Let’s take a walk down memory lane together and explore the changes that have unfolded since the dawn of our Department back in the 1960’s. Through a collection of then and now pictures, let’s take a look at what our building spaces used to look like, and some of the activities our faculty, staff and students participated in. If you are an alumni from generations past, you may recognize some of these spaces as the same ones you took a class, or presented a poster in. For recent alumni and current students, you can take a glimpse at what our spaces used to look like, and how time has changed our décor, our vibe, our demographics, and our fashion trends!
Let’s start off with the Physics building itself! Most of you will recognize the Physics building as a place where your professors were, a building where many classes took place, and a space to work and collaborate together. Not much has changed in our building apart from the exterior sign and some of the vegetation. We’re constantly working on upgrading our space to serve the next generation of students and researchers!
Stepping inside, we have our first floor lobby, which looks similar to how it used to be. The main differences are the flooring, the sitting area, and the TV above the vending machine which now showcases current and upcoming events or breaking news.
Turning left from the main entrance, we enter the main foyer of our lecture halls, PHYS 145 and PHYS 150. Did you know, this space used to be a library with a sitting area! You can probably recognize the existing structural pillars. This space has been completely renovated to work as a sitting area and study area for our students.
Our next stop is PHYS 145, our largest lecture hall. Here, you can see one of our professors (if anyone recognizes the professor- let us know!) teaching rotational mechanics with a spinning wheel demo to students in the classroom. Note the timely fashion and fabric chairs that the students are sitting on, as well as the predominantly male demographics. Nowadays, we have a larger population of students from all genders, with students from a wide variety of backgrounds!
From the picture above, you can notice the upgrades to the lecture podium in the front and the long-spanning tables and chairs for students to put their tablets on, write their notes on, and charge their devices to keep them going throughout the day.
After classes are over, we can’t forget about our study spaces. You are truly a Physics student when you have experienced long hours of studying and grinding in our main floor study spaces. There are many a times when our students have spent late nights or have even worked through night on assignments due the next morning. Let’s take a look at the main study area just off of the main lobby of the Physics building.
What used to be a common area for discussions and collaboration is now outfitted with many desks and chairs for students to work together in groups while having a nice view of our courtyard. How many of you remember spending time in this room? We remember!
Finally, the back space of our study room used to be an area for presentations and graduate students. Now, it has been expanded into another study area for our growing population of students. Notice the door on the right, as well as the location of the clock which has been changed from a see-through clock with Roman numerals to a typical classroom clock. The furniture has also been upgraded and modernized with fluorescence lighting above to keep things bright during the evenings.
Although this area is now used for studying purposes, let’s take a look at some of the events that took place back then. We used to hold poster sessions in this space, and you may notice some differences between how posters were made back then, and how they are now!
Our Department has been around for over sixty years and there are different parts of our building that have been renovated throughout the years. We are continuously working on improving our spaces and look forward to what the future brings for our students as our faculty, staff and students grow and push the boundaries of what is possible. If you have any old or new photos to submit to our Department, be sure to connect with our Communications team and in turn, discuss your journey as a Physicist from #UWaterloo!
