Events

The University of Maine at Presque Isle will host its 2nd annual Art Camp, providing local kids with opportunities for artistic expression in all sorts of mediums, from clay to music to mime. Especially for students currently in grades 2-7, this year’s Art Camp will take place from Monday, Aug. 12 to Friday, Aug. 16, 2013 in Folsom 105. Registration deadline for the camp is July 11.

UMPI Art Camp will offer classes in mime, musical composition, watercolor, acrylic, clay, and optical design. According to Art Camp Director Heather Nunez, there’s something for kids of all artistic backgrounds.

Officials mark milestone with proposed expansion

The University of Maine at Presque Isle’s Maine Solar System Model celebrated its 10th anniversary on Friday with a short press conference and the announcement of a proposed expansion into Canada, which would make it the very first international model on record. The Maine Solar System Model was formally dedicated on June 14, 2003, after four years of construction.

The American Red Cross and the University of Maine at Presque Isle’s Residence Life Office are teaming up to pull off the University’s sixth “Super” Blood Drive this summer, the time of year when the need for blood increases.

The Super Blood Drive will be held from 11:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. on Monday, June 24 in the Gentile Hall Gymnasium. The event is being sponsored by the University and cosponsored by Pat’s Pizza, Big Cheese Pizza, Country Farm’s Market, and Wal-Mart.

The University of Maine at Presque Isle will present a special evening with award-winning writer Cathie Pelletier on Monday, June 3, at 7 p.m. in the UMPI Library, when it hosts a reading and book signing for her long-anticipated new novel The One-Way Bridge.

Pelletier’s tenth novel, published by Sourcebooks, returns readers to the logging town of Mattagash, the scene of several of her novels including The Funeral Makers and The Weight of Winter. The June 3 reading, which will include a reception featuring light refreshments and wine available through a cash bar, is part of The One-Way Bridge national book tour.

Two hundred and nineteen students graduated from the University of Maine at Presque Isle on Saturday, May 18, during the 2013 Commencement Exercises – the University’s 104th Commencement ceremony. President Linda Schott conferred degrees for the 2012-2013 academic year upon 145 students who participated in the ceremony held in Wieden Gymnasium.

John Cariani, the accomplished playwright and award-winning actor, addressed the graduates as this year’s commencement speaker. During the graduation event, Cariani was presented with an Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters Degree.

The Aroostook Agency on Aging presents the Aging Well Living Well EXPO at the University of Maine at Presque Isle on Saturday, June 1, from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. The agency is partnering with the United Way of Aroostook, AARP, WAGM-TV, UMPI, and SAGE (Seniors Achieving Greater Education) on the event, which also serves as a celebration of SAGE’s 15th anniversary.

The EXPO is especially for people nearing retirement, who are retired, or who want to improve their health and well-being. The EXPO will include informative sessions and event exhibitors sharing products and information to help attendees improve their quality of life and maintain their independence.

The University of Maine at Presque Isle’s Student Senate will host a “Nickel Carnival” on Saturday, May 11 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the Gentile Hall Gymnasium to support My Friends’ House and All About Me programs in Fort Fairfield. This event is free and open to the public.

All carnival games will be a nickel and there will be a prize booth where the participants can redeem tickets for prizes. Carnival food such as cotton candy, snow cones, popcorn, and candy will be available to purchase for $1 each as well.

President Linda Schott has announced that John Cariani—the playwright and actor who has performed on Broadway, in the movies, and on the small screen, and hails from Presque Isle—will deliver the commencement address during the University of Maine at Presque Isle’s 104th Commencement Ceremony, to be held on Saturday, May 18. During the event, an Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters Degree will be presented to Cariani.

The University of Maine at Presque Isle’s Gentile Hall is celebrating the end of the semester and getting a jump start on summer by hosting its very own Amazing Race on Saturday, May 4 with a mass start at 11 a.m. Up to 25 2-member teams will vie for bragging rights and great prizes.

UMPI’s Amazing Race is being coordinated by Keli Marston, UMPI’s Fitness and Wellness Coordinator, and Amanda Baker, UMPI’s Recreation Programs Coordinator. The race will include 20 challenges located at specific spots on the University grounds. Teams will race around campus with a partner, using clues to find the right location, and then complete a challenge of a physical, mental, funny, or completely random task before getting their next clue and moving on to the next challenge.