Reaching beyond the rink

reprinted with permission from the Office of Development's 2010-2011 Stakeholder Report

The kids attending the Waterloo Warrior hockey school and skills camps would say it's a cool experience to learn hockey from university varsity players. Most varsity players would say it's just as cool to work with the kids and the community. Hockey team member Kealin Wong (right), a fourth-year science student, is well aware of the unique role he gets to play.

"This program provides a tremendous opportunity to raise the skill level and confidence of these young players, and it allows us to connect with the minor hockey community," says Kealin.

Last fall, the team broadened their community connection beyond the Waterloo Region with a day of skills and coaching camps, and an exhibition game in Huntsville, Ontario, home to the new Waterloo Summit Centre for the Environment. Nearly 300 energetic kids from the Huntsville area participated in the camps.

Kealin also recognizes that it's not just about skills. "There is an opportunity to make sure the kids have fun and enjoy the game. Plus, as student athletes, we are in a great position to promote the value of balance between school and sport."

Warrior hockey coach Brian Bourque watches his team spirit rise when the players are involved in community work. "We can lose sight of just how good we have it and involvement in the community helps us keep perspective and be grateful for what we have," he says. "These kids look up to our players and it feels great to give back."

The team regularly participates in community initiatives, such as Habitat for Humanity builds, Heart & Stroke Big Bike, Terry Fox Run, and Heartwood Place's Amazing Race, among others. Brian says they are mindful that as a team, athletes can contribute their skills and talents to help build a healthy community.

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Accounting team advances in global contest

a news release from the School of Accounting and Finance

Five students from The School of Accounting and Finance (SAF) at the University of Waterloo have been chosen by the Toronto CFA Society to advance in a world renowned financial competition.

The Waterloo team, consisting of Ian Gutwinski (MAcc), Michael C. Liu (MAcc), Mike Y. Liu (MAcc), Daniel Pacione (MAcc), and Meng Wang (BAFM’11), were among four Ontario universities that were declared finalists in the annual CFA Institute Research Challenge, an equity research competition involving student teams from the world’s top university business and finance programs.

The competition, which spans one academic year, involves analyzing a public company (selected by Toronto CFA Society) and presenting the research. Each team works with a CFA (Chartered Financial Analyst) charterholder who mentors the team during the research process.

“I think the CFA IRC experience is absolutely incredible for the students,” explains Craig Geoffrey, SAF Financial Professor and team mentor. “As a lecturer who comes from industry I think perhaps the biggest learning outcome is bridging the gap between the classroom and the real world. The uWaterloo team did a great job applying their knowledge to a practical challenge, advancing to the next round against excellent competition from top Canadian business schools.”

The Waterloo team is preparing to present their analysis of the Onex Corporations to a panel of judges in Toronto on March 1, 2012. The winning team will then qualify for the regional North American competition to be held in New York City on April 10, 2012. The regional winner will advance to the global final in New York City on April 11, 2012.

More than 2,500 students from 546 universities around the world participated in the 2010-2011 competition, according to CFA Institute.

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Giller Prize winner visits campus

On Thursday, February 16, Giller Prize winner Esi Edugyan will be reading from her novel "Half Blood Blues" in Siegfried Hall at St. Jerome's University at 7:00 p.m.

The Giller Prize jury had this to say about Edugyan's book:

"Imagine Mozart were a black German trumpet player and Salieri a bassist,and 18th century Vienna were WWII Paris; that's Esi Edugyan's joyful lament, Half-Blood Blues. It's conventional to liken the prose in novels about jazz to the music itself, as though there could be no higher praise. In this case, say rather that any jazz musician would be happy to play the way Edugyan writes. Her style is deceptively conversational and easy, but with the simultaneous exuberance and discipline of a true prodigy. Put this book next to Louis Armstrong's "West End Blues" - these two works of art belong together."

"Half Blood Blues" also appeared on the longlist for the 2011 Man Booker Prize and is the inaugural selection for the Globe and Mail's new online book club.

The event is sponsored by the university's Department of English, and is free and open to the public. Win Siemerling, distinguished Professor of English, will be the event's master of ceremonies.

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Loving to Learn Day and other notes

Today is Loving to Learn Day, that annual event that encourages everyone to celebrate their love of learning. First established at this university in 2006, Loving to Learn Day has spread to other universities across Canada and beyond. The winners of the annual Loving to Learn Day contest have been posted online. This year’s contest invited participants to write paragraph describing what body of knowledge they would choose, if they could instantly and effortlessly learn all there is to know about it.

In recognition of February's status as Heart Month, all university faculty and staff are invited to exercise any day this month at the Columbia Lake Health Club for a $2 donation. Proceeds will go to support the St. Mary's Cardiac Centre. More information about this fundraising activity is available online.

And now, a couple of clarifying notes:

"Tempting but not advisable" is the message from Tom Galloway, director of custodial and grounds services, regarding skating on Columbia Lake as depicted in yesterday's Daily Bulletin. "The ice's ability to support skaters varies from week to week and location to location," he explains. At right, a close-up of said ice by Steven Kim.

Also, Friday's piece on the Ritual of the Calling of an Engineer stated that GradComm was an offshoot of the Engineering Society, but that's not accurate.

"GradComm is a group of fourth-year students who represent graduating students and organize events for the same," 2012 GradComm co-chair Michael Soares writes. "GradComm is affiliated with the Engineering Society, but is not actually part of it."

Fair enough. Running this clarification gives me an excuse to post the image at left of a Trojan Horse built by (I think) software engineering students that appeared in the Davis Centre on Friday. Photo by Terry Stewart.

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