inside this issue:
University of Maine at Presque Isle Volume 42 Issue 11
Sail Away to the Past! Details on page 15
Western Tales! Details on page 9
Journalism for Northern Maine Visit us at utimes.umpi.edu
APRIL 25, 2014
A Hero in Our Midst Morgan Svitilo CONTRIBUTOR
How do you measure strength? Honestly, it can’t be measured. It’s an attribute that few are born with and even fewer develop. It’s an even harder attribute to hang on to when you have no idea if tomorrow you’re going to be at school or in the hospital. It’s strength that guides the life of Reynold Aurelle Brown. Brown was born in 1979 to Cheryl Lyons, who until three months of age had no idea her son was sick. Lyons stated, “At three months old the doctors told me Rey had Cystic Fibrosis, and that they didn’t think he was going to make it through the night.” Cystic Fibrosis (CF) is a disease that is passed genetically from parents to child from a defective gene. Brown had a 25% chance of contracting the disease, and did. It causes a thick, sticky mucus to build up in the lungs, digestive tract and other parts of his body. The thick mucus causes the lungs to clog up and leads to life-threatening lung infections. It also obstructs the pancreas in a way that stops it from being able to break down and absorb food. Due to all of the parts of his
body it affects, treatment for the disease did not come cheap. Lyons said, “When he was born I had to buy him special formula. It was $100 a week and in 1979 that was a lot.” Her strength as a parent with a child sick from CF poured over into Brown as he grew up. And now as you pass him in the hallway at school or on hole 9 at the golf course, you wouldn’t know he was sick unless he told you. Brown is now 34 years old and a sophomore at University of Maine at Presque Isle majoring in Business Management. He is the MVP for the UMPI Owls Golf Team and also was named to the Highest Honors on the Dean’s List last semester. He is accomplished, to say the least, but what is a day in his life really like? What don’t we see when we pass him in the hallway? Brown explains, “I do my treatment for an hour and then my three medications. Then I do my two inhalers and follow that with flushing my sinuses out. After that I need to take my vitamins, check my blood sugar, and take insulin if needed. Then at some point I need to go to the gym which is followed by yet another treatment before I go to bed.”
How can someone who goes through so much on a daily basis be so positive? Brown’s best friend Pat Mannetho stated, “Reynold’s positivity is something you aren’t going to find in
cellence in everything he does, which is why he has accomplished so much.” It’s hard to believe we have someone on campus that goes through this on a daily basis and holds his
a lot of people. I don’t think I’ve ever seen Reynold get down about his illness.” Brown’s on campus athletic trainer Pat Baker said, “Reynold has a very strong character, and he has a sense of determination that I have not seen in many other people. He strives for ex-
head high through all of it, the good and the bad. “It’s an inconsistent disease,” Brown states. “One day you can feel really good and the next day you feel like crap. Just because you are capable of doing something one day doesn’t
mean you will be able to do that tomorrow.” To say Brown is determined is an understatement; to say he is a hero is an even bigger understatement. Brown is hospitalized at least once a semester and still manages to make the Dean’s List. He puts everyone and everything else above himself, including the golf team. Brown said, “My determination with the illness definitely transferred over to my determination in wanting to be the best I can be at playing golf.” He has been more than an asset to the golf team here at UMPI and his teammates will agree. Mike Balmer said, “To play golf at the level Rey plays, there are many challenges an athlete must undertake both physically and mentally. However, the average golfer is not burdened with the challenge of difficult breathing, hours of daily treatments, and taking medications. Even with everything he goes through, he has always taken the time to discuss ‘my not so important’ challenges.”
See Hero, Page 4
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The University Times Staff Editor Nicole Duplessis Assistant Editor Stephanie Jellett Staff Writers Christopher Bowden Nicole Duplessis Stephanie Jellett Ben Pinette Katie York Contributors Kayla Ames Hannah Brilliant Rebecca Campbell Alex Csiernik Tia Anita Dee Matthew Glover Kelly Gumprecht Jason Hoyt Linda Schott Jim Stepp Morgan Svitila Emily Thibodeau Bobbi Wheaton
University Times
ampus
Hi Everyone! I hope everyone had a great Spring Break! Time is going by really fast and finals are sneaking up on us. Before we all know it, we’ll be on our much needed summer vacation! I know I’m ready for some sunshine, a break from the books and for all the snow to finally be gone! This time of year can be a very stressful one. It seems as though everything catches up with you, even if you’ve been on top of things all semester. It seems as though projects, papers, exams and other activities are all taking place at the same time. This can be overwhelming. I know I’m quite overwhelmed with all I have to do! With such a hectic schedule, I and everyone else need to find time to do something for ourselves. Getting out and doing something you enjoy can really help clear your mind. I have currently been spending a lot of time at Gentile. I have never been one to go to the gym, but it has been my getaway during the last couple of months. It’s a great way to keep in shape, and it surely relaxes me and releases the stress. Even if the gym isn’t your thing, there are many other things that can help relieve stress. Reading a book, scrapbooking or spending time with friends are all great ways to get your mind off the books and focused on yourself. - Nicole
April 25, 2014
Hello Everyone, This year seemed to pass by with a blink of the eye, didn’t it? Only a few short weeks separates me from graduation. It’s kind of scary to think about it, but at the same time, really, really exciting! I remember my first couple days on campus back in 2009 and was thinking of all the stuff I might do in the upcoming months and years here. When I look back, it makes me realize how much I’ve done in five years here. From juggling classes with projects and papers, to clubs and organizations I’ve been involved with, to making friends and losing friends, I’ve had some really great times and some that weren’t so great, but who hasn’t? I hope that all who are graduating this year made many memorable moments that they will cherish for their lifetimes. For my last remaining weeks at UMPI, I’m planning on finishing up assignments for classes and studying for finals. But, one thing I am doing is going to finally watch an UMPI baseball game! It’ll be my first game ever, so I’m really excited. They play on Tuesday, April 29 at 5 p.m. in Bangor, so if you’re free, I’d suggest going down and supporting our friends and fellow owls! See you around campus! -Stephanie
Dates fo r Sub mission s to the U Times Adviser Dr. J The U Times welcomes submissions from the campus. Send digital versions of articles, photos, etc., to utimes@maine.edu and jacquelyn.lowman@umpi.edu
A pr il 2 8 Any submissions received after a deadline will be published in the following issue. If you have any questions, please contact Dr. Lowman at 768-9745.
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Linda’s Letter Developing From Our Bedrock
Earlier this semester, I described the strategic planning process that has been taking place on campus. We are now concluding that process, and I would like to highlight the key initiative and goals that will guide UMPI’s development over the next five years. The plan has four strategic goals and one “bedrock” strategic initiative. The bedrock initiative will form the strong foundation on which we will build toward the four strategic goals. What is it that we consider so important we are labeling it “bedrock”? It is that UMPI must enable all employees to achieve their potential while also enhancing a sense of community and campus pride in all employees. If we are able to do this, we believe that our employees will provide the best service to students and community members and that they will
work hard and smart to make our university even stronger. Our first strategic goal is to “become a national leader in personalized and innovative 21st century education.” While there are several aspects to this goal, one critical one is the development of a Center for Innovative Learning in what is now known as the library. We envision a space where students and faculty members can work collaboratively to develop their skills and where all learners can move at the pace best suited to their learning. We even envision some fun additions to the space: a coffee shop and perhaps even some exercise equipment! The second strategic goal is to “recruit, retain, and graduate more students.” Campus resources will be best utilized and the quality of campus life enhanced if we have about 1,400 students enrolled. We will work
to recruit students from Aroostook County and the rest of
Linda Schott. Maine as well as from other states and nations. We recently lowered the tuition rate for out-
of-state and international students as a way of meeting this goal AND diversifying our campus population. We will also make it easier for students to enroll, register and pay their bills by locating all of those services on the second floor of Preble Hall. Finally, we plan to improve our residence halls and make our dining services more flexible. The third strategic goal is to contribute to workforce development in Aroostook County, the State of Maine and western New Brunswick by increasing the number of graduates who become employed and have successful careers, particularly in high demand fields. In addition to helping students gain essential skills needed to get and keep a job, UMPI will also partner with regional employers to provide short work experiences to UMPI students. Furthermore,
we will ask our alumni to help current students by serving as mentors and assisting with the networking that is so critical to landing a great position. The final strategic goal is for UMPI to become recognized as a high quality institution that stimulates economic development and provides meaningful service to Aroostook County, the State of Maine and western New Brunswick. Two exciting steps toward this goal will be (1) providing continuing professional development to employees throughout this region and (2) finding ways to make it easier for UMPI students to patronize Presque Isle businesses. Although it will take lots of hard work to achieve these goals by 2020, our university and our community will be stronger as a result. I look forward to the future that we will build together!
Summer Financial Aid If you are taking summer classes and are planning on applying for financial aid, please be aware that you should be applying now and that the process is somewhat different than applying for financial aid during the academic year. Here are a few things to remember when considering summer financial aid:
1. Your 2013-14 FAFSA must be on file with us; 2. The summer session is considered part of your 20132014 application year and as a
result, financial aid and loan eligibility may be limited or not available; 3. You must be in enrolled in an eligible UMPI degree program; 4. You must meet all Satisfactory Academic Progress requirements at the end of the Spring 2014 semester. 5. You’ll need to register for summer 2014 classes - a minimum of 6 credits will be required; 6. You’ll need to complete a summer financial aid resource worksheet which is available in the Financial Aid Office as well as the Houlton Center.
This form needs to be in the Aid Office no later than May 31st in order to be awarded aid for the summer; 7. If any of the courses you are planning to take are not UMPI courses, you will need to complete a Study Away Form (available in the Student Records Office) and have the course work approved by your academic advisor as well as the Director of Student Records. Please remember that you can only be awarded financial aid for courses that meet your degree requirements; 8. If the courses are not offered by the University of
Maine System, it will also be necessary for a Consortium Agreement to be completed. This process cannot be initiated until we have received your completed and approved Study Away Form; 9. Your request for summer financial aid will be reviewed. If you are eligible for summer aid you will be notified via email that your award has been posted and can be viewed on MaineStreet; 10. Financial aid summer budgets and awards are created based on each student’s specific summer class schedule. Any changes in a class sched-
ule and/or enrollment may result in an adjustment to your summer aid award. You are responsible for notifying the Financial Aid office of any changes in your summer enrollment plans; 11. Refund checks will not be issued until money has been received and a credit balance has been created on your student account. You can see this on MaineStreet. If you intend to request summer financial assistance please stop by the Financial Aid Office, or the Houlton Center to complete the Summer Resource Worksheet.
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J i m ’s J o u r n a l Oppor tun it i es I am writing this article a couple of days prior to University Day. Currently I am looking through the program schedule thinking what a great opportunity University Day provides for our students. Most students do class presentations, but not many have the opportunity to present in a conference style situation. University Day provides just that opportunity. Why is this important? After graduation many of our students will need to do presentations of some kind. These presentations may be related to the work you will be doing or they may be part of service you are providing. Throughout the country, college students get to do classroom style presentations, but these are not the same as standing in front of a group of
strangers and providing a presentation on material the audience may know little about. As many of you know, the university will be moving to proficiency based education. Students will have to demonstrate their knowledge. The presentations we see on University Day will become normal in the lives of our students. Think of how much these experiences will enrich your academic careers. Everyone has different interests. My interests usually draw me toward cultural and science oriented programs. Right now I am looking at possibly attending the following programs: The Witch Hunts; Where in the World is Beijing; Women and Sexuality in the Greco-Roman World; Student Trip to Tanzania; Concepts in Oceanography; and
Engaging Unmotivated Students in a Proficiency Based Education System. The University Day activities do present one major problem that is worth mentioning. With so many great presentations to see, how will you choose which ones to see? With the list of sessions I have above, many of them fall at the same time. Which one should I attend? I guess I will have to flip a coin. I hope all of you had a chance to get to some of the programs. University Day is a great event. Not many colleges give their students an opportunity to present their work in this manner. The University of Maine at Presque Isle is one of the few. I guess that is why we are North of Ordinary.
Jim Stepp.
Hero Continued from Page 1
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With everything he has seen and been through, he continues to fight. “The fact that I am constantly fighting something, it seems like everyday is an uphill battle,” Brown said. “It’s like you can never take a day off from it, its always there and you are always doing something to take care of yourself.” Brown does not sit idly by and do nothing to help find advancements in medicine for CF, and neither should you. May is CF Awareness Month and to show your support for people like Brown, you can do things like wear purple, or learn about
the disease and educate people. Also, on May 17 at 9:30 a.m. there is a walk for CF awareness starting at Riverside Park; come out and show your support! Brown is also participating in a golf tournament for CF research called Nell’s Challenge at TPC. People can go online and make donations in his name. Brown is always educating people, and he needs help in his fight. He doesn’t get a choice; he doesn’t get days off. He wakes up every day and fights the same battle, some days harsher than others. For that and everything else he has accomplished, he is a hero. Further more he is my brother, and I will always be in the fight against Cystic Fibrosis because I love my brother.
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A New Way to Write Emily Thibodeau CONTRIBUTOR
Have you ever found yourself struggling to write a paper? It takes a lot of time and effort choosing a topic, researching and then finally putting all your information together and passing it in. You might have questions that don’t get answered. Writing might not be your thing, or you might just need some extra help or advice. If you find
yourself struggling, or even if you just want a second opinion on what you’ve written, the writing center, located in South Hall on the UMPI campus, is a great resource. Derek Boudreau, a tutor at the writing center and UMPI student, says, “Everybody in the writing center is really friendly and helpful. The writing center is an important resource for anyone who is looking for a little extra help to polish work they’ve done on a paper. It gives students an opportunity to ask for advice from a peer and a second opinion on their work. It’s a great place to work, a great place to get involved and get the advice of a peer.” Having this resource on campus is very helpful in a lot of ways. There are many people who need extra help and
are not sure where to look. Some might not know where to turn or might be too shy to ask for help from a professor. Being able to come to the writing center and talk with a peer their age who is also a student on campus is a lot easier for many people. It’s also a great way to simply get a second opinion on a paper before you decide to turn it in for grading. Alexandra Johnson a 21-yearold UMPI student, said, “I wasn’t sure what to expect the first time I visited the writing center. I’ll admit that I came in at first because my teacher asked us to sign up, but I’m happy I did come in. It’s hard sharing your work with a stranger for the first time, but it ended up being a great experience. The writing center is a really good tool to have on campus. I found my visit to be really helpful and I
plan on going back again. It’s good to have someone to just talk to about what you’re working on and it helps a lot to get that second opinion when you’re not sure about something. Even if you’re just starting something and need someone to talk about it with, it’s a great help.” It can be hard and even scary to meet with someone you don’t know to ask for advice, but it can also help a lot. Seeing a tutor can open your eyes to new ideas and help you look at things in a different way. Once you share something with one person and get more confident, it starts to get a lot easier to share with other people and share inside the classroom. It’s a good way to focus, get questions answered faster and get one-on-one advice. It’s a great way to branch out and meet new people. Everyone has
a different way of learning. A one-on-one meeting in the writing center can give you help where you need it the most. A tutor can find out what you need help with, focus on that and give extra attention where it’s needed. The writing center offers a friendly and welcoming learning environment for everyone, whether you need help with ideas or formatting or just want someone to look work over before you turn in your final piece to a professor. The writing center is open Monday through Friday. Students can sign up for appointments in South Hall or online through the UMPI website. You can also drop in for a visit with the three helpful, friendly tutors available to students. Come visit the writing center and see all it has to offer.
Do You Want to Build a Snowman? Matthew Glover CONTRIBUTOR
On the night of April 10, 2014, resident assistant Amanda Larrabee briefly explained just how to defeat Cabin Fever. Although the weather may be getting warmer, it’s not quite summer yet, so staying informed on matters like this is still important and relevant. Larrabee explained a condition called seasonal affective disorder (SAD), which depresses a person due to the weather. When it’s cold all the time and all we see is the snow, it can really de-
press some people. It affects a lot of people in one way or another. Ways to defeat it would be to do the things you enjoy doing and make you happy. Examples would be listening to music, doing activities, eating certain foods and spending time with others. Why be frozen alone? Winter can be nice, but we all get a little anxious when winter has been around for a little too long. After the explanation, Disney’s recent and popular movie “Frozen” played. “This event had gone better than expected. It was great to
see all sorts of different people come out to this event and to inform them on conditions like cabin fever.” Larrabee said. Cabin fever is a pretty common condition that effects many. “I really enjoyed the movie. I find ‘Frozen’ to be a very different kind of movie from the others in the Disney franchise just by how the conflicts are resolved and the characters were very interesting in this movie. It was certainly different but I liked it. I originally chose ‘Frozen’ because I felt the movie was appropriate for what
I was talking about. It’s almost one of my favorite movies. I feel like the people in the movie go through exactly what we do here at UMPI. In other words, try not to get frozen.” Larrabee said. Greg Smaligo, an UMPI sophomore, said, “I love the movie. It was honestly one of Disney’s best movies in my opinion. The event was a good idea and the advice given to avoid cabin fever was very informative. I feel like it could be put to good use and I will try to do some things different for the next winter. It’s just nice to fi-
nally see some spring weather now after this long winter.” Other people at the event enjoyed the movie as well. It seemed to be a pretty popular movie and appears to have been a great choice to play for the people here at UMPI. Next time you have cabin fever, try some new things. Go do your favorite activity, spend some times with friends or eat some food that makes you happy. Maybe you could even watch Disney’s “Frozen” to put you in a better mood.
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Once in a Nicole Duplessis and Stephanie Jellett STAFF WRITERS
Our group on the terrace of the Newseum with a view of the Capitol Building in the background. From left to right: Nicole Duplessis, Dr. Lowman, Saint and Stephanie Jellett.
The National Cathedral. Dr. Lowmanʼs favorite visit during the big bus tour.
Driving to the airport on the morning of Saturday, March 29, was the official indicator that the University Times was on their way to Washington D.C. With suitcases packed into the back of Dr. Lowman’s van, Saint and Nicole Duplessis sharing the backseat, and Stephanie Jellett soaking up the sun in the passenger’s seat, it was sure to be a good trip. The flight went well, until we landed in D.C. and received some unfortunate news. Dr. Lowman’s chair had been badly damaged during the flight. What appeared to be fixable and not too much of a problem at the time grew into a larger concern when her chair wouldn’t operate correctly. Between finding a technician to come to the airport to temporarily fix her chair, finding our lost baggage and giving Saint the chance to use the bathroom, it was quite the interesting start. After spending six hours in the Reagan National Airport, her chair was finally suitable to leave. It was wonderful to step out into the D.C. air, board our shuttle and head over to our hotel, Hotel Harrington. Our hotel was centrally located. We could not have asked for a better location, especially since everything was in comfortable walking distance. Although Sunday was a rainy day, we made our way over to one of the Smithsonian Museums, the Natural History Museum. Just the architecture of the building was astounding. Once the doors opened for the day, we began our journey with the African Elephant exhibit. It’s located in the center of the museum, so no matter what balcony or floor you are on, you can see it. We visited different exhibits throughout the day, including the Hope Diamond, the Osteology Hall of Bones, the Butterfly Exhibit, a 3-D IMAX movie, The National Fossil Hall and Portraits of Planet Ocean. We made sure to stop at the gift shop on our way out, and we all bought a few keepsakes. Despite the rain, we still got out Sunday evening and enjoyed ourselves. We took in the many sights, the beautiful architecture, and found shortcuts to different locations for the days ahead. Monday was a gorgeous day. We were up bright and early to get ready for a full day at the Newseum, a museum just about the news. It’s a good thing we decided to spend an entire day there, because there was so much to see, so much to do and so much to take in. We had the opportunity to see the Berlin Wall Gallery. It included unaltered portions from the wall that had originally been located in Germany. We also saw the broadcast tower from the World Trade Center along with many other exhibits. Some of the other exhibits include the Journalists Memorial Gallery, Time Warner World News Gallery, Pulitzer Prize Photographs Gallery, Today’s Front Pages and the Anchorman Exhibit which featured actual props from the movies. We also had the opportunity to be reporters. Teleprompters and green screens were set up to simulate an actual news scene on a television above us. It was a great experience. We also had the chance to see a 4-D movie. Not only was the animation great, but our seats actually moved along with the animations. From the Newseum, we could also see the Capitol Building from the Hank Greenspun Terrace. This terrace overlooked Pennsylvania Avenue, and served as a great view of the city. From the Newseum, we made our way to Lafayette Square, located behind the White House. Here, we took a historical ghost tour of Lafayette Park. We learned about many of the buildings located around Lafayette Park and just how haunted the area really is. Our tour guide talked about the history of each person associated with these buildings and what makes them so special. We also had the opportunity to get right up to the fence on the outer lawn of the White House. On our way back to our hotel after the tour was finished, Dr. Lowman’s chair decided to die. We thought we had conquered it, but we ended up having to push her eight blocks back to the hotel. Not only did we gain knowledge that night, we gained some serious muscle, too!
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Lifetime Tuesday brought on some serious sunshine. It was in the high 60’s with only a bit of wind—definitely flip flop weather. The last two days of our trip was for getting a Big Bus Tour of the city and monuments. With only a brisk walk down to the Smithsonian Castle, we toured the grounds and grabbed the double-decker bus that would be driving us around for the afternoon. The buses were great with their hop-on-hop-off option so we could spend as much time at places as we wanted. We decided to start with the National Mall, which included all the memorials such as: The Jefferson Memorial, The Lincoln Memorial, the Washington Monument, The World War II Memorial, The World War Memorial, The Vietnam War Memorial and The Korean War Memorial. Later in the afternoon we took a ride in a trolley to the National Cathedral. It was absolutely stunning! Since we bought a 48 hour bus tour it also included a narrated night tour of specific monuments and iconic buildings. Our two-and-a-half hour tour was fantastic! You haven’t seen D.C. until you see it at night. The tour highlighted the Capitol, The Lincoln Memorial, The Martin Luther King Memorial, The Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial, Iwo Jima, The Vietnam and Korean War Memorials and, lastly, The White House. After a very long day of the bus tour, our tired, sunburned selves made it back to the hotel only to get up bright and early for our final day in D.C. Our first priorities for the morning were visiting historic Georgetown and getting some famous D.C. Cupcakes! Duplessis was overjoyed and got some gifts along with cupcakes to bring home. Georgetown has tons of little shops and we often stopped in a few to look around while waiting for the next bus. After lunch we ventured to Arlington National Cemetery and saw the Eternal Flame where John F. Kennedy, his two children and widowed first lady Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy Onassis rest. While walking around the cemetery, you can’t help but notice how eerily beautiful it is there. Everyone is very quiet and respectful, even large groups of people with children. Sadly due to time conflicts we couldn’t stay long at Arlington. After we made our way back to the city we grabbed supper at the Press Cafe and had an early night. We relaxed and listened to the bustle on the busy streets below and the man playing the saxophone on the corner. It was hard to believe it was already time to pack up and head back north of ordinary. The morning came quick. Our faces expressed how tired we were by the end, but it was worth it. We boarded our plane and shut our eyes. Waking up and seeing a snow covered landscape meant we finally made it back to Maine. Gone was the green grass and flip flop weather. Here was the endless snow and boots weather. We left Washington with great memories, hundreds of photos and an experience you can only get once in a lifetime.
A piece of the Berlin Wall in the Newseum.
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Arlington National Cemetery.
The rotunda inside the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History.
The White House.
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History in a Potato Barrel Katie York STAFF WRITER
The UMPI library was packed on March 16 with well over 100 people. The atmosphere was light with curiosity and excitement. The ground floor sported a wide range of display tables and a buffet table. Students, senior citizens, kids, families, faculty and staff…everyone had arrived to see the time capsule after 25 years in storage. It was time to add to its contents in honor of Aroostook County’s 175th incorporation anniversary. The turnout was incredible— there were so many people in attendance that there wasn’t enough room in the conference
the opening ceremony included introductions and greetings from members of the university and library, as well as a photo slideshow presentation of the County’s history. Everyone was encouraged to come into the conference room after the opening ceremony to watch volunteers remove items from the time capsule. The hosts of the event also said that they were adding a copy of a book, “Where Aroostook Begins,” to the time capsule and that they had limited numbers for sale. As the event progressed, voices rose and people mingled. Looking at our history gave Aroostook County residents old and new a chance to remember
Items from inside the time capsule from 25 years display. room for the opening ceremony. Anyone who couldn’t fit in the conference room milled about looking at the display tables, enjoying the buffet and talking among themselves. Meanwhile,
and appreciate. There were several exhibitions—including displays for county historical societies, TAMC, Husson University, Paul Cyr, Ted Shapiro, UMFK, UMPI and county quilts
made by Diana Rauch. Rauch explained that each quilt on display had a story. She pointed out a moose, truck and potato barrels on the smaller quilt and explained, “We used to have this crane that lifted potato barrels onto the back of the truck. Everything was done by hand back then.” Quilting was her way of remembering stories and recording history. The second, larger quilt had a patch in the corner that she dedicated to her children. Folk music performed live by local musicians Cathy Cowett, Larry Parks and Bruce Wilkins periodically seasoned the celebration. With a wide range of musical experience, Cowett admitted that many of her county memories were intertwined with music. “I started playing guitar when I was 8,” she said. “(My siblings and I) probably all started when we were young. Our mother played the guitar…we would have a jam session every Saturday night in the summer. People showed up from all over….” This particular opening of the time capsule was particuago on larly special for some groups. Individuals and organizations came forward to put new materials into the time capsule, one of these groups being the Aroostook Band of Micmacs. Band representative John Dennis explained that the last
time the capsule was opened was in ’89, prior to the Aroostook Band of Micmacs being formed. “We wanted to put a basket in the capsule, but were asked to add something smaller. So we’re bringing sweet grass for the time capsule.” The braided New items going inside the time sweet grass was capsule on display. blessed with a meIn 25 years, the time capsule morial hymn and added to the time capsule. People also added will be opened again. This items such as commemorative year’s attendants might be prespamphlets and brochures and a ent to see it, along with new legislative sentiment read out residents with new stories to loud to the audience. The event tell. They’ll come to see the concluded with the cover placed history and share with each back on the time capsule in other. They’ll come to see the preparation for storage in the li- potato barrel time capsule and brary’s special collections room. remember.
Time capsule barrel.
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A Week Out West Kayla Ames CONTRIBUTOR
Most people, when they imagine the west, probably think it's a place of reds, yellows and browns. But that's only part of the picture. There's also the blue of distant mountains, the green of ponderosa pines and juniper bushes, even purple slopes dusted with snow. Arizona, Colorado and Utah are challenging and beautiful, each in their own way. They also have fascinating geological histories, which is why I was there in the first place. I was hoping to learn more, not only from a scientific standpoint, but also a cultural one. So, on Saturday, March 29, my sister and I met professor Kevin McCartney and his wife, Kate, as well as fellow geo-ecology club members Andrew Hunt, Chris Staples and
Carlie Woodworth at the Boston International Airport. A friend of Hunt, named Faith Johnston, joined us later but had to leave after a few days. Traveling with the UMPI geo-ecology club wasn't new to me. We've studied flood damage in Vermont, waterfalls in Iceland and everything from fossils to aviation in Washington, D.C. In the past, McCartney also led trips to Quebec City, Acadia National Park and Boston. “I've always tried to do extended science trips during the spring break or early summer.... I'm a strong believer in 'informal education,' which is learning something outside the traditional class environment. I believe that most of what is really learned for the long-term is figured out through personal ob-
Club members outside a limestone cave in Colorado.
servation without the traditional 'teacher,'” McCartney said. That first night, the San Francisco Peaks served as the backdrop of our hotel. David Klanderman, our Arizonan guide, pointed them out to us during our morning geology lesson. Klanderman, now an artist and consultant for various museums, gave us some safety tips for the area and told us about the Great Dying, an extinction event that occurred 250 million years ago and wiped out most of the life on this planet. He also accompanied us to the Grand Canyon, a Permian-Triassic boundary, aka “the PT Bounda r y ” a n d Wu p a t k i N a t io n al M o n ume nt . Day three saw us driving through Oak Creek Canyon then visiting the Chapel of the Holy Cross, Montezuma Castle and the Mogollan Rim. In the latter location, we learned about and uncovered marine fossils called brachiopods. Our first stop on day four was Meteor Crater, which is actually misnamed, since the crater was formed by a meteorite. After that, we viewed the Painted Desert, went to the Newspaper Rock State Historic Monument and Petrified Forest National Park, stood on the corner in Winslow, Ariz., made famous by the Eagles and explored several local rock shops. The next day, April 2, started at a national historic site called Hubbell Trading Post and the unexpectedly beautiful surprise that is Canyon de Chelly National Monument. Many group members believe that it rivals the Grand Canyon.
Canyon De Chelly, a favorite stop for many. “Maybe it's because it's not as massive, or because of the rock it's made out of. Maybe people really like the Indian sites and the peace they find there. It was one of my favorite stops for all those reasons,” Sarah Ames said. After that – and a brief foray into New Mexico – we drove to Colorado, where geomorphologist Robert Blair soon joined us. He showed us examples of headward erosion, debris fans and cross-bedding, the city of Las Animas, a coal seam and a lime-colored river. He also guided us into a limestone cave and the Rocky Mountains, where we reached almost 11,000 feet. Volunteer coordinator Chuck Carson and Sean Duffy, a park ranger, showed us around Mesa Verde National Park on our last day of exploration. Mesa Verde is the largest archaeological preserve in the U.S., an interactive testament to the lives of the Ancestral Pueblo people. Tara and Scott Travis, the museum cura-
tor and chief of research and resource management, gave us a private tour of the visitor and research center. We also drove through Monument Valley, characterized by marvelous sandstone buttes, then overnighted in Utah. “I thoroughly enjoyed the trip and it was a great learning experience for us all. I would like to thank Kevin McCartney for helping to pull the trip together as well as the rest of the geoecology club for their fundraising efforts. The west is definitely a place I would love to visit again,” Hunt said. I'm with Hunt. We ate sopapillas and scorpions in lollipops. We saw pronghorns and hogans, dinosaur footprints and Navajo artists. It was windy and new and a lot of fun. Despite all the miles we drove and experiences we had, though, I feel we only scratched the surface in our week there. Luckily for future students, McCartney says that another trip to that area will be possible in a few years.
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A Splendid Affair Ben Pinette STAFF WRITER
It was hard not to find people glued to the sights and sounds of the flute, viola and cello when Eight Strings and a Whistle came to perform at Wieden Auditorium here at UMPI on Tuesday, March 18. Eight Strings and a Whistle is a trio comprised of Suzanne Gilchrest on flute, Ina Litera on viola and Matthew Goeke on cello. The trio has been performing for various audiences in the northeast for 16 years now. They’ve made appearances from the Leonard Nimoy Thalia at Symphony Space in New York City, to the Bar Harbor Music Festival, to even the September 11 Memorial in Lower Manhattan. They are well known for their wide range of music, playing everything from classical to contemporary clas-
sical music. To open up the evening, interim provost Ray Rice said a few words about Eight Strings and his mission to get them to come to UMPI to perform. “I became involved with Eight Strings and a Whistle through my colleague Scott Brickman, who is chair of the division of Arts and Sciences at UMFK. We thought it made sense for UMPI to piggyback with UMFK in regards to cultural events programming such as this,” Rice said. Among the pieces they played that evening included “Going Up” and “Aloysia Serenade.” Following the intermission was “French Suite,” “New Ghost Tones” and “Conversations.” “French Suite” and “New Ghost Tones” were pieces specifically composed for Eight Strings and a Whistle.
Along with Eight Strings and a Whistle, the Wieden Auditorium is in a process of renovating its auditorium. During the introduction, Rice mentioned that donations were encouraged for Wieden’s renovation project. “I think it’s especially important to use Weiden for such cultural performances, and the good attendance underscores the value that the community places upon the performing arts and underscores the important role that UMPI plays in bringing such diversity to the community,” Rice said. Donations will also be accepted at any time, including future cultural events held in the auditorium. “We’ve scheduled the Daponte String Quartet for the first weekend of October this coming fall. They perform reg-
ularly in southern and Down East Maine, so we’re especially fortunate that they have worked us into their schedule,” Rice said. For more information on Eight Strings and a Whistle and to find out where they are performing next, visit their website
at www.eightstringsandawhistle.com. For more information about how you can donate to Wieden Auditorium’s renovat i o n , v i s i t http://www.umpi.edu/theater. Any amount donated goes a long way in keeping the culture and arts alive here at UMPI.
12th Annual Walk for Autism April 27, 2014 Located at the Presque Isle Middle School Registration: 11 a.m. to 12 p.m. Walk begins at 12 p.m. Rain or shine! There will be face painting, refreshments, fire trucks, entertainment and more! The proceeds from this event will help fund the Autism Society of Maine’s programs that support families here in Maine. Join our walk and help spread autism awareness and bring hope and support to families affected by autism. Invite your friends and neighbors to be a part of it, too! Enlist them to join your team or make a donation in support of your participation. For more information and to register as individual or team: http://www.firstgiving.com/ASMMaine/Walk-for-autism-2014/
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11 Musical Anger Versus Musical Precision Jason Hoyt CONTRIBUTOR
Music and depression can go hand and hand. We know that music can possibly fix depression, but the question is, how do we let it? It’s not as easy as turning on the radio and like that, you’re smiling. Everyone is different, and what works for one will not work necessarily for another person Take Omar Edgecomb, for example. Edgecomb is a 21year-old male who lives in a town called Connor, 15 minutes outside of Caribou, Maine. Edgecomb, like many others, has had some problems with anger and depression over the course of his lifetime. Edge-
comb deals with these problems differently from others: “When I’m feeling a little down or off, I like to work my punching bag while listening to very loud music,” Edgecomb said. “I listen to metal and hardcore punk while doing all my workouts,” he added. Although it sounds strange: the 21 year old says that it works. “I can’t listen to anything quiet or slow while working out: it’s just not the same. When I play heavier stuff, it gets me more pumped up and I tend to forget about the things that are bothering me easier.” Although this works for Edgecomb, that doesn’t mean that it’ll work for everyone. Take Andrew Trembley from
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Wells, Maine. Trembley is an artist who does most of his work while listening to music. But with Trembley, the music choice is much different. Instead of the same loud, rumbling rhythm that Edgecomb listens to, Trembley prefers calmer music. “When I’m working on a piece of art, the music is very influential to what is happening on the canvas. I usually listen to something ambient when I’m painting or drawing. It’s not that I don’t like louder, heavier music. But when I’m trying to focus, something softer just suits the situation so much better,” Trembley said. So what will work for you? The loud squeal of an electric
guitar or the subtle calm of a piano or harp? Next time that you’re feeling down, why not
give both a try? The results may surprise you or, even better, make things easier.
Video Games: Education or Rotting the Brain? Jason Hoyt CONTRIBUTOR
Let’s face it: you’ve played video games. You may not want to admit it, you may be proud of it, but it’s happened. Sure, most say that playing too many video games can ruin your eyes, rot your brain and make you lazy. But in reality it can be doing the opposite. Yes, things such as getting attached can happen, but is that really a bad thing? Or can video games actually improve people and prepare them for future endeavors? Video games have been around since the ‘40s and ‘50s, but never reached the mainstream eye until the ‘70s and
‘80s when several computer and arcade games were introduced. They essentially had taken the country and world by storm. People couldn’t believe they could play tennis or go to space on a computer. But do they actually help people? Tanner Hayes seems to think so. Hayes is a 25-year-old from southern Maine who graduated from Husson University last year. Hayes has played video games “religiously” since he was roughly 10 years old. “I’ve played video games essentially my whole life, and have no reason to stop,” Hayes said. “I feel that they’ve actually improved many things about my-
self, such as my problem-solving and hand-eye coordination,” Hayes added. The more that you think about it, the more that it makes sense. Video games can actually do much more than that. They can be used as a research tool and they can bring people together. A more important note is they can give younger kids a sense of goal setting and the ability to feel the reward of completing those goals. They’re the perfect way to stimulate learning, because kids want to play them. They could even boost your morale. Say you’re having a bad day: pop in a fun game and that could
quickly change. More recently, video games have started to be used for people with special needs and even people with chronic illness. The game “Packy and Marlon” was designed to help diabetes patients take care of themselves. The medical field has since made several more of these games to cover other illnesses and even smoking prevention. The best part of video games is that you don’t have to be a kid to play them. Many video games are targeted to older teens and even adults. Josh Fuller is a 27year-old from Caribou, Maine. He is a father of two boys. “I
play video games with my kids. It’s a great way to connect with them, and we all have fun doing it. On top of all that, I like to think that they’re learning. I play mostly educational games with them. I don’t let them play anything without an E (Everyone) rating,” Fuller said. Video games seem to not be going anywhere anytime soon. With more and more coming out almost every day, it seems that it would be easier to jump on the video game bandwagon, as opposed to avoiding it. And hey, you might learn something along the way.
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Upcoming Events Fundraiser to benefit Hope & Justice Project and Homeless Services of Aroostook Sunday, May 4 1 to 5 p.m. Begins at Gentile Hall
High Ropes Course Open House Thursday, May 1 3 to 6:30 p.m.
UMPI’s Reed Gallery to host recepton for The Man Behind the Owls Friday, May 2 5 to 7 p.m.
UMPI Community Band Spring Concert Monday, May 5 5 to 7 p.m. Wieden Auditorium
2013-2014 Athletic Awards Ceremony Wednesday, May 7 Social with refreshments: 5:30 to 6 p.m. Athletic Awards Ceremony: 6 to 8 p.m. Wieden Auditorium
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#GoodDeedSelfies!
1st Place - Kassidie Bell 145 Likes “Making signs for people at UMPI so they donʼt get lost.”
2nd Place - Josh MacKinnon 28 Likes “Helped my 61 year old neighbour shovel some snow!”
4th Place - Cerbert Abalos 19 Likes “We just did a good deed.ʼ
5th Place - Josh Gale 14 Likes “Helpinʼ out the gal with a broken back.”
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3rd Place - Brittany Luetjen 26 Likes “Volunteering at the animal shelter for the afternoon with Krista and Danika!”
6th Place - Sara Gendreau 13 Likes “Mission work in Detroit!”
14 Hannah Brilliant CONTRIBUTOR
You’ve seen the advertisements: “Go green!” “Zero Emissions!” “Eco-friendly!” You might even have an idea about what it means to live sustainably. But are you just buying into the trends, or are you getting the whole picture? “Sustainability is a loaded word. As a word in mainstream discourse, I think it is overused. It has been co-opted by corporations propagating a superficial campaign for ‘going green.’ They are attempting to do business as usual and profit from people's well-meaning actions,” Shannon Brenner said. Brenner is a sociology major graduating this spring. “I started as an international affairs major. After volunteering at a homeless shelter in Budapest while studying abroad, I realized the best way to help people is by actually studying how it all works at the ground level. I also think that sociology is a really great foundation discipline. It provides a great lens to understand the world.” Brenner’s work at the shelter led to an interest in homelessness and hunger. “They have always called to me as a particular injustice.” This summer, Brenner will be working at Black Kettle Farm in Lyman, Maine. She found the farm through the Maine Organic
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Green Is More Than Just the New Black
Farmers’ and Gardeners’ Association apprenticeship program. Last summer, she worked for the University of Maine Cooperative Extension. Brenner isn’t sure commercial farming is in her future. Still, she sees agriculture as a tool to create posi-
tive change in the world. “I don’t know exactly where this farming experience will lead me. I definitely want to have growing food as part of my future. That may take the form of more of a community educational center rather than a tradi-
tional commercial farm.” All the information about how to “live green” can feel overwhelming. Brenner urges others to look beyond the trends. “Sustainability means breaking away from these false ideas of just changing a light bulb or
buying bottled water that has a cap made from recycled plastic. It's about recognizing how everything is interconnected. Our actions touch much more than ourselves.” In writer, librarian and climate change activist Chip Ward’s 2005 article “It’s Not Just Eskimos in Bikinis,” he argues the same point: “The fact that we continue to ignore the signs all around us is not just a political failure. It is also a failure of empathy and awareness. We need to realize that it is in our self-evident self-interest to act boldly and soon.” Living sustainably is like quitting smoking: you know you should, but the worse the habit, the harder to break. But Brenner points to the importance of breaking our bad habits, together: “If we are going to strive for a truly sustainable future, we need collective action and collective consciousness. We need to get to the heart of what living together on this planet really looks like.” Of course, recycling and reducing waste are steps in the right direction. But to change our planet will require more. It will require us all to participate, to practice what we preach. Like Brenner, we must look past the latest fad to a brighter, greener tomorrow.
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Stories of Island Times Past Bobbi Anne Wheaton CONTRIBUTOR
Many people claim that coming to the Deer Isle-Stonington area is like stepping into the past. But what would it be like if they really did step into the past? Let’s take a journey through time and catch a glimpse of the way things used to be. The year is 1920, and Flossie Powers is hard at work in her dress shop. This is a small shop run out of the shed attached to her home where women would come to buy the dresses they needed or to have a dress repaired. Flossie believed in making what she needed with her own two hands. She even tied strips of cloth around her body in place of undergarments. After her work was done, she would retire to home, add a few sticks of wood to the fire and peel herself an orange. The orange peels were always thrown into the wood stove to give the house a pleasant smell. Times were hard in those days. Flossie lost a child to influenza when a strain went through her entire family. Still, she carried on, living to meet her grandchildren, great grand-
children and great-greatgrandchildren before passing in 1995 with the record of oldest person on the island at the age of 105.
many times people who were racing the tides would get stuck on the wrong side. The sandbar was finally built up and paved so that it could be crossed at any
It’s 1930 now, and the only way to get from Little Deer Isle to Deer Isle is by crossing a sandbar that stretched between the two. The sandbar can only be crossed on the low tide, and
time. This project was completed in 1937. Let’s move forward into the 1950s and ‘60s. Big families are living under almost every roof. Dale Robbins is a mem-
ber of one of these families. She also happens to be the granddaughter of Flossie Powers. As a child from a family of 11, there was never much money. “Us kids always had to help out tending gardens and canning food. We helped cut and split 10 cords of wood every year for winter.” The family members ate what they grew, having potatoes with every meal to make sure that all had something to fill their bellies. Barbara Hutchinson, another child of this big family, tells about the fun times that broke up the work. “We had a big hill by our house and we would go sledding down the middle of the road. We didn’t have to worry about cars much back then. We went sledding on car hoods. In the summer, Daddy would hook the trailer to the truck and bring us on hay rides.” With that many siblings, there were also a lot of work, a lot of fun and a lot of sibling bickering. Down in Stonington, Robert Wheaton is walking the roads, picking up cans and bottles. Back in the ‘50s, they were worth 2 or 3 cents apiece. He said, “I would walk around Sand
Beach, about four miles, picking up enough bottles to get myself 50 cents to go to the movies. It was 25 cents to get in and the other 25 cents got me a bag of popcorn, a drink and a candy bar.” To get what he needed, he would need to pick up an average of 17 bottles or cans. In comparison, today we pay an average of 20 dollars and 50 cents for those same items. If people were to pick up bottles, which are now worth 5 cents apiece, to pay their way, they would need to find 410 bottles. That may take a while. 1970 came along. Things were not as hard as in the past, but they were not as expensive as they are now. The average rent was $40 a month and KoolAid was the drink of choice. Times were still simple. Things progressed at a steady rate after that, with the introduction of bigger grocery stores, better roads, cable television, Internet and so on to the present. So next time people say that they are stepping into the past as they cross over onto the island, kindly remind them that although it is not as advanced as the bigger towns and cities, it has indeed advanced.
Upcountry Launch Party for Winter 2014 Issue Thursday, May 1, 2014 7 p.m. Normal Hall Faculty Lounge
This issue includes the works of 15 writers, poets, photographers and artists. To view the latest issue of upcountry visit: www.upcountryjournal.wordpress.com For more information, contact Dr. Melissa Crowe at upcountry@maine.edu
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Seniors’ Time to Shine After months of hard work, seniors are still continuing the trudge to the finish line of their college years. While some may be going on to receive higher degree education, the real world, for some, is right around the corner. These 11 seniors’ sports years have been filled with wins, losses, laughter and tears and most of all the ability to experience lifelong connections with the ones they played beside. That’s exactly how Martha McPartland feels after her first year playing soccer for UMPI. “I still talk to them now and I made a whole new group of friends. We just always had a lot of fun,” McPartland said. She came to UMPI out of Houlton High School but then transferred to Husson University her sophomore year. “I wanted to play my freshman year but just didn’t. When I came back my junior year I didn’t have enough credits,” McPartland said. She
is finishing up her final year in the physical therapy assistant program. Brittany Luetjen, who is finishing up her degree in biology/pre-med with a minor in chemistry, is playing softball for the second year in a row. After coming here from a different college, Luetjen decided she wanted to play. “I really enjoy playing softball and I like spending time with the girls and getting to know them,” Leutjen said. She stated that her favorite memory was getting a home run at Fisher College last year. “After I realized it went over, I was really excited and I cried,” Leutjen said. Another lady, who only played for two years, would be the spectacular, All American cross country runner Kayla Legassie from Presque Isle. While driving toward her biology/pre-med degree, she has worked hard in the past two years to be what she is today. “I played soccer in high school but
never ran cross country. Coach Smith approached me at the gym one day,” Legassie said. “I missed the competitive aspect to sports. I fell in love with the sport. It’s addictive.” Legassie also talked about her favorite moment running, which took place at the nationals in Lake Placid, New York. “At the end you finally get the top seven (which are named All American) and I saw coach wanting me to beat the girl in front of me. When I finished I thought I was eighth, but I was actually seventh, which made me feel much better about myself and my running.” Another runner, from New Sweden, Maine, Philip Boody majored in environmental studies. He started his years here at UMPI running track, but eventually changed, however, to cross country running. He also talks about Coach Smith’s influence on his college sports career. “If I hadn’t met (Coach Smith), I probably wouldn’t have joined
the team,” Boody said. A fun and spontaneous incident is one that Boody explains as one of his most memorable moments on the team. “We went on a run here and I told the guys to cross the bridge but they wanted to keep going. We ended in Chapman and there was no bridge to cross. Since there was no bridge, we had to swim across. I didn’t have mine, but one of the guys had his phone on him and had to hold it above his head while he swam,” Boody said. A senior soccer player, Luke Bartlett from Bradley, Maine, is one of the long line of athletic training student athletes ready to graduate in May. After playing four years of soccer and a semester of basketball, he confessed that he originally grew up playing basketball and later was introduced to soccer in eighth grade. He also talked about the family atmosphere of the soccer team here at UMPI. “It was a better fit for me on the soccer team,” Bartlett said. A
Martha McPartland.
Brittany Luetjen.
Kayla Legassie.
Philip Boody.
Rebecca Campbell CONTRIBUTOR
trip that really stuck out in Bartlett’s mind was to Scarborough, Maine, his freshman year. They played a game but unfortunately lost in penalty kicks. “The bonding that happened on that trip made it a great trip,” Bartlett said. He went on to mention how spending time and traveling with the guys was a highlight as well.
Ryan Van Buskirk.
Luke Bartlett.
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Seniors’ Time To Shine/Cont. A teammate of Bartlett’s, Ryan Van Buskirk of Seattle, Washington, had a different experience of how he started to play for UMPI. While knowing players through the Dutch Soccer Academy, he would play pickup during the winter months at UMPI while he was going to high school in Houlton. The players convinced him to play soccer here when he was to enroll the following year. Playing the University of Fort Kent was definitely a highlight in every season for him, but this season was rather special when he scored against them at a home game. “It was something that meant a lot to me,” Van Buskirk said. “It’s a big deal to score against Fork Kent. Not a lot of teams do that.” Van Buskirk is studying as an art major with a minor in business. Ryan Thompson, from East Millinocket, Maine, decided to come to UMPI for the opportunity to play baseball and get his education at the same time. While playing all four years of his college career, Thompson has driven toward his degree in athletic training at the same time. Although very demanding, the seasons brought great memories to take away for this senior. One in particular was beating Rowen University last year. “That was big. UMPI had played them before and I believe it wasn’t close,” Thompson said.
“That win brought us a little closer together as a team.” Another baseball player, Alex Csiernik of Hamilton, Ontario, also commented on the Rowen
rell from Harpswell, Maine, thinks of the Rowen University game pretty highly as well. “I hit the game winning run and it went right up the middle,” Mor-
play and he ended up starting all four years. Jordan Perry, a criminal justice major, came from Baileyville, Maine, to have the
University game as one to remember. “They were top 25 in the nation at the time. It was really windy which made it harder,” Csiernik said. Csiernik decided to play for UMPI to be able to play and start as a freshman. Csiernik is also an athletic training major. As if one game couldn’t be favored enough, Cameron Mor-
rell said. “Leo was so ecstatic and was giving hugs after.” UMPI was a good choice for him in the end due to his extracurricular activities. “I like to fish and hunt and that’s why I came to UMPI,” Morrell said. With having his dad play baseball, he grew up around the game. As for playing at UMPI, Leo Saucier recruited him to
opportunity to play baseball. “My best friend was coming, so I tagged along,” Perry said. Having played baseball all four years in college, there were a lot of great things that stuck out in his mind. One of his favorites, however, was a doubleheader UMPI played against Newbury College. “I pitched in both games and got the save and a
win!” Perry said. While there were plenty more memories that he talked about, Perry was also fond of a game he pitched in his freshman year against Penn State Worthington. In that game, he threw a one hit and 11 strikeout win. Off the field, he said that sometimes the hotel was the best part of the trip. “We all get along so well and we have a great time,” Perry said. A fellow criminal justice major and teammate of Perry’s, Shane Smith, also came from a distance to have the opportunity to play baseball. After Leo Saucier recruited him, he traveled from Farmington, Maine, to do just that. “I just put two and two together. It seemed like a win-win for me,” Smith said. Although coming from Farmington, Smith’s parents have made every single game (even road games) to watch him play. “It makes me feel excited and privileged that my parents come. It definitely makes me play harder for them,” Smith said. He mentioned that this was probably his favorite memory of his years playing for UMPI. NOTE: All senior athletes who were not mentioned are to be recognized. Thank you for your years of dedication to the sport you have worked so hard toward. It doesn’t go without notice and is greatly appreciated.
Ryan Thompson.
Alex Csiernik.
Cameron Morrell.
Jordan Perry.
Shane Smith.
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The Reel Deal: Anchorman 2 Alexander Csiernik CONTRIBUTOR
R 3/5 Stars In the new Anchorman movie, Ron Burgundy (Will Ferrell) gets fired from his network job in New York as well as splits up with his wife Veronica (Christina Applegate) and returns home to a life of despair. There is hope as a new news network, Global News Network (GNN) is being introduced. It’s a 24-hour news network that everyone doesn’t think will work. Ron and his news team, Brick Tamland (Steve Carell), Brian Fantana (Paul Rudd) and Champ Kind (David Koechner) assemble
and head to New York to take on the new job. They turn the news world on its head. Rather than reporting important news, they report news that America wants to hear. Aside from all the controversy they are stirring up, they become a great success— but at the same time, they start to drift apart. Can Ron keep his news team together and find what the news truly means to people? Will Ron ever be able to reconnect with Veronica and save his marriage? In this sequel, Will Ferrell tries to recreate the humor he had in the first movie. In some points he is on point and hilarious, but on other occasions, he
goes too far and loses the humor. Steve Carell makes the most improvement and is much funnier in the second movie. The story line is set up for the humor, but it does feel as if some scenes drag on too far or some of the jokes are too repetitive. My personal favorite scene is the second to the last, where similar to the first movie, there is a news team fight. But this one is much larger and brings in serious movie stars to make it humorous. All and all, if you are looking for a couple of hours of cheap laughs and some outrageous one-liners, then “Anchorman 2” is the movie for you.
Come, join the... The U Times is looking for new staff members. -Previous experience NOT required. -ALL talents are always welcomed.
For more information contact (207) 768-9745 jacquelyn.lowman@umpi.edu Dr. Jacquelyn Lowman, Adviser or, e-mail us at: utimes@umpi.edu
Meetings every Tuesday in Normal 102, 12:30-1:30 p.m.
-Journalists. -Sales Representatives. -Layout Editors. -Artists/Photographers. -Online Editors. -Anything Else You Can Think Of.
“News team, Assemble!”
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How Cautious Are You of Your Skin? Tia Anita Dee CONTRIBUTOR
It’s one word that everyone dreads to hear. One word that can make someone’s world turn upside down in the matter of a minute. A six letter word that shows no mercy when choosing which victims to attack. That word my friends is CANCER. Now there are, in fact, many different types of cancer that affect different areas in your body: breast cancer, lung cancer, etc. But there is a type of cancer that you could possibly prevent attacking you by changing your everyday lifestyle. This cancer is called melanoma: aka skin cancer. It’s a very serious disease that can affect you at any age. But there are things that you can do to lessen the risk. A few employees from the oncology (the study and treatment of
tumors) department at Cary Medical Center were more than happy to speak about risk factors, precautions and the disease itself. Kaitlyn Umphrey, an RN (registered nurse) in the oncology department, is an expert in the removal process and what to look for. “Unsuspicious moles that change color, shape or are painful are definitely something to look out for. If it’s just a low blow, they usually just get it removed in their doctor’s office,” Umphrey said. “They try to cut off whatever it is so the patient can avoid having any treatments of chemo.” She explained if patients have very painful areas, and in that case are more serious, typically go to one-day surgery. Lynn James, an RN and CDE (certified diabetes edu-
cator) in the oncology department, spoke about some precautions individuals can take to help lower the risk of melanoma cancer. “Apply SPF (sun protection factor) sunscreen of at least 50 between the hours of 10 a.m. to 4.pm.,” James said. She said that people should really pay attention to the areas on their body that are the most exposed in the sun, such as your nose, ears, arms and facial features as a whole. She added that people should also be cautious of the body products that they use, as well. “There’s a chemical in deodorant that can cause skin cancer. It’s not always just the exposure of sun,” James said. She explained how quickly individuals can get skin cancer from tanning beds and chronic sun exposure. “It can happen so fast! What you do as a
UMPI and Wintergreen Arts Center Third Annual 12 X 12 Auction When: Friday, May 2, 2014. Where: Wintergreen Arts Center, 6-9 p.m. FREE EVENT. The auction will feature original works from approximately 50 artists from Aroostook County, the nation and Canada. The fundraiser will help officials support the art programs downtown. For more information, contact:
Rowena Forbes, wintergreenarts@gmail.com, 762-3576. or Heather Sincavage, heather.sincavage@umpi.edu, 768-9442.
young adult can definitely affect you once you’re older: keep that in mind,” James said. Wear protective clothing when going out in the sun was a tip James added. “Also remember to take vitamin D supplements. Since you have sunscreen on, it’s blocking the vitamin D,” James said. She explained how individuals who are fair skinned, have red hair or blue eyes are usually at a higher risk to burn. Therefore, these individuals should definitely use extra protection. “Examine your skin regularly,” James said. She explained that if you see anything of the norm, do not hesitate to call your doctor. Dr. Allan Espinosa, an oncologist (medical doctor who specializes in the treat and diagnosis of cancer) at Cary Medical Center, had more to add to the topic. He spoke about BRAF testing. It’s an opportunity to test oncogenetargeted therapy for this disease (melanoma). Espinosa explained how this treatment is used instead of using chemotherapy. “It’s not al-
ways the strongest therapy that’s the most effective,” Espinosa said. Espinosa also elaborated on some risk factors and precautions. “Keep an eye on your body and examine yourself daily.” Espinosa explained that doing self-examinations will also help with earlier detections. “The earlier it’s detected, the better,” Espinosa said. It’s completely understood that people want to be tan. Especially living in northern Maine, we try to soak up as much sun as we can. These experts are not telling you can’t do that. But learning how to keep yourself healthy in doing so will make all of the difference. Sunscreen should definitely be your right hand man this summer. One thing they do stress and say you absolutely shouldn’t do is tan in a tanning bed. So as you go outside—no matter the amount of time--any areas that are exposed to the sun should be covered by your right hand man. Because you don’t want to be that patient who has to hear that one word.
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Eat Dinosaurs, Not Sandwiches! Kelly Gumprecht CONTRIBUTOR
Do you enjoy playing with your food? Then you are in luck. Despite what your mother may have told you, playing with your food can encourage healthy behaviors. Not to mention it’s fun! How many times have you picked up a vegetable and laughed at how much it resembles a person or an animal? Looking at ordinary items and turning them into something magical is easy. No special tools are required. All you need is your (and your child’s) imagination.
Allowing children to have ownership in what they eat seems to have a positive effect. Families who bake together, cook together and eat together often laugh together, too. By turning their kitchens into fun and engaging spaces, they spend quality time together and learn healthy habits as well. Food that looks pretty and fun can actually trick you into thinking that it tastes better, too. So all those times you made racetracks in your mashed potatoes and squash, you were on to something. Who knew? According to Kate Parsons, registered dietician at TAMC,
Bunny sandwich. Health issues, such as childhood obesity, are on the rise. Therefore, we need to look at creative ways to expose children to fruits and vegetables.
“There is no quick fix for nutrition, but when you involve kids with the preparation process, it gets them excited about food.”
Children are naturally “neophobic,” which means that they have an inborn fear of trying anything new or foreign. This includes food. While it’s normal for children to resist eating new or healthy foods, getting them into the kitchen is one way to introduce them to healthier options. Easier said than done, right? Anyone with a picky 3-yearold will argue that convincing a child to eat broccoli over French fries is like trying to pound a square peg into a round hole. It’s just not going to happen. Experts encourage parents not to give up. Be patient. The hardest part is often not convincing the child, but re-training the adult. “Parents are often not open to making changes,” Parsons said. “It can be very hard to make eating healthy and fun.” Living a healthy lifestyle and making nutritious food choices takes work. Successful families plan ahead. They consciously think about food preparations and purchases. Jessica Lay is a young mother of three boys, all under the age of 5, who spends a lot of time thinking about how she will fix meals for her children and what groceries to buy. It’s important to her that her children eat nutritious meals, so she often thinks outside the box. “Getting them all to eat a healthy meal is not easy. I have to get creative,” she said. “Allowing them to help me cook takes more time, but the end result is often worth the wait.”
Cameron Lay eating a healthy lunch. Lay prepares easy meals with simple, healthy ingredients. “I don’t have to make a five-star meal. I just try to make it as fun and healthy as I can.” One technique is to use cookie cutters for more than making cookies. “Give your children a healthy sandwich or fruit slices and let them use the cookie cutters to make shapes out of their food,” Lay said. Eating dinosaurs or bunnies is apparently a whole lot more delicious than eating a regular sandwich. Just ask your child. Parsons agrees with Lay. “I talk a lot with my patients about how to prepare food,” she said. “I try to get a sense of what they like and build on that. Making small
changes, like not buying sugary drinks, can make a huge difference.” Eating healthy can be fun. And it doesn’t have to be restrictive. Make fruits and vegetables available. Serving them in unique and interesting ways is a minor change that can make healthier options more appealing. So the next time your child refuses to eat her greens, build a forest out of the broccoli on your plate. Pretend the peas are apples that fell from them. Make a big deal out of eating the leaves off the trees. You might be surprised to see that your picky eater decides that trees are yummy and decides to follow suit.
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Is That Puff Really Worth It? Tia Anita Dee CONTRIBUTOR
If you ask your parents about smoking, they will most likely tell you how easy it was to access when they were kids. Everyone smoked back then, and they smoked everywhere, including hospitals. Now smoking is banned from almost all public areas, and there is an age requirement to buy cigarettes. Smoking ads have also been banned from radio, television and magazines. We’ve been taught and constantly reminded how bad smoking is for your health. Yet despite that, people continue to still light up. Diann Dee-Dobson, a registered nurse, spoke about some of the major effects an individual can experience from smoking. She explained that it can cause respiratory depression, emphysema, dental issues and COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease). “Smoking can be a major risk if an individual
has to have surgery. It also causes delayed healing,” DeeDobson said. She said that any amount of smoking can be harmful to an individual, but of course the longer you’ve had the habit, the more the symptoms will worsen. “Once someone shows any signs, they can’t get rid of them,” Dee-Dobson said. Many people pick up the habit or fall back into their old ways because of stress. DeeDobson said if they can change their routine, find something productive to keep their hands and minds busy like cross word puzzles, that could help keep their minds off the habit. There are many different ways to aid a person to stop smoking. Some of the most common medical routes are nicotine patches or nicotine supplement pills. Nonmedical is nicotine gum or just gum in general. Dee-Dobson stresses that smoking doesn’t only harm you, but also the individuals around you. Secondhand smoke can have the same
effects as someone smoking. “The best way to avoid all of the issues is to not start in the first place. It’s that simple,” DeeDobson said.
they had been in the past. “In the eighth grade we watched a movie about people who got cancer from smoking. That was enough for me to not start. It’s
Casey Dobson, a freshman at Caribou High School, spoke about how uncommon smoking is in her class. “Not one person in my class smokes—well, that I know of,” Dobson said. She spoke about her school and said kids weren’t being peer pressured as much into smoking as
just not worth it,” Dobson said. She explained how she comes from a household of all nonsmokers so she’s never had the desire to pick up the habit. “I honestly don’t even know how I’d go about getting cigarettes,” Dobson said. She explained how her high school was a non-
smoking facility and people can’t smoke anywhere on the grounds. When Dobson was asked if she thought smoking made you look cool she said, “Absolutely not! It makes you look scrubby.” Casey’s father, Samuel Dobson, explained how the outlook on smoking was completely different when he was younger. “Everyone smoked. Access to cigarettes was unbelievably easy,” Dobson said. Who would have ever thought that a little stick could be one of the leading causes of death today? Times have definitely changed and people are more educated about the risks and effects. Rules are being enforced to make all public areas non-smoking. Our campus has just recently become a tobaccofree campus. Due to these changes, you can most certainly tell a difference. So the next time you go to light up, first ask yourself, “Is this puff really worth it?”
5 KM fundraiser to support the Homeless Services of Aroostook and the Hope and Justice Project. Date: May 4, 2014 Time: 12 p.m. registration begins - Teams are welcomed Where: Gentile Hall Cost: $15 per person, kids under 12 are FREE! The First 200 participants will receive a T-shirt. The first 300 will receive a pedometer, water bottle and wrist band. *There will be a raffle for prizes!* For more information contact: Bryan Thompson at bryan.thomspon@umpi.edu or (207) 768-9459.
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5,000 Planets and Counting Jim Stepp
CONTRIBUTOR
How many planets are there? That question is getting harder and harder to answer. In 2006, the International Astronomical Union (www.iau.org) provided a definition for a planet. When this occurred our solar system dropped from having nine planets to having eight planets. Pluto became a dwarf planet, thus losing its status as a full blown planet. Why did they do this? It can be summed up in one word “Eris.” Eris was the first of many objects discovered outside the boundaries of Neptune’s orbit that are as large as or larger than Pluto. Some of the other objects that have been discovered that would have had to be considered planets are Haumea, Sedna, Makemake and the list goes on. Currently there are 345 possible dwarf planets in the solar system
They are: 1. The object has to orbit the sun. This definition would eliminate the moon because it orbits the Earth. 2. The object has to have sufficient mass for its self-gravity to overcome rigid body forces so that it assumes a hydrostatic equilibrium (nearly round) shape. Wow, some scientists can’t say things in an easy way. This basically says that the object is massive enough to have formed a round shape. Smaller objects such as the asteroids do not have the mass or the gravitational force to become round. If you look at an asteroid, it may be any shape. In fact, many are shaped like potatoes. 3. The object has cleared the neighborhood around its orbit. This means that the object has collected most of the other items that are in its orbit. The Earth has done this. When you look at the Earth’s orbit, there are very few objects around us. This is
our solar system? Scientist are currently looking for other exoplanets or planets outside our solar system. These planets are usually found in one of two ways: 1) by observing the wobble of the star as the planet orbits it or 2) watching for slight dimming of the star when the planet passes in front of the star, blocking some of the light. Using these methods, there are now 1,490 confirmed exoplanets that have been discovered. An additional 3,705 are awaiting further study to confirm their existence. If all of these objects are confirmed, there would be 5,195 exoplanets. Many of these are in the right place to sustain life. So if you are asked how many planets are there, you can say eight or 1,490 or 5,195. I guess it is all in how you describe a planet. For more information on exoplanets go to http://exoplanets.org/. THE NIGHT SKY The International Space Station is visible as follows: Evenings–Through April 24. Mornings–Beginning May 16.
(http://www.gps.caltech.edu/~m brown/dps.html). Most of these dwarf planets reside in a second asteroid belt known as the Kuiper Belt. So what makes a planet? According to the IAU, there are three criteria that have to be met.
also where Pluto falls short. Pluto is part of the Kuiper Belt. Thus it hasn’t cleared its orbit and cannot be considered a planet. So as far as our solar system is concerned, there are eight planets. But what about outside
Go to www.heavensabove.com for exact times and locations. You will need to register at this site and load your location to be able to get exact times. The University of Maine at Presque Isle is located at 68d00m7.8s west longitude and 46d40m45.6s north latitude. To get a free sky chart go to www.skymaps.com. Sun and Planet Visibility 04/25/2014
05:27 Sunrise. 19:33 Sunset. Not visible Mercury. 04:06–05:30 Venus. 19:48–04:54 Mars. 19:48–01:06 Jupiter. 20:48–04:54 Saturn. 05/05/2014
05:11 Sunrise. 19:47 Sunset. 20:00–20:48 Mercury. 03:54–05:12 Venus. 20:00–04:06 Mars. 20:00–00:36 Jupiter. 20:24–04:36 Saturn. 04:20@21:31 ISS passes 1.3 degrees for Betelgeuse–Alpha Orion. 04/22 Earth Day. 04/22@03:51 Last Quarter Moon. 04/22@04:00 April Lyrid Meteor Shower–7 meteors/hour. 04/22@16:00 April Lyrid Meteor Shower Maximum. 04/22@20:19 Moon at Perigee– closest to the Earth–369,700 km or 229,700 miles from Earth. 04/23@04:00 April Lyrid Meteor Shower Maximum. 04/25@05:30 Moon 6.5 degrees from Venus. 04/25@23:30 Mercury in superior conjunction with the sun– Furthest from the Earth. 04/29@02:14 New Moon.
05/02@18:48 Mercury at Perihelion–Closest to the sun--45.9 million km or 28.5 million miles from the sun. 05/03@23:54 Moon 7.8 degrees from Jupiter. 05/04 Space Day. 05/06@06:23 Moon at Apogee– Farthest from the Earth--404400
km or 251300 miles from Earth. 05/06@23:14 First Quarter Moon. 05/10@14:00 Saturn at Opposition–Directly behind the Earth and closest to the Earth— 1,331,000,000 km or 827.3 million miles from Earth. 05/11@03:06 Moon 4.7 degrees from Mars. 05/14@04:30 Moon 2.9 degrees from Saturn. 05/14@15:15 Full Moon. 05/15@19:54 Venus 1.2 degrees from Uranus. 05/16@04:30 Venus at Aphelion–Farthest from the Sun--109 million km or 67.7 million miles from sun. 05/18@05:04 Moon at Perigee– Closest to the Earth–367,100 km or 228,100 miles from Earth. 05/21@08:59 Last Quarter Moon. 05/25@03:12 Mercury at greatest elongation–22.7 degrees east of the sun–Visible in the evening sky.
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It’s that time of year again!