By: Cody Curtis, Staff Writer Director M. Night Shyamalan has been on both extreme ends of filmmaking. At the beginning of his career, many people believed Shyamalan was on track to be the next Steven Spielberg, except in the realm of psychological thrillers. Shortly after the release of Lady in The Water, his career took a…
By: Ryan Farrell, Staff Writer For many people, crafting a project with an unfamiliar medium is a task too vague to consider. To Paisley Stewart, a senior art major, it’s considered a challenge. In her piece, Life Surrounding, she used cyanotype on porcelain, a technique she hadn’t used before this piece of art. While Stewart’s career…
By: Nick Schleh, Staff Writer With the new semester underway, the Woodbury Campus Center has put up a new photography exhibition by Smith Galtney entitled My Principal Ghost. The black and white film snapshots have replaced the Dyke Bar historical piece from the fall semester and will be one of two exhibitions pieces this spring. The…
By: Alyson Peabody, Staff Writer A new Wi-Fi service called eduroam will be offered to USM faculty, staff and students starting Feb. 4. All that is required to access the new service is to sign in on their device using their USM credentials. Kim Tran, Campus IT Officer and Director of University Card Services, sent an…
By: Kate Rogers, Staff Writer At the end of last semester, the USM bookstore announced that they would be converting to an online-only system for textbook purchases. Online ordering was available previously as a secondary option through the bookstore, but the school has now partnered with an online textbook vendor called eCampus to become the sole…
By: Julie Pike, Editor-in-Chief USM is looking at major changes within the next few years, by way of a name new name. USM President Glenn Cummings has announced plans to move forward with changing USM’s name to University of Maine – Portland. One the main motivations to change the name, Cummings said last fall when…
By: Julie Pike, Editor-in-Chief For myself, and I’m sure for many other students, the very first day of classes sends me into a sort of panic. It comes flooding down on me how much my life and schedule are going to change now that I’m back to school. All of my responsibilities swarm together into…
By Nicholas Schleh, Staff Writer The Intercultural and Diversity Advisory Council (IDAC) at USM is made up of faculty, students and staff that are committed to creating a diverse and more inclusive community. The council advises President Cummings on the campus climate and other topics related to diversity. IDAC’s goal, as stated in their mission…
By: Cullen McIntyre, Staff Writer On Friday, Nov. 30, the Maine Mariners hosted “Rivalry Night” as they took on the Worcester Railers at the Cross Insurance Arena. Students and staff from both universities filled their sections and embraced their school spirit throughout the game. The newly formed hockey team in Portland drew in a large crowd,…
By: Cooper-John Trapp, Staff Writer Procrastination station, about to depart to nowheresville at never o’clock. All aboard! Just kidding, you missed the departure. Welcome to college. Procrastination is a subject we profess knowledge of but whose reality we do little to change. It is a defining aspect of collegiate academics. For some reason, we can’t get…
By: Melissa Fraser, Staff Writer An internship gives students a chance to take what they learn in the classroom into a professional setting. For many, the objectives are to develop professional connections, build a resume and hopefully get a job offer. But sometimes, learning what you don’t want to do is just as valuable. “After you’re…
By: Zoe Bernardi, Staff Writer The newest project USM’s Student Senate is working on is to raise the student activity fee. The Senate is looking to raise the fee to the amount that the University of Maine Farmington has currently, $160 for the year (for students who have 12 credits or more), which comes out of…
By: Julie Pike, Editor-in-Chief Within a couple weeks USM students will be wrapping up their last finals and assignments of the semester. Afterward, I expect to hear a collective sigh of relief from the student body. For 15 weeks we’ve juggled courses, homework, tests, group projects, work, relationships, social lives, family life and our own inner…
By: Hailey Wood, Staff Writer Next summer, Brooks Dining Hall is getting a facelift. In a recent email conversation, Sodexo General Manager Tadd Stone said, “This renovation will completely modernize our facility and add some new and diverse cooking platforms including a proposed Mongolian Wok, Health and Wellness Station, Open Kitchen Grill Concept, Gas Fired Pizza…
By: Asha Tompkins, Community Editor While scrolling through social media, it’s possible one might stumble across a rather relatable meme account about missing the bus, or being disappointed in there not being a snow day on a perfectly sunny day. There are two students to thank for these outlets which can be found on Facebook and…
By: Asha Tompkins, Community Editor The season of finals means it’s also the beginning of a long, education-free break. In the case that you’re staying in Maine for winter vacation, or plan on visiting Maine, here are some activities that just might peak your interest. L.L. Bean outlet, Freeport, Maine Each year, L.L. Bean provides hot…
By Ben Theriault, Staff Writer Getting in the holiday spirit used to be difficult if Rudolph or Charlie Brown were not your cup of tea. Fortunately, the last couple of decades have offered even the biggest of Scrooges a way to get in the holiday spirit. If you find yourself as someone who struggles with traditional…
By: Alyson Peabody, Staff Writer For students living on a budget, the holiday season can feel like an extra expensive time of the year. However, it can also be a time for make creative and unique gifts for friends and family. To help take away some of the stress of the gift giving season, The Free…
By: Ben Theriault, Staff Writer A wonderful aspect of student life is the ubiquity of art within a college atmosphere. USM is home to many talented artists and the Free Press sought out to feature a student’s work for this week’s issue. Featured this week is Natasha Shacklett, a junior studying art education with a…
By: Cullen McIntyre, Staff Writer “Cue the Duckboats,” is a phrase that New England Sports fans have been hearing a lot in the past seventeen years. From the five Super Bowls the New England Patriots have won, the four World Series from the Boston Red Sox and the Boston Bruins and Boston Celtics each winning one…
By: Cooper-John Trapp, Staff Writer Most of the time, I love taking exams. As strange and unpopular of a sentiment that may be, I get a thrill from sitting down with pen and paper and competing against the clock. Declaring a major can change that. A familiar scene plays out – I walk into the classroom,…
By: Nicholas Schleh, Staff Writer At a school with the largest student veteran population within the University of Maine System (UMS), USM has been showing support and honoring those who have served their country in the weeks surrounding Veteran’s Day. Camden Ege, the Assistant Veteran Services Coordinator, commented that USM’s celebration of veterans is top notch….
By Julie Pike, Editor-in-Chief An article from this week’s issue that covers a recent workshop on managing stress and anxiety has reminded me of the importance of taking care of yourself first. College students have a unique set of responsibilities to deal with. Of course it’s stressful having a full time job and supporting yourself,…
By: Hailey Wood, Staff Writer Financial Services at USM has adopted a new website to educate students on financial literacy. iGrad, the new website, educates users about credit cards, high credit score, low credit score, loans, budgeting, financial aid, FAFSA, saving, scholarships and more. You can learn even more about these topics by taking courses…