unity college summer 2006 issue

Summer 2006

The Magazine of Unity CollegeThe Magazine of Unity College

I want to thank everyone here at Unity and throughout the greater Unityfamily who made this a very productive and wonderful year for me. I havegreatly enjoyed my time here at the College. I believe that we have had a veryproductive year. Several new policies and programs have been implemented,new partnerships and collaborations have been developed, several new facultyare slated to arrive in the fall, a strategic plan to guide us into the future hasbeen approved by the Board, a much revamped college marketing and studentrecruitment system is in place, and building and refurbishing projects areunder way. Yet in the swirl of change what remains, what continues to sustainUnity as it always has and always will, is Unity’s people. My affection for the

hard working, bright and creative student body, board members, alumni, staff and faculty is genuine anddeep. This is clearly a campus on the move, one engaged in important work that continues making a namefor Unity College locally, regionally, nationally and even internationally. Most of all Unity College is a placeabout, for, and committed to the growth of people. We take serious our invitation to people to come andgrow with us in this lovely corner of Maine.

To continue our advances, our momentum and our movement ever forward, we are indeed fortunate tohave a major environmental scholar and teacher, Mitchell Thomashow, join us as our new president. Mitchhas been the catalyst behind all of the environmental programs for three decades at Antioch New EnglandGraduate School in Keene, New Hampshire. A published author of several acclaimed books, a frequentcontributor to journals like Orion, a consultant to numerous organizations and agencies, a widely sought-after lecturer and a serious student of educational processes, Mitch brings energy, excitement and vision tohis new duties as Unity’s president. In the several months that I have gotten to know him and hisenvironmental-educator wife, Cindy, I have been most impressed with the Thomashows and their sincerity,warmth and fundamental decency. Unity College now has the person at the helm to lead this amazingplace into the future. I know you will join me in welcoming Mitch and Cindy to Unity!

As for me I return to my post at the University of Southern Maine forever changed by my year at Unityand ever more a friend of this fine College and community. Thanks!

Mark B. LappingInterim President

Message from the President

Unity summer 2006 | 1

2 Comments

3 Letters to the Editor

Features

4 Why Environmental Education?

6 Unity Archery Goes Global

10 Every Student Counts

In Our Element

14 On Promoting Environmental Learning

18 Thomashow Well Received on College Lecture

Circuit, Enjoys Reputation as Profound Thinker

and Consensus Builder

20 A Hostile Takeover of the Maine Coast?

22 Pursuing Environmental Leadership at the

Grassroots Level (with sidebar by Sara Trunzo)

24 The Unity IDEaL

26 A Grade with Your Dessert?

29 New & Noteworthy

31 Annual Report

Volume 20, No 2The Magazine of Unity College90 Quaker Hill RoadUnity, Maine 04988207-948-3131 (all departments)www.unity.edu

EditorMark Tardif

Editorial AssistantsKate GrenierCynthia Schaub

PhotographyMark TardifAaron McCannellAimee PhillippiTina ShuteThe Common Ground Collective

Board of TrusteesMr. Robert Pollis, ChairMr. Tim Glidden, Vice-ChairMr. Kenneth Winters, TreasurerMr. Robert Doherty, SecretaryMrs. Joan Amory, Ms. Juliet Browne, Mr. Peter DidisheimMr. Donald Foster, Mrs. Doris Hall, Mr. Kenneth HallMr. Mark Miller, Ms. Gloria Sosa, Mr. John TewheyMr. Robert Tonge, Mr. Charles Vandemoer, Dr. Paul WadeMr. Neil Ward, Alumni RepresentativeDr. Amy Arnett, Faculty RepresentativeMr. Will Hafford, Student Representative

Professors EmeritiDr. Edward Beals, Leonard R. Craig, Ann Dailey, Dr. C. LarryFarnsworth, Rev. George Fowler, Donald F. Mortland, FlorenceNoonan, David Purdy, Dorothy Quimby

Dean EmeritiDonald F. Mortland

Cover PhotoChampion archer Amanda Hardaswick ‘07 qualified and competedin the International Bowhunting Organization 2006 WorldChampionship in August. She also won the Connecticut StateArchery Shoot and Maine State Championship during the Spring2006 Semester. See archery story for details.

Unity Magazine is published by Unity College.

Copyright © 2006 by Unity College.

All rights reserved. No material may be reproduced in whole or in part

without written consent. Material is produced for the reader’s information

and entertainment only.

Printed on recycled paper with vegetable-based inks.

INSIDE UnityA m e r i c a ’ s E nv i ro n m e n t a l C o l l e g e

volume 20 no. 2

6

14

32

2 | Unity summer 2006

Unity College is blessed with a greatmany talented individuals who arecommitted to advancing its strong

ideals on a daily basis. These ideals includeeducating the next generation of environmentalleaders, operating a model sustainablecommunity, and challenging dedicated,adventurous and earthy students in activeways that promote personal and professionalgrowth. The friendly atmosphere promotesactive learning and growth through thegenerous nature of all who serve and believein walking down a collaborative path. It isalso blessed with supporters across theUnited States and beyond, highly engagedTrustees, along with talented educators andstaff. The hands-on approach to learningpursued at the College is progressive andhelps a wide range of students jump-starttheir environmental careers with regularfield work. Students also make the most ofopportunities to learn in an outdoor setting,often seen when educators like ProfessorDave Potter take students to study at UnityPond, or Associate Professor Emma Creaserleads students on a field trip to the coast.

The commitment to service at everylevel is exemplary. So often one seesprofessionals like Interim Provost andAssociate Professor Mick Womersleyleading a student activity at odd hours,Saturday and Sunday included, inWomersley’s case as advisor to Unity Searchand Rescue. Ideas and initiatives are trulyvalued, such as when Associate Director ofAdmissions Joe Saltalamachia (’95) foundedthe annual Fishing for Scholarshipstournament, now in its fourth year.

There are few boundaries or impedimentsto service present, with staff and facultyvolunteering for the annual Fishing forScholarships Tournament and many otherevents all year long. Faculty and staff areincluded in significant decision-making andbeyond-the-call-of-duty service is secondnature by choice. The strong, progressivemission of the College frames its efforts,initiatives and culture.

Now in its second year, Unity, theMagazine of Unity College, is anopportunity for the College to showcase itsnoteworthy achievements, friendly asides,mission and internal culture. Though themagazine, just as the College itself, isresponsive to changing needs and goals, itsprimary audiences are those external to theCollege. The target audiences for thismagazine can be but are not limited toindividuals who know little about theCollege, members of the media, the curious,

potential donors, potential students, parentsand donors.

For a small college, Unity has its fairshare of high quality publications geared toserving different audiences. The Departmentof Admissions publishes a newsletter thataddresses issues of particular interest topotential students. The Office of CareerServices is responsible for a series ofinformative web pages on the Unity Collegeweb site at www.unity.edu, and thisdepartment does a great job of keepingcurrent students, students who are interestedin pursuing internships, potential employersand others informed about this importantaspect the College. The list continues andcovers every department, individual facultymembers, and student groups.

A new feature of this magazine is asection for Letters to the Editor. Wewelcome your letters and story ideas.Simply contact me by phone, e-mail or byletter. Just as Unity College serves theworld, so too does this magazine seek toserve and connect with all individuals whoshare its values.

Mark Tardif,

Associate Director of College

Communications

Unity College

90 Quaker Hill Road

(207) 948-3131, ext. 292

[email protected]

Message from the EditorWhat is Unity?


Let me begin by stating that Ithoroughly enjoy reading about theCollege and its community. I would,

however, like to express some strong feelingsI have with regard to a recent article. Thearticle in question is from the Winter 2006Volume 20, number 1. It’s written by MarkTardif and is titled Angela Ebert CombinesLove of Hunting, Adventure with Studies atUnity College.

Angela sounds like an excellent studentand representative of the Unity Collegecommunity. Her commitment to thiscountry (as a member of the armed forces)is also to be commended and is certainlyappreciated by me personally. I’m glad shereceived a scholarship from the Safari Cluband I hope she puts it to good use.

It’s very interesting to note thatsometimes the folks who grow up with theclose connections to the land and richhunting “traditions” lack some of the mostimportant fundamentals of hunter safetyand/or in this case, hunter ethics. I’m surethat many of the Unity Collegecommunities’ hunters felt the same level ofdisbelief as I did when reading the accountof one of Angela’s “favorite and mostentertaining hunting stories…”

The use of a firearm which has not beenproperly and thoroughly sighted in (withthe ammunition being used) is a seriousmistake with regard to the ethical taking ofa whitetail deer or any other animal for that matter. The chance of wounding an animal increases enormously under these

circumstances. If what the story conveys istrue, Angela had no idea where theprojectile (deer slug or buckshot if legal) wasgoing to hit. She was very fortunate she didnot wound and lose “her first buck.”

In addition, the fact that Angela’smother brought down a doe from her porchin her house gown may be legal, and soundsinteresting and maybe quirky, however, it’snot something that I believe the overallhunting community as a whole shouldcondone and it’s certainly not something tobe published by the College in its magazine.When publishing stories which conveyhunting techniques, attitudes, or actions, Iwould highly recommend that you aseditors and/or writers need to have thesearticles reviewed by experienced hunters(from the Unity College community) priorto publishing. I would gladly volunteer todo this for you in the future if you’d like.

Overall, this article stands as a good case for mandatory Hunter Safety/Ethicseducation for ALL hunters, especially thosewith rich hunting traditions passed downthrough many generations. It’s never toolate to learn about ethical sportsmanship.Instead of Remington sending her a “letter,hat, and jacket,” they should have sent heran invitation to a hunter safety/ethics course.

Robert J. Maietta ‘81

Stonington, CT

Letters to the EditorHunter Ethics is a Concern

whyEnvironmental

By Mick Womersley


Being British and being relatively savvy with computers andother technology, I’m a regular consumer of the newsproducts put out by the BBC. I get the “Beeb” on my TV at

home via satellite, I get it on my computer at work and at home,and I use their streaming video clips and web-based news service inclass on a regular basis.

Americans who watch the BBC know that from the Horn ofAfrica south to Botswana and west to Mali, famine is rampant andmillions will die this year. They also know that the drought that iscausing this famine is part of a major climate anomaly, nowconsidered statistically significant, and linked to greenhousewarming. They know that the Greenland ice sheet is melting, as isthe West Antarctic ice sheet, and that this melting is considered aclimate tipping point by most climate scientists. They know thatforty meters of sea level rise is possible as a result. While all this ishappening, classes about the linked issues of climate and energy arerequired in American colleges and universities.

The great majority of American graduates leave school ignorantof these issues. In a few years time, when the enormity of what we’vedone is finally upon us, our children will ask what we personally didto prevent it.

I asked my grandfather, when I was a wide-eyed kid, what he didin the First and Second World Wars. He said he did the best that hecould. And like him, I have tried my best. One day at least I will beable to answer that I not only did my best, but I did the thing thatwas most important: I tried to stop it.

Every Unity College student leaves with a basic education inclimate change and energy issues. It is an education, as formerPresident David Glenn-Lewin always said at graduation, free fromdogma and compulsion. It is a civilized education, designed so thatstudents will know enough to do their part in protecting thecivilized world from climate change and the civic stresses thatclimate change will bring. Making sure this education happens isthe single most important thing I can be doing in the year 2006 AD.

I have to say I’ve given up trying to prevent climate change itself.We left it too long, took too many chances. Most scientists nowrealize that the time when high-level policy such as the KyotoAccord could affect greenhouse emissions sufficiently is probablypast us now. What I do now in my classes is to explain what willhappen as carefully as I can, and then make my students thinkabout what it’s going to take to maintain the rule of law, to maintainfood and water supplies, and to prevent conflict in the world that isto come. We’re moving from a period in which scientists tried tomake us stop climate change, to one in which aid agencies, westernmilitary services, rescue services and agricultural specialists will haveto respond to climate change.

We can begin to see what this new world looks like in NewOrleans, in the tsunami response area, in the continent of Africa,and by extension, in Palestine, Iraq and Afghanistan. Just as thecombination of fascism with the Great Depression createdconditions for the Second World War, the combination

of climate changewith internationalterrorism, energycompetition, and thefailure of states willlead to terrible,possibly global strife.The era of theclimate refugee isupon us. It will onlyget worse.

Somehow, out ofthe depths of the

Great Depression in Britain and America, arose a generation thatwas able to put an end to the war, to the strife and to theconcentration camps. The job was messy and uncivilized at times.But at the end, there were civilized trials, civilized relocation efforts,Germany got the Marshall Plan and Japan democracy despite thosewho wanted to punish them.

In general, American and British college and universitygraduates were the young leaders who tidied up the terrible humancost left by the death throes of the Third Reich and her Axis. It was,more than anything, an exercise in human decency.

My job, as an environmental professor, is to train the newgeneration who will tidy up the human mess left by climate change.It is, more than anything, about human decency.

Mick Womersley, Ph.D., is Interim Provost and Associate Professor ofHuman Ecology. He has degrees in biology, conservation, andenvironmental policy. He is co-chair of the college’s sustainability effort.

“The great majority of American graduates leave schoolignorant of these issues. In a few years time, when theenormity of what we’ve done is finally upon us, our childrenwill ask what we personally did to prevent it.”

Education at theCollege Level?

y


unity archeryclub on targetat i.b.o. worldchampionship –spirit, success and an open-doorpolicy point to a bright futureBy Mark Tardif

On a raw and drizzly spring evening inMarch that would depress an otter, a groupof energetic male and female archers fromUnity College gathered to test themselves atthe Maine State Indoor ArcheryChampionships at Central Maine Archeryin Auburn, Maine. Testing themselves likethis is something they have been doing as aclub for three years, improving at anastonishing rate. They now consistentlyperform in official competitions at astartlingly high level, with several memberswinning titles and cracking nationalrankings.

Share and Share Alike – Both GendersNeed Apply

Some on campus see the team asarguably Unity’s best opportunity to achieveathletic prominence on a national level,though many teams, clubs and individualsalike, achieve much every year.

Suffice to say that Unity athletics are bothcompetitive and participatory, and both ofthese aspects of its culture are representedon the Archery Club, which in three yearshas grown.

With female team members practicingalongside males and willing competitionstoo, the archery club is more than just aplace for students who share the samepassions. It is the embodiment of the teamoriented, supportive and friendly

environment present at Unity College. At every competition the team emphasis

is on progress, support and fun. Winning isusually great fun anyway, but possibly evenmore so with such a tight-knit groupcelebrating together.

During the competition in Auburnmembers shared advice, cheered good shotsand urged that bad shots be forgotten. It isa team that wins, overcomes adversity, andtrains together. The team is among thatmost rare commodity at the collegiate level,a truly open-minded group tied together bytheir love for hunting and adventure sports,with an open door policy for Unity studentsjust picking up a bow for the first time.

The result of the tournament in Auburnwas another great showing for the club withmultiple members among the top finishersin the competition, which attracted bothcollegiate and amateur archers from acrossNew England.

Eyes on the Prize, Earning Respect andRecognition

Only weeks before the MaineChampionships in Auburn, the club achievedsomething unprecedented in its history,qualifying twelve archers to participate in theInternational Bowhunting Organization(I.B.O.) 2006 World Championship thattook place August 3-6 at Snowshoe Mountainin Snowshoe, West Virginia.

The qualifier was held at the I.B.O.event in February at The Big E — TheEastern State Exposition in Springfield,Massachusetts.

The twelve qualified and traveled to theI.B.O. World Championship with theiradvisor and co-founder of the club,Associate Director of Admissions JoeSaltalamachia.

Competitive archery among colleges ismore commonly associated with universitiesin Virginia and Texas than chilly Maine.Some feel that Unity can crack into thesouthern lock on collegiate archery. TheI.B.O. includes both amateurs andprofessionals.

“By any measure competing in the worldchampionship is an outstanding achievementfor the club,” said Michael Chickering ‘07,outgoing club President and a WildlifeConservation major from Keene, New Hampshire. “To compete againstprofessionals from across the United Statesand achieve this level of success says goodthings about the progress of the sport in theNortheast at the collegiate level.”

“Unity has put the collegiate archeryworld on notice that we can compete at thevery highest level nationally,” Chickeringadded. He earned his spot to compete at theI.B.O. World Championship with a 7thplace finish in the Hunter Class at The Big E.


Archery Club members at a competition in Auburn, Maineduring the Spring Semester are left to right front: BrianMorway ’09, a Conservation Law major from Charlestown,New Hampshire; Clayton Kern ’08, an Environmental Biologymajor from Manchester, Pennsylvania; Erica Huber ’09, aWildlife Care and Education major from Plymouth, Maine; andJosh Johnson ’09, a Landscape Horticulture major fromWorcester, Massachusetts. Left to right back are Mike Leslie-

Dodge ’09, a Conservation Law Enforcement major fromWorcester, Massachusetts; Amanda Hardaswick ’07, aConservation Law Enforcement / Wildlife Conservation majorfrom Oxford, Connecticut; Mike Chickering ’07, a WildlifeConservation major from Keene, New Hampshire; JuliasKoenig ’08, an Environmental Writing major from Vassalboro,Maine; and Joe Saltalamachia, Club Advisor and AssociateDirector of Admissions.


The club’s jaw dropping success was borne of humblebeginnings through personal initiative

Saltalamachia and Roger Duval, Director of Facilities and PublicSafety, co-founded the club when Duval offered to set up a range inthe sprawling maintenance building on campus. Duval helped getthe club off the ground by recruiting students with Saltalamachia.Both men shared their enthusiasm for archery with students whohad never competed at the sport before, though a few students had.Now, three years after those first steps, Duval and Saltalamachia canlook back on a club that has become the largest on campus, boasting103 members as of May, making it one of the nation’s largestinterscholastic archery clubs. They expect the club to grow evenmore this year.

In the spring of 2006 due to scheduling conflicts, Duval steppeddown from his role as a club advisor, though he remains in touchwith participants and has an open-door policy for any archer to seekhis input.

Experience at such a competitive level creates better futureperformances and speaks well for the future of the Club. So doesbeginning the 2006-2007 academic year with so much enthusiasm.

Passion Has Its Price “It has grown by leaps and bounds,” said Saltalamachia of the

club. “We had the mentality that if we built it, they would come.”How right he and Duval were, though having a strong recruiter inAdmissions didn’t hurt either.

Their initial guess was informed by an intimate knowledge ofUnity’s curriculum and culture, which attracts many students withextensive bow hunting – if not competitive – experience. Somerecruits had never tried the sport, while others looked downrangewith experienced eyes.

One student who brought outstanding credentials with him tothe College was Lisbon Falls native Justin Blouin ’09, a Fisheriesmajor. Having served as class President at Lisbon High School andgoaltender for the school’s hockey team, Blouin had the earmarks ofsomeone who would become a leader. He hasn’t disappointed,maturing rapidly as a student and collegiate archer, earning a spotat the I.B.O. World Championship with an 11th place finish in theHunter Class at The Big E.

Blouin’s experience with archery began at age 5 when hefollowed in the footsteps of his father, Jeff, who was the Maine statebowhunting champion in 1994.

Though he gave the sport up for a time, he had always wantedto return to competitive archery and jumped at the opportunitywhen he learned of the club at Unity.

Amanda Hardaswick ’07, a Conservation Law Enforcement andWildlife Conservation major from Oxford, Connecticut is the

incoming club President. She earned her way to a spot at the I.B.O.World Championship with a 2nd place finish in the Female HunterClass at The Big E. During the Spring Semester of 2006, she alsowon the Connecticut State Archery Shoot, Women’s Bow HunterClass and the State of Maine Championship at the SomersetCounty Women’s Bow Hunter 3D Shoot.

During the summer months team members scattered to jobsand internships, but none put down their bow. Chickering spentthe summer working as a Field Biologist on a loon data gatheringproject with a biodiversity research institute located in Gorham,Maine. The job placed him in a highly isolated spot Southwest ofRangeley, Maine, perfect for bow practice at a makeshift range heconstructed near his cabin.

Chickering prepared for the I.B.O. Championship also byfinding and introducing himself to local archers, who invited himto a practice get together held each week. Birds of a feather flocktogether.

Hardaswick spent the summer working with the U.S. Fish andWildlife Department National Wildlife Refuge in Sudbury,Massachusetts. She had barely unpacked before setting up a rangein her backyard.

Such dedication transcends mere participation; it speaks to apassion for both the sport and its connection to the outdoors.

A Crowded Range Does Not Dampen Enthusiasm– Practicing in Shifts

Each day from the beginning of the school year throughcommencement, there are club members practicing at Unity’sarchery range. On busy days the club must attend practice in shifts,a crowed situation that points to the need for a larger facility.

Saltalamachia is hopeful that one day a new range will becomea reality, though he is tight-lipped about when or how. “We’re doingwell and making the most of this facility, obviously that’s the case,”said Saltalamachia. “No matter whether an improvement to ourpractice facility comes sooner than later, the team will continue toprogress and make the most of every opportunity.”

He acknowledges that the facility is bursting at the seams,though he sees the glass half full always.

“That we need to practice in shifts because our team is so large is ok,it’s a sign of the strength of this sport at Unity,” Saltalamachia said.

Will that mean a new range will be coming to Unity sometimesoon? “Who knows,” said Saltalamachia. “Good things come tothose who are committed and do for the love of it, no matter whatthe circumstances or surroundings. We’re pure in our love for thissport and that won’t ever change. A new range would be nicethough.”

Every Student Counts

By Mark Tardif

Student Retention in Focus as MELMAC Grant Unfolds, Next Steps Ready


In February of 2005, Unity College received a grant of $225,000

from the MELMAC Education Foundation located in Augusta,

Maine. The grant money is to help the College improve its already

strong efforts in student retention, the percentage of students who

attend and continue on to earn their degree.

Higher education in general is concerned with student attrition,

though approaches can be vastly different at different institutions.

Unity’s approach is decidedly student centered and collaborative, a

team approach to addressing the diverse issues at play when

students are at risk for leaving.

Back in the fall of 2004, Associate Professor John Zavodny, Special

Assistant for Strategic Projects Alisa Gray, Professors Pat Clark, Jim

Horan and Dave Potter, and Dean for Student Affairs Gary Zane

attended a MELMAC Conference at the Samoset Resort in

Rockport, Maine. The conference was a requirement for all who

wished to apply for a grant to help develop a comprehensive,

sustainable system for student retention.

“It was a best practices conference with presentations by

representatives from colleges and universities across the United

States,” Gray explained. “The idea was for us to sit in on sessions

with institutions that had successful practices in place and think of

how we could apply them to Unity College.”

The first year of the MELMAC Grant included implementation of

several initiatives and training, much of it spearheaded by Zavodny

and Gray. It was Gray who wrote the grant application with input

from Zavodny, former President David Glenn-Lewin and

additional faculty members.


“One of our initial successes was the implementation of aleadership course during the Spring 2006 Semester taught byAssociate Professor Tim Peabody,” explained Gray. To participate inthe course students had to be nominated based on their leadershippotential.

“We had over 100 first-year students who were nominated forthis course,” Gray said. “Forty were selected and it ended up beingone of the largest courses of the semester.” Students in the coursealso journeyed to New Orleans where they learned about leadershipthrough community service working with the Common GroundCollective, a grass roots community group centered in thedevastated 9th ward. Gray says a student satisfaction survey of thecourse was given at the end and a large percentage of students saidthat it exceeded their expectations.

In addition, a pilot student success course started in the Spring2006 Semester went well, Gray says. “The course is for first-yearstudents on academic probation,” Gray said. This course helps thisgroup of at risk students develop both study and basic academicskills that will help them to improve their overall performance.

Gray and Zavodny say that involving and developing studentleaders is a key aspect of what the retention system being createdwith the MELMAC Grant is trying to accomplish. Students at riskoften respond well to peer-based help.

“The programs being piloted this fall are part of institutionallevel initiatives,” explained Gray. “They can pertain to all students.

One of our larger initiatives under this umbrella is supplementalinstruction. We are using supplemental instruction with ouridentified at risk courses – Biology One, an intro to computerscourse, and some of the basic math courses.”

“Statistically we have analyzed which courses are consideredmost challenging by the greatest number of students,” Gray said.“We identified at risk courses as those with the greatest number ofD’s, F’s and W’s (withdrawals).”

Gray says that helping students through the most challengingcourses means more than just helping them achieve a good coursegrade. “The theory is if they tend to not do well in one or twocourses then they have the potential to get discouraged and thinkthat college is not for them,” Gray said.

Supplemental instruction first involves training Sophomores,Juniors or Seniors who have done well in the course identifiedposing a particular challenge to be a peer tutor, Gray said. The peertutors go on to lead supplemental instruction for the course, so thatas the challenging course proceeds, students taking that courseregularly meet with peer tutors to receive help beyond what takesplace in the classroom.

During the 2005-2006 academic year, Greg Perkins, anEducation Specialist in the Learning Resource Center, and AssistantProfessor Doug Van Horn attended a conference at the Universityof Missouri at Kansas City, where they learned how to train peerinstructors. Gray says that the University of Missouri is considered

Alisa Gray


When the Fall 2006 Semester begins, Third-Year students

Laura Carver and Samantha Chisholm will serve as

supplemental instructors as part of the MELMAC Grant

initiative. This is the first year that trained students will serve

as supplemental instruction leaders.

“I will be attending the Biology One lectures and taking

notes along with the other students,” explained Chisholm, a

Conservation Law Enforcement major from Londonderry,

New Hampshire. “As I have already taken that class, I have a

better advantage at pointing out what is important to know,

and find ways to relay it back to students.”

Carver will be facilitating group meetings about topics

from the Biology class and helping them help themselves to

better understand the material. “I will also be sharing with

them my knowledge about how to prepare for exams,” said

Carver, a Wildlife and Environmental Writing major from

North Grosvenordale, Connecticut. “This is my chance to

help students learn how to study before they regret not

doing so; it’s like getting a chance to go back and do things

differently by helping others by offering the lessons that I

learned.”

When Carver began her studies at Unity, she thought she

would like to go into research. After exploring different

options she found an affinity for the elements of her present

major. Since she benefited in so many ways from exploration,

she is looking forward to giving back to the College and

gaining new skills.

“I feel this position will help me learn techniques for

teaching and helping people to learn,” Carver said. “This

opportunity will help me as much as it helps the students

who come to those sessions.”

“Overall, I hope to connect to the students on a personal

level, to see where they have questions and show them that

groups of students studying together tend to find the

answers,” Chisholm explained. “Since this is a situation

where I am a student helping other students, those that

need help will not hesitate to ask.”

She feels the new program of supplemental instruction is

a great idea.

“I know many people who have struggled,” Chisholm said.

“For the College to notice and address this problem is a

good step.”

Carver praised the program’s approach since it is student

centered.

“I think students helping students is a great idea,” Carver

said. “For some students asking a teacher a question is too

intimidating. Asking a fellow student, however, may be

easier, especially for First-Year. Also, for the students such as

myself who are getting the opportunity to teach others, this

will be a great learning experience.”

Supplemental Instruction Leaders Ready to HelpBy Mark Tardif

a national leader in supplemental instruction. She adds that Unityis receiving many of its peer instructor training materials from theUniversity of Missouri as well. Perkins and Van Horn have trainedthe first group of peer tutors, who will be running study groupsbeginning with the Fall 2006 Semester.

“The way it is working for the Fall (2006) Semester is there are5 or 6 sections of Biology (depending on final enrollmentnumbers), so for half of those classes we will add a supplementalinstruction section,” Gray said. “This will be available for BiologyOne, which is a first-year course.” Biology One is a course that Graysays was identified as particularly challenging. The peer tutors in thesupplemental instruction sections will also provide feedback toinstructors, who in turn will be communicating with the StudentSupport Team, to flag students who appear to have academic, socialor specific issues that should be addressed.

The objective, says Gray, is to create a system where all of thedifferent aspects of another initiative, the Student Support Team, atthe College that can help a student, from the Learning ResourceCenter to Student Affairs counseling services, are on the same pageand comparing notes from the very beginning of each student’s timeat the College. A key lesson learned at the University of Missouriand other national leaders in student retention is that broad-basedcollaboration is key to improving student retention numbers.

Each student is more than a set of academic needs andaspirations. What happens on the faculty side is in fact closely

related to what happens in student affairs. For this reason a team-oriented approach to addressing all student needs, even intercedingbefore problems start by identifying courses that are statisticalstumbling blocks and planning for supplemental instruction, is thegoal of the grant.

Whereas in years past students who isolated themselves in theirresidence hall would be considered the province of Residence Life,which trains Residence Assistants to address and refer behavioralproblems for specific professional assistance, that process will belinked to a great whole. The overall student retention system beingcreated by the MELMAC Grant is providing pathways to conveysocial information to the academic side of the coin and vice versa.

This comprehensive approach recognizes that not every studentwho leaves the College does so for strictly academic reasons, saysGray. She added that sometimes students leave for purely socialreasons guised as academic ones, or there are social issues such ashomesickness and isolation that actually create academic problems.

An interesting statistical aside will come at the end of the Fall2006 Semester, when the overall grades for the Biology One coursesthat offered supplemental instruction by peer tutors and those thatdid not are compared. Gray says this kind of feedback along the wayas the grant unfolds over a six year period will provide enormouslyvaluable information. Such information may help Unity adjust itsstudent retention efforts to be even more effective, Gray adds.


On a balmy, lazy summer day, I checkmy e-mail before departing for my ritualmorning swim in Dublin Lake. There is amessage from a search firm asking me if Iknow anyone who might be interested inthe Unity College presidency. Later thatweek I have a phone conversation withSteve Leo of AT Kearney. I am surprised tolearn that my name emerged as a possiblecandidate and he is wondering about myavailability. I decline interest, pleading mylove of place and bioregion. Later that day Icheck out the Unity College website. I amintrigued by what I see—an environmentalcollege with diverse constituencies. For the

remainder of the week, during each of mymorning swims, my imagination wandersand I entertain fantasies about Unity.However, my conservative, place-basednature prevails. The idea of Unity slowlyfades into the mist of a humid summer.

A month later the search firm callsagain, flattering and honoring me with theirpersistence. Once again I politely decline.Cindy (my visionary wife) prompts me tothink again. “You might learn somethingabout yourself,” she suggests. I let theprospect of Unity reenter my awareness.Little do I know that Cindy’s nudge willtransform my life.

Once I decide to apply for the Unitypresidency I do so with full intensity. I writean unconventional letter to the searchcommittee. I describe my values, my fidelityto place, my life work as a practitioner andtheorist of environmental learning, and mydesire to give full voice to the people I workwith. I take a chance and reveal myaspirations and vulnerabilities, while at thesame time declaring my uncertainty aboutmaking a move, explaining that I will studyUnity as carefully as they will study me.Indeed, after the search process is completeI confide to Bob Pollis (Chair of the Boardof Trustees) that I am sure the SearchCommittee knows me better than I knowmyself!

I am sure now, although I still have somuch to learn, that there is a deepconvergence between Unity’s aspirations asa school that teaches “environmental studiesfor the real world” and my own interest inpromoting a place-based, grassroots,activist, experiential, service oriented,intellectually challenging, skill drivenapproach to environmental learning. In theyears to come, and starting from day one, asthe college and I grow together, the fullmeasure of that convergence will flourish. Iassess life decisions based on how mychoices will help me learn and grow. I amsure that Unity College with all of itsconstituencies, in tandem with thesurrounding bioregion has much to teach me.

By way of further introduction, I’d liketo briefly describe some of my initial goals

in our ELEMENT

ON PROMOTINGENVIRONMENTAL LEARNINGBy Dr. Mitchell Thomashow

Dr. Mitchell Thomashow and his wife Cindy at commencement on May 13.


for the college. I intend to implement thesein a fully collaborative manner, respectful ofthe college’s history, culture, and landscape.But I will also consider my assessment of thefuture of environmental studies as well asmy experiences as a teacher, leader, writer,scholar, and practitioner. Consider this anemerging vision, ideas that we will work ontogether, formulated around our mosturgent and delightful reason for beingtogether—the necessity of promotingenvironmental learning.

As an educational community, anenvironmental college exists for the purposeof giving full moral, personal, andprofessional voice to its students, staff, andfaculty. My philosophy of leadership is thatyou strive to blend generosity and disciplinein order to allow people to flourish, that youencourage innovation, creativity, enthusiasm,and clarity. The Kaballah, the mystical textof Judaism, suggests that there are sparksscattered throughout the landscape of the

universe. I hope to help people find thosesparks in a Unity education and to then findthem within themselves. Nothing is morefulfilling than watching a student find his orher full voice.

As a president my work is to pursue theresources that will further enhance thosevoices. I hope to gather and articulate thecore strengths of Unity, wrap thosestrengths in a compelling vision, andultimately galvanize interest and investment.Together we craft an eloquent visionlending full voice to our aspirations,

displaying why a Unity education ismeaningful, resilient, creative, andtransformational. Such qualities enhanceboth the lives of our students and thequality of life in our region. We must callattention to our good works so that ourfriends, supporters, and potential donorswill know that their investment will makean incredible difference. Together we makethe world a better place.

There are three central and coordinatedapproaches for cultivating resources—anemphasis on sustainability, a focus onpartnerships, and the enhancement of oureducational offerings.

Sustainability is crucial to the future ofenvironmental studies and should be at thetop of the agenda for an environmentalcollege. How we live, how we choose to useenergy, what we eat, what we value, how werecycle our wastes, how we design our work,study, and play spaces—these considerations

“My philosophy of leadership isthat you strive to blend generosityand discipline in order to allowpeople to flourish, that youencourage innovation, creativity,enthusiasm, and clarity.”


are the basis of an enduring, lifelongenvironmental education and career. Unityhas an opportunity to be an exemplarysustainable college, demonstrating thatecological design can be both conservationoriented and frugal, that dwelling in life-sustaining spaces enhances learning andproductivity. I look forward to engagingthe entire Unity community and the wholebioregion in thinking about a sustainablelandscape that is appropriate to this region,respectful of its natural resources base, andalso a model for other colleges andinstitutions.

A small environmental collegebroadens its capacity by establishingmutually beneficial partnerships. There are hundreds of outstanding learningenvironments that would love to hostUnity students. Whether this takes theform of joint degree programs (as recentlyestablished with Husson University) orspecial field ecology study trips (withinstitutions like the Teton Science School),or urban/rural exchanges (like the recentefforts in New Orleans) or apprenticeshipsin meaningful work environments, there ismuch we can do to build a nationalnetwork of affiliations. This will promoteopportunity, choice, career options, anddiversity.

Unity’s academic programs, with just alittle tweaking, can be diversified and

consolidated. As an environmental college,we should reflect the full spectrum oflearning and career possibilities. Buildingon our perceived strengths in areas such asconservation and marine law, environmentalscience and policy, wildlife care, andoutdoor education, we also have the skill,talent, and knowledge to expand ourofferings in a variety of areas, includingconservation biology and field ecology, theenvironmental arts and humanities,environmental education and exhibitdesign, human ecology, sustainability

studies, and environmental homelandsecurity. Over time, I hope we considermore summer residencies, either as specialcourses, or perhaps as the seeds of uniqueMasters programs. Our challenge will be tohold true to our experiential philosophywhile simultaneously building academicproficiency.

Perhaps the most important reason formy interest in Unity College is that it isuniversally described to me as a place withheart. This neatly confirms my personalobservations. Is it presumptuous to suggestthat the mark of a Unity education is thatit promotes character and virtue? I hopenot! Such language should be essential toour mission. I strongly believe thatenvironmental learning and all that goeswith it—observing nature, working theland (hunting, fishing, or gardening),wilderness outings, sustainability practice,as well as reflective and experiential studyand scholarship—these activities promotevirtue. A Unity graduate should embodygenerosity, reciprocity, integrity, hopefulness,earnestness, clarity, imagination, persistence,curiosity, and humility. In the weeks tocome I intend to write more about UnityCollege and the development of virtue(watch my website blog!) and I encourageall members of the Unity website to joinme in that effort.

As seriously as we commit ourselves to

in our ELEMENT

“Unity has an opportunity to be an exemplary sustainable college, demonstrating that ecological design can beboth conservation oriented and frugal, that dwelling in life-sustaining spaces enhances learning and productivity.I look forward to engaging the entire Unity community and the whole bioregion in thinking about a sustainablelandscape that is appropriate to this region, respectful of its natural resources base, and also a model for othercolleges and institutions.”


promoting environmental learning, the Unityexperience should be filled with wonder,awareness, and fun. In the days to come, alongwith all of the obvious tasks of a collegepresident, including fundraising, governance,finances, relationship building, and generalproblem solving, Cindy and I expect to spendconsiderable time getting involved in the life ofthe campus and community. Whether itsaccompanying students on a hunting trip, ortaking part in the winter bird count, playing inthe community “wonderball” games, sharingmeals with students in the cafeteria, joiningwith the Unity Barn Raisers, finding thenetworks of local musicians, attending theMOFGA fair, hosting various planningcharettes on campus—I can make a list as longas this essay—I am thirsty for suchengagement.

Now I’m looking out the living roomwindows of our small New Hampshire cottage.It’s a cool, rainy, May morning. There’s aneasterly breeze, indicative of back-doorprecipitation, coming in from the Gulf ofMaine. The air smells like Maine. I thinkabout ending one chapter of my life andbeginning another. I discover continuity in mylove of observing nature and my delight inlearning as much as I can about the placewhere I live. I savour the prospect of joining anew community of friends and colleagues whoshare similar aspirations, in the hope, urgency,and necessity of promoting environmentallearning. That will be the foundation of myleadership.

Dr. Mitchell Thomashow

Dublin, New Hampshire

Mount Monadnock

May, 2006

(Editor’s Note: Dr. Mitchell Thomashow assumedduties as President of Unity College in July.)


When Dr. Mitchell Thomashow isinaugurated as President of Unity Collegeduring the Fall Semester, he will likely begreeted and wished well by an array ofenvironmental professionals who haveknown him for many years. Though hespent three decades building a well-respected environmental program atAntioch New England Graduate School inKeene, New Hampshire, Thomashowtraveled widely. In fact, coalition buildingand embracing diversity of thought has beena consistent characteristic of his approach.

Thomashow’s travels helped him notonly to gain a deep understanding ofenvironmentalism as a large, multi-faceted,ever changing movement, but led him todevelop an impressive catalog ofprofessional contacts. These contacts havenot only served him well in various wayswhile building the Environmental Studiesprogram at Antioch, they helped to formand spread his impressive reputation amongdiverse groups.

Whether delivering a lecture or writing about global warming, Thomashowthoroughly prepares himself for the task athand.

During the extensive interview process,Thomashow made it a point to get to knowas much as possible about the College. In sodoing he said he felt both honored to beconsidered for the Presidency and impressedwith the qualities he identified.

On the day his hiring as President wasannounced in January, Thomashow drafteda list of Unity’s most visible qualities that hewished to mention to the media. “I amdeeply impressed with the extraordinarycare, dedication and support that the facultyand staff provide to the students,” he wrote.“This is an essential quality of the Unityexperience as reflected by all the students Ihave met.”

He also spoke of the “uniquelyinteresting portfolio of courses, reflecting awide range of environmental subjects andapproaches.”

Unity’s approach to learning wasanother topic he raised.

“Unity is committed to an applied,experiential approach to learning, what Iwould like to describe as ‘environmentalstudies for the real world,’” he wrote.

Other topics he mentioned in thewritten list included Unity’s warm

community that values individualrelationships, the fact that it is “a collegethat aspires to reflect the values inherent inits name,” and that it is “well poised todevelop excellent partnerships andaffiliations with a range of local, regional,and national institutions.”

At every turn, Thomashow tries to findcommon ground and clarity of expression.

In his writings and public speakingThomashow seeks to engage his audience,connecting them to the familiar and leadingthem to consider the less-than-familiar. Hisgoal is to serve the subject at hand and stressshared concerns. This is made clear by thedepth that he brings to his presentations butalso through his well-crafted, professionaland charismatic style. Rare is the individualcapable of engaging Ph.D’s, collegestudents, and work-a-day individuals in asingle audience. Thomashow is just such agifted communicator.

One member of the Unity Collegecommunity who met Thomashow likenedhim to a “rock star,” a characterization thatwould no doubt put a smile on his face. Anamateur musician, he plans to perform withMaine-based Country and Western

in our ELEMENT

Thomashow Well Received onCollege Lecture Circuit, Enjoys Reputation asProfound Thinker andConsensus BuilderBy Mark Tardif


recording artists The Dave Wooley Bandduring Unity College Founders’ Dayfestivities on Thursday, September 7.

Though it might not be appropriate toliken the President of a college to a “rockstar,” the fact remains that Thomashowpossesses the kind of charisma oftenassociated with former President BillClinton or former Speaker of the HouseNewt Gingrich. That these two charismaticpoliticians would be referenced in adescription of Thomashow is entirelyappropriate since he has met and discussedenvironmental issues with one of them. It isnot necessarily the one people assume.

That Thomashow has met RepublicanNewt Gingrich, cultivating a dialogue aboutglobal warming with this likely Presidentialhopeful, is in-keeping with his fundamentalview that environmentalism is a concern ofall humans and, by extension, living beingson earth.

The consistent message that Thomashowconveys to his audiences is that no person,group or country has full possession ofenvironmentalism; it is a dynamic movementthat includes many movements, perspectives,and priorities.

In Thomashow’s writings, environm-entalism crosses all boundaries and thereforeshould embrace all political parties, becauseonly efforts to include many in debates and

finding solutions to complex environmentalproblems will produce positive change. Thisinclusive approach does not meanThomashow pulls punches or sugar coatsissues he feels strongly about, it means heseeks to always engage people of manydifferent perspectives and ideologies.

No matter the occasion or location,Thomashow appears comfortable. Such wasthe case in April when he appeared as afeatured speaker during Earth Weekfestivities at St. Joseph’s College in Standish,Maine. That a Jewish environmentaleducator would be the featured speakerduring Earth Week at a Catholic college

might raise eyebrows, except for the fact thatThomashow embraces and draws from awide range of theological perspectives in hiswritings and lectures.

During the question-and-answer sessionafter his lecture Thomashow was asked if hewould be teaching at Unity College.

“Not initially because I need to focus onmy role as President,” Thomashow replied.

“If it doesn’t work out over there, youcould come and teach here,” the studentsaid, prompting applause from the audience.

This was just one presentation duringEarth Week at St. Joseph’s College, but theresult was two hundred people drawn to hisprescience and message.

“In his writings and public speaking Thomashow seeks to engage hisaudience, connecting them to the familiar and leading them to consider theless-than-familiar. His goal is to serve the subject at hand and stress sharedconcerns. This is made clear by the depth that he brings to his presentationsbut also through his well-crafted, professional and charismatic style.”

Dr. Mitchell Thomashow was thefeatured speaker during Earth Week in April at St. Joseph’s College inStandish, Maine. His lecture focusedon rapid climate change.


Often the global economy leaves clues tothe importance of paying close attention tothe ecosystem. One such clue to this realityis being seen currently along the Mainecoast as the Asian Shore Crab (Hemigrapsussanguineus) continues to flourish andspread. Unlike the crab that is commonlyfound on Maine’s coast, the Green Crab(Carcinus maenas), the Asian Shore Crab is robust, strong and more aggressive.Scientists worry that over time as the AsianShore Crab spreads its reach along theMaine coast, their growing numbers willadversely affect the Green Crab in a varietyof ways, from pushing them into deeperwaters to actually eating them.

The Asian Shore Crab was likelyintroduced to the east coast of the United

States when water used to stabilize acontainer vessel was pumped out, releasingAsian Crab larvae that had been sucked into the ship with water used for ballast half aworld away off the coast of Japan, explainedAdjunct Instructor Aimee Phillippi, whoholds a PhD. in Marine Biology. Since itsfirst appearance in New Jersey in the mid1980’s, the invading crab has beenspreading rapidly north and south.

The problem of animals, plants, virusesor other non-native biological touristsbecoming unwelcome immigrants due toglobal trade is not a new one, Phillippi says.She points out that not every new species isa nuisance or poses a danger to nativespecies, it all depends on the circumstances.In some instances the introduction of thewrong type of animal or organism can bedevastating, but even in those instances,over time ecosystems tend to adapt.

Phillippi says that some of the speciesconsidered “native” were at one timethemselves newly introduced to NorthAmerica. Though time always serves as theultimate judge of whether a species such asthe Asian Shore Crab is harmful, Phillippinotes that scientific study over time is thebest way to understand the effects of anewly introduced animal and strategize

ways to intervene if necessary.During the Spring Semester Phillippi

was notified that she had won two grants tomonitor the abundance and distribution ofthe invasive Asian Shore Crab in AcadiaNational Park on the Schoodic Peninsulaadjacent to Maine’s tourist mecca BarHarbor. The grants were awarded by theMaine Sea Grant and Acadia Partners forScience and Learning.

Shortly after commencement, Phillippiset up residence for the summer on theSchoodic Peninsula. She was joined byAlyssa Marvel ’09 of Trappe, Maryland, anAdventure Education Leadership major,and Meg Anderson ’09 of Fenton, Missouri,a Wildlife Care and Education major.

“We think ‘invasive’ is inherently bad,it’s not,” Phillippi said. “Other organismswill adapt to the Asian Crab, it’s just that wedon’t know the extent of their effect.”

She and her two assistants spent thesummer establishing a baseline to be used inthe future by scientists, taking locationsalong the Schoodic Peninsula and chartingfactors relating to the Green Crabpopulations, including where they are in thetidal zones.

In years to come when Phillippi returnsto the same places, the initial information

in our ELEMENT

A Hostile Takeover of the MaineCoast by Asian Shore Crabs?Grants Give Aimee Phillippiand Two Unity Students theChance to Find Out

Green Crab


compared against new information willshow whether the Asian Crab populationhas spread, and their effect on the Green Crabs.

They are also monitoring Green Crabmovements, Phillippi says. The Asian Crabhas the potential to affect a bigger sweep ofMaine’s coastal environment than simplyelbowing Green Crabs into deeper waters.

“The Asian Crab has bigger claws thanthe Green Crabs, and so they can eat biggershellfish,” Phillippi said. She adds that theycan also be more aggressive, handle a widerrange of temperatures and stressfulconditions that might otherwise kill Green Crabs.

“I do think invasive species can be a bigdeal over time,” Phillippi said. “We alsoneed to keep everything in perspective as wegather information about the Asian Crab. Ipersonally don’t think this crab is going tohave any serious impact on the commercialbivalve populations, but we need data toconvince others.”

The Green Crab was itself introduced tothe United States in the early 1800’s.“Native” is all relative to one’s perspective, itwould appear.

As for the experience gained by Marveland Anderson, Phillippi sees their summeron the Schoodic Peninsula as steps along apath to educational achievement.

“Participating in hands-on research likethis provides undergraduates an opportunityto take what they learn from their coursesand stretch their skills and knowledge further,hopefully making greater connections,”Phillippi said.

The grant provided a stipend andhousing for the two Unity students, who areliving at the Schoodic Education andResearch Center (a former United StatesNaval base that has been turned over toAcadia National Park) on the peninsula.

Alyssa Marvel (left) and Meg Anderson gather information.


Not long after the ink on hisEnvironmental Policy and Ecology degreeswas dry, Jason Reynolds ’06, of Skowhegan,Maine, put his Unity College education andenvironmental values to the test in a boldway. Teaming up with EnvironmentalWriting major Sara Trunzo ’08, ofKinnelon, New Jersey, the duo purchased a1990 Dodge Ram diesel pickup truck thathad been modified by a California-basedenvironmental organization to burn wastekitchen grease.

In late May, Reynolds picked the truckup in New Jersey and drove it to NewOrleans, where Trunzo had been serving asboth a hurricane Katrina relief volunteerwith Common Ground Collective in thedevastated 9th Ward and as a TeachingAssistant to the Unity IDEaL class taughtby Associate Professor John Zavodny andAnna McGalliard, Director of HealthServices. The IDEaL class was learningabout leadership in a hands-on way byhelping the Common Ground Collective, agrassroots relief organization that guts flooddamaged homes and serves the needs of thecommunity. Reynolds and Trunzo got some

odd looks from bemused restaurantmanagers when they asked if it would beo.k. for them to suck up waste grease. Theywere happy to oblige, since typicallyrestaurants pay to have their discardedgrease hauled away.

The inquiries were most welcomebecause part of their reason for purchasingthe truck was to use it as a grass roots

educational tool. “We’re getting the messageof alternative fuels out one busboy at atime,” Trunzo said. They arrived in Unity,Maine, just after 5 a.m. on Tuesday, May30, spending just $10 on diesel fuel for theentire trip from New Jersey to New Orleansand back to Unity. “The $10 we spent onregular diesel was to heat up the vegetableoil,” said Reynolds.

in our ELEMENT

Pursuing EnvironmentalLeadership at the Grassroots Level, Reynolds and Trunzo Leadby Example with GreaseBurning Pickup Truck

Sara Trunzo and Jason Reynolds with their grease burning Dodge Ram pickup truck.


The day of their arrival Reynolds andTrunzo were interviewed by a reporter fromWABI-TV Channel 5 of Bangor, Maine.Two days later they were LIVE radio call-inguests on The Voice of Maine 103.9 FM inBangor, Maine. On Friday, June 2, theywere interviewed by Portland Press Heraldenvironmental reporter John Richardson.The next day their story ran as an AssociatePress item in a variety of newspapers acrossNew England, including the Portland PressHerald, Boston Globe, Portsmouth Herald,Times Argus of Vermont, Sun Journal ofLewiston, and Bangor Daily News.

As the initial media buzz faded, Trunzoand Reynolds were busy making plans to

visit community groups, schools andorganizations to convey the message thatthere are alternatives to reliance onexpensive imported fossil fuel. On Friday,June 7, Reynolds and Trunzo drove theirpickup truck to the Wiscasset MiddleSchool of Wiscasset, Maine, where theywere among the presenters at the school’sannual Celebration of Learning Day. Forthem to participate was in keeping with abelief that the way to bring about positiveenvironmental change is to take everyopportunity to educate at the grass-rootslevel, whether speaking to a bus boy besidea grease trap or offering a presentation tomiddle school students, it all counts.

On July 29 and 30, Reynolds and Trunzoparticipated as presenters at the Owls HeadTransportation Museum fair on alternativeenergy entitled Atmosfair. “We wanted tohave a grass roots example of alternativeenergy use,” said Ethan Yankura, an Owl’sHead employee who invited the dynamicduo. They were in good company. Otherpresenters included the University of Mainesolar power car team and a variety of Mainecar dealers promoting hybrid technology.

“It works for us,” said Trunzo, referringto the truck. “It can be a resource for thecommunity, but I really like it because I’mcheap.”

At the Exhibition Fair of 1898, Rudolph Diesel introduced an

engine designed to run on peanut oil. About this time large oil

reserves were being discovered and, as some versions of

history go, the petroleum industry bought and patented the

engine with the intent of bolstering the consumption of their

new found and seemingly endless resource. The idea of using

vegetable oil to fuel internal combustion engines is by no

means a new one. I consider it an old rusty idea that just

needed a little, well, grease.

Actually what is needed are tanks, tubes, radiator lines,

pumps, and filters. Here’s how our system works:

• We pump waste vegetable oil (hence force referred to as

veggie fuel) into an 80 gallon aluminum tank that has been

installed in the bed of our 1990 Dodge Ram pickup. At this

stage, we use window screen to filter out large particulate

matter: crumbs, chicken legs, etc.

• This crude veggie fuel is pumped through a 30 micron

Racor paper filter and into a 20 gallon aluminum tank.

Aluminum is used because when steel and veggie fuel are

in contact, the metal polymerizes, or gets all slimy.

• Before the fuel reaches the injectors, it is run through

another Racor paper filter, this time one that filters down

to 10 microns, as to avoid fouling up the injectors with

impurities in the already-used veggie fuel.

• Then it’s off to the engine! Under the hood there is a

solenoid that we control with a switch inside the cab. A

solenoid is basically a valve with several ports that

determines if we use fuel from the stock tank (regular

diesel) or veggie fuel. The selected fuel is injected into the

cylinders and ignites.

• Every step of this process is heated by radiator fluid. In

both tanks, there are coils of radiator line which heats the

tanks. The filtration systems are wrapped with radiator

lines. Even the fuel lines going to and from the engine are

run within radiator hoses, so they are surrounded by the

radiator fluid. Using the radiator to heat the veggie system

is vital in order to get the fuel to the correct consistency

to enter the engine; this process takes about 15 minutes.

Using a waste product to meet transportation needs is not

only a positive alternative to petroleum for reasons like

reduced pollution, but it creates a closed system in which fuel

needs are met locally. Personally, understanding my system

has increased my consciousness of how this vehicle works

and has given me the confidence to wrench on it, if need be.

And because a veggie system is basically plumbing, one does

not need to be a mechanic to own it and work on it.

However, this type of vehicle is not for everyone. It requires

extra effort to find and filter fuel, awareness of your vehicle,

and willingness to get greasy once in a while (and to smell

funny all of the time). Infrastructure to make this technology

available to more people is necessary to make waste

vegetable oil a viable fuel. Although, veggie fuel is certainly

not the solution in global sense, it works for me (and my co-owner)

now. But who knows, it could just be a phase.

How the System Works – And Work It Does!By Sara Trunzo ‘08


Students in the Leadership class taughtduring the Spring 2006 Semester byAssistant Professor Tim Peabody made themost of opportunities to learn from leaderslike Angus King, former two-termGovernor of Maine (1995-2003). Leaderslike King and Commissioner of the MaineDepartment of Conservation PatrickMcGowan (2003-Present) were regularvisitors to the class, which is part of TheUnity IDEaL Institute for DevelopingLeaders at Unity College.

Both King and McGowan are personalfriends with Peabody, an established MaineState Game Warden and Unity Collegealumnus who rose through the ranks tobecome Colonel. Peabody retired to teach athis alma mater.

It was King who offered Peabody the jobof Chief of the Maine Warden Service,which has the rank of Colonel. Thecircumstance surrounding the job offer byKing pointed to an important lesson ofleadership: Look beyond what is directly infront of you to see what might be.

By King’s own humorous account,Peabody showed up to meet with King in a“dazed” condition, muddied, unsure whythe Governor wanted to see him first thingin the morning.

When King made the offer Peabodyprobably looked like a deer in headlights.King knew enough to look beyondPeabody’s appearance and exhaustion,understanding the context and viewing it asconfirmation that Peabody was the rightperson for the job. Here was a man,muddied, exhausted, who for the entireevening had been pursuing precisely the

kinds of pro-active, hands-on activities,going after poachers, that King wanted hisColonel of the Maine Warden Service to value.

Peabody got a second wind with the aidof strong coffee, accepted King’s offer, andby King’s account went on to serve withoutstanding distinction.

Joining King was his former Chief ofStaff Kay Rand, who shared her own

in our ELEMENT

Up Close and Personal withFormer Maine Governor AngusKing and Other Luminaries, Learning Leadership fromHigh Profile Figures

Commissioner of the Maine Department of Conservation Patrick McGowan andUnity students


experiences juggling many duties in serviceto the Governor.

A core principle that both King andRand honored was that all initiatives greatand small were communicated effectively.

“Intelligence allows you to make thingssimple,” Rand said. “Keeping things simpleis a quality of good leaders.”

So is creativity. King’s staff kept legislatorsand other interested parties well informed.Even so, occasionally misunderstandings andmiscommunications took place.

King mentioned that on one occasion,he misrepresented the substance of aDepartment of Transportation initiative. Alegislator who got wind of King’s erroneouscomments gave word that he was on his wayto see the Governor, and he was spitting mad.

Realizing his error and seeking to diffusethe situation with a bit of humor, when the

legislator arrived King rushed to himwithout word, knelt on one knee, andkissed his wedding ring.

Lesson number two: Good leaders unitemany to achieve shared goals and are honest,admitting their mistakes.

During his visit to the class CommissionerMcGowan offered students an overview ofthe structure of the Maine Department ofConservation, its responsibilities, recenttriumphs and challenges. He impressedupon students the need to consider multiplesides of issues when serving in anenvironmental leadership capacity, findingcommon ground between conservation anddevelopment.

“Maine is the most heavily forested statein the United States, there’s not even a closesecond,” McGowan told students. Despitethese resources, during the second day of

the (Governor of Maine John) Baldacciadministration in 2003, the largest papercompany in the world declared bankruptcy.

“It has been a tough, tough go for thewood products industry (in Maine),”McGowan said. Echoing a theme stressedby King and Rand, McGowan pointed to theneed for leaders to find creative solutions.

He said that his department has madeprogress in resurrecting the wood productsindustry in Maine by linking it tomagazines like Cosmopolitan that for avariety of reasons, prefer to purchase paperthat has been certified. The certificationprocess is involved and begins at woodharvesting sites. It is a good example of howleaders try to find creative solutions bylooking at problems as opportunities tocreate new markets.

Former Governor of Maine Angus King (center, front in tie) is joined by his former Chief of Staff Kay Rand (front inbusiness suit), Assistant Professor Tim Peabody (front, far right) and Unity students.


Though not new to the field ofeducation or to Unity College, the educationalapproach commonly called contract grading,which is often described in terms ofchoosing a grade based on a menu ofoptions, counts Associate Professor JohnZavodny as among its most ardent supporters.

Zavodny is up front in noting thatcontract grading is neither new nor ideallysuited to all courses, the hard sciences andmathematics chief among them, and hedoes not pursue this approach in all of hisclasses. Some types of classes though,especially those with research writingrequirements, can be ideally suited to thisapproach, he says.

Traditional grading features a syllabuswhere all students are required to do all thework listed. The contract grading approachinvolves a professor setting up a tieredsystem of goals at the beginning of thesemester. Students see the assignments theymust complete to earn an A, B or C, withZavodny allowing no lower than the goal of

earning a C. The higher the grade earned,the more work.

Zavodny says that some students seizeupon an A at the outset, entering into acontract to earn that grade, but due tovarious factors during the semester opt torenegotiate for a different grade.

This system recognizes that studentshave diverse academic goals that shift due toa variety of circumstances, says Zavodny.Rather than requiring that each studentwrite the same number of research papers,for instance, students who contract for a Bwill be expected to write fewer papers thanthose who contract for an A. This is inessence the way contract grading works,order the right amount of work and enjoy.

Far from being an easy way to addressevery course, Zavodny says the approachcan, with the right kind of course such asenvironmental philosophy or moral reasoning,allow the student to get more by doing abetter job of attaining the specific aspects ofthe contract than just following a syllabusand cramming for written exams.

The basic idea is that all work thatstudents complete as part of their contractfor a particular grade is done with greatattention to details and reaches a highstandard. A person who contracts to earn aB won’t complete as many assignments as aperson who has contracted to earn an A,however both students will be held to thesame high standard for the work they arerequired to complete.

There is an element of personality also

required to carry off a contract grading class.“I think students experience a little bit

of disorientation the first time they take oneof my classes because I guess I don’t carrymyself like a lot of professors do,” Zavodnysays. “I don’t approach the classroom like alot of people do. Most students come froman educational tradition that’s moreinstructor centered and less student centered.”

What Zavodny aims for is a morenatural, organic and consequence-basedapproach to education. What on the surfacemay appear to be a possible easy waythrough course material, is in practice asystem that teaches the importance ofpersonal responsibility, leading students tograsp the concept that education isn’t apassive process, it is something that occurswhen a student considers himself or herselfan active participant in the educationalexperience. Some students arrive feelingthat they are to receive an education, takingthis literally as if it is the responsibility ofthe professor to somehow make them learn.The reality is that learning happens whenthe student, curriculum and professors

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A Grade with Your Dessert? à la Carte Contract GradingGains Popularity

“Zavodny says that some studentsseize upon an A at the outset,entering into a contract to earnthat grade, but due to variousfactors during the semester opt torenegotiate for a different grade.”


converge as active, hands-on partners toconstruct the educational experience.

“I give students a lot of responsibility,”Zavodny says of the courses he grades usingthe contract approach. He expects studentsto take ownership of their own education.

“I tell students that I expect them tocontribute (to the course) in the ways theyare uniquely qualified to contribute,”Zavodny says. He expects students to do agood deal of legwork for themselves, such aslooking up where the final exam isscheduled to be, instead of constantlyrelying on the professor to provide detailsthat they, as adults, ought to be able tohandle for themselves.

With shared responsibility comes

flexibility, the kind common to the realworld after commencement.

“If I require them to complete aparticular project to get their grade in, I takethe deadline very seriously,” Zavodny said.“If I don’t need to see a particular paper ona particular day and it doesn’t impact my lifeand their learning to pass it in a few dayslate, I don’t have a problem with that.”

As the specifics of contract gradingunfold it begins to seem more challengingthan traditional approaches, at least fromthe standpoint of the expectations placedupon students. Zavodny hands his studentsa roadmap, he doesn’t offer them a hand toguide them to the destination. Doing so willnever give students the map reading

(cognitive) skills they will need to reachtheir goals in life after commencement,Zavodny says.

“I’m trying to teach these adults tobecome independent thinkers and agents intheir own lives,” Zavodny says. “Theconsequences I create are as real and naturalas I can make them. I am trying to connectthem with the consequences of theiractions, so I don’t create arbitrarypunishments and rewards, which by andlarge grades are.”

Zavodny points out that in real worldsituations, in jobs at every level, whenpeople are required to give presentationsthey are on the hook. They are responsibleto their employer or professional community.

John Zavodny teaches a class in the woods near campus.


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Therefore, when students in one ofZavodny’s contracting grading classes arerequired to give a presentation, they are held to a standard that speaks to theresponsibility they have not only tocomplete the work, but offer something ofvalue to their community.

Students sharing in the responsibility forenhancing the quality of the courses theytake is also a part of contract grading, and itis a shocking concept to grasp for some.

This means that if a student is requiredto conduct research on a subject and offer afive-minute presentation to the class orcommunity, the work that he or she does inpreparation will be directly tied to thelearning experience of all students who arepart of that community, or class, says Zavodny.

“The classic example is when studentswrite and perform a play (for one of theclasses he teaches) on a significantenvironmental issue, if they get up and don’tknow their lines, or if they were responsible

for writing and what they have contributedare second rate lines, or created unbelievablecharacters, they will suffer the consequencesof public humiliation,” Zavodny said. Theirgrade will also reflect their sub-standardeffort, no matter what they contracted toachieve.

Many students who have taken one ofZavodny’s contract grading courses speakpositively about the experience.

“I loved (Zavodny’s contract gradingcourse) because I am a person alwaysworried about my grades,” said IsabelStreichhahn-Demers ’08, an EnvironmentalHumanities major from Munich, Germany.“I knew what I needed to do in order to earna particular grade and what was required.”

Streichhahn-Demers praised the experienceshe had taking Zavodny’s Animal Rightsand Environmental Ethics class. Her mainproject was a series of shorter essays that ledto a longer, final essay. “They (the essays)were all arguments and taught me how to

argue correctly, so it was incredibly helpfuland I did learn more than I thought Iwould,” Streichhahn-Demers said.

Lindsey Cook ’06, a Sustainable LandscapeHorticulture major from Braintree,Massachusetts, thought that Zavodny’scontract grading approach for a course thatexamined Eastern thought for the Westernmind was particularly apt.

“Most of the philosophy is based onbalance, therefore I could be successful withmy contract,” Cook said. “It seemedreliable, calm, and effective. John is accuratewhen he says that most students aren’tshooting for A’s particularly, so basically thestudent has more options with the amountof work to produce quality work(depending on the contract).”

“There are no tricks, you just do whatyou contracted for and if you do more, it iseven better for your learning experience,”Streichhahn-Demers said.

“I loved (Zavodny’s contract grading course) because I am a person alwaysworried about my grades,” said Isabel Streichhahn-Demers ’08, anEnvironmental Humanities major from Munich, Germany. “I knew what I needed to do in order to earn a particular grade and what was required.”


New & NoteworthySafari Club InternationalFoundation Sables CreateScholarship at Unity College Last June The Safari Club InternationalFoundation (SCIF) Sables announced thecreation of a scholarship to benefit UnityCollege Junior and Senior year studentsstudying in the wildlife sciences. Entitledthe SCIF Joe Leta Hunting Heritage

Scholarship at Unity College, thescholarship is recognition of Unity’shunting heritage and hands-on approach to environmental leadership that includesrespect for the shooting sports. Joe Leta ofEvergreen, Colorado, was an enthusiasticpromoter of many sportsmen’soprganizations, including Safari ClubInternational, Safari Club InternationalFoundation and SCIF Sables. Upon hispassing, the Leta family agreed to establish,through the SCIF Sables, a scholarshipwhich would financially aid Junior andSenior year college students studying thewildlife sciences. The search for a collegeended on May 2, 2005, when SablesPresident, Cheri Eby, Sables EducationChair, Elaine Vogeler and Joe Leta’sdaughter, Lisa Stanley, visited UnityCollege. They felt Unity College to be theperfect place to grow the scholarship givenits mission and the fact that it confersmore degrees in environmental studiesthan any other four-year institution in the country. It is hoped that the Joe LetaHunting Heritage Scholarship will bringgraduates into positions that will help toprotect that heritage. The SCIF Sables arecommitted to growing the scholarship’sendowment funds. Over the course of thepast two years, Safari Club InternationalFoundation Sables has donated more than$30,000 to this fund.

Dr. Paul Wade Named TrusteeThe Unity College Board of Trustees haselected Dr. Paul R. Wade of Manchester,Maine to the board, announced during theSpring Semester by Unity College InterimPresident Mark Lapping. Wade will serve afour-year term as a Trustee. A veterinarianwith over thirty years of experience, Wadeis the founder, President and Veterinarianat The Cat Hospital of Manchester, Maine.Founded in 1994, The Cat Hospital is100% focused on the care of felinesincluding high quality feline medicine andsurgery. In addition to his extensive skillsin the areas of veterinary healthcare andoperations management, Wade bringsstrategic planning, organizationaldevelopment, new product, ideasdevelopment and entrepreneurship skills tohis new post as a Trustee. Throughout hiscareer Wade has been involved in a varietyof civic activities, including serving as thecurrent President of the MaineConservation School. He is also a Trusteefor the Veterinary Scholarship Trust ofNew England; President, Maine Chapter ofSafari Club International, which he alsofounded in Maine and served as PastPresident; Past President, Littleton RotaryClub; Life Member, Sportsman’s Alliance

of Maine; Life Member, National RifleAssociation; Life Member, ProfessionalMaine Guides Association; Past Presidentof the Maine Veterinary Medical Associationand Past President of The New EnglandVeterinary Medical Association.

Mashantucket Pequot Tribe ReceivePresident’s EnvironmentalRecognition AwardOn May 2, Bruce Kirchner (left in photo),a Tribal Elder and Foxwoods Casino SeniorVice President of Administration,participated with Interim President MarkLapping in the planting of a sugar mapletree on campus. The tree planting wasrecognition for the active role that TheMashantucket Pequot Tribe has played inprotecting, conserving and enhancing theTribe’s natural resources and relatedecosystems. Lapping noted that the Tribestands as a model for land stewardship.


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So Long Mark…Outgoing Interim President Mark Lappingflashed a resigned grin while waiting to beinterviewed by Bangor-based WVII-TV(ABC) Channel 7 news reporter SteveO’Brien. Microphone at the ready, Lappingis interviewed moments later about theinnovative partnership between UnityCollege and Husson University. Lappingwas known for his hands-on, engaged andfriendly leadership style. Whetheranswering questions for a television newsstory or running a meeting, Lapping wasalways accessible, open to new ideas,dedicated to addressing issues affectingstudents, faculty and staff at every level andled by example. It would be hard toimagine a more well-liked InterimPresident than Dr. Lapping. “We were veryfortunate to have engaged Dr. Lapping asInterim President of Unity College,” saidRobert Pollis, Chairman of the Board ofTrustees. “Dr. Lapping provided theleadership and vision to successfullydevelop a new strategic plan for the Collegeand to address matters such as collegegovernance and creating partnerships.Mark has been visible in the communitypromoting Unity College and cultivatinglong term strategic relationships. The workthat Mark has undertaken will make thetransition to our new President a seamlessprocess. I am personally very fortunate tohave worked with such a talented andcapable person.”

New & Noteworthy

“We were very fortunate to have engaged Dr. Lapping as InterimPresident of Unity College,” said Robert Pollis, Chairman of theBoard of Trustees.


2005-2006 Annual ReportNorth Woods Society(contributors who have given $1,000 or more to Unity College in the past year)Boothby & Bartlett CompanyBristol-Meyers, SquibbCasella Waste SystemsDavis Family FoundationFisher Charitable FoundationJ. Knipper & Company, Inc.Jebediah FoundationKey FoundationL.L. Bean Acadia Research Fellowship FundMaine Campus CompactMaine Sea GrantMELMAC Education FoundationMerck Company FoundationNew England OrganicsNext Generation FoundationNRG SystemsQuimby Family FoundationRockefeller Family FundRukin Philanthropic FoundationSafari Club International Foundation SablesSafari Club International of MaineUnity College Faculty and StaffUnity FoundationDaniel and Joan AmoryJuliet Browne and John HinckDonald and Kathryn FosterDavid and Kathleen Glenn-LewinTim Glidden and Katharine LyonKenneth and Doris HallJames and Lillian HaversatRoger and Roberta JolinRobert and Sheryle LamontagneMark and Joyce LappingGregory and Jane McMorrowMark and Bonnie MillerMartha NordstromMichael Perry and Christine WolfeEd PertRobert and Alice PollisMargaret B. PriorDavid M. PurdyDorothy QuimbyW. Tom and Bonnie SawyerCharles and Arlene SchaeferJohn and Margaret SchaeferMarian and James SchmidtGloria Sosa and George WilliamsJane Pinnette-Jennie Libby Frost TrustMadeline StevensonJohn and Gloria TewheyRobert and Muriel TongePaul WadeBarry and Tess Woods

Additional donors to UnityCollege this past yearTom and Sandra Abbott-StoutPeter and Amanda AbelloLouis E. AbramsonCaitlyn M. AdamsDavid J. AdelsonRobert A. ApseBarbara AtkinsWarren BalgooyenMarc D. BaneEdward W. BealsGreg BeckRichard and Jennifer BeckAlex S. BeloteThomas and Barbara BeloteRichard and Mary Ann BeneskiRobert and Margaret BennettBeth H. BermanTami L. BillCourtney L. BlodgettElisha and Thomas BoatmanRuth H. BogiaMark S. BoisvertDiane Borden-BilliotMargreth A. BostwickDana B. BoyntonArlo and Joan BradstreetKenneth J. BroskoskieHeidi BruggerJohn and Rachel BurkePeter and Catherine ButrynCharles and Elizabeth CarrC. Edward E. CarsonPhilip CataneseCostas and Sally ChristPatricia E. ClarkGay and John ClausenThomas and Karen CookJeffrey and Susan CoomerCharles and Sara CooperDonald and Eleanor CornellHeidi L. CornellCarl and Susan Cote-DeMiliaChristopher and Cydney CottonDavid CourtemanchLeonard CraigEmma CreaserLaurie W. DanielW. James and Jody DavisJeffrey A. DensonOwen and Laurie DevereuxBharat and Asha DhandhukiaCindy DickRobert and Christina DineenMargaret A. DivineyRobert "Beau" and Holly Doherty

Sandy DonahueDavid and Deborah DurginDeborah EldredgeG. Arlene and Joseph EliasJohn FordSandra Elman and Harvey FoxJon and Paula EustisRoy and Maryllyn FairfieldSusan FerreraBrian and Cristina FerrisKay FiedlerLaura and Terry FordJerome and Sandra FortierDoug FoxHeather L. FrancisRobert K. GarabedianJames and Susan GassGloria GervaisJane W. GliddenKerri and Dave GodfreyAmanda GonzalesEdward B. GoodellJohn and Gisele GraceMichelle and Robert GrahnRichard GrayDonna and Paul GrazianoStacy GregstonKate GrenierAlisa GrayKenneth P. GreyCheryl GroomJohn and Janice GuarnieriPamela GuilesWilliam HaffordJohn and Patricia HambrickAdam HanekStephanie M. HanwellPamela HarlowLloyd and Martha HarmonTodd G. HartfordCorilla and James HastingsWalter and Carol HauserAmber HaydenMeaghan A. HealeyKaren and Peter HeathEdmund F. HoeyCharlene A. HoodJames and Beth HoranCraig HowlettJimmy HubbardD. James and Noreen HuffAudrey L. HullLee HumphreysLoretta HuttmanNettie JehnJonathan and Abigail JenksChuck and Gail Johnson

Julie and Frank JohnsonCollins and Ann JohnstonLarry and Sharon JonesJohn and Kathy JurczynskiAlek and Melinda JuskeviceLeigh JuskeviceMichael KalksteinRandall and Diane KanePatrick and Sarah KieranMichael KinsellaMichael and Jody KirchnerJohn and Mildred KistenmacherSusan C. KochVictoria L. KozeraRichard LambAnthony J. LambertLawrence LanghansDaniel J. LeducTracy A. LeetC. Frederick LowellGretchen LucchesiGerard MaddenRobert and Kim MaiettaVincent J. MarottaKaren and Irvine MarstersDorothy and Robert MartinThomas MartinMichael H. MasleyRachel MatthewsLarry and Nita MayeMatthew McClintockLynne McKeeJames and Alicia McNallyPaula J. MeiersDan and Christine MelansonJean Palmer MessexBarry J. MiddletonPaul MillerIrwin and Judith MillerPhoebe MillikenYvette MitchellMatthew MooneyMary MorrsisonMeghan MorrisonScott A. MorrisonKristy and Roger MorseyTom MullinDiane L. MurphyJim NelsonThomas NesbittPeter NewcombRand and Jolene NewellAlicia J. NicholsTimothy and Valerie NorrisS. William OlsonJohn and Eileen OsterhoutRussell W. Paterson


2005-2006 Annual ReportTim PeabodyMarie PelletierGreg and Jennifer PerkinsJohn and Susan PiottiLuigi and Stacey PizzutiDave PotterStephen PuibelloEben PyneCharles and MJ RabeniAlan RafloEdward and Susan RaiolaGerard J. Rascoll, Jr.James and Susan ReedJason D. ReynoldsNancy Ross and George VilesTravis RunnalsJoseph and Karrie SaltalamachiaAmanda SanockiJoseph and Eva SaundersAimee SawyerCynthia F. SchaubLibby SeigarsCraig P. SegarCorree SewardEvan and Janet ShaadThomas ShelleyMargaret ShieldsThomas and Betty-Jeanne ShimmelAlan SmithCarey and Fanne SmithDavid R. SmithDavid J. Snee, Jr.Raymond E. Snyder, Jr.Robin StarchakRobert and Marianne SteinhackerDeborah and Martin SugermanJohn and Jayne SullivanR.P. and C.H. SullivanEileen SweetMark TardifJulie E. TherouxKelli ThornhillShawn TierneyPeter TinkhamAlexander TolesWilliam TruexRobert and Theo Van DeventerDoug Van Horn and Leslie SteinCharlie and Teresa VandemoerEmily C. VolzTravis WagnerMatthew S. WagnerWilliam J. WaiteGlen and Toni WallKevin and Andrea Ward

Neil and Ann WardJoseph and Elizabeth WeaverAndrew E. WeaverGwyneth G. WebbDeborah and Jim WelchDouglas and Nancy WendellWendy L. WickendenRodney and Cheryl WilsonMartin and Jane WilsonJohn and Cathleen WimsattCatherine and David WolfeMick Womersley and Aimee PhillippiChrista WoodCharles and Deborah WoodmanGary and Nancy ZaneJohn Zavodny and Anna McGalliard

BusinessesA Highlanders GardenA. E. HodsdonAdventure BoundAndover Agricultural & Hardware SupplyAndroscoggin County Fish and Game AssociationBelfast BoatyardBelfast Framer Belknap Landscape Co. IncBerg SportswearBoston Red Sox C. Caprara Food Service EquipmentCappy's Chowder House Central Maine Chapter of N.W.T.F.Champion's Fitness Club Chase's Daily Chase's Home Furnishing's, Inc.Colonial Theather CrosstraxDiscount PC Down East Federal Credit UnionDown East MagazineEBS Building SuppliesFidelity Charitable Gift FundFoothills ManagementFramemakers Freedom General StoreGovernor's RestaurantH.E. Sargent, Inc.Horizon Industries, Inc.John L. Carver, P.A.Kaiser Stoneworks, LLCKittery Trading PostMac's True Value HardwareMaine Antler DesignMaine Audubon SocietyMaine Dept. of Inland Fisheries & WildlifeMaine KayakMcCormick's Thriftway

Moss Inc.Mr. PaperbackNational Emergency Response Team Inc.North Country PressNorth Country RiversNortheast Aquatic ResearchPortland Sea Dogs Rebling PlasticsRotary Club of LanghorneRuffed Grouse Society Burton Spiller ChapterSamoset Resort School Street Market and VideoSheldon Inc. (Mepps Lure Co.)St. Croix Federal Credit UnionSteppingstoneSugarloaf/USAThe Arbee CompanyThe Beverage MillThe Black & Decker CorporationThe Green Store The Homestead RestaurantUnity Centre for the Performing ArtsUnity College Alumni AssociationUnity College BookstoreUnity College Con-Law Enforcement ClubUnity House of Pizza Unity Rotary ClubUnity Union ChurchWeathervane Seafood Restaurant Webber Oil CompanyWhitetail Solutions, LLCWings Hill Inn

These towns contributed tothe Dot Quimby Library whichserves the College and theircommunitiesTown of BurnhamTown of FreedomTown of ThorndikeTown of TroyTown of Unity

Gifts Made in Memory ofDavid A. Rock Association of Consulting Foresters of America, Inc.Dutch ChevroletE.D. Bessey & SonBruce EllisonRoberta M. GoodellMarc A. JohnsonJohn F. and Carole MerrifieldMarian O. PatonClinton K. PiperDorothy W. QuimbyDennis and Clarie SmartKent and Lorren Thurston

Gifts Made in Memory ofAngela M. (Stokes) MahoneyChildren's Village Child Care Center, Inc.Department of Environmental ProtectionMaine Maritime AcademyMaine State Planning OfficeBrett BowserPatricia J. BriggsSharon BriggsHarold D. CarterTeresa L. DavisLucille GiguereRoy I. and Elizabeth GoodwinThomas and Sally GreeleyErnest E. HouseJames and Kathy LaforestClaustin and Belinda LawrenceRhonda LibbyMartha NordstromClair OverlockElizabeth OverlockLawrence and Renee OverlockNancy Ross and George VilesRichard and Donna RussellGreg and Cindy StokesRussell and Tammy ThebergeVirginia Whitman

Gifts Made in Memory ofGertrude MintonP.T. Morgan Packaging Co., Inc.Michael and Kathleen AuroCharles and Diane BrushSelwin and Susan CainDavid CommynDeborah EldredgeBobby Lee and Patricia Farris Jr.Norman and Nora FeitPaul and Daria FormanGary M. FosterJonathan GoldsteinWalter and Jane HornGeorge A. Hvidsten and Mary Jeanne MaddenJames and Cynthia Kavanaugh Jr.Susan KenneallyDavid and Deborah LewisDavid and Janice LinehanRobert and Barbara LoringMichael and Margaret McCarthyMargaret PriorMarie Louise Straton

1,000 WORDS

Rebecca Clough ’09, an Adventure

Education Leadership major from

Rochester, New Hampshire, sits on a

pile of rubble in New Orleans in March.

Clough and other Unity students spent

an Alternative Spring Break working as

volunteers aiding The Common Ground

Collective grass-roots community

organization in the devastated 9th Ward.

90 Quaker Hill RoadUnity, Maine 04988

ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED

Non-Profit StatusPrsrt Std

US Postage

PAIDFarmington, MEPermit No. 30

Callie Davis ’06, of Polson, Montana, posed for a photo beside an apple tree adjacent to Quimby Library aftercommencement exercises on Saturday, May 13. She earned a bachelor’s degree in Wildlife with a minor in Zoology.

unity college summer 2006 issue

Documents

namefor unity college

unity ideal26

unity archery

new president

new hampshire

new partnerships

new facultyare

new policies