The Kaimin Cast

Frozen by the pandemic, LGBTQ events at UM are heating up | The Second Look

After a pandemic lull, the queer community has reemerged in full force with a drag show thrown by the Lambda Alliance and the Women's Resource Center at UM's University Center.

That's given LGBTQ students the chance to explore identity in a group setting for the first time in years — and the party's just getting started.

On this episode of the Second Look: how Missoula's queer community comes together to celebrate.

The Second Look is reported and edited by Elinor Smith.


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

 

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

Out & Proud: A queer Valentine’s Day roundtable

Last year, the Montana Legislature passed a series of bills targeting queer people based on their identities. One law now bans transgender women from participating in women's sports, while a second permits discrimination toward LGBTQ people on the basis of religion. 

But ahead of Valentine's Day, queer people in Missoula say the city remains an inclusive and welcoming place, and that love and friendship within the community remain strong.

On this episode, Kaimin arts and culture editor Clarise Larson leads a roundtable discussion with advocates and activists within UM's queer community about the struggles they faced and their hopes for the future.

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

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

Ex-RA made a difference in UM dorm, students say | The Second Look

When UM sophomore Alex Crisp quit his job as an RA in Jesse Hall last fall due to stress and burnout, he left behind a cohort of residents who say he made a real difference in their lives — building relationships, supporting them through difficult times and drawing the entire floor closer.

On this episode of the Second Look: a dive into the impact resident assistants make on students long after they leave, and the challenges to mental health and wellness they face in the role every day.

The Second Look is reported and edited by Elinor Smith.

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

 

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

Are we asking too much of our dorm RAs?

In late 2021, a letter circulated among University of Montana administration, students and media outlets containing a plea for help. It said the resident assistants living and working in the dorms need more support.

Alex Crisp, a former RA, wrote the letter following a series of incidents in UM's Jesse Hall that led him to quit the position early. He cited, "Ridiculous hours, unsafe conditions, toxic work circles and manipulative overseers" as examples of the challenges he faced. 

And he's not alone. Kaimin features editor Mariah Thomas found other former RAs who echoed Alex's experiences, while UM Housing says it continues to reach out to RAs with concerns.

This week, Alex Crisp joins Kaimin Cast host Austin Amestoy to talk about his time as an RA and his plea for change from the University.

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

 

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

After DACA, a UM student dreams of citizenship | The Second Look

Missoula College student and mother-of-three Nereyda Calero says it felt like her world was ending when the Trump administration announced in 2017 it would rescind the "Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals" program, or "DACA." The policy, established under former President Barack Obama in 2012, protects immigrants brought to the United States illegally as children from deportation and allows them to work legally. 

Calero — a recipient of the program — says she wasn't about to let the program die. It didn't, and now she's fighting for additional protections for people like her.

The Second Look is reported and produced by Elinor Smith.


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

 

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

Still Dreaming: How a student found her voice fighting for DACA

Nearly 10 years ago, former President Barack Obama announced a program designed to protect undocumented immigrants brought into the United States as children. The policy — Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, or "DACA," — went into place in June 2012. By 2020, more than 600,000 former childhood arrivals had secured protection from deportation and the ability to work in the United States.

But the policy faced numerous legal and executive challenges over the years that fueled a vocal nationwide movement of DACA recipients fighting for the rights of other dreamers.

On this episode, Kaimin photo editor Antonio Ibarra joins Kaimin Cast host Austin Amestoy with the story of a DACA recipient living in Missoula who overcame unimaginable challenges and is working to help other dreamers do the same.

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

 

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

Incentivized retirement bittersweet for some UM professors | The Second Look

Maria Bustos retired last semester along with 15 other professors in the University of Montana's College of Humanities and Sciences. After a more than 30-year career, she decided to step down from her tenured position in the Spanish department and enjoy time with her loved ones — that, and the University offered her an early retirement package.

The cuts came as part of UM's plan to slim down the College of Humanities and Sciences following enrollment drops over the last decade. But Bustos and other professors who took early retirement are concerned about the health of the programs they're leaving behind.

The Second Look is brought to you by Kaimin audio reporter Elinor Smith.

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

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

TRAILER: Introducing ’The Second Look’

From the minds behind the Kaimin Cast comes an all-new segment: The Second Look.

Sometimes, after the mics are muted and the interview's over, you still have questions. The Kaimin Cast offers rich storytelling and in-depth reporting from the journalists of the Montana Kaimin, University of Montana's independent, student-run newspaper. But this semester, the story doesn't end on Thursday.

The Second Look, reported and hosted by UM journalism junior Elinor Smith, offers listeners the chance to hear the Kaimin Cast "story of the week" from a new perspective. A few days after the Kaimin Cast airs, this new segment will take a true "second look" at the story.

Whose voices haven't been heard? Which stories are still untold? How are people responding to the issues raised?

Check your Kaimin Cast feed for new episodes of The Second Look on Monday mornings.


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

 

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

Down $10 million and 15 professors, UM Humanities fights to survive

The University of Montana has long had a reputation as Montana's premier liberal arts school with a College of Humanities and Sciences that educates 42% of the university students. However, that same Humanities Department has endured 68% of UM's budget cuts since 2015, with 15 professors in the school accepting an early retirement package last semester.

The hits to the humanities have left some degree programs with just one or two professors bearing heavier workloads and students who will be the last to graduate from UM with certain majors.

Kaimin Features Editor Mariah Thomas joins Kaimin Cast host Austin Amestoy to break down the state of the Humanities and Sciences at UM and how faculty and students are adapting.

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

 

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

The Kaimin Cast: What‘s bringing bears into Missoula?

Black bears are familiar residents of Montana's wilderness, and at the University of Montana — a campus nestled at the base of several mountains — they've garnered a reputation for surprising unsuspecting students.

But bears also bumbled through the streets and backyards of Missoula at higher rates than usual this fall, leading to increased headaches for Fish, Wildlife and Parks and questions about what's driving the uptick.

On this episode of the Kaimin Cast, arts and culture reporter Haley Yarborough digs in to the reasons behind the ursine influx and whether climate change may keep the bears barging into city limits.

 

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

 

This episode is a special remix of our original episode, "Bearpocalypse Now," made for the NPR College Podcast Challenge.

Produced and edited by Austin Amestoy. Reporting by Haley Yarborough.