We all know there's more to a Tech education than that hard-earned diploma. I'd like hear about your most memorable extracurricular moment at Tech. You know, your most exciting or fun activity outside of any class or academic program. I'm sure there are many besides Senior Walk, etc.

I'll start. Next weekend, I'll be playing in the 51st International Frisbee Tournament at the Driving Park in Hancock. There's also an exhibit at the Carnegie Musem in downtown Houghton on the history of the IFT and the Frisbee Hall of Fame.

Michigan Tech has a some strong connections to Frisbee. The IFT trophy we play for is named after Julius T. Nachazel, who was head of the ROTC department here for many years. Also, Michigan Tech has had a Frisbee Club since 1980. It was called Lake Effect at one time and is currently called Disco Tech. Today's club plays ultimate and guts.

I'm sure some of you remember the IFT from the days at the Range Snomobile Club in Atlantic Mine or even in Eagle Harbor or Copper Harbor, if you go way back. I played for some places you'll also remember: Al's Halfway, Diamond Mike's, Paul's Bar, and the Library Bar.

I recall that the Vet's Club was involved, as well as a fraternity or two (you can help fill in these gaps, too).

I actually played for Paul's (which became Pooch's) against the Library in the finals in my biggest Frisbee thrill at the time, about 2,000 people saw the match.

But now, my son and some other Tech students (I guess that includes me, too) are playing on our current team, and the best memories are yet to come. I'll let you know how we do.

How about your extracurriculars?

Dennis

 

Michigan Technological University has been selected to partner with Michigan State University and the Mascoma Corporation in Michigan’s first Center of Energy Excellence, Governor Jennifer Granholm announced at a press conference in Lansing this morning. The Center will be eligible for a $15 million grant from Michigan’s 21st Century Jobs Fund. More

Michigan Technological University's Board of Control approved a fiscal year 2009 budget June 19 extending key initiatives in its strategic plan.The Board approved a general fund budget of $146 million for the new fiscal year, which begins July 1, 2008, and a total spending plan of $231 million. More

While Americans may consider flush-and-forget-it indoor plumbing to be the pinnacle of sanitary science, the lowly latrine could be a far better solution for many parts of the developing world, say researchers at Michigan Tech. Associate Professor David Watkins, Professor James Mihelcic and PhD student Lauren Fry of the University's Sustainable Futures Institute analyzed worldwide barriers to sanitation. More

Michigan Tech physicist Ranjit Pati and his team have developed a model to explain the mechanism behind computing’s elusive Holy Grail, the single molecular switch. If borne out experimentally, his work could help explode Moore’s Law and could revolutionize computing technology. More

The pilot cohort of Michigan Tech’s Pavlis Institute for Global Technological Leadership is preparing to travel to Kumasi, Ghana on July 1 to spend five weeks in country working on a variety of projects designed to make a difference in the lives of the local populace while providing them opportunities to develop and expand their leadership skills. Some of the projects include:

• Educating the communities they visit on the need to improve water quality and suggest ways that this can be accomplished
• Introducing laptop computers designed for developing countries into a local elementary school
  
• Researching the need for safer and more efficient cooking stoves that do not emit harmful toxins
  
• Holding a recruitment event to encourage Ghanaian students to consider MTU as an institution to further their academic careers
• Training medical professionals in the use of a infant heart monitor designed by the International Business Ventures (IBV) Enterprise team. This device is inexpensive yet effective in detecting heartbeats in non-responsive infants who die from lack of treatment because they are abandoned as stillborn.

In addition to these projects, the pilot cohort will be making contact with local officials and business people to investigate and recommend projects for future Pavlis Institute participants. They will be joined by four members of the IBV team for 2 weeks in the middle of their stay who will work with them on the implementation of the infant heart monitoring device.

While working in Ghana, the students will be updating a travel blog site with their experiences and progress. If you would like to follow their trip, log onto: http://www.travelpod.com/members/pavlispilots

More than 100 alumni and friends came out on a beautiful summer day in the Keweenaw to experience a trip back in time as Scott See '89/'06, KAC vice president and PhD candidate in industrial heritage and archeology, gave a presentation on shaft-rockhouses, highlighting the area's most iconic structure, Quincy No. 2 shaft-rockhouse. More than half the attendees took advantage of the Quincy Mine Tours which take guests more than 2,000 feet into the the mine, just scratching the surface of the over 300 miles of tunnels. The tour was followed by a hot pasty meal and Scott's engaging presentation.

Are you here? TKE house, 1970, we believe. Email me.

2004: the Bash at the Big House and the GVSU band doesn't stand a chance againset the Pep Band. Were you there? Email me.

Michigan Tech announced the hiring of former Huskies’ All-American Josh Buettner as assistant men’s basketball coach. Buettner (pronounced BIT-ner) comes to Tech after playing professionally in Europe for three years following his graduation in 2005. More

KATONA ADDED TO MEN’S BASKETBALL ROSTER
Michigan Tech head men’s basketball coach Kevin Luke has announced the addition of Anthony Katona to the Huskies roster. The Negaunee, Mich., product will attend and play basketball at Tech beginning this fall. More

Gas costing $4.15 a gallon didn't make Connie Hendrickson stop and think too long before making her annual 400-mile pilgrimage from Dassell, Minn. to McLain State Park. "No, not enough to make me stay home," Hendrickson said. More

When large groups of people come rolling into a community for an extended stay, they usually make a positive economic impact locally, and that appears to be the case with the recent BMW Riders Association International four-day rally based at Michigan Technological University. More

Ron Helman has survived prostate cancer for 15 years, and he said much of the credit for that survival should go to the doctors and nurses at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn. Helman said he didn’t have a lot of time to think about the fact he had cancer. “I only knew I had cancer 10 days before the surgery,” he said. More

Representatives from Michigan Techn, local municipalities, the Michigan Tech Enterprise SmartZone and others gathered Thursday to celebrate the opening of GS Engineering’s new facility in Houghton. Begun in 2001, the company provides engineering services, research and development, prototype development and testing for military vehicle structures and systems. More

Hi Dennis,

Nice golf story (and 51 at Calumet on a wind day isn’t bad!).

About the signed hockey stick, if Jim Nahrgang signed it, it had to be from 1974 – he graduated in 1974 and played for the Wings in 74-75. You’re right about talent on that squad, and the 1975 version – I couldn’t go to Boston in ’74 (a lifelong regret) but was in St. Louis in ’75 and it was incredible. It would be interesting to see how many from these teams went on to the pros (or semi-pros).

Hope all is well w/you and that it warms up soon for you all! We’re having an extended heat wave here in Sacramento and I’d very happily share some of it with you.

Best,
Candy Goulette

Candy: I enjoyed the golf so much, I went back and did it again and shot a 52 this time. My game is heading in the direction! And I've been corrected on the hockey stick!

***

dennis, great newsletter.......clarification on the hockey stick, think it was the 1973/74 team, as jim nahrgang, mike usitalo and lorne stamler were seniors that year. also, it was either steve or paul jensen, who was on that team. i was fortunate enough to be the third string goalie that year, and it was a pretty good year, too, as we lost in the NCAA finals and the 1975 team won it............great memories......thanks.......bob mihos '75

Robert S. Mihos, CFM
Director of Facilities Planning & Management
County of Kent, Michigan

***

Editor's Note: Another alum alerted me that this would be the year referenced on the stick, 1973-74, WCHA Champs. As for how many made the pros, between all the leagues at the time: WHA, NHL, minors, I once counted 11 Huskies making the pros between 1970 and 1975.

Hi Dennis - A late note remembering where I was and what I was doing when the Tigers won the Series that year. I was in grad school at Tech in Biological Sciences. We were out on, I believe, the Lake Breeze. This was a small research vessel used by the limnologists at Tech. My grad school compatriots were Ed Newman, Tom Rozich and Steve Andrews. When Bill Freehan (?) caught the foul ball to end the seventh game and he and Mickey Lolich were celebrating on the mound, we grad students briefly considered throwing our mentor off the boat and into Portage Lake. I am not sure if it was Ken Kraft or Jim Spain. However, after a moments thought, we figured out that this might have a negative effect on our future in grad school and just whooped and hollered. No one got tossed into the drink. But we were thrilled by the victory.

Nice job on the piece you wrote this week about your golf match at Calumet Golf Course. Lots of human interest in that story!

Bill Deephouse 1964 & 1971

Regarding Rosa Parks in 1989:
Between her meek voice, very strong southern accent, and cavernous SDC arena, I caught very little of her speech. It was unfortunate; as I’m sure she had some interesting memories of a critical time in our country.

John Andree BSEE 1989

John: She said we should all live by the Golden Rule. Not a bad idea.

Dennis,
This photo I know, since that is my head behind the trombone. This is one of the first gigs of the band that later became Vanilla Thunder (http://www.garageband.com/artist/VTFunk), and played around the area until about 2001 (frequently at JDs Boathouse). I can't remember what we called ourselves at first, when this photo was taken (Spring Fling 1998 is right). Also in the picture are David Falls (lower left) on bass, Chad Lukkarila on saxophone, Brian Rajdl on trumpet in the middle, and Steve Morrow on the keyboard at the far right. I forget the name of the girl in green singing vocals.

Philip Wells 2000

Editor's Note: I told Philip that our own videographer, Justin Plichta, played in a version of Vanilla Thunder!

way too funny..........

Laugh for the day.....................

Subject: so, this bird walks into a store.... Marinette , WI

A seagull in Marinette , WI has developed the habit of stealing Doritos from a neighborhood convenience store.

The seagull waits until the Manager isn't looking , and then walks into the store and grabs a snack-size bag of cheese Doritos.

Once outside, the bag gets ripped open and shared by other birds.

The seagull's shoplifting started early this month when he first swooped into the store in Marinette , WI , and helped himself to a bag of Doritos. Since then, he's become a regular. He always takes the same type of chips.

The Manager thinks it's great because people are coming to watch the feathered thief make the daily grab and run, and that's good for business, and especially since customers have begun paying for the seagull's stolen bags of Doritos because they think it's so funny. However, the Manager did say, "This is Wisconsin , and if t hat seagull starts to grab a 6-pack to go along with the Doritos, I may have to put a stop to it."

Mike Stark

Dennis:
I recall a version of perhaps thirty stanzas, replete with references to Gilly Boyd, Doc Berry, and others, not on an MTU URL.

Frank Shoffner '62

Frank: It was here: http://fa.mtu.edu/~dawgs/allsongs.pdf

As a Michigan Tech Alum, you qualify for a special group rate on your auto, home, and renters insurance through Liberty Mutual. For a free, no-obligation quote, call *800-524-9400* or visit the Liberty Mutual website.

Exclusive discount rates for our Alumni living in Canada.

***

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