Education Commons^™

#Meto Panel Discussion Raises Awareness Of The Social Media Movement, Bria Lamonica

Social Justice: Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion

On Nov. 29, a panel discussion was held around the ongoing social media hashtag #MeToo. The discussion took place in the Bangor Room of the Memorial Union and included five panelists offering different perspectives, finishing with a question-and-answer session. The discussion was sponsored by the UMaine's Women's. Gender, and Sexuality Program (WGS) the Rising Tide Center, and the Feminist Collective.

Ikeda Draws Parallels Between The Muslim Ban And Incarceration Of Japanese Americans, Aliya Uteuova

Social Justice: Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion

On Monday, Nov. 13 [2017], University of Maine welcomed Tom Ikeda for his talk titled "World War II Incarceration of Japanese Americans and Why It Matters Today."

Celebrating Diversity Through A Multicultural Thanksgiving, Bria Lamonica

Social Justice: Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion

On the evening of Thursday, Nov. 9, 2017, dozens of people celebrated Thanksgiving in the North Pod of the Memorial Union at the University of Maine to celebrate the annual Multicultural Thanksgiving potluck. Hosted and organized by the Office of Multicultural Student Life (OMSL) and the Student Heritage Alliance Council (SHAC), the purpose of this event was to celebrate and share the real meaning of Thanksgiving by bringing together people of all religions, cultures and ethnicities for a diverse meal. “This event is a great way to meet new people and experience foods and traditions from other countries and cultures. …

Doug Allen Talks About Trump, One Year Later, Jack Barber

Social Justice: Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion

On Thursday, Nov. 9, 2017, the Socialist and Marxist Studies Series held a lecture titled, “The Election of Trump: One Year Later,” in the Bangor room in the Memorial Union. The lecturers included Doug Allen, a University of Maine professor of philosophy; Kimberly Hammill of the Bangor Racial and Economic Justice Coalition; and Maia Dendinger, the statewide officer for the Socialist Party of Maine.

Daley Leads The Black Student Union's Quest To March In Dc, Jordan Houdeshell

Social Justice: Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion

The rain on Friday afternoon drove many people into the Memorial Union to socialize and do homework, but fourth-year Kirsten Daley didn’t mind the influx of people as she tabled and tried to raise funds for the Black Student Union’s (BSU) trip to Washington D.C. for the Unity March for Puerto Rico. “We are trying to go to DC to go to the Unity March for Puerto Rico to stand in solidarity with Puerto Rican hurricane survivors as well as protesting the Jones Act, which is keeping aid from getting into Puerto Rico where it needs to go,” Daley, who …

Cultural Appropriation And Costumes, Sam Tracy

Social Justice: Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion

Every year the conversation about politically-correct Halloween costumes rears its ugly head, only to die down once the holiday is over. The conversation consists of one side claiming disrespect and insensitivity toward their cultures and identities, and the other side arguing about the limits of political correctness. In recent years, more and more college campuses are taking the subject seriously. So far, the University of Maine has not been one of them.

Goodell Releases New Statement About Nfl Protests, Haley Sylvester

Social Justice: Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion

Former NFL football star Colin Kaepernick started an epidemic during the 2016 preseason games when he began protesting the national anthem. On Aug. 14 and Aug.20, Kaepernick went unnoticed while sitting during the national anthems in his first two games as a San Francisco 49er. He was not in uniform and did not play during these games. The third game, however on Aug. 26, he gained national attention. The 49ers released a statement later that night confirming he sat during the anthem.

Kneeling For The Flag, Sam Tracy

Social Justice: Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion

During the past few weeks, there’s been upset about athletes kneeling during the anthem before professional sports games. It was August 2016, when Colin Kaepernick sat down during the anthem before a game for the first time. Kaepernick was an NFL quarterback for the San Francisco 49ers at the time. After his act went viral, Kaepernick told the media he sat for “the oppression of people of color and ongoing issues with police brutality.”

Trump Fires Back At Nfl Over Player Protests, Haley Sylvester

Social Justice: Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion

President Donald Trump has created quite the controversy on social media in the past week over certain NFL players decision to kneel during the national anthem before their games to protest racial oppression and inequality in the United States. Former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick was the first player to protest the national anthem last season by sitting down during a preseason game, and then kneeling during week one. Since the start of the 2017 season, players from several NFL teams have chosen to protest by kneeling, sitting, raising their fists, placing their hands on teammates 'shoulders and locking …

Reconsidering "Diversity" In College Applications, Brawley Benson

Social Justice: Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion

My high school used to give out class awards. In all subjects, students were recognized for their outstanding performance during the year and presented a trophy, and usually a relevant book. During one of these annual award ceremonies, my English teacher said, “We have no way to measure intelligence, but grades are the closest we can come.” When I think about the word “diversity” in the college context, I ask myself what it means and how it is measured — much like how I questioned my teacher’s understanding of grades as the closest measure of intelligence. Diversity is obviously something …

Editorial : Shifting National Culture Toward Inclusion And Apology, Sarah Allisot

Social Justice: Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion

Portland, Maine will decide on Monday, Sept. 18, 2017, whether to transition from celebrating Columbus Day to Indigenous People’s Day. Bangor voted for the switch in August this year, and Belfast first changed recognition in 2015. Several states and independent cities across the U.S. have also made the choice to change this celebration as well.

Political Correctness Is Incorrectness, Jonathan Petrie

Social Justice: Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion

Gentrification is the idea of taking cheap, poor or underdeveloped areas and bringing them up to middle or higher class standards. It appears as progress, but it actuallydoes not address the underlying issues of poverty. As strange as this may sound, the Comedy Central cartoon “South Park” made me realize that there is another form of gentrification in our society – that is political correctness.

Racist Narratives During Natural Disasters, Sam Tracy

Social Justice: Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion

Hurricane Harvey is the first Category 3 or higher hurricane to make landfall in the United States since 2005. The hurricane reached peak intensity as it hit southern Texas on Aug. 25, 2017 and barraged western Gulf states like Louisiana and Texas especially. With it, floods have destroyed hundreds of homes and displaced over 30 thousand people. At least 47 people are dead. Houston is particularly affected by flooding and many speculate the city will be uninhabitable for weeks to come. Economic estimates range from $10 billion to $190 billion, according to a report from the private weather firm AccuWeather. …

Rape Awareness Video, Athletes For Sexual Responsibility

General University of Maine Publications

Sexual assault and the number of athletes involved in group assaults over the last year have raised questions about the exemplary status athletes hold in society. Using athletes as actors, the University of Maine has produced a videotape portraying a series of three brief vignettes.

Sexual assault dramatizations in the video The first vignette, The Date, portrays a male and female whose assumptions and poor communication at the end of the date leads to acquaintance rape.

In the second skit, The Morning After, a male involved in a gang rape at a party the night before is bragging to his …

Nh-Me Lend: Advancing Health Equity For Children And Youth With Asd/Ndd And Their Families Through Continuous Quality Improvement, Betsy Humphreys, Susan Russell, Rae Sonnenmeier, Alan Kurtz

Poster Presentations

Over the past two decades NH and Maine have experienced rapid growth of racial, ethnic, and linguistic minority populations. New Hampshire’s foreign-born population was 5.7% in 2013, while Maine’s foreign-born population was 3.4% during the same time period (American Immigration Council, 2017). In addition, NH and Maine are designated refugee resettlement areas. NH is now home to refugees from over 40 countries (NH DHHS, 2010) and Maine is home to refugees from over 30 countries (Catholic Charities Refugee and Immigration Services, 2015).

Diversity Week And Islamic Awareness Week Bring Community Together, Allya Uteuova

Social Justice: Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion

Students and members of the University of Maine community came together to celebrate the differences and similarities that make up our campus during Diversity Week and Islamic Awareness Week, March 27–31, 2017. Put on by the Office of Multicultural Student Life, Diversity Week started back in 2014. So, what exactly is diversity? When people hear this word, they often associate it with multiculturalism. Diversity is the make up of a group of people who have different characteristics. These characteristics can differ in socioeconomic backgrounds, abilities, countries, races, genders and religions. Multiculturalism is the difference between cultures. It is meant to …

Rhonda Y. Williams Lecture Poster, University Of Maine Office Of Multiculture Student Life

Social Justice: Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion

Poster for Rhonda Y. Williams', professor of history and director of the Social Justice Institute at Case Western Reserve University Howard B. Schonberger Peace and Social Justice Lecture entitled "Concrete Demands: Black Power Histories and Legacies in the 21st Century". The lecture was held on April 6, 2017.

Addressing The Topic Of Diversity Through Umaine's "Diversity Dialogue", Hannah Noriega

Social Justice: Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion

On Tuesday, Feb. 21, 2017, The University of Maine hosted a Diversity Dialogue. The program was an opportunity to openly discuss topics surrounding diversity between the general public, UMaine students and staff and guests from the Tree Street Youths program from the Lewiston-Auburn area. This event was hosted by the College of Education and Human Development. The mission of Tree Street Youth is “to support the youth of Lewiston-Auburn through programs rooted in academics, the arts, and athletics in a safe space that encourages healthy physical, social, emotional, and academic development while building unity across lines of difference.” The program …

Protests Are Not Pretty Or Polite, Sam Tracy

Social Justice: Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion

Protests are only supposed to be peaceful until your football team loses, then violence is free game. Protests are only allowed to be violent and chaotic until people of color have something to protest. Marginalized groups are given far less leeway for protests than their white neighbors. Only a minor part of institutionalized racism influences every aspect of black and brown life. In other words, it’s not just the criminal justice system and prisons, where the effects are most obvious, but in the media, education, economy and political system. It’s the invisible elephant in every room across the country.

Faculty Agency In Applying For Promotion To Professor, Amy Blackstone, Susan K. Gardner

Sociology School Faculty Scholarship

• Aim/Purpose: In the United States, faculty who wish to pursue promotion to the rank of professor do so without clear guidance or structure. Even the timing of such a process is nebulous. As such, an individual engages in magentic action to pursue the rank.
• Background: This study examined the experiences of faculty members who chose to pursue the application process to be promoted to professor but were rejected or dissuaded.
• Methodology: Utilizing a case study of one institutional setting, we conducted 10 in-depth qualitative interviews.
• Contribution: Very little is known about the process of promotion to full professor in the …

Do Not Silence People; Debate And Engage Them, Jonathan Petrie

Social Justice: Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion

During the protests of President Donald Trump’s inauguration, you may have seen Richard Spencer — notable alt-right, white nationalist leader — get punched in the face during an interview. In response, a lot of people shared the video praising the actions of the violent perpetrator, citing Spencer’s racist ideology as a means to justify violence. Here’s the issue. No matter how much you disagree with someone, you do not get to punch them. Violence does not solve this debate.

Muse: Getting To Know The Generations Youth & Elder Scavenger Hunt, University Of Maine Center On Aging

Maine Center on Aging Education and Training

Music Uniting Students and Elders is a program by the University of Maine Center on Aging and the Bangor Symphony Orchestra that uses music education to form inter-generational connections between elementary students and elders. This scavenger hunt activity is designed to encourage communication and relationship building between elders and youth prior, during and following MUSE events.

Muse Youth Curriculum, University Of Maine Center On Aging

Maine Center on Aging Education and Training

Music Uniting Students and Elders is a program of the University of Maine Center on Aging and the Bangor Symphony Orchestra that uses music education to connect elders and students. The following curriculum is recommended for children 5 years of age and older or children in 1st – 5th grade. The purpose of the curriculum is to act as a catalyst for discussing aging, to dispel the myths of aging, to provide an opportunity to connect generations, and for youth to share with others their experiences, ancestry and family traditions. Furthermore, this curriculum allows for youth to connect with elders …

Smart Sex Posters, Athletes For Sexual Responsibility

General University of Maine Publications

Comparing smart sex to a popular sport will undoubtedly arouse the curiosity of students. Most can’t resist the temptation to step closer and find out how smart sex is like golf, baseball, diving, or another sport.

Printed posters are 11″ x 17″, with twenty posters per set. Sports represented in the series include baseball, basketball, cheerleading, crew, diving, field hockey, football, golf, gymnastics, hockey, lacrosse, rugby, skiing, soccer, softball, swimming, tennis, track, volleyball, and wrestling, and many more.