Friday, November 6, 2020

PAC to the future: Warriors unveil new floor named for founding athletics director

This article was originally featured on the Athletics and Recreation website.

The Department of Athletics and Recreation is extremely excited to unveil the brand new Physical Activities Complex (PAC) gym floor that was completely removed and replaced. The PAC floor, installed over 50 years ago, has undergone multiple facelifts but after decades of use was due for a complete overhaul. The new floor, a Robbins' MVP floor by Robbins Sports Surfaces, is now a high-performance flooring system and surface that will enhance the student-athlete experience.

The main court has been renamed after the late and founding member of the University of Waterloo, Carl Totzke (1926-2015). Totzke was the Athletic Director at Waterloo College (1954-1956) prior to assuming the same role at the University of Waterloo in 1957. Totzke retired on Oct 1, 1989 after 33 years. Totzke's vision, that he established in 1957 and which emphasized fun and hard work, continues to be the foundation for our present-day Warriors.

Totzke's granddaughter, Carly Cousineau, put it in to words perfectly when describing the impact her grandfather has left on the Warriors community. "If I learned anything from my Papa, it's that at the end of the day, it's not about what you have or what you've accomplished. It's about inspiring and lifting others while positively impacting lives. It's about what you've given back. That is success. That is creating a legacy."

Totzke was an outstanding leader and sport administrator. His contributions to Canadian sport are immeasurable, while he made numerous contributions to the Waterloo community. Totzke accepted the challenge of building the department from scratch and did so in an unforgettable manner. 

"Carl was a true pioneer of our institution and of intercollegiate sport in Canada," said Roly Webster, director of athletics and recreation. "Carl built a foundation and philosophy that impacted so many and we are incredibly proud that we can honour his legacy in the naming of the spectacular new PAC gym floor." 

In his first year he organized football, men's hockey, and men's basketball to compete in the OIAA (Ontario Intercollegiate Athletic Association), now OUA (Ontario University Athletics). Over the course of the next 33 years, Totzke built the department into one of the most broadly-based programs in the country.  Currently the University of Waterloo houses 31 varsity teams with over 600 student-athletes while catering to over 30,000 participants per year in recreation programming and is recognized across Canada as a front-runner in student leadership opportunities.

In 1982, Totzke received the J.P. Loosemore Award from the OUAA (Ontario University Athletics Association) now OUA, awarded to an individual who exemplifies the best in university sport in terms of ethics, integrity, and honesty. In 1989, Totzke was presented with the Austin-Matthews Award by the CIAU (Canadian Interuniversity Athletic Union), now U SPORTS, for his outstanding contribution to the development of interuniversity sport in Canada.

The Totzke Trophy, for Waterloo's male athlete of the year, is named after Carl and is awarded annually for athletic skill, sportsmanship, citizenship, academic proficiency, and outstanding contribution to a varsity program.

"My Dad believed that Athletics and Recreation were important parts of a well-rounded education," said Carl's son Paul Totzke. "He would be honoured to be a part of anything that improved the school experience for students here at the University of Waterloo."

Carl's daughter Sue Cousineau shared the same sentiments of honouring Carl's legacy. "Our entire family is so honoured that the university is recognizing him by naming the main PAC court after him. This is a place he spent many hours cheering on the Warriors, and he would be elated that his name will forever be a part of the Warriors rich history." 

In addition to the naming of the Carl Totzke Court, the location of the buzzer beating shot to the win the 1974-75 National Championship is forever etched into the floor. Phil Goggins (BA '74) hit the shot in the final seconds to lift the Warriors past Manitoba, 80-79 in front of over 5,000 fans at the PAC, a moment that those who experienced it will never forget. 

"Looking back on the footage and seeing that shot go in still gives me goosebumps," said Webster. "I can't imagine what the feeling was for that team and the fans in attendance, the building must have been shaking. It is very special that we can memorialize this significant event of our history."

The PAC has recently reopened, and the new floor is being enjoyed by varsity teams and open recreation participants. 

"Although it is unfortunate that we cannot yet have varsity competition on the floor, I am thrilled to see students enjoying the shiny new surface. When we finally can resume game action on the floor, it is going to be premiere venue for student-athletes and fans."

About the new gym floor - Robbins Sports Surfaces MVP Floor

The Robbins' MVP floor focuses on optimizing biomechanical interaction between athlete and floor by minimizing vibration and maximizing uniformity, while maintaining proper energy return. The flooring system installed in PAC was done by Gym-Con and is a high-performance floor used in many professional sporting facilities throughout North America. 

Book pickup service expanded to more library locations

A message from the Library.

We are pleased to announce that the three campus book pickup services have now joined together within Omni, the Library’s catalogue. Materials will be delivered to the pickup location of your choice: Dana Porter Library, Milton Good Library, and Musagetes Architecture Library in Cambridge.

University of Waterloo faculty, students, and postdoctoral fellows may request physical items from the print collections of:

• Musagetes Architecture Library,
• Milton Good Library, Conrad Grebel,
• Witer Learning Resource Centre,
• Davis Centre Library, and
• Dana Porter Library.

Service details

• Book Pickup @ Porter: Scheduled pickup times are no longer required. Patrons who have received their notice of availability from the Library will be able to visit the Dana Porter Library anytime from 10 a.m. until noon, Monday to Friday.
   
• Book Pickup @ Musagetes Architecture Library: Requests close at 9 a.m. each Thursday morning for pickup between noon and 2 p.m. on Friday.
   
• Book Pickup @ Milton Good, Conrad Grebel: Pickup times are during library open hours.

Masks must be worn when entering the libraries, and other safety protocols will be in place.

Coming soon

• Book delivery by mail: Mailing out of print items will be an option for faculty, graduate students and staff who are unable to make use of the print pickup service. Requested items will be mailed out to any address in Canada.
   
• Requesting items from the University of Guelph, Wilfrid Laurier University, and the TriUniversity Annex for Waterloo faculty, students and staff:  Physical items will begin to be available through Omni, the Library's catalogue.

Follow the library services and operations update page for changes on all services that are being redeveloped in response to the pandemic. We look forward to enhancing library services further to support and engage with you.

The University of Waterloo and the University of Strathclyde invite you to a Fireside Chat

The University of Waterloo and the University of Strathclyde are jointly hosting a virtual research colloquium, expected to provide an interactive space for graduate students from the participating universities to present their research and receive constructive feedback from international scholars in their respective fields.

Graduate students from both institutions have submitted more than 50 abstracts in research areas such as, Nuclear Engineering, Quantum Technology, Digital Health, Sustainable Energy and Entrepreneurship. An abstract review committee, comprising faculty from both universities have selected 24 graduate students to present at the colloquium slated for Thursday, November 12, 2020 from 9:00 am to 2:00pm.

“This initiative aims to strengthen the mutually beneficial long-term research collaborations between the two universities, and to support engagement of Waterloo faculty and graduate students to explore new opportunities with their Strathclyde colleagues, “ said Bessma Momani, Interim  Assistant Vice-President, International Relations, Waterloo International.

Although the research presentation sessions are reserved for participants only, both president Hamdullahpur and Principal McDonald have extended an invitation to the University community to attend the keynote Fireside Chat taking place on Thursday, November 12, 2020 from 9.00am to 10.15am. Discussions will focus on the purpose of the colloquium and expected outcomes, as well as global developments and  challenges and opportunities for higher education in the post-COVID world. All University of Waterloo members are encouraged to attend this keynote.

Please register here by Monday, November 9 to receive the link to the event.