The plumbers faucet 1986

Volume 3 No. 1 Early September 1986

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FAUCET

AN ENOINEERING UNDERORADUATE SOCIETY PUBLICATION

EDITORIAL Welcome (and welcome back) to those of you out there finally coming to terms with the meaning of those three ugly little words that mark the end of summer: BACK TO SCHOOL! Now, now, stop groaning - you know it takes a little while for things to really get rolling workwise, so start the year off right by meeting with friends (new and old) and participating in all kinds of wonderful Welcome Week and Orientation Week activities.

The new editors appreciate this chance to introduce you to McGill Engineering's OTHER publication, our own Plumber's Faucet. The Faucet will keep you informed on various engineering society and club activities, as well as other interesting events at McGill. We will also report technological advances in the engineering science. We will occasionally cover broader subjects in special issues: engineering ethics, women in engineering, a survey of engineering schools in Canada, how engineers are perceived by other students, etc. Though the Faucet tackles more of the serious aspects of engineering, we still have room for some fun stuff like cartoons, quotes, general announcements, birthdays, and who knows-maybe even marriage proposals. We hope to provide interesting and informative reading for all. Of course, since this is your student publication, we would appreciate your input on these or any oth~r topic of concern. We welcome your letters and articles, as well as your help with the production aspects of this newsletter. In particular, we need reporters for each department, a sports reporter, and every other kind of reporter you can think of. Just leave your submissions or messages in our mailbox in the EUS office.

To provide a forum for longer, expository articles on engineering ideas (such as communication papers for Engineering Design or Student Paper Competitions) a McGill Engineering Student Journal has been suggested, for the second semester. Its publication (i.e. its very existence) is dependent on student- submitted material, so please help us by contributing your input.

A special note to U1 's: don't panic! You 've probably heard all kinds of horror stories (most of them true) about the curriculum and the kind of lifestyle you'll need to adopt in order to cope and succeed in Engineering. Well, just remember that the people telling you those horror stories went through the same experiences you will face, and have fared quite well, all in all. With some confidence and a little effort, so will you. Get involved; enjoy your stay.

HAVE A SUCCESSFUL YEAR! The Editors: Margaret Britt Wah Keung Chan Peter C. Noutsios Deadline for next Issue: September 26th Theme: Retrospect - Nostalgia A look into McGill Engineering back five, ten and longer years ago.

Anyone who can present some insight please leave a message.

Contents: Page 2: Dean Belanger Tapes Page 3 : Clubs and stuff Page 4 : McGill Happenings

TERRY FOX RUN As is the tradition every September in Canada, the Canadian Cancer Society organizes runs, jogs and walks to raise money for Cancer research. As a tribute to the one-legged cancer-stricken Terry Fox, thousands of Canadians, all over the world, participate in these events including organized groups from major companies and univerities. This year, McGill Engineering has organized a group and will be running on Sunday, September 14 in the 11 :45 time slot. So, if you're a runner, walker, biker or jogger and would like to help raise money for a good cause, please join the group. - Sponsor those who will be running if you can't make it yourself. Let's see a big turnout and show some McGill Eng. Pride. Please contact Peter Noutsios or Wah Keung Chan for more info in rm 426.

- PCN

Self Cooling Cans Superior Marketing Research of Salt Lake City, Utah, has developed a self-dooling beveraage can - no more storing your beer cans in the fridge to keep them cool!

Inside the cooler is a capsule containing CO 2. When the tab is pulled, a release valued connected to it frees the gas. The gas expands as it escapes, cooling quickly - the capsule is chilled to 60 deg Fahrenheit. The result: the can's contents experience a 40 0 F drop in temperature. The capsule takes up about 1.5 fl oz of space in the can and may cost $0.05 to $0.07 more. No mention was made on the date of commercial availability.

- MB from Science Digest / Sept '86

Dean Belanger Interview

by Wah Keung Chan and Peter Noutsios The Plumber's Faucet interviewed the Dean of Engineering, Dr. Pierre Belanger on September 2, 1986. He was appointed Dean in 1984 and is maintaining his position for a five-year term. He is a McGill graduate of engineering physics and has a PhD from MIT. His other positions at McGill have been associate professor, chairman and professor in the department of Electrical Eng after a brief fling as a system analyst at the Foxboro Company.

Faucet: As the Dean of Engineering, can you describe your principle functions and powers?

Belanger: As Dean, my main function is to preside over university administrative functions. Unlike industry there is not a structural hierarchy. I'm responsible for the budget and the decisions made on budget cuts and for the allocation of resources. My role also involves coming up with ideas and to exercise leadership on the faculty. Presently, I am involved in many committees, including being one of two deans on the McGill budget planning group and on the deans' committee which meets once a month.

PF: How has your position as an engineering researcher changed since your appointment? Are you still involved with control theory research? Do you still teach?

PB: I am still involved in control system moving towards Robotics. I try to take off one morning a week to meet with professors and students. I have to have good students who are self-starting because I can't give them the kind of supervision as I did before. It's essential to keep up with the theory ". because if you've been away from research for five years it's hard to pick it up again. I still do one course per year (Circuits I). That varies from one dean to another. Of course you could possibly not teach for five years but come back to teach again if you don't lose what ever technique you've developed. I think it is important to teach a first year course because I think this is where the senior teachers should be. Teaching experience counts a lot for the first year students.

PF: What are the major concerns of the Faculty that you face as dean?

PB: Budget cuts. In five years Quebec has come from being the best funded, the highest level of resources in the four regions in the country, to the lowest.

It can't go on. We've just about reached the limit. Our second problem, that is mostly an engineering problem, is space. It turns out that the university as a whole is not really under spaced. This is being elevated. The building (McDonald Harrington) next to us is coming to the Faculty. We expect Architecture and Urban Planning will move there in Christmas time. Over all, we are getting 61K sq It (18K sq metres) of space.

PF: How about the issue of Military Research?

PB: The Senate has guidelines, they passed last year, which bans secret research of any kind, either industry or military. As an administrator I am suppose to apply the rules of Senate. As long as research is not secret and fulfills the guidelines of Senate. I have to approve of it. These rules are neutral to military research.

PB: There are variations in the way things have been done. Of course the charter of rights does not have any effect unless the people most concerned, that is the students, see to its enforcement. I would like for the EUS and AUS to have a look at it, to see which parts are being violated and to make some recommendations. It is easier for the EUS to do this than for me. As a professor I show my students the final exam, and I presume that the other professors do the same. I guess I've heard that some professors don't allow it, I don't know if it is a large number or small. I am not aware of potential violations to the Charter of Rights, but the students are. If students come to me and say that professors are not allowing these articles then we'll take action to ensure that it is corrected.

PF: What is the position of the Faculty to the increase of fees?

PB: The faculty is very positive for the increase of fees. They were about the same as they were when I was a student in 1959. I think it's a matter of what you think a society should provide and pay for. The principle beneficiaries of an education are the people who are educated. Of course society does benefit, so it should pay. But it's a question of balance and how much do you ask the principle beneficiaries to cover the cost of education, especially taking into account that his earnings will increase over a lifetime. Some of the increase should be in the form of an increase loan form. I don't believe that accessibility should be curtailed. Studies at Laval have shown that doubling fees is possible without curtailing accessibility. Fees should be increased to the level of Ontario. Obviously, they should not be over one year. Also, I don't believe that fees should be increased for foreign students, because they are already too high.

It's hard to keep it going by trimming the budget year by year. Frankly, the decisions made by many departments are frequently not pedagogically sound. For example the decision made by Electrical Engineering three years ago to cut its required labs from five to four was not taken on pedagogical grounds. It was just a matter of too many students and too little equipment.

PF: Tell us about recent enrollment in engineering?

PB: The number of enrolled have been steady, mostly because we want it to. Right now we are saturated. It's no secret that you have some departments, like Electrical whose enrollment could easily be doubled. Mechanical is on the increase, the demand is there. Chemical is very steady throughout the years, while Civil is very cyclical. Mining and Met is steady but is quite low. We could increase the enrollment without injuring the standards, it's just that we don't have the resources. It's our job to ensure that we offer a quality education for our students.

PF: How has the cutbacks affected McGill's rankings as an engineering school?

PB: All of engineering education in Canada has suffered. In terms of our rankings, it's hard to say because I don't know what our ranking is. In the research and theory level, it has stayed the same in relative terms of our funds from NSERC. Overall, it seems that there is a surging interest from the rest of Canada to come to McGill. Nobody really knows why. Actually, it's not doing engineering that much good. We have a smaller proportion of students from outside Quebec coming in to engineering, mainly because we have a 3 1/2 year program with CEGEP and if you add another year to that its 41 /2 years and that is not attractive. Its got to be four. But, we're working on that one.

PF: Tell us about your brief sejour with Foxboro?

PF: What is the position of the Faculty for the Charter of Student Rights, which was approved by Senate in 1984, but has not been ratified as an official regulation of the University?

PB: I saw that promotions in industry depended alot on your getting away from engineering and into management. At that time I wanted to develop my skill as an engineer and was not interested in stepping up the corporate ladder. I wanted to do research engineering work. I knew I was good at it; I was not too sure about management and the politics involved. I didn't want my career path blocked because of this. Today, however, industry provides for dual promotion through engineering and management.

PB: I don't think the faculty knows very much of the Charter. I think that the members of the Senate know it better. It is a safeguard, something that has to be there. I don't know what the implications arE'.

PF: Since this interview will be published in the fi rst issue of the Faucet, can you give advise for the new incoming students.

PF: How about the article involving the students' right to see all material marked which some professors do not allow?

PB: I think that what new students should guard against is that alot of them haven't worked that hard in CEGEP. It's not a place where they work hard and is not very demanding. It's much different here. When we say that stu-

dents must pui in 30 hours/week as a minimum, we mean it. I don't think most U1 's coming in realize that this is in fact real. They're not used to spending that much time on a particular course and they don't spend it until the first midterm. And by that time, they think they can catch up; but they can't. No matter how easily they sailed through CEGEP, they won't do that here; even for the brighter students. I suggest that new students have to get themselves a method of work. They have to plan their time and use it wisely and efficiently.

PF: What should students expect from engineering?

PB: What should they expect? That's an interesting question. It's not what they are expecting coming in. Alot of them are expecting engineering as a "How to Science". In fact, an engineering education is one that's suppose to teach you how to think. What we are trying to build is a foundation that'lilast a lifetime upon which you can build almost any1hing. They should expect an education that is a starting point and that will enable them to continue to get educated through their working career.

Civil Engineering Undergraduate Society (CEUS) The CEUS is an organization which concerns itself with the social activities of civil engineering students. Their aim is to organize events and provide various services to students, efforts they think will make your school year more enjoyable.

They plan to organize a couple of big parties (such as the year-end party they hosted at Sigma Chi last May), so keep your eyes open for notices concerning a party we are planning for October, which will be held in the Union Ballroom. In other fund-raising activities, will be having numerous beer-andhot- dog afternoons in the Common Room, and Bake Sales in the MacDonald lobby. These events are open to all, so drop by and enjoy yourselves.

The first major civil event will be a beer and softball game. The time and location of this event will be announced at the general meeting on September 10th at 1 pm in Room 283.

CEUS Executive: Geoff Warren (President); Eric Shintani (Vice-President); Jean Hamoui (Treasurer); Jean-Yves Davis (Secretary)

What is the ...

Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) The Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers is the largest professional Engineering organization in the world with about a quarter of a million members world wide. It publishes a wide variety of technical journals and magazines, as well as sponsoring numerous seminars and conferences. The basic student membership of $12 US ($17 Can) offers you an excellent monthly magazine, The Spectrum, and other publications. There are many societies within the IEEE to join, such as Communications, Computer and Robotics Societies. This organization has a lot of events planned through out the year and you DON'T even have to be an Electrical Engineering Student to JOIN. The McGill Branch, founded as a joint branch with the EES in 1968, now basically organizes the academic activities for Electrical students. It also runs the CRC and the IEEE bulletin board service called the ORACLE. This year many events are planned including participation in a Micro-Mouse competition in the second term. If you'd like to help out, especially Mechanical students for the propulsion of the mouse, please contact the IEEE in rm 426.

An Electrical Project Day is also planned later in second term, with the possibility of prizes. In addition, there are tours planned, IEEE student paper competition and a possible lecture series in conjunction with the Electrical News/Journal, The Live Wire.

IEEE Executive: Wah Keung Chan (Chairman); Supriya Ganguly (ViceChairman); Jean Fortin (Treasurer)

Canadian Society for Chemical Engineers (CSChE) The CSChE is an organization which unites chemical engineering students and practising engineers across 9anada. Becoming a member of the Canadian Society for Chem. Eng. automatically entitles you to a membership of Chemistry in Canada (CIC) and to the American Institute for Chemical Engineers (AIChE). Also, as part of this society students receive a free copy of the magazine Chemisty in Canada.

Since the CSChE is the only game in town, funded by the EUS, they take care of both the social and academical aspects of chemical student life.

About 90 % of chemicals have paid the $5 membership. They are the ones with individual student mailboxes in Room 111 which serves as the office and lounge. Traditionally, they have produced a periodical newsletter the '111 Post', which needs resurrection, and a Chemical YearBook. The CSChE will be running the Tacos and Tequila during Orientation Week.

Canadian Society for Civil Engineering (CSCE) The Canadian society for Civil Engineering is an organization unifying Civil engineers and Civil engineering students across Canada.

The CSCE presents films, organizes tour and invites guest lecturers to keep civil students informed about current projects and recent advances in the field. A Civil Day is also being planned. The CSCE offers editing services for technical papers. Of particular interest to new students, exam booklets containing copies of exams from years past are available through the CSCE (these even include those dreaded math exams.)

Public speaking and communications seminars will also be offered; open to all students, these seminars will take place in the near future. Finally, a conference (professor's talk) is scheduled for September 11th. Minor options in computers and management will be presented and discussed.

Please feel free to drop by room MD283c for more information about the CSCE. CSCE Executive: Jeff Murva (President); Marc Paquette (VP External); James Hum (VP Internal); Stephane Beaulieu (VP Finance).

McGill Chinese Engineering Undergraduate Society (MCEUS) Who joins the MCEUS? Well, if you're like any fair skin, darked haired Oriental looking person, you are a nature candidate. Hey, it doesn't mean that those of you who appreciates the awesome potential MCEUS offers maybe ping-pong tournaments, maybe awesome cultural demonstrations, and maybe not - cannot be members. And the secret, it's free. The Society was founded about twenty years ago, and both foreign and local Chinese participate in the social activies. For the first time, they have produced a Newsletter, ready for Registration day, with interviews of prominant Chinese professor. In conjunction with the MCSS they are holding a Reunion on the 13th of September in the Common Room.

Executive: Terrance Wong (Pres), Anna Ling (VP Internal), Alberta Pang (VP External), Wai Hung Leung (Secretary), Wai Chau Lee (Treasurer) This is only a part of our continuing saga to boldly search for engineering clubs, to boldly go where no editors have gone before ... But seriously folks, if you have a club that you'd like to tell us about please write us a bit about yourselves. We 'll be continuing these club notices in future issues of the Faucet.

William Lowell Putnam Mathematics Competition

WELCOME WEEK

The Putnam Mathematics Competition will once again be held on the first Saturday in December. Those of you Mathematically inclined or interested in being challenged should really consider entering. No cost, and only financial reward and fame. Several engineering students wrote the competition for the past two years with success. Training Sessions will be provided by Prof. Marshall, office in Burnside Rm 1211 .

ORIENTATION WEEK Remember John, Paul, George and Ringo? Well, our very own Beatie clone, the Wombat, certainly does: he is busily at work bringing some of the Beatie hysteria to McGill Orientation Week 1986. All week (September 5th to 12th), take part in the 'Goodday Sunshine' ~obby Cafe and keep an ear tuned for the following: Monday September 8th U1's, don't miss the Dean's address in Room 204 at one o'clock. Then, the '1 Feel Fine' Wine and Cheese starts at 3 in the common room.

Tuesday September 9th 'Helter Skelter' U1 Scavenger Hunters can win prizes (engineering license plates, beer tickets, etc); the hunt starts at1 O. Noon's highlight is the 'With a Little Help from my Friends' tug of war on the Lower Campus. The movie 'Let it Be' will be shown in the Common Room at1 :00, and, if you stay till 5, you can take part in the 'Penny Lane' Casino Nite.

Wednesday September 10th The Opening Day of the U1 Olympics. Three events are scheduled (starting at11), so make sure you arrive in fighting spirit. An event not to miss: the 'We Can Work it Out' Funnelator Challenge' on the Lower Campus at 12:30.

The 2 o'clock presentation of 'Hard Day's Night' will put you in just the right mood for the 'Magical Mystery Tour' Pubcrawl, which starts at Gerts' at 7.

Thursday September 11 More U1 Olympics are scheduled today-don't miss them. Then, get set for the 'Yellow Submarine' Races at noon in the Common Room-these are guaranteed to take boat racing to new depths! After all that beer, 'Come Together' to enjoy a Taco and Tequila party in the Common Room.

Friday September 12 After a week of Orientation activities, you may be ready to cry 'Help!'. Well, the Beatles beat you to it, as their movie (one o'clock in the Common Room) clearly shows. Join 'Lucy in the Sky with Beer and Coldcuts' at3 in the Common Room, and top the week off at the 'All Together Now' party at Sigma Chi. ENJOY!!

-MB

Just what is that pink flamingo doing all over the place? And why is he wearing a tartan tam and playing the bagpipes? Welcome Week Chairperson Christina Sbrocchi and her 30 coordinators had two ideas for themes: a Scottish Fair, and the Pink Flamingo. So they use both.

Highlights of Welcome Week (September 2 - 13) include the Engineering Pubnite on Friday September 5th, after which partiCipants can walk over to the Street Dance at the Co-ed Residences at the Top of University Street.

Saturday September 6th features an outing to Mont St-Sauveur. Daniel Richler of Muchmusic will speak about censorship in videos at 7pm on the 8th.

Two local bands with a Scottish flavor, the 'Shenanigans' and 'Orealis' will perform on Lower Campus on the 9th at noon and the 10th at5 respectively (no admission charge). Chalk Circle's concert in the Ballroom on September 12th (9pm) will cost $5. Open Air Pubs on Lower Campus will be held on Weekdays from 11 am- 4pm. Through the week of September 9-12, games and contests with Scottish flavour will be featured . The 'Have a Scotch with Scotty' Star Trek episodes night at Gerts' will begin at 7pm on September 10th.

Welcome Week will conclude on Saturday September 13th with an all-youcan-eat-spaghetti ($3) at the Union Building cafeteria followed by a Comedy Fest featuring Marty Putz and Bowser and Blue. See you there ...

-WKC and MB

OPEN HOUSE The brochures and articles read "Every three years McGill hosts an Open House ... inviting the Montreal public to come and see what we have to offer in teaching, research, athletics and services." This edition, to take place on September 26th and 27th, with exhibits and displays from various departments, faculties and groups, and musical and theatrical presentations, appears to be right on target. What we have is a packed schedule from the momentthe Parade gets under way at noon Friday to the 15 minute ceremonial closing Fireworks on Saturday evening. (Although in 1983 it was spread over 3 days) INVITATION 86 as the event is called, has received very good response from the Community; even retiring Mayor Drapeau will be on hand to open the festivites.

Of particular interest at the Bronfman building is the 'Montreal 1990' exhibit, of scale models of buildings in the downtown area around McGill as it would appear in the near future, on display for the first time. Athletics will be featured by a McGill vs. Concordia football game, and an Intercollegiate Field Hockey Tournament and Rugby Games. The absence of Flagball, the fall classic, is noteworthy.

Music lovers will be treated to Gilbert and Sullivan by the Savoy Society at Moyse Hall, Chamber Recital at Pollack Hall, Prof. John Grew in Organ Recital at Repath hall, and a Rock concert with Eye Eye opening for the Spoons. Cost of Player's Theatre's "The Shadow Box" at Union building is $3.00 and the Rock Concert is $5 (Student) $7 (General). Also, on Saturday, McTavish street will be blocked off for a Street Fest.

A notable omission from last Open House is the 10K Run, its absence due to the concurrence of the Montreal Marathon on the same weekend. Such an event, however, would certainly be quite interesting and perhaps successful if incorporated in Welcome Week.

Any Student Organization wishing to participate in the displays can contact MSS VP Internal Linda Glasglow. Indeed individual students will be sent information on the Open House in early September; those wishing to give assistance are most welcome, just call ~92-848 1 or go to Burnside 105. A detailed 10 page program will be available about 2 weeks before Open House.

-WKC

One from the Summer Mr. Kurtz said to his newly found roommate, "Hi, I'm Ron. Like me yet?"