Oct 24, 2019 | Feature |
Kaitlynn Tarbox Contributing Writer
From zombies to Jack Skellington, Griffin Graves, a senior secondary education major, has carved a vast array of characters and scenes into pumpkins the size of his head. Graves has turned what is usually a one time event during the Halloween season into a frequent adventure to the pumpkin patch.
Graves said, “Halloween has always been my favorite holiday. I’ve been carving pumpkins for years and as I got older the carvings became more complex.”
A Pumpkin Carved by Graves (Photo courtesy of Kaitlynn Tarbox)
Graves elaborate designs can be found on his facebook page, and he gets his patterns from a website called Zombie Pumpkins, though he likes to add his own touch to the designs.“This year I’ve been adding scrapings to the designs to bring the rest of the pumpkin to life,” he said. “ I do this by using a tool that looks almost like a vegetable peeler. If you scrape the skin of the pumpkin away it gives a faint orange-reddish glow. All in all I like doing the pumpkins this way because it makes the pumpkin feel like a ‘scene.’”
Each carving varies on the difficulty of the pattern and the size of the pumpkin, but Graves said, “Without doing a scraping I can get a medium sized pumpkin with a rather complex pattern done in about an hour. For the more extreme patterns and scrapings it can take upwards of 3 hours.”
He currently plans to carve anywhere from 10 to 15 pumpkins before Halloween and has already completed several.
The tools needed for pumpkin carving are commonly sold at Walmart and other places nearby, but Graves prefers to buy his tools elsewhere. He said, “I mainly use the tiny saws that most people are probably familiar with. I have my own kit that I ordered from amazon because the ones they sell at Walmart and other places are too flimsy and break almost immediately.”
Graves also goes by another name in the month of October: Dr. Pumpkins. “My friends and I were joking about how funny it would be for someone to put a pumpkin on their head and just go to all their classes,” he said.
And that he did. Graves carved a pumpkin, put it on his head and wore his trusty lab coat. He and his friends created a backstory for the character and it has since become an annual tradition. Graves is looking to get more people to participate so he will “have an army of pumpkin heads walking around campus.”
Jacob Bishopp, a junior geology major and Graves’ roommate, said “Pumpkins bring me joy and carving them is a good way to unwind and celebrate the Halloween season.” He often carves with Graves, lining their window sill and decorating their dorm with all the pumpkins they carve.
Bishopp believes that if there was a way for them to display the pumpkins without the risk of them getting damaged, more people would be likely to enjoy them. By putting their designs on social media, Bishopp and Graves can share something they have enjoyed doing with others from all sorts of different places.
The duo has found pumpkin carving to be a great way to release stress before midterms. “Just start doing it. Invite friends to your dorm or apartment and have a party with it. You can get awesome patterns online; sometimes you have to pay a dollar or two, but it really isn’t that bad,” Graves said. “I know that they will rot in a few days and that all the ‘work’ will be gone, but to me, carving them is almost therapeutic. It’s like my version of a zen garden.”
Oct 10, 2019 | Bite Me Beaver, Exclusive |
Dear Bite,
Everyone. Is. Sick. And I am not about that right now. I am a Clef Notes singer so my voice is my baby and if I get sick it’s all over. I’ve already tried throwing crucifixes at people and screaming, “Ya germs need Jesus!” and I don’t think it’s working. So how else do I avoid the Farmington Plague?
-Got That Pocket Full of Posies
Dear Posies,
So in highschool, if any of us art-room nerds wandered into the sculpture teacher’s room while sick, she’d spray us full in the face with Lysol like a SWAT officer with a can of mace. It stung a little around the eyes but none of us died, so you can call it safe. But we’re in college now, you have to go big or go home. Roll up to class with Lysol cans on you like ammo- like the HvZ players with their Nerf guns in the heat of game play. If someone so much as coughs, crack a can and drop that sucker on the ground like a smoke bomb. Bonus points if you ninja-roll out before the fog settles.
Dear Bite,
There’s this guy at the gym that I think might be interested in me. He has this really weird way of showing it though: he usually throws a towel at the back of my head to get my attention and has more recently challenged me to a friendly competition to see who can calf-raise more weight. There have been instances of genuine flirting but how I do respond to his. . .unusual methods?
-Falling For Boys and Over Equipment
Dear Falling,
Calf-raise him? Or is that just like. . .a drop kick? Yeah, drop kick him. That’s how soulmates find each other.
Trust me! I’m a beaver!
Until next time…
– Bite
Want to ask Bite for some (not so) DAM good advice? Want to anonymously appear in the Flyer?
Submit your questions to umfdearbeaver@gmail.com for the chance to hear back from a beaver who learned how to type!
Oct 10, 2019 | Exclusive |
Financial Literacy Column
Every year millions of students fail to file the free application providing them with the financial aid necessary to continue their college education. That free application is the FAFSA, and it’s mandatory that students who will be returning to school the following year file the application.
The financial aid provided by the FAFSA includes grants and work-study eligibility, in addition to federally subsidized and unsubsidized student loans.
Grants, like the Pell Grant, are free money, meaning the student does not have to pay it back after graduation. Federal Student Loans, like any loan, must be paid back. They are the only student loans with six-month grace period after graduation, while other loans require payments to be made right away, making repayment much more difficult.
As of Oct. 1, students are able to file the FAFSA for the 2020-21 school year. If a student files a FAFSA with the Educators before Nov. 1, they will be entered to win a cash prize.
Students can reach out to the UMF Financial Literacy Peer Education Program by emailing caleb.grover@maine.edu or DMing them on Instagram @umf_finlit.
Oct 10, 2019 | News |
Melissa Wood Contributing Writer
As plans for the new Sweatt-Winter building start to form, UMF is taking action for future and current students.
Director of Sweatt-Winter and children’s programs, Julie Farmer, speaks as to what she knows for the future plans. She said, “The building should be complete by spring of 2021.”
Farmer and her team on the building committee want to create more space. “We try and utilize the space here,” said Farmer, “but there is a need for a new building.”
This process has been a long one for the team. It started “a year ago this December,” she said, “it will definitely take another year.” They have no finalized blueprints yet as to what the inside or outside of the building will look like.
She expects more work-study students with the new building. “We have a hard time getting workers in here currently,” said Farmer, “It would definitely be nice to be in a building that offers a space for the students.”
She has been the director for three years now and was teacher 25 years prior to that.
Professor of Early Childhood Education (ECH) and Co-Chair of the building committee, Patti Bailie, is very excited about the new change for Sweatt-Winter. Her and the teams’ goal is to double the current size of their space from about 5,000 square feet to 10,000 square feet. “We want at least two classrooms for the Preschool,” said Bailie.
The committee is continuing to evaluate the potential for an infant and toddler room or playgroup. This building will offer a more flexible space for all classroom and staff to utilize.
“We want a large motor room that will definitely be a flexible space for everyone to use,” Bailie said. They have decided to add in a little bit bigger of a kitchen, so they are able to do cooking projects with the children.
When it comes to childrens art work they typically do it in the classroom, in a smaller space. “We want to add in an Art Studio for all classrooms to use,” said Bailie. This will help show off the children’s artwork in the center.
Located on 274 Front Street, the new Sweatt-Winter education building looks to be completed by the spring of 2021 (Photo courtesy of UMF Image)
Bailie and her team have decided to put different classrooms throughout the center. “We want a classroom for practicum students,” said Bailie, “We also would like to add a classroom for graduate studies.” They want more for the ECH students in terms of how they will learn. A classroom is in the works to become a space where the students can have a space to learn, but also double as a conference room for the faculty and staff.
The outdoor space is going to be naturalized said Bailie. “We want three seperate play areas,” she said, “we aren’t sure yet.”
“We want this center that is a model for Early Childhood Education,” said Bailie. They have plans for a parent space, better security, and a lounge space for students and staff.
They have had some good news when it comes to the process of the building. “The contractor has been hired,” said Bailie.
She also wants more student involvement. “I want all stakeholders involved with this project,” said Bailie. She knows how important it is to incorporate all the families and parents in the process, but also the students and staff. She has decided to get her ECH environment class involved in the making of the outdoor spaces for the children.
One student here at UMF, and parent of a child that goes to Sweatt-Winter, Natachia Lovering, spoke about her experiences with the center on campus. “They haven’t given an exact time as to when it will be done,” said Lovering, “it is really raising my curiosity.”
Knowing the amount of change happening to Sweatt-Winter she added, “The student perspective will be a positive change.”
She explains how the location of where the center is now and where it will be going is very helpful for her. “I have some travel barriers,” said Lovering.
When it came time for Lovering and her daughter to move to Farmington she knew she needed a daycare for her daughter. “The week before school started my daughter started at a different daycare,” said Lovering, “it was a 38 minute walk from my home.”
Then Lovering was surprised with some great news. “Julie called me and said they have an opening for us,” she said, “so far it has been a good experience.”
Lovering has already seen the change in her daughter after settling her in the new school environment. “In the beginning she didn’t have any relationships with people,” she said, “now she has established some great friendships.”
According to Bailie, the new building will be located at 274 Front street.
Oct 10, 2019 | Feature |
Kaitlynn Tarbox Contributing Writer
UMF students and members of the Sustainable Campus Coalition (SCC) gathered on the Mantor Green recently to gather support for the petition to fight climate change. A small group of students joined together on the Green to fight for something they are passionate about: climate change. Students placed their signs against the stone wall and music played loudly from the speakers on either side of it.
Aiden Saulnier, co-student leader of SCC, said in an email interview, “This strike felt hopeful, because many students joined us and we had tons of signatures.”
The SCC had close to 200 signatures from their strike and also from tabling outside of the dining hall. Saulnier said, “Besides signing our petition, and putting pressure on institutional power structures, students can make individual choices that are eco-friendly.”
Saulnier suggested methods of helping the environment can be buying clothing from a thrift store because “manufacturing new clothes creates a crazy carbon and water footprint.” People are also encouraged to use reusable water bottles, school supplies, and to reduce, reuse, and recycle. “When at the dining hall,” Saulnier said, “only take the food you can eat and always strive to me a #CleanPlateClub member.”
Signs made by the participants during the Climate Strike. (Photo courtesy of Kaitlynn Tarbox)
Lily Scribner, co-student leader of SCC, and other members were approaching students encouraging them to sign their petition to make campus more sustainable and to help fight climate change. She said, “One of the members of the SCC found music about climate change and sustainability, it was initially supposed to play until noon and then we were going to have people speak but the music drew more people inn and brought them to come learn more about what we were doing.”
Helping develop a community which is informed and passionate for similar causes is important to Scribner. “I think our strike can make a difference. They raise awareness for topics that most of the student body would not hear about otherwise, like our initiative to build a greenhouse on campus.” She said, “The more people that show support in changing things to better the climate and our campus, the more change we can bring into practice.”
Scribner encourages students if they want to help the environment to “write letters to their senators or town officials to enact policies, carpooling and taking shorter showers.” She said, “The biggest thing is just educating yourself on what you yourself can do to help you live more sustainably.”
Scribner found that even though UMF has recycling bins and options “so many recyclables are thrown into trash cans each day,” she said, “We could greatly decrease the amount of waste sent to the landfill if people took the time to properly sort their garbage.”
Climate strikes have been happening all over the country. Farmington’s was just a small strike that is apart of a much bigger movement that the SCC hopes will continue to push forward and make changes on campus and in our community.
For students interested in becoming involved with SCC, Saulnier clarified in a message to Flyer Staff, “. . .SCC is a coalition of UMF staff, faculty, student employees and volunteers (and not a club), we do not have an executive board. . .we are very much a cooperative organization in that everyone’s voice matters in our group.” Their office is located in the Student Center hallway, room 108, but they are currently meeting in the Ed Center room 113 on Mondays and Fridays during common time.
