By Haley Hersey, Staff Writer On a local and national level, the 2020 election was full of controversies and high stakes for many. Deciding whether or not to vote in any election is an important decision. Voting is a right of every United States citizen, but it is also the civic duty of citizens to…
Category: News
TRIO funding doubles with $2.6 million grant
By: Haley Hersey, Staff Writer Exciting news of the TRIO program’s funding doubling spreads campus-wide. A press release from the Office of Public Affairs indicated an additional $1.3 million (for a total of $2.6 million) is being provided to TRIO from the U.S. Department of Education. The additional funding allows the program to advise 120 STEM…
Detectable Trace of COVID-19 Found in Campus Wastewater
By: Cullen McIntyre, Editor-in-Chief According to an email from President Glenn Cummings on Thursday addressed to students, faculty and staff, a “detectable level of SARS-CoV-2 has been identified in our Gorham Campus wastewater.” As a result of the wastewater sampling that was implemented in August, all in-person classes and events will be held remotely on Friday….
USM announces plan for Phase Three of asymptomatic testing
By: Emma Walsh, Staff Writer In last week’s Healthy Huskies update, USM announced a plan for the Phase Three asymptomatic testing regime. It will consist of testing a sampling of students, faculty, and staff at random. While Phases One and Two of the testing were focused on identifying asymptomatic cases to prevent spread of the coronavirus,…
Residential students reflect on three day quarantine
2020 has been an unpredictable year, with COVID-19 rapidly spreading across the nation and presenting unique challenges for each individual. It is an unprecedented time for college students in particular, because the social environment of the college campus and classroom has profoundly changed. This academic year at USM began with a three day quarantine after…
Two residential students test positive for COVID-19
By: Cullen McIntyre, Editor-in-Chief Two new cases of COVID-19 have been confirmed at the University of Southern Maine, bringing the total to four from Phase I of testing. Residential Life confirmed in an email that two students living on campus have both tested positive, one living in Robie Andrews Hall and the other in Woodward Hall….
Resident student tests positive for COVID-19
By: Cullen McIntyre, Editor-in-Chief A student located in the freshman dorm Upton-Hastings has tested positive for COVID-19. The resident is the second confirmed case from the University’s asymptomatic testing during move-in week and is the first case for a student living on campus. An email sent out to students living in the building from Residential Life…
University confirms one positive COVID-19 test
By: Cullen McIntyre, Editor-in-Chief President Glenn Cummings confirmed in an email that there has been a single positive test result for COVID-19 in the university’s first asymptomatic testing during move-in week. The student, currently in isolation, is from out-of-state, living off campus and will not be participating in any in-person classes this fall. “Contact tracing is…
USM Dean Of Students releases ‘preliminary Fall update’
By: Asha Tompkins, Editor-in-Chief In an email sent Wednesday, June 24, titled “preliminary Fall update, special DoSE edition,” Dean of Students Rodney Mondor shared important information regarding learning options for USM students this coming Fall semester. “First, USM will have a hybrid experience this fall, with some courses and student services offered in person and others…
Study abroad canceled for the fall semester
Emily Zider, Coordinator of Education Abroad at USM, announced in an email on Monday that due to continuing concerns over COVID-19, USM will not be offering study abroad for the fall semester. The decision comes from the University of Maine system, as it was officially posted on their website, stating “Due to continued concerns regarding…
Summer residential student tests positive for COVID-19
By: Cullen McIntyre, Web Editor This article has been updated on 6/25 following more information from Christina Lowery. In an email from Christina Lowery, Director of Housing and Residential Life, she confirmed that a resident on the Gorham campus has tested positive for COVID-19. The email, sent to current residential summer students, stated that “those initially…
Juneteenth: USM continues its endeavors to ‘root out racism’
By: Zoe Bernardi, Community Editor & Asha Tompkins, Editor-In-Chief Political uprisings sprout out across the nation and in the city of Portland in order to eradicate racism in the United States. June 19, “Juneteenth,” takes its place in the spotlight. It is a day to celebrate and commemorate the liberation of those who were held…
Veterans Resource Center becomes an online refuge
By: Asha Tompkins, Staff Writer Some were in the Navy, some in the Army, others on aircraft carriers and submarines. These are the people who are grudgingly familiar with living a lockdown lifestyle. With such experience, they’ve provided a reassuring haven for students during Covid-19. “The Veterans Resource Center [VRC] serves to support USM students…
COVID-19 puts a hold on study abroad applications
By: Asha Tompkins, Staff Writer According to an update on March 23, students who planned to join the fall study abroad program were informed of the decision to pause applications in light of the COVID-19 outbreak. “We, along with our colleagues both domestic and abroad, continue to closely monitor the situation,” said Emily Zider, the…
A valuable resource for USM students during COVID-19 outbreak
By: Asha Tompkins, Staff Writer While students across the map are thrown for a loop in their academic careers, USM continues to remind its own students that valuable resources have been established in these times of crisis, specifically the Student Emergency Fund. This fund is available for “students facing immediate financial crises, from unforeseen travel…
Mechanical Engineering professor and students use MIST lab to prototype face shields
By: Kate Rogers, News Editor Two students in the mechanical engineering program with the guidance of Assistant Professor Asheesh Lanba are using USM’s Maker Innovation Studio (MIST) to make personal protective equipment to send to hospitals in need. Daniel St. Peter, a junior, and Berkeley Elias, a sophomore, helped Lanba to make more than 28…
Whole Foods Employees Feel Unsafe and Uncared For
By: Max Lorber, Arts and Culture Editor Whole Foods employees in Portland are concerned for their safety. These workers, along with many Whole Foods workers throughout the country, do not believe they are being adequately protected or compensated by their employer. Whole Foods employees throughout the US have tested positive for COVID-19, but the stores…
Social Distancing
By: Emma J. Walsh, Staff Writer Information regarding the coronavirus is constantly changing and evolving. A practice that is of great importance to prevent the spread of the disease is social distancing. Devon Mulligan, USM Campus Safety Project Coordinator, refers to this concept as “physical distancing” instead of “social distancing.” She said it is an…
UMaine system cancels all commencement plans across all universities
By: Cullen McIntyre, Sports Editor Chancellor Dannel Malloy announced in a statement that all May commencement celebrations would be canceled due to the COVID-19 outbreak. The statement, issued last Monday, said: “It is with a sober sense of responsibility that our Presidents and I have therefore decided that we cannot proceed with our planned in-person…
Students petition for tuition reimbursement
By Max Lorber, Arts and Culture Editor A petition demanding USM student’s tuition be partially refunded for the Spring Semester has been circulating online this week. Since the petition was created on March 28 over 700 students and family members of students have signed in support. USM and UMaine administration officials have stated they do…
Pass/Fail option now offered to students
By: Max Lorber, Arts and Culture Editor USM is now offering a pass/fail option for all undergraduate and graduate courses for the Spring semester. This unusual policy decision was reached this past week in response to the social and economic upheaval caused by the Covid-19 pandemic. All core courses changed to pass/fail will now count…
Student quarantined following class trip to New York
UPDATE: As confirmed by Bensler, she tested negative for the COVID-19 coronavirus and is allowed out of self-isolation from her home. Kayla Bensler, a freshman music major, developed pneumonia after a class trip to Rochester, New York last week. Following her visit to health services this morning at 9:30 am, she was put into quarantine…
Classes moved online as University of Maine System closes after spring break
According to a report on WMTW.com, the University of Maine System announced that classes will move to remote online classes following Spring Break due to concerns over the coronavirus. The classes will convert to online by March 23, the end of Spring Break for the seven universities in the system. For students living on campus, they…
NENPA offers student journalism scholarship
By: Emma J. Walsh, Staff Writer An opportunity is available for USM students interested in pursuing a career in journalism. The New England Newspaper and Press Association (NENPA) announced that the Journalism Education Foundation of New England is awarding up to ten scholarships to high school seniors and college students in the New England region…