WABI, WVII report on Maine Day events
WABI (Channel 5) and WVII (Channel 7) reported on Maine Day, the University of Maine’s annual campuswide spring cleanup tradition. UMaine community members took part in a “Star Wars” theme parade, completed service projects aimed at sprucing up the campus, enjoyed a free barbecue, competed for the oozeball — mud volleyball — championship, and participated in student organization philanthropy events. “We want students to understand they’re not just about themselves — obviously as college-educated people they’ve got to be thinking about the other person, taking care of other people, using their privilege to care for the world. And they do it very beautifully,” Robert Dana, UMaine’s vice president for student life and dean of students, told WABI. More than 40 projects included raking, planting flowers, picking up litter and painting at various locations on campus, the bike paths and downtown Orono. UMaine students also invited teenagers from Dexter Regional High School to take part, WABI reported. “It kind of shows that we can work together and do things,” UMaine junior Hallie Marshall said. “It shows them a little bit of what they could be doing when they come to the college level, and there doesn’t have to be a disconnect between high school and college students.”