Cutler provides primary care for students and is operated by the university; this means that all operational costs are covered by fees incurred by students.

The center serves 20 to 25 percent of the student body, according to the 2007 Cutler Health Services Review Committee report. Likely contributing to the lack of use by students is that Cutler Health Center is unable to accept third-party insurance policies and cannot process claims from MaineCare, the state’s Medicaid program. In addition, Cutler provides limited service over breaks, closes completely in July and has no full-time on-site physicians.

To expand services to include third-party insurance acceptance under current conditions, the report estimated costs would have to increase by 33 percent. To balance costs – even forecasting expanded usage – the price of office visits for those students without insurance would have to increase from the current $25 to a standard fee of $132. The privatization plan is being considered to expand services while avoiding these cost increases.

The Health Services Review Committee, established by Vice President for Student Affairs Dr. Robert Dana and Vice President for Administration and Finance Janet Waldron, evaluated the Cutler operation with a focus on maximizing use.

The committee investigated how the “center may be able to utilize the resources of a larger currently operating entity, and ultimately reducing costs to the university community so that current investments in the health services could be reallocated to other needs,” Dana said.

Waldron said the potential changes are about improving services and access. One aspect of this may be to try and offer third-party billing so more students can access services at the center.

Students also said Cutler should enhance services. “In my opinion, a change is in order,” said Christina Soyden, the student representative on the Review Committee. “Whether that be a unified health fee for students to have free visits and pay for tests and prescriptions, requiring all students to have health insurance, or privatizing in order to take student [private] insurance.”

A campus-wide health service fee was considered as a method to expand services offered to students, but the idea was met with opposition in the Review Committee’s student survey. Students found the idea of using Cutler convenient, but wished to use their private insurance.

“They can’t accept insurance because they receive state funding,” Soyden said. “The fact that the Health Center receives state funding greatly limits its potential. It can’t afford to lose the funding, but at the same time, it restricts them from growth.”

Critics of the plan to change Cutler’s campus health services fear a change to or reduction in services provided, or the access to those without health insurance might be made expensive or made unavailable completely. Dana said this will not happen. “Waldron and I charged the review panel with the express requirement that a move to a new model would only occur if services to students were maintained at their current level or improved and enhanced,” he said. “The expectation is that any privatization would result in an improved medical service.”

Waldron agreed. “We also fully expect to maintain the individual quality care provided through the health center and the educational components offered to the campus regarding disease prevention and planning,” she said.

Cutler’s budget from the university is supplemented by $1.06 million in patient fees, bringing Cutler’s revenue to $2.4 million. Cutler’s annual salaries – covering 22 employees – cost the center $972,444 in 2007; including benefits, that number climbs to $1,381,082. Clinical costs bring the total operation to $2.4 million.

The committee agreed that the university should issue a request for proposals (RFP) to contract with a vendor or multiple vendors to operate a full service health service through a completely outsourced arrangement, or a public-private partnership.

The RFP seeks bids for the services of college student health services, occupational health services and voluntary primary care for faculty, staff and insured dependents. According to the document, “it is the university’s expectation that once the contract is fully actualized, the selected contractor shall generate revenue for the university.”

The university hopes to provide occupational health services and primary care health services for faculty, staff and insured dependents on a voluntary basis.

Bidders are required to provide after-hours, on-call services to support student needs; they must provide a referral service to other healthcare providers when additional care is needed; they must have access to laboratory facilities and provide medication and pharmaceuticals appropriate to healthcare service for students.

If the university moves forward with the outsourcing of Cutler Health Center, the proposals from bidding organizations would be evaluated in February with presentations from selected bidders in March and final selection in May.

A chosen contractor would begin on or around July 1, 2008. The initial contract term is five years. Waldron said students will be involved in the process, should changes be pursued.

Earlier this month, the university held a pre-bid meeting required for potential contractors. Four interested bidders attended. The deadline for proposals to be submitted to the university purchasing department is today.

The Black Bears could not match up with Binghamton’s offensive attack, losing by a score of 69-58. Kaimondre Owes, who was 3-5 from outside the arc, as well as 6-8 from the charity stripe, led UMaine with 15 points. Junior Bernal led the team with 13 rebounds, and freshman forward Sean McNally accounted for 10 points and seven rebounds. With the loss, the Black Bears dropped to 6-14 overall and are currently 3.5 games behind first place Binghamton in America East play, 2-5 conference record.

UMaine struck first in the game when Mark Socoby popped a trey in the team’s first trip down the court. During the first half, the two teams swapped possession of the lead, never exceeding a scoring deficit more than five points.

Binghamton played a tight defense against the Black Bears, causing the team to turn over the ball five times before halftime, and ultimately, 17 times by the game’s end. The Bearcats also had the offensive edge over UMaine. Their first-half field goal percentage of 46 percent was more consistent during the game than UMaine’s shooting percentage.

In the second half, Binghamton wasted no time adding on to the two-point lead they had going into halftime, working a 9-0 run the first four minutes. Strong defensive play on the Bearcats’ behalf, which produced several costly UMaine turnovers, and a great all-around effort from game-leading scorer Lazar Trifunovic, who had 26 points, kept the Black Bears from regaining the lead. However, down by 12 points with nine minutes to go in the game, UMaine came together in a solid team effort on both ends of the court. The trifecta of Owes, Bernal and McNally pulled UMaine within three points and three minutes to go.

Despite their late turn-around in the second half, the Black Bears were unable to capitalize with a series of failed three-point attempts. The Bearcats went 6-for-7 from the foul line in the final four minutes, sealing the victory by an 11-point margin.

Although Maine was out-scored in the game and shot a dismal 16-for-49 from field goal range, they had a significantly higher amount of rebounds with 40, against Binghamton’s 27 boards. If UMaine can keep this aspect of their game alive down the stretch, handle the ball with better care and make wiser shot decisions, they still have a great chance of being contenders in the America East conference.

Hoping to make a late-season comeback, UMaine plays host to conference rival Boston University on Wednesday night with tip-off slated for 7 p.m. That game will conclude after this paper’s print time.

1. To determine what our readers like to read
2. To show us how to become more approachable
3. To aid in the creation of a more interactive Web experience

The release of the survey is a mere 5 days before the release of a new type of news site, where University of Maine students, faculty, organizations, and local community members can publish their own content to be featured right alongside the stories by The Maine Campus staff and contributers. To complete the survey, go to www.me-campus.com/poll. If you have any questions or comments, please email them to eic@mainecampus.com.

Coming off a big win last weekend against Northeastern, UMaine was looking to keep the momentum rolling on Saturday afternoon and brought the intensity right from the start. A checking penalty on the Black Bears gave BU an opening, and they seized the opportunity. Twenty seconds into the power play, Jullian Kirchner broke through and put a shot past UMaine’s Genevieve Turgeon to give the Terriers an early lead. It was Kirchner’s fifth goal of the season. Sarah Russell and Sarah Appleton each added an assist on the play. UMaine battled hard and the period ended without any additional scoring, but the Black Bears were out-shot 19-1.

UMaine came out inspired in the second period and played a completely different game. They matched the efforts of their opponent and were rewarded with just over two minutes remaining. First-year Jennie Gallo was able to slip a shot past the Terrier goalie off an assist from Amy Stech. It was Gallo’s fifth goal on the year. Maine also took the shot advantage for the period, 10-9.

By the third period, each team had a good feel for the other. The Terriers were able to outshoot the Black Bears 12-8, but good defense on both sides kept the scored tied 1-1. In overtime, the Black Bears kept the intensity up, but a costly penalty with just over a minute remaining forced them to back off the pressure. The defense held up, and the game ended in a tie, the first of such an occurrence between the teams. UMaine’s Turgeon completed a spectacular game, stopping 45 of 46 shots on the day, while BU’s Allyse Wilcox had 19 saves.

The following afternoon, the two teams squared off again in a grudge match. Neither squad gave an inch through the entire first period until the Terriers took advantage of a power play with 37 seconds remaining. Just before the penalty ran out, Laurel Koller snuck a shot past UMaine’s Turgeon to move BU out in front. Melissa Anderson and Appleton each notched an assist on the goal. The teams were knotted at 10 shots apiece in the period.

BU doubled their lead 7:13 into the second period. Stringing a few passes together, the team pushed the puck to Gina Kearns, who found the back of the net. The Terriers struck again midway through the period when Lauren Cherewyk scored off of assists from Kearns and Kirchner.

Down 3-0, UMaine knew they had to respond quickly if they were to have a chance in this game. With 5:14 remaining, they did just that. After receiving a pass from Gallo, third-year Vanessa Vani fired a shot that found the back of the net. UMaine still trailed 3-1 by the end of the period but had out-shot BU 13-11 and stolen a bit of momentum.

The Black Bears continued their comeback six minutes into the third. Vani notched another point with an assist to second-year Taryn Peacock, who scored her fifth goal of the season.

Both teams kept the pressure up, but UMaine still trailed 3-2 with under a minute remaining. To gain an extra attacker the Black Bears pulled their goalie, but the maneuver proved to be unsuccessful. Caroline Bourdeau buried the empty-netter with 32 seconds remaining. UMaine wasn’t ready to give up yet. The intensity provided by an extra attacker led to Abby Barton breaking through and scoring with 11 seconds left. The puck stopped there for the Black Bears, and the clock ran out with the Terriers in front 4-3.

Vani had a huge game for Maine, notching a goal and two assists, while Turgeon had another productive night with 23 saves. Her weekend efforts were recognized when she was named Hockey East Defensive Player of the Week, the fifth time she’s received the honor this season.

The Black Bears have a huge weekend coming up, as they’ll take on rival New Hampshire in a two-game set at the Alfond Arena. Saturday’s game will kick off at 7 p.m., followed by a 2 p.m. Sunday afternoon match up.

What I am proposing is simple and appears to be one possible solution to the floundering athletic department here. This might make a lot of people angry. Seriously, you probably won’t even finish reading this article. Before you flip to the next section and completely write me off: hear me out.

The University of Maine should swing down to NCAA Division II.

There, I said it. The Black Bears should be a D-II program. I know that there is a stigma that comes with being a Division I team, and we would lose that. Admittedly, there are negatives that come with swinging down a division, but with these come a huge list of benefits, especially in the University of Maine’s case. The University would almost instantly find more athletic success, wouldn’t lose the benefit of scholarships, and would find more solid competition regionally, reducing the school’s travel budget and freeing that money to be used for other things. A D-II program here at the University of Maine, by creating a more successful athletic program, would also give coaches more clout when approaching recruits, as well as attracting a larger fan base, which would result in more revenue for the athletic department.

The obvious argument for D-II is that there is greater potential for success for an athletic department the size of UMaine’s. As great as our athletes and coaches are, let’s face it – the University of Maine will probably never win a D-I national championship. There are too many Ohio States, U.C.L.A.s, Texas’ and Floridas out there. Now you “Maine-iaks” are screaming foul right now, as well you should be. Stay tuned and I’ll deal with you – and the sport of ice hockey – momentarily.

The whole idea of the division format is to promote a level playing field between teams of equal caliber from comparable institutions. Nobody can make the argument that Ohio State and the University of Maine are equal. Ohio State’s Athletic Department spends $89,580,305 per year on their sports teams, without levying any fees on the student body. The University of Maine currently ranks a strong second out of all America East Conference schools with a hefty Athletic Department operating budget of $13,327,987. Nobody in their right mind would even remotely consider these two institutions to be similar in any arena other than sports. A little comparison: Ohio State’s campus has over 48,000 students and an airport. The University of Maine has about 8,500 students and a botanical garden. To be fair, it’s a really nice garden.

The point here is, how are these two institutions equal? They’re not. It’s not fair. Ohio State is the team that should have to play behemoths, not UMaine. Take for example Southern Connecticut State University. It’s a successful D-II program, and incidentally an institution very similar to UMaine, with just 70 more students. Southern Connecticut has won 10 team National Championships, including last year’s women’s basketball national crown, in addition to 67 individual National Championships. Southern Connecticut has a phenomenal women’s basketball program, and many people expect them to have great success on the national level again this season. Were they in D-I, however, they wouldn’t be given a second thought. Believe me, nobody would love to see the UMaine women’s basketball team upset Tennessee more than me, but to be fair, it’s not particularly likely. How about teams like men’s soccer and men’s basketball, who have lots of individual talent, but don’t always stack up well against large D-I schools? Perhaps in D-II, these teams would have more success early on in the season and would be able to gain some momentum that would allow them to bond.

Now for you hockey fans: yes, you are correct, the Black Bears have won two NCAA National Championships. Congratulations! The reason that the university’s men’s ice hockey program has been so successful is because of continued monetary support both within and outside the athletic department and because of ice hockey’s status as a minor sport. Here’s what I mean: there are 336 schools in men’s D-I basketball, 262 schools in men’s D-I track & field and 40 D-I schools in men’s ice hockey. The Black Bears are a shark in a puddle. In order to compensate for the relatively tiny number of D-I institutions in men’s ice hockey, the NCAA allows well-established programs from any size NCAA institution to compete in D-I ice hockey. The best example of this is UMaine’s 1993 National Championship, where the Black Bears edged a national powerhouse. Who did they beat? Was it Arizona State? Georgia? Kentucky? UConn? Nope. The correct answer is Lake Superior State. No offense to a fantastic ice hockey program, but you aren’t going to find LSSU on any D-I Athletic Department power rankings. They aren’t even normally a D-I school. For sports other than hockey, they compete in the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference, a D-II venue, and guess what? They’re pretty successful. Because of the small numbers in NCAA ice hockey, they don’t even run a D-II league. So even if the University of Maine were to join D-II athletics, your beloved Black Bears would remain a household name in D-I.

It gets better. According to Article 20, Section 2, Part 1 of the NCAA’s D-II bylaws, schools are allowed what is called “Multidivision Classification,” meaning that they can have different athletic teams compete in different divisions. This would be perfect for UMaine. All sports are considered on an individual basis. Say, for instance, that in addition to men’s and women’s ice hockey we wanted to keep football, track & field and swimming in D-I because they are some of our more successful programs and swing everybody else down to D-II. We could do that.

Not to mention, the NCAA openly promotes the expansion of D-II. To make D-II grow, they have introduced their “I chose D-II” campaign. Through this program, they are steadily making recruiting easier for D-II schools. As they relax the rules and allow more money to be used, D-II schools will only gain ground compared to D-I institutions. Unfortunately, recruiting has become the name of the game in the NCAA, but if the University of Maine swings to D-II we can use the division system to our advantage, as opposed to being disadvantaged by larger D-I institutions. D-II can still give scholarships, just like D-I, and a star high school athlete is more likely to accept a full ride from a D-II powerhouse than from a struggling D-I program.

Overall, the advantages to D-II make it one of the best quick fixes for our athletic department. Between more regional competition, more success on a national basis, more recruiting clout for our coaches and perks from the NCAA, D-II only makes sense. Personally, I can’t wait to see the University of Maine Black Bears celebrate as National Champions in a few years – of D-II.

This season, new interpretations of the “tailored” look are cropping up all over the fashion world. Designers from DKNY to Empirio Armani are sending their own versions of the classic suit down the runway. Black, grey or navy suit separates are a great addition to any wordrobe. Kick up an every day outfit with a sexy well-fit blazer, suit vest, or go for a pair of classic fit wide leg slacks, if you are feeling bold – and can pull it off. It’s time we all started to look more like adults anyways. Make the leap. Heads will turn.

Bumming With Style

Just because you are having an off day doesn’t mean you have to look like fecal material. Vibrant floral prints are being showcased this season by designers including Roberto Cavalli and Dolce & Gabanna. This trend is easily replicated with a colorful floral top. Camisoles and long-sleeved tees do the trick. There is such a wide variety of color on the runway, and I strongly encourage you all to find a bright, bold floral pattern that works for your personality. Worn under a cozy zip-up hoodie on a bad day, this boost of style and color will do you good.

Quick Tip For The Guys

Tweed is back this season, with old Irish-inspired fashion in tow. Jackets and hats in tweed are essentials for a stylish new you. If you have one already, add brown leather boots or an Irish-inspired sweater. When buying for this season, think Guinness.

On the first Saturday night of every month, members from surrounding communities come together at the OAC to laugh and share art in its many shapes and forms. Produced by the Orono Community Theatre on the first Saturday of the fall and winter months, the OAC is an open mic-night for performing artists of all kinds. From local artists to those from abroad, people come and share whatever talent, knack or ability they have with them.

Musicians and storytellers, actors and jugglers, some read original pieces of fiction or poetry while others may brave the stage with a few jokes or a song. At times, the limits of art are tested, as one performer demonstrated by standing on head, proving no matter what you may have to offer, everyone is welcome.

The performances are always varied, usually random and the outcome is consistently surprising.

What’s not a surprise is that the one thing that has remained a constant at this town meeting of the arts: the pie. Seen as an art form in and of itself, the OAC features pies, cakes and cookies donated by locals.

Founded eight years ago by locals Janeen Teal, Sandy Cyrus and Connie Carts, the OAC’s purpose was to be a venue for showcasing the local talent that often goes unnoticed and more often than not slips through the cracks of the average person’s day job. What sets it apart from other “open mic” venues is the use of artisans to help support and fund other local art venues by allowing different school and community groups to sponsor the Arts Café. Each group earns all the proceeds from the sale of refreshments and half the take at the door. The admission is a humble $3 for adults and $1 for students and seniors, which can easily be made back several times over by the cost of pie and coffee.

The outcome of this experiment is always the same, nothing less than completely unpredictable. On many nights, the show as a whole is more enjoyable and of better quality than those produced at the University of Maine. On other nights – well let’s just say that the only thing that could have improved the show would have been the presence of a gong and a trap door. Either way, it’s always a good time.

The next Arts Cafe will be held this Saturday night, Feb. 2 from 7:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. at the Keith Anderson Community House, 19 Bennoch Rd. – next to the Orono Post Office. This month’s Arts Cafe sponsor is the Orono High School Sophomore Class.

This incident was in fact not a fight at all, but an assault on one of our brothers. We feel that by labeling it as a fight, it makes it seem that our brothers took part in the conflict. Someone on the outside may take the heading of the article to portray Beta in a negative light. In fact, the two brothers involved followed the appropriate protocol by calling the police when an un-invited guest became a threat, instead of trying to fight back.

We, the brothers of Beta Theta Pi, do not condone underage or excessive drinking or any form of violence in our house. As it stands, the article reflects poorly upon our brothers and the overall Greek community. That is why the two brothers involved took the appropriate measures to call the police and file a report when the incident occurred.

Unfortunately, fraternities have been stereotyped as being rowdy, violent and bad behavioral institutions for decades. We have been working hard over the years to let the public know that fraternities are indeed foundations of great morals, ideals and beliefs. We strive to be men of principle, which entails being gentlemen, scholars and leaders of our communities.

This sort of representation seriously hinders our goal to change the public’s view so that they may see past the stereotypes that the media and a few fraternities have given them.

Richard Michaud, secretary of Beta Theta Pi.

I would like to make an apology concerning my editorial from Monday’s edition of The Maine Campus. The topic of smoking is something I am personally sensitive to, and I let my emotions get the better of me. My argument was based on my own individual prejudice, and I regret writing it. I have been told that it offended many people, smoker and non-smoker, and that was truly not my intention. To be frank, I wrote the article in a snarky and vindictive mood, and actually didn’t intend for it to be taken seriously, especially since many of my statements were so hyperbolic. My attitude was certainly not the proper one for a real debate of any social or political issue.

It has been pointed out to me, truthfully, that my views on the subject are against the usual liberal stance I take on many issues. I am aware of that, but again, this is due to a personal history with smoking. I hope I have never claimed to be a true-blooded liberal, because I am aware that, like most people, my political views are mixed.

If I could, I’d take back the entire piece, because it was written with poor foresight and in an emotional state. I sincerely apologize to those I have offended. I had no place using The Campus as an outlet for my emotions and, in the future, I intend to keep my contributions at a more intellectual par.

Samantha Hansen

This season the campaign fervor kicked off way too early, exposing potential voters to a barrage of stump speeches, ads, debates and sound-bites. Beyond our general overexposure to this year’s contenders, the novelty of having both a woman and a black man competing against one another for the Democratic nomination has piqued the interest of several hard-to-mobilize voter blocs. People want change so much they’re actually getting involved in the big, bad political process. I love it! I couldn’t feel any more warm and fuzzy and still write about it for the newspaper.

This is why I implore, encourage, challenge and dare you to be a full participant in our democratic process this year. Not just on election day in November, but in choosing the candidate that best reflects your idea of our nation’s leader. Therefore, I would like to present to you my top five reasons for participating in this year’s Maine caucuses:

No. 5: This whole “young people don’t care about our country and our duties as Americans” shtick my parents’ generation has been touting for the past few years is seriously getting old. I am confident that my generation is fairly well informed on the issues, and I’m pretty sure we’ve got a grasp on how all those issues relate to one another and us. I think one of the biggest reasons our parents see apathy in the Millenial Generation – those of us born between 1980 and 2000 – is because they’ve taught us that the “system” is corrupt and not worth their time to fix. Well, it’s about to be our turn working with this system, and we might as well make the best of it.

No. 4: I wholeheartedly subscribe to the belief that if you don’t vote, you can’t complain. If you neglect your rights and duties as a member of our democracy, you opt out of your right to complain when the candidate the people have chosen comes up short. Why would you want to deprive yourself of the right to whine about the shortcomings of your party’s candidate compared the candidate you caucused for? That’s just silly.

No. 3: When you caucus, you are an important part of the democratic process. So important, in fact, that people will try to persuade you personally to come on over to their side to support their candidate. You will be courted by multiple people simultaneously and who doesn’t want that?

No. 2: A representative democracy is only representative if you participate in it. Our elected officials cannot reflect our thoughts, wishes and needs if they don’t know we exist. If we participate, we become the voice our politicians listen to instead of corporations and lobbying groups. It’s not that our democracy abandoned us in favor of these special interests, it’s that the special interests have become the only interests taking an interest in our democracy.

And the No. 1 reason to participate in this year’s Maine caucuses this February? Caucusers do it in groups! Oh yeah, I went there – and it was good.

Gabi Berube is a member of the Progressive Student Alliance and loves to “do it” in groups.

The letter of the law may bar the door to certain rights and privileges of adulthood, but the admittance to womanhood is marked by the unmistakable red of menstrual blood. Whether the woman, who we often call “a girl” in our society, is nine or 18 years old at the onset of menstruation, she now has a sexually mature body which ovulates and bleeds each month. Her next steps are pragmatic ones, born of this new situation.

First of all, she must deal with menstruation. She must ensure that she has an adequate supply of pads, tampons or alternative menstrual products. Regardless of whether she, her mother or another caregiver purchases these items, she personally changes a pad or inserts a tampon.

She must deal with the headaches, cramps and emotional sensitivity that can come before a period. Regardless of whether she chooses ibuprofen, tea, hot water bottles or any other method to alleviate her discomfort, it is she who identifies that discomfort and administers the remedy.

These last scenarios are of particular concern: She must deal with the shifting and sometimes powerful feelings of sexual desire that occur during ovulation for many women. She must make decisions about whether or not to have sex. She must deal with the reality that someone else may make the decision for her.

There are also some external factors that prevent her from making the choices that are rightfully hers. In this country, examples include institutionally enforced ignorance and a climate where sexual aggression towards young women is ignored, or even tacitly condoned by many members of society. For this woman, regardless of her age, regardless of the adequacy of her sexual education and regardless of whether the sexual contact she may engage is consensual or not, it is she who can become a mother.

Here in the United States, we prize the right of self-determination. For a woman who must, in all other things, be fully and intimately active in whatever the experience of her womanhood may bring her, to be denied ownership of her own sexuality is to do no less than to tear down this country’s identity as a democracy in which women take equal part. A woman, of voting age or not, who is prohibited from fully understanding her ability to reproduce by anything less than a comprehensive sexual education by both her parents and her school is being failed by our democracy.

A woman who is forced to have sex by someone who was not taught to respect her right to self-determination is being failed by our democracy. A woman who is prohibited from deciding how many children she will give her body, energy and devotion to for much of her life by being denied access to safe and effective birth control and – should that fail – the ability to terminate an unwanted pregnancy, is being failed by our democracy.

If women, as defined by the age of menstrual onset, are to be considered citizens of this country and not merely children, nor, unthinkably, as our collective reproductive property, we must allow them their rightful control over their sexuality and reproduction. Anything less is not in keeping with our understanding of women as individuals or our great pride in our nation’s identity as a democracy.

Krista Ricupero is a civil engineering major.