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It‘s not Nagano... Lai is a member of UW first graduating class in Enviâ€" ronmental/Chemical Engineering. She says she chose this field because she "wanted to be part of the environmental solution." Interestingly, Lai‘s class is more than 40 per cent female, (versus UWs average of 14â€"16 per cent female in other engineering disciplines}, a fact that Lai has no explaâ€" nation for. "I just enjoy it." she smiles. Her advice to kids in high school contemplating their futures? "Keep all your options open," she tells me seriously. "Get lots of experience in everything. I would, and did, call peoâ€" ple up and ask them what they do. Just cold call. People love to talk about themscives and you will get a feel for what sounds interesting." Students like Amy Lai, a bright, vivacious thirdâ€"year engineering student at UW, was Coâ€"Chair of the organizing team for this year‘s competition. 1 asked Lat what the purâ€" pose was of putting firstâ€"year engineers through the rigours of the ‘dartboardâ€"underâ€"twoâ€"metres‘ test. Laughing, she told me: Recognizing the need to make the profession accessible to younger students, the OEC has a jumior exercise open to high school students. It is similar to the Team Design canâ€" test, only with a less difficult problem. The problem, usuâ€" ally in physics, is given to the team along with some materials and "OFC bucks". The team is exaluated on how well they solved the problem and on how much money they spent in the process. When 1 met with Lai prior to the competition last week end, her biggest dream was "to get past Saturday." She did The competition went flawlessly, with UW teams sweeping firsts in all six categories. "It wasn‘t fixed," she told me Sunâ€" day with a laugh. "We just had a lot of very good teams schools and organized entirely by students "I don‘t really know, but it does test the ability of a team to be creative under pressure which is a skill that all engtâ€" neers have to have for life." This week is National Engineering Week and in that spint, here‘s a new take on an old joke How many engineers does it take to get a ball on a dart board â€" standing two metres away, wearing jazzy yellow hardâ€"hats and all the whule being clocked for speed and accuracy? The competition, (ongoing since 1980), rotates throughâ€" out the province‘s engineering schools each year. The vonâ€" rest at UW this year had more than 130 students participating and over 140 volunteers. Next year‘s baitle is scheduled to be held at the University of Windsor. The OEC was conceived to promote excellence and ingeâ€" nuity in both engineering design and communication through competition in six categories; explanatory com munication, editorial communication, corporate design entrepreneurial design, parliamentary debate and team design. Some of the ideas that have been presented at pre viously competitions hav gone on to be commercialâ€" d ized, including one students mM\[l brainstorm of inflatable air bags for snow moabiles. The “Tl‘“ c C 1 competition is underwritten ~ by an impressive list of patrons and sponsors, , including six sustaining I patrons who contribute 3 Fik: more than $100,000 annuâ€" es . 3 ally. Among these benefac e * . tors are Ontano Hydro, Bell -” use M Canada and Northem Teleâ€" com. The event is fully recâ€" R B ognized by all 13 of Lisa O‘Connell Og;u.mo's engineering The games continue with the National competiion March 5â€"8. in Ottawa at Carleton University Give up? Four: At least thats the number it took at the Team Design component of the Ontario Engineering Comâ€" peution (OEC) held last weekend at UW The annual con test provides a forum for engineering students in the province to showcase their skills. It may not be Nagano but for undergrad engineers its the next best thing Canadian Publications Mail Sales Product Agreement #1 36379 Published every Wednesday by The Fairway Group A division of Southam Inc March 4 1998 4 4 M "upr d WATERLOO CHRONICLE