October 2, 1990 – Fall 1990, Issue 2
We all know our engineering mascot, the 60” Ridgid Pipe wrench, as “The TOOL”. However, you may not know that previously, it was known as “The RIDGID Tool”. According to an opinion article written by Steve Rayson titled “TOOL Name Change ‘Undemocratic’”, the name change came at a request by then Engineering Dean, Dr. Bill Lennox, who informed then EngSoc President, Jay Gibson, that Administration had questioned the appropriateness of “The RIDGID Tool”.
After being informed by the Dean, a discussion amongst the EngSoc executive resulted in the name “The TOOL”. The purpose of the opinion article was to inform the engineering student body that a discussion just within exec was not an appropriate process to change the name given that is was not part of the executive candidates platform during their election. Rayson saw this process as undemocratic and put forth to re-evaluate the society’s image in “an open and reflection forum of discussion”.
Towards the end of the article, Rayson suggests to motion the name change null and void while soliciting suggestions for a new name of the mascot. After a special committee reviews the submissions, a referendum should be held to pick the new name of the mascot. I’m not sure if the society executive decided to scrap the name change in favour of a referendum, but we definitely do know that if the referendum was in fact held. “The TOOL” was the name that did result from its outcome.
October 13, 1995 – Fall 1995, Issue 2
1995 was another year the world revolved around the sun, and it was also another year for Waterloo to top Maclean’s University Rankings. Rod Cave, 4A Electrical, questioned what exactly Waterloo was #1 for. I’ve read many old Iron Warrior newspapers we are so lucky to have in our archives, and I’ve noticed a trend of the University always topping the list of University rankings within the country year after year but students always questioning the validity of these rankings based on their personal experience – and the ranking survey methodology.
According to Cave, the first Maclean’s ranking was based on a survey of student opinion which led to Waterloo ranking 22 out of approximately 47 Universities. By 1995, but not necessarily 1995, the survery methodology had changed to be a opinion survey of CEOs, deans of other universities, high school counselors, TV anchors, and the like.
Cave argues that the rankings show Waterloo show it produces good employees for employers who need people to work right out of the box. He then points out in the article that if the rankings are to continue to be a result of non-student opinion, our education will be tailored to appease those who do rank Waterloo high on the survey and not to the student’s best interest.
October 13, 2000 – Fall 2000, Issue 2
Cell phone use today has penetrated society like a pandemic. Almost everyone these days has a cell phone and uses it very often, and use will only increase as the trend toward smartphones continues to increase at an exponential rate. Matt Gagliardi, 2A Mechanical, submitted an opinion piece and did not hide the fact he was about to rant about cell phone use in the society of the year 2000.
In his first sentence after the words “Begin Rant”, he doesn’t hesitate to write “Cell phones are the bane of human existence”. For his entire article, he questions the purpose of a cell phone by asking what people did to communicate before their invention and why it was so important to be able to receive a phone call anywhere during anytime. He even points to the fact phone manufacturers have made it hard to turn phones off by hiding the true “off” of cell phones behind clumsy menus.
Gagliardi points to a experience he had during a trip to Canada’s Wonderland where he observed two 12-year-old boys emailing each other on their phones while right beside each other. After reading that section, I immediately paralleled his experience to my sometimes obsessive use of my BlackBerry. Wait.. I was 12 in 2000… Was that me he observed at Canada’s Wonderland 10 years ago?
Even though Gagliardi does not like cell phones, he does point to their utility as a way to call for help when stuck with a broken car “hours from nowhere”. He ensured his readers the only time he calls from his phone is when his car is pulled over on the side of the road which I feel everyone should do today.
October 11, 2006 – Fall 2006, Issue 2
You may have noticed we kinda changed the look of this paper. The change comes in the form of updated fonts and different organization. Change is something that is not new with The Iron Warrior – we’re 30 years old! The last major change of the newspaper came in 2007 to the look you mostly see today. A new banner, and a revamped layout. The last banner, which is the one you see right above this edition’s Iron Archives, is the last one used from 2000-2006.
Back in 2006, the current Editor, Jaclyn Sharpe, wrote in a letter about talk to revamp the look of the newspaper. She clearly states in her first paragraph, “As Editor-In-Chief, I’m rather partial to keeping the things the way they are.” She writes about all the changes the paper had incurred, especially the banners over the paper’s history. She wonders if a change would to lead to a destabilisation of equilibrium which would cause the paper to to end up as the preferred packing material for all students.
She comments about the banner at the time and how it was nothing special but that could be a strength as no one would love it or hate it. She closes with a thought about the worthiness of keeping the current banner as within five years, any change would long be forgotten and new look will be as beloved and belittled as the current one. The paper did change the banner to the current one you see today the following winter 2007.
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