One Goal

One Goal

Adult nonfiction
"A small, Catholic, French Canadian city on the banks of the
Androscoggin River, Lewiston isn't the Maine of blueberry pie and
lobster boils, sailboats and the Bush family. For decades, the former
milltown's postwar economic downturn saw its abandoned redbrick
factory buildings begin to crumble into the river and canals. By
2000, more than half of the city's families with children under five
lived at or below the poverty line. Residents of Auburn, the 'twin'
city across the river, refer to 'dirty Lew' with a scorn usually
reserved for thieves and murderers, both of which they claim Lewiston
is filled with."
Like a number of former New England factory towns (Beverly,
Massachusetts, where I spent my preteen years, is another), Lewiston
had seen better days. Then, shortly after the turn of the century,
their life began to change. The cause was an influx of 7,000
immigrants from Africa. It wasn't an easy transition. The new
residents had to adjust to everything from language and customs to
unfamiar foods and snow. Long term residents had cultural and
religious differences to adjust to. Not all residents were
welcoming. The mayor, in fact, created a national controversy when he
wrote a letter telling would be immigrant residents to stay away.
There was a huge impact on the high school that went way beyond
the need for more ELL (English Language Learner) classes. Many new
students, especially Muslims, faced huge cultural gaps. Many parents
were barely literate, even in their native languages.
Many of the new students had survived several forced moves
including time in refugee camps. Soccer had been a stabilizing
constant through so much change and loss. In One Goal: A Coach, A
Team, And The Game That Brought A Divided Town Together Amy Bass tells
about a year the high school's nearly all immigrant soccer team strove
to earn their first state championship. Details of the players and
their quest are skillfully interspersed with town history.
"Soccer has been a microcosm of Lewiston's transition from
former factory town to global host. These players, [Coach] McGraw
says to anyone who asks, are seeds that can grow into something new
for Lewiston. It's not a Hoop Dreams story, where kids use sports to
escape something. These kids aren't trying to escape--that part
already happened and they aren't problems to be solved. They are
classmates, teammates, and neighbors, forging relationships for a
community to emulate. Soccer is how these live kids live where they
landed."
On a personal note, last Wednesday was Maine Day, a day where UMaine
students do service projects on and off campus instead of going to
classes. It starts off with a parade around campus to get people
revved up. There's a barbeque lunch provided by dining services to
reward participants. Last week we'd had dire, drizzly, forcasts but
today couldn't have been more perfect weather wise--sunny and breezy.
I was in the parade with the LGBTQ services crew. We were pirates.
Ahead of us someone blew bubbles that encircled us. It felt magical.
Then it was my first Maine Day as a dining services member. I suited
up and went to the steam plant parking lot where set up was just about
done and the chefs were accomplishing grilling magic. Most of us were
greeting friends from other commons. Then after an inspirational talk
where we were told we'd be serving 3,000 to 3,500 people we were told
to eat up. I filled a plate and sat at the children's (student
workers') table. It was mostly Hilltop people who wanted me to
acknowledge their superiority. As if! (We may have to meet on a
softball field next semester. We can't get written up for that.) I
worked beverages which meant filling about a gazillion cups with water
and ice tea and chatting with all the friends I saw. Even Dean Dana
stopped by. After we shut down the drinks station I asked Anna what
to do (while snitching one of the blonde brownies she was packaging).
She told me to go back to Wells. On the way I saw the free ice cream
truck with a huge line. Luckily a friend at the front let me cut so I
could get me a strawberry shortcake ice cream bar without getting in
trouble. It tasted perfect.
A great big shout out goes out to my dining services family who did
ourselves proud.
jules hathaway



Sent from my iPod