Daily Bulletin

Wednesday, September 24, 1997

University of Waterloo -- Waterloo, Ontario, Canada

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Lime green and hubba-hubba purple

Loud colours on the inside, a breathtaking shot of trees and Porter Library on the outside, and nearly sixty pages of information about UW's programs and services as an 18-year-old would want to hear about them: that's the new UW "viewbook", published this week. Copies are being sent to thousands of high school students who have already expressed interest in Waterloo as a possible university to attend next fall, and liaison officers are taking thousands more copies on the road with them as they visit high schools this month.

The viewbook, titled A Spirit of Innovation, is the second in UW's new generation of student recruitment publications. It's a follow-up to Why Waterloo?, the eight-page brochure designed to get young people interested in the first place.

Also ready this week is the new recruitment poster, with a golden-sunset picture of the Davis Centre, Math and Computer, and Porter Library. There's no text on the poster at all except the words "University of Waterloo", as part of the new logo, and (red on yellow on green, with swirls) the Web address www.uwaterloo.ca.

A brief excerpt from the first text page of the new viewbook:

Year after year, the grade averages of our incoming students place us among the top two or three universities in Ontario. But our students aren't just smart, they're motivated: most of them finish what they start, graduating with a much-prized University of Waterloo degree.
If you visit campus you'll notice that even on a sunny fall afternoon, our students walk quickly and with purpose, on their way to class, or a part-time job, or a co-op interview.
"When I think of a Waterloo student," says Kelly Foley, a vice-president of the Federation of Students, "I think of somebody with a knapsack, a leather jacket, and a suit on, running to Needles Hall. They're always crossing the line between the work world -- the real world -- and this life of being a student."

The fine print on the back of the viewbook includes a phone number for the undergraduate recruitment and publications unit in the registrar's office (ext. 3614) and also a new e-mail address: watquest@nh1adm.uwaterloo.ca.

A new campus map is out also, by the way; it has the new UW logo but not the psychedelic colours. Let's see, what details are new since the map's previous printing? Well, St. Jerome's College now has "Sweeney Hall", parking rates are up, and a new list of attractions includes the "Gustav Bakos Observatory".

Nigerian scam hits campus

It's back in the news again, and back on campus again: the so-called "Nigerian scam", a fraudulent operation that uses the National Bank of Nigeria and other supposedly reputable organizations as cover. I'm told that "a number of people at the school of optometry" have received Nigeria letters in the last few days, and I wouldn't be surprised to hear that they're arriving elsewhere as well.

An operation called the 409 Coalition is trying to publicize and fight the Nigeria scam. From its web page explaining how the racket works:

The target receives an unsolicited fax or letter from Nigeria containing either a money laundering or other illegal proposal. . . . Common variations on the Scam include "overinvoiced" or "double invoiced" oil or other supply and service contracts where your Bad Guys want to get the overage out of Nigeria; crude oil and other commodity deals; a "bequest" left you in a will; and "money cleaning" where your Bad Guy has a lot of currency that needs to be "chemically cleaned" before it can be used and he needs the cost of the chemicals. . . . The variations are very creative and virtually endless.
At some point, the victim is asked to pay up front an Advance Fee of some sort, be it an "Advance Fee", "Transfer Tax", "Performance Bond", or to extend credit, grant COD privileges, whatever. If the victim pays the Fee, there are many "Complications" which require still more advance payments until the victim either quits, runs out of money, or both.

The Commercial Crime Branch of the RCMP is among police agencies working on the scam. Anyone on campus who receives a letter that seems to fit the description should pass it along to Al MacKenzie, UW's director of security -- although he adds, "We've got so many of them, it's hardly worth it!"

Nearly everybody got a job

That's the cheerful word from Bruce Lumsden, director of co-operative education and career services, who has just sent out figures on fall term co-op employment. "You will see an almost 100% employment rate," he writes, "which is a wonderful achievement given the size of our co-op program and the fragility of the job market."

To be precise, the placement rate was 99.64 per cent, with 2,812 students in jobs in this fall and 10 currently without. Last year at the same time there were 2,695 students in co-op jobs and 23 unemployed.

Now comes the tough part, Lumsden notes: placement for the winter term, when many new students are looking for their first co-op jobs. "This fall," he writes, "the number of co-op students in first year is about 200 more than anticipated. This will require additional efforts on behalf of us all -- co-ordinators, faculty, staff and alumni. Our challenge is to have all our students, but particularly our first year students, employed in a successful co-op job."

Happening today and tomorrow

A dozen or more computer companies, from Apple to Omega, will have people and products on hand today for Compufest '97. The show -- which continues tomorrow -- takes place in the Student Life Centre and is sponsored by the UW Computer Store and its Compu-scape spinoff. "All students, staff and faculty are invited," says Brendan Beasley of retail services, "and will have the opportunity to view these products and even win some great prizes."

The retirees' association holds a wine and cheese party at the University Club from 4:00 to 6:30 p.m. for association members and their guests.

Fourth-year and graduate students in economics are especially invited to a talk tomorrow by John Murray, chief of international development at the Bank of Canada, who will speak on monetary policy in Canada. The talk is scheduled for 12 noon in Humanities room 373.

Today's the first day to sign up for interview skills workshops being offered October 2,7 and 8 by the department of co-op education and career services. Sign-up sheets are on bulletin boards on the first floor of Needles Hall.

CAR

TODAY IN UW HISTORY September 24, 1973: The price of milk and juice in UW vending machines is increased to 15 cents.

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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