Volume 38 Issue 4 by University Times

University of Maine at Presque Isle Volume 38 Issue 4

Journalism for Northern Maine

OCTOBER 30, 2009

The Spirit of UMPI Cheers On

Pamela Perkins STAFF WRITER

We all know that the demands of college, both academically and socially, are tough for anyone. Sometimes we struggle to hold our acts together and desperately hunger for that next break week to catch up on all that homework, gossip or just sleep. We all have days where we feel overwhelmed and tired. Some days it feels we have no energy at all. Other days we feel as if we don’t have any time to do fun things like going to sports events and cheer on our own teams, showing that UMPI pride off. But there’s at least one student here at UMPI who has a neverending supply of energy and enthusiasm, which is why she was chosen to be September Student of the Month: Stephanie Pemberton. For those who don’t know, the Pride Committee, made up of UMPI students, faculty and staff chooses the student of the month. Each month its members decide who, out of the nominees, to recognize for making UMPI a better place. These students help to make the campus and community better for other students and help to remind people why UMPI is North of Ordinary. These students of the month are UMPI’s leaders who are great role models, while bringing to UMPI a

Visit us at utimes.umpi.edu

A Blessing To UMPI Stephanie Jellett STAFF WRITER

From right to left: Jannie Durr, Student of the Month Stephanie Pemberton and Dean Corsello positive attitude, with a smile out not only residential stu- start the club. dents, but commuter students, “UMPI desperately needed always on their faces. students who wanted to cheer Pemberton, who has these as well.” Pemberton, who is a history on its teams. They (Spirit qualities, was nominated by Jannie Durr, the new area coor- major, is also an RA in Park Squad) haven’t missed a sportHall. But her greatest achieve- ing event yet, and you can see dinator for residence life. Durr said,“When I asked ment at UMPI is that through them in their homemade shirts people to describe Stephanie, her passion and hard work, she cheering the team on. The they said she was very energetic. was able to put together and Spirit Squad has grown and When I met her, the word used organize the new club the Spirit their fundraising is outstandto describe her didn’t come Squad. Chris Corsello, the dean ing.” close. She brings so much pas- of students, was quite pleased Once again, congratulations sion to the campus. She helps with Pemberton’s initiative to to Stephanie Pemberton.

Artistic Students Wanted!

Jo hn D e n n i s, a me m be r o f t h e M i ’ k m a q t r i b e, stood outside of South Hall, along with many others, on a chilly fall mor ning to bless the bui ld ing. W h ile h ol di n g a bowl that contained bur n ed h er bs, swee t g r a ss a n d sa ge in on e h a n d, a n d a feath er in th e o t her, h e explai n e d wh at a smudg e was. D e nn is said “I t ’s to o p e n yo u r h e a r t , m i n d a n d sou l” A ft er g ivin g a bri ef explanation, he then blessed ma ny o the r s w it h posit i ve en e rg y. De n n is sai d t hat , whe n blessed, “ Yo u cleanse your self physi c al ly, emot i o n a l l y a n d s p i r i t u a l l y. ” Ot h er s, such as a fe llow c l a s s m a t e, Ry a n Va n Buskirk, vo l u n t e e r e d themselves to ge t ble sse d . T h e pro cess of th e get ti ng b l e s s e d c o n s i s t s o f yo u p u l l i n g t h e s m o k e ove r you so t hat i t c over s ever y i n ch o f your bo dy. O n c e fin i she d w it h

STUDENTS IN KIM SEBOLD’S MEDIEVAL HISTORY CLASS ARE

t h e p e o p l e, D e n n i s t h e n

LOOKING FOR VOLUNTEERS TO HELP DESIGN BOOTHS FOR A

m oved on t o bl essi n g t h e

MEDIEVAL FAIRE! THIS IS A GREAT CHANCE TO SHOW OFF YOUR ARTISTIC SKILLS

p eri mete r of So uth Ha ll. W h en don e th at , th at co nc l u d e d t h e c e r e m o ny o f

CONTACT KIM SEBOLD ~ 768-9721 ~ KIMBERLY.SEBOLD@UMPI.EDU

t h e blessin g.

University Times

2 The University Times Staff David Hamilton Editor Lanette Virtanen Assistant Editor Landon York Assistant Editor Staff Writers Callie Foster Bhava Albert Kayla Ames Robert Butcher Lauren Camargo Stephanie Corriveau Cassandra Gildert Bert Goldman Sarah Graettinger Stephanie Jellett Leah McEachern Kaitlyn McLaughlin Mika Ouellette Pamela Perkins Ben Pinette Jennifer Sappier Natalie St. Pierre Lanette Virtanen Landon York Contributors Christine Corsello Bob Pinette Amber Reed Jessica Stepp Jim Stepp Curtis Thompson Adam Wilcox Don Zillman Adviser Dr. J The University Times, a nonprofit 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.

Campus

October 30, 2009

To the editor: It was my great privilege to spend a week on UMPI’s campus as a guest lecturer. I enjoyed my time on campus tremendously, and I was tremendously impressed with the university, its leadership and the faculty and students that I met. A go-ahead attitude was apparent. Nearly everyone I met is involved in a project that will improve the campus, the state and – ultimately – the world. The wind tower on campus seemed to me to be a symbol of UMPI’s determination to capitalize on opportunities for the insti-

tution and for its students. I hope everyone associated with UMPI is proud of the place. There’s a lot to be proud of. Thank you to everyone who made my visit so pleasant and so memorable. Sincerely, Mike Jacobs

Dates for Submissions to the U Times Monday, Nov. 2 Monday, Nov. 16 Monday, Nov. 30

Any submissions recieved after a deadline will be published in the following issue. If you have any questions please contact Dr. Lowman at 768-9745

University Times CAMPUS October 30, 2009

From Don’s Desk

Moving Forward

Every time Dr. J gently prods me to get another column ready, I wonder: Haven’t I reported all the news in my last report? And then I look at what’s happened in just a few weeks, and I wonder what I’ll have to cut out. We’ve been busy—even over the Fall Break week. These are tough times in Maine and around the country. The latest revenue reports from the State of Maine show State collections—primarily from income and sales taxes—down even more than expected. It

looks highly likely that all state agencies and the University of Maine System will be asked to further cut spending to keep the budget balanced. We’re already acting and we anticipate that further actions may be needed. In mid-November, the System Trustees will complete a year’s work on their New Challenges/New Directions initiative. We’ve had several visits from Trustees and System officials as this process has advanced. That document will further direct both budget cuts

and creative initiatives for the seven campuses. News from both public and private universities around the country is just as dire, in many cases more so. What impresses me is the number of exciting new ventures that are going forward. Project Compass and student retention efforts. The Lertlah School collaboration in Thailand. The wind turbine’s initial months of operation and its excellent performance in high wind—coming soon to late fall Aroostook County. The Phish

programs and exhibit. Don’t miss the Reed Gallery show if you haven’t already seen it. The excellent visits by Thomas King and Mike Jacobs. And then as we were resting over Fall Break week came the announcement from Senator Collins’ office that UMPI would receive an $800,000 grant to allow a variety of solar energy projects on campus, with spinoffs to the community. We invite the entire campus and community to join us for some creative planning exercises as we move

forward on yet another renewable energy venture. I’ll withhold my preview of coming attractions for the next issue. I ‘ll close with one urgent request. Please vote, if you are eligible, on Nov. 3. I can’t remember an off-year election with so many important ballot propositions. The Maine Secretary of State’s web site has descriptions of each proposition. Read them and exercise your rights as a citizen.

Cassie Gildert

who’ve been really used to the structure that has built in study halls and people who contact you and make sure you’re where you’re supposed to be,” Perkins said. Many students who start college right after high school don’t know what to expect. First Year Seminar makes the switch from high school student to college student a little smoother. Students learn how to help themselves, and also have the opportunity to help others. This class requires the students to complete five hours of service learning projects where they are involved with places such as the Red Cross and Literacy Volunteers of America. Perkins understands that some students might find this overwhelming. “It isn’t easy sometimes when you’re coming to college. You think, “Well, I don’t have time to help anyone else. I’ve got all I can do to get myself here.’ But if you started out with something like that like volunteer training of some kind, then people can begin to see that it may be a life pattern. Maybe that’s something that they’ll always want to do: be a volunteer in one way or another.” Perkins said. Perkins also said FYS can help new students make connections to other people in the university. They can establish relationships with other students, as well as

their instructors, so they have someone to go to when they struggle in classes or have questions. Instructors can provide students with information they may not know about and advice on how to deal with new situations. CUP also helps students who may not have started their college career here. The liberal studies majors and the bachelors of applied science program are another part of CUP. Students can choose classes that are more specific to their needs. The Associate of the arts degree in liberal studies is a two year degree. The AALS offers several concentrations including a general concentration, business and creative writing. This degree is an option for people who have been unemployed and have not gone to college at all. The government will often pay for these people to attend two years of schooling if they choose to do so. “By doing an AA degree, if they have no college, they can then come out with a marketable degree in a skill,” Perkins said. The AA degree is helpful to people who are unemployed because they can learn a skill that could possibly lead to a new job. Even though some people may think that they can’t do anything with this degree, Perkins said, “In actual fact, there are quite a few things that people

can do even with an AA degree in General Studies. It’s a legitimate college degree.” Perkins said that UMPI is currently reusing the Bachelors of liberal studies degree to make it an option for more students. The Bachelor of Applied Science degree provides students who have earned an associate degree in a two year program a way to earn a Bachelor’s degree. “What we’re offering here is: you’ve got the AA degree. We’ll accept all the credits from that degree and if you then do a minor in another area, like human services or educational studies or maybe even a language, maybe French, then we will set out a program and create it for you. So that with completion of 120 degree hours, you now have a bachelor’s degree,” Perkins said. As students become more confident in their studies, they can play a stronger role in their education. CUP includes the Honors Program, which allows students to dig deeper into classes and studies they are very passionate about. The faculty coordinator of this program is Dr. John Defelice. The honors program begins with an Honors class in FYS. Students can receive various types of recognition based on how active they are in the program. “The Honors Program can

lead all the way to a certificate recognition on your transcript analysis,” Perkins said. CUP does not only focus on students on the Presque Isle campus. CUP also serves the Houlton Higher Education Center. At this campus, students can take classes offered by UMPI and NMCC. At the Houlton Center students have access to ITV and video conferencing courses from all over Maine. There are also two adult education programs, along with the Carleton Project, which serves as an alternative high school. The Houlton Higher Education Center provides a convenient place where students have many choices all in one place. “They’re going to achieve either their high school diploma or GED through the Carleton Project versus going to a regular high school setting,” Perkins said. The Center for University Programs is a place at UMPI that offers options to all different types of students. It helps students become involved in their university and their own education. Student have choices because of this program. They can find the confidence to accomplish their educational goals. Once they have this confidence, they’ll be on the path to success.

STAFF WRITER

Our Cup Runneth Over

Don

Happy Halloween! The origin of the contemporary holiday of Halloween started more than 2,000 years ago. There are multiple theories about the beginnings of the “Hallows E’en” or Samhain, but these traditions predate Christianity. Nowadays, Halloween is enjoyed throughout the world, though the date it is celebrated often differs. Hallows E’en or Samhain is frequently related with witches, bats, spirits and phantoms in addition to wickedness, the evil spirit and the occult. Did you ever ask yourself the question why? Certain people are convinced that at this time of the year the world of spirits can communicate with human beings (prepare your Ouija board), and the supernatural is especially accessible. Early Celts had faith that the light part of the year finished by November 1st and they called this day Samhain – which can be translated as “end of summer.” For them, fall as a season did not exist. The next day winter began, which was connected with the end of life. (Just wondering…do you think these folks lived in Maine…”summer” ends and winter begins.) While the night becomes longer and the soil frosty and bare, the gap connecting material world and world of spirits was opened. Ancient Celts thought that the door into graves opened from Oct. 31st to Nov. 2nd. This period is not very sunny and this time of the year is regulated by the moon. People were not afraid of death, but it was very important to depart this life with honor. When someone passes away with honor, people were sure that this person would be with their forebearers at the Feast of the Dead.

University Times CAMPUS October 30, 2009

Chris’ Corner

Treats from the Dean

At this time of the year, there were a lot of celebrations as well as a time of harvest. Communal meals and fun activities took place to pay respect to the dead. At that point in time, Celtic Druid fire festivals took place. For the duration of the festival, the Celts dressed in costumes, that were mostly animal heads and furs and tried to predict the future. Most of the Halloween customs what we have now are taken from Samhain, the Celtic Druid fire festival. A variant tradition describes the spirits of the dead being tricksters. In order to participate in the prank, villagers would dress as their opposites: men would dress as women and women as men. Kids would knock on the neighbor’s doors demanding foodstuff and

sweets. The tradition of the Celts as well as many other nationalities was to start each day when the sun goes down. The night before Samhain was the sunset of “All Hallows Eve,” which was finally entitled Hallows E’en, and nowadays, it’s Halloween. Now for a fun story…. True Australian Halloween Ghost Story This story happened a few years ago on 31st October in Brisbane, and even though it sounds like an Alfred Hitchcock tale, it’s true. John Bradford, a Sydney University student, was on the side of the road hitchhiking on a very dark Halloween night and in the

midst of a storm. The night was rolling on and no car went by. The storm was so strong he could hardly see a few feet ahead of him. Suddenly he saw a car slowly coming toward him. It stopped. John, desperate for shelter and without thinking about it, got into the car and closed the door, just to realize that there was nobody behind the wheel and the engine wasn’t on! The car started moving slowly. John looked at the road and saw a curve approaching. Scared, he started to pray, begging for his life. Then, just before he hit the curve, a hand appeared through the window and turned the wheel. John, paralyzed with terror, watched how the hand appeared every time they came to a curve. John

saw the lights of a pub down the road so, gathering strength, jumped out of the car and ran to it. Wet and out of breath, he rushed inside and asked for two shots of tequila. He then started telling everybody about the horrible experience he went through. A silence enveloped everybody when they realized he was crying and... wasn’t drunk. About 15 minutes later, two guys walked into the same pub. They were also wet and out of breath. Looking around and seeing John Bradford sobbing at the bar, one said to the other, “‘Look, Bruce. There’s the idiot who got in the car while we were pushing it.”

University Times CAMPUS October 30, 2009

Real versus Cartoon

How Sarah Palin’s cartoon portrayal influenced the 2008 election. Ben Pinette

Woman of Many Talents

STAFF WRITER

On Wednesday, September 30, the Faculty lounge in Normal Hall once again welcomed Alice Sheppard to speak about how political cartoons influenced Sarah Palin’s chances to become Vice President. During the presentation, Sheppard showed various positive and negative political cartoons from newspapers throughout the U.S. She brought to light what they truly meant and how they were depicted. This wasn’t Sheppard’s first time talking about Sarah Palin to an audience. “I’ve given these presentations four different times at international conferences, so this isn’t a new thing I started doing after the election.” In her presentation, Sheppard talked a bit about how political cartoons can actually shape an election. “Cartoons have serious issues that didn’t come up during the election. They also tell us a lot about ourselves. They work on the shortcuts” Some of the cartoons contained Palin in a helicopter pretending to shoot elk from the air. A few contained images of a pit bull with lipstick. And a few were with

Sarah Graettinger STAFF WRITER

Figure 1- Example of Sarah Palin cartoon discussed during presentation. images.huffingtonpost.com

John McCain, her former running mate. Sheppard hoped people would walk away from her lectures knowing a bit more about how the media can twist a major event, such as an election. “People don’t know what one another are doing. This seminar had people ask themselves about how the media can change the election.” As the 2008 election came to an end, the saga continues as Sarah Palin left more questions than answers in her long campaign. If you’d like to know more about Alice Sheppard’s lectures, feel free to contact her e-mail at alice.sheppard@umpi.edu.

Marjorie McNamara is a person that does many things for the campus to make it run smoothly. Campus life would be harder if she wasn’t there to do it. One of her jobs is to direct students in South Hall to where they need to go. She sets up appointments for the counselors there and the Prometric Test Center. The center provides testing by appointment for professional, academic and licensing exam. Now people no longer have to travel to Bangor for such testing. McNamara’s also the National Student Exchange coordinator and has been involved with WUPI for seven years. “I plan a lot of the events that go on around campus, like Midnight Madness. I want to build student participation and see more people involved,” McNamara said. She also designs many T-shirts, hats and book bags that are around campus. She finds these a great way to promote spirit. The Midnight Madness shirts are a recent example. The radio station survived because of her spirit to get people involved. The station used to be located in Normal Hall and was about to have its license run out. McNamara got the job done and prevailed. The radio station got its license back and was able to have music on the air again. One of the hardest things that McNamara has to do is get information for grants.

Marjorie McNamara (standing) working with a student South Hall’s tutoring program ˘is funded by the government and needs to be updated daily. If information is needed on a student, McNamara knows where to find it. One of McNamara’s favorite things is the National Student Exchange program. She’s in charge of the program, making sure the process gets done right. The program includes 200 schools around the country and students can choose which ones to apply to and attend. One of the best things about the program is that you can pay UMPI’s tuition and go

Go Vote Nov. 3!

out of state to another school. Students work with their adviser and they pick classes that would go toward the degree. People can see new things that are not in Maine and learn new life skills. “It’s new options for students. They can learn about new life skills and have new academic options,” McNamara said. If anything needs to be done, McNamara can get it done. Students are welcome to ask questions and get involved with campus life. Many new opportunities are available if you look in the right places.

University Times CAMPUS October 30, 2009

Warning! Your Newspaper is in Trouble! Pamela Perkins STAFF WRITER

Did you know that 60 percent of Americans think that the content in newspapers is biased? Are you one of them? Did you know that 63 percent of Americans think that the facts the media give aren’t accurate? Are you one of them? Did you know that since 2000, one in five jobs in the journalism business have been lost? Are you going to be one of them? These were just a few of the startling facts that distinguished lecturer, Mike Jacobs, gave during his presentation called, “Just how Anxious are we? A report from the field on media in America.” Jacobs, publisher and editor of the Pulitzer Prize (the highest award given in journalism), winning Grand Forks [North Dakota] Herald, and with 40 years experience in journalism, was concerned about the future of the printed press. “The good thing, there will always be a need (and demand) for news,” said Jacobs, “Journalists will always have a job.” It’s how that news will be delivered in the upcoming years that could affect jobs and the way journalism is going to work. Today about 15.8 percent of Americans get their news from Web sites instead of from a printed source. Out of the 54 percent of Americans who do read a daily newspaper, some of them are going to cancel their subscription to the newspaper due to poor customer service, such as the delivery boy throwing their paper in a puddle. (You can’t have soggy news if it’s on the net, now can you?) If people aren’t getting their news from a printed source, then the cost for the raw materials (ink and paper) aren’t being covered by the circulation price: they’re coming out of the advertising budget. Since 2008, there’s been a 22 percent loss in ad revenue for newspapers,

because retailers aren’t thinking of selling locally, but instead nationally. There are more people living in Portland, Maine, than Presque Isle. Retailers want to make the most money they can, so they’ll advertise more in Portland than in Presque Isle. This means that local newspapers, such as the Star Herald, can suffer a loss of revenue from their ad sales. Loss in ad revenues equals big losses in the overall revenue for a newspaper. Since 2008, there’s been a 4.8 percent page drop in newspapers that could have been due to lost ad revenue or other content. Losses in ad sales can account for as much as $2.6 billion lost in just three months for newspapers, which then has an effect on people’s jobs. About 13,636 jobs dealing within journalism’s field have been lost in daily newspapers from 2008. So is there a bright side? Jacobs feels optimistic about the future of the printed press. “There will be someone from this generation who will figure it out and make (newspapers) profitable (again).” Jacobs understands that kids are reading differently today than they did thirty years ago. That doesn’t mean that children aren’t interested in the news, just that newspapers will have to find new ways of delivering the news to this generation. What worries Jacobs is the attention span of this generation being too short. Jacobs also feels that young people should read the news whenever they get the chance and start to get into the habit. Young readers need to learn to recognize bias and respect authority. As for what you can do? You can start by getting a newspaper subscription and reading the paper. Even if you don’t read the newspaper, you will at least have plenty of materials for making your Hoover blankets and clothing, if we ever went into the Great Depression II.

Pulitzer prize winning journalist Mike Jacobs in the Campus Center Oct. 6

Photo by: Lanette Virtanen

A Whole New Outlook on Community

Stephanie Jellett STAFF WRITER

Many students and faculty members were delighted with the arrival of the Pulitzer Prize winning journalist, Mike Jacobs. Travelling all the way from Grand Forks, N. D., he gave workshops and lectures at UMPI. His main topic of focus was on community. The people who attended the workshop he gave on the night of Oct. 6, in the campus center, were interested in building and sustaining community. To make things more personal, everyone who attended made name tags. The workshop started off with Jacobs talking about his hometown, Grand Forks, and the tragedy that happened in 1997. About 80 percent of Grand Forks was destroyed due to a massive flood that left many people devastated by the tragedy. “It was a challenge for the existence of our community” Jacobs said.

He continued to talk about how his family dealt with the disaster. Everyone had to be strong and hold themselves together, even after what they had been through. They had to rebuild what was destroyed. It’s the strength of a community that makes it a community. The activity that took up most of the night was answering a series of questions, and a discussion that followed. Some questions included: my community is __________. Most people described their community, for example, as: friendly, small. People also described their community with such words as: civic engagement, environment, character of people, team work, shared goal, trust, safety, support, belonging, equality and tolerance, money issues, narrow minds, gossip and lack of communication. What can I do for my community? Was another

question Jacobs asked. He wanted specific detail in this question, meaning he not only wanted an example of what you do, but also how you would accomplish it. He said most people were very vague, but it’s acceptable because many people don’t have the right tools/building blocks. For example, if people said they’d volunteer more, in order to accomplish this, they’d have to actually engage themselves in the act. They’d need to take action, either by helping out at the Red Cross or at the local day care center. What are the critical elements of your community? All present discussed their views on this and came up with: businesses, interaction, creative economy, and shared values. Jacobs uses Grand Forks as an example. It’s an agricultural center, among other things, and a few people could relate, which brought on great discussion.

University Times CAMPUS October 30, 2009

“What is it that exists in a community that can be brought to bear? What can’t be brought to a community?” Jacob clarified when people didn’t fully understand the question: “What are the building blocks?” The discussion took hold and everyone shared ideas, such as: town council, planning board, Aroostook County Young Farmers Association, emergency services council, downtown revitalization organization, banks, UMPI, NMCC, hospitals, airports, schools, certain restaurants, youth hockey, military, the advocacy institute, non-profit organizations and service clubs. Toward the end of the night, Jacobs started to talk about ways that all could help out their community. The two main ways were to 1.) Buy a subscription to the local newspaper- it makes you aware of what’s going on and happening in the community, and 2.) Support the local media- they know what’s going on, and it helps make other people aware what’s happening. Another way to help out your community would be to join a service club. Money was also another issue brought up. It’s also a very crucial element to community. Without money, a community couldn’t develop or expand. “You have to find a way to move the money around. Money is the key issue,” Jacobs said while continuing on with the conversation. As the night came to an end, everyone was grateful that they showed up to the workshop. It was a great evening: all present participated, were very friendly and voiced their opinions. It was if we acted as a small community ourselves: we all learned about each other’s community and learned a new insight into the meaning of community. For a reward, we were treated to very delicious treats, such as chocolate covered strawberries and coffee. What a great way to end the evening.

Our Cup Runneth Over Cassie Gildert STAFF WRITER

Students have to face many challenges throughout college, such as learning how to succeed, fit in and figure out what they want out of a college education. Fortunately, UMPI has a place where making these difficult decisions becomes a little easier. The Center for University Programs helps students discover answers to questions like these. CUP focuses on many different areas that help students find connections to the university. Through these connections, students can learn more about their community, university and themselves. CUP reaches out to students through First Year Seminar, the Houlton Higher Education Center and the H o n o r s Program, among others. First year seminar is one of the first classes students must take as a freshman at UMPI. Kim-Anne Perkins, who is the chair of CUP, said FYS helps new students with the transition process. “First year seminar is designed to help people make the social transition to coming to college. It also helps them kind of understand what the rules are when you first start college, because we have people who come here who’ve never heard of what a syllabus is. You also have people who’ve been really used to the structure that has built in study halls and people who contact you and make sure you’re where you’re supposed to be,” Perkins said. Many students who start college right after high school don’t know what to expect. First Year Seminar makes the switch from high school student to college student a little smoother. Students learn how to help themselves, and also have the opportunity to help others. This class requires the students to complete five hours of service

learning projects where they are involved with places such as the Red Cross and Literacy Volunteers of America. Perkins understands that some students might find this overwhelming. “It isn’t easy sometimes when you’re coming to college. You think, “Well, I don’t have time to help anyone else. I’ve got all I can do to get myself here.’ But if you started out with something like that like volunteer training of some kind, then people can begin to see that it may be a life pattern. Maybe that’s something that they’ll always want to do: be a volun-

people who have been unemployed and have not gone to college at all. The government will often pay for these people to attend two years of schooling if they choose to do so. “By doing an AA degree, if they have no college, they can then come out with a marketable degree in a skill,” Perkins said. The AA degree is helpful to people who are unemployed because they can learn a skill that could possibly lead to a new job. Even though some people may think that they can’t do

teer in one way or another.” Perkins said. Perkins also said FYS can help new students make connections to other people in the university. They can establish relationships with other students, as well as their instructors, so they have someone to go to when they struggle in classes or have questions. Instructors can provide students with information they may not know about and advice on how to deal with new situations. CUP also helps students who may not have started their college career here. The liberal studies majors and the bachelors of applied science program are another part of CUP. Students can choose classes that are more specific to their needs. The Associate of the arts degree in liberal studies is a two year degree. The AALS offers several concentrations including a general concentration, business and creative writing. This degree is an option for

anything with this degree, Perkins said, “In actual fact, there are quite a few things that people can do even with an AA degree in General Studies. It’s a legitimate college degree.” Perkins said that UMPI is currently reusing the Bachelors of liberal studies degree to make it an option for more students. The Bachelor of Applied Science degree provides students who have earned an associate degree in a two year program a way to earn a Bachelor’s degree. “What we’re offering here is: you’ve got the AA degree. We’ll accept all the credits from that degree and if you then do a minor in another area, like human services or educational studies or maybe even a language, maybe French, then we will set out a program and create it for you. So that with completion of 120 degree hours, you now have a bachelor’s degree,” Perkins said.

As students become more confident in their studies, they can play a stronger role in their education. CUP includes the Honors Program, which allows students to dig deeper into classes and studies they are very passionate about. The faculty coordinator of this program is Dr. John Defelice. The honors program begins with an Honors class in FYS. Students can receive various types of recognition based on how active they are in the program. “The Honors Program can lead all the way to a certificate recognition on your transcript analysis,” Perkins said. CUP does not only focus on students on the Presque Isle campus. CUP also serves the Houlton Higher Education Center. At this campus, students can take classes offered by UMPI and NMCC. At the Houlton Center students have access to ITV and video conferencing courses from all over Maine. There are also two adult education programs, along with the Carleton Project, which serves as an alternative high school. The Houlton Higher Education Center provides a convenient place where students have many choices all in one place. “They’re going to achieve either their high school diploma or GED through the Carleton Project versus going to a regular high school setting,” Perkins said. The Center for University Programs is a place at UMPI that offers options to all different types of students. It helps students become involved in their university and their own education. Student have choices because of this program. They can find the confidence to accomplish their educational goals. Once they have this confidence, they’ll be on the path to success.

University Times CAMPUS October 30, 2009

From the Plant Press: Ecology Club at the Aroostook Wildlife Refuge Bob Pinette

CONTRIBUTOR

After classes on Friday afternoon, five of us- three Geo-Ecology Club members and two science faculty- gathered in the South Hall parking lot for a fieldtrip to a little known place at the former Loring Air Force Base. In our university van, we traveled beyond “north of ordinary” to the Aroostook National Wildlife Refuge, consisting of nearly 5,000 acres of wetlands that were transferred from the U.S. Air Force to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in 1998. Along the way we enjoyed fall coloration in its peak condition. The dark green of the conifers, such as fir and spruce, sharply contrasted with the yellows of birch and aspen. The scarlet colors of red maple and the purplish red of pincherry studded the landscape along with various phases of sugar maple with yellow, orange and red leaves. This is a 45 minute trip from campus, but as conversation buzzed in the van, it seemed as though it took only a few minutes. We parked at a well-kept visitor’s center that consisted of an open area surrounding a modern looking building. Unfortunately, the absence of any staff at the center left us on our own as to potential places to go. For most of us, this was our first visit the refuge, so one place seemed as good as another. After some of us equipped ourselves with binoculars, we struck out on a nature trail that opened near the edge of the parking area. Our walk was sort of a potluck experience that became whatever happened to catch our collective eye. One of us used an MP3 player with a speaker that played bird calls at intervals in hope of rousing some song birds. Mushrooms soon dominated

our attention, however. After several weeks of drought, recent rains induced a number of species to make a strong, albeit late, appearance. One of the first mushrooms spotted was a larch bolete: a dark browncapped species that is slimy when wet. In that respect it did not disappoint as a thick slime stuck to our hands as we examined the yellowish pores underneath the cap and the distinct membranous ring on its stalk. Peering into the mosscovered understory of the mixed woods revealed a habitat that would be an ideal mushrooom hunting place in midSeptember with an average rainfall. Harrison soon got the knack of finding mushrooms. As we entered what appeared to be a conifer planting, he found a troop of spotted Collybia among moss and some purple Mycena with its conic caps growing from leaf debris. Later on we found several LBMs (ask Harrison what that means) on decaying wood. One may have been Galerina marginata, a little brown mushroom that despite its small size contains sufficient amatoxins to kill the largest of potential grazers, including people. Most impressive of the lot seen that afternoon was an extensive fruiting of Armillaria solidipes around the base of numerous conifers that it had parasitized and

Left to right are Sarah Ames, Harrison Kilpatrick, Ryan Butler and Jason Johnston. killed. Much darker than from a robin. This begs the talking about a creature that usual, owing to the rain and question: How do you know weighs a few ounces when perhaps a recent frost, these what bird made the nest if the soaking wet, if that. Yet when white gilled mushrooms nor- bird is not in residence? their hackles are up, they will mally have a pale brown cap Several clues include the con- band together and display with a scaly center and a struction material, the loca- incredible ferocity that belies membranous ring on its stalk. tion of the nest and its gener- their small size. The shoe-string fungus, as it is al appearance. The thrush’s Unfortunately, we were known, is a good edible fun- nest is usually built on the unable to determine what was gus as long as it is well- ground or very close to it, the responsible for getting them cooked. Otherwise it may nest is somewhat compact and upset. produce a gastric upset that the inside is lined with pine Part of the nature trail folmay last for several days. needles. A robin’s nest is usu- lows what appears to be an At this point, one of the ally found, more or less, at eye old railroad bed that bisects two faculty among us joked level and lined with grass. By an open wetland of perhaps that it was fungi 15 and birds comparison the exterior of five acres in size. One side zero. To be fair, October is this nest is sloppy-looking, may best be described as great for ducks, but not for with twigs and grass loosely swampy with numerous songbirds. The MP3 player wrapped around its base. sedges interspersed with dead that we took along was used At one spot we could hear snags. It’s reminiscent of a to play some bird calls in some chick-a-dees that were woodland flooded by beaver hopes of rousing some winged in a tizzy. We learned that, except in this case the earthen friends that may have been when predators enter their rail bed cut off water lurking in the area, but with territory, they gang up on the drainage that gradually killed little success. One of us with culprit. This is known as the trees. Here we found typian eye for birds in the bush mobbing. Everyone knows the cal wetland plants that profound two nests: one possibly chick-a-dee, but if you’ve ever vided an opportunity to from a thrush and another held one in your hand, we’re review some of the basic

University Times CAMPUS October 30, 2009 characteristics of the sedge and rush families. Both are grass-like flowering plants with blooms that are not much to write home about. Three species we compared included the soft rush, wool grass and one of 150 Carex species found in Maine. Of these the soft rush, Juncus effusus comes closest to having a regular flower structure with bracts around the ovary that are miniature sepals and petals. By itself, the height is distinctive for this species reaching some 18 or more inches with a dense cluster of flowers that appear to interrupt the stem a few inches from the top. The Carex, possibly C. retrorsa, has no common name. Its flowers are arranged in several thumb-size spikes with its numerous single-seeded achenes each encased in a sac called the perigynium. As is characteristic of the family, this sedge has a triangular stem. Wool grass, on the other hand, is truly a sedge and not a grass. Evidently it did poorly in botany class as it failed to read about the triangular stem. Its stem is round. It’s called wool grass because of the curly bristles at the base of each flower. By the time it sets fruit, the entire flower head conjures the part of Harpo Marx above the shoulders, but without the hat. On the other side of the trail, we briefly explored the edge of a pond for aquatic wildlife. Several of us made a valiant search for salamanders and their ilk with no success. Blobs of colorless jelly at the waters edge captured our attention for a few minutes. It may have been a jelly-like matrix, such as found around frog or toad eggs. But in the end, more questions were raised than it answered. Anyway, we moved on. Plants 3, amphibians zero. On returning to the parking area, a family that arrived some time after us were beating a hasty retreat from the trail head with reports of bears and a moose. This was part fiction and part truth. A moose evidently had come out to the pond after we left. The report of a bear was pure

hyperbole. After getting back in the van, we decided that there was enough time to briefly visit the UMPI property on the west side of the old base. Driving down what seemed to be a lazy country road we thought it best to park way off the pavement after a semi-tractor with an empty flatbed trailer blew past us like a B 52. The wooded property that we visited had several test wells at its edge that provided an easy approach to the woods. It was evident after 50 feet or so, however, that much of the wood is an impenetrable maze of conifers. We did find a game trail that may prove useful on future visits, but by now, we had run out of time. Sarah seemed to take a while to come out of the woods. Whether or not she temporarily lost her way or was investigating birds in the bushes, she never said. Loading back in the van got some of us thinking about the chores that need attention back home. Ryan bemoaned the fact that he had some grocery shopping yet to do, and all he got for sympathy was an offhand remark about procrastination. As we made our way back to highway 89, we pondered why more students hadn’t come. There was speculation that Friday afternoon may have had something to do with it. We agreed at that such outings provide valuable experience that helps put into context the learning from the lecture and laboratory. It’s a great opportunity to spend some time in the natural world without the onus of papers, projects or tests. We had a good time and perhaps the next fieldtrip, with better preparation and different circumstances, will make more students will want to participate. With the landmarks of Loring behind us, Professor Johnston couldn’t resist making some remark about seeing a bald eagle. Had this been true, it would have definitely been birds, game point and match set. But hey, who’s keeping score anyway?

Letʼs Learn Together

Lauren Camargo STAFF WRITER

Have you ever felt as if you didn’t know all your classmates? Have you ever felt that the way your professors were teaching wasn’t a good way for you to learn? Well, faculty here at UMPI are trying to fix that. They want you to feel comfortable and they want to teach in a way that you will learn best. So over the summer, about a dozen professors who teach general education curriculum courses met up with Raymond Rice (the chair of the College of Arts and Sciences) to plan to start using Learning Communities at UMPI. The learning communities, will initially, consist of two sets of three courses. This spring, there’ll be pilot groups that will include first year students going into their second semester. One group will have 18 students and the courses they’ll be taking will be: BIO 112, ENG 101 and HTY 116. The other group will also have 18 students and the courses they’ll be taking will be ENV 110, MAT 101 and ENG 151. In each learning community, the professors are going to try to interconnect the curriculum and discuss the same areas in all three courses. Bringing learning communities to UMPI will give students a chance to use cooperative learning and will be a

good way to engage with other classmates. Rice asked Bonnie Wood, a biology professor, to be the coordinator of these learning communities. Wood is very passionate about finding better ways for students to learn and better ways to teach. Wood is interested in different teaching methods. “The best professors should be teaching general education curriculum courses because good success in introductory courses increases chances of finishing college,” Wood said. The faculty at UMPI hopes that by using this technique of teaching and learning, they’ll help make students more comfortable in

class and with their classmates. To see if this is a successful technique, the faculty will see how many of the students who participate in these learning communities stay another year and how many stay and finish their full college career. Other colleges have used this technique successfully, so it should work out well. If you’re a first year student at UMPI and you’re interested in participating in these learning communities, please tell your adviser right away because each learning community is limited to only 18 people. Be a part of the first learning communities at UMPI and experience a new way of learning!

Back to School Once Again

Fro m S hi pmat e s P. I. Hi gh’s N e ws Jessica Stepp

STAFF WRITER The local high school students just came back from a more than welcome three week break. Some worked, others traveled and some sat at home or hung out with friends. With all the rain, it was hard to make picking potatoes easy. Some farmers were still picking even after school resumed and some students got a longer break. Things that are coming up at PIHS include: Jazz All-State auditions, “Plan Your Future Day,” Class of 2011 dance and the Fall Sport Pep Rally. A lot of students who have made it into Jazz AllState: we hope that all who try out come out successful. “Plan Your Future Day” is a day when we all decide on different “work0shops” to go to. Each grade has different things to look at. Students look at possible colleges they would like to go to and learn things about the college. As I’ve mentioned before, every class has a dance to support the class for random things. This time it’s the Class of 2011’s turn. The pep rallies are fun because we have a lot of fun just yelling and supporting the students who work with our sports. A thing to keep in mind is the Shipmates’ Playhouse production of “The Pajama Game,” Nov. 6, 7, 12, 13 and the 14. The times are as follows: 11/6, 7p.m., 11/7, 2p.m. and 7p.m., 11/12 7p.m., 11/13, 7p.m. and 11/14, 2p.m. and 7p.m.. The students in the play would love you to come and watch them perform if that’s possible.

University Times COMMUNITY October 30, 2009

Fight for the Right Bert Goldman STAFF WRITER

Local and state elections are coming up on Nov. 3. Voting will take place at the Haskell Center, just down the hill from the UMPI campus. Polls will be open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Though celebrities are probably not coming to Presque Isle to get you to vote, Nancy Nichols encourages you to vote anyway. Nichols is the city clerk and the person to see about voting in Presque Isle. In Nichols’ office, on the first floor of city hall, you can pick up an absentee ballot. Even if you live here, you can still use an absentee ballot. This way you can vote when you want to. You will also be able to avoid the lines on Nov. 3. Ex-fire chief Jim Krysiak

Bert Goldman STAFF WRITER

On Friday, Oct. 16, the Battered Women’s Project held a walk to raise awareness of domestic violence at Riverside Park. This event remembered the women, children and men who died this last year from domestic violence. October is domestic violence awareness month. The director of the project, Francine Garland Stark, said, “In Maine, since last October, two men killed children, five men killed women, two women killed men.” A victim of abuse, who did not want her name printed, told her story. The first thing she said was, “I’m a survivor.” This woman prayed before she went up to speak. She said, “It’s important not to be scared or lonely (alone) and to ask for help.” As she read to us about the

said this about voting early at city hall: “It’s at my convenience.” You can also vote early at city hall, on Second Street. Or request a ballot online, at Maine.gov. If you have questions about voting in Presque Isle or about absentee ballots, call Nancy Nichols. Her number is 764-2520. There are important things on the ballot this time around, including taxes, gay rights, marijuana and government spending. City Manager Tom Stevens said that the exise tax on motor vehicles will affect the Presque Isle city budget. Also on the ballot is a bond issue that might get $148,000,000 for Maine. This money could be used for a variety of things, such as highway

improvements. For a complete list, and explanation, of ballot items in this year’s election, visit the state Web site, Maine.gov. Nichols says that newspapers, television and radio also give information on ballot items. Nichols is looking for volunteers to help on voting days. Contact her at the number list-

ed above if you’re interested. Even if you vote absentee there are polls set up at city hall. “You’re going to feel like you’re right at the polls,” Nichols said. Maine has worked to make voting easy and painless. If people have given their lives for the right to vote, isn’t it worth a few minutes to cast your ballot?

her favorite foods from down south. One thing Stark stressed is that there are many women out there who are being abused now. Contact the Battered Women’s Project if you see abuse. The number is 1-800439-2323. “Doing nothing is not an option,” Stark said. There were about half a dozen men there, mostly police officers of some kind. Naldo Gagnon, the Presque Isle Chief of Police, was the first to arrive. “Whenever we make an arrest, we contact them (the Battered Women’s Project),” Gagnon said, “This way they know the woman might need help.” Stark gave some statistics. “Over 1,200 people called the Battered Women’s Project for help in the past year. More than 10 times that number received services from the member projects of the Maine Coalition to End Domestic

Violence collectively.” Stark had much to say about how we treat one another. She did not mean just husband and wife or husband and children. “We’re all connected to each other – through family, church, synagogue, workplace, club, gym, school . . . . And it’s through our connections that we create the world in which we live.” The awareness walk ended at the river. As someone read the names of the dead women, men and children, people threw flowers into the river. As Stark said, “It is difficult to know that people are still dying.” Another woman who works for the police, Vicki Kinney said, “Step in!” She thought that you should speak up no matter what. Even if you’re wrong, it’s better to be wrong than sorry. If you are suffering abuse, call the Battered Women’s Project. Be a survivor.

Doing Nothingʼs Not an Option

man who beat her every Friday, her hands shook. After she spoke, many cried. Karen McCosker, who works at UMPI and is also on the board of the Battered Women’s Project, read a poem. Someone sang. The director, Stark, then spoke about domestic violence. “Violence against one person is violence against all people,” Stark said. In an interview before her speech, Stark said that it’s important to reflect on personal choices, how we speak to one another. She said that this event is held every year for three reasons: to remember the dead, to reflect on our personal choices and to rejoice that so many people get free from domestic abuse. The victim who told us her story said something similar. “I’m free now.” It has been two years since she lived with her abusive husband. Her family is supportive, she says. They send

University Times COMMUNITY October 30, 2009

Kayla Ames STAFF WRITER

One of the first things Brian Hamel said when talking about the who, what and why of PHISH was, “Always keep your mind open, and always keep an open mind.” He didn’t plan on using Loring Air Force Base as the site for the three wildly popular PHISH concerts, but that’s what happened. Looking back on it all, Hamel said he had no regrets. Involved in redevelopment, Hamel had big plans for Loring Air Force Base, though a PHISH concert was the farthest thing from his mind when he began the project. The idea of sponsoring a PHISH concert after the band was done their tour took root while he and his fellow redevelopers were seeking money from Washington. The idea originally didn’t find favor. It left a “bad taste in people’s mouths.” Nevertheless, they kept open minds. Hamel, clueless as to who PHISH was, asked his three daughters at the dinner table whether they knew of the band named PHISH. They promptly replied “Dad, you need to get a life.” They, at least, were in favor of the idea. 1996 saw Hamel, primary organizer of the event, calling people and sending letters. He spoke with the state police, emergency services and officials from New York, since they had organized a similar concert in the past. The letters were delivered throughout Houlten to Fort Kent, after which there was a large gathering and discussion. Hamel talked to his board, asking them to keep open minds. He told them that he hoped to use the concert as a way to bring the community together. As expected, there were certain concerns and obstacles. The police were worried that the rock ‘n’ roll would bring with it drugs and sex. Organizers would need a permit allowing a mass gatheringa rare request in Limestone. They needed to invite the band. They needed to hold a press conference. A rare species of bird nested near Loring Air Force Base, not to mention the

Open Minds and Fun Times

nearby wildlife refuge. The possible noise and human interaction could threaten the animals’ health and security. That situation was remedied with monitoring and a promise not to mow the base until after the third week of July. By the end, staff members had spent six to eight months developing the plan. All that remained was to carry it out. When asked why he decided to host the PHISH concert in Limestone, Hamel supplied several answers. He wanted to prove that people could come to a rural location, have a good time and leave with a good impression. “There was the impression that we didn’t even have electricity- why start a business where no one goes to?” Yet 60-70, 000 people showed up, and all of them left with a different idea of Maine. Hamel also wanted an economic boost. Reports prove that concert goers spent an average of $150 in some Maine community while outside the concert. The result of each concert was approximately $26.3 million. About 1,000 jobless people were put to work for three months, ensuring they had at least a temporary source of income. The aftermath presented as many problems as the planning had. Three hundred tons of trash were taken away. Portable toilets were a big issue, though organizers were better able to anticipate the need of concert goers with each concert. Having a large enough supply of drinkable water was a great obstacle. Law enforcement, too, presented a huge challenge. “I’m not naïve enough to think they were all out there sipping soda,” Hamel said. In that time he developed a tremendous respect for law enforcement. Traffic was yet another issue. There were so many cars sitting still for so long that handfuls of concert goers started playing games of Frisbee. Others had conversations with people sitting on their porches, getting to know one another in the time it took traffic to start moving again. Residents wel-

Photos by: Lanette Virtanen Top: Brian Hamel speaks with attendees of the Phish Retrospective in the Reed Gallery. Bottom: Pieces collected from the Phish festivals. comed and interacted with vis- the fun times during the ques- for whether it could ever hapitors who didn’t necessarily tion and answer portion of the pen again, there’s still a very look like them. session, thanking the fans for real possibility. When asked if he would ever their support as well as describIn closing, Hamel asked, do it again Hamel said “I would ing some of the most bizarre “Those of you who didn’t go, absolutely do it again….there occurrences. According to now do you want to?” were a lot of great memories.” Hamel, northern Maine came We instantly recalled the He and his wife shared two to be known for the PHISH shared memories and vivid wedding anniversaries during concerts as far away as British descriptions. We met the questhose concerts. Though the Columbia. He says that things tion with an array of smiles, concerts gave him a few gray like the IT men and various ret- firm nods and enthusiastic hairs, they also gave him a life- rospectives are good ways of applause. time of happiness. He shared keeping the memories alive. As

University Times COMMUNITY October 30, 2009

A Timely Tradition Adam Wilcox

WASHBURN HIGH SCHOOL

Harvest is a nice break for some high school students, but for most it means waking up really early and working really late. From late September till mid-October Aroostook county students worked on harvesters or in potato houses. High school students really enjoy this time. They make money, so they can go to the movies and hang out with their friends. If they are fortunate to not have to work, they have time off from school. While harvest may be relaxing for students, it certainly isn’t relaxing for everyone. Harvest is a stressful time for farmers. They have to make sure they get all of their potatoes out of the ground before it gets to cold. They battle rain, frost, machines breaking down and stress. Potato harvest is a crazy time in northern Maine. You know you’re in Aroostook when there are tractors, windrowers, harvesters and trucks mounded over with potatoes on the road. This is a tradition that is strong in the area, and one that many are very proud of. It’s a time capsule in a way, but in other ways advances in technology can be seen on farms. Farming has advanced rapid-

ly over time. There use to be one digger and that would put the potatoes on top of the ground and people would pick each potato up by hand to put into a barrel. A flat bed truck would come and get the barrels to bring them to a potato house where they would roll the barrels up a ramp to the top floor and drop them through a shoot into a big pile. Now wind rowers pick up two to three rows at a time and put them in one. Instead of people, a harvester picks up those rows and people on the harvester pick out the rocks, dirt and rotten potatoes. The good potatoes are poured through a shoot on the harvester into the potato truck. The truck then takes the potatoes to the potato house where they are unloaded on to a bin-piler. A bin-piler piles the potatoes in the house. Harvest is a great time of year for most of us, but for farmers it’s the most important time of the year. Harvest can be hard on many farmers. The continuous rain this year hurt even the smallest of farms and kept workers at home for days. Despite difficulties farmers have finished the season. Now we no longer share the road with wind-rowers, at least not until next year when the cycle starts all over again.

Washburn High School National Honor Society

NHS – Making a Difference Every Day April Flagg

WASHBURN HIGH SCHOOL

The National Honor Society at Washburn District High School is making a difference. This year the Society is really stepping up and taking on the idea of community service in a whole new way. All NHS students in Washburn allocate per-

sonal time for community service projects. This time helps the NHS be seen. Volunteering helps our community and it displays the character, leadership and service the National Honor Society is known for. The Washburn National Honor Society is a long standing tradition. Since the early 1930’s Washburn teachers have inducted worthy students into this elite organization. As the advisor of Washburn’s NHS, it is my job to promote the pillars the Society is built on. The pillar we concentrate on here is service. Each NHS student volunteers an hour a week at the Washburn High School or for a cause in the community. Some students arrive once a week at 7:00 a.m. to help teachers, the library or the front office with copying, organizing, bulletin boards or just simply answering the phone. These hours are important not just for the NHS

students, but for all students of WHS. Washburn does not currently have a community service requirement for graduation. Service should come from a desire to want to serve without credit, applause or recognition. One NHS member said, “I volunteer because I want to, because that is what I’m all about. I don’t want credit, recognition or applause. I just want to do it.” In a world full of self servicing ideals, to see nine students happily serving their school and community is really special. It’s an honor to be the advisor for this group of students. It’ll be exciting to see what this year brings, but even more exciting is to see new NHS traditions extend into next year. It’s all about building, making our Society stronger, and in turn, making our school and community stronger.

University Times COMMUNITY October 30, 2009

Amber Reed WASHBURN HIGH SCHOOL

Hunt of a Lifetime is a nonprofit organization whose purpose is to grant the wishes for people under the age of 21 who have life threatening illnesses. My family just recently granted a wish for a young girl named Christine when she hunted and bagged her moose that she has always longed for. My dad, Russell Reed, who is the head guide at R and S Guide Service, became a part of the Hunt of a Lifetime program to try to grant the wishes of as many young people as he could. From Oct. 12 to 17 he guided Christine, a 14 year old, to the moose she always wanted. Although it was her wish Reed granted, he was honored to be a part of her experience.

Curtis Thompson WASHBURN HIGH SCHOOL

In the Boy Scouts of America, becoming an Eagle Scout is the goal. In order to achieve this rank, a boy needs experience and time. He needs to qualify for many merit badges, and successfully lead an Eagle Scout service project. After the project, it is a time to cheer. The scout has his final board of review, a board of adults who determine if he is ready to be an Eagle Scout, and the scout has his ceremony where a badge and certificate is given. In the Boy Scouts of America, there are about 150 merit badges. Only twenty one are required to obtain the rank of eagle. Some of these badges

Hunt of a Lifetime

Her family traveled here from Wisconsin. They experienced one of the most memorable weeks of their life. Reed showed her 84 other moose during the week, as well as guiding her to her bull moose. She also had the chance to see small game, and experienced the joy of the outdoors, an experience too many of us in Aroostook county take for granted. She successfully harvested her moose on Saturday, Oct. 17 around 1:30 p.m. That began a very emotional time for the families and the guides who were all a part of this hunt. Her moose was the last moose to be tagged at the tagging station. Christine helped the tagging station break a previous record by putting the number of

moose tagged there higher than

it’s ever been. The experience that the Hunt of a Lifetime program offers is very moving. You get the opportunity to meet children who inspire you in ways you couldn’t imagine. Christine’s friend was also on a guided moose hunt, she is wheelchair bound. Her legs no longer function, so when she gets out of her wheelchair she moves around with her arms. She gets around as well as she did when her legs did work. These young people teach you to never give up and to live with what life gives you. They know they are going to die at a young age, and there’s nothing they can do about it. They also know what they want to accomplish in their lifetime, and they certainly do that and much more.

The Road to Eagle

include communications, first aid, swimming, citizenship and camping. Each badge has many requirements that test the scout and make sure he understands the skills of the badge and how to apply them in everyday life. The Eagle Scout project involves many things such as leadership, money management and time management. The person running the Eagle Scout project is the person who’s working toward the rank. He is expected to fill out a packet explaining his chosen project, and he needs to make a plan how to carry out the project. After he finishes the packet it’s sent to a board for review and approval. If the scout gets the project approved, he then begins fundraising to purchase

materials for his p r o j e c t . Fundraising may take days or months depending on the scope of the project. After materials are collected, the scout may start the project. He’s required to lead a group of people to complete it. The scout must devote 100 hours toward the project for it to pass. After the Eagle Scout project is completed, the scout sends in his completed packet and application in to the Eagle Board. The Eagle Board then contacts the Scout Master of the troop

and informs him if the scout has passed. If the Board approves the rank, the scout may plan his Eagle ceremony. During the ceremony the scout includes objects and topics that influenced him throughout scouting.

The rank of Eagle is truly a rank to be proud of. Very few scouts ever make it all the way and those who do are honored and respected. One quote always goes with the scout, “Once an Eagle always an Eagle.”

University Times

SportS

October 30, 2009

An Inside Look At UMPI Men’s Soccer

Kaitlyn McLaughlin STAFF WRITER

A small crowd sat outside in the freezing cold to watch the UMPI men’s soccer game against Fisher College on Sunday, Oct. 11. Many of the fans who attended the game were from the UMPI women’s soccer team. It was supposed to have a game against Fisher College on that day as well. But Fisher forfeited the game, giving the team a win and leaving it with a 6-4 record. The UMPI men’s game against Fisher College was an exciting one to watch. During the first half of the game, hopes rose as a head ball sailed just over the goal post. With 13 minutes left in the first half, people sucked in their breath again, as junior Seth Dorr placed a corner kick to the center of the field in hopes of scoring a goal: but with no luck. At the end of the first half, the score was still tied at zero, and the fans were starting to get restless. Sophomore midfield player Cody Closson and freshman keeper Austin Dufour recalled what Coach Alan Gordon had to say during halftime. “He told us to stop playing their game and that we needed to slow down and focus on our game instead,” Dufour said. Closson remembered a similar lecture. “Coach was not happy. He said that we were playing too lax and it seemed like we didn’t

want to be out there. He basically tried to light a fire under us and get us to play as a team.” And that’s exactly what they did. When the UMPI men’s soccer team came onto the field the second half of the game, it was as if they had been transfor med. They seemed to have more energy, stamina and determination, and it showed very early on, as they dominated the soccer field. Soon into the Junior Devon second half, junior Corey Fournier sailed past Fisher defenders and scored an unassisted goal at about 33:03. He set the pace, and his team rose to the challenge. Shortly after his goal, sophomore Craig Maffei passed the ball off to junior Devon Peaslee, who found the back of the net, scoring the second goal of the game, but not the last. With 17:59 left in the game, junior Chad Parker, wanting in on the action, scored an unassisted goal, making the score 30. This put the game away for

the UMPI Owls. “After the game, he (Coach Alan Gordon) was very happy

Peaslee makes his way to the with our second half performance. He was worried that we were going to come out that lax against Fort Kent later in the week. He just used it as motivation for practices that week,” Closson said. When asked about the atmosphere of their soccer team, Closson and Dufour had only positive things to say. “Every time we break from a huddle we say ‘Family,’ because that’s exactly what our team has become,” Dufour said. He described their team as

being very close and supportive of one another. He said that there are no pointless arguments like there were when he played in high school. And another big difference? Freshmen are treated with respect and are just as important as everyone else on the team, right from the very beginning. Closson agreed whole heartedly, saying, “The atmosphere of this team is amazing! We’re definitely the closest team on campus. We’re a family. Everyone gets along with everyone and there’s rarely any complaining. However, when there is complaining, it’s usually because some of us aren’t playing to goal. what everyone knows we can play. We try to push each other, so that benefits the team. We truly are a team.” Freshman Austin Dufour has been playing soccer for five years, including this one. He says that the reason he keeps playing is because of the game itself. “It’s a lot of fun. And it keeps me out of trouble.” Dufour described the team as being equals, meaning there isn’t a weakest link. He said he couldn’t think of one person on the team who wasn’t an incredi-

ble athlete. Closson has been playing since he was in the sixth grade and has been enjoying every minute of it. “The reason why I keep playing is just my love for the game, and also the competition. I like being pushed as hard as I can go, to have in the end the feeling of victory.” When asked to describe the team’s strengths and weaknesses he said, “The strengths of the men’s team this year are our defense. We have been able to shut our opponents down and not allowed them to put many goals in. Our weaknesses are keeping our heads up if we do let one in.” He then went on to give an example of what happens when they don’t keep their heads up after a goal’s scored. In their game against Fort Kent, the score was 0-1 only one minute into the game. But UMPI played well and held the Bengals to that one goal for 40 more minutes. In that 40th minute, Fort Kent went on to score three more goals. UMPI ended up losing the game with a score of 5-1. The Owls team learned from the experience and is now able to show off a record of 9-3-2. But they’re not finished improving. The UMPI men’s soccer team won’t slow down until the season is completely over and their uniforms have been washed, dried and tucked away.

Join the Newman Club Every Wednesday Night 6:30 p.m. in Park Hall

Everyone is Welcome!! The Newman Club supports Catholics on campus For more information contact: Father Aaron Damboise: aaron.damboise@portlanddiocese.org or Holy Rosary 207-498-2536 Keren Dumond: keren.dumond@maine.edu or 231-0131

University Times SPORTS October 30, 2009

What Can SAAC Do for You? Landon York STAFF WRITER

The Student Athlete Advisory Council takes your money: $45 per school year, to be exact. Have you ever looked at your bill for the semester and wondered where all the money goes? Well, this $45 has been located. Every semester $22.50 of your total tuition bill goes to SAAC. SAAC is a group made up of student athletes at UMPI. There’s one member from each athletic team.

“The 12 members represent our athletic teams. Sometimes the team votes them to SAAC or they volunteer,” said Bill Casavant, UMPI athletic director, who oversees the SAAC meetings. “The members basically act as sports boosters would. A team will come to them saying they need new equipment that isn’t covered in the budget. And the council weighs the options and possibly helps out,” Casavant said. SAAC doesn’t see all of the

$45, however. After the money is pooled, it’s first budgeted to pay for renting buses, paying drivers and for hotel rooms on the road. The money that’s left over is what the council votes to use. “The council manages their money very well. They want to know exactly what the money will be used for before they consider making a decision on whether to help,” Casavant said. Casavant also said that the only thing that SAAC at UMPI

could improve on was to encourage people to get involved. “There are only 12 members. But we need more people involved in their activities and athletics in general.” By now you may be thinking that it sounds like a pretty good idea to have a council. But where did the idea come from? The NCAA requires all member universities to have a SAAC on their campuses. “The mission of the National Collegiate Athletic Association Student-Athlete

Advisory Committee is to enhance the total student-athlete experience by promoting opportunity, protecting studentathlete welfare and fostering a positive student-athlete image,” the NCAA Website says. So the next time you think about that $45, just think about all the long road trips our teams go on and the equipment our UMPI Owls are using. And give yourself a pat on the back for the vital role you play in making this happen

Owls On The Fly Landon York STAFF WRITER

Basketball season is upon us and the UMPI Owls are ready. Both teams remain relatively young, along with their coaches. Men’s head coach Terry Cummings enters his second year at UMPI. Tracy Guerrette enters her third year as women’s head coach. “Two seniors, one junior and two sophomores returning from last year’s team,” Guerrette said. “We won six games my first year and 13 games last year. We’re excited for this year.” The men are looking forward with the same positive outlook.

“We only won three games last year. But anytime a new coach comes in you have a new philosophy. Any time you take over a program, it’s going to be difficult,” Cummings said. There are two things that the coaches agree on: up-tempo basketball and utilizing county talent. “We’re going to be undersized all year. We’re not a huge team. We have to play up-tempo with a lot of different defenses, different traps. No doubt we’ll be the quickest team in the conference. We have to turn the mismatches that other teams will be trying to use against us into positives,” Cummings said. “We’re looking to be a better shoot-

ing team, to run and gun and press better. One through 10 we’ll be a more solid team this year, a more balanced team. The scoring will be spread out. All these players can step up,” Guerrette said. Both teams see themselves as good teams in great conferences. The talent all around them has stepped up and the Owls believe that they have, too. They’re unafraid and not backing down. Excitement is building around both programs, and it is building from within. Now it’s up to the UMPI community to return the favor. Get out and support your teams this season. They’ll be well worth the price of admission. UMPI Womenʼs basketball Senior Captain, Mindy Sullivan

UMPI Menʼs basketball 2008-09. Only 6 Of the 11 players from last year are returning for this year.

THe Other Voice

University Times

October 30, 2009

Marriage Equality

Dick Harrison CONTRIBUTOR

More than 230 years ago, the Founders of this nation saw fit to recognize what some in Maine still refuse to accept: that the documents that are the basis of our laws and freedoms – the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution – grant all persons equal treatment under the law and acknowledge that we each have “certain inalienable rights” including the “pursuit of happiness.” For many people, happiness is achieved when they meet that special someone, fall in love, and then get married. The government recognizes this by granting married couples more than 1,000 benefits not available to unmarried couples, such as hospital visitation rights and tax benefits. State by state, the courts, the legislature, and state governors have begun to acknowledge that the right to marry belongs to all persons, regardless the gender of the person they love. Same-sex love is as natural for a gay or bisexual person as opposite-sex love is for a bisexual or heterosexual person. An effort is underway in Maine to deny gay people a right that heterosexuals take for granted: the right to

marry the people they love. The “Yes on 1” campaign wants to rescind marriage equality in this state. Its proponents base their arguments on two false and misguided notions: that “gay marriage” will be taught in schools and that “traditional marriage” will be harmed. The first holds no water since the Maine Attorney General flatly stated that state standards do not require or encourage the inclusion of the subject of marriage in the school curriculum, and that it’s the local school boards that determine the exact content of each district’s curricula. Despite these facts, the opponents of marriage equality continue to present false and misleading advertising in an effort to scare people into voting to repeal the law. They’re unable to offer a winning argument without resorting to deception. The second misleading argument focuses on what’s viewed as a “traditional marriage,” which the “Yes to repeal” forces define as between one man and one woman. But we need to go back only 50 years in this nation’s history to see that a “traditional marriage” was different: it was a union between one man and one woman of the same race. Interracial marriage was illegal. Most would agree that a 1950s “traditional marriage” is no longer acceptable. What about the marriage tra-

dition in 1909 - merely 100 years ago - when a woman could not vote, could not own property, was actually considered the property of a man. Marriage was then a transfer, from one man to another, of the “ownership” of and responsibility for “his woman,” with additional money or even a cow thrown in as part of her dowry, the payment made by the father to the groom. You can view this “traditional marriage” as an arrangement between two men, with the woman merely the chattel in the transaction. As society continues to mature and we recognize the dignity of every person, we also recognize that what was the tradition in the early 20th century is no longer the norm. And what was the tradition in mid-20th century is no longer acceptable. And what was viewed as the tradition in the late 20th century changes once again in the early 21st century. By voting NO on Question 1, the people of Maine will reaffirm the principles upon which this nation was founded, where all persons are treated with dignity and respect and have equality under the law regardless of their sexual orientation.

Fins to hands? I donʼt think so! Creation seminar slams the theory of evolution

Leah McEachern STAFF WRITER

On Oct. 4-7, there was a creation seminar at the First United Pentecostal Church in Presque Isle. On each of these nights, Steve Grohman of Creation Seminar Ministries presented his views on creationism and the theory of evolution. He spoke for more than two hours about creation and the Bible and how dinosaurs are related to it. He brought along more 400 fossils including dinosaur footprints, claws, teeth and eggs that those who attended could look at to provide visual aids. Grohman started his presentation by saying that the theory of evolution is as widely accepted as gravity, though (according to him) there is zero evidence to support it. It is just a belief, just like creation is a belief. For something to be considered science,

there has to be testing and experimentation involved, and there is no way to test the theory of evolution. The scientific method involves controlled, repeated experiments to get the same result. But you cannot test evolution using the scientific method. Using a slide show, he compared pictures of a fin’s bone structure to that of a human hand and said that he didn’t believe that we evolved from ancient fish. Also, he stated that it would be highly coincidental for there to be a big bang out of nowhere, and then slime was hit by lightning which created life, and then life in the ocean just decided to crawl out onto the land and turn into dinosaurs and apes. Whenever he could, he read verses from the Bible. Even from the standpoint of a religious person, however, Grohman did not present his case very well. He talked so rapidly that it was hard to

understand what he was saying, and his ideas didn’t connect to each other well. For example, one minute he might be saying that if a painting exists then there had to be a painter, and the next minute he would be talking about how his grandfather lived to be 104 years old. Between his accelerated pace, scattered ideas and slides that were only on screen for five seconds or less, Grohman gave the impression that he wasn’t very credible. About 30 people attended the seminar. It’s not surprising that not many people from the community attended, because he was saying many things that would certainly be extremely offensive to evolutionists. For more information about the Grohman family and their mission, feel free to visit their Web site at http://www.creationseminar.net/

Man from Fish?

University Times

Lifestyle

October 30, 2009

Project Compass Receives Blessing Luke Joseph STAFF WRITER

What better way to kick off a planning session that with drumming, dancing and feasting? On Sept. 30, 2009, that’s exactly what project compass, UMPI’s multi-year student success and retention project, did. The campus center filled with the sights, sounds and smells of it. Before the dinner started, John Dennis, the cultural director for the Aroostook Band of Mi’kmaq, provided smudging for all those who attended. Also before the dinner, Dennis provided a blessing in the Mi’kmaq and English languages. Two drum groups representing the Maliseet, - the Four Winds and - Mi’kmaq - Mawita’nej Epiji’k - provided a few songs. At the dinner, President Don Zillman and John Bear Mitchell from the University of Maine at

Growing Your Green Jennifer Sappier STAFF WRITER

Everywhere you look there are ads and gimmicks offering you ways to save money. But doesn’t it seem as if you spend more than you save? The “I want” spending seems to supersede the “I need.” Some college students can easily overlook their needs and perceive them as wants, putting them in an early financial crisis. Some of the more savvy-spending students may just be looking for further money managing advice. There are thousands of Web sites that can help students better manage their small budgets. Here are few to help you

Orono’s Wabanaki Center spoke of how Project Compass is a step in the right direction for Native American students, current and future, who attend the University of Maine of Presque Isle. Mitchell also touched on the potential for project compass staff to work in a partnership with the Wabanaki Center of the Orono campus. On Oct. 1, 2009, the official start of the two day planning meeting, began with a blessing of the Native American Educational and Support Services Center. Since there was the potential to set off the sprinkler system, the blessing had to be moved outside. John Dennis then did bless the parameter of South Hall, where the Native American Educational and Services Center is located. Again, Dennis provided a prayer and a smudging. The smudging was open to all those who attended

the ceremony. WAGM-8 was present for news coverage. Jacqui Lowman’s English 101 class attended en masse. The two day planning meeting began with the introduction of attendees who have an association with Project Compass. Steven Russell, mediator, Glen Gabbard, Ray Rice, Mike Sontag, Chris Corsello, was present to have the meeting move like clockwork. Some other attendees were, Jim Stepp, Dave and Joanne Putnam, Kim-Ann Perkins, Jacqui Lowman, Myrth Schwartz, Jean Henderson, tribal elder Rocky Bear, Native Voices member Lennie Perley and others. Glenn Gabbard, our grant’s representative, presented what the other colleges in the project are using their grant award for. Lyndon State College in Vermont, Bridgewater State College in Massachusetts and Eastern Connecticut State

University are the other institutions that got grants through the Nellie Mae Foundation. After Gabbard’s presentation, the meeting was underway. Myrth Schwartz, weeks previous, had assembled the logic model for the grant by using spray adhesive and enlarging and cutting the logic model into moveable pieces so that the Community of Practice, New England Research Center for Higher Education representatives and others could break into subgroups to amend the logic model. This allowed us as a group to move strategies, outcomes and measures of the grant to their pertinent places and clear up anything that didn’t fit within its original place. where it was located. With the help of Steven Russell, the two day meeting went smoothly and everything discussed or amended was cleared up. Some of the topics we dis-

cussed for future consideration were waiver trainings and cultural sensitivity for faculty and staff of UMPI, the community of practice meeting schedule, development of a pilot program of a first year learning community that is set for the spring 2010 semester, student produced art within the centers of UMPI and the Houlton Higher Education Center. And coming soon to join the Project Compass staff: Eddie Ruiz Jr. At the university now, we have the highest percentage of Native American students within the UMaine system and wish to increase the numbers for the future. The wheels of Project Compass are moving forward to bring to light the Native American population that is here on campus now and how it can expand.

get started. In the article, “Managing Your Money While in College,” on the About.com Web site, Miriam Caldwell said, “It is important to take these times seriously, because the mistakes you make in college can follow you throughout the rest of your life.” Caldwell covered five major areas you should focus on in college when it comes to managing your money: budgeting, saving, student loans, credit cards and working. She briefly explained each area and included links for further help and understanding and steps. Caldwell mentioned that most people will look back at college as the time when they were the poorest, but had the most fun. Caldwell went on to say, “By setting limits on all your spending and sticking to them you

will start out on a great path and form good spending habits.” About.com is not the only one with guidance and advice. Lucy Lazarony of Bankrate.com wrote the article, “12 Money-Management Tips for College Students.” Lazarony’s tips ranged from tracking your spending, good time money to stuff happens and asking for help when you need it. She made her tips compelling to students because she mentioned budgeting money for a “good time” and for those times when “stuff happens.” Lazarony said that the best way to manage money is to sit down and map out a budget. Lazarony also said, “A student is going to get really burned out if they don’t do anything fun.” Lazarony mentioned credit

cards and to use them sparingly. Be very careful and make wise charging decisions because, as Lazarony cleverly said, “Who wants to pay interest on a bag of Doritos?” The Web site EdFund.org also gives advice on the use of credit cards by students. EdFund.com offers free videos to view online. The article, “eLearning: Videos for Students & Families,” links students to videos such as, Smart Budgeting, Securing Your Financial Future and Managing Credit Cards. These videos can teach you how to create a budget and manage college finances and the benefits and risks associated with credit cards and understanding the fine print. When doing your budget, keep in mind that there are other spending items that can also cause problems and are

easy to overlook. Some such items are mobile phones and Internet bills. You may not need to worry about Internet bills at some schools. But you can save money on mobile phones by switching to a more budget-friendly, prepaid phone. You can easily fit this into your budget by using a weekly or monthly set amount. The common factors in these resourceful sites are to budget and track expenses and to be very careful with credit cards. But they also tell you that it’s important to allow yourself some spending money or to treat yourself once in a while. Whether you’re still receiving help from your parents or doing this on your own, you need to budget wisely, track your expenses and remember the “good time” and “stuff happens” money, too.

University Times LIFESTYLE October 30, 2009

Will the World be Destroyed on 12/21/12? Part 1 10/30

Jim Stepp

Saturn 02:39 – 14:59

CONTRIBUTOR

Sun Rise As a quick reminder, Daylight Saving Time ends on Sunday, Nov. 1 at 2 a.m. Remember to turn your clocks back one hour. We will get an extra hour of sleep that day. Many of you may have heard that the Earth will be destroyed on Dec. 21, 2012. Why this date and do you have to worry? Over the next few articles I will look at what the predictions say and the level of threat that actually exists. Why are people worrying about Dec. 21, 2012? The Maya Calendar will be ending on that day. The Maya calendar was based on multiple cycles of time. One of the cycles was known as a katun. A katun was 7,200 days long (360 days x 20) or approximately 20 years. 20 katuns or 144,000 days were known as a baktun and 20 baktuns were known as a pictun. December 21, 2012 will mark the end of Baktun 13, a time when great upheavals will supposedly occur. What are some of the events the 2012 prophecies say will occur? One of the events will be a galactic alignment of the Earth, sun and the centerline of the galaxy, which will cause increased gravitational pulls on the Earth, thus causing earthquakes and volcanic eruptions. A second event will involve the alleged Planet X (Nibiru) crossing through our solar system causing asteroids to fall on the Earth. Last, the Earth’s magnet poles will switch, thus opening the Earth up to solar radiation and satellite communication disruption. On Nov. 13, 2009 the movie “2012” will open in theaters. This 200 million dollar movie, based on Frank Waters’ “Mexico Mystique: The Coming Sixth Age of Consciousness” (1975), will attempt to show how the Earth will be destroyed in 2012. It will show the continents splitting, asteroids falling from the sky and a massive tsunami tossing an aircraft carrier through the White House. Will all of this happen? Should you stop worrying about going to your classes? Can you put off buying holiday gifts in 2012? My advice is not to worry, make it to all of your classes and plan on spending what you usually spend. To see a trailer of the movie “2012,” go to http://2012-movie-trailer.blogspot.com/. Next time, we’ll look closer at the galactic alignment prediction. THE NIGHT SKY The ISS is visible in the morning skies until Nov. 1. The ISS is visible in the evening skies after Nov. 7. Go to www.heavens-above.com for exact times and locations. – You’ll need to register at this site and load your location to be able to get exact times. The University of Maine at Presque Isle is located at 68d00m7.8s west longitude and 46d40m45.6s north latitude. To get a free sky chart, go to www.skymaps.com. Sun and Planet Rising and Setting

07:11

Sun Set 17:20 Mercury

Uranus 14:30 – 02:10 Neptune

13:26 – 23:29

06:50 – 17:14

Venus 05:33 – 16:47 10/24 21:42 – 05:54 Orionids meteors visable, about 6/hr 10/25 21:42 – 06:00 Orionids meteors visible, about 4/hr 10/25 19:18 Moon at apogee, farthest from the Earth, 251,216 miles or 404,206 km 10/25 20:42

First Quarter Moon

10/26 11:11 Northern Spring begins on Mars 10/26 23:42 Moon 3.4 degrees south of Jupiter 10//28 1974 Luna 23 launched by the USSR 10/30 1999 Discovery of the Los Angeles Meteorite – a meteor from Mars Mars

22:58 – 14:08

Jupiter 14:27 – 00:10 Saturn 03:49 – 16:10 Uranus 15:42 – 03:22 Neptune

14:38 – 00:44

10/31 Mars passes through the Beehive Star Cluster (M44) in Cancer 11/01 Mars passes through the Beehive Star Cluster (M44) in Cancer 11/01 02:00 Daylight Savings Time ends, turn your clocks back one hour. 11/02 Mars passes through the Beehive Star Cluster (M44) in Cancer

11/02 Sun Rise

11/02 14:14 06:15

11/03 After 22:54 Moon close to and passes over stars in the Pleiades Star Cluster

06:06 – 16:12

11/04 Before 01:21 Moon close to and passes over stars in the Pleiades Star Cluster

Sun Set 16:13 Mercury

Venus 04:41 – 15:43 Mars

Full Moon

21:53 – 13:00

Jupiter 13:15 – 22:55

11/05 03:00 Mercury in Superior Conjunction – behind the Sun 11/07 02:33 Moon at Perigee – closest to the Earth, 229,255 miles or 368,871 km

University Times LIFESTYLE October 30, 2009

Jay Leno: The future of prime time Teleivsion Ben Pinette

STAFF WRITER

Most of us at 11:30 p.m. aren’t exactly awake enough to fully get into a late-night talk show without either falling asleep or having it on mute so that we can doze. There are many reasons beyond this that an earlier comedy show would work for NBC. Jay Leno had planned to step down anyway from his “Tonight Show,” paving the way for Conan O’Brien to move in from his show. It’s also a cheaper alternative for NBC because rather than producing five dramas or reality shows at a million dollars each, you could have one show for at least half the money. But will it be successful? Will audiences change the channel from their favorite drama or cable show to watch this new talk show in prime time? Unfortunately, after a strong start with 17 million viewers, the show recently posted its

lowest rating with a 1.2 share, or just under 6 million viewers. Put this together with a mediocre schedule, and that puts NBC in fourth place among the networks, ahead of only The CW. NBC used to be on top for many years, including some 20 years ago with the “Must See TV” Thursday with “The Cosby Show,” “Cheers,” “Seinfeld,” and “Friends.” But the popular shows now are either reality shows or high-profile crime dramas. NBC is trying to promote its Thursday night comedy lineup with “The Office,” “30 Rock,” and freshman “Community.” But it still isn’t beating CBS’ “Survivor,” and “CSI.” It isn’t just NBC that’s having a hard time, top numbers for all the networks have declined steadily within the last 20 years. Going on the Internet, playing with their iPod and watching a TV show online the next day seems to be a easier alternative for most people than sitting down and watching television. For Jay Leno, the key to getting audiences is getting the big

names. Recently, competing networks such as ABC and C B S have forbidden t h e i r stars to go on J a y ’ s s h o w, mainly because he’s not on their network and his s h o w attracts people a w a y f r o m their network. An alternative to this is to get the newsmakers of the day. In the recent “Balloon Boy” fiasco, maybe Jay could have landed the family as guests, or even just the boy? Second, Jay has gotten

away from his roots (particularly a desk and chair) to be more informal. The desk and chair bit traces back to Johnny Carson and the 1960s. Third, a 15-minute segment devoted to the man with the strongest ears

in the world can only go so far, and so long. It’s these changes that will get Jay Leno the numbers he needs for his show. Either that, or another drama will soon fill the 10 p.m. airwaves once again.

The Reel Deal ‘Ghosts of Girlfriends Past’ Stephanie Corriveau STAFF WRITER

PG-13 100 minutes How would you feel if you walked into a room full of your exes? You’d probably feel awkward, right? That’s exactly how Connor Mead (Matthew McConaughey) felt when he had this experience…and most likely a little insane, too. In “Ghosts of Girlfriends Past,” Mead is pestered by girlfriends of his past, present and future. A smooth-talking ladies’ man, Mead would’ve probably found this experience to be thoroughly enjoyable, if he hadn’t used and abused every girlfriend he’s ever had. During the film, Mead also receives a visit from

the ghost of his Uncle Wayne (Michael Douglas), who taught his nephew everything he needed to know about charming women. He warns Mead that he should give up his ways or else he’ll regret it. Mead generally ignores the ghost’s advice because he feels that having a constantly changing array of girlfriends is the best way to go. He only pays more attention when he recognizes the fact that he may lose Jenny Perotti (Jennifer Garner), a woman with whom he realizes he’s still in love with and has loved since childhood. “Ghosts of Girlfriends Past” seems as if it would have a pretty predictable storyline, but the characters made the plot highly entertaining. Matthew McConaughey is def-

initely in his element in this film. In fact, you could say that this is one of his best films

to date. Although he plays the part of a charmer in many of his other movies, you actually get to see his sentimental side in “Ghosts of Girlfriends Past.” An excellent scene that demonstrates McConaughey’s softer side is near the end of the film, when his character pulls out a picture of himself and Jenny. Jennifer Garner also does a great job as Jenny. You can’t help but feel sympathy for

her when she’s torn between being in love with Mead and the realization that he won’t commit to her (or any other woman, for that matter). Another actor who must be mentioned for his amazing contribution to the movie’s cast is Michael Douglas. He’s hilarious as Uncle Wayne, especially during the parts when he is “tutoring” young Connor Mead. Overall, “Ghosts of Girlfriends Past” is an excellent movie that will probably beat the expectations that you may have for it. And if you’re someone who loves watching a blend of romance and comedy, then it is definitely the perfect movie for you.

University Times LIFESTYLE October 30, 2009

Bhava Albert

Callie Foster

Get Involved: Club of The Week Disc Sports Club Pamela Perkins STAFF WRITER

Disc Golf Basket

Hybrids are the combinations of two awesome things to make an even better one. One example is the griffin: it’s made up of a lion’s body with an eagle’s head. Another is the centaur, which has the head and torso of a man with the body of a horse. Well, here at UMPI, with the help and hard work of many students and faculty members, there’s a club that combines the sport of golf and Frisbees, to make a better sport. It is called the Disc Sports Club. So what is this Disc Sports Club? Well, it combines the rules of regular golf, but instead of having clubs, players use Frisbees. There are different sizes of Frisbees to represent the different types of clubs used in golf. For example, the Frisbees can come in the size of a soccer ball to about the size of a baseball. The course is measured in feet instead of yards. The course at UMPI starts and ends behind Gentile Hall, but there are holes all over cam-

pus, with some going into the woods by the soccer fields. Instead of a hole in the ground, the Frisbee has to go through a metal basket with chains. The game can be played by time or be based on a 15 point system. The game usually takes up to about an hour to play about 11 rounds. (The club has gotten approval from the student senate for the remaining seven rounds which will be up soon.) This club is open to anyone: students, faculty, staff or community members. They welcome players of all different levels. Currently, UMPI has 11 permanent members on its team, called the Northern Flights. (The highest count that club has had is 25 members.) They plan on going to a tournament that is taking place in New Hampshire. It’s a fun way to meet new people, challenge someone to a friendly game of competition, get a good workout and have some fun under the sun. For more information on the club you can contact Chris Rines at chris.rines@maine.edu or look under UMPI Disc Sports Club on Facebook.