Rodney’s going Greek
Sigma Phi Epsilon gave a special invitation to a non-Greek member of the USM committee to join its national organization.
Rodney Mondor, Greek advisor and assistant director of student involvement, is a counselor and advisor for Greeks and handles Greek matters in Gorham, but is not a Greek himself. Members of Sigma Phi Epsilon offered Mondor a bid to join after he spoke at a conference last month.
Sigma Phi Epsilon does not have a chapter at USM, but does in Orono. Mondor will act as a resource for that chapter and will be facilitator at an upcoming leadership conference. More importantly, he’ll be Greek.
“I’ve been unaffiliated for so long people were teasing me,” Mondor said.
The induction will take place at a leadership luncheon in Dedham, Mass. next Saturday, where Mondor will also lead a discussion on ancient Greece.
Looking for star gazers
Southworth Planetarium is looking for people to volunteer with the Young Astronomer’s Club.
The club helps children ages 10 to 14 build rockets and telescopes and teaches them how to find constellations and planets and explore deep space objects. The club will also train children for the “Stellar Show.”
Children will learn programming, leadership and oratory skills to run afternoon shows. Volunteers should know about rockets and telescopes, but everyone is welcome to volunteer.
“If this goes well we’ll be doing it for every school vacation,” Rackcliff said.
For more information call Samantha Rackcliff at 780-4249.
Computer scientists get a boost
Wright Express gave USM $19,000 for computer science scholarships.
Wright Express supports USM through its annual golf tournament. At the USM Corporate Partners meeting earlier in January, Michael Dubyak, Wright Express president and CEO presented USM President Rich Pattenaude with a check from proceeds of the 2001 tournament.
“We hope the scholarship will encourage young people to stay in Maine and pursue careers in computer science,” said Dubyak in a press release.
Wright Express is a South Portland based company.
Outdoors internship
Are you an environmental science student and interested in working in the outdoors? If so, Bob Branscombe’s got the internship for you.
Branscombe, a University of Massachusetts graduate, will be growing a tree farm in York and wants to give students an opportunity to work on the project.
Students will be involved from the very beginning. Duties will include soil analysis and sun exposure while selecting the land for the farm, preparing the land, planting the trees and monitoring the farm’s progress and conditions.
The project is scheduled to begin this summer or possibly in the fall. When finances are secured Branscombe would consider co-op positions. The farm will be monitored for at least 10 years. Branscombe worked a co-op job while he was an undergraduate and valued his experience.
“I’d love to be able to provide other students with a similar hands-on experience,” Branscombe said.
For more information call Samantha Langley-Turnbaugh, internship coordinator for the Environmental Science and Policy program, at 780-5361.