Where's a good place to get news?

Jesse Groening, a 5th year undergrad at the University of Maine shares some great outlets to get news. Watch here to get some great tips!

UMaine is READY for fall break!

Fall break at the University of Maine is only hours away. I went out to the campus sidewalks on this drizzly day to find out what students have planned.

Hmmm.... Fall Break....

My fall break just started (no classes on Fridays for me)!! I'll be going to Caribou with my boyfriend to visit his nana. I'm about to head out on the sidewalks of UMaine to see what other students are planning on doing over fall break. Video to come VERY soon.

5 ways to BE and SAVE green!

1. Use fluorescent light bulbs

Fluorescent light bulbs last 5 years longer and use 47 watts less energy than incandescent light bulbs. With fluorescent light bulbs, you can cut down on your electric bill, and buy light bulbs less often. This means less waste in landfills, and less greenhouse gas emissions!

2. Ride a bike, walk, or carpool around town

Not only will you save money and stay in shape, by riding your bike or walking, you can also cut back on air pollution and gas consumption you would otherwise contribute to by driving your car. If it's too cold to walk or bike, try to find someone going in the same direction as you and car pool. Even better, by taking the bat bus (free for UMaine students) you pay nothing, and contribute no additional pollution to our air!

3. Take cooler showers

It's better for your skin, wallet and environment. Hot water can cause dry itchy skin, especially in the cold Maine weather. By taking cooler showers, you save on your energy consumption, electricity bill, AND skin health.

4. Drink tap water

Not only does the production of bottled water negatively impact our environment, it also leads to plastic waste that will later impact our earth. If you don't like the taste of tap water, buy a filter, and save money in the long run... it quickly pays itself off.

5. Think before you buy

Before you buy a brand new product, check out other options first! Maybe there's a gently used bike for a good price on Craigslist... You might be able to rent your biology text book rather than buy a new one... perhaps theres a cute pair of winter boots at a local thrift store. By consuming used goods, you can cut down on materials going into landfills, and save a significant amount of cash!

To learn more about what others are doing to be green, why you should be green, and how you should be green, visit got2begreen.com

Where is the music?

On their first day of school, most freshman are dazed and confused with thousands of questions inside their heads. In 2008, however, student James Gilmore wandered the University of Maine campus with only one question in his mind: Where is the music? This was the beginning of his journey to creating an “under-21″ music scene in Orono, Maine.

Step By Step...

Read this article posted on the NY times site yesterday.There is still a huge problem with malnourishment in the world, but with advancements in agriculture, the future may look brighter!

Hungry Population Falls, but Remains Large

Playing with iMovie slideshow

In September of 2009 my niece, Addison, was diagnosed with Biliary Atresia- this is when a baby's liver is underdeveloped and does not function properly. In late September, Addy underwent a corrective surgery at Maine Medical Center in Portland, but it was unsuccessful. She was put on the waiting list in October, and finding no success with a cadaveric donation, I donated a part of my liver as a live donor in January of 2010. She is now a 15 months old healthy little girl...

With inspiration from my CMJ 351 course, I played around with different slide show softwares, and created a couple versions of this slide show. I like this one the best- I used the iMovie software that came on my macbook.

Everyone knows the chorus to "Here Comes the Sun" by the Beatles, but I think that the three verses sum up Addy's story best:

"Little darling, it's been a long cold lonely winter

Little darling, it feels like years since it's been here
Here comes the sun, here comes the sun
and I say it's all right"

"Little darling, the smiles returning to the faces
Little darling, it seems like years since it's been here
Here comes the sun, here comes the sun
and I say it's all right"

"Little darling, I feel that ice is slowly melting
Little darling, it seems like years since it's been clear
Here comes the sun, here comes the sun,
and I say it's all right

It's all right"

Enjoy!!