New student group at the University of Southern Maine calls for fossil fuel divestment
Posted on January 29, 2013 by Tom Collier in News
Divest USM, a new student group at the University of Southern Maine, is an environmentally and socially minded group that intends to start a system-wide movement for the divestment of all University of Maine System investments in the fossil fuel industry. The group is also calling for reinvestment in what it considers to be more [...]
Students question snow day policies: USM answers
Posted on January 21, 2013 by Kirsten Sylvain in News
Poor weather conditions Wednesday played a part in a University of Southern Maine shuttle bus fender bender and led to long commutes, and now, many students are questioning why classes were not canceled, delayed or let out early during the snowstorm. USM Chair of the Student Senate Chris Camire quickly realized that student frustration was [...]
Some still blow smoke at USM tobacco ban
Posted on January 21, 2013 by Tom Collier in News
Students returned to the University of Southern Maine last Monday to begin classes for the spring semester. For most students, that day also marked the first that the university’s new tobacco policy would affect them. In spite of the ban, some students still light up between classes on university property. Student response to the ban [...]
USM officials weigh LePage budget cuts
Posted on January 21, 2013 by Nathan Mooney in News
Governor Paul LePage has formally presented his supplementary budget for the current fiscal year which outlines cuts to be made to specific state agencies and departments. He also presented his budget for the next two fiscal years along with formalized budget amendments for this year on Friday, Jan. 11. The legislature is currently reviewing the [...]
Car crashes into USM shuttle in Gorham
Posted on January 16, 2013 by Kirsten Sylvain in News
A USM shuttle bus was reportedly involved in an accident today at 1:45 p.m. when a car slid into it in Gorham. Justicia Barreiros, USM student and Free Press photographer on board the bus, wrote about the scene in a statement shortly following the crash. The bus was going to the Gorham campus, Barreiros said, [...]
LePage cuts bill USM $587,000 for end of fiscal year
Posted on January 05, 2013 by Nathan Mooney in News
Governor Paul LePage signed an executive curtailment to the state budget this December that outlined $35.5 million in cuts to be made across state agencies before the end of the fiscal year on June 30. The cuts were made based on an equitable percentage requirement that is part of the curtailment process in which the [...]
Students and officials talk parking – again
Posted on December 03, 2012 by Kirsten Sylvain in News
They’ve done it so many times before, and last week they got together to do it again. Students and administration held a forum-style discussion about campus parking issues last week that have lately been a source of unrest within the university community. As he lounged on the seats of the Woodbury Center’s amphitheater, Chief Student [...]
Phoenix says planning was a real big problem
Posted on December 03, 2012 by Nathan Mooney in News
The Portland Phoenix has recently put the Student Activities Committee –– a nonexistent group at USM –– on their list of “who’s done Maine wrong this year” in a recent issue. The paper calls the column part of their “first-ever turkeys issue, calling out Maine people and institutions who committed acts most fowl.” The headline [...]
Students share mixed reactions to election results
Posted on November 12, 2012 by Kirsten Sylvain in News
Students are giving mixed reactions following the results of the election last week, but one group remains fixed on following the issues. Before the election results came in, students voted, campaigned and volunteered on behalf of the party or candidate of their choice. Various groups were active on campus, including Mainer’s United. Students geared up, [...]
Professor and partner asked to pay Cigna for cancer treatments: Trustees clarify disputed benefits
Posted on November 09, 2012 by Nathan Mooney in News
Professor of New England Studies Ardis Cameron and her partner, Nancy MacKay, didn’t have a spare hundred grand kicking around and certainly not for something that their health insurance had covered without issue for the past two decades. After a few months of frustration and confusion, though, a decision made this week by the board [...]
