Friday, July 11, 1997 The Newspaper of the University of Waterloo Engineering Society Volume 21 Issue 9

EngSoc Celebrates Canada Day

BY CHRIS FORD
Canada Day Director
T
he Canada Day celebrations at
Columbi a Lake on July 1 have
given me much to happi ly
contemplate. Foremost, is how fabulously
lucky we are to live in a country so rich
and flush with good-spirited, well-
meaning people. Dan, Jenn and I, in our
role as Canada Day Directors, had an easy
time recruiting the seventy or so
volunteers we needed to smoothly
implement Project lGds Mini-Olympics at
the celebration. Engineers came forth
from all departments, years, and streams
in order to play with kids and do
something genuinely positive for the
community that ordinarily tolerates our
rowdiness the other 364 days a year. The
children were thrilled to be the centre of
attention as a dedicated team of waterslide
attendants, afely conveyed them down
the 100 foot drop. (Thank-you Mitch,
Vanessa, Mulder, John, Emma, Bill, Doof,
Craig, Jeff, others too.)
In other news, Casey was the
penultimate Simon Says for us. As I
scurried to and from events, I kept passing
Casey fait hfully leading a little squadron
of children happily through the rigors of
Simon Says. My favourite Simon
command is still the instruction for the
kids to pretend to be bacon frying, and
have since found myself performing this
action in the privacy of my own home for
kicks (sorry I didn't make it on stage,
Casey, but next time!).
Chris, Duane and Alison kept things
going at the Kool-Aid boat racing event,
which was packed with little ones all day
HAPPY BIRTHDAY CANADA - A huge Canadian flag made of cupcakes was only one of the
allractions at Columbia Fields Oil July 1.
long. In broad daylight, it became
glaringly obvious that the future Canada
Day Directors should find newer, more
aesthetic tables suitable for this type of
activity.
The water balloons at the water
balloon toss escaped their pentagonal
table sanctuary at an escalating rate, into
the clutches of happy children, as the
afternoon wore on. Many thanks to Deb,
Craig, Brian, and others for keeping the
lid on over 700 balloons we had for the
better part of the day.
Bill Lee was a vigilant watchmen of
the frisbee golf event, as kids poured onto
the course and started throwing frisbees to
and fro in search of sleeping hula hoops.
The tug-of-war rope arrived late, but
Brian, Vlad, Nancy and Alison used the
bullhorn to prod as many kids onto the
rope as possible over the course of the
afternoon.
Rhae and Tricia were amazing at the
three-legged races as they strapped
unsuspecting little ones together at the
(see "Canada Day", page 3)
Engineers Lend a Hand
BY JILL PAULS
Charities Director
O
n a hot and humid June 21, twenty
five devoted and caring engineers
volunteered their time to help out
Habitat for Humanity. For an early
Saturday morning, it was quite a chaJlenge
to just wake up, but we all managed to pull
ourselve out of bed and make it to the site
by 9:00am! There were repre entatives
from most of the Engineering disciplines
out to help, with an exceptional amount
from the 2B Civil and the 3A Chemical
cIa ses.
The day tarted off slow, with
everyone looking really tired and ready to
return home. However, as soon as our
work was laid out for us, the day really got
going. The main project was to help
construct two ix-foot high retaining wall ,
totalling approximately 70 feet in length.
There was a lot of digging and lifting to
do, and the hot weather didn't help u very
much. We still managed to have a good
time. Even the poor guys in the mud "pit"
managed to keep smiling despite a "slight"
cave-in. The majority of us didn't have
experience, yet the job still got completed.
Our efforts were well recognized, not only
in the finished wall, but in the sunburned
faces and sore backs that were welcomed
(see "Habitat", page 2)
Hlfyou don't risk anything, you risk even more" - Erica Jong
BY JENNIFER MOTUZ
Canada Day Director
A
fter eight weeks of planning, the
Canada Day Steering Committee
and over 400 much appreciated
volunteers tran formed the Columbia
Fields into the region' largest celebration.
Free activities for all age were
organized by the different student
SOCietIes. Science organized Di covery
World for the younger children. MathSoc
had several children's activities, including
a giant twister game and parachute games.
Once again the EngSoc Waterslide was the
top attraction on the field. The EngSoc
volunteers also organized ten other events
to entertain children of all ages as part of
the Mini-Olympics.
The day was deemed a success even
though events ended early when a rain
storm hit the area. The volunteers again
saved the day by helping the vendors get
their wares safely off the field and by
helping everyone who came to enjoy the
activities keep dry and happy. Jeremy
Steffler, one of the volunteer co-ordinators
spoke of how children were kept dry while
they walked across the field under a tarp
held by the volunteer. In addition, the
volunteers helped keep the children calm
when the storm was at it wor t.
For a while people feared the
fireworks might be cancelled, but just
before the cancellation, the sun peeked
through the clouds and the fireworks were
kept on. In the eyes of the organizers, this
made the whole day worthwhile.
Any volunteers who did not get their
kits, contact Kitty Fong (kfong@novice)
or Jeremy (j2steff@noviceJ-
In This Issue ...
The Playful Plummer ............. 3
Women In the Engineering Industry .. 4
GNCfR ....................... 5
To TIle Point ................. 7
In the News ..................... 8
Semi Fonnal: Mardi Gras Style ...... 8
SSME Aerospace Conference ........ 9
Arts ....................... .. . 10
Elements I'm Among ............. 13
A Look at the Chem EngSoc . .. .... 14
And the Winner Is... . ............ 15
2
News and Information
The Iron Warrior, Friday, July 11, 1997
Habitat for Humanity
Unlike F D
(continued from page 1)
the next day.
The house, expected to be finished by
the beginning of September, is located in
Cambridge on Fisher Mills Road. The
"partner hip" family consists of Darlene
and Marty Wilson and their five
daughters. Christa (thirteen), Sarah
(eight). Katie (six), Hannah (five), and
Bethany Rose (three). The family must
contribute 500 hours of sweat equity
(unpaid labour on their own house) as part
of the agreement with Habitat. Marty
Wilson was working on the house the day
we were there, and he was very grateful
for all of us taking time out of our busy
schedules to lend a hand. The choice to
make time was quite easy for us, because
not only did we get to enjoy the sunshine,
we also got to help out others who needed
our assistance.
Habitat for Humanity is an
organization that allows volunteers to see
the results of their efforts. I encourage
everyone to help out Habitat when they
get the opportunity. Thanks for coming
out, and I look forward to seeing you all
again next term.
we don't have a huge dancefloor
1

we donlt have a humungous sound system
Unlike FED HA
we don't have an outdoor patiO deck
But most of all Unlike FED HALL
E'RE OPE III
eavers
s
Monday
Tuesday
ll:30am-lam
ll:30am-lam
Wednesday ll:30am - 2am
Thursday
Friday
Saturday
ll:30am - lam
ll:30am- 2am
ll:30am- 2am
Cool Drlnks,Good Foodl and Quick Service
,
..

The Newspaper of the University of
Waterloo Engineering Society
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Jeff Gobatto
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Pierre Menard
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Jenni Tee
Lynn Walker
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those of !be autbon and do not necessarily reOect !be
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The Iron Warrior encourages submissions from
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The Iron Warrior, Friday, July 11, 1997 News & Information
(continued from page 1)
ankles using my fathers antiquated tie
collection. They also judiciou ly helped
me hide the ties when my father showed
up to see how things were going.
Heidi and Doug were fantastic at the
potato sack races, as they grappled with
the problem of repairing the kids' burlap
sacks as fast as possible. Scott, Brian,
Stacey, Tony and a horde of others helped
out at the main sign-in table for the kids as
they trooped back and forth in search of
freezies for reward of event completion.
Sasha, Chris, and others were the queen
bees at the obstacle course, keeping the
obstacles as difficult as possible.
Basically, I was awed by the
willingness with which Engineers
Canada Day at Columbia Fields
faithfully taffed their event, chiefly
rewarded by smiles on children'. face . I
wa proud to be among t uch people a
Engineer, and more proud to know that it
is people of thi sort that typify what it i
to be Canadian.
The Steering Committee is grateful to
the efforts of all the engineer. I
participated in an intere ling walkie-talkie
conversation when the lightning started
and I had instructed the volunteers to run
about the field clutching the metal flag
post rods jutting out of the ground to
remove them before the fireworks. I had
earlier radioed for the post remover, which
is a tool used for removing metal takes
buried in the ground. "Chris, we can't find
the post remover." I responded, "That's
OK, the Engineers are pulling them out
with their hands" . The walkie-talkie
reo pon e, "In that a, e, we'll gel OU some
glove ." gain, 1 re ponded, "Actually, the
Engine rs are pulling them out with their
BARE hand .. " I al 0 got a chu kle \l hen
the panner we had been lent by the flre
department was broken in the con truction
of the water slide. 1 gave the spanner back
to Mark and aid, ''I'm orry, Mark, but we
broke your panner." A he took the
broken tool back. he aid "I haven't een
one of the e broken in 17 year of
ervice."
Anyways, folk, it was a super day. It
was an honour to participate along. ide all
of you and I hope to ee you all next year,
because I ure would like to do thi again!
3
700 Gallons of Water, a Hard Hat, and a Plummer
W
ith the end
of mid-
terms the
minds of engineers
once again migrated
to the social side of
life. Though little
was actually planned,
it was more than
made up for by the
quality of the events.
Week 8: Halfway There
M.O.T.
The middle of term always bring
aero the pain that though the term i half
over you still don't know half the material
for the course. With that in mind the
engineering department holds its tri-
annual Middle Of Term pub at POETS.
Week 9: Meetings and Movies
EngSoc Meeting #4
Only a few items were on the agenda
for the meeting. The Jostens Contract for
the graduation yearbook dominated the
meeting. The debate on the actual contract
is still ongoing.
Mystery Movie Night
Scream, Scream, and more Scream.
The main event was the showing of
Scream on the big TV. The turnout was
fairly good. The night was filled with
mystery, suspense, popcorn, and drinks. A
good time was had by all.
Week 10: Everything is over the Hill
Canada Day
Much was afoot for this Canada Day
celebration. After months of planning,
========;w everything wa
finally coming
The Playful
Plummer
by Jaime Tiampo
together.
Volunteers were
streaming in to help
et up for the
festivities on June
30.
On the actual
day, the Columbia
Lake fields were a hubub of activity.
Hectic last minute setups abounded. The
engineers ran the Kids Olympics. Events
included The Obstacle course, a
waterslide, Simon Says, Tug-o-War,
balloon toss, Me onald's Orange ri
Racing, Dunk Tank, Frisbee Golf,
VolleyBall, and the Potato sack race.
Dozens of engineers came out to help at
different times during the day. Mo t of
this plummer's day was spent at the dunk
tank, where unwitting volunteers were
unceremoniously submerged in grey
water. The Dunk Tank was an event were
every kid left a winner, compliments of the
men and women behind the net who were
entrusted with the rope that dunked the
particIpant. Many non-engineers also
came past the Dunk Tank to partake in the
refreshing feeling of ice cold water in the
heat. The waterslide was the real show
stealer though. The line for the waterslide
never eased up, but the volunteers sent the
children through at a quick, yet safe pace.
Highlights:
* EngSoc President Sarah Davies in the
Dunk Tank
* engineers vs kids at the McDonald's
Orange Drink racing
* engineers and kids co-existing in
harmony
Then the earth turned dark and the sun
did vanish. There was a great roar from
the heavens and the skies did open and it
did rain. Forty days and forty nights lutcr
it ended and God said to Noah ...
In the early evening the celebration
was rained out when a massive storm from
the west came through and poured on the
grounds. The volunteers acted quickly
though and packed up as much as they
could, though it was the end of the
festivities. With the downpour there was
much debate as to whether or not the
firework display that was planned for
10:00pm would actually happen. As
8:00pm passed, the rain was still falling
and most of the volunteers had abandoned
the grounds for howers and dry clothes.
Though the storm was heavy, the air
cleared later in the night and the fireworks
were still a go for their scheduled time.
Thousands of people gathered in the
wet grass of the Columbia Lake fIelds to
watch the fireworks. The display itself
was a huge hit, and the crowd cheered.
After the fireworks, the engineering
volunteer party was held at Weavers Arms.
Almost all the volunteers migrated to the
party to celebrate the job tbey did during
the day and to finally have a minute to
relax.
Semi Formal
On Friday UW Engineering hosted
the tri-annual semi formal at the
University Club. As ulluslial tiS it se ' lnS,
engine'rs cilme out waring UpclllSS
clothes and Ic)()kcd almost respectable. It
was a night of win' altd music. Quile a
few of the attcndtlnts took up the Mardi
Gras theme and wore eith r festive 'lothe.
or the traditionnl bends. Th' evening
st.1rted off with much conversation and
gaiety with the presenc of u live jun. trio.
It was well into the morning when the last
of the engineers left the club and headed
home, many of which were destined to
wake up early the next day for Mud Bowl.
As scary as it may seem there are only
a few weeks left before the end of the term
and exams. There are still lots of events
planned before then, so keep your eyes and
ears open.
Upcoming Events:
July 17: Chem Eng Coffee House
July 17: 245 Days Pub Crawl
July] 8: Brunny Trip
July 20: Sports world Trip
July 23: EngSoc Potluck
4 News & Information The Iron Warrior, FridaYJ July 11, 1997
Women In the Engineering Industry
COPYRIGHT 1994
KAITLIN SHERWOOD
B
eing a woman in the engineering
industry is different from being a
man in the engineering industry.
Not better, not worse, but different. I'm
going to try to talk about the things that are
going to annoy you and help you when you
get out into The Real World.
CaveatIDisciaimer
This article de cends from a talk J
gave to the Society of Women Engineers at
U/Uc. I have tried to translate from the
spoken word to the written word, but some
things may nOI have made it over properly.
Please note that not everything I am
going to say will apply to everyone here.
(Many of them don't even apply to me, as
a relatively tall woman with very
masculine speech patterns.) These are
rampant generalizations, but J can't talk
about anything interesting if I don't
generalize.
Physiology
Men and women have physiological
differences, as you may have noticed. You
would think that this shouldn't make any
difference in the workplace, but it does.
Temperature
Women, prepare now for being cold at
work for the rest of your life. Those of you
who have taken thermodynamics know
that heat production is a function of
volume (radius cubed), while heat
dissipation is a function of surface area
(radius squared). So the generation to
dl ipation ratio oe as th ra 1U ,and 0
the smaller you are, the colder you will be.
Furthermore, because women menstruate,
they are more prone to anemia, which can
also make you cold. I've also read that
women have much tighter tolerances on
their core temperature regulation, 10
provide for a better growing environment
for a potential fetus. So, when a woman's
core temperature drops by a little bit, all
the blood gets sucked back from the
extremities to the core. When men's core
temperature drops by a little bil, and it just
sits there, no problem. Toss in that the
ultimate control over building thermostats
usually lies with large, well-fed men in
three-piece suits in sOllth-facing window
offices, and you're going to be cold a lot.
When I was working, I would always
bring a coat to work with me, even in the
height of summer.
Now, before you run and slap the next
guy you see for being 0 insensitive, note
that men are frequently hot - e pecially in
a tie and a nice wool suit! Furthermore,
I've seen some things that lead me to
believe that part of why women live on the
average 8 years longer then men is their
superior temperature regulation system. I
don't know if this i true or not, but
believing it gives me great comforts. On
bad days I can sit there and think evil
thoughts about the men in charge of the
thermostats: "I may be freezing, but you're
going to die!"
Carpal Tunnel
In addition to being colder, women in
my experience seem to be more prone to
carpal tunnel syndrome. I have a friend
whose theory is that because men's
shoulders are wider and their handspand
greater, they don't have such a big
excursion when hopping from keyboard to
mouse or reaching for funky keys. My
anecdotal evidence is that the Sun
keyboards with two keys between
semicolon and return are the worst, by the
way.
It may also be that tables and chairs
are the wrong size for people who are
substantially bigger or smaller than the
average. This can lead to neck strain, back
strain, eye strain, brain strain, whatever. If
you start getting any of these problems,
deal with it right away. Repetitive stress
injuries don't go away with time, they get
worse. Ask for a monitor stand, a different
chair, put your computer on a box, the
floor, get a new desk, whatever. And don't
feel bad about asking for this: a new desk
and chair is cheaper for the company than
two years of physical therapy.
Language
You do need to be careful about how
you ask for a more suitable workspace,
and this brings me to the other major
difference between men and women:
language.
Phrase Everything As A Win- Win
Do not walk into your boss' office,
throw a hissy fit, and say that you need
new furniture NOW! Negative style
points. Whenever possible, explain your
ideas in terms of how they would benefit
the other person, not how they would
benefit you. Women tend to be more
sympathetic, so tend to expect sympathy
more readily. Forget it. You have to make
them understand why they want to do what
you want them to do.
Learn To Say "No" Well
You also need to be able to say "no"
well. If the boss says, "We' d like you to
write a statistical process control package
for our line in one month", the appropriate
response is not "you're out of your mind",
no i it "that can't d n". The
appropriate response is, "WeJl, we could
do that, but only if we hire about five
contractors and rent six computers for
development." It may be that the project is
important enough that they are wilIing to
do just that.
If your boss really pushes you and
basically tells you that you have to do it all
by yourself in a month, you need to tell
your boss, "I will do the best I can to get
this done in a month, but let me go on
record as stating that I feel that this is a
schedule aggressive enough that it i not
possible for anyone to do." If you can back
that up with examples of time-to-
completion for similar projects, even
better. Put it in writing and keep one for
your files, even better.
This is very important. The sadde t
case r ever saw of a woman not fitting into
the culture was one of the sweetest women
you'd ever want to know. She was
univer ally highly-regarded technically,
and she had a reputation for being very
difficult to work with.
She was 0 sweet that when they
a ked her to do impossible things, she'd
end up capitulating relatively easily
because she wanted to be nice. She'd work
her brains out, day-in, day-out, evenings,
weekends, all the time, get aU frazzled.
Then when it got clo e to deadline and it
wa n't ready, they'd tart to come down on
her, and she would just explode. She'd go
totally non-linear. And nobody would
understand what set her off. So he'd get
nailed for being hard to work with.
This obviously was extremely
frustrating for her, so it would be even
worse next time. It was very sad. Here was
a human being who spent a lot of time
being very unhappy and a company that
lost a great resource. Moral of the story:
learn to say no! And if you can't say no,
you'd better be sure to keep your boss
well-apprised of your progress.
Speak Up!
In general, you should not wait for
people to poll you for your opinion, for
your status, for your needs and desires.
You have to speak up and tell them
yourself. There is a scholarship in General
Engineering the Elizabeth Ruff
scholarship - whose description basically
says that it is for sweet, unpretentious,
unassuming girls. (Yes, it really does say,
"girls".) I read the criteria and said,
"Whoever wins this has my deepest
sympathy. This is practically a recipe for
failure in the engineering workplace."
Especially in meetings, you can't wait for
them to say, "Now, Marilyn, how do you
feel about this?" You'll have a long wait.
Expressing Certainty
Also on the subject of
pretentiousness, I have a friend who
observes that if a man thinks the answer is
three, he'll say "The answer is three." If a
woman knows the answer is three, she will
say, "I think the answer is three." Women
tend to be more tentative. This is not
necessarily bad - you may end up with
higher credibility than the man who keeps
insisting that the answer is three when it is
really is seventeen ... but you might look
wishy-washy.
Don't Take It Personally
Men also take things a lot less
personally. They will yell and scream and
call each other idiots over a technical
point, then go have a beer together. The
fact that someone doesn't like a particular
idea of your does not necessarily mean
that they don't like or respect you. They
just may lack diplomacy. If someone is in
ur face, it's probabl because he or she
feels responsible for but not in control of
something. This is a deadly combination.
If some guy gets nasty with you, do
what I do: assume he had a fight with his
wife, got into a fender-bender, has to come
up with $3000 to fix his roof, and left his
wallet at home. Then feel OITY for him
and see if you can make hi day better.
Thi can have some very nice
outcomes. This guy who was famous for
being abusive barged into my office, just
livid, and started bealing on my desk with
his fist. I let him rant and rave until he
wound down, then said, "Yeah, well, we
very well might have crewed up, let's
take a look at it."
That stopped him dead in his tracks!
He wa so braced for a fIght that he didn't
quite know what to do when I wouldn't
fight back. We looked at the code, and it
turned out that he had screwed up. I
showed him what he had done wrong,
explained what he needed to do to fix it,
and told him that ifhe would go fix it right
away, I'd stay late to personally oversee
my group's part of it so that it would be
ready to move on first thing in the
morning.
It was priceless! He just sort of slunk
away and never gave me any trouble after
that. My friend Anne reports a nearly
identical occurance, so it wasn't just me.
Accept Blame Properly
Accepting guilt can be really useful.
Not just for defusing cases like that jerk,
but also for establishing credibility. If you
say, "Yeah, I crewed up" when you do
screw up, then when you say, "No, that
was not my fault", people will believe you.
Now, when you do accept blame, DO
NOT GROVEL. DO NOT MAKE
EXCUSES. I worked with a woman who
would spend five minutes apologizing for
a screwup ... and then make the exact same
screwup next week. Contrition and
excuses are not useful: I want the problem
resolved.
When accepting guilt, do the
following:
Make a brief statement of contrition,
accept guilt,
explain briefly how you are going to
solve the immediate problem,
explain how you are going to
prevent this from occuring in the future.
For example:
"I'm sorry, I didn't clearly
explain to Mike which include
files to use. I will personally go
rebuild the kernel now - it should
be ready at about 4:30. I'll also
go put a comment in the
README file about which
include files to use."
(Note that if a subordinate screws up, you
accept the blame as being your fault . If
they did something wrong, you didn't train
them right, you didn't give them adequate
instructions or equipment or something. If
you blame them you look like a whiner. If
you protect your people, however, they
will follow you through the depths of hell.)
Insecurity
Now, some people get really nervous
about the idea of admitting guilt, being
afraid that it will make them seem less
competent.
# J: Everybody screws up.
Everybody. It happens all the time. I
know you are all freaked because you've
all had profs who gave zero partial credit
on the grounds that if the sign is wrong, the
bridge will fall down. This is true, but
there are an enormous number of checks in
the real world to make sure that the sign is
not wrong.
You de ign, then simulate, then
redesign, then simulate again, then
prototype, then test, then redesign, etc.
Engineering is an incredibly iterative
process, and it is that feedback loop that
keeps the bridges from falling down, NOT
that everybody but you does everything
right the first time.
#2: EVERYBODY is insecure about their
job performance.
I read an article in Psychology Today
when I was in college that interviewed
people at all different levels of
corporations. They were surprised to find
that the higher you went in a corporation,
the more successful people were, the more
insecure they were about their jobs! There
wa a real strong fear among high-placed
people that someday they'd be found out!
That everybody would suddenly realize
that they were totally clueless! Moral:
nobody has a clue, so relax already.
#3 The most successful people are NOT
those who screw up the least.
The most successful people are those
who learn best from the screw-ups they
make, and act fastest to make amends. I
wa at a startup that was very careful about
who they hired. They only tended to hire
people who had always had raging
successes. Unfortunately, this left them iU-
equipped to deal with a troubled project.
My friend Anne says, "I have been on
some large, highly successful projects, but
I didn't learn as much from them as I did
frem the small, disastrous projects (which
failed because they were small and we
thought we didn't have to do all the stuff
you have to do for a big project -
WRONG!)"
I know someone else who observed
that at Intel, the people who were on
projects that failed miserably eventually
ended up as corporate VPs - because they
_ had learned so much more than their
colleagues whose projects had succeeded.
(see "Women", page 5)
The Iron Warrior, Friday, July 11, 1997 News & Information
(continued from page 4)
It's very difficult to examine a success
and figure out why it went right It is much
easier to take a failure and figure out why
it went wrong. So look at your screwups as
valuable learning aids!
Measure Your Job Performance
Now, this doesn't mean you shouldn't
pay attention to your job performance. It is
a really good idea to figure out some way
of measuring your performance
something, anything. My friend Anne
quoted Gilb's law (from the book
Peopleware): any measurement you make
is better than no measurement at all.
I'd advise as a minimum generating
weekly stiitus reports (regardless of
whether your boss asks for them or not).
Mention what you are working on, why it
has taken you longer than you thought
(because it always does), what would help
you in terms of equipment, cooperation
from other departments, etc.
Benefits of Being Female
There are some benefits of being a
woman surrounded by men.
Men Like Women
Most men like women. It's a strong
evolutionarially favourable trait. So all
other things being equal, you may well get
more cooperation from men than they
would give to other men. Part of this also
is that men can be really territorial around
other men. They can play all kinds of
status games with each other that can make
them real jerks to other men. Women by
and large not only don't play those games,
they are oblivious to the fact that they are
going on. This means that men can usually
relax more around women.
Being Remembered
Because there are relatively few
Women in Engineering
women around, if you are the only woman
in a meeting of thirty, guess who the Vice-
President is going to remember? Yes, you
will be more exposed. Yes, your screw-ups
will be more visible. (l don't remember
who said it, but I liked the quote: "Women
have not yet achieved the right to be
mediocre.") But your uccesses will also
be more visible.
Exploiting the Underground Economy
Women also tend to be more empathic
and more diplomatic, two traits that are
highly useful in collaborative efforts.
Companies are all dependent upon what I
call "the underground economy". This i
an economy based on personal ties that has
nothing to do with the formal power
structure.
This is what I invoke when I get on
the phone and say, "Psst ! Hey Dottie! I got
a sputtering system down, and I need some
oxide wafer to qual it and bring it back up.
The fab manager is breathing down my
neck, but hotwall is down and can't get me
any wafers. Can you get me about twenty
oxide wafers?" And then Dottie shows up
five minutes later, slips me a box of
wafers, and says, "Here you go. Don' t ask
where I got them." (It isn't that she stole
them from somewhere, it's that company
policy frowned upon hoarding wafers. I
presume that she knew a technician who
had some oxide wafers in his or her desk
that were left over from some experiment,
and she called in a favour from that tech,
and I ended up with wafers.)
This kind of thing happens all the time
in The Real World. Frequently the unit of
exchange is not physical , it is information.
Also, exchanges don't even necessarily
stop at company boundaries. I have friends
call me up and say, "My boss is afraid to
use an aluminum casting for this part
because he says it won't be waterproof.
What the hell i he talking about?" Or I
call up friends and say, "Honey, sweetie,
darling, I'm having trouble with my
computer and I think it ha to do with file
locking; could you explain to me again
how file locking works?"
I think that all other thing being
equal, women tend to be better net worker
becau e they do tend to pay attention to
other people' need.
The Rules
Women have a lot fewer rule that
they have to follow. Men are practically
handed a rule book at birth and told, "If
you break the e rules, you will be Not
Taken Seriously."
Women u ed to have a whole set of
really rigid rules as well, the whole
barefoot and pregnant routine,
uncomfortable shoes, etc. That finally
became so unbearable that The Rules got
challenged to the point where it is common
for them to be broken. The remnants of
The Rules stil11inger, and give women all
kinds of grief, but if you think you are
oppressed, think about all the Rules men
have to follow!
If you weigh less than 2001b and are
less than 6' tall, you may not wear
pastels.
You may only wear a skirt or dress
on Halloween.
You may not be neutral about The
Super Bowl.
You must always have a job.
You may NOT stay home and raise
kids.
You may not touch another man,
unless your are thumping him on the
back, shaking his hand. punching his
lights out, or participating in a sporting
event.
You are allowed to exhibit only one
5
feeling: blinding anger.
For example, I have one friend who
had large sums of money in the bank and
didn't like his job. I told him he ought to
quit his job and go travel around the world.
He rather liked the idea, but couldn't. He
ab olutely could not bear the idea of
someone asking him, "Where do you
work?" and not having an answer.
(Partially as a result of discussions
pertaining to this document, Jame M.
Putnam has written an article on The
Rule , Uncle limbo And The Boy's Club. It
i quite funny and I strongly recommend
it.)
Men are starting to notice that they
have all these Rules, and are starting to
rebel: a king for cu tody of children,
staying home, wearing pink, but as we
know, it is a slow path to eqUality.
For more, see:
Female Advantai!e (Peters): This
book profiles four successful women
and how their "feminine" traits have
helped them succeed.
You Just Don't Understand (Debra
Tannen): Tannen talks about how men
and women use language differently.
Some people I know complain that her
research is anecdotal and not rigorous,
but jeez, look at it as philosophy. (How
many people complained about Iron
John not being rigorous?) What she
says rings very true to me, as welJ as
providing a good framework for
thinking about your own interactions.
Final Word
I believe it was Martin Luther King,
Jr. who said: "Excellence is the best
antidote for nlCism." I think dJe same is"
true for chauvanism, so let's all go out and
be excellent!
Goofy New Challenge - Truncation Recognition
BY MARK TIGCHELAAR
4ACIvil
GNCTR: Which of the following does this
acronym represent:
a) Genuine Nerds Club Tube Regatta
b) General Needs Concerning Technical
Reports
c) Gargantuan Nurfherders Craft
Titillating Reinforcements
d) Great Northern Concrete Toboggan
Race
e) Graduate Relational Class Teaching
Rank
f) Genuflect Novice Cenobites Tableau
Rivalry
While many civil-minded engineers
may be able to pick the correct one,
several of you may not have heard of the
GNCTR. So instead of telling you what
GNCTR represents, try and guess based on
the following hints (won't this be fun). I
realize that you may be sick of thinking by
the end of the week, but try not to look at
the answer right away.
Hint#}: It's a competition
Hint#2: It's typically done by fourth year
Civil Engineering students
Hint#3: It's not (a) because that's a
Mathie competition.
Yes, the correct choice is the Great
Northern Concrete Toboggan Race. The
GNCTR is hosted every February by a
Canadian University. The February 1998
GNCTR will be hosted by the University
of Calgary in Calgary, Alberta. Teams
from universities across Canada, and
several from the U.S. and Europe, build
and race a toboggan whose running
surface is made of Portland-based
concrete. Each toboggan must weigh less
than 300 pounds and be able to seat five
riders with roll-over protection. In
addition, a braking system must be
provided to stop the toboggan in as little
distance as possible. In past races,
toboggans have reached speeds of 50-60
kilometers per hour, stopping in the space
of three or four meters! As a result of
these design criteria and the
unconventional use of concrete as a
running surface, new design innovations
yield some interesting entries each year.
Traditionally, the University of
Waterloo is represented by two different
teams - one from each stream. Due to the
de-streaming which occurred in the Civil
Department last year, Team Arctic Fire
will be the sole team representing the
University of Waterloo this year. We will,
however, carry on the tradition of entering
two toboggans in the race. Our [lISt entry
will be a rectangular design which is the
shape typical of the majority of the entries.
Although we will be modeling the
standard shape, our design will incorporate
new ideas and innovations. Our second
entry will introduce an entirely new
conceptual shape and design which has
never been seen in competition before.
The competition isn't only about the
design of the toboggan. Each team will
also be judged for team spirit, their
technical exhibit, and their technical
report. The Arctic Fire team is divided
into sub committees. In addition to design
and construction, there are people
responsible for transportation (by covered
wagon all the way out west),
accommodations, financing, promotions,
and videos.
Waterloo has placed in the top three
for three years running. Arctic Fire
intends to continue this winning traditjon.
A competition of this nature is an excellent
learning experience for those involved. A
successful toboggan requires the time and
effort of the team members, but it also
takes funding. We have been working at
getting corporate sponsors to help defray
some of the expenses. If you know of any
companies that may be interested in
sponsoring our team please contact us at
the address or phone number below. You
can personally support the team by
purchasing "Boggan Burgers" from
11 :30am - 2:00pm every Thursday in the
CPH foyer (or outside if the weather is
fine!). We've got burgers, sausages and
hot-dogs with all the fixings. Its excellent
food at a good price!
ff you have any questions you can
contact Bonnie at the undergraduate office
(888-4567 extension 3681). She will pass
your message directly to the Project
Manager of Arctic Fire. If you wish to
support the team financially and become a
Friend of Arctic Fire, your generous
contributions can be mailed to:
Arctic Fire
170 University Ave. W.
Suite 12, P.D Box 266
Waterloo, ON, N2L 3E9
6 News & Information The Iron Warrior, Friday, July 11, 1997
Vegetarian Stereotypes Quashed
The Crazy
Carrot
by Lynn Walker
middle of the
nineteenth century,
and another soon
followed In the
United States. The
first vegan society
was formed in 1944
A
s I started
working on
this article I
realized I was
wearing an old pair
of coveralls, a
sunflower T-shirt,
Birkenstocks, and a
beaded necklace, all
while sipping
=======;;lJ in England.
chamomile tea. And I thought to myself,
"jeez, am I ever a hippie!".
Then I realized I was working on a
computer, I'm a woman in engineering,
and in two months I'll be working in an oil
refinery. That just seems, well, modem!
Of course, just to make things more
confusing, I'm vegetarian. This personal
reflection made me think about vegetarian
stereotypes, and left me wondering; "Who
are these vegetarian freaks anyway?!"
Vegetarians are all over the place. It is
estimated that there are over 12 million
vegetarians in the United States; an
increase from the estimated seven million
in 1986. Similar increases exist in Canada
and Britain, especially among the younger
population in their late teens and early
twenties. These statistics are from Billy
Ray Boyd's book, For the in
.Ym!., and represent 1995 figures.
Let's get this straight: vegetarians are
everywhere, their numbers are growing,
and a lot of them are in their late teens or
early twenties.
Some more food for thought:
vegetarians have been around for a long
time. Famous vegetarians in history
include: Plato, Pythagora , ocrate, ir
Isaac Newton, Leo Tolstoy, Voltaire,
Leonardo da Vinci, H.G. Wells, Thomas
Edison, Albert Einstein, and John Harvey
Kellogg of the Kellogg Cereals fame.
The first Western World vegetarian
society was formed in England in the
Vegetarianism
gained momentum in
the 60's and 70's as people became more
aware of the health risks associated with
eating meat, and began looking for earth
friendly (and animal friendly) ways to lead
their lives.
When 1 became vegetarian I was
lucky. Although it was considered a little
nutty and strange, most people had at least
heard about vegetarianism, and I knew
people who had made the same choice.
For others, this hasn't always been the
case. For example, when Bobbi Pasternak
became a vegetarian, she did not have the
benefit knowing anyone who was
vegetarian until she discovered the
internet. Since then, she bas become the
online resource person for the Vegetarian
Resource Group, an excellent web site
mentioned in a previous article.
Although being vegetarian is
undoubtedly becoming more popular,
stereotypes still exist. Often vegetarians
are pictured as tofu munching, tree
hugging, long-haired, passive hippie types.
Not so!
I have included a list of celebrity
vegetarians that will seriously dispel any
stereotypes you may have about
vegetarians. The list j ba ed on a
compilation found in the book For the
Vegetarian in You, previously mentioned
in this article. Some people you can easily
see being vegetarian, and others are just
plain surprising. See for yourself what
you thought vegetarian people "were like".
FAMOUS VEGETARIANS:
River Phoenix
Madonna
Fred "Mister" Rogers
Chubby Checker
Chrissie Hynde ("The Pretenders")
Bob Barker ("The Price is Right")
George Bernard Shaw
Candice Bergen ("Murphy Brown")
Bryan Adams
Piers Anthony (Author)
Carol Adams (Author)
Rosanna Arquette
Kim Basinger
Jeff Beck
David Bowie
Boy George
Christie Brinkley
Kate Bush
Elvira
Melissa Etheridge
Peter Gabriel
Bobcat Goldthwaite
Henry Heimlich, M.D. (physician and
inventor of the Heimlich maneuver)
Dustin Hoffman
Anthony Kiedes ("The Red Hot Chili
Peppers")
Billie Jean King (tennis champion)
KRS-ONE
k.d.lang
Annie Lennox
Carl Lewis
Peggy Lipton
Steve Martin
Paul and Linda McCartney
Morissey
Martina Navrotilova
Olivia Newton-John
Stevie Nicks
Bill Pearl (four time Mr. Universe)
Kate Pierson ("the B-52's")
Grace Slick
Sy Sperling ("Hair Club for Men")
Eddie Vedder
This article's recipe is for Rice and
Beans, and is probably one of my ultimate
comfort foods.
LYNN'S RICE AND BEANS
I medium cooking onion
112 green pepper
3 cloves garlic
1 tomato
1 1/2 cups of white rice (not instant)
I can of red kidney beans
1 cube vegetable stock concentrate
about 3 cups of water
black pepper
crushed chilies
plain yogurt (optional)
Peel and chop the onion and garlic. Core
and chop the green pepper. In a medium
sized pot, saute:; the onion, green pepper,
and garlic together until the onion
becomes translucent. Chop the tomato,
and add this to the onion mixture. Add the
rice and beans (rinse the beans first).
Dissolve the vegetable stock in the
water, and add this to the pot. Season to
the desired level of fire with the black
pepper and chilies. Cover the pot, and let
it simmer on low heat for about 20
minutes, or until the rice is cooked. Stir it
occasionally, and add more water if the
rice looks dry and isn't cooked yet.
This dish is great served with a dollop
of yogurt. Sounds weird, but tastes good.
NOTES:
You can make this with almost any
type of bean, just make sure that they're
cooked first! You can get experimental
with the seasonings (thyme works well),
with little damage. It's pretty hard to
screw this one up.
How 10 make mOJfeJj OJf lite
IJflentel
You hear a lot about the business opportunities that the Internet holds. How do you
tap into the vast electronic commerce potential of this new medium?
Andersen Consulting would like to invite all 3rd and 4th year students to our summer
information session with a focus on Business to Business electronic commerce. This
presentation will give interested individuals a better background on electronic
commerce and the involvement that Andersen Consulting has in this newly emerging
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The Iron Warrior, Friday, July 11, 1997 News & Information 7
ANDERSEN
CONSULTING
To THE POINT
1997 Andersen Consulting
All rights reserved.
A COMPILATION OF INfORMATION TECHNOLOGY ABSTRACTS
-Hot Buttons
Apple spins off Newton unit
Apple Computer announced it will
spi n off its Newton hand-held computer
division. The as-yet-unnamed company
will operate as an independent, wholly-
owned subsidiary with separate
management and its own board of
directors. After a period of evaluation,
Apple will consider whether to sell a stake
in the company to outside investors, bring
the company back into Apple, or close it
down altogether. The 200-person Newton
unit has been struggling since its creation
in 1992, with annual expenses estimated at
$35 million and revenue at only two-thirds
that amount. Some analysts believe the
spin-off will improve the Newtons
prospects while freeing Apple to focus
money and technical resources on its core
Macintosh computers and software.
Based on Apple's Newton unit to be
independent, wholly owned and seeking
investors, by Lee Gomes, The Wall Street
Journal, 23 May 1997, p. B12.
Worldwide IT talent pool declines
Increasing demand for programming
professionals is straining the worldwide
information technology (In talent pool.
In the US alone, demand for IT
professionals is growing nearly 25 percent
annually. India, traditionally a supplier of
cost-effective IT talent, is also suffering
from a worsening shortage of qualified IT
workers. The worldwide decline is driving
up wages and reducing savings for firms
that rely on offshore programmers for
inexpensive software services. Analysts
believe that year-2000 conversion projects
and preparations for the single European
currency are leading the demand for IT
professionals.
Based on Offshore talent pool costly,
dwindling, by Julia King, Computerworld,
19 May 1997, p. 1.
spite of the friction, industry analy t
project that sale of uperchips will grow
from $2.2 biIlion in 1996 to $15. billion
in 2000.
Based on More complex uperchips
put premium on design , by Andrew
Pollack, The New York Times, 26 May
1997, p. CI.
-Worldwide Marketplace
Executives predict radical change,
survey says
A recent worldwide urvey conducted
by Andersen Consulting and the
Economist Intelligence Unit revealed that
executives predict radical corporate
change by 20 I 0. A majority of 350 board-
level directors and senior executives
agreed that their companies will
experience new competition from fast-
growing knowledge-based companies and
from companies within the developing
Asian economies. According to the
executives, a trend continues to emerge
toward flexible organizational structures,
with a focus on outsourcing, alliances, and
joint-ventures. Over 78 percent predkted
that their organisations will change
significantly over the next ten to fifteen
years and this will in turn impact the skills
they need as executives. Only four percent
beJjeved they are adequately equipped to
lead the virtual organisation of the next
century.
Nearly 30 percent claimed that their
organization is either not prepared or
totally unprepared for these changes.
More than 94% of respondents perceived a
need to develop more sophisticated
communications kills. 77 percent wanted
to master professional relationship
building skiIls. 73 percent saw a need for
deeper cultural sensitivity.
Based on Survival of the most
flexible, by Vanessa Houlder, Financial
Times (UK), 28 May 1997, p. 11.
-New Age Architectures
Superchips herald future
semiconductor industry
of -Sentinel (squinting at the
future and muttering)
A new breed of companies is
transforming the semiconductor industry
by licensing designs for specialized
integrated circuits that manufacturers
incorporate into larger, multi-function
chips. So-called superchips enable
manufacturers to combine separate system
components onto a single chip. This
consolidation is enabling electronic
gadgets such as cellular phones, cameras,
and televisions to become smaller,
cheaper, faster, and more powerful. The
growth of so-called virtual component
designers, such as !ready of San Jose and
LSI Logic of Tokyo, has led to some
marketplace tension. Such companies
provide chip module designs but do not
manufacture the chips themselves.
Larger semiconductor manufacturers
are often reluctant to make chips based on
the intellectual property of other
companies. Some chip manufacturers,
such as Intel and Motorola, are large
enough to reject the virtual components of
smaller niche companies and produce their
own. As superchips grow in complexity,
small design companies are calling for the
development of standards for the design
and integration of virtual components. In
Intelligent Implants
Science fiction writers have long
known that the best computer interface has
nothing to do with faces. They dream of
intelligent implants that will bypass the
interface altogether by seamlessly merging
the world of neural tissue and the world of
silicon circuits. While that dream remains
distant for now, microprocessor
technologies are advancing to the point
where primitive intelligent implants are
finding real-world applications.
Of course, implant culture has its
fringe element. Since the dawn of the
silicon age, paranoiacs of every stripe have
suspected government agents,
extraterrestriar aliens, and even the
Shriners of implanting microchips in the
brains of unsuspecting citizens (a-
albionic. comla - albion iclgophe rl
conspiracylmindcontroVmind.controf).
In a less dystopian crease of the fringe
lie the Transhumanists and Extropians,
who view intelligent implants as a means
of complementing human biology to
enhance its performance. These
"philosophers" see humans as "a nice
beginning" and believe that intelligent
implants should be developed to extend
human capabilities. When litlle Pat gets
ready to attend grammar . chool. his
competiti e parents may decide that a
DRAM implant will give him an edge over
cla mates addled with bulky laptop PC .
Today' intelligent implants range in
function from the mundane (tracking cattle
www.ansi.okstafe.edulextenlnI9607081
julyupd.htm to the ameliorative
(overcoming handicap that afflict vision,
hearing, and other biological function ).
The bigge t stride are being made in the
medical arena. Re earchers at the
Huntington Medical Re. earch Institute in
Pasadena, California, for example, ha e
developed several succe ful neural
prosthetic devices that u e a bi-directional
helix electrode to stimulate nerves.
Already available in Europe, the system i
used to treat a number of disorders,
ranging from epilepsy to incontinence.
See no evil
Restoring sight to the blind has long
been used as a metaphor in literature,
religion, and politics. Implant technology
may make a physiological reality of the
idea www.institute.ieee.org/publicaccessl
9605teaser19605vis2.html.
Researchers at Harvard University
and MIT have developed an ocular implant
that attaches directly to the human retina.
The device receives data as laser pulses
from a small external camera, processes
the data using two silicon chips, and
stimulates the optic nerve with electrical
signals. At the University of Utah,
researchers are designi ng a device that
bypasses the optic ncr v , ' ntircly,
generating mental images by stimulating
nerve cells in the visual center. of the
brain.
In both experiments, a key challenge
is achieving enough processing power. A
fly's brain, researchers arc keen to note,
routinely proces es the equivalent of 22
MB per second of uncompressed video
signal. UC Berkeley rescarchers
designing chips that mimic the structure of
the retina. These cellular nonlinear
network (CNN) chips can perform 1012
operations per second-an order of
magnitude faster than digital machines-
and they can compress image data at ratios
of 100:1.
Hear no evil
Cochlear USA Inc.
(www.cochlear.com) has developed a
device that delivers sound signals directly
to the auditory nerve, bypassing damaged
portions of the ear. Nearly 7,000
individuals have had the device implanted.
What's interesting is that the system is
designed specifically to help the
profoundly deaf recognize speech. The
implant uses a computer chip to process
speech sounds and transmit them as coded
electrical signals. Cochlear is working
with the House Ear Institute
(www.heLorglinheLhtm) in Los Angeles to
develop a variety of auditory implants with
greater functionality. Planned upgrades
include variable tuning, optimizing sounds
in the field of view, and situation-specific
noise filters. The House Ear Institute is
also conducting trials of a device that will
deliver audio signals directly to the brain.
The device processes sound from an
external microphone and stimulates
pecific areas of the brainstem that control
hearing.
Speak no evil
When the laryn has to be removed
due to disease, patient mu t often re ort to
esophageal peech, which change the
aural characteri tics of the voice. 1n some
in lance. thi can cause a speaker to be
mi idenrifted over telephone lines or other
electronically mediated voice
communi alions. This could po e
problems, for example, for voice
recognition system. Re earcher
announced at a meeting of the Acoustical
Society of America that they have
developed a technique for u ing a Texa
Instruments digital ignal processor to
enhance the perceptual quality of the
e ophageal voice. While not currently
incorporated into an implant , a tunable
voice processor implanted in the
e ophagus could enable individuals to call
in sick and really sound like it.
Display no evil
Palo Alto-based Interval Research is
patenting technology that lets a liquid
crystal display reside just beneath the skin
of your wrist-right where you'd normally
wear a watch. Because skin is translucent,
the display is clearly visible. A chip and a
power supply (the battery can be charged
by induction-you needn't ~ u ourself
in) are also implanted during what Interval
claims is an outpatient operation. Such
implantable computers have the advantage
over mere wearables of being waterproof
lind diflicull (or lit lIny rat III(:SNY) to
mislay or steal.
Technicul burrlcrs
One pr lhlern thaI has vexed implant
resclITchefs is how to build un interface
hetween living cell tissue and inorganic
silicOJl. Simply plugging tI chip into II cell
won't do. The cell m'rely slidc!> off the
smooth silicon surface. Researchers at
Stanford University, realizing that cells
can and do stick to each other, have
developed a synthetic membrane that
adheres to both cells and chips. The
material mimics the structure of cell walls,
enabling a cell to bond with the surface of
the membrane as if it were another cell.
Lowintensity electrical fields enable
the membrane to adhere to a silicon wafer.
Whil researchers are far from
developing a system for translating
computer signals into cell signals, (hey are
pursuing some immediate applications of
the technology. AIDS testing, for
example, can be admjnistered much more
efficiently by using the membrane to
analyze cell health. Some researchers
believe the technology could be applied
for testing the effectiveness of drugs on
cells. Bionics, however, will have to wait
a while.
By John D. Schrock
Editor's Note:
"To The Point", provided by Andersen
Consulting, offers University of Waterloo
Engineering students Information
Technology news and issues. This article
is copyrighted. and is not to be reproduced
by any means.
8
News & Information The Iron Warrior, Friday, July 11, 1997
Hong Kong Handed Over
National News
P
reston Manning
has accepted his
complimentary
car and driver as well
as the posh residence,
Stornoway, which is
offered to the Leader
of the Opposition. In
the past, Manning has
shunned such perks,
stating that they show
careless government spending. Manning
said that he moved into Stornoway
because it would be disrespectful to
Canada's hi story to refuse the residence.
Unemployment insurance is
generating five billion dollars more per
year than it pays out. Business groups and
conservative politicians are urging the
federal government to cut premiums.
The Somali Inquiry gave its final
report on July 2. The report stated that
serious changes were needed within the
Canadian army to prevent further disgrace
such as the incidents which occurred in
Somalia. The inquiry also stated that there
weren'tju t a "few rotten apples", but that
the whole system was corrupt and that top
military officials had tried to thwart the
work of the inquiry.
On June 18, Liberal MPPs walked out
of the Ontario Parliament in protest of
changes to parliamentary rules proposed
by the Conservative government. On June
20, the NDP followed the Liberal lead by
wearing protest badges in Parliament,
thereb ettin them elves e' eeted from
Parliament. The government wanted to
push through a law that would limit the
debate on bills, reduce the time required to
pass a bill, and increa. e the number of bill s
passed in a legislative session. Critics fear
that thi s will allow the government to pass
bills before the public even becomes aware
of them. The Conservative government
changed the legi slation due to the
objections. The government will still be
allowed to pass more bills through under
the new proposal, however, each bill will
take as many calendar days as are
currently required.
The Ontario government will
reintroduce student streaming in 1999 for
grade nine students.
The students will be
In the
News
by Liz Jones
segregated into
classes depending
on their ability.
Ontario's
Human Rights
Commissioner,
Keith Norton, ha
denounced Mike
Harris for his
proposed legislation that would allow
landlords to refuse to rent to low-income
tenants. He states that the legislation
discriminates against the poor.
Ontario's Human Rights Commission
urged the Ontario government to amend 16
laws to recognize same sex couples in the
definition of spouse.
Talks over salmon quotas in British
Columbia between the U.S. and Canada
broke down on June 20. Jean Chretien
failed to get the talks restarted in a meeting
with Bill Clinton. Canada made one final
proposal to the U.S. negotiators which was
rejected. Both sides accuse each other of
trying to profit without respecting the need
to conserve the fishing industry. Canada
and the U.S. have now set up their own,
independent quotas.
Queen Elizabeth II arrived in
Newfoundland on June 23. She was
present for the ceremonies honoring John
Cabot's discovery of Newfoundland, as
well as Canada Day celebrations. Her
husband, Prince Philip, also visited the
Manitoba flood plains. The visit lasted ten
days.
Police lawyers will not be allowed to
question Kenneth Jessop about incest that
occurred with his sister, Christine Jes op.
Christine Jessop was killed on
October 3,1984 and Guy Paul Morin was
wrongfully convicted of her murder. The
current trial focuses on the police's
involvement in the conviction. They are
accused of coercing testimony from
witnesses and falsifying evidence.
At least 700,000 people attended
Toronto's 17th annual Gay Pride Parade on
June 29.
Quebec's celebration of St-Jean-
Baptiste Day on June 24 turned into a riot
for the fourth year in a row. One hundred
people were arrested in Quebec City and
42 in Montreal. Premier Lucien Bouchard
stated that these types of situations are
inevitable in a democratic society.
An elderly patient at Sunnybrook has
been charged with setting the fire that
killed three patients at the home on June 4.
The patient, Maxwell Zulauf, has a history
of psychiatric problems.
International News
O
n July 1, 156 years of British rule
in Hong Kong ended. The
ceremony which occurred at
midnight was attended by Prince Charles.
The following dawn, 4000 troops from the
People's Liberation Army of China poured
across the border as well as 21 armored
personnel carriers. The new head of Hong
Kong is Tung Chee-hwa. The Chinese
government has also set up a Provisional
Legislature, but has promised an elected
legislature by next spring. On July 2, 200
people marched in Hong Kong demanding
the end of one party rule. It was the Largest
protest on Chinese soil since Tiannemen
Square, however the police made no
efforts to halt the protest.
There have been repeated rumours of
the capture of Pol Pot, Leader of the Khmer
Rouge in Cambodia. The Khmer Rouge
ruled Cambodia from 1975 to 1979 and
Pol Pot is held re ponsible for the death of
two million Cambodians during his reign
of terror. The U.S. has asked Canada to
hold Pol Pot jf he is caught and provide a
venue for an international tribunal. The
situation is troubling becau e the tribunal
could entence Pol Pot to death which i
illegaJ in Canada.
On June 23, the Summit of Eight
began in Denver, Colorado. The meeting
includes the leaders of Britain, Canada, the
U.S., Japan, Germany, France, Russia and
Italy.
Southern Baptists in the United States
have undertaken a boycott of Disney
because of their "gay-friendly" policie .
They object to such shows as Ellen, and to
Disney's policy of giving employee
benefit to same sex couple .
McDonald' won a uit against two
environmentali ts from England who
handed out leaflets criticizing the
company 13 year ago.
British Prime Minister Tony Blair ha
changed the conditions for peace talks
with Sinn Fein, the political arm of the
Irish Republican Army (IRA). The new
condition allow peace talks to begin six
weeks after a cease-fire and allow for the
disarmourment of the IRA to occur during
the peace talk process. Previously, the
government required the IRA to disarm
before peace talks began.
Russia's lower house of parliament
has approved a bill that would restrict the
rights of "non-traditional" religions,
including Baptists and other Protestant
sects. The vote passed three hundred to
eight.
An out of control cargo capsule
slammed into the Russian space station
Mir on June 25, crippling the station's
power supply and creating a large hole in
the station's hull.
Ukrainian President Leonid Kuchna
has fired Prime Minister Paulo Lazarenko
because of outside political pressure.
Lazarenko has been dogged by
accusations of corruption for months.
An Egyptian court overturned a
government ban on female circumcision.
Female circumcision often involves severe
genital mutilation. The ban was called
"un-Islamic" by the prosecution.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin
Netanyahu is being pressured from within
his own party to resign after he
maneuvered former finance minister Dan
Merider into resigning. Merider had been
opposed to Netanyahu's proposed changes
to Israeli currency.
Accusations of links between the
Mafia and the Argentinean government
have caused considerable unrest in the
country. Justice minister Elias Jassan was
forced to resign because of his apparent
links to the mob.
Semi Formal: Mardi Gras Style
BYRONCHOI
Semi Formal Director
O
n Friday, July 4, one hundred and
five engineers (including their
dates) came out to the University
Club to celebrate Mardi Gras engineering
style at this lerm's Semi Formal. It was a
good showing, especially for a spring
term, and everyone really got into the
spirit of things. Outfit ranged from
standard semi fonnal wear to masks and
mascara in full Mardi Gra style.
Everyone wa decked out in official New
Orleans Mardi Gras beads provided by
Brian Hill and Bram Steinberg (thank
guys). The evening began around 7:00pm
with finger foods and excellent live jazz
music to create the right mood. Things
then shifted into gear on the dance floor,
with EngSoc's very own Alan Cannistraro
spinning the discs. He did a great job,
keeping the dance floor full for the rest of
the evening. Along the way we were
bles ed with a vi it from our 30 year old
mascot, The TOOL (Happy Birthday!).
Things wrapped up around 1 :30am
and overall the evening was very
ucces ful. We had a great turnout, great
music and were able to meet our EngSoc
budget almo t exactly. I'd like to thank all
the people who helped out in making a
great Semi Fonnal, especially my house
mates for supporting me, Jill and Yada for
doing the decorations at the club, June
Lowe for being our official chaperone and
of course, all the people who came out and
had a good time. I hope everyone had as
much fun as I did. Photos from the
evening taken by Fred Lai will soon be up
in the display case by the WEEF office,
and the group shot will be available from
him as an 8" by 10" print for $10.00.
By the way, I found an umbrella in the
men's washroom at the end of the night. If
it belongs to you email me at
r2choi@novice with a description and I'll
get it back to you.
The Iron Warrior, Friday, July 11, 1997 News & Information 9
SSME Aerospace Conference
BY DEBBIE OLSEN
2B Mechanical
I
f you happened to be in the Davi
Centre on the afternoon of Wednesday,
June 25, then perhaps you noticed a
little commotion. You may have even
thought to your elf, "Hey, what was all
that about?" Well, it was the culmination
of the organizational efforts of the
Conference Committee of the Student
Society for Mechanical Engineers
(SSME) .
Each term the SSME hosts some sort
of technical symposium or conference.
Past topics have included wind energy and
computers in automotive engineering.
This term the conference was entitled,
"Advancements Ln the Aerospace
Industry."
The bulk of the afternoon's agenda
included three speakers and an impromptu
design competition. Vahe Gharakhanian
from Allied Signal Aerospace Canada
spoke about the company's use of finite
element analysis, fluid flow, and heat

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SUBlIfE aNIlE IOMIII&9.
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transfer analy i. Pratt & Whitney ent
I abelle Boudreau to pre ent ome of their
pre ent technologies and analytic.. In
addition to the e two indu trial peakers
Profes or Ewart Brundrett gave a
pre entation on obtaining reliable result
from wind tunnel experiment and
computational fluid dynamic .
The goal of the de ign competition
was to, in groups of four, design and build
a parachute with only the supplie
provided in each kit. Some of the e
supplies included half of a plastic grocery
bag, a couple sticky label , straws, and
marshmallows. The design had to carry a
weight of nickels. The contraptions had to
carry a standard weight and were dropped
from the third floor of the Davi Centre
and judged by their longest flight time.
There was also an added time bonus if the
parachute landed in a designated target
area. Congratulations go to all of the
participants and, in particular, to the
winning parachute designers.
The success of the conference was
due, in part, to the generous support of our
Local: first page $0.99
additional 0.49
Ccnada/US: first page $2.49
additiond 0.99
Inn: first page $3.99
additional 1.99
ReceIvhg: ftrsI page $0.74
addIt\oncj 0.49
spon ors. Design New provided us with
copie of their 50 Anniversary issue a
prizes, Liuna Gardens Ltd. of Stoney
Creek donated the refreshments for our
break, and Professional Engineers Ontario
granted some greatly appreciated financial
support.
Many thanks from the Conference
Committee Co-Chairs, Elizabeth Erskine
and Debbie Olsen to all those who helped
make this term's conference run smoothly.
To tho e of you who attended the
conference, those of you who didn't, and
those of you who didn't but are now
wi hing that you had, keep an eye out and
an ear open next term for the SSME
Conference. It will add another dimen ion
to your learning experience while here at
the Univer ity of Waterloo.
If you're interested in getti ng
involved in the SSME or finding out about
some of their event , activities, and
indu trial tours, check out their web site at
sail. u waterloo. cal-saeblssme. html
Gradcomm '98 update
BY NANCY BAGGIO
Gradcomm A Chair
Graduation Committee is a
group of individuals committed to
providing the best possible fourth
year experience for their peers.
Gradcomrn is best known for Pizza on
Tuesdays and their extraordi nary counting
ability. It should be noted thnt
Gradcomm's primury responsIbilities are
organizing and partially financing the
Grad Yearbook, the Tron Ring Stag Party
and the Graduation Ball which will take
place in March of 1998.
1 would like to take this opportunity to
thank the commiltee for their hard work
and committment this term. ( would also
like to acknowledge Amanda Pinto, Jenn
Dow and Joanna Spinner for their
overwhelming success in fundraising over
$1500 in the first half of this term. I would
like to thank Chris DeVries, Brian HiH and
Lisa Poort as well for organizing the
term's pub crawls and T-shirts.
If you are in fourth year, please take
note of what Gradcomm is providing for
you. hlllrth tlllniqm: l' Pl'ril'lll' l' as
most of LIS all' 1cullling thb tl'rlll . ('tlllll'
out lind support th' work of {Il'adCllnllll.
whether it he by volullte -ring to sl'lI pinll
on l\tesdays. buyil1 pillU or cdebJ'(lting
at the next pub crawl (July 17),
Any questions about Gmdt'omm',
Peel free to email rrj7)(Jggio(j!)l.ilf.llIic(l/.
Do vou like meeting new people?
looking for away to g8t involved
that is hoth worthwhile and fun?
Ontario Competlttons
Competition d'ingenelrie de I'Ontano
JL 998
The Ontario Engin= Competition
(OEC-CIO) is an event that
draws uni versity students from around
the province.
From Corporate Design to Parliamentary
Debate, OEC-C[O promotes exceUence
and ingenuity in design and
cormmmicatlOns.
U ofW is hosting the [998 competition,
looking to continue its winning ways m
the competition and emphasize the point
that we are the BEST.
A PART OF IT. GET INVOL YED!
Friday, Feb. 27 to Sunday, March 1
We Need Your Help!
We lind Category Director .......
A dittol." will h. I mhll .. fer U of 'II to
. 1M 00111,.1110" froll the olh" utl ... ,lft9 IOhool. 1ft
O.tltl. the campi., "p,etl.bllm Ihll will
Id,I", Ih,lr .ffort.
It I ... Ictlon pte .... k '.11 .f '0'. filii"
.d ."orlultiu I ... , ... ro_r .ph" f I""uuet.
We could 1118 lome help getting money .....
Ply fill' .klll. I. Ih. Irt .f ,.lImloo. H.I,
v oliclll Iptuortfti, for th. COllpelitlo .
For more 11"0 Oft these opportl"ltier ud
other. contact:
A.., III IC"'rl
tlIrbtl., Mlt.1M1i 1.' ..... 11
Elli" ' .. ml IVin.Cluir fio .... '
All ... WM4l1Ck IVIuCltalr Ext.... I)
.. I .. 1
... It,IMO .. _ln
",.lCuO.ltalllnl
.1.t""OIllfl ..
0, drop I lIote III oar m.iI.ox III the Orifice
..
Change
Decisions made have left me full of regrets
They well up inside, filling the cold emptiness where my soul left
Slowly permeating everything I touch
I feel like the woman in the free world
I hate my life and what I've done with it
Looking at who I was and what I am
The direction I've taken frightens me
And it fills me with shame
I've forgotten what it felt like to laugh
To be happy and sure of myself
I'm sick of the person I've become
And I hate the path I am on
Change is such a vicious thing
A necessary, but still vicious thing
Why are we never content where we are?
Why must we always try to go elsewhere?
The grass always yellows once we're on the other side
Apd we never remember the path we took to get there
So we look for another seemingly green side
And run there with abandon
Forgetting the foolishness of this decision
Recklessly we go forever to that other side
And forever we remember how much better it was
Before we left, before we saw
Before we believed it would be different
And as the tears of regret fill our eyes
Which earlier gleamed with hope
We try to live with the decision we've made
Hating ourselves for being so stupid
Hating this world for enticing us to it
We are in the endless cycle of life
From dissatisfaction to change
To regret which begets more dissatisfaction
So we decide to change again
Until one, that fateful day
When the regret will last forever
When the change leads to our death
And no more change is possible.
J. Gobatto
4A Electrical
BYSOOJANG
2BComputer
I once was a young man who was nothing.
I spent all my time at the track.
I watched life pass by my window.
Never caring or looking back.
The world was grey and depressing.
All the faces seemed closed and shallow.
I was alone, even in crowds.
And it seemed death was onl y to follow.
And then one day I read a book.
A book about sharing and pain.
And in the title of that novel,
Was a place that called my name.
I didn't know what I was doing.
I merely got up and went.
It steered me onto a channel,
A place where people are sent
These people were nothing so common.
Yes they worked and cried and played.
But they weren't so distant and shallow.
They were open and much better made.
So I stayed and watched them in action.
I listened to all that they said.
And a trend started appearing,
Of the things that I once read.
Fast Eddie playing the music,
And Mike tending bar on the left.
There was something called a God's Blessing,
A coffee with Bushmills for heft
There were couches by the flre,
And a hot tub 'cross the room.
There was a rule against deep questions,
With Eddie's leather sap their doom.
I watched people go up to the line,
A simple little thing of chalk,
rom which they would clear their
Voices a bit. Then raise their drink and talk.
Their toasts were of everything,
Of happiness and mirth,
Of sadness and loss,
But with each story told came a new rebirth.
At the end of each tale was a resounding *CRASH*.
Of many people's glasses,
Thrown from listeners to the hearth.
A sign of recognition. From life to ashes.
And then one fateful day,
I was driving up to ski,
And I came to a comer,
Which, in the fog I did not see.
I was going far to fast to stop,
But I tried it anyway.
And as the car went skidding,
I did not know if it was my last day.
The worst was not yet over,
My friend was in the car.
She was sitting on the passenger side,
And I looked at her as I felt ajar.
For I knew that if she died,
That it would be I who had killed her.
And that I could not bare to live with,
For I Loved her deep and sure.
It all happened in slow motion.
First the car began to drift.
Then the car hit the barricade,
And started to lift.
We were launched up into the air,
As if we were on springs.
Then we rolled across the ground.
The sound of grinding metal, still rings.
We came to re t upon our ide,
A battered metallic ma .
Beside my head was ground,
And in my mouth wa gla
I did not care if I was hurt
It was for her that I did fear.
I fumbled with the eat-belt,
I finally got it clear.
I stood apon the door frame,
And worked to get her free.
I got the other door to open,
And we got out, her and me.
The rest of the scene was a blur.
I stood there in shock,
As I saw how close we had come,
To a cliff that ended in rock.
Five more feet and I wouldn't be.
I would be crushed instead.
But my demise never bothered me,
it was the thought that she might be dead.
Later all was over.
I walked in through my front door.
And then the shock did leave me,
I collapsed on the floor.
My friend just sat with me.
She cradled my head.
She toLd me all was right.
She told me she wasn't dead.
I spent three hours crying.
I was as frightened as a child.
But she stayed to comfort me,
Until I was no longer as wild.
And when she left I looked away,
I gazed apon the sea.
y mind was . 1 in turmoil,
From all that had happened to me.
So I went down to Callahan's,
And walked up to the li ne.
I stood there and raised my gLass,
For a toast that was all mine.
The Patrons all fell siLent,
I scrounged for words to say.
"To being alive." I said,
"For I still am today. "
With the sound of a dozen glasses,
All smashing in the fire.
I went back to the bar.
And drank through muck and mire.
And the Patrons, God bless them,
Did come and comfort me.
They shared my pain and hurting.
They help set me soul free.
I cannot thank them enough,
For the support they lent me then.
Or for al1 the time they've been there,
It is not in the realms of men.
But I do what I can for others.
I sit here at the bar.
r listen for others that need me.
It's not enough by far.
Though the people that I've been there for,
Have had left with a happier face.
It's not what I do for them,
It's just the magic of the Place.
Orac Z. Zen
Computers
ANTHEM TO THE SCIENTIST
Alone he eems in this grim world,
Alway. striving to change the tone.
Pain inflict hi very being,
Penetrating every pore.
Que tioning what is thought to be law,
Onl [0 be told that he i wrong.
Laughter, laughter everywhere,
Hi ideas destroyed by the closed mind.
Suffering the" ling and arrows,"
Of those who have no faith in him.
Acceptan e come fTom few,
His efforts, thought go unappreciated and unrecognized.
Risking mind. reputation, and ideals,
To improve the thoughts and Jives of those who ridicule.
Why? Why does he bother?
Why does he try to improve upon a world,
That is filled with ignorance and spite?
Because he is a cientist, no more, no les .
If he does not question, prod, and pry,
Then he is not what he is, but what he hould not be.
His destiny will be moulded,
Into what they want it to be,
And th.en he will be nothing to anyone,
Especially nothing to himself.
Then "eureka" springs to his mind,
As a word he ought to say.
But he does not.
For what be has gained, he then will lose
To that which had created him.
He keeps this to himself and thinks of those
Who laughed, scorned, and ridiculed.
For now he has risen above these men,
Only to experience their fickle nature,
When they .learn that what was not, is.
Laughter no longer bellows,
Only ideas of how to prove him wrong.
They wish a way to prove him falsified,
Find one they will not.
He is rewarded meagrely for his efforts,
But satisfaction is like gold to him.
To know what he now knows,
To see what he sees,
Is worth more than mere physical possessions,
For he is a scientist, only this is what he needs.
M ik.e Lcmncn
lB Chemical
00
Time,
It bends and softens,
But never breaks.
Space,
It stretches on for eternity,
And never ends.
Light,
It shapes itself and grows,
But never dies.
My love for you
Is wrapped in lime
And space
And light.
It will grow
And change
And last forever.
It does not know
What finite means.
Jessica Gross
1 B Chemical
12 Opinions The Iron Warrior, Friday, July 11, 1997
The WEEF infe-rroga
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The Value of a Degree A Humble Episode
received. While UW
produces quality
people in the
engineering
profession, they are
not the sole provider
of these people. The
A
statement
was made in
a couple of
articles in a previous
issue thi s term that I
did not agree with.
The idea that was
presented was t!lat
one's degree is only
as good as the
=======;;;;;:;!I reputation of the
university from which it was obtained.
From this it was extrapolated that a degree
from a better institution wiJI yield better
results in the job market. The authors then
Slated that as UW Engineering students it
was our duty to ensure that the University
of Waterloo retained its reputation as the
best engineering school in Canada.
While I will agree that attending UW
offers us an advantage when we must get a
full time position, I cannot say that this
will ensure a successful career. Consider
your last work term. Were all of the
people at your company Waterloo
graduates? In almost all cases this is not
true. Inevitably there were at least a few,
if not a majority of, people who were not
from Uw. Thus, not attending UW does
not exclude you from a job in industry.
Now look at how many of the people
in management positions, or in the more
prestigious ones, were Waterloo graduates.
As with the previous consideration, it is
likely that there were some who had
become successful in the company
without ever having studied at the
University of Waterloo. How many of
these people had UW engineers as their
subordinates? If they did not attend the
better school, how could they end up with
the better job?
I propose that they were good
engineers, regardless of what school's
name was written on the degree they
school may earn
many UW graduates
a good position, but this does not secure
success for the future.
Perhaps attending this institution
actually does us some harm. It is possible
that in addition to the great experience we
gain from the co-op program there is a
price to pay. Perhaps if we were students
at another less reputable school we would
feel a need to prove that our graduates
were just as good as those from UW.
People have a tendency to rest on
their laurels. Being accepted to UW
Engineering does not exclude one from
proving themselve at every avenue.
Having a UW education may better
prepare one for the realities which lie in
the full time job market, but it is not a
guarantee for success. Doing an
outstanding job, and proving to the world
that they deserve to be there are what
create a guarantee for success.
The degree which we are all striving
to earn will be worth little more than the
paper it is printed on after five years from
our graduation. After that point, it will be
our records which determine which of us
are successful and which of us fall victim
to resting on the reputation of our school.
The UW Engineering program creates
people with a strong potential to become
great engineers. The graduates from this
program create these great engineers out
of themselves.
P
rior to modern
science
humans had a
very egocentric view
of themselves. They
thought themselves
to be at the centre of
the universe, possess
free will and have
close ties with a
divine creator. These views made intuitive
sense and, as far as anyone could tell, it
was the way things were. Unknown at the
time was how pursuits in science would
eventually conflkt with this image.
The deeper science probes nature, the
more we begin to realize how insignificant
we are. Consider when Copernicus stated
that the earth is not at the centre of the
universe but instead orbits about the sun.
This small piece of scientific knowledge
did a lot to humble someone who thought
the world revolved around them.
The theory of evolution proposed by
Darwin is another example where man's
ego was deflated. Through this theory,
evidence was brought forth indicating that
humans originated from apes. This was a
hard pill to swallow considering that the
conventional thought was that humans
were different and better than animals.
Evolution taught us that we are nothing
more than animals ourselves. It taught us
that humans and animals are subject to the
same laws of nature. It is interesting that
given all the evidence supporting
Evolution Theory that there are those who
still refuse to accept it.
A more modern example is Big Bang
Theory. This theory is comparable to
Evolution Theory in that it describes the
evolution of the universe rather than living
organisms. The theory models how the
material universe evolved from a
singUlarity. A
consequence of Big
Bang Theory is that
the need for a divine
creator is now
brought into
question. Indeed, if
a divine creator did
exist, it seems very
hard to believe that it
would focus its attention on Earth (a small
speck of dust when compared to the other
billion billion stars in the universe).
Finally, the growing field of artificial
intelJigence is rapidly making
advancements in altering man's concept of
the soul. Many supporters of artificial
intelligence agree that man's feeling of
free will, the soul and consciousness are
the direct result of a biological computer
(the brain). If their claims are correct, this
would mean that the notion of a spiritual
dimension is useless. Artificial
Intelligence (specifically connectionist
models), neural scientists, psychologists
and others are showing us that man's
thinking abilities are greater than other
animals only because our brains are
structured differently.
The path taken by science may not
lead to a very romantic picture of
ourselves. However, this is not the
concern of science. The only concern of
science is to seek the truth. It does this by
creating accurate models of nature. It
seems that science is painting a dull
picture for humans, but I beg to differ. It
is fascinating how humans have been able
to achieve this knowledge while being
subjected to the few fundamental laws
which govern us. Despite our apparent
insignificance, we should feel very lucky
that we exist at all and attempt to live our
limited lives to the fullest.
The Iron Warrior, Friday, July 11, 1997 Opinions
BY VIVEK BALASUBRAMANYAM
2B Computer
A
fter the success of last i ue's
article ("Why Do I Speak Bad?"),
I thought I might use my fame to
dispense orne words of advice. This term,
I've had an experience from which I think
many people can benefit. Just for fun, I
dyed my hair orange. It was something I
had wanted to do for a while, but I was
afraid that I'd have to wade deep in the
Continuous Phase round in co-op and
settle with the Harlequin midnight
proofreader job. Ultimately, the thought of
boldly going overcame my good sen e and
r went through with it. What does this
have to do with anyone but myself, my
spastic parents, the McDonalds Food
Empire and me? Well, I'm hoping to
encourage anyone who is considering
wacked-out hair, pirate earrings and other
freakish cosmetics. r applied to thirty hard
core (not the Harlequi n kind) jobs, and
Elements I'm Among
wound up with four interview . Of tho e
four, I threw one away. So I had three
interviews with my wonderful hair and I
will take thi opportunity to de cribe them
in detail. My friends and cia mate can
skip to the la t paragraph.
My fir t
went much like the one from 1 B and 2A.
I admitted that I knew nothing, but assured
them that I wa a "qui k learner". On
ranking day, there was no info. So, it wa
the la t day of interview and I had one to
go. The temperature wa 30 degree" I \ as
stre sing over
interview was
with a robotics
company, and 1
really wanted that
job. The
"The key to good
performance is being
relaxed."
midterm , and I had
planned on igning
the job off. So I
decided not to bOlher
combing my hair or
interview went
decently, considering the fact that I give
notoriously lou y interview. Somehow,
no matter how confident I feel, I sound
li ke Katherine Hepburn with a throat
infection. At the end of the interview, I
asked my interviewer if my hair gave an
unfavourable ftrst impression. He aid
that it grabbed his attention, but once he
realized how much I sucked, it didn't
matter to him. Those guys didn't rank me.
I wish them luck. My second interview
dre sing up. I
ported fine Nike andals, Bermuda Short,
by Perry Ellis, and a fore t green polo
shirt. I looked like a cross between
Carlton Banks and an Indian guy with
mes y, piky orange hair. I'm normally
shy around strangers, but on thi day I
didn't really care about anything but
getting home to the air-conditioned bli of
Columbia Lake Townhouse ' .
Unfortunately, about five minutes into the
interview I rea.lized that my plan of not
Genetic Engineering:
13
caring wa about to backfire bee au e the
job \Va the Computer Engineering
equivalent of being cast on a de ert island
with three wim uit models of one's
choice. Now here' where the magic
happened. I wa already 0 relaxed
beau e of the sandals, shorts and hair that
I gave the best inter jew of my life. I
somehow impre. sed them so much that
despite my complete lack of knowledge
and haggard appearance, they offered me
the job (after con ulting with a few of my
senior competitor, I'm ure).
This rant leads into several points that
I would like to make. The fir t is that the
key to good performance is being relaxed.
Iu t a k any Harlequin proofreader. Point
number two i more erious. From my
end, it eems that the older one gets, the
Ie s one can get away with. If you're
considering doing something crazy, wild,
or just different, I beg you to do it now.
Stir things up! Go high or go home!
Employers will till love you.
What. It Can Do For You
=======;'1 Theory, is credited
with the magnificent
feat of developing
man. Man, on the
other hand, is
viciousl criticized
The ViUage
Idiot
break away from the slow evolutionary
process and actively advance itself?
I
'm straying from
my regular socio-
poli tical column
to discus a view that
I have argued on
many a deep drunken
night. I have heard
more than I can stand
about genetic
engi neering and how
' for destroying a foul'
l;;;;;;;;======;;!1 billion year ol d
It's not just the abiUty for man to
manipulate their own race that raises the
issue. The chance to move toward better
survival is also a product of our evoluti n.
Biologists and geneticists are working to
build a tastier tomato and a plumper
chicken. Cloning could mean a number of
healthier, meatier cows without the
it means the end of society. I have no
issues with the idea of genetic engineering
if regulated; the moral of cloning and the
ethics of manipulating life aren't what
plague me. It's the complaint that man is
working against what Natural Selection
and evolution have brought about that
bothers me.
The argument i that evolution and
Mother Nature have built a well balanced
ecological system and hu mans are
destroying tbis, first through
industrialization and most recently with
efforts at genetic manipulation. Evol ution,
at least for those that believe in Evol ution
race.
tradition by tryi ng to
improve their own
How can the
process of
evolution be
praised for its
"Evolution ... is credited with
the magnificent feat of
developing man."
uncerl:Jinty of how
they will turn out.
Naturul Sek'tiou
has selected n race
that is ahle to
continually imrrove uccess while it
greatest
achievement is being blamed for
destroying it? It's contradictory. Man's
ability to correct their own mistake is a
product of evolution. Natural Selection
has chosen a race that is advanced enough
and intelligent enough to push itself
forward. Isn't that the ultimate product of
any development process: the ability to
upon the quality of
its own lives.
A comparison can be made to the
computer (l parallel it to the
computer industry because I'm a
Computer Engineer. and that's whllt we
do.) Companies are continuously making
a faster, more powerful computer.
Recently, efforts at Artificial Intelligence
have been more than adequate - just ask
Big Blue's opponent, chess grandmaster
Garry Kasparov. It would be a dream for
the industry to produce a computer than
can recognize it own bugs and correct
the n. Does that mean th t w' r
point where computers could destroy its
creators, the force behind the evolution?
Maybe this could happen in a
Schwar7cnegger movie, hut chane s are it
would It'ud III rapid positive "dValll'l'l1ll'Ut
in electronl 's, alit! th'
conv 'nien t' of Ii I"e.
Contrary to popular belief, we IIrc not
moving {(lwnrt!s a Uraw New World. I'm
confidcnt Ih,1I gl'lIl'tic cngineers IIr'
intelligent enough 10 know tht! power with
what they arc dl'uling with. L Ifc is not
something to be used as H toy. At the Slun '
howe vcr, we arc a product of Natural
SelectIon, and Natural Sci 'eli()n hus
l>clected a race that has the intelligence and
power to develop itself.
The Sandford Fleming Foundation
CPH 4306
Waterloo Campus Activities
(519) 888-4008
DATE:
TIME:
PLACE:
July 21,22,23
11 :30 - 1 :00
E2 -3324
SFFDEBATES
F'NALS:
Friday, July 25
NOON
POETS
sff@dean
Please contact your department undergraduate office if you are interested in in the Debates. The Winners of the faculty finals
receive $100 each and the runners-up receive $50 each. The faculty co-ordinator IS Prof. Shesha Jayaram. Please contact her or the
SFF office at the above address if you have further questions.
Funding for this award comes from your student contributions and depends on it for continuation.
An organization devoted to the advancement of engineering education.
14 Internal Information The Iron Warrior, Friday, July 11, 1997
PEO Accepts Co-op
H
ope everyone
had a great
Canada Day
weekend, for those of
you who weren't in
Waterloo you missed
a great day. The rain
tried to wash us out
but we still had a great
time and saw some
amazing fireworks. Cheers to the Canada
Day directors and all the EngSoc
volunteers for all the hard work put in.
Good news has come in regarding the
proposal to the PEO to allow up to one
year of senior co-op experience to count
towards the four year work requirement
for P.Eng. accreditation. I've heard from
the Dean's office that this proposal was
accepted. The next step will be an OK
from the Attorney General, but this
shouldn' t pose a problem. I will try and
have some information for everyone
before we go on a work term about what
needs to be done, so that we can start
collecting thi s time immediately.
For those of you who weren't at the
last Engineering Society meeting, J will
recap a littl e bit about what happened in
regards to the Josten's Agreement. The
agreement was passed in principle on the
term that a group get together and iron
out the details of how the yearl y
evaluation of the work is done. I will hold
this meeting in the next few week so be
H
ello people! I
finally
replaced my
bike that was stolen in
May. I bid an even J 0
buck for thi s bike at
the Bike Auction in
the SLC last week and
to my surprize was
the proud owner of an
unbelievable piece of craftsmanship. I
would just like to let everyone know that
this bike can be borrowed at any time by
anyone, just let me know if you are taking
it overnight 0 I don't worry. If you need
to make use of it, I will keep it outside of
CPH foyer. Ju t remember it is blue, ha
white rusted fenders, and a broken bell.
The end of term is quickly
approaching and our new directorships
need to be choosen. Applications become
President
Report
by Sarah Davies
on the lookout for a
date. I plan to
review the decided
upon evaluation at
the last EngSoc
meeting to get
Society approval.
If this is something
you feel strongly
about , be sure to
come out and share your feelings.
On July 2, there was a display of The
TOOL in CPH Foyer. I would like to
thank everyone who came out to see the
Engineering Society mascot and learn a
little bit about it's history. Pamphlets and
stickers were given out in celebration of
The TOOL's 30th birthday. I believe that
there are a few pamphlets left (in POETS).
If you are interested, come get one, or see
me and I can try and find you one. I would
like to thank Brian Hill for all of his work
on putting together The TOOL picture
used for both the sti ckers and pamphlets.
Don't forget that on July 19 there is an
Alumni reunion party at the Madison pub
in Toronto. Tickets are $10 and are on sale
in the Orifice. This is a great opportunity
to meet some people in the work force and
get some connections to companies that
hire Waterloo Engineers. It should be a
great time. I hope to see lots of you there.
Well, that's it for me this issue. Hope
everyone did well on their midterms (mine
will be done the day this issue comes out!)
VPInternal
Report
by Vlad JOQI/OVIc
available July 11
and the deadline to
submit them is
noon, Friday July
18 in the Orifice.
Ask anyone of the
executives if you
=======;;;;::;!I aren't ure what a
directorship entails.
I would like to
take this chance to congratulate the
Canada Day directors for an outstanding
job with all of the Canada Day events. It
was a great day spent outside with fun
games and a bunch of children. Thank you
to the Semi -Formal director for a fantastic
Semi. A good time was had by all. The
mud bowl was a grand success thanks to
the Athletic directors. Congratulations to
Assault and Battery, who won the
Mudbowl.
New VPX Web Page
B
Oy, have I got
some great
news for all of
you folks. I've been
busy working on a
web page for the VP
External position.
The URL for it is
.wil.uwaferloo.ca/-engsoc/Vpnvpxhome.hfml.
It is also pos ible to link to it from the
EngSoc page. The motivation behind this
came from people asking me similar
question on a regular basis, so I thought I
would put all the information in a place
that's accessible by all.
On the web si te, you'll find:
* links to all the universities in Canada
* a little info on the VP External
position
* links to all other on campus societies
(i.e. MathSoc, SciSoc)
* links to relevant engi neeri ng
organizations (i.e. PEO, ESSCO)
Now, many of you will not use the
information on this page on a daily basis,
but keep it in mind when you're trying to
contact the outside world. The pages are a
central store for most of the links you'll
need to get out in the external world from
an engineering point of view. The page
itself is also a great tool for the VP
External, si nce they are constantly linking
Remember to check out our updated
web page, you can get there from the
University of Waterloo's home page. The
new novelties are here, you can take a look
at the display case set up in the CPH
hallway.
Events and trips for the last weeks of
the term should be fun. There is a Brunny
trip on Friday, July 18 held by the special
events directors. Saturday July 19 the
Athletic directors are hosting a Soccer
tournament, and Sunday the Special
Events directors are holding a trip to
Sports World.
On July 22 there is a mandatory
meeting for all current and new directors
in POETS to wrap up loose ends. Our last
EngSoc meeting will be held in POETS
and it is a potluck, so start cooking. The
potluck is Wednesday July 23 and the
Dean said that he might come by to say hi.
VP External
Report
by Nina Sodhi
to all these
locations, and its
handy to have path
to them in one spot.
Our EngSoc is
a little behind the
times si nce we
don 't make good
use of the web as an
information source
and a communication tool. (You should
see Western's EngSoc site - it's got so
much on it and everyone makes use of it
regularly. You can link to it from the new
VP External pages.) I'd like to put effort
into changing that, hence the VP External
pages, and welcome any volunteers or
suggestions. For now, take a look at the
page and tell me what you think of it and
what other information you'd like to see
on it.
Conferences
There are two conferences coming up
during our workterm: CCES and the PEO
conference. I've talked about them in
previous issues so I won't go into depth
about what they are here. If you have any
questions, email me or come see me. The
applications for them can be found in the
Orifice, and are due Friday July 18.
Completed applications can be put in my
in basket.
The End of Term pub (EOT) and the End
of Term Video (EOTV) are Friday, Jul y 25.
The Off-Ring Road classic directors are
hosting the off-road classic July 26 and it
should be a challenging, technical course.
Frosh week is the first week in
Septemher (1 - 7) and will be bringing
around 850 frosh to this school. If you
think you are going to be around during
this time and feel that you could help the
transition into University life, sign up to be
a volunteer in the Orifice now.
I did not find any submissions in the
comment and suggestion box so I will just
assume that there is nothing wrong with
anything. As usual feel free to approach
me about anything. I can be found in such
places as the Orifice and POETS. You can
email me at eng_vpint@novice or caLl me
at 725-2048.
A Look at the Chemical Engineering Society
BY RYAN PENTY
3A Cbemical
A
s the University of Waterloo and
the Engineering Society celebrates
it's fortieth anniversary, another
society, which has been around for many
years, is celebrating as well. The
Chemical Engineering Society is not
widely known, but some of its larger
events such as the Coffee House are
recognized. I had intended to give a brief
history of the society, but it became a
formidable task to find any interesting
stories. Most information is missing from
the files and anything which is there isn't
worth printing. Instead, I think it would
make more sense to describe the society a
I know i1.
At this point, most people want to
know what the Chemical Engineering
Society does: Its mission is to bring
indu try and students together and act as a
liaison (or bridge) between chemical
engineering student and the university.
We offer resources for students to broaden
their educational experience by organizing
gue t speakers and industrial tours. Of
course, there is a lot of fun in there toor
I have been involved in the Chemical
Engineering Society for a couple of years
now and I've seen it change dramatically.
Through the past few years, the society has
been through its ups and down . In the
early eighties, it was thriving with
highlights including ho ting the CSChE
national conference in 1983, as well a
organizing numerous industrial tours and
speakers. However, it's been through
some droughts as well, including an
absence of EngSoc B in the early 1990's.
Recently, the Chemical Engineering
Society has been on the up-swing. The
executive and ociety members from both
EngSoc A and EngSoc B have put a lot of
effort in to revitalize this once flourishing
ociety. Alex Jay (President of EngSoc A),
Christina Mitchell (VP Finance), Sha
Jamshedji (VP Internal) along with
EngSoc B co-presidents Rob Simms and
Mark Hagey have changed the image of
the Chemical Engineering Society. A
brand new logo and web page are in the
works, and major effort ha been put into
fundraising for the CSChE '97 National
conference in Edmonton thi fall. The
ociety wants to end nine delegate to the
conference to represent University of
Waterloo Chemical Engineering.
Long-standing events, such as hosting
the Coffee House, will continue as usual .
Chatter and laughter will be heard from the
multi-purpose room in SLC on July 17 at
7:00pm. Everyone is welcome to listen to
students and professors play ballads on the
piano, sing Celtic jigs and reels or perform
traditional Greek dances. The next day
(July 18) will be a fundraising car wash
located at the El culdesac from noon to
5:00pm. Remember bring your car by!
Thanks to the executive, directors and
ociety members for making this a
prosperous society. For more information
about the Chemical Engineering Society.
please contact aajay@chemical or come to
the Chern Eng Soc office in El.
The Iron Warrior, Friday, July 11, 1997 Internal Information 15
Frontrunners
BY RYAN PENTY
Frontrunners Director
W
hat is engineering? What is the
difference between engineering
and science? What are the
differences between the engineering
disciplines? Remember the days when
you couldn't answer these questions? You
can remove the confusion from student's
minds with a quick visit to a high school.
The Frontrunners program was setup
by the Engineering Society to inform high
school students about the engineering
profession and Waterloo Engineering. It is
an extension to the popular Shadow Day
and Explorations programs.
Here's how it works: When you find
out where you are going on your
workterm, let the Frontrunners Director
(myself) know and they will send letters to
the local high schools of that area. Then,
during your work term, a presentation
package wilJ be sent to you along with a
list of interested schools with contact
names. Finally, arrangements for your
visit can be made directly between you
and the high school.
The First Year Office has been very
interested in the program and we have
collaborated to make Frontrunners more
accessible to high schools and more
convenient to the volunteers. Due to the
program' unique off-term activities, Kim
Boucher, the a sociate director of
admi sions, has thankfully offered to
coordinate the program between EngSoc
A and EngSoc B.
Do you remember being in high
school trying to decide what you wanted to
do? I guess many of us still don't know!
Frontrunners gives us, as "veterans" of
engineering, the chance to inform students
about everything we didn't know; giving
them "the inside coop." We cannot only
answer the questions floating in their
minds, but also give them a taste of what
Waterloo Engineering has to offer.
The previous Frontrunners director
put a lot of work into the program by
laying out the presentation packages. I
believe the next step is to expand the
program. With our co-op system,
Frontrunners has the capability of crossing
Ontario and even Canada. Frontrunners
has visited over 40 schools across Ontario,
and this is just the beginning!
Coming up soon will be a sign-up for
Frontrunners volunteers and a meeting
will cover all that you need to know about
presentation package and how to handle
certain questions.
If you are interested or want to learn
more, come to the Frontrunners meeting or
contact me at rapenty@chemical.
And the Winner is ...
BY JENNITEE
and LEAH NACUA
Arts Directors
C
ongratulations to Dan Kim, from
the 2B Mechanical class, for
designing the new EngSoc Flag!
As you can see from the accompanying
photo, the design has distinct symbols
representing each discipline in UW
Engineering. The combination of symbols
spell ou a word - chee it outl-+-we,I-I-
done Dan! You will be notified by email
when you can pick up your prize!)
Just a reminder: we're still looking
for photo submi ssion. Deadline is
Monday, July 14. Submit new photo, old
photos, blw or colour; just submit! There
are prizes available!
If you're always on the go take us with you.
A pager from Bell Mobility is the easy and affordable
way to stay in the loop.
Bell Mobility
Upgrades Get Funded
G
ood day. I
never really
know how to
tart the. e spew , or
reports, or whatever
we call them the e
day. I gue I will
just try to let you
know what is going
on in WEEF in as
concise a manner possible.
Fir t and foremo t, the extra $100,000
that we had to spend thj term has been
unofficially awarded to the Department
Computer Lab Upgrades proposal. By
unofficially, I mean that the Funding
Council (that's the fancy term for all the
WEEF representatives in one room) has
decided that is where our money should be
spent. However, this decision still needs
official ratification from the WEEF Board
of Directors. The Board of Directors,
which is mandatory two-thirds student
majority, convenes every term near the
end of term. This means that, assuming all
goes well, the $100,000 will be distributed
by the middle of August and when we
return next term, every computer in a
department room will be a Pentium with
the power to run 32-bit applications. All
the departments are eager to get the new
computers so that newer, more powerful
software can be used.
WEEF
Report
by Pmu CCSllfUl
Alo on the
agenda for this teon
is the regular
funding decision.
Assistant WEEF
directors Jen
Lugtigheid and
Ryan Penty have
been bu y putting
together all the
pieces of the funding decision puzzle for
this tenn. (Thanks guy!) By the time this
IW is in print, the pre entations of
propo 'als will already have been made and
WEEF representatives should be starting
to share this information with their classes.
A of yet, r STfLL do not have a final
dollar amount that we can spend this term.
My mother always said if I don't have
anything nice to say about someone don't
say it all. Therefore, I will not mention
Financial Services in this article.
Although I do not know exactly how much
money we have to spend I do know that it
is definitely more than my original
estimate of $60,000. Actually, there is the
possibility of us being able to spend in
excess of $ tOO,OOO on the regular funding
decision this term!
This time, I promise that I will have
an exact figure for the next Iron Warrior.
Until then, Excelsior and have a WEEFy
day!
A Balanced Approach
T
he end of term
is quickly
approaching
and hopes of breaking
even on the budget
are becoming more
real. Last week's big
event was the semi-
fonnal which, after a
slow start in ticket
sales, finished strong and was able to
successfully meet budgetary constraints.
The Iron Warrier is continuing to hold
their own by breaking even or coming
really close on every issue it produces.
With some luck, it might even earn money
on future issues and achieve its goal of
being the first paper in a long time to
finish the term NOT in the red.
The allocation of EngSoc donations
was decided last council meeting. Four
student groups made proposals for a
portion of the $1000 available. The
following is a description of the four
groups, the amount of funds received, and
what these funds will be used for.
Mini Baja ($275) - This group is
designing and building a single seat, off
road vehicle for a competition in
Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The money will
VPFinance
Report
by Dan Kim
be used to assist in
the purchase of new
rear wheels for the
vehicle.
Formula SAE
($350) - This group
is designing and
constructing a
formula racing car
for use in various
competitIOns. The funds will be put
toward the purchase of new motors and
fuel injection computers.
Engineering Science Quest ($250) -
This organization perfonns a multitude of
functions, including promoting
engineering and design to youths. They
will use the money to continue their efforts
in the future.
Cluistine Cheng ($125) - Christine is
a member of 3A Systems who has been
chosen by Youth Building the Future
(YBP) to attend an annual international
conference in Melbourne, Australia.
Some key issues that will be discussed are
Global Warming, Alternative Energy, and
Exploring Human Rights. The funds will
be used toward the $600 that she is
required to raise.
Coming Soon to the Iron Warrior
Tal-Eng attempts to prove that UW Engineers
have talent. Read about it in a future issue of. ..

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