Indigenous Peoples’ Day celebration set for Oct. 10

Oct 4, 2022 | Intercom, Student News

TRAVERSE CITY – Northwestern Michigan College will be celebrating Indigenous Peoples’ Day on Monday, Oct. 10 with a series of events on main campus.

• 11 a.m. The Dennos Museum is celebrating Indigenous Peoples’ Day with the Traverse Area District Library with stories, poems, and dancing inside the museum. Attendees will receive a free picture book (choice of Fry Bread or We Are Still Here) and a craft for the family. Both books and crafts will be available as supplies last. The museum is open from 11 a.m.–4 p.m. and admission is free.
• 2–4 p.m. The Native American Student Organization will meet under the pines south of the Osterlin Building with members of the Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians. The event will include drumming and dancing demonstrations. All are welcome and encouraged to bring a lawn chair.
• Oct. 10–Oct. 21 The NMC Library will be celebrating Indigenous Peoples’ Day with two StoryWalks that can be listened to while strolling through campus. Nihá’ádaahwiinít’íįgo/When We Are Kind can be found along the sidewalk north of the campus apartments and Mii maanda ezhi-gkendmaanh/This is How I know can be found along the path between the Dennos Museum and the Osterlin building.

Many state and local municipalities, including the city of Traverse City and the state of Michigan, recognize the second Monday in October as Indigenous Peoples’ Day. It was first proclaimed as a federal holiday in 2021. It is an opportunity to celebrate and honor Native American peoples and commemorate their histories and cultures, which predate Western colonization by centuries.

Release Date: October 4, 2022

For More Information:

Diana Fairbanks
Associate Vice President of Public Relations, Marketing and Communications
dfairbanks@nmc.edu
(231) 995-1019

Indigenous Peoples’ Day celebration set for Oct. 10

Oct 4, 2022 | Intercom, Student News

TRAVERSE CITY – Northwestern Michigan College will be celebrating Indigenous Peoples’ Day on Monday, Oct. 10 with a series of events on main campus.

• 11 a.m. The Dennos Museum is celebrating Indigenous Peoples’ Day with the Traverse Area District Library with stories, poems, and dancing inside the museum. Attendees will receive a free picture book (choice of Fry Bread or We Are Still Here) and a craft for the family. Both books and crafts will be available as supplies last. The museum is open from 11 a.m.–4 p.m. and admission is free.
• 2–4 p.m. The Native American Student Organization will meet under the pines south of the Osterlin Building with members of the Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians. The event will include drumming and dancing demonstrations. All are welcome and encouraged to bring a lawn chair.
• Oct. 10–Oct. 21 The NMC Library will be celebrating Indigenous Peoples’ Day with two StoryWalks that can be listened to while strolling through campus. Nihá’ádaahwiinít’íįgo/When We Are Kind can be found along the sidewalk north of the campus apartments and Mii maanda ezhi-gkendmaanh/This is How I know can be found along the path between the Dennos Museum and the Osterlin building.

Many state and local municipalities, including the city of Traverse City and the state of Michigan, recognize the second Monday in October as Indigenous Peoples’ Day. It was first proclaimed as a federal holiday in 2021. It is an opportunity to celebrate and honor Native American peoples and commemorate their histories and cultures, which predate Western colonization by centuries.

Release Date: October 4, 2022

For More Information:

Diana Fairbanks
Associate Vice President of Public Relations, Marketing and Communications
dfairbanks@nmc.edu
(231) 995-1019

New books at the NMC Library — October 2022

Oct 3, 2022 | Intercom, Student News

To find these selections and many other new titles, see the NMC library catalog.

(more…)

International Observe the Moon Day

Sep 30, 2022 | Intercom, Student News

Saturday, October 1, 2022
Solar Observation at the Dennos Museum: 2–4 p.m.
Lunar Observation at the NMC Observatory: 8 p.m.

Join the Astronomical Society and NMC’s Jerry Dobek, head of the Astronomy and Science Departments, for Solar Observation outside the Dennos Museum. Admission to the museum will be free. While at the museum, visit the Observing With NASA Kiosk in the Discovery Gallery to take, create, and share your own amazing space images, and learn about astro imaging technologies.

In the evening, observe the moon at the NMC Observatory. Public viewing at the Observatory is weather dependent. Visit gtastro.org for updates. 

Animals on Campus

Sep 29, 2022 | Intercom, Student News

In general, animals are not allowed in any of NMC’s buildings across all of our campuses. However, the U. S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and the Fair Housing Act allow for exceptions to this policy as a reasonable accommodation for someone with a disability living in NMC housing, under certain conditions.

We are a no-pets-allowed campus. A pet is commonly known as an animal one keeps for companionship and is not considered a service animal or emotional support animal. Pets are not allowed anywhere on our campus (except outdoors under the control of their owner).

A service animal (primarily dogs) is trained to provide a specific service in support a person’s disability. They are not pets. Service animals are allowed on campus including in the classroom. For more information about service animals you can check out this article from the Center for Teaching and Learning.

Emotional support animals are not specially trained and are not pets. They are meant to offer a therapeutic benefit to someone with a mental or psychiatric disability and have been prescribed by their mental health provider as part of their treatment plan. Emotional support animals, when approved through the accommodation request process, are to remain in the housing unit and are not allowed anywhere else in campus housing or any campus location.

If you have any additional questions, please contact Leanne Baumeler at lbaumeler@nmc.edu or (231)995-1929.

Success story: Leading students by example

Sep 28, 2022 | Intercom, Student News

September 28, 2022

As a first-generation college student attending NMC, Alex Walsh had a lot of company. As an NMC graduate, he became one of a rarified few who transfer to an Ivy League college.

Now, with his 2022 Harvard University diploma adorning the wall of Walsh’s office in NMC’s Student Success Center, he’s eager to help more students complete paths like his, taking advantage of NMC to make a degree both more affordable and achievable.

“I want to help fellow community college students,” said Walsh, right, a college completion coach. He joined the Success Center staff in June through NMC’s partnership with the Michigan College Access Network (MCAN), and specializes in working with first-generation students from Antrim and Kalkaska counties.

Specifically, MCAN is aimed at achieving Michigan’s goal that 60 percent of residents have a post-secondary degree by 2030. Reaching more first-generation students like Walsh, 30, is key to that.

“The heart of MCAN is all about increasing access to higher education,” said Walsh, who graduated from NMC in 2012 and then enlisted in the Navy before starting at Harvard in 2019. “I saw it as a really good opportunity to come back to NMC. I’m definitely happy to be here.”

This is NMC’s second year as part of the MCAN coaching network. Walsh’s position is funded through AmeriCorps. In its first year, the program exceeded all its goals, notably the number of students who persisted in their educational journey or completed it.

“Partnering with the state to receive some of the funding for this position has allowed us to have our first full-time coaches on campus. They work as an integral part of our coaching team,” said Sally Smarsty, NMC’s Student Success Coordinator.

“We have valued NMC’s investment in the partnership and were excited to award a second coaching position at NMC,” said Trisha Caldwell, AmeriCorps program director for MCAN. “NMC has created a welcoming environment where coaches have felt welcomed and valued at the college; ultimately, providing opportunity for strong collaborative efforts to support students as they navigate their college journey.

Coaches help students develop a support network, an academic plan, a financial plan, and time management skills. They are a newer part of the support service network NMC offers to all students, in addition to instructors, advisors and tutors.

As living proof transferring can be done, Walsh plans to encourage students to aim high while they’re at it. Seeking to diversify their student bodies, some historically elite colleges are now offering generous financial aid to students from community college or first generation backgrounds, Walsh said. The University of Michigan’s Go Blue Guarantee, for instance, offers free tuition to students whose families earn $65,000 or less. Harvard’s income threshold is $75,000 and Princeton’s is $100,000.

As a veteran Walsh also aims to work with fellow coach Bob Hammond to reinvigorate services to veterans, as well as NMC’s chapter of Student Veterans of America.

Walsh’s own academic journey isn’t done, either. While serving as a coach he plans to take both the LSAT and GRE exams as he considers law school or graduate school.

Celebrating Personal Growth Month at NMC Library

Sep 21, 2022 | Intercom, Student News

Notice the Libby tag next to a title? This means the book is available as an eBook and can be found on the Libby app. All audiobooks can be accessed through Libby.

Haven’t set up your Libby account yet? Follow these easy instructions!

(more…)

Bookstore closed Sept. 26–27

Sep 19, 2022 | Intercom, Student News

The NMC Bookstore will be closed Monday, Sept. 26 and Tuesday, Sept. 27 for staff training. We will reopen with normal hours on Wednesday, Sept. 28 at 8:30 a.m.

Celebrate Constitution Day Sept. 20 at NMC!

Sep 19, 2022 | Intercom, Student News

Happy 235th birthday to the U.S. Constitution! NMC celebrates Constitution Day Tuesday, Sept. 20 with two events in the Osterlin Building:

League of Women Voters From Grand Traverse and Leelanau Area:

• Stop by the Osterlin Building Lobby for voter registration and voting information, beginning at 10 a.m.
• Learn about voting absentee and check your polling place.

Democracy in a Politically Polarized America: How can we find common ground?

• Presentation & Interactive Breakout Groups hosted by NMC Social Sciences Instructor John Zachman, from 3–4:15 p.m.

Student Health Services flu clinics

Sep 19, 2022 | Intercom, Student News

Dates:

• Tuesday, Sept. 27, 10 a.m.–Noon
• Thursday, Sept. 29,  1–3 p.m.
• Monday, Oct. 10, 10 a.m.–Noon
• Wednesday, Oct. 12, 1–3 p.m.

Location: Les Biederman Building, Rm. 106

If you can’t make these dates, please call (231) 995-1255 to schedule an appointment. As a reminder, our office does not bill insurance, although we do offer a reduced rate of $20 for staff and $15 per student. If you have NMC insurance, any charges will be processed as in previous years.

Lakebed 2030 convenes partners to map Great Lakes

Sep 13, 2022 | Intercom, Student News

TRAVERSE CITY — NMC will host the Lakebed 2030 conference, an update on collaborative efforts to map the world’s largest available freshwater body, Sept. 28-30 at the Hagerty Center on its Great Lakes campus.

Formed in 2019, Lakebed 2030 is a consortium of researchers, policy, governmental and industry partners which seeks to fully map the 244,160 square kilometers of the Great Lakes at high resolution by 2030. Presently, only approximately 15 percent is mapped. Even some of the existing maps of the lake floor rely on data that is decades old and low-density.

This lack of information inhibits effective management, research, and innovation, particularly under mounting climate change threats, including severe drought in the United States, and a growing “blue economy” in the Great Lakes region.

With a keynote delivered by RADM Benjamin K. Evans, Director, NOAA Office of Coast Survey, the conference will bring together Great Lakes experts and stakeholders from around the U.S. and Canada to:

• Focus on high-resolution mapping and bathymetry data in the Great Lakes.
• Develop a strategy to catalog new and existing lake bed information for shared use.
• Share the latest technology advancements with the Great Lakes community.

NMC students will also participate in the conference, including a roundtable employer discussion regarding career opportunities. Graduates of NMC’s Marine Technology bachelor’s degree program are highly sought after by employers working in the global marine space. NMC also offers professional development courses through the Marine Center.

The Great Lakes contain more than 80 percent of North America’s surface freshwater and 20 percent of Earth’s surface freshwater. Mapping it completely at high density is estimated to cost $200 million.

Lakebed 2030 registration is $200 for in-person attendance and $50 for virtual attendance. See the full schedule here.

Release Date: September 13, 2022

For More Information:

Hans W. Van Sumeren, CMarTech
Director, Great Lakes Water Studies Institute
Northwestern Michigan College
(231) 995-1793
hvansumeren@nmc.edu

Lakebed 2030 convenes partners to map Great Lakes

Sep 13, 2022 | Intercom, Student News

TRAVERSE CITY — NMC will host the Lakebed 2030 conference, an update on collaborative efforts to map the world’s largest available freshwater body, Sept. 28-30 at the Hagerty Center on its Great Lakes campus.

Formed in 2019, Lakebed 2030 is a consortium of researchers, policy, governmental and industry partners which seeks to fully map the 244,160 square kilometers of the Great Lakes at high resolution by 2030. Presently, only approximately 15 percent is mapped. Even some of the existing maps of the lake floor rely on data that is decades old and low-density.

This lack of information inhibits effective management, research, and innovation, particularly under mounting climate change threats, including severe drought in the United States, and a growing “blue economy” in the Great Lakes region.

With a keynote delivered by RADM Benjamin K. Evans, Director, NOAA Office of Coast Survey, the conference will bring together Great Lakes experts and stakeholders from around the U.S. and Canada to:

• Focus on high-resolution mapping and bathymetry data in the Great Lakes.
• Develop a strategy to catalog new and existing lake bed information for shared use.
• Share the latest technology advancements with the Great Lakes community.

NMC students will also participate in the conference, including a roundtable employer discussion regarding career opportunities. Graduates of NMC’s Marine Technology bachelor’s degree program are highly sought after by employers working in the global marine space. NMC also offers professional development courses through the Marine Center.

The Great Lakes contain more than 80 percent of North America’s surface freshwater and 20 percent of Earth’s surface freshwater. Mapping it completely at high density is estimated to cost $200 million.

Lakebed 2030 registration is $200 for in-person attendance and $50 for virtual attendance. See the full schedule here.

Release Date: September 13, 2022

For More Information:

Hans W. Van Sumeren, CMarTech
Director, Great Lakes Water Studies Institute
Northwestern Michigan College
(231) 995-1793
hvansumeren@nmc.edu

Autocracy, Immigration Debate, and Ukraine on IAF fall agenda

Aug 30, 2022 | Intercom, Student News

TRAVERSE CITY — Northwestern Michigan College’s International Affairs Forum will launch its 29th season of events on Thursday, September 15 at 6:30 p.m. at the Dennos Museum Center Milliken Auditorium in Traverse City, preceded by a reception at 5:30 p.m.

IAF’s season opener will be an in-person event: “Democracy vs. Autocracy” with Erica Frantz, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Political Science, Michigan State University. Dr. Frantz will explore global examples of the erosion of democratic ideals and the dangerous slide into authoritarianism. She has published seven books on these themes, including Authoritarianism: What Everyone Needs to Know (Oxford University Press, 2018). She is a frequent contributor to publications including Foreign Affairs, Foreign Policy, and The Washington Post. This event will also be available to livestream.

The fall season continues with the following:

• Thursday, October 20, 6:30 p.m. (in-person event + livestream): “Immigration Debate” with David V. Aguilar, former acting commissioner for Customs and Border Protection who during his tenure commanded 80,000 CBP agents, and Theresa Cardinal Brown, managing director of immigration and cross-border policy at the Bipartisan Policy Center. Aguilar and Cardinal Brown will engage in an Oxford-style debate with a focus on immigration reform and potential solutions. The debate will include questions from the audience.
• Tuesday, November 8, 6:30 p.m. (virtual event): “The New World Order: After Ukraine” with Ambassador John C. Kornblum, ambassador to Germany from 1997-2001 and expert on U.S.-European political and economic relations. Amb. Kornblum occupied high-level diplomatic posts including U.S. assistant secretary of state for European affairs, U.S. ambassador to the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (Helsinki Process), deputy U.S. ambassador to NATO, and U.S. minister and deputy commandant of forces in divided Berlin. He will decipher the knotty geopolitical power shifts spurred on by Russia’s ongoing war in Ukraine.

Presentations begin at 6:30 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Receptions begin at 5:30 p.m. when available.

All IAF regular season events are open to the public. Tickets are required and available for purchase online or at the door. In-person admission is $15 per person. Current students and educators receive free admission with a school I.D. or name badge.

Events are also livestreamed. Registration is required with a suggested donation of $10. For in-person tickets, livestream registration, and all event details, visit TCIAF.com.

IAF is welcoming new members and sponsors for the current season September 2022 -June 2023. Membership starts at $100 for individuals or $160 for families and includes in-person admission and livestream access to all regular season events. Learn more about IAF membership, event sponsorship, and student outreach at TCIAF.com.

The International Affairs Forum is a program of Northwestern Michigan College.

Release date: August 30, 2022

For more information:

Alex Tank
Communications & Production Coordinator
International Affairs Forum at Northwestern Michigan College
(231) 995-1844
atank@nmc.edu