69´«Ã½

69´«Ã½women's rugby team will honour former player Jessica MacDonald at their season opener against St. Thomas University on Saturday, September 8 at 3:00 pm. MacDonald will be honoured at a special ceremony before the game at 2:45 pm. Following the rugby game, alumni, family, and friends are invited to a reception at The Wave, UPEI's campus pub.

MacDonald, a public affairs contractor with the Department of National Defence, just returned home after a seven-month deployment in the Arabian Sea. She credits the education she received at 69´«Ã½for her strong writing and communications skills. She also believes her time playing rugby contributed to her success. 'The toughness and ability to push myself in rugby are skills I use often when deployed. The friendships and memories from athletics at 69´«Ã½are also top of mind when times are tough.'

MacDonald played rugby for the University as well as hockey for two seasons. As a determined dual athlete, MacDonald earned UPEI's Female Athlete of the Year in the 2004-05 athletic season, the only women's rugby player to ever receive the honour. During her time playing rugby for UPEI, she was also a Canadian Interuniversity Sport (CIS) All-Canadian in 2004, an Atlantic University Sport (AUS) All-Star in 2004-05, and a recipient of the team's Most Valuable Player award.

"We hope to see lots of alumni, family, and friends out for the game as we celebrate Jessica's time at UPEI,' said head coach Shannon Atkins. 'We are looking forward to our home opener on Saturday and we're hoping to start the season on a winning note.'

MacDonald coached rugby at the high school level and is a former 69´«Ã½assistant coach. She holds a bachelor of arts degree from UPEI, a bachelor of education degree from Memorial University, and will begin her master's degree in communication at Royal Roads University this fall.

The 69´«Ã½men's basketball team is excited to announce that Nova Scotian native Mandrez Downey will be joining the Panthers for the 2012-13 season. The Cole Harbour District High School graduate was MVP of the Metro High School League, leading the league twice in scoring.

Downey was also a starting player for Nova Scotia's entry in the 2009 Canada Games, playing a key role in the team's silver medal finish. At the national level, Downey has received tryout invitations for the cadet and junior men's national teams.

69´«Ã½head coach Tim Kendrick has extreme confidence in Downey, having coached him previously with the Nova Scotian Canada Games team. 'He is a combo guard that can really shoot the ball. More importantly, I know he is a determined young player who will give us his all, both on the court and in the classroom,' said Kendrick.

Downey is excited and eager to get started with the Panthers this fall. 'I'm very happy to be at 69´«Ã½and to be playing again for Coach Kendrick,' he said. 'I know I will become a better player here, and will do my best in school and on the court to support my teammates.'

The Panthers begin the exhibition season by hosting the Mickey Place Basketball Tournament, October 12-14, with teams from across Canada competing in the event. Season passes are now on sale, which include admission to the tournament-contact (902) 566-0432 or pantherpass@upei.ca.

UPEI's Department of Music Recital Series begins its 2012-13 season on Saturday, September 15 at 7:30 pm, in the Dr. Steel Recital Hall, with Clarinet Spectrum: Lyrical Traditions, featuring the faculty duo of clarinetist Karem J. Simon in collaboration with pianist Frances Gray.

As its title suggests, this performance will showcase many lyrical pieces from the clarinet repertoire, including two masterworks for clarinet and piano. Francis Poulenc's Sonata was among the last pieces written by this French composer. It is imbued with typical French flare capturing the salon style of mid-twentieth century France. Poulenc, a pianist, exploits the technical and expressive qualities of the clarinet supported by idiomatic piano effects.

Johannes Brahms wrote two sonatas for clarinet and piano as a result of his fascination with Richard Mühlfeld, one of the leading clarinetists of the late nineteenth century. Mühlfeld was an accomplished violinist, but was able to play the clarinet so well that he assumed the principal chair of the Meiningen Orchestra, among the finest European orchestras of its time. It is believed that he possessed a compelling artistry, which inspired Brahms to suspend his retirement and compose some of his finest chamber music. The two Sonatas Op. 120 integrate clarinet and piano seamlessly as it is the resulting composite that is truly remarkable. Brahms was a virtuoso pianist with particularly large hands and both sonatas place immense demands on the pianist. That Brahms, himself, participated in the first performances of these sonatas is indicative of the high regard he had for them. While the first sonata, which Simon and Gray performed this past summer, is the more passionate of the two, the second-featured during this recital-is much more intimate. Brahms uses the melancholy character of the clarinet tone to weave melodies spanning several octaves that evoke moods that are warm and welcoming. The dialogue between clarinet and piano represent deeply profound yet highly sensitive exchanges.

Other works on the program include transcriptions of Claude Debussy's The Girl with the Flaxen Hair and a baroque work by Georg Phillip Telemann, both of which Simon will perform on the smaller E-flat clarinet. Another piece, Denneriana by André Bloch, is a typical French contest piece exploiting the virtuosity capable on the clarinet.

The performers are long-serving members of the 69´«Ã½music faculty. Gray is well-known for her breadth of work as a soloist, collaborative pianist, and chamber musician, while Simon, who performed this summer at the International Clarinet Association's conference, is also recognized as a conductor and music educator.

UPEI's School of Nursing, in partnership with the Association of Registered Nurses of PEI (ARNPEI), recently hosted a workshop on campus for the Prince Edward Island nursing community. Rachel Bard, CEO of the Canadian Nurses Association (CNA) and a member of CNA's National Expert Commission on health-care delivered the keynote address.

The workshop welcomed approximately 70 nurses from all facets of the health-care system who came together to discuss the Commission's final report: A Nursing Call to Action.

'It's a pleasure to be able to come to PEI, reach out, and share the report-a blueprint to bring transformation and change to the health-care system,' said Bard. 'This workshop allows RNs with diverse backgrounds to come together and play a leadership role going forward.'

Dr. Rosemary Herbert, Dean of UPEI's School of Nursing, expressed her gratitude for Bard's visit. 'The School of Nursing is excited to work with Rachel and nurses across PEI to implement the report's recommendations,' she said. 'We look forward to working together on the implications for nursing education.'

ARNPEI representatives were also present at the workshop, including President Cheryl Banks. 'It's wonderful working with such a broad range of nurses to develop a unified voice in nursing,' she said. 'We need to work together to establish how nurses can make a difference in ensuring the health of our province and nation.'

The workshop was geared towards finding solutions to improve the health status of Islanders, to set goals, and to see the impact that RNs have here on PEI. The discussions focused on raising awareness, creating a movement, and leading changes to provoke nurses to work together to achieve maximum results.

To read the National Expert Commission's final report, visit

69´«Ã½men's hockey head coach Forbes MacPherson is pleased to announce that Jamie Blanchard will join the coaching staff as an assistant coach. Blanchard joins MacPherson, Kenny MacDougall, and former players Josh Patterson and Devan Praught behind the bench.

'Jamie brings a wealth of experience and professionalism to our program,' said MacPherson. 'He played five years of 69´«Ã½Panther hockey, and has maintained his connection to the program over the years. His support will help us go to the next level, especially with his expertise in goaltending.'

Blanchard is well-known in the hockey community having played minor hockey on various teams including: QMJHL Verdun Jr. Canadiens, Granby Bisons, 69´«Ã½Panthers, and the Maritime Senior Champions where he was awarded ‘Most Valuable Player' and ‘Top Goalie' honours.

'I am excited and proud to have the opportunity to join the 69´«Ã½men's hockey coaching staff,' said Blanchard. 'This is where I developed as a player and a coach in the 90s.'

Blanchard is no stranger to Panther Sport, having played 69´«Ã½hockey from 1988-2003, winning the AUAA banner in 1990-91. He was dubbed ‘Most Dedicated Panther' in 1993. Blanchard is also a well- respected goalie coach, having coached the 69´«Ã½men's hockey team from 1998-2002, and the 69´«Ã½women's hockey team since 2010. He was coach of the Charlottetown Abbies from 1997-2002 and the PEI Rocket from 2003-2012.

The 69´«Ã½men's hockey team begins their regular season on Friday, October 12, when they host rival Université de Moncton at 7:00 pm. Seasons seats are now on sale by visiting .

UPEI, along with the PEI Department of Education and Early Childhood Development and the PEI Department of Health and Wellness, today released the results of the 2010-11 School Health Action Planning and Evaluation System (SHAPES-PEI) survey. SHAPES-PEI gathers information from students in grades 5 through 12 about healthy eating, physical activity, mental fitness, and tobacco use. This is the second release of data since SHAPES-PEI began in 2008.

'The impetus for SHAPES-PEI came years ago,' said Dr. Donna Murnaghan, principal investigator of SHAPES-PEI and associate professor of nursing at UPEI. 'We were being faced with startling statistics for obesity and physical activity levels in Island adults. We realized we were looking at the wrong end of the chain. We needed to start by examining the lifestyles and health of our youth.'

SHAPES-PEI provides a snapshot of the health behaviours of PEI students. Sterling Carruthers, school health specialist for the PEI Department of Education and Early Childhood Development, said it's important to not just look at physical activity and eating habits, but also mental fitness.

'Think of mental fitness as a tool to measure how a student feels about herself or himself,' said Carruthers. 'How is mental fitness related to health behaviours? We want to understand what makes students feel good about themselves, and how that contributes to healthy lifestyle choices.'

The 69´«Ã½Student Union Shinerama campaign is in full force, so far having raised $29,100 for cystic fibrosis (CF) research during New Student Orientation week activities. Activities are also planned for the coming months in hopes of matching or beating their fundraising goal of $30,000.

Mark Scott, 69´«Ã½Shinerama coordinator, said Shine Day went extremely well, with even the weather cooperating-this year was said to be the first nice Shine Day in four years. 'There were enthusiastic and spirited first-year students as well as leaders,' said Scott. 'Overall, the day was amazing, and I would like to thank everyone involved including our first-years, leaders, and sponsors.'

Shinerama is Canada's largest post-secondary fundraiser with over 60 university and college campuses taking part each year. 69´«Ã½joined more than 35,000 students across the country to raise awareness and funds for CF treatment and research. 69´«Ã½has been taking part in the national fundraiser since 1977 and is known for its successful Shinerama campaigns. In 2007, the University was awarded ‘best overall campaign' in Canada.

Stay tuned for 69´«Ã½Shinerama events taking place on campus. To find out how you can donate, contact Mark Scott, 69´«Ã½Shinerama Coordinator at (902) 626-8955 or mascott@upei.ca, or visit !

Each week, we'll be asking students to submit a photo around a particular theme, and a guest judge (faculty or staff member) will select their favourite photo. The winning photographer will take home a prize. FUN!

You can submit your photo on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, or by email. Just be sure to tag your image with #upeiphoto to have it entered in the contest!

Check out winning photos from and . Check out this week's theme "." Good luck to all entrants!

There are poets who capture the literary spotlight and wider public appreciation with poems that tap into compelling concerns of the day. And there are poets who book after book, with elegant artistry and eloquent sensibilities, steadily earn the admiration of peers and readers. Then there are such poets as Maureen Hynes and Ruth Roach Pierson who have done both. Hynes and Pierson will read from their new work on Monday, September 24, at 7:30 pm in the Faculty Lounge, Main Building at the 69´«Ã½.

Ruth Roach Pierson published her first book of poems, Where No Window Was, after retiring from 31 years of teaching as a historian and feminist scholar at Memorial University of Newfoundland, and later at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education of the University of Toronto. Her best-known scholarly publication is They're Still Women After All: The Second World War and Canadian Womanhood.

Pierson's second poetry book, Aide-Mémoire, a finalist for the Governor General's Award for Poetry, delves into the dangers and delights of growing older. There is the increasing unreliability of memory, but also the continuing pleasure and surprise to be found in nature and the arts, as well as the people, objects, and events from the past, aides-mémoire, binding us to the experience of 'now.'

Her new collection, Contrary, articulates the oppositional emotions connected with the loss of a loved one. While humour and fond remembrance permeate these poems, Contrary is also an unflinching portrayal of the emotional maelstrom that overtook the poet as she faced the dying and death of her only brother.

Maureen Hynes' new book, Marrow, Willow, is a joyful, personal look at the 'human project of mortality.' She tells us how she came into her own as a poet many years after abandoning earlier attempts. In a magazine interview, she speaks of the 'amazingly difficult challenge of discovering what you want to say,' and the 'equally joyous and felt-in-the-body pleasure of what language can do.'

Hynes' first book, Rough Skin, won the League of Canadian Poets' best first book award. Her other books are Letters from China and Harm's Way. Her work appears in Best Canadian Poetry 2010. She is on the board of MayWorks, Toronto's annual Festival of Working People and the Arts, and is poetry editor for Our Times magazine.

Their reading is sponsored by the 69´«Ã½English Department, with generous support from the Canada Council for the Arts. A reception and book signing will follow. Admission is free and all are welcome.