Educator F Inds Unique Method to Reach Students
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Educator f inds unique Hundreds of parents visit the campus method to reach students By JOHN DeBRUICKER later interview. nal good in all the things around us," NEWS EDITOR Parker, author of more than 50 he said. "I've given up theologies. I've research, technical and popular publi- gotten very jaded about what happens cations, sees the upcoming election as when people make rules to make peo- Last Thursday, students in Miller an opportunity for the country to save ple believe what they want them to. library and on the academic quad the ecosystem from further damage by Theologies give them an excuse to do turned their heads as Raptorius , a the current administration. "I stop shy whatever they want." cloaked, bearded wizard from the of condemning any party, and I don 't Head of Instructional Services at fourth age of a lesser Istari , strolled tell people how I vote," he said. "My the College's libraries Marilyn the campus with his companion, an beginning concern is with the environ- Pukkila , a practicing witch and adorable little owl, perched on his ment. You simply cannot divorce con- authority on neopaganism admired hand. The wizard, also known as Dr. Parker 's ambitions of spreading eco- Jim Parker, greeted many students on logical knowledge, but admitted that their way to class distributing a list of I stop shy of she had not encountered wizards like readings he wanted voters to be famil- the one he personates. She explained iar with before the upcoming congres- condemning any that wizards were once more promi- sional elections. party, and I nent in Elizabethan times, working in "This is homework for a good life; ceremonial, astrological high magic as wonderful, fun, and exciting it is," don't tell people opposed to the low magic of witches Parker 's parchment read. The list how I vote. My that deals with the earth. Witchcraft included everything from National has sustained much better than wiz- Geographic magazine to the Lorax, beginning con- ardry, and strains of neopaganism Fast Food Nation to Guns Germs and cern is with the have many followers in the United Steel. Parker, formerly a biology pro- States today. Parker does not partici- fessor at the University of Maine at environment. pate, nor particularly believe in magic. Farmington, primarily considers him- "I cannot believe that any of that is self an educator. He has visited 400 Dr. Jim Parker going to be any more real than Christ schools in six states through his Aerie Aerie East Environmental Education walking across a lake," he said. East program, which teaches the Instead, Parker's conception of wiz- importance of biodiversity and ardry deals more with its emphasis on humanity's dependence on the ecosys- cern for environmental health and teaching. He recalls when Lord of the tem. A birdwatcher in high school, he politics anymore." The environment Rings and Harry Potter dominated became interested in raptors (such as and sociology go hand in hand, popular culture, and was drawn to the the owl he carries) and is now the according to Parker's teachings. His way wizards in both storylines were national authority on the Mississippi goal is merely to make voters aware of represented as teachers. Wizards can Kite, an American bird of prey. the dire condition of the environment go by many other names; shamans, Parker was not at the College to and let them make their own decisions medicine men, healers, imams, sages lead a traditional Aerie East program based on that knowledge. and priests, according to Parker, but like he does most often at elementary As much as Parker tries to let his they all serve the good of their people. schools, but he did listeners and readers "Above all, they are teachers in the impart a number of think their own, he best sense of the word. AH true wiz- . TMW4A3 COOH ITW) *» MAWSCN-QOWZE fHOTTCMVIME CQUB* ECHO important ecological personally worries ards desire to acquire wisdom, attain Parents talk over lunch (Top) and the Blue Lights' sing at Friday night s' a cappelia concert (Bottom).To read lessons. Students I'm just being about the current new knowledge and understanding, more about Fridays' a cappelia concert turn to page 7. lured in by his cos- me. This is how administration's ten- and to pass it on to others." tume and bird were dency to act given a reading list Jim Parker as a autonomously. He's and a reminder of Ph.D. biologist concerned with vot- Students keep ME warm this winter how we need to pay ing machine errors Sodexho hopes to more attention in our teaches. You that could swing the unteered in the program, which has Bartkiewicz said. "But if we could go By JOHN DeBRUICKER daily and political results of an elec- only existed since 2004. According to into other places like Somerset that too can become NEWS EDITOR lives to the environ- tion resulting in seri- Executive Director of the Maine would be awesome." Other institu- break record with ment, or we will no a wizard. ous ecological Commission for Community Service tions participating are Bowdoin longer be able to consequences. From Oct. 19 through 22, students Maryalice Crofton , 1 ,500 homes will College, St. Joseph's College, the appreciate wonders Dr. Jim Parker Though he does will be helping winterize homes in be winterized in the four day period by University of Southern Maine and upcoming food drive like the one perched Aerie East Environmental Education not practice magic, Kennebec County as part of a volunteers and the balance will be College of the Atlantic. Unity College on his hand. and dons his robe statewide effort , Keep ME (Maine) taken care of by organizations work- has almost all of its community By BEN HERBST Though on campus he introduced and pointed hat only to bring focus to Warm. Organized by the Colby ing with Maine State Housing. involved, and the University of Maine EDITOR IN CHIEF himself as Raptorius, Parker says the his cause, he does consider himself a Volunteer Center, students will work Crofton is pleased that the College at Orono has some fraternities partici- wizardry mostly serves to draw atten- spiritual person to a certain extent. in teams of three to outfit 207 homes will be participating despite graduat- pating tion to his teachings. "It will get peo- Bom a Lutheran, he moved away from in need of insulation. ing last year's organizers. "I don't According to Crofton, Somerset As part of a nationwide effort to ple's attention, you can play off it, but Christianity in his college years. His The program's goal is to winterize know what the difference is this year," County has 101 houses that need break the Guinness Book of Records' I'm just being me. This is how Jim beliefs now come close to a pantheis- 3,000 houses throughout the state she said. "It 's been really spotty across attention , Penobscot has 153 and mark for the most non-perishable Parker as a Ph.D. biologist teaches. tic worldview that a holy spirit exists before the coming winter, exceeding the state in the past in terms of college Washington has 200. Areas in the items collected in one day. Dining You too can become a wizard." "Go in all natural things. "I'm a person last year's 2,100 homes. This is the involvement." north that generally have older hous- Services will be collecting items in out and teach yourself," he said in a who likes to see the presence of eter- second year Colby students have vol- ing stock particularly need attention dining halls on Wednesday, Oct. 18. due to the sparse population and eco- The current record-which stands at We've pretty nomic stress. Apartment buildings to the south have helped alleviate the much taken care problems there, but by no means com- We are really of the whole pletely. The efforts are limited to homes owned by those living in them hoping that we county, but if we rather than rented residences. can blow this could go into Affordable insulation packages and volunteer help will greatly assist one out of the other places like Mainers who have felt the chilling water and really Somerset that effects of high oil prices on heating during the winter months. collect a big would be awe- Student teams will renovate three number. some. homes in the day they choose. A rep- resentative from the Commission for Varun Avasthi Mitch Bartkiewicz '07 Community Service will assist with Director of Dining Services Cc-dlrector, Colby Volunteer Center the first to make sure students know how to install insulation materials around the windows, doors and pipes. about 150,000 pounds-came from a Mitch Bartkiewicz '07, co-director The commission will also cover trans- non-profit group in Pennsylvania. of the CVC, says that this year the portation at 35 cents per mile. The Sodexho, the national company that event has gotten a lot more attention CVC also helped put on a fundraising runs the College's Dining Services which has translated to more involve- walk for the Make a Wish Foundation hopes to smash that record and collect ment. At press time 180 students have three weeks ago, and coming up on around 300,000 pounds next week. In already signed up, with plenty of time Oct 28 they will be putting on a haunt- preparation the Student Government still to enroll. "We've pretty much ed house on campus for local trick-or- Association and Hall Staff members taken care of the whole county," treaters.