UPEI
      ceremony
      honours
      founding
      members
      of
      university
      community
     
    
   
   
    
     
      By
      Sarah
      Murphy
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Pomp
      and
      Circumstance
     
     
      were
      in
      order
      Thursday,
      September
     
     
      14,
      as
      the
      university
      community
     
     
      came
      together
      to
      celebrate
      the
      first
     
     
      UPEI
      Founders’
      Day.
     
    

    
     
      This
      celebration
      aimed
      at
     
     
      commemorating
      UPEI’S
      past
      and
     
     
      celebrating
      its
      future,
      was
      planned
     
     
      and
      put
      together
      by
      a
      committee
     
    
   
   
    
     
      dressed
      in
      gowns.
      “A
      university
      is
     
     
      a
      great
      as
      its
      incoming
      students,”
     
     
      said
      MacLauchlan,
      who
      underlined
     
     
      the
      importance
      of
      the
      first-year
      stu-
     
     
      dent’s
      participation
      in
      Founders’
     
     
      day.
     
    

    
     
      “Founders
      Day
      reminds
      us,
     
     
      metaphorically,
      that
      we
      stand
      on
     
     
      the
      shoulders
      of
      those
      who
      came
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Photo
      by
      Shawn
      Sears
     
    
   
   
    
     
      made
      up
      of
      former
      and
      current
      fac-
     
     
      ulty
      and
      staff
      members
      in
      the
     
     
      spring.
      This
      year
      was
      the
      first
      of
     
     
      what
      will
      be
      annual
      event
      to
      be
     
     
      held
      at
      the
      beginning
      of
      each
      new
     
     
      academic
      year.
     
    

    
     
      “Heritage
      is
      such
      an
      impor-
     
     
      tant
      part
      of
      the
      community,”
      said
     
     
      Norman
      Webster,
      university
     
     
      Chancellor,
      “and
      nothing
      is
      more
     
     
      important
      than
      community,”
      he
     
     
      said
      emphasising
      the
      importance
      of
     
     
      the
      university’s
      heritage.
     
    

    
     
      Remembering
      UPEI’s
      past
     
     
      is
      not
      the
      only
      goal
      of
      these
      festiv-
     
     
      ities
      assured
      Bob
      Gray,
      Director
      of
     
     
      Alumni
      Affairs.
      “We
      are
      hoping
      to
     
     
      have
      some
      fun
      as
      a
      community
     
     
      also,”
      he
      added.
     
    

    
     
      The
      ceremony
      began
      with
     
     
      an
      academic
      procession
      of
      faculty,
     
     
      staff
      and
      first-year
      students,
      all
     
    
   
   
    
     
      ae
     
    
   
   
    
     
      before
      _uS,
     
     
      MacDonald..
     
    

    
     
      To
      honour
      those
      who
      came
     
     
      before,
      three
      UPEI
      founders
      were
     
     
      recognized
      at
      the
      ceremony:
     
     
      Ronald
      J.
      Baker,
      Sister
      Mary
     
     
      Bernice
      Cullen,
      and
      Milton
      Wood.
     
    

    
     
      Baker
      came
      to
      UPEI
      in
     
     
      1969
      as
      founding
      president
      of
      the
     
     
      university.
      He
      was
      a
      successful
     
     
      teacher,
      negotiated
      collective
     
     
      agreements,
      chaired
      Senate,
      and
     
     
      mobilized
      numerous
      campus
     
     
      improvements
      -—
      notably
      the
     
     
      Robertson
      Library.
     
    

    
     
      “Ron
      Baker
      led
      UPEI
     
     
      through
      its
      formative
      years
      with
     
     
      vision,
      courage,
      grace,
      and
      wit,”
     
     
      said
      Kristen
      Stavert,
      Student
      Union
     
     
      Vice-President
      Communication,
      as
     
     
      she
      spoke
      of
      the
      President
     
     
      Emeritus.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      said:
      Dr
      Ed
     
    
   
   
    
     
      “Sister
      Mary
      Bernice
     
     
      Cullen
      is
      a
      women
      of
      firsts,”
      said
     
     
      BJ
      McCarville,
      Student
      Union
     
     
      President,
      when
      introducing
      the
     
     
      second
      UPEI
      Founder.
      Sister
     
     
      Cullen
      was
      one
      of
      the
      first
      female
     
     
      students
      to
      be
      given
      the
      privilege
      to
     
     
      study
      at
      St.
      Dunstan’s
      University,
     
     
      and
      in
      1942
      she
      was
      also
      its
      first
     
     
      graduate.
     
    

    
     
      “Sister
      Cullen’s
      dedication
     
     
      to
      her
      faith
      and
      her
      devotion
      to
      her
     
     
      craft
      have
      made
      her
      both
      an
      impor-
     
     
      tant
      part
      of
      our
      heritage
      and
      an
     
     
      eminent
      member
      of
      UPEI’s
      com-
     
     
      munity,”
      said
      McCarville.
     
    

    
     
      Wood,
      sole
      commissionaire
     
     
      and
      mailman
      of
      Prince
      of
      Wales
     
     
      College
      in
      1965
      and
      the
      years
      fol-
     
     
      lowing,
      was
      the
      third
      UPEI
     
     
      Founder
      to
      be
      honour.
     
    

    
     
      “The
      warmth
      of
      Milton’s
     
     
      welcome
      extend
      beyond
      campus
     
     
      buildings
      and
      grounds,”
      said
     
     
      Steven
      Forbes,
      New
      Student
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Orientation
      Coordinator,
      as
      he
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Photo
      by
      Shawn
      Sears
     
    
   
   
    
     
      spoke
      of
      Wood
      who
      invited
      inter-
     
     
      national
      students
      to
      his
      home
      to
     
     
      make
      their
      stay
      at
      the
      university
     
     
      more
      enjoyable.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      “We
      recognize
      Milton
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Wood
      as
      a
      ‘UPEI
      Founder’
      for
      his
     
     
      hard
      work,
      dedication
      and
      service,
     
     
      but
      above
      all,
      we
      recognize
      his
     
     
      contribution
      in
      fostering
      the
     
     
      indomitable
      spirit
      of
      the
      faculty,
     
     
      staff,
      and
      students
      of
      UPEI,”
      ended
     
     
      Forbes.
     
    

    
     
      The
     
     
      many.
     
    

    
     
      “It
      was
      extraordinary
      and
     
     
      very
      appropriate,”
      said
      Frank
     
     
      Ledwell,
      UPEI
      Professor
      Emeritus,
     
     
      commenting
      on
      the
      ceremony.
     
     
      “Brilliant,”
      he
      added.
     
    

    
     
      ‘Founders’
      Day
      will
      be
      a
     
     
      prime
      event
      in
      our
      annual
      universi-
     
     
      ty
      calendar,”
      said
      MacLauchlan.
      “It
     
     
      will
      be
      an
      occasion
      to
      build
      on
      our
     
     
      sense
      of
      community,
      to
      celebrate
     
     
      the
      commencement
      of
      the
      academ-
      |
     
     
      ic
      year,
      and
      to
      recognize
      the
      many
     
     
      contributions,
      commitments
      and
     
     
      sacrifices
      that
      have
      brought
      higher
     
     
      education
      in
      PEI
      to
      where
      it
      is
     
     
      today.”
     
    

    
     
      “We
      build
      this
      place
      all
     
    
   
   
    
     
      ceremony
      touched
      |
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
        
     
    
   
   
    
     
      together.”
      MacLauchlan
      said,
     
     
      restating
      the
      importance
      of
      having
     
     
      such
      a
      day
      to
      remember.