Students paying another wee fee
A lot of students didn’t notice the new line on their bills that reads “energy fee.” But some people are concerned about the extra $2 per credit hour – $24 per semester for a full-time student.
Jonathan Layburn, director of USM Recycles, is trying to organize a new committee to “help solve high-prioritized environmental and economic issues,” he said in a written statement.
The energy fee has produced an additional $329,580 for the University, but that’s just a fraction of the current $1.3 million energy tab.
In an effort to keep energy prices from continuing to climb, Layburn wants to reduce energy dependence and discuss ways to better conserve resources.
The USM Economic and Environmental Sustainability Committee is open to any interested faculty, staff and students and is due to meet this week.
For more information contact USM Recycles at 780-4962 or email: [email protected]
Back up the bus
Come out, come out wherever you are.
Thursday, Oct. 11 is National Coming Out Day, and the University will be hosting a lecture on the history of the pride movement.
“Coming Out: The History, and Future, of an Idea,” hosted by Dr. Howard Solomon of Tufts University, will begin at 6 p.m. in the Luther Bonney Auditorium on the Portland campus.
Solomon is also the Scholar in Residence for the Gay and Lesbian Archives of Maine.
A reception will follow, and the event, is free and open to the public. Sponsors include the Gay and Lesbian Archives of Maine (GLBT Program Committee), the University Libraries, the Office of the Provost, American and New England Studies, GLBTQA Resources Program and members of the University Community.
For more information, call Sarah Holmes at 228-8235, 780-5646 or email [email protected]
Kudos to WMPG
WMPG-FM, the community radio station at USM, has been awarded a first-place prize by the Maine Association of Broadcasters for its multi-lingual public service announcement program.
“This award confirms for us the idea that radio is an important communication tool and can be used to help under-served communities,” said Rob Rosenthal, series co-producer. “A great deal of research and hard work went into producing these announcements and we are grateful for the help provided by members of each of the communities we served. Thanks to the Maine Association of Broadcasters for recognizing our efforts.”
The series, titled “Crossing Borders,” is a yearlong broadcast regarding children’s health produced and aired on WMPG. The announcements are directed toward immigrant and refugee parents and produced in five languages: English, Somali, Spanish, Russian and Cambodian. The announcements aired for 12 months on WMPG as part of the station’s cultural programming.
There were 12 topics covered on “Crossing Borders,” including nutrition, fire safety, poisons in the home, breast feeding, toy safety, the importance of exercise and prenatal care.
Rosenthal, a radio producer and teacher, and Kristin Truesdale, a registered nurse and USM graduate produced “Crossing Borders” at WMPG. The project was co-sponsored by Portland Public Health. Funding for the series was provided by Sound Partners for Community Health, a project of the Robert Wood Johnson and Benton Foundations.
Each of the announcements was crafted with the assistance of four language-based focus groups. Meeting every two months, the focus groups would discuss topics and review announcements that had been translated into the four foreign languages. Volunteers from the station and the community recorded the PSAs.
WMPG has been on the air since 1973. The station provides an eclectic mix of information and entertainment programs. WMPG’s studios are located on the Portland campus. The station serves Cumberland County and can be heard at 90.9 FM, 104.1 FM, and on the Internet at www.wmpg.org.
Sexual assault training
Sexual Assault Response Services of Southern Maine, formerly Rape Crisis Center, Inc., is sponsoring a 50-hour sexual assault advocacy training program for women and men beginning in October.
The training will run from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Tuesday and Thursday, as well as several Saturday intensives, for four to five weeks. During this training, participants will learn from some of Southern Maine’s leading experts in various sexual assault related topics. Upon completion of the training, advocates will be fully prepared to confidentially volunteer from their homes as a hotline responder. This would make an excellent internship or service learning project in areas such as nursing, social work, or psychology, but is open to all.