October 2018

In honor of Native American Heritage Month in November, UMPI’s Salmagundi Film Series presents the independent film Neither Wolf Nor Dog on Tuesday, Nov. 13 at 6 p.m. in the Auditorium in Wieden Hall. Directed by Steven Lewis Simpson, the film is based on the award-winning novel by author Kent Nerburn. It stars David Bald Eagle, who passed away not long ago, aged 97. The film follows a Lakota elder who takes a white author on a road trip through the Dakotas to open the author’s eyes to the elder’s experience and perspective on the world.

The Salmagundi Film Series focuses on a specially chosen film each month, followed by a conversation about the subject matter. With the winter season in mind, the next Salmagundi Film Series event will feature the movie Eddie the Eagle on Tuesday, Dec. 11, at 6 p.m. in the Auditorium in Wieden Hall.

From map art to altered globes, students in Pam Crawford’s Personal Geographies class explored all sorts of terrain thanks to a grant the University of Maine at Presque Isle received from the Maine Arts Commission as part of the commission’s Creative Aging Program. Final projects from the class were on display in UMPI’s Center for Innovative Learning earlier this fall.

The MAC grant allowed Crawford, a teaching artist, to offer a free, 6-week class at UMPI this summer for nearly a dozen students age 55 and older. The oldest student who participated in the class is 88. During the class, participants explored maps—their meaning, purpose, use, and creation—and then created them from scratch, altered them, and crafted things with them. For the grand finale, each student altered a world globe.

Examples of work include using German paper cutting techniques to turn a map into an image of a girl sitting under a tree, and a colorful, by-hand town map painted onto a charger plate, (pictured here, by Theresa Lown and Ruth Kerr). The altered globes had themes such as music, genealogy, butterflies, and disco. One globe became a bulbous iguana; another, a bird house. Still another was made out of one-inch squares of recycled compact discs.

The Aroostook County Safety Directors Association (ACSDA) presented a check for $1,500 to the University of Maine at Presque Isle on Oct. 19. The association, a volunteer organization of safety minded professionals from across Aroostook County that works to promote safety in the workplace, elected to give $1,000 to UMPI’s greenhouse project as well as a $500 scholarship for a student in UMPI’s new Agricultural Sciences and Agribusiness program. The association sponsors a Safety Symposium each year and uses any additional funds that it may have after the conference to give donations to various local efforts and organizations in an effort to better the community. Taking part in the check presentation are, from left, front row: Dr. Debbie Roark, UMPI Executive Director for University Advancement and External Affairs; UMPI student and scholarship recipient Cody Theriault; Miles “Rick” Williams, ACSDA board Chairperson from Smiths Farm; Dr. Jason Johnston, UMPI’s Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences; and UMPI President Ray Rice; second row: Chris Cyr, ACSDA board member from R.F. Chamberland; Dan Clark, ACSDA board member from MEMIC; Mike Patenaude, ACSDA board member from Columbia Forest Products; Marj Bither, ACSDA board member from Tri-Community Landfill; Tina Ireland, ACSDA board member from McCain Foods; and Geri Fraser, ACSDA board member from Fraser Furs; third row: Bev Clayton, ACSDA board member from K-Pel Industries; Lee Thomas, ACSDA board member, retired Maine Department of Environmental Protection; Barrett Parks, ACSDA board member from MEMIC; and Mary Kate Barbosa, UMPI Director of Student Support Services.

The University of Maine at Presque Isle offered two 20-hour courses this fall that began Oct. 15 and Oct. 24. The first class was How to Manage Training, where participants learned how to facilitate workplace learning for maximum employee performance and organizational effectiveness, and was taught by Laurie Nelson, Human Resources Manager for Pineland Farms. The second class was Planning and Managing Change, where participants learned how to proactively manage the process, content, and human dynamics of change, and was taught by Cara Miller, business owner and employee wellness consultant. Participants in both classes earned 2 CEU’s, which can be used as an elective for the Human Resources, General Management, or Customer Satisfaction certificates. FMI information on upcoming classes, contact Kim Jones at 207-768-9459 or email kimberly.a.jones@maine.edu.

The University of Maine at Presque Isle hosted its 23^rd annual UMPI Trick or Treating Night on Oct. 24 in Merriman and Park Halls. Dorm halls were decorated and students in costume passed out candy to local participants. The Student Activities Office and Residence Life also sponsored an asylum-themed Haunted House in the Campus Center. This PG-13 experience featured UMPI students acting in the event and provided participants with a hair-raising time.

Are you planning to complete your degree requirements in May 2019? If so, please be aware that this year’s deadline to apply for your degree is Nov. 30 (the deadline to apply for those graduating in December 2018 was Oct. 30). If you have not already done so, it is strongly recommended that you contact your professional advisor to finalize your plan for degree completion. To make an appointment, you can visit the Advising Center on the first floor of South Hall, or call (207) 768-9619.

The application for degree is in your MaineStreet Student Center. Here is how to access it:

• Login to the UMPI Portal (my.umpi.edu), click on the MaineStreet icon, and go to your Student Center (Student Self-Service -> Student Center).
• From the ‘other academic…’ dropdown, select ‘Apply for Graduation’
• Follow the on-screen prompts to complete your application

****PLEASE NOTE: Some students have reported being unable to select that they wish to participate in May Commencement. If this happens to you, it’s OK to answer ‘No’ to this question. This form is standard across the University of Maine System, but this question does not pertain to UMPI students because we send Commencement information to all prospective graduates.

Some of your information will be loaded automatically. If your degree information looks incorrect please contact your professional advisor.

The University of Maine at Presque Isle’s History Club will host a seminar titled WWI: The Event that Changed the World on Monday, Nov. 12 at 7 p.m. in the Allagash Room in honor of WWI’s Centennial Armistice. This event is free and open to the public. FMI, contact Evan Zarkadas at evangelos.zarkadas@maine.edu.

On Tuesday, Sept. 18, members of the UMPI Hoot Squad helped the students, staff, and faculty from the Houlton Center celebrate National Cheeseburger Day! In addition to the cheeseburgers, participants brought in various potluck dishes for all to enjoy! The Center was filled with brightly colored “Wings T-Shirts”, smiling faces, and full bellies! A great way to kick off the semester.

The Green Committee sponsored a recycling contest in October for all students living in UMPI dorms. Specially-marked containers in each dorm were put in place to accept many recyclable materials. The dorm with the most recyclable material collected at the end of October wins a pizza party with the Student Activities Office and Dean of Students Office. FMI, contact Larry Feinstein at 768-9498 or email larry.feinstein@maine.edu.

Want another great reason to read through the image newsletter? Well, somewhere in this issue of the image is our very own owl emoji. Here’s the challenge: just find it (don’t tell anyone else its hiding place!), let our office know, and you could be eligible for a $5 gift certificate to UMPI Starbucks! A winner will be randomly drawn from all of the people who find the emoji on Friday, Nov. 16. Congratulations to our September winner Brian Flewelling!

To let us know you’ve found it, either click on the emoji and fill out the very short form, or email Gayla Shaw with the location at gshaw@maine.edu.

Happy searching!

The University of Maine at Presque Isle’s Relay for Life will be holding their annual silent auction/online bidding from Monday, Nov. 5 at 8 a.m. until Thursday, Nov. 8 at 2 p.m. All items can be viewed in Preble Hall on the 2^nd floor. All bidding this year will be online. If you are interested in bidding on any items, please go to this link https://www.facebook.com/events/2054786438183477/ and click the “Discussion” tab and you will see the items that are available to bid on. If you would like to bid on an item, please place your bid in the comment section below the picture of the item you are interested in, the highest bid at the end of the auction wins. If you don’t feel comfortable placing a bid via FB, you can either private message Laurie Boucher, call her at 768-9512, or email laurie.boucher@maine.edu, and she will place the bid online for you. No late bids will be accepted and all winners will be announced. Winners will have until Friday, Nov. 9 at 4 p.m. to pay for and pick up your items in the Student Financial Services Office at UMPI in 235 Preble Hall. If the items are not paid for and picked up by this time, the items will be forfeited and will be available for the next highest bid on-line. Go to their FB page often as it is updated as they receive items for the auction and to keep track of your bid. All funds raised will go to the American Cancer Society. Please feel free to share this event with family and friends. They can accept either cash or checks that are made out to the American Cancer Society. The winning items will not be mailed unless you talk to Laurie Boucher beforehand to discuss shipping. FMI, email Laurie Boucher at laurie.boucher@maine.edu or Lisa Leduc at lisa.leduc@maine.edu.