A delicious, easy, cheap alternative
Lifestyle, p. 15
Dorm décor: art for the rest of us
Lifestyle, p. 15
Volume 37 Issue 2
University of Maine at Presque Isle
Journalism for Northern Maine
Visit us at www.utimes.umpi.edu
FEBRUARY 13, 2009
Project Compass to benefit UMPI students Where and what is this? Answer on p. 7
Coming soon!!! The U Times NEW advice column, featuring the unique perspectives of Jack and Jill! Is your love life in dire straits? Worried about your five-year plan, when you can’t even get a handle on the next five minutes? Then we want to help! If your letter is selected, we’ll publish it in the next issue of the U Times along with Jack and Jill’s advice! You can submit your questions anonymously through e-mail utimes@maine.edu, snail mail University Times office Normal Hall, Rm. 102 at UMPI, 181 Main St., Presque Isle, ME 04769- or slip a note under the door of the U Times office - Rm. 102 Normal Hall. Jack and Jill want to hear from you, so write today!
In the news
Page 8 Washburn High School: All we can say is, “Leave it to the Beavers!” Page 9 Caribou High School: Read the rollout page dedicated to CHS. Page 11 OAPI: Offers outdoor adventures for every taste. Page 13 Flick Pick: “Rocknrolla” is quintessential Guy Ritchie. Page 14 Planet Head Day: The sky’s the limit with this popular annual event.
Inside:
Campus..............................p.4
Chancellor of the UMaine System, Rich Pattenaude
Chancellor to UMPI:
Change Coming By Chuck Wiess STAFF WRITER
Lead investigator for Project Compass, Kim Anne Perkins
By Alicia Sisson STAFF WRITER
Recently, the University of Maine at Presque Isle announced that it has received a grant of up to $750,000 over the next four years. This will make it possible for UMPI to better serve its Native American student population and the region’s Native American communities. UMPI is one of only four universities in New England chosen to participate in Project Compass. Project Compass is a program to increase
By Natalie St. Pierre
opened by the opportunity of relocation. She didn’t allow change to get the best of her: she embraced it. Felini’s exhibition titled “creating community” takes us on a journey of home. The objects in the room are not solely objects: they are memories and moments that offer comfort and solitude.
STAFF WRITER
Sports...............................p.10 Lifestyle............................p.13
American undergraduates in the entire University of Maine System. Perkins said that with this funding, we can expect to see many changes on campus over the next four years. These will include: creation of a Native American Center, review of academic affairs and curriculum to offer better support to marginalized students, improvements in student support and advising. UMPI stands out form the
Felini creates community through art
Community.........................p.7 The Other Voice...............p.12
the number of underrepresented students who achieve a four-year degree. Kim-Anne Perkins, UMPI’s lead investigator for Project Compass, said, “UMPI will use this grant funding to develop strategies that will help our Native American students in transitioning from the Native community to our community here at the University.” With 60 to 70 Native American students at the University of Maine at Presque Isle, we have the highest percentage of Native
Renee Felini’s painting
Anyone who has ever moved to northern Maine knows that it can seem like a lonely and isolated place. Renee Felini and her husband, Tim Bair, were no exception. But instead of hiding within the walls of her home, Felini used them as the foundation for exploring the new door
COMPASS, Page 6
ART, Page 6
Chancellor Pattenaude visited UMPI on Monday, Feb. 2, to answer questions the campus community had about the University of Maine System and our current financial state. The reason for the visit stems from Pattenaude’s plan for systemwide change, “New Challenges, New Directions.” The plan focuses on identifying areas of inefficiency in each university and working together as a system to address those inefficiencies in order to reduce costs and increase revenues. As Pattenaude said during his visit, “We’re responding as a complex organization to a declining market.” The plan is to cut just under $43 million from the system’s overall budget, which is around $640 million, in order to keep the system financially afloat in coming years. Pattenaude explained that part of the plan is to increase revenues to help keep the rapid growth in the system’s costs from affecting students. Some of the ways he mentioned were through a stronger online presence, intellectual property such as patents and increasing enrollment. There’s a decline in Maine’s high school aged students. Maine’s the oldest state in the nation by average age. Thus increased CHANGE, Page 6
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Letter from the Editor UNIVERSITY TIMES
Friday, February 13, 2009
In this issue of the U Times, we’re still changing our image and getting settled into our coverage area.
As you may have noticed, we’ve drastically reformatted the front page. We also have plans to redo the layout of the rest of the newspaper. Every move we make, we always think about you, our reader. By changing our format, we hope you benefit from a more stimulating visual. As the U Times gets a tuneup over the next week, during February break, your input would be greatly appreciated. E-mail any suggestions you have to utimes@maine.edu. This is your newspaper. The U Times staffers put this publication out, but without your support, it would fade away. We never forget that we work for you, our readers. Also expanding our coverage, Washburn High School has agreed to give content to the paper, which can be found under their section, “Leave it to the Beavers,” in the community section. They join Caribou High School in becoming regular contributors allowing all to get a closer look at the amazing events and achievements area
high school students are accomplishing. These groups of dedicated individuals are representing their schools and communities, describing perspectives that a press release cannot. We hope to build on this promising start by making additional community contacts and gaining further contributors. Finally, the lifestyle section of the paper is getting a major shot in the arm with new contributions from staff writers. Joining Laura Hunter ’s Flick Picks movie review is Leah McEachern’s “Dorm décor,” Sarah Graettinger ’s “In the mood for food” and Pamela Perkin’s “Club of the week.” Each is a new column to provide more information that is outside the realm of news but gives ideas for everyday life. That’s what a newspaper should be: something to help you out. With your help and support, we’ll get there.
Deadlines for the U Times for spring 2009 DEADLINES
Published
Friday, January 23.
Friday, January 30
Friday, February 27.
Friday, March 6
Friday, February 6.
Friday, February 13
Friday, March 13.
Friday, March 20
Friday, April 17.
Friday, April 24
Friday, April 3.
Friday, May 1.
Friday, April 10
Friday, May 8
Please send all submitions to utimes@maine.edu If there are pictures make sure they’re in JPEG format For further questions e-mail or call 768-9745 The University Times welcomes your submissions (letters to the editor, poetry, articles). We reserve the right to edit all submissions for grammar, clarity, language, length and libel. Submissions must be received no later than Noon on the Thursday before publication, and must include your name, address and telephone number. Upon submission, all material becomes the property of the University Times. Submissions may be sent on a CD or written in letter form and dropped in the UTimes mailbox (102 Normal Hall or faculty mailroom). Material also can be left in the mail slot on the office door or be e-mailed to utimes@maine.edu. The University Times does not impose length restrictions on letters to the editor, but advises “the shorter, the better.”
The University Times David Hamilton Editor
Chuck Weiss Advertising Representative Rachel Pinette Online Editor & Art Director
Jack & Jill Advice Columnists Staff Writers Sarah Graettinger David Hamilton Laura Hunter Leah McEachern Pamela Perkins Rachel Pinette Alicia Sisson Natalie St. Pierre Chuck Weiss
Contributors Christine Corsello Patric Edward Elizabeth Gagnon Tracy Guerrette Jeff Lovejoy Alex McIntosh Amanda Morin Ben Pinette Rachel Rice Juli E. Stephenson Jim Stepp Don Zillman Adviser Dr. J
The University Times, a non-profit student publication, is printed at Northeast Publishing Company in Presque Isle, Maine. Articles and photographic ideas for submission may be left at the University Times office Normal Hall, Rm. 102 at UMPI, 181 Main St., Presque Isle, ME 04769. Advertising rates are available upon request. The newspaper takes no responsibility for unsolicited materials. All rights reserved.
News from the Top Chris’ Corner
UNIVERSITY TIMES
Life’s passages I have to start this article with a couple of confessions. First, like many of you, things are really hectic and it’s been a bit of a rough start to the semester. Not that I’m complaining…just lots going on. But I wanted to fulfill my journalistic (if you could really call it that) responsibilities and get my article in on time. Given the impending deadline and the fact that I’m not feeling very creative, I thought I’d simply tell you about something that I really like and why…the gates at Harvard University. “From the perspective of Harvard’s 369-year history, the gates in and around the campus are a relatively new phenomenon. For more than twothirds of its existence, Harvard had nothing more to guard its perimeter than a low post-and-beam fence. When the Johnston Gate - the initial component of the present-day enclosure - went up in 1889, many decried its towering piers and elaborate ironwork as a pretentious imposition on the school’s austere
Puritan heritage. But as time went on and succeeding Harvard classes raised generous sums to extend the fence and punctuate it with stately apertures, the structure grew to be as familiar and beloved as any of the school’s more venerable monuments. If anything, the gates have become such fixtures in the Harvard landscape that they verge on invisibility. To hurried, preoccupied pedestrians, their details and decorations fade and blur, their inscriptions go unread. They are reduced to mere function, a passageway from the Yard to the street, from the street to the Yard. Of course, that is essentially what a gate is. But the Harvard gates are more than that. Each has its own story to tell - some simple and straightforward, others complex and ambiguous, some embodying the notions and values of another age, others enshrining the ideals and aspirations of today”(http://www.hno.harvard.edu/gaz ette/2005/12.15/18-gates.html). Well, my favorite gate is the Dexter Gate. It was a gift of Mrs. Wirt
Tutors Needed!!
Friday, February 13, 2009
Dexter in memory of her son Samuel, class of 1890, who died in 1894. The gate was designed by Charles F. McKim, and while Mrs. Dexter gave it in 1890, it wasn’t erected until 1901. This gate leads into one of the arched passageways that cut through Wigglesworth. The reason I love the Dexter Gate is because of the two inscriptions by President Charles William Eliot that adorn it. The inscription on the outside reads, “Enter to grow in wisdom.” The other on the inside says, “Depart to serve better thy country and thy kind.” For me….these inscriptions sum up a few things. The first is the reason I decided on a career in higher education. I wanted to be a part of the growth and development of students and to be around the excitement those experiences bring. The second is that one of my responsibilities as an educated individual is to go out and serve by being an active and contributing member of society. We certainly have that goal here
Job Openings
The Upward Bound Program located at the University of Maine at Presque Isle is seeking tutors in all subject areas. If interested please contact Carol McGlinn at 768-9620 or call 1-800-734-3636. (Travel to local high schools may be required). POSITION DESCRIPTION TUTOR REPORTS TO: Upward Bound Academic Coordinator QUALIFICATIONS: Competency in the subject area. Persons with a college degree should have one in education or a subject related to the one being tutored. College students should have recent experience with the subject material and a grade point average of 2.5. Peer tutor should have recently completed the course with a 3.0 or better or be currently enrolled with a 3.0 average. Tutors must have familiarity with different learning styles, know how to assess tutoring needs. Prior experience with economically and/or educationally disadvantaged students is preferred. DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES: - Newly hired tutors meet with Upward Bound personnel and student to discuss expectations from all parties - Assess student's need(s) and develop a plan with a realistic time frame for meeting the need(s) - Complete tutoring report after each session detailing the content of the session and the student's progress
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for students at UMPI – helping student become aware and familiar with all that education has to offer and what might lie ahead. Student experiences should be abundant and full of challenge and support. They should be challenging enough to push you…to try new courses, participate in new activities, and reach beyond what may have been your original goals.They should be supportive enough for there to be multitudes of individuals here to assist you in your journey. Whatever your choies…remember two things: Don’t let your college experience become a gate you pass through in a hurry without noticing its beauty and opportunity. Remember the inscription on the Dexter Gate. It’s not just for Harvard attendees. It’s for all who pursue education. Enter to grow in wisdom. Depart to serve better thy country and thy kind. Wishing you the very best in your endeavors.
Positions Assistant Resident Director – Boy’s Res. Hall Girls Floor Counselor/Tutors Boys Floor Counselor/Tutors When June 15-19, 2009 – Staff Training Week June 21-July 31, 2009 – Summer Program The Program Upward Bound is a federally funded educational opportunity program that prepares eligible high school students to enter and succeed in post-secondary education. The 6-week summer program includes academic, cultural, and recreational activities, creating a community environment where adolescents may develop personal and social skills in an atmosphere of respect while striving to pursue their academic dreams. Position Descriptions: The Counselor/Tutors (C/T’s) ensure the well-being of about 100+ high school students with regard to health, safety, morale, discipline, interpersonal relationships within the group, and application to their studies. The C/T’s live in the dormitory and provide 24-hour supervision for students. The week begins at 3:00pm on Sundays (except move-in day), and generally ends after lunch on Fridays, except for an outdoor adventure trip and 2 voluntary weekend experiences with college visits and local camping. C/T’s also are teaching assistants in an academic area (Latin, English, Mathematics, Science) and provide tutoring and supervised study periods 4 evenings each week in that subject area. (Salary = $2,450) The Assistant Resident Director also lives in the residence hall and is responsible for the orderly management of the male residence hall, and assisting the Resident Director. (Salary = $3,000)
Qualifications: C/T applicants must be a college junior, senior or graduate with a strong academic record (2.5 min. GPA) and a valid driver’s license. Preference will be give to candidates who have: Experience working with low-income, first-generation students Have prior experience as a Resident Assistant (R.A.) or a camp counselor. Assistant Resident Director applicants must be a senior or have Bachelor’s degree, experience in education, social work or a related area, or an equivalent combination of education and experience. Preference will be given to those who have experience working with low-income, first-generation students.
Contact: Darylen Cote, (207)768-9456, Suite 16, Preble Hall, darylen.cote@umpi.edu OR Laura Bouchard, (207)768-9612, laura.j.bouchard@umpi.edu, OR Michele Green, (207)768-9414, michele.green@umpi.edu. Toll free telephone # in Maine is 1-800734-3636 DEADLINE: February 20, 2009.
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Campus
Knowledge in Schools for Indigenous People UNIVERSITY TIMES
Friday, February 13, 2009
By Sarah Graettinger STAFF WRITER
On a cold night at the University of Maine at Presque Isle, Marie Battiste came to talk about indigenous knowledge in schools. Many people are not aware that this is problem today. Indigenous people have different languages that they speak and have different values in the world today. “Wherever you are located, respect the people that were there before you,” Battiste said. One problem for schools is that indigenous people know different languages and often have to learn English in order to get into schools today. Other children already know English and they look differently at people whom they can’t communicate with. “We all have diverse characteristics that are all around us: like the landscapes where we come from and how the world views us,” Battiste said. By David Hamilton STAFF WRITER
In northern Maine nothing is close, the nearest “city,” Bangor, is three hours away. It’s the closest place to get important tests for certification, licensure and graduate school admission By Laura Hunter STAFF WRITER
For some Aroostook county teens, going to college may seem like an impossible dream. Whether it’s economics, academics or a lack of confidence, these teens may feel as if they can’t afford it, aren’t good enough, or don’t have what it takes to succeed at a college level. They feel as if they don’t belong. At the University of Maine at Presque Isle, in a nook of Preble Hall, there’s a place that helps these teens overcome those barriers. A small team of dedicated individuals works yearround to ensure that these teens achieve their dream of postsecondary education. Welcome to Upward Bound. Upward Bound is a federally funded college prep course that works with low-income and first generation college-bound high school students. According to staff members, they provide encouragement, support and assistance in order for students to overcome
Dr. Mary Battiste playing a traditional Native American drum
speak that language, you have a barrier in place. “Residential schools have consequences for being bilingual. There are no places where First Nation knowledge has been allowed to thrive,” Battiste said. Eurocentrism has been embedded in our whole lives. It’s shown in laws, books and the government. It’s built on damaging thoughts about other people that often lead to racism and promote privileges for white people. “The only way to deal with the problem today is to accept diversity as the norm and know that assumptions come form where you come from. We have to conceptualize ‘mainstream’ as changing,” Battiste said. A lack of diversity inflicts soul wounds on the indigenous people and everyone else. If we accept diversity, then we are taking a huge step for schools and life.
Indigenous people have many talents that are on the verge of disappearing. The Micmac Indian tribe makes potato baskets and people use them when the harvest comes.
The problem is that their language and talents are rare. You can’t get a job if you speak Micmac because you can’t communicate with customers. If you’re a student trying to get into school and
exams. The University of Maine at Presque Isle is changing that. UMPI has signed a contract with a leading provider of testing services, Prometric, to build and provide tests for a testing center on campus. The facilities, located in South Hall, will allow up to five people to test simulta-
neously. The site will be capable of administering numerous tests, including: PRAXIS, graduate school exams, licensure exams and many more. Prometric has two other testing centers in Maine, in Bangor and Portland. “UMPI took on this venture to provide an important service to northern
Maine, alumni and students,” Dean of Students Christine Corsello said. The Prometric Testing Center is expected to be up and running by the end of February. It will operate a minimum of 20 hours a week.
class, social, academic and cultural barriers to higher education. For staff, this means the successful entry into, retention in and completion of postsecondary education for all of its participants. “It’s all about removing barriers to students achieving their dreams,” UMPI’s Upward Bound director, Darylen Cote, said. Upward Bound offers a number of year-round services for its participants, including: free tutoring, academic advising, college visits, career exploration, SAT / ACT preparation and fee waivers, college application fee waivers, cultural events, workshops and travel. And that’s not all. Upward Bound also has a six week summer program that takes place at the University of Maine at Presque Isle campus. This summer program allows its students to get the look and feel of a real college experience, including dorm life. During this program, students are required to take academic courses, but
there’s time to have fun, too. There will be white-water rafting trip this summer, as well as an overnight visit to Southern Maine in order to visit other college campuses. A traditional event is the Upward Bound Olympics where, “the point is to get as dirty and messy as possible,” Cote laughs. “The Physical Plant digs us a huge mud pit, we have slip ‘n slides with applesauce, shaving cream twister and bobbing for gummi worms through cooked spaghetti.” If Upward Bound sounds like a lot of fun, it is. But it’s also a lot work and that’s where YOU can help make a difference. Upward Bound is always interested in hearing from the UMPI campus and surrounding communities. “If there’s a particular talent or skill you have that you’re willing to share with the kids, such as quilting or sign language, we’d love to have you,” Cote said.
Upward Bound also has paid positions open for the summer program. Floor counselors are needed for both the girls and boys dorms and an assistant resident director for the boy’s residence hall. Tutors in all subject areas – math, science, psychics, chemistry, and English – are needed year-round. The tutoring positions are also paid positions. When Cote was asked what lesson she hopes Upward Bound participants take with them, she responded, “That they see themselves as appropriately placed in college –as successful college students. That they feel like they belong on a college campus. They belong, and they know they can succeed.” For more information on the positions available with Upward Bound, or if you would like to volunteer your services, please contact Darylen Cote at 768-9456, darylen.cote@umpi.edu or Preble Hall, Ste. 16.
Prometric comes to UMPI Demolishing barriers
NASA astronaut pays visit to UMPI UNIVERSITY TIMES
By Rachel Rice CONTRIBUTOR
Campus and community members will learn all about journeying to the stars when the University hosts a NASA astronaut and space shuttle commander in March as part of its Distinguished Lecturer Series. Pamela Melroy (Colonel, USAF, retired) has served as a NASA astronaut since 1995. She has participated in three space flights, logging more than 900 hours (more than 38 days) in space and helping to conduct important assembly work for the International Space Station. She will speak on “Human Spaceflight—Shuttle, International Space Station and Beyond” at 7 p.m. on Monday, March 9, in the Campus Center. All are welcome. During her visit to Maine, Melroy will also speak with students at the Maine School of Science and Mathematics and the Central Aroostook Junior/Senior High School. Melroy completed a 13-day flight in 2000 aboard the space shuttle Discovery, a 10-day flight in 2002 aboard the space shuttle Atlantis, and a
By Leah McEachern STAFF WRITER
On Wednesday, Feb. 4, the American Red Cross paid a visit to UMPI to run a blood drive. The last time they came was in October, and that was a rousing success. Things were very busy. Right from the start of the drive at 12 p.m. to its finish at 6 p.m. there was a constant stream of students and members of the community coming to give a little blood that could save a lot of people. Because, the attending nurses were so
Friday, February 13, 2009
15-day flight, on which she served as shuttle commander, in 2007, again on the space shuttle Discovery. On her 2000 and 2002 flights, she served as the shuttle pilot. She will speak about her missions, her work as commander of a shuttle, and spacewalking, robotics and living in space. Melroy graduated from Bishop Kearney High School in Rochester, N.Y., in 1979. She earned her Bachelor of Science degree in physics and astronomy from Wellesley College in 1983 and her Master of Science degree in earth & planetary sciences from Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1984. Melroy got her commission through the Air Force ROTC program in 1983. After completing her master’s degree, she attended Undergraduate Pilot Training at Reese Air Force Base in Lubbock, Texas, and graduated in 1985. She flew the KC-10 for six years at Barksdale Air Force Base in Bossier City, Louisiana, as a co-pilot, aircraft commander and instructor pilot. Melroy is a veteran of Just Cause and Desert Shield/Desert Storm, with more
than 200 combat and combat support hours. In June 1991, she attended the Air Force Test Pilot School at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif. Upon her graduation, she was assigned to the C-17 Combined Test Force, where she served as a test pilot until her selection for the astronaut program in 1994. Following training and evaluation, she performed astronaut support duties for launch and landing and worked on Advanced Projects for the Astronaut Office. She later served on the Columbia Reconstruction Team as the lead for the crew module. She retired from the Air Force in February 2007. Melroy has logged more than 5,000 hours of flight time in more than 50 different aircraft and has earned several medals for her service. She is the recipient of the Air Force Meritorious Service Medal, First Oak Leaf Cluster; Air Medal, First Oak Leaf Cluster; Aerial Achievement Medal, First Oak Leaf Cluster; and Expeditionary Medal, First Oak Leaf Cluster. The University’s Distinguished Lecture Series was established in 1999. Each year, the UDLS Committee sponsors five to six speakers who come from
Maine and other states and who represent a range of disciplines and viewpoints. While the emphasis tends to be on featuring visiting academics, it is not exclusively so. The speakers typically spend two days at the University meeting with classes and presenting a community lecture. For more information about Melroy’s visit, contact the Media Relations Office at 768-9452.
busy with donors, I chose to talk with some of the student volunteers who were present at the event. Due to fleeting colds, weight or iron content, they could not donate themselves. I was directed to Larry French, an experienced Red Cross volunteer from Caribou who has taken part in 32 blood drives in the last four years. He believes that assisting in blood drives is important to the mission of the Red Cross and feels compelled to do so. “It’s rewarding to serve the Red
Cross and what they do,” French said. “The blood that’s donated goes to help people in hospitals, disasters and accidents. Although you may never get to meet the people that you’re helping, it still is very rewarding.” Any student who’s thinking about volunteering to help out at the next UMPI blood drive would find it very agreeable. Students are only expected to stay for an hour or two at the most, at any time that they choose in order to work around their class schedule. The various jobs that vol-
unteers perform are monitoring people who have donated at the canteen for a short time after their blood is drawn, doing administrative paperwork or handing out forms and information packages to people walking in the doors of the Campus Center multipurpose room. The Red Cross is also currently looking to hire people to be first aid instructors. It needs people with all kinds of backgrounds, talents and skill levels, who are willing to provide training if it’s needed.
with faculty and staff serving as advisors to the student presentations. The work presented may take any form: traditional research, service learning, internship, creative works, cultural awareness... The theme for this year’s event is Connecting Learning, Life and Community. Please note, however, that individual presentations don’t have to conform to the theme. Students should consider any academic work done in
summer ‘08, fall ‘08 and spring ‘09 semesters. In addition to the academic presentations, at noon during a complimentary lunch in the campus center there will be the presentation of the Young Alumni award. There is also an evening program - the Woodrow Wilson Fellow Distinguished Lecturer. This year’s event will feature Robert Wiener, executive director, California Coalition for
Rural Housing Project. If students have questions about the University Day, or to learn about how to submit proposals, please contact either the instructor for your course or a member of the University Day Committe (see www.umpi.maine.edu/~pedward/udaycommittee.pdf for details). Please note, the deadline for submissions is Feb. 13.
Giving the gift of life
Connecting Learning, Life and Community
By Patric Edward CONTRIBUTOR
This academic year University Day is Wednesday, April 8, 2009. University Day is a campus conference where students present their work in one-hour sessions throughout the day. The event is an excellent opportunity for students to experience a conference environment. The presentations can come from individual students, groups or an entire class
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Adapting a carbon economy UNIVERSITY TIMES
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By Chuck Wiess STAFF WRITER
Pres. Don Zillman
President Don Zillman’s noon seminar, “Beyond the Carbon Economy,” was not only educational: it hit on topics that are close to home and spurred an almost heated debate. Zillman recently co-authored and -edited a book, “Beyond the Carbon Economy: Energy Law in Transition.” Zillman, along with 32 other contributors, delved into the complexities of the world’s shift to sustainable energy and the laws that help or hinder that shift. The book was the focus of Zillman’s seminar. He described five key reasons the world should shift away from our reliance on the carbon economy. His first key reason was climate change. His focus was not mainly environmental though. His other key points included national energy security, under
Driving’em up a wall By Laura Hunter STAFF WRITER
It was Ladies Night at Gentile Hall’s rock wall facility on Tuesday, Feb. 3, as a number of women from UMPI and the surrounding community came out for a women—only climbing night. Adventurous and competitive, the women made new friends as they quickly got into the spirit of solidarity with shouts of encouragement and applause as all met their goals. With upbeat music in the background to pump up the crowd, each participant attacked the wall with fun and determination. Climbing night for women only is a regular event at UMPI. No experience is necessary and it’s free for UMPI students and Gentile Hall members. Rock wall staff member Megan Fowler said, “Some women are hesitant and women’s night takes some of the pressure off.” Many of the women echoed this sentiment. They indicated that the idea of a women only night appealed to them because for some of them, this was their first time climbing. As Shannon, a community member, said, “It’s nice to be around other girls. It’s not as intimidating.” There were also other reasons they were there. Wendy, a first time climber and UMPI sophomore, said that she found out about the climbing event through UMPI’s online calendar. “I wanted to try something new. It’s pretty cool. I went a lot further (up the
Art
from page 1
“The objects that we acquire over the years to fill a house, to make a homewhich is our personal community-take on a new significance as we work to create our new home and space,” Sandra Huck, Reed Art Gallery director, said of
Friday, February 13, 2009
which he explained the United States’ involvement in the Middle East was partly to protect the vast amounts of fossil fuels there. Two more reasons to cut our dependence on fossil fuels were supply and demand. The supply of fossil fuels is quickly drying up. Many reputable geologists believe production has already peaked, while demand for fossil fuels continues to rise around the world. Perhaps the United States’ most overlooked reason to shift to more sustainable energy resources that many Third World countries find fossil fuels inaccessible. There are more than two billion people without electricity who would benefit from sustainable, affordable energy production. Discussion turned heated about the problems caused by dependence on fossil fuels. Participants tossed ideas around the
Compass from page 1
other institutions because of its unique relationship with external groups such as the Aroostook Band of Micmacs and the Houlton Band of Maliseet Indians. Perkins said, “We could not do it if we had not developed these relationships with the bands.” Getting consultations and listening to what the bands have to offer is a great help. “It’s an honor to be a part of Project Compass,” Perkins said. She pointed out all the work put into the project and that without people such as Clare Exner, Reginald Nnazor and Linda McLaughlin, it never would have been
Change from page 1
room for how to best regulate energy consumption and produce sustainable energy. Although wind power is an exciting topic on campus of late, Zillman said that wind power can only be transitional. Harnessing the power of the wind is not a feasible strategy for all our energy needs. “There is no magic bullet,” Zillman said. But he did note that, despite the risks, nuclear power may be the closest to a universal fix as we can get. The chapter Zillman contributed to the book is entitled “The Role of Law in the Future of Nuclear Power.” It’s a look at how law will affect nuclear power’s feasibility as a sustainable energy resource. The message of this noon seminar was a message that’s growing in popularity: The world’s on a course that can’t be continued. Change needs to start with our country’s leaders and lawyers. possible. “This project is expected to benefit ALL of the students here at UMPI,” Perkins said. The Project Compass grant went only to universities and colleges that are willing to change. That’s what UMPI is planning to do. In the upcoming years, we can expect to see many new retention projects, such as coordination of student support services, First Year Seminar and advising and tutoring programs. That will benefit all students at UMPI – not just Native Americans. This isn’t going to happen overnight. In the next four years, however, UMPI and its students will all benefit from Project Compass.
wall) than I thought I would the first time.” Friendly rivalry was another reason. “My boyfriend took a course in his spare time and I’m competitive,” UMPI student Laurie-Anne Mackey explained. “I’m gonna beat him when he comes out to visit next week.” In addition to the fun and laughter, rock climbing is great exercise, as well. “It’s a good cardio workout. It really works your whole body,” Fowler said. Women Only Climbing Nights are from 6 to 9 p.m. on the first Tuesday and third Wednesday of each month until the semester ends. Join the adventure and climb to new heights!
enrollment will need to come from transfer students, especially those from community colleges, and from out-of-state and international students, who also pay a significantly higher rate than Maine students. Pattenaude went on to describe the task force formed under his plan and what they’ve been charged with. The main goal of the 12 member task force, chaired by David Flanagan, former chair of the UMS Board of Trustees and former CEO of Central Maine Power, is to bring a narrow set of recommendations on how to restructure the system to create financial sustainability while meeting the needs of the State and students. The task force had its first meeting at the University of Maine at Augusta on Wednesday, Feb. 4, to organize. In the com-
ing months, the task force will gather input from inside and outside the system and research models of systems that work successfully. Pattenaude used the example of the university system of South Dakota. South Dakota has a system very similar to ours, yet they have a much lower cost per student. The task force will be looking for these kinds of systems and finding out why they cost less and how that can be applied to our system. Pattenaude mentioned such possible costsaving ideas as centralizing departments or creating a single academic calendar for all the campuses. Whatever the findings of the task force, it’s certain change is in the University of Maine System’s near future.
Felini’s show. These objects have traveled with Felini and Bair down miles of highway, pitfalls and triumphs. “The visitors” within her home adorn the gallery walls: they are Felini’s friends, family and community.
“In order to keep sane in an area that can isolate an individual, we have created our own little world within our home,” Felini said. They say home is where the heart is. In this case, home is where the art is. Felini has bridged the gap. She has
taken her home and its objects and created a collage of life for all to share. Everyone is invited to stop by the exhibition located at the Reed Art Gallery in the Campus Center, Monday-Saturday, 9 a.m. -4 p.m.
Jill climbing the Gentile rock wall
Community
Great day for a great cause UNIVERSITY TIMES
By Leah McEachern STAFF WRITER
Despite cold temperatures, the second annual, Aroostook Women’s XC Ski Day was an absolute success. The Feb. 1 event offered fun-filled activities for the one hundred plus female participants to enjoy. Whether it was simply the ski lessons that women sought or the tranquil relief of a massage, the event was the perfect way to make the most of a chilly Sunday. “This year’s turnout seems to be bigger than last year’s,” one of the many volunteers said. “It’s great to see all these women here having fun and supporting the Battered Women’s Project.” The women-only event was a day for women to come and have fun, meet new people and celebrate women’s strengths. What better day to do this than on the male-dominated Super Bowl Sunday? Morning activities included ski clinics for women of all abilities. Afternoon was a time for massages, yoga classes and ski and snowshoe tours of the beautiful trails
Friday, February 13, 2009
Women’s XC ski day crowd
at the Nordic Heritage Center. And it all raised funds to benefit the Battered Women’s Project First-time participant Rose described her day as, “fun and exciting.” Rose traveled to the event from the Houlton area. She was eager to learn how to ski and take advantage of the other opportunities. When asked if she planned to attend the event again next year, she quickly
Give up?
It’s an UMPI van in the parking lot next to the tennis courts
replied, “Yes!” Donna Baietti, a representative from the Battered Women’s Project, was pleased with the amount of support this year. “I believe that there is more this year than last year,” she said. “Because the Battered Women’s Project is a nonprofit organization and all of our services are free, all proceeds raised today will be put to
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great use at the four shelters.” According to its mission statement the Battered Women’s Project is “to serve the needs of the victims/survivors of domestic abuse while working to end domestic violence in Aroostook County.” They offer a 24-hour hot line to provide crisis intervention and safety planning. Three emergency shelter sites are also available for women and children who are homeless because of family violence. The project also provides transitional services, legal advocacy, a community support group and a community response program – among many other services. So get ready for the next Aroostook Women’s XC Ski Day. But don’t think you have to wait a year to become involved with the Battered Women’s Project. If you or a friend needs help, call the statewide hot line: 1-866-834-HELP. For more information or to find out how you can help the project, visit batteredwomensproject.org or call 1-800439-2323 or 207-796-8251.
A UMPI/UMFK Production Presentation at the University of Maine at Presque Isle: Wednesday, Feb. 25 and Thursday, Feb. 26 Conversations with the actors about the play to follow the performances
David Mallet’s play comes to life in this production directed by Joe Zubrick. When a middle-aged university professor hosts a closed-door meeting with a female student, an act of sexual harassment may or may not have occurred, and in the confrontation that follows, you may choose a side, but you’ll be wondering just who is right until the play’s very las line. Tickets are $7 at the door. All proceeds to benefit the Battered Women’s Project.
FMI: 768-9452
Leave it to the Beavers
The American dream prevails
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UNIVERSITY TIMES By Alex McIntosh CONTRIBUTOR
President Barack Obama
February brings Americans all sorts of hopeful goods, such as the treats of Valentine’s Day, the prayer that Punxsutawney Phil won’t see his cursed shadow and the load of presidents’ birthdays we celebrate in sheer spirit. February certainly is a unique time of year. This year, however, we can rejoice for the entire month. It’s a time when we can finally settle down and say civility is here: we’re this much closer to perfecting our pride as a nation. It’s a time we call Black History Month. In such desperate days, it’s certain this era will go down in textbooks as a significant part in American history. We’ll remember it as a time when
Paramour
By Julie E. Stephenson
Within the sands of time Hearts are drawn- intertwined ~ Be my Valentine
Let my tender touch profess Every thought I can not confess ~ I exist for you alone
As one we breathe- in and out My trust in you I will never doubt ~Always in my Heart Within the sands of time Hearts are drawn- intertwined ~ Be my Valentine
Beside me you lay- fast asleep Silent as my fingers slide through yours ~Forever mine to keep
Our journey along a far distant shore Waves draw your smile- makes my heart soar ~Always and Forever Within the sands of time Hearts are drawn- intertwined ~ Be my Valentine
Friday, February 13, 2009
Americans needed help, when we had to make sacrifices and cling to the hope that everything would be OK. The most important thing, however, is that in these times, we’ve called upon a man to whom we give all our trust. He’s a man who has assumed responsibility to protect and guide us, a man who we believe will be the best president he can be. And he’s done this despite or perhaps because of the color of his skin. President Barack Obama has reached achievements beyond what many thought were possible. He has inspired America and become the poster face for great change, the phrase “yes we can.” He is the greatest landmark in Martin Luther King’s dream, the symbol of America’s dynamic change in the past 50 years. Obama is America’s 44th pres-
ident, and on top of that, so much more. Black History Month is more important than ever this year, as we unite to praise a race and culture that have prominently blended America’s melting pot and affected the American way since its beginning. Today, Obama stands monumentally before not only a race, but an entire country and proposes change and honesty. And citizens put their faith in him regardless of his race. It’s certain to be an unusual year. We’re bound to see events unfold that we may have never thought we’d witness. Times are changing, but under the leadership of Barack Obama, it’s safe to bet that there’s nothing to fear. We will find hope, we will progress, and America will continue to blossom.
By Elizabeth Gagnon
Pearl, Hester’s young daughter, is also a major part of the story line. Pearl is an incredibly gifted child and wise beyond her years. Although Pearl has an extraordinary gift, it does not stop the Puritan society from looking down upon her and treating her in a disrespectful manner. The reason she is treated this way? Because she was conceived in a “sinful” manner, the society views Pearl as a “devil child.” She was brought into the world through adultery. Hawthorne lashes out at the Puritans in his writings. He disliked them with a passion, and it certainly shows in this novel. This novel has been widely read around the world, prompting many opinions on the work. Personally, I thoroughly enjoyed this classic piece of literature. The one thing that bothered me in the novel was the fact that the father of Hester’s child waited years before revealing the sinful act he committed. Instead of fulfilling a man’s duty, he cowered and dwindled away on guilt while Hester lived with the harsh punishment and consequences of their affair for the remainder of her life. I would suggest this work to anyone interested in experiencing a great piece of classic literature. Hawthorne won’t let you down.
Comments on the Classics CONTRIBUTOR
“The Scarlet Letter,” published in 1850, is considered the most highly acclaimed and best-known literary work of American novelist Nathaniel Hawthorne. Hawthorne drew inspiration from the lifestyle of the New England Puritans and pulled it into his romantic works. He incorporated symbolism into his writings and used it continually throughout “The Scarlet Letter.” The novel begins with an unnamed narrator searching through papers and eventually coming across a piece of cloth with the scarlet “A” embroidered upon it.Along with the letter, he discovers a document that tells the story of Hester Prynne. Hester Prynne is a young Bostonian woman who is tried and convicted of adultery. Instead of death, the usual punishment in a Puritan community for this sin, she is forced to wear a scarlet letter upon her chest for the remainder of her life, or until she chooses to name the father of her young daughter, Pearl. Hester refuses to point the finger at the father. She still loves him and wants to protect him. The novel follows the long and difficult journey she must take to move beyond the guilt, hate and burden the scarlet letter brings to her life.
Arcturius Caribou High School’s news source
UNIVERSITY TIMES
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Friday, February 13, 2009
Digital TV transition
By Ben Pinette CONTRIBUTOR
What is it? Who is affected? Why does it matter to me?
By now, you’ve heard about the digital TV transition. But you might not have heard that Congress delayed the conversion — which had been planned for years — to accommodate people who have not updated their TVs. The new date, June 12, 2009, is when all analog broadcasts (your TV with rabbit ears or antenna) are to end and all television is to be exclusively digital. Currently, most television stations are required to broadcast in both analog and digital. When the clock strikes midnight on the 12th, however, analog televisions
will not work anymore (static will appear). If you have cable in your house, you’re set. If you have satellite television, you’re also all set. If, however, you use rabbit ears or a rooftop antenna, you need to take steps to make sure you don’t lose television reception. The government is providing reimbursement coupons to help pay for converter boxes. According to its Web site, “there are 22.25 million coupons available to all U.S. households. Once those coupons have been used, there are an additional 11.25 million coupons available only to households that solely receive their TV broadcasts over-the-air
Read Across America Celebrate Dr. Suess’s Birthday, March 2, 2008
This year the CHS Library will celebrate Dr. Suess’s Birthday by reading books whose stories are set in the 50 states. Students select a book from the list of 50 books chosen by the library staff (1 for each state) All students who participate in the “Read Across America” read will receive “Read” wristband. After reading the books, a Dr. Suess hat will be placed on a map of the US corresponding to the books setting. Our goal is to have one hat on each state. On March 2nd students who participated in the “Read Across America” Read are invited to the library for a Dr. Suess birthday party.
using an antenna.” That giveaway wasn’t enough to meet demand, however, and according to a recent CNN story, as of late January, more than 3.2 million people were on the program’s waiting list. Congress and the National Association of Broadcasters delayed the switch because they don’t want people to go without television. But the transition to digital is going to happen - don’t put off converting. If you don’t want to bother with buying a converter box, another option is to upgrade your television completely. An HDTV (high definition television) already has a digital tuner built in. If
you’re unsure if you’re TV needs the converter box, go to antennaweb.org for more information on this. Digital television has several advantages over analog. It has a much clearer picture. It offers more channels: instead of just channel 8, you could have as many as four separate channels with that one channel in digital – 8.1, 8.2, 8.3, etc. And the Fox network will be available, along with CBS, on the WAGM-TV signal. So don’t put it off. Go online and apply for a coupon – it’s just like a credit card – and go digital.
MAINELY GIRLS BOOK GROUP
The CHS Mainely Girls book group meets on the first Monday of each month to discuss contemporary literature that deals with issues relevant to today’s teenage girls. The February books is “Every man for himself: Ten stories about being a guy” and can be picked up in Ms. Levesque’s room 218. New members are encouraged to attend.
Sesquicentennial Celebration begins Feb. 27 at 7 p.m.
Caribou’s 150 anniversary celebration begins with “Celebrating Caribou’s Irish Roots: A Celtic Concert.” This show will feature local talent, including current CHS students, Danielle Lane, Erin Buck and Kellie Moody. On the same day a sprint ski race through Caribou will take place. The majority of the anniversary celebration takes place from August 22nd through September 6th.
Sports
Tailgating, northern Maine style
10
UNIVERSITY TIMES
By Pamela Perkins STAFF WRITER
By now you know what happened in Super Bowl XLIII: The Pittsburgh Steelers beat the Arizona Cardinals 27 – 23. What you might not know is that one of the best tickets to the game was right here at UMPI, Owl Productions put on a Super Bowl party in the Owl’s Nest. There were fans for both sides, but most of the crowd was rooting for the Steelers to win. When they did, there were shouts of joy. People kept a sense of humor and focused on having a good time: no couches or rugs were harm in the celebration, as no cups spilled. The halftime show, which usually gets a lot of hype, didn’t so much this year. The audience at the Nest didn’t seem too interested in hearing Bruce
By Rachel Pinette STAFF WRITER
“There’s no timeout for crime,” was the rally at the Wieden Gymnasium on Friday, Jan. 31, when UMPI students and alumni took up the court against local law enforcement officials in a friendly game of basketball. Both teams put forth their best efforts at the game. But the UMPI students ultimately triumphed with a final score of 8051. The game was to support UMPI’s Criminal Justice Club. You may have noticed that criminal justice students have been hard at work this semester selling raffle tickets and other items in
Springsteen. The only positive comment out of the group was, “They have a cow bell! Cool!” Before kickoff started, one student commented on the decorating the Owl Production’s team did, saying, “The Steelers will win. You’re wasting your time putting up Cardinals’ colors.” But both team’s colors went up, anyway. Another viewer said, “It’s real nice that a club will put something like this on. And the setup is really comfy. Not all colleges will do something like this.” That’s a good reminder to all students and community members that Owl Productions is a club that’s for you. It’s important that you come to the events, because they’re there for your entertainment. Plus, there are usually a lot of chances to win free prizes, such as the beanbag chairs, DVDs, and footballs that people won during the Super Bowl party. There’s also free food, and the events are FREE of charge. If you think there’s an event that should take place, then don’t be afraid to contact the adviser of the club, Heidi Blasjo, at 7689582. And remember to support your club.
Friday, February 13, 2009
The Super Bowl is famous for its commercials. Even in tough economic times companies paid millions for a spot. Some viewers tune in just for the ads and previews. Here are UMPI’s choices. Best “Awww” for romance Budweiser: Clydesdales Circus “Are you serious?” GE: Scarecrow
Best “Aww, I want a dog now.” Pedigree: Crazy Pets
Most original and inspiration/awesome
Coke: Heist
Best in food and beverage
Coke Zero: Mean Troy
Best in travel: “You have to go to Bangor” Denny’s: Thugs
Epic fail Pepsi: Pepsuber Most laughs
Doritos: Power of the Crunch
Laying down the law
Local law enforcement played the Criminal Justice Club Jan. 31
order to raise funds for a student trip to Washington, D.C. There they’ll participate in a week-long training session at the National Holocaust Museum. “The police forces in World War II Germany played a key role in the
organization of the Holocaust,” Lisa Leduc, criminal justice professor and event organizer, said. “This training session teaches students and law enforcement officials what can result when authority over the law is
abused.” The training event is largely for law enforcement officials and members of the FBI. UMPI is one of the few organizations that send students. This will be the fourth year the school will take part in the program. The 10 students participating in this year’s trip needed to raise $7,000 to fund the trip, which will take place over March break. Leduc estimated that the basketball game raised about $200 in tickets, refreshments, and a 50-50 raffle. But the group will still have to hold more fundraising events in order to meet its final goal.
Get outdoors or get out of our way! UNIVERSITY TIMES
By Amanda Morin CONTRIBUTOR
If you don’t know what OAPI stands for here it is: Outdoor Adventure Program International. Learn it, remember it! We’re the UMPI Outing Club, and we’re busy playing outside this winter! We’ve already been to Big Rock three times on FREE Wednesday Nights. Count it: one, two, three times— COMPLETELY FREE! We’re offering free transportation to Big Rock Ski Mountain in Mars Hill on Free Wednesday Nights. You get a free ride there and free lift tickets. And rentals are only $10 for UMPI students if you need gear! You should not only thank OAPI for this awesome free ride, but also Student Senate for providing OAPI with the
funds to get us there! On top of all the downhill skiing and boarding we’ve been doing, we’re also getting ready for a trip to surpass all trips. OAPI is heading to the White Mountains of New Hampshire to spend three nights and four days over February break exploring the summits of the Presidential Range. This trip is going to be big! We’ll have plenty of pictures and I’m sure a great story for the next U Times upon our arrival back on campus. We really tried hard this semester to offer trips for students with all sorts of varying interests. There really is something for everyone. This semester alone we’re going cross country skiing, building snow shelters, having a
PE Majors Chili Feed Feb. 25 from 4:45 to 6:45 p.m. in the Campus Center Multi-Purpose Room Chili, Cornbread, Salad and Desert $5 a person - Hope to see you there!
Davis:
The ball is in her court
Erica Davis
By Tracy Guerrette CONTRIBUTOR
Congratulations to Erica Davis, who has been selected as the NAIA Women’s Basketball Division II Player of the Week for the week ending Sunday, Feb. 1, 2009. Davis, a senior forward from North Yarmouth, Maine, averaged 29 points, 16 rebounds and 6.5 steals while shooting 63.4 percent from the floor in two road wins for the Lady Owls the last week in January. She
scored 32 points and cleared 20 rebounds against Fisher College, and then recorded 26 points, 12 rebounds and nine steals against U MaineMachias. Davis also averaged 2.5 assists and 2.5 blocks during the week. Davis was also named the Sunrise Conference Player of the Week and the Maine Women’s Basketball Coaches Association Player of the Week!
Davis is currently leading the state of Maine, among all Division III universities, in three different statistical categories: Points per game with 21.2; Rebounds per game with 12.1; and Steals per game with 4.5!
Davis has definitely led the team to a 7-1conference record thus far this season. But more important, she’s a very selfless leader, hardworking, encouraging, coachable and well-deserving of any accolade that she receives!
Friday, February 13, 2009
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slumber party outside in March, going to a soon – to – be announced big ski resort in western Maine in April, doing outdoor rock climbing and going caving! These trips are all available for UMPI students, faculty, staff and some are open to local community members. Most of our trips require no experience, and a number of them require no money. So no excuses! Find a friend and get outside with OAPI. Everyone is invited to become a member of the club. Our weekly meetings are on Fridays at 11 a.m. in the OAPI office in Gentile Hall. Just show up! For more information, visit our Website at
http://www.umpi.edu/gentile-hall/oapi
or call the OAPI office at 768-9401. See you outside!
OAPI spring ‘09 schedule
Feb 4, 11 & 25 Free ride to Big Rock Ski Mountain Big Rock Ski Mountain in Mars Hill Maine offers free Wed night lift tickets, OAPI provides FREE transportation. Depart Gentile Hall at 4:00 pm, return by 9:45 pm. We will cancel if driving conditions are unsafe. FREE Just show up at Gentile by 3:45 p.m.
Sun, Feb 8White Mountain Winter Ascent, pre-trip meeting Mandatory pre-trip meeting at Aroostook State Park starting at 11:00 a.m. till dark. FREE Show up Gentile to carpool by 10:40 a.m. or meet us at the Park.
Wed, Feb 18 – Sat, Feb 21 White Mountain Winter Ascent Experience winter travel in the White Mountains of New Hampshire. (see pre-trip meeting dates for this trip) UMPI students (same as above, TBA) Non-students (same as above, TBA) Mon, Jan 26
Fri, Feb 27 Cross country skiing at the Nordic Heritage Center in PI available at OAPI office. We will leave Gentile Hall at 1p.m. Free
March 4, 11 & 18
No experience required. Skis Thurs, Feb 26
Free ride to Big Rock Ski Mountain Big Rock Ski Mountain in Mars Hill Maine offers free Wed night lift tickets, OAPI provides FREE transportation. Depart Gentile Hall at 4 p.m., return by 9:45 p.m. We will cancel if driving conditions are unsafe. FREE Just show up at Gentile Hall by 3:45 p.m. Sun, March 8 Fun in Snow free Just come!
Shelter Building on campus. Meet at Gentile Hall around 1:00 pm.
Sat, March 14 Slumber Party Sleep outside in the winter temps with our canvas wall tents! It’s warm; you won’t believe it until you try for yourself! Meet at Gentile Hall at 7 p.m. free Fri, March 13
Sat, April 25 Caving Explore the caves of Quebec! No experience required. We will leave Gentile Hall at 7 a.m. and return by 8 p.m. UMPI student $25 Non-students $30
Fri, April 24 with 50% deposit
Fri, May 1 Kayak Roll Session Learn the basics or practice what you already know about whitewater kayaking at the Gentile Hall pool. Time TBA. free Just come!
Sat, May 2 Outdoor Rock Climbing Get outside and climb real rock with our certified rock climbing guide! We will leave Gentile Hall at 5:30 a.m. and return by 10 p.m. UMPI student$30
Non-student $40
Fri, May 1 with 50% deposit
The Other Voice
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Scribbles
UNIVERSITY TIMES
By Jeff Lovejoy CONTRIBUTOR
of U.S. Congressmen and -women have similarly slipped up?
Friday, February 13, 2009
plaintively piping that had Mr. Cheney and company been more vigilant in the summer of 2001, we might never have been attacked at all. Of course, there is another fife that the marchers keep trying to throw out, claiming that Mr. Cheney and company actually perpetrated the whole thing. But that’s just silly. False flag operations do not happen, just as we do not, will not, and have not ever tortured anyone anywhere. Although, last time I checked, a scary percentage of Americans—especially New Yorkers (more than 50 percent)—find that poor fife’s tune to be musically right on the money.
Tax issues Ah, Congress folks! Are they not the public alternative to the greedy CEOs who grovel at the trough for more public money, even while drawing huge salaries, bonuses and perks to accommodate their lavish lifestyles—the public be damned? Two—or is it three—of Obama’s nominees to various posts have now been caught underpaying taxes. I’m sorry, but I don’t like to imagine what would happen to me if I “forgot” to pay $128,000 in taxes. What I can’t seem to get out of my head is that, if these folks, supposedly vetted, have underpaid what proportion
Loathsome Mr. Cheney And again, now out of office, he keeps trying to make the case that everything he and Mr. Bush did was for our own good and prevented further attacks. Guess what, Mr. Cheney? I have an aluminum foil cross on my front lawn that has prevented aliens from landing! Absent any sort of proof, my claim makes just as much sense as yours. So go grouse about in someone else’s country. Actually, what Mr. Cheney will never tell you is that, as long as he keeps banging his big, silly drum, he hopes that not too many people will hear the poor fife at the end of the parade. And such fife is
Today’s irony I don’t have time to check the name
By Deborah Parks
title, and it was the only title I thought I had. Now I was not only in the middle of this realization, but the realization that there were people in my class who believed I was single-handedly responsible for the downfall of a nation! The whole notion did not sit well with me and I baulked at it. I was told that’s what the statistics tell us. You can’t argue with statistics. I found myself baulking about the same thing this afternoon, a year later, in an EDU class here at UMPI. My UMPI. Where I learned to throw off my old ways of thinking, embrace diversity and a more liberal mind-set. When we were asked to list some of the reasons the students who enter our classroom may be “at risk,” being from a single-parent household was at the top of the list. Once again a classmate reminded me that the statistics prove it is true. My daughter could understand my aggravation and frustration as I carried on my rant. She is all too familiar with the stereotypes associated with being a single parent. She spent several years as a single parent and still bristles when people make assumptions about single parents. She knows how hard single parents work to make sure they give their children everything they need. They work extra shifts at
jobs they don’t like while going to school full time because the child support payments don’t come. They have to miss work/school to be home with a sick child. They rely on loving, extended families for support. And they go to parent/teacher conferences because they want their child to succeed. That’s the reality she knew as a single parent. As if things weren’t bad enough, I happened to catch the words “racial profiling” on the radio as I was driving home from class. I thought, “That’s what’s happening to me…I’m being profiled and my child is being profiled because we are members of a single-parent household.” I am being asked, as a future educator, to profile my students so I can label them “at risk.” But this evening I had the opportunity to listen to a lecture on campus that brought everything into perspective for me. Dr. Marie Battiste spoke about “Animating Indigenous Knowledge: From Resilience to Renaissance.” During her talk, I realized that I am dealing in my own small way with some of the same stereotypes that Native Americans are dealing with: stereotypes based on statistics and Eurocentrism. As a single, female head of a singleparent household, I am the Other. I am outside one of the Eurocentric/Judeo-
(deadlines and all), but I believe I heard that the man picked, or at least nominated, to head the Commerce Department once tried to get rid of it. Compared to your predecessor, Mr. Obama, you’re an absolute breath of fresh air (and millions of medically uninsured, or underinsured, kids will attest to that). But this is one of the great head-shakers. Many of your position choices make it increasingly difficult for me to defend you as any kind of agent of change.
Spring fever Whatever it means, Happy Valentine’s Day, everyone! To me—and my fanatical fan wife (lest you think this is just a male thing)—it means that pitchers and catchers report to Red Sox camp in a matter of hours.
Finding diversity: Statistics and Eurocentrism failure CONTRIBUTOR
My 25-year-old daughter and I had one of our typical rant sessions this afternoon. We are both students right now and our rants usually have something to do with the content of a class, an unreasonable professor or a fellow student. Her latest rant had to do with a fellow student who uses the word “like” in front of everything. My response was, “Like, really?” My daughter now believes no one should be admitted to college if they haven’t learned to talk without putting the word “like” in front of every other word that comes out of their mouth. My rant had to do with a class I had this afternoon. A subject came up I first dealt with about a year ago on a discussion board for a graduate class I was taking from a conservative Christian university. Somehow the discussion led to talk about single parent homes being the downfall of this nation. It hit me for the first time that they were talking about me. You may think it’s foolish for it to take me four years as a widow to realize I am the single parent in a single-parent household. I knew very shortly after my husband died I was a widow: but a single parent? It never crossed my mind that I now held that title as well. “Widow” was much more dignified. I could handle that
Christian/patriarchal ideals: One man plus one woman plus child/children equals the family unit—in that order. There is no male head to my unit, so it is automatically assumed it is less than adequate and there is no way a child can thrive in that environment. In my experience, nothing could be further from the truth. My 8-year-old daughter is thriving in an environment of love: not only from me, but also from our extended “family” of close friends. I think that’s why it took me so long to figure out I was a “single” parent—I have never felt like I was raising her alone. Battiste said something I hope I can remember as an educator with a classroom filled with diverse students: “Statistics aren’t about the people themselves, but about the conditions they’ve been placed into.” Bingo. My young daughter and I are not statistics. My students are not statistics. I should see them as individual learners who deserve the same opportunities despite “the conditions they’ve been placed into” or the labels society wants to give them. As Battiste said, “There is good and bad everywhere. There needs to be a new framework of knowing and interconnectedness. Diversity should be the norm.”
Lifestyle
Warmth through laughter UNIVERSITY TIMES
By Pamela Perkins STAFF WRITER
“I love comedy. It’s the only job where you can feel yourself up. Well, and if you went into porno.” That was one of the many jokes that the audience heard if they went to see Amy Anderson on Jan. 26. The student activities board, which is more commonly known as Owl Productions, had a really good turnout for its first spring event. Several of UMPI’s students who were brave enough to walk through the bitter cold snap to the Campus Center had the chance to enjoy the hilarious style of the comedian. This was the first time Anderson has been in Maine. She, like so many other new people who come to Maine, commented on how pretty our state is -
Comedian Amy Anderson performed Jan. 26
and also how darned cold! Anderson has been described as a skinny Margaret Cho, another comedian, and as a heterosexual Asian Ellen, a comedian and talk show host. She has appeared on VH-1 and Comedy Central. She was born in
Korea, adopted by a Swedish family and raised in Minnesota. She now resides in Los Angeles with her husband and daughter. Most of her jokes started off with the typical stereotypes that Americans have about Asians. These
The concert was an overall enjoyable experience. The orchestra skilfully played four pieces of music. The pieces featured were Giochino Rossini’s “Overture” from “Italians in Algeria,” Giacomo Puccini’s “Inermezzo” to Act III from “Manon Lescaut,” Aaron Copland’s “Variations on a Shaker Melody,” and John William’s “Summon The Heroes.” The music filled the room and the audience. It was obvious from the way the musicians played that they were greatly enjoying themselves. The NMCS Orchestra would like to extend a special thanks to UMPI for the use of space to rehearse and perform in and for the publicity. They perform two concerts a year, once in the winter and one in the spring. I would recommend to the staff and student body of UMPI to attend the next concert in May and experience a type of music you may be unfamiliar with.
By Laura Hunter
Orchestra rocks the house By Leah McEachern STAFF WRITER
On the night of Jan. 24, the Northern Maine Chamber Society presented an orchestra concert in the campus center multipurpose room. A fair number of people, mainly from the community, attended the event. Ironically, although the concert took place here the UMPI presence was practically invisible. So the campus missed a great, cultural occasion. The orchestra itself was made up of 24 members, mainly students, from all over Aroostook County. Their conductor, Waldo Caballero, has lived in Maine for more than 29 years. Currently, he is performing his 29 year as a violinist with the Bangor Symphony Orchestra, full-time orchestra and music director at Orono schools and conductor of the Northern Maine Chamber Orchestra.
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Friday, February 13, 2009
include: the Asian student is always studying, all Asians are somehow part ninjas, they are good in math, they eat only rice and they are skinny. Her jokes later moved on to family, sexuality, race, food, weather and dorm life. Before leaving, she offered some advice to the students. One was not to be in a hurry to get married. Two was don’t marry an ugly person. Three was to do some more deviant stuff. She said that this is the last time that you can “really get away with it,” before getting an actual job. She said that we should use our creative minds to pull deviant jokes or pranks, because your mind is just going to rot in the cubicle later on. For more information on Anderson, you can check out her Website at www.amyanderson.net.
Flick Picks
STAFF WRITER
“RocknRolla” – Rated R for pervasive language, violence, drug use and brief sexuality. Starring Gerard Butler, Tom Wilkinson and Thandie Newton. Available now on DVD.
There are only four words that can describe director Guy Ritchie’s “RocknRolla”: Deliciously Awesome. The other two words are: Pay Attention. Don’t let the fact that you have to stop multitasking for 114 minutes deter you from this film. Those familiar with Ritchie’s work will recognize his usual style of taking a smash-up of characters and blending them seamlessly together into the story. For those unfamiliar with Ritchie’s work, “RocknRolla” is the perfect film introduction into his world of British gangsters, lowlifes and smalltime wannabes.
It’s impossible to sum up “RocknRolla” without giving everything away. Suffice it to say that throughout it all, there are a missing
painting, a secret informant, a dead rock star and people who know more than they’re telling that manage to keep this story together. Wilkinson’s fantastic as Lenny, the old-school British gangster trying to keep his seat as London’s reigning underground kingpin. Despite appearing dangerously thin, Newton is nearly pitch-perfect as Stella, a dangerous accountant (a contradiction in terms if there ever was one) with her own agenda. And Butler’s character, Mr. One-Two, is fun to watch as he not only struggles to make it through the day without getting killed, but also as he comes to terms with his best mate’s secret.
Sex, drugs and rock ‘n’ roll are front and center in this film. The old-school punk rock vibe running throughout drives the film forward along with Richie’s blend of humor and violence. “RocknRolla” is a fun criminal caper from start to finish. Welcome to Guy Ritchie’s world – where Russian gangsters never die and everyone just wants to be a real rocknrolla.
Carrying the world on your shoulders UNIVERSITY TIMES
14 By Jim Stepp CONTRIBUTOR
One of my favorite astronomy activities is coming up. You don’t have to stay up late to be a part of this event. What is this event: Planet Head Day? This year’s edition will occur on Feb. 14 on UMPI’s campus. You have a couple of choices on how you can participate. You can get your head shaved or you can wear a shower cap, but either way you can get a planet painted on your head. Participants are asked to make a donation that will aid in the fight against cancer. To view videos of the last two Planet Head Days go to http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5rK2 Wk4GAJY or http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=shZP 7A6Y9yY Both of my sons have stated they want to get their hair cut off this year. I’ll continue to chicken out and get the shower cap. We’re still working out what planet or moon we’ll have painted on our heads. Hope to see you there. 2009 is the International Year of Astronomy. It was 399 years ago this January that Galileo turned his primitive telescope to the skies. He discovered craters and mountains on the moon, satellites orbiting Jupiter, “ears” on Saturn and spots on the sun. For these great discoveries, he was placed under house arrest and considered a heretic by the pope. For more information about the International Year of Astronomy, go to www.astronomy2009.org or www.iau.org. For more information about Galileo, please go to http://galileo.rice.edu/chron/galileo.html Finally, Comet C/2007 N3 (Lulin) will be visible this month. It will not be extremely bright, but should be easy to see with a pair of binoculars. Comet Lulin will be well placed in the sky after Feb. 15, when it will rise in the east just before 11 p.m. Lulin will be near Saturn on the 23rd and will be near Regulus in Leo on the 27th. Go to http://www.redorbit.com/news/space/16 34133/comet_lulin_approaches_earth/# for more information. Fun site to check out Andy’s Astronomy Site: This site
contains many links to other astronomy sites. It’s a good starting point for an amateur astronomer. http://home.gnet.net/~andy/link.htm About Space.com: This site will give you month-by-month astronomy events calendars. http://space.about.com/od/newscurrente vents/tp/2009SkyGuides.htm
THE NIGHT SKY Before Feb. 5, the ISS is visible in the evening sky. After Feb. 15, 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.
The Night Skies Over Aroostook County 02/12 1974 Mars 5, Mars Orbit Insertion http://imagine.gsfc.nasa.gov/docs/sats_n _data/missions/mars45.html 02/13 15:42 Mercury Greatest Elongation West 26.1 degrees west
Friday, February 13, 2009
(morning sky) 02/14 Planet Head Day – UMPI Campus. For more information go to http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5rK2 Wk4GAJY or http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=shZP 7A6Y9yY 02/15 1564 Galileo Galilei’s born 02/15 1977 Space Shuttle Enterprise conducts the first taxi test on a modified 747 http://science.ksc.nasa.gov/shuttle/resou rces/orbiters/enterprise.html 02/16 Lulin Comet ‘C/2007 N3’ passes 3 degrees north of Spica in Virgo. Should be visible in binoculars 02/16 16:37 Last Quarter 02/17 1959 Vanguard 2 Launched http://www.astronautix.com/craft/vanuar d2.htm 02/17 05:00 Mars 0.6 degrees south of Jupiter 02/18 1930 Pluto discovered http://solarsystem.nasa.gov/planets/profi le.cfm?Object=Pluto 02/19 1473 Nicolaus Copernicus born 02/19 2002 Mars Odyssey begins mapping surface of Mars http://mars.jpl.nasa.gov/odyssey/
02/19 10:00 Venus reaches greatest brilliancy, mag. -4.8 02/19 11:59 Moon at apogee – farthest from the Earth (251,767 miles or 405,094 km) 02/20 1962 Mercury Friendship 7 lifts off making John H. Glenn Jr the first American in orbit http://wwwpao.ksc.nasa.gov/history/mercury/ma6/ma-6.htm 02/20 05:05 The ISS will pass 1.2 degrees from Spica (Alpha Virgo) 02/21 05:42 The ISS will pass .3 degrees from Saturn 02/21 09:24 Venus at perihelion – closest to the Sun (66,797,061 miles or 107,476,471 km) 02/22 02:36 Lulin Comet ‘C/2007 N3’ brightest - may reach mag. -4.2 http://www.earthriseinstitute.org/coms4 3.html 02/22 17:00 Mercury 1.0 degrees south of the Moon 02/22 20:00 Jupiter 0.7 degrees south of the Moon 02/23 03:00 Mars 1.7 degrees south of the Moon 02/23 22:00 Mercury 0.6 degrees south of Jupiter 02/23 22:42 Lulin Comet ‘C/2007 N3’ closest to earth about 38 million miles 02/24 1969 Mariner 6 Launch (Mars Flyby Mission) http://www.solarviews.com/eng/marin6. htm 02/24 Lulin Comet ‘C/2007 N3’ passes 2 degrees southwest of Saturn. Should be visible in binoculars 02/24 20:35 New Moon 02/24 22:00 Neptune 1.8 degrees south of the Moon 02/25 09:00 Ceres, the largest asteroid, makes its closest approach to Earth in the next 2155 years (147,167,000 miles/236,843,000 km http://www.rasnz.org.nz/MinorP/09Cere s.htm 02/25 09:30 Mercury at aphelion – Furthest from the Sun (43,391,716 miles/69,817,271 km) 02/27 17:00 Uranus at aphelion – furthest from the Sun (1,868,702,692 miles/3,006,742,632 km) 02/27 18:00 Venus 1.3 degrees north of the Moon
In the mood for food
UNIVERSITY TIMES By Sarah Graettinger STAFF WRITER
Have you ever gotten sick of eating food in the cafeteria or sick of eating ramen in your dorm room? Well, commuter students can make an easy lunch of this, too. Teriyaki Stir-Fry is an easy recipe to make. All you need is a can of mixed vegetables and a bowl. Drain the water out of the can and heat the vegetables for about four minutes in the microwave. Take some teriyaki sauce and mix the vegetables together. You can add some small pieces of chicken from packets you can get at your local deli. It’s a great meal that will only cost about $5. Who can go wrong with that? If you want to find out any information for easy college meals, you can go to education.yahoo.com
By Leah McEachern STAFF WRITER
Origami Dove How to make a Japanese origami dove All of you can give their special somebody something store-bought such as chocolate, stuffed animals or flowers. But everybody knows a gift means so much more if it’s something that you made yourself. Here’s a neat little craft you can make with only a sheet of
Friday, February 13, 2009
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Teriyaki Stir-Fry
Instructions:
Ingrediants: - 1 can of mixed vegetables - 1 sm. packet of pre-cooked chicken - 1/2 cup of teriyaki sauce - 1 cup of water
Dorm décor
paper—no glue or scissors necessary!
Instructions: 1. Get a perfectly square piece of paper. 2. Fold it in half so that it looks like a tri angle. 3. Fold the point of the triangle down past its base. 4. –see image— 5. Fold part of the same tip up past the top edge to make another point.
In a microwave safe bowl place the contents of can of vegetables and add water. Place bowl in microwave. Set power on high, cook for four minutes or until hot. Drain bowl. Add teriyaki sauce to vegetables, mix in. Warm pre-cooked chicken until hot in microwave. Mix chicken with vegetables. Serve hot. Serves one.
6. –see image— 7. Fold the top point down slightly to make another small triangle. 8. –see image— 9. Fold the same point up past the top edge again to make another triangle. 10. –see image— 11. Fold the entire form in half. 12. –see image— 13. Fold both of the longest parts upward to make wings.
14. If you want, you can push the beak downwards to make it look more curved.
Once you’ve made a few of these for practice and feel that you’ve got the basics down pat, feel free to get a little creative using a variety of different types of paper. Try making a dove out of some leftover Christmas wrapping paper to make it colorful!
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Club of the week Get Involved. Learn your clubs:
UNIVERSITY TIMES
Friday, February 13, 2009
THIS WEEK OWL PRODUCTIONS
By Pamela Perkins STAFF WRITER
The club is open to both residence life students and commuter students, where all the events are free of charge. It’s also open to community members, as well. Though some events may have a small fee for the community, it’s usually no more than $5. Owl Productions puts on many different events throughout the school year featuring entertainment such as musicians, dances, comedians, laser tag, movies and hypnotists. The next major event will be Magician Norman Ng, March 5 at 8 p.m. in Wieden Auditorium. Owl Production’s adviser is Heidi
Pizza Problem
Previous problem: At a recent birthday party, there were four mothers and their children, aged 1, 2, 3 and 4. From the clues below can you work out whose child is whose and their relevant ages? It was Jane’s child’s birthday party. Brian is not the oldest child. Sarah had Anne just over a year ago. Laura’s child will be 3 next birthday. Daniel is older than Charlie. Teresa’s child is the oldest. Charlie is older than Laura’s child. (www.brainbashers.com) Solution: Brian is 2 years old and his mom is Laura. Anne is 1 year old and her mom is Sarah. Daniel is 4 years old and his mom is Teresa. Charlie is 3 years old and his mom is Jane.
Congratulations to Janelle Desmond for her winning solution.
New Problem: A tennis championship is played on a knockout basis: i.e., a player is out of the tournament when he or she loses a match. How many players participate in the tournament if there are 127 matches to determine the champion? How many matches are in the tournament if 53 players participate?
Send your solution to umpicontest@maine.edu by February 26, if you want a free pizza, and watch for the solution and a new problem in the next issue of U Times. Congratulations to Mathieu Bourgeois and Pamela Perkins for completing the previous problems. You’ll be receiving your pizza shortly.
Blasjo who can be found in the Emerson Annex or reached by calling 768-9582 or e-mailed atheidi.blasjo@umpi.edu. Its chair is student Chastity Bernien, whose e-mail address is chasty.bernien@maine.edu. Its deputy to the chair is Josselyn Forbes. Other members are Pamela Perkins and Jasime Kozura. If you have any suggestions on what you would like to see on campus, then speak up. Contact Heidi or Chastity. Both of them are really nice people and are easy to get along with. They don’t bite, I promise, so don’t be shy. Owl Productions would love to hear any comments, bad, good or indifferent, about how it can better serve its stuThis
dents. The club is always open to new members, as well. Just come to the meetings, which are held on Wednesdays at 11 a.m. in Heidi Blasjo’s office, which is located in the Emerson Annex. We’re always looking for new faces and fresh ideas. One open position that needs to be filled is secretary. You’d be responsible for coming to all the meetings and taking down notes, which you’ll give to the chair. It’s a great way to get involved. It’s also something that you can add to your resume. If nothing else, just go to the events that the club puts on. It’s a great way to enjoy some downtime away from your homework and maybe win some free prizes.
an event that you're not going to want to miss!! 2nd Annual
"Ms. UMPI Pageant"
Join us for an evening of laughter and talent as UMPI male students vie for the crown of "Ms. UMPI 2009"!
That's right, male contestants will perform an opening act, model sports and evening wear, perform talent and entertain campus and community! Friday, March 6 at 7 p.m. Wieden Auditorium $5. Admission
Tickets available at the door or in advance from Laurie Boucher (Financial Aid Office) or Keith Madore (Alumni Relations Office) Proceeds to benefit the UMPI 2009 Senior Class. WE HOPE TO SEE YOU THERE.... It's going to be a lot of fun!