Dear NMC Students, Faculty and Staff:
I hope you are having a successful fall semester! As we welcome November, I hope you are looking forward to Thanksgiving as much as I am. To make sure we can all share in this important tradition I am asking for your help.
For the tenth annual year, Kristy McDonald’s Professional Communications class is partnering with the NMC Food Pantry and Big Brothers Big Sisters of Northwestern Michigan to donate to 125 families in the Traverse City community. Boxes–each of which feeding approximately six people–will be distributed at the NMC gym on November 20.
If you are enrolled at NMC as a student (part-time or full-time), you can apply to receive a full Thanksgiving meal for you and your family. The process will be confidential and convenient. The boxes also supplement for the days after the holiday itself, easing any uncertainty families might have.
Any monetary contributions that are collected in our month-long drive results in donors having the chance to win prizes like a weekend stay at the Delamar Hotel, an Elev8 family climbing package, a wine tasting for six at Chateau Chantal, and other prizes by donating $10 or more at nmc.edu/give. (Choose the amount, select “designate my gift to other,” and type in “Thanks For Giving.”) Donors can only enter the prize drawing once. Winners will be announced after the Thanksgiving holiday.
Community members also have the option to donate at a glow skate event hosted by our class on November 3 between 6:30 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. at the Howe Ice Arena in the Traverse City Civic Center. Admission will be $10 to enter and $5 to rent ice skates.
The final option to assist is to donate pop cans in their marked bins, found in NMC’s North Hall, East Hall, Timothy J. Nelson Innovation Center and Parsons-Stulen Building. The bins will be collected twice a week from now until November 13. If any departments are interested in donating items, please contact Meredith Kilbourn at kilbou14@mail.nmc.edu.
Thank you for your help. Together we can ensure all Hawk Owls have a memorable Thanksgiving!
Nick
Esports correspondent Michael Stevens
By offering new credentials in Esports, NMC, Ferris State University and a handful of others now stand where giant, influential powerhouses like the NFL and NBA stood 70 to 100 years ago.
That’s what Michael Stevens (right), Esports correspondent and meteorologist for TV 9&10 thinks. With eight years of experience in the still-fledgling Esports field, he’s in a better position to know than almost anyone else in northern Michigan. And as NMC prepares to launch its Esports Management Certificate, which feeds into a business associate degree or a bachelor’s degree at Ferris, Stevens believes the enrollment will follow.
“We continue to see programs like NMC and Ferris run with it, making examples for colleges to follow,” said Stevens. “Michigan has a Mecca of great collegiate Esports programs.”
NMC started offering varsity Esports in 2021. That led to the creation of the certificate. Careers in Esports include coaching, event casting and streaming, event security, marketing, management, content creation and design, and more. None of those jobs existed even in 2008, when STevens graduated from college with a meteorology degree.
“Things have really changed,” said Stevens, 37, whose gaming handle is Flake of Wrath. “My job now is weather man and video games.”
Stevens forged that second career path due to his love of gaming, which dates to high school. He started streaming in 2015. He recruited four students who won a $4.5 million prize in the Fortnite world cup in 2019. At 9&10, he created a show, the OneUp XP Show.
“There was never a career path in video games, otherwise I would have probably pursued that,” said Stevens. “I made it my job.”
What NMC’s certificate will do is create that career path for students like he was. Professional playing opportunities will be reserved for elite players. But a wide range of careers will develop around them, just like it has around football, basketball, hockey, soccer and others.
“One thing that’s super special about esports is you’re getting the first generation of kids who are pros, and now they’re stepping out and doing the education,” Stevens said.
NMC is developing five new courses for the certificate. Those plus three existing classes in public speaking, management and digital imaging constitute the certificate.
“So many potential students or current students are gamers. This will be a different path for them, to take something they love doing and make it into a career.”
To find these selections and many other new titles, see the NMC library catalog.
Stop by the Hawk Owl Café on Wednesday, November 15 for a traditional Thanksgiving meal.
Featured menu items include:
The complete meal is $9.00 and will be available during 11:30 a.m.–1:30 p.m. and 4:30–6:30 pm.
11/1/23 UPDATE: NMC’s pitch won $5,000 with another $35,000 pending completion of a feasibility study by March 2024.
TRAVERSE CITY — An NMC team is competing today for a prize that would allow the college to update its construction technology curriculum to include potentially revolutionary 3D wall printing capability.
NMC’s team is among six finalists at today’s National Association for Community College Entrepreneurship Pitch for the Trades competition in Nashville, Tenn. Construction Coordinator Carolyn Andrews and two members of NMC’s Office of Possibilities (OOPS)are seeking the maximum $50,000 prize for a 3D printer and supporting materials to make building homes more affordable, sustainable and faster.
“We are asking for that money to help us introduce 3D printing homes into our curriculum,” Andrews said. “We need to do whatever we can to solve some of this housing crisis and labor shortage.”
Through 2027, the Grand Traverse region has a housing gap of more than 31,000 units according to Housing North, a nonprofit housing advocate. More than 22,000 for sale units are needed and 8,800 rental units. In both categories, lower-priced housing is in the highest demand.
3D printing accomplishes this by using a robotic arm to build a programmed wall from a single material like concrete. Andrews said a single-story home could be printed in a day with three people. A traditional stick frame home would require a bigger crew and take multiple days or weeks, which increases the cost.
“You’re getting something done a lot more efficiently with less people,” she said.
In addition, materials like concrete are much less vulnerable to threats like hurricanes, flooding, and fires, which are becoming increasingly common with climate change.
“It’s actually a better home than your traditionally-framed home,” Andrews said.
NMC students will get their first chance to try the technology this fall when they join pitch team member Al Everett’s private company, Thrive TC, to build the region’s first 3D-printed home. It will break ground in November, Andrews said.
“We want students out there,” Andrews said. “We’ve been building the same way we have been since the 50s. Change is scary, and we haven’t embraced technology like we should.”
To advance to today’s finals, Andrews, Everett and Will Kitchen, also of OOPS, delivered a virtual pitch earlier this month. The idea is backed by leaders from both the Michigan and Grand Traverse area Home Builders Association, Andrews said.
“They are in strong support of it,” she said.
Andrews also thinks it will boost NMC enrollment.
“The fact that we’re embracing technology and giving students a unique opportunity for a specific skill, that’s going to set them apart for higher paying jobs,” she said.
NMC has budgeted $35,000 for a printer that utilizes a 3D robotic arm to create panelized walls, $10,000 for curriculum development and faculty training, and $5,000 for innovation mindset credential development and ecosystem support
Pitch results are expected Tuesday morning. The judges have discretion on how to divide a $150,000 prize pot among the six finalists.
“As an optimist, I believe we will make a positive impression and have a good chance of coming back with something,” said Kitchen, a founder of OOPS.
Cari Noga
NMC Communications Director
cnoga@nmc.edu
(231) 392-1800 (call or text)
The Dennos welcomes visitors to kick off the 2023 holiday gift shopping season at the 24th annual Holiday Artist Market on Friday, Nov. 3 and Saturday, Nov. 4 from 9 a.m.–4 p.m.. Visitors will discover a unique variety of artful gifts in a lively and festive marketplace.
30 artists will have work on display in the museum’s sculpture Court and Milliken Auditorium lobby as well as sweet treats for purchase from Le Macaron.
The museum’s beloved raffle returns this year to support K–12 tours to the museum with prizes generously donated by artists and local businesses! Be sure to bring cash for ticket purchases.
NMC staff and students receive 10% off regularly priced items in the Museum Store.
Admission is free to all.
Thanksgiving Break is coming soon, don’t forget to protect yourself and your family by getting your shot! This time of year it’s especially important to keep yourself healthy so that you can enjoy the holidays with family and friends.
Student Health Services has flu shots available. The cost is $15/student and $20/staff (for those without NMC health insurance).
Walk-ins are welcome. Appointments can be made by calling (231) 995-1255.
Don’t miss your opportunity to prevent catching the flu and protecting those around you as well.
TRAVERSE CITY — The community is invited to join NMC at its annual Veterans Day and Mariners Memorial services, both to be held Friday, Nov. 10.
Veterans Day:
11 a.m.: Flag raising ceremony at flagpoles, east of Tanis Building on Front Street campus, 1701 E. Front St.
Afterward, NMC student veterans, active duty and veteran alumni are invited to enjoy a free lunch at the Hawk Owl Café in the Timothy J. Nelson Innovation Center. Contact Alex Walsh for more information, (231) 995-2579.
48th annual Mariners Memorial:
Noon: Service honoring the crew of the Edmund Fitzgerald and all mariners who have perished on the Great Lakes and oceans. Courtyard, Great Lakes campus, 715 E. Front St.
The Mariners Memorial Service is sponsored by the Student Propeller Club, Port 150, of the Great Lakes Maritime Academy. Guests may enter through the glass exhibition hall and proceed into the outdoor courtyard on the north side (harbor side) of the building. For more information, call the Academy at (231) 995-1200.
Cari Noga
Communications Director
cnoga@nmc.edu
(231) 392-1800 (call or text)
Versiti Blood is holding a mobile blood drive on Thursday, November 2 from 11:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. The drive will occur in the Versiti mobile bus near the Timothy J. Nelson Innovation Center.
Those who donate will receive a $10 e-gift card and will be entered to win one of three project prizes valued at $2,500.
Appointments are preferred, but walk-ins are welcome.
For questions, contact Susan Street, Senior Representative of Versiti, at sstreet@versiti.org.
Stop by the Campus Bookstore on Tuesday, October 31 and show us your costume to receive 31% off one item!
NMC’s Campus store is located in the first floor of the Health Science Building (#7 on the campus map).
Drop-in tutoring sessions for CIT students enrolled in the Developer program are available.
Students can receive assistance during these times:
Stop by room 14 of the Timothy J. Nelson Innovation Center to visit in-person or join remotely via Zoom (https://nmc.zoom.us/j/97686028138).
Sponsored by NMC Tutoring Services (231) 995-1138.
Do you have a quick question about your schedule? Are you curious if your class will transfer? Are you meeting your degree requirements at NMC?
Let us help. The Academic & Career Advising Center will host “Walk-In Wednesdays” from now until the end of the fall semester. Pop in for quick questions, or to schedule a time to have a full conversation with your advisor.
We will be available from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. in room 116 of the Timothy J. Nelson Innovation Center or on Zoom.
We look forward to helping you connect with resources on campus and making the most out of your time at NMC.
The Health & Science Building atrium on NMC’s main campus will be used as a polling place from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Tuesday, November 7 for Precinct 9 voters to cast their ballots. Some parking in the Cedar lot will be set aside for voters at those times.
The NMC Bookstore will be closed that day as well, and will reopen with normal hours on Wednesday, November 8.
Do you have a project or an idea and need help bringing it to fruition? Join one of the two design thinking workshops that are being offered in November and February.
This hands-on series will introduce the Design Thinking process to NMC faculty, staff, students, and community stakeholders. Together, we’ll:
The workshops will be facilitated by Brittany VanderBeek and Nick Beadleston who will frame “how might we” questions for small breakout groups to learn how the design thinking process can help participants innovate and meet their goals through collaborative in-session and out-of-class activities.
Have a midterm this week?
Research shows that spending time with dogs can reduce anxiety and generate feelings of happiness.
McKinley is a professionally trained expert at brightening your mood!
He will be at the Osterlin Building on October 18–20 from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p,m.
Stop by for some furry encouragement!
TRAVERSE CITY — Northwestern Michigan College (NMC) Professional Communications students are helping local families this Thanksgiving with the tenth annual Food for Thought Thanks-for-Giving experiential learning project.
Student goals are to improve their professional communication skills through experiential learning and to help their community by donating 125 boxed Thanksgiving day dinners for families to take home and cook. The class is partnering with the NMC Food Pantry and Big Brothers Big Sisters of Northwestern Michigan to donate to NMC student families and families in the Traverse City community. Boxes will be distributed at the NMC gym on November 20.
“It feels good to know that we’re serving the community and learning at the same time, instead of taking this class solely for the purpose of getting the credits we need to graduate,” said student Meredith Kilbourn.
Donations are being collected in a month-long drive where donors have the chance to win prizes like a weekend stay at the Delamar Hotel, an Elev8 family climbing package, a wine tasting for six at Chateau Chantal, and other prizes by donating $10 or more at nmc.edu/give. (Choose the amount, select “designate my gift to other,” and type in “Thanks For Giving.”) Donors can only enter the prize drawing once. Winners will be announced after the Thanksgiving holiday.
Community members also have the option to donate at a glow skate event hosted by the NMC class on November 3 between 6:30 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. at the Howe Ice Arena in the Traverse City Civic Center. The glow skate will be $10 to enter and $5 to rent ice skates.
The final option to assist in their efforts would be to donate pop cans in their marked bins, found in NMC’s North Hall, East Hall, Timothy J. Nelson Innovation Center and Parsons-Stulen Building. The bins will be collected twice a week from now until November 13. Pick-up/drop-off options are available by contacting one of the individuals below.
Isabella Cronk
Marketing Leader
(231) 649-3534
Cronki@mail.nmc.edu
Kristy McDonald
Business Instructor
(231) 995-1059
Kmcdonald@nmc.edu
NMC Freshwater Studies program student Kyle Warnes collects a water sample from the mouth of the Boardman/Ottaway river.NMC students have added a new first for freshwater research to a lengthy track record this semester, even as the results are creating cause for concern.
Biology instructor Nick Roster’s students are sampling the Boardman/Ottaway River for microplastics. He believes it’s the first time the river’s been studied for these particles, which have relatively recently joined a lengthy list of threats to the watershed. The first round of samples showed microplastics present in 23 of 24 sample sites spread from Kalkaska to the mouth of the river at West Grand Traverse Bay.
“The students are excited because they found it, but we’re depressed because they found it,” Roster said. “Emerging pollutants are all a concern, but we have no idea of how big a concern they should be.” Their research will establish a baseline for the Boardman/Ottaway.
In addition, they’re gaining experiential learning, which NMC seeks to offer to every student in its strategic plan.
“NMC’s really great at this type of class. All three of my classes are in the field,” said Dylan Frey, 24, a Freshwater Studies student in Roster’s class.
“The research portion I love,” agreed classmate Kaylin Severance, 20. “I’m planning to go into medicine, and research is such a big aspect of that.”
Last week, Severance, Frey and their classmates were at the mouth of the river, where it empties into West Grand Traverse Bay under Grandview Parkway, pulling a sample to take back to campus and analyze. Roster held the feet of Kyle Warnes, 19, who stretched out on the pavement next to the water and scooped one liter into a stainless-steel bottle.
The students were beginning their second round of samples. Sampling will continue monthly in November and December. Back in the classroom they’ll analyze the samples and begin to discern what the results mean. Microplastics are defined as less than five millimeters. The sampling has turned up concentrations ranging from 14 pieces per liter to hundreds.
“I didn’t think there was going to be that much at all,” Frey said. “Realizing we have a plethora of microplastics is really disappointing.”
“It’s quite shocking,” agreed Severance, of Kalkaska. “A portion of that river runs behind my house. I’ve been in that water since I was young.”
Ingested microplastics bioaccumulate, Roster said, with the impact increasing up the food chain. The forever chemicals can break down further into nanoplastics, and trigger physical effects.
“Part of our research will be looking at fish,” Roster said. Fish collected from the watershed will be dissected to determine if the plastics have been ingested.
“They’re being real scientists. How can we start to use this knowledge to lessen the impacts of plastic in the watershed?” Roster said.
Heather Smith, waterkeeper for The Watershed Center Grand Traverse Bay, said the students’ research could “drive some real change.” The Traverse City nonprofit advocates for clean water and acts to protect and preserve the bay’s watershed.
“That local data could be really impactful for making real change in our communities,” Smith said. Rethinking stormwater systems, better trash pickup programs, and drinking water filtration are among the possibilities.
Frey said the class is already changing his individual behavior. He checks the detergents he uses and his clothing labels, trying to avoid polyesters and synthetics in favor of more natural materials.
“This class has been a huge eye opener about what we as a society contribute to the pollutants, that we don’t even know about,” he said.
The river data so far is consistent with findings of microplastics in both West and Suttons bays by the Inland Seas Association, Smith said. Growing the body of data is helpful for motivating change.
“It makes it really hard to say, ‘oh no, it’s not a problem,’ “ she said. “There’s a tendency to believe microplastic pollution is only concentrated in really urban areas.”
Roster’s class continues a practice of NMC students getting their hands wet, so to speak, since the founding of the Great Lakes Water Studies Institute in 2004. Recent student research, typically in collaboration with multiple local partners, has included:
The Michigan State Police will be conducting training with the NMC Police Academy on Monday, October 23. This training will take place at the north end of the Maple parking lot and that area will be closed to the public. If you notice an increased State Police presence during that time, please note that it is for training purposes.