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Pay attention on campus Wednesdays and you may see a woman with a tree on her cheek. That tree represents membership in All Maine Women, a prestigious honors society at the University of Maine that historically has contained only around a dozen members each year. To become a member requires exceptional academic prowess, and members are typically heavily involved in the UMaine community. Formed in 1925 as the female counterpart to the Senior Skulls, All Maine Women has been a fixture in the past at UMaine but its role has become more obscured in past decades as the university experiences change. “I think it’s gotten less exposed, but only because the student population has changed,” said Kendra West, the current president of All Maine Women. “I think among faculty we’re still recognized but among the student body it’s more ‘Oh, why are you wearing a tree on your face?’” When All Maine Women was founded, the university only had around 1,200 students enrolled each year — today it has over 11,000. The number of members in All Maine Women has remained consistently low and, with more students attending UMaine annually, this obscurity has become an issue among the society’s participants.
“Trying to get our name out is difficult,” said Jenna Beaulieu, the vice president of All Maine Women.
For Beaulieu, having more events would increase the awareness of the organization on campus.
“From what I’ve seen this year, a lot of our interaction is through tailgating,” she said. One aspect of the awareness problem has to do with the involvement of the society’s members. Each member of All Maine Women was selected for her involvement in the UMaine community, a factor one group alumna said restricts the amount of free time each representative has to contribute to organization-sponsored activities.
“These are busy, busy students,” said Valerie Mitchell, an All Maine Women alumna and a giving coordinator for the UMaine Alumni Association. “It’s a catch-22.”
Even with these difficulties, the society has managed to remain a force within the community. This past fall the society raised money to donate Thanksgiving baskets to Spruce Run, which helps victims of domestic violence. All Maine Women have also taken part in numerous events on campus, such as Take Back the Night and the tulip planting in front of Fogler Library. Additionally, each member of the society tends to be heavily involved in a slew of individual pursuits around campus and contributes to UMaine in other ways outside of official functions. “One of the main reasons we were selected to be in this group is because we are all very involved on campus,” said member Lauren Duplin. “So when asked what All Maine Women has done over the past year, I not only think of what we have done as a group but also as individuals on campus and in our community.” According to its members, All Maine Women hopes to begin changing the low awareness of the society with an alumni interest group.
The group’s mission statement sums up the efforts All Maine Women is making toward awareness on campus: “It is our goal to help raise awareness so that the name of the All Maine Women will once again strike a chord with every underclasswoman aspiring to greatness.” For members of the society, the group has been an irreplaceable part of their college experience.
“Being able to work with these women who have accomplished so much at this university has truly been an honor,” said member Katherine McLaughlin.
“I have gained the friendship of so many amazing women who I know I will be connected to for a very long time,” Duplin echoed.
The connections formed in All Maine Women and the friendships formed are for many the most important part.
“As a class, you get close to the class ahead of you and behind you,” West said. “You’re a current All Maine Woman for a year but you’re an alumni for the rest of your life.”
Bangor Daily News