69´«Ã½Athletics and Recreation announce Athletes of the Week, February 16-22

The 69´«Ã½Panther Athletes of the Week for the week of February 9-15 are Danielle MacDonald, Women's Basketball, and Tyler Scott, Men's Basketball. 69´«Ã½Athletics and Recreation showcases these talented athletes to recognize their hard work and dedication to their respective sports. 69´«Ã½Athletes of the Week are also nominated to Atlantic University Sport and Canadian Interuniversity Sport for possible recognition in the region and/or country.

Who: Danielle MacDonald, Women's Basketball, and Tyler Scott, Men's Basketball

What: 69´«Ã½Panther Athletes of the Week

When: Week of February 16-22

Where: 69´«Ã½

Why: MacDonald, a fifth-year Bachelor of Science student from Sydney Mines, NS, had a career game in the Panthers 74-66 win over Acadia on Sunday, February 22 in Wolfville, NS. MacDonald recorded 24 points, 2 rebounds and 1 assist. She shot an almost perfect game, going 8-9 from the floor, 2-2 on three pointers, and 6-6 from the free throw line. On Saturday, during the Panthers 50-47 loss to Saint Mary's, MacDonald played defensively, recording 4 points, 4 rebounds, and 1 assist.

Scott, a second-year Bachelor of Business Administration student from Halifax, NS, enjoyed a strong game during the Panthers 94-84 win over Acadia, also on Sunday afternoon in Wolfville. Scott scored 33 points, shooting 14/23 from the floor with 11 rebounds and 3 assists. Scott did not dress for Saturday's 113-82 loss to Saint Mary's due to a nagging injury.

About 69´«Ã½Athletics 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, 69´«Ã½Alumni 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

Research on Tap: What good is a university degree?

Research on Tap returns for its sixth season of public discussion, debate, and ideas presented by researchers from the 69´«Ã½. Join our next conversation on Monday, March 2 at 7 pm at the Haviland Club in Charlottetown. Dr. Neb Kujundzic, associate professor of philosophy and dean of the Faculty of Arts, will lead a discussion entitled: What good is a university degree?

The 2014/2015 season of Research on Tap is presented in cooperation with the Royal Society of Canada (RSC), Atlantic Chapter. The RSC is Canada's national academy and is the senior national body of distinguished scholars, artists, and scientists.

Research on Tap meets the first Monday of every month from October to April.

Charlottetown native Victoria Barbour commits to Panthers

69´«Ã½ women's basketball coach Mark English is pleased to announce that Charlottetown native Victoria Barbour has committed to join the team for the 2015-16 season.

Barbour, a talented 5'7' guard who is currently enjoying a great season with the successful Colonel Gray Colonels, has been decorated throughout her high school career:

• 2012-2013 MVP, Colonel Gray Colonels
• 2012-2013 All Star, Moncton Ladies Basketball Classic
• 2012-2013 All Star, Capital City Classic Basketball Tournament in Fredericton
• 2012-2014 All Star, PEISAA Provincial High School Basketball (2012-13, 2013-14)
• 2012-2013 member of PEI Canada Games Team
• 2010-2011 Player of the Year, Basketball PEI (U14)
• 2010-2011 MVP, Basketball PEI U14 Provincial Tournament
• 2010-2011 All Star, Riverview Classic Tournament

Coach English comments, 'It is an exciting time here at 69´«Ã½for women's basketball and we are extremely excited to have Victoria join our team next fall. Her quickness and ability to finish around the basket is something that will make Victoria a tough guard in the AUS. She is a winner, and these are the qualities we are seeking in order to have our program remain a threat for years down the road.'

Barbour comments on her decision, 'My mom works at 69´«Ã½so I spent a lot of time there growing up. I took part in many of the Panther fun camps as well as the basketball and soccer camps. 69´«Ã½feels like home and academically, 69´«Ã½is one of the top schools so I felt it was the right choice. The basketball program is really impressive and I look forward to being a part of it!'

Barbour will be entering the Bachelor of Arts program at UPEI, majoring in Sociology.


About 69´«Ã½Athletics 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, 69´«Ã½Alumni 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

69´«Ã½students can register for 2015–16 courses earlier than ever before

Beginning this year, both new and returning 69´«Ã½students will be able to register earlier for 2015-16 courses than in previous years.

Incoming, first-year 69´«Ã½students can register for first-semester classes as early as March 2 through group sessions or individually by appointment with a first-year advisor. Students can also register for courses during 'Open Class Day' on March 6.

Open Class Day is an on-campus daylong event that provides incoming 69´«Ã½students with an overview of the Arts, Business, and Science programs through a variety of sample lectures along with on-site admissions and first-year advising. Students can sign up to attend at .

Registration for returning 69´«Ã½students opens in June as follows:

June 2 - fourth-year students
June 3 - third-year students
June 4 - second-year students
June 5 onward - registration remains open to all students

For more information about early registration dates for the 2015-16 academic year, visit .

69´«Ã½Women's Basketball recruits Haille Nickerson from Ontario

69´«Ã½ women's basketball coach Mark English is pleased to announce that Grimsby, Ontario, native Haille Nickerson has committed to join the Panthers for the 2015-16 season.

At 5'7', Nickerson is a standout guard who played with the Blessed Trinity Catholic Secondary School team for the past four years and was selected for the Niagara High School All Star game this year. She is currently a top player for the No Limit Performance team in the Canadian Youth Basketball League where her team has a record of 7-1, asserting herself as an offensive threat and leader.

Nickerson says, 'I'm very excited to be attending 69´«Ã½this fall and becoming part of the Panther family. Coach English is building a flourishing basketball program and I can't wait to be a part of it. The tight-knit community of 69´«Ã½will make it feel like home for me. The team and coaches there were so welcoming when I visited. I'm also looking forward to the small class sizes and academic opportunities-it is a great fit!'

Coach English comments, 'We are very excited to have Haille commit to our program. She is a very talented guard with an incredible work ethic. With her current team, No Limit Performance, she is training with one of Canada's top trainers, Mihai Raducanu. She is a worker and a winner on and off the court, and these are the qualities needed for 69´«Ã½to be a top basketball program in Canada.'

Haille will be entering the Kinesiology program at UPEI.

About 69´«Ã½Athletics 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, 69´«Ã½Alumni 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

69´«Ã½team places second at international NIBS case competition

Case competition teams from UPEI's School of Business continue to make their mark on the 2015 event circuit regionally, nationally, and now internationally.

The 69´«Ã½team of Shanice Sproule, Jeremy MacAulay, Luke Gaudet, and Kaitlyn Lord won the silver medal on Friday, Feburary 20 at the prestigious 20th annual NIBS Worldwide Case Competition, hosted by Carleton University in Ottawa.

President and Vice-Chancellor Alaa Abd-El-Aziz said, 'On behalf of the entire 69´«Ã½community, I congratulate Shanice, Jeremy, Luke, Kaitlyn, and coach Mary Whitrow, on this tremendous achievement. These students truly exemplify UPEI's vision of providing pathways for our students through experiential learning opportunities. I am so proud of their accomplishments at this international competition.'

'Congratulations to Shanice, Jeremy, Luke, Kaitlyn,' added Juergen Krause, dean of the School of Business. 'Their success is the culmination of great effort and dedication by the team and its coach, Mary. 69´«Ã½is enjoying fantastic results this season which is a testament to the quality of our Business Administration program and case competition courses.'

This is the third time a 69´«Ã½team has both attempted and qualified to compete at the Network of International Business Schools championship event. In 2013, the 69´«Ã½team tied for third place in the semifinals, while in 2014 69´«Ã½finished in the quarterfinals.

The NIBS case competition consists of a qualifying round and a championship round. In the qualifying round, students received a business case that they had never seen before, to read and analyze. They then had to submit, within eight hours, a written report that included strategies and recommendations to solve issues facing the business.

Of the over 30 teams from around the world that attempted to qualify, 69´«Ã½placed third in the qualifying round and was one of 16 teams that advanced to the championship round, a weeklong series of head-to-head, round-robin style competitions.

During the championship round week, each team was again challenged to come up with the best, strategic solutions for business problems, this time in under three hours. They then presented and defended their plan to a judging panel of professional and academic experts. Though six rounds of competition, 69´«Ã½earned their way to the final versus Universidad del Istmo from Guatemala on Friday afternoon.

In the first five rounds, 69´«Ã½competed against and defeated Colegio de Estudios Superiores de Administración (Columbia), London South Bank University (UK), Dublin Institute of Technology (Ireland), Satakunta University (Finland), and Jiangxi University of Finance and Economics (China).

The 69´«Ã½team is coached by Mary Whitrow, a recent 69´«Ã½graduate and case competition veteran who is now working in the School of Business. Whitrow and the student team members are grateful for the chance to compete at the international level. 'The students dedicated many long hours to secure their spot in the championship round,' she said. 'We couldn't have done it without the support from the faculty, staff, and the entire 69´«Ã½community.'

'Participating in an event with other business schools from all over the world was a phenomenal experience,' said team member Luke Gaudet. 'We had the opportunity to learn so much over the course of the week from industry professionals and academics on the judging panel, and we were able to develop so much as a team as a result. On top of that, we had the chance to meet a ton of fantastic people from Carleton and other competing schools. I am very grateful to my coach, teammates, faculty and Dean for making such a week possible.'

Another 69´«Ã½case team is currently competing at the international John Molson Undergraduate Case Competition in Montreal, Quebec.

69´«Ã½Recital Series continues on Sunday, March 8

The 69´«Ã½Recital Series continues on Sunday, March 8th at 2:30 pm with 'Prelude to Spring for Organ and Brass' at Trinity United Church, Prince Street, Charlottetown.

Organist Ruth Ann Read-Clay's solo work for this afternoon concert will include the Fantasie in G by J.S. Bach, Prelude by Pierne and works by Canadian composers Healey Willan and Mark Sirrett. The works for organ and brass, arranged by Dan St. Amand and Laura MacLeod, will include works by J.S. Bach, Handel, Charpentier, Albinoni and Jeremiah Clarke.

Ruth Ann Read-Clay studied organ with Dr. Alan Reesor and with Dr. John McIntosh (UWO) and is a graduate of the 69´«Ã½Music Department. She pursued further studies in piano accompanying and chamber music at Acadia University and the University of Brandon. Ruth Ann has held positions as Music Director of churches in Fredericton, N.B., Brandon, Manitoba and in Charlottetown. She is an experienced accompanist and founder/conductor of The Amabile Singers, a Charlottetown based chamber choir.

Dan St. Amand holds degrees in music and education from UPEI. He has been principal trumpet with the PEISO since 1974, and performs regularly with the 69´«Ã½Wind Ensemble and the Charlottetown Jazz Ensemble. Dan has performed with the orchestra at the Conderation Centre of the Arts and in Handel's Messiah. Retired after many years in the public school system, Dan continues to teach privately and is active as a free-lance musician both locally and off Island.

Laura MacLeod will be graduating from the 69´«Ã½Music Department this spring. She is a member of the 69´«Ã½Wind Symphony and was the featured soloist with the group this past November. She is also a member of the PEI Symphony, has performed with Confederation Brass for 8 years and was Principal Trumpet with the National Youth Band in 2011.

Filling out the brass ensemble will be Henry Orford (trumpet) and Daniel MacDonald (trombone). Henry is a grade 11 student at Colonel Gray High where he is part of the band program. He also plays with the 69´«Ã½Wind Symphony and has performed with the PEISO. Daniel is a third-year music major at 69´«Ã½where he performs with the 69´«Ã½Wind Symphony, the 69´«Ã½Jazz Band and as a member of the quintet Tonas Brass. He is also a member of the PEI Regiment Band and has performed for two seasons in bands for the Royal Nova Scotia International Tattoo.

Tickets for the recital are $15 Adults/ $10 Seniors & Students and are available at the door or online at

Winter’s Tales Author Reading Series: 69´«Ã½Creative Writing Master Class Showcase

One of PEI's most popular literary events, the annual reading by participants in UPEI's Creative Writing Master Class, will take place on Monday, March 23, at 7:00 pm in the Confederation Centre Art Gallery. Some of the Island's most talented new writers will read excerpts from their fiction, poetry, and creative non-fiction.

This year's featured writers are Chris Bailey, Michelle Barton, Charity Becker, Keith Burgoyne, Sarah Glassford, Ben Hartley, Santana Hourihan, Jessi McKellar, Debbie MacLellan, Bobby Madigan, Ruby Madigan, Olivia Robinson, Rhonda Schofield, and Allyson Trainor.

The public is invited and admission is free. Contact: Dr. Richard Lemm at (902) 566-0389, rlemm@upei.ca.

69´«Ã½Writer in Residence: Workshops and Reading

One of Atlantic Canada's finest poets and creative writing teachers, Dr. Brian Bartlett, will be UPEI's writer in residence during March 11-14. Dr. Bartlett has also distinguished himself as an expert on nature writing, especially poetry with an environmental focus, sometimes called eco­poetry.

Dr. Bartlett will read from his new book Ringing Here and There: A Nature Calendar on Thursday, March 12, at 7:30 pm in the Confederation Centre Art Gallery. His reading is hosted by the 69´«Ã½English Department and Dean of Arts with support from The Canada Council for the Arts and the Art Gallery.

A professor of Creative Writing and Literature at Saint Mary's University, Dr. Bartlett will also give two workshops-nature writing and poetry-on Saturday, March 14 at UPEI. For further information about the workshops and to register, contact the English Department: tjohnston@upei.ca or 566­0389. His workshops are co­sponsored by the PEI Writers' Guild and the 69´«Ã½English Department and Dean of Arts.

Bartlett was born in St. Stephen, New Brunswick, grew up in Fredericton, lived for fifteen years in Montreal, and moved to Halifax in 1990. His poetry collections include The Afterlife of Trees and Wanting the Day: Selected Poems, which won the 2004 Atlantic Poetry Prize. A playful as well as serious poet, he wrote an entire chapbook of haiku about Charlie Chaplin, and used the haiku form to capture the cityscape of Halifax's West End: 'Oh for X­rays to show / all the trees roots holding / these streets together.' Bartlett's poetry and workshops have that X­ray quality.

Vagabond Productions Goes Political

2015 is sure to be a year of important elections for both PEI and Canada. In preparation, UPEI's Vagabond Productions plans to throw its audience a hardball. After going old-school with a Greek classic last year, Vagabond now tackles a controversial Canadian political play called Captives of the Faceless Drummer by George Ryga, best known for The Ecstasy of Rita Joe. When asked about his choice, Dr. Greg Doran, Coordinator of Theatre Studies at UPEI, said, 'I chose Captives because it is a bit of a forgotten Canadian classic. Also, when rereading it, I was struck by how contemporary it feels, despite being written in 1971.'

The play opens in a near-future dystopian Canada. Harry, a respected diplomat, is hostage to a violent revolutionary cell led by the enigmatic Commander. The action bounces between past and present and offers glimpses into Harry and the Commander's memories as they struggle to find common ground, despite overwhelming differences between them. When asked about the biggest challenge for the cast, Dr. Doran had an immediate response. 'The style of the production is new to the cast. We are breaking down the fourth wall, putting the audience on three sides, and defying conventional theatre practices. It is really cool, but very challenging for the cast.'

The show runs on the 69´«Ã½campus, in the Faculty Lounge of Main Building, March 10 to 14. The doors open at 7 pm for a 7:30 pm curtain. Admission is pay-what-you-can, so there are no advanced sales. The play deals with mature subject matter and includes mature language, so it may not be appropriate for everyone. For more information, call (902) 566-6013 or email gdoran@upei.ca.