Thursday, Feb. 3, 2011

Campus Reopens After Online Threat

Northern reopened and resumed classes today, but it wasn’t necessarily a return to normalcy. “Clearly, parents and students are still worried,” said NMU President Les Wong, who is pictured with Mike Bath (Public Safety) at a media briefing this morning. “It takes time to readjust. You don’t just turn the switch off and go back to normal right away. But I want to assure everyone that we would not in any way have considered opening up today without being confident that the situation was secure.”

Wong said a turn in the investigation prompted the decision. An area “person of interest” was questioned and released, but later cleared by the FBI after it was discovered that similarly worded blog posts had been directed at other universities across the country. The new information, combined with a lack of evidence that the threatening message originated locally, diminished the threat to NMU. Full Story

 

NMU Invited to Milan Design Show

Northern’s human-centered design program has been invited to participate in the annual Salone Satellite, a juried show for student and emerging designers in Milan, Italy. Eighteen students will exhibit prototypes of their creative research to an international audience of media, manufacturers and design professionals April 12-17.

Salone Satellite was introduced as a venue for young designers to complement the longstanding Salone Internazionale del Mobile (Milan International Furniture Fair). The latter showcases the work of established professionals who have teamed up with design-driven companies around the world to create new product lines. Salone Internazionale del Mobile is in its 50th year. It attracts nearly 400,000 visitors and, according to Peter Pless (Art and Design, standing third from right), is regarded as the most important show in design. Full Story

 

Cuba Program Launched

NMU has launched a historic international partnership in Cuba. Following a lengthy application process, an NMU delegation traveled to the island last week to meet with officials from two Cuban universities.

NMU is one of only 16 U.S. institutions granted a license for study abroad programs in the country and the first to extend its presence beyond Havana. Two NMU students who accompanied the group have remained for the semester at the University of Matanzas, east of the nation’s capital. Full Story

 

 

NMU-Packer Connections

 

At least a few people with NMU ties will be watching the Super Bowl with perhaps a more vested interest than fans of either franchise or casual observers drawn more to the ads than the action. Every effort was made to remain objective while putting out feelers for campus angles that would localize this national sporting event. However, it just so happened that each of the responses from the non-randomized sample of three select contacts detailed an NMU-Packer connection.

 

This lopsided outcome was unintended, according to the CAMPUS editor (who, in the interest of full disclosure, is a Wisconsin native and found the green-gold Wildcat color scheme a major selling point during her NMU job interview). Whether it’s a case of a flawed methodology fueled by newsletter deadline pressure, Green Bay’s proximity and the extension of Packer Country to the U.P. or Steeler loyalists staying under the radar pending Sunday’s final score, we want to at least give the illusion of balance. Relevant NMU-Steeler connections may be submitted here and will be added to this story upon receipt, if appropriate (or as space after the Packers coverage allows—whichever is most restrictive). Meanwhile, here are some NMU-Packer angles leading up to the big game. Full Story

 

Scoundrels Feb. 15-19

Ansley Valentine, new director of the Forest Roberts Theatre, will make his directing debut with next week’s Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, the stage version of the movie starring Michael Caine and Steve Martin.

Performances are 7:30 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday, Feb. 15-19, as well as a 1 p.m. matinee on Saturday, Feb. 19. 

The comedy pits two con artistsa veteran and an amateurtrying battling to out swindle each other and $50,000 from a young heiress from Ohio while in the French Riviera.

Tickets are available at all NMU EZ Ticket outlets.

       

 

No offense to Chris Wagner (HelpDesk), but most of us would prefer to stay away from his work environment as long as possible. A visit to the HelpDesk is usually a last resort and synonymous with computer issues we can’t fix ourselves.

But it’s a hate-love relationship. As the name implies, the HelpDesk is in the problem-solving business. Many are grateful for its presence on campus and the virus alerts Wagner sends via e-mail. Telephone systems even supplied the department with a phone extension that evokes a cheer of gratitude for the expertise it provides:

“2-4-6-8, who do we appreciate?!” Full Story

 

 

Copyright by the Board of Trustees of Northern Michigan University, 1401 Presque Isle Ave, Marquette, MI 49855 1-800-682-9797
Northern Michigan University is an equal opportunity/affirmative action institution.
Admissions questions | Technical questions | NMU Web Team
Updated: February 4, 2011

NMU logo