By Jacob Forbes, Staff Writer Portland Stage is premiering a topical work this fall with Refuge Malja. The play was written by Bess Welden, a Maine-based playwright who collaborated with Ali Al-Mshakheel in translating portions of the play into Arabic. It centers around Jamie, played by Brooke Parks, a Jewish-American photojournalist covering the still-ongoing Syrian…
By Valerie Kazarian, Staff Writer Andrew Bossie, a USM alumnus from 2007, was at the forefront of state legislation that became the centerpiece of Maine’s college affordability strategy. Bossie, a political science major, had helped create the Opportunity Maine Tax Credit program that offers refunds of state income taxes with the potential of eliminating, over…
By: Maureen Puia, Office of Public Affairs Hello! Below is just a teaser of the many events happening in the week ahead at USM. For more, check out Public Affairs Event Highlights. For ALL events at USM, please follow USM’s Calendar of Events. November 1 Spend the day Thursday with USM Food Studies at Selling Up:…
By Trevor Brackley, USM Eco-Rep Water is one of our most precious natural resources, and is something many of us often take for granted. We all rely on access to water daily to carry out several functions necessary to our way of life. These tasks include drinking, bathing, washing, cleaning, flushing waste, preparing or growing…
By Malinda Scannell, Nurse Practitioner Many young adults are attracted to the trendy e-cigarette called Juul. They like its sleek black appearance and easy concealability. Many equate its look to a flash drive. Juul is an END (electronic nicotine delivery) device. It uses a pod-filled cartridge, which contains nicotine liquid or “juice.” Users are attracted…
By: Leah Kravette, Graduate Research Assistant, UMaine Center on Aging My name is Leah Kravette, and I am an alumni of USM. You may remember me from the work I did with Student for #USMFutures. I remember you being empathetic, encouraging, and open to our goals of making USM a safer place for students of color,…
By: Adam Tuchinsky, Dean, College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences I am writing in regard to the Oct. 1 Free Press cover story, which focused upon student dissatisfaction with Sodexo. While I am sure that Sodexo General Manager Tadd Stone is always looking to improve service and quality, as he concedes in the article, I…
By: Valerie Kazarian, Staff Writer The four candidates running governor in Maine were asked for their opinions on offering free universal tuition to college students. Governors in each state influence, either by proposing or by vetoing proposals, the educational policies within each state. All four gubernatorial candidates were asked for comment and three responded, including Alan…
By: Jacob Forbes, Staff Writer Any theater that you attend most likely subscribes to a common practice: Simultaneously presenting new works and also re-setting older works to make sure they stand the test of contemporary relevance. Shakespeare, Brecht and Ibsen are still performed today and still enjoyed by many, partly because of contemporary acting companies…
By Julie Pike, Editor-in-Chief USM Greek Life is hosting the second annual Halloween Fire Prevention Festival this Saturday in Longfellow Park. Phi Mu Delta Fraternity, along with Kappa Delta Phi Sorority-NAS, the Portland Fire Department, Portland Firefighters Local 740 and the University Neighborhood Organization, are sponsoring a fun and free festival “to celebrate Halloween and…
Past scores: Sunday, Oct. 14 Golf @ GNAC Championship 643; 3rd among 9 teams Tuesday, Oct. 16 Men’s Soccer Vs. Saint Joseph’s L, 4-0 Tuesday, Oct. 16 Women’s Soccer Vs. Maine Maritime Tie, 1-1 Wednesday, Oct. 17 Women’s Tennis @ Salem State, Little East Tournament Quarterfinals L, 5-0 Wednesday, Oct. 17 Field Hockey Vs. Plymouth…
By: Conan Deady, Social Work Intern Anxiety is the most common mental health issue among college students. The term “anxiety” refers to feelings of fear, nervousness, or apprehension that may apply to general life activities or that may be specific to certain activities. In many cases, anxiety is perfectly normal. Most people feel some amount of…
By: Melissa Shepard, USM Eco-Rep While technology can take us away from nature, it can also be used to bring us closer to it. Over the last several years, nonprofits, publicly fund entities and private companies have developed smartphone apps that allow people to engage with nature in a different way. In this article, I will…
By: Valerie Kazarian, Staff Writer On election day a vote for Question One is a vote for USM social work students and senior and disabled Mainers. This referendum would, if approved, establish a universal home health program for 27,000 sixty-five-year-olds and older and disabled Mainers. It includes support for worker training and would be paid for…
By: Alexander Holderith, USM ‘20 During and after the testimony of Dr. Christine Blasey Ford and now Justice Brett Kavanaugh, it became increasingly clear that the intransigence of the Republicans on the Senate Judiciary Committee, much to the chagrin of democrats across the country, would lead to the confirmation of Judge Kavanaugh to the Supreme…
By: Dylan Reynolds, Student Undergraduate Representative to the Board of Trustees To my fellow students, I am reaching out as one of your student representatives to the University of Maine System Board of Trustees to discuss Question 4 on the upcoming November ballot. Should Question 4 pass, a $49 million bond package will be issued to…
By: Ed Cervone, Executive Director Educate Maine Educate Maine, a business-led education organization, supports both Questions 4 and 5 on the November ballot. We see these historic bonds for the University of Maine System (Question 4) and the Maine Community College System (Question 5) as much needed investment in our workforce and our economy.We need more…
Increased enrollment, overcrowded parking lots and misused parking spaces have created a plethora of parking troubles for USM students. The university is discussing parking as a priority, said Chief of Police and Senior Director of Public Safety, Noel March. USM community members have come together to implement a variety of solutions to help accommodate motor…
By: Liz Trudel, Staff Writer USM community members may have witnessed the campus-wide exhibition of lawn signs, banners and handouts in support of Question 4. Less than three weeks remain until the November 2018 ballot, and USM is helping efforts to pass Question 4, a bond that poses a direct impact on USM students. If…
By: Asha Tompkins, Community Editor Many people dream of taking a break from their research papers and hopping on a plane to a different country to experience new cultures and visit landmarks. However, enjoyable traveling often requires proficiency in different languages, which is an element that can be found at the USM language conversation tables….
By: USM Free Press Wednesday, Oct 24 Tartuffe A production from the Department of Theatre Russell Hall, 5 p.m. $8-16 Thursday, Oct 25 This Is My Home film showing 303 Payson-Smith 1 – 2:30 p.m. Thursday, Oct 25 O’Brien Poetry Event Glickman Library, 7th Floor, University Events Rooms Informal discussion 3:30 p.m. Reading 5 p.m….
By: Danielle Vayenas, USM Director of Communications On its way to Augusta as part of a national tour to all 50 state capitals, the C-Span Bus will be making a two-hour stop at USM’s Portland campus this Friday, October 19th from 11:00 AM to 1:00 PM. The bus will be parked in front of the Woodbury…
By Malinda Scannell, Nurse Practitioner How are you prioritizing your own needs while attending university? Are you getting enough sleep? Experts say seven to nine hours of sleep is recommended for allowing your body to restore itself. Regular adequate sleep is one of the best defenses to ward off sickness and is more powerful than vitamins,…
By: Leah Soloway, Americorps Energy Efficiency Coordinator With the winter fast approaching and the colder temperatures among us, many Mainers feel the pressure of their upcoming heating bills. As a recent college student with experience renting an apartment along the coast, this situation is all too familiar. I can remember the cold nights that my…