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February 22, 2013

Staying Wild
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Campus Information
Staying Connected

Campus Conditions

View from the 6th floor!

Snowbanks are noticeably higher from the recent snowfall that hit the UP over the last few days. As a result NMU was closed again this week for a day and a half.

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Staying Wild:

Wildcat Night Across the Country

Saturday, February 16 was Wildcat Night Across the Country! This annual event is an opportunity for NMU alumni and friends to gather together and watch NMU hockey LIVE on TV. This year there were 18 watch parties. From Atlanta to Alaska and Houghton to North Carolina, Wildcat fans cheered on the ‘Cats and enjoyed reminiscing about their days at NMU. It was an exciting series against Michigan State, and while the ‘Cats won Friday’s game, Saturday’s was not to be. Here are photos from some of the parties. You can also see more on the Northern Michigan University Alumni Association Facebook page. Thanks to all who participated in Wildcat Night Across the Country.

NMU Love Connections

In our last issue of What’s New, NMU? we featured the love story of Rick ’73 and Betsy (Hill) Colvin ’73, who met here on campus, and asked readers to submit their own love stories.

Dale Larson ‘76 and Ann Marie (Mickalich) Larson ’78 met during Dr. Common’s Introduction to Psychology in 1974. Ann Marie was a Freshman from Ferndale, and Dale was a Sophomore from Gwinn. “Somehow I ended up ‘tutoring’ Ann Marie in Chemistry, and the rest is history,” says Dale. Married in 1978, they have three boys who all attended NMU. Residents of Marshfield, Wis. for the past 26 years, the two come back to NMU each summer.

“Although we were both in the NMU Art Department 1978-79, Tia (Kasischke) Rizzardi actually met at a Halloween party in 1979,” writes Mark Rizzardi ’79.” The two were married in 1984 and live in Saint Paul, Minnesota. “Marquette is our destination every summer to visit all our old friends who gather for the Hiawatha Music Festival.”

On Facebook, Janette Fleck Combs ’88 said, “My parents met at NMU, and I met my husband, Scott Combs ‘91 there as well. He was a freshman and I was a senior, and after Orange Soup 1987, we were inseperable. Married in ’89.

Christine Schultz Bowerson ’90 wrote, “My husband Ray Bowerson ‘88 and I met in 1987 as RAs in Spooner Hall with John Frick ’82, ’87 as our RD. We married in 1991, over the next 15 years we had 3 birth children and adopted 5 children from the foster care system. We have amazing memories of attending NMU together and living in Marquette. Our children all love Marquette and have been to all the great places like Hogsback, Presque Isle, Black Rocks, etc. We figure our odds of getting at LEAST one of our children to attend NMU is pretty good.”

Melissa Leitzel Martin wote, “My husband Eric Martin ’02 and I met at an NMU leadership conference when I was a Sophomore and he was a Senior. During an ice breaker we had to silently line up according to our birthdays. He and I thought we had the same birthday and messed up the whole line. We have been together since Fall of 2001 and married for 9 years. Thank you NMU!”

Read these stories and more on our Facebook page. Thanks to everyone who wrote in! With more than a foot of snow on the ground here in Marquette, they warmed our hearts. We hope they have the same effect on you, wherever you live.

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Learn More

Congratulations to the NMU Baja Team

The NMU Baja SAE team captured first place honors at the 2013 Winter Baja race hosted by Michigan Tech Saturday. The NMU team prevailed in a field of 48 cars consisting of some of the country's top engineering schools, including the University of Michigan, Michigan State, Michigan Tech, UW-Milwaukee, and Virginia Tech. The NMU Baja team also won the "fastest lap" race held at the end of the event. It was a clean sweep and great day to be a Wildcat! We’ll be profiling the NMU Baja Team in more detail in our next issue of What’s New.

Message from Admissions

Are you a teacher or someone who works with youth? Would you like to have an NMU Admissions Counselor present to your students? NMU admissions counselors can assist you in building and supporting a "college-going culture" with the students you serve. Some examples include playing "College Knowledge BINGO" with the younger students, providing a financial aid overview or general college planning presentation for older students or parents, career presentations, and of course, we're always happy to do a detailed NMU presentation. The Admissions office can also offer "electronic field trips" where we can virtually connect you and your students to campus to meet "live" with current NMU students, professors, admissions staff and even take a quick tour of campus.

Please contact Katie Berger, Assistant Director of Admissions, at kaberger@nmu.edu for more information.

Calling all Freshman Fellowship Alumni

If you were once a student involved in the Freshman Fellowship Program, we would love to feature you in an upcoming Alumni Spotlight. Please email tewillia@nmu.edu with the year you were in the program, details of your research project, and what is happening in your life today. A picture (then, now, or both) is highly encouraged!

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Campus Information

Job Postings

Title: Web Specialist

Department: Academic Information Services/Library
Targeted Salary Range: $28,400-$39,500

Submit application by March 4, 2013

Title: Junior Programmer/Programmer Analyst I

Department: Information Technology-Information Services
Targeted Salary Range: Junior Programmer $34,000-$44,750; Programmer Analyst I $36,600-$48,300

Submit application by March 8, 2013

Title: Resident Directors; 9.75 month, live-in positions

Department: Housing and Resident Life
Approximate minimum prorated salary: $23,959 (excludes room and board)

Submit application by March 6, 2013

Upcoming Events

NMU is coming to Florida

Please save the date for our two upcoming alumni events in Florida. We hope you can join us.

Wednesday, March 13, 2013

5:30 - 7:30 p.m.

Rusty Pelican

Tampa, Florida

$15/person

RSVP required by calling 877-GRAD-NMU

Friday, March 15, 2013

11:30 a.m.

Timpano Italian Chophouse

Ft. Lauderdale, Florida

$20/person

RSVP required by calling 877-GRAD-NMU

NMU is coming to the Menominee area

Wednesday, March 27, 2013

Alumni Reception

5 – 6:30 p.m. CST

Riverside Golf Club

Menominee, Michigan

RSVP required by calling 877-GRAD-NMU

Save the Date!

June 28-29, 2013

NMU 1962 - 1978 Delta Sigma Phi Reunion

Marquette, Michigan

Contact Bob LaCosse at lacossebob@sbcglobal.net for information and watch future What’s New issues for details.

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Staying Connected

Thanks to all of you who have visited the Alumni Office while on campus. Whenever you’re in town, please drop by 603 Cohodas Hall to say hello! (You don’t have to be visiting - for those of you who live in Marquette, we want to see you too! Please stop in.) If you can’t get to campus but you’re off exploring the world, be sure to send us a photo of you wearing your favorite Wildcat gear so we can share it with other alumni.

Congratulations to Amy Ahola '05, '12 on her recent honor of becoming one of the 365 Heroes in Global Education. Her interview is featured in dailyedventures.com and can be read here.

Mel Charbonneau '02, Proffessor Dr. Magnaghi, and Tori Sager '00 all ran in the Jacksonville Florida marathon/race.

James Mildren '75, pictured far left, received a Community Service award from the Ironwood area Chamber of Commerce Award for his work with Santa's Headquarters, Ironwood Kiwanis, Sisu, the Grrrr community bike ride, Christ Lutheran Parish and numerous other volunteer activities. Jim is Director of the Gogebic County Transit and has been there for 32 years.

What will your legacy be?

Sign up for the FREE NMU Foundation planned giving eNewsletter. Each week it features news from Washington, Savvy Living, Gift Stories, Finance News and other timely articles that will help you learn more about creating your legacy, from tax-advantaged estate planning to wills and bequests.

What's New, NMU? is brought to you by the generous gifts of NMU alumni and friends. Please consider helping with the continuation of such great programs and services by giving to your NMU Alumni Association. www.nmu.edu/givetoday,choose "Alumni Association" as your designation.