4.5 out of 5 stars

The latest TV show distributed internationally by HBO, “His Dark Materials,” brings the fantasy trilogy written by Phillip Pullman to the screen. 

The show follows Lyra (played by Dafne Keen) who’s parents died in an airship accident when she was an infant. With her guardianship falling to her absentee uncle Lord Asriel, Lyra is sent to live at her uncle’s patron college at Oxford. Now 12 years old, Lyra lives as an orphan being raised by professors, but her comfortable life falls apart with the kidnapping of her best friend Roger. Lyra embarks on an adventure to find her friend which leads her to the deep North; a land inhabited by armored polar bears, witch clans and a thin barrier between the worlds.

Pullman published the first of the three “His Dark Materials” novels in 1995. In his storyline, Pullman describes a world similar to our own; children still run and play, prejudice abounds and universities seem to be their own realities separate from the “real” world. The world of “His Dark Materials” diverges from ours with its steampunk technology — a different history and spirit animals. Zeppelin-like airships fill the sky and the majority of the world is under the control of a totalitarian theological order known as the Magisterium. The most striking difference is the presence of daemons, a person’s soul manifested as an animal companion.

So how close is it to the book? The serial adaption is written by Jack Thorne, and each season is set to follow the events of a different novel in the trilogy. The first season follows the events of the cardinal novel, “The Golden Compass.” Unlike Chris Weitz’s movie adaption of “The Golden Compass,” released in 2007 under the same name, Thorne’s adaption contains a coherent plot and believable dialogue while staying faithful to the source material. However, the show takes some liberties with the action and dialogue, but these are often minor changes or additions to the story. 

The scene introducing Lyra, for example, features her hiding outside a window instead of in a wardrobe. Memorable quotes and dialogue from the novel are called back to. Dialogue is delivered believably and effectively, while lines unique to the show are seamlessly integrated into the storytelling. An additive to the series is the inclusion of more content not present in the original trilogy, namely the inclusion of scenes from Pullman’s spinoff trilogy, “The Book of Dust.” These additional scenes are included where they would logically occur, as the new trilogy takes place in concurrence with the original.

The cast gives an emotionally charged and believable performance. Keen shines with her portrayal of Lyra, the curious and rebellious 12-year-old protagonist. Keen is exemplary in displaying the range of emotions Lyra experiences, both in her voice and facial expressions. Keen portrays a mischievous and playful Lyra when the character is introduced but is able to deliver deliberate dialogue when things get more serious. Her measured delivery of the line, “He’s poisoning my uncle, Pan,” combined with a stern look at her daemon, displays her ability expertly. James McAvoy’s portal of Lord Asriel is similarly brilliant, especially in the smaller details like his shivering movements and raised voice after coming in from a howling blizzard, or the metered and exasperated way in which he delivers the line, “I am sorry, but I just don’t have time for you right now,” to Lyra.

With the shadow of the movie adaption still looming, some will have low expectations for the television interpretation. Despite the spotted track record, “His Dark Materials” is a combination of expert acting, writing and faithfulness to the source material needed to bring this back for fans who have been burned once already. “His Dark Materials” can be viewed on HBO in North America on Mondays at 9 p.m. EST.

“A Midsummer Night’s Dream” is arguably William Shakespeare’s most famous comedy. The play is a staple of the English curriculum in high school and college classes and has been produced countless times on both the stage and the screen. On Nov. 21, a live broadcast of the National Theater’s production of “A Midsummer Night’s Dream,” which was produced in London’s Bridge Theater, was shown at the Collins Center for the Arts.

Directed by Nicholas Hytner, this version of Shakespeare’s classic tale takes a darker, more modern approach than the dreaminess commonly associated with the play, with Hytner choosing to swap many of Titania’s lines with Oberon’s.

Much of this play is impacted by gender roles and the relationships between men and women. In many of Shakespeare’s comedies, there is a power dynamic that strays from the “norm” and the conflict is resolved when the power dynamic is restored to “normal.” Hytner’s decision to change the roles of Titania, played by “Game of Thrones” actress Gwendolyn Christie, and Oberon, played by Oliver Chris, challenges the gendered power dynamic that is addressed in the original play.

Before the broadcast of the play, Stephen E. King Chair in Literature Caroline Bicks gave a presentation titled “Midsummer Night Queens.” In her presentation, Bicks addressed the three queens in the play: Titania, Hippolyta and Queen Elizabeth. Bicks is also a professor in the UMaine English Department and has focused most of her classes and research on Shakespeare.

“When I heard that the director was switching Oberon and Titania’s lines and storylines around, having her drug him to get the Indian boy that he has sworn to raise for the sake of his votaress, I was skeptical,” Bicks said, after pointing out that much of the play explores patriarchal power and its effects on female communities. “But I thought this gender-flip worked some real magic; you sensed that Oberon learned some heart-felt lessons by occupying a subservient role, and that Titania was not so much vindictive as she was righteous in her rage, especially because she was doubling as Hippolyta, the imprisoned Amazon queen whose love Theseus claims to have won ‘by doing thee injury’ at the start of the play.” 

Throughout Hytner’s rendition, Titania disrupts the gender hierarchy. In comparison to Hippolyta, who has been captured by Theseus, she is an independent and powerful woman who lives outside of the walls of Athens, free from the laws of the city. In the opening scene, Hippolyta, also played by Christie, is shown inside of a glass box. Inside the walls of Athens, gender roles are congruent with the ‘norm’ of the time. Men held all of the power, and women were subservient to them. The decision to have Hippolyta in the glass box furthers the dichotomy of gender and power within the city.

“It’s still a problematic play, though, no matter how you cut it. It’s hard to find straight-up comedy in a plotline that involves drugging someone to make them fall in love or to get what you want from them. I try to emphasize to my undergraduate students that this play is not a celebration of romantic love, but rather a critique of what must be sacrificed in order for institutions like marriage, the law and government to endure. Luckily for us, Shakespeare also included the Mechanicals’ hilarious play-within-a-play so that we can laugh at ourselves and those institutions as well,” Bicks said.

Typical of the genre of comedy, if a norm is broken or strayed away from, there must be a return to order in the end. These women can be in power, but they cannot maintain it. Ultimately this play ends with a triple marriage, returning the power back to the men.

This play is still relevant today. Dealing with themes of power, sex, lust and various facets of love, it can be compared to relationships and dynamics that are evident in modern society.

The next NT Live broadcasts will feature “Hansard” in the Collins Center for the Arts on Dec. 6. 

4 stars

Detroit rapper Danny Brown has had a long and consistent career. For the longest time, he flew under the radar, his explicit and bizarre style appealing to a niche set of people. It wasn’t until his 2016 album “Atrocity Exhibition” that he garnered significant commercial success, with the help of features from rap game heavy-weights like Earl Sweatshirt and Kendrick Lamar. Now, three years later, Danny Brown has released “uknowwhatimsayin?,” his smoothest and most consistent record to date. 

Much like “Atrocity Exhibition,” “uknowwhatimsayin?” is chock-full of talent. Artists like Run the Jewels, Blood Orange, Jpegmafia and Thundercat all grace Danny’s new album. The featured talent also extends to the production, which is the highlight of the entire record. A Tribe Called Quest’s Q-Tip is the featured producer on the tracks “Dirty Laundry,” “Best Life” and “Combat,” each bringing a completely different sound to the pieces. “3 Tearz,” featuring Run The Jewels, is produced by Jpegmafia and makes for a headbanger with strong deliveries from all three rappers. El-P’s (of Run the Jewels) line, “If I’m correct the really cool kids probably calling it lit (hey kids)” is a very tongue-in-cheek line about being an older rapper who is viewed as being out-of-touch. The song is aggressive and hits you early on, testing you to see if you can get through the rest. Jpegmafia gets to lend verses in the song “Negro Spiritual,” where he is accompanied by Thundercat on bass, with production from Flying Lotus. The result is an alternative and distorted song with a fast-paced bass and Brown at his most disjointed.

Brown’s style is still as explicit as ever. He doesn’t hesitate when it comes to rapping about one-night stands gone awry and bullets successfully dodged. But behind some of his disgusting bars is Brown at his most sincere. In “Dirty Laundry,” he details hooking up in a Burger King bathroom with someone he sees the next morning doing her laundry in the same complex as him, subsequently apologizing to her and saying that he has to wash his clothes, too. There is an amount of experience and wisdom that Brown brings that is a rarity in the genre. In the song “Best Life,” he comes to terms with his life, repeating the line, “There ain’t no next life so now I gotta live my best life. I’m livin’ my best life.” In the title track “uknowwhatimsayin?,” he abandons a typical rap formula and instead quotes his own philosophies, keeping it real in his signature style with lyrics such as, “Like bad luck never get enough. Know what I’m sayin’?,” making for an honest and well-constructed title track

Danny Brown’s “uknowwhatimsayin?” is many things. It’s jazz, soul, funk, hip-hop; it’s disgusting and it’s beautiful. It succeeds at being a complete album in its composure, hitting you with the harder songs in the beginning and then further easing you into the album as you listen, symbolizing Brown’s own tumultuous progress through life. Behind the music is a man who wants us all to live the best lives we can, just as he has started to do himself. 

3 out of 5 stars

Coming off the success of her viral sensation “MOOO!,” Amalaratna Zandile Dlamini, known by her stage name Doja Cat, released her sophomore album “Hot Pink” on Thursday, Nov. 7. The album toes the line between traditional, contemporary hip-hop and “dirty rap,” a subgenre of hip-hop that focuses primarily on sexual content. Featuring the same style and marketing as her first album, “Amala,” Doja’s “Hot Pink” presents a slew of raunchy singles, including “Rules” and “Juicy” featuring Tyga. The unreleased songs on the album, such as “Streets” and “Better Than Me,” are more in line with contemporary hip-hop, with some explicit lyrics but an overall lack of vulgar sexual content. Where “Hot Pink” falls a little flat, unfortunately, is in those unreleased singles, whereas its released singles carry the album. Taking out the released singles leaves you with an album lacking in energy, leaving listeners with something to be desired.

The opening song, “Cyber Sex,” introduces the album with an electro-pop beat behind synthesized vocals as she sings about modern digital relationships. “Swipe right ‘cause he thick and he handsome / love a sneak peek, when you free? Can we cam up?” Alluding to the Tinder age of dating, Doja continues to rap graphically about the nature of online dating. 

“Rules,” the third song on “Hot Pink,” is the powerhouse single of the album. The single radiates power as Doja raps about her refusal to let men “play” with her “emotions.” A smooth beat combined with Doja’s clever lyrics creates a hilarious anthem that is sure to be a staple at any party. In reference to her constantly changing wigs, Doja throws shade at her critics, rapping “Bobs on me like Dylan, blondes on me like Hilton / Wendys on me like Williams, shouting, digging / look at me like I’m alien,” to which she claims to be “reptilian.” Combining lyrical prowess, fun electronic beats and racy lyrics, Doja knocks it out of the park with “Rules.”

Unfortunately, nine songs follow “Rules,” none of which possess the same energy and power. The album falls into lulls amongst songs like “Talk Dirty” and “Addiction,” where it’s easy to zone out to the music coming through the headphones. Although the songs are good, they have a hard time living up to the expectations set by some of the more high-energy songs on the album. The final song on “Hot Pink,” “Juicy,” is a remix of a song from “Amala” with an added feature from Tyga. This song carries the same energy as “Rules,” but Tyga’s verse does not change the song in a substantial enough way to make it feel new. This results in a rehashing of a song that is admittedly great but does not contribute any new content to this second album. 

Doja’s “Hot Pink” is a solid hip-hop album. While it doesn’t take many risks or deviate too far from her debut album, it is packed with songs that, while mundane, are all decent. Where the album falls flat is in its marketing and track placement; releasing “Rules” before the album was a mistake, as it left Doja with nowhere to go on the album, and positioning it as the third one cannot help but feel as though “Hot Pink” leaves a little to be desired. Most Doja fans will find the filler songs on the album to be satisfactory, even if they don’t live up to the expectations set by the album’s pre-released singles. 

5 out of 5 stars

Few people do vulnerability quite like Sasha Sloan. The 24-year-old Boston-born singer released her third EP, “Self Portrait,” and as far as Sloan goes, it’s par for the course. And by this, I mean it’s raw, shameless, honest and relatable in ways that few artists can accomplish. 

Sloan’s first two EP’s, “Sad Girl” and “Loser,” both released in 2018, introduced her to the music industry as a young and talented songwriter and artist. Her music has bedroom pop elements; her voice is soft and airy, and the music production follows suit, with gentle beats that create a simple background, allowing her lyrics to shine.

“Self Portrait” addresses Sloan’s acceptance with who she is from her faults to the image she portrays to the world and to her confessions of wrongdoing. With the opening song, “Thoughts,” Sloan begins by giving us a look into the constant battle inside her head. The song consists of lines that are relatable to many, like the chorus’s “I’m scared they’re all laughing / so I make the joke first / if I beat them to the punchline / then I can’t get hurt.” Per usual for Sloan, her lyrics say much of what many of us don’t want to admit, and “Thoughts” sets the theme for the EP, a collection of admissions and a first step at acceptance by acknowledging them all.

“Thoughts” begins by giving us a first look at Sloan’s vision of herself and the rest of the EP follows with uniquely revealing songs about Sloan’s life, her emotions and her anxieties. Yet “Self Portrait” also offers variety; the songs, though sticking with the theme, aren’t repetitive. “Keep On,” the EP’s third song, has the encouraging message to continue on “even on the bad days,” as Sloan sings. “Dancing With Your Ghost” is the only song specifically about love and heartbreak, the lyrics painting an image of grace in the face of loss as Sloan’s soft voice and gentle music intertwine throughout the chorus to create a melancholy anthem.

A standout of the collection comes in the second half of the seven-song EP with “at least I look cool,” a unique tune that tells the story of Sloan going out for the night and basically faking it until she makes it. With her descriptions of how she doesn’t fit into the wealthy party scene, lines like “I drive a car that doesn’t work / I shop at Target for my shirts / and when I pay my rent it hurts,” create two verses and a bridge that, with blatant honesty, explain exactly how Sloan is an outcast in this scene. Yet somehow, with the chilled-out vibes of the song, the bassline and Sloan’s crooning, “honestly I’m kind of bored / but at least I look cool,” she highlights her position as an outlier to be just that: incredibly cool.

All of “Self Portrait” is yet another confessional and raw piece of pure art from Sasha Sloan. She pulls us in and shares her secrets and flaws with a collection of chill songs perfect for background music while studying or a rainy-day soundtrack for the car. Where some artists thrive off of creating a flawless image of themselves, Sloan’s “Self Portrait” is perfection in its honesty and self-acceptance.

With all that college students have to juggle, from work to school to somehow maintaining some form of social life, there are a few major perks, and one of them comes from our good friend Spotify. 

Music has long been known to have positive effects on the body and the mind, including its ability to reduce stress. Listening to music is an essential part of many people’s lives, and with its beneficial side effects, it’s a key tool for college students. Both Spotify and Apple Music have given college students the optimum gift: half-off their monthly subscription rates for instant access to millions of songs. Though both streaming platforms are popular options, Spotify comes out on top in terms of music discovery. So if you like to dig for new music, or have it handed to you weekly, check out these options on Spotify.

New Music Friday

Each week, Spotify releases a playlist exactly at midnight called “New Music Friday.” The playlist consists of the new songs that have been released that week and is ordered by predicted popularity, starting with the songs from the biggest names and extending about 70-100 songs down to the new independent releases that the Spotify team deemed promising enough to make the cut that week. As an artist, the placement on New Music Friday is crucial; if you’re in the top 10, it’s something to celebrate. Some rising artists even plan their releases due to where they might be placed on New Music Friday a certain week; if they know similar artists have a big release coming out, they might schedule their own releases for a different week so they can claim the better spots on New Music Friday. The selection on New Music Friday ranges from pop to rap to indie, and typically has a couple of country songs sprinkled in the mix, but not as many compared to some other genres. Though the top of New Music Friday will always give you the next big hit from the Ariana Grandes and Post Malones out there, the bottom 30 songs are often where you might find your next favorite song, and it’s worth digging through for some hidden gems.

Release Radar

Also released right at midnight each Friday, Release Radar is a playlist that is made specifically for each Spotify user and is based on the music taste of each individual. It’s essentially a filtered version of New Music Friday, personalized just for you. It often consists of many of the songs from New Music Friday, but only the ones from artists you typically listen to. It’s also a great way to find new remixes of songs you love; if a remix EP is released from an artist you follow or a song you have saved, one of the remixes will likely appear here, not on New Music Friday. Additionally, if an artist releases an EP or album with a song that makes it on New Music Friday, Release Radar will likely have at least one more song from that release, and it most likely won’t be the one that’s featured on NMF. So if you didn’t know that more songs from that artist were released, this is a good way to find out. 

Discover Weekly

Once you’ve had the weekend to browse through your Release Radar and New Music Friday, Spotify hits you with the Monday collection: Discover Weekly. Discover Weekly is also a personalized playlist made by Spotify; everybody’s is different, but unlike Release Radar, it’s not comprised of artists you frequently listen to, nor is it only new releases. Instead, Discover Weekly is a place to discover artists that may be new to you specifically. The songs on this playlist are based on your music taste, from artists, songs and albums similar to the ones you like. It’s a great place to discover a new favorite artist or to find an old song that is perfect for the present moment.

Social Sharing

Another great way to discover music is to check out what your friends are listening to. On Spotify’s desktop app, there’s a “Friend Activity” sidebar. When you follow a friend on Spotify, if they chose to share their activity, then they will appear here with whatever song they’re listening to at any given moment, from whatever album or playlist it’s on. So if your friends make creative playlists, or have a knack for creating playlists with a cohesive theme (such as good study songs, or road trip songs), then you might find it there on the activity sidebar, and you might just end up digging up a whole world of new music from there.

“Browse” Tab

The Browse section of Spotify opens up a whole new page of options. The tab has a handful of options that put a world of music at your fingertips. The “Genres & Moods” section is helpful if you’re looking for a specific vibe. If you’re studying, there’s an entire “Focus” section with playlists of all genres that are perfect for studying, and a “Party” section for when you end up on aux and don’t want to risk exposing your guests to one of your own playlists. There’s also a handful of sections with playlists by specific genres, like “Rock,” “Latin” and more. Further in the Browse tab is a separate New Releases section, which contains new albums, singles, your Release Radar and New Music Friday. Even further in, there’s a “Discover” tab, which hands you all the music discoveries you could ever ask for on a silver platter. 

So, although Apple products seem to dominate America right now, and though both streaming platforms have a $5 option for college students, if you’re looking to dig deep into the music that’s out there, Spotify might be the way to go.

Little Hall is a building many of us walk by every day. Just like Raymond H. Fogler Library, Dunn Hall, or Colvin Hall, it’s a place where students go to class or to study, a building with a name that we don’t put much thought into. Yet on Tuesday, Oct. 22, Women and Gender Studies Program Director Susan Gardner held a pop-up panel to discuss some questions that have been brought to the attention of the University of Maine community: who was Clarence Little, what did he stand for and what message are we sending by having his name on one of our buildings?

Clarence Cook Little, or C.C. Little, was the sixth president of the University of Maine, serving from 1922 to 1925. Just prior to his stint as president of UMaine, he served as the president of the University of Michigan for a short period of time. He started the Jackson Lab in Bar Harbor and was a scientist, an academic and a researcher. He was also a eugenicist. 

Eugenics are, essentially, the science of breeding with the goal of improving a population by increasing the frequency of traits considered desirable by the breeders, and reducing or eliminating other traits. In other words, eugenicists believe in improving the population by getting rid of traits that they have deemed inferior. It was a practice driven by racism, a practice that considered the Nordic race or the Aryan genetic pool to be perfect. So while Little had an impressive resume, with his Harvard education, his roles of president at Michigan and UMaine and his role in the creation of Jackson Laboratory, his involvement in eugenics leads to another storyline.

“There’s been a lot of conversation about this — not just Clarence Little, but the idea of having buildings, monuments, statues named after these controversial figures,” said Rob Glover, a political science professor at UMaine. “He’s a figure whom, to say the least, has a troubled history, and we should have a conversation about that.”

Aside from his involvement in eugenics, Little’s career has other significant dark spots. Towards the end of his scientific career, Little became the scientific director of the Scientific Advisory Board of the Tobacco Industry Research Committee, and, eventually, made claims that the tie between smoking and lung cancer is “obscure,” and that smoking is not, in fact, a significant cause of cancer. 

Tuesday’s panel consisted of arguments from both sides of the discussion, with Hailey Cedor, a third-year history student advocating for a name change, and UMaine journalism Professor Paul Grosswiler playing the role of “provocateur,” as he described it.

“He contributed more harm than good during his life and he does not deserve to represent the University of Maine,” said Cedor at the panel. “His ideas of racial breeding do not represent an inclusive community.”

Cedor’s arguments coincided with what many of those who attended the panel expressed: someone who upheld racist ideals, treated human beings as test subjects, and was essentially bought out by the tobacco industry to take a pro-tobacco stance in the face of human health, should not be memorialized on the UMaine campus with a building flaunting his name.

Yet when Grosswiler stepped in for his opening statements of sorts, he presented a different argument, one for why UMaine might keep Little’s name on our campus. Grosswiler approached the topic from the perspective of “airbrushing” rather than acknowledging history.

“Once we start airbrushing, it becomes sort of hard to know what our history was,” said Grosswiler. “One of the ways to understand it is through education.” 

As Glover mentioned, the issue of what to do with buildings or monuments named after controversial figures or representing controversial is not a new one, and not exclusive to UMaine and Little Hall. In 2011, Maine Gov. Paul LePage ordered the removal of a labor mural from the Department of Labor due to it’s representing a “bias against business owners.” Throughout the south, monuments have been removed that represent the Confederacy in the Civil War era. Oftentimes, the argument for removal seems obvious. At Michigan, Little’s name was removed in 2018 from a science building.

Yet in a 2011 article by the New York Times about LePage’s removal of the labor mural, Charles Scontras, a historian and research associate at UMaine, pointed out that “totalitarian regimes erase history as well. We manage to do it by indifference or neglect or for ideological reasons.”

The UMaine community is an inclusive one; it celebrates diversity and equality throughout campus, and what Clarence C. Little stood for is a stark contrast to what UMaine prides itself in today. A suggestion that Grosswiler made included the idea that if the building keeps its name, the university could add a plaque explaining what he stood for, cementing it into our historical memory and providing an opportunity for education.

The importance of understanding the full realities of history cannot be understated, and what the university decides to do with the name of the building is yet to be determined, as the conversation about Little Hall is just beginning. But regardless of whether the name stays or goes, the conversation is here, it’s happening, and the University of Maine community is learning and growing because of it. 

Greetings from the Caribbean!

I’m Jill, a third–year marine biology student at the University of Maine at Machias and this semester’s Black Bear Abroad. I’m spending this semester a little differently than most; in August, I was lucky enough to land a spot with Sea|mester aboard the S/Y Ocean Star. Sea|mester is anything but your typical semester at college; Ocean Star is an 88–foot, 75–ton schooner, capable of housing up to 20 crew members and making offshore passages; she is also my current floating home and university. During our 80-day voyage, we’re sailing through the Caribbean’s Lesser Antilles, from the British Virgin Islands to Grenada and back again. 

Life aboard Ocean Star is anything but ordinary. There are 14 students and four professional staff on this fall’s voyage, but there are no passengers on the vessel, only crew. Each crew member has a different job each day, ranging from the day’s skipper, who keeps the day moving from one activity to the next, to the chefs who work together down in the galley (the ship’s kitchen) to keep the entire crew fed. Adopting these new roles has been quite an adjustment for all of us, as most students had no prior boat experience when they moved onto Ocean Star on day one, but we’re quickly finding a groove and learning the ropes, quite literally.

A typical day (relatively speaking) starts with a prompt 7 a.m. wake-up by the day’s skipper, followed by breakfast at 7:30, a quick briefing of the day to come, and a cleanup of the ship before we dive into the day’s adventures. Most days, we have a class or two before venturing off the boat and exploring whichever island we happen to be anchored at. “Normal” classes aboard include oceanography, marine biology and leadership, in addition to learning the workings of the ship through seamanship and the opportunity to obtain diving certifications from PADI Open Water all the way up to Divemaster, depending on your prior diving experience. For oceanography and marine biology, “labs” consist of snorkels or dives on the many tropical reefs and mangroves around us. This week in leadership class we completed the “Leadership Challenge” — an “Amazing Race” style scavenger hunt for clues hidden all around the island of Mayreau.

Though the trip is academically focused, much of our time is spent immersing ourselves in the local island culture and history everywhere we go. Our voyage began in the British Virgin Islands, where we spent a few extra days on land exploring hidden beaches and small villages due to the conditions at sea as Tropical Storm Karen passed through. We were soon able to continue on, stopping for a few days each in St. Kitts and Nevis where we hiked to a historical fortress on Brimstone Hill, dove on a wrecked cargo ship and toured local forest and beaches by horseback. Then came our three-day, two-night passage to Grenada, consisting of non-stop motor-sailing and three-hour watch team shifts. The pattern of eat, sleep, watch, repeat quickly becomes the norm on those long passages. Once in Grenada, we were able to spend time at the seaside villages trying local foods (mainly chocolate…), hiking through the rainforest to the summit of Mount Qua Qua and taking the plunge from the 40-foot Seven Sisters Waterfall. 

Since Grenada, we’ve begun to make our way north with a stop at Carriacou to learn about the craft of building the world-famous Carriacou sloops that dominate the annual Regatta in Antigua. Most recently, we’ve anchored in the Tobago Cays of St. Vincent and the Grenadines for a few days of impeccable snorkeling with sea turtles and the best Caribbean lobster bake I’ve ever tasted. Over the remaining 50 days of this voyage, we’ll continue to make our way north toward Antigua with many stops, certifications and learning experiences along the way. We’ll be growing as a crew, too, in hopes of gaining enough sailing experience to successfully complete student-led passages by the end of the trip. All in all, it’s safe to say that this adventure has just begun!

There’s a chance that last Monday you saw the words “L’shana Tova” somewhere — whether it was Instagram’s GIF section, a Snapchat filter, or on some multicultural board around campus. Those words, in the Hebrew language, mean “to a good year,” as last Monday was Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish new year. And although fall typically brings to mind some of America’s favorite non-religious holidays, like Halloween and Thanksgiving, it’s also a pretty sacred time in some other cultures. Here are a few religious holidays that you might have seen or heard about this fall.

Islamic New Year: Aug. 30 at sundown to Aug. 31 at sundown, 2019

Falling on a different day each year, the Islamic New Year is the first day of Muharram, which is the first month in the Islamic calendar. The Islamic calendar differs in length from the Gregorian calendar, always shorter by 11 to 12 days, which causes the Islamic New Year to fall on a different day on the Gregorian calendar each year. Second only to Ramadan, Muharram is one of the four holy months on the Islamic calendar. The new year is a time of reflection, often observed by fasting on the 10th day of the month, which is the day that the massacre at Karbala is remembered. Muslims also gather in mosques on the new year for prayer and reading from the Quran. 

Ashura – Islam: Sept. 9, 2019

Ashura is the 10th day of Muharram, marking the murder of Husayn ibn Ali, grandson of Muhammad, in the battle of Karbala. It is observed by fasting. The day includes remembrance ceremonies, chanting and prayer.

Onam – Hindu: Sept. 1 – Sept. 13, 2019

In the Hindu tradition, Onam is a celebration of the rice harvest and includes a 10-day harvest festival. Each day of the festival has a unique significance and name. The festival also celebrates the homecoming of the great King Mahabali. It is celebrated with colors, art, food and dance. “Onam-Sadya” is the cooking of elaborate meals and is a staple tradition of Onam. 

Pchum Ben – Buddhist: Sept. 27, 2019

In the Cambodian Buddhist tradition, Pchum Ben is the day in which Hell releases the souls of the Buddhist’s ancestors and they travel to Purgatory. Pchum Ben is the beginning of this journey for the souls. The holiday falls at the end of the Buddhist’s Lent and is celebrated with visits to Pagodas, a Buddhist temple or sacred building, and by making offerings of food, money, etc., in order to rid oneself of bad karma. It is also a day to spend time with family and learn about your ancestors.

Rosh Hashanah – Jewish: Sept. 30 at sundown – Oct. 1 at sundown, 2019

Rosh Hashanah is the Jewish New Year and falls on the first day of Tishrei, the first month of the Jewish calendar. It is the start of a period in the Jewish tradition called the High Holy Days, and it is observed by eating sweet foods and round challah bread (a sweet and fluffy bread that is traditionally baked in a braided shape, but is round in celebration of the new year and new beginnings), attending synagogue, blowing the shofar (a ram’s horn) and singing songs. 

Yom Kippur – Jewish: Oct. 8 at sundown – Oct. 9 at sundown, 2019

Yom Kippur is the Jewish day of atonement, the holiest day of the year in Judaism and the most serious holiday. It is observed by a fast from sunrise to sundown and a “break the fast” meal at the end of the holiday. Much of the day is spent in a synagogue, beginning with services at sundown the evening the holiday begins and continuing throughout the next day. In the High Holy Days leading up to Yom Kippur, many give to charities or donate food or clothes to those in need.

Sukkot – Jewish: Sunday, Oct. 13 at sundown – Sunday, Oct. 20 at sundown

Sukkot, for comparative purposes, is almost like a Jewish Thanksgiving in terms of how it’s celebrated. It’s the “Festival of Booths” and always falls five days after Yom Kippur. It is named for the Sukkot, which are booths or huts that Jews build out of wood to celebrate the holiday in, and some even sleep in the Sukkah during this time – though Maine weather in October doesn’t always make this an option. Spending time in a Sukkah is a tradition, including eating meals inside the structure. The holiday represents a harvest of sorts, celebrating the bounty of the holy land.

If you’re interested in getting involved, check out the various University of Maine’s religious and cultural groups across campus, as well as the Wilson Center for Spiritual Exploration and Multifaith Dialogue, located on College Avenue.

5 out of 5 stars 

For anybody in need of a pick-me-up, Zack Gottsagen is here for you. In “The Peanut Butter Falcon,” Gottsagen makes his debut as an actor and absolutely nails it. Gottsagen’s character, a 22-year old with Down’s Syndrome named Zak, buddies up with Tyler, played by Shia LaBeouf, to create a storyline of adventure, of fugitives on the run, of boys with a dream that will have you grinning as you walk out of the theater. 

             The movie follows the young men as they hike south, each with their own goal in mind. Zak, who ends up on the road with Tyler after escaping a nursing home, has dreams of becoming a wrestler, inspired by videos he spent his time watching in the nursing home before his escape. Tyler, on the other hand, is on the run from some minor trouble he’s gotten himself into, involving fire and theft. The two team up and head south – and, as per usual, it’s all about the journey rather than the destination.

            As a young man with Down’s Syndrome, Zak has grown up in an unfortunate situation. His family abandoned him, leaving him in a nursing home with the elderly, and he is more than capable of living a much more fulfilling life. Yet the film doesn’t focus on his past or his hardships – it focuses on his desire to achieve his dream of becoming a wrestler. From his escape from the nursing home within minutes of the movie’s start to the credits at the end, his determination is palpable and inspiring. Zak knows he’s different – he addresses it throughout the movie – but he doesn’t allow it to hold him back, and his attitude will undoubtedly brighten your day.

             The rapport between Zak and Tyler adds multitudes to the film as well. Though there’s a lot going on throughout the movie, from Tyler escaping a troubled past to a romantic subplot on the side, you’ll walk away remembering their friendship above most other aspects of the film. Tyler doesn’t even blink at any of Zak’s setbacks; he doesn’t react when Zak calls attention here and there to the fact that he has Down’s Syndrome, that people might not expect much of him because of it. Tyler leaves no room for this as an excuse or an explanation and expects Zak to be able to keep up with him on their journey as he would anybody else. 

            Not only does Tyler push Zak, but also vice versa. Zak brings out a softer side of Tyler, forces him to become responsible for someone other than himself, gives him someone to care about. With a loss in his family’s history, Tyler’s character begins the movie slightly hardened. He looks out for himself, but it takes Zak’s presence to teach him how to care for someone else, to show him that he’s not alone. The relationship is mutually beneficial in so many ways, and their interactions are incredibly heartwarming throughout the movie.

            The film has other subplots as well. The boys are pursued not only by enemies of Tyler’s who are established in the beginning of the movie, but also by a caretaker of Zak’s back at the nursing home. But the caretaker, Eleanor, played by Dakota Johnson, adds another layer to the plot as she becomes a love interest for Tyler. From the beginning, Eleanor gives a glimpse into the good side of the nursing home, into the employees there on the ground who genuinely care about the residents there, a stark contrast to the administration of the home, which is shown early in the movie as well. Though relatively predictable, the relationship that develops between Eleanor and Tyler is far from cheesy, and the three of them leave you a bit jealous, despite everything else going on, that you aren’t on this journey with them.

            Overall, “The Peanut Butter Falcon” is a feel-good film, heartwarming, hilarious and inspiring. Both the film and Zack Gottsagen’s debut performance as an actor deserve a round of applause.