The Free Press Vol. 40, Issue No. 14, 02-09-2009
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University of Southern Maine USM Digital Commons Free Press, The, 1971- Student Newspapers 2-9-2009 The Free Press Vol. 40, Issue No. 14, 02-09-2009 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. 14, 02-09-2009" (2009). Free Press, The, 1971-. 58. https://digitalcommons.usm.maine.edu/free_press/58 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. 14 February 9, 2009 U S M EYE’ll be back USM to shut down day care Faculty senate reinstates EYE requirement for incoming eshmen Ma Dodge Executive Editor At last Fridays monthly meet- ing, the USM Faculty Senate voted to reinstate the Entry Year Experience (EYE) requirement for next year’s crop of incoming freshmen. This reverses the deci- sion made by the senate during its Dec 5th meeting, when they agreed to postpone the require- ment until 2010. EYE courses were introduced three years ago, and were con- ceived as an interdisciplinary introduction to higher education. With topics ranging from “HIV/ AIDS: Science, Society, and Politics” to “Shopping: American Consumerism,” EYE classes draw from different areas of study and give freshmen a taste of what college has to offer. Faculty Senate Chair Tom Parchman called for a second pass at the proposal, which had passed 16-7 in the December. “The meeting in December did B MK / P E not give adequate notice to mem- bers,” said Parchman. Last week, USM announced the impending closure of its Child and Family Centers in response to decreased state funding. Updated data on the develop- Above: two of the Child and Family Centers youngest clients awaiting snack time in Gorham. ment of EYE courses, presented in a special meeting of the Senate in mid-January, showed that Botman stands by Parents and faculty push for around 60 courses had been de- veloped, or were in the process of being finalized. The Senate de- ‘excruciating decision’ reprieve, cite ‘hidden costs’ of cided to allow a second vote on the issue, given the faculty-wide closure effort in the last month to staff Daniel MacLeod On Jan 31, Botman revealed David O’Donnell “They love it. We love it!” says and develop all the necessary EYE sections. News Editor that the school would close down Sta Writer Bridgid. the Lifeline Fitness Center, the “When we walk in there it’s “We proceeded hastily out of 33 year old community fitness like family. The teachers care a fear we would not be able to In an update posted on her When Bridgid and Tom Hood meet our commitments at that website on Feb 4, USM President program which operates out of left Indian Township, a small about what’s going on in our the school’s Sullivan Fitness lives, in our kids’ lives.” time” said Carlos Lück of the Selma Botman announced that reservation in Northern Maine, Engineering Department. “Since the University will shut down Complex. The absence of this late last year, they were moving “And it’s one of the ways we’ve program will save $200,000 a been able to afford daycare,” she then, I have seen substantial its Child and Family Centers on hundreds of miles from family effort to make that happen”. August 14. year, she said. and friends. But Bridgid, having adds, referring to the highly sub- Both cuts are the result of uni- sidized rate. Political Science professor The school’s childcare program begun her college career at the Michael Hamilton proposed employs 24 staff members and versity efforts to account for this University of Maine, wanted Asleis and Molihk are among years state budget curtailment of 88 children enrolled in USM’s delaying the requirement in serves 88 children from infancy to finish it in USM’s nursing December’s meeting, citing a to age 5. $2.7 million. program; Tom had his eye on childcare program, now in its According to Craig Hutchinson, 35th year. And the staff is quick lack of resources and a concern 54 are the children of USM stu- the paramedicine program at that USM’s faculty would be dents, the rest are children of uni- vice president of student life, the Southern Maine Community to point out that it is more than USM childcare centers had al- just a couple of daycares, located “unable to deliver the number of versity employees, alumni, and College. sections we know we need to ful- members of the general public. ready cut $300,000 from their But the deciding factor in their at the University’s two main cam- budget last year. puses. From infancy to age 5, the fill this requirement.” In Botman’s newsletter, “The move wasn’t their own alma Faculty Senators spoke out on 21st-century USM,” she called “There was simply no way to matars, it was where they could centers aim to provide a cutting- cut the cost of the center any fur- edge, age-appropriate education- both sides of the issue, with some the decision “excruciating” but send their two young children favoring the reinstatement of the necessary. ther, which necessitated the deci- during the long schoolday. al experience. sion to close the center,” he said. In 1988 it became Maine’s requirement for the coming fall, “We have provided a $400,000 So once daughter Aselis, 2, and others expressing concern annual subsidy to the child care Before last week, the school had and son Molihk, 1, made it to first such program to earn ac- accounted for all but $900,000 of creditation from the National about the cash-strapped USM program, a subsidy we regrettably the top of the waiting list for taking on any more responsibili- can no longer afford,” Botman the state curtailment. USM’s Child and Family Center Association for the Education of Young People. ties. stated in the newsletter. last summer, the Hoods headed With USM still looking to cut This is the second program the south. 21 positions out of a proposed 65, university has cut in six days. See D on page 5 See P on page 5 See EYE on page 7 Presidential picnic . page 7 Juris Ubans Retrospective . .page 11 P . 8 P . 20 Scholarship deadline . page 9 INSIDE S . 21 A & E . 11 THISISSUE Morin leads wrestlers . .page 22 N e Free Press | February 9, 2009 3 VOTE USM 2009 SGA Elections POSITIONS AVAILABLE REQUIREMENTS TO RUN ¥ Student Body President ¥ Undergrad student taking ¥ 18 Seats on the Student Senate 1 or more credits in 8 commuter seats Portland / Gorham in Fall09 5 resident seats ¥ Minimum GPA of 2.0 5 at-large seats Nomination forms available on-line! Due by 4:30pm on Friday 3/6 Voting will happen on-line from 3/16 thru 3/19 www.usm.maine.edu/studentlife/vote09 N e Free Press | February 9, 2009 3 Students, New book honors Maine bookstore immigrants’ stories grapple with ‘New Mainers’ celebrated by USM groups prices Abagail Cu ey van Beest, texts by Pat Nyhan, He hopes that the book will Sta Writer and a foreword by USM’s own create “an accurate picture of new Reza Jalali, contains photographs Mainers, and dispel myths about Online sales put pressure on The Women and Gender Studies and stories of twenty fi ve refugees immigrants and refugees.” Program (WGS), in collabora- and immigrants living in Maine. Jalali mentioned a recent article tion with Multicultural Student WGS Program Chair Lorrayne in Newsweek about how Somalis USM bookstores Affairs at USM will be holding Carroll, says they chose the book saved Lewiston. A caption in Arthur Page the same professors say they are their Annual Women’s History becaus it represented “local the article said: “a dying Maine Sta Writer increasingly looking to online re- Month Dinner, which recognizes people, interested in feminist ap- mill town gets a fresh burst of tailers for their textbooks. and honors the students, staff, proaches.” energy.” “It’s a challenge - this is a tough faculty, and community members WGS aims at “making our di- According to the article, since “Text books have always been versity clear” and with the book, Somali immigrants fi rst started expensive,” says USM student time for everyone,” says Piaget. who have contributed to the pro- The bookstore is responding to gram’s success. “women’s history has brought arriving in 2001, “per capita JJ Brewer outside the Portland them to Maine.” income has soared, and crime branch of the USM Bookstore. this challenge by taking measures Women’s History Month actu- to cut overhead and deliver low ally occurs during the month of Carroll goes on to say that rates have dropped.” Coping with the cost has been “feminism is about understand- Enrollment at USM’s Lewiston made easier recently by his pro- prices to students. March, but because of scheduling All branches of the USM book- issues, the event is usually held at ing immigration in a larger, more Auburn Campus also went up, fessors who have chose more af- particular frame”, an issue that with immigrants seeking higher fordable texts, he said. store have suspended hiring new the end of February as a kick-off full time staff in favor of fi lling to the month.