February 13,2023

February 13th, 2023

Vol. 54

ISSUE 7

Inside: When in Rome pg. 4

Funding Issues Arise Ahead of The Maine Film Festival pg.7 The Love Lines Are In! pg. 12

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, deja driscoll-smith, thomas Grebouski

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

sTAFF phoTogRApheRs Cammie Breuer

FaCUltY

FACuLTy AdvIsoR

adVErtiSiNG

AdveRTIsIng MAnAgeR

Cover by Kelly ledsworth

to advertise, contact our advertising Manager at 207.780.4080 x3 and look at out advertising rates on our website. We reserve the right to reject advertising. We will not accept discriminatory ads. in complying with the letter and spirit of applicable laws and pursuing its own goals of diversity, the University of Maine system does not discriminate on the grounds of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, transgender status, gender, gender identity or expression, ethnicity, national origin, citizenship status, familial status, ancestry, age, disability physical or mental, genetic information, veteran or military status in employment, education, and all other programs and activities. the University provides reasonable accommodation to qualified individuals with disabilities upon request. the University will regard freedom from discrimination and discriminatory harassment as an individual employee and student right which will be safeguarded as a matter of policy. any employee or student will be subject to disciplinary action for violation of this policy. retaliation against anyone who makes a complaint of discrimination or harassment or who is involved in a complaint

Interested in working with us?

Visit our website at www.usmfreepress.org for a listing of available positions or email editor@usmfreepress with a copy of your resume and cover letter to apply directly.

the free press is a weekly student–run newspaper paid for in part with the student activity fee. one copy of the free press is available free of charge. Up to 10 additional copies are available for 25 cents each at the office of the free press, 92 Bedford st., portland, Maine.

Kelly Ledsworth Editor-in-Chief

There are so many different types of love. I feel like as a society we prioritize romantic love over platonic love. Sometimes we prioritize what some would consider unconditional love even if your chosen family has treated you better.

I receive platonic love from my friends. I used to feel so weird about telling my friends who really mean a lot to me that I love them. Growing up I thought you only told the people who were blood relatives that you love them, or someone you were dating. This also meant that in my head the love I received from my friends wasn’t as important as the other type of love in my life. I was talking about this with my friend Brin the other day. Brin is my best friend and someone who I really do love. Now that I know this, I know that when Brin is mad at me or has had a little too much of my “Kelly energy,” they don’t hate me. This also means that if Brin has other best friends it doesn’t mean that they don’t love me any less.

Having felt that you could only have one best friend made it hard for me to consider newer friends as special. I’ve learned I can have more than one best friend. I’m still so awkward about it though. When talking with my friend Annika recently, we went back and forth about what makes a best friend. It went something along the lines of someone who’s there for you when you’re crying or struggling,

someone who you might go to the grocery store with and someone who you maybe don’t have to say sorry to as much when it’s not that big of a deal. At the end of this conversation Annika and I both looked at each other and agreed “So we are best friends, right?” And after a hard laugh and a long sigh or relief, I felt more seen. Then there is the love you have for yourself. There can be love for who you are, love of your body, love for how it’s supported you through everything. for a very long time I thought that this was the hardest love. Especially as someone who was socialized as a woman. If you’re aware of all the Billboards and ads that are constantly telling you that you are not good enough then it feels like you can’t escape them no matter how many times you put an ad blocker on. It is relentless and everywhere. All of these things tell us we are not good enough in the body that has supported us to the point where self-hate just rolls off the tongue. Some of it might seem like little things like “I’m stupid” or “I’m so dumb.” Well you’re not dumb and you’re not stupid you’re just human and it is hard to love something that may feel so flawed. Sometimes Being flawed can be the best part, because it means you can be anything that you want. As time is going on I’ve learned to realize some of the quirky things that I may have considered stupid I now think are cute. Like when I’m handwriting really fast and I spell the word “with,” I end up adding an E at the end of it so it’s some mash up of with and the. I like when I get re-

ally excited about something and the volume of my voice gets loud or I do a little happy dance. I used to sing in choir and sometimes I will make little vocal noises because it feels good to use those muscles again. I like that I don’t hate my body for just plain existing anymore. I’m sad my body has been through so much but I love that I kept going.

Overtime I’ve had to redefine what I think love is. Growing up having examples of love that is not really love was very confusing. Even hearing things like “oh you fight like an old married couple.” Well, why are they fighting so much if they love each other? Some of that for me turned into “if you’re fighting with someone then that must mean you really care.” Having seen countless relationships fail in front of my eyes, whether it was my siblings or my parents, I’ve learned a lot about what love isn’t. This is so important and so helpful to me because when I see it I know that that’s not what love is. Sometimes it’s seeing what love is in person, like with my friends. I know that if my friends treat me the way I want to be treated and I love them, then why can’t all my loving relationships be like that?

Well they can be. Building relationships with others takes time, effort and energy. It is not always easy because everyone is different and you won’t always get along with someone. Its learning in those moments that you don’t agree with someone to still take the time to stop and consider how they might feel that is so important. Words hold weight and have meaning. You cannot take back the words that come out of your mouth. You can apologize, rephrase, explain your meaning, but they can still hurt. Even small comments about weight, or saying “you sound so sarcastic” can have an impact when you are not giving these comments much thought.

Ultimately loving someone should feel good. It shouldn’t feel like a burden or an interrogation. You shouldn’t be getting a better night’s sleep on the couch. You shouldn’t be afraid of being yourself around the other person. Not wanting to do a K-pop dance in front of them is fine but don’t be afraid to have fun. If someone loves you they don’t judge you for doing something that you feel is right. Ultimately the person that loves you will support you in whatever you decide to do. My stipulation with that is as long as you’re not hurting yourself or others go for it.

Kelly ledsworth

Design

Kelly ledsworth / Design Director

Brin and I went mushroom hunting, this is Brin kicking at one for me.

Opportunities for Portland

Make It Happen program in Portland Public Schools

Dakota Eddy Community Editor

students whose families are relatively new to the U.S. and may not have the English language skills to navigate the U.S. educational system.”

Shyka shared that the middle school students get involved in projects that look a little different than at the high school level. This year, there have been eighth grade MIH students that volunteer in the sixth grade classrooms to act as role models and offer their support to the younger students. Students have also formed a cooking class to collect recipes for a community meal. Shyka also says that the students are putting together a video interviewing fellow students that will later be shared with the entire school. Make It Happen allows middle schoolers to engage in leadership roles in their school community while also being connected to outside organizations to further their opportunities.

able to help them in their studies, while the coaches shared the ways they were able to grow and learn from their mentees as well. High school seniors who spoke shared their plans for after graduation, while two seventh grade students from Lyman Moore Middle School shared their big plan for a cookbook they wish to create to give back to their community.

College readiness programs are so beneficial for many students, and these programs can be geared to tackle certain issues. Some programs focus on first-generation college students, or those who come from low-income families, or even just high school students who need an extra support person who is trained in the college application process.

For Make It Happen (MIH), a college preparation program, their goal is to support students who are multicultural, multilingual, or learning English in the Portland high schools. The program is now 15 years old, and has been adopted by many Portland schools. They have volunteers to help students with their academics while also providing opportunities to help give back to the community and set them up for future success. Make It Happen also works with middle school students, preparing them for the transition to high school, just as they help the high school students transition to college.

Site coordinators look at their students’ grades to see where they may need extra support, and match that student with a volunteer who can help them best. They also connect students with internships and volunteer opportunities in the community to build their resumes. If a student is interested in pursuing a college education, coordinators and volunteers help them make sense of the application process and how to get financial aid. Their goal is to build students’ applications to be competitive, giving them a better chance at achieving their goals. MIH asks their volunteers to donate 1-2 hours of their time a week to connect with their mentees. Jennifer Shyka, site coordinator for King Middle School, said, “Site coordinators and volunteers can bridge a gap with many multilingual

Make It Happen held an event on February 1st to unite the students from the six participating schools. They gathered in Wishcamper Center on the USM Portland campus to discuss how the program has been a positive experience for everyone. Participating schools include Portland High School, Deering High School, Casco Bay High School, King Middle School, Lincoln Middle School, and Lyman Moore Middle School. Shyka said “All students in Make it Happen are multilingual students with a first language other than English. Many were born in other countries, some born here to parents who immigrated here.” There are students from Angola, Somali, Sudan, Iraq, Guatemala, and many other countries.

The founder, Grace Valenzuela, spoke about her inspiration for this program. She moved to Maine from the Philippines and got her PhD in Public Policy with a concentration in educational leadership and policy here at USM. She began working for Portland Public Schools in the 1980’s and eventually moved up to the position of the director of the Multilingual and Multicultural Center. Valenzuela began Make It Happen in 2007, when she was working in the English Language Learning department. She noticed students were too busy struggling to learn English to be able to keep up with their peers, so she decided to start the program to give them the support they needed.

In 2021, Valenzuela was selected by the Holocaust and Human Rights Center of Maine to receive the Gerda Haas Award for Excellence in Human Rights Education and Leadership for her efforts to help each student have access to the education they deserve. Currently, she is the executive director of Communications and Community Partnerships for Portland Public Schools’ Language Access Team.

Pairs of students and their academic coaches shared stories of the relationships they built through the program. Students reflected on the ways their academic coach was

Site coordinators from the participating schools had the opportunity to share how the program has also shaped them and their lives. Timothy Cronin, the coordinator of Portland High School told stories of how he watched students in the program that have already graduated get their degrees and grow to do amazing things for the Portland community. Mukli Hagi was in the Make It Happen program when she was in high school, and the program had such an impact on her life that after graduating college, she ended up working as a coordinator for the program. She was driven by the passion to help give future students the same opportunities that she was able to have.

The high school programs are funded through the state, while the middle school programs rely on grants. The program is hoping to get more funding through the Portland Public School Committee. Becoming an academic coach can be an amazing opportunity for college students to give back to their community as well. For these students, connecting with a college student and giving them the opportunity to ask questions about college has been a very inspirational experience for them. To get involved, you can visit the Make It Happen website at https://www. portlandschools.org/department/mlc/make-it-happen. You can also directly contact Naila Wissa by email at wissan@ portlandschools.org. MIH also works with USM volunteers through the America Reads program, which USM has a page for on the USM website at https://usm.maine. edu/campus-human-resource-services/america-reads/.

Cammie Breuer / Photographer

Cammie Breuer / Photographer

cludes going to Old Orchard to meet with photographers for her budding modeling career, or going to the beach and eating Cheez-Its with whipped cream for dinner, among other recollections. All of these things, big or small, will still have us giggling years later. Bethany became quite the world traveler, going to South Korea for the fall semester of 2021 after going to Japan in high school. I, on the other hand, had only ever been to Canada.

Bethany approached me in October with a brochure from a study abroad fair. She proposed that we embark on the most epic friendship field trip yet: Italy. The brochure came from a representative at Florence University of the Arts, with the opportunity for a three week intensive program in January, just before our final semester at USM. It didn’t take much convincing for me to agree to go on this adventure with her, as she cited how fun it would be for us to ex-

Rome before our program began in Florence. On our first day, we reconnected with one of Bethany’s friends from high school, who lives in Rome, and he took us to the best local pizzeria in the city center. I also used my four years of high school Spanish to engage in almost seamless conversation with our taxi driver, which remains a highlight of the whole trip. Visiting the Vatican brought a whole swirl of emotions. Not only was it neat to just be inside one of the biggest museums in the world, but I thought it a privilege of some sort to see some of the world’s finest paintings in-person, after learning of them exclusively in history books. Seeing the likes of The Creation of Adam, The School of Athens, and the Sistine Chapel’s ceiling with my own eyes filled me with awe and wonderment. We later rang in the New Year with fellow exchange students from the U.S. we met while looking for somewhere to dance to good music.

bags, I immediately put on my headphones, and walked freely around the cobblestone streets while listening to none other than Taylor Swift’s Welcome to New York. Ironic, I know. Anytime in the past that I had

visited a city, such as New York or Boston with my family, I had always wanted to walk around by myself to experience the faster pace of life on my own. Not having anyone telling me to stop walking so fast or to wait around was freeing. Walking around the city became a daily hobby, not just out of necessity, but for meditation and reflection. I wanted to stay present as much as I could over the course of the trip, and found myself etched into the new daily routine of going to class, museums, reading in coffee shops, watching the sunset over the city, and hanging out with newfound friends most evenings.

My class was titled “Food, Culture, & Society in Italy,” which taught the culture of food in Italy. In other words: wine tastings, cooking labs, and a lot of lectures on bread and olive oil. Against my inner academic, I spent these mornings in class with a new friend, Paige, from Boulder, Colorado, doing the Washington Post’s daily crossword. Regardless of how important our professor felt the wine classification system in Italy is, I found it much more engaging to see what my record for finishing the daily crossword would be, followed by the Wordle.

Ben reed / Arts & Culture Editor

Ben reed / Arts & Culture Editor

Florence also gave me the experience of having roommates for the first time ever. I graduated high school in 2020, and started that fall at USM, where Residential Life gave most students their own rooms due to heavy COVID-19 precautions. I then became a Residential Assistant (RA) on campus for the next two years, which also exempted me from needing to cohabitate with someone else. I wasn’t at all nervous, but more so excited to experience something new. I returned from my initial stroll around the city to find three guys standing in our shared two-bedroom apartment, all of whom went to the same school in Long Island, New York. The funny thing was that none of them had met before, given how large their university is. I would tell them how perplexing that was to me, considering how small USM’s Gorham campus is; even though I don’t know everyone on campus, I feel as though I have seen everyone’s face at least once. Among my roommates and some other friends we had made, I quickly became known as “The One from Maine,” where my rural background contrasted heavily with their life in close proximity to the largest city in the country. My roommates and I would go out to dinner a lot, and we’d talk about the differing portion sizes served in Italy. The organic ingredients used in Italian food allows for a fuller feeling after eating, even with a smaller plate. Additionally, the cost of living in Italy was much lower compared to in the

United States; a week’s worth of groceries (sandwich ingredients, snacks, milk, etc.) for four people evened out to be €20-30, as opposed to around $50-60 in America. One of our favorite pastimes was to go to a panini joint, All’ Antico Vinaio, where one of my roommates went almost everyday, and would be sad if any of us went without him.

The experience of traveling abroad, especially with great friends, is nothing short of amazing. I look back on this experience with a heart full of gratitude to have been able to experience this. I don’t miss the city so much as I do the friends and memories I made within my program. While some of the friends I made also go to USM (shoutout to Keely, Maia, and Gretchen!), a lot of

them live in different parts of the U.S., and even other parts of the world. While I miss them and our memories dearly, I will also miss the delicious pizza, pasta, paninis, and gelato that I ate every day. A part of me will also miss Italian meats, where I stopped my three-year pescatarian streak so I could eat whatever food I wanted to. I am excited to be back at USM for what is going to be my final semester of undergraduate studies, and experience my real first graduation ceremony in May, since COVID impacted the latter half of my senior year of high school. My adventure in Italy is a short chapter in my life that can only be described as the best friendship field trip ever.

Photo courtesy of Maia Loeb

Photo courtesy of Francisco the taxi driver

Creative Expression

Seeking clarity when one’s mind is fogged

Deklin Fitzgerald

Creative Writing Night, an event run by Graduate Assistant Karri Moser on behalf of Student Engagement and Leadership (SEAL), saw five USM students brush up on their creative writing skills as they tackled numerous different writing styles and prompts inspired by carefully selected photos.

Moser, a former news reporter and the author of five published novels, mentioned how such events are geared towards providing a creative outlet and venue to showcase student work, and are simply a way to remind people that writing is a creative expression that is good for the brain. She believes that everyone should commit time to self expression.

With music playing softly, each of the students were deep in thought as the gears in their heads shifted to produce some exceptional material, and some winning pieces.

At the beginning of the event, it was evident that these students were having trouble getting started, with displays

allow ample time to prepare for the final photo of that set of prompts.

The photo in question was of a dozen female adults wearing dress attire, accompanied by party hats and gathered around a white-clothed table. Senior Doug Banks won the first prize of the night, a notebook and sticky notes, with the following passage:

“Found upon a pedestal, try to stay still, for even when you’re on the ground, no one will be around.”

Following up with Banks after the event, he explained how writing plays a huge role in explaining his thoughts and feelings, and is in a sense a form of cheap therapy. “It costs less to buy a notebook than it does to sign up for therapy,” he said.

For those seeking a creative outlet, Doug casually suggested that you can “try anything that comes to mind, and don’t worry about feeling embarrassed or asking yourself if it is good or not. Because what is important is finding the part of you that makes you happy, when you express what is going on inside of you.”

The second set of prompts were poetry prompts. The final one asked each person to write a poem containing

the phrase “Winter is on my tongue,” and the students did not disappoint. Junior Audrey Hall produced the following passage and won a notebook and a pen:

“The air is frozen

My fingers like little icicles that will never thaw

The black sky looms above Through the twinkle of stars, little puffs of joy fall to the ground slowly quitting a cold blanket one stitch at a time. I turn my head up to the sky like a child for the first time

Winter is on my tongue And nothing is on my mind.”

The final prompt with the opportunity to win a prize was a photo of Ernest Hemingway’s six word sentence “For Sale: Baby shoes. Never Worn.”

Senior Kip Foster wrote the following passage: “Sometimes innocent lies are guilty truths.”

Click here or email arts@usmfreepress.org any writing pieces you’d like to have published in any edition of the

Web Editor

deklin fitzgerald / Web Editor

Kiip Foster who won the final prompt

deklin fitzgerald / Web Editor

Audrey Hall who won the second prompt

deklin fitzgerald / Web Editor

Doug Banks who won the first prompt

Funding Issues Arise Ahead of The Maine Deaf Film Festival

The ASL club faces new chalenges with decrease in student activity fee

Doug Banks News Editor

The 19th annual Maine Deaf Film Festival is the largest and longest running deaf film festival in the world. Over the past 20 years, the festival has brought together thousands of viewers and countless numbers of guest speakers from all over the world to participate in what could be considered one of Maine’s proudest traditions. Although the show is still set for April 21st and 22nd, this year has brought on a new situation: a decrease in student activity fees stemming from USM’s lowering retention rate.

The American Sign Language Club has run this festival for 20 years (excluding 2020 due to COVID-19) with the help of USM’s Linguistics department, USM Professors, and funding coming primarily from the Board of Student Organizations (BSO) and the Student Senate. The ASL Club runs a variety of different events and social gatherings throughout the year, but the biggest draw is the Film Festival. For the past two years specifically, the cost to put on the festival has averaged around $7,000, but sometimes it is difficult to reach that mark. According to ASL Club President Maia DeRosear, “Clubs themselves always pay at least 25% of the cost, and then the BSO covers the other 75% of the cost. So if I’m asking for $7,000 that means that ASL Club pays $1,750 and the BSO pays $5,250. Here’s where it gets tricky; any proposal to the BSO over $5,000, Student Government is required to pay half of that cost.” Which means that the BSO and Student Government have to pay $2,625 each, and for the past two years that DeRosear has been president of the club, this hasn’t been an issue–with the exception of this year.

DeRosear came to the Student Senate meeting on January 27th with the knowledge that there have been funding restraints

with the BSO and Student Government and understood the past proposals could be deemed as out of date, but she wanted to just get on the same page with the Senators. Referring back to the January 27th Student Senate Meeting article, on behalf of the ASL Club, DeRosear asked the Student Senate for $2,625, the other $2,625 to be covered by the BSO and the remaining $1,750 will be paid by the ASL Club; and due to the Student Government having to recently cut down on how much money they can distribute, they could not give the ASL Club the money they asked for. A second proposal was offered by DeRosear that changed the numbers to having the ASL Club pay a percentage more than what the BSO and the Student Senate would split between them. She mentioned when she initially brought this proposal up to her officers, a linguistics faculty advisor and a member of the Film Festival’s staff said that the Student Senate was turning their backs on the event due to the Senates cutting back on funding. DeRosear later said that comment was made from emotion and not fact only because that faculty member has been a part of the event since its inception and she knows the importance this event brings to thousands of people. After a lengthy conversation where the Senators asked outside members of the meeting to leave the room, they eventually asked everyone to return and it was revealed by the Student Senate that they could only contribute $500. The Student Senate was fully aware that this can come across “as a slap in the face”, according to Senate Chair Chance Gagne; but it is something that is being shown across all respective entities and groups and it was far from anything personal by the Student Senate towards the ASL Club.

The BSO’s current situation is that they don’t have the amount of money in their account that would allow them to cover

the funds for the festival and all the other clubs’ big events that they run. At the moment, according to DeRosear, the ASL Club actually has more money in their account than the BSO does in their special events account, and when a club is asking the BSO for a large amount of money, the BSO has to go to each individual club to get their approval to give that particular club that amount of money to make sure the BSO can still help the other clubs events. The Student Government’s situation is that they are facing funding restraints as a result of low student activity fees and USM’s low retention rate, a trend being seen throughout many public institutions. “The way our admission system works”, according to Student Body President Bri Demaso, “each academic year (September to May) we have an amount students that come to USM and based off of that data, from the previous year, we measure whether we are up or down in terms of retention.” Although COVID-19 and needs in the workforce are causes for this low retention rate as well, the other possible side effect is the 2025 Cliff. According to Demaso, “The 2025 Cliff is this fact that there were a lot less children born between 2008 and 2010 due to the recession during those years.” Which is true, studies show that there is a potential 10-15% drop in college students enrolling in higher education institutions. Even though it is projected to be two years out, the dropping retention rates of USM and other public institutions are happening right now, which is resulting in the Student Government and their respective entities to tighten their belts. It’s becoming a domino effect that is being shown with this particular situation between the Student Senate and the American Sign Language Club. ASL Club President DeRosear did say the club may not make a profit from the festival because of all the expenses that occur to make the festival possible. Bring-

ing in guest speakers for example is some of their biggest expenditures according to DeRosear. The cost to book them, pay for their flight, meals, and hotel fees add up and each guest’s rates vary as well. On top of that, the club needs to hire guides, helpers, and translators for the event as well since sign language is not a universal language. DeRosear said she is fortunate and supremely grateful for the fact the ASL Club has almost $10,000 currently in their bank account, largely due from the clubs fundraising, merchandise sales, ticket sales for all the events the club runs, and also a donation from Sorenson Communications that was donated exclusively to the club for the festival before DeRosear’s tenure as president.

“I see both of their perspectives,” DeRosear said about when she spoke to her club members while also negotiating funding with the Student Government during this period in time, “that’s what club leaders do we need to see both sides of it, and it’s my job to kind of mitigate those conversations right now, and really make sure that everybody isn’t playing the blame game because it’s easy to be angry. We’re understanding what happened and we’re gonna adapt to the situation. There’s a right to have feelings, but we need to adapt and know that there are ways through it and sit down and really look at the resources because as soon as we started to do that, we started to come up with solutions for our club that we will find a way.”

The 19th Annual Maine Deaf Film Festival will be taking place in April on Friday the 21st and Saturday the 22nd. For more information visit their website mainedeaffilmfest.com, contact Sandra Wood (sandra.wood@maine.edu), the USM Linguistics Department, or contact ASL Club through the Husky Hub, Instagram (@usm. aslclub), or their Facebook group (USM ASL Club).

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)

financial interests look especially promising now, aries, so seize any opportunities for advancement that come your way.

Taurus (April 20 - May 20)

logical thinking and a philosophical attitude enhance your communicative gifts, so people will be drawn to you to hear what you say.

Gemini (May 21 - June 20)

You might be most effective working solo, but if that isn’t possible, you should still accomplish whatever you set out to do, and do it well.

Cancer (June 21 - July 22)

a lot of useful information could result from social contacts with others in your field. Write it all down.

Word Search

ValentinesDayLoveFinder

Theme:My Valentine

Horoscopes

Leo (July 23 - August 22)

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

HEARTTQDRRGNMNKNRXDWOYHXY QMMFWUITXORCHOCOLATESGYEO ZDFFYGNBDSPFZCNSPXKEPECBJ CDITHPZRVEVOPDHJVOOLIMRUU WRANENBTLSCURAVQHCVFJAGKL LDBWNFCPKDPJETAKLRTBMYOPI ZLKKPEZDAIQMCESRFLOWERSIE GXARRPRWKWJDINKMOIUMQXRWT OVNTTFSPZUTCOIZSYGHUEBOEU VNASROMANCEOUGVRKNTWUOYID RRZLMZWLHSCTSHRXEPTYIPGGJ UNNSEYPISKTBOTCNSHHVBOVWD AZUDFNPPLBQDAJDAWMATVEWWN JMSQNOTCCUBVBWBQTUSJWMNMN FVWSAWFISBROMANTICNIGHTBQ TWLFCDXKNCFUYCRVYAUJWIPOX WMASIUMEZEUIJMFFFGPUPPIES WEVDRVPISOSHVOFOUNDFAMILY IPHIQAGIRFJDIVMQUQORCSFKC NQUKKKABDARLAHVAYSBZKNZXT EETHRDRIEDTZVYRXDRNTNNXNH VWZROCVNBWTIRLOVEHMXDCYSK IQBHBIFLIRBDOPTEQNVHESKHA OJRZVLMNGOFPCNFMZGXALTOHC TDJFIETBUXHIFMNUAPROPOSAL

RomanticNightValentinesDayFoundFamilyLove AdmirationChocolatesDateNightRed

PreciousProposalFlowers

RomanceDinnerPuppies

JulietHeartRoses

RomeoCupidPoem Wine ®

today you may feel especially practical and more inclined to want to get as many routine tasks out of the way as you can.

Virgo (August 23 - September 22) opportunities to do well-paying creative work could come to your attention today, Virgo, perhaps online.

Libra (September 23 - October 22)

libra, you probably feel especially sexy and passion ate now. You may enjoy browsing through catalogues of rich fabrics or furniture.

Scorpio (October 23 - November 21)

legal matters should definitely work in your favor today, particularly any involving property. You’re likely to feel positive about life

Sagittarius (November 22 - December 21) you may be drawing a lot of your ideas and insights from deep within your psyche.

Capricorn (December 22 - January 19) Your experience has joined with knowledge acquired from others to enable you to formulate practical ideas for advancement.

Aquarius (January 20 - February 18) oday you’re likely to experience a heightened level of intuition and how to use it, aquarius.

Pisces (February 19 - March 20)

friends or a group with which you’re affiliated could want you to help them formulate a workable plan for advancement.

Knock at the Cabin

Ben Reed Arts & Culture Editor

M. Night Shyamalan’s catalog of films, including The Sixth Sense, Split, and Old, are now accompanied by his latest project: Knock at the Cabin. Adapted from Paul G. Tremblay’s novel, The Cabin at the End of the World, the film follows a vacationing family of three who are approached by four strangers at their cabin. The strangers ask the family to sacrifice one of their own to prevent the apocalypse. The film stars an ensemble cast of Jonathan Groff, Ben Aldridge, Dave Bautista, Nikki Amuka-Bird, Kristen Cui, Abby Quinn and Rupert Grint.

A certain vein of creative genius has become Shyamalan’s trademark; the unique storylines featured in his movie trailers hold most people in a white-knuckle grip, and never fail to draw an audience to the theater to see his newest work. The execution of some of these ideas has left a little to be desired in his previous work, however. Dialogue between characters appears to be unnatural at times, or the sequencing of events occurs almost without reason (Old’s surprise twist made me chuckle in the theater at how illogical it seemed). Although Shyamalan has given us many great films in the past, his Achilles heel prevails at times. Nevertheless, Knock at the Cabin hails as a great piece of work in Shyamalan’s arsenal.

Reflecting on this movie, one aspect I heavily enjoyed was the healthy and normalized representation of LGBTQ+ relationships. As a queer person myself, I feel as though a lot of queer stories revolve around the comingout process, or dramatize the relationship so that the story centers less on the relationship, and more on the external issues that are faced. It feels like rewatching Peter Parker getting bit by the spider over and over again. While it is important to see the different veins of the queer experience through these lenses, it is refreshing to see this side of it. Groff and Aldridge, seen previously in Glee and Spoiler Alert, respectively, share amazing chemistry on screen as a couple that bands together in a time of distress, facing homophobia, or parental disapproval, instead of letting it divide them. Their relationship is shown in short flashbacks that do nothing more than contribute to the story (as opposed to adding unnecessary details that detract from the effect of the main storyline), and makes this less about the two characters being gay, and more about their love for each other and their daughter.

The performances–especially that of Grint, Bautista, as well as Groff and Aldridge–were stellar. Grint, who famously played Ron Weasley in the Harry Potter film series, shows a different layer of his acting prowess than anything we’ve seen before. While all eyes have been on his former co-stars, Daniel Radcliffe and Emma Watson, since the end of the classic franchise in 2011, Grint has emerged as a promising actor with this jarring perfor-

Event listings

February 15, 2023

Award-Winning Documentary Screening: “I Didn’t See You There” sponsored by the Disability Services Center

Abromson Center, Portland Campus, 4 P.M. - 5:30 P.M.

Lower Brooks, Gorham Campus, 8 P.M.9:30 P.M.

Free

February 17, 2023

Faculty Concert Series: Osher Faculty Jazz Ensemble, feat. Amanda Roswick

Corthell Hall, Gorham Campus

7:30 P.M.

General Admission $15, Senior/Alumni/Faculty/Staff $10

February 18, 2023

Women’s and Men’s Ice Hockey vs. NEHC Quarterfinals

USM Ice Arena, Gorham Campus

Time TBA

mance as one of the four strangers who appear at the family’s cabin. With his work in this project, I hope Grint has a wave of film appearances in the future. Bautista, known to Marvel fans as Drax in Guardians of the Galaxy, connects just as well with the characters onscreen as he does with audience members who see his clear reluctance to force Groff and Aldridge’s family to make an unthinkable decision.

One thing Shyamalan showcases in Knock at the Cabin, is his impressive use of thriller tactics. The score, composed by Herdís Stefánsdóttir, pairs excellently with the ebb and flow of the events onscreen, whether it be a tender moment, or a stressful one. The moral dilemma of sacrificing a family member–even if it is to avert a world-ending event–is enunciated further throughout the film with Stefánsdóttir’s score.

Knock at the Cabin deserves a watch from those who enjoy a good thriller flick. Seeing it in the dark of a movie theater certainly helps with the experience on the first watch. The suspense had me covering my face at times, waiting in anticipation. All the while my heart was warmed a bit at the sight of queer people shown on screen in a way that usually isn’t showcased in popular media. Aside from some hints of Shyamalan’s faults, the film as a whole is an impressive work that highlights the brighter side of his capabilities.

February 21, 2023

WMPG Mardi Gras Party

Abromson Center, Portland Campus

11 A.M. - 2 P.M.

Free

February 22, 2023

Larry Cat in Space

Southworth-Planetarium Science Building, Portland Campus

11 A.M. - 12 P.M.

$6 - $6.50

February 23, 2023

Huskies’ Open Skate

USM Ice Arena, Gorham Campus

11:30 A.M. - 1 P.M.

Free for students with a valid ID, $5 for adults, $3 for students and seniors

Want to submit an event?

arts@usmfreepress.org

Photo courtesy of bloody-disgusting.com

TO SLEEP OR NOT TO SLEEP—IS THAT THE QUESTION?

How many times do you intend to do something good for your health, and then don’t seem to follow through? Why do we seem to sabotage our own best interest sometimes? Most people feel better with 7-8 hours of sleep every night. Here’s how you can get in that routine.

Research has been done to identify what motivates people to make sustainable health changes. The Stages of Change model developed as a result. It is most helpful when you go through each stage fully, and that is the purpose of this article—to help you effectively make a sustainable plan to get enough sleep on a regular basis. The stages of change are precontemplation, contemplation, preparation, action and maintenance.

The first stage is Precontemplation, which generally means it’s not a problem for you. Let’s move on. Since you’re reading this article, you’re already contemplating.

Stage 2: Contemplation. This is when you recognize you

need more sleep. It’s very common for people to jump right into the action phase at this point, thinking “tonight’s the night—I’m going to be in bed by 10!” There’s a good chance you won’t be successful with that quick jump into the Action phase.

Next is stage 3: Preparation. This is when you are motivated to get a more consistent sleep schedule with an adequate number of hours of good quality sleep, and you’re ready to figure out how to do it.

This article is going to focus on these last two stages. They truly set the stage to make the action phase happen with more ease.

Research shows you need twice as many reasons to make a change as to not make a change. Get a piece of paper with two columns: REASONS TO MAKE A CHANGE and REASONS TO NOT MAKE A CHANGE. List all the reasons you can think of to keep doing what you’re doing, no matter how silly or seemingly inconsequential. People often list things like “quiet time,” “no demands on me,” “I can catch up with friends or family,” or “I need to study as much as possible.” It helps to see the things that may have been unconsciously motivating you to stay up too late.

Now, onto the reasons to make a change. You’ll need twice as many reasons to change in order to get over the resistance to making a change. Here’s some to add to your own personal list. If one of these is particularly compelling, add to it to personalize it even more:

• Improves your mood, decreases depressive symptoms

• Improves anxiety, decreases irritability

• More creativity

• Better focus

• Improves your memory

• Better academic performance (less than 5 hours of sleep for 2 nights can triple your inattention)

• Improves immune response, including your response to a vaccination

• Improves physical agility (motor skill speed and accuracy increases 20-40% after one full night of sleep)

• Lowers your risk of stroke, heart attack, cancer, diabetes and dementia

Now comes preparation: Flip over that sheet of paper and write out a plan. Here are some ideas:

• Choose a start date–maybe a Sunday evening.

• Remind yourself how good you’ll feel once you get good sleep

• Switch to non-caffeinated beverages after 2 p.m.

• Eat lightly at night, especially 2-3 hours before going to sleep

• Put away blue light devices one hour before sleep

• Keep your sleep environment dark

• Aim for a regular bedtime. Set a reminder on your phone an hour before bedtime

• Do your regular bedtime routine, and add one more relaxing activity for progressive relaxation: Do some light stretches, take a shower, listen to a calming app and put lavender lotion on your neck or face

• If a lot of worries arise at bedtime, keep a little notepad nearby and jot down things you need to address. Whether they are large or small worries, jot them down and reassure yourself that you will address them later.

Good luck and good preparation–your brain and your whole self will appreciate the gift of good sleep.

January 27th Student Senate Meeting

Doug Banks News Editor

The Student Senate and other USM government members held their first meeting of the semester on Friday, January 27th, with new and familiar faces gathering together in the hopes of continuing the progress made from last semester.

One of the first things brought up during the meeting was a motion raised by the Board of Student Organizations (BSO), who want the responsibility of approving constitutions for their organizations. Speaking on their behalf, the BSO’s Vice President Mary Bergendahl suggested that if the motion passed, it would take away the feeling of disconnect and could possibly bring forth a more efficient procedure for knowing where the constitutions are in the process and how long until those particular clubs are approved. When asked who would be training current and future BSO members, Bergendahl said that the BSO’s current President, Gabe Reed, is well versed in how constitutions should be structured, and that he would be working one-on-one with everyone under the BSO to help them become knowledgeable on the matter. Additionally, there is a plan in place for BSO members who are next in line for leadership positions in the organization to be trained in a variety of subjects so that the progress Bergendahl and other members have made in rebuilding the BSO will not be diminished. Although the Student Senate didn’t make a decision on whether or not to approve the motion, everyone in

the meeting came to the conclusion that it would be tabled and workshopped for a future meeting. It is also important to note that if this motion is approved, it would not retire the Constitutional Review Committee. The sole purpose of the motion is to serve the BSO internally.

In his report, Chair of the Student Senate Chance Gagne brought forward two stipends that are no longer necessary. The money within those stipends will be redistributed to their respective entities and clubs. This executive decision was finalized after noticing that the Board of Trustees stipend and the Student Senate Vice Chair stipend were no longer being used. The goal of redistributing the stipends is to help boost the groups’ productivity while also giving them some extra money to work with.

Gagne also mentioned in his report, which was later brought up in the new business portion of the agenda, that he spent many days over his winter break reworking the Student Senate’s own constitution to make it easier for people to access specific sections of the constitution via hyperlinks, which is something that the current constitution does not utilize. He also added things to the constitution that are spoken and understood by everyone at the meeting, but weren’t put officially into writing. Gagne stated during the meeting that “my intention with these edits was to put into writing everything we’ve currently been doing. It’s just been one of the things like, ‘that’s the rules we just talk about, we don’t have it in writing’. My goal was to

put this in writing.” For example, people joining the meeting on Zoom count towards the quorum, not just the people who are physically present at the meeting. An overarching reason for these changes is to help those in Student Senate leadership positions carry on without any setbacks due to miscommunication and a lack of knowledge after the current students graduate. A final vote on Gagne’s constitution changes is expected to take place during the next student senate meeting.

“Good Morning USM,” a morning announcement-style show produced by the Student Body President’s Office with collaborations from the SBP Cabinet, students from USM’s School of Music, and USM’s Media Studies program, is set to come out with their first episode on February 14th. Student Body President Bri Demaso says she came up with the idea back in October of 2022. When she brought it to her team, they immediately started brainstorming, with the purpose of creating a sense of community and belonging. Demaso said the segments that will be in the show include “student shoutouts, pets of the week, news on campus, community events, USM events, advice of the week,” and much more.

To watch the episodes, go to the USM Presidential Cabinet page on Instagram. If you have any questions, comments or concerns, feel free to direct message them at that account.

Two separate proposals were brought to the table during the meeting. The first proposal was put forth by the Student Senate

Clerk Ryan Mustapha who proposed forming a special committee that will rework the current school dance policy and help provide a foundational outline for future dances. This will also be a resource for future senators to refer to. The proposed committee will help dances meet USM’s policies and guidelines. This will ensure that the focus is on students having fun, but also that the students feel as though they are in a safe environment. The proposal passed unanimously with the exception of one abstained vote coming from Mustapha who sponsored the proposal.

The other proposal came from the President of the American Sign Language Club (ASL), Maia DeRosear, who came to the Student Senate asking for funding for the ASL’s 19th annual Maine Deaf Film Festival, which is one of the longest running deaf film festivals in the world. With the total budget for the event being around $7,000, DeRosear came to the Senate asking for $2,625 to help fund the event. This is the exact amount that was approved last year. The Student Senate mentioned that because of the financial restraints of this academic year, the amount proposed would potentially wipe out the Senate’s event budget. After a brief recess, the Senate came to the conclusion that they can only give the ASL Club $500 based on their own budget, and that the ASL Club has more money in their accounts than all the other clubs at USM.

For more information on this, refer to the article titled Funding Issues Arise ahead of The Maine Deaf Film Festival.

Rebecca Booth PMH-NP

The Love Lines Are In! USM students spreading the love

To: Louis Bean

You’re extraordinary. I love you!

~ Kam

Beffie, You’re one of the greatest. You owe me $6 for that ice cream you stole from me.

Love, Ben

To: My Terry

A man like you brings me to my knees

Thank god for making man in his image

Thank god for you

From yours: Andy

To: Kelly Dartboard Sup baby gorl

From: Cammie

To: Lucille

To my dear Finnigan, Happy 3rd Anniversary, and happy Valentine’s Day. You’re the best friend and fiancé that someone could ever ask for, and your kindness and empathy are contagious. It sounds cheesy, but I fall more in love with you every day. I’m so lucky to be in your life, and I appreciate your unconditional love and support. I love you to the moon and back, and with every star in-between.

With love, Atticus

Thank you for all that you do.

Love, the free press staff

To: Ben Reed

Happy Valentine’s Day Alex! There are so many wonderful aspects of you that I enjoy, with just a few being your hobbies, horses, care, and sense of humor. You’re simply wonderful - here’s to many more Valentine’s Days, listening to Noah Kahan in the car, and exploring Maine with you by my side.

Love, your boyfriend Atti

P.S. - Goose loves you too, even if she tries to eat your leather jacket and bites your fingers.

From: Beffie

To Amber & Adreanna May you find something you love as much as I love this Love, Kelly

Dear Atti, Happy Valentines Day! I love you so much and I hope have a great day. Thank you for everything, bean. <3

With love, Finny

USM Men and Women’s Track & Field teams place fourth at the Maine State Meet

Deja Joy Contributer

USM’s Men and Women’s Indoor Track & Field team both placed fourth at the 2023 Maine State Championships. This marks the second year in a row that both teams ranked fourth at the state meet. The Husky teams traveled to Bates College for the meet on Feb. 5, in Lewiston, Maine.

The men earned 63 points as a team, fell to the Bates (205.5 pts), Bowdoin (185 pts), and Colby (149.5 pts) all of which belong to the the New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC). Sophomore Jacob Jackson was the lone individual event winner, capturing the high jump state title with a clearance of 1.90m. By the end of the meet, the men’s team had seven top five finishes in individual events. Jackson also had a jump of 12.87m in the men’s triple jump to place third overall in the event.

The men had five other top five individual event finishes with senior Antoine Grace placing fourth in the 200 meter race, and junior Jack Pecoraro placing fifth in the men’s 800 meter run in the track events. In the field events, freshmen Christian Burke and Kaleb Janelle placed third and fifth be-

hind Jacon Jackson’s first place finish.

Similarly to the men, the women’s team secured 104 points, also fell to the three NESCAC schools, Bowdoin (175.33 pts), Bates (162pts), and Colby (159.66pts). Ultimately, the women walked away with 11 top five finishes in individual events, with three of those resulting in three first place finishes. In the 400 meters, sophomore Anna Reny sprinted away with the title win, posting a time of 1:00.66, which also doubled as her best collegiate time in the event on record. The Huskies also earned two wins in the field events with junior Olivia Jalbert clearing her season best of 1.61 in the high jump, and sophomore Zoe Barnes throwing her collegiate PR of 12.52m to secure the win.

The women’s 4x200 meter- relay, composed of freshman Janiah Young, sophomore Anna Reny, sophomore Heaven Conley, and junior Catriona Gould, went on to win the state title with an incredible time of 1:45.53. The women finished the meet with all relays finishing in the top five with the 4x400 meter- relay finishing third (4:22.34) and the 4x 800 meter- relay finishing fourth with a time of 10:57.51.

Other noteworthy event placements for the Huskies on the women’s side include three-time LEC Rookie of the Week recipient, Vermont native Janiah Young. Young, who was a part of the winning Husky relay, would place second in the 200 meters (26.57). Young also placed sixth in the long jump (5.00m) with Olivia Jalbert having the Huskies farthest jump in the event of 5.11m to place third. Senior Sophia Slovenski placed second in the women’s pole vault with a team high of 3.60m. Husky freshman Autumn Gerry and Marie Prock placed third and fifth in the women’s high jump, with Gerry clearing 1.51m and Prock clearing 1.46m, respectively. Zoe Barnes, a top place finisher in the shop put, went on to place fourth in the weight throw with a toss of 13.56m.

After the meet, the Huskies were awarded multiple Little East Conference honors. On the men’s side, reigning indoor pole vault D3 National Champion, junior Ben Drummy earned LEC Field Athlete of the Week. The women won LEC Field Athlete of the Week (senior Sophia Slovenski), Track Rookie of the Week (freshman Janiah Young), and Relay of the Week for the

4x200 meter-relay (Young, Reny, Conley, and Gould).

Both USM’s Men and Women’s Indoor Track & Field teams are known for their greatness. On the women’s side winning 21 LEC championships in the last 24 years, falling short twice to Rhode Island College and once to the global pandemic, with their most recent being last year. The men, who are also familiar with winning, claimed 14 LEC championships in the same time span, their last championship win during the 2019 season.

Coach Rob Whitten joined the program in 2019 before being named head coach of the women’s program during the 2021 season. Fast forward a couple of seasons, and Coach Whitten now heads both programs with assistant coach Andrew Rose. While both inherited an already successful program, Whitten has made it a point with his athletes that there is always more to be achieved.

The Huskies continue to prepare for the 2023 LEC Indoor Track and Field Championship, which is fast approaching on February 18th, hosted by Plymouth State University.

USM 2023 Spring Sports Preview

Baseball

Ed Flaherty enters the 2023 season with over three decades of experience under his belt as he starts his 37th season as head coach of the USM Men’s Baseball team. The Huskies begin their season coming off a 23-19 (.548) record in 2022. Coach Flaherty continues his reign of the best record of a baseball head coach at USM with an outstanding .690 (1093-490). Additionally, Coach Flaherty is ranked in the top ten for most wins by an active NCAA Division III baseball coach.

The Huskies are ranked 38th in the nation by National Collegiate Baseball Newspaper (NCBN)’s preseason D3 Baseball poll and are still receiving votes in d3baseball. com’s poll. The team entered the Little East Conference Championship Tournament ranked No. 4, but their season ended with two tough losses to No. 3 Umass Boston (7-0) and No. 1 Eastern Connecticut (5-0). Eastern Connecticut would go on to win both the LEC Championship and the D3 National Championship.

Top Huskies to watch this upcoming season are junior Bryce Afthim, senior Arlo Pike, and junior Cam Seymour. All three Huskies received postseason honors, with Pike being placed on the All LEC 1st team for his efforts as the teams top designated

hitter. Both Afthim (starting pitcher) and Seymour (first base) found a spot on the All LEC 2nd team with Seymour also finding a home on the All LEC 3rd team for his role as one of the Husky’s best relief pitchers.

The Huskies will open up the 2023 season on Friday, March 3 versus Salve Regina in Newport, Rhode Island at 1:00 pm. The first home game of the season for the Huskies will be a doubleheader on Saturday, April 1 against LEC opponent UMass Dartmouth at 1:00 and 3:00pm on Ed Flaherty Field.

Softball

Head Coach Sarah Jamo enters her 11th season this year after the USM’s Softball team finished their season going 24-16 (.600) overall in 2022. The Huskies had a LEC record of 13-3 (.812) which allowed them to enter the LEC Championship Tournament as the second ranked overall team. The team opened the LEC tournament with a loss to No. 3 UMass Dartmouth (11-6), a win over No. 6 Plymouth State University (6-2) before ultimately falling to No. 4 Castleton (1-0) to close out their season.

The Huskies return six players that received all LEC postseason honors; senior Lauren Ledidemann-Smith (First Team, second base), junior Belle Snyder (First Team, utility/pitcher), junior Rona Scott (Second Team, first base), senior Lauren Miller (Second Team, outfield), junior Lauren Merrill (Second Team, utility/pitcher)

and sophomore Meaghan Dufresne (All Rookie Team, utility).

Coach Jamo and the USM Softball team will start their 2023 season in Kissimmee, Florida against Meredith College on Monday, March 13 at 9:00 am at the Fortune Road Athletic Complex. The first home game will be a doubleheader Saturday, April 1 at 12:00 and 2:00 pm versus LEC opponent Western Connecticut State University.

Men’s Lacrosse

The Men’s Lacrosse team finished the 2022 season with an overall record of 3-10, while having a conference record of 1-7. The Huskies finished their year coming in eighth in the LEC. Head Coach Sam Manders returns for his fourth season in charge.

Senior Nick James returns for his last year of eligibility. James started in all 13 games during which he set program records for single-game points (13) and most goals scored in a single-game (9).

Coach Manders and his team earned an eighth place ranking in the 2023 LEC Men’s Lacrosse Preseason Coaches’ Poll with 18 points. UMass Boston finished first overall with a total of 64 points.

The Huskies will start their 2023 campaign versus in-state rival Bates College on Wednesday, February 22 at 1:00 pm in Lewiston, Maine. Closely after the men will host their first home game Sunday,

February 26 against Maine Maritime Academy on Hannaford Field at 4:00 pm.

Women’s Lacrosse

The Women’s Lacrosse team looks to continue to build upon the success of last season. Finishing 2022 with an overall record of 17-10 behind Head Coach Angela Mills. The Huskies secured a fourth place ranking heading into the LEC Championship Tournament after posting a 4-3 conference record during the regular season.

Mills, entering her third season as head coach, will have to rely on her strong trio of graduate student Rachel Shanks, leading scorer for the program, junior goalkeeper Cece Racine, who ranked in the top five for best save percentage for goalies in NCAA D3, and junior Kiaya Gatchell, who was named to Second Team All-LEC last season.

In the 2023 LEC Women’s Lacrosse Preseason Coaches’ Poll, Coach Mills and the Huskies ranked third with 39 points, while Western Connecticut State University ranked first with 48 points and Plymouth State University placed second with 41 points.

The Huskies will open their season Saturday, February 18 versus Curry College in Milton, Massachusetts. Their home campaign will begin Monday, March 13 versus New England College at 4:00pm.

Deja Joy Contributer

Illistrations by Alivia Halza