JACK KEEFE

One of the chief advantages of attending a small university such as U.P.E.I. is the Opportunity to meet and interact with a large prOportion of the student body. In accordance with it's role as provider of information to the university" community, the SUN wishes to introduce to you one of the most valuable people on 'campus to know, Student Union president Jack Keefe.

Jack’s interest in politics started over ten years ago in his hometown of Riverview, New Brunswick, when his grandfather ran for mayor of Moncton. Jack, in his own words, has been "infatuated with politics" ever since. Following a double major in Canadian Studies and Political Studies, he started keeping track of student politics

during his second year at U.P.E.I., and promised himself that he would run

for office some day.

Ironically, Jack’s first choice in February of 1983. was a position on Senate, until friends encouraged him to run for Student Union president. He admits ruefully, "If I'd run for Senate, I wouldn't have won." Since in his first two years he had kept a relatively low profile, he needed the highly visible presidential campaign, with it's many opportunities to state his priorities, present a platform, and reach students personally

‘ that ' the

and in groups, in order to be elected. It worked, and the U.P.E.I. Student Union had a new leader for 1983—198H.

Jack officially took office on May 1, 1983. He recalls that on the that first weekend, he took the keys given to him by outgoing president John MacDougall and walked through the Barn trying them in doors, finding out where everything was, cleaning out

his desk, and reading everything that he came across. Working most evenings and nights at the Barn during ’ the summer months helped him to quickly grasp the basic Operations

of the Student Union.

Concerns dealt with over the summer in executive meetings with V.P. Internal

Jim -Mutter, V.P. External Kim Gass, and Treasurer SteVen BishOp included

employment for this, year's Student Union, the future of

the SUN, plans for Orientation Week, and financial issues such as the purchasing of a new modulator 'for the campus radio station CIMN.

Committee meetings to revise the U.P.E.I. Student Union constitution also took up a lot of time, for as it reads now, many articles are incomplete and vague.

With the coming of September, Jack, a senior, found himself with little leisure. Regular Council meetings\ began, often requiring hours of preparation, and committee meetings, office work, and invitations to official functions started to make

heavier demands on his time. He soon adjusted, however,

and now finds that "the busier you are, the more constructive you are with your time." He has high praise for the S.U. staff,

particularly the volunteers, who take over many tasks which are often boring but always eSSential to the continuation of the services Student Union provides for the University community. The administrationr toonqhasfl to

+ NEWS

U.P.E.I. SUN Issue 8 Vol 15’ oet.27

provide a good degree of interaction and

co—operation.

Jack percieves several issues to be_ important on campus this year. A referendum to decide whether U.P.E.I. will become a full member in the Canadian Federation of Students must be held, unless the CFS permits us to enjoy 'the status of potential member, enabling us to pay reduced fees for services prOVided, for another year. The Smith Report, arising from a committee set up last year to propose long-term academic and administrative changes, must be either accepted and implemented, watered down to some degree, or rejected. Another committee continues to work toward completion of the new constitution by spring. The eternal problems with student loan programs, student unemployment, and academic and administrative cutbacks have to be faced and hopefully resolved. It is indeed an agenda involving great responsibility on the part of Student Council to the

f

student body..

If Jack Keefe has a complaint to make about the situation ,of the Student Union at U.P.E.I., it's that students don't take politics as seriously as they should. For the most part, they are unaware of the value or full role of a good Student Union in negotiating for and representing their rights and interests. Jack would appreciate it if more students came to him with worries about tuition, professors, employment, or any .other matter. As he sees it, his job is to fully represent students to the faculty, to the university administration, and to the provincial government, and he is serious in his appeal for student co—operation. His final words on the subject were clear, "I like people to make me do my job properly."

Carolyn Ryan

from an interview with Jackaeefe.

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