8
XL
Expectations
HORIZONS
Photograph of the Detroit skyline courtesy of the Super Bowl XL Host Committee.
Beth Kurta ’92 BS and Sean Krabach ’94 BS talk
about ‘The Road to Forty’ and how they got there.
By GEOFF HINEMAN ’99 BS, ’01 MA
WINTER 2006 9
Photograph of Beth Kurta and Sean Krabach courtesy of Beth Kurta.
“W HAT ’ S NEAT ABOUT HOSTING A pitfalls are certainly not lost on California destination. In addition
S UPER B OWL IN A CITY IS THIS :” Kurta and Sean Krabach. As mem- to the necessary attention toward
said Beth Kurta, “You know when bers of the Super Bowl XL Host security, possible snow removal,
you have company come to your Committee, they’ve both had their lodging, and entertainment manage-
house, you always keep your house share of nail biting and butterflies. ment, of particular concern was the
neat and tidy? But if your mother- The NFL has billed this season possibility that the combination of
in-law is coming….” as “The Road to Forty.” Unlike cold weather and an urban setting
That’s an adequate analogy for most Super Bowls, this time around, could prove a difficult obstacle in
Super Bowl XL, as it promises to be the big four-oh will be in a cold- creating the hospitable atmosphere
the mother of all Super Bowls. All weather city rather than a standard many Super Bowl fans have come to
the high expectations and potential Louisiana-Florida-Southern expect. For Kurta and Krabach,
10 HORIZONS
though, their travels on the road to THE IMPLICATIONS OF with her bachelor of science degree in
forty took the scenic route through administrative gerontology, Kurta
AN EVENT LIKE
Northern Michigan University, and became a licensed nursing home prac-
they are using some of what they M OTOWN W INTER titioner and a certified director of
learned at NMU to help create what activities. Her career saw her serving
they refer to as a Super Bowl experi-
B L AST ARE NUMEROUS .
with Hospice of Michigan and as
ence that is “authentically Detroit.” IT IS SPECUL ATED director of activities at various senior
By embracing the cold weather, care facilities in the Detroit area. After
rather than trying to sidestep it, this THAT THIS EVENT taking some time away from her
Super Bowl experience is sure to COULD DO FOR career to raise her two sons, Kurta
provide many firsts. found that her instinctual need to
For starters, Motown Winter D ETROIT WHAT organize wouldn’t take a break.
Blast, Detroit’s pre-game winter festi- EVENTS LIKE THE “I’ll never forget this project—it
val, is a celebration that carries much was right after the holidays. I was
more significance than simply acting N ORTH A MERICAN alphabetizing my recipes and I real-
as a precursor to the Super Bowl. I NTERNATIONAL A UTO ized that after that, I had nothing
Kurta said, “When [the com- left to organize. My kids’ clothes are
mittee was] preparing for Motown S HOW AND THE labeled in their bins by size, and sep-
Winter Blast, they were talking arated as warm weather and cold
D ETROIT E LECTRONIC
about snowshoeing and dogsleds. weather. You see where I’m going
Sean and I said, ‘Wow!’” M USIC F ESTIVAL DO with this?”
Krabach chuckled. “Yeah, we Since she was already at home
FOR THE CIT Y : PL ACE
know all about that. Everybody with her own children, she had
around here said, ‘Wow, I’ve never AN INTERNATIONAL offered to babysit for others, and,
seen a dogsled.’ And Beth and I through their kids, Kurta met Susan
FOCUS ON A CIT Y
were saying, ‘None of this is new to Sherer, the executive director of the
us. Snow sculptures? No problem.’” THAT MANY Super Bowl XL Host Committee.
But Motown Winter Blast will Sherer learned of Kurta’s professional
feature much more than snow sculp- D ETROITERS FEEL HAS experience and instinctual ability to
tures and dogsleds. There will also GOT TEN A BUM RAP maintain order and asked her if she
be a 200-foot snow slide, a snow would like to be a part of the com-
maze, live entertainment, ice skat- FOR TOO LONG . mittee. Kurta was hesitant to drop
ing, laser light shows, a taste of everything and plunge back into the
Detroit, and more. 40-hour grind, so she agreed to start
To be sure, the implications of an attendance of 250,000. If that is with just 10 hours per week.
an event like Motown Winter Blast any indicator of its ability to spark Sometimes, however, even the
are numerous. In addition to bring- interest, this year’s attendance could best laid plans are open to sugges-
ing people downtown in the winter, make it a permanent attraction. tion. Months before she was sched-
it is speculated that this event could So, how does one go from par- uled to be a full-time member of the
do for Detroit what events like the ticipating in Marquette Winterfests Super Bowl Host Committee, Kurta
North American International Auto to helping stage events the magni- got a call from Sherer.
Show and the Detroit Electronic tude of a Super Bowl? Well, if you’re “The plan was for me to start
Music Festival do for the city: place Beth Kurta, you start by organizing. in June of 2003, which was still a
an international focus on a city that You see, Beth Kurta likes to year away. Then I got a call in
many Detroiters feel has gotten a organize. Good thing, given the October of 2002 asking if I could
bum rap for too long. Last year, as a amount of organization it takes to start full time in November instead
“trial run” for this year’s big spot- host the most-watched single sporting of June. And I thought, this better
light, the Motown Winter Blast drew event in the world. Upon graduation not ruin my plans, because I’ve got
WINTER 2006 11
plans!” And with that, Kurta was In this instance, “making it “The game is always going to
on board as the committee’s execu- work” has included tips he picked be the game. There are going to be
tive administrator. Amid juggling up from previous Super Bowl Host between 70,000 and 80,000 people
the position’s responsibilities of Committees in Jacksonville and there every year. Now, however, it’s
office management, board of direc- Houston such as running major ads become so much more. Now a lot
tor relations, administrative staff in local media outlets and schedul- of people come to town who have
supervision, charitable requests, ing dozens of training sessions that no intention of going to the game,
and suite administration, she met encompass responsibilities ranging but they come to town anyway
up with another NMU alum— from escorting fans from the airport, because they know it’s going to be a
Sean Krabach. helping seat fans with disabilities, big party.”
As the volunteer services man- providing directions, and simply “He’s so right,” echoed Kurta.
ager, Krabach knows a thing or welcoming people to the event and “One hundred thousand people
three about organization as well. to the city. come into town, and only 70,000 of
Perhaps it’s his experience in the For executing her responsibili- them will be at the game. That is a
sports industry as a member of the ties, Kurta exuded the same appreci- very big party!”
Detroit Metro Sports Commission, ation for another member of the Because of this, even during
his communications/public relations NMU community. “I learned a lot game time there will be no rest for
roles with the Port Huron Border from Dave Bonsall ’73 BS. He was Krabach and Kurta. Both will be on
Cats of the International Hockey so encouraging. He just had such a duty making sure everything goes as
League, and his role as the IHL’s great rapport with students and with planned. Kurta joked about sleeping
director of communications that his staff. And what I think about in the Host Committee’s Ford Field
gives him such assured confidence. now is that he was in charge of a lot office the night before the game.
Considering his duties include of stuff! He handled it with such “You never know what could hap-
recruiting, training, and deploying grace and such a great spirit. I really pen at the very last minute, so I’m
approximately 10,000 volunteers, appreciated that.” probably going to be wherever I’m
his measured speech and confident Bonsall’s inspiration is something needed most, even if it means wak-
body language suggest a remarkable Kurta values deeply. She lifts her ing up in the office.”
calm about it all. shoulders as she speaks on the subject, Said Krabach, “I really wish I
“I knew the recruiting part recounting college memories that could sit back and enjoy the game,
would be easy because we have the helped shape her current life. “I was but it’ll probably be another day at
Super Bowl, which is the greatest sin- so fortunate. I was president of the the office, and I’ll be out some-
gle sporting event in the world, and Greek Council when I went to where with volunteers. And to tell
we have people who love their city Northern. I was also president of the you the truth, come February, I’m
and love their community. They just Pan-Hellenic Council. I would never probably going to be doing all I
want to be involved.” have been able to do that at a big can to take my mind off of foot-
Don’t let his calm fool you; his school. I would have been lucky to ball. Maybe I’ll take up crocheting
is still a daunting task—as if helping get into the sorority of my choice at a or something.”
to corral 100,000 fans could be seen big school or to have any leadership Still, in lieu of the would-be-
as anything less. Still, Krabach uses roles. So I loved that about NMU.” could-be daunting job at hand,
something he learned at NMU to As the timeline moves from there’s an excitement that comes
help him pull it all together. years to months to days, Krabach with anticipation. For their parts,
“Don Rybacki was the head of and Kurta get a little giddy when Kurta and Krabach both seem pre-
my academic department. He was they talk about the sheer immensity pared to do anything just shy of
my adviser, so I could go to him of the task that lies ahead. “Every lacing up the cleats to help deliver a
with problems and he’d always find year, this event gets bigger and big- Super Bowl experience on a scale
creative ways to make my program ger,” said Krabach, spreading his that has never been approached
work. It wasn’t always easy, but we hands farther and farther apart with before. And the whole world will
always made it work.” each “bigger.” be watching. I
12 HORIZONS
The Whiteside of Life
Introduction by G E O F F H I N E M A N ’99 BS ’01 MA
Whether it’s planning pre-game ceremonies for the Detroit Pistons
NBA Finals home games, handling event management for President
Bush, or producing a crucial employee communications program for
the DaimlerChrysler merger, Ferndale-based Whiteside Communication
Management has proven it can handle just about anything.
Come February, Jimmy Whiteside ’85 BS, president of
Whiteside Communication Management, and the rest of his firm, will
be producing the opening ceremonies for a week’s worth of Super
Bowl events. Before that, though, Whiteside took some time to talk
with Northern Horizons about how a special someone at NMU
changed his life, what it’s like to play a part in the Super Bowl, and
what it was about NMU that sticks with him most, even today.
Photograph of Jimmy Whiteside
courtesy of Whiteside Communication Here then, in his own words, is Jimmy Whiteside.
Management. “When I started at Northern, I was there on a football scholarship, and I wasn’t
the greatest student. I wasn’t stupid, but if you looked at my academics, you would
have thought so.
“One day, though, a life-changing event happened to me. Professor Karyn
Rybacki pulled me aside and said, ‘I don’t think you have any idea of the wonderful
gift you have. I don’t think you have any idea how bright you really are.’ She said,
‘Wonderful things are going to happen for you.’ My grades instantly went up, and I
was an A-B student from that point forward. To me, her words alone were worth the
cost of my five years of education. They sparked me then, and I’ve never looked back.
“As soon as I graduated from Northern, I got a job managing and representing
talent. I had about 35 acts. Having become very successful in that arena, I decided
to bridge over to the corporate arena and created a company designed to be a full-
service company that was going to do meetings, promotions, and events. Today, 14
years later, it’s been a great ride. It’s not just about me, though; I have a truly great
team here. I’m blessed with some of the best people in this industry. They are truly
great at what they do.
“These days, we try to be selective with what we take on. We like to do projects
where we feel we can make a difference. If we don’t feel like we can start with an
idea and take it out of the universe, then we typically don’t get involved.
“To be selected from 26 companies around the country by the Super Bowl Host
Committee, then, is such an honor. My team and I are completely jazzed for this
Super Bowl. We are handling the opening ceremonies, A Detroit Salute, events with
Playboy and Runners of the Game, NFL Media Night, a TSA VIP hospitality event, and
so much more.
“Along this wonderful ride, what I still remember—and it’s what I always loved
about Northern—was that it seemed to foster a culture of people who were real.
There is a genuineness to the Upper Peninsula culture. Throughout my career, I’ve
tried to hold on to being true to myself and being genuine and real with people.” I
WINTER 2006 13
By K R I S T I E VA N S
iStockphoto
As a teenager, Curt Tucker ’82 AT craved the high-speed adrenaline rush that came
from climbing on his cycle and tearing up the strip at the Tri-City Dragway near his
hometown of Saginaw. Little did he know then that his penchant for motorsports
would translate into a thriving career. But instead of flirting with disaster, Tucker
now focuses on preventing it. He heads a safety equipment company whose prod-
ucts are designed to harness the potential horsepower-fueled hazards facing those
who provide weekend racing entertainment for a growing legion of fans.
the track while spinning the tires the
“W HE N R ACE R S FE E L whole time. The more noise and
smoke they can generate, the more
S A F E R AN D DO N ’ T wildly receptive the fans become.
HAVE TO WO R RY
Tucker said it’s the dry-asphalt equiv-
alent of a controlled fishtailing joy
AB OU T T RY I N G TO ride through an icy, snow-covered
parking lot in Marquette.
B RAC E T H E M SE LV E S
Road events comprise the bulk
I N S I D E T H E I R CA R S , of his business, but Tucker’s client
list veers off road, off shore, and
T HE I R C O M PE T I T I V E
away from motorsports altogether.
LEVE L I S HE I G H T E N E D He developed a head and neck
restraining device for monster trucks
AND IT HELPS THEM
to prevent whiplash from constant
GO FA ST E R .” jostling in the cab. His company
worked with others to design a fix-
—C URT T UCKER ture system for drag boat racers so
they can disconnect from their belt
buckle, air mask, and helmet radio
TEAMTECH Motorsports simultaneously if they capsize and
Safety Inc. is based in Saginaw. become disoriented. On a more per-
Tucker’s patented window netting sonal and practical note, Tucker said
and padded, multi-point seat belt his seatbelt technology has been
restraints stabilize drivers—from adapted for wheelchair users.
local amateurs to INDY car and “It’s a big hit, especially with the
NASCAR professionals—enabling kids,” he added. “Generally there’s
Photographs of Curt Tucker courtesy of
them to walk away from 210 mile- TEAMTECH Motorsports Safety. just a chest strap on a wheelchair,
per-hour crashes. which kids don’t like because it can
“NASCAR racers buy safety ager e-mailed and said he wants to be uncomfortable. We scale down
gear through dealer networks, so we be the first to try it out in practice. our design for this use, and parents
don’t always know exactly who uses “We’ve been in business almost say it is much more comfortable. It
our products,” Tucker said, “but I 18 years and haven’t had anyone also gives kids a greater sense of
can tell you we’ve outfitted racing break any bones or get any bruises. pride because they’re using the same
greats like Emerson Fitipaldi, Kyle When racers feel safer and don’t have harness race car drivers use, and it
Petty, and Greg Biffle, along with to worry about trying to brace them- makes their wheelchairs look fancy.”
TV and movie stars such as Jesse selves inside their cars, their competi- Tucker said TEAMTECH
James, Jay Leno, and Paul Newman. tive level is heightened and it helps would not exist without a timely
Our latest product design is a new them go faster. It’s a competitive assist from his mother, or the top-
latch buckle inspired by the fact industry, but with an estimated 2 mil- notch preparation he received at
NASCAR drivers are getting smaller. lion active racers of all kinds world- Northern. He graduated from the
They’re able to tighten down their wide, we’ve found some niches.” drawing and design program, but
shoulder belts, but the lap belts Tucker ships seatbelts on a also acquired experience in welding,
remain pretty loose. This new buck- monthly basis to Japan, where “drift” machining, foundry, electronics, and
le is so secure that the pelvic bone racing is the rage. This sport focuses drafting. The diverse skill set enabled
deflects a bit. It’s a significant devel- not only on speed, but style. Drivers him to secure a job right out of
opment. After it runs through crash soup up their vehicles so they pack school at a chemical, mechanical,
tests, it will go to NASCAR safety from 350 to 500 horsepower. The and physical testing facility in
specialists. Jeff Gordon’s crew man- boost allows them to quickly traverse Orange County, California.
16 HORIZONS
“We tested everything from allurgical and machining tolerance cally are the matrix of the NMU Baja
aerospace products down to plastic procedures, he began to develop his racing team, but you don’t have to be
plumbing pipes for homes,” he said. own ideas of what a seat belt buckle an engineering school to do well.
“My mom always said I was destruc- should and shouldn’t do for racers. “We are attempting to get the
tive, but I’m sure she never thought I “I went to the tracks and talked whole of NMU involved in the Baja
would get paid for bending, stretch- to the drivers about safety,” Tucker racing team because there’s also cost
ing, and crushing materials to make said. “Then I designed my own seat- factoring, marketing, management,
sure they adhered to standards. It was belt and showed it to manufacturers. and other aspects involved in the
very interesting work. One of my They wanted me to build it for judging. My wife (Korina) and I
biggest claims to fame, if you will, them, so I did. Things picked up met the NMU team in Dayton,
was that my boss and I were the quickly, and I decided to go into Ohio, for the competition. They
technicians who worked on requalify- business for myself. I left the lab in scored in the top 10 in creativity
ing the O-rings for the space shuttle 1989 and worked out of a garage for out of 150 other universities that
program. We didn’t test the first one, a couple of years before joining my entered worldwide. The NMU vehi-
obviously, but we requalified them. mom in 1991. I always wanted to cle was probably the most talked-
They’re now made with silicone rub- have my own business.” about in terms of uniqueness, quali-
ber from Midland, Michigan, and Tucker received a patent for his ty, and imagination.”
they’re working very well.” padded seat belt and release buckle. When asked to describe his
The lab began testing race car His product line has expanded to alma mater, Tucker replied,
safety equipment for the SFI include racing apparel and helmet or “Northern is the college where rela-
Foundation, which sets minimum neck supports. He was even commis- tionships are built. The professors
performance standards for motor- sioned by Chrysler to develop tie- are available to students. And the
sport industries. There were no spec- down straps used to secure produc- industrial sciences program has
ifications for window nettings at tion cars in boats as they are shipped great facilities for that hands-on
that time, so Tucker drafted some. overseas. Tucker’s two-pronged experience manufacturers are look-
“Out of 11 manufacturers we approach to product design is based ing for. Too often, universities
tested, not one of them passed. I was on snippets of sage advice he pump students out with book
going to be tarred and feathered; the received from NMU Professor Tom smarts, but little ability to apply
companies said my specs were too Meravi: keep it simple, and listen to what they’ve learned. Northern pre-
stringent. But I knew they made per- and build around customers’ needs pared me extremely well for my
fect sense. I asked my mom to sew rather than telling customers what eventual career.” I
one. She said she had only done they need and giving them some-
drapes and wedding dresses but was thing that doesn’t work.
willing to try, so I sent her the specs Meravi has remained a mentor
and material. Hers worked perfectly. and good friend of Tucker’s since
The president of SFI almost fell 1982. The two talked for a long time
backward in his chair when I told about starting a Baja racing team at
him my mom was the one who NMU—something Tucker had
finally managed to pass the test.” helped establish at nearby Saginaw
On her son’s advice, Elaine Valley State University. Their wish
Tucker kept the specifications and finally came true last year.
started selling window netting to “I had given some seats and seed
local drivers. Curt had begun testing money to help make it happen, and
race car seat belts at the Orange I’m just ecstatic,” Tucker said. “It’s
County lab and noticed a number huge for the university because these
of problems in quality, not to men- teams get a lot of international atten-
tion the lack of test specifications. tion, and many companies headhunt
In the process of completing at the competitions. Industrial sci-
upgrades and helping to write met- ences and engineering students typi-
WINTER 2006 17
A Dark
Horse
Taps into
a Bright
Future
By K R I S T I E VA N S
Aaron Morse
Aaron Morse ’97 BFA jokes that he hasn’t exactly applied his art and design degree to his
chosen occupation. But those who like to sample microbrews on a lazy Sunday afternoon
might beg to differ. The ability to handcraft these specialties to achieve an award-
winning combination of flavor, aroma, and texture is an art form unto itself. Besides,
Morse has used his college-honed skills to design the company’s logo and illustrate the
labels on every bottled variety produced by Dark Horse Brewing of Marshall, Michigan.
Photograph of Aaron Morse courtesy of Matthew Dunn, Indianabeer.com
The origins of Morse’s home- liant idea of making our own beer,” The circle of friends did not let
brew hobby can be traced back to he said. “One time we were in the this narrow escape from detection
his years as a Northern student. He middle of brewing a fresh batch deter them from fine-tuning their
confirms reports that he and some when some students began a protest craft. As Morse explained, their per-
friends concocted batches in the against alcohol and drugs right out- sistence in perfecting beer recipes
basement kitchen of Halverson Hall. side our hall. Talk about bad timing. almost proved to be their downfall.
In hindsight, he would not condone A couple of people came in and “We were brewing in our bath-
similar exploits. However, he was asked what we were doing. We had room and there was a fire drill in the
willing to digress and provide details to come up with something quick. middle of it. We didn’t have a
with no assurances of immunity or One of the guys was in culinary arts chance to clean up because we had
concerns about the statute of limita- and said we were making beef con- to leave right away. I remember all
tions on student code violations. sommé. Fortunately, they didn’t of us standing outside the hall say-
“We were tired of drinking the want to try it. Then again, it was just ing, ‘We are so busted.’ There was
same old stuff, and money was an sugar water at that point, so techni- beer-making equipment all over the
issue, so we came up with the bril- cally we weren’t breaking any rules.” room—burners, pots, bags of corn
20 HORIZONS
“A N IPA IS ON THE BIT TER SIDE ,” M ORSE
EXPL AINED . “B ACK WHEN SHIPS SAILED TO
I NDIA , BEER WAS ONE OF THE MAIN CARGO
ITEMS . T HEY STARTED LOADING UP THE
BARRELS WITH HOPS BECAUSE THEY FOUND
THE BEER WOULD GET STALE BY THE TIME
THE VOYAGE ENDED . H OPS WERE USED AT
FIRST AS PRESERVATIVES BEFORE PEOPLE
DISCOVERED THEIR VALUE FOR ADDING
Aaron Morse
FL AVOR , AROMA , AND BIT TERNESS .”
—A ARON M ORSE
sugar that might have resembled an and—with his parents’ help— “An IPA is on the bitter side,”
illegal substance at first glance. It opened his current establishment Morse explained. “Back when ships
would have looked really bad to just south of downtown. sailed to India, beer was one of the
someone who didn’t know anything “It’s a tiny, eclectic place. The main cargo items. They started
about making beer. The (resident bar seats about 50, and there are loading up the barrels with hops
adviser) either didn’t see it as he was four or five tables to eat at. We have because they found the beer would
running through the building or, if all kinds of things on the walls, and get stale by the time the voyage
he did see it, he didn’t want to deal there’s a beer garden in the summer. ended. Hops were used at first as
with it. We lucked out.” It’s taken a few years to pan out and preservatives before people discov-
Morse and his college friend be prosperous. The brewing industry ered their value for adding flavor,
Russ Beattie are still into beer mak- is very competitive. There are 60 aroma, and bitterness.”
ing, but now on a legitimate and pubs and micros in Michigan alone. With seasonal varieties and other
professional level. They work togeth- For the most part, we try to help specialties, the Dark Horse brews 15
er at the Dark Horse microbrewery each other out. But there’s definitely different beers and produces about
in Marshall. Morse never anticipated competition. I love it, but there are 1,300 barrels annually. The brand is
running his own business, but it was many challenges, especially in available in Michigan and Indiana. In
in his blood. His parents had owned today’s economy.” the future, Morse hopes to add vint-
a bar in his hometown, which they Dark Horse offers four “flag- ner to his title. “I know enough about
remodeled into a brewpub before ship” beers year round, including brewing science to apply it to wine
closing it down in January 2000. the best-selling Crooked Tree IPA, making. There are differences, but it’s
After graduating from NMU and or India Pale Ale. It has received sev- the same premise. I’ll have to teach
doing an “apprenticeship” with a eral honors, including Best of Show myself again like I did with beer.”
brew master in Michigan, Morse at the 2004 World Expo of Beer in That’s what is called a lifelong
took the equipment from the pub Frankenmuth. learner. I
WINTER 2006 21