UPEI Fencing Club member Spencer McGregor had a successful weekend at the UNB Shield tournament in Fredericton, March 12-13. Spencer won a bronze medal in Senior Mixed Épée and captured a silver medal in University Épée. Tournament organizers stated that this year's Shield was the largest ever, with 94 registrations total across eleven events. This was the first time that the annual tournament included university events as part of the Atlantic University Fencing Circuit, which began in 2015 to encourage competition among university fencers.

Spencer is a Kinesiology student and also serves as President of the PEI Fencing Association.

Congratulations, Spencer!

The UPEI Iranian Society invites the community to the UPEI campus for an evening of live music, dancing, entertainment, and a Persian/Afghani dinner and dessert to celebrate the Persian New Year, Nowruz.

Nowruz, literally "New Day" in Persian, has been celebrated by Iranian peoples worldwide as the beginning of the new year for over 3,000 years in the Balkans, the Black Sea Basin, the Caucasus, Central Asia, and the Middle East. 

The festive evening will begin Sunday, March 20 at 6:30 pm at McMillan Hall, W.A. Murphy Student Centre.

General admission is $25 while VIP tickets are $40 each. Admission is free for children six years old and under. After March 18, ticket prices will be $50 for general admission and $75 for VIP tickets. Tickets for the event are available at www.PersianPEI.ca/tickets.

For more information, email UPEI Iranian Society advisor and coordinator Amir Hosseinzadeh at info@PersianPEI.ca.

A joint research project at the University of Prince Edward Island and Cape Breton University is seeking families with a member who migrates to northern Alberta to work in the oil and gas sector. The research team is led by Dr. Christina Murray, assistant professor at UPEI’s School of Nursing, and includes Dr. Ashlee Cunsolo Willox, Canada Research Chair in Determinants of Healthy Communities at Cape Breton University, and Dr. Doug Lionais, associate professor at CBU’s Shannon School of Business. The project is supported by an Insight Development Grant from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC).

“Our team is exploring mobile work from a number of different lenses, to gain a better understanding of how our quest for energy and natural resources affects our society and our position on the world stage,” said Dr. Murray. “To our knowledge, this project is the first in Canada to explore how the coming and going between the Maritimes and northern Alberta is impacting intergenerational family members: those who leave for employment, those who are left behind, and the role of extended family members such as grandparents who support families participating in mobile work. This research will help us better understand how intergenerational family members are experiencing the coming and going of loved ones in Maritime Canada.”

A significant portion of workers in Alberta oil sands projects come from Atlantic Canada. Despite this recent labour trend, specific statistics of mobile labour flows are not known. This lack of information leaves a critical gap in our understanding of the phenomenon, particularly, the number of people leaving for employment, the number of people left behind, and the impact on individuals, families, and communities.

“Mobile work, when undertaken in such great numbers, restructures the very fabric of a community,” said Dr. Lionais. “This occurs first and foremost at the family level as members shift and adapt to having one member periodically absent from the household.”

“While we know that mobile work effects many families in PEI and Cape Breton, what we don’t yet know is the type or the extent of these impacts,” said Dr. Cunsolo Willox. “We are excited to work with families on both Islands, as well as key stakeholders, to further explore and understand the ways in which individuals, families, and communities are experiencing this type of labour structure, and working together to find ways to support both the workers and their families.”

Phase one of the research has already been completed, as the team has identified and interviewed community leaders, volunteers, and professionals who support families with a mobile family member. In phase two, the team will be recruiting families across Prince Edward Island and Cape Breton who are willing to talk about their experiences.

If your family has a member who travels back and forth to northern Alberta and would like to learn more about the project, or how to participate in it, please contact Dr. Christina Murray at 902-303-0303 or cfmurray@upei.ca.

The Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC) is the federal research-funding agency that promotes and supports postsecondary-based research and research training in the humanities and social sciences. By focusing on developing talent, generating insights and forging connections across campuses and communities, SSHRC strategically supports world-leading initiatives that reflect a commitment to ensuring a better future for Canada and the world.

The University of Prince Edward Island has partnered with the UPEI Student Union and PEI Liquor Control Commission on a responsible alcohol consumption campaign called “Keep it Social.”

“We’re excited to launch this highly-visual and provocative campaign at UPEI, to build awareness and to start a dialogue about high-risk alcohol consumption and the associated harms,” said Haley Doherty, UPEI Residence Life Coordinator. “We are grateful to the PEI Liquor Control Commission for their support.”

“The UPEI Student Union is committed to help promote long-term social and behavioural change when it comes to alcohol consumption,” said Nathan Hood, UPEISU Vice-President, Student Activities. “We understand that students will drink, but we want everyone to identify and practice supportive behaviours.”

A partnership that originated between the Nova Scotia Liquor Commission and Nova Scotia universities, “Keep it Social” is a branded, student-led, social responsibility initiative that is now being adopted by UPEI in partnership with the PEILCC.  It is part of a long-term, collaborative strategy aimed at promoting responsible consumption and harm reduction among university and college students. Preliminary discussions are underway to expand it to post-secondary institutions in New Brunswick and Newfoundland and Labrador.

The “social vs. sloppy” on-campus advertising that appears on items like posters, table tent cards, mirror clings, digital screens, banners, and on social media demonstrates normalized versus at-risk behavior in relevant scenarios relatable to students. In one poster, the creative compares how dancing or “busting a move” is social, while “busting a window” is messy. Another shows how “trusting the hype” is sloppy, while “trusting your gut” is social.

Keepitsocial.ca provides broader information around responsible use and behaviour and the web address appears on each of the printed and digital products used in the on-campus advertising campaign. The ad products have been placed in the UPEI residences, at the campus pub, The Wave, and throughout the W.A. Murphy Student Centre.
 

A team of students from the University of Prince Edward Island is seeking sponsors and donors to support its entry in the 2016 Baja SAE Competition. Baja SAE challenges students to design, build, and market a robust Baja-style vehicle, which is judged using a number of criteria.

“We have an enthusiastic team and are confident that we will be competitive in our inaugural year,” said Andrew Simmons, a student member of the UPEI Baja SAE team. “There are a lot of bright, creative minds on our team and we are fortunate to have the full support of our faculty in this venture.”

The Baja SAE competition offers a valuable experience for all members of the team, encouraging the development of skills such as problem-solving, project management, and teamwork. The team is mainly comprised of students from UPEI’s new School of Sustainable Design Engineering, with additional members from other faculties. The team operates in small groups to design the various subsystems of the vehicle, which will be integrated into the overall design.

“The students have taken a lot of initiative in this project, and the design is developing rapidly,” said Jeff Bowser, a design technician in the School of Sustainable Design Engineering, and supervisor of the UPEI Baja SAE team. “The team has the support of the school and really just needs the help of sponsors to make this vehicle a reality. Many of the team members are going to be in the first graduating class from the new Engineering School so this is an amazing way for them to show what they are capable of. ”

The team will take their vehicle to a competition next spring in Rochester, New York. The competition consists of two segments. A static portion awards points based on design, cost, and a sales presentation. The dynamic events of the competition awards points based on vehicle performance under in vigorous field tests, including a four-hour endurance race.

The team is seeking sponsors at all levels to help them reach their fundraising goal of $30,000. Sponsors will be recognized with logos placed on the competition vehicle. All proceeds will go to cover vehicle design, registration, and travel for the team.

For more information, or to find out how to become a donor or sponsor, contact Jeff Bowser at jbowser@upei.ca or (902) 566-0764.

University of Prince Edward Island Men’s Basketball Coach Tim Kendrick announced today that Burlington, Ontario native Kyle Rotterman has committed to the Panthers for 2016–17.

“We are very pleased to have Kyle join us the Panther family,” says Coach Kendrick. “He is a very hardworking player, with solid skills and a high basketball IQ. He brings a strong competitive nature, and his previous coaches have stated that he is a great leader and team player.”

Rotterman, a graduate of Nelson High School, played with the first division Burlington Force in the AAU (Amateur Athletic Union) circuit. He led the seventh-seeded U19 Force to the silver medal in the D1 AAU season-ending tournament. 

“My choice to commit to UPEI was simple,” comments Rotterman. “It's a small, tight-knit community and a place I know I'll be able to really focus on school and basketball. From day one, talking to Coach Kendrick, I knew this was the best fit for me.” 

“Coach Kendrick is a very passionate and reliable coach who runs one of the best programs in the CIS. It was truly a blessing and exciting moment when he told me they wanted me to be a Panther,” says Rotterdam. “I couldn't be more thankful and thrilled to represent UPEI for the next five years.”

Coach Kendrick adds, “We believe that Kyle will add great depth to our present backcourt situation, and that he certainly has the potential to be a significant leader for our team as he progresses through his UPEI career. A solid student, Kyle definitely fits our motto of ‘best effort and best attitude, every day in every way!’”

Rotterman will be entering the Faculty of Arts at UPEI in September.

About UPEI Athletics and Recreation
• Nine varsity sports and six club team programs
• Proud member of the AUS and CIS
• Athletic facilities include: Chi-Wan Young Sports Centre, UPEI Alumni Canada Games Place
• Home of Panther Sports Medicine
• Other facilities available to students and the community at large include: fitness centre, squash and racquetball courts, competition and leisure pool with hot tub, and two ice arenas

The 2016 Farmers Helping Farmers-AVC senior veterinary student trip was a resounding success, with over 600 smallholder dairy farmers receiving education and services in health management and over 550 animals individual treatments or health management interventions. Another 150 animals were treated for identified health problems.

As well, four Kenyan veterinary students (Titus Kinaru, Emily Kilonzi, Vivian Sciina, and Edward Kariuki), three AVC students (Alden West, Amanda Alexandre, and Jessie MacQuarrie), and many animal health personnel received clinical training in the treatment and health management of dairy cattle on smallholder farms.

During the first week, the team was joined by veterinarians Drs. Bill Hazen and Shauna Richards, supported by Vets without Borders-Canada, to provide additional training on how to handle veterinary problems in the Kenyan context.

The major health problems observed included infectious diseases (over 20 cases of East Coast Fever and 13 coughing cattle), parasite infestations, udder infections, and insufficient nutrition, leading to low milk production, poor reproduction, and inadequate growth. We also saw numerous eye and skin problems, many reproductive checks, and miscellaneous conditions.

The Canadian and Kenyan veterinary students exchanged information on their respective countries and the great challenges of international development work, self-sustainability, veterinary medicine, and producing and marketing milk in poor, remote areas of Kenya, along with new techniques and theories of dairy cattle health management.

“It is always an incredible experience in Kenya working in partnership with the Kenyan people for improvements in sustainable livelihoods,” says Dr. John VanLeeuwen, professor of epidemiology and ruminant health management at AVC.  “They do so much with so little, and are so appreciative of what we offer, despite living in poverty. This attitude and love of life certainly helps us to put things in the right perspective, and to really appreciate what we have in Canada. I don’t complain about Canadian potholes or traffic jams anymore—not after some very bumpy Kenyan backroads (complete with moon craters) and a five-hour traffic jam!”

Various veterinary pharmaceutical companies, including Bimeda, Boehringer, Merck, and Vetoquinol, provided products for the project, which enabled the veterinary team to provide suitable treatments for the animals that they encountered. The team appreciated the financial support from Merck and members of the Atlantic cattle and veterinary community, including veterinary clinics in Baddeck, Cornwall, and Montague; animal hospitals in Berwick, Sackville, and Shediac; Downsview Vet Hospital, Douglas Animal Hospital, Fundy Vets, Ross Vet Services, PEI Holstein Association, and Drs. Marc Verschoor and Martha Sweeting.

Thank you again to all our supporters for your assistance in making this all possible.
 

The National Youth Choir of Canada is an ensemble of elite choral singers which convenes every two years, coinciding with Choral Canada’s biennial Podium conference. This May, the National Youth Choir will begin its residency in Edmonton with a one-week rehearsal period in preparation of its tour of Alberta. The 2016 ensemble will be under the direction of renowned choral conductor Michael Zaugg. Representatives are auditioned by each province and selected based on skill level and voice type. This year, PEI will represented by four singers: Lindsay Gillis (soprano), Alexandra Smith (alto), William Millington (tenor), and Parker Clements (baritone). This will be the first National Youth Choir experience for Gillis and Smith, while Clements and Millington are both returning alumni from the 2014 tour.

As part of their fundraising initiative, PEI’s National Youth Choir participants will be presenting a recital at the Kirk of St. James on Saturday April 9 at 7:30 pm. The program will include quartets, chorales, and solo pieces, and will featuring works by Bach, Barber, Donizetti, Greer, Loewe, Mahler, Mozart, Oliver, and Ravel. The singers will be accompanied by Frances McBurnie and joined by special guest Hannah Rollwage (National Youth Choir Alumni 2014). Admission is by donation and all proceeds will go toward the choir’s tuition costs.

The UPEI Department of Music presents its annual Spring Choral Concert on Friday, April 1 at 7:30 pm at the Dr. Steel Recital Hall, UPEI.

The concert, under the direction of Sung-Ha Shin Bouey, will feature the UPEI Concert Choir and Chamber Singers performing selections from St Matthew Passion by J.S. Bach as well as musical gems from well-known operas and musicals.

Guests that evening will be Le Ragazze Vocal Ensemble and I Ragazzi Jrs Children's Choir. Musicians Leo Marchildon, Natalie Williams Calhoun, Marc DesRoches, Sean Kemp, and Morgan Saulnier will accompany the choirs.

Tickets are $10 Adults/Seniors and $5 Students and are available online or by calling or e-mailing the Music Department at 902-566- 0507/music@upei.ca.

On Saturday, April 16 at 7:30 pm at the Dr. Steel Recital Hall (UPEI), Parker Clements will present “Into My Own: A Senior Recital” as part of the UPEI Student Recital Series. His program will include classics of the baritone repertoire such as Ravel’s Don Quichotte à Dulcinée, Finzi’s Let Us Garlands Bring, and Barber’s Three Songs (Op.10) on poetry by James Joyce. Works by Handel, Mahler, and Mozart will also be featured. Clements will be accompanied by Frances McBurnie on piano. Admission is free.

Parker Clements is a graduating voice major in the Bachelor of Music program at the University of Prince Edward Island. He has completed his degree under the tutelage of professor Stephen Bouey. Clements has been a featured soloist with the UPEI Concert Choir, UPEI Chamber Singers, Kirk of St. James Choir, New Brunswick Youth Choir, UPEI Jazz Band, and most recently, the Charlottetown Jazz Ensemble. He is an alumnus of the National Youth Choir of Canada (2014) and will be returning to the group for its tour of Alberta this coming May. He has performed in Mavor Moore’s “A Christmas Carol” (Confederation Centre), “Le Grand Cercle” (Festival de l’Escaouette), and the title role in Mozart’s “The Marriage of Figaro” (UPEI Opera). Upon graduating, Clements intends to continue his vocal studies at the Master’s level in pursuit of a career in opera.