EDITORIAL
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Not
      exactly
      an
      editorial
     
     
      —
      (But
      a
      fiendishly
      clever
      facsimile
      thereof)
     
    
   
   
    
     
      hristmas
      is
      a-coming,
      and
      there’s
      any
      number
      of
      things
      I
      could
     
     
      have
      filled
      the
      editorial
      stocking
      with
      this
      week-
      like
      musings
      on
     
     
      how
      many
      extra
      billions
      of
      deficit
      dollars
      those
      Conservative
     
     
      grinches
      left
      under
      the
      tree,
      or
      some
      more
      traditional
      holiday
      topic
      such
     
     
      as
      the
      over-commercialization
      of
      the
      holiday
      originally
      meant
      to
      cel-
     
     
      ebrate
      the
      birth
      of
      Christ;
      however,
      as
      this
      is
      the
      last
      X-Press
      of
      the
     
     
      semester,
      I
      thought
      I’d
      take
      the
      time
      to
      announce
      to
      you,
      the
      readers,
      the
     
     
      major
      changes
      that
      are
      ahead
      for
      this
      publication
      in
      the
      New
      Year.
      No
     
     
      joke-
      the
      X-Press
      is
      undergoing
      a
      significant
      transformation
      in
      a
      number
     
     
      of
      respects,
      and
      it’s
      important
      that
      you
      know
      about
      it.
      If
      you
      have
      any
     
     
      interest
      in
      the
      X-Press
      and
      its
      future,
      read
      on.
      ‘
     
     
      Firstly,
      the
      X-Press
      will
      be
      switching
      formats
      over
      the
      Christmas
     
     
      break,
      from
      our
      current
      magazine
      format
      to
      a
      more
      newspaper-like
     
     
      tabloid
      format.
      Why,
      you
      may
      ask?
      There’s
      many
      reasons,
      but
      the
      bottom
     
     
      line
      is
      money.
      Our
      specialized
      magazine
      format
      takes
      longer
      to
      print,
     
     
      wastes
      large
      amounts
      of
      paper,
      and
      costs
      about
      twice
      as
      much
      as
     
     
      comparable
      tabloid
      printing.
      Furthermore,
      the
      printer
      that
      handles
      the
      job
     
     
      is
      in
      Summerside,
      adding
      time
      delays
      and
      courier
      costs
      to
      the
      mix.
      The
     
     
      magazine
      format
      is
      very
      handy,
      convenient,
      and
      attractive,
      and
      I
      myself
     
     
      am
      one
      of
      its
      biggest
      fans;
      however,
      in
      light
      of
      the
      immense
      extra
      cost
      it
     
     
      entails,
      we
      have
      often
      wondered
      if
      the
      format
      is,
      perhaps,
      a
      reckless
     
     
      extravagance,
      an
      abuse
      of
      our
      student
      funding.
      We
      figured
      we
      owed
      it
      to
     
     
      you,
      and
      to
      ourselves,
      to
      at
      least
      try
      to
      produce
      a
      good-quality
      newspaper-
     
     
      format
      publication,
      and
      put
      the
      resultant
      savings
      to
      use
      in
      other
      aspects
     
     
      of
      the
      paper’s
      operation.
      If
      we
      are
      successful,
      it
      will
      have
      all
      been
      worth
     
     
      the
      considerable
      effort
      this
      task
      will
      hold
      for
      us.
      If
      not,
      we
      can
      always
      go
     
    
   
   
    
     
      The
      X-Press
      ©
     
     
      Wants
      You!
      )
      '
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Do
      you
      love
      the
      X-Press?
      Do
      you
      hate
      it?
      ;
     
     
      Do
      you
      want
      to
      have
      a
      say
      in
      how
      it’s
      run?
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      -
      If
      so,
      and
      if
      you’re
      a
      student
      with
      no
      Student
      Union
      or
     
     
      X-Press
      affiliations,
      you’re
      eligible
      to
      become
      the
     
     
      student
      representative
      on
      the
      new
      X-Press
      Board
      of
     
    

    
     
      Directors,
      the
      administrative
      body
      that
      will
      oversee
      the
     
     
      ‘operations
      of
      the
      X-Press.
      It
      will
      meet
      twice
      a
      semester
      —
     
     
      or
      whenever
      board
      members
      deem
      a
      meeting
      necessary,
      —
     
     
      and
      will
      vote
      on
      matters
      concerning
      the
      funding
      and
     
     
      operations
      of
      the
      X-Press.
      If
      you
      care
      about
      your
      stu-
     
     
      dent
      paper,
      apply
      to
      become
      a
      board
      member-
      just
      drop:
     
     
      by
      the
      X-Press
      office,
      phone
      us
      at
      566-0629,
      or
      E-Mail
     
     
      us
      at
      ‘‘X-Press’’.
      Candidates
      will
      be
      evaluated
      impar-
     
     
      tially
      by
      the
      X-Press
      and
      the
      U.P.E.I.
      Student
      Union.
     
     
      -
      We
      look
      forward
      to
      hearing
      from
      you.
      _
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      back
      to
      the
      drawing
      board.
      Keep
      an
      eye
      onus
      in
      the
      months
      ahead.
      If
      you
     
     
      like
      what
      you
      see,
      tell
      us.
      If
      you
      don’t
      like
      what
      you’re
      seeing,
      we
      want
     
     
      to
      hear
      about
      that,
      too.
      It
      is
      the
      students
      who
      fund
      the
      paper,
      and
      they
     
     
      should
      have
      a
      say
      in
      shaping
      it.
      If
      the
      university
      community
      decides
     
     
      overwhelmingly
      that
      magazine
      format
      is
      the
      best
      alternative
      despite
      the
     
     
      costs
      and
      complications,
      then
      there’s
      always
      the
      chance
      we
      could
      switch
     
     
      back
      to
      it
      in
      future
      semesters.
      For
      now,
      we’re
      committed
      to
      testing
      the
     
     
      tabloid
      waters.
      It’ll
      be
      new
      to
      us,
      too,
      so
      bear
      with
      us
      as
      we
      try
      to
      work
     
     
      the
      bugs
      out
      of
      our
      altered
      production.
      With
      a
      little
      luck
      and
      hard
      work,
     
    
   
   
    
     
      ‘we
      may
      pleasantly
      surprise
      you.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Current
      plans
      call
      for
      the
      new
      X-Press
      to
      be
      printed
      in
      Charlottetown,
     
     
      which
      bodes
      well
      for
      the
      convenience
      and
      quickness
      of
      our
      printing
      and
     
     
      distribution
      in
      the
      immediate
      future;
      moreover,
      our
      new
      presses
      may
      give
     
     
      us
      the
      opportunity
      to
      experiment
      with
      some
      new
      printing
      techniques,
      such
     
     
      as
      a
      greater
      use
      of
      colour.
      There
      is
      a
      lot
      of
      potential
      in
      our
      prospective
     
     
      arrangements,
      and
      we’re
      excited
      about
      the
      aesthetic
      possibilities
      and
     
     
      increased
      page
      area
      this
      process
      can
      bring-
      we’ll
      be
      getting
      more
      page
      for
     
     
      less,
      and
      may
      be
      able
      to
      do
      more
      with
      those
      pages..
      That
      may
      well
      make
     
     
      up
      for
      any
      loss
      of
      portability
      or
      convenience
      afforded
      by
      our
      smaller
     
     
      magazine
      format.
     
    

    
     
      There’s
      more
      good
      news-
      our
      Christmas
      gift
      to
      you,
      so
      to
      speak-
      when
     
     
      we
      switch
      to
      our
      new
      format,
      we
      will
      return
      to
      our
      regular
      weekly
     
     
      schedule
      again.
      Since
      printing
      costs
      are
      so
      much
      less,
      the
      responsible
     
     
      thing
      to
      do
      seemed
      to
      be
      returning
      to
      a
      weekly
      schedule-
      boy,
      though,
     
     
      we’re
      gonna
      miss
      those
      weeks
      off.
      Ah,
      well...
     
    

    
     
      In
      unrelated
      developments,
      the
      X-Press
      is
      in
      the
      midst
      of
      drafting
      its
     
     
      first-ever
      constitution,
      and
      as
      part
      of
      that
      we’re
      taking
      on
      greater
     
     
      autonomy
      from
      the
      Student
      Union,
      similar
      to
      CIMN.
      As
      a
      result,
      the
      X-
     
     
      Press
      will
      thereafter
      be
      supervised
      by
      a
      Board
      of
      Directors
      made
      up
      of
      X-
     
     
      Press
      and
      Student
      Union
      representatives,
      as
      well
      as
      one
      **
      student
      at
     
     
      large’,
      that
      is,
      a
      student
      with
      no
      connection
      to
      the
      X-Press
      or
      Student
     
     
      Union.
      I
      mention
      this
      since
      our
      student
      at
      large
      is
      as
      yet
      unchosen,
      and
     
     
      if
      any
      of
      you
      are
      interested
      in
      having
      more
      direct
      input
      into
      your
      student
     
     
      paper,
      you
      can
      apply
      for
      the
      spot
      on
      the
      Board.
      No
      experience
      or
      special
     
     
      skills
      are
      necessary,
      though
      selection
      will
      be
      contingent
      upon
      approval
      by
     
     
      the
      X-Press
      and
      the
      Student
      Union.
     
    

    
     
      Ona
      less
      earth-shattering
      note,
      the
      X-Press
      now
      has
      an
      E-mail
      account
     
     
      (‘‘xpress’’
      on
      the
      novell
      system),
      so
      it’ll
      be
      even
      easier
      for
      all
      of
      you
      to
     
     
      get
      in
      touch
      with
      us
      in
      the
      months
      to
      come.
     
    

    
     
      There
      are
      many
      more
      changes
      and
      upcoming
      projects
      I
      could
      discuss
     
     
      in
      this
      space,
      but
      my
      long-neglected
      studies
      beckon
      and
      the
      end
      of
      the
     
     
      page
      draws
      nigh,
      so
      I
      may
      as
      well
      quit
      while
      I’m
      ahead.
      For
      the
      New
      Year,
     
     
      remember
      that,
      as
      always,
      we
      welcome
      your
      submissions
      and
      encourage
     
     
      your
      participation
      in
      the
      X-Press.
      It’s
      never
      too
      early
      or
      too
      late
      to
      get
     
     
      involved-
      there’
      s
      something
      for
      everybody-
      and
      we
      value
      every
      volunteer
     
     
      we
      have.
      Speaking
      of
      which,
      I’d
      like
      to
      thank
      this
      year’s
      volunteer
      staff
     
     
      for
      their
      hard
      work
      and
      dedication-
      you
      are
      quite
      probably
      the
      finest
      staff
     
     
      this
      paper
      has
      had
      during
      my
      four
      years
      here,
      and
      I
      look
      forward
      to
      your
     
     
      continued
      participation.
      The
      same
      goes
      for
      the
      paid
      staff,
      a
      saintly,
     
     
      thankless
      lot
      in
      their
      own
      right.
      And,
      of
      course,
      a
      heartfelt
      thanks
      to
      our
     
     
      readers,
      without
      whom
      this
      would
      not
      be
      possible.
      We'll
      see
      you
      again
     
     
      in
      January,
      but
      until
      then-
      Merry
      Christmas
      to
      all,
      and
      may
      your
      holidays
     
     
      be
      peaceful,
      contented
      and
      productive.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Sean
      McQuaid,
     
     
      Editor-in-Chief
     
    
   
   
    
     
      December
      2,
      1993/X-Press/3