
A Letter from President Tessman
NMU alumni and friends, let me thank you for your support and friendship to me and my family, and your dedication to your alma mater. I’ll never forget those very special moments, often after an alumni event, when a graduate would approach me and explain how - against all odds - Northern took a chance on them and they took a chance on Northern, and the result was an experience that transformed their entire life trajectory.
Northern Magazine, Spring/Summer 2025 Vo. 115, No. 1
Features:
- The Upper Peninsula of Michigan
- Bigfoot Blessing
- The Little Lights of Town
- U.P. Photography: Nathan Bett
- To Be Marquette: Sharon Dilworth and Tim Lindquist
- Hunter: Michael Letts
- The Caving Grounds: Kathleen Heideman
- Northern Fantasy: John Voelker
- U.P. Films: Numerous alumni
- Mural Art: Emilee Covers
- Photography: Ryan Stephens
- Woodwork: Joe Graci
- Moose on the Move
- Plein Air by Steven Hughes
- Deer Crossing from Jack Deo
University Updates:
- Catching Up
- Student Experiences
- Alumni Achievements
- Setting the Stage
- Wildcat Athletics
- President's Perspective

Photo by Ryan Stephens '15 BS, ryanstephensphoto.net
Features

The Upper Peninsula of Michigan
The Upper Peninsula of Michigan is a rugged, remote region rich in natural beauty and history, shaped by glaciers, mining, and a fiercely independent culture. Once neglected, it evolved from a wilderness into a land of resource wealth and growing tourism, fiercely cherished by its resilient inhabitants. A manuscript by John D. Voelker.

To Be Marquette
A college freshman finds purpose, belonging, and a deep respect for the power of nature in a passionate professor’s class on environmental activism—set against the cold, mysterious beauty of Lake Superior and the bonds formed around a beach bonfire. Excerpt from the novel by Sharon Dilworth.

The Caving Grounds
This powerful poem reflects on the legacy of mining in a small town, where collapsed earth swallowed cows, homes and memories—blurring the line between personal grief and environmental ruin. Beneath the surface lies a haunting history of loss, love and the land slowly giving way. From a collection by Kathleen Heideman.

Photo by Ryan Stephens '15 BS, ryanstephensphoto.net