O

CTOBER 12, 2006

Tie CADRE © 2

Photographers Mary-Jane Doucett

Contributors

Rob Walker Editor in Chief Our front page photo is a photoshopped image of a soldier from

Princess Patricia’s light infantry keeping watch just outside Kandahar.

It was originally taken by MCpl Robert

Bottrill, from the Canadian Forces Combat Camera division. A job I would really, really like someday. Included in this weeks issue is the first in a series of interviews with students (both current and former) who are heading to Afghanistan in the next few months. Many of the people servint there are university age, but instead of chasing girls, drinking too

Right Here and Now

much and worrying about exams, they’re chasing insurgents, not drinking enough and worrying about IEDs and ambushes.

If you know someone who’s heading over there or has been there for a while, we would love to interview them, print pictures, whatever works. We'd like to continue following our students while they’re over there, and hopefully give people a bigger picture of what’s going on.

Also in this issue is another first in a series, a profile of a UPEI student living with a sexually transmitted infection (STI). Few people are aware of just how big an issue STT’s are on campus.

If you’re not wrapping it, you should be. Most of the stories I hear of people with these infections are from people in a committed, monogamous relationship. You (yes, you) should b getting tested regularly.

I’m keeping it short and sweet this week because we’re just chock full of content. Why is The Cadre only 16 pages then? Because we’re doing three issues in the same month. Crazy? Like a fox. Also, do you like our new logo? I dig it, it’s got that ‘fight the power/ revolution’ thing going on. Also, the — whole “hammers can destroy or build” imagery works for me. What do you think?

Raising the Price: Not a Solution to UPEI Parking Problems

on ee Oe : Melanie Bernard

Managing Editor

The UPEI administration wants to raise the price of parking permits because there are too many people taking their cars to school and the lots are always full. People are taking their cars when they could walk and the administration thinks it will be best to jack the prices so less permits are sold and less spaces are taken up.

So if more people walk to school, the parking problem will miracu- lously be solved. Wrong. When I lived in Bernadine Hall three years ago, I still found it difficult to get around on foot. I used to walk down to the Superstore to get a few things and in the middle of winter this was a task. The sidewalks on University Avenue leading up to the school are never cleared. I remember walking in a foot of snow to the grocery store! Maybe more people would walk to school if it was actually physically possible to do so.

In a CBC article online, transporta- tion consultant Mike Skene spoke about what he has done in the past to help universities with their park- ing problems.

He said one way to fix the problem is to look at the cost of parking at UPEI compared to other schools. He used UBC to make a comparison where he said the parking permits cost $600 a year. Is there any way to compare these schools.in any other manner so that they are equals? No. UBC has over 42,300 students (2004/05 year). UPEI has 4,100. The comparison of these schools is not fair, especially when talking about traffic.

How about comparing other schools about the same size? Acadia has 3,700 full-time students and the cost for their permits is the same. I realize people want green space, but it’s the school’s job to meet our needs. Look at how much we pay them! The solution may not lie in raising prices after all if people have trouble using different transporta- tion.

And another funny part of this is the administration says the cost of keeping up the spaces is not covered by the income from the sale of permits. I wonder if they’d break even if they charged hundreds of dollars. Less people would want permits and the drop in sales may still not be enough to cover the cost of the upkeep.

My solution : keep things the way they are. The students asked for help in the parking lots and the school’s solution is to raise the cost. Not exactly our idea of help, now is it? I realize people want green space, but it’s the school’s job to meet our needs. Look at how much we pay them! The solution may not lie in raising prices after all if people have. trouble using different transporta- tion.

And another funny part of this is the administration says the cost of keeping up the spaces is not covered by the income from the sale of permits. I wonder if they’d break even if they charged hundreds of dollars. Less people would want permits and the drop in sales may still not be enough to cover the cost of the upkeep. '

My solution : keep things the way they are. The students asked for help in the parking lots and the school’s solution is to raise the cost. Not exactly our idea of help, now is it?

My solution : keep things the way they are. The students asked for help in the parking lots and the _ school’s solution is to raise the cost. Not exactly our idea of help, now is it?