University of Maine - Prism Yearbook (Orono, ME)

Page 5 text:

In 1969, the first year of the Libby administration, we entered UMO with dreams and aspirations that have since been twisted, deadened, forgotten, re- vitalized and sometimes achieved. We were the children of mass movements who entered collegiate life in the height of its turmoil. Since then we have moved in groups, we have moved for change . Too often we ignored the individuals and instead become the Movements. We were Anti-war (or Pro-Peace, depending upon how optimistic you were); we were Soul (which had little to do with humanity but evervthing to do with music); we were Hippies (or Freak of something more than sound and sensation remember Woodstock?); we were Jesus people (He saves); we were Environmentalists (the peace sign was replaced with a green and white ecol- ogy flag), we became women's libcra- tionists (and girls were those unaware of their womanhood), and finally we are Apathy (or the Failing, a massive group yawn, who cares?) Caring too often became secondary to acting, following the group, grasp- ing at the “Cause . Throughout it all. Win Libby is leaving, and once more, we rally to the group, to the slogan ( This Win is our Loss ). to the cause (“do it for Win ). President Libby has retained his compassion and his sensitivity to peo- ple despite his role as administrator. His five years were riddled with in- tense student upheaval and a national mood that something was very wrong with the higher education. Win Libby believed in us. he listened to our dreams and our horrors — he shared it all He moved with us without losing touch with the community or the fac- ulty. He broke down the myth of the untouchable administrator by refusing to accept the role. By his strength, he made the title secondary to the person. In 1970 students stormed his house screaming about strikes. He came to his porch and it was obvious that he was hurt He wanted to listen to us, to talk about Kent State, and all we did was scream at him (The Movement vs. The Establishment). Finally a small group sat down with him and while the masses yelled away all the good jargon they had ever learned. Win lis- tened. he argued and finally an agree- ment was made and INK) held a two day moratorium to try to put the pieces together. Those were special days of unfore- seen confusion, but Win Libby always kept in touch. He knows students and consistently visited dining commons and engaged numbers of us in casual dinner conversation about the Univer- sity — he let students know that the University belongs to all of us. Appro- priately. his Christmas card this year bore a copy of “Desiderata which espouses positive personal commit- ments that . you are a child of the universe, no less than the trees and the stars; you have a right to be in all the noisy confusion of life keep peace with your soul This openness and warmth is what makes Win Libby so special. He is not a part of a movement or a group He deserves much more than a slogan and a massive farewell. He deserves fo know how much he means to each of us. how much he has taught us. We regret his retirement, we list his achievements — will we also let Win Libby fade away with the movements he saw us through? To list his credits is to minimize Win Libby, to ignore his individualism and his commitment to excellence. We need not formalize his achievements; rather we must learn from them. It is because of Lib- by’s spirit, his excitement, his open- ness that his greatness was insured. He has been great, lie has committed forty years to UMO. he has made this institution something far more than books or buildings. We must not view his leaving in terms of loss; rather he has given us a life force, a spirit to fol- low Those who mourn his retirement have failed to recognize his gift. If his individualism, his unique spirit, his ideas do not remain a vital force at UMO. it is because we have quit, we have followed the group, the move- ment and have been unable to individ- ually accept the challenge of his mind and spirit We have amassed his les- sons into an admiring, fawning cult of hero worship, rather than build on those lessons and create positive change for the University of Maine at Orono community. Yet somehow, there is a continuum, something very unique ’about UMO that we can see between the lines of Win's face and the flashes in his eyes when he talks about this institution, this state. He has given us all he knows, he has cared for us. worked for and with us and now it's our turn to carry on without slogans and banners and rhetoric — Win Libby has taught us a special lesson, a unique language that must be continued to assure him that he has taught us how dreams come true. For his challenge, we thank him. Trish Riley. President LINK)Student Government 3

Page 4 text:

 2 I

Page 6 text:

•J