Students brought a lively trombone choir to the Rozsa lobby on the evening of Thursday, April 6. The choir was composed of eight performers, six of which being Michigan Tech students. Heading the group was current Michigan Tech Director of Bands, Mike Christianson. He was accompanied by his daughter, who made the eighth member of the ensemble. The trombone choir is somewhat of a tradition, having occurred most years since Christianson took the position as Director of Bands. 

The student performers ranged from first-year to fourth-year students, all involved with different bands across campus, from the Superior Wind Symphony, to the Campus Concert Band, to the Huskies Pep Band. 

The ensemble performed a selection of pieces, both slow and fast, each highlighting a different student in the group, playing to the strengths of each performer. 

Prominently featured was the composer Amy Beach, who was showcased in several pieces that the group played.  Beach is cited as the first successful American female composer of large-scale music, though she is often lost to time and overshadowed by other composers. The choir performed several of her chorale pieces, including “With Prayer and Supplication” and “Peace I Leave With You.” 

In addition to Beach’s work, the group played a faster-paced piece titled “Foghorn Leghorn” by composer Michael Davis. Also featured was a piece called “Slicky Slide Swing” by Ulrich Nehls. Additionally, the ensemble played a Bach concerto. 

Christianson rounded out the concert by thanking the audience and offering the parting words, “We don’t know anything else, and our faces hurt, so see you later.”

The final installment of the spring Husky Bites season aired Monday evening, as Dean Janet Callahan and Interim Dean of the College of Forest Resources and Environmental Science and Professor David Flaspohler discussed all things birds and birdwatching.

 Joined by Forest Science Ph.D. student Ryne Rutherford, and Social Sciences undergraduate student Brendan Leddy, the group discussed the practice of birding, how to get involved in it, and the benefits of it over Zoom. Over 140 people joined for the presentation and discussion. 

Flaspohler began with a presentation titled “Ten Ways That Birdwatching Will Increase Your Quality of Life.” It detailed the history of birds as symbols, gave bird facts, and even mentioned Taylor Swift. Notably, the audience was encouraged to participate via poll to identify an array of bird calls and songs. During the bird song segment, Flaspohler mentioned an app called “Merlin Bird ID by Cornell Lab.” The app, developed by Cornell University, takes audio recordings, converts them to images, and uses computer vision to match those images to those of known bird calls, allowing for easier identification of birds in the field. It is free to download and use. Flaspohler also described the physical and mental health benefits of being in nature and birdwatching. 

Following the presentation was a Q&A session with questions submitted by the audience. When an audience member asked, “What is your least favorite bird and why?” Ryne responded, “the Australian Emu,” detailing a story of an emu repeatedly stealing food from him during a trip to Australia. 

The presentation was the final in the seventh season of Husky Bites and is available (along with all the other episodes from this and previous seasons) on the Husky Bites website. The eighth season will begin during the fall, with the first episode planned for the first Monday after Labor Day. For more information, visit https://www.mtu.edu/engineering/seminar/.

The Rosza welcomed Alizé Carrére, a National Geographic environmental anthropologist and filmmaker, on Monday, March 20, to discuss human adaptations to environmental change. Carrére began the presentation by talking about an issue close to home: the silver, or Asian, carp. The carp, an invasive species in the United States, have created issues in many waterways and are present in 31 states. Carrére told the story of a woman, Angie Yu, who is helping tackle rising carp issues by sending the fish to China, where it is considered a delicacy. Carrére explained how this story is a small glimpse into adaptations humans make in the face of environmental change, whether from climate change or invasive species. 

The next story Carrére recounted was from Bangladesh, where rising sea levels and glacier melts have jeopardized farming. She detailed how the Bangladeshi people have developed floating gardens that rise and fall with water levels, keeping crops out of the way of floods. In addition to floating gardens, the Bangladeshi people have developed floating schools, libraries and health clinics to adapt to the flooding they face. 

The next story was of Vanuatu, a small cluster of approximately 80 islands in the South Pacific Ocean, where rising sea temperatures and acidity, along with crown of thorn sea stars, have destroyed many of the coral reefs. The reefs, offering protection and ecological balance, are vital to the islands. Carrére told of the efforts to remove the sea stars and to regrow dead and damaged reefs. Carrére emphasized how the adaptations and efforts served to remind everyone to persevere since some cannot if they want to survive. 

The final story of the presentation was from Ladakh, a trans-Himalayan mountain desert in the extreme north of India. The villages in Ladakh face water scarcity. To overcome this, villagers have developed “Ice Stupas,” which are giant ice pyramids engineered to grow and store water as ice to save for the dry months. Efforts surrounding the ice stupas are some of the few in the world to grow glaciers. 

To conclude her presentation, Carrére stated that “adaptation is local” and that “action is what we very badly need,” citing the ripple effect studied in communities. She spoke of the resilience and remarkable innovation of humankind, even in the face of difficult conditions. To learn more about these stories, Carrére’s docuseries is available for free at PBS.org.

Huskies failed to advance after losing 0-4 to the Wildcats on Saturday, March 11.

The fight for the CCHA Mason Cup kicked off Friday, March 3 as the Huskies faced off against the St. Thomas Tommies in the John MacInnes Student Ice Arena. The game was the first in a best-of-three series, where the Huskies ultimately secured the win. 

The first and second periods saw no goals for either team, though both saw scoring opportunities. Blake Pietila stopped all 30 shots that came his way, earning yet another shutout. The game made his eighth Friday night shutout, tenth shutout of the season, and 20th career shutout. The shutout broke his previously set school records for both season and career shutouts and tied the CCHA record for season shutouts. 

Late in the third, playing 4-on-4, with only 8:32 left on the clock, team captain Brett Thorne buried the game-winning goal off a pass from Jed Pietila. The goal marked Thorne’s third of the season and ninth of his career. 

The Tommies pushed after the Huskies goal, trying to tie the game. St. Thomas pulled their goalie, Aaron Trotter, with about a minute of play left in hopes of scoring. They were unsuccessful, leading to the Huskies win. 

In a postgame interview, when asked for comment about the game, Thorne said, “I give credit to St. Thomas. It was a grind. Every shift was hard worked, every puck battle was earned. It was a close one.” 

In addition to Blake Pietila’s achievements, Jake Crespi skated in his 100th game, with 32 in the current season. 

The Huskies faced off again with the Tommies the following night, where the Huskies swept the weekend, ending Saturday’s game with a score of 5-4, advancing the team to the Semifinals, where they faced rivals, the Northern Michigan University Wildcats.

Ultimately the Huskies failed to advance after losing 0-4 to the Northern Michigan University Wildcats on Saturday, March 11.

More than 200 employers returned to campus on Feb. 22 for the Spring Career Fair. The event was held in the Student Development Complex multipurpose room, beginning at noon and going until 5 p.m. The event was open to all majors, with companies recruiting for internships, co-ops and full-time positions. This fair was the second fair held in person since the pandemic forced events to be held virtually. 

Leading up to Career Fair, CareerFEST events were held. The events included those similar to Fall CareerFEST, ranging from company meet-and-greets to resume blitzes with corporate recruiters. The events were designed to be low-stress, casual networking events for students to grow their industry connections and gain experience before going to Career Fair. Also included in these events was the Career Closet – an event for students to pick up free gently worn business attire for Career Fair, interviews or summer internships. 

This Career Fair was considerably less busy than its fall counterpart, with few to no lines to get inside and only one room with recruiters. Professional headshot services were once again available, as with the Fall fair, and had a shorter line than in the Fall. 

The fair also saw fewer students, as many had secured summer internships during the Fall Career Fair. First-year student Daniel Danes commented that this fair was “a good opportunity, especially for first-year students, to talk to more companies and recruiters since many upperclassmen already found internships.” 

More career opportunities and events, as well as information about the companies that attended the Spring Career Fair, can be found on the Career Services web page and Handshake.

The Pigs N Heat benefit hockey game returned Friday, Feb. 17 in support of the Copper Country Police and Fire Relief Fund after a three-year COVID-19 hiatus. The game, played in the John MacInnes Student Ice Arena, pitted local law enforcement, the Pigs, and local firefighters, the Heat, against each other in an exciting hockey game. 

The game began with the “B teams” (the Law Hogs and Leftover Heat) playing for 15 minutes. Halfway through, play was stopped to recognize award winners within the police and fire departments. During this break, the Pigs jersey number 55 was retired in honor of former Houghton County Sheriff Brian McLean, who passed away suddenly in 2021 after serving 26 years as sheriff. Play resumed once all the awards were presented, and a moment of silence was taken for McLean, ending 2-0 Pigs. 

After a brief intermission following the 1st period, the “A teams” (the Pigs and the Heat) hit the ice for 20 minutes. The teams wasted no time scoring, bringing the score to 6-2 by the end of the period. 

During the second intermission, there was a chuck-a-puck contest with a prize of over $250. The Hancock High School hockey team assisted with the event. 

Following the break, the teams kept the pressure on, both scoring several times. Several fights broke out, instigated by the Pigs, landing players in the penalty box. With 5 minutes left in the game, there was a break to announce winners of raffles, the 50/50, and cash prizes. Following the announcements, the game was resumed, and ultimately ended at 10-8, with the Pigs taking the win. 

The event had several fundraising aspects. Each ticket was five dollars and entered the holder into a raffle to win the top cash prizes. Superior National Bank & Trust, Superior Service Towing, and Lakeside Automotive donated $1,000, $750 and $500 respectively for use as cash prizes. There were also separate raffle tickets available for purchase for some 80 other prize sets, all donated by local businesses. Several firearms were raffled off, also by the purchase of different tickets. U.P. Ward Orthodontics sponsored a silent auction for a $6,800 orthodontic treatment package. 

All proceeds from the event go directly to the Copper Country Police and Fire Relief Fund, which serves local families in emergencies. Over the past 2 years, the fund has given more than $30,000 back to the community. 

When asked for comment on the event, current Houghton County Sheriff Joshua Saaranen shared that the game is the only fundraiser for the year and stated that the event is “a great time for law enforcement and fire to come together to play a fun hockey game, and it’s great for the community to be able to come and enjoy prized and kids events, and the camaraderie we all share with public safety.”

After a bustling all-nighter, winners of the 2023 Winter Carnival snow statue competition were announced by the Blue Key National Honor Society Thursday afternoon. Claiming first in the month-long competition for the fifth consecutive year was Phi Kappa Tau. They won the men’s and overall month-long divisions with a Willy-Wonka-themed statue. Tau Kappa Epsilon took second. The women’s month-long division win went to Alpha Sigma Tau, with a Candyland-themed sculpture. Alpha Gamma Delta and Sigma Tau Gamma took first in the month-long Co-Ed division with another Candyland-themed build.

Fifty-three groups and organizations registered to participate in the all-nighter statue competition. Of these, snagging first both overall and in the Co-Ed all-nighter division was St. Albert the Great University Parish Campus Catholic Ministries. The group built a statue titled “Jonah is the snack, ravenous sea monster, does he smile back?” Grabbing first in the men’s all-nighter division was The Bastille, who crafted a Burger King Whopper. The women’s all-nighter division went to the Society of Women engineers for their “Alphabet SWEoup.” 

Despite Winter Carnival finding its beginnings in 1922, snow statues were not a part of the festivities until 1936. The first statues were constructed not only by Tech students and organizations, but also by local school children. The Houghton Rotary Club awarded a prize to the best statue built by the local children. Since then, the sculptures have grown more substantial and elaborate as building techniques have improved. 

Since its inception, the statue competition has been a staple of Winter Carnival. When asked what the competition meant to him, builder for The Bastille sculpture, Corbin Baranoski, said, “It’s an excuse to take a break from classes and have fun with friends.” He continued stating that he “would recommend participating to anyone and everyone.” 

For pictures of all the statues and more information about other Winter Carnival results, visit www.mtu.edu/carnival/2023/.

The Finnish-American Mid-Winter Festival Heikinpäivä made a return to Hancock after a two-year hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The festival, which is unique to the area, is a celebration of the Finnish heritage and culture prevalent in the Keweenaw, as some forty percent of the population are of Finnish ancestry. The festivities began mid-January, and are set to end mid-February, featuring snowflake sewing challenges, inkle band weaving classes, a “Hobby Horse Hoedown,” and a Finnish cookie workshop, amongst other events. 

While events happened all month, the festival occurred Saturday, Jan. 28, kicked off by a parade down Quincy St. in Hancock. The parade featured several local organizations and groups and traditional Finnish mythological figures. Included in the local groups were Yoopers for Ukraine, the Michigan Tech Huskies Pep Band, Finlandia Athletics and the Finnish Theme Committee. Traditional Finnish figures included Väinämöinen, the main character of the Kalevala, the Finnish National poem. Other Kalevala characters present included Louhi, the Swan of Tuonela, Lemminkäinen, Lemminkäinen’s mother, Saint Henrik, whom the festival is named after, Saint Lucia and Sámi shaman. Each represents a part of Finnish tradition and folklore. All the characters were introduced to festival-goers by parade announcer Todd VanDyke, and had informational flyers posted on select storefronts downtown. 

Immediately following the parade, there were several other festivities. Festival-goers were encouraged to join a traditional circle dance with the costumed parade participants, known as karhunpeijäiset. Once the dance was complete, a Yooper-style wife-carrying contest began, mimicking a Saturday in the Copper Country, with stations for cleaning, saunaing and seeing guests. Also available for use was a traditional whipsled, known as a vipuklekka, as well as kicksleds. In addition to this, there were Tori markets in the Finnish American Heritage Center and the United Methodist Church. 

The festival found its beginnings in 1999 when the Hancock Finnish Theme Committee created Heikinpäivä to celebrate ethnic identity. Since then, the event has grown to be a substantial attraction and has promoted Finnish culture in the area. When asked what the festival meant to the community, VanDyke cited it as an “opportunity for [the community] to first preserve the wonderful Finnish heritage and keep alive some of the mythology that goes along with it.” He continued, stating, “it’s a chance to break out in the middle of the winter and enjoy something and have some fun.”

The Copper Country Humane Society is hosting the “Raise the Woof Comedy Show” Saturday, Jan. 21, in the Rozsa Center. The show will begin at 8:00 pm, with doors opening at 7:30. Tickets are currently available online on the Humane Society website for $20 each or $30 for two. Tickets will be available at the door, but will be $20 each. Opening the show is Rick Logan, and the headliner is Jeff Pfoser, both Minnesota natives. The show is sponsored by Houghton County Broadcasting, Superior Block, 906 Vapor and Portage Lake Construction. The sponsors are covering all expenses, meaning that the Humane Society is not putting any money towards the event. Also, all ticket sales and proceeds will go directly to the Humane Society. “All towards shelter animals,” said Shelter Manager Becki Clouthier when asked what the funds raised would go towards. The Humane Society operates as a “no time limits” shelter for cats and dogs, and entirely relies on fundraising events, such as this, and private donations to provide care for  over 900 animals that move through their facility each year. In addition to efforts like the comedy show, the shelter hosts various other fundraising events throughout the year and aids in coordinating vaccination clinics for pets. In addition to shelter animal care, the Humane Society uses funds to host community outreach events to educate and provide care for animals in low-income families. Information about upcoming events, volunteer opportunities and additional ways to help can be found on their website.