FEB 05, 2001 05:48 PACIFIC

University of British Columbia Engineering Students suspend red VW Bug from Golden Gate Bridge.

SAN FRANCISCO CA--Monday, February 5, 2001

Early this morning, a team of Engineering Students from the University of British Columbia (Vancouver
Canada) suspended a red VW Bug from the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, California.

This event commemorates the twentieth anniversary of the first UBC Engineering display. Twenty years
ago this week, UBC Engineering Students suspended a VW Bug from the Lion's Gate Suspension Bridge
in their home port of Vancouver, Canada. To commemorate this important anniversary, the 2001 UBC
Engineering Students have taken their beloved totem to Vancouver's sister city, San Francisco, and
suspended the Bug below the most well-known and loved suspension bridge in the world, the Golden Gate.

These two bridges were chosen to draw attention to the masterful feats of professional engineers and to
celebrate the skills of all the tradespeople who built the bridges. Professional engineers create inventive
solutions to real world problems, from building crop irrigation systems to designing better wheelchairs.

Every year, UBC Engineering Students plan events that showcase the world of engineering. These planned
engineering projects highlight the "enginuity" and resourcefulness of the men and women who study engineering
throughout North America.

This is the first time that the UBC Engineering Students have displayed their project in the United States,
emphasizing the new global community with one of Canada's partners in Free Trade. This traditional
engineering project hails the opening of Engineering Week at the University of British Columbia.

---------- Background ----------

The University of British Columbia (UBC) is located in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, on the west
coast of North America, overlooking the second-largest natural harbour in the world.

UBC Engineering Students belong to the UBC Engineering Undergraduate Society. Originally founded as the
Science Men's Undergraduate Society in 1919, it has grown to include over 2100 men and women studying
engineering. Only students with the highest academic standards are admitted to the UBC Engineering program,
since the course load is 30% higher than the Science and Arts faculties.

The Engineering Undergraduate Society is proud to support the achievements of UBC Engineering Students
and can be reached for comments at (604)822-3818 or (604)822-9615.

Every year, the first week in February is declared Engineering Week at the University of British Columbia and
students participate in many activities including the reknowned student projects. The highlight of this week is
the Engineer's Ball, where students are honoured for their engineering skills.

The first VW Bug project was carried out by the UBC Engineering Students in February 1981. A red VW
Bug was suspended from the Lion's Gate Bridge.

The traditional totem for the UBC Engineering Students is the red VW Bug. The traditional motif for the UBC
Engineering Undergraduate Society is a Red Knight carrying a red flag with the letters "ERTW" emblazoned in
white. "ERTW" stands for the motto "Engineers Rule The World!", a cry often heard at UBC Engineering events.

(issued at Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada)
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