Nov. 6

5:30 p.m. – Marking your territory

University of Maine Police Department (UMPD) responded to a report of criminal mischief in the York parking lot. A subject said that her car was vandalized, referencing a three-foot long line made with a black permanent marker. The officer told her that she could attempt to clean the line off. A report was filed as an insurance precaution.

Nov. 7

12:27 a.m. – St. George’s Finest

UMPD officers responded to a resident assistant (RA) report of underaged drinking in Oxford Hall. In the room, the officer made contact with six subjects and found a number of beer cans. All admitted to drinking. The room resident, Derek Seoul, a first-year student, and non-student Benjamin Caron, of St. George, were summonsed for possession of alcohol by a minor. All in the room were referred to Judicial Affairs (JA.)

Nov. 9

3:08 p.m. – Bicycle bandit

A theft was reported at York Hall after a subject claimed her bike was stolen. The subject said the bike was placed in the bike rack on Nov. 7 and when she returned it was gone. The bike was valued at $200. There are no suspects and the matter is under investigation.

Nov. 10

2:43 p.m. – Blanket burglar

A theft was reported at York Hall after a subject left her laundry in the laundry room overnight. When she returned the next day, the laundry was placed on a table. The subject reported that a blanket, valued at $100, was stolen. There are no suspects and the matter is under investigation.

Nov. 11

10:42 p.m. – Problematic plates

UMPD conducted a traffic stop after observing a subject running a stop sign. The suspect was identified as Yousef Alrahim, 27, of Orono. After running the car’s plates through dispatch, it was found to be unregistered. Adding to those offenses, Alrahim’s driver’s license had been suspended since Oct. 20, 2014. Alrahim was under the impression that his license was reinstated. He was summonsed for operating a vehicle after suspension.

11:08 p.m. – Temper tantrum

A UMPD officer responded to a complaint of marijuana use in the woods behind the Hilltop Parking Lot. The subjects were identified as Richard Klatt and Bryan Kemberling, both first-year students. The two submitted paraphernalia and a small amount of marijuana. Both were summonsed for possession of marijuana and referred to JA.

The final Downtown Bangor Arts Collaborative (DBAC) Artwalk of the year was held Friday, Nov. 13. The walk involved 23 downtown locations, live music and the creation of a community mural.

“The main thing that happens during the Artwalk that doesn’t happen during other times is that the art studios are open,” Aaron Pyle, the museum technician at the University of Maine Museum of Art, said.

Pyle explained that although the Bangor art community is open to explore year -round, the actual art studios are only open to the public during the four Artwalks that are held each year.

Despite the unique opportunity to look inside the studios, Pyle said that many UMaine students don’t come downtown for the event.

“A lot of university students don’t get downtown because they’re intimidated by traffic or driving down here,” Pyle said. “But, events that put all of the artists in one night are good for students.”

Lorin Martens, a third-year studio art student at UMaine, attended the event with a group of friends who share an interest in art. She was expecting to see more students. Martens noted that she would like to see an increase in student involvement in the next Artwalk.

“I’ve been a part of the Portland Art Walk before,” Martens said. “If the opportunity was to arise, I would love to be a part of the Bangor Artwalk.”

Members of the Bangor art community seem to agree that getting UMaine students involved would be beneficial.

“I think the Artwalks could only benefit from having more UMaine students,” Annette Dodd, co-owner of the Rock and Art Shop, said. “The walk is still growing. Bangor is still growing. We need young people to help it survive.”

The Rock and Art Shop was one of the stops in the Artwalk, and exhibited the work of a variety of artists.

One of the featured artists, Hillary Gocze, who is also an employee at the shop, said that college students should be involved in the art community.

“I think it’s important for them to be in the art scene,” Gocze said. “To get ideas and guidance.”

Gocze was joined by her friend, Allison Potash, a fourth-year UMaine student who attended to support Gocze and take a look at the art the community has to offer. Although Potash is not an art student, she enjoys attending the Artwalks.

“There was free pizza at the last Artwalk, so I decided another one was a good idea,” Potash joked. “I like how many little kids I see out at these things. It’s great.”

To learn more about the Downtown Bangor Arts Collaborative, or to sign up to participate or volunteer in the next Artwalk, visitthe DBAC website.

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) requested almost $17.5 billion for their 2015 budget estimate. While that number seems astronomical, it is only a small blip of the United States’ $39 trillion budget.

The idea of space travel has been propagandized as a necessity by popular media, with heartwarming movies like “E.T.: The Extra Terrestrial” and “WALL-E.” Films like “Gravity” make space seem like an intriguing final frontier of knowledge and splendor.

While a fraction of a percent of the national budget seems relatively expendable, there are a number of Earth-confined issues that the United States could address, or attempt to address, with $17.5 billion.

According to a 2012 New York Times article, it was estimated that homelessness in the United States could be phased out for just $20 billion. This estimate came from Mark Johnston, the acting assistant housing secretary for community planning and development. In 2012, notably, only $1.9 billion was spent to address the problem. Conversely, NASA’s 2012 budget was $18.2 billion.

The Borgen Project, a nonprofit organization dedicated to addressing poverty and hunger, estimates that $30 billion per year would effectively end world hunger. Considering the European Space Agency has a budget of nearly $4.8 billion, and would buy into this effort, this number could be easily attained.

Relatively recent studies have found out that Mars did, at one time, possess the ability to sustain life. While the recent NASA discoveries on Mars are not to be scoffed at, what significance does it present for residents of this planet going forward? What does it offer citizens?

Investigating the livability of planets in our solar system seems to be a worthwhile idea, but at what point to do we pack it in? Our space travel is exceptionally limited, with current technology only having the capability to send humans to the moon. I didn’t need to spend a dollar, except for my parents’ tax dollars, to learn in grade school that humans will not leave this planet in my, nor my hypothetical child’s, lifetime. But, at least we know Earth has a “twin planet” an unattainable distance away.

NASA is an organization that profits, or receives, from the public’s general acceptance that space is really cool and if we spend enough time there, we will find something absolutely amazing. The fact of the matter is, we’ve only been disappointed with space. Mars was, at one point, livable, but it is not now, and won’t be for a long time.

While all the pictures of space humble us and fill us wonder and glee, it is time to put our money into attainable issues that can be solved with the resources we have on this planet.

Oct. 28

4:05 p.m. – Not Del-aware of the law

A University of Maine Police Department (UMPD) officer conducted a traffic stop on Long Road. The suspect, Michael Hall, 25, of Orono, was operating a motorcycle that had no baffle or inspection tag on the plate. Hall told the officer that he had a driver’s license in Delaware, but no credentials to operate a motorcycle. The officer confirmed that Hall had no motorcycle license by checking Maine records. Hall was summonsed for operating a motor vehicle without a license. The officer noted that Hall was very polite.

Oct. 28 and 29

3:07 p.m. and 2:05 p.m. – Pair of parking passes pilfered

UMPD officers responded to two instances of theft to a motor vehicles. Two parking passes were stolen from unlocked cars in the Alfond Arena parking lot and the Collins Center for the Arts parking lot. Both cars had no damage aside from the stolen decals.

Oct. 31

9:57 p.m. – Hard taco

UMPD responded to a Resident Assistant (RA) of a non-student, Nathaniel Moore, 19, of Wilton, wearing a taco costume roaming the halls of Somerset Hall. The suspect, reportedly, shed the taco costume when he heard that UMPD was responding, and took off into the woods behind Patch. Another report came in from Somerset that Moore was located in a room. Officers made contact with Moore, who was in Orono for the weekend to go to parties. He was compliant with officer, and was summonsed and referred to Judicial Affairs (JA) for possession of alcohol by a minor.

10:19 p.m. – Draw the blinds

While investigating the incident above, an officer dressed in plain clothes observed someone smoking marijuana through a window in Patch Hall. The officer made contact with Joseph McDonald, a 26-year-old student, who admitted to smoking. McDonald handed over a vaporizer and a small amount of weed. McDonald was summonsed and referred to JA for possession of marijuana.

10:25 p.m. – Trash canned

UMPD responded to an RA report for underage drinking in Hancock Hall after two females were heard in their room talking about “being trashed.” Officers made contact with the residents of the room, and they admitted to drinking vodka earlier in the day. Officers retrieved the bottle, and referred the students to JA.

Nov. 1

12:06 a.m. – John 2:9

UMPD officers responded to an RA report of underage drinking in Cumberland Hall. The officer made contact with seven underaged subjects, who were drinking beer and raspberry vodka. Evan Kellough, a first-year student, was summonsed for possession of alcohol by a minor. Two non-students, Cole Jakobs, of Naples, and Shawn Hanson, of Sebago, were also summonsed for possession of alcohol by a minor. Hanson, who submitted a marijuana roach and a grinder to officers, was also summonsed for possession of drug paraphernalia. Along with beer and vodka, officers found Fireball whiskey and a bottle of grape juice with an apparatus to turn it into alcohol.

Tuesday, Nov. 3 was election day across the country, where state issues were on the ballot. In Maine, two bonds were passed and elections were made more transparent through a change to the Maine Clean Election Act.

Question 1, titled “Clean Elections”, asked if voters would like to make an addendum to the Maine Clean Election Act. The change would see improvements to the disclosure of parties who pay for political ads and increase penalties for violating campaign finance law. According to the Bangor Daily News election results, 55 percent of voters were in favor of the change.

“Today Mainers sent a message loud and clear. We want transparency. We want a government accountable to everyday people. And, we want a strong public financing Clean Election law that puts voters in control of our democracy — not wealthy special interests and high paid lobbyists,” said Andrew Bossie, executive director of Maine Citizens for Clean Elections, said in a Nov. 3 press release.

“This is a victory for democracy,” Bossie continued. “A victory for the people, of the people, and by the people. Now it’s time for the legislature and the state to move forward with implementation.”

Question 2 dealt with a $15 million bond issue for low-income housing for senior citizens. The bond, as stated in the question, would aid in building energy efficient housing, as well as weatherizing existing housing for low-income seniors. The bond would be matched by $24 million in private and other funding. Voters were largely in favor, with 69 percent saying yes.

Another bond issue was on the ballot for Question 3. Voters were asked if they favor a $85 million bond for construction and repair of highways and bridges, as well as pedestrian trails, harbors, railroads and other transportation. This funding would be matched by $121.5 million in federal and other funding. Again, voters were largely in favor, with 73 percent for the bond.

In Orono, a total of 1,016 ballots were cast. The votes cast by the citizens of Orono were concurrent with rest of Maine, as all three questions on the ballot were passed by large margins. On Question 1, 73 percent were in favor of cleaner elections, and nearly 83 percent were in favor of both bonds.

The 2015 Cohen Lecture, presented by the Cohen Institute for Leadership and Public Service was held in the Collins Center for the Arts.

On Oct. 27, William S. Cohen, the former United States Secretary of Defense, led the 2015 Cohen Lecture, presented by the Cohen Institute for Leadership and Public Service. The lecture, held in the Collins Center for the Arts, was free and open to the public.

The Cohen Lecture is the 10th in a series of lectures, with this particular forum happening once every two years. Cohen was joined by two guests, General Joseph W. Ralston, former Supreme Allied Commander of Europe, and former ambassador to Greece, Nicholas Burns, who also served as the Undersecretary of State for Political Affair.

University of Maine President Susan Hunter opened proceedings, introducing the lecture and its participants. The lecture was moderated by Felicia Knight, president of The Knight Canney group, a government and public relations firm based in Portland, Maine.

The lecture, titled “America’s Response to Global Instability,” focused on America’s international relations. The speakers spoke about how the nation, in terms of diplomacy and military, found itself in the middle of the world’s biggest problems. All three of the speakers were critical of the lack of action by American leadership.

“We’re facing a multiplicity of overlapping crises,” Ralston said. “We can’t fight every battle, but we have to be engaged. Our political influence cannot be matched.”

The Syrian refugee crisis was also on the docket for the speakers. Cohen believed that the United States is more concerned within its own borders. Cohen voiced his disappointment, saying that America is quick to say that it was not our problem.

“We’ve become desensitized to human suffering,” Cohen said. “It may not be our problem, but it is overwhelming those states in Europe.”

Ralston was critical of the change in policy from the past regarding America’s acceptance of refugees. Ralston said that there are more refugees presently than any other time period after 1945, at the end of the second World War. Ralston explained that America was quick to accept refugees then, but will only accept 10,000 of a proposed 100,000 refugees now.

“We are a country of refugees,” Ralston said. “I believe that we have the structure to do so.”

Cohen said that the younger generations, particularly those studying at UMaine, have a responsibility to pay attention to these problems, while the Congress debates domestic issues, like the debt ceiling, and turns a blind eye.

“Other countries see us as not being leaders,” Cohen said. “The loss of American leadership will have dividends to to be paid by later generations.”

On Sept. 26, The University of Maine unveiled the redesigned Bananas T. Bear mascot before UMaine football’s home opener against the University of Rhode Island.

The main goal, as explained by Peter Sprague, president of the Sigma Xi chapter of Alpha Delta National Fraternity, was to mimic the image on the Black Bear logo that adorns University of Maine merchandise.

“The new suit was designed after the Black Bears image,” Sprague said. “The design team tried to get Bananas T. Bear to look very similar to that image.”

While some might think that the logo image for Maine might be a bit frightening to children if it were to be personified, Sprague assured that the design team took care of it.

“As a design team, we softened the image to look less scary for children,” Sprague said. “The new look will help match branding of UMaine that will be easily recognizable.”

As well as an updated look, the suit was designed with the newest advances to help out the human encased in the suit.

“The overall design of the new suit has been developed with the latest technology, that make the fit of the costume more comfortable, cool, and functional,” Sprague said.

The new mascot was teased in an announcement on First Class, showing only the arms and uniform worn by Bananas during UMaine football games.

In 1914, a real black bear, named Jeff, was loaned to the university, in hopes to bring life to a sub-par football team. The fans, as described on GoBlackBears.com, went “bananas” for the bear. The following year, the University was given a cub and named it Bananas.

There were 15 different bears that served as Bananas for UMaine, the last being Cindy Bananas in 1966, when live mascots were banned in the state of Maine.

Since 1969, Alpha Phi Omega, renamed Alpha Delta in 2007, have provided a human Bananas, which was last updated over 10 years ago. Sprague said that it was time for a new suit after years of working.

“The current suit was received in 2001,” Sprague said. “It has seen a lot of events, and has earned its retirement. There has been a lot of wear and tear.”

The new Bananas was unveiled on the “Maine Black Bears” Facebook page before the game, with mixed reviews. Many cited that the new mascot “would take time to get used to” and that he looked more like a big cat than a bear. Lindsay Ostrofsky, a university studies student, took a shot at the new mascot, citing that it looks more like a panther than a black bear.

“The issue with the new mascot costume is the head is too small and does not look like a black bear,” Ostrofsky said. “Whoever designed the costume should have enough common sense to know that there is a difference between the two.”

Ostrofsky also thought the students were shut out of the creative process.

“I thought we are The University of Maine Black Bears not The University of Maine Panthers.” Ostrofsky said. “What I think they should have done is, maybe, come up with a couple ideas, and asked the students opinions, and go from there”

However, the mascot did bring some good luck, as UMaine defeated Rhode Island 27-17.

On Sept. 9, the Maine Department of Transportation (MaineDOT) held a preliminary public meeting at the Old Town Public Library to discuss plans regarding the pair of bridges near the Stillwater Dam. About 35 people attended the meeting, including members of the town council and Old Town public works members. The purpose of the meeting was to educate residents of Old Town on the preliminary assessment of the bridges and also to gather input on how the townspeople see the project. According to Brian Reeves, bridge designer for the project, the bridges see about 16,600 cars per day. These numbers were found through two separate studies conducted in April and July of 2015. The bridge also sees 25 walkers and 20 bikes daily. Residents immediately spoke out about how the numbers in the study could be misleading, as the population bump the university gave the area would have been invisible in July. Jeffery Aceto, assistant director of facilities management for construction administration and regulatory compliance, who was attending on behalf of the University of Maine, said that the numbers in the studies could be incomplete. “I think there is some more vetting to be done, as some of the information may not be as complete as it could be,” Aceto said. “We think that analysis should continue, and then reevaluate.” Michael Wight, the project manager for the Stillwater bridge project, has full confidence his projections were as accurate as possible. “I’m not stating that this was an oversight,” Aceto said. “I just don’t think that those were our peak hours. Most of our lots are fuller in the fall.” Many Old Town residents believed that the bridge was unsafe, stemming from observations from below while kayaking. Many cited that concrete has been falling from under it, leaving them unsettled about the condition. One resident even said that he had seen “bridges in Iraq” that were in better condition. After these comments, Reeves explained that bridges are not supported by the concrete on the other side, but supported by rebar. He was blunt in saying that the bridge is safe, and fit use for immediate use. Old Town’s residents are pushing for a wider bridge, as the current two-lane bridge is not optimal for foot and bike traffic. Adjusting the two-lane bridge to four-lanes was also discussed, but MaineDOT studies concluded that a two-lane bridge was sufficient. Aceto, speaking on behalf of the university, said the university was looking to increase its enrollment for next year. Because of this, he said, the university supported Old Town in the pursuit of a wider bridge. “We have a vested stake for folks coming onto campus,” Aceto said. “Right now, the level of service near College Ave concerns us a lot.” Residents mentioned that they would like to have a bridge that was aesthetically pleasing, as well as more functional. Wight discussed the possibility of putting a “special railing” on the bridge. Reeves said that a rating system implemented by the MaineDOT rated the pair of bridges at an average of a 53.7 out of 100. This rating, according to Reeves, means that maintenance was suggested, but not urgently needed. The MaineDOT has allocated $300,000, through 80 percent federal and 20 percent state funding, to do preliminary engineering. This project began in October 2014, with surveying being completed recently, leading to the information presented in the meeting. Preliminary stages are scheduled to go into next year, ending in Fall of 2016. The meeting seemed quite turbulent, with many residents questioning the planning done by the MaineDOT employees. Wight said that these meetings are crucial to getting feedback from locals who know the area better than surveyors. Currently, there is no funding allocated for the project’s construction. Early estimates project that funding could come through in 2018, assuming the three-year plan goes according to schedule. Wight said that even through construction, maintaining travel over the bridge is the most crucial part to this repair job. “The biggest concern is maintaining travel through the project,” Wight said. “We know that traffic is so high, so we’re going to maintain two lanes of traffic and a sidewalk during construction.”

The University of Maine System (UMS) board of trustees announced a new foodservice request for proposal on Aug. 31. The highlight of the 63 page proposal is that UMS will be purchasing 20 percent of food served on six of the seven campuses from local producers in the next five years.

This announcement comes after a coalition of food organizations and producers, called Maine Food for Maine System, issued a report in July urging the UMS board of trustees to bolster the growing agricultural sector of Maine’s economy.

In a press release issued on Sept.1, Riley Neugebauer, a member of the coalition called the new RFP a great first step.

“Maine students, farmers, and community leaders have spoken and the UMaine System has responded with an RFP that includes a 20 percent commitment to local foods,” Neugebauer said. “We’re glad to see this clear statement from the public University System, which will greatly benefit Maine’s producers and processors.”

“The University of Maine System has long played an important role as a partner to Maine communities and industries,” the report read. “Mainers are proud of their local food economy, and the University can play a key role in supporting and growing it.”

Food is labelled as local if it is harvested or produced within 175 miles of the campus where it is served. Other details of the contract ensure that deals made between local food producers and the school are exclusive, barring them from dealing with other universities in the system.

The coalition’s report called for four major steps to be taken by the UMS board. They are pushing for a commitment to purchasing 20 percent “real food”, which refers to products that are local and community based. There is a group based around this challenge, named the Real Food Challenge. According to the Real Food Challenge website, the group’s large network of student activists are looking to shift money from large, industrial farms to local farms.

University of Maine Presque Isle student Bobbi-Jo Oatway, who is involved with the group, believes that language used in the RFP was not strong enough and wants local farmers to benefit from these large contracts.

“We value these farmers and want to promote this kind of agriculture,” Oatway said. “When you buy local, organic and avoid conventional agriculture you are helping to shape the kind of world you want to live in and leave for future generations.”

Neugebauer, a Farm to College Project Manager for Farm to Institution New England, said that this wording can be misleading. For example, instead of sourcing produce from many local farms, the 20 percent could be reached from buying from Oakhurst Dairy or other large, established companies, making it easily attainable.

“Rather than just having the 20 percent goal be fulfilled through purchasing from one or two businesses,” Neugebauer said in an email. “We’d like to see that spread around to benefit more producers in the state.”

The coalition would also like each campus use the Real Food Calculator, an online tool that allows institutions to track their food purchases. This tool can also be used monitor progress toward goals and improve food transparency.

As well as implementing the rules, the coalition urged to form a group led by students and administrators to make sure the contract is being adhered to.

Neugebauer added that the promotion from being used in a school setting would also be a valuable asset for farmers in the area.

“It allows for more interaction between our local food producers and our universities in the state, which can ultimately create stronger connections between our food businesses, the faculty and student researchers at the various universities, and the other work going on to support our food system,” Neugebauer said.

The new RFP will immediately ensure that 15 percent of food served will be locally sourced, with that number increasing by a percentage point every year, finally reaching 20 percent in 2020.

According to census data within the coalition’s report, between 2007 and 2012, the value of agricultural produce in Maine increased 25 percent, from $617 million to $764 million. The 20 percent figure equates to spending about $1.7 million dollars of a budget of about $8.6 million to feed staff and students.

However, the University of Maine flagship campus will not be a part of this upcoming contract, as it runs its own dining service. UMaine sources 18 percent of food served from Maine-based companies. Despite not being a part of the contract, the University plans to independently reach the goal of 20 percent by 2020, UMS spokesperson Dan DeMeritt told Bangor Daily News.

In May, the UMS board of trustees passed a policy that would “allow reasonable preference when feasible” to source sustainably produced food in an effort to minimize transportation. The board reference UMaine’s ability to locally source food as a cornerstone for this decision.

The current food service contract is being fulfilled by Aramark, a Philadelphia based company, which is coming to an end after a 10 year term. The report filed by Maine Food for the Maine System suggested the new contract to have a five year maximum as it allows wiggle room to make changes if necessary.

Aug. 31

11:21 p.m. – Everybody Loves Raymond

The University of Maine Police Department (UMPD) responded to the second floor of the Smith House after receiving complaints of an odor of marijuana. Once inside, students Bruno Benevides, 20, and Raymond Vallejo, 21, were cooperative and admitted to using marijuana. They were issued summonses for possession of drug paraphernalia and possession of marijuana, respectively.

Sept. 3

11:02 p.m. – Every bud has its Thor

UMPD made a traffic stop as a car was driving without its headlights on College Avenue. The officer reported a strong smell of marijuana emitting from the car carrying four students. Elias Thorbjornson, a first-year student, handed over paraphernalia and a bag of marijuana, and in return received a summons for possession of marijuana. All four students were cooperative and were referenced to Judicial Affairs.

4:35 p.m. – 30 Minutes or Less

UMPD responded to a report that a small white car with an Orono House of Pizza sign was driving too fast for the conditions and possibly endangering students. The driver of the vehicle admitted to being in the area at the time. The driver, who is not a student of the University, was issued a warning.