Friday, June 26, 1998 The Magazine of the University of Waterloo Engineering Society Volume 22 Issue 3

Land of the Silver Birch, home of the beaver.

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the true meaning of equality
Letter From
The Editor
joke. For instance, who has-
n't heard of the Femme Eng
program? Or that it makes
sense that there are more
females in environmental
engineering, because they all
(policeman and police officer). Trying to
award extra and special rights to females is
ridiculous, and it makes a mockery of the
equality debate. If I EVER got a job to fill
a quota, I would quit on the spot. Nothing
would make me feel more inferior than
getting ajob even though I am not the best
person for it. People should be recognized
for what they have achieved and what they
are capable of, and not restricted or given
privileges for things they cannot change.
Case in point: no matter how much r might
want to be a professional athlete or musi-
cian, I imply do not have the athletic or
musical abi li ty to do. But changing the
rules and lowering the standards is not a
solution. Me recognizing my limitations
and my strengths is a solution. If people
dream and strive and work towards some-
thing that is fine, but if they seek to change
the system to include them, multiple stan-
dards pop up.
Caroline Page
28 Enviro Chern
F
or those of you who don't read the
Imprint or were otherwise unaware,
UW's Department of Athletic and
Recreational Services has announced a
new logo for interuniversity sports teams.
In addition, the term "Athenas" will no
longer be used to represent the women's
interuniversity sports. At long last, the
female population of this university will
also be recognized as being Warrior .
So why is this such a big deal?
Becau e it mean that yet another sexual
double been lifted. What's
wrong with the term Athena? Nothing
really. It simply creates an unnecessary
distinction between male and female ath-
letes and, therefore, males and females in
genera1.
A lot of people feel that equality
between the sexes has been achieved.
Unfortunately, this is not the case, and
engineering presents a perfect example.
Programs such as mechanical, computer,
and electrical engineering are still over-
whel I ,.1hi$
Waterloo di cnminate a ain t women,
there are Jarger causes involved. And
chemical and environmental engineering,
programs in which women are much better
represented, have become somewhat of a
love to hug trees? T can't tell
you how many men have told
me that they wish they were in my pro-
gram (2B Enviro Chem, with around 70%
females), or that r am lucky because it
must be so easy for me to pick up. These
jokes aren't mean spirited, but unfortunate-
ly, they do contain a Jot of truth.
This problem isn't confined to engi-
neering. Women continue to eam between
70 and 80 cents for every dollar earned by
a man. In some countries, female babies
are left for dead because they aren't as
valuable as male babies. Just recently,
females have been removed from schools
in one country because there isn't enough
money to educate everyone, and females
don't need to be educated. So my first
point has been made. Females are not uni-
versally respected as being equal. But I
think we all knew that.
The larger problem comes with the
ways in which people are trying to create
equality. For instance, having lower stan-
dards for female firefighters is ridiculous.
If I was 6'4" and 300 pounds, I wouldn't
want someone who is 5'4" and 120 pounds
. trying to carry my body around. As a
woman, I am more offended by the cre-
ation of the terms "policewoman" and
"policeperson" than I was by the lack of
feminine inclusion in the original terms
The term "feminist" itself compounds
the problem, implying that feminists fLght
for female rights rather than human rights.
Not all humans are capable of the same
things, but they are all worthy of the same
respect. As a female, I will say this: don't
look upon me as a female, as someone
who needs different rights to compensate
for years of oppression. Look upon me as
a person. I will return the favour.
Special thanks go to Mike
Hermann for all the time he put
in to bring this issue together.
iron warrior highlights
Science and Art: Which is 'Better'?
pg 4
1998 Formula SAE Competition
pg 5
The Iron Warrior Friday, June 26, 1998
Canada Day
pg 6-7
Information About
Conferences
pg 8-9
Broadening Your
Horizons
pg 15

The Magazine of the University of
Waterloo Engineering Society
Editor - in - Chief
Caroline Page
Assistant Editor
Luke Windisch
Layout Editor
Richard Kuttner
Advertising Manager
Alison Kudelka
Staff
Allison Annan
Cory Amundrud
Yasin Bismilla
Nick Gaganiaras
Amy Kim
Aaron Leiba
Dylan Luhowy
Mark McCans
Jenny Mitchell
Mat Pigozzo
Min Song
Jaime Tiampo
Evan Young
Zhan Huan Zhou
Contributors
Tunazzina Abedin
Ruth Allen
Elliot Biro
Gregory Bridgett
Andre Brisson
Maya Jane Campbell
Ryan Chen-Wing
Nicole Dufour
Damien Marcel Engelbrecht
Kelly Fawcett
Nathan Fish
Chris Foster
Mike Hermann
Elise Hug
Jacqueline McAra
John Medley
Renee Mercuri
Parker Mitchell
Mike Olley
George Roter
Ryan Shook
Frank Yang
The Iron Warrior is forum for lhoughl provoking
and infonnalive published by lhe Engineering
Society. Views in The Iron Warrior are
lhose of lhe aulbors and do nol necessarily reflecllbe
opinions of Ihe Engineering Sociely.
The Iron Warrior encourages submissions from stu
denIS, f.cully and members of lhe universilY commu
nily. Submissions should reflecl Ibe concerns and
inlellectual standards of lhe university in general. The
aulbor's name and phone number should be included.
All submissions. unless olherwise SLaled. become the
property of The Iron Warrior, which reserves Ihe
righl to refuse publication of malerial which il deems
unsuilable. The Iron Warrior a.lso reserves Ihe righl
to edit grammar, spelling and texl Ihal do not meet
university slandards. Authors will be notified of any
major changes that may be required.
Mail should be addressed 10 The Iron Warrior,
Engineering Society, CPH 1327, University of
Walerloo. Walerloo. Ol1lario. N2L 30 I . Our phone
number is (519) 8884567 x2693. Our fax number is
(519) 725-4872. Email can be senl to
iwarrior@e"gmail,uwaterloo.ca
Ryan Shook
Dear Editor:
O?_
3A Mech
MechGyver
In the Point vs. Counterpoint column of your June 5th
edition, I noticed a gaping hole in Luke Windisch's argu-
ment. His key point is that professors do research. Their
purpose is not to teach and because teaching is not their
goal, it excuses poor teaching skills. The major flaw in
this argument is that we pay professors to teach. They
accept renumeration, and so they have a duty to be com-
petent. 1 fully understand the importance of professor's
research, but I guess I missed hearing that teaching
responsibilities have been removed from the responsibili-
ties of a professor. Curiously the OED defines a professor
as: "teacher of high rank, professional teacher." Nowhere
in the definition is research mentioned.
The author wonders why "We don't criticize teachers
because they don't [research)." I have an answer for that;
we do not pay, nor do we expect research from teachers.
We do renumerate and expect professors to be competent
teachers. Another questi.on is "Why a professor should be
criticized for their teaching when it is not an area of inter-
est or specialty?" Again, teaching is in their job descrip-
tion, it is their professional obligation to do it competently.
Another key pOInt in the column i that 'we (the stu-
dents) are intelligent and don't need everything handed to
us on a platter. If this were the case, why don't we all pay
the token amount to become a member of a university
library, read for the next three years and pay the PEO to sit
the professional exams? We could do it at far less cost in
far less time. In the end we would still be the same
Professional Engineer, missing only a B.A. Sc. This is
simply the idea of "learning for ourselves" taken to the
extreme.
I don't know too many students who put the responsi-
bility of understanding the material on the professor. I
think most students are willing to accept that themselves.
However I believe most students do expect a professor to
be able to speak understandable English, write legibly and
communicate in a coherent fashion. Speaking above a
whisper i also a desirable a et. A significant number of
my past professors do not meet all of these requirements.
In one of my cour es, we are required to give a presenta-
tion. It does not seem right thaI the TA (who will be part
of the evaluation team) could not get a passing grade for a
similar presentation if his life depended on it.
Thankfully the university has given (at lea. t) token
recognition to the importance of teaching. Before I got
here, the university established TRACE, a centre for
teaching resources . Currently they are implementing pro-
grams to develop a TA's teaching ability as a required part
of Master's program ; a step in the right direction. Just
think what a competitive advantage this could be to attract
bright new students. Everyone knows about the Co-op
program and our computers, imagine if quality of teaching
was also a strength.
John Medley
in first year algebra and 0 I could not
Dept. of Mechanical
under tand my dynamic professor
(who seemed to assume that I could take
vector cro s-products) and, therefore, I
Engineering
Reply From A Design Course Professor
In the Friday, June 5th i ue of The Iron
Warrior, there was an article entitled "Profe sor
Accountability - A Farce?" which eemed to
derive its inspiration from the following tate-
ment made by the design course profe or for
3A Mechanical:
"We teach these course once, and no matter
what the quality of teaching, you are re ponsible
for it."
This statement was di cus ed by two tu-
dents each with a somewhat different opinion
(presented in a "Point v . Counterpoint" format),
but both seemed to agree that it showed "an
apparent lack of concern for tudents" and "the
quality of teaching in our lower year cour es is
not important". This interpretation led to the
article title which suggested that professors are
not "accountable".
As the design course professor who made
the tatement, I would like to give my opinion
regarding the implications of my original state-
ment (but I will NOT comment on the entire
content of the article that went on to discus
such topics as course critique , tenure and pro-
fessor attitudes to teaching). First of all, I made
the statement and . stand behind it, but I do not
agree with either discu sers as to it interpreta-
tion and implications. '
Consider the:: issue of accouptability. Who
am I accountable to? I am accountable to 'soci-
ety to produce graduates from the Mechanical
Engineering program that can function as com-
petent Professional Engineers, thus helping
drive our economy and maintain our quality of
life. (No "Virginia", you are not a "consumer"
with a "student-centred curriculum" - not in
engineering anyways: you are a potential pro-
fessional that must come up to some minimum
specifications.) Students are members of soci-
ety and pay tuition, but the rest of society also
contributes a ignificant portion (perhaps a little
less these days) of the laxe. they pay to subsi
dize education. It is in society's best interest!.
(and in the be I interests of most of the ),tudents)
for me to be efficient in producing the hest
trained engineering graduates ill the lime avail
able. (And to do thi s, I cun tell you, impos's
severe restriclions on my research activities.)
However, my original statement did not include
any opinion on teaching qualilY or its impor
lance or the priorities or professors - these extCIl-
ions were fabricated by the authors or the
article in The Iron Warrior.
Let's return to the original 1>talemenl.
Perhaps its validity could be examined by con
sidering the converse - you are NOT responsible
for course material in the lower years (especial-
ly if you think the teaching was "poor"). So the
scenario would be:
"( am sorry that machine ripped your arm ofT
but, you see, I didn't have a very good professor
could not learn about Coriolis accelera-
tion and thi meant tha'! I underestimated the
force acting AND SO ITS NOT MY FAULT."
Perhap we could look to other professions
for similar xamples:
"I am ,orry that you have terminal cancer
but, you see, I didn't have a very good protes or
in oncology and thu 1 could not be expected to
notice that you had a tumour de eloping (when
it could have been treated . ucces fully) AND
SO ITS NOT MY FAULT."
Should our mechanical engineering gradu-
ate be like bottle of wine? " ... a graduate of
'97 you ay, that was a good year but '98 and '99
lacked good materials professors (and so
howed exce sive oxidation) and '94 had poor
olids professor (and thus lacked body)." We
could issue di claimers like "graduate mechani-
cal engineer except for oJid mechanic, fluids,
etc." I don't think so! Do you? So, perhaps you
ARE respon ible for your course and will be
ACCOUNTABLE yourselves when you practise
your profession.
Ahh, this infonnal, overheated journalistic
style is very enjoyable (as Luke and Chri well
know). Perhaps some more serious comment is
now needed. It is clear that as Profe sional
Engineers you will be responsible, to some
extent, for all of your cour es. Your intellectual
abilities, motivation and, yes, quality of teaching
will all influence your level of knowletlge in the
variou areas, Perhaps your.
"responsibility" will involve recognizing
your weak areas and eeking help when they
arise. When our upper year course build on
earlier, lower year courses, we (the faculty) usu-
ally try to provide some review to compensate
for the various factors that conspire to impair
your knowledge of the earlier courses. These
efforts to carefuly build your knowledge are in
the interests of efficiency (and perhaps we even
care!) because if students become di couraged,
the learning process is compromised. However,
faculty cannot >;tar! from Ihc "heginnillg" in
uppcr year course!>. A", Wl' teudl (01' "hl'lp I)U
learn"), we can neithcr irl)' crt knowlcdgc inl\!
your brain. in a pa""ivc IlUnsfcl proCl''''', nO!
guarcntee that you will have c'l.cL'lkllt
leaching qualily. (The definitio/l or Ii::lching
quality, how to It and how to il11pwVl' il
arc areas or ongoing dcvdopll1Cnt fm all aCllde-
mit: institutions even OUIS.) Educatioll an
aclivc proccss. Studcnt allilulk, of
respon"ibililY and ll1otivation ilrc wry jmpol (Ullt
in the Icarning proces\. It was to .. tilllulalc SlllllL'
sense or respon\ihility thai I madc the onginal.
"offending" "talcmCIlt. It W<l\ in the LOlltCxt 01
asking ahout COllcCpts presented in an cariier
course and heing confronll.:d with thc lIsual
undergraduate denial of any previous knowl-
edge. So, I urge to lake more Il!sponsi-
bilily and we will try to do our purl. Yes,
perhap!> something docs have 10 change.
The Iron Warrior Friday, June 26, 1998
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Science and Art: Which is 'Be ter'?
The following dialogue is an excerpt from two nameless students, [actually one
schizophrenic student] one in Engineering and the other in Arts, on the dynam-
ics and virtues of their respective disciplines.
Point
vs.
Counterpoint
Art Student (AS): Art is expression, emotion, and deep inner
truth.
Engiheering Student (ES) : Science is order, method, and
discovery. It explores the nature of the universe and
how it functions.
AS: But science lacks intuition, faith and trust. There is no vital-
fty, -no freedom, and no spirit in science. And what has sci-
ence actually proven beyond doubt? Nothing, save for the
glaringly obvious. Art does not prove, does not make law.
Art gives insight into some of the deeper mysteries of real -
ity that cannot be reached by science.
ES: That is a subjective observation as are the truths you
say art leads to. Science can be evaluated and quan-
tified, it gives definition and proof to its statements.
AS: Art is almost by definition unquantifiable. It is to be expe-
. ' riented ' and 'evaluated 'On that basis; not some arbitrarily
based measurements. Besides, few individuals can grasp the
complexities of modern science.
ciate Picasso through hunger pains. Science tackles
the real world and seeks to solve real world problems.
AS: That may be so but it also creates more problems in the
process. Further, you said "if science is applied properly". It
is not too far-fetched to state that this is never the case. The
power of scientific knowledge shifts from the discoverer to
society, namely government. Soon after it is uncovered the
scientist responsible for its creation no longer has the power
to influence how it is integrated into society and for what
purposes. Society in general, and politicians in particular,
tend to be quite inept at utilizing technology "properly", and
are largel y disrespectful of its power which, particularly in
the atomic age, is quite dangerous to all of humanity.
ES: This is true and also the greatest tragedy of our day.
Too often greedy capitalists use technology in the
making of weapons. But science can also provide the
power to solve these new problems and challenges.
AS: And the cycle continues into infinity. A lot of science today
seems to be directed at fixing past mistakes.
ES: True, but the deeply hidden and abstract insights of ES: Whereas art seeks to comment on them and immor-
artistic expression elude most people as well.
AS: That may be so, but it is easier to learn to appreciate art as
it speaks to a deeper level of the Self, you don't need five
years of university to learn to appreciate art. What's more
appealing to the senses, a thousand - plus page manuscript
detaihng some minute proof in painful detail, or the inspira-
tion of a great work of artistic expression such as the sculp-
ture of Venus de Milo?
ES: The proof of course. That sculpture is too abstract for
my tastes. It reminds me of what my friends say a
woman looks like. I think that's just a myth, women are
supposedly quite common, but I've never seen one.
AS: It's true that not all art has significance to all people, but the
same is true for science. In fact much of the technological
advances that have had damaging side effects such as
increases in diseases like cancer and environmental degra-
dation.
ES: Science when applied properly to the inefficiencies
and imperfections of life and social structure, the econ-
omy and health care for example, gives more control
and freedom to allow people the opportunity to better
enjoy the finer things in life, like art. It's hard to appre-
The Iron Warrior Friday. June 26, 1998
talize them in our culture.
AS: Yes, to educate those who will take up the responsibilities
we leave in the future so that change is possible.
ES: Clearly both the Artistic and Scientific institutions work
for change, heightening of social consciousness and
the betterment of the world; however, in quite distinct
ways.
AS: Where is the boundary between artist and scientist? Not
since the days of the artisans of historic Europe have the two
been closely related. Yet the two should never have become
so polar and disjointed. Each feeds off the other and both are
commentaries on our society and culture, and are catalysts
of social change and the heightening of human awareness
and consciousness.
ES: We can agree that science and technology are inter-
related, each dealing with different aspects and levels
of reality and truth in their own characteristic ways;
each inspiring the minds and hearts of people to great
efforts and achievements.
AS: And we both only hope that it does some good.
1998 Formula SAE Competition
UW in Seventh Heaven
Frank Yang
0j __
4A Mech
Tonka
M
ay 27th found the University of Waterloo
Fonnula SAE room quiet for the first time in
. many months. This was because the 1998 team
and car were at the Silverdome in Pontiac, Michigan for
the big show - the 1998 Fonnula SAE competition, spon-
sored by Chrysler, Ford and General Motors.
Thi year's team found themselves in the difficult posi-
tion of trying to improve on last year's impressive eighth
place finish. Armed, however, with a new car built from
the ground up, the 1998 team was confident about their
chance for success.
Wednesday wa dedicated to administrative details
and allowed the teams time to setup. The real events got
underway on Thur day morning. Dedicated primarily to
static event , Waterloo tasted succe s early on, as they
were one of 22 teams to advance to the semifinals of the
design competition. Waterloo also placed ninth in the cost
event. Other events included safety checks (consisting of
a technical inspection, placing the car on a 45 degree
angle to te t for leakage, and a brake and noise test). By
the end of the day, it had been announced that the
Waterloo car had been elected a a finali t in the de ign
competition.
Friday gave the Waterloo car a chance to make some
noise and show ju t what it wa made of. In the acceler-
ation event, Waterloo drivers Ryan Brown and Mark
Melvin placed eighth overall, with Brown winning his
heat in a time of 4.796 seconds. Colin Filthaut and 1998
team leader Doug Zister placed 13th in the kid pad event.
Zister and Louis Houle finished the autocross in 37th
place. The day also gave team members an opportunity to
examine some of the other schools' cars, and peak with
their tearn members. Most schools were eager to talk
shop, discuss the workings of their car and just exchange
knowledge.
Saturday was devoted to the endurance te ting, typi-
cally the most exciting and entertaining event. It was here
that the kill and training of the 1998 team wa put to the
test. The drivers scheduled for the morning heat were
Colin Filthaut and Louis Houle, but during the driver
change, the team found that the rear brake disc had over-
heated, expanded and fu ed to the caliper. Abandoning
the second half of the morning heat, the Waterloo team
managed to replace the damaged brake with those off of
the 1997 car, which was brought along for just such an
occasion. By the time the second heat began in the after-
noon, Waterloo was once again ready for action. Thi
time, drivers Louis Houle and Doug Zister finished both
their runs, with Zister registering a top lap time of 62.78
seconds. Waterloo finished the event in eleventh place,
remarkable considering the technical difficulties the team
encountered.
Sunday, the final day of the competition, was dedicat-
ed to the design finals and awards. Waterloo placed an
impressive fifth overall in the design competition, won
third place in the Transportation Research Center Inc.
Safety/ Crashworthine s Award for safety de ign, and
received an honorable mention for the Lear Corporation
Best Interior award. When all was said and done, the
University of Waterloo placed an impressive seventh
place overall out of 111 regjstered schools. That seventh
place was one better than the previous year's team, and
Waterloo's best finish since 1994. Waterloo was al 0 the
top ranked Canadian chool.
Overall impres ions from the competition were highly
po itive. Waterloo maintained their high standards in
innovation and workmanship, as well as displaying terrif-
ic spirit and teamwork. As the level of excellence at the
competition continues to increa e, Waterloo manages to
stay ahead of the pack.
The Waterloo team has a tradition of constant
improvement and exceeding pa t ucces es. To this end
the entire 1999 Formula SAE team was on hand at the
competition to soak up the experience and gain some first-
hand knowledge of just what they had gotten themselve
into. Now, having returned, they are even more enthusi-
astic about the project, and work on the 1999 car has
begun in earnest.
The 1999 Formula SAE team welcomes anyone who
wants to help out to drop by the SAE room at E3-2701.
The Sandford Fleming Foundation Waterloo Campus ActivitIes
4306 Carl Pollock Hall, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, OntariO. N2L 3G1 (519) 8884008
sH@engmail
congratUlations to the fOllowing Technical Speaker competition participants:
Theresa Cooke, systems DeSign: "support Centre process Analysis" . Winner
Alvin Chin, computer Engineering: Windows NT Architecture"
Tara stewart, Mechanical Engineering: "The connector Tube Assembly project"
COMING SOON: SFF DEBATES .. WEEK OF JUt yr
CONTACT YOUR UNDEIlGRAD OFFICER IF INTERESTED
Funding for these awards comes from engineering student contributions and depends on them for continuation.
An organization devoted to the advancement of engineering education.
, The Iron Warrior Friday. June 26. 1998
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c ower:
Canadals Nationa
p
allic Symbol
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.'

.. --.\
Jenny Mitchell
28 Enviro Chem
Envidious
'Tower'ing five and a half football fields over
Metropolitan Toronto, it's hard to miss Canada's concrete
wonder. The CN Tower officially opened on October 1,
1976, and since then approximately 1.8 million visitors
have come to experience the wor'ld's tallest building and
free-standing structure each year. Consisting of over 40
000 cubic metres of concrete, there is enough concrete in
the CN Tower to build a curb from Toronto to Kingston.
This concrete is piled high; including the antenna, it
reaches 553.33 metres and weighs approximately 118000
metric tons. That weight is equi valent to stacking 23 214
large elephant. on top of each other - which would indeed
be a sight to see, definitely much more interesting than
concrete.
So, it was decided that a huge block of concrete piled
high in the sky would not be enough entertainment to keep
visitors coming back for more, and so the CN tower was
revved up with some family fun. The main attractions at
the Tower are the ob ervation levels. There are also
attractions at the base, but most people go to take a gan-
der at Toronto and surrounding areas. The largest obser-
vation deck, The Look Out, sits at 346 metres and
includes the Horizon Cafe. The newest edition, the Glas
Floor, is mea ured at 342 metres. Don't worry about
falling through though; the glass is two and a half feet
thick, five times stronger than an industrial floor, and if
necessary, can withstand the weight of 14 hippos. It is
even suggested, by Tower personel themselves, to jump
on clear floor while looking down, or to step back and run
onto it. Hmm ... .it makes you wonder what they are real-
o Canada - Original
o Canada, terre de nos aieux,
Ton front est ceint de fleurons glorieux.
Car ton bras sait porter l'epee,
II sait porter la croix.
Ton histoire est une epopee
Des plus brillants exploits.
Et ta valeur, de foi trempee,
Protegera nos foyers et nos droits.
Protegera nos foyers et nos droits.
The Iron Warrior Friday. June 26. 1998
Iy up to ....
Well, if that isn't good enough, there's still 360, the
revolving restaurant. You can wine and dine at 351 metres
while enjoying the 360 degree view. If you're concerned
about 'getting sick' while eating, the restaurant revolves
quite slowly and completes a full tum in 72 minutes (that's
just enough time for dinner and dessert). And to top that
off, there's still the Sky Pod, sitting at 447 metres. On a
clear day, visibility can reach as far as160 krn and it is
even possible to spot Niagara Falls. As an added bonus,
the windows are angled down (again, following the "look
down at your death" theme that Tower personnel seem to
enjoy reinforcing).
The 'best' attraction, however, is definitely the world's
longest staircase. In fact, recently there have been more
stairs added since the entire staircase was moved to the
interior to allow for additional high-speed elevators.
There are now 2576 steps, giving new meaning to the
Literal Translation of the Original French version
Oh Canada, land of our forefathers,
Thy brow is crowned with glorious jewels.
For thine arm carries the sword,
And carries the cross.
Thine history is an epoque
Of the most brilliant exploits.
And thy valour, tempered in faith,
Shall protect our homes and our rights.
Shall protect our homes and our rights.
phrase 'step class'. Actually, the stairs have been the cen-
ter of attention for a lot of different stunts:
1980 - Robert Jezequel climbed the stairs sixteen
times in one day
October 29, 1989 - Brendan Keenoy claimed the
fastest climb in 7 minutes and 52 seconds
June 26, 1990 - Ashrita Furman bounced up 1967
steps on a pogo stick in 57 minutes and 43 seconds
1990 - Roger Brown, fully padded, fell down the stair-
case in 1 hour and 51 minutes - on purpose (my only
question is why?)
1990 - Debbie Jensen was the fastest woman to climb
the stairs in 12 minutes and 14 seconds
There have been many other stunts performed at the
Tower, such as jumping off the tower, climbing the tower,
and dropping objects from the tower. Seventeen year-old
Patrick Bailie of Toronto beat the world record for egg
dropping by over 152.4 metres in July of 1979 by drop-
ping a Grade 'A' egg, unscathed, from the 341.31 metre
level. Can anyone say Enginuity?
The CN Tower boasts a few world records of its own.
Not only is it the world's talle t building and free-standing
structure, but it also has the world's longest staircase, the
world's highest observation deck (the Sky Pod at 447
metres), the world's highest glas floor (at 342 metres),
the world's highest and largest revolving restaurant (the
360 at 351 metres), the world's highest wine cellar (at 351
metres), and best of all, the world's highest bar, Horizons,
located on the Look Out level (at 346 metres). Well, it
definitely makes me proud to be Canadian.
Our best competition for the tallest structure doesn't
even compare; the closest competitor falls 13 metres
short. In Moscow, the Ostankino Tower levels off at 540
metres, the Sears Tower in Chicago is 520 metres tall, and
the Empire State Building in New York is a measly 443.] 3
metres. Well, I guess that's why in Canada we say bigger
is better, and size does matter, eh?
o Canada - Today's version
o Canada, our home and native land.
True patriot love, in aLI thy sons command.
With glowing hearts we see thee rise,
The true north, strong and free.
And stand on guard, Oh Canada,
We stand on guard for thee.
God keep our land glorious and free.
Oh Canada, we stand on guard for thee.
Oh Canada, we stand on guard for thee.
How Canadian
I
n celebration of Canada Day, here' your chance to prove how much you
know about Canada. Ju t answer these question and e-mail your an wers
(saved as a text file) to iwarrior@engmaii or drop them off in the Iron
Warrior box in the Orifice by july 3rd. Prizes wiU be awarded ba ed on correct-
ness providing truly Canadian answers. Show us how much of a hosehead you
really are. Happy Canada Day!
14. Name the bridge from PEf to ew Brunswick. How long i it?
IS. Who can't eat ju tone?
16. What wa the la t province to join Canada? When?
17. When wa 0 Canada ofiicially made our National Anthem?
18. Who was the first Frell h-Canadian Prime Minic rer?
19. Where' Bud the Spud from?
20. Who i the faste t man in the world?
I. Who invented the telephone?
21. Who is the Canadian actor that can beam you up?
2. What did my true love give to me on the 4th day of Chri tmas?
22. Who was the literary leader of the 'beetnik' movement?
3. Who was cremated at Lake Lebarge?
23. What is Canada' National Sport?
4. How many provinces are officially bilingual? Name them
24. Who wrote Microserf ?
5. Which Prime Minister won a Nobel Prize?
6. Who does everything he does for you?
7. Who is the 'Great One?
8. Name the original cast of SCTY.
9. Which way do the Westerly Winds blow?
10. Who played Anne Shirley?
ll. Name the 6 cities in the Mega City.
12. Who disappeared on a fishing trip?
13. What Canadian actress loves to 'scream'?
George Roter

4A Mech
Tonka
A
s heat radiated from the anticipating crowd,
Feirsinger moved to take the comer for the
Austrian club. The tension mounted while the
match entered the second minute of penalty time in the
second half of play. Another of the Austrian forwards,
Polster, controlled the positive cross from Feirsinger, and
with one swift motion, he fired the ball into the roof of the
net. The crowd erupted with tumultuous applause as the
Austrians pulledeven with Cameroon and rescued a lack-
luster effort with one inspired play. Dispersal of the
packed house crowd followed shortly after, and swarms of
people exited POETS. Some even had the intention of
attending class. After all , World Cup fever is only an
acceptable excuse if a game is being played at the same
time that a professor had the nerve to schedule a class.
The World Cup of Football (European style) quaJify-
ing round has begun, and it has made it a little more diffi -
cult to find a seat for lunch these days in POETS. "The
beautiful game" has engineers entranced with the method-
ical play of any two teams, and has stunned many soccer
disbelivers (myself included) with non-stop action.
Ignoring the occasional dive to draw a foul , this sport
delivers the enthusiasm of hundreds of millions of people
around the world, right into the lap of anybody who may
be watching the game on television. For those of you that
may have missed some of the action to this point in the
___ ---'c..-: _ __ --''----''-- _ ____ ---
25. How many Olympic Gold Medals in hockey has Canada won?
26. Who brought us 'burnt toast', 'Kanata', and 'I canna read a word'?
27. Who was the Prime Minister with the shorte. t term in office? How long?
28. Who thinks 'Supemlan's Dead'?
29. What actre s turned p. ycho was Superman's main queeze?
30. List the ingredients for poutine.
tournament, the following is an update of the qualifying
round.
Group A:
The defending World Cup champion Brazilian squad
has displayed solid play to gain top spot in this group and
look primed to advance in the second round of the tourna-
ment. Either one of the Scottish or Norwegia teams (the
team that advanced was unknown at the time of print) has
the ability to supri se a group winner in the next round of
matches.
Group B:
The Italian team seemed to have tied up fir. t place in
thi s group and look like strong contenders to make a
repeat appearance in the fmals. Any other team qualify-
ing from this group should be overwhelmed in the second
roudn of the tournament.
Group C:
The host nation France and the Dani sh team essential -
ly clinched the I.WO qualifying spots from this group, each
having completed two exceIJent matches by the time of
print. Look for the inspired French team to have a strong
. showing in the second round of the tournament.
Group D:
The Nigerians have displayed creative offensive
prowess in their matches, which may bring them success
in the second round of the tournament. The Bulgarian
squad will attempt to heighten their play to show strongly
in the next round of the tournament.
Group E:
This competitive division is sure to produce a semi-
finalist from one of the top two spots in the qualifying
round.
Group F:
... . 10'1'
The spirited German and Yugoslavian clubs will both
be pumped high on adrenaline to make some sort of run in
the second round of the tournament. Consistent play from
either of these talented clubs will bring success.
GroupG:
group was clearly dorninakd by thc Rwnanian
and English teams, and both t 'allis haw the talent to
advance in the second round. Somet hing to nOlC is lhe
fullire react ion of the Prench uuthoriti s to violclle ' insti-
gated by the English fans.
Group H:
Agai n, this is another group thut had two classes in the
field. The Argentinean and matian (cams play each
other today to determine the first and second place tcums
from this group that will enter the nex.t rOllUd of the
nament. The potent offense of Argentinian ( am will
enable them to be competi tive in the !>econd round of the
toumament.
That sums-up the qualifying round of the tournament,
so look for more updates on the second round of (he lour-
n,ament in the next edition of the Iron Warrior. Tomorrow
brings the Engineering Cup soccer tournament to (he
Columbi a Ice Fields, so get your class out and chall enge
for the titl e.
. The Iron Warnor Fnday. June 26. 1998
"t """ 110 Ii
. , . . .. .. ... .. . .. ...... ... " .... .. .
I,
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Just three weeks ago, at the ESSCO AGM, the Engineering
Societies bid for and won the right to host the 1999 ESSCO
AGM, to be held the weekend of June 4th.
The ESSCO AGM provedes the students of Ontario with the
opportunity to elect the ESSCO executive. Once thi is done, a
plenary se. sion i held to decide the direction of ESSCO for the
coming year; what ESSCO has done and would like to do again,
as well a what new things that ESSCO should persue.
Applications are done through the society, while the
expense of the conference is covered with by the Dean of
Engineering. Since this conference is almost a year away, the
applications will be done during the winter term when people
have a better idea of where they will be for the summer of '99.
Taken wi!h from !he Wcslcrn Enginnering Society Frosh Handbook.
Throughout your university career, you wi ll discover that
there is more to engineeri ng than studying, cramming, passing
and failing. There are issues affecting you educati on, universi-
ty life and extra-curricular activities. You will realize that you
have entered a facu lty where you have a lot of friendly compe-
tition with other engineers throughout Ontario. Competition
between students enrolled in these places of so called higher
learning is fun, exciting and sometimes messy. ESSCO pro-
A G M' 99 vides an umbrell a under which all Ontario engineering students
can come together, pool their resources and help each engineer-
., n' " ing faculty become stronger.
While you are an engineering student you will have opportunities to meet, converse,
and compete with many engineering students and share with them your common inter-
ests and experiences. Ask you engineering council [EngSoc] about all of the confer-
ences and competi tions you can attend or help organize. Topics covered at these
functions range from academics to frosh week events to women's issues and everything
in between.
Dustin Kersey
ESSCO President 1997-98
During the plenary session of the 29th Annual Congress of
Engineering Students, the University of Toronto bid for and won the
right to hold the 31 st CCES. Therefore, during the first week of
January, students from across the country will be gathering in Toronto
to form the Congress.
Each year, both Engineering Societies here at the University of
Waterloo are invited to send four delegates to participate in the
Congress.
Applications are therefore done through the society, while the
expense of the confercnce is covered by the Dcan of Engineering. If
you are interested in applying to attend thi s conference, the application
can be found on the EngSoc web page under 'Forms'.
The Canadian Federation of Engi neeri ng Students (CFES) is an umbrella organiza-
tion for over 40 undergraduate engineering societies across Canada, repre enting more
than 40,000 students. The primary goals of the Federation are to facilitate the exchange
of ideas and activities at a national level and to ensure the moral, intellectual, economi-
cal, and academic well being of engineering students across Canada. The Federation
also represents its members tovarious prefessional organizations in the engineering com-
munity, such a the CCPE, NCDEAS, and ACEC. We also have stong ties with YES
Camps.
In orderto meet its goals, the Federation maintain strong ties with engineering stu-
dents by organizing CCES - where engineering students from across the country unite to
discuss relevant issues and ideas in workshops and seminars. CCES is also where the
national executive is elected each year, and where the mandates for the upcoming year
are discussed through a plenary session. Once the mandates have been passed through
a eries of motions, it is the responsibility of the national executive to ensure that they
are completed with the goal and ideals of the Federation in mind.
For more information on the CFES, visit us at our web page at www.cfes.ca. or write
to the executive via email atcfesexec@listserv.unb.ca.
Michael Morgan
President, CFES
The Iron Warrior Friday, June 26, 1998
MOTION 1:
Moved by: University of Waterloo A .
Seconded by; Royal Military College
Wbereas there exists a mutual interest between ESSCO and the PEO to establish a
student organization within the PEO, we need to determine a suitable course of
action to guide the evolution of ESSCO.
BIRT the ESSCO VP Education and President investigate and prepare a report on
internal PEO organization as well as establishing with the PEO an action plan to
implement student membership, and to form a committee between the external
relations dept. of the PEO and the members of the ESSCO executive. This report
is to be presented to the member societies via the ESSCO-Link beforethe '97 PEO
conference.
motion is carried
Hljust returned from the latest PEO Council Meeting in Toronto. At 1:21 pm
on Friday, May 29,1998 the motion was
The PEO has officially approved the Student Membership in principle. The
details will be hammered out by a task force comprised so far of three council-
lors and two students (to be selected next weekend at MAC). Of course, Johnny
Zuccon, Nonn Williams and Laurie McDonald will all be belping out too."
MOTION:
MOVEDBY:
SECONDED BY :
Language:
30-p-73
Waterloo A
Ryerson
English
Mike Wrigglesworth
VP-Educat;on 1997-98
ESSCO
Whereas the current CFBS executive have begun an initiative in regards to building
a reiationslrip with the Canadian Council of Professional Engineers (CCPE) and
Wbereas opinions put forth at the CCES 1998 CCPE workshops sessions showed an
interest in focusing this relationship in tenns of the Canadian Engineering
Accreditation Board and the Human Resources divisions of the CCPE;
BIRT the future executives be mandated to pursue this relationship in the previous-
ly mentioned direction
At the Congress of Canadian Engineering Students (CCES) this past January in
Edmonton, a major concern put forward by the membership was lack of representa-
tion with the Canadian Engineering Accreditation Board (CEAB). 1 was mandated to
approach the Canadian Council of Professional Engineers with the idea of creating a
student position on the CEAB. I have had a number of discussions with the CEAB
Secretariat as well as with many of the pennanent staff officers at the CCPE. For the
most part these discussions have been positive and our relationship with the CEAB
bas progressed significantly.
A CFES Student position on the CEAB bas been approved on a trial basis as of
June 1 st, 1998. We have been officially invited to take part in their next meeting
which will take place in Quebec City in early September. In all likelihood Sean
Lahey, in his role as National Capital Liaisons Commissioner, will be the person
attending this meeting on our behalf. Thestudent observer will be present for all por-
tions of the meeting except accreditation decisions.
Michael Morgan, President
Canadian Federation of Engineering Students
president@cjes.ca
PEO-UES
Thi year. the PEO conference will be ho ted by Ryer on in Toronto. It i generally
held the la t weekend in September. Work is currently being done to determine whi h
indu try tours and workshops will be run throughout the weekend.
Attendance of the Engineering Society at thi conference i pon ored b the Dean
of Engineering. Delegate are cho en by the Engineering Soceity. If you are intere led
in attending thi conference, fill in the application form on the EngSoc web ire.
Delegates for this conference will need to be cho en before the end of the july.
Each year, the Professional Engineer of Ontario and the Undergaduate Engineering
Societies from acros the province meet to exhange information. This allO\: the PEO
to inform its up and coming member about what the PEO i currently doing. and what
its plans are. As well, it gives the PEO an opportunity to educate tudents about the
application process to the
During the conference, the engineering societies also have the opportunity to work
together in workshops to discuss i sues facing each society; to hare information and
help each other out.
ESSCO'lympics
The ESSCO'lympics would have to be
classified as the 'Fun' conference. It is the
only conference where the only people
required to do work are the VP-Externals
from each of the Societies across Ontario.
Everyone else is just there to have a good
time.
Teams of four compete on behalf of
their unt versity for the I st place position.
Each univer ity can send a many teams as
they wish. For this rea on, the
ESSCO'lympics delegate fees are the
responsibility of each team, but they usu-
ally don't amount to much for the week-
end of fun.
ESSCO'lympics are held each year at
during the la t weekend of Januaray. For
thi rea on, more information will be
made avaliable about this conference at
the beginning of the next school term.
p:/lengsoc.uwaterloo.ca
But of course you can't work all the time!
For more information aboltt these conferellces.
contact the VP-Extemal (Chris Foster) at
eng_vpext@engmail.liwaterloo.ca
Top: Ol/.,ti" Ker>e.\' (ESSCO Pre.,idr"t) 1101111'/1 th"
ESSCO'!Y"lflic Clip. tlie t"'phy.for the J::SSCO'!\'tllpi('.I'.
Midtlle: Optiol/a! delegllte Iki Irip after the CCES'9X
c()nfi'rence (eXira /0 (Jcll'RCI/!')
BIII/OIII: ESSCO IYlllpic., 10... '" hlliltlillg CflIIII'clilio".
For the pa t eight year ,Queen Univer ity has played host for the Women in
Engineering onference. Thi year. the conference will be held Friday, October
16th.
The conference invite. ' tudent and other partie from aero the country and
aero the ontinent to participate. 0 er the pa t eight years, this conference has
grown , ignifi antly.
A u. ual, ea h of Waterloo' tv 0 Engineering Societie. will be ending del-
egate to this c nference. For B-Soc, if you are interested in applying. applica-
tion. are run through the Engineering Society on the EngSoe web site, and
pon orship for this conference is pro\ied by the Dean of Engineering.
The Delegates
The annual C nferen e on Women in Engineering encourage. all tud nt
and fa ully to attend. Invitation is aL 0 e ' tended to Univcr. ities and Colleges
across Canada and the USA. local high schools, government, and indu try, in
order to foster a diver. e contribution and perspective. Last year students from
eight Universities attended and we hope to ill rcase that number thi year.
The Conference
Held at the Donald Gordon Center, the conference holds an opening wine and
chee e Thursday night to give students the opportunity to mingle with speakers
and faculty. The conference runs for a full day on Friday consisting of informa-
tive keynote speakers and round table di cussion group. These discussion
groups stimulate open dialogue between all participant which results in aver a-
tile collection of experience., opinion . and proposed solution. in a relaxed et-
ting.
The Iron Warrior Friday, June 26, 1998 -

Engineering Science Quest
Renee Mercuri. and
Gregory Bridgett
ESQ Staff
W
hen you mention the University of Waterloo, it
probably conjures up images of leading edge
research and design, highly skilled graduates
and a sugar cube shaped library building. Not many of
you may venture to think of it as a hotbed of excitement
for local area students in grades 3 through 12, all gung ho
for engineering, science and technology. For those of you
here on the Spring term, lookout for this hotbed: the
campers of Engineering Science Quest, a summer day
camp, will be arriving on campus beginning Monday, July
6th (Look for young people wearing our camp t-shirts).
Founded in the fall of 1990, Engineering Science
Quest (ESQ), is a student-run (woohoo!) organization.
True to its name, it is run jointly through the Faculties of
Engineering and Science. ESQ is the largest member of
Youth Engineering and Science / Virtual Adventures
Camps of Canada -- a national organization of 26 student-
run science outreach groups based at university campuses
across the country.
Our goal at ESQ is to offer a program that will stimu-
late an enthusiasm and interest for science, engineering,
and technology through a challenging, educational, and
fun hands-on program. More simply put: ESQ puts the
jam in the jelly roll! A a result our motto is: I Hear and I
Forget. I See and I Remember. I Do, and I Understand.
ESQ directors and instructors/camp counselors are
UW grads, university students, co-op students and vol un-
lAfers. We also take on a group of school student vol-
u.nteers known as CfTs
Jacqueline McAra
3A Chemical
T
wo weekends ago I was one of your representati ves
at the Engineering Student Society Council of
Ontario's (ESSCO's) Annual General Meeting.
This was my first conference and r was unsure of what to
expect. What was I thinking when I applied? Why did I
want to go? I wanted to see what it and the people were
all about. My main focus in going to this meeting was to
find out how other schools get more involvement from the
students in the engineering population. I have been one of
_ those people looking at the Engineering Society from the
_ outside but this past year I have seen it as a path to mak-
-

The Iron Warrior Friday. June 26, 1998
Everything from designing the varying camp curriculums
to administrative matters is managed by our talented,
rough and tumble, machine washable staff.
The summer program is divided into five smaller
camps based on age, with camp sizes limited to 20 stu-
dents per session or less.
- Suzuki Camp for grades 3 and 4 introduces the world
of science by observing the natural world around us.
- Newtons are grades 5 and 6 learning the fundamen-
tals of science and engineering by experiment and
observation
- Edison campers in grades 7 and 8 combine engineer-
ing with creativity and intuition to take old ideaS in
new directions
- Camp Bondar allows grades 9 and 10 to push the
envelope to reach out into new areas of scientific and
technological discovery
- Campers in grades 7 to high school also have the
option of attending our ExXtreme Computer camp
which is designed to bring the fast-moving world of
technology to teenagers. Soon to be entering the job
market or looking for new education paths, students
in this program are exposed to many different tech-
nological fields. It aims to teach every student some-
thing new, from novice to so-called-expert in areas
such as HTML, 3D graphics, electronics and robot-
ics.
Besides planning and running the summer sessions
you can also find ESQ teams at Waterloo Region elemen-
tary schools in May and June, where we run engineering
and science workshops. All the workshops and camp
activities are designed to reflect the varying disciplines in
science and engineering, as well as to fit into the ever
changing Ontario curriculum requirements. Best of all,
everything is hands-on, interactive and teamwork orient-
ed. What better way to learn about UW's leading faculties
and the campus than to take part in ESQ!
Word of mouth is our most popular advertising tool, so
if you know of any kids - relatives, friends, neighbours -
going into grade 3 up to grade 12 with inquisitive minds
and with a spare week or two this summer then tell them
about ESQ. More info is available from our office located
in E2-2349A, ext.5239. You can also check us out on-line.
Our email addressisdirectors@esq.uwaterioo.ca. and our
website is at www.esq.uwaterioo.ca.
A pasl Engineering Science Quest camper gets wei with a wild crayfish.
Expectations?
ing a difference in the place where I go to school. When
I first arrived at the conference I once again felt that I was
on the outside. There were many people there who
already knew each other from attending other conferences
making me somewhat uneasy with the group I was in. I
was wondering how the weekend was going to develop
but before I knew it there were people all around me intro-
ducing themselves and getting to know each other (both
new and old). It was a time to catch up with old friends
but to also welcome the new and future faces. The people
there were just like you and me, ordinary students in engi-
neering from around the province. There were no specif-
ic qualities that each person possessed. In fact, because we
were all so different, it brought many new ideas to the
table. The next day was just that, bringing new ideas to
the table through a series of workshops where we all
exchanged ideas. Everything I heard was enlightening,
from what schools do for their orientation week and how
they are coping with the upcoming changes to what can
we do to take the focus off of drinking and place it on just
plain fun. The only thing I see as sad about this past
weekend is that I am already in my 3rd year of school and
I am just now getting to meet these fun and interesting
people from everywhere else. I wish someone had let me
know what was out there sooner. I can't wait until I get to
see all of these people again. All I can stress is that if you
can, get out there and get involved and you'll never have
to wonder what you are missing. And hey, the least that
will happen is that you will meet many new and interest-
ing people.
UNNE
Nathan Fish and
Tunazzina Abedin
-----;0
Frontrunners Directors
H
ow many of you asked yourself "What do engi-
neers do?" or "What is engineering?" when you
were deciding what programs and univer ities to
apply to in your last year of high school? It would have
been nice to have someone other than your guidance
counselor tell ing you what cour es you need to take to get
into university, eh?
That's why engineering students at Waterloo designed
a program whereby engineering students go out to high
schools on thei r work term to let students in Grade 12 and
OAC know what engineers do, what engineering is about,
and more specificall y, what Waterloo Engi neering is
about. The program i'S call ed Frontrunners, and it'll be
time to sign up soon.
For those of you who have been a Frontrunner before,
hopefully you are looking forward to being a Frontrunner
again. Or, if you're like me, thi will be your first tim .
For tho e who are till couriou about what exactly
Frontrunners do, let me tell you more about the program.
You are probably a king yourself the following ques-
tion :
Do I have to prepare a presentation?
You're on your work term, not in chool! We pro ide
all the material for the pre entation and tell you what to
(and what not to) talk about, and how to say it. The pre-
sentation foeu. e. on the University of Waterloo, engineer-
ing in general, and Waterloo Engineering pecifically. It
also allows time for elaboration on your experiences, and
provides a chance for que tions and an wers too.
How do I know what high school to go to?
We will contact the closest high school in your area,
and all you have to do is et the date and time that is
appropriate for you. If you are living in your home town.
being a Frontrunner is the perfect excuse for taking time
off work to go back to your old hi gh school and do some
catching up with your favorite (or least favori te)
teacher(. ).
How do I become 8 Frontrunner?
Ea y. Just keep an eye out for the sign up sheet that
will be circulating around your class and the posters that
will be going up in the next few weeks. Our goal is to get
everyone together Monday, July 13. 1998 so we can show
people the pre 'entation and a sign chool(s).
If you have any questions you can contact your
Frontrunner directors. my elf (Nathan Fish: ncfi h@eng-
mail.uwaterloo.ca ) or Tunazzina Abedin (tabedin@eng-
mail.uwaterloo.ca), or leave a note the in the Frontrunners
box in the Orifice.
Frontnmner. is a great opportuni ty to promote engi-
neering. and it looks really coolon your resume too.
Thank for taking the time to consider thi and we hope to
be contacting a high school ncar you telling them about
how eager you are to tell their. tudent about Waterloo
Engineering.
Engineers Without
Borders
The Varsity Club
Parker Mitchell
This project is till at the
4A Mech
idea stage, and I am looking
for people who would be
interested in developing it. I
Tonka
A
s this century draws to a close we
are witnessing an ever-increasing
disparity between the riches of the
developed world and the desperate situa-
tion in the third world. In 1995, the wealth
of the world's billionaires (roughly 300 in
total) was greater than the total annual
income of over 40% of the world's popula-
tion. That's 2.5 billion people. While we
wake up in the morning and check the
markets to see how much more we're
worth, people are dying from easily pre-
ventable problems: contaminated drinking
water, lack of vitamins, etc.
Numerous professional organizations
have set up means for providing aid (e.g.
Doctors Without BorderslMedcins sans
Frontieres). I feel that engineers also pos-
sess skills that could benefit third world
countries and believe we should do some-
thing about it. We students are in a unique
position: we are mobile, we have useful
skills, and we are willing to try and help (I
hope) .
I am planning to organize a group
called Engineers Without Borders.
Groups like this are already in existence in
Europe and permit engineering students to
spend 3-4 months in third world countries,
putting the skills that they have learned to
use - likely a better use then most of our
work terms in industry.
envision the group first
obtaining charitable/non-profit status from
the government, then soliciting contribu-
tions, whether they be cash or in-kind (for
projects) from industry. An important
aspect would be co-ordinating with
AidlDevelopment groups and determining
what types of projects are feasible and
avai lable. Depending on the project, work
could be accomplished over here during a
design/prototype stage, and then imple-
mented in the chosen country. Once a pro-
ject was started, people returning from
these philanthropic work terms would
likely have many ideas for projects that
subsequent students could work on.
Students would either receive workterm
credit for their time or, if they were hesi-
tant about sacrificing a work term, could
go at the end of fourth year.
Essentially, I want to set up a frame-
work that will permit students to develop
their own ideas about how they want to
help make the necessary resources avail -
able. However, getting the project off the
ground is the most difficult step. If you
are interested either in helping define and
setup this project, and/or in participating
in it at a later date, please email me at
pbmi tche@engmail . uwaterloo . ca .
Because we can make a difference.
ow Open
llam - lam 7 days a week
It' s like an upscale sports bar, [uJ) menu roadhouse, ni ght
spot, meet the team, business luncheon, after work, family
meal, quiet conversation, kick back, have a few laughs,
fun, fun, fun kind of place.
ONLY BETTER!
WITH A HUGE PATIO!
Monthly draw to win dinner for two
University and Weber, Waterloo
-
~ ....
. The Iron Warnor Friday. June 26. 1998

Writing Award
t'
to n{ln
Get In r llr
YVln $400'

Centre for Society, Technology and Values
Entries must be received by The Iron Warrior
before July 3, 1998 to be eligible.
How???
This is your last chance!
Who is eligible?: UW undergraduate Engineering students, on campus or on
work term. If article is co-authored, at least one author
must be a UW Engineering student.
Submit an article now to The Iron Warrior. The new
"Beynon Memorial Humanitarian Award" wants your
ideas on this topic: "Technology is becoming obsolete at
an increasingly rapid rate. What is the impact of acceler-
ating obsolescence on the quality of life for members of
society?" Each term, one $400-prize winner will be
selected from those articles pubLished in The Iron
Warrior. Judges reserve the right not to award the prize if
entries do not meet a satisfactory standard.
Article length:
Format:
Judging:
500 to 800 words
E-mail.senttoiwarrior@engmail.uwaterioo.ca
Include complete current and permanent contact
information, including e-mai l.
A panel of judge from the Beynon Memorial Foundation,
The Iron Warrior, and the Centre for Society, Technology
and Value (CSTV)will select the best article from among
those published. The winner will be announced in the
final Iron Warrior of the pring term.
The Beynon M morial Humanitarian Award i. , on-
sored by the Beynon Memorial Foundation and the
Centre for Society, Technology and Values, and
offered through the cooperation of The Iron Warrior.
For more details:
CSTV:
The Iron Warrior:
DC 2722. Tel: 519 888 4567, x6215
E-mail: ctv@engmail.uwaterloo.ca
CPH 1323B. Tel: 5198884567, x2693
E-mail: iwarrior@engmail.uwaterloo.ca
Midnight Sun V: And the winner is ...
Ruth Allen
O?
Midnight SUII V SO/al'
recei ved many worthy appli-
cations - deciding on thc win-
ner was difficult. A number
of the entries will be on dis-
71'1I1II /JU.I;IlI'VS Manager play in the case opposite the
WEEF office soon. It will be
T
hC Midnight Sun V Solar Car Team
has a new logo! Congratulations to
Phoebe Lam from the Science
FaCUlty. Her logo was one of the many
logos submilled to the team over the last
few months. The purpose of the competi-
tion was to uniquely identify the fifth car
built by the Midnight Sun Solar Car
Project. This competition was open to all
ful l-time students registered at the
University of Waterloo, and the logo will
be used on the Midnight SUIl V (CHIn T-
shirts and promotional material. Thc prile
for <;ubmitling the winning ent!') is a threc
hundred dollar cheque - Phoebe pJt:asc
clear how difficult it was for us to choose
only one!
Midnight un V is , till largely on the
drawing boards. Design is scheduled to be
completed by the end of August. Although
some sli ght modifications are alway.
inevitable, construction on the aerobody is
slated to begin in July. This is indeed an
exciting time for the team. We always
welcome new members to join the team.
For more information, please drop by our
office, E3 21030. You can also drop us a
linc either by cmail: mail@midsun.uwa-
terlon.ea or by phone at extension 2978.
Orifice and from our office. Also watch
for us at the Canada Day celebrations at
Columbia Lake.
Sunrayce 99, here
University of Waterloo!
comes
_ drop by our office to pick it up! We
Look out for the new Midnight lin V
1:',hirts that will be on ...ale soon at the
-

The Iron Warrior Friday, June 26, 1998
thl
STV Contest entry
I
' 01 e more complicated
problem can be nothing
but helpful. But, thL new
...................................... 1 computer technolog i
By Way of the Dinosaur:
Computers, obsolescence and society
By Parker Mitchell
When was the last time you sat at a computer fuming
at how long it was taking and wishing the system were
faster? This past decade has seen orne technology go
from being state of the art to obsolete in a matter of
months. Increasingly, people are questioning whether this
increasing rate of obsolescence i really neces ary.
Personal computers, however, are the exception. Mo t
technology - which can be defined as anything which
helps humans complete a task - still follows a traditional
life-cycle: it remains in service until it physically deterio-
rates or becomes economically disadvantageous. Cars
(which are only scrapped when the cost of repairs exceeds
the cost of replacement), appliances and indeed most
physical products are examples of such conventional
development. They were conceived of to complete a par-
ticular task. While technological change might produce a
more efficient solution, as long as the task does not disap-
pear, the product will not become obsolete. It is important
to clarify the difference between perceived ob olescence
and true obsolescence. While advertisements constantly
extol the virtues of a new product or technology, that does
not reduce the old one to obsolete. True obsolescence
requires the technology to no longer be able to fulfill the
role it was created for.
The main industry where one sees true obsolescence is
that of the personal computer. This is a direct result of the
exponential growth in the underlying hardware and soft-
ware technology. Initially, this growth appear beneficial
- it seems logical that having more computer power to
not olving fundamental
problem which would increa e our qualit of life, but
rather i addres ing new La ks and problems that \ ere
elf-created.
Quality of life i hard to define, but once ba ic human
needs are met (e.g. food, helter). an important factor i
the amount of free time available to citizen . All hi. tori-
cal technological revolution meet thi criteria. The
advent of the team engine permitted more goods to be
produced with less labour; the advent of the automobile
and the airplane at the tum of this century allowed people
(and good) to travel more rapidly. The t lephone pro-
vided almost instantaneous communication. while elec-
tricity heralded the 24 hour day. The e invention
resolved fundamental problems; in doing so they brought
farmers out of the fields. children out of the coal mine
and reduced the burden on women, allowing them to take
their rightful place in society. Unquestionably, they
improved quality of life.
The computer revolution, however, is failing to live up
to its name. The initial introduction of the computer met
all the criteria listed above. Numerou time saving appli-
cations, such as word processing, spreadsheets and data-
bases were developed that certainly provided time
savings. For the sciences and engineering, computer are
immensely beneficial in data manipUlation and number
crunching. Indeed, it is difficult to imagine our education
without them.
However, the extraordinary growth (and ubsequent
obsolescence of older models) in the personal computer
has not really changed the underlying philosophies.
While the presentation of applications has improved, the
fundamental difference between, say, word processing
software Version I and Version >98 is little more than cos-
STV Contest entry
I
I The feeling of empti-
fromrevual
fhe Plight of our Age
Co-Author - Maya Jane Campbell
Co-Author - Damien Marcel Engelbrecht
Today, society lives under the watchful eye of techno-
logical detenninism. The irreversible effects of technolo-
gy are the estrangement of the individual from their
secular life, their society and from nature.
The estrangement of man/woman is caused by work
for technological advancement and not for the individ-
ual's own wishes and desires. It is also this estrangement
that causes men and women to work for technology, as
they have been led to believe that the material po sessions
that come out of the technological era are encumbrances
they need. The work of the individual is one that is there-
fore forced on himJher because it is at work that the indi-
vidual feels mentally devoid, unfulfilled and spiritually
robbed. The working world also provides the subsistence
the individual needs to survive in the world. The farther
the worker delves into his working life, the more the
material things of the technical world gain power over
himlher. The very essence of the technical era is to
progress, and technology is replaced so rapidly that this
leaves little time to contemplate the rise of technological
determinism. The worker becomes farther and farther
entrenched into the technical world and less able to find
fulfillment within himself. The individual becomes more
factors . First, the worker
is under service to another human, who is under service to
technology. The work is not done for ones own pleasure,
it is done for another. The gratification an individual
receives for hi. own work is immeasurable, it boosts the
human spirit, it promotes creativity and free-minded
thinking. Unfortunately, the human spirit is I Sf in the
world of technology, work is done merely to replace tech-
nology with technology. all in the name of progress.
Society's attempt to bridle and defile natur has left
them empty. The individual is inevitably connected to
nature. Everyone will return to the earth. It is against our
intrinsic beings that we plunder the earth, for we are vio-
lating our connection to it as creatures. A valuable educa-
tion was once seen a knowledge of the natural world, and
its workings. This knowledge ha been forsaken for the
knowledge of machines and technology. This i not a sim-
ple existence. Thi pursuit of progress force society to
learn and relearn the inner workings of the machine. Can
the knowledge we have attained help us resuscitate the
natural world, as it falls apart around us? The pollution
levels continue to rise. The world's population is explod-
ing. Natural resources are running out, so is time.
Society has attempted to move farther into cloistered
citie , further severing the human relation hip with the
natural world. The cities provide jobs, and entertainment
but are devoid of social intimacy. Within cities the indi-
vidual attempts to withdraw into their own private space.
metic. The e appli ations have merely set new standards:
for example , ucces CuI bu iness presentations today
require computer generated slides and reports need fancy
graphic. And not only is growth needed to meet the e
increa ing tandard, but it al 0 has to olve uch comput-
er-generated problem as the expected year 2000 prob-
lem , the los of critical data because of viruse , the
oc a ional network failure, etc.
Finall , thi ob olescence i avoidable. True obsoles-
cen e was defined a. the product no long r being able to
fulfill it ta k. The increasing rate of obsolescence of the
per. onal computer is not occurring becau e the product no
longer able to complete it ta k, but becau e the ta k it elf
ha hanged and requir s a new solution. Thi mu t be
explained. A tao k i a ub et of a a fundamental problem;
a. an exanlple. a pell he ker would be a task within
word proce ing. So, while fundamentally one can do
word proces ing on an apple 2e, in reality it is unrealistic.
Today's word pro e sors now require (thanks to the new
standard mentioned earlier) fancy font , automatic table
of ontents, a the aurus etc. and older model are unable to
upport that. Whether it stem from a lack of memory.
inability to network or incompatibility, we are forced to
scrap our old models and upgrade. Thi i not helped by
the software/hardware indu try purpo ely imbedding
obsole cence in their products in order to generate more
profit.
True obsolescence in today's society does not affect
most technology, but is unique to the personal computer,
as a result of the incredible growth. I think that comput-
ers them elve are great. but that their growth is not solv-
ing fundamental problem and improving our quality of
life but is instead dealing with self-created tasks. And
until we address thi is ue, we are condemned to many
more late nights in front of the e machines, cursing that
dreaded message: An illegal operation ha been per-
fonned. Machine will hut down.
They put up walls and shrubs and hide within their small
area, hoping nothing will disturb them. The sen e of com-
munity is lost in our industrial world. People no longer
want to know their neighbors, they wish merely to retreat.
Just by looking at people you will notice that they are con-
sumed by progres. They move SWiftly. Regard their
watches as a deity. Eyes are cast upward and glowing
with some minute pi c of technological information.
Mouth is pursed. Smiles ;Ire ran:. People IIH.: rcly to
progress further, t/ley tlo nol wish tu converse with others.
Many believe thm not only is tim' the c!-;s 'Ile " hut want
to keep it that way. rt also app 'urs that they missl't\ the
dialectic altogcther and stupped 011 tit, wrong sid' of' the
triangle.
The estrangemcnt of the iudi viuunilln: a product of the
technical age, where the human spirit cannot thrive. and
man/woman's creativ ness and spirit ar' hl!ing robbed.
The pursuit of progress docs not allow the human spirit to
fit into the inner workings of the machine. The animosi-
ty between the individual and nature is due to the dl!struc-
lion the technical agl! has created in the natural world.
Knowledge of nature has become second to knowledge of
the machine, and it is because of this that nature cannot be
repaired and will continue to grow worse. The social rela-
tionship between men and women has bccn breached. A
relationship now exists between the technical world and
the individual, and is replacing the relationship human
beings have with each other. The obsolescence brought
forth by the technical age can only be measured in techni-
cal terms, therefore the quality of life is worsening daily
for humans.
The Iron Warrior Friday, June 26, 1998
-
-

The Impossible
Article
Zhan Huan Zhou
2B Comp
Flying Circuits
W
hy are you here? How did you get here? Were
you destined to be here or was it your choice?
The e are not questions of faith, or perhaps
they are. What is important is that you are here now and
the future is yet to come. Think of all the things in your
life that had to happen for you to be reading this article
now.
Let us start with the most recent event and work our
way back. You opened up thi issue of The Iron Warrior
and somehow turned to this page. For some reason or
another, you decided to read this article.
Why did you even pick-up this copy of The Iron
Warrior in the first place? Do you always read it or did
the cover dazzle you just enough to read this issue? Letis
go back even further. Why are you here at the University
of Waterloo during the Spring 1998 term anyway? You
had to choose this university and al 0 be on the proper
stream to be here right now. What made you choose
Waterloo? For most people, r would a sume that in high
school, some factor influenced you to choose Waterloo.
All this stuff that you heard about Waterloo is all fine and
dandy, but what about events that were completely out of
your control?
This article had to exist somehow. I had to conceive
this article at the proper time 0 that it would get into print
this issue so that you could read it. Going further down
this path, I had come to Waterloo so that I could get
involved with The Iron Warrior to write this article.
Skipping past many significant events in my life, my par-
ents had to emigrate from China to Canada so that 1 would
have the opportunity to come to Waterloo.
All of these events contributed to you reading this arti-
cle. Just think if anyone of the events mentioned in the
previous two paragraphs did not occur, you would not be
reading this article now. I could backtrack even further
back in time and how many more significant events that
had to happen to get to where we are right now. It truly is
amazing how many thing had to fall into place for thi
phenomenon to occur.
Getting back to my original point, who is really in
control of your life? Is it you? Is it someone else? Is it
God? When you think about it, it is incredible how many
things in your life happen that are completely out of your
control.
This randomness of cros ing paths is responsible for
many great scientific discoveries, deciding winners of bat-
tles and ultimately, shaping the current state of the Earth
and universe. Do we have a choice in what we do? Are
we just satisfying quantum mechanical equations? Or
perhaps we are being controlled by a greater entity. Paths
cross all the time, but always for a reason and only you
can find that reason.
I" qt.- .
The Mindset of the Engineer
-----<0
F ' ~ ~ ~
Min Song
is nothing you can do directly to achieve your mad quest for power. The simple logic of
it is, why break your back lifting a single stone to build your own fortress? Step 2 allows
you to consider employing a special breed of people called "underlings," "sheep," or
"fodder, " to do your bidding. People may be feeble, but they' re not useless if employed
with the proper task. Step 3 is one of reflection. Take this time to contemplate what it
all means - life, love, death, domination - and convince yourself of the benefits of the last
one. If you feel you don't enjoy all this power then it's not too late to tum back, although
your minions deserve a pretty good explanation ...
I B Emviro Civ
M
any engineering students enter into university thinking that they rule the world.
They see that the engineers are the ones who apply their knowledge in the real
world and "make things happen." Unlike scientists, mathematicians, artists,
socialogists, and the like, the engineers prefer action over debating hypothetical theories
or bantering verbal diarrhea. With these (believed) impressions of everyone else, it is lit-
tle wonder why they would believe this. To illustrate the feasability of ruling the world,
I present a brief 6-step approach to facilitate this. These steps don't follow any particu-
lar style, except that they must be fully and unconditionally obeyed for this to work. Sort
of like giving up your soul, only less noticeable, and much less pronounced.
Step 1: Lose respect for everyone you know (and even those you don't).
This is where it all begins. This point is critical in that you realize, "Hey, I could
probably do a better job at controlling other peoples' live ." With this, however, a high
self-esteem isn't really necessary, unless you happen to be a megalomaniac. Being a
megalomaniac doe n't hurt, but people tend to look at you ina different light, and it's
usually difficult to do anything, much less rule the world, when you're in a padded cell
behind a Plexiglas window. If you are a megalomaniac, however, it is strongly advised
to lie down and go to sleep until the urge to take over the world dies down a bit. There
is no need to rush, even if you would like to succeed before your next psychiatric treat-
ment.
Step 2: Look on the world as a planet of feeble mortals.
Once you have lost respect, step two will occur naturally. You will begin to recog-
nize your superiority over others. Taking Step 2 eliminates many problems that might
arise in the future such as the distribution of power, because you'll be at the top and have
no concern for those below you. Simply put, you are at the top of the world. (Whether
the rest of the world acknowledges this is unimportant.) NOTHING CAN STOP YOU
NOW! Well, almost nothing. Just remember that you your elf are a mere mortal.
However, the right attitude, coupled with a thirst for power, is all you really need any-
way.
_ Step 3: Don't do a thing.
_ This point is more misleading than it is confusing. AU this simply means is that there
-

. '1"
T .....
The I ron Warnor Fnday. June 26. 1998
. .. <11., ..... It. ,
..... 11 t .. ' ' ' ~
Step 4: Don't let them know.
Be careful of how you read this. When defining "them," it is "them" from "us and
them." For the more paranoia inclined, this becomes "me and them," where "me" is the
individual in question, and "them," being everybody else. Until you are sure of who the
"me" is, it's best to stay out of the eyes of "them." Actually, to avoid all this confusion,
just keep your eyes closed and skip this tep entirely. Out of sight, out of mind.
Step 5: Clearly define what you're going after.
This is actually practical information you may have heard before. It is especially use-
ful for this situation. When you're going to take over the world, figure out who it is
you're taking it from. This i the not-so-ea y step. Also, it is very important that you
don't overdo it. Stop at the world. Don't even think of ruling the Universe. Not only is
it impossible, any attempts to do so will only distract you from your goal. Also, don't
forget, you are still a mere mortal! So take over the world, and then retire in peace. By
the way, your Benevolence, have you figured out what you're going to do with the
world? If you have, then you are more deranged than I had planned on, and didn't take
the nap I suggested. If you're more like the average, yet slightly over-ambitious indi-
vidual I had hoped for, you probably haven't. And if you're like me, you'll also realize
that all the fun is in the planning and preparation. Just a word of advice. Try to keep a
low profile, ju t in case things get sour. Remember, if you screw up, you really will have
the whole world against you.
Step 6: Do not pass GO, do not collect $200.00.
Hold it! Just where do you think you're going? Taking over the world, you say? Not
likely. If you're still under the delusion that engineers can (and do) rule the world, then
this step applies before the other five do. Did you actually think that you could be the
center of the known world, and that you as an engineer don't need rely on anyone else?
Taking over the world is a wonderful dream, but a dream is all it is. Enjoy planning your
world domination, but remember: be excellent to everyone, not for everyone.
Alternative Fuels Team Places 2nd
in 1998 Ethanol Vehicle Challenge
Nicole Dufour
-----.0
4A Mech
Tonka
A
t this time last year, the University of Waterloo
Alternative Fuels Team (UWAFf) was busy
preparing a proposal that would allow them to be
selected as one of the fourteen schools to compete in the
1998 Ethanol Vehicle Challenge (EVC). The EVC pro-
vided a venue in which students from top North American
engineering schools were challenged to implement the
best E-85 (85% denatured ethanol, 15% gasoline) conver-
sion based on emissions, performance and overall vehicle
efficiency. Needless to say, Waterloo's proposal was
selected and last summer a 1997 Chevy Malibu arrived for
the mechanical, electrical and ystems design students to
begin work on.
Waterloo set high goals for the competition:
-to have the most environmentally friendly vehicle in
the competition
-to repeat the first place finish achieved by Waterloo' s
Team Propeh?ne in the 1997 Propane Vehicle
Challenge
-to provide an example of the potential of ethanol as
an environmentally friendly, renewable fuel alterna-
tive to the traditional gasoline combustion engine.
I am proud to report that the first goal was met as
Waterloo received the award for having the lowest vehicle
emissions. The team i also quite pleased with their result
of second place overall, just fifteen point out of one thou-
sand behind Wayne State University. Displaying the via-
bility of ethanol was easy with all competition vehicles
participating in the U.S. Department of Energy's Clean
Cities Conference and alternative-fuel vehicle parade in
Washington D.C. following competition events in
Michigan.
UWAFT benefited from the competition on so many
levels that it is difficult to communicate them. A year of
hands-on experience solvi'ng real-world automotive
design problems is not something we typically get in the
cia room or on work term. You must also realize that
aJternative fuels such as ethanol are of immediate interest
to industry. General Motors (a title spon or of the event
along with Natural Resources Canada and the U.S.
Department of Energy) had a keen interest in certain
aspect of Waterloo's de ign and in some of the systems
implemented by other chool .
Anyone interested in cars would have enjoyed the six
days of competition set at the General Motors Proving
Grounds at Milford Michigan. Not only was there lots to
be learned about the other teams' design strategie , but the
4000-acre Proving Grounds were quite picture que at the
end of May and it wa thrilling to see the numerous vehi-
cles being developed and all of the testing facilities.
WhHe some event uch a the oral and
cold start were nerve-wracking, we did get to have some
fun during the dynamic event at Black Lake. A fourth
place finish in acceleration resulted from a 16.559 econd
quarter mile time at 81 mph. We also achieved a fifth
place finish in the handling event which involved a serie
of acceleration, braking, slalom and obstacle-avoidance
evaluations. The e events atisfied our lust for a true per-
formance machine in a car which exhibited excellent fuel
economy and low emis ions.
Although mo t of the 1998 Alternative Fuels Team
graduated during the competion, there ha been a signifi-
cant amount of interaction between them and the newly
formed '999 team. We appear to be. in good shape for
next year and are looking forward -t<Ht--!IimHar eUJ6fl91
vehicle challenge. If you are interested in business, pro-
motions or any type of automotive y tems engineering
(and I mean ANY) you could probably find enjoyment
and academic credit on the Alternative Fuels Team. If you
think you might like to join or have any questions please
feel free to e-mail us at uw_aft@engmail.
-
o e
Your Horizons
Elise Hug
---0

3A Systems
----------
U
ninspired by Silicon Valley North? Fallen out of
love with the Big Banks? . Wan II a see if the world
really is round? You're not the only one.
The life of a co-op student can be difficult for valid but
perhaps surprising reasons. Some students struggle with
the thought of joining the rat-race so young. Some
bemoan the meager travel opportunities squeezed in
between school and work terms. Others have a hard time
finding ways to express and develop their social con-
science while juggling the diverse priorities of school and
work terms.
A group of engineering students is trying to change
that, a little bit at a time. The group is spearheaded by
Ellissa Crete, Bruce Davison and Elise Hug, all students
considering international development and water
resources as a career choice. They also happen to share
interests in Latin America and Spanish. Most important-
ly, they were all disappointed in the range of opportunities
available through the regular co-op process.
These three students have started to do something
about it. "Our goal," explains Bruce, "is to raise aware-
ness among engineering students at UW about the broad
range of opportunities out there. We want people to know
that you don't have to leave your social conscience at the
door when you head off to school or to work."
The group has a lot of plans for the upcoming year.
They .are first focusing on pooling their resources and
building a network of contacts and a base of information
on finding positions in Canada and overseas. "We want to
show other students there are viable alternatives to your
standard co-op job. If you're willing to look beyond
salary and make the effort to go beyond regular job post-
ings, there's a lot you can do." The students expect to
spend a year of their spare time researching and develop-
ing content, as well as designing and publishing lhe infor-
malion as an on-line resource. They hope this will even-
tually serve as a tool for all UW students to locate
meaningful work experiences.
The group is also actively recruiting employers 10 post
both paid and volUnteer positions through Co-op. One of
the group's main concerns at the moment is building a net-
work of contacts. But once the connection is made, there
are other obstacles to keep in mind: expectations, visas
and language barriers are the first to come to mind.
The group meets once a week on Sunday nights,
ally for about an hour. A typical meeting centers around
strategies for securing work permits, writing letters Lo for-
eign institutions proposing student/work exchanges and
hearing about graduate work where engineering overlaps
with international development.
The group is currently looking for students and
ty with information or experience to pass on. To get in
touch, contact ehug@uwaterloo.ca or call (519) 886-
7012.
The Iron Warnor Friday June 26. 1998
-
-
-

-
-
The Iron Warrior is extending the deadline for its photo contest
until Friday, July 3rd. Prizes will be awarded for the best com-
posed,. most interesting, most humourous, and most creative
photos. Please drop your entry in the Iron Warrior mail-slot in
the Engineering Society Office (CPR 1327). All photos will be
returned. Please remember to attach your name, e-mail address,
and class name to the photo. Also, give your photo a ~ t i t 1 e
Past winner: Paul Bowles, Systems '97 - "Self-silhouette"
A Breath of Beauty
By Zhan Huan Zhou
Her beauty blew upon my face
With the crispness of the night wind
The chill invades me
Sending waves of delight through my body
I bask in the flowing air
But go nearer I do not dare
When the wind stops
She is gone
And my heart with her
--x t
---- I
._-
.......
The Iron Warrior Friday. June 26. 1998
Andre Brisson
O?
4A Civil
Xp10 CIV
T
hi past work term I was talking to a friend of mine
and she was explaining to me that the friend hips
she has are not what she expected them to be when
she started university. The friend hips were not deep
enough on her scale. It sounded like regret to some extent
that he wasn't able to achieve those deeper friendships.
This got me thinking about friendship in general. In con-
sidering thi s past work term, three friend hips came to
mind. These friendships have all reached a level where the
next step i unclear. The three friendship are with people
I have known a long time, know very well , and have been
through a lot of good and bad times with. The problem [
have with these friendships is that it the other person
involved seemed to think that the next level needed to be
reached right away. I disagreed, and it eems that my
de ire to just let things happen has affected the present
and future of these friend hip. Are they affected indefi -
nitely or ju t for awhile? I believe if you ru h things fatal
mistakes may happen.
To me friend hips occur naturally. You did not make
a conscious deci ion to "turn" the people you con ider
Yasin Bismilla
1B Mech
E
veryone has seen those television commercials
requesting donations for children living in poverty
in variou pans of the world. One of the countries
that ha become synonymous with such an impoveri shed
way of life is Ethiopia. Imagine walking through the sand
roads of this African country and witnessing first hand the
way of life that translates into statistics unfathomable in
our society. The life expectancy in Ethiopia is forty-nine
years [CARE International], Most of us will be facing fif-
teen more years in the workforce at the age the average
Ethiopian is aying goodbye. So, what would the majori-
ty of people expect to see if they were standing in Ethiopia
this very minute? Unfortunate signs of the state of world
poverty, the scouring sun and of course, a MiG 23 jet.
These days, Ethiopia is not in the news for its living
conditions, but for the war with neighbouring Eritrea. The
war is based on a border dispute between the two coun-
tries. Eritrea gained independence from Ethiopia in 1993
by means of a peaceful referendum. Since then, however,
economic competition has lead to harsh feelings between
the two countries.
The Ethiopian defence budget is approximately 127
true friend into your friend. . It 's , ome ' on of plutonic
attraction that occurs, and the re t i hi tory. My friend-
hip were not ru hed to become long, deep. and compli-
cated relation hips. They grew with tim and maturit}.
That i, wh I don't believe a olution can be found quick-
ly to olve the tran ition into the next level of friendship.
The olution ha to evolve with time and experiences . For
example, since most of my friends have graduated or will
graduate within a year, everyone wilt be affected differ-
ently by change brought about. Some people will move
in different directions while other. will become clo er.
Having reached this conclusion about the friend, hips I
had had, I began questioning the definition of friends and
friendship . I have been questioning thi for a long time
and I found my definition ju t recently. I will relate a lit-
tle story to help explain my definition.
One Friday it wa, the 286 Days ti IJ IRS '99 Pub Crawl.
My la t top was the Bomber. There I ran into guy [had
lived with in S1. Jeromes from I A to 2A. They had con-
vocated that day and we began to talk about the past and
future. We were talking about our ummer I B term and
the amount of fun we had with the floor. A. we were talk-
ing we real ized that real long time friend hip had been
developed without our knowledge, and the e friend hip
will never die. J know that if r was in a bind I can hands
down rely on them to help me out and they know I would
do the same thing for them. These are guys I would see
every once and a while and we hardly e er talked inee we
lived tog ther, but I consider them some of my best
friends . ver} time we run into each other we stop and
talk about the old day, and what things are like now. Can
you hone lly say you have fr iends like that? If you do
then you better consider yourself fortunate be ause you
are. Even if you onl have one, still count yourself fonu-
nate because some p ople may not have any.
1 gue" what 1 am aying is lhal a friend is ' omeone
YOll can blindly tru 1. and rely upon in any situation.
Someone who \ ill always be there when you need them,
andou will do the same for them. It 's a simple defini-
tion, yet some peopl e. like to complicate it by adding
clause ' as though it were a contract. Friendship i not a
contract it's a bond. There are some bonds that may la t
forever and some just can't.
1 am running out of space so I will conclude wi th
things to think about. To consider yourself rich, how
many friends do you need?- A hundred or one? Are you
demanding a lot of your friends' time, energy, and friend-
ship without returning the favour? Will you step in front
of speeding car to push your friend out of the way? Do
you have "friends" or acquaintances? There is a differ-
ence but can you ec the difference?
and other things
million US dollars per year [BHC] . Most of the expendi-
tures have been for the Ethiopian Air Force which now
includes MiG fighters and electronic surveillance equip-
ment. With sixty percent of Ethiopians living in absolute
poverty (no annual income), it is ridiculous that the gov
emment see the need for uch an elaborate air force.
Stati tics for Eritrea are almost ident ical. Childish politics
are poi soning the recovery process of a country that
should not be spendi ng a penny in the wrong way.
All the politics involved with this war are absolutely
disgusting. First, to govern in the best interest of the peo-
ple means providing the necessities of life to the inhabi -
tants of the country. Food, shelter, and health care arc
more necessary than air defence. This leads to another
interesting question: Would thi , war be going on if these
countries were not so well armed? Foreign countries seil-
ing arms to Ethiopia are also in the wrong. It would not
be surprising if the weaponry were donated to Ethiopia as
foreign aid. Of course, such information will never be
revealed, but it makes business sense for a foreign coun-
try to supply foreign aid in the form of old military equip-
ment. The dollar figures of the donation would be
tremendous, but the actual cost would be minimal. It is
not unusual for foreign aid to be made in terms of military
assistance. For years, the former Soviet Union supplied
countries like South Africa with such foreign aid. Even
the United States provided Iraq with military equipment
a foreign aid in the early eighties. Such tactics are inhu-
mane and bring no real benefits to the people living in
poverty in any of these countries. Foreign aid to a gov-
ernment seems to be different than foreign aid to people.
This situation is not getting the attention it deserve
bccaust' of the involwd, 11\ IXl'1l 011 lhe llews
a couple of times, but nothin!! has b't'll Illad' of th..: ",It II I"\,!
of the war, or the people suffering. Ethiopia simply Il ol
impOII<lnt enough to warrant wid 'spread .I!tcntion . Their
influence on th' world is consider 'ct impoltant enough, so
while til ' Ethiopian government continues III invest in
defence and its people live III pOVCI1y, 111) onc i!o. goi ng lo
pay much att ntion. Humanitarian groups will continu '
trying to help, but without the support of' Ethiopia, no one
will be able to help Ethiopia. What wCluld happen if the
Canadian government suddenly decided to scrap the clIr-
rent health care system in ord r to develop a nuclear arse
nal ? It sounds outrageous, but it parallels lhe situation in
East Africa right now.
It almost 'ounds funny, but Lhe bombing raids by
Ethiopian and Eritrean jets on bordering cities has hap-
pened. Ethiopia has an Air Force and there has been fight-
ing in the air. Down below, children arc crying for food
and di sease is spreading due to unsanitized water, but all
thi s is irrelevant because fifty square kilometres of moun-
tainous land are worth more than human life. Both gov-
ernments arc appealing for foreign aid during this war, but
do they deserve it? No, the governments do not deserve
it, but the people do.
The Iron Warrior Friday, June 26, 1998
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From the desk of the President
Not-for-Profit Status
People have asked from time to time about whether or
not our ociety could gain not-for-profit status. In an effort
to answer these questions J have obtained information and
am investigating further. However, actually incorporating
as such an organization would be a great undertaking and
it is likely not something that would be pursued in the near
future.
Government Regulation on Thition and University
Programs
J am attempting to keep abreast of the issues facing us
in regards to tuition and program deregulation. If you
have any questions or are unsure of any of the issues
please e-mail me or talk to me.
A Provost Task Force on Tuition and Student Financial
Support has been established at UW and will be produc-
ing a report. If you have any input please forward it to me.
From the desk of the VP External
Yearbook Computers
Over the past two week J have been collecting quotes
from various companies to supply us with the two com-
puters and all other equipment needed to produce the
yearbook. It is my hope that by the start of julY these
mabhines will be up and running and the yearbook staff
(who have been incredibly patient) will be able to start
producing their yearbook.
It has been arranged with the Dean's office to use the
old Lever lab (CPH 3390A) to house the new computers
to be used by the Yearbook Committee. This room will be
used on an ongoing basis for Yearbook.
ESSCO AGM '98
Three weeks ago EngSoc sent three delegates to the
ESSCO AGM held this summer at McMaster. The key
points that came out of the conference include how
ESSCO will approach the PEO Student Membership
(more on that later); the desire for schools across the
Report
province to talk to each other regarding FROSH week to
get new ideas and to work together to solve the problem
that each university will face with the elimination of the
final year of public school ; the need for us as students to
work together to get as much information and to form a
solid stance on tuition deregulation.
PEO Student Membership
The following is an e-mail which was posted on the
ESSCO link from the previous VP-Education, Mike
Wrigglesworth, of ESSCO:
"I just returned from the latest PEO Council Meeting
in Toronto. At 1:21 pm on Friday, May 29,1998 the
motion was passed.
The PEO has officially approved the Student
Membership in principle. The details will be hammered
out by a task force comprised so far of three councillors
and two tudents (to be selected next weekend at MAC).
Of course, Johnny Zuccon, Norm Williams and Laurie
McDonald will all be helping out too."
At the ESSCO AGM, it wa decided between the PEO
representatives there and the delegations from each of the
schools that there would be four tudents on the Task
Force. The fir t two students are Shoshanna Mensher
from Ryerson (the newly elected president of ESSCO)
and David Smith from MacMaster. The other two posi-
tions are open to any students who wish to apply and par-
ticipate in this historic task force. Applicaitons (for the
entire province) are found on our web site (engsoc.uwa-
terJoo.ca) under forms.
ESSCO AGM '99
At this year's ESSCO AGM the location for the
'99 and the ESSCO AGM '99. Lakehead
will be the proud host of the Olympics, while Waterloo
will be hosting the AGM next summer. The chairs for this
conference are Mike Hermann for B-Soc and Chris
Bardon for A-Soc.
From the desk of the VP Internal
What would make you come out??
Please, I am not referring to anything explicit! I am
talking about EVENTS? This is my first time on campus
during a summer term. I'm calling this term a learning
curve because our participation rate has hit rock bottom! I
know a thousand excuses exist for not showing up to an
event. Excuses like I have too much homework, didn't
know about it, EngSoc is too much like a clique, what is
EngSoc?, who is going to be there? (get some friends
together and you can all be there!), roommates are having
a BBQ, going home to see family, don't know anyone at
the event, etc ....
The problem is that I haven't heard why people are not
interested in coming out. Last term when I was not in the
position of VPI, I would hear these-'excuses all the time.
Part of the reason for wanting to be in this position was to
make a difference, well, so far I am failing! So what I
would like to hear again is "why"? Please, I would like to
get everyone discussing why they are not getting
involved, and please forward those comments to me,
GOOD and BAD!
From the desk of the VP Finance
Summer 1998 donation decisions have been made.
The lucky recipients are:
Midnight Sun - $400.00
Concrete Toboggan - $300.00
Arial Robotics - $150.00
Engineering Science Que t - $150.00
Total - $1000.00
Reconciliation between the two engineering societies
was completed the weekend of June 20th, when I met with
. former VP Finance, Jason Worry, and the current A-Soc
VP Finance, Mike Muffels.
As the term continues, there will be updates on the
possibility of the Engineering Society becoming an offi-
cial not-far-profit organization, the final totals for the
Engineering Society Office Renovations, and the possibil-
ity of other renovations to CPH foyer.
Ryan Chen-Wing
President
eng_prez@engmail
Kelly Fawcett
VP Internal
eng_ vpint@engmail
Chris Foster
VP External
eng_ vpext@engmail
Mike Olley
VP Finance
eng_ vpfin@engmail
The Iron Warrior Friday, June 26, 1998
Upcoming Events
From the VP Internal
June 27 Soccer tournament
contact jmcara@engmail
July 1 Canada day - make sure that you have igned up as a volunteer
contact krussill@engmail or mhermann@engmail
July 3 Semi-Formal- This year' theme is Jungle Fever. Tickets are
on sale in the Orifice for $15.00 or $17.00 at the door.
July 4 Mudbowl - a great day of sun and fun.
July 5 Joint Council - noon at Weavers!
July 9 Tal-Eng
July 10 White Water Rafting weekend
contact bkparker@engmaii
Upcoming Conferences
From the VP External
PEO-UES Conference
Women in E n g i n e ~ ~ g Conference at Queen's
Canadian Congres of Engineering Students (CCES) at U of T
Elliot Biro
have ranged from uggested improve-
ment to the foundation, to complaints
. temming from perceptions people had
about the running ofWEEF. So to bet-
tcr ser e our members (ALL of under-
graduate engineering, irrespective of
whether or not you donated your $75
thi. term), we have decided to hold the
fir. (-ever WEEF General Meeting.
The meeltng will take place on
July 2nd in DCl302 at 5:30. It will
WEEF Director
be an opportunity for everyone to
b come more informed about
W
ell r e finally done it. I finally gOI
around to calculating the WEEF
participation rate this ternl. 71.7%
of Waterloo undergraduate engineering
donated their $75 to WEEF. However, what
this really mean. to us i for every 75 that
wa donated to WEEF thi term we will be
spending $107.42 for new equipment that all
of us need. On the. arne note, I would like to
acknowledge high Ie el of donation from the
following cla ses:
1 B Systems 93.5%
3A Systems 88.2%
1 B Electrical
2B Mechanical
83.9%
81.5%
I B Mechanical 81.4%
2B Civil 80.6%
I B Geological 80.0%
Over the years, people have made many
comments about WEEF. These comments
WEEF in general, its practise and
the decision that the Funding Counci l and it
directors make. Plus. there will be mnple
opportunity to ask questions and make sug-
ge. tions concerning the operation of the foun-
dation.
1 would also like to remind e eryone that
WEEF proposal arc due oon. Currently, (as
I'm writing), I would like to ay that I have
already received one proposal (hint , hint,
hint), and I would like to take thi opportuni-
ty to encourage this. ort of behaviour from
everyone who want a donation this term.
You all know what they ay about the early
bird and all that. Just to remind everyone,
proposal are due Monday June 29th, elec-
tronically (either on disk in the box in the
Orifice, or attached to an email send to
Weef@helix), and LATE PROPOSALS
WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED.
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. The Iron Warrior Friday, June 26, 1998

...
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