Northland College Magazine Spring 2023

When we honor our values, nature finds all kinds of ways to say thank you.

THE COVER

Northland students standing on Lake Superior look up in wonder at the aurora borealis on March 23, 2023. Thanks to the good work of our Skywatchers Club, Northlanders received a heads up on the evening’s coming attraction via an early morning email, which read: “Tonight, a solar storm hitting the earth and some mostly clear skies will create some fantastic northern lights viewing conditions!” They did not disappoint!

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THE PRESIDENT

Truing the Course

It is a tremendous honor—equally humbling and exhilarating—to serve as Northland’s president, following 131 years of extraordinary and visionary leadership. I am committed to the charge, and I look forward to navigating the opportunities and challenges ahead as we, collectively, build the Northland we all imagine and work to continue “to empower our students and our broader community to act with integrity and to create a more sustainable and just future”—for ourselves, our campus, our College, our community, our region, and beyond.

While still quite new in this role, I am somewhat of a familiar face on campus, having joined the Board of Trustees in 2015 and serving as chair from 2018 to 2022. My first visit to the Northland campus was in 2014 at the invitation of then-President Mike Miller and author Becky Rom to speak at the Sigurd Olson Environmental Institute about my work engaging youth on public lands and waters. Northland was the final stop on a three-day, seven-college speaking tour, and immediately upon my arrival—not even having seen the campus—I knew I had arrived somewhere very special; Northland felt like home. This sentiment remains true—even more so—nearly a decade later; I feel as though I have come home.

There is something special and deeply inspiring about this College, this mission, this place, this lake, these woods, this region, and Northland’s people. What has become clear over these past one hundred days as president, is that the dedication, care, and commitment of our students, faculty, staff, alumni, friends, and supporters is steadfast. And, in as much as people can define the ethos of a place—or an institution—Northland College is strong and well poised to move forward toward a brighter, more vibrant future.

There is a clear path to stability and ultimately, to vibrancy ahead—not a reinvention, but more a truing of the wheel. If we lean further into our niche, focus on enhancing our unique excellence, and all paddle in the same direction, Northland will certainly thrive.

Having revised and reaffirmed our mission statement in 2022, the Northland College community crafted a Strategic Plan that will chart our course for the next seven years. It is critical that this plan not gather dust on a shelf, but both serve as a guiding document—a roadmap—and be nimble and responsive as we go forward. To that end, the actions that underpin the plan focus on the next one-to-three years, and we will review this plan regularly.

FROM

Northland’s 2023–2030 Strategic Plan was guided by student input and was overwhelmingly approved by faculty, staff, and trustees earlier this year. The plan will be published later this year, and it is framed around four pillars:

The Northland Story

Like all upper-Midwesterners, we are often too shy about celebrating our successes and proudly telling our story, and Northland’s is more important and relevant now than ever. We have many great stories to tell more loudly—our students, faculty, and staff are amazing and doing incredible work. To this end, a multi-constituent working group is finalizing a new values statement to accompany our renewed mission. We will utilize our renewed mission and new statement of values to lean further—and more boldly— into our environmental liberal arts niche and to better tell our story to the world.

Student Experience and Success

Northland students are, simply put, the reason we exist as an institution. Increasing student enrollment and retention is critical to our work ahead, and an integral part of this is to enhance the Northland student experience in meaningful and creative ways—both in bolstering a sense of community and in prioritizing resource support. The College will continue to invest in academic and health/ wellness support services and processes, as well as work to increase experiential, research, and professional development opportunities for our students.

Program Excellence

Northland faculty are incredible, whollycommitted educators, professionals, and members of a local, regional, and global community—well-poised to continue to inspire curiosity and nurture the capacity for learning in our students. Our ultimate goal is to ensure that Northland graduates are prepared for personal and professional success after their time here. In educating our students to make an impact on our world, we achieve our highest goal—being a catalyst for meaningful change.

Indeed, “together, we empower students and our broader community to act with integrity and courage to create a more sustainable and just future.”

Operational Vitality

We seek to align our current financial sources and uses through careful, strategic prioritization of our internal and external investments. As we go forward, committing to rebuilding our endowment and securing operational reserves is paramount to sustainability today and ensuring Northland’s vibrant and stable future.

As always, thank you for all you do for Northland. It is more important now than ever, and I look forward to working with each of you—our collective Northland community—on a transformational journey to not only secure Northland’s future for the next one hundred years, but also to continue to identify and harness the potential of Northland’s vibrant north star.

“ There is a clear path to stability and, ultimately, to vibrancy ahead— not a reinvention, but more a truing of the wheel. If we lean further into our niche, focus on enhancing our unique excellence, and all paddle in the same direction, Northland will certainly thrive.”

Tori Schell ’18

Standing on the Edge of Wonder

With a deep family connection to the school, Northland’s new board chair is committed to following in his father’s footsteps.

By Ted Bristol Chair of the Board of Trustees

Northland’s homepage currently features an image of a student gazing at a moss-covered rock waterfall deep in the evergreen Northwoods. The accompanying text says “Stand on the Edge of Wonder.” It makes me think of my first trip to Madeline Island as an eight-year-old and why, more than fifty years later, as the newest chair of Northland College’s board, I am committed to inspiring that same sense of wonder—the sense of wonder that moved Sigurd Olson to fight to save the Boundary Waters, protect the Apostle Islands, and urge the adoption of our environmental focused curriculum.

My path to Northland has been unconventional. I first learned of the College through my father, Michal Bristol, who was a trustee from 1992 to 2007. He was recruited to the Board by Ellen Green (trustee emeritus 1989-2004). Like me, Dad was not a Northland alumnus, but he had a deep interest in education, having served on the board of the school my brothers and I attended. In fact, he was so engaged in his board service that we all thought his true interest was becoming the head of the school rather than an investment advisor, which was his career.

My dad brought me for my first visit to Northland in the early 2000s. I had heard many stories about the College and his colleagues on the Board but had never been on campus. He had been chair of the annual giving campaign, and worked closely with Craig Ponzio ’72, then Northland’s Board chair, on the successful $50 million Strategy for Excellence campaign. He wanted to show Bob

Gross

me the College and what had been accomplished. What I remember best is touring the brand-new Ponzio Campus Center and historic Wheeler Hall with the turtle inlaid on the floor (a gift from my father!) and the stained glass Northland seal over the door. Our tour guide was Don Chase ’62!

I had no idea at the time that, roughly a decade later, I would become a board member and serve not just with Don, but several others who had been on the Board with Dad and knew him well. When I joined, several of those board members— including John Allen ’77, Lowell Noteboom, Craig Ponzio, Mary Rice, and Jim Williamson ’59—were still serving! Their welcoming graciousness helped me understand why Dad’s board service had been one of the most significant and rewarding experiences of his life.

Seeing my dad through the eyes of his peers has been both a stressful and rewarding experience because I knew my father to be both exacting and generous. I wasn’t sure which version my new colleagues had experienced. The answer was both. John told me how my dad had gotten tired of listening to everyone complain about how uncomfortable the chairs were in the small meeting room in the office next to the president’s and bought new chairs just to stop the complaining. Don told me about the Strategy for Excellence campaign and the bell in the advancement team’s office that they would ring when a new contribution came in. ( Jackie Moore ’05 sent me a picture of it still hanging in her office!) And, Lowell recognized the emotions involved by immediately sharing kind

words after the vote electing me board chair.

I share these stories because they reinforce what I have learned and come to value during my board service. The first is the dedication to the College and passion around the environmental mission of the College of all who work and study here. The second is the powerful connection to the region and community, not just on campus, but in those surrounding Chequamegon Bay. As an “outsider,” I came to Northland sharing this love

those qualities that position Northland to provide a unique, deeply personal, hands-on learning and living experience. Availability of water, access to healthy food, wise resource use and management, and social justice are among the biggest challenges facing the world today, and all these are at the heart of the Northland educational experience. Fifty years ago, when Northland followed Sigurd Olson’s recommendation to move to an environmental liberal arts curriculum, the College took a big risk, as

chance to live and work among dedicated people with a shared love of nature and commitment to its sustainability is a rich experience.

As a boy, my most powerful memories from Northland are of stones and water. Cold water of perfect clarity and stones like I had never seen before—sandstones, agates, basalts, jasper, quartz—in all shapes and sizes. Some were perfect for skipping and some we treated like gems. My brothers and I (and later my wife and children) collected and brought home jars of them so

of the region but unfamiliar with the community. I have been profoundly moved by the commitment and the reward of working with a group of people who deeply care about the College and are determined to enable it to realize its potential and meet the challenges we see in the world.

Being a small college on the northernmost edge of the country, four hours from a major city, is a challenge that we all know and understand. But, what we all individually celebrate and deeply believe, is that it is just

environmental education was in its infancy. We were ahead of our time: environmental studies are now commonplace.

At Northland, our challenge now is to continue to take risks, to evolve, to recognize and celebrate the value of the special type of educational experience we offer—creative courses and professors who blend disciplines, and the unparalleled outdoor learning opportunities in the woods, on the Apostle Islands, and in the small communities and farms which are the heart and soul of the region. The

that we could keep our connection to the lake. As an adult, I still search for the perfect skipping stone and still love to count how many skips I can get.

When I ride the ferry between La Pointe and Bayfield, I’m drawn to the horizon, the clouds hanging on the water, the sun bursting through. We truly do stand on the edge of wonder at Northland, and as board chair, my mission is to enable our College community to inspire, share, and preserve this wonderland for generations to come.

“ Being a small college on the northernmost edge of the country, four hours from a major city, is a challenge … but what we all deeply believe is that it is just those qualities that position Northland to provide a unique, deeply personal, hands-on learning and living experience. ”

Ted Bristol

Baccalaureate is Back!

Baccalaureate is a time-honored tradition that provides an opportunity for our graduates and their families to reflect, celebrate, and look toward the future. It’s a time to honor the hard work and dedication that has brought our graduates to this momentous occasion, and to recognize the incredible impact they are ready to have on the world.

For this (and many more reasons!), we are overjoyed to announce the return of the Baccalaureate Ceremony. This event has been a cherished part of our Commencement activities for many years, providing a reflective space for students and their loved ones to come together and celebrate. This year’s event is being led by Stacy Craig ’04, recently-ordained reverend of the Chequamegon Unitarian

Introducing Our Newest Board Members

Universalist Fellowship and religion and philosophy professor, Charlie Krysinski ’16, in consultation with emeritus faculty member and former campus minister David Saetre.

For many years, David’s leadership of Baccalaureate created a truly special event for graduates and our community. And after his retirement, Stacy carried on the tradition with grace and passion. Professor Krysinki’s experience working with both David and Stacy, along with his current role as a conduit to the student body, is a perfect complement to the Baccalaureate Ceremony. With their combined experience, this year’s iteration of the Baccalaureate program promises to be both meaningful and memorable.

The ceremony will be held the Friday before Commencement

Minneapolis, Minnesota

Beth is a James Beard

Award-winning food writer who has authored and co-authored over a dozen books celebrating the bounty of America’s Northern Heartland. She is passionate about our region’s cuisine and guides local food trips for Wilderness Inquiry via Taste of the Apostles.

Ashland, Wisconsin

Blake returned to Ashland in 2018 to practice law in his own firm after beginning his legal career as a partner in one of the nation’s largest law firms. He is an accomplished litigator and counselor representing clients in both civil litigation and criminal cases.

Ashland, Wisconsin

Dylan is a financial advisor at Edward Jones in Ashland. He serves on the Bay Area Civic Center Board, is president of the local chapter of the Elks, and leads workshops on financial literacy. He is an outdoorsman who loves the hunting, fishing, and recreation opportunities in the north woods.

Ashland, Wisconsin

Preston is the owner and general manager of Ashland Ford Chrysler. He is a member of both the Advisory Committee for Gogebic Community College’s Automotive Program and Bayfield County’s Business Park Planning Committee. He moved to the bay area in 2007 with the goal to make a positive impact on the community.

Beth Dooley

Blake Gross ’96

Dylan Hudson ’16

Preston Mikula

After a three-year absence, Northland welcomes back one of its most cherished traditions.

Mary O’Brien

Jackie Moore ’05

Stacy Craig, David Saetre, and Charlie Krysinski

at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church, which is conveniently located next to Fenenga Hall on the north side of campus. This venue allows accessibility to campus for everyone and will make for a seamless transition to the celebratory Champagne Toast gathering on the Campus Mall. Following the Ceremony, graduates and their families and friends are invited to the Champagne Toast to raise a glass in honor of their achievements.

As part of Baccalaureate, graduates will participate in a procession across a bridge over Bay City Creek. The procession mirrors the path the graduates took during Convocation their first year at Northland—crossing over Bay City Creek, which feeds into Lake Superior less than a mile from campus. As they walk over the bridge, each graduate will hold their Lake Superior Stone, a traditional token collected from the shore of the great lake, that each first-year student inscribes prior to taking

their first walk together during the inaugural procession. Like Baccalaureate, the Lake Superior Stones represent what has been learned and what has yet to be learned; the deep values that will become the touchstones for life; the memories you have made; and the place that will always welcome you back as home and harbor.

During Baccalaureate and Commencement, the Class of 2023 will reflect on their time at Northland—the challenges they faced and the successes they achieved, the friends they made and the professors who inspired them, the path behind them and the road ahead. This talented and diverse group of individuals are ready to make their mark on the world. And as graduates of Northland College, they’re prepared to make a difference.

Congratulations, Class of 2023! We are so proud of you!

Creating Vibrant Communities

Congratulations to Professor Nicole Foster who recently published a study in Urban Planning titled “From Urban Consumption to Production: Rethinking the Role of Festivals in Urban Development Through Co-Creation.” Community planning is just one of the subjects students study in Northland’s sustainable community development major, which focuses on all the different systems—cultural, social, economic, natural, built environment, transportation—and how these systems create vibrant communities. Through research and applied projects, students learn how to reassemble or redesign community systems to create more sustainable outcomes. “So many community programs focus just on the economic aspect,” says Nicole, “but community is so much more than economic vitality. Cultural programs like festivals, are about creating transformative, joyful experiences for people who live there.”

Ode to a Northwoods Winter

They say, “Know your audience” and “Write what you know.” As a former children’s performer with a bachelor of science in elementary education, Jeff Lang ’05 knows kids. And after spending four years at Northland, he’s no stranger to the magic of a Northwoods winter. It follows, then, that the Northlander has written a children’s book about his love of winter in the Northwoods. Published in fall 2022, Lang’s book, Winter Solitude (Orange Hat Publishing), is about “what winter in an isolated woods feels like when you’re a kid,” he says: “Time stops, everything is alive and you’re surrounded and alone at the same time.”

Inspired by a photo of a giant bull moose standing next to the Northland College Rock, the book is a lovely ode to the Northwoods and a testament to the impression it leaves on those of us lucky enough to know its charms.

Jeff Lang is currently a union rep for the Arizona Education Association in Phoenix, where winter temperatures rarely dip below a balmy forty-five degrees fahrenheit. His fondest Northland winter memories include snowboarding to County Market, sledding down Mount Ashwabay, and snow days spent with his friends.

Tori Schell ’18

Submitted photo

Calling the Shots

Northland alum Kevin Haas

’15 knows how to call the shots. Literally. He’s so good he now has a championship title to show for it! Haas was recently named National Broadcaster Champion by D3HockeyNews for his work calling both LumberJacks and LumberJills hockey games. “To me it’s a huge honor that is mind-boggling,” he said. “I do this for fun and for my love of Northland and the community, so seeing this recognition means a lot. I think it means a lot to the Northland community, too. I might be the voice on the microphone, but this is all about the community, the fans, the teams, and the other people involved in making the broadcasts happen.”

Slimy Goo

Professor Nick Robertson and three of his chemistry students—Rachel Fine ’24, Phoebe Cahill ’24, and Mary Johnson ’23—recently published articles in Chemical and Engineering News magazine (“Chemistry in Pictures: Slimy Yet Sustainable”) and on the front page of the Ashland Daily Press (“Slimy Green Goo”). Both articles featured research on the development of new polymers that can pull metals out of water. “I came to Northland specifically to study with Professor Robertson because of his innovative work in the field of sustainable polymers,” said Johnson, who’s set to attend graduate school at the University of California, Berkeley next fall, aiming for a PhD in chemistry.

The Perils of Plastic

In honor of World Water Day, and in service to its goal of improving water literacy, Northland’s Mary Griggs Burke Center for Freshwater Innovation hosted a lecture by leading researcher Dr. Sherri Mason. The presentation titled “The Perils of Plastic” provided an overview of plastic’s proliferation in our society and its emergence as one of the most prominent environmental pollutants. “It was shocking to learn that pollution occurs in every step of the process of making plastic until it’s disposed of in a landfill,” said Elsie Dickover ’25. “While plastic may seem like a temporary blip in our normal lives, it is very much a permanent problem.”

Eighty people attended the event, which was free and open to the public.

In a contest that logged over twenty-four thousand votes over five rounds, Haas beat St. Olaf’s announcer by 142 votes!

Bob Gross

Submitted photo

Tori Schell ’18

Stand and Deliver

Alexandria Espinoza ’23 was selected to present a poster at the American Psychology Law Society’s (APLS) annual conference in March. “The experience of presenting my poster helped me have more confidence in my ability to stand behind my work and engage with others in discussion,” said the senior psychology major, who credits her professors for shepherding her on her journey from shy Texas freshman

to a soon-to-be officer in the Marine Corps. “My professors made it easy for me to excel in academics because they were always so accessible,” she said. “Whenever I had a question or a problem, they were always there.”

Climate Science Close-up

Northland College will be featured in the short documentary series, Viewpoint with Dennis Quaid. Northland was selected to be a part of the award-winning series because of its focus on environmental liberal arts education and its climate science program. The Viewpoint film crew interviewed former President Karl Solibakke, biology and water science–water chemistry student, Elisabeth Westgard ’24, and, and Professor Meghan Salmon-Tumas about Northland’s hands-on, experiential opportunities to learn in a living laboratory and its commitment to creating a more sustainable future.

“It was really exciting to be involved in making the Viewpoint segment,” said Meghan, who prepared for the filming by writing pages and pages of notes.

“I think the final video accomplishes a lot in its short time. It arcs from broad environmental concerns related to climate change, through sustainability and humans’ role in finding solutions, to Elisabeth’s inspiring example of applied research. Given its short running time and the need to keep it broad enough to be relevant to people everywhere, I think it came out very well.”

The video, which will be airing on public television over the next year, is also available online at northland.edu/viewpoint.

Above: Alexandria Espinoza and Professor Danielle Sneyd with the poster they presented at the American Psychology Law Society Conference this year.

Meghan Salmon-Tumas

Tori Schell ’18

Submitted photo

The Transformative Power of Climate Science

THANKS TO COLLABORATIVE PROFESSORS AND REAL-WORLD OPPORTUNITIES, NORTHLAND’S FIRST CLASS OF CLIMATE SCIENCE GRADS IS READY FOR THE WORK AHEAD.

By Meghan Salmon-Tumas

Rising temperatures, more extreme storms, wetter winters, and drier summers—these are some of the big changes happening around our little College on the big lake as a result of climate change. As students in Northland’s burgeoning climate science major study these changes and their impacts, they also learn how to create, collaborate on, and advocate for solutions to the problems that these climatic changes bring for people and ecosystems.

“Did I tell you I got the internship?” Brianna Hauke ’24 said, in the midst of a meeting. I stopped suddenly, unbelieving that we could have been talking about work for over twenty minutes without a mention of this big news. This was a big deal for Brianna; she had applied for numerous internships this year and last, determined to get more experience working with remote sensing. Realizing she was serious, I started firing the questions—which one? Where? With whom? As the details emerged, my office filled with excitement until we were both too giddy to focus back on our previous task.

As a newer faculty teaching in a newer major, I have only a handful of stories like this so

far, yet they are the highlights that I recall and reflect on when the job feels hard. And indeed, teaching about climate change all day every day can get to feeling hard sometimes. Another thing that helps me through those moments is keeping my focus on possibility; while many people consider climate change to be a big problem, I see it as a big opportunity. Climate change shows us our power—for good and for bad. It also shows us the critical importance of community and collaboration because the issues of climate change cannot be solved in a vacuum: We need to work together to solve them.

The Power of Collaboration

This is one reason why I prioritize collaboration throughout my teaching and research. I teach students how to work together on complex problems because the future needs people who are able to do this effectively. I also collaborate with students on research because it not only builds their confidence and skills in data analysis and project management, but it makes the work more fun and rewarding for me.  Climate solutions should be technically feasible, effective, culturally appropriate, and produce minimal negative impacts. Developing such solutions requires collaboration. In classes, students build collaboration skills through supported group work and group projects. And those interested

in research apply these skills by working with faculty mentors on research projects. For students in the new climate science major, learning how to collaborate is a particular key to success in their careers as it helps them learn to listen to people’s ideas with an open mind, explain their own thinking as it develops, and give and receive feedback with respect and resilience.

For students interested in the scientific perspective on climate change, the climate science major offers specific skills needed for success in this field. Students develop their data science skills through courses like Math Modelling and Monitoring Climate Change. Some students also develop these skills through

CHANGE MAKERS, REPORTING FOR DUTY

Northland graduates its first class of climate scientists!

In 2019, Northland initiated a degree program in climate science to build students’ skills for being leaders in the transition to a low-carbon economy in a warming world. The major is unique for a small liberal arts college; it includes the math and physics required to understand the dynamics of the climate system and how it can be modeled, as well as coursework in atmospheric chemistry, paleoclimate, and sustainable community development. This year, we’ll send our first crop of climate science graduates out into the world! It’s been exciting to see these smart and passionate students find their paths beyond Northland:

John Barnett ’23 plans to take a gap year before going to graduate school to get a master’s degree in meteorology.

Catherine McComas-Bussa ’23 plans to spend a year volunteering with Open Arms of Minnesota, using her education in sustainable agriculture to explore how food justice and climate justice are tangibly entwined.

Kayla Priesler ’23 will be heading off to a master’s program at the University of Arizona, with a plan to focus on aerosol particles in the atmosphere and their impacts on climate. Her long-term goals include getting her doctorate and working as a research scientist at NASA.

Elijah Rickman ’23 will be taking a gap year before heading to graduate school for his master’s. His plan is to get his doctorate and pursue research on the use of artificial intelligence and machine learning to more accurately categorize and predict hurricanes.

Climate change shows us our power—for good and for bad. It also shows us the critical importance of community and collaboration because the issues of climate change cannot be solved in a vacuum: We need to work together to solve them.

Brianna Hauke ’24

research experiences with Northland faculty. Students

Kayla Preisler ’23 and Brianna Hauke both completed research projects that honed their skills in areas like Python programming and geographic information systems (GIS). Kayla’s research examined several ways in which a changing climate in Wisconsin affects opportunities for outdoor recreation; Brianna’s research examined changes in the timing of spring green-up and fall senescence in the forested landscapes around western Lake Superior. Both projects were presented at the annual meeting of the American Geophysical Union in Chicago, with Kayla and Brianna attending with the support of the Parsonage Fund.

The Power of Northland’s Liberal Arts Approach

Climate science programs are popping up at schools across the country to prepare graduates with the skills needed to understand human’s influence on Earth’s climate and help to solve the challenges that climate change poses to humans and ecosystems. However, Northland College’s climate science major is unique because it is situated in a liberal arts education.

Research and Development

Research and applied projects in courses and internships bring the curriculum home for students and help them develop their skills related to project management, communication, and data analysis (not to mention soft skills like patience and dealing with frustration). We do everything we can to provide these opportunities for students because we want them to leave prepared to meet all the challenges they’ll face as responsible global citizens.

Economies

Leah Kiser ’21 and Quentin Borremans ’21 created an infographic to educate the public on climate change impacts on fruit farms and orchards.

Education

Alaina Kuhlman ’22, Gabriella Mathis ’24, and Daniel Aspro created a guide to climate change education in K-12 schools utilizing place-based resources in the Chequamegon Bay area.

Northland’s environmental liberal arts education equips students to look at the connections between societies and their natural environments from a variety of perspectives. While at Northland, students are likely to hear about climate change in a lot of their classes. Along the way, they will pick up ideas, theories, and practical tips that will help them navigate lives in a changing climate and advocate joyfully for climate-friendly and socially-just approaches in all arenas. They also get practice with approaching climate change from different theoretical frameworks, which develops the flexible thinking needed to communicate effectively with diverse audiences about climate change solutions. This liberal arts approach makes the climate science major at Northland different from that at larger state universities.

As we move into the future of educating the leaders of tomorrow, we will continue to prepare them to be change-makers who can collaborate across disciplinary boundaries and make impactful, data-guided decisions.

Andrew Kundel ’25 and Kurt Price ’26 coordinated a climate change teach-in on Northland College’s campus. The event featured student and faculty speakers on a diversity of climate-related topics.

Emily Cardenas ’24, Elijah Rickman ’23, Isabel Pruitt ’23, and Nolan Hemmesch ’25 developed a one-hour lesson on climate change for forty-five third graders at Washburn Elementary.

Increased Flooding

Students in Regional Climate Change Solutions helped to restore a degraded streambank on the Marengo River by planting trees.

Threatened Water Quality

Students in Regional Climate Change Solutions collected macroinvertebrate samples on the Marengo River and identified them for use in water quality monitoring.

Tracking and Reducing Greenhouse Gas Emissions

Kevon Powell ’25, Kristen Vensland ’24, and Andrew Piispanen ’25 are analyzing the greenhouse gas emissions reductions associated with Northland’s past energy projects.

Climate Justice

Tribes represented by Great Lakes Indian Fish and Wildlife Commision (GLIFWC) were concerned about impacts of Enbridge’s Line 5 pipeline reroute to ecosystems, water quality, and treaty rights. Students Cameron Kadlubowski ’22, Taya Streit ’23, Kayla Preisler ’23, and Hannah Fennern ’24 worked with the GLIFWC to produce documentation on the accuracy of field photos in Enbridge’s documents as well as a list of culturally-significant species located along the proposed reroute.

While at Northland, students are likely to hear about climate change in a lot of their classes. Along the way, they will pick up ideas, theories, and practical tips that will help them navigate lives in a changing climate and advocate joyfully for climate-friendly and socially-just approaches in all arenas.

Rowan Goldman ’23

Drawing from his background in sustainable community development and geographic information systems (GIS), Rowan Goldman supported the development of an asset map of climate data points used to shape economic, institutional, and policyrelated decisions across twelve states. Rowan presented findings from his research at the Midwest Climate Summit (hosted by the Midwest Climate Collaborative) in February.

“The conference was geared to industry professionals who work in climate science, and it covered all scopes of environmental science ranging from climate policy to watersheds,” said Rowan. “It was a great opportunity to be a part of the summit, to network with other climate professionals, and see how the work I did on the asset map fit into the larger picture of helping facilitate solutions for the specific climate issues we’re facing in the Midwest. It also helped me see how important it is to compile and share concise and actionable data.”

Rowan plans to pursue a PhD in geography, focusing his studies on arctic communities, their historical and geographic differences, and how these factors impact future sustainable development.

Brianna Hauke ’24

When Northland changed its meteorology major to the more encompassing climate science major in 2019, it threw Brianna Hauke for a loop. “I originally came to Northland for the meteorology program, but the summer before I was supposed to start, they changed the major to a climate science program. I was a little bit saddened, but I decided to still come because Northland is just such a cool place!”

“The fact that I was able to work on research projects as an undergrad really sets me apart from students at larger universities,” she said. “I even got to experience going to the American Geophysical Union (AGU) conference in Chicago with my professors.” Brianna is looking forward to doing more research in her senior year, after which she intends to pursue a graduate degree in atmospheric science.

Kayla Priesler ’23

Kayla Preisler’s experience of working on research with Professor Salmon-Tumas at Northland came with the added benefit of getting to present a poster at the annual American Geophysical Union (AGU) meeting. This opened up a path to her future that she never saw coming.

“At the AGU meeting I had the opportunity to meet many students, scientists, and learn more about the climate science field. I believe communicating science is important, and being able to communicate it in an effective way to a broad audience is a skill that this experience has given me. This conference also helped me solidify my decision to attend graduate school. At the exhibit hall, I connected with the University of Arizona where I learned about the research professors are doing in the hydrology and atmospheric science department. I’m looking forward to starting their master’s program this fall.”

Photos this page by Tori Schell ’18

Text Effect

SOMETIMES THE LITTLEST MOVEMENTS MAKE THE BIGGEST WAVES. HOW ONE TEXT MESSAGE CHANGED THE COURSE OF A LIFE.

By Alaina Lenz ’24

For as long as I can remember, it was my desire to follow in my parents’ footsteps and attend the University of WisconsinMadison, living in the heart of a big city, marching in the Badger Band, and doing what one does at a Big Ten school with nearly fifty thousand students. However, that all changed one day in September of my senior year when my mom got a text from my uncle asking if I had looked into Northland College as a possibility for my undergraduate studies. While I had never heard of the school, he had considered it when embarking on his college search in the 80s and, knowing my interest in the environment, thought it would be a good fit. Looking back on it now, I can honestly say that one text changed my life.

From the first day of my freshman Outdoor Orientation—a six-day backpacking trip along the North Country Trail—I could tell that I wasn’t going to have a “typical” college experience.

In just one short week, I abandoned my comfort zone, formed strong friendships, and established an unbreakable connection to the Northwoods. I returned to campus at the end of

the week in desperate need of a shower, but already overflowing with gratitude and anticipation for what was to come.

Northern Wisconsin is my playground. I have taken full advantage of all the opportunities that Northland has to offer. Biking 26.2 miles in the dark and rain along the Whistlestop Marathon route during the Starlight Ramble. Getting my hands dirty with the US Forest Service while doing our Outdoor Pursuits program. I’ve Booked Across the Bay, skied Mount Ashwabay, biked the CAMBA trails, and canoed the Namekagon. During the week, I can be found rehearsing with the band and choir, while my weekends are spent at hootenannies, dancing the night away. Each day on campus brings something new and exciting. I am proud to call myself a Northlander knowing that I would never have these experiences anywhere else.

Northland brings its own special touch to the student experience both inside and out of the classroom. Shortly after enrolling, I discovered that my combined interests in sustainability, economics, and law would not fit into a conventional major. This led me to explore Northland’s

Courtesy Alaina Lenz ’24

directed studies program, which allows students to craft their own major or minor, choosing classes they believe best align with their individual interests and future career plans. I’ve blazed my own trail at Northland, creating a sustainable policy and economics major, which I have paired with an environmental studies minor. This path allows me to enroll in courses that directly relate to my field of interest, such as Capitalism, Justice, and Sustainability and Environmental Economics, all while acquiring valuable perspectives from other fields through classes like Indigenous Environmental Justice. The directed studies program has given me the freedom to explore new interests and ideas without the constraints of a traditional major. Along the way, I have received enormous amounts of support from professors and faculty advisors, eager to see me succeed.

In addition to involving myself in campus activities and organizations, I have been able to form connections with the Northland community through my on-campus work-study job as well. I am employed in the Office of Alumni Relations as the Don Chase ’62 alumni relations intern, a position created thanks to generous gifts from alumni and friends. From managing donor data to cutting out paper snowflakes to decorate the Ponzio Campus Center, I’ve done it all. However, when I’m not frantically driving around campus in a golf cart or chasing my boss around in a dinosaur costume, my main role in the office is centered

around outreach and connection through social media. The world is changing so much, and I take great pride in being able to connect with the Northland community in this way. Watching alumni reconnect and share stories about their time at school reminds me why I love being a Northland student. And, after a three year hiatus, I was finally given an even greater chance to connect with the campus community when I helped host over two hundred alumni and friends for our first on-campus reunion since 2019. Though I had never met most of these people before, I spent the weekend filled with an overwhelming sense of community that can only be found at a place as special as Northland.

It truly is the little things that make the Northland experience so unique. It’s the chilly dips in Lake Superior at sunset. It’s staying up until 3 a.m. hoping to catch a glimpse of the aurora borealis as it lights up the sky. It’s the sound of a cheerful “weeyoo” you hear from across the Mall while on your way to class. It’s the Saturday morning walks down Chapple Avenue to stop at the Black Cat, bakery, and farmers’ market. I cannot thank

my uncle enough for the text he sent that September. If it weren’t for him, I would never have found this gem in the north woods. While my future is still uncharted, I can rest easy knowing that I have the support of Northland to guide me along the way. Thank you, Northland, for being the lighthouse in the middle of my Superior storm and standing with me as I find my own path at the little school on the big lake.

THE DON CHASE ALUMNI RELATIONS INTERNSHIP

The alumni relations internship was established in 2012 by Craig Mullenbrock ’77 to provide additional support to the Office of Alumni Relations. In 2018, the Alumni Board began an initiative to endow and rename the student opportunity to the Don Chase ’62 alumni relations internship. This effort was fully funded in less than a year! There have been ten interns so far, with Alaina as the newest member of a tight-knit group of alumni.

I am proud to call myself a Northlander knowing that I would never have had these experiences anywhere else.

The Philosophy of Video Games

HOW NORTHLAND’S NEWEST PROFESSOR SUCCESSFULLY LEVELED UP HIS INTRO TO PHILOSOPHY COURSE.

By Michael Aaron Lindquist

My first semester teaching at Northland was not quite what I expected. Transitioning to Northland from the University of Georgia, a much larger school with lecture-hall-sized general education requirements, I was looking forward to smaller classroom environments where I could engage in fruitful discussions about philosophy with my students. Philosophy is one of those subjects that comes alive with passionate discussion, something easier to achieve with fewer students. I was excited to have a classroom that had the feel of a small community of inquiry interested in exploring questions together.

When the school year started and I saw the roster for my Introduction to Philosophy course, I realized I was given a unique opportunity: to teach philosophy through a particular topic that could be decided by the class. Since it was going to be a small group, the students’ collective interests could be incorporated into the course. We spent our first class period deciding upon a unifying philosophical topic for the semester. After discussing the philosophy of art or technology, we eventually landed on the philosophy of video games! (I’ve always been interested in philosophy and video games—in fact, the personal essay I wrote

to get into undergraduate school was a conceptual analysis of the Triforce from the Legend of Zelda, so the prospect of teaching philosophy of video games was an exciting opportunity.) The fact that it’s a burgeoning area of study appealed to the class. Much of the literature is new, and readily available through online journals, so I was able to design the course in a manner where students did not have to purchase any required reading or course materials.

What is a game?

In studying philosophy, we often begin by posing initial metaphysical questions—those questions about the nature of reality. In this case, we started with “What is a game?” which is a much tougher question to answer than it may seem! Games can be many different sorts of things, ranging from live sports to virtual games, puzzles, board games, and all the wondrous variety of games that children invent. We had a great discussion around the question, and it was fun to see the students as they began to connect with the ideas and find new ways of applying them.

Is it okay to steal a car?

Ethics is concerned with questions of right and wrong as well as virtue and vice. Is it okay

to commit “moral wrongs” if you’re doing it in a fictional world where no one is actually suffering the consequences of your actions? It’s all fun and games until someone gets hurt… or is it? In video games, perpetrating harm (albeit virtually) on humans or animals is often the whole point of the game. Students discussed that it may actually be morally impermissible to commit virtual wrongs. The interactive, fictional worlds of video games allowed us to delve into novel moral issues while exploring how we interact with such mediums.

Is it okay to commit

“moral wrongs” if you’re doing it in a fictional world where no one is actually suffering the consequences of your actions?

It’s all fun and games until someone gets hurt…or is it?

Image from The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom , courtesy of Nintendo

Does every question have an answer?

Maybe, but can we know the right answer? Well, maybe not. I like to think of philosophical questions as multiple-choice questions with a very long list of possible answers, and philosophy is the centuries-long process of considering and eliminating wrong answers while deciding which ones we suspect might be right. So, after engaging in lively discussions, did we land on definitive, agreed-upon answers? No, but I believe that each student came out of the course with a

better understanding of how to approach philosophical issues and challenges they’ll face throughout their lives, whether while playing video games or not!

Regularly, class would end and I’d still be there for another half an hour talking with a student or two—which is really what it’s all about! While we may have not found the answer to every question, this class allowed students to engage with and participate in philosophical thought and discussion through a medium that interested them.

I never thought I’d be in an academic setting discussing Legend of Zelda in such a relevant and meaningful way! Because of this class, I took three more philosophy classes and am now graduating with a degree in humanities and a double minor in writing and philosophy!

Casandra Crum ’23

A RARE Opportunity

AMERICORPS EXPERIENCE GIVES NORTHLAND GRAD THE CHANCE TO SERVICE RURAL OREGON’S RENEWABLE ENERGY NEEDS.

By Alaina Kuhlman ’22

I’ve lived my whole life in Wisconsin. It’s a great place to be from, for sure! Right before my last semester at Northland, however, I decided I wanted to live somewhere completely different. I landed on a plan to move to Oregon, primarily because of the many different ecosystems throughout the state—valleys, mountains, high deserts, and coastal areas—all of which make Oregon very unique for outdoor recreation! Since my post-college plan was to spend a few years working in my field (community development/ climate science) before attending graduate school, I began interviewing for jobs in communities throughout Oregon.

In one of my interviews, I learned about an AmeriCorps program called Resource Assistance for Rural Environments (RARE). RARE’s mission is to increase the capacity of rural communities to improve their economic, social, and environmental conditions by placing unique, graduate-level individuals within these rural communities. It sounded interesting, so I looked into it and immediately knew it was an important opportunity that was perfect for someone with my skills, interests, and future plans. Just a few months before graduation, I applied for the RARE AmeriCorps program, and was selected to join in May.

I ended up being placed in Lakeview, one of the most rural communities in the state. While I pictured that it would be rainy and surrounded by tall pines like the rest of Oregon, I was surprised to see that it was actually a beautiful desert landscape! Even more beautiful, I found, is the warm and welcoming community of Lakeview itself. Having attended Northland for community development, and having done some really interesting projects with smaller communities in Wisconsin, I have a special interest in community

building and a love for rural communities specifically. I had no doubt that I would fit right into Lakeview. I packed my whole life up and spent the end of August 2022 moving from one rural place to another.

RARE AmeriCorps placed me with Lake County Resources Initiative (LCRI), a nonprofit with just three full-time employees. LCRI provides energy (both renewable and efficiency) assistance to residents of Lake County and Klamath County, as well as rural business owners and agricultural producers throughout the state of Oregon. My title with LCRI is “rural energy coordinator,” which allows me the opportunity to assist rural business owners and agricultural producers statewide with their USDA Rural Energy for America Program (REAP) grant applications. The grants are earmarked for

favorite site visit (so far) was to a trout farm in the desert. Yes, you read that right! Desert Springs Trout Farm produces trout for restocking lakes and streams throughout the Pacific Northwest. The trout farmer even works directly with Indigenous Tribes in the region—he recently delivered four thousand pounds of rainbow trout to the ShoshonePaiute Tribe in Idaho to help them restock their waterways.

This producer has a dream to install a microhydro system, which would likely allow his operation to run completely offgrid. You might be asking how that is possible and here is the answer: The eight-hundred-acre property that houses this trout farm happens to be on a natural fault line, which causes artesian water to spew out of the ground at rates of about ninety gallons per minute. The owner has harnessed this naturally-flowing

grant which would fund up to 50 percent of his project.

Being able to learn more about the energy sector has given me a new lens on community building. It has made me realize just how important it is for communities and the farms and businesses that lie within them to be resilient and self-sufficient when it comes to energy. I am learning how best to connect individuals and entities to money-saving technology related to energy—we’ve facilitated everything from a simple ductless heat-pump install in a residence (to decrease dependency on propane, gas, and kerosene) to completely switching a farm’s wheel line irrigation system to a more cost-effective pivot system. Every day I learn something new.

Working in the energy sector is something that I never pictured myself doing, yet I feel that my placement with AmeriCorps

renewable energy and energy efficiency projects. Solar is the most common project that I see, however, microhydro, wind, biomass, geothermal, ocean generation, and energy efficiency upgrades to existing equipment also qualify for the REAP grant.

My favorite part of my job is the site visits! These “boots on the ground” interactions with business owners and agricultural producers allow me to better understand their energy needs and more easily visualize what their project could look like. My

water into wells that feed into his trout runs. This unique geologic feature, the only one of its kind west of the Mississippi, was hands down one of the coolest things I’ve ever seen! We are hoping to complete a drone fly-over in a few months to document the exact spot where this microhydro system would be installed. Our next step would be to connect the producer with a company that specializes in microhydro systems and potentially assist him in applying for the REAP

landed me right where I need to be. The energy sector is a critical one, and my experience at Northland helped shape me into the mindful, caring person that I am today. Without the “Northland experience,” I’m not sure I would have ever had the courage to leave Wisconsin in pursuit of something greater than myself.

Alaina plans to continue her work at Lake County Resources Initiative after her year of AmeriCorps service ends in July 2023.

Working in the energy sector is something that I never pictured myself doing, yet I feel that my placement with AmeriCorps landed me right where I need to be. Without the “Northland experience,” I’m not sure I would have ever had the courage to leave Wisconsin in pursuit of something greater than myself.

THE INSTITUTE LOOKS TO THE NEXT FIFTY YEARS

By Alan Brew

In April 2022, the Sigurd Olson Environmental Institute initiated a year-long celebration of its 50th anniversary. Highlights of the celebration included a two-day environmental conference, and a series of twenty-six emails inspired by items found in the Institute’s archives.

Now, with the 50th anniversary celebration complete, the Institute is once again turning its full attention to promoting experiences of wildness and wonder in northern woods and waters and to protecting wildlands for current and future generations. To this end, the Institute continues to expand offerings for Northland College students through its Outdoor Pursuits program and for children and youth through its Youth Outreach Programs and educational programs of the Timber Wolf Alliance. In the coming year, the Institute will also expand program offerings at Forest Lodge on Lake Namekagon.

This summer, the Institute’s Outdoor Pursuits program will be partnering with the United States

Forest Service to offer a nine-day Forest Stewardship and Adventure program for rising sophomores at Northland College. For the first half of the program, participants will work with Forest Service personnel on trail building and ecological stewardship projects, and for the second half, they will have an opportunity to canoe on the Namekagon National Scenic River or to hike on the North Country National Scenic Trail.

The Institute is sponsoring a number of summer youth programs and renewing a long-standing partnership with Apostle Islands National Lakeshore to offer Apostle Islands School again in May of 2024.

In a founding document for the Sigurd Olson Environmental Institute, Sigurd Olson proposed that the guiding philosophy of the Institute “should be the enhancement of life in our beautiful northern region.” As the staff of the Institute live into the work of the present and look to the future, this philosophy continues to be an underpinning of the Institute’s mission and activities.

PRESENTING THE 2022 SONWA WINNERS!

COMING SOON A Print Version of From the Archives

As part of its 50th anniversary celebration, the Institute released twenty-six historically focused emails inspired by items in the Institute’s archives. These emails are being collected into a commemorative booklet that will be available early this summer. If you’re interested in receiving a copy for your personal collection, please email soei@northland.edu and include your postal address.

Since 1991, the Sigurd Olson Nature Writing Award (SONWA) has honored the literary legacy of Sigurd Olson by recognizing and encouraging contemporary writers who seek to carry on his tradition of nature writing.

This year’s top winners resonate with Sigurd Olson’s idea of a listening point; each one expands our understanding of interspecies communication, reminding us that when we open our ears, a world of wonders awaits!

Adult Nonfiction

The top prize was awarded to a trio of books this year! An Immense World: How Animal Senses Reveal the Hidden Realms Around Us by Ed Yong (Random House); How to Speak Whale: A Voyage into the Future of Animal Communication by Tom Mustill (Grand Central Publishing); and The Sounds of Life: How Digital Technology Is Bringing Us Closer to the Worlds of Animals and Plants by Karen Bakker (Princeton University Press).

Young Adult

Written by Robin Wall Kimmerer, illustrated by Nicole Neidhardt, and adapted for young adults by Monique Gray Smith, Braiding Sweetgrass for Young Adults (Lerner Publishing Group) weaves together Indigenous wisdom and scientific knowledge.

Honorable Mention

Children’s

Count on Us! Climate Activists from One to a Billion, by Gabi Snyder and illustrated by Sarah Walsh (Barefoot Books) begins with a single action, “one small person/taking one small step,” and builds to a depiction of collective action, with a billion diverse people “zooming towards a better future!”

We Have a Dream: Meet 30 Young Indigenous People and People of Color Protecting the Planet, written by Mya-Rose Craig and illustrated by Sabrena Khadija (Magic Cat), and What Do You See When You Look at a Tree? written and illustrated by Emma Carlisle (Penguin Random House).

TEACH YOUR CHILDREN WELL

SOEI Youth Programs are designed to immerse kids of all ages in the wildness and wonder of nature. By connecting youth to the outdoors, we aim to prepare (and, in many cases, create!) stewards of the future. For event details, visit our website at northland.edu/centers/soei.

June 12–16

Sailing, Art, and the Apostle Islands

Open to teens ages 14–17 who are interested in learning to sail, living aboard a tall ship for five days, and broadening their perspective of the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore through creative exploration.

June 19–23

Stewards of Tomorrow: Island Adventures

Open to teens ages 14–17 interested in sailing, stewardship, hiking, and beachcombing. We will be living aboard a tall ship for five days, making stops to explore various island trails, forests, and beaches throughout the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore.

July 6–13

Stewards of Tomorrow: Backpack on Isle Royale

Open to girls ages 13–15 interested in a six-day wilderness backpack experience on one of the most beautiful islands on Earth! In addition to hiking five-totwelve miles a day, participants will work on a service project with Isle Royale National Park Rangers.

July 24–Aug 1

Stewards of Tomorrow: Boundary Waters Leadership and Adventure

Open to teens ages 13–17 interested in building skills in leadership and wilderness travel. Participants will learn skills in self care, reading maps and compasses, communication, outdoor living, cooking, natural history, and leading groups.

August 7–11

Girls Empowered Trails: Mt. Ashwabay

Open to girls ages 10–13 interested in getting outside, working hard, playing hard, and learning what it means to be a confident steward of this Earth.

Forest Play

In the fall of 2022, SOEI Youth Programs piloted Forest Play, an outdoor, nature-based program for three and four year-olds. Once a week through the fall, winter, and spring, Clair Emmons ’19 (SOEI Youth Programs fellow), Annalee Mott ’23 (SOEI Youth Programs work-study student), and Katherine Jenkins ’96 (SOEI Youth Programs

The Power of Storylistening

Listening to stories is an ancient tradition, one that spurs the imagination to consider other lives, different worlds, and new ideas. This is especially true with children, whose neural pathways are forming at an all-time high. We’re here to support the development of those pathways with our online Nature-based Reading Program!

director) support Forest Play participants to engage with the outdoors and their peers through curiosity and exploration, building on values of kindness, creativity, curiosity and stewardship. The consistent outdoor time also helps promote each participant’s physical development, including fine and gross motor skills, while supporting the overall health and well-being of all involved.

Featuring author readings by all of our children’s category SONWA winners, every video includes an idea guide of nature-based activities relevant to each story. Activities are designed for teachers and parents to help get young readers outside and interacting with the natural world. SOEI Youth Programs started our Nature-based Reading

Program during COVID-19 and will be visiting schools again at the start of the school year.

Each SONWA book featured in our collection captures the spirit of the human relationship with nature and promotes awareness, preservation, appreciation, and restoration of the natural world for future generations.

A Role Model, On and Off the Ice

Taylor Ewing’s ’26 hockey journey started like every other little Canadian boy’s—snow-suited up, tiny skates laced, and raring to spend hours wiping out on the nearest frozen pond. “My parents wanted to put me in soccer, but I was way more interested in hockey,” he says. “My mom didn’t know how to skate, but she brought me out to the pond and found a way to teach me anyway,” he recalls.

All the way from the Canadian PeeWees to the National Collegiate Athletics Association (NCAA), Ewing is one of the few Black players from the Canadian Maritimes to play collegiate hockey in the USA, and as such, he’s become a role model for other young Black players in Atlantic Canada.

“He is a hard-working person who strives for excellence every day,” says Coach Seamus Gregory. “As a two-sport athlete (Men’s hockey and lacrosse), Taylor is active within our community and understands the commitment it takes to be a successful student athlete. He is a credit to himself and his family.”

Ewing was recently featured in an article on NHL.com about the trail he’s blazing. “It was pretty shocking at first to find out that the NHL even knew who I was,” he laughs.

As a Black athlete in a predominately white sport, Ewing feels he’s “always going to be looked at completely differently.” But, as league rosters continue to get more racially diverse, Ewing hopes people will start to see hockey as a sport of talented athletes with different racial identities cheered on by a growing and more diverse fan base.

Ewing is majoring in business management and looking forward to a career in real estate. Unless the major leagues come calling. “Well…you never know,” he laughs, at the suggestion. “Aim for the stars and shoot high, right?”

“My parents always taught me from a young age that hockey is a very tough sport, and, at the end of the day, only very few get to make a living at it,” he says, “so it’s important to get your education and always have a plan B!” Spoken like a true role model.

Miranda Wagner Hits 1000

In the storied career of Northland College LumberJills Basketball powerhouse, Miranda Wagner ’23, naming a single favorite moment in her historic college career is impossible, there are just too many to choose from! “There’s so many moments that I treasure so much,” said the senior student athlete. “It’s not just the big ones either…the little moments have just as much value. Really, it’s the collection of moments as a whole that makes being a student athlete at Northland worth it.”

With quite the collection to remember, choosing one Wagner moment is definitely a tall order.

Take, for example, the game on February 11 against North Central University, when Wagner eclipsed the one thousand career point mark. “It was kind of surreal, especially considering we only had a chance to play four games during the COVID-19 season,” said Wagner when describing the shot that put her over one thousand points.

Wagner led the Upper Midwest Athletic Conference (UMAC) in scoring this year, averaging 20.2 points per game in UMAC play. She was also second in the league in field goal percentage and free

throw percentage. She scored a career high forty-one points on December 12 in their 75-54 win over Mount Mary University.

For Wagner, some of the quieter, smaller moments rank right up with the big ones. “The whole experience of being a part of something bigger than yourself, that’s the value of being a student athlete,” said Wagner. “We went through so much together…long bus rides, hotel stays, hanging out away from the court…not to mention the challenge of the COVID-19 pandemic, those things all brought us so much closer together. Those might be my favorite moments of all.”

The senior, majoring in sociology and social justice, knows she has at least one more big moment left to go. “Walking across that stage during graduation this May and seeing the culmination of all the hard work in the classroom come to fruition, that moment will rank right up at the top I’m sure,” said Wagner. “Which is saying something considering all these amazing moments I’ve been blessed to have here at Northland.”

This story has been adapted from northlandcollegesports.com

SAVE THE DATE: JULY 6, 2023 Chequamegon Bay Golf Course, Ashland northland.edu/golf

Jason Carter Named the 2022–23 WIAC Women’s Hockey Coach of the Year

Head Coach Jason Carter was named the 2022–23 Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) Women’s Hockey Coach of the Year. In his third season behind the bench, Carter guided the LumberJills to their first WIAC playoff win over UW-Superior in the WIAC Quarter Finals. “I’m extremely honored to receive this award,” said Jason. “Honestly, it feels like a coaching staff award. I know I couldn’t do it without the help of our two assistant coaches, Natasha Hawkins and Paige Moilanen. They’ve both been great additions to the program.”

Carrying Northland With You

Oral history project volunteer editor finds a beautiful similarity to all our stories.

By Kristin LaTour ’94

When Jackie Moore ’05, director of alumni relations and annual giving, asked me to help read and edit the stories collected for Northland’s oral history book, I had no idea how many great memories they would trigger. So many of us have similar stories of finding “home” at Northland, a purpose in life, and lifelong friends. As I read story after story, I found myself connected to Northanders past and present. I wove some of the quotes that stood out to me with my own memories, and I hope they bring you back to your own days at Northland.

“I went to a very large high school. My graduating class was over five hundred students, so I was just a number. I wanted a more personable college experience.”

Karen Jean Smart Shatney ’71

I also went to a large high school (four thousand students!), but this was after going to a tiny Catholic kindergarten-through-eighth-grade school with a core group of forty kids. It was terrifying. And I found out pretty quickly that I preferred a smaller learning environment. In high school, I felt like I kind of blended in with the proverbial woodwork, just one of many. I still had the outlet of Girl Scouts, though, a community I could feel at home in and one that continued to foster my love of the natural world. Girl Scouts taught me how to co-exist in nature; high school taught me I wouldn’t thrive in a large college environment. I was also desperate to get away (far away!) from home, and Northland came calling. Literally.

After I took my SAT and expressed an interest in studying forestry, I got a postcard from Northland. Soon after, I began receiving calls from Northland students, who answered all my

questions. I didn’t have the money to visit campus in advance, so in August 1990, I packed my huge suitcase, sent boxes in advance of my arrival, and lugged a backpack, boombox, and my pillow onto a plane, excited to get to Ashland and begin my college adventure.

“I was definitely excited because we started [with] the Outdoor Orientation program and were able to meet people on backpacking trips before we started classes, and that was really cool.”

Michael Sinclair ’16

I signed up for Outdoor Orientation (OO), too. Flying into Minneapolis, I was amazed at how green it was. And driving north into Duluth, coming around the hill and seeing Lake Superior for the first time? The beauty stunned me. It still does.

On my OO trip, I met others who were just as in love with the natural world as me, kids who wanted to talk about current events and protest what was wrong with the world. I chose to take the combination backpacking/kayaking/rock climbing trip because I wanted to try EVERYTHING. We did a midnight paddle on Lake 3, and I found myself alone, paddling for shore with a sky full of stars. I thought to myself, I should be scared, but I felt such peace—I knew I was right where I needed to be.

When I got to Memorial Hall, I met my roommate, Maureen Parks ’94, for the first time. We had exchanged letters before we arrived, so she knew I had a dual-cassette deck boombox, and I knew we liked the same music (Sting, the Smithereens, Peter Gabriel). Her mom was there and immediately became my adopted mom.

“Northland made me conscious of my role in the environment.”

Patricia Bosma ’60

Kristin LaTour (left) and her college roommate Maureen Parks, then and now.

“ I carry what I learned during my years at Northland with me everywhere; it shapes everything I love, do, and am.” Melissa Lindley Morrow ’04

I had planned on being a forestry major, but was quickly reminded that college algebra and chemistry were not my strong suits. I could write a well-thought-out essay, though! Michele Small, who taught my freshman composition course, spoke to me one afternoon when I had come to her for advice. “Why not be an English major?,” she asked. And I thought, “Why not?” I loved reading and writing. I was writing for Drifts, sending poems to Mosaic, and planning to take a literature course for my humanities credit. The pieces all started to fit. Being an English major didn’t mean I didn’t get immersed in the environment. Classes like Third World Literature required us to think critically about what colonialism has done to the people and land in other countries. Environmental Essay Writing asked us to take issues and think of solutions. A futurism course showed us the possibilities of what could happen to our world with technology and science leading the way.

“At any other school I would have been a fish out of water, but I fit right in at Northland.”

Anders Gurda ’07

During my four years at Northland, I became myself. Instead of cliques of jocks, geeks, or rich kids, we were all a little weird, fun, and open. We knew each other, what our interests were, and we held each other up. We partied at off-campus houses, studied in the basement of the library, worked, ate, and learned together. Together, we mourned our classmates Bradley Poore, Daniel Hallberg, Elise Ketelaar, and Scott Brady when they died in an accident returning from a Grateful Dead concert in Chicago in 1994, just months before graduation. We were a family. And, throughout our lives, we’ve remained a family.

“Northland was a special place where humans loved each other.”

Melissa Marron ’11

I went on to graduate school and became a writing professor. I teach my students about climate change, feminism, systemic issues, and racism. I challenge them to do what they can to make the world a better place. I don’t teach at Northland, but I carry it with me. And my students are better for it.

FALL FESTIVAL

ALUMNI REUNION

SEPTEMBER 22–24, 2023

On campus events include:

• Brownell Keys to the Class of 1973

• Athletic Hall of Fame Induction

• Alumni Awards Reception

• AND MORE!

CAMP BROTHER BEAR

Highbridge Hills Disc Golf Course

Celebrate community, the outdoors, and music with Northland favorites Floydian Slip and Bad Columbus.

Visit northland.edu/FallFest for more details.

What’s Your Stone Story?

Wheeler Hall’s cornerstone was laid in 1892, when Northland was just a small school with big ambitions. Since then, the foundation has not only remained a symbol of Northland’s strength and resilience, but a reminder of the many people who have made Northland what it is today.

The engraved stones of Wheeler Hall are a symbol of the power of education to transform lives. They tell stories of students who came to Northland with dreams and ambitions, and left with the knowledge and skills they needed to achieve them. They tell stories of faculty who inspired their students to reach their full potential. They tell stories of staff who worked tirelessly to make Northland a welcoming and supportive community, creating a place where students could thrive.

What’s your stone story? We want to hear about the challenges you faced and the successes you achieved, the friends you found and the professors who inspired you. We want to hear about the memories you made on campus, and the impact Northland has had on your life.

The stories we collect will help to preserve our history. They’ll also inspire others who are considering attending Northland, or who are looking for ways to connect with our community. Stone stories will be featured through various outlets, including editions of Northland College Magazine

To submit your story, visit our website at northland. edu/stonestory or send it to us via email at alumni@ northland.edu. We can’t wait to hear your story!

Mark Charles ’80 Oakwood, Ohio

Mark will retire this summer after a five-decade environmental and sustainability career. After Northland, Mark attended the Washington College of Law at American University in DC While there he worked at the Natural Resources Defense Council, the National Park Service and successfully became a member of the Maryland State Bar Association.

Mark worked for over a decade at the US EPA headquarters in DC leading compliance and enforcement of the National Pretreatment program and the Clean Water Act. In 1984, he received one of the first Northland College Environmental Achievement Awards for this work. In 1995, he became a water pollution and waste management manager for the Arizona and Oregon Departments of Environmental Quality. Mark taught environmental permitting, compliance assessment, and enforcement techniques to thousands of federal, state, local, and Tribal personnel.

In 2007, he became the firstever environmental manager at the City of Rockville, Maryland, where he oversaw the city’s solid waste management, water pollution, and sustainability programs. In 2019, Mark became the head of the newly-created sustainability office for the City of Dayton, Ohio. That year, he was also named a Distinguished Alumni of Northland College.

Mark and his wife, Becky, plan to remain in the Dayton area and will have ample time to entertain Northland friends passing through. You can reach him at 703-343-0188.

CLASS NOTES

John Fabke ’91

Nashville, Tennessee

Hi Folks! I’m currently living in Nashville and working as a folklorist, archivist, and record label manager (Spring Fed Records) at the Center for Popular Music at Middle Tennessee State University. I’m still playing lots of music and I’ve been very involved in the bluegrass and old time music community in Nashville and Middle Tennessee. My experiences at Northland continue to guide my outlook and the work that I do to document and preserve traditional music and musicians throughout the south.

Tony Schmidt ’06

Lakeville, Minnesota

April marks my tenth year owning and operating my interior remodeling business specializing in drywall and painting (Minnesota Metro Interiors). September will also mark ten years of marriage to my beautiful wife, Jen, and our two daughters, Millie (7.5) and Caroline (4.5). I miss Northland and think about it often! Aside from hunting, fishing, and playing golf, I enjoy watching and following the Northland College hockey team from afar! Hope to come visit soon! Peace be with you!

Ashley (Bingaman)

Antonishen ’07 Petoskey, Michigan

I’m an athletic director in my hometown, where I’ve built the first ever athletic department at North Central Michigan College. My husband loves being outside in Northern Michigan. He is often skiing or in Lake Michigan with our two-year-old daughter, Vivian.

of Oregon, Wisconsin, in Dane County. I have been a part of bringing over two hundred units of affordable housing to Oregon in the last three years, as well as helping plan a new library, which will be open in late 2023. In the next decade of my life, I will be focusing on the redevelopment of our historic downtown and the construction of a new senior and community center, hopefully with affordable senior housing nearby!

Jeff

After two years as a volunteer, I just started a new job as a fulltime EMT with Washburn Area Ambulance Services, proving once again that you can teach an old dog new tricks!

Elise (Niemeyer) Cruz ’12 Oregon, Wisconsin

In 2022, I was promoted to the director of community development position in my hometown

IN MEMORIAM

Thomas A. Zinnecker ’50, Ashland, WI, 9/26/2022

Jacob T. Jeske ’20, Calgary, Alberta, 10/13/2022

Bernadette R. Ravelli ’68, Wakefield, MI, 11/2/2022

Linda K. Wakefield ’71, Brodhead, WI, 11/7/2022

Walter L. Frykholm ’53, Rome, NY, 11/17/2022

Richard B. Sarver ’75, Port Royal, PA, 11/20/2022

David V. Doty ’72, Brooksville, FL, 12/1/2022

David J. Larson ’61, Marinette, WI, 12/2/2022

Robert E. Deverell ’62, Maplewood, MN, 12/2/2022

Matthew S. Young ’02, Middleton, WI, 12/2/2022

Sarah L. Pochel ’90, Cincinnati, OH, 12/4/2022

Martin A. Shannon ’82, Summerville, SC, 12/29/2022

Marian O. Taranto ’68, Oxford, NY, 1/1/2023

Robert M. Hodell ’61, Trego, WI, 1/17/2023

LeRoy A. Nylen ’50, Clive, IA, 1/19/2023

Carol M. Wartman ’55, Ashland, WI, 2/7/2023

Leslie H. Schriber ’73, Cornelius, NC, 2/20/2023

Daniel R. Dundovich ’95, Chippewa Falls, WI, 3/25/2023

Richard A. Gehrman ’57, Spruce Pine, NC, 3/29/2023

Bounced around in a few industries in a few states after Northland. Currently working for a certified B solar corporation in Vermont. Started as a solar installer for a year before moving into a project management role with increased specialization. Pursued a master’s degree in organizational development after Northland. Committed to a career in decarbonizing our energy grid and working in social impact organizations.

Jimmy Moore ’21 St. Louis, Missouri and Idaho

I’m currently on my journey west to Idaho for my second season on a wilderness trail crew with the United States Forest Service. I’ll be staying in a backcountry ranger cabin and clearing recreational trails in one of the most remote wilderness areas in the United States. I’m excited to see some more wildlife and scenic views this summer and to enjoy the solitude of the Frank ChurchRiver of No Return Wilderness. I’m especially looking forward to seeing more spring flowers, something I learned to appreciate on a deeper level after taking Spring Flora for my senior May term at Northland.

Heather Atherton ’08 Washburn, Wisconsin

Barden ’14 Stowe, Vermont

Network Connections

The Northland College team is calling on all alumni and friends to join in their efforts to recruit the next generation of Northlanders.

In today’s changing climate of higher education, it’s more important than ever to have a strong and committed network of alumni and friends working together to help promote and recruit new students. With this in mind, Northland College’s Alumni Board President Blake Gross ’96, Admissions Director Alex Patterson ’16, and Alumni Director Jackie Moore ’05 joined forces to create an ambitious college admissions recruitment strategy. Their mission? To engage alumni and friends in promoting and recruiting the next generation of Northlanders. They got the ball rolling with one Facebook post, a Google form, and an outreach incentive for alumni educators. Their goal? To get fifty responses. The results were instant, nearly exceeding capacities and engaging eighty-eight alumni all over the United States.

The materials created for this recruitment effort include a square card with a QR code that goes directly to Alex in admissions who responds to inquiries with special personal care. Recruitment volunteers are encouraged to share these cards with folks

they think would do well at Northland. In addition to personal recommendations to apply, alumni were invited to write postcards with quick remarks about their Northland experience and encouragement to choose Northland.

Why is an intimate network of personal recommendations so important in promoting a college? Simply put, people trust people they know. Alumni and friends have a unique perspective on their Northland experience that no brochure or website can replicate. Their personal stories, shared with friends and colleagues, are powerful tools that can inspire potential students to choose Northland.

If you’re an alum of Northland College, or someone who believes in the Northland difference, join our team of passionate alumni in their mission to recruit students who will shine at Northland. Share your stories, write postcards or recommendation letters, and help spread the word about Northland College. Together, we can inspire the next generation of students to make a positive impact on the world.

Northland alumni/educators at nearby Marengo Valley Elementary School share their NC Pride with new T-shirts. Back: Dee Briggs ’20, Betty (Pufall) Erickson ’93, Sharon Weis ’97. Front: Kaiya (Voldberg) Zar ’19, Amy (Broeniman) Peters ’02, Nancy (Bares) Marita ’99

Alex, Jackie, and Blake talking through ways to engage alumni in supporting recruitment of the next generation of Northlanders.

Why is an intimate network of personal recommendations so important in promoting a college? Simply put, people trust people they know. Sign-up to help at northland.edu/ nextgen.

IT TAKES ONE SPARK

Lynn Rued’s Northland story starts at a classic north woods fall pot-luck—the kind where you bring your lawn chair and a dish to share and sit around talking and eating and charring marshmallows until the embers die. “I was standing there talking with my mom and this older guy comes up, a real Jeremiah Johnson type, and he starts telling us how he moved up to this area in the 60s to go to Northland College,” she recalls. “He said it completely changed his worldview. Transformed him.

I had never heard of Northland

before, but his enthusiasm for the College really intrigued me.”

“When I got home, I pulled up the website, and I thought, ‘You’ve got to be kidding me. This is so me!’ I resonated with the College’s environmental philosophy and felt an immediate kinship with the Northland community. I ended up applying for a job as gift coordinator. And here I am!”

While Lynn didn’t get to Northland from a traditional pathway—she didn’t grow up here, she didn’t go to school here—she still found us. “I came to this place through the context of community,” she said. “That woodsman at the pot-luck? His enthusiasm for Northland, his spark, sparked mine!”

SHARE YOUR SPARK! Support Northland at northland.edu/give