“YOUR FORUM FOR DISCUSSION. The Gem vigorously encourages dissent and contro- versy and prints all letters to the Editor except

those of a malicious nature,

Letters must be

signed and include the authors phone number. However, names can be withheld from publica- tion by réquest. Deadline for letters is Monday,

12:00pm.

Letters...

Editors;

Once again, the people who formulate policy for the Robert- son Library have flexed their au- thoritarian muscles. I was not enough last year to establish and rigourously enforce vast “super quiet” ones in the library, but this year, it appears the policy mak- ers wish to drive even more stu- dents to the smoky Pit with the discontinuance of assigned study carrels.

I have no insight into the logic behind this new policy. However, I might guess that some of the ar- guments are these:

1. Assigned carrels lead to visitations from friends and to neighbourly discussion.

2. As the enrollment at UPEI has increased, it becomes increas- ingly unfair to allow a smali num-

OEE ENS

Dear Editor,

I would like to express my concern about the raw deal cer- tain cab companies have been giving students. The Star Cab company gave out coupons in Campus Welcome packages claiming $0.50 fare but due to an error on their part meant only $0.50 off. This however, one only finds out after arriving upon their destination. This appears to be false advertising. I also was charged $2.00 extra on an occa- sion to have my bicycle carried in the trunk of the cab. This is out- rageous and certainly unafford- able to students. I will certainly walk or bike no matter how late and take the chance being rather than be ripped off by the Star for sure.

Laura Kilfoil HSA

READ THE GEM

OR ELSE... Page 4

EEN POSS IS OR

ber to have a constant study space while limiting general study space for the rest of the popula- tion.

3. Most students with as- signed study carrels do not use them to study, but merely as a place to keep their coats and books.

My response to these argu- ments:

1. In my experience, “quiet” and “super quiet” zones are usu- ally observed, as well monitored. It is the fault of the students if library regulations are not ade- quately enforced.

2. Study carrels are only given to the students who are waiting in line for them on the given two to three hours before library staff arrive. In the past, very few students desiring carrels

To The Editors:

In response to the letter in the Sept 15/88 issue of the GEM, concerning Freshmen ini- tiation at Bernadine Hall. We would like to clarify the involve- ment of the UPEI Orientation Committee. The letter mentions “That Frosh Committee”, refer- ring to an independant commit- tee formed among the Upper- classmen students in Bernadine Hall and is in no way associated with the Committee, of which we are chairpersons, that was hired by UPEI’s Student Union. Our main goal this year was to ensure that none of the frosh we singled

out, degraded, or made feel infe- ©

rior in any way. We feel that we provided a fun-filled week that was a great introduction to UPEI

~ and formed many fond memories

in‘the minds of the Class of ’92.

We would also like to take this opportunity to thank the frosh for their attendance and enthusi- asm at Orientation ’88. You are the people who made it a success.

Thanks!

Patrice Ross

Bonnie Jean McCabe John Scott Chairpersons Orientation 88

waiting in line on the given day, have been turned away, which would seem to indicate a lack of concern over study space on the part of most students. Moreover,

it is an extremely rare day at the library which sees all carrels, tables, chairs, and study rooms occupied indicating no pressing need for the creation for more general study space.

3. It is doubtful that there is a way to measure the amount of use a carrel gets, therefore this sup- position has ‘no merit. Further- more, were it the case that these carrels are no more than lockers, since most UPEI students do not live on campus, is it such an evil to provide them a place, on cam- pus, to keep books and to study?

Hans Connor SU Council Arts Rep.

ANE ARRE A IER BEG NIE OSE SAID FR ROM BL aw

Dear Sir,

As a student who has used the individual carrel. system in my last few semesters at UPEI, I was quite distressed when I found out last week that this policy has been changed.

For quite a number of stu- dents these carrels were a great convenience. Many students must commute quite a long dis- tance to attend classes here at the university. These carrels pro- yided a private quiet place to stu- dent since these students often don’t have the option of being

, able to go home to study.

I don’t feel that by dropping the above mentioned policy that the noise level in the library will drop. Quite the contrary, an in- crease in the noise level in quite possible since many students will be walking around the library at- tempting to locate people who would have otherwise been easy to locate with their own carrel. (Often times, these people are needed for academic purposes, not just social.)

The numbers that turn out very early in the morning to ob- tain carrels are fairly large—proof,

I believe, that this policy is a

..Cont. page 12

What is the newspaper but a sponge or or inven- tion for oblivion?

—Emerson

Dawnne Chappelle, Co—Editor

Cora—Lee DesRoches, Co—Editor

Ian Mollison, Production Editor

Derrick Cameron, Advertising Manager Vivian Huizenga, Photographer

Jim Macgrath, Typesetter, Graphics Editor James Connolly, Systems Manager

Darrell Cole, Sports Editor

Chris Vessey, Circulation Manager This Week’s Contributors:

Dawn Ambler, Brian Cormier, MaryAnn Fitz- patrick, Malcolm Gorrill, Laura Kilfoil, Dave MacKinnon, Laurie Murphy, Lisa Murphy, Mark Walker (who we neglected to mention last week), and many others.

Anyone can contribute to The GEM: an- nouncements, short stories, poems, letters, or just plain ideas can be dropped off at the Barn, sent through VAX MAIL to GEM, or stuck on our door down in the basement of the utility building.

We reserve the right to not print submissions that are passed in after the deadline on Monday.

We cherish typed and double spaced sub- missions and submissions on computer disk or through VAX mail. For legal reasons, all submis- sions must include the author’s name and phone number. However, names will be withheld from publication on request.

| za

Deadline for submissions is Monday, 12:00pm

-The GEM is published by the University of Prince Edward Island Student Union. Views ex- pressed are not necessarily those of the GEM staff, the UPEI Student Union, or of anyone in particular.

We reserve the right to edit submissions due to space or taste limitations.

Our office is buried in the UTILITY BUILD- ING, Rm.01. Phone 566-0629 or 566-0530 or send VAX mail to account GEM.

The GEM is a member of the Canadian Uni- versity Press.

Thursday, September 22, 1988

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