Maine Perspective Front Page
News at a Glance
Orono Farmers' Market Debuts Winter Hours
Orono Farmers' Market has extended its season to 11 months of the year with the addition of a winter market beginning Nov. 7.
Until Oct. 31, the final day of the traditional season, the Farmers' Market is open 2-5:30 p.m., Tuesdays and 8 a.m.-1 p.m., Saturdays in the Steam Plant parking lot. Every Saturday from November-March, the Farmers' Market will be offered 10 a.m.-1 p.m. at the Page Farm and Home Museum.
Winter market will include the sale of such products and produce as winter storage crops - carrots, potatoes, squash; fresh baked goods; some greens; dried beans; fresh, free-range chicken and turkey; maple syrup; dried herbs; goats' milk; smoked meats and cheese; and balsam wreaths.
This year, there are almost 30 growers and producers in the Farmers' Market, with an average of 16 selling on market days.
Scholarly Communities Link Learning Environments
Learning occurs in and out of the classroom. To facilitate the integration of classroom learning with students' residential life, Campus Living has instituted a Scholarly Communities program, expanding existing and introducing new initiatives.
"The basic idea is to work with hall staff and faculty to set up programs to enrich the educational experience at the university," says graduate assistant Valencia Daigle, who is coordinating Scholarly Communities.
This year, Daigle has scheduled activities related to the class book, Lies My Teacher Told Me, by James Loewen. A film series is offered on the campus cable channel and class book discussions are held in the residence halls.
In addition, Daigle this year hopes to debut Mindapalooza, a traveling academic resource fair. Campus organizations such as the Career Center, the Writing Center, the Onward program and Fogler Library will be invited to participate.
Other programs sponsored by Campus Living include:
t Faculty in Residence, with faculty members living in the residence halls and participating in the residential communities.
t Faculty Sleepover, with faculty staying overnight in residence halls.
t Promoting Academically Successful Students (PASS), in which residential students enrolled in one of several large lecture classes meet in study groups with a tutor/leader who has successfully completed the course.
t Last Lecture Series, with faculty and staff invited into a residence hall to give their "lecture of a lifetime" about an academic or personal interest.
t Academic Lifestyles, with several floors in specific halls designated for students in particular academic programs, facilitating study groups and common intellectual dialogue. Currently, students in engineering programs and science majors have such lifestyle sections.
In addition, Dining Services provides ongoing opportunities for faculty/student interaction with the Brain Food program. Students and faculty participating in Brain Food meet and talk over a meal in the dining commons, where days have been designated specially for particular academic disciplines. Faculty members can reserve a table or private dining room by calling Beth Carlson, x4619.
For more information on any of the Scholarly Communities programs, call Daigle, 581-8867.
Lambda Chi Food Drive Has 10,000-Pound Goal
In the coming week, members of UMaine's chapter of Lambda Chi Alpha, with the help of area Boy Scouts, will cap a year-long food drive effort to benefit people in need. The goal this year is to collect 10,000 pounds of non-perishable food items by Nov. 7.
Collection bags will be distributed to area residents beginning Friday, Oct. 30; donations of food items will be picked up by volunteers a week later. Saturday morning, Nov. 7, Congressman John Baldacci is expected to be on hand at the Lambda Chi Alpha fraternity house on College Avenue to see the volunteers off as they begin their neighborhood rounds.
Throughout the day, non-perishables can be dropped off at the main collection site at Wal-Mart on Hogan Road in Bangor. Radio station Z107.3 is expected to regularly report collection totals as Lambda Chi strives to reach its food drive goal.
All food collected in the drive will be distributed to area food banks and shelters.
To date, Lambda Chi members have collected 6,000 pounds of food as part of its year-long effort. The food drive for those in need has been a community service project of the fraternity since 1993.
Last year, 5,200 pounds of food were collected in the annual drive.
As part of this year's food drive, Lambda Chi members teamed up with the coordinators of the Bangor State Fair and Z107.3 to offer $2 off fair admission in exchange for three cans of food. This fall, local businesses have cooperated by setting out food collection boxes. Spotlight Cinemas in Old Town is offering patrons one free soda for every two cans of food donated for the Lambda Chi food drive up until Nov. 7.
Lambda Chi members also have plans for the start of next year's collection effort. In the spring, Lambda Chi will host a food drive competition for area middle school students. The first school to collect 2,000 pounds of food will win a free dance at Bangor Auditorium, sponsored by Lambda Chi.
The annual food drive is just one of Lambda Chi Alpha's community improvement efforts. UMaine members this semester have participated in such events as Rape and Sexual Assault Awareness Week and the Civil Rights March.
Lambda Chi Alpha member and third-year student Jared Hanson says support from chapter alumni has made an important impact on the ongoing community efforts of the fraternity. Alumni are involved in helping to establish community contacts, soliciting donations and making contributions to support members' service projects.
Hanson describes Lambda Chi Alpha as "a group of individuals and students at UMaine who have formed a friendship and bond, trying to make life better for others."
Through the years, Lambda Chi Alpha has also been recognized for its commitment to the community. In 1997, it received the Steve Gould Award, which recognizes organizations that demonstrate superior qualities of unselfishness and compassion for others. Lambda Chi also received community service awards from the Interfraternity Council last year and from VOICE for the past three years.