Wishing "Peace for Paris" and for the world ...

Thanks to Hervé Courtois for sharing this on Facebook. According to France 24 International News, this "'Peace for Paris' symbol, combining the city's beloved Eiffel Tower with the peace sign of the Sixties, has gone viral following the Paris terror attacks. The designer is a 32-year-old French graphic artist, Jean Jullien, who lives in London."

UPDATE: Suspect in social media threat at Michigan Tech released on bond

HOUGHTON -- The suspect in the social media threat at Michigan Tech has been released on bond, charged with disturbing the peace, and will be arraigned on Monday.

Michigan Tech President Glenn Mroz notified the campus of this by email, saying:
"I want to reiterate that we take these sorts of threats with the utmost seriousness. To that end, the university has served the suspect with an interim suspension and ban from campus. This allows the university to complete the investigation process. 

"Clearly a larger community dialogue about this and other recent events will help us all better create the community we desire. It's my understanding that students will host a campus dialogue December 2 at 7:30 p.m. in Fisher 135. These are conversations that might be hard to have, but are necessary for our community. I look forward to seeing you there."

Suspect in social media threats taken into custody in Houghton

HOUGHTON -- Michigan Tech students, faculty and staff received this email message Friday morning, Nov. 13, from the university's Department of Public Safety and Police Services: "Based on information from Yik Yak and Michigan Tech Information Technology, a suspect in Thursday's social media threats was taken into custody late Thursday night and is currently lodged in Houghton County Jail. The university will have more information later in the morning."

The social media threats were reportedly aimed at Michigan Tech's black community.

Tech Today posted today a message from Michigan Tech President Glenn Mroz stating the following:

Dear campus community,
As you read in an email alert yesterday afternoon, around midday on Thursday, a threat to our black community was posted on Yik Yak. Since we sent out that initial notification, several things have been put into place:

- Yik Yak is cooperating with Michigan Tech Public Safety and Police Services to help us obtain information on this post.
- As a proactive precautionary measure, we are working to increase police presence on campus.
- The Center for Diversity and Inclusion is working with members of our black community's student associations and others. 
- Counseling services were offered in the Center for Diversity and Inclusion from 5 to 7 p.m. last night.

It's important to remember that we are a community and will not tolerate threats to any member of our family. It's time we watch out for one another. If you have any information regarding this or any other threats, please contact Public Safety and Police Service at 906-487-2216.

Rep. Scott Dianda commends MTU and local law enforcement

Michigan 110th District Rep. Scott Dianda sent this statement from Lansing today:

"Yesterday, an anonymous threat was made against black students who attend Michigan Technological University. It is disheartening to hear such striking news coming from a world-renowned school. But by ignoring this threat towards students based on the color of their skin, we only justify the ignorance of others. As a community founded on a wide array of diversity, we must actively denounce such acts of racism and constructively work together to respect the aspirations of all of our citizens. I commend Michigan Tech and our local law enforcement for their swift response to protect our campus and finding the suspect."

Community Arts Center hosts "get paper" exhibit by Phillip Faulkner; opening reception Nov. 13

Collage by Phillip Faulkner: "sittin on chrome_6." (Image courtesy Copper Country Community Arts Center)

HANCOCK -- The Copper Country Community Arts Center is pleased to announce the November exhibition in the Kerredge Gallery titled get paper, recent work of mixed media and collage by Phillip Faulkner. The public is invited to a reception for the artist from 6 p.m.  to 8 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 13. The exhibition will be on display through Nov. 28.

Faulkner's artistic inquiry spans visual mediums including painting, video, print and collage. He has exhibited work at the Bemis Center for Contemporary Arts in Omaha, VersionFest in Chicago, Denver’s Center for Visual Arts, St. Michael‘s College in Vermont, and other venues and festivals nationally. Faulkner received his MFA from the University of Denver and currently serves as Assistant Professor of Intermedia at Finlandia University.

"Collage is at the heart of my practice," Faulkner states. My work employs appropriated elements married with self-generated imagery. The pursuit is always 'new.' The exhibition, get paper, is comprised completely of works on paper. Drawn line, painted mark, printed book, cut paper and projected light are loosely categorized under a formal criteria. Though varied in aesthetic and technique, the work pursues visual allure while exploring multiple modes of imagery consumption."

This exhibit is supported by a grant from the Michigan Council for Arts and Cultural Affairs with funding from the National Endowment for the Arts. The Copper Country Community Arts Center is located at 126 Quincy Street in Hancock. Gallery hours are Tuesday through Friday 10 a.m. - 6 p.m. and Saturdays 1 p.m. -5 p.m. For more information call (906) 482-2333 or visit the website at www.coppercountryarts.com.

Native American Heritage Month: Martin Reinhardt to discuss educational barriers for Native students Nov. 13 at Michigan Tech

Poster courtesy Michigan Tech Center for Diversity and Inclusion.

HOUGHTON -- Native American Heritage Month Speaker Martin Reinhardt will discuss barriers within education for Native students and their socialized experiences, from 4 p.m. to 5:15 p.m. Friday, Nov. 13, in the Memorial Union Building (MUB) Ballroom on the Michigan Tech campus.

Reinhardt is an Anishinaabe Ojibway member of the Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians. He is the owner and CEO of Reinhardt and Associates and an associate professor of Native-American Studies at Northern Michigan University. He will talk about being Indian in today's society and about "passing" and socialization of Native American students in higher education. The event is free and open to the public.

Reinhardt has taught courses in American Indian education, tribal law and government, and sociology. He has a Ph.D. in Educational Leadership from Pennsylvania State University, where his doctoral research focused on Indian education and the law with a special focus on treaty educational provisions.

This event is sponsored by Michigan Tech's  Center for Diversity and Inclusion Heritage Programming Committee and the American Indian Science and Engineering Society (AISES).

Inset photo: Dr. Martin Reinhardt. (Photo courtesy Dr. Reinhardt) 

Michigan Tech Student Chapter of The Wildlife Society to host presentation: "Should We Save the Wolves of Isle Royale?" Nov. 12

Professor Michael Paul Nelson of Oregon State University will speak on the question "Should We Save the Wolves of Isle Royale?" at 6 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 12, at Michigan Tech. (Poster courtesy Michigan Tech Student Chapter of The Wildlife Society)

HOUGHTON -- Michigan Tech's Student Chapter of The Wildlife Society will present "Should We Save the Wolves of Isle Royale? What the interested public thinks and why they think it" by Michael Paul Nelson, professor at Oregon State University, at 6 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 12, in Room 138 of Fisher Hall at Michigan Tech.

Nelson will discuss the topic of wolf restoration on Isle Royale, along with public opinion on the matter.*

The presentation is free and open to the public.

Nelson is also resident philosopher of the Isle Royale Wolf/Moose project and spends part of each summer working with the animal ecologists on the island. He is the co-creator and co-director, with Michigan Tech Professor and Wildlife Biologist John A Vucetich, of the Conservation Ethics Group, an environmental ethics and problem solving consultancy group. Nelson’s research and teaching focus is environmental ethics and philosophy, and he holds a Ph.D. in philosophy from Lancaster University, England.**

In addition to publishing many essays and articles, Nelson is the co-author or co-editor of four books, including MORAL GROUND: Ethical Action for a Planet in Peril, which he co-edited with Kathleen Dean Moore. That book was the subject of a discussion on "What do we owe the future?" led by Nelson at Portage Lake District Library in 2010.

At Oregon State, Nelson is a professor of environmental philosophy and ethics and holds the Ruth H. Spaniol Chair of Renewable Resources. He serves as the Lead Principal Investigator for the HJ Andrews Experimental Forest Long-Term Ecological Research program. Nelson is called upon regularly by various government agencies and conservation organizations to assist with understanding the ethical implications of natural resource management decisions.

Editor's Notes:

* For background, click here to read our Aug. 25, 2015, article, "Public comments on Isle Royale Moose-Wolf-Vegetation Management Plan/EIS due Aug. 29; wildlife experts concerned about wolf rescue," concerning the July 27, 2015, Open House seeking public input on the proposed Moose-Wolf-Vegetation Management Plan and Environmental Impact Statement (plan/EIS) for Isle Royale National Park.

** Click here to read about the Conservation Ethics Group.