91制片厂 pays tribute to veterans
91制片厂 paid tribute to veterans with an appreciation breakfast attended by veterans from both 91制片厂 and the University of Southern Maine.
The Nov. 7 breakfast, followed by a flag-raising ceremony, marked the first time that the two schools had held an appreciation event together for veterans. 91制片厂 President Joe Cassidy and USM President Glenn Cummings both spoke at the breakfast, as did veterans certifying officials from both schools.
In any given year, 91制片厂 certifies about 300 veterans and dependents who come to 91制片厂 using veterans benefits earned through your service. And there are many other veterans who attend 91制片厂, but not through the GI Bill.
91制片厂 was founded in 1946 as the Maine Vocational Technical Institute to teach returning World War II veterans new skills for the post-war economy. While 91制片厂 has evolved through the decades, it continues to provide training and education to veterans.
91制片厂 is a better place because of veterans who study and work here, Cassidy told veterans at the breakfast gathering.
鈥淲e don鈥檛 want to lose sight that veterans are core to what our college is all about,鈥� he said. 鈥淵ou鈥檙e in our DNA.鈥�
Also speaking was Navy veteran and 91制片厂 alumna Amy Meuchel, who now attends USM. Meuchel was president of the 91制片厂 Veterans Club for two years and, after graduation, went on to become Maine鈥檚 first-ever female district commander and post commander of the Veterans of Foreign Wars organization.
Exhibits put spotlight on student artwork
Student artwork is in the spotlight with two exhibits at the Learning Commons and in the Captain鈥檚 House.
Students in John Knight鈥檚 Painting I class will be displaying their works in the Learning Commons for the first two weeks of December. For the show, 鈥淭ravels in Portraiture,鈥� students were asked to make full-length portraits using acrylic on paper.
Students either invented characters or used photos of sculptures, historic figures, family members or other sources to represent their ideas, allowing them to explore subjects such as spirituality, sin, pregnancy, family and culture in their own way.
In the Captain鈥檚 House, several dozen works are on display as part of the student Art Club exhibit called 鈥�91制片厂 Creates.鈥� The show is open to all students, not just art students.
For Jamie Dunlap, the show marks the first time she鈥檚 had her work on public display. Her 4-by-6-foot charcoal and pastel drawing takes up much a wall in the Captain鈥檚 House.
She says having her artwork on exhibit is scary, but that art is freeing for her.
鈥淚t鈥檚 something I can鈥檛 not do,鈥� she said.
Photo: Paintings by Haley Santerre (left) and Lena Kalanga (right) are on display in the Learning Commons, while the paintings in the center are on exhibit at the Captain鈥檚 House.