NMC NorWester - Fall 2013

A Publication for Alumni & Friends of Northwestern Michigan College Fall 2013

Explore with NMC students Chronicling life lived large–and learning while you’re at it. That’s the aim of the Explore NMC blog: explore.nmc.edu. The first blogger is NMC Great Lakes Water Studies student Chris Horvath (pictured at right), who spent several weeks this summer aboard Columbia University’s research vessel the R/V Langseth, doing research on the midAtlantic Ridge near Iceland. Below are excerpts from his entries. Sept. 3: “Contrary to popular discussion overheard in the galley, there is a point to all this drifting and isolation. We are here to affirm assumptions from lands far away. To stand firmly on ground never before tread upon–so to speak. To discover the secrets of a land not yet explored. “My job is fairly straightforward. I stand watch over the scientific equipment collecting various types of data by monitoring the computers designed to record the data in real time, and help troubleshoot and launch the equipment required to retrieve said data.” Aug. 24: “A can of Coke is worth its weight in gold on a ship at sea. You can hoard it, drink it, trade it with other crew for any number of stashed luxury items, and with a little finesse–flaunt it. Money means little out here, reduced to equals we share the same ambitions in life–eat, sleep, Coca-Cola.”

Some 600 miles south-southwest of Icleand, NMC Water Studies student Chris Horvath works with a knuckle boom crane aboard Columbia University’s research vessel the R/V Langseth.

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Maritime cadet Paige Jehnke is also blogging aboard ship as she completes her fall semester sea project on the M/V Taku, a passenger/car ferry with Alaska Marine Highway. XXBookmark the blog explore.nmc.edu to read more from Horvath, Jehnke and future NMC explorers.

New at The Dennos.............. 4-5 Second solar array.................. 6 History students accomplish mission. P. 3

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