Winter 2005 Issue 4 – March 16, 2005
In this issue of the Iron Warrior, the front page of the newspaper contains an article by Cindy Bao, 3B Electrical, reporting the High-Voltage Lab had caught on fire.
“On Monday, March 7th, many faculty members, students and staff had come to Carl Pollock Hall for work or class, only to find the building was closed for the day due to a fire that occurred in the high voltage lab at about 4 am.
The exact cause of the fire has not been identified at this point. Nobody was in the lab at the time and no injuries occurred. The estimated damage is over $1 million in equipment, with another $150,000 in smoke and soot damage to the lab and two offices above it.
Fortunately, the fire was largely confined. After some initial cleanup, students and staff were able to return to classrooms and offices the next day. The EngSoc C&D also resumed its operations.
Air purifiers and high-powered fans have been placed throughout the building to eliminate the smell of smoke, while all surfaces, floors, and walls are being thoroughly cleaned.
Reconstruction of the lab is expected to take approximately three months, as it must be completely rebuilt. However, it may take years to completely replace all the equipment and make up for the lost research.”
The lab was eventually rebuilt, and re-opened in late October 2007, almost 27 months later.
Winter 2001 Issue 4 – March 2, 2001
If you read last issue’s Iron Archives, you would have read an article from 1990 reporting on POETS renovations which included an alarm system. Well, it looks like no alarm was never installed as 11 years later, Alan Matan, 3N Electrical, reported a break-in.
“POETS, the UW engineering student lounge, was sacked by a thief (or thieves) in the early morning of February 17. The Miss Pacman video game machine had its coin mechanism smashed open and its load of quarters stolen. The foosball table was also pillaged, with some of the player control arms damaged. The AV cabinet doors behind the bar suffered a smashing from a standard Poets barstool.
The locks, intended to prevent a determined thief from gaining access, were easily defeated, though none of the equipment was taken, indicating that the thief was strictly after cash.
The door that links the C&D office to POETS had pry marks but held up to the attacked.
Mark Molison, EngSoc VP-Finance remarked that though the damage is probably covered by insurance, he wasn’t sure if EngSoc was going to submit a claim.
Shock and Dismay filled regulars at POETS, especially since the lounge is no longer left open during the day unless an EngSoc exec member or a director is present to ensure no further shenanigans occur. On the violation of his daytime home, one student remarked, “It just feels so dirty in here….more so than before.”
Winter 1994 Issue 3 – March 7, 1994
I’m sure most of you have stepped into the C&D at least once since coming to Waterloo, and if you’re like me, enjoy the fact it’s open long hours and has cheap food. Back in 1994, the C&D apparently was not as organized as it is today, and Stephen Kingsley-Jones, 3A Electrical, outlines a future vision plan for the C&D.
“The Engineering Coffee and Doughnut Shop has been one of the primary services offered by the Engineering Society since its inception. In all that time there has never been a thorough, organized approach to the long term position of the C&D and its operations.
The time has come for a plan. Not a new plan, for that would imply we had one previously, no, we are simply going to look at our overall operations and determine what is the best strategy for now and the next two years”
For the majority of the article, Stephen outlines why C&D operations should be changed and what has been suggested.
Interestingly, Stephen notes, “The Math Society is much larger than we are and has grown that way due to proficient management and accepting the fact that change is necessary. We should use them as a guide and model.”
This is interesting due to the fact the Math C&D has been running into debt recently and those within math have mentioned looking in to our operations for how a C&D should be run.
Winter 1991 Issue 4 – March 1, 1991
“Perspectives”
Name Witheld
4A Psych
“How can you tell someone is an engineering student? The engineering students are the ones who are drunk, rude, and obnoxious. They spend their free time watching strippers, making sexist jokes, and seeing who can consume the most alcohol. They look down on anyone who does not know how to design a bridge, but they are completely unable to comprehend any kind of moral or ethical problem, including the ones that are created by their own bridge building. They are secretly jealous of “artsies”, not because we work on human problems, but because we have fewer hours in class which translates into more time for drinking.
None of the engineers I know personally fit the stereotype, and so I know that this impression of engineers is not accurate. However, it was the first picture to come to my mind of a “typical” engineering student. A tiny minority of the engineering students are perpetuating this image. The myth is reinforced when I hear about such debates within engineering as whether or not to cancel drinking contests, to change the name of the (Ridgid) Tool, or to hire strippers for society functions, but I do not hear about any positive work being done by the engineering societies.
Stereotypes die hard. Engineers have a reputation to overcome, and many people are working hard to overcome it. Our industrialized society needs to skills of engineers, but we also need to see that there is more to a balanced education than not spilling your drink.”
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