The Free Press Vol. 40, Issue No. 21, 04-27-2009
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University of Southern Maine USM Digital Commons Free Press, The, 1971- Student Newspapers 4-27-2009 The Free Press Vol. 40, Issue No. 21, 04-27-2009 Matt Dodge University of Southern Maine Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.usm.maine.edu/free_press Recommended Citation Dodge, Matt, "The Free Press Vol. 40, Issue No. 21, 04-27-2009" (2009). Free Press, The, 1971-. 51. https://digitalcommons.usm.maine.edu/free_press/51 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 pressVolume 40, Issue No. 21 April 27, 2009 U S M Botman begins Selma Botman becomes tenth president of USM in formal inaugural ceremony Daniel MacLeod history of the modern Middle News Editor East and more broadly, helped define social history in modern Last Saturday afternoon, Selma times,” she said. Botman marched down Bedford The investiture was replete Street in Portland to the tune of with musical performances by a bagpiper. USM students before, during and After nearly one year as presi- after the ceremony, as well as the dent of USM, Botman was sworn reading of a poem specially writ- in at a formal ceremony attended ten for the occasion by Dr. Annie Finch, the director of Stonecoast by about 300 people. The event B MK / P E began as a processional lead by MFA. bagpiper and music education UMaine System Chancellor Bagpiper Steven Lemiuex leads the processional along Bedford Street at last week’s inauguration. Richard Pattenaude, who per- student Steven Lemiuex from Scholarships” are for new or re- 10,000 students at USM who After the ceremony, Pattenaude formed the official installation of the Wishcamper center to the turning students who are strug- depend on me and all of us in this drew similarities between his Botman as president, reminded Hannaford Lecture Hall in the gled to earn their first degree academic community,” she said. life and Botman’s. One of the her that the job of president of Abromson Center. while working and raising a “Our students inspire me, and common threads between the two USM extends beyond the stu- Current and past colleagues of family. The scholarships – which awaken a level of optimism and administrators is their humble be- dents and faculty; it includes the Botman celebrated the ceremony, are intended for 25-50 year old intellectual engagement that ginnings, he said. people of Maine. which was emceed by new Provost students – will award $2,000 to makes my work at USM a joy.” “My father was a bus driver, “We ask you to never forget Kate Forham. Dr. Leila Fawaz, a 25 students each year. Students’ artwork, and posters her father worked in a shoe fac- that the university depends upon Harvard classmate of the presi- Botman remained optimistic of research projects were fea- tory,” he said. the confidence and support of dent, and Professor of Lebanese about the fate of the university, tured in the conference rooms “I think we share values in the people of Maine,” he said. and Eastern Mediterranean which currently faces a budget adjacent to the main lobby of the commitment to students, under- “Always remember it is the peo- Studies at Tufts University, re- shortfall for the coming year of Abromson Center. standing the enormous impor- ple’s business you do here.” minded the crowd of Botman’s more than $4 million. The ceremony, which was tance of the university, but also in In her speech, Botman an- accomplishments as a scholar of “When people say to me, ‘this funded by private donors, con- having our own lives transformed nounced a $1 million scholar- Middle-Eastern history. period of economic distress must cluded with a reception complete by higher education.” ship endowment from the Osher “Dr. Selma Botman has helped be a dreadful time to be a uni- with a chocolate fountain, and family. The “Osher Reentry shape our understanding of the versity president,’ I think of the platters of hors d’oeuvres. Jenkins rides again Months aer failed house bid, USMer returns to campaign trail David O’Donnell tion and Deering Oaks”). Sta Writer Adams handily defeated his much younger rival, who walked On election day last November, away with 25 percent of the vote. Dan Jenkins shared the ballot “I was surprised I lost, it was with a few somewhat bigger at- pretty bad,” says Jenkins, on tractions: Barack Obama, Susan watching the election night re- Collins, Tom Allen and Herb turns. “But I got a lot of posi- Adams. tive responses from people in the Unfortunately for Jenkins, a neighborhood about the way I ran Green party candidate, Adams my race, so it didn’t feel as bad as was his competitor in the district the numbers reflected.” 119 race for the statehouse - and Come January, Jenkins was a veteran Democratic lawmaker back in his role as a student at D ML / N E that the Bollard’s voter guide Muskie grad student Dan Jenkins discusses his campaign strategy for this June’s city election for the called a “Parkside institution” See J on page 3 charter commission at a campagin kick-off party at his apartment on Grant Street last Thursday. (alongside “sweat pants, prostitu- Perspectives . 6 Online T.V. op/ed Arts & Entertainment . 8 “Sylvia” INSIDE USM theater presents the free press Sports . .16 nline www.usmfreepress.org THISISSUE Baseball is number one O www.twier.com/usmfreepress 2 e Free Press | April 27, 2009 N N From J on page 1 you open the charter up to a com- campaign-spending in city races mission, anything goes.” go up dramatically.” USM’s Muskie School for Public It will be the fi rst such overhaul One remedy being fl oated is to Online courses: Service. in nearly a quarter century, and reduce the number of seats that And with the semester winding Jenkins is among a loose coali- are voted on “at-large” - mean- friend or foe? down, he’s already found a reason tion of candidates across the city ing city-wide - while increasing to pull some of the old campaign who are particularly interested in the number (and tightening the Students and faculty divided on merits, gear out of storage: a 12-member what the charter has to say about scope) of districts represented. commission being assembled to elections. “District races are more about drawbacks of online education review and revise the structure of Anna Trevorrow, who herself how you know your neighbor- tion alternatives for students with city government in Portland. lost a bid at the school committee hood and the views there,” says Chanel Smith Once he recovered from his Contributing Writer scheduling confl icts. last fall, is another Green in her Jenkins. “Whereas an at-large Online courses were designed “electoral bruising,” Jenkins late twenties. She thinks the name race is more about how much started talking with friends at city With spring semester coming to make learning more acces- recognition she and Jenkins built money you can raise.” sible to students who had trouble hall - councilors Dave Marshall up last fall will come in handy “Get 25, 30 thousand dollars to an end, Alicia Pyle, a junior and Kevin Donahue - who en- social work major, began regis- commuting to campus, who had this time around, while meet- together, and you can buy your- work and other obligations, or couraged him to make a run for and-greets with voters might put self a seat,” he added. tering for her fall semester class- it. es when she noticed an increase for students raising children. some of their fears to rest. It’s a particularly sensitive The universities modifi ed their The commission is the result “One challenge I believe [we] point for up and coming, third- in online courses. “I went to sign of a referendum question also on up for my fall semester classes, class structure based on what the face in this race is the percep- party candidates. Jenkins’ op- student population needed and the fall ballot, centered around tion that too many changes will ponent is once again a bit more and every class I wanted to take Portland’s lack of a popularly- was an online course. I was really wanted. make Charter Commission rec- seasoned - Robert O’Brien now “USM is trying to expand, elected mayor. ommendations less likely to be sits on the Portland school com- annoyed,” said Pyle. At present, the city council USM has been pushing a new where proximity is no longer an ratifi ed,” she says. “It is impor- mittee. issue. In doing so, we are expand- decides annually which of its 9 tant to remember that we do not “You could say conventional wave of online classes for the members will don the title, which upcoming summer and fall se- ing the population of students,” necessarily have to present char- wisdom gives him an advantage,” says communication professor is largely ceremonial and has ter revision recommendations as says Jenkins, who also points out mesters. More online courses are been a mixed blessing over the being offered than ever before. Maureen Ebben. a single document to be voted up that the district encompasses Online education is a very years: current and fi rst African- or down. Recommendations can USM’s Portland campus. “I don’t Taking an online course is about American mayor Jill Duson has $218 per credit for undergrads— different way of teaching and be submitted as separate ballot think his advantage is actually learning for both the student and used it as a pulpit to decry some questions.” that strong.