Volume 35 Issue 14

NIVERSITY TIMES

THE UNIVERSITY OF MAINE AT PRESQUE ISLE’S STUDENT VOICE

Campus community helps local seniors Volume 35, Issue 14

WILLIAM COPPOLA III Staff Writer

Ameri can Scho l as t i c Pres s As s o ci at i o n Fi rs t Pl ace Wi nner, Sp ri ng 2 0 0 8

Steve Callioras, the director of Student Senate’s External Affairs committee, and Megan Fowler, a member of the committee, organized the event. People who volunteered ranged from members of Student Senate to brothers of Kappa Delta Phi fraternity to other students and faculty. Even Zillman and Corsello did some volunteer work.

Sign-in started at 8:30 a.m. and teams of 2-4 formed and houses were designated to each team. T-shirts were

Many members of the local community were grateful to have campus and community members volunteer to help them around the house on Saturday, April 26. Approximately 30 people came out to help 22-23 households during “Help Your Seniors Day.” The event was sponsored by the Student Senate at the University of Maine at Presque Isle, the Aroostook Area Agency on Aging along with UMPI administration members President Don Zillman and Dean of Students Christine Corsello.

The basic idea behind “Help Your Seniors Day” was to help local seniors with tasks they may not be able to accomplish themselves, such as clean windows, do lawn work, or organize and re-arrange rooms. Wal-Mart donated a $100 gift card so the Student Senate could purchase cleaning supplies including, paper towels, Windex and trash bags.

Zillman and Corsello came up with the idea of helping local seniors.

“We worked with Steve Farnham and the Photo by Benjamin Marquis Aroostook Area on Aging,” said Corsello. “Mr. Farnham, through his agency and work, collectVolunteers assisted seniors with seasonal tasks they ed the names of the seniors who wished to have were unable to complete themselves. projects completed at their homes.”

Thursday, May 1, 2008

given out to everyone that participated in the event. Teams then grabbed cleaning supplies and headed off to there designated houses ready and willing to do what was asked of them.

Participants provided their own transportation, so most teams car-pooled.

According to Corsello the groups went to homes in Presque Isle, Caribou, Washburn and Easton.

“I sure appreciate this,” said Marcelyn Carter of Presque Isle, as one team cleaned her windows. “I am 75 years old and this is the first time anyone has offered anything like this. My husband, Wendell Carter, has Alzheimer’s, so it’s hard for me to do things around the house.” As Carter began to shed tears of joy she said, “Thank you guys very, very much.”

At another house, Kenneth Oliver III, an alumnus of Kappa Delta Phi fraternity, was just getting done taking a few storm windows off a home. Oliver smiled and said, “We helped some people out and learned a few things along the way.”

At around 1:30 p.m., people finished up their tasks and gathered at Zillman’s house on the UMPI campus for a BBQ lunch provided by Aramark in celebration of a job well done.

Many people discussed their experiences and how they felt everything went.

“The day went great for our first attempt,” said Callioras, “the amount of people that helped out was amazing. We had a few kinks, such as people not home or available, but we worked through it.”

See Seniors, page 4

Students assist in identifying Emerson vandal LAURA MOONEY Staff Writer

This past semester, Emerson Hall was defaced with vandalism. Obscene symbols were spray painted on the walls and in the bathroom stalls. Vandalism affects everyone on campus; it gives UMPI a negative image and makes people feel uncomfortable.

“Remember: what this person did wasn’t just done to a building,” Jim Stepp, Director of Residence Life, said, “but to everyone who lives there.” Imagine being a visitor to this

campus, or hosting a visitor. It would be uncomfortable for everyone involved.

It is important to report acts of vandalism so the person responsible can be held liable. If no one is charged with the act, everyone in the building will have to pay for the repairs.

Fortunately, the student involved in this act of vandalism was brought to the authorities, largely because students who witnessed the event filed reports. Students uncomfortable with talking directly to Stepp can discuss the matter with an RA or even fill out a form on UMPI’s security website at www.umpi.maine.edu/security. In both avenues, students can choose to remain completely anonymous.

Stepp could not release the responsible student’s name or give the exact sanctions, in respect to privacy laws. In general, a student charged with vandalism could be charged in a few different ways. If the student confesses, it is the university’s policy to just charge the student restitution.

“Fess up to it. Be honest. Everyone makes mistakes,” Stepp said.

If the individual does not come forward, however, legal charges will be made. The student will lose their housing contract and be potentially suspended. He/she will still have to pay for the damage done. The charge will also be placed See Vandalism, page 4

UNIVERSITY TIMES

2

Thursday, May 1, 2008

Top official with New England Resource Center for Higher Education to speak at Commencement Media Relations Office

President Don Zillman has announced that Dr. Glenn Gabbard, Associate Director of the New England Resource Center for Higher Education(NERCHE) and the Director of Project Compass, will address the graduates at the 2008 University of Maine at Presque Isle Commencement Ceremony on Saturday, May 10. Also, Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters Degrees will be presented to Chief Justice Leigh Saufley, head of Maine’s statewide court system, and Donald and Mary Sanipass, preservers of Native American culture.

Dr. Gabbard has made it his life’s work to support advancements in research, policy and practice in higher education so that the greatest number of students can succeed in college. As Director of the Project Compass initiative, he works to ensure that underserved students in New England stay in college, experience success, and earn their four-year degrees.

Dr. Gabbard grew up in American Samoa, and, coming from a hard-working, low-income background himself, he gained an understanding of the challenges and opportunities many people face in terms of access to higher education.

Through his work with NERCHE and Project Compass, Dr. Gabbard strives to make the environment within and among higher education institutions throughout New England more responsive to the needs of the students in their areas.

“For many of our students, that involves allowing them to maintain their commitment to their families and communities while attaining a post-secondary education,” President Zillman said. “Dr. Gabbard’s message is one that rings very true for our area.”

Dr. Gabbard earned his Bachelor’s degree in English from Sonoma State University, a Master’s degree in Linguistics from the American University,

and a Doctorate in Higher Education from the University of Massachusetts, Boston.

He served as a fellow with the American Council on Education in 1991 and is a faculty member in the higher education administration program at UMass Boston.

He now focuses on developmental education in multicultural settings, seamless linkages between public schools and higher education, and the skills, knowledge, and vision required for transforming colleges and universities as democratic institutions.

The Honorable Leigh Ingalls Saufley has served as Maine’s Chief Justice since 2001, upholding the law as an appellate judge and the head of Maine’s statewide court system while blazing trails for women in the legal profession. Born and raised in Portland, Chief Justice Saufley graduated from South Portland High School in 1972, the University of Maine, Phi Beta Kappa, in 1976, and is a 1980 graduate of the University of Maine School of Law. After a brief period in private and federal practice, she began her career at the Maine Attorney General’s Office, where she served for approximately 10 years and became one of Maine’s first female deputy attorneys general. In 1990, she was appointed to the Maine District Court, and three years later, to the Maine Superior Court. In 1997, she was appointed an Associate Justice of the Maine Supreme Judicial Court, and in December 2001 she was sworn in as the first female Chief Justice of Maine’s highest court.

As a leader of the third branch of state government, Chief Justice Saufley works tirelessly to increase access to justice for all, especially vulnerable populations; to increase efficiencies within the judicial branch so taxpayer money is used wisely; and, in cooperation with the Maine State Legislature and the Governor, she has worked to help develop or expand specialized courts to better address the needs of the people of Maine, such as the Business

and Consumer Court, the Adult, Juvenile and Family Court, and the Mental Health/Co-Occurring Disorders Court.

She has been honored with many awards, including the YWCA Women of Achievement award in 2002, the Caroline Duby Glassman Award from the Maine State Bar Association in 2005, and the Outstanding Alumna Award from the Women’s Law Association in 2005. In 2006, she was named an Honorary All Maine Woman by the University of Maine.

Mary Sanipass and her husband Donald (deceased) are revered leaders of the Mi’kmaq Tribe in the Presque Isle area and, for decades, they have worked to keep their tribal heritage alive by sharing cultural and artistic traditions. The two, married for 53 years before Donald passed away in July 2007 at the age of 78, are nationally acclaimed basket makers and photographers.

Their work has been shown in the Smithsonian Institute and the Heard Museum in Phoenix, and featured in several anthropology texts. They also served as subjects in the 1985 national documentary film “Our Lives in Our Hands,” which examines the traditional Native American craft of split ash basket making as a means of economic and cultural survival.

Mary wrote a book on basket making published in 1990 titled “Baskadegan: Basket making Step-By-Step,” and has done several exhibits for the Abbe Museum in Bar Harbor, which focuses on Native American history and artifacts. Donald served as the first chief of the Aroostook Band of Micmacs and as executive director of the Maine Indian Basket Makers Alliance. In 2004, they were honored with a Community Spirit Award by the First People’s Fund, a national nonprofit organization committed to supporting the creative work of American Indian artists. Now 72, Mary Sanipass is continuing the legacy of community service

See Commencement, page 4

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 (426 in the Campus Center). Material also can be left in the mail slot on the office door or be emailed 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 Lindsey Perry Editor

Deanna Jordan Assistant Editor Aha Blume Copy Editor

Larry French Art Editor

Wi l l i am Coppol a III Web Manager Li sa Rockwel l Business Manager

Staff Writers Aha Bl ume Wi l l i am Co ppo l a III Cas s andra Gi l dert Deanna Jo rdan Harri s o n Ki l patri ck Jo hnny Ly nch Laura Mo o ney Al Patri ck Marg aret Smi th Shane Smi th Regular Contributors Patri c Edward Jeff Lo v ejo y Jes s i ca May ne Ray Ri ce Ji m Stepp Adv iser Debo rah Parks

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 in the Campus Center 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.

UNIVERSITY TIMES

Thursday, May 1, 2008

7th Annual University Day highlights student accomplishments DEANNA JORDAN Assistant Editor

UMPI was full of activity on Wednesday, April 16, as the campus marked its seventh annual University Day. The day was loaded with special presentations and performances by students. Students and visitors only had to take one look at the day’s schedule of events to realize that deciding which presentations to go to was going to be a difficult task.

Many different presentations were held throughout the day, appealing to many different audiences. Unfortunately, it was practically impossible to attend everything that was

offered, which ranged from plays and dramatic readings to lectures on the history of Fort Fairfield, to propaganda, and topics in social work and outdoor recreation. During an afternoon luncheon, the “Young Alumni Award” was presented to Erika Valtinson who graduated from UMPI in 2005 with a Pre-Med concentration and Chemistry minor.

One of the many educational presentations by students was a session called “Propoganda and Censorship from the Early Modern to Modern World.”

The session was originally going to be held in Pullen 215, but was changed to Folsom 105. It was a good thing the location change was made, as there were very few seats left in the fishbowl once all audience members were settled. This session focused on propaganda throughout history. The first group of student

Lysistrata

3

presenters showed woodcut images from the Reformation, which questioned the Pope’s nature and compared him to the description of the Anti-Christ. The second group gave examples of propaganda used during WWII, which included antiSemitic themed children’s books, and motivational propaganda encouraging citizens to join the army and fight for the cause. The third group discussed modern political propaganda, including topics such as the “Weapons of Mass Deception” issue that began the war in Iraq.

One of the most powerful and moving presentations of the day was the dramatic reading of “Bang, Bang, You’re Dead,” presented by the University Players. The play was written by William Mastrosimone in response to a barrage of school shootings that occurred in 1997 to ’98. The play focuses on

See UDay, page 4

Photos by S am White

Dr. John DeFelice’s History 491 class perfomed “Lysistrata” for UDay. Though centuries old, the play still entertains audiences today with its timeless message.

4

Commencement

UNIVERSITY TIMES

Scavenger Hunt

continued from page 3

and pride in cultural traditions that she and her husband built together.

“The University of Maine at Presque Isle recognizes the importance of both trailblazers and tradition-keepers as well as giving of oneself in our awards of Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters Degrees to Chief Justice Saufley and Donald and Mary Sanipass,” Zillman said.

“Chief Justice Saufley has dedicated her career to ensuring justice is served for Maine people and Donald and Mary Sanipass spent their lives passing along important cultural traditions to the next generation. What amazing examples they are to our students as they prepare to enter the workforce and serve their communities.”

The University’s Commencement Exercises are scheduled for 10:30 a.m. on Saturday, May 10 in Wieden Gymnasium.

Vandalism

continued from page 1

on the person’s permanent record—which could seriously affect someone’s future, particularly if a student is a criminal justice or education major.

Show accountability with your actions. Part of college is learning to function in life as an adult, and the world would be a much better place if everyone recognized their actions do not just affect them, but all those around them.

Seniors

continued from page 1

Fowler suggested that this event should be done yearly.

“You feel so good,” said Margaret Smith, a student attending UMPI. “It feels great being a part of the community.”

Benjamin Marquis, a brother of Kappa Delta Phi fraternity, shared his experience as well. “All the folks

Thursday, May 1, 2008

sponsored by

The wi nner for the 4/ 17 i ssue was: Mi hael a Pavl ova.

UDay

continued from page 3

Josh, a teenager in prison for killing seven people.

The ghosts of his classmates appear to him and tell him they just want to know why he shot them. The play takes the audience back in time to see what events led Josh to the point of murder. One of the most emotional scenes in the play occurs when his classmates list off all the things they’ll never get to experience again, saying that they dearly miss even the most mundane and ordinary of things such as brushing their hair, getting mail, and even sneezing.

The play was followed by a discussion between the cast members and audience members, particularly the high school students who attended UDay. Aha Blume, one of the cast members, said she liked the play because it gave “insight into the killer’s head.”

An audience member said that she had seen the play performed before, but found the dramatic reading to be much more powerful.

Not everything was so serious, however, as the other play shown was a performance of “Lysistrata” by the writer and philosopher, Aristophanes. The play

that we helped were really thankful that someone else in the community cared about them. We truly made a difference and this is something I hope the University keeps as a tradition. Kappa Delta Phi will always be there to lend a helping hand.”

At the BBQ, Zillman gave a short thank you speech.

He was proud of everyone who volunteered their time

UMPI Bookstore

20% off CLOTHING & GLASSWARE!

**ON GRADUATION DAY FOR GRADUATES!** HAVE A GREAT SUMMER!

Located in the Campus Center

Open Monday-Friday 8am-4:30pm (768-9572)

concerns the women of Athens and Sparta and the plan they come up with to end the war between their cities and bring their husbands, brothers and fathers home. Their plan works perfectly, as the husbands can’t stand being deprived of one of their most basic needs. The audience was laughing hysterically as Brandon Marquis and his fellow soldiers walked onto the stage and showed off their ‘big problems.’

Marquis stated that he “really enjoys acting,” a fact which is evident, as he appeared in both dramatic performances of the day, starring as Josh in “Bang, Bang, You’re Dead.”

Devon Rolph played the part of Peace, the woman who represents the country of Greece during peace talks between Athens and Sparta. When asked how he felt about portraying the scantily clad human map, Rolph described it as “surprisingly liberating.”

Overall the seventh University Day was a great success, with many students and guests in attendance.

Be sure to attend next year’s UDay and enjoy everything the campus has to offer!

to help out the elderly. He also said that this was a terrific start to what he hopes will be a big annual event.

Since Saturday’s event, participants have returned to some of the households to finish up tasks around the homes. Callioras hopes this will become both a spring and fall activity for the campus community, since many tasks need to be done seasonally.

¢ off 5 per gallon of gas!

Present this ad and receive exp.5/31/08

283 Main Street, Presque Isle 764-2313

OPEN 7 DAYS A WEEK

UNIVERSITY TIMES

Thursday, May 1, 2008

5

Iron Chef tests students’ culinary skills

AHA BLUME Staff Writer

On Thursday, April 17, four teams competed to be crowned the best chefs in Iron Chef: Dorm Edition. Armed with only a microwave, various dorm food, and dishes, 16 students rose to the challenge.

Fen Carmichael was the announcer. The brave judges were Chris Corsello, Jim Stepp, Rob from Aramark, and the mystery judge selected from the audience, Jackie Gagnon.

The teams got to choose four ingredients and then a mystery ingredient concealed in a paper bag.

All who attended had a fun time, and there were plenty of jokes. Like when Jim Stepp’s cell phone went off during the tasting, and he joked, “I have the ER on speed dial, the ambulance is on its way.” No ambulance was necessary, as all the judges came away from the experience in one piece.

Corsello wants to do the competition again next year. Jim Stepp said he had an interesting time, although some of the dishes needed to be cooked all the way through. College students should definitely take note of the Ramen noodle dish with chilli, as it is something they could make quickly and would taste good. All the teams did a great job according to the stellar comments from the judges.

The big winner of the night was Team Hand Banana Dynasty, made up of members of the philosophy club. They came away with Most Creativity, Best Texture, and the grand prize, a $50 gift certificate to Ruby Tuesday.

Their mystery ingredient was applesauce, after picking great ingredients like tomatoes and Easy Mac. But they managed to make it work. Team Autobots, consisting of several teacher certification students, came away with best tasting for their Ramen noodle dish, despite microwave problems.

Hosted by WUPI and the UTimes, the event was a resounding success. Iron Chef: Dorm Edition should definitely become an annual UMPI event.

Photos by Laura Mooney

Dean Corsello takes a moment to savor one of the delectable dishes created by the Iron Chef contestants.

Iron Chef contenstants pose behind judges after the tasting (above). Winning team, Hand Banana Dynasty (right) celebrates their victory.

STUDENT APPRECIATION COOKOUT*STUDENT APPRECIATION COOKOUT

Friday, May 2nd South Hall front lawn 11:30 a.m. activities- volleyball, tug of war, water balloon toss 12:00 p.m. - Cookout (please note: café will be closed) 12:45 p.m. - Awards Presentation to winners of the Outstanding Students contest and UMPI Creative Spirit Photo contest

Students, faculty and staff are encouraged to participate in the activities.

The cookout will start right after the activities.

Come to South Hall porch for hamburgers, hot dogs, veggie burgers, salads, chips, cookies and beverage.

The Pride Committee sponsored two contests and the winners of the Outstanding Students contest and the winners of the Creative Spirit Photo contest will be announced. WUPI will provide the music.

Join us at the Students Appreciation Cookout for prizes, music and fun.

6

UNIVERSITY TIMES

Thursday, May 1, 2008

Student competes with local wrestling organization

DEMERESE MONTGOMERY Guest Contributor

Pyro Championship Wrestling (PCW) is ready to make wrestling history. This organization was founded in Caribou, Maine in September of 2006. It was created for people who love the sport but not the politics associated with other federations. John “Corvyn” Akridge and Dustin “Phoenix” Heath are two of PCW’s main attractions.

Akridge recalls watching wrestling with his family growing up. He realized that he could, and wanted to, become a wrestler so he set his sights on achieving that personal goal. His wrestling days started off with a bang in Maine Pro Wrestling (MPW) where he held the Hardcore Championship title. This led him to his days with the Aroostook Wrestling Federation (AWF). During his time there he held the Heavyweight Championship title, Intercontinental Championship title, AWF Maine State Championship title and the TagTeam Championship title. He decided to leave AWF for PCW in 2007.

“They were unprofessional and very backyard wrestling,” Akridge commented.

He remembers some nights where people would go home with injuries that could have easily been avoided. Akridge made his first appearance with PCW on Nov. 17, 2007 as Corvyn, “The HardCore Iron.” He was the PWC Heavyweight Champion until the Crimson Harvest, where Heath became the new Heavyweight Champion.

Heath’s first memories of wrestling went back to the young age of three. He remembers sitting with his late great-grandfather to watch wrestling. There were days he would practice with a life-size stuffed animal, reenacting the moves he had seen on the television for his great-grandfather. With the passing of his great-grandfather, Heath also put to rest his love for watching and practicing wrestling. He felt that it was something he and his late great-grandfather shared, and so it remained a dormant passion until his freshmen year in high school.

When he told his parents that he wanted to join Real Pro Wrestling (RPW), a professional wrestling training program, his parents, like many, were not happy with his choice so they came to a compromise: he would have to go to college while he was training for wrestling. Heath is a student at UMPI. During college, however, his wrestling was once again set aside as he focused on his studies. That was, until Akridge and Wayne, vice president of PCW, approached him with an offer to join their organization.

At first Heath was apprehensive knowing they were a shoot off of AWF, who he had known to be a less than professional organization. However,

PCW members quickly proved themselves to be far different.

“They have respect for each person and the group,” Akridge says.

“They also have an ‘Open Door’ policy if anything were to go wrong,” Heath added.

Heath’s first training session was forty-five minutes of technical work. In reality the training session was over four hours long. For his first three hours, the trainers pushed him to his limits, trying to break him so that he would quit. When he did not back down and leave he was finally allowed to wrestle in the ring.

“They were just making sure I was there to wrestle and not to prove something,” recalls Heath.

AWF did not believe that PCW would, or could, make anything of themselves, and the members of PCW have proven them wrong. When asked why they still perform despite the clear lack of confidence in their organization from AWF, Dustin responded, “For the kid who comes running up to us in the mall with their families for a hug or to just to ask when the next show is.”

“The titles mean nothing to us other than that we are appreciated by our management. It’s about the fans and the support they give,” Akridge explains.

“People say titles are stupid, like saying the Colin brothers don’t deserve Oscars. It proves the quality of the work.”

Both men agree that without fans coming out to show their support, there would be no show.

“There is nothing like coming out from behind the curtains and hearing the pop from the crowd,” says Heath.

The “pop” he refers to is the response from the fans to their stars.

“Yes it’s acting,” says Akridge, “but that doesn’t mean its all fake. We do get hurt sometimes. We have to go through training programs to condition ourselves to take each hit or fall. Wrestling is like tempering steel to take each hit.”

Heath says, “For the most part it is fake, but the story lines have a bigger meaning behind them. They teach children to understand conflict and how to resolve it through talking it out instead of fighting.”

When asked by his son if he wrestled to fight, Akridge shook his head, “No, I wrestle to entertain.”

Akridge and Heath both believe wrestling teaches children how to deal with conflict much like stories and legends have for past generations.

“A modern form of story-telling,” Akridge says.

On Saturday, May 3, the Northern Equinox will be held at the Fort Fairfield Community Center. The doors will open at 6:30 p.m. and bell time is at 7 p.m.

There you will see Phoenix vs. Corvyn vs. Seven, Cross vs. Johnny Whiplash, and Morpheus vs.

Grizzly just to name a few.

Photo contributed by Dustin Heath

Dustin “Phoenix” Heath (left) and John “Corvyn” Akridge (right) are preparing for the Northern Equinox coming to the Fort Fairfield Community Center on May 3.

Heath and Akridge are members of Pyro Championship Wrestling.

Dear Editor, I hope that this will reach its intended target: Will the person(s) who are dropping used tea bags at the foot of the walkway between Wieden and the library parking lot please pick them up? Or at least drop them into the dumpster, which is two paces away?

There are twenty or thirty tea bags on the ground there, now that the snow has melted.~Anthony Albert

UNIVERSITY TIMES

Thursday, May 1, 2008

Andy Warhol comes to UMPI AHA BLUME Staff Writer

At the Awards Convocation on Sunday April 20, President Zillman alluded to the specialness of the coming Tuesday, which would include the opening of the Andy Warhol photos received by the university. Early Tuesday morning, a small group of special guests and the media were invited to the unveiling. Attendees included Chris Corsello, Michael Sontag, members of the art department Cliff Boudman and Leo-Paul Cyr, and various media people.

President Zillman addressed the group, explaining about the 110 pictures from the Andy Warhol foundation that we received. The highlight of the morning would be opening the box, because although they had an inventory list, they had no idea what was in there.

Sandra Huck, curator of the Reed Art Gallery explained how the university got the photos.

She received a form letter last February from the foundation asking if the school was interested in a receiving some of these photos. “How could we not be interested?” Huck asked. She sent them an e-mail. And she waited. When she didn’t receive anything by October/November she figured we didn’t get any. Then in January she got an e-mail saying we would receive some, and she signed the contract. We’re one of only three schools in Maine to get some.

Upon seeing the inventory list, President Zillman got excited we’d be getting “The Owl” photo, since that’s the school’s mascot. They received the box on Sunday, but they had to

wait 48 hours to open it so it could acclimatize to our environment.

The first thing in the box was a letter explaining that the condition of the photos was the way the artist left them for artistic purposes. Finally out came the binder. President Zillman and Huck put on gloves in order to open them. The pictures we received included a photo of Wayne Gretzky from the early 80s, and Carly Simon.

There were also pictures of shoes, and some featuring bananas, common Warhol signatures.

All the pictures were Polaroids. Huck explained that when the company didn’t make polaroids anymore, they continued making some cameras specifically for Warhol. Most of the photos are from the 1970s and 80s.

The estimated prices were from $200 to $5,700.

The total price of the photos the university received have an estimated value of $1,116,700.

Huck will have the task of matching the numbers on the photos to the inventory list, as they did not come in order. There are plans to get some of the photos on display within a year once they are framed. The conditions of the contract state they must be displayed within 10 years.

Many of the photos say, “Unidentified man or woman” or some one famous with an “Unidentified person”.

There were also building photos. And the owl, which is valued at $2,000. The Wayne Gretzky photo was at the high end of the price range, at $5,700. As Huck explained, “The photos of well-known people are worth more.”

P.S. Warhol to President Zillman and Sandra Huck: “Your fifteen minutes of fame are up!”

7

Cliff Boudman, Sandra Huck and Leo-Paul Cyr show off Warhol’s owl photo (above). President Zillman and Sandra Huck flip through Warhol’s polaroids (below).

Senior show influenced by geometric abstraction SHANE SMITH Staff Review

The illusionistic space found in pictoral forms of art such as still life, landscape and portraiture form objective compositions. The turn of the century artists like Wassily Kandinsky or Kazimir Malevich rejected the pictoral objective style in order to reach a more modernist’s appoarch.

Kandinsky was more interested in painting as music. The new approach of geometric abstraction fulfilled the artists need to abandon the traditional objective scene to focus more on the picture plain. The ideal became a symphony of color that

could remain “plastic” or changed in meaning by each viewer. Many critics and artists have felt the reduction of the illusionistic style creates a more pure true scene not compromised by the objectivity of the artist or viewer. Geometric abstractions are considered to be the height of non-objective art practice.

The two-dimensional nature of art in a modern sense is about the viewers’ interpretation. The experience in front of one of these abstractions then becomes more creative.

Although this style of art has been present through out history, it flourished in the 20th century. To prevent viewers from idolatry Islamic art relied on this geometric pattern based art. History also shows a

Photo courtesy of Media Relations Office

strong connection between abstract art and music. The abstraction is able to conjure a feeling without relying on reference. Ashley Nicoles’ senior painting exhibition was as if music took the form of color. The color combinations seemed random as an improvisational jazz assemble feeling their way through the keys. Not knowing what tune will fit until the previous note sounds. A slight vibration among the colors insisted an optical charm. Her piece entitled “Red Square” reflected as brightly on the wood of the gallery floor as on the wall itself.

The color combinations changed dramatically under the gallery lights. One piece entitled “In and Out” consisted of a See Senior Show, page 8

8

UNIVERSITY TIMES

Thursday, May 1, 2008

Criminal justice club raises awareness of sexual assault CASSANDRA GILDERT Staff Writer

This month has marked the beginning of warmer weather, longer days and a hope of summer, but April also marks something a little more serious. This month is Sexual Assault Awareness month, and the criminal justice club at UMPI, and Assistant Professor of Criminal Justice Lisa Leduc are doing their part to help those affected.

Leduc and the club are collecting various types of

Senior Show

continued from page 7

row of blue then a row of orange in a rectangular format. These rows interchanged so three blue rows and two orange pulsed to center around an orange rectangle. The blue used was varied in tone only slightly yet in the gallery space on could see a remarkable difference between the blues. The relationship within the blues complimented by the oranges created a purple color instead of the blue the artist painted. The “plas-

donations to benefit sexual assault victims. They are looking for items such as tracksuits, as well as other types of clothing. According to Leduc, the clothes will be given to victims so they will have something nice to wear besides what the hospital may provide for them.

They are also gathering things like shampoo, soap and other necessities these people may need.

The donations are all part of The Track Suit Campaign. The campaign was started by the Aroostook Mental Health Center. The campaign is one of the many ways AMHC helps the cause every year.

ticity” of the pieces occurred in the colors as well as the subject or non-subject. These pieces were very approachable and could be read like a cloud yet they kept enough vibrancy in the colors to entertain the eye as well as the mind.

Ashley dared to try something new. Ashley’s previous work was of a more traditional sense, mostly landscape and figurative work. With a box filled with

Anyone who wishes to help with this cause can take donations to Normal Hall or straight to Leduc in 208 Normal Hall. There are also various other places throughout the county where donations can be dropped off. They include AMHC locations, the Aroostook Center Mall, Wal-Mart, Northern Maine Community College, and a number of other locations.

Anyone wondering about other ways to help can see Leduc or learn more about other projects involving AMHC by going to www.amhc.org.

acrylic paint jars and masking tape she leaped into new territory. Apparently half the time was spent in the Wal-Mart paint section looking at color squares, which was a familiar place for the artist, though back in the studio it was foreign terrain for the artist playing a lot of improvisational jazz. The trust she laid in her intuition really paid off and this artist must really make the professors wonder what’s next.

Leaving for the summer? Want to travel light?

Need to store some items until next semester?

30%

OFF FOR STUDENTS!

LIGHTED CONVENIENT CLEAN & DRY 24-HOUR SURVEILLANCE LESS THAN 1 MILE FROM UMPI

STORAGE SOLUTIONS 52 HOULTON ROAD

UNIVERSITY TIMES

Thursday, May 1, 2008

9

Montréal and Québec: The cultural trip of a lifetime

AARON GUIGGEY NAT SATTAYATHAM Guest Contributors

Did you know most foreigners residing in the USA must obtain visas to gain entry to Canada?

The International Students Club decided to go to Montréal and Québec City for its annual spring cultural trip.

These are Francophone areas with distinct, proud identities, rich cultures, and a palpable European feel.

In the entire history of the club, this was the first excursion to a destination outside of the USA. The trip did not go as smoothly in the beginning as we had planned. The club experienced a couple of delays due to miscommunication with the Canadian Embassy, which resulted in having to send and resend some requisite documents. The situation became even more worrisome when the departure date drew closer and most of the international students had not yet received their passports.

Two students, with the help from a supportive faculty member, took a bus from the Canadian border to Montréal because their visas arrived one day too late.

And, unfortunately, another club member missed the trip altogether due to the same dilemma – but she ensured us that she will utilize her visa in the near future.

We arrived in Montréal late Monday evening. After we unpacked, we set out in search of food on the famous (or is it infamous?) Saint-Catherine Street.

Nearby we found a small Lebanese pita shop featuring chicken and beef donaires, which we truly enjoyed.

We then walked along the street observing the city at night before returning to our hotel for a night’s rest.

Since the weather seemed accommodating, the next day we decided to first stroll around the district of VieuxMontréal (Old Montréal), where the unique Hotel de Ville (City Hall) still stands. Then we moved on to the nearby Museum of Science, which we found out was mostly meant for children. But we salvaged that excursion by managing to buy a city pass for each of us, which allows admission to almost every museum in the city and unlimited subway access for three consecutive days; this pass can be purchased at nearly all area museums.

Next we took a subway to Montréal’s Biodome, an indoor ecosystem showcasing flora and fauna from four diverse climates: tropical forest, Laurentian forest, St. Lawrence marine ecosystem, and the Antarctic zone. It is best described as a zoo, aquarium and botanical garden combined. My favorite zone was the tropical forest because we could feel the humidity and warmth of the tropical forest, which reminded me of my home country,

Thailand. This environment is suitable for animals such as the capybaras (world’s largest rodent), hyacinth macaw, dyeing poison frog, and even the a n a c o n d a .

The Biodome’s other areas contained animals such as the lynx, otter, penguin, and various types of fresh and saltwater fish.

In the afternoon we visited the Basilique NotreDame (Notre-Dame Basilica), a church with an astonishing interior as well as a magnificent light show performed each evening. This structure houses one of the largest organs in the world and is capable of holding 3,500 guests. After enjoying the majestic view and posing for tons of photos, we went to a nearby souvenir shop and then headed to Chinatown for dinner. At night we strolled around McGill University, an Anglophone institution which is one of the most prestigious schools in Canada. It was built in the 19th century upon the wealth of an enterprising Scottish community.

On the next day we learned about Montréal’s nearly

tion amendment voted on a few weeks ago. The senate is planning on using up to fifteen thousand dollars from their reserve to pilot a program that will keep the Student Senate office staffed part-time. Something that is not uncommon at many other universities, this will be overseen by an ad-hoc committee that will be responsible for all the details of the position. The committee, like all senate committees, is looking for student involvement.

Parallel to this plan are several projects designed to provide efficiency and effective representative and governing body. Harrison Kilpatrick, the Senate Director of Communications is developing a student club/organization orientation manual that will be distributed to all clubs/organizations and all start-up clubs.

Senator Kilpatrick has also begun working towards making the Student Senate archiving system electronic.

Chuck Weiss, Student Senate president, has instituted a Student Senate orientation program that all student sena-

tors must go through.

The Student Senate worked with several other bodies to host an event designed to send UMPI students, and some administrators, into the community to assist senior citizens with various tasks. The event was extremely successful and provided good precedent for future community outreach programs. The “Help your Seniors” program ended with a barbeque at the president’s house.

The senate voted last meeting to formally apologize to former senator and chair of Owl Productions Natalie St. Pierre and Student Activities Coordinator Alyson Gibbs for the allegations made by individual senators during the previous semester. The apology is regarding the misappropriation of Owl Production funds. The following investigation proved the allegation baseless

Student Senate’s end of semester report

HARRISON KILPATRICK

Director of Communications Student Senate

The Student Senate ended the semester much differently than it began. The Student Senate now has its seats full after the acceptance of four new senators within the last two meetings. Patrick Brayall, Megan Fowler, Dan Fournier and Cherie Nichols became members of the Senate on the meetings of April 11 and 25 by a unanimous vote from the Student Senate.

The Senate voted on a bylaw amendment that outlines drastically different compensation amounts, bringing the base stipend for the president down to $100 from over $1,400. The bylaw amendment also sets a base stipend for officers at $50 and completely strikes pay for senators.

Another significant nuance came from a compensa-

See Trip, page 12

See Senate, page 14

10

UNIVERSITY TIMES

Shake your groove-thing!

JOHNNY LYNCH Staff Writer

The University of Maine at Presque Isle has once again thrown a wonderful end-of-the-semester dance celebration with this, their 12th annual Spring Ball.

The dance, held on Friday, April 18 at 8:30 p.m. in UMPI’s multi-purpose room, proved that both students and faculty enjoys getting their groove on.

With such fun themes used in past dances like “Viva Las Vegas”, an Elvis Presley theme complete with casinoesque party favors, this year’s “Disco Party” theme was another success.

Students “grooved to funky tunes”, danced the limbo and enjoyed a few take-home knick-knacks such as mini lava lamps. Signs plastered the walls, reading pro-disco messages such as “Do

Photos by Sam White

the hustle”, “Studio 54” and numerous shadow caricatures of people dancing.

The music for the evening started out with a general disco theme with famous songs such as “Stayin’ Alive”, “Saturday Night Fever”, “Funky Town”, and more. Though as the night grew on, the music changed to include all-time favorites of today and decades before; with hits like “Pour Some Sugar On Me”, “Old Time Rock ‘N’ Roll”, and “Jailhouse Rock”.

Many students and faculty were present for both the dinner and dance portions, despite competition with the “Teacher’s Prom” for teacher certification students held the same evening.

Thursday, May 1, 2008

CAMPUS CLEANUP: HELP US SPRUCE THINGS UP MAY 5 & 6

Dean Corsello, the UMPI Pride Committee and the Green Campus Action Committee invite students, faculty and staff to our Campus Clean Up event on Monday, May 5 and Tuesday, May 6. Due to our record-breaking snowfall this year, we need extra hands to pick up trash and debris on the campus grounds.

We are asking the community to stop by Gentile Hall, Wieden Hall, South Hall or Emerson Annex and get a trash bag (or more) supplied by Physical Plant. Then spend 15-30 minutes picking up trash along the way. Community members may then drop off their filled bags of trash in any dumpster across campus. Volunteers should also feel free to bring rakes if you want to clean around bushes and trees.

Physical Plant does an excellent job getting the campus ready for graduation every year, but this year we’d like to lend them a hand!

The UMPI pride committee announces the winners of the “Outstanding Students” contest

Fifteen students have been selected “exceptional students” by students, faculty and staff in fourteen categories. After counting the votes, there was a tie in three categories and two students, Meg Medlinskas and Tome Wire won in two categories. Thanks to the campus community who voted and congratulations to the following “Outstanding Students.” Winners will be recognized at the Student Appreciation Cookout this Friday, May 2 from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. in front of South Hall.

UMPI Academic Awards

Best contributor to class discussions: Patrick Baker Puts in the most effort to be successful: James Kidd Most Inquisitive/Curious: Tom Wire Most excellent presentation: Laura Hunter Most helpful to fellow students: Laura Mooney UMPI Leadership Awards

Most awesome peer mentors/tutors: Meg Medlinskas and Tom Wire Most active organizer of student organization’s events: Thuy Phan and Mihaela Pavlova Most significant contributor to a student organization: Heidi Rackliffe Most active commuter: Dave Rudolph UMPI service awards for campus and community

Most annoying head butting change agent for overall student improvement: Ravi Munukutla and Aha Blume Contributes above and beyond effort: Nat Sattayatham Most significant or innovative impact for the good of the university: Adam Bickford Contributor most likely to be remembered 10 years from now: Meg Medlinskas Most significant contributor to community service: Justin Rossner The UMPI Pride Committee is proud to announce the winners of the UMPI Creative Spirit Photo Contest.

Sixty-six students, faculty and staff voted and "The Campus Center as seen from Emerson Hall" won as the favorite photograph. The photograph was taken by Melissa Corey. Samantha White won for the most unique photo, "Art room and window in Pullen featuring the Bush mural.” A very close second was Samantha's photo, "Centerpiece at Spring Ball 2007--Las Vegas.” Awards will be presented at the Student Appreciation Cook-out this Friday, May 2 at 11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. in front of South Hall. Congratulations to Melissa Corey and Samantha White.

The problem with ‘limited perspective’ UNIVERSITY TIMES

JEFF LOVEJOY

Faculty Commentary

I was recently reading a political article in the Huffington Post and thought of Foxboro, Massachusetts, and the old Patriots stadium (back when the team couldn’t even dream of playoffs, never mind Super Bowls). I attended a game there sometime in the ‘70s. And I clearly recall that the experience couldn’t compare with what I regularly got on television.

Granted my seats were in the end zone, so it was a distorted view at best. But I remember the crowd roaring on one play and someone running into the end zone. I barely made out Tony Dorsett of the Cowboys. Ouch!

And the reality has stayed with me that, even though I was at the game, I had a much more limited perspective than the seemingly ubiquitous cameras of network television can give me at home.

And I thought about John McCain and his entourage seeming to see what they wanted to see (“The surge is working!”) on a recent “fact-finding mission” in Iraq. The mission had nothing to do with McCain “looking presidential.” Of course not.

Others were included in the article, Rep. Murtha

of Pennsylvania, Sen. Clinton of New York, seeing that things are improving—or not—all by staying for a few hours in the fortified Green Zone and meeting with military officials. How’s that for an unbiased experience?

Iraq is a little over 437,000 square miles and has/had a population of 22.2 million, mostly displaced. How is someone going to get a fix on anything that massive in a few hours, or even a few days? Even the average soldier stationed there gets a very limited view.

But I can go online and find all kinds of figures that, in some ways, give me a better overall picture than if I were there. How can that be?

And that’s what got me thinking of my night in Foxboro.

“And when they do venture out of the Green Zone in armored convoys,” Huffington writes of Congressional fact finders, “they are often taken to showcase neighborhoods the military has spruced up and fortified — the Iraqi equivalent of the bustling farms [that] reporters were regularly taken to in Stalin’s Soviet Union to mask the famine and deprivation afflicting the country.”

And that reminded me of my days in New York City and how the mayor and his cohorts would order a “cleanup” of 47 and Broadway so that a pope or other visiting dignitary would not have to be subjected to— even from the relatively insulated experience of a limousine—the great varieties of human experience that go to make up that absolute feast of an area.

I often wonder just what IS the experience of a pope or

UNIVERSITY OF MAINE AT PRESQUE ISLE HOLDS 2008 ATHLETIC AWARDS EVENING

2007-08 Most Valuable Players included:

Men's Cross County Running, Emerson Wright, (Presque Isle, ME)

Women's Cross Country Running, Michelle Phillips, (Riverview, New Brunswick), 3rd consecutive year Men's Golf, Matthew Dubay, (Lincoln, ME)

Men's Soccer, Matthew Petrie, (Old Town, ME)

Women's Soccer, Anna DeLong, (Presque Isle, ME)

Women's Volleyball, Erica Davis, (North Yarmouth, ME), 2nd consecutive year Men's Basketball, Michael Latchford, (Stirling, Ontario)

Women's Basketball, Erica Davis, (North Yarmouth, ME), 2nd consecutive year Men's Cross Country Skiing, Aaron Schmersal, (Winthrop, ME)

Women's Cross Country Skiing, Hannah Shepard, (Yarmouth, ME) Men's Baseball, Not Awarded At This Time

Women's Softball, Anna Lenentine, (Monticello, ME)

2007-08 Most Inspirational Award winners for each of the varsity sports were:

Men's Cross Country Running, Kirk Robinson, (Bingham, ME) Women's Cross Country Running, Linda Gover, (Caribou, ME)

Men's Golf, Eric Van wiechen, (Montague, Prince Edward Island) Men's Soccer, Charles Reece, (Bath, ME), 2nd consecutive year

Women's Soccer, Makayla Gahagan, (Caribou, ME), 2nd consecutive year Women's Volleyball, Korrin Patterson, (Easton, ME)

Men's Basketball, Thomas Wire, (Watfort Herts, United Kingdom), 2nd consecutive year

Women's Basketball, Kathleen Kilfoil, (Johnville, New Brunswick) Men's Cross Country Skiing, Emerson Wright, (Presque Isle, ME)

Women's Cross Country Skiing, Meagan Toussaint, (Madawaska, ME) Men's Baseball, Not Awarded At This Time

Women's Softball, Rachel Nightingale, (Hermon, ME)

Thursday, May 1, 2008

11

head of state (George Bush, perhaps) when going into Iraq or NYC’s most infamous red-light district or New Orleans after Katrina. How many of them have any idea of what they are in the midst of? How many of them care beyond the unreality of a photo-op?

Bush’s people, for instance, went to great lengths to illuminate a church behind his speaking platform in Katrina’s aftermath.

For what?

Inspiration?

Surrounding neighborhoods sat in darkness, without power. What a metaphor, beyond the ugly enough reality.

Even Al Gore, in attempting to lobby for environmentalism, took a dive into political hyperreality. Sometime during his vice-presidential term he had a photo op set up in, I believe, the Poudre Canyon, just northwest of Fort Collins in Colorado. The Poudre absolutely roars in Spring, but this was Summer and the water was low and sluggish.

So, to make the point about what we’d be losing if it were fouled or lost, thousands of gallons of water were released upstream. It had to look as folks expected it to, much like milk or ice cubes or thousands of other products in ads. The real thing doesn’t “look” real, so the advertisers use something else.

Some “conspiracy theorists” hypothesize that Americans never actually landed on the moon in July of 1969, that it was all staged in a warehouse. With so many politicians ignoring (or just plain ignorant of) reality, who can really blame them?

2007-08 Rookie of the Year awards went to:

Men's Cross Country Running, Kurt Whisler, (Fort Kent, ME)

Women's Cross Country Running, Leah Joy, (Swans Island, ME) Men's Golf, Paul Rucci, (Millinocket, ME)

Men's Soccer, Benjamin Costello, (Old Town, ME)

Women's Soccer, Co-Rookie, Chelsea Boudreau, (Wallace, Nova Scotia)

Women's Soccer, Co-Rookie, Jessica Kinney, (Caribou, ME) Women's Volleyball, Megan Korhonen, (Littleton, ME)

Men's Basketball, Co-Rookie, James Gregory, (Philadelphia, PA) Men's Basketball Co-Rookie, Allan Stroud, (Irvington, NJ) Women's Basketball, Megan Korhonen, (Littleton, ME)

Men's Cross Country Skiing, Craig Maffei, (Mount Vernon, ME ) Men's Baseball, Not Awarded At This Time

Women's Softball, Co-Rookie, Brittany Humphrey, (New Gloucester, ME)

Women’s Softball, Co-Rookie, Danielle Humphrey, (New Gloucester, ME) Individual awards went to Adam Bickford, (Auburn, ME) as the Athletic Training Rising Star and Patrick Baker, (Edmundston, New Brunswick) as the Athletic Training Student of the Year.

Women's Basketball named Mindy Sullivan (Lisbon Fall, ME) the Ruel Parks Award winner.

The Al Arman (Make a Difference) Awards went to Julie Wescott, (Naples, ME) and Charles Reece, (Bath, ME) while the Stanley H. Small Coaches Award was presented to Patrick Bailey (Canaan, ME).

The culmination of the evening’s events was Erica Davis, (North Yarmouth, ME) gaining the prestigious Female Athlete of the Year honor and Chase Higgins, (Presque Isle, ME) achieving the Male Athlete of the Year.

12

In the Night Sky: Top U.S. women in space UNIVERSITY TIMES

JIM STEPP

Regular Contributor

Not many people know who Peggy Whitson is. But as an American astronaut, she is now number one.

Whitson launched into space on October 10, 2007 and returned to the Earth on April 19, 2008 at 4:30 a.m. In total this represents 192 days in space onboard the International Space Station. But this isn’t why she is number one.

Her landing back on Earth was very eventful. She returned as one of the crew members of the Expedition 16 Soyuz spacecraft. The Soyuz spacecraft landed on the steppes of Kazakhstan. The landing was approximately 295 miles from the expected landing site. A small timing error made the craft drift so far off course during the landing that it took recovery forces approximately 45 minutes to free the crew from the capsule. But that didn’t make her number one.

While part of the Expedition 16’s crew Whitson worked on experiments that included human life sciences, physical sciences and Earth observation.

Many of the experiments were designed to gather information about the effects of long-duration spaceflight on the human body, which will help with planning future exploration missions to the moon and Mars.

So, what did Whitson do? During her most recent trip into space she became the first woman commander of the International Space Station. Whitson, 48, also became the U.S. astronaut with more time in space than any other American. Whitson’s first flight was on Expedition 5, which was launched on

Trip

continued from page 9

400-year-old history at Pointe-à-Callière, the Montréal Museum of Archeology and History, located upon the oldest inhabited spot in the city. Here we walked through an underground excavation site to explore the foundations of structures centuries old and to observe the artifacts associated with them. A brief show of laser technology and holograms taught us that Montréal was founded by a French religious order, eager to convert the area’s native people to their Catholic Christian faith. The city then flourished as a major fur-trading center in the New World. Making peace with the natives also benefited the French for many decades in their effort to hold off the British, who eventually conquered the region in 1763.

In the afternoon we split up – one party heading toward the Musée des Beaux-Arts (Museum of Fine Arts) and then later to a beautiful, 18th-century house,

Thursday, May 1, 2008

06/03 01:00 p.m. Venus 4.8 degrees south of Moon 06/04 12:00 a.m. Mercury 6.4 degrees south of Moon 06/07 08:52 p.m. Mercury 3.0 degrees south of Venus 06/07 10:00 p.m. Mars 1.0 degrees north of Moon 06/09 05:00 a.m. Saturn 3.1 degrees north of Moon 06/15 12:00 a.m. June Lyrids Meteor Shower peak 06/20 09:00 a.m. Jupiter 2 degrees north of Moon 06/20 07:59 p.m. Summer Solstice in the Northern Hemisphere 06/22-07/02 June Bootid Meteor Shower Active 06/27 June Bootid Meteor Shower Maximum (up to 100 meteors/hr) 07/01 02:00 p.m. Mercury at greatest western elonga tion (morning sky) 07/09 04:00 a.m. Jupiter at opposition 07/11 02:27 a.m. Mars 0.7 degrees south of Saturn 05/05 Alan Shepard becomes the first American in 07/12-08/19 South Delta Aquarid Meteor Shower space (1961). For more information go to Active http://science.ksc.nasa.gov/history/mercury/mr-3/mr07/17-08/24 Perseid Meteor Shower Active 3.html 07/25 02:42 p.m. Last Quarter Moon 05/05 02:00 p.m. Eta Aquarid Meteor Shower 07/28 South Delta Aquarid Meteor Shower Maximum Maximum (10 meteors/hour) 08/02 09:00 a.m. Venus 2 degrees north of Moon 05/10 10:00 a.m. Mars 0.2 degrees south of Moon 08/10-18 All of the visible planets in the evening sky at 05/10 10:00 p.m. Occultation of the Beehive Star one time – see below Cluster: The Moon will pass in front of the M44 – the 08/12 Perseid meteor shower up to 100 meteors/hr) The Beehive Cluster. The stars in the cluster will disap moon will set at around 1:45 a.m. leaving the rest of pear behind the moon’s dark edge and will reappear the night dark for meteor watchers. about an hour later behind the bright edge.

08/13 03:02 Venus 0.2 degrees south of Saturn 05/14 12:00 a.m. Mercury at greatest elongation 21.8 08/15 08:03 p.m. Mercury 0.7 degrees south of Saturn degrees east of Sun (Evening sky) 08/16 05:16 p.m. Full Moon, partial lunar eclipse 05/15 45th anniversary of the launch of Mercury 9 08/19 Occultation of the Pleiades star cluster (1963). For more information go to 08/23 01:00 a.m. Mercury 1.3 degrees south of Venus http://www.spacefacts.de/mission/english/mercury08/23 06:00 p.m. Moon 1.0 degrees north of Pleiades 9.htm (M45) 05/21-22 Jupiter without satellites – Jupiter will appear 08/25-09/08 Alpha Aurigid Meteor Shower Active moonless for about 20 minutes.

08/31 Alpha Aurigid Meteor Shower Maximum 05/23 02:00 a.m. Mars in the Beehive Cluster (M44) 05/24 09:00 a.m. Jupiter 2.5 degrees north of Moon June 5, 2002 and returned to Earth on December 7, 2002, a total of 185 days. The 192 days from this trip plus her last trip equals 377 days in space, a new U.S. record.

For information about the International Space Station, visit: http://www.nasa.gov/station For more information about Peggy Whitson, visit: http://www.jsc.nasa.gov/Bios/htmlbios/whitson.html The night skies: Since this is the last article of the year, I am including some of the highlights of the upcoming summer. The ISS will be visible in the morning sky beginning May 2, 2008. Go to www.heavensabove.com to check on exact times and to print off a sky chart of the appearance.

now converted to a restaurant serving traditional French cuisine. The second group went to the Museum of Science and Nature and then visited the labyrinth Underground City – built to shelter pedestrians from Montréal’s harsh winter conditions.

Our last day in Montréal concluded with a quick visit to l’Oratoire Saint-Joseph du Mont-Royal (St. Joseph’s Oratory of Mount Royal), among the largest churches in Canada. One of this basilica’s special attributes is its giant dome, the second largest in the world after St. Peter’s in Rome.

In Quebéc, we sojourned at a hotel located on Grand Allée. It is a centuries old house converted to a guest lodging containing 15 bedrooms. While there we walked along the Grand Allée to find some dinner nearby, and soon found a small, non-traditional mall (by American standards) housing many petite shops

ripe with life and culture. After that, the prominent architectural and historical sites we visited were the Chateau Frontenac – a castle-like hotel – the observatory, the Parliament of Quebec, and the old city fort that adjoins the formerly protective wall encircling Quebec. In fact, this city is the only one in North America still possessing its old wall, and one of the few to contain so many ancient buildings and narrow streets that are such amazingly preserved.

The International Students Club is always looking for members interested in joining. We currently meet every Friday in 311 South Hall from 2-3pm, and will post our location and hours at the beginning of the fall semester. As we hope you have realized, this was a very educational trip, and I am certain that our memories of friendship and quebécoise culture absorbed will stay with us for the rest of our lives.

UNIVERSITY TIMES

Thursday, May 1, 2008

13

Scribbles: Some questions for Randy Deabay JEFF LOVEJOY

Some thoughts Mr. Deabay put out there in the UTimes ozone in the last issue are crying out for some response. Here is mine in the form of a few questions.

1. Did you miss the section in ENG 101 that discussed tone in terms of writing? In reference to my “toasting” the deaths of 4000 American troops, I suggest you look up “sarcasm” in the dictionary.

Sc ribb les 2. Do you believe the Government on a should always be believed and that no B r e a k f a s t one should ever criticize it? Check N a p k i n out Republican Teddy Roosevelt on that.

3. In reference to the last question, can I assume that if your mother was stealing from the next-door neighbor or your father had murdered the postman that you would give them a free pass because of family ties?

4. Would you really have people (such as myself) whose spiritual beliefs do not include organized killing (war) become “part of the military”? Or does your reading of the Bill of Rights not allow for such beliefs? By the way, I felt similarly during Vietnam and worked for two years in a hospital doing alternate

service as the law allowed. Whining and complaining, as always.

5. If you were wheelchair-bound and your house was on fire, what would you think of me as a human being if I suggested you were being “stubborn” for not running out of the house to save yourself, instead waiting for the fire department? Isn’t that your rather ignorant view of Katrina victims?

6. Was your rant full of the “worthy suggestions of change and action” you advocated? It felt like a lot of whining and complaining to me.

7. Regarding the pre-invasion protests, I was not aware that the UTimes requires “true statistics.” When was this policy implemented? But so that you don’t think my numbers are “randomly chosen,” here are a few. Here’s a partial account from Wikipedia of only ONE of the days of mass protest.

The February 15, 2003 anti-war protest was a coordinated day of protests across the world against the imminent invasion of Iraq. Millions of people protested in approximately 800 cities around the world. According to BBC News, between six and ten million people took part in protests in up to sixty countries over the weekend of the 15 and 16; other estimates range from eight million to thirty million. The biggest protests took place in Europe. The protest in Rome involved around

3 million people, and is listed in the 2004 Guinness Book of World Records as the largest anti-war rally in history.

This, I will admit, is quite below my figure, but keep two things in mind. First, there were several other days of protest before the war. Second, everyone who protests does not do it in the streets. I’ll use myself as Example #1.

Finally, and then I’ll put this one to bed, CNN reported on Saturday, March 29, 2003, that “opinion polls show[ed] more than 90 percent of Spaniards [were] against the war.” I really do try not to use “randomly chosen” figures.

Now, besides being a wretched fragment, just what does “only one who cannot see the forest for the blades of grass in the meadow in front of the forest” possibly mean? You really lost me after that one—for the whole long paragraph.

Moving along, I cannot for the life of me figure how you figured that you had been included in a disagreement between two professors. Is it always about you?

I apologize, though, on behalf of Mr. Edward and myself, for our petty bickering and our failure to rise to your level of “true intellectual discourse.” Speaking for

I have not, in the past, written for the UTimes, and I don’t envision myself as a regular contributor, but I felt that Mr. Deabay’s article in the April 17, 2008 issue required a response because he raised questions to which I can respond.

Let me begin by whole-heartedly endorsing Mr. Deabay’s assertion that more letters from students should be printed in the student paper. Given that the UTimes published Mr. Deabay’s self-described “diatribe”, I have no doubt that the editor will accept the submissions of other students. Because I believe in the value of civil debate (something in which Mr. Deabay needs practice), I would urge students from across the political spectrum to write for the paper. To paraphrase Marx, students of the university unite! You have only your intellectual shackles to lose. You have a world to gain. Fortunately, I know both conservative and liberal students who have already demonstrated their intellectual freedom by thinking for themselves.

As a fellow learner and as a professor I hope that I also demonstrate these qualities of intellectual rigor and critical thought. Certainly these are qualities I strive to achieve.

But I digress. Mr. Deabay complained that an opinion piece written by a faculty member did not provide supporting evidence. While I value evidence as much

as Mr. Deabay, I have to note that the operative word in the phrase “opinion piece” is “opinion”. Generally we hold opinion pieces to a lesser standard of proof than we do academic papers, news articles, or legal briefs. This is a fortunate thing for Mr. Deabay, as his assertion that “thousands” of Katrina victims did not leave because of their “stubbornness and idiocy” lacks any supporting evidence. It apparently never occurred to him that those who did not leave might have been constrained by factors other than “stubbornness and idiocy”, factors such as poverty, a concern for possessions, worries about moving pets or elderly family members, or simply a lack of somewhere else to go.

One of the problems with seeing the world in terms of absolute binaries is that it leads us to make sweeping generalizations about the mental state of others.

In his meandering letter, Mr. Deabay did, of course, cite evidence suggesting that fewer individuals opposed the start of the war in Iraq than Liberals would lead us to believe. The BBC News reports on its website that an estimated six to ten million people from countries around the world marched in opposition to the war. I was one of those six to ten million.

Even this number, however, may not suggest the extent to which the war was opposed. While we can assume that the people who marched opposed the war,

we can’t assume that the people who stayed at home favored the war. There were undoubtedly many who, for a range of reasons, opposed the war but chose not to manifest that opposition through a public display.

Mr. Deabay also questions whether any of the faculty have “checked on the amount of time that simple tests and surgeries take in state run health care” countries. I haven’t made a study of it, but I had the good fortune of spending time in Scottish hospitals twice. I was not insured either time, and certainly could not have afforded out of pocket the week long stay I had when I was diagnosed with diabetes. Oddly, given Mr. Deabay’s implied assertion, the simple test for diabetes was administered the day I went in, and I was hospitalized that same day. In the weeks prior to my hospitalization, I lost weight until I weighed 112 pounds, and I experienced significant discomfort. What kept me out of the hospital? Not the British bureaucracy. What kept me out was my fear, born of my knowledge of American healthcare, that I could not afford medical care. I offer this story not as a defense of state healthcare, but as a reminder that all of us should learn to question our preconceptions.~Dr. Michael D. Amey, Assistant Professor of English

Faculty Commentary

See Scribbles, page 14

Letter to the editor: Deabay’s letter requires response

14

Scribbles

continued from page 13

UNIVERSITY TIMES

myself, I will try to do much better in the future.

Two issues remain. One is that you seem to have decided, Mr. Deabay, that any time I use writing for the Times is deducted from time I should spend on my students. Heaven forbid I should use a little free time for myself. How do you know, exactly, that I didn’t write my article instead of watching, say, Desperate Housewives on TV? Your own rant looks as if it might have taken considerable time—at least to type. Can I assume that was time in which you should have been writing a paper or studying for an exam? Just wondering.

More problematically, Sir, have your “political viewpoints and experience been used against [you]” or has someone “grad[ed you] unfairly in [your] classes?” If you know (not just suspect) that to be true, then you should talk to someone in authority. I’ve had many conservatives walk through the doors of my classroom, engage other students and myself, and succeed.

Though there are those in the public eye who delight in their “dittoheads,” the classroom exists for a free exchange of ideas. And I delight in that.

Thursday, May 1, 2008

Again, Mr. Deabay, despite your sense that I feel good about the many problems besetting our country and our world, I do not. I raise the questions, among other reasons, because the corporate media does not.

That is their job, and they have largely—and miserably—failed.

It is not my intention to spread hatred. If it seems that I am, perhaps you need to read a little more closely and with a slightly more open mind.

As far as discontent goes, a current bumper sticker says it best: “If you’re not outraged you’re not paying attention.” I believe the Founders at least aspired to the idea that a government exists to serve its people.

I see many poor, many sick, many victims of Katrina and a host of floods, tornadoes and wildfires, to name a few. Do they not deserve the best this government has to offer? Or is that only for George Bush’s “haves and have mores” [his words]?

Do you realize, Mr. Deabay, that many, many conservatives (sorry, no numbers!) have turned their backs on this administration precisely because they feel it has turned its back on traditional conservative principles?

Senate

continued from page 9

On a personal note, it might interest you to know that I often feel miles away from the so-called liberals you rail against. Frankly I don’t think there are many true liberals around anymore. The “center” has moved oceans to the right since Reagan’s time, and many Americans are poorer, sicker, and less hopeful because of that (and I include President Clinton in that critique).

Whom on the national stage would you consider liberal: Hillary? Obama? Edwards? Just curious. No, neither liberals nor conservatives have ruined this country, but there is a gang of oligarchs who think they are above the law, owe little to anyone except maybe their close friends and relatives, and care less about America than their own profits. Unless you and I, Mr. Deabay, can find a way to get together and take them down, you will be whining about things much more serious than a few liberal professors who have nothing better to do than to tear down the good ol’ USA in the pages of the UTimes.

Have a great Summer!

and without merit. As a note of assurance, the Student Senate strives for professionalism, and will conduct business with this philosophy in mind.

We are looking forward to a productive

summer. Starting next semester the Student Senate will have vacancies and will be looking to the student body to volunteer their services.

UNIVERSITY TIMES

Thursday, May 1, 2008

Comic by: Jessica Mayne

TWO PUZZLES FOR THE PRICE OF ONE!

15

UNIVERSITY TIMES

Thursday, May 1, 2008

TWO COMICS FOR THE PRICE OF ONE!

Underclassmen: Hope to see you all next semester!

See page 15 for comic by Jessica Mayne

Congratulations Seniors!

16

Comic By: Bhava Albert