Maine Day Cruise

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

February 19, 2010

Contact: Alysha Steltzer
University of Maine
98 A North Main Ave
Orono, ME 04473
Phone: 207-459-4616
Email: Alysha.steltzer@umit.maine.edu

“Maine Day Cruise”

ORONO, Maine-- The University of Maine Automotive Enthusiasts Club (UMAE) will be hosting their annual Maine Day event April 28, 2010. The Maine Day cruise is the largest event held by UMAE; were both current and alumni members are welcomed to join in on the event.

UMAE has a folder on first class for many years but current member numbers have dropped the past two years. UMAE hopes to regain members in a series of events before Maine Day although first time members are welcome to join on the day of the Maine Day event.

University of Maine cancels all classes on Maine Day and many clubs hold different events for the student body to participate in. UMAE offers a series of events that start in Orono and end in Bar Harbor.

On April 28^th at 10 a.m. members met at the university parking lot next to the football field to start the day. Next driving down I-95 to Brewer to eat breakfast at McDonalds. After breakfast five minute drive up the street for an event of go-karting. After go-karting the members drive in Acadia National Park and drive up Cadillac Mountain. The drive is very scenic and relaxing. After everyone has taken in the views of the park, drive down the mountain and to Bar Harbor where members can eat lunch at Geddy’s pub. After lunch UMAE event is over and members can do whatever they like. They can drive back to Orono, stay in Bar Harbor or take in Acadia’s beautiful landscape.

Students that wish to join UMAE just have to introduce themselves in the UMAE first class folder and will start getting information on events. You don’t need to own a nice car to join, just the interest in cars is enough.

Look forward to meeting some of you on Maine Day.

From,



Alysha M. Steltzer
Vice President-Secretary UMAE  

Eyes of a Vegetarian

Seth Toothaker is twenty-four years old originally from Brunswick, Maine and is currently living in Orono, Maine attending college. Toothaker enjoys life to the fullest and is very passionate about his surroundings. His friends describe him as a great listener and a great friend. He has an open mind and loves listening to others opinions even if they don’t agree with his own. 

He feels very strongly on how animals are treated by humanity which is when he made the choice to become a vegetarian. Toothaker hasn’t eaten meat in a few years and he couldn’t be happier. He also is slowly eliminating dairy products from his food group by drinking soy milk.

Graduated from Brunswick High School in 2004, Toothaker is now a fourth year student at the University of Maine double majoring in food science and human nutrition; and philosophy. Toothaker is very passionate about both of his majors. He states that he was “awakened to the world of philosophy, and I really enjoy studying it”. When he was “awakened” to philosophy is when he made the choice to become a vegetarian. Toothaker said he became a vegetarian because of the cruelty to animals society puts them through and he had a crush on his first philosophy teacher at UMaine.

Toothaker is an employee of the University of Maine as an organic chemistry tutor. Chemistry isn’t even his major but Toothaker did well in his classes and was asked by his professor to tutor the spring ’10 semester. He loves helping others learn a hard subject and do well in their classes. The only down side to tutoring Toothaker jokes is that he had to sign a contract with the school restricting him from dating any female he tutors.

Basketball is Toothaker’s favorite activity to watch and play. His next favorite hobby is working out where you can find him every day after class lifting weights and in the pool at the schools’ rec center. Toothaker reads philosophy books to help learn everything he can about the subject. One of his favorites is The Philosophy of Civilization by Albert Schweitzer.

At the end of the day Toothaker likes to sit in his room surfing the internet, watching TV and drinking a cold beer. One of his favorite quotes is from Kung Fu Panda “one often meets his destiny on the road he takes to avoid it”. 

James Bond in Blue Uniform

CMJ 236 4.1

It’s a technology gathering of 65 companies showing their latest gadgets that James Bond would be proud of.  Cindy Williams, anchor for WLBZ2, reports on the story gadgets make police work easier, safer that can be found as a video on the WLBZ2 website. Companies show casing their latest crime fighting gadgets for the police force to   do their jobs better, more efficient and safer.

The event took place in South Portland about three hours from Orono but I feel this story is still local. If law enforcement bought a new technology it would spread to other law enforcements in the state. I consider it local news as well because people in Orono or South Portland would like to know about law enforcement since drivers are aware of police every time they drive.

After watching the newscast and paying attention to the writing if I was the editor I don’t believe I would of changed much of the writing content. Williams is very engaging with interviewing what we assume is someone involved with the police department, Williams doesn’t introduce him. That’s one thing I would add, introducing the man Williams interviews and mention it’s in South Portland or Southern Maine.

With an interview story when there’s back to back dialog there isn’t much writing style that an editor can play with. It has to get the audiences attention and make them feel engaged as if they were standing with Williams looking at different type of law enforcement gadgets.

As an editor I would make changes to William’s tone of voice and change some of the verb tenses on the script before air. First thing views see is police lights which catch people’s attention already that’s why police cars have them. Then the audio kicks in with Williams saying “whoa”. Then she continues with her report that “there’s nothing that gets your attention like lights!” This is the only sentence that really bugs me because I feel it’s kind of childish, like Williams is trying to keep a five year olds attention with flashing lights. Changing it to ‘companies are working on making police lights brighter to catch your attention better’ would be more effective to the viewers.

I enjoyed the references to Back to the Future and James Bond mentioned in the report. The medium age of WLBZ2 viewers almost all grew up with those two movies or at least heard of them. It makes the report more relatable and personal.

This report is written well and I wouldn’t have changed much if I was the editor. If this report was to be written for a newspaper I would change much more but for broadcast it holds up pretty well.

Gadgets Make Police Work Easier, Safer

http://www.wlbz2.com/video/default.aspx#/Local/Gadgets+make+police+work+easier%2C+safer/49383985001/49452227001/64920244001