A question many college grads ask themselves is: four years in college and what do I have to show for it (besides loans)? The graduating studio art majors get a chance to show the public what exactly they have to show for college at the B.F.A. exhibit at USM’s art gallery in Gorham.
Author: USM
Former child soldier shares ‘the reality of war’
Ishmael Beah spent his early years playing soccer, listening to hip-hop and attending school in his village of Mogbwemo, Sierra Leone. But by the age of 13, he was fighting alongside other children in a bloody civil war that would claim the lives of thousands.
Power streak
USM’s baseball team powered its way to an impressive stretch of wins last week, highlighted in part by a 21-3 dismantling of local rival St. Joseph’s College on Thursday. The win was part of a six-win week for the Huskies, who pushed their win streak to 14 games after a double-header sweep of UMass Dartmouth (10-3 and 21-12).
Curb My Enthusiasm
It’s difficult to not be enthusiastic while waiting for the seventh and final season of “Curb Your Enthusiasm.” I find myself scouring discussion boards for hints on what to expect; but no dice. It’s been kept so top secret that Shelby Woo would need to team up with Harriet the Spy to find out some sort of plot line for this season.
DVD Battle: Muppetational Edition
With a new Muppet movie comes a new excuse to write about the Muppets.
Tax day tea party draws ‘irate minority’
On tax-day last week, several hundred people holding signs on the Maine State Pier watched as Fred Staples opened a box wrapped with brown paper and string.
“This is the federal stimulus package,” he said, as he reached into the box and pulled out a length of rusty chain, the crowd erupting in approval
“This is the ‘chains’ you can believe in.
Huskies unphased by coaching change
If the USM men’s tennis team had stumbled this year, it would have been understandable. Long time head coach Phil Cole retired this year, leaving the head coaching position vacant. But the Huskies have been anything but dormant, especially last week. The Huskies picked up a pair of victories and played well in losses to Salem State and Western Connecticut.
Letter from the editor: Crashing the tea party
Around the Free Press office, terms like “uncertain economic times” and “excruciating decisions” have been popping up with such startling frequency that we started to keep a list of these and other economy related clichés on the white board in our production room.
All the right energy
Peter Donovan and Elijah Ocean of Portland’s power-pop outfit All the Real Girls performed an acoustic set downstairs at the Empire last Tuesday night. The seven-song set covered the bulk of their recent debut, “My Friends Are Going to be Strangers,” in a stripped-down and overall quiet manner.
USM scrambles to shore up deficit by early May
At last Tuesday’s biennial “State of the University” address, UMaine system Chancellor Richard Pattenaude said that the University of Maine will likely layoff more employees to balance the projected four year budget deficit of $42.8 million.
“More than 150 postitions have or will be eliminated during this fiscal year though layoff notices, attrition and position eliminations,” he said in his address before a joint session of the Maine state legislature.
Hangin’ with Mr. Tardiff
The University of Maine dropped a bomb last week that has people all over the state reeling. Effective next year, the school will no longer offer varsity men’s soccer and women’s volleyball at the intercollegiate level.
And while some may chalk this up as a tale of the economic times, I happen to think the ramifications of this decision trascend dollars-and-cents cost saving.
Keeping it Classy
Classical music, as an art form, has traditionally influenced developing musicians. But, it’s easy to believe that young people today are less interested in Classical and more interested in contemporary genres such as alternative rock or pop music, due to the over-exposure of these types of music in the media.
Student athletes get priority in registration
Student athletes have priority registration for the Fall ’09 semester, as part of a pilot program initiated this spring.
The program allows student athletes to register for classes in advance of regular appointed scheduling so that they will have more time to focus on their studies and sports.
“Rescue Me” Returns
For those ignorant to the powerhouse cable show called “Rescue Me,” may your houses be adorned with immense shame.
The show focuses on a crew of New York firefighters that are forced to deal with the trauma of September 11th in both their professional and personal lives.
Epicurean epics
Pre-dawn walks with Caleigh to the top Peacock Hill reveal a neglected orchard, with rows of apple trees, naked and gnarled, silhouetted against the inky sky. Deer are back on the move as is evidenced by distinct tracks on the side of the road and barely visible trails through the woods.
Health insurance debate comes to USM
Last Wednesday, the problem of health care coverage in the U.S. was debated at the Woodbury Campus Center by USM graduate nursing students as part of National Public Health Week. Nursing and non-nursing students, professors, health care providers and members of the public were all in attendance.
Puzzle answers
Puzzle answers for the 4/20 issue of The Free Press.
Head-to-head
When Alex Stigas moved to Portland she didn’t know many people, so she decided to find an activity that would get her out of the house and into the company of new friends.
Now she spends every Tuesday and Thursday doing just that. Except, instead of joining a book club or social network, she spends two nights a week banging heads with fellow Portlanders in the often misunderstood sport of rugby.
“I’m going with you”
Never has a sleepy beach town looked so good. The production team Mint Films produced their longest film to date, “The Transition of Minor Skies,” a film about the clashing of familiar comfort with the possibility of change.
Written and directed by Jeff Griecci, the film follows the lives of Hunter and Dom (played by Ian Carlson and Parker Newton) in a sleepy beach town.
The F word: A Feminist Perspective
In the past couple weeks there have been major steps forward for equal rights advocates around the nation-namely Iowa and Vermont. We now have four states that grant full same-sex marriages: Massachusetts, Connecticut, Iowa and Vermont. The D.C. council also recently voted to grant marriage rights to same-sex couples in the nation’s capital who have married elsewhere.
Gorham marchers ‘take back the night’
If you were on the Gorham campus last Wednesday night, you might have seen and heard roughly fifty people marching around campus, shouting chants like Survivors unite! Take back the night! This event, called Take Back the Night (TBTN), is a national march aimed at raising awareness of violence against women.
Men’s LAX much improved from last year
Last year at this time the USM men’s lacrosse team had mustered only two wins against eight losses. But this year has been a much different story. Led by a senior Preston Gilbert (Saco) and sophomore Tim Bryant (Peterborough, NH), the Huskies have settled to a respectable 5-5 mark on the season following Saturday’s heartbreaking loss to UMass Dartmouth 9-7.
Baltimore buzz band sets the bar for albums in ’09
2009 has already been a great year for music, and we’re not even half way through. Over the final few weeks of this semester, I will review my favorite musical releases of this year so far. First off, Animal Collective…
Animal Collective – Merriweather Post Pavillion
Animal Collective is perhaps one of the most hyped up bands in the indie music world, but rightfully so.
Guest Column
Imagine solar photovoltaic collectors on the roof of every major USM building in Portland, Gorham and Lewiston-Auburn, providing enough electricity to meet USM’s needs and often enough to sell to Central Maine Power Co.Imagine the PV collectors get put there without any significant outlay of funds by USM, and provide electricity at a fixed price for the next ten to twenty years that is competitive with what USM pays today to CMP for our electricity.