Learning to lead: recent LeaderShape participants, including Angela Hoffman, front row, third from right.

While most Michigan Tech students, faculty, and staff were taking well-deserved holiday vacations, a large group instead ventured to Alberta and the Ford Center. There, they took part in LeaderShape, a weeklong seminar to help students learn to lead. Both of my children attended, and they both loved it.

We caught up with a few recent participants to get there reactions, too.

"The LeaderShape curriculum, with its emphasis on challenging participants to lead with integrity and have a healthy disregard for the seemingly impossible, transforms students and develops their ability to lead," says Angela Hoffman '11.

The thought-provoking experiences and connections that I made with Michigan Tech students and faculty at LeaderShape have developed my leadership skills and helped me to achieve my goals."

Mark Shepherd '10 says, "I went to Leadershape in January of 2009, and it taught me to refine my goals and reach for them!" he says. "LeaderShape grew my campus network to include people I would have never met: student, faculty, and staff. Leadershape is different than any other training or seminar. You will be a better leader! Working with so many new and excited people helped me to re-energize my role as a leader. I learned just as much as a senior as any freshman!"

Austin Merkel '11 attended while a member of AFROTC.

"I had an awesome experience both as a participant my first year of college and coming back to help out behind the scenes," he says. "It seemed that everyone was there at the weeklong program for a different reason, but when they left they shared a new compassion for what leadership really is and could be. What was most gratifying was being able to see all of the people a few years later, more involved and confident in their leadership abilities on campus, making so many positive changes to work towards their visions. Personally it helped me to break out of my comfort zone more and be more confident in being a leader."

I've heard similar comments from faculty and staff who have attended over the years. It's another great program worthy of our support!

Dennis

Snowfall Totals (at KRC, airport)
Total to date: 49"
On the ground: 10"
In last week: 10"

Total last year: 94.5"
On the ground: 38"

When National Geographic needed some explanation about the Albertine Rift, a geological formation in Africa, they came to a Michigan Tech graduate student. Again. It’s the second time that Alex Guth, PhD student in geology, has been tapped by the world-famous magazine to offer geological expertise in Kenya and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. More

Frank Krieber '81 (second from left, with his sister Mary Beth to his right), was Michigan Tech's goalie for the 1980-81 season.

Thousands of Tech fans gathered at the Joe Louis Arena in Detroit December 29-30 for the 47th Annual Great Lakes Invitational. The Alumni Association hosted a pre-game party in the Garden Room of the arena (complete with Doghouse pickled eggs) where a good time was had by hundreds of alumni and friends. Autographed hockey jerseys were raffled off with proceeds benefiting the Detroit Chapter Scholarship Fund, the winner of the signed Husky jersey was Gary Swartz and the winner of the autographed Zetterberg Red Wing jersey was Larry VanBarcum.

Predict the total amount of snow to fall in the Keweenaw this winter for a chance to win a stay at the Keweenaw Mountain Lodge and a Michigan Tech Winter Survival Kit.

Last winter, more than one thousand alumni and friends responded with guesses ranging from a low of 100 inches to a high of 385!

Ron Streib, a 1969 Metallurgical Engineering alumnus, prediction of 178.3 inches was the closest to the Keweenaw Research Center snowfall record of 178.5 for the season. Ron and his wife, Shirley, stopped into the Alumni House this fall to let us know how much they enjoyed their stay at the Keweenaw Mountain Lodge and the assortment of Michigan Tech winter gear.

Enter your snowfall prediction for the 2011-12 season at http://apps.alumni.mtu.edu/snow/.

Crossing the Mackinac Bridge in the winter: sometimes a white-knuckler. This shot is from Jim Blevins '72 in the early 1970s, not that you could tell the difference. Do you have any fond memories of crossing the Mighty Mac?

Email me.

Can you find yourself or others in the 2005 version of LeaderShape? It's clickable.

Email me.

A lengthy video review confirmed the call on the ice that Michigan Tech's apparent game-tying goal with 29 seconds left was touched with a high stick and therefore disallowed. The score remained 2-1, giving No. 3-ranked Boston College the victory in the third-place game of the 47th Annual Great Lakes Invitational tonight at Joe Louis Arena. More

Junior Ali Haidar recorded his eighth straight double-double with a game-high 24 points and 11 rebounds but it wasn’t enough as St. Joseph’s defeated the Michigan Tech men’s basketball team 87-78 Friday (Dec. 30). Haidar shot 10-of-16 from the field and was 4-of-7 from the free throw line for the Huskies, who fall to 6-6 on the season. More

Senior Lynn Giesler scored a career-high 28 points to lead the No. 7 Michigan Tech women’s basketball team to a 70-52 win over Lewis Friday (Dec. 30). The Green Bay, Wis., native was 11-of-14 from the field and 6-of-7 from the free throw line. She also grabbed seven rebounds. “Lynn was amazing tonight,” said head coach Kim Cameron. “She scored, rebounded and played good defense." More

Bob Carnahan has offered up his bottle of vintage Pat Paulsen Wine from 1982 (yes, that Pat Paulsen).

Tom Arbuckle '75 originally bid $82.00

NEW BIDS:

To the wine bidding committee....let's make this interesting and fun.....

Let's make the next bid amount $99.00 from ...

Jeff Paulson '93

***

Anyone at Tech from 1968-72/73 should bid on this for memories. I bid $200.

Jim Blevins '72

***

Anyone can bid. Just send an email to alumni@mtu.edu, and they'll record your amount.

You can let TechAlum know, too, so our alumni can follow along.

 

The street was US 41.

The actual functioning library in the fall of 1965, when I started as a Freshman, was located in the “old” ROTC Building. Only a portion of the Library materials were on the shelves, because there wasn’t enough room for all the books in that building.

Jim Schluckbier – Class of 1969

***

Dennis, it was College Avenue. When I started at Tech in 1964.

Thomas Shoens

***

The New Library opened in September, 1966-perhaps during the second or third week of classes. College Avenue (US 41) was the main street through campus but I do not recall the name of the street behind the library. I do recall that the one, and only one, campus policeman issued tickets to car owners who parked their cars on the dirt or future lawn near the building.

Coed Hall was completed later in the fall and the girls moved out of Wadsworth into their new dorm. With the first snowfall of about one inch or so Wads and DHH guys had their first snowball fight across US 41 which evolved into MTU's first panty raid. When the one, and only one, police car arrived we retreated; however, when we saw it sliding backwards down Coed Hill we regrouped and pelted it with a few thousand snowballs. We quickly depleted the snow supply and went back to our respective dorms. I believe our panty raid failed!

Jim Balazer, EE 71'

***

Hello,
I just want to let you know how much I enjoy your articles and so many memories of Houghton and MTU. Having grown up there, with both my mom and dad teaching at da Tech, I learned that campus inside and out. But I'm trying to remember which streets surrounded the Library--- not Library Bar, the one on campus :-)

I think it was College Avenue along the north side, which "wrapped around" south-eastward, and I think it intersected East Street and Houghton Avenue was on the south side.

Thanks for your good work with the newsletter!

Mary Ann (Tidwell,Gilbert) now Dekker
Grand Rapids MI but always a Yooper....

***

College Avenue ran between the library and the older buildings on campus until the new highway was constructed in 1969.

Houghton Avenue ran behind the Union, Library, and Fisher Hall joining College Avenue between Wads and Sherman Gym. That would have been East Street that ran along the side of the Library. There were some great houses in that triangle then too.

Gregory Switek

Dennis:
With the recent reminders of the ore carriers now and then detouring into Portage Lake because of the storms off Lake Superior, I recall one evening hearing the ore carrier signalling the Hancock Bridge Watchman to raise the bridge. I had gotten used to this happening...usually the Bridge signaled back to the ore carrier that he had raised the bridge and that it was okay for the ship to pass thru. However, this one evening, the Hancock Bridge Watchman had a heart attack and died and no one was aware this had happened. The ship's horns were blowing constantly trying to alert the Bridge Watchman. I lived on the hill near the Bridge on the Houghton side and could hear the frantic sound of the ship's horn. Finally, the ship realizing something was drastically wrong, threw out its anchors and suddenly everything went black in Houghton as its anchors caught on power cables below water. The ship ended up stopping only a few hundred yards from the bridge. This had to be around 1961 or 1962.

Dr. Jack Simon
'63 Metallurgical Engineering

This is a great story, Jack. I remember hearing about this long ago!

Got the itch to play broomball? Well, there's a great tourney coming up!

• Saturday Jan. 28, 2012 (all day) at the home of Josh and Jana Fogarty in Random Lake, WI
• "Official" Tech-style rink, with full boards, lighting, scoreboard, warming areas, seating, food and beverage (potluck).
• You do not need your own team. Just indicate your intent to participate to the Fogartys and they will arrange teams beforehand for the tournament.
• BYOB (bring your own broom). Jerseys from past broomball teams are strongly encouraged!
• All are welcome at all skill levels, and not just current and former Tech grads. Last year there were about 60 participants plus their families, the most ever.
• Contact Jana at janafogarty_at_gmail.com to be added to the mailing list for specific details.
  
  Jeff Zeman
  BS Environmental Engineering ‘97
  MTUAA Board of Directors 2011-

Dennis,
This might be old news to you, but the top of the front page of today's Nevada Appeal (local newspaper) was about an MTU grad. The seventh paragraph gives some good press to the university and Ray Saliga's MTU background.

This project at the local high school has gotten a lot of good press lately.

Happy holidays!

Ron Savino

Thanks to Frank Shoffner'62 for this great one!

BBC Website

Frank: No reference to catsup, gravy, or butter!

 

Mont Ripley has many great “learn to ski & snowboard” programs but we are best known for our steeper slopes with many powder bowls and glades so you can rip up all the fresh powder you’ll find. For the younger knees, the Mont Ripley terrain park is second to none with over thirty features, including rails, slider boxes, and big jumps.     

Make a trip back to Michigan Tech’s Mont Ripley during the 2011-12 season, and, as a Tech grad, you and your family will each receive a discount on lift tickets and rental equipment complete with lessons. Learn More

Show your Michigan Tech Pride!s

Official Class Rings and Diploma Frames

Michigan Tech License Plates

Michigan Tech Collector Blanket

University Images—Michigan Tech Clothing and Giftware

More Alumni Benefits, Services and Discount program information
http://www.mtu.edu/alumni/benefits

Strategic Faculty Hiring Initiative: Positions in Water and Transportation

Lecturer in Computer Network System Administration, Nontenure track position, School of Technology

Apply using new online system at http://jobs.mtu.edu

Complete Descriptions are available on the Human Resources website.

Off Campus

Keweenaw opportunities: http://www.keweenawprofessionaljobs.com/

Other employment opportunities: Check out the Linked in group exclusively for Michigan Tech Alumni.

Also, visit the Career Tools webpage for more options.