Events

The University of Maine at Presque Isle held a special Veterans Day event on Tuesday, Nov. 11, gathering together several local veterans and University officials for an evening of tribute and appreciation for what our nation’s veterans have lived through.

A seven-member panel discussed the veteran experience – from the initial decision to enter military service and the nature of that service to the impact of a veteran’s service on loved ones and the lessons that stay with a veteran for the remainder of life. This special event was part of the University’s weeklong 1968 Retrospective, held November 10-15, which commemorated the 40th anniversary of a transformational year in politics, education, science and culture. Event organizers believe the University’s 1968 Retrospective is the only event of its kind to take place in Maine, if not New England.

Participating in the panel were four local veterans – Rudy Buitron, US Army retired (Sgt. 1st class), who now lives in Portage; John Barlow, US Air Force (Staff Sgt.), who now lives in Fort Fairfield; Disabled American Veterans Chapter 10 Commander Don Pelkey, US Air Force (Sgt.), who now lives in Fort Fairfield; and Lionel Lavoie, U.S. Marines (Sgt.), who now lives in Frenchville. Also participating in the event were Chancellor Richard Pattenaude and UMPI President Don Zillman, both veterans, and Dr. Carol Hawkins, Director of the Farnham Writers’ Center and Visiting Assistant Professor of English at Colby College.

The University of Maine at Presque Isle celebrated the completion of $2 million in improvements and energy efficiencies to its major classroom building with an official Rededication Ceremony and Ribbon Cutting at Noon on Thursday, Oct. 30.

The event provided community members with their first opportunity to view the renovation work that was done at Folsom Hall, which includes three floors of science labs, computer labs, traditional classrooms, and the University’s major lecture hall. Construction crews outfitted the building with new floors, windows, ceilings, ADA accessible bathrooms, exterior facades, and updated heating and ventilation systems. A&L Construction of Presque Isle served as the general contractor on the renovation project and North Peak Architecture of Presque Isle completed the architectural work. The renovations, the first significant improvements Folsom Hall has received since it was built in 1966, have provided vastly improved educational facilities for students and faculty.

The Apollo 8 mission. The Tet Offensive. The French Student Movement. The Assassination of Robert F. Kennedy. All of these were major events that happened in 1968 and all of them will be discussed during the University of Maine at Presque Isle’s 1968 Retrospective, to be held November 10-15. The public is invited to attend all activities connected with the Retrospective.

The week-long event commemorates the 40th anniversary of a transformational year in politics, education, science and culture and will include roundtable discussions, presentations, movie screenings, slideshows, musical performances, an art exhibit, and a conversation with journalist and Vietnam War correspondent Richard Dudman. The Retrospective will culminate in a day-long conference covering topics from student demonstrations to Second Wave Feminism to the Cinema of 1968. Event organizers believe this is the only event of its kind happening in Maine, if not New England.

Local kids will unknowingly be getting exercise while taking part in fun activities during the 8th semi-annual Fit and Fun Day, to be held from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 8 in Gentile Hall and sponsored by the University of Maine at Presque Isle’s Physical Education Majors Club.
The Club has organized the free play day for area children in grades 1-5 to teach them about health and fitness in a fun environment. Activities will include cup stacking, rhythm activities, parachute games, juggling, and ball handling games, and improving motor skill techniques through activities such as throwing with rubber chickens, frogs, and turtles.

Think late fall is a time to bundle up and start getting ready to sit out the winter? Think again. The University’s Outdoor Adventure Program International (OAPI) is offering a series of late fall adventures for campus and community members to enjoy, including rock climbing, backpacking and caving trips.
The fun starts Saturday, Nov. 8 with a rock climbing day trip to Clifton, Maine (rain date is Nov. 9). The group will depart from Gentile Hall at 5:30 a.m. and will return to Presque Isle by 10 p.m. No experience is required. OAPI will provide transportation, climbing equipment and a certified climbing instructor. Cost is $30 for students, $40 for non-students.

Folk singer David Mallett will take the stage at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 1 at the University of Maine at Presque Isle’s Wieden Auditorium to perform his newest work, “The Fable True,” as well as songs from his decades-long career.
Mallett, the quintessential Maine folk singer/songwriter whose work spans four decades, has released a dozen albums worth of songs he wrote and performed. His latest album takes a slightly different tack, setting new melodies to 22 stories in Henry David Thoreau’s book “The Maine Woods.” The album was created, in part, to mark the 150th anniversary of Thoreau’s trip to Maine in 1857.

The University of Maine at Presque Isle will host a Rededication Ceremony and Ribbon Cutting for Folsom Hall at Noon on Thursday, Oct. 30 at the building’s entrance. The community is invited to attend.
Folsom Hall, the University’s major classroom building, has received $2 million in improvements, including new floors, windows, ceilings, exterior work, improved ADA accessibility, updated heating and ventilation systems, and many new energy efficiencies. A&L Construction of Presque Isle served as the general contractor on the renovation project. The renovations, the first significant improvements Folsom Hall has received since it was built in 1966, have provided vastly improved educational facilities for students and faculty.

The University of Maine at Presque Isle will hold its annual fall blood drive on Thursday, October 23, from noon to 6 p.m. in the Campus Center’s Multi-Purpose Room.
The blood drive is sponsored by the University’s Residence Life Office, the Brothers of Kappa Delta Phi and the Sisters of Kappa Delta Phi NAS. Walk-ins are welcome and door prizes will be given away during the drive.

If donors wish to reserve a time in advance, they should call 768-9585 between 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m.

Manhattan artist Risa Hirsch Ehrlich will be in the County on Sunday, Oct. 19 at 4 p.m. for the opening reception of her solo ceramics exhibition “Consider a Moment of Stillness” at the University of Maine at Presque Isle’s Reed Fine Art Gallery.
During the Oct. 19 reception, Ehrlich will give a brief talk and answer questions about her work. Ehrlich’s show will feature the single medium in which she works: clay. However, she works within the many forms of the medium, according to Reed Fine Art Gallery Director Sandra Huck.

The University of Maine at Presque Isle will celebrate its 13th annual Science Day when it brings a coastal erosion expert to campus as part of its Distinguished Lecturer Series.
Dr. Orrin Pilkey, the James B. Duke Professor Emeritus of Earth and Ocean Sciences at Duke University, will speak on “The Rising Seas: The Future of Miami and Eskimo Villages” at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 22 in the Campus Center. The public is invited to attend.

Science Day is held every fall at the University to celebrate the 1996 opening of the Northern Maine Museum of Science. The goal of Science Day is to bring widely known scientists to campus to talk about current topics in science.