The Commute

We know April just started, but believe it or not, there are only 13 class days until Finals week.

Right now it’s week 12 of 14, and it’s the perfect time to develop clear academic goals for the end of the term.

If you want to finish the academic year strong start right now by gathering the syllabi for each of your classes. Determine which days all of your homework assignments, projects, and exams fall for the rest of the term and mark them on the calendar.

Once you have a calendar of academic deadlines create a plan for completing all your studying and homework ahead of schedule.
If you’re struggling to grasp concepts in some of your courses don’t wait until the last minute to get help. Head to the learning centers now; they will provide you with past exams and sample problems, plus they can help you complete homework assignments and projects.

The locations and hours of the centers are listed below:

Biology (DOW 744)
Monday-Thursday
11pm-5pm, 7pm-9pm
Friday
11am-1pm
Sunday
7pm-9pm

Chemistry (Chem Sci 208)
Monday-Thursday
10am-4pm
Wednesday
7pm-9pm
Wednesday, 7:00 – 9:00 pm

Computer Science (Rekhi 114)
Monday-Thursday
2pm-5pm, 7pm-10pm
Friday
2pm-5pm
Sunday
7pm-10pm

Math (Fisher 128)
Monday-Thursday
10am-4pm, 7pm-9pm
Friday
10pm-2pm
Sunday
7pm-9pm

Mechanical Engineering (MEEM 2nd floor)
Monday-Thursday
10am-6pm, 7pm-9pm
Friday
2pm-4pm

Writing/Communication/Gen Ed(Walker 107)
Monday-Thursday
9am-5pm
Friday
9am-4pm

Physics (Fisher 228)
Monday 7pm-9pm
Tuesday-Thursday
3pm-9pm

BIOLOGY WEEK

Support Phi Sigma by participating in this year’s Bio Week April 4-8. Attend one or all of the many events related to the biological sciences being hosted this week.

Monday (April 4th): Save a life and register to become an organ donor.

MUB Commons: 10-2

Tuesday (April 5th): Research presentations by faculty of the biology department:

Dr. Mike Gibson, Dr. Qing-Hui Chen, Dr. Mi Hye Song, Dr. Thomas Werner, Dr. Rupali Datta

M&M U113 7-9pm

Wednesday (April 6th): Watch Blue Planet with Snacks and drinks!

Dow 642 6pm

Thursday (April 7th): Book and Bake Sale

Dow Lobby 11am-3pm

Friday (April 8th): Walk dogs at the Copper Country Humane Society

Meet in Dow atrium at 4pm

http://www.bio.mtu.edu/news/2010/biology_week.htm

STANDATHON 2011

Join us at Standathon on Friday, April 1 for a night full of awesome activities, prizes and food!!!  Standathon 2011 will be held in the SDC from 7:00 pm – 7:00 am.   Some of the activities at Standathon include sumo wrestling, a 65 ft inflatable obstacle course, black light mini golf, laser tag, live bands, food eating contests, dance lessons, karaoke, water polo, kayak lessons, MTU’s Got Talent Show and so much more!  Food will be served all night and prizes will be raffled off every hour.  The grand prize this year is an Xbox Kinect.

The entrance fee is $10.00.  The cost of and entrance fee AND a Standathon T-shirt is $15.00.  The cost of an entrance fee, T-shirt, AND Grand Prize Bracket for Xbox Kinect is $20.00!

The best part about Standathon is that every dollar raised is donated directly to Bay Cliff Health Camp, a camp for children and adults with disabilities.  This is the fifth annual Standathon and we hope to make it the best one yet by setting a goal to raise $7,000 for Bay Cliff!  Everyone is welcome and we hope to see you there!!

Special feature:  Jordan Tobey’s band “Bear in Mind” will be playing at Standathon at 1:30 am.

For questions about Standathon, please contact Hilary Cadeau at hscadeau@mtu.edu.

Keweenaw Pride, the gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender and ally (GLBTA) organization on campus, kicked off their annual Pride Week celebration Wednesday. This week has been a work in progress for the organization since September, and it is a celebration of diversity, bringing together many people of many different origins and orientations in a week full of discussions and panels meant to open minds and break stereotypes.

Sunday: Film: “Prop 8″, 8pm in Fisher 135

March 27th is our annual film night. We’ll be showing “Prop 8: The Mormon Proposition”, a movie described by IMDb as  “a scorching indictment of the Mormon Church’s historic involvement in the promotion & passage of California’s Proposition 8 and the Mormon religion’s secretive, decades-long campaign against LGBT human rights.”

Monday: Safer Sex Night, 8pm in the Wads Annex

March 28th is our Safer Sex Night. We’ll be going over a variety of safer sex practices that help prevent the spread of STIs.

Tuesday: Guess the Straight Person, 7:30pm in the DHH Ballroom

March 29th is our annual Guess the Straight Person event. Come meet our panel and guess their orientation. This event is meant to prove that not all stereotypes indicate a person’s sexual orientation.

Wednesday: JAC Stringer, 7:30pm in the MUB Ballroom

March 30th is a presentation by Activist JAC Stringer. JAC is well known for his educational and entertaining presentations, and we hope everyone will come and learn about some things that not many know about.

Thursday: Taboo Talk, 7pm in the DHH Ballroom

March 31st is Taboo Talk. Got a topic that is taboo in your community that you want to know more about? Come to this event!

Friday: 11th Annual Drag Show, 8pm in the Rozsa Theater

April 1st is the 11th Annual Michigan Tech Drag Show! This year, we’ll be featuring the extraordinary talents of Joey Black, Tabitha Stevens, Cass Marie Domino, and, coming all the way from Las Vegas, DuWanna Moore! Seats fill up fast, so get there early!

If you’re staying in Houghton over spring break and you’re looking for something to do with your free time, don’t fret any longer because there are lots of great events going on.

First, Mont Ripley is offering free skiing and snowboarding lessons, rentals, and lift tickets for Michigan Tech students, faculty, and staff. The lessons are available at 11:00 am and 1:00pm on Saturday March 5th and Sunday March 6th. (Call 906-487-2340 for free registration).

The 2nd annual Copper Dog race will also be taking place this weekend (March 4-6) in Calumet. To find out more about this amazing sled dog race visit: http://www.copperdog150.com/

Looking to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day early? Calumet Theatre is hosting “Club Indigo” on Friday March 11 at 7:15. Waking Ned Devine” will be performed at 7:15. “Is about a sleepy little Irish village in which one man wins a lottery worth seven million pounds, only to drop dead from the excitement. Members of the community follow a daring plan to “wake” the winner and receive the money, with hilarious consequences.” You can purchase tickets for $5 at the Calumet Theatre 337-2610.

The 1st annual Great Bear Chase, a cross country ski race will be taking place on March 12. It includes a 50km freestyle race and separate 26km classic and freestyle categories and you can register at: http://www.bearchase.org/.

In addition, the Student Development Complex will be open all week with special spring break hours (http://www.sportsrec.mtu.edu/images/pdf/springbreak2011.pdf). There are also many opportunities to attend free Michigan Tech athletics. Visit http://webforms.aux.mtu.edu/webforms/rozsa/schedule_ath.cfm to find out more.

LINUX INSTALLATHON: The Linux Users Group at Michigan Tech will be hosting a Linux Installathon on Saturday, February 26 from noon to 5:00 pm in the MUB Peninsula Room. Stop by during this time and get help installing and configuring Linux on your computer, or just enjoy the demonstrations and presentations and chat with other Linux or UNIX users in the area. For more information, including a tentative presentation schedule, visit http://lug.mtu.edu/Installathon. For other questions about this event, contact Matt Gardeski at mjgardes@mtu.edu.

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PANEL DISCUSSION POST UNDERGRAD OPTIONS: The Society of Women Engineers will be hosting a panel discussion on post-undergraduate options on Wednesday, March 2 from 6:00 to 7:00 pm in Chem Sci 101. Representatives and members from the Peace Corps, medical schools, the graduate school, industry, and academia will be a part of the panel to answer your questions and inform you about post-undergraduate options. There will also be discussion on how an MBA can benefit you and your career. The Society of Women Engineers is a co-ed organization open to all majors! For questions about this event, contact Alicia Walby at amwalby@mtu.edu.

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LEADERSHIP IN CAMPUS ORGANIZATIONS: “Navigating the Murky Waters of Leadership” will be presented by Jess Turuc, Assistant Director of Student Activities, on Wednesday, March 2, 2011 at 6:00 pm in MUB Ballroom A1. Become a better leader and maximize your organization’s effectiveness by learning your members’ perspectives, what makes them tick, and what members can bring to the table. This interactive session will help you broaden your organization’s cohesion, combat hidden challenges and stereotypes, and appreciate everyone’s differences for society. For questions, contact jmturuc@mtu.edu.

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REMINDER LEADERSHIP AWARD NOMINATIONS: Nominations for the President’s Award for Leadership and the Vice President for Student Affairs Award for Service need to be submitted by Friday, March 4, 2011, at 5:00 p.m. Go to www.sa.mtu.edu/awards/ . Nominations for all other Student Leadership Awards need to be submitted by Friday, March 18, 2011.

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WEEK OF WELLNESS SURVEY: Did you participate in this year’s Week of Wellness? If so, would you take a few minutes to complete the Week of Wellness Survey? Your feedback is greatly appreciated and will be used to improve future events. Go to http://studentvoice.com/mtu/11weekofwellness. Thanks in advance for your help! If you have questions, contact Michelle Bangen, health and wellness coordinator, at mmbangen@mtu.edu.

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INPUT NEEDED FOR DISTINGUISHED TEACHING AWARDS: The Center for Teaching, Learning, and Faculty Development seeks input for its annual Distinguished Teaching Awards, which recognize outstanding contribution to the instructional mission of the university. Based on over 51,000 student ratings of instruction forms, eleven finalists have been identified for the 2011 awards. The selection committee is soliciting comments from students, staff, faculty, and alumni to aid in its deliberation process. Here are the finalists for the two awards:

Associate Professor / Professor Category:

Brian Barkdoll (Associate Professor) — Civil and Environmental Engineering
Andrew Burton (Associate Professor) — Forest Resources and Environmental Science
Will Cantrell (Associate Professor) — Physics
Guy Hembroff (Associate Professor) — Technology
John Lukowski (Associate Professor) — Electrical and Computer Engineering

Assistant Professor / Lecturer / Professor of Practice Category:

Philip Kendall (Lecturer) — Mathematical Sciences
Michael Meyer (Senior Lecturer) — Physics
Scott Miers (Assistant Professor) — Mechanical Engineering — Engineering Mechanics
Rupak Rajachar (Assistant Professor) — Biomedical Engineering
David Wanless (Assistant Professor) — Technology
Roger Woods (Lecturer) — Business and Economics

Comments on the nominees should be sent to the Center for Teaching via its comment website: http://www.admin.mtu.edu/ctlfd/awards/DTAFinalistsCommentForm/ . Comments are due by Monday, March 28, 2011. The process for determining the Distinguished Teaching Award recipients from this list of finalists also involves the additional surveying of their classes by members of ODK. The Distinguished Teaching Award Decision Committee makes the final determination of the award recipients. The recipients of the 2011 Distinguished Teaching Award will be formally announced in the fall.

To find out more about each week’s events visit:http://blogs.mtu.edu/stu-org-news/category/todays-issue/

Are you struggling in a class this semester or you just can ‘t seem to understand what your professor is teaching you?

At this point in the semester it is very common to feel overwhelmed by your classes. If you’re getting behind, or you just want to be sure you are successful in your classes, consider visiting one of our learning centers. We currently have learning centers to help with Biology, Chemistry, Computer Science, Electrical and Computer Engineering, Mathematics, Mechanical Engineering, Writing and Communication, and Physics. Some of Michigan Tech’s top students use the learning centers. Gregory Ellenberger, a fourth-year Mechanical Engineer Technology major said, “I went to walk-in hours at the Math Learning Center and they really helped me complete my homework and raise my grade in Calc 2.” The math learning center is a fantastic resource. The coaches in the centers can help you complete your homework, study for exams, and review tricky concepts. A trip to any of the learning centers is sure to help raise your grade in that difficult class. Learn from the best by visiting one of the centers today.

Biology (DOW 744)
Monday-Thursday
11pm-5pm, 7pm-9pm
Friday
11am-1pm
Sunday
7pm-9pm

Chemistry
(Chem Sci 208)
Monday-Thursday
10am-4pm
Wednesday

Computer Science
(Rekhi 114)
Monday-Thursday
2pm-5pm, 7pm-10pm
Friday
10pm-2pm
Sunday
7pm-9pm

Math (Fisher 128)
Monday-Thursday
10am-4pm, 7pm-9pm
Friday
10pm-2pm
Sunday
7pm-9pm

Engineering
(MEEM 2nd Floor)
Monday-Thursday
10am-6pm, 7pm-9pm
Friday
2pm-4pm

Writing and Communication
(Walker 107)
Monday-Thursday
9am-5pm
Friday
9am-4pm

Physics
(Fisher 228)
Monday
7pm-9pm
Tuesday-Thursday
3pm-9pm

Just a reminder that the semester is almost 50% complete! Term A classes end February 25th and Term B classes start Feb 28th.  make sure that you check if you are enrolled in any P.E.’s for Term B.

First-years will also have mid-term grades available on banweb February 21st at 5pm.

Also, keep your heads up! Spring Break is only 395 hours ( 17 days) away!

TONIGHT:
4:00PM-8:00AM- All Nighter Celebration (campus wide)

Thursday and Friday Feb 10-11:
9:00-Sleigh Rides (meet at DHH)

Saturday Feb 12:
11:00AM-3:00PM- Broomball Costume Photo Ops (Broomball courts)
2:00 PM- Keweenaw Symphony Orchestra (Rosza Center)
8:30 PM- Torch Light Parade (Mt. Ripley)
8:45 PM- Fireworks (Mt. Ripley)

Monday Feb 14:
7:30AM-1:00PM-Commuter Give-a-ways (parking lots and commuter lounge)

Tuesday Feb 15:
6:00PM- Husky Lead “Navigating the Murky Waters of Leadership” (MUB A1)

Wednesday Feb 16th
Noon – 3Pm   – “How the Health are You?” (MUB Ballroom)

Friday Feb 18:
10:00PM- Comedian Tracey Ashley (MUB Commons)

Saturday Feb 26:
TBA: “Snow Day” Community Service