The University of Maine will be celebrating Veteran’s Week with a series of events to honor those who have served and are currently serving our country in the military. The first event will be the dedication and unveiling of a memorial at 11:30 a.m. on Monday, Nov. 9. The unveiling will take place in the Memorial Room at the Memorial Union.
The annual flag raising and opening ceremony will take place at noon on Monday, following the unveiling. The UMaine Veterans Association (UMVA) and Student Life will be putting on a barbeque directly following the opening ceremony.
Free lunch vouchers for the Bear’s Den will be available to student veterans on Nov. 10. Those interested can pick up vouchers at the VETS office. There will also be free Dunkin’ Donuts coffee and doughnuts available in the VETS office on Tuesday morning.
The university has cancelled all classes except those that only meet on Wednesdays, in honor of Veterans Day on Wednesday, Nov. 11.
There will be a Veterans Day 5K at the New Balance Recreation Center on Wednesday as well. The race will start at 8 a.m. and is free for all veterans and active duty service members. The race will cost $15 for the general public.
“Outside the Wire,” a social impact company, will present “Theater of War” at the Bangor Opera House at 7 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 12. The performance presents readings of “Ajax” and “Philoctetes,” two plays written by the ancient Greek tragedian, Sophocles. “Theater of War” depicts the psychological and physical damage done to soldiers by war.
There will be a free bus shuttling UMaine students who would like to attend the performance. The bus will depart from the Collins Center for the Arts at 6 p.m. and return around 9:30 p.m.
The annual Veterans luncheon will be held from noon to 1 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 13 and will feature guest speaker Adria O. Horn, the director of the Maine Bureau of Veterans’ Services.
“I have come to know student-veterans at UMaine, and they represent a dedication and sense of service that is exemplary and serves as an example for other students,” UMaine President Susan Hunter told UMaine News. “I am firm in the belief that, as the state’s flagship university, the University of Maine has a responsibility to be a veteran-friendly community.”
Veterans Week activities are coordinated by the UMaine Office of Veterans Education and Transition Services and the UMVA.
