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Wednesday, May 10, 1995

Celebrating 25 years at UW

The university's 25-Year Club held its annual reception at Fed Hall last night, welcoming some 66 staff and faculty members who first came to UW in 1970 and have stuck it out for a quarter of a century. (Their names are listed in this morning's Gazette.)

There was no Daily Bulletin in 1970, obviously, and the Gazette had just recently switched to newspaper format from being a little newsletter. UW was also publishing something called the Quarterly. Its September 1970 issue noted that Burt Matthews had just become president of the university, a language lab had just been put into operation, work was starting on "major new additions" to the engineering complex and the chemistry building -- that would be Carl Pollock Hall and Chem 2, respectively. Oh, and Waterloo held its first rock festival, in Seagram Gymnasium. (The Quarterly published a little photo from the event, identifying two of the audience as "campus beauties" -- something I wouldn't expect to see in print 25 years later.)

There are more buildings, and so much has changed since that year, when UW rejoiced that enrolment had passed the 10,000 mark. "But we are still a close-knit group," comments one of the 25-year veterans, Ronda DeBrusk of the kinesiology department. "It is the people that make my position here so wonderful. I think I am very lucky to be working with them."

Other chances to reminisce

The library holds a luncheon today to honour its own veterans, the 25-year people and another half-dozen who have been on the staff for 20 years. "I submit that the Long Service Luncheon is an opportunity to celebrate all staff," adds university librarian Murray Shepherd.

And the UW retirees' association holds its annual meeting today, at 2:30 p.m. in room 102 of the west quad, Village 2.

The quality of life

The "working group on the quality of life for faculty, staff and students", set up by UW's Commission on Institutional Planning, holds its open forum today, from 11:30 to 1:30, in the second floor of the new wing of the Campus Centre. Everybody's invited.

Other things happening today

"Growing Familiar and Unusual Herbs" is a noon-hour seminar today, sponsored by the social committee of the staff association. The speaker is Frances Lister; she'll be heard in Davis Centre room 1302, starting at 12:00.

Public school students are visiting the Humanities Theatre this morning for a special program about the Holocaust.

On the Village green at 5:00 (nice day for it!) there will be "a game of ultimate", organizers say. It used to be called "ultimate frisbee", but somebody noticed that "frisbee" is a brand name. Either way, it's a field sport that involves moving "a disk" by passing it among teammates and eventually crossing the goal line. "It's a great co-rec game," says enthusiast Max Stevens. Everybody's invited.

Leader of the United Church

Marion Best, moderator of the United Church of Canada, is on campus today, visiting St. Paul's United College. Her schedule includes breakfast with students, a college tour, a news conference, and lunch with officials including the heads of the four church-connected colleges at UW. The church college system is considered one of Waterloo's distinctions -- nowhere else has a structure quite like it, or so UW has said in briefs explaining the character and uniqueness of this university.

Best, a laywoman from British Columbia, is on a two-week tour of United Church facilities and congregations in central Ontario.

Views about staff salaries

The latest issue of the staff association newsletter included a survey form about compensation: salaries, job security, benefits and other issues for the next year or three, as the provincial Social Contract comes to an end. Mark Walker, president-elect of the association, sends this request: "Please remind people to return the Compensation Survey as soon as possible -- we are trying to ensure that we get as many surveys back as possible." The association's compensation subcommittee will be considering the survey results as its puts together its proposals and negotiating positions for 1996.

Chris Redmond
Information and Public Affairs, University of Waterloo
(519) 888-4567 ext. 3004
credmond@watserv1.uwaterloo.ca

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