Previous features covered sculptures by Greek Life organizations on campus. This week, the Army Reserve Officer Training Corps will get their spotlight! Founded in 1917, the Army Reserve Officer Training Corps has been involved with campus activities, stemming back to the first winter carnival. Like many years before, AROTC students are building a carnival-themed structure in front of the “ROTC House.” 

Last year’s festival saw the co-ed organization create Snoopy, from the comic strip Peanuts, being chased by the Red Baron. It was a technical feat to construct with each plane’s details, from the wooden planks of the doghouse plane to the wing struts and German Cross of the Red Baron’s. The men’s team built a Krusty Krab battleship from Spongebob Squarepants. It was also a detailed model with rigging and cannons. The co-ed team won second place in their division, while the men’s team won fifth in the men’s division. 

Month-long teams have less than two weeks before the festivities start Feb. 9. In addition to the month-long sculptures, some organizations will also work on “All-Nighter” statues. More information on all sculptures and Winter Carnival events can be found in our upcoming special issue!

As January continues, more snow sculptures are popping up across campus, as well as in Houghton and Hancock. Some of these month-long sculptures are massive in their layout, depending on scaffolding and large teams to coordinate construction. 

This week’s month-long snow sculpture is Delta Sigma Phi, a fraternity located near Wadsworth Hall. The sculpture’s theme remains top secret for now, according to the members. They’ve laid out towers of snow and ice on the lawn, using specialized scaffolding to help reach the massive heights. According to one of their brothers, this will be the 75th year in a row that they built a sculpture for Winter Carnival. 

When asked how such projects are achieved on this scale, another fraternity member responded that they elect a statue chair, who works to plan out the sculpture idea and map the area out. The chair also organizes the schedules for the brothers to help out in shifts. Extensive planning makes these annual marvels possible. 

Vice President Steve Knudstrup led last night’s senate meeting. Proposal 15-22 was brought back to the senate’s attention. It proposes a shift in sabbatical application deadlines from March 15 to Dec. 1. The proposal was postponed for approval to April 6. Senator Jon Sticklen gave the reasoning for postponing the decision to get more feedback and see how peer institutions are handling sabbatical leaves. The senate voted to postpone decision making until more information was received. 

Proposal 16-22 was also brought up again; it would change senate procedure for searching for university presidents. 16-22 was also postponed to April 6 with similar reasoning to Proposal 15-22.

Proposal 23-22 calls for creating an Ad-Hoc committee, who will internally evaluate senate meeting structures and their efficiency. The senate voted in favor of approving the proposal.

A similar proposal (Proposal 25-22) was introduced during the “new business” section. 25-22 would create an Ad-Hoc committee to update senate bylaws and the senate constitution. Ashley Buchanen remarked that the Senate bylaws were “due for a good lookover.” No voting occurred for Proposal 25-22.

Proposal 3-22 was approved to change “Pharmaceutical Chemistry” to “Medicinal Chemistry.” It was approved across the senate. The meeting was adjourned without public comment or additional discussion. 

Meeting agendas and recording can be found on the senate website. The next meeting will occur on Feb. 2 in Dow 632 at 5:30 p.m. Visitors are welcome to attend in person or watch meetings when they are uploaded to their website.

Full meeting agendas and minutes can be found at https://www.mtu.edu/senate/meetings/docs/. The next meeting will occur on Feb. 2 in Dow 632 at 5:30 p.m. Visitors are welcome to attend in person or watch meetings at https://www.mtu.edu/senate/meetings/current/. 

On Dec. 1, Proposal 2-22 returned to Senate discussion with amendments. Proposal 2-22 would incorporate student comments more into instructor evaluations, along with numeric ratings. Academic and Instructional Policy Chair Tim Scarlett elaborated on the amendments; he wanted to clarify the language used in the proposal. He stated that, “…the policy makes plain that…teaching evaluation instruments shall be used by academic administrators as they are doing evaluations and making personnel decisions.” Scarlett reiterated that the proposal doesn’t go into specifics, as departmental functions will define the final processes. The proposal specifies the responsible administrator will use both the numeric reports and student comments to evaluate instructors. However, exactly how this data will be used isn’t specified in the proposal.

Senators showed concern in the proposal’s missing details, such as what student comments would add to qualitative instructor evaluation data. Secretary Kette Thomas asked about the benefits of including student comments in evaluations when the instructors and administrators are aware of the problems with such tools, such as bias. She remarked, “…we’re insisting on adding this element that is indeed going to be used in invalid evaluations.” Scarlett replied, “…I have heard sincere and repeated expressions of frustration from students that their written comments are not being used for anything constructive…in reviewing policy, the board didn’t see a way where written instruction or written comments were allowed to be used for oversight.” He affirmed the proposal is a compromised solution that meets the needs of ensuring the use of written comments for evaluations.

Dec. 8’s meeting saw the senate accept both language amendments to the original proposal. However, there was a motion made and approved to postpone Proposal 19-20 (similar to Proposal 2-22) in the spring semester, with April as a final deadline for the meeting. 

Among other proposals passed that night included the creation of a Master’s degree in Science of Manufacturing Engineering and Jazz Studies minor.

Recordings, agendas, and minutes for all senate meetings can be found at https://www.mtu.edu/senate/meetings/. Students can voice concerns and opinions to the Senate next week on Jan. 18 in DOW 642.

Student organizations at Michigan Tech began working on their month-long snow sculptures for Winter Carnival. Members from Delta Zeta and Sigma Phi Epsilon started work on their sculpture in front of the Memorial Union Building. This is the first collaboration between the fraternity and sorority in the past five years, but both Greek societies are excited to work with one another again. 

When we talked to the group, they revealed their sculpture is still “top-secret,” but the front blocks will be “automotive.” They are confident the statue will get finished for next month’s carnival, as they have an extra week this year to work. There is also more snow than last year for students to work with.

Houghton City Council met on Dec. 1 to discuss civic developments.

The Lakeshore Center is undergoing repairs to its foundations, after a section of its dock collapsed into Portage Canal in August. In addition to repairs, the current ramp structure to the north is planned to be remodeled as a park space to match the new pier’s setting.

Parking continues to be heavily discussed, as City Manager Eric Waara brought up the current state. According to Waara, “Parking [in Houghton] is in flux.” It hasn’t been certain how the city is dealing with an increased demand for parking, especially for student tenants in town. Waara stated the issue is in current discussion within the municipality, including how to proceed with the large parking ramp along the lakeshore. 

Meanwhile, Michigan Municipal magazine praised the city’s pier project taking place between the Lakeshore Center and the Portage Library. Additionally, Lake Superior Magazine remarked on Houghton’s strong winter.

Finally, the City of Houghton Beautification Committee helped decorate the city for the holidays. This includes a giant, red bulb ornament in Bridgeview Park.

On Nov. 30, the MTU Flex Task Force announced two on-campus COVID-19 vaccine clinics. The clinics will be held on Dec. 8, 2021 and Jan. 12, 2022 in the Rozsa Center lobby, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Everyone who schedules an appointment can receive vaccines, including boosters. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines allow for individuals to receive different boosters from their original vaccine.

Additionally, the Flex Task Force iterated the change for when Michigan Tech employees must submit vaccination proof: “The new [mandate] compliance date is January 18, which is later than the January 4 date previously communicated.” 

The CDC recommends “everyone 18 years or older should get a booster shot.” Those who received Pfizer or Moderna can get a booster at least six months after their second dose, while those who received Johnson and Johnson can get a booster after at least two months. The CDC reports “[our] recommendations now allow for … mix and match dosing for booster shots.”

This announcement comes after President Biden recently remarked on the developing Omicron variant. He urged Americans to not wait and, “Go get your booster if it’s time for you to do so.”

On Nov. 17, the Houghton City Council met to discuss new proposals and decide on a new council member.

They voted for a proposal that opposes the recent bill passed that prevents Houghton from banning short-term rental housing. The recently-passed bill may affect Michigan Tech students looking for year-round housing but can’t find vacant areas.

Community member Mary Minski proposed a family-friendly winter event at Kestner Park. This would be a fundraiser for the winter triathlon on the Tech Trails. The event would have ski ribbons, snowshoeing, and ice skating. 

Police Chief John Donnelly brought up the safety concerns for M-26. He reported that the current roadway’s hillside position leads to accidents, including one fatal crash last year. He briefly proposed a corridor-like structure, similar to a road system in Marquette.

Elections for the next council member were held by the board members. Five candidates were nominated by council members from eight applicants. One of the candidates was Jennifer Rachels, a PhD student in Michigan Tech’s Department of Social Sciences. No clear consensus was reached after three voting sessions, resulting in another election to be held. 

Finally, Kevin “Ducky” Maki was publicly thanked for his countless years managing Dee Stadium. He retired last week and plans to move south. Council members honored his contributions to the local hockey community. 

Over the last month, students discussed the food quality in Wadsworth Dining Hall. A recent survey, conducted by a student life association, showed that nine students out of 58 total felt “good” towards Wads dining, 17 students felt “neutral,” 23 students rated the dining hall as “bad,” and nine students rated the dining hall as “very bad.” Common complaints on this survey include hair found in food, improperly washed cutlery with food still on it, and a lack of food options beyond the current offerings. 

Meanwhile, the students who felt neutral and good praised the service of the workers, the desserts and yogurts, and the general return to normalcy post-pandemic the dining hall has pulled off. In-person dining is back, along with dishes and a wider variety of food that can be served. 

An anonymous student worker discussed his employment with Wadsworth Dining. He acknowledged that the salad mix isn’t replaced as often as it should be. The worker claims to replace the salad mix when possible, but he’s often occupied in numerous duties. He stated how he’s pulled across numerous stations throughout a shift, from washing dishes to serving cooked food. It’s part of his job description as a student worker in the dining service.

A food-line cook commented on her experiences in Wads Dining. She enjoys working in the dining hall because students enjoy her food: “When people like my cooking, it fills me with joy.”  She mentioned how one person criticized her pizza’s quality, but she rebutted with how many more dining hall visitors compliment her pizzas. She’s been employed in the kitchens for three years, but she remains part-time. She expressed issues with scheduling due to a lack of workers. The increased demands for more workers has led her to covering more shifts, but she appreciates all the polite students complimenting her food. Her experience with the dining hall has been mainly positive.

After last year’s adjustments to COVID regulations, dining services have struggled to keep up with demands. Students are also dealing with additional stresses brought upon them by the pandemic and its interference with the Michigan Tech lifestyle. These discussions on improvements made or in progress may continue until a worthy compromise is reached.

Starting Jan. 10, 2022, all Michigan Tech employees (including all student employees) will be required to show proof of COVID-19 vaccination or file an exemption form for medical or religious reasons. On Sept. 24, the Safer Federal Workforce Task Force issued new health requirements for universities receiving federal contracts. Michigan Tech is one of these government-funded institutions. 

As of Nov. 4, no mandates have been issued for students who are not Michigan Tech employees. The university plans to continue enforcing facial masks indoors (except for the SDC and the Gates Tennis Center, where they remain only recommended). MTU encourages students to get vaccinated. 

Proof of vaccination can be submitted through the MTU Flex Portal in a secure and confidential process. The website only allows one upload per person. After the data is submitted, it will be reviewed. People will receive confirmation emails on whether the proof was accepted or not. Those with medical or religious exceptions can find exemption forms on the MTU Flex Portal as well.

To submit in person, individuals should bring documentation to the Rozsa Lobby ticket window on these dates: Friday, Nov. 5, 11 a.m. – 1 p.m., Monday, Nov. 8, 8 – 10 a.m., Tuesday, Nov. 9, 3 – 5 p.m., Monday, Nov. 15, 12-2 p.m., and Thursday, Nov. 18, 9 – 11 a.m.. People can also register proof at the Human Resources Office on the second floor of the Lakeshore Center, Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.. For both locations, it’s recommended to bring both the original vaccination card and ID.