IRO WAR

.
.. k October 16, 1987 THEENGINEERINGSOCIETY'SSTUDENTFORUM
...................................... ........................
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OKTOBERFEST!
2
Iron Warrior
The Perils of Success
At the Board of Governors'
"Student Achievement" dinner last
Tuesday evening, I had the pleasure
of sitting beside Trevor Eyton, a
key figure in the Bronfman empire
and fonner Chainnan of the Board
of Governors. It presented me with
a most welcome opportunity to pick
up some career tips from someone
who has "made it".
After talking for some time about
student achievements at Waterloo,
in particular those of the students
present at the dinner, the
conversation turned to stories of his
undergraduate days at the
University of Toronto and of his
subsequent career in law.
He also told me the story of
another bright young lawyer who,
like Eyton, was ambitious,
charismatic, and at the top of his
class (as well as near the top of
Eyton's list of potential hires). In
short, he had a brilliant career ahead
of him.
Upon graduation, he was hired
away to New York at a starting
salary of $150,000 per year. In
Making a Point
The space provided n \be
editorial page gives us editor types
a chance to tell you about
something that's on our minds.
Basically, we get the opportunity to
make a point. Usually we make
several.
But, you don't have to occupy a
high and lofty position to have your
chance at making a point.
One of the first places to make
your point is your lecture. If there
is something that you feel the
professor is not adequately
explaining, raise your hand. Most
professors will be completely
unaware that you are not following
them unless you let them know.
Most professors seem to be
.completely unaware that there are
even people listening to them.
Points can be made in labs. The
technologists are there to insure that
the equipment is functional and that
New York, he quickly scaled the
corporate ladder to the point where,
at the age of 28, he rides in the back
of a white stretch limo, complete
with television, bar and cellular
telephone. He is the stereotypical
corporate success.
He is also no longer on Eyton's
list.
Why?
According to Eyton, success has
spoiled this man. His rapid climb
has put him out of touch with the
realities of the business world;
sudden success has given him
unrealistic expectations of what the
future should hold. He has lost his
common sense.
It seems that modem businesses
are no longer looking for shooting
stars. Instead, they are looking for
more down-to-earth types, still
bright, but with the ability to fit in
with both workers and potential
clients. After all, you can't expect
the workers to take a cut in pay if
the boss rides to the office in a
limo.
the students are well versed in its
operation. Unfortunately, the
training received in the operation of
the lab equipment is equivalent to
handing a child a hand-gun and
telling him/her that by pulling the
trigger it will go 'boom'. By simply
making a point of letting the
IRON WARRIOR
The Iron Warrior is a forum for
ideas presented by the students of the
University of Waterloo. Views ex-
pressed in the Iron Warrior, other
than editorials, are those of the authors
and do not necesaarily retlect the opin-
ions of the editors.
The Iron Warrior welcomes all sub-
missions from students, faculty, a.nd
other membert! of the univert!ity com-
munity. Articles, letters, and artwork
should retlect the concerns and inteUec-
tuallevel of the University in general.
All submissions become the property
of the Iron Warrior which reserves the
right to refuse publication of ma.terial
which it deems unsuitable. TIle Iron
Warrior a.lso reserves the right to edit
grammar, spelling, and portions of text
that do not meet Univereity standards.
Authors will be contacted for allY ma.jor
changes that may be required.
All submissions must be legible and
must include the author's name, class (if
applicable) and a phone number where
he/she may be reached.
All submissions and advertising en-
quiries should be forwarded to:
Iron Warrior
Engineering Society
CPH 1327 - ext. 2323
The moral? Go out and conquer
the world, but don't let it go to your
head. After all, success is only fun
until someone loses a career.
technologist know of your
difficulties you may be able to get
your 'doctorate in
oscilloscopology' instead of having
to beg a T A to perform those
unknown magic rites for you.
If something to do with your
school work has you grumbling
you should consider some positive
action. Make a point of stating your
concerns to the person in your class
who has the responsibility for
dealing with your particular issues.
They may bite, but if they do, bite
them back. However, be sure that
what you express is not simply a
grunt of dissatisfaction. Think it out
and make a point.
And finally, if you believe you
have something to say ( I mean
really believe ), then you should
consider getting your name in print.
I'm not referring to those prosetic
scrawls that grace our campus
'sitting rooms'. I'm talking about
news-print. The Iron Warrior is
your forum ( it says so on the front
) and your chance to speak out.
You can not only make a point, you
can make an exclamation point!
October 16, 1987
Thomas White .,.
NeilP. Buyd'
October 16, 1987 Iron Warrior 3
N
E w
s
Waterloo's Brzustowski Appointed
Deputy Minister
(UW NEWS) - The University
of Waterloo has announced the
resignation of Dr. T.A. (Tom)
Brzustowski as Vice President,
Academic and Provost, effective
October 5. He was sworn into his
new post as the new deputy
minister of the Ontario
government's Ministry of Colleges
and Universities on Wednesday,
September 30.
He will continue as a part-time
professor at UW until the end of
1987, completing curren t
cOIT.tnitments to his class of
undergraduate students and to his
PhD students.
UW's Board of Governors
meeting Tuesday evening, October
6, confirmed the appointment of
Dr. Robin Banks, Dean of Arts, as
acting Vice President, Academic
and Provost. Dean Banks will hold
his new position until a selection
process for a riew vice president,
academic, is completed. (This
process is already under way at
UW - Dr. Brzustowski had been
nearing the end of his term in
o ceo
Dr. Wright says he feels the UW
vice president is "superbly qualified
for the position, both as an
acedemic and through his years as a
senior administrator on the
Waterloo campus."
"He has been outstandingly
successful as Vice President,
Academic, and Provost, and I am
very pleased at the appointment. It
seems to me to indicate clearly that
the government of Premier David
Peterson is committed to a positive
and responsible course of action ...
as this relates to post-secondary
education. Someone of Tom
Brzustowski's abilities will provide
the best possible assistance in the
formulation of policy."
Dr. Brzustowski says he has
mixed feelings about the change:
"Regret at leaving Waterloo, yet
with great excitement over the
prospects for the future."
He says Premier Peterson has
"clearly indicated that he considers
our universities to be important and
that he is prepared to think about
their future in the long term ... and
I think therefore that my new post
represents an enormous opportunity
to try to help the system do
important things, and do them
well."
Dean Banks says he feels one of
the strengths Dr. Brzustowski will
take to Queen's Park is that he has
continued active as a .teacher and
researcher at Waterloo throughout
hi years . lellll.
"I think the province is fortunate
to have someone who not only has
a deep understanding of the
universities but who has also
functioned throughout his
administrative appointment as a
teacher and researcher," Banks
says. "I think that gives him a
tremendous advantage in
understanding the real problems
and opportunities in the field of
post-secondary education today."
Alumni Campaign
Tops-$1 Million
(UW NEWS) - University of
Waterloo graduates have donated
more than one million dollars to the
Alumni Campaign for Waterloo,
launched last spring.
''We are elated with these early
results," says Dan Beaupre,
director of development and alumni
services, "not only because of the
funds contributed but also because
alumni support is critical when we
approach those 'outside' the
uni versity."
"Many external donors look to
the commitment of those directly
involved as a measure of the
importance of Waterloo's
development," he says.
''We are also impressed with the
fact that over 50 per cent of our
donors are alumni who haven't
previously contributed to UW."
The alumni appeal objective is
3.1 million dollars by 1990.
Donations are used to enhance
courses, develop new programs,
replace outdated equipment, set up
new scholarships and for other
projects within each faculty and
college.
One phase of the Alumni
Campaign for Waterloo involves a
mail-and-telephone-call program
which provides 35 students with
part-time employment each term.
The other phase involves alumni
volunteers across Canada who will
personally visit more than 2000
alumni asking for contributions.
Waterloo is the fIrst university in
Canada to design and administer a
full-scale alumni campaign
completely "in house."
As for his own new appointment,
Dean Banks promises to "continue
as we have been doing under Tom
Brzustowski." He does not foresee
any radical changes in direction,
feeling optimistic that "we have
been progressing very well on our
present path."
The new deputy minister has
been vice president, academic, at
Waterloo, since January, 1975.
Prior to that he had held a number
of important administrative posts
including: Chairman, Department of
Mechanical Engineering (1967 to
1970); Associate Dean of
Engineering (1971 to 1974).
Born in Warsaw, Poland, in
1937, he attended the University of
Toronto and completed his PhD at
Princeton in 1963. He joined UW
in 1962. His research interests
include combustion and the
appropriate uses of energy; he is the
author of a book on engineering
thennodynamics.
Dr. Brzustowski' s new
appointment will see him replace
Alan Adlington, Deputy Minister of
Colleges and Universities from
1985 until his retirement in
September. Adlington was a vice
president at Waterloo from 1961 to
1970, at which time he left to
become Vice Pre siden t,
Administrative and Finance at the
University of Western Ontario.
As well as Dr. Adlington, and
now Tom Brzustowski, Douglas
Wright himself served as a deputy
minister at Queen's Park and Dr.
Burt Mattews, former UW
president, served as well (from
1982 to 1984) as chairman of the
Ontario Council on University
Affairs.
UW/Toshiba Join
Computer Venture
(UW NEWS) - On Friday,
October 2, Tod Rehm, general
manager of Toshiba Canada's
information systems division,
announced a pioneering new
cooperative project with the
University of Waterloo in the use of
portable computers and
communications for "distance
education." Mr. Rehm presented
the unique project at the grand
opening of Toshiba Canada's new
headquarters in Markham.
The portable computer project
will greatly benefit many Canadian
students in Ontario who do not
have access to prominent
university-level courses.
Toshiba Canada's leadership role
with UW in this important area of
research will initially take the form
of providing a pre-determined
number of lap-top portable
computers and printers, altogether
valued at over 250,000 dollars. It
will also provide approximately
60,000 dollars in start-up funding
to support necessary research at
university.
The agreement also stipulates a
joint commitment on the part of
Toshiba Canada and the university
to approach both government and
private agencies to make them
aware of the significant implications
and extensive benefits of this
project to Canadian higher
education, and to solicit their
financial support.
"Toshiba is extremely pleased to
be involved in this venture with the
university; we believe it will have a
significant positiv impact on
university students in Ontario who
wish to take full advantage of
curriculum in one of Canada's
premiere universities, but who,
simply because of logistics, were
not able to do so in the past," says
Mr. Rehm.
Wes Graham, dean of computing
and communications, represented
the University of Waterloo at the
official announcement. A pioneer
in university-level computer
instruction, Graham said: "Toshiba
Canada is showing innovative
leadership in supporting the initial
phases of this exciting project in
distance education. Through the
use of portable computers and data
communications systems, it is
hoped the bond among distance
students, and between distance
students and their teachers, will
become much closer than was
previously possible.
The university is already
pioneering the use of portable
computers in an "on campus"
education setting. Current plans are
to use portable computers to
support distance education by
providing appropriate facilities over
the public data network. Students
will be able to connect to this
network to obtain course materials
from UW and also to communicate
with both their peers and the faculty
while participating in UW course
curriculums.
4
by Mr. Angry
NNEng
It was Saturday night when I
received the anguished cries of an
editor looking for the point side of
the "Why participate in
Oktoberfest?" question. Hey, I
thought it would be easy until I
ended up at the Aud thirty minutes
after the phone call, being a
participant in the first Saturday
night booze-up. I realized quickly
what the main problem, perceived
or otherwise, was with the O-fest:
drunkenness, rowdiness as a result
of the drunkenness and crass
commercialism.
It would seem to me that if this is
how Oktoberfest is viewed by the
general populace, then it is indeed
in sad shape as a festival of the
years' harvest. And this is the
reason that your participation in the
Oktoberfest is vital to the continued
success of the event.
At the risk of sounding mildly
sanctimonious, it is only you that
can change the image that
Oktoberfest has (?) obviously
acquired. It is very easy to sit in
your armchair and endlessly spout
on about how bad things have got
and isn't it disgusting about the
drinking and etc. etc. etc. Does
anybody have a firm idea (i .e.
numbers) of how many people
attend Oktoberfest celebrations
annually? How many fights occur
annually at Fest Halls? How many
incidents of drunken rowdiness
occur around the city? How many
incidents involving University
students? I maintain that the number
of overall incidents is probably
small compared to the overall
attendance level at the lO-dayevent. '
I realize that running on an
argument based on unknown
statistics is tenuous but when you
mention rowdiness at British soccer
games, what comes to mind?
Visions of mass riots at every
game? Hardly. It is only the rare
incidents that end up being
documented in the popular press
and if you were compare the
incidents in ratio to the number of
people attending games (soccer is
Iron Warrior
The 'Festing Dilemma
the most popular international
sport), I think you would find that
the number was small indeed.
So where does this rambling
lead? By getting involved, you can
first help to eliminate the image that
some of the rowdiness is caused by
local university students out to
blow-off post/pre/during mid-term
stress. Score one for the rather
dubious image that the Universities
have with the local populace.
By getting involved you can also
voice your concerns to the
organizers of the event about what
you perceive as the image problems
the event has. You then would be
able to see if the problems can be
fixed and if they can, maybe you
have a workable solution. As the
only you can change the
image that Octoberfest
has acquired
'fu ture leaders' of tomorrow,
maybe it is time that you give
something back to the community
that. like it or not, you are going to
be, or are, part of for the next four
to five years. By getting involved
you might be able to formulate
plans that would help to remove the
veneer of crass commercialism that
seems to prevail in peoples' vision
of the event, and replace it with the
ThanksgivinglFall Festival that was
originally intended.
But even with these visionary and
idealized rantings, here's some
temporary solutions so you can
continue to participate and enjoy in
the event.
If you've been there before, you
know by now that crushed silk is
definitely out of the question for the
event. Try wearing dark colors that
beer will wash out of. Face it,
under present conditions beer will
be spilt so dress for the occasion.
You don't go to an October Blue
Jays game dressed in shorts and a
T-shirt do you?
Have a designated driver to get
you home or go to a place close
enough that you can crawl quietly
home without waking up the
neighbourhood. Better yet, take the
bus and stagger quietly home from
the bus stop, again not waking up
the neighbourhood.
Finally, what to do about the
clown that spills beer on you in
his/her drunken state because the
thin coating of humanity has been
stripped away by the effects of
ethyl alcohol? Well, to misquote a
famous individual, when you wake
up the next morning, you will be
sober; the individual who spilled
beer on you (and wasted that ten
dollar pitcher) was an idiot the night
before and will wake up the same
. morning, sober, but still an idiot.
by Paul Meyer
4A Civil
Most students spend at least some
time living in some sort of group
residence, whether it be. one of the
Villages, Co-op, or a house with
more than five people. This is one
of the requirements of student life,
and often one's fondest memories
in later years are associated with
"the wild bunch of guys/girls I
lived with in 2B". However, as
most senior students can tell you,
one of the problems that occurs as
part of group living is that
invariably one or more of your
roomates finish midterms or finals
before you do. This means that
they start partying before you've
finished studying, you start hating
them for not staying in a bar
somewhere, and (if you can) you
head somewhere else to study. I
think it's fair to say that this
happens to most of us sometime
before we graduate.
OK, what does this have to do
with Oktoberfest? Well, like about
a quarter of a million other people,
I'm from Kitchener-Waterloo, and
my feelings about Oktoberfest are
similar to those described in the
paragraph above. I don't have any
serious objections to the whole
idea, I just wish it would happen
somewhere else.
For those of you who haven't
heard already, Oktoberfest was
originally a harvest festival in the
tradition of Thanksgiving. After a
few months of working sixteen
hour days in the fields, ' your
average German peasant was in
serious need of some rest and
relaxation. The completion of the
harvest season marked the end of
the summer (which means the work
season), and was a cause for
celebration. Imagine an entire
country finishing final exams at
about the same time every year and
you'll get some idea of how the
Octoberfest has
transformed itself into
just another booze fest
festival became traditional. Like
most celebrations of Thanksgiving,
the Oktoberfest is a time to eat,
drink. be merry and celebrate a job
well done.
Currently, Oktoberfest has lost
most of the character of the original
celebration in that it has trnsformed
itself into just another one of the
great Canadian booze fests. Do
any real cowboys go to the Calgary
Stampede? Do most people at
Klondike days really think 'panning
for gold was fun? And does
anyone really watch the Grey Cup
game? Like these, Oktoberfest has
transformed, from a farmers'
festival into an urban pany.
October 16, 1987
This party comes complete with
thousands of drunken Americans
and Torontonians (basically the
same breed, except the Americans
are slightly louder, probably
because they feel a little more
insecure since they had to leave
their guns at the border .... but I
digress) wearing stupid little green
or red hats, singing along with
songs to which they don't know the
words, and paying outrageous
prices for food that a real German
wouldn't go near with a ten foot
pole. Not only that, but you get to
stand in line in order to get in to one
of the "accredited festhalls", and if
you don't get there within an hour
of the time on you ticket, you may
not get in anyway.
I don't think I would mind it if
this were all; I mean, if someone
wants to pay six dollars to get into a
smoke- filled room where the only
entertainment is a bunch of
accordion players in shorts and the
dancing consists of some sort of
mediaeval slam dancing (code
name: polka), then more power to
them. What I object to is the fact
that this happens in a city where
most of us are still trying to carry
on with our lives in some sort of
normal fashion.
Like every year since I got out of
high school, I celebrated the first
weekned of Oktoberfest by getting
out of town, and with any luck, I'll
be gone before most of you read
this Friday afternoon.
"Oktoberfest", one of my out of
town friends explained to me, "is
when the entire city of
Kitchener-Waterloo turns into
Village Two." Fortunately, some
of us have else to go.
BLOOD DONOR CLINIC
OCTOBER 26, 1987
Campus Centre
10:00am - 4:00pm
Barn P**5 -
Gi ve tbe Gift of Life
Sponsored by Eng Soc
October 16, 1987 Iron Warrior 5
University
are Bad
Ties with Industry
Business for Both
by Dr. David Suzuki
In a glossy advertising brochure
for the University of British
Columbia, entitled Engine of
Recovery, president David
Strangway says on the front:
"Universities are a major source of
free enquiry, providing the ideas
that can later be exploited by free
enterprise. We need both the push
of free enquiry and the pull of free
enterprise for success in our
society."
The rest of the brochure is filled
with examples of people, primarily
scientists, ostensibly solving
practical problems in medicine,
industry and society.
Across Canada, universities are
rushing to become part of the
industrial enterprise as faculty are
being encouraged to become
entrepreneurs who exploit their
discoveries for profit.
There has been little objection or
even of this process. I,
for one, do not agree with Dr.
Strangway's political-economical
analysis of the societal role of
universities, and I have grave
concerns about the headlong rush to
industrialize the university. Let me
exp ain.
universities are rushing
to become part of the
industrial enterprise
Historically, universities were
never meant to be places where
people prepared for jobs or where
specialists aimed to benefit the
"private sector." The university has
traditionally been a community of
people sharing in the exploration of
human thought and creativity. The
common assumption since
universities became a public
enterprise has been that if the best
minds of our youth are an important
natural resource, then universities
will maximize their potential
development and education.
A good university is a place
where scholars, dreamers, artists,
and inventors can exist with no
more justification than excelling at
what they do and sharing their
skills and knowledge.
The full range of human thought
is encompassed within a university.
One consequence is that such
knowledge often leads to criticism
of government and industry.
University scholars can be a pain in
the neck to people in power. That's
why academics have fought for
tenure as a means of protection
from harassment for their ideas and
social critiques.
Society needs those kinds of
objective critics if it is to have more
than parochial, self-centred goals.
Sadly, for most Canadian
academics, tenure has become a
sinecure rather than a privilege and
opportunity.
The industrialization of the
university is a mistake for many
reasons, one of the more trivial
being that it will not do what its
proponents claim. In rushing to
welcome investment from
companies to exploit new ideas and
discoveries, scientists seem to have
forgotten or are unaware that most
of our current hotshot ideas will
prove in time to be wrong,
irrelevant or unimportant. Science
is mainly in the business of
invalidating the latest concepts. So
why the rush to apply them?
industrialization of the
university will not do
what its proponents
claim
But I have much deeper reasons
for objecting to the industrialization
of the university. The essence of
an academic community is the free
exchange of ideas, a sharing of
knowledge. The formation of
private companies within
universities and with their faculty
runs counter to this spirit. Private
companies encourage a destructive
kind of competitiveness that can be
petty and mean. Secrecy becomes a
priority when patenting ideas is a
primary goal.
And the lure of profit can result in
both shoddy science and a narrow
focus that ignores broader
questions of social responsibility
and impact
My most serious concern is with
the vital role of the academic as
critic and source of knowledge for
society. Without an axe to grind.
the scholar is in a unique position to
provide a balanced point of view
with data to back him up.
During the Vietnam War, two of
the most visible activists among
scientists were David Baltimore of
the Massachusetts Institute of
Technology (who later earned a
Nobel Prize) and Mark Ptashne of
Harvard University. They were
critical of companies such as Dow
Chemical and Monsanto for their
production of napalm, defoliants
and tear gas.
Today, both Mr. Baltimore and
Mr. Ptashne have their own
biotechnology companies. while
Dow and Monsanto are heavily
involved in biotechnology. Do you
think for a minute that the two men
would be as critical of those
industries today? Not on your life.
we need scholars who
are detached from these
applications
In the 1970s, after the Arab oil
embargo, I was involved in a filni
on the massive deposit of oil in
Alberta's tar sands. At the time,
with oil prices skyrocketing, there
was talk of perhaps 10 more oil
extraction plants as big as or bigger
than Syncrude.
Each would produce at least 50
tonnes of sulphur dioxide a day.
That's a lot of acid rain. So we
tried to find a university ecologi tin
the area who would speak to us on
camera about the environmental
consequences of such development.
We were unsuccessful, because no
one wanted to jeopardize his grant
from the oil companies! Yet it is
precisely for that knowledge that
society supports such experts in a
university.
I don't deny a role for university
faculty in the application of new
ideas. Our topnotch people are
Canada's eyes and ears to the
world's research, and good people
will have ideas that can eventually
be exploited. But the deliberate and
urgent push to economic payoff
distorts scholarship within the
university and subverts its thrust to
the will of those who have the
money.
Profit or destruction are the major
reasons for the application of
science today, while environmental
and social costs are seldom
seriously addressed. That's why
we need scholars who are detached
from those applications.
A university is a unique place in
society. It has a fundamental role
to playas a repository of human
knowledge. But in the distortion of
its perceived value as the engine of
private enterprise. we will lose
much of what makes it worthwhile
and special.
I don't condone, but can
understand why university
scientists, who have been given
insufficient funds for so long, are
welcoming the Faustian bargain
with private industry. But I fail to
comprehend why philosophers,
historians and sociologists who
should know better are acquiescing
so easily.
SAC Report
by Loran Ball
3B CompEng
Let me introduce myself: my
name is Loran Ball (3B Computer)
, w u en
Advisory Council) Director for the
Engineering Society. The SAC is
the interface between Co-op
students and the Department of
Co-operative Education and Career
Services (CECS). It is compos d
of representa.tives from CECS and
student representatives ,from each
faculty with co-op programs. The
student reps provide input into the
decision-making processes of
CECS and report back to the
students about the recent
developments within CECS.
Unwant Ads
The Unwant Ads are objective
evaluations of work term jobs by
the Engineering students who had
them (we will soon be asking you
to evaluate your summer work term
jobs). They are an invaluable
source of information since the job
descriptions in the Want Ads and
the actual work term experiences do
not always match. evaluations
are available in the Orifice sorted
alphabetically by employer name.
Placement
Placement Advisors are available
in Needles Hall if your
Co-ordinator is not on campus. If
they can't solve your problem, they
will contact your o-ordinator in
the field for you. To find the
Placement Advisor for your region,
ask in room 1102 of Needle Hall.
SAC Reps
Everyone is welcome to attend
the SAC meetings, held every
second Tuesday (next meeting is
October 20) at 4:30 PM in room
1029 of Needles Hall. The three
other Engineering SAC
representatives are Arno Krause
(2B Electrical), Gord Ellis (3B
Computer), and Rob Bigec (3B
Chemical). Messages for the reps
or myself can be left in the SAC
mailbox in the Orifice.
Renewable memberships at the Grad House
are now available to underqrads, staff
and faculty $15.00 a term.
Open 1 days a week Coming Events Include:
Snacks and Sandwiches South America Night
Jamaican Patties Amnesty Int'l Folk & Blues
PATIO Hallowe'en Party
Videos Thurs. and Sat.
Sports Network
Darts
Go-Od Music
Wellington "Real Ale" on tap
Good assortment of domestic
and imported beers
FOR MEMBERSHIP APPLICATION GO TO
GSA OFFICE, UPSTAIRS AT GRAD HOUSE
OPEN NOON -' 4 P.M., MONDAY TO FRIDAY
BOOKINGS TO MEMBERS BY REQUEST
6 Iron Warrior
JAPAN
Part One: The
by AI MCGowan
Mech '87
In May 1987. nine engineering
students from the University of
Waterloo undertook a two-week
tour of Japan to get a first-hand
view of the level of technology in
that country. These students visited
several Japanese research institutes
and factories in an effort to
determine the reasons for Japan's
success in internation.al trade and
how, if possible, these factqrs
translate to Canadian industrial
practices.
The trip was originated by the
UW Student Chapter of the
Canadian Society for Mechanical
Engineering (CSME), and war
funded in part by sponsorship from
some twenty corporations in
Ontario. This article is the first of
four which describe some of the
group's observations on "Japan,
Inc.".
There is a common tendency for
the engineer-as-problem- solver to
gloss over the background to a
given problem in finding a solution.
This tendency also prevails in the
business world, which is why
reports contain executive
summaries: Mr. Big is not
. interested in detail s, he just wants
the answer, thanks. It's also an-
easy trap to fall into when giving an
answer, as everybody wants to
keep Mr. Big happy.
Unfortunately, this approach
doesn't work when Japan is the
subject of discussion. The
difficulty arises because Japanese
culture, history, and social structure
is entirely different from anything
we are accustomed to in North
America. Japanese ancestors did
not immigrate from Europe, were
not subjects of the British Empire,
and are not (for the most part)
followers of Christian doctrines.
Still, many outside observers
persist in attempting to understand
Japan and her culture in terms of
North American concepts. This is a
Big Mistake.
So, before we explore all the
intricate details of Japanese
technology, I should provide some
background, which I will reduce to
many outside observers
persist in attempting to
understand Japan and her
culture in terms of North
American concepts
"the Quick and Easy History of
Japan" in deference to space
limitations.
Japan was a feudal country until
very recently. The military Leader
(or Shogun) held the actual power
of government, but retained the
Emperor as figurehead in order to
maintain his credibility. This
changed in 1867 with the ascent of
Emperor Mutsuhito, who used a
little political leverage to overthrow
the Tokugawa Shogunate and
regain control of the country (for a
more dramatic account, read James
Clavell).
Thus began the Meiji
Reformation, which was
characterized by an increase in
foreign trade and industrialization.
Emperor Meiji (the name means
"enlightened peace") recognized
that Japanese technological
development was far behind the rest
of the world, where the Industrial
Revolution was already a century
old. It was really Meiji who
instigated the by-now-familiar
practice of observing the methods
of others, and adapting those
methods to Japanese practice.
As is usually the case, the people
who got in on the ground floor of
the new administration got rich.
This was compounded by the fad
that this particular administration
wanted Japan to play in the Big
UW/CSME
Japan '87 Tour
Slide Presentation
Tuesday, October 20
11:30am
in the Graphics Lab
Leagues, and was willing to
support those Japanese companies
who would help them realize that
goal. The results were the zaibatsu:
family-run corporations that were
essentially government- backed
industrial cartels.
Many of these industrialists
became aligned with nationalist
interests during the early twentieth
century, which resulted (eventually)
in the invasion of China, and (more
eventually) in the war with the
United States. After WWII the
American army supervised the
reconstruction of Japan, and
established the postwar
administration as a constitutional
monarchy (like Canada) which the
Japanese, of course, adapted to suit
their own needs.
Japan was not allowed to
militarize beyond the needs of her
national defense, which meant that
Japanese defense budgets were
small and hence that there was more
money available for national
industrialization and education.
The results may be instructional to
some modern nations (then again.
maybe not).
Japan's potential for growth after
the war attracted a few interested
Americans, one of which was W.E.
Deming, a former statistician at
Ford. who was frustrated with that
company's lack of interest in his
statistical quality control theories.
The Japanese paid attention,
however - the Deming A ward for
excellence in applied quality control
is now a highly-prized honour for
Japanese manufacturers - and Mr.
Deming approaches sainthood in
Japan. (What may be more
satisfying to Deming is that Ford
now pays him a gob of money to
retain his expertise as a QC
consultant.)
That brings us to modern-day
Japan, which most readers will
recall from recent history. There
was a brief period in the 1950s' and
early 60s when Japan was
infamous for poor-quality,
easily-breakable goods, which
seemed nevertheless to be sold in
every store in North America.
When Japan's quality control
methods were finally perfected,
Western manufactures were caught
short, and many of them are still
trying to catch up.
For a quick (if extremely
superficial) overview of Japan's
social structure, it's very important
to recognize the implications of
Japan's population density. There
are over 120 million people in
Japan, which is a mountainous
island of about 370 thousand
square kilometres. Real estate
prices reflect this scarcity if land.
Property in the Ginza district of
downtown Tokyo sells for about
$300,000 per square foot. (Just for
fun, get three standard LP albums
[and one 45 - Ed.] and put them
on the floor beside each other. If
you owned that much land in
Tokyo, you'd be a millionaire.)
Because of this population
density, the Japanese people have
become accustomed to living in
close proximity, which means that
many of them have learned the
value of common courtesy. There
are' few that are more polite and
Council Report
by Mary-Kay Lippert
3AChemEng
The second meeting of Eng Soc
Council was held Tuesday evening,
October 6. At this meeting, the Fall
1987 Budget was approved (Good
job Susan!).
In other news:
a "Task Force on
Professionalism" directorship was
created.
- Carlo Kunkel is looking for
help organizing this tenn's debates.
- there are still some tickets left
for the Semi-Fonnal.
- Homecoming is November
13-15. Dieter Turowski is looking
for 50-60 people for' the
Homecoming Committee.
October 16, 1987
History
accommodating to one another that
the Iapanese. There are a dozen
expressions for "excuse me".
depending on the nature of the
offence.
The scarcity of resources has also
made the Japanese traditionally
more frugal than your average
North American, although this is
changing as Japanese companies
discover the magic of saturation
advertising. Japan is quickly
becoming a consumer society and
this, coupled with a strong
currency. is 'the main reason for
Co-operation and team
spirit are prized above
initiative
Japan's recent inflationary economy
($3.00 for a cup of coffee!).
One last point, by way of
introduction: Japanese people, like
most island-dwellers, are generally
cohesive and ethnocentric (look it
up). This trait is reinforced in the
schools, were children are taught to
"sacrifice" individuality for the
good of the group. Co-operation
and team spirit are prized above
initiative, which is seen as
unattractive, "American" attribute .
In fact, Prime Minister Nakasone is
not held in very high esteem by
many people, who consider his
Western style of leadership most
unb.ecoming in a Japanese. This
may also -change eventually, as
Japanese business leaders are now
realizing their relative weakness in
innovative research and design.
This little summary hardly does
justice to the myriad facets of
Japanese culture, and the
differences between our heritage
and theirs (but then again you
didn't pay much for it, right?). In
the next issue. I will describe living
and working conditions in Japan.
- Condom machines will be put in
mens and womens washrooms,
evenly distributed on campus.
By-election
Results'
by Piotr Labon
3B Comp Eng
Congratulations go to our new
VP, Sandra Van Rassel, and our
Treasurer for next term, Lynda
Wilson.
I would like to thank all the
candidates for running in the
elections and conducting good
campaigr.s. I would also like to
thank the people who helped at the
polling station: Ameet, Avi, Gord,
Jason, Jennifer, Karen, Loran,
Marc, Marcel, Opus (What? -
Ed.), Sandra, Sharon, and Todd.
Last, but not least, thanks to Nancy
for dinner.
October 16, 1987
DIGITAL
by Rick Blaiklock
4A Systems
Over the past decade there has
been a very strong trend towards
the use of digital technology in the
telecommunications industry. This
has been driven by the increased
transmission of digital data from
computers and an increase in VLSI
(Very Large Scale Integration)
technology, which reduces the cost
of equipment used in its
transmission.
This article examines the
hierarchy of the digital networks
currently used by Canada's two
telecommunications vendors,
Telecom Canada (known in Ontario
as Ma Bell) and CNCP
Telecommunications.
The most common use of the
telephone network is the telephone
call. In a digital network, the
message starts as a continuous
(analog) signal. Samples are taken
every 125 (8000 Hz) and each is
quantized to a byte, or eight bits,
which of course can be take on 256
possible values. Companding, or
assigning the value in a non-linear
fashion (small steps at lower levels
and big steps at higher levels), is
used to reduce the effects of any
quantization error, since errors at
higher frequencies are not noticed
in a voice transmission.
The amount of data to be
transmitted is 8 bits/sample x 8000
samples/second = 64,000 bits per
second (64 kbps).
A voice signal tends to be
continuous and predictable, so the
difference between successive
samples can be transmitted instead,
reducing the number of bits per
sample to four instead of eight.
This technique, known as Adaptive
Differential Pulse Code Modulation
(ADPCM), and various other
pattern recognition and
compression techniques can be
used to reduce the data transmitted
from 64 kbps to 32 kbps or even
lower. -
there has been a very
strong trend towards
the use of digital
technology in the
telecommunications
industry
Computer data is already in
digital form, so it doesn't have to
go through the digitization process.
The only limitation for data
transmission is that the circuit must
run at less than 56 kbps. The extra
8 kbps is used by the network for
error correction, which is much
more important with digital data.
Typical transmission data rates are
2.4 kbps (2400 baud), 4.8, 9.6,
19.2, and 56 kbps. The 56 kbps
link is used between host
Iron Warrior 7
NETWORKS: Coming Soon to a
Telephone Near You
computers or for the transmi ssion
of very large amounts of data such
as CAD/CAM applications.
Everyone recognizes that there
isn't a single twisted-pair copper
wire between Central Offices
(major switching centres) for each
potential connection. The
transmission of large numbers of
calls over a common carrier is
accomplished by a process called
multiplexing. By increasing the
speed (or bandwidth) of the
transmitting signal, many of the 64
kbps voice call can be interleaved,
transmitted and taken apart at the
destination. The actual process is
called Time Division Multiplexing
(TDM), in which each channel is
assigned a fraction of time on the
carrier signal. A device analogous
to a commutator takes a bit from
each each channel, places it in the
correct time slot and transmits the
infotmation.
In North America the lowest level
of TOM is 24 channels. A standard
data frame (D-4 frame) consists of
24 channels x 8 bits per sample + 1
framing bit = 193 bits per frame.
8000 frames are transmitted per
second, leading to a transmission
rate of 1.544 Mbps. This rate is
known as OS-1 (Digital Signal level
1), or more commonly (ie in the
American market) as a Tl. In
Europe the 'standard' an mis ion
TABLE:
The DS-l, 2 and 3 signal formats
have been accepted as international
standards by the CCITT
(International Telephone and
Telecommunications Consultative
Committee) for use in North
America. The DS-4 signal has not
been standardized as of yet. Note
that the levels are not even multiples
of each other, since additional bits
are transmitted for framing and \
error detection.
In Canada the DS-4 signal is
transmitted (by Bell Canada) on the
LD-4 network, which consists of
12 coaxial cables in a common
sheath.
The digital backbone
network is the
foundation oj, and first
steps towards, ISDN
Even higher data
rates are obtained on the ORS-8
Digital Radio System. This is a
coast-to-coast microwave system (8
GHz) that provides data
transmission of multiple DS-3
signals. Techniques such as
correlative coding (also known as
partial response signalling) allow
the transmission of 1.544 Mbps in
a 500 kHz transmission channel. It
. 1 t r 00
Hierarchy
# Voice Transmission
Level # TIs Circuits Rate
DS-O
n/a 1 64 kbits/s
DS-l
1 24 1.544 MbilS/S
OS-2
4 96 6.312 Mbits/s
DS-3
28 672 44.736 Mbits/s
DS-4
168 4032 274.176 Mbits/s
rate is 48 voice channels at
Mbps, a number much easier to
work with numerically since it is
easily expressed in binary tenns.
The Tl rate has an interesting
historical background. It was
developed in the early 1960's,
' when the transmission technology
(copper-wire-based) required
repeaters located fairly close
together. Repeaters are used to
regenerate the digital signal and
transmit it further along. In
Manhattan, where the system was
developed, manholes for repeaters
were located 1800 metres apart,
hence the repeater spacing was
predetermined. The system
developed had to accommodate
this, and studies determined the
maximum rate of 1.544 Mbps.
In terms of the volumes of data
transmitted across the continent, 24-
voice calls is really not that much.
TIs are further multiplexed together
as shown in the Table.
years of engineering in Canada the
coast-to-coast microwave network,
developed in the late 1970' s, is
considered one of the ten most
significant Canadian engineering
accomplishments.
The microwave system does
suffer several drawbacks. The
signal is transmitted through the
atmosphere and hence it can be
absorbed, reflected or attenuated by
various atmospheric conditions
such as precipitation or temperature
inversions. This leads to short
outages known as fades, ranging in
duration from less than a second to
several minutes in severe rain
storms. Various error-correction
techniques are available to reduce
the effects of outages, but these
require a considerable overhead of
extra bandwidth.
Fibre optic cables are being
installed across Canada to provide
an additional high-speed carrier.
Fibre optic technology does not
suffer the outage problems that
digital radio does, and will play an
essential role as networks transmit
larger quantities of data. There will
be fibre links from Winnipeg to
Halifax by the end of 1988, and a
complete coast-ie-coast network by
1990.
A standard fibre optic cable
contains 36 optic fibres, a copper
twisted pair and a steel strength
member, all wrapped in a cable less
than 18 mm in diameter. This is
somewhat fragile, and has created
many installation difficulties.
notably in the mountains of
Western Canada. For obvious
reasons, burying the cable is very
difficult, and even CNCP, which
has right-of-ways along the railway
lines has encountered problems. In
winter, when the ground freezes,
the vibration caused by passing
trains is sufficient to break the
cable. The cables must therefore be
suspended aboveground.
Installation and service becomes
very time consuming, forcing costs
upwards.
The final method of data
transmISSIOn is by the use of
satellite links. Telesat Canada
began operation in 1973, and has
launched several Anik satellites
providing links across the country
(notably to Northern Canada).
There are typically 16 to 24
channels with bandwidth 36 to 54
MHz. Satellites are generally used
in a multiple-access mode, with
several earth stations using the
transponder simultaneously.
The increased transmission of
digital data ov r the vari ous media
leads the evolut ion to complet ly
di gital networks, all owing the
transmission of data requiring very
high bandwidths, such as video
signals. All of the devices using
the network (eg tel ephone,
computer, video conferencing
equipment) means that there are
quite a few cables running to every
desk. Wouldn't it be nice to
combine some of them in to one
box with one cable?
Great, but optimistic you say?
Not really. The digital backbone
network is the foundation of. and
fIrst step towards. ISDN. ISDN,
or Integrated Services Digital
Networks, is a tenn that you will be
hearing many times over the next
few years, but is the topic of a
future article.
8 Iron Warrior October 16, 1987
PSSST VVanna Buy a
by Chris Baisley
lA Gen Eng
First year mech eng students are
for the first time being officially
encouraged to purchase their own
microcomputer. It is actually being
suggested to all eng frosh. Now,
we can take all the money we're
saving by not paying computer fees
and spend it on a computer!
Besides doing the faculty a favour
by freeing up *W A TST AR, there
are some good reasons why a frosh
eng should cons: der it.
A computer can save you a lot of
time, especially on familiar jobs
such as writing reports or letters.
Your first experience with a word
processor probably won't lead you
to that conclusion, but once the
commands become second nature
(which doesn't take long) you have
a very powerful ability to edit and
organize. Frosh have also been
introduced to spreadsheet
programs. And believe it or not,
they are actually useful. You can
set up a budget, or analyze
experimental data with a huge time
and effort saving.
The key to becoming proficient
with a computer (as with everything
else) is using it frequently.
Hammering out a few required
assignments on *W ATSTAR isn't
time. Havin one in your
borne and using it ay to day is.
You will accumulate knowledge
and skills that are valuable to
employers while doing
things for yourself. Fun and
Profit!
The Mechanical Engineering
Department has recommended
students buy an IBM PC or
compatible computer with the
following: 640K memory, 2 disk
drives, CGA or better monitor, and
serial and parallel ports. I have
found that a computer without a
printer is almost useless, so that
shguld also be considered.
r
WESTMOUNT
10
0
/0
discount for
students
on corsages and
all your floral
(except holidays)
Bette and Frank Quinn - Owners
50 Westmount Place
Waterloo, Ontario N2L 2A5
(519) 886-8410
Name brand computei' systems
ate'now available at up to one-half
off the suggested retail price
through the Microcomputer
fnfonnation Center (Me 2018C).
The Center has equipment from
Oliyetti. Toshiba, ZeJlith
t
Apple
and Laptop and desktop
models are available in various
eqnfigupttions. Softwa.re such as
TurbO C and WordPerfect are dirt
Systems that meet these
requirements are available from the
Microcomputer Information Centre
(MC2018C) for $1391 and up
(minus printer). They deal only
with J;,>C 'compatible' computers.
Which brings up the question of
whether to buy a clone or
compatible. .
A compatible is a work-alike
computer. They usually come from
'reputable' companies such as
Zenith or Olivetti. A clone is, well,
a clone of an IDM PC, (usually a
'PC/XT' - the same as a PC but
more expansion slots) without a ,
'name brand'. There are
advantages to each.
A computer can save
you a lot of time,
especially on familiar
jobs such as writing
reports and letters
If you pop the hood on a clone, it
looh smells, and tastes like an
IBM PC. This is good. It means
that most of the technical
information available for the mM
PC will apply, in case you want to
build your own expansion cards, or
do some intricate programming. It
also means that any place that can
service a clone or a real IDM can
service it. In virtually any
situation, you can consider it an
IBM, the standard, and take
whatever advantages that may
offer . .
As far as quality goes, :spending
more money on the parts with
plastic pieces and fiddly little gears
and levers and clearances and
pulleys and belts and solenoids is
worth it. A chip is a chip (more or
less) but printers and disk drives
are the mosllikely things to cause
vroblems; get good ones.
You have the choice of 5 1/4 inch
or 3 1/2 inch disk drives. The 3 1/2
are newer, they store twice as much
BEnt Presents
cheap. WA'tCOM
products are3vauable free (you buy
the manuals) if you bring your own
disk.
data in a smaller, more durable
package, and cost more. Most
software is sold on 5 1/4 inch,
since this is what most people have.
You may find little messages saying
"send 50 bucks for this software on
3 1/2 inch disks" in some boxes. A
few *W A TST AR machines are
equipped to copy back and forth,
but you will have to decide if you
want the current standard, or the
future standard. Or try one of each,
instead of two of one. You may
have to do a linle juggling to things
running, but it should work, and
you won't have to worry about
which format you buy.
Get as good a printer as you can
afford. Durability and quality of
print are more important than speed
for most people. Most dot matrix
printers can print Near Letter
Quality, as well as a faster draft
print and limited graphics. It really
should be considered a necessity,
obviously using a word processor
. c g . yo can' g a
paper copy when you need it.
The MIC offers excellent prices if
you are set on owning a name
brand computer. (If you have your
mind set on an Apple, it is a great
place!) But even at their minimum
price for a minimum system, they
are expensive compared to clones,
which may offer better
compatibiljty and more features.
Y c;m could get a clone with more
features and a fairly good printer
for about the same price as the
MIC's minimum system. But the
choice is as much as between
suppliers as it is between
computers: do you prefer to deal
with a large company or a small
business?
A 'name brand compatible' may
look completely different inside.
To avoid nasty lawsuits the
manufacturer has tried to be
different, so even after the warranty
period. servicing may have to be
done at an authorized service depot,
which is fine, except that on your
work: term in you'd have to .
Mon Oct 19 B.S.F. Charity Night with Yuk Yuks
Fad Hall $3 Feds $4 Non-Fads
All proceeds to Freeport Hospital Tickets
Marty Putz - Comedy available
Bomb Shelter $2 Feds $3 Non-Feds
54:40 at the
Tues Oct 20
Wed Oct 21
Fed Hall $6 Feds $7 Non-Fads Fed Office
ThursOct22 MondCombo
Bomb. Shelter $5 Fads $6 Non-Fads
Math Soc presents Frozen Ghost
Fed Hall $5 Fads $6 Non-Fads
Fri Oct 23
send your micro back to Toronto or
Halifax or someplace. If you want
to expand a compatible system, you
may be restricted to equipment from
the original manufacturer,
excluding you from using the
multitude of (and cheaper) add-ons
designed for the PC. In rare cases
there may be hassles running
certain software, but most is now
written with the 'compatible' in
mind, and this shouldn't be a
problem.
You might get a better warranty
with a name brand compatible. The
ones at MIC all have a one-year
warranty. You may also get better
product support to help you solve
problems with hardware and
software. The warranty on clones
is typically 90 days, although you
may find them up to two years.
Most clone dealers assemble the
machines they sell, so you will
have to deal with that store for any
warranty claims. The pros and
cons of that depend on the
individual dealer: find one that is
knowledgeable and equipped to
repair, not just assemble.
Clones are cheaper. You can get
the recommended system around
K-W for about $900 and up,
(considerably cheaper than in
Toronto) usually with a couple of
parallel ports, a serial port, a clock,
and a joystick port. More features
plus a lower cost equals a better
deal, as long as you get a good
quality machine
There are obviously other types
of (more exciting) computers
available, but since the IBM PC is
the current industry and educational
standard, and with the huge amount
of software and hardware available,
and the comparatively low prices,
the IDM clone or compatible makes
sense. There will be no actual
machine-specific course material in
the near future, so you aren't
restricted to the IBM types. The
Amiga, for example, is fun as hell
and much more sophisticated. It
can run circles around a PC, but
you won't NEED its extra features.
If you want them ...
My clone has caused no problems
in the year I have had it. On a
student budget they are probably
the best choice. The slight risks
involved are pretty much
accountable to the dealer, so find
one that you are confident in and
looks like it'll be around at least
until your warranty expires.
October 16, 1987
by Jorge Serrador
lA Systems
It is said that the English have a
flair for games, so it is no surprise
that the majority of "pub games"
seem to originate from Great
Britain. What is interesting, if not
surprising, is that these games were
not standardized until the mid-18ih
century. There is still no definite
idea as to where exactly all these
games came from, and there
probably won't be in the near
future, so for now we are left
simply to enjoy as they are, without
concerning ourselves with their
origin.
Ring the Bull
This game makes use of a bull' s
head - real or pictorial - which
has a hook coming out of the nose.
The player tries to toss a ring,
which is suspended from the ceiling
by a cord, onto the bull's hook.
Hand Cuffs
Also known as the Nightmare
Puzzle, this games involves two
horseshoe-shaped rings attached at
the ends with a circular ring. The
idea of the game is to get the
circular ring off the hand cuffs.
This is actually quite easy, but
getting it back on is a real trick.
Skit e
Originally from Gennany, this
game is somewhat like bowling. It
consists of a wooden box, about
two feet wide and four feet long,
which is separated into various
chambers with doors between
them. Pins are set up in each
chamber. The player then sets a top
spinning in one of the chambers.
Points are scored for each pin
knocked down, with the highest
point values awarded for pins in the
opposite chamber.
Conger Coddling
In this game, a large (dead)
conger eel is suspended from the
ceiling with a rope (other suitable
marine life may be substituted for
the eel). The contestants stand on
overturned flower pots, which are
arranged in a circle. The eel is then
swung about in an attempt to knock
the various players off of their
flowerpots (this is definitely a game
to be played after drinking).
Iron Warrior
Pub Games
Dwyle Flunking
There are two possible origins for
this game. One story is that it was
the pastime of King Offa of Mercia
(eighth century). The other is that it
was dreamed up by an
underworked BBC employee
during an extended tea break.
To play, you need a bucket of
stale beer and a mop head or cloth
(the 'Dwyle'), ideally nine inches to
one foot square in size and with a
wet weight of approximately five
ounces. You also need the
'Swadger' (a broom handle or other
stick). Finally, you need two teams
of twelve players.
The 'batting' team puts its first
player up to 'flunk' (throw). He
stands beside the bucket of beer and
impales the Dwyle with his
Swadger. Music is played while
the Hunker circles the bucket
(counter-clockwise) and the fielding
team members join hands and circle
the bucket (clockwise) at a distance
of about four to five metres. When
the music stops, the flunker
immediately flunks his dwyle
towards one of the fielding team.
He scores three runs for a face, two
for a body and one for a limb.
Each member of the batting team
follows until all twelve have
flunked, ending the first inning,
and the teams change places,
beginning the second inning. The
team with the most runs after the
second inning wins.
Rhubarb Thrashing
This is a game where two
contestants wear blindfolds and
earplugs and stand on barrels, each
grabbing the other's wrist. They
then proceed to beat each other
about the head with large sticks of
rhubarb.
Caves
This game uses a slanted box
with. five sunken holes, into which
1st as well as November 1st.
There will be exotic and puu.lin,
foods from around the world,
Ji,saw competitions, and a game
called "Quest of the Philosopher's
Stone". All this and the HitChcock
thriller. "The Man Who Knew Too
Much
t
.,. will be shown at the
Campus Centre. To top all this off.
prizes will be given out each day
for those who win the speed
jigsaw competitions and the "QJJest
of the Philosopher's Stone",
I that you try to fincl
.. the. time. to walk up to
Mattbew$ B81l and .ue a
aroUi1d the inU$eUJJior at least
the CC during Oct. 30.
. 1., You WOD t
the players try to toss rings. The
interesting thing about this game is
that it was usually placed just below
the dart board, and so there were
usually fights as to who could play
what.
Hockey
A very primitive form of bubble
hockey, this game uses a
suitcase-like box which is opened
up for play. There are holes in the
centre of each end which serve as
the goals. The puck is placed in the
middle and the players use sticks to
knock the puck into the opposite
goal. This game is very simple, but
. i .. t It . .t " t .. .,.t.).' ..
9
is quite fun and can be played by as
many players as will 'fit around the
board.
Beetle Racing
This game was invented in a pub
in Evesham by a bartender who
claimed that it had been a common
practice in his native county of
Derbyshire.
Each competitor brings his own
marked beetle (the game strictly
dictates that only thoroughbred
beetles are to be used and that no
common cockroaches are allowed)
which is placed in an upside-down
jar in the centre of a circle one yard
in diameter. The ' ar is then lifted.
and the fust beetle to exit the circle
wins.
Lap Sit
In this game eight to ten people
form a tight circle standing
shoulder-to-shoulder. They all tum
to their right and grab the waist of
the person directly in front of them.
They then take one side step into
the centre of the circle (to tighten it
up) and attempt to sit on each
other's knees (not the thighs,frosh!
- Ed.).
The challenge begins as the group
tries to perform some collective
actions such as touching the ground
outside the circle, taking three steps
forward, and anything else they can
think of.
Tug of Peace
A thick rope is tied at the ends to
form a loop. Ten or more players
the sit in a circle around the loop
and grab the portion in front of
them. They then try to pull
themselves up using the rope. This
can also be played with two teams,
each trying to get to their feet before
the other.
Pub Crawling
Pub Crawling is well known in
England, the idea being to sink a
pint in each pub along a
pre-determined circuit within a
given time. The interesting thing is
that the rules dictate that any
competitor found drunk and
disorderly is disqualified.
10 Iron Warrior October 16, 1987
A Fine November Morning
by Jorge Serrador
lA Systems
It was a beautiful crisp November
morning, a little colder than usual
but with a clear blue sky. A lone
figure wandered along the edge of
the frozen pond. He seemed total I y
unaware of anything but the pond
and crouched down at the edge
staring at the ice.
Kevin zipped his jacket the rest of
the way up. He watched the steam
issue from his nostrils like smoke
from some great dragon of another
time. He sneered at the reflection
of the grubby unkempt figure in the
ice. "Some dragon," he thought.
He had been that way ever since
Jenny had left him. Ah Jenny, they
had often walked beside this pond
throwing bread to the birds,
holding hands and laughing wildly.
How long had it been since she had
left? Three months, maybe four.
Time didn't maner much to him
anymore. One day blended into the
next.
He was suddenly aware of how
sad the figure in the ice looked. He
almost jumped back when he
realized that was him. How could
he have let her go?
----
He had gotten up at 9:00 to study
for a midterm that evening. Jenny
"Dear Kevin. Sorry I couldn't
make you breakfast but J had to
leave early to get to a rally. I'll be
back for lunch and I can tell you
everything then. Don't skip
breakfast. Love Jenny."
It was just like her. Off to some
political thing and her linle note
about breakfast. He picked up his
cup of coffee and sat down at the
little table with his books.
He heard the door open about
12:30 and looked over his shoulder
to see Jenny walking in.
"Hi," she said, smiling at him.
"How was you morning?" she
asked walking up behind him and
placing her anns around his neck.
"Me and my books are just
having a great time."
"Don't worry. All this studying
will payoff some day."
"Ya, I hope so. Anyway, how
was your morning? I bet it was
more exciting than mine."
"Well," she said pulling up a seat
beside him. "I went to this peace
rally at City Hall. There's another
one this afternoon and I'd really
like you to go with me. It's really
important. The summit is starting
today and we want to show world
leaders we want peace. It'll be a
great opportunity. What do you
say?"
"Jen, you know I'd love to go
but I have midterms and I really
should study."
"C'mon, you can take an hour
off," she said almost pleading. He
remembered looking into her deep
brown eyes and wanting to say yes:
but it came out no.
"It's your responsibility to try
and create world peace too. You're
going to die too if there's a nuclear
war," she said gening angry.
"Look, Jen, I agree with you but
Ijust can't go."
"What do you mean you can't
go? If there was a football game
you'd go see it. Don't you
TEACHING ASSISTANTSHIP AWARD WINNERS
,
FOR THE 1986/87 ACADEMIC YEAR
Mr. Juan Labastida Chemical Engineering
Mr. Fred Afagh Civil Engineering
Mr. Benny Wong Electrical Engineering
Mr. Keith Rowe Systems Design Engineering
Mr. Chris trie First Year Engineering
T.A. nomination forms available
at course critique time
understand this is world peace?
Life or death. If everyone said they
were too busy then what do you
think would happen to the world?
We'd probably all be dead by
now."
"I think the people in charge
would be able to take care of
things."
"So you agree with stockpiling
nuclear weapons!"
"No, I don't want nuclear
weapons. It's just I don't think it's
my fight. There are lots of other
people out there like you that are
doing a [me job so I don't think one
less guy will make any difference."
"If everyone said they
were too busy then what
do you think would
happen to the world?"
"Whose fight is it, then? Don't
you see that if everyone thought
like that, no one would do anything
and what do you think would
happen? We all would be led
wherever our world leaders took
us. We'd just be a flock of sheep
going to whatever doom we were
directed. How can you just sit
there and let that happen? . Don't
you care what happens to this
planet? Well I sure as hell do! I'm
going to the rally!" She h
stomped out of the hous_ and
slammed the door behind her.
Kevin thought about what she
said but he just didn't think it was
his fight. Ah well, he would make
it up to her tonight. She had never
come back.
----
He knew where she was living
now but he had just never been able
to go and see her. As he sat there
thinking, he noticed a small moth
flutter down onto the ice. It sat
there for a while in the cold and
then tried to take off again. It beat
its wings frantically trying to take
off. Kevin knew it was going to
die anyway but he picked it up and
launched it into the air where he
watched it flyaway.
Kevin suddenly thought about
that moth struggling against
impossible odds. fenny had been
right all along. If he didn't take on
some of the responsibility, who
would? Even if the odds were
terrible, he had to try, because to
die without trying was far worse
than to die in a failed attempt.
Kevin stood up and walked
towards Jenny's apartment. He
could hardly wait to explain his
change of heart and go out
marching with her. He would
change the world for her.
Kevin was not even aware of
what was happening as he was
vaporized.
October 16, 1987
HOW Et-lQlNEER'5 R S P O ~ O
TO OKTOBE.RFEST
Iron Warrior 11
12
/
Iron Warrior
. you should NOT buy your
IBM PCIXTI ATTM compatible
from waitronics
October 16, 1987
if you think all the clones are built the same

al ronlcs
K-W's most respected name in IBM compatible hardware
258 King St. N., Waterloo 886-4889