MTU, NMU prepare to accommodate students staying on campus for holiday break

HOUGHTON AND MARQUETTE, Mich. (WLUC) - College students at Northern Michigan and Michigan Tech universities are making their way through finals week.

Soon, most students will leave the campuses to enjoy holiday break. But every year, pockets of students decide to stay on campus.

“We do have 200 to 300 who actually stay on campus during the holidays,” said NMU Chief Marketing Officer Derek Hall. “And for different reasons. Maybe they are international students, maybe they’re working in Marquette, maybe they’re athletes.”

Hall says the university generally encourages students to not stay over break to give student resident life staff a break as well. While food services are closed and there are no planned activities, other programs will stay open.

“The PEIF rec center is open, the food pantry is open,” continued Hall. “They limit their hours a little bit, but they are still open during the break because there’s a need.”

In Houghton, MTU says it has less than 30 students staying on campus this year.

“The library will be doing a 24-hour pop-up food pantry,” said MTU Dean of Students Kelly Raffaelli. “And then we do have professional staff and residence assistance who will be in the residence hall through break to support the students with anything they need.

Raffaelli notes that, while MTU also does not have events planned over break, students do have alternatives.

“We have a real close relationship with our community organizations,” added Raffaelli. “Like the Canterbury House, Good Shepard Church, St. Al’s, and other community organizations who are students often attend events with those organizations as well.

Both universities encourage students who stay to be safe and enjoy their holiday break.