Friday, October 31, 1997 The Magazine of the University of Waterloo Engineering Society Volume 21 Issue 14

POET
BASH!!!
Friday, OCt. 3'1 @8:00pm
Costume Prizes
2 The Iron Warrior
Editor- in
- Chief
W
hat does this space exist for?
While the Iron Warrior Policy
requires a regular column be
maintained by the editors, no specific
requirements for content are required. In
the past it has been used as an opinion
space, but I'd like to change that. In keep-
ing with this term's goal of increasing the
quality of the content in this paper, I'm
going to use this space productively. f'll
explain in this article how the Iron Warrior
fits into the grand scheme of engineering,
the purpose of the IW, and how it operates.
The Iron Warrior, as stated in the IW
Policy and printed on the cover for every-
one to read, is "The Magazine of the
University of Waterloo Engineering
Society". This means it is part of the
Engineering Society. The Iron Warrior
staff reports to the Engineering Society
Council like any directorship, and has no
autonomy. This doesn't mean it is run
blindly without free thought, but that we
do have people to report to. The Iron
Warrior is funded through advertising and
your Engineering Society fees. This term
has gone very well, with the Iron Warrior
comfortably covering all costs through
advertising for all four issues so far, which
includes the special frosh week edition
which was put in every frash kit. The Iron
Warrior has no more connection to the fac-
ulty of engineering than any other part of
the Engineering Society. While the Iron
Warrior does not have financial or organi-
zational independence, the staff has the
confidence of the executive to produce a
quality, rcspectable paper with minimal
interference.
The of the Iron Warrior, as
written in the Iron Warrior Policy, is "to act
as a forum for thought-provoking and
informative articles and opinions present-
ed by the Engineering Society, the
Engineering faculty, and by the academic
community of the University of Waterloo".
In more informal terms, the Iron Warrior is
meant to act as a vqice for the students,
and a way to learn more about enginee.ring
education, the engineering professi.on, and
other topics relevant to our faculty.
The Iron Warrior is produced entirely
through the efforts of volunteers. The
entire process, from advertising, writing,
and editing u[)tillayout is completed, is all
done by students. Once the final layout is
completed on computer, it then goes to a
publishing firm for negatives, and then to
a printing press so we can all read the final
product. The last two stages are where the
majority of the cost comes from. Printing
1500 copies of a newspaper isn't pocket-
change!
Prom a staff operation point of view,
the Iron Warrior has three levels. All posi-
tions are voluntary and unpaid. The first
level is the Advisory Board, which is a
small group (composed of the Editor-in-
Chief, VP Internal or President, and a stu-
dent-at-large) which is responsible for
major decisions that happen only on an as-
needed or term-by-term basis, such as
selection for staff positions, disciplinary
action, or formal endorsements of opin-
ions. The next level, which is where the
real work begins, is called the Editorial
Board. This is composed of the Editor-in-
Chief, Lhe Assistant Editor(s), the
Advertising Manager, the Layout Editor,
and the Photo Editor. These are the core
staff members, responsible for ensuring
the production of a quality paper. The next
level of the staff consists of layout staff,
writers, photographers, copy editors, or
anybody else working on the paper. The
Editorial Board and the staff are the heart
and soul of the paper, formed from volun-
teer students who want to do more than
just write tests and complete assignments.
The end responsibility for the produc-
tion of the paper lies with the Editor-in-
Chief, but no one person could regularly
produce this paper alone. With the occa-
sional help of a few people, it took many
weekends and countless spare hours over
the summer for me to complete the Frosh
issue, and in my first term working on the
Iron Warrior (Summer '96) each issue was
completed with only three solid staff mem-
bers. We did it that way in the past, but the
current situation is vastly improved. This
term has seen the staff list explode to
almost twenty people, with a committed
core of about a dozen. This has made the
Iron Warrior an even more enriching expe-
rience for all of us, as well as resulting in
a better paper. This term has seen great
new features like ProtFiles, Point vs.
CounterPoint, and Adventures in
EngWorld, showing what a team can
accomplish. The Iron Warrior team is
always looking for new people to join us.
As always a new staff will be needed for
next term, but if you'd like to become
involved right away, we'll gladly welcome
your participation. We are especially look-
ing for writers, as we always have new
topics we'd like to explore. Of course the
Iron Warrior is always open to volunteer
submissions. Our contact information can
be found at the bottom of the contributor's
list, on the right hand side of this page.
---------------------------
Iron Warrior Highlights
ProfFiles
pp.4-5
Licensing
Lessons
p.7
Waterloo-India
Linkage
p.10
PEOIUES
Conference
pp.12-13
The "Halloween is on the cover" Issue
Frida)" October 31, 1997

The Magazine of the University of
Waterloo Erzgineering Society
Editor - in - Chief
Michael Hermann
Assistant Editors
Jeremy Eves
Caroline Page
Layout Editor
Richard Kuttner
Advertising Manager
Aaron Leiba
Staff
Allison Annan
Sabrina Cannistraro
Rukrna Chakravarty
Audrey Faint
Amy Kim
Alison Kudelka
Arthur Lam
Kun-Wah Mak
Satish Mathew
Mat Pigozzo
Po-Yan Tsang
Luke Windisch
Evan Young
Zhan Huan Zhou
Copy Editor
Carrie Warner
Contributors
Ryan Chen-Wing
John Faber
Chris Foster
Dustin Kersey
C. Ian Kyer
R. Hadash
Prof. John McPhee
Chris McCullough
Monica Milanowski
Jenny Mitchell
Lucy Pegoraro
Chris Potvin
Kati Princz
Doron Solomon
Prof. Jon Sykes
Monika UJagaraj
James Wallace
Kim Whitear
Jay Worry
The Warrior is a forum for thought provoking
and infonnative articles published by the Engineering
Society. Views expressed in The Iron Warrior are
those of the authors and do nol neressarily refl ect the
opinions of the Engineering Society.
The Iron Warrior encourages submissions from stu-
dents. faculty and members of the university commu-
nily. Submissions should reflect the concerns and
intelleclual standards of the university in general. The
author's name and phone number should be included.
All submissions, unless otherwise stated, become the
property of The Iron Warrior, which reserves the
right to refuse publication of malerial which it deems
unsuitable. The Iron Warrior also reserves the right
to edit grammar, spelling and text that do not meet
university siandards. AUlhors will be notified of any
major changes that may be required.
Mail should be addressed to The Iron Warrior,
Engineering Society. CPH 1327, Universily of
Waterloo, Waterloo, Onlario, N2L 30 l. Our phone
number is (5 19) 888-4567 x2693. Our fax number is
(519) 7254872. Email can be senllO
iwarr;or@engmail.uwllterloo.ca
The Iron Warrior, Friday, October 31, 1997 News & Information
Allison Annan
ZA Comp - Flying
S
o. what have you been doing mer the la, t
few weeks'? You've probabl been bogged
down by midterms like I wa - but they're
over now!! In ca e you've mLsed a few of the
events over the la t week, here's a brief rundown
on what' been going on .







OOPS!!
PEa Conference
On the weekend of October 2-5, the PEO
Conference was held. It was a time for engi-
neers from all over Ontario to meet and find out
about the PEO. Specifically, its purpose was to
educate students about what the PEO is doing to
improve its status and how what happens now
will affect our future. If you're interested in
reading more about the conference, there are
more detailed articles later in this issue. The
students who represented Waterloo at the con-
ference had a great time and found out a lot of
interesting information.





Council Meeting #3










I'd just like to say that I'm sorry for screwing
up in my last article. When I was talking about
the Slave Auction 1 said that Mary Bland was
auctioned off for $51.50. That was wrong, she
was actually auctioned off for $61.51. Sorry for
the inaccurate information.







Pub-a-Thon
The Pub-a-Thon was held on October 9.





















J
L ....
... , .
.-

.-.-:
'-
. .

." ....t:



3








Rugby Tournament
The Rugby Tournament took place on
October 5. There were approximately 50 people
there and it was a lot of fun. It consisted of
round robin play between all the different learns.
It should be noted that Far yde B y tern
had an excellent team, and rumour has it that
they were even holding their own practices
before the tournament. Overall, a great time
was had by all the people who participated.
Thanks to Ryan Chen-Wing for organizing and
running the tournament.
The latest Eng-Soc meeting was heJd on
October 8. This was the meeting where Dean
Burns talked to us about some of the current
issues in engineering (stuff like the number of
1st years enrolled this year, changing the num-
bers of students in each division, etc.) As u ua1,
upcoming current events were talked about and
general issues were discussed. One important
announcement was that Ryan Chen-Wing i
now the new WEEF Director for the term, so if
you have any WEEF questions, ask him. Some
prizes were given out to the Class Reps who
played excellently (and horribly) at Laser Quest.
The meeting was fun and interesting, and this i
ju t a reminder that everyone is welcome to
attend .


This evening included visiting 7 bars (POETS,
the Bomber, Mongolian Grill, McGinnis,
Weavers Arms, Louie's and the Fox and the
Pheasant). Those who were involved were
required to make it between each bar by doing
something crazy. This required blindfolding
some people, carrying people, 3-legged races
and crab walks. ft wa a fun evening for all























Bungee Pull

On October 8 McGinnis held a Bungee Pull
to raise money for the United Way. Andre
Brisson and Mark Popik went out to help orga-
nize the Bungee Pull. Plenty of us engineers
were out to cheer them on as they attempted to
win the fight against the bungee cord. Plenty of
money was raised for the United Way, and plen-
ty of engineers used all their strength to beat the
bungee. Congrats to Andre who made it to 27
114 feet, the furthest distance of all who partici-
pated.
: ..... --. ..-
tho e involved.















Oktoberfest
October 16th was student's night at
Bingemans, and it was packed. There were stu-
dents there from Toronto, MacMaster, Western,
Laurier and, of course, Waterloo. The evening
included a whole lot of polka dancing, amongst
other things. A couple of other interesting
events included someone participating in
Sauerkraut wrestling, and seeing the infamous
George Kash drink while standing on his head.















Bowling Tournament
The ll)U 1'1 HUlK' 111 was Ih'ld on
Ot'loh'l 22. ()cspit the ruet that Wl welt' all in
the midsl of midt 'I lllS. a Il'w dcuiclIt( cI hmvlcl S
showed up twelve III fact. TIll'Y donned thos(,
great howling shoes and howled their Ileurls out.




Upcoming Events
M.D.'!'. October:1 J
Eng Soc Election nominations
open - November 3
Pool Tourney - November 6
Eng Soc Election nominations
close - November 7
Semi-Formal - November 8
Tal-ENG - November 13
Brunny Trip - November 14
Eng Soc Elections
Unplugged Tal-ENG - November 20
MudBowl - November 22
E.O.T. - November 28
4

Luke Windisch
lA Systems
THE U OF W MoRG
W
ith the imminent arrival of Halloween, the
word morgue invariably casts an image of
coldly lit, stainless steel filled rooms with
drawers containing ... weJl , you get the idea. Now,
although during midterms there are many sleep-deprived
students who look like the local morgue would be a more
suitable place for them to be than the classroom (of
course, those academic blue and green paint schemes
may suggest otherwise), many people would be happy to
know that there is not a new morgue on campus. Rather,
as far as Plummers should be concerned, MoRG refers to
Prof. McPhu of/h. Systems IN.'i8n Engin""ring Department
T
wo days every fall and winter, engineering is
silently invaded by hundreds of high school stu-
dents trying to get a feel for life in engineering.
These students lurk in the shadows, OUR SHADOWS!
That's right everybody, Shadow Oayz 1997 is just
The Iron Warrior, Friday, October 31, 1997
Subject: Professor John McPhee
Degrees: B.Eng. I M.A.Sc., PhD
Institute: Acadia University
University of Waterloo
Discipline: Systems Design Engineering
Area of Research: Motion Research Group
the Motion Research Group headed up by Professor John
McPhee of Systems Design Engineering.
McPhee has been at the university since 1992, but
before that time he has definitely been in "motion" him-
self. After finishing his undergraduate degree in
Mechanical engineering at Acadia university in Halifax,
he then achieved both his Ma ter's and PhD at the good
01' U ofW. From there, he spent a year doing a post doc-
torate fellowship in Belgium, where he worked in an
aerospace lab researching the dynamics of flexible struc-
tures and robotics, and then spent a year doing another
post doctorate fellowship at Queen's, researching real
vehicles. Needless to say, McPhee has a great deal of
experience and skill that are of tremendous use in a group
that researches motion.
Specifically, the MoRG looks at automated network
analysis for engineering design. In Plummer talk, this
basically means that they analyze systems and bodies
that are connected together and are in motion. This
research has led McPhee and the group to do some con-
tract work for a hydraulic excavating company, improv-
ing upon existing designs, as well as research for
companies like Bombardier.
Overall, the group looks at the cyclical process of
design analysis, design examination and testing, and
design modification to try and achieve the best design of
a system possible. Unfortunately, this process is often
very time consuming and inefficient as it can require
much rebuilding and testing of mechanical components
to achieve the best results. This is where the main thrust
of the MoRG comes in. In order to cut down on the inef-
ficiency of this process, they are doing a great deal of
work and research involving automated analysis, or as it
is often called, Virtual Prototyping. Essentially, this is a
method of doing all the initial testing and design by using
computers to generate the mathematical equations asso-
ciated with the design, and silicon graphics workstations
to construct each succes ive intermediate design before
making the final, physical object. This process has great
advantages in the reduction in the length of the design
cycle that it create, which frees up more time to better
the design.
However, despite the advantages that this design
Working Model Simulation Software
approach presents, there are still many limitations, and
the group is constantly working hard to find ways of
improving automated analysis tools. Specifically, they
are leading the field in their use of Linear Graph theory
to analyze Mechatronic systems (systems that have
mechanical-electrical components), a method which
allows far more design flexibility than the normal 'case-
specific' approach to studying these systems because it is
a more broad based approach.
McPhee is al 0 working in collaboration with
Professor Caroline MacGregor, researching and develop-
ing ways of improving automated design through the use
of Virtual Reality. VR would simultaneously allow
researchers to analyze the design of a system, and also
how to best adapt it to its human users.
With these far reaching potential applications, one
can be rest assured that this group won't be visiting the
morgue anytime soon.
What's That Behind You?
ha yz, Fall 1997
around the comer and now is your chance to get involved
in the moulding of young minds (ie. convincing them to
come to engineering at Waterloo). This term the tentative
dates are Monday and Tuesday, November 17th and 18th.
So sign up on the door of the Engineering Society Office,
or talk to your class rep to find out more about Shadow
Oayz. And if you don't feel like being shadowed and you
want to improve your public speaking skills, you can help
out with departmental presentations in which you can sell
your department to the unsuspecting soon-to-be high
school graduates. Just e-mail myself (mfdolley@eng-
mail.uwaterloo.ca) or Sri Artham(sartham@uwaterloo.ca)
for more information.
Have a happy Halloween everybody, and I hope to see
you and your Shadow in a few weeks!
.. 1.b.. _ j L I _ I.: 1. ... : I , I. '
The Iron Warrior, Friday, October 31, 1997
I
f there is a prof you feel as if you can always approach
and who seems in tune with the students, Jon Sykes
definitely pops into mind right away. Having been at
the University through the psychedelic, punk, and grunge
years, he's the one knowing all the in's and out's of the
place, having seen the engineering program grow and
change to what it is today.
Born and raised not too far away in Etobicoke, Dr.
Sykes first came to Waterloo as an undergrad student in
the 60's. He knew the only program he wanted was civil
engineering from the very start, and wouldn't consider
anything else. As an undergrad he developed an interest
in water resources engineering and decided to pursue it
further in graduate studies, where he also received an
NSERC scholarship to do his research. While still a year
away from a doctorate degree, Dr. Sykes was offered a
faculty position in the civil department upon graduation.
As a result he has been on faculty at the University of
Waterloo since September of 1975.
Dr. Sykes' main area of research has been in hydroge-
ology, on the modeling and analysis of groundwater flow
and contaminate transport problems. His work has cov-
5
Subject: Jon Sykes, Dept. Chair Dr.
Birth: Place of Etobicoke, ON
Degrees: M. A. Sc. I
University of Waterloo
B. A. Se. , PhD
Institute:
Engineering Discipline: Civil
Hydrogeology Area of Research:
ered many environmental concerns in toxic waste and
water contamination, which directly affects the lives and
safety of people. It has taken him into the private sector
with consulting firms and organizations uch a Ontario
Hydro and Imperia] Oil. He emphasizes the extreme
importance of taking theoretical research and applying it
directly to the industry, and sees this constant intermin-
gling of the two, even at the undergraduate level, a the
reason for the success of UW's co-op program.
In recent years Dr. Sykes has become mere involved
in litigation work, as an expert witness brought in to set
facts straight in complex, technical legal cases. One of the
biggest cases he has been involved in was the Woburn
toxic wasle trial .. After 11 children developed leukemia
over a period of five years, the residents of Woburn,
Massachusetts found the outbreak was centered in an area
where only well water was con umed. The ca e was to
prove that two wells were being contaminated by under-
ground flow from three neighbouring industrial sites.
Two out of the three ites were upstream beside a nearby
river, and as a result the facts were intuitively obvious.
However, it was left to be shown that the third site across
the river was also contaminating the wells. The case was
to prove that water from the site was flowing under the
river to the wells. The civil engineering department chair
from Princeton University was originally called in as a
witne, s but made a technical error on stant!. H' was sub-
cheating, that would be bad. What I' m
talking about i teamwork.
sequently discredited. The ca e was lost, and as a ftI80lt
Dr. Syke was called in to testify at th appeal stage.
Dr. Sykes was able to prove that it is possible for
water to flow acros , underneath a river. An experiment
was conducted where mall wells were dug in and around '
the site in que tion. Then the two suspect wells were
pumped at full capacity to see if the levels dropped in the
newly dug wells. Analy e were conducted to find which
wells dropped in level, and determine in which ways
water flowed in the area. Dr. Syke, was able to prove the
case, but due to complications in US laws the case was
lost.
More recentl y, Dr. Sykes has been involved in legal
ca es in R no, vada, and ew Brun wi . Al 0, h
was appointed Chair of the civil department this past
May, after being As ociate Chair of Undergraduate
Studies and of Graduate Studie for three years each.
Some of hi new-found duties include working with the
department budget, allocating resource to various areas
of the department, and hiring.
As a professor and a profe sional engineer, Dr. Sykes
has gained incredibly diverse experiences in his chosen
field over the years. For students, it's reassuring to know
that there is someone like Dr. Sykes who we can approach
so easily about anything while at Waterloo, regarding our
current and future engineering careers.
Take A
'- Zhance
How many times have you written all
exam, but were unsure about one measly
step in the solution? You agoni7..e about
which method is correct and inevitably,
you erase the proper solution and put the
If you try ((l llJuke il anywhere in Ihe world by your-
self, alone, you will most likely fuil, flO mutter what it is.
For example, the succ of many Illtljor high t 'ch <':"111-
ponies such as Appl and Micrm,oh ale not the proDuct of
a single individual. Apple WIIS founded by Stt'v' Wozniak
and teve Jobs. Neither one could have done it hy him-
self, but it took the combination of Ihe two. "II was Jobs'
garage thai Apple started in, hut it was WOJniak's COIII-
puter" is a quote a pulled of the internet showing the
importance of teuOlwork. Moreover, Bill Gates could not
have built up Microsoft 10 dominate the PC mar-
ket without his partner Paul Allen.
I
The Real
World
W
ell you made it. The dreaded week of midterms
is finally finished. You may have lost a few
more years off your life but it's done. Not to
worry, I've just discovered the a way to reduce stress,
studying time and get a better mark. I'm not talking about
wrong answer down on the paper which is
going to be marked. Somehow,] imagine
that an employer would be quite disappointed that you
tried to attain the correct solution by yourself and had to
guess at the proper answer. However, during a midterm,
if you even lift your head to look at the clock, the proctors
can accuse you of cheating. HELLO! Do you see a dif-
ference between school and the real world?
Employers don't expect a student to know everything.
If you need to know something, just ask a fellow co-work-
er. If you still can't find the answer, you can consult
books. Imagine, a hundred engineers in the same room all
working on the same task. They're all stuck on the same
problem but can't ask each other for assistance. Soul'ld
silly? Now, don't imagine anymore because YOU are one
of those engineers. You all experienced this during
midterms I'm sure. The point is, you are never as isolat-
ed in the work environment as you are during an exam.
People in the real world can't succ ed by themselves,
why should people in school be any different? The only
explanation I can give is that school has nothing to do
with the real world. In that case, WHY THE HELL ARE
WE ALL HERE?
*Note: For all you people confused about the word
"Zhance", my name is pronounced "Chan" with the 'Z'
sounding like a 'C'. Therefore the title of my column is
pronounced "Take A Chance". Make sense now? If you
have any comments or feedback, send me an e-mail at
zhzhou@novjce.
I
6 Opinions The Iron Warrior, Friday, October 31, 1997
"Have he Orifice
Renovations
benefitted the
Enginee

ring Society?"
POINT.
W
hen the Orifice renovations were first pro-
posed last winter, r have to admit I was not a
strong supporter. Fundamentally I believe that
if it's not broke, don't through a lot of money at it to fix
it, and in my mind the previous Orifice met all the
requirements of an of lice. Since the renovations have
taken place, I have looked again at the project that was
undertaken, and seen a number of positive results aside
from appearance.
Aside from new carpet and a paint job, the renova-
tions moved the backroom from the front right of the
office to the back left while reducing the size of it. The
reception desk was moved forward closer to the door and
the photocopiers and cabinets moved around into the area
that the original back room was in. But was there a ben-
efit?
From my perspective, yes, I have seen a great
improvement in the functionality of the office as a whole.
Students no longer gather between the doorway and the
reception desk. This has helped to eliminate some of the
clique type gathering that used to occur in this area and
as a result more students are now using the services
offered by the engineering society. Inherently this is the
goal of the engineering society; to provide services to its
members in such a way as to not intimidate its members
from using them.
As part of the renovations, an island was placed
behind the photocopiers. Tills island serves as a cup-
board to. store alJ the supplies used fo.r the photocepiers
and poster making. It also provide an excellent place
clese to the phetocopier where people can sort their pho-
tocepies; eliminating the old probJem of people wander-
ing between the photocopies and the other side of the
room while photocopying. Smaller, less obvious
improvements have also been made. A glass display case
has been added as part of the reception desk. This allows
for novelties to. be dispJayed directly where people will
see them. Even small sale increases from this will help
bring revenue into. the society; revenue which can be
used to pay for new student services.
Aside from. the improvements in the functionality of
the Orifice, there are the a.esthetic improvements to be
considered. It is important to remember that we as a
society will often invite guests in; some of these guests
may now o.r in the future sponsor the engineering society
or an affiliated conference. By presenting an office like
the new Orifice we show to them that regardless of how
bard we party we can also act, work and represent our-
selves in a responsibly malll1er.
So although I may not have agreed with the renova-
tions when they were proposed, or when they past in
council, reviewing the positive change that they have
brought I consider them to have provided a number of
benefits to the members of the engineering society.
Editor's Note: The opinions expressed here
do not necessarily reflect those of the
authors, or the Iron Warrior staff. This is
meant to be a thought-provoking debate,
not a statement of fact or opinion.
The Iron Warrior, Friday, October 31, 1997

News & Information
circum' tan es that create or
impl} an obligation of confi-
den e. Thirdl), he or she
7
does not, h wever, extend to idea or information discov-
ered independentl . or by examining a product which
embodic ' the trade secret.
Icenslng
essons
rou ! . hO\ that
there ha been
unauthorized
u. e of the
information to
hi or her detri-
ment.
"All those to whom information
has been given in confidence
have a legal duty to maintain the
confidence.
"
The
"trade
. t
10
Canada, to
confidential
information
T
his is the third step on your road to a better under-
standing of our intellectual property laws. In the
Idea and
information can, in appropri-
ate circum tance ,enjoy pro-
tection in Canada a a trade
secret. Such protection, however, will be given only to an
idea or to information that i confidential and has been
revealed in confidence.
It is the confidentiality of the information that i being
protected, not the type of information or it form. Trade
secrets do not have to be particularly novel, original, or
creative. Thus trade secret protection may extend to the
very idea and organizing structure of a computer program,
not merely to the particular code protected by copyright.
Similarly, trade secret protection appli es to confidential
know-how about industrial first issue I provided
a primer on copyright and
computer software. In the
second is ue I dealt with
patents. This issue we move
, , Trade secret protection may
proces es that would not be
novel enough to qualify for
patent protection. On the
other hand, protection does
not extend to information or
ideas that are no longer COn-
fidential , no matter how
innovative or original they
on to trade ecrets.
Trade secret law in
Canada is court-made law -
ari sing from a series of court
be invoked ... against anyone who
has received information in
confidence even if there is no
contract. , ,
decisions over the years. There is no trade secret legisla-
tion. Trade secret protection may be invoked against
someone who breaches a confidentiality agreement or
against anyone who has received information in confi-
dence even if there is no contract. The tort of breach of
confidence is founded on the principle "that he who has
received information in confidence shall not take unfair
advantage of it. ". To be successful in an action for breach
of confidence a plaintiff has to establish several things.
First, he or she must show that the information itself has
the "necessary quality of confidence about it". Secondly,
the plaintiff must show that the information has been pro-
vided to the person against whom the action is brought in
may have been.
The confidential information must also have been
revealed in confidence. Courts in Canada protect rela-
tionships of confidence. Our courts know that corpora-
tions must reveal their trade secrets to various persons in
order to carryon business. Employees, consultants, man-
ufacturers of components, and possible partner in busi-
ness may all have access to trade secrets. All those to
whom information has been given in confidence have a
legal duty to maintain the confidence and not to use the
information against the interests of the discloser. This
duty applies as well to third parties who know, or ought to
know, that the information is confidential. Protection
of a commercial nature that gives the person who knows
the information orne competitive business advantage
. uch as a more efticient way of running the busine s, a
. e ret formula, or an industrial process. Trade ecret
foml part of the more general category "confidential
infomlation," which includes confidential customer lists,
financial information, busines plans, and knowledge
about busines opportunities. If a competitor learned con-
fidential information rather than a trade ecret, they would
have a tactical advantage in competing but it would not
know how to produce a new product or increase efficien-
cy.
It i the legal requirements of trade secret law that give
rise to uch common practices as having visi tors to a plailt
sign in and wear a visitors badge and the tamping of doc-
ument a "secret" or "onfidential". In these ways the
company hopes to be able to e. tabli h to a court that the
information wa in fact confidential and that it was
received in confidence or at least in circumstance in
which there could be no doubt that it was regarded as a
trade ecret or as confidential information.
So who am I anyway? I am a partner in the Toronto
firm of Fasken Campbell Godfrey and the national finn of
Fasken Martineau and serve as the Director of the
Computer & Technology Law Group. I practice corporate
commercial law (with an emphasi on computer and other
technology related transactions, acting for both licensors
and licensees of software and other technology). I am
President of the Canadian IT Law Association and a Life
Member and past President of the Washington D.C. based
Computer Law Association, Inc. I graduated from U ofW
with my BA in 1972 and my MA in 1973 before going on
to do both a doctorate in medieval history and a law
degree at University of Toronto.
------------------------------------
Engineering Semi FOrmal
D
id you ever have a dream a a child that you vis-
ited this tropical paradi e where you couldn't tell
where the sea ended and the sky began? That you
had this little island all to yourself and there was treasure
for you to find? And just as you were about to open the
treasure chest and discover millions of dollars worth of
gold and gems, your mother woke you up? Did you ever
wonder what it would be like to finish that dream? Well,
I'm going to try to take you back.
This term's Engineering Semi Formal is called "Back
to the Blue Lagoon" and will be held on Saturday
November 8th, 1997 at the Waterloo Inn. Along with the
normal fare of music, dancing and food, there will be a
pinata breaking contest and you'll be able to take your pic-
waters of the Blue Lago()l' wi ll lx' able II) Will th duo!
prize of scubn lessons pmviucu by thl: Di l' Shuck.
Tickets (IIC 25 and cnn h' bought from Belly in the
Orifice.
To have some fun before the seilli formal , there will b'
a treasure hunt rOT the missing Ool<.len TOOL. There will
be clues posted each week hinting to the locatioll of this
treasure. The first person to email me al
mmilanow(a)novicc with the correct specific location will
win a ticket to the semi formal. Please note that the
Golden TOOL docs not really exist and has been ficti -
tiously hidden somewhere in the Engineering buildings.
(i.e. don't go ripping rooms apart looking for something
that is not there!)
So, grab that person that you've been wanting to grab
for a while, and have fun frolicking in the waters of the
Blue Lagoon.
ture with Captain Hook or the Little Mermaid. Those
adventurous souls who risk going back to the strange
.. ,.. .. .. . ...... we,J
". ,.. . II.
, j" . ..
8 News & Information The Iron Warrior, Friday, October 31, 1997
n runners
McCullough
Frontrunners Director
D
o you want to tell the world about Waterloo engi-
neering? Do you want to sing the praises of our
beloved program from the top of every mountain?
Are you getting pictures in your head of Julie
Andrews in "The Sound of Music?" Then you must
be getting inspired! I've got a place for you to focus
all that positive engineering energy. FRONTRUN-
NERS! What's that you say? Did you just ask,
"What is Frontrunners?". WelJ, let me tell you a
story ...
A long, long time ago, well about forty years to
be exact, there was a little school called the
University of Waterloo. Thi s little university didn't
have much to offer, really, just engineering, (then
again, what more do you need?). But this little uni-
versity wa different. It offered a program called
"Co-op". It added a hands on element to an other-
wise very theory-focused degree. And this little
school grew and grew. It added new programs,
expanded its campus, and kept admitting more and
more students. But most importantly, the engineer-
ing program thrived. Eventually, it became the
biggest and best engineering school in the country.
Finally, the school couldn't contain itself; they had
to let the word out. So, Frontrunners was born.
Frontrunners is a program designed by Waterloo
engineering students to tell highschool students
about our marvelou little, or not so little as it may
be, school. Fun stuff, eh?
So, next workterm when you are sitting at home,
diligently working on your work report (geek!), why
don't you take a break? All you need to do is tell me
where you are working next term and r will set
everything up for you. Easy! We contact the high-
school nearest you, and then you sct a date and time
that is appropriate for you. What's that you say?
You are no good at giving presentations? Nonsense!
The presentation is already set up for you. We tell
you what to say and how to say it. There is of
course room for elaboration and personal insights if
you are one of those who just love a captive audi-
ence! (I do, [do!) The pre entation talks about the
University of Waterloo, engineering in general, and
Waterloo engineering. It also allow time for ques-
tions and answer. And this won't be like your
midtenns, you will probably understand the ques-
tion and be able to answer it without breaking into a
cold sweat.
Alright, calm down, I know you want to ign up,
just hold your horses, I'll tell you how. In the next
few weeks you will be seeing posters up looking for
people to volunteer to be Frontrunners. Also there
will be sign up sheets circulated to all the classes, in
the Orifice and in POETS. Once you've signed up,
I will be in contact with you to let you know the date
of our meeting. It will just be one short meeting to
take you through the presentation and to answer any
questions you may have. So, sign up! This isn't a
commitment written in stone. ff you decide against doing
Frontrunners after the meeting, hey, no problem, you can
back out. (However, in this situation, I might be forced to
refer to you as sucky baby from now on). So, when you
see that Frontrunners sign up sheet circulating around
your class or calling you in POETS (in which case, layoff
the beer), sign up! Your highschool will love you for it,
Waterloo engineering will love you for it, 1 will love you
for it (not valid for any 2A civil). If you have any ques-
tions, feel free to ask me. You'll be able to find me; I'll be
the short little girl running around like a chicken with her
head cut off. My name is Chris, I am the Frontrunners
director and 1 need you to be a FRONTRUNNER!
[Ed:Besides hunting for a hyper chicken, you can drop a
note in the Frontrunners box in the Orifice any time, or
wait till the sign-up sheets come out] Thanks for your time
and I hope to be contacting a highschool near you telling
them about how eager you are to tell them about Waterloo
engineering.
Earn the Right to
put P.Eng. after
your name.
It takes more than an engineering degree to compete in today's
marketplace. A professional engineering license (P.Eng.) is one way to
ensure you have a competitive career advantage. It shows employers
you are serious about your responsibility to society and can give you
the edge for advancement.
To be licensed, you need a bachelor's degree from an accredited
engineering program, engineering experience, and demonstrated
knowledge of ethics and engineering law. If you apply before June 30,
1998, you will need three years of satisfactory engineering experience.
After that, the experience requirement becomes four years.
Professional Engineers Ontario licenses and regulates the 62,000-
member engineering profession in the province.
Professional Engineers
Ontario
25 Sheppard Avenue West
Suite 1000
North York, Ontario M2N 6S9
Tel: (416) 224-1100 or (800) 339-3716
Fax: (416) 224-8168 or (800) 268-0496
http://www.peo.on.ca
The Iron Warrior, October 31, 1997
Engin
Ryan Chen-Wing
3B Mechanical- Tonka
phD/OS by Shillgo )'i,ki, ZB S},sJems
G
ames where a ball is kicked or pa ed around on a
field have been played for centuries in Britain. In
towns where the games were played on paved
streets, a dribbling game developed. This game would
grow into the most popular sport in the world, association
News & Information
football or occer.
Where the game
were played on gra a
ball-carrying and tack-
ling game developed.
One such place with
expan e of gra wa
Rugby School , where,
as the story i told, a
boy named William
Webb Ellis with fine
disregard for the rules
of football a played in
his time first took the
gby
ball in his arms and ran with it thus originating the dis-
tinctive feature of the rugby game.
This occurred in 1823 and henceforth the game of
rugby football would become the second most popular
sport in the world.
In 1882 a Scottish rugby club called Melrose held the
first ever seven-a-side rugby tournament which paved the
way for such tournaments as the World Cup of Sevens or
the Engineering Sevens Rugby Tournament which was
held at the beginning of October.
On October 5 about fifty people came out to Columbia
Fields to playa few matches of
this intense version of Rugby.
In the previous week two prac-
tice sessions were run to help
familiarize people with the
game and give them a chance to
run around before the tourna-
ment.
The eight teams entered in
the tournament were Far Syde,
IA Civil (Uncivilized), 28
Mech Mechgyver, 2A Civil, 28
Chern/Env Chern, A Soc,
If you're always on the go take us with you.
A pager from Bell Mobility is the ('as ' and affordable
way to stay In the loop.
Bell Mobility
9
la.I/)1I l.vrrl' (car0'ing hal/)./lTI1/1 28 Sv.rm'lf, em a nm lor a 10'
Freshman Fighters and a mixed tcam. In the first round
players got more u ed to the pace of Ihe game and some
fine trie were cored.
Before the end of the first round we were displaced
from the rugby pitch by an Athena rugby match and we
ended up having to move to the upper field. As well most
teams lost players 10 labs, homework and other things
which essentially eliminated the playoff round.
A play in aClion
Players from different teams got together for a number
of scrimmages and Jeff Naylor and Steve Goodacre, two
of the suspended varsity players, joined in to playa few
matches.
Owrull rlnycrs a bettcr lind 'I'
standing fol' the PIICCU IIpm( and
had II good lillie. I'd likl' (0 thanl.
evcryon I'm l'oming out.
If your in wUlchin' 1I
rugby Jllutch the Warrior ru 'hy tcam
will be playing in the nUA Division II
Championship Final on SH(urdllY,
Novcmber 1 HI I p.m. 011 the
Columbiu Fields.
10 News & Information
Waterloo
2N E"vironmental-Chemical
Phoro> hy Ciul/I Cllna/, 2A r::nvirollmellla/Chemica/
n the 17th of October 1997, The University of
Waterloo held its first India-Canada day confer-
ence at the Davis Centre, followed by a dinner
and a cultural show, Thi successful event was the prod-
uct of the hard work put in by many associates and volun-
teer in and out ide of the university, The purpose of the
day was to raise awareness and awaken people in
Waterloo about one of the oldest civilizations in the world
- India, A country with immense yet unrealized potential.
The conrerence was composed of a discussion on busi-
ness prospects that India and Canada can offer each other
as well as exchange programs with the Indian Institute of
Technology. The panelists in the conference included the
Consulate General of India, the mayors of Kitchener and
Pm/".,.,,,r CltaJldre.helUJr and the InclilUl flag
Linkage
Waterloo, as well as many distinguished corporate offi-
cials and professors, Discussions on India's economic
diversity and business opportunities were prompted by the
excellent interaction that evolved amongst the panelists
and the spectators.
India is becoming an increasingly important destina-
tion for global business. It is the fifth large t economy in
the world by purchasing power parity, a stable parliamen-
tary democracy with an established legal system, vibrant
capital market , and a mature financial system.
India's business diversity exists as a result of the social
gap between the high and the low class. An issue dis-
cussed in the conference was the difference between
Indi a and countri es on a similar economic scale. As
Professor S,K. Chaudhuri commented,"[For India], the
low is very low, and the high is very high. China on the
other hand does not have such a gap in its social level."
The general theme of the conference was to discuss busi-
ness pro pects to enhance the economic growth of India,
with the aim of slowly diminishing this gap by Canadian
companies investing their resources in India. An example
is a Canadian company, Raytheon, who is doing an over
100 million-dollar project in India. Projects such as these
help create jobs to filJ this gap.
Another important subject discussed, which interested
many of the students that participated in the conference
was the possibility or an exchange between Waterloo and
the Indian Institute ofTechnology (liT). This will benefit
both countries by giving students an insight on the work-
ings and various projects which the universities offer. The
University of Waterloo has already profited rrom llT' s
graduates by procuring them as a parL of the Engineering
Faculty. In the same way The Indian Institute of
Technology has gained from Waterloo's graduates. For
example, the Director of Engineering at lIT (Madra ), Dr.
Natarajan is a Waterloo Graduate.
The cultural how was an outstanding di play of tradi-
tional Indian dancing and music. The production generat-
ed a lot of interest among the Indian and the university
community. The turn out was much more than expected,
and everyone seemed to enjoy themselves after the
thought-provoking discussions at the conference.
India-Canada Day has paved the way for future links
between the two countries. It i hoped that this kind of
positive input from the community will generate new
ideas and prospects. Some of the issues discussed in the
conference have already been looked into. The exchange
program with lIT will possibly be implemented in about a
year's time. Professor M. Chandrashekar ( ystem,
design engineering) and B. Mitchell (geography) who
organized this event have plan to make events for India-
The Iron Warrior, Friday, October 31, 1997
India
Canada linkages a regular affair. Everyone is looking for-
ward to another such successful day.
from rh' Indian Cultural Evenr
from rhe Indian Cull/,ral Evenr
The Li"lUJge ",ru I'ery wel/al/ended
---- -----
The Iron Warrior, Friday, October 31, 1997 News & Information 11
The Canadian Federation of Engineering
Students What exactly are we up to?
in industry). We han! al 0
Lucy Pegoraro
gi\ en this feedback to th
Deans of every engineering
chool aero the country. The
CFES/CCPE i cun'ently deter-
mining what organization can
I.:;;:::;;;;:::=;:=;:=;:;;;;:::;;;;:::;;;;::;;;;:::=;::::.I do to ensure that tudents are
President
CFES
repre ented in every deci. ion affecting
engineering education.
CFES: Bccau. e we are a Canadian orga-
nization - \\e mu t ' ommunicate effccti\c-
I) in both languages. \ e are currently
revi. ing the translation pro 'edures across
all branches of the Federation.
Build International Relationships:
Currently. \ e are involved with providing
leadership to engineering student leaders
in the United Kingdom by helping them
set up a national engineering student body.
These are some of the initiatives
(among many others) thnt we have been
working on. If you have any questions,
fe dba k or comments on any of these
isslIes, please email me at
presic/c'lIf@c:fes.ca. All the best, and have
a wonderful holiday season!!!
T
he Canadian Federation of
Engineering Student (CFES) ha
been working on several things
over the pa t year to promote and represent
YOU! Here is a list of some of the initia-
tives we are working on:
Dec 6th Memorial:
The r-____________________________________________________
Canadian Council of Professional
Engineers (CCPE): The CFES is work-
ing with the CCPE (who are respon ibl e
for accreditating engineering programs) by
giving them feedback about what WE
want from an engineering education (to
ensure that our education is constantly
evolving according to what skill s we need
"Montreal Ma sacre" that took place
December 6th, 1989 - killing 14 engi-
neering women is remembered by tu-
dents across the country. The CFES,
in previous years, di tributed "14 Not
Forgotten Pin ". However, the fami-
lies of the victims have requested that
we promote the White Ribbon
Campaign - symbolizing "awareness
of violence against women".
Improving Translation for the
----------------- ENGINEERING STUDENT SOCIETIES
Council
Quarterly
Update
throughout the province in
an effort to compile a
resource of activities
accessible by all universi-
ESSCO President ties. He has been research-
1.:;;:::;;;;:::;;;;:::;;;;:::;;;;:::;;;;::;;:;;;:;;;;:::;;;;:::;;;;::::::.1 ing the effectiveness of the
National Graduate
E
SSCO is an organization composed
of the thirteen engineering faculties
throughout Ontario. The ESSCO
council is mandated by engineering soci-
eties to examine concerns and projects of
common interest to engineering student
within the province. Having been elected
in June, the council completed the first
quarter of their terw by the beginning of
September. This article outlines some of
the projects we've been working on.
Elena Shusterman, ESSCO's VP
Finance, has taken over the books and has
begun determining who owes us money
and who we owe. She will be working on
various projects throughout the year deal -
ing with ESSCO budgets and the recruit-
ment of sponsors.
Mike Hermann, ESSCO's VP
Communication, has locked himself in a
cubicle and focused on designing our web
page so it can provide Ontario engineering
students with up to date information on
ESSCO, conferences, competitions and
events going on at each university.
Mike Wrigglesworth, ESSCO's VP
Education) has been working on a variety
of projects. He has been collecting infor-
mation on various outreach programs
Registry, a service allowing students
to post their resumes and search for
jobs.
As ESSCO President I have been
working on a number of projects as
well as acting as a facilitator to the
council. 1 am generating a report out-
lining the PEO structure in an effort to
increase general knowledge of the
PEO within the student body. 1 have
also been working with the Ontario
Engineering Competition Advisory
Board to ensure the success of the
OEe.
The largest project facing ESSCO
thi year is the development and
implementation of a plan to establish
a student membership program within
the The four council member. as
well as students from across the
province have been actively submit-
ting of ideas regarding what they
would like to see come out of PEO
student membership.
If you would like to learn more
about ESSCO and what engineering
students throughout the province are
working on then visit our web site at
httpllwww.essco.on.ca.
Weavers
Arms
Restaurant & Pub
Cheap Draft
CheapWmgs
Eucre Night
.UEt
-
-
-
Cheap Bottles
CheapWmgs
Movies
Pool Leagu
:.
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
Dropin
Jam. Session

$3 burgers
Shooter Nightl!
Thursday
Cheap Drinks
F=.-- c:I
RoastB f
Buffet
11:30 - 2 pm
Live X
Cosh
Pool
ourney
Open Man. Tue, 1bu 11 :3Oam to lam aDd Wed, FJi. Sat 11 :3Oam to 2am
Located in w.e.R.I. Houaina Complex 268 Phillip St. Waterloo
12
stud
Chris Foster
28 Mechanical
F
or about four delegates from each of the Ontario
Universities' Engineering Student Societies the first
weekend of October was spent in Guelph meeting
new people and seeing old friends. But why? What could
possibly be gained by putting such a diverse (not really)
group of people together for a weekend. Well the long and
the short of it are that, aside from the productive things we
did, we all had a great time.
The weekend began Thursday night for all of us by
getting to know each other. South Park provided many
bonding joke for the group. The productive side of
things really started with breakfast on Friday morning.
Aside from being the first time many of us had had break-
fast in the past month, it wa also the first opportunity for
a few of us to talk to Johnny Zuccon and Norm Williams,
the student liaisons from the P E ~ .
News & Information
Friday afternoon was spent touring either of two
industries. Twenty-five people went on the ComDev tour,
while the remaining got to experience the meat packing
industry via the Better Beef tour. Saturday morning began
with an informative speech about the Grand River
Conservation Authority, how they are structured and what
they are currently doing. This was followed by Stephen
Jack, P.Eng., speaking on National Engineering Week,
which will be March 1-8. He outlined how they are work-
ing with the Toronto Star to put out a special insert, which
will explain engineering, and how it affects our society. A
number of the delegates suggested having either the
EngSoc's or ESSCO (Engineering Student Societies
Council of Ontario) put together articles for the insert
about what was happening at the university level in terms
of engineering education.
Probably the most informative speakers were up next.
They were Kim Thompson, P.Eng., Johnny Zuccon,
P.Eng., and Norm Williams, P.Eng. They spoke about the
requirements for a P. Eng. and also why graduates should
look to get their P. Eng. (If you want more information
email me - ccfoster@novice). Following their speech was
a hotly debated topic about Student Membership into the
PEO. The position of the PEO towards student member-
ship was
Christine Bell, the current president of
the P E ~ was the first guest lecturer of
the morning, speaking on the PEO as a
whole. Her speech began with a gener-
al overview of where the PEO has been
and where it is going. The "where it is
going" part was the most relevant.
The PEO is currently in the process
of analyzing its current place in society
with the hopes of working to improve
"The PEO likes the idea of student
membership, but requires us, the stu-
dents, to define what it is that we want
the student membership to include,
and why we feel it would be of benefit
to both students and the PEO"
summed up in
the debate. The
PEO likes the
idea of student
membership,
but requires us,
the students, to
define what it is
that we want
the status and understanding with regards to the public.
There is a lot of work being done by the PEO to eliminate
any misrepresentation by a non-engineer, i.e. they are
working towards removing the title of engineer from job
titles which do not have engineers filling the position.
Continuing the morning Dr. Lambert Otten, the
Director of Engineering from the University of Guelph,
spoke. His me. sage focllsed on the need for engineers and
others to work towards solving the problems currently
faced by the world, problems such as world poverty, and
the potential food shortages that will arise a the popula-
tion grows. Behind his speech was a message of conser-
vation, a need for aU of us to do our part to consume less.
This message was of course backed with statistics that
indicate the disproportional amount of the world's
resources which we as North Americans u e. In contrast
to Dr. Otten was Brenda Donner from Canadian
University Students Abroad (CUSO) with a short message
basically outlining how we can work to help developing
nations. The point was to provide the help these nations
need through working there rather than ju t sending them
money. She spent a few minutes explaining what we can
do to become involved and how the organization he wa
with could provide placement for jobs in these developing
nations.
the student
membership to include, and why we feel it would be of
benefit to both students and the P E ~ .
To accomplish this ESSCO took the time that had been
set aside for a presentation by them and chose to instead
organize a workshop. The goal of the workshop was to
prepare a proposal which could be presented to the PEO
outlining what the student membership was to be and
what the benefit are for each party. Out of these presen-
tations a final document will be prepared by ESSCO.
Quite a toundingly each group came back with many sim-
ilar points about both the definition and the benefits of
student membership.
The student member as proposed during the PEO con-
ference would be a non-voting member of the PEO. The
member would be given acce s to many of the benefits
that exist for ful1 member of the P E ~ prior to their
acquisition of a P.Eng license. The PEO has a vast num-
ber of information resources which could be used the help
i!!lprove student life for both the individual and groups
within Engineering chools. Individual benefits include
the better insurance and bank rate, which are associated
with membership, as well as access to the job bank
records that are held there. To a graduating student, the
job bank could provide information about jobs in various
other sections of the province; jobs that may not be publi-
The Iron Warrior, Friday, October 31, 1997
nee
Professional Engineers
Ontario
cized through the co-op or grad job program at the
schools. To be a member of the PEO, a student would
have to pay a nominal fee. Thi would cover the cost of
the publications we would receive and the administration
that would be a result of our membership. The e logistics
of thi member hip are still very early in the defining
stages and the points here are only a sampling of what was
discussed during the workshop.
There are a number of inherit benefits in student mem-
bership from both the student side and the associations
side. From the side of the P E ~ knowledge about what the
association stands for, and what its motives are would best
be disseminated to students by students. Following these
lines it would provide students first hand information
about the PEO which they would take with them to indus-
try during work-terms and summer jobs. The proposal
would also provide feedback about plans that the PEO may
have for the future which would affect those who will
become a P.Eng in a couple of years. By having the stu-
dents involved, they would be able to give their feedback
about things that will directly affect them later.
From the point of view of a student, there are a number
of reasons, aside from the physical benefits, which would
come with a membership. In general people are more
interested in things which they are involved in, and they
talk to others about things they are interested in. By pro-
viding an opportunity for students to be involved, the
interest would be self-generating. This interest will grow
into a desire to know what is going on within the P E ~ .
Although a student would not be a voting member, through
their interest they will gain a better understanding of how
the PEO works. Upon graduation, the desire to become an
Engineer-In-Training will already exist without the need to
be further educated on the topic. This further leads to a
full membership upon the attainment of a P.Eng, as well as
a continuing interest in the PEO aside from it being the
licensing body. Another key function of the student mem-
ber hip would be to provide a method of presenting ideas
to the P E ~ . Currently, anyone can attend a chapter meet-
ing of their local PEO chapter, but unfortunately there is
no direct way to ensure that items they may have present-
ed at the chapter meeting are followed up on after the
meeting, or make it to the meetings of the PEO.
Membership in the PEO could provide that direct link.
In short there are a number of advantages that exist by
creating a student membership in the PEO, but there is a
lot more thought and work which will take place before
anything is formally presented to the P E ~ . So now, in an
effort for sanity and so hopefully people will take the time
to read this article; I am going to stop before it gets too
long. But before I go, expect to see a survey in the bear
future from ESSCO, trying to gather some statistics on stu-
dent views. Also, if there was something here you wanted
to know more about, email me (ccfoster@novice) and I
will try to get back to you.
The Iron Warrior, Friday, October 31, 1997
stud
. 12A Civil
T
he hot topic at the PEOIUES conference was the
idea of student membership into the PEO. This
sounded important to me. In fact, the only reason I
went to the conference was to see what the PEO had to ay
about the issue. The flrst thing I learned when I got to the
conference was that I didn't know anything about the
PEO, let alone what student membership would entail.
PEO, or Professional Engineers of Ontario, is the reg-
ulating body governing our future profession. Their main
purpose i to protect the profession from people not qual-
ified to work as engineers. This would include all kinds
of people like engineers from other countries who are not
up to code with Canadian regulations, and the self-taught
know-it-all who thinks the only problem in building a
bridge over the Grand River is where to get a long enough
2 x 4. To legally practice as Engineers in Ontario, we
must be licensed by the PEO.
The PEO consists of a council of engineers, lay peo-
ple, and government official s. Why are non-engineers
within the PEO? To ensure that the PEO does not work
only towards its own purposes. The PEO is not a labour
union and does not exist for our sole benefit. The PEO
exists to protect the community from bad engineering.
Unions try to dictate who will do a job. The PEO dictates
who cannot do a job. This is a subtle, but important dif-
ference.
As a Professional Engineer (PEng), you are entitled to
lots of useful benefits, including preferred interest and
insurance rates. The PEO maintains ajob bank. The PEO
offers advice to members on ethical and legal affairs.
Opinions
ew letter keep members informed on is ues concerning
the profe ion. It is well worth thl! one hundred and
omething dollars paid annually in membership fees .
What would we want as student members? All of the
above, or at lea t as much a we could get. Do we need
it? No.
Let' look at the rea oning behind tudent member-
ship. The main argument i that 100 few tudent know
about the PEO. I do agree that student membership would
help remedy thi problem. I ju t don't think thi s is the best
way to do it. Student member hip will only help inform
those students who are interested in 'tudent membership
and who are willing to spend money to have it. Believe it
or not, it was the students at the conference who were
pushing the idea of member hip fees; the mentality being
that having to pay for a membership means one will take
it more seriously.
Personally, I don't see what we will learn from student
membership that couldn't be explained to us in one lec-
ture. In fact, I can recall having a class in I A that did
briefly talk about the PEO and other Engineering organi-
zations. Maybe if the lecture had put more of an empha-
sis on what the PEO is and why we must become licensed
Engi neers then we would not have this information prob-
lem right now.
With student membership, we would all receive a copy
of Engineering Dimensions, PEO's magazine. The argu-
ment here is that if this magazine were delivered to our
doorstep then we would be more informed. I don't buy it.
That magazine is available in the Oriflce for anyone who
wants to read it, free of charge. No one reads the maga-
zine now, so why will everyone start reading it when it
comes in the mail. Granted, some people will read it, but
. far more will throw it away. The Enginewsletter sits in the
Orifice too, and it is widely circulated. This isn't a circu-
13
rship
lation problem, thi s i. an interest problem.
What other benefits could we gai n from siudent mem-
ber hip? There was keen intere. t in being able to access
the job bank. The I.' are job for fully qualified engineers,
not ' tudents. These are full time jobs, not fOl1r-montll co-
op job . The job bank is usele s to us a, students, except
perhap to the graduating cia s.
Everything the PEO offer is oriented around the
member already being a PEngo As students, we have no
place with the PEO. We have no influence in indu try
right now. We have no power within the profession yet.
The purpose of the PEO is to protect the profession and
those in it. True, we will one day be a part of this profe -
sion, bUI right now we are not.
What I saw at the conference was a bunch of greedy,
impatient students demanding membership. Half the tu-
dent haven't really taken the time to think about what stu-
dent membership would mean. The only relationship we
should have with the PEO now is to make sure we are
fully prepared to enter the profession when our tum
comes. The PEO does this through University accredita-
tion.
I do not endor e student membership. I would how-
ever, endorse a student version of the Engineer-ln-
Training program. As you mayor may not know, four
years of engineering related work experience is required
before you can apply for your PEngo ElT is a program
offer by the PEO that evaluates this work experience and
provides feedback to the postgraduate on an ongoing
basis. Personally, I think this idea makes more sense,
especially when we want co-op experience to count
towards these four years. Alberta does this already. And
if you still think someone has done a poor job telling you
about the PEO, read your frosh handbook. I found an
entire page describing the PEO in mine.
------------------------------------
DEBATES:
Week of November 3
The Sandford Fleming Foundation
CPH 4306
888-4008
Xlaoping Ung
Monica Emelko
Bill Rosehart
Marc Gingras
Mike Thomas
Todd Veldhuizen
Waterloo Campus Activities
sff@dean
w:
Chemical Engineering
Civil Engineering
Electrical & Computer Engineering

Mechanical Engineering
. FINALS: POETS NOV. 7
NOON
Syeteme Design Engineering
Ian McClennan (EACE) Vear 1 Engineering


Funding for this award comes from engineering student contributions and depends on them for continuation.
An organization deYoted to the advancement of engIneertng edut'.ation.
The Iron Warrior Photo Contest has been
extended! Entries are now due by Friday,
November 7th. Prizes will be awarded for
the best composed, most interesting, most
humourous, and most creative photos. Please ' I
drop your entry in the Iron Warrior mail-slot
in the Engineering Society Office (CPR
1327). All photos will be returned, and
please remember to attach your name, e-mail
address, and class name to the the photo.
01 J 4 I , J ... .J .
~ ~ = = = : : . . . : . . : : . . : ; . . ; ; . : ; . = = = = = ~ - ----- - --- - ---------
The Iron Warrior, Friday, October 31, 1997 Opinions 15
Welcome to ... Where!!?
The Rub' er Room
I JA Mechanical
re traint (think of how much farther humanil} could
advance if we didn't have to be concerned with hm much
thing would co t). The Ii t goe. on and on. The upcom-
B
efore I get into the premier in tallment of what ing trike of the Ontario tea her i another example. In
will hopefully be a regular feature, for the Iron fact almo t everything related to the government is an
. Warrior, I would like to provide a bit of back- i sue of money and money-making poli ies.
ground about this column, its aims and intended objec- [ don't think 1 need to empha ize how a penniles
lives. First off, this is my column so I will write pretty world could get around the e issues. In facl, bureaucracy
much whatever I want, within reason of course (mu t could all but be eliminated and mo t form of govern-
remember to keep the censors happy after all). However, mental bodies along with it. Think about a world without
I love to discuss things with people and would be delight- politicians and lawyer (after all , if everyone has what
ed about any feedback, good or bad, about anything even they need - and I stres need - then what could be gained
remotely related to the i ues discu sed or' alluded to in from a law uit?). Instead there would be people in office
this column. "Just exactly what issues will be addressed in who would admini ter justice and societal policy with
this article?" you might ask. Whatever my convoluted fairness, wisdom and compa sion.
psyche can come up with. I hope to gel the support and If you really think about it, money i ,or at least should
encouragement of the reader (that's you I'm speaking to, be largely irrelevant. In its most basic form; it is a means
not the guy next to you reading the same thing, you. of obtaining a greater sen e of security. We horde our po -
You're the one I want to hear from because r think you're ession (i.e. food supplies or raw materials) in anticipa-
special and full of insightful things to say. That other guy tion of a rainy day. Meanwhile, other experience troubled
is probably confused as to why there aren't any pictures or times now and could better benefit from our cache. of pri-
comics in my article.) As previously alluded to, I'm a vate wealth. If we, as a society, could let go of this inse-
messed up guy, I realize this fact and embrace it. I'm just curity and help our neighbours then there would be a
waiting for the papers in the mail to label me officially dramatic reduction in overall suffering.
insane. I think that being a certified head-case would look In the modem world money is no longer imply a
great on a resume - employers love individuality and cre- means to satisfy our general need for security and reas-
ativity. Besides, it's a lot of fun; you really should try it surance. It ha al 0 become a means of keeping score, a
sometime. I find it quite liberating. But don't get too crazy, way to compare one' s self ag().inst others, and a way to
my unique flare and appeal might start to fade. For exam- measure success. ForeJtample business tycoons have bil-
pie, you might try to respond to omething you read in my lion of dollars in income and often nothing to spend it on.
column - HINT HINT !! In case you're wondering why I'm not targeting such people, I
which has be orne totally dependent on money as a way
to operate. But r believe that the world could be uch a
better, friendlier place without money and the underlying
fe lings of weaknes. it attempts to hide (I know I'm tart-
ing to sound like a big purple dino. aur) . The world would
be a place v here Ihere is les. limitation on what each indi-
vidual wants 10 be able to do, yet all are motivated 10 erve
so iety and their fellow man for personal fultillmcnt, not
for reward or repa ment but becau e il i necessary.
Before thi can be brought about humanity as a whole
would have to supplcm nt elf-serving instin ts and local-
ized priorilies and stan to work in a leam environment
panning the entire globe.
I'm nol sugge. ting that this would be a "perfect
world". For one thing I believe perfeclion i. next to
impossible to attain. There are many more problems that
would need solving, and. orne may not even be solvable,
being an integral part of the human race. I would not want
to live in uch a world anyway, it would be too boring,
mo I of the fun of life is dealing with the stumbling block
thrown in our way and the other little quirks that keep
things interesting. But I do think it would be great not to
worry about the co t of education, and to pursue the stud-
ie you would like to. After all, T will freely admit that part
of Ihe reason ( find myself tudying engineering is in
anticipation of the financial security and independence T
will be able to earn upon graduation. If 1 didn't have to
worry about U1i s I'm not so sure 1 would be in engineering
now. I've always wanted a career manually putling lines
on pads of graph paper. Oh joy, oh bliss, oh rapture
f
I'm so subtly encouraging "reader participation" it's don't begrudge them their .... ------------------------------.
because everything is more fun that way for everyone. wealth, but if they are stuck, I
You feel involved and can get clarification or expression can suggest a worthy cause their
and I get some feedback on my content and maintain a money could serve, especially
tenuous grasp on reality. AI 0 it will help me to write bet- with the rising cost of education.
ter and more applicable stuff, and I love to hear people's I'm just as dependent upon
ideas and to discuss theories and concepts with them. feel money as anyone else. But I
free to e-mail me at: mjpigozz@engmail.uwaterloo.ca or have been tempted to build a log
drop it by the Iron Warrior office. cabin in the wilderness and live
Phew! Now that all that introduction tuff is over with out my days as a reelu e. The
and you have a bit of an idea of what to expect, on to the difference is that r can glimpse a
really good stuff. This first column deals with an issue that glorious new age where money
I have been contemplating for some time. It is very com- is non-existent and everyone
plex and because of space limitations I cannot go in to as prospers, working under their
much detail as [ would like. So some of the rationale (if own per onal ambition, for self
such a thing exists) behind my ideas may not be ade- fulfillment and for their own
quately expre sed, but I will try my best and apologize personal uccesses (mea ured in
now for any shortcomings. terms other than money). Don't
Human society has been based upon the concept of misunderstand me, I'm not [001-
money from the very dawn of civi lization. In fact, the ish enough to believe that this is
modern world has become completely dependent upon it possible in the present state of
in all facets of life to the point where it is perhaps the si n- the :-"orld. In fact society today
gle most influential object in all our lives. Almo t every- would not survive without
thing can be related back to money in some way. It is my money. There is too much greed
firmly held belief that society a a whole hould abolish and corruption. We would also
money and all similar system of monetary exchange. I'm have to give up the insecurities
not talking about the concept of dollars and cents but the that we attempt to dispel with
very nece sity of a bartering system, a loan system, or accumulated wealth.
omething even remotely similar to these. It is my opinion What I'm talking about is
that it is money that is at the heart of all of humanity'S closely related to socialism, the
troubles. For example, what i stopping the world from precursor to communism,
largely eliminating greenhouse gases? The answer you (which works on paper but not
will hear from governments and major corporations is that in the "Real World"). Such a cul-
it costs too much (there is too much money to be made at ture would require an end to all
the expense of the environment). The technology exists to greed and other elf-serving ten-
reduce and bUl eliminate many problems like Suffice it to say this is a
t IS, uti'! costs too-muct-to feat at best. In fact, it
Scientific research is also greatly limited by monetary is impossible in loday's culture,
.y
'PLUS
-:-' 1- . ,'. ,. . ..... . '-,
HlIl.allraUII fill Cllllr Prilts.
IfWl IItII 518 Itll fiery II
11'1' '1IlII. *r 11,11111111111'
STUDENT tlFE CENTRE, LOWER LEVEl
MON-FRI 8om8pm SAl 12noon5pm
888-4561 ext 0868J'ox: 519]462173

16 Internal Information The Iron Warrior, Friday, October 31, 1997
WANTED


Ca di ates Va ers
I
t'S that time again! The time when the walls of CPH
become plastered with posters begging and pleading
for your votes. Yes girls and boys, it is Eng Soc elec-
tion time again! My name is Chris McCuHough and I am
Chief Returning Officer, and as CRO it is my duty to tell
you what's up.
The Chief Relumillg Officer for EligSoc Elecriolls, Fall '97. hiding
from her assignments
First of all, I am going to be looking for candidates to
fill the Eng Soc executive positions in the coming days.
The truth is we need people to run in an election. So, I'll
tell you what J need: first a president. (Big shoes to fiJI,
but if you've got the motivation, know-how, and energy to
do it, then DO IT! Eng Soc needs someone to run the
show.) Second we need a Vice-President Internal (VP-l)
to take care of all the stuff inside the engineering society,
and a Vice-President External (VP-X) to take care of all
the stuff outside the engineering society. We also need a
Vice-President Finance (VP-F) to take care of all our
money. These executive po ition last 16 months (2 work
terms, 2 school terms) and begin the end of November
1997 and conclude March 1999. Run joi ntly wi th the Eng
Soc elections is the election for WEEF Director, the per-
son in charge of WEEP. J encourage you to read the exec-
utive articles in this issue of the IW. The current
executive have all included a brief description of their
jobs in their articles and I am sure they do a much better
job of describing them then I just have.
If you are interested in running for one of these posi-
tions (and yes, you can only run for one position), then
you need to be nominated! How, you may ask, do you get
nominated? Well, let me tell you. On the morning of
November 3rd, you can dash right over to the orifice, and
ask Betty in your most polite way, "Betty, may I have a
nomination fonn?" Now, the way nominations work is
that you need to fill out all the vital infonnation that is
asked of you on the sheet and then get 15 Engineering
Society members to sign it. Nomination forms will be
available the entire week of November 3rd to the 7th, and
are due in the orifice on November 7th by 3:30pm at the
latest. All the details as to the requirements of candidates,
important dates, rules and regulations will be included
with the nomination forms. If you do plan on running for
an executive position and you have any questions (and
trust me there is a lot to know), please feel free to contact
whether you are a candidate or a voter. As dates and times
become final , I will let you know what is going on and
when. Don't ignore what you see around you. Keep your
eyes open, listen to what you hear, talk, discuss, and final-
ly vote. This is your chance to say how you want your stu-
dent society run, and by whom. So, VOTE! The
Engineering Society will love you, and I will love you
(not valid for 2A Civils).
If you have any questions, comments, suggestions,
complaints, or spare money you are trying to get rid of,
find me. That's what I am here for.
me.
Now, on to all of those of you who have already decid-
ed that you aren't going to run for Eng Soc executive: we
still need you! In the past we have had very poor voter
participation in the Eng Soc elections. This term I want
that to change. If you are member of the Engineering
Society then you are an eligible voter. To be a member,
you must have paid your $14 society fee. This was
included in your tuition, and unless you requested in back,
you paid it, which means you are a member, which means
you are an eligible voter, so VOTE! The elections are still
a while off, November 20th to be exact, but there is going
to be a lot going on that you, as a voter, need to be aware
of. First of all, you may be asked to nominate someone,
by signing hi s or her nomination _------------------------------__.
fonn. This means you support
them in their choice to run for
executive, and that you think
they can do the job. No, it does
not mean you have to vote for
that person. Also, you are going
to be seeing a lot of posters up
around our beloved engineering
buildings. Pay attention to
these. These posters are going
to teU you important informa-
tion about the candidates run-
ning for the various positions.
Closer to the election date, all
the candidates will be visiting
your c1asse. Thi is an oppor-
tunity to put a face to all the
names you have seen pIa tered
all over the walls. The candi-
dates will give a brief statement
a to why you should elect them.
Then the day before the elec-
tions, there will be a candidate's
forum. This is a chance to ask
your questions of all the candi-
dates so that you can make an
informed decision. Finally, your
last duty as an Engineering
Society member is to vote. By
Election Day you will know so
much about all the candidate
you will be more than ready to
make an informed decision. All
it takes is a student card, a pen,
and 2 minutes, which I am sure
you can spare. So just do it!
In the next month you will
be bombarded with infonnation,
University of Waterloo
Tomorrow's engineers need
more than just technical
knowledge ....
The Department of Management Sciences, within the Faculty of Engineering, offers a
Management Sciences Option to help engineering students understand the issues, con-
cepts, and techniques related to modem management problems
You do not need to take extra courses; you just need to use your elective courses for
completion of the Option and your final degree in Engineering will reflect completion
for the Management Sciences Option.
Advantal:es;
Most employers prefer engineers with some knowledge of management
Most engineer, after 10 years of employment, will find themselves in a management
position.
An undergraduate background in management will be helpful to any graduate degree
in Management Sciences or Business Administration
The Department of Management Sciences was established in 1969 as a graduate depart-
ment and has subsequently extended its activities to undergraduate programs. The man-
agement sciences are concerned with the application of scientific methods in the
resolution of complex problems facing management of both private and public sector
organizations.
For additional information, please contact David Dilts, A sociate Chair for
Undergraduate Studie at 888-4567 ext 4838 or Shelley Vossen, Undergraduate
Secretary at 888-4567 ext. 3286
Other options are avaitable within the faculty of Engineering; further information about them may be found in the
University calendar or in your Depart.ment office.
The Iron Warrior, Friday, October 31, 1997 News & Information
17
ANDERSEN
CONSULTING
To THE POINT
1997 Andersen Consulting
All rights reserved.
A COMPILATION OF INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY ABSTRACTS
Hot Buttons
Java market will reach $180 million by 2000
The market for Java software will reach
$180 million by 2000, according to a report by
Zona Research. The Java market will be worth
$58 million this year, the report said.
Application development and content technolo-
gies will account for mo t of that spending.
The report, which was based on a survey of 275
medium and large companies, found that 97
percent of respondents plan to implement serv-
er-based Java applications over the next two
years.
Based on lava getting hotter, by Lamia Abu-Haidar,
ClNel, t4 October 1997.
. ill N'ew Age Architectures
Informix readies OnLine Dynamic Server
upgrade
Informix is planning to release an upgrade
of its OnLine Dynamic Server early next year.
The company is designing OnLine Dynamic
Server 7.3 to be easy to learn for developers
and database administrators who use compet-
ing systems from Oracle. Informix is also fin-
ishing a new version of its OnLine XPS
database that win feature support for Windows
NT.
Informix is seeking to reverse recent
declines by focusing on its core database busi-
ness. The company has already reported a $260
..million loss for the first half of 1997_
Based on Informix rallies users with database revamp,
by Craig Stedman. Computerworld. 13 October 1997. p. I.
Lotus prepares suite of Java-based ()f
applets
Lotus Development is readying a suite of
Java-based applets designed for network com-
puters. Kona is based on Lotus's InfoBus tech-
nology, which enables users to exchange and
integrate various features between applets.
Company officials said future versions of Lotus
Smart Suite will allow developers and users to
add individualJeatures to the software using
Kona applets. A number of network computer
vendors--including IBM's NC division,
Network Computing Devices (NCO), Oracle,
Sun Microsystems, and Fujutsu--support Kona,
which is scheduled for release early next
month.
Based on NCs get Kona kick. by Ephraim Schwanz,
InfoWorld, 13 October t997, p. I.
Market will grow for CD-rewritable drives
The market for CD-rewritable disc drives
will grow from around 400,000 units shipped
worldwide this year to 9.1 million units in
2000, according to International Data Corp.
CD-rewritable drives allow users to store,
erase, and rewrite data onto a CD repeatedly.
Hewlett-Packard is shipping a rewritable drive
called SureStore CD-Writer Plus. Philips
Electronics and Yamaha Systems Technology
are also shipping rewritable drives. A
rewritable CD costs around $32, compared to
about $4 for a CD that can record data once
only.
Based on CD-rewritable dri yes take leap forward. by
Nancy Dillon, Computerworld, 13 October 1997. p. 67.
Universal Network
Netcom acquired by ICG
largest remaining independent Internet ervice
provider (ISP), with 550,000 global customers.
ICG is a US telecom that compete with the
Regional Bell Operating Companie, or
RBOCs, in local telephone markets.
The deal come in re pon e to a wave of
mergers in the ISP indu try that aw UUNet
Technologies acquired by WorldCom for $2
billion, BB acquired by GTE for $616 mil-
lion, and the three-way consolidation of
WorldCom, America Online, and CompuServe
announced last month. Gartner Group predicts
the number of players in the ISP industry will
decline 90 percent within five years, from its
current 4,500.
Based on Netcom On-Line loses independence to ICG,
by Nicholas Denton, Financial Times (UK). 14 October
1997. p. 22.
Companies unveil 96-Kbps modems
Multi-Tech Systems and Lucent
Technologies unveiled analog modem technol-
ogy capable of downloading data at a rate of 96
kilobits per second. The fastest analog modems
on the market currently download at 56 Kbps.
The 96-Kbps technology requires the use of
two telephone lines and, like 56-Kbps technol-
ogy, delivers its highest data transfer rate only
when downloading. The technology--which
uses Microsoft's point-to-point protocol,
Lucent's K56-f1ex chip, and Multi-Tech's
CommPlete Communications Server--divides
the incoming data stream into two parts, wlUch
are reassembled when they reach the Pc.
Based on Fstaer modems. by Beth Davis,
InformationWeek. 13 October 1997. p. 123.
McAfee to acquire Network General
McAfee Associates agreed to buy Network
General for $1.3 billion in stock. The
combi.ned companies, to be caUed Network
Associates, will be the tenth largest software
vendor worldwide. The Network General bid is
the latest in a string of acquisitions intended to
transform McAfee from an antivirus software
company into a provider of complete network
management and security technology.
According to McAfee executives, Network
Associates will also provide help-desk software
for Windows NT-based networks.
Based on $1.3 Billion McAfee Deal To Flesh Out
Software Line. , The New York Times. 14 October 1997, p.
C6.
Object-Oriented Technology
Sun releases Java products
Sun Microsystems will launch its
Enterprise lavaBeans specification at the end of
October. Enterprise JavaBeans are object-ori-
ented, transaction-aware software components
designed to automate husiness processes.
Sun also released an array of Java-related
technologies on its Web site, including HotJava
HTML 1.0, JavaBeans Specification 1.0 I, Java
Developers Kit Version 1.l.4, the Java speech
specification, Java Card Specification Version
2.0, the beta version of HotJava Browser 1.1,
the Java Naming and Directory Interface, and
JavaBeans Bridge for ActiveX.
Based 00 lavaSoft readies HotSpot, Enterprise
lavaBeans spec. by Nial.1 McKay, InfoWorid. 6 October
1997, p. 10.
Sentinel (squinting at the future and
muttering)
Israel's high-tech Industry
Netcom On-Line Communication was
acquired by ICG Communications in a stock
deal worth $285 million_ Netcom was the
The high-tech industry is faring well in
, )
L- .. .. .. _._I
trael . Th country is home to an e timated
2,000 high-tech companies, including I cal
firms uch as Check Point Te hnologies.
ocaltec Communi alion., and VDOnet, plus
U giant such as Intel. Sun. 3Com. and
Hewlen-Pilckard_ Foreign high-te h inve 1-
ment in Israel rocketed to $ 50 million in 1996,
from 240 million in 1995. a cording to the
As ociation f Electronics Recent
US investors in Lrael include ilieon Graphics,
Bay etwork. , Applied Materials, and Analog
Devices.
The I raeli economy has grown six percent
per year since 1990, powered largely by high-
tech success. Israel's high-tech exports as a
whole are worth $5.5 billion, more than a quar-
Ler of the $20.5 billion total Israeli exports in
1996, according to the Mini t.ry of Industry &
Trade. Software is Israel's fastest growing
export industry with exports totaling $413 mil-
lion in 1996, up from $287 mmion in 1995 and
$198 million in 1994.
Other people's money
A boom in venture capital is funding
Israel's technology-oriented future. In 1990,
only two venture-capital funds operated in
Israel. At present, there are about 70 funds, of
which 40 are solely devoted to technology. In
1992, an initial $500 million was invested in
high tech with an additional $800 million
inv t d i 94.
Israel's people
But seed money is no good without a fertile
source of ideas. The Israeli software industry
gets a good share of them from the military,
which is known for its expertise in security,
encryption, and communications. The country
also has a reservoir of skilled computer engi-
neers and programmers who have studied in
schools like the Technion, Israel's leading tech-
nology institute.
Additional technology expertise is con-
tributed by returning Israelis who have studied
in the US and worked in Silicon Valley. The
arrival of more than 700,000 immigrants from
the former Soviet Union since 1990-- mllny of
them highly-educated scientists and IIcademics
-has also increased Isracl's po I of computer
cxperts. The collective talent leaves brael with
the world's highest percentage of scien1ists and
engineers, approximately 135 for every 10,000
citizens, according to the Israel Yearbook lind
Almanac. The US has 85 per 10,000 and JapHn
has 75 per 10,000.
As much as Israel's technology industry is
flourishing, many feel there is room for even
more growth. According to IDC, Israel is a sig-
nificant world player from a technological
point of view, but in revenues its share is very
small. in 20 years, no ISnieli start-up company
has succeeded in reaching $100 million in
annual sales. Some blame the country's lack of
adequate access to well-developed financial
markets and large consumer bases. Another
stumbling block is marketing: making high-
tech military systems is one thing; launching a
successful product in a fast-paced global tech-
nology market is somethi ng else entirely.
Israel, US partner
Many Israeli high-tech firms are looking to
Silicon Valley for answers. Israeli technology
could be leveraged with the marketing power of
Silicon Valley; partly towards that end, many
" .
Israeli companies are setting up headquarters in
California while maintaining R&D facilities in
!'racl.
Independently, the Israeli governmenr has
,et up attract i e tax incenti es and grants to
lure U technology companies to Israel, and
ha. opened an economic conSUlate's mission in
meon Valle to act as II matchmaker between
S and Israeli companies. Separately, the
Binational Industrial Re earch & Development
Foundalion (BIRD). a l7-year-old organization
joint.1y funded by the US and israeli govern-
ments and headquartered in Tel Aviv and Santa
Clara, has invested more than $120 million in
480 technology ventures.
Dimming future?
But some of the bright stars that tf.Ive
drawn companies to Israel are starting to dim.
The labor market is beginn'ing to tighten as the
technology sector's pools of military and immi-
grant talent evaporate. Israel's high-tech indus-
try currently needs 3,000 to 5,000 additional
engineers, and the labor gap is predicted to
grow by 1,500 annually. With high tech now
accounting for close to 40 percent of Israel's
total indu trial exp6rts, a technology labor
shortage could derail the country's growth
prospects.
Israeli high-tech companies, suffering from
a shortage of qualified engineers, are subcon-
II 'tin oftware wor to India, an are looking
to do the same in Eastern Europe. The peace
process is also fostering interest in subcontract-
ing in Egypt and Jordan, as well as in renewing
ties with software subcontractors in West Bank
areas.
Venture capital investment is beginning to
fall behind israel's high-tech growth. Funding
new high tech start-up companies, in addition
to the 500 to 700 already in operation, could
take as much as $2 billjon, a figure well beyond
current levels. GovelJlment incentives are also
becoming less generous as Israel works to bal-
ance its budget. Maximum grants on fixed
f 11 to 20 JX'rc('1\1 this Yl'ar, lind must
he 1\ 011 n niSI.' hy ('ast hasis with Ihe
govclllmclI! .
Pn.-<:DuI1ons tak('/l
Th' gov'rnment and private industry ure
lIlking steps to address problellls. The
Association of Electronics Industries spofl8ors
U unlvcrsity program to retrllio clCCllicuJ engi
fleer. , mechanical engineers. :lDd science gnuJ
untes with lin intensive one year course in
software engineering. It also help!> high
schools implement science curricula, scoulli
Silicon Valley for top Israeli professionals, and
has enlisted government help to lure them back
home wilh allowances on taxes and customs
duties. These inveslments will certainly help to
mitigate the looming crisis, and may even (if
they attract additional venture capital Lo the
country) let Israel follow its high-Icch-powered
growth curve without any noticeable interrup-
lion.
By Joann M. Wleklinski
Note:
"To The Poittl", provided by Andersen
Consulting. offers University 0/ Waterloo
Engineering Students Information TechfWlogy
news and is.fues. This article il' copyrighted,
and is not 10 be reproduced by any means.
, I I " ' t..
18 Internal Information
epor( from
President
Doron S%n/on
4A Ele,trical
H
appy Hall oween everybody! [hope you've made
. it through midterms successfully and are ready for
the rest of thi term. There's a lot happening in
the next month, so make sure you don't bury your head in
the ground or anything.
As you mayor may not know, we have elections com-
ing up in November. The Chief Returning Officer for the
elections is Chri s McCullough. Any concerns or ques-
tion regarding the elections should be directed to her.
Her e-mail addre s is cdmccull@env. Chris has an article
in this issue of the Iron Warrior explaining all the details
of the elections, which can be found 011 page 16.
So what exactly does the President do? While it may
not seem like much to some people, there are lots of
things that happen on a day-to-day basis. The main func-
tion of the President is to be the official representative of
the Engineering Society. This is a pretty vague statement,
so I'll try to expand a little. Basically the President takes
care of a lot of little things where someone needs to act on
behalf of the society. This involves dealings with the fac-
ulty, administration, the Dean's office, external organi za-
ti ons, and so on. Every day something new comes up, so
specifying any furt her here is difficult. Also, some of this
work is delegated to the appropriate Vice President, a
workgroup coordinator or a director.
Another duty of the President is to guard the
Engineering Society mascot, the TOOL. In other words,
any time the TOOL comes to any event, it is the
President's job to make sure it happens. The President
also acts as the supervi sor to the Engineering Society' s
two employees. This involves taking care of
employee/employer issues including performance evalua-
tions, workplace concerns, and so on. As well, the
President sits on everal committees including the
Examinations and Promotions committee (E&P), the
Committee of Presidents (CoPS) and others. Each of
The Iron Warrior, Friday, October 31, 1997
these committees require varying degree of time and
work, depending on the function of the committee. The
Pre ident does many other tasks on a daily ba i , but thi
i. a ummary of orne of the regular dutie . If you want
more details about the role of the President, please come
and talk to me or e-mail me at
In other news, I've been talking to Jo ten about sign-
ing a 5-year contract for the Yearbook and grad photo.
The term are the contract are ba ically that we ign a 5-
year deal (for the graduating clas es of 1998, 1999, 2000,
2001 and 2002), and in return Josten will give us $4,000
to purchase computer equipment on which we can do the
layout of the yearbook. In addition, an evaluat.ion will be
done at the end of each year to as e s the quality of the
yearbook and the photography, ensuring the quality of the
product that Josten deli vers and preventing minor prob-
lems from reoccurring. As well , two successive "poor"
evaluations give the Engineering Society the option of
voiding the contract, guaranteeing us a high quality prod-
uct each year.
That' about all I've been up to lately (other than
midterms). If you have questions about any of this please
feel free to ask me in person or bye-mail at
Until next time, keep smilin'!
Doran
------------------------------------
s
o, what has happened in the last 3 weeks? Well , not
a lot actually. Here's what I can tell you: The
Bridging the Gap speaker for November 4th 1997,
at 11 :30 am, is Prof. John McPhee. He i a professor in
Systems Design Engineering. He will be speaking on the
Ontario Engineering Competition. The room number for
the lecture is EL-112.
Thanks to Kathyrn RussiU we will have a second
Bridging the Gap lecture that week. On the 5th of
November Susan Bryant will be here to talk about
Uniroyal Chemicals from an environmentalists . perspec-
tivc. This lccture will be of particular interest to
Chemical, Environmental and Civil Engineering Students
so come out. Please note that coffee and donuts will be
served at all these lectures. Ms. Bryant will be speaking
at 11 :30 in EL - 110. Finally Kathryn has asked John
Jackson to come and speak on November 12th at 11 : 30 in
EI 2517. Mr. Jackson will be di scussing the contamina-
tion of the great lakes. Mr Jackson is the former President
of Great Lakes United. He will be talking about the orga-
nization and what it does. Again thi s is focused towards
Environmental, Chemical and Civil Engineers, but any-
one is welcome.
As well, [ would like to announce the names of the
lndividuals who will be attending Canadian Congress of
Engineering Students (CCES) 1998 in Edmonton. They
are Chris Foster, Kathryn Russill, and Mike Olley. If you
have any questions about this please come and see me. It
was a hard decision and I thank everyone who applied.
Also, the new VP External will be leading the delegation
to Edmonton.
] would also like to announce that the ESSCOlympic
are coming up in February in Windsor. The new VP-X
will be sending four people. You can apply in the Orifice.
Any number of people can go to the ESSCOlympics, but
unfortunately we can only pay for four. If you would like
to go, and are willing to pay your own way, (hotel. regis-
tration, etc) please inform me and I will get you regis-
tered. The most people to ever attend from Waterloo is
45. I would love to try and beat that number.
Finally I must describe what the VP External does.
There are four main functions of the VP External. They
are listed below with brief descriptions. If you have any
question about the Position of VP External please feel free
to talk to me.
Communication
The VP External is responsible for all communication
between the Engineering Society and the other
Engineering Schools and organizations in Ontario and
Canada. What does thi mean? The VP External repre-
sents the views of the Engineering Students at the
University of Waterloo to other chools, student groups
and organizations. So the VP Exlernal musl be on the
CES-Link and the ESSCO-Link. lO be able to communi-
cate the ideas and intere. ts of the Engineering Society to
the outside world.
Work Groups
The VP External is in charge of 2 work groups:
External Relations. and Campus Wide. The e work
groups encompass all of the organizations on and off cam-
pus. As well, the External Rel ations work group tries to
increase the visibility of Engineering at the University in
a positive way.
Bridging the Gap
The VP External arrange all Bridging the Gap
Lectures. This includes finding speakers, making posters,
and getting all the information to the Dean's Office.
Finally and least important of all.
The VP External, in the absence of a President, must
take over as President. This means that the person who is
chosen as VP External could one day be your president.
That's it. That's all. The Vp External is basically a PR.
guy. He/She works on communications and the exchange
of information.
I hope I've done a good job for you. Good luck to all
the people who are running.
This is Fabes signing off.
VP External
John Faber
4A Chemical
eport from
The Iron Warrior, Friday, October 31, 1997
WEEF Director
Internal Information
L
a t month Keith Parker re igned a Endo" ment
Director and 1 have taken over for the emester
until a new director i ele ted in o\'ember. 1 will
be the fifth director in five emester ' ompared with the
off- tream where Paul Ce ana will haye been the only
director in four . eme ter . Thi indicates a need for ta-
bility by the B Soc WEEF organization which i. ome-
thing I hope I can bring. Paul Ce ana i on work term here
in Waterloo and will help me ensure that thing run prop-
erly.
Now we have arri ed at propo al time which will last
untji November 10. It i important that you understand the
proposal proces of your endowment fund.
Proposals can be made by any member of the UW
Engineering Faculty and must directly benefit undergrad-
19
uate education.
After the deadline :til the propo al. will be compiled in
a booklet which WEEF reps will u e to inform their class-
es and to soli it o n e m ~ about the proposed funding.
On November J 3 WEEF reps will meet to . ee the pre-
sentation on each proposed project. The following week
they will meet to nil cate the $110,000 we will be spend-
ing thi. eme ter. Normally about twenty per cent is allo-
cated to tudent project and the re t is divided among the
departments.
If you have an questions or concern about WEEF
feel free to talk to me or the A istant Directors Alex. Choi
and Mark Cesana.
Ryall
------------------------------------
eport from
G
reetings all! (I can't believe it's snowing
ALREADY!)
The Oktoberfest festivities have drawn to a close, and
I hope everyone had the chance to take a little break from
studying ana 0 In on e ce e ration! you recaIJ from
last term's council meetings, the Executive put forth a pro-
posal in regards to the modification of the Engineering
Society structure. This modification has been in place this
term and we are in the process of evaluating it for the new
Ex.ecutive and council to review. If you have any feed-
back on how you feel the workgroup concept is working,
feel free to drop a note in the suggestion box or on my
desk!
Though Oktoberfest is over, it looks like we're going
to be having a "Novernberfest " of our own here! With
Tal-Eng. Semi-Formal, Bnlnny trips, etc ... this month is
going to be full to the brim (good thing midterm are over
by then)!
For anyone who will be entering the continuous phase
of Co-op (or anyone else for that matter) there will be a
"Resume Overhaul" workshop in the beginning of
November. A time and date will be set short ly, so look for
posters!
This week, I'd like to extend a peeial thanks to the
Novelties directors, Jeremy and Carolyn, for the wonder-
ful job they've been doing. There are some creative new
novelties (including funky pocket knives!) that would
make GREAT X-mas gifts (hint, hint).
Hope everyone is keeping on top of work and not
spending TOO much time in POETS playing Connect 41
Kim
------------------------------------
H
i there kiddies. I hope that midterms went or are
still going well for everyone and for all those pro-
fessors out there reading this, add extra marks to
95011114. Just kidding there, that would taking advantage
of my role. I don't have much to report except for an
update with the Corporate Manager, Finance Director, Fee
Refunds, and VP-F description.
Mary Bland, the English muffin in the back room of
the C&D, has been working extremely hard on both being
the manager of the C&D and the Corporate Manager.
Mary is doing a fantastic job at establishing communica-
tions with new and old contacts and formalizing a honest,
friendly relationship built for the future. She has generat-
ed advertisement revenue that is right on target with OUf
original predictions and has recently been energized by a
positive, successful mailout. Much thanks should go out
to Mary for tenacity and determination in making the COf-
porate manager position work, enhancing the Engineering
Society.
Monica Milanowski, Finance Director, should be
thanked by everyone for ensuring that director checks are
consistently issued and the paperwork is organized. This
term has had a little heavier workload then the last one,
but Monica continues to show her ability to rise to the
occasion while maintaining three directorships.
Requested fee refunds are available in the orifice and
I apologize for the lateness of the refunds. but my
midterms and academic requirements arc 'supposed' to
take precedence over all other matter .
Finally, the VP-Finance exec posi tion. Elections arc
just around the comer and soon I will have to relinquish
the VP-F position. Anyone interested in position should
contact me with questions. The one item that is required
by the VP-Finance is that the person filling the role must
be organized, determined, motivated, and have a
keen interest in finances. My brother said it before
me and I'll upport the comment too now that I've
been in the role: the VP-Finance position will teach
you how to manage your money better and find out
how to maximi ze profitability at all times, which
will b' key ass -Is 10 hnvc Whl'r1 most of you will b work-
ing for yours If.
Cheers,
jay
eport from
Running
J ..........
on a cold post-Oktoberfest
Sunday Morning - by choice!
12A Civil - Road Runners
Y
es, believe it or not, the Road
Runners did it, but not without the
usual supply of grumbling and
complaining about the nippy temperature
and early hour. One of our 3 awesome
reps, Bondo, was our coach for the morn-
ing, and managed to get II of us out at
9:30 am for the First annual Oktoberfest
run (the rest were too hungover to pull
themselves out of bed, or maybe it was
Daylight Savings a week early in their
world).
The race included both a 5 and 10K
walk or jog from Conestoga Mall to the
Waterloo Rec Centre, and the pledge s col-
lected by each runner benfitted St. Mary's
General Hospital in Kitchener. We were
all surprised by the huge turnout of enthu-
siastic people on such a cold, crisp, yet
sunny Sunday morning. It seemed as
though there were about a 1000 of us
there, maybe even more. The evnt was
also being used as a qualifying race for
some big competition coming up, so the
. , .
participants ranged from the half-awake
and mostly out-og-shape (namely me) to
the tightly-toned and spandex-clad ones.
The ages ranged from little guys who bare-
ly reached one's hips to an 87 year old
man, who I think passed me somehwere
along the way.
At II am the Brick Brewery, one of the
event sponsors, was planning to serve free
beer, but none of us stuck around for that.
I guess everyone was just too eager to get
home and wake up the roommate , or the
hung over friends who crashed on the floor
from the night before.3
n was a long and hard race, or so it
seemed. The event organizer really psy-
ched us out at the end, because the 10K
finish line had been placed about 150m
before the 5K finish line on a curved road
leading to the rec centre. However, we all
managed to cross the 5K finish line even-
tually. In fact, Dan Schipper, from our
cia s (2A Civil), finished 64th overall for
the 5K distance. Way to go!
After the race there was music and lots
of free food set out for everyone in the rec
centre. There were bagels and fruit for the
health-conscious, and pizza and hot dogs
for the rest of us. We also got I-shirts, but
they were all out of sizes except small so
you probably won't be seeing them on us.
E2 2353, ext. 2334; Fax (519) 888-6197
Monday to Friday: 8:15 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
You want prompt service for your copying needs, so you have time to spend on more
important things. We have high speed copying, faxing, Cerlox binding and stationery
supplies for your needs. We're close and we're last!
SCH 126, ext. 5905; Fax (519) 746-2698
Monday to Friday: 8:00 a.m. 10 8:00 p.m.
Located near the SCH Concourse; we are just a short walk away. Specialty items such
as colour copies/prints, novelty gift ideas, passport photographs, laminating, and spiral
binding are available.
r--------------------------,
Iron Warrior Adventurer Coupon
10% Off All Full Service -Retail Items with presentation ol.tbis coupon
Please present coupon before ordering
GRAPHICS
Offer valid until December 20, 1997
~ ~ Not valid in combination with any otber ofJer
L __________________________
. , , .. , , , ~ , ' ~ < t o '
All Graphics outlets accept the WATCARD.
You save 2.5 % on your Graphics outlet
purchase, every lime you use your
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Centres accept payment with debit cards,
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(* Arts and Dana Porier Centres accept only
cash and the Watcard)
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