Summer hockey fun.

We caught up with a couple of alumni who combined a family vacation with summer hockey training via the Hockey Development Center. It sounds like fun was had on and off the ice.

Todd Hamar '84 was watching his son, Blake, go through his power-skating drills. It was Blake's first visit to the Hockey Development Center and his first foray into goaltending, at the Pee Wee (ages 11-12) level.

"Fourth time in the pads, and he's doing pretty well," said the elder Hamar, a southern California resident. "I wanted him to learn goalie from the basics, before he learned any bad habits, and wanted him to work on his skating skills."

It was also a chance to reconnect with family in the area. Hamar was raised in Calumet, and his gang was doing some catching up, as Blake learned goaltending.

A catcher in baseball, Blake is used to having things flying at him, his dad said. "I appreciate that they are focusing on technique and preparation," Todd said.

And there are smiles along the way. The low-key atmosphere of this morning's ice time was typical.

Below us, the two groups of gold- and black-jerseyed players and white-outfitted goalies were skating around tires, then around the face-off circles, first forward, then backward. The boys and girls did well, with a few tumbles and words of encouragement from Huskies head hockey coach Jamie Russell and assistant coach Pat Mikesch.

Next, they moved on to skating the length of the MacInnes Student Ice Arena playing surface, carrying a puck, passing it off and returning to their line.

The ice rink was a respite from summer, too, as the first humid days were hitting the Keweenaw. Other parents were lounging around the Student Development Complex, including David Aird '87, who was tied up with a conference call over his iPhone between sessions for his son, Brendan, also a Pee Wee. Aird, too, has local ties, and the former football Husky was fitting in family time with his son's camp experience. He was visiting from the Chicago area.

"My son loves it," Aird said. "He's having lots of fun. He's an active kid, and he likes a full, busy day! He loves the off-ice action and the one-on-one attention. The coaches are great."

It was Brendan's second year at camp, and his dad was already planning next year's trip, including more visits to family in the area. In fact, a boat ride in Chassell Bay was in the works before the night's scrimmage.

His daughter, Jacqueline, brought a friend to the recent volleyball camp and was planning on bringing two or three friends next year.

As Aird continued his phone call, a stream of Mites (ages 6-8) marched up the stairs of the SDC as a line of high school-aged players flowed past them to the ice level. Thanks to the fundamentals of the Hockey Development Center, they'll be better prepared for wherever their love of hockey leads them.

Dennis '92, '09

In spring 2009, former Tech Board of Control member Dave Brule '72 pledged $50,000 to the Michigan Tech Annual Fund as a challenge: attract at least 2,000 additional Annual Fund gifts, April through June and increase giving participation from young alumni (class years 2000 through 2008). The goal was to move from the current 5 percent participation rate to 10 percent by fiscal year-end (June 30).

The gift goal was easily surpassed as alumni and friends committed more than 2,500 Annual Fund gifts. While the young alumni group did not reach the 10 percent participation goal, this rate did increase to 7.2 percent. In addition, the number of young alumni donors increased by 15.6 percent from 2008 to 2009.

Although both goals weren't met, Brule still came through.

"I was very impressed with the results achieved by this young alumni group," Brule said. "I know that Michigan Tech will use these funds to continue its mission as a premier international research university. I applaud the efforts of Paula Nutini and the Annual Fund team. Without them my gift would not have produced such an outstanding result."

Overall, Annual Fund dollars increased by almost $11,000 and the number of gifts increased by 125 over the last year.

"One of our objectives is to build a strong culture of giving at Michigan Tech, and Dave Brule's generosity has helped to advance that greatly," said Vice President for Advancement Shea McGrew. "And, in a year when many schools have reported a decline in their Annual Fund programs, it was especially meaningful to experience an increase. The University is thankful to Dave and every alumnus and friend who made an Annual Fund gift during the 2008–09 year."

Eight students from the Institute for Interdisciplinary Studies’ Pavlis Institute for Global Technological Leadership at Michigan Technological University are in Ghana this summer working on community development projects. Last weekend, they had the experience of a lifetime. Not only did they get front-row seats to President Barack Obama’s appearance in the capital city of Accra; several of the students got to meet President and Mrs. Obama and shake their hands. More

At its regular meeting in Houghton, Michigan Tech’s Board of Control approved a general fund operating budget of nearly $155 million for fiscal year 2010, which began July 1. The budget included tuition and room and board rates for the coming academic year.

• Undergraduate Michigan resident freshman tuition and fees will increase 5.45 percent or $19 per credit hour, to $11,347 per year.
  
• Undergraduate room and board will increase an average of 4.8 percent or $383 per year (based on shared living space and the most commonly chosen meal plan).
  
• Undergraduate tuition for out-of-state students will increase 5 percent or $36 per credit hour.
  
• Graduate tuition will increase 5 percent or $28 per credit hour.

More

Associate Professor Michele Miller finished second in the UPLGA championship. Daily Mining Gazette photo.

The old (and new) nine shone brightly for the championship this week. Tech’s Portage Lake Golf Course hosted the Upper Peninsula Ladies Golf Association championship for the first time, and both the 107-year-old back nine and 75-year-younger front nine dazzled the competitors, as did the folks running the event. More

What do public policymakers know about engineering? Usually not much. What do engineers know about public policy and social needs? Usually even less. To inform each other about their worlds and their concerns—and so help prepare them to do their jobs better—graduate students from Michigan Technological University in Houghton, Mich., and Southern University and A&M College in Baton Rouge, La., are spending time on each other’s campus and working collaboratively on research projects. More

We had the pleasure of talking with alumnus Jim Cooper, visiting from Arizona, who earned a degree in metallurgy in 1939 and parlayed it to worldwide achievement. Jim spent nearly 40 years in the mining industry, much of it in Mexico, and at one time his operation was the most efficient in the world. "That," he says without a touch of swagger, "was probably, in the business sense, as outstanding as you can do." More

We'd like to correct a previous story about a new scholarship honoring Milt Olsson, retired former chair of visual and performing arts. That scholarship is not the first music scholarship at Tech. Mu Beta Psi has the honor of sponsoring the first music scholarship, and today's group continues their long tradition of enriching campus life.

The Olsson Scholarship will be the first available to all Tech students involved in any of the University's music programs. Mu Beta Psi's John MacInnes Memorial Scholarship supports musicians playing in the Pep Band. The Hugh and Martha Winn Endowed Scholarship is designated for engineering students involved in the arts or music.

The Alumni Association and Admissions hosted a New Student Send Off and Alumni BBQ in Grand Rapids on Tuesday, July 21. Attending were 35 incoming students, 5 current students, and 16 alumni, and their families for a crowd of 168. Members of the West Michigan Alumni Association Chapter welcomed the incoming freshmen and answered a wide variety of questions about Michigan Tech and the Keweenaw region. A special thanks to Chas Thompson from Schmoz Brewery for his hard work on the grill!

More than sixty alumni and friends enjoyed a great day of golf at the Sawmill Golf Course in Saginaw on July 17 for the annual event. A big thanks to Michigan Tech alum Richard (Dick) Crannell '65 who welcomed alumni to his golf course. School of Business Dean Darrell Radson, Professor Bob Mark '72, along with Brian Hannon '88 from corporate development updated the group on Michigan Tech happenings. The winning foursome consisted of Dave McInnis '74, Tom Madden '82, Jeff Heinz '88 and John Muirhead. After golf, alumni enjoyed a pasty dinner, pickled eggs from the Dog House and a Michigan Tech raffle. Thanks as well to Liberty Mutual which sponsored the hole-in-one contest and provided gifts to all the golfers.

Sirak Seyoum '93 seeks to become the first Ethiopian to climb Mt. Everest and has developed a website for his story. His contact information is:

Email: firstethiopianoneverest(at)gmail.com
Website: http://www.firstethiopianoneverest.org/
Phone: 770-542-7456

Tech lost a dedicated alumnus last month with the passing of Jo Dan Hartingh II '68

Jo and his camera were regular fixtures at the Michigan Tech Husky football and hockey games and he shared photos and game summaries with other Tech alumni on his "list."

He was a great supporter of his alma mater and gave generously to the Husky Athletics programs. Jo often stopped into the Alumni Relations office when he was in town to say hello and share his latest joke. He was a proud alumnus and he will be missed, especially by his many Canadian classmates and friends.

Our sympathies go out to his family: wife Vicky, daughter Anne '01, '06, and son Jo Dan III.

Phi Taus' engineering ingenuity in summer 2005. Remember? Email me.

Before the jets, it was North Central turbo prop DC-3s. Remember the Blue Goose? Email me.

For the third straight year, the Michigan Tech women’s basketball team boasts one of the nation’s top four team grade point averages. The Huskies ranked fourth in the country with a 3.635 GPA according to the Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) 2008-09 Academic Top 25 Team Honor Roll. Tech was second nationally a year ago and fourth in 2006-07. St. Thomas Aquinas College ranked first at 3.694—less than six-hundredths of a point ahead of Michigan Tech. More

Michigan Tech received the inaugural Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Sportsmanship Award during the league’s recent executive council meeting. The award honors the institution in the GLIAC that best displays sportsmanship toward visiting teams from its student-athletes, coaches, administrators and fans. More

Michigan Tech Athletics was honored with the Silver Award for a Sponsorship Program by the National Association of Collegiate Marketing Administrators. The award was in recognition of the school's "Junior Hockey Night" sponsored by Pettibone. Pettibone's partnership enables the school to have a hockey game night dedicated to junior hockey players complete with prizes, drawings, intermission contests and a "Skate With the Huskies" autograph session after the game. More

Michigan Tech athletic director Suzanne Sanregret announced today that head volleyball coach Krista Mikesch has resigned effective immediately. Mikesch posted a 137-165 overall record during her 11 seasons as head coach after spending the previous two seasons as an assistant coach with the program. She also led the team to two NCAA Tournament appearances (2006 and 2008). More

Arson is suspected in an apartment building fire that killed four people in downtown Hancock Saturday morning. According to Michigan State Police at the Negaunee Post, firefighters were called to a structure fire on 116 Quincy Street at approximately 5 a.m. Police said the fire caused four fatalities. More

The Houghton Police Department announced that left-hand turns for west-bound traffic on M-26/Memorial Drive near Hardee's are prohibited. "We were having a large volume of accidents with people turning left," Houghton Police Chief John Donnelly said. "People were leaving a gap in the left lane and waving people through, but people weren't able to see what was coming down in the right lane at 35 miles per hour." More

There are several projects going on in the Keweenaw National Historical Park, which Jim Corless is excited about. Corless, who is KNHP superintendent, said the projects extend from the Calumet Unit down to the Quincy Unit, which includes the Quincy Mine Hoist south to the area around the Quincy Smelter Works site in Ripley. "It is what we believe to be our busiest summer ever," Corless said. More

Dennis,
Wow - this brings back memories! I was part of the Fund raising initiative back in 1984 - and I am pictured in the photo (all the way to the right -young lady with the button and big smile). It sure was a lot of fun!

Regards,

Michelle Christensen

Dennis,
In 1973, while I was a first year student at Tech (I was 21 and hardly a freshman), I rode my bike to South Range to watch the International Ultimate Frisbee tournament. Somewhere in the house I still have a orange 4" pinback button from the event. Someone at the tournament asked if I'd be willing to post petitions in my dorm (DHH) to help make Ultimate Frisbee an Olympic Sport. I agreed and posted the sheets on all the restroom doors in DHH. Obviously, my dorm mates weren't as into the process as I was as the petition sheets were filled with names like "I.P. Daily" and G. Howie
Fartz." Of course, I pulled the petition sheets of the doors, but my friends and I all had a good laugh. Needless to say, the petition drive failed and Ultimate Frisbee still isn't an Olympic Sport.

Ken Hafeli 1977

Ken: I remember the petition drive, as that was my first IFT. It was guts Frisbee, not ultimate, and the petition was, indeed, a lark! Guts Frisbee, disc golf, and ultimate are still alive and well up here and elsewhere. I know that many alums remember or were involved with the old Frisbee tournaments, and I'd love to hear their stories.

Hi Dennis,
Interesting about the pits of Wads; I hadn't heard of them when I was at Tech. However, the photo in the email was very similar to the conditions in Smith House, the girls dorm which was next door, in '57 & '58. We had 12 girls living in the third floor "ballroom" that year. Six bunk beds, 6 (or 12?) dressers and 12 desks. As I recall no one was lucky enough to move to a different room during the year. Most of the other rooms in the house held 3 or 4 girls. Even when we got a second house (Pryor house across from the College Motel) the next year, we still had 2, 3 and 4 girls to a room.

Gail Richter '61

Sigma Tau Gamma Fraternity

35 Year Anniversary Celebration

August 6-9, 2009 in Houghton

Several evening events, golf, and a picnic celebration is planned.

Please contact Bob Wojcik at bobwojcik(at)fvi.net or check out the Sig Tau Actives/Alumni website for additional details.

Chas Thompson from Schmoz Brewery has announced a golf scramble Sunday, August 30, at Grand Rapids Country Club. The event costs $60 per person and includes 18 holes, cart, and lunch. More

I remember the army back in the winter of 1956-1957 the Engineers were in the area testing quarter scale equipment to see if the tests on such models would be useful. Was Tech involved in this program?

Ron Hanson EE '57

Update: We've checked the old Keweenawans and with our archivist, and we have come up empty handed on this one. Maybe another alum can enlighten us.

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More Alumni Benefits & Services information http://www.admin.mtu.edu/alumni/products/

Class Rings
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License Plates
University Images Michigan Tech Clothing and Giftware

Web Coordinator, University Marketing and Communications

Project Cataloging Archivist, J. Robert Van Pelt and Opie Library, (Two-year, fixed-term)

Non-Tenure-Track Visiting Assistant Professor, Cognitive and Learning Sciences

Head Volleyball Coach, Department of Athletics

Complete Job Descriptions are available on the Human Resources website.

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