UMaine Reunion 2004 Activities Planned
Contact: Joe Carr at (207) 581-3571
ORONO — Gov. John Baldacci, a 1986 University of Maine graduate, will return to his alma mater along with hundreds of other UMaine alums for Reunion 2004 Friday June 4-Sunday June 6. A series of activities, intended to evoke memories of college years and to provide a glimpse into university life in 2004, is planned throughout the weekend.
A highlight of this year’s reunion is back-to-back events scheduled for Friday afternoon. A dedication ceremony for the Fogler Library Steps and Terrace Renovation project, a $900,000 upgrade to the front of one of UMaine’s signature buildings, is scheduled for 2:15-3 p.m. in front of the library. Landscaping for the project was recently completed and those in attendance will be among the first to see the finished product. The ceremony will feature a reading of “Steps,” by Pat Smith Ranzoni, a 1962 UMaine graduate and a poet who wrote “Steps” to celebrate this occasion.
At 3 p.m. Friday, in the area adjacent to Lord Hall, Gov. Baldacci will participate in a groundbreaking ceremony for the Visual Arts Building Campaign and the Lord Hall Renovation. Baldacci is the honorary campaign chair for the project, which will result in a renovated Lord Hall as the new home for UMaine’s Dept. of Art, along with a new art studio center. The cost of the project totals $10 million, $4 million of which has been provided by a bond referendum approved by Maine voters in 2002. This event will also feature the dedication of the Vincent A. Hartgen Collection, a lasting tribute to the late founder of the UMaine art department.
A Saturday highlight is scheduled for 10 a.m., when several members of UMaine’s Class of 1944, the legendary class that provided Class of 1944 Hall and is celebrating its 60th reunion, will take part in the dedication of the class’ newest contribution to UMaine — the recently renovated Class of ’44 Bear’s Den in Memorial Union. The dedication will include a talk by UMaine political science professor Bahman Baktiari and music by “A-Train.”
Ongoing activities during the weekend will include visits to UMaine facilities such as the Page Farm and Home Museum, the athletic facilities, Honors College and the Advanced Engineered Wood Composites Center. UMaine’s Buchanan Alumni House, home of the UMaine Alumni Association, serves as the hub of activity for the weekend. A complete schedule of events is online at http://www.mainealumni.org/ReunionActivities.htm.