SKOWHEGAN, ME – Today, U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) released a video congratulating students at University of Maine Fort Kent (UMFK) and highlighting the importance of an informed citizenry. The video played during UMFK’s 9^th Annual Scholars’ Symposium. The full version of Senator King’s remarks can be viewed HERE, and shorter clips can be viewed HERE.

“I love to come to Fort Kent, I love to be in the Valley, and I want to congratulate the students, the scholars who are at the symposium today for the work that you’ve done at the university, for the accomplishments that you’ve had, for the recognition that you’re getting,” said Senator King in the video. “And I think the topic that you’re talking about is incredibly important…Our whole system rests upon an informed citizenry. Think about that for a minute: an informed citizenry, not a misinformed citizenry. And if we as consumers of information are taken in by propaganda and disinformation, we can’t make good decisions. We can’t elect good leaders. We can’t follow up on good policies if we don’t have the facts…What you’re doing is important. It’s important for your community, for the university – but it’s also important for the country.

Senator King, who is working in other parts of the state today and unable to attend the ceremony in person, serves on the Senate Intelligence Committee and has repeatedly emphasized the importance of public hearings as part of the investigation into Russia’s involvement in the 2016 election to ensure that the public is able to identify future Russian attempts to meddle in our elections. He pressed top officials from Facebook, Twitter and Google on the spread of disinformation in an Intelligence Committee hearing last November, saying: “This is a sophisticated, worldwide strategy…we, as a society, we have to understand when we’re being conned.”

The UMFK Scholars' Symposium fosters a community of engaged educators, researchers, and life-long learners who value academic excellence, scholarship, and intellectual curiosity. The day includes presentations and discourse focused on issues relevant to the region and to the institution's mission. The topic of this year’s symposium is What’s Real, What’s Not: In Search of Truth, and features a keynote speech from Josh Pasek, Assistant Professor of Communication Studies at the University of Michigan.