Month: January 2021

All Things Winter Carnival for Alumni

Due to COVID-19, Winter Carnival 2021 will look different than years past. Blue Key is focused on maintaining a positive Winter Carnival experience for Michigan Tech students. That means changes to the all-nighter and many events going virtual. Check out the announcements on the Winter Carnival website

Alumni-Student Broomball for 2021 Canceled
With the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services restrictions regarding athletic tournaments, the alumni-student tournament will take a year off in 2021.

Make Your Own Snow Statue for the Alumni “Snow” Statue Contest
Participate at home in the most cherished of Michigan Tech traditions! The Michigan Tech Alumni Board of Directors has partnered with Blue Key and Alumni Engagement to offer a “Snow” Statue Contest for alumni and their friends and families.

We encourage all alumni to enjoy Winter Carnival 2021 from a distance. If you do venture to campus, please respect guidelines for masks, social distancing, and gatherings. Help us stay at Campus Health and Safety Level Three so we can continue our hands-on learning moving forward.

In Memoriam

October 1, 2020 – December 31, 2020
Preferred Class Full Name Degrees
1935 Raymond H. Amberger ’35 BS Mining Engineering
1942 Robert W. Sleeman ’42 BS Mining Engineering
1942 Ralph G. Swanson ’42 BS Forestry
1947 John A. Bowles ’47 BS Electrical Engineering
1948 John E. Barron ’48 BS Electrical Engineering
1948 Arne E. Erickson ’48 BS Electrical Engineering
1948 Thomas R. Erixon ’48 BS Mechanical Engineering
1950 Samuel F. Berg ’50 BS Mechanical Engineering
1950 Melvin A. Koenders ’50 BS Chemical Engineering
1950 Robert G. Lovell 50 BS Metallurgical Engineering
1950 Richard W. Peterson ’50 BS Civil Engineering
1950 John F. Viola ’50 BS Civil Engineering
1951 Patrick L. Boileau ’51 BS Mining Engineering
1951 Dr. Donald W. Bolme ’51 BS Chemical Engineering
1951 Kenneth A. Burnett ’51 BS Metallurgical Engineering
1951 R. Neil Chapman ’51 BS Mechanical Engineering
1951 Wayne P. Cooper ’51 BS Mechanical Engineering
1951 Russell L. Dahl ’51 BS Mechanical Engineering
1951 Charles A. Driver ’51 BS Forestry
1951 Richard E. Hinze ’51 BS Mechanical Engineering
1951 Paul I. Jacobson ’51 BS Civil Engineering
1952 William A. Beckquist ’52 BS Mechanical Engineering
1952 Donald R. Bergstrom, P.E. ’52 BS Electrical Engineering
1952 John P. Bogosoff ’52 BS Mechanical Engineering
1952 Richard R. DeGraff ’52 BS Chemical Engineering
1952 Thomas E. DeWan ’57 BS Metallurgical Engineering
1952 Devere C. Dickerson ’52 BS Mechanical Engineering
1952 John W. Jamar ’52 BS Mechanical Engineering
1953 Bud D. Bair ’53 BS Metallurgical Engineering
1953 Wilbert E. Beck ’53BS Civil Engineering
1953 Robert A. Masnado ’53 BS Business Engineering Admin, BS Forestry
1954 Donald R. Dobbelaire ’53 BS Mechanical Engineering
1954 Stanley J. Friesen ’54 BS Metallurgical Engineering
1955 George Babladelis ’55 BS Electrical Engineering
1955 Gordon G. Bauman ’55 BS Mechanical Engineering
1955 David A. Bruneau Jr ’55 BS Business Engineering Admin, BS Mechanical Engineering
1955 Maj. Thomas S. Crouch (Ret) ’55 BS Mining Engineering
1956 Robert J. Brey ’56 BS Mechanical Engineering
1956 John G. Ecklesdafer ’56 BS Metallurgical Engineering, BS Mining Engineering
1956 Stewart C. Oldford, Sr. ’56 BS Chemical Engineering
1957 E. Raymond Amble ’57 BS Civil Engineering
1957 William H. Anderson P.E. ’57 BS Electrical Engineering
1957 James R. Brophy Jr ’57 BS Geological Engineering
1957 Ora L. Flaningam ’57 BS Chemistry, MS Chemistry
1957 Thomas A. Gelb BS Forestry
1957 Hugh W. Gibson ’57 BS Mechanical Engineering
1957 R. Gordon Moore ’57 BS Chemical Engineering
1957 Charles H. Smith ’57 BS Mechanical Engineering
1957 Kiril Spiroff Jr BS Forestry
1957 Gene A. Warren ’57 BS Civil Engineering
1957 Joe E. Warren ’57 BS Chemical Engineering
1958 Albert M. Aittama ’58 BS Business Engineering Admin, BS Mechanical Engineering
1958 Alex H. Beanum ’58 BS Civil Engineering
1958 Elmer R. Beaudoin ’58 BS Electrical Engineering
1958 Thomas E. Connors ’58 BS Metallurgical Engineering
1959 Robert W. Arendsen ’59 BS Civil Engineering
1959 Maj. Neil E. DuBay ’59 BS Physics
1959 Thomas J. Dzakowic ’59 BS Mechanical Engineering
1959 Bruce R. McInnis ’59 BS Civil Engineering
1960 Dale R. Bero ’60 BS Mechanical Engineering
1960 Dr. Andrew M. Bray ’60 BS Mechanical Engineering
1960 James E. Clark ’60 BS Electrical Engineering
1960 Thor A. Jackola ’72 BS Mechanical Engineering
1960 Paul A. Michelin P.E. ’60 BS Civil Engineering
1960 Edward W. Olson ’60 BS Metallurgical Engineering
1960 Arthur A. Schneider ’60 BS Electrical Engineering
1962 David S. Dodge ’62 BS Electrical Engineering
1962 Earl A. Oster ’62 BS Chemical Engineering
1963 Dennis G. Barrette ’63 BS Mathematics
1963 Kenneth R. Hamilton ’63 BS Civil Engineering
1963 John M. Ivanitz ’63 BS Geological Engineering
1966 Charles J. Roberts ’66 BS Civil Engineering
1968 Dennis J. Ashworth ’68 BS Business Administration
1968 Bruce E. Hilden ’68 BS Business Administration
1968 Gary D. Masse ’68 BS Civil Engineering
1972 Craig S. Gierke ’72 BA Liberal Arts with History Opt
1972 Dr. John S. Klasner ’72 PHD Geology
1973 John M. Cadeau IV ’73 BS Mathematics
1974 Stanley R. Johns ’74 BS Forestry
1975 Thomas M. Bourgeois ’75 BS Civil Engineering
1977 Timothy K. Milson ’77 BS Electrical Engineering
1978 Miriam I. Kipina ’78 AAS Nursing Technology
1979 Joel D. Fynewever ’79 BS Electrical Engineering
1981 William E. Brush ’81 BS Business Administration
1982 Mark B. Siehling ’82 BS Electrical Engineering
1986 Stephen I. Albee ’86 BS Forestry
1999 Steven G. Nelson ’99 BS Mechanical Engineering
2011 David M. Brown ’11 BS Computer Engineering, ’11 BS Electrical Engineering
2012 Karen E. Hall ’12 MBA Business Administration
2014 Gabriel M. Martinez ’14 BS Mechanical Engineering
2019 Jacob M. Bouman ’19 BS Civil Engineering

In Memoriam — July 1–September 30, 2020

Dean of Students Bonnie Gorman Retires

Dr. Bonnie Gorman, Vice President for Student Affairs and Dean of Students, retired at the conclusion of the fall semester, ending a remarkable 24-year career at Michigan Tech.

During that time, she served in a number of key roles and collaborated with staff and students to launch Orientation Week, Make a Difference Day, Homecoming Cardboard Boats, the Waino Wahtera Center for Student Success and so much more. Bonnie was committed to student success both in and out of the classroom. Over the years, she implemented a variety of programs to help students prioritize their physical and mental health, grow as leaders, and be academically successful.

In 2014, Bonnie heard from students about their need for food assistance and within a year, she started the Husky FAN (Food Access Network).  The pantry continues to meet a critical need for students experiencing food insecurity, especially during this past year.

Bonnie is well known for her Meet the Dean of Students buttons which she distributed as a way to meet all incoming students each fall. #tenacity

Comment below to thank Bonnie for her service to Michigan Tech and share a memory.

Winter Carnival Memories

Winter Carnival began at Michigan Tech in 1922 and has been organized by Blue Key Honor Society since 1934.

With nearly 100 years of history, our students have built an amazing tradition that carries on.

The most recognizable aspect of Carnival is the building of snow statues around campus and community.

What are some of your favorite memories of Winter Carnival? What statues did you help build? Leave us a comment below!

Visit the Winter Carnival website for details and some of the history behind the event.

Show Us Your Husky Mask

Using our Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn channels back in December, we offered Michigan Tech Alumni a free mask in exchange for updating their contact info.

We’re happy to say that we’ve given out our entire supply of 1,500 masks!

Thanks to those alumni who shared photos of themselves with their masks. A gallery of photos we’ve seen is below.

Even though we’re out of masks, we encourage you to give us your updated contact information. We’ll be able to let you know about alumni reunion, future alumni events in your area or other things happening on campus. You can do so here.

If you’d like to purchase a Michigan Tech mask, they are available at University Images.

Alumni Snow Statue Contest

Calling all alumni! Participate in the most cherished of Michigan Tech traditions.

Here’s your chance to show your family and friends what an iron is really for. Or maybe you’ve had a great idea for a “snow” statue made out of something other than snow.

We know that nothing compares to snow in the Keweenaw. We also hold tightly to our Tech traditions like Winter Carnival. 

For Winter Carnival 2021, the Michigan Tech Alumni Board of Directors has partnered with Blue Key and Alumni Engagement to offer a “Snow” Statue Contest for alumni and their friends and families. 

The contest runs through January 31, 2021, with a midnight EST deadline. Judging begins after that, with winners announced on February 4.

There will be multiple categories for competition, accounting for a variety of materials that may be available to our alumni as well as multi-day and single day events.

Contest Rules

Contest runs January 1-31 with a midnight EST deadline. Participants must include at least one Michigan Tech alumnus/alumna

Categories

  • Snow Statue – 24 Hour
  • Snow Statue – Multi-day
  • Other Material* Statue – 24 Hour
  • Other Material* Statue – Multi-day
  • Fabricated Statue**
  • Virtual Statue***

Statues should be self-supporting and sculptural (three dimensional) 

*Other materials could include such things as sand, clay, wood, LegoⓇ bricks, styrofoam, metal, glass, and plastic. 

**Fabricated (e.g., 3D-printed, cast, machined) statues must be original designs by participant(s) (not templates) and will be judged separately from other materials.

***Virtual statues include 3D drawings, animation or other virtual designs.

Statues must include a name and title/caption (e.g., Sigma Mu Delta, “Oh No! It’s the Loch Ice Monster” ). 

Statue descriptions may be included in the entry form. Please see example below. 

“The legend of the Loch Ness Monster becomes a chilling reality for two hapless fishermen on Loch Ness. The fisherman in the front of the boat is frozen in terror while his companion continues to reel in his catch. A few fish poke their heads out of the water to view the scene. The backdrop is a looming Scottish castle from which an ominous Scotsman drones on his bagpipes in honor of the monster’s visit from the depths. A two by four is used in the axis of the Scotsman as are thin wooden dowels in the individual pipes of the fishermen. Rope, string, and a thin wooden dowel are used in the fishing pole.”

Additional coloring (beyond your material base color) may only be used in the lettering of your group’s name, insignia, or statue title/caption. Coloring is limited to the statue title block; absolutely no coloring can be used on the statue itself.

Statues will be judged based on photos and entry form submitted. Winners will be announced February 4, 2021, and featured in a special Winter Carnival Alumni eNewsletter in February.

Entry Forms:
Use this form if you have a Gmail account
Use this form if you do not have a Gmail account

Email questions to mtualumnistatue@gmail.com