Scene Set For a Productive, Fun Maine Day on Campus

April 24, 2009 Archives

Contact: Barbara Smith, Division of Student Affairs, (207) 581-1734; Aimee Dolloff, (207) 581-3777; Joe Carr, (207) 581-3571

ORONO, Maine – The University of Maine campus will be filled with Black Bear pride Wednesday, April 29, with the annual celebration of Maine Day.

In 1935 President Arthur Hauck inaugurated Maine Day, a day set aside for spring clean-up throughout the campus. Classes are suspended for the day and the UMaine community – students, faculty, staff and alumni – pitches in to spruce up the campus.

There also are plenty of activities throughout the day to bring out that Go Blue spirit, raise money for local charities, and showcase student work.

The day kicks off at 8:30 a.m. with the annual parade, which travels from the Hilltop area, down Long Road and across campus behind Balentine and York halls before circling back to the Mall. The theme for this year’s parade is “UMaine to the Rescue,” featuring favorite superheroes both past and present, and everyday superheroes such as military and emergency rescue personnel.

The Maine Day event schedule is as follows:

  • Mechanical Engineering Technology Design Exposition, 9 a.m. presentations followed by 10 a.m. demonstrations at the Machine Tool Lab. Five student teams will test new designs they have created throughout the semester for biomass-fueled residential water heaters.
  • Campus service projects will begin at 9 a.m. Projects include:
  • Buchanan Alumni House:  Students will put new mulch around the gardens and trees outside.
  • York Village: Sisters of Pi Beta Phi sorority will rake leaves.
  • H2O Cleanup: Staff members, the Community Governing Board, and residents of Hart, Hancock, and Oak halls will clean up around the complex and plant flowers.
  • Nutting Hall Courtyard Cleanup: Society of American Foresters will rake, sweep, prune, and pick up litter in the courtyard.
  • Child Development Center Playground: Staff and residents from Knox and Androscoggin Halls will assist with several projects on the playground at the Child Development Center at Merrill Hall, including sandbox maintenance, varnishing a row boat, constructing a gazebo and gardening.
  • Fountain Project: Rotaract, a UMaine student organization that works in association with the Old Town Rotary Club, will clean out the fountain near the UMaine Bookstore in Memorial Union.
  • Picnic Tables: New picnic tables will be assembled and stained on the Mall.
  • Bike Racks: Old bike racks will be replaced with new double-sided racks throughout campus.
  • Oozeball, a UMaine tradition, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Steam Plant Parking Lot, sponsored by Alpha Delta and Gamma Sigma Sigma with registration proceeds benefiting Alex’s Lemonade Stand.
  • The Black Bear Exchange grand opening of the new thrift store/food pantry, 11:30 a.m. at the old Farm Store. Students will paint a logo on the outside of the building from 8 a.m. to 11:30 p.m. prior to the ribbon cutting by Dean of Students Dr. Robert Dana.
  • Barbecue, noon, Steam Plant Parking Lot. Rain location is at the Field House.
  • Human Foosball, noon to 3 p.m., next to Steam Plant Parking Lot, UMaine Residents on Campus (ROC) will donate registration fees to the Habitat for Humanity of Greater Bangor.
  • Paintball Tournament, noon to 5 p.m., next to the Steam Plant Parking Lot. Sponsored by UMaine Army ROTC and the UMaine Paintball Club.
  • UMazing Race, 1 p.m. to 3 p.m., starts at Steam Plant Parking Lot, sponsored by Campus Recreation. Participants will compete in mental and physical challenges at checkpoints across campus.
  • Ultimate Frisbee Tournament, 3 p.m., football field.
  • 5K Road Race, 4 p.m., starts outside the Student Recreation and Fitness Center, hosted by UMaine Alternative Spring Break and Sigma Phi Epsilon. A portion of the registration fees will benefit Crossroads Ministries Resource Center.
  • Delta Tau Delta fraternity Car Bash, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Steam Plant Parking Lot. Car smashing to raise awareness about drunken driving. Three hits for $1.
  • The sisters of Chi Omega sorority Wash-For-Wishes car wash, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., Beta Parking Lot. Donations from car wash will benefit the Make-A-Wish Foundation. Raffle tickets for a variety of prizes also will be available with proceeds going to the Foundation.

The Steam Plant parking lot will be closed from 5 p.m. Tuesday, April 28, to 5 p.m. Wednesday, April 29.

Maine Day is organized by the Maine Day Committee. Funding for Maine Day is provided by The University of Maine President’s Office, the Division of Student Affairs, the Vice President for Administration and Finance and Black Bear Dining.