From Maureen Puia, PR/Events Promotion Associate November 9 Join USM Women In Leadership for breakfast, networking and a panel discussion on self-care in a crazy world on Friday morning, 7:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m., at Glickman Library. Friday night on the Gorham Campus is the femme-fatale inspired Faculty Concert Series, “Women in Song, The XX Factor,”…
By Asha Tompkins, Community Editor If you’re not sure what major to choose, or you’ve joined a major that sounds good but you can’t choose a specific field of study, then don’t worry: you’re not alone. The Free Press will randomly choose a few students on a weekly basis to explain what their major is…
By Asha Tompkins, Community Editor What most people don’t know about being the program director of a community radio station is that it runs 24 hours a day without automation, meaning DJs are constantly on shift choosing the music. Jessica Lockhart, the program director of the USM community radio station, WMPG, keeps tabs on all…
By: Maureen Puia, Office of Public Affairs Hello! Below is just a teaser of the many events happening in the week ahead at USM. For more, check out Public Affairs Event Highlights. For ALL events at USM, please follow USM’s Calendar of Events. November 1 Spend the day Thursday with USM Food Studies at Selling Up:…
By: Asha Tompkins, Community Editor As October comes to an end, we await the day of costumes, candy and terror—in that order. Trick-or-treaters may be collecting goodies, but little do they know their feet may be treading on haunted ground. At least, that’s what legend would say. In 1831, a man named William Willis published…
By: Danielle Vayenas, USM Director of Communications On its way to Augusta as part of a national tour to all 50 state capitals, the C-Span Bus will be making a two-hour stop at USM’s Portland campus this Friday, October 19th from 11:00 AM to 1:00 PM. The bus will be parked in front of the Woodbury…
By: Asha Tompkins, Community Editor During the season of pulling all-nighters in order to prepare for the next day, it’s likely that people have run late to a class or two on the Portland campus. However, these instances of running late may be due to the time they spend walking from their modes of transportation…
By: Melissa Fraser, Staff Writer Elizabeth Glaser is a successful entrepreneur, single mother and returning student to USM. As a woman over the age of thirty, she represents a modest percentage of the current undergraduate student demographic. As most adults returning to school after reaching a crossroads in their life or career, she is looking to…
By: USM The University of Southern Maine invites you to Homecoming & Family Weekend. Alumni, students, friends, and families are welcome to enjoy athletic conference games and Alumni games, an old-fashioned band concert, family entertainment, a Casino Night, and Octoberfest-a Fall celebration with food trucks, novelty activities, and much more. FRIDAY, October 12th Schedule of…
By Asha Tompkins, Community Editor Behind a desk with a laptop covered in multicolor stickers sits a girl wearing a Star Trek T-shirt that depicts Spock motioning the famous hand gesture: “live long and prosper.” Her eyes are fixated on the teacher. Her creativity is prominent to any onlooker, which explains her choice of being an…
By Asha Tompkins, Community Editor It’s unlikely that Portland, Maine is associated with the stomping of feet against cobblestone roads at midnight, with stowaways rushing to hide in unfamiliar houses. However, Portland was a significant part of The Underground Railroad. In 2006, locals joined forces to create a map using the history of the known area…
By: Berkeley Elias, Staff Writer A fall semester comprised of calculus and physics courses requires that one find refuge. For me, that means packing the essentials and heading off campus. Although reception is likely too weak to access MyMathLab in the Maine woods, it’s probably a good idea to take a rest and allow the…
By Maureen Puia, PR/Events Promotion Associate Below is just a teaser of the many events happening in the week ahead at USM. September 21 USM Convocation kicks off this Friday afternoon at 4:30 with Waking Windows at USM! Gather up friends and family and make your way to the Payson Smith Lawn on the Portland Campus…
By Asha Tompkins, Community Editor After sitting in scalding hot classrooms with no airflow for long enough, you begin to ponder if you’ll survive the semester. However, there is a solution to this epidemic: finish class and study in an air-conditioned environment, more specifically, one of these popular Portland cafés. Speckled Ax is located on 567…
By Jessica Pike, Staff Writer The 2018 State general elections are coming up for the primary on November 6 for the Senate, House of Representatives, Governor and more. The closed primary elections will be held on June 12, which is when a voter must affiliate formally with a political party in advance of the election…
By Dionne, Community Editor With finals fast right around the corner, that means that another Maine summer is fast approaching. In the summer Portland is crawling with tourist and throughout the summer months are filled with different events and festivals. Maine Comics Arts Festival (MeCAF) June 2, 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. The MeCAF…
By Sam Margolin, Staff Writer Maine’s music and art scene have always kept up the pace with some of our larger, more populated neighboring states such as Massachusetts. The natural beauty and abundance of land in the northern part of the state combined with the socially progressive and culturally diverse regions of the southern parts make…
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 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 Elizabeth Trudel, Staff Writer As stated on the University of Southern Maine website, “This year’s Convocation asks each member of our community to question ourselves, our society, our institutions and our leaders. As we interrogate our collective history, so we must also question the power structures that support and sustain the systems of oppression that…
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 Julie Pike, editor-in-chief Who knew that getting involved in your community could be as easy as checking your Facebook page. Nowadays you can find almost any group you can imagine, most often right in your local area. If you’re looking for ideas of stuff to do outside of USM, here are just a few…