By Johnna Ossie, News Editor Is there anyway to keep my head above water these days? I was at a coffee shop last night and my friend working behind the counter was telling me how things in her personal life are great, but that feeling is clashing with everything else going on in the world….
Author: USM
Our Opinion: When we forget world history, is it bound to repeat itself?
Editorial Board, Free Press Staff “Never Again.” It’s a phrase attached to some of the worst and most shameful moments in human history. We say “never again” to the holocaust, “never again” to slavery. “Never again” to Japanese internment camps. We say “never again” to the Rwandan genocide. But it seems that we keep forgetting…
Sustainability and ME: Know your labels to be a more conscious consumer
By Emily Eschner, Contributor Green. This term is thrown around daily to describe people, places, and things claiming to be sustainable. The truth is, not all “green” is created equal. We live in a capitalist society; money talks. Many brands are capitalizing on the growing sustainability market to greenwash you into buying something that’s not…
Now on Netflix: An overlooked film from 2016
By Aaron Halls, Staff, John Rocker, Staff Sing Street takes place in 1980s Dublin, Ireland. Conor (Ferdia Walsh-Peelo) has moved to a new school so that his family can save money. He encounters a slew of problems, including failing to connect with people and dealing with bullies, both students and staff members alike. One day,…
Bookbinding and the pursuit of human touch exhibit
By Jordan Castaldo, Free Press Staff Surrounding students studying on the 7th floor of Glickman, in the Reading Room, is an art exhibit on the ancient craft of bookbinding. Curated by Britta Konau, students now have a chance to see the renowned book binding work of Gray Parrot. The art of bookbinding is the assembling…
Field of Vision documentary shorts highlight global events
By Daniel Killgallon, Free Press Staff First Look Media is a multi-platform media company which was first launched in 2013. Amongst the company’s distributed content is Field of Vision, a documentary unit that creates a variety of short documentaries that cover a variety of contemporary events around the globe. All of this work is distributed…
Circus Maine on track to be the next premiere école de cirque
By Matthew Craig, Arts & Culture Editor Circus Maine, a nascent company located on Thompson’s Point, has been bringing circus art and circus training to Maine since October 2015. Blain Tully, the general manager and part-owner of the organization, formed Circus Maine with Joshua Oliver, the technical director, and Cory Tabino, the artistic director. Tully,…
President Cummings talks openly about issues with SGA
What can you tell me about Madison’s decision to tell the general public about your confidential conversation? Humza and Madison came to me to talk about the state budget. They wanted to know if they could be helpful for supporting a strong budget request, and it was terrific. In the context of that, there is…
Controversial conservative speaker to visit Portland campus
By Johnna Ossie, News Editor Fliers distributed Friday on the Portland campus announced that the USM student group Young Americans for Freedom (YAFF) will be bringing Representative Lawrence Lockman to campus to speak to students. The flier features a political cartoon about immigration and is titled “Alien Invasion: Fixing the Immigration Crisis.” At a senate…
Conservative students fear backlash for beliefs that contradict Liberals
By Sarah Tewksbury, Free Press Staff The response from USM students to the presidential election and President Trump’s first days as the nation’s leader has been strong and active. All campuses have seen protests, walkouts, demonstrations, calls for action and a general mobilization of students to come together to either fight or support the new…
Men’s and Women’s basketball both find success on Gorham Night
By: Erin Brown, Free Press Sports Editor The University of Southern Maine’s Men’s and Women’s basketball teams honored the town of Gorham last Wednesday night with their annual Gorham night. Members from Gorham’s 3rd and 4th grade youth basketball teams filled the stands and played during halftime. A free raffle for gift cards to businesses…
Sexual assault prevention training on campus
By: River Plouffe Vogel, Free Press Staff The University of Southern Maine hopes to provide fair, safe and equal education to all students. Protecting as well educating the student body is one way to do that. USM offers students to take an online sexual assault prevention training course, which is required of all university employees and…
NGOs worlwide respond after Trump reinstates Mexico City Policy
By: Johnna Ossie, Free Press News Editor Just days into office, newly installed President Donald Trump reinstated a policy that bans international Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) receiving U.S. funding from providing abortion services, as well as from providing education or counseling to those seeking their services. The Mexico City Policy, often referred to as the global gag…
New program homes to connect faculty and staff
By: Julie Pike, Free Press Staff The University of Southern Maine will be implementing a program called, “Informing U@USM,” which is set to begin in February. These classes, which are focused on bringing the USM community closer together, will teach a broad range of topics to employees from financial wellness, cultural resources on campus, physical…
Let’s Talk About It: The first week of Trump
By: Johnna Ossie, News Writer Many people in my family voted for Donald Trump, and since the election, I haven’t known what to say to them. My aunts and uncles, my cousins, even my dad. I haven’t been able to look at them the same way. I peer at them like I’m looking at someone…
Sustainability & ME: Exciting project to launch in several USM dorms this spring
By: Miranda Nemitz, junior year nursing student at USM Some of us hate it. Some of us love it. But regardless of our personal experience with it, cleaning is something that most of us are familiar with by the time we get to a college campus. We use cleaning products to disinfect our surroundings by…
How the life of a childhood friend was relived through a polaroid
By: Krysteana Scribner, Editor-in-chief Yesterday, I stumbled upon a Polaroid photo while cleaning my closet. The image is now faded, discolored by time and folded gently in the corner. I believe it was taken in the summer of 2008, but my childhood memories are beginning to blur as I continue to grow older. I am…
The Place Beyond the Pines (2012) analysis review
By: Dan Kilgallon, Free Press Staff The Place Beyond the Pines (R) Run Time: 140 mins The Place Beyond the Pines does not refer to the lovely state of Maine, but rather, to the setting of one of the most underrated movies of 2012. Directed by Derek Cianfrance, this independent film takes place in the…
Rocker and Halls Review: Split
By: John Rocker and Aaron Halls, Free Press staff Plot: After attending a party, Casey (Anya Taylor-Joy) and her two classmates Claire (Haley Lu Richardson) and Marcia (Jessica Sula) are captured by a mysterious man named Kevin (James McAvoy), who has dissociative identity disorder, which gives him 23 different personalities. Trapped in an undisclosed location,…
Resistance, Resilience, and Renewal: Storytelling
By: Deliah Schreiber Well after 7 p.m., people of all ages, races and genders are still arriving. Every table in the room is taken and, by the time the first speaker takes the stage, the crowd has filled nearly every available square inch. On January 26, the Women and Gender Studies department at the University…
People of USM: Dana McDaniel, Head of USM’s Linguistics Department
By: Jordan Castaldo, Free Press Staff Dana McDaniel is known to most as the head of the USM Linguistics Department. However, having the pleasure of getting to know her a bit further, and to focus more on her linguistics background and not just her job, it becomes apparent just how interesting McDaniel is. McDaniel was…
Final Fantasy XV review
By: Dionne Smith, Free Press staff Final Fantasy XV is another installment in Square Enix’s Final Fantasy franchise. It holds up to the norm of monsters, magic and interesting plot lines. But is the game worth $60? Story: Final Fantasy XV takes place in Lucis, which is ruled by King Regis Lucis Caelum. The story…
Islamic studies minor in the works at USM
By: Kelly Scrima, Free Press Staff USM is currently in the planning stages of adding a minor in Islamic studies. The idea of an Islamic studies minor has been on the minds of faculty and students for some time. However, it’s taken a while for things to actually get started. According to Brendan Butler, a…
Advising Advice: I can’t get into my major!
By: Janis Albright, Janet Etzel and Netty Provost, Academic Advisors Here’s a scenario: You have chosen what you think is perfect major but then you discover that you can’t get into that major right now, or you’re rethinking whether it’s the best fit for you. Does this sound like you? Don’t panic! This is a…