87.5
      %
     
     
      of
      you
      don't
     
     
      care
      about
      your
     
     
      university
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
     
       
     
     
        
     
    
   
   
    
     
      _
      Pan
     
    
   
   
    
     
      January
     
     
      ©
      “30,
      1996
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
     
       
     
     
        
        
     
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      by
      Aldera
      Chisholm
     
    

    
     
      Last
      week,
      UPEI
      students
      faced
     
     
      one
      of
      their
      most
      important
      political
     
     
      decisions;
      a
      referendum
      was
      held
      to
     
     
      decide
      where
      thousands
      of
      student
     
     
      dollars
      would
      be
      spent.
      The
      ques-
     
     
      ion
      posed
      to
      students
      was:
      ‘‘Are
     
     
      you
      in
      favour
      of
      the
      UPEI
      Student
     
     
      nion
      remaining
      a
      member
      of
      the
     
     
      anadian
      Federation
      of
      Students
      (-
     
     
      Services)?
      A
      majority
      of
      voters
      said
     
     
      mo,
      Choosing
      to
      leave
      CFS.
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      eit
      Basketball
     
     
      Panther
      Hockey
     
     
      a
      tramural
      Hockey
      |
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Columns
     
     
      _
      Dig
      This!
     
    

    
     
      At
      the
      Barn
     
     
      Debating
      Society
     
     
      Nicer
      Side
      of
      'Net
     
    
   
   
    
     
        
     
     
         
     
     
       
     
     
         
     
     
        
     
     
         
     
     
       
     
     
        
     
     
       
     
     
       
     
     
        
     
     
        
     
     
       
     
     
        
     
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Entertainment
     
     
      Sound
      Opinions
     
     
      Primus
      Theatre
      Review
     
    
   
   
    
     
      UPEI
      students
      have
      been
     
     
      members
      of
      CFS
      for
      many
      years.
     
    

    
     
      e
      Island
      is
      also
      represented
      by
      the
     
     
      Graduate
      Student
      Association,
      and
     
     
      Holland
      College.
      CFS
      provides
      a
     
     
      lobby
      voice
      for
      students
      across
      the
     
     
      country
      although
      most
      students
      are
     
     
      familiar
      with
      them
      through
      their
     
     
      services
      --
      such
      as
      the
      StudentSaver
     
     
      Card,
      and
      Travel
      Cuts.
      The
      last
      few
     
     
      weeks
      have
      seen
      posters
      strewn
     
     
      lacross
      campus,
      heated
      debates,
      and
     
     
      visits
      from
      both
      CFS
      workers
      and
     
     
      No
      campaigners.
      Despite
      the
      avail-
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      thers
      ,,
     
     
      re
      pany
     
    
   
   
    
     
      CFS
      Ousted
      From
      UPEI
      Campus
     
    
   
   
    
     
             
     
     
       
        
     
     
        
     
     
        
     
     
        
     
     
         
     
     
        
     
     
         
     
     
       
     
     
          
     
     
       
     
     
         
     
    
   
   
    
     
        
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      ability
      of
      information,
      students.
     
     
      seemed
      uniformed
      about
      the
      issues
     
     
      central
      to
      the
      CFS
      debate.
      This
      may
     
     
      have
      been
      a
      factor
      in
      the
      voter
     
     
      turnout.
      The
      unofficial
      count
      was
     
     
      362
      ballots,
      or
      approximately
      13%
     
     
      of
      students.
      Of
      those,
      72%
      voted
      to
     
     
      leave
      the
      Federation,
      with
      25%
     
     
      checking
      ‘‘yes’’
      to
      CFS.
      The
      re-
     
     
      maining
      ballots
      were
      abstentions.
     
    

    
     
      A
      10%
      turnout
      was
      required
      to
     
     
      verify
      the
      referendum
      results.
      While
     
    
   
   
    
     
      CFS
      Referendum
      Voter
      Turnout
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      13%
      may
      seem
      low,
      this
      is
      an
      im-
     
     
      provement
      over
      the
      fall
      elections,
     
     
      which
      drew
      less
      than
      200
      voters.
     
     
      Chief
      Returning
      Officer
      (CRO)
     
     
      Patricia
      Embleton
      acknowledges
     
     
      that
      although
      this
      was
      a
      good
      refer-
     
     
      endum,
      it
      could
      have
      been
      better.
     
     
      “*This
      is
      a
      major
      issue
      --
      where
      our
     
     
      money
      is
      going
      --
      yet
      only
      362
     
     
      [students]
      decided
      the
      future.’’
      She
     
     
      stated
      ‘‘for
      other
      campaigns
      we
      have
     
     
      to
      figure
      our
      what
      is
      the
      best
      way
      --
     
     
      the
      most
      effective
      way
      --
      of
      cam-
     
     
      paigning
      to
      the
      students.’’
     
    
   
   
    
     
      _§
      UPET's
      official
     
    

    
     
      i.
      student
     
     
      newspaper
     
    

    
     
      FREE!!!
     
    
   
   
    
     
        
        
     
     
       
       
     
     
       
           
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Embleton
      welcomes
      input
      on
      how
      to
     
     
      improve
      the
      process:
      how
      to
      better
     
     
      get
      the
      information
      out
      to
      students,
     
     
      and
      how
      to
      get
      their
      votes.
      She
     
     
      would
      also
      like
      to
      thank
      all
      parties
     
     
      involved
      in
      the
      referendum,
      particu-
     
     
      larly
      those
      who
      were
      present
      for
      the
     
     
      counting
      of
      votes.
     
    

    
     
      There
      will
      undoubtably
      be
     
     
      mixed
      reactions
      to
      the
      referendum
     
     
      results.
      Some
      students
      will
      be
     
     
      reluctant
      to
      lose
      the
      services
      of
      CFS,
     
     
      while
      others
      are
      ready
      to
      strike
      out
     
     
      on
      their
      own.
      How
      CFS
      will
      react
      is
     
     
      unknown.
      PEI’s
      CFS
      fieldworker
     
     
      Joe
      Byrnes
      declined
      to
      comment
      on
     
     
      the
      referendum
      outcome.
     
    

    
     
      The
      decision
      to
      leave
      CFS
      will
     
     
      result
      in
      changes
      at
      UPEI.
      Students
     
     
      must
      now
      consider
      lobbying
      alterna-
     
     
      tives,
      and
      replacements
      for
      CFS
     
     
      services.
      Their
      options
      include
     
     
      other
      lobby
      groups
      such
      as
      CASA
     
     
      (Canadian
      Alliance
      of
      Student
     
     
      Associations)
      and
      Amnesty
      Interna-
     
     
      tional.
      The
      Student
      Union
      is
      also
     
     
      considering
      the
      development
      of
      a
     
     
      UPEI
      version
      of
      the
      popular
      Student
     
     
      Saver
      Card.
      President
      Amber
      Allin
     
     
      stated
      “‘we
      need
      to
      look
      at
      reallocat-
     
     
      ing
      the
      six
      dollars
      per
      student
      [that
     
     
      was
      paid
      to
      CFS],
      a
      portion
      of
      which
     
     
      may
      go
      into
      a
      student
      lobby
      group.
      .
     
     
      .
      it’s
      going
      to
      be
      a
      lot
      of
      work.”’
     
    

    
     
      Although
      voting
      is
      completed,
     
     
      student
      input
      is
      still
      needed.
      1996
      is
     
     
      presenting
      a
      volatile
      political
      situa-
     
     
      tion
      on
      national
      and
      provincial
     
     
      levels.
      Upcoming
      events
      that
      will
     
     
      be
      of
      importance
      to
      students
      include
     
     
      the
      National
      Action
      Day,
      and
      the
     
     
      PEI
      provincial
      elections.
      The
      SU
     
     
      needs
      ideas
      and
      suggestions
      on
      how
     
     
      to
      make
      the
      student
      voice
      heard.
      As
     
     
      VP
      External
      Fidel
      Murphy
      com-
     
     
      ments
      --
      ‘“we
      have
      to
      go
      on
      from
     
     
      here.”’