The Kappa Sigma Iota (KSI) Accounting Club can be a gateway to numerous opportunities for students looking to build upon their resumes or network with professionals. With their emphasis on professional development, networking, and hands-on experiences, the club gives students the tools they need to thrive in the competitive field of accounting. Led by President Madison Mattila and Vice President Henry Basala, the club is always searching for new members.

The core of KSI’s mission is its commitment to providing valuable experiences for its members. Mattila highlights the club’s biweekly general meetings and guest speakers as key components. These meetings often feature alumni in large accounting firms or other career paths relevant to students’ goals. Mattila emphasized, “Our club’s network and primary purpose is to connect accounting students with Big Four accounting firms and other large companies since other career-centered events on campus aren’t typically business or accounting-focused.”

The group recently secured a meeting with representatives from BDO USA, a global accounting, tax, and advisory firm known for its professional services spanning across the United States as well as internationally. As the fifth-largest accounting firm worldwide, BDO USA offered a glimpse into the traveling opportunities of accounting,  with business in many countries outside of the United States. These companies are constantly seeking out students who show exceptional drive and initiative, making the club a great place to strengthen these qualities. 

Henry Basala, Vice President of the club, shared his experience, saying, “My favorite part is connecting with the biggest firms in the world, fostering valuable relationships and opportunities for our members.” Such connections open priceless opportunities to internships and relationships that might otherwise be unachievable. 

As the semester progresses, the club continues looking for new members, helping students become the best that they can be. For more information, see the clubs website: https://www.mtu.edu/business/undergraduate/organizations/student-organizations/kappa-sigma-iota/.

After a spectacular late season and postseason run to win the Mason Cup, the Huskies’ hockey season has finally ended in the first round of the NCAA Frozen Four Playoffs with a score of 6-1.

Boston College took a quick lead to start the game, scoring on a breakaway just 0:36 seconds into the game. The Huskies quickly tightened up their game after giving up the lead, playing a solid defensive game throughout the first period before taking a penalty for hooking at 12:02. Fortunately for Tech, Max Koskipirtti managed to break up an Eagles zone entry, leading to a short-handed breakaway halfway through the penalty kill. Koskipirtti capitalized on this chance to even up the game. Michigan Tech was able to kill off the remainder of the penalty, and the period finished at a score of 1-1 with shots on goal favoring Boston 11-8.

Michigan Tech continued to play a smothering defense against Boston College in the second period until Boston took advantage of a rebound in the crease, retaking the lead in the game. Despite falling behind, the Huskies continued to push throughout the second period but were unable to tie the game back up. During the same period, Eagle forward Gabe Perreault was ejected from the game for a hit to the head on Tyrone Bronte. The major penalty gave Michigan Tech a five-minute power play, but the Huskies were  unable to score and remained down 2-1 at the end of the period, with shots on goal at 22-21 for MTU.

Tech’s impressive defensive effort against Boston College’s top-ranked offense would finally falter in the third period of the game, with the Eagles scoring two quick goals at 4:47 and 6:24. Amidst the flurry of the Eagle’s offense, one fluke goal managed to bounce into Tech’s net directly off of a referee who was unable to avoid the puck as it was being dumped into the zone. Since the puck went directly off the official into the net, the goal was called back after a quick review. Shortly after the second goal, Ryland Mosley made a bad hit that caused incidental contact to a Boston College player’s head in the neutral zone, resulting in a scrum at center ice. Following the play, Boston College received a five-minute major powerplay as Mosley was ejected from the game and a handful of penalties were handed out to both teams. Boston College would run up their lead on the powerplay scoring twice. The Eagles kept the Huskies off the scoresheet for the remainder of the game, which would end with a score of 6-1.

During the game, the section of Husky fans got so loud that the NCAA had to shut off the crowd mics because their cheers were overpowering the broadcast. Win or lose, the Misfits were very grateful to be there, raising over $40,000 to send the Pep Band and Misfits to Rhode Island to support the team. 

In the post-game press conference, Kyle Kukkonen spoke of the impressive turnout from the Huskies Pep Band and Mitch’s Misfits, who made the twenty-hour bus ride to Providence, RI, to support the team. Kukkonen told media that it, “means the world, especially with the band and when you see them out there… it’s awesome to have that many people have your back, especially this far from home. There aren’t many games that don’t feel like home games.” 

Coach Shawhan summarized the Huskies’ performance by saying, “We had good looks… [and] we limited it [Boston College] through two periods,” however he would conclude by saying that in the third period, “we lost our focus a bit they were able to get some good looks at our net. And it doesn’t take them very much, they’re a highly skilled team.”

On Thursday, Apr. 4, Student Leadership and Involvement (SLI) will be hosting an augmented reality scavenger hunt at 8 p.m. starting in the MUB Commons cafe area. This event will require participants to download a “PokemonGo-style” app that allows them to see different clues around campus. These clues will help them solve different puzzles needed to complete the scavenger hunt. Students will be competing in teams to get the fastest time, and will be placed alongside one another on a leaderboard. This event is open to all Michigan Tech students, just be able to download the app required for the game. 

Centered around the Michigan Tech campus, the game will highlight different parts of the culture here at Michigan Tech. Different traditions that are unique to our campus will be part of the theme for the clues students will have to uncover. According to the MTU Student Scoop, “You’ll dive into fun facts and culture and hopefully learn something new during your fun campus adventure.” 

This event was previously scheduled to occur a few weeks ago, and had to be rescheduled with the Late Night Programming event.

For more information on the event, check out https://www.involvement.mtu.edu/event/9926942, or check out the Student Leadership and Involvement website for more information on Late Night Programming: https://www.mtu.edu/student-leadership/traditions/late-night/.

Husky Thoughts Question: How do you feel about all this snow coming back after having such a warm winter?

Morgan Reamer, Fourth Year Biomedical Engineering Major from Brooklyn, Mich. “I do not mind it too much. I wish we could have had more of this snow during winter carnival, but I feel like we had it too easy and so it’s just kind of what we were owed, if that makes sense. I am looking forward to it being warm again though.”

Josh Gindt, Second Year Electrical and Computer Engineering Master’s Student from Jefferson, Wis. “I have mixed feelings about it. On one hand, I love the snow and actually having a more Houghton-like send off in my final year. However, it is annoying in that I have sort of shifted to a Spring/Summer feel just for it to be smacked down by winter again.”

Steven Maki, Third Year Software Engineering Major from Baraga, Mich. “Wasn’t a fan, I got used to the fact that I could easily walk around anywhere without needing to bundle up. With it getting cold again too, it has become a pain for me to deal with my hands constantly freezing anywhere I go.”

In the early hours of Mar. 23, the Hancock Police Department was contacted to address a domestic violence dispute after a 911 call was received from the 300 block of Hancock Street. The building was a former church that has recently been converted into apartments.  When officers arrived, they were able to locate the two individuals who had been injured. Both individuals found were transported by Mercy EMS to UP Health Systems– Portage Hospital for injuries. The apartment building was taped off by police early Saturday morning and was still taped Sunday afternoon. 

Local law enforcement, Michigan State Police, MTU Public Safety, Mercy EMS, and the Michigan State Police Forensic Lab out of Marquette responded to this incident. As of publication, this investigation is still underway.

If students find themselves in similar situations and are in need of assistance, there are a few resources that can be used. The National Domestic Violence Hotline can be reached at (800) 799-7233. Michigan Tech also has resources listed on their website at https://www.mtu.edu/title-ix/resources/ by Title IX.  MTU Public Safety can also be reached at (906) 487-3310. Incase of an emergency, call 911.

Two instances of vandalism have been reported in Hillside Place. Two ceiling tiles were broken, and a button in the elevator was smashed in. These both took place within ten days of each other, on Mar. 8 and Mar. 18 respectively. 

The Hillside and McNair Residence Education Coordinator, Noah Baliat, has sent an email to the residents, reminding them that their actions have moral consequences, saying “When incidents like this take place, it requires our facilities staff hours to clean and repair damages… Our facilities staff work hard to ensure the facility you live in is clean and supports your goals as a student here.” Baliat also mentioned the financial consequences for everyone around them, “[A]ny costs associated with vandalism which REHS [Residence Education and Housing Services] is unable to attribute to a responsible party may be collected equally from all members of surrounding communities at the end of the academic year.” 

Baliat finished his message to the residents by saying, “If you have any relevant information related to any of the listed incidents, please reach out to me via email.” If you know anything, Baliat can be reached at nbaliat@mtu.edu. If you witness vandalism, you can report it in real time by scanning this QR code.

Huskies clinch Frozen Four playoff big against Bemidji State

In their first and last away game of the CCHA playoffs last Friday, Michigan Tech sealed a 2-1 victory against Bemidji State to win their first ever CCHA Mason Cup Championship. The victory allowed the Huskies to automatically clinch the 16th seed for the NCAA Division I Frozen Four Playoffs.  

Bemidji struck first and opened the scoring at 14:07, when Kasper Magnussen received a pass and wired the puck past Blake Pietila’s blocker. However, Michigan Tech responded almost immediately on their next shift to tie the game at 14:59, after the Huskies’ captain Chase Pietila slapped home a rebound puck just outside the crease after a 2-on-1 rush into the Beaver’s zone. The first period finished 1-1 with the shots favoring Tech 14-7.

The second period played out very similarly to the first. At 9:20 into the period, the Huskies stuck again on another 2-on-1 rush, this time with Ryland Mosely walking through a Bemidji defender before unleashing a backhander that went off the post and into the net from directly in front of the crease. The Huskies would hold on to their 2-1 lead for the rest of the period, which ended with shots on goal favoring them at 21-18.

With a 2-1 lead going into the third period, the Huskies took advantage of their lead and played excellent defense. The score remained unchanged throughout, with Michigan Tech killing off the first penalty of the entire game at 15:02. Bemidji tried to even up the score by pulling their goalie with just under two minutes left in the game, but Tech held on to the game and won their first ever CCHA Mason Cup Championship with a score of 2-1.

Reflecting on the monumental win, Kellan Melloche, third-year Mechanical Engineering major and President of Mitch’s Misfits, the spirited student section, expressed immense pride in their support for the team. The Misfits’ dedication, driving 12 hours to witness the historic moment, underscored the electrifying atmosphere in the stadium, marking it as one of the most memorable experiences for Husky hockey fans.

“When athletics asked if we could fill 80 tickets worth of Misfits, I said yes with no hesitation,” Melloche reflected. “No matter what ticket count they gave us, we would get that amount of Misfits to come and support our team. It was a lot of hard work getting our student section here and raising as much money as we did…we drove 12 hours to witness this, and the energy in the stadium is something I have never witnessed in my life. It was one of the best experiences I have had as a Tech hockey fan, and we couldn’t be more proud of the team and coaches for this amazing victory.”

Following the victory, Coach Shawhan complimented Bemidji on their impressive season and playoff run and thanked the athletic staff of Michigan Tech for their support of the team. Coach Shawhan would go on to praise the efforts of his team throughout the season, saying that they’re a “great group of guys, win or lose… the leadership of this group, the desire to keep playing… [is] felt every time I go in the rink.” Blake Pietila would also speak at the press conference, calling the championship win “really special” and “the cherry on top” of his long, COVID-extended five-year college hockey career.

Following the results of the remaining D1 hockey playoffs in other conferences, Michigan Tech will head to Providence, RI, to face off against Boston College Friday, Mar. 29 at 2 p.m. This game can be watched on ESPNU/ESPN+.

On Apr. 2, the Supermileage Systems Enterprise at MTU will travel to Indianapolis for the Shell Eco-marathon Competition. Supermileage is a form of student competition between universities where students design, build, and compete with cars made to maximize fuel efficiency. At MTU, Supermileage Enterprise is one of the four enterprises in American Motorsports Enterprise (AMS) along with Blizzard Baja, Formula SAE, and Clean Snowmobile. 

Supermileage has been preparing for this spring competition for a year. However, the road to competition isn’t always a straightforward one. Third-year mechanical engineering student and CEO of Supermileage, Brennen Gali, said,“It’s a long process for our team to get to competition. Thousands of hours of design, manufacturing, and testing are put in, starting at the beginning of the Fall semester leading up to the Shell Eco Marathon.” 

One thing that the members of Supermileage pride themselves on is continuous improvement and a mindset of learning. Last competition, MTU Supermileage averaged 631 miles per gallon at competition. This year they are shooting for 1,000 plus. James Halverson, a fourth mechanical engineer and chief engineer at Supermileage said, “As we get closer to competition, it’s down to the fine details. We have some work to do, but our team is prepared and motivated to see it through. Supermileage is a team full of learners and achievers; we have learned from our mistakes last year, have addressed them this year, and we will bring results. All gas, no brakes.”

Gali closed by saying, “We are tying up the loose ends of the vehicle and preparing to take off to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in just over a week! We’re looking to put up some numbers and hopefully take home some hardware!”

In recent years, the Upper Peninsula of Michigan has faced a growing threat from invasive species, notably the buckthorn plant. Buckthorn, including both common buckthorn and glossy buckthorn, poses a significant risk to the region’s biodiversity and ecosystem health. As a non-native species, buckthorn has thrived in the UP’s forests, outcompeting native vegetation and disrupting natural habitats.

The spread of buckthorn in the UP has raised concerns among environmental organizations and local authorities. One such entity actively engaged in combating invasive species is the Keweenaw Invasive Species Management Area (KISMA). KISMA serves as a vital resource for coordinating efforts to control and manage invasive species across the region.

“It’s the worst woody invasive I’ve seen in the UP,” says Sam Curley, a forestry major at Michigan Tech.

To address the buckthorn threat effectively, collaboration and proactive measures are essential. KISMA works tirelessly to raise awareness about the dangers posed by invasive species like buckthorn, and provides resources and assistance to landowners, municipalities, and conservation groups.

This past Thursday, the Sigma Rho fraternity and the Chassell fourth-grade class joined hands with KISMA to remove buckthorn from the walking trails around Chassell. This collaborative effort exemplifies the community’s commitment to combating invasive species and preserving the natural beauty of the UP.

If you encounter buckthorn on your property or in natural areas, it is crucial to take action promptly. Removing buckthorn requires careful planning and proper techniques to prevent further spread. KISMA offers guidance and support to individuals and organizations seeking to tackle invasive species on their land.

For those interested in learning more about buckthorn management or getting involved in conservation efforts, KISMA can be contacted via email at KISMA.up@gmail.com or by phone at (906) 487-1139. By working together and staying vigilant, we can protect Michigan’s natural heritage and preserve the beauty of the Upper Peninsula for future generations.

Even in the age of the internet, physical books continue to be of value to many people. Whether it be a science fiction book, a mystery thriller, or an educational textbook, books are still a great source of entertainment and education. If you are an avid reader, or are looking to pick up a hobby, there is a great opportunity for you this week. 

The Friends of the Michigan Tech Library are hosting their annual book sale from 5 p.m. – 7 p.m. on Thursday, Mar. 28, and 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. on Friday, Mar. 29. The sale will be open to students and members on Thursday, and to the general public on Friday. This event will be free for students. If you need to purchase a membership to get access on Thursday, they will be available for $20 at the book sale. The sale will be held in the MUB Ballroom on the second floor. This book sale serves as a fundraiser for the organization, which supports the MTU library as well as the archives. 

This year, the book sale will have some unique materials on offer. According to both the fundraiser website and MTU Student Scoop writer, Emilie Sander, “This year the sale will feature many books of the former Finlandia University library, as well as many art and photography books from the library of Joe Kirkish, longtime MTU photography professor.” If any of these offerings pique your interest, be sure to stop by while they are available. 

Prices during the sale will vary based on the type of book. According to the fundraiser website, books will be priced as follows: $2 for Hardbacks, $1 for Paperbacks, 50 cents for pocket books and children’s books, with all fiction books at half price. Additional pricing information can be found on their website, which will be provided below. As an additional incentive for people to stop by, they will also have a discount during the last hour of Friday’s sale starting at 3 p.m. As posted on their website, “$5 for all the books you can fit in a brown paper grocery bag!” 

For more information, check out https://lib.sites.mtu.edu/friends/book-sales/annual-book-sale/.