Inside This Issue:
Inside Waterfront Concerts Awards, Awards, Awards! Details on page 18 & 19 Details on pages 12
University of Maine at Presque Isle
MAY 8, 2015
Volume 43 Issue 5
Journalism for Northern Maine
T h i s U n i ve r s i t y D a y i s s u e i s d e d i c a t e d t o B o n n i e D e Va n ey f o r h e r w o n d e r f u l s e r v i c e t o U M P I ove r t h e ye a r s.
Christopher Bowden
Bye, Bye, Bonnie!
STAFF WRITER
Bonnie DeVaney came to UMPI in 1989. Her husband was a professor here. She would not leave when he did, however, and in fact it was all the start of something much bigger than DeVaney anticipated. DeVaney said, “ I actually have a lot of wonderful, wonderful, memories. I love working here every day. And I generally believe I’m very lucky to have worked here.” Some of her favorite memories also include all of the amazing students she has been blessed to work with over the years. Some international students refer to DeVaney as their “American Mom.” That’s because of all the help that she’s provided: at times playing the role of surrogate parent. One of the most rewarding things for DeVaney is to see the students develop every day and try new experiences. This culminates with graduation. “Seeing students at gradua-
DeVaney (above) plans to retire: will be greatly missed.
tion when they’re marching and
picking up their diplomas is
both a sad time but also a very
happy time for us to see students
achieve their academic goals.
And some of my favorite memories are students who have gone
on to very good careers.”
Over the years DeVaney has had a few different job but one thing she has been persistent with is the fact that she cares not only about the students she works with but also other faculty, staff and members of UMPI whom she encounters. If you ask
people on campus about DeVaney, you’re likely to hear only positive things. In fact, it would be hard to find somebody on campus who has such a positive reputation with every single person she encounters. DeVaney will be greatly missed by those here at UMPI. But there’ll be some amazing memories to remember her by. How does DeVaney feel about her impending retirement? “I’m torn. I’m very excited about retirement, but I’m also very sad to leave the campus community. It really does feel like a family to me.” DeVaney also talked about how being able to help students with their education has been really special: something that she will cherish it for the rest of her life. Her time at UMPI has come to a close. She now begins, however, a new chapter in her life: one that will require more relaxing and less stressing.
C
2
ampus University Times
May 8, 2015
Greetings Readers,
Well, the time has finally come: summer break! This semester always seems to just fly by us. This year
The University Times Staff Editor
Christopher Bowden Staff Writers Joshua Archer Christopher Bowden Dawn Gough Monica Hewitt Tong Liu Ning Sun Contributors Emma Campbell Tim Chase Julian Cross Joshua Cross Farah Duale Erin Keehn Marc Knapp Brad LeFay Meghan Legassie Melissa Lizotte Linda Schott Jim Stepp
has been a major rebuild process for the University Times, just like the Celtics have been going through.
And like the Celtics, we exceeded our expectations this year thanks in part to a tremendous group of people.
I just want to take a moment a give a quick thanks to everybody who has been a part of this year’s Uni-
versity Times:
Thank you to all the University Times writers both old and new. I also want to give a special thanks to
President Schott and Jim Stepp for their columns! (It’s not as easy as many people would think.) A special shout out and thanks to Bob Maynard, Tom Emmert and everybody else at Northeast Publishing! Last, I
want to thank Dr. J for all the different job titles you put on during the year. Oh, and of course I also want to thank all of you readers. We don’t exist without you!
= Christopher Bowden
WE WANT YO U! If yo u ’re i n tre st ed i n b ec o m i n g a member of the Univer sit y Ti m es sta f f, p lease emai l us at :
Adviser Dr. J
The U Times welcomes submissions from the campus. Send digital versions of articles, photos, etc., to
UT im es@m aine.edu
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Un i ve r si t y T i m e s C A M P U S May 8 , 2 0 1 5
The Schott Heard Round the Campus! Giving Thanks! Linda Schott CONTRIBUTOR
When late November rolls around each year, it is common to think about all of the things for which you are thankful. But I often find myself engaged in that sort of reflection as an academic year winds down. So what is on my list here in early May? I'm thankful for: • Surviving one of the hardest winters and largest snowfalls with our campus buildings intact. • The flowers that are starting to bloom outside Preble Hall and elsewhere.
• The mallard duck that has chosen to nest on our campus. • Everyone who danced with abandon at the "Night in Hollywood," and all of the folks who worked to make the event happen.
• Everyone who helped clean up the campus on May 1 and to the Facilities Maintenance folks who loaded many piles of leaves when the raking was done. • The faculty, staff and students who generously design and implement fundraisers--such as the Empty Bowls event and the Safe Homes 5K run/walk--to help our community. • Everyone who helped with the It's On Us videos, with a special shout-out to Oz Sailors, Bonnie DeVaney and Kevin Blood. •
An admissions team that has reviewed almost three times as many applications as in previous years and hosted numerous campus visits. • Roger Sullivan for agreeing to spend his first year of retirement
helping UMPI improve all things associated with recruitment and retention and brought a gentle, wise spirit to all he did. • John Moist for giving a year of his life to help UMPI better serve students and for entertaining us with his musicianship and excellent sense of humor. • Ray Rice, Barbara Blackstone, Jason Johnston and Deborah Hodgkins for leading our academic programs toward proficiency-based learning and for all of the faculty members who have put in extra hours learning new ways of engaging our students. • Chris Bell for taking on the role of campus budget officer during challenging financial times. • Al Levesque for the wood carvings he donates to campus fundraisers and especially for the snowy owl. • A Student Affairs team that entertains and educates our students while also keeping them safe. • A Senior Class that put together an awesome Talent Show— and those with the amazing talent on display there. • Student Government for rebuilding itself and working hard to represent the interests of the student body. • Our student-athletes, for representing UMPI well wherever
they have traveled. •
All UMPI students, staff and
faculty for representing the university so well in the greater community. s •
Ethelyn Boyd for spending
44 years at UMPI and being my
right-hand person for the last three
before moving on to a well-deserved retirement.
•
And, Jacqui Lowman for
never giving up on me even when
my U Times articles are a week late!
So I approach the last few
weeks of this academic year with a heart full of thanks, for all of the
items and people mentioned above, but also for so many more that I
don't have space to list. Please
know that I am deeply grateful for all that makes our campus special
and for the opportunity to serve as
your president. Thanks for a great
year and best wishes for a relaxing summer!
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U n i ve r si t y T i m e s C A M P U S May 8 , 2 0 1 5 Jim Stepp
CONTRIBUTOR
J i m ’s J o u r n a l Wishes For The Summer
The time has come to
was much better than the
to suggest that you talk to
like to see the first planes
2. Do something you would
My grandmother passed away
see the moon landings? What
h e a d h o m e f o r t h e s u m m e r.
movie.
want you to think about what
not normally do.
s u m m e r. I f y o u a r e n o t s u r e
Tr y s o m e t h i n g j u s t f o r t h e
s u m m e r, l e t m e m a k e a f e w
amusement park, go swim-
As you get ready to leave, I you have planned for the
what you will be doing this
suggestions.
1. Read a book for fun.
Pick a book you have been
wanting to read. If you don’t have a book in mind, ask
Get out of your comfort zone.
had changed in her life.
you do and whom you meet.
was no indoor plumbing, cars
you will be able to look back
planes were still many years
you read about what you did.
cars, planes and computers
your kids or grandkids will
mountain.
This summer I
hope to be able to visit the
Gettysburg battlefield. I
hope to learn something more
a b o u t t h e C i v i l Wa r a n d p e r -
about an ancestor who died
A r m y.
3 . M e e t s o m e o n e n e w.
ries.
m e e t p e o p l e y o u d o n ’ t k n o w.
Go out with your friends and Ta l k t o t h e s e p e o p l e a n d g e t
am a science nut. This car-
to know them. All too often
to read. In my case it is sci-
people. Don’t. Meet some-
thor is Frank Herbert. He is
make a few new friends.
ence fiction. My favorite au-
most known for the book se-
ries that began with the book
“Dune.” I first saw the
movie “Dune” in 1984. I
read the book a few months after the movie. The book
give to you.
Wr i t e d o w n w h a t y o u d o t h i s
o n e s w o u l d b e “ E n d e r ’s
ries over into the books I like
you older relatives have to
talking to her I gained an un-
there fighting for the Union
I have mentioned that I
to talk to her about her life.
s t o r y. F i n d o u t w h a t s t o r i e s
ming in the ocean or climb a
that has been made into a
Game” and the Divergent se-
her passing, I had the chance
a r i c h h i s t o r y. W h a t a g r e a t
My grandmother was born in
haps find out a little more
movie. A couple of good
when she was 91. Prior to
and then live long enough to
fun of it. Ride a ride at an
someone. If your friends
can’t help you, grab a book
one of your older relatives.
we hang out with the same
one, get to know them, and
4 . Ta l k t o a f a m i l y m e m b e r.
Most of the time when stu-
dents go home, they spend
time with their friends but
forget about connecting with
their families. I would like
1884 and died in 1975. From
derstanding of just how much When she was young, there were not invented and air-
a w a y. I h e r l i f e t i m e , s h e s a w
become commonplace. Imag-
ine what it must have been
5. Keep a journal.
s u m m e r. W r i t e d o w n w h a t
When you are old and gray
on this journal and smile as E v e n b e t t e r, i m a g i n e w h a t
think if they can read about what you did.
Uni ve r si t y T i m e s C A M P U S May 8, 2 0 1 5
Meghan Legassie
Changing for the Better
CONTRIBUTOR
to memorize what is going to be on
Many schools and colleges are
the test. So they don’t really get
changing their grading. They are
changing it to something called
proficient based grading. This will
be a lot different from the tradi-
tional based grading. Instead of A’s or F’s, students will be graded
“not proficient” and 4 being
done.” That means that the students
hurt you,” Misty Steward said. This
dent talking about traditional based
test to go along with it. Students
by the time the term is over, you
There are many pros and cons to
to until they have it memorized,
stand it better. This would make it
ing. “Many students slide through.
traditional grading is “one and
tests,” Ian Marples, an UMPI stu-
learn something, and then there is a
They only learn what they need for
proficient based grading. Some of
dents will learn until they know
students to work it out. It also gets
them. They will only move on if
they show that they are becoming
proficient. With traditional based
grading, students know what they
need for tests, so even though they are studying, they are only trying Meghan Legassie CONTRIBUTOR
the pros would be that it promotes students more involved with their
everything that is being taught to
education. Some of the cons would
be that the students can get left be-
will quickly study what they need then they won’t study that any-
more. With the proficient based grading, the teachers will keep
going back, reviewing what the
students have learned. They do this until students understand. Misty
hind from the other students. An-
Steward, another UMPI education
students and the teachers are used
cient based grading and said,
other big con would be that
to traditional grading. Teachers
student, also spoke about the profi“Makes it so you have to learn.
The Hunger Thing
M a n y p e o p l e i n M a i n e w o u l d n ’t k n o w i t . I t ’s h a r d t o b e l i e v e that many people in the state of Maine are food insecure, meaning that they might not eat as w e l l a s t h e y s h o u l d e v e r y d a y. They may even go without food for a long time. In Maine, 15 percent of households are food insecure. Of the Maine population, 18 percent use food s t a m p s . O f M a i n e ’s f o o d i n s e cure population, 36 percent m a k e t o o m u c h t o q u a l i f y. The classes of social work 425 are working with other schools in Maine to try to help the population of food insecure
The presentation ended with
something that sounds very promis-
“highly proficient.”
How this will work is that stu-
grading.
They can’t just skate by.”
One way the students defined
what they are supposed to be learn-
grading, said.
based upon 0 through 4: 0 being
don’t want to change their ways of
5
people. They are trying to come up with ideas for on campus to help with the food problem: ideas such as food pantries, developing a community garden, food boxes, pack outs and soup kitchens. Students in the social work class, such as Melanie Maynard, are trying to get a grant for a pack out to be held at UMPI. Pack outs are a big group project. Many volunteers help pack healthy foods in packages and send them to homeless shelters and families who may need more food. This grant that they are trying to revive will help pay for t h e p a c k o u t p r o j e c t . To g e t a l l
of the supplies for the pack outs costs $25,000. Once and if they get the grant, they will order everything they need and begin to work on helping families in need. It will help a lot of people and will also take a lot of volunteers Food insecurity is most common in students. Reasons for this include that working students need money for other t h i n g s . Tu i t i o n i s r i s i n g a n d d e creasing. When students get t h e i r m o n e y, t h e y b u y t h i n g s that they feel will be more important and save food for last. Many students did not know that many other students go
ing. “If you don’t pass, it won’t
means that if you don’t understand
will have the next term to under-
so that if students don’t do well in
classes, they won’t be worried and stressed about getting behind all their friends in terms of classes. Even though some teachers and
students believe that this is going to be confusing, many others feel
like this is going to be a change for the better.
h u n g r y e v e r y d a y. I t c o u l d b e someone you sit next to in a class or someone you see walking around campus. Studying makes it hard to go and get food: students are too worried about passing their classes and save eating for when they know they are done. All these students in the social work classes want is to make a change and m a k e a d i ff e r e n c e i n p e o p l e ’s lives when it comes to eating. If they can get the grant and start the pack out project, it will help, and maybe save a lot of people. Even people whom you may not know go food insec u r e e v e r y d a y.
6
U n i ve r si t y T i m e s C A M P U S May 8 , 2 0 1 5
Ning Sun
Differences and Similarities
STAFF WRITER
If you were asked the differences
landmarks are well known around the
dicted to it. Some Chinese players
people can experience new food in
ent periods. The Great Wall was built
ketball teams in China,” Zhang said.
The last comparison was technology.
and similarities between western
world, but they were created in differ-
would you answer? Xuetong Zhang,
thousands of years ago, but the Statue
countries and eastern countries, what
also join it. Also, there are many basThey also talked about the differences
their own countries.
Albert and Zhang showed technology
who comes from China, and Mikayla
of Liberty is less than 130 years old.
showed ways that their two cultures
between the two countries.
Every country has its own special ar-
common ties in sports. The National
that more and more chain stores such
tory and culture. Zhang introduced
highest level in this field. “Not only
China. America also has many Chi-
showed the Statue of Liberty. Both
game. Many Chinese are also ad-
countries have different eating diets,
fessional knowledge of snowboarding to Bowden, which enables them to have more topics to communicate. Also, Liu taught Bowden to speak a little Chinese. They showed two videos that recorded the process of learning language when using a software called Dragon Dictation. “ I t ’s h a r d f o r p e o p l e t o s t u d y aboard due to the language,” Bowden said. Both of them were learning foreign language so that they can understand each other better than before. They often help each other and now have became good friends. I f t h e y d i d n ’t k e e p c o m m u n i c a t i n g , t h e y c o u l d n ’t b u i l d t h e relationship and make progress
on learning language. Commu-
a ff e c t s u s e v e r y d a y o n t e x t ,
c o n n e c t p e o p l e t o g e t h e r.
We c a n n o t l i v e w i t h o u t c o m m u -
Albert, who comes from America, are parallel.
chitectures that can stand for its histhe Great Wall first, and then Albert
Ning Sun
STAFF WRITER
Also, the political system is different
Then Albert and Zhang talked about
Basketball Association stands for the
Americans are interested in this
and similarities in food. Americans
like to eat salad and hamburgers, but
Chinese prefer hot pot and fried veg-
etables. An interesting phenomenon is as McDonald’s and KFC run in
nese restaurants. Although the two
produced by Apple. But the technol-
ogy is made in China. The two countries are located in opposite places,
but they cooperate with each other.
Understanding differences and simi-
larities between cultures helps us better understand our world.
Exploring the World Of Communication
To n g L i u a n d C h r i s B o w d e n introduced the process of building friendships between t h e m o n U n i v e r s i t y D a y. B o t h of them major in professional communication and journalism. So you must think that they have always had much in comm o n . B u t i t h a s n ’t a l w a y s b e e n t h a t w a y. Liu is from China and his Engl i s h i s n ’t f l u e n t . B o w d e n , h i s E n g l i s h t u t o r, t r i e d t o h e l p L i u i m p r o v e s p o k e n E n g l i s h . To b e g i n w i t h , t h e y c o u l d n ’t f i n d topics that they were both fam i l i a r w i t h . A l s o , t h e y c o u l d n ’t understand each other very well due to the language. In order to find topics during practice, Liu taught some pro-
nication has magic powers to Bowden said communication
phone, social media and so on. n i c a t i o n . I t ’s e v e r y w h e r e
Uni ve r si t y T i m e s C A M P U S May 8 , 2 0 1 5
Joshua Archer
Names CAN Hurt You
STAFF WRITER
At some point most children will experience bullying in school. They may witness bullying, be at the wrong end of it or perhaps even be the bully. UMPI education majors used their University Day presentation as a platform to warn attendees about the impact bullying has on academics. Presenters Tricia Carter, Kylee Alton, Amanda Hotham and Mitchell Bartlett defined to a concerned crowd how bullying affects students. "We feel like it’s a big issue in schools and I feel like people need to be educated on it. Especially future teachers," Carter said. Each presenter made it clear that bullying in all its forms is never OK. Traditional bullying has evolved into cyber bullying. This makes it so the bully can reach students in their own homes through
Joshua Archer STAFF WRITER
the use of social media. "40 percent of young people have experienced cyber bullying," Carter said. "And girls are twice as likely to be victims." "Bullied students are more likely to experience depression and anxiety," Bartlett said. "They also have increased health complaints, feel disconnected and dislike school.” Suicide among bullied students is the top concern with teachers and parents. Suicide is the third leading cause of death among youth. Presenters transitioned to strategies teachers can take to help prevent bullying. "Teachers must have ground rules to create a safe environment," Bartlett said. “Shifting power from the bully to the victim can help a bad situation,” he said.
The presenters acted out bullying scenarios of to teach their audience how to respond. They demonstrated that standing up to a bully doesn’t prevent bullying. They removed the victim from the situation and comforted them. Rather than having the bully apologize, a teacher should show the bully what was wrong and pair that with a consequence. Hotham interviewed local teachers in Fort Fairfield to find out how they handle bullying. "Often kids misinterpret bullying," Hotham said. "Bullying cases get handled on an individual basis." Typically an incident must occur more than three times before it's considered bullying. "I thought [the presentation] was good," Leigh Belair, UMPI MLT program director, said. "I would have liked to see some references
7
to how technology can be used to prevent bullying in schools. I think technology can be used to bully students, but it also can be used in some instances as a way to prevent that.” Carter hoped the audience walked away knowing that bullying is real. "We need to take (bullying) seriously to make sure that our students feel safe," Carter said. The presentation closed on a note of hope for a future where tomorrow’s teachers can react properly to bullying when it occurs in their classrooms. According to the presentation, the Maine Department of Education has made steps toward improving school climate and safety throughout the state.
Breaking Bad Behavior
Bad behavior in schools is almost unavoidable. But there are strategies teachers can use to combat behavior problems. Education majors discussed ways to prevent bad behavior d u r i n g U M P I ' s U n i v e r s i t y D a y. "Behavior is a big part of the classroom environment," educat i o n m a j o r A m a n d a Wa l l s a i d . "If behavior is not controlled, you’re taking away from instructional time." " T h e r e a r e t h r e e i n t e r v e ntions that can help prevent bad b e h a v i o r, " p r e s e n t e r S a r a h S u l l i v a n s a i d . " Te r t i a r y i n t e r v e ntions, secondary interventions, and primary interventions." Primary interventions teach
students how to follow rules. S e c o n d a r y i n t e r v e n t i o n s a r e t a rgeted for students who are considered to be at risk of serious problems. At risk students continue to act out in class and may need small group instruct i o n . F i n a l l y, t e r t i a r y i n t e r v e ntions are often long-term and focus on students who need the most help. "Prevention methods are important to me. I want to make sure I’m well equipped when I enter the classroom as a t e a c h e r, " Wa l l s a i d . More and more teachers are facing a growing number of students with behavior challenges. Those challenges hurt the suc-
cess of daily classroom instruction. "Getting kids to understand what's wrong can help prevent future problems," presenter David Guy said. Other strategies teachers may employ are l o s s o f p r i v i l e g e s a n d o ff i c e r e ferrals. " O ff i c e r e f e r r a l s s h o u l d b e a last resort," Guy said. "Sending t h e m t o t h e p r i n c i p a l ’s o ff i c e doesn't teach them about their m i s b e h a v i o r. " Special Ed teacher Jenna Kitchen said the presentation went well. "I use some of the strategies t h a t t h e y t a l k e d a b o u t t o d a y, " Kitchen said.
The presentation was the cul-
mination of months of hard w o r k a n d s t u d y. P r e s e n t e r s
stressed making their future
classrooms a safe place. They
educated their audience on the
purpose of functional behav-
ioral assessments, individualized behavioral interventions
and support plans. In the end,
all the future teachers empha-
sized that their hard work and study are to help students become good citizens when t h e y ’ r e o l d e r.
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U n i ve r si t y T i m e s C A M P U S May 8 , 2 0 1 5
Monica Hewitt
Not Your Average Trip
STAFF WRITER
A recent visit to Guatemala had four UMPI students excited to talk about their experience. Presenters Melanie Maynard, Kaitlyn D. Martin, Amber E. Michaud and Jessica Cheney talked about their stay. The group visited Guatemala as part of a project to help children and the schools there. A large part of the population lives in poverty. “Rural populations account for the majority of underprivileged people,” Martin said. Many times, the fathers will work in the U.S. and send money to their families. Also, children often work to help their
families instead of going to school. Women will also work and balance their roles in their homes. Although many of the people live in poverty, Cheney said, “These aren’t people to feel sorry for.” They are actually very happy people. Their communities are very family-like and they are very welcoming. “It’s more ‘we-focused’ than ‘I,’” Maynard said. The group stayed for 10 days. “It wasn’t a vacation,” Maynard said. The group was there to help the people. “It’s like providing hope,” Maynard
said. The children were excited to see the group. The children also made art that the group used to make mosaics. Michaud mentioned how much she enjoyed the trip. “I was like, ‘I’m gonna do this. I’m gonna take a step out of my comfort zone,’” she said. “I had a really fun time on this trip.” She mentioned how Guatemalans are not concerned with getting new things and that they are very grateful people. Shirley Rush, the group’s mentor, had been to Guatemala two other times before this trip. She mentioned being able to see
the classroom that she and her group had helped to build on the last trip. She will also be selling cookbooks of favorite Guatemalan foods. Donations from the sales will go toward helping the Guatemalan children. This opportunity provided a wonderful experience for the group. They were able to help people and have fun while doing it. Not every trip needs to be a vacation. Often, the most meaningful trips are the ones on which the work that you do benefits others in need.
was in prison. But first, what is PBE? It is a method of teaching that helps children who are struggling with behavioral issues or with their learning. It helps them to really learn and not just pass their classes. Instead of focusing on letter grading, this form of education focuses on how much a student has progressed in his or her education. Students are graded based upon how much they have improved. It is a more personalized education. “Students will misbehave because they are trying to obtain or avoid something,” Hemphill said. Ben’s behavior was likely the result of his unstable home life. Ben’s family struggled with poverty, and it is possible that he was not getting all of the essentials of life. Maybe he wasn’t being fed or clothed properly.
Also, his education was probably not getting the proper attention that it needed at home. The presenters showed a video featuring the YMCA, a nonprofit organization that holds after-school programs for kids. This program involves the children in fun activities while allowing them to continue their learning. This is the kind of program that could help Ben. It would allow him to be active while learning. In PBE, students learn to find and use their strengths and to work on the areas that they struggle with. The teachers help them by being flexible. They find ways to work with the students and meet their needs. The presentation also focused on how students need to know that their teachers care about them.
This form of education is still pretty new. Dr. William Breton, the mentor overseeing the presentation, said, “This is just a start for these guys (presenters].” PBE is just getting started. Kevin Cyr, a member of the audience, said that he enjoyed the presentation. “It kind of fits really well with what I do at Job Corps,” he said. He mentioned working with low-income students and helping them with their education. This presentation was specifically focused on that area. PBE could be the future of learning for schools everywhere. It is something that still has a lot of growing to do, but it holds many great ideas. It is hoped that it will grow to become a way for students to have the best education possible.
A New Form of Educaiton
Monica Hewitt STAFF WRITER
Many times, teachers encounter students who seem to be having difficulties in school. These difficulties can include trouble doing the assigned work as well as behavioral problems. On April 15, at University Day at UMPI, five young education majors gave a presentation addressing these issues. Presenters Madison Michaud, Renee Larson, Mikayla Albert, Lydia Streinz and Erica Hemphill spoke about the benefits of a proficiency-based education for atrisk students. The presentation centered on a 10-year-old boy named Ben, a fictional child used to provide an example of someone who could benefit from PBE. Ben had behavioral issues. His mother held no job, was living with her boyfriend and Ben’s biological father, who was abusive,
Uni ve r si t y T i m e s C A M P U S May 8 , 2 0 1 5
Melissa Lizotte CONTRIBUTOR
The Right Type of Power
The night before University Day is a special time for UMPI. This is when the campus welcomes a distinguished lecturer. On April 14, Byron Hurt spoke with students and faculty in the Campus Center. Hurt is an award-winning documentary filmmaker. He is also an anti-sexist activist. His talk focused on his 2006 film “Hip-Hop: Beyond Beats and Rhymes.” Hurt turned to personal experience for inspiration. After college, he became involved with Mentors of Violence Prevention. The program worked with male college athletes. Hurt’s job was to encourage more men to speak out against gender violence. The experience had a great impact on Hurt. “I learned that as a man, I could play a role to help girls and women speak out,” Hurt said. Hurt is a big fan of hip-hop music. But the program made him more wary of what its lyrics and videos said. He realized that all the music videos were the same. The men were tough and in control of people, especially women. The women were victims of violence and abuse. Hurt wanted to make a film that was critical of stereotypes of both men and women. He showed two clips from that film. But before that, he made one thing clear to the audience. “I don’t think the issues I address in my film are exclusive to hip-hop. They’re common throughout American culture,” Hurt said. “Men from all racial backgrounds are conditioned to view women as second-class citizens. I think we see that played out in hip-hop music.” The first clip was from a spring break party in Florida. It showed
Hurt talking to aspiring rap artists. All the rap artists used lyrics about violence, gun play and being tough. After the clip was over, Hurt led a discussion with the audience. He asked them about where they saw violence in the media. He wanted examples that had nothing to do with hip-hop. Some people brought
DLS speaker Byron Hurt
up recent protests against police violence. Others mentioned advertising or mixed martial arts. Hurt believes that violence in the media affects how men behave.
Often boys are encouraged to act tough and not show emotion. He used phrases such as “be a man” or “don’t be such a girl” as examples. For Hurt, the message is clear. Men have to fit a certain role in order to be accepted. He thinks that violence shouldn’t be a normal way for them to act.
“We have to unpack whether this violence really serves us as men and whether it’s healthy for us as a culture,” Hurt said. “What I’d like you to do is challenge yourself
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to think about violence and how it affects men and women.” After that, Hurt showed a second film clip. This time, Hurt was in Daytona Beach, Fla. He filmed hip-hop fans outside of a BET Spring Fling rap concert. What Hurt saw greatly disturbed him. The men didn’t have a problem with using hip-hop’s sexist lyrics against women. They also sexually harassed many women who were waiting in line. Hurt noticed that none of the women protested. He also interviewed police officers. They said that they hadn’t seen any major trouble that day. Hurt asked the audience, “What’s the difference between the way the men were dressed versus the way women were dressed on the beach?” He explained that some people would think that the women “asked for it” because they were dressed in sexy bikinis. For Hurt, that type of view is unacceptable. Hurt recognized that some of the women laughed while being harassed. But that doesn’t mean they enjoyed it. “When you don’t have power, you’ll allow yourself to endure things you wouldn’t do otherwise,” Hurt said. Hurt made sure to not just lecture. He spoke with audience members and asked for their opinions. Hurt was glad to expand on the issues his film brought up. He even openly disagreed with a few audience members. In the end, Hurt wanted everyone to be more critical of all media. It doesn’t matter whether it’s hip-hop music or not. He would love to see more men and women standing up against the sexist images that the media promote.
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U n i ve r si t y T i m e s C A M P U S May 8 , 2 0 1 5
UMPI’s Artists of Tomorrow
Melissa Lizotte CONTRIBUTOR
University Day is a great day for UMPI students. They get to share some of the hard work they’ve put into their studies. Some talk about research or community service. But others have cool creative works to share. On April 15, an excited crowed filled the Pullen Art Gallery. They were there to watch four senior art show presentations. The students talked about their past and current artwork and inspirations. They also showed pictures of their art via PowerPoint. Chelsea Searles was the first presenter. Searles is a mixed media artist. She enjoys working with themes of life, death and near-death experiences. Much of her current
UMPI senior Renee Royal
artwork has images of flowers and skeletons. “The bright colors represent life while the black and white skulls represent death,” Searles said. Artists Salvador Dali, Yellena James and Trish Igo inspire her work. Writer Edgar Allen Poe is also a big influence. “His fascination with death makes him produce intriguing, yet fascinating work,” Searles said. This is the type of image that Searles hopes to create in her art. Searles’ senior exhibit, “Death Blooms,” ran from April 24 through April 30. The next presenter was Renee Royal. Royal is a painter who focuses on themes of negative versus hopefulness. Her current goal is to express the more hopeful side of life. Royal showed many of her colorful paintings. She is most proud of one called, “It’s a beautiful place where the mind wanders.” The painting shows a woman looking up at a sky of bright colors. It is one of the paintings in her senior exhibit “Elsewhere.” “It’s about detaching yourself from life and creating a better reality,” Royal said. She admires her dad and sister for their strong work ethics. “My sister is very honest with my work. She’s the one who always tells me if something isn’t working,” Royal said. After graduating, Royal’s plan is to take a year off. She’ll use the time to travel and focus on her art. Jessalyn Levesque was also a presenter. Like Searles, Levesque is a mixed media artist. She enjoys installation and photography. In-
UMPI Senior Dylan Markieʼs Art
stallation artist Tara Donovan inspires much of her work. Levesque admires her use of everyday objects. These are things she also likes to work with. Feminism is also a big influence. “I believe in equality and standing up for what’s right,” Levesque said. “Ipseity” is the name of her senior show. The word means “individual identity.” Levesque’s current work is very personal. It reflects her journey of trying to find who she is as a person. Levesque explained the process of creating her art. She creates a caste, sands it and carves it. Then, she lays the caste on silk panels. “It’s a way to break and shed how other people define me,” Levesque said. The silk panels represent her former identity. Levesque’s photography is also in her show. It reflects the tension and anxiety of finding one’s identity. Dylan Markie was the last to
present. Markie’s senior show “Anxious for Peace” was already on display. The exhibit had several of his wood carvings. Markie said that he enjoys working with scrap materials that he finds. Artists such as Jaison Cianelli, Jackson Pollock and Monet inspire him. He shares a love of nature with all three artists. Like Levesque, Markie’s art tells a personal story. “I want to show the stress related to finding one’s own peace,” Markie said. He hopes to continue creating art that others can relate to as well. If you missed the presentations, don’t worry. There’s still a chance to catch two of the senior exhibits. Royal will present her show from May 1 through May 7. Levesque’s exhibit will run from May 8 through May 17. Pullen Art Gallery is home to some great art. Don’t miss your chance to see the seniors’ artwork before it’s gone.
Uni ve r si t y T i m e s C A M P U S May 8 , 2 0 1 5
Tong Liu
CONTRIBUTOR
We all know that the best way to know a country is to live there and get to know the people who live there. But we may not have the chance to go to every country and see the life in that country. So on University Day, Ying Zheng, who is from the International Students Club, gave a very specific introduction about Chinese New Year. Chinese New Year could be the most important festival for Chinese people. It is like Christmas for western countries. Chinese New Year is the first day of the lunar calendar. According to the lunar calendar, the Chinese New Year festival starts from the new moon on the first day and ends on the full moon, which is 15 days later. This means that the Chinese New Year has a period 15 days long. In Chinese, “Year” is called “Nian.” There is also a mythology to tell why it is called “Nian.” In Chinese mythology, a Nian is a
Joshua Cross CONTRIBUTOR
A group of nine students embarked on a journey with art professor Hyrum Benson over spring break earlier this April. They set out west to the Grand Gulch in Utah, “with only the possessions in their backpacks.” At the University of Maine at Presque I s l e ’s U n i v e r s i t y D a y, t h e y presented a colorful and detailed PowerPoint of their voyage in the Gulch. They faced physical chall e n g e s i n t h e d r y, w a r m c l i -
Chinese New Year beast that lives under the sea or in the mountains. Once each spring, on or around Chinese New Year, it comes out of hiding to attack people, especially children. The Nian is sensitive to loud noises and is afraid of the color red. The Chinese Lion Dance is known to have originated from the legend of the Nian. The tradition began when a Nian attacked a village. After the attack, the villagers discussed how to make the Nian leave them alone. Eventually they came up with a plan where drums, plates and empty bowls were hit and firecrackers were thrown, causing loud banging sounds that would scare off the Nian. This scared the Nian, and since that time, the Nian has not appeared in the village again. The Nian is still believed to exist, but it is scattered about the jungle and mountains, never to appear in front of a human again. They mythology gives people an explanation about why they are doing
this during Chinese New Year. The mythology is fake, but people still want to explain Chinese New Year like this, because they believe bad luck will go away with fireworks on Chinese New Year Eve and good luck will come with the sunrise of the next day. People like things that are in a red color during Chinese New Year because red is a color that people think is lucky. This year can be called “Year of Sheep” or “Year of Goat.” In China, the Zodiac is a normal way that people count years. There are 12 zodiacs and they are cycled year after year. In Chinese, both sheep and goats can be called “Yang.” People will not think “Yang” is sheep or goat. Chinese people like both of the two animals. They take the cute and meek from sheep. They also like goats because goats always lead the group. So in most pictures about “Yang,” it looks cute but they also have a part that is from
11 a goat. This mix makes Chinese people feel that they get both advantages from the two different animals. No matter how far you live from your family, getting together with your family is a must thing to do during Chinese New Year. Children have another reason to like Chinese New Year: older people will give red envelopes to them. Some parents will give to the children until they are adults. But there are also a lot of people who feel that their children are still young and they will give them red envelopes until they have their own family. There are a lot of interesting parts and events during Chinese New Year. You will find that there are so many things to do during Chinese New Year. But for most of the festival, some time it is really not so different from Christmas. The important thing is to give yourself some time to spend several days with your family.
The Gulch mate. One of the students, D e r r i c k H e a l e y, w a s f a c e d with dehydration on the hike. In need of a helicopter evacuation call, they rest of the group stood by his side until he recovered his strength. F o r t u n a t e l y f o r H e a l e y, h e w a s able to continue forward after being cleared by the safety paramedics. As the helicopter took off, the group kept on hiking the Gulch. Along the j o u r n e y, t h e g r o u p t o o k a n u m ber of pictures and at times
sat back and made sketches of the views before them. These were relaxing times to settle down from the heat and workout, as the body and mind appreciated the natural artistic landscape of Utah. They spent just six days and hiked approximately 45 m i l e s t o g e t h e r. B y t h e e n d , the group became more than just another college class trip of students. They became an UMPI family through Hyrum B e n s o n ’s t r i p o f U t a h . T h e y
all shared an “underlying sad-
ness” as they left Utah and
headed back East to the cold,
overlapping winter here in
Presque Isle. They came back
to Maine with a different view of the scenery out west and
the students around them. All this helped make this spring
break a memorable and worthwhile experience for the ages.
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U n i ve r si t y T i m e s C A M P U S May 8 , 2 0 1 5
Changing the World Around You Marc Knapp CONTRIBUTOR
When you first step into the office of Waterfront Concerts, it is easy to see how this company has helped to change the landscape of musical entertainment in Maine. The place is buzzing with activity. There are two men and a woman working at their desks. The far wall has a big picture window with an open doorway to the right of it. On the other side of the window four men can be seen, also working away. Two of them are at desks and two of them seated on a couch typing away at their laptops. Alex Gray was seated at a desk in the back corner of the second room, behind a computer and a mountain of paperwork. Alex founded Waterfront Concerts in 2010 with the help of two of his friends. They have since grown the company to taking on its seventh full-time employee this year. Waterfront Concerts has been responsible for bringing large nationwide tours to Maine like the Mayhem Fest, Wiz Kahlifa and The Charlie Daniels Band. But before he started Waterfront Concerts and gave bands a more northern spot than Boston to stop, Alex Gray just wanted to change his world. Yet when all is said and done, he ended up changing the world around him. In 1999, Alex was a senior at the University of Maine at Orono working toward his Bachelor of Science degree in construction management with a concentration in civil engineering. One might wonder how that led to starting a concert promotion company. “I bought a nightclub across the street from the University of Maine while I was in college, finishing up my last year of school. I bought the club across the street because it was closed and we had no place to go.” He opened Ushuaia in 1999 and ran it until 2006. He then leased the property to one of his friends who worked for
him there. Robbie Snow, who graduated from UMaine Orono in 2005 with a bachelor ’s degree in business management, opened the 103 Ultra Lounge in the space in 2006. Alex went on to join a partnership called New England Concerts that booked some shows from 2007 to 2010 when the partnership dissolved. In April of 2010, Alex started Waterfront Concerts to fill the void left by New England Concerts and to keep from having to drive all the way to Massachusetts to see concerts. “I founded
University of Maine at Fort Kent. The company they started has gone from booking shows at the waterfront during the summer to booking shows year round at venues all over the state. Waterfront Concerts also books shows at the Adroscoggin Bank Colisee in Lewiston, the Collins Center for the Arts on the Orono Campus, the Cross Insurance Center in Bangor, the Maine State Pier and Merill Auditorium in Portland and the Gracie Theatre on the campus of Husson University in Bangor.
called coal tar. They work from the shore with crane and a barge to haul it out. Then they truck it off to burn the coal off, essentially leaving dirt that they use to make roads.” After all the time and effort that he has put into the company, when asked what his favorite part of the job is, his answer had nothing to do with the success that his company has had. No, his answer was much more devoid of ego. “Seeing the fans reaction on show day.” And even though his company has
the company and about two days later I called Robbie up and told him he better get over here and help me. And then we needed a website so we called Randy and it got kind of big, fast.” Robbie closed the 103 Ultra Lounge (which has since turned into a convenience store) and joined Alex in his new venture. “I knew Randy previously and when I heard from Alex, I called him up and brought him along for the ride.” Randy Dufour is from Madawaska and received his bachelor ’s degree from the
Beyond improving the quality and quantity of musical entertainment in the state of Maine, Waterfront Concerts has also played a hand in cleaning up the city. “The site itself is an old industrial site, it’s very polluted. Not what you see there is polluted, but under it, the bones of the site are very polluted. So there’s a lot of environmental regulations that we have to follow because of its past. This area was Bangor Gasification Works so there’s this oily material at the bottom of the river
opened up a previously inaccessible part of the country to large scale nationwide and world tours, he still has a few goals to accomplish. “There’s a half a million shows I want to bring to the region. The goal now is to try to figure out how do you get Metallica to come, how do you get the Stones to come. At some point they’re going to want to work.” After all that he and his friends have done to change the world around them and his sights are still set on breaking new ground.
Uni ve r si t y T i m e s C A M P U S May 8 , 2 0 1 5 Tong Liu
STAFF WRITER
Are you studying a major that you really enjoy? Are you working in a company that you like? Are you doing the thing that you want to do? When you are about the age where you graduate from high school, you will be asked your future by a lot of people around you. Some people may hate this question. They have no idea what they really like. They don’t know if going to a university is a good fit for them. They need to think their way and find their way. In the early morning of University Day, Rebecca Campbell shared her experience with people in room Folsom 203. She shared how she found an area that she really fit and enjoyed. Just like a lot of freshmen, she also had a long way to finding her missing part. When she was in middle school, her teacher asked the students to write about their future and what they want to do in the
Finding Your Way
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future. This session of class was the most hated part for Becca. She said that she really didn’t know how to answer this question because she only wanted to focus on what she was going to do in high school. She had no idea about what she really wanted to do in the future because she had not found it yet. She picked photo journalism in her middle school. The reason that she picked it was that it was pretty cool, but she didn’t really like it. Becca actually likes sports, so the first major in college that she chose was Sports Management. She thought management was cool and also added a sports area. This made Becca decide that that was what she wanted to do. After she took a class about this major, there was only one woman in her class: her. She thought that she might not fit this major and also sports management was mostly a field for men. The professor who
taught the class specialized in marketing and that helped her make another decision. She transferred to another university and changed her major. The second major she took, however, was education. This was influenced by her mother because her mother is a teacher and Becca thought this may run in the family. But she found out education was exactly not what she wants to do. She changed to business administration. She felt as if she fit this major. But still something was missing. Then she took a class in business communication, and she did a project on her own. She finally found out the missing part is doing projects. She enjoyed starting a project, doing the project and showing the project to other people. This makes her happy. This is the way that Becca found finally. She used one year to figure out what she really wanted to do. We can be sure that
she will focus on her major and also enjoy her career because this is what she wants to do. For most of us, we may feel it will waste time to change majors or it is too late to change our minds. There is one thing we should know. The future is ours. We have to take responsibility for our future. Make a choice: use one or two years to find your way or save the time and do an area that you don’t really want to do? We all can make a good choice on this question. It is OK to change our minds. It is OK to feel something was wrong and it is also OK to make a wrong decision. Don’t think that it is too late and that you cannot do what you really want. If you find the thing that you are missing, that will be a real start for you to step on you own way.
driguez, Heather Oram and Julie Knight are three students using the Science Technology Engineering and Math program to help a group of students improve their problemsolving skills. “It’s a different way of learning. The youth become self-directing,” Rodriguez said. The STEM program is an after-school club that meets and allows students in elementary school to work with other students of varying ages on problems with answers that aren’t so clear. The basic STEM principle follows a series of steps: Identify the problem, explore the possible solutions, apply an approach to the solution and then revise the solution to get a better result. The concept is easy for students to follow
and they have a lot of fun with it. “They really loved getting involved,” Oram said. At the University Day presentation, a group of the STEM students showed off their problem-solving skills in a series of challenges. The first challenge involved the students working together to stack red plastic cups on top of one another in a pyramid formation. The catch is that the students had to use various objects to do it. For example: In one challenge the students had to stack the cups in a pyramid using nothing but shoelaces and rubber bands. After some deliberation among the teams, a solution was discovered and they completed the challenge. “These kids are so smart. . . . I’ve really learned a lot from
them,” Rodriguez said after their second challenge. “Every session we solve a different problem.” Rodriguez then explained that they use competition in their STEM meetings. The purpose is to drive the students to think more critically. With so many changes in technology and the pace of development in our modern world, it is necessary to start changing the way things are done. If the trend in technological advancement is to continue, education systems have to start changing the way we think. STEM is surely a step in the right direction. By honing problem-solving skills as these young people have, the potential for our future is nearly unlimited.
STEM: The Future of Thinking Julian Cross
CONTRIBUTOR
In the last couple of decades, technology advancements have greatly increased. In just the last 10 years we have seen technologies hit the public market seemingly out of nowhere. The fact is we are applying science in practical ways more and more every year. Engineering fields are growing incredibly fast, and it’s changing the world. Engineering requires a certain way of thinking, though. It is a problemsolving industry. In a country relying more and more on problem-solving, it’s no wonder programs such as STEM are popping up in schools all around the country. At University Day, some students explained what they do in their own STEM program. Leah Ro-
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U n i ve r si t y T i m e s C A M P U S May 8 , 2 0 1 5
Retired UMPI Student– Has He Changed the World?
Brad LeFay
CONTRIBUTOR
Jeff Salisbury, age 49, is a fulltime student at UMPI. He attends classes in mental health and human services. He claims to take these classes to further his education. More important, he wants to continue his life of helping people even now that he’s retired. But how exciting was Jeff’s life before he settled down? As it turns out, he is a retired Marine. He joined the Marines in 1983. When asked why he joined, he simply answered “Eighteen and no idea what to do.”
Joshua Cross CONTRIBUTOR
Jeff left the Marines in 1989. The excitement didn’t stop for long, though. He worked for the highway department for a few years. Then, in 1996, Jeff became a firefighter. Understandably, he found it hard to describe his job. He did say that it definitely had its bad moments and happy moments. “People have no idea what firefighters experience on a daily basis. No idea.” Jeff officially retired in 2006. Since then, he has settled down with his son and daughter, whom he has a close relationship with. After retir-
ing, he took up schooling his children from home. Jeff can often be found at the Houlton Center, greeting those who enter. He often hands out gifts to visitors for days such as “Motivational Monday” and “Terrific Tuesday.” Valerie Estabrook, a close friend of Jeff, said, “Jeff is motivational to everyone he meets.” She went on to say that he has a diverse way of thinking. Even today, Jeff greets people and makes them smile as they walk in the building. In 49 years, has Jeff changed the
world? Well, he’s worked as a firefighter and a Marine. He’s also worked for the highway department and been a homeschool teacher. He even brightens people’s day by greeting them and handing them free things. The answer, then, is a resounding: Probably. When asked the question himself, however, Jeff gave an interesting answer. He claims that, as both a firefighter and Marine, there was nothing he did alone. “I like to think that I was part of a team effort in making the world a better place.”
Multiple Intelligence
“If a child can’t learn the way we teach, maybe we should teach the way they learn.” This is an Ignacio Estrada quote that defines what the new innovative multiple intelligence method in teaching is all about. Multiple intelligence learning is a new approach to teaching that leaves the education community in awe with the potential possibilities that come with it. Five women of the education department- -Mackenzie Beaulieu, Torry Millette, Heather Oram, Kayla Saunders and Lisa Shannon-all presented this learning technique to their audience on University Day here at UMPI. They started with a few activities to get the crowd moving around and to loosen up before handing us a multiple intelligence quiz. This allowed everyone to become actively involved, as the presentation
felt more relatable, due to the newfound personal connection. This approach made for an open-minded audi-ence, exploring to see how multiple intelligence could benefit you as an individual. It also allowed for numerous questions when time came around, as everyone was looking for that extra edge in the class-room. The presentation was quite informative, but the questions kept coming. People were engaged, cu-rious and generally fascinated. Students have only ever known of one way to learn: now this could all change? The traditional way has its fair share of flaws, but could our learning system really be reconstructed? Multiple intelligence caters to the individual student’s way of learning. Teachers assess each student individually: this is vital, as it’s the backbone to this approach.
Teachers are able to see how all children retain knowledge best by understanding their interests and by testing them in different learning environ-ments. It could be musical, interpersonal, verbal, visual, logical, naturalistic, body or intrapersonal. “All different talents of students will be appreciated,” the group said. These areas are all equally important to making each student successful. On the downside, multiple intelligence has its flaws, time being the biggest concern. An individual learning experience doesn’t conform to the time constraint of a normal school day. The individual learn-ing experience defies the typical traditional classroom time slot that society has become accustomed to. Not having all the students being taught the same way, each student would need to be assessed
differ-ently. Since “everyone is unique” and thrives off separate multiple intelligence areas, class periods would be pushed to the limits in order to make sure no one’s left behind. Students, however, could use this knowledge of knowing themselves better as learners by taking it out of class and using it toward home-work. Multiple intelligence could complement the proficiency based learning system. To a certain extent, this method could work great with younger children in the elementary years of school. They could find who they are as students and take it with them from the middle school years on. This technique has po-tential without a doubt. It just needs more time before being brought forth as a primary way of teaching in the classrooms.
Unive r si t y T i m e s C A M P U S May 8 , 2 0 1 5
Erin Keehn
Just a Drop in the Ocean
CONTRIBUTOR
So, here we are, fellow UMPI classmates and staff. The end of our school year is drawing near. Now we’re left with the task of evaluating ourselves and what we’re doing with our lives. It’s never easy, being young and trying to make your mark on the world. But believe it or not, just by going to school, you are making a difference and you’re changing your own life, as well as everyone else’s around you. Going to school is never easy. But college is a great experience and not one most people would give up. Kim Keehn, who was unable to finish her college experience, said, “I loved going to school. It was really fun and inspiring. Even though I didn’t get the chance to graduate, I still had the motivation to pursue my dreams after. It
Timothy Chase CONTRIBUTOR
was irreplaceable.” College is a time when you can grow and learn more about yourself than before. Robert Frost’s “The Road Not Taken” speaks wonders about the challenge some students face when going to school. Laura B. said, “Hearing this poem struck my heartstrings. It made me realize that I don’t have to go the same path as others did when they went to college. I can find my own path. I want to feel confident in my choices.” She plans to continue her education after high school in her hometown. She will take online classes, as well as in person lessons at the Houlton Outreach Center. Valerie Estabrook is another one of those students. She chose to stay in town and continue working at her job to save money for herself and her
family while still pursuing her degree. “It was what was easiest and it was a great decision for me. I wish other kids knew more about it, too, because it is such a great avenue.” She has been able to focus on her schoolwork, as well as save money for her future endeavors. Neither of these women, though, feels as though she is sacrificing part of her life. They feel that they have made the best possible decision for themselves and their situation. They have big plans for their futures. Laura said, “I know it’s not the ‘normal’ way people go to school, but it’s the way I’m going to go to school. It doesn't make me any less driven or determined to reach my goal.” And that is the point to remember: just because it is different, does not mean it
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is any less of a good decision. These two women are just two drops in a vast ocean of students trying to make their way in the world. So no matter how hard it gets, no matter how discouraged you may feel, remember that you are not alone. And remember that you are actively making a difference in your own life and the world around you. No one has a map for what we’re supposed to be. All we can hope is that we’re doing the right thing and what’s best for us. Always keep that in mind. Remember how brave, smart and strong you are for pursuing your dreams. And even if you don’t know what your end goal is yet, don’t fret: you’ll get there eventually.
Keeping in Balance
University day is a day where students at UMPI get a chance to present what they have learned so far this year. Classes are canceled and the day is dedicated to the students sharing some of their accomplishments and discoveries with fellow students and people of the public through presentations. One such presentation by athletic training students was about balance. Michael Hersey, Ryan Scopino, Krista Coffin and Luke Fuller were the students involved along with their mentor, Patrick Baker. The presentation was about people’s balance and proprioception: the fine motor skills that are needed for balance. These affect your body’s awareness in space. The presentation was very informative. We learned about how people who are clumsy have poor proprioception and that people who are athletic have a better proprioception. The presentation went above and beyond expectations of attendees. The pre-
senters demonstrated what they were talking about and then broke all of the audience up into groups to test for themselves how well their proprioception compared to others. The first station was standing on flat floor, lifting one leg up and balancing while throwing a ball or while standing with eyes closed. The second station was balancing on foam mats on two feet then with eyes closed. The third station was people balanced on something like a ball that was cut in half full of air. The last station was balancing on wooden balance testing devices that were designed to really push balance. This was the most difficult station. At the end of the presentation all of the audience lined up and had a competition on who had the best proprioception. If people failed, they were disqualified and had to get out of line. Jess Tucker, an UMPI student who attended the presentation, said,
“I thought this station was very informative and thought they did a good job putting it all together. I learned that proprioception and bal-
the next University Day event, it will be held next April. The presentations change and so do the students. University Day is a good way
Students particpate in the AT balance presentation
ance go hand and hand and ways to improve my balance.” If you are interested in attending
to get involved with UMPI and its students hope to see you there next year.
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U n i ve r si t y T i m e s C A M P U S May 8 , 2 0 1 5
Inspiring Lives With Karate Moves Emma Campbell CONTRIBUTOR
Drew Campbell is a busy 14, Campbell began volunteering woman. At 20 years old, she’s ac- in the studio. “I first started complished a lot in her life. When teaching classes for my dad at the she is not going to school full dojo when I was 14. Then I time at Southern Maine Commuhelped out in all of the classes nity College, she spends the maand ran a few when my dad was jority of her time at Dragon Fire Martial Arts. The school was founded by her father, Andy Campbell, in 2000 and is located in South Portland, Maine. From student to teacher, Drew has learned the methods of martial arts. Kicking and punching alongside her three sisters, Drew quickly fell in love with the sport. As she progressed, she realized that this was more than just a hobby. For Campbell, it’s become a lifelong passion. Andy Campbell decided to open a school to help children learn the art of karate. Whether it is an outlet for some or a method of self-defense for others, Campbell’s passion was the Drew Campbellʼs karate moves. result of truly respecting the work of martial arts. The Dragon Fire sick or unable to do it.” Last website says they hope to teach year, Campbell began teaching “the mental and physical benefits her own class at the dojo. A that karate training has to offer.” “dojo” is a name used to refer to Drew Campbell hopes that her the room in which the martial art students also benefit in greater classes are taught. Campbell ways, often refers to the studio as the “I think karate gives kids con- “dojo.” fidence, not only in protecting Campbell discovered her love themselves from others. But it for martial arts when she was a gives them the strength and teenager. “I realized I had a pascourage to try new things and to sion for martial arts when I not be afraid to do something that started competing. I did my first they have never done before.” tournament when I was 13 and I Campbell began taking classes came in 4th place out of 4. I cried at Dragon Fire Martial Art’s Stuall day. That is when I realized dio when she was just 3 years old. how much it meant to me. I just Campbell remained a student for wanted to get better and better.” the next 11 years. When she was After that competition, there was
no turning back. Campbell worked harder and longer hours at the studio, forever striving to perfect the art. The hard work paid off. Campbell has won many tournaments over the years and competes all over New England and the world. Her rewards are often medals or trophies. She won Student of the Year in 2008. She also came in first in the Women’s Weapons Division at the Spanish European Championships in Mallorca, Spain. “Easily the best day of my life,” she said. Campbell enjoys working with younger children at the studio. She combines her love of martial arts and working with little children by teaching courses to the younger members of the studio. “I love teaching little kids. It is the highlight of my day. One of the best feelings in the world is teaching someone something and watching them work at it, practice it on their own, and be really great at it.” Campbell teaches two classes for younger children at the Portland, Maine, YMCA. She also works with her dad by traveling around to Toddle Inn Daycares all over Maine. Campbell’s love for teaching martial arts is undeniable. She hopes that her students will take more away from her courses than simply learning some new tricks. “I believe kids need to learn how to be respectful--to themselves and others. They need to have self-control and self-discipline. They need to learn how to inter-
act appropriately with children and adults. They learn all of that through karate.” Campbell’s loved ones also see her passion for martial arts and teaching others, “Everyone loves Drew. She is the happiest when she is helping others,” Campbell’s older sister, Emily Gage, said. “Dragon Fire Martial Arts is its own little family and Drew and my dad are the center of it.” Gage also says that Drew does a lot more than teach classes for the studio. “Drew does afterschool pickups for the local schools, teaches classes and teaches a private Bo class for students. She is the captain for the demo team and goes above and beyond what is asked of her.” A Bo is a martial arts weapon used in advanced martial arts classes. The Bo looks like a long stick or a staff. Campbell’s cousin, Caitlin Campbell, also sees how much passion Drew has for the sport, “Drew adores teaching others and competing. She’s always doing some class or volunteer work when it comes to teaching others martial arts. The best part is that she’s always laughing and smiling too!” Gage supports Campbell’s comment, clearly very proud of her littler sister, “Every single one of her students adores her. She is kind, patient and knowledgeable about what she does. She is an amazing young lady,” Gage said. As for Drew Campbell, she has no plans to quit any time soon, “I plan on doing this forever.”
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Uni ve r si t y T i m e s C A M P U S May 8 , 2 0 1 5
From Student Organizations To the Work Place Dawn Gough STAFF WRITER
This University Day presentation was about the many student organizations that are offered and available to all students at UMPI. There is an organization for almost anyone in almost any field. Jessica Coppola said in her presentation, “There are many student organizations on campus and through them you can gain amazing skills. Employers look for these skills.” Top skill employers look for are commitment, someone willing to go that extra mile. Team structure can eliminate management needed to supervise anyone who is able to work well with others. Some other top skills employers look for are organization, time management and the ability to plan schedules and meetings, including coming up with an agenda. Employers prize the
ability to make decisions and solve problems. Employees need technical knowledge related to the specific job and proficiency with computer and software programs. Employers prize the ability to create or edit reports. And among the top skills that employers look for are employees who can obtain and process information and communicate well verbally with people inside and outside an organization. Some of the student organizations and clubs on campus that could help students learn some of these skills are the Criminal Justice Club. In this club, students are exposed to greater networking opportunities through various speakers, workshops and field trips. Another great club is the GeoEcology Club. This club is avail-
able to and will help students interested in scientific ventures. They go on several field trips to places in Maine and Canada. The University Times is another great way for students to learn communication skills. If anyone is interested in learning about how a newspaper operates or is interested in the more artistic contribution through photography and writing, then this is a path to explore further. Kappa Delta Phi Sorority is a club that students can learn leadership and management skill development. Most employers will look for these important skills in their new hires. This sorority was built on philanthropic ideals. Providing services to others is another cornerstone on which this club is built. It
continues to build on this through numerous community projects and activities on campus and in the surrounding communities. Coppola also said, “Communication skills is the number one skill being looked for but due to technology, employees are not using it right. Instead of writing letters, calling or talking face to face, we prefer texting or messaging. It affects how we communicate in everyday life now.” If students join any of these clubs and learn any of these important skills, it can help them transition from campus to the work place. Rather than being a distraction, campus clubs can actually enhance students’ skills and marketability for life after UMPI.
Innovating Student Learning
Joshua Cross CONTRIBUTOR
After several decades, UMPI’s old library has now evolved into the Center of Innovative Learning for students. Proficiency based learning, an innovative learning technique, just under a year ago was under heated discussion and debate. It’s a method that takes some time to understand. Change is hard to accept, but UMPI remains committed to taking this opportunity. Once the spring semester comes to a close, the summer projects will resume construction. “We’re about a third of the way complete from where we want to be,” Vanessa Pearson said. Pearson plays a significant piece here on campus. She’s been here at
the university for four years now, during the last one carrying two job position titles: first as coordinator of student activities, second as the Center of Innovative Learning’s director of student success. Continually surrounding herself with the students and catering to their college experience desires has helped develop the layout for this summer ’s renovations. Rather than having the simplicity and accustomed library feel, this building has the potential to become the heart and soul of this campus. A floor-by-floor personal experience is the goal of this project. The basement has all the technology needs: the IT center, computer lab, printers, USB con-
nections, projectors and additional outlets. The main floor will be used as a social gathering environment for both students’ and faculty’s pleasure. Teachers are encouraged to make time to visit, perhaps during their office hours. This allows students the chance to ask a question or for help. Transferring over from South Hall are two branches of the student support services: both counseling and tutoring. In the spring, student took surveys, helping shape this floor plan. The most recurring student desire was a quiet study environment. A strong focus was stressed on “the strategic and adequate planning to make the second floor completely silent,” Pearson said. Replacing
the carpet, old books and the towering shelves remains part of the plan. This will make way for new, shorter bookcases along with a new collection of books. The importance of condensing students’ tools to succeed here into one place makes this project exciting and beneficial to all associated. As this summer comes to an end, the project should be wrapping up as well. Fresh paint, a new floor plan and a little UMPI student personality behind this almost assures a promising future ahead. The final finish line we’re all waiting for is the gathering outside of the completed structure for an official opening, complete with a big-scissor ribbon-cutting ceremony.
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U n i ve r si t y T i m e s C A M P U S May 8 , 2 0 1 5
Academic Awards
Student Senate Scholarships
Ruel Parks “Rising Star” Memorial Scholarship: Hillary Saucy Humanities Scholarship: Melissa Lizotte
Daniel Patterson Scholarship: Andrew Mullane
John K. Steinbaugh Scholarship:Kelsey Churchill
Monica G. Gilbert Memorial Scholarship: Emma Ruff
Alan Arman Memorial Scholarship: Shawna McDonough T.W. Morrison Scholarship: Leanna Humphrey
Steven Edward Eagles Memorial Scholarship: Ben Everett
Distinguished Teaching Award Stacey Emery
Distinguished Staff Award Amanda Baker
Departmental Awards
Outstanding Elementary Education Major Award : Audra Kirk Outstanding Secondary Education Major Award: Darby Toth Post-Bac Education Student Award: Heather Oram Outstanding Physical Education Major Award: Stephen Thorne & Taylor Thiboutot Outstanding Achievement in the Field of Accounting: Taylor Bradbury Outstanding Achievement in the Field of Management & Leadership: Bethany Millet & Christopher Phillips Outstanding Achievement in the Field of Project Management & Information Systems: Riley Parady Outstanding Achievement in the Field of Recreation: Victoria Winslow Outstanding Athletic Training Major Award:Luke Fuller & Molly Lindsey Outstanding Fitness & Wellness Major Award : Ethan Burke Outstanding Criminal Justice Major Award : Morgan Svitila) Outstanding Social Work Student Award: Melanie Maynard English Book Award: Hannah Brilliant Outstanding Achievement in Professional Communication and Journalism: Rebecca Campbell University Times Advisor Award: Christopher Bowden Fine Art Talent Award for Outstanding Studio Achievement: Jessalyn Levesque & Renee Royal Art History: Katelyn Hartford Film Scholar: Derek Boudreau Outstanding History Major Award : Samantha Hayes 2015 Dr. Linda Graves MLT Award:Adrianna Paradis Mathematics-Science Merit Award :Yuting Zhou General Biology I Award: Kaitlyn Belanger Maine Policy Scholar 2014—2015 : Kasandra Foster
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Uni ve r si t y T i m e s C A M P U S May 8 , 2 0 1 5
Athletic Awards Athletes of the Year Male Athlete of the Year: Reynold Brown (Golf)
Female Athlete of the Year
Rebecca Campbell (Women’s Basketball)
Special Awards Al Arman “Make A Difference Award”” Male Recipient: Ryan Jones (Men’s Soccer) Female Recipient: Shannon Brown (Volleyball/Softball) Stanley H. Small Coaches Award: Ghazaleh “Oz” Sailors (Baseball)
Ruel Parks Coaches Award: Kathryn Patenaude (Women’s Basketball) Donald N. Zillman Character Award: Jessica Campbell (Softball)
Royal Goheen (Highest Team GPA): Men’s Golf (Team GPA of 3.535)
Sharon Roix (Most Improved GPA): Men’s Cross Country (Most improved GPA of 0.589)
AT Awards Co- Athletic Training Student Rising Stars: Jordan Cook and Sydey Churchill
Athletic Traning Student of the Year: Molly Lindsey
Team Awards
Men’s Cross Country Rookie of the Year: Most Inspirational Runner: Runner of the Year :
Women’s Cross County Rookie of the Year: Most Inspirational Runner: Runner of the Year : Rookie of the Year: Most Improved Golfer: Most Valuable Golfer: Rookie of the Year: Most Inspirational Player: Most Valuable Player: Co-Rookies of the Year: Most Inspirational Player: Most Valuable Player: Rookie of the Year: Most Inspirational Player: Most Valuable Player: Rookie of the Year: Most Inspirational Player: Captain’s Award: Rookie of the Year: Most Inspirational Player: Senior Leadership Award: Rookie of the Year: Most Inspirational Skier: Most Valuable Skier:
Men’s Golf
Trevor Levesque Christian Lunn Saul Nunez
Rebecca Bowers Katrina McPherson Holly Bouvier Noah Bernard Hazen Dauphinee Reynold Brown
Men’s Soccer
Christopher Daly Ryan Jones Caleb Bragg-Grady
Women’s Soccer Samantha Nadeau & Jessica Dickison Chelsea Lynds-Beaulieu Nicole Cyr
Women’s Volleyball Men’s Basketball
Not selected for 2015 Abigail Jewett Shannon Brown
Kevin Collins Quinton Harris Nicolas Lenhard & Chase Vicaire
Women’s Basketball Men’s Nordic Skiing
Brianna Losee Sydney Churchill Rebecca Campbell No award this year. Zachariah Veayo Ethan Burke
Women’s Nordic Skiing Rookie of the Year: Valentina Annunziata Most Inspirational Skier: Lydia Streinz Most Valuable Skier: Hilary Saucy Co-Rookies of the Year: Most Inspirational Player: Most Valuable Players:
Baseball Matthew Cauchon & Matthew Curry Frank Nunez Brady Rowe
Women’s Softball Rookie of the Year: Co-Most Inspirational Players: Most Valuable Player:
Sara Pakcard Jessical Campbell Danielle Smith
Enjoy Your Summer Vacation!