Alumni Reunion Features Men's Basketball, New Events

Michigan Technological University’s Alumni Reunion, set for Thursday-Saturday, Aug. 2-4, will showcase men’s basketball along with a wide array of other events and activities, from the traditional pasty picnic to tours on Michigan Tech’s research vessel.

Registration and sales for all ticketed events will be in the Memorial Union starting at 1 p.m. on Tuesday, July 31, and continuing through Friday, Aug. 3. Hours are 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., Wednesday through Friday.

Thursday, Aug. 2
The popular Pasty Picnic is set for 4-6 p.m. Thursday on the campus green, between the Electrical Energy Resources Center and the Chemical Sciences and Engineering Building. Alumni and everyone else are welcome to gather for conversation, pasties and pickled eggs. Tickets are $13 and are available ahead of time at the registration desk and at the picnic.

The Keweenaw Alumni Chapter and friends will host a social on the deck of the Downtowner Lounge, in Houghton, starting at 7 p.m. Everyone is invited.

Friday, Aug. 3
On Friday, the Class of 1957 Golden M pinning ceremony will be held in the Memorial Union Ballroom at 10 a.m. Michigan Tech president Glenn Mroz will honor those celebrating their 50th year as university alumni. The Class of 1957 photo will be taken immediately after the ceremony.

Also at 10 a.m., several other class-year gatherings will be held in the Memorial Union. The Class of 1967 will meet in the Alumni Lounge; Class of 1977, Peninsula Room; Classes of 1982 and 1987, Keweenaw Commons; and Class of 1997, lobby of the Ballroom.

The fourth annual Campus Chili Challenge will be held 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m. on the campus green. Everyone is invited to taste-test departments’ favorite chili recipes and vote for the people’s choice.

The University Campus Picnic is also set for 11 a.m.-1:30 p.m., featuring a buffet prepared by the Memorial Union. Cost is $6.95 per person; pay at the picnic.

Tours of the Keweenaw Waterway aboard the research vessel Agassiz will be held every hour on the hour from 1 to 4 p.m. Friday at the Houghton County Marina in Hancock, near the Ramada Inn. Alumni can sign up for a tour at the registration desk. First come, first served; the boat can carry up to 18 passengers.

On Friday, campus departments will hold open houses from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. In addition to academic departments, tours will be held at the Seaman Mineral Museum, the Student Development Complex, the Advanced Technology Development Complex, the Michigan Tech Ski Trails and Wadsworth Hall. More information on tour sites will be at the registration desk.

At 3-5 p.m., alumni Dick and Stasi Gray, Class of 1982, will host a social for those celebrating their 25th reunion (and everyone else) at the Keweenaw Brewing Company, in downtown Houghton.

At 3-4:30 p.m., Summer Youth Programs will host its 35th reunion ice cream social in front of Douglass Houghton Hall. All are welcome, and the ice cream is free. If you plan to attend, RSVP to 487-2219.

The annual Alumni Reunion banquet and awards presentation begins at 5:30 p.m. Friday with a social hour in the Memorial Union Ballroom. With the exception of the Class of 1957, class photos are taken at 6 p.m., with dinner at 6:30 p.m. Tickets are $30 at the registration desk. Most reunion events are casual, but business attire is recommended for the banquet.

The award recipients are Dr. Dennis E. Teeguarden ’53, Outstanding Service Award; Ross E. Roeder, Honorary Alumni Award; and Dr. Matthew N. Songer ’79, Distinguished Alumni Award.

Saturday, Aug. 4
Saturday begins with a trek to the cliffs near Mohawk for hiking and exploring with the Outdoor Adventure Program. The cost is $10 for alumni and other members of the university community, $15 for the general public. Contact Jared Johnson at 487-1963 for more information or to register.

The Keweenaw Alumni Chapter and Friends golf outing starts at 8:30 a.m. at Portage Lake Golf Course. Participants can choose from a nine-hole scramble or a nine-hole stroke play, an optional golf clinic, and a brunch in the new Par and Grill. The cost is $30, including golf, cart and brunch, with discounts to course members. To register, contact Tanya Maki at 487-2400 or tanya@mtu.edu.

Men’s basketball is this year’s featured sport, and fans can watch a shootaround at 1 p.m. in the SDC Wood Gym. At 6:30 p.m., everyone is invited to watch some of Michigan Tech’s basketball greats in action during the alumni reunion game.
Reunion wraps up with the free Copper Country Community Band Concert at 7 p.m. at the Houghton Beach Waterfront Park or bowling and pizza with Keweenaw Pride at Copper Bowl Lanes.

Michigan Technological University is a public research university founded in 1885 in Houghton, Michigan, and is home to more than 7,000 students from 55 countries around the world. Consistently ranked among the best universities in the country for return on investment, Michigan’s flagship technological university offers more than 120 undergraduate and graduate degree programs in science and technology, engineering, computing, forestry, business and economics, health professions, humanities, mathematics, social sciences, and the arts. The rural campus is situated just miles from Lake Superior in Michigan's Upper Peninsula, offering year-round opportunities for outdoor adventure.