Around NMU

United States Sen. Debbie Stabenow will serve as the keynote speaker at Northern Michigan University's commencement on Saturday, May 4. The ceremony begins at 10:30 a.m. in the Superior Dome. Stabenow is Michigan's first female U.S. Senator.

Greg Lukianoff, bestselling author and CEO of the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education (FIRE), will present “The Threat to Free Speech on Campus and What to Do About It” at Northern Michigan University. The event begins at 7 p.m. Monday, April 22, in 1100 Jamrich Hall. A Q&A session is slated to follow the presentation. Admission is free and is open to the public.

River Valley Bank presented a $5,000 check to the Upper Michigan Brain Tumor Center as the title sponsor of the Hope Starts Here Challenge. The event raises funds and awareness for the UMBTC, a collaborative effort between UP Health System, Northern Michigan University and the Superior Health Foundation. The UMBTC's mission is to empower patients and families dealing with brain tumors through advocacy, research, education and treatment.

The NMU EcoReps student organization hosted Sustainability Week events on campus March 25-29. As indicated by this year's theme, “Beyond Green,” the group expanded its focus beyond the environment to also highlight social and economic sustainability.

Daniel Truckey, director of the Beaumier U.P. Heritage Center at Northern Michigan University, will host “Walking Through the Past: 70 Years of Architecture at NMU." This walking tour of campus begins at 1 p.m. Saturday, April 13, at Cohodas Hall. It is free and open to the public.  

The Northern Michigan University Police Department and the Associated Students of Northern Michigan University (ASNMU) will give a presentation on the Rape Defense Aggression (RAD) Systems course at 5 p.m. Wednesday, April 17. in the multipurpose room of NMU's Woodland Apartments. All NMU students will be admitted free with a valid ID.

Middle Eastern studies expert Benny Morris will present "A New Look at the 1948 Arab-Israeli War and the Creation of the Palestinian Refugee Problem” at Northern Michigan University. His presentation begins at 7 p.m. Monday, April 8, at Reynolds Recital Hall. NMU's Jewish Student Union is sponsoring the event. Admission is $2 for community members and free for NMU students with a valid ID.

The Northern Michigan University Archives presents its second “Evening at the Archives” event of the semester, titled The Digital Apocalypse. University Archivist Marcus Robyns and Beaumier Heritage Center Director Daniel Truckey will go head to head in a debate moderated by Dean Leslie Warren on the preservation of cultural heritage in the digital age.

Percussion Group Cincinnati will perform at 7:30 p.m. Friday, March 29, in Reynolds Recital Hall as part of Northern Michigan University's Siril Concert Series. The event is free and open to the public.

Fiction writer Carmen Maria Machado will visit Northern Michigan University to read from her works and give a presentation at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, April 11, in 1322 Jamrich Hall.