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The University of Maine at Presque Isle’s Nordic Ski Team will be bringing a unique new event especially for ski enthusiasts to the region in January—a ski event that serves as both a student athletic competition and a community race. The first Owl Invitational will take place Jan. 25-26, 2020 at the Nordic Heritage Center in Presque Isle and the entire event is open to the public. Registration is $10 per race; races are open to skiers 18 and older.

The University of Maine at Presque Isle was featured in the recent Washington Monthly magazine 2019 college rankings, earning two spots—on the Top 50 Liberal Arts Colleges: Northeast list as well as the Top 50 Best Bang for the Buck ranking for the Northeast region.

The University of Maine at Presque Isle and the Alumni Association presented four awards of distinction during Homecoming 2019 activities. The annual alumni award presentations were made during the new Alumni and Friends Blue and Gold Evening.

The University of Maine at Presque Isle and the Presque Isle Rotary Club have declared their 8th Annual Purple Pinkie Project, held on World Polio Day, a success. With the help of the Rotary Clubs in Caribou, Fort Fairfield, Limestone, Mars Hill, and Washburn, the celebration spread throughout central Aroostook County. Combined efforts helped to raise nearly $3,000 to go toward Rotary International’s efforts to eradicate polio worldwide.

The University of Maine at Presque Isle’s History Club is helping to promote a love of learning, while sparking creativity and encouraging community building, with the establishment of a Little Free Library on the UMPI campus.

The University of Maine at Presque Isle hosted its second annual First Generation College Celebration Day on Wednesday, Nov. 20 in the Owl’s Nest from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., celebrating and honoring first generation students, faculty, and staff on campus and throughout the country.

Four years ago, retired University of Maine at Presque Isle professor Anderson Giles made the discovery of a lifetime—a gold tooth that may have belonged to famous Japanese admiral Isoroku Yamamoto—during one of his many trips to the Pacific to preserve the history of World War II. That discovery and its international historical significance have been spotlighted in a new feature-length documentary produced by filmmaker Tim Gray of The World War II Foundation and narrated by actor Gary Sinise. The Portillo Expedition: Mystery on Bougainville Island will premiere on more than 100 public television stations across the country this November.

The University of Maine at Presque Isle will host Dr. Elise Perrault, Associate Professor of Management at the College of Charleston and Director of the Think Differently Forum, as the next speaker in its 2019-2020 Libra Distinguished Lecture Series on Wednesday, Nov. 20, at 7 p.m. in the Campus Center.

The University of Maine at Presque Isle’s Reed Art Gallery presents People of the Dawn: A Celebration of Mi’kmaq Art between Nov. 1 and Dec. 20, 2019. The public is invited to view the exhibition throughout the show’s run and attend the Gallery Reception on Friday, Nov. 1, from 5-7 p.m., which includes a gallery talk at 5:30 p.m.; light refreshments will be served. This reception is being held in conjunction with the First Friday Art Walk and the citywide Native American Heritage Celebration.

The Presque Isle Rotary Club will host its Eighth Annual Purple Pinkie Project on Thursday, Oct. 24 and, with the help of the Rotary Clubs in Caribou, Fort Fairfield, Limestone, Mars Hill, and Washburn, the celebration spreads throughout central Aroostook County.