Dec 16, 2021 | Exclusive, Feature, News, TopStory |
By Charity Webster, contributing writer.
What do you know about the student sitting next to you? Has the student been here before? Can the student use Google Drive or Brightspace? Are they jumping hurdles daily just to be in class? Did they just receive a disturbing text as they entered class? Is the student playing a balancing act with non-student life and school? Maybe the student isn’t the typical student just out of high school and living on campus.
The non-traditional student always has a backstory of how and why the student has restarted or started at the given time. As a non-traditional student myself, my story is long and all over the place. I have never wanted to give up on my dreams though and always have been a hard worker. I feel my course was just derailed for a time. I found myself on a different road and successful in my social work career, but at a turning point in my life. When the road brought me back full-circle, I re-enrolled again in 2019 at UMF. Having been away from college for eighteen-plus years, I really had no idea what I was getting into when I started again. My life was in a totally different place than the average student and now I wanted to prove something to myself and to my family. I could do this!
The National Center for Education Statistics defines non-traditional students “as meeting one of seven characteristics: delayed enrollment into postsecondary education; attends college part-time; works full time; is financially independent for financial aid purposes; has dependents other than a spouse; is a single parent.”
Henry O’Shaughnessy is currently a non-traditional student at UMF and a sophomore in an Undeclared Liberal Arts Major. Even at his current state and being in college before, volunteering for Habitat for Humanity, and being a part of the Americorp and Triple C, he still isn’t sure what he wants for a degree. He does know he wants to get an education and complete what he started almost 10 years ago. He too, has a story that has brought him back full-circle. O’Shaughnessy graduated from York High School and went to college right out of high school in a small town in Pennsylvania.
“College was a blast socially and academically, I was having a lot of fun. So much fun that I got kicked out not just once but twice. This was after I attended counseling to return to school but yet again got kicked out,” O’Shaughnessy said. Several months after being kicked out, O’Shaughnessy was in a major car accident as a passenger and broke his back in three different places. He lay there for several months in recovery. During that time he reflected and decided he wanted to give more of himself so he went into Americorp and Triple C for volunteering, traveled the country, and hiked the Appalachian trail. Now in his late 20’s ,he has decided to return to UMF and pursue a degree. “I had the realization of what I was going to do- I didn’t have a skill set or a degree. This is why I came back to get my degree so I can get a decent job and maintain the traveling lifestyle,” O’Shaughnessy said.
Both O’Shaughnessy and I face daily challenges in our choice to return to college, each of us have our own stories. Maybe the student sitting next to you is a non-traditional student, one with a more unorthodox set of problems. For example, having five children all with their own disabilities or working full time at an elementary school as a music teacher. Or my elderly mom and ill sister-in-law living with me and my mother-in-law living next door. Or that my husband and I are the Children’s Pastor at our church. So why take on the new challenge of going back to College when I seem to have a full life? Well something was unfinished and my new career path–my destiny of sorts– required it. So here I am!
O’Shaughnessy is a man in his 20’s who has been all over North America and South America volunteering and doing things for the communities that are struggling, working when he can, and has an amazing circle of friends and family- so why return to school now? Again, due to unfinished business and needing a sense of completion and success.
What does UMF offer the non-traditional student? What makes UMF more desirable over other colleges? “Well the cost was one of the biggest advantages, since I need to pay for it on my own and I have an apartment,” O’Shaughnessy said. Proximity and cost was definitely a factor for me. Also, there is a well-developed education program, and that is my degree focus. However, the number one factor for me was the support I received to help accomplish my goals and complete my degree fast. Stephen Davis and Lori Soucie are on my side, both advisors that have both spent hours reviewing my transcripts and my path projection. They have given me pointers on how to finish and meet the requirements for the Maine Department of Education and my degree focus. I had the task of meeting the degree program requirements and the Department’s requirements to get my Music Education Certification.
What are some advantages that non-traditional students may have? They tend to be more ready for what college sends their way. Homework isn’t such a challenge and time management is usually not a problem. UMF offers some unique things to the non-traditional student such as the option of daycare right on campus for your children. Also, as non-traditional students commute to and from campus in Maine winters, they offer students a place to stay for $5 a night on campus. You just need to contact Campus Security and they can hook you up. Finally, as a non-traditional student, you may face challenges daily but why not do that on a campus that has your back 100%?
Dec 16, 2021 | Exclusive, Feature, News |
By Michael Levesque, Contributing Writer
Recent construction on High Street addresses an important area of campus but some students feel a little unsure about how to navigate the project.
At the end of October, construction began on a section of High Street from Perham Street to South Street. This area of road runs directly through the center of campus at UMF. For some students, the construction has created a bit of surprises as they make the trip to their classes. Paige Lusczyk, a student at UMF notes some confusion about where students were permitted to walk. “I wasn’t sure if I’d get in trouble with crossing the road while they were working and was late to class by walking around the blocked off road,” she said in an email. “I don’t really hear much of the construction, even with my windows always open,” she said. Although Lusczyk doesn’t note the sound as contributing to the construction drawbacks, other students have. Zack Laflamme, a junior at UMF, says that Francis Allen Black Hall has been affected less by noise from construction but has heard about complaints from the noise through social media. “I live in FAB, so I don’t hear it much but I’ve seen my friends say on their Snapchat stories how loud or distracting the noise is,” Laflamme said. Most students note that noise hasn’t been a terrible issue and that they will get used to the new scene on campus. “I haven’t found the construction all that frustrating,” said Lusczyk.
High Street’s location to UMF means careful planning must be implemented for the members of the community. Philip Hutchins, the public works department head for Farmington, has noted the goals and plans of this project. “The High Street project will last until 2022,” he said in an email. “This is split up in two phases. The roadway pave portion will be completed this fall; which will soon be open to traffic again,” said Hutchins. “[In] the spring of 2022, we will commence on the outside of roadway construction.” Many assets are expected to be added to the area around UMF in the spring. “An addition of over 30 new street lamps, new sidewalks, curbing and more parking accessibility, such as bus turn-outs for campus activities [will be added],” said Hutchins.
Hutchins understands the possible confusion and magnitude of the project. “I ask for everyone’s patience until the project is completed,” he said. As part of a “full depth reconstruction” project listed on the public works department website, the expected cost of this project is $300,000.“This project is funded by local municipal government and by the Maine Department of Transportation,” Hutchins added. As many people look forward to a potentially more quiet section of road, others look towards the improvements in the future. “This project will give the area a whole new welcoming and warming look”
Dec 16, 2021 | Exclusive, Feature, News, TopStory |
By Charity Webster, contributing writer
(Photo Credit Melissa Pariziale) Melissa and her daughter Mia
Becoming an alumni is what every student wants, but often life throws curve balls at the student which changes the course of life and causes them not to complete the task. UMF has started an amazing opportunity for those students that have struggled to complete their degrees for one reason or another. A program called “Almost Alumni” helps these individuals finally finish their degrees.
Ashley Montgomery is the Assistant to the Dean, Learning and Assessment at UMF, and she is the driving force of Almost Alumni. She also chairs the academic success team which monitors and works with students who are struggling currently at UMF. These “Almost Alumni” individuals are having their transcripts reviewed. If it is possible to complete the degree they will support these individuals through the process.
In the beginning, when Montgomery was attending a meeting with others involved in upper-level education, she really had not put much thought into UMF having a large number of Almost Alumni or stop students (as they are called elsewhere). “Our numbers for adults (24+years old) is very minimal and the majority of the UMF population tends to be of a traditional age,” said Montgomery. Typically, more than half of a class finishes the degree in a normal college timeline. What happens to the rest of them? UMF has stepped up to find them and help support them through what is missing. They are committed to the success of the non-traditional student. They are even willing to pay fines and find resources to pay for books and other college expenses. “They will even research more local colleges for the student to make the transition and completion easier.” said Melissa Parziale, Graduate from Almost Alumni.
“Almost Alumni have delivered 20+ diplomas to students who never had the opportunity to finish their college degree over the last year, each time I was almost in tears from so much joy.” Montgomery said.
Montgomery has sifted through hundreds of past students and selected students that she is approaching to develop a plan to finish. When asked if there was financial support for these students, the answer was there are funds that can help Almost Alumni complete their projected course of study.
Melissa Parziale is one of those students who was approached by Montgomery and only needed two classes to graduate once they reviewed her transcripts and changed her major to General Education. “This phone call and opportunity came at the perfect moment in my life. During COVID, I had lost my job and I was training for Human Resource Management and Leadership, I was so shocked I was receiving an email saying I was close to finishing my Degree” said Parziale. Twenty-eight years after starting her degree at UMF, she finally finished her degree in July of 2021. She proudly hangs it on her wall in her office at a Dental Lab where she is the Director of Human Resources.
For some individuals, graduation is even easier than anticipated. “For some it might be just switching majors and immediately getting a diploma, and for others it might be just one class to completion” Montgomery said. There are a lot of students in the system who have a degree right now and don’t even know it, some just because they never applied for their diploma. Also, they may have been enrolled in the program a while back and the requirements have changed. “These are the easy diplomas,” said Montgomery.
“If I could tell everyone to go back and finish I would, it was what I always wanted to do and Ashley supported me through it every step of the way. Reach out to her and finish,” said Parziale. “I wanted my daughter to know that she can do anything and to never give up on your dreams.”
Contact Information: Almost Alumni Ashley Montgomery Assistant to the Dean, Learning and Assessment at UMF ashleym@maine.edu
Dec 16, 2021 | Feature, News, TopStory |
by Angie Tehuitzil Corral, staff writer
Thanksgiving season is around the corner, and it is the time of year where there is a certain sense of warmth and fullness as we are all thankful for what we have and the loving bonds we share with our family, friends, partners, etc. – being grateful is simply a part of the season.
Last week my psychology professor informed my class of a group of studies happening on campus, and as a psychology major, I was highly interested in volunteering. Although I appreciated all the studies conducted, one stood out, and I had discerned that my attitude had changed positively.
The study was The Practice of Gratitude, done by researcher Seán Tenney, a second-year UMF student majoring in psychology. It was a 20 minute experiment in which Seán began with discussing the psychology of gratitude and then began with participants completing a personal well-being questionnaire that would serve as pre and post-tests results for the experiment. After the pre questionnaire, participants had to write a letter within 5-8 minutes to someone they hadn’t properly given them the gratitude they deserve.
There is no denying that when I first received the paper, I was clueless about who I’d write it for, but it wasn’t long until the letter wrote itself. My verdict after the research was that I had unraveled a profound depth of happiness. The effect that the study had on me invested me in wanting to know more about it. So I decided to meet with Seán.
The study conducted was for his Psych 400 class, with his finalized hypothesis: “participants who write a message of gratitude for someone in their life who they haven’t adequately thanked will experience a positive increase in multiple dimensions of personal well being”.
I further asked Seán what his inspiration behind this study was as I was fascinated by how well-planned and effortless the experiment went. However, Seán revealed that it wasn’t easy, as he was initially distressed about what his study would be, but then found himself genuinely influenced by a memory from three years ago. A wearying night in which he encountered an old yearbook; it possessed an astonishing message from a former classmate with whom he didn’t have much connection.
“From the end of October to early November, I just felt detached, disconnected, and even questioned my life, but the letter from this former classmate was a moment of transformation; the kindness of her words grounded me back to earth and I barely even knew this person,” said Seán.
Seán then decided to send a touching message to his classmate, expressing to her that such a simple yet “compelling gratitude message in black ink” had enlightened him. And this hasn’t ended for Seán as he continues sending letters to various people.
Other studies have proved measurable benefits, showing the positive psychology behind an act of gratitude through its impact being the “most effective psychological and spiritual practices for enhancing overall well-being”. For example, a group of researchers who had done a similar experiment as Seán in a University in the Midwest concluded that “one of the greatest gifts is giving” and explained many underestimated self benefits. Practicing such a small act increases energy by boosting well-being behaviors -such as finding and influencing better care for one’s body, making smarter daily decisions, having better social relationships, being a more optimistic person, and it’s even the healthiest form of treatment that has a substantial influence on those with mood disorders. Even through Seán’s interpersonal experience, we can see that being grateful not only uplifts the person you’re being thankful to but also helps with your own welfare.
I encourage you to partake in this research by simply writing a gratitude letter. Even if you don’t give it to the person, keep it as an inspirational reminder of why you work as hard as you do. We spend most of the time thinking about what we don’t have, but happiness doesn’t mean having everything; instead, it is about being thankful for what you have and those who have made it possible for all that you’ve acquired.
Sources
https://journalppw.com/index.php/JPPW/article/view/256/99
\https://time.com/5026174/health-benefits-of-gratitude/
Nov 15, 2021 | Exclusive, Horoscopes, Opinion |
By Autumn Koors-Foltz, Staff Writer and Astrologer.
Heavy, passionate, and contemplative, welcome to the watery depths of Scorpio season. Lasting until November 21st, Scorpio season is iconic for its intensity of emotion. It’s time to look inward and come to a reminder of yourself. The season isn’t just for long cries in the shower and mysterious auras, but rather, an opportunity to test the natural limits of your emotions and to consider how it connects you to yourself. As a fixed sign, there is a reputation for stubbornness, but rather consider it a buoy or submarine – a stasis in the plunging depths of the sign. As a water sign, Scorpio is the ocean itself, salt and boundless unknowns. Don’t be afraid to take a plunge. Prepare for the full moon on November 19th accompanied by a partial solar eclipse. The solar eclipse begins the next two years of eclipses that will all occur on the Taurus-Scorpio axis, with the sun in Scorpio and the moon in Taurus, or vice versa. Think about loyalty, in all its formations.
ARIES:
What would it feel like to let your everglowing fire dim to just the hottest coals? Challenge yourself to find warmth in minimalism.
TAURUS:
Loyal Taurus, there’s nobody as deeply rocksteady as you: do the people you surround yourself with cherish your devotion?
GEMINI:
Gemini, go deeper. Allow others to know you in the same way you yearn to learn them.
CANCER:
Take the opportunity to focus on you, and only you, this season. What can you learn? What can you harness?
LEO:
There’s no performance like a full moon dressed in an eclipse. Enjoy the show, and be a performer in it.
VIRGO:
Others see what you put yourself through, Virgo. Others see you. It is okay to let yourself be seen.
LIBRA:
Now is the time for a decisiveness that calls all the moisture from your air, Libra – don’t be intimidated, instead, be excited. What would it feel like to stop your flight?
SCORPIO:
There is a drama in levity, Scorpio. Allow yourself to laugh in your season, as all the rain that falls is in your name.
SAGITTARIUS:
Your season is on the horizon. But don’t rush, don’t let the fire consume your feet. Stay a moment.
CAPRICORN:
It’s easy to get lost in the earthen nature of work, but allow yourself some time to process all that’s happened to you. That time is sacred.
AQUARIUS:
Don’t spread yourself so thinly among causes and ideas. Lay it on single, thick, and dance in the heavy wind.
PISCES:
Harden your water for whatever comes your way, Pisces. You may need to cultivate a bit of roughness to endure the season.
