Team Waterloo Black wins ACM regionals

by Anna Beard.

Recently, the Waterloo Black team finished first out of 140 teams at the East Central North America Association for Computing Machinery Regional Programming Contest in Windsor, Ontario.

The Waterloo Red and Gold teams, which are comprised of first and second year students, placed 7th and 8th place respectively. The Waterloo Black team solved 8 out of 9 problems and provided the only correct solution to one of the questions.

The teams are coached by David R. Cheriton School of Computer Science lecturer Troy Vasiga. Waterloo Black hopes to regain its position as a top competitor when attending the Association for Computing Machinery International Collegiate Programming Contest World Finals in Morocco, May 16-21, 2015. The ACM-ICPC grand prize is $16,500 and the title of “World Champion”.

Waterloo Black qualified for the ACM-ICPC world finals annually from 1992 to 2012, and has brought home a medal 17 times, placing first in 1994 and 1999.

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Field experience unearthed lifelong passion

by Ziwei Chen, Science Communications.

Fourth-year Earth and Environmental Sciences student Manuel Arab accredits a second-year mineralogy course, Earth 231, and hands-on field experience for awakening his curiosity in unravelling the mysteries of the Earth.

Combining a geology major with a minor in classical studies, Arab has created a one-of-a-kind degree that closes the gap between scientific discovery and historical significance.

“I was immediately hooked by the idea of being able to explore the natural environment,” says Arab. “Experiential learning has really helped me figure out where my passion lies.”

This summer, Arab was the only undergraduate student selected to take part in a Royal Ontario Museum (ROM) dig led by Curator Jean Bernard Caron and Parks Canada to the Burgess Shale.  

The shale is a famous fossil bed known for its preservation of soft bodied animals dating back to the Cambrian Explosion, an era of remarkable species diversification. To this day, the shale remains the main source of information scientists have about the Cambrian marine species that lived 505 million years ago.

Arab helped the team extract key fossils from the shale. He used tools such as splitting chisels and geological hammers to split rocks into one centimeter thin layers that were then examined for fossils. His work helped the team collect a large variety of rare and valuable specimens that will greatly help further research into this time period.

“With Paleontology, you never know what you’ll find. It’s amazing to think that some of these fossils have just been here for the past 500 million years waiting to be uncovered,” says Arab.

This wasn’t his first expedition. Whether it’s collecting soil samples, excavating a desert ruin or digging for a fossil, Arab has been involved in it all.

Last year he took part in an archaeological excavation in Jordan to uncover artifacts from a Roman smelting site. Arab worked as the ‘jack of all trades’ helping out with various tasks on site and gaining first-hand experience about mineralogy and sedimentology. The copper and pottery that the team uncovered taught him about an ancient trade route between Egypt and Jordan and furthered his appreciation for history.

Outside of classes, his passion for teaching others about the past led him to a position as an Assistant Curator at the Earth Sciences Museum during the summer. Arab conducted museum tours with local school children to teach them about the history of dinosaurs, mineral formation and mining to help spark their interest in Earth Sciences.

A special thanks to Earth Science Museum Curator Corina McDonald, alumnus Jim Reimer and ROM curator Jean Bernard Caron for making his trip to the Burgess Shale possible. Arab’s experiences, along with some of specimens and field gear from the trip will be featured in a new display, called the Laboratory of Life, at the Earth Science Museum.

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Real Warriors wear pink

This is the latest in a series of #UWCommunity stories that highlight Waterloo in the community.

The end of November marks the wrap up of Waterloo's annual Think Pink campaign led by our department of athletics and recreation. In its 7th year, Think Pink raises awareness and funds for breast cancer research with all funds going to the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation, Ontario division. Think Pink began as an initiative by Waterloo's Women's Basketball team and in just seven years has expanded to include multiple varsity teams, recreational activities, and other fundraising events engaging the entire University community.

This year Think Pink saw over 3,000 people take part in 22 events throughout the month of November, resulting in over $30,000 being raised. Since 2008 the University of Waterloo has raised a total of $159,171 for the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation.

According to the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation (CBCF), breast cancer will affect 1 in 9 Canadian women during their lifetime. It is estimated that 24,400 women and 210 men will be diagnosed with breast cancer this year alone. Of those, 5,000 women and 60 men will die from the disease. Funds donated to the CBCF go towards, prevention, diagnosis, treatment and care.

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Friday's notes

Friends and colleagues of Joe Bevan in Mapping, Analysis and Design are invited to a retirement celebration in honour of his 26 years of service to the university on Monday, December 22 from 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. in EV2 1008F.

'Tis the season for holiday music performances:

Need some calm in the midst of the hectic Christmas rush? Come to the Conrad Grebel Chapel on Monday, December 15 at 7:30 p.m. for a Jazz Vespers service of reflections on the Christmas season through readings and music in a jazz mode by Paul Fehderau, Linden Gossen, Brad Moggach, Greg Stroh, and Tom Cummings.

In addition, SAP is hosting the KW Symphony in the R+T Park Family Concert event on Monday, December 15 at 6:30 p.m. They will present classics such as Mozart and Handel, along with holiday themed selections.

The event is free of charge and refreshments will be served. Registration is recommended.

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