Page 12 November 2008

CAMPUS

On the Menu

Paige Matthie takes us with her as she samples the best Charlottetown has to offer, and at prices acceptable for the

average student

I love dining out, and I es- pecially love restaurants that are able to combine an amaz- ing atmosphere with fine cui- sine. I also love it when I’m able to visit these places on a budget.

A couple of weeks ago, I happened to find myself at Off Broadway, an intimate and lush eatery right next door to the Olde Dublin Pub. The ambience of this place is possibly the most astound- ing in the entire city. Each booth is enclosed in luxuri-

ous velvet curtains and the room itself feels as though you’re backstage at an old theatre in New York City. The exposed brick and low lighting give you the feeling that this place is truly special and somewhat undiscovered, although it is one of the most well noted restaurants in the province.

I felt like Marlene Dietrich as I ordered my lobster crepes with béarnaise sauce. The wait-staff knows exactly how to make you feel like a

star, providing excellent, courteous and swift service to all patrons. They are ab- solute professionals, yet they manage to make you feel at ease in what could potential- ly be a stuffy and hoity-toity hotspot.

The crepes were served with the best Caesar salad I have ever had. The lettuce was the perfect balance be- tween crisp and leafy, the dressing was equally spread throughout the entire salad, not to mention home-made and zesty, the croutons were freshly toasted and buttery, and the bacon was actual ba- con - none of that bacon-bit crap here. In a word, it was astounding.

I moved onto the crepes, which held very sizeable morsels of lobster meat and the perfect amount of New- burg sauce (which is basi- cally a cream sauce with a

splash of brandy). I’ve had crepes in the past that were just swimming in sauce, but this is definitely not the case. There was neither too much, nor too little, rather just the amount needed to gently coat the lobster and fill the crepe. The crepe itself was tender and far from rubbery, as some crepes tend to be, and stood up well to the bé- arnaise sauce (another but- tery sauce, this time with tar- ragon and a bit of vinegar). The combination of flavours was outstanding, creating a balance between the sweet- ness of the lobster, the rich- ness of the sauces, and the freshness of the tarragon sprinkled on top - all this for $16.

I left feeling completely sat- isfied and yet wanting more at the same time. Off Broad- way is the perfect place for a romantic date, a glamourous

UPEI Cadre

night out on the town, or for anyone craving elegant yet relaxed dining.

I also have to recommend the 42nd Street Lounge. It’s located just up the stairs from the restaurant. 42nd Street is by far the most fantastic cocktail lounge in the prov- ince, with the absolute best martinis (at the best prices for students, with each going for $6 a piece). The absolute best is the Love Affair, a mix of Baileys, Swiss Choco- late Almond, Butterscotch Schnapps, and cream. It’s amazing.

They also offer an excel- lent wine list, as well as some great beers on tap, and the most discerning collec- tion of Scotch for all you whiskey lovers out there. I highly recommend that all of you make your debut at Off Broadway as soon as pos- sible.

Student questions why there is a lack of transparency with school’s appeal process

After failing two courses, Ashley Johnston was placed on probation. He was then compelled to ask what caused this decision, and the answers were not sufficient to him. He doesn’t deny be- ing within the provisions for probation, but would like to be told why there is a “lack of transparency [with] the appeals process.”

“T think I did just about all that can be done and I got no where,” Johnston said.

Kathleen Kielly of the Board of Governors told the Cadre what the Board con- siders in the decision to put a student on probation.

“Satisfactory Semester’ is defined as any semester in which a student fails no more than one course and scores

60 per cent in at least half of the courses attempted.

“An ‘Unsatisfactory Se- mester’ is defined as any semester in which a student fails more than one course, or scores less than 60 per cent in more than half of the courses attempted.”

While he had failed two courses, Johnston _ states when he was put on proba- tion there “were plenty of mitigating factors” in the situation which caused him to appeal to the senate’s ap- peal committee, and then to the Board of Governor’s ap- peal committee. He received a letter informing Johnston he had been rejected. But he said there was no real reason for the rejection, nor were the factors considered, nor

was there a description of how they had reached the decision.

“It seems they’ve been irre- _

sponsible so long they don’t want to be accountable.”

He went on to add he has heard of many similar issues from other students, and they may not be handling the situ- ations as seriously as they should be.

“Right now I think if you looked at their books it would be quite a mess.”

Kielly’s email explained what happens when students are placed on probation.

“Students who have one unsatisfactory semester in an academic year will be placed on Academic Probation for the subsequent academic year. Students on academic

probation will normally: 1. have restrictions placed on- their course loads; and 2. be © required to enrol in an aca- demic support program.”

But Johnston said if he was shown a framework of what is required of students to avoid being placed on proba- tion, and he fell within such framework, Johnston would be willing to let the issue go.

“All I was looking for was a document. An explanation would have pleased me as well,” he said.

In his meeting with the board, Johnston said he could feel “hostility and defensive- ness.” At one point, when Johnston asked committee chair Patricia Mella to clar- ify something she had said,

Johnston said she threatened to walk out of the meeting.

“They knew what I was there to ask,” Johnston ex- plained. “It’s very far from anything I would have ex- pected.”

After unanswered questions and general confusion about the state of his situation, Johnston ended his inquiry.

“During the meeting I was met with impatience and de- fensiveness. I got the impres- sion that examination of the Board of Governors was not welcome which tells me that it is urgently needed.”

Kielly said if students have concerns about the regula- tion of the appeal process, questions should be directed to her and she would be will- ing to help.