The
      Student
      Union
      Centre,
     
     
      nicknamed
      ‘The
      Barn',
      was
      conceived
     
     
      between
      May
      2-5,
      1970.
      Daughter
      of
     
     
      ‘Stu'
      Dentunion-Fees
      and
      ‘Grant’
     
     
      St.Dunstan,
      as
      well
      as
      her
      surrogate
     
     
      mother
      Loan
      Upei,
      The
      Barn
      was
      a
     
     
      welcome
      sight
      into
      the
      UPEI
      campus
     
     
      community.
      It
      was
      a
      difficult
      pregnan-.
     
     
      cy,
      but
      with
      the
      architecturally
      sound
     
     
      knowledge
      of
      Peter
      A.
      MacNeil
      and
     
     
      the
      support
      of
      S.U.
      prez
      Jim
      Ross,
      the
     
     
      birth
      was
      a
      success.
      The
      birth
      cost
     
     
      $130,000,
      but
      it
      was
      well
      worth
      the
     
     
      price
      for
      the
      36
      X
      140
      foot
      baby.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      The
      night
      was
      soon
     
     
      dubbed
      “pig
      and
     
     
      whistle”
      night.
      |
     
    
   
   
    
     
      The
      standing
      parent
      of
      the
     
     
      Barn
      was
      the
      adopting
      body
      of
      the
     
     
      Student
      Union.
      She
      was
      given
      to
      them
     
     
      from
      the
      university
      free
      of
      charge,
      on
     
     
      the
      condition
      that
      she
      would
      be
      raised,
     
     
      clothed,
      fed,
      educated,
      and
      taken
      care
     
     
      of
      properly.
      In
      the
      child's
      upbringing,
      a
     
     
      lounge,
      rec
      centre,
      student
      union
     
     
      offices,
      coffee
      shop,
      and
      mezzanine
     
     
      were
      developed.
      Finally
      on
      September
     
     
      9,
      1970,
      The
      Barn
      was
      introduced
      to
     
     
      the
      rest
      of
      her
      family,
      the
      UPEI
      student
     
     
      body.
      She
      was
      welcome
      and
      loved
      by
     
     
      all,
      and
      accepted
      by
      her
      new
      family
     
     
      joyously.
     
    

    
     
      Distressingly,
      there
      were
      many
     
     
      disputes
      between
      family
      members
      over
     
     
      the
      dressing
      of
      The
      Barn,
      and
      this
      left
     
     
      emotional
      scars
      on
      both
      her
      and
      her
     
     
      family.
      Some
      wanted
      her
      to
      be
      adorned
     
     
      in
      green,
      white,
      and
      rust,
      the
      school
     
     
      colours.
      They
      also
      wanted
      to
      maintain
     
     
      a
      rustic,
      comfy,
      and
      ‘stylish'
      look
      about
     
     
      her,
      by
      lighting
      her
      with
      hanging
     
     
      lanterns
      and
      the
      like.
      In
      the
      end,
      a
     
     
      compromise
      was
      made,
      and
      she
      was
     
     
      given
      a
      red
      decor
      on
      the
      outside
      and
     
     
      green,
      white,
      and
      rust
      on
      the
      inside,
     
     
      with
      lighting
      that
      seemed
      fit
      for
      a
     
     
      lantern.
     
    

    
     
      The
      Barn
      held
      a
      certain
      air
      of
     
     
      stateliness
      while
      a
      member
      of
      our
      cam-
     
     
      pus
      family.
      She
      was
      originally
      grey
     
     
      before
      she
      became
      the
      red
      splendour
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Obituary
     
     
      The
      Barn
     
    
   
   
    
     
         
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      that
      students
      everywhere
      came
      to
      know
     
     
      and
      cherish.
      She
      was
      one
      of
      the
      largest
     
     
      and
      last
      barns
      of
      her
      make,
      and
      in
      per-
     
     
      fect
      condition.
      It
      was
      a
      day
      of
      pride
     
     
      when
      she
      was
      accepted
      into
      society
      as
     
     
      more
      than
      "just
      an
      old
      barn,"
      which
     
     
      she
      was
      quite
      literally.
      She
      was
      publi-
     
     
      cized
      all
      over
      the
      P.E.I.
      newspapers
      in
     
     
      the
      summer
      of
      1970
      as
      being
      one
      of
     
     
      the
      most
      unique
      Student
      Centres
      in
     
     
      Canada.
      What's
      more,
      she
      was
      highly
     
     
      advertized
      as
      ‘The
      New
      Charlottetown
     
     
      Coffee
      House,"
      a
      very
      hip
      and
      cool
      ©
     
     
      place
      to
      relax
      and
      meet
      people.
     
    

    
     
      Three
      months
      after
      her
      birth,
     
     
      the
      Student
      Union
      made
      an
      action
      to
     
     
      acquire
      a
      liquor
      license
      for
      their
     
     
      beloved
      coffee
      house,
      but
      their
      inquiry
     
     
      was
      quickly
      rejected.
      Institutions
      of
     
     
      higher
      learning
      were
      not
      permitted
     
     
      liquor
      licenses
      at
      the
      time.
      But
      one
     
     
      year
      later
      in
      Oct.
      1971,
      the
      P.E.IL.
     
     
      Liquor
      Commission
      granted
      the
      uni-
     
     
      versity
      the
      privilege
      of
      one
      night
      of
     
     
      liquor
      licensing
      per
      week.
      This
      night
     
     
      was
      soon
      dubbed
      "Pig
      and
      Whistle"
     
    
   
   
    
     
      night.
     
     
      In
      the
      1980’s,
      dur-
     
     
      ing
      The
      Barn’s
      teen
     
     
      -
      years
      she
      devel-
     
     
      oped
      a
      drinking
     
     
      problem
     
    
   
   
    
     
      In
      January
      of
      1975,
      the
      laws
     
     
      on
      liquor
      licensing
      changed,
      and
      uni-
     
     
      versities
      could
      apply
      freely.
      The
     
     
      Student
      Union,
      being
      a
      more
      responsi-
     
     
      ble
      parent
      than
      five
      years
      prior,
      decid-
     
     
      ed
      to
      wait
      a
      while
      before
      applying.
      Pig
     
     
      and
      Whistle
      night
      was
      popular,
      and
     
    
   
   
    
     
      September
      9,
      1970-
      September
      3,
      2002
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Artist
      Rendition
      of
      The
      Barn
     
    
   
   
    
     
      they
      didn't
      want
      to
      throw
      their
      child
     
     
      into
      the
      club
      scene
      too
      quickly.
     
     
      Instead,
      they
      waited
      a
      year
      or
      two
     
     
      before
      easing
      The
      Barn
      into
      the
      bar
     
     
      mainstream.
     
    

    
     
      In
      1979,
      the
      coffee
      house
      was
     
     
      given
      a
      new
      name
      and
      a
      new
      image.
      It
     
     
      was
      christened
      "The
      Exchange,"
      and
     
     
      the
      second
      floor
      was
      destined
      for
      per-
     
     
      formers
      such
      as
      Lenny
      Gallant,
      Margie
     
     
      Carmichael,
      and
      Roy
      Johnston,
      and
     
     
      any
      other
      John/Jane
      Doe
      who
      cared
      to
     
     
      grace
      the
      stage
      in
      the
      coffee
      house.
     
    

    
     
      The
      Barn
      got
      a
      make-over
      in
     
     
      January
      1982,
      and
      all
      the
      interior
      was
     
     
      refurbished.
      Sadly,
      she
      was
      attacked
      in
     
     
      May
      of
      that
      year
      and
      received
      third
     
     
      degree
      burns.
      Her
      family
      was
      devastat-
     
     
      ed,
      and
      besides
      the
      arson,
      it
      is
      believed
     
     
      that
      she
      was
      also
      robbed.
      A
      new
      wide
     
     
      screen
      TV,
      VCR,
      and
      Pac-Man
      game
     
     
      were
      all
      stolen.
      But
      her
      family
      pulled
     
     
      together
      and
      gave
      her
      a
      second
      make-
     
     
      over,
      with
      improvements!
      The
      CIMN
     
     
      radio
      station
      was
      relocated
      from
      the
     
     
      main
      building
      to
      the
      third
      floor
      of
      The
     
     
      Barn,
      while
      the
      lounge
      area
      was
      com-
     
     
      pletely
      reconstructed.
      She
      was
      re-
     
     
      opened
      again
      by
      Sept.
      8,
      1982,
      and
      a
     
     
      party
      was
      held
      on
      her
      twelfth
      birthday.
     
    

    
     
      In
      the
      1980's,
      during
      The
     
     
      Barn's
      teen
      years,
      she
      developed
      a
     
     
      drinking
      problem.
      Her
      family
      and
     
     
      community
      did
      not
      recognize
      her
     
     
      strong
      tendency
      towards
      alcohol
      abuse,
     
     
      even
      though
      her
      nickname
      during
      this
     
     
      period
      was
      "a
      place
      to
      drink
      your
      face
     
     
      off."
      Her
      social
      image
      changed
      and
     
     
      was
      marred
      terribly
      and
      negatively.
     
     
      The
      Barn
      no
      longer
      was
      a
      place
      for
     
     
      any
      student
      to
      go
      and
      relax
      and
      meet
     
     
      people,
      it
      was
      a
      place
      to
      get
      plastered.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      It
      wasn't
      until
      1994
      that
      the
     
     
      Student
      Union
      realized
      how
      sick
      their
     
     
      child
      had
      become.
      They
      campaigned
      to
     
     
      reestablish
      The
      Barns
      rep
      as
      a
      place
      for
     
     
      anyone,
      alcohol
      or
      no
      alcohol.
      Posters
     
     
      were
      posted,
      articles
      were
      printed,
      the
     
     
      message
      got
      out
      that
      if
      students
      were
     
     
      to
      drink,
      that
      they
      should
      drink
      respon-
     
     
      sibly.
     
    

    
     
      In
      The
      Barn's
      final
      years,
      she
     
     
      became
      ill
      and
      suffered
      a
      lot
      before
      her
     
     
      death.
      In
      1992
      The
      Barn
      was
      charged
     
     
      with
      causing
      rowdyism
      in
      downtown
     
     
      Charlottetown.
      She
      was
      hosting
      a
      ‘liq-
     
     
      uidation
      sale,’
      officially
      known
      as
      ‘the
     
     
      year-end
      pub’,
      unofficially
      ‘drink
      The
     
     
      Barn
      dry,'
      when
      some
      of
      her
      guests
     
     
      stumbled
      away
      into
      the
      night
      and
     
     
      caused
      quite
      the
      ado.
      Then
      in
      1996,
      40
     
     
      CDs
      were
      stolen
      out
      of
      her
      care.
     
     
      These,
      and
      the
      stench,
      were
      the
      begin-
     
     
      nings
      of
      her
      downfall.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      She
      was
      attacked
     
     
      in
      May
      (1982)
      and
     
     
      recieved
      third
     
     
      degree
      burns.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Yes,
      beers
      were
      spilt,
      stains
     
     
      and
      odours
      lingered,
      laughs
      were
      had,
     
     
      great
      memories
      (or
      lack
      there
      of)
      took
     
     
      place,
      and
      nights
      to
      last
      forever
     
     
      occurred
      there,
      all
      in
      the
      old
      girl's
      pres-
     
     
      ence.
      She
      studied
      with
      us,
      celebrated
     
     
      with
      us,
      cried
      with
      us,
      grew
      with
      us,
     
     
      and
      lived
      with
      us.
      The
      Barn
      certainly
     
     
      became
      an
      intricate
      part
      of
      every
      UPEI
     
     
      student's
      life
      at
      some
      point
      or
      other.
      As
     
     
      we
      say
      goodbye,
      let
      us
      thank
      the
      bar-
     
     
      tenders,
      performers,
      store
      owners,
      stu-
     
     
      dent
      union
      members,
      door
      men,
      and
     
     
      anyone
      else
      who
      volunteered
      there.
      —
     
     
      They
      and
      the
      rest
      of
      the
      UPEI
      commu-
     
     
      nity
      will
      greatly
      miss
      The
      Barn
      and
      all
     
     
      the
      life
      that
      was
      lived
      there
      for
      so
     
     
      many
      generations
      of
      students
      and
      fac-
     
     
      ulty
      alike.
      Barn,
      you
      shall
      not
      be
      for-
     
     
      gotten.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      -Mariéve
      MACGREGOR
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Fo
      youre
      “leerdisupei
      #1
      ryei
     
    
   
   
    
     
      [9]
     
    
   
   
    
     
      ——
     
     
      x
     
     
      ae