Vol. 138, No. 13 - 02.14.22

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Monday, February 14, 2022

Vol. 138, No. 13

News

A2

George Mitchell Center for Sustainability hosts “The Warming Sea”

Opinion

A5

Valentine’s Day: Distinguishing red flags from roses

Culture

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Understanding COVID-19 at the Versant Power Astronomy Center

Sports

A10

Greenwood arrest once again gives rise for discussion of sexual misconduct in soccer

George Mitchell Center for Sustainability hosts “The Warming Sea”

Graphic by David Jakacky.

Maddy Gernhard News Editor On Feb. 7 the George Mitchell Center for Sustainability hosted composer Lucas Richman and the director of the Maine Science Festival, Kate Dickerson to speak on Richman’s latest composition about climate change entitled “The Warming Sea: A Symphonic Exploration of Hope in the Face of the Climate Crisis.” Director of the George J. Mitchell Center, David Hart, introduced the event and spoke to the mission of the organization.

“Our purpose here is to grow our collective capacity to create a brighter future in and beyond Maine,” Hart said, before introducing Dickerson and Richman.

Dickerson presented first about the nature of the collaboration between the Maine Science Festival and Richman.

“In order for this collaboration story to make sense you’ll first need to know about the Maine Science Festival,” Dickerson said before introducing the mission of the festival.

The Maine Science Festival takes place in March and features interdisciplinary activities to introduce Mainers of all ages to research currently being conducted in the state.

Dickerson highlighted that the program has a strong arts component to it.

“Scientists can learn a lot from artists,” Dickerson said, explaining that oftentimes artists know more about how to communicate issues in a more effective way than scientists do.

Dickerson then explained that this was their reason behind commissioning Richman, a Grammy Award nominated composer, and the director of the Bangor Symphony

The Maine Campus

Orchestra to create a symphonic piece about the effects of climate change.

After a brief video introduction about his process, Richman took the podium to speak more on the creation of “The Warming Sea.” Richman began by speaking about all the questions he had to ask himself as a part of the process of writing a creative piece on climate science.

“Where does one start?” Richman said.

“How do you translate all this information?”

Richman’s process began with the collection of data and discussing with experts on the subject of climate change within the state of Maine.

He explained that his process also involved speaking to middle and elementary school students about what they would want to hear from a symphony of this nature.

“Hope. They wanted to feel hope,” Richman

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said. Their answer influenced his decision to include a children’s choir in the anthem of the symphony, titled “Hope Begins With Truth.” The children’s choir also succeeds in showing that the next generation will be affected by the decisions of the adult audience members who they are singing to.

“The children’s choir puts everyone on task.

We all have to know, what is the truth?”

Richman asked. “Who better to send that message than the next generation?”

Richman also explained the deeper meaning behind some of his compositions.

He began by displaying a chart of climate data which showed the average temperature in the state of Maine from the late 1800s until 2019. Richman then assigned certain notes and keys to certain ranges of temperatures, and then retranslated those

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notes back onto the data from the past two centuries. Each measure of the music is fortified by each of the assigned pitches, which reflects the rise in temperatures in an auditory manner.

Another feature of the program is the women’s choir, who Richman has modeled after the Greek sirens, creatures who would sing beautiful songs to lure men to their deaths. The choir sings a refrain in Greek, which centers around spreading climate misinformation.

Richman also makes use of an innovative musical technique to simulate the sound of the ocean in a way which does not involve recordings or synthesized noise. He demonstrated the use of an instrument that is a wooden box filled with ball bearings to emulate the sound of rushing water.

The floor then opened up to a Q&A

@TheMaineCampus

session. One audience member asked him what similarities he found between himself and the scientists he was working with.

“I was always in awe,” Richman said of the experts. “The similarity to me was they all seemed to love the puzzle of the process.”

Richman explained that much like these scientists it is the discovery of answers to difficult or puzzling questions which excited him about his work with music.

“The Warming Sea: A Symphonic Exploration of Hope in the Face of the Climate Crisis” will have its world premiere at the Collins Center for the Arts on Mar. 19. It will feature visual effects

by Chuck Carter, and a Q&A session with the scientists and the composer involved with its production.

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News

A2• News

The Maine Campus

Monday, February 14, 2022

UMaine receives R1 accreditation

Anika Chamberlain Contributor On Feb. 3, the University of Maine was designated as an R1 accredited university, the highest tier of national research universities. UMaine is the only public university in Maine with an R1 accreditation.

The newly minted R1 designation will hopefully attract both funding and future students. UMaine has joined the highest and most exclusive echelon of degree-granting research institutions.

There are only 146 R1 universities in the United States.

The R1 classification comes from the Carnegie Commission on Higher Education, and signifies “very high research activity.”

UMaine was previously the only public university in Maine categorized as an R2 research university, and qualifying as an R1 institution was one of UMaine President Joan Ferrini-Mundy’s main goals for the university to achieve by Fiscal Year 2024 (FY24). This goal was included in the University of Maine System Research and Development Plan FY20-FY24 published in May 2019.

Ferrini-Mundy’s investment plan that helped UMaine reach R1 status included investing more in research infrastructure, increasing doctoral degree production, providing research learning experiences for every student and developing a UMS strategy to increase state

investment in research and development. Ferrini-Mundy’s plan was also geared toward the post-pandemic horizon, with a major focus on enhancing partnerships to advance the Maine economy post-pandemic.

“I can’t tell you how pleased I am with all of what this means for us,” Ferrini-Mundy said in a virtual statement announcing the R1 accreditation. “This brings us into a national prominence that I believe we deserve here at the University of Maine and that we now really have through this recognition.”

Universities that conferred at least 20 research or scholarship doctorates and reported at least $5 million in total research

expenditures in FY20 were assigned an R1 or R2 designation based on the Carnegie Classification’s research activity index.

The research activity index includes the following: research and development (R&D) expenditures in science and engineering (S&E), R&D expenditures in non-S&E fields, S&E research staff and doctoral conferrals in STEM, humanities and other fields. Research institutions who rank very high in the level of aggregate research activity and in per capita research activity are granted an R1 designation.

“The R1 designation really affirms that the University of Maine is a premier doctoral-granting national university with very

high research activity,” Kody Varahramyan, the vice president for research and dean of the graduate school, said.

Research and development expenditures at UMaine have grown 80.2% in the last five years. These expenditures reached an all-time high of $179.3 million in 2021. External funding increased 135% to $133.6 million. UMaine has achieved record graduate and doctoral student enrollments.

All of this factored into the Carnegie Classification’s research activity index.

“Our university is filled with a remarkable amount of talent related to research, and also support,” Paul Mayewski, the director of the Climate Change

Institute, said.

In the University of Maine System’s unified accreditation environment, faculty at other UMS universities have the opportunity to partner with UMaine researchers, allowing them to expand their own research along with the reach and impact of the flagship’s well-established research infrastructure.

The Carnegie Commission on Higher Education developed a classification of colleges and universities to support its program of research and policy analysis starting in 1970. The Classification was originally published in 1973, then updated throughout the years.

Levinson ambassador program builds a philosophical community at UMaine Grace Blanchard Contributor The University of Maine Levinson Ambassador Program is trying to change the philosophical culture on campus while adjusting to impacts from COVID-19.

The UMaine Levinson Ambassador Program is just one of the many groups on campus to be impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

“We’ve been nothing but affected by COVID[-19] so far so we’re just now learning how to do things in-person with this program,” the Communication and Events Ambassador Bee Yates said.

Yates, a third-year philosophy student, is one of four ambassadors involved in the program that are trying to bring attention to and build a philosophical community within UMaine.

This is a relatively new program on campus. Launched during the spring 2021 semester, their goal is to change the narrative around philosophy on campus and be an outreach for students interested in the subject.

“It started during COVID[-19], so even in past semesters not all of the ambassadors were here on campus so that definitely has impacted our options and trying to kickstart our philosophical community, but now that things are becoming more in-person that’s what we’re aiming for including increasing our online presence,” the Peer Writing Ambassador Connor Bolduc said.

Bolduc, a fourthyear theater and philosophy student, highlighted his perspective of what the Levinson Program is meant to be. The ambassadors want to shift away from the stereotypes

attached to philosophy and make it a more fun and inviting environment.

“A lot of people sometimes have this idea that philosophy is just kinda sitting and talking about ideas that are really hard to understand and are unclear,” Bolduc said. “A lot of philosophy, especially here at UMaine isn’t like that, so it’s our goal to create some fun events people can go to whether or not they’re philosophy majors.”

Currently the program offers a philosophy help session on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 11-1 p.m. in Room 104 of the Maples building.

The Maples, built in 1877 as the College Farmhouse, currently serves as the home for the philosophy department on campus.

The ambassadors highlighted that not a lot of students are aware of what the Ma-

ples building is, which is part of their mission to bring attention to the philosophy department.

“You look at this old farmhouse and you don’t see the lively conversations or the people … involved in it so we’re going to … redecorate it,”Naomi Carr, a fourth-year psychology student, said.

Carr is also the Communications and Events Ambassador and one of the projects they are currently working on for the program is a potential art contest.

“We are still working on events at this time and coming up with ideas, one of which we’re thinking about hosting an art contest to have students not just in the philosophy department but of all majors to come and bring in their own artwork,” Carr said.

The ambassadors want the student body

to know that you don’t need to know everything about philosophy to be able to talk about philosophy. They want to see a philosophical community continue to grow on campus.

There is also a fourth ambassador role, which is the Diversity and Racial Equity program currently run by Xander Moore.

Bolduc touched upon this role and how they all coincide with one another.

“They have a role that is still collaborative with us but also completely their own, and they have been focusing on events that have to do with someone’s identity and how that is influential and a part of their philosophy experience,” Bolduc said.

These events are meant to highlight that philosophy is not just about academics.

“It’s everything all the time like you could be talking about the

current state of things in the world and that’s still a philosophical conversation,” Yates said. “It’s not just about taking a required ethics class, it’s just cool and fun to talk about.”

“Philosophy is still ongoing, people are still writing, thinking and teaching new aspects of life everyday,” Carr said.

For more information about the program there is a weekly newsletter sent out to philosophy students and also an instagram account that was just relaunched, @umaine_ philosophy, where they will be posting updates and upcoming events.

You can also reach out to the ambassadors directly, or check out the Maples building to see this growing community on campus.

Maddy Gernhad News Editor

around blueberry crop disease management.

comedy.

2/14 As a part of the University of Maine Multicultural Student Center’s Black History Month events, the center will be hosting a discussion on interracial dating at 12 p.m. in their office in Room 312 of the Memorial Union.

2/16 UMaine’s annual Career Fair is taking place online over the Career Center’s website. It will be a great opportunity for students to connect with potential employers. It will take place between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m.

2/15 UMaine will be hosting a discussion on blueberry farming and sustainability as a part of the Cooperative Extension Program. The event will take place over Zoom from 4 to 6 p.m. and will center

2/17 The Center for Student Involvement will be hosting a karaoke and open mic night in the North Pod of the Memorial Union at 8 p.m. Students will be encouraged to sing and share their other talents like poetry or

2/18 The Center for Student Involvement is hosting a record painting night at 9 p.m. in the North Pod of the Memorial Union.

2/19 The Center for Student Involvement is hosting music trivia at 9 p.m. in the North Pod of the Memorial Union.

Come out and test your knowledge!

Monday, February 14, 2022

Samantha Sudol Contributor On Feb. 9 as part of the Microbes and Social Equity Speaker Series, the University of Maine Institute of Medicine organized a seminar on diet, microbial metabolites and cancer disparities. Dr. Patricia Wolf, a registered dietitian nutritionist and postdoctoral fellow at the Cancer Education and Career Development Program NCI T32 at the University of Illinois at Chicago, spoke during this session.

Her research investigates microbial mechanisms of cancer health disparities

News • A3

The Maine Campus

UMaine hosts seminar on microbial metabolites

related to inequitable food access and quality. The techniques in molecular microbiology and novel enzyme characterization helps Wolf to understand the metabolic capacity of the human gut microbiome. Her research looks at whether dietary intake shifts microbial ecology and function toward the formation of deleterious microbial metabolites which contribute to cancer risk. This is due to the fact that dietary behaviors are shaped by social and structural environments and will include works that explore relationships between the neighborhood food

environment, and microbial metabolism in order to mitigate the inequitable burden of cancer in certain demographics.

“I know that dietary intake is often driven by the nutrition environment,” said Wolf.

“And so I’m hoping in the future that I’ll be able to look at associations between nutrition environments and dietary intake and then impact policies and structures that shape these nutritional environments.”

Wolf proceeds to take the audience through her five step research method: identifying the association between micro-

bial metabolites and disease, determining the functional capacity of the human microbiome, characterizing unknown microbial enzymes, determining association between diet and microbiome function and examining diet in context of the nutrition environment.

“Our work so far has focused mostly on colorectal cancer since it’s the third leading cause of cancer incidence and death in the US,” says Wolf.

“Colorectal cancer incidence has actually decreased, and this is mostly due to the increase in screening colonoscopy. Howev-

er, this decrease has been attenuated in certain groups, specifically non-Hispanic Black [people] who have the highest incidence of colorectal cancer in the United States …

[W]e think that microbial metabolites could be the environmental trigger sparking this progression.”

Wolf further discusses the greater colorectal cancer incidence and mortality in Black Americans, as well as the hydrogen sulfide produced by bacteria in the gut.

While the sulfate reducing bacteria has been well studied, bilophila wadsworthia has been gaining more

traction in how it uses the amino acid Taurine through a multi step process to produce hydrogen sulfide. These two pathways, sulfate reducing bacteria and bilophila wadsworthia with Taurine, are important in relation to how they both share the last step in the production of hydrogen sulfide.

“We found that regardless of disease state, African American Black [people] actually had ten times higher concentrations of these microbes,” says Wolf.

UMaine Symposium issues call for abstracts to highlight student research Katie Luck Contributor The University of Maine Student Symposium (UMSS) is now accepting abstract applications for their 2022 event. This annual forum is an opportunity for students, graduate and undergraduate, to present research and/ or creative projects to the UMaine community. The goal is to foster change in the community while offering students the experience to enrich their creative, research and leadership skills.

This year the UMSS is going to be held

in-person on Friday, April 15, though the presentations will be showcased in a virtual video format. The event is a part of this year’s UMaine Impact Week and is completely open to the public.

The deadline for abstract submission to be a student presenter is March 7. Abstracts must be written by one or more undergraduate or graduate students and be sponsored by a UMaine faculty member. Along with the abstract submission, that faculty member must submit an abstract review by Mar. 14. April 1 is the deadline to

get virtual presentations submitted. The abstract submission is expected to be about two hundred and fifty words and concisely and accurately discuss the goal or form of the project as well as any outcomes discovered.

It should also follow the student’s major or discipline’s standards.

For attendees, the event will be held in the New Balance Student Recreation Center. Guests will be required to follow CDC guidelines and wear a mask at the event at all times when indoors.

Guests will also be asked to present either

a negative COVID-19 test taken within 72 hours of the event or a copy of their CDC COVID-19 Vaccination Card. On top of being presented at the event, the student participants’ projects will be available on the UMSS website.

In 2021, the UMSS offered the opportunity to virtually present 338 research projects 20 awards were given out to both undergraduate and graduate students.

The awards are based around different areas of research, including the arts, biomedical sciences, education, natural and physical

sciences, among others. One of the awards, the Dr. Susan J. Hunter Presidential Research Impact Award, is only awarded to one graduate and undergraduate student and is very prestigious.

For the 2022 UMSS, they are also accepting people to participate in the event as volunteers and judges. Volunteers are expected to help set up, run registration, help with guest services and assist with clean up on April 14 and 15. All volunteers will receive a digital certificate for their participation. Judges are volunteers from

UMaine faculty, staff, community members, sponsors or graduate students. There are no requirements or credentials needed to be a judge, any volunteers just need to be available to judge from Tuesday, April 5 through Wednesday, April 13.

If you are interested in either of these opportunities, or submitting an application to present your own research project, you can find the appropriate sign up forms here at https://umaine.edu/ umss/.

A4• News

Weekly Updates

Monday, February 14, 2022

The Maine Campus

This Week in Student Government

Weekly recap of decisions made by the UMaine Student Government General Student Senate Grace Blanchard Contributor On Tuesday, Feb. 8, the University of Maine General Student Senate talked with former UMaine Student Government President, Matthew Rodriguez.

Rodriguez, who grew up in Farmington attended Mt. Blue High School before attending UMaine in 2000. Rodriguez served as the President of UMSG from 2002-2003.

Rodriguez was a senator for UMSG before deciding to run for president.

“I felt like if I was to run for president I would have a decent chance, so in fall of 2002 I launched a campaign,” said Rodriguez.

Rodriguez talked about his experiences as the president of UMSG and the skills he gained from being in student government at UMaine.

“I learned a lot of the skills that I apply in the work that I’ve done during my time in student government at UMaine,” Rodriguez said. “Especially negotiation, compromise, teamwork, working as a

group, consensus building and these are all skills that are really important when you’re working on deals, whether or not you’re in the framework of government or corporate demands.”

Rodriguez highlighted that a key issue student government was working on during his time as president was whether or not to build a student recreation center. Rodriguez and his fellow senators were heavily involved in campaigning for UMaine’s New Balance Student Recreation Center to be built.

The Advisor to Student Government, Lauri Sidelko, asked Rodriguez to give the current members of student senate some input on what it was like to be involved in a large infrastructure project like a recreation center.

“It was a really rewarding project to be involved in. I think ultimately the price tag came to something between $25 and $30 million so it was substantial in size at the time,” Rodgriguez said.

“If you are looking at large infrastructure projects, don’t be discouraged or

Tune Into This!

ues would be removed and replaced with the three new categories of civics and community engagement, social equity and information literacy or health and well-being.

They also want to shift the focus towards more hands-on research experience for students through the general education curriculum.

intimidated if the numbers are large, think about the power of the base of students and work together to really make your voices heard.”

Rodriguez has continued to be involved at UMaine even years after attending, serving on many committees including the Board of Visitors and the Investment Committee with the UMaine Foundation and is the chair of the 2005 Commission.

“It was a very positive experience in my life and I hope the same will be true with all of you,” Rodriguez said.

GSS also spoke with Samuel Hanes, the chair of the department of anthropology for UMaine, about revisions and proposals being made to the general education curriculum.

“These changes wouldn’t go into effect until fall 2023 or 2024,” Hanes said. “We got slowed down by COVID[-19] but we’ve been very active this year in particular and we have a strong proposal, so a very rough rough draft, and are taking this proposal on campus to all kinds of groups.”

“We don’t do it very often. It hasn’t changed since 1996, so it’s been a long time and I feel like we’re due for an update,” Hanes said.

Hanes expressed that there is also a goal to create a committee that would specifically be focused on the general education curriculum.

The current state of the proposal is to replace three key categories of the general education curriculum with new modern standards. The current categories of western cultural traditions, social contexts and human val-

“Nobody really manages gen-ed right now, so we want to create a committee that is actually responsible for organizing and promoting gen-eds,” Hanes said.

on campus, Hanes also expressed that he hopes to see student representation on the committee if they are able to move forward with the idea.

Though the new general education proposal is still just a draft, the feedback and involvement from the student senate is another step toward progressing this mission.

The senate also spoke with a representative from the men’s club lacrosse team, who was seeking $4,000 for their spring 2022 season.

“We just moved into the D2 version of the NCLA, which is the highest branch of club sports, and our first game is against UNH,” Ben Knowlt, the vice president, said.

The resolution was passed and the senate allocated the funding to the club.

Like other committees

What’s happening this week at UMaine & Beyond

Monday

Tuesday

Wednesday

Today is Valentine’s Day! Let your loved ones know how much you care with candies, chocolates and a stuffed animal or two.

On this day in 1898, the USS Maine was sunk by an explosion of unknown origin in Havana, Cuba. This event led to a naval blockade of Cuba, and to the eventual start of the Spanish-American war.

Maine resident and snowboarder Seth Wescott won the Olympic gold medal for the snowboard cross event at the 2006 Turin Winter Olympics.

Wescott later won another gold in the same event four years later.

Thursday On this day in 1875, the first sardine cannery in America opened. Eagle Preserved Fish Company was started in Eastport by Julius Wolff, who had moved to Maine from New York to capitalize on the area’s smoked herring industry.

Friday The Bangor Piscataquis Rail and Canal Company was incorporated by the Maine legislature in 1833. It is the second largest rail company in the state and had what is thought to be the largest steam locomotive operated in the state: The Pioneer.

Opinion Monday, February 14, 2022

Opinion • A5

The Maine Campus

Valentine’s Day: Distinguishing red flags from roses

Emma Vannorsdall Opinion Editor Every year on Feb. 14, partners celebrate their love by participating in the social practices associated with Valentine’s Day. A day laced with romantic symbolism, gifts, flowers and heartwarming social media posts reflects the United States’ obsession with idealizing Hallmark romance. Behind the glorified images of love hides the unsettling truths about relationships in the United States, specifically domestic abuse.

“1-in-4 women and 1-in-9 men expereince severe intimate partner physical violence, intimate partnere contact sexual volence, and/or intimate partner stalking with impacts such as injury, fearfulness, post-traumatic stress disorder, use of victim services, con-

traction of sexually transmitted diseases, etc,” the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence reports.

Domestic abuse is a pervasive issue in the United States, and unfortunately, the signs of abuse are often overlooked due to society’s acceptance of unhealthy relationships. Even worse, toxic traits in partners often garner appreciation due to the romanticization of abusive behaviors in western media.

The YouTube channel Popculture Detective explores the social influences of modern media, particularly some of the harmful ideas perpetuated by the movie industry.

The video “Abduction As Romance” investigates the romanticization of abusive behaviors in Hollywood films.

Abduction, stalking, harassment and sex-

ualt assault are often portrayed as essential, even attractive, plot drivers in American media, and these ideas are then internalized by viewers. Thus, when these abusive behaviors occur in real life, victims are left trapped as their suffering goes unnoticed.

J e a l o u s y , love-bombing, quick involvement, isolation and controlling behaviors, all are standard red flags for abusive relationships. However, they all can easily be remarketed to fit the paradigm of American romance. Love bombing, for example, is the inital phase in the abuse cycle which can often mimick the traditions upheld by Valentine’s Day such as extravagant gift exchanges and partner idolization.

“Love bombing is where an abusvie partner is bombarding

‘love’ onto their victim and is part of emotional abuse and coercive control. It could include excessive affection, excessive compliments, declarations of love, gifts and praise,” Solace Women’s Aid reports.

Love bombing is just one example of how romance norms can conceal dangerous relationship abuse, and why education is needed to help partners look out for concerning red flags. The consequences of domestic abuse are serious, impacting those in the United States physically and mentally, but also financially.

“The cost of intimate partner violence exceeds $8.3 billion a year. Between 21-60% of victims of intimate partner violence lose their jobs due to reasons stemming from abuse” the NCADV reported. The United

States urgently needs to allocate resources to combat domestic violence, and this need has only heightened since the COVID-19 pandemic.

“COVID-19 has created an environment where victims and aggressors, or potential aggressors in a relationship cannot easily separate themselves from each other. The extra stress also can cause mental health issues, increasing individuals’ perceived stress and reactions to stress through violence and other means,” Karen Nikos-Rose wrote for UCDavis.

While healthy love does exist and Valentine’s Day can serve as an uplifting day to celebrate love and human connection, it is an equally important time to educate yourself on domestic violence and unhealthy relationships.

The National Domestic Violence Hotline provides incredibly insightful educational material for identifying abuse, getting help, planning for safety, supporting others, finding local resources and getting involved. In order to cherish healthy love, we need to fight to protect ourselves and others against unhealthy love through education and adequate resources. In this time of overwhelming acts of love, be sure to recognize potential signs of abuse so your future Valentine’s Days will be full of true love.

Celebrating African roots in American cuisine Alexander Cross Contributor February in the United States marks the celebration of Black History Month.

The month was initially conceived by Dr. Carter G. Woodson, who founded what is now known as the Association for the Study of African American Life and History in 1915 and in February of 1926 introduced the first week dedicated to the observance of African Americans’ contributions to the history of the United States and world. Black History Month is an opportunity to illuminate the often overlooked contributions to society made by Black Americans. This month at the Maine Campus, we have been honoring Black History Month by lifting up the experiences and accomplishments of Black

Mainers. This week’s focus is on the impacts made by the African diaspora on food in the United States.

Take a moment to think of some foods that define American cuisine. You may have thoughts of deep frying, fruit and vegetable pies, barbecue or some staples of “soul food” famous in the South.

Additionally, when thinking of fast food and larger corporations, if you have appreciated the tastes of Kentucky Fried Chicken or Coca-Cola, odds are you have enjoyed culinary influences brought to the United States by enslaved Africans. Watermelon, black-eyed peas, okra, hibiscus, palm oil, boiled peanuts, various peppers and coffee all make common appearances in the American diet, and were introduced to North America through the Atlantic

slave trade.

The foods themselves are not the only contributions to be credited to Black Americans. For hundreds of years, enslaved Black people worked the fields, harvested the crops, created the recipes, cooked the food, set the table, served the food and washed the dishes. Even today, Black Americans in the foodservice industry are far too frequently left out of employment in fine dining restaurants. Additionally, commercially-sold food brands like Uncle Ben’s and Aunt Jemima, renamed Pearl Milling Company in 2021, have long profited from using the faces of African American characters to sell their products.

While many foods have reached the North American continent from Africa via the At-

lantic slave trade, African tastes have made a popular resurgence in the form of classic and fusion-style restaurants.

Asmara Restaurant in Portland, for example, offers Eritrean stews and bread, and Saban’s Cuisine in Lewiston serves up halal Somali traditions “with love.” However, this is not an exhaustive list, as there are many more restaurants in Maine that celebrate African heritage.

Further up the coast, Jordan Benissan, a music professor at Colby College, has opened up his own line of restaurants to facilitate cultural exchange and awareness of Togolese traditions among Maine residents. Mé Lon Togo, with locations in Rockland, Searsport and Camden, has gained widespread recognition and support in spite of hardships

brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Benissan opened his first restaurant in 2017 after spending years preparing homestyle dishes from Togo for his friends, but the restaurant took a hit in 2020 due to the lockdowns and restrictions on foodservice operations. However, members of the community raised nearly $16,000 in just over a week to save his restaurant from closing.

“I didn’t think that I had a community and people who cared about what was going to happen,” Benissan said about the experience. “It is almost a miracle that this happened.” Now that most activities have begun recovering from the pandemic all three restaurant locations are open for customers’ enjoyment and support.

The example shown

by the members of Benissan’s community is a shining one in a world with too much uncertainty. However, one does not necessarily need to donate to crowdfunding campaigns to show up for Black members of the community; incorporating the support of Black businesses into your day-to-day activities, whether by making simple replacements or by adding to your routine, is a wonderful way to celebrate and support the efforts made by Black Americans both during this Black History Month and all year round.

A6• Opinion

The Maine Campus

Monday, February 14, 2022

The NFL is a reflection of America: Racist Nick Tiner Contributor In 2021, the NFL was composed of approximately 70% Black players. That number drops to about 28% at the quarterback position and 9% at the head coaching level.

Similarly, only 9% of the general managers in the league are Black.

Most importantly: none of the 32 owners are Black. The more influential a job is in the NFL, the less likely you are to see a Black person holding it.

This is the backdrop for Brian Flores’ league-shaking class-action lawsuit filed last week. In a 58 page document, Flores and his legal team detail the racial discrimination he and other coaches have faced. This included his undue firing by the Miami Dolphins despite being the first head coach for the team to have back-toback winning seasons in 18 years. It also included a meeting with the Denver Broncos in which the team’s executives arrived late and hungover to perform a sham interview. Perhaps most importantly,

Flores shared screenshots of a text conversation with Bill Belicheck which revealed the New York Giants had already selected their next head coach well before Flores had even gotten a chance to complete his scheduled interview with the team.

Shortly after Flores’ lawsuit was announced, the NFL released a statement saying the lawsuit was “without merit.” Conveniently enough, within two hours the league had investigated itself and determined that it was not racist.

In 2019, the league settled with Colin Kaepernick after he was blackballed by racist owners for protesting racial inequality. It took the league until 2020 to rename the Washington Commanders from its previous racial slur. In 2021, the league had to settle after it was proven their dementia testing program assumed Black players naturally had lower cognitive abilities than their white counterparts, costing the Black players hundreds of thousands of dollars that were desperately needed for

treatment.

At the center of this new controversy is the Rooney Rule. Established in 2003 in the wake of the unfair firings of a pair of successful Black coaches, the rule required teams to interview at least one candidate who was a person of color for their open head coach position. The rule was a failure before the ink even dried. There was nothing to stop racist owners from simply interviewing people of color candidates with no intention to hire them. The Rooney Rule created the perfect shield for owners to hide behind while also claiming that the league was a “color-blind meritocracy.”

A league where 34% of head coaches are related to another coach is not a meritocracy. A league where Adam Gase gets multiple head coaching gigs, but Eric Biehenemy languishes on the Chief’s sidelines waiting for the opportunities his white predecessors received is not a meritocracy.

A league where more head coaches have the first name Mike than are people of color is

not a meritocracy.

One part of Flores’ allegations, the accusation that Dolphins owner Stephen Ross offered him $100k a loss to tank the season, touches on how disposable the NFL views Black coaches.

Many Black coaches are only hired when ownership of a team believes a team has no chance of shortterm success. These coaches do their best with bare-bone rosters and apathetic ownership, only for the team to fire them when they inevitably cannot meet the impossible goals set for them. A third of all “one-anddone” coaches since the Rooney Rule was implemented have been Black coaches, despite making up a tiny fraction of all head coaches in the league during that time.

One such “one and done” Black coach was David Culley.

Hired to helm a historically untalented Texan team in 2021, Culley exceeded expectations but was still fired at the end of the season. The Texans began a tumultuous coaching search that resulted in two final candidates:

Josh McCown and Brian Flores.

Josh McCown, who is white, is a former-NFL quarterback with no NFL coaching experience. He is not even the head coach for the high school football team for which he works.

Despite Flores being significantly more qualified, reporting from NFL insiders indicates the Texans were on the verge of hiring McCown before the league intervened.

Sports are a reflection of the societies who watch them.

Flores’ case goes well beyond the Xs and Os of football and carries into the field of American life. The NFL is not the only place that Black activists face unfair punishment, nor the only place where Black Americans do not get proper access to healthcare.

Not addressing systemic racism and claiming you’re a meritocracy is as American as apple pie and well…football.

Brian Flores very well might never get another job in the NFL, something he bravely acknowledges. Despite ostensibly being the last candi-

date standing for the Texans’ job, the team hired a different Black coach, one who wasn’t taking a public stand against discrimination.

Flores may have been more qualified than Lovie Smith, but he was far less palatable to a notoriously problematic Texans ownership. Smith – who the team was considering firing as their defensive coordinator just weeks ago – is just another in a long line of tokenistic scapegoats sacrificed for the sins of inept white executives.

Until people such as Flores, both in terms of character and racial background, are well-represented at every level of the NFL, the league will always be unequal and lesser for it. The NFL remains a stark lesson in the discrimination Black Americans face.

If Black Americans cannot find equitable treatment in a league that is 70% Black, there is no place Black Americans will find equitable treatment in this country.

Yik Yuck: Cyberbullying reignited in new popular app Sydney Jackson Contributor There is a new form of cyberbullying that students at the University of Maine are falling victim to. Yik Yak, an app that allows users to create and view discussion boards anonymously within a 5-mile radius, has skyrocketed in popularity in the last year. Posts from this app have appeared on multiple UMaine meme Instagram accounts and usually talk about events that have happened in Orono or at UMaine.

Some posts are as harmless as asking what flavors of rushes are out at Aroma Joes or a simple joke about the number of pot-

holes strewn throughout UMaine’s campus.

However, some posts are concerning, where people are slandering their fellow peers. Yik Yak, which is similar to Ask.fm, was originally launched in 2013 and relaunched in 2021.

Perhaps there was a reason that it was discontinued.

Vanessa Dunn, a fourth-year student at UMaine and a faculty member at the New Balance Student Recreation Center, has been a recipient of slandering posts on the app.

“There have been a few posts about me that started out more innocent and then started getting a little more concerning,”

Dunn said. “The first couple of posts did not use my name but referred to the blonde trainer at the rec and was showing interest in her, and I was the assumed person in that post. I didn’t think much of those posts, other than feeling weird about the idea of people watching me while I was working out. Then a couple of weeks later, posts were made about me using my name, saying that they were watching my social media and learning everything they could about me. This made me extremely uncomfortable because I felt like I had to go through my social media and make sure everything was private and didn’t

feel safe without knowing who was watching me.”

Approximately 4 in 10 Americans have personally experienced online harassment as a whole and 62% consider it a major problem, according to Pew Research Center.

People need to remember that these posts, like the ones Dunn is referring to, are being made about real people. People are being named and talked horribly about without knowing who is saying these things or how to get the post taken down. Yes, there are upvotes and downvotes which rank the popularity of the posts as well as a space for comments or respons-

es to the post, but usually by the time the post is actually taken down the damage is already done.

“The thing that any app creator has to understand is that if you’re letting people post stuff anonymously, it is going to go in a bad direction regardless of intent,” Dunn said.

There needs to be more productive guidelines and regulations put into place regarding safety and language when using the app. It is the responsibility of the app creator and the company behind the app to regulate what is being said and to quickly remove any slandering posts in order to ensure a safe

online community for everyone.

83% of young people believe social media companies should be doing more to tackle cyberbullying on their platforms, according to DoSomething.org.

Yik Yak is reigniting a toxic cyberbullying culture amongst UMaine students. There is already so much hatred in the world, especially within social media apps that already exist. Creating an app that is completely anonymous and has little to no regulation of what is posted is irresponsible on the part of the app creator and those that continue to run it. Yik Yak should have stayed in 2013.

Culture Monday, February 14, 2022

Culture • A7

The Maine Campus

Understanding COVID-19 at the Versant Power Astronomy Center

Bethany Rozzi Contributor On Feb. 11, the Versant Power Astronomy Center at the University of Maine hosted the Science Lecture Series event “COVID: Alpha and Delta and Omicron, Oh My!!” Dr. Benjamin King presented on behalf of the research he is doing alongside Dr. Melissa Maginnis, who was unable to attend the event. This detailed presentation explained the importance of genome technology in making medical advancements and understanding the transmission and course of viral infection including the SARS-CoV-2 virus.

King explained how in February of 2014 researchers were able to characterize a complete human genome with $1,000 worth of chemical reagents, but over time the technology has become more affordable. This breakthrough was transformative because it allows researchers to advance their studies in human disease.

King’s lab, in collaboration with the Northern Maine Medical Center, is studying chronic kidney disease using genome technology.

“In the lab we are surveying the entire genome, looking at different locations of the genome and looking for alleles that correspond with individuals with chronic kidney disease, who would have a version of that gene that is different from those without kidney disease,” King said.

What makes this technology even more transformative is that you can sample DNA from almost anything ranging from insects to frozen tissue.

“Certainly with the nature of the pandemic that we are still currently in, one of the really amazing things that’s been done is to use this $1,000 genome technology to sequence the SARSCoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19,” King said.

The genomes in the SARS-CoV-2 virus dif-

Photo by Brinley Martell. fers from that of human genomes because it is composed of RNA instead of DNA. In light of this sequencing technology, researchers are able to convert the RNA into DNA, making it possible for them to sequence it.

King took some time to explain how researchers were able to go about sequencing the first coronavirus genome that appeared in China in January of 2020.

“They had a little baby illumina sequencer called a MiniS-

eq, this sequencer at the time cost about $50,000 … it is great but not tremendous,” King said. “It can’t generate as many sequencing readings as the other instrument (Illumina NovaSeq 6000).

The one that I showed you earlier costs more than $1 million to purchase, and every time you run it, it might cost $15,000. What the group did was take a sample from the lung of a sick patient …

They extracted the RNA from that sample … and while they were

doing that, they were also extracting RNA from human cells. They generated over 28 million reads and found that only 100,000 of them align.”

This research can help survey the SARSCoV-2 virus as it evolves and changes, allowing us to be aware of the prevalence of specific variants in different countries. It also allows us to monitor the different variants as they appear.

While COVID-19 is still relatively new, King’s experience with

studying genomes is not. Before working at UMaine, King led bioinformatics core facilities at MDI Biological Laboratory and The Jackson Laboratory.

He has conducted a variety of research including using zebrafish and genome technology to get a closer look at how the immune system responds to Influenza A.

Expect the unexpected: Improv In Sanity holds performance in Black Box Theatre

Emme Aylesworth Contributor

On Friday, Feb. 11, the University of Maine’s improvisation performance group Improv In Sanity performed at 7 p.m. in the Black Box Theatre in the Class of 1944 Hall.

Over the course of 40 minutes, members of the audience had the opportunity to get involved with the silliness that occured on stage.

Jonathan Donnelly, the president of the troupe, talked about how the audience is crucial to their successful performances.

“Everything on stage starts with an idea from the audience—that could be a character, a setting, a situation or something completely out of the blue,” Donnelly said.

Improvisation, also known as improv, is a form of unscripted comedy that is generated from prompts and audience suggestions.

Improv is different from a regular comedy show where the shows are scripted and each audience hears the same jokes.

“The audience can get a lot more involved in the fun, and even help steer the show,” Donnelly said. “With improv, you get a show that has never happened before and will

never happen again because there is no script at all.”

This means that audiences can attend multiple performances without ever experiencing the same joke twice.

With only a concept or an idea to work off of, it is very common for improv shows to get wild. Because of the audience participation, the performers always expect the unexpected.

“The unexpected moments are the best part of improv!” Donnelly said. “The funniest things always start with an improviser’s brain completely misfiring or an audience member completely throwing us for a loop.”

Audience members can get creative with their suggestions that causes even the performers to break character.

“One of my favorite unexpected moments happened last year. We often played a game called blind lines, where audience members write out lines on pieces of paper that we have to pick up and use on the spot,” Donnelly said. “During one show, one of us picked up and said the line ‘I’m gonna punch the kid in the boot.’

She looked up, and was eye-to-eye with an audience member

Photo by Olivia Schanck. who had broken his ankle. Seeing her face drop as she looked at him was priceless, and everybody in the room, audience and cast, completely lost it.”

Improv is not just all fun and games, but about teamwork and collaboration. It can help the performers formulate valuable skills that can be used on and off stage.

“The goal of an improviser is always to make the other people in their scene look good, which means you have to really hear and support other

people’s ideas,” Donnelly said. “That’s a great skill for any setting—it can be difficult to hold back your own thoughts to give other people a platform—but it makes teamwork so much easier! If you can improv, you can work with and talk with anybody.”

Donnelly has been a part of the comedy troupe since his firstyear at UMaine.

“I’d never done improv before, but it seemed like fun so I gave auditioning a shot,” Donnelly said.

“I somehow got in, and have had an ab-

solute blast learning something new and hanging out with great people every day in the group.”

There are two parts that make up Improv In Sanity. They have their regular club that meets every Friday from 5 to 6:30 p.m. in the Black Box Theatre, and they also have their audition-based performance group.

“Auditions happen at the beginning of each semester, and typically consist of running the auditioning folk through a few games with some performers to see how

they play together, how well they listen and what they bring to the group in general,” Donnelly said.

“We love new people, and would be happy to welcome anybody interested.”

The comedy troupe performs twice a month. The next show will be on Feb. 26 at 6 p.m. You can find them on Instagram at @improvinsanity and on Facebook at Improv In Sanity for upcoming performances or questions about the troupe.

A8• Culture

The Maine Campus

Monday, February 14, 2022

‘Terra Nova’ emphasizes the power and drive of the human spirit

Photo by David Jakacky.

MK Jones Contributor On Feb. 11 at 7:30 p.m., the first performance of the play “Terra Nova” took place in Hauck Auditorium at the University of Maine.

“Terra Nova” is a play that follows Captain Robert Falcon Scott, real-life explorer who attempts to

get to the South Pole before his Norwegian rival, Roald Amundsen.

Scott uses his rivalry with the Norwegian to push himself forward and to never stop trying to make it to the South Pole. Scott had unrelenting resolve, even though his rival has the benefit of traveling using sled dogs while his own team drags their heavy

equipment on foot.

This sense of self confidence, purity and heroism is what attracted Julie Lisnet, the director of this theater production, to cast “Terra Nova.”

“It’s about adventure and risking your life,” Lisnet said. “It’s so compelling to me.”

Scott and his exploration party experience hardships at sub-ze-

ro temperatures, toeing the line of safety.

Scott’s attitude is infectious, and the men on board this expedition are just as motivated as their captain.

Lisnet’s cast is very passionate about this performance and wants the audience to follow these men on their expedition. That desire is reflected in their performance.

They perfectly display the desperation to make it out alive.

“You don’t walk out of the theater horribly depressed,” Lisnet said. “You walk out thinking, ‘Wow, the human spirit really is something amazing.’”

“Terra Nova” has four performances left.

From Feb. 17 to 19 it will be performed in the Hauck Auditori-

um at 7:30 p.m. There will also be a Sunday matinee on Feb. 20 at 2 p.m. Lisnet recommends wearing a couple of layers, because the actors are in layers like they were exploring the South Pole. Though it won’t be freezing inside, it is wise to bundle up just in case.

#YouMaine: Fourth-year student anticipates continuing her studies and pursuing her dreams after graduation Meaghan Bellavance

Culture Editor

Fourth-year University of Maine student, Savanna Smith-D’Addio, is finally approaching her graduation day after a long journey of finding herself during her undergraduate academic career. While it has been a tenuous road of determining her hopes and aspirations, she has finally found where she belongs.

Smith-D’Addio grew up spending her time split between North Carolina and southern Florida. In 2016, she made the decision to move north and see what Maine’s culture

had to offer.

“I just really needed a change of scenery,” Smith-D’Addio said. “I wanted to be around more like-minded individuals, as well as to live somewhere that was outdoor-oriented and focused. I was completely unfamiliar with the area, and just really wanted to live in a place that I knew I would be able to find community and a sense of belonging.”

At UMaine, Smith-D’Addio studies anthropology, environmental ethics and women, gender, and sexuality studies. After taking time off from school to figure out

what means the most to her, she now focuses on studying and advocating for what she is passionate about.

“I have always had an interest in learning about others and about other cultures, traditions and identities,” Smith-D’Addio said. “It’s something important to me as my own family had immigrated to the U.S., but I would say my biggest driving factor would be my longing to travel and to learn about others. I’m really proud of my degree, and I’m really excited to have it in my hands very soon because it’s the perfect culmination of

who I am.”

Smith-D’Addio is the vice president of the Anthropology Club on campus, and is the former president of the Phi Sigma Pi national co-ed honors fraternity. Additionally, she is a legal assistant for UMaine’s campus attorney, and is a Trio SSS coach.

Outside of her studies, Smith-D’Addio spends most of her free time in Acadia National Park and Schoodic Peninsula. She enjoys hiking, camping and embracing the outdoors in western Maine as well.

After graduation this coming May,

Smith-D’Addio is planning to study abroad in Scotland or Croatia to earn her master’s degree in anthropology.

Further into the future she hopes to earn her Ph.D and become a professor.

“My end goal would be to hopefully become a professor and conduct applied anthropological research,” Smith-D’Addio said. “I would also really like to do advocacy work or non-profit work regarding environmental concerns for policy or the legal realm. Overall, I’d like to be able to teach and share my knowledge and my experiences with others.”

With graduation in sight and a bright future ahead of her, Smith-D’Addio remains determined to finish out her undergraduate career strong-minded and optimistic.

“I look forward to chasing my dreams relentlessly and unapologetically, and beginning to pursue graduate school and international travel,” Smith-D’Addio said.

“I’m just really excited to welcome the experience of connecting with so many others.”

Monday, February 14, 2022

Reviews• A9

The Maine Campus

Spoiler alert: Netflix original series ‘You’ provokes anticipation for a fourth season Bethany Rozzi Contributor 5/5 Stars The Netflix original series “You” is nothing short of a twisted and suspenseful treat for those who prefer on the edge of their seats. This psychological thriller is currently made up of three seasons, but the puzzling ending to season three has people itching for the fourth season, which will hopefully be released soon.

The most recent seasons star Penn Badgley as Joe Goldberg and Victoria Pedretti as Love Quinn, Joe Goldberg’s love interest and later his wife. The dynamic between Goldberg and Quinn is an unbalanced combination of passion, infatuation,

love and hate, which all seems to boil down to one thing: together, they are dangerous.

Notable actors who also appear in the series include Elizabeth Lail as Guinevere Beck, Shay Mitchell as Peach Salinger and Tati Gabrielle as Marienne Bellamy.

The series centers around Goldberg, a young man who has a love for books and a tendency to fall a bit too hard for the girls that catch his eye.

Really though, he is a stalker, and an extremely dangerous one at that. Willing to go to the extreme lengths to get as close to his love interests as he can, Goldberg finds himself breaking into other people’s homes, kidnapping and murdering anyone that stands in his way.

In the first season, Goldberg obsesses over Beck, a young aspiring writer. In the second season, he becomes infatuated with Quinn, a baker who eventually becomes his wife and proves herself to be just as insane as he is. The third season sees the newly married couple navigate through their violent and dangerous habits as parents in a suburban neighborhood, all while trying to cover up their evergrowing trail of dead bodies and missing people. Eventually, the trail leads somewhere that you wouldn’t expect.

This series shows that Netflix knows exactly how to keep you coming back for more.

The series is narrated mostly by Goldberg himself, placing the au-

Photo via forbes.com. dience directly inside the mind of the person that you want to hate the most, creating a show that allows for an intense viewing experience.

The setting of “You” has changed every season so far, with the first one being set

in New York City, the second one in Los Angeles and the third one in Madre Linda, California. It is presumed that the fourth season will take place in Paris, France.

“You” is thought-provoking and thrilling. The writers of

“You” seem to know how to stay just a half step ahead of you.

Close enough to where you think you predicted everything, but far enough ahead to create a twist that you never saw coming.

‘Mad Men’ is still well-worth the watch

Photo via comicbook.com.

Emme Aylesworth Contributor 4.5/5 Stars The BBC listed “Mad Men” at number two on their 100 Greatest TV Series of the 21 Century. At first, it might be surprising to see “Mad Men” listed above “Breaking Bad,” which was listed at number three, followed closely by “Game of Thrones” at number

five. However, the reason for the show’s high spot is likely due to the writers’ creativity.

The show follows both the advertising industry of the 1960s and the life of the charismatic, selfmade man Don Draper, played by Jon Hamm.

Hamm manages to get the audience to both hate him and fall in love with him over and over again with every

sip of whisky and puff of his cigarette.

The show is praised for its authenticity of history where the misogyny that we now know encapsulated the 1960s impacts how the characters act.

Men are in positions of power and let that influence how they treat the women in their workplace. However, as time passes, the show starts to depict

the changing societal movements of the 60s.

Characters react to the deaths of John F. Kennedy and Martin Luther King Jr., capturing the cultural zeitgeist of these historical events.

Likewise, the show also represents the progression of societal norms throughout the 60s. For example, a character swears and it is censored early in the show, but later in

that season, the same character swears but is not censored. The show also touches on subjects of homosexuality in the 60s as well as mental health.

One storyline involves a character coming to terms with one of his friends forgetting who he was due to electric shock therapy. The female characters, who were originally sidelined, break workplace

norms and are eventually recognized for all of the hard work they have contributed to the advertising industry.

By the time “Mad Men” concluded its final season, the show received 16 Emmys for its successful historical portrayals.

National Holidays: Feb. 14 through Feb. 18 Corin Proctor Contributor Read up on this week’s national holiday lineup that is sure to reflect the season of love.

Monday: Valentine’s Day Feb. 14 is Valentine’s Day. Whether you’re single or coupled up for the holiday, it’s a day for flowers, chocolate and love.

Fortunately, there is no wrong way to celebrate.

A popular nickname for this day is “Galentine’s Day,” which recenters the holiday away from romantic relationships and allows for people to spend the day with friends. Single or not, love is for all, so make sure you make the best of it. Feb. 14 is also

Read to Your Child Day, National Pet Theft Awareness Day and National Donor Day. Tuesday: Singles Awareness Day Ironically, the national holiday following Valentine’s Day is Singles Awareness Day. Although it may be an unofficial holiday, one can understand why it was created in the first place. People who are single on Valentine’s Day need some love as well. It’s a nice reminder that it is okay to not be in a romantic relationship. Take this as an opportunity to celebrate your single-ness and the freedom that comes with it! Take a solo trip to the mall, splurge on a take out meal for one or watch your favorite movie that no else can

stand. Enjoy the perks of being single for a day. Feb. 15 is also National Wisconsin Day, World Hippo Day and Tourism Day. Wednesday: Do a Grouch a Favor Day Are you or someone you know still down in the dumps after Valentine’s Day? If you are that grouch in question, then take advantage of this holiday. It is a wonderful way to get out of that slump and practice some self-love, or extend it to others. Have coffee with someone who might need that little pick-me-up, or hold open a door for a stranger. Feb. 16 is also Innovation Day and National Almond Day. Thursday: Random Act of Kindness Day

Photo via britannica.com.

Today is all about caring for others. Do something special for those you love with a random act of kindness. Random Act of Kindness Day was first established in 1995 by the nonprofit Random Acts Of Kindness Foundation.

Celebrate today by paying it forward by buying a stranger’s lunch in the Bear’s Den or by planning a special game night with friends.

Thursday is also National Cabbage Day, My Way Day and World Human Spirit Day.

Friday: National Pluto Day Friday is National Pluto Day which celebrates our beloved dwarf planet at the edge of our solar system. The planet was officially discovered

by Clyde William Tombaugh in 1930 after disturbances around the planet Neptune were detected. Only two thirds the size of Earth, Pluto was labeled a dwarf planet in 2006 and was removed from the common Solar System model. Celebrate National Pluto

day by researching similar dwarf planets or the Roman god of the underworld, from which Pluto gets its name. Friday is also Thumb Appreciation Day, National Crab Stuffed Flounder Day and National Battery Day. All holidays were found on nationaltoday.com. Be sure to keep up to date with our regularly featured holidays featured both on our Instagram @ themainecampus and website.

Sports A10• Sports

The Maine Campus

Monday, February 14, 2022

Greenwood arrest once again gives rise for discussion of sexual misconduct in soccer

Michael Corrado Contributor

The world of soccer has recently seen a rise in sexual harassment and assault cases as victims are speaking out in waves against their abusers on a near weekly basis.

Most recently, international forward Mason Greenwood, who plays for Manchester United, has been arrested on suspiscion of sexual assault. An audio recording and photographic evidence provided to the media by Harriet Robson via her personal Instagram, who claimed she had been abused by Greenwood, showcased her various bruises, cuts and scars.

Within a few hours of this news reaching the mainstream channels, conversations around Greenwood exploded, with many calling for the immediate release and termination of his contract.

Manchester United released a statement after the evidence was released.

“Manchester United reiterates its strong condemnation of violence of any kind,” a spokesperson for Manchester United stated. “As previously

communicated, Mason Greenwood will not train with, or play for the club until further notice.”

The footballer was arrested earlier in January on the suspicion he had committed rape and assault, but was released on bail pending a further investigation.

In response to the story breaking, Greenwood’s largest sponsor, Nike, announced they would be cutting ties and refraining from any future endorsements involving him.

Additionally, Manchester United’s partner, Cadbury, who Greenwood had done promotional work for, announced they too would be suspending their relationship with the Englishman. One of the club’s sponsors, DHL, also announced they ended their relationship with him. He was also subsequently removed from all modes of the newest title in the FIFA video game series, FIFA 22.

Greenwood is only one of the many men who have sexual assault allegations against them. In the Netherlands, Marc Overmars has recently stepped down from his position as the sport-

ing director of Ajax.

The former Dutch player played with Ajax, Arsenal and FC Barcelona, which elevated him to his status as one of the greatest Dutch footballers in world history, before accepting his position as the sporting director in 2012.

Reports of Overmars stepping down began to surface just after the allegations against Greenwood were released. Chairman Edwin Van Der Sar revealed that Overmars sent explicit messages to female colleagues around the club, creating an uncomfortable work environment and a very clear conflict of interest.

Unlike Greenwood, Overmars issued a statement. “Last week I was confronted with reports about my behavior,” Overmars said. “And how this has come across to others. Unfortunately, I didn’t realize that I was crossing the line with this, but that was made clear to me in recent days. For someone in my position, this behavior is unacceptable. I now see that too. But it is too late. I see no other option but to leave Ajax.”

Manchester City

left back and French international Benjamin Mendy has multiple allegations against him, with reports claiming that he raped or abused five different women on eight separate occasions from October 2020 to August 2021.

Mendy spoke out to deny the initial allegations, until more reports came out and individuals stepped forward.

The Frenchman was arrested in August and held in custody until he was released on bail this past January due to multiple postponements within the cycle of the trial. It was reported that Mendy will most likely have to wear an ankle monitor and remain on house arrest until June.

In the U.S. Timbers midfielder Andy Polo was cited for harassing his wife at their home during an argument that required police intervention in May of last year. While there has not been any confirmation of charges against Polo, his partner, Genesis Alarcon, claimed to have an audio recording of an altercation with him where he issued threats and assaulted her, though that clip has not been released

to the public.

Polo had his contract terminated by the Timbers earlier this year in regards to additional details that had surfaced, including images of a black eye and reports of hair-pulling.

Another U.S. team faced allegations in 2015. Portland Thorns head coach Paul Riley attempted to coerce some of his own players into various sexual acts. Notably, Riley had tried to get former players Mana Shim and Sinead Farrelly to kiss each other in front of him while with the club, a claim that the two made last year. In addition, the two claimed Riley sent them inappropriate photos and greeted one of his players in only his underwear at a private film session.

Farrelly said that Riley attempted the very same thing at a previous club where she had been a player.

Riley was removed from his post with the Thorns following the news, but the inaction on Portland’s part to disclose the reason for his removal led to his hiring by the NC Courage, before he too was fired by the team after news broke in October 2021 of his misconduct

in Portland. While the Portland Thorns suspended their general manager Gavin Wilkinson for his failure to protect his players, the call has not been made yet for chairman and owner Merritt Paulson to step down from his post. Social media posts surfaced once The Athletic released their piece on Riley from Paulson praising what Riley had been doing in North Carolina, before they were swiftly deleted from Twitter. Thorns fans responded to the news going public by orchestrating an in-stadium boycott, refusing to purchase concessions or merchandise, and chanting “protect our players” for the duration of an entire match.

It’s clear that sexual harassment and assault are prevalent issues in the soccer community, as there are countless other stories of abuse and pain committed by players. Holding these men accountable is the only way to change this cycle of abuse, and we must support these victims when allegations surface.

Satchel Paige becomes the first Negro League player to enter the Hall of Fame Dalton Bartlett Contributor On Feb. 9, 1973, one of the greatest baseball players of all time was elected into the Baseball Hall of Fame. Satchel Paige became the first Negro League player in the history of baseball to get elected to the Hall of Fame.

People who watched Satchel Paige pitch say he was one of the greatest pitchers of all time. He pitched an estimated 2,600 innings, had more than 200 wins and more than 2,100 strikeouts, not including games in the Negro Leagues that went unrecorded, in a career that spanned five decades.

Paige started his career in the Negro Leagues with the Chattanooga Black Lookouts in 1926, earning just $250 a month. He showed early signs of his immense talent by throwing nine strikeouts over six innings against the Atlanta Black Crackers.

After his stint with the Black Lookouts, Paige bounced around multiple teams, including a stint in Cuba,

Mexico, the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico. In 1934 with the Pittsburgh Crawfords, he had his best season going 14–2 in league games with 2.16 runs per game, while recording 144 strikeouts and only giving up only 26 walks.

Paige finally found a team to stick with, the Kansas City Monarchs.

In his second stint with the team, he became the unquestioned ace of the team and led the Monarchs to three straight titles from 1939 to 1941.

On Paige’s 42nd birthday, he was finally signed by an MLB team in the Cleveland Indians, making him the oldest rookie in baseball history. He was the first African American pitcher in the American League and the seventh African American to join the MLB. Paige made it to the world series during his first season in the MLB while having a 1.33 era, helping the Indians win the World Series in Paige’s only world series appearance. He finished his rookie season with a 2.48 ERA, two shut-

Graphic by David Jakacky. outs, 43 strikeouts and 22 walks. After an ownership change in the offseason, Paige was released.

After returning to the Negro Leagues with the Stars, he eventually returned to the MLB, this time with the St. Louis Browns. Paige had six shutout innings in his first game back, but gave up three runs in the seventh. He finished his first season back with a 3-4 record and a 4.79 ERA. The following season for Paige proved to be his best one yet, playing in more games than years previous, having a 12– 10 record with a 3.07 ERA and making it to

the All-Star game. The following season for Paige was not a good year, where he finished with a 3-9 record and a 3.53 ERA. After that season, he was released after another ownership change.

Paige was signed for one game by the Kansas City Athletics at age 59 to pitch one final game.

Paige was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1971. He was not the first African American to make the Hall of Fame as Jackie Robinson and Roy Campanella were inducted before him, but he was the first to get elected thanks to his play

in the Negro Leagues.

Paige paved the way for other Negro League players to get elected as he was followed by Josh Gibson, Oscar Charleston and Cool Papa Bell, among others.

“Inside this building are plaques dedicated to baseball men of all generations, and I’m privileged to join them,” Paige said during his Hall of Fame Speech. “And I hope that someday the names of Satchel Paige and Josh Gibson in some way can be added as a symbol of the great Negro players that are not here only because they were not

given a chance.”

Satchel Paige will always be remembered for his excellence on the field and his great personality off the field. Still, his most significant contribution to the game is proving that Negro League players are just as deserving of a chance as their white counterparts, and it is partially thanks to him for breaking down that barrier.

Monday, February 14, 2022

Sports• A11

The Maine Campus

Black Bears at the Olympics Patrick Silvia Sports Editor It is an exciting time in sports as the 2022 Winter Olympics are taking place in Beijing, China. It is even more exciting to see eight former Black Bears competing in the games. Two current and three former UMaine women’s hockey players, one former men’s hockey player and two former track and field athletes are participating in the global competition.

The two current Black Bears in Beijing are third-year defender Amalie Andersen of Denmark and second-year forward Rahel Enzler of Switzerland. Andersen is also joined by former Black Bear Michelle Weis on team Denmark, while two Black Bear alumni, Tereza Vanišová and Vendula Přibylová, are representing the Czech Republic.

Denmark has already been eliminated from the women’s hockey competition.

Starting in group B,

Denmark would have had to place in the top three of the five teams in their group. When the dust settled on round robin play within the group, Denmark sat in last place after only winning one of their four games. They started off with backto-back losses against China and Japan, while their lone win came against the Czech Republic before losing to Sweden in their final game of the group stage. Weis showed up twice on the scoresheet, picking up a goal and an assist over the four games.

As for Vanišová, Přibylová and the Czech Republic, they fared a bit better, finishing with two wins and an overtime loss in their four group stage games, which was good enough to place second in group B and earned them an appearance in the quarterfinals. In the quarterfinals, the Czech Republic fell to the USA 4-1, ending their run. Vanišová had a spectacular showing,

Graphic by David Jakacky. tallying two goals and four assists over five games.

The lone UMaine women’s hockey player still alive in the tournament is Enzler on team Switzerland. The team struggled in their group stage, finishing last in group A. However, every team in group A was guaranteed a spot in the quarterfinals due to their global rank. Switzerland took advantage of the rare opportunity and upset Russia 4-2 to advance to the semifinals. It will

be an uphill battle as they take on the tournament favorite Canada in the semifinals on Monday, Feb. 14.

In the men’s hockey, the lone representative for the Black Bears is Adrián Holešinský of Slovakia. Holešinský played for UMaine from 2017-2020 and now plays professionally for NK Nitra of the Slovak Extraliga.

Slovakia earned one win during the group stage, and are currently awaiting the results of other games to see

who they play first in the knockout rounds, which begin on Tuesday Feb. 15.

The other UMaine athletes in Beijing are former track and field athletes Frank Del Duca and James Reed, both representing team USA on the bobsled. Reed and Del Duca were on the track and field team together at UMaine and are now on the 4-man bobsled team together. Del Duca also competes in the 2-man bobsled competition. The

men’s 2-man heats begin on Monday Feb. 14 and the 4-man heats begin on Saturday Feb. 19.

Hopefully one of these athletes can take home a medal, but even if they do not, they have made the Black Bear nation proud regardless. It is an accomplishment and an honor for these athletes to represent their home countries on the biggest athletics stage in the world.

UMaine women’s basketball takes down Albany in thriller at The Pit

Photo by Olivia Schanck.

Michael Corrado Contributor Coming off of their fifth straight victory, the University of Maine women’s basketball team welcomed the State University of New York at Albany to The Pit. The matchup featured two of America East’s top teams, with UMaine sitting at third seed with a 11-10 record and Albany at the second seed with a 16-6 record.

Early on in the matchup, Albany looked to have the upper hand. A quick three pointer and a score off of a Black Bear turnover put UMaine down 5-0, but first-year guard Paula Gallego put two easy buckets under the basket to close the gap to one point at 5-4. From there on out, third-year

guard Anne Simon and second-year guard Alba Orois were critical in orchestrating the offense for the home side, while Albany’s second-year guard Kayla Cooper caught fire from midrange.

While UMaine’s defense, led by fifth-year forward Maeve Carroll, was halting a majority of Albany’s shot attempts from falling, their inability to corral rebounds on the defensive glass led to a multitude of second chance opportunities for Albany. Thankfully, Albany gathered only two points off of their ferocity on the offensive boards, a nod to the excellent recovery defense head coach Amy Vachon’s Black Bears put on display.

With the first half coming to a close, Simon started her own

battle against Cooper, trading buckets up and down the court.

A big two from Simon capped off a 6-0 UMaine run and gave the Black Bears the lead at 21-20. The score also cemented Simon as one of only 22 individuals to have ever scored 1,000 points in a UMaine jersey, an accomplishment that warranted a rousing applause from the Orono faithful.

Cooper was the centerpiece for Albany’s offensive output, slicing her way through the UMaine defense on two consecutive possessions, culminating in an unreal no-look layup thrown behind her head to regain the lead for Albany with less than a minute to go in the first half. The Black Bears did not let Albany have the last

laugh though, when Carroll’s steal found Orois at the top of the key, where she calmly drained her only three pointer of the night to beat the buzzer and push UMaine’s lead at halftime to four, 31-27.

The second half started off like the first with Albany coming out swinging, tying the game at 31.

Second-year UMaine forward Caroline Bornemann did not let the game get away that easy though, nailing one of her two threes of the night to give UMaine a three-point advantage. After the sides traded buckets down low, Orois hit a three-pointer from deep to ignite the atmosphere at The Pit. Orois responded by finishing consecutive lay-ups on great dribble moves, before cap-

ping the third quarter off with a phenomenal spin-move into space to beat the buzzer with a lay-in to get UMaine’s back in the lead again, 45-43.

Orois put her distribution skills on display in the fourth, finding Gallego on multiple occasions down low and setting up Simon for critical buckets down the stretch. Bornemann put in her fair share as well, hitting a clutch three and a mid range shot to keep Albany at bay.

Again, Orois delivered the highlight play, driving to the hoop and running through an Albany defender, finishing her lay-up and earning a critical andone for her squad with a little over a minute to go. With UMaine’s defense continuing to stifle Albany’s shooters,

Simon made the most of her opportunity and nailed a corner three with less than a minute on the clock to go, extending their lead to seven, 62-55, as Albany called their final timeout.

On an ensuing foul, Albany missed both of their free throw attempts, allowing UMaine to run out the clock and put a bow on their sixth straight victory.

The result was huge for the team and a great all-around effort, with every member of the Black Bears’ starting five finishing the game in double figures. UMaine’s next home game will be against the University of Hartford on Wednesday Feb. 16 at 7 p.m.

A12• Sports

Monday, February 14, 2022

The Maine Campus

Two of the biggest NBA stars traded at the deadline

Graphic by David Jakacky.

Dalton Bartlett Contributor Another trade deadline is in the books, and just like any other year, a lot of rumors and big players were tossed around.

The Boston Celtics stole guard Derrick White from the San Antonio Spurs and lost guards Josh Richardson and Romeo Langford. While losing Richardson stings for the Celtics, acquiring White more than makes up for it and he should fit in well with Marcus Smart.

Before Boston even acquired White, it was widely known that they wanted to trade point guard Dennis Schroeder. They traded him alongside forward Bruno Fernando and cen-

ter Enes Freedom to the Houston Rockets for guard Daniel Theis.

Schroeder was expected to be traded, as he never was seen as a long-term option for the Celtics. Theis returns to Boston where he spent his first three and half years of his career.

The most significant trade of the deadline was James Harden getting dealt to the Philadelphia 76ers.

Harden wanted a trade out of Brooklyn, while the 76ers had star Ben Simmons wanting out as well, so the deal made sense for both sides. Along with Simmons, the Nets acquired Seth Curry, Andre Drummond and two first-round picks.

The 76ers acquired Paul Millsap as well,

but there is a good chance he will get bought out.

It will be interesting to see how 76ers star center Joel Embiid and Harden play together, considering Harden does not have a great track record with other superstar players. The two complement each other well in theory, so it could work out well for them. Simmons seems like an excellent fit for Brooklyn, and he should fit in well with Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving.

Even though the Indiana Pacers and the Sacramento Kings are not the best teams, they pulled off a significant trade of young stars.

The Pacers traded star power forward Domantas Sabonis along with guards

Justin Holiday, Jeremy Lamb and a 2023 second-round pick for guards Tyrese Haliburton, Buddy Hield and center Tristan Thompson.

Sabonis has long been linked to the Kings, so it is not surprising that he was traded there, but they had to give up Haliburton, which seems like a massive steal for the Pacers, who are rebuilding. Along with Hield, this trade might backfire on the Kings down the line.

Thanks to their surprise rise this season, the Cleveland Cavaliers were buyers at the trade deadline this year, picking up a nice piece in shooting guard Caris LeVert from the Pacers for Ricky Rubio, a first and

two second picks from this year’s draft.

Cleveland hopes LeVert will be the last piece to help the Cavaliers get to the playoffs this year. LeVert is a very good player, except he has had a long history of injuries, but this trade looks excellent for the Cavaliers if he can stay healthy.

While the Los Angeles Lakers were rumored all day to be trading star point guard Russell Westbrook back to the Houston Rockets for guard John Wall, the trade fell through. The Lakers only made one move, dumping backup point guard Rajon Rondo for the draft rights of Louis Labeyrie.

With the Lakers having many issues

with their team not being able to trade anyone, Rondo might come back to bite them as their best options are now looking at buyout candidates.

Still, for a team that already has major injury and age concerns, the buyout market will not help them out in that regard.

Time will tell how these trades work out, but as of right now, it looks like the Celtics, Pacers and Nets came out of this trade deadline looking way better than they did before, while teams like the Lakers not making any moves might come back to haunt them.

Time will tell though, and just like any sport, anything can happen from this time to the playoffs.

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