.14.:

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The Sound of Silence ' ‘

There is a general dissat- isfaction among students & faculty regarding present”

reality. In other words, they see only when forced to. This characteristic, I might add is also pecu- liar to the herd.

science awareness has not as yet become manifest. This lack of vision pecu—

educational goals and aims. This dissatisfaction is ex— pressed verbally and non— verbally. The former, who also constitute the minori- Jty, are rebelling against an educational system which does not offer what it pur— ports to: promotion of hum— an freedom: capacity for critical and independent thought: minimum utilizati— on of cultural achievement in the further advancement of men and man: etc. In 7 other words, present educa— tional policy, in that it does not facilitate human advancement does, in effect constitute regression and, thus, oppresses rather than liberates.

The latter group who con- stitute the majority, are, for the most part, adheren— ts of existing educational policy. They are currently being confronted with a,sy- stem (their system)which is failing before their eyes and is, consequently, for- cing them into an aware- ness that their efforts are not successful. Slow to

‘accept the demands of real—

There is a silence - like the quiet before the storm. The storm is to come. The storm will come because the Silent in their silence (apathy, cynicism, non—inv- olvement, etc.) will inten— sify those conditions nec- essary to facilitate the storm which is necessary

,to facilitate those condi—

tions sufficient to sus- tain a liberating educar tional ethos. It is just a matter of observing events, the outcome of whifa is inevitable transformation of existing deceepitation. Having witnessed recent (and past) Senate means for

dealing with contemporary educational problems, the above remarks are re-en- forced and begin to take on the character of truth. Unless concrete reality is the criterion for truth & social action, all action will be thwarted which has as its basis traditional western metaphysics. Our heads are in the clouds - we will thus trip and have

a great fall.

liar to the former group, is alleviated only by the moulding effect of demanding

ity, these latter indivi- duals are reacting reti- cently since critical, con-

UPEI rig-off

Dear‘sir:

This week some 1500 UPEI students are resuming cla— sses after the Christmas recess and as a prerequisi- te to this are paying reg— istration fees.

As a senior student at the university I arriVed at the Business Office on Wednesd- ay to pay the fees for thei semester which consist of $55. for each course in wh- ich a student is registered. For a full—time student, this means payment of $275. which is what I thought I owed and what brought me to the Business Office. '

Alas, I forgot about the $10. athletic fee that all students taking more than two courses must pay. After explaining to the clerk th- at I only had the $275. & would not have the other

$10. until I would be paid the following Friday, I was refused permission to reg— ister for the term until

the fees were paid in full. If I wait until next Friday to pay the extra $10. I will also be charged a late reg— istration fee of $§. per day. By that time the $10. paymeni w?" have grown to $35.

And it seems that there is no way to get around it.

.Either I pay in full this

week or I will be subjected to the late registration fee. All because I was sho- rt $10. for an athletic fee and the $275. for courses in my hand in cold cash.

Of course I could borrow $10. from someone till pay- day and make the university officials happy but that is not the issue. For four years as a student at UPEI

I have always paid all'fees

on time and have never been in red with the Bisiness

Office, but now for the sake,/

of $10. for a week Ivmust go out and borrow.

The complete lack of trust and understanding from uni— versity officials is a bit staggering'in the light of the "special university community” we hear so much

about. But I suppose I cou- ld say as a shareholder in that community, my mortgage is about to foreclose. That is theuruling at UPEI where only your number.goes thro— ugh the computer.

This is some indication

of the red tape involved in registering for cuzr—es at the university. At a time when enrollment at univer- sities ~'or at least UBEI - is down, the red tape inv— olved Should be decreasing. Instead the bureaucrats are continually striving to assume an attitude bf cold and.impersonal_authority, refusing to bend even a little. ,

An I write this, I'm mad. I've vowed not to borrow -the $10. and not finish off the year, for in all prob- ability next year the fees wili be higher.' /

What‘s reilly sad is that I must_bow to the red tape or forfiet completion of my“ senior year, so how I must. By the way, could you spot, me a ten until payday.

..