Orientation 2007: A Legacy Moves In
Andrea Keenan: “Wow! Once we parked at Wads, we were swamped with helpers. The only thing left for me to carry to my son’s room was my purse. Having the bathroom suite is a definite convenience that Mark didn’t have when he attended Tech in the eighties. My son is having a great time so far and has made many new friends. Son number two is already determined to be at Tech: currently a sophomore in high school!”
Zachary Keenan: “I thought moving into Wadsworth was great. The room is very spacious and having your own bathroom and sink is very nice. I was amazed how much help there was from older students. We got all of my items up to my room in one trip. Everybody was very helpful and very organized.”
Mark Keenan ’86: “We used the rest of the weekend to tour the campus, the town, and play some golf. The volunteers made all of us feel very welcome, and we left knowing Zach was going to have a great time at Michigan Tech.”
From the Unusual Job Location File: Jonathan Verville ’04
“I am currently working at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, as an RF systems engineer and live in Laurel, Maryland. I recently visited Antarctica for my job, upgrading communication equipment at the South Pole.
“In the picture [upper right], the background is the South Pole Elevated Station (left) and old geodesic dome (center), the southernmost continually inhabited place on the planet.
“In picture [right] is the LC-130 Hercules in the background, which was our means of transportation to the South Pole. It is equipped with fully retractable skis that allow the aircraft to land on snow and ice as well as on traditional runway.
“Read what I’ve written so far here: http://jonverve.blogs.com/.”
2005 Alumnus Dies in Afghanistan
First Lt. Benjamin Hall, who earned a BS in Social Sciences from Michigan Tech in 2005, died July 31 in Afghanistan. “Ben was an extremely friendly, upbeat kid, and I always enjoyed him,” said his advisor, Professor Terry Reynolds. “I had him in several classes. He always worked hard, and he always wanted to be in the military.” Army ROTC Secretary Evelyn Colon-Peters recalled him: “He was always very sweet,” she said. “He would stop in and say hi. Ben was very polite, an all-around nice kid.” Memorial services were held in Afghanistan and at Arlington National Cemetery.