By Dionne Smith, Community Editor Portland is known for being a large pool for new ideas, artists and creative minds, so it was the perfect place for James Grant, a DJ by the name of XHALE, to set up a club for people that are both hip-hop enthusiasts and enjoy a good round of chess….
By Jessica Pike, Staff Writer Becoming the Assistant Dean of Students is a job that Sarah Holmes loves, especially being able to help out with Title IX, the federal law that prohibits discrimination against anyone based on sex. “I am a very proud product of USM education, it has so much potential for so many…
By Julie Pike, editor-in-chief On the nineteenth anniversary of the Columbine High School shooting, USM Thinking Matters partnered with the Maine Gun Safety Coalition (MGSC) to provide an educational platform for students, faculty and community members. The Walk-In Against Gun Violence event was created to teach the community about gun violence policies and to join…
By Julie Pike, Editor-in-Chief Just last week the Free Press joined in on the movement, #SaveStudentNewsrooms, a group of college newspapers across the country have banded together to spread awareness about the need for financial and editorial independence for student-run publications. Melissa Gomez, the editor-in-chief of The Independent Florida Alligator, who worked with other students…
By Cooper-John Trapp, Staff Writer Jake Dexter, a junior recreation and leisure studies major from Oakland, Maine has been a crucial weapon offensive and defensive weapon on the baseball team this season. He was honored as LEC Pitcher of the Week for the period of April 2-8 for his contributions to the team….
By Kate Rogers, Staff writer Chef Carole Paulo works in Brooks dining hall on the Gorham campus of USM. After being in Maine for only five months she has already made a splash with her unique ideas, her skill and her passion. Originally from Haiti, Paulo moved to Boston, Massachusetts 28 years ago in 1996….
By Julie Pike, Editor-in-chief Gorham House, an assisted living and retirement home, offers an intergenerational program that with their in-house preschool. This benefits not only the children, but the senior residents as well. The children at the preschool get to interact with different residents, who will often come down just to watch the children play….
By Ben Theriault, Staff Writer Brooke Dodson-Lavelle, co-founder and president of the Courage of Care Coalition, led the first event hosted by the Center for Compassion, a new organization at USM, with a presentation titled, the “Courage of Compassion.” Professor Vaishali Mamgain, an associate professor of economics, is the director of the new organization. The…
By Julie Pike, editor-in-chief A question that comes up almost on a daily basis in the life of an editor, is being asked, or asking yourself, why is this story important? Why are we writing about this? Why do our readers want to know about this? Being a journalist is about more than just…
By Dionne Smith, Community Editor The Film Club at USM was made with the idea that it could be an area for the film community to to share movies, grow contacts, and help each other if needed, according to Haley Depner a senior majoring in general biology and minoring in video and audio production, who is…
By Cooper-John Trapp, Staff Writer The third annual Big Band Ballroom Bash filled Costello Gymnasium on Friday, April 6 as a trifecta between Student Activities, the Athletics Department and the USM School of Music. Christopher Oberholtzer, Director of Jazz Studies at USM, conducted the Portland Jazz Orchestra (PJO) and the USM Jazz Ensemble. Sophomore Katie…
By Ben Theriault, Staff Writer Last week USM received a new Chief of Police/Director of Public Safety & Security, Noel March, who took over for Interim Chief of Police, Ronald Saindon. March has substantial experience working with law enforcement in Maine. He has worked as the Sheriff of Cumberland County, the Chief of Police at the…
By Jessica Pike, Staff Writer Instead of being rewarded financially, academic internships offer experience and academic credit, while helping apply skills learned in college that can help further connections in a student’s chosen field of study. Academic internships, which make use of course teachings, at USM are run through a course, and students can…
By: Julie Pike, Editor-in-chief Current Student Body President, Chase Hewitt, attempted to veto a recent proposal, number 46.23, that was voted upon by the Student Senate. The proposal in question would allow for the Student Senate and the Student Government Association (SGA) to move their finances from their own separate business office, to the USM…
By Julie Pike, editor-in-chief After hearing the recent news that a vote within the Student Senate to disband the organization as an independent 501(c)(3) status, I felt compelled to share my opinion, and I figured that there’s no better way to do this than through my letter to our readers. With this change, the Student Senate,…
By Cooper-John Trapp, Staff Writer USM softball produced back-to-back Little East Conference Rookie and Player of the Week for the weeks ending on March 18 and 25, respectively. Coming on the heels of the team’s annual spring training trip to Florida, Hannah Kenney, an undeclared freshman with a nursing major intention from Oxford Hills, ME,…
By Kate Rogers, Staff Writer Late March and early April are often overshadowed by how large Easter festivities have become in modern American culture, but there are certain people celebrating a very different holiday during this time; the Jewish are celebrating Passover. Celebrated in memory of the Jews’ exodus from slavery in Egypt, Passover is…
By Julie Pike, editor-in-chief In a close vote, so close in fact that a recount was called, Katelyn Seavey emerged as the newly elected Student Body President for USM. Seavey ran against Shaman Kirkland, the Vice Chair of the Student Senate. Seavey transferred to USM last year from York County Community College. She started out…
By Ben Theriault, Staff Writer As spring slowly arrives to campus this year, students are starting to be able to find themselves comfortably outside again. The need for students to go outdoors is important—In 2015, Stanford University found that nature is a potential remedy for mental illness. A 90 minute walk in the woods can improve…
By Julie Pike, editor-in-chief When you first open a newspaper, what are your eyes drawn to first? During a panel at our recent Journalism Workshop event, one of the topics that came up was the question of whether news outlets focus too much on negative stories. Most often the most eye-catching stories are going to be…
By Jessica Pike, Staff Writer After twelve years of schooling, teens are ecstatic to be free of high school and move on to becoming an adult, only to find out that, just kidding, school’s not over yet. At least it’s not if you want to get a high-paying and respectable job in the current era. On…
By Cooper-John Trapp, Staff Writer Abraham Peck grew up a child of the Holocaust, having both parents narrowly escape the worst of Nazi Germany. Separated for 14 months, Peck’s mother and father finally found each other after fleeing bombings, roundups and the horrors of WWII occupied territory. It was May 1945, in the concentration camp of…
By Dionne Smith, Community Editor There was an overwhelming amount of excitement coming from both the crowd and the performers at the 18th Annual USM Royal Majesty Drag Show & Competition, held by the USM Center for Sexualities and Gender Diversities (CSGD) on March 23. Royal Majesty is the largest campus and community drag show in…
By Kate Rogers, Staff Writer Activist and author Julia Serano visited Glickman Library on invitation by the Women and Gender Studies program at USM to present on the subject of making feminist and queer movements more inclusive. Author of three books, with a PhD in Biology from Colombia and 17 years of genetic and developmental research…