Page
      12
      November
      2008
     
    
   
   
    
     
      CAMPUS
     
    
   
   
    
     
      On
      the
      Menu
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Paige
      Matthie
      takes
      us
      with
      her
      as
      she
     
     
      samples
      the
      best
      Charlottetown
      has
     
     
      to
      offer,
      and
      at
      prices
      acceptable
      for
      the
     
    
   
   
    
     
      average
      student
     
    
   
   
    
     
      I
      love
      dining
      out,
      and
      I
      es-
     
     
      pecially
      love
      restaurants
      that
     
     
      are
      able
      to
      combine
      an
      amaz-
     
     
      ing
      atmosphere
      with
      fine
      cui-
     
     
      sine.
      I
      also
      love
      it
      when
      I’m
     
     
      able
      to
      visit
      these
      places
      on
     
     
      a
      budget.
     
    

    
     
      A
      couple
      of
      weeks
      ago,
      I
     
     
      happened
      to
      find
      myself
      at
     
     
      Off
      Broadway,
      an
      intimate
     
     
      and
      lush
      eatery
      right
      next
     
     
      door
      to
      the
      Olde
      Dublin
      Pub.
     
     
      The
      ambience
      of
      this
      place
     
     
      is
      possibly
      the
      most
      astound-
     
     
      ing
      in
      the
      entire
      city.
      Each
     
     
      booth
      is
      enclosed
      in
      luxuri-
     
    
   
   
    
     
      ous
      velvet
      curtains
      and
      the
     
     
      room
      itself
      feels
      as
      though
     
     
      you’re
      backstage
      at
      an
      old
     
     
      theatre
      in
      New
      York
      City.
     
     
      The
      exposed
      brick
      and
      low
     
     
      lighting
      give
      you
      the
      feeling
     
     
      that
      this
      place
      is
      truly
      special
     
     
      and
      somewhat
      undiscovered,
     
     
      although
      it
      is
      one
      of
      the
      most
     
     
      well
      noted
      restaurants
      in
      the
     
     
      province.
     
    

    
     
      I
      felt
      like
      Marlene
      Dietrich
     
     
      as
      I
      ordered
      my
      lobster
     
     
      crepes
      with
      béarnaise
      sauce.
     
     
      The
      wait-staff
      knows
      exactly
     
     
      how
      to
      make
      you
      feel
      like
      a
     
    
   
   
    
     
      star,
      providing
      excellent,
     
     
      courteous
      and
      swift
      service
     
     
      to
      all
      patrons.
      They
      are
      ab-
     
     
      solute
      professionals,
      yet
      they
     
     
      manage
      to
      make
      you
      feel
      at
     
     
      ease
      in
      what
      could
      potential-
     
     
      ly
      be
      a
      stuffy
      and
      hoity-toity
     
     
      hotspot.
     
    

    
     
      The
      crepes
      were
      served
     
     
      with
      the
      best
      Caesar
      salad
      I
     
     
      have
      ever
      had.
      The
      lettuce
     
     
      was
      the
      perfect
      balance
      be-
     
     
      tween
      crisp
      and
      leafy,
      the
     
     
      dressing
      was
      equally
      spread
     
     
      throughout
      the
      entire
      salad,
     
     
      not
      to
      mention
      home-made
     
     
      and
      zesty,
      the
      croutons
      were
     
     
      freshly
      toasted
      and
      buttery,
     
     
      and
      the
      bacon
      was
      actual
      ba-
     
     
      con
      -
      none
      of
      that
      bacon-bit
     
     
      crap
      here.
      In
      a
      word,
      it
      was
     
     
      astounding.
     
    

    
     
      I
      moved
      onto
      the
      crepes,
     
     
      which
      held
      very
      sizeable
     
     
      morsels
      of
      lobster
      meat
      and
     
     
      the
      perfect
      amount
      of
      New-
     
     
      burg
      sauce
      (which
      is
      basi-
     
     
      cally
      a
      cream
      sauce
      with
      a
     
    
   
   
    
     
      splash
      of
      brandy).
      I’ve
      had
     
     
      crepes
      in
      the
      past
      that
      were
     
     
      just
      swimming
      in
      sauce,
      but
     
     
      this
      is
      definitely
      not
      the
      case.
     
     
      There
      was
      neither
      too
      much,
     
     
      nor
      too
      little,
      rather
      just
      the
     
     
      amount
      needed
      to
      gently
     
     
      coat
      the
      lobster
      and
      fill
      the
     
     
      crepe.
      The
      crepe
      itself
      was
     
     
      tender
      and
      far
      from
      rubbery,
     
     
      as
      some
      crepes
      tend
      to
      be,
     
     
      and
      stood
      up
      well
      to
      the
      bé-
     
     
      arnaise
      sauce
      (another
      but-
     
     
      tery
      sauce,
      this
      time
      with
      tar-
     
     
      ragon
      and
      a
      bit
      of
      vinegar).
     
     
      The
      combination
      of
      flavours
     
     
      was
      outstanding,
      creating
      a
     
     
      balance
      between
      the
      sweet-
     
     
      ness
      of
      the
      lobster,
      the
      rich-
     
     
      ness
      of
      the
      sauces,
      and
      the
     
     
      freshness
      of
      the
      tarragon
     
     
      sprinkled
      on
      top
      -
      all
      this
      for
     
     
      $16.
     
    

    
     
      I
      left
      feeling
      completely
      sat-
     
     
      isfied
      and
      yet
      wanting
      more
     
     
      at
      the
      same
      time.
      Off
      Broad-
     
     
      way
      is
      the
      perfect
      place
      for
      a
     
     
      romantic
      date,
      a
      glamourous
     
    
   
   
    
     
      UPEI
      Cadre
     
    
   
   
    
     
      night
      out
      on
      the
      town,
      or
      for
     
     
      anyone
      craving
      elegant
      yet
     
     
      relaxed
      dining.
     
    

    
     
      I
      also
      have
      to
      recommend
     
     
      the
      42nd
      Street
      Lounge.
      It’s
     
     
      located
      just
      up
      the
      stairs
      from
     
     
      the
      restaurant.
      42nd
      Street
     
     
      is
      by
      far
      the
      most
      fantastic
     
     
      cocktail
      lounge
      in
      the
      prov-
     
     
      ince,
      with
      the
      absolute
      best
     
     
      martinis
      (at
      the
      best
      prices
     
     
      for
      students,
      with
      each
      going
     
     
      for
      $6
      a
      piece).
      The
      absolute
     
     
      best
      is
      the
      Love
      Affair,
      a
      mix
     
     
      of
      Baileys,
      Swiss
      Choco-
     
     
      late
      Almond,
      Butterscotch
     
     
      Schnapps,
      and
      cream.
      It’s
     
     
      amazing.
     
    

    
     
      They
      also
      offer
      an
      excel-
     
     
      lent
      wine
      list,
      as
      well
      as
     
     
      some
      great
      beers
      on
      tap,
      and
     
     
      the
      most
      discerning
      collec-
     
     
      tion
      of
      Scotch
      for
      all
      you
     
     
      whiskey
      lovers
      out
      there.
      I
     
     
      highly
      recommend
      that
      all
      of
     
     
      you
      make
      your
      debut
      at
      Off
     
     
      Broadway
      as
      soon
      as
      pos-
     
     
      sible.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Student
      questions
      why
      there
      is
      a
      lack
      of
      transparency
      with
      school’s
      appeal
      process
     
    
   
   
    
     
      After
      failing
      two
      courses,
     
     
      Ashley
      Johnston
      was
      placed
     
     
      on
      probation.
      He
      was
      then
     
     
      compelled
      to
      ask
      what
     
     
      caused
      this
      decision,
      and
      the
     
     
      answers
      were
      not
      sufficient
     
     
      to
      him.
      He
      doesn’t
      deny
      be-
     
     
      ing
      within
      the
      provisions
      for
     
     
      probation,
      but
      would
      like
      to
     
     
      be
      told
      why
      there
      is
      a
      “lack
     
     
      of
      transparency
      [with]
      the
     
     
      appeals
      process.”
     
    

    
     
      “T
      think
      I
      did
      just
      about
      all
     
     
      that
      can
      be
      done
      and
      I
      got
      no
     
     
      where,”
      Johnston
      said.
     
    

    
     
      Kathleen
      Kielly
      of
      the
     
     
      Board
      of
      Governors
      told
      the
     
     
      Cadre
      what
      the
      Board
      con-
     
     
      siders
      in
      the
      decision
      to
      put
     
     
      a
      student
      on
      probation.
     
    

    
     
      “Satisfactory
      Semester’
      is
     
     
      defined
      as
      any
      semester
      in
     
     
      which
      a
      student
      fails
      no
      more
     
     
      than
      one
      course
      and
      scores
     
    
   
   
    
     
      60
      per
      cent
      in
      at
      least
      half
      of
     
     
      the
      courses
      attempted.
     
    

    
     
      “An
      ‘Unsatisfactory
      Se-
     
     
      mester’
      is
      defined
      as
      any
     
     
      semester
      in
      which
      a
      student
     
     
      fails
      more
      than
      one
      course,
     
     
      or
      scores
      less
      than
      60
      per
     
     
      cent
      in
      more
      than
      half
      of
      the
     
     
      courses
      attempted.”
     
    

    
     
      While
      he
      had
      failed
      two
     
     
      courses,
      Johnston
      _
      states
     
     
      when
      he
      was
      put
      on
      proba-
     
     
      tion
      there
      “were
      plenty
      of
     
     
      mitigating
      factors”
      in
      the
     
     
      situation
      which
      caused
      him
     
     
      to
      appeal
      to
      the
      senate’s
      ap-
     
     
      peal
      committee,
      and
      then
      to
     
     
      the
      Board
      of
      Governor’s
      ap-
     
     
      peal
      committee.
      He
      received
     
     
      a
      letter
      informing
      Johnston
     
     
      he
      had
      been
      rejected.
      But
      he
     
     
      said
      there
      was
      no
      real
      reason
     
     
      for
      the
      rejection,
      nor
      were
     
     
      the
      factors
      considered,
      nor
     
    
   
   
    
     
      was
      there
      a
      description
      of
     
     
      how
      they
      had
      reached
      the
     
     
      decision.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      “It
      seems
      they’ve
      been
      irre-
      _
     
    
   
   
    
     
      sponsible
      so
      long
      they
      don’t
     
     
      want
      to
      be
      accountable.”
     
    

    
     
      He
      went
      on
      to
      add
      he
      has
     
     
      heard
      of
      many
      similar
      issues
     
     
      from
      other
      students,
      and
      they
     
     
      may
      not
      be
      handling
      the
      situ-
     
     
      ations
      as
      seriously
      as
      they
     
     
      should
      be.
     
    

    
     
      “Right
      now
      I
      think
      if
      you
     
     
      looked
      at
      their
      books
      it
     
     
      would
      be
      quite
      a
      mess.”
     
    

    
     
      Kielly’s
      email
      explained
     
     
      what
      happens
      when
      students
     
     
      are
      placed
      on
      probation.
     
    

    
     
      “Students
      who
      have
      one
     
     
      unsatisfactory
      semester
      in
      an
     
     
      academic
      year
      will
      be
      placed
     
     
      on
      Academic
      Probation
      for
     
     
      the
      subsequent
      academic
     
     
      year.
      Students
      on
      academic
     
    
   
   
    
     
      probation
      will
      normally:
      1.
     
     
      have
      restrictions
      placed
      on-
     
     
      their
      course
      loads;
      and
      2.
      be
      ©
     
     
      required
      to
      enrol
      in
      an
      aca-
     
     
      demic
      support
      program.”
     
    

    
     
      But
      Johnston
      said
      if
      he
      was
     
     
      shown
      a
      framework
      of
      what
     
     
      is
      required
      of
      students
      to
     
     
      avoid
      being
      placed
      on
      proba-
     
     
      tion,
      and
      he
      fell
      within
      such
     
     
      framework,
      Johnston
      would
     
     
      be
      willing
      to
      let
      the
      issue
     
     
      go.
     
    

    
     
      “All
      I
      was
      looking
      for
      was
     
     
      a
      document.
      An
      explanation
     
     
      would
      have
      pleased
      me
      as
     
     
      well,”
      he
      said.
     
    

    
     
      In
      his
      meeting
      with
      the
     
     
      board,
      Johnston
      said
      he
      could
     
     
      feel
      “hostility
      and
      defensive-
     
     
      ness.”
      At
      one
      point,
      when
     
     
      Johnston
      asked
      committee
     
     
      chair
      Patricia
      Mella
      to
      clar-
     
     
      ify
      something
      she
      had
      said,
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Johnston
      said
      she
      threatened
     
     
      to
      walk
      out
      of
      the
      meeting.
     
    

    
     
      “They
      knew
      what
      I
      was
     
     
      there
      to
      ask,”
      Johnston
      ex-
     
     
      plained.
      “It’s
      very
      far
      from
     
     
      anything
      I
      would
      have
      ex-
     
     
      pected.”
     
    

    
     
      After
      unanswered
      questions
     
     
      and
      general
      confusion
      about
     
     
      the
      state
      of
      his
      situation,
     
     
      Johnston
      ended
      his
      inquiry.
     
    

    
     
      “During
      the
      meeting
      I
      was
     
     
      met
      with
      impatience
      and
      de-
     
     
      fensiveness.
      I
      got
      the
      impres-
     
     
      sion
      that
      examination
      of
      the
     
     
      Board
      of
      Governors
      was
      not
     
     
      welcome
      which
      tells
      me
      that
     
     
      it
      is
      urgently
      needed.”
     
    

    
     
      Kielly
      said
      if
      students
      have
     
     
      concerns
      about
      the
      regula-
     
     
      tion
      of
      the
      appeal
      process,
     
     
      questions
      should
      be
      directed
     
     
      to
      her
      and
      she
      would
      be
      will-
     
     
      ing
      to
      help.