For this episode of “Confessions of a College Town,” Montana Kaimin reporters, editors and photographers picked up a couple of microphones, left the chaos of our newsroom and headed to the University Center. We went in thinking about the building as a place that provides food, entertainment and cohesion. We left with a better understanding of the people inside it, and how they fit into the ecosystem of college at the University of Montana. 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 editor@montanakaimin.com A podcast from the Montana Kaimin, the University of Montana’s independent, student-run newspaper.…

75-year-old William “Spike” Potter is Griz softball’s biggest fan. After receiving a letter from a former Griz softball player during the COVID-19 quarantine, Potter has become an important member of the Griz softball family. He donates his time and his money, roughly $250,000, to the program. Why? Because he thinks Griz softball is unique from other UM athletics programs. By Madelynn Pandis / 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 editor@montanakaimin.com A podcast from the Montana Kaimin, the University of Montana’s independent, student-run newspaper.…

For the average broke college kid, side hustles are a staple. But young adults aren’t the only ones making a couple of bucks on the side. Hear about the ins and outs of plasma donation, how a marketing professor made a business from horse data and why one student has turned puppets into her career. 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 editor@montanakaimin.com A podcast from the Montana Kaimin, the University of Montana’s independent, student-run newspaper.…

There’s a new proposal in the Montana State Legislature that would create a gun registry for enhanced concealed weapons permits. As of February 2021, Montana no longer requires a permit to legally carry a concealed handgun in public. This means Montanans can now discreetly carry a handgun without a background check. But is anyone actually going through the process of getting their concealed carry license when they aren’t legally required to? We spoke with UM students to get their thoughts on handgun culture, in college and out. Episode by Madelynn Pandis / 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 editor@montanakaimin.com A podcast from the Montana Kaimin, the University of Montana’s independent, student-run newspaper.…

Like the episode “24 Hours at the Golden Apple,” where “This American Life” reporters and producers completed shifts interviewing patrons and employees at a Chicago diner, the Montana Kaimin was inspired to find the “Golden Apple” of our college town. Pie Hole is a pizza place that has been open for about a decade. Seven days a week, it operates from 11 a.m. to 3 a.m. It’s become the go-to spot for the frenzied and famished. So we took shifts to interview customers and employees during the 14 hours of daily operation on a bustling Friday in downtown Missoula. Episode by Bayliss Flynn / Marley Barboeisel / 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 editor@montanakaimin.com A podcast from the Montana Kaimin, the University of Montana’s independent, student-run newspaper.…

Montana boasts over 30 million acres of public and protected lands, but around 5% of those spaces are inaccessible to the public. This is because the land is considered privately locked, also called corner locked. Accessing corner-locked land is called corner crossing, an illegal practice preventing recreationists from reaching Montana’s around 1.56 million acres of hunting, fishing and hiking areas. Episode by Madelynn Pandis / 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 editor@montanakaimin.com A podcast from the Montana Kaimin, the University of Montana’s independent, student-run newspaper.…

In 2025, fitness looks different. Influenced by social media trends and celebrities, people across the country are finding new ways to get their sweat on. Oula, as in Missoula, is a dance fitness class founded in 2010 to be a body-positive, inclusive space. It has expanded nationally, but found a strong fan base in its home community and at the University of Montana. 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 editor@montanakaimin.com A podcast from the Montana Kaimin, the University of Montana’s independent, student-run newspaper.…

Over the last year, former government officials have been rebranding UFOs as UAPs (Unidentified Aerial Phenomena) in an attempt to legitimize conversations surrounding them. This might be working, considering Congress held an official hearing on Nov. 13 to further uncover what, if any, government organizations know of UAPs. Of course, talks of UAPs come with the discussion of alien life. And for that, University of Montana scientists have their own grounded perspective to add. Episode by Chandler Lieb / 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 editor@montanakaimin.com A podcast from the Montana Kaimin, the University of Montana’s independent, student-run newspaper.…

This week’s Kaimin Cast brings you a trio of intriguing and intimate medical stories from the School of Journalism at the University of Montana. We’ll talk about a more comfortable IUD insertion experience at UM, how a student learned about hosting a funeral at home and drugs being developed at the University to stop opioid overdoses and cancer. Episode by Bayliss Flynn / Christina Rodriguez / Lotus Porte-Moyel / 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 editor@montanakaimin.com A podcast from the Montana Kaimin, the University of Montana’s independent, student-run newspaper.…

Remnants of the last Ice Age are barely holding out in Montana's lakes and rivers. Arctic grayling fish are now confined to just Montana in the continental United States after going extinct in Michigan. Conservationists are trying to compromise on the best way to protect the fish, land and ranchers of the Big Hole. Episode by Chandler Lieb / 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 editor@montanakaimin.com A podcast from the Montana Kaimin, the University of Montana’s independent, student-run newspaper.…

As a crucial election nears, University of Montana students still have time to register to vote in person. College students who move from home, to the dorms, to an apartment or house have a unique challenge in updating their voter registration or utilizing an absentee ballot. 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 editor@montanakaimin.com A podcast from the Montana Kaimin, the University of Montana’s independent, student-run newspaper.…

Deep in the mountains south of Missoula at the Blue Mountain Observatory, astronomers from the University of Montana are exploring space in our solar system and beyond. For one of these observers, finding their place atop Blue Mountain took a lifetime of experiences. Episode by Chandler Lieb / 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 editor@montanakaimin.com A podcast from the Montana Kaimin, the University of Montana’s independent, student-run newspaper.…

Men’s club soccer is back at the University of Montana after decades of attempts at restarting. Players from the last established team from the 1980s are helping athletes 40 years younger to get the new team kicking. 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 editor@montanakaimin.com A podcast from the Montana Kaimin, the University of Montana’s independent, student-run newspaper.…

When you think of someone that plays the video game League of Legends, you're probably not envisioning a leader in the U.S. military. However, at the University of Montana, it's becoming the norm. Episode by Chandler Lieb / 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 editor@montanakaimin.com A podcast from the Montana Kaimin, the University of Montana’s independent, student-run newspaper.…

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? Email us at editor@montanakaimin.com A podcast from the Montana Kaimin, the University of Montana’s independent, student-run newspaper.…