Wellness
Step Challenge Reminder! Please enter your steps! The Race Around the World challenge ends Thursday, Oct. 18. Don’t miss your opportunity to be entered into a prize drawing!
Employee Anniversaries – October
The following employees are celebrating an anniversary soon. Please join us in congratulating them! (more…)
Kudos!
Kudos to Marguerite Cotto: Marguerite contributed a substantial amount of effort to translating text for Ellie Harold’s exhibition “Bird’s Fly In.” We appreciate her contribution to the arts and to this very special exhibition for our community.
Kudos to Todd Parker: On behalf of all of us at the Dennos Museum Center, a special thanks to Todd Parker for all that he did to help us connect “Away from Home: American Indian Boarding Schools” with our campus and community audiences. Todd went well beyond his usual job duties to help us reach out to GT Band and LTBB stakeholders to build a more meaningful conversation around this timely and important topic.
Experts suggest maintaining an “attitude of gratitude” increases positivity for yourself and for others. Please encourage your colleagues by submitting a KUDOS. Let them know you appreciate their hard work and are thinking of them!
Internal Promotion
Skylar Berry has been recently promoted to Financial Aid Office Assistant.
IAF hosts talk with Vanessa Acker, US State Dept. Office of Russian Affairs
On Thursday, Oct. 21 at 6 p.m. EDT the International Affairs Forum at Northwestern Michigan College will connect remotely with Vanessa Acker, political unit chief of the U.S. State Department Office of Russian Affairs to discuss the current state of US-Russian relations and strategies going forward.
Tracy N. Busch, PhD
The event will be moderated in person by Tracy N. Busch, PhD, Associate Professor of History, Ferris State University. Dr. Busch holds a Doctorate of Russian and European History from Georgetown University.
This event will be held in person at the Dennos Museum Center Milliken Auditorium and via livestream. IAF events are free to current students and educators and open to the general public, $15 at the door. Capacity is limited to 170 people inside the auditorium. Masks are required of all attendees.
Register for the livestream here, suggested donation $10. Learn more at TCIAF.com.
The Long Night Against Procrastination: MIDTERMS EDITION
The Long Night Against Procrastination returns with a first-ever midterms edition!
Come to the NMC Library in the West Hall Innovation Center Sunday, Oct. 17 to get the fuel and fortification you need to crush your midterm exams and papers. The event will run from 5 p.m. to midnight.
We’ll have snacks and hot drinks, and NMC’s Student Success Coaches will be running a build-your-own style pancake bar (!) from 6–8 p.m.
Come for the snacks and solidarity, stay for the support. Peer study groups, student success coaches, Writing and Reading Center staff, and librarians will all be on hand to help you power through the midterm crunch.
Mid-semester check-in from President Nissley
Watch the video here.
Curiosities: Food & Gratitude
Registration is open for the next session of the library’s new discussion series, Curiosities: Voyages Beyond the Stacks!
Curiosities is a ‘book club’ for those of us who are wary of a cover-to-cover commitment but still want to meet up and talk about interesting stuff with fellow lifelong learners. We welcome students, staff, faculty, and community participants!
Each session meets once a week for four consecutive weeks, discussing material ranging from podcast episodes to articles to mini-documentaries. Our next session, Food & Gratitude, will run from October 21 to November 11, meeting on Thursdays, noon–1 p.m. via Zoom.
Exploring the myriad ways that gratitude – or lack thereof – affects our experience of food, we’ll delve into the people, plants and systems that contribute to what we eat. What do we appreciate, and what is overlooked? We’ll ingest a range of sources, from economics to culture, and pair each week’s material with a suitable recipe.
Register here for Curiosities: Food & Gratitude!
Pumpkin Painting Parties & Contests Oct. 19-21
Come join us for Pumpkin Painting again this year!
Won’t be on campus? We’ll have to go kits available as well!
- Tuesday, Oct. 19: 2–5 p.m., West Hall Innovation Center
- Wednesday, Oct. 20: 1–4 p.m., West Hall Innovation Center
- Thursday, Oct. 21: Noon–1 p.m., Great Lakes Campus
Trunk or Treat
Decorate your car, get in costume, and hand out candy! Prizes for best decorations!
Want to Trick or Treat with the kids? Bring the family Wednesday, Oct. 27 from 5 to 7 p.m. for this outdoor Trunk or Treat fun!
Located in the Cherry Parking Lot across from the West Hall Innovation Center.
Karaoke & Pizza Night
Wear Neon to Glow in the blacklights while you are performing or just enjoying.
Come sing your heart out Friday, Oct. 8 starting at 7:30 p.m. and meet new people while enjoying pizza and mocktails.
Jacob’s Farm
Join us for a fun night at Jacob’s Farm Wednesday, Oct. 13 from 5–8 p.m.!
We will be doing the corn maze, having pizza, and making s’mores!
You can meet us there or we have a bus to take students there! Meet us at 4:30 outside of the Health & Science Building to catch a ride!
Save your spot through this link. Space is limited- make sure you get in!
Indigenous People’s Day
Come watch a Native American Drum and Dance Performance with special guests the Nishinabe Singers, Monday, Oct. 11, 2–4 p.m. under the pines in front of the Osterlin Building. Public welcome. Bring a lawn chair.
Sponsored by NMC’s Native American Student Organization
NMC Magazine Fall 2021 Call for Submissions
Calling all fans!
Dissect, dedicate, and escape into your favorite media with the NMC Magazine this fall. We want all your obsessive creations—from visual art to cosplay to non/fiction. Whether it’s in admiration of shows, films, books, games, bands, content creators, or a piece of satire or analysis of fan culture, we invite you to dine, cope, and dissociate with the fellowship of other stans. Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.
Submitted works can include art, design, illustration, photography, sculpture, cosplay, comics, fiction, nonfiction, poetry, essay, recipes, and more.
- Fiction/Nonfiction: 1500 word limit
- Poetry/Lyrics: 30 line limit
- Comics: 30 panels/4 pages limit
Submission Deadline: Monday, November 1st
Submit to nmcmag@mail.nmc.edu. Visit nmc.edu/nmcmagazine to complete a submission form for each entry. Hard copies can be delivered to Fine Arts (attn: Caroline Schaefer-Hills) or Scholars Hall 214 (attn: Alissia Lingaur).
Vice President of Strategic Initiatives Candidate Forum video links
Here are links to recordings of the Vice President of Strategic Initiatives Candidate Forums:
Forums included a presentation by the candidate and time for Q&A for both in person and virtual attendees. Thank you for your participation and input in this important process.
DEI Committee issues Benchmarking Report
Thank you to NMC’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion committee, which presented its State of DEI Benchmarking Report to the college last month following more than a year of work. The committee prioritized three areas of focus going forward, and will work within the strategic planning framework to explore short- and long-term initiatives.
DEI core committee members are Craig Hadley and Lisa Thomas, co-chairs; Lisa Blackford, Judy Chu, Denny Nguyen and Kerrey Woughter. More than a dozen other faculty and staff serve on subcommittees, including:
Subcommittees:
Chelsie Niemi, NMC Staff
Nicole Speelman, NMC Faculty
Nicco Pandolfi, NMC Staff (co-chair)
Hollie DeWalt, NMC Staff (co-chair)
Briana Mills, NMC Faculty (co-chair)
Marcus Bennett, NMC Staff
Diane Bolton, NMC Adjunct Instructor
Betsy Boris, NMC Faculty
Erica Cotner, NMC Staff
Taylor Nash, NMC Staff
Ben Post, NMC Staff
Alison Thornton, NMC Staff
Sarah Montgomery-Richards, NMC Adjunct Instructor (co-chair)
Sally Smarsty, NMC Staff (co-chair)
Kristy Jackson, NMC Staff
Past members:
Mark Liebling, NMC Staff
Leanne Baumeler, NMC Staff
Amari McGee, NMC Staff
Mindy Morton, NMC Adjunct Instructor
Who’s been a Hawk Owl Helper or Hero for you? Let us know at publicrelations@nmc.edu!
Media Mentions for October 4, 2021
The following college events and stories have appeared in the media recently. We want to share your media involvement too. Please send information about your NMC-related interview or appearance to publicrelations@nmc.edu. If possible, please include a link to the piece and information about where and when it was used.
Please note access to some stories may be limited by paywalls set up by the media outlet. This includes the Traverse City Record-Eagle, which limits free clicks to five per month. You may also read Record-Eagle articles in the print edition at the NMC Library.
Gaming ground: Esports make way into TC classrooms
Record-Eagle, October 3 (more…)
Free vaccine clinic 1-4 p.m. Oct. 11 at the West Hall Innovation Center
TRAVERSE CITY — A free COVID-19 vaccination clinic will be held from 1-4 p.m. Monday, Oct. 11 in the West Hall Innovation Center on NMC’s main campus.
It is open to the general public as well as NMC students, faculty and staff. Vaccinations will be administered by staff of the Traverse Health Clinic.
Release date: OCTOBER 4, 2021
For more information:
Diana Fairbanks
Associate Vice President of Public Relations, Marketing and Communications
dfairbanks@nmc.edu
(231) 995-1019
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-discriminationNMC Jazz Band Concerts at the GT Circuit
The NMC Jazz Big Band will be performing at the Grand Traverse Circuit on Thursday, Oct. 14, and the NMC Jazz Lab Band will perform there on Thursday, Oct. 28. The programs, from 7 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. each night, will also feature the Jeff Haas Trio plus Laurie Sears.
Suggested donation of $10, masks required.
The Grand Traverse Circuit is located at 225 W. 14th Street in Traverse City.
Professional Development
Learn about the NMC October Conference and other upcoming professional development opportunities for you! Sign up now for these high-quality learning opportunities that won’t impact your budget.
Read more in the PDI September Newsletter!
DEI and hiring
What is NMC doing to hire with diversity front of mind for staff and faculty? Check out this article from NMC Human Resources to learn more.
Please fill out this DEI Intercom Post Feedback Form to be part of our conversation and offer feedback or suggestions on what is being shared.
Wellness
Suicide Prevention and Awareness- Check out this newsletter from Ulliance.
Kudos!
Kudos to Julie Hansen and Deb Maison: Julie and Deb worked together to assist a student to register for two late-start classes. This prevented the student from losing her Frontliners Scholarship. Our student has been through several difficult situations in the past month, putting her education on the back burner. However, due to the quick work and understanding on behalf of Julie and Deb, our student can move forward with her education!
Kudos to Beth Norconk: Beth has been holding down the ship as many in the dept have retired or left. She fixes everyone else’s hardware and software problems and deserves a HUGE KUDOS !!!
Kudos to Jason Dake: Thanks for hosting the Introduction to Education class at the Dennos Museum. Observation and interpretation are skills that Jason typically teaches during our visit to the Museum. This year he not only taught those skills but reworked our entire visit to include the “Away From Home: American Indian Boarding School Stories” exhibit. It was very powerful and Jason did an outstanding job as always.
Kudos to Lisa Blackford: Lisa presented at the August Board of Trustees meeting during the Faculty Report. Lisa showcased the importance of social responsibility and how she creates meaningful experiences for her students. Lisa is an awesome educator who not only teaches important theories in Social Work and Psychology but also aims to create engaged and emphatic citizens. Thank you, Lisa!
Experts suggest maintaining an “attitude of gratitude” increases positivity for yourself and for others. Please encourage your colleagues by submitting a KUDOS. Let them know you appreciate their hard work and are thinking of them!
Celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month At NMC Library
I realized as I started this list that I wasn’t certain about the difference between Hispanic & Latinx. So, I did some research. Hispanic is a cultural identity of Americans who trace their roots to Spanish speaking countries. This is different from Latinx, though there is overlap. And that also means a lot of diversity! This short film is a quick primer about what it means to be Hispanic and a little info on the significance of HISPANIC HERITAGE MONTH and how it came to be.
This list includes fiction, poetry and podcasting by Hispanic-Americans, as well as work that celebrates the myriad cultures they represent.
POETRY
The Whole Island: Six Decades of Cuban Poetry, a Bilingual Anthology edited by Mark Weiss
Deeply rooted in Cuban culture, many of these poets have been at the center of political and social changes. The poems offered here constitute an essential source for understanding the literature and culture of Cuba. Presented in a beautiful Spanish-English edition.
Ameriscopia by Edwin Torres
Shattering the definition of Latino into a million little pieces, poet Edwin Torres reassembles identity into something that is more likely and at the same time unexpected, complex, and multifaceted. From conversations in cars to fast-beat lullabies, Ameriscopia is a collection that taps into rhythms both distinctive and dynamic.
The Real Horse by Farid Matuk
A sustained address to the poet’s daughter, this collection asks readers to think deeply about our place in the world, multiracial connections and intersectional feminism.
Buzzing Hemisphere : Rumor Hemisferico by Urayoán Noel
Imagines an alternative to the monolingualism of the U.S. literary and political landscape, and proposes a performance attuned to marginalized forms of knowledge, perception, and identity.
Twelve Clocks by Julie Sophia Paegle
This book consists of interconnected poems concerned with various modes of time and their relation to personal and historical events.
FICTION
Lucky Broken Girl by Ruth Behar
In 1960s New York, fifth-grader Ruthie, a Cuban-Jewish immigrant, must rely on books, art, her family, and friends in her multicultural neighborhood when an accident puts her in a body cast.
The Feast of the Goat by Mario Vargas Llosa
It is 1961. The Dominican Republic languishes under economic sanctions, the Catholic church spurs its clergy against the government from its highest ranks down, the country is arrested in bone-chilling fear. Vargas Llosa unflinchingly tells the story of a regime’s final days and the unsteady efforts of the men who would replace it.
Sabrina & Corina by Kali Fajardo-Anstine
Latinas of Indigenous descent living in the American West take center stage in this haunting debut story collection—a powerful meditation on friendship, mothers and daughters, and the deep-rooted truths of our homelands.
Don’t Hate the Player by Alexis Nedd
Sixteen-year-old Emilia, secretly a dedicated gamer, competes with her elite team in a major tournament at the same time she and her best friend are running for class president and vice president.
A Long Petal of the Sea by Isabel Allende
In the 1930s, civil war gripped Spain. Thousands are forced to flee over the mountains to the French border. Among them is a pregnant young widow who finds her life irreversibly intertwined with an army doctor. In order to survive, the two must unite in a marriage neither wants, and together embark with 2,200 other refugees in search of a new life.
Telex from Cuba by Rachel Kushner
In Havana, a cabaret dancer meets a French agitator whose seductive demeanor can’t mask his shameful past. Together they become enmeshed in the brewing political underground. When Fidel Castro leads a revolt from the mountains above the cane plantation, K.C. and Everly begin to discover the brutality that keeps the colony humming.
FILMS IN KANOPY
Explore movies in Kanopy for free. Go to nmc.kanopy.com and login using your NMC ID and password.
BEYOND THE LIBRARY: PODCASTS
Wait, Hold Up!
Hosted by Jessica Molina and Yarel Ramos, the Wait, Hold Up! podcast brings a weekly interview with luminaries on the moments that changed their lives. Molina and Ramos also delve into the latest pop culture and politics with refreshing candor. Recent highlights include an episode on changing toxic relationship patterns, immigration reform, and fighting imposter syndrome.
Tres Cuentos
Carolina Quiroga-Stultz hosts this bilingual storytelling podcast that’s dedicated to the traditional narratives of Latin America. It explores the myths, legends, and folktales that are told in the Hispanic, Indigenous, and Afro-Latin American world. It’s a truly beautiful podcast, and lit lovers will enjoy their series interviewing Latino authors across different countries and cultures.
In The Thick
If you’re looking for a daring podcast that doesn’t hesitate to feature difficult conversations, try In the Thick, hosted by award-winning journalists Maria Hinojosa and Julio Ricardo Varela. They don’t hold back when discussing race, identity, and politics with episodes that feature topics such as domestic terrorism, the cycles of trauma, and census suppression
Vice President of Strategic Initiatives Candidate Forums
Good afternoon NMC community,
We are excited to welcome three finalists for the new Vice President of Strategic Initiatives to campus next week and hope you will take the time to meet them during a series of candidate forums.
Since the spring we’ve been looking at ways to reimagine the Lifelong and Professional Learning area of the college when Marguerite Cotto announced she would retire at the end of 2021. To advance this work, and the strategic plan we are co-creating, we launched a nationwide search for a new Vice-President of Strategic Initiatives in September. You can read more about the position in NMC Now and watch my video to welcome candidates to our college and this exciting opportunity.
Now thanks to the work of search firm Spelman Johnson and our NMC search team, we have narrowed down a competitive pool of more than 90 candidates to the top three to bring to campus and meet our community.
When: 2-3 p.m. on October 4, 5, and 6, 2021 (one candidate per day)
Where: Milliken Auditorium and livestreamed via Zoom (same link for each day)
Please watch your email for more information on these upcoming forums and opportunities to provide input. If you have any questions, please contact the President’s Office. I hope to see you there!
Nick
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Nick Nissley, Ed.D. | President | Northwestern Michigan College
