In Maine, there are few months more pleasing than October. Mild weather, a cool breeze and the famed foliage attract ardent peepers from all over the country. Walking through campus in the midst of fall, it’s easy to idealize the momentary bliss and forget about the impending gloom of winter. When the sun shines brilliantly, but the air is still a perfect seventy degrees, the leaves shake loose in a gentle gust and scatter impressions of crisp reds and oranges across the green grass. It is no coincidence that the University of Maine Family and Friends Weekend occurs during this time of heightened seasonal bliss.
If you were to spend some time walking around campus this past weekend, you likely would have seen clusters of families aimlessly strolling about as they moved between a variety of university-organized events. Looking around, you could see freshmen eagerly pointing out their dorm building to their parents and seniors begrudgingly guiding their family down the same path for the fourth time in four years. There is a sentimental joviality in observing these families, as parents get to experience the campus that is meant to carry their child through adolescence, and students get a break from classes to be reminded of home.
This weekend is an opportunity for the UMaine administration and faculty to put their best foot forward in the presence of the wallets which keep the gears turning. From the artisan fair in the New Balance Recreation Center to the fermentation expo at the Innovative Media Research and Commercialization Center (IMRC), the university even went as far as setting up a carnival on the mall. Parents roamed about, buying tacos and locally made ice cream from the food trucks. Younger siblings played laser tag, and an adventurous few families took a ride on the horse-drawn carriage.
I had the pleasure to interview a few of these families to hear about what it is that makes this weekend worth five-hour commutes and hotel room fees. I spoke with one family who had just left the taco stand, coming all the way from Missouri for this weekend, and they had this to say about visiting their UMaine student:
“It was good to get a hug and see him in person and know when he tells me he’s doing fine, he really is. Yeah, he’s doing okay. And it’s a beautiful time of year to be here,” said a parent.
After the fermentation expo, I interviewed fourth-year student Frances Underwood and her mother Melissa Pattavina, who drove up from Rhode Island and had a lot to say about the impact of this weekend.
“You know I always like getting to see your campus, and I like you taking us on a tour, so I sort of feel what your day-to-day life is like. It’s also nice to see your living situation and feel good that you are in a safe and happy environment,” said Pattavina. “And then I had a ton of fun doing the dying stuff today, learning more about the fermentation and understanding what it is that we see every time we open our refrigerator door and we’re wondering if something is going to come to life in there. I guess it is alive, but dying.”
Underwood also felt a similar sense of importance regarding this trip.
“I’m so happy that these two people, who are my family, came to see me this weekend. No, seriously, like I’ve been looking forward to this. I’ve been texting them for like two weeks straight, being like, When are you coming? I’m really excited,” said Underwood.
Whether you’ve had the nuclear experience with the whole family this past weekend or, like me, you’ve merely watched vicariously from the shadows and asked other people’s parents about their love for their children, Family and Friends Weekend is a very special time on campus.
