Next Thursday, September 16 marks the first day of the second annual Homecoming for USM on the Gorham campus. Towards the end of the week, there will be a variety of activities for students, faculty and alumni to participate in. While the list of events may lack the accompaniment of some common traditions held at other schools, such as a football game, pep rally or marching band, school spirit is still at its best for the USM community during this week. Athletics, art shows, concerts, comedic performances and the Homecoming dance are among the many events that will be taking place across campus. While this is only the second year a homecoming program has been created, the celebration is a step towards building tradition and school spirit for USM.
As a young university, the school faces a challenge in maintaining a sense of community. With the school’s unique characteristics-multiple campuses, a high ratio of commuters, part-timers and graduates-it can be hard to foster student involvement and a sense of belonging.
Chris O’Connor, assistant to the Dean of Student Life, said he recognizes the challenges the University faces, but has high hopes for building tradition and incorporating meaningful experience into the lives of the USM community. “The gathering of community is really the essence of tradition, where you are brought together and made stronger. There are little pockets of traditions that are starting at USM.” Various annual events are slowly gaining more recognition from students. Last Thursday was Husky Fest, a day-long celebration with free food and live music. This six-year old event is one of the most concrete traditions at USM. For student groups like The Free Press, the event is also ripe grounds for recruiting efforts.
O’Connor said students and members of the school have come to expect the event and in turn, each year is bigger and better than the one before. There are also other events such as the Student Involvement Fair on Tuesday, September 14 and Thursday the 16.
Greek Rush is a well recognized event fraternities and sororities hold throughout the year. This well-established tradition serves as a meet and greet for potential new Greeks. Interested students and current members hang out and get to know each other, while relieving some of the stress placed on students from the beginning days of the school year.
Chad Carter, former vice-president of Sigma Nu recalls fond memories of his experience with Rush Week. “It’s a great time to just hang out with friends and meet new people. After Rush, you recognize more people on campus and feel more connected to people.”
There are also many traditions put on by the Portland Events Board (PEB) and Gorham Events Board (GEB) each year. Every Thursday night, GEB holds Thirsty Thursday, which has featured live music, movies and other activities for that night.
Other traditions include Spring Fling Weekend in Gorham, May Day Craze, a big dance party on the Portland campus and special events like Stress Relief Week, where throughout finals’ week students have access to massages and other forms of relaxation.
Some athletic games have become storied traditions at the University as well. When the teams play the big rival games, lots of students always show up. O’Connor said, “when women’s basketball plays against Bowdoin, that’s always a big game.” There is a sense of school spirit behind these athletic games and other events throughout the year, and that’s what creates tradition among the USM community.