420 earn diplomas from UMF
By Samantha C. DePoy
Staff Writer

FARMINGTON – It was mostly smiles and a few tears as 420 University of Maine at Farmington students moved their tassels from right to left and became alumni of the maroon and white.

“It was great. It was superb,” said UMF President Theo Kalikow after the two-hour commencement ceremony as former students said goodbye to college chums and posed for one last picture after the college’s 150th commencement. “It went off without a hitch. It really was a perfect day; everything was just perfect,” Kalikow said.

About 3,200 attended the sun-kissed ceremony.

As the sound of bagpipes resonated off brick dormitories and classroom buildings, members of the Class of 2003 took their processional walk through their old stomping grounds before settling into their seats for a final lecture.

Keynote speaker

“I stood with one foot in today, the other in tomorrow, which is my usual posture anyhow,” read keynote speaker Lincoln F. Ladd from a poem by James Kirkup.

Ladd, a longtime education activist, World War II veteran and philanthropist, gave this advice to graduates: Take time to reflect.

“I’ve found that reflection helps us understand other people, the world around us and ourselves. We are wiser for having taken the time and made the effort to make use of it,” he said as beach balls bounded above the sea of black-capped heads.

Questions

“Perhaps I should give you graduating seniors one final assignment. In a day or two, when your lives are less frantic, find a quiet place and ask yourselves, ‘What are the two most important things I’ve learned during my four years at Farmington?’ I warn you, however; your answers may change in time.”

Ladd and Verne Byers, a Farmington resident, former UMF mathematics professor and member of the college’s Athletics Hall of Fame, were conferred with honorary degrees.

Bethany Ann McCallum, a Community Health Education major from Buxton and representative of the class, told the crowd, “The world we live in at the moment is one of uncertainty and turmoil. Every opportunity must be seized, because you never know if it will be your last,” McCallum advised her classmates as a light wind lifted her tassel.

‘Live in the moment’

“Live in the moment, not for yesterday or tomorrow. Always remember the good times and forgive and forget the bad, because life is too short. Take time to evaluate what is really, truly important in life. Lastly, learn and respect differences, be compassionate with one another, and know who you are and what you stand for.”

As “Pomp and Circumstance” filtered through the air and the graduates prepared to move into the real world, many students took a few moments to follow Ladd’s advice to pause and reflect.

A lot of goodbyes

“The last few days have been no sleep and lots of tests,” said graduate Richard Hosford, who picked up his degree for a dual English and Environmental Science major. “And a lot of goodbyes. It’s both been both nice and sad at the same time.”

Hosford, who was president of the Social and Environmental Activists for Change club on campus, said it is the friendly Farmington community he will miss most, but he has a few more days before he heads out of town. He plans to make the most of it.

“It feels very good. It’s been a really fun four years,” he said, grinning.

As for commencement, “It was a beautiful and perfect day, and the ceremony seemed fitting. There was just the right mix of formality, tradition and just people having a lot of fun.”

sdepoy@sunjournal.com

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