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1. Golden Moments with the Golden M’s |
by Dennis Walikainen, senior editor
Freshmen traditions and faculty favorites were a couple of the themes when the Class of 1961 convened Friday to get their Golden M pins and certificates from President Glenn Mroz and Director of Annual Giving Paula Nutini.
Jim Bacon recalled the pajama parade to Hancock for the frosh, which was the last "because things got out of hand. The dean had to bail me out of jail."
Ed Witkoske, too, remembered the last pajama parade, where "the Hancock cop lost possession of his revolver. We had the greased pole, then, too."
The freshmen would attempt to get to the top of the pole, festooned with a certain female undergarment, but the sophomore class stood in their way.
"We attempted a panty raid on Smith House, too" he said.
Smith House was the female student housing near campus, but the raid didn’t go well.
Resident Gail Richter remembered. "Our house mother was horrified," she said.
Luckily, the Tech men "had no idea what to do when we got there, even the guys on the roof," said Donald Stefanelli. "Besides, the state police had the house surrounded by the time some of us arrived."
The alums also recalled the tomato fight at Mont Ripley, where the freshmen would charge the hill and be pelted with tomatoes from upperclassmen on the top.
"Where'd they get all the tomatoes?" someone shouted.
"Don't know!"
Those were the days of freshmen beanies, too--another tradition that has gone away.
"They were black and gold with MT on 'em," recalled Richter.
"Do you remember Sammy Sez?" asked Kathleen (Hellman) Kilponen. "Well, I was Sammy! The secret's out!" Sammy Sez was a satirical cartoon appearing in the Lode each week, taking shots both on campus and off. Kathleen's dad was legendary state representative Rusty Hellman.
Another shout: "How many still have your slide rules in your desks?"
"How many can still use 'em?"
"Or the circular ones?" President Mroz asked.
Larry Wentenbach showed one to a young employee a few years back.
"What the hell is that?" was the response.
ME Professor Paul Hainault, who died recently, was fondly recalled for his teaching, great local history lessons and his famous bookends.
Chemistry Professor Doc Heath was remembered for keeping his students awake via a squirt bottle. Once, his son was trick-or-treating at the Theta Tau house, and he threatened to have his dad flunk the fraternity men.
ME prof Aubrey Gibson, after a few libations, fell asleep, and the Tech men dropped him off: beyond Copper Harbor! The next morning, as the class counted down the mandatory 15 minutes before leaving the classroom, in marched Gibson. After snapping a yardstick over his desk, he announced a quiz, where the highest grade awarded was a 13.
Gilly Boyd, legendary tough metallurgy teacher, helped Jay Rowe get through a couple of last classes before he graduated. "He wasn't hard-hearted," Rowe said.
Karl Rundman, who would take Boyd's place when he retired, remembered Boyd's tests for ME's, where he asked them to pick the best answer. "Well, he changed the best answer every year.”
"He hated ME's!" someone shouted.
Calculus with Professor W. W. Funkenbusch was tough on the Class of '61: "Perhaps you should consider a lower math class." "Nobody gets 100 percent on my quizzes."
Finally, Marie (Kohl) Dibble recalled babysitting for hockey coach John and Jerry MacInnes. "They would phone home, collect, and ask for 'A. B. MacInnes.'" She wouldn't accept the call but would get the coded message--"Tech lost 2-1"--and relay the score to the area bars.
This gang clearly admired these same professors. When rumor of a payless payday for faculty circulated back then, they began a blood drive to raise funds and even made the Detroit News.
When they were asked to chip in to this year's class gift, via chairman Dave Holli, they replied with $2.5 million.
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2. Pasty Picnic Conversations |
by Dennis Walikainen, senior editor
At Thursday's pasty picnic, the Hollingsworth-Hiatt gang was well represented. Husband Dave Hollingsworth and wife Pamela (Hiatt) Hollingsworth, both class of '86, were eating with Pamela's sisters, Beth McFalls '77 and Cheryl Hiatt '75. All four gathered around Tech's Clean Snowmobile Challenge sled, and Beth wanted to take it for a spin.
Dave, a civil and business grad, works with the Michigan Concrete Association, and Pamela, also a civil alum, does CAD for Ford in Dearborn. She's also involved with Women in Engineering program for Tech.
Beth, an EE, is a former Winter Carnival Queen and works for Consumers Energy in Jackson. Cheryl, with geology and geological engineering bachelor's degrees and master's in geology, works at the GM Tech Center in Warren.
The foursome was having a great time with the Alumni Relations staffers, Blizzard, and yours truly before diving into their pasties (mostly catsup, not gravy).
We also ran into Mark Olson '50, who I recognized from many pasty picnics past. An EE who worked for Harnishfeger in Escanaba and Caterpillar in Peoria, Ill., he said he always has a good time at the reunions.
His mother was born in Hancock, an Antilla, and his cousins, the Tarboxes, were still in the area. After pasties, he was attending the breakfast and dinner on Friday before continuing his journey to his native Marquette, where his high school class of '45 was gathering.
Former ME-EM professor Jean Anderson, who turned 93 the day before, and his wife, Laverne, were nearby discussing pasty recipes. Diced vs. sliced vegetables was the focus, and the local co-op's version was also touted: bison, turkey, or veggie.
A future alum was present, too. Melissa Velmer, with the Student Foundation, is majoring in kinesiology and planning on graduating in 2013. She wants to proceed to physical therapy school so she can help heal old boomer-joggers with bad knees.
Finally, Locke Goldsmith '67 was in town from his mining exploration consulting business. His geology degree has taken him to Mexico, Africa, China, and South America. Locke has been to many reunions, and he and his significant other, Giang, were looking forward to that night’s gathering at the KBC, before cruising the Keweenaw and seeing the sights.
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3. Volunteers Sought for Program that Helps International Students |
The Intensive English as a Second Language (IESL) program is looking for volunteers to participate in its "Conversation Partners" initiative. The program offers international students the opportunity to team up with faculty, staff and students to practice speaking and listening in one-on-one, informal sessions.
Here is how the program works:
* Participants sign a contract with IESL that requires them to meet their partner in public places on campus for one hour each week.
* IESL matches international students with volunteers; the goal is to pair people of the same gender; IESL will check with prospective partners before matching those of the opposite gender.
* IESL introduces the partners to each other at an initial meeting.
* Though partners meet independently, Listening and Speaking teachers will often check in with students to monitor concerns or problems.
Why apply? Organizers say the rewards are many:
* Make a new friend.
* Help an international/multilingual student understand American culture and society.
* Experience the emerging global landscape from the perspective of an international/multilingual student.
* Develop a deeper cultural awareness and understanding.
* Promote rewarding international relations and cross-cultural dialogue on campus
At times, participants may have to explain English language points, but they are not asked to be an English as a Second Language teacher.
At the program's preliminary meeting, IESL can provide ideas for weekly meetings.
Here's what they're saying about this opportunity:
"I learned about myself, my international friend, and the American culture in which we live." (Alanna, an undergraduate student)
"I feel enriched by the experience of getting to know a bit about these exceptional students and their cultures as well." (Carole, staff)
"You make a difference in a very tangible way." (Brian, graduate student)
Those in the campus community who are interested in participating are asked to apply online at conversation.
For more information about the IESL program, email esl@mtu.edu or see IESL. |
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4. Tech Soccer Ready to Kick Off 2011 Season |
by Ian Marks, assistant director of athletic communications
The women's soccer team has high hopes for the 2011 campaign. The Huskies return 17 players from the inaugural season, where they finished with a 7-10-0 overall record and a 5-10-0 mark in GLIAC play.
"We are really excited to have such a large number of players returning from last year," said head coach Michelle Jacob. "They will provide leadership for the team while our freshman class will provide depth and continue to help build the program."
Sophomore forward Melanie Hoffman will be looked upon once again to lead the offense. Last season the Green Bay, Wis., native scored the first goal in program history en route to tallying a school record five goals, all of them game-winners. She also recorded a team-high three assists to lead the team with 13 points.
Joining Hoffman on the offensive attack are sophomores Lindsey Van Rooy (Kaukauna, Wis.) and Katie Boardman (Fond du Lac, Wis.). Van Rooy, a great distributor of the ball, tallied five points (two goals, one assist) in 17 starts at midfield last season, while Boardman, who is a threat with either foot, returns after finishing with five points (two goals and one assist) in 17 starts.
Also providing depth this season at forward is incoming freshman Marlee Buss (Appleton, Wis.).
Sophomore Amber Hynnek (Seymour, Wis.) will provide a strong presence in the midfield after scoring two goals in 16 starts last season.
Hard-working sophomore Ari Peterson (Ashland, Wis.) will drop back to the midfield this season after scoring two goals as a forward last season.
Adding depth to the midfield is newcomer Janelle Riedl (Appleton, Wis.), who comes to the team after winning the state title at Appleton North. Also joining the team in the midfield is McKenzie Hengesh. Hengesh, a native of Canton, earned all-region and all-state honorable mention honors as a forward at Plymouth High School.
Anchoring the defense is sophomore centerback Katie Pappas (Cloquet, Minn.), who started all 17 games a year ago. Danna Kasom (Columbus) and Sarah Hielsberg (Oshkosh, Wis.), who started a combined 29 games, also return.
Sophomore Kaitlyn Boelter adds speed to the back line. The Keshena, Wis., native tallied one assist and started 16 games.
Freshman MacKenzie Jordon will provide some depth on defense but could also see time in the midfield for the Huskies. The Jackson native was a three-time all-conference selection at Columbia Central High School.
The Huskies welcome defender Jenna Proctor. The native of Blue Island, Ill., led her club team, the Windy City Pride, to a national title last season after a runner-up finish at the Illinois State Championship.
Sophomore MaryBeth Spoehr is back in goal for the Huskies. Last season the Neenah, Wis., native played every minute in goal and posted seven wins, including five by shutout.
Also competing for time in net are a pair of freshmen, Jacqui Landry and Jenna Phelps. Landry (Menasha, Wis.) redshirted last season, while Phelps comes to the Huskies after a standout career at Bay Port High School (Green Bay, Wis.). Phelps was a three-time all-conference selection for the Pirates and served as team captain.
Tech will open the season with a pair of games against Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference foes Bemidji State and Minnesota Crookston on Sept. 3 and 4. The team will open GLIAC play at home against Northern Michigan on Sept. 7. Overall the team will play 15 conference games including seven at home.
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5. On the Road and In Print |
Visiting Scholar Yuichiro Fujiwara (MATH) presented at the 2011 IEEE International Symposium on Information Theory. His paper, with coauthor Min-Hsiu Hsieh of the University of Cambridge, "Adaptively correcting quantum errors with entanglement," is also to be published in proceedings of the symposium.
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6. Healthy Tip of the Week |
brought to you by HuskyPAW
To improve your eating habits, you first have to know what's wrong with them. Write down everything you eat for three days. Do you add a lot of butter, creamy sauces or salad dressings? Rather than eliminating these foods, just cut back your portions. Are you getting enough fruits and vegetables? If not, you may be missing out on vital nutrients. |
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