Titans roll on the Midnight Bike Ride
Detroit Mercy students, faculty and community members oiled up their bike chains and rolled out from the McNichols Campus, Sept. 15, on the annual Midnight Bike Ride. The 20-mile round-trip excursion took riders through Detroit with a well-deserved hot dog break at Lafayette Coney Island.
Homecoming is so close: Get excited!
Can you believe Homecoming Weekend 2017 is only a week away? If you haven't seen the event lineup yet, check it out online: it is epic. Just ask Professor of Chemistry & Biochemistry Matt Mio, who is gearing up and preparing his panel for "Ask the Professor Live at Detroit Mercy Homecoming 2017!" Mio said, "Join us for a live recording of one of the oldest radio shows on the airwaves as the professors hash their way through listener-submitted trivia and only look a little foolish while doing it!"
There is no cost for general admission, simply bring one canned good per person if you can. All participants who register before Sept. 25 will receive a free t-shirt. There is still plenty of time to register for the Detroit Decades Dash 5K or assemble your strongest team for the annual Tug-of-War competition! Register today and don't miss out on Sept. 29 & 30!
Back-to-back CLASA events
In celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month, CLASA will host a concert on Tuesday, Sept. 26 at 6:30 p.m. in Grounds Coffeehaus. The band, Comparsa Sur featuring Bandolero Duran, is a group of musicians from several Latin America countries coming together to perform songs from across the region.
On Thursday, Sept. 28, CLASA will co-sponsor a program with the Michigan Coalition for Human Rights, titled "Project: Safety Net," addressing the problem of hate on social media. Dr. Saeed Khan will moderate the evening's program and a panel of community experts will share their perspectives. This event will be held at 7 p.m. in Room 113 of the Ford Life Sciences Building. See the event page for more information.
Celebrate Spirit! was a smash hit
Thank you to everyone who joined us last week for the Celebrate Spirit! festivities, and a special thank you to this year's co-sponsors, University Ministry and the School of Dentistry. See the photo gallery online. Stay tuned for this year's keynote video, "Driven to Serve," as well as highlights from the Student Organization Fair, available online soon. If you're interested in joining a student organization, be sure to visit our new Student Groups web page.
![Makemercyreal graphic](images/mercyreal.jpg)
Share your story of Mercy
Sept. 24 is known as Mercy Day, the day Sisters of Mercy around the world celebrate the opening of the first House of Mercy by Catherine McAuley. This year, the Sisters of Mercy are asking people to share the ways they give and receive mercy. Post your stories on your (or our!) social media with the hashtag #MakeMercyReal or email them to makemercyreal@sistersofmercy.org. Share your story online with Marketing & Communications and we'll put it on our alumni blog.
Detroit Mercy Law celebrates Red Mass next week
Please join Detroit Mercy Law and celebrate the 105th annual Red Mass on Tuesday, Sept. 26 at noon at Ss. Peter & Paul Church, 629 East Jefferson Avenue in downtown Detroit. The Red Mass is an occasion for judges, attorneys, civic leaders and law students of all faiths to pray together at the beginning of the new judicial term and ask the blessing of the Holy Spirit on the coming year's work. RSVP to Assistant Dean of Alumni Relations Denise Hickey at 313-596-0202 or hickeydp@udmercy.edu.
Events this week
Professor of Mechanical Engineering Nihad Dukhan will host the talk, "Fruit of the Reed Pen: Introduction to Arabic/Islamic Calligraphy," on Wednesday, Sept. 20 at 5 p.m. in Room 139 of the Commerce & Finance Building. Dukhan will explain how calligraphy is done, and the historical and cultural context of the practices of Arabic calligraphy, from its beginnings to contemporary times. Dukhan's exhibit of Arabic calligraphy will continue to be on display in the McNichols Campus Library through Friday, Oct. 27. See the event page for more information.
Student Life Office is hosting an open forum for commuter students on Thursday, Sept. 21 from 3 to 4:15 p.m. in the Fountain Lounge. This is a chance for you, as a commuter, to let Detroit Mercy faculty and staff know what you want to see to help improve your experience as a student on campus.
Are you a fan of board games, cards and free ice cream? Come relax, unwind and get a chance to meet some of Detroit Mercy's beloved Jesuits and Sisters of Mercy at Game Night on Thursday, Sept. 21 from 7:30 to 9 p.m. in Lansing-Reilly Hall on the McNichols Campus.
Thumbs Up!
Associate Professor of Computer & Information Systems Rita Barrios was recently interviewed by Diva Tech Talk, focusing on the progression of her successful career in Information Technology and the people who influenced her the most. Listen to the full interview online.
Associate Professor of Chemistry & Biochemistry Kendra Evans and Associate Professor of Biology Rachelle Belanger's collaborative research paper, "Diminished Conspecific Odor Recognition in the Rusty Crayfish (Orconectes rusticus) Following a 96-h Exposure to Atrazine," was recently published in the Bulletin of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology by Springer Nature.
Associate Professor of English Rosemary Weatherston presented the paper, "Voices of Life but Not of This World: The Use of 'Impossible Illness Narratives' in Health Education," at the Western Michigan University Medical Humanities Conference in Kalamazoo, Sept. 14-15.