I received an e-mail recently from Jack McKay, Director of Food AND Medicine – a local community organization – about a phone call he received. His wife Laura Millay answered the call and was asked if she would be willing to participate in a survey conducted by Promark Research Corporation – who described themselves as a “public research firm” in Texas. Millay agreed to take the survey.

After a few stock questions about the previous election, when she was asked, “Have you heard of the Employee Free Choice Act?” Millay said that she had and was asked to describe the bill in her own words. “It’s about supporting worker rights to form a union,” Millay told the surveyor. She also said she supports the bill. Immediately after indicating her support, the purpose of the survey was made apparent.

Millay was read a list of unattributed statements that “had been made” about the EFCA, and was asked if they made her more or less likely to support the bill. These statements included lines such as, “increased unionization would drive down the efficiency of the American workforce,” and “EFCA would significantly drive up the cost of doing business and kill American jobs by driving companies, including small business, out of the country.”

The issue with these sorts of leading questions is that through presenting unattributed “statements” as facts, you can convince people to believe anything. This display of immoral deception is a transparent scam. When asked for whom the survey was being conducted, the surveyor told Millay that she “didn’t have that information.” Promark is a for-profit corporation, which provides these “public research” surveys for a fee to whoever pays for them. If EFCA is being hotly contested by big-business on one side and supporters of worker rights on one side, it’s clear to see who benefits from this survey.

These types of “surveys” are referred to in the political world as “push polls.” According to McKay, this is a “classic push poll … where you make seemingly objective statements that are in fact very propagandistic. As a result, people are led to believe they’re looking at objective info. It’s a shameless yet effective way to move people away from supporting a particular position. Through what is essentially misinformation and deception, they’re trying to trick people into opposing the EFCA.”

Push polls can serve two purposes. The first is to test different lines of attack on a particular issue. By trying all these different “statements” and gauging the response, the surveyor is able to find out which one is the most effective in swaying the public. The other purpose is to drum up misleading statistics. I’m sure that whoever paid Promark to conduct this survey would love to be able to say, “90 percent of those who support EFCA change their mind after being presented with ‘the facts.’”

This survey is clearly an attempt by big business – which more than likely paid for the survey – to mislead the public. It is in the interest of corporations to keep their workers from unionizing, in order to maintain their control over a workforce that doesn’t have a voice. It is their job to make profits for their shareholders, and they can’t have a pesky union stand in the way of larger profit margins for the fat cats at the top. This misinformation campaign in only beginning, and it’s important that we all refuse to drink the Kool-Aid.

Mario Moretto is opinion editor for The Maine Campus.

In Maine, local bottled water companies don’t pay for the water they profit from, and do not provide jobs to local people or support the local economy, according to Jim Wilfong, an adjunct with the University of Southern Maine.

Take Back the Tap has visited college campuses to create awareness and educate the next generation on the untapped resource of local water. Locally it has visited the University of Maine campuses in Southern Maine and Orono, and Colby College. Its campaign aims to eliminate bottled water on college campuses and create awareness for supporting tap water infrastructure in local communities.

Take Back the Tap is a growing organization supported by Food and Water Watch. The group consists of water activists who believe providing food and water to all citizens should be the main priority for government infrastructure.

Food and Water Watch aims to educate the public on using their tap water as a resource, rather than spending hundreds of dollars on bottled water each year.

There are approximately 20 to 30 people working on the project. Their goal is to ensure community water resources provide for people, not for companies desiring commercializing of natural water.

Although people are taught to think they should drink bottled water and somehow their tap water is not healthy or safe to drink, tap water is tested by local governments several hundred times a week, Dowley said.

The water industry uses 17 million gallons of oil each year to make its bottles, while people all over the world do not have access to sufficient drinking water, Dowley said.

At bottled water companies, regulations require that they test their water once a week before bottling, Dowley said.

The money spent on bottled water could help create cleaner water for everyone in the country by funding resources and services to promote local drinking programs, according to Dowley. Having more filter systems and reducing ground water depletion could, along with the reduction in bottled costs and waste, allow more money, time and research to be spent on providing clean tap water to people around the country and the world, according to Dowley.

“We have to concentrate on reducing the waste. The waste stream is only getting larger and larger,” Wilfong said.

Take Back the Tap envisions awareness of the safety of local drinking water. It uses free, public resources, and hopes boycotting bottled water will force more money and resources to be spent on the current U.S. water infrastructure.

During the Take Back the Tap talk on Dec. 4, a water taste test was conducted. The results showed there was no difference of preference between, the University of Maine campus tap water, and the brands Dasani and Poland Spring.

“I think this should go national and it is a really cool thing you are doing,” said UMaine fourth-year English student Adrian Wingard. “That was a great lecture for sure. I want to do more research on this, for it is a very real threat to Maine’s water tables, especially rural towns where a great bulk of it is farmed out to Dasani or Poland Springs.”

“Sam’s Town” was a mild departure from their original sound. It fused pseudo Brit-rock with heavy dance beats and a touch of synthesizer. On “Day & Age,” with titles like “Neon Tiger,” “Dancer” and “Spaceman,” it’s not far off to expect more psychedelic dance sounds. The new venture successfully takes the hints of groove in their previous albums and runs with them.

The debut single from the album is a prime example of the band’s evolution. “Human” has vocalist Brandon Flowers straining his voice to near-breaking point, typical Killers’ lyrics on the verge of making sense (“Will your system be alright / When you dream of home tonight?”) and a beat you can’t help but dance to.

The intro of “Losing Touch” practically jumps out of the speakers with synthetic chimes that set a spacey, out of this world beat, nicely complimenting Flowers’ voice. On some songs Flowers sounds a bit computerized, but the overall effect is pleasing — it’s more Bowie than Britney.

Another standout is “A Dustland Fairytale.” It’s the story of Cinderella rebooted. “Fairytale” starts out soft and lilting, before kicking into full rock mode around the two-minute mark. The same dreamlike, off-beat lyrics Killers fans are accustomed to are impressively amped up with a full instrumental band. This could be the best song on tap.

As with many highly anticipated albums, there are some less successful aspects to “Day & Age.” Tracks like “The World We Live In” and “This Is Your Life” are lackluster and exhibit little of the musical growth that has helped this band thrive. They’re the kind of filler tracks you listen to again and again but don’t actually absorb anything.

The Killers exhibit an ability to morph and create new sounds without alienating their original fan base. “Day & Age” is — for the most part — refreshing and easy to listen to. It may falter on a few occasions, but listeners should have no trouble forgiving the missteps.

Grade: B

Because of the tightening budget, the Academic Affairs committee announced it is looking at extending the January term in 2009, re-aligning UMaine’s breaks to closer match kindergarten through grade 12 calendars and moving to a four-day workweek in order to contain costs.

“It’s not an easy issue for sure,” said Dianne Hoff, president of Faculty Senate.

The Academic Affairs committee said it is reviewing suggestions and that nothing has been decided.

Another suggestion is reducing the number of open classroom buildings on campus during break. Sen. Kathryn Slott recommended against it, saying it might disrupt the ongoing research in many of those buildings, despite the savings in heating costs temporarily closing them might provide. It costs approximately $1,000 to shut down and restart an on-campus building at the start and end of break, according to the Academic Affairs committee.

Vice President for student affairs Robert Dana added that UMaine maintains only five residence halls in-between semesters. He said UMaine intends to “further limit those opportunities” by reducing the number to two or three in an effort to save money. UMaine expects 140 students to remain on campus during winter break this year, Dana said.

Associate Provost Susan Hunter announced the University of Maine System’s chancellor’s plan to restructure the system’s operating model, which he plans to submit to the UMS board of trustees later in the year.

“The chancellor and all the [UMS] presidents believe that the systems’ current operating model cannot be sustained financially,” Hunter explained.

The chancellor was vague in his description of the plan because the UMS isn’t at the point of “concrete announcements,” Hunter said. The restructuring is the result of declining high school enrollment in Maine, a trend expected to continue for eight years, Hunter said. Other factors include the continuing economic struggle in the state and new problems arising, such as falling investment revenue.

The Program Creation Review and Reorganization committee announced its operating manual, which had been approved at the previous senate meeting, had been rejected by President Kennedy’s office because of disagreements over committee authority and the definition of an academic program. The committee plans to report back to senate in a few weeks after talking with the president’s office.

A motion to eliminate the bachelors’ degree in environmental management and replace it with a concentration in “resource and environmental economics policy” and another in “recreation and business management” passed unanimously.

A second motion to have the faculty senate’s executive committee write to Gov. John Baldacci and Maine’s elected representatives asking them to push the creation of an energy college grant system in Maine was tabled until Hoff could draft a formal letter for the senate to comment on. The energy college system would create a federal grant similar to the university land grant program designed to make an energy-friendly college system.

Slick Nick Winter Ale

Brewed in Gorham, Maine

Smell a little of this and you’ll know what’s coming. A scrumptious medley of chocolate and raspberry. Magnificent. One of my favorites in this batch of 17 ales.

Winter Ale by Blue Moon

Brewed in Golden, Colo.

Addictive; I couldn’t stop sipping. Would I have known about the sprinkle of sugar if I hadn’t read the label? Not sure. But once you know, it’s easily recognizable and tasty. One of my favorites.

Santa’s Private Reserve by Rogue Ales

Brewed in Newport, Ore.

Not for the faint of heart. The intensely sour hops were too much for me, and I love hops and powerful flavors.

McChouffe by Brasseri d’Achouffe

Brewed in Achouffe, Belgium

A dark ale that singlehandedly increased my enthusiasm for Belgian beer – wow. An alcohol content of 8.5 percent but still insanely smooth. A pretty dark offering you can see, smell, and, most importantly, taste the quality here. One of the best beers I’ve had in a long time. My mouth was mesmerized.

Prelude by Shipyard

Brewed in Portland, Maine

Those Shipyard hops are banging around here, for sure. It’s a similar taste to their Export and equally tough for me to describe. It’s just a delicious, quality ale. If you’ve ever agreed with Beer Police, try this.

Winter Ale by Samuel Adams

Brewed in Boston, Mass.

It tastes like another offering from Sam’s approaching macrobrew indistinctness, but still with a smidge of microbrew flair. I’m not going to spend much time on this one because you’ll try it in the pubs where it’s the only micro on tap. It’s quality, but average. Neither great nor gross.

Roxy Rolles by Magic Hat

Brewed in Burlington, Vt.

What the hey does a dude on a motorcycle have to do with winter? A blast of piney hops rolls off this one – although it took a three-person roommate brigade to nail down the scent. The hoppy, almost sour taste sticks around for a while.

Winter Warmer by Harpoon

Brewed in Windsor, Vt.

An abomination of spice, it’s kind of like Pumpkinhead gone wrong. Disappointing to say, after preferring Harpoon’s Octoberfest over many fall brews, but I can’t recommend this one under any circumstances. I could barely finish it.

Winter Ale by Sea Dog

Brewed in Topsham & Bangor, Maine

It reminds me of Shipyard’s Export, which (see Prelude, above) means I can’t describe it, but I can give it a thumbs up. Beer aficionados who turn their noses at Sea Dog’s fruitier beers might be surprised to find a straightforward, quality ale with this one.

Winter Ale by Geary’s

Brewed in Portland, Maine

Okay, I’m starting to look schizophrenic with my brewery loyalty. I love Geary’s Autumn Ale. You wouldn’t know it from the Ales of Autumn column, but it ended up being one of my favorites. But with the first sip of Winter Ale, I knew there wasn’t going to be any prolonged courtship with this beer. I don’t like it. It’s vaguely reminiscent of the usual Geary’s taste, but much lighter. It tastes shamefully similar to a light beer. Even Budweiser, yes, the B-word – crossed my mind. Blech.

Christmas Ale by Gritty McDuff’s

Brewed in Portland, Maine

A good balance between average and dark. Tasty, with more of those distinct hops I can never put to words. The aftertaste isn’t great, but it fades quickly – like the memory of the beer itself. It’s a forgettable Christmas brew in a fun bottle, which is less offensive than their Halloween Ale spice bomb.

Old Fezziwig Ale by Samuel Adams

Brewed in Boston, Mass.

Old Fezz is a jolly fellow. This brew tosses in some cinnamon and orange peel for a sweetly spiced ale, prime for prolonged sipping. This is one of the tastier winter offerings. Certainly preferable to the standard Sam’s Winter but also harder to obtain without buying a pricey 12-pack.

Holiday Porter by Samuel Adams

Brewed in Boston, Mass.

Heavenly aroma – not sniffing this before each sip would border on insanity. Very ‘wannabe-European’ but not as thick as true porter and stout fans may like. The caramel hint is the highlight.

Winter Welcome Ale by Samuel Smith

Brewed in Tadcaster, Yorkshire, England

A true winter warmer, it kindles a pleasant heat. At the same time, this pricey, over-hyped brew didn’t blow me away. It’s kind of fruity and a tad light (in coloration, not Bud Light light) for my taste.

Our Special Ale by Anchor

Brewed in San Francisco, Calif.

A reddish-brown beer. Anchor tries a different recipe for each year’s limited release of this seasonal ale. It looks home-brewed and boldly proclaims “Merry Christmas & Happy New Year” on the bottle, but it’s ultimately boring. I don’t taste much of the alleged spices or anything of much interest. Maybe I’m getting jaded.

Fireside Nut Brown by Leinenkugel

Brewed in Chippewa Falls, Wis.

A little heavier than their Sunset Wheat and kind of a departure from their usual fare. A nutty essence and an agreeable aftertaste. It doesn’t stand out in this batch, and it might not blow away Leinenkugel faithful, but it’s not bad.

Nor’easter Winter Ale by Tremont

Brewed in Portland, Maine

I had a hard time paying attention to this while trying to discover its shady origins. Shipyard is listed in fine print on the bottle, although Tremont presents itself as its own entity. Anyway, the trademark Shipyard hops are only vaguely present, so the Nor’easter has a unique vibe. It’s a quality ale, although not very Christmas-y. Shipyard fans are safe with this, but wiser to pick Prelude.

The percentage of locally-grown food at UMaine was higher in September and October, at some times close to 15 percent because of seasonal products such as apples, Taylor said.

Stewart Smith is one of the farmers UMaine buys from. In addition to teaching resource economics and policy at UMaine, Smith owns and operates Lakeside Farms in Newport, with the help of his son. He supplies local produce for both UMaine and Colby College dining services.

During this school year, UMaine has purchased broccoli, squash, cabbage, tomatoes, beets and carrots from Lakeside Farms.

“The university’s been patient with us,” he said. “We give them unpeeled carrots when they could buy peeled carrots from their regular supplier.”

Smith’s farm, which is in its third season, will continue to provide the school with carrots throughout the winter months.

Maine counts Lakeside Farms among the many that do not supply to industries. Lakeside also does not sell directly to consumers through farmer’s markets or community-supported agriculture. Smith said it’s the middle ground between the two types.

“What I’m interested in right now is that middle group,” he said. “Those systems, I think, can be financially viable and help in developing that middle that’s more diverse and better sustainable.”

Rather than selling produce to consumers or factories, mid-size farms compete by delivering to area supermarkets or universities. This way, they keep the profit that would otherwise be taken out for the store’s distribution department. They supply grocers with, as Smith puts it, “a fresher, better taste at equivalent price and service.”

Several local farms supply produce to Performance Food Group (PFG) Northcenter, the operation from which dining services purchases produce, according to Taylor.

Five years ago, when he was a chef with the university’s catering service, Taylor said he used to walk to the farmer’s market, held twice weekly in the Steam Plant Parking Lot. There, he found items he could use in dinners and brought them back to the kitchen.

Once faced with serving an entire campus and spending $800,000 a year on produce, finding the supply locally became a more challenging task. Taylor found his solution in farms such as Lakeside.

“I try to keep up on the trends. At every conference we’ve gone to for the past five years, it’s been, ‘buy local, buy local, buy local,’” Taylor said.

The problems, he warned, come with defining the term “local.” For schools like Princeton, it’s a four-to-five-state region, while schools in California have their entire state to choose from.

Last year, Taylor looked at Maine’s primary produce supplier, PFG. Thinking he’d wind up with California for an answer, he began tracking where the food at Northcenter came from. He was surprised to find much of the produce originating from Maine farms.

“When we found out it was from real farmers, I’d send out an e-mail, and they’d say, ‘Okay, your apples are coming from Belle Vue [farm] this week.’ Every single day now, there’s something we’re using,” Taylor said.

Taylor said Smith called him one day, offering to supply carrots. Now, dining purchases as many as 600 pounds of carrots a week to use in recipes and salad bars campus-wide.

“Stew was wonderful this year,” Taylor said.

In addition to Smith, Taylor stresses the importance of buying from mid-size farms.

In addition to supporting local businesses, Taylor said local produce seems to be healthier than industrial produce. Produce brought across the country is picked when it’s underripe, he says, but local produce is picked fresh. Taylor says he worried about quality, but is now convinced local produce trumps industrial.

“It’s kind of a feel-good thing,” he said. “It’s one of those things where you know it’s the right thing to do.”

Third-year sustainable agriculture student David Merrill is co-manager of the Black Bear Food Guild at Orono’s Rogers Farm. Every year, students plant, tend and harvest crops at the three-acre organic farm.

The program is part of a Community-Supported Agriculture group (CSA). Each season, students begin planning in January, determining how much their operation will cost. They then sell shares to members of the community in March, who front the funding in return for produce later on. In April, the students plant and take care of their crop until October, delivering fruits and vegetables to shareholders after harvesting.

This year was Merrill’s first as co-manager, and he witnessed the CSA program serve more than 83 shareholders. He is a firm believer in local agriculture, saying that humans cannot separate themselves from their environment.

“There is an important sense of connection that’s lost when you don’t know where your food comes from,” Merrill said. “There is an almost sacred element to preparing food that you are connected to. It’s also about local economies, making sure there is a productive capacity and skill set in our own communities.”

Merrill believes the university’s interaction with local farmers can be an incredible building block for the area’s agriculture. He said UMaine, like many schools established around the same time, was founded with a land grant in order to encourage agricultural and mechanical disciplines.

“As an institution of higher education, acknowledging that and acting on it is essential,” Merrill said. “Educating students about where their food comes from is really crucial. If people aren’t aware of this, they will miss some really important information on how it’s grown, about how agriculture affects the environment.”

“The main goal must be to stop undermining each other’s security and trust. The United States and Russia must grow to have a competitive, regulated relationship,” Remington said.

During his lecture, Remington noted the current sour relationship with Russia coincides with the most recent U.S. presidents.

He said President George W. Bush nearly ignored Russia’s existence, while former president of Russia Vladimir Putin felt relations with the U.S. were unnecessary during his era full of economic gains and triumph.

For the panel discussion afterward, Remington was joined by Paul Holman, who has a doctorate in Russian history and worked for more than a decade in the U.S. Foreign Service, and Seth Singleton, a retired academic with a doctorate in Russian affairs. Both men are part-time teachers at the university.

Holman said a proposed U.S. missile battery in Poland will increase the tension between America and Russia.

“Current Russian President Dmitry Medvedev announced on the night of his election that if the U.S. carries out its plans and places a missile system in Poland, then Russia will place a missile system of their own right next door,” Holman said.

Russia has its eyes set on regaining its status as a great nation and world leader, Singleton said.

“Russia sees itself as equal to the U.S,” Singleton said. “We need to find a mediating ground between ignoring them completely and encouraging their puffery.”

As he ended his presentation, Remington outlined points of common interest Obama must address to repair relations with Russia.

These points included prevention of nuclear proliferation, combating international terrorism, working on climate change problems and working on political stability in the area surrounding the former U.S.S.R.

He said Obama must immediately express his openness and optimism in developing a positive relationship with Russia, with immediate being the key word.

A year from now, the START II treaty between the U.S. and Russia will expire. With the end of this treaty, Russia will have unregulated freedom to do whatever they please with their nuclear weapons. The treaty was signed by George Bush senior and former Russian president Boris Yeltsin on Jan. 3, 1993. The treaty banned the use of Multiple Independently Targetable Re-entry Vehicles (MIRVs) on nuclear weapons, which make them more first-strike oriented.

“There is no current framework to regulate the future arms race,” Remington said. “That could bring about a very scary, potentially dangerous situation.”

UMaine political science professor James Warhola, who organized the event, served as moderator for the panel. Warhola was pleased with how Remington’s lecture turned out.

“I think he was right on target. He didn’t pre-suppose that everyone knew a lot about Russian affairs, but at the same time, it was insightful enough for reasonably well-informed people. He’s just an absolutely outstanding scholar,” Warhola said.

“I guess I wasn’t quite aware of Russia’s situation with allies – how few friends they have in the area,” said Sarah Flynn, a fourth-year international affairs student focusing in political science.

“I didn’t realize how much of a big deal Russian politics was at UMaine,” said Arron Estes, another fourth-year political science student with a focus in international relations.

University administrator Jim Tollner said he attended the event to find out how Remington thought Obama would interact with Russia.

“I was most interested in the Russian response to U.S. anti-ballistic systems,” Tollner said. “I just wonder why we’re doing it. Supposedly we’re doing it do counter Iran’s missiles, which aren’t even there. Obviously that was a threat to Russia.”

Obama will take office on Jan. 20, 2009.

This album, consisting of the previously mentioned 38-minute doom-metal song, seemingly came out of nowhere. “Natasha” is a reissue of a track released as a bonus DVD with their 2004 album “Terrifyer.” Why release it again in 2008? In addition to new artwork and packaging, one reason is that DVD audio is essentially a failed medium. Also, instead of merely mixing down the tracks to stereo, the re-release contains an entirely new mix, lasting a few minutes longer than the original release.

Where the original mix was rather muddy and the surfeit of sounds seemed to create a wall of noise, this release is much more cohesive. The guitar, drums, samples, vocals and synthesized noise all move together to create a mammoth wave of dissonance. The tectonic drums and guitars repetitiously slam the listener, while vocalist J.R. Hayes’ often heavily-doctored voice wails his surprisingly feminist tale of a murdered girl’s revenge on her assailant. The song has a psychological effect, causing the listener to internalize the insanity. By the end, you do not just observe the desolation – you feel it.

While certainly only appealing to a small group of people, Pig Destroyer consistently make important artistic and social statements, while keeping mainstream society convinced they are merely peddlers of noisy metal music. “Natasha” will most likely not win them any new fans, but it will certainly impress geeks like me who like a little avant-garde with their metal. Did you really expect any less from a band whose name is a euphemism for “cop killer?”

Grade: A-

The game was much closer than the final score would indicate.

The Raiders entered the game hoping to snap a five-game losing streak. The Black Bears had just broken a four-game skid of their own after an uplifting 126-50 victory over the Division-III Owls of the University of Maine-Presque Isle four days earlier.

With momentum in their favor, UMaine (5-4) came out of the gates strong and dominated on the defensive end, holding Colgate (2-6) to under a 32 percent shooting average in the first half.

“We played really good defense in the first half,” said junior guard Mark Socoby, who picked up the America East Player of the Game award. “Our zone was good and our man-to-man was even better.”

Socoby also staked his claim on the offensive end of the floor, draining consecutive three-pointers at the end of the half to cap a 20-4 UMaine run. The run gave the Black Bears a 35-19 lead and it seemed the game was in hand.

But in basketball, things can change quickly.

Colgate emerged from the locker room with renewed intensity in the second half. They took advantage of a now-stagnant UMaine offense that could only muster six points in the half’s first 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, sophomore Mike Venezia and junior reserve Ben Jonson of Colgate were exploiting holes in the Black Bear defense, nibbling away at what once seemed an insurmountable lead.

“Colgate is a good team.” Socoby said. “Every good Division-I team is going to make their run, and in the second half they did that.”

The Raiders narrowed the margin to 47-45 after a three-pointer by sophomore Joe Hoban, but the Black Bears showed great poise from there on, refusing to relinquish the lead.

The turning point came when junior captain Junior Bernal (17 points, 6 rebounds, 5 assists) reentered the game with the lead cut to two. Along with Socoby, one of three captains, they combined for 12 points in the final six minutes to lead a resurgent UMaine offense to victory. Socoby finished with 23 points and four rebounds.

Coach Ted Woodward praised his defense and the leadership of his captains after the game.

“The game of basketball is always a game of runs. … We got a lot of contributions, I thought our defense really stepped up when we had to, and we got some really good leadership from Mark [Socoby] and Junior [Bernal] in particular.”

The importance of winning these past two home games should not be understated, and the gravity of them was not lost on the players.

“To be a good team we have to win at home,” Bernal said after the game. “That’s what is going to keep us motivated.”

Woodward echoed that sentiment, stressing that a young team – UMaine is the youngest team in America East – needs to become accustomed to winning at home.

“Of the 11 guys we dressed tonight, six of them are freshman. So just getting them to understand it’s important to win at home, to go where we want to go as a group, is key for us.”

With a successful home stand in the rearview mirror, the Black Bears head for a gut-check game with the fifth-ranked University of Oklahoma Sooners on Wednesday night. The Black Bears’ main focus is aimed toward defending Blake Griffin, projected by many as the No. 1 pick in next June’s NBA draft.

But don’t expect them to back down.

“We don’t need to be in awe of anybody,” Woodward said after Monday’s game. “We just have to go out there and do what we do against whoever we play against.”

UMaine will not play again until Harvard comes to town on Dec. 21.