Amidst the chilling winter and the semester that commenced just weeks prior, the international students of Michigan Tech added yet another thrilling experience to their list, as they celebrated the International Ski Day at the UP’s dearest ski area — Mont Ripley, on Sunday, Jan. 28. While skiing, snowboarding and tubing were the items on the menu, adventure and fun were the only flavors available for the enthusiasts. A celebration that was enjoyed by more than 250 students from over 20 countries involved major contributions from Tech’s International Programs and Services (IPS), Mont Ripley’s welcoming staff and over 50 amiable volunteers who facilitated the grand event.
The legend of such a celebration, specifically involving the international students, dates back to 2001 when Michigan Tech started hosting a similar program, although at a much smaller scale, at its residential complex and called it the ‘Daniel Heights Ski Day’. Bob Wenc, the Community Outreach Liaison with IPS and a proud employee of the Michigan Tech staff for over 37 years now detailed, “The idea was to help students overcome cabin fever and urge them to explore the activities that the natives relish in this part of the world.” With growing popularity and with Mont Ripley presenting itself as the ideal winter sports area, the IPS decided on making the experience available for a much larger international student audience, whose success was evident through the innumerable smiles recorded last Sunday! Along with a bag full of exciting memories, a skill to boast about (maybe not yet perfect) and tons of pictures to flood social media, the students also received a few bruises as a souvenir.
The success of the event was made possible by the meticulous efforts of the cordial IPS staff, who publicized the event, worked on encouraging students to take advantage of the opportunity and was even present along with volunteers from the Graduate Students Government (GSG), to help students celebrate. The director of the IPS, Cassy Tefft de Munoz explains, “When students go abroad, they might find it intimidating to try new things and need someone to take them by the hand and show them around the first time, as to how much fun the exposure can be alongside a fulfilling academic experience. They then pass on their stories to their friends here and friends back home who are considering joining Michigan Tech and fearful of the winters here.” She recollects a group of students from Brazil, about three years ago who was at Tech for a year-long special program. When they started with one such ski day, they were falling up and down the hill, all day long but by mid-March, they were going off the jumps. “It is stories like these,” she said, “that keeps the IPS motivated to make their students’ experiences much more enriching.”
Moreover, the Mont Ripley staff was exuberant about making this happen as they not only offered introductory rates for the lessons and equipment but also worked as late as 11 p.m. the night before to get everything right. Arrangements were made with snacks and drinks to allow the students to rest and warm up in between lessons while card games were made available for those who wanted to hang out a bit more after their thrilling sessions. The administration also dished out special discount coupons to encourage further visits. All the participants were highly appreciative of the arrangements and flashed a gleeful smile while mentioning so.
The winters are an important part of being at Michigan Tech and the university has continually strived to make the student experience a fun one through such events. The organizers hope that the students come back again and make themselves a solid part of the lovable Mont Ripley family.
