This past Saturday, the 12th annual Healthy High took place across campus starting out at the New Balance Recreation Center. With gusty winds and heavy rain, the runners were faced with the challenge of the elements as the race kicked off around 9:30 a.m.

Despite the contest, there was a large crowd of runners from all levels and ages. Some were seasoned 5K runners and others were just running their first ever road race. The age division ranged from 12 and under to 70 plus.

For Austin Cyr, a recent UMaine alum, this was his first ever 5K.

“I was nervous but it went ok,” Cyr said.

The event is put on by the Student Wellness Center and is typically held on April 20. It is seen as an alternative way to celebrate “4/20” which is commonly associated with the recreational consumption of marijuana.

However, this year the date of the event was changed to the following weekend. This is because both Passover and Easter fell on the same weekend as 4/20.

Mark White, who works in Information Technologies at UMaine and has run the Healthy High for the past four years, did not think that it took away from the theme of the event.

“It’s a great race, fun and funny with the college kids antics but they support it,” White said. “I did miss the ice cream truck being there though.”

The UMaine Black Bear Race Series, who hosted the event as well as other race events on campus such as the UMaine Black Bear Attack, felt that by moving the race a week later more people would be able to participate. Many people at the event felt that changing the date did not make a huge difference; even though some complained, they planned on running it regardless of the day.

“I did better than I thought I was going to. I thought the rain was going to suck but it’s actually warm,” Wes Lamphear, a third-year civil engineering student, said. “The only downside is my shoes are soaked which is my pet peeve.”

Lamphear came to the 5K race hoping to be under twenty-three minutes and accomplished that by running a 20:58.

Holding the race on a Saturday also made it possible to add a 15K to the options, which is the first year that has been done only due to the extra time available. The usual distances that are offered, a 5K, 10K and a one-mile fun run, also still took place.

Lamphear was still waiting at the finish line after his race for one of his friends that was completing the 15K. Laphear explained that the 15K can be a good challenge for experienced runners looking for a longer race.  

All proceeds of the event went to the Student Wellness Resource Center and Bodwell Center for Volunteerism. They were also taking shoe donations for Soles 4 Souls, an organization that helps gives new and gently-worn shoes to individuals in need.

On April 18, the College Republicans in partnership with the Patriot Initiative presented a forum titled “Free Speech or Safe Space.” The panelists for the event included Josh Moore, former New Hampshire state representative and founder of the Patriot Initiative, and well as Nick Isgro, the current mayor of Waterville, Maine. It was moderated by College Republicans President Charlie Honkonen.

The Patriot Initiative, according to its website, is a “new developing organization whose vision it is to inspire ardent patriots to rise up and restore their culture and government through education, communication and activation.”

The goal of the forum was to discuss free speech in America and how it has evolved with changes in culture. Moore described the ways in which people currently approach political discussions with accusations and name calling, which ruins the chance for civil conversation.

The goal, he said, should be to shift our culture to one which welcomes differing opinions into the conversation rather than shut them down.

Isgro agreed with this notion. Having grown up in a household that openly and frequently discussed and debated religion and politics, he is often surprised that some people take some discussions personally. He also pointed out the ways in which he feels some people, specifically the media, try to use speech to demonize others.

Isgro shared a personal story of how he faced a recall vote for a three-word tweet he shared. He explained the key to protecting one’s right to free speech is to not back down, and by sticking to what was said, one can keep the conversation going.

Isgro has been criticized in the media for tweets suggesting a link between immigrants, their vaccination rates and rises in diseases, claims which were refuted by state and federal health officials.

“Apologizing for your beliefs hinders conversation about them,” Isgro explained.

Moore added on that, explaining how Americans’ understanding of the first amendment is being redefined in our culture, especially when it comes to hate speech. He believes that we as a society often forget that hate speech is not only allowed but protected by the first amendment.

“People are allowed to be mean,” Moore stated. “And people are allowed to have hate speech.”

Both panelists touched on the idea that often in today’s society people are quick to define anything that does not align with their personal beliefs as hate speech.

Opening the floor to questions showed that those in attendance were from all across the political spectrum, from people who were self-proclaimed socialists to independents and conservatives.

One member of the audience asked a question about the role of false narratives being used as distractions from other news in the media. Both panelists expressed the need to not only take responsibility to spread the truth and hold media accountable but to also be willing to push back on ideas that are being spread.

Another question that garnered a lot of discussion was how to differentiate or draw the line between name-calling and using a title to describe someone?

In response, Isgro suggested that because of free speech, individuals have the right to choose their words about other people and it is not anyone’s responsibility to make them stop.

The speakers made a point to encourage attendees to consider their constitutional right to unapologetically express their beliefs.

“I am the optimist, I believe in all of you, regardless of if we only agree 50 percent of the time. That’s ok, we can come to the table to have a discussion because I believe in this generation,” Moore said in his closing remarks.

On March 14, Professor Sandra Caron’s human sexuality class hosted a guest speaker. Arthur “Ace” Conro, a University of Maine alumnus and president of the class of 1960 came to discuss, from first hand experience, what life was like at UMaine when he was a student.

He described a UMaine that was very different from the one we know today in the size, rules and social behaviors of the students. It was a world where skirts and collared shirts were required for class and smoking in the Bears Den was a common scene. All men were required to participate in ROTC, and there was only one female student in the College of Engineering.

Conro played football in his first year then switched to track, where he earned three letters. He did not drink or party and was not a member of a fraternity. Instead, he worked diligently towards keeping good grades and wrote for the Maine Campus.  

After introductions, Conro got down to the subject of relationships. He explained that there were two deans at UMaine in the 1950s; one for men and one for women. The Dean of Women was unofficially referred to as Dean Edie, and she was described by Conro as devoted to keeping relations between genders to a minimum on campus.

“She would put up armed guards and barbed wire to keep genders apart if she could,” Conro said.

Dorms were on the opposite sides of campus and dining halls were separated by gender.

As women were not allowed to step foot in the men’s dorms and men had to “check-in” and be back for curfew, sex on campus, Conro explained, was limited to few options.

Along with sneaking around, several other aspects of relationships needed to be hidden as well.

Conro lamented those who had to hide who they really were while at UMaine during this time. Anyone who was gay, lesbian or transgender felt the pressure to hide how they really felt. Even sexual assault was unheard of on campus.

“That certainly doesn’t mean it didn’t happen, but it was certainly never discussed,” Conro explained.

The topic of birth control was also a delicate subject and rarely discussed in Conro’s time. The contraceptive pill was rare and the go-to options were to use condoms or other less-guaranteed methods.

When one student in the class asked about unplanned pregnancies, Conro explained that it put students in a difficult position. Women would typically drop out, have the baby and return the next year.

Abortions were not discussed either but they did happen during that time and they were usually done at home, Conro noted.

Conro left the audience with two pieces of advice. He said to try hard to keep in touch with your friends despite the reality that everyone will scatter, get married and start new lives. His last piece of advice was, “Don’t get old, because I hate being old.”

The campaign for the new University of Maine Student Government (UMSG) executives got underway last week. Bentley Simpson, a third-year marine science student and Harrison Ransley, a second-year economics and political science student, are the candidates for president while Chase Flaherty, a second-year mechanical engineering student, is running uncontested for vice president.

Simpson currently serves as the vice president of Student Government and he’s been involved as a senator since the fall of his first year at UMaine.

As a senator, Simpson served as the sergeant at arms, the liaison of services and auxiliaries and a student representative in the Faculty Senate. Simpson cites one of his favorite things about his roles with Student Government as the sense of camaraderie and working relationships he has built along the way.

In addition to Student Government, Simpson is a brother of Alpha Tau Omega where he serves as the public relations chair, and he tutors for the Marine Science Department.

Harrison Ransley has also been a part of Student Government since his first month of coming to UMaine. He said that he wanted to be a part of the organization right away.

“People talk about their fraternity or sorority as pivotal in their college experience for relationships, personal development and service,” Ransley said. “When people say that, I think of Student Government as that type of organization for me. It’s full of great people.”

Outside of his position as a senator in Student Government, Ransley is also a member of the Green Team, Tango Club and the new Dungeons and Dragons Club. He said that during his time in Student Government, he has sat on most of the organization’s committees.

One of the most significant committees on which Ransley has served is the Student Conduct Code Oversight and Review Committee (SCCORC), which he currently chairs. He also helps draft policy amendments in the Policy and Procedure Committee, represents students on the Faculty Senate, offers recommendations for campus improvements in the Services Committee and works with political clubs to promote voter turnout and political civility on the Political Activism Committee.

Ransley said one of his high priority goals as president would be to successfully amend the Student Conduct Code and to help expand the counseling center at UMaine. This first goal is something he has been working on as a senator this semester, but it might not be done until the fall semester of 2019.

“I believe changes to the code are necessary because some basic rights one would receive outside of the university do not exist within the code,” Ransley said.

The second change is important to Ransley because he feels there needs to be stronger mental health support for those who need it. He believes students should not be afraid to ask for what they need and that Student Government could be more aggressively working for the students on that front.

“Historically speaking just about every bill we send up the chain of command gets rejected,” Ransley said. “Why not change tactics? Our job isn’t to be part of the administration or agreeable with them, it’s to help the students. To be clear I do believe they are trying to help and I do believe the Student Conduct Code gets most cases right. However after investigating there are some pretty reasonable amendments that I think should be implemented after being thoroughly fleshed out in SCCORC”.

Simpson’s platform, on the other hand, is heavily influenced by one goal: making campus feel like more of a community.

“I want to see more campus wide events and ensure all students get their dollars worth,” Simpson said.

Among other things, this platform has stemmed from Simpson’s impression that a lot of clubs hold events off campus. He wants to place more of an emphasis on club fundraising and holding events on campus. Simpson explained some ideas including more workshops, campus projects and a semi-formal event of some sort — all things can be targeted toward students.

“Every student pays the $53 student activity fee and I want to have events for [students] not in clubs,” Simpson said.

He also feels that his time as vice president has given him the inside view on what goes into getting things done in Student Government, in addition to allowing him to build good relationships with UMaine administrators.

“There is a lot of bureaucracy that goes into getting things done,” Simpson said. “That’s the result of being a public university, some of the things we try to do are not immediate changes but it builds a relationship that helps to find a solution.”

Student Government serves as a way to connect administrators to students and Simpson feels his year as vice president has allowed him a strong foundation to build off.

Elections for the president and vice president of Student Government for 2019-20 will take place on March 25, either online or in person in the Wade Center.

On Wednesday, Jan. 30, a panel discussion was held in the Coe Room of the Memorial Union to explore how racial bias, historical trauma and social media intersect.

The discussion featured a variety of people with a wide range of perspectives. The panelists included Darren Ranco, who is the chair of the Native American Programs at the University of Maine; Sherri Mitchell, a representative of the Penobscot Nation; and Meaghan LaSala, board chair and political education committee chair at the Southern Maine Workers’ Center.

The discussion focused on the increasing trend of violence and divisive public discourse that is influenced, in part, by social media. The recent confrontation between Catholic high schoolers, Native Americans and Israelites in Washington D.C. that made headlines around the nation was the basis of the discussion.

A video of the incident posted to social media gave the illusion of tension and disagreement between the groups, some argued.

This example explained how social media discourse often leads to rushed judgements. The panelists said that social media reporting can create symbols, such as the “Make America Great Again” hat, which people have started to associate with racism, similarly to how the media is now often associated with corrupt liberal agendas

All those in attendance were asked to express their first thought when they saw the video online.

The discussion explored how social media reporting aims to find a person or group to be wrong and another to be right resulting in an “us versus them” mentality. As a result of this, the panelists said, only part of the story of an event is told.

“We seek for one or the other,” Mitchell said. “Rights and wrongs, this denies opportunity to see responsibility of all the parties. This creates a lack of understanding and a jump to who’s to blame.”

Mitchell explained that the confrontation event could have been an opportunity to educate and learn but rather it became the opposite. Mitchell further expanded that much of the resistance and conflict seen today result from the deep-rooted historical trauma in the United States.

“The resistance is no longer the minority groups but rather from that fact the decentralizing whiteness is scary for those benefiting from whiteness,” Mitchell explained.

“We need to see through the media to heal and allow for each other’s historical trauma to play out,” according to Ranco. By doing this, he continued, society will become more inclusive.

Recently, the Orono Town Council voted in favor of a six-month moratorium on the establishment of retail marijuana businesses. The council voted in favor of both order 18-165 and order 18-166 enacting the Moratorium Ordinance for marijuana establishments and retail marijuana social clubs as well as medical marijuana retail stores and registered dispensaries.

The recent vote comes after a July 2018 decision passed by the Orono Town Council to place a moratorium on the “operation, permitting, approval, or licensing of any and all medical marijuana retail stores and registered dispensaries within the Town of Orono.” This was in immediate response to the Maine legislature passing an act to amend the medical marijuana law to allow the operation of retail stores by caregivers.

Orono is one of many towns throughout the state to implement such ordinances, joining a group including Portland, Farmington and Rockland.

On Nov. 8, 2016 Mainers voted to approve referendum Question 1 which legalized adult use of marijuana. That made Maine one of nine states to have legalized the recreational use, retail sale and taxation of marijuana. Marijuana is still illegal at the federal level.

The Maine statute allows for adults over the age of 21 to possess up to 2.5 ounces of marijuana and allows for no more than six flowering plants for personal use in a private setting. Regardless of being legal statewide, municipalities have the ability opt to vote on whether or not be a “dry town” regarding marijuana retail establishments and social clubs, just as municipalities can choose to regulate alcohol sales.

Within the Town of Orono’s ordinance from July, several reasons were given behind the need for a moratorium. These included: “incompatibility to the existing land and developments, serious potential health implication to residents and the overburdening of public facilities and resources.” The town of Orono did not feel as though it had the resources to handle medical marijuana dispensaries.

In the three months since that ordinance was passed the Town of Orono has not gained these resources.

The Town of Orono did not respond for comment.

The recent ordinance regarding retail marijuana social clubs and marijuana establishments was unable to be found but the Maine Municipal Association provides a basic sample moratorium ordinance to provide example provisions for retail recreational marijuana. Not only does it reason the overburdening of public facilities and resources but also for the risk of illicit sale and use of marijuana and marijuana products to and by minors.

According to the University of Maine annual safety report, 380 drug law violations were referred for disciplinary action on campus in the 2017 school year. This does not account for any off-campus violations. The definition of a drug violation, according to the report, includes the unlawful cultivation, manufacturing, distribution, sale, purchase, use, possession, transportation or import of any controlled drug.