-— page 4 — Women’s Studies A group, a course,» and a lecture series By Karen McLenithan They’re not making a lot of noise, nor visibly changing the structure of UPEI, but the UPEI Women’s Studies Group remains strongly com- mitted to its goals. According to Psych pro- fessor Beth Percival, the Group’s purpose is two-fold. It aims to provide community awareness of women’s contri- butions, thereby strengthening interest in women’s issues. As well, the Group sees itself as a Secretary of State had bud- geted two and a half million dollars to create five new Women’s Studies chairs, in one univesity in each region of Canada. She organized a meeting of ten UPEI women: pro- fessors, researchers, and staff from the library, Extension services, and the Athletics Department. They investigated the possibility of a Women’s Studies Department coming to UPEI. When it became vehicle for promoting apparent that the Maritime Women’s Studies at UPEI. chair was going to Mount St. Last winter, Professor Vincent in Halifax, the group Percival learned that the looked to its own resources Soviets continued from page 3 Conflict also blossomed when listener Michael Zinck brought up the question of propaganda in Soviet media and communiques to the West, especially in connection with next summer’s “International Festival of Youth” in Mosc0w. “I don’t like it when giving your views is called ‘pro- paganda’,” said an annoyed Akhtamzian, saying when Western nations do it, they call it an exchange of opinion. “Using this word only insults the party you’re talking about,” he added. Mal’kov earlier in the day had objected to allegations that the Russian peace movement was state-organized or even repressed. Both speakers said their country’s peace movement is more informed than most Western movements, including Canada’s, since Russians “get substantial news items on the worldwide movement every day on the TV and radio”. Two years ago, says Akhtamzian, Sweden and Finland asked to go through the USSR on their cross-continent peace demonstration. He says hundreds of thousands of Russians joined the marchers along the way, waving banners calling for “no nuclear weapons in the East or in Europe”. “My son is an activist for. peace at the Moscow University,” said Mal’kov in passing. What is needed, seemed the consensus of the panel dis- cussion, is more personal, individual contact between citizens of the superpowers, directors of organizations within the countries, and government leaders. This would hopefully eliminate some of the suspicion said to be a major cause of the present nuclear proliferation. “The Soviet Union does not want war,” said Mal’kov in a morning press conference. “Who knows more about the effects of war? In World War Two we lost 20 million citizens, and saw the wiping out of 1700 towns and uncountable families. Our economy was set back twenty years, and our landscape left in ruins. ” ‘ He paused. “Canadians and Americans have not had an experience exactly like this.” One of the chief values of this lecture tour, says co- ordinator Andy Robb, UPEI Chair of Canadian Studies, is the chance to see people of a different culture as “sensitive, intelligent individuals we would not otherwise have had the opportunity to meet.” In thanking the two men he said, “We’re, talking to each other, not shooting at each other. And I think that’s productive.” to decide what to do next. As a result, the innovative, “Family of Women” credit course began this fall, the first interdisciplinary wo- men’s studies course offered at UPEI. The course topics range all the way from women’s tradi- tional roles to the changing political aspects of women’s experiences. Yet, the team teaching is done entirely on a voluntary basis. The group would like more funding so that it can employ a paid co-ordinator for its activities. The UPEI Studies Group is promoting its message to more Island women by co-sponsoring (with CRIAW, the Canadian Research Institute for the Advancement of Women and CCLOW, the Canadian Con- gress on Learning Opportu— nities for Women) the Voices of Women Lecture Series. Grant funds were awarded to bring well-known women to Charlottetown to speak on women’s issues. On November 8, Anne Hall will speak on “Women and Sport”, while on No- vember 29 Maureen Forrester of the Canada Council will share her concerns about “Women and the Arts”. Beth Percival believes that since “most academic disq- plines focus very little on women”, our experiences, our research, and contribu- tions, Women’s Studies is the only way in which to acclaim the female heritage. According to Percival, Women’s Studies is a rapidly- growing field, both in Cana- dian universities and abroad. Women’s Studies pulls together the incredible wealth of material by and about women, and highlights the unacknowledged assump- tions or gaps of knowledge about women’s contributions in the various academic disciplines. What about next year? It is too/soon to tell what direction the group will take, says Percival, but we can be sure its members will con- tinue to represent the wo- man’s perspective at UPEI, and to publicize and promote its growth. Women’s/ By Carolyn Ryan Will UPEI have the money to attract a Sports Complex when it’s the Island’s turn to host the Winter Games, in 1992? The UPEI Student Union has set up a committee to take a look at the present situation, and possibly start fundraising as early as next spring. Student Heather Scott raised the question at Sun- day night’s Council meeting, saying, “l’ve just paid $300 to join the East Coast Gym and I am perturbed about the lace of athletics facilities on this campus.” UPEI has been waiting a long time for a new gym, pool, and rink, among other things; the present Alumni Gymnasium was condemned this summer and required renovations before inspectors allowed it to be used. However, funding is slow in coming, and some sports- minded optimists have pinned their hopes to the 1992 games, which have yet to be awarded to P.E.I. New facilities will then have to be built, but where is still a debatable. Scott says the only way UPEI can improve its chances of grabbing the one- third federally-funded com- plex is to start raising money for it now, to show commit- ment to the project. Otherwise, she says, either Summerside will get the Games or the City of Char— lottetown will locate any Thanks for blood Dear Editor Many thanks goes out to all who participated in UPEI’s most successful Red Cross Blood Donor Clinic — to both donors and those who volunteered their time and services at the clinic. Thanks as well go to Andy Dean of Saga FoodServices for the food be supplied to get donors back on their feet. Our quota this year was ‘ Fall Fest Update Smurf Game: Panther Lounge, Sat. 5-7 ‘ Handicapped Hockey: Rink, Fri. 1-3, Loser’s Pub: Panther Lounge, Friday 9-1 ' ' James Ready Nite; Panther Loonge, Sat. 9-1' (special prices) ' Co—ed: Starring Dave Shephard Big Band, at theChar-lottetown' Hotel starting at9.Tickets $8icouple.l Volume 2, Issue 9 , Our apologies to the writers of View from the ’ Top this week._'Most of your article will appear in . “‘9 "ext<Wtflmlifiztémwxmw; ........... _ _ . . Doiron. Ron Lewis, 'Phil Stanyer, G beloved editor Carciyn Ryan. ‘- . The Netted Gem is the student newsp _ I herein are not neceSsari/y those of the Student Union. we reserve the right to edit copy for space, style, or. legal reasons. Lettersftothegeditor ,must be- typed, double-spaced and. sup/pitted "before, one .p,rr_1. on, Mondays. All letters must be signed by-their author($). - Phoaefiggui 1i ext-387. The Netted Gem' is aru/l-member’of Canadian University Press. - construction either on the old Railway station site down- town or next to the Simmons Sports Centre. Council decided to strike a three-person steering com- mittee, with Scott as chair, to “investigate the possibility of an Athletics Comples, with a long-range goal of fund- raising”. Scott says blueprints have already been drawn up for the university of the Com- plex, and were recently sub- mitted to CMHC for re- appraisal of cost, so work could possibly begin as soon as funding is confirmed. If the existing plans were carried out, the Rink and Barn, as well as the Fisheries Building next door to the Barn, would be demolished. YOU INVADED (XI November 1-, 1984 Scott asks for Sports Centre 'fund-raising tostart Therefore, Councillors also struck a committee to examine the question of a new “University Centre” with space for both class- rooms and Student. Union activities. “These are two separate directions, so I don’t think the committees should be combined,” says Student Union General Manager Heather Love, a member of the new University Centre committee. (Some questions were raised, by the way, about where the skiing events would be held in a PEI Winter Games. Councillors couldn’t decide if officials would hold the events in another province or build a mountain. ”) THAT'S RIGHT. WE PLAY socceR IN Five AMENSIONS — LENcm, WIDTH, DEPTH; True AND OVERTIME k/E USE fiSYEROlDS FOR BALLS MID GALAXIES FOR Mars. we mam TIIE PLAYING FIELD Mm LASER seems. we RON AT WP ~we AND KICK Mm rile Powex 0“ STAR some NOV/i ll! / / (r _% 4 ,2 / _“' LETTERS 120 units of blood, which we filled with no problem. 155 donors registered, of which only 18 were rejected. Aileen Matters Student Rep on Blood Donor Committee A gripe Dear Editor: I think that the Brain Drain article written by Jim Lai is a pure load of crap. I mean,‘ why can’t this guy write something serious? Has he no ~ self respect? If you’re that desperate for material, why don’t you get me to write for you? He probably wrote those fantastics fables. The jerk must be schizophrenic. His stories are so disjointed, it’s not funny. a My biggest peeve is this — in his stories he has used my name. If he uses it again he’ll regret it, and that’s a promise. Yours truly, Alix Kreap Novemberl,1984 The staff of Canada ’s‘best student newspaper this week are: Nancy Ross, ‘Jill Warburton,l'Kaberi Dasgupta, Robert Bodrogyfioodland, Melanie Clarke, Bob Stanley, Jonathan-Orlowski, .Sandra MacDonald, Lori MacLe'od, Ross Hartinger, John Dougan, John Pendergas’t, Michael] Zian, Tony Sauer, LorirAnne Heckbert, Jim Lai, BrianeMacLeod, carol]. J- len BosWa/l, Brian Link/etter‘andour apar of UPEI. :Views expressed