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A formal dedication and grand opening of the Ormand J. and Miriam K. Wade Center for Student Leadership was held Friday afternoon, more than one year after it opened its doors to students in Memorial Union.
The center is home to more than 40 student organizations, as well as the offices of the Student Government.
Members of the Wade family, including Miriam herself, were on hand to witness the dedication. Ormand, the other namesake for the center, passed away earlier this year.
Miriam, who has toured the center several times previously with Ormand, said she and her late husband were very impressed with the final outcome of the center.
“He loved it. I think he wished there had been something like this when he was here,” she said about Ormand.
Ormand graduated from the University of Maine in 1961 and was a member of the Delta Tau Delta fraternity and the Senior Skulls honor society.
Ormand’s son Charlie also was present on Friday and brought his wife and children to the dedication. Charlie graduated from UMaine in 1983 and recalled comparing stories with his father about leadership challenges on campus.
“I’ve heard stories from my dad about being in school and being active in so many things here and not having a place to meet,” Charlie said. “One of the hardest parts of being involved was a lack of resources.”
Charlie said he would joke around with his father about the problem and counter with his own solutions.
“I never had trouble finding a table at Pat’s Pizza to meet,” he said.
Charlie, who has one child in college and another on the way, said the Wade Center makes UMaine unique. When traveling to and touring other schools in the country, Charlie said it’s been hard to find another school that provides these kinds of resources to students.
“Nobody else has anything even close to this,” he said. “This makes the University of Maine pretty unique.”
Speaking on behalf of UMaine were members of faculty and administration, alumni and several campus student leaders.
Dean of Students, Robert Dana served as master of ceremonies for the event and welcomed the Wade family by thanking them for assisting in the development of students at UMaine into student leaders.
“You’re in our hearts always,” Dana said, referencing the Maine Stein Song.
Interim UMaine President Robert Kennedy thanked the Wades for their vision and generosity that made the center a possibility.
“Without their commitment, generosity and vision, this tremendous center would not be possible. We owe them a tremendous debt of gratitude.”
He also talked about how the center was critical for leadership development.
“The center really is a hub within a hub on campus,” Kennedy said. “It’s the heart of all student organizations. That’s what the center is to the University of Maine.”
Student leaders on campus who spoke at the dedication included Student Body President Cortlynn Hepler, who said the Wades and the center have helped him define his personal definition of leadership. He also said the Wade’s generosity to make the center possible inspired him to be a better leader.
“To me, it means to help and to see something in others and do more than the status quo,” Hepler said.
Hepler also said the center provides critical development opportunities for students outside the classroom environment.
Vice President of Student Government Kate O’Brien credited the Wade Center with helping student organizations to thrive.
“Student organizations have the ability to accomplish great things on this campus and the help of such outstanding people as the Wades only paves the way for them to do so,” O’Brien said. “Many of the student groups have gained success and there is no doubt that this is due to the Wade Center.”
Jonathan LaBonte, a recent UMaine alum and Outstanding Student Leader of the Year in 2002, echoed many of Charlie and Ormand’s thoughts on how their college careers might have been improved had the Wade Center existed while they were here.
“It is hard for me to imagine what campus life would have been during my tenure had this Wade Center already existed,” LaBonte said. “There were many days and nights when I would need to run across campus in an attempt to catch a student leader to discuss a possible shared project or event.”
LaBonte also shared Charlie’s opinion that the Wade Center is something that puts UMaine in a category in and of itself when it comes to serving students.
“Similar schools fall short in creating the environment we now have here at UMaine,” he said.
During LaBonte’s speech, Miriam Wade dabbed at her eyes with a tissue, obviously emotionally affected by some of his moving words.
“Because of the actions of Ormand and Miriam Wade, generations of young men and women will dream more, will learn more, will do more and will become more by acting together,” LaBonte said, referring to a quote on leadership by John Quincy Adams.
Heather Kitchen, the Emerging Student of the Year in 2003, talked about how the Wade Center had become a headquarters for all student groups. Kitchen has served as president for two student organizations at UMaine.
“Before, I was carrying our office around in my backpack,” she said.
In an inspirational analogy, Kitchen compared student organizations on campus to boats drifting in the sea. A major problem she cited before the center existed was that there was no land in sight for these boats.
“With this center, now these boats have a place to dock,” she said.
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