The McNair Hall sauna (right) is part of UP and Michigan Tech culture. Each residence hall has a sauna. And, the popular intramural sport of broomball has a team called the Sauna Boyz. How to avoid UP culture shock
Whether you just dropped off your first-year student this past weekend, or you will be seeing your returning student off to classes next Tuesday, it’s important to know a few things about “UP” culture (we Michiganders refer to Michigan by its lower and upper peninsulas, the Upper Peninsula also known as the UP). One of the many reasons I love the UP is because of its unique embrace of the Finnish heritage.
Saunas
Most of you probably know what a sauna is. However, your student is likely to find a discrepancy as to how the word “sauna” is pronounced once they are on campus. I grew up with a strong Finnish background, and I was always taught to pronounce sauna as “sow-na.” This is the correct and accepted pronunciation in the Finnish language. However, once I came to Michigan Tech, I met many other students who felt this pronunciation was odd, as they pronounced the word as “sa-na.” I have never learned how the varied pronunciation came to be, but perhaps it had to do with the way saunas have evolved over the years.
Over 2,000 years ago, the sauna was founded in Finland. Saunas were originally built in the ground, but eventually were built above ground with wood logs. Rocks were then heated in a stove by a wood fire. (The name “sauna” has been thought to come from the word “savuna” which means “in smoke.”) Water was splashed on these rocks to make steam. Many saunas in the UP are still built this way. Saunas grew to be popular steam and wash rooms. However, more modern saunas are now made with electric stoves, and can be found within many homes and spas around the world.
If you would like a more in-depth history of the sauna, please visit: http://www.geocities.com/lukefisk.geo/sauna.html.
Pasties
Along with a Finnish/Scandinavian heritage, the UP is also well known for a popular food originating from our Copper mining days, known as the pasty. A pasty is a Cornish food that came to the UP in the 1850s by miners from Cornwall, England. Pronounced “pass-tee,” this delicious meal is a combination of ground beef, chopped carrots, diced potatoes, rutabaga, onion, and seasoning encased in a flaky crust. Many people enjoy eating a pasty with gravy, butter, or ketchup.
If you drive across the Mackinac Bridge, you won’t be able to miss all of the pasty shops that lure tourists in each year. Although I prefer homemade pasties, I would highly recommend your student try pasties from Sheldon’s Bakery in Houghton, or by ordering pasties online from Dobbers Pasties in Escanaba, MI (http://www.dobberspasties.com/). If you were able to try pasties during your travels to Michigan Tech, then you will also find that pasties make great gifts!
When I gave my final presentation to my department at Cummins, I provided pasties for their enjoyment at lunch, and needless to say, they loved them!
Da Yoopers
Because I have been born and raised in the UP, I have been called a “Yooper” all of my life. A Yooper is someone who is thought to be a backwoods type of person from the UP, but don’t worry, people don’t just pick on Yoopers! People also call residents of the Lower Peninsula “Trolls” (since they live “below” the Mackinaw Bridge). People also recognize true Yoopers because of our somewhat Canadian accents. This leads to the bright green bumper stickers you’ll see on many cars around campus that state, “Say Yah to Da UP, Eh!”
There is also literally a group of musicians known as “Da Yoopers.” They sing silly deer camp songs and make jokes about the so-called Yooper persona. To read more about what I mean, please visit: http://dayoopers.com/.
You can also visit Da Yoopers Tourist Trap located between Negaunee and Houghton on US-41 (roughly a 1.5 hour drive from Michigan Tech). This is a Yooper store and museum all in one that can provide hours of laughter and entertainment! They also sell a lot of great gag-gifts. To get a glimpse of what you or your student could experience, please visit: http://www.dayoopers.com/thetrap.html.
No matter what Da Yoopers say about the UP, please be rest-assured that your student is attending college in a great place. The Yooper “culture” is more comical than factual, and should be taken light-heartedly. The UP is known for its beautiful scenery and genuinely friendly people. Which means your student should feel right at home.
- Until next week,
