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Friday, October 15, 1999 The Magazine of the University of Waterloo Engineering Society Volume 23 Issue 13
" A man said to the universe: 'Sir, I exist!'
'However,' replied the universe, 'The fact has not created in me a sense of obligation." - Stephen Crane (War is Kind, IV)
A TiDle
for
Letter From The
Editor
you will. As suggested, this
is a very selfish and material -
istic motivation that is as
Mar Pigozzo
2B Mech
damaging to others as it is to
the individual. It detracts
from more humanistic coo-
F
all is in full swing. It is a season of
change and a season for preparation.
Thanksgiving has corne and gone,
the ritual turkey dinners and cranberries
(and subsequent turkey sandwiches many
of you are still packing for lunch). But
also, as the name suggests, its a time to be
thankful for all that we have. In particular,
we should be thankful for the bright future
ahead of us, in general, but as engineers
specifically as well.
When you stop and consider it, a degree in
engineering guarantees one a reasonably
good chance at a decent job upon gradua-
tion, particularly considering the current
job market and employment trends.
Further, the benefits of co-op can be
reaped along the way to stave off the beast
of student debt (whose teeth are perpetual-
ly getting longer and sharper). We should
be thankful that life has afforded us these
opportunities - we are all very lucky.
Some may disagree that luck has anything
to do with it. It's a lot of determination and
hard work as well. Yes, I agree whole-
heartedly that what we do is challenging;
but upon reflecting on this one can also
realize that it is the orientation of our soci-
ety that has created these opportunities.
We jive in an ext.remely fast-paced, highly
technical and relatively advanced world
which is growing moreso at a breath taking
pace. This environment demands techni-
cally adept people to sustain it.
But why would we want to maintain some-
thing that is quickly draining the resources
of our planet, and destroying our natural
environment? The answer is simple, we
believe that this driving force in our cul-
ture, the 'Industrial Machine' if you will,
affords us a quality of life that would oth-
erwise be unimagineable. But how much is
all of this actually worth? At what cost to
ourselves and our children are we purchas-
ing that extra bit of comfort?
Unfortunately, many fail to seriously
examine this issue. They are too caught up
in the Capitalist mentality of being effi-
cient and profitable and of acquiring
wealth - the "What can I get?" mentality if
cerns such as family and
friends. That's at the heart of
a lot of problems today. Such material
wealth oriented actions are extremely de-
humanizing. We spend our enti re lives sac-
rificng time with family to gain a few extra
bucks working overtime so that we can
afford to spend quality time with our fam-
ily in the future, when things are stable
enough. But when will we be satisfied that
we are stable? When are we satiated? And
doesn't the root mentality hold inherent
problems: give up quality family time now
for some ambiguous opportunity in the
future?
But [ digress. Essentially, the issue is a
matter of priorities, those of individuals,
but of society as well. As mentioned earli-
er, current societal trends put emphasis on
industrial needs. Skilled workers, new
technologies and lots of money and
resources are directed towards industry to
sustain and promote it. But consider for a
moment, if that priority were shifted, and
shifted considerably. Many engineers poke
fun at students in less technical programs;
the Faculty of Arts being a consistent tar-
get of such abuse. But imagine ho wthings
might be if the situation were reversed.
Ponder this for a moment ... What if, all of
a sudden, it was decided that we had had
enough of the mixed blessing that is our
current, industrialized world. Now, society
identifies a critical need for sculptors and
poets and authors to such an extent that co-
op jobs proliferate for these fields and the
whole of society takes beauty and culture
as higher priorites than manufacturing and
profitability. To complete this reversal,
suppose that engineering - still necessary
for the maintenance of our current techno-
logical level, but little more - is now seen
as a disciple for dull individuals who lack
culture, vision and sensuality. How would
one react if suddenly, the assured future
they had in a technologically oriented
world were suddenly pulled out from
under them and they were then een in the
inferior position, ridiculed and pitied. I
won't go so far as to argue such a world
would be a better or worse place than the
one we now inhabit, but if one can mature-
ly examine the possibility, there are defi-
nitely many attractive features, even if the
prestige of being an engineer no longer
exists.
Many engineers are possessed of an arro-
gance that stems from the priveleged posi-
tion we reside in based upon current
societal needs, wants and demands.
Engineers possess a talent for maths and
sciences that allows us to assimilate the
vast amounts of knowledge that we are
bombarded with every day. Part of the rea-
son for this high rate of learning (and asso-
ciated sleep deprivation) is to prepare us
for simi lar environments in the
ized world, the "Real World" we will enter
upon graduation. But - brace yourselves -
engineering is not explicitly 'better' than
any other field of studies .(be it philosophy
or ree & leisure). All require certain kills
and aptitudes; many of which can be
learned and developed (if one has the
determination) - like engineering, but
many require talents that one either pos-
sesses or doesn't like artistic vsion and
creativity necessary for Fine Arts. It may
be true that many arts students would not
be capable of doing what we do, even if
they wanted to. But assuredly there are
some, if not many. By extension; however,
there are many engineering students who
would also be incapable of comprehending
and performing the work required to be in
arts. Perhaps this puts everything into per-
spective a bit and removes a bit of the divi-
siveness between the faculties. If we can
recognize that it is only through a situa-
tional examination of societal priorities
that one program can be said to be better or
worse than any other then perhaps this bar-
rier can be torn down and we can come to
a deeper appreciation for each other and
what each does and come closer together
as a whole. This is something I would be
thankful for.
Comments and. feedback are
always welcome.
The Editor is always interested in bear-
ing different viewpoints.
Comments can be directed to either:
iwarrior@engmail.uwaterloo.ca
or
mjpigozz@engmail.uwaterloo.ca
iron warrior highlights

4 What's up with ATOP
Now that its a reality how are
engineering students affected?
6 SCUNT - almost
How one student missed
his chance
7
A 'Frosh' Perspective
First installment of a new IW
feature
The Iron Warrior Friday. October 15. 1999
10
11
Engineering ... Part Time?
Explore a career path you may
not have considered before
Formula SAE
Decoma International teams up
with FSAE
W1lMW)R
The Magazine of the University of
Waterloo Engineering Society
Editor - in - Chief
Mat Pigozzo
Assistant Editor
Tania Bortolon
Layout Editor
Richard Kuttner
Advertising Editor
Nick Gaganiaras
Photography Editor
Brad Ellis
Staff
WilAbel
Allison Annan
Sabrina Foster
Alison Kudelka
Aaron Lebia
Caroline Page
Mary Robinson
George Roter
Luke Windisch
Zhan Huan Zhou
New Staff
Shaun Chen
Tom Choi
Danny Chow
Raja Doake
Matt Gagliardi
Krista Glemser
Matt Held
Kristina Hotz
Yi-Pin Hsiao
Andrew Lin
Ryan Morton
Andrea Martins
Stephanie Purnell
Steven Samborsky
Maria Simoes
Le Wang
Evan Wilson
ShingoYuki
Yang-Yang Zhang
Contributors
Meli sa Bond
Criffer Castleton
Peter Cresswell
Christos Sarakinos
Ryan Stammers
The Iron Warrior is forum for thought provokjng
and infonnalive articles published by the Engineering
Society. Views expressed in The lron Warrior are
those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the
opinions of the Engineering Society.
The Iron Warrior encourages submissions from stu
denlS, faculty and members of the university commu-
nity. Submissions should reflocI the concerns and
intelloclUal standards of the university in general. The
aUlhor's name and phone number should be included.
All submis ions, unless otherwise stated. become the
property of The Iron Warrior. which reserves the
right to refuse publication of material which it deems
unsuitable. The (ron Warrior also reserves the righl
10 edit grammar, spelling and text that do not meet
universitx smndards. Authors will be notified of any
major changes that may be required.
Mail should be addressed to The Iron Warrior,
Engineering Society, CPH 1327. University of
Waterloo. Waterloo, Ontario, N2L 301. Our phone
number is (519) 888-4567 x2693. Our fax number is
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;warrior@engmaiLuwarer/oo.ca

I
Are the changes in academic and administrative service a ben-
efit or hindrance to students?
Point
George Roter
Class of '99
T
he first week of a new term became a little Ie s hectic this year,
and people are complaining. Beginning a term usually involves
a plethora of different tasks, almost none of which are enjoy-
able. Interacting with new professors, receiving grueling cour e out-
lines, selecting term-project topics, signing-up Campus Recreation
teams, timetable changes, Engineering Society meetings, and Iron
Warrior meetings - these are ju t a few of the chores greeting students
upon returning to campus. The familiar walk to the Red Activity area
of the PAC, however, is happily absent. There is no more on-campus
registration, and this fact is pure bliss.
Nicely emulating a walk down death row, where each step brings clos-
er a predetermined fate, the lunch-time trip to the PAC during the first
week of classes was a source of great pain for all students returning to
campus. All walked that final flight of stairs up to the Red Activity
area (RED, to signify the greate t depth of hell) before emerging into
"death valley" - death for all of the valuable seconds murdered by the
long queues that imprisoned students for upwards of an hour before
handing-over a cheque for $2500. Not this year, however, becau e the
Registrar' office implemented a policy that all registration would take
place through the mai l. The reaction of most students was precisely
contrary to what logic mi ght dictate. Instead of rejoicing at the rein-
ani. n 1./1 r ci u aiti h ur . th t may .a w 11 hav n
written-off at the beginning of their Bachelor's Degree, students com-
plained that another inconvenience had been contrived by the univer-
ily administration. Does completing a cheque and dropping it in a
mailbox at any opportune time constitute an inconvenience? Or rather,
is it not more inconvenient to be herded into a queue I ike lambs for the
slaughter?
Additionally, there are possible savi ngs in this proces for the admin-
istration. Instead of activating an entire army of laff to handle the
huge three-day inOux of students, the opportunity exists to spread the
job of processi ng student registration over a longer period of time.
Even assuming that all students waited until the la t possible moment
to mail their regi strati ons, and all arrived al the University on precise-
ly the same day, handling envelopes is much more efficient than han-
dling students in person. This translates into a less costly process for
the administration, savings that will ultimately be reali zed by the stu-
dent . With a seemingly endless reduction in education transfer pay-
ments from the government, every dollar counts.
Unfortunately, the "herd mentality" objections to any modification in
routine have again turned students against the University administra-
tion even when they have accomplished something positive. Students
should encourage this type of "streamlining" and persuade the
University to take it one step furtherby establishing an electronic pay-
ment system. The University administration is finally making deci-
sions with the proper mentality, coincidentally saving students a great
amount of time and pain in the process, but their actions continue to
be denigrated. This kind of blind resistance to change is the force
blocking positive accomplishment; it is unconslructive in nature and
results in poor decisions in the future. Applause shoul9 ring-out for
the administration on the abolition of on-campus registration and any
decisions of this kind in the future.
Counterpoint
Mat Pigozzo
2B Mechanical
W
ho exactly does the administration of this univer ity serve? The stu-
dents or their own interests? It 's interesting to note that with tuition
levels consistently increasing, payment options are decreasing.
Presumably, with increased enrollment this will 'streamline' the system (which
meam the administration will have an easier time collecting fees). But it also
means that many students will have a harder time paying their fees. In short, the
university is demanding more from its slUdents, but returning less. If streamlin-
ing is the true aim, there are other ways to accomplish that. internet registration
and payment of fees for example (which has long been a service at many other
instituions).
Those who read the editorial la t issue are aware of how recent changes to the
fee structure affected myself personally this term and undoubtedly many other
unsuspecting students as well. I will brietly recollnt the events:
I took a morning off work in Jate august to be in the Waterloo area to pay my
fees. SIlty me forgot my cheque book. I did have a bank card and thus waited for
the banks to open and withdrew thirty-one crisp hundred dollar bills.
I toddled off to school to pay my fees. I waited through a curiosly short line at
the cashier's office ( 1 attribute<\ it to being the earliness of the morning). When
was
fees by cheque or money order through the mail or the drop box in Needles Hall.
r was stunned! What pos"ihle rationale could there be for thi,,?
I asked her and the only I !!ot \\ ,IS ill dkc1 lor Itll'
last term.
Why hadn't I heard of this') Why W.hll't there a in Illy .. 'gistratioll
package? After this, I checked the pm:kagl' and found that It was Pll"l' lll11l thnc
(however inoceuollsly). So I suppose I am at lault for not rcadlllg th ' II' ,isllatloll
info kit we all gel every \1I11C we regist ...r for a term ( 'rlol1collsly ,ISSUlllillt! the
info stayed fundamentally the samc and illiportant changes welc adv 'II\S(;(\). Bllt
this does not excuse the fact that this change was madc. As a result of thcs\.'
changes. my cheque did not male it in time and I've c:harpl.'t! tht' fifty dol
lar late penally - needless to say. I was not imprcs!\ed.
This whole situation is all about options. The root proolem with these change. is
how they greatly limit the options a student has to pay haslhcr fees .. I-or those
who pay by mail before the term commences. there is no issue. Things for them
will not skip a beat. Those who lind altcmatives to this regime more convenient
to their needs; however, arc having their options systl'matica\ly elimintatcd -
which can be particularly trying considering this is financilll options we are talk-
ing about and money is tight for many now and getting ever tighter as tuition
continues to soar. Electronic payment is out. but apparently cash is as well. Such
a technologically prestigious school we attend should have more appropriate
systems of payment (i.e. internet banking, debit cards - which were newly added
as a payment method for the last winter tenn, but have now been removed again)
It is unreasonable to assume that a system serving so many will be able to cater
to the needs of every individual; but, every effort should be made to optimize the
versatility of the system to maximize the ability of the system to accomodate the
needs of the student body. The administrative bodies that determine the operat-
ing protocols of such infrastructures as registration and fee payments have a
responsibility to the students and the institution to enact policies that will better
the ser.vice capabilities of the various departments across campus for the better-
ment of all parties.
The opinions expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of the authors, or the Iron Warrior staff. Point Counter Point articles are meant to be a
thought-provoking debate on prevalent issues relevant to engineers. They are not intended as a statemelll of fact.
The Iron Warrior Friday, October 15. 1999

Stephanie Purnell
lA Chern
Why is tuition so high?
Tuition has been increased this year as a result of the
to Opportunities Program (ATOP), a program
impl amented through a joint effort between the govern-
ment of Ontario, the uni versities and colleges of Onatrio,
and private corporate sponsors.
What exactly is ATOP?
Recently, the government has been made aware of a
growing need for "skilled information technology work-
ers" in the workforce. Private corporations have
expressed that expansion in Ontario is being stunted by
the lack of computer and engineering graduates. In
response, the government developed ATOP. The
Provincial budget of 1998 allows for $l50 million dollars,
over a three-year period, to double the enrollment in high-
demand university programs (such as those involving
computers and technology), and to increase enrollment in
related college programs by 50%. The government
offered incentives to the universities to take part in this
program: the opportunity to deregulate tuition, as well as
a grant from the government to handle the influx of new
students.
Why did the University of Waterloo agree to ATOP?
The university declined the proposal at first. Among
other reasons, it was not feasible to increase the computer
science, computer engineering and electrical engineering
programs by 100%. These programs already made up 7%
of the student population; to up that figure to 14% would
drast icall y change the face of the student body. Waterloo
was also uncertain as to the of de-regulation, and
had a task force investigating the matter separate from the
government proposal.
In the end; however, Waterloo decided to accept ATOP.
Changes were made to the original agreement, making the
transition smoother, and the task force studying de-regu-
lation decided that it would be beneficial to the university.
The Access to Opportunity Program has provided
Waterloo with funds, which appear in two forms. The first
is an initial sum used to accommodate the large number of
new students. This one-time start-up grant (based on the
number of extra students enrolled) goes towards renova-
tions, purchasing lab equipment, and any other one-time
costs. Further more, a grant (again based on enrollment
figures) is given to the university and is used to hire TA's,
professors, and to cover other ongoing expenses accrued
by the university as a result of the extra students. This
money is completely separate from the revenue generated
from the university's tuition hikes.
So .. why the tuition hike?
Well, the simple answer is: because it's legal now.
Before, the government controlled tuition increases; now
they don't. So the university can charge as much as they
deem fit. The extra money is split; part goes to Needles
Hall, and part goes to Engineering. The Engineering
Faculty then distributes this money to the departments
from which the money was generated. The departments
must spend this money and report back.
How is this money spent?
The needs of each department are unique, so the
money is put to many different uses. For example, the
engineering accreditation board of Ontario decided that
engineering students are required to complete a design
project that incorporates more than one of their courses,
and are required to fully construct their de ign. This is a
very expensive project. Part of the fees go here.
The difference with these fees is that we get to see
where they are being put to use. We can object to any
unreasonable use ofthis revenue. (If you would like to see
a budget report, please ee the undergrad office).
By the ATOP agreement, only computer and electrical
engineering had to increase their enrollment. So, why bas
all of engineering had its tuition deregulated?
It was an all or nothing ultimatum that was issued
from the government. Either all university programs were
deregulated, or none of them would be. Engineering, com-
puter science, and optometry have seen a 19% increase
this year, and all other program have seen an increase of
9%.
Are first year students the only ones affected?
No. It would be unfair to increase only the first year
students' tuition if unexpected expenses came up, so all of
engi neeri ng has had its tuition deregulated.
. What does all this mean?
Students who would have otherwise been turned away
are currently taking classes. The university will be able to
afford to build new facilities and to upgrade old ones.
Corporations will have ample supply of graduates from
which to hire. .
It also means that from now on, it is going to become
harder and harder to finance a university education.
Graduating with a huge debt load will become the norm,
even with the Co-op program to help cover the costs. The
university will soon be accepting only the students that
can pay for their degree. For a long time, the goal has
been to accept those applicants who are capable and
enthusiastic about learning; but this will most likely
change in the next while. The students who are capable
and very bright, but not financially wealthy, will be unable
to attend university, and the high of academic
achievement will dwindle. The quality of a program is
based on the students, not the price of tuition.
The Effects Of ATOP
On My Life
Maria Simoes
lA Comp
A
s a first year computer engineel11lg stud.ent, ATOP
(Access to Opportunities Program) can be said to
have profoundly affected my life. Coming in to
the .University of Waterloo, I had been told that engineer-
ing class sizes were being reduced, or at least, kept to a
minimum. Imagine what a great surprise it was to find out
that I was one of approximately 300 first year computer
engineering students.
The increased influx of students into my chosen pro-
gram will continue to alter my life. Come winter, I will be
competing with approximately two divisions of computer
engineers, and eight hundred computer science students,
for top junior-level computer work placements. The num-
bers seem even worse when you consider that to get a gen-
eral engineering placement, the competition encompasses
even more first year engineers. The people at Needles
Hall, and those responsible for pladng students with co-
op jobs maintain that raising the l1umbers of students will
not in any way limit the jobs available to first year stu-
dents. Still, the task ahead seems daunting, not only to
myself, but to my peers. Our minds may be assured that
we will be able to find workterm placements; yet, we still
FEEL that our futures lay on uncertain ground .
Workterm placements aside, ATOP raises many other
signifi cant is ues, mainly those regarding the deregulation
of tuition within the Engineering and Computer Science
Faculties. The goverment no longer controls the tuition
level s for these programs. Rather, the University sets its
own fee levels and rates. For this reason, my peers and I
now pay approximately $3000.00 per single term, where-
as other students (in a variety of faculties, in a variety of
Universities) pay only aroun $4000 per two terms.
Before heading for Waterloo this summer, my friends and
I compared our respective university tuition fees. By far,
I had the largest sum to pay (and this was not even includ-
ing the costs of book and boarding).
This being the first year of its implementation, ATOP
has not yet had time to prove itself. The money generat-
ed by the program will be valuable in financing faculty
fees . Furthermore, it will allow for more students to enter
the Computer Science or Computer Engineering
Programs at the University of Waterloo. In the past, the
low enrollment numbers limited students' opportunities
within these fields. Now that opportunites have broad-
ened, more students will have the chance to fulfill their
dreams, while imultaneously increasing the numbers of
those trained in the fields of computers and technology,
within the workforce.
When I first found out that I'd actually been admitted
into the Computer Engineering Program at the University
of Waterloo, I was blown away. I could not believe it. For

The Iron Warrior Friday, October 15, 1999
one of the first times in my life I felt special , one of a di s-
tinct few who had been granted the opportunity of a life-
time. I had previously heard that only approximately one
hundred and fifty of the brightest students in Canada were
given the distinction of being able to caU themselves
Computer Engineering Frosh at Waterloo. Then I came
here, and found out that I was not one in one hundred and
fifty, rather, I was one in three hundred. I know that it may
sound silly, but, the feeling of being special has kjnd of
dissappeared. It has been replaced by the feeling that I
was only admitted into Computer Engineering to satisfy a
certain quota; so that I could unwittingly help generate
money for the University.
Maurice Abbey, Abdolrez Abhari, Arif Abji, Daniel lewis Abrams, Robert Allen Adams, Sheri Adamson, Nana OSei Addae, Jai Aggarwal, Gulzar Ahmad, Cindy Priscilla Ah-Yuen,
Rawan Al-Ghosen, Ach-Ary Alhabo, Nabeela Ali, Nadia Ali. Anmar A1-Khafaji. Rodney David Anan, Meghan Allen, Karim Allidina, Jeries Alsayegh. Patrida Ambroise, Hoda
Amiri, Paul Asija. Christopher Askwith, EThan Asliturk, Wissam Assaad, Nour AtToshi, Jason Au, Giles Babin, Robert Baron, James Alexander Bartlett, BrabakaTan Baskaran,
Pascal Bastien, Joel Beaulieu, Jamie Beck, Hosnara Begum, Eliane Belanger, PaulSelangeT, Colin Belcourt,Joel Belcourt, Alain Beflehumeul'. Kader Benbrahlm,leffrey Benenati,
Dominic Bergeron, Annie Bernatchez., Peter Bernier. Rahul Bhardwaj, Jarod Bickle, Dina Bilenkis. Scott Birksted, Vadim Bishtein. Jarrod Blackburn, Marc Andrew Blais, Sean
Blake, Joseph Bokhaut. Philippe-Andre Bonneau, Forrest Malcolm Boomer, Shannon Borho, Phillip Daniel Borm, Jean Botembe. Phoebe Botros, Heath Bott, Enoch Boulet,
Matthew Robert Brash, Christopher Brouse. Jordin Brown, Ryan Brunner, Alan Brunton. Scott Bryant. Helen Buie, Karin Buist. Carleton University. Nicolas Carpentier.
Guillaume Chamberland-Larose, Sean Richard Charlebois, Thomas Chatain, Kwok Hong Vincent Cheng, Michefle Cheng, Kevin Cheung, Kenny Cheung. Mathieu-Andre
Chiasson, Meng-Han Chiasson, Matthew Stephen Chmiel, Efim Chor, Ryhan Choudhury. Carolyn Chow, Jennifer Chow, Joahua Norman Cimmo, Dustin Clark, Robert Collier,
Caleb Cond.ly Cong,Jean-Philippe Cormier, lucas Corvino, Neil Roderick Costford, Marc-Alexis Cote. Victoria CowIe, Grace Cox, Je ey Craft, Kyle Craig. Jeffrey Cushen. Royce
D'Souza, Ehsan Dadelahi-Sarab, Alexandra Dafoe. Gavin Daly. John Daly, Robble Daoud, Olivia Da Rkhard Daviau, Colin Dcr 'elson, Daniel Davies, Shawn Davy. Jeffrey
Dawson,. Patrick Decoste, Michael Delage, Jeeliyana Delancharles, Jea Ch Dellanoy. David Adam Demers Anthony So sa, David Oe 5ch, Marte Deverno,
DeVries, Deepti Dewan, Dhillon, Tanya Di Cesare,Etk Ke OW:harrne,
Ducharme, Erick DtLchesneau, Benoit Dufour. Gabriel
Hennawey, Gavin Ems, laura Lesley Ememd. Erix Jose Escobar Ardon, Bret Hamed faghfoury, Oavid Faya. Andl' w Fell, Jinghua Fen9. RaTeS fddtiT. Fm;g,Jason
Geigel. Bradley William Genereaux, Sachin Gera; Rithard Getrad, Stephane Gervais, Alan Gillespie, Eric James Glynn, Bruno Gnanapragasam. Douglas John Godding, Ksenia
Golod, Jasinthan Gopalapi11ai, Robert Gordon, Christopher P. Graham, James Grant, Jennifer leigh Greel y, Vlad Grl9orita, Stephen Edward . Haber, Nadine Hage, Senay
Haile, George Jackson Hamilton, Antonio Y G Han, Nahid HaTjee, David Harper. Randall Harris, Faruq Hasan, ltaWl lain f:k:ggfe, l'ftta' t-Sam Henein, Yuan-
n iIt.Nath'an H<>qgsm.at, thony Paul Hooper.
Inderpreet Hothi. Derek Howchin. Yen-Pin Albert Hu, Xudong Huang, Michael Hudson. William Hull, Saif Humaid, Humber Co\lege.James John Hume. Bruce Pin-Chan
Hung. Martin Hurtubise. Thy Huynh, DalYI Illingworth, Micnael mbrogno, Olar1eS ITWin, AiSha AS f Ismail, Stephane Jacoby, Hamid Jafar Boland, Hassan Jaferi,
Magdalena Jagoodzinska, Araz Jahaniaval, Daniel Janulewicz, Marie-Mge Janvie Usette Jean-louis, Wen Jiang, Sa Jiang. Andy Jung, Christopher
Kafka, Ukoha Kalu, Fazal Kalyani, Gowrishangar Kanageshwatan, Kaushal, Perry lloyd James Keleher. Jeremiah Kelly, Helga Kertesza, Saadia Khan,
Danish Mohammed Khan, Asher Khan, Bassam Khouri, Elie Eric Kibbee, Samer Kilo, Stuart Stephen King, Sean Alexander Kinread, Steven J. Kirkland, Jared William
W. Kitcher, Ran Klein, Pritesh Kot, Saif Samir Kubba, Paramanathan Kumuthini, Eric Shou Tseng Kuo, Nathan Kwan, Vincent Kwok, Joyce Kwong, Philippe Laberge, Maya J.
lacroix, Simon Lacroix, Patrice laFlamme, Peon Oi Hang Lai, Winnie Lai, Jean-Michel Lalonde, Bertha Lam, Kenneth Lam. Frands Lamoreux, David Langen, Richard lanouette,
Eric Lapointe. Marc-Andre lauzon, Warren layton, Jacques lebrum, Jui-Chieh Lee, james lee, Cedrick lelievre, Christopher lenko. James Lepp, MiranciaMei Ting Leung, Pierre
LeVan,Jason leveille, Peter Lever, lin lit Terry Li, Sau-Yan li, Sharon Lingertat, Benjamin lister, Jason Robert Lostracco, Wie-Yen Andrea lu. RoT)' Lucyshyn-Wright, Fred Shing-
Fat Ma, John MacArthur, Patricia Lynn Macdonald, David Maclean, Matthew Macleod, Paul Magri. Vinh Mai, Mathieu Mallet, Christopher Manley, Karin Manning, Hein Mar,
Kevin Mar,Jason Daniel Marcon, Jennifer Marshall, Daniel Martin,Oba; Mashal, Benson Mathison, Guy-Oliver Mauzeron, Robert McAlpine,Jonathan Daniel Mccarthy,Alain
McCrea, Bradley McFetridge, Jonathan McGee. Jan Mcintyre. Devin McMaster, Jonathan McMillan, Allan Meek, Ali Mehdi, Julie Meilleur. Marc Mfkhael, Michael Milner,
Aleksandar Mir1<ov1c. Brian Moher, Mjhai Morcov, Nadine Mounzer, Alar Mouzari. Mathimaran Muttulingam, Geoffrey N. Nichols, Maria Nadeem, Subhas Nagaraja.h,
Sutharsanan Nageswaran, Dawn Naipaul, Natalie Michelle Nakhla, Paul Nakhle, Justin Nesrallah, Jeffrey Ngan, Jacky Nguyen, Que Nguyen. Simon Nguyen-Thanh. David
$
Palantk. Dilrukshan Pararajasingam. Peter Paszkowialc, Jonathan Paul Patchen, Httesh Patel, Danyt Edward Payne-Short, Juan Antonio Paz, Shane Adam
Loganathan Perampa1am, Alexis Perrier.luc Perrin, Raymond Peterkin, Travis W. Pettigrew, Nlem Pham. Maya Phansalker, Shawn Christopher Pinet, Andrew Ryan Pitt, Adam
Poirier, Nimalan Ponnambalam, Vincent Joseph Potvin, GTZegorz Prazmo, Shankar Pr makanth n. Ch nty Priddl C rIa Pri .stly. N dil Puruanl, Yanp n P m 1
University, Han Qung. Dominic Racette, Guharajan Rajadurai, Anup Ramasubramaniam, Abhlmanyu Rastogi, J nak n Ratnasingham, Alan R m, Jason R dmond,
Paul Andrew Ricker. Michael Rioux. Derek Peter Risk. Nicolas Rivet, Joe Rocca, Ann-Marie ROUSSY, David William Alan Rowsom, Peggy Rubabaza, Jan Rup r, Eric: Sabondjian,
Avneet Sahni, Amin Seyed Sajadinia, Nizar Sakr. Mohamed Salah, Paul Salem, Roy Salem, Samir Sapra, Thadshayni Sathyamoorthy, Kamalan than S tKunanthan. Luc S vard,
Trevor Schaub. William Schmidt, Marianne Schwendener, James Sellers, Yathavann Selva rajah , Michael Serdiuk, Asim Shaikh, Suganthlni Shanmug ling m, Ruml Sharma,
Christopher Sibbitt,Arefin Siddique.Arefin Mohammed Siddique,Jagroop Sidhu, Tomas Patrick Sienkiewicz, Oroth Heather Simmie, Br an Jam s Simpson, ArthuT
Sinclair, Crystal L Sirard, Sir Sanford Reming College, Ken Situ, Kajendran Sivanayagamoorthy, Pawel Skorupski, Andrew Smith, Tr vor Smith, R Jason Smith, Andrew Thoe
Yee Soon, Michael Sowka, Christopher st. Am ad, Andrew Staples. Ian Henry Stefani son, Nicole Steinert, Colin Winiam Stewart, Ann Stewart, MOos Stojmenovic, Jean Francois
St-Pierre, Peter Su, Ganapriya Suntharalingam, Krishnakumar SuntharampiUai, Sebastian S)'Szkowicz, Michal Szczesniak, Peter Tamon, Jackie Tam, Soumeya Tart1, Ryan
Donald Taylor, Cory Taylor, Yannick Tellier, Richard Tenn, lude TeSSier, Marisa Tessier, Mythily Thadchanamoorthy, Dieu Van Thai. Yogesh Thaur, Stephanie Agnes Thuemen,
Pirapagaran Thurairajah, Olivier Charles Tolszczuk-Jalbert, Brian Tong. Kuo-Feng Tong, Mickey Tran, Winnie Tran. Hoang Tran, Trinh Tran, Winnie Tran, Lan Thi Kim Tran,
Jeremy Tremblay, louis Tremblay, Tracy-Lynn Tudc:er, Sean Nathan Tudor, Charles Ukabam. University of Ottawa, University of Waterloo, DereK Van Gaa1, Robert Vanden
Hoven, Such ita Varma, Sandra Veledar, Petro Verkhogliad, Daniel Aurele Vernier, Sergey Vershinin, Alexei Vichnevetski, leah Vilhan, David Voorberg, Christopher Vuong,
Faranza Walji, Darragh Walsh. Ian Myles Walton, Vi Wang, Jack Wang, Steven Wan-Kam, James Ward, Christopher Warrington, Stephen Warrington, Richard Waugh, Anthony
Whitehead, Karen Ryan Wilson. Benjamin Wf1son, James Douglas Winger. Nicolas Wojcik, Christopher Wolfenden, Samuel Wong. Kris Andrew Woodbeck,
William Matthew T. Workman, Thomas Wozeni1ek. Aaron Patrick Earl Wrightly, Si Yuan Wu, Hong Wu, Muran Yang, Joseph Yeung,
Michael York, Richard Youmaran, Cheryl M. Young, Benjamin larboni. Kristian Zebarth, Qi Zhang,
JUN Zhang, Yahong Rosa Zheng, Stevan ZOnjic.
The I ron Warrior Friday, October 15, 1999



ls-a
of

Evan Wilson
lA Comp
I
n a perfect world, there'd be a SCUNT every day. In a
perfect world, we'd get to improvise the flux capacitor
u ing only a hot wheels car, six marbles and a bowl of
porridge. In a perfect world, everyone would get a chance
to grovel before Scunt Gods whenever they pl eased. The
world would indeed be perfecl. A world of hard hat and
caffeine and big, giant wrenche around every comer.
unfortunately, to quote South Central's poet laureate,
Ice-T, "Stuff ain't like that." Yes, I had high hopes for
Scunt participation, but things came up, and by noon, I
found myself without a team. With my shoulders slumped,
I made it through the day. And, a few hours later, the
night, the both of them being scuntless. However, I told
the editor of this fine rag that I was interested in writing a
Scunt article. An hour by hour Scunt report through the
wide eyes of a virgin like myself. He liked the idea.
A I trudged into see Mr. Pigozzo earlier this morning,
1 shook like hurricane ravaged shrubbery. I was scared ...
and for all of the right reasons. My hand did not hold the
article that he wanted so badly. Had I been holding it, the
prose would have been illegible due to the dampne s that
was once my hand. As I recounted my story to Hi
Highness, hi choler rose and my own collar did the same
a he took my throat is his hand, bellowing, "How could
you fail me," he roared. "Write something about what you
didn't do. I need copy, dammit!" swore this stubble-head-
ed, slightly crazed Jonah Jamison. As I stumbled away,
his goatee glared at me as if to say "If you don't have
something in th e nobby hands f ours by n xt
Thursday, I'll per onally tear you a new armpit. " This is
what it's like working for Mr. Pigozzo. Neither he, nor his
facial hair, like to be disappointed.
So, I'll start from the start. My day began when I
opened my virginal eyes to the glorious day of Scunting
ahead. 1 was excited as my body filled with the adrenal
fluid caused by, and necessary for, the excitement and
intensity of the oncoming Scunt. My hand then hit the
snooze button.
As I woke up once again 9 minutes later, I was over-
come by that same good weird feeling, however, this time
I was capable of standing and looking into the bullet-like
slin that attacks only the most inexperienced sleep
cunt
deprived engineer.
However, the day, like that retina-tighteni ng sun, was
filled with hope. Scunt was comi ng. Scunt was almost
here. Just 8 more hours, and maybe, just maybe, it could
be me taking a road trip to some far off outpost like
Ottawa or Montreal, scouring land near and far for items
that only the most resourceful could find or build. The
Scunt Gods were my Magwitches, helping to fulfill my
own Great Expectations.
But, as [ mentioned earlier, things didn't work out
quite a I planned. I had no team. The day wa agonizing.
I wa hardly able to concentrate on anything. I tossed and
turned violently as I slept through my classes. My hand-
writing became more and more illegible, causing me to
consider switching schools and enroll ing myself into a
pre-med program. And why not? If I wasn't going to do
the Scunt, could 1 ever really be a true engineer?
At three thirty that afternoon, the silver lining of the
ScuntGods came blazing through the dark cloud over my
head. I went to speak to them finding a team for me
to join, and I nearly wept tears of joy as their near-ethere-
al voices told me that a team by the name of the Stone
Cutters just might accept me.
I made the call from the phone under the stairs across
from Wedge. I was chastised for being a cheap bastard,
but an invincible layer of rubber coated me as I made my
call, because I was about to join the Scunt. I could live
again! Unfortunately, the head Stone Cutters weren't in,
but I left a message telling them to get back to me. All
that was left to do now was wait.
Of course, I couldn't wait for my call under those stair,
becau e I gave that 'Benevolent Goddess Who Got Me
Into The Scunt' my phone number back at the REV. If I
hadn't, I would have been fully prepared to wait there until
my call came in. Like a Star Wars fan jonesing for hi s
next hit of campy space opera, I would have waited
through anything for my ticket to happiness.
As I embarked on my journey home to await my de -
tiny, I felt like Jack Nicholson playing R.P. McMurphy at
the beginning of "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest. " I
was on easy street. Things were going my way now.
However, much like McMurphy, things didn't tum out
exactly as expected.
So, when] got back to my room, I sat down with a
good book, put some Tom Jone on the phonograph, and
relaxed as I awaited my call from the Stone Cutter' s
"Number One." Time however, wa beginning to slip
away. Word had gotten to me that another team, the KGB
was taking all comers. I called.
One ring.
Two ring.
Three ring.
"Hello, I'm not home. Leave a message."
"Tarnation," I swore to myself. But I left a mes age
anyway. I had hope. Good thing can happen to people.
Especially on Scunt night. Magical things can happen -
and often do.
By that time, it was 6:00. I had to go eat. rate.
However, half heartedly. The other half was out calling to
the Scunt, hoping that I would hear its siren call.
I was back to my floor by around 7. Watched some tv.
Hung out with the guys ... Waited ...
At 8:30, I went to my room to grab some shoes. It wa
bonfire night at Columbia Lake. EDCOM took us to
Columbia Lake once. EDCOM were Scunt Gods.
Maybe, just maybe, through all the din of cracking logs,
s'mores, and umpteen renditions of the Van Morrison clas-
sic "Brown-Eyed Girl", I would find Scunt there, and reap
the benefits of its magical sleep deprivation techniques.
10:00, I returned to village. Ghostbusters was on. I
was back up. Ghostbusters was a cure. I was happy again.
r needed to keep this high up. Couldn't back down.
Need ... to ... watch ... more ... classic .. . comedy ...
'Monty Python and the Holy Grail ' and 'The Jerk'
could do the trick, and r knew it.
I barely made it through Python. By that time it was
1 :00 and I was exhausted. I went to up to bed. But before
Il ay down, I checked my messages.
Tarnation, again! Both teams had called back! I
missed them both. One of them called just moments
before I came to put on my hoes for the bonfire.
As r lay there with tears streaking down my whiLhered,
disappointed, weather beaten face, I could only wonder
why my phone wasn't plugged in, with its red beacon of
hope flashing to tell me that my hopes and wishes had
come true.
In tead, the crimson lighthou e didn't hine that night,
and my dreamboat was led a tray to crash into the rocks
at shore.
The horror. The horror.
nowhere to grow but U P
Christos
Sarakinos
lA Elec
C
ome to Waterloo; get and education. That proba-
bly wasn't on any of the volumes of literature that
was ent to your front doorstep, over the summer,
but it was certainly the general idea. Who among us can
honestly say that they're not getting an education? I can't;
in fact, I'm learning a hell of a lot. I spend all day in lec-
tures hearing about Mean Value Theorem (MVT),
Matrices, Molecules, Momentum and Machine Code. Yet,
thus far, the majority of what I've learned has been about
My elf.
The supreme irony is this: the more I learn about
my elf, the more I realise that it is the things that I was
taught over the past eighteen years - the things that I never
noticed I was absorbing - that matter the most. Granted
the profs contribute to my betterment, and granted I still
have a lot to figure out on my own, but it i my upbring-
ing which allows me to adapt and thrive (hopefully) in this
new environment.
Seriously though, analysing one's self is not an easy
task. Even the useful scientific concepts learned in class
prove to be inadequate for such introspection. Indulge me
while [ illustrate thi and read on.
MVT: Were I to plot my mood as a function of time
. over a period of even day, I would get a very ugly look-
ing graph indeed. The MVT tells me that there must be
ome point at which the rate of change of my moods is
equal to the average rate of change over the given period.
ow, as uming for a moment that there was a way to
quantify moods, I should try to maintain that slope so a
to reduce the stress of various rapid changes. Alas, it i
not that imple.
Matrices: The object of most elementary matrix oper-
ation is to make the matrix look as pretty as possible to
olve for the unknown variable. To accomplish this, zero
rows must be moved to the bottom and all rows with in-
gle ones must tay at the top. Unfortunately, in life, there
are far too many unknown factors, let alone unknown vari-
ables.
Molecule: Among promiscuou little atoms, it is a
well-known fact that ize doe matter. Although we are
similar to the atom in that respect, we have an additional
concern: namely, protection. When i the last time you
saw an oxygen atom que tioning the hydrogen atom about
its previous partners?
Momentum: The first and rather crude definition of
momentum that I ever learned wa that "objects like to
keep on doing what they are already doing." As wonder-
ful a the equations relating momentum are, they are lim-
ited when it comes to minimising my momentum when I
find myself procra tinating.
Machine Code: As far as I have been able to ascertain,
the key to programming is logic. It i the only means by
which man and machine communicate. I would be both
relieved and elated if I could simply apply reason to inter-
personal problems. but, Spock put it best when he stated
that "human are highly illogicaL"
Given the great contrast between the circumstances at
home and tho e here at Univer ity, we are all forced to
mature in some way. It is as my driving instructor always
said when I'd get onto the highway: "Now, you are play-
ing with the Big Boys and you have to act like it." I have
no Mommy to wash my clothes, no Daddy to pick me up
from school, no Lil' Sis' to confide in when things get
lough. Self understanding and self reliance have become
the requirements for survival. I have no where to grow but
up.

The Iron Warrior Friday. October 15. 1999
Krista Glemser
lA Ellviro CiI'
T
he life of a frosh is initially surrounded by mystery.
This make us easy to spot for the fir t few week
because of the dazed and confused look in our
eyes.
Being a stream four student, I was deeply mystified by
the "co-op program". During the my first co-op lecture
many of its deep and dark secrets, like the Acce system,
were uncovered. I remained puzzled; however, about one
thing (okay, that's a lie, actually many things still puzzle
me). My main concern was where do we drop off our
resumes? Thankfully, due entirely to the rise in co-op fees,
the University of Waterloo was able to hire a telepathic
peaker who read my mind and
re ponded with. "In th bin, locat-
ed in eedle Hall". On ' e ond
thought, maybe the peaker wasn't
telepathic, becau, e if they w re
the) would have realized that it
was rime to end the meeting
be au e everyone. including
my, elf. wa getting bored and hun-
gry by five o'clock,
It was through the rumbling in
m) tomach, that the litde devil
who i u. ually . ound a, leep on my
shoulder, wa rudely awakened. It was at that very
moment, when the following plan came into Illy mind.
The e elu, ive bins in eedle Hall could help me get an
edge in the job earch proce s. I would . imply remove
some or all of the re urnes of the other tudent. leaving
only my own, thus guaranteeing me at the very least an
interview. h wa brilliant. However, I can take no person-
al respon ibility for the plan ince it really wasn't m idea.
With a evilish mirk on my face, 1 strolled into ccdlcs
Hall to find the bin .
To my di may, the bins were not what I expected.
There wa only a tiny slit at the top, just room enough to
slide a re ume through. How were my finger, let alone
my whole hand suppo. e to fit through there? My brllliant
plan was foiled. I'm gue sing that the ame telepathic
speaker from the first lecture had read my mind and alert-
ed administration, who then ordered the installation of the
thefl-proof bin .
During one of the ioren ely intere. ting co-op lectures,
we were informed that there wa a huge number of new
job being called in daily. So many, in fact, that we were
going to be allowed to submit up to twenty-four resumes,
up from the original eighteen. In regards to thi apparent
intlu of job. I think the me sage got a bit confu ed. Like
when you playa big gam of telephone with kids, and the
phrase L uppo e to be 'University of Waterloo engineers
are the smartest and mo t talented people in the whole
world.' But excited little Tommy jumps up and blurts out,
"University of Toronto engineer. are the smartest and
mo t talented people in the whole world." Oops! This just
goes toho\,,. how easily a me, sage can get mixed-up.
Gelling back 10 co-op, what I think the mes age
should have been was there i an influx of technical com-
put r rdated jobs. The. ' computer job descriplion con-
tained many foreign words, like WindO\ s T, Unix, and
Ja\a. I'v recently been told C++ is a computer language,
1 thought it was my grade on thl.: physics a . ignment. The
combination of my . hamcful lack of computer knowledge
and the continuing drought of environmental engineering
jobs means I probably won't be able to find twenty-four
position to apply to. So. on the last po ting day. you'll
find me fighting the mas. of people in the extremely nar-
row hallway of eedle Hall, randomly shoving my
resumes into any old bin. [' e always liked the number
seven, eighty-three. and one hundred and fourteen, , 0
what the heck'> Afterward, I'll just sit back, cros my fin-
gers. and wait until round two.
A Frosh Perspective
(The Inane Ramblings and Rantings of Frustrated Frosh)
Shaun Chen
? --
fA Camp
Maria Simoes
lA Camp
A
the Village One cafeteria clock strides past the 3
A.M. mark, we ask ourselves, "Why?" "'Why'
what?", you may say? Why do we (engineers)
have 29 hours of weekly cla ses when the arts students
have only IS? Why do we have absolutely NO electives?
Why are we pulling all-nighters, when it's only the second
week of school?l?l?
As we all know, the tranistion from High School to
University is probably hard for everyone, but for us poor
Engineering Frosh, the transition is about as mooth as a
sandpaper massage. "Why?", we ask (take not that we
Engineering Frosh are an inquisitive, answer seeking
bunch) ... "Why??????" Well, the only possible answers is
that Engineering is hard. (Take extra note that we also
have a penchant for stating the obvious.)
For most of us, High School had more of a' social
atmosphere than an educative one. Sure, we stayed up
nights, studied, hard, wrote the Descartes and did every-
Get the picture? If not...Iet us enlighten you. We are the
ones who're wandering around, lost and confused amidst
the knowledgeable. Frightened, we do not understand you
when you peak of POETS, the Orifice, P**5 points or
any of the other things that have encompassed your life for
well over a year. We get lost in OWE; to us it is as much
of a labyrinth as the MC building. Sure, we try to put on
a poised and confident outward appearance, but under-
neath, we still long for the children we once were, living
at home, in pl aces that were both comfortable and famil -
iar.
Having never before taken University level midterms,
we're not exactly ure what we should expect. We've
heard that they are, to say the least, challenging, to ay the
most, fr 'uking scnry. So far. things have not twen all thlll
hard, Evcry once in a whilc, we come across a prohicill
that may stump us. 'lill, it's ht't'l\ relatively eusy,
Will midtl!fms be llHIlCHSY'! Oil, we i-oure hop
Okay, there it is. 1 (opcfully. you non-frosh now
remember and ulluerswnd the life of a fled 'ling engineer.
Double hopefully lhat our fellow frosh-matcs will read
this and realiz;c that they'r' nol alone, that people have
felt, do feel, and will continu ' to feel the way thal lhey
feel now. So, we'll stop rambling and ranting and scream
ing to the general world now. Heck, we had beltcr save
some screaming power for aft.er midterms, right?
Getting Involved
Matt Gagliardi
lA Mech
S
eptember is over and I, as well as all other Frosh, am
happy to have the first month at university under my
belt. This first month has been an adventure for
most of us frosh, a step away from home, back into
school, and a large step toward the rest of our life. This
type of experience can be rather frightening to attempt
alone but luckily there are a lot of people around here who
are willing to give us Frosh some advice. Friends, older
students, the administration, and just about every person
we meet are willing, and do, pass on some snippet of
advice on how to cope with the new university life. I have
been inundated with advice and sometimes I feel like I'm
drowning in a sea of conflicting messages. One of the
most advised areas of my new university life is what to do
with the work, and how not to screw up. I have had the
ultimatums from parents and professors that schoolwork
is the most important thing. This is a very good piece of
advice, I am paying a large sum of money to study here at
university and that should be where my time is concen-
trated. The only problem is that I have also received
advice from friends, older students, the dons and leaders,
that I should get involved and let the schoolwork suffer a
little. This is also a good point, I am going to be living
here for the next few years of my life, and I should get to
know people, get involved and generally have a life out-
side of class. Both arguments are credible for different
reasons. Should I focus on the work to make something of
my life after university. Or should I make friends and have
a life in university just like the students who were in my
place recently. It seems like I am trapped between two
opposing camps of advice and I must choose one.
Being in lA mechanical engineering 1 have a lot more
class time and a lot more work than many other people I
have met. This makes the academic pressure even higher.
I am in engineering because I want to become an engineer,
and therefore looking at my future profession made my
decision in this debate. Being an engineer is a demanding
profession academically. We must have a firm grasp on
math, on science, on technology and we must not make
any mistakes. Often the safety of others is the responsibil-
ity of an engineer, when building a bridge there can be no
miscalculations. This made me think that academic issue
were the most important, until r thought about what else
an engineer does. An engineer invents, designs, and solves
problems. An engineer must be creative, must be able to
work with other peopJe in groups, must be able to com-
municate ideas, and must be all this on top of the acade-
mic requirements. They can teach us math, science, and
technology in a cla s room but they cannot leach us inter-
personal skills. Creativity cannot be lectured into us and
communication is only mastered through practice.
I am going to become an engineer, but I want to
become a complete engineer. I feel that my education
would not be complete if I pent all my time working on
class work. I have chosen to get involved with other peo-
ple, with the newspaper (that you're reading now), with
clubs and music. When I graduate I want be able to work
with other people as well as I can work with math.
The Iron Warrior Friday. October 15. 1999


Corel
Coding
Challenge
www.corel.com/c3
Welcome to the Corel Coding Challenge. * It's your big chance to take a bite out of staggering textbook and tuition
costs, score leading-edge software and hardware, earn bragging rights for you and your school and have fun
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H .... how It work.: Every month, a new programming problem will be posted on our Web site. All you have
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The top three coders for each month win cash and prizes, and accumulate points. The next best 50 coders get
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..... k In on the.ctIon .twww.coreI.com/c3to ..... _ netuncover ....... cIebIl ...
"'The contest is open to all Canadian post-secondary students. Contest ends Sept. 30, 2000.
Copynght e 1999 Corel CorporatIOn. All rights reserved.
"
The Iron Warrior Friday. October 15. 1999
CCOREL:
The End Of
Zhan Huan Zhou
38 Comp
D
uring the industrial revolution, the legendary Ned
Ludd broke a knitting frame to spite his father.
His outrage inspired a group of English workers
and led to widespread destruction of looms, mechanized
typesetters and other devices invented during the industri-
al revolution. This was a protest against the new tech-
nologies that allowed unskilled workers to produce goods
at the same level as experts. The Luddites, as these pro-
testers came to be known, felt that the technolog threat-
ened their way of life. The thought technology had gone
too far!
But what does the phra e 'technology ha gone too far'
actually mean? Some would ugge ' ( that is just a catch-
phrase with no reaJ meaning, concocted to grab the atten-
Lion of tho e without a brain of their own. Others may
argue that there i a deeper meaning, questioning our own
humanity. By ad ancing our technology. our, pe ies i.
10 ing touch with OUf ymbi.osi, with the Earth and the
elements.
Perhap technology ha gone too far. The large
Mennonite population in K-W erve, as a vcr) real exam-
ple that we don't need all the high-tech wonders that per-
meate our live. Mo, t Mennonite. don't have a radio or
televi ion t in their hou es. Some don't even have a car,
but travel with a hor e and buggy. Tho e with a car only
drive ones that are black and have no radio. They are fully
functional in loday's ociety without the electronic 'toys'.
Historical analysis indicate. that the Luddites had no fear
of 10 ing touch with their humanity. nor wcre they
Mennonite. They had no deep rea on for their attacks
during the indu trial revolution. The were concerned
with one thing, and one thing alone, money! Their our e
of income was being threatened by new technologies thar
rendered their arti an skill s useless. Despite the Luddite
upri sing, they could not stop the force of the industrial
revolution. The new technology dominated the workplace
and production is more efficient than ever. But even in
today's advanced world there is resistance to new technol-
ogy. Many elderly individual don't want computers sim-
ply because they are afraid of them. They would rather do
things the old fashioned way.
Indeed, it always appears that the old fashioned way is
more humble than the state-of-the-art method, but at what
point did technology go too far? Was it when we tam-
pered with DNA - the fundamental unit of life? Was it
when we tampered with the atom - the fundamental unit
of the physical world? Was it when we didn't need to be
in the same room to see and hear what was happening?
Do televisions, computers, and telephones remove us
from our 'humanity' by eliminating the need for face-to-
- ------------------------
Shingo Yuki
28 Systems
E
ver since I decided to postpone my dream of nov-
elizing "Ernest Saves Christmas" and instead enroll
in engineering, I've had this itch to write that just
wouldn't go away. So .here I am writing for the Iron
Warrior. I've noticed that writing articles for a student
publication is a wonderful catharsis. I really look forward
to putting the metaphorical pen to the equally metaphori -
caJ paper. I am tempted to work in the word "glee" in here
. somewhere except that this particular word makes me
nauseous. Glee. Ugh.
What is this piece about? Nothing much really. This
piece is just a collection of thoughts that have been exter-
nalized for the sole purpose of clearing my mind of inane
thoughts. The writing process keeps me sane. I only
hope my sanity lasts until December. Imagine what
would happen if I just snapped one day while wailing
to pay for a samosa in the Engineering C+D. It could
really get ugly if I began attacking C+D patrons with
my samosa or something like that. Ugh. Of cour e,
thi s is why we have wonderful counse llors in the
Engineering Undergarduate Office. Every stud 'nt
saved through the miracles of counsellill g is one less
innocent bystander that gets cun'ied potato pastries
shoved up hi s/her nose.
Random Question #575: why IS thirteen (13) regard-
ed a such an unlucky number? I suppose I could do some
research and figure lhi s one out instead of whining about
it, but my deadline i imminent aJld I'm a la7.y guy. Deal
with it! It just seems that no one reaJly second-guesses
thirteen's inherent unluckiness. They just take it at face
value. But why? I mean, there are equally fruslrating
prime numbers like 17,19,61, and 33 333 331. Or was
that 333 333 331? r always forget. So why THIRTEEN?
And Why FRIDAY? Why not Monday (which as far as
I'm concerned is a MUCH more miserable day). How
come there aren't any movies entitled "Monday the 23rd:
Jason Starts Another Looong Week"?
Before I continue rambling on, a word about forklift
drivers for those of you who have not yet had a work term
in an industrial setting. it is imperative that you be-friend
the forklift drivers in your plant. I mean, it's just common
face interaction? Or perhap it was during the industrial
revol ution when we first started using the Earth as a toxic
wa te dump. Maybe it was when we developed agricul-
ture and started to farm and harvest the richness of the
land.
Better yet. wh not travel all the way back to the begin-
ning of our ancestral line and place the blame on stone
tools and fire? one of the e example are a satisfactory
place 10 draw the line. There was however, one event
where everything changed. There was a crucial stage in
human de elopment where instead of the environment
haping u . \ e shaped the environment. This was the
birth of ciyilization. That was the poinl in whicll technol-
ogy , tartc!d to dehumanize us and we started losing touch
with the Earth. We should have Slopped advancing then
and there.
It is a contradiction both of nature and of human behe-
viour to stop advancing, though. Advancement is the very
e ence of every specie., especially Homo sapiens sapi-
ens. Our species WOll an evolutionary war because of our
large brain mass. That large brain helped us develop tools
and technology enabling us to survive beller than our
competition. Eventually we used technology to make us
healthier and live longer. There have been time. ; howev-
er. where technology ha, cau, ed mass destruction. For
example, World War n was a graphic introduction to the
power of the atom. Today; however, the same process
provides electricit y 10 millions of people worldwide who
u e it for heat and cooki ng. We mustn't forg'et, it was
humans who started the war and il was humans who flew
the bomber and it was humans who detonated the bomb.
There is saying that a poor craftsman blames hi tools. In
a greater context, it can be interpreted that the irresponsi-
ble human race is blaming technology for the destruction
of the earth. Technology hasn't gone too far. Technology
will not put an end to humanity. Ultimately, it will be
humanity that will put an end to humanity.
Take A Zhance has been regularly featured in The Iron Warrior
since September 1997, Past articles can be found at
hnp:llwww.eng.uwaterioo.ca/stu<ientlzbzbou.
,:
sense. You don't argue with someone sitting behind the
wheel of a machine that is capable of skeweri ng virtually
anything lhal crosses its path hke, for instance, a nai.ve co-
op student. Forklift drivers are the muscle of any factory
and upsetting them means you may end up moving that 40
ton pile of sprockets yourself. After which, of course, you
would prompt l salln\ 'r ov(,r to the nur ("s orfiCl' and
ilIlIlOUI1(;e thul your SplllL' has t 'kscopcd Hnd uu think
YOll nwy haw a fll'rJlHI. Th( funllY tllll1A-1 is , Ill) IIl<ltll.:r hllW
buddy-budd you gx t wi th fmklift drlvcrs, you'll nevcr
find them when YilU Ileed them (yes, they carry
pagers ... but do they cuny ballnics?). This is lIluinl y
because forklift drivers all follow the sucred "Forklift
Driver' s Law" which states thai a forklift shall not h ' wilh-
in a 500 mile radius of anything that needs to be urgently
moved (especially if it needs to be moved hy sOllie punk
co-op student). Actually, smart drivers will not bolher dri -
ving 500 miles, but will circumvent such an efTort by sim-
ply hiding. Scientists arc still boggled as to how drivers
and their forklifts just vanish at a moment's nOlice. My
guess is that they use camaOagc and disguise:
BOB: Hey, Joe I need to move this skid of parts over
to shippiJlg ... Have you seen a forklift around?
JOE: Actually Bob, I could have swom I saw one right
over by the lathes, but I am obviously mistaken since there
is nothing but that benign-looking elephant over there.
----------
The Price $$
$$
Is Right!!!
our parents to come here. However, the ulti-
mate price we all have to face is a piece of
paper that states that we have to forfeit all our
savings for the good of our future. I am refer-
ring to the bill of all the expenses we all have
to endure throughout the course of university
life to afford a higher eductaion.
owner's point of view, you are paying len dollars, NOT
ftve for your meal. When you look at it this way, this is
not a good price for a decent meal at all. What about
snacks? My friend buys a small bag of "Reese's Pieces"
and ended up paying five dollars for it. Is that reasonable?
Or is that monopoly at work on campus? We are all suck-
ers, thinking that we are actually saving money each time
we swipe our walCard. Oh well, for that price, at least we
don't have to worry about going hungry, right?
Yang-Yang Zhang
00
__ -1 ___ _
fA Comp
A
s students, we come to university in the pursuit of
knowledge, but what price do we pay for the end-
less information that is given to us? Most of us
have to leave the comfort of our homes or the security of
Before university started, we all heard
mention of the tuition hikes in Canadian universities, but
what most of us were unaware of was the relatively high
cost of living us poor students must endure. During frosh
week, my frosh-Ieaders told us that village food is "poi-
son", but they forgot to tell us that it is also expensive as
hell. Now, many of you may say that a meal under five
dollars is reasonable, however, half of what you initially
paid into the meal plan was intended for over-head cOSl'>.
What are the over-head co IS? I'd be damned if anyone
knows. Basically, if you look at it from the business
The Iron Warrior Friday, October 15. 1999

"
two
Peter Cresswell
28 Systems
T
he nuclear age, with all its fantastic potential, is an
exci ti ng time. It offers to the world tremendous
power and possibilities in exchange for one. imple
th ing: responsibility. With this in mind, [ am quite disap-
pointed with the recent failure of the international com-
munity to uphold thei r end of the deal.
To il lustrate: a story.
OUf tale begins in early July, 1999, with two ships
named Pacific Pintail and Pacific Teal, both owned and
operated by Paci fi c Nuclear Transport Limited; and en
route from Britain to Japan with a small stop in France.
Unu ual? Not really. On board these two cargo ves els is
roughly 400 kilograms of plutonium fuel call ed MOX.
This fuel, prepared by the British state owned British
Nuclear Fuels (BNFL), is rather controversial due to the
uncertai nty of it s stabili ty.
BNFL, wi th its own studies in hand, claims it to be
safe; a report by Frank Barnaby of the Ox ford Research
Group cl aims the exact opposite and concl udes that MOX
fuel cannol be safely made wi thout rendering it uneco-
nomi cal. And so the questi on begin.
Despi te the best efforts of Greenpeace, both ships set
sail on July 19th destined for Japan along a route which
was never revealed. Their travelling plans remained a
mystery. Even governments en route were not informed
that an armoured shipment of plutonium would be passing
through their respecti ve regions. Thi s qui ckly prompted
tae 0
S
official prote t from many groups including the govern-
ments of New Zealand and 27 other Caribbean countries.
Onward they sailed in secrecy for over a month, ignor-
ing government protests and que lions about the safety of
their cargo until finally, on September 2nd, Greenpeace
was informed that a crew member of one of the two ves-
sel. was airlifted to the safety of a hospital in Perth,
Australia via an Au tralian long-range helicopter. That
day, the New Zealand government passed a motion criti-
cizing Japan, England and France for their role in the
affair and their lack of warning about the path of these
ships.
But still, onward they went despite all growing ten-
sions, opting to power their way through til l Japan or bust.
With approximately 3 weeks of ailing left and al ready
more than a month into their voyage, BNFL drops a bomb
(no pun intended) on the entire situat ion by admitting to
fals ify ing the afety data accumul ated in the producti on of
the MOX fuel on board the two vessels. On September
24th, Greenpeace held a press statement saying that all
assurances by BNFL about MOX safety should be ignored
and that an independent analysis should be performed.
Said Sanae Shilda of Greenpeace Japan, "BNFL and
Kansai (a Japanese uti li ties company receiving the ship-
ment) cannot be permitted to be both judge and jury in this
scandal. "
Still they sail ed on.
With less than 24 hours to go before the arrival of the
now controversial fuel, the plot takes another incredible
tum: Japan has its worst nuclear accident to date at a reac-
tor in Tokaimura, seri ously injuring 3 workers and forcing
3 10,000 local villagers to become temporary prisoners in
their homes. After the accident, Hiromu Nonakas, Japan's

IpS
chief spokesperson, had the following statement "I
understand that this type of accident was een in the
I 950s. As a modern nation, it's shameful that this that
accident happened." Upon inve ligation, it was deter-
mined that afety tandards were violated when workers
put more than 6 times the safe amount of plutoni um into
the reactor. Apparently BNFL was not the only one trying
to cut corners and break afety rule.
And still the two ships sai led on carrying over 400
kilograms of arguably unstable plutonium. The irony of
having these ships wait offshore unti l the nuclear leak was
contained and cleaned up is far too scary for laughter. It's
simply ridiculous.
With everything cleaned up, the deadly MOX fuel
fi nall y arrived at its destination. Now, the many questi ons
about process and safety of the entire operation could be
posed and hopefully answered. Finall y, issue would be
resolved. Finally, things would be stable ... or so it
seemed.
On the Thur day foll owing the leak in Japan, South
Korea had a leak of its own, injuring 22 workers and mak-
ing the Korean government's statement that the Japanese
type leak would never occur in Korea a grim joke. Shaun
Bernie of Greenpeace international summed up the entire
affair quite ni cely, "The entire safety culture in Japan is
in crisis."
So ends the tale; the tale of 400 kil ograms of plutoni-
um, two humiliated ships and many unan wered ques-
ti ons.
Yep, the nuclear age is a pretty impressive time
indeed. I j ust hope we get through it. Apparentl y respon-
ibi li ty is not in the international community's dicti onary.
u Ime mp oyment:
A life-style choice?
Ernie The
Engineer
Class of '96
D
id you know that in Europe it's quite common to
be offered 5 weeks vacation to start? In France
and England it's illegal to offer any less. It's unfor-
tunate that we live in North America where our law
requires companies to offer us only 2 weeks vacation as
a minimum. Are you willing to settle for the minimum?
You could demand more .. ... and who knows, you may be
able to get it.
I recently attended the Career Fair held at Bingeman's
Park in Kitchener. Armed with a general questionnaire
and the motivations of a part-time employee, I aggressive-
ly poked and prodded the numerous human resource spe-
cialists from a variety of engineering and non-engineering
finns. My survey included the following questions:
I. How many employees do you have, and how many
are "hard-core" technical professionals?
2. Do you have any technical employees that work on
a permanent part-time basis (i.e. 25-30/week)?
3. Does your company have any policies regarding
sebaticalleaves?
4. Do you ever advertise part-time job positions?
5. Does your company prefer full-time over part-time
employee candidates?
6. Would a qualified resume requesting part-time work
make it through your Human Resource system?
7. Do you have any employees that work at home?
My survey was very informal; consequently, I do not
have any fancy statistics to pre ent. However, I have a few
generalizations and comments which will shed ome light
onto the uncommon phenomenon of part-time work for
technical employees.
In response to my que tions, most companies had very
few part-time worker . The majority of the companies
had no formal policies regarding sebaticals. Many had
leave-of-absense policies but again, this is always handled
on a case-by-case basis . Approximately half of the com-
panies said that it would be a waste of time to send a
re ume requesting part-time work even if you had the
right qualifications. Tele-commuting was common, but
only for a few employees and even then only a portion of
the work week was spent at home.
The type of organizations that are open to the idea of
part-time work for technical employees are non-tradition-
al-engineering, non-consulting, medium-to-large sized,
computer related companies.
Engineering work, manufacturing in particluar, does
not lead itself to part-time oppurtunities. Consider an
as embly line running 24-hours a week. Engineering
managment would be hard-pressed to let one of its key
quality engineers off for a two month sebatical every year.
Engineering companies are often very thrifty. This frugal-
ness pres ures the company to make the most efficient use
of its capital and human resources. Therefore, part-time
workers are totally out of the question. Some engineering
work, uch as technical writing, is spar e in nature and
provides a few part-time oppurtunities. But remember,
engineers are a dime a dozen and that means a full-time
engineer would always be prefered.
Consulting companie ,whether they be business or
engineering based, have difficulties justifying, and thus
accepting, part-time workers. Their clients demand so
much ervice, that consultants mu t give more than 100%
to appea e the clients need and the bottom line.
Small start-up companie do not consider part-time
employment, because they too need lOO%-plus from their

The Iron Warrior FIiday. October 15. 1999
employees to establish their struggling company.
Established companies mostly, will have the financial
resources to accept individuals on a part-time basis.
Companies engaged in research and development often
have ample funding and mi scellaneous tasks that can be
given to a part-time worker. Typically medium-to-large
sized companies have the f1exiblility to accommodate
those special people that choose the alternative lifestyle of
part-time employment.
For computer engineers, the supply and demand for
skilled IT workers and software developers has forced
companies to offer abnormal incentives to attract the
cream of the crop. Most financial institutions appear to be
extremely receptive to part-time work and other flux-time
programs.
Despite the e generalizations, you will be surprised
who will entertain the idea of part-time employment.
While under negotiations, you may be shunned and black
listed or perhaps you may be given something you were
not expecting. The key when it comes to requesting part-
time work, is to determine how progressive your employ-
er is and realize exactly how much bargaining power you
hold.
Unfortunately, for most individuals full-time employ-
ment is simply accepted. Very few even consider other
options and part-time employment is not at all prevalent
because very few people demand it. Part-time employ-
ment for a very select few i a lifestyle choice and they
realize it. For everyone el e full-time employment is the
norm and there is no choice involved.
Engi eering Detectives
Raja Doake
---0
Bridging The Gap Review
lA Chern
I
arri ved at CPH 3385 expecting - well, I'm not really
sure what] was expecting. Maybe I thought I'd hear a
biochemist in a lab coat talking about D A analy is or
some sl,lch thing; r mean, that's what Scully does on 'The
X-Files', isn't it? But all I know for certain is that what I
was expecting wasn't what I got. The lecturer, a manager
at a company named 'Walters Forensic Engineering', wore
a suit and a perpetual smile. He graduated from UW
(though after the presentation, he admitted to having to
sweet-talk a few profs to pass one year) in the Civil class
of '87, which made him instantly popular with the
Plummers (and the Dean) in attendance. There was free
food, which is always well-received, and there was a
decent-size crowd in attendance by the time the presenta-
tion started.
The first item on the agenda was an explanation of the
term 'forensic engineering'. Apparently, forensic engineers
are 'investigative engineers', or, as the presenter put it, 'pri-
vate dicks with brains' . Oddly enough, the first thing
forensic engineers are concerned with is money. That's
right, money. Forensic engineers are hired primarily by
insurance companies, because insurance companies don't -
like to payout the large claim ometim s made by their
customer. They want to know who or what was re pon i-
bIe for whatever accident occurred, be it a ender-bender
or a toxic chemical pill, ju t in case they can pas the
buck and avoid helling out the cash. So there actually IS
a difference between a private dick and a forensic engi-
neer - unlike the engineer, the dick is actually concerned
about the people involved in the murder or mugging. The
forensic engineer has to be objective, like a research sci-
entist, which mean that sometimes he or h will come
back with finding that the client doesn't like. Not that
P.l. 's aren't objective, it's just that the foren ic engineer ha
to be more clinical about the inve tigation than the p.I.
does.
All this leads to the detached attitude of a foren ic
engineer which might just be necessary to keep him or her
sane. 1 mean, after dealing with car accidents and tire and
chemical spills every day, the forensic engineer has to go
home for dinner and somehow feel afe despite having
seen all of the accidents that have happened to other peo-
ple. So when we watched a computer-simulated replay of
a cyclist getting hit by a car and plattering all over the
road in slo motion, the prevalent attitude was "This is
reall neat." I don't mean any of this in a disparaging way.
Lik I said. I think. it's the only way someone who works
in that field can tay sane. I have to respect a p rson who
can actually handle the stres .. Granted, foren. ic engineers
aren't u ually on the. eene while the bodies (if there are
any) arc. till ther , but having to insp ct blood smeared
pavement in order to calculate a victim'. position when he
or she was hit by a truck can't be that much easier.
Actually, forensic engineering is now near the top of
my po. I-graduation dream job li st. The job is always
changing, and even though this can help to cau e tress, it
can al 'o k ep you interested in the long run - which is
important no matter what your job. And to think that
nobody had even heard of forensic engineering before that
lecture!
It's really too bad that they don't take co-op student ;
even with tile lightning postings I'd take the time to write
a lengthy cover letter for an application to Walters (or
another forensic engineering company) - that is, if they'd
take a lowly Frosh as even a gopher ...
-------------------------------------- ----- -----------
Who are we???
Andrew Lin
---0
lA Chern
W
e are! We are! We are the Engineers! .. . what-
ever that means. This particular chant was one
of the most popular among the 950
Engineering Frosh that attended Frosh Week. It's been
drilled into my head almost to the point of ret1exive
action. But what exactly does it mean to be an engineer?
Entering as a tudent into one of the most well-known and
respected engineering programs across Canada ... I had
absolutely no idea.
In the few weeks since the beginning of the school
year, I learned a few facts about engineering. Most of
them related to special engineering equipment and
resource (beer), relaxation techniques (drinking beer),
and social activities (drinking beer with your friends). But
some of them actually dealt with engineering as a profes-
sion. Engineering i a vast field with many opportunities
and significant room available for advancement, both
within the field and for the field it elf. Job opportunities
for engineers are plentiful when compared to those for
other fields of study. In general, engineers get stuck in
dead-end jobs or end up unemployed even more rarely
than other university graduates. Job security, such as this,
is one of those commodities that is becoming increasing-
ly attractive to employees. With a degree in Engineering,
you can breathe more ea ily when it comes to searching
for employment ... at least, that's what everybody else
says.
So I did some research on the subject, and found out.
.. little. This is not because of poor research skills (engi-
neers all have excellent research and technical report-writ-
ing skill - otherwi e, we wouldn't be here!). but because
of a lack of answers to be found. You will lind that engi-
neers are employed everywhere. Scope out the ' co-op job
postings at Needles Hell or the Submarine or MC, lind
you can see for yourself specifically where engineers arc
employed and what they do.
If you fear that you have no direction in your life, don't
worry! - Many fellow engineers are in the same boat, and
we're all heading in the same direction for now. Though
we will eventually part ways, each of us will discover a
secure destination by being vigilant and recognizing
opportunities when they emerge from the ever-foggy job
market. Waterloo's co-op engineering program is not only
designed to educate students, but also to expose us to the
job market. If you don't have a clear idea of where you are
The Sandford Fleming Foundation
CPH 4306
(519) 888-4008
SFFOEBATES
going, you will soon. Just because you might fail a
Chemistry quiz or a Math assignment does not indicate
that you are in the wrong program. There is much more to
an engineer's work than theoretical Calculus or Physics.
For those who still seek a focused direction, profe sors,
upper-year students, or co-op co-ordinators are frequenlly
available. Though they may seem intimidating at first
glance, and even after second glance, they won't bite your
head off. Unless, of course, you happen to catch them in
the wrong plflce fit the wrong time.
Engineers arc th nuts lIlld hnlls that hold log(.'llwf IIw
buckling contraption that is our world. It is always huck-
ling not because of failing cngin' 'rillg practices, but
because of radical techllolo ical advanCl:s. That just
means lhat th' world needs mor' quali Ii 'd engine 'rs, so
demand for our skills increases. Anybody who is familiar
with simple economics will understand lhal this is good
news for all of us!
Tn short, we work ill many Ii -Ids of specialization. We
work in many different locations. We work on various
types of projects. Who are we? We arc lhe engineers.
Waterloo Campus Activities
sff@dean
DATE:
TIME:
November 1 .2,3
11:30 - 1 :00
E2-3324
FlNALS: Friday, November 5
th
NOON
PLACE: POETS
Please contact your department undergraduate office if you are interested in participating 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. Xu. Please contact him 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.
The Iron Warnor Friday. October 15. 1999


The infraNET Project
Computer Systems Group
University of Waterloo
Waterloo. ON
I Contact person:
Shirley Fenton
Phone: ext. 5611
Fax: 5
URL: http://infranet.uwaterloo.caI
,
-;=5-"
i
i+
e
'.
-
.!'::
,
,
University of Waterloo
Smart Community Seminar Series
"Transforming Communnies through Smart Techn%gy"
"Smart Communications: The ext I 0 Years"
Terry Matthews
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer
Newbridge Networks Corporation
Tuesday, October 19, 1999
2:30 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Davis Centre, Room 1350, University of Waterloo
All University o( Waterloo students, (acuity and staff are welcome.
Seats are on a (irst-come, first-serve basis.
TERRY MATTHEWS IS founder and Chairman of Newbridge Networks Corporation.
Prior to Newbridge, Dr. Matthews co-founded Mitel Corporation in 1972., a world
leader in the design and manufacture of telecommunications integrated circuit devices
and electronic private switchboards. During the period 1972 to 1985 he took
particular leadership in the marketing, sales and product management activities for the
p ny. g . Mi . r. Ma hews
left the corporation to found Newbridge in March 1986.
His telecom career offiCially began at t 6 at British Telecom Research Labs. Continuing
his studies, he earned Higher National Certificates In Electrical and Mechanical
Engineering and an honours degree In Electronics from the University College of
Wales. Upon graduation, he joined Microsystems International Ltd. in Canada.
A Fellow of the Institution of Electrical Engtneers and the University of Wales, Dr.
Matthews received an honorary Doctor of Technology degree from the University of
Glamorpn, Wales and a Doctor of Engineering degree from Carleton University,
Canada. In May 199., he was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire.
Dr. Matthews serves as Chairman of a number of high technology companies including
CrossKeys Systems Corporation, TimeStep Corporation, Sta.rvision Multimedia
Corporation and Tundra SemiconductOr Corporation. He is also Chairman of U.K.-
based Celtic Inns.

NEWBRIDGE, a leader in the worldwide data. networking industry. currendy employs
more than 6.000 people and recorded FY 1999 revenue of $I.B billion .

SEMINAR SPONSOR - This seminar is sponsored by the infraNET Project and the Federation of Students.
University of Waterloo We gratefully acknowledge the assistance of the Institute for Computer Research.
UnM-flIltyof
Waterloo
'
NEWBRIDGE
FEDERATION Of STUDENTS
--,..,-

The Iron Warrior Friday. October 15. 1999
Criffer Castleton
~ o
FSAE Team 2000
Manager
T
he formula SAE competition is one of many inter-
collegiate design competitions sponsored by the
Society of Automotive Engineers, EDS and the
'Big Three' in the auto business: Ford, General Motors
and Chrysler. This particular competition involves the
complete design, construction, testing and competing of
an open wheeled race car, smaller than the Formula 1 cars
we are accustomed to, but still a race car at heart.
In recent years the Formula SAE Team has enjoyed a
string of top results. This streak was marred last year by
the combination of weather and the untimely failure of an
upright, bumping the team from 6th position to 26th over-
all. Despite this setback, the team still achieved 8th place
in design and 5th in acceleration at the annual event, held
at the Pontiac Silverdome in Michigan last May. This
coming year, expect to see them on the podium.
Such succe s does come at a cost, and by this, I liter-
ally mean cash. Building a new car every year for the past
is the foundation upon which the team's success
has been built. This practice is nevertheless, a costly
endeavour to say the lea t. Financing still remains the
biggest challenge facing the 2000 team.
Decoma International Inc. has returned for another
ear as the Formula SAE Team 2000's Title Partner. This
is onry one more indication of the company's dedication
to enhancing the educational experience of Waterloo engi-
neers, through projects like the e, and their active involve-
ment in the co-op education program.
Decoma International Inc. ha existed as such for little
Pub, Restaurant,
Pizzeria, and
Pool Place
Open Monday, Tuesday and
Thursday 12 noon to 1 a.m.
Wednesday, Friday and
Saturday noon to 2 a.m.
Sunday noon to midnight
more than a year, at which time they went public on the
TSE and NASDAQ. Prior to that, Decoma Exterior
Systems was a wholly owned subsidiary of Magna
International, a name you are more likely to recognize a
one of the world's largest, not to mention fastest growing,
global automotive suppliers.
As a full service supplier of exterior vehicle appear-
ance systems for the world's automotive industry, Decoma
International designs, engineers and manufactures exteri-
or fascias and related components, assemblies, modules,
and plastic body panels for cars and light trucks. They
employ more than 4,500 people in 14 manufacturing and
engineering operations strategically located in Canada,
the United States, Europe, Mexico and South America.
Sales were to the tune of Cdn. $656.2 million for the 1998
fiscal year.
This growth has meant
an increasing number of
co-op and graduate post-
ings for UW students. So
next time you come across
the name Decoma
International on a job
description, you might
want to seriously consider
them. They have a reputa-
work terms and excellent
opportunities for growth
within the corporation.
Their involvement in the
Formula SAE Team is
only their late t move in
clo er relationship with our university.
Decoma i nol the only Magna subsidiary supporting
the tean1, or the university. In addition to them, Tesma
International hru been a partner of the team for several
year, and indispensable in providing the team with the
re ouree neee ary to maintain our level of competjtive-
ne . Variou other divisions of Magna have also been
upporters at on time or another, and we look forward to
more in th future. Magna ha aJ 0 established their pres-
nce at the university by providing substantial funding
towards the new Welding Specialization being offered for
the first time to the 2000 grnduating clas .
For further information on either Decoma
International or the Formula SAE Team, please contact
Critfer Castleton at <castleton@U\ aterloo.ca>, or drop by
the Formula AE room (E3-2107, ext. 5904). We are cur-
rently recmiting individuaL for future years, so p.lease
contact u or drop by the room sometime if you would like
to get involved.
In the mean time, please join me in welcoming
Decoma, Tesma and the whole Magna family back and
thanking them for their upport of Waterloo's Engineering
Faculty and student de. ign projects. We hope to ee even
more of them in the future.
an effort to forge a much _ ..... .;;.;.. _ _ ~ ~ ________ ~ ______ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ : ; J i
Hey guys, you'll never
guess where I am.
He's Mat, a true
Weavers Guy
Pub, Restaurant,
Pizzeria, and
Pool Place
Open Monday, Tuesday and
Thursday 12 noon to la.m.
Wednesday, Friday and
Saturday noon to 2 a.m.
Sunday noon to midnight
The Iron Warrior Friday, October 15, 1999

en
w
a..
o
o
en
o
a:
o
J:
Nick Gaganiaras
2B Mech
Aquarius (January 2 I-February 18):
Another coffee induced haze bringing about feelings
of mass hysteria. Not -only, are Y9ll paralyzed by
these feeling, evew'tl 'ng seemS'to be moving that
much faster CA'itt, things aren't
moving faster, I . Ving slower - which is
the la t thing you need right now. You've got
midterms coming up. You' ve got a night planned.
What am 1 talking about, you' ve got nothing more
than TV dinners planned. That's your problem, no
plans. Take advantage of this slow period and the
extra time it affords.
Pisces (19 February-March 20):
Swimming, swimming, in the pool. Get dried up and
do something wLtb-Jour time. You
can't sit around alF(fay; to get
done. Use your and do
something, spme new people,
do some studyin&::..m\fe1un. A'f.te.t:M3, whaL are you
paying $3000 for? The right to do what ever you
want. So go out and do it.
Aries (March 2 I-April 20):
You feel like you're on top of the world right about
now. That's not true isif?'Tbat' just hat everybody
thinks you're feerrl"g. dQMIn i side, you' re so
distraught with everythl t lat's been going on
around you lately, you c uster up the courage
to say something about it. . is completely against
your character so stop it, dammit!
October 28, 1999
4:30 - 7:00
DC Fishbowl
Taurus (ApriI21-May 21):
Ah, how the mighty have fallen. How does it feel
to be spendJng tIme wIth rl'tl! common people?
Don' t like it do jou? Well, you must
any reflect' S on that per-
son' s chara th people who you
think will u. That is the secret.
The secret of the caramilk bar will soon be yours.
After all these years of guessing, you' ve stumbled
upon an overlooked clue. Use the force.
Cancer (June 22-July 22):
Ow! Stop biting. You keep scaring those close to you
away with that This is the time in
your life to me . --.. ecisions. If those
clo e to you dQn'J; ac e f9t you are, you
can either chan If, lor..ehange those around
you. Yes, this can .dl.ffttn.lt..Di.t for your own hap-
piness, do something for once in your life to surpise
people. You've been far too complacent lately. Spice
things up.
Leo (July 23-August 23):
Mmmm ... coffee
l
That pretty much sums up the next
two weeks for you. to go through hell
and back. wo . people understand
thatli!e woul a few obstacles.
Just imagine you at the other
end. Don't let the com go to your head.
Remember your roots.
ht
Virgo (August 24-September 22):
Hello? Anybody in there? what's happened to you
lately? that no one could
have guess d. h brougW all of thi upon you?
Only time I or now, appease those around
you and fo e hing your limits.
Libra (September 23-0ctober 23):
WeLl now, what do we have here? A little bit 10 t are
we? The map you expect it. Try looking
in places you WilU a.ve.never thought of before.
Yes that's . . ide are your own key to
the future. can bel yourself right now.
Forget all the advice that your friends are giving you
right now. Go with your gut instinct and you'll get a
lot farther.
Scorpio (October 24-November 22):
You are in yoorelement right now. You feel in com-
plete to your advantage and get
what you 't settle .. )'ou'll regret it later on.
People aro jll .. dt'off of your strength and
learn mor . . y they have in the whole
time they have known you.
Sagittarius (November 23-December 21):
So, what do you want to hear this time? That you're
the most wonderful and that this world
just wouldn't be the e thout you? Well, for
once, it's true. plans start to revolve
around. or ve rward with a grain of salt
and don't '" et to you. You may not be used to
the spotlight, so make sure you're sure of your
actions before going through with them. It could
avoid some major embarassment later on.
,A - '\ /'- - '.
20) :
Oh no! ruo/>ut and so have you. Give
yourself
f_ ... / r
,_-::7" ...... -:;.. ....
ents
An information session on Undergraduate Options &
Specializations. All students welcome.
Tania Bortolon
understand. My goals are
imple. But because the
engineering program does

".
Mcchatronics Options - Prof. J. Huis500n
Softwar Engineering - Prof. K. Kontogianrus
Welding Specialization - Prof. Ii. W. Kerr
International Studies - Prof. G. Andrews
Management SClences - Prof. E Safayeni
Free snacks and drinks will be served
Brought to you by
The Iron Warrior Friday. October 15. 1999
2A Civil
not allow for much leeway
with respect to the types
T
o be a little different from every-
one else, I think I'll argue some
more, as this is one of my
favourite pastimes. Why am I in engi-
neering? I'll give you a bit of my back-
ground. I have never been
mathematically or scientifically
advanced. My strengths have always
been in the area of creative writing and
music. During high school, I spent far
more time working on different councils
and arts related activities than I ever did
in front of a textbook or blackboard. So,
I asked myself one day: what in the gosh-
darn heck do I want to do with my life?
What will challenge me? What actually
keep my interest for more than 5 min-
utes at a time?
When [ think of engineering, I think of
one of the highest forms of artwork. To
take a particle of thought and tum in into
a tructure which feel and react to it
environment, a would any fictional char-
acter in a tory which I could create.
Compelled also to learn the masses of
information that I may never know, I
chose thi field. It atisfies both my need
to be cientific and logical and my de ire
to create a universe which others cannot
of art classes we can take,
many people feel the void and narrow-
mindedness which is often as ociated
with engineering. I know how grey my
sky appeared during first year, when
everything revolved around math. For
this reason, 1 suggest that you get
involved in an activity which allows you
to escape from the wonderful work of
Donald Trim and slingshots you into a
world closer to Donald Duck's . If the
program that you are in does not fulfil all
your educational / emotional require-
ments, make your own supplementary
section by joining a dance club, audi-
tioning for a play, or even submitting an
article to the Iron Warrior. But if you're
not happy, and you're sitting on your ass
feeling sorry for your elf, 1 have no sym-
pathy for you. And if you're here to
please your parents, well, grow the up! I
mean, most of us are above l8 and are
aJ10wed to vote to improve the state of
our country. Well, why shouldn't we
have a say in our own lives? It seems
very basic to live life for happiness and
personal fulfilment, so why do several
people fail to grasp this concept? That's
all I have to ay about that.
LooIr-s \iKe -the computer
yoor SOr.II! I-\<u.' Ji.K+ Ic:i
cur WI< ON MEAtlK em..
dt "PUi'" 51! 4:n
........ _--'"'"'
Person
How I love thee,
Person.
Pale as a tragic mask
Locked within the cupboard.
Misplaced key,
Tainted virginity.

The pearls in the sweat are
Young.
Ponder now,
Person,
Why thy love does not
Comprehend.
The Time If Out of Joint
Fusing, impetuous roots
Like veins, enwrap the corpse of ancient I.
Weary is the glazed eye of Mother Nature
To see her child diminish,
A speck of sensitivity so overthrown by
Infantile thoughts.
Tania Borto on
Silhouettes, proud and vivid in the blackness loom.
Languid as the slowly escaping soul
Who hesitates for but only a moment:
A glitch in time,
A period of unbearable space,
An eternity compressed into a particle of life.
'''You owe me three farthings,' say the bells of St. Martin's."
The natUne's strangehold gives way;
A gasp of breath escapes frosted, blue Ups
As blood circulates in rhythmic convulsions.
I exist once more.
My reality exceeds the burden of my failure.
I was young
eyes full of wonder
zest for life
.'-..... l.n,. dreams no man could sunder
I progressed
avigating life's jagged crags
he fires diminish
colours lag
spirit is starving
have in truth digressed
downward spiral
to the soul's last rest
FOR THE
SILENT
FOOD BANK OF
AND
WATERLOO REGION LIVE AUCTION
"
C
C L
SA Y, NOVEMBER 6, 1999
AT FEDERATION HAll
UNIVERSITY OF WATERLOO
$30 FOR A SINGLE TICKET .
$55 FOR A PAIR Ot TICKETS
$210 FOR A FUll TABLE (EIGHT TICKETS)
For more infonnation,
call MathSoc at 888-4567 x2324,
go to Math and Computer Building, Room 3038
or email vpas@mathsoc.uwaterloo.ca
The Iron Warrior Friday. October 15. 1999

en
Melissa Bond
President
H
i there. I hope everyone ha been practicing the
. polka. Go out and have a great time at
Oktoberfest thi week. before the next two weeks
of midterm misery are upon us. I just can't believe the
way this term is flying by.
Outstanding Professor and Alumni Achievement
Awards
La t Thursday night I had the pleasure of attending the
Outstanding Professor and Alumni Achievement Awards
dinner. Three well deserving profs received awards,
including Professor Stubley (First Year), Professor
Thomson (Civil), and Professor Legge (Chemical). These
awards are to some extent the result of the course critiques
you fill out every term, 0 remember, your opinion counts.
I was particularly happy to see Professor Stubley receive
the award. For those of you not around during Frosh
Ryan Stammers
VP Education
Co-op Growing Pains
For the past few years at Waterloo, we've all had occa-
sional reason to complain about Access, the computer sys-
tem that drives co-op job postings. This fall, however,
there are almost 500 additional job seekers going through
the co-op, ystem. Access ha been unsurprisingly brought
to its knees this term. Unfortunately, the earlie t we will
be seeing a replacement i May 2000. Computer systems
are not the only area where co-op is being tretched for
resources. Bruce Lumsden, director of Co-operative
Education and Career services concedes that when it
comes to accommodating employers and students for
interviews there are not enough interview rooms on the
soc re
Week, he gave one of the mo t amazing speeche to the
frosh I have ever heard. So congratulate these professors
if you see them around.
Three outstanding alumni al 0 received awards, including
Paul Koch, Mark Chamberlain, and P.S. Krishnanloorthy.
It turn out that Mr. Koch was the first ever Engineering
Society 'B' President, and al 0 later became the fir t Feds
Pre ident (but I think back then it was called Student's
Council). Another intere ting thing r learned was that Mr.
Chamberlain is the C.E.O. of the company that did all the
camera work for the 0.1. Simp on ca e, as well as
Donovan Bailey's gold medal achievements in the 100
meter dash in the 1996 Olympics. Look at the things you
can do with a Waterloo Engineering degree!
Course Calendar 2000-2001
There has been orne talk around campus regarding start-
ing school next fall on the Thursday after Labour Day,
rather than the traditional Monday (the week after Labour
Day). This has obviously created quite a stir, due to the
fact that Frosh Week would essentially be reduced to two
day. Dean Chaudhuri has reassured me that this will not
be the case for Engineering. We will be starting school
first noor of Needles Hall. Additionally. most of the
rooms available offer ageing furniture and a less than
oundproof environment. Essential ly, according to
Lum. den, when it comes to the 1970 designed Needles
Hall, we have "a bush camp operation" that is an uneven
match to a leading co-op program.
Do you want to help strengthen the co-op ystem?
Student are working with the co-op department to
addres concerns at Co-op Student Advisory Group meet-
ings every Wednesday in the ccdlc Hall Employer
Lounge at 4:30. C<?-op Student Services is another group
that meets Thursday 4:30 SLC 2134 to tackle student ini-
tiatives that will help other co-op students such as ranking
day advice and co-op job critiques. Que tions? Let me
know either bye-mai ling me at
<jrstamme@engmail.uwaterloo.ca> or by dropping by the
Orifice.
ort
the Monday after Labour Day. regardle of what the re t
of campus decides to do.
Leadership Awards
Speaking of Frosh Week, I wa notified by Catherine Scott
(who is in charge of Frosh Week) that they are accepting
nominations for individual who have contributed to our
University life. You can nominate any , tudent (or your-
elf. don't be shy). Nomination forms are available from
the Student Award Office in Needle s Hell (oops. did I
ay that? I meant eedles Hall). The form are due
ovember 5th.
Well, that's all from me for today. Good luck on
midterms!
EngSoc Up-coming Events
Oct. 21 to 24:
PEOIUE Conferences
Oct. 23:
Soccer Tourney - sign up in ORIFICE
Oct. 29:
Middle of Term Pub
Oct 29 to 31:
Women In Engineering Conference
Friday, November 26:
Tal Eng - 8pm at the Bomber
IW Up-coming Events
Oct 28:
Issue Three Submission Deadline
Nov.S:
Issue Three Piblished
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