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REASON, LET US COME TOGETHER

Once again students at this university

have displayed an appalling ignorance about the world they live in and a total disinterest

in discussing questions of seemingly univer- sal interest. A

The Teach-In “Why a University?” put on by the Education Committee this weekend, was well conceived, well advertised, and well presented. Whyis it that only a bare smat- tering of students and faculty showed up for these generally interesting and informative discussions, when Sunday night after it was over, more than four hundred crammed into the Duffy Amphitheatre to see six under- ground films?

How many of us can articulate our rea- sons for being here? How many have basic criticisms of what UPEI is doing or not doing?

This student body can’t even be selfish in an intelligent way —— the only time this year that we as students have manifested any awareness of our existence came when we were goaded into realizing that some money we couldn’t afford was in imminent danger of being taken from us. But even selfishness does not extend beyond brute materialistic self-interest — it does not come to “What the hell am I doing here anyway?” Of course, some were probably afraid somebody would lay a “radical” trip on them, and that would be just too scary. There is such a fear of any- hing that might be termed radical, although hose who dislike, the term most seem to least I now what it means. Not only do they not I now how it applies to a political view, they I on’t even know what the word means. Sure. I et’s preserve our mental virginity for as long a s we can. Is that what we’re here for?

Anyway, Chairman Phelan and his hard— orking committee deserve a vote of thanks or trying to get something going.

Too bad the only thing that came out of t was an indication of where most of this

niversity’s at-

—--Hornby

The Cadre

ditor/bureaucrat: jim hornby wews/jvoejobs: dennis mackay

cck tock: dave mitchell olumns: mcgaughey, karl m. innipeg bureau: manitoban ailings and grief: martin kenny ex appeal: the bear party ntertainment: captain bearheart spiration: the people

earing mid the snow and ice the banner with the strange vice “excelsior” appears hornby after a month of confron- tions, conferences, conflagrations, and even a little con- piscience. others exclude den-den nearly eradicalcated, »: ve the mysterious, mike (remember the boy stood on the rning deck?), tyrell took time out from talking to type, ncy floated in with nowhere to stay and slander from pott, karl m waxed rhetorical (why doesnt rhetorical wax arl for a change?): ive got motion sickness after all these eetings; bellan, disillusioned after meeting a real(?) live e ee islander, received a blood-staned cadre, not a corn— rting thought at the best of times, .neaky reed dldllt give e promised kiss, finkel saw both Sides of every question, cgauhev was untradeable—-and that’s saying something. a one had the brains to impeach the cadre—all in. all a 'pically forgetable week. i know i should close w1th_ an cenity, but i cant think of one at the. moment: bestdes ed better not waste them—they’ll come in handy noon.

CHARLOTTETOWN’, P. E. 1.

FEBRUARY 3, 1970

~YANKEE GO HOME

People who are prominent in any type of activ- ity or busily engaged in promoting a cause that is in any way controversial have always born the brunt of (much unwarranted and often irrational criticism. It is unfortunate to say that the situa~ tion in PEI is no different.

Over the past two weeks the students of UPEI have been given a great deal of press and radio coverage as they campaigned to have the in- crease in both, tuition and residence fees rescinded by the university po-wers-that-be. As president of the UPEIwSU, John Keaveny has been brought into prominence by these media in the course of his SU duties. Some people (who obviously are not dir- ectly involved in the situation at hand) have either deliberately or otherwise mis—interpreted Keaveny’s role in the event in question and have made the SU president the target of their prejudices and abuse.

The particular abuse in question arrived at the SU offices in the form of various “hate” letters address to Keaveny. Perhaps the most biased and incidentally, the most inane, was the literary con- tribution of a person or persons who signed the document simply “Mrs. Arsenault, 4th. generation PEI.” Keaveny, the letter charged, was guilty of coming into the province and “stirring up the peace- ful students of PEI” who weren’t noted for being trouble-makers and who previously weren’t engaged in such uprisings before the arrival of Mr. Keaveny (obviously this person (s) has a very short mem- ory — remember the SDU strike of 1968?). How- ever the most heinous crime he allegedly commit- ted was the shaming face that he, John Keaveny, was an “outsider”, a charge that cropped up several times in this particular correspondence. .,

Other allegations and charges that were men- tioned included such astounding revelations as “PEI existed long before Keaveny came and would continue to exist long after helef ”. It was also suggested that he “probably could have found col- leges or universities in the US that could provide HIM with the quality and type of education that HE desired”, (obviously this person (s) doesn’t care too much for Islanders either as she/ they implied that Island students don’t really care if they get a quality education or not). It was further sug- gested that he “ha-d to come to a smallplace like this in order to become a big man” and! that if he had stayed in the States he would have been “me— diocre and unknown” and this series of allegations was ended by the rhetorical question “How do you think that PEI existed before YOU came?”

This letter then descended to a personal level to make all sorts of libelous accusations and sugges- tions. He was charged with being involved with the purposes of “selfish glory-seeking, personal puzbh licity seeking, and generally leading the students on a’course of action they don’t want to follow.” (If this is an example of the type of ‘publicity’ he’s after, he could have attained the same results by going out and setting fire to the Senior Citizens Home. The effect would have been the same and

the task much simpler. I also seem to remember Keaveny stating on more than one occasion during the past two weeks that if the students were willing to accept what was taking place without voicing oppos1tlon, then he would not suggest that they follow any course of action that was against the pull of the majority of the student body. Obviously if he was doing it for his o-Wn benefit he should have quit a long, long time ago.) '

Another crank letter was si ed b “A

SDU Graduate who paid his OngIn way)”. Thfigrpneif son may have graduated from SDU but it was ap- parent that he didn’t learn too much While he was there. Both this and the previously mentioned piece _ of llterature (and I use the term ‘literature’ loosely) ended with the old) cliché usually applied to Ameri- cans who make a name for’themselves outside the USA by Jealous and not-as—successful natives, namely “Yankee Go Home”.

I If this is an example of our famed “Island Hos- pitahty” then I am ashamed to \call myself ‘an Islander’.

—-—McGaughey

[UPEI and Montague

The students at Montague are getting a raw deal, but they are not sure what they should do about it. It waspointed out at a meeting I was at on Saturday that Montague High is in chaos. No principal, lack of concern on the part of teachers, ’ and a feeling of frustration on the part of students. The students feel that their year is threatened by this situation.

One of the problems pointed out to us on Sat- urday was the inability of the students to take ac- tion. In their firstattempt they were shafted to a great degree by their own students council. They 1f)eel that they cannot control their own council mem-'

ers. \ *

The problem is that students have never or- ganized their students association in a democratic manner, thus allowing for students to control it. At present Council makes all the decision-s. Council members are nothing more than listening posts for the administration in the High Schools. ‘

The time has come for the Students Union at, UPEI to get actively involved in helping High School students organize a union. The teacher in the High School will not help, because the students would then be a force to be reckoned with.

Perhaps our union could send speakers out to the High Schools even set up meetings on the High School grounds. .

Because of the collapse of- the Federatidn .of Atlantic Students’ Councils, the UPEI student union can expect some money returned. I can’t think of 7 a better cause to use the money for than promoting and organizing High School unions.

‘ ‘ -—-MacKay

/