Independent sets bipartisan presidential race aflame

Ralph Nader, a veteran presidential nominee who ran in the 2000 Presidential election under the banner of the Green Party, announced on Sunday that he will once again make his bid for the Presidency, but this time as an independent candidate.

For those who remember like a bad dream the 2000 Florida recall and the “too close to call” election that lasted for days, this is not good news. Many people, most of them Democrats, accuse Nader of being the spoiler in the 2000 race, and at least partially responsible for Al Gore’s loss and George W. Bush’s eventual seat in the Oval Office.

“Ralph Don’t Run” seems to be the official motto for those opposing Nader’s candidacy. There’s even a Web site, ralphdontrun.org, that ran a passionate ad pleading with Nader to check his ego at the door and give Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass) or Sen. John Edwards (D-North Carolina) a better chance of winning in November.

While politicians often try to manipulate and suppress the Democratic process in elections, this “Ralph Don’t Run” movement is one of the most blatant attempts at superceding democracy I’ve ever seen. What the “Ralph Don’t Run” activists are doing is pushing the election toward a complete two-party monopoly – something that other western democracies would shun.

There are Americans who don’t fit into the Republican, Democrat or anywhere in between mold. Although my vote tends to resonate liberal, I would never give up my GDI status when it comes to voter registration. And while Nader would not be my idea of an ideal third-party candidate, I appreciate that for some people, he might be.

Furthermore, shame on anyone who actually believes that without Nader, Gore would have easily beat Bush in 2000. First of all, in case anyone has forgotten, technically, Gore received more popular votes. Thanks to Jeb Bush, the US Supreme Court and of course the ballot mal-functions, the election was a steal. But what’s to say that Nader voters who, had they only been presented with two candidates, both of whom they didn’t like, would have voted at all?

To place blame on Nader for the 2000 election’s outcome is argumentative, but of course, statistics show that if Gore had received the bulk of Nader’s votes in Florida and New Hampshire in 2000, he would have won the general election. Instead, voters who couldn’t see any difference between the two candidates, and at the time, there weren’t many obvious ones, voted with the knowledge that this country is not bound by two middle-of-the-road philosophies.

It’s time Democrats stopped being afraid of Nader. Aside from acknowledging the need for a permanent third-party presence on the ballot, the truth is that Nader is hardly the threat he once was. According to the Associated Press, Democratic National Committee chairman Terry McAuliffe said Nader would not have the same impact this time as he did in 2000.

“I can tell you Green Party members are all coming into the (Democratic) party saying they want to help us because they know the stakes are so big this time,” he said on CBS’s “Face the Nation.”

Nader should stand up for what he believes, and if that means running for president again, I condone the decision. People should always have more than two choices when it comes to voting, and bi-partisan politics has slowly been changing the face of democracy for much too long. Vote with confidence in 2004, and maybe there will actually be a candidate you can stand behind.

Julia Hall is senior journalism major.

Ralph just stroking his ego

Nader mucks up Democrats hope for a stable America

Ralph Nader has decided to throw his formidable weight into the presidential contest for the third time in his career amidst a great deal of public pressure against such a move. He declares that America needs a choice and that he wishes to remove President Bush from office.

His actions reveal his true intentions: He cares more about himself than his country. As Florida Democratic Party Chairman Scott Maddox proclaimed, “He reminds me of another American who once did great things for this country: Ralph Nader is the Benedict Arnold of modern democracy. Last time, he had a party and a point of view to represent. This time, he’s breaking faith with his followers and representing only his own ego.”

At a time when it is vitally important for this country to unite behind a leader who can overthrow the Bush regime, at a time when our country appears to be the most vulnerable it has been in decades, we do not need someone looking for attention. He has no realistic chance of gaining any more than five percent of the popular vote, which makes one wonder why he would embark on such a crusade.

Nader certainly has many commendable perspectives and viewpoints. His stand on consumer rights, the environment and the need to displace corporations from Washington are well received by most voters. But there is a time and a place to make a statement, and this is not it. The Nation newsmagazine, a longtime Nader supporter, issued an open letter to Nader pleading with him not to run. Democrats across the country have echoed the same sentiments. The stakes are too high this time around.

While it is unfair to completely blame Al Gore’s loss on Nader three years ago, it is clear that if he had not run, George W. Bush would not be running his disastrous rampage on our country and civil liberties as we speak. Bush’s latest ingenious idea is to amend the Constitution, making same-sex marriages illegal, which would be the first time discrimination was written into the Constitution. Alas, Nader’s 97,488 votes in Florida and 22,188 in New Hampshire during the 2000 campaign proved to be just enough to allow President Bush and his henchmen to steal the White House.

Nader’s motives, however pristine he declares them to be, are disheartening. He claims to be anti-Bush, yet his campaign was funded by the GOP. Republicans also ran Nader commercials denouncing Gore. If he gains the necessary signatures to become a viable candidate, Republicans will once again gleefully hand him all the Democratic-damaging money he desires. Nader’s rhetoric is overshadowed by reality. If he truly cared about “taking down big business,” accepting their royalties is a poor way of showing it.

Ralph Nader’s candidacy will only end up serving Republicans, the party he supposedly stands against. He recently proclaimed to Democrats, “Relax, rejoice that you have another front carrying the ancient but unfulfilled pretensions and aspirations of the Democratic Party.” Yet by running, those pretensions and aspirations are precisely what he will undermine. Not now Ralph.

Michael Rocque is a junior sociology major.

After reading Mike Servis’ column against same sex-marriage in The Maine Campus on Feb. 23, I was appalled. I can understand, although I strongly disagree with, people wanting to keep the traditional definition of marriage as being between just a man and a woman. Servis, however, went far beyond that argument, even stating that by redefining marriage “serious damage will be done to our government and anarchy could prevail.” Anarchy? You have got to be kidding me. And what is so wrong with redefining the word “marriage?” Marriage has changed plenty over the years anyway. For example, it was only 1967 when the Loving v. Virginia decision of the Supreme Court overturned a ban on interracial marriages.

Servis also stated that “if same-sex marriage is allowed, adultery will become a norm and perhaps a requirement.” Never before in America has the likelihood or high probability of a person’s marital indiscretions prevented them from enjoying the right to marry. And it should be noted that the number of heterosexual spouses that engage in at least one extramarital affair is approaching 50 percent.

Another point I had issues with is Servis’ statement that “Heterosexuality is essential for reproduction, the survival of mankind. Frankly, heterosexuality has protected and nurtured the institution of marriage.” Yes, heterosexual intercourse is essential for reproduction, but using the argument that since homosexuals cannot reproduce they should not get married is just asinine. When was the last time a priest disallowed a heterosexual couple from marrying due to one of them being infertile?

If same-sex marriages are allowed, our society will not crumble. In 1998 the Netherlands granted homosexuals full marriage rights, and most Scandanavian countries followed suit. I haven’t heard anything about anarchy in those countries. Homosexual marriages will not affect heterosexual marriages, it will not bring an end to society, but it will further equality. What’s so wrong with that?

Jessica Lukas

Freshman psychology major

A good captain is supposed to be the last one to abandon ship, and to help his crew weather any storm.

Justin Brown’s resignation as president of the General Student Senate has left the rest of the senators without a leader in a critical time of transition. Coincidentally, seven other senators resigned at the same time, leaving just 18 senators in the 35 available seats.

Obviously something isn’t going well, or the senate and its membership would not be in this situation. Student Government leaders need to take a long hard look at their organization and get to the root of the problem before more senators follow Brown’s lead and jump ship.

Departing members are also being vague about their reasons for quitting, leaving students to wonder what really is going on within Student Government. What sort of crisis situation does it take to cause eight members of the staff, including the second-in-command, to throw in the towel? Members of the senate should be taking responsibility for their financial woes and internal conflicts.

Problems are not fixed by a complete staff turnover and inexperienced bodies filling the vacancies. It’s the senate’s job to represent us, the student body, and to fix the problems that arise within the organization. New senators coming in will now be faced with the daunting task of cleaning up the mess the more experienced members of the senate have left behind. More time will need to be spent resolving internal problems and consequently, taking more time away from serving the student body.

Like the famous saying goes, a real leader faces the music, even if he doesn’t like the tune. That Brown and the senators who resigned have abandoned the students during a time when GSS is in a vulnerable financial state is bad form. If Student Government wants to overcome this obstacle, the remaining representatives need to band together, see it through and do the best they can to meet the financial needs of student groups on campus. That is, after all, why they were elected.

On Tuesday, the Franco-American Centre, located in Crossland Hall, gave faculty, students and the outside community a taste of what Mardi Gras is all about. The centre served North American French cooking, which was prepared by campus catering services as well as some community members. They also had Franco-American music playing while people gathered and ate.

Lisa D. Michaud, the Franco-American Centre’s communication’s coordinator, had claimed that the centre’s Mardi Gras Celebration was a success.

“This is an opportunity for people in the area who are of French-Canadian descent to taste and experience la culture des anctres, in a friendly, casual, warm ambiance,” Michaud said.

Franco-American Centre Director Yvon A. Labbe was enthusiastic and open to talking about the history of Mardi Gras and about the culture. He was happy that their centre is located inside Crossland Hall and in the bottom of the building.

“It’s good, because there are two rooms which are perfect for events like this; one room can be used for food and the other for gathering,” Labbe said.

All in attendance seemed to agree that the event was important, due to the opportunity to explore other cultures.

“It’s important to celebrate and to create awareness of our culture at the University of Maine,” Michaud said.

Adults, students and off-campus residents of all ages came to eat and be merry on this occasion and to celebrate Franco-American ancestry. There was also a book on display, that showed Franco-American culture from a narrative perspective, “Storytelling In Daily Life,” written by Kristin M. Langellier and Eric E. Peterson, of the UMaine Communications and Journalism department.

Words like “powerful” and “moving” will no doubt be used by many to describe this picture. To be honest, there are no words to describe the intensity and sheer gripping nature of this movie. The cinematography of Caleb Deschanel is as a moving painting and the gold filters only add to that classical tone. This spectacular camerawork and editing of “The Passion of the Christ” only propel Mel Gibson into the annals of great directors. The images this film puts forth would hold just as much power if the movie was stripped of sound all together. The sincere portrayal of Christ by Caviezel only endears the audience to him further. As he’s whipped and beaten, you only wish that they would simply stop and leave him alone. The intensity “The Passion” takes on is quite simply overwhelming at times.

With every blow that Jesus took, the audience winced with him. When Mary (Maia Morgenstern) wept, the audience wept with her. A notion that is not commonly discussed when people talk about the last hours of Christ is the idea that Satan (Rosalinda Celentano) was with him at every moment. Gibson decided to add Satan in the presence of all that was happening. An interesting direction to take the film but it works perfectly. The constant taunting from this character brings out an emotional suffering that the movie would have lacked had we only continuously seen him physically beaten – and we do see him beaten continuously. Never before has a portrayal of Satan come across so chillingly as it does in “The Passion”.

One cannot discuss “The Passion of the Christ” without mentioning the controversy that has coiled around it. Many in Hollywood have cried out that it comes across as horribly anti-Semitic. Quite frankly, it would appear that these naysayers are merely crying wolf. Some of the villains in the movie happen to be prominent members of the Jewish community. Yet, “The Passion” does not paint all who are Jewish as evil and to say such a thing would be not only ignorant, but also callous.

Ultimately, “The Passion of the Christ” succeeds on every level – technically, aesthetically and dramatically. Gibson’s devotion to this movie is apparent through every moment seen on the silver screen and he should be proud with the result. The love that the story of Jesus imparts on all of his followers leaps from the screen and into the heart of the person watching it.

“It kind of freaked me out when I saw the pictures,” Penley said with a laugh during an interview last week. “One looks exactly like my profile. My family was like, ‘wow’.”

But aside from the shock of seeing her shoulder-length brown hair, features and dancer’s physique re-created in Scarborough author David Packhem’s book, Penley, a second-year student and member of the University of Maine Dance Team, said she was honored to be a part of the project.

The book is an illustrated poem similar in rhythm to Clement Clark Moores’ “‘Twas the Night Before Christmas.” Artist Iona Desmond created an elaborate backdrop of bright colors and dream-like strokes to embody Packhem’s words.

Packhem, who has known Penley and her family for years, asked the dancer to pose for Desmond for the creation of the book’s character, also named Tricia, who gains self-esteem through dance and the kindness of a teacher.

“I’ve never done anything like that before,” Tricia said about posing for the artist. “I went in there three times this summer to pose, both in the dress and just in general sitting around. It was fun; it was interesting.”

It was also hard. Penley said posing for Desmond became tiring after hours of keeping every muscle in her body static.

“You just want to uncross your legs and switch or look to the side. I was really tired after. My mom was like, you’re such a wus,” Penley said.

But although her name and likeness are portrayed in the book, the story is not based on Penley’s life.

According to Packhem, the book is a compilation of original ideas mixed with stories either about his family or friends or gleaned from the news. The plot is focused on a Maine working-class family that struggles between a beautiful dream and a harsh reality. In the beginning, the mother, Kay, has a premonition of her newborn daughter growing up to be a dancer and sees her on a stage dancing in a “dress dark as night.” So convinced of that destiny, she creates an exact replica of the dress she sees in the dream.

The real-life version of the dress, according to Penley, was spotted by Packhem’s wife Karen and Penley’s mother on a Halloween shopping trip several years ago. Although they didn’t buy the dress that day, it soon turned up in Penley’s house with a note for her mother. The note read, “From the day you walked in the store, I knew you should be my owner.”

Packhem had bought the dress as a surprise, and three years later it became the central image in his book.

“Since it fit me, and I’ve been dancing forever, he asked me to pose [for the book],” Penley said.

As the book continues, Kay (the mother who dreamt of her daughter’s success as a dancer) and her husband Jim, learn that their 2-year-old daughter Jessie has contracted a disease that will leave her legs weak forever.

Packhem said this aspect of the book was inspired by a Boston Globe article that told of a little girl who, because of viral meningitis, would never regain the full use of her legs.

“She would never be a dancer,” Packhem said.

The ending of the book is a realization that although dreams are not always what they seem at first, sometimes they do come true. That lesson is one Packhem is promoting by donating all the proceeds of “A Mother’s Dream” to Project G.R.A.C.E. (Granting Resources and Assistance through Community Effort), an organization founded by his wife Karen that provides needy families with the things other service organizations are not able to supply. Sometimes the organization will help a family with a security deposit for a new apartment, or arrange for free baby-sitting. Packhem said one family that was helped had recently given birth to quadruplets, and at the same time had two other babies to take care of. Project G.R.A.C.E. paid for their diapers.

“Basically, if you call with a need, then they can do it,” Packhem said.

In addition to donating all the proceeds to the organization, Packhem published the book himself rather than going through a publishing house. While this means Project G.R.A.C.E. gets 100 percent of the profits, it also means that Packhem had to pay for the production of the book out of his own pocket. It’s an investment he considers well worth it, as he continues to give all the money toward the non-profit charity.

“I think it’s really admirable that he paid for all the publishing and everything and 100 percocent of the proceeds go to Project G.R.A.C.E.,” Penley said. “Both David and Karen are very giving, and its great to see that played out and people supporting it. It’s a great cause.”

Penley is also involved with Project G.R.A.C.E., and has been since high school. During Christmas break, she helped the organization wrap presents for its adopt-a-family program.

“It’s great; it’s grown a lot over the years,” she said.

Penley’s involvement with the making of “A Mother’s Dream” has so far helped raise close to $6,000 for the charity. Packhem said he hopes to raise about $20,000 total from the book’s revenue.

“A Mother’s Dream” can be purchased at the University Bookstore. For information on Project G.R.A.C.E., go to the organization’s Web site at projectgracemaine.org.

The two acts beat out four other groups or individual performers in front of a crowd of about 50 Tuesday evening in Memorial Union.

Rosenblatt and Graebert received a perfect score of 40 from the judging panel, the first time in The Project’s three-show history. A crowd of about 50 watched the six acts perform in Memorial Union.

Rosenblatt and Graebert performed two original songs, “RCJ” and “Carnival.” Rosenblatt did most of the singing and played the guitar while Graebert played the piano.

“We were quite surprised, but we’ll take it,” Graebert said of the perfect score.

“Under the circumstances we played pretty good . . . the piano was rather drastically out of tune,” Rosenblatt said.

The duo, originally from Bangor, had an energetic group of about 15 in the crowd to support them. This vocal group of fans certainly helped give the duo a crowd-favorite feel.

The Project is a talent show for acoustic acts, both bands and soloists, spanning three months with a total of six shows. Tuesday night’s show was the third of four knockout rounds, with the top two acts from each night advancing to the semi-finals. Four acts will then advance to the finals where each act will be given 20 minutes to impress the judging board.

The other advancing band of the night, 4 Fold, received a score of 34 from the four-panel judging board.

“I thought we played OK tonight. There were a few minor spots where we messed up,” Sean Snow, the band’s guitarist and lead singer, said.

4 Fold was the only full band of the night, featuring two guitarists, a bassist and a drummer. The band played two original songs, “I’ll Be” and “Expectation,” which will be featured on the band’s soon-to-be released demo.

The band, comprised mostly of seniors from St. Joseph’s College, made the two-hour drive to play a 10-minute set. The band found out about The Project through St. Joseph’s student activities office, which gave the band a flyer about the contest. 4 Fold will be playing Friday night in Manchester at Uptown Tavern.

4 Fold and Rosenblatt and Graebert will perform at the semi-finals of The Project on March 30.

Other acts of the night included Chad Haynes, Mike Mathien, guitar and harmonica-playing David Richardson and the duo of Josh Seiler and Andy Dresser. All performed original songs.

The night featured many humorous moments, between Richardson’s lyrics of “You didn’t do nothing, but I did it twice” in his narrative song of sex entitled “Loretta” and Mathien’s song about talking on AOL Instant Messenger, “Repeat and Rewind.”

Seiler and Dresser also worked the chorus of R. Kelly’s “Ignition Remix” into their song “Uninterrupted,” in which they changed words to take a stab at R. Kelly’s child pornography charges.

The last quarter-final round of The Project will be held in Memorial Union on March 23.

On Friday evening the brothers of Beta Theta Pi spent the night locked out of their house and in the snow, to raise money and awareness about Rape Response Services.

In the event’s 11th year, the Sleep Out attracted hundreds and raised an estimated $1,400 for Rape Response services.

“It’s important to raise the awareness of sexual assault across college campuses across the country,” said Eric DeGrass, Beta philanthropy chair.

The event is important because it is sponsored by an all men’s organization and shows the community that rape is an issue, said Rape Response Services Executive Director Kathy Walker. She said the event sends the message that not all men are rapists and that there are lots of men who want rape to stop.

“[The Sleep Out] makes a statement,” DeGrass said. “We’re willing to sleep outside to show how much we want to stop sexual assault at all colleges across the country.”

Covering both Penobscot and Piscataquis counties, Rape Response Services is based in Bangor with four branches through out the demographic in an attempt to be accessible to those who need help, Walker said. She said Maine has a total of 10 hub centers throughout the state. She noted that many of the centers had chosen to not use the word rape in their title, but the Bangor-based office chose to use it, because of the impact of the word.

In its 16th year, Rape Response Services is available for people affected by any sort of rape, as well as incest, harassment, inappropriate touching or people sexually abused as children. Walker said the program serves women, children and men. She noted that they are available to help not only recent victims, but survivors and family members.

Volunteer services keep the program running. Walker said a total of 15 volunteers currently staff the 24-hour crisis hotline. She said in their around-the-clock phone coverage it is estimated they donate about $100,000 in estimated wages.

“We could not do what we do without our volunteers,” Walker said.

Volunteers are equipped with a pager, and calls go through an answering service, after which a volunteer has 15 minutes to call the person back. She said that the pager allows a volunteer to be mobile, but they have to have access to a secure phone line because they cannot talk to a caller on a cell phone. She said they average about one phone call a day.

“We try to make it easy for our volunteers,” Walker said.

To become a phone volunteer, Walker said patrons must complete an application stating why they would like to volunteer and any experience they might have. She said that 45 hours of training is the second step for the future volunteers. The training includes basic crisis intervention and a trip to the hospital, Walker said. She said the future volunteers practice phone calls and the final test is a role-played crisis line phone call. She said they hold training sessions twice a year, one in the fall and one that was just completed this month.

When callers place a phone call to the hotline, the volunteer is there to let them know that they have options, including going to the hospital, nothing, visiting the family doctor or reporting the incident to the police. Walker said it is important for the volunteer to allow the caller to make the choice because it gives them a chance to regain the power and control that was just taken from them.

“Our major goal is to give a person who has been raped choices,” Walker said. “We help a person work through the options.”

Walker said the volunteers will step out from behind the phone and offer support for victims, by going to the hospital or reporting the incident with them. She said volunteers will also help victims through the entire process, by traveling to court with them. Walker emphasized that the impact of the volunteers can be felt by the victims because they will take five hours out of their day to sit with a victim at the hospital, reassuring them that they are important and there is someone who cares about them.

“It’s invaluable, awesome, all those words,” Walker said.

Rape Response Service offers support groups for survivors and educational prevention based education. Walker said the educational programs reach from kindergarten through high school, college campuses, law enforcement and community presentations.

Walker said the subjects discussed in schools vary by grade level. Children in Kindergarten though fourth grade learn about safe touch, boundaries and good relations. Children in fifth through eighth grades learn about gender stereotypes and harassment “bullying.” At the high school level the programs address how to help, drugs that could be involved in rape and consent.

“We are amazed how much people want to learn about consent,” Walker said.

Walker said the funds raised from the Beta Sleep Out will be used throughout the organization, including for a new curriculum.

April is sexual assault awareness month. A Stay at Home Ball will be held on April 3 to raise money for the organization. Walker noted that there are a number of charitable events held to benefit Rape Response Services besides the Beta Sleep Out or the Stay at Home Ball. The UMaine Student Women’s Association Vagina Monologues and Brothers Engaged Against Rape Rock Against Rape Concerts fundraising events help the organization.

“This was started 11 years ago and it’s sort of tradition now,” DeGrass said. “However, we continue to support them because we feel that fighting sexual assualt is still a worthy cause and needs our continued support.”

Wilbur will replace current ROC president Scott Reynolds, a fourth-year electrical engineering and technology major, in April.

Nicole Rozanski will remain in her post as vice president of ROC, as she was unopposed in the election.

Wilbur said as president he hopes to make ROC’s name more visible to residents and let them know funding is available to groups for various events.

“I want to make ROC meetings more effective and have groups ask us for money,” Wilbur said. “Last night alone we handed out a couple of thousand dollars.”

Wilbur said his approachable personality will help him succeed as ROC president.

“What good is a ROC representative or president if you can’t approach them and ask them anything?” Wilbur asked.

The name Danielle Burns was not found through Public Safety’s dispatch, so the officer asked the woman to follow him inside to Hart Hall, due to the snow, for further discussion. The officer searched the woman’s purse and found a MaineCard. The woman, whose real name is Jennifer Snowman, 18, of Orono, was issued a summons for illegal possession of alcohol by a minor. The other two individuals were allowed to leave.

*A student was arrested and taken to Penobscot County Jail on charges of domestic assault and criminal mischief on Sunday. An officer responded to the resident director’s apartment in Cumberland Hall at 2:30 a.m. following a report of a female involved in a domestic dispute with her boyfriend, Joseph Gagnon, 19, of Orono. The victim was initially unwilling to speak about the incident, and the officer noticed several red marks on the female’s neck. When asked about the marks, the victim, who is not an on-campus resident, said she and Gagnon had gotten into an argument at Cumberland Hall, where Gagnon resides. The argument may have started because Gagnon believed the victim was cheating on him with his friend.

During the initial altercation, the victim said, Gagnon threw her across the room. The two then parted ways and apparently met again when they arrived separately at Knox Hall to visit separate friends. During their time in Knox, the two allegedly made contact and Gagnon became mad and left the hall, purposely banging his head into the main entrance door. Blood and hair were retrieved from the door, which sustained substantial damage, police said.

The victim then followed Gagnon back to Cumberland, when Gagnon allegedly shook, choked and threw the victim against a wall.

Police arrested Gagnon for domestic assault and issued him a summons for criminal mischief for damaging the Knox Hall door.