The
      Cadre:
      “Our”
      Paper
      or
      Toilet
      Paper?
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Dear
      Cadre:
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Over
      the
      past
      few
      months
      I
     
     
      have
      been
      consistently
      reassessing
      my
     
     
      opinion
      of
      that
      which
      I
      used
      to
      consid-
     
     
      er
      to
      be
      a
      well
      produced
      student
      news-
     
     
      paper;
      The
      Cadre.
      Since
      the
      start
      of
     
     
      the
      semester,
      I
      have
      watched
      The
     
     
      Cadre
      degrade
      from
      a
      funny
      and
     
     
      informative
      little
      read,
      to
      the
      often
     
     
      episodic,
      bitch-whine-and-complain
     
     
      compilation
      it
      has
      become.
     
    

    
     
      Now
      this
      is
      not
      to
      say
      that
      the
     
     
      entire
      paper
      is
      a
      piece
      of
      garbage.
     
     
      Some
      regular
      articles
      such
      as
      Fact
      &
     
     
      Opinion
      never
      fail
      to
      make
      me
      truly
     
     
      laugh
      right
      out
      loud,
      occasionally
     
     
      inconveniently
      so
      in
      the
      middle
      of
      a
     
     
      "quiet
      room"
      lecture.
      Food
      Facts
      and
     
     
      Fiction
      and
      Brandon's
      "foreign
      coun-
     
     
      try"
      articles
      are
      informative
      yet
      light-
     
     
      hearted,
      making
      them
      enjoyable
      to
     
     
      digest.
     
    

    
     
      This
      said,
      The
      Cadre
      has
      got-
     
     
      ten
      to
      the
      point
      that
      I
      don't
      know
      if
      I'll
     
     
      ever
      bother
      to
      pick
      up
      another.
      Why
     
     
      would
      I?
      To
      read
      something
      with
      so
     
     
      many
      spelling
      and
      grammar
      errors
      that
     
    
   
   
    
     
        
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      ER
      ade
     
    
   
   
    
     
      is
      cements
      my
      belief
      in
      the
      stupefying
     
     
      effects
      of
      word
      processor
      spell
      check-
     
     
      ers.
      Or,
      perhaps
      to
      witness
      the
      lack
      of
     
     
      the
      grasp
      of
      the
      English
      language
      held
     
     
      by
      some
      of
      the
      regular
      contributors;
      to
     
     
      the
      point
      that
      their
      own
      personal
      dic-
     
     
      tionary
      of
      descriptors
      is
      limited
      to
      pro-
     
    
   
   
    
     
      ries
      about
      UPEI,
      social
      announce-
     
     
      ments
      and/or
      Island
      based
      reporting,
     
     
      or
      the
      stimulating
      details
      of
      excrement
     
     
      disposal
      centres
      at...
      well
      wherever
      it
     
     
      was.
      (Not
      to
      say
      that
      I
      don't
      care
      about
     
     
      other
      institutions
      of
      higher
      learning
     
     
      but
      last
      I
      checked
      I
      enrolled
      at
      UPEI.
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      fanity
      and
      other
     
     
      such
      derogatory
     
     
      language.
     
    

    
     
      Failing
     
     
      these,
      perhaps
      to
     
     
      watch
      certain
      writ-
     
     
      ers
      use
      The
      Cadre
     
     
      as
      a
      personal
     
     
      sounding
      board
      for
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      |
      love
      the
      way
      the
     
     
      paper
      used
      to
      be
      and
      [}Palhousie.
      |
     
     
      still
      love
      pieces
      of
      it
     
     
      now.
      But,
      if
      things
     
     
      don't
      improve...
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Not
      McGill.
      Not
     
     
      Acadia.
      Not
     
    
   
   
    
     
      wonder
      if
      we're
     
     
      such
      prominent
     
     
      news
      in
      their
     
     
      papers.)
      As
      a
     
     
      small
      sidebar,
      an
     
     
      article
      outlining
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      them
      to
      air
      personal
      complaints
      about
     
     
      inner-office
      workings/politics/organi-
     
     
      zation/professio-nalism
      or
      lack
      there-
     
     
      of,
      personal
      attacks,
      or
      self-serving,
     
     
      pompous
      declarations
      of
      power
      and
     
     
      absoluteness.
      Or,
      alternatively
      to
      read
     
     
      articles
      about
      uni-sex
      bathrooms
      or
     
     
      anti-plagiarism
      strategies
      at
      other
     
     
      higher
      learning
      institutions,
      but
      be
     
     
      informed
      of
      very
      few
      "goings-on"
      at
     
     
      our
      own
      "great,
      small
      university."
      I
     
     
      mean,
      which
      makes
      more
      sense;
      sto-
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Mie
      eee
      Ree
      ces
     
     
      ea
      eel
     
     
      Titeisa
      lig
      lem
      ls
     
     
      eee
      eee
     
    
   
   
    
     
      XS
      armies
      toi
      ete
     
    
   
   
    
     
      °
      TRAVEL
      CUTS
     
     
      i
      ees:
      cant
      CAs
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Travel
      CUTS
      is
      owned
      &
      operated
      by
      the
      Canadian
      Federation
      of
      Sridents.
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Call
      Toll
      Free
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
     
           
     
    
   
   
    
     
      suggestions
      of
      how
      to
      remove
      the
     
     
      ever-present
      putrid
      smell
      from
      the
     
     
      Men's
      room
      in
      Cass
      might
      inspire
     
     
      decision
      makers
      to
      have
      the
      problem
     
     
      fixed.
     
    

    
     
      Finally,
      perhaps
      to
      stare
      at
      the
     
     
      vast
      and
      numerous
      advertisements
     
     
      contained
      within.
      How
      much
      money
     
     
      do
      these
      U
      of
      M,
      overseas
      english
     
     
      teaching,
      Humber,
      Health
      Canada,
      and
     
     
      Telus
      ads
      contribute
      towards
      produc-
     
     
      tion
      costs
      anyhow?
      Personally,
      I
     
     
      would
      much
      rather
      see
      fewer
      issues
     
     
      published,
      focussing
      of
      content
      than
     
     
      have
      my
      (and
      your)
      student
      newspaper
     
     
      double
      as
      a
      weekend
      flyer.
      I'd
      even
      be
     
     
      willing
      to
      pay
      a
      few
      extra
      dollars
      to
     
     
      lighten
      the
      advertisement
      dependance.
     
     
      Even
      with
      the
      state
      of
      the
      paper
      being
     
     
      what
      it
      is,
      it
      would
      surely
      be
      a
      better
     
     
      and
      more
      long-term
      investment
      than
     
     
      the
      (annual)
      roofing
      of
      certain
      campus
     
     
      buildings.
     
    

    
     
      Why
      or
      how
      the
      paper
      has
     
     
      managed
      to
      slide
      this
      far
      I
      don't
      know;
     
     
      nor
      do
      I
      pretend
      to.
      (I
      recognize
      some
     
     
      points
      but
      don't
      know
      the
      entire
     
     
      answer)
      But,
      I
      ask
      the
      writers,
      how
     
     
      does
      general
      mud
      slinging
      help?
      Is
     
     
      defending
      your
      position
      or
      proving
     
     
      yourself
      right
      truly
      worthwhile
      if
      it
     
     
      comes
      at
      the
      expense
      of
      your
      reader-
     
     
      ship
      numbers?
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Initial
      solutions
      are
      simple:
     
    

    
     
      °
      Can
      the
      vulgarity
      -
      I
      under-
     
     
      stand
      conversational
      habits
      as
      I
      can
     
     
      safely
      proclaim
      myself
      as
      the
      most
     
     
      prolific
      and
      frequent
      swearer
      I
      know
     
    
   
   
    
     
      UPEI
      Cadre
      November
      24
      2003
      page
      14
     
    
   
   
    
     
      (A
      point
      uncontested
      by
      my
      wife
      so
      I
     
     
      know
      I'm
      right);
      but,
      I
      restrict
      it
      to
     
     
      general
      private
      conversation
      as
     
     
      opposed
      to
      a
      wide
      public
      forum.
      And
     
     
      the
      odd
      word
      would
      be
      quite
      tolerable
     
     
      but
      "...
      before
      God
      can
      tell
      him
      to
      shut
     
     
      the
      fuck
      up
      because
      he
      needs
      to
      take
      a
     
     
      goddamn
      nap,
      you
      sick
      asshole"
      goes
     
     
      far
      beyond
      the
      point
      of
      reason.
     
     
      °
      Keep
      it
      local(ish)
      -
      I'm
      more
     
     
      interested
      in
      why
      certain
      roofs
      always
     
     
      end
      up
      leaking,
      no
      matter
      how
      many
     
     
      times
      they
      get
      replaced.
      Or,
      why
      cam-
     
     
      pus
      littering
      is
      a
      problem
      but
      butt-
     
     
      stops
      can't
      be
      erected
      where
      smokers
     
     
      congregate.
     
     
      °
      Content
      -
      Focus
      on
      well
      writ-
     
     
      ten
      articles
      as
      opposed
      to
      advertising.
     
     
      The
      ratio
      of
      articles
      to
      ads
      is
      starting
     
     
      to
      swing
      in
      the
      wrong
      direction.
      And,
     
     
      if
      advertising
      is
      a
      must,
      try
      to
      keep
     
     
      them
      as
      small
      and
      as
      local
      as
      possible.
     
     
      Do
      I
      really
      need
      another
      cell
      phone
      ad
     
     
      shoved
      in
      my
      face?
      NO!
      I
      mean
      come
     
     
      on
      people.
      The
      centre
      spread
      in
      the
     
     
      Nov.
      17
      issue
      is
      three-quarters
      ads.
      I
     
     
      know
      I
      can
      think
      of
      better
      things
      to
     
     
      display
      there.
      Inform
      me.
      Humour
      me.
     
     
      Inspire
      me.
      Just
      quit
      it
      with
      the
      hard
     
     
      sell.
      For
      another
      aspect:
      I'm
      poor
      _
     
     
      enough.
      I
      don't
      need
      you
      reminding
     
     
      me
      of
      what
      I
      can't
      afford.
     
     
      °
      Professionalism
      -
      While
      the
     
     
      Cadre
      is
      no
      Globe
      and
      Mail,
      I
      as
      a
     
     
      reader
      and
      financier
      expect
      a
      certain
     
     
      level
      of
      quality
      and
      consistently.
      I
     
     
      surely
      don't
      expect
      things
      to
      be
      perfect
     
     
      but
      the
      errors
      and
      lack
      of
      any
      type
      of
     
     
      consistent
      organizational
      design
      is
      get-
     
     
      ting
      excessive.
      Also,
      I
      don't
      particular-
     
     
      ly
      care
      which
      staff
      member
      has
      a
     
     
      problem
      with
      who
      and
      why.
      The
      paper
     
     
      isn't
      a
      place
      where
      writers
      should
      be
     
     
      settling
      personal
      issues
      of
      that
      context.
     
     
      I
      love
      the
      way
      the
      paper
      used
     
     
      to
      be
      and
      I
      still
      love
      pieces
      of
      it
      now.
      ©
     
     
      But,
      if
      things
      don't
      improve
      before
      the
     
    
   
   
    
     
      end
      of
      the
      academic
      year,
      next
      year
      I'll
     
    
   
   
    
     
      be
      strongly
      requesting
      that
      The
      Cadre
     
     
      portion
      of
      my
      student
      fees
      not
      be
     
     
      charged
      to
      me
      and
      I'll
      never
      pick
      up
     
     
      another
      one
      again.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Now...