NIVERSITY TIMES
THE UNIVERSITY OF MAINE AT PRESQUE ISLE’S VOICE
Volume 37, Issue 1
Find out
Who’s Miles above the rest on p. 7
How to help out on p.9
and Which movies to rent this weekend on p.12
Coming soon!!! The U Times NEW advice column, featuring the unique perspectives of Jack and Jill! Love life got you down? Life in general not going according to plan? Then let Big Man and Princess help! If your letter is selected, we’ll publish it in our next issue of the U Times! You can submit your questions anonymously thru email, snail mail or slip a note under the door of the U Times office. We want to hear from you, so write today!
INSIDE
Campus.............................................p.5
Community........................................p.9
Sports...............................................p.10 The Other Voice..............................p.11 Lifestyle..........................................p.12
LAURA HUNTER Staff Writer
For many, Inauguration Day was a celebration, a historic moment in U.S. history, the day we gained the first African-American president of the United States. Many, from political pundits to everyday Americans descended upon Washington, D.C., repeating the same mantra: There is a renewed sense of hope in the air on this historic Inauguration Day. The crowds in Washington were estimated to be just shy of two million. Eight hundred and thirty miles away, the crowd that gathered in Wieden Hall on this day was certainly smaller, but no less significant. The University of Maine at Presque Isle campus hosted its own inauguration celebration. UMPI invited the campus and local communities to Wieden Hall to watch, listen and yes, hope, as Barack Hussein Obama was sworn in as the 44th president of the United States. UMPI President Don Zillman spoke of the historical significance of this day before introducing Joy Cushman, a community organizer with the Obama campaign. Cushman, who teaches English at TRACY GUERRETTE Contributor
A new day
www.utimes.umpi.edu
Erica Davis, from North Yarmouth, Maine, was recently selected as co-player of the week for the NAIA Sunrise Conference. Erica wins the award for the second time after averaging a double-double in a 2-0 week for the Owls. The senior forward scored 21 points, pulled in 12 rebounds and made eight steals in a 75-34 win over Vermont Tech. Erica then had 20 points, 10 rebounds and four steals in a 79-51 win over the College of St. Joseph in Vermont. She shot 65 percent from the floor in both games. Erica also received Maine Women’s Basketball Coaches Association (MWBCA) honors for being named to
Friday, January 30, 2009
UMPI, spent 18 months working for the Obama campaign and spoke to the crowd about her experiences. As we, and the rest of the world, waited for the moment Barack Obama would become the new leader of the free world, there was a sense of anticipation. Wieden Hall was uncharacteristically quiet as the minutes ticked down. After President Obama was sworn in, applause and cheers filled the hall, but quickly quieted again as he began his inauguration speech. The crowd sat attentively as our new president spoke about the challenges facing America today and our determination to face those challenges. When he finished his President Obama taking the oath of office speech, applause erupted again throughCanadian students were present to witout Wieden Hall. When asked how she felt about the ness this historic event. Students Sara speech, Cushman responded, “I felt Bamford and Katie McCormack were hope. It’s easy to get cynical sometimes excited to witness the inauguration. “Today is a huge part of history. Even when change doesn’t happen quickly. But this showed us that if we worked though we’re Canadian, it’s huge for us hard, we could win something big. It as well,” McCormack said. Bamford added, “The American presgives me hope that now we can win some of the big changes we need in ident affects the entire world. Barack health care, jobs and the environment.” was by far the best choice Americans The international community was in have made since Kennedy. I’m proud to attendance as well, as many of UMPI’s See Inauguration page 8
Owls soaring the Player of the Week Honor Roll for her outstanding weekend play. Erica currently leads all collegiate women’s basketball players in the state in scoring (18.3 points per game), rebounding (11 per game) and steals (3.8 a game). Emily Moore, a freshman from Lisbon, Maine, also earned MWBCA honors as she was selected to the Rookie of the Week Honor Roll for her weekend play. Megan Korhonen, a sophomore from Littleton, Maine, is fifth in overall scoring (16.1 points per game), second for steals (2.7 per game), third in threepoint percentage (42.1percent) and fourth in assists (3.5 per game). Mindy Sullivan, a junior from Lisbon, Maine, is sixth overall in the state for rebounding (8.75 per game). Congratulations to these members of the UMPI women’s basketball team! GO OWLS!
Women Owls battling Husson College
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Letter from the Editor UNIVERSITY TIMES
Friday, January 30, 2009
With the beginning of a new semester comes a multitude of new opportunities. After the successes or failures of past semesters, it’s refreshing to know that tomorrow is finally here and that taking what we’ve learned, we can make this new year all the better.
The major catchword of 2008 was change. For everyone major changes took place. The economy is first and foremost on everyone’s list. But the catchword for 2009 is opportunity. Times ahead look bleak: they usually do in the County. As President Obama works to stimulate the economy, the UMPI community has the opportunity to stimulate attitudes. As many organizations are bracing themselves for a tough economic time, which is wise, clubs and organizations can invest in bolstering attitudes on campus and in the community by empowering people to find fulfillment in a place where they belong and can make a difference.
President Kennedy once said, “Ask not what your country can do for you - ask what you can do for your country.” We must ask ourselves, what can we do for our campus so that it can succeed in these times and so that we may succeed as individuals. We all come from different places, but once we step onto this campus, we are Owls. We experience every hardship that there is to have in this area and persevere by working hard. Owls triumph in the worst of all times. These times will pass, and we will be all the stronger for these experiences. Best wishes, Dave Editor of the University Times
Deadlines for the U Times for spring 2009 DEADLINES
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Published
Friday, January 30
Friday, February 13
Friday, February 27.
Friday, March 6
Friday, April 3.
Friday, April 10
Friday, March 13.
Friday, April 17. Friday, May 1.
Friday, March 20
Friday, April 24 Friday, May 8
Please send all submitions to utimes@maine.edu If there are pictures make sure they’re in JPEG format For further questions e-mail or call 768-9745 The University Times welcomes your submissions (letters to the editor, poetry, articles). We reserve the right to edit all submissions for grammar, clarity, language, length and libel. Submissions must be received no later than Noon on the Thursday before publication, and must include your name, address and telephone number. Upon submission, all material becomes the property of the University Times. Submissions may be sent on a CD or written in letter form and dropped in the UTimes mailbox (102 Normal Hall or faculty mailroom). Material also can be left in the mail slot on the office door or be e-mailed to utimes@maine.edu. The University Times does not impose length restrictions on letters to the editor, but advises “the shorter, the better.”
The University Times David Hamilton Editor
Chuck Weiss Advertising Representative Rachel Pinette Online Editor & Art Director
Princess Apollo & the Caveman Advice Columnists Staff Writers Sarah Graettinger David Hamilton Laura Hunter Leah McEachern Pamela Perkins Rachel Pinette Alicia Sisson Chuck Weiss
Contributors Christine Corsello Kalyn Devoe Greg Doak Tracy Guerrette Tomasz Herzog Jeff Lovejoy Marjorie McNamara Rachel Rice Jim Stepp Don Zillman Adviser Dr. J
The University Times, a non-profit student publication, is printed at Northeast Publishing Company in Presque Isle, Maine. Articles and photographic ideas for submission may be left at the University Times office Normal Hall, Rm. 102 at UMPI, 181 Main St., Presque Isle, ME 04769. Advertising rates are available upon request. The newspaper takes no responsibility for unsolicited materials. All rights reserved.
News from the Top Chris’ Corner
UNIVERSITY TIMES
Well, the rush of the holidays are over and we begin a new chapter in our hectic lives…the spring semester. No doubt some are more than ready to be back, others – still wishing for a few more weeks of respite. Regardless of your position, I wanted to write a little something as a follow up to my previous article. I know it was a challenge for me over this break to think about others and what they needed when I was really concerned with me – getting my own rest, finding time for myself and my family when the holidays are a time for just the opposite of that: time for others. That being said, here’s this month’s edition. I call it “The wild-haired boy and the old man with the cane,” – Enjoy! His name is Bill. He has wild hair, wears a T-shirt with holes in it, jeans
and no shoes. This was literally his wardrobe for his entire four years of college. He is brilliant: kind of esoteric and very, very bright. He became a Christian while attending college. Across the street from the campus is a well-to-do, very conservative church. They want to develop a ministry to the students, but are not sure how to go about it. One day Bill decides to go there. He walks in with no shoes, jeans, his T-shirt and wild hair. The service has already started and so Bill starts down the aisle looking for a seat. The church is completely packed and he can’t find a seat. By now people are really looking a bit uncomfortable, but no one says anything. Bill gets closer and closer and closer to the pulpit, and when he realizes there are no seats, he just squats down right on
Tutors Needed!!
Friday, January 30, 2009
the carpet. (Although perfectly acceptable behavior at a college fellowship, trust me, this had never happened in this church before!) By now, the people are really uptight, and the tension in the air is thick. About this time, the minister realizes that from way at the back of the church, a deacon is slowly making his way toward Bill. Now the deacon is in his eighties, has silver-gray hair and a three-piece suit: a godly man, very elegant, very dignified, very courtly. He walks with a cane and as he starts walking toward this boy, everyone is saying to themselves, “You can’t blame him for what he’s going to do. How can you expect a man of his age and of his background to understand some college kid on the floor?” It takes a long time for the man to reach the boy. The church is utterly
Job Openings
The Upward Bound Program located at the University of Maine at Presque Isle is seeking tutors in all subject areas. If interested please contact Carol McGlinn at 768-9620 or call 1-800-734-3636. (Travel to local high schools maybe required). POSITION DESCRIPTION TUTOR REPORTS TO: Upward Bound Academic Coordinator QUALIFICATIONS: Competency in the subject area, persons with a college degree should have one in Education, or a subject related to the one being tutored. College students should have recent experience with the subject material and a grade point average of 2.5. Peer tutor should have recently completed the course with a 3.0 or better or be currently enrolled with a 3.0 average. Tutors must have familiarity with different learning styles, know how to assess tutoring needs. Prior experience with economically and/or educationally disadvantaged students is preferred. DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES: - Newly hired tutors meet with Upward Bound personnel and student to discuss expectations from all parties - Assess student's need(s) and develop a plan with a realistic timeframe for meeting the need(s) - Complete tutoring report after each session detailing the content of the session and the student's progress
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silent except for the clicking of the man’s cane. All eyes are focused on him. You can’t even hear anyone breathing. The people are thinking. The minister can’t even preach the sermon until the deacon does what he has to do. Now, the people see this elderly man drop his cane on the floor. With great difficulty, he lowers himself and sits down next to Bill and worships with him so he won’t be alone. Everyone chokes up with emotion. When the minister gains control he says, “What I’m about to preach, you will never remember. What you have just seen, you will never forget. Be careful how you live. You may be the only Bible some people will ever read.” True story as told by Robert Gary Lee of Maryland.
Positions Assistant Resident Director – Boy’s Res. Hall Girls Floor Counselor/Tutors Boys Floor Counselor/Tutors When June 15-19, 2009 – Staff Training Week June 21-July 31, 2009 – Summer Program The Program Upward Bound is a federally funded educational opportunity program that prepares eligible high school students to enter and succeed in post-secondary education. The 6-week summer program includes academic, cultural, and recreational activities, creating a community environment where adolescents may develop personal and social skills in an atmosphere of respect while striving to pursue their academic dreams. Position Descriptions: The Counselor/Tutors (C/T’s) ensure the well-being of about 100+ high school students with regard to health, safety, morale, discipline, interpersonal relationships within the group, and application to their studies. The C/T’s live in the dormitory and provide 24-hour supervision for students. The week begins at 3:00pm on Sundays (except move-in day), and generally ends after lunch on Fridays, except for an outdoor adventure trip and 2 voluntary weekend experiences with college visits and local camping. C/T’s also are teaching assistants in an academic area (Latin, English, Mathematics, Science) and provide tutoring and supervised study periods 4 evenings each week in that subject area. (Salary = $2,450) The Assistant Resident Director also lives in the residence hall and is responsible for the orderly management of the male residence hall, and assisting the Resident Director. (Salary = $3,000)
Qualifications: C/T applicants must be a college junior, senior or graduate with a strong academic record (2.5 min. GPA) and a valid driver’s license. Preference will be give to candidates who have: Experience working with low-income, first-generation students Have prior experience as a Resident Assistant (R.A.) or a camp counselor. Assistant Resident Director applicants must be a senior or have Bachelor’s degree, experience in education, social work or a related area, or an equivalent combination of education and experience. Preference will be given to those who have experience working with low-income, first-generation students.
Contact: Darylen Cote, (207)768-9456, Suite 16, Preble Hall, darylen.cote@umpi.edu OR Laura Bouchard, (207)768-9612, laura.j.bouchard@umpi.edu, OR Michele Green, (207)768-9414, michele.green@umpi.edu. Toll free telephone # in Maine is 1-800734-3636 DEADLINE: February 20, 2009.
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From Don’s Desk
Continuing to do business at UMPI UNIVERSITY TIMES
The former speaker of the United States House of Representatives, Tip O’Neill, had a memorable saying: “All politics is local.” That holds true for the challenges that we face at UMPI for second semester 2008-09. The world and country are in serious economic recession, if not depression. Forty-three states report serious budget deficits. Maine is one of those and Governor Baldacci has directed a variety of spending cuts and budget contractions that influence the next two-and-one-half years, at a minimum. Those cuts touch all parts of the University of Maine System and the Maine Community College System. Private higher education suffers related financial burdens. Our System chancellor, Rich Pattenaude, and the System trustees, who govern the System, have set out a series of steps to balance our budgets. But as Tip O’Neill’s wisdom suggests: How we do business at UMPI?
Here are our challenges. First, the share of our operating revenue that comes from the Maine Legislature will go down. For the first time since 1974, the University System campuses will receive fewer dollars than they were scheduled to receive from the Legislature’s previous budget. Second, our other major source of revenue from student tuition is also likely to go down. The trustees are insistent, and we share their insistence, that tuition can only rise very slightly even if campus expenses are large. Further, our student numbers are going down to reflect smaller student populations in the County, the overall economic downturn and changes in Canadian educational programs that affect our programs. Third, our expenses are likely to go up. Health care for employees and energy costs will probably rise. Other essential expenses (book and computer service costs) will also probably rise. Even a
Friday, November 21, 2008
modest rise in employee salaries adds to our cost of operations.
During the next month or two, a System task force (on which we will be well represented) will examine many nonacademic expenses. Their challenge is to consider whether our long-standing model that each campus must have every service located on campus can be improved to be more efficient and less expensive. We need to recognize that we are relying on business models that are several decades out of date. On the academic front, we will control more decisions on campus. We will, however, have to take a hard look at our programs, particularly ones with low enrollments, limited prospects for improvement and ample competition from other educational institutions. I do not foresee major changes. I do foresee some reduction of programs. We will take a very close study of this in the next month.
The more exciting part of program review is the careful consideration of new or expanded programs. The System office has cautioned all campuses that they need to see strong business cases for such expansion. How likely are enrollment growths? How strong is the community or state demand for the program? What is the competition from public or private competitors? How good will our new program be? We have several ventures that we believe can meet those tests.
That is an agenda that challenges and energizes us all. We are ready to get to work to make an ever-better University of Maine at Presque Isle.
--Pres. Don Zillman
A redition of what the UMPI campus will look like once the wind turbine project is complete
Campus
The gift of hope given back UNIVERSITY TIMES
PAMELA PERKINS Staff Writer
According to the legend of Pandora’s Box, the box that held all of humanity’s spirits that were set free to wander the Earth, when Pandora opened it, she released nearly all the spirits. By the time she closed it, there was only one spirit left: hope. That box opened again on Inauguration Day when Barack Obama became the 44th president of the United States. This gave hope again to all Americans, who had become used to looking for the negative in life for a long time. The gift of hope came at in a time when it was badly needed: with current home foreclosures, the U.S. in two wars, the high cost of health care and many jobs being lost.
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Friday, November 21, 2008
President Obama delivering a speech
Current UMPI student Carlton Sanders said as Obama was taking the
oath of office, “It’s a good feeling: a very good one. It’s amazing. It’s wow.”
It’s wow and amazing because Obama has shown Americans that
hope is not lost. Hope has always been here, just tightly within Pandora Box waiting to be set free. We just forgot that it was there. Obama has also given back to Americans the ideas of
MARJORIE MCNAMARA Contributor
full year on exchange, she is eligible to return to UMPI. We hope to see her on campus again next fall.
known to students here as the Bangor Mall. All of these trips were possible thanks to all the new friends I have made here, and I want to thank them all for taking me to explore these places with them. To them, it might be somewhat routine for they have lived here throughout the academic year. But for me, it was very fascinating because I have never been here before. What I found very interesting is that Presque Isle is a very small town compared to Los Angeles.
what hope can stand for, as well. It’s hope that big dreams, such as Martin Luther King Jr.’s dream of blacks and whites joining together under one nation, can come true. It’s hope that people from all different backgrounds who don’t know each other can come together for one cause. Joy Cushman, who helped out on Obama’s presidential campaign, saw this firsthand. She shared some of her expirences at UMPI’s Inauguration Day commemeration. There’s hope that when people are facing tough times, they can come through it. There’s hope for change and hope for a brighter future. This is hope that has the potential of becoming a reality and not just being a feeling left in times of despair.
Why come to northern Maine?
During fall 2008, UMPI was very lucky to have two great young women decide to come here on a National Student Exchange. One of these young women came to us through California State University in Los Angeles. I’m sure you’re asking—as I did—what would make a student from LA pick northern Maine for a student exchange? Good question. So, I asked Phan Ho, the young woman from LA, to write me a few paragraphs about why she chose to come to UMPI. Below you will find—in her own words—what Phan thought of your stay in Presque Isle, Maine. Phan has indicated a desire to come back to UMPI for fall 2009. As exchange students are eligible for one
Remember: If you are interested in a student exchange for fall 2009 or Spring 2010, you, must complete you application by midFebruary. If you have any question about an exchange, please stop by and see me on the first floor of South Hall.
“When I first came to UMPI, I didn’t know what to expect, considering this is the first time I’ve been so far away from home. I’ve spent my whole life in Los Angeles. I got the chance to come to Maine through the National Student Exchange program. I live on one of the corners of the United States and Maine is one of the other corners, which I find very intriguing. I also wanted to try something new, something out of my comfort zone.
“My first impression of Maine is that it was very green. I found the campus to be very wide and spread out. I met some of the students that live in the dorm. They were very welcoming and quite confused, as well, after finding out that I came from California. “Why Maine?” was the most frequent thing asked when I first met someone new. After a while it was quite funny, because they probably think I am crazy for leaving the warm Los Angeles weather to be in the cold Presque Isle weather.
“I had the opportunity to go out of the country to Canada, to go to Washington, D.C., and to explore the famous mall
The people and the students here all know each other. It is like a big family in this small town. “The remarkable thing about being on the East Coast is that you can drive from one state to another in less than an hour. Since California is a very long state, driving for six hours doesn’t mean you’ll be in a different state. On the East Coast, however, there are many cities and towns that you can explore while traveling from one place to another.
“To summarize: the entire exchange program it has made a significant impact on me as a person and a friend, as well as an outsider coming from the other side of the country. Being in this program has been a memorable experience for me because I
Phan Ho
have made friends on the other side of the country. This program, National Student Exchange, makes it possible for a student to travel and study at another university. It has been an indescribable experience for me. Leaving this place will be like leaving a second home because I have lived here for the semester, met new people and new friends, experienced floor programs the R.As provided, and, most of all, an experience that I will take with me in my life wherever I go. “
Nellie Mae Education Foundation awards UMPI Project Compass grant UNIVERSITY TIMES
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RACHEL RICE Contributor
Officials with the University of Maine at Presque Isle and the New England Resource Center for Higher Education announced in a Jan. 9 morning press conference that the Nellie Mae Education Foundation has awarded the University a major grant. This will allow it to develop and improve culturally responsive retention strategies for its Native American students. The award allows the University to receive up to $750,000 over the next four years to better serve its Native American student population as well as the region’s Native American community. With 65 Native American students, the University of Maine at Presque Isle has the highest percentage of all the University of Maine System campuses. The University is one of four universities in New England chosen to participate in Project Compass, the Nellie Mae Education Foundation’s multiyear initiative aimed at increasing the number of underrepresented populations graduating with four-year degrees. The
foundation’s intermediary, the New England Resource Center for Higher Education, administers project Compass. UMPI will use its grant funding to develop strategies that assist Native American students in transitioning from the native community to the university community. It will also help them develop their life tools to help them achieve their goals within the dominant culture and their own. The proposal’s key strategies are: -Creation of a Native American Center staffed with a retention team. -Data management and evidence development. -Review of academic affairs and curriculum to offer more effective support to marginalized students. -Reconfiguration of the roles of student support and advising. The project will be under the University’s Center for University Programs and be informed by a permanent Native American Advisory Board. The funding the University is receiving from the Nellie Mae Education Foundation is designated specifically for purposes that meet the objectives of this grant project. “We couldn’t be more pleased to
G i v e li f e F e b . 4 f ro m 1 2 -6 p . m . i n th e C a m p u s C e n t e r S p o n s o r ed b y R e s L if e , K ap p a D el t a P h i a n d K ap p a D e l ta P h i N A S
Friday, January 30, 2009
be moving forward on this important project, which will greatly impact our teaching and mentoring work and really help to shape our students’ future educational experiences,” President Don Zillman said. “The particular focus of our Project Compass work is Native American students. But the benefits from Project Compass will help us in all underserved communities. We are honored to be a New England leader in this effort.” The other three Project Compass grant awardees are Lyndon State College in Vermont, Bridgewater State College in Massachusetts and Eastern Connecticut State University. “Project Compass is designed to respond to a critical national need, focusing on innovative practices in four state colleges and universities in New England. It is our hope that the leadership already exhibited at our four funded campuses will contribute to narrowing the achievement gaps for low-income students, students of color and students who are first in their family to attend college,” Glenn Gabbard, associate director of the New England Resource Center for
Higher Education and the Director of Project Compass, said. “UMPI’s work is an excellent example of an institution that is willing to take a serious look at changing what it does for underserved students so that all students that it serves will benefit.” In October 2007, UMPI received an initial Project Compass grant of $100,000 to support a year of planning and capacity building. Upon completion of that planning year, the University submitted a grant proposal to move into Phase II of the Project Compass initiative. As a grant awardee, the University receives $158,000 this year and can receive three more years of grant funding totaling $750,000. The second phase grants are contingent upon the institutions’ yearly progress on objectives developed during the planning year. Throughout this process, the University has been working closely with the Aroostook Band of Micmacs and the Houlton Band of Maliseet Indians on this project. With the agreement signed, officials already are moving forward on implementation efforts.
Watch for the unveiling of the U Times’ new Website
UMS Board of Trustees: Change to benefit students
CHUCK WEISS Staff Writer
The theme of the January 11 – 12 University of Maine System Board of Trustees meeting was one of transformational change. Due to Maine’s suffering economy, the System is going through some difficult financial times. So far in our current fiscal year, FY09, which spans the fall 2008 and spring 2009 semesters, the System has reduced its budget by a total of $34.2 million. These numbers hit hard on students typ-
ical to our university: those who work their way through school. After a tuition increase of nearly 11percent from the spring semester to the fall semester in 2008, it became clear at our university that the financial crisis we are experiencing must be addressed. At this last meeting, the UMS Chancellor Richard Pattenaude presented a plan entitled “New Challenges, New Directions: Achieving Long-Term Financial Sustainability” to the board of trustees. The plan involves a restructuring of
each of the seven campuses to reduce costs. Action will be taken immediately, and at the time of this publication is very likely well underway. The idea behind this plan is that we are a university system, and as such, we can work together and combine some services that campuses can be shared. This will inevitably lead to fewer people employed by the System. Chancellor Pattenaude, however, assures us, in his plan, that “Decisive and thoughtful planning will allow us to use staff turnover
as the key way to achieve this.” The decisions that need to be made will not be made lightly: the entire System is working together on this issue. Although we are facing hard times, this restructuring will help ensure financial sustainability for the future, both short- and long-term. The chancellor succinctly expresses the spirit of this plan when he said, “Change is necessary, but it must be sensible and fully support the many achievements made to date and must always benefit our students.”
Miles above the rest UNIVERSITY TIMES
The UMPI Pride Committee wants to encourage its community to have pride in itself. One way that the committee has decided to get students more involved with the campus and just all around more prideful in their school is to every month designate an outstanding student at UMPI as the student of the month. For November/December that student was Douglas Miles. Miles’ achievements here at UMPI are many. He is on the dean’s list, the vice president of the Business Club, one of Emerson’s Resident Assistants, part of the SOAR staff, part of the Disc Golf Club, a computer services work study student and is a customer service task force member. He is the type of person you like to be around: very helpful, a great team player and a positive influ-
PATRIC EDWARD Contributor
ence on people. Bonnie Devany, one of the nominators, said, “Doug can shift between the roles that he has to do very well. He has great leadership abilities that I know will take him far.” She also stated that Doug is the type of person who can keep his cool when others can’t, especially if the problem involves computers. The dean of students, Chris Corsello, stated that Miles is, “a very genuine, caring, helpful person with a pleasant personality. Plus, he is a true Red Sox fan, even if he doesn’t have his visor on today.” Others at the award ceremony commented on how Miles wasn’t wearing his famous Red Sox visor. He opted instead for a lovely tie for the photo shoot. President Zilliman had this to say
about Miles, “Well, I think our nominees for the students of the month are turning out to be nominees of multitaskers who can do six things in one day. Doug has mastered this life/work force skill.” Though Miles won the award, he feels that there are many others who deserve it more. He was very modest and humble when getting his award. He also said that he wasn’t originally going to stay here at UMPI. He planned on staying here long enough to get some money to go back to school in Boston, where he is originally from. He thanked his nominators, however, and said that if it wasn’t for them making him feel so welcome here at UMPI, he wouldn’t have stayed. Yet he’s glad now that he’s here.
Douglas Miles with Pres. Zillman
University Day:
Connecting Learning, Life and Community
This academic year the University Day is Wednesday, April 8, 2009. The University Day is a campus conference where students present their work in 1 hour sessions throughout the day. The event is an excellent opportunity for students to experience a conference environment. The presentations can come from
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Friday, January 30, 2009
individual students, groups or an entire class with faculty and staff serving as advisors to the student presentations. The work presented may take any form: traditional research, service learning, internship, creative works, cultural awareness... The theme for this year’s event is “Connecting Learning, Life and Community.” However please note that individual presentations do not have to conform to the theme. For presenting on
April 2009, the University Day Committee would like to urge students to consider any academic work done in Summer08, Fall08 and Spring09 semesters. In addition to the academic presentations, at noon during a complimentary lunch in the campus center there will be the presentation of the Young Alumni award. There is also an evening program - the Woodrow Wilson Fellow Distinguished Lecturer. This year’s
event will feature Robert Wiener, Executive Director, California Coalition for Rural Housing Project. If students have questions about the University Day, or to learn about how to submit proposals, please contact either the instructor for your course or a member of the University Day Committe (see www.umpi.maine.edu/~pedward/udaycommittee.pdf for details).
Looking for a way to get recognized for artistic talent? Enter the UNIVERSITY DAY ART CONTEST Create a cover for the 2009 University Day Booklet and you could win $75 and be published!! DEADLINE: February 13 For more information contact Dick Harrison at 768-9452 or stop by the Media Relations office, second floor Preble Hall
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DAVID HAMILTON Editor
During the last few days of the fall 2008 semester, Professor Lynn Eldershaw’s Soc 496 class gave presentations in Pullen Hall on their survey of student body satisfaction. Eldershaw guided her class through creating, administering and analyzing surveys using the campus as a testing ground to find information. Although the overall satisfaction with UMPI was high, the survey and follow-up interviews with students highlighted opportunities where UMPI could improve. Through their work, the students found that most students seldom are in contact with faculty. Reasons for this seem to center on responsibilities that students have outside campus. Many full-time students work 25 or more hours a week at jobs in the community. Others have families, which doesn’t provide much time for contact with professors out of class. And then others are just apathetic. Students who are in con-
Inauguration Continued from page 1
be part of this historic day.” Even the opposition was feeling the spirit of hope and change today. Adam Tilsley, UMPI’S Chairman of the College Republicans said, “Our generaFebruary ·
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Are you satisfied?
UNIVERSITY TIMES
Friday, January 30, 2009
tact with faculty are more satisfied and are more likely to remain in the university system. Students who are more involved in clubs and organizations on campus also tend to be more satisfied. Only 66 percent of on-campus students and 46 percent of commuters, however, are involved. When the student body is broken into age demographics, 56 percent of 18 – to – 25 – year – olds are involved in activities, compared with 36 percent of those 26 year and older. Suggestions to remedy this were for clubs to have mandatory events. More social events, events aimed at the community and events that have more activities for families may be what it takes to increase student participation and garner more interest from commuter and nontraditional students. The snow party last winter was the example, a fun event that celebrated northern Maine breaking the snowfall record and brought students and faculty together. The class also investigated student
satisfaction with campus facilities and services. A major problem that came up was that there are no second year services. As first years these students are given heaps of help to get adjusted to a new environment and a different way of life. After that second semester, they are expected to have mastered the entire process. But it’s in the second year that most students drop out of college. Most second years drop due to financial issues. Financial issues lead the students to a feeling of low self -esteem that some don’t come back from. First year seminar is the class that every student takes. Of the students currently taking the class that were in the survey 51 out of 89 said that it helped very little. According to the class’s findings, the overall conclusion is that the class should be changed to be more relevant. Other services that are viewed as under-utilized are career services and job placement and the student security force. Career services is only utilized when it’s absolutely necessary instead of
a tool to help make a decision. This is mostly due to a general lack of knowledge among the student population that it exists or what it does specifically and how it can help students. The student security also has an opportunity to change. According to student perceptions, they aren’t trained and have no real authority. Suggestions to improve this service were to train students to perform tasks and to give them uniforms so that they may be recognized as people of some authority. “Student retention should be viewed as a strategic activity,” student researcher Leah Finnmore said. To improve communication between faculty members and students would greatly improve satisfaction with the university. Satisfied professors lead to satisfied students. Good events and welcoming clubs and organizations lead to happier students. Happy and satisfied students lead to students staying on and finishing their college careers here at UMPI.
tion deserves to see a piece of history like this today.” In international relations, Tilsley would urge Obama, “Be optimistic, but cautious.” As the festivities came to an end at
Wieden Hall, real life began to creep in. Audience members rushed off to class, back to work, back to the daily grind. But as we left the hall, a new sense of hope was in the air – a new sense of
hope for a new chapter in American history.
Mark your calenders
Sunday Feb 8 - UMA Basketball game, "Home Town Game"- anyone from the hometowns of UMPI basketball team players gets free admission to the game. Great halftime show.
Tuesday Feb 10 - 12:30pm - Student Lounge Dedication with Aramark- new lounge name and winners announced. Friday, Feb 13 - Deadline for Student of the Month (Jan/Feb) nominations.
·
· April ·
· Tuesday, Feb 24 - Fan Appreciation Night/Day at UMFK game. Halftime games and prizes for fans! BEAT UMFK t-shirts to the first 100 attendees! · · Thursday, Feb 26 -12:30pm - Student of the Month Presentation, location T TBA May March · · Wednesday, Mar. 4 - Hawaiian Luau supper w/ Aramark in café. Wear your Hawaiian shirts. You are encouraged to take a dip in the pool that afternoon and evening. · ·
·
Friday, Mar. 13 - Deadline for Student of the Month (March) nominations.
Thursday Mar. 19 - Frozen Frenzy II - Contests, snow activities, games, prizes and FREE GIFT to first 100 attendees
Tuesday, Mar. 31 - 12:30pm - Student of the Month Presentation, location TBA
Friday April 17th - Deadline for Student of the Month (April) nominations.
Thursday April 23 - 12:30pm - Student of the Month Presentation, location TBA.
Friday April 24th - Deadline UMPI Pride Photo Contest.
Friday May 1 - May Day Campus Clean-up - help pick up debris and end up at baseball/softball game.
Friday May 8 - Student Appreciation BBQ, South Hall lawn, games, announce Photo Contest winner, and announce the "Student of the Year"
Community
Breaking down barriers UNIVERSITY TIMES
SARAH GRAETTINGER Staff Writer
There was a time when having a disability kept many people from getting a higher education. This was a loss for not just the potential students. It kept schools and other students from being enriched. But that’s changing as universities and colleges make their campuses accessible. At UMPI, Student Support Services take the lead in working with students
SARAH GRAETTINGER Staff Writer
With a poverty- stricken year most may say resembled the hard times of the 1920s and after such a harsh last winter, many are wondering what they’re going to do this winter. Being up here in northern Maine, it might seem that the assistance for those who need it can be limited. But there are programs out there to help, such as LIHEAP (LowIncome Home Energy Assistance Program), Citizens Energy Oil Heat Program and Maine Housing. All these are out there to help the residents of Maine make it through these hard times. LIHEAP help is based on your
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Friday, January 30, 2009
who have disabilities. It works with selfidentified students with documented disabilities to get them reasonable accommodation. “The first step is that students meet with me so we can figure out what kind of needs that they need covered. There are forms that need to be filled out, and once I have the documentation we can decide what classes they can take,” Mary Kate Barbosa, program director, student support services, said. All the buildings at UMPI are wheel-
chair accessible and only one classroom is not. If someone who needs an accessible classroom is in that class, it will be moved. “It’s hard to say that everyone has the same needs. Everyone is different,” Barbosa said. Student support services can help people with everything from note taking and having a reader to tutoring, time management and advocacy. And that’s just for starters. You might be surprised at all that student support services can
household size and your income. It’s there to assist your financial needs in heating costs. You may be eligible for assistance if your total household income falls within 230 percent of the federal poverty guidelines or 75 percent of the state area median income, whichever is lower. Even if your heat is included in your rent, you can still apply for LIHEAP. LIHEAP is grant money that is put out by the state to help. It also has appliance replacement programs, weatherization programs and a central heating improvement program. All of these can help in the time of need. You can apply for LIHEAP at the Aroostook County Action Program located in Presque Isle. Applications are
accepted from July 1 through April 30 of each year. Maine will receive $79.2 million to finance the heating assistance programs. Programs such as LIHEAP have helped assist more than 80,000 households with heat and energy bills according to the Maine State Housing Authority. If this winter is much like the last, and with the economic downturn, there’ll be an increase in applications for LIHEAP help. That’s why our congressional delegation fought for and won increased funding. Maine also has put $29.7 million dollars into an emergency fund. This ranks as the fifth highest among the states. This is in case extreme cold weather or
‘Tis the chilly season
From the Arcturius
do.
“Many people think that having a disability is hard. But we all want to learn. We help people accomplish their goals to their specifications,” Barbosa said. UMPI can be a great place to learn. It can accommodate many who want to learn here. If you or someone you know needs assistance because of a disability, stop by or call Mary Kate Barbosa, director, student support services, 123 South Hall, 207-768-9613.
another rise in oil prices hits the state again. Since, the price of oil has plummeted, fewer people may have to make the choice between heat and food for the winter. There are at least 10 food pantries between the Fort Kent and Houlton areas that the local communities are helping to keep stocked. With the poverty rate drastically increasing all over the United States, Mainers should help in any way possible to break the mold and keep Mainers afloat. We must stick together and help one another. Don’t let the cold of the season chill your home or your heart. Don’t be afraid to ask for help: it’s there.
Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Celebration Caribou High School’s Newspaper
BARBARA FINLAY Contributor
Feb. 12, 2009, is the 200th birthday of Abraham Lincoln. Lincoln, our 16th president, had a tremendous impact on our society. His legacy of unity and equal rights is still applicable in this era of change promoted by President Obama. Celebrations across the country will honor this prolific president’s legacy. The U.S. Mint is issuing four new pennies with redesigned tails sides to mark the
birth. Not to be outdone, the U. S. Postal Service is issuing four stamps in celebration of Lincoln’s 200th birthday, bringing the total on which he appears to more than 50. The Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Commission will be holding four events in Washington, D.C. on Feb. 12. You can even find a page in his name on MySpace. In keeping with these bicentennial celebrations, the Caribou High School Library will be offering a week of events, Feb. 9 – 13, to honor Abraham Lincoln’s
legacy. Posters in the library present a visual chronology of Lincoln’s legacy. The library will display books from its Lincoln collection. Students can listen to a YouTube recording of the Gettysburg address as well as lectures and speeches on DVD. The library will hold contests including: guessing how many pennies in the jar, building a one - room log cabin, taking a quiz on Lincoln’s life and writing an epitaph for President Lincoln. CHS will
award prizes in the penny, log cabin and epitaph contests. Completed quizzes enter a drawing for prizes. There will be a showing of the movie “Young Mr. Lincoln,” staring Henry Fonda, on Wednesday at 3 p.m. in the library. There’ll even be refreshments! Throughout the week, students in study hall can test their Civil War and Lincoln knowledge with a Lincoln trivia game. Pay tribute to Abraham Lincoln on his 200th birthday. Join us at the Caribou High School Library.
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TRACY GUERRETTE Contributor
Erica Davis, from North Yarmouth, Maine, was recently selected as coplayer of the week for the NAIA Sunrise Conference. Erica wins the award for the second time after averaging a double-double in a 2-0 week for the Owls. The senior forward scored 21 points, pulled in 12 rebounds and made eight steals in a 75-34 win over Vermont Tech. Erica then had 20 points, 10 rebounds and four steals in a 79-51 win over the College of St. Joseph in Vermont. She shot 65 percent from the floor in both games. Erica also received Maine Women’s Basketball Coaches Association (MWBCA) honors for being named to the Player of the Week Honor Roll for
Sports
Owls lead the way
UNIVERSITY TIMES
her outstanding weekend play. Erica currently leads all collegiate women’s basketball players in the state in scoring (18.3 points per game), rebounding (11 per game) and steals (3.8 a game). Emily Moore, a freshman from Lisbon, Maine, also earned MWBCA honors as she was selected to the Rookie of the Week Honor Roll for her weekend play. Megan Korhonen, a sophomore from Littleton, Maine, is fifth in overall scoring (16.1 points per game), second for steals (2.7 per game), third in threepoint percentage (42.1percent) and fourth in assists (3.5 per game). Mindy Sullivan, a junior from Lisbon, Maine, is sixth overall in the state for rebounding (8.75 per game). Congratulations to these members of the UMPI women’s basketball team! GO OWLS!
Congrats to the XC teams
TRACY GUERRETTE Contributor
Several of our student-athletes on both the men’s and women’s cross country teams were recently honored by the National Association of Division III Independents. The following runners were named to the 2008 All-Independent Conference Men’s and Women’s Cross Country Teams: Freshman Justin Fereshetian (Turner, Maine) was voted as the men’s rookie runner of the year. He was also named to the second Team All-Conference. Senior Emerson Wright (Presque Isle, Maine) and sophomore Kurt Whisler (Fort Kent, Maine) were also both named to the
Friday, January 30, 2009
Erica Davis taking a jump shot
Spring 2009 Intramural Schedule
Sport Indoor Soccer Volleyball second Team All-Conference. Dodgeball For the women, senior Michelle Basketball Phillips (Riverview, Maine), junior Bowling
Shelly Hanson (Charleston, Maine) and sophomore Hannah Smith (Presque Isle, Maine) were all named as All-Independent Conference Honorable Mention. Congratulations to these studentathletes for their continued accomplishments!
Days Mon, Wed Tues, Thu Mon, Wed Tues, Thu TBA
Managers Meeting Mon, Jan. 26 - 6 p.m. Mon, Jan 26 - 6:20 p.m. Mon, Mar 9 - 6 p.m. Mon, Mar 9 - 6:20 p.m. TBA
Play Begins Wed, Jan 28 Thu, Jan 29 Wed, Mar 11 Thu, Mar 12 TBA
* Badminton Tournament** - Saturday, January 31 * 3-Point Shootout and Free Throw Contest** - Saturday February 7 * Soccer Shootout** - Saturday February 28 * Co-ed Floor Hockey** - Tournament - Saturday March 14 * 3-on-3 Basketball** - Sat & Sun April 4 & 5 - Register in Gentile Hall on Saturday at 10:00AM * Whiffleball Tournament** - Saturday April 18 * International Games Day** - Saturday April 25 * Track and Field Pentathlon*** - Saturday May 2, 10:00AM start, conditions permitting
Register for all activities in the Intramurals office (Chris Smith, Wieden Hall Annex) ahead of time, or: * Meet on the landing in Gentile Hall for manager’s meetings as indicated ** Unless otherwise indicated, same day registration for all Saturday events will be held in Gentile Hall Lobby at 12:45PM *** Same day registration will be held at the Skyway Middle School track on May 2 at 9:00AM
The Other Voice Scribbles
UNIVERSITY TIMES
JEFF LOVEJOY Contributor
Friday, January 30, 2009
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I suppose it is a sign of the complexity of the human spirit that I found myself tearing up often during President Obama’s inauguration or maybe just a measure of how deeply I need to hope. This, despite the fact that I still believe that our country is run by some hundred or so very rich and influential people who may or may not (more likely not) have formal positions in the government. It is perhaps a testament to the power of the symbol that millions of my fellow world travelers exhibited the same emotional reaction on Inauguration Day. And
despite some rather obvious churlishness on the part of some Republicans – one holding up a vote on Sen. Clinton’s appointment as Secretary of State, even though he said he would vote for her – most of the opposition party at least verbally professed the wish that Obama succeed. And I would suppose that most of the world wants him – and by extension, America – to succeed. Because if he – and it – does not, we’ll all be looking up from the bottom of a very large commode. Despite a swarming host of problems, any of which alone could bury us, I would still identify climate change as a ten-trillion-ton gorilla in the room that
humanity can especially not afford to ignore. I will take a pass on the economic discussion here, space being at a premium. And the writing and speaking on it are already enough to cover the globe in ink and words. But I would ask Obama to show a little more courage in dealing with the Israeli-Palestinian issue. He famously said that were his daughters in the line of Hamas rocket fire, he’d do something about it. Has he never imagined them as victims of Israel’s long-standing embargo, its frequent military incursions or its despicable wall? Does he not realize that, in ignoring the democratically elect-
ed Hamas, he undercuts his own legitimacy? Having said that, I applaud Obama’s early moves toward more openness and accountability in government. There are clear signals of a return to at least some semblance of more than lip service to the Constitution. They are also strong signs that the United States is ready to rejoin the community of nations in word and in deed. Obama has often said, “This is our moment,” as opposed to just hi moment. If so, we must keep the pressure on for him and his government to meet the needs of all the people, not just the selfchosen few.
TOMASZ HERZOG Contributor I recalled the Latin words that one can find on American coins, while I write this short article. Who hasn’t heard such terms as “melting pot” or “mosaic” when referring to the diversity of the American society? The United States is a country composed of immigrants and is a good example of “unity in plurality.” Higher education institutions shouldn’t be different in this regard. Academic campuses, whose mission is to educate future leaders of the United States, are microcosm of all members of university communities be it professors, students or staff. So they shouldn’t be indifferent to diversity. This applies to the University of Maine at Presque Isle. As far as diversity is concerned, one might refer here to our university’s slogan: “North of ordinary.” It’s not “ordinary” that our campus sees a wide diversity on a daily basis. The ques-
tion is if we want and know how to embrace it and turn it into an enriching experience? Let me give just a few examples. First of all, one can’t ignore ethnic and racial diversity on our campus. It creates an opportunity to get acquainted with the life, culture and legacy of the first inhabitants of this land – the Native Americans. Also, it doesn’t take much time to find out that some of our professors or students trace their roots to Asia, Africa, Europe, South America or Canada. Although the world became, as Marshall McLuhan coined it once, a “global village,” it doesn’t mean that English is the only language we should know or speak. On our campus one can hear so many different accents. For a number of us, English is not a mother tongue. Living in a “borderland” is, or might be, a really fascinating and challenging life experience. Often, many great things
result from that encounter at the crossroads of various ethnicities, languages, cultures and beliefs. There wouldn’t be true diversity in the academic institution without recognition of the plurality and freedom of political views. As long as the power of arguments is not replaced with the argument of power, our campus is what a true university should be. As someone said, if all think the same way, nobody thinks. There is much more to diversity. Even if we live in times where there is so much emphasis on physical attractiveness and staying in a good shape, our university world would be much poorer if we neglected those of us who, for any reasons – including medical - don’t fit into this category. These are people who show all of us what it means and what it takes to pursue their dreams of getting a college education regardless of physical and learning challenges.
Diversity is also about recognizing it in terms of our sexuality and gender. The university campus should be the place where such prejudice doesn’t exist: where there is no need to “live in the closet” and where “glass ceiling” is not accepted. Last, but not least, a university is a place where students of various social and economic backgrounds should become united in their pursuit of a good education. Therefore, diversity on campus also means that no people should be left behind, regardless of their material status. In the following issues of the University Times, student organizations and clubs operating at UMPI will be asked about how they perceive the issue of diversity on campus and what they do (or might do) to make our academic community more diverse, more embracing.
MURDOCK COTE Contributor
so forth. When you flood a market with cheap products, you drive the price down. Thus companies don’t meet financial needs or their bottom-line they tank or their bottom line: simply collapses into the cellar. Thus unemployment rises and manufacturing and mills die along with town. NAFTA will be Bill Clinton’s only mistake when it came to governing the United States. President Obama should move to have this
treaty revoked to protect American business and jobs. Deregulation, the stone hung around the Republican neck, has done one thing: only made the upper class richer and the elderly and the poor scratching to survive. What the Republicans should have known is that if you take the leash off, the economic pit bulls will run amok. The new administration should put the
muzzles and leashes back on the Wall Street pit bulls and rein in the speculators. Basically, it needs to rein in the economy so it could be re-built and made whole again. It should never make the economic mistakes that George W. Bush made in the name of economic growth that never occurred. America will have to reinvent itself again in order to become the economic powerhouse that it once was.
E Pluribus Unum
Survival in an economic mud hole
The North American Free Trade Agreement was meant to stimulate the economy of the United States, Canada and Mexico. All I could see this agreement did was to allow Canada and Mexico to flood our markets with cheaply made products: wood and
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Pizza Problem
Lifestyle
UNIVERSITY TIMES
Friday, January 30, 2009
Pizza Problem
Previous Problem: You are trapped in a room with two doors…. One door leads to freedom. The other door has a wall behind it. You don’t know which door goes to the worms and which door gets you out. There are two guards in the room. One guard always tells the truth, and the other always lies. You don’t know which one is honest and which one is the liar. If you guess, you’d have a 50-50 chance of getting it right. To figure out which door to choose, you get to ask one guard one question. What is your question? Solution: The question you should ask is “If I want freedom, what door will HE say I should go through?” If you ask the honest guard, he will tell you that the other guard will lie and tell you the blue door. If you ask the dishonest guard, he will lie and tell you the honest guard will say the blue door. They’ve both said the blue door – the one that leads to the worms. So, you ask your question… and then go through the OTHER door! Congratulations to Mihaela Pavlova for submitting the correct solution and claiming a free pizza.
New Problem: At a recent birthday party, there were four mothers and their children, aged 1, 2, 3 and 4. From the clues below, can you work out the mother and age of each child? It was Jane’s child’s birthday party. Brian is not the oldest child. Sarah had Anne just over a year ago. Laura’s child will be 3 next birthday. Daniel is older than Charlie. Teresa’s child is the oldest. Charlie is older than Laura’s child. Send your solution to umpicontest@maine.edu by February 5th if you want a free pizza. Watch for the solution and a new problem in the next issue of U Times.
LAURA HUNTER Staff Writer
“My Best Friend’s Girl” – rated R for strong language, sexual content, graphic dialogue and some nudity. Starring Dane Cook, Kate Hudson, Jason Biggs and Alec Baldwin. Available now on DVD. Simple and predicable, “My Best Friend’s Girl” can at best be described as ok. The plot follows a well-known formula, with little variation: Dustin (Biggs), madly in love with Alexis (Hudson), pushes for a commitment and gets the dreaded, “Thanks, but no thanks. Let’s be friends,” speech. Dustin becomes convinced that if Alexis knew the amount of lousy date material out there in
Flick Pick
the real world, she would rush back into his arms and never leave. He hires his best friend and roommate, Tank (Cook), to take her out on the worst date ever in order to make Alexis realize and appreciate what a great boyfriend Dustin is. Unfortunately for Dustin, nothing Tank does pushes Alexis away, and the two slowly fall for each other. In the end, Tank must decide which is more important: his friendship with Dustin or his relationship with Alexis. For those who like the comedic styling of Dane Cook, you won’t be disappointed. Cook’s character, Tank, is Cook at his best: raunchy, sexist and chauvinistic. Jason Biggs continues his everlasting role as the lovesick and eternally clueless Dustin somewhat endearing and charming, but
mostly desperate. As for Kate Hudson – Kate, what happened? As you watch her onscreen, this question will inevitably cross your mind. Her one moment of greatness (“Almost Famous”) is beginning to look like a one-time fluke. Here, she continues to stagnate in a role that does not allow her to show off her considerable acting – comedic or otherwise – ability. As Alexis, she’s, once again, charming, bubbly and cute, but with little else to recommend her. Then again, it’s Kate Hudson, so maybe that’s enough for some. The big disappointment, however, is Alec Baldwin. Fans of TV’s “30 Rock” can’t get enough of Jack’s deadpan humor, which Baldwin plays to perfection. His talent is wasted here as he portrays Tank’s father –
Comic by Bhava Albert an aging man-whore who tries to portray charm and suaveness, but comes off as the slightly creepy uncle you try to avoid during the holidays. Despite the mundane acting, or maybe because of it, this movie is watchable. There are some laughs, but beware of some cringe-worthy moments as well. Dustin’s desperation will have every male crying out for him to get over it. And the stereotype of women as easily susceptible to reverse psychology will infuriate many. If you’re a staunch feminist, then this film is probably not for you. If, however, you’re looking for a somewhat mildly entertaining movie to watch with friends, then you won’t be too disappointed.