Brendan Butler is first year student with a lot going on.
He has not yet declared a major, but is already a member of the Phi Mu Delta fraternity, is a part of two bands, and has participated in many shows and community service activities. He has aspirations to make changes at USM and wants to create a place where all students, commuters or residential, can enjoy their college experience to it’s full potential.
“I want to make an impact on USM to make it a more cohesive community. I want it so even if you commute to the school, it’s going to feel homey,” said Butler. He decided to attend USM because he felt it would allow him to play music, make connections and be a member of a good community.
Butler is the head of the committee in charge of the Dance Marathon, a first time Phi Mu Delta event. It’s scheduled to take place at the Costello Fitness Center in Gorham next semester the night of Nov. 8. “I am focused on making the dance marathon successful and hopefully make it a hallmark for USM,” said Butler. He plans on making it a big event, bringing in more than just the students in the dorms.
Since Butler is a commuter student himself, he said he feels as though everyone should be able to have an equally enjoyable experience at USM. He believes that since USM is such a large commuter school, it is harder to meet people and make friends. Butler was introduced to Phi Mu Delta at orientation and got to know some of the leaders and was able to join the fraternity. When asked why he decided to join a fraternity, he said, “I wanted something that connected me a little.” He met a lot of people, and made a lot of friends, and he credits that to the fraternity.
Butler is also in two bands, Pinebrook and Thingamajig, in which he has performed more times than he was able to recall and has volunteered to play for free at various events. He will be involved in many shows over the summer and is extremely dedicated to the bands.
During all this, he is still a full time student at USM with a plan to possibly double major in political science and sociology. He plans to positively impact USM by making it a more involved and inviting community for all students.