The Kaimin Cast

New Year‘s Weed: What to know before rec. marijuana hits the market

It's finally here. After Montanans voted to legalize recreational marijuana in the 2020 election, and the Montana Legislature hammered out a plan to regulate weed earlier this year, existing medical marijuana dispensaries are set to begin selling the drug for recreational use on New Year's Day. The new law will have big implications for anyone over the age of 21. Possession penalties may change for students. Tax dollars will roll into Missoula and the state's coffers.

But Montanans who've grown and sold their own products illegally for years still have some waiting to do before the law catches up with them.

News reporter Emily Tschetter joins Kaimin Cast host Austin Amestoy to break down what's changing for weed in the new year, what's staying the same, and what students need to know.

 

Produced and edited by Austin Amestoy. Reporting by Emily Tschetter.

 

Questions? Comments? Email us at editor@montanakaimin.com

 

A podcast from the Montana Kaimin, University of Montana's independent, student-run newspaper.

Up with Montana: Voices from a campus revived

When UM switched to remote classes in March 2020, campus life ground to a halt. Theater productions days away from opening were delayed indefinitely. Classrooms emptied and went silent. Even the Oval quieted as students quarantined amid swirling questions about a new virus that had just arrived in the United States.

The COVID-19 pandemic altered life at UM for most of the last year and a half. This fall, though, campus largely came back to life with the return of football, music, protests, in-person learning and more.

This week, the Kaimin asked UM staff and students to share their stories from a return to an in person campus. 

 

Special thanks to our listeners for submitting their voices for this podcast.

Questions? Comments? Email us at editor@montanakaimin.com

 

A podcast from the Montana Kaimin, University of Montana's independent, student-run newspaper.

‘Feast or Famine:‘ The rockin‘ rise of a young Missoula band

A bassist with Brazilian-food cravings. A dinosaur-obsessed vocalist. An Alaskan ex-pianist. These are some of the eclectic members of self-described "evil psychedelic jazz rock" band Cosmic Sans. The five-member group is made up of current and former UM students and just released its self-titled debut album in October. 

Though it started out opening for other well-known Missoula bands like Fertile Crescent and the Skurfs, Cosmic Sans is beginning to forge its own path, drawing on its UM connections and riding the wave of local music's resurgence in the wake of the COVID 19 pandemic.

This week, Kaimin arts reporter Josh Moyar joins Kaimin Cast host Austin Amestoy to share the unwritten story of Cosmic Sans.

 

Questions? Comments? Email us at editor@montanakaimin.com

 

Music contributed by Cosmic Sans.

 

A podcast from the Montana Kaimin, University of Montana's independent, student-run newspaper.

The Griz Hockey hiatus is over

Seven years ago, Griz Hockey played its last game on the Glacier Ice Rink at the Missoula fairgrounds. The student-run program had slowly crumbled under a lack of leadership, financing and marketing, and a difficult workload for student athletes. 

But thanks to a ravenous fanbase, eager players and a new general manager with great ambitions, Griz Hockey is back on the rink this fall, better attended and more thunderous than ever. 

Kaimin sports reporter Holly Malkowski joins Kaimin Cast host Austin Amestoy and brings us the story of Griz Hockey's miraculous resurrection and the man who made it happen. 

 

Questions? Comments? Email us at editor@montanakaimin.com

 

A podcast from the Montana Kaimin, University of Montana's independent, student-run newspaper.

Title IX questions linger amid UM law school fallout

In late September, the Daily Montanan reported that a cohort of students in UM's Alexander Blewitt III School of Law said the school's deans had discouraged them from reporting sexual misconduct to the Title IX office on campus. Following the report and backlash from students who walked out of the school in protest, Associate Dean Sally Weaver and Dean Paul Kirgis resigned from their positions.

But the resignations raise questions about the present and future of Title IX investigations at the University and whether or not a resignation spells the end of an investigation. 

This week, Kaimin news reporter Emily Tschetter joins Kaimin Cast host Austin Amestoy to catch us up on the turmoil within the law school and where the story might go from here.

 

Questions? Comments? Email us at editor@montanakaimin.com

 

A podcast from the Montana Kaimin, University of Montana's independent, student-run newspaper.

The Haunting of Jeannette Rankin Hall

Some phenomena defy scientific explanation, and that is where we must diverge into the spiritual. For decades, rumors have swirled that UM is home to a number of unspeakable specters that haunt its oldest buildings. 

As the spookiest night of the year approaches, the Kaimin called up its most seasoned ghostbuster, Editor-in-Chief Addie Slanger, for one more night of phantom examination in UM's own Jeannette Rankin Hall. But this time, she enlisted help from a true paranormal investigator, Jenn Keintz. 

Addie sat down with "Kreepy" Cast host Austin Amestoy to chronicle the haunting of Jeannette Rankin Hall.

 

Questions? Comments? Reach us at editor@montanakaimin.com

 

A podcast from the Montana Kaimin, University of Montana's independent, student-run newspaper.

Bearpocalypse Now

Black bears are familiar residents of Montana's mountains and forests and have garnered a reputation for their surprise visits to UM’s campus. 

But, drawn by the irresistible scent of human garbage, bears are frequenting Missoula at unusually high rates this fall, leading to increased headaches for Fish, Wildlife and Parks and an uptick in encounters with unsuspecting students.

Kaimin arts and culture reporter Haley Yarborough joins Kaimin Cast host Austin Amestoy to "bear" the good and bad news about our furry forest friends and the efforts underway to keep them -- and us -- safe. 

 

Questions? Comments? Reach us at editor@montanakaimin.com

 

A podcast from the Montana Kaimin, University of Montana's independent, student-run newspaper.

UPDATE: UM professor takes paid leave pending blog investigation

After the Montana Kaimin published that UM computer science professor Rob Smith had been reported to the University for a misogynistic blog, officials announced that Smith will be taking paid leave pending an investigation of his online writings.

 

Kaimin Cast host Austin Amestoy has a special update on the reaction to the Kaimin's reporting in the first few days following publication.

 

A podcast from the Montana Kaimin, University of Montana's independent, student-run newspaper.

 

Questions? Comments? Reach us at editor@montanakaimin.com

UM professor reported for ‘disturbing,‘ ‘ethically bankrupt‘ blog

In August, four women filed a Title IX lawsuit against UM alleging sex discrimination. Weeks later, new allegations emerged that leaders at the School of Law discouraged students and professors from coming forward with their own Title IX complaints. The law school's deans have since resigned, and the university has stated it intends to launch an independent investigation into the complaints. 

Now, the Montana Kaimin has learned that a computer science professor has been reported by his superiors for writing an online blog described by coworkers as "disturbing" and "ethically bankrupt."

This week, news reporter Andy Tallman speaks with Kaimin Cast host Austin Amestoy and breaks down the content of professor Rob Smith's blog and YouTube videos -- and the reaction from UM staff and students. 

 

Questions? Comments? Reach us at editor@montanakaimin.com

 

A podcast from the Montana Kaimin, University of Montana's independent, student-run newspaper.

Erim Gómez: Shattering ceilings in science

National Hispanic Heritage Month runs every year from Sept. 15 - Oct. 15, but for one University of Montana wildlife biology professor, celebrating heritage is a way of living, not a yearly event. 

As a relatively new professor at UM, Dr. Erim Gómez is bringing a strong connection to his culture and his love for the outdoors into his classroom, hoping to encourage his students to do the same. 

Kaimin Photo Editor Antonio Ibarra joins Kaimin Cast host Austin Amestoy with the story of how one Hispanic American professor is inspiring students to achieve success.

 

Questions? Comments? Email us at editor@montanakaimin.com

 

A podcast from the Montana Kaimin, University of Montana's independent, student-run newspaper.