April 2026

Northern Michigan University Theatre & Dance will present “9 to 5,” a musical based on the 1980 film featuring an original score by country music singer Dolly Parton. Show dates are Thursday-Saturday, April 9-11 and 16-18.

Eight representatives of the Northern Michigan University Eta Phi Chapter of Sigma Tau Delta, the International English Honor Society, presented their scholarly, creative and collaborative work at the 2026 Sigma Tau Delta Annual International Convention March 29–April 1 in New Orleans, La. Chapter President Kailey Buettner won first place in creative nonfiction; Alexandria Bournonville won an honorable mention in the alumni award category; and Isabel Nameth-Beck won the chapter display award. NMU's chapter will celebrate its 40th anniversary this year.

After leading the Ishpeming girls' basketball team to its second MHSAA Division 4 state championship in three years, head coach and NMU alumnus Ryan Reichel announced he will step down after 14 years at the helm to spend more time watching his daughter play the sport. 

NMU alumnus J.C. Vande Zande (‘93 BS) released a new horror novel set in Michigan that continues his exploration of psychological storytelling and human struggle. “Blood of the Witness Tree” is a sequel to his earlier novel, “The Dance of Rotten Sticks,” and is set in Northern Michigan's Pigeon River Forest. It blends elements of literary fiction with horror, focusing on deeper themes such as anxiety, grief and the human condition.