The University of Maine at Presque Isle is hosting a jam-packed Homecoming 2009 celebration from Friday, Sept. 18 to Sunday, Sept. 20, offering everything from entertainment by a trio of comedians to a Homecoming Bazaar to socials, alumni games and the annual Hall of Fame dinner.

The University of Maine at Presque Isle is pleased to announce that it will begin its 2009-2010 University Distinguished Lecturer Series with renowned speaker Thomas King, the acclaimed novelist, short story writer, and creator of the popular CBC radio serial The Dead Dog Café Comedy Hour.

King – whose first novel Medicine River was made into a television movie that starred Native American actor Graham Greene, won Best Screenplay at the American Indian Film Festival, and was nominated for a Gemini award – will speak on issues related to the Native American experience when he delivers his talk An Evening Wasted with Thomas King at 7 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 24 in the Campus Center.

An accomplished opera singer will pay a visit to the University of Maine at Presque Isle when she offers a matinee vocal performance on Sunday, Sept. 13 at 2 p.m. in the Campus Center.

Suzanne Nance, well-known throughout the State of Maine as music director and host of MPBN’s Morning Classical Music program, is also an experienced vocal performer who has appeared on stages in Prague, London, the Czech Republic, Philadelphia, Chicago, Boston and New York, and has appeared in operas such as Cosi fan tutte, Madama Butterfly and Little Women.

Accompanied by pianist Patricia Stowell, her recital will include Spanish Rhapsody by Franz Liszt, as well as Spanish and Gypsy songs by Rossini, de Falla, Bizet and Dvorak.

The University of Maine at Presque Isle will celebrate the 222nd birthday of the signing of the U.S. Constitution with a special presentation on the First Amendment.

On Thursday, Sept. 17, from 11 a.m. to Noon, students, faculty, staff and community members are invited to observe Constitution Day by gathering in the University’s Campus Center for a panel discussion on the First Amendment followed by a question and answer session.

Leading the panel presentation will be President Don Zillman, a nationally known expert on constitutional law; Dr. William Davidshofer, Professor of Political Science at UMPI; and Dr. Brent Andersen, a political scientist and a lecturer at the University whose area of specialty is American government.

They will discuss the history of the amendment and how those rights have been exercised over the years, and talk about recent news events that illustrate how First Amendment rights are asserted and challenged today.

Several Aroostook County writers who have gathered their work into the book Breathe, Volume 1 will be on hand for a book signing at the University of Maine at Presque Isle Bookstore from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 16.

The writers featured in the book are regular members and friends of the Breathe Writers Group, which was established four years ago at the University. While the group has moved around to a few other locations, it is currently back on the Presque Isle campus as a University club and has about a dozen active members.

The University of Maine at Presque Isle will host its annual Campus Club and Community Fair on Wednesday, Sept. 16, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the Campus Center.

For the past 14 years, the University of Maine at Presque Isle has kicked off the academic year with this event, which allows campus clubs and organizations to showcase and promote their groups to the student body and the community.

A University of Maine at Presque Isle program that serves local residents over 50 and believes in “learning for life” will host its fall kick-off with a luncheon event at 11 a.m. on Thursday, Sept. 10 in the Campus Center.

Seniors Achieving Greater Education [SAGE] has worked for more than a decade to bring short courses in arts, sciences, and specialty areas to the region’s senior community. SAGE is one of 16 senior colleges in the Maine Senior College Network, and the only one north of Orono.

With the stroke of a pen, the University of Maine at Presque Isle officially became the recipient of a $96,800 Maine Technology Asset Fund grant from the Maine Technology Institute. The grant will help to fund construction of a state-of-the-art GIS and GPS laboratory on campus that will be used for both classroom instruction and for community training and services.

Maine Technology Institute President Betsy Biemann and UMPI President Don Zillman signed the grant contract during a short Thursday afternoon ceremony on the University campus.

“The University of Maine at Presque Isle is excited to receive these funds from the Maine Technology Institute, which will help us to establish this educational and training-oriented facility and meet the growing need for GIS and GPS services in our region,” President Zillman said. “The goal of a facility like this is to further community development and economic growth, and the University is proud to be taking this step forward for northern Maine.”

The University of Maine at Presque Isle and the Carleton Project teamed up recently to take alternative high school students on an outdoor climbing adventure.

On Tuesday, July 14, the Carleton Project and officials from the University’s Outdoor Adventure Program International [OAPI] traveled to Clifton, Maine, for an outdoor climb at Eagle Cliff. The trip was both a way for Carleton Project students to get outside and enjoy some physical activity and also learn some important lessons about teamwork and decision making.