Let’s Be Still, released by The Head and the Heart, is buried in the folk/rock sound that has become so common with indie music. The tracks on this album are good, but nothing new is being added to the genre. A formula for success that has worked with so many other bands is being used…
Author: USM
Community discusses Persian Visions
Panel covers art, identity, activism and culture in Iran Having given the community nearly two months to visit the Persian Visions exhibit, Director of Exhibitions and Programs Carolyn Eyler organized a small panel discussion to discuss the importance of the work and give it some context. This event, called Persian Conversations, was co-organized with the…
Artist brings Katahdin to Portland
At almost 250 miles away, it’s easy for people in Portland to feel a bit removed from Mount Katahdin, the natural glory that is our state’s highest peak. But now the community can get a unique perspective of the mountain with just a quick trip to Glickman Library. Portland-based artist David Little, however, has made…
Quick Hits
Men’s Soccer USM blown out by Keene St. 6-1 The USM team was dominated by Keene St. on Nov. 2 by a score of 6-1. The team gave up four goals in the second half to seal the loss. They end their season with a 0-18-1 record and with a 15 game lossing…
New software giving women’s team edge
Film editing allows women’s basketball to improve practice With a successful season behind them, the women’s basketball team is ready for another season. For the third year in a row they’re going to be improving their game and looking to the NCAA tournament with the aid of some interesting software. Three years back, the team…
A clarification from the Oct 28 issue:
On Oct. 28, the Free Press reported that the College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences is considering a possible reorganization. It has been brought to our attention that the article, “CAHS considers reorganization to offset costs,” blended together three issues, and that conclusion was not completely supported by our sourcing. From subsequent correspondence with…
Sweeney: how we dispose is a form off voting: cast your vote with sustainable living
It’s that time of year again. Election day is upon us. Decisions need to be made, and it is up to us to make them. Some of us discuss and debate and offer our opinions. Some are quiet on the subject. In the end, what we say doesn’t matter all that much; it’s what we…
Corrections: Oct. 28, Issue 07
In the story, “Cutler proposes reform in higher education,” we reported that Cutler’s speech was in 2009 in which he was asked to speak about his work in China. The speech was in 2008, and he was asked to speak about Maine’s place in a changing world and America. In “Missing keys trigger a rise…
Our opinion: yes on 1 is in the best interest of students
Marijuana legalization is good for Portland and good for students. Marijuana penalties are notoriously harsh on most anyone, but they’re especially hard on students. More than 85 percent of first-time students at USM receive some kind of financial aid; college is expensive and almost necessary to secure a well-paying job in the 21st century. Here’s…
Unregulated drug imports not worth it: Maine’s new drug import bill is too dangerous
A first-in-nation law that allows prescription drug imports will risk Mainers’ lives, as it puts the drugs beyond the reach of FDA regulations. Maine has become the first state in the nation to allow individuals to purchase prescription drugs abroad in a new law which passed in June without the signature of Governor LePage. The…
What’s on the ballot:
Yes on Question 1 means you approve a $14 million bond to pay for maintenance, modernization and improvements for Maine Army National Guard readiness centers, and for buying land for training for the National Guard. If it passes, it could draw matching funds from the federal government for the same purpose. No on Question 2…
Students look closer at direction package
Students gathered Friday and Saturday to create a letter detailing what they consider to be the strengths and weaknesses of the USM Direction Package at the Student Vision 2013 Conference. The goal of the two-day student organized event is to prepare a letter out of their discussions to give to the administration in an attempt…
How much do you know about Tuesday’s election?
The Free Press asked 100 students from both Gorham and Portland about the upcoming election. Of those 100 students, 52 did not know there was a state election on Tuesday, and of the students who knew about the election, more than a third weren’t familiar with the state referendum questions . Most of the students…
Know your rights!
A selection of Maine voters’ rights: You have the right to use Maine’s Accessible Voting System. If you are in line to vote by 8 p.m., you must be allowed to vote, you cannot be sent away. If you have already registered to vote, you do not need to show ID to get a ballot….
Students discuss pros and cons of campus life
With decreased enrollment in the dorms and many of USM’s students enrolled as commuters, the question is: so, why aren’t more students choosing dorm life? Susan Campbell, chief student success officer, stated that 19 percent of USM college students fit the bill for being traditional students — students that stay in the dorms throughout the…
USM gains an Executive Director of Student Life
Joy Pufhal’s appointment as Executive Director of Student Life several weeks ago is one of the final pieces of a change in administrative leadership which was put into practice on June 7. The change, announced on June 7 in an email from President Kalikow, consisted of the consolidation of the Division of Student and University…
Last week’s missing keys continue to make waves
The second phase of the response to the university’s lost set of keys has begun, but it is unclear when it will end. Monies for key replacements and additional hours of labor will come from the yearly budget for large repair and renewal projects for which USM budgets yearly. Some of these funds can be…
Album Review: Black Radio 2 by The Robert Glasper Experiment
Black Radio 2, released last Tuesday by the Robert Glasper Experiment, is at the forefront of a new genre-blending movement. This album is more than a just few tracks with good musicality, it represents an emerging musical culture. Building off of the enormous success garnered by Black Radio released in 2012, Glasper continues to channel…
Former U.S. Poet Laureate Charles Simic reads for community
The university events room in the Glickman library is often reserved for packed workshops and faculty meetings, but last Friday the room was relatively empty, except for a single ring of chairs filled by students, staff and community members and a nationally recognized, award-winning poet. The USM English department named former U.S. Poet Laureate Charles…
USM brings King’s high school horror to life
Musical theater majors at USM sacrificed their Halloween plans last week to celebrate the night by bringing a classic New England horror story to life at Corthell Music Hall. Only eight months ago, the rights to release CARRIE the Musical became available, and the USM School of Music didn’t waste any time bringing the story…
A Gorham and Portland events boards update
The Portland Events Board has been hosting and co-hosting multiple events during this fall semester, such as ziplining at the Husky Games and co-hosting the rooftop movie night on the parking garage. In addition they co-hosted a roller skating event last week with the Gorham Events Board. Next week the PEB will be giving out…
Missing keys trigger a rise in security measures
One stolen set of keys has cost the university an estimated six-figure dollar amount, triggered a review of university policy and left many faculty and staff wondering how they will be able to get into their buildings at irregular hours. After a tool bag that contained a set of university keys was stolen from a…
Cutler proposes reform for higher education
Of the the voices airing ideas on the subject of education reform this election season, only 2014 gubernatorial candidate Eliot Cutler is proposing a complete merging of the state of Maine’s community college and public university systems. In an op-ed for the Sun Journal on Oct. 20, Cutler called for educational reform across the board….
Students take action after Direction Package
After the release of a new Direction Package on Sept. 24, students around campus have started to question the role USM serves as a public institution. For junior women and gender studies students Jules Purnell and Meaghan LaSala, their questions about the Direction Package eventually became action, in the face of ongoing cuts, specifically the…