Volume 5. No. 13 =

The-Student_yoice_of the University of Prince Edward tsiand Ehursday, December3 1087

a ea ae

ELIOT REFUTES CONTROVERSY OVER MAIN RENOVATION

RENOVATION VERSUS restoration was the topic of discussion when UPEI President Dr. Eliot UPEI Student The

President was asked to speak

spoke with Couneil on Sunday. to Council to address student concerns that the heritage of Main Building was not being preserved in the renovation of the building.

“Tn restore a building we have to know what it once was”, said Eliot.

He that because Main Building’s interior has been torn up and changed so much over the years that there is no fixed period of time that the building could ealistically be restored to. Indeed, the original Main building had a wood frame ather that brick and was without the wing and annex hat now exist on its West ide.

Eliot stated that the Uni- versity has asked the archi-

order to

said

ect to preserve the outside of Main and any parts of the nterior that showed the orig- nal character of the build- ing. However, Eliot said that there was little left of the original interior to restore.

Student Council asked liot specifically about the narble staircase with brass ail that has been removed

rom Main and for which

THE STUDEN'T JINION New Year's Eve ub will not be a wet/dry vent. Student Council de- ided Sunday that because he last Hallowe’en pub drew only four “dry” students and hat it would be difficult to set enough Campus Police o staff a wet/dry event for Yew Years, that the event ht The Barn be restricted to tudents of the legal drinking hge or over.

Wet/Dry pubs, which ermit all UPEI students re-

bardless of age to attend Stu- _

Hent Union sponsored pubs, as started on a trial basis his year. Under the sys-

Naieg

there are no plans to re- place. Eliot stated that Main was originally designed for about 250 students and that it could in future have to accomodate upwards of 750. To cope with this, Eliot said the hallway was designed to be more open. The existing

main re- staircase was too long to conform to fire regulations and by redesign- ing the hallway, the case had to be changed as well. Eliot also added that the marble staircase was only built in 1939.

Council

stair-

was also concerned that the original paned windows that can be seen on the first floor would be replaced with more modern ones, destroying the character of the exterior.

“The windows will be re- stored as if appropriate to the middle of the 19th cen- tury.” stated Eliot.

Eliot was when asked

definate about the ap- of the interior of

less

pearance Main.

Students have been wor- ried that the architect, who designed the Coles building law courts downtown, would wind up making the interior of Main similar to Memorial or Cass buildings.

“IT hope

either

look build- He said

it won't of those

like ings”, said Eliot,

of the Coles building that “some parts beautiful, other parts I think are dis-

are

aster areas.”

Eliot reassured Council that the architect knows how people feel about Memorial

and that where ever possi- ble,

preserved.

the character will be President Eliot used the example of the room known as the “Bishop's Par- lour” which, he said, is being restored to its original state.

Dean MacMillan, science representative on Council. asked if Eliot expected back-

lash from people who do- nated money thinking Main building was to be restored

rather than just renovated.

Eliot said that none of the material promoting the the men-

fund raising campaign university conducted tioned restoration.

“Restoring it would cost two of three times as much”. he said.

Eliot stated that the Uni- versity was seeking to make Main a usable building al- though he recognized the im- portance of its heritage.

New Year’s Eve to be wet only

tem, one floor of the Barn is designated “dry” (no al-

cohol permitted) where soft

drinks are served. Because of the greater potential of under age students getting served from the other “wet” bars, more Campus police are required to ensure that the law is not broken.

On Friday, an anony- mous letter was distributed around campus from “con- cerned students” stating that at the wet/dry Hallowe’en pub, only four students were stamped “dry” but there were several under age who got into “wet” areas because

of fake identification.

“(We) feel our liqour li- cense priviliges are being jeopardized by these under- age freshmen”, stated the letter. “If their actions are allowed to continue the re- sults will be catastrophic it will mean the loss of C.P., bartender and S.U. jobs.”

Student —

Council discussed the letter and the problems with the pub with head CP Darren Ford on Sunday night. Ford stated that it was difficult for the student police to match

some

ID pictures with the peo-

ple coming in the door at that particular pub because of makeup and costumes.

Ford also presented the fact that fifteen Campus Po- lice would be needed to staff a wet/dry event and that for New Year’s Eve, getting that many people to work would present a problem.

Student Council discussed the mat- ter and decided that mainly due to the staffing prob- lems, the New Year's pub be open only to drinking-age students. However, it was pointed out that the wet/dry system was set up to serve to

“Tt is Dunstan's

the heart of St. and we have to preserve our roots” he said.

Eliot said he was not ex- pected a backlash from peo- ple who contributed to the fund for Main.

The building is

of the continuing on A third floor has been added to the English

renovation schedule.

annex, the support structure of the building is strength- ened, and it is that the building will be ready for use by August 20th 1988.

expected

students and that it should not be abandoned because very few under age students had taken advantage of it at Hallowe’en.

Council decided that, if possible, a completely dry event should be held in an- other building on campus, possibly the cafeteria or a residence, to accomodate un- der age students.

However, VP Operations . Heather Hickey informed the Gem Wednesday that be- cause the university is offi- cially closed during Christ- mas break, it is impossible to hold such an event. ”