Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, also known as SSRIs are being advertised as an easy scapegoat for individuals with mental disorders such as depression, anxiety or OCD. These SSRIs include Lexapro, Zoloft and Prozac among others. I think we need to stop pushing these medications as a number one, and instead offer clients better and more life-long solutions.

I have been on Zoloft for five years, and not only does it not work for me anymore, getting off of it has also been the most terrible experience of my life. If this were advertised to me when I first got prescribed, I never would have gotten on them. 

The list of side effects for these medications is long. Not enough research has been conducted for scientists even to know the life-long side effects that can occur. I believe if your life is not at risk, then doctors should push more toward therapy or holistic medication options. 

When I first told my doctor I was experiencing anxiety, she immediately prescribed me a low dose of sertraline, which is the compound that comprises Zoloft. I received no warnings about the potential side effects of the drug, or any lasting effects. I was 15 years old. 

After five years of being on this medication, I discussed with my family how I felt like they weren’t working anymore, and I was still experiencing severe anxiety. Over the summer, I decided to seek out a medication management doctor and therapy. 

When first speaking to my new doctor, she recommended increasing my dose instead of trying to wean me off of it. It took a lot of discussion to try to convince her that I needed to get off this medication. I’ve been meeting with this doctor for about eight months, and I have been seeing a therapist as well. I still haven’t completely weaned off Zoloft. I have found other coping mechanisms that have been beyond helpful. These include, but are not limited to, meditation and exercise. 

I highly recommend to people who are going through tough periods in their lives to try to stray as far away from SSRIs as possible. Doctors should seek alternate approaches before immediately prescribing these medications, and it should not be their first recommendation.

Walking into the cozy, warm building of the Wilson Center, with windows from the ground up, you are met with Dylan Taplin. His warm presence and infectious laughter fill the house. Taplin has been running a meditation group at the Wilson Center on campus for around a year and has been working as a program coordinator.

A graduate of the University of Maine with a degree in biology and a minor in psychology, Taplin has a long history with mediation and first explored the practice when he was around 11 years old as an outlet for some of his anger towards his basketball league. 

“I [meditated] every night for about 20 minutes, and sort of viewed it as a chore, and did that for about four to five years,” Taplin stated. “I viewed it as kind of an internal mental housekeeping, you know, like sort of tidying up my mind.”

Things changed for Taplin’s relationship with meditating when he was in a car accident in April of 2022. On his way home from Maine Day, his car was hit by a garbage truck, which left him with a traumatic brain injury. He couldn’t do much but rest, and during this time he explored the practice of meditation and Buddhist tradition further. 

“For a long time after the crash, a lot of what I was doing was sitting and breathing and being with breath, so it was it’s kind of own meditation in a sort of way,” Taplin said. 

After his crash, Taplin got the opportunity to go to a Hawaiian commune that further elevated his journey with meditation and the mind. “I met a lot of cool people there and learned a lot about Buddhism, but also about Hinduism and other religions. [I] also went to another place in Hawaii for a month and did really, really intense meditation there,” Taplin explained.

With his history in the art of meditation, Taplin decided to create a mediation group to give others the chance to also explore the practice. 

“At the start of every semester, I do an intro to mediation to get people interested and to give them an idea of what it is,” he stated. The group meets every week and Taplin brings in different speakers to talk about different topics regarding meditation and Buddhist ideas. 

In addition to this, he gives tips on how and where to start when it comes to meditation. 

“There’s a free app that you can get called Audio Dharma, that has a ton of Buddhist philosophy on it and a lot of guided meditation,” said Taplin. “If you’re interested in meditation, I would start finding resources for guided meditation and just sit down, and try not to think about it too hard.”

If you’re interested in exploring more about the mind and Buddhism, as well as the practice of meditation, visit the Wilson Center on Wednesdays from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. and learn from Taplin and other speakers mindful in the practice. 

With winter break approaching, the cold is coming. What better way to combat this weather than by doing a fun activity? I started crocheting beanies for family and friends last year to give meaningful yet simple gifts. 

This pattern is one of the easier ones, in my opinion, since it doesn’t do a circle base but instead more of a rectangle base. This pattern is good for all ranges of expertise, and videos will be linked below if you need help with the basics.

Supplies:

• Yarn 
• Scissors 
• Crochet hook

(Note: Any yarn can be used; just match it with the correct size hook. The size of the hook used can be found on the label of the yarn) 

Step 1: 

Crochet a base chain of single loops that measure around 13 inches.

Step 2: 

Skip a loop, and do a half-double crochet into the second to last loop. 

Step 3:

Crochet a half-double into each loop for the rest of the row, and at the end of the row, chain one and turn.

Step 4: 

Continue step three until the rectangle is long enough to wrap around the head. (note- this yarn is stretched out, so it looks as if it gets smaller, but it does not) 

Step 5:

Once the desired length is reached, fold the rectangle in half and do half-double crochets to join the two sides.

Step 6:

After around 10 double-half crochets, flip the beanie inside out and continue to double-half crochets. At the end, cut the string long enough to be sewn into the top

Step 7:

Sew the top together by weaving in and out of the top loops.

Step 8: 

Finally, turn the beanie inside out again and sew the remaining hole in the center. 

Videos: 

How to make a chain loop

How to do a half double crochet

Lana Kenoyer provided all photographs in article.

The much-anticipated prequel to the iconic Hunger Games franchise has finally hit the silver screen, nearly eight years after the last movie’s release. Suzanne Collins, the mastermind behind the dystopian series, once again pulls it off with “The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes,” a novel published in 2020 that has now been brought to life as a film.

Returning director Francis Lawrence maintains the cinematic excellence for which the films are known. Collaborating closely with Collins, Lawrence translated the novel onto the big screen. 

The film takes place during the 10th Hunger Games, with the main character being the young President Snow, played by Tom Blyth. Blyth is a relatively new actor but an amazing choice to display the confusing and harsh character of Snow. It’s hard not to find his character attractive, even though his decisions are far from moral. You often have to remind yourself while you are watching the movie that Snow is not a good person. 

The other main character is Lucy Gray Baird, played by Rachel Zegler. Lucy Gray is a central member of District 12 who gets chosen to play in the games. She is part of a traveling band known as the Covey, and after the war, they were displaced, with Lucy Gray ending up in District 12.

Zegler was casted perfectly alongside Blyth, and her singing abilities translate into the musical characteristics of Lucy Gray. During the film’s promotional run, Zegler faced controversy due to her declarations following the SAG-AFTRA strike. Nevertheless, her stellar performance in this movie has managed to overshadow any previous concerns, solidifying her place in the Hunger Games universe.

As mentioned, the film takes place around the 10th Hunger Games. The film has a 1950s look and feel but maintains eccentric aspects of Panem with unnatural outfits and makeup. There is also a sense of ruin throughout the Capitol due to the destruction caused by the conflict.

Snow is a student at an academy in the Capitol, and his professor has decided that in this Hunger Games, they will be mentors with the reapers. Snow is paired with none other than Lucy Gray, and through tribulations, revenge, jealousy, Snow once again ends up on top. Throughout the original series, it is often wondered why Snow acts the way he does. In this movie, that question is answered. 

As fans eagerly dive into this prequel, they find themselves once again drawn in by the brutal world crafted by Suzanne Collins, brought to life by Francis Lawrence and a cast led by Tom Blyth and Rachel Zegler. “The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes” stands as a testament to the enduring allure of a franchise that continues to captivate audiences worldwide.

Allison Bishop sits on a stool in a room full of easels and paintings. She is painting an image of her younger self, patiently mixing the colors while music plays in her ears. She is content and fully focused on the strokes of her paintbrush. 

Bishop is currently a second-year studio art, graphic design and art history student at the University of Maine. 

She has been an artist from an early age, mostly doing graphite drawings, but since coming to college has broadened her use of mediums. 

“I recently learned etching and printmaking. It’s a really tedious process, but it’s really interesting,” she stated. 

Bishop then further explained the process of etching. 

“So you start with a metal plate, and you roll on the ground, which is like a black acrylic medium, and it hardens and protects the copper from corrosive salt. And so, you transfer your image onto that plate with the ground on it. You scrape away lines that you want to be printed. And so, the lines that you scraped away reveal the copper when you put it in a corrosive salt bath.” Bishop explained. “Those are the only things that are kind of eaten away. And they’re you get these grooves in the copper, so when you wash off the ground, that’s all that there is on the plate. And then you work the ink into those grooves and send it through the press, and it’s really awesome.”

When asked what her favorite learning experience she has had at UMaine, she added that this process was her favorite, describing how “etching was really interesting. Completely new to [her],” and that “there’s a lot of learning that went on in [the] process.” 

Being a studio art major at UMaine has many perks as well. UMaine has many buildings dedicated to undergraduate and graduate art students. These include Lord Hall, the Wyeth Center, and the Goos Family Studio houses. 

A popular place to see students’ work is at Lord Hall. This building is on the university mall, next to Alumni Hall. They host a show every semester, run by the Gallery Director Diane Baumbach. This semester, they have a senior artwork show that is still available for the public to see the artwork fourth-year students have made. 

Along with this building is the Zilliman Art Gallery, located in downtown Bangor. George Kinghorn runs the gallery, and according to their website, the goal of their gallery is “ a cultural resource of the state and the University of Maine, promotes an understanding of, and engagement with, visual art through its diverse contemporary exhibitions, a permanent collection focusing on works of art since 1945, and educational programming.”

As a studio art student, Bishop is often asked what she plans on doing after graduation. 

“So, right now, a vague plan is to get a job, maybe in a gallery or a museum, as a curator curating exhibits, exhibitions, sounds neat. And then on the side, making art of my own, selling it, hopefully working up to a point where I can support myself financially just from making art I am passionate about,” Bishop stated.

Studio art students are often perceived as having an easier time than stem or engineering students. However, studio art offers a different struggle. 

“Creative ruts are very difficult, and the workload is sometimes overwhelming. You’re just constantly given new assignments and forced to really push your creativity and come up with something bigger and better every time. And it’s frustrating sometimes when it doesn’t go well. But that’s where most of the learning happens.” Bishop said. 

If you want to see some of Bishops’ art, visit her Instagram at allisonnbishopp. You can visit their website for more information about the Studio Art department here at UMaine.

With Halloween closely approaching, the need for some scary TV shows is increasing. The newest Netflix short series titled “The Fall of the House of Usher” fills that need. 

Released on Oct. 12, the show immediately piqued my interest, primarily due to its director, Mike Flanagan. Renowned for his work on another popular Netflix series, “The Haunting of Hill House,” this new series incorporates actors from the former, along with thematic elements synonymous with Flanagan’s style.

The show begins with an attorney, Auguste Dupin, played by Carl Lumbly, going to a dark and musty house. In the house is Roderick, sitting in a chair, telling Dupin he’s about to tell him everything. 

The audience is then introduced to the trial taking place against Roderick, with Dupin being the attorney for the government. The trial is against the company Roderick owns, a multi-millionaire pharmaceutical company, Fortunato. 

According to Dupin, this company, specifically a drug called Lidodone, has killed hundreds of thousands of people due to its addicting chemistry. Of course, Roderick tells Dupin he must start from the beginning, the very beginning. The first flashback is when Roderick and his twin, Madeline, were children. 

Their mother is shown as a very religious woman who had an affair with the head of the Fortunato company, thus resulting in their birth. At wit’s end, their mother dies in their home, and the twins decide to bury their mother, but again, in Flanagan style, their mother quite utterly rises from the grave to kill their father.

Death is everywhere in this series. It becomes apparent in the first episode that all of Rodericks’s children have died in the past two weeks. Every death seemed like an abnormal accident, but Roderick assured Dupin that he had killed his children. 

What plays into the factor of everything in this story is how Roderick got to own Fortunato. 

This show has twists and turns all throughout it. It never gets boring, and you are constantly questioning everything.

With a new school year and a new group of freshmen, students have brought up issues regarding the dorm structures. It is unlikely that these problems are arising due to the age of the Orono campus having surpassed 100 years old. 

However, this problem isn’t happening solely at the University of Maine, but similarly, across the University of Maine System. On Sept. 10 to 11, the Board of Trustees announced a $1.2 billion investment in repairs to every college in the University of Maine System. These colleges include UMaine’s flagship campus in Orono, its campuses in Augusta, Fort Kent, Presque Isle, Machias, Farmington, Maine Law, and the University of Southern Maine.

As stated in the Board of Trustees meeting, the main objective of the investment is to “utilize multiple funding sources to strategically address deferred maintenance, update critical infrastructure to maintain the University’s R1 status  and commitment to excellent learning and living environments.”

This plan is structured to take place over the next five years, and according to the Board of Trustees, “UM’s funding sources include TBD (28%), Fundraising (18%), revenue bonds (15%), HAF Grant (12%) and Earmarks (12%). New construction constitutes 51% of UM’s projects, supporting athletic facilities, research, residence halls and academic spaces. New athletic facilities are exclusively funded by the HAF Grant and associated matching funds.”

Looking more closely, there are specific amounts of money for the dorm buildings. For example, Cumberland Hall, a main freshman dorm, is expected to have $7,887,029 put towards it. This dorm hall has been the source of many complaints in regard to cleanliness and mildew. 

Along with renovating dorms across campus, the plan also involves renovating athletic centers. Alfond Stadium, UMaine’s hub for hockey fans, is getting around $6.5 million in regard to renovations and structural improvements. There are also millions of dollars being allocated towards a new field hockey stadium and renovations to the baseball field. 

Aside from new construction, there are 18 demolition plans. These plans are expected to be around $19 million. It is noted by the board that “The largest demolition projects include Dickey-Wood and the Law Building at USM; Hannibal Hamlin, Libby and Murray Hall at UMaine; and Normal Hall at UMPI.”

It has been over a month since the disastrous fires engulfed Lahaina, Maui. With 97 confirmed dead and 31 still missing, it is the most catastrophic wildfire in the US ever recorded in the last century. With an event like this occurring, the question of whether or not climate change played a role, is being asked around the globe.

According to The Guardian, these fires “broke out as the island faced strong winds and low humidity that the National Weather Service had warned would bring high fire danger with the risk of rapid spread.” Even though the National Weather Service issued a warning, there have been disputes over the lack of siren sounds. 

According to Darryl Oliveira, head of the Maui Emergency Management Agency, alarms were not sounded due to the fear that civilians would run inland, where the fires were happening. Oliveira feared such a reaction because the sirens were made for tsunamis, and in this instance, civilians would run inland. Many people disagree with this action and believe an alarm would have helped people evacuate and bring attention to the rapid fires sooner. 

These fires have brought attention to the pressing issue of our planet’s longevity. Many people believe that not only this fire, but others including the California fires and Canada fires, are due to climate change.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration reference a 2016 study saying that climate change enhanced the drying of organic matter and doubled the number of large fires between 1984 and 2015.”

The California fires have been talked about for the last year due to their ongoing presence. As of right now, according to the California government website, there have been a total of 5,280 wildland fires in the state in 2023. As for Canada, the European Union’s Copernicus Climate Change Service announced that this 2023 wildfire season has been the worst in terms of the extent of burned land and amount of carbon dioxide released into the atmosphere. 

Though it is still too early to see how or if global warming could a catalyst for the Maui fires, it is not obscure to relate it to dry climates in California and Canada. However, as stated earlier, low humidity in the area could’ve caused the fire to begin in Maui. With a fire this size, there are also consequences regarding the after effects.

The main water source for Lahaina is underground aquifers, which got severely damaged in the fire. Additionally, the byproducts of a fire this size have raised many concerns about the safety of the air due to toxic chemicals. These chemicals also are being swept into groundwater as well as the ocean.

As a society, it is critical to understand how to help prevent wildfires. The U.S. Department of the Interior has a list of things to help. Also, if you want to take part in aiding the damages and people of  Lahaina, you can go to mauicounty.gov and donate today.