Author Archives | Madison Degnitz, Pulse Editor

Celebrate Halloween with these spooktacular events!

Though it seems as if we’ve barely stepped into the fall semester, Halloween is nearly upon us! Maybe you enjoy dressing up in a scary costume, bobbing for apples, carving pumpkins or simply pigging out on sugar-filled goodies. However you celebrate Halloween, there’s always something for everyone! If you’re looking for something to do to celebrate the spooky season, check out this list of Halloween events happening in the local community. 

If you’re looking to get started on the festivities early, Michigan Tech has a whole Halloweekend event lineup for this upcoming weekend! On Friday, Oct. 23 at 7 p.m., join Student Leadership and Involvement (SLI) and MUB Board for a virtual escape room: Framed, in which you must prove your friend is not guilty of murder. Grab a group of friends, put on your best thinking cap and sign up here to see if you have what it takes.

Following the escape room, you can join them for a virtual CyberSleuth Murder Mystery party. In this event, you will interact with fellow players and a live moderator while you try to solve the mystery. Put your detective skills to the test as you pour over virtual clues. Remember to trust no one, as there is only one winner! Grab your magnifying glass and join the investigation here at 9 p.m.

Saturday night brings Peter Boie’s séance-meets-magic show “Summoning Spirits” right into your home with a livestream performance! Boie’s incredible storytelling techniques and spooky magic techniques will be sure to have your heart racing during this unique performance, just in time for Halloween. Tune in at 10 p.m. here to watch the show. 

If you’re looking for something a little more hands-on, fear not, as Beta Sigma Theta’s Pumpkin Carving Contest will take place Oct. 27-30. To join in on the fun, pick out a pumpkin, give it your best carving, tie on a piece of paper with your name and contact information on it, and drop your masterpiece off at the fraternity’s house, located at 1210 College Avenue in Houghton. A $5 entry fee can be paid by Venmo (@BetSigs) or by placing cash in an envelope in their mailbox, with your name on it. A socially-distanced carving event will take place at their house on the 29th, where people can purchase a pumpkin, carve it, and enter it into the competition. The winner will receive 15% of the earnings, as well as a trophy, while the rest of the funds will be donated to a worthwhile charity. 

Of course, Halloween isn’t Halloween without costumes, and luckily MUB Board has created a COVID-friendly way to show off your festive ‘fits! Join them for their virtual Trick or Treat Trivia and Costume Contest Thursday, Oct. 29. First, they’ll test your knowledge with three categories of trivia via Kahoot, and afterwards, show off your costume! The top three costume participants, along with the winner of each trivia category, will each receive a prize. 

If you’re looking for a way to join in on some local fun and take in the beauty of one of the Copper Country’s most historic buildings, check out the Calumet Theatre’s Spooky Halloween! On Friday, Oct. 30 at 6 p.m., the theatre will host a socially-distanced night of spooktacular fun. Event highlights include tons of fun for the kiddos, such as games, candy and a costume contest for those under 17. You can then join them for a special showing of the movie Monster House in the historic theatre at 7:30 p.m. A limited number of tickets will be available at the door for $1, and more information can be found on the Calumet Theatre’s website

If you decide to participate in any of these events, or any other Halloween events in the local community, please remain considerate of others and maintain safe boundaries for yourself and others. If you decide to stay home, there’s many other ways to safely enjoy the holiday, such as an at-home costume contest between you and your housemates, or a good old-fashioned Halloween movie marathon. No matter how you celebrate Halloween, please remember that we are in the middle of a pandemic. Stay healthy, stay safe, and have a happy Halloween!

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Beta Sigma Theta: upholding faith, brotherhood and scholarship

Greek life is a big part of Michigan Tech’s campus culture, and if you’re looking to join a fraternity, Beta Sigma Theta may be the one for you! The group was established in 1973, and has been a part of MTU ever since. According to Dominic Sobocinski, the fraternity’s Philanthropy Chairman and Secretary, Beta Sigma Theta was created to produce “highly respected, well-adjusted, informed and socially acceptable gentlemen.” Members work to enhance the social and academic lives of those at Michigan Tech. The local chapter of the fraternity focuses on the ideals of Faith, Brotherhood and Scholarship. 

The Michigan Tech chapter of Beta Sigma Theta is deeply rooted in the local community. They enjoy participating in Tech traditions, like the cardboard boat races, Winter Carnival competitions and broomball. “Participating in school events such as Winter Carnival and Homecoming is great,” Sobocinski says of the group’s involvement on-campus. “We love showing that Husky Pride.” Events like these offer a chance for the brothers to showcase innovation and leadership, ideals important to both the university and the fraternity. 

 In addition to on-campus involvement, Beta Sigma Theta members also focus on service and dedicate their time to local causes, like Little Brothers – Friends of the Elderly and Habitat for Humanity. Helping out the elderly in the local Copper Country community is a favorite event for many Beta Sigma Theta brothers. They enjoy making a difference in their lives, whether it’s through small things like chopping wood or delivering meals, or larger things like organizing holiday parties for them.

This semester, the group is hosting a pumpkin carving competition, with proceeds being donated to a charity. From Oct. 27-30, people interested in joining can drop off a carved pumpkin (labeled with name and contact information) at the Beta Sigma Theta house, located at 1210 College Avenue in Houghton. An entry fee of $5 can be submitted via Venmo (@BetSigs) or by placing the amount in cash in an envelope (labeled with participant’s name) in their mailbox. On the 29th, there will be a pumpkin carving blitz at the house where people can purchase a pumpkin, carve it and enter the competition all in one place.

To join Beta Sigma Theta, interested individuals must attend rush events to familiarize themselves with the brothers and the fraternity’s culture and beliefs. Once the desired characteristics have been seen in the individual, the fraternity will extend a bid to join the house. If the person accepts, they will continue to learn more about the fraternity and its brothers. Rush events can be found advertised on campus, on Involvement Link, and on the group’s social media.

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Five ways to safely enjoy fall break

Fall Break is upon us, Huskies, and while we usually don’t have this mid-semester hiatus, this year, we do! While many people may be tempted to travel away from the Copper Country, the university suggests that students stay close to campus to limit the spread of COVID-19. If you are leaving the area, be sure to stay safe and follow health guidelines, but if like me, you’re sticking close to Houghton, here’s some ways you can still enjoy the time off in the Keweenaw! 

 

Get Outside

While the Keweenaw is beautiful in every season, fall offers a surplus of gorgeous autumnal colors in the area’s many trees. Take a drive, a bike ride, or a hike to enjoy the colors. Need some trail inspiration? Check out this map from the Keweenaw’s tourism website. We’re also lucky enough to have a plethora of waterfalls at our disposal, many of which you can find with this list. Hungarian Falls, near Hubbell, is a personal favorite of mine, as it’s an easy trip that offers incredible sights. If you’re looking for something a little more intensive, Bare Bluff (aka the Russell and Miriam Grinnell Memorial Nature Sanctuary), near Copper Harbor, offers some of my favorite views in the Keweenaw. Taking in a breathtaking Lake Superior sunset at one of our many area beaches is a good option, too. 

 

Play Some Games

If the rainy weather we’ve been having this week is discouraging you from heading outside, there are still plenty of things to do inside, too! Michigan Tech students are no strangers to games, and it’s a fun way to pass the time with your housemates or roommates while you’re stuck indoors. You could start a new D&D campaign, check out some newly-popular video games (like Among Us, which is a great option for people who want to play with friends remotely) or break out the old Monopoly board and challenge your housemates to a friendly game of “Who is the best at capitalism?” Any way you play, there’s tons of options available!

 

Try New Foods

We’re extremely lucky to have so many great restaurants in the Copper Country, many of which offer takeout services! Support a local business and enjoy some new food by ordering from one our local restaurants. Fish tacos from Joey’s never disappoint, and an Ambassador pizza is always a crowd pleaser. If you find yourself on the other side of the lift bridge, Milly’s and La Cantina in Hancock are awesome options, too. If you’re not wanting to order out, you could also learn some new cooking skills, and take to the kitchen yourself! Take the time off of school to perfect a favorite recipe, or try out a time-intensive meal you’ve been wanting to try, but have put off. 

 

Read a Book

I’ve been reading the same book for months now, and I told myself that I’d finish it over Fall Break. Will this happen? We’ll see. If, like me, you’ve been slacking off on your yearly Goodreads reading challenge, take this time to finish a book, or start a new one! If you’re looking for something to read, the Bookworm in downtown Houghton is a great place to explore new and used books, and you can always visit local libraries, such as Michigan Tech’s Van Pelt and Opie Library, which has books you can check out using your Husky Card, or the Portage Lake District Library, where district residents can get a card for free. 

 

Treat Yo’ Self

Channel your inner Donna and Tom from Parks and Recreation and Treat Yo’ Self over Fall Break! This could mean lots of things, from grabbing a cup of coffee from one of our many local coffee shops (like Cyberia or Keweenaw Coffee Works) or creating a DIY spa night with your friends, a cheesy movie and some face masks. You deserve to treat yourself sometimes, especially with all of the stressors of work and school. What better time than during this small break?

 

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Tech Tutors offer free services to local K-12 students

Last spring, students across the world drifted into unknown territory as many schools and universities went online due to the COVID-19 pandemic. As Michigan Tech and local K-12 schools in the Copper Country entered the realm of virtual education, parents, students and educators alike worried about the educational gaps between online and in-person learning. A group of Michigan Tech students rose to the challenge last March as they formed an organization called Tech Tutors. The group, which is still running strong this semester, provides local K-12 students with individualized supplementation to their everyday learning and additional educational opportunities available outside the classroom, all free of charge. 

Many students are still struggling to learn online, and our goal is to help these students through these hardships,” says Lydia Savatsky, president of the organization. Their volunteers offer tutoring services in a variety of subjects, from kindergarten to grade 12. Their current subject list includes math, science, reading/writing and social studies, as well as two foreign languages (Spanish and French). 

In addition to their tutoring services, the group also offers students a unique experience they wouldn’t find within the virtual classroom. Through their contact with MTU students, the kids are able to explore different career pathways and learn new and exciting topics in STEM and the humanities. If students are having trouble with just a few things in their studies, Tech Tutors’ website offers students a place to ask some questions without booking an entire appointment.

Beyond benefits in the local community, Tech Tutors boasts great experience for its own tutors as well. “Some of our tutors want to become professors or teachers in the future, and this is a great stepping stone for them,” Savatsky says. “This organization encourages Michigan Tech students to step outside of their comfort zone, become leaders, and help K-12 students who are struggling to learn during the pandemic.”

While Tech Tutors is not yet a Registered Student Organization (RSO), they are very involved in the local community and are completing paperwork to become an RSO this semester. Currently, they are only offering services to the local Keweenaw area, but are hoping to expand their services soon across the Upper Peninsula, Michigan, and the Midwest. According to Savatsky, the group is also hoping to host in-person tutoring events, once the COVID-19 pandemic is over.

Michigan Tech students interested in joining the organization can fill out this application on their website. Area K-12 students and parents can book a free appointment with the tutors here, but please note that sessions must be booked at least 24 hours in advance. You can also reach out to the group with any questions by emailing them at techtutors@mtu.edu or by calling them at (906) 487-2219. 

 

 

 

Interested in seeing your student organization featured in The Lode? Email us at lodesubmit@mtu.edu for more information. 

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Virtual “Music in the Mine” this Friday

If you’re looking to enjoy some local music and pay homage to the Keweenaw’s copper mining past, then we’ve got the perfect event for you! The Music in the Mine event, hosted annually at the Quincy Mine in Hancock, unfortunately cannot be hosted in-person this year due to safety concerns surrounding the ongoing pandemic. But the show must go on, and go on it will – virtually, this Friday at 6 p.m.

The Quincy Mine Shaft No. 2 has become a familiar sight to Copper Country residents and visitors over the years. Though copper mining has since halted in the Keweenaw, it remains a very important part of the local community – Michigan Tech certainly wouldn’t be here without it! While the No. 2 Shaft Rock House (aka the big metal structure at the top of the hill on the Hancock side of the bridge) is perhaps the most noticeable feature of the Quincy Mine. The Quincy Mining Company was one of three large copper companies that dominated the area during the copper hay day. Known as “Old Reliable,” the Quincy Mine operated from 1846 through 1945, and currently serves as one of the area’s biggest tourist attractions, with tours held each summer.

Presented by the Rozsa Center, the Department of Visual and Performing Arts and the Quincy Mine Hoist Association (QMHA), the concert will take place in the No. 2 Hoist House, a beautiful sandstone building located near the rock house. The building’s unique acoustics and interesting history will surely provide for a one-of-a-kind concert experience that you will not want to miss!  

Performances include Adam Meckler on the trumpet, Patrick Booth on the saxophone, and Adam Hall on the cello. The conScience Chamber Singers, one of MTU’s brilliant choirs, will perform a brand new piece by Stephen Rush, under the direction of Jared Anderson. The audience will also have a chance to participate in Paulina Oliveros’ interactive piece “Tuning Meditation.” Michigan Tech is lucky to have such talented performers within the community, and these musicians never disappoint! 

Especially in these stressful times, it’s important to step away from work or school and enjoy the finer things in life. This concert is a great chance to support local musicians, relish some hometown history and take in a relaxing evening. 

Tune in to watch the virtual concert, free of charge, here at 6 p.m. EST on Friday, Oct. 9. Contact the Rozsa Center with any questions by emailing them at rozsa@mtu.edu or calling them at (906) 487-2073. For more information on the Quincy Mine, check out their website or call them at (906) 482-3101. 

 

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