The Kaimin Cast

With Valentine's Day just around the corner, the University of Montana's campus is alive with  love. However, what about the other side of the holiday? Hear from UM students about their own heartaches and heartbreaks in this week's episode with Kaimin Cast reporter Clayton Murphy. Full transcripts of this episode and all others are available online at https://www.montanakaimin.com/ Questions? Comm...

You’ve probably passed by the pond-style ice rink on the Oval and the propane fire pits and adirondack chairs around it. The rink officially made a home for itself on the Oval in 2020, but who started it and who skates on it? In this episode, Kaimin Cast editor Alyssa Tompkins laced up her skates and hit the ice to talk to the students who brave the winter air to skate on the oval. Full Transcript...

Choosing your major fresh out of high school is a daunting task not for the faint of heart. It can be one of the best or worst decisions you've ever made. Would you change your major if you had the chance? In this episode, Kaimin Cast reporter Clayton Murphy speaks to students who have or who have thought about switching their major and what that means for their academic and personal lives. Full t...

Many students traveled near and far for winter break this year. Traveling is not environmentally friendly, but it does have its upsides like seeing family and bolstering your mental health. In this episode of the Kaimin Cast, editor Alyssa Tompkins speaks with Environmental Ethics Professor Christian Preston and The Director of Climate Change Studies Program, Peter McDonough to dig into whether or...

Everyone has that one relative they just can’t stand. Before UM goes home for the holidays, we decided to hit the streets and ask students for their most memorable holiday stories, secrets and scandals. But, to avoid family drama making it back to the source, we kept it anonymous.    In this Kaimin Cast episode, reporter Clay Murphy and editor Elinor Smith unearth UM students’ holiday mishaps and...

Earlier this year, Gabbie Byers started the bug club. Crickets, worms, roly polies, and beetles— ever since she could remember, Byers has been interested in creepy crawlies. But she hasn’t always been able to find a community that shared her entomological love.    In this Kaimin Cast episode, reporter Clay Murphy tells the story of how bug club came to be and how students across UM found a home in...

Have you ever wondered who keeps the University Center Garden looking so lush and green? Well, look no further! Dive into the world of the UC Gardens and the changes it has seen over the years. Maybe even spot some dinosaurs or garden gnomes while you’re at it!    In this Kaimin Cast episode, reporter Alyssa Tompkins speaks to Sean Helms, the new UC Gardening manager, to dive into its past and wha...

Do you know what a fandle is? If you don’t, it’s a fan-themed candle. My sister, Harriet Smith, used to make twilight-themed candles for her Etsy shop. Claire de Lune, Forks, La Push, and Olympic Coven, to name a few. Hear the story of the rise and fall of my sister’s Etsy shop, Thistle Candle Co. In this Kaimin Cast episode, editor Elinor Smith speaks to her sister about her old Etsy business and...

From court jesters to Pennywise, their painted faces haunt countless people worldwide. The trope of the creepy clown is well-established, but how did clowns go from jokesters to monsters?    In this Kaimin Cast episode, reporter Alyssa Tompkins answers why clowns give us the creeps.    Full transcripts of this episode and all others are available online at http://www.montanakaimin.com/     Questio...

Traveling preachers visited UM’s campus earlier this October. Students’ reactions were strong, and at times, the preachers drew crowds of around 150 people. The preachers yelled at the crowds, and the crowds yelled back.    In this Kaimin Cast episode, editor Elinor Smith answers why the open-air preachers visited our campus, what their end goal is and how students can properly respond to any futu...

Carl Shaw has to work three jobs to pay for college. Although in-state tuition at UM has stayed the same for the last three years, that doesn’t stop the out-of-pocket costs from affecting students. Many students have to sign on to multiple jobs to afford school and living costs.    In this Kaimin Cast episode, reporter Alyssa Tompkins talks about balancing work and life while enrolled in classes. ...

Doug Emlen has been working at the University of Montana for around 25 years, but he's been studying beetles for even longer. Emlen has always been interested in the extremes of the animal kingdom, and the huge horns on some of the beetles he studies caught his eye. Since then, he's learned the ins and outs of beetle battle.  In this Kaimin Cast episode, editor Elinor Smith talks to Doug Emlen abo...

The local band, Queenager, is made up of one UM professor and one UM student. Together they write and produce synth-pop songs. Their album Easy was released last year.    In this episode, Kaimin Cast reporter Alyssa Tompkins speaks to local musicians Sarah Frazier and Bryan Kostors about how they came to form "the pop duo of the millennium," Queenager.    Full transcripts of this episode and all o...

The PEAS Farm is a 10 acre farm in the Rattlesnake just about ten minutes from the University of Montana. They grow everything from pears to garlic, and call themselves home to some pigs and many chickens. The farm is a part of Garden City Harvest, a local non-profit that donates food to organizations like the Food Bank and UM Pantry. Students at UM are offered an internship through the program to...

Since 2017, fentanyl overdose has gone up more than 1,000% in Montana. Students for Sensible Drug Policy, a service organization focused on harm reduction, educates students at UMT on how to take drugs and avoid overdose safely. They do this through distributing fentanyl testing strips, Narcan, and most importantly, sharing information about how to take drugs safely.  In this episode, Kaimin Cast...

Ben DeBar and Paige Kerwin are the drum majors for this year's Grizzly Marching Band. They help students learn how to march, foster a fun environment in the band, and, most importantly, conduct the show.  In this episode, Kaimin Cast editor Elinor Smith speaks to drum majors Ben DeBar and Paige Kerwin about how they came to lead the marching band.  Full transcripts of this episode and all others a...

Elani Borhegyi's drag name is Jackie Rosebutch, and they're a drag goddex. That's the term for a non-binary drag performer. Borhegyi is a dragtivist-- using their platform to combine their passion for the environment with drag performance.    In this episode, Kaimin Cast reporter Alyssa Tompkins speaks to Borhegyi about their life and how they came to be a dragtivist.   Full transcripts of this ep...

As Missoula's housing crisis worsens and the school year starts back up, new and returning UM students and staff face the tightest housing market Missoula has seen in memory. With a rental vacancy rate of .4% and construction taking away around 266 beds in the dorms since 2019, many people in and around campus face less-than-ideal living situations.  In this episode, Kaimin Cast editor Elinor Smit...

It’s been a hell of a year at the University of Montana. Over the last two semesters, students protested misogynistic and racist professors, worked to oust law school leadership for bungled Title IX complaints, set record attendance at Washington-Grizzly Stadium, boosted UM to its first overall enrollment increase in a decade and shook off the dust of the COVID-19 pandemic.  UM President Seth Bodn...

The results of the University of Montana's student government elections are in, and even though UM students overwhelmingly approved a fee hike to make counseling free at Curry Health Center, low voter turnout has forced senators to pump the brakes on the referendum. Reporter Alyssa Tompkins has the update.   Questions? Comments? Email us at editor@montanakaimin.com   A podcast from the Montana Kai...

The name Lily Gladstone might not be one that you recognize yet, but it won't stay that way forever. Gladstone is an actress and University of Montana grad from Montana, who's going on to star in movies with household names like Leonardo DiCaprio and Robert De Niro. Originally from the Blackfeet Reservation, Gladstone worked her way up the Hollywood food chain with what some of her close mentors c...

On Tuesday, candidates for the University of Montana's student government clashed onstage in the University Center Theater in a first-ever Kaimin debate. Our moderator asked them questions about their qualifications and policies to give students at UM a clear idea of who's running to represent them at the University.  Rounding out our debate series are the senators — the largest group of any of th...

On Tuesday, candidates for the University of Montana's student government clashed on stage in the University Center Theater and a first-ever Kaimin debate. Our moderator asked them questions about their qualifications and policies to give students at UM a clearer idea of who's running to represent them at the University.  Today, you'll hear from candidates running to be the next ASUM President. Th...

On Tuesday, candidates for the University of Montana's student government clashed onstage in the University Center Theater in a first-ever Kaimin debate. Our moderator asked them questions about their qualifications and policies to give students at UM a clearer idea of who's running to represent them at the University.  On this episode: the vice presidential debate. These candidates, paired on a t...

On Tuesday, University of Montana student government candidates clashed onstage in the University Center Theater in a first-ever Kaimin debate. Our moderator asked them questions about their qualifications and policies to give students at UM a clear idea of who's running to represent them at the University. We'll separate the debates into their own episodes, releasing on a day-by-day basis leading...