All fer the

sake of some .

sick ' animals?

“Evaluation and more effective use of education resources are at the top of our priority list.” '

Nova Scotia Minister of Education Terence Donahoe said that last week at the low-profile Education Ministers conference in Charlottetown.

I don't know about you, but he’s got me scared.

UPEl is a very small school in this region, and one that few outside of this region have heard of. No matter what our personal feelings for the place, we have to admit that there are more prestigious and better-recognized universities around and in intimidating numbers. .

That’s why phrases like ‘evaluation’ and ‘increasing specialization at the post-secondary level’ are, or should be, alarming.

Okay, so we have the standard Arts and Science programs, and our own Education and Engineering Faculties, as well as a reasonable School of Business Administration and a noble Music Faculty.

We will also soon have a vet college.

if the esteemed Ministers carry through with their ambiguous talk of specialization, guess what ,UPEI I will specialize in?

You got it, Kiddo;/something that isn’t even built yet.

A lot of influential people around here are worried, too, with a worry that pervades the ranks of the UPEI Senate and the Student Union Council.

They’re picturing UPEI with —— get this — a Faculty of Arts, a Faculty of Science, and a Faculty of Veterinary Medicine.

That’s all. ,

Now some might say the Nelted Gem doesn’t like the engineers. That’s not true. Nor do we wish to see Business eradicated from the face of the campus. And some of our best friends are Educators and Musicians.

The fact is, a large part of receiving a good education is being exposed to a variety of other fields of study, and having the chance to experiment with them at random, getting the feet of our minds wet (that ‘with an apology to every English, professbr who has ever preached the sin of mixed metaphors).

And who can deny that the abolition, the execution, the beheading, the garotting of four distinct disciplines will make this a much less interesting place to study and live?

The Business-Engineer rivalry is one of the few things that students here get excited over (although even that has been suffering of late). Without the brash ‘practicality’ of those two groups of students, UPEI wouldvsink into the depths of blahdom. >

The comparing of a university community to one big family has been used so often that it isn’t original anymore.

Since I‘m not trying to be original, I intend to use it once more.

What we have here‘are six siblings who sometimes get 2: 1‘; tg well, but often degenerate into fierce squabbling or, V ‘ se, a state of self-absorption where they see nothing but selves and their own concerns. ' , v we see an interloper coming along, wanting to be e l ; red. We don’t know a lot about him, so we cautiously

Act lll, will Mommy ans? Uadcj: decide they like their sltild better than the rest, and toist them off on relatives _ “or strange and distant la . keeping only the ones that aeen around so long ma: they’re, old enough to demand ights oftheir Own, and the corresponding status? =‘e's an alternative. Vi s can band together to find out all x , t’l about this usurper, and what effect he‘s "Ding to have in" . “ family structure. The Stucco: Union Co i has set q. *ornmittee to do )USl that, lttllvit can‘t gee anywhere \ i” ‘ :' Spur support. - wink the family metaphor is slTyx'htlv ridicnious and

' ernment doesn’t think so. of Donahoe’s comments after the meeting.» last week: “lithe universities will not share and cooperate voluntariiy . governments will have to do it for them. ” ‘

Sorry, Daddy, we’ll try to get along bettei. Please don’t beat us!

{we

Carolyn Ryan

EDUCATION SPECIAUZAHON,

Red scare at UPE-I

Should a university student council remain apolitical? Should the council at this university do everything pos- sible to prevent politically-

Semeqhe' magma tout: , ‘HXC Eamtzot‘ .. Aw fictive, i i

1

' LETTERS

oriented organizations campus?

These were the two main themes of discussion con- cerning the matter of recog- nition of a Liberal Campus Club with official s‘ub- organizational status at Sunday’s Student Union

on

/

The N etted Gem

Volume 1. Number 11

K 7 Sta February 10. 1984

And now for the next spine-tickling episode'of the never-constant. always ephemeral, but undoubtedly perfect staffvof thLUPEl Netted Gem! These pomme de terre connoisseurs include John Dougan. Sharon Leighton. Karen McLenithan. Joanne MacKinnon,

Jonathan Orion ski.

Parker Grimmer.

Gus Hillstrom. Howard

Beam; Leah Parker, Ruth Edgett. Mickey Place. lohn Pendergast. i).;vi(l [)oiron, and editor Carolyn Ryan.

Ne/Ien' Gem is the

to edit copy for space. style. must be typed den “ Monday. Let'vrK ewe“ and much abuse by the their :iuthor(s). Our of Main building. 0111‘ t.

1-H:

weekly University of Prince Edward lsland. Views evprr not necessarily those of the Strident

In,» Lang

_ $00 words'in lenglh are prone: to cutting :iillcctive staff. Ali letters must be signed by "ice is located or; the fourth tloor of the uione'fi;

student newspaper of the ' therein are \‘J;- 6 the right Letters. to the editor * need on

lintflf .

,4 9‘.

hcmre

"t'Oi'

8914321, extension 1R7, The

\vlted Gem l.) now a full member in sen-good standing witl‘

Canadian University Press. ,

Council meeting.

Student Union president Jack Keefe expressed the opinion that a student council could not claim apolitical status, since it is itself a political body.

Futher discussion also took place on what seemed to be the fear of condoning certain political philosophies. A number of councillors pointed out that this view- point was not targeted to— ward the Liberal Club, but toward any political organi‘ zation. '

Futher emphasis was placed on setting a precedent of allowing possible undersir— able organizations'such as the Communists, the radical Waffles, or the gMarxist— Leninist party on campus.

This stand was countered by Bob Hanf, Liberal Club president and spokesperson. with an invitation for all pol ical ideologies to express tlrcmselVes in official avenues

to.counteract student apathy r

and create an atmosphere of political awareness. Apparently, the “apoliti— ' .1!" side of the debate won, as the Council defeated the

to come to grips with

_ maintaining

directly related to the

motion, for the secOnd ti in the last two Cou meetings._ _ ,

7 Clearly, the essence of I motion’s defeat was to av political partisanship and entry of radical polit' elements into the unive community.

However, the facts re that most modern uni\er campuses in Canada 31 political organizations t have evolved intellectually the point where radical p0 cal units such as Commu * or the Waffles are no lo synonymous with sin t evil. ,

Unfortunately, the mat of the Student‘ Council v

modern viewpoint. Aside from‘the issue an ape“ atmosphere on camps-n the fear [of bonny. " radzcals, ontookers meeting got thcvimptei that the “no” vow

of many councillors another major_politieal other than the Liberal '1 Sincerely, Gordon Cobb

—page‘6—’ , t

The Netted Gem

' tit-mm t,