backed evaluation to proceed because it can be tied to professors more directly, we are certain that the university will not publish the results of their evaluation.

A survey of this nature is currently being done by student associations at many other Canadian universities with great success, and we hope to model our program after these more refined versions. The University of New Bruns- wick Student Union publishes an ‘‘Anti-Calen- dar’’ each year. Ideally this is what we would like to organize for upcoming years.

Please do not get the misunderstanding that we are out to-get members of faculty- our goal isto represent the needs of the students of UPEI. We all know that there is some poor teaching going on at this university, and we must as students try to make our education worth as much as'possible. Student evaluation of teach- ing is a vital step which must be taken to improve the standard of learning at this univer- sity.

Andrew MacPherson Vice-President Internal UPEI Student Union

Gambling with your life

Dear X-Press,

I would like to say a few things about what I read in this week’s paper concerning the gambling machines around the University. For all those people who are addicted to gambling- for God’s sakes, go and get some help. There is a Gam- blers Anonymous meeting every Tuesday at 8:00 at St. Pius Church and that is where they should go... don’t laugh because it is not funny. I am one who knows how serious a gambling addiction can be and how it may often be more possessive and destructive than, say, an alcohol or drug addiction, because so much of the pain and the effects of it are mental and grab you so totally, and the after-effects go further than the shame of a drunken lay or a fist fight. On top of it all there are always bills to pay and all that crap and the consequence that comes from losing the money to pay those bills can cause a lot of grief. I honestly admit that I lost some very important things in my life because of gambling and almost blew my university edu- cation.’ I thank God the business office is helping me to graduate, and I fully intend to pay them every cent I owe them as a priority when I enter the work force soon. I have more importantly also lost two years of my baby son’s life because I was so sick from my addic- tion, and I still have to go through a lot to get him back and the pain that I feel over that is debilitating. I know I still have a ways to go...the only reason I can see why he is gone is simply because he interfered with my gam- bling, and at that time that is all I could do and see. It is a really sick, progressive disease and the sickness gets worse and worse if it is not

treated. It progresses to those horror stories you see in the news. Men smashing machines with axes, people losing their homes, cars, families, committing suicide, robbing the places they work in, lining up every day at the welfare office because ‘‘Daddy or Mommy lost all the food money’’,...me a fourth-year student right here at good old UPEI losing a baby, all self- respect, and my education almost.

Addictions have to be treated and looked at carefully. There is usually some reason in our past which causes emotional trauma and leads to addictive behaviour because it is a way to escape from pain, a way to deal with loneliness, etc...it isn’t even whether you win or lose by the time you hit rock bottom, it is only the machine that can provide you with escape from the rest of the world. I have been through a lot and there are days when I think I have it beat, but I know I don’t and I really have to go day by day saying that I will not play them and never fool myself that I can just put a quarter in and let it go at that. I know I cannot do that, I also know there are a lot of people out there that the machines are causing problems for and I can understand how sneakily it creeps up on you and remember how scared I was when I realized the damage I was doing and had done to my life and I was really ashamed and embarrassed. It will take me years to recover from it. I cannot believe I was at it for three anda half years and most of the time never knew I hada problem. I thank God for Professor Weale finding me in tears one day, because by that time I was considering taking my life because I was so scared and at that time still could not stop. He led me to someone who listened and I respected and my life has changed very dramatically since then. I am forever indebted to both of those people and I know when they tell me how far I have come, it is true. The most wonderful thing is that they both seem to completely trust me and it feels really strange and at the same time I realize what a liar and a thief gambling made out of me. It is important for me now to win and maintain people’s trust, most of all my own.

I go to counselling now, | attend meetings in a twelve step group almost daily and I remind myself every time I see a machine that I cannot play it. Ithink of the misery it caused for me and I want to help others because I know when I needed help the hardest thing was reaching out to somebody and not being able to trust anyone. Ihave come a long way since then and if there is anyone out there that needs an ear, call anytime at 892-6269 and leave anumber if there is no answer. I have a lot of information and contacts and know the gambling addiction very well. The Canadian Medical Association wants me to write my story for them and | will, because it may help someone else.

I do not think that Student Council should take the machines out of the lounge or wher- ever, that is not right because there are some

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THE CANADIAN

RED CROSS SOCIETY

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mentally challenged people. For more information contact LArche Cape Breton, Whycocomagh, NS.

= oe ee 2 eo es ee es es ee ee ee d j i 5 if i d a i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i d i i i i i i i

November 11, 1993/X-Press/11