Category: Perspectives

In regards to the Mike Tardiff’s sports column, “Santana going to Mets means no Sox dynasty” (Feb. 11), I am very happy that the Red Sox kept Lester and Ellsbury. I would much rather have them than Santana. The Sox have great pitching now, and they were smart not to get greedy.

While Portland continues to be nationally recognized for its “green” accolades and eco-friendly living, the Maine Department of Transportation has proposed to widen 295 and essentially throw money at the highways to solve the increasing transportation issues plaguing our city and state.

…then this should be it. What am I talking about? “Change ’08!: Students Taking Action for USM’s Future.” On Friday February 29, the USM Leadership Development Board (LDB) in cooperation with the Greek Women’s Council, Inter-fraternity Council, Residential Life, Student Government Association, Student Athlete Advisory Council and many others will be converging on Bailey Hall in Gorham to put on and participate in a day-long summit called “Change ’08!”.

How long have you lived in Maine? Since ’91, so 17 years. I moved here for this job; before that I worked in engineering consulting in the Boston area, and before that I grew up in Minnesota. So you’re used to the cold, I guess. Yep, this is tropical by comparison.

Last week in the story about Adam Gopnik’s visit (“National writer highlights local artist in Portland visit,” Feb. 11), we said that Bernard A. Osher was the philanthropist who funded both the lecture series and USM’s Osher Map Library. While Bernard is indeed the philanthropist who gave to the Portland Museum of Art, it is actually his brother, Harold Osher, who, along with his wife Peggy, has given generously to USM.

A new president will soon be chosen, a new core curriculum has recently been approved, a new marketing plan was just unveiled, and we all await new information about the budget crisis and what’s being done about it.

USM is facing a unique opportunity to redefine itself, and to reinvent-or re-identify-its culture.

It is estimated that 222 million tons of waste will be generated by Americans this year.

Since 1950, Americans have used more resources than any generation who has lived before them.

Each American uses 20 tons of basic raw materials each year.

The average North American consumes ten times as much as the average person living in China and thirty times as much as the average person living in India.

From stories as diverse as the article last week about PIRG seeking wind power, to recent coverage of USM’s budget crisis, to the upcoming appointment of a new USM President, the “Board of Trustees” have been mentioned an awful lot. But who are they? As the current USM representative to the board, I felt I would be in a good place to explain who this board is.

What’s your major?

Right now my major is English but I’m in the process of trying to change it to psychology. I don’t like the English major because it’s way more analytical than I wanted.

Are you following this year’s presidential election at all?

I am a little bit.

My Fellow Students:

After my last letter, a student named Rob came into the Student Government Office in the Woodbury Campus Center looking for me. He read my article and told me he appreciated it, but expressed doubt that the majority of USM students would be stirred by it.

Given the theme of this week’s issue, I should probably be writing a column that has to do with being Green. But after writing about the presidential search USM is currently undertaking, and after meeting two of the candidates, I felt compelled to leave my favorite color alone for a little while.

“Oh, the weather outside is frightful.” the song begins innocuously enough. It isn’t just frightful: it’s cold, sloppy and no fun. It seems to me that aside from experience and knowing better, along with age comes an appreciation for road conditions. Somewhere, around this time of year, it gets old schlepping from work to school, and home again.

Free Press: Why did you decide to become a professor?

Robert Sanford: Too weak to work and too nervous to steal. That’s what my dad said. Seriously, I’m not interested in making a lot of money. I’m optimistic that education is the best way to make a change.

Dear Editor:

I am a non-traditional student and I know a good professor when I have one. Professor Jura Avizienis is exemplary. Last semester I took Professor Avizienis’ “Intro to Literature” course and currently I am taking her “Honors 100: Thinking and Writing in Honors” class.

To the Editor:

As a member of USM Faculty Senate, I wish to express my thanks to students AJ Chalifour, Marie Follaytfar and Alex Bresler for effectively representing the interests of students at our December meeting.

Their comments on a pending proposal to weaken the ban on exams during the week before finals week were cogent, diplomatic, and carried the day.

Dear USM Community,

I don’t know about many things USM, but the faculty of the English department must have far superior insight and an intellect that can’t be matched. Why else would they deny the contracts of two of the favored department teachers? I do not know Margaret Reimer but can speak at lengths of Jura Avizienis.

As I’m writing this, it’s Saturday in the Free Press house, and after three intense days of too much work and too little sleep; of trying to balance going to class with conducting interviews, signing purchase orders, and going to Gorham to cover sports for the section I have left without an editor, I think that the only thing I can communicate in my exhausted sigh of relief-that-I-survived-my-first-week-as-executive-editor is how proud I am.

First let me say how sorry I am that Angelique Carson is retiring a Editor of the Free Press. I’ve been impressed by the quality of the paper under her leadership. The last issue to appear under her editorial command (Dec. 10, 2007) included several “must

Football is the closest thing to God that you can find in our house. I am a Philadelphia Eagles Fan, way back to the days of Ron Jaworski. The most foolish question my very tolerant partner has ever said to me in all our years together was “Are you really going to watch football ALL weekend?”

While I was in between finals and folding wash with my eight year old, we were watching the NFL today.

My Fellow Students,

I have a problem. I see a lot of problems and opportunities at USM that can be fixed, but there are not enough people to fix them. I hear a lot of students who are pissed about a lot of the things that are happening at USM, but not a lot who want to do anything about it.

Free Press: So tell me a little bit about yourself, where you grew up, went to school, etc.

Dennis Gilbert: I grew up in Sangerville, Maine, which is right in the middle of the state. I went to Colby College for my undergrad and then to the University of Iowa Writers Workshop for my MFA.

From the moment I met Yanar Mohammed, I was in awe of her. She was dressed in a soft pink blouse and gray slacks, with shoulder-length hair. She didn’t look anything like what I was expecting, which is probably mostly because I was ignorant to what an Iraqi woman dresses like if she’s not wearing a burka and a veil.

Dear Editor,

The brothers of Phi Kappa Sigma, Gamma Omega Chapter here at USM have a lot to be proud of. Recently, the Chapter was recognized by their International Headquarters for having achieved the 3rd highest score throughout active chapters in both the U.

Dear editor,

Today in the Dining Hall on the Gorham campus, I was reminded about how much work we still have to do for certain populations on the campus to feel fully part of the community.

A group of students walked by the table I was staffing and one was telling a joke.