Here are some of the big stories of 1968 from The Stein, the student newspaper of the University of Maine at Portland (UMP).
Lushes at “Maine Day”
Maine Day at UMP was fun-filled, with pool and ping-pong tournaments, three-legged races and a faculty/student baseball game (the faculty won, 7-6).
At a Portland Starbucks one windy February afternoon, USM student and musician Rachel Griffin talks about music, school, and saving the world. As she sips her heavily sugared coffee, she discusses her light, pop-jazz music style, conveying the inspiration that has made her one of the best singer/songwriters to hit Portland for quite some time.
The USM women’s basketball team has overcome the potentially devastating loss of stand-out Captain Meg Cressler and managed to compose one of the best seasons in the history of the storied Lady Huskies basketball program. Now, the Huskies are poised to make a run deep into the NCAA tournament.
Name: Joe Mancini
Age: 22
Major: Jazz Performance
Where are you from? Bennington, VT
What brought you to the area? What do you think of it?
I really wanted to get out of Vermont, and there’s a great music scene here. And the Sax teacher is awesome. There’s no country music here, either.
This fall an ad-hoc committee of the Student Communications Board (SCB) was formed. The SCB had recognized the rapidly dwindling value of our Student Activity Fee (SAF). It constitutes the majority of funding for our student groups. This fee is paid for and distributed by the students.
The College of Nursing in Portland is making dramatic changes to deal with the current fiscal crisis. In addition to raising the minimum G.P.A. from 2.5 to 2.75, they will also be cutting back significantly on transfer admissions and decreasing their overall enrollment.
“Something bold, never told, can unfold in your mind.”
–former Free Press editor Ken Jordan
In the pages of the 1973 Free Press, occasional (and uniformly sarcastic) articles about the national situation suggest a time of low morale in America. Sharply rising meat prices and an oil supply crisis must have soured the national mood considerably.
I’ve never listened to Ani DiFranco before. Back in high school she was always a name I’d hear (usually while wandering by the art studios or the drama department), but nothing more. Her new album “Educated Guess” seemed like it might be a good introduction to her music, as it is completely written, performed, recorded, and produced by DiFranco herself.
In his first season as a collegiate wrestler Matt Waite was nothing short of spectacular. The 6’3 197 pound sophomore from Canton, Maine dominated the league, and compiled a 20-2 record. Waite is currently ranked third in New England in his weight class.
WMPG organized its Ninth Annual Fat Tuesday Mardi Gras Party last Tuesday. While people were partying in the campus center, WMPG was grooving to cool Cajun tunes all day.
“As WMPG has some of the most knowledgeable Cajun music DJ’s in the area, we play nothing but Mardi Gras music all day starting at 6:30 AM” said Tom Flynn, WMPG development director.
The controversy and rumors that have surrounded the new movie “The Passion of the Christ” are ridiculous. Was James Caviezel struck by lightning while portraying Jesus being crucified? Did Mel Gibson’s father claim that the holocaust never happened? Will this movie spark a revival in Christianity? And finally, is this movie possibly sending out an anti-Semitic message?
The University of Southern Maine women’s ice hockey team is gearing up for the playoffs this week, riding a three game winning streak, as they prepare to face off against New England College in the Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) Women’s East quarterfinal round (played after press time).
The Free Press ran a comic in the last edition called Achewood that caused the community to cry out in rage. Crass language was used in reference to women and gay marriage. The responses ranged from chastising to scathing and it was clear people were offended by the comics words and tone.
The University Police Department recently made a request to purchase two new Ford Crown Victoria Police Cruisers. According to Craig Hutchinson, vice president of Student Life, the Ford Explorer in Gorham and the Ford Crown Victoria in Portland are both beginning to have maintenance problems and need to be replaced.
Friday 3/5
Men’s Ice Hockey at ECAC playoffs, TBA
Women’s Ice Hockey at ECAC playoffs, TBA
Men’s Indoor Track at Bowdoin, ECAC championships, TBA
Women’s Indoor Track at Bowdoin, ECAC championships, TBA
Saturday 3/6
Men’s Indoor Track at Bowdoin, ECAC c
Any proposition to mine Katahdin would likely start quite a stir. The idea strikes at the heart of what Mainers consider central to our wonderful quality of life – our access to the resources and incredible beauty provided by Maine’s natural environment. Mining Katahdin is a near-perfect analogy to the proposal to drill the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR).
For all you trecky fans out there, an exciting new development is taking place on USM’s Portland campus. This time next year the Joel and Linda Abromson Center will be constructed, complete with a working skywalk – no, not Luke Skywalker, but close – extending over Bedford Street.
Women’s Basketball (25-1)
Feb. 21 vs. Umass Dartmouth, Win 98-50
Feb. 24 vs. Umass Boston, Win 89-47*
*Huskies advance to LEC semifinals
Women’s Hockey (14-9-1)
Feb. 20 vs. Sacred Heart, Win 4-1
Feb. 21 vs. Sacred Heart, Win 4-2
Women’s Indoor Track
Feb. 21 vs.
The FULL MOON PARTY is set on the tiny island of Ko Phangan on the east coast of southern Thailand. More then ten years ago, a group of tourists found that the most beautiful moon was seen from Ko Phangan. They arranged a party that formed along the stunning beach of Haad Rin to celebrate the Full Moon light.
The USM community mourned the death of Edward Said last week with a panel discussion and an exhibition of videos. The prominent and controversial Middle-Eastern intellectual succumbed to leukemia last September, prompting universities throughout the U.S.