Doors open at 5 p.m., with the puck scheduled to drop at 6 p.m.

The event will benefit the Waldo County Firefighters Association Benefit Fund and support first responders, mill workers, families and others affected by the Robbins Lumber Mill explosion and fire.

The event is presented by Canteen 19 and Unified Special Hockey of Maine. In addition to the alumni hockey game, the fundraiser will include a silent auction and raffle.

General admission tickets are $15, with additional giving levels available. Proceeds benefit the Waldo County Firefighters Association Benefit Fund.

More information and tickets are available on the .

Paul Kariya was a freshman, and the University of Maine men’s ice hockey team was in the midst of a season that would become legend: 42 wins, one loss, two ties and the program’s first national championship.

Violaris was a 91���� graduate student then, living in downtown Orono and traveling around the Northeast to follow the Black Bears.

“I was the craziest fan,” he said.

More than three decades later, Maine still has that hold on him.

Violaris, who earned two degrees from 91���� and went on to build businesses spanning industries and continents, is the founder and CEO of Grizzly Entertainment, a global company that turns hundreds, sometimes thousands, of synchronized drones into moving pictures in the night sky.

On Saturday, those drones will fly above his alma mater.

Grizzly Entertainment will present a 10- to 15-minute drone light show following the University of Maine football game against Merrimack College, which kicks off at 5 p.m. The show will take place above the athletic fields near Alfond Stadium, where spectators are encouraged to watch.

For Violaris, it is more than another show.

“When Maine calls, you never say no,” he said.

Finding the Maine energy

Violaris came to 91���� from Cyprus in 1990, looking for something different.

He found it in Orono.

He earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration in 1992 and an MBA in 1994. When Violaris talks about Maine, he speaks not only about the education he received, but also about the experiences and relationships that made his time there so meaningful.

“For me, Maine was the perfect school lifestyle,” he said.

Orono was small, but the university gave it the energy of a college town. The experience was unlike anything he had known at home in Cyprus or elsewhere in Europe.

“It was a dream come true to live and enjoy that lifestyle,” he said.

There were Friday nights at the Bear’s Den. Professors he still remembers. A roommate who remains a friend. Snow. Lots of snow.

And hockey.

The 1992-93 Black Bears finished 42-1-2 and won 91����’s first NCAA men’s hockey championship. Violaris followed the team around the Northeast throughout the season.

“It’s an experience I will never forget,” he said.

He still carries pieces of those years with him. One is an old university newspaper clipping with a photograph of him waving a giant Maine flag he had made for a football game.

When he returns to Orono, he still looks for the downtown house where he once lived.

His education has continued long after leaving Maine. At 58, Violaris is completing a doctorate in business administration at Baruch College in New York and said he expects to finish his dissertation by the end of the year.

“I’m 58 years old and I’m still learning,” he said.

A business born in a pandemic

That willingness to try something new eventually led Violaris into an entirely different business.

He had spent years in the marine satellite communications business when, during the COVID-19 pandemic, a colleague sent him a video of an Intel drone show.

He was hooked.

He began investing in the idea in 2020. When aviation restrictions complicated his plans to launch the operation in Cyprus, he shifted to California, where he had a home, and started working out of his garage in Palm Springs.

Within three months, he said, the company received approval from the Federal Aviation Administration to operate.

Its first show, in Southampton, New York, was small and chaotic. Nearly everything that could go wrong did.

They pulled it off.

The second show didn’t happen at all.

The team traveled to Sacramento, California, and completed a rehearsal the night before the performance. They returned to their hotel and parked their van near the entrance.

The next morning, it was gone.

Inside were 500 drones and nearly everything the company needed.

Violaris called police. Within minutes, he recalled, law enforcement officers were surrounding the hotel.

Police recovered the drones and batteries within hours near a highway. Much of the other equipment was gone. The Sacramento show was canceled.

The company survived.

Then it grew.

Today, Grizzly has 1,500 drones in the United States and another 500 in Europe. The company performs about 120 shows a year in the U.S., in addition to shows in Europe.

Its recent work has included a 1,000-drone Memorial Day weekend performance at Jones Beach in New York, along with shows for universities, cities, sporting events and entertainment properties.

What audiences see for 10 or 15 minutes can take far longer to create.

“91���� 95% of the work is done before the day of the show,” Violaris said.

Designers use animation software to build the images and movements. The drones are programmed in advance. On the day of a show, crews spend several hours setting up.

Then the team starts the program and watches the show unfold.

Black Bears in the sky

Saturday won’t be Grizzly’s first trip to Orono.

Last October, Violaris brought the company to 91���� for two Homecoming performances, each using about 400 drones. The performances were the largest drone light shows staged in Maine and the first held at 91����.

Violaris donated both shows to the university, turning the performances into an alumni gift as well as a campus spectacle.

This weekend’s performance will again be unmistakably Maine.

“It’s all 91����,” Violaris said. “It’s all Black Bears. It’s all blue.”

The show will combine three-dimensional elements, football imagery and symbols of the university.

Drone shows can create enormous logos and intricate animations in the sky, but Violaris said audiences often react most strongly when they see something that represents their own school, city or organization.

Last year, he brought colleagues to a Black Bears hockey game. For some, it was their first.

They loved it.

When Maine scored the winning goal, Violaris grabbed a flag and started waving.

More than 30 years after his time as a student, the enthusiasm was still there.

This Saturday, hundreds of drones will rise above the University of Maine, forming images created for the Black Bear community below.

Violaris knows what it is like to be part of that crowd.

“That pride comes out in everybody,” he said.

Contact: David Nordman, david.nordman@maine.edu

New research and education facilities are open. Major athletics construction is taking shape. More parking spaces have been added, and new sidewalks, roads, landscaping and lighting are changing how people move through campus.

Here are 10 of the biggest changes you’ll notice:

1. GEM is opening

91����’s new 47,000-square-foot GEM facility is opening soon. Home to the Factory of the Future, it combines AI-enabled 3D printing, advanced manufacturing, research, industry collaboration and hands-on student learning opportunities statewide.

2. SAWIC is opening

The new 14,200-square-foot Sustainable Aquaculture Workforce Innovation Center is also opening soon. Students will train with commercial-scale aquaculture systems while supporting applied research in fish health, nutrition, new species and sustainable production practices.

3. More than 236 new parking spaces

A total of 236 parking spaces have been added since commencement. Expanded parking near Dunn and Corbett halls, Wells and the CCA area includes additional visitor and ADA spaces across campus. .

4. Better pedestrian pathways

Getting around campus is easier. New and repaved sidewalks, crosswalks and pedestrian routes create direct connections, separate pedestrians from vehicles and improve ADA access near Dunn and Corbett halls, Wells Common and Memorial Gym.

5. More green space

Parts of campus once dominated by pavement are getting greener. New grass, trees and landscaping create more open space, improve campus appearance and provide buffers between roads, sidewalks and buildings.

6. Long Road has a new look

Long Road has been rerouted and redesigned with new sidewalks, curbing, landscaping, clearer entrances and better sightlines toward The Mall. A ride-share and short-term drop-off area is also being added.

7. Morse Arena rising

Steel is rising on the future home of Maine Basketball. Morse Arena will feature 2,600-plus seats, a full concourse, club section, video boards, improved amenities and a new student-section experience.

8. Refreshed north campus gateway

91���� sign has been relocated, with improved landscaping and clearer views toward the Maine “M.” The parking lot next to Bennett Hall is also being repaved.

9. Campus landmarks getting a refresh

A fraternity monument displaced by construction has been recreated nearby, and five EV charging stations are planned. Later this fall, the Maine bear monument will get a new granite base and updated plaque. 

10. Campus brighter after dark

New lighting is being installed in parking and pedestrian areas across north campus. The upgrades illuminate routes after dark while directional fixtures reduce light spill and impacts on nocturnal wildlife.

Contact: David Nordman,��david.nordman@maine.edu.

By David Nordman 

Mike DeVito waited until the second-down play was over, dropped to the turf at Lucas Oil Stadium and grabbed his leg.

He was not injured.

The Indianapolis Colts, led by Peyton Manning, were moving quickly toward the line of scrimmage, attempting to prevent the New York Jets from substituting defensive players. Jets head coach Rex Ryan needed a way to stop the clock and get the right personnel onto the field.

His solution was DeVito.

Ryan named the play “lobster,” a nod to the defensive lineman’s college career at the University of Maine. DeVito’s assignment was simple: Take a dive.

“At first, I was so excited to have a play named after me,” DeVito said. “But then I found out that I was the guy they could most afford to have off the field for the next play.”

DeVito stayed down and clutched his calf as Indianapolis offensive linemen stood over him. They knew what he was doing. The Jets’ medical staff ran onto the field anyway, obligated to treat the injury as real.

DeVito only had to run “lobster” once.

The Jets went on to hand the previously undefeated Colts their first loss of the season, 29-15, on Dec. 27, 2009. DeVito continued his NFL career without giving the moment much philosophical consideration.

Sixteen years later, he projects a photograph of the play onto a screen inside a University of Maine classroom.

Then he asks his students: Was it ethical?

Today, DeVito is a lecturer in philosophy at 91���� and the director of player development and alumni relations for the Black Bear football program. He teaches introductory philosophy, critical thinking and applied ethics.

The former NFL defensive end has found that the story is an effective way to ease students into questions of honesty, responsibility and right and wrong.

It is applied ethics, with shoulder pads.

The path from an NFL defensive line to a philosophy classroom took nearly a decade of graduate study. It began with a book handed to DeVito in a locker room and gained urgency after two concussions helped bring his playing career to an end.

“I knew when I got done with football that I wanted to pivot to the academic space,” DeVito said. “I knew I wanted to study philosophy.”

In the classroom, “lobster” gives students an accessible entry point into difficult moral questions.

“It’s a nice way to start because applied ethics gets into some real landmine issues,” DeVito said. “This is a fun way to enter. You put your toes in a little bit.”

From a distance, DeVito can identify the problems with what he did. If players routinely pretend to be injured, medical personnel may have difficulty knowing when someone is truly hurt, undermining the trust necessary to protect athletes in a violent sport.

His football brain still offers a different answer.

“Everybody’s job is on the line,” DeVito said. “If we don’t win, we don’t get paid. We go home. The morality goes out the window when you’re actually out there.”

He spent nine seasons colliding with offensive linemen and running backs for the Jets and Kansas City Chiefs. Now he asks students to examine free will, logic, metaphysics and the existence of God.

‘Whatever this guy is doing, I want to do this’

Born in Brooklyn, DeVito moved to Cape Cod, Massachusetts, where he graduated from Nauset Regional High School. He attended 91���� from 2002-06 and played under longtime head coach Jack Cosgrove. An accounting major, he approached academics differently than he does now.

“Football was my Ph.D. then,” DeVito said. “I was going to put a Ph.D. into football. That’s why I was here.”

After going undrafted in 2007, he signed with the team he had grown up following, the New York Jets. He played six seasons in New York and another three in Kansas City.

His academic turn began during his third NFL season, when Jets chaplain Adam Burt gave him “The Reason for God,” a book by theologian and philosopher Timothy Keller.

DeVito was captivated by its arguments.

“I remember thinking, whatever this guy’s doing here, I want to do this,” he said.

He began reading philosophy in his free time, exploring questions of logic, knowledge, free will and metaphysics. The interest remained informal until the 2015 NFL season.

While playing for Kansas City, DeVito tackled Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson. Another defender arrived from the side, and the helmets of the two Kansas City players collided at just the wrong angle.

DeVito lost consciousness.

“They had to wake me up on the field,” he said.

The concussion kept him out for three weeks. He returned, then suffered another concussion two weeks later during a game against the Oakland Raiders.

The second hit came on the final play of the third quarter. DeVito was dazed but initially believed he could continue. When play resumed, he realized something was wrong.

“Everything was just sort of all over the place,” he said. “I couldn’t hone in on anything.”

Each game he missed cost him a $50,000 active roster bonus, but the league’s concussion testing left little room for bluffing.

“I was doing everything — ‘I’m fine. I’m good,’” DeVito said. “They had it down where you couldn’t fake it.”

The following offseason, a Kansas City coach called DeVito at home in Maine and offered him another contract.

DeVito delivered the news to his wife, Jessie. She was pregnant with their second child. Their oldest son was approaching 3.

She told him that if he returned to Kansas City, he would go alone.

The concussions had taken a toll on her, too. She did not want to watch her husband get knocked unconscious on television again. She wanted to have their baby in Maine, near their support network.

DeVito called his agent that night and retired.

“It was a hard decision,” he said. “But I got to go out on my own terms.”

Before leaving football, DeVito spoke with Chiefs head athletic trainer Rick Burkholder about protecting his brain from the potential long-term effects of repeated head trauma.

Burkholder advised him to exercise his brain as intensely as he had trained his body.

DeVito already knew what he wanted to study.

“I was like, ‘OK, then what I’ll do is go back and do philosophy in school,’” he said. “I’ll actually make a formal study of it.”

Starting again on academic probation

DeVito’s undergraduate record did not make him an obvious candidate for doctoral study.

He entered a master’s program in Christian philosophy at Houston Baptist University, now Houston Christian University, on academic probation.

He completed the program in 2018, proving he belonged in an academic setting, then earned a research-based master’s degree from the University of Edinburgh before applying to doctoral programs.

He was accepted at the University of Birmingham in the United Kingdom and began his Ph.D. in fall 2020.

He completed the degree in December 2025.

His dissertation examined the longstanding philosophical problem of divine foreknowledge and human freedom.

Suppose, DeVito tells students, that an infallible being already knows what they will choose for lunch tomorrow. When lunchtime arrives, are they genuinely free to choose a burger, Thai food or nothing at all?

If that being cannot be wrong, it appears that only one outcome is possible. Yet simply knowing that something will happen does not seem to cause it.

“I know right now that you’re drinking that can, but that doesn’t force you to do it,” DeVito said during an interview, gesturing across the table. “So why would it be that this being knowing the future would force you to do that?”

The question touches free will, time, logic, metaphysics and theology.

Defending the dissertation was intimidating.

DeVito compared it to a black belt test. He spent six months anticipating every objection his examiners might raise. Unlike a mathematical answer that can be checked, he said, a philosophical argument remains open to interpretation — and to an examiner who may challenge its premises, implications or entire approach.

“You have no idea what’s coming,” DeVito said.

He passed.

Back where it started

DeVito had not planned to work for the 91���� football program.

He and his family settled in Hampden, Maine, after his NFL retirement. He attended games, spoke with players and remained connected to the program as an alumnus.

Then Jordan Stevens became head coach.

Stevens and DeVito had played together on the 91���� defensive line. Stevens was a talented freshman when DeVito was a senior, and the two shared the field during DeVito’s final season.

When Stevens took over the program, DeVito offered to help.

“I’m down the street,” he told him. “Let me serve you, serve the team, however I can bring value.”

They identified an area 91���� football did not yet have: a player development department dedicated to the parts of college life that exist beyond practices, games and grades.

DeVito’s work focuses on five areas: leadership development, career development, alumni networking, social responsibility and community engagement.

He also leads a summer onboarding program for first-year players, helping them prepare for the simultaneous demands of college football and college academics.

The first group he welcomed as rookies is now entering its senior year.

“It’s almost like a parent, in a sense,” DeVito said. “You’re just like, ‘Wow, I’m so proud of these guys.’”

Because DeVito does not evaluate game film, decide playing time or monitor transcripts, players can approach him without wondering whether they are being assessed.

Sometimes player development has little to do with a formal program.

DeVito described supporting a player who was far from home and struggling with a family health crisis. It was a situation DeVito understood from his own first years at 91����, when he often felt homesick.

They talked on the phone and met for lunch.

DeVito did not have a solution for the player’s circumstances. He could listen, share his own experiences and offer a place where the student did not need to perform.

“They can just come to me and vent and talk,” he said. “We’re just going to work through this stuff together.”

DeVito also brings philosophy and cognitive science into his work with players.

He teaches them about “amygdala hijack,” a term used to describe how the brain’s threat response can overwhelm rational thought. Harsh criticism from a coach can trigger an immediate impulse to fight back, make excuses or stop listening.

DeVito tells players that the response is natural. That does not make it useful.

“Recognize that your initial response is going to be, ‘No, you’re wrong, and here’s why,’” he said. “The best thing you can do is just listen.”

The same lesson appears in his critical thinking and introductory philosophy courses. A conflicting political, religious or moral claim can feel like a personal threat, making it harder to evaluate the argument rationally.

In both the classroom and the locker room, DeVito asks people to create space between the first emotional response and the next decision.

Win at breakfast

Not every lesson DeVito brings into his work originated from a philosophy book.

During his final NFL season, the Chiefs began with one victory and five losses. No team had previously recovered from that record to reach the playoffs.

After the fifth loss, head coach Andy Reid addressed the team.

He told the players to stop thinking about their record, the playoffs or even Sunday’s game. Their next task was breakfast.

Win at breakfast, Reid told them. Then win in the weight room. Win in the training room. Continue through every item on the schedule.

The Chiefs won their next 10 regular-season games and a wild-card playoff game before losing in the divisional round.

DeVito shared that message with 91���� players last fall after the Black Bears began a season 0-4.

They responded with six straight wins.

Large problems invite people to catastrophize, DeVito said. Narrowing the focus to the next meal, meeting, practice or assignment makes forward movement possible.

DeVito still tries to apply Reid’s advice to his own crowded life.

In addition to his football position and philosophy courses, he homeschools his three sons. The family has three educational nonnegotiables: Each child must study a foreign language, learn an instrument and practice mixed martial arts.

DeVito decided he should not ask his sons to do anything he was unwilling to try himself.

He studies German, practices the drums and continues training in mixed martial arts. His sons are learning Japanese because they love anime, giving them a level of immersion that Italian lessons did not provide.

They read books from right to left and back to front, a format DeVito said he still struggles to follow.

His two older sons play piano, while his youngest plans to learn the drums alongside his father.

DeVito said the differences between his children have also given him a new appreciation for teachers. The programs that work for one son may not work for another.

“I don’t know how public school teachers do it,” he said. “You have 30 students, all different types of learning styles, and it’s just you.”

Finishing the Ph.D. freed about four hours in DeVito’s day. He quickly filled them.

There are moments when the former defensive lineman has to remind himself how improbable the combination once would have seemed: teaching the subject he loves at his alma mater, mentoring the next generation of Black Bear players and raising his family a few miles away.

“Life is great,” DeVito said. “I have to kick myself sometimes.”

In a University of Maine philosophy classroom, DeVito projects a photograph from Indianapolis: a defensive lineman lying on the turf, gripping a perfectly healthy leg while frustrated Colts players stare down at him.

The play was called “lobster.”

The ethical questions have lasted much longer than the injury.

Contact: David Nordman, david.nordman@maine.edu.

She was diving across a basketball court.

Atherley had traveled to the Cumberland County Civic Center during LaBonte’s senior year at York High School to evaluate the future Black Bear athlete. What stood out wasn’t her speed or finesse. It was the grit.

“She was always in the middle of a play,” Atherley recalled. “She was willing to do the dirty work — diving on the floor, fighting for rebounds, doing whatever it took for her team to win. You could see her competitiveness and leadership immediately.”

That same mentality would later define LaBonte’s career far beyond the soccer field.

Today, the 2016 91���� graduate is the founder of Sweet Addison’s, a fast-growing gourmet dessert company specializing in gourmet gluten-free and dairy-free baked goods shipped nationwide. The company’s cookies and desserts have quickly gained traction online and through wholesale partnerships, fueled by LaBonte’s mission to create treats that feel indulgent while still being made with ingredients she feels good about eating. 

What began as recipe testing in a 700-square-foot Dallas apartment has become a multi-seven-figure business with six employees and products sold in dozens of coffee shops, hotels and specialty stores across the country.

But long before LaBonte was scaling a national food brand, she was a shy freshman walk-on from York trying to prove she belonged at 91����.

“I had just turned 18. I was homesick. I was timid. I felt so far outside my comfort zone,” LaBonte said. “Fast forward four years, and I was so much more confident and outgoing. 91���� transformed me.”

LaBonte grew up in a family deeply connected to 91����. Her father, Richard LaBonte, played football for the Black Bears in the early 1980s. Her mother, Robin, also attended 91����, where the two met as students. Her younger sister, Delaney, later played soccer for the Black Bears, and her brother, Trevor, played baseball at Maine during a postgraduate season after transferring from the University of Maryland. 

“We are obsessed with the University of Maine,” LaBonte said with a laugh.

At 91����, LaBonte majored in mathematics, minored in business administration and earned an Honors College degree. All while competing for the women’s soccer team. 

But her path onto the field was anything but guaranteed.

Atherley recruited LaBonte as a walk-on after seeing her athleticism and determination translate from basketball to soccer. He remembered her as disciplined, analytical and intensely competitive from the start.

“She was very clear about who she was,” Atherley said. “She was regimented, organized and always looking to solve problems. You could already see the traits that would later make her successful in business.”

During her first two seasons, LaBonte fought for playing time on a highly successful Black Bear team. Then came a turning point.

Early in one season, 91���� scheduled an exhibition against Harvard, giving Atherley an opportunity to play athletes who had not seen much game action.

“We started her against Harvard and she was arguably the best player on the field,” he said. “From that moment forward, she never looked back.”

LaBonte eventually earned a scholarship and became a mainstay in Maine’s lineup, starting 16 games in 2013 and all 18 games in 2014 while helping anchor one of the America East Conference’s top defenses.

“She wasn’t the fastest player on the field,” Atherley said. “But if you rolled a ball between her and someone else and said, ‘Go win it,’ she’d win the race every time.”

That relentless mentality followed LaBonte after graduation.

After earning her degree in 2016, she returned home to York and began working in finance and data analysis, believing she would build a traditional career in business. But the work left her unfulfilled.

At the same time, she began dealing with health issues and eventually adopted a gluten-free lifestyle.

“I couldn’t find desserts that tasted indulgent but were still made with quality ingredients,” LaBonte said. “It always felt like you had to choose between healthy and delicious.”

She began experimenting in the kitchen, drawing on years spent baking with her mother and grandmother. Around the same time, she launched an Instagram account called Organically Addison, where she shared gluten-free recipes, wellness content and training updates from her growing passion for distance running.

The audience exploded.

Today, LaBonte has more than 300,000 followers across her online platforms, operates multiple food and wellness websites and hosts the Organically Addison podcast, where she interviews entrepreneurs and health and wellness experts. Before launching Sweet Addison’s, she built a full-time career as a content creator focused on gluten-free recipes, wellness and healthy living.

Still, she wanted something more tangible.

In 2021, LaBonte made another leap, moving alone from Maine to Dallas.

“I didn’t know a single person in Texas,” she said. “My dad drove me out there, and I just decided to take a chance on myself.”

While working remotely and continuing to grow her online audience, followers began asking whether they could purchase the desserts she baked at home.

That demand became the foundation for Sweet Addison’s.

LaBonte launched the company in early 2024 with a single product: chocolate chip cookies. She tested the recipe 26 different times before landing on the final version.

“I remember thinking, ‘If these cookies can survive shipping from Texas to Maine, then maybe I have a real business,’” she said.

The company quickly took off.

Sweet Addison’s now ships nationwide and has been featured by TODAY.com, OK! Magazine’s “The Morning Honey,” NBC Dallas-Fort Worth and multiple podcasts and digital publications. The brand has resonated with customers looking for desserts that are both gluten-free and dairy-free without sacrificing the rich, indulgent flavors of traditional baked goods.

The rapid growth has been exhilarating. And exhausting.

“What we do in a daily average now is what we did in an entire month during the first year,” LaBonte said. “Some days it feels like I’m building the plane while flying it.”

Her operation has expanded from apartment baking to a commercial kitchen and fulfillment facility in Dallas. The business now employs six people and continues growing its wholesale footprint.

One of LaBonte’s major goals for the coming year is expanding into more retailers in Maine.

“Maine will always feel like home to me,” she said.

Even as her business has grown, LaBonte said the lessons she learned as a Division I athlete remain central to her success.

“The biggest thing soccer taught me was discipline,” she said. “Being a Division I athlete teaches you delayed gratification. You work for months and months hoping it pays off later, and there are no guarantees.”

That mindset now shapes everything from her business operations to her personal life.

LaBonte runs marathons and completed her first ultramarathon — a 50-kilometer race in Dallas — last year. She hopes to tackle a 50-mile race next.

“I like to push myself to the extreme and then figure it out,” she said.

Her daily schedule remains meticulously organized, often planned hour by hour.

“I don’t watch TV and I don’t drink alcohol,” she said. “I just genuinely love what I do.”

Atherley sees clear parallels between the determined walk-on he coached in Orono and the entrepreneur leading a rapidly growing company today.

“She took her opportunity and ran with it and never looked back,” he said. “She’s one of the most determined people I’ve ever coached.”

He also remembers the early version of LaBonte before the gluten-free recipes, ultramarathons and food brand.

“When she first got here, she loved hamburgers, bacon and ketchup,” Atherley said, laughing. “Now she’s transformed her lifestyle completely. But the one thing that never changed is how driven she is.”

For LaBonte, 91���� remains at the center of that story.

She still talks regularly with former teammates, stays close with fellow alumni and hopes to return to Orono this fall for a soccer game.

What she remembers most is the sense of community.

“91���� did such a great job of making a big campus feel small,” she said. “The whole town revolves around the university and everyone supports each other. There’s just something special about that place.”

And when Atherley thinks back to that first basketball game years ago — the one where a future entrepreneur kept throwing herself into loose balls and fighting for rebounds — he sees the same person he sees today.

Competitive. Disciplined. Fearless.

A walk-on who built herself into something bigger.

And a Mainer who never stopped chasing the next challenge.

Contact: David Nordman, david.nordman@maine.edu

Hamidah Aldarwish

College of Education and Human Development

Bachelor of Science in Child Development and Family Relations

Hamidah Aldarwish of Dammam, Saudi Arabia, is the Outstanding Graduating International Student for the College of Education and Human Development. Aldarwish arrived in Maine in 2019 with her family — her husband, Jafar, and their three girls who are now ages 11 to 15. Aldarwish completed her capstone internship at 91����’s Children’s Center with a focus on the application of observational and developmental principles in early childhood settings, particularly related to children with diverse developmental needs, including autism spectrum disorder and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. After graduation, Aldarwish plans to return to Saudi Arabia to work with families and children. 

A full profile of Aldarwish is online. 

Ella Boxall

Maine College of Engineering and Computing

Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering with Minors in Sustainability and Mathematics and a Concentration in Water Resources

Ella Boxall of Kennebunkport, Maine, is the Outstanding Graduating Student in the Maine College of Engineering and Computing. She has completed internships with GEI Consultants and TRC Companies, conducted research using MATLAB to project sea level rise and king tides in Bar Harbor and served as a learning assistant and grader. Her capstone project focuses on redesigning a gravity-fed water system for a salmon rearing facility in Aroostook County, highlighting creative, low-energy engineering solutions. She plans to pursue graduate studies in marine science in the United Kingdom and build a career promoting coastal and environmental resilience.

A full profile of Boxall is available online. 

Dianne Brindisi

Division of Lifelong Learning

Bachelor of University Studies, Leadership Studies Track

Dianne Brindisi of Cape Neddick, Maine, is the Outstanding Graduating Student in the Division of Lifelong Learning at the University of Maine. Service has always been central to Brindisi’s life. From supporting families in need and mentoring young leaders to contributing to professional associations that advance women and industry standards, Brindisi believes leadership is inseparable from service. Looking ahead, she is committed to educating the public about the university studies program and sharing her positive experience and welcomes the opportunity to serve as a program ambassador. 

A full profile of Brindisi is online. 

Kate Evans

College of Education and Human Development

Bachelor of Science in Secondary Education with a Second Major in Spanish

Kate Evans of Bangor, Maine, is the Outstanding Graduating Student for the College of Education and Human Development. A single mom of four young children, whom she has homeschooled while working toward her degree, Evans earned a 4.00 GPA while pursuing double majors in secondary education and Spanish. She received the Roger Hill Humanities Scholarship and the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences Outstanding Junior Award. Evans is an active member of her church community, where she often volunteers her time for service and educational programs. After graduating she plans to stay in the Bangor region and teach Spanish at a local high school.

A full profile of Evans is online. 

Chantelle Flores

College of Liberal Arts and Sciences | Honors College

Bachelor of Arts in English with a Minor in Creative Writing

Bachelor of Arts in Art History with a Minor in Classical Studies

Chantelle Flores of Oakland, Maine, is the Outstanding Graduating Student for the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. She was a McGillicuddy Humanities Center (MHC) Undergraduate Fellow, as well as a Zillman Art Museum Research Curatorial Fellow through the center. Flores interned at the 91���� Writing Center and served as co-editor-in-chief of Spire magazine. After graduation, she plans to pursue an internship related to literature or the arts and apply for graduate programs for art history, with the ultimate goal of acquiring a Ph.D. in contemporary art history and becoming a professor.

A full profile of Flores is online. 

Zoe Furber

College of Earth, Life, and Health Sciences

Bachelor of Science in Marine Science with a Second Major in Biology with a Concentration in Marine Biology

Zoe Furber of Vancouver, British Columbia, is the Outstanding Graduating International Student for the College of Earth, Life, and Health Sciences. She has been a member of the 91���� Field Hockey team since 2022 and was appointed captain in 2025. During her time at 91����, she completed a capstone project comparing ocean temperatures in the Gulf of Maine to heart rate metrics of blue mussels. These experiences prepared her for a career in environmental, social and governance (ESG) and sustainability. Furber plans to complete a Master of Science in Global Strategy and Sustainability at the University of Edinburgh, where she will play field hockey for an additional year.

A full profile of Furber is online. 

Ruth Griffith

College of Earth, Life, and Health Sciences | Honors College

Bachelor of Science in Economics with Minors in Mathematics and International Affairs

Ruth Griffith of Parkman, Maine, is the Outstanding Graduating Student for the Honors College and the 2026 91���� valedictorian. She is majoring in economics with minors in mathematics and international affairs. Through her honors thesis, Griffith developed a method to analyze sub-county economic trends using regional data, helping illuminate how policies impact local communities across Maine. Drawing on her background in regional economics, she adapted tools used for markets to understand disparities. Beyond academics, she has led service initiatives such as the Maine Day Meal Packout, coordinating efforts that provide tens of thousands of meals statewide. She will launch her career at TD Bank in New York City after graduation and plans to one day pursue a Master of Business Administration.

A full profile of Griffith is online.

Sarah Johnson

Maine Business School

Bachelor of Science in Business Administration in Accounting with a Second Major in Business Information Systems and Security Management

Sarah Johnson of Clifton, Maine, is the Outstanding Graduating Student for the Maine Business School. Johnson has completed multiple internships with both the Maine Business School and BerryDunn, an accounting and consulting services firm. She has also worked as an undergraduate assistant for 91����’s Office of Institutional Research and Assessment. These roles strengthened her professional skill set, including effective communication, adaptability, critical thinking and the ability to apply feedback constructively. They also prepared her to approach problems analytically and to collaborate effectively in a professional setting. Following graduation, she will launch her career at BerryDunn as a tax specialist.  

A full profile of Johnson is online. 

Jasper Makowski

College of Earth, Life, and Health Sciences | Honors College

Bachelor of Science in Microbiology

Jasper Makowski of Dover-Foxcroft, Maine, is the Outstanding Graduating Student in the College of Earth, Life, and Health Sciences. He secured internships and part-time work with two medical facilities and 91����’s Maginnis Lab. Working closely with associate professor of microbiology Melissa Maginnis, he researched signaling mechanisms in viruses and learned about a range of diseases. Makowski is a student organizer for the Maine Day Meal Packout. Outside of academics, he retreats to the Maine outdoors and enjoys a variety of activities, from backpacking to fly fishing. After he graduates, he is pursuing a medical degree with plans to return to rural Maine as a primary care provider. 

A full profile of Makowski is online. 

Andrii Obertas

College of Liberal Arts and Sciences

Bachelor of Science in Physics

Bachelor of Science in Mathematics

Andrii Obertas of Lutsk, Ukraine, is the 2026 Outstanding Graduating International Student for the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences and the 2026 91���� co-salutatorian. Pursuing dual degrees in physics and mathematics, Obertas has distinguished himself through academic excellence and perseverance. He has conducted original research in both physics and mathematics, while also engaging in outreach efforts that bring science education to communities across Maine. His experience at 91���� has been shaped by a strong sense of community and opportunity, which he credits with providing hope for his future. After graduation, Obertas plans to pursue a master’s degree in mathematics through the accelerated 4+1 program.

A full profile of Obertas is online.

Samuel Tremblay

Maine Business School

Bachelor of Science in Business Administration in Management

Samuel Tremblay of Quebec City is the Outstanding Graduating International Student for the Maine Business School. Tremblay is a tutor, mentor, Maine Business School ambassador and president of the 91���� chapter of the Beta Gamma Sigma honor society. He is also a kicker for the 91���� Football Team, through which he became a finalist for the Fred Mitchell Award, and a representative for the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee. He served as a captain on Canada’s Junior National Team at the International Federation of American Football’s World Junior Championship. After graduation, he plans to stay at 91���� and pursue a master’s degree while continuing to play football.����

A full profile of Tremblay is online. 

Karun Varghese

Maine College of Engineering and Computing | Honors College

Bachelor of Science in Computer Engineering with a Minor in Robotics

Karun Varghese of Dubai, United Arab Emirates, is the Outstanding Graduating International Student in the Maine College of Engineering and Computing and the Honors College. Varghese assumed research roles in the Computer Vision and Autonomous Robotics Lab, the High Altitude Ballooning Lab and the Advanced Structures and Composites Center. Outside of academics, he participated in the Black Bear Robotics Club, the South Asian Association of Maine and Model United Nations. Through Model UN, he traveled internationally to Taiwan, the Philippines and Peru. After graduation, he will pursue graduate studies at Carnegie Mellon University’s Robotics Institute.

A full profile of Varghese is online. 

Contact: Marcus Wolf, 207.581.3721; marcus.wolf@maine.edu 

Why did you choose to come to 91����?

I chose 91���� because it felt like home. On my different visits, the coaches, staff, professors and employees were all so nice and caring; I wanted to be part of something like that.

Describe any research, internships or scholarly pursuits in which you have participated. How have they prepared you for future opportunities in your chosen field?

Last semester, I had the chance to be part of “Introduction to Topics in Management” (MGT 290), a class where we worked with Aroma Joe’s. Three groups of six received different prompts, and we had to research to come up with three suggestions for real-life issues. It was rewarding to research and propose solutions for tangible business challenges.

Have there been other students who supported and inspired you or exposed you to something new?��

In my time at 91����, I was fortunate enough to have two mentors. Anne Simon, a former basketball player, was my mentor in my first semester. We both came from different countries and had different first languages. She helped me adapt to college. Aidan Cadogan was my teammate in my first year. He helped me navigate my first year of college football and still helps me to this day. He also introduced me to the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee. Their support inspired me to become a mentor myself, ensuring the next generation of students feels as welcome as I did.

Have you collaborated with a mentor, professor or role model who made your time at 91���� better?

The entire 91���� Athletic’s staff and business school faculty had a significant impact on my time at 91����. They always took the time to help and guide me in the right direction. Samantha Wheeler is one of the Athletic’s staff who helped me during my time here. She helped me adapt to college and made sure I stayed on the right track throughout my degree. I am grateful for her continuous support.

What has coming to 91���� enabled you to explore beyond academics?

I am part of different clubs and organizations. These helped me make new friends, get out of my comfort zone and gain experience in different fields.

What experiences have you had at 91���� that really highlight the ingenuity of Mainers?

In football, we have the chance to be followed by many people. Every chance I have to talk to a fan after a game or during a community service event, I am always amazed by the resilience and the kindness of Mainers. We are lucky to be supported by so many great people.

Did you have an experience at 91���� that shaped or changed how you see the world?

The first time I stepped into an NCAA Division I football game, one of my dreams came true. It made me realize that if you really want something, you work hard, and you believe in yourself, anything is possible.

Describe 91���� in one word and explain.��

Meaningful.

My time at 91���� has been shaped by many memories, lessons and life-changing events. All of these have made me who I am today. I am grateful for all these meaningful things that happened.

What’s on the horizon? What are your plans for after you graduate?��

I look forward to starting my master’s next fall at 91����, where I hope to further my leadership and represent the Black Bear community on and off the field.

Contact: Marcus Wolf, 207.581.3721; marcus.wolf@maine.edu 

Ron Lisnet and Julie Arnold Lisnet’s now 43-year love affair with each other, and the University of Maine, did not begin with a thunderbolt from heaven back in 1982, when they met inside the Cyrus Pavilion Theatre. In fact, it started with a snide comment. 

“I was sitting there with a friend, being a snotty senior,” Julie said, remembering the day she first laid eyes on her future husband, “and Ron walks in, and I said, ‘Who is that geek?’” 

They were both there auditioning for a play. Ron was also in the middle of a fraternity beard-growing contest. It wasn’t going well. 

“Yeah, I was not winning,” Ron ’83 said. 

“There was a little patch here and a little patch there,” Julie ’82, ’85G, said. 

But Julie’s original assessment changed after Ron shaved and applied his stage makeup for the show, in which he played a fishnet shirt-wearing brothel owner. 

“I thought he had beautiful eyes,” Julie said, “I thought, ‘he’s actually a very handsome guy.’” 

A few months and dates later, they were inseparable. The two married July 14, 1984. 

“I think we’re the only Bear Pair to have met inside the Cyrus Pavilion Theatre,” Julie said. Bear Pairs are what 91���� calls alumni couples, many of whom met as students on campus. 

And Ron and Julie are more than just a Bear Pair. Ron started working at the university 33 years ago, in 1993. Julie began teaching in the School for Performing Arts in 2002. Their daughter, Natalie Lisnet ’21, also works at 91���� at the Center for Innovation in Teaching and Learning. 

“Between us and our daughter, we have four [91����] degrees and a teaching certificate,” Julie said. “I don’t think we could get much more involved.” 

The whole family reunited inside the Cyrus Pavilion Theatre in January when Natalie directed both her parents in a production of “Pride and Prejudice” produced by the Ten Bucks Theatre Company, which Julie co-founded 25 years ago. 

Originally constructed in 1908, the Pavilion Theatre used to be a livestock judging arena. Julie said she remembers it housing sheep when she first lived on campus. At the end of the 1970s, it was converted into a theater. 

“When the theater department acquired it, I spent some time ripping out sheep mangers and shoveling lots of sheep poop,” Julie said. Now, both she and Ron are getting involved in the fundraising effort for another refurbishment. 

Growing up in Milbridge, Maine, Julie always knew she wanted to study theater. She applied to both the University of Maine and the University of Southern Maine and chose the one closest to home. After earning her bachelor’s degree in Orono in 1982, she continued on and earned a Master of Arts in Theatre in 1985. She now teaches in the same department. 

“I teach fundamentals of acting,” Julie said. “Occasionally, I teach a survey of dramatic literature, which means we read a lot of plays and talk about them. This year, for the first time, I’m also teaching in the Honors College. I’ve basically taken my acting class and turned it into a class focused on acting for Shakespeare.” 

Over the years, in addition to working at 91����, Julie has put her acting and directing talents to work at the Penobscot Theatre, Maine Theatre, Theatre of the Enchanted Forest, The Assembled Players, Marsh Island Stage, Maine Shakespeare Festival, Northern Lights Theatre, The Grand in Ellsworth and True North Theatre. 

In fall 2023 Julie directed “Crimes of the Heart” for Penobscot Theatre’s 50th season opener. In 2025, she directed “Matinicus: A Lighthouse Play” for the same company. The play told the story of real-life Mainer Abigail Burgess’ heroic exploits keeping her father’s lighthouse burning on a desolate rock, miles out to sea. 

In 1995, Julie appeared in a two-part network television miniseries based on a Stephen King short story called “The Langoliers.” She played the part of Aunt Vicki, who gets erased by a mysterious force. 

“Only her fillings and her glasses were found on the airplane when everybody that fell asleep disappeared, I think.” Julie said, struggling to remember the details. “My mother was very excited about it. I had 17 speaking lines, though that was cut down to just two in the final edit. My mother was very upset.” 

Ron was also in the film, sort of. “They had me put on this airline captain’s hat and drive around in the background,” he said. “We get a residual check for it every once in a while, for DVD rentals in Thailand, or something.” 

After growing up in Connecticut, Ron arrived at 91���� to study forestry. He only auditioned for the play where he met Julie because a professor invited him. After graduating in 1983, Ron went to work for Bangor’s ABC television affiliate, WVII, where he eventually became sports director. After nine years, Ron brought his media production skills to the university. He’s now manager of visual media, overseeing all aspects of visual media for 91����, including photography and video production, as well as the university’s photo and video database and archives.

Ron has also been the play-by-play voice of 91���� Men’s Basketball broadcasts for more than 30 years. He hosts the university’s “The Maine Question” podcasts, which he created in 2019, as well. The podcast explores how 91���� students and researchers make sense of, and learn about, the world around them. Recent topics include “Can Zebrafish improve human health?” and “What is the future for manufacturing in Maine?” 

In 2025, the podcast won the Council for Advancement and Support of Education’s Circle of Excellence bronze level award, with judges saying, “With its punchy, distinctive title, this zero-budget podcast has impressive engagement metrics and demonstrates how thoughtful, location-based audio storytelling can translate complex academic work into accessible content that connects with local and national audiences alike.” 

In addition to all their work at 91����, Ron and Julie have always found time to perform in plays together. 

“We’ve probably played husband and wife 15 or 20 times,” Ron said. “I’ve lost count of how many times we’ve been in shows together.” 

Though they can’t remember the exact number, each agrees it’s in the dozens. For the past quarter century, the pair has appeared in an outdoor Shakespeare show put on by the Ten Bucks Theatre Company at Indian Trail Park in Brewer every summer. In 2010 Ten Bucks added Fort Knox in Prospect as a second regular Shakespeare venue. 

“Just about every anniversary we’ve had has usually been standing out in the field, getting bitten by bugs, rehearsing a show,” Ron said. 

One of their favorite shows they’ve performed together was the bickering couple in “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf.” They said it was fun because they’d never speak that way to each other in real life. 

“I got to say, ‘You make me puke,’” Julie said. 

“That was a good one,” Ron said. 

Now, more than 40 years have passed since the couple first met at the Cyrus Pavilion Theatre. Julie no longer thinks Ron is a geek and his now-gray beard has come in nicely — and they have no plans to leave the theater life behind. 

“It’s enervating,” she said. “Theater is energizing. It goes through a cycle. You get to the week before opening — we call it hell week — and you don’t think you’re going to get through it. Then you get to the play, and it’s just magic. It’s like getting high without drugs.” 

Ron sometimes thinks about it in sports terms. 

“The similarities are quite striking. There’s a team chemistry kind of thing in both endeavors,” he said. “There’s nothing quite as cool as when you’re telling a good story, and it’s being told well, and either the place bursts into laughter or you can hear a pin drop. It’s a very inviting, alluring, intoxicating kind of feeling.” 

Julie said she can’t even imagine her life without Ron or theater, both at 91���� and off campus. 

“I’ve never made a ton of money but it’s made me outrageously happy,” she said. 

Story by Troy R. Bennett 

Contact: Marcus Wolf, 207.581.3721; marcus.wolf@maine.edu

But when the junior mechanical engineering major from Winslow, Maine, sat down with a potential employer, the conversation quickly turned to a line on his resume: Naked Five.

“They recognized me,” Newgard said. “They asked about it.”

What might have been a passing detail instead became a conversation about leadership and follow-through, qualities that extend beyond the arena.

At the University of Maine, the Naked Five are a shirtless, painted fixture of Alfond Arena and one of the university’s most recognizable game-day rituals. Beyond the spectacle, the students behind it are high-achievers, balancing demanding coursework with career ambitions in fields like engineering, health care and environmental science.

Newgard, this year’s alternate captain and the only non-senior in the group, helps carry the tradition forward, representing both the energy of Black Bear hockey and expected academic discipline.

His experience isn’t unique.

Caleb Canders of Brewer, Maine, the group’s captain, is a senior studying zoology with minors in psychology and neuroscience who will attend dental school after graduation. The Naked Five also came up during his application process.

“It’s something that shows leadership and involvement,” Canders said.

Jacob Bentley of Vassalboro, Maine, is a senior electrical engineering major who plans a career in substation design.

Jason Wickett of Hermon, Maine, is a senior nursing major who plans to become a cardiothoracic surgery nurse practitioner.

Grady Gobeil of Bourne, Massachusetts, is a senior marine biology major who aims to work as a fisheries biologist.

By day, they move between labs, clinicals and coursework. By night, they step into one of the most visible roles at 91���� hockey games.

“It’s about representing the university in every way,” Canders said. “In the classroom and in the stands.”

The group traces its roots to the fraternity Sigma Phi Epsilon. For more than 30 years, membership has been passed down to students who demonstrate commitment, enthusiasm and school spirit.

A typical gameday

Inside the Alfond, their presence is immediate and unmistakable.

The horn sounds. The crowd roars. Within seconds, the five students are on their feet, painted bright under the arena lights, moving along the concourse as fans reach out for high-fives.

They follow a set routine, lining up and spelling out “M-A-I-N-E” as the crowd joins in, repeating the pattern each time Maine scores.

“M” carries the cowbell. 

“A” wears orange headgear. 

“I” carries a bag with their phones. 

“N” wears an old Maine hockey hat. 

“E” has no signature item (by design, they joke).

“It’s a really cool feeling,” Canders said. “To have that kind of support from the community.”

Outside the arena, their schedules leave little downtime.

“It takes commitment,” Newgard said. “You have to manage everything and still show up.”

They also connect with the community beyond game day, volunteering at events around Orono and interacting with fans outside the stands.

After one game, as the arena emptied, a woman approached the group and asked for a photo. Afterward, she hugged one of the members and told them it had made her day.

“It’s moments like that you remember,” Canders said.

For the students, those interactions are what make the experience meaningful, creating a connection that extends beyond the game itself.

As this year’s group prepares to graduate, a new group will step in, continuing a practice that has lasted more than three decades.

For Canders, the goal is simple:

“We’re just trying to keep it going,” he said.

Contact: David Nordman at david.nordman@maine.edu

Biomedical engineering major Isabelle Irani of Spring, Texas, and physics and mathematics double major Andrii Obertas of Lutsk, Ukraine, are the 2026 co-salutatorians.

The three will graduate on May 9 during the university’s undergraduate commencement ceremonies at Alfond Arena.

“Ruth, Isabelle and Andrii have distinguished themselves through their curiosity, discipline and commitment to others,” said 91���� President Joan Ferrini-Mundy. “Ruth has taken a thoughtful, data-driven approach to understanding economic disparities in Maine. Isabelle has shown remarkable leadership in advancing mental health support for student-athletes while balancing the demands of Division I athletics and biomedical engineering research. Andrii has achieved exceptional success in both physics and mathematics while demonstrating resilience and a deep commitment to learning. Together, they represent the very best of this graduating class.”

Ruth Griffith

Through her honors thesis, Griffith developed a method to analyze sub-county economic trends using regional data, helping illuminate how policies impact local communities across Maine. Drawing on her background in regional economics, she adapted tools used for markets to understand disparities. Beyond academics, she has led service initiatives such as the Maine Day Meal Packout, coordinating efforts that provide tens of thousands of meals statewide.

A full profile of Griffith is online.

Isabelle Irani

Irani is a varsity swimmer whose leadership has transformed mental health support for 91���� student-athletes. She founded the university’s chapter of The Hidden Opponent and successfully advocated for expanded mental health resources, including an in-house therapist for student-athletes. Alongside her advocacy, she has conducted research on sustainable biomaterials and balanced the demands of engineering coursework and Division I athletics.

A full profile of Irani is online.

Andrii Obertas

Obertas came to 91���� from Ukraine and has distinguished himself through academic excellence and perseverance. He has conducted original research in both physics and mathematics, while also engaging in outreach efforts that bring science education to communities across Maine. His experience at 91���� has been shaped by a strong sense of community and opportunity, which he credits with providing hope for his future.

A full profile of Obertas is online.

Contact: Marcus Wolf, 207.581.3721; marcus.wolf@maine.edu��

A member of the Women’s Swimming and Diving Team who competed in the butterfly and individual medley, Irani founded the 91���� chapter of The Hidden Opponent, a national nonprofit dedicated to athlete mental health advocacy. Seeking to make a tangible difference for student-athletes, she sought additional mental health services from the university. 

Driven by a passion to help her peers, she found the confidence she admittedly lacked at the start of her collegiate career to not only earn the support from 91���� Athletics that would eventually lead to the university hiring an in-office therapist specifically for student-athletes. 

“I faked it ‘til I made it,” Irani said. “The Hidden Opponent was the first instance where I just showed up with a lot of confidence as I asked administration and 91���� Athletics for what I needed, and they just gave it to me.”

Success in improving student athlete mental health is one of several personal, athletic and academic accolades that earned Irani, a biomedical engineering major, the title of co-salutatorian for 91����’s Class of 2026. Her recognition as co-salutatorian reflects not just her academic achievement, but the personal growth she has cultivated throughout her time at 91����.

Between early morning swim practice and rigorous engineering coursework, Irani built a college career defined by discipline, determination and a deep network of support. Alongside excelling in engineering and competing as a Division I level swimmer, Irani navigated new challenges and built the confidence to take ownership of her college experience. 

“I went in thinking that my major would define me,” she said. “I switched majors four times before I even got to school. I thought this was going to be a make-or-break moment for my career.”

Several research and leadership opportunities that shaped Irani’s collegiate experience were ones she sought herself. For example, when she contacted chemical engineering professor David Neivandt for lab experience, he invited her to join the Neivandt Lab, where she helped develop sustainable lobster-shell biomaterials. 

The material, stronger than both concrete and wood, dissolves in water within two weeks and fully biodegrades in soil in about a month. The work not only allowed her to develop her skills and enhance her resume, but also participate in a project that has a tangible societal impact.

“My goal has always been to contribute meaningfully,” Irani said. “I think my mindset changed when I started thinking that way — thinking, how can this be meaningful? How can I show up?”

Irani relied on a structured routine to balance her commitments. Early morning, disciplined schedules, and careful time management enabled her to excel in athletics, coursework, research and leadership roles without compromising her health or well-being.

Irani credits her growth to the support of mentors, advisors and peers. David J. Neivandt guided her research endeavors, while her athletic and academic advisor Julie Cheville helped her to navigate the complex demands of Division I athletics and engineering coursework. Her teammates and roommate, Ashley LeClaire, provided daily motivation and camaraderie, and her girlfriend, Sarah, offered emotional support throughout the rigorous college experience.

“I’ve had one roommate for the last three years, Ashley, and she’s been insanely supportive, helping me find balance during long days and making sure I take time to step away and relax,” Irani said. “And my girlfriend, Sarah, has been a big part of my success here over the last two years — encouraging me, questioning me when I doubt myself, and helping me feel confident in pursuing research, conferences, and other opportunities.”

Her family also played a formative role. Her aunt, Jean MacRae, a civil & environmental engineering professor here at 91����, and her uncle, Farahad Dastoor, a biology lecturer and undergraduate coordinator at 91����, encouraged her curiosity from the start. Their guidance helped Irani see the opportunities at 91���� and made the university feel like a place she could call home very early on.

Looking forward, Irani plans to continue her research through a 4+1 master’s program in biomedical engineering at 91����, working to develop sustainable and effective medical devices that combine innovation with societal impact. She hopes prospective students and families understand the supportive culture at 91���� and the opportunities available for those willing to take initiative and explore beyond their comfort zones.

From Texas to Maine, Irani’s journey illustrates how discipline, community and proactive engagement can shape a transformative college experience. Her selection as co-salutortian honors not only her academic success, but also the leadership, curiosity and resilience that have defined her four years at 91����.

Story by William Bickford, graduate student writer

Contact: Marcus Wolf, 207.581.3721; marcus.wolf@maine.edu��

For the students behind the scenes of University of Maine hockey broadcasts, there is no pause button.

At 91����, those moments are not captured by professionals alone. Students run the cameras, manage audio, cue replays and help shape a live broadcast seen far beyond Orono. The production doubles as a training ground, placing students in real-time roles that mirror the demands of professional sports media.

Most 91���� hockey games are broadcast on ESPN+, giving students experience producing content for a national audience and reinforcing the university’s commitment to learner-centered education.

“When I’m on camera, I get really into the game because you’re following the shot, so you have to be,” says Emma Beauregard, a student camera operator from Bath, Maine. “You might notice on my camera shots they’re often shaking after a goal because I’m so excited.”

For Beauregard and others, the role blends instinct and emotion with technical precision. Operators track the puck, anticipate where the play is headed and quickly find the player who scored — all in real time.

That intensity is part of what draws students in.

“It’s probably one of the most fun jobs I’ve ever had,” says Thomas Bubniak, also a student camera operator from Jefferson, New Jersey. “It’s just been a blast. Every year I get to do a lot of really cool stuff.”

What looks effortless on screen is anything but.

Behind each broadcast is a coordinated production involving camera operators, replay, audio and commentators — many of them students — working together under constant time pressure.

“There’s just so much more than just the video,” says Marissa Tripp, 91����’s broadcast and video production assistant. “There’s audio, there are commentators. There are so many people involved.”

Tripp says many students do not realize the scale of the operation until they are part of it. The experience goes beyond learning equipment; it requires thinking like a member of the production team and making decisions in real time.

“It’s a live show, so anything can happen,” she says.

That responsibility is part of what makes the work meaningful. Students are not just filming plays, they are shaping how fans experience 91���� hockey, especially those watching from home.

“It’s nice to think that the shot I’m seeing, that I’m so excited about, is also making other people excited, too,” Beauregard says.

For Bubniak, the atmosphere inside Alfond Arena — particularly in the student section — adds another layer to the experience.

“There’s really nothing quite like doing that,” he says. “It’s loud. The energy up there is great.”

Capturing that energy and translating it for viewers is at the heart of the broadcast.

Ryan Loeffler, assistant athletic director for broadcast and video production, says that focus is intentional. Students are expected to produce work that meets professional standards while gaining real-world experience.

“I do my best to teach my students the standards that I was taught with,” Loeffler says. “I really love inspiring the next group of sports producers and directors.”

He says the goal is not just to document the game, but to recreate the experience for those watching at home.

“I do my best to bring that experience to their living rooms,” he says.

For those behind the camera, the reward is not just the experience — it is knowing their work shapes how the game is seen, felt and remembered.

“A lot of times fans are created when they come to the game,” Tripp says. “But to stay a fan, the broadcast helps keep that going.”

Contact: David Nordman, david.nordman@maine.edu

The festival, presented by Waterfront Concerts to benefit the Bear Down Collective, runs from 4 to 6:30 p.m. in the new plaza outside the main entrance of Alfond Arena. The event is supported by Aroma Joe’s, Renewal by Andersen and Hannaford, and precedes the 7 p.m. hockey game.

Admission to the festival is free and does not require a ticket to the Maine-Providence men’s hockey game.

Fans can enjoy a stage show featuring DJ Jeff Buffington, appearances by The Screamin’ Black Bears pep band, men’s hockey head coach Ben Barr, Bananas and additional special guests. The event also includes a Hannaford Kids Zone, a bonfire pit and other activities.

Food and beverage options include local food trucks, free s’mores provided by Renewal by Andersen, and alcoholic and nonalcoholic beverage sales.

Alcohol purchases are limited to a maximum of two drinks per person at a time. All serving staff are TIPS-certified (Training for Intervention Procedures) and will work with security staff to verify valid identification. Once verified, patrons will receive a wristband at each alcohol-purchasing location.

Schedule

• 4 p.m. : Festival begins
• 4-5:15 p.m.: DJ Jeff Buffington
• 5:15-5:45 p.m.: Game preview with head coach Ben Barr, performance by The Screamin’ Black Bears pep band and an onstage birthday celebration for Bananas.
• 6 p.m.: Doors open at Alfond Arena.
• 7 p.m.: Maine men’s hockey vs. Providence College.

reported that Violaris, CEO of Grizzly Entertainment, earned both his bachelor’s degree and MBA from 91����, and donated the light performance as a gift to the school. Each show featured 400 drones, creating elaborate aerial displays over the University Mall and the Alfond Arena.

“It’s beautiful to return home,” Violaris told BDN, “New England and especially Maine has treated me very nicely during my time when I was here. I always wanted to come back.”

He added that Maine “has a personal touch for me, it’s part of my heart. I will never say no when Maine calls.”

The first performance had a hockey theme centered around the Black Bear matchup against Colgate. reported it gave homecoming an event a spectacular quality. The second show celebrated the wider 91���� community. 

Violaris told , his goal was to dazzle the crowd and show his appreciation for the university that helped launch his career.

According to , each show cost roughly $50,000 to produce, and this expense was covered by Violaris personally as a way to give back. These performances were part of a five-campus tour but Violaris wanted to make sure 91���� was at the top of the list because “this is where his story began.”

The three-day gathering features three sporting events — football, ice and field hockey games — as well as tailgating, class reunions, a concert, tours and lectures. Several events require registration. Pre-registration, a full schedule of events and more information is available at.

A weekend packed with Black Bear spirit

Black Bear pride will be on display on Friday with a “Welcome Home” reception for alumni and their guests at 4:30 p.m. at the Buchanan Alumni House and a drone light show above the Mall at 5:50 p.m.

Friday highlights include:

• Women’s field hockey vs. UMass Lowell at 3 p.m. in the Field Hockey Complex.
• Men’s hockey vs. Colgate at 7 p.m. in the Alfond Arena.
• “The Courage to Right a Woman’s Wrongs” at 7:30 p.m. in the Hauck Auditorium.

Explore campus through exclusive tours

Tours of the following facilities will be available to those who register:

• 91���� athletic facilities.
• Advanced Structures and Composites Center.
• Hudson Museum.
• Fogler Library Special Collections.
• VEMI Lab. 
• Ferland Engineering and Education Design Center.
• Simulation Lab in the Wes Jordan Athletic Training Education Complex.

Saturday tailgates and big game vs. Elon

On Saturday, a full day of activities starts with multiple receptions and class gatherings across campus.

Saturday highlights include:

• Pregame tailgating, which opens at 9 a.m. in the parking lots near Alfond Stadium.
• 91���� vs. Elon University football game, which kicks off at 1 p.m.
• Reunion Row, a large catered pregame party for alumni and guests that runs from 9 a.m.–1 p.m. in the Corbett lot.
• Several alumni classes’ tailgating tents hosted in conjunction with the 91���� Alumni Association’s reunion programming.

Evening celebrations and encore performances

Saturday night brings even more energy and school spirit with:

• A drone light show at 5:50 p.m., visible above the football grandstands and Morse Field.
• Men’s hockey vs. Colgate at 7 p.m., Alfond Arena.
• “The Courage to Right a Woman’s Wrongs” encore performance at 7:30 p.m., Hauck Auditorium.

The event kicks off at 2 p.m. when the women’s hockey team faces off against Saint Anselm and ends with the men’s hockey game against Holy Cross at 7 p.m. Both games will be played in the renovated Alfond Arena. 

The voices of the Black Bears, Jeff Mannix and Jon Shields, and Barstool Sports’ Chiclets University will deliver previews of Maine hockey, with the latter featuring men’s Head Coach Ben Barr. At 5 p.m., Portland, Maine natives and Nashville based band 12/OC will take the stage at Alfond Stadium for a free concert. There will also be food trucks, drinks, lawn games and more to welcome Black Bears back to the ice. The event is hosted by 91���� Athletics in partnership with Waterfront Concerts Read the full announcement on

The online resource also offers information on tickets, the shuttle service and other related topics.