A new student group at USM is committed to building bridges between students and their neighbors in Gorham by working on projects aimed at creating community.
The Transitionaries were founded in December by senior sociology major Travis Bonpietro, who said the group is committed to promoting mutual aid and support to the town of Gorham.
“We want to make sure there is a social network and social infrastructure in place so that when things do happen, this can come into place and work as a support network,” Bonpietro said.
The Transitionaries are an unofficial student group. The Student Senate voted at their meeting Friday to delay approving the groups constitution because the Transitionaries’ structure and voting methods differ from most USM student groups. Where most groups require a simple majority or a two-thirds vote to make decisions, the Tranistionaries’ constitution requires a “super majority” of 90 percent affirmative votes to make official decisions.
Bonpietro said he got the idea for the group after reading a magazine article that outlined 51 ways to bring communities together.
The Transitionaries’ first project has focused on community agriculture. Bonpietro said they are currently working on creating community gardens. “Alongside the idea of building community resilience comes agriculture, and more specifically, people’s ability to grow their own food,” he said.
Bonpietro said the group is in the process of starting seedlings in the greenhouse behind Bailey Hall in Gorham.
According to Bonpietro, the Transitionaries are not going to let the upcoming summer vacation ruin the momentum they have gained since December. He said the group has planned several meetings throughout the summer to plan projects for the fall.
Bonpietro said the Transitionaries have several projects in the works for next year, including organizing a skill-share and creating a time banking system.
In a time banking system — an idea that came out of the local currency movement — participants get credits for services they perform for others. Those credits can then be “spent” procuring services from other participants in the system.
The Tansitionaries currently consist of six active members, although Bonpietro said he expects the group to grow as they get their message out.
The group is currently made up entirely of USM students, although Bonpietro said the goal of the group is to work with the larger Gorham community, fostering a support network between students and their neighbors in Gorham.
“What I like to see happen more is that people actually get together to talk,” he said. “The Transitionaries is an organization that is supposed to build and strengthen the community of Gorham.”