving the great people that rudy engineering here.
All of our directors have many talents and it is important to me
to properly match those talents with directorships.
Both co-op streams, A Soc and B Soc, can learn a lot from each
other. Because I know many people on both stream I can effec-
tively facilitate relations and co-operation between them.
People who use POETS frequently leave garbage lying around,
which shows a disrespect for people around them. I plan to work
with the POETS manager to encourage people to throw out their
own garbage.
These are some of the things that I would like to do; much
more, however, I want to do the things that you want me to do.
Always feel free to make suggestions because we are all open to
new ideas.
Thank-you very much for reading what I have to say. This cam-
paigning period is an opportunity for you to get to know me and
the other candidates but it also gives me a chance to get to meet
you, so come and talk to me.
The Iron Warrior, Friday, ovember 14, 1997 Internal Information 5
chris
FOSTER
W
hy does the Engineering Society have a President?
What is the job of the President? Why is it important to
elect a responsible president? Most important, why do J
feel I can be that president? These are just some of the questions I
hope to answer in the next 451 words or less.
The Engineering Society has a president for one sole purpo e;
to represent the members of the society both internally and exter-
nally. Internally, the president, in co-operation with the remaining
executive members, is responsible for ensuring that the
Engineering o ~ i e t y provides its members with the services and
representation that they may reasonably or even in some cases un-
reasonably expect from the society. Externally, the president and
the executive are responsible for the public image presented by the
Society; an image which has slowly been improving over time.
The president's role is somewhat unique in that it requires
someone who can understand the reasons behind the acti ons of oth-
ers even if he or she does not fully agree with them. Further to this,
the president must ensure that the Society collectively acts and
reacts in a responsible manner. The difficulty here is to remember
that we are also students, and therefore the Society should aim to
do things in a responsible yet FUN manner. According to legend,
these are supposed to be the best years of our lives. Unfortunately,
only we can make them so.
continued ...
So why hould you ele t me to hold this position? In the few
hort years that I have been here, [have been involved in a number
of facet of the Engineering Society from Editor-in Chief of the
Iron Warrior, to POETS Manager, to VC-External for the Ontario
Engineering Society. On a smaller scale, I have attended confer-
ences a a Tepre entative of the society, and moving down the lad-
der, I have given that little helping hand when needed in things like
Bus Push, Fro h Week, Canada Day and others.
So What?
While being involved in the Society, I have found many facets
of the Society that are great. There are also those things that could
always be improved. What I have observed is that there is a con-
tinual swing between the fun side of EngSoc and the serious side
of EngSoc. The Engineering Society needs to attain a level of bal-
ance which permits us to have the fun we are here to have, while
still being productive in bringing positive change to the both the
Society and the University. My goal is to bring that balance to the
Engineering Society; to bring us to a point where we can have fun,
while gaining respect from others for all that we accomplish.
On November 20th, you will be asked to vote for the new exec-
utive. I would encourage everyone to do so, and in doing so vote
for the candidates who you feel will bring your Engineering
Society where you would like it to go.
mike
HERMANN
W
hy me? Why hould you elect Mike Hermann as the
next Engineering Society President? The single most
important rea on is simple and clear. The Engineering
Society needs a change, and this change must start from the top.
I'm the person to start that change, and I have the experience,
de ire, and commitment to do it.
If I am elected President, I promise a new philosophy on com-
munication, responsibility, and service.
I believe that good communication is essential to being suc-
cessful in this role, and as President 1 will improve the connection
between Council and the executive. This means bringing forth all
issues affecting the Engineering Society immediately, and with full
disclosure of all information. I will also increase the warning time
given to classes and Council before motions are brought forth for
discussion, allowing for better decisions by both the executive and
the Council. In everything the President does, the key focus must
be on what is best for the students, and this bring with it a great
deal of responsibility and trust. The. e value are important to me,
and I intend to live up to these requirements. ]n everything I do as
President] will act as the representative and defender of the student
body, not as an individual. I promise to every engineering student
that as President, there will be no one more committed to service
on behalf of the students than L
I am in 2B Systems Design and I have been involved in the
Engineering Society since lB, when I first took on a Directorship.
My experience with the Engint: 'ring Sod Iy has b'l'll e tcnsiv
and always dedi aled to the sluocnls. ('un' IItly I am the IrOI1
Warrior Editor-in- hier, a position thut r 'quir s a gr 'at deul of my
time, but I enjoy it irnm nscly. liS it has given me nn umazing
opportunity to work with an outstanding team of studenls. Th
President is a lead 'r of a team, the biggl!SI enginecring tenm of ull,
and I have the experience and dedication to be that leader. This
term is my third one working on thc Iron Warrior as well us mUlIY
other activities. I started us a staff mcmber two term)) ngo and was
the Assistant Editor last term. I have <llso h 'en the Acad'mics.
Electronics, and Shadow Day director and am currently one of th'
Class Rep Advisors. J have also won two President's Awards h)r
outstanding service to the Engineering Society. My most fulfilling
moment with the Engineering Society, i.lpart from the intense prid
J take in the work of the Iron Warrior team, was co running Shadow
Days in the Winter of 1997. I am also involved with the
Engineering Student Societies Council of Ontario (I:::SS(,O) as the
VP Communications, which is an elected executive position that
has given me a great deal of expericnce at the executive level.
On November 20, Election Day, J hope that every cngineering
student will take 5 short minutes to cast a vote for change, com-
munication, responsibility. and service. You will get that when you
VOle for the experience, commitment, and dependability of Mike
Hermann.
kelly
FAWCETT
ka hryn
RUSSILL
t i
H
owdy everyone (sorry, small town boy from BC)! So I
have decided to run for Vice President Internal for EngSoc.
For those who do not recognize my name as Kelly Fawcett,
I am also known as Leaky, Chia and a few others that I don't even
know. Well, I am here to tell you a little about me. I will make this
short and try to use my warped sense of humour to make this quick
and painful.
Since I am referred to a a Senior (25+ club, university stan-
dard) and was a Mature Student when I started (What is a ' mature'
student?), I should start with my life before J came to Waterloo.
Life was hell from 18 to 24! J worked for a year after graduating
high school and then took Drafting at a college in Kamloops, B.C.
I was the Applied Technical Studies Rep. and was on three
University Committees. I was at the top of my class and organized
everything from class parties, sports events (played Eng Hockey),
and getting new courses that were more relevant to our career
goals. My life though was not fulfilled. J then worked for two years
a a draftsman at a structural engineering firm.
Then, one day, I thought I needed more, so I packed up all my
belongings (everything I owned fit in a backpack) and went to trav-
el the world. I ended up in Australia working for a civil engineer-
ing firm as a draftsman. Once again, I was not satisfled. Then, on a
hot summers day, a vision came to me. This vision was a really big
H
i! My name is Kathryn Russill and I'm currently in 2A
Environmental Chemical Engineering. [am running for the
position of Vice-President Internal for the Spring '98 and
Winter '99 school terms. Vice-President Internal is a position that
handles all internal activities that run out of the Engineering
Society. The VP-l co-ordinates the Social Activities, Student
Affairs, Internal Media and Other workgroup. The job requires a
lot of organiLation, commitment and innovation.
I first considered running for VP-I when I met Nancy Baggio in
I A and Kim Whitear in lB. 1 admire these two individuals and the
changes that they've brought about to the Engineering Society. Just
look at the brand Ilew Orifice and the society'S neIA stnlcture! We
should all be proud to be a part of a dynamic society that keeps up
with the times. Many times, though. we forget to acknowledge the
amount of work and details that go into making ,uecessful changes.
We often forget ahollt the pl'opk' behind the scene.
I bdicvc that I have a lnt to oller tht.: Society. My
past leadership cxperil:nct.: has taught me time-management, orga-
ni/atiollul and team-hui lding skill.. As class rep for both terms in
liN year. 1 encouraged partiCIpation in all engineering-events. 1
tried to emrhasi/e the importance of balunce through invohement
ill extracurricular activities. This term I took the pmition of
TOOL. It said to me "you must become a Waterloo Engineer". So
I packed up and came to Waterloo to become a 'Plummer'
Engineer.
It all started (life that is) during Frosh Week when I got that
psycho Frosh award. From there I was an academic rep for 1 A and
took advantage of all the wonderful events run by EngSoc. In IB,
I tried to concentrate on my grades but I just kept getting involved
in all those wonderful EngSoc events (like Bus Push, Shadow
Days, Scunts, and many more). In 2A, I have been appointed to the
new position of Work Group Coordinator for Student Affairs. I am
also the Exchange Director and have yet to miss an EngSoc meet-
ing (except in lA when we had an exam during a meeting). Oh, and
I can '[ forget being EdCom for this years Frosh (I hope you
enjoyed meeting all those friends!!! And Breakfast!!!)
So as you can see I have many years experience doing just
about everything. I want to make university as memorable as pos-
sible for myself and aU engineers. So lets take the first step by get-
ting involved, and educating ourselves on who will make the next
two terms ones to remember. GET OUT AND VOTE! (you must
all remember 'vote Mayor Quimby' from The Simpsons, well,
VOTE LEAKY FAWCETT for VPI).
Academic Workgroup Co-ordinator where I oversee the
Academics, Course Critiques and Resource Manual Directorships.
AI 0 this term, upon my own initiative, I organized two supple-
mentary Bridging the Gap seminars. This winter I will be going to
the CFES (Canadian Federation of Engineering Students) confer-
ence where I will meet and exchange ideas with engineering stu-
dents from across Canada. J am very excited to be able to take
advantage of thi opportunity.
My greate t trength is my po itive enthu iasm and high ener-
gy level. llove making people happy and promise to do my best to
make the Engineering Society a co-operative workjng environ-
ment, accountable for all student . I am very open to fresh
and one of my principal roles as VP-I will be simply to listen to
what it is that you want. J will address your concerns and promote
and support your projects. VP-T is a challenge that [ am looking for-
ward to.
Whichever candidate you decide b best. 1 encourage all of YOLI
to come out on 'ovember 20th and vote for your next socIety exec-
utives.
The Iron Warrior, Friday, ovember 14, 1997 Internal Information 7
jeremy
EVES
J
u t what i the VP External? Thi i a question that has been
on my mind ever since I decided to run for lhL po, ition. The
decision that I have made is lhat there i no clear answer. Like
any position you take in life, it is what you make of it. The gener-
al role of VPX is to be EngSoc's link to the out ide world by com-
municating with Engineering Societie ' at the other Universities,
representing Waterloo at the various conference held throughout
the year, assuming re pon ibility when the President i no!, avail -
able, and giving guidance to tho e in External Directorship po. i-
tions. Sound like a lot? Well there's much more.
The word External means "everything outside of the
Engineering Faculty" and, to me, that offers endless opportunities
for the representation and promotion of Waterloo. It isn't just talk-
ing to other Engineering Societies and attending conferences. it's
exposing the public to our Engineering program and promoting this
prafe sion to the younger generation. I like the current events but
what I would like to see are newsworthy event that will leave an
impression. For example (one that' a little late), a Haunted House
designed by our student and available to the public with donatjons
going to charity. This event would make the news, improve our
image, and let our creati ve juices flow, for a littl e whil e anyway.
Waterloo has a great reputation in the Engineering reall but
Engineering students have always been short changed. I think it's
time to get noticed.
With that in mind, consider thi : 1 was not always involved in
the Engineering Society. Like many of you, I looked in from the
outside at all these people doing things that [ felt, at the time, were
not very important. In my 3A term I made a move and started writ-
ing the Scien c Technology se tion of The Iron Wanior and have
not looked ba k.. Thi, gave me the exposure that 1 needed to real-
ize that there are many things that EngSo does that make a differ-
en e in our day to day livcs. Here's a list of things I've gotten
my elf into:
ovellies Dircctor - Fall '97 (plug: Rugby , hirts are corning!!
50 buck !)
- Assistant Editor of The Iron Warrior - Fall '97
- 3B Mcch - "Tonka" - Clas, Rep Fall '97
- currentl working my !<')lIrth tem) at the Engineering C&D
- currently work.ing at the Bomoer
- FROSH Week '97 - Orange Huge
- Nominated for a FED Student Leadership Award - Winter '97
- Delerium ,CU T god - Winler '97
- Science & Technology writer for The Iron Warrior - Winter '97
- Volunteer for Campus Day(). Shadow Day(s), and
Explorations
I've also attended more cvcnts and meetings fhan you can shake
a stick at. I've taken away something from each of these activities
and have gained a sense of what Waterloo Engineering is all about.
I feel that 1 have the qualiti es necessary to sati sfy the position ofVP
Extemal, but I would not limit myself to the. et responsibilities of
this position. If you have any questions or concerns feel free to
come and find me, I'm usually around, or e-mail me at
jaeve. @engmail. Remember to take the time to vote on November
20th. Let the Engineering Society reflect you; that's what it's here
for.
michael
OLLEY
H
ello. My name is Michael Olley and I am currently in 2B
Electrical Engineering. After some years of involvement in
the Engineering Society, I have dedded to announce my
candidacy for the position of Vice President Extel11al for the ne\t
16 months.
This has been my intent since I received thc position of
External Relations Workgroup Coordinator for the current scmcs
ter. This was a new position in the Society and it's purpose was to
better organize the activities of the Society which deal with exler
nal relations. So far thi s semester, things are going well, with
Shadow Days (two days where high school students come in and
follow an engineering student around for a day) just around the cor-
ner (Nov. 17 & 18) as well as the rejuvenation of the Frontrunners
program (UW Engineering students who give presentations about
Engineering at UW to high schools across Canada). As part of my
I have al 0 been keeping informed about issues Ihat con-
cern engineering students across Canada, such as the PEO student
membership. As a result of this experience, I have been selected to
represent the UW Engineering Society at the Canadian Conference
of Engineering Students (CCES) in January 1998.
In addition to this experience in eXlernal relations with high
schools and universities, I also have experience organizing charity
and social events. Last semester I was co-organizer of the Bus Push
for Big Sisters, for which I obtained corporate sponsorship and
organized pledge collection as well as perfonning other variou
duties. The Bus Push was a success, and raised over $3,250 for Big
Sisters of K-W. In the summer of 1996, I single-handedly orga-
nized Tal-Eng, which included signing up of acts for the show,
hooking till' venUt' and lIla!..III' still' all lhl' l'qllipllll"1l1
was Ihat I .tlSlllllllll' up wllft .lI1d t' l't tlted tlh.'
ill '" of a coileI..' hnU\l' III POI', I S.
OUtsltle Ill' tht' 1'.lIpilll'l'lIllf Sncll'ty dUtil'S, 1 aliI illsn illVlIhl'd
in olhl'(' aspects of scllllol Itlc. I mil (' lllTently a lI1l'l1lhel olthl:
Cluh excluti\l' , and I alll II1VOhl'd in dllb IdatlollS with
Campll'; Ree. wcll a\ bCIilF "I char 'C III llll' l'lJIIlllIlICllt. I abo
write for the Imprillt ao; a IlWlIlhcr oj the :tllli I n radiO
show cvery wce!.. and vOllllltl'CI at t:OIII1PU), WUIO
As Vice Presiul.!nt bxtl.!rllul, I would contlJlue til rmter our rel,1
tionships with othcr 1I1l1versity cngilll'cring soclellc:o. through hcllCI
communication. I would cnsure that UW l'llginceling students had
the lat est information rcgan.ling important studcnt isslies as
the PEO student mcmocrships by wming up with beller mcthods t()
transfcr informatioll, such "'0 postCI'S and an External notice board,
and I would incrcase UW Engil1l:ering's visibility as a positive
force in the local community through more prouctive public rela-
tions . I feel that my pa!>t experience in these and other will
allow me to mect, if not best, all of th se goals, and make
Engineering at Waterloo stronger and healthier.
If you have any questions about my previous experience or my
ideas for the fUlure, please feel free to approach me at any time. I
look forward to seeing and meeting you all during the classroom
visiL<; and the Candidate's Forum.
Thank-you very much for your time.
greg
BRIDGETT
e
H
i, my name is Greg Bridgen. You may have seen me in
such other roles as "Midnight Sun IV - We Should Have
Won", and "Computer TA - The Guy With The Flute".
Currently I'm working as the Director of Technology for
Engineering Science Quest. Next term, I hope to be VP-Finance
for the Engineering Society. Am I qualified? Here's a quick sum-
mary of some of what I've done so far:
- For three years on the solar car project, I was a manager
responsible for a wide range of administrative duties which includ-
ed: project management, operations, finances, fundraising, and
public relations. Midnight Sun is a million dollar project, and my
job was to concentrate on managing the money we had and
schmoosing for more.
- For Engineering Science Quest, I'm working on streamlining
the administrative tasks of the organisation, computerizing the
office, co-planning the administrative infrastructure, and bringing
fundraising experience to make ESQ another million dollar stu-
dent-run project.
With all of the experience that I'm bringing to the VP-F posi-
tion, I'm hoping to continue some of the already ongoing develop-
ments of EngSoc. Firstly, through the registration of EngSoc as a
Come talk tof r
m at the Candidates
Wed. Nov. 19, 1997
11:30 to 1:30
charity, we would be able to offer greater incentives to companies
who may wish to contribute materially and financially to the soci-
ety. The enhancement of the Corporate Manager and the develop-
ment of a formal fundraising campaign will complement this
objective. Secondly, a strong focus should be placed on relations
with UW alumni in industry. By maintaining ties with such orga-
nizations as WET (Waterloo Engineers in Toronto), a potentially
large resource base could be made available for supporting EngSoc
initiatives.
Ultimately, more money and resources means more and bener
services to the students. These are just a few ideas that I have right
now based on how I've shaped other groups on campus. I'll be able
to get a clearer picture when I settle into the position.
If the current exec was doing a bad job of managing the
finances, I could promise to fix all of its mistakes. Fortunately, I
won't have to work on resuscitating the EngSoc economy which
means I'll be able to focus on new initiatives. However, as a politi-
cian who is expected to make promises, I'll make one: to keep the
books in order. After all, good books are happy books. If that
doesn't make you happy, then let's just blow it all on gold plating
the Tool. Just kidding.
The Iron Warrior, Friday, November 14, 1997
Inspiration can be found almost anywhere; the stars
on a clear night, the trees blowing in the wind, or even
the vortex of the toilet bowl as it swooshes into the
chasm below your house. These moments of inspiration
are usually followed by a sense of victory over a puz-
zling problem that has been troubling you for days,
weeks, or months.
Every so often someone comes along whose life
causes you to look at your own and compare: What
have I accomplished? What goals do I have? Do I like
where I am now? Professor Ariaratnum is one of these
people.
He was born and raised in Sri Lanka until the age of
fifteen, just finishing grade 10, when he decided that he
wanted to attend the University of Ceylon. The normal
course of action, for him, would have been to finish
high school and then enter Mathematics, the other way
was to take an entrance exam for Engineering. This
was uncommon for a fifteen year old but the officials
let him take the test, making no promi e about hi.
acceptance. The results were acceptable and he wa
allowed to study Engineering at Ceylon. Prof.
Subject:
Place of
Ariaratnum Professor S.T.
Birth: Sri Lanka
Degrees: BSc(Eng) ,BSc,MSc,DSc,PhD,ScD
Institutes: (see article)
Engineering Discipline: Civil
Area of Research: Random Vibration
Stability Dynamic
Ariaratnum fini hed his BSc(Eng) at nineteen and then
began a degree in Mathematics 0 he. could receive a
scholarship to tudy in England (scholarships were not
offered in Engineering). At age twenty he began teach-
ing a second year dynamics course to students who had
arrived from high school, some of whom were the same
age. He continued with teaching until he fini hed his
Bachelors and Masters at age twenty-three.
The scholarship came and he went to England to
study Engineering at Cambridge University, where he
received his PhD for work with dynamic plasticity and
ScD for Engineering Mechanics. He encountered com-
munication difficulties in the Civil Engineering
Department and swore he would never work in Civil
again; causing him to post-doctorate Mechanical
Engineering studies at Birmingham University. This is
where he defined a new subject called random vibra-
tion, vibrations that are not caused by periodic sources.
He continued this work for a year and then returned
home to Sri Lanka.
Prof. Ariaratnum then received a DSc in Applied
Mathematics, in one year, from the University of
London through correspondence. He attended Brown
University for post-doctorate work in dynamic plastici-
ty.
While at Brown he heard word of a fledging school,
called the University of Waterloo, through contacts
formed at Cambridge. He applied to work in the
Mechanical Engineering department and anived in
February, I 962. There wa n't much to offer him; most
of the grad 'tudents had gone abroad to earn tJleir PhDs.
Later on, he was offered a job by Dean D. WJight in the
Civil Engineering Department discovering that it was
the better department for him since a solid mechanic
focus was avai lable. Other schools would have this in
the Mechanical Department. He is now the. enior
member of the Civil Engineering faculty and plans on
retiring in four years but, without a hobby to fall back
on, he feels that he will be bored without leaching.
Prof. Ariaralnum's research still focuse on the field
of random vibration. One of the imple cases involves
the periodic excitation of an inverted pendulum which
causes the pendulum to lay vertical without any sway-
ing motion. Interest in this stemmed from wwn when
German pilots complained that their instruments were
giving the wrong readings. Bomb meanl for London
would end up in Poland. The needles on the instruments
experienced ba e excitation under certain conditions,
which caused the needle to deflect at orne angle, result-
ing in bogus readings. Condition for periodic vibration
have been tudied and can be modeled, random vibration
relie on different scientific principles involving proba-
bility and chaos theory, which are not so easy to modeJ.
Academic pursuit can be compared to a quest, but not
for any material possessions. This type of quest is for
knowledge of the world around you and what part you
can play. Fngineering win never he ns glmnourous ne;
,Kling or as profltllhk as rnurkl'tillg, hut what is
a knowlctig , ...cd (lnly hy thmc who WCll' cudoui'>
and determillcd cnough to tty.
9
10 News & Information

Icenslng
isfy a perceived need. The
licensee must ensure that the
li cence granted is broad enough
to pennit the intended use. If the
licensed property is unabl e to
adequately satisfy that need, the
Li censee wi ll want to have some
recourse. The licensor, in turn,
wants to make a profit while
protecting it s rights in the oft-
essons
C.lan Kyer
Faskln Campbell Godfrey
ware and limiting the damages
whi ch it may be subject to if the
licensed property fails to per-
fonn as required. Damages on
the order of millions of dollars can be incurred in some cases.
Take the case, for ex.ample, of an edible oil manufacturer whose
control processing software incorrectly directs the mix.ture of
ingredients in the making of margarine and large quantities of
margarine must be destroyed and the market share of the mar-
garine is adversely affected. The potential losses that could be
experienced by each of the licensor and the licensee can be far
in excess of the face value of the contract. Accordingly, thor-
oughness is of paramount importance in negotiating licensing
agreements for either party.
, , The licence is in essence a docu-
ment shaped by the licensor. It
needs to take into consideration the
nature of the rights that the licensor
has and the way that the licensor
I
n this article r want to pause on our road to a better under-
standing of our intellectual property laws to talk about
assignment s and licences.
An assignment is the trans-
fer or sale of some or all or an
owner' s rights to another per-
son. For exampl e, if a company
has had a computer program
developed by an employee that
company owns the copyright in
that program. Under the
Copyright Act, the owner of a
copyright in any work may in
The licence is in essence a
document haped by the licen-
sor. It needs to take into con-
sideration the nature of the
rights that the licensor has and
the way that the licensor wants
to exploit those rights (in legal
terms, exploitation is a good
thing). The licensor may have
invested substantial sums in
wants to exploit those rights.
"
writing assign hi s or her ri ghts, for the whole tenn of the copy-
right or for any part. Suppose a third party, like Microsoft,
decides that the program in question is very valuable. It might
well make an offer to the developer company to acquire all of the
developer company's interest in the program. That would be
done by way of an assignment of copyright and any other prop-
erty or contractual rights that the developer company had in the
software in question such as a patent or a trade mark.
Let's suppose that Microsoft does not want to buy the soft-
ware. They merely want the right to distribute it. Again we
look to the Copyright Act. The owner of a copyright in any work
may grant any interest in such rights by written licence. That
would be done by way of a licence. Licensing is, of course, the
mechanism used by an owncr of some form of intellectual prop-
erty to pennit others to exploit that technology in some agreed
upon fashion. A liccnce is simply a permission to do something
that cannot be done without permission. So, ror example, the
developer of a computer program, which we know is protected
by copyright, is the only person with the right to produce or
reproducc the work or any substantial part in any material form;
the right to publish the work; the right to produce or publish any
tran ' Iation of the work; the right to make any record or other
contrivance for the mechanical performance or delivery of the
work; and the right to communicate the work to the public by
telecommunication (which would include transmission via
modem). Distribution would require Microsoft to do a number
of these things exclusively reserved by the Copyright Act to the
developer. Therefore, Microsoft needs a licence to do so.
IL is wrong and naive to think of a licence as a simple per-
mission. A licence serves many functions one of which i to put
limits on that pennission. The licensor will not WaJlI to grant
more rights than any are needed by the licensee. The licensee
will want as broad a licence as possible. The negotiation of any
licence require an appreciation by both the licensor (i.e., the
person granting the permission) and the licensee (i.e., the person
receiving pennission), of what the needs and want of each party
are.
The prospective licensee will undoubtedly be seeking to sat-
either developing the IP rights
in queslion or otherwise in acquiring (he rights which it wishes
to li cence. The licensor hould, therefore, be particularly sensi-
tive to requests which extend the grant of fights in the licensing
agreement as well as with provisions in the agreement which
relate to the protection of its intellectual property rights. The
licensor should be hesitant to agree to revisions which may
impair its IP rights or which may limit its right to licence others.
In later isssues I shall discuss licence agreements more thor-
oughly but for now I want to leave you with a checklist of what
should be considered in a licence to distribute computer soft-
ware. This will permit you to get a better understanding of the
nature of a licence and of the business tenns that it entails.
A.GRANT
I. Definition of licensed software
2. Definiti on of licensed products, mark.els and channel s of trade
3. Definition of licen!>ed territory
4. Grant of licen,,"
5. Nature of granl : exclus ivelnon-exclu ivelsole
6. reservation of rights and speClfic reservation of cenain rights (e.g.
direct end-user licensing rights)
7. Limitations on Licensee's distribution/ticensing to related Ot affiliated enti
lies (to avoid loss of royalty income because of artificially low license fee)
8. Righi to &ub-ticense distribution righL'
9. Ri ght 10 ass ign
10. Right of first refusal On additional product, territory
II . ortware license 10 be used (Lice",or's or specially developed Licensee's
agreement with specified clauses)
B.TERM
I. C0l11mencement date
2. Initial teml
3. Renewal mechanism (eg. automatic or conditional on perfonnance)
4. Period of notice required for renewal
5. Renewal tenn
6. Renegotiation of royalties on renewal
c. CON IOERATION
I. Upfront fees (not advances on royalties)
2. Advance again t royalties by licensee. payments on execution
3. Guaranleed minimum royalty
(a) tnitial tenn
(b) Renewal teml
4. Royalty payments
(a) Fixed sum per product or percentage royalty
(b) Definition of base for percentage royalty (e.g. Definition of "net
sales")
(c) Definition of pennissibte deductions in calcutating royalty base
(d) Maximum limit on deductions
5. Preparation of periodic reports on licenses granted and royalties due
6. Method and timing of payment of advances. guaranteed minimum royalty
and royalties. currency used
7. Preparation of final certified report on termination or expiration
D. LICENSEE PERFORMANCE
I. Mari<eung date for each product andlor service or prescribed quantities for
creaung or futfilling market demand
2. effort>
a. re all (minimum royalty per product)
b. re all markets/channels of trade
c. re allterritorie,
d. no discrimination in favour of unl icensed products (e.g. commi sions or
discounts to salesmen. dealers or
3. Licensee's right to pay minimum royalty regardl e;s of sales to cover mini-
mum guarantees and evade Licensor tenni nation
E. PROVISIO OFPROD crs TO LICE SOR
I. Provision of specified or minimum quantiti es of product by Licensee to
Licensor for Licensor's own use
2. Co t of product to Licensor
F. ADVERTISr G
I . Cooperative adveni sing
2. Allocation of fixed poni on of royalties by Licensor to advenising
3. Obli gation of Licensee to spend cenain amounts for adveni sing based on
I icenses granted
4. Use of Li censor'S intellectual propeny in adverti sing
G. QUALITY CONTROL PROVISIONS (WHERE DISTRIBUTOR IS
MANUFACfURlNG PROOUcrs)
I. Licensor's establi shment of quality standards for li censed products
2. Licensor's establishment of specifications for reproduction of licensed prop
erty on products , adveni sing. promotional and packaging materi als
3. Licensor to provide sample anwork 10 Licensee at Licensee's request and
expense
4. Licensee's submi ssion of samples of products and of advertising. promo-
tional and packaging maleri als for pri or Licensor approval of quality
5. Number of samples. who should bear cost thereof
6. Licensee's continuing sampl e submi ssion for moni toring of qualit y by
Licensor
7. Licensor's authority to Inspect Li censee's operation
8. Li censee's compli ance wi th appli cabl e laws
9. Any Licensor quali ty control direClives 10 be promptly communi cated
10. a modificati ons aft er Licensor approval without Licensor's funher prior
consent
I I. Licensor's ri ght to withdraw approval in evenl of unaccept<lble modifi cation
or in event of occurrence connected with licensed product renecting unfa-
vorabl y on Li censor
12. Licensee to comply with all laws re manufacture. packaging. advertising and
di stributi on of products (including language laws) and provide certification
thereof al Licensor' s request
H. BOOKS A D RECORDS
l. Li censee's periodi c statemenls showing:
a. Number of licenses granted and products shipped
b. Description of each product and gross license fces
c. Place where manufactured
d. Place where license granted or products shipped
e. Itemized deductions taken from gross li cense fee
f. Net I icense fee
g. Returns
2. Licensee's maintenance of books and records
a. Length of time books and records 10 be preserved
b. Availability of books and records for inspection/audit by
Licensor or representative
3. Licensor's right to inspect/audit books and records and timing of exercise
I. PROTECTIO OF LICENSOR'S INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY
I. Li censee concedes Li censor's ownership of ri ghts. title and {nterest in
Licensor's Intellectual Property (including the software)
2. Li censee's acknowledgement that all ri ght, title, interesl and goodwill enures
to Li censor
3. Li censee' s acknowledgement that any rights subsequently acquired with
respect to Licensor's Intellectual Propeny or similar property are assigned to
Li censor
4. Licensee undenak.es not to contest validity of Li censor's rights in Li censor's
Intellecrual Propeny
5. Licensee agrees to take no actions which might impair or interfere with
Licensor's rights in Licensor's Intellectual Propeny
6. Licensee agrees not to seek. any trade mark, copyright, patent, or industrial
design registrations anywhere in connection with Licensor's Intellectual
Property or simi tar property
7. Licensee agrees not to adopt or use any property similar to the Licensor's
tntellectual Property during tenn and thereafter
8. Licensee shall not associate or comingle Licensor's Intellectual Propeny
with other intellectual property without Licensor'S prior consent
9. Licensee agrees not to use Licensor's tntelleclual Propeny in an unautho-
rized manner and. in particular, not to use it in Licensee's name or as a name
or part of a name of any other corporate legal entity
10. Licensee agrees to affix notices indicating Licensor's ownersbip of
Licensor's Intellectual Property on licensed products and all packaging,
advertising, promotional and other malerials bearing Licensor's Intellectual
Propeny in fonn requested by Licensor
J l. Licensee agrees to post notice at licensed premises that Licensor's
Intellectual Propeny owned by Licensor and licensed to Licensee
12. Grant of license is subject to compliance with tenns, and breach constirutes
infringement of Licensor's Intellectual Property
t3. Licensee's acknowledgement of uniqueness of Licensor's tntellectual
Property. difficulty of assessing damages from unauthorized use and pro
priety of injunctive retief
14. Licensor represents that it owns all rights in the Licensor's Intellectual
Property in the territory and that all registrations with respect thereto are in
good standing and are valid and enforceable [alternative: Licensor ag.rees to
obtain trade mark, copyright, patent, industrial design proteCtion for the
The Iron Warrior, Friday, October 31, 1997
Licenso<'s Intellectual Property. as applicable 1
15. Licensee 10 assist Licensor with procurement of trade mark, copyrighl and
industrial design protection. as applicable, including c:ooperaring in regis-
tered user application of such oIher applications or filings as are 10
effect necessary trade marie, copyright, paten I and industrial design proIec:-
tion at Licensor's expense
16. Effect of inability to secure trade marie, copyrighl industrial design or
patenl regi trations (eg: renegotiation of royalties)
17. Licensee to notify Licensor of all unauthorized use . infringements, imita-
tions and any el.her claims against the interests of Licensor and assisl
Licensor in enfoncement of trade marl<, copyrighl. palenl and indu trial
design protection
18. Licensor has sole right to decide whether to take action againsl infringe-
ments and imitations or defend against any action, and Licensee to cooper-
ate in any such action or defence
19. Licensee not to institute suit or take any action against infringements or imi-
tations without prior written consent of Licensor
J. INDEMNIFICATION OF LICENSOR
I . Licensee indemnifies Licensor and other Licensees against claims, los es
and expenses suffered or incurred by reason of:
(a) failure of Licensee (0 perform obligations under Licensee
Agreement
(b) defects or inherent dangers in products. services or use
thereof (where Licensee manufacturers products)
(c) coll ateral warranLries or olher liabilities created by acts of
Licensee
K. PRODUcr LIABILITY INSURANCE
I. Licensee's obligation to submit to Licensor cenificate of insurance narning
Licensor and requiring that insurance not be terminated or materially modi-
fied without prior notice to Licensor at least 20 days in advance of termina-
News & Information
tion or modifi ation
2. Amount of insul1lJlCe
3. Date b) "'hi h insurance to be oblained
L.. UCENSOR' WARR.ANTIES, INDEMNIFlCATlO, AND
ASSISTANCE
1. Licensor warranl it ha. right 10 grant license of lor
Propeny 10 the Licensee in accordance with lerms of
2. Licensor indemnifies Lic:en<ee againM trade marie, copynght. patent and
indu trial design infringement c1aitTl> arismg from of Lice""or':
Intellectual Propen) as authorized in the agreement. proVided Licen r i
given immediate written nOlice of claim and OIHion 10 und nnke and condu I
defense
3. Licensor repre.ents that into an agreement doe nOl violate an)
rights or obligation. e i.ling Licensor and any ntherentity
f. TERMJ ATlO,
I. Licensor entitled to terrmnate upon:
(a) Licensee', default in performance of an) obligatIOn' pro,ided for III
agreement, not promplly cured after wrillen nolice, IIIcluding
(i) Licensee's failure to maintrun product liabiht)' in:.urnnce
(ii) Licensee's failure to provide pal ments on due date:.
(iii) Licensee' failure to provide sampleslstatementsla $S to Licen,ec\
facilities or records
(b) Finding by any body with authority andjurisd,ction that Produ l" are
defective in any way, manner or form, not timely cured aOer written notice
(c) Licensee's insolvency or bankruptcy
(d) Licensee's failure to commence sales by mnrketmg date or failure to
satisfy best effons requirement
(e) Licensee's produclion, distribution or licensi ng of produ ts or pro-
duction or use of advertising promot ional or packaging material without
prior approval by Licensor of qua.!ity .-.-.. ,
11
2. Licensee to provide final slote.ment on terminalion and all royalties as they
beromedue
3. Licensee's di posal of tock. Licensor's right 10 purchase at cost
4. Licensee to rcfrnin from funher use of the Licensor's Intellectual Property
and di, ntinue manufacture of licensed products 80er termination
5. Licensee's liabilities and obligations to survive lerminadon
6. of registered USCr application
. cr RE BY THfRD PARTIES
I . Licen:.ee to obtsln Licensor' approval of sub-manufacturer
2. If licensed product, manufAclurcd by sub-manufacturer do nOl comply with
Licenwr', .tandnrd" shull tenninate ub-manufa lUrer
3. Licen",,, shall cooperate 11\ ttmninating any unauthorized use of Licensor's
Intellectual Pn.'pen)' by SUIH1\(lnufaclllrcr
Po"ib.lity of ,ub-manuf.lClIlrer e",cnns tnt,) agreement" ith Ltcensor
O. CO FiDE TlAL r FORM \TION
1. Delinitit>n of Licen,or', trade ,ceret, ,lnd confidenti.1 information which i'
2. L,censee ,h,,11 110t di,close IIny tmde se reh r confidential in[om18uon
J . Licensee shilll require all elnplo)cs IL1 whom trdde 5ecrets .tnd confidenti al
information are disclos d 10 sign nondisclosure agreement and ,hall en.ure
'" h an: enforced
P. REMEDIES OF Ll E SOR
I . Licensor's a knowledgemclII t.hat fllilure 10 manufoctllre. distribution
of products and use of Inten tua] Propeny nt e.J<pirntion
of temllOotion wilirc;.ult in irreparable harm to Lic('n>or.
R. USCEtLA EOUS
--------------- ----, - --------- ----- --
"Back to the Blue Lagoon"
T
hiS term's. Engineering Semi-formal made it's pres-
ence known with a puzzle to grab our attention.
The week before the semi, clues leading to the
location of the missing "Golden TOOL" were distributed.
The prize for discovering the location of the TOOL was a
ticket to the semi-formal. The secret location of the
Golden TOOL was the Coke fridge in the C&D, and it was
discovered by David Chan.
Now that the anticipation was built, the semi-formal
could begin. It began at 6:00 p.m. on Saturday, November
8th at the Waterloo Inn. It was the perfect opportunity to
don those fancy clothes and spend an evening with friend
or that special omeone. The atmosphere was perfect,
with light dinner music playing, blue and silver balloons
everywhere, and candles on every table. To make the set-
ting even more perfect, each table had it own goldfish.
Just walking into the room, one could tell that it was going
to be the perfect evening.
The evening began with people mingling around the
room until dinner was served. The food was delicious and
thoroughly enjoyed by everyone. To top it all off there
was the richest chocolate cake imaginable for dessert (J
think the plan was to get everyone really hyper so that
they would all dance after dinner).
Once the plates were cleared, the door prize of scuba
lessons was given out. The lucky winner was Jim (in 4A
Systems). Once that was finished, it was time to dance.
The DJ started playing dancing music and started the bub-
ble machine, another effect that added to the water theme!
Everyone there danced for the remainder of the evening,
amidst the fl ashing lights and effects.
The evening was a great uccess, and a was lot of fun
for everyone who attended. Monica Milanowski did an
amazing job of organizing the semi-formal and I'd just
like to take this opportunity to let her know that all her
effort was worth it. We all had a really, really awesome
time. Overall, the atmo phere wa perfect, as was the rest
of the evening.
Theamaz;ifJ8
semi-jomwlorgalli .. er,
MOllica MilmlO,, 'sJ..i
12
Matan
1 N Electrical
T
hi S page is broken down into independent ections
for your reading pleasure.
The first paragraph of the what follows seeks to
address one of the issues brought up in Mat Pigozzo' s
"Rubber Room" from the IW' October 31, 1997 issue.
The rest was instigated through my fault alone. Thank you
for your time and consideration, and J hope to hear from
you soon.
An End To Subsidized Pollution
Pollution is still spewing out in large amounts because
governments allows it to be cheap and polluters don't like
costs. This is a problem everywhere, not just in the more
economically-free countries. When a corporate CEO in
the USA says "f[ will cost too much to eliminate toxic
emissions", it is the same as some omniscient planner in a
communi st country saying "Eliminating toxi c emissions
will divert too many resources away from production". In
both cases the full economic costs of pollution are not
being accounted for.
Pollution has costs that are distributed widely, includ-
ing medical treatment expenses, property damage, and
reduced quality of life (e.g. irritating, smog-fllled air).
These costs are rarely paid by the polluting entities or
those who use their products. Right now, companies face
pollution limits, which are a good start, but do not encour-
age any further reduction in emissions. If polluters had to
pay an emission level-based pollution penalty that resem-
bled the total cost created by their emissions, pollution
would certainly drop. Since pollution would then be a
Opinions The Iron Warrior, Friday, October 31, 1997
e
tlought Alarm
cost, a cost that can be lowered, there is incentive to min-
imize the amount of pollution created.
Investing in environmental technology is likely cheap-
er than having to pay the share of the medical expenses of
everyone affected by pollution. ew, more efficient, and
environmentally-friendly technologies would be devel-
oped in the evil capitalist's quest for bigger profits. Many
"dirty" industries would no longer be profitable under a
pollution penalty system and would disappear. New, more
environmentally-friendly industries would be allowed to
flourish, as the business cost playing field will be level.
The electric car will never become popular until the true
cost of the gas-powered car is paid by the driver, as only
then can a true comparison of price and value be made.
Currently, the entire population is subsidizing pollution by
freely and collectively accepting the entire burden of pol-
lution's costs. Unchecked pollution is a fault of govern-
ment policy, not the free market sy tern.
Want To Volunteer Your Enginuity?
While wasting time on the internet, I happened upon
the site of an organization call ed the Tetra Society of
Nonh America. This organization con ists of engineers
and other ingenious persons who volunteer their time to
create items that are needed by di abled people, but are
not being manufactured commercially. The Tetra Society
has chapters all over North America, with the closest ones
being in London and Oakville. If there is sufficient inter-
est, T would like to get some people together to organize
one here in Waterloo. Please check out their website at
http://www.ahs.uwo.ca/orcn/orgsffETRAffSNA3.html
and email me at amatan@noviceifyou think this is some-
thing you might want to do.
The Floating Island City-State
My grand vision of getting the government out of just
about everything isn't likely, at least in Canada. A serious
attitude adjustment would be necessary, and I can't fore-
see it happening any time soon. But if! had my own coun-
try, I could write all sorts of crazy laws! For some reason,
countrie aren't big on selling territory to would-be
nation-builders, so, if I shun war, I must make my own
territory. One way to do it i to build a floating island city-
state on the sea. It i quite an engineering challenge, a it
involves building land and infrastructure from scratch, but
I'm sure there will be jobs, jobs for everyone. One would
have to build a government from scratch, and attract peo-
ple to live on the island. The entrepreneurial could start
selling "Country-in-a-Box" packages to those with money
but lacking time or skill. The beauty of the floating island
city-state concept is that it is very flexible and competi-
tive. In the very beginning, at least, the e cities would
have to compete to attract citizens to live there, through
price (real e tate prices/immigration fee and rent/tax
rates) and product differentiation (weather, location, infra-
structure, culture, treaty and security arrangements, polit-
ical and economic systems, internet access speed). One
organization trying to make it happen has a website at
http://www.oceania.org
Ignore This Part Unless You Want To Read My Life
Story
As anyone with an article contaminated with editori al
content mu t apparently do, I hall introduce myself. Hi,
my name is up there on the byline and ha yet to change.
I am currently working full-time at a leading manufactur-
er of a product that is legal to sell, but illegal to publicly
advertise except on a certain category of very fast cars. I
am there on a triple work-term due to leep-deprivation-
induced academic difficulty. I am also taking three arts
courses at night this term to advance my dastardly goal of
graduating with a double-degree in electrical engineering
and liberal arts. I believe that everyone should mind their
own business and keep their hands to themselves. I like
stuff, my favorite colours are blue, green, and black (they
wash easily), and my turn-ons include ...
Your questions, comments, requests, and death threats
are welcome and encouraged. Please send them to
amatan@novice.
------------------------ ------------
TakeA----.
choosing a course for next term for pre-

registration, I continually asked myself
these questions, never getting a clear
answer.
Honestly, I think that many students
come out of high school entering variou
programs in post-secondary institutions
not knowing what they are getting into. I
I The Road to Nowhere
Zhan Huan Zhou
2A Comp . Flying Circuits
W
hy are we here? Where are we going? These
arc two questions that have baffled philo. 0-
pher, for centuries, from Ancient Greece to
modem times. Personally, I don't care. What matters is:
why J am here at the University of Waterloo? Where I am
going after I graduate? In the past week while 1 was
include myself in this group.
There arc two main reasons I chose Computer
Engineering at Waterloo. The first is that there is a grow-
ing demand ror skills in this field and there will be plenty
of job oppol1unities when I graduate. In short, I wanted a
field where I could find a job upon graduation and make
money. The second reason is a little less material. There
is certain pre. tige saying that I was accepted into the hard-
est discipline at the best engineering university in Canada.
I like that kind of attention. Similarly. many student I
have talked with voice , imilar opinion.
Going back to course selections, I had to plan out my
electives so that I could take the courses I want in fourth-
year. I looked at my options and doubts flooded my mind.
I continually asked myself the two questions I raised at the
beginning of thi article. Half of the required curriculum
seemed so uninteresting from the cour e descriptions. 1
didn't know what 1 was doing in Computer Engineering;
it didn't eem like it was for me. However, recent events
and orne rethinking ha lead me to a new path. [realized
that choosing my specialization in fourth-year would
more or less determine the re t of my career. Previou.
notion of my future plans were strengthened, and I had a
clearer perspective. 1 knew where I wa , why I am here,
and where I am going.
The point I want to make i that many of you probably
only have a vague idea of what you want to do in the
future. The co-op sy tern is actually very good in helping
you decide what you want to do. You get to taste many
different area and you ultimately decide which area you
want to pecialize in.
You can't go about life aimle sly without any sense of
direction. Your life become clearer when you know what
you want to do and have goals to strive for. Even jf you
never reach your goals or your goals change, the steps you
make toward them will be atisfying. After all, success is
a journey, not a destination.
The Iron Warrior, Friday, November 14, 1997 News & Information 13
Grace M
Adrienne Law
28 Systems
l
am sure that we are all agreed that there are some fun-
damental differences between men and women - in
perceptions, interests. In the engineering discipline,
there is a dear trend of higher enrollment of male student
versus female. Is this just another fundamental difference
of the sexes? Why is there such a discrepancy in num-
bers? These are just two of many imilar questions fre-
quently asked by women in technical profession , such as
engineering and computer science. They are al 0 two of
the numerous issue addressed at the Grace Murray
Hopper Celebration of Women in Computing Science.
During the third weekend of September, I attended the
Grace Murray Hopper Conference (GMHC) in San Jose,
California along with a fellow UW engineering student,
my sister Veronica. We were sponsored by Intel
Corporation, UW's Women in Engineering Group and the
Systems De ign Engineering Department.
The conference, I believe, had a message for both men
and women. The keynote speaker, Anita Borg of DEC
Corporation, delivered a convincing argument that current
technologies, while women are involved in the develop-
ment, do not reflect the interests of women or address the
different requirements. By interests, it is meant that
women are interested in developing technologies to help
other women around the world, such as increase commu-
nication in closed countries like Czecheslovakia and
Russia, or health and hunger problems in third world
countries. By different requirements, it is meant that fun-
damental differences between male and females result in
different needs in products and services. For example,
there is a large difference in how boys and girls learn yet
the teaching style remains the optimum way for boys;
even computers were designed and used in the classroom
in a male-focused view, kiosk-style. One terminal per
person better suilS the learning curve of boys because girl
prefer to cluster around the same terminal and work
together. Women don't want to seize jobs from men and
take over the world, they simply want to be able to con-
tribute and help to improve it.
When I mention the conference to people, I get a vari-
ety of responses. There are those who snicker and refer to
it as the "conference for feminists". There are those who
think it i a great idea and about time someone got it
Science on erence
together. Then there are tho. e would are puzzl d as to
why there . eem to be a need for uch a conference. The
need for GMHC i apparenl when you go to another Icch-
nical conference for computing. cience and detcrmine th'
ratio of men to women pre ent i omething like 10: 1. For
the women currently working in technical fields, it hasn't
been ea y. They are the reason why it' , becoming easier
for women like myself who have rarely felt unequal.
although I'm till painfully aware that women are out-
numbered in the workplace. During the conference, I met
women with very different backgrounds from program-
ming analyst. to CEOs. The stories they told and the
advice they gave were down-to-earth and invaluable.
Everyone could benefit from more haring of ideas and
experience. Unfortunately, the need for a conference to
celebrate the exi tence of women in computing cience
also signifie the inequality of exislence in the workplace.
Some people think that if women want to be competi-
tive in the workplace, they must become more like their
male peers. It's the old "be like a man to compete in a
man's world" philo ophy. I completely disagree with this
approach. Where would we be if all the humans in this
world acted like men? All joking aside, I believe that our
personalities are unique and should be preserved. This
applies for both men and women. After all, not all women
resemble the stereotypical, demure female and not all men
come in the form of an adrenaline-pumped aggressor.
There are times when it is important to be assertive and
fight for what you feel passionately about. However, the
take-home message here is to be courageous about
accomplishing your goals, while being true to yourself.
Men and women are two halves of the same whole.
The under-representation of women in the engineering
discipline has a weight effect on what engineers have pro-
duced over the years. Over half the population of the
world uses products that were not made for them and do
not account for their particular needs. Two majors
change, that need to occur before women maJ.-e up of
the workforce in technical professions arc: encourage
ment of young women to enroll in technical disciplines,
and support of women in the workplace. Take a minute to
think about yourself and how engineering has :.haped your
Ii fe. Do you think thal others could benefit from the same
experiences that you have? It only lakes a small effort to
reach out to a younger person, maybe a younger siSler or
a friend in high school, to show them what opportunities
are in store for them. Support of women engineers can
photo courtu.l' AilrimlU' 1.6 ...
begin now, even before entering the workplace full-time.
One way may be to show support to women interest
groups such as Women In Engineering, or participate in
conferences like GMHC, or bring awareness of these
issues with you to your co-op terms. It is easier for us,
because we have grown up with some kind of acceptance
of gender equality, to expect that it exists everywhere else
too. It doesn't and where it doesn't, it is our responsibili-
ty to bring awareness. Let's change the work environment
-and not let it change us.
1 was vcr impressed with the or lilnirntion of the
IIt>pper Conference and f('l'I for Iht.: opportunity 10
have takcn part in it. Hr u few h'y /wop! Ihm
deserve recognition I'M gctling mc 10 111(' conf"cl'l nce.
They arl' Eli/ab -th WecKlllllll (WI E), Bill Lcnnox
KCllh ) lipcl (Sysll'llls De,jfll Ikpalll1lent Chair), alld
Todd Veldhui/.cll. The n 'xl CIlI1k'lt'J1n' is ,d1l'lillkd for
thc Yl'ar 2000. I hOPl' till' lll'xl group 01 allen-
will a preal tleal or progreso., matll' by Ihl.'ll.
------------------------------------
Seeking a New and
fulfilling relationship?
Help Support Grad Comm by subscribing to Computer Compatibility '97
The cost is only $2.00, and you can register in CPH foyer
Wed November 12 - Wed November 19 12:00-1:00
Private and Personal
Computer matching based on an
on-line questionnaire
Results can be retrieved on-line
Thursday, November 20
Find out who
in Engineering is right for you!
Fill out the form at http://sail.uwaterloo.calcgi-binlcgiwraplbahill/val.pl.
14
On December 6, 1989, a terrible event occurred at
Ecole Poly technique in Montreal, Quebec. On this day, a
man walked into the classroom, ordered all the men to
leave, and opened fire on the women in the room.
Fourteen lives were lost, twelve engineering students
were not allowed to pursue their goals. The violence and
enselessness of this act shocked and outraged everyone
across Canada.
In the years since this tragedy, we have grown in dif-
ferent ways for different people. Many do not recall that
day and many of our current students were still in hi gh
school or junior high when it happened. Others find the
anger and hurt have not been lessened and are still seek-
ing answers, a remedy for the pain of this day.
The member schools of the Canadian Federation of
Engineering Students (CFES) have expressed a strong
desire for the National Executive for provide information
News & Information The Iron Warrior, Friday, November 14, 1997
December 6t Memorial
about this terrible day. Information about different com-
memorations; in particular, the white ribbon campaign
and a letter from Ecole Poly technique may help schools
commemorate December 6 in a personal way.
Many years ago, engineering students anti--profession-
als across the country joined together because they had
similar goals and thought they they could help each other.
This is what friends do. So, on December 6, remember
that we all lost a friend in the engineering profession to a
terrible tragedy. Young women lost their lives for no rea-
son, and that should not happen again.
It is true, as it was said in one of the mandates given
by member schools, "that different schools, due to their
different backgrounds, may face different situations when
preparing for the December 6 Memorial." Thus, we
encourage member schools to commemorate this sad day
in their own way.
The white ribbon campaign is one simple, humble,
and direct way of commemorating the event. We also
encourage all schools to continue to initiate their own
commemoration, be it a moment of silence, the burning of
candles, or other activities they feel are representative of
their students.
On this day, we need to remember the many victims of
this event; the dead, their families, classmates, friends,
and finaJly, Ecole Poly technique. We also need to remem-
ber the violence associated with that day. It is important
to commemorate this event in a respectful way and to
reflect on the violence against women and violence
against society in general.
The engineering community should unite in
remembering the following:
Genvieve Bergeron
Helene Colgan
Nathalie Croteau
Barbara Daigneault
Anne Marie Edward
Maud Haviernick
Barbara Marie KJueznick
Maryse Laganiere
Maryse Leclair
Anne-Marie Lemay
Sonia Pelletier
Michelle Richard
Annie St-Ameault
Annie Turcotte
------------------------------------
The Sandford Fleming Foundation
CPH 4306 Waterloo Campus Activities
888*4008 sff@dean
Erinn L.E. Bean, Civil Engineering
the 1997 Winner of the Karen Mark Scholarship
Please note the debate Semi-finals and Finals have been rescheduled to November 20 and 21 st.
Funding for these awards comes from engineering student contributions and depends on them for continuation.
An organization devoted to the advancement of engineering education.
a little about water 00 engineering
12A Civil - Rotlli Runners
I
f you are eriously considering your options to work
or study overseas, or even are just imply interested in
finding out more about Waterloo exchange programs,
you should know that you are at a school with one of the
best and most established engineering exchange program
in Canada. The engineering faculty has contacts with 28
engineering schools in 13 different countries in Europe,
Asia and Australia, where you can spend your time from
3A-4A. The exchange program offer a prime opportuni-
ty to experience another culture and lifestyle by living in
a foreign country for at least 1 term; you get a taste of
what engineering education is like outside Canada. If you
are worried about language problems, English-speaking
exchanges are available in countries such as Ireland and
Singapore. If you are keen on immersing yourself in
another language, there are countries such as Switzerland,
France, and Korea where you would study or work in their
official language. Popular countries in the past have
included Germany, Australia, and Japan.
Through participating in an exchange you also qualify
for the International Studie Option, which can be a part
of your degree from the University when you graduate.
The requirements for the Option include living abroad for
at least 2 terms, plus obtaining credits for at least 6
Complementary Studies Electives (CSEs) that can count
towards the option.
Now you may be wondering: where will I get the
money to do thi s? The pedal thing about the exchange
program is that, no matter what school you decide on, you
don' t have to worry about how much their tuition is (if
you are working, you don't have to worry about this any-
ways!). Any school you go to, you pay HOME FEES,
which means that you pay Waterloo tuition wherever you
go. The only exceptions are a couple schools in Germany,
where you pay their fees, since they are only about $225
per term anyways. You could fly there and back plus pay
the $225 for the price of the tuition you pay here! In addi-
tion to all this, you are eligible for scholarships and bur-
sarie only available for those who are going on an
exchange program or or have already come back from
one.
How to go about all this ....
There is a list of steps you must follow in order to plan
your schedule carefully so that things are timed according
to your schedule at Waterloo. The lengths of terms are dif-
ferent for schools in other countries, and this must be con-
sidered. Anyways, here's a checklist of things to do:
1) Have particular schools in mind by at least 2A or
2B, that you would be interested in attending. Make sure
they all offer exchanges for students in your department.
2) Plan your CSEs and Option credit courses to fit into
your school schedule. Many of these overlap. [f you are
interested in foreign language exchange, you should plan
to take the language courses that are required.
3) Plan a schedule for yourself. Which terms are avail-
able at the school you've chosen? Do they offer the cours-
es you require to graduate? Does your travel co-ordinate
with your work terms?
4) Apply. A general rule of thumb is to submit an
application at least 2 terms before the term you want to
leave (if you want to go in 3A, apply in 2A, etc.).
5) Maintain at least a 70% standing. Other countries
often have tougher grading standards. You must be able to
keep up with the workload, in addition to learning to
cha ge
adjust to an entirely different culture
Where do I find more info'?
There are lot of resource ' about the e change pro-
grams, including lots of people \ ho you can talk with.
Often in 2A eminar course and information session are
held on the exchange program. AI 0, about the 4th week
of every term, students who have been on ex hange are
available to talk in the CPH foyer over lunchtime. There
i a di play ju t outside the EngSoc office that carrie. a
map, due dates, and special opportunities that are avail-
able at the time. On Watstar, type "exchange" at the DOS
prompt for all the information you want on every aspect
of the exctwJge program. It includes information on the
different countries, protile ' on the uni ersilies, applica-
tion procedures and more. There are e en Ii. t , of Option-
credit cour ' cs that you an take, as well a. course
packages offered by the . chools for different departments.
Cindy Howe, in the Year I office, has information and
course calendars for all the schools participating in the
program, as well as reports written by students who have
gone abroad in previous year. Dr. Ratz, who is the co-
ordinator for Engineering Exchange, i al 0 available
down the hall to answer your particular concern as well.
All in all, exchange program are an excellent oppor-
tunity for you to travel and experience life oversea . There
are a lot of re ources available about the exchange pro-
Double Elimination
Boston Tournament
Every Sat r ay
Registration and practice 1p.m. to 2p.rr:
veIrS

268 Phillip St. Waterloo
Play starts at 2p.m. sharp
$5 Registration fee
Payout 1 st 40% of fees
2nd 20% of fees
3rd 100/0 of fees
....
C'I.l
Weavers
t'd
.-
Arms
1
-
8
Phillip St
Go)

C
....
G
>
'a
::>
Open Monday to Thursday 11:30am to lam Friday and Saturday 1 1:30am to 2m
16 Opinions The Iron Warrior, Friday, November 14, 1997
Synthetic Intelligence:
An appeal to versatility
k
38 Elertrical
W
hat does our engineering education really teach
us? This is an importanl question to ask our-
selves as we stride into a world where so many
people work outside of their field of education. In the
olden days, young men were often placed in apprentice-
ships - a commitment that determined their lifelong occu-
pation. Others were given a stake in the family business
(as AI Pacino would call it). These days, we can no longer
be so sure of our fate.
More and more people are using engineering as a step-
ping stone to business, medicine, or law. Others have
found work in engineering fields other than their chosen
discipline. I, for one, work in software development, a
field that is only tangentially related to my electrical engi-
neering education. Like so many other engineers, I am
probably destined for middle management, where inter-
personal skills matter much more than technical knowl-
edge.
If, like in these examples, you are headed for a career
where you will never need to solve an equation again,
then what is the value of your education? [ have been
struggling with this que tion for a long time. I considered
dropping out once, but [ found out that a degree makes a
huge difference - not to what you know, but to what peo-
ple assume you know. The real world is not prone to treat-
ing people as individuals. Often there is a formula, and
your level of education is part of that formula.
It seems that J must lean forward and make the best of
it, but it hasn't been easy. Waning interest in my courses
and a lack of work ethic have already caused me to fail
one term. T find myself struggling to avoid a repeat per-
formance. Ideally, every cour e would convey enough
interest to motivate me to attend. Ideally, every course
would introduce some fundamental principle that could be
universally applied to any field of knowledge. But this
isn't always the case, and that leads me to question the
value of my education.
Many would say that engineering teaches discipline.
But what is di sci pline? As far as I can see, discipline is
merely the determination to struggle on in the face of
boredom. Despite already having an in-depth knowledge
of computer programming, I took engineering rather than
CS because I love a challenge. Now I realize that was a
mistake. Too many of my courses test my work ethic, not
my ability to understand.
There are two types of thinkers in the world: abstract
thinkers and concrete thinkers. The majority of people
r-----------------------------...... (and the vast majority of engi-
'I" et", ,4.IJI
is owned by
the
Itt- III.raUe. fill Clilif PrJlls.
Ill! Xli'll 518 wla fiery II
TI'II 'ael.1 CII.lr 811ltalllqlq!
d
STUDENT LIFE CENTRE, LOWER lEVEL
MONFRf 8am8pm SAT
8884567 ext.6868 Fox 5197462173
neers - e pecially civiis) are con-
crete thinkers. Concrete thinkers
tend to learn from examples,
whereas ab tract thinkers are
more likely to gain understanding
from the theory itself. As an
abstract thinker, I find myself
being constantly hindered by the
way material is taught.
Most engineering courses are
structured in a specific way. The
lectures introduce a certain
amount of theoretical knowledge,
most of which is actually quite
interesting. The prof then as igns
a selection of homework prob-
lem , which are meant to help the
tudents learn the concepts.
Unfortunately, these assignment
problem , not the concepts them-
selves, tend to form the basis for
the exam. And under exam pres-
sure , an abstract thinker is gener-
ally unable to apply his or her
high-level understanding to a
low-level problem.
"Engineering is essentially
about problem solving." I've
heard that adage before - and I
agree with it, but I feel that it is
often misinterpreted. In the real
world, problem solving i not
about learning algorithm for
finding the correct answer, nor is
it about memorizing e oteric facts
or general rules of thumb.
Problem solving is about innova-
tion. It is about applying our knowledge and under, tand-
ing of a ubject to help u answer new and exciting que -
tion . Memorizing how to solve every variation of
example 5.2 in the textbook i not problem solving.
I was in pired to write about thi. topic while I wa
reading through the "Letters to the Editor" eclion of the
Toronto Sun. The paper had devoted an entire two page
spread to discussion of the (at the time) upcoming teach-
ers' strike. A large majority of the writers were against the
strike, although the published selection of letters may
have been affected by editorial bias (the exees ive edito-
rializing in the bolded comments revealed the editor's
anti-strike opinion and also showed what a shoddy paper
the Sun really is).
One of the mo t commonly expressed sentiments was
the desire to return back to the good old days of education,
when teachers used to put more emphasis on facts and
memorization. Many parents today are distressed that
their children are unable to perform complex arithmetical
operations without the use of a calculator. Actually, the
u e of technology to make knowledge obsolete is known
as progress. For example, due to the invention of match-
es, few people today know how to start a fire using rocks
and twigs.
Personally, I find it very distressing that we engineers
are forced to take an algebra course where we are not
allowed calculators, and a drafting course where we are
not allowed the benefit of CAD software. My grade four
teacher made us memorize our times tables on the basis of
"What if you're out in the middle of the woods one day
and you need to know what twelve times seven is?" I've
been lost in the woods before, and it never occurred to me
that comput.ing an adjoint matrix would help me in any
way.
As an interesting aside, memorization of times tables
does have a use, since rote knowledge is stored in a dif-
ferent part of the brain than the ability to interpret num-
bers. People with a certain type of brain damage are often
able to remember that two times two is four, even though
they couldn't tell you the number between two and four.
Of course, learning your multiplication tables i n't that
much use if you don't intend to become brain-damaged.
The worst abu e of engineering teaching method that
1 have ever seen is on the web. I con ider it my duty, as
Imprint Science & Technology editor, to keep up to date
on all the ci/tech news sites on the web. One day, I stum-
bled across the EE Times Online site, which features a
series of poetry analysis courses that are tailored e pecial-
Iy for technically minded people.
According to the si te, "The program is called Poetry
Optimized for Engineering Minds (POEMS). The pro-
gram i de igned to appeal to logically disciplined minds
that eek an efficient approach to meaningful poetic inter-
pretation without the esoteric fluff so often associated
with the teaching and discussion of poetry."
The course presents a series of poems, from an ode by
Byron to a Shake pearian sonnet, and demonstrates how
to analyze them using a logical twelve lep method. It was
so prototypically engineering that it had to be serious, but
the whole idea was so ridiculous that I wanted to believe
it was ju t a very clever parody. I e-mailed the editor, a k-
ing "This is a joke, right?" I assume from the lack of any
response that it isn't. Check it out if you want:
techweb.cmp.com/eetJpoem Inupoemhome.html.
Apathy, Professionalism, Attitude,
John Faber
4A Chemical
R
emember back when you where young and you
. thought nothing could ever hurt you? When there
seemed as if there was unlimited time to explore
the world? I was thinking about this today and realizing
that those times are gone. I've lost them. Why? Good
question. Isn't life supposed to be fun and enjoyable?
Isn't the Engineers motto "Work Hard, Party Harder!"
What's happened to us, or, more specifically, to me?
As I thought about this three words came to mind that
seemed to be at the root of my problems. "Apathy, atti-
tude, and Professional ism," three words that make me
cringe. Why do they bother me so much? Is it that I still
belong to the old school, those engineers who would
rather have drank themselves through school then gone
out and found a real job? Those engineers who would
have spent the day in P.O.E.T.S. going over and finishing
an assignment that was due. The answer is probably YES.
But there's more. Let me take each word one at a time and
see if I can get to the root of the problem.
I'm becoming apathetic. It happens when one gets old
and has been around far, far, far too long. But why am I
becoming apathetic to something that has done so much
good for me in the past. I hope you all realize I'm talking
about Engsoc. I think there are several reasons. Number
one I'm about to leave this place. I've made my mark.
Many people know who I am. In fact more people know
me than I know people. I've done a lot. My time is com-
ing to an end and its time for others to step up. There are
a few very capable people who can do this, but I'm afraid
there aren't enough. Why is that? Why in a field where
one needs to have communication and management skills
do so few people make the effort to be a part of the one
place you can get them? Mind you, the focus of the engi-
neering student body has changed from when I was a
frosh. The focus has become more academic. The student
population has become younger, and will continue to
become younger. Which tends to eliminate a certain com-
and the Rest
Note: The opinions expressed here
do IIOf /leces ari/)' reflect /hose of the /rOil
Iwarrior staff or the Engineering Society
ponent that was very prevalent when I wa fro h. TaKe
thi a good or bad, your choice, I'm indifferent. ee
there it is again.
I've developed an attitude. Again, it happens when
one gets old and has been around far, far, far too long. Do
I have too much inside information stored in this pea of a
brain? Do I have a chip on my houlder? Have I become
too much of a poJjtician not to see when I'm out of line? I
would hope not, but how can I tell? Is this the fostering
of a system that put too much respon ibility on one per-
son and doesn't spread around the ta k ? Probably! But if
so, how do we as a society convince people that they need
to get involved? That one person cannot do everything?
That a group of twenty cannot run twenty different events,
at least 15 to 20 services and still stay relatively sane?
What happens when something goes wrong. when an
event doesn't happen, when some one gets hurt? Whose
fault is it then? The twenty people who are trying to run
the events, or the twenty three hundred people who want
the event to happen but are not willing to help organize
the thing. Okay maybe I should have changed the word to
bitter. I think I have a right to be marginally bitter. In
my time here I've enjoyed myself. I've spent extra time in
P.O.E.T.S., I've been to more conferences then most, I've
even spent time on Executive. but still. through it all I've
had to wade through the comment and questions.
Comments and questions are excellent; -but need to be
acted on, and not always by the person they were
addressed to. Sometimes, one must take it upon oneself
to try and get something done. So this is what I'm doing.
I'm trying to be motivational. I'm trying to tell you, the
reader, what I think needs to happen to get the spirit back
and to make Waterloo Engineering the best place to study,
both academically and socially. There it is, there's the
problem. Do you see it? I hope so. There are two com-
ponents to making this the best place in the world to
study. One of them is taken care of for us. There are
Profes ors and Chairs and the Dean looking after making
sure that we have the best curriculum in the world. S()
where does social come in, the place where I'm starting to
become apathetic, Engsoc? [think I may be able to
address this better if we move on to the next word.
Okay so you all know this word, it been floating
around so much lately it making me sick. 1 don't know
why. Professionali ' m i.' defined us the act of acting pro-
fe. sional, acting in a prafes. ional manner. a catchword
that has students acros Canada in an uproar. Why do
some of us hate this word and other tote it around like a
label maker ready to stick its products on everything they
see. I 111ink it comes from the use or misuse of the word.
To be profe, sional i to follow a code of ethics. In fact,
the government goes further and ays that one is not
allowed to u e the word professional unless a regulating
body regulates the occupation. We, hopefully, are all
aspiring to become Professional Engineers. There i a
regulating body which controls the profession, in Ontario
this would be the Professional Engineers of Ontario
(PEO). They license the use of the word. Why are we as
students trying to act as if such a body already governs us?
Why do we tote arollnd this word and try to confonn to its
practices? I think we should stop. Let the professionals
use the word. We are not regulated. We are students.
Some of us may not even become professionals. Let's be
responsible in our actions, let's be organized when we do
things, but let's not label the way we act with a word.
So what's my point? Well, it's actually very simple.
The engineering society must do some things to keep the
pirit alive. We must not get caught up in little catch-
words that eliminate fun. We must strive to serve and help
each other. There is a line in the bible which states, "The
Meek shall inherit the earth." . Even if you don't believe
in the teachings of the bible, I believe that the statement is
relevant to all of us. For, if we are to become the best we
must not act like the best but act like the humblest and do
our best. I have tried to do this throughout my life. Some
may laugh at that, since I have failed on many an occa-
sion, but I think to a certain extent I have succeeded. I
hope that this will motivate some of you to get involved
and help those of you who are involved find a focus that
will Icm.lthb Sl:holllln prl)(lul't' Ihe hl'SI l'IlV1Ill't\'S 111 Ill '
worlu
------------------------------------
Mat Pigozzo
A
new first was achieved last Saturday for the
University of Waterloo. Our very own Warriors
Football Team journeyed to J. W. Little Stadium
in London, Ontario to claim the first ever Yates Cup for
UW. The team rocketed to victory by overcoming the
Western Mustangs by an impressive score of 30-10. The
Warriors played an excellent game of football, totally
dominating their opponent and showing once again why
they were ranked number one in the country at the start of
the season.
The war has not been won, however;, there are still
two more battles to be fought before the ultimate victory
may be claimed. Next week the Warriors must lay the
Ottawa Gee-Gees to rest to claim the right to play in the
YEARNING FOR THE CUP!
most climactic game of the season, the Vanier Cup, on
November 22 at Toronto's Sky Dome. We wish the play-
ers all the best on their mission of post-season excellence
and their quest for The Cup, the single greatest prize in
Canadian university-level sports.
There will also be another important football event
taking place on the 22nd - the annual Engineering
Mudbowl. This event is essentially tackle football played
in the mud, dirt, rain, snow or other prevailing environ-
mental conditions without the padding. What could be
more fun than that? Personally, I'm hoping for a nice wet
and muddy day because that's when the game of football
is at its very best. 1 still look back fondly on my high
school football days as some of the best times of my life.
It's impossible to communicate in words the different
emotions and sensations surrounding football. There's this
aura, this energy that surrounds the game that you can
never really understand unless you are a part of it.
WatChing from home or the Slands b, inwll1parabJc to
heing out on the field trading blow!> with your oppOllcnlli,
suffering through tremendous humidity or chilling cold
and taking out all of your pain and frustration Oll that
freight train fullback who's trying to run right through
you, laying on a punishing hit that sounds through the sta-
dium and driving him into the turf. Oh what a game, and
that doesn't even come close to really describing the cmo-
lion that permeates the sport. I'vc seen an entire range of
human emotion in my experiences, from the euphoria of
victory to the agony of defeat. I've seen in others and
experienced myself uncontrollable rage, bloodlust, grudg-
ing respect, even tears from hardened men. Such is the
power of the game. To truly understand what I'm talking
about, as I said before, is La experience it for yourself. So
get a team of your buddies together and come out next
Saturday ready to sweat, get dirty, and have one hell of a
good time.
t te
Cory Amundrud 38 Mech
"Lwnber}ack Competition."
The Iron Warrior would like to con-
gratulate the winners of this term's
photo contest. We received many
fine entries, and with great delibera-
tion we have selected four winners.
Each winner will receive an
Engineering Society novelties T-shirt
of their choice. We wish we had
more prizes to give out, as there
were so many excellent entries!
Congratulations, and thank you for
your participation
Best Composition:
Cam McNaughton - 2B Enviro-Civ
"Cam vs. the Volcano"
Most Creative:
Paul Bowles - 4A Systems
"Self-silhouette"
The Iron Warrior, Friday, November 14, 1997 Opinions 19
f teachers were engin ers ...
II It Mechanical
I
f all of Ontario's teacher were engineers, then their
strike would never have lasted more than a week.
They would not have even dared. Simply put, the
teachers would have known much better.
Humans are generally short-term thinkers; we are born
that way. This flaw is easily seen through the manner in
which we are recklessly destroying our planet. Correcting
this flaw is no easy task; it requires a great deal of train-
ing and persistence. The concept of thinking long-term
must be pounded into one's head many, many times
before it stays there. As engineering students, we experi-
ence a great deal of this pounding throughout our univer-
sity careers because it is paramount that we learn to think
long-term. Failure to do so has proven to be di sastrous
and fatal. Engineers must foresee the impact of their own
actions. Every decision made by an engineer will have an
effect on society. Thus, every decision must be a well cal-
culated one; the heart should never be allowed to get in
the way of the head.
Like engineers, teachers' actions also have a great and
immediate impact on society. Teachers are one of the
major cornerstones of society. Most individuals spend the
15 most important years of their lives attending elemen-
tary and secondary schools -- this is a long-term commit-
ment. The actions of teachers can affect students for the
rest of their lives, be it positively or negatively. Hence,
the education system is an institution in which long-term
planning at all levels is essential. One would expect that
Ontario's teachers are aware of this, and that they have
learned to free themselves from the chains of short-term
thinking. Yet, from the events of the past several weeks,
the teachers have proven quite the contrary.
Looking further into the future, the supposed $1 bil-
lion in education funding cuts should not even be grounds
for a strike. The immediate impact of such a cut might be
bothersome, but in the long run, there is no alternative.
People mu t realize that we live in a country, and a
province, that is running at a deficit. We are spending
money that is not actually ours. Sooner or later, we will
have to start giving that money back. So it' s better now
than later. If we wait until later, then the funding cut will
be even greater. Surely, the teachers would have learned
by now, "a st itch in time saves nine."
Admittedly, though, the current crop of teachers is n01
to blame for this situation. This is a problem that has been
mounting for some time now. The cause of it? Lack of
fores ight. The education systems of years past were too
ambitious. and progressed without adequate funding (and
this is still currently the case). They went ahead and built
the system on weak But if engineers were
running the show, something less ambitious would have
been chosen. Something smaller, but fundamentally
sound, would have been built. Proceeding further would
only be appropriate after a strong foundation had been
established. Today's teachers do not seem to realile all of
this. They want to plow blindly ahead in the same man-
ner, walking on shaky ground. They do not realize that
the system is crumbling. An engineer would not have let
thi . happen in the first place, and ertainly would not let
it continue any further. There i too much at . take.
Ontario's teachers are profe ional. Their jobs are
not as easy a many people believe, and they deserve a
great deal of credit for what they do. Yet, in some regard ,
they have acted quite unprofes i.onally. The teachers
allowed their "hatred" for the Hams government affect
their chosen cour e of action. Many teachers are angry;
however, there hould have been no emotion involved
with their deci ions. For obviou. reasons, the teachers'
prolonged trike has caused harm to society. And they
disobeyed the law to do il. In the practice of engineering,
those two things -- causing harm and breaking the law --
are unacceptabl e. It is a betrayal of society' trust.
The teachers have also exhibited a conflict of interest.
Long before the issue of thi strike ever came about , there
were things called Social Contract Days. These unpaid
holidays were used by Bob Rae and his NDP government
as a cost-saving measure. To compensate for the 10 t pay,
however, the teachers' unions actually voted to increase
class sizes, thus sacrificing the jobs of some younger
teachers. Few people are aware of this. Engineers would
never make such a compromise based purely on money.
And now the teachers claim that they are fighting for
small er class sizes and no layoffs. Does this not border on
hypocrisy?
Teachers' responsibilities to
society are just as crucial as
those of engineers. Both groups
can cause equally devastati ng
harm to society when they fail
to realize their responsibilities.
"Professionalism" seems just.as
vital in engineering as it does in
teaching. So the question
remains: why are Ontario'S
teachers behaving this way?
The answer lies in accountabili-
ty. Engineers assume full
respon ibility and accountabili-
ty for their actions; they are
forced to. Teachers, on the
other hand, are not. Sometimes,
teachers will teach their tu-
dents material incorrectly, or
perhaps some teachers "skimp"
on the amount of work they put
in, and use methods that arc
pedagogically unsound. For
some reason, though, it is okay.
Teachers do not lose their
"licenses" for blunders like
these. jf teachers are indeed as
important as they claim to be.
then their actions should be
considered just as important.
Perhaps . like engineers.
teachers should face puni sh-
ment for their mistakes. Thi s is
not to say that we should be
harsh on teachers, hut the tt:ach-
ers mllst he made to reali/e
exactly how serious their johs
actually arc. Teachers should
be held accountable for every single student they teach
during their careers. They mu t acknowledge the great
impact they have on society. They mu t look into the
future, and sec the COil, equences of all their actions. What
would happen if all the engineers at our 10caJ hydro
provider decided to walk out for two week? We would
be harmed greatly. Engi neers are responsibl e to society
fir I, before anybody else. Teacher, likewise, must real-
ize their re pon ibilitie .
So what are we to do, then? It is time to put account-
ability into the education sy tern. The only way the teach-
er will realize how important they are is if they know that
their actions matter. If a teacher does omethi ng well,
they should be rewarded. If a teacher make a rni t.ake,
they should take full blame and be made to face the con-
sequences. Such i the case with engineers. A good engi-
neer will advance. A very poor engi neer will not go
anywhere. When engineers make mi takes, they have no
one to blame but themselves. So, jf we heave respon i-
bilities onto the shoulders of the teachers, then perhaps
they will actually take their jobs seriously. It is time to
stop blaming the system, and time for the teachers to start
making it work. It is time for students to go back to
school.
Bell Mobility
APP OY 0 11.0 NT
I,","
20 Fiction The Iron Warrior, Friday, ovember 14, 1997
War War War War War War Waf War War war W8I War Wa, War War W81 War War War War war War
War War W8J W8I Wat War War War War War War War War WeI War Waf War 'Nal War war 'WaJ War
War War Wet war WaI W81 War War War War War Wat War WaJ War WaJ WaJ War War War Waf WaJ
"They are on their way but it I handed him back the picture.
take them 3 hours to get
here."
a::::::::::=====:o:::::=====..U "Three hours! What's hold-
We walked for about 2 hours before we
saw the Germans through the bush. We
snuck up to hearing range. It was a good
thing that Joe knew enough German to
understand what they were saying.
W
ar is hell! That is all I have to
say. As I was coming out of the
trench where I was helping
clean up after the German air raid, all I saw
were bodies. Most of the bodies were
missing a few limbs. Bodies half-buried in
mud. Yup! Mud. That's all you could see
from where we were located.
"Lieutenant King, what do you think
you are doing standing around?", asked
Captain Johnson.
Standing up straight at attention
answered, "Sorry sir, I just received a
shock. I'll go help now."
Captain Johnson circled me twice
before dismissing me. I quickly ran to
help the others. The first body I picked up
was one of a sixteen year old boy. He lied
about his age to help defend his country.
The only reason he carne out was because
he wanted to be a hero.
I carried the body to a truck and gave
the dog tag to the soldier there. I picked up
about twenty bodies. By the time we fin-
ished gathering up all the bodies, there
were two truck loads leaving.
My best friend Joseph Smith walked
up to me, "1 guess we have horseshoes up
our butts."
"I guess you're right Joe. Maybe not
yesterday, maybe not today but our day
will come Joe." Walking back to our
bunks a private stopped us and told us that
the Captain wa looking for me.
"King!", yelled the Captain as I
entered the room. "We just got a report in.
The Germans are coming this way with
tank and about five hundred men."
"Are we going to get help from the
British Spitfires, this time?" I asked with a
bit of sarcasm.
ing them back?"
"They were in England fighting off a
brigade of Messerschmitt BF 109 fighters.
Plus they had to stop to reload and refuel.
We are going to have a crisis meeting in 5
minutes. Dismissed, King."
I saluted Captain Johnson and ran out
of the room announcing the crisis meeting.
The captain explained what was happen-
ing about the Germans and the Spitfires.
"Now," the Captain yelled out over the
murmurs,"I want all the tanks out on the
front line with soldiers behind in the
trenches, and I'll need two volunteers to be
scouts. Anyone?"
The room was quiet. Everyone was
looking around to see who would volun-
teer. Joe stood up.
"Sir. I'll volunteer only if Lieutenant
King would come along with me." The
captain looked at me and I nodded my
head in approval.
"Thank you, both of you. Nowevery-
one! Be careful out there. Dismissed."
Joe and I got our orders and set off in
the direction of the Germans.
"Yesterday I got a letter from
Elizabeth.", Joe said in a low voice.
"Yeah? What did she have to say this
time?" I asked with a hint of laughter in
my voice.
"Well this carne in the envelope." He
handed me a picture. The picture was of a
little baby. On the back it said 'Dear
daddy, Say hello to Josephine, your little
baby daughter.' "5 pounds 4 ounces, born
last week. Can't wait to see when I get out
of this hell hole."
"That will be soon Joe, you can count
on that. Our tour is finished next month."
Half an hour passed. Joe turned to me,
"Henry, they have only one hundred men
and hardly no artillery. They just finished
a fight with the French. They are defense-
less."
We moved back about five hundred
yards and called the captain.
"Captain they have only one hundred
men and ... ". Behind us a twig cracked,
and Joe and I both flew around and found
a German standing over us with a machine
gun.
Meanwhile on the radio, "King! King!
Answer me King!"
"Answer the man Canadian.", the
German ordered with a strange accent.
I picked up the radio and answered
"Everything is all right. Over and out." I
dropped the radio. As I picked up the radio
I reached for my pi stol and held it.
The German started to yell something,
I pulled my pistol and shot the German in
the head. At the same time another
German popped out of the bush. It was too
late, the German was behind me. I thought
to myself this is my time. In the middle of
that thought Joe yelled, "H-E-N-R-Y !"
Joe jumped up on me, I heard the
German shoot but I felt nothing. As I hit
the ground, I turned and shot the German
in the heart. By this time the German
camp was starting to come to us. I got on
the radio and told them to attack at once.
Joe was still on the ground.
"Get up Joe, we got to go." I picked up
the two machine guns and went over to Joe
and helped him up.
"I'm hit Henry. Leave me here and go
save your own butt."
I saw the bullet wounds. "No way
photos by Jolene
Koch
buddy! You're coming with me. I put Joe
on my shoulder and started to run. The
Germans in pur uil stopped and returned
to camp.
I looked up in front and faintly through
the trees I saw tanks and soldiers firing in
the Germans direction. I put Joe on the
ground and started to treat him.
"What are you doing Henry?", Joe
asked with a low voice.
''I'm trying to save you, dummy! " Tears
rolling out of my eyes.
Joe put his hands on mine and pulled
them from his wounds. "Henry, my day
has come. It's too late. I'm cold and that's
a good sign that I'm dead. Do me one
favour though." /
"What's that, buddy." Holding back my
tears.
"When you get back home, kiss my
baby for me, will yah, and take care of my
wife."
"You betcha."
"See you in heaven Henryyyyyyy "
His eyes closed and his hands lost their
grip on my hands. His head fell forward
on my shoulder.
I laid Joe on the ground and took the
picture of his little girl out and took one of
his tags off his dog tag and put them in my
pocket.
I carried my best friend back to the
trenches and returned back to Canada
beside his coffin. Joe was buried with the
picture of his little girl.
I carried out my promises to Joe. I
kissed Josephine for him and took care of
his wife. I also made sure that Jo eph
Smith would never be forgotten by his
town. One year the town of Hanmer
unravelled a monument of Joe so no one
would forget his efforts.
And me? Well! I'm still waiting for my
day to come where I will rejoin Joe for
eternity.
The Iron Warrior, Friday, November 14,1997
y We
I Gord Anderson
11997 Mechanical Graduate
138 Civil
I
t was on November J I, J 918 at II :00 a.m. that the
armistice was signed, ending World War I. In 1931 an
act of Parliament proclaimed November 11 th to be an
offlcial holiday in Canada, to be known as Remembrance
Day. Later, it also became the day to honour and to
remember those who died during World War II and the
Korean War. More recently, however, the Gulf War and
the conflict in Bosnia-Herzegovina have ciosed the age
gap between Canadian generations who have experienced
war first hand. These conflicts have provided unque -
lionable evidence that Canadians may yet again be called
upon to fight to defend our hard-earned freedom.
The official symbol of remembrance in Canada is the
poppy. Although this flower has been assured a place in
history through the poem "In Flanders Fields", which was
wrillen in 1915 by Canadian doctor Lieutenant Colonel
John McCrae, it was ftrst worn by an American woman a
a ymbol of remembrance of the millions of people who
died during World War J. In 1921, a French woman
learned of the custom and upon her return to France decid-
ed to use proceeds from the sale of hand made poppies to
assist destitute children in war ravaged areas of her home-
land. The French woman, Madame Guerin, had con-
vinced Canadian war veterans to adopt the poppy as
Canada's symbol of remembrance. In 1921 the first pop-
pies appeared in Canada. The Royal Canadian Legion
assumed respon ibility for distribution of the flowers in
1926. Since that time, proceeds from poppy contributions
assisted veterans and their families at a time when few
government benefits were available. Today the Annual
Remembrance Poppy Campaign, with emphasis placed on
remembrance, is very important as a fund raising activity
and remains the Legion's highest profile public activity.
Last year The Royal Canadian Legion distributed about
News & Information 21
emem
15 million poppies. Legion members actively seek to
continue the tradition of remembrance . inee time has
eroded pa t Canadian wartime memories. Remembran c
Day i a time to remember that freedom is trul eamed
and that at time it mll t be defended.
The eleventh day of th.c eleventh month became the
day et a ide in Canada to remember our nations war
dead. At the eleventh hour on that day. a bugle sound. the
call La t Post to remember tho e Canadians who died
valiantly to pre erve our freedom. A moment of silen e
folJow ' to allow rdlection upon th\! \ ay lifc might have
been had anadians nOl giwn th 'ir li\cs. 0 long ago. The
Rc\cillc calls out to war veterans to wake up. continue to
li\'c on and to p r ~ s c r \ c ch rish 'd Canadian wartime mem-
ories. In ovember. wear a popp to remembc::r those who
did not get .1 chance at a tomorrow so that you could.
------------------------------------
This past couple of weeks was routine for the VP-
Finance and Finance Director. I attended a yearbook
meeting to discuss the Josten's Yearbook Contract, talked
with Dan Kim, A-Soc VP-Finance, about the new orifice
computer specifications, and performed many of the rudi -
mentary tasks with the assistance from the Finance
Director, Monica Milanowski.
In the next few weeks I will be cleaning up the books
to perform for the exchange of the 'worry' finance torch
to the incoming VP-Finance and will be completing a
guide that hopefully will assist the new VP-F in all tasks.
If anybody has any suggestions for charitable dona-
tions, please either place a not on the VP-Finance desk, in
the Finance Director box, or the suggestion box outside of
the orifice in the hallway. There is money that has been
generated for charitable causes in the past couple of terms
including this one, and the Executive would like some
suggestions and guidance.
Cheers.
jay
eport from
22 Internal Information The Iron Warrior, Frida)" November 14, 1997
eport from
Kati Princz, Mary Bland, who were all at thi meeting on
November 5th. I would like to e pecially thank Chri for
taking th.e time to rewrite the contract for me, since I was
buried in other tuff.
If you were around CPH Foyer on Monday. ovember
3rd then you got an extra special treat. I . pent the entire
day (ye , the ENTIRE day) in the foyer with your ma cot,
the TOOL. It has been cu tom in pa t term for the
President to put the ma cot on display so that the tudents
can get close to it and have a good look. I also put out
some pamphlet designed over the summer by A-Soc,
which told a tale of the TOOL and gave a little of its his-
tory. [n case you didn't know, this past summer was the
TOOL's 30th birthday. And if you're obse ed with see-
ing the TOOL everywhere it goes (and why wouldn't you
be?) then make sure you're around for Council meeting
and tenn pubs late in November. You never know when
it might show up. There was a great reception at the MOT
in P'O.E.T.S. and the TOOL likes lots of cheering and
noise.
President
Domn So/vnU)fJ
4A Electrical
W
ell it 's the middle of November now and we
still have no snow. Thank heavens for that.
Still, the action has been ongoing in
Engineering and I've got lots to talk about.
First of all, two weeks ago, Friday October 31, a group
of about 20 orientation leaders got together for a meeting
with Dean Bums. In this meeting we discussed the issue
of alcohol during orientation week, particularly the inci-
dent involving the on-campus demonstration of boatrac-
jng to the first year student.. There was some discussion
about the illegality of boatracing, and also the ethical
issue of introducing the first year students to this activity.
The reasoning behind the ethical issue i that some people
feel that it is unfair to introduce this activity to the new
students at a time when they would be unlikely to voice
objections to the activity i.f they felt it wa something they
did no! wall! to participate ill. Remember that this does
not say that it is acceptable to introduce this type of activ-
ity at any other time. The statement simply means that the
fir t-years are of a particularly impressionable group dur-
ing orientation week and this is an un. uitable activity to
be demonstrating during this time. With re pect to the
illegality of the activity, there are two points. To start
with, competitive drinking is illegal in Ontario even if
done in an otherwise licenced facility. As well, it is ille-
gal to have alcohol on campus without the prior permis-
sion of the University, and by committing this crime we
are not only jeapordizing ourselves, but we are also jea-
pordizing the University. In the end, Dr. Bums announced
that in order to demonstrate to the students that the alco-
hol laws of Ontario are strictly adhered to on this campus
and that any deviation from these laws will not be tolerat-
ed, P.O. .T.S. will not be servi ng alcohol for the weeks of
November 3rd and 10th.
There has been a fair amount of discussion as to
whether or not this punishment is in the fir t place fair,
and in the second place appropriate. The discussions that
I was privy to came to the general concluslqja that while
this may not be the best punishment for the crime. it is a
relatively fair one. However, I did not have the opportu-
nity to solicit opinions from a large number of students. so
I am doing so now. If you have comments, opinions, etc.
about this i sue and would like to have them addressed to
Dr. Bums, then e-mail them to me in
the next week (i.e. I must receive them by Friday,
November 21) and I will compile them and then di cuss
the issue with him. While this action will not change the
fact that P.O.E.T.S. has not been serving for the past two
week this is an opportunity for you the students to voice
your opinion to the Dean in a manner that will be produc-
tive for all.
In other news, the Jostens contract has been under a lot
of discu sion in the past few weeks. Since I wrote this
before Council V, [ cannot say what the outcome of the
contract was. The meeting we had on November 5 was
quite productive and Jostens was quite receptive to the
amendments that the students had to offer to the contract.
If you were at Council V then you know what happened,
but if you weren't, I'll write about it in my next report. I
would like to thank everybody who contributed ideas to
the contract, especially Ryan Chen-Wing, Jeremy Eves,
Milton Chan, Jason Worry, Mike Hermann, Chris Fo ter,
Hey, do you know someone in 4A who has really put
a lot into EngSoc in their five (or more) years here? Do
you really wish there was some way of saying thanks for
all their help? Well, there is! At Council VI (on
November 26 in P'O.E.T.S.) we'll be hearing nominations
for Paul and Paula Plummer Awards. Paul and Paula
Plummer Awards are awards given to graduating students
who have made an extraordinary contribution to EngSoc
over the past five years. So, if you know someone in 4A,
maybe a frosh leader or a director or someone else, then
think about something to say about them and their contri-
bution to EngSoc. and come to Council VI (well, come
anyways) and nominate them. The next President will
then select a few (usually three or four) winn r fr II
the nominees. The Paul and Paula Plummer Awards are
handed out at Grad Ball, which this year i on March 21,
1998.
Well, t.hat's about all for now. If you have any ques-
tions, comments or concerns about what I've written here
or anything else related to EngSoc, plea e feel free to
come talk to me in person or e-mail me at
Until next time, live long and pro per.
Doran
------------------------------------
W
ell, only 6 more days till a new VP X is elected
well, maybe that's 13 days. Either way, I
would like to thank all the people who arc run-
ning for executive positions. J know it's hard to find time
in a busy schedule hut the experience is well worth it.
Okay so what's going on in the wide world of VP X.
Well, not that much is going on. So let me tell you what
I know.
CFES and CCES 98
Planning has been going on for the Congress of
Canadian Engineering students 1998 for over two years.
The organizing committee in Edmonton is very excited
about the congress. Of course there arc always problems.
but they're working through them. As of yet we have not
received our registration packagc. I have made U of A
aware of this and the package has becn rcmailed. I will
hopefully see something with in the next couple of weeks.
The CFES is working hard on there initiatives. For more
info read Lucy Pegoraro's article in the last Iron Warrior
{Ed: Page 1/, Fall '97 Issue 3, October J I, 1997}.
ESSCO
Essco is still working on a student membership pro-
posal to the PEO. They wcre trying to arrange a confer-
ence with CoFlQ ( the Quebec equivalent of the
Engineering Student Society'S Council of Ontario) to be
called COQUES. However the two organizations could
not agree on a date to hold the conference. Hopefully
there will be time during CCES to hold a meeting between
the two societies. Just so you know, COQUES stands for
onfercnce of Ontario and Quebec Undergraduate
Engineering Students. Really. the name was logical.
Finally thanks to everyone who came out to the
Bridging the Gap lectures. The speakers this term where
excellent.
Oh I love pub Crawls . But T hate the day after.
See ya around,
Fabes
eport from
VP External
John Faber
4A Chemical
Internal Information 23
ort from
H
ello again! Well, this is nearly my last VPI
report (sniff, sniff) and there still remains a
lot of things I have to wrap up before the
end of my stint as a member of the exec. One of the
main ones concerns the "workgroup structure" that
was implemented into the Engineering Society this
term. To ave this article from being a novel, the
workgroup discussion will take place in the remain-
ing 2 council meetings. SO .. .if you'd like to give
feedback or suggestions, come out and voice your
ideas to council!
I realize that the end of term is quickly
approaching (only 2 weeks of classes left...ugh), but
I'd like to take the opportunity to briefly discu s the
promotion of advertising of EngSoc events.
Organizing an event for engineering students is not
as simple as it may seem to some. Unlike high-
school, you can't just make an announcement over
the P.A. or go around to homeroom classes and say
a quick shpiel. In engineering, classes and people
are all over the place at various times and in various
buildings. And so the question remains - how do
you target 3000+ people in a short amount of time?
Well, I've yet to find a foolproof an wer that works
for everything" but I have had enough experience to
offer some helpful suggestions!
1. Give ample (and I mean AMPLE) notice.
Throwing a few posters up the day before an event
is probably not going to generate quite the response
you were anticipating. A week is generally enough
advertising time - - granted, more is required for
longer and/or more co tly activities. Remember,
people need time to organize their schedules and
their wallets!
2. Make posters interesting, yet imple. Think
of what you would like to read on a wall and do itl
Posters filled with lots of small text and info don't
get read - give a contact email addre s for people
who are interested to get all the nitty-gritty details.
Also, try to use coloured paper; as students, we
spend more than enough time staring at white pages
(often blank white pages ..... )
3. Put posters where people arc! Sounds im-
ple ... make sure you follow it! Everyone uses the
bathroom, and personally, I'd much rather read
ANYTHING than some of the graffiti di played in
the bathroom stalls. Outside the C&D, POETS, in
computer labs ... don't forget El, E3 and EL! CPH
foyer is a great central meeting place, but it's not the
only place!
4. Cover your bases. Posters are usually quick
to make and generally do the job, but if you really
want to get in touch with as many students as possi-
ble, use your resources! Write on the chalkboards in
the I st year lab and in POETS, get your event up on
the electronic Polaris/Wat tar calendar, put flyers in class
rep boxe , write an IW article about it,make an announce-
ment at EngSoc meeting .. . etc .. . etc! If you really put your
mind to it, you will find that there are many forms of
effective advertising.
I have lot more idea and tip on thi subject mulling
about in my head - feel free to contact me if you'd like to
hear them! Basically, what it come down to L thi : YE ,
effective advertising takes. orne pre-planning and time
invcstmcnt. BUT. if you are going to put in the time to
organilc the e\ent in the first place, wouldn't it be a
shame if no one came because they didn't know about it?
Last, but d 'finitely not least, I'd like to wish good luck
to all of the '<llldidates for future executive positions. ft
take A LOT of time and creativity to run a campaign
am ngst heaps of earns and assignment. I have great
admiration for all of the candidates and am thankful to
know that , no matter what the election outcome is, the
future of the engineering society will be in good hands.
miles :)
Kim
Earn the Right to
put P.Eng. after
It takes more than an engineering degree to compete in today's
marketplace. A professional engineering license (P.Eng.) is one way to
ensure you have a competitive career advantage. It shows employers
you are serious about your responsibility to society and can give you
the edge for advancement.
To be licensed, you need a bachelor's degree from an accredited
engineering program, engineering experience, and demonstrated
knowledge of ethics and engineering law. If you apply before June 30,
1998, you will need three years of satisfactory engineering experience.
After that, the experience requirement becomes four years.
Professional Engineers Ontario licenses and regulates the 62,000
member engineering profession in the province.
Professional Engineers
Ontario
25 Sheppard Avenue West
uiee 1000
North York, Ontario M2N 6S9
leI: (416) 224-1100 or (800) 339-3716
Fax: (416) 224-8168 or (800) 268-0496
http://www.peo.on.ca
E2 2353, ext. 2334; Fax (519) 888-6197
Monday 10 Friday: 8:15 a.m. 104:30 p.m.
You want prompt service for your copying needs, so you have time 10 spend on more
importantlhings. We have high speed copying, laxing, Cerlox binding and stationery
supplies lor your needs. We're close and we're last !
SCH 126, ext. 5905; Fax (519) 746-2698
Monday 10 Friday: 8:00 a.m. 10 8:00 p.m.
Located near the SCH Concourse; we are just a short walk erway. Specialty items such
as colour copies/prints, novelty gilt ideas, passport photographs, laminating, and spiral
binding are available.
r--------------------------,
Iron Warrior Adventurer Coupon
10% Off All Full Service -Relail Ilems with presentation of this coupon
Please present coupon before ordering
GRAPHICS
Offer valid until December 20, 1997

Not valid in combination with any other offer
"I" L '" ell., I
L __________________________
All Graphics outlets accept the WATCARD.
You save 2.5 % on your Graphics oullet
purchase, every time you use your
WATCARD. You have the convenience of
a card ... and you save money.
Centres accept payment with debit cards,
Visa and Mastercard, and the Watcard
(* Arts and Dono Porter Centres accept only
cosh and the Watcard)
All Graphics Centres hove subsidized prices
on course materials, course handouts, solu-
lions sets, and thesis copies. Call for prices.
+?
e
EED EL
COMPO
EN 1;
... Treat you rself.
Donut Plus
Fresh Food Fast!
,

University Shops Plaza 886-1054
Daily luncheon
SpeCials
$2.99-$4.50
---
I
I
I
Choose from
I
our large
selection with
I
over 25
varieti es fresh
I
every day!
I
--------
Free Donut
Buya large
coffee and get a
donut FREE!
Valid until November 30, 1997
Donut Plus
I F.R University Shops Plaza
CE Waterloo 886-1054
pMf>tll coupon \oo\ hrn
Lurnt (u-.,) m UfJCHl p-:r rn ...k-lI ltt"t 1"'1 \'l'Ml.
\'dflft with JIlY ul hN O(ff" \-\"""f'IK!
WIll r-. -i h ...... IO<houl;"")(JrOI"".I(>r .. ....
pub.
.-
..
-
ELECTRONICS
440 Phillip Street unit 1, Waterloo
( 1 block north of Columbia )
(519) 8860186 . www.sayal.com
G
Br"ing i;tbis-;d 70 ;'re and-;et al 0%
off the regular price. Offer expires Dec. 31, 1997
---------------------
Toronto - Mississauga - Burlington Richmond Hill Waterloo

The Iron Warrior: Volume 21, Issue 15

Uploaded by

Document Information

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

The Iron Warrior: Volume 21, Issue 15

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Friday, November 14, 1997 The Magazine of the University of Waterloo Engineering Society Volume 21 Issue 15

You might also like