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At the Northern Michigan University Veterans Day Concert on Nov. 11, distinguished student veteran Traci Dietz received a commemorative coin from President Fritz Erickson for her dedicated time and service.

“I am honored to have been recognized by [Rep.] Sara Cambensy and President Erickson,” she said. “I have worked hard to make the lives of my fellow veterans easier through my work-study position in the Veteran Services Office with Mike Rutledge and his service dog, Welles, who has helped countless students through rough times.”

NMU recently unveiled Something Curious, a new podcast series targeting current and prospective NMU students. The podcast aims to connect community through conversation, highlighting aspects of the university and the Marquette area. This series will address subjects that relate to NMU’s core values: community, opportunity, inclusion, rigor, environment, connections and innovation.

Josh Cahatol, from the Province of Bohol in the Philippines, is one of three students attending NMU this fall as a participant in the Global Undergraduate Exchange Program (UGRAD). The program is designed to increase students’ understanding of the United States and give them opportunities to take academic coursework and participate in other community activities.

The International Education Services Office at NMU is collaborating with World Learning to bring students from other nations to campus for cultural exchange and opportunities to learn at American institutions. Ahmad is one student attending NMU this fall through the Global UGRAD Pakistan Program (IREX), which enables youth leaders from underserved populations across Pakistan to have opportunities to study abroad. He was selected for the program by his alma mater back home.

Veterans Day on Nov. 11 coincides with the 100th anniversary of the end of World War I. Under the leadership of President James Kaye, Northern State Normal School (now Northern Michigan University) participated in WWI regionally, nationally and abroad. War-time concerns were exacerbated by another significant threat a century ago: a Spanish flu pandemic that ultimately shut down Northern for three months in the fall 1918 semester.

NMU alumnus and podiatrist Dr. Brad Benson ('10) has returned to his hometown to join UP Health System-Marquette. He said his training has provided him with a diverse background in all foot and ankle problems, but one of his passions is limb salvage, especially in the diabetic cohort. Benson went to medical school at Kent State University and served as a podiatric medicine and surgery resident at St. Vincent Charity Medical Center. After completing his residency, Benson decided to move back to Marquette.

Northern Michigan University’s Native American Student Association will screen the documentary Trudell at 7 p.m. Friday, Nov. 15, in the Whitman Hall commons. The event is free and open to the public.

The documentary traces American Indian activist and poet John Trudell's life, from his childhood in Omaha, Neb., through his role as a leader of the American Indian Movement and his rebirth as a musician and spoken word poet.

November is Native American Heritage Month. For more information, visit www.nmu.edu/nativeamericanstudies.

Eleven Northern Michigan University students attended the annual Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA) National Conference marking the 50th anniversary of the organization. The group traveled to Austin, Texas, and attended several workshops and sessions with internationally renowned speakers. Presenters included Robert Reich, former U.S. Secretary of Labor, and Jonathan Mildenhall, former vice president of marketing at the Coca-Cola Corporation and chief marketing officer for Airbnb who now owns his own firm, Twenty First Century Brand.

Canadian political theorist Ronald Beiner will present “Dangerous Minds in Dangerous Times” at Northern Michigan University. His talk is scheduled from 7-9 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 15, in the Ontario Room of the University Center. Admission is free and light refreshments will be provided. Beiner will explore themes from his latest book, Dangerous Minds: Nietzsche, Heidegger, and the Return of the Far Right.

Northern Michigan University’s Native American Student Association is hosting the First Nations Food Taster. The event will be held from 5-7 p.m. Friday, Nov. 9, at the Jacobetti Complex commons.

The First Nations Food Taster provides guests with an array of Native American foods. Recipes from the Decolonizing Diet Project will be featured, offering traditional Native American foods. Some contemporary Native American dishes will also be available. This year’s menu may include bison stew with cranberries, turkey roast, pecan whitefish, venison and squash bisque.