SEPTEMBER 13, 2005

THE CADRE ¢ 5

Pumping Pain

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Pete Grandy Reporter

When asked ‘What’s your opinion on gas prices?’ Stephen Cutcliffe responded: “I don’t know, Grandy.” Many mixed feelings arise when people are asked this question. High gas prices affect everyone in one way or another but how are they affecting the common student?

There. are three factors that influence the price of gas: the world price of crude oil, which affects prices over the longer term; the wholesale price of | refined products, which affect prices over the medium term; and local competition, which affects prices on a day-to-day basis. The Island Regulatory & Appeals Commission (IRAC) controls the price of gas on Prince Edward Island.

UPEI student Pat O’Keefe said “The government is stealing money. Why would they, it doesn’t cost anything. The rich are getting richer and the poor can’t buy gas.” Although Mr. O’Keefe may not have put much thought into his statement, his comments do bear truth. Provincial and federal taxes make up about 40 percent of the cost of gasoline. “A rude awakening,” said UPEI student Spenser Smith after hearing this fact.

Ben Crook-Hanna states that the price of gas “sucks”, while Biology professor Dr. Kevin Teather said “It’s great! It will force people to exercise

and use alternative means of transportation, such as bikes.” Regardless of one’s priorities, it is important to acknowledge there is an up side to the increase in gas prices. The reduction of vehicle use will lead to less pollution and increased physical activity, said UPEI Economics Professor Jim Sentance.

“This may help us achieve our Kyoto Protocol requirements,” said Sentance. Some may even argue that the gas prices are a blessing for Canada’s fattest province.

Financially, students will feel a strain. Students living in neighboring rural communities drive to Charlottetown at least once a day. There are no alternative means of transportation for most of these students. Charlottetown’s public transit system still isn’t ready. Along with gas, oil prices are on the rise.

“Tt will cost the university because we use a good bit of oil. We are on a tight budget as it is,” said Sentance. As most of us know, when UPET has bills to pay, they turn to their loyal students and increase tuition.

As frustrating as this subject may be, there is something everyone can agree on: We can’t do a damn thing

about the price of fuel. Try car-pooling -

with someone in your area, hop ona bike, or get up off your robust ass and hoof ‘er.

OPINION & COMMENTARY

... And Now For Something Completely Different: The Rants of a University Student

Ryan Gallant Contributor

Yes, its that time of year again. Time for tuition fees, student fees, sports fees, parking fees, admin fees, and residence fees. Time for new roommates, new friends, new classes, new profs and new things to piss you off. Time for togas and 2-4s and a good drink-on to forget about all the money and time that you don’t have. And of course, time for reading my column in The Cadre and then sending me e-mails about how much you hate me and my stupid opinions.

Well the geniuses in the e-mail protest community have done it again. September 1* was deemed as “Stick it to Them” Day, which was, as I was told in about 3,086 e-mails, aimed at getting everyone to stop buying gas for a day, the theory being that ifno one bought gas for an entire day, the big oil companies would freak out, collapse under pressure and be forced to drop oil prices. Despite the fact that this scheme is fundamentally flawed, substantially delusional and that the people who conceived it are evidently complete idiots, the protest went off

‘without a hitch. That is of course except

the small fact that gas prices went up 36 cents that day. Wow, what awesome power those fearless email vigilantes wield. Morons.

It seems the NHL and the NHLPA finally got their asses in gear, signing a CBA after their bickering led to the cancellation of the 2004-05 Season. Following the ratification of the agreement, teams around the NHL

_ scrambled to sign new players from the

massive pool of unrestricted free agents. Pittsburgh signed John LeClair, Mario Lemieux, Zigmund Palffy, Sidney Crosby and Sergei Gonchar, Edmonton

signed Mike Peca and Chris Pronger, and Atlanta signed Bobby Holik, Marian Hossa and Greg de Vries. Meanwhile, continuing in their tradition of being very well-intentioned, yet also very stupid, the Toronto Maple Leafs signed Eric “Concussion” Lindros, who is about a headache and a half from eating through a straw and Aki “The Pylon” Berg. Oh wait, this just in. Toronto has just signed Mariusz Czerkawski. Great. Whoever the hell that is.

On a brighter note, another one of our Canadian teams, has had considerable success with signings in the off-season. The Ottawa Senators, have been able to sign Dany Heatley, the young phenom from Atlanta and have replaced Patick “The Choker” Lalime with Dominik “The Dominator” Hasek, the only drawback of this, being, of course, that everyone hates the Ottawa Senators.

An era ended last week as Rainbow Valley closed its doors forever. There was extensive uproar ~ from the public about turning the forty- acre park into nature trails for the National Park, but for me the closure is amore positive move. I was always kind of weirded out by the witches cave and the whiplash-inducing Bushwhacker. And what the hell was up with that weird-looking robot fisherman from the “Dark Ride’? (Original name by the way). I will, however, miss harassing Mrs. Owl and asking why she already had a baby at the age of 14, or being yelled at by Rainbow Valley staff telling us we’re not supposed to get of the boats and walk around on the islands in the pond. Oh the joys of being a delinquent pubescent

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