Archive for May 2009

No, summer is not over :)  But the “signs” are, so it should be good ol’ summer for a little while.  No signs, clues, hints, or possibilities…just summer.

These last few showcase one of the more unique pieces of living in Houghton.  Every so often we have the privilege of having large ships or boats docked in town.  In this case, the Great Lakes Maritime Academy thought we were worthy of an overnight stop on their spring cruise, which we are

What a beautiful site.  Not too many places see this on a regular basis, but our location mixed in with a vibrant town makes it an ideal stop.

Last week we had a day that reached 90 degrees (94 to be exact). The warm air brought warm winds with it, which proved to be a double edged sword.

First: the good. The windsurfing was excellent and it was great to be back in (not on frozen) water. I have seen lots of kayaks running around town, and several sailboats and fishing boats. Living close to so many bodies of water that vary in size from the largest inland lake in the land (Lake Superior), to small ponds, offers a ton of variety when it comes to water sports. Choose your favorite, and go for it!

The other side of the sword (that was a lot sharper), was the wildfires. Two wildfires burned well over 1,300 acres of our beautiful, pristine forest, and displaced tens of residents.

These two photos are of the Pinery Lake Wildfire, which scorched about 500 acres near L’Anse, MI.

Next photo essay; the Michigan Meritime Academy’s boat docks in Houghton for a night!

Summer Post 1

Well, I’ve been waiting to do a post as I gather all of the photos I’ve taken over the past few days. The weather is really starting to get nice ’round here, which we’ll talk about as we post photos. But seeing as I’m STILL not done fishing through pics, I’ve decided to start small.
Tuesday was really the first day that I felt summer was here (or VERY near). I walked out of the building I work in, and noticed a nice display of flowers and the trees starting to sport some leaves.

But, I didn’t want to spend too much time looking down. The sky was as pretty blue as I’ve seen it in a very long time. The days are getting longer, and the temps not getting so cool at night. If you’ve never heard it, I’ll say it again: Summers in Houghton are unbeatable!

Can’t wait to share some of the amazing things that have happened in just the last two days. Record temps, wildfires, big boats and seriously breathtaking views. Sometimes, one can’t move slow enough to take it all in.
Consider this post “the teaser”.

Greg Maino of Juskuz Photography snapped a few shots of commencement and I thought I’d share some. If you’ve never been to a commencement before, what a moving experience it can be. Seeing your brothers, sisters, sons, daughters, and friends be rewarded for their hard work can be almost overwhelming. And for students, it most likely will be one of the more culminating moments in your life. Of course it’s terribly exciting, too!

Campus has been quiet, as expected, since most of our students have gone home for the summer. We still have about 1,000 students remaining, and they’re in for a real treat. Houghton in the summer is unbeatable and I can’t wait for summer to be in full swing. Today’s a bit cool and windy, but plenty of nice days ahead I’m sure!

This past Saturday, May 2, was Spring Commencement at Michigan Tech. Having not been to a commencement celebration since my own (which was more years ago than I can believe), I decided to take in the experience.

The day began with the Army and Air Force ROTC joint commissioning ceremony at the Rozsa Center. This year, eighteen cadets were commissioned at Second Lieutenants in their respective branch of the military. We rose for the National Anthem, watched as the Air Force drill team performed, and witnessed these young men and women move from ROTC cadet and college student to officers in the US military.

What impressed me most about this ceremony was the blend of official proceedings and personal touches. It was beautifully simple and touching. After repeating the oath of office, the cadet’s family members joined him or her on stage. The family members pinned the new rank to the cadet’s uniform.

Family members and special guests were then recognized. In most cases mothers and wives were presented with flowers. The newly commissioned officer then shared his or her first salute with a senior officer. In many cases this salute was with a member of Michigan Tech’s ROTC detachment, but in some cases military family members (fathers, a twin sister, and grandfather) participated in this honor.

Fast forward 90 minutes and commencement was underway. The McInnes Ice Arena at the Student Development Complex was transformed for the big day. If you’re wondering, we remove the ice…no skates required. There was your usual mix of speeches and recognitions before presenting 900 degrees to eager graduates.

We were honored to have Lt. Col. Otha Thornton, a presidential communications officer, and Michigan Tech alumnus be the featured speaker. Otha shared some exceptional words of wisdom with graduates and encouraged them to be aware of their thoughts, as thoughts become words… to be aware of their words, as words become actions. At the start of his speech he promised he would “be brief, be brilliant, and be gone.” And he kept his promise. He knew he was the only thing standing between several years of hard work and those coveted diplomas.

Each student then walked across the platform and received their diploma. And yes, we read every student’s name individually. No informal mass graduation proceedings here.

To top it all off…the pep band lead the graduates from the arena. You can’t ask for more of a Michigan Tech experience than that!