The
      Cadre
      -
     
    
   
   
    
     
      12
      January
      1999
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Campus
      Caring
      Cupboard’s
     
     
      food
      drive
      a
      success
     
    
   
   
    
     
      By
      PAULINE
      TRAN
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Campus
      Caring
      Cup-
     
     
      board
      (CCC)
      initiated
      a
      food
     
     
      drive
      to
      fill
      the
      empty
      shelves
     
     
      at
      the
      Chaplaincy
      Center
     
     
      from
      November
      23
      to
      De-
     
     
      cember
      4.
      Sister
      Joan,
      an
     
     
      organizer
      of
      the
      project,
      was
     
     
      pleased
      with
      the
      drive’s
     
     
      outcome.
     
    

    
     
      “Tt
      was
      marvelous,”
     
     
      she
      said.
      “People
      were
     
     
      extremely
      generous.”
     
    

    
     
      everal
      boxes
      deco-
     
     
      rated
      with
      a
      Christmas
      theme
     
     
      were
      placed
      in
      nearly
      every
     
     
      building
      on
      the
      UPEI
      campus.
     
     
      After
      two
      weeks,
      ccc
     
     
      collected
      the
      boxes
      filled
      with
     
     
      a
      variety
      of
      non-perishable
     
     
      items
      ranging
      from
      canned
     
     
      goods
      to
      coffee
      and
      Kleenex.
     
    

    
     
      CCC
      began
      in
      early
     
     
      1998
      when
      the
      Chaplaincy
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Center,
      Student
      Services,
     
     
      and
      the
      Student
      Union
      met
      to
     
     
      discuss
      student
      poverty
      on
     
     
      campus.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      “There
      was
      a
      high
     
     
      number
      of
      people
      with
     
     
      difficulties
      feeding
      them-
     
     
      selves
      properly,”
      said
      Sister
     
     
      Joan.
     
    

    
     
      In
      response
      to
      stu-
     
     
      dents’
      lack
      of
      food,
      Campus
     
     
      Caring
      Cupboard
      was
      es-
     
     
      tablished.
      The
      first
      food
     
     
      drive
      took
      place
      Febru
     
     
      14,
      1998,
      when
      many
      card-
     
     
      board
      boxes
      were
      distrib-
     
     
      uted
      to
      several
      high
      traffic
     
     
      buildings
      on
      campus.
     
    

    
     
      All
      students
      are
      in-
     
     
      vited
      to
      take
      advantage
      of
     
     
      CCC’s
      services.
      Students
     
     
      who
      use
      the
      services
      are
     
     
      given
      access
      to
      the
      storage
     
     
      room
      where
      the
      food
      is
      kept,
     
     
      and
      their
      identities
      will
      not
     
     
      revealed.
      Forthose
      students
     
     
      who
      are
      in
      need
      of
      perishable
     
     
      items
      such
      as
      milk
      or
      bread,
      a
     
     
      small
      amount
      of
      money
      is
      set
     
     
      aside
      for
      them
      to
      make
     
     
      purchases
      themselves.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Sister
      Joan
      is
      con-
     
     
      cerned
      with
      the
      lack
      of
     
     
      awareness
      of
      CCC.
      Although
     
     
      many
      posters
      have
      been
     
     
      distributed
      and
      several
      media
     
     
      have
      been
      contacted,
      many
     
     
      students
      do
      not
      know
      that
      they
     
     
      have
      their
      own
      food
      ban
     
     
      conveniently
      located
      on
      cam-
     
     
      pus.
     
    

    
     
      “Students
      are
      more
     
     
      than
      welcome,”
      Sister
      Joan
     
     
      stresses.
      “CCC
      is
      open
      to
     
     
      everybody.”
     
    

    
     
      Students
      interested
      in
     
     
      accessing
      the
      students
      may
     
     
      contact
      Marion
      Morrison
      of
     
     
      Student
      Services,
      Sister
      Joan
     
     
      of
      the
      Chaplaincy
      Center,
      or
     
     
      Pauline
      Tran
      of
      the
      Student
     
     
      Union.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Pauline
      Tran
      is
      the
      Vice
     
     
      President
      Internal
      of
      the
     
     
      UPEI
      Student
      Union.
      She
     
     
      can
      be
      contacted
      by
      e-
     
    
   
   
    
     
      mailing
      <ptran@upei.ca>
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      13
     
    
   
   
    
     
      UPEI
     
    
   
   
    
     
      The
      Mapus
     
     
      Connection
     
    
   
   
    
     
      by
      JANICE
      MUIR
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Happy
      New
      Year!
      Isn’t
      it
      great
      to
      be
      back?
      The
      year
      is
     
     
      new,
      the
      weather
      is
      hovering
      about
      one
      degree
      higher
      than
     
     
      temperatures
      were
      at
      this
      time
      last
      year,
      and
      we
      have
      a
      fresh
     
     
      start
      to
      accomplishing
      all
      of
      the
      things
      we
      wanted
      to
      do
      last
      year
     
     
      but
      could
      not
      fit
      in.
      What
      a
      life!
     
    

    
     
      For
      those
      of
      you
      who
      are
      starting
      at
      UPEI
      for
      the
      first
     
     
      time,
      the
      Mapus
      Connection
      is
      a
      column
      that
      is
      dedicated
      t
     
     
      promoting
      the
      ideas,
      suggestions
      and
      concerns
      of
      mature
      and
     
     
      part-time
      students
      on
      campus.
      The
      Mapus
      lounge
      is
      in
      the
     
     
      Robertson
      Library
      106A
      and
      is
      a
      great
      place
      to
      come
      and
      meet
     
     
      people.
      If
      you
      have
      some
      time,
      feel
      free
      to
      drop
      by
      and
      say
      hello.
     
    

    
     
      One
      of
      the
      issues
      that
      came
      up
      before
      the
      holidays
      was
     
     
      the
      presence
      of
      all
      of
      those
      glossy
      Canada
      Student
      Loans
     
     
      Program
      posters
      around
      campus.
      Great
      eye-catchers,
      but
      they
     
     
      lacked
      specifics.
      So,
      for
      those
      of
      you
      who
      are
      interested,
      here
     
     
      is
      a
      condensed
      version
      of
      the
      information
      that
      you
      will
      need
      to
     
     
      know.
      I
      have
      Shirley
      Beaton
      from
      the
      Office
      of
      Joe
      McGuire
     
     
      M.P.
      in
      the
      Egmont
      riding
      to
      thank
      for
      providing
      us
      with
      this
     
     
      timely
      information.
     
    

    
     
      The
      new
      Canada
      Student
      Loans
      Program
      is
      part
      of
      a
     
     
      number
      of
      measures
      announced
      by
      the
      Government
      of
      Canada
     
     
      that
      would
      make
      education
      more
      accessible.
      These
      measures
     
     
      include
      a
      17
      per
      cent
      tax
      credit
      on
      the
      interest
      portion
      of
      the
     
     
      amount
      paid
      on
      your
      student
      loan
      each
      year
      and
      Interest
      Relief
     
     
      Plan
      changes
      that
      would
      assist
      borrowers
      who
      are
      facing
     
     
      hardship.
      In
      these
      instances,
      the
      Government
      of
      Canada
      may
     
     
      pay
      the
      interest
      portion
      of
      the
      loan,
      extend
      the
      loan
      repayment
     
     
      period
      upto
      15
      years
      and/or
      reduce
      the
      loan
      principal
      in
      certain
     
     
      instances.
     
    

    
     
      In
      order
      to
      assist
      a
      growing
      sector
      of
      the
      student
      popula-
     
     
      tion,
      those
      with
      children
      or
      other
      dependants
      can
      receivea
      grant
     
     
      of
      $40
      per
      week
      for
      students
      with
      one
      or
      two
      dependants
      and
     
     
      $60
      per
      week
      for
      students
      with
      three
      or
      more
      dependants.
     
     
      These
      measures
      apply
      to
      both
      full-time
      and
      part-time
      students.
     
    

    
     
      Student
      loans,
      like
      any
      other
      loans,
      have
      to
      be
      repaid.
      The
     
     
      payments
      begin
      six
      months
      after
      you
      stop
      being
      a
      full
      time
     
     
      student.
      While
      you
      are
      repaying
      your
      student
      loan,
      you
      will
      be
     
     
      allowed
      to
      claim
      a
      17
      per
      cent
      tax
      credit
      on
      the
      interest
      portion
     
     
      of
      the
      amount
      paid
      on
      your
      loan
      annually.
      If
      you
      default,
      the
     
     
      lending
      institution
      and
      the
      Government
      of
      Canada
      will
      take
     
     
      steps
      to
      recover
      the
      debt
      and
      this
      could
      involve
      legal
      action.
     
     
      Please
      note
      that
      this
      new
      1998
      legislation
      prevents
      students
     
     
      from
      declaring
      bankruptcy
      for
      a
      period
      of
      ten
      years
      after
      the
     
     
      end
      of
      your
      studies.
     
    

    
     
      However,
      if
      you
      are
      having
      trouble
      repaying
      your
      loan,
     
     
      then
      the
      Interest
      Relief
      Plan
      may
      be
      of
      help.
      This
      is
      when
      the
     
     
      government
      pays
      the
      interest
      on
      your
      loan.
      It
      is
      normally
     
     
      approved
      for
      three-month
      periods
      up
      to
      a
      maximum
      of
      30
     
     
      months
      per
      the
      lifetime
      of
      the
      loan.
      Application
      forms
      are
     
     
      available
      from
      the
      lending
      institutions,
      Human
      Resources
      De-
     
     
      velopment
      offices
      or
      from
      student
      aid.
     
    

    
     
      To
      be
      eligible,
      your
      total
      family
      income
      must
      be
      below
      a
     
     
      level
      that
      is
      determined
      by
      family
      size
      and
      the
      value
      of
      your
      loan
     
     
      payment.
      Special
      circumstances,
      such
      as
      health-related
      ex-
     
     
      penses
      or
      home
      emergency
      repairs
      may
      also
      qualify
      a
      person
     
     
      for
      assistance.
      If
      you
      face
      prolonged
      financial
      hardship
      and
     
     
      have
      exhausted
      the
      30
      months
      of
      interest
      relief,
      you
      can
      request
     
     
      that
      your
      lending
      institution
      extend
      the
      loan
      repayment
      period
      to
     
     
      15
      years.
      This,
      inturn,
      would
      lower
      your
      monthly
      payments
      by
     
     
      nearly
      25
      percent
      at
      current
      interest
      rates.
      In
      the
      event
      that
      you
     
     
      remain
      in
      financial
      difficulty,
      the
      government
      will
      reduce
      your
     
    
   
   
    
     
      *Continued
      on
      page
      16