Volume 38 Issue 8

University of Maine at Presque Isle

Volume 38 Issue 8

FEBRUARY 12, 2010

Journalism for Northern Maine

Visit us at utimes.umpi.edu

Special Need for Teachers Lanette Virtanen STAFF WRITER

UMPI Helps Haiti: Phillip Mentor Concert

Stephenie Jellett STAFF WRITER

It was 7 p.m., Jan. 26, in the MPR in the campus center. The audience was seated, patiently waiting for the main event. The room was dark. In the room was a black grand piano with multiple clear lights shining down on it. Meghan Foster was seated at the piano: she had the honor to play Phillip Mentor’s songs. On top of the piano was a single lit candle. To the right of the piano there was a black table covered with a red cloth. It had a tea pot, a cup and a vase of yellow flowers. At 7:05 p.m. Mentor was introduced and the night began.

Dressed in all black attire, Mentor stood in front of the microphone. His hands

clasped, staring up at the ceiling, smiling, he began the first song. His music referenced Jesus, God, religion and war. The first song was very dark and very emotional. His voice is very deep and powerful. He smiled a lot when he sang, and moved his hands when he sang.

“Ride up in the chariot early in the morning,” he sang joyously, with a grin that spread across his face.

Between the songs, Mentor mentioned his past. He was born in Trinidad, Tobago, but moved to America afterwards.

He took acting classes in the early seventies to learn how to sing and dance. His parents had three goals for him: graduate from high school, graduate from college or go into the Army. Option three was not an option for Mentor, so that’s

when he took up the acting classes. His one mission in life is to “bring good music and art to America.” Frank Schubert was a big influence on his musical career.

His songs all told stories about past experiences, such as Hurricane Gloria. He then tells the audience to pretend you just lived through a major flood, and you and your family are putting sandbags around your house to try to protect it – think about the next morning. “My lord what a morning, when the stars begin to fall,” Mentor sings. Gazing around, he sees the audience is tapping their feet and swaying back and forth to his joyous and uplifting songs.

“This evening is about reflection and the opportunity to live in the United States of America and those who are less fortunate,” Mentor sang, “He’s got the whole world in his hands. He’s got the worlds water in his hands. He’s got the sun and the moon in his hands. He’s got the birds and the bees in his hands. He’s got you and me right in his hands.

He’s got everybody right in his hands. He’s got the whole world in his hands.”

Mentor closed the concert with “Amazing Grace,” bowed and thanked everyone who had donated to the fund to help Haiti.

Do you know someone with special needs? Ask those around you if they know someone with special needs.

The answer might surprise you. There are more children and adults with special needs than you think there are and they deserve the best possible professionals we can give them.

Here at UMPI, there’ll be a chance to combine teaching with all that comes with becoming a paraprofessional working with those with special needs.

Bill Breton, assistant professor of special education did an extensive study last year of special education technicians in the state of Maine. He wanted to see if students and teachers thought that they had enough training and supervision. People said that there was a major need for more of both. What Breton did was to set the wheels in motion to try to make it better for those who are interested in working with and teaching anyone with special needs. As Breton said, “Our goal here at the university is that we are working on establishing a program for special education for people who want to get an associate degree for special education paraprofessionals. We would offer online courses and classes on site. It would better prepare them to work with kids with disabilities. The state of Maine currently does not have a program for this.”

Breton’s study was accepted by the Association of Teacher Educators. He will be going to Chicago to the association’s 90th annual meeting, Feb. 1317, to deliver his presentation.

Because of Breton’s study, the college of education is in the process of getting approved an Associate Degree for Special

Education Paraprofessionals.

Once the program goes through all the proper channels, UMPI will have the degree set up here for students to get either through classes here on campus or on-line courses. UMPI will be the place to go if you’re interested in being able to better teach anyone with special needs. UMPI hopes to have the course available here at by Se pt. 2010.

To be work with someone with special needs takes more than just being a good teacher.

With this degree, people will have a much better understanding of and be better equipped to deal with some of the obstacles that they’ll come across while working with children with disabilities. There are some unique challenges that they’ll find with the variety of disabilities that they’ll have to deal with. They’ll need more than just the general training that people get to become a teacher. So why do it? Because to work with special needs children or adults can be rewarding as well as challenging.

So if you or someone you know decides to come and get that degree, just remember to thank Bill Breton for getting this started.

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Campus

The University Times Staff Co-Editors Lanette Virtanen Landon York Assistant Editors Sarah Graettinger Ben Pinette Staff Writers Kayla Ames Stephanie Corriveau Sarah Graettinger Stephanie Jellett Mika Ouellette Ben Pinette Steve Straight Lanette Virtanen Landon York Contributors Bhava Albert Christine Corsello Claire Davidshofer Dakota Koch Todd Russell Sarah Sjoberg Jessica Stepp Jim Stepp Courtney Turner 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.

February 12, 2010

Here at the U Times, weʼre embarking on a new journey. With the recently moved radio station now just right down the hall, our opportunities are broadening. We hope to take our past successes and build upon them in the future. UMPI as whole is changing. We must adapt to this change. We will adapt to this change and we hope that youʼll join us.

The second semester is always an interesting one. Our basketball teams are winding down their seasons and hoping to make it to the conference tournaments. There seems to be an exciting event hosted every day. Keep an eye out, and keep reading the U Times.

It should be fun, Landon

Come and join us in Normal Hall on March 11 from 3-7 p.m. for our open house. You’ll have a chance to see where the radio station has moved. We’ll be having refreshments, a live radio show, some raffles and other activities. Stop in and meet the crews from the newspaper and radio station.

Lanette

Dates for Submissions to the U Times Monday, Feb. 22

Monday, March 8

Monday, March 29 Monday, April. 12 Monday, April. 26

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

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From Don’s Desk

University Times CAMPUS February 12, 2010

Lots of Action into Winter Break

Feb. 3 We have a busy 10 days before Winter Break. Many of these events provide a stimulating break from our regular class schedule and our worries about whether the car will start in this stretch of subzero weather.

Here are a few things on my “must see” or “must do” list. I hope you can join me.

On Feb. 11 at 7 p.m. our distinguished lecturer, Klaus Lackner of Columbia University, will speak on capturing carbon dioxide from the Air. If you’re just becoming familiar with the large issue of global warming, this can be a wonderful introduction to one of the major scientific and public policy issues of our era. In brief

summary, the burning of coal, oil and natural gas is a major source of the release of carbon dioxide to the air. That carbon dioxide is a major cause of global warming (climate change). Much of the debate has looked at ways to reduce the amount of fuels burned and carbon dioxide released. Dr. Lackner discuses a different approach. Suppose the carbon dioxide were captured for storage underground or elsewhere and NOT released to the atmosphere. Join us to hear more.

The following night, Feb. 12, is the Presque Isle performance of Northern Star (formerly Aroostook Idol) at the middle school auditorium. I’m told

that over 30 singers have signed up to try to receive their golden ticket to the finals on Feb. 28 at the Caribou Performing Arts Center.

I also suspect we’ll have students, alums and friends of the campus among the performers. One exciting feature of this year’s Northern Star will be performers from neighboring Canadian communities. The level of talent at the finals is very high and the regional auditions, just like the early rounds of American Idol, offer the range of talent from “Oh, wow!” to “Oh, dear!”

Athletics is in its busy season.

I’ve been delighted with the growth of our basketball programs. Both Coach Guerrette and Coach Cummings began

the season with young teams.

The early going was tough. But in recent weeks, wins have come our way and the performance level has risen. I’ve also been pleased by the full bleachers at our home games who enjoy the games and the fine performances of our dance team and the middle school all stars. Some of the most important games of the season are coming up as the teams try to finish in the top four in the Sunrise Conference and qualify for playoffs in Concord, N.H. next month.

Come out and support them.

Our Nordic ski team also is advancing and achieving good results in its first year of competition against long established NCAA Nordic programs—

Dartmouth, Harvard, Middlebury, Bowdoin, Bates, Colby, etc. An exciting element of this year’s program will accompany the Winter Olympics in Vancouver. Our coach, Alexei Sotskov, will be the head coach of New Zealand’s Nordic Olympic team. Experts at the Maine Winter Sports Center will coach the skiing owls while Alexei is away. But we can stay in touch with Alexei on his daily Olympic blog that will appear on the UMPI web site.

Get the thrill of the Olympics up close without having to travel to Vancouver.

Good luck to all our teams and join us at the academic, cultural and athletic programs on the calendar.

Don

Ben Pinette

Along with rocky and Smitty, two other custodians were also celebrating their retirement. Daniel J. Saucier (Danny) and Richard A. Kidney (Dick) will also be retiring. But both agreed to come back on occasion.

Florence Soucie was one of the speakers. At the end, she surprised all four with gifts. Among the gifts were two-way radios for Rocky and Smitty, who could use them to communicate to each other within a 10 mile range. Rocky and Smitty were both humbled at Soucie’s generosity.

One of the things we miss from both rocky and Smitty is the dedication they have to UMPI. One of the duties they performed each year was to set up for graduation starting at 6 a.m.

Thank you, Rocky and Smitty, for 108 years of ded-

ication and devotion you’ve shown to the students and

faculty at the University of Maine at Presque Isle.

STAFF WRITER

Saying Good-bye to Two Legends Retirement Party for Rocky & Smitty Attracts Large Audience

On Jan. 4, faculty and staff of UMPI attended a retirement social for two of the hardest working custodians the campus of UMPI knows. Between the two of them, Garnet M. Rochford and Ervin T. Smith contributed a whopping 108 years of service to the university. That’s just one year shy of the university’s existence. They were here so long that they earned the nicknames Rocky and Smitty. President Zillman was one of the many who shed light on their longstanding existence.

“I would personally like to thank you two for what you’ve done to the university.

You’re both truly an asset and will greatly be missed.”

Chris’ Corner

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University Times CAMPUS February 12, 2010

ʻFree to Flyʼ

At the start of a new year, many of us are focused on improving things. New Year’s resolutions abound: everything from vowing to dress better and eat healthier to exercise more, study harder, and so on and so forth. Everybody seems to enter the new year with refreshed hope that all those wonderful things that we dream could happen will really come true this time.

But is there something that you already HAVE in your life that’s holding you back? Over the break, a friend’s 4-year-old was limping noticeably. I asked him if something was wrong with his foot, but he replied no.

He kept limping around and I asked three or four more times before he finally admitted that he had stepped on something and it had gotten into the bot-

tom of his foot. If there is one thing that this little guy (Sammy) doesn’t like, it’s someone poking and prodding him.

He was willing to put up with the pain of the splinter rather than admit that he had a problem. It was hard for me to understand why he preferred the pain of the splinter to the solution. But he was in denial.

He had talked himself into believing that the splinter wasn’t that bad, that it would go away and that the pain would get better.

We laugh when we see a child behave this way. But do you have a splinter in your life that you’re ignoring? Maybe your health isn’t so great.

Maybe you owe too much money. Maybe you should be studying more and performing better academically. Maybe

you’re having family problems or are afraid to fly in a plane.

I’ll bet nearly all have something that they’re choosing to ignore.

I have a splinter. But I’m not going to tell you what it is. And I won’t ask you about yours. It’s easy to talk about our goals and our dreams. It’s fun to share with people our hopes for the future, especially when we have set solid resolutions to see them to fruition. But the splinters in our lives are different.

For one thing, for a long time, we just choose to ignore our splinters. We behave like Sammy did with the real splinter. We tell ourselves that it’s not so bad, that it will go away. We can handle it. So although it’s there, we don’t even recognize it.

But then there’s a point in

our lives when we face the splinter. We realize it won’t get better unless we leave our denial behind, stop ignoring it and act.

Maybe we discuss it with people close to us. Maybe we seek guidance from a doctor or a support group. In fact, sharing the splinter with loved ones or professionals can be very helpful in dealing with the splinters.

But ultimately, when it comes down to the final solution, it’s all up to us. With a splinter, we can’t expect anyone else to solve it for us. We have to admit it’s there, that it needs to change and that we need to change it.

Brian Tracy said in his book “Focal Point” that one of the great life lessons we all have to learn is that, “Your life only gets better when you get better.” It seems like such a simple statement, but it has a tremendous

impact to our lives when we accept it.

A new year is a time for making resolutions, and we should all do that: look forward to achieving our dreams. I know I’ve made several resolutions for this year. But…I also know that I need to deal with my splinter.

I’m not looking forward to it.

It’s a lot more fun and easier to ignore it. But maybe in order to achieve our destiny, we have to find the courage to first eliminate the splinters in our lives.

Once they’re removed, we’re free to fly!

Lanette Virtanen

celebration of it’s 25th season.

On Jan. 23 UMPI was one of the sponsors that brought the Northern Maine Chamber Orchestra to our campus to treat us with some very high quality music.

The youth orchestra joined

in on the first and last pieces played.

They showed exactly what Waldo Cabarello, the conductor for the concert, was talking about when he said, “The community should keep the youth involved in arts and music.

The practice that they get by doing the concerts and getting the feedback of the audience shows them that what they’re are doing is important and makes a difference in their lives—as well as in ours.”

The chamber orchestra is celebrating its 25th season with concerts not just on campus, but in Houlton and other places, as well. The orchestra consists of all volunteers, which include professional teachers as well as advanced students. The conductor for the evening was Waldo Caballero, who is a native of the Andes but has lived in Maine for more than 29 years.

Each piece that Caballero led the orchestra in was different from the last and all equally beautiful. Orchestra members did a couple of pieces and then took a short intermission.

After the intermission, they came back to play three more pieces. Once again, the youth orchestra joined them on the last piece. The last piece that they did was from “Lord of the

Rings. The Fellowship of the Ring.” Many knew and enjoyed this piece.

Elizabeth Kretschmer, an audience member, said, “I come to UMPI on a regular basis to see what activities they have on the calendar and I come to as many as I can. I love to come and listen to the music. Tonight was great. They were all very good.”

Kretschmer was not the only one in the audience who mentioned that being able to hear all the different styles of music was something that the university should continue to promote.

UMPI sponsors much more than music. The office of Cultural Affairs has a broad range of events on tap for the semester. So the next time you walk by the bulletin board and see something that catches your eye, take a chance, come on in. You might find that you enjoyed the experience and want to come back and see more.

Keeping the Arts Alive

STAFF WRITER

Music and the arts are important to the youth of our area. Just ask the Youth Orchestra that got the chance to join the Northern Maine Chamber Orchestra during the

University Times CAMPUS February 12, 2010

Native American Educational Challenges 5

Sarah Graettinger STAFF WRITER

Kayla Ames STAFF WRITER

What We Can Learn From Art

Many of us would agree that art comes in a variety of forms.

There are statues, paintings, drawings and even parts of nature that are considered artistic. The world contains countless examples of beauty and expression, whether it be in terms of the clothes we wear or the sunsets we admire at the end of each day. The Reed Art Gallery, a good-sized room to the right of the staircase leading to the second floor of the Campus Center, is no exception. It, too, contains examples of various art forms.

The Reed Art Gallery has recently become home to an assortment of new items. These items include photographs, paintings, statues, ceramics, and other three-dimensional pieces.

Several of their creators have had solo exhibitions here at the University of Maine at Presque Isle before. Some of them chose to donate pieces after their exhibitions. Generous family members gave others the death of after the artist. Either way, they’re now on display, waiting to be seen and appreciated.

The works are also waiting to tell their story. Next to each is a small plaque providing back-

ground information. They provide insight into the making of the piece, the artist and often their inspiration or personal style. David Brooks Stess blackand -white photographs by are perfect examples. The plaque explains that Stess makes yearly trips to Maine in order to document the lives of migrant workers. Raking blueberries alongside them, he earned their trust as well as that of their families to the point where they allow him to take dozens of pictures.

Ben and Jezebel and Javier and His Family currently hang in the Reed Art Gallery.

“Being able to add to our collection is really nice,” dedicated director Sandra Huck said.

She stood in the art gallery, her eyes scanning each piece admiringly. The neutral color of the walls and carpet only make the works more dramatic.

Frederick Lynch’s Division 46 is a startling flurry of green against a calm grayish backdrop. Oil on canvas and a gift from the artist himself, it is a part of the ongoing “Division” series. Linda Griffith donated Alley Door is another bold piece. It’s a manipulated digital print and is meant to express Griffith’s inner world and

happy places.

There are a few three-dimensional pieces as well. The Bird and Forever a Tactile, made by the late Chenoweth Hall then donated by her sister, are two such pieces. The Bird is apple wood on green marble while Forever a Tactile is polished basalt on slate. Both are smooth, natural, and abstract.

Forever a Tactile begs to be touched, just as The Bird begs to be studied.

Huck said, “We have very few three-dimensional works, so I wanted to add some statues to our collection.”

She wanted to show students another way of working with clay, too, and so welcomed pieces by Gretchen Luchessi.

Luchessi taught ceramics at Unity College, and, like Hall, is also deceased. Her works are untitled. They take inspiration from the concept of space, including interior and exterior, literal and figurative and architectural and psychological.

They are pit fired and smoked clay, seemingly primitive. In reality, though neither bright nor bold, they speak to the simple humanity in all of us.

There are other recently acquired works in the Reed Art Gallery.

Jeanne Brady’s

Rhinoceros combines drawing and collage in an interesting, intricate manner. Charles Culver’s Farmyard is watercolor and ink. By incorporating bare trees and tumble-down barns, he reminds us of the bleak but beautiful landscape. Risa Hirsch Ehrlich donated Plowed Fields One and Plowed Fields Two, both ceramic. She invites randomness and accidents to her art, even using breakage to her advantage. She loves work that uses themes of secretiveness or slyness.

Each waits, hoping to be discovered. Some are plain and difficult to delight in. They make you shrug and wonder how they can be considered art.

But, like us, art comes in all forms, including plain and unusual. Those that lack bright colors or obvious meaning are equally tasteful. Some will grab your attention as soon as you walk into the room. Often they inspire emotion or memories.

Most, though, will tell a story. If you can’t hear it, read the plaque beside each piece. Learn something new. Meanwhile, revel in the art that is all around you, and remember the Reed Art Gallery’s recent acquisitions. They hang patiently, ready to teach and impress.

Around noon on Jan. 28, many people were crowded into the Normal Hall faculty lounge.

JoAnne Putnam, professor of education with a special interest in diversity, gave a seminar about Native American and First Nation cultural contact.

These groups have a hard time in school because of the cultural integration.

In Maine there are four different tribes/bands that are incorporated into schools. They are the Micmacs, the Maliseet, the Passamaquoddies and the Penobscots. Many children from these bands speak different languages from English.

“You have to understand the different culture that they have: factors of cultural dynamics on how they live. Many feel the loss of identity,” Putnam said.

Native American children are at greater risk in the education systems. If people don’t graduate from high school, there are problems afterward.

“Living in poverty is a factor that people face. Native American children are at a high risk of suicide and a lower education achievement,” Putnam said.

There are ways to fix the problem. Schools have to realize the problems and put in programs to help.

“Children are facing problems on numerous situations: the effects of racism in the schools, teachers not willing to change and the different cultural dynamics,” Putnam said.

Teachers are beginning to now realize ways to help these children. Studies in the schools and the government can help with the problem. If ways are found to help students, then education can prevail.

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University Times CAMPUS February 12, 2010

Blistered Fingers Play Up to Their Name Lanette Virtanen STAFF WRITER

Blistered fingers are exactly what the thus named group must have had by the time they were done playing Jan. 30.

The group played for just over three hours with just one short intermission. Most of the songs that group members did were fast paced and by the time they were done, they must have had not only blisters on their fingers but carpal tunnel from the way their fingers were flying.

Entertained is just one word describing how everyone was feeling for those three hours.

Group members not only entertained us with their singing and the way that they played their instruments. They also entertained us with jokes and stories in between the songs. The almost packed auditorium was one indication of how much the group is known and loved. But beyond that, all you had to do was listen to know that the group knew a lot of the audience members by name. Group members did their best to do all the different songs that people were hollering out for them to sing. Followers of bluegrass

as well as followers of the group came from all over, including across the border, to listen to the concert. The concert started at 7 p.m., but when they opened the doors at 6, people were already there waiting to come in.

Blistered Fingers: guitar

player Sandy Cormier, banjo player Greg Cormier and mandolin player Chad Cormier. Special guests Bob Kelley, who played the fiddle, and Vincent Cormier of the Bluegrass Diamonds, who played the bass, joined them.

The group has won the title

of “Maine’s #1 Bluegrass Band” repeatedly.

Charlie Cormier was in the audience. He’s not only distantly related to the band members, but he’s also the one who set up the first bluegrass festival in the area. Charlie Cormier said, “Blistered

Fingers is not just good bluegrass music, but makes for a good time with the family listening to good family music.”

Elaine Hotham, another audience member, said, “Music to warm the hearts on one of our cold Aroostook county nights.

The tapping feet and clapping hands lets the Blistered Fingers know how much they’re appreciated.”

In the middle of the second set, Kelley asked if there were any veterans in the audience and asked if they didn’t mind, would they please stand up.

There were about 20 in the audience and he thanked them for their service and let them know that they were appreciated. Kelley told them and audience, “Because of you and people just like you, we have the freedom that we have today. I just want to take this time to tell you thanks.”

Not only did the group thank the veterans, but they also had free T-shirts for kids in the audience and for parents to take home to children as a way to try to encourage children to be involved in music and in the festival. After the group finished what was supposed to be the last song, the audience members hollered for one more while on their feet clapping. They were rewarded with one last song at the end of the evening.

There were copies of the schedule for their summer festivals on table set up in the entrance. Judging from audience reaction, Blistered Fingers found at least a few more followers that night who will be making some trips to hear them play. So if you’re interested in hearing great harmonizing or great manipulation of instruments, check out their Web site www.blisteredfingers.com for dates, times and locations of where they’ll be and when.

You won’t be disappointed.

UMPI says

University Times CAMPUS February 12, 2010

Kayla Ames STAFF WRITER

Feb. 4 was another cold, windy day. But inside the UMPI cafeteria, the weather was hot and the sun was shining. At least students and staff pretended it was. The cafeteria played host to a Hawaiian Luau from 5 to 6:30 p.m. During that time everyone seemed to be making the most of their chance to get away. Some wore flowered shirts. A handful experimented with hula hoops. Most simply enjoyed the Hawaiian themed food and conversation.

The cafeteria was covered in appropriate decorations, including a large sun with a beaming smile, inflatable palm trees, clusters of colored balloons and pictures of tropical scenery. Cutout parrots hovered by the windows, as if trying to escape into the frigid temperatures waiting just beyond the glass. Tiny blue and green flipflops littered the tabletops,

seemingly cast aside by excited beach goers. Staff members offered colorful poly lei necklaces along with friendly smiles to entering diners. The same plastic necklaces were draped over various items around the room, including the condiment dispensers. Hawaiian shirts hung from the ceiling, and signs hung outside as well as inside the room. One exclaimed “Luau Party!”- encouraging students and staff alike to approach the busy oasis. Small details, such as the green and yellow tissue paper palm trees and honeycomb pineapple dec-

oration, revealed the enthusiasm and consideration of the event planners.

They weren’t the only ones who found the Luau entertaining. Chris Corsello, dean of students taught herself how to throw a hula hoop so that it would return to her.

Announcements promised prizes as well as games, including a best tropical outfit contest, pie eating contest and limbo contest.

As for the menu, that by itself was enough to draw an impressive crowd. Kitchen employees prepared macadamia nut chow-

“Any paddling is good paddling.”

Mike’s favorite type of paddling would be steep creeking.

“I never wanted to be a raft guide until I realized I always wanted to be on the water.”

Smith has been all around the United States and South America. He has been to Alabama, which is the birth place of kayaking. South Carolina, Georgia. He has traveled to Isla Coiba, Panama.

Smith said. “It was the most remote place I have ever been. I was definitely not in Maine anymore!”

In 2004, Smith had the opportunity to paddle the Grand Canyon. He went for only half the trip (18 days), which covered roughly 250 miles of water.

“I had my helmet, camera bag, life jacket and my rubber chicken-it’s all I needed. The

water in the Grand Canyon was cold as if I was Maine, but the weird thing was, I was in the desert!

“Paddling in Maine is a different type of challenge. It’s the most dynamic thing ever, and it is such a mental and physical sport,” Smith said. “It increases the challenge. That’s what’s great about paddling: there are always new extremes.”

Smith loves paddling in Panama. He’s been there, not once-but four times.

“It is an incredible place to paddle and defines remote,” Smith said.

It reminds him of Maine in a way.

“When you’re out there, you’re really out there.” Smith has paddled down the western edge of the country to the Continental Divide. Rapid la bamba was the most continu-

Dangerous Kayaking Stephanie Jellett STAFF WRITER

You’re going down a river.

There are jagged rocks sticking up out of the rushing cold water that you are passing over. You plunge your paddle from left to right, avoiding any unwanted contact with rocks. In the near distance you notice a drop-the adrenaline pulses through you.

You paddle quickly and strategically as you approach the drop.

You’re almost there. You start to descend the drop: it’s a lot farther down then you expected.

As you ascend, the rushing water sprays up and completely drenches you. You land flat against the water perfect boof.

Mike Smith has lived this experience various times, in various places.

“I wouldn’t call myself an adrenaline junkie. I do it because I like it.” Smith said about kayaking in remote areas.

der, Hawaiian pork stew and mashed sweet potatoes. They also made more unusual dishes such as lomi-lomi, Luau slaw, sweet potato and tofu sobo noodles, Hawaiian barbecue burgers, grilled pineapple, sticky coconut rice and Hawaiian spam sandwiches. Other dishes were wonderfully familiar or anticipated, especially the Hawaiian and cheese pizza and the carved pineapple-glazed ham. Shrimp civiche functioned as a new type of salad while desserts consisted of banana and pineapple upside down cake, banana pie and mango

ous white water rafting he has ever paddled because the rapids are always changing due to volcanic rock. You can judge the water by color: green means that the water is very low, brown water is ok, and black water is really bad and scary.

Smith has never paddled anywhere by himself: he always has at least three people because you never know what can happen out on the water. Smith has seen all sorts of types of wildlife while on his trip to Costa Rica, such as a 5 pound red snapper fish, crocodiles, scarlet macaws and a lot of poisonous snakes.

His advice? “Don’t touch the

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bread. Students and staff feasted on regular food along with the exotic, enjoying them equally. Many talked with friends and associates, as cheerful as their Hawaiian-themed surroundings.

As with all good things, though, the Luau eventually drew to a close. Destined to once again face the winter weather, revelers emptied out little by little.

Some remained, perhaps not yet willing to remember the bitter temperatures that awaited them. They kept the spirit of the cafe Luau alive, even if the room did become progressively quieter. Their voices settled into a dull roar, an undercurrent of conversation. It was very much like the roar of the ocean waves of the white-sand beaches that many of us desperately long for.

nature.”

There have also been many people Smith has met along his journeys. “One reason I paddle is for the people who convinced me and gave me the praise for paddling.”

Smith also thinks that a beautiful thing about paddling is the people that you meet. One of his friends had gotten injured in Panama, and a family let them into their home and made them feel welcome. “We were lucky to have met such amazing people.”

Smith has had a lot of amazing and unforgettable journeys.

“For me, the journey continues.”

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University Times CAMPUS February 12, 2010

Project Compass: Success of a Few Will Benefit All

Daniel Smiley STAFF WRITER

Over the first weekend last December, the minds of many faculty and staff of four different colleges met at a conference in Portsmouth, N.H. to discuss student success and retention rates of each campus. The four different universities in attendance were Bridgewater State University of Bridgewater, Mass., Lyndon State College of Lyndonville, Vt., Eastern Connecticut State University of Willimantic, Conn. and University of Maine at Presque Isle. The participating parties were eager to see the progress of each school in figuring out the challenges of specific target groups at high risk of dropping out and failure to graduate. The target groups differed from school to school, but they each shared common struggles with the finances and academics of the university experience.

The direct target groups were low income students as well as minority students. Project

Compass is a grant-funded initiative of the Nellie Mae Education Foundation that gives innovative instructions or funds to help underserved students have more opportunities and success. Each school was targeting the success of these student populations in classes as well as what gives them trouble in those specific classes. The extra help would ultimately help their grades/GPAs and help students to remain in college rather than dropping out.

An article posted in September 2009 written by Eliza Krigman of National Journal.com said, “A book about college graduation rates released last week, “Crossing the Finish Line”, revealed some alarming statistics. Just 33 percent of the freshmen who enter the University of Massachusetts (Boston) graduate within six years; at the University of Montana, less than 41 percent graduate; and at the University of New Mexico, only 44 percent do so. The findings are based on the records of roughly 200,000

students at 68 colleges. The book’s bottom line: America faces a college dropout crisis.”

The problems of these dropout rates of first, second and third year students aren’t well defined and remain a constant outcry through college institutions. The faculty and administration try to understand the problems developing for college students on many levels. Some solutions for these problems could be working but only time will tell.

The other campuses as well as UMPI have to consider many factors in trying to figure out why the targeted populations of the student body are having difficulties remaining in school.

Some of the things discussed at the conference were faculty development and advising, training in department management, surveying the student body and faculty, large scale events such as distinguished speakers, strategies within specific disciplines, learning communities and also student support services. In each step, it’s

important to give the institutions an overview of what’s working for the students and how things can change to produce precise relative probability of retention and graduation rates.

The largest minority group is Native/First Nation people at UMPI, thus making them the targeted group of Project Compass on campus. The

efforts will include getting out reach to the Native communities; generating data of these communities as far as unemployment rates or success rates in school. The ultimate goal is to increase retention and graduation rates of Native/First Nation people. The efforts will later be used as a model for success rates to benefit the entire student population on campus.

UMPI Project Compass representatives at the Portsmouth, N.H. December conference.

Phi Eta Sigma National Honor Society will be collecting items for the Presque Isle Animal Shelter, Feb. 22-March 5. On Tuesday, Feb. 23 and Tuesday, March 2, there will be a donations collection table on the second floor of Folsom Hall. If you can’t bring items on those days, you can drop these items or monetary donations off at Jim Stepp’s office in Emerson Annex. Please e-mail president Amy Barnes (amy.barnes@maine.edu) or adviser Jim Stepp (james.stepp@umpi.edu) with any questions.

The shelter needs the following items:

Dog/Cat Food Copy Paper Buckets

Dog/Cat Treats Paper Towels Rugs Blankets Newspapers Non-Scoopable Cat Litter Towels

Dog Beds Dog Biscuits

Community

Lanette Virtanen CONTRIBUTOR

Getting a chance to see some of what goes into doing an Iditarod is amazing enough. But getting to spend a whole afternoon getting to know the dogs and the guides and not just go for a ride but drive the sled makes for a pretty good day, despite the cold and wind that we had on Jan. 30.

Amanda Morin, OAPI’s director, not only drove the van packed full of would be mushers, but also participated in the day’s adventures. The cold, windy day did nothing to chill the spirits of everyone involved.

Lindy Howe and Kevin Quest, registered Maine guides and owners of Heywood Kennel

February 12 , 2010

Musher for a Day

Sled Dog Adventures, were on hand to greet the group and offered muffins and warm drinks while giving a short introduction to what the day would hold.

After getting a chance to meet the dogs, everyone had a chance to go for a ride in the dog sled and get a sense of the peace that you feel when out with the dogs.

Afterwards, participants had lunch and a chance to warm up in the lodge by the fire.

While having lunch, Julie Knight, a student at UMPI, said, “I’m surprised how well behaved the dogs are and how much control they have with them. I’m so pleased that I’m going to mention to my Girl Scouts that this is something we should check into doing with them. Had the dogs

not been so well behaved, I wouldn’t have even thought about it.”

When everyone was warm and ready there was a group team-building exercise where everyone was divided into three groups and each had a musher to guide it. Each got a dog to harness and get hooked up, ready to pull the sled. Then all had three checkpoints to get an idea of what happens during a real Iditarod. At the first checkpoint, people had the task of putting booties on the dogs and giving them water and some straw to lie on if they were tired.

The second checkpoint was for the riders to rest in a sleeping bag and to light a fire. Last was to make sure that the dogs and

riders got back safe and happy.

It’s safe to say that everyone who crossed that line, including the dogs, had a wonderful day.

There was no actual racing involved, but everyone who crossed that finish line surely felt like winners. Howe and Quest made all involved feel like a part of a team and did a fantastic job in making this trip memorable. If you’re interested in trying something like this, you can get in contact with Howe at: www.heywoodkennel.com or you can check out www.umpi.edu/gentilehall/oapi toseewhatelseOAPIwillbe offering.

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Washburn

10 Dakota Koch CONTRIBUTOR

The Washburn High School National Honor Society was very busy this Christmas season. The NHS decided to continue their efforts of donating to a charity during the holidays. Together, students raised money to help provide Christmas gifts for a family in Washburn.

For the past few years, the Washburn NHS planned fundraisers to help with a Christmas charity. This year, students decided to sell Christmas tree ornaments to their fellow students and parents. Normally, the students sell their goodies to the

The Christmas Gift

high school population only. But this year they also sold them to the junior high students of the district. The ornaments were available to teachers, parents and students in grades 6-12. The profits from the new age group were slow to take off, but in the end made an excellent contribution.

The NHS has always believed in helping others during the season of giving. In previous years, members have donated outside their community, to organizations such as the Battered Women’s Society. This year the group decided to stay closer to home and decided to help a family within Washburn. The members called their local town office

for information on adopting a child (or two) for Christmas. The students were astonished to find that there were approximately 50 children in the Washburn community on the list. The Society picked three young children in the same family to adopt. With the funds raised and the children chosen, the members had just one thing to do: shop!

The group of nine divided themselves and each group chose a child. They shopped for various items that met their budgets. Some of the students shopped for Elmo and Transformers, while others shopped for Barbies and dress-up clothes. They also bought clothing and boots for the

children. For the teens, this was their favorite part.

The members concluded their charity work by dropping the gifts off at the town office to be delivered. To many this task may seem like a chore, but to the National Honor Society, it was a joy.

The students knew that to give to those in need was an honor, and that’s what they’re all about.

Diette chose Washburn because he heard that the program was getting smaller but that there was support for growth. He was very eager to take on that task. Diette said that he would like to build a larger music program and make it one of the best in Aroostook County, as well as in the state.

He hopes to start a large jazz band and a small group for sixth graders who cannot yet play in the grades 7 through 12

band. Diette said that he would love to see the bands outgrow the music rooms. At one time, the high school band consisted of 50 to 60 students with a middle school band of 40. He hopes to bring the bands close to those numbers again.

All-Aroostook was held on Jan.15 and 16 this year. Diette was happy with the percentage of students who were chosen to attend based on how many auditioned. His goal for next

year is to have an increase in the number of musicians auditioning and the number accepted.

The festival 15 years ago had a middle school band of 100.

This year it had only 50, because the number of students auditioning is dropping statewide.

Diette has seen tremendous growth from several of the musicians, and there are a few who are really taking on leadership roles. He also can see that

New Teacher in Town Strikes Up the Band

Courtney Turner CONTRIBUTOR

At the start of this school year, the administration chose a new band director for the Washburn District Elementary and High Schools: Sean Diette.

Diette attended the University of Southern Maine and received a degree in music education and a degree in music performance. He can play the entire woodwind, brass, percussion and string families.

It’s Tourney Time Again!

Sarah Sjoberg CONTRIBUTOR

Tournament time is just around the corner, and the WDHS. Beavers are getting ready! The boys and girls’ basketball teams chances of becoming “Bangor Bound” are looking better and better each day. Both teams have faced and overcome many challenges to achieve their winning records.

The girls came in this season with no bench to fall back on and a new coach who brought new plays and a new style of

February 12, 2010

coaching. Throughout the season, the Lady Beavers have grown in numbers and have adopted their coach’s style of playing excellently. The boys’ team has really stepped it up since last year’s fairly unsuccessful season, beating difficult opponents such as Hodgdon and Southern Aroostook.

The Beavers and Lady Beavers would like to thank their families, friends, and community for their kind support throughout the season. Go Beavers!

many are gaining self-confidence, and that makes stronger musicians.

With the positive attitude of Diette and the support of administration, the band could definitely recover from this spiraling cycle we’ve seen for the past few years. Diette is a great addition to our school system and music program. The community can’t wait to see what sparks ignite in the next couple of years.

University Times

Landon York STAFF WRITER

On January 22 UMPI basketball played host to the SUNY-Canton Kangaroos.

The women played first.

Both teams came out fast and physical. Emily Moore and Emily Pelletier set the tone for UMPI early, with Moore cutting and Pelletier making knocking down outside shots.

Their performance stayed strong, and was bolstered by Julie Peers’ play underneath, as well as Megan Korhonen quietly having a great game.

The lady Owls’ three guards, Moore, Pelletier and Logahn Walker, kept the SUNY defense on its toes, quickly working the ball around the outside. The threat of all three of them shooting kept the defense moving, and when they did, Peers, Korhonen and Kathy Kilfoil had open space underneath and made the most of it.

Behind this core group, UMPI jumped out to a double digit lead in the second half. But with 3:30 left in the game, SUNY had narrowed it down to two points. But the lady Owls knew what they had to do.

“When it got close like that, I just said ‘we’re not losing this game.’” Pelletier said.

SPORTS

UMPI Basketball Returns

Moore echoed her thoughts, “I just thought, ‘we’re not losing another close game like this.”

With three minutes left they went to work. Pelletier hit a contested three pointer that erupted the UMPI faithful.

SUNY called a time out to regroup. When they came out, they worked the ball around and finally got it inside to Shannon LaFave, who made a layup for two of her SUNY leading 15 points in the game.

UMPI had a four point lead going into the last two minutes of the game. Peers found herself open around the foul line, and hit a jump shot, making the lead six. UMPI got a steal at the other end of the court.

From there it became about free throws. UMPI went seven for 10 in the final minutes, which kept their lead secure.

They won the game 79-74.

“We played really well, a solid 40 minute game,” Kilfoil said, “three shooters are hard to defend. We’re going a great job playing together, with a lot of freshmen that’s usually tough. But we’re gaining experience and getting there.”

The men started their game the same way the women did: quick and intense. Their tough, in-your-face defense and run-

and-gun offense tested the SUNY early. But SUNY held strong. Chris Coffin had the hot hand to start, scoring 11 out of UMPI’s first 18.

On the defensive side, Kyle Corrigan set the tone.

Frustrating SUNY guard Tony Valentin and shaking him from his game.

“Coach just told me to deny him the ball the whole game.

Especially on fast breaks. He’s really quick, so we couldn’t let him run,” Corrigan said.

Forwards Patrick Manifold and Coffin took Corrigan’s cue and stepped their games up as well.

Late in the second, two back to back plays got the UMPI crowed fired up. Ben Rosser received an outlet pass and quickly ran passed defenders.

He sprinted to the hoop from the right side and casually dunked the ball. On the next possession, Devon Peaslee drove baseline and made a circus-like up and under shot among SUNY’s big men.

At halftime, the score was SUNY 45, UMPI 42. UMPI’s hard work kept them close and put SUNY on edge, but they ended the half needing to improve their defense and defensive rebounding.

Left: Kathy Kilfoil shoots over a SUNY defender.

Right: Ben Rosserʼs breakaway dunk.

The Owls came out in the second half like a team that knew they were going to win.

Corrigan played even tougher defense on Valentin, and UMPI’s offense came on strong.

Seven minutes into the half, Corrigan threw up an alley-oop pass to Manifold, who took the ball out of the air and layed it in, giving UMPI the lead, 5856.

The score hovered around a five point lead for UMPI for the next seven minutes. When time began to run out, it seemed the teams swapped philosophies. SUNY tried to run and score on the fast breaks, while UMPI slowed it down, utilizing their three big men: Manifold, Coffin, and Ray Mitchell.

“Those three are versatile.

We create a lot of mismatches.

When they have to go big we adjust. Once they establish inside we can spread the floor. I felt like we expended a lot of energy in the first half, so we tried to set up and get the ball inside to Ray,” Coach Terry Cummings said.

With two minutes left, and a four point lead, UMPI had to make a defensive stop.

Manifold stepped up to the challenge and provided a time-

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February 12, 2010

ly block. The score remained the same until a minute later.

Tony Parker scored a much needed basket for SUNY, drawing them within two points.

UMPI got the ball and was able to take some time off the clock. Eventually Corrigan was fouled and sent to the foul line.

He made one of his two shots, making the score 91-88.

SUNY got the ball back, and Valentin was fouled while attempting to drive to the hoop.

But he missed both of his shots.

Manifold got the rebound and was immediately fouled. He made one of his two shots.

SUNY inbounded the ball and quickly got the ball up the court and made a layup. With 6.3 seconds left in the game, the score was 92-90.

On the inbounds pass, Corrigan was immediately fouled. This time he made both of his shots. Making it a two possession game and essentially sealing the win for UMPI. The SUNY-Canton games were two important conference wins for the UMPI teams. And both were close wins that were great games to watch for the fans. We can only hope that both teams keep up the good work, and make us proud when the tournament comes around.

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University Times SPORTS February 12, 2010

Landon York STAFF WRITER

The Paul Smith’s College women’s basketball team came into its game against UMPI with an 0-8 record, and having lost to UMFK 72-13 the night before. The lady Owls’ head coach Tracy Guerrette knew this, and chose to give two of her starters, Kathy Kilfoil and Megan Korhonen the day off.

This gave her bench a chance to shine.

“It was huge for them to be able to play. It let them build confidence. They got a chance to play with some starters, which is big because I’ll need them to step up,” Guerrette said.

The lady Owls team had a quickness that PSC couldn’t keep up with, on both offense and defense. Twenty-two steals led to fast break points for UMPI. When they did set up the half court offense, quick passes and cutters made for easy points.

Kallie Pelletier, normally a bench player, led UMPI with 28 points.

“It felt good to get the playing time. It felt even better to be a high scorer. I was able to practice what I’ve learned and work my way through the mistakes that I did make,”

UMPI Sweeps Paul Smith’s

Pelletier said.

At halftime, the score was 45-17. In the second half, UMPI played even better. PSC ended up scoring only 9 points the entire half. The game was called with two minutes left after two of PSC’s six players were injured. The final score was 84-26.

The men’s matchup was a closer game. They played just as quick as the women, and played less physical than they did against SUNY-Canton.

They came out with a different offensive look, with Devon Peaslee running the point, and Kyle Corrigan cutting. They played the fast break style that

STAFF WRITER

The UMPI lady Owls went into their game against University of Maine at Machias looking to get another big conference win, and they came out playing like a team that knew that.

After UMM jumped out to a quick 7-2 lead. The Owls didn’t get discouraged, midway through the first half they took the lead and led the rest of the half. Both teams played quickly, which fed into UMPI’s game plan. UMM scored most of its points on fast breaks or three

Mitchell down low. Mitchell dominated the inside while Chris Coffin kept hitting outside shots.

With five minutes left in the game, PSC had whittled UMPI’s lead from double digits to nine points. UMPI’s offense began to struggle. But Mitchell found his place down low again, while Corrigan ran the offense. Four minutes later UMPI was back ahead by 17 points. The final score of the men’s game was 86-72.

After defeating SUNYCanton the day before, sweeping PSC the next day was another job well done for UMPI basketball. Both teams showed how well they can play, and again showed that they are fun to watch. Get out and support your UMPI Owls.

Left: Kallie Pelletier goes in for two of her 28 points.

Right: Chris Coffinʼs reverse layup.

Lady Owls Take on Machias Landon York

they prefer, and turned the game into a shootout. It was a tight game at half time with UMPI leading 48-45.

UMPI came out hot offensively in the second half, and played even more intense of defense. Offensively they played a great post game, constantly feeding the ball to Ray

point shots. But UMPI sustained their UMM’s runs and began playing tough, they went into halftime with a 29-24 lead.

UMPI came out a little sluggish in the second half and UMM took advantage, and the lead. Head coach Tracy Guerrette called a time out.

After the pep talk the lady Owl’s came out tough on both ends of the court and regained the lead. By the end of the game it had reached double digits, and UMPI took the win, 59-47.

Megan Korhonen and Julie Peers led the lady Owls with 13

points, 12 rebounds and 12 points, 13 rebounds, respectively. Emily Moore, Logahn Walker and Emily Pelletier also contributed 10 points each.

“We didn’t play as well as I know we can,” Guerrette said.

“It seemed like we were a little rattled in the beginning. We showed more effort in the second half, and as I always tell the team, good teams find a way to win. It wasn’t pretty, but it’s a win.”

Logahn Walker for two.

WUPI 92.1 M-F 12-1 p.m. “‘80s Lunch with Ben Pinette”

All ‘80s Requests at 7689711 from the days of Pac-Man, Madonna and The Breakfast Club.

UMPI Men’s Disappointing Weekend University Times SPORTS February 12, 2010

Landon York STAFF WRITER

The UMPI men came into the weekend with a chance to solidify their spot at the top of the conference with two games against University of Maine at Machias and Vermont Tech.

In the Machias game, UMPI came out playing a 3-2 zone with 6’7 Patrick Manifold at the top. Machias responded well, with ball movement and good outside shooting. 10 minutes into the game Machias had an 18-13 lead.

As the game progressed it became more and more physical. Coach Terry Cummings opened up his rotation, utilizing Brad Trask and Ryan Hill more than usual. By halftime the Owls had asserted themselves and took a 35-31 lead into the locker room.

Machias came out strong in the second and after five minutes, had the lead back. UMPI stuck with man to man defense which allowed them to continue, and step up, the physical play. Machias kept up their good play, and played with authority. Three minutes later, UMPI found themselves down by nine points, but they rallied and with 11 minutes left in the game, drew within five points.

This was when the physical play began to hurt UMPI. With ten minutes left, UMM was

for a foul. already in the Alexander hit bonus. For the final both shots, makten minutes of the ing it a five point game, any foul game with 12 secwould put UMM at left. onds the free throw line.

Corrigan made a But UMPI continlast effort to score, ued to play hard. driving the lane, Hill made his but again he just presence known missed. Clifford after getting a McDonald got the tough rebound and rebound for putting it back for UMM, and two. The next posCorrigan fouled session Trask him, his fifth foul showed his value by of the game. He draining a mid had fouled out. range jump shot.

McDonald made That brought both of his free UMPI within one. throws, making But that was as the final score 78close as the Owls 71. could get. The fouls “It was about started to hurt missed free them, along with throws, missed UMM’s dangerous and clutch outside Brad Trask takes a jump shot from the corner. layups and 27 turnovers.

We shooting.

Down by six with five min- Mitchell pulled an opposing missed an opportunity today. utes to go, Kyle Corrigan player’s shorts intentionally. There were too many mental received a pass from Chris With that, UMM got two free mistakes. We just have to Coffin after Coffin got a power- throws, made both and posses- regroup and try again tomorrow, it’s a must win now,” said ful rebound. Corrigan stopped, sion of the ball.

A minute later, UMPI’s next Cummings. and when he did a UMM playAfter losing the UMM, the er ran over him, a foul that put offensive possession, Corrigan Corrigan at the line. He made came down the court and hit a game against Vermont Tech both shots, 70-66 with four quick three point shot. It was a held more pressure for UMPI, minutes and nineteen seconds one point game with 51.5 sec- and early in the game it onds left. After a clutch defen- showed. In its first three offento go in the game.

On UMPI’s next possession, sive stop, Corrigan came down sive possessions, the Owls there was a string of missed the court again, drove to the turned the ball over, giving VT shots, but an offensive rebound hoop and just missed a layup. a quick 5-0 lead. Coffin got on all of them. Ray Manny Martinez committed a UMPI into the game, starting Mitchell finally got con- foul trying to stop the clock, but out hot and scoring UMPI’s trol of the ball, cleared Brian Alexander hit both free first eight points.

“It was great to see Chris’ space, and layed it in. It throws, making the score 74-71 intensity while we sort of got off was a two point game with 20 seconds left.

Devon Peaslee brought the to a sluggish start,” Coach with two minutes left. ball up the court and just as he Cummings said.

On the following passed the half court line, Brian defensive possession, On the defensive side, UMPI Alexander stole the ball. When came out with the same 3-2, but Mitchell was called for an intentional foul. The he did, they both ended up on without a center on the outside. referees claimed that the floor and Peaslee was called Midway through the half, how-

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ever, UMPI found itself down by nine. Cummings called a time out, back on the court UMPI came out strong, but could only get within seven.

They found themselves down by 19 at the half.

The fast pace and accurate shooting of VT seemed to shake the Owls from their game. They couldn’t keep up with VT’s runners. And holes in their defense kept showing when VT’s hot shooters had the ball. When VT was forced to play the half court game, they set up and quickly passed the ball around the outside and utilized screens in the middle. The screens kept the UMPI defense moving and out of position most of the day.

The Owls came out with an intensity they had failed to show in the first half.

“We could have just folded up in the second half, but we never gave up. Things just didn’t go our way.” Cummings said.

VT continued its dominance, going for stretches where it seemed like they couldn’t miss.

UMPI didn’t help itself, continuing to turn the ball over. They ended the game with 26. UMPI couldn’t rally to finish the game, and ended up losing 87-72.

“After the game, we talked about the lack of consistency.

When things are going well for us they go well, but when they go bad we tend to get discouraged. We just need to refocus and get to our goal of eight wins. We’re going to have to win some road games. We’re capable, we can do it,” Cummings said.

Get out and support your UMPI Owls and remember to keep tabs on their road games.

HAVE YOU APPLIED FOR FINANCIAL AID FOR 2010-2011?

If you are eligible for federal student aid – and have not done this for next academic year, please go on-line and fill out a 2010-2011 application at: www.fafsa.gov Do not wait – apply today!!

(If you wait…you could lose out on some financial aid assistance) Any questions, feel free to stop by the Financial Aid Office, located on the top floor of Preble Hall

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University Times SPORTS February 12, 2010

UMPI Hockey Makes a Triumphant Return Landon York STAFF WRITER

Less than a minute into its first game of the second semester, the UMPI hockey team was winning 1-0. Josh MacKinnon was making his way toward the net when he lost control of the puck. Stephen Thorne recovered it and took a shot. The puck deflected off the Thrashers’ goalie’s pad and into the net.

Two minutes later MacKinnon had the puck again. After taking the puck away from a Thrashers forward, he made his way into the offensive zone and let a slap shot go, straight into the net.

After another two minute stretch, Chris Moore picked up a loose puck and made his way into the offensive zone and with a quick wrist shot the puck was behind the goalie. After five minutes UMPI was up 3-0.

The Thrashers scored their first goal with eight minutes left in the first period. They passed the puck around their zone, looking for open space. They found it at the point, a defender shot the puck towards the net, after two deflections, the puck made its way past UMPI goalie Paul Rucci.

UMPI didn’t let that slow them down, however. Thorne quickly made his way into the zone, spun around one defender, faked past another and scored his second goal of the night. UMPI was winning 4-1 after the first period.

They didn’t slow down much at all in the second. MacKinnon

Pro – Fab Strikes Again

Landon York STAFF WRITER

After notching a win in their first game back from the winter break the UMPI hockey had to take two real tests. These tests came in the form of two games against Pro-Fab. Game One: With 11 minutes left in the first period, a quick Pro-Fab wrist shot made its way past UMPI goalie Paul Rucci and seemed to set the tone for the game. But UMPI stayed tough.

Chris Landry tied it for UMPI off a faceoff in the offensive zone. The puck worked its way right to Landry in front of the net and he one-timed it in.

But a tie wasn’t enough for UMPI. Less than a minute later, Josh MacKinnon weaved his way through the offensive zone, and three defenders, faked the goalie left and put the puck in the empty right side of the net.

After the first period, things were looking good for UMPI, they had a 2-1 lead.

The only goal scored in the second was scored by ProFab. After stealing the puck from UMPI, the started a three-onone break with the puck on the left side.

After bringing it in deep, the Pro-Fab player passed the Right: puck over to the right Josh MacKinnon after and it was tapped in, scoring against Pro-Fab. tying the game at two.

The physical, intense play carried Below: over from the teams’ Stephen Thorne beats the first meeting earlier in Thrashersʼ goalie. the year. Pro-Fab showed that it is a possibly the best team that UMPI has played this season.

Pro-Fab opened the third period with a breakaway after a steal, they were unable to convert, but their chances kept coming. With nine minutes left in the period they found the back of the net. Pro-Fab had the puck at the point, when he shot it towards the net, it was deflected but recovered by ProFab. Two quick passes and a shot later, Pro-Fab was up 3-2. intercepted the puck after an attempted clear out by the Thrashers. He faked a slap shot from the point, skated further in and fired the puck into the net with an impressive wrist shot.

Josh Stahl added another goal for UMPI, receiving a nice pass from Josh Williams and firing the puck into the net.

Williams got his name on the score sheet again when he picked up a rebound and put the puck in the net.

With two minutes left in the second period Thorne got his hat trick. The puck was behind the net, and JD Haddad went to retrieve it. The Thrashers goalie poked his stick back to grab Haddad, when he did he lost his stick. Thorne came in from the other side, got possession of the puck and put it in the net.

But Thorne wasn’t finished there. He scored the final goal of the game in the third period after some creative stick handling, he shot the puck top shelf and past the goalie. Giving UMPI the 9-1 win.

Overall UMPI played a great game. They played quick and struck often. They played good defense and Rucci played well in net. It was a good win to start the semester.

UMPI’s third period was a period of missed chances. At the end of the game UMPI pulled Rucci off the ice and sent on an extra attacker. But ProFab was still able to clear the puck out of the zone. Most UMPI players gave up on the play thinking it would be icing, which would lead to a faceoff back in the offensive zone, but the referees let the play go. A Pro-Fab player picked up the puck and put it in the net. But after some conversation, it was decided that it was icing. But with only seconds on the clock, UMPI was still unable to score, leaving the final tally at 3-2.

The second game against Pro-Fab looked similar to the first. Pro-Fab scored the first goal of the game five minutes in, after an interception and patient puck movement in their end.

UMPI had its first chance of the game when Pro-Fab committed two penalties. They played five on three for about a

minute, but were unable to score. The game remained 1-0 after the first period.

Five minutes into the second period, Pro-Fab converted a one-on-one opportunity and went up 2-0. At the 12 minute mark, MacKinnon made his presence known. He weaved his way through three Pr-Fab

defenders and shot the puck above the goalie’s shoulder.

MacKinnon then skated to the left and looked back at the goalie with his arms spread in a “what now?” position. Next, he ran to the boards, yelled at the fans, and crashed into the glass.

“After I scored that, there should have been a lot more excitement in the building,” MacKinnon said.

It did excite the team for awhile. MacKinnon had the puck again in the offensive zone. He passed it behind the net to Stephen Thorne. Thorne then found Corey Langille in the front of the net, Langille shot quickly and found the back of the net to tie the game.

Later, another Pro-Fab breakaway led to another goal.

The final period had to be played with a running clock.

UMPI had the early game and was running late, so they kept the clock going. This gave the Owls even less time to come back.

With about 2 minutes remaining. Rucci left his post in net for an extra attacker.

UMPI began to play with a new intensity that was missing throughout the game, but was still unable to score. ProFab was however, making the final score 4-2.

“We played those last two minutes more intense, we played our hardest.” Chris Moore, UMPI captain, said.

“Four breakaways by one guy. We have to play better defense. I stopped him twice and he scored twice,” Rucci said after the game.

“It’s a lack of getting pucks on the net. We had maybe two shots halfway through the second period,” Rucci added, clearly frustrated.

If UMPI hockey were a boxer, the two losses against Pro-Fab were two uppercuts to the jaw. But the boys aren’t done, and they’re still willing to fight.

After the game, MacKinnon said: “Who do we play next? I don’t care. We’ll win. I’ll step up, and we’ll win.”

15

University Times SPORTS February 12, 2010

Landon York STAFF WRITER

After disappointing performances in their previous games, UMPI hockey looked to get a much-needed win against the Wild. They got to work quickly.

Early in the first period, while playing shorthanded, Josh MacKinnon intercepted the puck in the defensive zone and skated past three members of the Wild on the left side. After reversing to the right, he shot the puck into an open net.

With 1:30 left in the period, MacKinnon made almost the same play, but this time he was kept from getting close to the net. Instead of trying to force it, MacKinnon let of a slap shot that was past the goalie before he made a move to stop it.

UMPI led 2-0 after one period.

The second period was fast paced, and no one scored. The quick, clean play was a stark contrast to the past games.

Four minutes into the third,

UMPI Hockey Beats a Win out of The Wild

was then tripped, but no penalty was called.

Just as he was knocked off feet, his though, he took a shot, and the puck made its way into the wide open right side of the net.

Barely a minute later, Chad Phillips brought the puck behind Josh MacKinnon weaves his way through defenders. the net for UMPI. He after a short skirmish behind made a dive, but was unable to then faked a wrap around shot UMPI’s net, the puck ended up make the save.

Two minutes later, Stephen and passed the puck out front to in front of goalie Paul Rucci.

Rucci attempted to make a play Thorne impressively avenged Corey Langille. Langille oneon it, but was unable to reach that goal. Thorne took a pass in timed the puck into the net, givthe puck in time. The Wild the corner of the offensive ing UMPI a 4-1 lead.

Later, UMPI won a faceoff cleared it out to the point and zone. He skated towards the in their offensive zone. Thorne put a quick shot on net. Rucci net, passed two defenders. He came out with the puck and

passed it to JD Haddad, who shot it into the net.

With three minutes left in the game, the Wild converted on their best chance of the game.

They had a two-on-two run into the offensive zone. The puck was passed from the right into the middle. The receiver of the puck shot it back to the vacated right side of the net, 42.

The game seemed all but over. But with seconds left in the game, MacKinnon made yet another play. He took the puck out of the defensive zone, with two defenders trailing him. He beat the goalie for his third goal of the night, making the final score 5-2.

After two disappointing losses to Pro-Fab, the win against the Wild helped keep the UMPI squad from getting too discouraged. The whole team played well, and they showed what they can really do. Let’s hope they can keep it up.

of the second period.

Not only was UMPI not playing well, but they were undermanned.

Stephen Thorne, Craig Moody and Chris Landry all missed the game. Also, halfway through they lost Josh Stahl when he was hit with a stick above his right eye. The unexpected loss of Stahl forced UMPI to improvise with their lines. MacKinnon, normally a defenseman, ended up playing center before the game was over.

Adding to the frustration of their bad play was the perceived bad officiating. UMPI spent most of the game playing against not only the NM team, but the referees.

Trevor Hews voiced his frustrations with the referees and found himself in the penalty box. Daniel Rosebush then ended up in the box as well.

NM took advantage of these

penalties and added two of their six unanswered goals.

Late in the game, the frustrations began to manifest as intense play. Parker got his second assist of the night when he skated into the offensive zone and left the puck for MacKinnon, who let go a screaming slap shot, straight into the net.

With 5:23 left, Corey Langille took the puck from a faceoff in the offensive zone and passed it out front to Tyler Hutchinson who poked it past the NM goaltender. That goal made the score 8-4, which ended up being the final.

With two games remaining in their season, the UMPI team hopes to step up their play going into the playoffs. If they do, they should be dangerous, so get out and watch the games.

Landon York STAFF WRITER

NM Shows Up UMPI

After a much needed win against the Wild, UMPI looked to keep up its hot play against the Northern Maine Community College club team.

Early in the first, it looked like they would be able to do just that. Seven minutes into the game, Chad Parker made a nice crossing pass from the left side to Josh MacKinnon at the front of the net. MacKinnon quickly shot the puck and gave UMPI a 1-0 lead.

A minute later Chad Phillips stole the puck from NM in the defensive zone and started a break away on the right side.

He reversed to the left and put the puck in the net.

The scoring was fast and often.

NM scored six unanswered goals from the six-minute mark in the first period, until the end

University Times

16

Claire Davidshofer CONTRIBUTOR

Once there was a garden famous the world around for its beauty and diversity. Thousands of families, teenagers, lovers, old folks and runners came from near and far to pass through its monumental wrought-iron gate to enjoy the fragrant delicate roses that greeted them as they came in. Farther down its sandy paths, plants of all sorts grew lush and colorful to cheer their souls. It was indeed a magnificent garden that stood out among many other gardens.

Maybe it was because of the army of gardeners who worked relentlessly to make sure that no dying plant came to destroy the harmony of the place, but most gardens are this way. No. what made this garden stand out and a favorite sightseeing place was the plant that grew at its heart.

Now this plant was not a common plant. Indeed no one knew its name. It had appeared one day in the garden, and the head gardener, after noticing it, did not recognize it as any plant he had ever seen or heard of in his whole lifetime. This man had been a gardener for many years and possessed such knowledge and wisdom that all the younger gardeners respected him and came to him for advice. Indeed, even the director of the garden trusted him in all his decisions, since the garden was making enough money to pay for all expenses.

One day, then, as the gardener was making his rounds in the garden, he saw two small leaves emerging from the ground right in the middle of the garden.

Getting on all fours, he inspected the leaves and scratched his head, for he had never seen anything like it. After checking his botanical encyclopedia, he grew even more perplexed. Was it a good plant, or was it a weed?

Where did it come from?

Because he was wise, he decided to let the plant grow and see what would happen. And so he did. In fact, he was so intrigued by the plant that every day he

VOICE

The Garden: A Fable

spent time taking care of it, fertilizing it, pulling up any weed that grew around it and carefully watering it when the ground was dry. Finally he removed all insects and snails that could have harmed the plant. This lasted for several months, as the plant

scent grew and grew so strong that it now reached the towns nearby. As people came to enjoy the sight and the scent, a hummingbird flew in as fast as lighting and started drinking the nectar from the blossoms. When it was done, it sang a melody filled

same time, set up chaise lounges the day before and waited to witness the showy and fragrant spectacle.

One day the director of the garden announced that he was retiring, and soon a new director was hired. This man had been

was growing at its own slow pace. As the gardener had expected, the plant looked totally different from the other plants known to mankind. Then one morning as the gardener arrived at the garden, he smelled the sweetest scent he had ever smelled. All excited, he ran down the paths to see where the scent came from. He discovered that the plant had blossomed during the night. Huge purple blooms were dancing in the breeze on top of slender stalks.

As the gardener looked in amazement, more buds popped open just like fireworks. The

with hope and joy. This event happened in one night and one day. Then the plant stopped blossoming only to offer its lush foliage.

The news of such a spectacle reached the ends of the earth and media people thronged to take pictures of the plant and interview the gardener. Since the plant did not produce any more flowers that year, however the excitement soon subsided and the garden returned to its normal routine. The same phenomenon happened year after year. By now a faithful clan came back every year at the

trained in the best business practices of the century. Up to now, the garden had made enough money to pay for all salaries and upkeep and still have a small margin of profit. The new director was not satisfied with that. His mentors had trained him to believe that big profits were the sign of success, so he scrutinized all the books to see how the money was spent. To his horror he saw that one hundred gardeners were taking care of the garden and that the head gardener spent most of his days taking care of one plant that attracted a handful of people

February 12, 2010

only once a year! Quickly he devised a plan to reduce the gardeners by half and to assign the head gardener more duties.

And this happened according to his plan. Fifty gardeners were laid off without much consideration to how competent they were. The head gardener was so busy with a multitude of new tasks that he could hardly go see the special plant. That year when the faithful came to watch the plant bloom, something pathetic happened. Only one pale flower opened its petals and its scent was so faint that it did not reach the boundaries of the garden. The hummingbird came as usual and started drinking its nectar, and then looked for more in vain. Finally, it perched on a branch and sang a sad and mournful song that chilled everyone’s heart.

Then the bird died, and as it died, the plant withered away.

The garden had lost its soul.

This was more than the head gardener could take and he resigned on the spot.

In the meantime, the director had ordered all delicate plants to be replaced by plants easy to take care of. The idea was that people would not care or notice. And so roses were replaced by petunias, orchids by geraniums and many other substitutions happened. By now the once magnificent garden had become a very ordinary garden. Fewer people came, because they did notice the changes. After the plant died, the visit from the faithful ceased, too. Very quickly, gardeners left one by one to work at other gardens where their expertise was valued. A few years later, the news spread that in a garden one hundred miles away, a rare plant had grown. It was the head gardener’s plant. While that garden became famous and popular, the first garden died in oblivion.

Like all fables, this fable has a moral. Can you figure it out?

A Night to Remember: Senior Fashion Show Jessica Stepp CONTRIBUTOR

One thing Presque Isle High School seniors do every year is the Senior Fashion Show. It’s a night when the seniors can dress up in prom dress and tux. We borrow all the dresses and tuxedoes from Panscofar’s Bridal Shop.

This event was a fundraiser for the senior class. It helps the seniors get ready for the prom that will creep up soon. There were 40 different couples for this event. Some of the guys went through again because there were more girls than guys.

Like any great event, there were many people behind it.

The junior class designed the set. Zack Dow, who’s a junior, worked on the light and the sound for the music. Maddasin Willette, a member of the class of 2010, was the mistress of ceremonies. Amy and Jessica from Hair Forever helped out fixing the girls’ hair. Last, the parents of the seniors helped out with making refreshments and helping us make the evening of Dec. 29 a night to remember.

Our Paths Almost Crossed!

University Times VOICE February 12, 2010 Todd Russell CONTRIBUTOR

Hiking the Appalachian Trail (AT) was a thrill! Beginning at Springer Mountain, Georgia, I followed the white blazes north for approximately 2150 miles over rugged terrain and thickly wooded areas. My AT hiked finished on Mount Katahdin in Maine. Katahdin is very symbolic to AT hikers since it represents both the termination of the physical hike and the beginning of a new appreciation of our surroundings.

While on my trek through North Carolina in 1998, I nearly crossed paths with one of the AT legends, Earl Shaffer. In 1948, Shaffer was the first person to solo thru-hike of the AT. Being recently discharged from the military, this World War II veteran began the journey to fulfill a childhood dream. In four months duration, Shaffer hiked over the 2,000 trail miles - which he affectionately named the “long cruise.”

Shaffer’s historic hike was also done in tribute to his boyhood friend, Walter Winemiller, who died at the Battle of Iwo Jima.

As close friends, the two

Earl Shaffer at Mount Katahdin in 1948.

dreamed of backpacking the entire AT. In 1998, the 80-year-old Shaffer commemorated the 50th

anniversary of his epoch “cruise” by hiking the trail once again. While moving through the town of Hot Springs, North Carolina, Shaffer and I nearly met up. Unfortunately, we were near, but never came face to face. Remarkably, Shaffer again

finished the entire AT as an octogenarian.

You can read about Shaffer’s experiences in, “Walking With Spring” (1983). The book has his photos and his daily journaling of the events and people he encountered. Shaffer’s reflections tell of the simplicity and austerity of his journey. He wandered north without the support of detailed maps or a

17

guidebook.

In July 2009, the Smithsonian Institution had an exhibit honoring Earl Shaffer. You can click n o www.americanhistory.si.edu/do cumentsgallery for photos, excerpts of his handwritten diary and even a glimpse of the old boots he wore in 1948. It’s quite fascinating!

Shaffer was an environmentalist, a poet and a songwriter.

Amazingly, he actually completed three successful AT hikes: 1948, 1965 and 1998. Two thruhikes were northbound and one southbound. Throughout his life, he was an advocate for preserving the AT and the land it traversed.

I encourage UMPI students to investigate the AT in the summers ahead. Hiking is invigorating, peaceful and a healthy endeavor. Hikers can easily enter and exit the trail and can even select short segments to explore.

The natural setting will change you in unpredictable, but favorable ways. And who knows, maybe you will meet someone interesting.

Casey Carson and Brennan Shaw

18

University Times VOICE February 12, 2010

Planet Pluto has a strong connection to February and UMPI

Jim Stepp

CONTRIBUTOR

On Feb. 18, we’ll celebrate the 80th anniversary of the discovery of Pluto. Pluto was discovered by Clyde Tombaugh in 1930 at the Lowell Observatory in Flagstaff, Ariz. Pluto is 1,413 miles (2,274 kms) in diameter and orbits the Sun every 249 years at an average distance of 3.67 billion miles (5.91 billion km).

On August 24, 2006, the International Astronomical Union’s (IAU) General Assembly voted to create a definition of what a planet is. With this new definition, Pluto was demoted to a minor planet. But many people are having a hard time changing their minds on this topic. The debate still rages on – Is Pluto a planet or not?

NASA still considers it a planet, and that’s good enough for me.

The IAU’s definition of a planet states that the object must meet three criteria. 1) It must orbit the sun. 2) It must be round (reached hydrostatic equilibrium). 3) It must have cleared the area around its orbit. It’s this third part that Pluto fails to meet. Pluto is part of a second asteroid belt known as the Kuiper Belt. Since Pluto exists in this area of many other small objects, it hasn’t cleared its orbit and thus is not considered a planet.

To read more about the IAU’s definition go to http://www.iau.org/public_pre ss/news/detail/iau0603/.

Since 2006, 34,000+ people have electronically signed a petition to have Pluto reinstated as a planet. If you would like to learn more about this petition or to sign it, please go to http://plutopetition.com/.

To read about the discovery of Pluto, please go to: http://library.thinkquest.org/J 0112188/the_discovery_of_plu to.htm.

The UMPI connection, for the past four years, UMPI has

been holding Planet Head Day. This year’s event will take place on Saturday, Feb. 27, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. in Gentile Hall.

The event was originally inspired by the university’s participation in a NASA grant to assist with the educational out-

the years). 2) You can have your head shaved (this is for the braver individuals, such as my sons). By shaving your head, you can show solidarity with those individuals who have lost their hair because of cancer treatments.

reach for New Horizons, a spacecraft launched in January 2006 and due to arrive at Pluto in 2015. The New Horizons spacecraft is now nearly half the distance between Earth and Pluto. The spacecraft passed the orbit of Saturn nearly two years ago and is about a year from passing the orbit of Uranus.

Planet Head Day is not just about astronomy. This event also provides a great community service. Planet Head Day also raises money for and celebrates the local Caring Area Neighbors for Cancer Education and Recovery (CANCER) organization.

Fundraising is done through having your head painted as your favorite celestial body. You can have this done in one of two ways. 1) You can purchase a shower cap and keep your hair (this is how I have done it over

For videos of past Planet Head Days please go to: 2 0 0 7 : http://www.youtube.com/watc h?v=shZP7A6Y9yY 2 0 0 8 : http://www.youtube.com/watc h?v=5rK2Wk4GAJY 2 0 0 9 : http://www.youtube.com/watc h?v=89qUhsNISHc THE NIGHT SKY From Feb. 2 through 25, the ISS is visible in the morning sky.

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.

* All of the times and dates below are calculated by http://calsky.com. You must do the free registration in order to get accurate times.

Sun and Planet Rising and Setting

02/10 Sunrise 06:43 Sunset 16:49 Mercury 05.9h – 06.2h Venus 16.8h – 17.3h Mars 17.0h – 06.5h Jupiter 17.0h – 17.9h Saturn 20.5h – 06.2h Uranus Not Visible THE NIGHT SKIES OVER AROOSTOOK COUNTY All times are listed in Eastern Time. Please add 1 hour for Atlantic Time.

Date/Time Event 02/07 Space Shuttle Endeavour scheduled to launch http://www.nasa.gov/missions /highlights/schedule.html .

02/07@17:00 Neptune 1.1 degrees north of Venus.

02/08 2000 Mars Meteorite GRV 99027 Discovered http://www2.jpl.nasa.gov/snc

/.

02/11 1970 Ohsumi Launched – Japan’s first satellite http://www.isas.ac.jp/e/enter p/missions/ohsumi.shtml .

02/12@06:06 Moon 3.8 degrees north of Mercury.

02/12@21:22 Moon at apogee – furthest from the Earth (252,661 miles, 406,532km).

02/13@06:36 Mercury at Aphelion – Furthest from the Sun (43,391,363 miles, 69,816,703km).

02/13@21:51 New Moon 02/14@02:00 Moon 2.7 degrees north of Neptune.

02/14@13:54 Moon 4.85 degrees north of Venus.

02/14@17:30 Moon 5 degrees north of Jupiter.

02/14@22:00 Neptune in conjunction with the sun.

02/16@14:00 Moon 5.9 degree north of Uranus.

02/16@18:25 Moon’s eclipse of 19 Psc ends.

02/16@21:14 Venus 32.1’ south of Jupiter.

02/18@ 1930 Clyde Tombaugh discovers Pluto http://library.thinkquest.org/J 0112188/the_discovery_of_plu to.htm .

02/18@00:36 Asteroid (4) Vesta in opposition, closest to the Earth. Mag. 6.1. Visible with Binoculars-http://www.rasnz.org.nz/Mino rP/2010Vesta.htm#VestaPosn .

02/21@05:46 The ISS passes 0.1 degrees from the Saturn.

02/21@19:42 First Quarter Moon 02/21@21:35 Moon eclipses 36 Tau. 02/25@20:24 Moon 5.11 degrees south of Mars.

02/27 Planet Head Day 02/27@00:00 Neptune 1.8 degrees north of Mercury.

02/27@20:24 Moon at Perigee – Closest to the Earth (222,396 miles/357,835 km).

02/28@05:44 Jupiter in conjunction with the sun.

02/28@11:37 Full Moon

University Times

The Reel Deal: ‘Fame’ Stephanie Corriveau STAFF WRITER

PG 107 minutes

You’ve probably heard the hit song, “Fame.” It’s one of those annoyingly catchy tunes that the chorus keeps repeating over and over in your head.

The song’s about reaching ultimate stardom, but it neglects to mention the obstacles that may be encountered along the way.

In the movie “Fame,” which features this song in the final credits, the characters have direct encounters with the prices they must pay to obtain celebrity status. These characters are talented pupils who enter an elite and prestigious institution that will train them in the performing arts. “Fame” basically documents their journey from freshman through

senior year.

This film is probably different than what you’d expect. It doesn’t have a major story line like other movies, but is composed of many separate, intertwined stories. That’s not to say that it isn’t entertaining, however. “Fame” consists of a variety of musical selections, dances and songs. But if you’re not interested in movies that focus on performances, such as musicals, you should be advised that this movie may not be the best pick for you.

If you do decide to watch “Fame,” however, you’ll be amazed at the talent of the film’s cast. In some parts of the film, the characters have to act like they can act, which sounds like a pretty incredible feat.

The final scene of the movie showcases the actors and actresses’ talents. Cast members of note include singers Naturi Naughton and Asher

Lifestyle

Love sports talk? Sam will keep you informed of events during his time slot.

Ben Pinette

Within the last month, it’s been pretty hard to ignore the constant feuding among NBC, Jay Leno and Conan O’Brien.

All three have separate opinions about what the outcome should have been. Was it NBC’s fault for signing Leno to step down in 2009 from his 11:35 p.m. slot too soon? Did Jay not bring in enough stunts and stars for his show to be #1 at 10 p.m.? Or was Conan’s new position just too much for him to handle? In the eyes of many, it actually was a mix of all three.

Let’s face it, we loved Jay

Drama Late at Night What’s next for late night television?

Leno at 11:35. Right after the local news, you could catch up with him when you’re about to fall asleep anyway, but at 10 when your favorite drama is usually on? Jay Leno is good, but not that good. I would tune in occasionally when I wasn’t watching anything else, but sometimes I would just find the show… boring. It’s not that I don’t care for having the world’s strongest man push a car with his teeth, it just gets a little ridiculous to have these type of stunts on every night. Conan’s show, at least I found, was pretty much just like his old show at 12:30… except earlier. But, at

Book and dancer Kherington Payne.

Although some parts of the movie are about the characters’ doubts that they will ever become famous, it’s clear that the individuals who play these characters will achieve their dreams.

“Fame” has positive messages about reaching for your goals and making the best out of what you have. Some parts are saddening, especially when a few of the characters face rejection. But like all other things, the obstacles that they face only make them stronger.

Overall, “Fame” is a decent movie that will literally keep you singing and dancing.

Tuesdays 1-3 p.m.

Tom Pinette

WUPI 92.1 Mondays 11a.m.-noon “Sports Talk with Sam Clockedile”

STAFF WRITER

19

February 12, 2010

least according to the ratings, it wasn’t Jay Leno, so many turned the channel to David Letterman on CBS, or even ABC’s news program “Nightline.” It’s upsetting to hear that O’Brien will not be at NBC anymore. But you could argue that even if Leno wasn’t in this picture, O’Brien also have been canceled and replaced. Television is funny that way.

This incident (along with the 1993 incident of naming Jay Leno new host of “The Tonight Show” instead of David Letterman) will probably go down in history as one of the

Hear Tom’s deep music playlist in action Call him at 768-9711 for requests!

biggest late night mistakes, ever.

The simple solution for this is not changing what works… period. Audiences have been watching some type of 10 p.m. drama for more than 50 years now. In the mid 1990s when medical show “E.R” was #1 at 10 p.m., no one could have believed that NBC would have done something like this to the time slot. It was like a programming suicide to all the other broadcast networks. We only hope that NBC will replace “The Jay Leno Show” with some suitable candidates for midseason and for the 20102011 TV season.

University Times

Steve Straight STAFF WRITER

Knee Deep in the Dead is a metal band hailing from our very own Presque Isle. Take notice, metal heads: this band is for you. The band consists of drummer Beau “Vice” Everett, guitarist Nick Ames and the vocal stylings of Seth Marquis and Sean Bagley. Knee Deep in the Dead members describe their sound as “brutal and chaotic.”

The current roster members have risen from the ashes of a band called The Gladiator’s Platform. Marquis and Ames met while working at Lowe’s and decided to start a band with drummer Saylor Jacobs.

Jacobs moved away but urged the band to continue on without him. Everett and Marquis met through a mutual friend,

University Times Lifestyle February 12, 2010

The Week in Music: Wading Knee Deep in the Dead

Tim Churchill, the former drummer of Wolves Among Sleep. Everett took over the open drum position and Marquis encouraged Bagley to work on his “pig squeals” while they were living together so that he could join as a vocalist. They played one show billed as “Face Down in Your Casket” before beginning to take it more seriously and settling on the new moniker of Knee Deep in the Dead.

The band has been playing together for roughly a year, having played seven live shows.

They have played local spots such as the Knights of Columbus hall and the UMPI campus center and have played most notably at Jester’s in Brewer. When asked where they would most like to play, they noted The Cave in Bucksport as

WUPI 92.1

a suitable venue for their deathcore style. The band has six original songs and three others that are works in progress.

These include favorites “Robots are not to be trusted,” which Marquis cited as being short but intense, and “And a Bloodbath Ensues,” which Bagley and Everett mutually agreed they liked to play best. Ames was unavailable for comment.

What are members greatest influences?

“White Chapel, because of similar vocals, and Putrid Pile,” Bagley said.

“Despised Icon and Lamb of God for metal, Mars Volta and Blood Brothers for experimental.” Marquis.

“Despised Icon, Winds of Plague, Comeback Kid and Kiss,” Everett said.

As of now, the band doesn’t

play any covers. But it’s seriously looking into “Thunder Rolls” Garth Brooks and by by “Tubthumping” Chumbawumba, which might be better known as “I Get Knocked Down.”

Although these might appear to be unusual choices for a metal band, Marquis said, “I like, to keep it comedic.”

Bagley thinks that the band should really cover a Taylor Swift song, but the other guys don’t see it happening anytime soon. If nothing else, the Knee Deep versions should make for an original metal twist.

When asked if the lack of a bass player was a stylistic choice, Marquis said, “It’s hard to find a good bass player, but we have someone in mind.”

Bagley added, “More people need to play bass.”

20 Knee Deep in the Dead enjoys playing with local bands Crunk Witch and Vanityites, who also play regularly at UMPI. Band members mentioned that they also like Vails Gate, Interrogator and Fight for Blood as bands outside of the Aroostook County area. The band as yet has no album or single for sale, but you can check them out at myspace.com/kneedeepinthede adme or view footage of one of the band’s live performances on Presquillian.com. If you haven’t seen Knee Deep in the Dead perform yet, you’re missing out.

They have a stage presence that’s intoxicating and bring a wave of intensity to the show that’s rare. You won’t be sitting down and that’s a promise!

Left to right: Sean, Seth, Beau.

Not Pictured: Nick

Tuesdays 4-6 p.m.

“Adam & Ryan versus Sports” Listen in to Ryan McPhedrans and Adam Tilsley’s unique sports show. Ryan promises special guest call ins and much more!

Wednesdays 3-4 p.m.

Jonathan David Clark & Alanda Godbout Anything goes with this talk show.

Mika Ouellette STAFF WRITER

In preparation for the outbreak of H1N1 last semester, UMPI’s residence life and health services teamed up to prepare a quarantine plan for students presumed to have the flu. To find out more about this plan, the U Times interviewed, Linda Mastro, director of the health services on the quarantine.

U Times: First of all, how are students quarantined?

Linda Mastro: If students have influenza-like symptoms, they come to the clinic to be examined. If they have flu-like

H1N1 Quarantine: An Interview with Linda Mastro

symptoms that are suggestive of H1N1, are contagious and are running a fever, they’re given the option of going home sick or being quarantined on campus.

U Times: What are the living arrangements for those students who choose to be quarantined on campus?

LM: It varies by living situation.

If students are in private rooms, they stay in their own rooms and have their meals delivered to them by a friend. If the students have roommates and the roommates are also sick, they will stay together in their own rooms. But if only one room-

mate is sick, there are rooms set up especially for quarantine.

U Times: Besides living conditions, what other rules must students under quarantine obey?

LM: As long as students are running a fever, they must stay in their rooms, leaving only to use the bathroom. When students leave their rooms to use the bathroom, they must wear masks to avoid spreading the virus to others.

U Times: What are the requirements a student must meet to be released from quarantine?

LM: To leave the quarantine room, students must have been

fever free without fever-reducing medication such as Motrin for 24 hours. From there they must also have had an examination at the clinic to prove they are well enough to be released from quarantine.

U Times: How many students have been quarantined so far this academic year?

LM: No formal numbers are available at this time, but my estimate based on the students I’ve seen in this condition is about 25 students.

U Times: Do you think that there will be any more need for quarantine over the remainder of the academic year?

LM: There are still rumors of an increase in H1N1 cases expected around late March to early April. But on campus this will depend on the strength of the virus and the climate since people are generally healthier in the spring than in the winter.

Also, the students themselves are a factor as they’re more tired toward the end of the semester, which brings down their immune systems. But in reality, the further impact of H1N1 and the need for quarantine is unknown.