Museum Newsletter

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Museum Exhibit

Oral History

Oral History Tell your story! The Oral History Program of the Museum of Cultural and Natural History is building a diverse and compelling set of narratives that document life at CMU, in Isabella County, and beyond. Led by Dr. Jay Martin and Dr. Brittany Fremion, Professors in the Department of History, the collection has already been used to interpret the 125 years that CMU has served our students. Current research focuses on maritime traditions of the Great Lakes, the events of March 2 on campus and in our community, and environmental contamination in Michigan. If you have a story to tell and you would like to be interviewed, contact Dr. Jay Martin at marti6jc@cmich.edu.


Calling all 4th and 5th Graders

Curious Curators Students entering 4th and 5th grades in the Fall of 2018 are eligible to apply for Curious Curators, a special program on Tuesday, June 26 for students to become Museum professionals for the day. Those selected get a behind-the-scenes tour of the CMU Museum, help plan a new exhibit, learn how to handle artifacts, and more. Submit an application at www.museum.cmich.edu. You must submit an essay explaining your interest in museums and why you should be chosen. The deadline is 5:00pm, May 25, 2018. Six Curious Curators will be notified by Friday, June 8, 2018. Scholarships are available to offset the cost of mileage for those traveling from outside Isabella County. Call 989-774-3829 for more information.


Alumni Corner: Dr. Harold ("Hal") D. Mahan, 1971

Hal Mahan Dr. Harold (?Hal?) D. Mahan was was appointed by President Boyd as the first director of what is now the CMU Museum of Cultural and Natural History. He served half-time as director and half-time as a professor in the Department of Biology. Through his efforts and the efforts of over 87 CMU students, faculty, and community volunteers, the new center opened its door to the public in March 1971. Dr. Mahan and his wife, Laura, both professional naturalists with extensive backgrounds in natural history museums and science education, created a locally-owned, independent store and gathering place for naturalists in Asheville, North Carolina, called The Compleat Naturalist. You may contact Dr. Mahan at halmahan@gmail.com or The Compleat Naturalist at www.compleatnaturalist.com.


Class in Action: MST 310

Museum Studies 310 Class MST 310 visited the Bohannon Schoolhouse and Gerald L. Poor Museum on April 9, 2018. The students in "Introduction to Museums" learned about the history of the Gerald L. Poor Museum and the Bohannon Schoolhouse. They also learned about the exhibits that are in the Schoolhouse and the museum programs there, experiencing what a schoolday was like in 1901. Stay tuned in Fall to see more of these students in action as Museum volunteers.


Preventing Light and Air Pollution in Collections

Natural History Collections The Natural History collections have come a long way this semester with the transformation of the old ?Zoology? room. After moving all of the original equipment and research specimens into Brooks Hall 103, new shelving has been installed to house all of our Exhibition Collections (mounted specimens used for exhibits and programs). All the specimens now have a more spacious home and will be enclosed on these shelves to prevent air and light pollution per best practices and procedures. We still have a little way to go to complete the transformation, but undergraduates Maeve Dorn and Dakota Camarena (pictured here) have been doing an outstanding job on this project.


K-12 Spring Break Programming: Dig It, by Lexie White

Dig It Museum Assistant Lexie White created and led a program during K-12 Spring Break Week titled "Dig It." This program was about archaeology and how it can help us understand the past. Archaeology tools used by CMU's own Dr. Sarah Surface-Evans and her students in archaeology were examined. Visitors rotated among an exhibit scavenger hunt, a pot sherd jigsaw puzzle activity, and a hands-on mock archaeological excavation.


K-12 Spring Break Programming: Tick Tock, by Marc Van Horn

Tick Tock Graduate Assistant Marc Van Horn opened the K-12 Spring Break Week program he designed with a short presentation about how human beings have kept time through the ages. The 33 participants in "Tick Tock" then participated in three interactive activities: a human clock, using arms to display the time on an analog clock; a math-based activity calculating how old visitors would be on other planets; and building and decorating a sundial, the earliest known time-keeping device.


K-12 Spring Break Programming: Say What?, by Cassie Olson

Say What? The newest public program "Say What?" was designed by Museum Assistants Cassie Olson and Natalie Pantelis, and conducted by Cassie Olson. Speech and writing have changed dramatically throughout history, and each part of the world has a unique way of communicating. This program explored the origins of English by interacting with original literature and by testing participants' knowledge of international slang words.


Spring Museum Studies Intern: Courtney Riggs

Courtney Riggs During the spring 2018 semester, Courtney Riggs has been interning at Central Michigan University's Clarke Historical Library. She is currently working on processing a series in the Justice Elizabeth Weaver collection, who served on the Michigan Supreme Court from 1995 to 2010. Museum Studies interns must spend at least 240 hours of their time in a museum, archive, park, historic site, or other related institution.

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