The University of Maine Student Government (UMSG) held its fifth General Student Senate (GSS) meeting of the academic year on Oct. 1 in the Bangor Room of the Memorial Union. This was the 18th meeting of the 45th GSS session, led by Student Body President Keegan Tripp and Vice President Memphis Peterson. Key moments included a presentation from The Maine Campus Editor-in-Chief, Sofia Langlois, as well as executive and committee reports on community updates. GSS also granted final recognition to a new student club and addressed other new business.
Club Maintenance and Recognition
A representative from Black Bears Who Care attended the GSS meeting as the club sought recognition as a university organization. The service club focuses on improving the physical and mental well-being of those in nearby communities like Orono and Old Town. They recently held a bake sale to raise funds for the Shaw House for homeless teens in Bangor and organized a feminine hygiene drive for the Caring Community Cupboard in Old Town. After a majority vote, the club received final recognition and can now request funds for future charitable efforts.
Guest Speaker
The meeting welcomed The Maine Campus Editor-in-Chief, Langlois, as the guest speaker. She discussed how GSS and the UMaine community can get involved with the paper. Founded in 1875, The Maine Campus is the state’s second-oldest college newspaper and has run continuously since. Langlois emphasized that it’s entirely student-run, with 20 articles published every Monday across four sections—news, culture, opinion and sports—each led by a student editor. She noted additional features like YouTube videos, crosswords, horoscopes and comics.
Langlois shared that The Maine Campus returned to print for the first time in five years, distributing over 200 copies of the September edition across campus. She noted that editors are budgeting to continue the print series, with an October edition in the works.
She also mentioned the importance of the relationship between GSS and the Maine Campus, saying, “What I’m really here to talk about today is the relationship we’ve cultivated with UMaine’s student government, and how we want to continue seeing that grow.”
“Sofia’s doing a really good job. The Maine Campus this year is doing a really good job, and returning to print is a big deal. I highly encourage–especially our first–year senators– to be involved in The Maine Campus. A lot of the stuff in there are aspects of UMaine that people in this room should know about, considering it is campus news,” Tripp said, echoing her sentiments.
Langlois also outlined how GSS students and the broader UMaine community can get involved, starting with a new feature series in the culture section that will showcase UMSG members and their stories. The series will launch in October with senator features, followed by stories on UMSG representatives and executives.
She encouraged students to submit letters to the editor or guest essays for the op-ed section, especially if they have community stories that haven’t been covered. Submissions can be sent to eic@mainecampus.com, and guidelines are available on The Maine Campus website. Students and senators can also visit the newsroom in Room 143 of the Memorial Union to pitch ideas in person.
Executive Reports
Tripp began executive reports by discussing his tour of Wells Central Dining’s new commons and menu. He addressed a few items with management, including the lack of black bear-themed decor. Tripp also shared an update on the center’s newest addition, eat>NOW– a grab-and-go kiosk powered by Amazon’s Just Walk Out technology. He mentioned the store is now open 24 hours, saying, “The Amazon store is now officially 24 hours… the lights aren’t on for energy reasons, and you have to scan your MaineCard to get in after 11 p.m. during late hours.”
Tripp also shared that Wells Dining Center has offered to open dining hall space for student organization events, potentially easing concerns over space for large gatherings or fundraisers.
“So, if any of you are thinking of organizing some student-led thing, reach out to them. I think they’re eager to integrate some student involvement there,” Tripp said.
Peterson shared that he is coordinating a meeting with a representative from the Campus Victory Project to offer opportunities to GSS members. The project hosts a conference for aspiring campus leaders at the end of each semester, where he says attendees are “taught how to run for that office, and what to expect. It supplies lots of networking opportunities with fellow student leaders in-state and across the country.”
On-Campus Developments
The meeting featured several announcements about new on-campus developments aimed at benefiting students, especially commuters and non-traditional students. Senator Beau Michaud from the Services Committee shared, “Today, the undergraduate student bus program launched. So, if you want $15 off a Concord Coach Lines ticket, head over to DTAV Community Center—and tell your friends.”
During representative board reports, senator Dylan DeMerchant of the Commuter and Non-Traditional Students committee shared that lights will be installed around campus for students traveling later in the evening.
“The town of Orono…I communicated with them on the issue of lights around trails near commuter lots on campus.” DeMerchant said. No specific solutions in collaboration with Orono were given, but it appears the senator has begun outreach efforts to have the lights installed.
During the meeting’s periodic reports, Graduate Student Senate (GSE) representative DeMerchant provided an update on the GSE Union. He stated that the union “has been bargaining for a meeting—it has a bargain meeting on Oct. 8 with a location and time coming up. They’ve also been having a long series of talks with the University to get information on worker numbers and general non-identifying information. This request has been ongoing since last year, and the University had to get a subpoena… The union believes the University was taking too long, and the University said they were ensuring compliance with education laws.”
New Business
The meeting moved on to new business after it was announced that there was no unfinished business to address. A representative from the Physical Education Student Organization requested funding to cover lodging and transportation for their annual trip to the Maine Association for Health, Physical Education, Recreation, and Dance conference at the Samoset Resort in Rockport, Maine, from Nov. 3 to Nov. 11, 2024.
The representative explained that providing lodging would alleviate safety concerns related to late-night driving and lack of sleep. Staying on-site would also allow students to attend valuable social events after educational sessions, which are key for networking. The request was for $948 in hotel fare, plus registration costs, totaling $1,773. After some discussion, GSS approved the amended amount recommended by the executive budget committee.
If you’re interested in attending the next UMSG meeting, stop by the Bangor Room of Memorial Union at 6 p.m. next Tuesday (10/8). If you’re unable to come in person, the UMSG Youtube channel uploads recordings of their weekly meetings here.
