Success Story: VisComm graduate Aaron Draplin designs a postage stamp

Mar 13, 2019 | Intercom, Student News

March 13, 2019

Postage stamps are barely a single square inch, but designing one that will be available next week ranks among the biggest moments in the career of NMC alumnus Aaron Draplin.

Draplin, a 1993 visual communications graduate who now runs Draplin Design Studio in Portland, Ore., is the designer of the Star Ribbon, a commemorative stamp the U.S. Postal Service will officially release on March 22.

Draplin  said in a February Instagram post that “tears (were) rolling down my cheeks” when he was notified of his patriotically-themed design’s selection. It is one of five first-class stamps to be released next week and will get the largest print run, “in the millions” according to Postal Service spokesman Roy Betts. It will be available in sheets of 20 and coils of 10,000.

Draplin said the universal availability of stamps is what appeals to him.

“Everyone needs a stamp. Everyone gets to enjoy the art on them. Too many times, art and design is only for those who can afford it. Stamps? They are a democratization of design. And that? That’s my favorite kind of graphic design,” he posted on Instagram.

Betts said the office receives 30,000–40,000 suggestions for stamp subjects each year. Suggestions are vetted to be sure they meet criteria — for instance, living subjects cannot be featured on stamps. The vetted list is then reviewed by the Citizens Stamp Advisory Committee, appointed by the U.S. Postmaster General.

“They see stamps as a way to tell America’s story, not only here in the United States but throughout the world,” Betts said.

The Postmaster General then makes the final selection. About 5,000 subjects have been featured on stamps since the U.S. Postal Service was founded in 1847.

“It’s one of the nation’s highest honors.” Betts said. “The postal service is proud to tell America’s story from a historical perspective.”

Draplin’s design firm has worked with clients ranging from Ford Motor Co. to the Obama administration. He grew up in Michigan and last returned to NMC in 2015, in conjunction with an exhibition at the Dennos Museum Center. He said the VisComm program offered him a taste of everything in the design world. “I learned how to take a photo, draw naked bodies, paint, build a portfolio, sculpt, draw in rigid perspective, write a paper, get lost in Roman architecture, and, design a logo in this new stuff called ‘design software,’” Draplin said in an NMC newsletter. “I packed in so much. It took me a couple years to realize how much they unlocked in me. Everyone escapes their hometown. I did as soon as I could, but did it armed. Armed with a great foundation. And I’m thankful to NMC for that privilege.”

Free screening of Straws documentary at the Dennos

Mar 12, 2019 | Intercom, Student News

When: Wednesday, March 20

Where: The Dennos Museum – Milliken Auditorium

Doors open at 5:30 p.m. and film will begin at 6 p.m. (33 mins long). There will be community discussion and refreshments will also be provided.

Hoping to raise awareness about the excessive plastic pollution within our Great Lakes and how even the smallest of changes can have a huge impact. Plastic takes over 500 years to decompose! And plastic waste is now becoming one of the greatest threats to our lakes.

Register now for Big Little Hero Race April 13

Mar 6, 2019 | Intercom, Student News

TRAVERSE CITY — Students in the Professional Communications class at Northwestern Michigan College are hosting the fifth annual Big Little Hero Race in support of Big Brother Big Sisters of Northwestern Michigan on Saturday, April 13, 2019.

Every year the Big Little Hero Race team chooses a local hero to lead the fun run and recognize during award ceremony. This year the class sought nominations from the public and selected Ty Schmidt, the co-founder of Norte, a nonprofit youth cycling and pro-bike, pro-walk advocacy group in Traverse City.

The superhero-themed race will be held on NMC’s main campus near the Health & Science Building. The event will include:

• 1 mile fun run/walk: Free to participate & free cape for kids
• 5K run/walk: $20 for students, $30 for adults
• 10K run: $20 for students, $30 for adults

Register before March 18 for early bird prices and to guarantee a free race t-shirt. In 2017 the Big Little Hero Race was voted new favorite local race by the Traverse City Track Club.

This costume-encouraged event begins at 9 a.m. with the 1-mile fun run, followed by the officially-timed 5K and 10K at 9:30 a.m. There will also be family-friendly activities until 12:30 p.m. including food, carnival games and a silent auction.

There will be awards for:

•      Best male costume
•      Best female costume
•      Best child costume (male and female)
•      Best team costume

There will be medals for:

•      Top 3 best times for each age group for males
•      Top 3 best times for each age group for females

In its five years the Big Little Hero race has raised more than $80,000 for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Northwestern Michigan in support of their goal “to provide children facing adversity with strong and enduring, professionally-supported one-to-one relationships that change their lives for the better.”

To register and for more information please visit: biglittleherorace.com

Release date: march 6, 2019

For more information:

Kristy McDonald
Business Instructor
(231) 995-1059
kmcdonald@nmc.edu

Elizabeth Manor
Student Marketing Leader
(231) 384-0857
manor1@mail.nmc.edu

Success Story: NMC-Traverse House partnership wins award

Feb 27, 2019 | Intercom, Student News

February 27, 2019

Brenda Clifton and Scott WilliamsDishwasher is not a job that lands on many top-ten career lists, meaning many hospitality employers, including NMC’s Hagerty Center, struggle to find them.

But for someone like Brenda Clifton, it can be life-changing.

“It helps me a lot because it gives me responsibility,” said Clifton, the Hagerty Center’s newest kitchen steward, who was initially hired through a transitional employment partnership with Traverse House, a unit of Northern Lakes Community Mental Health. “People depend on me to be there.”

Next month, the Hagerty Center will accept a statewide award for the partnership, which offers a vulnerable population an important hand up to independence and addresses an NMC strategic goal of building collaborative relationships.

“Of our independently employed individuals, probably 70 percent have been placed in a transitional experience,” said Traverse House Director Hannah Driver. She nominated the Hagerty Center, led by Executive Chef Scott Williams and Director Chad Schenkelberger, for the award, to be presented by state Rep. Larry Inman.

“They had faith in us and faith in our program, and it’s worked out wonderfully,” Driver said. “We choose the best employers.”

Under the program, two Traverse House members work as Hagerty Center kitchen stewards between 12 to 15 hours per week for six to nine months. Traverse House selects the employees, bypassing the interview process. Selected employees get work experience and an employer reference. After the transition period, ideally the individual goes on to independent employment, and a new Traverse House member takes the kitchen steward job.

Clifton, 63, says it’s the best job she’s ever had.

“I love it. The people there are really nice,” said Clifton, who now works up to 20 hours a week. She can walk to work from her home, and it offers structure to her life.

Transitional employees are usually scheduled for shorter shifts during the day. Traverse House provides backup if the employee misses work. Williams credited the entire Hagerty Center team for helping Clifton adapt to the often hectic work environment.

“It can be an intimidating environment, walking into a kitchen, for anybody,” he said, noting that Hagerty meals often seat 200 people.

Since completing the transition period, Clifton can work longer shifts on nights and weekends and doesn’t need much supervision, Williams said.

“She’s a rock star now. We love having her.”

Schenkelberger agreed the center benefits as much as the employee. “This position traditionally has one of the highest turnover rates in the hospitality industry. So this partnership has brought us a sense of security knowing we have additional members of Traverse House looking to fill the position if a spot opens up,” he said.

In fact, Williams is hoping to convert another Traverse House transitional employee to permanent status: Justin Reed, 32. For his part, Reed, a former Goodwill Inn resident, says both employment and housing help him get through daily challenges.

“I would be more hesitant to work at that employer, if there wasn’t support,” he said. “I’m a strong advocate for mental health services.”