FARMINGTON -- Do cars have an afterlife?

"Car Afterlife" will kick off the University of Maine at Farmington's 10th annual Arts Night today, with a "traffic jam session" of 50 cars. The original composition, written and conducted by UMF music professor Philip Carlsen, is a "contrapuntally sublime car-cophony" of horns, doors, radios, revving engines and warning bells.

Conductors in the Merrill, Psychology, and Franklin hall parking lots will lead the performances at 5:10 p.m. and at 5:40 p.m., according to Carlsen, and campus President Theodora Kalikow and her Toyota Prius will join the fun.

"I had so much fun at the auto symphony last year I just had to be a part of it again this year," Kalikow said.

This light-hearted event is one of several visual and performing arts performances from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. Students, faculty and staff will present an art show, original plays, experimental music, singing and electro-acoustic and classical music. Events are free and open to the public.

The annual symposium is supported by a gift from Michael and Susan Angelides, in honor of their friend Michael D. Wilson, UMF class of 1976. Scholarly presentations will continue on Wednesday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

More than 400 students collaborated with faculty mentors this year to display a choice of topics, including: "Climate Change and ME"; "Superdelegates: What Do the Facts Say?"; "Making Mathematics Accessible for the Blind"; and "Supporting Adoptive Children and the Families Who Adopt Them."

For a complete schedule of events, visit http://symposium.umf.maine.edu. For more information on Tuesday's events, contact Lily Funahashi at 778-7072 or lily.funahashi@maine.edu. For more information on Wednesday's events, contact David Heroux at 778-7368 or david.heroux@maine.edu.