Oct 11, 2018 | Sports |
Emily Corbett dribbles the ball up field. (Photo courtesy of Kaitlyn York)
By Kaitlyn York Contributing Writer
The UMF Field Hockey team recently battled the Thomas Terriers in a regular season game that resulted in a 3-0 loss.
It was a brisk and windy morning, though that didn’t slow down the Beavers as they warmed up for the game. The team had practiced especially hard in preparation for facing the Terriers, knowing they needed the win to help to their record.
“We played a very good first half Saturday but unfortunately fell behind 1-0 by giving up a goal late in the half. In the second half we pressed a little too hard and the game got away from us,” said head coach, Cyndi Pratt, in an email interview. “It was a case of wanting something so bad and trying so hard that we played a little to tense and uptight.”
The Beavers work
UMF’s field hockey team stands at the begining of the game.(Photo courtesy of Kaitlyn York)
ed hard both offensively and defensively to hold off the Terriers for the first 22 minutes of the game.
Senior team captain, Torrie Nightingale, lead the team down the field numerous times in the first half and was just short of scoring a goal. “We were close during the first half and we were down there the whole time, in position,” said Nightingale.
Both teams came back with a bang at the beginning of the second half, each pushing harder than before on an offensive push. The Terriers scored another goal just three minutes into the second half putting them ahead 2-0. In an effort to get the game back, the Beavers pushed extremely hard to keep the ball on their offensive side of the field.
“We really connected on our passes and we worked well down the middle of the field and on the outside, so we just need to be able to finish” said senior, Gabriella Winslow. “We definitely need to be able to score some goals and out beat the opponent.”
In the last few seconds of the game, the Terriers scored their third and final goal determining the fate of the game.
“I think we played really well as a team, we just didn’t finish what we needed to,” said Nightingale, “we were the better team today, the score board just didn’t reflect that.”
“The Field Hockey program has a long history of success and tradition. Players in our program are hard working and committed to doing their very best each and every day,” Pratt said. “This year’s team is no different, we have a strong group of senior leaders and the underclassman are working hard and improving everyday.”
Pratt stated this years team lacks some playing experience at the collegiate level though she hopes that the regular season games will give them the experience that they need to be able to improve and win before playoffs. The team has seven more games in the regular season before they begin their journey into the playoffs.
“This team has a lot of character and toughness and they will keep working hard and competing to the best of their ability each and every game.” said Pratt.
Oct 11, 2018 | Feature |
By Elina Shapiro Staff Reporter
At his first UMF performance last Wednesday, comedian Jeff Scheen had students laughing within moments as he started describing Maine.
“Are there more bears than people here?” Scheen asked the audience that filled the Landing. “I grew up in the woods. I hate the woods. I came here, and I was like, ‘Oh God, I’m back home again.’” Although Scheen now lives in Brooklyn, New York, he grew up north of Detroit in an area similar to Farmington.
Scheen described his comedy style as different from other comedians. “I just tell personal stories that are often weird, and sometimes a little dark…You don’t have to worry about people stealing your stuff,” said Scheen in a phone interview. “If it’s your story.”
Throughout his performance, Scheen talked about being hit by a car as he ran to catch a bus, accidentally driving to Canada, and what it’s like to live with a big mouth, but a small throat.
Scheen didn’t always talk about his personal life, and his comedy wasn’t always dark. He started with a variety of styles and developed a routine that was right for him. “When I first started, I talked about soup and mundane things, and then I realized I don’t care about soup,” said Scheen over the phone.
Scheen explained that many comedians have been bullied and that comedy can be a coping mechanism. “If something bad happens, I always have the thought, ‘this sucks, but I could turn this bad thing into a bit and turn it into a positive thing.’ It makes it easier,” said Scheen. “Humor comes from self-defense. I’ll go with the funny route ‘cause I am good at it.”
Scheen said that he did terribly during his first open mic night ten years ago, but he enjoyed doing comedy so he has been performing ever since that night. He described how every mistake is a learning experience. “You bomb, you do really good, and then you bomb again,” Scheen said. “You have to grow as a person and gain confidence to be relaxed and comfortable on stage.”
Association for Campus Entertainment (ACE) is the UMF all inclusive club that asked Scheen to come to campus. Each year, members of the club attend NACA, the National Association for Campus Activities.
“It’s basically a giant event where you go and see people perform,” said Paige Hemond, a sophomore and a member of ACE. “Whether it’s a magic show, whether it’s comedians, whether it’s magicians, and if they’re available, you can book them.” Scheen was booked at last year’s NACA event.
Hemond said that it takes a lot of work to host a performer, even beyond figuring out who to book. “We need to have the equipment and everything. We have to make sure we have the microphone, and everything that the performer needs in order to perform,” Hemond said.
Hemond said that everyone is welcome to all events that ACE puts on. “Events are available; anyone can go to them; they’re free; you don’t have to pay anything; we take care of all that,” said Hemond. “We want everyone to be able to have opportunities to see what they want to see, so just communicating with us and telling us what they want to see.”
ACE puts up posters about upcoming events in the Olsen Student Center hallway, as well as signs on their door in the Student Center. Students can also find out about future events on their Facebook Page, https://www.facebook.com/ace.umf/.
Oct 11, 2018 | News |
By Brianna Robbins Contributing Writer
Humans vs. Zombies is about to rock the UMF campus once again, and just in time for Halloween. “Humans vs. Zombies is, at its core, a giant game of tag,” Cheyenne Candow, a participator for nine semesters, explained.
The game entails, as the title suggests, a hoard of people acting as “zombies” versus a group of humans. The goal on the zombie side is to tag all of the humans, converting them into a new, brain-loving zombie form. The goal of the remaining humans is to survive.
Humans are equipped at first with melee weapons made of socks, and gradually get to upgrade their weapons to include nerf guns. These upgrades can be obtained after nightly missions, which land this year on Sunday, October 21, 2018 through Thursday, October 25, 2018.
These missions are required gameplay to get participants active in the plot of the game. Candow went on to explain past missions: “Each semester, we pick a plot that will influence what kind of missions we have and how they’re explained. Some of my favorite plots have been: warring frats, forced cybernetic enhancements, and one where an ancient curse had been released.”
The person in charge of this semester’s campaign is Raven Walczak, who wrote the plot for the upcoming game. The central story involves a group of humans trying to stop a demon from opening the gates of Hell before the full moon.
When asked the challenges of heading the game, Walczak commented, “A lot of planning actually goes into Humans vs. Zombies. The plot writer is responsible for writing five missions that will happen each night from Sunday to Thursday during Humans vs. Zombies. Aside from the plot writer’s responsibilities, there is a moderating body that is constantly refereeing the game and making sure everything is safe, fair, and fun. Before I became a moderator I honestly didn’t realize how much [work] went into it.”
Walczak went on to explain their favorite part of the game: “Each semester has different missions, but there are trope missions that also happen each semester, like the discovery mission, holding location mission, and escort mission. My favorite would have to be the escort missions because we allow our escorts to do whatever they please when being escorted.”
When asked what her favorite part of the Humans vs. Zombies campaign was, Candow said, “My favorite parts are when a ton of people are playing and it’s midweek with sizable forces on both sides, and players are camping out in front of the student center, zombies waiting for openings, humans on guard.”
Candow continued, “There’s this awesome sense of camaraderie, and it’s one of the only times I feel any sort of campus-wide connection, even though it’s only like…ten percent of campus at most.”
If you would like to participate in Humans vs. Zombies this semester, it will be held from October 19, 2018 through October 25, 2018, and signs up will be held during common time.
Oct 11, 2018 | Feature |
By Nathan McIvor Contributing Writer
Purington residents had the option of delicately painting their flower pots or squirting globs of glitter on them at an evening event hosted by CAs in the Purington Hall lounge. Starting at 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday, September 29th, the hands on arts and crafts project was set up by CA Mia Emory, who supervised the event. Students decorated the miniature pots about an inch tall to use as dorm decorations.
Though diminutive, their small size ensures that the pots are easy to store in a dorm, making them a colorful object to place on a window sill or a shelf. Trouble arose during painting; the pots came with labels pasted onto their surface, requiring long fingernails to scrape off.
Those with long fingernails had an advantage with the task. However, a fellow painter said to “just get the label wet first with your brush,” which caused it to melt off like butter.
Residents clustered around two long tables, one for painting, the other for glitter glue, to work on their pot. The two tables were not necessarily exclusive: “Glitter really makes the colors pop,” said one painter, who switched from paint to glitter, hoping the latter would add more flair.
After drying their pot on a paper plate, the would-be artists brought their plants to another table to stuff them with dirt and plant a seed of their choosing.
Some overheard chatter from the seeding table:
“Green beans aren’t flowers, but they’re still cute!”
“Ohh… marigolds.”
“I really don’t care, but growing beans seems to be more practical. I guess I’ve made up my mind then!”
Attendees had their names put in a raffle for prize that while unknown “is very cool” according to the CAs, who spoke in tones suggesting the matter should not be pressed.
Emory was glad the event had a large turnout, as that bodes well for future programs. Though she has not yet decided what those will be, Emory seemed assured due to the success of her first program. The thirty-odd attendees seemed very pleased.
Oct 11, 2018 | News |
By Anna Manuel Contributing Writer
The Water Bear Confabulum is an event with many attractions including an art walk in downtown Farmington, a 5k trail run and child friendly activities. With the help of students, staff and guest artists, the event has become an annual tradition since 2005.
Sarah Maline, an art professor at UMF, is in charge of organizing the event. Maline has to get permission from town managers in order to use their alleys for artwork.
“In 2017, we had about 60 UMF students participating as artists and performers as individuals,” said Maline. “Parents and kids went on the trick-or-treat art trail and there has been a kid’s chalk and/or wheat-paste wall project every year on the Homestead wall.”
Guest artist Beth Wittenberg is from Washington D.C. with a Bachelor’s degree in Philosophy and a Bachelor’s degree in Fine Arts. “I think of the Water Bear Confabulum as an event, a rural avant garde event,” said Wittenberg. “That attracts inquiry into one’s own memory, like a game where all the players are searching for their own meaning.”
Last year, Wittenberg had the opportunity to spend the day before the event with the art students. They gathered in the alleyway where they would prepare the artwork. “We worked with the idea of homelessness in rural Farmington and what that might look like as interpreted by college students,” said Wittenberg. “Reimagining the space, creating the installation, was the task we set out to work with as the days’ activities ensued.”
Another Guest artist, Maggie Libby, is from Winthrop, Maine. Libby has attended Tufts, Colby and New York studio school, in addition to making her own MFA study. Libby described the Water Bear Confabulum as “a celebration of diverse artistic voice; installations, performances and interactivity.”
Last year, Libby contributed an erasable drawing for the event, as well as created a sculpture piece that was put on display. Libby’s piece was a white wooden chair with some chipped paint. On her sculpture was a small, red cat facing the back of the chair, with a bird and branches near the bottom.
Along with the alleyways filled with art, there is also art created in the woods. “Bringing art to the woods creates such an exciting backdrop for some provocative art,” said Wittenberg. “I was very impressed by student work I saw. Some of the art students had very engaging pieces.”
Libby’s favorite part of Water Bear Confabulm is, “getting to know Farmington a little better, talking to people and students, seeing other work”.
“It was also a good antidote to the over-seriousness about art here at Colby; it gets too pretentious here when the museum only honors people from outside of Maine who are the very top of the art profession.”
This year, the Water Bear Confablum event will be held on October 27th from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m.. The event takes place in Downtown Farmington and is free of charge.
