An opening ceremony was held on Thursday for Charlie’s Terrace, an outdoor classroom and terrace between Colvin and Estabrook halls built to honor the memory of Charlie Slavin, founder and former dean of the University of Maine Honors College.
According to the UMaine Honors College website, a group of “family, friends, colleagues and alumni” came together after Slavin’s death to “discuss how best to create a space on campus that celebrates his vision and contributions to Honors at UMaine.
“As a result, a clear, unified concept emerged: an outdoor classroom and terrace that creates a visual and, literally, growing connection between Honors College space in Colvin and Estabrooke halls, where students, faculty and staff can gather as a community,” the website continues.
The ceremony was held outside in the plaza, which features brick walkways, orange adirondack chairs, plants and an archway engraved with “Charlie’s Terrace.” Speakers included friends and family of Slavin, as well as other members of the UMaine community.
“I want to say that Charlie’s Terrace is such a lovely addition to this part of the campus,” Honors College Dean Francois Amar said. “It fits so well into the stewardship of the place.”
Amar also talked about how Slavin was a “doer,” was “pragmatic,” was “eager to see ideas come to life” and would have been proud of the terrace.
Amar then introduced University of Maine President Paul Ferguson. “He challenged students to think about big ideas and to grapple with difficult texts,” Ferguson said. “He challenged his colleagues to think big and he did all that without any pretentiousness.”
Closing the ceremony was Emily Cain, coordinator of advancement of the Honors College, who spoke about some of the details of the terrace.
“We are going to have a giant plaque that is going to be here…and the plaque will read, ‘Charlie’s Terrace: dedicated September 12, 2013. This is a place for honors students, faculty and staff to gather as a dedicated community of scholars in celebration of the leadership and vision of Charlie Slavin, Honors College Dean.’”
The plaque will also thank people and organizations involved in the terrace’s creation.
Cain also talked about the intended purpose of the terrace, saying, “This space is…meant to grow and change and bring new life into the Honors College as students, faculty and staff, every year, come up with new ways to use it.
“Charlie would always encourage faculty, ‘Take your students outside. Get them out there, sit them in a circle,’” Cain continued, talking about how the space is also meant to be used as an outdoor classroom.
Cain reported that the fundraising goal for the plaza was to “cover the cost of construction and create an endowment.”
“I’m happy to report to you that we have raised more that $66,000, which completely covers the cost of the construction and begins the endowment, and we intend to complete it. Even today, we were getting more contributions mailed.”
Cain closed the ceremony by imagining how Slavin would have appreciated the terrace.
“And if you think about it, can’t you just see him?” Cain said. “Bounding across this terrace, coming in to see what students are talking about, being a little bit nosy and a little bit gossipy, to find out what’s on their mind.
“That’s what’s going to happen here forever, in the spirit of Charlie and in the spirit of the work he did every single day to make this a better place.”
Slavin received a B.A. in mathematics from Princeton University in 1976, his master’s in mathematics from the University of Wisconsin in 1980 and his Ph.D. in 1984.
Slavin joined the mathematics department on Sept. 1, 1984. Slavin was later named director of the Honors Program in 1997 and was its director as it transitioned from a program into the Honors College in 2002. He served as the dean of the Honors College until he passed away in June 2012.