September 2016

Former UMPI President Donald N. Zillman has co-authored a new book, Living the World War: A Weekly Exploration of the American Experience in World War I –Volume One from Vandeplas Publishing, with Elizabeth Elsbach. Using the Congressional Record and the New York Times, Zillman and Elsbach show how an American citizen of that era would have experienced the World War without knowing what would come next. In addition to the War, Americans living during the weeks of October 1, 1916 to December 31, 1917 also debated women’s suffrage, race relations, Prohibition, the rights of organized labor, reconciliation of North and South, and coal and fuel shortages. That experience of war, and the emerging national issues, profoundly shape America in the 21st century.

Zillman is the Edward Godfrey Professor of Law at the University of Maine School of Law.  He majored in history at the University of Wisconsin and graduated from the Wisconsin (JD) and the Virginia Law Schools (LLM).  In his career he served as an Army Judge Advocate officer and a professor of law at Arizona State University and the University of Utah before coming to Maine as the Dean of the University of Maine Law School.  He also served as the President of the University of Maine at Presque Isle and as a visiting professor at the United States Military Academy at West Point and the University of Southampton (UK).  His writings have focused on military law, energy law, and tort law.

Elsbach received her JD from the University of Maine Law School in 2016.  She majored in history, political science, and English at Saint Mary’s College in South Bend, Indiana.  During her time at Saint Mary’s she lived abroad in Innsbruck, Austria where she immersed herself in the cultures, the languages, and the history of Europe.  While in Law School, Elizabeth collaborated on an article on energy and natural resources for the Oxford University Press in addition to co-authoring Living the World War.  She is pursuing a career in intellectual property law.

The authors are law trained by profession and amateur historians by avocation.  They bring the differing perspectives of men and women, military veteran and non-veteran, baby boom generation and millennial generation to our work.  Join them in the experience of “Living the World War.” Book available for purchase here or as an ebook.

The University celebrated its third Fall Convocation celebration on Sept. 8, welcoming the Class of 2020 to the UMPI family. Students received their own “Where Will Your Wings Take You?” T-shirts, which everyone on campus is encouraged to wear during special Wings Wednesdays events throughout the year. To view photos from this year’s event, go to facebook.com/umpiowls.

Congratulations to UMPI Owl Kim Dorsey on receiving an Apple Award for her amazing contributions this year at Fort Fairfield Middle High School, where she serves as the GEAR UP Coordinator. Kim was nominated by her fellow staff members for this award in thanks her for all the programs she has instituted for FFMHS students. Very proud of you, Kim!!

Associate Professor of Social Studies Education, Tomasz Herzog, attended a graduate level seminar in Poland in June. While at Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznan, Poland, he was a co-presenter and discussant during a seminar on language, disabilities and civil society. He also met with Chairs and professors from three departments at the Faculty of Educational Studies to review their collaboration they have had over the last several years and to discuss new opportunities for collaboration between their faculty and our College of Education, between Polish and UMPI Education students. He presented the results of his talks during the College of Education meeting when he returned. Herzog is also a permanent member of the Editorial Board of The Journal of Social Studies Research and he wrote an internal review of one of the submitted articles. The Journal of Social Studies Research (JSSR) is an internationally recognized peer-reviewed journal being published by ELSEVIER, designed to foster the dissemination of ideas and research findings related to the social studies. JSSR is the official publication of The International Society for the Social Studies and is published four times per year.

UMPI’s Student Activities Office will host Spoken Word Artist Neil Hilborn on Thursday, Oct. 20 at 7 p.m. in the Campus Center. Hilborn is a College National Poetry Slam champion and a 2011 graduate with honors from Macalester College. In 2013 his poem OCD went viral, garnering over 11 million views to date, making it the most-viewed slam poem ever. He has been featured on such news outlets as NPR and The Wall Street Journal, and he is the author of Our Numbered Days. This event is free and open to the public and is rated PG-13. FMI, contact SAO at 768-9582.

Summer resident UB students planned and installed a hanging garden at the architectural installation that was built several years ago by artist Robert Hoover at the north entrance to the Campus Center. Long square pots holding pro-mix soil were planted with peas, Bordeaux spinach and a variety of lettuce and tied together in pairs with monofilament to support their weight across the walls. Students worked in the hot sun to install their “work” which challenges the way we see art. Is this just a good idea garden like one might see on Pinterest, or is it a work that asks the viewer to consider the possibilities of collaborative processes between existing works and new works that add up to an act of active engagement and experimentation? Instructor Carol Ayoob, who also teaches Experience of the Arts and Photography on campus, will continue to document the growth and finalization of the project. The documentation will be shared with the eight students who helped create the garden.

The Charles Bonin Work Ethic Award was presented on August 25 at the Welcome Back Breakfast to Lynnelle Lavway, Assistant Bursar. On October 3, 2013, in honor of Charlie Bonin’s retirement, former President Linda Schott established this employee award. The Charles Bonin Work Ethic Award was established to recognize an employee who demonstrates strong work ethic – including diligence, reliability, and initiative – and has strong principles that benefit the University of Maine at Presque Isle. Congratulations, Lynelle!

The Central Aroostook Chamber of Commerce announced two new participants in the Leadership Maine Program, one of which was Deborah Roark, executive director of advancement here at UMPI. She received a scholarship to assist with the cost of tuition to this program. Leadership Maine is designed to build talented, statewide leaders that help shape the future of Maine. The program educates participants in what drives Maine’s economy, discusses critical issues facing the state and allows behind-the-scenes access to some of the key community and business leaders from Fort Kent to South Portland. The educational program takes place over 14 days throughout the year beginning in June and concluding next May with sessions held throughout the state.

UMPI student Darci Faye’s play, Infinitely Yours, was performed live on stage in New York City this summer. There were five performances at the Paradise Factory Theatre as part of the Planet Connections Theatre Festival. Faye, a senior Criminal Justice major and Caribou native, was thrilled when she learned that Planet Connections has accepted her play into its summer lineup. Infinitely Yours is a drama that centers on domestic violence—it follows main characters Emily and Jason as they meet for the first time since a high school romance gone very sour. The play examines the ripples and waves one fateful meeting can have in a person’s life. Last October, Presque Isle area residents had the opportunity to see the play as Faye self-produced it—complete with four professional actors from New York City. This was in honor for Domestic Violence Awareness Month, with proceeds benefiting the local Hope and Justice Project. She said she’s glad to have the play serve as a catalyst “to start that much needed conversation about domestic violence.”

2016 Bachelor of Fine Arts graduate Emma Ruff completed a Lunder Fashion and Textile Arts Internship that she was awarded from the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston. The internship brought together the experience Ruff earned through her degree in Fine Arts and her lifelong passion for fashion. During the internship, which began on May 31 and ran through mid-August, Ruff explored potential museum careers that aligned with her education and interests. The internship also gave her workplace exposure, job readiness coaching, museum-specific skills, and professional development training.

A UMPI program that serves local residents over 50 and believes in “learning for life” hosted its fall kick-off event on Friday, Sept. 9 in the Campus Center.  Membership in Seniors Achieving Greater Education is $17 per semester or $32 for the year.  There are additional fees for field trips and some hands-on courses.  Coffee was served, followed by brief presentations by the learning facilitators.  Registration for classes followed the presentations.  Some of the classes offered this semester are Beyond Limits: Awaken Your Potential, Victorian Christmas, Let’s Play Chess: Beginner, Senior$afe, Songwriting for Fun, Presque Isle and the Civil War and A Thing of Beauty.  There will be learning excursions that may have additional fees to the Cooperative Extension for Planting Fall Bulbs for Winter Enjoyment and Making Master Mix for Small Families, Ben’s Trading Post for Archery 101, and Francis Malcolm Science Center for County Sky & Space Taste.  FMI, contact Mary Lawrence at 768-9502 or go to www.umpi.edu/sage.

On Friday, Sept. 16, UMPI celebrated the 229^th birthday of the signing of the U.S. Constitution with a presentation titled How the 13^th and 14^th Amendments Changed the Constitution by Assistant Professor of political science (adjunct), Dr. Brent Andersen.  He developed this lecture for the Maine Humanities Council’s “World In Your Library” program. He talked about how these two amendments engendered a change in constitutional law, and paved the way for several landmark Supreme Court decisions, including Brown v. Board of Education, which overturned legalized racial segregation in public education, and Obergefell v. Hodges, which struck down state laws prohibiting same-sex marriages.

Members of the UMPI community were decked out in blue and gold this summer as they participated in several local parades to help spread the word about this year’s Homecoming festivities. Pictured at right are some of the UMPI Owls who took part in this effort, posing for a picture just ahead of the Maine Potato Blossom Festival parade.

CONTACT:  Lorne Smith, Bus. Agent – Cell Ph. (207) 756-5722 –lsmith@teamsterslocal340.org

(Bangor, ME – 9/23/16):  Teamsters Local 340 and the approximately 550 workers comprising the Service and Maintenance Unit of the University of Maine have both voted to accept a new contract. The previous contract had expired in July of 2015 and the parties had been negotiating for the past 16 months. Recently, negotiations had ended in mediation with the parties coming to a mutual agreement. These workers are located throughout the 7-campus University of Maine system.

Teamsters Business Agent Lorne Smith said, “This agreement helps us to maintain our benefits and takes us in a new direction when dealing with healthcare and wages. Overall, we are happy with the deal but still have a lot of work to do in equalizing the pay scale with the median state wages. It is very challenging to find common ground when it comes to wages and benefits.” Smith added it is a tough climate to negotiate in, with employers pressed with rising healthcare costs and limited budgets. The same is true for the employees, as most work at least two jobs to make ends meet and over half of the workers earn less than $11 per hour. The University of Maine system has always paid less in wages but the benefit package was better than most other employers. He sees this trend as changing and added they are fighting to try and maintain what these workers have as, with their low wages, they cannot afford to pay more for their benefit package.

The new contract will expire in July of 2017 and the parties will be back to the bargaining table later this year.

Leading up to this new contract, these workers had raised concerns about the following core issues:

• The University of Maine would not allow its employees any alternative to its self-funded healthcare plan.

The Teamsters had proposed to leave the university’s health plan and go to Northern New England Benefit Trust.

Healthcare costs are still a major concern.

• In addition, the university also asked for major benefit concessions but originally had not offered a fair wage proposal.

“We just want a fair day’s pay for a fair day’s work, that’s all,” Smith said adding the workers refused to give their benefits away without something in return. Most of the Teamsters members working in the Service and Maintenance Unit make less than $11.00 per hour which represents being paid at less than 50% of the median wage for their field which equates to $2.00 to $4.00 per hour less than the state average.