Daily Bulletin

"You can read the first part and get a pretty good sense of what life at Waterloo is like," says Linda Kenyon, manager of the publications office in information and public affairs, who wrote most of the text. "The next part is like a catalogue." From page 33 through page 73, the book offers half a page or a page about every field of study at UW, with smiling faces offering the subliminal message that health studies makes you happy and successful, psychology makes you happy and successful, electrical engineering makes you happy and successful, actuarial science . . .

Discount on non-credit courses

Cultural Explorations, one of many continuing education courses, is designed to cultivate an appreciation of cultural opportunities in Kitchener-Waterloo in challenging and enjoyable ways. Other new courses listed in the fall 1998 continuing education calendar are Screenwriting 1, Get Your Resume Ready-the On-line Way, Advanced Mediation, Microsoft Project '98, Introduction to Microsoft ACCESS and Intermediate Microsoft ACCESS.

Some of the courses are already under way -- "Introduction to Acting" and "Starting Your Own Business" both began last week -- while others run into November and December. The courses are intended to provide life-long learning in personal development, professional development, languages, business communications, business writing, and computing skills, organizers say. There's also a special package for teens and children, including two new courses for children: Introductory Astronomy for Kids (ages 10-15) and Create Your Own Storybook (ages 8-11).

The Cultural Explorations course seeks to expose students to a variety of arts, cultures and heritage venues across the Kitchener-Waterloo area, offering them a learning adventure as well as giving a boost to both established and emerging artists. Its goal is to take students beyond their comfort zone, giving them an opportunity to explore their own creative potential and enhancing their awareness and appreciation of arts and culture. The course was developed by Martin de Groot and Mary-Lou Schagena, in partnership with people from the local arts community.

Typical fees for the courses, before any discount: $145 for a one-Saturday session on "Strategies for Stress"; $195 for eight Monday evenings of introductory Spanish; $295 for a Thursday and Friday of "advanced mediation".

Charity and worship at St. Jerome's

St. Jerome as a Cardinal, painted by El Greco. Who was he? Says an online hagiography: "St. Jerome was born at Stridon in Dalmatia around 347 A.D. He became a monk and embraced a life of asceticism. St. Jerome later became secretary to Pope Damasus. He is the author of the Latin Vulgate. St. Jerome was concerned with the 'Hebrew' and understood better than his predecessors the importance of the literal sense which he never disassociated from its prolongation or spiritual sense. He is one of the four great doctors of the Latin Church. St. Jerome is the Patron Saint of Librarians, Scripture Scholars and Students."

Opening ceremonies are scheduled for 11:30 a.m., with dignitaries on hand including MPP Elizabeth Witmer and officials of the local Volunteer Action Centre, which is the beneficiary of the charity run this year. A symbolic first lap will follow a reflection and blessing by Rev. Jim Link, St. Jerome's chaplain, and greetings by the bigwigs. The VAC is an agency that matches volunteers with some 120 non-profit agencies in the Kitchener-Waterloo area.

Already the project has raised more than $3,000 towards the $5,000 goal, St. Jerome's information officer Dave Augustyn said this morning. "Initiated in 1976 by two St. Jerome's students," he said. "the Charity Run gives the SJU students an opportunity to give something back to the K-W community that they call home for eight months of the year."

Once the run finishes, two days and nights later, it'll be St. Jerome's Day. Actually, the Feast of St. Jerome is September 30, but the UW-based university college that bears his name celebrates it on the nearest Sunday. So faculty, staff, students, and friends of St. Jerome's University will gather at 7:00 Sunday evening in Siegfried Hall for the annual St. Jerome's Day Mass, followed by "a reception in the redesigned Fireplace Lounge".

Going to be a busy weekend

The Humanities Theatre has a visiting children's show at 10:00 and 1:30 today -- the Touring Players doing Franklin the Turtle -- and on Saturday there's something a little out of the ordinary, the Western Ontario Bodybuilding Championships. Theatre manager Peter Houston tells me it's too late for me to enter the contest, "but you could come and watch if you felt so inclined. At noon there will be judging. It costs $10 to get in. Seating is general admission. The finals start at 6 p.m. This is the big deal. It costs $35. Tickets for both shows are available only at the Humanities Theatre Box Office, 888-4908 or ext. 4908. We are open noon to 5, Monday to Friday, and for one hour prior to most ticketed events, including these two."

The teaching resource office sponsors a workshop for teaching assistants at 12:00 today in Math and Computer room 5158. Topic: "Varying Your Teaching Activities".

Starting this afternoon and running into Saturday: The 2001 Scunt Odyssey, which I'd best explain by quoting from the most recent issue of the engineering newspaper Iron Warrior:

Teams are formed from various classes and groups within the Engineering student body as well as from other faculties such as Math. The Scunt consists of a large set of small events running over a time span of 12 to 24 hours. These events include road trips, sporting events, childhood games, creativity/enginuity contests, and demonstrations of great or minor skill. Traditional scavenger-hunt "Get" lists and trivia lists are also included. . . . Each team will be judged over the course of the events according to their spirit, enthusiasm, creativity, humour, and skill. The team that wins the Scunt isn't necessarily the team that wins events (although it helps).