By Katie Gallagher Contributing Writer “Sammy Sosa” was the only thing I could understand on the television. If it wasn’t the Spanish-language news, it was Spanish bullfighting and if it wasn’t the television, it was Spanish music. Tu Casa, a seven-month-old Salvadorian restaurant on Washington Avenue, was an interesting experience. Despite the language barrier, ordering…
Author: USM
You’re young, you’re fun, you’re…bored?
By Meghan Conley Arts and Entertainment Editor It’s a golden age for arts and music in Southern Maine with national acts passing through practically nightly and more local music than you can shake a stick at. Clubs are opening, changing hands, upgrading, and growing to provide for this entertainment explosion. It’s a night owl’s dream.unless…
Professor dives into research
Fish may be key to innovative engineering By Matt Clifford Contributing Writer With a puckered face and a square, yellow body splattered with small black dots, the subject of Assistant Professor of Biological Sciences Jeff Walker’s submarine development research appears a haphazard concoction of tropical fish and a pottery experiment gone terribly awry. Watching this…
Officials tighten research standards
The University is making major strides to tighten its regulation of research involving human subjects and animals. Both professors and student researchers will be held to strict guidelines and must complete a mandatory training program offered by the National Institute of Health’s Web site, according to Institutional Review Board (IRB) Chair Susan Vines. The Provost’s…
Wanted: deans for USM schools and colleges
By Stephen Allan Contributing Writer USM is currently conducting a nationwide search to fill open dean positions in three of its eight schools and colleges. The Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences Steve Worchel and the Dean of the School of Business John Burt both left in June 2000, leaving two vacant positions…
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Energy committee forming Energy costs are rising. And to maintain its position as a leader in the conservation field, USM is forming a committee to review its policies to see what can be updated. “People are thinking in terms of sustainability,” said Dave Early, executive director of Facilities Management. “How to continue our lives without…
A big supporter of athletics speaks
A big supporter of athletics speaks The Student Senate meeting began this week with a visit by Director of Athletics Al Bean. Bean began by giving a rundown of facts pertaining to the Athletics Department. There are 24 varsity teams and 425 sports participants this season. A proud Bean explained “our program is strong and…
The Southworth Planetarium’s NIGHT SKY GUIDE Peering at the sun
During the year, we will examine the many different types of stars in the Universe. This week, let’s start with the brightest star in the sky: the sun. We all know that our sun is a star. We learn this fact as children and it doesn’t seem to be terribly profound. Yet, this fact would…
Bad planning = Housing crunch
More people are coming to USM. That’s a good thing. The University failed to handle the on-campus housing situation responsibly. That’s a bad thing. Early last week there were 300 students forced to live in triples. That’s almost 20 percent of the on-campus population packed into 12 by 18 rooms three at a time. No…
MISSING: Chickenwich Combo
Returning students are seeing a lot of changes at USM this year. Many of those changes have occurred in the snack bars located on the Portland and Gorham campuses. The menus in both locations are more attractive and easier to read. Some students, though impressed with the hip new look, are wondering what happened to…
Crime on Campus
Thursday, August 30 A Dell computer and monitor was reported missing from a storage room in the Science Building on the Portland campus. The computer, worth around $1,500, was last seen on August 21, according to police. The theft is still under investigation. Friday, August 31 A Portland Hall resident told police he was being…
Thanks to increasing enrollment students forced to triple up
They brought just what they needed. But what little they have still sits on the floor packed away in trash bags and crammed under beds. “There’s not even a place to put the television,” said Dickey Hall resident Meredith Cyr. “We have to keep it on the floor.” Cyr, along with her roommates Noelle Cook…
Department of Music
Early this summer, the Department of Music announced that it will now be known as the University of Southern Maine School of Music. Although the new moniker will require a change in stationery, it won’t necessarily change day-to-day operations. Despite the minimal short-term impact, the school hopes the upgrade will highlight the achievements of a…
Philippi Hall: a suite addition
Why go to the field to watch a baseball game when you can sit on your couch and simply look out the window? Harlan A. Philippi Hall 62,000 square feet 91 rooms 221 student capacity Total cost: $8.5 million A bathroom in every suite. It doesn’t sound like much, but for some students who are…
Briefly
Racin’ Rodney He’s at it again. Rodney Mondor, assistant director of Student Involvement and Greek Affairs is about to embark on another international trek. He left yesterday for Montreal’s Olympic Park, the starting place for this year’s Canada to U.S. AIDS Vaccine Ride. Over 3,000 riders will travel 400 miles by bike, passing several states…
Meet Joe Student
What’s your name? John Kuchinski. Where are you from? Right now I’m living in Scarborough. Do you have a major? I’m going to try to major in computer science. My application is pending. I’ll just take a couple of courses. What made you decide to go back to school? Just to improve myself and get…
Staffer trains Olympians
It took five years to get there, but this summer Jay Myers worked with Olympic athletes at the National Training Center in Lake Placid, New York. “I think that for anyone in Sports Medicine or athletic training, working with athletes of that caliber is really something to aspire to,” he said. The 31-year-old Myers, who…
Insurance costs rise for students
Students who have come to count on the Health Insurance Plan offered through University Health Services may have been a little surprised to see the jump in cost this year. A 78 percent jump. From last year’s annual cost of $556, this year interested students will have to pay $991 for the plan, which covers…
Negotiations in full swing
Many students will spend a great amount of time this year working with library staff to study and research assignments. Often, more time will be spent working in the libraries than sitting in on the weekly lectures. “We’re the folks that make things tick,” said Loraine Ann Lowell, circulation assistant for the Glickman Family Library…
Senate Update
Small in number About seven senate members were not present during the summer meeting held at the Husky Hut in Gorham Friday. A rumor that the meeting was to be held in the Costello Sports Complex may have veered some members away, said Commuter Sen. Anthony Pergola. Nix proposal nixed Senate Parliamentarian Matt Amoroso made…
Perspectives
You’re not in Kansas anymore. There have been stalkers, rapists and criminals walking around our lovely little campus. Last year the USM Police reported two sexual assaults on or near campus, three more “confidential reports” where the victim didn’t want to press charges. And USM’s Manager of Sexual Assault Programs Jim Daniels estimates maybe 20…
Chancellor resigns after four years of service
The University of Maine System is currently conducting a nationwide search to replace Chancellor Terry MacTaggart, who stepped down in July after completing his five-year contract. “We lost a lot when we lost Terry,” said Don McDowell, who was named interim chancellor by the UMS Board of Trustees over the summer. “The guy was just…
Warnings issued after dorm intrusions
The USM Police issued two warnings over the summer regarding suspicious people found in dorms. Though most USM students leave the dorms at the end of the spring, the buildings are not empty. Several high school programs house students in dorms. In late July a man was discovered in the female shower room on the…
Tuition increase likely
A projected system-wide budget shortfall of almost $30 million will likely lead to increased tuition and may affect plans for a parking garage, according to University officials. USM is looking at a projected shortfall of $1.8 to $2.2 million, even after receiving help from the state and a proposed tuition increase of 3.5 percent. “We’re…