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That band played here?
By Nancy Harper. This article appears in the Spring 2023 issue of Waterloo Magazine.
For people coming of age in the late ’60s and early ’70s — when politics, protest, free love and Vietnam were top of mind — Waterloo wasn’t exactly ground zero for the prevailing counterculture.
Yet the power of music had become a unifying force for an entire generation like never before, and thanks to an enterprising young engineering student, it did more than bring people together at the University of Waterloo. It transformed the social scene.
“That band played here?” is a familiar refrain from those who can’t quite believe their moms and dads got to see the likes of Elton John, the Bee Gees, Joni Mitchell, Ike and Tina Turner, Cat Stevens, Joe Cocker, Stevie Wonder, Chicago, Frank Zappa, Steppenwolf, BB King, Chuck Berry and Johnny Winter — on campus, in Waterloo of all places — for a couple of bucks a pop.
Betty Anne Keller (BA ’69)
Now, the documentary Rock This Town, produced by Waterloo alumnus Betty Anne Keller (BA '69), gives alumni of a certain age an opportunity to relive the glory.
Shining a spotlight on iconic musicians who performed on campus and around the region in the late ’60s and early ’70s, the film’s narrative thread is woven around the experiences of engineering student Joe Recchia (BASc '68, MASc '71) and others who helped put Waterloo on the map.
“I came onto the campus and it was a social wasteland,” Recchia said. “There was nothing. But I was driven. People back then were dying to have entertainment in their lives. They came to the University of Waterloo to learn but they also came to socialize.”
Recchia’s wildly successful run as a concert promoter started with a first dance. More bookings followed as Waterloo students showed up in droves. And when word spread across the region and beyond to culture-starved students at other campuses, Recchia knew he needed to attract more talent. He reached out to New York agencies with a lot of big acts on their books, and things snowballed from there.
“They knew Toronto, Vancouver and Montreal,” Recchia said. “They were like, ‘Holy shit, there’s another market in Canada?’
Joe Recchia (BASc ’68, MASc ’71)
“I developed a relationship, and they believed in me. If your word is good, people will trust you. They started offering me everything under the sun. We were getting calls when they needed a venue in a hurry — and we were making enough money that we could payroll anything we wanted to.”
In fact, one of the acts Recchia booked — the supergroup Chicago, then called Chicago Transit Authority — was virtually unknown until they did a gig in Waterloo.
“They were nobody,” Recchia recalled. “Their agent sent the act up to be showcased and they got 30 dates in Canada. That’s when the American colleges started to pay attention. The more acts I booked, the closer I got to these people.”
Although hard-pressed to pick a favourite act, Recchia said the Bee Gees, who played on campus in 1975, were particularly awesome.
“It was a time in their career where they were very hot. We paid them the most money we paid anybody. It was a band at their peak, and they lived up to it. They did it magnificently.”
Given that the University of Waterloo was founded on a culture of innovation and entrepreneurship, it’s not all that surprising that Recchia and his engineering peers, who knew so little about the music business when they started, got the support they needed to make a go of it.
“In those days, student politics were pretty left of centre,” said Rock This Town producer Keller, who was dating Recchia at the time and was active behind the scenes.
“A student activity fee was being collected and Joe was given a mandate to spend the money on entertainment, so he set out to buy talent for rock ’n roll concerts for ridiculously low prices (as low as two dollars). I have a memory of these tremendous concerts where everybody just sat on the floor of the PAC.
“My purpose in producing the film was to make the case that for a music scene to happen, one of the key factors is the entrepreneurs who are willing to take the risk to make stuff happen.
“I set out to interview the people I knew had done that kind of work in the community. All these people gave their perspective on the business side of the music, but the juicy bits in the film are the stories people tell of their experiences in a particular time period from ’65 to ’75.
“Music drove the culture, and we were part of the music scene. Kitchener-Waterloo is not Toronto, Vancouver or Montreal. It required a certain level of entrepreneurship to make the music happen here. That’s the message I’m hoping to convey with Rock This Town — that music is a key part of a cultural ecosystem in any community and that it was possible to have that in Waterloo Region.”
When Rock This Town premiered at Waterloo’s Princess Cinemas in March 2022, Keller was expecting perhaps five shows. The film ended up running for four months — and although most movie-goers were alumni from the era it depicts, Keller was pleasantly surprised at the reaction from younger viewers.
“The boomers played the music they love and their kids grew up listening to it,” she said. “The film has been very well received. It includes lot of music, about 30 songs. It’s very entertaining.”
Recchia said Rock This Town is a faithful depiction of the Waterloo of that era, and he’s confident alumni will get a major shot of nostalgia from watching it.
“They’re going to get their memories. This is their history,” he said.
As part of Alumni Weekend 2023, a special screening of Rock This Town — produced by Betty Anne Keller (BA '69) and co-directed by Paul Campsall and Tom Knowlton — will take place Friday, June 2 at Fed Hall.
Team tops international event to map sea ice using AI
Winning team members (l-r) Muhammed Patel, Xinwei Chen, Javier Noa Turnes, Linlin Xu, Fernando Pena Cantu and Jinman Park of the remote sensing research group at the VIP Lab at Waterloo Engineering.
This article was originally published on the Faculty of Engineering website.
A team from Waterloo Engineering has won an international competition aimed at advancing the state-of-the-art in the mapping of sea ice.
The team included professors, researchers and graduate students in a remote sensing research group that is a subgroup of the larger Vision and Image Processing (VIP) Lab within the Department of Systems Design Engineering.
Sponsored by organizations including the Danish Meteorological Institute and the European Space Agency (ESA), the AutoICE competition challenged teams to build machine learning models for three sea ice parameters – sea ice concentration, stage-of-development and floe size – to enable automated mapping using data from an ESA satellite called Sentinel-1.
The Waterloo team developed an artificial intelligence (AI) model based on a multi-task deep convolutional neural network to retrieve the parameters from multi-sensor satellite data.
Advanced AI techniques such as spatial-temporal encoding, domain adaptation and multi-task learning were incorporated to boost the performance of the model.
“We are thrilled to win first place in this worldwide competition, which demonstrates our team's leading position in the field of sea ice remote sensing,” said Dr. Xinwei Chen, a postdoctoral researcher.
“It also motivates us to continue to have worldwide impact in future research concerning the combination of AI and remote sensing.”
30 teams submitted solutions
The winning Waterloo team received about $4,500 and an invitation to remotely present its solution to an expert team at an upcoming event. Academic publication is also in the works.
Thirty teams from numerous countries including Germany, Italy and Spain submitted solutions to the challenge.
The remote sensing research group, which is dedicated to the science of capturing data of the earth from planes or satellites, is headed by Dr. David Clausi and Dr. Andrea Scott, both systems design engineering professors.
Clausi and Scott were Faculty leads for the AutoICE team. Other key members were research professor Dr. Linlin Xu, doctoral students Jinman Park and Javier Noa Turnes, and master’s students Muhammed Patel and Fernando Pena Cantu.
Link of the day
"Fellas, it's been good to know ya." Gordon Lightfoot, 1938-2023
When and Where
Fitness and Personal Training - Registrations opened January 5 this winter with Personal Training and Small Group Training as well as a Free Warrior Workout Program.
Waterloo Warriors Youth Camps. Spring and Summer camps available for Boys and Girls ages 5-18. Baseball, Basketball, Football, Volleyball, Hockey and Multi-Sport and Games. Register today.
Student Health Pharmacy in the basement of the Student Life Centre is now offering Covid booster shots (Pfizer and Moderna) and flu shots. Call 519-746-4500 or extension 33784 for an appointment. Walk-ins always welcome.
NEW - Tim Hortons Smile Cookie Week, Monday, May 1 to Sunday, May 7 at Tim Hortons DC and SLC. All proceeds will be going to United Way.
Speak Like a Scholarapplications open, Monday, May 1 to Friday, May 26.
NEW - Teaching and Learning Conference, Thursday, May 4, Science Teaching Complex and Federation Hall.
Red Dress Day at UWaterloo, Friday, May 5, BMH Green, 3:00 p.m.
Spring 2023 PhD graduates dinner reception, Friday, May 5, 7:30 p.m., Fed Hall.
Dissertation Boot Campapplications open, Monday, May 8.
NEW - Deadline to register for Centre for Extended Learning (CEL) "Getting Ready to Facilitate Online Courses: TA Training – Spring 2023" course, Monday, May 22.
When and Where to get support
Students can visit the Student Success Office online for supports including academic development, international student resources, immigration consulting, leadership development, exchange and study abroad, and opportunities to get involved.
Instructors looking for targeted support for developing online components for blended learning courses, transitioning remote to fully online courses, revising current online courses, and more please visit Agile Development | Centre for Extended Learning | University of Waterloo (uwaterloo.ca).
Faculty, staff, post-doc and graduate student instructors can find upcoming teaching and learning workshops, self-directed modules and recordings of previous events on Centre for Teaching Excellence Workshops and Events page.
Instructors can access the EdTech Hub to find support on Waterloo’s centrally supported EdTech tools. The Hub is supported by members of IST’s Instructional Technologies and Media Services, Centre for Teaching Excellence, Centre for Extended Learning and subject matter experts from other campus areas.
Supports are available for employees returning to campus. Visit IST’s Hybrid Work and Technology guidelines and workplace protocols to assist with the transition.
Occupational Health can provide support related to medical leave, workplace accommodations and anything else related to your health and wellbeing. For professional support or counselling, contact our Employee & Family Assistance provider (EFAP) Homewood Health at 1-800-663-1142. They are available 24/7 for urgent or non-urgent matters. Their website also offers helpful resources.
Employees who need support can contact occupationalhealth@uwaterloo.ca.
Students with permanent, temporary and suspected disabilities and disabling conditions (medical conditions, injuries, or trauma from discrimination, violence, or oppression) can register with AccessAbility Services for academic accommodations (classroom accommodations, testing accommodations, milestone accommodations).
Instructors can visit AccessAbility Services' Faculty and Staff web page for information about the Instructor/Faculty role in the accommodation process. Instructors/Faculty members are legally required to accommodate students with disabilities. AccessAbility Services (AAS) is here to help you understand your obligations, and to offer services and resources to help you facilitate accommodations.
Did you know that the Writing and Communication Centre offers many in-person and virtual services to support you with any writing or communication project? This term we've added The Write Spot: a new student space in South Campus hall, complete with bookable workspaces, drop-ins with our peer tutors, and free coffee and tea. We also have one-to-one appointments with our writing and communication advisors and peer tutors, email tutoring for grads and undergrads, drop-ins at Dana Porter Library, online workshops, writing groups, English conversation practice, and even custom in-class workshops. For any communication project, the Writing and Communication Centre is here to support you.
Research Ethics: Find yourself with an ethical question, unsure if your work requires an ethics review, or need advice about putting together a research ethics application? Reach out to one of our friendly staff by booking a consultation or email us with your questions.
Co-op students can get help finding a job and find supports to successfully work remotely, develop new skills, access wellness and career information, and contact a co-op or career advisor.
The Centre for Career Action (CCA) has services and programs to support undergrads, grad students, postdocs, alumni, and employees in figuring out what they value, what they’re good at, and how to access meaningful work, co-op, volunteer, or graduate/professional school opportunities. Questions about CCA's services? Live chat, call 519-888-4047, or stop by our front desk in the Tatham Centre 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday to Friday.
Drop-in to in-person Warrior Study Halls on Thursdays from 5:00 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. in DC and DP. Join a Peer Success Coach to set goals and work independently or in groups each week.
Renison's English Language Institute continues to offer virtual events and workshops to help students practice their English language skills.
If you feel overwhelmed or anxious and need to talk to somebody, please contact the University’s Campus Wellness services, either Health Services or Counselling Services. You can also contact the University's Centre for Mental Health Research and Treatment. Good2Talk is a post-secondary student helpline available to all students.
The Library is here to help, both in person and online. Our spaces are open for access to book stacks, study spaces, computers/printers, and the IST Help Desk. For in-depth support, meet one-to-one with Librarians, Special Collections & Archives and Geospatial Centre staff. Visit the Library’s home page to access our online resources for anywhere, anytime learning and research.
The Faculty Association of the University of Waterloo (FAUW) continues to advocate for its members. Check out the FAUW blog for more information.
The University of Waterloo Staff Association (UWSA) continues to advocate for its members. Check out the UWSA blog for more information.
The Office of Equity, Diversity, Inclusion & Anti-racism (EDI-R) works with students, faculty and staff across campus to advance equity and anti-racism through evidence-based policies, practices and programs. If you have a concern related to anti-racism and/or equity, please complete our intake form.
The Sexual Violence Prevention and Response Office (SVPRO) supports all members of the University of Waterloo campus community who have experienced, or been impacted, by sexual violence. This includes all students, staff, faculty and visitors on the main campus, the satellite campuses, and at the affiliated and federated Waterloo Institutes and Colleges. For support, email: svpro@uwaterloo.ca or visit the SVPRO website.
The Office of Indigenous Relations is a central hub that provides guidance, support, and resources to all Indigenous and non-Indigenous campus community members and oversees the University's Indigenization strategy.
The Waterloo Indigenous Student Centre, based at United College, provides support and resources for Indigenous students, and educational outreach programs for the broader community, including lectures, and events.
WUSA supports for students:
Peer support - MATES, Glow Centre, RAISE, Women’s Centre - Click on one of the links to book an appointment either in person or online for the term.
Food Support Service food hampers are currently available from the Turnkey Desk 24/7 in the Student Life Centre. Drop-off locations are also open again in SLC, DC, DP, SCH, and all residences.
Co-op Connection all available online.
Centre for Academic Policy Support - CAPS is here to assist Waterloo undergraduates throughout their experience in navigating academic policy in the instances of filing petitions, grievances and appeals. Please contact them at caps@wusa.ca.
WUSA Student Legal Protection Program - Seeking legal counsel can be intimidating, especially if it’s your first time facing a legal issue. The legal assistance helpline provides quick access to legal advice in any area of law, including criminal. Just call 1-833-202-4571.
Empower Me is a confidential mental health and wellness service that connects students with qualified counsellors 24/7. They can be reached at 1-833-628-5589.
GSA-UW supports for graduate students:
The Graduate Student Association (GSA-UW) supports students’ academic and social experience and promotes their well-being.
Advising and Support - The GSA advises graduate students experiencing challenges and can help with navigating university policies & filing a grievance, appeal, or petition.
Mental Health covered by the Health Plan - The GSA Health Plan now has an 80 per cent coverage rate (up to $800/year) for Mental Health Practitioners. Your plan includes coverage for psychologists, registered social workers, psychotherapists, and clinical counselors.
Dental Care - The GSA Dental Plan covers 60 to 70 per cent of your dental costs and by visiting dental professionals who are members of the Studentcare Networks, you can receive an additional 20 to 30 per cent coverage.
Student Legal Protection Program - Your GSA fees give you access to unlimited legal advice, accessible via a toll-free helpline: +1-833-202-4571. This advice covers topics including housing disputes, employment disputes, and disputes with an academic institution.
The Graduate House: Open Monday to Tuesday 11:30 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. and Wednesday to Friday 11:30 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. We’re open to all students, faculty, staff, and community members. The Graduate House is a community space run by the GSA-UW. We’re adding new items to the menu. Graduate students who paid their fees can get discounts and free coffee.