April 2016

UMPI’s new Red Cross Club held a very successful Red & White Event Supper and Auction in March here at the Campus Center. The event was amazing and very well attended by the community with approximately 100 guests in attendance. Guests enjoyed a spaghetti supper before the various items were auctioned off. They raised over $2,000 with a quilt donated by the Crown of Maine Quilters and baskets from Bath and Body Works among the items with high bids. The students in the club solicited area businesses, cooked for the event (strawberry shortcakes), decorated, sold tickets, set up for the auction and ran the auction itself. Errol Ireland III was the student auctioneer and Bonnie Corey was the MC for the event. The UMPI Red Cross Club would like to give a special thanks to the following board members, DAT responders, and their families who came out and showed their support for this great event: Joyce Knorr, Lisa Prescott, Bill Flag, Tammy Kilcollins, Mary Michaud, Barb Hayslett, Rachel Rice, Penny Kern, Bill Thomas, and Ken Urquhart.

When you walk through the Campus Center, you’ll notice that the University Credit Union branch has a new ATM and a new look. The new machine is an after-hours ATM, as well as a full-service interactive teller machine for use during regular business hours. Soon, members will be able to interact with a live person via video and transact as if they were at a full service branch. As part of the  new look, a bit of UMPI pride has been added, with the UMPI Owls logo and the words “UCU: Where Owls Bank” on the adjacent wall. Looking good, UCU!

The University Players will be hosting a talent show on Saturday, April 30 at 7 p.m. in the Auditorium in Wieden Hall. The deadline to sign up is Friday, April 22. The talent show is for local Aroostook County kids and college students. There will be four age divisions: grades 1 – 4, grades 5 – 8, grades 9 – 12 and college ages 19+. 1st and 2nd place in each age group will receive a trophy and everyone will receive a medal for participating. There is a $10 entrance fee and solo acts, as well as group acts, will be accepted. For an application, email Darci Faye at darci.faye@maine.edu. This event is open to the public and tickets will be sold at the door for $5.

UMPI recently did a fundraiser to benefit the Caribou Veterans Clinic by allowing anyone to purchase various numbers of Stormtrooper cardboard cutouts to “invade” someone’s office for the day. Participants could opt for just one individual Stormtrooper for $5, 5 Stormtroopers for $10, 10 Stormtroopers for $20 or the full invasion of 10 Stormtroopers plus Darth Vader for $25. This was a very successful fundraiser with $350 raised. Fifteen different offices/people were stormed with President Linda Schott and Provost Ray Rice getting stormed twice. Most people got the full invasion. In the coming weeks, the cardboard Stormtroopers will be raffled off with that money also going to the Caribou Veterans Clinic.

Another successful fundraiser by the UMPI Owl Relay for Life Team was held on Saturday, March 26 at Teague Park School in Caribou. Multiple Relay for Life Teams of Aroostook hosted the 3rd Annual Chocolate Festival. Everything homemade you can imagine in CHOCOLATE was available — for the UMPI table, they had busy little owls who made chocolate cupcakes, chocolate covered Oreos, chocolate lip and mustache lollipops, peanut butter balls, chicky chow mix, and so much more. Also, there were games for the kids to play and the Easter Bunny was on hand for picture taking. Fun was had by all and the UMPI Owls raised over $800 just for their Relay Team.

UMPI alum Ghazaleh “Oz” Sailors, known for being the only woman to play NCAA Baseball last year, has embarked on the trip and experience of a lifetime, working for Major League Baseball in China as a development coach starting this spring. Sailors, who graduated with her Bachelor’s degree in Physical Education in 2015, was most recently playing professional baseball in Australia. She came “home” for a short visit in March–and had the chance to work with the UMPI Owls Baseball Team and even don her old uniform–before heading to Shanghai on March 17 to start her new career.

In addition, UMPI was recently informed by Sports-Management-Degrees.com that Sailors was included in an article that highlights the “30 Most Influential Women in College Sports”. As one of the women selected for the list, Sailors stood out to them for her groundbreaking career as a woman in college baseball. The article can be found here: http://www.sports-management-degrees.com/30-most-influential-women-in-college-sports/.

Congratulations, Oz, on these accomplishments. We’re so proud of where your wings are taking you!

The University of Maine at Presque Isle hosted the 10th Annual Junior Achievement of Maine Titan Challenge in the Campus Center on March 14. The event brought area high school students to campus to compete against their peers across the state on business finance and marketing simulations. The business competition pitted teams of three high school students against each other as they attempted to manage a virtual company in a competitive marketplace. All Maine high schools were invited to participate in this day long competition, free of charge. The event matched over 200 students with mentors from local businesses across the state. As the statewide speaker for the event, Senator Angus King shared his experience starting his own company and left students with 10 pieces of entrepreneurial advice including “keep your overhead low” and “dress like your banker.” Twenty-three teams competed here at UMPI. Congratulations to one of the regional winners at UMPI, “Caribou2” from Caribou High School, which consisted of Caleb Hunter, David Hunter, and Evan Desmond. The overall winner was “Caribou1” from Caribou High School, which consisted of Ben Ezzy, Maria Espinoso, and Elijah Verhoff. This event was sponsored on campus by the faculty of the Business Administration Program.

UMPI is sponsoring the Alert Test for those interested in a career in law enforcement on Thursday, April 14 from 5 – 7 p.m. in Folsom Hall, Room 303. A representative from the Maine Criminal Justice Academy will be on campus to administer the test. The test takes approximately two hours and those wishing to take the test will need to bring a valid PHOTO ID; the cost is $50. Please let Fred Thomas know if you are interested in attending at 768-9580 or email frederick.thomas@maine.edu.

UMPI’s Outing Club will go rock climbing at Acadia National Park on Saturday, May 7 with a rain date of Sunday, May 8. Enjoy the thrill, adventure and sense of accomplishment as you climb on the beautiful cliffs of Acadia National Park. No experience is required, but beginners should try to spend some time at the indoor rock wall to practice some of the basic skills necessary for the day trip. This trip includes transportation, equipment, guide service and snacks. Please sign up no later than Wednesday, May 4 by 3 p.m. The cost is $30 for UMPI students and $45 for non-students. FMI, contact Amanda Baker at 768-9401 or email amanda.g.baker@maine.edu.

Congratulations to UMPI Owl Elizabeth Day (BSW major–pictured here on a service learning trip to Africa) on her acceptance to the Master’s in Social Work program at UMaine! So excited about where your wings are taking you, Liz!

The UMPI/Community Band will be holding their spring concert on Monday, April 25 at 7 p.m. in the Auditorium in Wieden Hall with a snow date of Monday, May 2, same time and place. This unique performing ensemble of about 50 members, will perform a concert conducted by Jon Simonoff. A variety of music will be performed including classic band literature, settings of choral music for concert band, marches, and more contemporary works. The UMPI/Community Band is composed of local and traveling musicians from as young as middle school age through retirement. This event is free and open to the public. FMI, contact Jon Simonoff at jonrsimonoff@gmail.com.

The University of Maine at Presque Isle’s Cross Country team will host its 36th Annual Spring Runoff 5K Road Race on Saturday, April 9, at Wieden Gymnasium. The event will be open to walkers and runners, with walkers starting at 9:30 a.m. and runners and relay (3-person) starting at 10 a.m. T-shirts will be given out to the first 60 entrants, courtesy of Aroostook Beverage. This event is also sponsored by Big Cheese Pizza and Pepsi Bottling Group, who will supply pizza and Pepsi beverages in Wieden Gymnasium shortly after the completion of the race, around 10:45 a.m. This event is open to the public and the cost is $15 U.S. or $20 Canadian for 5K runners/walkers and $25 U.S or $30 Canadian for 3-person relay teams. FMI, contact Chris Smith at 768-9472 or christopher.smith@maine.edu.

A photo of Jason Johnston, chair of the College of Arts and Sciences and Associate Professor of Wildlife Ecology, holding a hummingbird at the Aroostook National Wildlife Refuge, was included in the Maine Community Foundation’s Winter/Spring 2016 magazine in an article about Kathryn Olmstead creating an Aroostook Winter Sports Fund, which will support activities such as the Aroostook National Wildlife Refuge.

UMPI’s Dean of Students Office is sponsoring an UMPI Spirit Photo Contest to capture your UMPI pride for students, faculty and staff. There will be one photo contest for students and one contest for faculty and staff. You must be a current UMPI student or employee, you must submit your own work and the subject must show or be about UMPI or UMPI students. You may enter up to three photos in each of the following categories: most creative UMPI photo, having fun at UMPI photo and best photo of UMPI scene. Email your photos in jpeg format to kathryn.higgins@maine.edu or bring them to Kathryn Higgins in 237 Preble Hall by Thursday, April 21. Include your name, contact number and category you are entering in the text of the email. Pictures will be displayed and voting will be done by students, faculty and staff. The winners will be announced and prized awarded at the UMPI Day BBQ on Friday, April 29. FMI, contact Kathryn Higgins at above email address or 768-9610.

The Houlton Higher Education Center has held various events this semester called “Motivational Mania” to help students, faculty, and staff make it through the semester. They began the semester with a guessing contest of “FastBreak” candy bars because staff members were ready for the holiday “break” to be over and for the “fast” return of students and faculty. Gloria Powers, their math instructor, won the prize of a jar full of candy. They have also celebrated Opposite Day, National Popcorn Day, Puzzle Day, Tortilla Day, National Compliment Day, Johnny Appleseed Week, National Be Heard Day, Green Shirt Day, National Granola Bar Day and Umbrella Day. The HHEC was also “stormed” by Darth Vader and a group of Storm Troopers! Stay tuned for more events taking place.