Coming to an end

Its scary to see that there are very few activities listed on the CAB Web Site. The semester really is drawing to a close, and for me, that means graduation. For now, I will take advantage of the little time I have left here. Hopefully, I will be able to attend some of the activities that CAB has planned.

I noticed that a few weeks from now, April 27, CAB is holding a Spring Fling with an Under the Sea theme. This event is much like the Winter Carnival which was held a few weeks into this semester. Planned activities for this event include an obstacle course, a mechanical surfer, cosmic mini golf, cotton candy, and sand art. That should be fun.

Also, alongside all the normal weekly activities, CAB is also preparing for Stress Free Finals. Stress Free Finals happens during finals week. They provide activities to help students relax a bit during the very chaotic time. Activities they've offered in the past include massages from Cutler Medical Center, free food, arts and crafts, and much more. I tend to go to at least one of these events as they really do help to take your mind off of studying, if only for a little bit.

For more information on the CAB events, go to http://www.umaine.edu/campusevents/cab/index.htm

Relay Results

Relay for Life was a pretty good time. After staying up Friday night into Saturday morning, I am completely exhausted. Even after I've had a full nights rest, I still can't seem to regain that missed sleep.

Relay started with an opening ceremony, explaining how the night was going to run and reminding us why we were there. The first lap of walking was done by caregivers and survivors of cancer, which was really sad. There were a lot of children survivors, and its sad to think of what they've been through at such an early age. In addition, there was a luminary ceremony, remembering those who have died of cancer. It was sad people stopped at the different luminaries, remembering their family and friends. A lot of people were crying.

There were many activities set up to keep everyone awake and busy. The Choice Professionals played in the big field house. I thought it was weird because I had just seem them in The Project and really had taken a liking to their music. In addition, they had activities such as volleyball, badmitten, and floor hockey for participants to partake in.

While the event was a very good time, I must say that overall, it seemed a bit unorganized. The event staff really seemed chaiotic and confused about almost everything that was going on. Because I had participated last year, I had noticed the differences. Last year there was much higher particpation in the organized activities, but this time, no one really knew what was going on so very few participated in activies.

I still encourage everyone to participate in the event next year. Its for a good cause and it is a really good time.

CAB is now on AIM!

Upon doing some additional research, I've found a pretty handy feature that some of you might be interested in. I have simply been using the Web Site for information on the upcoming CAB events, but have discovered there is something much easier. Those with AIM can now add the CAB screen name to view upcoming activities. They will keep you up-to-date on the happenings. All you have to do is add "UMaineCAB" to your buddy list. I thought this was a pretty neat feature, especially because many students are on AIM, so it just seems a lot easier.

Relay for Life Today!

Today, the American Cancer Society (ACS) in combination with a variety of campus organizations are hosting Relay for Life. I, along with many of my friends, are participating in this event. I've participated in past years and have always found it to be a rewarding and fun experience.

Upon signing up, you find ways to raise money for the ACS. They provide you with a donation Web Site so that your friends and family can donate directly to your site. With teams of up to fourteen people, the goal is to be the team with the top donation amount prior to the actual event date.

The event itself is an eighteen hour overnight event designed to bring together those who have worked hard to fight cancer in addition to those who have worked to help eliminate it. It takes place in the field house. Teams are encourage to think of creative themes as they prepare their camp sites for the night. During the night, a representative from each team needs to be walking the track to symbolize their teams support of the fight against cancer.

In addition, there are a variety of different activities available for teams to do. Last year, some of the activities included kickball, dodge ball, pie eating contests, balloon shaving contests, and bingo. There is also live music. The activities are spread out throughout the night to keep participants awake and active.

You must be signed up to attend this event and the deadline is today 12 p.m.. Speaking from personal experience, I have found the event to be a very good time and would encourage those who have not participated to do so. Pictured above is my team from last year. The event not only brings people together for a good cause, but is a very fun time.

Kickin' Flicks

Each week, the Campus Activities Board shows a pre-released movie. The movie is free to students. Tonight and Friday they present the movie Freedom Writers. I've personally never seen the movie, but did some research. Freedom Writers features Hilary Swank as a young teacher that inspires her class of "at-risk" students to learn tolerance, apply themselves, and pursue education beyond high school. The movie is rated PG-13 and runs about 123 minutes. Overall, most reviews I have reach about the movie seem relatively positive.

Check reviews out at http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/freedom_writers/

The movie is showing in the Bangor Room in the Memorial union at both 7:30 p.m. and 10 p.m.

Semi-Finals

Semi-Finals of the Project proved to be very entertaining. With eight performers playing approximately three to four songs each, the event ended up lasting about two hours long. It was interesting to see the fan bases for each performer. Certain sections of the audience would get louder as their favorite acts played. Of the eight acts, four advanced on to the finals. Those four included Miles Hanson, Jonathan Bailey, Sons of David, and The Choice Professionals.

Of all the acts, I find myself most attracted to the music of The Choice Professionals (pictured). Karl Varian from The Choice Professionals is very eager to play at this years Finals. This is their second year participating in The Project. Last year, The Choice Professionals made it to the Finals but didn't win.

I am excited for the finals which will take place Tuesday, April 24 at 8 p.m. in the Main Dining Room of the Memorial Union.

Semi-Finals Tomorrow!

As the semester winds down, so does The Project, UMaine's acoustic music competition, as only eight acts remain. The Project is holding its semi-finals tomorrow, April 10 at 8 p.m. in the Main Dining Room of the Memorial Union. The top four acts will then move on to the Finals which will be held on April 24. The winner of the competition will receive a $500 gift certificate to Mark’s Music. In addition, the runner-up will receive a $200 gift certificate.

The final eight acts in the competition are the following:

-Carl Hansen & Zac McIntyre

-Joshua Hiatt
www.myspace.com/joshuahiatt

-Sons of David
www.myspace.com/thesonsofdavid

-Forever Semi-Formal
www.myspace.com/foreversemiformal

-Katie Bradley

-Miles Hanson
www.myspace.com/mileshanson

-The Choice Professionals
www.myspace.com/thechoiceprofessionals

-Jonathan Bailey

Check out the Web Sites to get a sneak preview of what you can expect to hear tomorrow. This is a free event and all are encouraged to attend to cheer on their favorite bands. It should be a good time.