University of Southern Maine USM Digital Commons Free Press, The, 1971- Student Newspapers 3-11-2019 The Free Press Vol. 50, Issue No. 16, 03-11-2019 Julie Pike University of Southern Maine Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.usm.maine.edu/free_press Recommended Citation Pike, Julie, "The Free Press Vol. 50, Issue No. 16, 03-11-2019" (2019). Free Press, The, 1971-. 223. https://digitalcommons.usm.maine.edu/free_press/223 This Book is brought to you for free and open access by the Student Newspapers at USM Digital Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in Free Press, The, 1971- by an authorized administrator of USM Digital Commons. For more information, please contact [email protected]. THE FREE PRESS MAR 11, 2019 VOL. 50 ISSUE NO. 16 By Melissa Fraser I Pg. 4 2 MARCH 11, 2019 | THE FREE PRESS News Where Huskies Bank #WhereHuskiesBank Try our Video Teller in Lower Brooks! Video Teller hours M-F 8am-5pm ATM hours Anytime the Brooks Student Center is open UCU members can video chat with a teller during video teller hours to complete a number of transactions! Outside of video teller hours, members can deposit cash and checks into their accounts, and withdraw funds! Join UCU online! UCU.MAINE.EDU 800.696.8628 | Federally Insured by NCUA News THE FREE PRESS | MARCH 11, 2019 3 Protecting THE FREE PRESS student media 92 BEDFORD STREET, PORTLAND, MAINE 04101 (207) 780-4084 Julie Pike to protect students’ First Amendment of the First Amendment of the United www.usmfreepress.org Editor-in-Chief rights and to ensure that there are plat- States Constitution, the Student Gov- forms for students to practice their free- ernment Association shall have no di- EDITORIAL An editor’s job doesn’t end at just get- dom of expression. rect oversight of the student media,” is ting out the paper, they also have to work That protection that the Free Press and stated in their constitution. The need for EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Julie Pike to ensure that their staff has the ability the SCB need to operate accordingly is an independent press is not going away, NEWS EDITOR Alyson Peabody no longer certain, and it remains in the unlike the staff of the Free Press and the ARTS & CULTURE EDITOR Asha Tompkins to do their jobs independent from gov- ernment oversight. With the Free Press, hands of the current Student Senate to Student Senators who in time move on COMMUNITY EDITOR Kate Rogers vote on. from their positions. This right, that is SPORTS EDITOR the latter has become more and more dif- Cullen McIntyre The SCB was first created to protect ingrained in our country’s Constitution WEB EDITOR Lydia Libby ficult. I’ve found myself having to repeat- the Free Press and WMPG from hav- will always need to be upheld, and so STAFF WRITERS Ben Theriault, Nicholas Schleh, Melissa Fraser, edly defend my team of student journal- ing funds taken away as repercussions the Student Senate constitution should Cody Curtis, Zoe Bernardi, Hailey Wood, Cooper-John Trapp, ists to keep our work as independent as of something we publish. Before, if reflect that by providing the SCB protec- Ryan Farrell, Jessica Ward, Jessica Pike, Max Lorber, Kate possible from the Student Senate. The the Student Senate were unhappy with tions for our funding. Letellier, Gus Pignatello Student Senate has a high turnover rate, something the Free Press printed, they The Board of Trustees (BOT) for the and as a new Senate comes in, so do the could work to pull our funding affecting University of Maine System states in COPY EDITORS ideas of changing up how things have our ability to serve our community. their policy manual that they are “Com- Angela Paolucci, Cooper-John Trapp been done in the past. There needed to be a separation be- mitted to protecting the rights all Univer- Part of the Student Senate’s role at tween student media and the Student sity community members share to free EDITORIAL BOARD: USM is to allocate the student activity Senate, and that’s where the SCB came speech, which includes free expression Julie Pike, Alyson Peabody, Asha Tompkins fee that each student is charged along into play. However, the existence of the and assembly, as enshrined in the U.S. SCB itself doesn’t completely protect and Maine State Constitutions. There BUSINESS MANAGER Lucille Siegler with their tuition, to different student groups and entities on campus. The Free student media unless the Student Senate shall be no restriction at any System in- DESIGN AND PHOTOGRAPHY Press receives a portion of the student has exact language in their constitution stitutions on these fundamental rights.” activity fee to fund our operations and and by-laws that ensure our indepen- As the Student Senate follows the poli- DESIGN DIRECTOR Lauren McCallum to able to do our job informing our com- dence and ability to protect ourselves cies set forth by the BOT, they should not munity. We have an important role in the from unfair treatment that might come be implementing any restrictions on the DESIGNERS Dakota Tibbetts university to provide the unbiased truth from a new group of Student Senators. work of the SCB. to the people of USM. However, unless If there are precedents set and adhered All USM students who value a free DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY Dionne Smith there are protections in place to ensure to by earlier Senates, the future ones will and independent press should want the that the Free Press will always receive hopefully follow suit. current and future staff of the Free Press STAFF PHOTOGRAPHERS Berkeley Elias, Katelyn Rice, Noli the funding we need, our ability to do our There are two new documents that to have a paper with guaranteed indepen- French, Taylor Woodward, Matthew Swannick, Ian Beckett jobs will be directly affected. were recently introduced by the Stu- dence from the Student Senate. We may dent Senate, one a resolution and one an receive funding from them, but in reality FACULTY The Free Press falls under the Student Communications Board (SCB), which amendment to their bylaws. Both include it’s funding from the students we serve. language regarding the relationship be- We cannot provide students with the FACULTY ADVISOR Dennis Gilbert also houses WMPG, and represents stu- dent media and USM. The SCB is given tween the Senate and the SCB and how factual information they need to know ADVERTISING a set 30 percent of the student activity funds are used. However, neither of them about their university and community if fee, which is split among the Free Press grant us full protection of our funds. we can not have the freedom to publish To advertise, contact our Advertising Manager at and WMPG. There are some current Student Sena- content that we choose without fear of 207.780.4080 x3 and look at out advertising rates on our This process and agreement is guar- tors who are against setting procedures repercussions. website. We reserve the right to reject advertising. We will not anteed through the Student Senate and for their future Senators, yet they have The Student Senate will be meeting accept discriminatory ads. SCB constitutions. The SCB also exists expressed their respect for the work of next on Friday, March 15 at 1 p.m. in student media at USM. “In recognition Upton-Hastings in Gorham. They will be voting on the two new documents that have been introduced. To give student Interested in working with us? media the protection it deserves, neither should pass. I urge all readers to contact Visit our website at www.usmfreepress.org for a listing of their Student Senators and encourage available positions or email editor@usmfreepress with a them to reverse the current initiatives copy of your resume and cover letter to apply directly. and to incorporate the language of the SCB constitution into their own consti- The Free Press is a weekly student–run newspaper paid for in part with the Student Activity Fee. One copy of The tution. Free Press is available free of charge. Up to 10 additional copies are available for 25 cents each at the office of The Free Press, 92 Bedford St., Portland, Maine. Cover: Berkeley Elias / Lead Photographer 4 MARCH 11, 2019 | THE FREE PRESS News Confucius Institutes spark national controversy Chinese Government funds heavily debated university institutes Melissa Fraser process. Staff Writer Prior to joining USM, McDonnell had served at Stony Brook University as a member of the CI Advisory Board. Representing USM, The U.S. Senate released a report last week a university with no ties to China, his former criticizing the Confucius Institute (CI) at U.S. colleagues advised him that CI was the best universities. Despite the global political con- way to start to build a relationship. troversy, USM’s relationship with the Chinese The application process went on for two learning center remains intact. years. McDonnell said that their efforts in- The report states that CIs are currently op- cluded travel to China, to address the people erating in over 100 U.S. universities and are of Hanban. Maine’s congressional delegation largely staffed and funded by an agency of the also wrote letters of support. Chinese government’s Ministry of Education, In 2014, USM established a partnership the Office of Chinese Languages Council In- with Dongbei University of Finance and Eco- ternational, better known as the Hanban. nomics (DUFE) in Dalian, China. According According to the CI website, the program to the USM website, the university is known came to fruition in 2004 with goals to develop for focusing on economics, law, management, cultural globalization and build a “harmonious arts and science.