For students at Michigan Tech, the blustery gusts of snow that have hit the Keweenaw for the past two weeks mean more than just digging up winter jackets and early-morning windshield scraping. They signify the beginning of a season full of adventures.
“Its’ an opportune place to live” says Noah Marach, Manager in charge of the Outdoor Adventure Program (OAP) Gear Swap, which was held in the MUB Alumni Lounge on Saturday, Dec. 5.
The third annual Gear Swap, set up by the OAP, boasted 58 items of outdoor gear including five bikes and a few items from the OAP’s own rental center such as sleeping bags and hiking backpacks. OAP provided the services of promoting and setting up the swap, with no service charges for participants. “We get our name out there, OAP provides services for trips and equipment rentals but we’d really like to be a hub for outdoor experiences in the area.” Noah explains.
The OAP also offers several other winter activities for the spring semester including full-moon snowshoe hikes, kayak rolling clinics, sledding trips at Nara Nature Trails, the second gear swap, and a paddling trip along the Sturgeon River. Also look for information on Alternative Spring Break Trips from OAP at their Web site www.oap.mtu.edu. The theme for OAP is “Unplug Yourself”, an apt motto for our technological campus, urging students to explore the abundant opportunities of the Upper Peninsula as well as expanding students’ horizons to an outdoor lifestyle in general. The Alternative Spring Break Trips boast well-known outdoor destinations such as the Grand Canyon, Buffalo National River, Land Between the Lakes, and Puerto Rico.
Look for advertising around campus for the next OAP gear swap in April. “We get a lot of snow stuff around this time, while in April we get a lot of bikes” Noah says describing the swaps. That’s good news for winter sport-enthusiasts ready to pick-up gear and enjoy the seven-inches of snow that has blown through the Michigan Tech campus since the end of November. Keweenaw Snow Report and U.P. Weather reports 27.8” as of Dec. 7.
Other opportunities for winter enjoyment begin when Mount Ripley opens. The snow guns have been up and running and their Web site indicates a prospective opening date next weekend, Dec. 12 for the weekend. Weekday skiing and snowboarding begins the following week on Dec. 19. The nationally recognized Nordic Ski Trails in Michigan Techs’ backyard are free for students to use as soon as the snow blankets them. That’s almost 100 kilometers of adventure. National Geographic has repeatedly featured and rated areas of the Keweenaw as some of the best outdoor spots. Overall the Upper Peninsula is a Top U.S. Adrenaline Outpost. Are you ready for the adventure?

Since the beginning of our nation’s history, new movements and old prejudices have been intertwined. Our country paved the way for a new world, filled with democracy, free choice and happier lifestyles while still keeping minorities of our citizens in bonds of slavery, forms of mistreatment and in skewed equality. Now, more than ever, is the time to recognize these facts and take into consideration that we are again changing the world: the bells of equality and freedom are ringing yet again.
The election campaign of 2008 changed the face of the U.S. forever: no more can we say that we are a country of unequal rights and old grudges, but a country full of new beginnings and new hope. It marks a new chapter in our country’s history and a tribute to all who have suffered injustice.
As the nation celebrates the election of its first black President, this February we also celebrate a tradition dedicated to remembering those who have been mistreated and discriminated against in our country: Black History Month.
Black History Month was founded in 1926 by Carter G. Woodson and his organization, the Association for the Study of African American Life and History (ASALH), which, founded in 1915, has the mission to: “promote, research, preserve, interpret and disseminate information about Black life, history and culture to the global community” (www.asalh.org). According to Wikipedia.com, Woodson originally chose the second week of February to celebrate “Negro History Week” because the week held the birthdays of two important figures in the revolution of black freedom: former President Abraham Lincoln and former slave Frederick Douglass.
As history progressed, February held more important events for the recognition of African Americans as equal citizens, thus causing the celebration to hold not only a week but a month of recognition. Other important events in February included: the birth of W.E.B. Du Bois on Feb. 23, 1868, the passing of the 15th Amendment on Feb. 3, 1870 and the founding of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) on Feb. 12, 1909 (www.infoplease.com).
W.E.B. Du Bois was a significant member in the fight against racial discrimination and an equal rights activist. Du Bois was one of the founding members of the NAACP, an organization with the mission to: “ensure the political, educational, social, and economic equality of rights of all persons and to eliminate racial hatred and racial discrimination” (www.naacp.org and www.americaslibrary.gov).
Black History Month marks an important aspect of our culture and history and should be recognized as a celebration of an ever-changing movement for equality and civil rights. To celebrate Black History Month, Michigan Tech has month long programs and activities to participate in. For the next two weeks, these events will be occurring: on Tuesday, Feb. 17 in the MUB Alumni Lounge A from 2-3 p.m. “The ‘N’ Word”, a study of the connotations behind one of the crudest words in the English language, performances of jazz, dance and spoken word on Thursday, Feb. 19 in the Rozsa Lobby from 7-11 p.m. and an open mic coffee house from 8-11 p.m. in Wadsworth Hall on Saturday, Feb. 21. Two presentations made by LTC Otha Thornton and C.S. Giscombe relating to topics of BHM will be featured as well. Thornton’s presentation will take place Thursday, Feb. 26 from 12-1 p.m. in the MUB Red Metal Room 105B; Giscombe’s will take place from 5-7 p.m. in Walker 134 on Friday, Feb. 27. Lastly, African Night 2009 will be celebrated from 6-10 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 28. African Night includes dinner in the MUB Ballroom followed by performances of dancing and music in the Rozsa Center.