January
      28,
      1997
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      For
      the
      second
      time
     
     
      the
      Women’s
      Studies
      de-
     
     
      partment
      of
      UPEI
      is
      hosting
     
     
      a
      conference
      on
      women’s
     
     
      issues.
      Students
      from
      UPEI
     
     
      and
      other
      universities
      across
     
     
      Atlantic
      Canada
      are
      being
     
     
      encouraged
      to
      submit
      pa-
     
     
      pers
      on
      female
      themes.
     
    

    
     
      The
      conference
     
     
      hosted
      last
      spring
      was
      a
      huge
     
     
      success,
      and
      since
      then
      it
     
     
      has
      been
      determined
      to
      be
     
     
      an
      annual
      event
      at
      UPEI.
     
     
      Dr.
      Irene
      Gammel,
      Wom-
     
     
      en’s
      Studies
      Coordinator,
      is
     
     
      looking
      forward
      to
      this
      sec-
     
     
      ond
      conference,
      seeing
      it
      as
     
     
      an
      “unique
      opportunity
      for
     
     
      people
      from
      different
      disci-
     
     
      plines
      to
      share
      their
      knowl-
     
     
      edge
      on
      women’s
      issues”.
     
    

    
     
      Hosting
      the
      first
      con-
     
     
      ference
      was
      a
      lot
      of
      work,
     
     
      but
      the
      combined
      efforts
      of
     
     
      the
      organizing
      committee
     
     
      made
      it
      very
      professional
     
     
      and
      educational.
     
    

    
     
      The
      feedback
      re-
     
     
      ceived
      concerning
      the
      con-
     
     
      ference
      was
      supportive,
      as
     
     
      J.
      Paul
      Boudreau,
      Director
     
     
      of
      UPEI’s
      Infant
      Studies
     
     
      Program,
      stated,
      “the
      con-
     
     
      ference
      represented
      an
      ex-
     
     
      citing
      blend
      of
      disciplines
     
     
      and
      scholarly
      research
      ap-
     
     
      proaches;
      the
      quality
      of
      the
     
     
      papers
      was
      indeed
      an
      out-
     
     
      standing
      testimony
      of
      the
     
     
      academic
      skill
      and
      ability
     
     
      of
      some
      of
      our
      UPEI
      stu-
     
     
      dents”.
     
    

    
     
      The
      last
      conference
     
     
      was
      mostly
      targeted
      at
      UPEI
     
     
      students,
      and
      local
      Island-
     
     
      ers,
      although
      there
      were
      a
     
     
      couple
      of
      presenters
      from
     
     
      other
      Atlantic
      universities.
     
     
      This
      year,
      however,
      the
      call
     
     
      for
      papers
      is
      going
      to
      all
      of
     
     
      the
      Atlantic
      Universities,
     
     
      and
      the
      due
      date
      for
      submis-
     
     
      sions
      is
      February
      28.
      ©
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Already
      Dr.
      Gammel
     
     
      has
      received
      five
      email
      mes-
     
     
      sages
      from
      students
      at
      uni-
     
     
      versities
      such
      as
      UCCB,
     
     
      Acadia,
      and
      Dalhousie,
      ex-
     
     
      pressing
      interest
      in
      submit-
     
     
      ting
      papers
      for
      the
      confer-
     
     
      ence.
     
    

    
     
      There
      is
      a
      vetting
     
     
      committee,
      of
      students
      and
     
     
      faculty,that
      reads
      the
      sub-
     
     
      missions
      and
      selects
      which
     
     
      papers
      willbe
      accepted.
      The
     
     
      committee
      will
      be
      looking
     
     
      specifically
      for
      a
      diversity
     
     
      of
      papers
      that
      are
      well
      re-
     
     
      searched
      and
      are
      approxi-
     
     
      mately
      eight
      pages
      in
      length.
     
     
      To
      make
      the
      selections
      fair,
     
     
      the
      papers
      will
      be
      read
     
     
      anonymously.
     
    

    
     
      This
      is
      not
      uniquely
     
     
      an
      English
      or
      Women’s
     
     
      Studies
      conference.
      Dr.
     
     
      Gammel
      stressed
      that
      this
      is
     
     
      an
      interdisciplinary
      confer-
     
     
      ence
      and
      that
      students
      from
     
     
      all
      faculties
      are
      welcome
      to
     
     
      submit
      papers.
      “It
      would
      be
     
     
      nice
      to
      have
      someone
      witha
     
     
      scientific
      angle”,
      stated
     
     
      Gammel,
      specifying
      a
      par-
     
     
      ticular
      women’s
      issue.
     
    

    
     
      Last
      year’s
      confer-
     
     
      ence
      focused
      on:
      Maritime
     
     
      women
      in
      history;
      women
     
     
      and
      political
      issues;
      and
     
     
      women,
      fiction,
      and
      life
     
     
      writing.
      There
      were
      also
     
     
      two
      key
      note
      speakers.
     
    

    
     
      This
      year
      there
      will
     
     
      also
      be
      a
      couple
      of
      key
      note
     
     
      speakers;
      in
      fact
      one
      has
     
     
      been
      confirmed
      already.
      Dr.
     
     
      Margaret
      Conrad
      from
     
     
      Mount
      Saint
      Vincent
      will
     
     
      be
      coming
      to
      speak
      at
      the
     
     
      conference.
      Sheis
      an
      histo-
     
     
      rian,
      with
      expertise
      in
      At-
     
     
      lantic
      regional
      political
      cul-
     
     
      ture
      and
      the
      history
      of
     
     
      women.
      She
      has
      conducted
     
     
      many
      studies
      on
      Maritime
     
     
      life
      writing
      particularly
     
    
   
   
    
     
      PS
      Wie
      erie
      ails
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Atlantic
      Feminists
     
     
      Speak
      Out
     
    
   
   
    
     
      women’s
      autobiographies.
     
     
      __
      The
      conference
      pro-
     
     
      vides
      several
      rare
      opportu-
     
    
   
   
    
     
      nities
      for
      students:
      they
      can
      |
     
    
   
   
    
     
      gain
      skills
      in
      presenting;
     
     
      they
      are
      given
      an
      occasion
     
     
      to
      present
      their
      work
      to
      other
     
     
      students;
      they
      can
      observe
     
     
      their
      fellow
      student’s
      work;
     
     
      and
      they
      are
      provided
      with
     
     
      the
      opportunity
      to
      learn
      how
     
     
      to
      organize
      a
      professional
     
     
      conference.
     
    

    
     
      Presently
      there
      are
     
     
      about
      eight
      to
      nine
      organiz-
     
     
      ers,
      but
      they
      are
      looking
      for
     
     
      more
      student
      involvement.
     
     
      The
      conference
      is
      being
      or-
     
     
      ganized
      primarily
      by
      the
      stu-
     
     
      dents:
      “This
      is
      something
     
     
      unique
      because
      this
      is
      in
      the
     
     
      student’s
      hands,
      but
      faculty
     
     
      are
      there
      to
      provide
      guid-
     
     
      ance”
      explained
      Dr.
     
     
      Gammel.
     
    

    
     
      One
      of
      the
      toughest
     
     
      chores
      of
      the
      conference
     
     
      committee
      is
      fund-raising.
     
     
      Last
      conferencethe
      students
     
     
      were
      able
      to
      raise
      $2500.
     
     
      Unlike
      most
      conferences,
     
     
      this
      conference
      is
      free
      and
     
     
      open
      to
      all.
     
    

    
     
      A
      wonderful
      explana-
     
     
      tion
      of
      the
      conference
      is
     
     
      written
      by
      Dr.
      Gammel
      in
     
     
      her
      Women’s
      Studies
      News-
     
     
      letter,
      where
      she
      describes
     
     
      the
      last
      conference:
      “With
     
     
      limited
      experience,
      the
      stu-
     
     
      dents
      generated
      momentum
     
     
      that
      peeked
      in
      a
      well-coor-
     
     
      dinated
      day--a
      day
      that
      was
     
     
      not
      only
      an
      academic
      treat
     
     
      but
      was
      also
      entertaining
     
     
      and
      collegial;
      it
      included
     
     
      good
      food,
      musical
      enter-
     
     
      tainment,
      door
      prizes,
      and
     
     
      opportunities
      for
      connec-
     
     
      tions”.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      K.C.
      Irving
     
     
      Building
     
     
      Grand
      Opening
     
    
   
   
    
     
      By
      Todd
      MacLean
     
    
   
   
    
     
      On
      Saturday,
      January
      25th,
      1997,
      the
      K.C.
      Irving
     
     
      ‘Chemistry
      building
      was
      officially
      opened
      with
      ceremo-
     
     
      nies
      and
      speeches
      accentuating
      the
      upmost
      in
      prestige,
     
     
      which
      served
      to
      give
      this
      state
      of
      the
      art
      structure
      the
     
     
      introduction
      that
      it
      so
      rightfully
      deserves.
     
    

    
     
      In
      attendance
      at
      the
      occasion
      were
      such
      distin-
     
     
      guished
      individuals
      as
      Pat
      Mella,
      members
      of
      the
      Irving
     
     
      family,
      including
      Mary
      Jean,
      Robert,
      and
      J.K.
      Irving;
      all
     
     
      three
      of
      the
      former
      Deans
      of
      Science,
      along
      with
      Winston
     
     
      Pineau,
      the
      present
      Dean
      of
      Science;
      and
      Elizabeth
      Epperly,
     
     
      president
      of
      UPEI.
     
    

    
     
      The
      event
      was
      considered
      so
      important
      that
      news
     
     
      commentator
      Mike
      Duffy
      plugged
      the
      occasion
      on
      na-
     
     
      tional
      television,
      apologizing
      for
      his
      absence
      from
      the
     
     
      opening.
     
    

    
     
      To
      commence
      the
      inauguration,
      there
      was
      a
      social
     
     
      function
      held
      in
      the
      foyer
      of
      the
      building,
      followed
      by
     
     
      introductory
      speeches
      which
      took
      place
      in
      the
      main
     
     
      lecture
      theatre.
     
    

    
     
      “This
      is
      a
      very
      exciting
      day
      for
      the
      province
      of
      PEI.”
     
     
      said
      Premier
      Pat
      Binns,
      in
      his
      speech.
      “I
      congratulate
      the
     
     
      University
      of
      Prince
      Edward
      Island
      for
      making
      their
      ideas
     
     
      become
      a
      reality.”
     
    

    
     
      Winston
      Pineau
      had
      a
      bit
      of
      an
      excited
      tone
      in
      his
     
     
      voice
      himself
      as
      he
      stated
      that
      enrollments
      in
      science
     
     
      programs
      this
      year
      have
      increased
      by
      11%,
      and
      attributed
     
     
      much
      of
      this
      success
      to
      the
      opening
      of
      the
      new
      building.
     
    

    
     
      J.K.
      Irving,
      son
      of
      K.C.
      Irving,
      represented
      the
     
     
      Irving
      family
      in
      his
      address,
      which
      consisted
      of
      heartfelt
     
     
      gratitude
      for
      the
      preservance
      of
      their
      family
      name.
      “We
     
     
      appreciate
      you
      honouring
      our
      father
      in
      this
      very
      sincere
     
     
      way.”
     
    

    
     
      With
      their
      one
      million
      dollar
      donation,
      however,
      it
     
     
      is
      we
      who
      should
      feel
      the
      gratitude,
      which
      was
      rightfully
     
     
      expressed
      in
      the
      thanking
      words
      of
      Dr.
      Epperly,
      and
      Dr.
     
     
      Pineau,
      who
      also
      mentioned
      Wanda
      Wyatt,
      and
      the
      prov-
     
     
      ince
      of
      PEI
      as
      large
      contributors
      to
      the
      building.
     
    

    
     
      The
      Irvings
      wanted
      to
      help
      out
      our
      “beautiful
      prov-
     
     
      ince”
      and
      to
      honour
      K.C.
      with
      something
      that
      would
      last,
     
     
      something
      that
      would
      literally
      be
      carved
      in
      stone.
      And
     
     
      with
      the
      unveiling
      of
      the
      plaque
      dedicated
      to
      K.C.
      Irving,
     
     
      located
      in
      the
      entrance
      of
      the
      building,
      they
      have
      achieved
     
     
      just
      that.
     
    

    
     
      And
      as
      Dr.
      Epperly
      excitedly
      cut
      the
      ribbon
      across
     
    
   
   
    
     
      :
      the
      entrance
      to
      the
      foyer,
      it
      not
      only
      opened
      the
      building
     
     
      up
      to
      the
      public,
      who
      received
      guided
      tours
      later
      on
      that
     
    
   
   
    
     
      day,
      but
      also
      gave
      it
      an
      official
      opening
      for
      those
      whom
     
     
      it
      was
      built
      for--the
      students
      of
      UPEI,
      who
      will
      definitely
     
     
      benefit
      greatly
      in
      the
      future,
      from
      the
      presence
      of
      this
     
     
      grand
      structure.