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Making the Brutal Look Beautiful: Larissa Calka, MSII

In a china shop, sometimes Larissa Calka is the bull, and sometimes she’s the teacup.

“When I had to choose between ballet and gymnastics, I chose gymnastics because I looked like a gymnast,” the diminutive medical student says. Twenty years of training packed her with specialized muscles and a surprising resilience to pain; she won the all-around competition at Cornell University after doing a face-plant the previous meet.

Today, Larissa wears ribbons in her hair as she performs intricate pirouettes with a professional Ukrainian dance company. “It is difficult to describe the feeling of bliss I get when I am performing,” she says. Larissa herself is easy to misjudge. Tough as nails yet tiny, fiercely competitive and winsomely shy, you look for her on a saucer but instead find her balanced on a beam. She makes the brutal look beautiful.   

Ice and Steel

“I can’t ever remember not doing it,” Larissa says, searching the ceiling in vain for some small fragment of pre-gymnastic memory pasted there. She began lessons when she was two - after her parents noticed that she never stopped climbing on things – and did not stop until she graduated from Cornell University twenty years later.

It may seem incongruous that a girl who stands five-foot-maybe could take the heavy beating of gymnastics, but strength and grace run like two rivers in the Calka clan. Larissa’s dad ran marathons; her mom loved Ukrainian folk dance. Her older brother, Stefan, is a professional ballet dancer with the Sacramento Ballet Company. The combination is not unusual for a family with a pronounced Slavic heritage: as a product of its geography, much of eastern European art involves making the painful look pleasant.

Ukraine, for example, has always been a land of ice and steel. Made up mostly of steppes and plateaus, the region provided easy access for invading armies who wanted to avoid the Black Sea and treacherous Crimean mountains to the south. Gripped for part of the year in an arctic freeze, the land lies bundled in woods and covered with snow. When its people were not at war with foreign armies, they battled the elements. From their fierce fighting spirit and rugged labor, the Slavic people developed an appreciation for various kinesthetic forms of art that made excruciating activities look graceful. Gymnastics and ballet both capture the Slavic conception of stylized warfare. 
 
To Spare the Lamp

Stylized warfare or not, Larissa’s upbringing could hardly have been more docile. She grew up in suburban Clifton Park, New York, ten miles north of Albany. Nestled comfortably in a bend of the old Erie Canal, the town slumbers amidst quiet houses and loud maples that torch themselves in the fall. More than 90% of the population traces their roots to European ancestry. The Calkas are Polish and Ukrainian.

When it became clear that their little girl was going to topple the living room lamp if another outlet for her restless energy could not be found, Larissa’s parents signed her up for gymnastics. The fit was perfect as Larissa combined her love for beauty with an insatiable desire to move. Even today, Larissa slowly executes a small circle in her chair as she sits for an interview. “I have a hard time sitting still,” she admits, “I’m used to moving for hours a day, so it is tough to sit in one place.”

Well-Concealed Torture

Almost everything about gymnastics hurts. Danger and pain are always present, and that’s why a graceful performance is so remarkable. It is a constant fight against gravity, the laws of physics, and the biological constraints of the human body. When a gymnast arches her back, points her toes, and salutes the crowd with a smile, she has just won a tremendous battle. It is well-concealed torture.

An observer may wonder at the small size of the best female gymnasts. Larissa is a fine example of the law of gymnastics that seeks “maximum strength from minimum size.” Larissa learned that increasing the cross-sectional area of a muscle, known as muscle hypertrophy, is key to increasing strength, and hence, performance. Yet greater bulk also increased the amount of body weight she would need to swing around the uneven bars or twist over the vault. Too much muscle became a confounding impediment to peak performance. To produce the perfect gymnast seemed to defy the laws of biology.

Science came to the rescue. Researchers learned that only 70-90% of an athlete’s muscle fibers are voluntarily activated and applied to athletic movements (Strojnik, 1995.) This gap between the absolute strength of a muscle and the maximal strength produced by voluntary contraction of the muscle is called the “strength deficit.” The larger the muscle, the greater the “strength deficit” produced. This means that an athlete with huge muscles (like a power lifter) may have greater physical strength than an athlete with leaner muscles, but they also have a much higher strength-to-body-weight ratio.

To solve this dilemma, gymnastics trainers developed unique weight training exercises designed to increase the maximum strength of an athlete without unduly increasing muscle mass. These exercises involve multiple sets with a low number of repetitions performed explosively, thus training an athlete to use a greater percentage of their muscle fibers while avoiding increased muscle mass (Buhrle and Werner, 1984.) Using similar training principles, Larissa developed tremendous strength yet remained tiny as she progressed from Level 5 to Level 10 in gymnastics.

“You Did What You Trained For”
    
Larissa joined a graduating class of 650 at Shenendehowa High as she climbed the rungs of high school. While her peers occupied themselves with clique politik, Larissa spent 3 and ½ hours a day at the World Class Gymnastics Academy after school. She traveled to sectional, regional, and then national competitions until she reached Level 10 proficiency, just one level shy of Olympic caliber.

The sport demanded total commitment. Larissa practiced five days a week, and she participated in Ukrainian folk dancing on her day “off.” While other gymnasts sometimes developed a hard athletic formality, folk dancing helped Larissa stay graceful and fluid. Athleticism and grace combined like nitro and glycerin to make Larissa a dynamic threat to win any meet. Fellow gymnasts learned to respect the soft-spoken New Yorker’s astounding ability to flip and fly. “I love to compete,” Larissa says, her pale blue eyes snapping, “but otherwise I’m pretty shy. Am I abnormal?”

Competitions in high school were often huge, sometimes with hundreds of gymnasts waiting for hours to compete. “It could be nerve-wracking as you waited for your event,” she recalls, “but when it was your turn the training took over and your adrenaline got pumping and you did what you trained for.” Larissa did what she trained for particularly well. By the time she graduated from high school, she was a silver medallist at the Empire State Games, and was the 2000 New York State Champion in the floor exercise, while placing third in the all-around gymnastics competition. Colleges scrambled through their own gymnastic routines to recruit her.

Ivy League Moxie

Cornell University won the match for Larissa. “It had a good gymnastics program, a gorgeous campus, and was only three hours from home,” she says, “It was the perfect fit.” Recruited for the gymnastics team, Larissa was a key contributor from day one. She consistently placed first or second in a number of events, and she won the ECAC Coaches’ Choice Award as a junior for her consistent high-octane performance. That season, she posted some of the best all-around scores in Cornell history, and contributed more team points than any other gymnast. Cornell won the Ivy League Championship, and little Larissa was the Big Red’s most potent weapon.

The balance beam and the floor exercise were her favorite and best events. “The balance beam is 4” wide and 4’ off the ground,” she says nonchalantly. To perform multiple back flips on an elevated beam barely wider than a credit card takes more than training; it takes moxie. Larissa was fearless. “Your body figures out what to do,” she says of her training, “it knows where the beam is.” Was she ever injured? “I broke my ankle once,” she says matter-of-factly, “and I fell in a dismount from the uneven bars.” Her skinned face and deviated septum were more an annoyance than a handicap, and she won the all-around competition at the very next meet. Still, there were consequences to the fall, and Larissa waited until after gymnastics to have her septum realigned: “I had surgery last summer so I can breathe again!” she chirrups happily.

By the time Larissa was a senior, she was voted team captain and had set Cornell records on the floor exercise and balance beam. Her beam score was a near-perfect 9.825. When asked why she was picked as captain, Larissa squirms in her chair and offers, “I wasn’t a vocal leader. I was more the strong, silent type who led by example. I always got along with everyone.”

“I Stuck With It”

There were no doctors in her family, but Larissa received medical experience by proxy. Her grandmother suffered from scarlet fever as a child, and as a consequence experienced heart-valve trouble throughout her life. She bore the brunt of a lot of harsh diseases, but fought through them courageously. Finally, doctors implanted a stainless steel device to replace the damaged valves. Larissa often visited her grandmother in the hospital and remembers her joking, “My heart valves are guaranteed for 200 years!”

It was this early experience with hospitals, doctors, and medicine that gave Larissa the impetus to pursue a medical track at Cornell. “I always liked science in school, and I was always amazed at the doctors who cared for my grandmother. Everyone at the hospitals seemed so friendly,” she says. That doesn’t mean that it was easy. “I switched my major a few times, but ended up as a biology major even though it was a challenge,” she says, reverting unconsciously to gymnastic terminology, “I stuck with it.”

After visiting the American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine (AACOM) website, Larissa realized that she liked the principles of osteopathy, which seemed more natural than allopathic medicine. She shadowed a hometown doc, Dr. Cotugno, a UNECOM alum who talked up the school to Larissa. After volunteering at Cayuga Medical Center, Larissa realized with a sense of satisfaction, “I can do this!”

She applied to UNECOM and matriculated after graduation from Cornell in 2005. It was a huge adjustment, mostly because she had to sit for hours at a time. “It was a lifestyle change, really,” Larissa admits, “I was used to three hours of workouts each day of my life, and now I had to sit in class in one place, without being able to flip or bounce.” Static tension aside, Larissa likes the atmosphere of friendliness at UNECOM, and she finds her classmates kind and helpful. “Everyone is relaxed,” she says, “It isn’t cutthroat like I though medical school was supposed to be.”

Larissa lives with three other medical students, which she loves, and has started to run after class to expend some restless energy. She feels inexperienced, but knows that UNECOM will prepare her for the future. “I’m interested in dermatology,” she says, “or maybe radiology or neurology.” There is no hurry to decide.

The Graceful Music of War

In the meantime, Larissa has thrown herself into another lifelong love: Ukrainian folk dancing. She performed with a children’s group in Albany, and now participates with a group of professional dancers called “Syzokryli” (check out their website at www.syzokryli.com). Led by master choreographer Roma Pryma Bohachevsky, the group has performed at the Lincoln Center and conducts a summer camp, where Larissa is a counselor.

There are many types of dances, but Larissa’s favorite is predictably the most demanding. “The Hopak is a Ukrainian folk dance from the Poltava region (central Ukraine),” she says, “and is one of my absolute favorite dances to perform. It is usually done at the end of a show as sort of the grand finale. It is an extremely energetic, athletic, and happy dance.” Originating from Kozak victory dances, the Hopak starts with the brooding music of battle, then bursts into glorious flying melodies as victory is achieved and the maidens enter with their flowered headpieces and ribbons flowing in the breeze. All participants must smile broadly as they perform the exhausting routine, trying their best to make the brutal look beautiful.

The entire group dances for eight minutes – a marathon for a dance – with red boots stepping in unison and dancers performing solos according to their skill. “Guys will try to do crazy acrobatic type dance,” Larissa says, “with huge leaps and jumps and mock sword fights, while girls will do incredibly intricate dance combinations, spins, and jumps. I don’t think I can remember a time when this dance was performed without a standing ovation.” It is the closest thing to gymnastics that Larissa has found, and it gives her great joy to perform. Even as a physician, she plans to dance for as long as she can.

It is her cup of tea.

-Steve Smith, RSAS

(Larissa’s friend is producing a documentary on Ukrainian folk dancing called “Folk.” To see the trailer, go to http://www.kinorox.com and click on “trailers.”)

Larissa Calka, MSII (right) leads a group of maidens in a Ukrainian folk dance. Photo Courtesy Larissa Calka.

UNE/COM News and Events

L-R First years Vito Ferri, Ryan Murphy, Brett Matthews, and Mike Digianvittorio at the White Coat Ceremony. Photo by Steve Smith, RSAS

Anderson, Wuerdeman Speak at White Coat Ceremony

UNECOM’s tenth annual White Coat Ceremony was held on Thursday, October 5, at the Holiday Inn by the Bay in Portland. A reception followed in the Casco Bay Exhibition Hall.

Event highlights included presentation of the white coats by members of the second-year class; brief remarks by UNE President Danielle Ripich and UNECOM Dean Boyd Buser, D.O.; remarks by William G. Anderson, D.O., Associate Dean of the Kirksville College of Osteopathic Medicine; remarks by second-year medical student Lisa Wuerdeman, president of the Student Osteopathic Medicine Association (SOMA); and a reading of the Osteopathic Oath by Charlotte Paolini, D.O. (UNECOM ‘89), president of the UNECOM Alumni Association.

During the Civil Rights Era, Dr. Anderson was a leader in the Albany Movement in Georgia. Dr. Anderson is currently a clinical professor of osteopathic surgical specialties at Michigan State University College of Osteopathic Medicine. He is also the Associate Dean of the Kirksville College of Osteopathic Medicine.

Dr. Anderson received a standing ovation for his impassioned talk about the importance of osteopathic medicine, physician competence, and societal change. At one point, an animated Dr. Anderson compared the ratio of deaths by malpractice per physician to the rate of accidental shooting deaths per gun-owner in the United States. The patient death rate was much higher. "Looking at these numbers, a person could say that physicians are more dangerous than guns!" Dr. Anderson exclaimed, "You need to change all that."

He also gave a number of personal examples from his early years as an osteopathic student, resident, and physician. The packed audience responded warmly when Dr. Anderson mentioned that there are currently seven osteopaths in his immediate family. "I'm proud that I'm a D.O.," said Dr. Anderson, "and I'm proud that my children and my grandchildren are D.O.s." He encouraged the first year class at UNECOM to never quit, and to pursue their dreams to become the best physicians they can be. "The world needs you," Dr. Anderson concluded.

Lisa Wuerdeman, a second year medical student and president of SOMA, addressed the first year class before the presentation of their white coats. She offered a number of humorous stories from her own first year of medical school, confessing that she had learned to live on coffee and Starbursts, and at one point was so stressed that she spent an hour looking for her sunglasses - only to find them on top of her head. She also encouraged the first year class to treat each patient as a human being - not as an illness - and to take time to learn from those around them. "In my first year I learned how a fellow student planned to use his architectural landscaping degree to become a better physician," she said, "and I learned how to tile a bathroom." She's still not sure how the latter will help her in a hospital, but the point was well taken: Don't forget that the world is moving on while you're in med school.

Wuerdeman then led the second-year class in the presentation of the white coats to the first-year class. After the flashbulbs and exclamations had ended, Dr. Charlotte Paolini recited the Osteopathic Oath, which the first-year class affirmed. The UNECOM Class of 2010 then walked out of the ballroom standing a little taller in their short white coats, ready to pose for pictures with all of their family and friends.

The White Coat Ceremony was an idea conceived by the Arnold P. Gold Foundation to create a psychological contract for professionalism and empathy in medicine. The first White Coat Ceremony took place in 1993 at Columbia College of Physicians and Surgeons. Since then, more than 100 other medical schools in the U.S. and abroad have initiated a similar ceremony.

- Steve Smith, RSAS

Photos from the White Coat Ceremony:

L-R Maria Weinstein, MSI, Anil Pillay, MSII, Tara Wayt, MSI, Sonja Vindheim, MSI, Rick Feeney, MSII, and Mike Jackson, MSII, don't seem to mind the wait before the White Coat Ceremony.

B. Ayach, MSI, is a man on a mission.

MSIIs Don Tower, Nick Tedesco, Chris Johnston, Josh Morrison, and Jacob Troutman circle the wagons as they prepare for the White Coat Ceremony.

L-R Regine Reimers, MSI, Lizbeth Dalaza, MSII, Anna Rose Pinlac, MSII, and Maureen DeCamp, MSII.

MSIIs Larissa Calka, Andrea Berry, Anne Newbold, and Curt Senita pose in their "House" portrait.

L-R Danny Steele, MSII, Karen Morgan, MSII, Gerard Rubin, MSI, and Kim Salaycik, MSI.

L-R MSIs Andrea Dionne, Azra Idrizovic, Alicia Pointer, and Kelly Salerno, are ready for their white coats.

L-R, Sarah Carlson, MSI, Anil Pillay, MSII, and Farhan Israr, MSII.

MSIs Firas Naji (left), and B. Ayach share a happy moment as they realize that they are color-coordinated. The white coats will be frosting on their cake.

Gerard Rubin, MSI, accepts congratulations from fellow first years before the ceremony has even begun.

Brian Davia, MSII, takes his card from the RSAS table. Priscilla Gaffney, Janelle Blair, and Tracie Purcell make it a joy.

Joe Charpentier and Joe Keen, both MSIIs, make a Joe sandwich.

L-R Don Tower, MSII, Jordan Wagner, MSII, Shannon Scully, MSI, and Joe Scott, MSI, make Gretchen Hankens, MSII, feel like a parent in the front seat of the car.

Eric Camyre, MSII (left picture), waves his fractured glory. Above, Matt Pomykala, MSII, and Cary Vachon, MSI.

Michelle Stone, MSI, maintains her composure before the ceremony.

Korda Named Dean of Community Programs

I am pleased to announce that Holly Korda, M.A., Ph.D., has accepted the position of associate dean of community programs, part of the College of Osteopathic Medicine. Dr. Korda replaces Meredith Tipton, Ph.D., who developed and directed our successful graduate public health programs. In addition to overseeing our MPH programs, Dr. Korda is also responsible for the Coastal Community Healthy Coalitions, the AHEC, the Health Literacy Center and the Geriatric Education Center.
 
A Maine native, Dr. Korda comes to UNE from Washington, D.C., with more than 25 years of experience in the design, development and evaluation of public health programs, policies and systems of care, with particular expertise in the development of public-private partnerships and campaigns at the local, state and national levels.  She has extensive experience with U.S. Public Health Serviceprograms and agencies and has served as a senior executive and advisor on a range of healthcare issues in the public, private and not-for-profit sectors.  Dr. Korda received her Ph.D. in health services research at Tufts University and looks forward to working with students and faculty in UNE's Graduate Public Health Programs. Dr. Korda began her duties on Monday, October 23, 2006.  Her office is located in room 120 of Stella Maris Hall and her extension is 2353.  Please feel free to stop by and welcome her to the University Community.

- Boyd Buser, D.O., UNECOM dean and vice president for health services (interim)

Post Gross Toast a Study in Catharsis

Sigma Sigma Phi hosted their annual Post Gross Toast Ceremony on Friday, October 27, in the Campus Center multi-purpose rooms. The event is designed as a time of congratulation and catharsis after the end of Gross Anatomy, widely considered the most challenging class in medical school.

On an evening sharp as champagne, the first year class celebrated the completion of their final Gross exam with a reception, speeches, and the requisite burning of their scrubs at a post-ceremony bonfire.

Highlights of the ceremony included words from Dean Boyd Buser, reflections from the RSAS Office, comments from SGA President Jake Budny, exhortation and white-elephant awards from Anatomy fellows Sara Richmond, Noelle Sherrets-Ratigan, and Connie Earl (Geoff Noonan was unable to make the ceremony), and a speech and toast by Dr. Neil Cross, professor of Anatomy.

Second-year student Don Tower, SSP President, emceed the event, which ran smoothly and on time. Students enjoyed platters of crackers, cheese, and fruit, then raised glasses of champagne and sparkling cider as Dr. Cross congratulated them for three months of hard work and perseverance in Anatomy.

Following the ceremony, Corey Ephrussi, MS II, lit a bonfire down by the river, and MS Is chortled as they fed the flames with scrubs still reeking of formaldehyde. Mysteriously, a few sneakers, hats, and textbooks also found their way into the blaze. MS IIs Mike Jackson and Matt Pomykala helped Ephrussi contain and extinguish the fire, and clots of students disengaged from the group to attend celebrations of their own.

Congratulations to the Class of 2010, and best wishes as you continue your education here at UNECOM!

-Steve Smith, RSAS

Cookies in the Mill Film & Video Festival to show more than 50 local, national and international films Nov. 18th

Cookies in the Mill Film & Video Festival will screen more than 50 films from around Maine, the country and the world, Nov. 18, 2006 in the North Dam Mill, 2 Main Street, Biddeford from 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.

The festival, sponsored by he University of New England’s Media Services and North Dam Mill, is free and open to the public.

Expect THE GOOD, THE BAD, THE UGLY, THE FUNNY, THE SEXY, THE SCARY, THE SUBVERSIVE, and THE SUBTITLED. The mission of Cookies in the Mill is to provide a venue for all filmmakers. The films of accomplished filmmakers are screened alongside the work of beginners. Films this fall originate from local artists to those from as far as Hong Kong, Spain, and Armenia.

Filmmakers Lunch Box will take place from 12 – 1 p.m. This is a chance to mingle with the talent, the public, the aficionados and the sublime. Free eats!

Cookies in the Mill is the brainchild of Kari Wagner, videographer, UNE Media Services;  Holly Haywood, director, UNE Media Services; Jessica Peck, performance artist; Brendan Wallach, Biddeford resident; Mary Leaming, UNE student; and Julian Butler, community volunteer.

Cookies will, of course, be provided for the enjoyment of all in attendance.

For more information visit the Cookies in the Mill website at www.une.edu/cookiesinthemill/

(Press release issued Oct. 30, 2006)

Seminar for policy makers examines health insurance reform efforts in Maine, Massachusetts and Vermont

A day-long policy seminar featuring three northern New England states’ approaches to improving healthcare access is scheduled for Friday, December 1, 2006 at the University of New England’s Westbrook College Campus in Portland, Maine.

Specifically, the seminar for state legislators, health policy officials and representatives from private sector health organizations and consumer healthcare reform organizations will focus on health insurance reform efforts in Maine, Massachusetts and Vermont.

The Program
The seminar will feature presentations by top-level government officials from each of the three states in the morning session and an expert panel discussion with audience participation in the afternoon session.

State officials will address their respective health access legislation and associated cost containment efforts. Tom Barker, counselor for health policy to the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, will be the keynote speaker. Barker serves as the secretary’s legal and policy advisor.

“This policy seminar will provide an opportunity to disseminate and discuss information on different models of healthcare improvement currently underway in New England,” noted seminar coordinator Ron Deprez, Ph.D., M.P.H., director of UNE’s Center for Health Policy, Planning and Research (CHPPR), part of the University’s College of Osteopathic Medicine. “In addition, the seminar will emphasize the challenges posed to states attempting to expand access to health care through state sponsored insurance programs."

Sponsors
The seminar will run from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. in Ludcke Auditorium, 716 Stevens Avenue, Portland, Maine. It is sponsored by the UNE’s Center for Health Policy, Planning and Research, The New England Council, New England Healthcare Institute, the Maine State Chamber of Commerce and the Maine Health Access Foundation.

Morning session presenters include Ellen Thompson, M.S., public health planning chief, Vermont Department of Health; Herb Olson, J.D., Vermont Division of Healthcare Administration; Robert Carey, director of planning and development, Health Connector (Massachusetts); Massachusetts State Representative Marty Walz; Trish Riley, director, (Maine) Governor’s Office of Health Policy and Finance; and Maine State Representative Lisa Miller. Ron Deprez will facilitate the morning session.

Panel members include James Hester, Jr., Ph.D., vice president, Vermont MVP Health Care; Frank McGinty, executive vice president, MaineHealth; and a panel member representing Massachusetts. Panel moderator will be Wendy Wolf, M.D., Ph.D., executive director, Maine Health Access Foundation.

A wrap-up session will be conducted by Tracy Gay, director of health policy, New England Healthcare Institute.

Registration
To register or for more information, including reference material, biographical information on the featured speakers and directions, visit www.chppr.org.

CHPPR is a multi-functional educational, consulting and research program within UNE’s medical school. In addition to providing research services to the University, CHPPR provides planning and research services to government, healthcare providers, associations and foundations throughout New England, the U.S. and the world.

(Press release issued Oct. 23, 2006)

Current Students

Suzie McGrorty, MSII, plans to have ear-reduction surgery in the near future. For now, it comes in handy during SOSA reviews. Photo by Dan Sheps, MSII

Morrison Elected National President of SCACOEP

At the annual AOA Convention in Las Vegas, Josh Morrison, MSII, was elected and inaugurated as the national president of the Student Chapter of the American College of Osteopathic Emergency Physicians (SCACOEP). Josh replaces Joshua Linebaugh, D.O., MBA, and takes his seat on the board of directors of the parent organization, the American College of Osteopathic Emergency Physicians.

Congratulate Josh as he represents UNECOM at the national level and has input in training opportunities for students interested in Emergency Medicine. Josh first became interested in Emergency Medicine when he became a volunteer responder in his small town of seven hundred people in New Hampshire, at the age of 17.

-Dan Sheps, MSII

Ayach Wins First Place at Prestigious National Conference

B. Ayach, MSI, presented a talk at the prestigious Heart Failure Society of America Conference in October.

The title of his talk was "The role of innate immune and stem progenitor cells in cardiac repair and remodeling post-myocardial infaction." Ayach was the first place recipient of the Jay N.Cohn “Young Investigator Award - Basic Science.” Competition included residents and Cardiology Fellows from Baylor College, Stanford, UCLA, and Harvard.

Congratulations!

Wood Beats 1,493 Others to Take Second at Maine Half-Marathon

Third-year medical student Luke Wood, 26, of Saco, added to his shelf of running hardware by posting the second-fastest time at the Maine Half-Marathon on October 1 in Portland. Wood finished in 1:13:59, just 49 seconds behind race winner Michael Payson of Falmouth.
A record 1,495 runners completed the event, which features a mostly flat out and back course from Back Bay to Falmouth. Wood’s time breaks down to a ballistic 5:39 per mile for the 13.1-mile event.

On April 17, Wood finished 88th at the Boston Marathon, completing the 26.2 mile course in 2:36:25.

McQuilkin Featured in Press Herald Story 

Scott McQuilkin, MSIII, was the focus of a feature article in the October 5 Portland Press Herald, titled “Fast Food Fuel, and It’s Free.” The well-written article by Kevin Wack explored McQuilkin’s passion for alternative, environmentally-friendly fuel.

Wack writes, “McQuilkin… is an enthusiastic evangelist for biofuels, which are derived from vegetables grown by American farmers. He carries relevant literature in his glove compartment, ready to hand it out to anyone who asks about his ‘Drive Vegetarian’ bumper sticker.”

McQuilkin converted his own Volkswagen diesel TD-1 to run on a mixture of biofuel and diesel, saving him money at the pump and reducing the amount of toxic emissions. Five gallons of canola oil can take him 300 miles, meaning that McQuilkin can drive to Chicago and back without re-filling his two-tank augmented Jetta.

The University of New England agreed to run some of its vehicles on a biofuel mixture after McQuilkin approached school officials to pitch the plan. The University has also converted a building to test the heating capabilities of the fuel, says fleet manager Chuck Morin. McQuilkin hopes that others will also try the economical and environmentally friendly fuel: “The benefits of it are just amazing,” he says, “It’s such a win-win.”

Local Flavor

 
A November storm sends spray seething higher than a house at the Wood Harbor point. Photo by Steve Smith, RSAS

None for this month - ask second years for their favorite places!

For page two of the COMmunicator, click here.

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Please send comments, suggestions, submissions, or warm chocolate chip cookies to Steve Smith at comsa@une.edu.