Just about every student in the world awaits the end of classes on a Friday with anxious anticipation. After a long week full of work and stress most students look forward to a relaxing weekend.
Here at Michigan Tech, one of the best ways to relax is to get out and enjoy one of the many activities the Keweenaw Peninsula offers, such as skiing, camping, hiking, or my personal favorite, snowmobiling.
The Upper Peninsula is renowned for its extensive network of snowmobile trails and quality of riding. Avid snowmobilers come from all over the Midwest to ride across the UP. Local snowmobile clubs receive money from the state government to maintain and groom the trails in their areas, which keep them in excellent condition. As long as there is snow on the ground there will be numerous snowmobiles out and about across the UP and in the Keweenaw.
Last Saturday after a particularly stressful week I went out riding with some friends. We left around noon from Michigan Tech’s own snowmobile parking lot, which is located right next to Lot 10. We hit the trail through Houghton, went under the bridge, and began what was to be a wonderful ride. A few hours later we ended up in Copper Harbor and watched the Vintage Snowmobile Drag Races that were taking place. After we ate lunch we headed back to campus, arriving shortly after dark. Snowmobiling in the Keweenaw allows you to visit some spectacular places that otherwise you would not be able to reach in the winter. Roads that are not plowed are pretty much off limits to those with regular vehicles, whereas an unplowed road with two feet of snow is perfect for a snowmobile. For example Brockway Mountain, with its view of Copper Harbor and Lake Superior, is closed during the winter but you can reach the top with a snowmobile! As long as you dress warm Snowmobiling is a fun and entertaining way to relax.
Long rides clear your mind and allow you to see the Keweenaw in its winter state. Even if you are not up to a long ride, a quick twenty-mile loop can still be a good way to escape the college life for a while. The one thing about snowmobiling is that it can get to be an expensive sport. New sleds can cost up to $8,000 nowadays and a lot of college students cannot afford one! Luckily, sleds that are taken care of can last a long time, like the vintage sleds raced in Copper Harbor last weekend, and many students can buy used snowmobiles that are still in good condition.
If school is hitting you hard and you need one sure way to relax on a weekend, try to get out snowmobiling before the snow melts! It is a great way to relax and have fun with your friends. If you do not know anyone that owns a sled ask around, somebody will surely let you go with them. Who knows, you might even pass me on the trail!

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?

A collaboration of MTU students across a variety of disciplines met to celebrate last Thursday, November 12. They met in the hallways of Fischer, they presented and discussed in the Memorial Union Ballrooms, and they posted their work on the J.R. Van Holt Library walls. They want us to know about their work in the field of usability.
The event those students celebrated last Thursday was World Usability Day; the theme was “Designing for a sustainable world.” Events included a paper prototype exhibition that demonstrated its’ effectiveness in Fischer, presentations by usability and sustainability experts, and a showcase of usability posters submitted by Michigan Tech students for consideration in the poster design contest.
“Today’s society wants products that have more than one use and that are sustainable,” says Jeremiah Baumann, a student on the committee for organizing World Usability Day at Michigan Tech. “This is where usability comes into play for someone like myself in the Technical Communications field. As a Creative Designer, if my designs aren’t usable, then they are not successful and don’t see the light of day.”
World Usability Day is an international event sponsored by the Usability Professionals’ Association. A group dedicated to using their expertise in usability testing to “humanize technology.” Their website states “your cell phone should be as easy to use as a door knob.” Some of the international highlights of the event included a DesignIT! Conference in Japan, a celebration for the opening of a new testing facility (the iQ Studio) in Dublin, and students performing usability testing for companies in Finland.
Usability itself is a growing field of interest for not only designers and creators but for any students of higher education looking to create products of the highest quality. Usability refers to the quality of a product as well as to the process of testing how real users interact with the product.
The impact of World Usability Day was clear at the Michigan Tech Campus. Jeremiah states “The presentations this year, including the poster sessions, show how usability and sustainability are directly related, allowing for students to reflect about how they can achieve a better world. Michigan Tech students from all disciplines had the chance to learn about sustainability from local experts.”
Those experts included Rick Donovan, the Operations Manager, Senior Engineer and Research Scientist at Sustainable Futures Institute who talked about high performance computing, artificial intelligence computing, computational materials science, and systems modeling for sustainability. Rick Loduha, an Associate Professor of Art and Design (Interdisciplinary Design) at Finlandia University in Hancock talked about design and creative problem solving. And, Christopher Plummer, Associate Professor of Theater in the Visual and Performing Arts Department at Michigan Tech talked about sustainability in sound design and soundscapes.
Joshua Kaufman, a writer for the Digital Web Magazine, writes “usability testing breaks down the wall between the designer and user, and allows us to see how real users do real tasks in the real world.” And things were real for Michigan Tech Students last Thursday.
See the World Usability Day Upper Peninsula (WUD U.P.) website at hdmz.hu.mtu.edu for more details about World Usability Day 2009 and for a countdown till next years’ celebration.

The idea of providing a healthy treat for her five daughters was what inspired Merry Niemela’s dream of opening a frozen yogurt company. Merry and her husband, Nels, did just that when they opened Merry Berry, a company to which the whole family contributes. Whether choosing toppings, creating a new flavor or taste testing, each day they can be seen off the southern shores of Lake Superior at Merry Berry.
Just south of Houghton, Michigan, on US 41, you will find the sun dancing on the blue waters and the warm smiles of this hard working Finnish-American family. For less than $3, customers are able to enjoy a healthy, natural treat. Merry Berry currently offers customers two daily flavors: ‘Natural’ (which is similar to vanilla) and the flavor of the day. Flavors of the day include smooth chocolate, sweet mango and blueberry, which is one of the most popular, according to Laurynn, one of the five Niemela daughters.
It doesn’t take long to figure out that Merry is a food connoisseur at heart. Her frequent travels, both in the United States and abroad, have enhanced her Merry Berry products. In the morning hours, the yogurt is meticulously blended and frozen to perfection. Merry’s passion for yogurt is shared each day when customers who have been in the heat of the summer sun come and relax while savoring a smooth treat.
After ordering a dish of refreshingly nutritious yogurt, customers can take in the beauty of the Upper Peninsula’s Copper Country while taking a stroll along the trail that borders the shores of the Portage Lake. What were once local railroad tracks are now enjoyed as a walking trail by locals and tourists alike. Open from June through August, Merry Berry is one of the best-kept secrets of the Copper Country. A Merry Berry frozen yogurt is just what is needed to top off a summer vacation to the beautiful upper Peninsula. Merry plans to offer many new flavors next summer and Laurynn is looking forward to it. When asked what one question she would inquire of customers, she replied, “Have you had yogurt today?”

Michigan Tech volleyball overcame Upper Peninsula rival Northern Michigan on senior night in a five set Halloween match up. Seniors Veronica Armstrong, Kaari Nevanen, Allison Greene, Lyndsey Dixon and Melissa Axtell were greeted by their parents and honored by their home crowd prior to Madeline Haben’s serve, which resulted in a Michigan Tech point to set the tone for the first set.
Haben recorded a double double 53 assists and 12 digs, which helped players like Armstrong (12 kills) and Kristine Sexton (17 kills) to pound down important kills at key points in the games. The Huskies grabbed game one 25-14, thanks to 46.7 percent hitting accuracy.  The Wildcats responded in games two and three with a pair of wins, 25-19 and 25-23, taking advantage of the scrambling Husky defense.
While Northern Michigan played consistently, their efforts began to cool off. In games four and five, their hitting dropped to 14 percent in the fourth and lower yet in the fifth with only four successful kills and six errors on 17 attempts.  The Wildcats found themselves down by six points thanks to hitting and digging error, before they were able to respond. Riding a wave of energy from their home crowd and a small contingent of pep band members, Michigan Tech closed out set five and the match, 15-7.
Haben was “very happy with how the game went.” The team has struggled to finish off their opponents and focus in on their play specifically throughout the season. Haben hopes that the team will continue the team’s winning mentality when they head out on the road this weekend to play Ferris State and Grand Valley State Universities.
The Huskies suffered a 1-3 loss to the Bulldogs (9-5) in mid-September before rebounding the following day to steal a win over Grand Valley State (10-4) in a close five game match, 15-13. As Haben expressed, finishing will be key.
Michigan Tech improves to 9-5 in conference and 13-12 overall. They will play in Big Rapids, Mich., against Ferris State, Friday, at 12 p.m. For more information, visit mtulode.com.

As the H1N1 (swine flu) pandemic progresses, changes are being implemented across campus and on a national level to combat the spread of illness.
Last Friday, President Obama declared the H1N1 pandemic a national emergency.  In the declaration, Obama stated that the “2009 H1N1 pandemic continues to evolve.  The rates of illness continue to rise rapidly within many communities across the nation, and the potential exists for the pandemic to overburden health care resources in some localities.”
The President’s administration is calling the declaration a protective measure that is not in direct response to any new development. It is intended to give the federal government more power to help states fight the spread of H1N1.
Locally, many school districts have closed in an effort to curb the spread of the illness.  The Dollar Bay-Tamarack City Area Schools were closed last week for four days while Pelkie Elementary School, which serves students in the Baraga area, was closed from Oct. 21 to Oct. 23.  The Ontonogon Area School District was also closed from Monday to Wednesday of this week with the possibility of a longer closure depending on a re-evaluation of attendance and the health of students.
No lab-reported cases of H1N1 have been reported at Michigan Tech.  The Western Upper Peninsula Health Department (WUPHD) is focusing on diagnosis and treatment of those with flu-like symptoms instead of testing each individual case for H1N1.
Students have been reminded via e-mail to practice good hygiene and to cover coughs and sneezes.  Students are also being asked to alert the University if they are suffering from flu-like symptoms through the Michigan Tech flu Web site: www.mtu.edu Using a form on the flu Web site, students can notify the Dean of Students Office of their illness; the information will then be reported to the student’s instructors.  According to Vice President for Student Affairs, Les Cook, 245 students had completed the form to report flu-like illness as of Tuesday morning.
Students “are responsible for contacting their instructors for arrangements to make up missed work and assignments,” according to the flu Web site.  Michigan Tech faculty are being asked to be lenient regarding assignment due dates and the possible need to reschedule exams and will not require a doctor’s note to excuse a student’s absence.
Due to the ease of reporting illness, some students are taking advantage of the new system.  One student, who wished to remain anonymous, said they reported that they were sick using the form on the flu website to avoid taking an exam even though they had no flu-like symptoms.  Another anonymous student said that they reported having some flu-like symptoms in order to be excused from class even though they knew their symptoms were not indicative of a contagious illness such as H1N1.
“There is really no way to monitor abuse of the online form,” Dr. Cook said.  “We trust that students will have integrity and be honest with us regarding illness.”
Michigan Tech is working closely with the WUPHD to monitor the spread of illness.  Dr. Theresa Frankovich of the WUPHD said that the Centers for Disease Control recommends basing the suspension of classes on the overall increased severity of H1N1 and not on a specific number or percentage of reported infections at a college or university.
In response to the recent outbreak of illness on campus, the Inter-Residence Hall Council decided to cancel the annual Safehouse event.  Travis Pierce, Director of Housing, said in an e-mail that “in an effort to limit the exposure of those visiting campus with our residents, Safehouse has been cancelled…”  No one could be reached before printing to comment on the number of times Safehouse has been cancelled in the past.
In the Sept. 17 issue of the Lode, it was reported that the University would be installing hand sanitizer stations at high traffic areas throughout campus and at the entrances to computer labs.  However, after a recent walkthrough of the first floor of every main building on campus and inspecting the entrances to some computer labs, only eight hand sanitizer stations could be found.  The eight hand sanitizer stations were found either in the Residence Hall lobbies or in dining locations.  Of the eight stations inspected, one was empty.
“Hand sanitizers were ordered some time ago but were back ordered and then we were told they wouldn’t be available until December or later,” Dr. Cook said.  “Hearing that, another company was contacted and sanitizers were ordered.  The sanitizers should be in place early next week.”
The Michigan Tech flu Web site states that the school “is working closely with the Western UP District Health Department to coordinate H1N1 vaccination clinics for students on campus.”  Currently, there is not a sufficient supply of the vaccine to conduct a vaccination clinic.  The clinic is currently planned to be conducted by the third week in November and will be free of charge to Michigan Tech students.  Once details are made available, they will be provided on the Michigan Tech flu Web site and printed in the Lode.

It was a great day for the Husky Cross Country Runners this past weekend in Sault Ste Marie as both the Men’s and Women’s clubs ran in the Laker Invite hosted by Lake Superior State University. Both clubs would see very similar results to the UP Invite, which was hosted here at Michigan Tech.
The Men’s club was led again by Brian Stetter who finished twenty seconds ahead of the entire pack at 15:56. The Men would do extremely well and take 8 out of the first 10 spots, only dropping the 4th and 9th places, leading the team to a first place finish. The Women would be paced by Jill Smith who finished second overall at 19:27. She would be joined by 3 of her teammates in the top ten, leading the Huskies to a second place finish with Northern Michigan University taking first place in the Women’s race.
The Huskies will travel to University of Wisconsin – Parkside this coming Saturday to compete in the Midwest Collegiate Open, giving them their first tests outside the Upper Peninsula.
The tournament will feature teams from the NCAA II and the NAIA from around the Midwestern states and should give our runners a good idea of how well they are performing.

The role the gay community should play in our society has been a hot topic across America for the last 10 to 20 years. Amongst disputes of legal gay marriage, discrimination and other conflicts concerning sexual orientation, Michigan Tech did its part to promote tolerance and awareness through Gay Pride Week. Lasting April 5-10, Tech hosted a week full of events including a showing of the movie “Milk,” a panel discussion, a “Guess the Straight Person” contest and the Drag Show.
As we have gone through the new millennium, our society has become more open and tolerant to different lifestyles. In some states, a gay couple can even marry. It is not uncommon to see same sex couples on TV, which 20 years ago would have been unheard of. Despite this progress, there is too much discrimination and hatred towards gay people that still exists in our country. There are still hate crimes and general stereotypes as well as ambivalence surrounding the gay culture.

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On April 10th & 11th, WMTU is hosting the third annual KEWEENAWESOMEFEST in Houghton, MI. This event has been growing in popularity and notoriety over the last two years, and this year surely will not disappoint. Like years past, the event will be held in the “Black Box”, also known as the McArdle Performing Arts Center in the Walker Arts and Humanities Building on the Michigan Technological University campus.

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Michigan Tech students were invited to attend a free presentation sponsored by Beta Sigma Theta fraternity and Delta Phi Epsilon sorority this Tuesday, March 24. The main presenter was Regina Sobieski, a victim’s advocacy and criminal justice expert, while four local panelists were available for a question, answer and discussion session after the main presentation.

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