By the time Virginia Arsenault was six years old, she dreamt of climbing Mount Everest. Her school books and bedroom were plastered with posters and photos of Mount Everest, K2, and Denali-some of the world's tallest peaks.

But at age thirteen, Arsenault's dreams of climbing seemed remote when she was told her right kidney was no longer functioning and needed to be removed. Shortly after her fourteenth birthday, doctors removed the damaged kidney, and thankfully, Arsenault's left kidney was working at full capacity both before and after the surgery. Having experienced something so life-changing at such a young age, she knew she had to do more to help those in similar situations.

In May 2009, while studying arts at the University of Prince Edward Island, Arsenault became an avid volunteer with the PEI chapter of the Kidney Foundation of Canada (KFOC), where she helped organize such events as door-to-door campaigns, walkathons, and carnivals. She also worked as a summer student and coordinator of the KFOC's PEI Chapter from 2009-11. Although she was fulfilling a dream of giving back to the Kidney Foundation of Canada, her dream of becoming a mountaineer remained unfulfilled.

That summer, Arsenault decided to take the first step toward making climbing a reality. She joined an expedition to Island Peak, a 6189-metre-high mountain in the Himalayas, considered to be a great climb for beginners. In May 2010, Arsenault arrived in Nepal where she began her trek out of the small village of Lukla. For three weeks, she found herself surrounded by Himalayan giants such as Mount Everest, Cho Oyu, Lhotse, and even had the opportunity to hike up Gokyo Ri, a small peak by Himalayan standards, but at 5257 metres, higher than most mountains in Canada.

Arsenault described standing on the summit of Gokyo Ri as the best moment of her life as she watched the sun rise over Mount Everest and the other peaks. 'Standing on the summit of Gokyo Ri literally took my breath away; it was a surreal experience,' she said. The group was unable to reach Island Peak because a storm system had moved over the Everest region. 'Although I wasn't able to climb Island Peak, I still feel like my expedition was a success as the experience truly affirmed my love for the mountains and my drive to climb the world's tallest mountains,' she added.

Arsenault continued climbing in 2010, climbing Aconcagua, the tallest mountain in South America. During her Christmas holidays, she flew to Argentina and joined five other mountaineers in an attempt to climb one of the famous Seven Summits. The group managed to summit a neighbouring peak, Cerro Bonete, but unfortunately a few days later, a raging blizzard and lightning storm forced the group to descend the mountain, halting their journey to reach Aconcagua's summit.

'Though I still long to return to Aconcagua and attempt to reach the summit of the Americas one day, I knew I had to first return to the Himalayas-the mountains that I had completely fallen in love with,' said Arsenault. 'I also decided that I wanted to combine my passion for mountains with another passion-helping others with kidney disease. So my upcoming trip will be a fundraiser for the Kidney Foundation of Canada.'

Arsenault hopes to raise awareness about the work of the Kidney Foundation along with funds, as she climbs Island Peak, Lobuche East (6119 m) and Chukung Ri (5565 m). From September 15-October 14, she will be joining a group of mountaineers in her quest to climb some of the most spectacular mountains in the world.

Arsenault graduated from UPEI in May 2012 at the top of her class, receiving the Ambrose Kwok-Yau Lee Award and the UPEI Alumni Association Prize. She is currently working on her honours thesis in history with a focus on the French Resistance in the Second World War and expects to complete it by April 2013.

The University of Prince Edward Island announced today that Greg Gould will take the reins as head coach of the women's basketball team. Gould, originally from Moncton, New Brunswick, most recently coached the Riverview High School's girls basketball team and will begin his new post at UPEI immediately.

Ron Annear, UPEI's Director of Athletics and Recreation said 'Greg Gould is an experienced, committed and highly successful coach. We are pleased with the direction of our women's basketball program, and now very excited to bring Greg on board to take our program to the next level.'

Gould is honoured to join the Panthers family and eager to work with UPEI athletics, alumni, and the PEI basketball community to move the program forward. 'My goal is to help make the team a consistent AUS contender and ultimately, a team that can compete at the national level,' said Gould. 'I believe that through hard work and commitment, we will achieve this goal. I also look forward to working with student athletes to help them excel both on the court and in the classroom.'

Gould has coached basketball for 42 years, leading girls basketball teams at Moncton, Fredericton, and Riverview high schools, six times to the New Brunswick Interscholastic Athletic Association (NBIAA) AAA provincial championships. He also coached at the post-secondary level, including the St. Thomas University and the New Brunswick Teachers' College women's teams, and for a variety of provincial basketball teams. Gould, a NCCP Level 2 certified coach, is a recipient of the Atlantic Colleges Athletic Association (ACAA) Coach of the Year, Basketball New Brunswick Coaches Award, and the NBIAA Women's Coach of the Year award.

A member of the UPEI women's basketball team, Jenna Jones, also played for Gould on the Riverview High School team and can't imagine a better coach for the Panthers. 'He is someone I have always looked up to,' said Jones. 'He has great experience and knows so much about the game. Coach Gould can improve and build a winning team.'

The women's basketball team will start off the season on October 12-14 when they host the Ottawa Gee-Gees and the Guelph Gryphons, both of the OUA conference, in addition to the Memorial University Sea-Hawks from the AUS conference, during the Mickey Place Tournament.

The Panther season will kick off as both rugby and soccer teams start their seasons at home on Saturday, September 8. The UPEI Athletics and Recreation department is planning events for home games for the upcoming season to get both teams and fans excited to play and cheer on their UPEI Panthers.

The women's soccer team will start things off as they take on the Mount Allison Mounties on Saturday at 2:00 pm, followed by the women's rugby team competing against the St. Thomas Tommies at 3:00, and the men's soccer battle against Mount Allison at 4:15.

This year, the men's soccer team will be hosting the Atlantic University Sport (AUS) Championship, November 2-4, and will be aiming for a berth in the Canadian Interuniversity Sport (CIS) Championship, November 8-11, hosted by Laval.

On the women's side, the soccer team, after three years in the finals, will be looking for their second AUS Championship and a trip to the CIS Championship hosted by the University of Victoria.

The AUS women's rugby will be adjusting to a new schedule with the addition of St. Thomas to the league. New this season, will be an AUS Championship weekend held at St. Francis Xavier University (StFX) October 27-28 with the finalists competing in the CIS Championship, November 2-4, also hosted at StFX.

Season passes are now on sale for all UPEI Panther teams, and can be purchased by visiting gopanthersgo.ca.

UPEI is proud to host the second annual Mulligan Cup, an exhibition soccer tournament held August 30-September 2, at the UPEI. This is an opportunity for both UPEI Panther teams to finish training camp and prepare for the upcoming AUS season which begins at home on September 8.

Both Mount Allison University and Holland College teams are back to play in the tournament, in addition to the Cape Breton University men's team. The tournament kicks off with the UPEI women's Panthers taking on the Holland College Hurricanes on Thursday, August 30, at 4 pm.

The tournament is named in honour of former UPEI soccer coach and Panther sport builder, Vince Mulligan, who was one of the first to recognize the global popularity of soccer and its potential for growth on PEI. Mulligan started the UPEI men's soccer program in 1969, coaching the team through to 1982, and including its first game in the AUAA in 1977. Under his guidance, the Panthers reached the 1981 AUAA finals, and in 1982, he led them to a fifth-place ranking in the country. For his efforts, he was named AUAA Coach of the Year.

In the fall of 1983, Mulligan switched his cleats for skates, taking over as bench boss for the UPEI men's hockey team. In five years, Mulligan won three AUAA championships, another AUAA Coach of the Year award, and a coaching record of 115 wins against 27 losses. He then turned his attention to women's hockey, starting the UPEI program in 1978, and in 1990, he did the same for women's soccer, reaching the playoffs three times in the program's first four years.

Admission to the games will be $5 per day, and 2012-13 soccer season passes include admission to the Mulligan Cup. UPEI will continue to offer students free admission to all Panthers regular season home games. A full schedule of the Mulligan Cup is listed below.

The government of Prince Edward Island announced today that provincial student loans will have a zero per cent interest rate for loans issued after January 1, 2001, and held by PEI Student Financial Assistance Corporation. This program will be effective October 1, 2012.

UPEI Student Union President Kate VanGerven acted as the event's master of ceremonies. Other UPEI representatives, including UPEI President Alaa Abd-El-Aziz were in attendance to hear Premier Robert Ghiz make the important announcement.

There are approximately 2,600 provincial student loans that were issued after January 1, 2001, now in repayment status. The savings on the average student loan in the first year of repayment will be approximately $1,000.

The announcement is a part of the province's ongoing commitment to all levels of education, including other post-secondary investments such as the George Coles Bursary and Scholarships, and new infrastructure for UPEI and Holland College.

Premier Ghiz said 'Education is the best investment for the future of Prince Edward Island. I hope that this program will encourage more Prince Edward Island students to attend post-secondary education and training.'

To be eligible for a PEI loan, students must:

UPEI is excited to host the 2012 Mickey Place Tournament October 12-14. This year will be exciting with eight basketball teams from across Canada coming to Prince Edward Island to play in the annual event.

On the men's side, Tim Kendrick, in his second year as head coach of the basketball team, will lead the Panthers against tough competitors such as the University of Regina, Ryerson University, and Saint Mary's University. Greg Gould, newly appointed women's head coach, will see his first action when the team faces the University of Guelph Gryphons and the University of Ottawa Gee-Gees. The team will then tip-off against the Memorial University Seahawks of Newfoundland.

The tournament is named after John Thomas 'Mickey' Place, a long-time friend of Panther Sport, a former UPEI student union employee, and a UPEI honorary degree recipient. He supported all teams and every player with a notion of competition that was quaint if not downright Victorian-he was a believer in 'fair play,' and that through respect for one's opponent, an athlete could gain the ultimate respect for self.

'We are very excited to kick off our 2012-13 season by hosting the Mickey Place Tournament. Regina, Ryerson, and Saint Mary's are all competitive CIS and AUS championship contenders, and we are looking forward to this early test,' said Kendrick. 'There is no doubt that this will be a wonderful weekend of basketball action!'

The cost of admission for the Mickey Place Tournament is $10/per day; UPEI basketball season passes are on sale now, which include admission to the tournament. The full tournament schedule follows.

UPEI's Advancing Interdisciplinary Research in Singing (AIRS) is partnering with Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada on a seven-year Major Collaborative Research Initiative. AIRS is conducting a research study on how singing abilities develop and change over lifetimes and is seeking assistance from the community.

This particular study is looking for approximately 150 participants, over the age of five, with no singing experience necessary. All are welcome to participate. Participants of this study will come away with a new perspective on singing and will contribute to a growing body of cutting-edge research-the advancement of knowledge in the area of human development and singing.

Participants will take part in a short singing interview called the 'AIRS Test Battery of Singing Skills.' To learn more about this area of research, it is crucial to study examples of people singing, and it is important that people of all ages and varying levels of singing experience and musical background be studied. The study will take approximately 30 minutes and participants will be entered into a draw for great prizes upon completion of the interview. This is a great opportunity for music lovers to support UPEI research!

To participate in the study, contact the AIRS team at (902) 566-6023 or airstest@upei.ca. For more information on the study, visit http://www.airsplace.ca/airstest.

For more information about AIRS contact Dr. Annabel Cohen (AIRS Project Director) at (902) 628-4325, or airscohen@upei.ca.

The UPEI women's soccer team will add some familiar faces to the bench this season. With only Mike Redmond returning as head coach, the Panthers will add assistant coaches Graeme MacDonald and John O'Brien, as well as former Panthers Gini Lisi and Sara Stewart.

Both MacDonald and O'Brien will bring a wealth of experience to the team and are looking forward to the upcoming season. MacDonald brings over 10 years of extensive coaching experience gained through his soccer career in Scotland, where he coached two professional soccer clubs-the St Mirren Football Club of the Scottish Premier League, and the Greenock Morton Football Club of the Scottish Football League First Division. MacDonald has also worked for the Scottish Football Association.

O'Brien was first introduced to soccer back in Ireland and he continued playing the sport following his immigration to Canada at the age of 13. The highlight of his playing career came as a member of the University of New Brunswick's soccer team where he won two AUS championships in 1980 and 1982, as well as a CIS national championship in 1980. He continues to play and has been coaching various levels including club, school, provincial all-star, and Canada Games for the past 16 years. O'Brien has worked with Redmond in the past on a number of provincial all-star teams and with the 2009 Canada Games women's squad.

'I'm excited to be joining a UPEI team that is a perennial contender in the AUS, and one that is regularly considered to be among the best in the country,' said O'Brien. 'I hope to bring some of my experience as a coach and a former AUS player to the team, and be able to contribute along with the rest of the coaching staff to another successful season.'

Former players Lisi and Stewart have both been solid players in UPEI women's soccer history. Lisi is known as one of the most physical players to have ever worn the green and white jersey, and UPEI captain Stewart, a former UPEI Athlete of the Year, and CIS All-Canadian, is known as a solid defender who improved season after season. They will bring their Panther pride to the field every day and push players to reach the AUS and CIS championships.

'I'm ecstatic to be a part of the UPEI women's soccer coaching staff this year. I knew I wasn't ready to let the team go, so when Mike asked me to coach I said ‘of course,'' said Stewart. 'I'm so excited for the upcoming season, and although it's going to be a very different squad this year, having lost four or five key players, there's a lot of great players returning, so I hope that they have worked extra hard this summer to step up and fill those empty spots. Hopefully this will be the year UPEI takes home its second AUS championship.'

The Panthers will begin the season by hosting the Mulligan Cup August 30-September 2, with the regular season kicking off on September 8, as UPEI hosts Mount Allison at 2:00 pm.

The University of Prince Edward Island would like to welcome all participants and parents to the 2012 Legion Canadian Youth Track and Field Championships August 15-21 hosted on UPEI's campus.

The annual event welcomes approximately 800 of the best young athletes from across the country who will compete in the track and field meet organized by a group of 100 experienced volunteers. The national championships are divided into two sections-one section consisting of the two-day meet, and the second of the two days devoted to training clinics for the athletes. The rest of the time is spent on presentations, tours, and travel.

The championships are sanctioned by Athletics Canada and are the official Canadian championships for the midget and youth track and field categories. Athletics Canada conducts the training clinics and uses some of Canada's top coaches to instruct and inspire the young athletes.

Best of luck to all participants, enjoy yourselves, and welcome to Prince Edward Island!

For more information on the championships, visit http://www.legion.ca/Sports/2012_Main_e.cfm

The University of Prince Edward Island was recently awarded two national silver awards from the Canadian Council for the Advancement of Education (CCAE): 'Best Print Ad or Poster' and 'Best Photograph.'

The CCAE Prix d'Excellence awards program recognizes outstanding achievements in alumni affairs, public affairs, communications, marketing, development, advancement services, stewardship, student recruitment, and overall institutional advancement.

'It's an honour to be nationally recognized by the CCAE for the creativity of our talented team at UPEI,' said Glenda Clements, Director of Integrated Communications. 'The creative thinking and production excellence recognized by these awards demonstrates that our promotional materials reflect the quality of UPEI's programs and the UPEI student experience that we are so privileged to support.'

The silver award-winning poster, designed by members of Integrated Communications and Research Services, was developed to promote 'The Debt of the Western Civilization to the United States of America' discussion which was part of the 'Research on Tap' series. The poster conveyed a stimulating message promoting the event's provocative speaker, Dr. Richard Kurial, a UPEI professor of history, challenging participants to engage in dialogue on the topic. Judges appreciated the design rationale, one saying the poster 'did a terrific job of conveying the event's theme and engaging the viewer.'

'Knee Deep in Frogs' was the title of the winning photo, also at the silver level. Taken by UPEI photography for the cover story of a nine-page tabloid-style publication, the photo featured researcher, Ashleigh Allen, a recipient of an Undergraduate Student Research Award, peering through an aquarium that contained her research subjects-a rare Nigerian frog species. The publication was distributed in Prince Edward Island to update the Island community on recent significant successes among UPEI students, staff and faculty, researchers and alumni. Because of careful preparation prior to shooting, the photo required very little post-production editing and the image retained great realism. The judges commented that the photo had a nice attention to detail and that 'it was much stronger than an average research shot.'

UPEI has previously been recognized by CCAE, winning Prix d'Excellence gold awards in 2010 for 'Best Student Recruitment Viewbook' (for its 2009-10 edition), and for 'Best Community Outreach Program' for the Dr. Tim Ogilvie AVC Vet Camp. Last year, UPEI was awarded three silver CCAE awards for 'Best New Idea: Creativity on a Shoestring' for its 'Win with UPEI' contest; 'Best Annual Fund Initiative' for the UPEI Annual Fund Campaign; and 'Best Community Outreach' for the Atlantic Veterinary College's Community Workshop Series.

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