I had the privilege of participating in a panel discussion about the media and violence against women. The seminar was organized following the appearance of a controversial cartoon in the Casco Bay Weekly which depicted the mutilation of women. Although the forum focused on women in the media, it raised the larger question of whether…
Author: USM
Closed meeting draws opposition
Last week The Free Press was prohibited from entering a meeting regarding the tentative agreement between the University of Maine system and the professional staff union, UMPSA. The Free Press has followed the union’s battle with UMS over the last 18 months. The Maine State Right to Know Laws are specific about what sort of…
Union, UMS reach tentative agreement
Union leaders call it progress. But in the never-ending cycle of contract negotiations between the University of Maine system and its professional staff, an agreement may simply mark the beginning of the next disagreement. Members of the University of Maine Professional Staff Association (UMPSA) will vote this week on a tentative agreement reached between UMPSA…
The road to graduation part 2
Chris Cronin doesn’t like waiting. While other graduating seniors move back in with their parents and search for a first job, Cronin, who is married, will be starting the career she loves. Cronin is a native of Casco. Before graduating from Lake Region High School she completed an internship at the Stone Environmental School in…
Students struggle to save life
Lisa Meyer needed one more credit to graduate, so she enrolled in a CPR class in January. “They told us that we might not ever get to use it,” said the senior biology major. But when a man collapsed in the fitness room of the Sullivan Gym last week, Meyer’s skills were tested as she…
Misleading surveys removed
Take part in women-centered chants. Get $1 drafts at Gilligan’s. Learn to read German. Take a survey about breasts. These are a few headings from the collage of fliers spread across the USM campuses. Many groups and individuals take advantage of the high number of students who notice their flashy fliers as they pass by…
April is the month for jazz
Between the mud and the rain, April is that in-between month. Things are just beginning to grow again, and suddenly, everyone is smiling. While it’s not very warm yet, April is the first step to curing spring fever. So it’s no wonder that the USM Department of Music chose this confused, transitional time of year…
Proffesor’s poetry bridges political divide
Professor Dennis Brutus is a beloved figure among South African grassroots activists and an imposing force against racist government actions around the world. Having lived much of his life in prison or exile for political activism against apartheid, his perspective now captivates audiences. Brutus visited USM last week to recite his poetry and talk about…
Hitting the river
At 5 a.m. on Saturday, March 24, fourteen USM students and Portland Campus Recreation Coordinator Tina Aldrich met at the Sullivan Gym to kick off leg one of their spring break trip to Moab, Utah. They chose the trip as an alternative to typical spring-break destinations, embracing the opportunity to enjoy a backcountry experience while…
Health Beat
Sheera LaBelle, R.N. University Health Services The amount of ultraviolet radiation that strikes the earth’s surface (and you) depends on several factors: 1. Time of day: Maximum exposure occurs between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. 2. Season: Intensity is much greater in summer but it is important to use sunscreen year-round. 3. Altitude: UV radiation…
Wayne Keller
What is your name? Wayne Keller What is your major? I’m a sophomore electrical engineering major. Where is your hometown? Rehobeth Beach, Delaware. Why did you decide to go to USM? Definitely for the skiing. I ride ski blades. Where I’m from is a resort town, and it gets really depressed during the winter. Up…
Schmoozing in the name of art
Just around the corner from the defunct Stone Coast Brewery and in the same building as the Yes Bookstore is the Danforth Gallery, where, on a rainy evening last week, I attended the reception of a student art exhibit. Every gallery opening I go to evinces the same immediate question: are people here for the…
Detective Saindon promoted
Odds are, if you know Ron Saindon, something bad has happened to you. Saindon, USM Police Department’s detective, deals with students who have been victims or perpetrators of all potential crimes on campus. Working from a windowless room in the basement of Gorham’s Upton Hall, Saindon reviews 45 to 60 cases each month. Last month,…
Senate Update
Familiar face at G-TV The Senate voted to reappoint current Gorham Television General Manager Chad Carter to the same position for next year. The sophomore media studies major will run the student television station for the second straight year. G-TV broadcasts movies and other programming to students on the Gorham campus. Nuts and bolts After…
Croatian feminist visits campus
Feminism is alive and well in war-torn regions of the world. An event sponsored by the Women’s Studies Program, brought a Croatian feminist to campus to share her experience and strength. The visitor, Croatian journalist Vesna Kesic, came to USM to give a series of lectures about the experience of women in the war in…
04/16/01
STD update To the Editor: “Sex, STDs and college students: know your risk” by Kristie Green was an informative article about STD risk, safer sex, and student attitudes. However, in mentioning the April 19 Safe & Sexy Safer Sex Dance sponsored by The Women’s Resource Center, Green wrote: “The event planners are designing a `consent…
Smoke your breakfast
You’re chillin’ at your favorite bar, you’ve had a couple Absolut and tonics and the good times are rolling. Until some random chick runs up to you screaming your name. “Don’t you remember me? You died my hair blond at three in the morning and we made out in Eric’s bathroom in 1992.” Nope. Well…
Letter from the editor
New federal legislation will take effect this week aimed at stamping out internet porn use on public computers. The law is specifically written to prevent graphic visuals from gracing computer screens in public libraries and schools. Children’s Internet Protection Act (CIPA) requires communities to create a policy of Internet standards and then set up filters…
Frat’s bonfire sparks neighors’ complaints
A spring cleaning bonfire party at Sigma Nu turned sour when Gorham police issued the president of Sigma Nu, Matthew Tuscano, a summons for failure to comply with conditions of an out-of-doors burning permit. The incident happened last Thursday night when neighbors called Gorham Fire Department because the fraternity was burning a large bonfire in…
$2.2 million gift stabilizes OLLI’s financial future
The Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI), formerly known as Senior College, just received a large cash donation that could ensure its financial stability indefinitely. Bernard Osher, a native Mainer, donated $2.2 million, the largest such gift in USM history. Intended for community members over the age of 55, OLLI has become more popular in recent…
New federal law limits Internet access
This week a new federal law prohibiting access to certain Internet material takes effect in public libraries and schools across the nation. The Children’s Internet Protection Act (CIPA) is designed to keep the eyes of minors off pornographic Web sites. Opponents, however, claim the new law is a violation of First Amendment rights. CIPA requires…
Security lacking at libraries
The University’s library staff is concerned for their safety and the safety of patrons due to a staffing shortage and lack of security. Some of the staff’s concerns stem from the library’s policy of being open to the public. Since the addition of Internet services, public use of the library has increased and some patrons…
The road to graduation
This is the first of a three-part series called “The road to graduation” which follows the emotions, expectations, and decisions of three graduating seniors. Staff Writer John McCarthy has followed these seniors since February. For most of her adult life Mary Gaul was obsessed with leaving Maine. College became a contradiction, representing both the surest…
Sedaris: A dog-gone funny writer
Fans of humorist David Sedaris were treated to an evening at The State Theatre on April 2 of readings by the sweetheart of public radio’s “This American Life” and author of such books as Naked, Barrel Fever and Holidays on Ice. The large and receptive audience included everyone from older, well-heeled NPR liberals to starving,…