Category: News

University officials are unresponsive to questions about drug use at USM while the search for statistics on drug abuse violations on campus continues.

A report of crime on campus as culled from the USM police logs

A report of the latest happenings at the student senate

The Gorham Events Board (GEB) did something different last Thursday. Instead of the usual Thirsty Thursday event fare which usually consists of musical or comedy acts, students were invited to hawk their belongings for cash at the Thirsty Thursday Yard Sale. The event is the latest in the GEB’s push for innovative events, which will also bring nationally-recognized artists to the school this year.

April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month, and in light of this, the Women’s Resource Center has ongoing activities to raise awareness and response to sexual and domestic violence. The highlight of these is “Take Back the Night,” an event that will be held Friday April 25.

WMPG hosts its biannual pledge drive, the Begathon, April 21 to April 27. This spring’s Begathon coincides with the station’s 30th anniversary. Volunteers, local businesses and disc jockeys will all contribute to the effort, which is “more of a party than NPR and PBS-style fundraisers,” said Tom Flynn, development director at WMPG.

Pictures from a Greek barbecue held last Friday in Gorham.

Interviews with USM residential students, who remain anonymous for fear of prosecution, reveal how accessible drugs are on both the Portland and Gorham campuses. From the statistics available on criminal violations at USM, the University says it’s impossible to tell what the numbers reveal about a drug problem on campus.

Seamus Nee, a freshman business major, died unexpectedly April 5 when the vehicle he was riding in spun out of control in snowy conditions and collided with oncoming traffic. He was 19 years old. Police are still investigating but have ruled out alcohol or speed as factors in the crash.

Most students living on campus have no choice but to use University dining facilities everyday, and many have complaints about quality and cost. According to a recent survey of Student Senate candidates in The Free Press (April 7, 2003), food quality and price was a major problem.

Don’t be surprised when reviewing your student bill this fall that most of the fee lines have disappeared. The University is remodeling the fee system to create a single all-inclusive fee to cover University operational costs.

A report of the happenings at the latest Student Senate meeting

Weekly news briefs

A tuition raise at USM is likely in 2003 school year as costs rise across the entire University of Maine system. Officials cite rising insurance and benefit costs and flat funding from the State of Maine as factors in the budget crunch. A tuition raise is likely to be small, which would follow a long precedent of 1 to 2 percent increases each year.

Michael Dee, a local activist, protested last Thursday April 10 outside USM’s law building. He said he has been barred from Portland courts after filing multiple failed suits against the State’s drug laws. He also said May 1 is an international marijuana protest day.

Senior Fine Arts major Lisa Emery began her school year with a goal. She wanted to set up a collegiate chapter of Habitat for Humanity (HFH). She began in October setting up a table every Monday afternoon in the campus center to recruit students for local builds as well as an alternative spring break in Florida.

Last year over 5 percent of the student body voted in these elections. This year drew just shy of 2 percent of the student body. The current Senate and many of the Senate candidates recognized in the Student Senate meeting April 11 that the tiny outcome of the elections is a problem and the process needs to be reformed.

Nick Johnston loved basketball. During his days at Ellsworth High School, no matter the season you never saw Johnston without a ball under his arm. He played basketball for USM his freshman year but due to injuries didn’t play again. He planned on rejoining the team this fall, but he will not be playing next season. Johnston died March 22 at age 22.

Just hours before the first missiles struck Baghdad on March 19, a large crowd gathered in Portland’s Monument Square to protest the attack. The plan was to walk to U.S. Sen. Olympia Snowe’s office and discuss the U.S. invasion of Iraq. The evening ended with a no-show on the part of Snowe, and 22 arrests were made for “civil disobedience.” Among those arrested were a handful of USM students and several professors

When he attended USM, he was known as Jay Aubin. In death he is remembered as Maj. Jay Thomas Aubin of the U.S. Marine Corps. Aubin, 36, was one of the first to die in the war with Iraq when the helicopter he piloted crashed in Kuwait, killing four U.S and eight British soldiers.

At a recent meeting, the WMPG board of directors voted to air the syndicated alternative news program Democracy Now. The vote of nine for and three against came after a long period of decision making by the board. Initially, the program was rejected by WMPG but after a wave of listener requests and protests, it was put to a second vote. The program will start on April 14.

The office formerly used by Beth George, attorney for Student Legal Services, will now be used for extra office space and as a conference room. George will stay in her new office in the Senate building at 11 Baxter Blvd. The air quality of the office was tested on March 10 by Department of Facilities Management personnel. It was declared free of any contaminants, including carbon monoxide.

Report of crime on campus culled from USM police logs

Report of the happenings of the last two week’s student senate meetings.