Tag: featured

Student Body President Chris Camire called a move by faculty to vote no confidence…

Student Body President Chris Camire had harsh words for faculty moving to vote no confidence in University of Southern Maine President Selma Botman. He pleaded with faculty to work with, not against Botman.

Faculty Senate Chair Jeannine Diddle Uzzi dropped the petition off at Botman’s office this afternoon after being presented with it by Jerry Lasala, professor of physics. “We’ve come to the conclusion that this is a chronic and apparently unchangeable solution,” Lasala said.

The University of Southern Maine took back two controversial pay increases to top administrators following backlash from the USM community member as well as members of the public.

While the refund money is legally supposed to only cover a student’s cost of attendance — including room and board, transportation, books, supplies and miscellaneous costs like food and entertainment — it’s hard to know how students use the money, said Director of Financial Aid Keith Dubois.

With the possibility faculty and staff could lose their jobs in a new wave of budget cuts, morale is low reportedly low amongst at faculty at the University of Southern Maine, which is facing a grim $5.1 million budget shortfall projected for the upcoming fiscal year 2013.

The additional $1 million in cuts needed from each college at the University of Southern Maine could result fewer faculty and staff and squeezed operating budgets, but the college deans hope to minimize the impact felt by students. The three deans of the major colleges will discuss their proposed $1 million-a-piece budget cuts for next year with Provost John Wright tomorrow, before Wright submits the proposals to President Selma Botman by Friday.

At the beginning of the school year, Chris Cunha stood outside of the Woodbury Campus Center to hand out coupons for his new employer, the Campus Bookstore. For nearly twenty years, the off-campus store has been the University of Southern Maine bookstore’s direct competitor — most notably, offering lower prices — and last May, it moved closer to the Portland campus. Some say a little too close.

Drawing wild applause and cheers, Republican presidential nominee hopeful Ron Paul stumped at the University of Southern Maine Saturday, in the run up to Maine’s upcoming Republican Caucus.

Jessica Harris, a freshman psychology major, is one of the students who received a housing grant for this semester. Without it, Harris said she would have to move back home and forgo an education in Gorham, where she has also developed a new social life.

“I wouldn’t have met half the people I’m friends with if I didn’t live on campus,” Harris said.

As the school year comes to a close, many college students are joining a mad rush to find summer employment in a stalled job market. But a few USM students are employing themselves instead.

Juniors marketing majors Ry Russell, Patrick Brophy and Tyler Wells are taking over management of the Saco Drive-in theater, opening for business May 27.

The recent restoration of street signs along Franklin Arterial to its original name, Franklin Street, may not seem like a big change.

But Franklin, the four lane road in Portland leading from Interstate 295 to the waterfront, has quite a story behind it. And the name change is just a part of the wider effort to revitalize the wide swath of road and median that cuts the peninsula in two.

According to a Japanese legend, should a person fold 1,000 origami cranes, a crane will grant them one wish, traditionally a wish for health or recovery from illness or injury.

Following the the earthquake, tsunami and resulting nuclear crisis in Japan, the USM Asian American Association and Symposium is continuing that tradition by folding 1000 origami cranes and selling them to raise funds for relief efforts.

It doesn’t take an economist to figure out why college students illegally download and share movies, television and music.

But USM junior Patrick O’Connor can tell you that file sharing isn’t without its dangers.

Adam Royer’s life has seen a lot of changes over the years. Five years ago Royer was in jail for a robbery in which a rival drug dealer was shot. Last year he had graduated USM and was planning on going to law school. Now he’s about to be viewed by millions of people as a member of the cast of the 25th season of MTV’s “The Real World.”

Students might not know they interact with Christopher O’Connor on a weekly basis. But through emails informing students of activities, and his work advising student government and student organizations, O’Connor, associate director of student life for Portland, has a hand in nearly all aspects of student life.

If you found yourself cheering or fist pumping when you heard the news last Tuesday that the university was closing at 2 p.m., then you have Dick Campbell to thank.

Campbell, USM’s chief financial officer, decides when the university closes for weather. But it’s not a duty he relishes.

Republican Gov. Paul LePage, leading his party into newfound control of the Blaine House and legislature, touted the private sector’s role in job creation and his plans for education in his inauguration address Wednesday afternoon at the Augusta Civic Center.