Oct 22, 2026 | Intercom, Student News
Get in the holiday spirit during our beloved Holiday Artist Market featuring over 30 talented Michigan artists from 10 a.m. through 4 p.m. on November 6 & 7.
Merlyn’s Pâtisserie will be onsite again selling their delicious Asian-French inspired pastries!
The Museum Store will open its fabulous holiday corner brimming with whimsical ornaments, handcrafted gifts, unique stocking stuffers, and charming holiday greeting cards. Don’t forget to enter the raffle benefiting K-12 museum tours.
Admission to the museum is free both days so enjoy a stroll through our exhibits! Parking is free throughout NMC’s campus. Browse this year’s participating artists at shop.dennosmuseum.org.
Oct 19, 2026 | Intercom, Student News
TRAVERSE CITY — Northwestern Michigan College (NMC) Professional Communications students are working to provide 215 Thanksgiving meal boxes to local families through the 13th annual Business 231 Thanks-for-Giving experiential learning project.
The project gives students real-world experience while addressing food insecurity in the community. Of the 215 meal boxes, 165 will go to NMC families and 50 will be donated to families selected by Big Brothers Big Sisters.
With help from local organizations and community members, students are raising funds and collecting food donations to provide dinner boxes containing a turkey and traditional side dishes to serve a family of six, along with extra food to help families through the holiday season. Boxes include a pan for cooking the turkey, along with a family activity to make the day memorable. Additionally, those with dietary needs can select gluten-free, vegetarian, or vegan meal boxes.
“You learn a lot about yourself through hands-on experience, and you get out of it what you put into it,” said class instructor Kristy McDonald.
To raise funds, the class is hosting a Glow Skate at Howe Ice Arena in the Grand Traverse County Civic Center on Nov. 6, from 7 to 9 p.m. Admission is $10 and skate rentals are an additional $5. The event will feature a bake sale and hot cocoa bar, and each attendee will receive a glow stick.
A prize giveaway is also available for donors who contribute $15 or more. Prizes include gift cards to local businesses, a one-night stay at the Great Wolf Lodge, a one-night stay at Delamar, and putt-putt golf at Pirates Cove.
Enter the drawing by:
1. https://www.nmc.edu/give.
2. Choose an amount to donate (minimum of $15 for the prize giveaway)
3. Use the drop-down menu (Designate my gift to) select Thanks for Giving
4. You will receive a receipt once your payment is confirmed
In addition to monetary donations, the community can donate boxes of granola bars or jars of peanut butter. Food donations can be dropped off through Nov.18 in red donation bins in three locations:
- NMC’s Front Street campus in the Timothy J. Nelson Innovation Center lobby
- Great Lakes campus
- Parsons-Stulen building on the Aero Park campus
Meal boxes will be distributed on Monday, November 23, on NMC’s Front Street campus.
Release date: OCTOBER 19, 2026
For more information:
Cassidy Weber
Student Leader
weber329@mail.nmc.edu
(231) 590-1511
Kristy McDonald
Business Instructor
kmcdonald@nmc.edu
(231) 995-1059
Non-Discrimination Policy Notice
Northwestern Michigan College is committed to a policy of equal opportunity for all persons and does not unlawfully discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, disability, genetic information, height, weight, marital status or veteran status in employment, educational programs and activities, and admissions. nmc.edu/non-discrimination
Oct 19, 2026 | Hawk Owl Helpers and Heroes, Intercom, Student News
Thanks to the NMC Motorsports Club and their adviser, Wayne Moody, for showing true sportsmanship at the Backwoods Baja race this weekend at the University of Wisconsin-Stout. Following the pre-race technical inspection, which the Hawk Owls passed with no issues, an NMC team member learned the University of Iowa team had not passed. Iowa was there without an advisor and didn’t know how to resolve an engine problem. Moody helped them fix it, Iowa entered the race and bested NMC’s fifth place in the overall standings. Moody said, “Our team had the same amount of pride in helping them out to be successful as they would have been if it was their own car.”
The Hawk Owls’ race was topped off by finishing with no breakdowns, a first for NMC in its history of competing at the endurance race, where they consistently perform well against four-year schools like Iowa.
Who’s been a Hawk Owl Helper or Hero for you? Let us know at publicrelations@nmc.edu!
Oct 19, 2026 | Cyber Minute, Student News
AI-generated deepfake videos are realistic enough now to fool people who know the person well. If a video or voice message asks you to send money or login details urgently, verify it through a different method before doing anything.
Oct 19, 2026 | Intercom, Student News
The Hawk Owl Café serves specials during the fall and spring semesters from 11:30 a.m.–1:30 p.m. and from 4:30–6 p.m. The protein option is $10.99, and the vegetarian option (V) is $9.99. Learn more at nmc.edu/dining.
Menu
Monday, October 19
Chicken Gyros & Grilled Pita w/ Lemon Rice & Roasted Fingerling Potatoes
Falafel (V) & Grilled Pita w/ Lemon Rice & Roasted Fingerling Potatoes
Tuesday, October 20
Chicken & Cheese Quesadillas w/ Spanish Rice & Refried Beans
Roasted Poblano & Bean Quesadillas (V) w/ Spanish Rice & Refried Beans
Wednesday, October 21
Sesame Chicken Stir Fry w/ Basmati Rice & Egg Rolls
Tofu Stir Fry (V) w/ Basmati Rice & Egg Rolls
Thursday, October 22
Italian Sausage, Sun-dried Tomato Cream Sauce Rigatoni Pasta w/ Garlic Bread & Broccoli
Roasted Veg Pasta (V), Sun-dried Tomato Cream Sauce w/ Garlic Bread & Broccoli
Friday, October 23
Crispy Chicken w/ Buffalo Sauce & Mac & Cheese w/ Asparagus
Veg-Battered Cauliflower Bites (V) & Mac & Cheese w/ Asparagus
Oct 9, 2026 | Intercom, Student News
TRAVERSE CITY — Two committees of Northwestern Michigan College’s Board of Trustees are scheduled to meet at the President’s Office Conference Room in the Tanis Building on NMC’s Front Street Campus, 1701 E. Front St., Traverse City, Michigan.
- Audit Committee, Wednesday, October 14, 10 a.m.
- Policy Committee, Friday, October 16, 9:30 a.m.
The official meeting notices are available here.
For more information, please contact the President’s office at (231) 995-1010.
Release date: October 9, 2026
Non-Discrimination Policy Notice
Northwestern Michigan College is committed to a policy of equal opportunity for all persons and does not unlawfully discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, disability, genetic information, height, weight, marital status or veteran status in employment, educational programs and activities, and admissions. nmc.edu/non-discrimination
Oct 9, 2026 | Intercom, Student News
Submissions are open for the fall 2026 issue of NMC Magazine. The theme of this issue is Xeno. We want poems, stories, essays, graphic stories & art inspired by either definition of xeno:
- xeno (noun). The smallest measurable unit of human connection, typically exchanged between passing strangers–a flirtatious glance, a sympathetic nod, a shared laugh about some odd coincidence–random and fleeting shared moments that contain powerful emotional nutrients that can alleviate loneliness. – from The Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows
- xeno (adj.). Strange, foreign; (noun) a guest, stranger, outsider, guest-friend, or one entitled to hospitality. (xenia).
NMC students, employees and alumni can enter their submissions thru Sunday, October 25. Visit nmc.edu/nmcmagazine for more information. Please complete a submission form for each entry.
Oct 8, 2026 | Intercom, Student News
To find these selections and many other new titles, see the NMC library catalog.
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Oct 7, 2026 | Intercom, Student News
October 7, 2026
Responding to demand from employers, students and faculty, NMC launched its first class in artificial intelligence this semester – and it proved so popular a second section was added.
Instructor Stewart Jack, who designed NMC’s Introduction to Generative Artificial Intelligence course, characterized the demand as a “clamor” that had been building since ChatGPT was released. That’s considered the moment when AI moved into the mainstream.
This fall, about 50 students from multiple academic disciplines, not just IT, are enrolled across the two sections. Jack, pictured above, doesn’t use a textbook in the all-online class. Rather, students from programs as varied as marine technology, health care, business and journalism learn about AI from AI, feeding prompts into AI tools like ChatGPT, Gemini and Claude. Every week there’s a discussion about how to apply AI in their various fields.
Through this interactive, hands-on trial and error process, students learn how AI works and when and where it’s appropriate to use. It’s experiential in the same way that many other NMC classes are. Jack calls it a “learning adventure.”
“Instead of pretending (AI) doesn’t exist, and penalizing students, we have to find a way to teach students to incorporate it into their workflow,” said Jack, who’s taught at NMC since 2018. That approach is also part of NMC’s strategic plan, which calls for strengthening student outcomes, institutional performance and workforce readiness by embedding responsible and effective use of AI across teaching, learning and operations
As AI use becomes more widespread, understanding how it works is critical, Jack said. For instance, AI will make up an answer rather than tell a user it doesn’t know something. That vulnerability illuminates the importance of human review, especially when important decisions – like patient diagnosis – are at stake.
Ethical use of AI, AI bias, legal and intellectual property considerations are woven into the course, after which students can earn Certiport’s Generative AI Foundations certification, a national credential that adds value to their transcript.
Jack expects the class to be offered again in the spring semester. NMC formally adopted a policy on generative AI in August 2025, and has established an AI workgroup to keep abreast of the technology as it evolves. AI navigators act as liaisons between the workgroup and each academic area and department. Navigators are dedicated to establishing professional norms and practices that safeguard institutional data and students’ critical-thinking skills.
Read more about AI at NMC.
Oct 7, 2026 | Cyber Minute, Student News
Emails promising remote data-entry jobs or assistant positions that pay very well — especially ones that send you a check and ask you to send money back — are scams. Every time. Don’t cash the check.
Oct 5, 2026 | Intercom, Student News
Flu season is on the horizon and Student Health Services will host three more flu clinics this fall.
Wednesday, Oct. 14
1–2 p.m.
Tuesday, Oct. 20
10–11 a.m.
Tuesday, Oct. 27
2–3 p.m.
Flu shots cost $15 for students and $20 for employees without NMC insurance.
For those who are unable to stop by during one of the times listed above call (231) 995-1255 to schedule an appointment.
Student Health Services is located in room 106 of the Les Biederman Building on NMC’s Front Street campus.
Oct 5, 2026 | Intercom, Student News
DTE Energy is making natural gas pipeline upgrades near NMC’s Front Street campus to keep the community’s service safe and reliable. As part of this work, crews are scheduled to conduct a controlled gas flare on Tuesday, Oct. 6, beginning around 8:30 a.m. and lasting until approximately 3 p.m.
During this routine process, odorant will be injected into the new gas main near Eighth Street and Hastings Street, several blocks south of Front Street campus. Crews will then conduct a controlled flare operation in the northwest corner of the Traverse City Central High School parking lot, near Eastern Avenue and Milliken Street, to the northwest of NMC. The flare may be visible to nearby residents and businesses and may be accompanied by a slight rotten egg odor and low roaring sound. This is a routine procedure, and natural gas service will not be interrupted. Traffic control will be in place near the two main work areas, but no road closures or detours are expected.
The odorant will remain in the pipe for about one week, with crews expected to purge the remaining gas/odorant from the line on or around Tuesday, Oct. 13, using a second, shorter flare operation. If you have general or non-emergency questions about the work, call (616) 632-2620, Monday – Friday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
As always, if you believe you detect a natural gas leak at your property, leave the area immediately, call 911, then call DTE’s dedicated natural gas leak hotline at (800) 947-5000.
Oct 2, 2026 | Intercom, Student News
TRAVERSE CITY — Two committees of Northwestern Michigan College’s Board of Trustees are scheduled to meet in the President’s Office Conference Room of the Tanis Building on NMC’s Front Street Campus, 1701 E. Front St., Traverse City, Michigan.
- Building & Site Committee, Wednesday, October 7, 2 p.m.
- Executive Committee, Thursday, October 8, 3 p.m.
The official meeting notices are available here.
For more information, please contact the President’s office at (231) 995-1010.
Release date: October 2, 2026
Non-Discrimination Policy Notice
Northwestern Michigan College is committed to a policy of equal opportunity for all persons and does not unlawfully discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, disability, genetic information, height, weight, marital status or veteran status in employment, educational programs and activities, and admissions. nmc.edu/non-discrimination
Sep 23, 2026 | Student News
Starting October 1, all current NMC students will receive emails from Safe Colleges asking you to complete two online training courses as part of NMC’s efforts to ensure safety on our campuses, and for compliance with Title IX and anti-hazing laws.
Emails will come from “SafeColleges.” They are legitimate, non-phishing emails. The modules will be available until 10/31/26. You will receive reminder emails throughout the month until you complete the modules. If you have any questions, contact the NMC Student Life at (231) 995-1118 or studentlife@nmc.edu. Thank you for helping keep NMC safe.
Sep 23, 2026 | Intercom, Student News
NMC Aviation students Grace Soneral (left) and Rachael Kornoely at the Air Race Classic
September 23, 2026
When Aviation student Grace Soneral starts looking for her first pilot job, she wants both her own resume and those of her fellow NMC flight students to rise above the pack.
So Soneral (pictured above left with teammate Rachael Kornoely) is co-captaining NMC’s first competitive flight team in more than two decades. In two weeks they’ll head to Ohio as the only community college to compete in the National Intercollegiate Flying Association’s (NIFA) Region 3 competition. A kind of aviation track and field meet, with events both in the air and on the ground, NMC Aviation students pitched the idea of a team to NMC’s Office of Innovation and Entrepreneurship, which awarded them the funding for a SAFECON (Safety and Flight Evaluation Conference) team last May.
“It truly tests your skills as a pilot and shows that you are willing to go above and beyond,” said Soneral, 20, who started at NMC in summer 2025 and will graduate next spring. “This is an opportunity for NMC students to set themselves apart. Not a lot of two-year programs have that option.”
Two-year aviation programs are in fact the exception to the rule, as Soneral found out in June flying in the Air Race Classic, an all-female point-to-point race that this year covered more than 2,700 miles across the Midwest and South. She and her teammates discovered that NMC’s program, which allows students to fly in their first semester, is a structure other students wished they had.
“It was very eye-opening,” Soneral said. “We love NMC. I am proud to be an NMC student and so grateful for a program structure that gets us flying right in our first semester.”
“You’re getting in a plane a lot faster,” her NIFA co-captain Alex Modrzynski (left) said of NMC’s two-year structure. Last year’s addition of a new hangar and eight new planes, which enabled Aviation to double its enrollment, also makes it timely for NMC to raise its profile now.
“We’re rivaling, in our fleet size, other schools in the country,” said Modrzynski, 32, who will graduate this semester. “I love it. I don’t think there’s anywhere more beautiful to fly than northern Michigan.”
NMC’s support of the team via the Office of Innovation and Entrepreneurship also aligns with the college’s strategic goal to provide real-world learning opportunities inside and outside the classroom. The flight competition team was one of six projects OIE funded in May. Applications for a fall round of funding are open through Oct. 15.
“My voice was taken seriously and I was supported by the program,” said Soneral, who advocated for the team.
Under the coaching of flight instructor Joel Cairns, NMC will compete against Ohio State University, Western Michigan, Kent State, Bowling Green and Fairmont State in simulation events, written tests and preflight checks, all ground events, at the competition Oct. 4-9 in Bowling Green. Next year, when WMU hosts, they hope to enter flying events.
“We want the safest pilots we can have out there,” Modrzynski said. “This is a great way to do it, and have a little fun.”
“I grew so much as a pilot on the Air Race. I’m going to be a safer, smarter pilot in the future because of this,” Soneral said.
Sep 23, 2026 | Cyber Minute, Student News
Scammers sometimes call pretending to be campus police or financial aid, pressuring you to pay a fine or share login info immediately. Real college offices won’t demand payment or passwords over the phone. Hang up and call the office directly to check.
Sep 22, 2026 | Intercom, Student News
Stop by the Campus Bookstore on Thursdays for a flash sale on apparel, gifts and more! Every Thursday is a different sale!
Sep 22, 2026 | Intercom, Student News
Planning to hang flyers or share materials on campus? Before you post, take a moment to review the college guidelines so your message can stay up—and reach the right audience.
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- Post flyers and posters only on designated bulletin boards (one per board, max size 11” x 17”). Include the sponsor name and contact info on all materials.
- Only one copy may be placed on any designated bulletin board. Posting must not cover up any other posting or information.
- Posting on doors, walls, vehicles, or other surfaces isn’t allowed and may be removed.
- Non–date-specific postings may be removed after 21 days; event flyers come down after the event.
- Only the individual or entity responsible for posting the material or NMC Security may remove materials.
- Printed literature may only be distributed in designated areas.
For more information, view the full Posting (D-505.13) policy.
Thanks for helping keep our campus organized and welcoming!
