Maine Ballot Questions and the Vice Presidential Debate By Caraline Squires | Staff Writer As promised, here are questions three through five that will appear on the Maine state ballot this Nov. 5. Question Three: “Do you favor a $10,000,000 bond issue to restore historic buildings owned by governmental and nonprofit organizations, with funds…
Author: USM Free Press
Meet the News Editor
By Liz Hildebrandt | News Editors Over the course of last Summer, I spent a lot of time evaluating how I would spend my last year at USM between internship opportunities, classes, and finding a job. Last year, I worked at the Free Press as both a writer and a photographer, and I knew…
Budget cuts result in discontinuation of Russell Scholars Program
Former Director of Programs speaks up about the ways the former program helped students By Elizabeth Smith | Web Editor Former Director of Programs, Lisa Hibl, was laid off in May after years of service to USM’s long-standing Russell Scholars program. The student-oriented campus program was discontinued after rising university expenses led to the Executive…
The dangers of Temu and TikTok shop
If You’re Thinking of Getting Dorm Essentials From Temu: Don’t By Caraline Squires | Staff Writer As the United States government’s interest in TikTok dwindles after the mandated forced sale of its parent company, ByteDance, to a U.S.-based company or individual, Temu may be next in their sights. Temu, the most downloaded app of 2022…
Veronica Lewis’ Debut Album
Short but Sweet and Heartbreaking By Xander Morley | Contributor In August, the indie-pop artist Veronica Lewis dropped her debut album, “Too Late For Tears.” She has only been releasing music on streaming services for the last year but already has a strong fan base and an even stronger sound. Lewis’s album was sent to…
M.A.S.H Fall Ruck
University military group participates in Ruck By Amber Friend | Sports & Health Editor On Friday October 4, the Military-Affiliated Student Hub hosted a 5 mile ruck in Portland. I was able to stop by their cookout after the event and speak to a few of the participants. Tyler Silva is a student who…
Alumni Weekend Events
USM welcomes back former athletes Author: Amber Friend | Sports Editor The University of Southern Maine hosted three Alumni events this past homecoming weekend. Current teams faced off against their former teammates in fun and exciting games. Baseball, softball and women’s lacrosse were able to host the past players and reignite the inner husky in…
Weekend Alumni Game
USM Welcomes Back Former Athletes By Amber Friend | Sports Editor The University of Southern Maine hosted three Alumni events this past homecoming weekend. Current teams faced off against their former teammates in fun and exciting games. Baseball, softball and women’s lacrosse were able to host the past players and reignite the inner husky…
Opinion from a student
A Perspective on the Disbanding of the Russell Scholars Program By Caydince Bumpus | Community Editor When I first applied for USM, I was thrilled to get an email from Lisa Hibl, a former professor here. The email included information about the Russell Scholars program, which, as of this year was still running. I remember…
MovieTalk: The Substance
By Julz Levesque | Arts & Culture Editor “Have you ever dreamt of a better version of yourself? Younger. More beautiful. More perfect?” Demi Moore and Margaret Qualley star as famous television aerobics instructors (Elisabeth Sparkle) and (Sue) in the body horror feat of the year The Substance (2024). The film generated interest on social…
Oh He Dead Will See YOU in Portland
By Julz Levesque | Arts & Culture Editor The DC-based indie soul band Oh He Dead is making its way toward Portland Maine for their upcoming show on October 20th at 7 pm for audiences twenty-one and over at the Portland House of Music. They’re a close-knit five-member group made up of powerful songbird CJ Bowlin’…
CMS welcome event
By Julz Levesque | Arts & Culture Editor On September 16th the CMS department invited the students of USM to a beginning-of-the-year welcome event in Wishcamper on the Portland campus. I would know because I received an email which piqued my interest, and immediately I decided to go. So there I was, walking into room…
USM Promise Scholars Partner with Maine Trust for Local News
Keeping USM Students Informed By Caraline Squires | Staff Writer This past summer Promise Scholarship Program Director Daniel Barton was busy expanding opportunities for USM students. By partnering with Maine Trust for Local News (METLN) all Promise Scholars were given the opportunity to sign up for a free subscription to the METLN publications, including the…
Rainbow Kitten Surprise comes to Maine
By Amber Friend | Sports Editor. Rainbow Kitten Surprise. No, these are not the words of an interesting game of charades or the name of an old childhood book. It’s actually the name of the four-member band formed out of North Carolina. Myself and a few of my friends had the pleasure of seeing RKS…
Alumni panel and creative workshop
Internationally trained professionals bring their talents to Maine By Caraline Squires | Staff Writer Hosted on the Lewiston Auburn Campus by the USM Libraries & Learning and the Office of Equity, Inclusion, and Community Impact, Internationally Trained Professionals Bring Your Talents to Maine was a presentation of Marina Chakmakchi’s Roadmap to Success for internationally trained…
Politics put simply
Candidates and ballot questions By Caraline Squires | Staff Writer This Nov. 5 Maine residents will vote for: United States President United States Maine Senator. United States Representative Congressional District 1 and 2 (district depends on the address used for voter registration). Maine State Senator (district depends on the address used for voter registration). Maine…
Lights come to life
Boston lights at Franklin Park Zoo By Julz Levesque | Arts & Culture Editor The Boston Lights are back this year at the Franklin Park Zoo. I spent this past Saturday in the rainy city with my mom, my brother, and some family friends with tickets purchased a month before in our possessions. I had…
WMPG’s Jazz at the Movies
Jazz lovers unite for a night at the cinema with WMPG’s screening of Cesaria Evora: La Diva Aux Pieds Nus By Dahlia Wechsler | Contributor Hosted by the Portland Conservatory of Music in the city’s historic west-end neighborhood, WMPG reintroduced its Jazz at the Movies screenings. Featuring guest speaker, Kalu Monteiro, the night consisted of…
Who’s TANGLE
The unveiling of a new sculpture on the USM Portland Campus By Caraline Squires | Staff Writer If you’ve been on the north side of the Portland campus, behind McGoldrick, you’ve probably seen TANGLE. Approximately 14 ft. tall by 10 ft. across and over 2000 pounds, TANGLE is made of discarded fishing nets, rope, and steel….
MovieTalk
Civil War By Julz Levesque | Arts & Culture Editor On April 26, 2024, the independent film and television company A24 released a film highlighting the significance of the press during a fictional war within the United States. Civil War, directed by Alex Garland made $122.5 million at the box office and earned an 81%…
Book Review
McGlue By Julz Levesque | Arts & Culture Editor McGlue (2014) is a short 144-page novella written by Ottessa Moshfegh. It’s set in 1851 in Salem Massachusetts and tells the dizzying story of a sailor who wakes up injured, with his head reeling, and who stays perpetually drunk or hungover throughout the entirety of the…
A new era for female Husky athletes
Mackenzie Kingsbury trailblazes a path for future female Husky athletes By Chris Tiner | Co-Editor-in-Chief In what has become one of the most competitive landscapes in the women’s athlete sports world, women’s golf has greatly increased in popularity over the last decade. After years of men’s golf existing at USM, women’s golf was finally added…
Men’s lacrosse 9/11 tribute
By Amber Friend | Sports Editor On Wednesday, September 11th, 2024, members from The University of Southern Maine’s men’s lacrosse team paid a heartfelt tribute to the victims of 9/11. The guys traded in their usual Wednesday run for something more personal. Broken into two groups, each player went up and down a flight of…
Outdoor adventure board does it again
By Amber Friend | Sports Editor The Outdoor Adventure Board, commonly referred to as OAB pulled off an amazing 3 days 2-night white water rafting and camping trip with the Caratunk Maine company, Adventure Bound. The Outdoor Adventure Board hosts many events throughout the year such as mountain biking, skiing, and snow tubing, just to…