Welcome (back)! “Party now and cry later.”
2 0 1 7 September Edition
How to survive uni ... 2 & 7 9 pro-tips to get hired ASAP ... 4 Interview with Dr. Hyo-Jick Choi ... 5 ARVP competition at San Diego ... 8 Bye bye, Geer Store ... 12 So, ESS, what’s happening? #1 ... 13 Crosswords/Sudoku/Comics ... 15 Week of Welcome ... 18 September event calendar ... 19
TO GROW OR NOT TO GROW?
BY JOSH GOSELWITZ (PRESIDENT OF ENGINEERING STUDENTS’ SOCIETY)
I couldn’t be more excited for this
year. From our first 1st-Year Retreat to our first Geer Gardens, to our new app, a revamped geer card, new merchandise, more collaboration with other faculty associations and the start of minors in engineering - this year is definitely about change. The ESS and other engineering clubs have been working very hard over the summer, especially on new initiatives, and I think you’ll see all of our hard work pay off throughout the year.
Change, however, doesn’t come without a price. Throughout September and October, the
ESS will be conducting student consultations on FAMF - the Faculty Association Membership Fee. Currently, each engineering undergraduate student on campus pays a $7 opt-out fee per semester. This fee, at a minimum, has to be renewed every 4 years and while it was just renewed two years ago, the ESS and other clubs have experienced significant growth since. In the past two years alone, our society has doubled in volunteers, growing from 12 divisions to 22, and 4 departments to 6. We’ve grown from services just offered out of the Geer Store to more elaborate services involving health and wellness initiatives, mentorship and peer assisted study sessions. As well, we saw an unprecedented influx of applications for the Engineering Student Activity Fund (ESAF) this past year, many of which we had to unfortunately turn down.
It’s not just the ESS that has experienced this growth as well. New engineering clubs (Diversi-
ty in Engineering!) have been formed and other clubs have seen growth as well these past couple years, clubs that rely or may soon rely on funding from FAMF. We’re approaching a point where the fees we collect from students and other sources of income are preventing us from further advancing the services, events, funds and initiatives our members value. Change can be good but it also means new challenges. This fall, let us know how much more you want us to grow, what else you think we could be putting our time and resources into, and ask yourself: are you satisfied with how things are now or do you think engineering clubs can provide more?
CONTENTS Features Declasisified University First Year Survival Guide
2
Employment Pro-tips from Engineering Employment Center (EEC)
4
Good Science: Interview with Hyo-Jick Choi
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University 101 7 Campus News Auri, I Choose You for 2017 RoboSub Competition
AVP Publications Solbee Seo Jr. Editors Abby Paul Aishwarya Venkitachalam Derek Shultz Krizelle Mendoza Marianne Rosal Megal Rowbottom
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Remembering Geer Store 12 So, ESS, What’s happening? #1 August 2017 ESS Board of Directors Meeting Summary
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Diversions 15 Crosswords Sudoku Comics Events Week of Welcome 18 September Event Calendar 19
Sept 2017
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Features
DECLASSIFIED UNIVERSITY FIRST YEAR SURVIVAL GUIDE BY ABBY PAUL
One year ago, I was a nervous and excited, but mostly terrified, firstyear engineering student and spent hours trying to find tips that would help me get through my first year. Somehow, I did it. Now, it’s my turn to share some wisdom with this year’s batch of distraught first-years looking for any help that they can get. Everyone has their own strategies for success, and it’s up to you to find yours, but here are some tips that might help you get through first year relatively unscathed.
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1. Manage Your Time Keeping track of important academic dates, whether they’re due dates or exam dates, can help you achieve (or attempt to achieve) the elusive “work-life balance.” Everyone has a planning system that works best for them; your phone calendar, a spreadsheet, or a day planner can help you prioritize your time so that you can get those assignments done while still making time for yourself. 2. Take Care of Yourself It’s a lot easier to manage your workload when you’re feeling your best, so make sure to take care of your health by living on more than coffee and getting more exercise than just dragging yourself out of bed every morning. Your ONECard gets you entry to the Hanson Fitness and Lifestyle Centre, Wilson Climbing Centre, and more, so you might as well use it! By packing healthy foods to eat during the day, you’ll have the energy to powerwalk to all your classes, and avoid spending next semester’s textbook budget on Panda Express. 3. Search Online Resources Websites like Wolfram Alpha, Desmos, and Khan Academy are invaluable tools for both studying and assignments. It’s hard to believe students managed get through university without them back in the days of yore. Online resources are there whenever you need them. Everyone has their favourite online tools, so make sure to ask your classmates which online resources they’ve found helpful. You never know which website will explain a concept in just the right way for you to master it!
4. Use On-Campus Resources If you’re struggling with a concept, or facing a seemingly impossible homework problem, don’t panic. Check out your course syllabus for professor’s office hours, help rooms, and review sessions. These resources are efficient ways to get help for assignments and clarify concepts, leaving you with a better understanding of the material, and more time to take a nap, than if you had spent hours looking through the textbook for a single piece of information. 5. Go to ESS Events Believe it or not, it’s important to make time to relax and have fun, and going to ESS events is a great way to do that. You’ll put names to the faces in your massive lectures, get helpful advice from upper-year students, and be able to head back to the grind with some great memories. When you look back on your year, you’re going to remember the good times that made it all worthwhile, not the hours you spent on assignments (unless it was an especially traumatic one).
When it’s one of those days, and it seems impossible, stop, and take a deep breath.
6. Make Some Friends The people that you meet this year could become your best friends for life. Find some people that make you laugh and motivate you to be your best, and stick with them. No one has all the answers, but working together on assignments can help you finish them much faster and with fewer tears than going it alone, unless you spend the whole time laughing at Star Wars memes until you cry. Remember that all the engineering students in second year and beyond made it through; it’s possible. It takes hard work and the right attitude, but you can do it. Just make sure to have some fun with it.
Sept 2017
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Features
EMPLOYMENT PRO-TIPS FROM ENGINEERING EMPLOYMENT CENTER (EEC)
BY STACEY SAYLER
With the new academic year underway, it’s important to remember that September is also the busiest month for on-campus recruitment. Most major employers conduct their recruitment for summer and new grad openings in September, which means the time to start your job search is right now! Pro-tip#1 Use the resources available in the EEC Resource Vault. Read the Engineering Your Career series and use the Access Helpful Resources to be effective in your job search.
Pro-tip#4 Sign up for EEC News and receive weekly updates on employment opportunities, employer events, networking opportunities, workshop schedules, and more.
Pro-tip#2 Set your job search preferences in PlacePro to: “Employment, ALL, 2018”.
Pro-tip#5 Attend employer information sessions targeting your discipline, Careers Day, and other industry networking opportunities.
Pro-tip#3 Do your research and build a list of the top 20 companies that interest you; check their career sections regularly, and follow them on LinkedIn and other social media channels.
To see our complete events schedule and to register, visit uab.ca/eec.
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Not sure how to get started? Attend our free workshops and we’ll help you get on the right path. Topics include: • Job Search Strategies • Writing Effective Resumes & Cover Letters • How to “Wow” at a Career Fair • Networking 101 • Acing an Interview • Leveraging LinkedIn
“SEPTEMBER IS ALSO THE BUSIEST MONTH FOR ON-CAMPUS RECRUITMENT.”
Features
GOOD SCIENCE:
INTERVIEW WITH DR. HYO-JICK CHOI
BY SOLBEE SEO
Dr. Hyo-Jick Choi is an assistant professor in the Department of Chemical & Materials Engineering at University of Alberta. He leads Sustainable Engineering & Drug Delivery Design lab and recently was named as “Researcher of June 2017” by Canadians for Health Research. He is also a seasonal instructor for MatE202. His research focuses on nanotechnology to combat epidemic diseases; his most recent finding is surgical masks that can kill viruses and that are reusable - by using simple concept of recrystallization of salt. Solid form of vaccine (such as pills, tabs) is another research interest for him. Q: Why is your research important? A: It usually takes a long time to develop vaccine. Hence, instead of direct vaccinization, people are encouraged to use PPE instead. But people use it more than once and PPE actually becomes hazardous due to virus’ presence in the mask. Therefore, surgical masks that can both kill and be reused more than once can save a lot of lives. Regarding solid form of vaccines, it is way more beneficial compared to liquid form becuase liquid form requires containment at 4 degree temperature (requires freezer, more costly) and because solid vaccine can last longer.
Sourced from Edmonton Journal. Jan. 5, 2017. University of Alberta researcher touts salt-coated surgical masks as shield against disease.
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Features Q: How do you motivate yourself to be inspired and come up with new ideas? A: I always try to think why and how. Even when it’s not related to my research. Say, when I see non-existent tools, I try to understand the mechanicsm of those tools. If you find meaning of daily life happenings, it can generate new ideas! For example, one day my wife made me to do dishes and I was really bad at it. (laugh) But I saw bunch of bubbles formed and it got me wondering, “What’s the physical structure of bubbles?” It turned out to be a thin liquid, spherical channel with small pores. I integrated this idea into a biochemical reactor and now this developed into a big project. Q: As an undergraduate, what efforts can we make to start exploring this type of research field? A: Of course, take fundamental courses, but also the courses that you are genuinely interested in - don’t worry about your GPA too much. Go and try new things. During my undergrad, I was in ceramic engineering but I took lots of courses from physics and ECE departments. One time, I took quantum physics and got a C, but I don’t regret it because I learned something valuable at the end.
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“THERE IS A HUGE GAP BETWEEN THE KNOWLEDGE THAT WE HAVE AND COMMERCIALIZABLE TECHNOLOGY. I WANT TO SEE SCIENTIFIC KNOWLEDGE TO BE APPLIED AND TO SEE THE RESULTING PRODUCT IN USE AND BENEFITTING THE WORLD.” DR. HYO-JICK CHOI
Features
UNIVERSITY 101
BY AISHWARYA VENKITACHALAM
1. Feeling extremely unmotivated? Sometimes just getting a start on an assignment or forcing yourself to focus for a few minutes will be enough to get the ball rolling. THE POMODORO
TECHNIQUE EMPLOYS 25-MINUTE SESSIONS OF PRODUCTIVITY WITH 5 MINUTE BREAKS IN BETWEEN. You can find plenty of Pomo-
doro Timer programs available online! 2. Watch informative videos during your study breaks! These are the best way to still feel a little productive when you’re not really doing anything useful. Youtube is the place to be - my personal favourite channels are KURZGESAGT, SCISHOW AND OBJECTIVITY. 3. START OFF YOUR EXAM STUDYING WITH A PRACTICE TEST. You will have a better idea of what to tackle and if you run out of time at the end, you will still have some practice under your belt. 4. If a class is highly process-oriented, write it out all the steps IN PLAIN ENGLISH to help consolidate your understanding. 5. JOIN A STUDENT GROUP! You will learn plenty of soft skills and it’s the best way to use your knowledge outside of a classroom setting.
6. Change up your STUDY AREAS! There are tons of cool places around campus, like the little garden in the Agriculture building, the Harry Potter room in Rutherford Library or Lounging spots in Health Sciences. 7. The FOREST APP is a great option if you are getting distracted by your phone or social media. You can plant trees for a chosen amount of time, and during that time you are not allowed to exit the app or your tree will die and become a lonely branch skeleton, which you obviously don’t want. You will accumulate points based on the time you set. If you save up 2,500 points, you can opt to plant a tree IRL. Talk about a win-win situation! 8. POST-IT NOTES are lifesavers when it comes to jotting down a quick to-do list or list of questions you need to figure out when the time comes. 9. If you need a formula sheet for a class and you’re certain that it will end up looking like unintelligible hieroglyphics,
USE 0.5 MM LEAD OR FINE TIPS
to help you load up the page without making a mess.
Sometimes you really don’t need to know exactly what you’re doing, you just need to be as efficient as possible. I wish you all the best this fall term :)
Sept 2017
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Campus News
Auri, I choose you for 2017 Robosub Competition! Interview with U of A Autonomous Robotics Vehicle Project (ARVP) INTERVIEWEE: Randi Derbyshire (2016-2017 ARVP Admin Lead, 3rd Computer Engineering)
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INTERVIEWD BY SOLBEE SEO
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ARVP was established in 1996 and has participated in 20 international competitions. In 2015, ARVP placed the 8th out of 38 teams and was named as the top-placing Canadian team! This year, with the new robot Auri, ARVP participated in International RoboSub Competition (hosted by Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International and Office of Naval Research) from July 24 to 30 at SSC Pacific TRANSDEC., naval research base located at San Diego, CA. During RoboSub, each participating team compete to be qualified for semi-finals then the top 6 teams compete at the final. Without any human control/aid, a robot is required to follow path markers, to touch colored buoy in designated order, to pass through gates, to drop markers into designated bins, to fire torpedos at obstacles, and to locate low-frequency sonar! The team also has to provide technical presentation as a part of static judgment.
Sept 2017
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Campus News
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Q: Was getting the new robot Auri a contributing factor to placing the 10th (non-official) out of 44 teams? A: Yes, the previous robot AquaUrsa was wearing off, so we were spending more time to fix it. Q: What were some downfalls that you did not foresee before this year’s competition? A: There were many floodings due to wires getting stuck in hull joint seal. 3D-printed electornic tray was also bending which caused electronic board to bend too! Q: What is it like to participate in the competition in San Diego? A: Warm and sunny (laugh). Usually, first night is just orientation. After that, we can’t sleep. We spent nights drying the board. But, the last night after final is a huge party for everyone. Also, TRANSDEC. is open to the public only for this competiton since it’s navy-related facility. The navy in San Diego are divers so it’s cool to watch them helping out with the competition. Q: Does ARVP get a lot of help from internal/ external sources? A: RoboSub competition itself also helps groups with sponsorship. But it’s been a little difficult with the current economy state. We also get funding from Mechanical Engineering department and project funds provided by Faculty of Engineering. Professors/technical advisors are often occupied so we try to find answers through internet but we are more interested to find more professors: we need more than just Google. Q: Can you expand on ARVP’s “deep learning”? A: Deep learning for robots means that a robot keeps going through trials and errors simultaneously and learning by itself. ARVP was one of the few teams who had this function built in the robot. Detecting buoys’ colors, especially yellow, is difficult to do. However, with deep learning, ARVP achieved 99% accuracy. A lot of teams looked up to ARVP for it.
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Q: ARVP incorporated virtual simulator built by software team this year. Was this helpful and will this be continuously developed and used? A: It helped a lot! Our software team lead Noni got it worked, and we didn’t have to test underwater all the time. Q: There were only 5 teams from Canada – especially just Montreal, BC, and AB. Do you feel discouraged to pursue robotics in Canada? A: Montreal is particularly big in robotics. And U of A in AI. But generally not huge in Canada. I would like to see it bigger. Compared to Canada, the States have more money and sponsorships for sure. ARVP has been trying to do more outreach like StartupEdmonton to increase public awareness.
E3-002 ETLC contact@arvp.org www.arvp.org https://www.facebook.com/UofA.ARVP https://twitter.com/arvp_robotics https://www.instagram.com/uofa.arvp
Q: Looking at the number of participating teams, it is inevitably increasing every year. Do you see a noticeable increase in general public’s/students’ interest in robotics? A: This year, there were a lot of people just to watch. It was so crazy. There were international TV’s covering the competition. It definitely has gotten way bigger. The competion committee said that, 20 years ago, there were only two teams and the task was to go through gates. Now there are more participants and they are adding more obstacles for a bigger competition. There are few high school teams, and some of them were actually pretty good. Q: What are some events coming up for ARVP that general student bodies to anticipate for? A: We will participate in Week of Welcome, clubs fair, Green and Gold parade, and hopefully more school visits in 2017-2018. We will start recruitment in September: we need a bigger business team. Engineering students can learn both technical side and business side of the team, so this will be ideal opportunity if you are interested in business aspect of group project. We will be having AGM near the end of September!
Sept 2017
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Campus News
REMEBERING GEER STORE
BY SOLBEE SEO
Geer Store has been going through renovations in order to look more professional and to give a fresh look to fellow engineering students. “This is also a way to make Geer Store a landmark in engineering building.”, says Alex Zhao, AVP Operations. Geer Store received Green Spaces Certificate by the Office of Sustainability from last year. Alex says, “We got the certificate as we made a recycle box for collecting used batteries and other recyclable electronic devices. The idea is to encourage more people to save our land and environment. We definitely will keep this way and focus more on saving energy for keeping our green certificate.” Things that are changing: • a new TV on back wall of GEER Store • walls repainted with ESS blue and white colors • a new store sign centred above GEER Store • new staplers****** • maybe a mirror
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Campus News
SO, ESS, WHAT’S HAPPENING? #1
August 2017 Board of Directors Meeting Summary BY SOLBEE SEO
Operations and Finance • New engg merchandises coming up by the end of Sept. • Cheaper Engg Jacket soon (!!!) • Some changes to be made to details of Engineering Undergrad Equipment Fund (EUEF)
IMPORATNT EVENTS COMING UP • Geer Garden • ESS AGM with afterparty at RATT (Sept 20th) • “Tight and Bright Futures Charity Run” with Nursing and Business on Sept 30th
From SU councillor’s updates • Myer Horowitz Theater expansion happening within a year • Minor changes to student health care program • SU voting committee considering to attain indigineous group representative (cons: might lead to over-representation of the group, pros: more perspectives brought to the table)
Geer Week rule changes: • Philanthropy: PARTICIPANTS CAN EARN POINTS FROM SEPT 5 via community service, food drive, blood drive, charitable donations • Some changes to regulations regarding looting/kidnapping • Eager to encourage faculty/ alumni participation • Geer Week AllStar (or VIP) to be rewarded at Engg Ball
Sept 2017
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Campus News
SO, ESS, WHAT’S HAPPENING? #1 CONT.
August 2017 Board of Directors Meeting Summary BY SOLBEE SEO
Changes to Faculty Association Membership Fee (FAMF) • to be renewed (letter sent to SU for renewal) • Reminder to students: YOU CAN OPT OUT OF FAMF General schedule for proposed changes/renewing FAMF 1) Letter of support to be signed by all affected groups by Sept 18 2) Will be mentioned to public body for the first time at ESS AGM on Sept 20 3) Public consultation in early October 4) Leter of support from faculty by October 5) Student survey to be sent out to undergrds through EnggLink by Oct 8th 6) Expect the renewal draft done by Nov 1 7) SU council vote by December 8) Referendum vote by public student body during 2018 April ESS Exec. Election **PLAN: $7 (current) to $14-$20/semester (still one of the lowest in country, compared to UBC with $70) • Pros: student clubs get more money, bigger Engg Ball, more ESS events and services, more financially-supported student society leads to better student society • Cons: Huge step from 7 to 19 bucks
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Diversions
ENGINEERING CROSSWORDS BY KRIZELLE MENDOZA
ANSWERS ON pg,17 Sept 2017
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Diversions
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SUDOKU
BY KRIZELLE MENDOZA
ANSWER ON pg,17
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Diversions
ANSWER KEY CROSSWORDS ANSWERS
SUDOKU ANSWERS
Down 1. Poisson 2. summation 5. Volta 7. spellign 8. alloy 9. zero 12. direct 14. elastic 17. ohm Across 2. slug 3. Donadeo 4. omega 6. stoichiometry 7. secant 10. Joule 11. ordinary 13. period 15. freedom 16. domain 18. titration 19. Matlab
Sept 2017
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Events
WEEK OF WELCOME
BY MEGAN ROWBOTTOM
The Fall Semester is upon us, and with it the unique blend of feelings that come with being back on campus: excitement, nervousness, nostalgia, and just a tiny bit of dread. Thankfully, the UASU Week of Welcome (WOW), a week-long event hosted by the Student’s Union, is back for another year to help ease the backto-school angst and fill the time between syllabus classes. Here are some events to watch for: • WOW Village! Join in on different games and activities in Main Quad, peruse through the Clubs Fair to chat with groups from Engineering and beyond, and grab some free pens (and other giveaways). • The Beer Gardens! The ideal place to catch up with friends, listen to live music, and crack open a cold one. • Comedy shows, concerts and the annual
Headphone Disco!
Get your tickets and partake in a variety of evening events on and around campus. And last but certainly not least, •The WOW Pancake breakfasts! Stop by the WOW Village early throughout the week to enjoy some free breakfast and morning happiness. Best of luck in the first month of school, and take some time to let loose and enjoy yourselves before the midterm madness strikes!
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EMPLOYER INFO SESSIONS IN SEPTEMBER Sept 11: EY Advisory Sept 13: Deloitte Sept 14: Chevron Sept 14: McKinsey & Company Sept 18: Darkhorse Analytics Sept 18: Suncor Sept 19: Shell Canada Sept 20: TELUS: Internet of Things (IOT) Workshop Sept 25: Repsol (formerly Talisman) Sept 26: Microsoft Coding Challenge Sept 26: Arista Networks Sept 28: PepsiCo Canada Sept 27: Arc Resources Sept 27: Teck Resources Sept 28: C-FER Technologies Sept 28: Computronix Sept 28: Edmonton Police Services Oct 10: Schlumberger
Events
SEPTEMBER EVENTS SUN
10 First year retreat
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MON
TUE
THU
4
5 FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL
6
11
12
13 14 APEGA GEER GarRapid Reden sume Review
18 19 APEGA MecE Club Rapid ReAGM sume Review
24
WED 7
20 Go Abroad Fair ESS Fall AGM
25 26 27 APEGA APEAGA In- Career Day Rapid Redustry Mixer sume Review Take a Break
FRI
SAT
8 First year retreat
9 First year retreat
15 Engg Carnival
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GEER Garden 21 22 Services First-Year Speed Dating Academic Survival
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APEGA Speed Mock Interview
ESS Glow Party 29
23 Engineering Expo
30 Hiking Trip “Tight and Bright” 5K charity run
ESS Pancake Breakfast
OCTOBER EVENTS SUN 1
Hiking Trip
MON 2
TUE
WED
THU
3
4
CEA YPG Edmonton: University of Alberta Student Mixer
APEGA Speed Paint night Mock Interview
Take a Break
Peer Assisted Study Session
5
Mentor/Mentee Jam
FRI 6
SAT 7
Sept 2017
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facebook.com/UAlbertaESS/ essualberta @UAlbertaESS bucklingESS
Join The Bridge Are you artsy? Are you a crosswords ninja? Are you a pro meme collector? Do you want to learn how to use Adobe InDesign? Do you like talking to people? Are you talented at reading the future? Do you give advise to people all the time? Be engineering students who can write/read. Be you. Email avp.publications@ualberta.ca