Hey Geo, how you doin'?

Whether you heard the rumours in the halls, saw us parading the trophy around campus, or somehow haven't heard yet, the results are in: Geomatics is the 2012 Engineering Week champion! Who would have thought that the bright colours and nostalgic music of "Geo Presents the '90s" would be our most successful theme in years? 

For those who participated in any capacity, I truly hope that you enjoyed yourself to the fullest (responsible) extent! Engineering Week is just one example of why I love being a part of the community here at the Schulich School of Engineering; from the design competition to movie night, it shows what creative, ingenious, and often hilarious results our students are capable of producing, even in their spare time.  

Like all things, the Engineering Week victory, and the events of the week themselves, could not have been possible without a number of impressive people, and I'd like to recognize them here. 

• First and foremost, I want to thank Pam Starratt, our Frosh Week and Engineering Week Commissioner. She truly led us to victory through her planning, attendance and leadership at all events, taking care of the judges, doing last-minute supplies runs, getting a record number of students involved in events and the movie, directing the movie, and producing the movie. You're the best, Pam.
• Stephen Chan: Thank you for your incredible job editing the movie. It turned out better and more hilarious than I ever could have imagined, and I can't wait to see what you will come up with next year.
• All actors, actresses, writers, and camera operators in the movie: Thank you for your participation, your organization, and for enjoying yourselves. The movie was excellent, and we couldn't have done it without you.
• Emily Leedham: Thanks for lending us your camera equipment again and again, the quality set us apart!
• Stephan Normandeau: Thank you for your photography throughout the week
• Towfique Ahmed: For managing the resources of GESS, so that we could participate and have as much fun as we did, running errands, participating on the Key Clue team, and selling t-shirts among the chaos.
• James O’Neil, Alfred D'Mello, and Ben Knoechel for dedicating most of the entire week (including an all-nighter) to the insane puzzles of Key Clue. Special thanks to James O'Neil for the highest level of dedication, even two years in a row. Your skills will be missed next year.
• Alex Hanna: Thanks for organizing the hockey team, putting out such a strong effort on the ice, and helping haul snow for sculptures.
• Thanks as well to all members of the Geomatics hockey team (You know who you are!), I hope you had fun and didn't break too many of your fellow students' bones.
• Jean Mathieu: Thanks for sacrificing your body, mind, and stomach for ENGG Factor, one of the toughest events of them all! Also, thank you for lending your truck to import snow for sculptures.
• Claudia Potok: Thank you for being the substitute mother for the judges all week. I'm sure they didn't thank you nearly enough!
• Thank you to all grad students, internship students, and alumni that supported us during the week, and a special thanks to all who showed up to support us during movie night!
• Mech, Zoo, Chem, and Civil departments: Thank you for bringing the competition and making the entire week so memorable and so much fun. It was a heart-pounding competition that really could have been anyone's victory at the end, and I wouldn't have wanted it any other way.
• The Engineering Week Judges: Thank you for leading the shenanigans, planning all events, overseeing the madness, and ultimately choosing Geomatics as the worthiest department
• Finally, thank you to every single Geomatics student. All of you. It was ultimately your energy and spirit that led us to victory, and I can't thank you enough for your participation.

Don't let our success or the good memories stop here! I hope that next year's GESS council will follow in our footsteps and put on just as strong a performance, if not stronger, in 2013.

Hasta la vista, Geo;

Bryan Leedham
2011-2012 GESS President