UMM grads encouraged to seek and find
5/18/09 | 9 comments
graduation

UMM grads encouraged to seek and find


More than 70 graduate from UMM
By Bill Trotter
BDN Staff
BANGOR DAILY NEWS PHOTO BY BILL TROTTER
Bagpiper Kara McCrimmon stands at attention Saturday afternoon after leading a procession of University of Maine at Machias faculty and graduating seniors to the school's 98th Commencement ceremony at the Frederic A. Reynolds Center. More than 70 students graduated from the school this year, 100 years since its founding in 1909. Buy Photo

MACHIAS, Maine — Students who graduated Saturday from the University of Maine at Machias were advised to take risks, to take advantage of opportunities that come their way, and to occasionally take the road more graveled.

Donning a cowboy hat, UMM President Cynthia Huggins incorporated the titles of country songs into her address to the school’s more than 70 graduates. Among the songs that she said present sound advice about life was “True Love Travels on a Gravel Road” by Elvis Presley.

Huggins, exchanging the word “life” for “love” in the Presley song, cautioned the graduates that they may not always enjoy smooth traveling but that they might find enjoyment, adventure and invaluable experience by “going somewhere that most people don’t go,” as some may have found out by attending UMM to begin with.

After doffing the cowboy hat a few moments later, Huggins offered the graduates a quote they were more likely to be familiar with from their academic studies. Quoting the poem “Ulysses” by Alfred, Lord Tennyson, she told them their journey through life was just beginning.

“As you leave this place today, I hope that you, too, will determine to seek a newer world, and that you, too, will be strong in will, to strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield,” Huggins said.

The keynote speaker at the graduation ceremony, which lasted about an hour and 45 minutes, was former state Sen. Mary Cathcart. A delegate to the New England Board of Higher Education and recipient of the school’s 2009 Distinguished Achievement Award, Cathcart told the graduates that their degrees will better position them to succeed in life and could pay dividends even if they remain in the Machias area.

Washington County will continue to develop its blueberry and tourism industries, she said, and its geographic location makes it an ideal place for the development of tidal and wind power projects. She noted that students from Machias Memorial High School recently placed second in a statewide high school competition to come up with an efficient design for wind turbine blades.

“You’re in a perfect place to take advantage of that,” Cathcart said. “[Tidal and wind power] could put Washington County on the map.”

Cathcart said that as a girl growing up in the rural South, she never imagined she would one day get into politics but that she learned to take opportunities as they presented themselves.

“Even if you don’t know today what you really want to do, you will find it,” she said. “This is your life and only you can decide what you want to make of it.”

Graduating senior Michelle Buckley, giving the ceremony’s annual Ivy Oration, told her classmates that each of them will take a little piece of UMM with them to wherever they are headed, but also will be leaving a part of themselves behind.

“We’re going to walk away from here with very different and memorable experiences,” Buckley said. “You are deserving of the many blessings that will come your way.”

Also honored at the event was state Rep. Howard McFadden, who attended UMM in the 1960s when it was known as Washington State College. An Army veteran, member of the Maine Baseball Hall of Fame and former teacher and principal who grew up in Washington County, McFadden was given the school’s 2009 Distinguished Service Award.

Meghan Duff, assistant professor of psychology, received the school’s Buswell Academic Enhancement Award.

Susan Palmer, a 1972 UMM graduate who is a development officer at University of Southern Maine in Portland, received the school’s Distinguished Alumni Award at the Friday night senior dinner.

In conjunction with graduation weekend, the college also unveiled a new paperback history written to commemorate its 100th anniversary. Titled “The University of Maine at Machias, A History: 1909-2009,” was written by UMM history professor Randall Kindleberger.

btrotter@bangordailynews.net

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Comments
9 comments on this item
On 5/16/09 at 8:27 PM, bobsmith wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

Good job grads!!! Does anyone know what is the % of grads that will find work in washington county?

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On 5/17/09 at 9:53 AM, Rogue_Wave wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

Cathcart talked forever in what I can only describe as a "historical recollection of randomness which dwelled on the nonsensical". It was the type of graduation speech that had me begging for thirty minutes of my life back but left me happy that I would never have to listen to her again.

Huggins once again mastered the art of entertaining the audience with well thought out wording that humored, educated and left us all better for have being there.

bobsmith: The % of grads finding work in Wash. County will be minimal due to several factors. Lack of jobs (inside and outside of Major) is a big one plus many of the student’s aren’t even from here so the incentive to stay is virtually nonexistent. Few of the graduates were in the Education (3), History (3) and English (3) fields so the impact on the county schools will be minimal assuming those 9 were to stay. Many graduates were in some type of Biology/Science field and lets be honest there is nearly nothing in Washington County for them so they've probably already split. The Behavioral Science/Psych grads could work 24/7 around the county due to all the issues around there but no one wants to pay them close to their worth.

The world may be a better place due to UMM and its graduates but that doesn’t mean that Washington County will be. There is a reason that the population of Machias in 1860 was higher than it is now.

2008 UMM Graduate working/living one county over,

Rogue Wave

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On 5/18/09 at 5:55 AM, LubecKDeck wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

Only 70 grads? Wow, no wonder the UMS announced a 6% system wide increase in tuition this morning.

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On 5/18/09 at 11:28 AM, qtipgram1 wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

After attending graduation on Saturday at UMM I have a suggestion. Why not have the graduation ceremony centered around the graduating class and THEIR achievements thus far, along with any honors or special awards that they might have coming? This is what 99% of the people attending the ceremony are there to see and hear and not the parading of "dignitaries" and listening to the way too long ramblings of THEIR life achievements ! Let the graduating class graduate first and see just how many in the audience stay around to hear the rest of the "ceremony".

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On 5/18/09 at 11:16 PM, captainandy wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

Mary Cathcart?????

Four years and $80,000 later, graduates have to suffer through a "windpower could put Washington county on the map...." speech by Mary Cathcart????

Get off the stage!!!

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On 5/19/09 at 2:47 PM, soothsayer wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

Yes, LubecKDeck, only 70 some odd grads, over 50 fewer than the peak of 121 in June of '06. Before that, they averaged some 107 or so each year back to '01. So what's changed since 2006 that might account for this drop?

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On 5/19/09 at 2:53 PM, Rogue_Wave wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

Kim Page, Director of Student Life. I can get into it of you want but if you want the quick version...she is to blame (not entirely mind you but she holds the majority of fault).

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On 5/19/09 at 5:22 PM, soothsayer wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

Rogue: You're right that a lack of effective leadership in the area of student life can affect retention, but people don't leave an institution of higher ed because they didn't have fun. They leave because of quality of education. Keep in mind, too, someone higher up decided to do away with the VP level Student Life appointment and fill it with someone hired as Dir. of Student Life. There's no dedicated VP of Student Life, no Dean of Students. This doesn't reflect an institution that cares about the quality of life of its students. It seems the Peter Principle is alive at well here.

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On 5/20/09 at 5:48 PM, Rogue_Wave wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

True, people do not leave due to lack of fun but people do leave the dormitories. From an educational stand point I have few problems with the university mind you but the agenda of Kim Page has forced me to send people elsewhere when they ask about UMM. You are right that this doesn’t affect retention but I explain to them the negatives and how their "college experience" will be minimized based on how things operate there. I moved out of the dorms due to her shenanigans and so have lots of others. This in turn costs the school $ and until things get better I will keep recommending not to move on campus. She just has too much power and influence….there needs to be more checks and balances to prevent what she is doing and has done; until there is…I fear these negative numbers and views will increase.

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