The University of Maine at Presque Isle is inviting all campus and community members to explore Asia in a BIG way on Oct. 23—with the world’s largest map of the continent. The giant National Geographic map will be on display on Wednesday, Oct. 23 from Noon to 5 p.m. in Gentile Hall. This event is sponsored by the Maine Geographic Alliance and is free. Everyone is welcome to attend and enjoy the interactive map.

According to Dr. Kimberly Sebold, UMPI Associate Professor of History, who was instrumental in bringing the map to Aroostook County, the interactive map measures 26 feet by 35 feet and is designed as a giant game board to introduce students to the diverse geography of Asia.

The latest novel by Dr. Richard Shain Cohen, Emeritus faculty member at the University of Maine at Presque Isle, has been published by CCB Publishing this fall. Our Seas of Fear and Love is available in hardback, paperback as well as an e-book. Dr. Cohen will visit UMPI for a book reading and signing on Wednesday, Oct. 30, at 2 p.m. in the UMPI Library. The community is invited to attend.

Dr. Cohen retired from the University of Maine at Presque Isle after serving as Vice President of Academic Affairs and Professor of English. His latest book Our Seas of Fear and Love is a romance-family saga set primarily in Maine but also in Europe, Boston, and the Southwest.

Physical Education majors from the University of Maine at Presque Isle are saying “Aloha!” as they welcome kids ages 5 to 11 to their Fit and Fun Day, taking place from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 26, at UMPI’s Gentile Hall. Free registration begins at 9 a.m., with tropical-themed games, giveaways and activities to follow.

Fit and Fun Day is designed to promote physical activity and healthy lifestyles for local children. This is the 18th semi-annual Fit and Fun Day.

In conjunction with the American Red Cross, the University of Maine at Presque Isle will hold its annual fall blood drive on Tuesday, Oct. 22. The drive will run from Noon until 5 p.m. in the Campus Center’s Multi-Purpose Room. Door prizes will be given away during this time. Members of the campus and community are invited and encouraged to participate in this free event.

The blood drive is sponsored by the University’s Residence Life Office, the Brothers of Kappa Delta Phi, the Sisters of Kappa Delta Phi NAS, and Phi Eta Sigma – National Honor Society. These organizations help the American Red Cross put on three blood drives each year, in the spring, summer, and fall.

The University of Maine at Presque Isle’s Reed Fine Art Gallery will exhibit Crooked Knife: A Northern Tradition from Oct. 21 through Nov. 23, 2013. The public is invited to view the exhibition throughout the show’s run. A reception will be held in conjunction with Presque Isle’s First Friday Art Walk on Friday, Nov. 1 from 5-7 p.m. with a gallery talk at 5:30 p.m. Light refreshments will be served.

Crooked Knife: A Northern Tradition is a unique exhibition exploring the traditional Maliseet and Mi’kmaq art of basket making from northern Maine and adjacent Canada.

The University of Maine at Presque Isle is pleased to be partnering with the Presque Isle Community Players to host a very special Fall Dinner Theater Presentation that will serve as the fundraising kick-off for the University’s Auditorium Renovation Project. The Players will perform Country in the County on Fridays and Saturdays, Oct. 11 and 12 and Oct. 18 and 19 in UMPI’s Campus Center.

This evening of live music, featuring some of the area’s most talented singers and musicians, will include many Country favorites, from Johnny Cash and Patsy Cline to Big and Rich and the Dixie Chicks. Tamia Glidden serves as this year’s Production Director and Melbourne Smith is the Musical Director.