February 27,2023

February 27th, 2023

Vol. 54

ISSUE 8

Inside:

Remembering Arline Saturdayborn pg.4

Black Mental Health Matters pg. 5

The Crack and I pg.7

The Call is Coming From Inside The House pg.8

the free press

92 Bedford s treet, p ortland, Maine 04101 (207) 780-4084

www.usmfreepress.org

Editorial

InTeRIM edIToR-In-CHIeF Kelly ledsworth

newS edIToR doug Banks

ARTS & CulTuRe edIToR Ben reed

CoMMunITy edIToR dakota eddy

SpoRTS edIToR

weB edIToR deklin fitzgerald

STAFF wRITeRS Cayley Bowman, Kayla hoggard, Melanie Wiggins, a a Watson

Copy edIToRS robin davis

edIToRIAl BoARd:

Kelly ledsworth, Kyle Mercier, Ben reed, doug Banks, deklin fitzgerald, dakota eddy.

BuSIneSS MAnAgeR lucille siegler

dESiGN aNd PHotoGraPHY

deSIgn dIReCToR Kelly ledsworth

deSIgneRS alivia halza

dIReCToR oF pHoTogRApHy Will fudge

STAFF pHoTogRApHeRS Cammie Breuer

FaCUltY

FACulTy AdvISoR

adVErtiSiNG

AdveRTISIng MAnAgeR

Cover by Will Fudge

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Kelly Ledsworth Editor-in-Chief

Happy Black History Month! As a white person, I’m aware of the privilege I have–especially as someone who runs a newspaper. So, I want to highlight a few of my favorite Black artists. These artists have impacted me throughout the years and inspired me. Without them, I wouldn’t be the artist I am today. All the artists I mention I originally found through YouTube though they are on many other forms of social media.

The first artist I want to highlight is Denzel, who is known as CurrieGOAT on most social media platforms. I have been following him on YouTube since August 2020. The first video of his that I ever watched was called “How to make a punch needle rug *my full creative process*”. During this time I wanted to get into punch needling. Rug making was very popular so of course I had to try it. If you don’t know what a punch needle is, it is a tool that looks like a thick needle that you thread yarn through and then punch through canvas, going back and forth much like a sewing machine. Using the punch needle you can make elaborate designs, and with the thickness of the yarn it lends itself to rug making. When I was searching, I stumbled upon Denzel’s video and was amazed by how he took his digi-

Black Artists Who Inspire Me

media platforms. I have been following her since November 2020. I really enjoy watching speedpaint videos and hers are another form of speedpaint except they are categorized as “draw with me” videos. In these types of videos the artist is drawing in real time, or close to real time, so it’s almost like you’re having a sit-down drawing session with them. I usually put them on while I’m working on an art project or doing the dishes. In the first video I watched, she was drawing a group of cute girls drinking boba tea. She primarily does digital art using Procreate on her iPad. She works a lot with portraits and has worked really hard to include many body types and learn how to shade and highlight many different skin tones. I make the majority of my art on my iPad using the same digital art program, and learning the techniques she uses has helped me better understand Procreate and my own art practice. She mostly draws people of color, and I have enjoyed learning from how she depicts different hair types using color, shape and texture. On her YouTube channel she has done a variety of product reviews or just tried out something new that she wishes to share. She continues to almost exclusively draw portraits and original characters that she has created and brought to life.

who she is. In her art practice she uses gouache, watercolor and digital work on her iPad. My favorite project of hers is the little house paintings that she compiled into small books where the pages were almost the same size as the actual paintings to show how small they really were.

tal art and transferred it to this media I was unfamiliar with. At the time I could not have created a design as elaborate as his three headed dog, for example. The way he broke down all his steps made it feel so accessible. I didn’t end up making some cool rug, but in another video he made a coffee table and from that I ended up making my own table. Denzel continues to make rugs and digital art, as well as design and alter apparel. He has even been commissioned to make shoes.

The next artist is Cornella, who is known as LikelihoodArt on social

The final artist I am going to talk about is Minnie Small. Minnie has a special place in my heart. I have been watching her videos since March of 2017, so I’ve been able to watch her grow as I have grown into the adult I am today. As someone who has wanted to be an independent or freelance artist for quite some time, it was so exciting to watch her videos. She would touch on tips and tricks for be ing a freelance artist. She would go into details about printing your own prints at home and how complicated it can be given all the different types of paper and print settings. It is surpris ing how much goes into this sort of work that you don’t really think about. I watched how she makes her stick ers, pausing and replaying the videos many times. I even subscribe to her on Patreon to get all the nitty gritty de tails. If you don’t know what Patreon is, it is an online platform where you pay money to subscribe to creators to get behind the scenes content. Some tiers include items like prints or stick ers that you get in return for support ing that artist. I even decided to get my own cutting machine and try making my own stickers. It can be hard work and Minnie shows that in her videos. She might mess up quite a few times on one design before she might get it right. She shares so much on social media that it goes far beyond art. She shares bits of her life with her partner Ozzy and their cat. After spending all this time it feels like I know her. Even though I’m sure she keeps most of her life private, it’s still so cool to see

These are just a few Black artists who I enjoy and am incredibly grateful to be able to interact with and share parts of their life with. Their creative processes and artwork has inspired and helped me grow as an artist. I hope they continue to grow and share their work on the internet. May they inspire many others as they have inspired me.

Minnie working on a painting at her desk

Digital Paintings of charecters

Photo courtesy of @MinnieSmall on instagram

Photo courtesy of @likelihood_art on instagram

Photo courtesy of @curriegoat on instagram

A punch needle rug with the design of a three headed dog

Budgeting: 101

You do not have to be a finance major or an accountant to make a budget, you just need to keep track of income and expenses. Learning to budget is a key to having good financial management and financial success. In budgeting, you need two things: an income and basic expenses. And who doesn’t have expenses?

Before we dive into tracking your money, take out your pay stubs to see your income, create a list of expenses, and then take out your calculator. Next, add up all of your monthly income and your monthly expenses to see how much you have coming in and going out. Your expenses can then be divided into fixed and variable expenses. Fixed expenses are the expenses that stay the same every month, such as rent or mortgage, car insurance, car payments, student loan payments, and utilities. Variable expenses include groceries, dining out, entertainment, personal care, and transportation, which can change from month to month.

What is budgeting?

According to the Oxford Learner’s Dictionaries, budgeting is the process of planning to spend money for a particular purpose, and being careful with the amount of money you spend. In a nutshell, it is assigning a job to every dollar you earn.

It is normal to have some anxiety about budgeting because there is no one- size-fits-all approach to spending and saving. Figuring out what type of budgeting strategy works best for you takes some time, and that is okay. You can try different methods throughout the year to see which one works best for your lifestyle. College students have the opportunity to get familiar with budgeting, which can lead to long term financial stability.

Proportional, zero-based, automatic and envelope are some examples of budgeting styles.

With proportional budgeting, you divide your spending into categories based on percentage, and then try to stick to that percentage. This provides direction for your spending or savings goals and helps you look at the big picture of where your income is going. A common example of proportional budgeting is 50% for needs (rent, groceries, and utilities), 30% for wants (entertainment and dining

out), and 20% for savings and paying off debt. Proportional budgeting is not written in stone, so you can change the percentages as your situation changes. For example, if you want to save more for an emergency fund and downpayment on a house, then you can use 50% of your income for fixed expenses, 25% for variable expenses and 25% for savings and debt payoff.

money. Without a cushion, you risk accumulating overdraft fees if your bank account is overdrawn due to automatic payments.

The last budgeting style can be a hassle, but it is beneficial for knowing where you are spending your money. Envelope budgeting is when you physically take the money out of your bank account and place it in an envelope. This eliminates using a debit or credit card and helps to prevent overspending. The envelopes are labeled with expenses like rent, car payment, groceries, entertainment, and utilities. Every month you put the amount of cash needed in the envelope for each of the categories you have created, and then use the funds until they are exhausted. This type of budgeting works well for visual individuals. The benefits are preventing overdraft fees and overspending.

As long as you track your income and expenses, it does not matter if you choose proportional, zero-based, automatic or envelope budgeting. Be sure to make a realistic plan that works for you.

Zero-based budgeting is when every dollar you spend has a predetermined use, meaning you plan ahead of time. With a zero-based budget, you start at zero, and then add up how much money you will need to cover your expenses for a set period of time, including any savings goals. You can prioritize to ensure that you have sufficient income to cover the most important expenses. Zero-based budgeting normally works well for individuals with fluctuating incomes, such as students, service-industry employees, and freelancers.

Automatic budgeting is known as a set-it-and-forget-it style of budgeting. It relies on pre-planning to set up automatic deposits and bill payments. You can use an app or set up automatic withdrawals from your bank account for fixed and variable expenses. This is a good way to save up emergency funds and increase savings by adding automatic transfers to your savings account from each paycheck. Automatic budgeting requires careful pre-planning to make sure income is sufficient to cover automatic withdrawals and bill payments, and is not a good method of budgeting for people who do not have an extra cushion of

I have included a QR code link for an iGRAD budgeting worksheet. There are also mini budgeting courses you can take at usm.igrad.com/courses. These resources are free to students, alumni, and faculty members if you make an account on iGrad.

Abshiro Ali Contributer

Photo courtesy of https://dfr.oregon.gov/financial/manage/Pages/budget.aspx

Photo courtesy of Photo courtesy of https://dfr.oregon.gov/financial/manage/Pages/budget.aspx

Photo courtesy of https://www.thefrugalnavywife.com/use-cash-envelope-budget-system/

Remembering Arline Saturdayborn

Beloved USM educator passes from COVID-19

Ben Reed Arts & Culture Editor

be forever remembered as the consummate compassionate. My heart is heavy,” the Brightspace announcement read.

In an obituary published by the Portland Press Herald, Saturdayborn’s cause of death was described as complications from COVID-19. Saturdayborn always wore a mask in the classroom, and was very cautious about maintaining students’ safety. She encouraged participants to wear masks in class although it wasn’t required, and was open with her students about her past treatments for cancer. Upon being hospitalized with complications from COVID-19, she moved the class to Zoom.

that they were unable to make it to class for whatever reason, Saturdayborn would respond with care and warmth, and hope that they would return to class when they felt better.

“Arline was one of those people that when she walked into a room, it would just light up! She had such a beautiful soul that touched so many people and students here at USM. I can say she truly changed my life for the better,” said former student Ali Cottrell, ‘23.

skills, or career skills, PAE assists its patrons through intimate class settings to help them succeed. PAE posted to their Facebook page of Saturdayborn’s passing: “Her kind smile, warm heart, and zest for life is an inspiration to all of us.”

Students in Sustainable Compassion Training (HIH 300) were notified on February 8 that their instructor, Arline Saturdayborn, had passed away. She was 81. “It is with such sadness that I share that Arline passed away yesterday afternoon. She will

Former students of Saturdayborn remember her as a very loving professor. In her only class, Sustainable Compassion Training, she taught students mindfulness practices that cultivated kindness toward the self and others in the face of life’s adversities. She started every class by proclaiming “I see you,” to which her students would respond “I am here to be seen.” This was a daily mantra repeated throughout the semester. At the end of each class, she would stand at the door and shake everyone’s hand as they left. She insisted that students call her by her first name, and often greeted students with, “Hello sweetheart!” When students emailed

Saturdayborn dedicated her class to building a community of trust, care, and understanding. At the beginning of each semester, she would ask students to refer to a set of “community guidelines” for respecting students’ personal details. These “trainings,” as she called them, stirred discussions of personal experiences. Class periods saw group meditations led by Saturdayborn, followed by group discussions of their experiences in the meditations, as well as further questions posed in lectures.

Outside of USM, Saturdayborn also worked as an educator at Portland Adult Education (PAE), a resource that advances the knowledge and skills of people of all education levels; whether they are in need of a high school diploma, better language

Although Saturdayborn taught one class at USM, her impact on students extended beyond the classroom. “Those who enrolled in her course experienced respect and, above all, a life-changing experience. One of my fondest memories of Arline will be the fact that she never let anyone leave the classroom without shaking her hand. She cared about all of her students and made them feel validated, seen, and used compassion to heal the various stressors that come with being a college student. She made an impact on everyone that knew her,” stated Kameron Ali, ‘23. Saturdayborn’s philosophy in class was to treat oneself with kindness and compassion. She expressed this through prompting the class to stretch their arms, and embrace themselves in a hug. She also proclaimed that every obstacle in life was “really hard,” and that people have the strength to continue navigating through them. Saturdayborn is survived by her husband, children, grandchildren, and her students.

February 10th Student Senate Meeting

New Senator elected, SGA Constitutional changes, and the Leadership Gala proposal

Doug Banks News Editor

First on the meeting’s agenda was the election of a new student to the Student Senate. Riley Worth, a Sophomore and Political-Science and Economics double major, was unanimously elected. Referred to the position by the Representative to the Board of Trustees, Andrew Seile, Worth plans to bring his knowledge of economics and finance to help his fellow senators with allocating funds, general school betterment, and school outreach. “It’s surprising the extent of what the Student Senate does” said Worth. “The biggest shock for me was how much of campus life, student life, student funds and that type of stuff is managed by the Student Government. That was kind of surprising as well as empowering. It’s a sense of responsibility knowing how much you have to do for the community and what they rely on.”

One of the biggest things Worth wants to bring to the table is the expansion of USM tutors and how they are used on campus. Being an economics tutor himself, he’s noticed how a good portion of the tutors are being unused and are essentially being paid $18 an hour just to sit around and do their own homework. “I’ve been tutoring for about a year and a half,” Worth said “I can see mine and everyone’s schedules, and you can see the number of hours that are open for tutoring versus how much is being utilized and it’s probably 15-20% [of tutors being used]. I’m paying myself on some level. I’m pay-

ing the university to come here and they use those funds to pay me and the other tutors and we’re not being fully utilized. I want to find a way within the Senate or student outreach to get people to maybe just book one tutoring appointment to see that it isn’t as scary as they think.” He also sees an “untapped potential” in students whose grades hover around the 70’s and 80’s. He noticed how a majority of the students seeing a tutor are students who are either just below a passing grade and need that extra support, or it’s the students who have an A- or an A and they’re striving to get that A+.

Along with being a tutor, Worth is also a Learning Assistant (LA) in an introductory macroeconomics class. He recognizes the potential an LA brings to bridging the gap for students to see a tutor and the gray area that comes with an LA not being in the classroom. “I’ve gotten more tutoring appointments through that, but I know that most classes that offer tutoring don’t have an LA in the class. The people in my class get to know me before they book me. In a lot of other classes there is no LA in that class, so if I wanted to book a tutoring appointment, it’s just a name on a page that I’ve never seen before. I didn’t know if they taught in the right way, I didn’t know if they were rude, I didn’t know how friendly they were, I didn’t know if they were right for me.” Worth added, “I think there needs to be a way to get tutors more known on a personal basis in those classrooms without LAs to bridge that gap between, ‘I need help but I don’t know who I’m going to for

help’ versus ‘I can put a name, face, and personality to it.’” Worth has experience in school politics as he was the President of his High School for three years and is thinking about the possibility of becoming a politician one day. He sees this Student Senator position as an opportunity to both test the waters out and help other students with the position he now has.

A large portion of the meeting consisted of making changes, edits and updates to the Student Government Association’s (SGA) constitution. Each change or addition that Student Government Chair Chance Gagne made, along with edits and suggestions made by his fellow members, needed to be voted on and passed by the majority of the senators present at the meeting. Almost 30 separate articles, sections, and by-laws were voted on with almost all of them being unanimously approved by the Senate and a few being tabled for future edits and discourse.

The changes made dealt with everything from removing the roles and responsibilities of positions that are no longer a part of the SGA to something as simple as saying that senators who attend the meeting via Zoom are still a part of the quorum. Many of the things voted on were known rules that the individuals in the meeting have knowledge of and abide by, but were not officially within their own constitution. The SGA had a lot of spoken rules, including dressing up for meetings, being aware of what is in the agenda and what is being voted on in the moment, what qualifies as

a quorum, the total number of senators that are allowed at one time, and even attending the meetings on time. Various things of this nature are known by everyone who is a part of the SGA, but the next wave of senators who come in after the seniors in the Senate graduate could be left unaware of how the basic procedures of the meetings work, and what their respective responsibilities are. Although there were some changes and work done with the constitution and bylaws, a majority of the meeting time was spent updating it. According to Gagne, “we did a lot of work last time [at the February 10 meeting] on the by-laws, which was good because that is a lot easier to pass than constitutional changes. The problem with our constitution was a lot of minor grammatical things. The one kind of important aspect was the entities that we recognized. Essentially we all had the stuff and we all knew about it, but we didn’t formally recognize in our constitution Club Sports Council, which is one of our newest entities, and we also recognized a defunct organization, the Leadership Development Board. I mean, that shouldn’t be in the constitution considering that SEAL [Student Engagement and Leadership] does all the heavy lifting for us now. We’re aiming to clean it up and make it look modern.”

Read the rest online: usmfreepress.org

Photo courtesy of SIT.edu

Arline Saturdayborn smiling

Black Mental Health Matters

Art with Impact’s Paige Minett Visits USM

Kayla Hoggard Staff Writer

Black community.

At the beginning of the program, Paige started out by letting us know that it was a safe place and somewhere where we could all converse and listen to each other’s experiences. With interactive, open- ended conversations, Paige’s main focus was for POC’s voices to be heard and for us to feel seen. One activity that really spoke to me was answering questions that I had personally never thought about, such as, “what do you do for self care?” and “what do you like about being Black?” These questions were posed to us as a group, and we were then told to turn to our neighbor and discuss the questions at hand. This was a great exercise to help us and people of color get tips from others and see that we are not alone in these topics.

I did not think it would. I felt like I was free to write and express myself in a way that I had not done in front of others before. Many of my Black counterparts also expressed themselves in a way that I had never seen or heard before. It gave everyone in the room a voice and an opportunity to use the creative Black roots given to us by our ancestors to express and show who we are, and also who we are not.

An excerpt from my poem:

“My name is Mykayla, but I feel as if sometimes people can’t see me.

My name is Mykayla, But do I even want to be seen?

Everyone has to deal with mental health, no matter their skin color, gender identity or status. For some, resources are easy to find and accept. For others, it is hard to even comprehend the fact that we are struggling. People of color tend to struggle the most with this topic. Being a Black woman, I can say this myself. It is hard to even admit when I need help.

There are many resources that we do not know about or are not even shared with us as people of color, making it hard for us to progress in this area of our lives.

All of that changed for me personally on February 16, 2023, when I attended the University of Southern Maine’s Black + Black Mental Health Matters program hosted by USM ROCC and Art With Impact. My eyes were opened to things and resources I never knew existed. Art With Impact (AWI) is an organization that “Promotes mental wellness by creating space for young people to learn and connect through art and media.” With special guest Paige Minett (a program associate for AWI), we were able to walk through what mental health is and how it is very important in the

One specific exercise that opened my eyes helped me realize how Black individuals’ mental health issues don’t just arise from what we go through in the present. It is what we went through and have endured since childhood. In this exercise, Paige had a volunteer come up in front of the group and hold a medium size bouncy ball in one, and only one, of her hands. Paige then asked the group, “what are some of the worries that most Black people have to feel that pertain to our mental health?” After the audience gave a few answers, Paige pulled up a plethora of topics and subjects on her projector screen that Black people have had to endure generationally. As she named off each topic or hardship, she added another ball to the volunteer’s hand. Things such as poverty, death, work discrimination, food scarcity and many more were named. With each one she named, a ball would go into the volunteer’s hand. The pile of bouncy balls grew bigger and bigger until the volunteer could no longer hold any more balls. All of the balls fell to the floor as near-by guests tried to pick them up. This exercise spoke to me because it really put into perspective the things that Black people must worry about in the day-today that affect our mental health. It revealed that with all of these worries, our mental health doesn’t fit into the mixture of worries. It opened my mind to the number of struggles that I didn’t even realize I had faced for years– things that hinder me as a Black woman every day. It made me feel personally seen, heard and recognized.

Another exercise that stood out to me was the very last one. We all got to write poems about ourselves–whether it was about our history, our names, or even how we feel about ourselves. This exercise spoke to me in a way that

Lost in this big world I honestly would rather have it take me over,

Suck me in.

Because people suck me dry with their stares I would rather just stay hidden.”

If you would like to learn more about Paige Minnett and Art With impact visit: https://artwithimpact.org.

Photo courtesy of USM_ROCC on instagram

A poster for the Black Mental Health Matters event on campus

Mardi Gras

WMPG’s 27th Annual Fat Tuesday Party

tury, when French colonists landed near present day New Orleans. Many Mardi Gras traditions come from New Orleans, which is home to the world’s largest celebration which starts a full two weeks before Fat Tuesday. The parties and parades are full of music, dancing, colorful costumes and classic Cajun and Creole food.

On Tuesday, Feb. 21, WMGP radio hosted their Mardi Gras party on the Portland campus. This tradition started when the station’s DJs attended Mardi Gras down in Louisiana and were inspired by the traditional jazz and blues music to create their very own Mardi Gras celebration right here at USM.

Mardi Gras is a carnival that occurs on the day before Ash Wednesday, as ‘Mardi Gras’ means Fat Tuesday. Fat Tuesday is the last day before Lent. Lent is a time of fasting that lasts from Ash Wednesday to Easter Sunday. Traditions of Mardi Gras include a lot of music, food, and fun before the forty days of fasting. Mardi Gras has been celebrated for thousands of years in Europe, but has only existed in the U.S. since the turn of the eighteenth cen-

WMPG brought all of that to Abromson, where local restaurants and their very own DJs came together to bring Mardi Gras to life. The DJs took turns playing their favorite jazz and blues tunes. DJ Eydie May was dressed to impress in a traditional Mardi Gras-style mask. She has a New Orleans themed show on the station called Lagniappe where she plays soul/funk and jazz music. You can catch Eydie every Monday from 10:00-10:30 a.m. EST on 90.9 WMGP.

the plastic baby hidden in the cake, then you are declared king of Mardi Gras. After deciding which Cajun dish was the best, event-goers could go and cast their vote and grab some colorful beads and WMPG stickers. In the end it was Sodexo that was crowned the Cajun cooking champion of this Mardi Gras.

It wouldn’t be Mardi Gras without some classic Cajun and Creole style cooking. Local businesses, including Great Lost Bear, Soul Food Paradise, Bayside American Cafe, Crawl, Ruski’s, Po’ Boys & Pickles, and Sodexo all participated in the Cajun Cooking Challenge. Event-goers could go around and taste-test a wide variety of tasty Cajun dishes, including different styles of gumbo that had anything from sausage to crickets in them. Although it might sound strange, crickets are a common and versatile part of Cajun cooking. For dessert there was the classic king cake. Tradition says that if you are the one lucky enough to find

Cammie Breuer Staff Writer

Will fudge / Director of Photography

Karen Jordan (left) and New Orleans native Nadia Jackson.

Will fudge / Director of Photography

Will fudge / Director of Photography

Eydie May, DJ at WMPG. Detail shot of vintage button.

Katie Burke, Junior Media Studies major at USM.

Will fudge / Director of Photography

Jason Grant of Sodexo serves mac and cheese and shrimp.

The Crack and I Why is the Husky Hideaway receiving flak?

Deklin Fitzgerald Web Editor

Let me ask you a question. After a long day of classes and repetitive activities that only seem to be getting worse and worse, have you ever wanted to just grab food to go, return to your dorm, and relax? In dozens of college communities throughout the nation, this is a possibility and for some a reality. USM, however, is in limbo. Our quaint college campus is far beyond the point of making that a possibility but barely crosses the threshold that classifies it as a reality.

That isn’t to say that USM pales in comparison, because it doesn’t. What is being said is that the meal exchange program, which officially began in 2021 for the benefit of student athletes and those who had late night courses, has since evolved into something more. Something unforgettable. Something unrecognizable.

Before we get into the nitty gritty of when the issue occurs, who it affects the most and why it is being discussed, let us first delve into what the Husky Hideaway is. The Husky Hideaway, known as “The Crack” to a majority of the student body, resides in the lower levels of Brooks Dining Hall on the Gorham campus. It is situated in a little crack between the Husky Den and the Student Engagement and Leadership office. This common space is part convenience store and part fast food restaurant. Meals are typically prepped, cooked and served from the grill, the fryer, the chinese station, and the wrap station. A little known fact is that if you are seeking healthy fruits and veggies and/or cold sandwiches, you can use your meal exchange on products from the cold station shelving unit, located

The meal exchange program was officially introduced to the Husky Hideaway in the fall of 2021; every year since then has seen both compliments and complaints. The latter may be due, arguably, to the quality of the food and the questionable service from the electronic app that only works fifty percent of the time. Prior to the fall ‘22 semester, Sodexo, on behalf of the University, ran its online meal ordering system through the Bite app before changing to the Everyday app. Although yes, the Bite app had its pros and cons with every feature it presented, there are many this academic year who have expressed their own dissatisfaction with the new Everyday app.

This new app has numerous flaws that keep students from ordering meals from any of the University’s dining options, with or without meal exchange. It has prevented several students from easily accessing a meal at night because of the limited time slots.

Tristen Wintle, a student supervisor, explained that the meal exchange program was initially founded in support of student athletes and those with late night classes, so everyone could have a chance to have a cold or hot meal near the end of their day. With time, more and more people found that the Husky Hideaway’s meal exchange was less stressful than having to sit in the dining hall, potentially alone, just to have a filling meal.

Wintle expressed that in the past, he was in constant communication with upper management about finding a way to prioritize student athletes and those with late night classes so they would be on a first-come first-served basis for the limited amount of time slots that can be fulfilled per hour.

With the new app, there are about eight

time slots per every fifteen minutes, for each of the stations. The previous app included about twelve slots for every fifteen minutes. It was soon made clear that when the app’s slots fill up, there is no chance to order food that night. It is simply because the few staff who are working every day are so overwhelmed with the amount of orders they receive that it can be difficult to stay on top of every order. This goes to show that even if you walk up to the register and explain how you haven’t been able to eat and the app isn’t letting you order, nothing is going to be sped up for you. By adding your order, their “to-do list” just became fifteen minutes longer.

When asking several students about their experience with the Husky Hideaway, a question was presented: “Do you believe the University would benefit from extending the hours of either the meal exchange or the dining hall?” This question did not disappoint, to say the least. A freshman explained that it would be beneficial to extend the hours of Brooks Dining Hall so that it could better accommodate student athletes and those who get out of class later, thus leaving the meal exchange open to anyone who desires it. A junior explained that extending the hours of any of the two would “positively” affect the student body by granting more access to meals that are supplied to them through the meal plan that they are required to pay for in order to have access to a healthy meal. A student employee who was asked the same question explained that it wouldn’t make any sense to keep it open any longer, because “practices don’t go until ten” and it is at that point that “students need to plan ahead” in order to be best prepared.

One student athlete I spoke to explained that having the ability to order meals onthe-go through The Crack gives them “flexibility” in their schedule as they are often unsure if they will need to “see a trainer” after practice. They also added that sometimes it can be difficult because of the “online ordering system,” and that if you wait too long, you might be out of luck.

Meanwhile, I turned to the anonymous social media app known as Yik Yak and asked the community for “honest thoughts on The Crack and the Everyday app/meal exchange.”

Students explained how the app is “super glitchy” and there are “too many issues.” Someone explained how last year’s app was “much more effective” for ordering and how having meal exchange all day “would be nice” compared to the couple hours it runs Monday through Friday.

Others expressed how “the app from last year” was significantly better but at the same time how the Everyday app is “kinda shit” but “better than the other app.” Finally, some posts said that the staff are overwhelmed, and if you don’t order quickly enough you won’t be able to order anything. Some students have explained that they would rather go hungry that night because of how long the waits can be.

In conclusion, I’ll explain what some peo-

ple experience when they go to order from the Everyday app. Let me set the scene. You want a chicken quesadilla with a chocolate chip cookie and a Pepsi! It is around 8:30 at night and you just got out of a late night lab that has both physically and mentally drained you! You are excited for that 9:20 p.m. pick up time but even more excited to have a warm meal and a relaxing evening! Suddenly, trouble ensues when you realize the app won’t let you place an order and you haven’t had a proper meal in several hours. Unsure about your next steps, you wonder, “do I not eat or am I gonna have to break the bank on a college student’s budget?” all because you can’t order a meal.

This, unfortunately, is a reality many students and student athletes have to work around when it comes to planning out the day. When I was gathering research and writing this piece, I pondered both the benefits and disadvantages of longer hours for Brooks and the Meal Exchange. Yes, there are several clear-cut disadvantages to longer hours, including, but not limited to: spending excess funds on labor, having to purchase more ingredients in bulk, and even higher levels of exhaustion for the employees who do spend their spare time in these establishments.

I do believe prolonging the hours of either the Dining Hall or the Meal exchange would be beneficial to this college community, because student athletes tend to have later practices, there are dozens of students enrolled in late night courses, and many students stay up later than most in order to be best prepared for the future.

I reached out to the upper management of Sodexo, on campus, for comment on the Husky Hideaway and Brooks, but have received no response.

deklin fitzgerald / Web Editor

deklin fitzgerald / Web Editor

deklin fitzgerald / Web Editor

The grab and go food options at the husky hideaway

The sign at the entrance to the husky hideaway

A Sadexo employee preparing food orders

The Call is Coming from Inside the House

Examining the LGBTQ+ community’s relationship to representation

Ben Reed Arts & Culture Editor

It was around middle or high school when I first saw gay people on screen. For myself and many other people in our generation, those gay people in question were Kurt Hummel and Blaine Anderson from Glee (2009). As someone who was on the cusp of realizing they were queer, seeing gay people on screen was enlightening. The internal experience of struggling with romantic and sexual feelings for the same sex was more common than I thought. For many people who wouldn’t grow to find themselves a part of the queer community, this visibility taught them the opposite of what a lot of religious and social sectors had to say about people like Kurt and Blaine: They were people just like their heterosexual counterparts, as opposed to a hiccup in the way of peaceful society. Seeing Kurt and Blaine interact with each other–both as individuals and as part of a relationship–helped me navigate to this truth about myself. This is, in part, why representation for the LGBTQ+ community is important.

Representations of queer people appeared before the Glee age, with Paris is Burning (1990); Hedwig and the Angry Inch (2001); and Brokeback Mountain (2005), to name a few. Since then, the world of LGBTQ+-friendly media has expanded, with a plethora of characters that includes transgender, non-binary, and other sexual & gender-fluid personalities. Pushback from more conservative sectors still persists, with books involving LGBTQ+ portrayals being banned from schools and libraries around the country, and LGBTQ+-centric films bombing at the box office. However, in recent months with the release of the film Bros (2022), and The Real Friends of WeHo (2023), pushback has come from members of the LGBTQ+ community itself. As the variety of representations emboldens itself in mainstream media, the heaviest critics of it often comes from the target audience.

Take this for instance: RuPaul’s Drag Race is a show beloved by millions of fans worldwide. It has sparked counterparts of the competition series around the world. In this television phenomenon, RuPaul, one of the most famous drag queens in the world, judges a cast of drag queens from around the United States until one is named America’s Next Drag Superstar. The show has given a platform to gay men–as well as non-binary and transgender people–to share their stories and the obstacles they face beyond the show, which has been received well by audiences worldwide.

While it previously aired on VH1 with 90-minute episodes, Drag Race has since switched to MTV and a reduced timeslot of 60-minutes, leaving fans feeling as though the episodes are rushed. This reduction in airtime comes with the introduction of a new reality show, The Real Friends of WeHo, a show that follows the lives of

six successful LGBTQ+ celebrities, including Todrick Hall, Jaymes Vaugn and Brad Goreski, among others, in Real Housewives-esque fashion. MTV planned to make these evening timeslots a destination period for LGBTQ+ viewers to flock to MTV, but their best intentions weren’t received as such. Reception of Real Friends became overwhelmingly negative over the fact that the show was reducing Drag Race’s airtime, as well as showing a somewhat arrogant and diverse-less cast of people. The show

light. Pertaining to the LGBTQ+ community, Brokeback Mountain (2005) and Love, Simon (2018) have both been highlighted as landmarks in the advancement of positive representation in film, with the latter being hailed as the first film by a major movie studio to feature a queer teenage romance.

At the time, the release of these films were a huge deal for many members of the queer community, although those same people may now find problems or drawbacks with them as time passes. This may be because media where queer characters are front and center are few and far between compared to the multitudes of ways queer people live out their lives beyond the screen or page. The controversy of Real Friends comes from the fact that we already have film and television featuring Black and white queer men at the forefront, while RuPaul’s Drag Race has given a strong platform to Asian, Latin and transgender people, alongside other underrepresented demographics. It has also been entertaining to the masses. Nothing is inherently wrong with showing the lives of prominent queer figures in West Hollywood, although frustrations arise at energy not being allocated to telling the stories of queer people of different races, or gender non-conforming, transgender and non-binary individuals.

Kelly ledsworth / Design Director

was dubbed an unrealistic and stereotypical representation of the queer community, where a lot of its subject matter focuses on the cast members talking about themselves. Additionally, the cast lacks representation of Latin, Asian, and transgender populations, hosting only Black and white people on the show. Bookended by RuPaul’s Drag Race and its companion behind-the-scenes show, Untucked, Real Friends has received low ratings on its episodes as they premier, while both of the Drag Race installments maintain their high viewership. This means that viewers tuned in, changed the channel when Real Friends came on, and then switched back in time for Untucked.

We live in a world where the wide acceptance of LGBTQ+ representation in mainstream media is a new societal attitude. A barrier has existed between the many realities of living as a LGBTQ+ person, and what is represented on screen. The latter has remained predominantly heterosexual, cisgender, and white. In recent years, cracks have formed in that barrier, and the representation of diverse populations has spilled into the mainstream lime-

Additionally, a lot of the characterizations of these persons are able-bodied, or fit, perhaps to make it more appealing to some heteronormative demographic. This is touched on a lot in Bros (2022), in which the masculine, muscular male persona is heavily discussed in terms of queer men’s preference in partners. Bros does well to reflect the reality of this common behavior in a way that reveals a new sense of homonormativity that subliminally exists within the queer community. In light of this, more energy should be placed on telling stories of people with disabilities, or plus-size individuals. Widening the lens of queer visibility to the various realities of being LGBTQ+ in different circumstances would, surprisingly, appeal to the entire community, since stories like those would be considered novel or original in a sea of heteronormative queer media.

All in all, the visibility of diverse groups of people is important. Despite the target audience, these films and shows are mainly marketed toward the white, cisgender, and heterosexual population that America is predominated by. As a result, this population is what is reflected in the media. What is important to remember is that while representation of LGBTQ+ individuals can help people questioning their identity maneuver through that stage of life, equal representation of underrepresented subgroups can make the media much more worthwhile to those groups, instead of making it more “palatable” to the audience outside of the target audience.

Crossword

Level of difficulty: Medium

the object of a sudoku is to fill in the remaining squares so that every row, every column, and every 3 × 3 box contains each of the numbers from 1 to 9 exactly once.

Sudoku

Aries (March 21 - April 19)

You’re known to be kindhearted. however, being taken advantage of can happen as a result.

Taurus (April 20 - May 20)

Get up from the chair and take a walk. Meet someone for lunch or do a little shopping or yoga. Break the monotony of your routine.

Gemini (May 21 - June 20)

explore an interesting subject or learn a new hobby. stimulate your mind and your body will become more energetic.

Cancer (June 21 - July 22)

You have something great to bring to a crowd. Consider being yourself and not trying so hard to feel a part of things.

Word Search

Theme: search for the list of words in the grid of letters. Grab a pen and circle each word as you find them.

Horoscopes

Leo (July 23 - August 22)

You have a real flair for investigating situations and figuring out what happened. if something comes your way that seems mysterious, go get to the truth.

Virgo (August 23 - September 22) Virgo, don’t be fooled by others who aren’t straight with you. if you don’t know the person well, trust your instincts.

Libra (September 23 - October 22) there’s nothing that says you can’t do whatever it is that catches your eye. Just use caution and stay safe.

Scorpio (October 23 - November 21)

the day’s influences can bring a boost. You’d be wise to plan things to do to expend it all.

Sagittarius (November 22 - December 21)

if you’ve had your nose to the grindstone recently, take some time off for fun.

Capricorn (December 22 - January 19)

intellectual growth is something you enjoy, so why not spend time online or in the library finding out more about your favorite things?

Aquarius (January 20 - February 18) tick to your usual standards and ethics. if danger excites you too much, it may be time to reexamine your life and change things.

Pisces (February 19 - March 20)

Keep in mind that a lie can take more energy than the truth. Consider what you would want the other person to do in your place.

Till

Ben Reed Arts & Culture Editor

The tragic true story of the murder of Emmett Till and the pursuit of justice undertaken by his mother Mamie TillBradley is explored in Till, directed by Chinonye Chukwu. Emmett Till was a 14 year-old African American boy who traveled from his hometown of Chicago to visit relatives in Mississippi when he was kidnapped and murdered after being accused of offending a white woman, Carolyn Bryant. His body was retrieved from the Tallahatchie River, and brought back to his mother in Chicago. His bloated, mutilated body was displayed in a public funeral service with an open casket at the insistence of his mother. This decision to have an open-casket was used to reflect the harsh realities of racism in the United States. It reflected the barbarism of lynching, and how the murder of someone without any actual legal process involved was primarily used against African-Americans. The everlasting effect of Till’s murder has culminated in the 2022 passing of the Emmett Till Antilynching Act, which criminalizes lynching as a federal offense, 67 years after his murder.

The film does a great job at illustrating the love the Till family has for Emmett, particularly that of Mamie. Emmett is painted to be a charismatic, vibrant, and excitable child. His relationship with his mother is one that only knows love and nurture, and not the hatred that exists within the Jim Crow-era American south. Mamie is anxious about Emmett departing for the south, urging him to act in subordination to the white people who live there. Emmett carries his wondrousness with him to the south, acting in innocent playfulness with all who he encounters, even with Carolyn Bryant, who he states resembles a movie star. Although it was meant well, Bryant has a violent reaction, and eventually calls upon her loved ones to seek out Emmett.

The performance of Danielle Deadwyler, who plays Mamie Till-Bradley, is an instant standout. She has great chemistry with her costars, and truly emotes the traumatic effects Emmett’s death had on Mamie as well as the protective, maternal instinct to seek justice for her child. Where the film mainly follows Mamie’s journey through the aftermath of Emmett’s death, Deadwyler’s performance required that she help the audience explore the peaks and valleys of grief. Thankfully, Deadwyler didn’t disappoint. Her performance climaxes in the courtroom, when Mamie gives her testimony in the prosecution against Emmett’s

Event listings

March 2nd, 2023

Job & internship Fair Abromson Center, Portland Campus 11AM - 3PM Free

March 2nd, 2023

Rolling into Midterms with GCAB Happy Wheels Skate Center, Westbrook 8PM - 10PM Free

March 3rd - narch 10th, 2023

Into the Woods Russell Hall, Gorham Campus

General Admission $22, Senior & USM Faculty/Staff/Alumni $16, Student $12

March 24th, 2023

murderers. It is in this scene that Deadwyler’s acting prowess truly comes to her aid; when the camera is on her face the entire time she speaks, she unleashes all of the pain and exhaustion Mamie has felt throughout the ordeal, and leaves the audience in silence. Her strong performance throughout the entire film should’ve warranted her an Academy Award nomination for Best Actress, though she was snubbed this year.

Overall, the film is beautiful and tragic at the same time. I would’ve liked for it to have explored Emmett and Mamie’s relationship more in-depth, as the film begins shortly before Emmett’s murder. I would’ve loved to have gotten more on-screen evidence of what their relationship was like, as opposed to only inferring it from dialogue and context. The audience would’ve gotten an even better understanding of who Emmett was to others. However, this film is strong enough as it is, and should be watched by all those interested in becoming more in touch with Black American history.

Faculty Concert Series: Robert Lehmann and Thomas Parchman, “Concerted Contrasts”

Corthell Hall, Gorham Campus

General Admission $15, Students/Seniors/ USM Faculty & Alumni $10

April 4th - April 8th, 2023

Eurydice Rising Russell Hall, Gorham Campus

General Admission $16, Senior & USM

Faculty/Staff/Alumni $12, Student $8

want to submit an event?

arts@usmfreepress.org

The Oakhurst Campus Food Pantry is Here to Help

and be empowered with accessible, equitable, and inclusive resources to alleviate and eliminate their need. There is no paperwork to fill out or expectation that you must “prove” your current need in order to access the Pantry. All you need is your current University of Maine System (UMS) ID. There is no limit on how often you can access the Pantry’s resources. Pantry regulars include undergraduate and graduate students, domestic and international students, and university staff and faculty. What was once supplemental for many people has become a resource they regularly depend upon.

community partners to supplement their stock and keep resources available despite the increase in need.

In Summer 2020, OCFP partnered with Good Shepherd Food Bank, the largest hunger relief non-profit organization in Maine. This partnership allows the Pantry to purchase recovered food at an extremely reduced rate (as low as $0.14/lb) while reducing food waste in the community.

friendly space (kids are welcome), and a quiet work environment. OCFP had welcomed over 20 new volunteers by the end of the fall semester, and continues to grow!

Spring 2023 Hours

Monday 10 a.m. - 5 p.m.

Tuesday 10 a.m. - 6:30 p.m.

Wednesday 10 a.m. - 5 p.m.

Thursday 10 a.m. - 2:30 p.m.

discreet, the Oakhurst Campus Food Pantry (OCFP) provides essential resources to the USM community to fight food insecurity and meet the basic needs of students, faculty and staff. Beginning as a student passion project in the Fall of 2015, the Pantry’s team has grown to include a small but mighty team of student workers, community volunteers and, as of September 2022, its first full-time coordinator.

In addition to typical non-perishable Pantry staples, OCFP offers a wide range of food, household and personal goods including cold and frozen food items, menstrual products, food storage containers and more! All food sections include dietary responsive alternatives like gluten-free, vegan, dairyfree, and nut-free options. Pantry patrons have the option of shopping for items inperson at the Portland Campus location or placing an online pre-order, with delivery available on all three USM campuses (Portland, Gorham, and Lewiston-Auburn).

To best meet the needs of our community, OCFP uses a self-assessed need model; we believe individuals should have the autonomy to determine their current level of need

Mirroring trends we see at the national level, OCFP has experienced a steady increase in need over the past 2 years. In 2022, the Pantry distributed over 11,700 pounds of food and, if current trends continue, they project this number to at least double in 2023. Since January 2023, we have already distributed over 3,500 pounds of food and 675 household/personal products over 338 individual visits. In comparison, over the same time period last year, the Pantry distributed just over 900 pounds of food and 217 household/personal products over 92 individual visits.

To keep the shelves stocked, OCFP relies 100% on donations, shopping weekly at Market Basket, Dollar Tree, and BJ’s Wholesale for pantry staples. Now more than ever, OCFP depends on campus and

This past Fall, in partnership with the USM Foundation, Oakhurst Dairy announced they would be donating $125,000 of in-kind products to the Pantry over the next five years. In recognition of this generous donation, the Pantry officially became The Oakhurst Campus Food Pantry at the University of Southern Maine. Various Oakhurst products are ordered and delivered to the Pantry weekly on Tuesdays and have quickly become a fan favorite amongst Pantry patrons.

Born out of high demand, OCFP officially launched its volunteer program in the fall of 2022, offering flexible shifts, a one-time or ongoing volunteer commitment, family

Friday 10 a.m. - 3 p.m.

If the Pantry entrance is closed, you can still access resources through a partnership with their amazing upstairs neighbors at 102 Bedford St. Please use the front entrance and an available staff member will be happy to help! Available Monday - Friday, 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m.

Follow OCFP on instragram @USMcampusfoodpantry or reach out via email at campusfoodpantry@maine.edu.

Sarah Farrugia Campus Food Pantry & Food Security Coordinator

Photo courtesy of Sarah Farrugia

Photo courtesy of Sarah Farrugia

A view from the sidewalk of the campus food pantry sign. Oakhurts products sitting on a ledge infront of the Oakhurst Campus Food Pantry.