Author Archives | Hope Carroll

UMaine grad students call for unionization should be recognized

Graduate students at the University of Maine campus recently held a rally in MLK plaza as part of their work in organizing a union

The students are pushing for basic, fundamental working conditions including a livable wage, the opportunity to address workplace concerns and better health care benefits. 

According to previous reports from Maine Campus Media, graduate students do not receive adequate health care coverage. Currently, graduate workers lack access to dental and eye care and vital medical devices. 

With many grad students making under $20000 a year, it’s unacceptable to assume that this health care is adequate. Given that more than 500 UMaine grad students have signed union authorization cards, it’s time for the university to support them. 

Rob Glover, a professor of political science at UMaine, wrote on Twitter that he supports UMaine graduate workers forming a union with every fiber of his being. He also recalls his own experience as a graduate student at the University of Connecticut and a successful union that was formed there among conditions similar to those being faced at UMaine. 

“Like the grads at UCONN, UMaine students are working with the UAW and I hope the process moves swiftly and their union is voluntarily recognized. And everyone who cares about the future of education and research at UMaine should be on board,” Glover said. 

UAW, the organization that the grad students are working with, is the International Union, United Automobile, Aerospace and Agricultural Implement Workers of America. According to their website it is one of the largest and most diverse unions in North America, with members in virtually every sector of the economy.

This movement of grad students unionizing is not particular to Maine or Connecticut. In fact, last winter 48,000 academic employees at the University of California’s 10 campuses walked off their jobs in protest of similar issues facing grad students at UMaine. Movements like these have continued to ripple across the country and will hopefully start to create a change in how grad workers are treated. 

Ultimately, UMaine and all universities across the country cannot function properly without the hard work of their graduate students. UMaine itself employs over 1000 graduate workers and these workers should not be first on the list to have their benefits cut just because the university is facing budget problems. 

UMaine continues to amplify and market themselves as having a top graduate program in the country. But while grad students’ research is used as a tool to entice more people to come to the university, the grad students themselves are tossed to the side. 

Grad school is already challenging and stressful enough. The university has a responsibility to create an environment of respect and dignity towards their graduates, which means making it so graduates don’t have to worry about how they are going to be able to pay for basic living necessities. 

If you want to learn about ways to get involved and show support to UMaine grad students or organize with the union, follow this link

 

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WMEB 91.9 is UMaine’s student-led radio station and if you haven’t listened to it, now you should

Hidden beneath the bustle of the Bear’s Den within the Memorial Union lies the University of Maine’s student-run radio station, WMEB 91.9. Their slogan “We’re underground…literally,” describes not only their location in the Union, but also the unique music taste displayed on the station as well. 

The station, which had to shut down during the pandemic, is gradually bringing back a presence on campus and now has over 20 different DJs who have their own time slot each week. 

Since the pandemic the station has been forced to rely on their robot DJ who is programmed to play certain music. Because of this, there have been very few live voices on air. That has now changed with the station being run by a handful of students who are dedicated to the success of WMEB.

As a DJ for the station my responsibilities include showing up for my time slot once a week, playing the music I picked out for my show and following the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) regulations on air. Each week, a music director from the station will send all DJs a hand-picked collection of new music they have found and we are required to play two songs each hour from these selections. 

All the music they send out is not only new but also from small artists I have never heard of. It’s an amazing way to find new music and every week I find at least one song that I love. I also always find incredible music from listening to all of the other station DJs’ shows. 

Although it’s not a requirement, the station encourages DJs to play music from smaller, lesser- known artists. This is an amazing way to support and boost smaller music artists and it creates a really unique aspect to the station because you are almost always guaranteed to find a song you’ve never heard before. The DJs on the station are passionate about the music they play and do it both for themselves and to share their music with others. 

“[R]adio remains the most widely consumed medium globally. Radio’s unique ability to reach out to the widest audience means it can shape a society’s experience of diversity, and stand as an arena for all voices to speak out, be represented, and be heard,” UMaine’s Communication and Journalism Department says. 

WMEB has been able to gather DJs from all over campus, from all majors, with many different tastes in music and allow them a slot on air. The station demonstrates the ability of music to unite different people who all share the same love for music. 

Many people view radio as a thing of the past, but WMEB is breaking this barrier by giving students the outlet to share new and different music with listeners. The station is slowly growing more well-deserved publicity. It’s important that as many UMaine students and Orono residents as possible know about the amazing things going on right below them. 

You can listen to the show on station 91.1 in the Orono area or with this link from anywhere. 

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An expanded rail line up north would have huge benefits

If you’ve ever taken the Amtrak before you know how convenient, efficient and enjoyable the ride is. But many University of Maine students might not have ever gotten this opportunity, because the furthest north the current Amtrak route runs in Maine is Brunswick. This is beneficial for students that go to Bowdoin, but if the Amtrak were to come up to Orono, the train company would be serving a population of students that is more than 10 times larger than Bowdoin. 

Bringing up the train through Orono would also allow Amtrak to stop in the state’s capital of Augusta, Waterville and Bangor. This would benefit students and pretty much anyone in Maine and beyond. Commuting up north would not only be more efficient but also environmentally friendly. There are also many Maine workers who commute to Augusta and the added rail line could make that easier. 

Yes, there is already a bus that does this. But buses aren’t that big and, especially during major holidays when the majority of students want to go home, there are limited seats. 

Trains overall are a more comfortable, spacious and enticing way to travel than buses. Adding a train to Orono would not only benefit in-state UMaine students but also, because Amtrak goes all across the United States, out-of-state students. 

Interestingly enough, as I am doing research on if this would even be possible, there was a recent Bangor Daily News article published about a proposed rail extension coming up to Bangor. 

The article outlines some changes if this proposal was passed. 

“[T]he expanded rail line from Portland to Bangor could see between 5,150 and 7,250 riders each month by 2040,” the article says. 

This traffic would benefit northern Maine economically, and with the expansion of a rail line, Maine would be making big improvements in terms of our carbon footprint as well. 

“[O]n a per-passenger basis, rail has a third fewer emissions than buses and half that of cars,” the article says. 

Climate change and the reduction of carbon emissions should be on the forefront of every state’s mind as extreme weather conditions and rising sea levels continue to get worse and worse every year. Increasing rail lines and reducing the number of cars on the road will not reverse these effects, but it will slow the progression. 

Many college students do not have the luxury to afford electric cars, let alone cars that can go a year without needing repairs. 

“93% of transportation costs go to the purchase, maintenance, and operation of cars,” a report done by the Rail Passengers Association said. 

If fewer UMaine students felt the need to buy and bring a car to campus, it would save them money and provide more availability on campus for parking. I do think the ideal situation would be for the train to come all the way up to Orono so it could service a large population of customers that Amtrak currently isn’t serving. But the proposal unfortunately does not mention this and I am unsure how difficult it would be to implement it. 

An expanded train system might make younger people stay in Maine if they feel more connected to other places. It might make Bangor a more enticing place to live.

The article mentions that not only would passenger rails expand, but bus routes would also expand to train stations and allow fewer people to require cars to reach popular Maine destinations like Acadia. Again, this would be extremely beneficial to Maine’s tourist economy and would decrease carbon emissions. 

Overall, there seem to be very few negatives to this proposal. Maine residents and Maine visitors of all ages would benefit. Of course, it would cost a significant amount to implement, but in the long run Maine could see a very positive return on their investment. 

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How many more people will die for our country to finally make a change?

A shooting happened in Virginia this past weekend. It is the latest in a series of shootings that have plagued this country at an all too frequent rate.

Three people were shot dead and two injured when Christopher Darnell Jones Jr. shot the victims coming out of a school bus. Jones, a former football player and student at the University of Virginia, had been convicted in 2021 of a misdemeanor concealed weapons violation. He failed to mention this to the university when they were investigating a claim from a fellow student that said Jones told them he had a gun. 

According to Jones’ father, his son was paranoid about something but would never tell him what. So with all this in mind, how was Jones allowed to carry these weapons? 

Our country and states must do a better job in restricting who can own guns so people don’t fear for their lives while simply going through their everyday activities. 

Unfortunately this will not be easy. According to Science.org, gun laws vary by state and because of this, as well as limited funding, it has been difficult for scientists to study the effects of gun laws on gun-related deaths. That is why it’s so important for more funding to go towards gun control studies. When there is more hard evidence it’s easier to create laws that will keep us safe. 

With more and more frequent child deaths in this country, why is this not a top priority on lawmakers’ minds? What will finally be the tipping point in making change and keeping people safe?

According to the Rockefeller Institute of Government, compared to other high-income countries, the firearm homicide rate in the U.S. is 25 times higher. For 15 to 24 year-olds the gun homicide rate in the U.S. is almost 50 times higher than other countries.

Other countries around the world look at our country with fear while we portray ourselves as the country of freedom. Freedom should not include the fear that young children will be sent to school and never return. 

In order for this fear to stop, gun control and gun safety must be put as a priority for state and federal lawmakers. One of the biggest factors preventing lawmakers from making gun control laws is the millions of dollars some receive from the National Rifle Association (NRA). For example, Utah senator Mitt Romney has received a total of over $13 million from the NRA through direct and independent support. Although Romney has continuously denied that this sways his votes, it’s difficult to take this as the whole truth. 

After many fatal mass shootings in early 2021, Romney made clear he would not support any federal legislation tightening gun laws.

“I made that commitment when I ran for office, and I intend to honor that commitment. So I will not be voting for new federal legislation related to guns and leave to the Legislature of Utah, closest to our people, any decisions they have in that regard,” Romney said

It’s concerning to see lawmakers prioritizing money over the safety of the citizens they were put into office to protect. That is why it is more important than ever to elect officials into office that won’t be swayed by NRA funding. But beyond that, it is difficult to imagine if there will ever be a breaking point for these lawmakers to finally work to put an end to the killing of innocent people. 

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The inaccessibility of UMaine club sports

At college, many students look to club sports to find friends and a sense of community. Club sports are so important for students because it not only provides opportunities to stay active but also allows them to continue playing the sport they love or to find love for a new sport. 

But for many students, money is a huge barrier in getting involved with a club sport. The only direct funding that club sports get from the University of Maine is through student government funding, but even this is not guaranteed. In order to get funding from student government, clubs must complete a certain amount of volunteer hours, raise a certain amount of money and host a certain amount of specific events, among other requirements. 

Sometimes it is even difficult for students to have time to make it to practices, let alone volunteer or plan and attend these events. But if clubs don’t have people willing to do this then all travel, equipment, lodging, registration and other fees must be paid out of pocket. 

One of the big differences between D1 sports and club sports is that club sports are open to all, no matter your experience or talent. This inclusive environment can foster an important outlet for students who are juggling the stress of college. 

That is why UMaine the university must invest in club sports in order to block some of the financial barriers that students may have. Students should have the opportunity to participate in any sport that they want without having to worry about whether they will be able to afford it.  

The club sports at UMaine have been very successful. Just this past year the men’s rugby club competed at the 2022 Collegiate Rugby Championship. In 2019, the men’s crew club finished fifth at the Grand Final at the New England Rowing Championships.

If more clubs were to receive more funding from UMaine, they could get more practice time, travel more and get more people involved. With more money put into club sports, the university would see more success and participation come out of them.

With the decline of student enrollment for 2022 at UMaine, the university should be looking for ways to remain competitive and relevant. Putting more money into club sports could be a way to do this. Not all athletes get to play D1 but UMaine could still attract other athletes with the promise of accessibility to play any club sport of their choosing. 

The value of participating in a club sport often gets overlooked but it can be one of the most rewarding experiences through college. It is not only benefiting students physically but also mentally. Being able to do a sport you enjoy without any other stress can be extremely important for a student’s mental health. 

According to NPR, a study done by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention collected data from 1.2 million adults and found that those who played team sports reported the fewest days of bad mental health. 

If students have better mental health they will have an overall more positive college experience and are likely to do better academically. Therefore, putting more money into club sports will improve mental health and not only benefit the students but UMaine as well. 

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Janet Mills is the right choice for Maine

The campaign that Janet Mills has run for this year’s gubernatorial race has been consistent, reliable and honest. This is exactly what Maine needs. 

What Maine does not need is a governor who behaves in an aggressive manner and will say just about anything to make his opponent look bad. At the very beginning of the Oct. 27 debate between Mills and her opponent Paul LePage, LePage said that inflation is the most important issue facing the state. He is not wrong, however, that is an issue affecting the whole country, not just Maine. But LePage still went out of his way to say that inflation began in Maine and made its way down to Washington. 

LePage went on throughout the debate to place blame on Mills for problems out of her control. He also pointed in her face while she was speaking, interrupting her, and called her a liar. This kind of behavior coming from someone who is running to lead our state is concerning. That is why the best choice for Maine is Mills. 

Mills, like many other Mainers, views healthcare as having an essential role in benefiting the lives of Maine residents. One of the first things that Mills did when she got into office was reverse the decision LePage had made as former governor to block Medicaid expansion. 

According to maine.gov, over 90,000 Maine people have health care, including preventive care, like cancer screenings, as a result of this health care expansion. On the other hand, LePage was heard voicing his opinions on health care expansion. 

“You know how I feel about expanding Medicaid — it’s bad for everybody,” LePage said. 

It is terrifying to think about the tens of thousands of Mainers that would lose health insurance if LePage was to be reelected and reverse the work Mills has done. 

Another important issue on the minds of many in the state is school shootings. According to the Sandy Hook Promise, since the Columbine school shooting in 1999, nearly 300,000 students have been on campus during a school shooting. 

It’s extremely scary and disheartening to see so many children on the news dying from just going to school. Maine students have the right to go to school and feel safe. While in office, Mills worked to pass the yellow flag law and enacted the school safety center. 

“The school safety center is going around to schools across the state of Maine, making sure that our children are safe at school during the day,” Mills said in the debate. 

LePage responded to the same question about gun violence. 

“[I will] take away all signs that say gun free zones from our schools,” LePage said. 

Mills will ensure that the safety of Maine children at school is a priority. She will also vote to protect women’s reproductive freedoms and address the issue of PFA’s which are two other important issues on the minds of Mainers. 

Many crucial issues are at stake in this election and many critical things that Mainers rely on for safety and health could be taken away if LePage is elected. That is why, when we go to the polls on Nov. 8, we must look to Mills as the right choice for Maine.  

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The value of living on campus

It’s that time of year again when students frantically look to secure off campus housing for the following school year. If you don’t have a plan yet, this can often be a stressful time, especially so early into the year when housing for the following school year seems like a lifetime away. 

A student’s first-year is an especially stressful time for finding housing. You’ve typically moved to a new place, with people you have never met. Only a few months after you’ve moved in and are barely starting to get settled into living on campus, people start asking you what your plans are for living off campus next year. 

62% of the University of Maine student population lives off campus, so it makes sense that first-years may feel pressure from upperclassmen friends to tell them where to live the following year. 

Now, I completely understand the desire to live off campus, especially when all your friends are doing it. Becoming independent, having a place that feels like your own is a special feeling and first-years want to experience this. But there is also plenty of time in your life to experience independence as well. 

That’s why I want to also express the positives of staying on campus, at least for your second-year. As everyone knows, a year goes by fast in college, especially during your first-year. You’re discovering new things, meeting new people and getting used to life away from your family. When all of these new experiences are happening, it’s difficult to find and appreciate the joy in the small things. 

Living on campus allows you to meet friends at the dining hall, to walk from your dorm to the library and the general accessibility of having everything in one central location. Not having to rely on a car for events like sporting games or not having to find parking for classes are all unique perks that campus living provides to students. 

A big convenience that living on campus provides is the ability to walk everywhere. For commuters, parking can be difficult and often the only place to get guaranteed parking on campus is in the Belgrade or CCA lots. But not only is parking a hassle on campus, traffic coming from the off campus apartment complexes sometimes leaves students waiting over thirty minutes to even get out of the complex and onto campus.

The accessibility of living on campus also makes it easier to become and stay involved within campus life and build community. UMaine puts on a variety of campus sponsored events and has numerous clubs and intramural sports. All of these activities help take stress away from school and work and allow you to meet new people and try something new. Although all UMaine students are welcome to join these activities, including commuters, the accessibility of walking to these events makes joining and continuing to go easier. 

Although there are positives and negatives to living on campus and off, it’s important to put less pressure on students to move off campus and to lessen any worry that arises from the students who feel like everyone they know is moving off campus. Living on campus gets a bad reputation and it’s important to acknowledge the accessibility, convenience and community of living on campus. 

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Club sports should not have to pay to use the Alfond

Alfond Arena is used by the University of Maine’s Division 1 teams, UMaine club teams, high school sports teams as well as for concerts and graduation ceremonies. Despite this, UMaine sports clubs that want to skate at the Arena have to pay over a hundred dollars to use the ice for an hour. 

As a member of the UMaine figure skating team, paying to practice every week is difficult. Money that we volunteer and fundraise for from student government goes to paying for all of our ice time and we are often left with no money to help fund our travel expenses or customs for competitions.

Many other club sports use the fields throughout campus free of cost and therefore it is a lot easier to get more practice time. Practicing as a team is important not only to further your skills but also bond and build team relationships.  

Students that attend the university are already required to pay an activity fee each year according to the UMaine website. If we are already required to pay this activity fee but it doesn’t go toward our social and recreational activities, why should it be required?

Club sports that require the ice for their practices should have the right to reserve the ice free of charge. Although I am uncertain about the way that the men’s and women’s D1 hockey teams pay for their ice I assume it is not coming out of their own pockets. They also get the first pick of ice times. 

Our figure skating team rarely gets to pick the times that work best for us and our practice times get switched every week. It would be easier to understand this constant schedule shifting if we weren’t paying for this ice time that is very valuable to us because we can only afford to use it twice a week. 

The fact that club sports have to pay to use the ice demonstrates that UMaine doesn’t consider these teams as important as the D1 teams. From a student perspective, it also feels like you aren’t even participating in a university club sport because you have to use your team’s money to buy the ice. 

As a member of a team that is affected by this, it’s difficult to feel connected to the university through my sport. When we travel to competitions I talk to other teams who are able to practice everyday and therefore are not only able to get more people interested but they also compete better. 

Instead of having the Alfond be accessible to students it is seen as a place to be used for D1 hockey use only. Although the Alfond provides public skating open to all and free for students the times are often in the middle of the afternoon when most students are in class. 

The difficulty of budgeting and coming up with the money to pay for practice time at the Alfond takes away from the enjoyment that is supposed to come from being a part of a club sport. The Alfond Arena needs to be seen as a more accessible place to participate in all ice sports of all levels. 

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More to-go meals will benefit the health of students

While the University of Maine has been dealing with COVID-19 restrictions for over two years now, and many students may be sick of them, these restrictions are necessary for the future health and safety of all on-campus. 

If a student that lives on campus tests positive for COVID-19 there is no place for them to go and they will have no choice but to go to the dining hall and sit and eat around everyone else. Students are allowed only six to-go vouchers each semester where they can take their meal with them outside of the dining hall. 

If you don’t feel well the last thing you want to do is sit around a bunch of people and eat. This may force many students to skip meals in a time where getting nutrients into your body is more important than ever.

Six vouchers only cover two full days of food if you’re eating three meals a day. The CDC recommends five days of quarantine. If you’re sick with COVID-19, your only option, if you use up all of those vouchers in your first two days, is to stay on campus and eat in the dining hall throughout a period when you’re supposed to be in isolation or starve.

UMaine dining does offer something called Get Well Meals. However, similar to the to-go vouchers, it does not make sense in terms of COVID-19. The Get Well Meals only allow a student to signup for three meals and you must have a representative willing to pick up and deliver your food, which many students might not have. 

I understand that the university assumes that when they allow students to take their food to-go they will be losing money because students will take advantage of it. Of course, there are always a handful of students who will take advantage of anything. But thinking in terms of COVID-19 and sickness, if a student is ill and does not want to sit around anyone or spread their illness to more people they should be allowed to eat in their room. 

But broader than COVID-19, it’s important to a student’s overall well being, both mental and physical, to be eating three meals a day. By allowing students to take their meals to go it will make getting a meal more accessible to more students. It will be easier for them to eat breakfast before a morning class or lunch in between two afternoon classes. 

College is difficult, and maintaining good health is hard when you’re in a new environment. Students often will have at least one week where they feel socially drained, tired and need time to be alone. Going to a dining hall and eating with a bunch of other people does not help with this. The university should not force students to choose eating three times a day over other students’ health. 

 

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University of Maine plan to turn Holmes and Coburn Halls into hotels brings uncertainty

If you’ve been on campus for the past two weeks, you might have noticed the large fencedoff area located to the right of Folger Library. The area blocks off the entire side street that many students use to access other locations on campus. This portion of campus is one I walk through often and is very noticeable from the mall. The fence encompasses all of Coburn and Holmes Halls, two buildings that have been vacant since 2009. 

In July of 2021, the University of Maine System Trustees voted to turn these two halls into an on-campus boutique hotel. 

The hotel is projected to be completed by summer of 2023, so a majority of the students currently on campus will still be students when guests start to arrive. 

The first question that comes to mind when considering a hotel on-campus is parking for the guests. If you ask any student or even faculty member on campus to voice their opinion on parking at UMaine, most would say it is limited and difficult to find parking, especially during peak times. Considering the spaces around Coburn and Holmes, I have trouble imagining where the university is planning to have these hotel guests park. 

The largest parking lot near the halls would be the Steam Plant parking lot, which is already normally packed with residential parking, especially during winter parking bans. If this were to be turned into parking for the hotels, UMaine might be forced to significantly limit the amount of students that are able to bring vehicles on campus. 

The other concern is foot traffic. Coburn and Holmes Hall are located in the middle of campus, near the mall, Fogler Library and right next to Alumni Hall. During the academic year, especially during class changes, the campus is packed with students. When thinking of a hotel, it’s not unreasonable to think of people constantly coming and going, which could significantly increase foot traffic on campus.

Although it is uncertain what the boutique hotel clientele will look like, I imagine it will be busiest for hockey and football games. It will be interesting to see how having families staying on campus will play into the already packed campus on game days.

Overall, I understand that the university wants to do something with the buildings because they have been vacant for so long, but these buildings also have a lot of history that not many students know about. 

Both halls were designed by the renowned architect Frank E. Kidder and are two of the oldest buildings on campus. Coburn Hall used to house a natural history museum, a library and classrooms. How will this history be preserved by converting it to hotel rooms?

The idea of having two buildings turned into hotels right in the heart of campus is somewhat overwhelming and confusing and there is a lot to unpack and question. And most of those questions don’t have concrete answers.

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