TW: Suicide 

The day that changed my life for the better in many areas of my personal growth, was Nov. 25, 2023: the day I attempted to take my life. The thing that stopped me was the quote: “There is part of you that wants to live.” That is indeed true, and I have discovered many other reasons for moving forward as well. 

This past Tuesday, when I was walking back from the dining hall with my friends, we discussed aspects of self-growth. Thinking about this topic led me to reflect on my college experience as I prepare to graduate. Over the past four years, my faith and confidence have grown exponentially, and even more so in the past few months. I have been bound by the Lord to have immense abilities of education, friendships and just being present. Throughout my undergraduate career, I came into university wanting to be a lawyer, but the prospects did not pan out, as I realized it was not a life for me. Some career options I’m interested in potentially pursuing are a diplomat or town manager, specializing in urban planning and optimization. 

I look upon my experience in the political clubs on campus. In my honest opinion, let them fade into the plane of nonexistence. The political clubs on campus, in my opinion, have members who have been nothing more than opportunists out for power of their own and not the best interest of public service. To paraphrase former President George H.W. Bush, “Public service is the most noble experience.” As for the current crop of students within political clubs, I hope none go into public service ever. Not saying all fit this mold as a very few are good from my experience, but the rest definitely do. I hope better people come along and revive the political scenery, but if the current state continues, let them fade off, UMaine will be better off without them. 

As I look back on my experience within student government, I want to recognize that the executive team and many on the General Student Senate are great people. Many executives are graduating to greener pastures, and I wish them good luck in their future endeavors. This year was very productive in what has been accomplished by a great caliber of leadership from top to below. I will be gone, but I am excited to see the new crop of leadership for the coming year and read from time to time about their success. Please get involved with student government if you are considering being more involved on campus. 

Regarding my faith, as I have stated, my revival of faith has been something true and personal I hold deeply. Granted, I am a baptized Methodist due to my late mother, but I enjoy the community Black Bear Catholics have fostered since my second year. The friendships from the club have been extraordinary and the Bible study group I have attended this semester has had great topics of discussion on the Bible. We all have different doctrinal views of the Bible as to how it is interpreted. 

The friendships I have developed over my time will be something I will cherish and hold dear throughout my life. The laughter, pain and crying it out has made for many meaningful relationships. One of them this semester I reconciled with and despite everything, I have out of several, meaningful friendships. That is the joyous part of life in knowing people of various interests and viewpoints to make the day better. Meeting people with similar interests has improved my experience drastically. I know with life some of the friendships existing will fade, as that is natural, but the ones I have made mostly will stick forever is my hope.

As I look towards May 4, when I will be marching into the cathedral of the university, Alfond Arena, I leave here with bittersweetness; I’m excited to graduate, but I will miss the people and faculty who have shaped me as a person. Additionally, my late mother, I was nine when she passed on, but the effects from then have continued shaping me as I forge my own path with her smiling down above. But my educational career is not over as I head off to grad school at Syracuse University for International Relations and Public Administration. This ends one chapter of my book and a new one will open of being an experience that will forever impact me further.

The Black Bears had a great season for hockey and women’s basketball alongside improvements in records to come in men’s basketball and women’s hockey. In turn, the community of students has improved for the better. Now, we are set for an expansion of the Alfond Arena which has already broken ground. This further encapsulates the sports environment and more importantly, the university in the direction it wishes to pursue. The future of the University of Maine is looking better, and improvements in sports will increase academic prestige and sports recruiting. 

To begin, sports bring people together and improve mental health as it helps to form a tight community. Studies have already suggested that “the social interaction inherent in sporting events can make people feel as if they belong, thus making them less lonely.” Just this year, attending several hockey games, I noticed students gaining a greater sense of belonging at UMaine. Even beyond the attitude among many despite hardships faced has seen an improvement in student quality in years past. For the future, I hope this increases evermore as with no close community, we will fall as a university extending to academic prestige. Studies have confirmed “a statistically significant positive relationship between membership in Division I-A (the powerhouse schools athletically) and academic reputation” as alumni feel proud of how far their school has come, and donations increase. The result is improvements in academic buildings and academic performance due to increased quality.

We have observed the growth of our academic prestige since becoming an R1 university last year or simply, recognition of profound research and very high quality robustly coming out. This allows us to tap further into boosting grant money and be able to produce more quality research. Given sports improvements and the new engineering center will likely see increased STEM research. One area I hope to see improvements in is the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences for the long term. A balance between the two will allow a broader student body of differing interests able to come together. In general, the future of sports will see increased results as recruiting improves. The alumni will be more willing to give into different areas of the university as a sense of pride becomes embedded. 

In the long term, the university can prosper and succeed. This will require one key feature: ensuring improved effectiveness of administration. Already, I give tremendous credit to President Ferrini-Mundy of the university for her talented leadership in guiding the university further into prosperous planes. Others within leadership positions such as Dean Dana have done great as well. Having an effective team with athletic and academic improvements is a recipe for success. However, a build-off for leadership needs to occur for the future as a good leader can become greater. Effective long-term leadership is essential for increased resources to be tapped into as greater heights of prestige can be achieved. This can allow us to become greater as a university, where we can compete further on the level with universities in New England such as Vermont and New Hampshire. 

These two schools share a prestigious sports program. While I am not saying that we do not, but the improvements are essential for us to prosper further. When looking at these two schools, basketball is associated with Vermont while hockey is associated with New Hampshire. Maine is associated with hockey, but the sport on campus has fallen aside due to a lack of success over the past two years. Now, improvements in the program can occur and women’s basketball seeing success with improvements there will allow tapping of better athletes than the good ones we have now. 

Overall, improvements to sports will lead to better academic prestige where everyone benefits. Increased resources into the athletic side of things will transfer long-term to academics as alumni will be more willing to give to the university. This will see our prestige improve further within New England, a bastion of education, and allow us to have a better university 10 years from now. During this time, I suspect a leadership change will occur with one torch passing the baton to another to build success and propel us into greener pastures.

The scaremongering term artificial intelligence (AI) keeps being thrown around, seemingly as a scare tactic within the field of education and other professions. It is important to have human interaction within education. There is more to be unlocked with AI within our classroom space to help future generations be ready for what’s to come in the 21st century. Let us face it, our standards of education have fallen behind. According to “Data Pandas,” we currently sit at 13th regarding education rankings by country. Although that article isn’t meant to compare educational levels, it is important to note what the top five countries (Iceland, Germany, New Zealand, Norway and Denmark) all have in common: intertwining AI within education. 

Studies have suggested the benefits that using AI in the classroom has had on both teachers and students; firstly, the personalization of learning. I recall that during my Chinese political class last spring, my professor used an AI-generated image of a balloon over the Forbidden City in Beijing when the spy balloon incident occurred. This is one example of many where professors use AI in a classroom, including on a personal level where the image prompts us to think of reasonable solutions while applying concepts that we learned in the class to the situation. I could only imagine the potential AI has within engineering or biology classrooms as the technology continues to develop in amazing possibilities paving the way for further personalization of learning into narrower fields of research. Secondly, an important aspect is accessibility for students who have visual or hearing impairments to have access to high-quality information suitable to learning a subject or topic. The final benefit could be found in website efficiency. The University of Maine is trying its best in regard to improving efficiency to allow students to have access to information. When looking at other schools’ websites such as Syracuse University, American University and the University of Denver, the interface was pleasing. Importantly, the usability had a better experience to access key resources and felt more inviting. I feel that in a couple of years, UMaine’s website will be tailored towards easier access to information. 

Issues predominantly with cheating are commonplace by instructors. Those concerns are very valid when it comes to tests or important essays. The academic codes of integrity should be continuously updated with harsh zero-tolerance policies for cheating or plagiarizing on papers if proven with hard evidence of course. By hard evidence, I mean, actual definitive proof. This would lead to a decrease in the opportunity of students to cheat or plagiarize. Instead, they can write a paper with individual creative liberty as the instructor allows. Another issue of valid concern is lacking human interaction being observed with Generation Z. It is quite evident that we lack social awareness or emotional intelligence compared to our ancestors who had less technology and more opportunities to interact in order to build those social skills. This should be a prioritization for an instructor to ensure in a classroom to facilitate discussion of students while reminding students of personal responsibility if no interaction with material takes place. Obviously, I am not saying that the more introverted students are forced to speak out, because they typically have done the assignment and contribute in a different manner. It’s important to be cautious of the lack of human interaction facilitated by AI when creating games or activities. The final concern of many is privacy, where many issues have arisen. It is important for our governments and institutions to create a sophisticated firewall and protection of critical information from bad actors. Additionally, a crackdown on companies selling information or allowing access to those who will use such information in a bad manner. These sound simple, but they are the realistic options we have to continue building a robust system of AI where eventually, we can program AI to construct a firewall to protect information. 

UMaine has a motto of defining tomorrow which means we have the potential to define ourselves in the 21st century through good research departments as seen within engineering. I know it is a broad umbrella. However, we need to harness the power of AI to expand our potential for academic quality to become prestigious further. 

The onset of the Israeli-Hamas war has brought with it unspeakable slaughter and trauma, putting many lives in grave danger, with civilian well-being being harmed the most. The calls to free Hamas’ Israeli hostages have been ignored. Calls for a ceasefire, albeit noble, have tended to neglect the fates of the hostages.

For six weeks, the Biden administration offered a ceasefire allowing the exchange of hostages from Gaza, where as they defined them as “the sick, the wounded, elderly and women.” The Israeli government agreed to the deal, but Hamas failed to accept such terms. The U.S., in cooperation with the Israeli government, has made countless offers for a ceasefire with Hamas, but Hamas has not been on board. A reason for this is the nature of the terrorist organization, which is seeking to harm innocents to achieve the long-term goal of a one-state solution under Palestinian control. The U.S. has committed to a two-state solution even though many Israeli parties are in opposition. Certain factions of the current Israeli government have endorsed a one-state solution under their own control, but the pursuit of such a policy would damage relations geopolitically in terms of funding from the U.S. in the future.

Reporting from the United Nations has noted the grave danger hostages in Gaza are under. A recent report noted sexual violence is common in these situations, as Hamas has sought to remove the dignity of Israelis for their “extremist ideology.” Sadly, it might take months or years until we’re able to understand the full extent of the brutality the hostages have faced in these horrific situations. These acts are war crimes that should be grounds for bringing the leaders and senior military commanders of Hamas to the Hague for their crimes against humanity. 

A general recommendation by the UN has been for the hostages to be freed, but as noted by Vice President Kamala Harris, Hamas must first agree to the ceasefire. Unfortunately, the offer to free hostages was not agreed upon. We will see countless lives held captive, particularly those of women who are held in horrific conditions and subjugated to sexual violence such as rape and mutilation. This is not, as some will protest, Israel’s fault but the fault of Hamas for failing to agree to such terms and continuing to defame the image of the Palestinian people. 

It must be up to the international community to not demand justice asymmetrically by placing the blame entirely upon Israel but focusing blame on Hamas as well. Even though the Biden administration has worked tirelessly time and time again to negotiate a ceasefire to allow aid, hostage release, and even prisoner swaps, Hamas is failing to agree to those terms. If this is to be the case, then it should be up to the Israeli Defense Forces to pursue the goals of liberating Gaza and facilitating a two-state solution in handing Gaza back to the Palestinian Liberation Authority with the help of U.S. pressure. This will be the best solution in allowing peace, as much as it can, to flourish in a volatile region. 

Horrors of war will never stop so long as conflict continues. We are humans sharing a common identity amongst one another, desiring a better future for everyone to live in. It is our job to stand up against injustices and evil that torment the world. For those committing atrocities, as observed with the hostages, we must charge those complicit with crimes against humanity in the International Criminal Court. Bringing them to a sentence here has more meaning, as it displays to the world that we as humans will not tolerate such barbaric actions of rape and sexual violence on the battlefield fueled by a motive of extremism to remove one person’s dignity and identity.

The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) was founded in 1949 to combat Soviet influence in Europe and the formation of the Warsaw Pact. 

After 1991, with the collapse of the Soviet Union, NATO found a new purpose of upholding democracy wherever threatened on the globe. This proved instrumental in the bombings of Belgrade, which sought to oust Serbian president Slobodan Milosevic, and the mission to oust the Taliban in Afghanistan after 9/11. Now, a reemerging threat has reared its ugly head: Russia’s 10-year-long invasion of Ukraine. NATO needs to look at expansion into countries such as Ukraine, Moldova and Georgia to thwart the Russian threat looming to disrupt democracy within Europe.

Over the last year, NATO accepted Finland and Sweden as members following the Russian invasion of Ukraine. This has been crucial in blocking off the Baltic Sea to Russian military exercises. Additionally, these moves establish NATO dominance over a critical region where, if war ever broke out, the United States and its allies would have the upper hand in ensuring Russian naval operations are kept within its waters. As noted earlier, NATO has been pivotal in enhancing cooperation between Europe and North America. We have seen this with aid to Ukraine and, to a lesser extent, with Georgia during the Russian invasion of 2008. This helped to thwart Russia from occupying these countries fully. However, this is still not enough. 

We must look beyond the confines of NATO’s current borders to extend an invitation to Ukraine, Moldova and Georgia to join the alliance as full members, even if it means risking war with Russia, as this is a matter of protecting democracy for human civilization. The current trajectory shows Russia’s aggression to nations beyond Ukraine can not be ruled out for the nation of Moldova, with the breakaway state of Transnistria surviving since the USSR collapse. They have recently expressed interest in being annexed by Russia. If this occurred, it would lead to Russia having a base of operations to help expand out into southwestern Ukraine and eventually set sight onto Moldova. Long-term, President Vladimir Putin has expressed a need to restore Russia to the days of the Russian Empire which will require an outright expansion expressed chiefly through the establishment of Russian puppet governments in Eastern Europe.

Critics will argue that an expansion would lead to a war with Russia. Such a prospect is necessary for the survival of freedom that people within these countries yearn for and to restore democratic ideals of the right of free speech, assembly, thought, and voting. These have long been neglected by the governments of Russia, Belarus, and several breakaway Russian-backed states. Including Ukraine, Moldova and Georgia into NATO would put considerable strain on the Russian Black Sea Fleet and help mitigate its dominance. This would help restrain Russian activities in the Black Sea and would leave them with only the Pacific or Arctic Oceans available to conduct exercises. 

However, if a war were to break out as a result, it would be in NATO’s best interest to help overthrow Putin’s regime and install democracy. Long-term, this would lead to a better outcome for the world by ensuring the people of Russia finally enjoy the benefits of democracy, re-orienting towards the West and opening the potential for their inclusion into NATO and the European Union. This would ensure that the influence of China is curbed substantially, leaving them isolated and forced into collaboration with the West. This could even result in the democratization of China after President Xi leaves office. Additionally, the Middle East dynamic would start to alter as without Russia, Iran would be left to its own devices. At that point, regime change would be necessary as an anonymous state-run poll indicates the people do want change in their government away from the theocratic dictatorship that presently exists. 

The expansion of NATO to these countries ight cause a confrontation in the short-term, but the long-term prospects would serve humanity better. We would see a resurgence of democracy flourishing throughout Europe and the world, with certain ethnic groups in Russia potentially seeking self-determination of their own. In the meantime, Ukraine, Moldova and Georgia would be protected from the occupation of their nations and would enjoy the luxuries of having a nation with full access to the democracy it deserves.

This January, I read the novel “Fascism: A Warning” by former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright. This book is great for identifying fascism while giving an overview and general understanding of the ideology. Recognizing and understanding fascism, its meaning, and its effects is vital for protecting democracy.

Let us begin by asking what fascism is as an ideology and its components:

Fascism presents a complicated question with many answers. The ideology preys on fear to enhance the goals of nationalism by rallying citizens against a perceived enemy, usually a religious or racial minority. Additionally, fascism utilizes state control of industries and the control of free speech so that individuals are restricted from speaking ill of the government.

The ideology of fascism exists today, as observed in Russia with the rise of “Putinism,” seeing rampant nationalism, distrust of democracy, and oppression of ethnic and religious minorities.

Recently, we have been seeing a rise in right-wing populism, as evident from the increased success of the Alternative fur Deutschland in Germany, Hungary’s ruling Fidesz party, and the National Rally in France, politicians from each of these having displayed an affinity for fascist ideological tendencies.

These groups serve as reminders that fascism did not die when the last concentration camp was liberated, only growing dormant and once again rearing its ugly head.

It is our duty as people to take action by voting for politicians who fight for respect regardless of an individual’s sex, race, class, and, most importantly, the protection of democracy, for respect of institutions, and constitutional rights. If not, we are no better than fascists and surrender ourselves to the evilness of fascism.

Fascism originated in Italy under Benito Mussolini, who initially identified as a Socialist, then drifted away from the ideology as he became a fanatic of nationalism.

After World War I, Mussolini was unhappy with the outcome for Italy. Initially on the side of the Central Powers (German Empire, Austria-Hungary, etc.), he switched sides in 1915 to fight for the Alliance.

Mussolini had hoped that Italy fighting alongside the Alliance would see more land under Italian control. In the end, Italy got the runt of the deal in Mussolini’s mind.

He authored his manifesto, “Fascismo,” establishing a new political party.

During this time, public distrust of the Conservatives and Socialists became common, and a weak economy was ripe for Mussolini. Distrust and fear planted seeds that became more evident later on, growing into today’s politics.

Mussolini led the March of Rome in 1923, which, after a behind-the-scenes struggle, King Victor Emmanuel II agreed to let Mussolini form his government. This resulted in the degrading of Democracy and attributing the genocidal atrocity of the Holocaust.

Ideologies that pray and step on others for gain by excessive tyranny will see fascism take hold, even possibly here someday.

Picture an old rotting tree producing gloom and hatred that should be torn down.

The branches springing off represent various ideologies under the ugly umbrella of fascism, with components differing from Mussolini’s main ideology.

Generally, these branches contain one common thing: fear.

When people become fearful, they prioritize themselves and their interests and drift further away from the political center.  Someone considered charismatic comes along and preaches that one group is not to be trusted and/or is causing malice in society. This sees an eventual rally in support.

The next branch is economic turmoil. A country goes through a major crisis, seeing high unemployment, hyperinflation and discrepancies between the public and the government.

The next branch represents a distrust of democracy. Legislative and Judicial branches of the government are reduced or done away with entirely. The final branch represents nationalism. Contrary to patriotism, people become hardened in the belief that their ethnicity is above all and that further claims should be pressed to encompass all under the same ethnicity in the same country.

Nationalists believe that those who are inferior should be oppressed, either by intimidation, harassment, or killing. Several leaders who fit this category include Hitler, Franco, Mussolini, and many others, who followed each branch of the tree for evil. If we can recognize fascism, we can better protect our democracy.

As with every winter, we here in Maine awake to the sound of crows cawing as snow blankets the ground, with the cold air hitting our faces. However, this will soon become less of a reality due to the climate crisis. Twice in the past few months, Maine has experienced a so-called “once in a generation” flood. This cannot continue. What we need is a state constitutional amendment recognizing the environment is a person and not some intangible concept. 

The United States has taken some steps on this front. Last year, a Montana judge ruled that “state agencies were violating their constitutional right to a clean and healthful environment by permitting fossil fuel development without considering its effect on the climate.” In Montana, the environment can no longer be exploited. Younger generations can no longer be deprived of the right to clean air or water. This could not have come any sooner, as increased carbon emissions mean increased droughts and fewer snowpacks are becoming a reality in Montana. 

Similar effects will soon be seen in Maine. These include warmer Atlantic waters, increasing harm to the lobster industry, and more fuel for storms to dump greater amounts of rain, as well as bringing higher storm surges. This results in increased insurance costs on housing due to wider flood zones and makes for a higher cost-to-build due to supply chain disruption and the need for hardier materials. 

Having a state constitutional amendment recognizing the environment as a person will bring many benefits to the State of Maine. Federally, the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) passed under President Joe Biden has seen more clean energy investments by the Treasury Department, with more funds allocated to benefit economically disadvantaged communities. As a result of the IRA, more clean energy manufacturing has returned to the U.S., and new businesses have formed. Among them are 110,000 new clean energy jobs that have been created. This presents a good avenue for tackling climate change but will still prove inadequate as the “point of no return” for climate change approaches. Recognizing the environment’s legal personhood will be one crucial step in this direction. 

The notion of the environment being seen as a person is nothing new. In 2022, the United Nations General Assembly passed such a resolution with 161 in favor, 0 against, and eight abstaining. The United States voted in favor of considering the environment as a person. The environment has the same inalienable right to “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness” found in the U.S. Constitution. Without due process, these simple rights could be trespassed upon by anyone. With legal personhood for the environment, corporations will be prevented from exploiting natural resources. Some countries, such as Costa Rica, have taken a hard stance when combating climate change. Back in 2007, the government developed its plan “in a participatory way that includes all economic sectors, relevant government bodies and academic institutions,” allowing for a cooperative fight against climate change that combines proper oversight with a government plan requiring the enactment of legislation. The fight against climate change, however, requires more than one country or supranational body to prevent it. Every nation must be held to a strict standard that prevents the further exploitation of the environment. In Maine, this would be delivered through the legal personhood amendment. 

The proposed constitutional amendment should guarantee the right of the people to a clean environment, including the air, water, and soil found throughout the State of Maine. This would ensure future generations in the state have a legal guarantee protecting their right to a healthy environment. Without such a guarantee, we will be left to the whims of legislators on the issue of making laws susceptible to being repealed if an environmentally hostile administration takes power. 

As with every winter, we here in Maine awake to the sound of crows cawing as snow blankets the ground, with the cold air hitting our faces. However, this will soon become less of a reality due to the climate crisis. Twice in the past few months, Maine has experienced a so-called “once in a generation” flood. This cannot continue. What we need is a state constitutional amendment recognizing the environment is a person and not some intangible concept. 

The United States has taken some steps on this front. Last year, a Montana judge ruled that “state agencies were violating their constitutional right to a clean and healthful environment by permitting fossil fuel development without considering its effect on the climate.” In Montana, the environment can no longer be exploited. Younger generations can no longer be deprived of the right to clean air or water. This could not have come any sooner, as increased carbon emissions mean increased droughts and fewer snowpacks are becoming a reality in Montana. 

Similar effects will soon be seen in Maine. These include warmer Atlantic waters, increasing harm to the lobster industry, and more fuel for storms to dump greater amounts of rain, as well as bringing higher storm surges. This results in increased insurance costs on housing due to wider flood zones and makes for a higher cost-to-build due to supply chain disruption and the need for hardier materials. 

Having a state constitutional amendment recognizing the environment as a person will bring many benefits to the State of Maine. Federally, the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) passed under President Joe Biden has seen more clean energy investments by the Treasury Department, with more funds allocated to benefit economically disadvantaged communities. As a result of the IRA, more clean energy manufacturing has returned to the U.S., and new businesses have formed. Among them are 110,000 new clean energy jobs that have been created. This presents a good avenue for tackling climate change but will still prove inadequate as the “point of no return” for climate change approaches. Recognizing the environment’s legal personhood will be one crucial step in this direction. 

The notion of the environment being seen as a person is nothing new. In 2022, the United Nations General Assembly passed such a resolution with 161 in favor, 0 against, and eight abstaining. The United States voted in favor of considering the environment as a person. The environment has the same inalienable right to “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness” found in the U.S. Constitution. Without due process, these simple rights could be trespassed upon by anyone. With legal personhood for the environment, corporations will be prevented from exploiting natural resources. Some countries, such as Costa Rica, have taken a hard stance when combating climate change. Back in 2007, the government developed its plan “in a participatory way that includes all economic sectors, relevant government bodies and academic institutions,” allowing for a cooperative fight against climate change that combines proper oversight with a government plan requiring the enactment of legislation. The fight against climate change, however, requires more than one country or supranational body to prevent it. Every nation must be held to a strict standard that prevents the further exploitation of the environment. In Maine, this would be delivered through the legal personhood amendment. 

The proposed constitutional amendment should guarantee the right of the people to a clean environment, including the air, water, and soil found throughout the State of Maine. This would ensure future generations in the state have a legal guarantee protecting their right to a healthy environment. Without such a guarantee, we will be left to the whims of legislators on the issue of making laws susceptible to being repealed if an environmentally hostile administration takes power. 

Happy Indigenous People’s Day! For years, this day has caused controversy by few over the supposed “erasing” of Christopher Columbus, who, upon arrival, began a long, vicious cycle of genocide towards Indigenous peoples in North America.

Over the years, criticism lauded to the Indigenous Peoples Day has become less. While I am a non-Indigenous person, the day makes me appreciative as those who have been systematically oppressed receive the recognition they deserve. However, the fight is long from over in protecting Indigenous rights.

Nationwide, we still have “oil barons” reigning free in attempting to exploit vulnerable populations and Indigenous land to develop pipelines. Firstly, these “oil barons” are polluting the planet further and plunging us further into a climate crisis. Secondly, they are completely disregarding the involvement of Indigenous peoples. The best observed is the Dakota Access Pipeline case.

Multiple tribal nations, including the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe, Crow Creek Tribe, the Oglala Sioux Tribe and the Rosebud Sioux Tribe, are in an ongoing lawsuit alleging “the lake for various purposes, including drinking and consider the waters of the Missouri River to be sacred” according to Reuters. Already, worries exist about a potential oil spill, which, given the “oil barons” of the major companies, will utilize lobbying power to their advantage to have lenient safety while reaping mass subsidies for projects.

Furthermore, the United States and three other countries have yet to ratify the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP). This declaration is a needed step to “address both individual and collective rights; cultural rights and identity; rights to education, health, employment, language, and others. It outlaws discrimination against indigenous peoples and promotes their full and effective participation in all matters concerning them. It also ensures their right to remain distinct and to pursue their priorities in economic, social, and cultural development.”

Noting back to states opposing UNDRIP, other countries include Australia, Canada and New Zealand. These states have oppressed Indigenous groups, with Australia oppressing Aboriginals, New Zealand oppressing Maori and Canada, like the United States, oppressing many Indigenous groups. In the meantime, these three countries have taken measures to improve the rights of Indigenous Peoples. There is one country that has not: the United States of America. It is past time that we as a country stop simply supporting what is right and move to endorsing the declaration. This sends a message that “We the people are created equal” and recognizes the rights of those who have been systematically oppressed and whose land is stolen.

Maine has made some improvements regarding Indigenous rights for the Wabanaki. However, it has not been ideal or nearly enough.

To set the stage, in 1980, the Passamaquoddy, the Penobscot Nation and President Carter reached an $81.5 million settlement. In this agreement, the Penobscot and Passamaquoddy traded some tribal rights with the State of Maine, most specifically land with the jurisdiction of waterways. Digressing, the settlement can be altered if the tribes and state agree to changes. Throughout, the rights on both ends have been respected. These could be better.

In 2022, hope seemed on the horizon with increased tribal sovereignty to have the same rules other federally recognized tribes have. After passing both chambers, the bill was ultimately vetoed by Governor Mills. The state legislature failed to override legislation. Ultimately, this represented a defeat for the tribes. Previously, Representatives Golden and Pingree and Senator King attempted to amend federal legislation guaranteeing similar rights for tribes. Unsurprisingly, Governor Mills opposed this legislation.

Again, there is hope this year for tribal sovereignty to gain a footing via Question 6. Question 6 lays out in official prints of the Maine State Constitution that the land was given by the Wabanaki Nations. Unsurprisingly, Governor Mills argues, “But more importantly, the rights and responsibilities of the State and the Wabanaki Nations are not defined by treaties, but instead the state and federal statutes that codify the Maine Indian Land Claims Settlement of 1980.”

Here, she fails to neglect that some treaties can be subject to courts, and not to mention, the 1980 settlement has seen a willingness of the State Legislature, Federal Representatives, and, most importantly, tribes supportive of amending. The one who is not in the right is Governor Mills, who instead chooses to curb tribal sovereignty at any point possible to ensure the Wabanaki Nations have the sovereignty they deserve.

More is at stake as we honor Indigenous People in their struggle for recognition. Throughout, they have been systemically oppressed through bloodshed, pillage, rape and discrimination. It is time to change that perception by acknowledging Indigenous Peoples Day while standing for their rights year-round. Nationally, petition lawmakers against future oil pipelines, and statewide, advocate in favor of Question 6 for the Nov. 7 election.

It’s a common scenario for many University of Maine students: you are driving back to the Ave on a weekday afternoon after finishing your last class. Maybe this time, you hear a loud thud on the roundabout near the Alltown gas station. 

Immediately, you pull into the parking lot to check the car and notice one of the axles is damaged. It is about 3:30 p.m., so you call the nearest mechanic to see if your car can be taken in. The mechanic asks what type of car you have – a Toyota, for example. Under current legislation, they could say, “You have to take that to a licensed dealer for Toyota despite the fact I could fix it for a lower price.”

This is a frustrating reality for many. If Maine had an Automotive Right to Repair, this reality could be altered to where you save money and not be taken advantage of by monopolies that have been allowed to profit off of something basic, like where you can take your car for repairs. 

Come Nov. 7, 2023, Mainers will have the option to make what sounds logical become reality. The Automotive Right to Repair is Question 4 on the ballot and would allow a consumer to prevent vehicle manufacturers from putting barriers on repair. Your choices on where you can go for repairs would be greatly expanded. 

This question applies to more than just car repairs. What about the diagnostics system in the car, an essential step a mechanic must see before car repair? The Right to Repair would allow you and other mechanics access to the data. It would seem like simple logic to allow data to be seen by the driver. However, people currently do not enjoy the luxury of knowing data about their own car.

Furthermore, an Automotive Right to Repair would allow for a wide array of tools and brands to be used for repair. Currently, various car companies require certain brands of tools to be used. This is because these companies can gouge the driver out of more money.

Kate Kahn, spokesperson for the Maine Right to Repair Coalition, states, “This issue is about choice. Consumers want the ability to choose where to take their cars or trucks to be repaired. They do not want to be told they can only take their autos to expensive dealerships.”

An Automotive Right to Repair is crucial in returning power to the people for further control over their property. This allows tackling car company monopolies that currently dictate where you can get a car repaired and take more of your money. This money could have been saved by visiting a local mechanic, which also fosters a healthier community by shopping locally. To ensure all this can be achieved, vote Yes for Question 4.