Thirty
      years
      in
      the
      making,
     
     
      e
      UPEI
      student
      centre
      faced
      a
      few
     
     
      ore
      obstacles
      this
      summer.
     
    

    
     
      In
      early
      July,
      after
      several
     
     
      >eks
      delay
      due
      to
      contractor
      tender-
     
     
      p,
      Meridian
      Construction
      and
      its
     
     
      rious
      subcontractors
      began
      the
     
     
      pcess
      of
      incorporating
      the
      frame-
     
     
      rk
      of
      the
      Alumni
      Gym
      into
      the
     
     
      erall
      design
      of
      the
      new
      UPEI
      stu-
     
     
      t
      centre.
      With
      the
      construction
     
     
      der
      way,
      things
      finally
      seemed
      to
     
     
      going
      smoothly
      for
      the
      new
     
     
      dent
      Centre,
      which
      will
      serve
      in
     
     
      t
      as
      a
      replacement
      for
      the
      Barn
      -
      a
     
     
      ilding
      that
      was
      intended
      to
      serve
     
     
      ly
      as
      a
      temporary
      student
      union
     
     
      Iding
      when
      it
      opened
      thirty
      years
     
    
   
   
    
     
      According
      to
      a
      brochure
     
     
      eased
      by
      UPEI,
      the
      new
      student
     
     
      tre
      will
      become
      the
      focal
      point
      of
     
     
      mpus
      life.
      In
      addition
      to
      housing
     
     
      offices
      for
      the
      UPEI
      Student
     
     
      ion,
      The
      Cadre
      and
      The
      Nexus,
      the
     
     
      dent
      centre
      will
      include
      the
     
     
      anther
      Lounge,
      the
      UPEI
     
     
      ookstore,
      the
      student
      health
      centre,
     
     
      day
      lounge,
      some
      pool
      tables
      and
      a
     
     
      feteria.
      cae
     
     
      On
      August
      1,
      however,
      a
      new
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Burning
      Down
      the
      House
     
    
   
   
    
     
      By
      Jeff
      COLL
     
    
   
   
    
     
      setback
      in
      the
      construction
      of
      the
      stu-
     
     
      dent
      centre
      occurred.
      Hot
      slag
      found
     
     
      its
      way
      from
      the
      roof
      of
      the
      Alumni
     
     
      Gym
      -
      where
      Prebilt
      Steel
      workers
     
     
      were
      welding
      -
      to
      the
      floor,
      and
      set
     
     
      the
      building
      ablaze.
     
    

    
     
      As
      the
      fire
      progressed,
      peo-
     
     
      ple
      on
      campus
      came
      out
      to
      watch.
     
     
      One
      of
      the
      witnesses
      was
      UPEI
     
     
      Student
      Union
      President
      Cynthia
     
     
      Dennis,
      who
      recalled
      her
      initial
      dis-
     
     
      belief,
      followed
      by
      relief:
      “We
      were
     
     
      just
      basically
      like,
      well,
      it
      could
      have
     
     
      been
      worse
      because
      if
      the
      wind
      had
     
     
      been
      blowing
      the
      other
      way,
      it
      would
     
     
      have
      set
      Main
      on
      fire,
      and
      the
      whole
     
     
      campus
      would
      have
      been
      on
      fire.”
      |
     
    

    
     
      Despite
      the
      unfortunate
     
     
      nature
      of
      the
      fire,
      President
     
     
      MacLauchlan
      managed
      to
      be
      positive
     
     
      about
      the
      fire
      at
      an
      August
      30
      press
     
     
      conference
      located
      in
      front
      of
      the
     
     
      construction
      site.
      “It’s
      a
      day
      to
      be
     
     
      proud
      of
      and
      to
      celebrate
      some
      hero-
     
     
      ic
      efforts,
      said
      MacLauchlan,
      stand-
     
     
      ing
      before
      an
      audience
      that
      included
     
     
      Charlottetown
      Mayor
      George
     
     
      MacDonald,
      reporters
      and
      members
     
     
      of
      the
      university
      community.
      It
      is
     
     
      about
      the
      heroic
      efforts
      of
      our
      stu-
     
     
      dents
      who
      have
      worked
      for
      years
      to
     
     
      achieve
      a
      new
      Student
      Centre,
      of
      fire
     
     
      fighters
      and
      UPEI
      staff
      who
      ensured
     
     
      that
      the
      August
      1
      blaze
      did
      not
      do
     
     
      more
      damage,
      and
      of
      a
      whole
      com-
     
     
      munity
      that
      wants
      to
      see
      _
      its
     
     
      University
      improve.”
     
    

    
     
      In
      addition
      to
      President
     
     
      MacLauchlan’s
      tales
      of
      heroism,
     
     
      three
      volunteer
      firefighters
      -
      Angus
     
     
      Orford,
      Mike
      Ready
      and
      Robert
     
     
      Flanagan
      -
      were
      presented
      with
      small
     
     
      fire
      extinguishers
      as
      a
      gesture
      of
     
     
      appreciation
      for
      their
      efforts
      to
      extin-
     
     
      guish
      the
      fire.
      The
      firefighters
      were
     
     
      all
      UPEI
      alumni.
     
    

    
     
      Because
      of
      forensic
      investi-
     
     
      gations
      surrounding
      the
      fire,
      con-
     
     
      struction
      was
      set
      back
      roughly
      three
     
     
      weeks.
      With
      the
      investigations
      and
     
     
      the
      fact
      that
      the
      Gym’s
      original
     
     
      framework
      needs
      to
      be
      reconstructed,
     
     
      there
      had
      been
      some
      concern
      that
      the
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Don
      t
      stand
      too
      close,
      Bill.
      You
      ll
      get
      a
      wicked
      case
      of
      hot
      ass.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      opening
      date
      for
      the
      student
      centre
     
     
      would
      be
      pushed
      back.
      “The
      good
     
     
      news,”
      said
      MacLauchlan,
      “is
      that
     
     
      even
      though
      there
      has
      been
      a
      setback
     
     
      of
      a
      number
      of
      weeks
      because
      of
      the
     
     
      fire,
      we’re
      still
      looking
      for
      comple-
     
     
      tion
      and
      occupancy
      for
      the
      beginning
     
     
      of
      the
      academic
      term
      in
      the
      fall
      of
     
     
      2002,
      which
      indeed
      was
      the
      date
      that
     
     
      we
      had
      been
      really
      shooting
      for
      all
     
     
      along.
      So
      in
      many
      respects
      we’re
      on
     
     
      schedge.”
     
    

    
     
      “They’re
      going
      to
      go
      light-
     
     
      ning
      speed
      to
      get
      it
      done,’
      said
     
     
      Dennis
      in
      an
      interview
      previous
      to
     
     
      the
      press
      conference.
      It’s
      not
      in
     
     
      Meridian’s
      interest
      to
      be
      any
      longer,
     
     
      and
      they
      have
      to
      get
      as
      much
      done
      as
     
     
      possible
      before
      winter
      sets
      in
      because
     
     
      [the
      building]
      has
      to
      be
      closed
      in
      so
     
     
      they
      can
      build.”
     
    

    
     
      According
      to
      Dennis,
      the
     
     
      additional
      costs
      that
      will
      be
      needed
      to
     
     
      reconstruct
      the
      framework
      of
      the
     
     
      Alumni
      Gym
      will
      be
      incurred
      by
     
     
      UPEI’s
      insurance
      during
      the
      process
     
     
      of
      negotiation
      with
      the
      contractors’
     
     
      insurance
      companies.
      Such
      negotia-
     
     
      tions
      are
      typically
      lengthy,
      observed
     
     
      Dennis,
      and
      it
      is
      best
      if
      UPEI
      pays
      for
     
     
      the
      costs
      in
      order
      to
      prevent
      any
     
    
   
   
    
     
      a
      a
      a
      a
      ne
      a
      ee
      es
      te
     
    
   
   
    
     
      delays.
     
    

    
     
      The
      August
      30
      press
      confer-
     
     
      ence
      also
      served
      as
      a
      call
      for
     
     
      fundraising
      on
      the
      part
      of
      UPEI,
     
     
      which
      must
      raise
      the
      final
      $1.7
      mil-
     
     
      lion
      to
      complete
      the
      building.
      The
     
     
      PEI
      government
      has
      contributed
      $1
     
     
      million
      to
      the
      project
      and
      the
      UPEI
     
     
      Student
      Union
      -
      through
      student
      fee
     
     
      charges
      and
      a
      mortgage
      -
      has
      raised
     
     
      $2
      million.
      “The
      bottom
      line
      is
      the
     
     
      students
      are
      leading
      the
      way
      no
      mat-
     
     
      ter
      how
      you
      count
      the
      thing,”
      stated
     
     
      MacLauchlan.
      “I’ve
      been
      using
      that
     
     
      and
      continue
      to
      use
      that
      as
      a
      chal-
     
     
      lenge
      to
      others
      to
      do
      their
      part.”
     
    

    
     
      One
      of
      UPEI’s
      incentives
      for
     
     
      donors
      includes
      naming
      gifts.
      Donors
     
     
      can
      sponsor
      and
      name
      certain
      areas
     
     
      of
      the
      student
      centre,
      including
      the
     
     
      cafeteria
      and
      the
      day
      lounge.
      For
      $1
     
     
      million,
      a
      donor
      can
      even
      select
      the
     
     
      overall
      name
      of
      the
      student
      centre.
     
    

    
     
      Concluding
      the
      press
      confer-
     
     
      ence
      MacLauchlan
      made
      it
      clear
      that
     
     
      raising
      the
      final
      funds
      necessary
      is
      a
     
     
      priority:
      “Anyone
      who
      has
      got
      any
     
     
      brainwaves
      or
      bursts
      of
      generosity
      on
     
     
      that
      front,
      we'd
      be
      glad
      to
      hear
      from
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      the
      cadre.’
      3