The Free Press Vol 44 Issue 10, 12-03-2012
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University of Southern Maine USM Digital Commons Free Press, The, 1971- Student Newspapers 12-3-2012 The Free Press Vol 44 Issue 10, 12-03-2012 Kirsten Sylvain University of Southern Maine Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.usm.maine.edu/free_press Recommended Citation Sylvain, Kirsten, "The Free Press Vol 44 Issue 10, 12-03-2012" (2012). Free Press, The, 1971-. 85. https://digitalcommons.usm.maine.edu/free_press/85 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]. News Arts & Culture Perspectives Sports Community Update Men’s Featured from Basketball student President group Kalikow Flamenco Remembering fl avor a friend 2 7 11 15 16 Vol. 44, Issue No. 10 the free press Dec. 3, 2012 University of Southern Maine Student Newspaper usmfreepress.org Phoenix says planning was a real big problem Nate Mooney Assistant News Editor pinpoints the Student Activities Fish “obviously washed up” and dents for funds,” said student sen- a portion of the Phoenix column Com- cites a student op-ed letter pub- ator Andrew Kalloch. “Nobody that warned against the possibility The Portland Phoenix has re- mit- lislished in The else was using the money.” of “education reform reactionar- cently put the Student Activi- tee for FFree Press The initial request for funding ies” who might view the event as ties Committee –– a nonexistent tot charac- was primarily sponsored by the a chance to move toward private, group at USM –– on terize the Gorham Events Board and co- for-profi t universities. public sen- sponsored by multiple student “That implies that the admin- timent as groups like the Portland Events istration had anything to do with increasing- Board and Greek Life –– though this process,” said Kalloch. “It ly opposed the GEB was the only group that was the students.” Kalloch rec- to a large-scale show. The letter, in an issue last April, suggested an alternative use of the Total tickets sold: 213 money to pay local acts for shows at USM throughout the school Total tickets compensated: 53 year. However, at the point when his letter was published, the End of the day cost: their funds had already list of been allocated for $26,236.50 “who’s one large, na- done tional concert. Maine In reality, Total cost to students: wrong the student this year” senate had $22,731.00 in a recent very little issue. involve- The paper ment in ended up contributing to the plan- ognizes that the turnout for the calls their the con- ning and execution of the show concert was less than ideal, but column part cert after the initial funding approval. notes the “huge learning curve” of their “fi rst- plan- Kalloch thought the Phoenix’s in planning a concert, especially ever turkeys ning choice to include a student group as a student group. The Phoenix issue, calling pro- in a list otherwise populated by did not immediately respond to a out Maine peo- cess after businesses and public fi gures was request for comment made by the ple and institu- they allocat- “inappropriate and unprofession- Free Press. tions who com- ed the funds al.” Delaney Kenny is a sophomore mitted acts most for a spring Both Governor Paul LePage business administration major fowl.” concert. The and Lewiston Mayor Robert Mac- who took on much of the work in The article also planning for the concert Donald made the list for their planning the concert as a member blames the sen- fail- began as a result of a student ac- gaffes this year, along with com- of the GEB. Although student in- ate in part for the ing to react appro- tivity fund surplus of $80,000 and panies like TD Bank for their re- terest had initiated the process, circumstances sur- priately to some of the is- a vocal student interest in hosting cent loss of confi dential data that rounding September’s Reel sues that arose in planning the a spring concert. affected many Maine customers. See FISH on page 4 Big Fish show. The headline event. The Phoenix calls Reel Big “We very rarely turn down stu- Kalloch took particular issue with Students and offi cials talk parking –– again Kirsten Sylvain met with students like this to hear lic free of charge? And, it seemed tiating any effort of the kind. Such senate, asked how feasible it would Editor-in-Chief their complaints about parking on like most students wanted to know, an investigation, he said, would be be for daytime conferences, during campus. who’s parking in the garage, any- pointless. From his own investiga- the peak 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. hours, to They’ve done it so many times “We know we have a problem way? tions, the surrounding community limit the number of spaces they use before, and last week they got to- with parking,” he said. Since the Isaac Misiuk, a student senator, members and businesses have no in the garage. “I don’t know that it gether to do it again. Students and garage was built in 2003, Hutchin- explained at the meeting that he and desire or need to park in the garage. would be good for public relations administration held a forum-style son claims, a central problem for the a few other senators had gone into “I would be willing to wager that a for that event,” Hutchinson said. discussion about campus parking is- university has been crowding in the the garage to fi nd out just that, and majority of the untagged cars belong Students have not been required sues that have lately been a source 1,150 spot garage. they ended up with a less than de- to students,” he said. to use ID’s to get access to the ga- of unrest within the university com- Though there were few students fi nitive answer. “There was a huge He assured students that there are rage for a year now, and the public munity. actually present at the forum, those number of untagged cars,” Misiuk very few people who use the park- can also access the garage for free if As he lounged on the seats of the who were there were not shy in said. ing garage who don’t pay for park- they want. In the past, a university Woodbury Center’s amphitheater, voicing their questions. As students When asked if the university ing. “[Those attending conferences] employee was paid to take tickets Chief Student Affairs Offi cer Craig drifted in and out of the open meet- was taking any measures to fi gure don’t pay directly for parking. The from visitors exiting the garage, Hutchinson recalled aloud that this ing, they repeated the same question out who is fi lling up those precious event they’re planning does,” he where they paid for the time they was not the fi rst time he’s been a over and over – why is the garage spaces, Hutchinson said that they said. party to this exact discussion. Eight now open completely to the pub- were not currently planning on ini- Chris Camire, chair of the student See PARKING on page 2 or nine times before, he said, he’s 2 News December 3, 2012 puses and all 85 buildings. He spoke yond the 50 percent discount we al- with a collected expression on his ready receive. face, summarizing a grocery list of Chris O’Connor, director of Port- intimidating expenses. “We spend a land student life, offered that per- half a million per year on the bus ser- haps we should look to see what oth- vices, 1.4 to 1.5 million on transpor- er universities are doing to handle tation and parking and 600,000 for constraints on parking while trying the garage mortgage.” In response to to increase retention and student en- a question about building a similar rollment. “The administration can’t garage in Gorham to help alleviate own all of this. It’s going to take parking issues there, he was brief. some people to take this forward,” “The garage in Gorham is on the he said, suggesting a student group ‘noodle list.’ The going rate on lots organize through the student senate is $40,000 per space [to construct]. to continue to discuss the issue and That’s the issue.” push solutions forward. “The prob- One option discussed throughout lem’s not going away in the future. the meeting was to expand the tradi- You guys change frequently, but the tional 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. day, allow- conversation hasn’t changed,” he ing for less crowding of available said. parking during peak hours. Hutchin- Hutchinson chimed in, reiterat- son strongly supported this solution ing O’Connor’s point. “The prob- and stated that he thinks it will do a lem is not going to go away, but I lot to alleviate parking issues. am certain that we can address this Julia Pond, coordinator of com- issue by adjusting the 10 a.m. to 2 muter student involvement, brought p.m. schedule,” he said. “And we’d Alex Greenlee / Multimedia Editor up the idea of a work study position like to go from 9,400 to 10,000 [stu- USM officials gathered with students in a forum-style meeting to discuss the university’s parking problems. in which a student would operate the dents].” Few students attended, but those who did, were vocal.