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University of Waterloo -- Waterloo, Ontario, Canada

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Thursday, February 13, 1997

Fed Hall plus $5

More than 90 per cent of voters on Tuesday and Wednesday said yes, the Federation of Students should keep on operating Federation Hall -- "the largest student-owned pub in Canada". Voters also favoured, though by a slimmer margin, a temporary $5-a-term fee to renovate the place.

Mario Bellabarba, president of the Federation, said last night that 2,920 students voted in the two-day referendum, which was held in conjunction with the election of undergraduate student senators. That's a 21 per cent turnout of eligible voters.

The ballot had two questions:

Should the Federation keep Fed Hall open? A little more than 90 per cent of voters said yes, and 9.8 per cent said no.
Should there be a $5 fee in the fall 1997, winter 1998 and spring 1998 terms to pay for sprucing up the pub? On that one 53.8 per cent of voters said yes and 45.6 per cent no.

"So, Fed Hall + $5 is the winner," says Bellabarba.

Meetings about serious issues

At noontime today comes "The Great Debate", pitting Judy Wubnig of UW's philosophy department against Kelly Foley, vice-president (education) of the Federation of Students. Their subject is a continuation of the argument that raged in the Gazette's Letters column a few weeks ago -- the wisdom of student representation on university governing bodies. The debate starts at 12 noon in the great hall of the Student Life Centre.

And at the same hour, in Needles Hall room 3001, comes the second public meeting about the draft report from the commission on institutional planning. Everyone is welcome to take part in discussion about the report. Written comments about it have been invited -- deadline, April 15, after which the commission will prepare its final report.

Explaining the '1999' projects

Information systems and technology will hold an open house tomorrow morning about the Business 1999 projects. A reminder of what that means, from Jay Black, associate provost (IST):

We have a need to replace various legacy information systems in the near future. These needs are becoming more critical at a time when our resources are decreasing, the complexity of the systems and the associated business needs are increasing, and time is running out between now and the certain inability of many of the University's systems (not just those defined as "legacy") to function in the year 2000. We can no longer plan each system in isolation of the others, and with no thought to the consequences of missing what were typically, after all, soft or non-existent deadlines. As such, the "Business 1999" initiative was established in August, 1996 to prepare a definition of how the University's business will be conducted in the spring of 1999, given the opportunities available with existing technology, the constraints imposed by practical limitations of dollars and resources, and the technical implications associated with the year 2000.

Tomorrow's open house starts at 10 a.m. in Davis Centre room 1302. Future open houses -- IST intends to hold one roughly every other Friday -- will be about "Decision Support with Cognos' Impromptu and PowerPlay" on February 28, and "PeopleSoft HRMS at UW" on March 14.

Many brief announcements

Here's an update to information that was in the Gazette yesterday: the health services department won't be closed Friday morning after all, but will still be closing next Monday and Tuesday mornings, as announced.

I have a note from Mark Walker, who chairs the staff association's nominating committee, reminding people that staff representatives are needed for three dean nominating committees (engineering, science, and math) and for the traffic and parking appeals board. Says Walker: "I have not received any applications for the Dean of Engineering Search Committee or the Parking Appeals Board. The deadline is February 17."

The first of this term's Arriscraft Lectures in the school of architecture is set for 8:00 tonight, in the "green room" of Environmental Studies II. Finnish architect Pekka Helin will speak about current work.

Today and Friday are "Focus on Crocus Days" at the UW Shop in South Campus Hall. The event is in support of the Canadian National Institute for the Blind, says staff member Olga Nohra: "Anyone wishing to support the CNIB by purchasing a pot of crocus plants can do so at the UW Shop on those two days. The price is $3 per pot or four pots for $10. There are several bulbs in each pot. Last year's crocuses were beautiful, and this year's will be as well."

The co-op department's series of lunchtime talks for employers is continuing. On Tuesday the speaker was Jock MacKay of the statistics and actuarial science department; today it's a trio of students -- Laura Disher of recreation and leisure studies, Chris Law of systems design engineering and Etienne Phaneuf of math and business -- promising "The Inside Scoop from Students". The talks are held at 12:00 in Needles Hall room 3004.

At a "college dinner" tonight at Renison College, cheques totalling $2,500 will be presented to Hopespring and the Canadian Cancer Society; the money was raised by Renison students through a recent "haircutting pub".

On the day before Valentine's

Birthday greetings are in order today to a couple of UW people: Don Kasta, in the distance education (correspondence, part-time studies, continuing education) office, and Arthur Hills in the math faculty computing facility.

As mainstream media are reporting at length today, it's the 50th anniversary of a major event in Canadian history: the announcement of a big oil find, Leduc No. 1, northwest of Edmonton -- the beginning of the Alberta oil industry.

CAR

TODAY IN UW HISTORY
February 13, 1971: FASS winds up its four-night run with what the Gazette calls "the slickest show ever", but without the traditional in-jokes because "the campus is too big -- people no longer know each other that well."

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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