Last week, USM celebrated the holiday season with festivals on the Portland and Gorham campuses. ARAMARK hosted a Holiday Luncheon Buffet for the entire USM community: students, faculty and staff, at the Woodbury Campus Center cafeteria. Inside the building anyone could feel the spirit of holiday season: the walls, ceiling and the tables were decorated with snowflakes and fur-tree branches, and soothing live jazz music was provided by the International Association of Jazz Educators, a student organization in the School of Music.
“This is the first time we have done it, and it seems we have a nice turn out, which gives us a hope that this will become an annual event,” said Christopher O’Connor, assistant to the Dean of Student Life. “It was a collaboration of so many people, different departments and organizations and it was so simple to organize, everyone just came together to create a holiday spirit”.
The USM Student Senate and Portland Events Board co-sponsored the event. “Student Senate paid for the meal of the first 200 students, and it was just awesome to work together with PEB, which I think will do another nice job this semester,” said Sarah Hines, secretary of the Student Senate.
“We provided the music and sold 50/50 raffle tickets. The money will be used to help out Portland Events Board and the winner will receive half of the money we have got,” said Amanda Sawicki of the Portland Events Board.
Everyone appreciated the consideration of this event: “This is such a wonderful opportunity for the USM community to come together and celebrate. We love seeing the diverse mix of people all sharing a meal together,” said Kimberly Sinclair, a member of the Office of International Student Exchange and National Student Exchange.
“It was great when I walked into the cafeteria and saw free food. I liked the music too — I wish we had it more often, once a week or so,” said Kerry Strout, senior environmental science and policy major.
In the amphitheater, a Ceremony of Light was provided by USM’s Interfaith Chaplain Andrea Thompson-McCall. Seven religious and cultural holidays were being celebrated simultaneously, including Solstice, Ramadan, Bodhi Day, Hanukkah, Birth of Baha’u’llah, Kwanzaa and Christmas, together with informational displays and a dessert reception.
“This is the second annual Ceremony of Light”, said McCall said. “As religious and cultural diversity has increased dramatically in Maine and at USM, by hosting this event, we once again want to emphasize that each of these religious and cultural holidays conveys deeply held messages of life and light, and each and all are enriched by sharing them”.
“I made the cookies for Baha’i table, and I am so glad to be part of this wonderful event today,” said Allison Gray, nursing major, junior. “I believe that underneath, everyone has the same beliefs, and it is great to see so many equal representatives of so many different faiths together.”
Ideh Rohani, a nursing student, agreed: “All the religions are similar and united in so many ways, and it is so nice to have this forum so that people can come together in prayer and celebration.”
McCall will also be sponsoring “Season of Light,” a festive presentation of the Southworth Planetarium, which traces the history of winter religious and cultural holidays (Dec. 15, 17, 18 at 2:00 p.m. in the Southworth Planetarium, Science Building, Portland Campus).
The Brooks Student Center in Gorham hosted a Holiday Buffet and a Ceremony of Light. The Gorham Events Board held a “Stress Buster Night.”
“Organizing the stress relief event was quite stressful. Finding people was hard, and it included financial problems too, but it was definitely worth it,” said Katie Chapman, financial chair of Gorham Events Board.
“It is great that people are able to come here and have free massages which otherwise costs lots of money,” Amanda Blake of the Gorham Events Board.
There were massage therapists, psychic mediums, acupuncturists, acupressure massage therapists, reflexologists and psychics on hand. There was also an oxygen bar, free food, raffles and giveaways. Everyone loved it.
Chris Nutter, media studies major, freshman, said the acupuncturists were the best part of the event: “Your body just went numb; it was so relaxing. Events like this should be at least on a monthly basis.”
“I find it great that USM is organizing this relaxation event for hard-working students. Even in this unusual environment with the lights on, students are able to relax. This gives me confidence that my work is doing something,” said Meret Bainbridge, acupuncturist.
“Students really appreciate all the effort that GEB put into this event,” Vicki-Rose Siegel, political science major, sophomore.
“It is wonderful that college put effort into focusing on the ill effects that stress out the students and realizing that stress is a problem,” said Walter R. Selens, massage therapist.
Nino Kemoklidze can be contacted at [email protected]