Bill McKibben Announced as Unity College 2006 Commencement Speaker

     Interim President Mark Lapping is pleased to announce the schedule of Unity College commencement events for 2006.

     Former staff writer for The New Yorker magazine and author Bill McKibben will deliver the commencement address on Saturday, May 13.  His biography is available online at unitymckibben06.asp.  Honorary citations will recognize Unity College Professor Emeritus David Purdy and Jim Page, President and CEO of James W. Sewall Company with offices in New York, North Carolina, Kentucky and Old Town, Maine.

    The events of commencement weekend will begin on Friday, May 12, with a Senior Graduation Banquet at 6:00 p.m. in the Unity College gym.  The banquet is to honor and celebrate graduates.  Departmental awards will be presented during the banquet. 

     More information on the Senior Banquet is available online at unityseniors06.asp.

     Commencement exercises will take place on Saturday, May 13 beginning at 1:00 p.m. in the gymnasium.  As is customary, graduates will proceed in procession up Murdock Drive from the South Coop and into the gymnasium.  There are no tickets or reservations for this event.  It is free and open to the general public on a first-come, first-serve basis.  Reserved seating is for graduates and speakers.  A congratulatory reception will be held following commencement exercises on the lawn of Quimby Library adjacent to the Unity College gym. 

     For more information on commencement events contact Kate Grenier, Unity College Alumni Officer at (207) 948-3131, ext. 301 or kgrenier@unity.edu.

     Unity College is a small private college in rural Maine that provides dedicated, engaged students with a liberal arts education which emphasizes the environment and natural resources.  Unity College graduates are prepared to be environmental stewards, effective leaders, and responsible citizens through active learning experiences within a supportive community.