NOVEMBER
      29,
      2005
     
    
   
   
    
     
      THE
      CADRE
      @
      5
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      OPINION
      &
      COMMENTARY
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      The
      Library
      is
      NOT
      a
      Social
      Spot
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Mansum
      Yau
     
     
      Production
      Editor
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Ihave
      come
      to
      the
      conclusion
      after
      two
     
     
      and
      a
      half
      years
      at
      this
      university
      and
     
     
      four
      final
      exam
      periods
      (with
      one
      coming
     
     
      up)
      that
      there
      are
      people
      who
      do
      not
     
     
      know
      what
      a
      library
      is.
      According
      to
     
     
      the
      Merriam-Webster
      Online
     
     
      Dictionary,
      a
      library
      is
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      1
      a:
      a
      place
      in
      which
      literary,
      musical,
     
     
      artistic,
      or
      reference
      materials
      (as
      books,
     
     
      manuscripts,
      recordings,
      or
      films)
      are
      kept
     
     
      for
      use
      but
      not
      for
      sale
      b:
      a
      collection
      of
     
     
      such
      materials
     
    

    
     
      2:
      a
      collection
      resembling
      or
      suggesting
      a
     
     
      library
     
    

    
     
      3
      a:
      a
      series
      of
      related
      books
      issued
      by
      a
     
     
      publisher
      b:
      a
      collection
      of
      publications
      on
     
     
      the
      same
      subject
     
    

    
     
      4:
      a
      collection
      of
      sequences
      of
      DNA
      and
     
     
      especially
      recombinant
      DNA
      that
      are
     
     
      maintained
      in
      a
      suitable
      cellular
     
     
      environment
      and
      that
      represent
      the
      genetic
     
    
   
   
    
     
      material
      of
      a
      particular
      organism
      or
      tissue
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Though
      none
      of
      these
      definitions
      state
     
     
      or
      even
      suggest
      that
      the
      library
      is
      a
     
     
      social
      place,
      some
      people
      act
      like
      they
     
     
      are
      in
      one
      when
      they
      are
      in
      the
     
     
      Robertson
      Library.
      What
      happened
      to
     
     
      the
      concept
      of
      the
      library
      as
      a
      quiet
     
     
      place?
     
    

    
     
      Five
      minutes
      before
      deciding
      to
     
     
      write
      this
      editorial,
      for
      instance,
      I
      had
     
    
   
   
    
     
      to
      relocate
      to
      another
      room
      because
      a
      |
     
    
   
   
    
     
      them
      if
      they
      could
      get
      a
      group
      study
     
     
      room
      or
      if
      they
      could
      lower
      their
      voices,
     
     
      but
      I
      did
      not
      want
      to
      before
      double
     
     
      checking
      the
      library’s
      noise
      policy.
      The
     
     
      Robertson
      Library
      website
     
     
      Wwww.upei.ca/library,
      which
      is
      up
      to
      date
     
     
      and
      comprehensive,
      states:
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Noise
      policy:
      (to
      maintain
      an
     
     
      optimum
      environment
      for
      study
      and
     
     
      research)
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Disturbance
      or
      behaviour
      which
      interferes
     
     
      with
      the
      normal
      use
      of
      the
      Library
      is
      not
     
     
      acceptable.
      Examples
      of
      inappropriate
     
     
      behaviour
      include
      rowdiness,
      noise,
     
     
      prolonged
      conversations,
      abusive
     
     
      behaviour,
      loitering
      and
      obstruction
      of
     
    
   
   
    
     
      facilities
      or
      access.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Please
      respect
      the
      library’s
      noise
      policy
     
     
      and
      give
      yourself
      as
      well
      as
      others
      a
     
     
      chance
      to
      properly
      prepare
      for
      the
     
     
      upcoming
      finals.
      Good
      luck.
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      group
      of
      people
      who
      arrived
      after
      I
      did‘
      |
     
    
   
   
    
     
      had
      a
      prolonged
      discussion
      with
      raised
     
     
      voices
      even
      though
      they
      knew
      I
      was
      in
     
     
      an
      adjacent
      carrel
      (sighing
      heavily).
     
     
      Study
      carrel
      areas,
      which
      offer
     
     
      individuals
      with
      a
      relatively
      private
      place
     
     
      to
      study
      without
      being
      enclosed
      in
      a
     
     
      small
      room,
      may
      not
      be
      designated
      quiet
     
     
      rooms,
      but
      they
      are
      definitely
      not
      meant
     
     
      for
      group
      discussions.
      There
      are
      group
     
     
      study
      rooms
      available
      for
      that
      purpose
     
     
      (and
      I
      doubt
      all
      thirteen
      of
      them
      were
     
     
      in
      use
      at
      that
      time).
     
    

    
     
      Perhaps
      I
      should
      have
      asked
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      ...
      And
      Now
      For
      Something
      Completely
     
     
      Different:
      The
      Rants
      of
      a
      University
      Student
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
     
          
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Ryan
      Gallant
     
     
      Contibutor
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Ah
      yes.
      Christmas
      season
      on
      PEI.
     
     
      Snow
      is
      in
      the
      air,
      our
      anally
      retentive
     
     
      Province
      has
      opened
      the
      doors
      for
     
     
      shopping
      on
      Sunday,
      and
      our
      beautiful
     
     
      trolley-busses
      are
      sporting
      festive
     
     
      holidays
      boughs.
      Ding-ding!
      All
      aboard
     
     
      the
      shit-mobile!
      Meanwhile,
      amidst
      our
     
     
      piles
      of
      final
      assignments
      and
      exams
      and
     
     
      papers
      and
      labs,
      us
      students
      are
      left
      to
     
     
      ponder
      how
      big
      of
      an
      explosion
      we
     
     
      would
      have
      to
      concoct
      before
      they
     
     
      cancelled
      the
      remainder
      of
      classes
      and
     
     
      delayed
      exams
      for
      30
      or
      40
      years.
     
     
      There’s
      a
      somewhat
      joyous
      concept
      to
     
     
      consider
      over
      the
      festive
      season.
      By
      the
     
     
      way,
      just
      for
      curiosity’s
      sake,
      how
      damn
     
     
      long
      does
      it
      take
      to
      build
      a
      friggin
      Nutri-
     
     
      Science
      Building
      anyway?
      Like
      holy
     
     
      slack-ass
      construction
      Batman!
     
    

    
     
      Well,
      on
      Monday
      Islanders
      had
     
     
      their
      chance
      to
      vote
      for
      a
      system
      of
     
     
      Proportional
      Representation.
      Did
      they
     
     
      go
      for
      it?
      Well,
      It’s
      Sunday
      evening,
      so
     
     
      my
      opinion
      is
      purely
      speculative,
      but
      my
     
     
      guess
      is:
      No.
      Part
      of
      the
      reason
      for
      this
     
     
      is
      because
      no
      one
      knows
      what
      the
      hell
     
     
      is
      going
      on,
      another
      being
      that
      old
      Patty
     
     
      Binns,
      a
      man
      with
      the
      foresight
      of
      a
     
     
      carrot,
      raised
      the
      bar
      of
      democracy
      to
     
     
      60%,
      presumably
      to
      protect
      us
      poor
     
     
      voters
      from
      being
      represented
      by
      any
     
     
      party
      other
      than
      his
      own.
      Of
      course
      he
     
     
      doesn’t
      even
      have
      to
      do
      a
      damn
      thing
      if
     
     
      it
      passes
      anyway.
      But
      the
      main
      reason
     
     
      it
      didn’t
      pass,
      of
      course,
      is
      because
     
     
      Islanders
      just
      don’t
      like
      change.
      “Well
     
     
      yeah,
      no
      shit
      Ryan.”
      That’s
      why
      no
      one
     
     
      knows
      how
      to
      sort
      their
      garbage
      yet
     
     
      and
      why
      we
      didn’t
      get
      a
      911
      system
     
     
      until
      2000.
      Islanders
      cherish
      their
     
     
      backwards
      and
      antiquated
      voting
     
    
   
   
    
     
      process:
      you
      go
      to
      the
      polls,
      you
      cast
     
     
      your
      ballot,
      your
      get
      your
      pint
      of
      rum
     
     
      and
      you
      go
      home.
      This
      opinion
      has
      been
     
     
      enunciated
      clearly
      in
      the
      letters
      to
      the
     
     
      editor
      in
      The
      Guardian
      over
      the
      past
     
     
      few
      weeks.
      These
      morons
      would
      have
     
     
      you
      believe
      that
      the
      proposed
      system
     
     
      is
      equivalent
      to
      that
      of
      Communist
     
     
      China,
      which
      is
      like
      comparing
      my
      89-
     
     
      year-old
      grandmother
      to
      50
      Cent.
      Mind
     
     
      you,
      the
      proposed
      system
      was
      likely
     
     
      the
      stupidest
      version
      of
      Proportional
     
     
      Representation
      I
      have
      ever
      seen,
      but
     
     
      the
      fact
      remains
      that
      somewhere
      along
     
     
      the
      line
      we
      are
      going
      to
      need
      electoral
     
     
      change
      here
      on
      PEI.
      For
      example,
      while
     
     
      the
      rest
      of
      the
      country
      is
      going
      nuts
      about
     
     
      the
      Sponsorship
      Scandal,
      freaking
      out
     
     
      that
      the
      Liberals
      gave
      money
      and
      jobs
     
     
      to
      their
      friends,
      Islanders
      are
      sitting
     
     
      around
      thinking:
      “Yeah...on
      PEI,
      that’s
     
     
      called
      good
      politics.”
      Still,
      some
      argue
     
     
      that
      Political
      Patronage
      is
      a
      thing
      of
      the
     
     
      past
      here
      on
      the
      Island.
      Oh
      sure.
      And
      if
     
     
      you
      believe
      that
      I
      have
      a
      Little
      Christo’s
     
     
      Factory
      and
      some
      Polar
      Food
      stock
     
     
      to
      sell
      you.
      I’m
      sure
      it’s
      not
      coincidence
     
     
      that
      after
      Catherine
      Callbeck
      won
      a
     
     
      landslide
      in
      1993
      that
      my
      road
      was
     
     
      paved
      for
      the
      first
      time
      since
      1961,
      nor
     
     
      is
      it
      by
      mere
      happenstance
      that
      every
     
     
      damn
      mailbox
      on
      our
      road
      has
      been
     
     
      blown
      to
      shit
      by
      Conservative
      plow
     
     
      operators
      since
      Binns
      took
      over
      in
      ‘96.
     
     
      Binnsy,
      by
      the
      way,
      has
      decided
      to
      stick
     
     
      around
      to
      run
      in
      the
      next
      Provincial
     
     
      election.
      Well
      good.
      I
      was
      wondering
     
     
      who
      was
      going
      to
      continue
      funding
     
     
      ridiculous
      business
      ventures
      and
      driving
     
     
      our
      economy
      into
      the
      ground.
      Ahwell.
     
     
      In
      the
      era
      of
      the
      quasi-democratic
     
     
      60%+1,
      you
      get
      what
      you
      ask
      for.
      Or
     
     
      at
      least
      what
      Binns
      tells
      you
      to
      ask
      for.
     
     
      Merry
      Christmas!
     
    
   
   
    
     
      ®
     
    
   
   
    
     
      ryangallant@hotmail.com