Feature/Profiles

Tyler Schwemin (BA '14) has held a number of video production positions in the professional and college sports arenas since graduating from NMU. For the past year, the Marquette native has worked as a graphics operator and video production technician for Professional Bull Riders Inc. He previously served as production assistant and later director of video production for the Charleston (S.C.) RiverDogs, the Class A affiliate of the New York Yankees. Schwemin also was a video producer at The Citadel, assisting in video production for a number of Bulldog athletic events. His freelance projects have included directing ESPN3 broadcasts of Citadel basketball, directing College of Charleston basketball games for the Charleston Sports Network and working for PBS’s “Charleston After America” documentary

The Northern Michigan University Athletics Department has introduced the NMU Sports Hall of Fame Induction Class of 2018. Inductees this year will be Richard "Dick" Allen, Tim Jones, John LaPointe, Heather (Mizer) Sarnowski, Kim (Storm) Ylitalo and the 1997-98 women's basketball team.

It is not common for triplets to graduate from the same college, but the Rhodes brothers of Memphis, Mich., have ramped up the rarity factor at Northern Michigan University. All three will receive bachelor’s degrees on May 5 in the same major—construction management—and all have earned a perfect 4.0 grade-point average over their academic careers. They even share the same professional goal of someday running their own construction firm. The trio is composed of Jacob and Phillip, who are identical, and Ryan, who is fraternal.

Organizers of the NMU Food Pantry, which served 119 unique students over 341 visits this semester, extend their gratitude to members of the campus community and beyond who made donations to support its mission. They also encourage continued support over the summer, as food insecurity issues do not go on hiatus and the shelves are in need of restocking. The pantry will be open limited hours, from 4-7 p.m. Wednesdays, until the fall semester. It accepts non-perishable food items, along with personal care, hygiene and paper products. Financial donations also can be made through the NMU Foundation; payroll deduction is available.

Posture Plank, the recent invention of Marquette chiropractor Brian Kulbieda, puts a new spin on an old idea to help improve posture. With 16 years of experience running his own practice, Axis Chiropractic, Kulbieda knows the demands people put on their bodies on a daily basis and the poor posture and injuries that can result from being bent over a desk or standing on one’s feet all day.

Alex Camarillo-Lugo of Lake Forest, Calif., will serve as the student speaker at Northern Michigan University’s spring commencement on Saturday, May 5. She will receive a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice and was named the department’s outstanding graduating senior.