Flu attack cancels two hockey games

The H1N1 virus had back-to-back victories over the weekend, as two scheduled women's hockey games were cancelled because of the flu. “Two members of the Warriors have confirmed cases of the H1N1 virus,” said an announcement from Ontario University Athletics on Friday, "and other members of the team have flu-like symptoms. The games to be hosted by the York Lions on Oct. 31 and the Toronto Varsity Blues on Nov. 1 will be rescheduled for a later date."

In addition, the Toronto Star reports that “Three members of the Waterloo swim team, who were scheduled to compete this weekend, also came down with the flu as did two players on the men's rugby team.”

The level of influenza across campus isn't easy to measure reliably: one faculty member told me Friday that “My students cut class on a regular basis, and also come and cough on everyone, so who knows?” But associate registrar Mark Walker says this morning that the number of students reporting that they'll miss class or assignments with “flu-like symptoms” stands at 1,067. Figures on the number of employees missing work with flu haven't been issued.

Meanwhile, three Waterloo Region high schools have now reached the 10 per cent absence level that public health officials call a "threshold". The huge majority of identified cases of H1N1 in Ontario has hit people between the ages of 10 and 29. Health services director Barbara Schumacher said her department is so busy looking after flu sufferers and other patients that students needing “elective” health care, such as physical examinations, aren't being booked until after the end of fall classes in early December.

Health services got a first supply of the H1N1 vaccine on Wednesday, 500 doses, and it was gone by Friday morning; Schumacher said the nurse assigned to vaccination duties was giving about one shot every minute during clinic hours. More vaccine arrived on campus Friday, and the lineup for shots was about 75 people long when the clinic opened at 2:00 Friday afternoon. At this point vaccine is designated for people in "priority" groups such as those with underlying health problems, pregnancy, or contact with infants. Open clinics are scheduled for mid-November.

Off campus, public health clinics to give vaccinations against H1N1 have started and will be continuing through November, to the degree that vaccine is available. Clinics in Kitchener and elsewhere on the weekend had hours-long lineups, and health officials are now saying that it will be days or weeks before enough vaccine is available for people outside the priority groups to get their shots.

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Three UW lecturers on TVO's shortlist

Three UW teachers are among the "record-breaking number of nominations" for TVOntario's 2010 Best Lecturer Competition, which is about to get started. TVO says it has received "more than 970 nomination submissions for 692 professors from 37 post-secondary schools", and 332 of those nominated have accepted. Next step is to whittle the number down to 20 semifinalists and then to 10 finalists who will give televised lectures on the network next spring. The three Waterloo nominees:

• Frances Chapman, legal studies and criminology, St. Jerome's University. TVO quoted one student nomination letter: "She is the most hard working, dedicated, enthusiastic, and passionate person any student will ever have the privilege of meeting and working with. Professor Chapman has inspired me to pursue a career in law and she has inspired me to attend Harvard."

• Brad MacMaster, school of accounting and finance. Said one nominator: “He has all of the aspects that a great professor should have. He is intriguing, knowledgeable, approachable and hilarious. I think that when a professor can make you excited about what he is teaching, that is very significant and it speaks volumes about their teaching method." And another letter: "I have obtained both a college diploma and a university honours degree and in that time there has been no professor that has come close to lecturing with such charisma and creativity. He constantly encourages his students to challenge themselves and strive for a higher commitment than they are used to."

• Maryann Vaughan, department of economics. From the nomination letter: "She makes complicated concepts so easy to understand with her amazing teaching style. She has a great sense of humour and shares real life stories with us to make the classroom environment more fun. Along with her excellent explanation of complicated concepts, she has very helpful notes that help students follow along."

TVO's program "Big Ideas" will carry the lectures starting on March 6. Viewers and a panel of judges will vote for an overall winner. A news release explains: "is TVO’s popular television program offering lectures on “Now in its fifth year, the Best Lecturer Competition was created to recognize the best and brightest lecturers at Ontario’s colleges and universities, it invites students and alumni to nominate professors whose love of learning has helped to stimulate imaginations, open eyes and push boundaries in institutions of higher learning across the province."

Says Big Ideas producer Wodek Szemberg: "The Best Lecturer Competition focuses on capturing on camera the art of the lecture. In doing so, we bring to our audience professors who excel at offering their students a blend of knowledge, clarity, stimulation and perhaps a bit of wisdom as well.”

TVO promises "not only bragging rights and much deserved recognition for the winner", but also a $10,000 scholarship for the winning instructor's university or college, sponsored by TD Insurance Meloche Monnex.

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Panel Friday addresses green business

A high-profile panel will explore global trends in enterprise and development through a 'green lens' at an event this Friday that marks the launch of North America's first school focusing on environmentally responsible business and development.

The School of Environment, Enterprise and Development, centered in Waterloo's faculty of environment, presents a provocative, day-long symposium entitled “Business Not As Usual. The event hosts panel debates by notable industry leaders who will explore two topics: Is Green Enough? and Local Versus Global.

Federal industry minister Tony Clement will open the symposium, taking place in Federation Hall, at 8:45 Friday morning. The closing plenary speaker will be Stuart L. Smith, former chair of Canada's National Round Table on the Environment and the Economy.

"This symposium will examine the questions and challenges that industry leaders face everyday," says a statement from Clement. "The dialogue will be beneficial to Canadian businesses as they move forward and develop their own green strategies."

Panelists include Toby Heaps, president and editor of Corporate Knights magazine; Olaf Weber, UW's EDC Chair in Environmental Finance; Frank Frantisak, former senior vice-president, Noranda Inc.; and Sandra Odendahl, director of corporate environmental affairs, RBC Royal Bank of Canada.

"We will provide a closer examination of 'green' business trends and practices and their impact on our environmental future," says Steven Young, interim director of SEED. "Businesses — especially global companies — increasingly respond to environmental challenges, but is it good enough? During the symposium, we will examine the boundaries of responsibility for business today and address the risks and rewards, drawbacks and benefits of globalization."

SEED, which was created this summer to house a number of the enviornment faculty's programs, offers education, research and training in environmentally responsible business and development, and is said to be the first institution of its kind in North America and the most comprehensive in the world. By 2012, SEED is expected to have more than 800 students and 15 to 20 dedicated core faculty members. The school will produce the largest number of graduates with combined business, development and environmental expertise of any school in North America.

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Optometry event today, and more notes

The school of optometry will hold a ceremony at 4:30 today to dedicate the Witer Learning Resource Centre and recognize a $500,000 donation from philanthropists Marta Witer and Ian Ihnatowycz. This event was originally scheduled to be part of celebrations in June as the new wing of the Optometry building, which includes the resource centre, was opened, but it was postponed because one of the donors was unavailable. More than 400 alumni and friends, faculty and staff and senior Waterloo officials attended the opening celebrations. The half-million-dollar gift, which supports the school's expansion project, is the largest donation the school has ever received from an alumnus. “Marta and Ian's passion and commitment to the school and the profession of optometry will help enhance optometric education and will ensure that we are prepared to embrace growth and change in optometry practices across Canada,” said Thomas Freddo, director of the school. “The Witer Learning Resource Centre, a hub of student activity and study, seems a fitting way to recognize such support of optometry.”

Some international students may no longer have to pay the elevated tuition fees that normally go with that status, says a memo issued Thursday by the registrar's office. "Recently," it says, "the University of Waterloo received clarification from the Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities on an eligibility category for government reporting. Effective Fall 2009, International students who have applied to Citizenship and Immigration Canada for Permanent Resident status, and who have received a letter from CIC indicating preliminary approval may be eligible for the domestic tuition fee rate." Such students should bring their “Preliminary Approval” or “Approval-in-Principle” letters to the registrar’s office in Needles Hall, "and the RO will confirm if the letter meets the MTCU requirement. If the letter meets the requirements, is dated November 1, 2009 or earlier and is presented to the RO by November 13, 2009, tuition fees for the fall 2009 term will be reassessed and awards will be adjusted if applicable. Students who submit letters to the RO dated after November 1, 2009 and on or before February 1, 2010 will have their records and fees adjusted for the winter 2010 term.” International student fees are three to four times the fees charged to Canadian citizens and landed immigrants: $9,441 in first-year co-op math for the one group and $2,516 for the other, for example.

Something called “Sonic Chapel” is on display for the next few days (until November 8) at the Design at Riverside gallery in UW's Architecture building in Cambridge. It's the result of a competition, an announcement explains, showcasing the studio work and/or projects by master's students and graduates. This year's work is by Yiu-Bun Chan, who received a master’s degree in architecture earlier this year and is now working in Cambridge. "Sonic Chapel," says the gallery publicity, "is a collection of three installations that present the notation, design and performance of sound space. The concept is to demonstrate the aural thinking of space, and invites visitors to imagine architecture through the act of listening." A reception for the show was held last Tuesday.

If you're the person in the photo at left, you might have a word with Rebecca White in the UW athletics and recreational services department, who knows where you can find your lost camera. • Speaking of photos, the student newsletter MathNews had a doozy o the cover of its October 23, coupling the VIPs at the recent Math 3 groundbreaking with Egyptian grave goods that they seem to be excavating.

Kayleigh Platz of the Marketing and Undergraduate Recruitment office reports on a new way of communicating with potential UW students: "MUR is offering a virtual platform to connect with international prospective students and guidance counsellors. There are many countries that Waterloo is not able to travel to, often for security and safety reasons. We are proud to offer four virtual alternatives to an in-person visit — video conferencing, web conferencing, Skype video visits, and online chats. Skype visits have been the most popular offering so far. In November we will be skyping with high schools in Pakistan and the Bahamas. These virtual visits will help us connect in more meaningful ways with students and counsellors in our priority countries, and allow us to strive towards the ambitious Sixth Decade goal of 20% of our undergraduate students to be international.”

CAR

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