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By Shannon Younker MONTH BETWEEN THE END September and the end of October be a hectic one at UPEI. The four didates for President of the Univer- of Prince Edward Island are each ting the University in turn, cam- pning for the position. These tours ran this past week with Professor vabeth Epperly.

Dr. Epperly is originally from ginia, although Prince Edward Is- d is the love of her life. She is rently Associate Professor of Eng- ) at UPEI and is founder and chair of Lucy Maud Montgomery Institute. pviously, Dr. Epperly was Head of Department of English at Memorial iversity of Newfoundland.

Epperly’s term as an administra-

tor at MUN was a valuable experience for a prospective president. She headed a faculty of eighty full-time and twenty part-time professors. The body of students taking English courses at any given time numbered around 1400; that is approximately fifty percent of the total student population of UPEI.

Universities exist as islands within their host cities. This is the theme that Dr. Epperly used for her public address Wednesday, Sept. 28 on the UPEI cam- pus. During this address, Dr. Epperly shared her vision of UPEI in the year 2000, proposing changes she hopes will bring us into the twenty-first century. UPEI has reached a crucial point in its development after twenty-five years. In the past we have been looking back at what we were. Dr. Epperly advises UPEI to ‘‘stop looking at yesterday and today and begin looking at today and tomor- row’’.

Dr. Epperly acknowledges that UPEI is good, but suggests that we, the university community, don’t know how good we are. This is one goal for the next five years. Students need to get to know students, faculty needs to get to know faculty and all of the different constituency groups which call UPEI

lizabeth Epperly shares visiole of UPEI’S future

ycal presidential candidate speaks out

home need to get to know each other. UPEI may be seen as an island within Prince Edward Island, but there is no room within UPEI for smaller islands, each composed of one faculty or depart- ment. To facilitate unity, Dr. Epperly would like to see the building of a new student centre as well as a faculty and staff lounge. Encouragement from ad- ministration could lead to students hav- ing more pride in UPEI and participat- ing more in their own government.

Epperly is a strong believer in communication between the different communities oncampus. Regular meet- ings with representatives of the Student Union would be a priority. Students would also be given a voice in other decisions (for example, through the con- tinued use of teacher evaluations). Part- time students are a growing sector of the university population. As president, Dr. Epperly would try to make MAPUS members feel more a part of the univer- sity.

These suggestions are all ways to improve morale, something Dr. Epperly sees as lacking at UPEI. Further sug- gestions for improving morale include greater rewards for excellence for both faculty/staff and students. This could

help to alleviate teacher burnout and maintain the quality of UPEI’s teaching. Increased pride in the university should also make recruiting more foreign and out-of-province students to UPEI, one of Dr. Epperly’s priorities, easier.

As good as Dr. Epperly knows UPEI to be, she admits that some con- solidation and internal shaping of the university are among her initial plans if elected. Dr. Epperly claims the UPEI community would communicate so effi- ciently under her management that any changes would not be surprises. Epperly may flatten the hierarchy of the univer- sity, but there are two additions that she will make as priorities. One is a Vice President of the University. The other is a gender officer.

As well, Epperly knows UPEI must convince government and the larger community of Prince Edward Island that the programmes we offer are not only good but essential to the commu- nity, proving the university worthy ofits large donations, grants and endowments.

Above all else, Epperly exudes a genuine passion for the province and its university. Clearly, Dr. Elizabeth Epperly is running for president of UPEI because she ‘‘loves PEI so much’’.

ommunity kitchens coming to Dalton Hall iew pilot project begins

By Jennifer Taylor and Shannon Younker YME ECONOMICS STUDENTS | be participating in ‘‘community hens’”’ this fall as part of the require- nt for their Introductory Manage- nt course.

Community kitchens are. food- sed community development projects signed to involve individuals in im- ving their own food security. Food urity ensures that all people always € access to safe, nutritionally ad- ate, personally acceptable foods ina ner which maintains human dignity. mmunity or collective kitchens have en springing up all over the country h participants including such diverse Pups as low-income individuals and ilies, older adults and students.

The objective of this pilot project isto provide a hands-on approach which will help increase awareness of the ben- efits of healthy eating and how to make healthy food choices. Skills in planning economical and nutritious meals and reading food labels will also be devel- oped, all while having fun and meeting new people.

Each month, the group will pre- pare five ‘‘heart healthy’’ main dishes for their families. All members share in the planning, shopping, preparation and clean-up. Each participant contributes toward the financial cost of the food, supplemented by other sponsors. In addition to the Home Economics De- partment, which is providing the facili- ties for the project, partners in the com-

munity kitchen project include Holland College, Heart Health PEI, Health and Community Services, Queen’s Region, and other community groups. Projects like these providea real alternative for families who are striving to cope in these times of economic hardship,”’ claims Jennifer Taylor, a faculty member in the department of Home Economics. ‘‘It would be great to see the program continue next year and expand across the province. It cer- tainly provides invaluable learning ex- periences for all the students involved.”’ Participants in the community kitchen will include 18 women and men from the G.O.A.L program at Holland College. G.O.A.L, which stands for “‘growth, options, attitudes and learn-

ing’’, is a new adult education program coordinated and instructed by Barbara McNutt and Karen Chandler, sponsored by Employment Enhancement, and funded by the province. Other modules ofthe G.O.A.L. include parenting, driv- ers’ education and defensive driving, fitness, first aid and CPR and computer training, as well as academic subjects.

McNutt is very pleased and ex- cited with the interest shown by UPEI and Holland College students, and is encouraged by the support of service clubs in the Charlottetown area: ‘‘This is a prime example of how educational institutions, government and the com- munity can work together as partners,”’ she says.

October 4, 1994