Our
      Feathered
      Friends
      not
     
     
      By
      Brodie
      MacRAE
     
    
   
   
    
     
      October
      the
      10
      marked
      the
     
     
      beginning
      of
      the
      bird
      infestation
      sea-
     
     
      son
      for
      this
      school
      year
      in
      the
      music
     
     
      department
      of
      UPEI.
      Each
      year
      the
     
     
      Steele
      Building
      sees
      several
      occur-
     
     
      rences
      of
      one
      or
      more.birds
      finding
     
     
      their
      way
      inside
      through
      the
      ceiling
     
     
      and
      proceeding
      to
      frantically
      fly
     
     
      throughout
      the
      halls
      until
      someone
     
     
      catches
      it
      and
      throws
      it
      back
      outside.
     
     
      Laura
      MacGrath,
      a
      third
      year
      clar-
     
     
      inetist
      was
      working
      in
      the
      study
      lab
     
     
      that
      day
      when
      a
      Starling
      unexpectedly
     
     
      flew
      down
      through
      the
      open
      ceiling
     
     
      tiles,
      bringing
      with
      it
      a
      great
      deal
      of
      |
     
     
      commotion.
      Bill
      Bayer,
      a
      fourth
      year
     
     
      tubaist
      took
      the
      responsibility
      of
      seeing
     
     
      it
      out
      of
      the
      building,
      luring
      it
      to
      an
     
     
      open
      window
      where
      it
      happily
      rejoined
     
     
      its
      kin
      in
      nature.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      "CAW!
      CAW!"
     
    
   
   
    
     
      _
      The
      procedure
      for
      dealing
      with
     
     
      a
      wild
      bird
      has
      typically
      been
      to
      coax
     
     
      the
      bird
      near
      an
      open
      window
      or
      door
     
     
      and
      hope
      that
      it
      will
      promptly
      depart
      —
     
     
      the
      building
      or
      to
      call
      maintenance
      and
     
     
      let
      them
      catch
      the
      beast,
      although
      some
     
    
   
   
    
     
         
     
     
       
     
     
       
     
     
       
     
     
       
     
     
        
       
     
     
       
       
     
     
       
        
     
     
       
       
     
     
         
         
     
     
       
       
     
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
        
     
    
   
   
    
     
      “Contact”
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Bea
      Mentor
     
    
   
   
    
     
      The
      In-School
      Mentoring
      program
     
     
      is
      fun
      and
      rewarding.
      -
     
    

    
     
      An
      adult
      volunteer
      In-School
      Mentor
      is
      matched
      to.
     
     
      a
      child
      in
      a
      school
      environment.
      Together
      the
     
     
      Mentor
      and
      child
      build
      a
      positive
      new
      friendship
     
     
      which
      is
      of
      great
      benefit
      to
      the
      child
      and
     
    

    
     
      rewarding
      for
      the
      Mentor.
     
     
      What
      would
      be
      required
     
     
      of
      me
      as
      a
      mentor?
     
     
      *
      One
      school
      hour
      per
      week
     
     
      .
      for
      the
      school
      year
     
     
      |
      ®
      At
      Schools
      in
      Summerside
      and
      iach
     
     
      ae
      Experience
      —
      none
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Hels
      éo1
      1
      get
      involved?
     
     
      -
      Big
      Brothers
      -
     
     
      ~
      Big
      Sisters
     
     
      at:
      436-8122.
     
    
   
   
    
     
         
     
    
   
   
    
     
      prefer
      to
      run
      away
      with
      their
      hands
     
     
      covering
      their
      faces.
     
    

    
     
      Despite
      the
      seemingly
      harm-
     
     
      less
      nature
      of
      the
      situation,
      it
      is
      some-
     
     
      thing
      most
      music
      students
      hope
      to
      see
     
     
      remedied.
      The
      study
      and
      practice
      time
     
     
      of
      the
      students
      is
      often
      disrupted
      when
     
     
      unruly
      birds
      make
      their
      appearances
     
     
      and
      birds
      trapped
      in
      the
      practice
      rooms
     
     
      have
      often
      been
      known
      to
      leave
      unsan-
     
     
      itary
      records
      of
      their
      presence
      behind.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      _In
      addition,
      the
      problem
      has
      escalated
     
    
   
   
    
     
      to
      the
      point
      of
      fatality
      in
      the
      past.
      One
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      “Birds!”
     
    
   
   
    
     
      So
     
    
   
   
    
     
      music
      student
      found
      a
      dead
      bird
      in
      a
     
     
      practise
      room
      during
      the
      summer
      of
     
     
      2000
      after
      having
      asked
      security
      twice
     
     
      to
      escort
      the
      bird
      from
      the
      building
     
     
      while
      it
      was
      still
      alive.
     
     
      Birds
      trapped
      in
      the
     
     
      practice
      rooms
      have
     
     
      often
      been
      known
      to
     
     
      leave
      unsanitary
     
     
      records
      of
      their
      pres-
     
     
      ence
      behind.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      This
      has
      been
      a
      problem
      for
     
     
      many
      years
      now.
      As
      Gloria
      Jay,
      the
     
     
      UPEI
      music
      department
      secretary
     
     
      explains,
      "We
      [the
      music
      department]
     
     
      moved
      into
      this
      building
      on
      December
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Friendly
     
    
   
   
    
     
      17
      1974
      and
      we've
      had
      problems
      with
     
     
      birds
      flying
      in
      here
      ever
      since."
      Due
      to
     
     
      the
      longevity
      of
      this
      issue,
      it
      would
     
     
      appear
      the
      birds
      have
      maintenance
     
     
      stumped
      as
      to
      the
      location
      of
      their
     
     
      secret
      entrance.
      However,
      maintenance
     
     
      was
      unavailable
      for
      commentary
      on
     
     
      this
      issue.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      "|
      haven't
      had
      this
      much
     
     
      fun
      since
      the
      time
      I
      ate
     
     
      that
      Bald
      Eagle.”
     
     
      -Scott
      Robinson
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Most
      students
      find
      the
      situa-
     
     
      tion
      distressing.
      Jeremy
      Hickey
      states,
     
     
      "It's
      kind
      of
      annoying.
      I
      mean,
      how
      are
     
     
      they
      getting
      in?
      It's
      not
      really
      that
      hard
     
     
      to
      keep
      birds
      out
      of
      a
      building."
      Krista
     
     
      Carruthers
      is
      also
      uncomfortable
      with
     
     
      birds
      in
      the
      music
      department.
      "It
     
     
      freaks
      the
      shit
      out
      of
      me.
      You're
      study-
     
     
      ing
      and
      suddenly
      a
      bird
      swoops
      down?
     
     
      This
      problem
      really
      needs
      to
      be
     
     
      addressed.
      :
     
    

    
     
      However,
      some
      students
      are
     
     
      surprising
      positive
      about
      this
      issue.
     
     
      "CAW!
      CAW!"
      asserts
      Matt
      Simon,
      a
     
     
      second
      year
      pianist.
      As
      well,
      Scott
     
     
      Robinson
      notes,
      "I
      haven't
      had
      this
     
     
      much
      fun
      since
      the
      time
      I
      ate
      that
      Bald
     
     
      Eagle."