PANTHER POST

Shiny Happy People

by Kate MCKENNA Editor in Chief

UPEI’s Shinerama held strong, raising $21 500 for the fight against Cystic Fi- brosis on Shine day alone.

Despite initial skepticism on the part of organiz- ers because of logistical issues imposed by the Canada Games, more than 600 UPEI students shined shoes, washed cars, and harassed the general public to raise funds. Shinerama is a nation-wide campaign run by university students. The campaign is especially strong at UPEI, raising over $70 000 in the last three years.

First year biology student Blaine Auld was excited about Shinerama. “It’s a great way to get spirit up, and it’s for a great cause,” he said, between washing cars at the Burger King intersection. First year Lan- guages student Sarah Lavers agrees: “It’s great for raising money”.

Rob Livingstone, co- coordinator of Shinerama, suspects that Shinerama is popular because it’s just ‘so friggin’ fun’. He’s used to the lengths that people stride to raise money - in fact, once he took all the tips from his place of work and donated them to this cause. Megan Jennings, New Student Orientation coor- dinator, was pleased with Shinerama despite having to

push it back to a Saturday due to Canada Games.

“It gets kids out year

there, having fun get taken down by

for a good cause - every student

“Every

September 21, 2009 2,

student-and NSO leader Zac Thompson. This year was no excep- tion. Roughly 20 minutes after Thomp- son’s boastful quote, Student Union Presi-

loves it,” she said. the cops, ”” dent Timothy Cul-

And so it

len received the sole

seemed to be true: Zac Thompson call from police that

traveling about the sites around Charlottetown suggested that students did care very much about Shin- erama. Every year, Char- lottetown police are notified about Shinerama, and every year, police receive many complaints about students stopping cars on the road to ask for donations. “Every year I

get taken down by the cops,” claimed fourth year Arts

Drawn Together Robertson Linbrary Art Competition

area, and we get to beautify our

by Garrett CURLEY

You can expect to see a much livelier second-floor lobby at the Robertson Library very soon. Later this fall, the library will announce the winner of a $4000 grant to spruce up the second floor area with origi- nal art that will “invoke creative images of culture, learning, and information.” The library’s Suzanne Jones is enthusiastic about the 19 submissions received. .

“We got a series of paintings, single paint- ings, panels, colour sketches, watercolours, all kinds of mediums, actually.” Island art- ists were encouraged to submit any idea for the space that did not detract from the func- tionality of the room, using the walls, the ceilings, the floors, or anything they liked. Jones calls the grant “our way of encourag- ing Island artists. It’s a win-win,” she says, “because their art is in a very high-traffic

space.”

The $4000 is up from the $3000 awarded in the library’s last art grant competition in 2007. Mark Leggott, University Librarian and chair of the University Art Com- mittee, intends to continue offer- ing the grant biannually. “It’s kind of a collaborative let’s-do-some- thing-cool-with-art thing,” he said. “The

library is one of the most used spaces

on campus. We get a lot of bums going through the doors.” In addition to the per- manent pieces, he added that the library will continue having temporary showings of Island artists’ work. The library’s entire staff is involved in choosing the winner. Each staff member picks their top three choices, and the se- lection is narrowed down from there. “It was neat to go through and see the variety

students were on the

road soliciting money and that they would be re- moved if they did not stop. Thompson was swiftly moved downtown where he could solicit less illegally on sidewalks.

It was not just Thompson

who shared a very gung-ho attitude about Shinerama.

Jeff MacDougall, member of the Shinerama committee said , with a big grin on his face,

“Just do anything until someone tells you to stop.”

Despite a call from police, most agree that the very in- your-face fundraising tactics are what make UPEI Shin- erama so successful.

Though Shine Day is UPEI’s biggest Shinerama fundraiser, coordinators Patrick Callbeck and Rob Livingstone are far from done. “We will continue to hold BBQs and other events throughout the year for Shinerama,” said Living- stone.

of ideas there were, and all the different me- diums,” said Leo Cheverie of Special Collec- tions about the 2007 selection process.

“T think [that] it’s one way the library can show that we appreciate and understand the fact that a lot of people spend a lot of time here,” offered Simon Lloyd, librarian and

member of the Art Committee.

The contest’s winner will be announced “well into late fall, maybe into November,” and the work will be installed and ready for showing sometime in spring or summer

2010.