University of Maine - Prism Yearbook (Orono, ME)

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Our campus, its functions and rules, has undergone as great a change in four years as we have as individuals. As freshmen, we enrolled on a dry campus which advo- cated weekend dances in the gymnasium. We were fami- liarized with the Greek system and invited through “rush” to attend parties at each sorority or fraternity. We practiced an active night life on weekends, only to watch our watches in fear of arriving back to our dormi- tories late or getting our dates back too late for the 1 a.m. curfew. If that happened, the girl lived in fear for the next week of her scheduled confrontation with the stand- ards board or with the J-board. depending on the seri- ousness of the situation. Many of us. as naive 18 year-olds away from home per- haps. for the first time in our lives, took our first campus drink in the steam plant parking lot. As sophomores, the tension was relieved somewhat. The curfew system was relieved, and a parietal system was adopted whereby a girl could entertain a boy in her dor mitory room and vice-versa. The steam plant parking lot was abondoned for the first time in its existence. Students started keeping liquor in their rooms, properly hidden so that maids in their inspections could not find it. Stan Cowan. Senate president at that time, kept a well- organized and appreciated student government body. His leadership was effective and strong. Abenaki, an experimental college, was organized and took the campus over completely by surprise. Its cours- es. ranging in all topics, were offered to any individual of the community free of charge. Its courses, besides teaching individuals, offered to them the opportunity to interact informally with one another. And the Arts and Science requirements were lifted in some cases to relieve students of their freshmen and sophomore course loads. As seniors, we experienced a somewhat quiet year The swimming pool was completed and opened for the enjoyment of students. Students seemed totally preoccupied with finding jobs, which had gone from many to few in the last four years. Bill Eames. Senate president, led a very quiet and seldom heard from student government body. Bicycles overtook the campus in place of cars, eased the transportation on campus, and was a source of transpor- tation from class to class. And perhaps, over the past four years, the only remain- ing aggrevation which still prevailed on campus was the ever-present waiting lines. In four years we waited in lines to buy books, to eat. to go through add and drop, to see professors or deans, and to receive housing accomodations. As juniors, stronger steps toward a revolution on campus were taken. Pat's was given strong competition by Gam- bino's and the Shamrock. The Orono 18 raided the Council of Colleges meeting, were tried, and acquitted on probation. Their goal was to have these meetings opened to students and the public m the future. Chancellor McNeil was challenged by UMO students for his lack of interest and contributions to the campus in relation to his position. It was thought that he was ruin- ing the reputation of the university in the eyes of the state s voters. Women's Liberation moved to UMO and a sisterhood of liberationalists was organized on campus. Coed dormitories were established and experiments for their success were made. A swimming pool in the Memorial Gymnasium was in the process of being built. George Chick” Chalmers. Senate president, led a some- what disorganized student government body. His leader- ship was often marked by chaos and dissatisfied stu- dents. At one time, before the year's end. the Senate requested his resignation. Chalmers, however, did not resign. It's been four years of changes within the times, both on our UMO campus and within ourselves. 21