I'm sure it's purely coincidence that the powers-that-be have chosen Oldfield's birthday as the day to take the Electronic Library out of commission for computer maintenance. It should be back in operation tomorrow.
THE HANGOVER: Not only did Wilfrid Laurier University and the police not manage to prevent a Saturday night street party, they didn't manage to keep it from turning into a riot. The issue now: how to prevent a third annual incident at the end of exams in 1996, to match the 1994 and 1995 Ezra Street parties. At Saturday night's event there were some 42 arrests and a number of minor injuries as well as two major ones -- a woman struck by a chunk of flying concrete and a man run over by a car.
The party was a subject of discussion at last night's meeting of Waterloo city council. Lorna Marsden, president of WLU, was there to speak about what happened (and how the 1,500-student party happened in spite of the university's efforts to derail it). Martin van Nierop, director of information and public affairs for UW, also spoke briefly.
So far there's been no indication that any of the people arrested, or indeed any of the revellers, were connected with UW. But police told city council last night that one of the people taken off to jail around midnight was wearing a UW jacket, and said there were other evidences of this university at the party. UW's own police haven't been able to confirm the identity of anybody from UW who was taken into custody.
EXEMPT FROM FEES: A detail of the way UW charges student "incidental" fees is being changed, as of May 1. Word came yesterday from the Provost's Advisory Committee on Student Fees, a group that represents student leaders and top UW officials.
They've proposed a simple rule: "If you are not here, you do not pay; if you are here, you do pay." As a result, students who are away from Waterloo "as a required part of their academic program" -- on exchanges, summer optometry placements and the like -- will not have to pay incidental fees in future, except health insurance. On the other hand, students coming to UW on exchange programs will pay incidental fees, such as those for student services.
Only "a very small number" of students are affected by the change, says Bob Truman, director of institutional analysis and planning. But it's the principle of the thing.
MEETING TODAY: Two interest groups are meeting today under the auspices of the Teaching Resource Office. A group on "CD-ROM production and preparation" meets at 12 noon in Chemistry 2 room 278. A group on "instructional uses of the World Wide Web" meets at 3:30 p.m. in Davis Centre room 1304. Information: ext. 3132.
JAPANESE FESTIVAL: Word is out that UW will hold a "festival" May 23-27 to celebrate the connections between Canada and Japan. Largely based at Renison College, where UW's East Asian Studies program is housed, the festival will include a business seminar, Japanese films, an art exhibit, concerts, and demonstrations of such Japanese arts as calligraphy and origami. An orchestra concert takes place May 25 in the Theatre of the Arts, and a concert of Japanese traditional music May 27.
Chris Redmond
Information and Public Affairs, University of Waterloo
(519) 888-4567 ext. 3004
credmond@watserv1.uwaterloo.ca