For the week of April 5, 2004

From the 6th floor

Let the sun shine! Let the sun shine! But don't let it fool you, it's still pretty chilly out. Temperatures have been hanging around in the lower 40s the past couple days, but the sunshine sure is nice to see. I hope folks are enjoying it because I took a look at the forecast for the rest of the week and I saw some snowflakes on the map. Swell. I have not been able to find any flowers poking their heads out of the ground yet. Of course, any flower around here probably knows that there's no point in arriving early because they'll probably just be covered in snow at some point.

Alumni continue to do their part

Alumni throughout the state of Michigan continue to support Northern Michigan University by making their voices heard with their local legislators. Alumni in targeted areas have been asked to help Northern by contacting their legislator and encouraging them to continue funding higher education in a fair manner.

Why are we contacting these legislators? Legislators listen to voters in their region and they want to know that voters back home are supportive of their actions. In the term-limited legislature decisions on all budget issues, including the funding of higher education and NMU, are made by the members of the Appropriations Committee and Legislative leadership. This is a small but very important group.

One of the additional benefits of this project is reading what alumni have to say about Northern. I have seen some wonderful letters over the past few weeks. There is no doubt Northern has had a tremendous impact on the lives of her students. Reading the letters only reaffirms that belief. Here is just one example:

"Dear Representative Stewart,
I am a voter in your district, and a graduate of Northern Michigan University. I am writing you to offer my thoughts on funding for higher education, since you are an important part of that legislative process, which I understand is being decided upon in the coming weeks. I attended Northern Michigan University from 1993-97, graduating with a bachelor’s degree in public relations, and I was employed by the University as its Assistant Sports Information Director from 1999-2001. I have a lot of love and loyalty to NMU, and that is why I feel compelled to write you about its funding.
The education I received at NMU has been very beneficial to me in my career. Not only was I given a top-notch education, but my extra-curricular activities on campus provided me with the tools and experience necessary to be extremely marketable right out of college. I have spent over seven years in the sports information profession and have received numerous accolades for my media relations and sports information skills. I attribute all of that to what I learned while I was attending Northern Michigan University....
...As you decide upon the budget for higher education in the coming weeks, specifically for that of Northern Michigan University, I ask you to consider the effects NMU has had on graduates like me – a rich education and unmatched on-campus experience that provided me with the tools necessary to be successful in my career. If we continue to cut funding to the state’s universities, we will continue to drive the price of tuition up to the point where normal students – like I was when I attended NMU – and their parents cannot afford a college education. In addition, we will continue to force schools like NMU to cut back on programs that benefit its students’ marketability and overall education.
Michigan’s universities are key to a strong economy in our state. This view is shared by Gov. Granholm, who wants to double the number of college graduates in the state over the next 10 years to boost the state’s economy. Please make the move for better funding for higher education, and specifically Northern Michigan University. Not only will it benefit the current and future students of the state’s universities, but ultimately, it will benefit the state itself...."
Sincerely,
Paul W. Thomas

If you have been asked to write a letter to your legislator and you haven't done so yet, please take a moment to do that. You would be surprised what a big difference a few letters can make.

Tickets to go on sale Monday, April 12th

Meet the coach Tour the facility Walk the turf Visit the broadcast studio Eat in the Lions cafeteria

Ticket Prices Ticket price includes all food and beverage: $100 for NMU Alumni Association members * $125 for non members * $ 50 for ages 13-18 $ 25 for ages 12 and under * A portion of your ticket is tax-deductible.

ASNMU elects technology

Want to know if being a student today is much different than it was when you were on campus? Check out what the candidates for NMU's student government have to say.
Technology is playing a more dominant role in the election process – from online campaigning/fundraising to casting votes electronically. A local example of this trend is the ASNMU election at Northern Michigan University. ASNMU has conducted online voting in recent years, increasing student participation to a level noticeably higher than the national average. But this year’s event takes it a step further by using technology to create more educated voters in advance of the election.
Four of the five candidates for ASNMU president agreed to participate in a debate that was recorded and “streamed” so that students can play it back online at their convenience. The recording will also be broadcast periodically on NMU cable channel 20 before voting begins at midnight on April 6. Students can cast electronic ballots through midnight on April 7. To see the debate, go to www.acs.nmu.edu/media.php#asnmu.

New president may be on campus for university forum

Northern's final university forum of the year will be held from 3-5 p.m., Wednesday, April 21, in the Whitman Hall commons area. While he won't officially be on the job until later this summer, Dr. Leslie Wong, NMU's new president, is expected to attend the forum. The primary focus of the discussion will be the budget options that will be presented to the NMU Board of Trustees at its April 29-30 meeting.

Your Annual Fund contributions are making a difference

The interviewing process for the NMU-Washington Center Internship Scholarship program has been completed. A five-person committee consisting of two faculty members, two staff members and a former Washington Center student intern interviewed each of the 22 applicants, reviewing their academic records, resumes and policy essay. The applicants represented 12 different majors. Congratulations to the five scholarship recipients: John Arenz (English/political science), Tia Armstrong (technical communications), Emily Belland (public relations), Georgia Karageorge (political science, pre-law), and Leah Kippola (political science, pre-law).
The $4,500 scholarships to intern in Washington D.C. are supported by the NMU Development Fund (an example of how gifts to the Annual Fund at NMU are used) and the College of Arts and Sciences. An additional 10 applicant names were forwarded to the Washington Center where they will be reviewed for external funding. Our work with the Washington Center over many years has often resulted in substantial additional funding for NMU students.

Additional kudos

English professor Austin Hummel has won the Del Sol Poetry Prize. His new book, Poppy, was selected from 410 manuscripts and will be printed by the Del Sol Press (Boston) this spring. … Kerri Schuiling, director of NMU’s School of Nursing has been selected one of this year’s 12 fellows of the American College of Nurse-Midwives. … Robert Mueller, a 1982 NMU graduate and a current music professor at the University of Arkansas, was on campus last weekend to conduct one of his compositions that was being performed by the Marquette Symphony. … If you are an NFL fan, you might be interested to learn that NMU alumnus Jerry Glanville '62 and Ray Carolin were part of an NFL Alumni group that recently returned from a trip to visit U.S. military troops stationed in Iraq. … Two graduates of NMU’s Clinical Laboratory Sciences department will make presentations about their Mayo Clinic research on Friday, April 16, in Mead Auditorium. This event helps to kick off the department’s celebration of National Medical Laboratory Week (April 18-24) and is part of the department’s accreditation visit for the diagnostic genetics program.

Keep watching USA Today....we're still on the schedule

If you will recall, last week I told you to keep your eyes open when reading USA Today. No, you didn't miss it....the article just hasn't shown up yet. Marquette County is a finalist for the “America’s Most Livable Communities” Award. County leaders have been told that the announcement of the winners will be made in a USA TODAY story that is expected to run this week, maybe as early as Wednesday. So, watch for that news story.

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