Category: News

USM’s 33rd Student Senate voted to approve the constitutions of three new student groups on Friday, December 3. In the same meeting the senators passed a proposal to change the name of the Women’s Studies Student Organization to the Gender Studies Student Organization.

The end of the semester is a good time to thank everyone who has contributed to the Free Press and to congratulate everyone who stuck around and became part of the staff. Without your steady contributions and the quality of your work, the paper wouldn’t look anywhere near as good as it does today.

Decaying leaves and cigarette butts carpet the ground next to a smoking receptacle behind Luther Bonney Hall. But next week prepare to see that smoking receptacle moved to a new “designated smoking area.”

“I want to hear whether or not we’re winning the war on terrorism,” said Phil Caper, one of the 20 directors of the World Affairs Council of Maine (WAC). This was a common sentiment among the approximately 90 people who had come to listen to Charles Dunbar, professor of international relations at Boston University and former ambassador from the United States to Yemen and Qatar, address the WAC during last Tuesday’s breakfast briefing titled “The War on Terror 2005-2008: Possible coming attractions,” at the Double Tree Hotel in Portland.

The Albert Glickman Family Library at the University of Southern Maine and several staff members at USM sponsored a panel lecture and discussion titled, “Did the Internet Influence the Election?” The panel spoke on the seventh floor of the library on Tuesday, November 9, at 7 p.

The USM faculty senate voted down a motion of “no confidence” in the Chancellor, according to an e-mail from Roxie Black, Faculty Senate Chair. The motion was voted on at the Senate’s monthly meeting last Friday, November 5th.

Between the experience and the connections often developed by being involved in a university community, some wonder why there are not more students actively joining student groups.

USM has a variety of illustrious speakers coming here every week. Here is a sample of some of them. This list is not all-inclusive and the number of listings is contingent on space.

The law firm Chadbourne & Parke LLP has donated $100,000 towards the construction of a new building for the Muskie School of Public Service, the University announced on Wednesday. The firm made the donation in honor of Edmund Muskie, a senior partner at Chadbourne & Parke from 1981 to 1996.

Woman sexually assaulted…. President publishes update…. Greeks write letters for charity…. Egalitarian establishment earns encomiums…. Sports section introduces new column….

The days following Kerry’s concession speech were tough for 49 percent of the U.S. With Bush referring to his narrow victory as a “mandate” and smugly enforcing a one-question rule at his victory press conference, there seemed no salve for the prospect of being ignored for another four years.

Nov. 3

Someone lost a diamond ring valued at $2,000 on the Portland Campus.

Nov. 4

A male subject was being violent in Upton-Hastings Hall about 11 p.m.

A person was injured when the wind blew a sign over which struck the person.

Nov. 5

Police arrested a person for disorderly conduct in Upton Hastings Hall.

Several ballot initiatives, national, state and local election results served as a reminder of the different worlds the two University of Southern Maine campuses are located in despite their proximity to one another. In the presidential election, the City of Portland voted overwhelmingly for Senator John Kerry by a 71.

For the past several years, University Health Services (UHS) has offered influenza vaccines for students, faculty and USM retirees. This year however, due to a nationwide vaccine shortage, UHS will not offer this service. In fact, UHS decided to return much of their supply to the state.

Claire Holman, an ESL teacher at USM and a vegetarian, recently discovered that the yogurt parfaits in the cafeteria aren’t vegetarian friendly. They contain gelatin, which is used to give the yogurt its consistency. Gelatin is made from the bones and sinews of animals – usually cows and pigs.

The long-awaited walkway across Bedford Street makes first appearance.

The School of Applied Science, Engineering and Technology’s (ASET) Capital Campaign to expand the John Mitchell Center on USM’s Gorham campus has now reached 96 percent of a $8 million goal, set two years ago.

The first of a series of conversations between the USM and the UMA student senates focusing on the merging of the two universities begins on November 19. The merger will change the make up of the USM student body and the way the University is seen around the state and country.

Early Wednesday morning, when it became clear that Ohio was a lock for President Bush, I went into Boston to Copley Square, to the site of the John Kerry rally. What was to have been a raucous coronation looked more like a wake. Boylston Street, which had been a sea of noise for the World Series parade on Saturday was filled with small groups of Kerry supporters, shaking their heads speaking in hushed tones, trying to figure out where it all went wrong.

Demosthenes (di-‘m?s-th&-“nEz): 384-322 B.C. Greek orator whose words gave courage to the Greeks to fight King Philip of Macedon. When his words ultimately failed he committed suicide. USM has a variety of illustrious speakers coming here every week. Here is a sample of some of them.

Dominican Outreach funding delayed again…. Student senate ratifies new student group…. The Free Press creates a new feature…. Student senate delays hearing proposal…. Southworth Planetarium gets down to Earth….

The week in misdemeanors….

The Student Senate passed a bill Friday that requiring professors of distance education courses to print out and mail offsite students their graded tests, quizzes and essays unless students waive that right.

This bill also ensures that professors and students alike are aware of an existing $5 per credit hour fee that offsite students pay in their distance education tuition.

Funding for the Dominican Health Outreach program was unexpectedly delayed at last Friday’s Senate meeting when the Senate passed proposal that prevents the Senate from funding activities that give students classroom credit.