The Kaimin Cast

The Food Zoo is history and the new Lodge Dining Center delights in its decor and food offerings. But ballooning budgets, staff shortages and high expectations could prove difficult in satisfying students hungry for change. Episode by Bayliss Flynn / Montana Kaimin Full transcripts of this episode and all others are available online at www.montanakaimin.com/the_kaimin_cast/ Questions? Comments? Em...

Former followers of a fundamentalist Mormon sect still practicing polygamy in Pinesdale, Montana, provide an insider perspective. With a population of 900, Pinesdale has just a few last names. Montanans will give you a knowing look when you mention the town just 45 miles from the University of Montana. Episode by Bayliss Flynn / Montana Kaimin Full transcripts of this episode and all others are av...

The Entertainment Management club at the University of Montana has seen some massive growth in its two years of existence. But for a while, the club had to operate without a staff adviser, without leadership. Listen to club president Marley Miller talk about taking the reins and leading the club as a student. Episode by Clayton Murphy / Montana Kaimin Full transcripts of this episode and all other...

Montana Griz Football star Junior Bergen talks about what name, image and likeness deals mean to him and similar busy athletes, as University of Montana administrators adjust to the ever changing world of college sports endorsements. Episode by Bayliss Flynn / Montana Kaimin Full transcripts of this episode and all others are available online at www.montanakaimin.com/the_kaimin_cast/ Questions? Co...

The University of Montana has been fighting a battle with between 100 and 300 pigeons for the last year. The birds have made a home alongside students and staff in Elliott Village Apartments. The next chapter of UM’s pigeon problems is taking place right on my porch— and UM is losing.  Episode by Elinor Smith / Montana Kaimin   Full transcripts of this episode and all others are available online a...

A winter in the wilderness would change everything for award-winning author and University of Montana graduate Pete Fromm. Taking a chance to set out alone in the woods helped him find himself and his future.  Episode by Bayliss Flynn / Montana Kaimin Full transcripts of this episode and all others are available online at www.montanakaimin.com/the_kaimin_cast/ Questions? Comments? Email us at edit...

When Superior, Montana lost its biggest employer, the lumber mill, the county’s hospital became its last big establishment. Now two lifelong best friends and Superior residents are stepping up for their small town. Full transcripts of this episode and all others are available online at www.montanakaimin.com/the_kaimin_cast/ Episode by Clayton Murphy / Montana Kaimin clay.murphy@umconnect.umt.edu  ...

DeAnna Bublitz learned to hunt about a decade ago after moving to Montana from Minnesota. Over these 10 years, she’s felt that the sport is not as accessible or welcoming to women, queer folks, or new adult hunters as it is to men and people who grew up in the sport. Now, through her collective DEER Camp, she’s on a mission to mentor underrepresented hunters when they may have no one else to turn...

In 2011, Syria was absorbed by civil war. Rozan Shbib and her family fled to Egypt, where she was finally able to follow her childhood dream and study to become a lawyer. But once again, the family had to move. Now in Missoula, Shbib has to give up on her dream. But there’s still some hope.   Full transcripts of this episode and all others are available online at www.montanakaimin.com/the_kaimin_c...

Since she was a kid, contra dancing is something that has helped Laura Cova find her people. Now, she’s stepping up as a new dance caller, a challenge she’s adding to her already busy life as a UM grad student studying speech pathology – and as a mom.

Every day at noon, music from the University of Montana’s bell tower fills campus. But it’s not Quasimodo up there – it’s 72-year-old Barbara Ballas, UM’s very own carillonneur.   Episode by Clayton Murphy / Montana Kaimin clay.murphy@umconnect.umt.edu   Full transcripts of this episode and all others are available online at www.montanakaimin.com/the_kaimin_cast/ Questions? Comments? Email us at e...

The University of Montana Herbarium is a library of over 140,000 dried plant specimen from as early as the 1800s. Giovanna Bishop is the library's curator, but she's worried about a lack of use and interest in her field.   Episode by Lotus Porte-Moyel / Montana Kaimin   Full transcripts of this episode and all others are available online at www.montanakaimin.com/the_kaimin_cast/ Questions? Comment...

Surrounded by natural beauty, Western Montana and the University of Montana are epicenters of outdoor recreation. But UM sophomore Sadie Arnold has noticed some less-than-positive attitudes surrounding the outdoor sports community.    Full transcripts of this episode and all others are available online at www.montanakaimin.com/the_kaimin_cast/ Questions? Comments? Email us at editor@montanakaimin....

Held vs. Montana was the United States' first constitutional climate change lawsuit to go to trial. University of Montana student Olivia Vesovich was one of 16 youth plaintiffs who helped win the case. This episode, Vesovich shares her story about testifying for one of the country's landmark climate action cases.   By Lotus Porte-Moyel / Montana Kaimin lp195334@umconnect.umt.edu   Full transcripts...

University of Montana Senior Scott O’Donnell makes realistic wooden swords in his family’s garage for fun. From historic to high-fantasy, he’s made almost every type of sword you can think of. O’Donnell is pursuing a broad-field social studies degree, and although he says his course work doesn’t leave him much time for extracurriculars outside of class, some of his favorite lessons have still take...

In the field of forestry, experience is everything. For some at the University of Montana, the summer is the perfect time to gain some of that critical experience in order to land a job after college. Although fighting fires is dangerous work, some do it during the hot summer months not only to bolster their resumes but to keep the state they call home safe from fires. Listen to the final episode...

On Friday, April 21, students running for ASUM elections sat down for candidate debates hosted by the Montana Kaimin. Some of the teams running for president and vice president had some big ideas. But, really, how much power does the student government of the University of Montana have? In this week's episode by audio editor Alyssa Tompkins, listen to ASUM executive candidates talk about their pol...

The University of Montana Campus is alive with the music of the Roots Group, a class and band who play free form music. Their music includes singing, the fiddle, the spoons and much more. The group has become a tight knit community who rely on the laid back style of music as an escape from the rigid structure of classical music.  In this week's episode, news reporter Claire Bernard brings you the...

On February 24th, 2023, University of Montana dorm and office building, Aber Hall, flooded. A pipe had burst on the top floor. Students were quickly evacuated from Aber and not allowed to return. They were relocated until the building was cleaned up and deemed safe again. The University says the flood was not preventable, but a former facilities and maintenance manager doesn’t believe the same.  L...

Many University of Montana students rely heavily on financial aid in order to pay for their education. As important as the department of financial aid is, it is the cause of plenty of stress and heartache for many students. But, why is financial aid causing so many issues for students? Kaimin Cast reporter Clayton Murphy sits down with Kaimin news reporter Claire Bernard to dive into her past repo...

This Thursday, more than 30 different schools from across the west and the Marshall Islands will be at the University of Montana’s campus for the Western Regional Honors Council Conference. UM's Davidson Honors College applied to host the event five years ago and are now getting their chance to shine. Students from the honors college are doing many different types of presentations ranging from aca...

The ROTC, or Reserve Officer Training Corps, often seems like an private club. Many people know that the students who are a part of the ROTC are training to be involved some way in the military. But beyond that, what is the ROTC? Meet some of the people that make up the University of Montana's ROTC and what they think it actually is. Full transcripts of this episode and all others are available on...

Although the University of Montana doesn’t have a competitive swim team, they do have a 25 meter pool. The pool isn’t in the same building as the rest of the University of Montana’s recreation facilities, so it’s out of sight and out of mind for many students.   Listen to meet some of the people who keep the pool up and running for students to enjoy and why they keep on coming back.    Full transc...

Have you ever stopped to think about how much money you spend on DoorDash and delivery apps like it? DoorDash and other food delivery apps have built an empire with some very loyal customers. But, how did they do that? This week, Kaimin Cast reporter Clayton Murphy dug into the world of how DoorDash got to be such a big deal amongst one of the most notoriously broke demographics: college students....

Boris Granovskiy and Allison Brown are a couple that were brought together with the help of one sport most people have never even heard of. Granovskiy is a lover of the sport of orienteering, which requires you to find your way to check points using only a map, a compass and your wits. Brown had never even heard of orienteering until she met Granovskiy, now it's a huge part of their life together....