October 23, 2006 (Vol. 13, No. 23)

A weekly electronic newsletter for alumni and friends of Michigan Technological University

Edited by Dennis Walikainen (MS ’92), Director, Web Development, University Marketing and Communications
dkwalika@mtu.edu

For past issues, see our archives.

In this issue:

Beating Northern; Hockey Rebirth

There was more than a little build-up for this Saturday's football game. Former Tech Head Coach Bernie Anderson was returning to Houghton with his Northern Michigan football team. Bernie was much admired here on campus, having the longest tenure of any football coach and leading Tech to the NCAA playoffs in football a couple of years ago.

But, now he's coaching those green and gold guys, and the biggest rivalry we have just got bigger. On a cold, gray, somewhat windy day, Northern took an early lead, 7-0, but that was about the end of their highlights, and the few Northern fans who ventured to Tech sat in glum silence for most of the next couple of hours.

Tech ran the ball again and again, and passed the ball efficiently. The defense played well, also, and the final score, 42-14, revealed the dominance of the Huskies over the Wildcats. New Head Coach Tom Kearly felt good, obviously, but especially for the seniors, who played their last home game.

But, the sports teams weren't done: the Hockey Huskies swept No. 10 Vermont on the road, and local skater Peter Rouleau got the game-winner Saturday night. There are more-than-promising signs coming from the team that is 3-1-0 for the first time since 1996-97.

Obviously, these are good times for these two teams: a football team that has won four straight after being 0-4, and a hockey team that is turning heads (and getting great goaltending from two netminders--Rob Nolan and Michael-Lee Teslka--each weekend ala John MacInnes).

These are great days to be a Husky!

At Tech

ARMY ROTC TAKES SECOND IN RANGER CHALLENGE: Tech's Army ROTC team took second place in the Army-wide event known as Ranger Challenge, a physically and mentally demanding series of events that test each cadet's military skills and endurance. This year's event took place at Fort McCoy, Wis., with teams from over 12 different universities, including the University of Wisconsin, Northern Illinois University and the University of Chicago. Michigan Tech's team also placed first in Land Navigation, First Aid, and in the Obstacle Course.

***

CC FORESTS UNDER ATTACK
By Diana Wadke, Tech Today student writer
Residents of the Copper Country don't have to watch the skies to find alien invaders; they're literally under foot. The red wriggler earthworm, popular for composting, and its cousin the nightcrawler, famous among fishermen, have both been used in this region for years. However, neither is native to the Great Lakes region. Both have been transplanted from Europe since the time of the early settlers. Other earthworm species once lived in the region but migrating glaciers drove them south. Now European earthworms have invaded and are thriving, but at the expense of native species. Research conducted by Michael Gundale while a graduate student in Michigan Tech's Department of Biological Sciences shows that red wrigglers in Minnesota are changing the landscape of hardwood forests, which in turn has an adverse effect on local plant populations. Especially at risk is the goblin fern, which most often remains buried in the forest's topsoil. Gundale found that red wrigglers, which live much closer to the surface and feed more often than their nightcrawler relatives, are too efficient in their composting duties. They have lowered the depth of the forest soil by as much as half, exposing delicate plants such as the goblin fern. More: <http://www.admin.mtu.edu/urel/ttoday/previous.php?issue=20061020#3>

***

TECH STUDENTS COMPETE IN RALLY
By Mark Blehm, student writer
Heath Nunnemacher and Chris Coughlin, two mechanical engineering students at Michigan Tech, were the first all-Michigan Tech student team to compete in the 2006 Lake Superior Performance Rally held Oct. 20-21. The rally is regarded as "the oldest, toughest, meanest" rally on the SCCA Pro Rally circuit. Nunnemacher has been planning to drive this particular rally for two years, starting his career as a co-driver and building the financial support necessary to procure a car for himself and get his career rolling. Recently, he won the Production GT division at the Ojibwe Forests ProRally in August. "I vividly remember watching this race my freshman year and saying 'I'm going to do that,'" Nunnemacher recalls. "So I made a plan, executed it and followed it through to the end." Coughlin, his co-driver, is a newcomer to the sport. Co-drivers serve as route narrators to their drivers, reading them the turns of the road ahead so the driver can prepare to navigate them. They can also serve as mechanics, managers and team logicians. Coughlin has been studying the course notes and watching in-car video to prepare. "Running in the rally gives us a chance to compete alongside the big names in rally as well as just have fun," Coughlin said. The rally was won by Ken Block, with Tim O'Neil second, and Travis Pastrana, the US Champion, third.

Tech Sports

HOCKEY SWEEPS #10 VERMONT TO IMPROVE TO 3-1: The Michigan Tech hockey team owns a 3-1 record heading into this Friday's (Oct. 27) conference opener after a series sweep at 10th-ranked Vermont last weekend. The Huskies overcame two different two-goal deficits last Friday (Oct. 20) to send the game to overtime, where Lars Helminen (Brighton, Mich.) scored the game-winner. Saturday (Oct. 21), Tech got first career goals from both Phil Axtell (New Windsor, Md.) and Peter Rouleau (Hancock, Mich.) to claim a 2-1 victory. Michigan Tech hosts Alaska Anchorage in a two-game series at the John MacInnes Student Ice Arena this Friday and Saturday.

***

TECH BEATS UP NORTHERN FOR 42-14 MINER'S CUP VICTORY--Lee Marana Becomes GLIAC's All-Time Leading Rusher with 213-Yard Day: The Miner's Cup will remain in Houghton for a third straight year after Michigan Tech amassed 366 yards rushing in a 42-14 victory over Northern Michigan today at Sherman Field. The win was the Huskies fourth consecutive on the season to even their record at 4-4. Lee Marana tallied 213 yards and four touchdowns on the ground and in the process became the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference's all-time leading rusher with 4,381 yards. "It's always big when you win a rivalry game, and it was especially sweet for our seniors in their last home game," said head coach Tom Kearly. "It was a good performance all the way around. Marana had a great game behind an outstanding day by our offensive line, and our defense played well too." More: <http://www.athletics.mtu.edu/news.php?source2=news&source=0610210748mfb.txt>

***

MARANA NAMED GLIAC PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Running back Lee Marana (Ishpeming, Mich./Westwood) earned Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Offensive Player of the Week honors after he became the GLIAC's all-time leading rusher during a 213-yard performance vs. arch rival Northern Michigan last Saturday (Oct. 21) at Sherman Field. The Huskies' senior accounted for 254 of the team's 489 yards of total offense and four of its six touchdowns in a 42-14 triumph. Marana has rushed for a record 4,381 yards in 37 league games. He also owns the league record for rushing touchdowns with 54. Marana, with a total of 4,417 yards in all games, needs 472 yards to break the school record held by Jim VanWagner (1973-76).

***

HALL OF FAME INDUCTION CEREMONY SET FOR SATURDAY: Michigan Tech will induct seven new members into its Sports Hall of Fame during induction ceremonies scheduled for Saturday (Oct. 28) at 4 p.m. in the Rosza Center lobby. The group of inductees includes former football standouts John Benaglio and Dave Paris, men's basketball star Pete Hoffman, volleyball standout Stephanie Livingston (Johnston), men's ice hockey stars Damian Rhodes and John Rockwell, and women's basketball standout Dawn Zarling (Plitzuweit). The seven 2006 inductees will join the 152 members already in the Michigan Tech Sports Hall of Fame, which was started in 1985.

***

Hockey (3-1, 0-0 WCHA)
10/20 -- Michigan Tech 4, at #10 Vermont 3 (OT)
10/21 -- Michigan Tech 2, at #10 Vermont 1

Football (4-4, 4-4 GLIAC)
10/21 -- at Michigan Tech 42, Northern Michigan 14

Volleyball (13-13, 9-7 GLIAC)
10/17 -- at #5 Minnesota Duluth 3, Michigan Tech 0 (31-29, 30-26, 30-19)
10/20 -- at #2 Grand Valley State 3, Michigan Tech 0 (30-17, 30-16, 30-20)
10/21 -- at Ferris State 3, Michigan Tech 0 (30-22, 30-23, 30-22)

Women's Tennis (6-6, 4-5 GLIAC)
10/21 -- Michigan Tech 8, at Saginaw Valley State 0
10/22 -- at Northwood 9, Michigan Tech 0

Cross Country
10/21 -- Men 9th of 12 teams; Women 10th of 13 teams at GLIAC Championship (Findlay, Ohio)

***

What's Happening This Week
Wednesday, October 25, 2006
Huskies Drive Time, Live on Mix 93.5 FM, 7:30-8 a.m.

Friday, October 27, 2006 (Husky Friday: wear school colors!)
Blueline Club Luncheon, 12 noon (Grant Hockey Ed Center)
Women's Tennis at GLIAC Tournament (Midland, Mich.)
Volleyball hosts Northwood, 5 p.m. (Live Radio, 93.5 FM)
Hockey hosts Alaska Anchorage, 7:07 p.m. (Live Radio, 93.5 FM)

Saturday, October 28, 2006
Women's Tennis at GLIAC Tournament (Midland, Mich.)
Volleyball hosts Saginaw Valley State, 1 p.m.
Football at Gannon, 1 p.m. (Live Radio, 93.5 FM)
Michigan Tech Sports Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony, 4:30 p.m. (Rosza Center Lobby)
Hockey hosts Alaska Anchorage, 7:37 p.m. (Live Radio, 93.5 FM)

All Times are Eastern

Around the Keweenaw

Adapted from the Daily Mining Gazette

RALLY HITS THE KEWEENAW OVER THE WEEKEND: From its raucous beginning as an outlaw sport, to the sanctioned events of today, the Lake Superior Performance Rally has come a long way. The rally, which came to Houghton in 1977, and has been held here for all but two of the past 30 years, began Friday afternoon and ran through Saturday night. Drivers from as far west as California, and from as far east as New Hampshire, have come to Houghton to compete in the event. The drivers bounced and cruised their way around a course that ranged from muddy gravel to smooth, pavement-covered roads. The course ran its way north past Copper Harbor and slowly turned back south for a return to Houghton.

***

PORTAGE HEALTH REFINANCING--Hancock City Council OKs move; $300K in annual savings: The Hancock City Council has approved a resolution allowing Portage Health to refinance $33 million in bonds, a move that should save the hospital more than $300,000 annually. The resolution allows the Hancock Hospital Finance Authority to issue variable rate demand revenue refunding bonds for the benefit of non-profit hospital Portage Health, located at 500 Campus Drive in Hancock. Councilors approved the resolution at their regular monthly meeting. "This is the third bond issue that's been brought to us," explained City Manager Glenn Anderson. An initial bond proposal of $26 million was approved at the time of the hospital's construction in 1998, he said, with another $6 million in bonds approved in 2004 for a subsequent addition. Based on the current favorable interest rates, the hospital would now like to refinance its entire debt of $33 million.

***

FOOD FOR THOUGHT: Takeout pizza can get old after a while. So can the store-bought frozen pizzas that ride to the oven on cardboard discs. So the Canterbury House, the big, bright-yellow house on College Avenue next to Tech that houses Trinity Episcopal Church's campus ministry, jumped at the opportunity to have Chris Paul Sturzl, a chef from Minnesota, give a cooking demonstration. About nine Tech students spent two and a half hours in the house's kitchen recently. Sturzl taught the students how to cook calzones, pasties, and piroshkis. "They all love food, but a lot of times, making things that are a little more involved ..., they would rather go out and get a pizza," campus minister Rick Buis said. The event was planned to help take some of the intimidation out of the cooking process. The church opened the Canterbury House as a student center in January. "It's an outreach ministry to students," Trinity rector Rev. Virginia Peacock said. She oversees the Canterbury House. "We've set it up as a drop-in center for study breaks, a place to study. We have some games in the basement." A group of student volunteers helps Buis run the center, which is open to Tech and Finlandia University students from noon to 11 p.m., Monday through Thursday, and noon to 5 p.m., Friday.

***

PEDESTRIAN KILLED--19-year-old Calumet man hit by two cars at M-26/Sharon Avenue: A Calumet man died Monday night after being struck by two cars at the intersection of Memorial Road (M-26) and Sharon Avenue, according to the Houghton City Police Department. Kevin Penglase, 19, ran across M-26 from west to east at about 8 p.m., when he was struck by a Jeep Cherokee traveling northbound on Memorial Road, driven by Andrew Browers of Rockford, Mich. Penglase was then thrown into the path of a Chevy Beretta, driven by Scott Rose of Dollar Bay. Penglase was dragged underneath the vehicle for several hundred feet. He was freed by the Houghton and Hurontown Fire Departments using air packs. He was then transported to Portage Health where he was pronounced dead. No other injuries were reported. Houghton Police Chief Ralph Raffaelli said that rainy weather was a factor in the accident as well as nighttime visibility. "I know for a driver at night, when it's raining, it's difficult to see," he said. "The black top is black. Even with lights, it's hard to see."

From the Emailbag

Hi Dennis,

I enjoy and look forward to the news letter each week...It makes Mondays go a lot better...I'll have the privilege to be up there again this December to watch my son get his BS degree in Mechanical Engineering...It brings back many memories...My walk up on stage to shake hands with Dr. Smith was 31 years ago next month in Sherman gym..(Wow, 31 years!...that's a lot in dog years!)

Seth will be wearing some extra stuff besides his cap and gown I think.... something to do with his GPA...(I wouldn't know much about that)..I like to tease him and say "Boy they sure teach Calculus and Chemistry a lot easier than they used to!"...He just rolls his eyes...

Tech as you know offers what they call a "Legacy" award, which helps a little on the struggle with tuition payments (I remember paying $165 per quarter for 18 hours!).. Thinking about that "Legacy" brought to mind a great "Dennis Question"...

Assuming that you could marry, have a son or daughter every 25 years that would graduate from Tech with say a BS degree, and assuming a graduate back in 1885 started the custom, in theory, you could have had a "Legacy" of 5 generations of Tech graduates, coming up on the 6th in 2010...

So here's the question... what's the record, and who has it???

Hope to see you in December!  :-)

Pat Parker
BSME '75

Editor's Note: Thanks for the homework, Pat. I'll have to do some digging with our Michigan Tech Fund folks on this one.

***

Dennis: I had the pleasure of spending the last 10 days in the UP hunting grouse and listened to the Tech/NMU hockey games on FM 93.5.

On Saturday night the announcers had a trivia contest to identify the old Olympia Stadium/GLI relationship. As part of the build up to the question the announcer identified Mr. Jack Tompkins as a GLI founder and Detroit Red Wing scout. Mr. Tompkins was indeed a tournament founder, but he was a Vice-President of American Airlines (and a U-M grad). Jack Paterson, also a founder, was the Red Wing scout, who along with Tompkins, John MacInnes and Lincoln Cavalieri started the GLI.

Bruce Lahti '71

Editor's Note: I passed along the correction.

***

I have been having an ongoing disagreement with an alumnus of the U. of Washington as who adopted the Husky as their college mascot first. Neither of us can get a good answer, can you give us a lead?

Thanks (no money involved).

Ron Hanson '57

Editor's Note: Ron, the name "Huskies" was first used here in 1926, according to our football media guide. Other names considered were "Pioneers" and "Scienteers." The University of Washington website says they started using "Huskies" in 1922.

***

Dennis,
The Detroit Chapter will once again have tickets available for GLI at a reduced cost over the box office price. We haven't got the flyer ready yet but hope to have it available on line by Halloween. I thought I'd let you know about this after reading the email from Les Reid. You can let our alumni know to look for more info at the university web site at the Alumni/Friends page.

Another note. I read the email about Amo Bessone. I was at the MSU/OSU football game this past weekend and they had a hockey reunion to coincide with the football game. Amo Bessone was there and looking good at 90!! Yes he did whistle at his players and the Tech fans would whistle back every time.

Jerry Philo

***

From the Chicago Sun-Times: "Glen Weinberg, Toots' owner, started working there at 16, when it was Cal's. After finishing nearby Luther North High School, Weinberg attended Michigan Tech University in Houghton, where locals called the students "Tech out-of-towners" or "Toots."

He brought the name back--and bought the business--26 years ago, and "I would have run it until I died," Weinberg said."

<http://www.suntimes.com/news/metro/79217,CST-NWS-toots01.article>

Scott Hartz

***

Hey, Dennis.

Any idea if there is an .mp3 or something like that of Heikki Lunta Snow Dance Song anywhere? I could really go for some snow this year in Central

Wisconsin, and thought that might help conjure some up...

John D. Traka

Editor's Note: From the Heikinpaiva (winter festival) website: For the price of $10 (or $13.85 for priority mail) one can purchase the two Heikki Lunta songs--"Heikki Lunta" and "Heikki Lunta Go Away" on a CD from: WMPL, P.O. Box 547, Hancock, Michigan 49930

***

Dennis,

Quick question.

I see from the article "COLLEGE AVENUE APARTMENTS CLEAR ZONING HURDLE" that the College Motel won't be there when Winter Carnival rolls around this year, so I doubt that the reservations we had for our usual room there will be valid.

I also recall from last week that the King's Inn (or at least the building that it was in) will be open around the end of the year. Any way I could get information on who to contact about reserving a room at the former King's Inn for this year's Winter Carnival?

Eric Brace
1998

Editor's Note: The King's Inn will now be a Travelodge, 906-482-1400.

Alumni Association Programs

ALL CHAPTER EVENTS: For more information on alumni chapter events, e-mail mtu_alumni(at)mtu.edu or see the alumni chapter site on the web: http://www.admin.mtu.edu/alumni/chapters/usamap.html

November

3-4--Colorado Springs, Hockey vs. Colorado College, World Arena Bar before games, email tanya(at)mtu.edu

4--Green Bay, Women's Basketball vs. UW-Green Bay, Game at Noon, Post-Game reception, Mackinaws Grill and Spirits, 2:00 CST, 2925 Voyager Drive, Green Bay; 906-487-2400, tanya(at)mtu.edu

5--Ann Arbor, Basketball vs. U of M, Tailgate 11 a.m.-2 p.m., Tip-off, 2 p.m. Crisler Arena, kimk(at)mtu.edu or 906-487-3674

18--Denver, Hockey--Alumni Dinner

December

29-30--Detroit, GLI Hockey at the Joe Louis Arena

February

10--Houghton, Tech Legacy Reception, Winter Carnival

 

ALUMNI ASSOCIATION LOOKING FOR NOMINEES: The Alumni Association would like to solicit nominees for the four awards to be given at next year's Alumni Reunion in August 2007. The four awards are Outstanding Service, Outstanding Young Alumni, Distinguished Alumni, and Honorary Alumni. Nomination forms can be found at:
<http://www.admin.mtu.edu/alumni/awards/>
There was an outstanding slate of award winners at this year's Alumni Dinner at Reunion including former Michigan Tech President Ray Smith. Any alumni can nominate someone they feel is deserving via the online form. Nominations must be in by January 2007. Feel free to contact Mark Mitchell <mmitch12(at)bellsouth.net>   if you have any questions.

Job Opportunities This Week

ON CAMPUS: Complete job descriptions are available by e-mailing jobs at mtu.edu

Assistant Director of Alumni Relations--Advancement

OFF CAMPUS: For off-campus positions, visit the alumni section of the career center's web site ( http://www.career.mtu.edu/alumni.php)