The University of Maine Student Government (UMSG) held their second meeting of the year on Sept. 17 in the Bangor Room of the Memorial Union to discuss the launch of the Blue Horizons campaign, the future of student government, and changes to the class of 2025’s graduation ceremony. The largest student government meeting in eight years with almost every seat filled was led by President Keegan Tripp and Vice President Memphis Peterson alongside 18 senators.
The meeting began with guest speaker Senator Jon Guzman presenting on behalf of the Division of Marketing and Communications to discuss the launch of the Blue Horizon campaign. The campaign will attempt to bolster UMaine’s initiative to expand its recruitment program to compete with other colleges in the New England region. Debuting with the slogan “Pursue Blue Horizons,” this initiative involves distributing several billboards to be installed outside the University of Connecticut, Boston University and the University of New Hampshire, among other institutions to encourage healthy competition.
Currently, UMaine is classified as an R1 institution, and has one of the highest acceptance rates in the state.
“Blue Horizons re-envisions how we share our mission and values with the Black Bear community and the people of Maine,” said President Joan Ferrini-Mundy when asked about the intentions behind the campaign.”
“The campaign embraces a bold marketing approach with heartfelt storytelling, unique design sensibilities and compelling content delivered across a variety of platforms,” said Guzman.
According to the admissions data collected by the UMaine Office of Institutional Research, first-year enrollment for students in undergraduate programs for Fall 2023 recorded 1,811 new students. This year, that number has climbed to nearly 2,100 first-year students, which is 13% more than last year. While efforts to increase enrollment have been successful so far, UMaine officials still believe there is work to be done.
Another key topic discussed involved changes to the class of 2025 graduation. While historically held in the Harold Alfond Sports Arena, this year the graduation will be held at the Cross Insurance Center in Bangor in light of the UMaine Athletic Department’s recent announcement regarding plans to renovate the iconic stadium. These renovations will also extend to the Shawn Walsh Hockey Center. These changes were made possible by a $320 million commitment from the Harold Alfond Foundation, including an estimated $170 million dollar investment in UMaine Athletics.
“With the support of the Harold Alfond Foundation, UMaine will continue to build on and expand our athletic facilities and the growing success of our hockey programs,” commented Ferrini-Mundy, president of UMaine and UMaine at Machias.
Renovations will include state-of-the-art technology so athletes have the most accommodating space possible. That means new locker rooms equipped with better lighting fixtures, and bigger lockers. There will also be a new concourse entrance connecting the two buildings. Construction management is currently being overseen by PC Construction in Portland, Maine, WBRC Inc. in Bangor, Maine and Crawford Architects in Kansas City, Missouri.
As for the future of student government, preparation for 2025 senate elections will begin ramping up by the end of the month. This will be the first time in recent years that members currently holding senate positions will need to campaign to hold their seat. As previously mentioned, this was the largest appointed student government meeting in eight years with nearly every current senator running unopposed. However, this year there is projected to be some competition. Senators are being urged to start campaigning now if they want to hold their seat in coming months.
The meeting concluded with nominations to operational positions within the senate. Looking towards the future, members remain hopeful that UMSG will continue to expand and take a more active role in daily operations of student life at UMaine. Members believe that as long as students have a voice, collaboration between the student body and UMaine officials will benefit the university as a whole, ensuring that all Black Bears have an optimal college experience.
