With the help of the Rotary Clubs in Caribou, Fort Fairfield, Limestone, Mars Hill and Washburn, the University of Maine at Presque Isle and the Presque Isle Rotary Club have declared their 5th annual World Polio Day and Purple Pinkie Project celebration—which spread throughout central Aroostook County and was held between Oct. 22 and 29—an overwhelming success. All activities helped to raise awareness of Rotary International’s efforts to eradicate polio worldwide. Combined efforts among the clubs helped to raise more than $4,400 for that global effort—the most ever raised during the celebration.

Anderson Giles, retired University of Maine at Presque Isle professor, has made many fascinating discoveries during his trips to the Pacific to preserve the history of World War II, but none so intriguing and of such international significance as the one that was recently featured in the Chicago Tribune and other news media. While exploring a remote World War II crash site on the island of Bougainville, Giles discovered a gold tooth that may belong to a famous Japanese admiral who died at the site.

The University of Maine at Presque Isle Athletic Department will once again hold its major annual fundraiser in early November. The Owls Action Auction will be held on Friday, Nov. 11 at 6:30 p.m. at the Presque Isle Inn and Convention Center and will include a dinner and raffle/auction similar to last year.

Adam Ezra Group, one of Boston’s best folk rock bands, takes the stage at the University of Maine at Presque Isle for a special fundraising concert on Wednesday, Nov. 9, at 7 p.m. at the Auditorium in Wieden Hall. UMPI is partnering with Taco Bell and RallySound to present this hard-touring, New England Music Award-winning band. Tickets are $15 for adults; $10 for those under 18, seniors, and students with a UMPI ID. Proceeds will benefit future renovations to the Auditorium in Wieden Hall. Doors open at 6:30 p.m.

The University of Maine at Presque Isle will present Wayne Maines—whose family was featured in the New York Times Best-Selling book Becoming Nicole: The Transformation of an American Family by Pulitzer Prize-winning author Amy Ellis Nutt—as the next speaker in its 2016-2017 Distinguished Lecturer Series. Maines will chronicle the journey that could have destroyed his family but instead brought them closer together. He will deliver his talk on Tuesday, Oct. 25, at 7 p.m. in the Campus Center. The event is free and the public is invited to attend.

The University of Maine at Presque Isle and the Presque Isle Rotary Club are joining forces to host their Fifth Annual World Polio Day and Purple Pinkie Project celebration between Oct. 22 and 29 and this year, with the help of the Rotary Clubs in Caribou, Fort Fairfield, Limestone, Mars Hill and Washburn, the celebration will once again spread throughout central Aroostook County.

The University of Maine at Presque Isle’s Student Organization of Social Workers is tackling the issue of hunger and food insecurity in a very tangible way this month by hosting a local “pack out” event, and the organization is encouraging the community to join them in the effort.

The University of Maine at Presque Isle and the Alumni Association have honored three alumni with awards of distinction this fall—the Distinguished Alumni Award and Distinguished Educator Award were presented on Saturday, Oct. 1 during the Inaugural UMPI Alumni Hour, held during Homecoming Weekend, and the newly-minted GOLD Award (Graduate Of the Last Decade) was presented in mid-September during the University’s Convocation activities.

This semester, University of Maine at Presque Isle students in the History class HTY 313: Early Modern Europe are taking on the roles of historical figures and reliving major events from the past—in this case, Henry VIII and the Reformation Parliament in the 16th Century, when marital discontent, an heir to the Tudor line, and religion all took center stage—as part of a curriculum that has been used all across the United States and abroad.

College National Poetry Slam Champion Neil Hilborn will deliver a powerful spoken word performance at the University of Maine at Presque Isle on Thursday, Oct. 20 at 7 p.m. in the Campus Center’s Multi-Purpose Room. This event is free and open to the public and is rated PG-13.