Vermont started out strong in the first period with a power play goal at 1:50. Corey Carlson made the wrist shot from the left side, assisted by Dean Strong.

UMaine was unable to answer before Vermont’s second goal at 3:26. Kevan Miller shot from outside the goal with an assist from Brian Roloff.

At 5:28, UMaine responded with a wrister from first-year defensemen Jeff Dimmen, assisted by senior forward Keenan Hopson and Billy Ryan. It was his second tally of the season.

Vermont’s third goal came at 7:42 from Dan Lawson, unassisted. UMaine goalie Ben Bishop attempted to snag the puck, but it deflected off his glove into the goal.

Senior defenseman Bret Tyler’s power play goal at 10:37 flew in over Vermont goalie Joe Fallon’s glove making the score 3-2, with assists from first-year forward Andrew Sweetland and senior forward Rob Bellamy. It was Tyler’s fourth goal of the season.

“It was five on three, and we were just trying to get the puck to the net and I walked over and saw that the wrong guy was screening the goalie. So I just tried to get a low blocker on. Luckily, it found its way to the back of the net. I’ll take it,” Tyler said.

In the second period, Vermont once again started strong with a goal by Colin Vock.

Black Bear forward Chris Hahn gained his fourth goal of the season at 2:55 with an assist from Bellamy on the power play.

Vermont answered just 30 seconds later on a power play goal by Lenes from Vock.

Hopson cut the lead 5-4 in the third with a breakaway at 6:19. He freed the puck from Vermont defenseman Mark Lutz, beating Fallon with a shot over his shoulder.

“I went at him and poked it away. I just moved my feet as fast as I [could], and I just shot it and it went in,” Hopson said.

Vermont protected the lead until Sweetland found Bellamy with under a minute left in the game after Bishop had been pulled to get an extra man on the ice. It was Bellamy’s first goal of the season.

“We were working it down low and Sweetland got it behind the net. I yelled for him and he put on the brakes, came out and set me with a great pass in front. I just tried to release as quick as I could and just found the back of the net,” Bellamy said.

Neither team was able to score in overtime.

“It’s kind of bittersweet. We ended up getting a point out of it, but obviously we want to win. But, no we’re feeling okay, especially with the comeback,” Hopson said.

Maine will play an exhibition game against New Brunswick at 7 p.m. on Dec. 1 at the Alfond.

It is clear that drinking is more common than not among college students, underage or otherwise, and we do not frown on students who drink. However, we should not be oblivious to the fact that some students can take it too far and consume alcohol well beyond their limits. The results of this sort of behavior can be tragic, as we have recently seen.

The average student at a party does not expect that when a friend passes out, he or she may never wake up. It is clear from the events of the past two weeks that it does happen.

The disturbing part of all of this is that Alcohol Responsibility Week was held just recently. Clearly, no lesson the university teaches can take the place of personal responsibility. Ultimately, it is up to individuals to watch themselves and to educate themselves.

It is sad to think that it may take the deaths of two young students to raise attention on the subject of underage drinking. Hopefully this tragic, unexpected lesson will prove effective.

We do not expect underage drinking, or drinking of any type, to stop. However, students should always be mindful to know their limits, know when to stop, keep a watchful eye on friends and, overall, be responsible for themselves and those around them while having a good time.

The Black Bears exhibited their authority from the opening serve. A key 11-3 run let them build a 19-10 lead in the middle of the first game. They rode this momentum to an easy 30-17 win, during which they out-killed the Eagles 15-9.

The second game remained close throughout. The score was never separated by more than four points, and the teams found themselves tied 29-29. With the requirement to win by two, Rabbecka Gonyo scored a big kill to put the Eagles ahead. A receiving error on the Black Bears on the following point gave the Marquette the second game victory.

The third game saw Marquette steal the momentum, racking up 19 kills to UMaine’s 12. The Black Bears hung around, trailing only 22-19, but any hope of a comeback was quickly doused by a spree of six unanswered points by the Eagles. This turned out to be too much to overcome, and Maine fell by a score of 30-21.

With their backs against the wall, the Black Bears were not about to go down without a fight. They battled hard to get to knot the score at 29. Marquette scored a point, but UMaine’s Lindsay Allman came up with a big kill to tie it up again. After exchanging points, the Eagles got consecutive kills from Jenn Brown and Kimberley Todd to close out the game 33-31 and take the match.

While UMaine couldn’t win the tight ones, they still had some impressive individual performances. Their serving was top notch, as they tallied 11 aces to Marquette’s two. Allman registered a double-double with 13 kills and 11 digs, and Margaret Page added 11 kills of her own. Laura Goettsch and Paige Tortorello were big-time contributors with 14 digs and 37 assists, respectively.

The next day, UMaine looked to rebound against South Dakota in the consolation match. In the first game, UMaine lead by just one at 24-23. They turned up the intensity and completed a five-point streak, leading to a 30-24 victory. South Dakota came back fighting and caught Maine on their heels in the second game. Using a key 5-0 run mid-game, the Jackrabbits ran with it and won 30-16.

The momentum continued to bounce back and forth in the following games. UMaine strung together several good passing plays, out-killing South Dakota 16-11 en route to a 30-21 victory. UMaine’s Allman was a huge factor in this game, registering several big kills to stomp out any chance of a comeback.

UMaine looked to close out the Jackrabbits, but South Dakota wasn’t ready to go home quite yet. Behind a 10-1 run, the Jackrabbits rolled past the Black Bears 30-23 to force a fifth and final game to decide the match.

Holding a slim lead of 8-6, UMaine had a few big plays, including two kills by Allman that built their lead to 13-8. Back-to-back kills by Amanda Armstrong and Page closed out the game and gave the Black Bears one of their hardest-earned victories of the year.

Allman had a spectacular game to lead Maine. She registered 19 kills and 20 digs, both match-highs. Goettsch added a double-double of her own, with 11 kills and 18 digs. Page and Armstrong added to the kill party, registering 14 and 12 apiece. Tortorello tallied 55 assists, a match high, and Brittany Kiehl was huge defensively with five blocks.

The Black Bears ended the season 2-9 in conference play, beating out Hartford for sixth place. The team looks promising for next year, returning all their players for the 2008 season.

The Black Bears went into the game fresh off two strong performances over Thanksgiving break, one resulting in a win and the other a loss. Maine beat Quinnipiac 64-59 on Nov. 20 with the help of a 29-point night by Mark Socoby. On Nov. 24 they lost 57-70 to Northeastern with Socoby and Brian Andre contributing 17 points apiece.

Early on, UMaine showed they could hang close with the Providence College Friars. Jordan Cook gave Maine the first lead of the game with a lay-up. The Friars took the lead and held onto it for the first seven minutes of the game until Junior Bernal tied the score at 11-11 with a fast break dunk.

The Friars went on a 14-2 run over the next four minutes, but UMaine responded with a mini-run of its own to pull within six with seven minutes remaining. This was as close as the Black Bears would get, as the Friars gradually pulled away to close out the first half with the score notched at 25-37.

In the second half, the Friars put together multiple runs that UMaine responded to with mini-runs of its own. The Friars used a combination of three-point shooting and fast breaks to build a lead too steep for the Black Bears to recover from. Brian Andre came alive in the second half for Maine and closed out the final three minutes of the game with three monstrous dunks. It was too little too late, and the Black Bears lost 48-78.

The story of the game was points off the bench and fast break points. The Friars’ bench players strung together 26 points while the Maine bench only contributed seven. The Friars scored 16 fast break points, eight of which were dunks, while Maine only had two fast break points off a Junior Bernal dunk.

The Friars were led by Geoff McDermott with 17 points, 13 rebounds and five assists. Weyinmi Efejuku contributed 14 points and four steals, while Brian McKenzie added 13 points and four assists. The Black Bears were led by Brian Andre with 17 points and 11 rebounds. Jason Height added 9 points and six rebounds off of 3-4 shooting beyond the arc.

The Black Bears return to action Dec. 1 against New Jersey Tech at noon in the Alfond Arena.

Freeing themselves of player-coaches, who in the past ruled the field, the team snagged rugby enthusiast and Economics Department head George Criner to lead their team.

The squad began with a 48-0 win over Bowdoin and followed suit by crushing the New Hampshire Wildcats shortly after, 39-5. More wins were added when UMaine played Colby and Bates.

“As the season went on, we climbed up higher in the national rankings,” Anthony Purpura said, who serves as co-captain and president of the rugby team. “It was by far the most successful season that the University of Maine has ever had.”

According to Purpura, UMaine ranked at No. 7 in national division II rugby standings this fall.

Wrapping up the regular season, UMaine advanced to the New England Rugby Football Union’s (NERFU) Division II College Cup Playoffs with a regional ranking of No. 2. They beat No. 7 Rhode Island (41-17) and continued on to the semi-finals to face the No. 3 ranked Coast Guard; they lost, 22-7.

“I’ve been around UMaine for a while now and they seem to only be getting better,” Campus Recreation Grad Assistant Mike Morse said. “They have become the best team in Maine very quickly.”

Purpura and senior Mike Groth attributed UMaine’s success this fall to returning players like Andrew Higgins, Rocco Andreozzi, Eric Anderson and Sam LaRue and new outstanding underclassmen Ben Reichl and Brett Griskiewicz. These players made up a portion of the team’s 35-40 player fall roster.

“We had about 10 to 12 new guys,” Groth said. According to Groth, it’s rare to have underclassmen with experience, referring to Reichl and Griskiewicz. “[New players] usually start from the beginning, and we teach them everything.”

Although the regular season play is over, the men’s rugby team will begin their tournament season after winter break.

Team members are anticipating hosting a “ten’s” tournament of their own in February at UMaine. Their plan will be discussed during NERFU’s upcoming annual meeting.

“Hopefully it would give the team and other schools in attendance a look at potential opponents and play other teams that they may not see otherwise,” Morse said.

Details in regard to dates and attending teams are not yet established, but Purpura hopes to “bring the rugby culture to UMaine.” Up to 50 local, national and international teams are projected to attend the two-day event.

“We want people to see what we’re about,” Purpura said.

All interested players are welcome said Purpura and Groth.

“We have great team bonding events,” Purpura said. “It’s a great time, it opens up a lot of opportunities.”

The Center for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) published their findings in the Journal of Psychiatric Research. CAMH used MRIs to compare a group of known pedophiles to a control group. What they found through their analysis was that the group of pedophiles had significant differences in brain connectivity. They found that the group of pedophiles, overall, had much less of the substance “white matter.” This white matter seems to be responsible for wiring the different sections of the brain together.

This study challenges the popularly held belief that pedophilia was a result of childhood trauma or abuse. This study is the strongest, to date, to hint that pedophilia is actually a result of problems regarding brain development. Most of the research in this area has also been conducted by CAMH.

Among other findings that CAMH published, the group of pedophiles was found to have many other differences from the control group as well.

CAMH has conducted other studies that found other characteristic differences between pedophiles and control groups. They found that pedophiles, in general, have lower IQs, are three-times more likely to be left-handed and are physically shorter than non-pedophiles.

Although this research hints at a pre-disposition to pedophilia, there is still a conscious choice that accompanies molesting a child. “There is nothing in this research that says pedophiles shouldn’t be held criminally responsible for their actions,” said Dr. James Cantor, a researcher at CAMH. “Not being able to choose your sexual interests doesn’t mean you can’t choose what you do.”

This shows the responsibility that goes along with this kind of research. Although it may go a long way in preventing the formation of future pedophiles, it doesn’t seem a large leap to jump to a defense that “my actions were unavoidable, I was pre-disposed to molest children.” CAMH should be acknowledged for their efforts to quell that argument before it can be truly formed in the courts.

This research also opens the doors to other sexual desires and how the biology of an individual brain may be the deciding factor in sexual interest. Although several points are addressed by this research, it really raises more questions and opens research opportunities to discover preventative measures for deviant sexual activities.

Hopefully, this research will not be used by piggy-backing conservative ideologies in order to convince others they need to conform to a set of sexual standards in order to be normal. Although this research does a great deal to explain why some have a pre-disposition towards pedophilia, it is a long way from discovering preventative measures.

Research in regards to the biology of the brain is still in its adolescence, so a watchful eye ought to be put on further leaps in this field. There will only be more interesting information coming out of this area. Although the public should be weary of attempts to “cure” any ailments when brain biology is concerned, this research is the one of first in many steps to understand how our brains may control desires.

The University of Maine’s radio station, WMEB, and the International Student Association (ISA) are throwing a dance party on the third floor of Orono’s Bear Brew Pub, otherwise known as Soma 36. The two groups worked together in the hope of bringing a wide variety of musical tastes to this Friday’s Oronoka, an “alternative sort of party,” as Alicia Kelley, one of the event’s coordinators, described it.

This cooperation between the two groups – WMEB and ISA – stemmed from the recent closure of the Bangor art hub, Ofelia’s. WMEB had intended to run their own separate night of music, but, with Ofelia’s base of operations and artistic venue closed on short notice when the building was condemned last month, they were forced to rethink their approach. Kelley, a WMEB DJ with a sly smile, pointed out that this was, “a small problem.”

Because WMEB was unable to hold their event as scheduled, it was decided that ISA and WMEB would combine their efforts for one outstanding evening.

“This is something you don’t see very often,” Kelley said, “two [student] organizations working together.”

Emin Okutan, a co-ordinator for the ISA, explained, “I think there’s this alienation between groups on campus.” He suggested that with groups sharing similar goals, more could be accomplished if they united.

Okutan explained at the last Oronoka that there was a projector set up to show streets from around the world. This time, they hope to expand on this idea and show more images from an international perspective, mixing in some scenes from foreign films. With this in mind, Kelley mentioned her desire to transform Soma 36.

“With the space available, [we want to] make it something different,” to which Okutan added, “Make the Soma you saw on Thursday a completely different place.”

“The DJ’s are very different from what you would normally hear at Soma,” Kelley said, suggesting Oronoka’s DJ’s plan to avoid the top-40 music that dominates the airwaves.

Aside from pure entertainment, the event aims at introducing students to new and exciting music, but also different cultures. Stealing from WMEB’s slogan, Okutan added he would like to “redefine the alternative.”

To add to the global vibe, Okutan will be running a music quiz to test participant’s recognition of the land of origin for international styles of music. There will also be a quiz to recognize domestic music in the fastest time. Prizes may include “free WMEB swag” according to Kelley.

The tag-line for the event is “Plug In: To World Community, To Your Community.” This is the general idea behind Oronoka bringing people together, in one place to experience many. Okutan said he hopes to see “People from many countries enjoying the same music.”

Kelley soon added why she enjoys alternative music so much: “it gives people options.” Instead of listening to the same remixed pop song, there’s a veritable ocean of alternative music out there, just waiting to be listened to.

Proceeds from the cover charge – five dollars before 11 p.m. and six dollars from 11 p.m. to 2 a.m. – will be donated to Ofelia’s. Although Ofelia’s is recovering from their relocation, they still need help. At first, Okutan seemed reticent to support donating proceeds to only one charity, but, after researching the group thoroughly he found the good that Ofelia’s did, not only with charitable work but also its support of local artists, as well as the fact that it is a local organization. “It’s not UNICEF,” Okutan said, but it is a worthy cause.

Tom Grucza, the station manager at WMEB, explained the need to find new ways to advertise for local events. Posting a flyer to a bulletin board and a FirstClass conference simply isn’t enough. Grucza said he would like students to come to WMEB more often to plug their organization or event. After all, “We can’t sell ads,” Grucza said.

All involved seem excited to kick off the event. One DJ will be driving all the way from Providence, RI to spin her tracks on Friday for the 18-and-over crowd. This is unique for Soma 36 events – usually, events held at Soma 36 are 21-and-over but under-aged friends are welcome at this party.

Kelley will be giving away a free pass to Oronoka on Thursday, Nov. 29 on her radio show. Okutan will also be giving away free passes into the event during this week’s Coffee Hour, a weekly event held every Friday by ISA where there is always free coffee and usually free food.

Oronoka will be on the third floor of the Bear Brew Pub on Friday, Nov. 30 and will begin at 9 p.m.

A few months pass; she expresses her enjoyment of the campus and the environment. The temperature starts dropping; she wonders when her heat will start working. A few weeks pass. She starts to feel there is a problem with the heat. Patiently she waits for her room to heat up. It never happens. She visits Property Management. They say they will take care of it. They never do. One night, when she has a few exams to work on, she cannot stay in the room because of the cold. She also starts getting bites from insects.

The building is old and the cleaning service is inconsistent. She has to flee her room and stay at her friend’s house while constantly asking Property Management to check her room for infestation. They arrive and refuse to act because they want to see proof of the bug – so, just to let you know, if you happen to get bitten, you’ll have to catch the sinister creature in order for Property Management to take action. They claim the bug must have travelled on “a plane.” They also don’t do anything about the heating situation. She solves it with an electric blanket. She spends a miserable week with little sleep and a hard push for exams.

Note that the girl in the case tried to “survive” in her own dorm, which she had to pay $3,000 to stay in. I checked the Maine Attorney General’s Web site for landlord responsibilities. It reads “Residence Must Be Fit To Live In. The landlord promises that the residence: (1) complies with applicable housing codes; (2) is fit to live in; and (3) is not dangerous to the life, health or safety of the occupants.” Property Management clearly violated the conditional responsibilities they had to fulfill. If she had known her rights and not feared having to look for another location to stay, she could have easily sued Property Management for their inaction and ignorance to the living conditions in Estabrooke Hall.

There is a certain hypocrisy when students are banned from cooking equipment, including a microwave, “for their own safety” when they have to fight for survival when it comes to heating, dorm conditions and environmental factors.

I would like to thank Property Management for influencing an exchange student’s experience at UMaine. When she returns to her country and is asked about the United States and Maine, instead of all the possible positives that could have been delivered, she will speak of her survival in the dorms, the inaction of the system and show the bug bites she has on her arms. For any incoming international students, I feel obligated to advise them to avoid Estabrooke and seek alternative options unless there is a valid explanation of where all the dorm fees are spent.

Emin Okutan is a senior business major and President of the International Student Association.

As some may already know, I have been one of the candidates running for Student Body President. It is an important position, and it comes with a great deal of respect and obligation – the same responsibilities I have as class president. I am not writing to compare the two offices. I am writing to choose a side. If I had been voted the president of the Student Body, I would have had to choose one of three options: take the position of Student Body President, stay as President of the Class of 2010, or serve both offices, which would not be an easy task. I truly and honestly feel that I would have been a great Student Body President, but I feel as though I would be neglecting my class and my co-officers that I have grown to love and understand.

The bottom line is, there is still work that needs to be done with my class, and there are still goals that need to be accomplished before I can move on to anything else. As of this moment, I would like to officially let everyone know that I will not be running in the Student Government Executive Elections. I will be staying on as President of the Class of 2010 until my co-officers and I accomplish the class goals.

I would like to thank all the students that have supported me and were willing to give me their votes. I am sorry that I could not represent all of you this year as president, but I do not think it would be fair to move on to another position and office if I still have work to finish. I have some years left at this institution and many possibilities lay ahead for me.

I would still encourage everyone to vote on Dec. 3 in the Student Body Elections on FirstClass. Remember to also attend the debate to get your questions answered. We have all gained the right to vote for who we want to represent us, let us not lose our voice to change what needs to be changed. We all must remember, together we create change and make things happen – divided we fall hard.

Gimbala Sankare is President of the Class of 2010.

Of course, this doesn’t make much sense. Reading Cosmo to find out about male behavior is like reading the Constitution for tips on car repair. Women and men have evolved sexual drives based on old-school expectations of primitive reproduction – women have babies, so they’re more selective. Men make babies and go away, so they’re less selective. Cosmo, apparently, explores some kind of mutant culture where men have become the selective partner, hording their seed for no good reason.

Look at your typical issue of the magazine, and pay attention to how often it talks about “him.” Sample headlines: “Scents that really seduce him,” “His 9 pleasure centers.” Best of all, there’s “Learn how to love his annoying behavior.” This includes a survival technique for dealing with a hypercritical boyfriend – Self-esteem be damned, maybe you should just be glad he’s helping you to improve!

For a magazine dedicated to women, it sure doesn’t seem to care about the sex lives of women. Or the health of women. Or, you know, women. Try finding a profile piece on a woman accomplishing something outside of snagging the perfect guy. It’s not there. So, if you’ve been getting your sex cues from the glossy guide to sassy living, here’s six sexy tricks to kicking the Cosmo habit.

1. The male orgasm is hardly elusive. You don’t have to learn any secrets to achieve it. Certainly, you two can get as kinky as you want – or at least as much as your roommates will tolerate – but let’s face it, college-aged boys are not reluctant to sleep with college-aged girls. In other words, don’t worry about surprising him with a magical position or finding a fetish that will drive him wild. If you trust him, talk to him about what you’re into and ask what he’s into. Furthermore, if he’s cheating, he’s a cheater, and no “trick” – particularly, putting any part of your mouth inside of that part of his body – will make him stop.

2. Women can have orgasms. It’s true! Cosmo spends a lot of time talking about the male G-spot, but for women, the female orgasm is typically number 889 on the list of 890 secrets for spicing up your sex life. Number 890, by the way, is putting ice cubes on his nipples, which no one on Earth actually enjoys. Ironically, a key component of an orgasm for women is communication and confidence, traits that Cosmo’s beauty tips and extreme cellulite-reduction techniques are sure to replace with paranoia and neurosis.

3. This one is for the ladies ironically buying Cosmo: there is nothing ironic about taking your money away. I know women who are constantly reading the thing and laughing at it, but I have to imagine that they’re secretly looking at the mirror, wondering if they have the shoe size that drive men wild. Stop reading it; stop feeling neurotic and start spending that time doing something that makes you happy, empowered and alive.

4. If all you think about is your man, you’re going to bore your man. It’s the tragic paradox of insecure boys. That is to say, boys.

5. Other Cosmo readers are buying the same handbag/shoes/make-up as you are, and not all of you can score the same mysterious “him.” So, you’re either competing with every other Cosmo reader to find a guy who wants a Cosmo-normative girl, or you’re going to find a guy who doesn’t care about your handbag. Either way, you’ve spent the money on the handbag. Don’t buy the handbag.

6.You are the one who decides when sex is going to happen. You don’t have to learn to love his belittling criticism. If he says something that makes you feel fat, don’t have sex with him. If he’s not taking care of business on your end in the bedroom, tell him what to do. He’ll do it, because if he doesn’t do it, you won’t have sex with him. See how this works?

The tactics that keep people reading Cosmo are the same tactics used by manipulative partners – the old line that “You’re beautiful just as you are, here’s how to change.” Cosmo tells you to be self-confident in the bedroom, and then asks if you measure up to his dream girl. It tells you to feel empowered, and then sells you make-up to hide your natural skin and a diet to shrink below your natural weight. If you’re reading Cosmo and you believe a word of what it says, you need to break up with the magazine and hang out with some actual guys. They’ll tell you the biggest secret of the male sexual mind: ice is uncomfortable and absolutely no one expects you to put your tongue where Cosmo told you to put it. Seriously.