Caydince Bumpus, Community Editor When I was asked to apply for the community editor position at The Free Press I was a little nervous to say yes. I’ve never been that strong of a writer, let alone telling other people how to improve on their writing skills. I was in my own head about whether…
Category: Welcome Back Letters
Welcome Letter: Elizabeth Smith, Web Editor
Hello and Goodbye | By Elizabeth Smith, Web Editor Dear Huskies, As we convene and reconvene after the summer break, I wish you all a warm and heartfelt welcome. My name is Liz, and I’m in my fourth year and final semester here at USM. Upon graduation in December, I will have completed a communication…
Welcome Letter: Amber Friend, Sports Editor
By Amber Friend, Sports Editor Welcome back Southern Maine athletes! My name is Amber Friend, the new sports editor for the Free Press. Having played sports throughout my life I know the importance of representation and support for athletics and more importantly athletes. Which is why it’s my goal to reach out to members of…
Welcome Letter: Emilyn Smith, Director of Photography
By Emilyn Smith, Director of Photography Conveying messages through art is something that’s always been important to me. Not only am I able to tell others’ stories through photojournalism, but I can also shed light on important social issues and become a voice for those that may not have their own. My goal is to…
Welcome Letter: Julz Levesque, Arts & Culture Editor
By Julz Levesque, Arts & Culture Editor The Free Press has had some major updates this year and among some of them are fresh faces. A new print layout has ushered in some new editors on the team including myself. My name is Julz Levesque and I am your new Arts & Culture editor for…
What does it mean to be a dependent?
By Deklin Fitzgerald, Editor-In-Chief What does it mean to be a dependent? Before I get into that, I would like to firstly congratulate each and every one of you for your perseverance and persistence. Whether you have enough credits to count as a senior, junior, or sophomore. Here’s to you. Whether you are…
The ROCC Welcome Letter
By USM Free Press The Recovery Oriented Campus Center (ROCC) has been a pinnacle of student success since its founding. With a mission of building a support system made for peers and by peers. The ROCC is centered on helping students through recovery from substance use and mental health conditions. Utilizing the Substance Abuse…
An Al Bean Welcome
It’s my pleasure to welcome all of our new students to the University of Southern Maine and a special welcome back greeting to our returning students including all of our Husky student-athletes. I’m certain the coming year will be exciting with tremendous opportunities to learn and grow in the classroom, in competition and in the…
The Career and Employment Hub Welcomes You
By Andy Osheroff, Director, Career & Employment Hub When you ask ChatGPT “where should I go?” you will be prompted to provide additional information about what you are looking for. When you ask “where am I”, it will tell you it has no idea. When you are trying to go someplace, even with AI and…
Welcome New Students and Welcome Back Returning Students!
By Adhere Jaehnig, Director of Disability Services Center On behalf of the Disability Services Center (DSC), I am excited to welcome you or welcome you back to the University of Southern Maine! We want you to know we are a resource for students and we encourage you to reach out to our office. Students…
The Oakhurst Campus Food Pantry is Here to Help
By Sarah Farrugia Campus Food Pantry & Food Security Coordinator In the lower level of 102 Bedford Street on the Portland Campus, convenient but discreet, the Oakhurst Campus Food Pantry (OCFP) provides essential resources to the USM community to fight food insecurity and meet the basic needs of students, faculty and staff. Beginning as a…
A Warm Welcome From President Edmondson
By President Edmondson August 2023 Dear USM Students, I am quite pleased to welcome you back to the new academic year, my second year as your president. This is an historic moment at our University as we open the McGoldrick Center for Career and Student Sucess and the first residence hall in Portland. You may…
Office of Orientation & First Year Experience
by the OFYE Team Dear New Huskies, Welcome to the University of Southern Maine! On behalf of the Orientation & First Year Experience Team, we are thrilled to have you join our vibrant community of learners. Your journey with us is about to begin, and we are excited to help you navigate this transformative chapter…
A Welcome from SEAL
By The Student Engagement and Leadership (SEAL) Team To our new, transfer, first year and returning students: welcome to the pack! We are all geared up for an amazing year and cannot express enough how excited we are to be in-person, on-campus and ready to go. The staff within Student Engagement and Leadership have been…
The Sodexo Team Welcomes You
by Adam Vigue, Sodexo Area General Manager Dear Students, Faculty, and Staff, As the summer days give way to the excitement of a new academic year, we extend our warmest welcome back to each and every one of you. We are thrilled to share some exciting updates that will enhance your campus experience. Our culinary…
Sullivan Staff would like to welcome our incoming students
By The Sullivan Gym Staff Sullivan Staff would like to welcome our incoming students as well as our returning Husky pack to our updated campus! We are excited for the recent opening of the McGoldrick Center for Student Success and the Portland Commons dormitory bringing revitalization of student life to our Portland campus. Whether you’re…
University Health and Counseling Welcomes You!
By University Health and Counseling Welcome new and returning USM students, staff, and faculty! We hope you had a healthy and safe summer and are ready to launch into another season of learning. With that in mind, we wanted to make you all aware of what Health & Counseling Services (UHCS), an integrated program that…
The Dean of Students Welcomes You!
By Rodney Mondor, Dean of Students Dear Huskies, As Dean of Students, it is my honor to serve all students in our community and focus my energy on creating a healthy, safe, and inclusive campus where you can maximize your potential while pursuing your educational goals and dreams. I would be remiss if I did…
What’s happening at WMPG 90.9FM
by Annella Linton, WMPG Development Director Hello USM community and a big welcome to our new students! Greetings from WMPG! WMPG is USM’s radio station, where for 50 years USM students and community members have been creating diverse, innovative, high quality media, which fosters the exchange of ideas and celebrates the many cultures of USM…
Dean of Students Welcome Letter
Dear Huskies, It is my pleasure to welcome new students to and returning students back to the University of Southern Maine! Go Huskies! Without a doubt 2020 has been a unique year. In my 27 years in higher education, with 22 of them being at USM, this will be one of the most challenging for…
TRIO Student Support Services Welcome Letter
Welcome to the University of Southern Maine, 2020. Just as these times are different due to COVID-19, your experience here at USM this year will be slightly different. However, many people have worked diligently to be sure that you receive the quality education you deserve. So welcome. We are all in this together! The start…
Athletics Department Welcome Letter
By: Al Bean, Athletics Director The USM Athletics Department is excited to welcome all of our students back to campus for the Fall 2020 semester. We know you have already faced great adversity in the past six months and there are certainly challenges still ahead but we are here to help support you, work with you…
Health & Counseling Welcome Letter
Welcome new and returning USM students, staff and faculty! We hope you had a healthy and safe summer and are ready to launch into another season of learning. With that in mind, we wanted to make you all aware of what Health & Counseling Services, an integrated program that promotes wellness for both mind and…