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University of Waterloo -- Waterloo, Ontario, Canada
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Monday, August 25, 1997

Dons need remedial drug course

A new drug training session will be offered to residence life staff at UW this week -- not because illicit drugs pose a growing problem on campus, but because fewer dons have had personal experience with them.

"Ten years ago, everyone was fairly well-educated about soft drugs," explained Chris Read, residence life coordinator for Village I. "Dons today may not recognize marijuana when they smell it".

To enlighten the dons, the Waterloo Regional Police drug squad will pay a visit during Residence Life Staff Training Week. It's just part of a comprehensive program that includes sessions on fire safety, conflict mediation, communication, "diversity appreciation" and an orientation to student services across campus.

Twenty returning dons will be joined by 30 new staff this year, including 26 dons in Village One, 20 in Ron Eydt Village, and four Columbia Lake Townhouse stewards (CoLTS) at the training camp which runs from August 23 to 29.

"One of the main goals of the week is team building," Read added, and a number of social events have been included to encourage staff to develop peer support relationships. On the fun agenda is an open-mike coffee house at Fed Hall, a campfire at Columbia Lake and an evening of bowling.

Isotope workshop illuminates technology

Organizers of the Fourth Canadian Continuous-Flow Isotope Ratio Mass Spectrometry Workshop are anticipating plenty of questions at the four-day event that began on Sunday.

To help participants keep pace with this rapidly changing technology, UW's Environmental Isotope Laboratory in the department of earth sciences, which is sponsoring the workshop, held a half-day session on Sunday as an introduction for neophytes, and plans a question and answer evening on Tuesday.

According to organizers, "This workshop is geared to those wishing to hear about this evolving technology in a nuts and bolts type discussion. Sample selection and preparation, problem solving, front end configurations, capabilities and applications are some of the topics that will arise. Focus is on the technology and the applications, without delving too deeply into the interpretation".

Some 80 participants from around the world are attending the workshop, which is of special interest to "researchers in any field new to stable isotope research/mass spectrometry, experienced users wishing current information on technology, and anyone interested in new investigative tools."

On Heather White's birthday

UW plant operations and food services workers have voted overwhelmingly in favour of a new two-year contract which provides a two per cent increase retroactive to May 1, 1997. Just over 75 per cent of CUPE Local 793 members voted to accept the new deal, which was recommended by the union negotiating team at a meeting Friday afternoon. The agreement also includes a $300 lump-sum payment on May 1, 1998, small increases to shift premiums and to the lead hand bonus, and the addition of December 23 as a Christmas holiday at this year.

September 5 is the new date for the English language proficiency exam -- the test for which studying won't help. To demonstrate their knowledge of English, students are required to write a 50-minute essay on an assigned topic. Exams will be written in the Physical Activities Complex at the following times:

Hydro, heating, cooling and ventilation will be off for four hours Tuesday in the Villages, Tutor Houses and Fed Hall to allow maintenance work on the 15,000 volt substation equipment. Power will be cut between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m., and staff are advised to shut down computer equipment "in an orderly fashion (particularly UNIX systems)". For computer aid, contact the IST help desk at ext. 4357 or lycke@watserv1.

As well, air conditioning and chilled water will be unavailable in the central complex of Village One from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. to accommodate crews making connections for dining hall renovations.

Waterloo Web site of the day

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT COFFEE AND CAFFEINE
http://daisy.uwaterloo.ca/~alopez-o/caffaq.html

How much caffeine is there in Jolt cola? What is the best temperature for drip coffee? How do you spell "espresso"? Alex Lopez-Ortiz knows, and this web site has the answers (along with recipes, medical notes, and diagrams of the caffeine molecule).

Lopez-Ortiz, a recent PhD graduate in computer science, gives this background about his site:

Back in 1995, I happened to have a few handy facts about coffee so I made them available on the web and usenet. Before I knew it contributions from many others had made this small list into a sizeable collection of caffeine related facts which were then converted into the official FAQ of the coffee newsgroups.

After countless trips to the library and medical databases, the FAQ has grown into a repository of coffee recipes and technical terms such as cAMP cycle, CNS and LD_50.

The FAQ was declared one of the five "coolest FAQ" by Internet World back in 1995. It has also appeared in CNN (the TV news channel, not the web site), the Wall Street Journal, the Ottawa Citizen and other traditional media outlets. The FAQ has been enriched by comments and questions from distinguished chemicists and medical doctors, caffeinated soda executives and dictionary editors.

The site doesn't have extensive pointers to other web pages, but it does offer a link to Rocket Cola "this manic planet's Numero Uno caffeine delivery system".

Barbara Elve
bmelve@nh4.adm.uwaterloo.ca

TODAY IN UW HISTORY
August 24, 1994: The bookstore reopens following renovations to create the South Campus Hall concourse.

August 25, 1972: A very young man moves to Waterloo to begin work on an MA in the English department, little imagining that 25 years later he will be editor of the Daily Bulletin.

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