April 22–28, 2009, Number 538
Is it April or November?
You are probably wondering about the title of this article, but there’s a good explanation. This past Friday was Spring Fling 2009 held from noon to 5 p.m. with various country/western themed events; the famous oozeball tournament, Motocross stunt shows, and much more. The best part of this past Friday though, was the weather! Temperatures were in the upper 60s to 70s with the sun shining all day. It was incredible and a lot of fun. Other events included the mechanical bull, comedian Tim Kidd and the Johnny Cash Tribute Band – Cash Kings. Ah, the weather made it seem like Houghton was headed for Spring/Summer changes. However, this didn’t last for long. On Sunday the temperatures dropped, rain began to fall, followed by sleet and small amounts of hail. There was mixed feelings about this change in the conditions as some were excited for snow and others were disgusted. Waking up Monday morning to see the accumulation of a couple inches piled on my car was not something I was happy to see, especially since it was the heavy, sticky, wet snow that is perfect for snow-ball and snow-man making, but nothing else really. The scene that lay before me from the window of my apartment made me think it was November and not April like my calendar said. This change in the weather forecast is going to last through the rest of the week with a slight increase in temperatures, but the snow/rain combination will last for a few days at least. Oh well, its typical U.P. weather, and it wouldn’t be normal if we didn’t see a little bit of snow before Finals week.
As I mentioned last time, the students will be busy preparing themselves for final projects and exams this week until the end of next week. Several departments on campus are hosting special events to help students take a breather between studying. Posters of these events have just recently been placed in different areas around campus letting students know about what is available to them. The posters are title “Stress-Free Finals Activities April 20-29, 2009” and are being sponsored by the Parents Fund, Counseling and Wellness Services, Student Activities & Student Affairs. The events being put on include “Snack Attack” taking place at 9 p.m. every day varying between the Library, Fisher Hall, and in the Residence Halls, and are sponsored by different organizations/departments on campus. Other events include Puppy Play time, comedian Pat McCurdy on Saturday, Ice Cream in the residence halls on Saturday, Build Your Own Trail Mix on Sunday in the library, Outdoor Adventures Program sunset paddle, and much more. All of these activities are geared towards aiding students in taking those much desired breaks while still continuing to study.
One last event to mention that is geared towards a “Stress-Free Finals” is Arbor Day Service activities on campus. For anyone who enjoys volunteering, this event is definitely for you. From about 9 a.m. until noon students can have the opportunity to help with the campus landscaping before the summer begins. For more information about Arbor Day events and registration, visit the Community Services website and scroll to the bottom of the page or email communityservice@mtu.edu to volunteer.
If there are any questions or comments about this article, please feel free to email me at my personal email address. As always any suggestions for future articles are welcomed. I hope that all of your students have a great last week of regular classes and best wishes on their final exams. I know I’m looking forward to being done! Perhaps that’s because I’m graduating, but there’s more I’m sure.
Until next week,
- Michigan Technological University
- 1400 Townsend Drive, Houghton, MI 49931-1295
- 906-487-1885