October 2022

Megan O'Connor, a 2018 Northern Michigan University graduate, has joined WZMQ-TV 19 for a weekly segment that launched earlier this month. O'Connor talks about popular events and top Upper Peninsula trends in “What's UP with Megan,” which airs at 6 p.m. each Tuesday.

Northern Michigan University's Pride of the North marching band, under the direction of Professor Stephen Grugin, is taking its show on the road for performances in the Grand Rapids and Gaylord areas Oct. 21-23. The 140-member group will provide halftime entertainment for two football games and perform a downtown concert on the return trip to Marquette.

The Northern Michigan University Percussion Ensemble holding its first concert of the season at 3 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 6, in Reynolds Recital Hall. Admission is free and open to the public.

Northern Michigan University's hospitality management and cosmetology programs will host a community open house for their new facilities in the Northern Center from 3-8 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 3. In addition to touring the spaces, attendees are invited to share ideas for names for the new restaurant and salon, both of which are open to the public.

Northern Michigan University alumnus Jeff Vande Zande will give a reading from his newly published fifth novel, "Rules of Order," at 7 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 10, at Peter White Public Library. The 1993 graduate had previously published a short story collection and was inspired to expand upon one of the pieces contained within it. Soon after Vande Zande began the project, his writing intensified during the early stage of the pandemic. He managed to complete a book-length draft in only six weeks.

The Beaumier U.P. Heritage Center at Northern Michigan University is featuring an exhibition titled “Above/Under the Surface: The Fisheries of the Upper Great Lakes” through December in its Gries Hall gallery. The exhibition looks at the changes that have taken place in the fish populations and the impact of human beings on native fish species. Admission is free.

Northern Michigan University Theatre & Dance will present its first-ever devised production, in which the entire creative team develops the script and show collaboratively. The world premiere of Finding Home celebrates members of historically marginalized communities who have shared their experiences at NMU and in the Marquette area. The show begins at 7:30 p.m. Nov. 4-5 and 9-12 in the Panowski Black Box Theatre. A sensory-friendly performance will be held at 1 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 5.

Northern Michigan University researchers were involved in a recent collaborative study of the gut microbiome of Alaskan brown bears, which shows that the microbial life in bears' guts allows them to achieve comparable size and fat stores while eating widely different diets.

Nationally recognized suicide prevention speaker David Woods Bartley will give a free public presentation titled "Suicide is the Enemy, But Not the Target: How Shifting Our Aim Can Help Change the Outcome" at Northern Michigan University. The event begins at 6 p.m. Monday, Oct. 24, in Northern Center Ballrooms I and II. 

A community and campus reception for recently appointed Northern Michigan University President Brock Tessman and his family will be held from 4:30-6:30 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 18, in Ballrooms III and IV of the Northern Center. The event features special appearances by the NMU Marching Band and the NMU Jazz Combo.