By: Haley Hersey, News Editor Former Director of Intercultural Student Affairs, previously known as Intercultural Student Engagement, William “Will” Johnson put his resignation in around October 5 or 6, but his last day at the University of Southern Maine was November 29. “By me staying a little longer, that gave more time to look at a…
By: Riley Mayes, Staff Writer Since the last campus update in May, a significant amount of changes have occurred on the Portland campus. Cranes have cleared the debris from the demolished Woodbury and Bedford buildings, and buildings have begun to rise from the ground. Multiple stories of steel beams have been erected, and soon construction…
By: Haley Hersey, News Editor The Office of the Student Body President brought a catered dinner to the DoubleTree for residents to enjoy as part of Commuter Student Appreciation Week. Those who attended the dinner event on November 15 were able to eat a catered dinner from Olive Garden. From 6 p.m. to 8 p.m., students…
By: Riley Mayes, Staff Writer On Sunday, October 24, the Gorham campus experienced an extended power outage that lasted until approximately 3 p.m. the following day. There was light for some students living on campus, but larger appliances were not functioning, electronic devices were down and the heat was only partially working. Some lights were flickering…
By: Haley Hersey, News Editor The University of Southern Maine (USM) has decided on a plan for Commencement 2022. Dean of Students, Rodney Mondor, said in an email the current plan is “To hold an in-person Commencement Ceremony at the Cross Insurance Arena on Saturday, May 7. We will also be offering a Stage crossing/name reading…
By: Riley Mayes, Staff Writer On Friday, November 5, faculty members raised concerns at a town hall meeting with Chancellor Malloy about the recent move to unified accreditation and what it will mean for USM’s campus. Previously, all seven campuses of the University of Maine System (UMS) have been accredited separately by the New England Commission…
By Haley Hersey, News Editor In a press release on October 5, it was announced that “University of Southern Maine President Glenn Cummings has decided to step down as president at the end of June 2022 after the conclusion of the current academic year.” Cummings final day as President will be June 30, 2022. University…
By: Haley Hersey, News Editor The University of Southern Maine (USM) has created and filled a new position titled Vice Provost for Student Affairs. Damian Medina, ailing from Texas, has been hired for the position. As of September 15, Medina has been active in his role. The job description for Vice Provost of Student Affairs…
By: Devin Witte, Staff Writer “A place for the worthy student body and faculty; for whom music is a passion,” said Suzi Osher, in regards to her motivation in giving the University of Southern Maine $10 million to be directed to a new home for the School of Music. Osher’s donation is USM’s largest monetary gift…
By: Cayley Bowman, Staff Writer Four TRIO students have won a national competition. Patty Herbert, Amber Veilleux, Koos Mohamed, and Raha Daud were a part of a book club sponsored by Council for Opportunity in Education (COE), a non-profit organization that is dedicated to expanding college opportunities for students who are low income, first in…
By Haley Hersey, News Editor Dean of Students Rodney Mondor said during the first week of classes, the parking garage never exceeded 80% capacity, yet with the closing of the parking lot in front of Masterton Hall for the construction of the new one-acre campus green, parking spots have become harder to find. USM Director of…
By Lydia Simmons, Arts & Culture Editor Residential Life (ResLife) at the University of Southern Maine plays a very important role in the experience and success of USM students, so finding the right people to be a part of the ResLife team is crucial. When there became position openings for not one, but three residential director…
By: Haley Hersey, News Editor “Before they made the decision to make the vaccine mandatory for students to be on campus, it was going to be a very interesting challenge for USM’s health leadership to accomplish mobilizing a lot of people – students, faculty, and anyone in the USM community to get vaccinated,” said Raul Gierbolini. …
By: Sydney Morton, Web Editor During the University of Southern Maine’s spring 2021 graduation, the Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic and Student Affairs, Dr. Jeannine Diddle Uzzi, began the opening ceremony with a special land acknowledgement. The acknowledgement honored the “ancestral fishing, hunting, and agricultural grounds” of Abenaki and Wabanaki people – land that…
By: Haley Hersey, News Editor The University of Maine System shared via an important message from Chancellor Dannel Malloy on August 4 that requiring vaccination to participate in an on-campus experience in Fall 2021 is now UMS policy. As of August 18, masks are required indoors on UMS campuses again. Students must verify vaccination status, or…
By: Haley Hersey, Staff Writer On April 13, Ronald Saindon, Director of Public Safety and Chief of Police sent out an email regarding a “campus safety alert.” The email notified the community of an alleged attack on a woman of color close to the Portland campus that occurred “on or about April 1st.” The email also…
By: Haley Hersey, Staff Writer Saturday May 8, 2021 at 9 a.m. is the 141st Commencement ceremony for the University of Southern Maine. Finals week quickly approaching signifies the end of the semester and the end of a uniquely trying school year. Graduates have managed to complete another academic year through a pandemic. Dean of…
By Haley Hersey, Staff Writer As warmer weather approaches, the COVID-19 pandemic is still here, which is evident as positive test results surge throughout Maine and the University of Maine System. Efforts to continue learning in settings as close to normal are underway, as the spread of vaccines continues. However, decreases in weekly tests campus-wide…
By Haley Hersey, Staff Writer The COVID-19 pandemic has unprecedented mental, emotional, and financial adverse effects on lives. The implications of the effects of the pandemic are being talked about more frequently, but often college students are being left out of the discussion. With stimulus packages being presented to Congress that support families and dependents,…
By Haley Hersey, Staff Writer Director of Justice Policy Program at the Muskie Institute, George Shaler, is one of the researchers and authors of a first-of-its-kind study regarding the use of alternative sentencing in Maine. The Maine Coalition Against Sexual Assault and Maine Coalition to End Domestic Violence approached Shaler and some colleagues, wanting to…
By: Haley Hersey, Staff Writer The Maine Women’s Hall of Fame’s 2021 inductees are Joyce Taylor Gibson and Leigh Saufley. Gibson is an associate professor of Leadership Studies at the University of Southern Maine and the former dean of Lewiston-Auburn College. Saufley is the Dean of the University of Maine School of Law and former Maine…
By Haley Hersey, Staff Writer Fourth-year English major with a K-8 pathway in education, Kacey Foerster, has been conducting research on the effects of reading to Alzheimer patients, due to having been nominated for the Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program (UROP). Being a part of the UROP allows Foerster to conduct official research with funding and…
By Haley Hersey, Staff Writer COVID-19 continues to present new academic challenges and difficulties for students, especially students at USM. The pandemic resulted in modalities of classes to change from how they were originally posted when students signed up for classes. For many, the new modalities of their classes were not compatible with their learning…
By Haley Hersey, Staff Writer Martin’s Point Health Care has recently donated $5,000 to the University of Southern Maine, which was used to open a food pantry on the Gorham campus, states a press release from USM’s Office of Public Affairs. The initial closure of campus due to COVID-19 inspired Martin’s Point to donate a…