When flying over vast fields - probably in some state between Louisiana and Washington - it is impossible to compare your size to the tiny-looking buildings below. People look like marching ants digging in and out of the earth. I start sinking into ontology; there wasn't much else - being stuck in tight seats, a busy man sitting next to me eyeing his reports on Sarbanes Oxley.

Being a graduating senior, some may say I've been around the block. Some may say I've seen my fair share. Some might just say I'm used up and bitter. Whatever the case may be, I feel I will be walking away from the University of Maine with at least a few bits of wisdom - gained from my own missteps - that I feel obligated to pass on to the youngsters out there.

The door to the future is wide open for the University of Maine's graduating class, but fears of leaving the familiar and moving on persist.

New media major Kevin Mitchell is worried about keeping in touch with his friends at UMaine.

"I have met so many wonderful people, and I am really nervous to be leaving them behind, being hundreds of miles away.

When asked what jazz is, Louis Armstrong once said, "Man, if you got to ask, you'll never know." To the untrained or uninterested ear, jazz songs may all blend together into one long improvised solo. The trained ear, on the other hand, will become indignant when someone confuses a Duke Ellington for a Charlie Parker.

Who Derek Mitchell is can not be separated from what he does.

"I've reported from Iraq, but this is my greatest accomplishment. In the past two years, I have made Student Entertainment into something I'm proud of."

Mitchell is the vice president of Student Entertainment (SE).

Let's face it: We live in an age where everything one puts online can be seen. Employers now search possible candidates' profiles on sites like Facebook and Myspace to determine whether or not the applicant is the kind of person they want to hire. Got some pictures up that you wouldn't want seen? You might want to take a moment and make your profile friends-only or private.

When most students are counting down the days until the semester ends, there are a few who will be counting down the days to plant their crops. These students will not be hitting the books this summer at the university - they will manage the crops for Black Bear Food Guild (BBFG).

On Tuesday, April 29, WMEB, the University of Maine's radio station, welcomes comedian Ryan Waning to Woodman's Pub in downtown Orono for an evening of alternative stand-up comedy.

Making his name as part of New York's hip comedy underground, while maintaining a residence in Maine, Waning has become a regular at some of the most prestigious venues in comedy.

Ever wish you could have great skills such as folding laundry, sewing buttons or tying a tie? Those attending the April 26 event in Estrabooke Hall participated in a variety of activities teaching relevant life skills.

David Merrill, the resident assistant in charge of the event, said the inspiration for the event occurred in the fall of 2007 when he saw one of his resident's "beautifully folded laundry," and wished he could do the same.

Amidst cheers and laughter at the University of Maine Memorial Union, 10 male students were auctioned off to women-and some men-as part of an Alternative Spring Break International fundraiser on Thursday.

The date auction attracted more than 40 people. The men auctioned off for dates included the captain of the UMaine men's hockey team and the president of Student Government.

Terry Lacy's classroom doesn't have books, overhead projector screens, whiteboards filled with notes or desks for students to take a seat. Instead, a smooth, black floor and walls covered by mirrors enclose the entire space. His students don't sit; they stand.

Before coming to the University of Maine, I never followed the news, gas prices, politics or anything having to do with current events too closely. I only knew about issues that I heard my parents or teachers speak about, but I never cared too much about any of it.

Dominick Varney knows how to multi-task. He is an academic advisor for the Exploration program at the University of Maine, teaches acting classes and played eight roles in the Penobscot Theatre's "Little Shop of Horrors" performance.

As he began to rattle off all the parts he played, he paused nervously to ask how he's doing.

It is the end of the semester. This has given us time to reflect on what did and did not work this school year.

Next year, we would like to see more diversity in the entertainment Student Government brings to campus. This includes bands from genres other than emo and more guest lectures.

The students in the lecture hall are taking notes from the overhead when a cell phone rings, loudly. The professor, clearly irritated at being interrupted, walks over to the offender and motions for him to hand over the phone. He takes it and throws it against the opposite wall, where it shatters.

For two days, Internet fanatics converged on the MIT campus, in the hopes of catching the micro-celebrities of a medium in which, in the words of musician Momus, "everyone is famous for 15 people."

ROFLCon is a convention about the intricacies of the Internet meme.

The forensics team at the University of Maine has never solved a murder. Its members have probably argued about a few though.

The speech and debate team, comprised of eight students, won the North Eastern Regional Tournament, a debate competition which was in Boston this year.

Upon graduating this year, many University of Maine students will be faced with major decisions. Some will remain at home in their own apartment or move back in with mom and dad. Others will be launching careers in and out of state. Either way, a major change most graduates will face is that they will not be able to roll out of bed, throw on a baggy pair of grey sweats and a T-shirt and stroll in to class five minutes late.

When hunger strikes

Police received a call from a Memorial Union Marketplace employee on April 24 at 12:47 p.m. She reported a male had ordered a steak and cheese sandwich and placed it in his pants pocket. He then put a ham and vegetable sandwich from the cooler in his other pants pocket and a juice in his jacket pocket.

Last Thursday the Maine Channel held their 2nd Annual Film Festival in Room 101, Neville Hall. The festival, which featured a multitude of student films, drew a large crowd, filling much of the lecture hall. The audience was treated to popcorn, candy, soda and pizza before the films were shown, but when the lights finally went down, after some technical difficulties, the crowd was eager to see what kind of film talent the University of Maine had to offer.