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The Finlandia Alumni Board is hosting their third Giving Day on June 16, 2021. The day is dedicated to raising money to help students pay for textbooks and will feature Facebook and social media announcements, information on textbook costs, and conversations with past textbook award winners and FAB members!
Last year, Giving Day was postponed and rescheduled. In support of Finlandia’s Safe Open 2020 plan, Giving Day was held in September and the money raised was dedicated to PPE and safety upgrades for Finlandia students. Finlandia’s Safe Open 2020 did happen and students arrived on campus in the fall with smiles tucked behind their masks. On April 29, 2021, 63 graduating seniors even walked across the auditorium stage, in-person and with diplomas in hand.
Campus communities across the world are coming together to support one another. The pandemic has substantially raised the financial barrier that students face. Monica Hill (’76), FAB president, was asked about the importance of Giving Day to these students;
What is course work without a textbook? Seems logical to us, yet many students cannot afford that necessary expense. Sharing is wonderful, but the logistics of borrowing someone else’s book is cumbersome. Please help the FAB in providing deserving students with their required books. We want you to know that providing textbooks can mean the difference between learning and not. As a proud alumna, I want to help anyone I can who has the good sense to choose Finlandia to prepare them for life.
Donations can be accepted through the Finlandia website and Facebook page. Donors can also make a check payable to Finlandia University, labeled for Giving Day and mailed to the following address:
ATTN: Advancement Office, 601 Quincy St., Hancock, MI 49930
For students, textbook award applications can be submitted here.
For more information on Giving Day 2021, please visit finlandia.edu/givingday or contact Jordan Shawhan at jordan.shawhan@finlandia.edu.
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HANCOCK, Mich. – Two Upper Peninsula of Michigan universities, Finlandia University in Hancock and Northern Michigan University in Marquette, have launched a joint initiative to explore high-level collaborations between the schools.
NMU President Fritz Erickson and FinnU President Philip Johnson, in conjunction with their respective governing boards, are announcing that the two institutions have created a task force to develop proposals for possible partnerships and collaborations of programs, university operations and student opportunities.
“What began as a conversation about how to help Finlandia students gain entrance into Northern’s new Master of Social Work program two years ago has advanced in depth over time regarding a wide range of collaborative possibilities,” said Erickson. “It seemed appropriate at this point to let the public know that these conversations are taking place.”
Finlandia is a private, ELCA Lutheran-affiliated school with about 400 students. Northern is a regional public institution with about 7,400 students.
“The perpetually changing and challenging landscape in higher education in North America continues to urge more durable collaborations among college and university campuses,” said Johnson. “Building on institutional strengths, brand, and shared vision for higher education in the U.P., Finlandia and Northern believe that working together will benefit each and better serve the higher education needs of Upper Peninsula communities and beyond.”
The task force is considering such things as early acceptance programs for FinnU undergraduates into NMU graduate programs, areas of possible technology integration, program synergies and enhancements, and assessing potential operating efficiencies.
The two presidents said there is no formal timeline for the work of the task force, and that each university’s governing board will be updated on the discussions as any preliminary proposals are developed.
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BECOME AN ALUMNI BOARD MEMBER TODAY!
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The Finlandia Alumni Board (FAB) is accepting nominations for new members. Interested Suomi or Finlandia alumni can self-nominate here. Nominations will be accepted until July 1, 2021.
We want to share your story with the FinnU community! Have an update? You would be amazed to know just how much your story means to past, present and future FinnU alumni! Email jordan.shawhan@finlandia.edu with your latest job or alumni news!
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The Finnish American Heritage Center (FAHC) will reopen to the general public on June 1, 2021 under the following guidelines:
- Public hours will be 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday
- The Finlandia University Gallery and Martha Wiljanen Community Hall will be open and accessible for self-guided tours; guided art gallery tours provided by Gallery Director Carrie Flaspohler are available upon request
- The archive will be 100-percent appointment-only; masks will be required when inside archive reading room and other research areas
- The FAR office will accept walk-in customers, though appointments are preferred
- All visitors must follow campus-wide Covid protocols in effect at time of visit
- The Martha Wiljanen Community Hall will not yet be available for rentals
This plan will be reviewed and updated monthly.
Although the FAHC has been closed to the public since March 2020, the staff has spent the past year offering services upon request, including research assistance and accepting archival donations. Interim Director David Maki and Archivist Joanna Chopp are eager to welcome patrons back to the Center.
“It’s very energizing to hear the feedback from these folks, particularly the ones who come from further away; they’re always so thrilled to see how much we’re doing to preserve and promote the culture so many people hold dear,” Maki said.
In addition to his director responsibilities at the FAHC, Maki serves as the Editor-In-Chief of the Finnish American Reporter (FAR). The FAR is a monthly publication that provides a direct connection to Finnish heritage for people around the world and is available on a subscription basis.
Subscribe to the FAR Now
Maki would also like to remind patrons that there are a number of FAHC-produced items available for purchase, including the “Sirkka: Past and Present Documentary”, “Tastes of Finnish American” cookbook, and “Finns of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula” book. These items can be found at North Wind Books, located immediately west of the FAHC.
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We know you loved your time in the Keweenaw and are looking for any reason to come back. We love hiring alumni and have a number of jobs open right now including:
Finlandia also offers competitive, comprehensive benefits. To learn more and apply, visit finlandia.edu/jobs.
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No.1 U.K. Podcast Features Dr. Hilary Virtanen on the Meaning of Sisu
Most Finlandia students, faculty, and staff have heard the term sisu thrown around in conversations or even marketing materials on campus. The word is nothing new to FinnU, but in the United Kingdom, that may be otherwise. On April 14, FinnU professor of Finnish and Nordic studies, Dr. Hilary Virtanen, was featured in the No. 1 documentary podcast in the United Kingdom titled “Getting Emotional” about the meaning of sisu.
“If you talk about it [sisu] more thoroughly, it’s this kind of condition that kicks in during difficult situations,” said Dr. Virtanen. “It allows a person to navigate the situation with, what I would call tenacity, integrity and calm.”
The premise of the show is to discuss obscure emotions people feel but may not be aware there is a name for them. Dr. Virtanen discussed the meaning of sisu, instances in Finnish history when sisu was displayed, and how sisu has been a part of her life until this point.
Listen to the 14-minute episode on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts:
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The Board of Trustees honored Irina Sergeyeva with the 2021 Rising Star Faculty Award at Finlandia’s Spring Commencement Ceremony on Thursday, April 29.
Sergeyeva serves as Finlandia’s RN to BSN Program Coordinator and now Associate Professor of Nursing. She joined the university in August 2015 with a Master’s Degree in Nursing Education from the University of Phoenix.
“It is an honor to receive the board of trustees Rising Star Teaching and Service Award. I consider this award as one of the benchmarks in my professional journey. One of the criteria for this award was “going above and beyond” to serve the Finlandia University, community, and student population,” Sergeyeva said. “ I would like to bring the reader’s attention to the fact that the quality and quantity of my contribution to these three areas of service would not be possible without the support of my colleagues and nursing students. I would like to thank them from the bottom of my heart.”
Read the full story here.
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Louie Mayer (Rudyard, Mich.) will be on McAfee this fall for football.
Louie Mayer (Rudyard), Mich.) has committed to play for the Finlandia University football team. He has not determined his field of study at this point.
2021 All-WIAC Baseball honors
Freshman Joe Galindo and senior Nik Geiser have earned honors from the WIAC (Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference). Baseball members are Finlandia, UW-La Crosse, UW-Eau Claire, UW-Oshkosh, UW-Platteville, UW-Stevens Point, UW-Stout and UW-Whitewater.
Nathan Erva (Houghton, Mich.) will be playing football in the fall of 2021 for the Lions.
Nathan Erva (Houghton, Mich.) has committed to play for the Finlandia University football team. He is planning on majoring in Nursing.
MIH Timo Kocar SR 1819
Timo Kocar, former Finlandia University men's hockey player, helped HDD Acroni Jesenice win the Slovenia National League. He played for the Lions from 2017 to 2019.
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