Last blood drive offers free pizza
NMU students can donate blood one last time before the semester is over. The NMU Volunteer Center will host the annual Spring Blood Drive on Thursday, April 24 in the lower level of the LRC from noon to 5:45 p.m. The blood drive will help collect blood for the U.P. Regional Blood Center. Nicole Weber, Volunteer Center coordinator, said she encourages everyone to donate to the cause. “It’s an easy way to fill a need in the community,” Weber said. “It doesn’t take too much of your time.” Weber added that students make good donors because they are usually young and healthy. One in three people will need a blood transfusion during their lifetime, so the Volunteer Center and the U.P. Regional Blood Center are collaborating to help fill this need, she said. Weber said she advised students interested in donating to drink water and eat a healthy breakfast or lunch beforehand. No preregistration is required to donate blood, and pizza will be served for those who donate. More information about the Spring Blood Drive is available from the NMU Volunteer Center at [email protected] or at 227-2466.
Children’s art displayed in DeVos
On Monday, May 5, the DeVos Art Museum will open its annual U.P. children’s art exhibit. Melissa Matuscak, director and curator of the DeVos Art Museum, said the art will come from Marquette County elementary schools and will consist of projects from children’s art classes. “This year’s theme is ‘With My Own Hands,’ so I have a feeling we will see hands, literally, finger paintings and other hand-related art,” Matuscak said. She said there is a certain value to viewing children’s art in that children are innocent to what goes on in the world. “I think children’s art can be really inspiring to look at because it’s artwork that’s coming from a very honest and fun place,” she said. Matuscak also mentioned that the children are able to focus on one activity better than adults because they are less concerned with pleasing others and more concerned with having fun. “The children’s art show is a lot more unrestrained and free because [children] access a much freer place when they make art. They’re not so distracted by the stresses of life,” she said. The exhibit will be shown through May 17. There will be a reception for the public and the artists on May 9 from 6-9 p.m. at the DeVos Museum.
Author lectures on food safety
Vegan advocate and author Howard Lyman will speak at NMU on April 24 at 7 p.m. in the Great Lakes Rooms of the University Center. Lyman, who penned books “Mad Cowboy” and “No More Bull,” is being brought to NMU by the Sustainable Agriculture Club and will address topics like environmental stewardship, animal cruelty, food safety and human health, said Erica Lensink, founder and president of the Sustainable Agriculture Club. Lyman is also the producer of “Mad Cowboy – The Documentary” which chronicles his journey from a fourth generation cattle rancher to a vegan supporter. He has appeared on the “Oprah Winfrey Show” where he informed the public about Mad Cow Disease and unsafe farming practices. He’s also the creator of the foundation Voice for a Viable Future, a group that supports sustainable organic agriculture practices and exposes the hazards of current food production methods, Lensink said. “We feel that Mr. Lyman will do a great job of portraying the message that the more informed people can be about the effects of their food consumption, the better off our health, environment and planet will be,” said Lensink. Lyman will lecture and sign copies of his latest book, “Mad Cowboy.” The Sustainable Agriculture Club hopes that through Lyman and their on-campus organization, students will learn about how food can be grown in ways that are sustainable and how they can implement these ideas on campus and in the community, Lensink said. “This?event?is?important for?anyone?concerned?about?the?future?of?our?planet?and?everyone?is?welcome
to?attend.” The event is free to NMU students and the general public.
