Welcome Back
Chris Tiner, Co Editor-in-Chief
Welcome back everyone for the 2024-25 academic year. I would like to start by saying I hope that everyone has a great start to their school year and goes on to continue that great start throughout the whole year. Every individual who has a fresh slate in front of them is capable of having their best, most successful year yet. It becomes quite simple; you just have to go out and do it. Going into my senior year is somewhat wild for me to think about, and is going to be even crazier to live through. It feels like just yesterday I was walking into Luther Bonney to grab a drink before class as a freshman. Time really does fly, so make it count. I am sure people entering all grades throughout the university think that for themselves as well, it is to be expected when entering a new grade level as new things are expected from you. This new academic year will bring lots of new challenges, and experiences for everyone as each coming year does. It becomes a new opportunity and a fresh page for you to start working toward new goals, or maybe goals from the past you are more comfortable facing now. Either way, let it be a chance to try new things, experience new adventures, and activities. Don’t let anyone step in your way of that. Create your own path.
Challenges become lessons in your life that you learn and grow from. For me, becoming one-half of the new editor-in-chief team for the Free Press this year will no doubt be a challenge at times, but it is one to embrace and learn from. I want to work for the students of USM and help all people across campus feel like they have a place where they can be a part of a team, and share their voices through our paper. That has always been my goal since getting involved at the Free Press at the beginning of my junior year as a contributor and will continue to be my goal as I step into the highest-level position.
Sometimes people misunderstand what the Free Press is about when it comes to student-run. Student-run means although we have a fantastic advisor who does great things for our team and cares a lot about us, we decide what we write about in our issues each week. We run everything as a team, there is no I in the Free Press. We want to make sure everyone’s voices are heard, as well as all events that people on campus enjoy are covered. If your interest is ever sparked in writing for us feel free to reach out or pitch ideas, I want to make sure we are covering materials that the students are interested in hearing about.
I spent a decent amount of my summer as an IT service desk assistant at Bates College. My summer was also filled with lots of other fun things. Some very fun concerts, a vacation to the Outer Banks, North Carolina with my girlfriend, lots of golf at some really beautiful courses throughout New England, a camping trip with my friends, and lots of beach trips with my girlfriend as we attempted to get a tan. Things that summer are all about, getting outside, and enjoying time with the people you love.
Have fun this semester. That is always one of the most important things to remember when going into the new academic year. Maine is one of the most beautiful places in the country when it is fall time. The crisp air, leaves changing colors, golden hour sunsets every night, it is gorgeous. I plan on attending some concerts in the late fall. Travis Scott is having a one-night in Utopia tour stop at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey that I will be attending. My NBA champion Boston Celtics will be hitting the court again come late October, I will most definitely be attending a couple of games this year, as well as the Boston Bruins. I couldn’t forget the start of the Football season as well. Maybe the young Patriots squad will make a run for it this year, better to be optimistic than not. What is important is that you have fun this fall!
Have an amazing school year, and make it one to remember. Enjoy yourself, study hard, and make it count, because when you look back on these times in ten years from now you are going to want to be assured you did all of those things.